Posted on by Sean Montgomery

It’s time to get back to short-track racing, as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Richmond Raceway for the second stop in the playoffs’ Round of 16. Saturday’s Federated Auto Parts 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will be run underneath the lights.

RELATED: Full Richmond schedule | Dillon vaults up Power Rankings

TRACK DETAILS

Richmond Raceway is a 0.75-mile D-shaped oval located in Richmond, Virginia. First opened as a fairgrounds half-mile layout in 1953, Richard Petty holds the record for most wins at the track with 13. Kyle Busch leads all active drivers with six.

The track features 14-degree banking in the corners, 8-degree banking on the frontstretch and two-degree banking on the backstretch. The frontstretch is 1,290 feet long and the backstretch is 860 feet.

The 2020 season is the first since 1959 that Richmond has only hosted a single Cup Series race during the year.

STAGE LENGTHS

Stage 1 will end at Lap 80, Stage 2 at Lap 235 and the full distance scheduled to end at Lap 400.

STARTING LINEUP

Kevin Harvick will start Sunday’s race where he left off at Darlington — at the front of the field. The regular-season champion gets the nod on the Busch Pole alongside Joey Logano, filling out an all-Ford front row.

Chevy drivers Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman, and William Byron round out the top five. The lineup was determined by four performance metrics from the Cup Series’ previous race: 15% based on fastest lap time position, 25% of the driver’s final race finish position, 25% of the owner’s final race position and 35% of the owner points position.

RELATED: Full starting lineup | More on the new lineup formula

RULES PACKAGE

The 2020 NASCAR rules package for short tracks will be in effect with a tapered spacer used to set a target of 750 horsepower. The cars will use a reduced downforce package with a shorter spoiler, a shorter splitter overhang and other aerodynamic changes. 

GOODYEAR TIRES

Each team will be provided with nine sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials for the race.

Richmond’s abrasive surface continues the strategic focus from Darlington – tire management. With high tire wear and additional effort to conserve tires for potential long runs, drivers and crews will have to take risks to gain spots later in the race. The good news for teams is they have run this set-up on similar tracks twice this season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway — the site of the 2020 Cup Series Championship race.

“We’re on a back-to-back stretch of the NASCAR playoff schedule where we race on high-wear race tracks,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing.  “Richmond is known for several things – being a racy short track, being a favorite of drivers and fans, and now as a high-wear track. The tire set-up for Richmond is aligned with two other tracks that are of similar length — Loudon and Phoenix. That is especially important in this current racing climate with no practice. Having the same tire set-up on a similar track will help teams tune in quicker on their car set-ups, which is even more important with the shorter race distances of short-track racing.”

PLAYOFF STATS TO KNOW

— Sunday’s race at Richmond is the third race in a slate of five consecutive nighttime races. That stretch continues with the Round of 16 finale at Bristol Motor Speedway and the Round of 12 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

— Heading into the 28th race of the season, this marks the latest Kyle Busch has gone without a win. With nine races left to extend his 15-year winning streak, his best chance may come at the next two tracks, where he has 14 career wins between the two.

— Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch and William Byron are the only drivers to finish in the top 10 in both races at tracks under 1-mile this season. Keselowski, Busch and Byron each currently sit above the Round of 16 cutline.

— Since May, Kevin Harvick has passed Junior Johnson, Ned Jarrett, Lee Petty, Rusty Wallace and Kyle Busch on the all-time wins list — 46% of Harvick’s wins have come after turning 40.

Source: Racing Insights

INTERACTIVE COVERAGE

For a more interactive experience, head over to NASCAR.com or the NASCAR app to check out an enhanced Race Center, live Lap-by-Lap coverage, the customizable live leaderboard with Scanner (which is FREE for both races), and the return of Drive (featuring in-car cameras).

Be sure to set your lineup in Fantasy Live and make your picks in the NASCAR Finish Line App!

RELATED: Darlington Scanner Sounds

2019 RACE WINNER

Martin Truex Jr. put on a show in last year’s playoff race at Richmond, sweeping the season series at the track and edging Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch — who led a race-high 202 laps — by a 2.6-second margin. Truex regained the lead from Busch with just 26 laps to go, setting up an electric finish between the two championship contenders.

RELATED: 2019 Federated Auto Parts 400 recap

ACTIVE RICHMOND WINNERS

Kyle Busch (six wins); Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, and Denny Hamlin (three wins each); Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr., Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, and Joey Logano (two wins each); Ryan Newman and Brad Keselowski (one win each).

Posted on by Staff Report

Denny Hamlin’s car will sport a special paint scheme for Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Richmond Raceway, a design for the No. 11 Toyota that promotes FedEx Cares’ ties to the National Urban League.

RELATED: Paint Scheme Preview: Richmond | Weekend schedule

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver will spotlight the civil rights organization’s Project Ready program, which helped prepare black students and other historically underserved youth for college and post-school careers. Hamlin met with students virtually to learn more about the program and two of them will virtually join the team as honorary pit crew members for Saturday’s Federated Auto Parts 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“I made the commitment to listen and learn about social injustice,” Hamlin said. “Education is an area where all kids don’t always have access to the same opportunities. I met recently with two Project Ready students virtually, and they educated me on the importance of Project Ready and how the program has helped prepare them for college and their careers.”

FedEx has supported National Urban League since 2008. It’s the second time this season that Hamlin and his sponsor have raised awareness for civil rights through a paint scheme on the No. 11. Hamlin raced a design at Talladega Superspeedway in June that honored the National Civil Rights Museum.

Posted on by Staff Report

Jimmie Johnson has revealed his plans following the end of his full-time NASCAR career in 2020 — he has announced a future partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing to explore the possibility of racing in the NTT IndyCar Series.

“When I tested Chip’s Indy car earlier in the year, it only lit the fire more,” Johnson said in a team release. “I found that I wanted to do it more than ever before. … As part of a natural progression, I wanted to publicly show the alignment with Chip Ganassi Racing to kick the sponsorship program into high gear. The goal is to run the full road and street program, and today is a very important first step in accomplishing that goal.”

RELATED: Johnson’s career highlights | See all of Johnson’s Cup wins

Johnson tested with Ganassi on the Indianapolis road course at the end of July and got some pointers from potential future teammate and five-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon.

“It is always difficult to find great drivers but for them to be great guys too makes it even that much more challenging,” team owner Chip Ganassi said in a release. “To pair Jimmie with the likes of Scott Dixon is quite an opportunity. They are truly in rarified air and I think everyone knows by now that ‘I like winners.’ The goal right now is for us to run Jimmie in an Indy car for at least the next couple of seasons, and we want to show people we’re serious about the program. We felt it was important to get the partnership done and start putting the financial building blocks in place to make this a reality. Jimmie’s record speaks for itself and we feel a championship-level driver of his caliber can only make our team better.”

Johnson, a seven-time Cup champion and winner of 83 races, is competing in his final full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series in the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. He has nine races left in his full-time career and did not qualify for the playoffs for the second straight season.

Posted on by Staff Report

Kevin Harvick won the Busch Pole Award for Saturday’s Federated Auto Parts 400 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs race at Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The lineup was determined using NASCAR’s new competition-based formula, which is a total number based on the previous event: 15% of a fastest lap time position, 25% of the driver’s final race finish position, 25% of the owner’s final race position and 35% of the Owner Points position. Any ties will be broken by the Rule Book.

RELATED: Learn more about the new lineup formula | ADVANCING through the playoffs

Joey Logano will join the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford on the front row in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

In the majority of national series events since NASCAR’s May return, starting lineups have been set by random draws. The new structure draws on performance from both individual races and season-long results, rather than leaving a range of starting spots up to chance.

An example of how the math works: Harvick finished first in the last race (1 x 0.5), is first in owner points (1 x 0.35) and his most recent fastest lap ranked sixth in the field (6 x 0.15). His metric total is 1.75. Logano, meanwhile, had a metric total of 4.5 to claim second; he finished third Sunday (3 x 0.5), is third in owner points (3 x 0.35) and scored the 13th-fastest lap of the race (13 x 0.15).

See the full starting lineup for Saturday’s race below.

Starting spot Driver Car # Team
1 Kevin Harvick 4 Stewart-Haas Racing
2 Joey Logano 22 Team Penske
3 Austin Dillon 3 Richard Childress Racing
4 Alex Bowman 88 Hendrick Motorsports
5 William Byron 24 Hendrick Motorsports
6 Kyle Busch 18 Joe Gibbs Racing
7 Denny Hamlin 11 Joe Gibbs Racing
8 Kurt Busch 1 Chip Ganassi Racing
9 Brad Keselowski 2 Team Penske
10 Aric Almirola 10 Stewart-Haas Racing
11 Clint Bowyer 14 Stewart-Haas Racing
12 Chase Elliott 9 Hendrick Motorsports
13 Cole Custer 41 Stewart-Haas Racing
14 Martin Truex Jr. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing
15 Ryan Blaney 12 Team Penske
16 Matt DiBenedetto 21 Wood Brothers Racing
17 Erik Jones 20 Joe Gibbs Racing
18 Jimmie Johnson 48 Hendrick Motorsports
19 Matt Kenseth 42 Chip Ganassi Racing
20 Michael McDowell 34 Front Row Motorsports
21 Ryan Newman 6 Roush Fenway Racing
22 Tyler Reddick 8 Richard Childress Racing
23 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing
24 Ryan Preece 37 JTG Daugherty Racing
25 Chris Buescher 17 Roush Fenway Racing
26 Christopher Bell 95 Leavine Family Racing
27 Ty Dillon 13 Germain Racing
28 Daniel Suarez 96 Gaunt Brothers Racing
29 Brennan Poole 15 Premium Motorsports
30 Bubba Wallace 43 Richard Petty Motorsports
31 John Hunter Nemechek 38 Front Row Motorsports
32 JJ Yeley 27 Rick Ware Racing
33 Quin Houff 00 StarCom Racing
34 Corey LaJoie 32 Go Fas Racing
35 Reed Sorenson 77 Spire Motorsports
36 Joey Gase 51 Petty Ware Racing
37 Timmy Hill 66 Motorsports Business Management
38 James Davison 53 Rick Ware Racing
Posted on by Staff Report

Jake Kruger has seen his fair share of success as a race car driver, having won a modified championship at Houston Motorsports Park in the past.

But the desire to get behind the wheel and drive again gets less and less these days. He‘s found watching other people win in cars he builds more enjoyable.

Kruger has been able to see his team‘s truck in Victory Lane plenty in recent years. Driver Jake Wright leads Houston Motorsports Park’s Pro Truck Series points standings and has two wins so far this season.

Kruger and Wright raced alongside each other when they were both kids driving quarter midgets in the late 90s and early 2000s. The two‘s families have remained good friends for more than 20 years.

Kruger grew up at the race track. His mom tells stories about how he was at a race the week after he was born. He progressed his way up to late models and modifieds, but stepped away from driving as much in recent years.

“I still want to get in the car every once in a while but my want is less and less nowadays,” he said. “I get more enjoyment out of seeing my cars win races nowadays.”

Jake Wright

After Wright began racing in the Pro Truck Series at Houston Motorsports Park — a NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series sanctioned 3/8-mile banked asphalt oval track in Houston, Texas — the team struggled early. A few years in, Kruger joined to help the Wright family out.

Houston Motorsports Park | Facebook | Instagram

“Eventually one day, I can‘t remember if I went to him or he went to me,” Kruger said. “We redid the whole thing and improved their whole thing. That was about six years ago. Ever since then I‘ve been doing all of his stuff on his old truck and we built this new truck and finished about a year and a half ago.”

Once Kruger came aboard, the success followed quickly.

“We actually got pretty fortunate that as soon as it rolled out of the shop, that brand new truck, it was fast right off the trailer,” Kruger said. “I actually don‘t think that we‘ve changed much of anything since we showed up to the track the first time. Jake won the second race he ran it. He probably had an opportunity to win every race he ran with it.”

Not only has Kruger been a huge part of Wright‘s team with the truck, he‘s also been a mentor for the young driver. Wright called Kruger “an absolute guru” when it comes to setup and giving advice.

“He‘s definitely always been very good about giving me advice,” Wright said. “Stuff that maybe happened to him in previous years he‘s always relayed that to me. Just different tips and tricks and stuff like that. He‘s been like a brother to me throughout all these years. He‘s always had my back. I‘ve always looked up to him as a mentor and just a really good teacher.”

The No. 48 truck at HMP is sponsored and partnered with Siddons-Martin Emergency Group, Moore Law Firm, Robbie White Race Engines, Spring Carburetors, Buzzy Racing, and Ernest Performance.

It‘s not just Wright‘s driving and Kruger‘s skills in the shop that has led to success at the HMP. Kruger said the team — with Travis Adams, Joey Cherry, Wright‘s dad, Bruce, and Ellen Fink also in the fray — does so well because everybody works hard together and knows their role.

Wright said it‘s also easier because no one takes things too serious and they keep the work fun.

“I think that helps being able to optimize your position and your role,” Kruger said. “You can do less things better if you keep it to a minimum… When we share roles it goes a lot easier, a lot smoother and a lot less hectic. Everybody just kind of has a good time with it.”

“We all have such a good chemistry together. We joke around, we cut loose,” Wright said. “We take it seriously but we do it in a fashion that‘s just relaxed. The focus is there along with the goofy side. You‘ve got to have fun when you‘re doing this kind of stuff. We like to have fun. We just really enjoy going to the track together and working together.”

HMP Points Standings

Wright said much of the success comes from not getting too worked up or letting any good or bad race get to their heads.

HMP will host one of its biggest races of the season this weekend with the Inaugural Texas Truck Challenge $10,000 to Win. Even though Wright acknowledged it‘s another big race, he refuses to get too worked up about it.

“Just think of it as another regular race,” he said. “There‘s going to be a whole bunch of people coming in from all over the country and it‘s going to be exciting to see where I stack up against all those people. It‘ll be fun.”

Wright will also be going for his first track championship in a truck at HMP, something Kruger said he‘s excited to help him achieve. He himself would also like to get another title as a crew member.

No matter what happens this weekend or the rest of the season at HMP, both Kruger and Wright are happy with how well the team has progressed, and their roles in making it happen.

“When I first started helping Jake, he was maybe a seventh or eighth place car,” Kruger said. “Just seeing how happy he was once we finally went through his car and he was running in the top-3 consistently. I can be happier at the end of the night when I can bring enjoyment to everyone else‘s night.

“You can definitely see a lot different attitude in him nowadays now that he‘s somebody everybody talks about. I feel like a lot of times when my cars show up it‘s nice to know that everybody else has their eye on them and says, ‘That‘s somebody that we‘re going to have to race.’ I get enjoyment out of it that way.”

HMP will host the Inaugural Texas Truck Challenge $10,000 to win on Saturday night. Gates will open at 6 p.m.

HMP Schedule

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officially suspended two Cup Series crew chiefs and fined two others Tuesday as part of the penalty report from last weekend’s national-series tripleheader at Darlington Raceway.

Competition officials found two cars each with two lug nuts not safely secured in a post-race check after Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500, the first of 10 races in the Cup Series Playoffs. That resulted in $20,000 fines and one-race suspension of crew chiefs for the following teams:

  • No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (crew chief Johnny Klausmeier) of driver Clint Bowyer
  • No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (crew chief Adam Stevens) of driver Kyle Busch

The penalty would keep both crew chiefs at home for the next points-paying Cup Series race, Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: No. 14, No. 18 teams name fill-ins | Richmond schedule

Two other teams were found with one unsecured lug nut each at Darlington. The infraction meant $10,000 fines for the teams of:

  • No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford of race winner Kevin Harvick
  • No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of William Byron

The Cup Series side of the penalty report also included mention of pre-race penalties assessed to the No. 12 Team Penske Ford for improperly mounted ballast. The violation meant the ejection of crew chief Todd Gordon before Sunday’s 500-miler, plus a 10-point deduction for Ryan Blaney in the Cup Series driver standings. Blaney also dropped to the rear of the field in pace laps.

“It’s a zero-mistakes game and a big mistake was made,” said Travis Geisler, Team Penske’s competition director. Geisler filled in for Gordon on the No. 12 Sunday night, marking his first crew chief stint since 2010. “The timing was probably about as bad as possible, but that’s the way it goes. Everybody has to take a look at the whole program and what happens.”

Geisler said the Penske organization plans to take a better account of how many ballast bags are added when its team weighs its cars during each stage of preparation.

In the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, officials issued a $2,500 fine to crew chief Kevin Bellicourt of Bill McAnally Racing after the No. 19 Toyota for driver Derek Kraus was found with one unsecured lug nut after Sunday’s South Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Darlington.

Posted on by Staff Report

Both Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch will have fill-in crew chiefs for Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The race marks the second of three in the Round of 16 of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

Greg Zipadelli will fill in for Bowyer and the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford team, while Jacob Canter will be interim crew chief for Busch and the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team. Both team’s regular crew chiefs — John Klausmeier (No. 14) and Adam Stevens (No. 18) — will be suspended for the Richmond race after both cars were missing two lug nuts in post-race inspection on Sunday at Darlington Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs opener.

RELATED: Richmond schedule | Zipadelli’s crew chief record | Canter’s crew chief record

Zipadelli, who is the competition director with SHR, is a two-time champion atop the box with Tony Stewart. He has served as a fill-in crew chief for Bowyer in the first Michigan race his year (where he finished 19th) as well as the organization’s Xfinity Series car driven by Chase Briscoe, where he guided the young driver to three wins in four races.

Canter works as the crew chief for the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the Xfinity Series. The entry is a part-time one that has only been driven by Busch and Denny Hamlin in 2020. Canter and Busch won the Xfinity race in May of 2020 at Charlotte. He also serves as the Test Team Manager for JGR’s NASCAR Cup Series program.

Entering Richmond, Busch is 10th in the standings — seven points to the good, while Bowyer is 13th in the standings by way of a best finish in the Round of 16 tiebreaker that he loses to his SHR teammate Aric Almirola.

Posted on by NASCAR Hall of Fame Release

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Sept. 8, 2020) — The NASCAR Hall of Fame will reopen to the general public on Sept. 16 with reduced capacity and enhanced health and safety measures in place. Operating hours will be 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday through Monday, with Tuesdays reserved for private groups and special events (Hot Pass Tuesdays). In advance of its official reopening, the Hall will also welcome back existing members on Saturday, Sept. 12 and Sunday, Sept. 13.

“We’re thrilled and ready to welcome back guests to the NASCAR Hall of Fame,” said Winston Kelley, Executive Director. “The health and safety of our visitors and staff is our highest priority, and based on months of hard work from our teammates at the Hall and Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, we are confident we are prepared to safely reopen.”

MORE: NASCAR Hall of Fame

To meet the new operational demands brought on by COVID-19, the Hall and the CRVA have re-written protocols to a standard called “We Clean with Care,” which translates to rigorous measures involving sanitizing and disinfecting all venues with increased frequency and implementing new personal safety best practices. Below are just a few of the measures being implemented at the NASCAR Hall of Fame:

  • In accordance with state and local guidelines, guests are required to wear face masks or coverings throughout their time at the Hall
  • Cleaning crews have increased cleaning frequency with special attention given to high-touch areas (elevator buttons, stair handrails, etc.)
  • Guests will be provided with a complimentary individual stylus to accommodate no-touch interactions with the Hall’s many touch-screen exhibits. In addition, interactive displays will be sanitized multiple times per day
  • Electrostatic/disinfectant sprayers will be used in high-touch areas including, but not limited to, the High Octane Theater, racing simulators, Pit Crew Experience and Legends Room
  • Color-coordinated microfiber cloths are being used with a disinfectant cleaning solution to eliminate cross-contamination in high-touch areas
  • Dozens of hand sanitizer stations have been installed strategically throughout the building in high traffic areas
  • All NASCAR Hall employees have been provided with face masks and are required to wear them while on duty
  • Foot claws have been installed on all restroom doors for hands-free use
  • Cleanliness patrols are being implemented to disinfect high-touch areas throughout the day and to check that all soap and sanitizer dispensers are full
  • All team members have completed mandatory training sessions to understand and implement these modified procedures and sanitation practices to provide for health of both guests and employees
  • CDC “Stop the Spread of Germs” posters and signage detailing proper handwashing/hygiene procedures in both English and Spanish have been placed in all bathrooms

In addition, the CRVA is also pursuing Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR certifications for all of its buildings. This is the gold standard of prepared facilities and the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response and recovery accreditation for them.

For full list of health and safety protocols being implemented at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, visit nascarhall.com/clean.

Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets online here and use the print-at-home/mobile ticket option upon purchase. The box office will also be open to assist guests, who are asked to send one member of their party through the line and observe social distancing. Decals on the door will indicate proper spacing. Cashless transactions are also preferred for any purchases once at the Hall.

Those not ready for an in-person visit but still interested in a NASCAR Hall of Fame experience can check out the new Spark! Online Education platform on nascarhall.com offering free, engaging lesson plans with project-based learning experiences to do at home. Fans can also read all about NASCAR history, stories from legends and more told by the NASCAR Hall of Fame curatorial team on its new blog, “Curators’ Corner.”

To learn more about the NASCAR Hall of Fame and its safety protocols, visit nascarhall.com.

Posted on by Press Release

You don’t need to know NASCAR to know Bubba Wallace.

The only African American driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, Wallace has been outspoken about social injustice and his message of compassion, love and understanding.

In his third full season behind-the-wheel of the iconic No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Richard Petty Motorsports, Wallace called for NASCAR to ban the display of the Confederate flag at its races. His call was answered, and two days later, the flag was banned at all NASCAR events and properties.

From there, Wallace was shot into mainstream stardom and has become an embodiment of the social justice movement within NASCAR, a symbol and leader to fellow drivers, industry members and fans alike.

RELATED: Bubba Wallace adds DoorDash in multiyear deal

Bubba Wallace founded the Live to Be Different Foundation, which aims to support disadvantaged individuals and those in need of a second chance with educational, social or other types of assistance regardless of skin color, gender, disabilities or socio-economic situation.

Ahead of Saturday’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway in Virginia (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN), Urban Outfitters launches two exclusive T-shirts with a $100,000 donation to the Live to Be Different Foundation through sales of the tees. 

“We’re honored to be partnering with Bubba Wallace, NASCAR and Richard Petty Motorsports and announcing a charitable contribution to the Live To Be Different Foundation through the exclusive Bubba Wallace race tees,” said Gabby Conforti, Chief Merchandising Officer at Urban Outfitters. “We know that this is a movement and not a moment and we are so proud to be part of the positive change that Bubba is creating.”

The two tees in the collection were designed exclusively for Urban Outfitters are limited edition. The black UO Community Cares + Bubba Wallace Compassion Tee features “Bubba Wallace” text in his own signature, two hands shaking in solidarity with iconic black and white racing flags and Bubba’s racing number “43.” The white UO Community Cares + Bubba Wallace 43 Tee has Bubba’s signature on the top left corner and bold graphics on the back including his race number and his Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE.

“My hope is to empower the next generation to strive and achieve anything they put their mind to,” said the 26-year-old Wallace, who has been providing college scholarships to high school students since founding Live To Be Different in 2017. “This collaboration with Urban Outfitters will go a long way in spreading the message of compassion, love and understanding and enable the Live To Be Different Foundation to have a positive and lasting impact on as many individuals that we possibly can.”

The shirts will be available online at urbanoutfitters.com on Sept. 8 and at select Urban Outfitters retail locations.

“As well as helping to make the world a better place, partaking in the Live to Be Different Foundation collaboration with Urban Outfitters is a powerful way for us to continue to carry Bubba’s message of compassion, love and understanding to new fans,” said Jim Hannigan, Richard Petty Motorsports vice president of licensing and merchandising. “This philanthropic partnership with Urban Outfitters is a new avenue, and a first within the motorsports industry. As a team, Richard Petty Motorsports is proud of cultivating this relationship.”

To shop the UO-Exclusive Bubba Wallace tees, click here.