Posted on by Jason Christley

PUEBLA, Mexico — Rubén Rovelo finished 10th in the NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series finale Friday at Autódromo Internacional Miguel E. Abed, but it was more than enough for the 33-year-old from Mexico City to capture his first championship.

Two-time champion Abraham Calderón won the 12th and final race of the 2020 season, ahead of three-time champion Rubén García Jr. Calderón won the titles in 2014 and ’17, while García was champion in 2015 and 2018-19; there was no 2016 season.

Rovelo entered the last race of the year with a 22-point lead over García and 32 over Calderón, and need only to start the race in his #28 Alessandros/Marketing & Advertising/Andrade Toyota to clinch the title.

Rovelo, who made his series debut in 2008 as a 20 year old, has finished in the top 10 in points every season of his career — including runner-up in 2015 and ’17. It was also the first championship for his team JV Racing, the only team other than Escuderia Telmex and Team GP to win a championship in the series’ history.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the start of the NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series was delated until July. Rovelo won the first three races – Querétaro, San Luis Potosí and Aguascalientes — and added wins at Querétaro in October and again there in the penultimate race of the season en route to the crown.

Rovelo has 22 career NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series wins. He made five starts in the former NASCAR East Series in 2010, with a career best ninth at South Carolina’s Greenville Pickens Speedway.

Max Gutierrez won the NASCAR FedEx Challenge Series championship on the strength of five wins, while Noel de Jesús León ran the final race of the season for the second division series.

Andres Perez de Lara won the Truck Mexico Series race by .008 seconds over Federico Gutierrez, and took home the non-NASCAR-sanctioned series title.

In addition, the NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series unveiled the new 2021 car.

The 2021 NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series schedule will be announced at a later date.

Posted on by Staff Report

Fresh off his first career NASCAR Cup Series championship, Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott will compete in the 2021 running of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Rolex 24 in January at Daytona International Speedway.

Elliott will return to the site of one of his five 2020 wins when he teams with Felipe Nasr, Pipo Derani and Mike Conway in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R to run the twice-around-the-clock race for the first time in his young career.

MORE: Chase Elliott through the years

“The Rolex 24 is such a major event, and it’s a race that anybody across any type of motorsports really respects,” Elliott said in a team release. “I think everyone wants to win a watch before their career is over. It’s something different and a completely different element of racing that I haven’t really tried before. I’m trying to branch out and be more diverse as a driver and this is another part of that experience. I appreciate Action Express giving me this opportunity and I am looking forward to learning and running my first Rolex 24 next month.”

While the Rolex 24 may be a new experience for Elliott, he’s proven to be an elite road-course racer throughout his NASCAR career with five of his 11 career Cup wins coming on them and claiming his only Camping World Truck Series win at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

MORE: Elliott captures historic Daytona Road Course win

“Recently we were able to spend a day with Chase in the simulator, running the Dallara, Cadillac model on the Daytona Road Course,” said Gary Nelson, Action Express Racing team manager, in the release. “We were amazed at how quick Chase got up to speed, his feedback, and how easy he was to work with. We are very excited to work with him again next month in Daytona at the Roar and the Rolex 24.”

The 2021 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season will kick off with the traditional Roar Before the 24 on Jan. 22-24 at Daytona International Speedway and with the Rolex 24 Hour At Daytona taking place the following weekend, Jan. 29-31.

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

Christopher Bell hasn’t strapped into a race car since the NASCAR Cup Series season finale at Phoenix Raceway in November, in a change from previous years. But it’s been for good reason.

While he prepares to battle for his fourth Chili Bowl Nationals title in January in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Bell has pushed aside his usual dirt racing adventures to focus on getting acclimated to his new No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team. The 2021 season will be the sophomore driver’s first with the organization after spending his rookie year with now shuttered Leavine Family Racing.

Accompanying the various changes for Bell will be a new crew chief in Adam Stevens. The switch-up will also be a significant adjustment for Stevens, who has spent his entire Cup Series career atop the pit box for two-time series champion Kyle Busch, save for a handful of fill-in starts for drivers subbing for an injured “Rowdy” in 2015.

The biggest change Bell offers for Stevens is a more mild-mannered approach when it comes to in-car communications. The major differences between Bell and Busch in that category were a topic of conversation during their first meeting together.

“I said I can promise you I’m going to be a change of pace from Kyle because my demeanor inside the car is a lot different than what Kyle’s is and you’re not going to hear me yelling and screaming or voicing my opinion the way Kyle does,” Bell said during a Zoom call on Thursday. “Obviously, he’s a very proven race car driver and he knows what he wants, and he can kind of lead the team like that, where me on the other hand, I need the crew chief to lead the team and I’ll be a different way about it.”

RELATED: Changes for the 2021 season

The second-year driver admitted Busch is more likely to take charge over the radio than he is at this point in his young career, which is to be expected. Bell hopes Stevens can take the reins of the No. 20 team, which sparked a particular memory for Bell involving communication between Busch and Stevens during a race at Charlotte Motor Speedway years ago.

“Kyle was having a rough day, he got some damage and Adam had a quote — ‘You focus on driving the car, let me focus on fixing the car and shut up’ … something along those lines,” Bell recalled. “That’s how their relationship was. Adam was very fiery and very stern, and Kyle was the exact same. He would fire right back at Adam.”

While Stevens will likely modify his communications with his new driver compared to Busch, there will be some familiar faces surrounding the championship crew chief. Confirmed by Bell, Stevens is bringing all the mechanics from the No. 18 team, except for the car chief. Busch was able to keep his pit crew intact, which means Stevens will work with a new set of over-the-wall crew members on the No. 20 team.

With the season-opening Daytona 500 fewer than two months away, Bell promises he’ll bring a variety of communication styles compared to his fellow teammates.

“It seems like the team is ready for a new start and to do something different,” Bell said. “I can promise you Christopher Bell is going to be a lot of different than what Kyle Busch was. … I’m not going to voice my opinion the way Kyle, Martin, Denny or whoever the drivers are. I’m very soft-spoken. That’s just not going to be who I am. I’m not going to be that demeanor.”

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials announced Thursday that two incentive programs would return next season, establishing the dates and tracks for the Xfinity Series’ Dash 4 Cash and the Camping World Truck Series’ Triple Truck Challenge in 2021.

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Both initiatives offer bonus paydays to series regulars during the course of the regular season. Officials indicated that the formats, eligibility requirements and bonus purse information would be announced at a later date.

2021 SCHEDULES: Xfinity | Camping World Truck

The schedules:

NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash schedule 

  • April 9: Martinsville Speedway
  • April 24: Talladega Superspeedway
  • May 8: Darlington Raceway
  • May 15: Dover International Speedway

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Triple Truck Challenge schedule 

  • May 7: Darlington Raceway
  • May 22: Circuit of The Americas
  • May 28: Charlotte Motor Speedway

Only one track — Talladega — carries over from last season’s Dash 4 Cash schedule. All three tracks in the Triple Truck Challenge — nicknamed “The Trip” — are new for 2021.

Darlington is the only track that will host both bonus programs, with Dash 4 Cash and The Trip set for its annual NASCAR Throwback Weekend in May.

The schedule and venues for both bonus programs were shuffled last season because of the COVID-19 outbreak, with Dash 4 Cash pushed to June and The Trip moved to August. The 2021 season will mark the 13th year for the Dash 4 Cash program and the third edition of the Triple Truck Challenge.

Posted on by Zack Albert

The well-aged expression of “hanging out your shingle” has a parallel for Corey LaJoie in his new role as a full-time driver for Spire Motorsports. No, he’s not striking out on his own, as the saying implies, but instead of a shingle, he’s building a full-fledged sign for the race shop.

There may be no better tangible indicator of the roots that the 29-year-old journeyman is establishing with Spire, which will expand to a two-car fleet next season in the NASCAR Cup Series. LaJoie’s debut in Spire’s No. 7 Chevrolet will kick off the first year of a multiyear agreement with the start-up organization, co-founded by owners Jeff Dickerson and T.J. Puchyr in 2019.

RELATED: On the move: Next year’s changes

LaJoie makes the transition with veteran names in key support roles — some faces are familiar, others less so. But there’s also newfound optimism for LaJoie, who has scratched out a career in NASCAR’s top series, bouncing among three teams during the last four seasons.

“I mean, this is probably the most excited I’ve been leading up to any year in my NASCAR career at least, just because I know how much we’re going to over-exceed expectations for what people have become used to a Spire Motorsports entry being on track,” LaJoie said in a Tuesday video teleconference with reporters. “I’m going over to the shop here this afternoon and I probably go over there every other three days or so, and there’s somebody new, somebody from a different team, somebody that’s excited to come build and be part of the culture that we’re trying to build for the future. We’re getting some good cars, some good engines, and it’ll be the most solid deal that I’ve ever had.”

LaJoie toiled in some of the final starts for BK Racing (2017) and TriStar Motorsports (2018) before moving to Go Fas Racing and the Archie St. Hilaire-owned No. 32 Ford. LaJoie says the last two seasons there gave him an opportunity to learn and to become fully acclimated to the 36-race routine.

The new situation, LaJoie says, gives him “a little bit of job security.” Spire got its start by purchasing the team charter of Furniture Row Racing upon its closure, and the No. 7 charter for next season comes from the former Leavine Family Racing group.

Spire does have one victory in its Cup Series infancy — Justin Haley’s rain-shortened Daytona upset in the summer of 2019 — but its final rankings of 36th then 34th in the team owner standings have trailed most of the pack. Eight drivers rotated through its No. 77 Chevy entry in the organization’s first season; nine did in 2020. LaJoie represents Spire’s first full-time driver.

While Spire’s week-in, week-out performance hasn’t quite rattled the sheet metal of its better-funded rivals, LaJoie is betting on stronger results to accompany the growth.

“Each step has been progressively better, so I’m trending the right way,”LaJoie said. “I do feel like I’m in with a group that ultimately have the same vision to get it there and are realistic with their expectations and have the connections to put some good cars and good tools in the hands of the guys they’re hiring to push this deal along. I’m just happy to be a small part of it.”

MORE: 2021 NASCAR Cup Series schedule

Among the hires is a familiar name atop the pit box in Ryan Sparks, his crew chief last season at Go Fas Racing. Another key addition is familiar to TV viewers but new to Spire — Steve Letarte, who will serve as a team consultant while maintaining his role as an analyst for NBC Sports’ NASCAR broadcasts. LaJoie said both personnel moves should help serve as handy connections for partner teams Hendrick Motorsports, which Spire will rely on for engines and drivetrains, and Chip Ganassi Racing, its car supplier.

Letarte represents a new colleague for LaJoie. In his career as a crew chief with Hendrick Motorsports, Letarte scored 15 wins during a 10-year stretch, working with Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. While the stats and resume were a known quantity, LaJoie says he’s gotten to know Letarte on a more personal level in conversations over coffee, which he said is an always-present Letarte accessory.

“That guy’s just an awesome personality, but I probably didn’t give him enough credit — and I was probably a bit young when he was crew chiefing for Jeff and crew chiefing for Dale Earnhardt Jr.,” LaJoie said. “That guy is one of the smartest guys that I’ve ever met, and he’s also infectious and he’s just a guy that gets you pepped up. …

“I think that in terms of Steve’s timing, everybody when they take a step away from the competitive side, whether for him to be going to the broadcast booth, he’s stepped away from that competitive day-to-day trying to figure out what areas you can do to make yourself and your team better. Eventually for everybody, that fire starts burning again and I think Jeff and T.J. offered Steve the opportunity to have his hand to kind of quench that fire, if you will. He’s the perfect guy to fit into the culture we’re trying to build.”

LaJoie said that Spire is keeping its expectations realistic for next season, hoping to inch closer to the top 20 threshold and to match or surpass the performance of JTG Daugherty Racing, Front Row Motorsports among others. Longer-term, LaJoie didn’t shy away from the idea of the organization contending for a playoff spot within a few years.

“Right now, you’d like to think so, and that’s why we’re doing it,” LaJoie said. “That’s why we jumped into the boat and we’re rowing that sucker.”

Posted on by Team Release

CONCORD, NC., Dec. 16, 2020 – One month after helping more than 250 families in need in Detroit with turkeys for Thanksgiving dinner, NASCAR driver Hailie Deegan and her Ford F-150 are back on the road again.

This time, however, Deegan has teamed up with fellow Ford driver and 2018 NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano to help families in need in North Carolina by delivering 350 hams for holiday dinner tables.

Working through the Joey Logano Foundation, “Hailie’s Holiday Haul” started in Statesville, North Carolina, at the Children’s Hope Alliance, where an enthusiastic crowd of supporters welcomed the two drivers with cheers and handmade signs. The duo dropped off 200 hams at the organization’s headquarters before getting in a 2021 Ford F-150 and driving the remaining 150 hams to Caterpillar Ministries and the Huntington Green neighborhood in Huntersville, N.C. In all, more than 3,300 pounds of ham were dropped off at the two locations.

“I think it’s so important to give back to the community, especially if you have great people like Ford behind you who are on the same path and have the same motives.  I think if you can both work together, you can make some great things happen and put some smiles on people’s faces,” said Deegan, who will be running a full season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2021 with DGR-Crosley. “There are a lot of families that don’t get to experience the holidays fully with the resources they have, so to be able to give them a chance to have the fullest potential of those holidays means a lot.”

MORE: 2021 NASCAR schedule

In addition to the hams, JLF also donated 5,000 Ford facemasks to Children’s Hope Alliance as part of a collaboration with the Ford Motor Company Fund and will eventually distribute a total of 27,000 face coverings in the weeks ahead. It’s all part of Ford and the Ford Fund’s 100 million mask donation to communities and nonprofits across the United States.

“When Hailie came to us and said she wanted to know where to go to give away some holiday hams it was a no-brainer,” Logano said. “We all kind of get stuck in our own little world, especially in times like this, but Christmas is a great time to show the need that is here. Unfortunately, this need is here every day, COVID or not, and the goal is to help these kids become a contributing member of society.”

Children’s Hope Alliance provides hope, health and healing for generations. The organization transforms the lives of children, youth and families by focusing on three main areas: a safe home through foster care and adoption programs, a healthy start through educational, prevention and developmental programs and then also healing the hurt for children and families who are troubled, abused or neglected through therapy and counseling.

Caterpillar Ministries was started in 2007 as a partner with the Huntington Green neighborhood in Huntersville, N.C. Caterpillar strives to support the well-being of families as well as nurture and strengthen homes. Programs for the neighborhood include fun for preschoolers, small groups for teens, along with ESL classes and job training for adults.

Posted on by Zack Albert

NASCAR wrapped up a two-day test session for the Next Gen prototype Wednesday, giving the 2022 Cup Series model its first on-track appearance on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway.

Roush Fenway Racing’s Chris Buescher drove the “P3” vehicle during the shakedown runs at the 2.5-mile Florida track. The second test day concluded early Wednesday afternoon because of approaching rain.

RELATED: Next Gen test photos from Daytona

NASCAR competition officials had indicated that one of the top goals of the Next Gen vehicle’s first superspeedway test was establishing a baseline speed in single-car runs, finding the proper balance of horsepower and drag. Pole-winning qualifying speeds have consistently fit in the 194-195 mph range during the last three years. John Probst, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Racing Innovation, said that a target speed was quickly met.

“We did that early in day one,” Probst said. “Then spent the rest of the test trying some new things on steering and also doing some ride-height sweeps just to get some sensitivities in the car to ride height. Nothing surprising, and all good as far as the development of the car.”

Buescher, who is headed into his sixth full season in the Cup Series next year, took his first turn behind the wheel of the P3 car, the product of collaboration between Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR’s Research & Development Department. His experience not only helped to gather data on the car’s performance, but also provided a glimpse at some of the prototype’s new features.

2020 Dec16 Next Gen Main Image
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media

“For starters, the speed, we went through a lot of different changes to try to dial in what we know and get closer on what we don’t know,” Buescher said. “To try to have a competitive race and still do it within a reasonable speed. Just worked through a couple little nuance things that are just a lot different, and honestly it’s a little bit of just mind over matter as far as shifting, trying to make sure you keep pulling backwards for the sequential stuff, which was really neat. I really enjoyed using it and got better as it went, learning what it can and can’t do there by the end. The brakes are terrific and I know this isn’t even a short-track set-up, but they stop extremely well. There’s not going to be any issues getting to pit road and not having the stopping power, just going to be a matter of not spinning out.

“Obviously Daytona single-car is not the most fun kind of testing, but a lot was learned. I’m glad I did it. Even if it’s as little as going back and looking at the car we have at Roush, that we’ve been working on and sitting in, and trying to figure out what we feel like is the right thing to do from my input where the pedals and stuff need to be. Definitely a good test for me. I’m glad I got to drive the thing before we start testing late next year, I’m glad I got the opportunity.”

RELATED: Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr. test Next Gen car at Charlotte

Probst spelled out the next steps for the Next Gen car, which is scheduled to make its competition debut at Daytona in 2022 — a target date that was delayed a year because of the COVID-19 outbreak. He indicated that some of the learnings from the Tuesday-Wednesday Next Gen sessions at Daytona should apply to other types of speedways moving forward.

“I think some of the stuff we found in the car is very promising for some of the other tracks we’re going to take it to,” Probst said. “So if anything, we may try to get on a local track up in the Charlotte area for a couple hours to verify what we found here translates to some other track types. Right now we’re working with the OEMs and with the teams to establish what our testing schedule will look like next year. We will be working with Goodyear to do a couple more tests with the car, but it will be coming out of the development phase and we’ll be focusing primarily on the tires. We’ll probably do three or four tire tests in the first half of next year for Goodyear.”

Among the other impressions that Buescher noted was the jumble of wires, sensors and other equipment surrounding the driver’s seat — all necessary clutter for the competition team’s data-gathering operations.

“I’ve seen some of the comments on social media talking about how bad the wiring looks inside,” Buescher said. “Well, yes, it’s bad, but it’s because there’s so much in this car that is just for testing purposes. They’re gathering so much information.

“They’re just trying to get from my standpoint what feels right. What’s accurate. What we need feel-wise to back the data up and make it look at the targets going forward. Going through tires, and aero packages and what we think would draft well or be able to put on good racing in a large pack. Try to pick out the little tiny differences in what we do. It’s difficult because the nature of Daytona, you’re really splitting hairs here. I told them a couple times, I don’t know if you’re playing tricks on me or what, I don’t know if I’m getting used to this or if it’s actually gotten better.”

Posted on by Terrin Waack

Talent knows talent.

So when Brad Keselowski formed his own Camping World Truck Series team, he was able to recruit drivers with the potential to be successful in the sport. Every young Brad Keselowski Racing full-timer climbed the NASCAR ladder and made it to the sport’s top rung in some manner. Three of the six have championship-contending rides for 2021; another is already set for 2022.

“They’re successful for their own reasons, it’s not just because of me,” Keselowski, the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion, said Tuesday on a Zoom teleconference. “But to know that I played a part in that along the way is pretty cool to me. It makes me feel like I was able to leave a mark on the sport that was greater than just driving and to really pay it back in a number of ways.”

RELATED: Brad Keselowski through the years

DOVER, DE - MAY 29: Tyler Reddick, driver of the #19 BBR Music Group Ford, right, celebrates with team owner and NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski in Victory Lane after winning during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 200 at Dover International Speedway on May 29, 2015 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

BKR opened its doors in 2007 as it ran a handful of ARCA races before running Trucks in 2008 and closed them at the conclusion of the 2017 season for financial reasons. Austin Cindric and Chase Briscoe were the last to pilot BKR trucks, and they finished third and sixth, respectively, in the standings that final year. Both tallied one win, with Briscoe actually winning the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway right before the shutdown.

Briscoe will fill Stewart-Haas Racing’s void in the Cup Series in 2021, making his debut among the sport’s best, while Cindric plans to move up the ranks in 2022 with Wood Brothers Racing. Cindric has one more season left in the Xfinity Series, steering the same Team Penske entry he won a title with in 2020.

“It’s been pretty incredible to see how many incredible drivers came from BKR and have success in all of the series,” Briscoe said. “Definitely has a good eye for talent. Glad to be one of the guys that got to drive for Brad because it’s certainly an impressive list.”

In addition to Briscoe and Cindric, the list of current Cup Series contenders includes Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney and Richard Childress Racing sophomore Tyler Reddick. Daniel Hemric used to race in the Cup Series but will drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series in 2021. Parker Kligerman was full time in the Xfinity Series in 2013 and has had a host of part-time rides in the Cup and Truck ranks and also works as a pit road reporter for NBC Sports.

And then it’s also worth mentioning Ross Chastain, who worked in a 14-race, part-time role with BKR in 2013. He’ll be running his first full Cup Series schedule in 2021, joining Chip Ganassi Racing.

JOLIET, IL - SEPTEMBER 16: Daniel Hemric, driver of the #19 Draw-Tite Ford, talks with Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford and owner of Brad Keselowski Racing, on the grid prior to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol E15 225 at Chicagoland Speedway on September 16, 2016 in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

“You never forget those people who give you shots – out of nowhere,” Blaney said. “We were just running for a small team at the time. Brad was very generous enough to give us an opportunity, and we were just really fortunate it worked out. … I still look at him as a mentor and a teammate now – and a friend.”

Blaney handed BKR its first win in 2012 at Iowa Speedway. The organization ended up with 11 victories overall across six drivers (Blaney-4, Keselowski-1, Joey Logano-1, Reddick-3, Briscoe-1, Cindric-1). Its best standings finish was second, as Blaney and Reddick were back-to-back runner-ups in 2014 and 2015.

A championship was never quite accomplished at BKR. The idea of reviving his team, though, has crossed Keselowski’s mind.

“I know there will be a day when I can’t be a race-car driver anymore,” Keselowski said. “That’s the bittersweet day that’s in front of me. And when that day comes, I don’t want to just leave the sport behind. I would like to still be able to have a reason to come to a race track other than just to watch. What that will be in the future, I don’t know. I can’t sit here today and say that I have that answer.

“But I do have a love for the sport that started at an early age and don’t suspect will end when I’m done driving.”

Posted on by Team Release

GAFFNEY, S.C. — After another successful NASCAR Xfinity Series season, team owner Johnny Davis has announced that Colby Howard will compete full-time for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller in 2021.

Howard, originally from Simpsonville, South Carolina, made 22 starts for JDM during the 2020 season. Entering the year, Colby had limited NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series starts, but he made his name on the short tracks throughout the Southeast in late model competition.

Colby’s NASCAR Xfinity Series debut was in March at Phoenix Raceway, the last race before the COVID-19 pause. The original game plan for Howard was to learn the larger intermediate tracks and become more accustomed to the faster speeds associated with the heavier cars than what he was used to. From there, the 19-year-old had to adapt quickly to the cars with no practice or qualifying at his remaining races.

Throughout the season, it became apparent Howard had what it took to compete at the Xfinity Series level. In August at Daytona, Howard quickly picked up the art of superspeedway racing, notching a career-best finish of 12th place. Howard amassed seven top-20 finishes over the course of the year, and more importantly, gained valuable experience on most types of tracks.

Entering 2021, Howard returns to the seat of the No. 15 Chevrolet Camaro. However, there will be a new crew chief atop the pit box in veteran Wayne Carroll. Colby will face new challenges this season, namely, road-course racing, which he has never experienced. Howard is more ready than ever to take on the task of running the full season.

“I cannot thank Johnny Davis and Gary Keller enough for the opportunity to run a full season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series next year,” Howard said. “What we were able to accomplish this season with limited track time was really impressive, and it just goes to show what this team is made of. I know that my crew has been working very hard since the season finale in Phoenix, and am confident that we will have a fun year. Wayne Carroll has put together some fast cars, and I will rely heavily on him as I make this jump in my career. There is a lot to look forward to heading into 2021, and I am excited to continue to learn and develop my abilities on the race track.”

The Project Hope Foundation, an organization aimed at assisting children with autism develop into society, will once again serve as the primary sponsor on the No. 15 Chevy. Project Hope calls South Carolina home as well, tying in a statewide connection with Colby and the entire JD Motorsports with Gary Keller team.

Further sponsorship announcements for Colby Howard will be made at a later date, along with more driver announcements to complete the JDM lineup.

The 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season kicks off on Feb. 13 at Daytona International Speedway. To keep up with Colby Howard, follow his social media pages @ColbyHoward16, and visit his official website at www.ColbyHowardRacing.com. For all things JDM, follow along on our social media pages @JDMotorsports01, and visit the team’s official website at www.TeamJDMotorsports.com. #TeamJDM

Posted on by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Today 23XI Racing announced DoorDash, McDonald’s, Columbia Sportswear, Dr Pepper and Root Insurance as its founding partners, joining Bubba Wallace and the No. 23 Toyota Camry for the 2021 season.

23XI Racing – pronounced twenty-three eleven – was founded by NBA legend Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin in 2020. Wallace is the single car team’s driver. 23XI Racing’s No. 23 Toyota Camry will make its NASCAR Cup Series debut at the Daytona 500 on Feb. 14, 2021, at Daytona International Speedway.

RELATED: 23XI Racing team page

Below are comments from Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace and key executives from each partner.

Denny Hamlin

“Today is a big day for us at 23XI Racing. To be able to announce the addition of five founding partners who are willing to join us in our first year and who share in our beliefs and values is such a great feeling. We’ve certainly had to make things happen fast to build this new team, and I’m excited to welcome each one of these partners and to get to know them better. I’m fortunate that during my time at Joe Gibbs Racing I’ve been able to have a great mentor and see how Coach, as an owner, is able to service each partner. That’s new for me — learning the owner side while still on the driver side, but I’m in for the long haul and will continue this far beyond my driving years. I’m passionate about this sport and I’m excited to bring new partners to the table and bring back others who have been in our sport in the past.”

Bubba Wallace

“I’m pumped to get the season started. I wish Daytona was tomorrow. We’re heading in the right direction and we’ll be ready when we get to Daytona. As I’ve said before, this is an opportunity of a lifetime for me and there’s no more excuses. We want to go out and win and I know we’ll have everything we need each week to make that happen. To have great partners in DoorDash, McDonald’s, Columbia Sportswear, Dr Pepper and Root Insurance come on board and show their support of me and this team is really cool. I’m excited for what we can do on the track, but at the end of the day, these partnerships and relationships are so much more than that. It’s about how we use our platforms to be better humans and help create a positive change. It’s about what we do Monday through Friday outside of the fire suit and that’s a really special thing for me. Knowing I have their support and this team behind me makes me really excited for this season to see what we can accomplish together.”

DoorDash

“As a company that values diversity, openness, and empowering local communities, we are proud to partner with 23XI Racing to build upon our shared foundation of creating a more inclusive environment for NASCAR fans. This partnership enables us to further engage with the racing community through one of the most innovative teams in the sport, while expanding our previous partnership with Bubba Wallace and accelerating our commitment to creating real change for the underrepresented communities and restaurants we serve.”
— Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, VP, Marketing, DoorDash.

McDonald’s

“Two years ago, McDonald’s partnered with one of motorsport’s rising stars, Bubba Wallace, and we couldn’t be more proud to witness him succeed on and off the track, while breaking barriers and becoming one of the sport’s truest change agents. As a founding partner of 23XI Racing, we’re excited to continue our partnership with Bubba as he and the team advance the sport and make it more relevant to a larger audience.”
— Joe Erlinger, President, McDonald’s USA

Columbia Sportswear

“We are incredibly excited by the opportunity to partner with 23XI Racing and to bring the outdoors to NASCAR.  Over the last year Bubba has continually inspired us not only by his passion for the outdoors, but also his commitment to building bridges on and off the track.  His tireless efforts towards inclusivity perfectly align with Columbia’s corporate mission of unlocking the outdoors for everyone.  We look forward to joining the 23XI Racing crew for what is sure to be an exciting NASCAR season.”
— Joe Boyle, President, Columbia Sportswear Brand

Dr Pepper

“We’re thrilled to be a founding sponsor of 23XI Racing and part of a team making a difference on and off the track. Keurig Dr Pepper knows that bringing the best together creates a winning formula. We’ve done that in all aspects of our business, and we’re doing it here with 23XI Racing.”
— Andrew Springate, Keurig Dr Pepper Chief Marketing and Concentrate Officer

Root Insurance

“Bubba has demonstrated his ability to lead and stand up for what is right. We are thrilled that Root Insurance will be there to continue to support him and 23XI Racing throughout the 2021 season as they continue to lead on and off the track.”
— Alex Timm, Root Insurance CEO