JTG Daugherty Racing enters 25th anniversary with new sponsor strategy, youthful lineup

Posted on January 23, 2019January 23, 2019 by RJ Kraft

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Ahead of its 25th season, JTG Daugherty Racing unveiled a new sponsorship strategy with Kroger behind its two fully-funded cars for the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season with drivers Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece.

The cars and plan were made public on Wednesday morning during an announcement at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The No. 47 Chevrolet of Preece will highlight Kroger’s shopping and delivery options including online ordering. The No. 37 Chevrolet of Buescher will carry seven different shopper themes with each theme carrying a specific group of brands to communicate with fans when they are most likely to be focused on specific buying occasions such as spring cleaning in April or grill season in June and July.

“It’s huge,” team co-owner and five-time NBA All-Star Brad Daugherty said. “Sponsorship is the lifeblood of the sport. We’ve got two fully-funded race teams and it’s just remarkable. … We’ve been fully funded the last several seasons so now we are getting to the point where we have our relationships in place, our drivers in place, our personnel, people in place, so it’s time for us to have some success because we feel we’ve done everything we need to do to in order to be better.”

The team is also introducing a new mobile technology where fans will be encouraged to text a key word from JTG Daugherty Racing advertising that directs fans to fun tips, sweepstakes and savings from Kroger for the various brands highlighted on the cars.

“It’s the biggest blessing ever,” team co-owner Tad Geschickter said of the Kroger partnership. Geschickter’s wife Jodi is also a team co-owner as well.

“It’s really like having big brother in the room when you are talking to sponsors. They’ve got a lot of stores and they sell a lot of products, so it’s fun.”

The organization moved to two cars ahead of the 2017 season and this season will see Preece and Buescher behind the wheel. Buescher, 26, is the “veteran” of the group, having spent three seasons at the Cup level – the past two with JTG. The 2018 season saw Buescher post his best average finish (21.0) in the sport’s top series.

“It is really nice to have that relationship and be able to be in the same place and the same car without a bunch of moving pieces for now the third year,” Buescher said. “For me, that’s something I haven’t had in a long time and can really appreciate. I feel like that can only help going forward.”

(Twitter: @RyanPreece_)

Preece enters the year with just five Cup starts to his name and spent the past two seasons running part-time with Joe Gibbs Racing. Two wins for JGR over the past two seasons impressed plenty around NASCAR and showed what the 2013 Whelen Modified Tour champion can do in a national series. The 28-year-old Connecticut racer will be competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors against Daniel Hemric (RCR), Matt Tifft (Front Row Motorsports) and Tanner Berryhill (Obaika Racing).

DEBATE: Who will win the Sunoco Rookie of the Year in 2019?

“I’ve never won a rookie of the year to this date,” Preece said. “At the same time, I’m focusing on it but I’m focusing more on our team and achieving goals that we have set throughout the year and if we can achieve those goals, that’s going to put us in that hunt for that. Right now, if we obtain those goals, we are going to be fine.”

Optimism is high heading into the season for the two-car operation especially with the team building its own cars (except for superspeedway cars) and Hendrick providing engines and pit crew support.

“This is our 25th year in NASCAR and it started in a barn and every time we made a buck, we invested in more equipment,” Geschickter said. “We worked a long time to get here just like Ryan Preece has—pulling his own cars around the country and racing. Just like Chris Buescher has living above an ARCA shop trying to get a shot. I love the people we got in the cars. I love how everything has kind of come together after 25 years. We got all the tools. We got smart people. We got great partners. I really think it’s going to be a breakthrough year.”

Posted on January 23, 2019January 23, 2019 by Chase Wilhelm

Last season, Stewart-Haas Racing and Team Penske were the only two organizations to see each one of their drivers reach Victory Lane in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

All seven drivers from both stables won 19 races — just over half of the 36-race schedule — with Team Penske’s Joey Logano conquering the field to win the 2018 championship.

So, can Stewart-Haas and Penske do it again, or will Joe Gibbs Racing or Hendrick Motorsports get hot in 2019 and steal the show? NASCAR.com’s Jessica Ruffin and Chase Wilhelm make their cases.

RUFFIN: Joe Gibbs Racing collected nine wins in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, but only two of its four drivers reached Victory Lane. That should change this season; Martin Truex Jr.’s move to the No. 19 JGR Toyota almost ensures a win from that team, as Truex has won at least four races a year since 2016. Growing pains of moving to a new team will be minimal, too, as Truex’s former team Furniture Row Racing was aligned with Joe Gibbs Racing.

Moving to the team’s returning pair of veterans, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin: anything less than a multiple-win season would be surprising for Busch, who notched eight wins in the Monster Energy Series in 2018. The 33-year-old driver has won at least one race a year since 2005, when he began racing full-time in the Monster Energy Series. While Busch’s teammate Denny Hamlin went winless in 2018 for the first time in his previous 12-year full-time seasons, the No. 11 still ran up front often, tallying 17 top-10 results and leading 380 laps. His drought will likely be short-lived.

DEBATE: How will Truex fare with JGR? | Who will the title: Busch or Truex?

The youngest Joe Gibbs Racing driver Erik Jones showed he could win in the Monster Energy Series, breaking through for his first Cup win at Daytona in July. If Jones and the No. 20 team can build on the gains they made in 2018, there’s no reason why they can’t notch another W (or more) in 2019.

WILHELM: While it’s hard to bet against the JGR squad in 2019, I’m going to do just that. Stewart-Haas Racing proved — once again — just how strong an organization can be when you put together a crew of old-school racers and tell them to go win races. That combination is hard to beat.

Kevin Harvick led his SHR teammates in the win column last season, scoring eight race victories on his way to a Championship 4 bid, while Clint Bowyer collected two triumphs and Aric Almirola and Kurt Busch scored one apiece. At Michigan in June, Bowyer’s victory led an SHR 1-2-3 result, a first for them and a big statement for Ford Performance in Detroit’s backyard. The icing on the proverbial cake came when all four competitors made it through to the Playoffs Round of 8.

Although he has yet to score his first career win, the addition of Daniel Suarez as the new No. 41 Ford Mustang driver just adds another layer of talent. Suarez has already praised team owner Tony Stewart in their short time together, expressing confidence that the organization has what he needs to reach Victory Lane in his third full-time Cup season.

WATCH: How will Suarez do in his first year at SHR? | Almirola makes hometown visit

The debut of the new Ford Mustang in NASCAR’s top level has the potential to throw SHR a curveball, but I wouldn’t count on them having any issues. As the old saying goes, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” That holds true for SHR this upcoming season as they will likely replicate or better their 2018 accomplishments.

Posted on January 23, 2019January 25, 2019 by Staff Report

Editor’s note: NASCAR.com continues its countdown of team previews for the Monster Energy Series season, ranked in order of best finish in last year’s owner standings. Today’s feature: Richard Petty Motorsports and driver Bubba Wallace.

Richard Petty Motorsports

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Engine: ECR Engines

Driver: Bubba Wallace, No. 43

Crew chief: TBD

2018 standings: Wallace competed in his first full-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season and finished 28th in the standings. The No. 43 car was 30th in the owner standings.

What’s new: After a full season paired with crew chief Drew Blickensderfer, Bubba Wallace will have a new partner atop the pit box in 2019.

Outlook: With a full season of experience under his belt, Wallace will undoubtedly have learned much to help him in his sophomore season. Problem is, he’ll have to adjust to a new crew chief, now. If he can meld quickly with the new partner, he might be able to work his way into contention in races.

DRIVER

Bubba Wallace, No. 43 Chevrolet: Despite immense focus and anticipation for the only full-time African-American driver in the Cup Series, Wallace started 2018 with a bang — finishing second in the Daytona 500. He wept tears of joy and celebration after the race. “I’m competitive. I love to win. I hate to finish second, and obviously that shows for everybody, but I’m human,” he said. “No matter if I race cars for a living and enjoy doing it, at the end of the day, we all get emotional about something.”

It would end up being the 25-year-old’s best finish of the season, but his up-and-down season showed definite signs of growth. Wallace forged a jovial mentorship relationship with boss Richard Petty — despite a 56-year age difference. He took a some big hits throughout the season, including one at Pocono, and struggled at the Charlotte road course, but also showed signs of promise at restrictor-plate tracks and at Bristol. In all, he led a total of 19 laps and had an average finish of 24.5, with standout performances at Phoenix’s ISM Raceway (finishing 10th) in November, Texas in April (eighth) and two top-20 finishes at Talladega (16th and 19th).

TEAM PREVIEWS
• Jan. 22: Assorted teams
• Jan. 23: Richard Petty Motorsports
• Jan. 24: Germain Racing
• Jan. 25: Leavine Family Racing
• Jan 28: Front Row Motorsports
• Jan. 29: JTG Daugherty Racing
• Jan. 30: Wood Brothers Racing
• Jan. 31: Roush Fenway Racing
• Feb. 1: Richard Childress Racing
• Feb. 4: Chip Ganasssi Racing
• Feb. 5: Hendrick Motorsports
• Feb. 6: Joe Gibbs Racing
• Feb. 7: Stewart-Haas Racing
• Feb. 8: Team Penske

Posted on January 23, 2019January 23, 2019 by Team Release

CONCORD, N.C. – AdventHealth announced today that former Daytona 500 champion Jamie McMurray will run the No. 40 AdventHealth Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, in the 2019 Clash at Daytona. The entry, in conjunction with Spire Motorsports, is the season-opening event of 2019 at Daytona Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth.

(Photo courtesy of Chip Ganassi Racing)

In addition, AdventHealth and Chip Ganassi Racing also introduce the Human Innovation and Development Lab (HIDL) to focus on unique training to prepare their athletes both mentally and physically. The HIDL will be located at the Chip Ganassi Racing shop in Concord, North Carolina. The HIDL is a human performance enhancement project that features tools and technology that the team uses to develop and improve the human performance of drivers and pit crew members.

MORE: McMurray to run 2019 Daytona 500 | Who’s Clash eligible?

“I am looking forward to getting back in the car at Daytona and to have AdventHealth onboard with us for this race,” McMurray said. “We have had a great relationship with everyone at AdventHealth over the last several years. It means a lot to have them partner with us on this special event. With everything that they have going on at Daytona International Speedway throughout Speedweeks, both as presenting sponsor and with their Fan Injector, I am very happy to be a part of it all.”

Posted on January 22, 2019January 22, 2019 by Jonathan Merryman

The preseason storylines for Hendrick Motorsports this year have been dominated by high-profile crew chief shake-ups, including Chad Knaus moving to William Byron and the No. 24 team and Jimmie Johnson’s pairing with new crew chief Kevin Meendering. Amongst all the moving parts and pieces, a storyline that may be overlooked has to do with stability.

That stability comes from behind the wheel of Alex Bowman’s No. 88 Chevrolet and Greg Ives on top of the pit box.

“Not a lot of change from a personnel standpoint,” said Ives, who returns for his fifth season as a crew chief in the Monster Energy Series for the organization. “You know Alex and I working on a full year together, from that standpoint is going to be very good to have that familiarity.”

RELATED: On the move: 2019’s changes

Those bonds may go a long way this year with NASCAR’s new rules package taking effect once teams pack up and leave Daytona Beach after the Daytona 500.

“The change to the rules package, whether it’s downforce, drag, the engine package, all that stuff is the change we are going to have to attack now, and it’s nice not to have that change within the team affecting it,” Ives said. “We are building that bond, building that mesh and the change we are going to see is the performance on the race track.”

Ives is also confident in his driver’s ability. In 2017, Bowman ran two Xfinity Series races for Chip Ganassi Racing, winning his first race out in Charlotte after an eight-month absence from NASCAR’s top three series. “He wasn’t in competition for the full season,” Ives said. “He got into a quality car at Charlotte and you saw him progress over the course of whole race.”

But there is more fueling the crew chief’s confidence in his driver’s ability to get it done on track, specifically the poise Bowman showed in a Stage 1 win in the 2018 Monster Energy Open that earned him a spot in the All-Star Race.

“It’s exciting to not only go off of what he did in that Xfinity race but what you guys probably saw in the All-Star race with him,” Ives said. “I wouldn’t say we started up front. We were able to go up, make a pass in the Open and be able to win that.”

Bowman and Ives are set to kick off their 2019 season by defending their Daytona 500 pole win on Sunday, February 10th.

MORE: Dale Jr.: Bowman ‘ the right guy’ in No. 88 | New-look Nationwide scheme

Posted on January 22, 2019January 23, 2019 by Holly Cain

TAMPA, FL – It’s not every day you get a lavish, confetti-filled, bead-tossing welcome back to your hometown. But that’s exactly how the city of Tampa helped celebrate one of its favorite native sports heroes, Aric Almirola, last weekend, anointing the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship contender as the Grand Marshal in the Gasparilla Children’s Parade along the scenic downtown waterfront.

It was hard to tell who was more excited about this great local honor – Almirola, his wife Janice or his two children, Alex, 6, and Abby, 5, who went all-in dressed in full pirate costumes – for the annual pirate-themed parade.

The good feeling was mutual. The area was so proud of its very own NASCAR star Almirola, 34, who finished fifth in the Cup championship last season. And Almirola was so proud to triumphantly return to his roots, having earned another race trophy (at Talladega) in 2018 and made a career-best run at NASCAR’s most celebrated series championship.

“As a Tampa native, everybody knows about the Gasparilla parade, this is such a cool parade and fun time. To be able to be a part of it is really an honor and to be the Grand Marshal is truly special. I never dreamed as a kid living here in Tampa that racing would take me this far,” Almirola said.

“It’s just really cool, a really big deal. When I was a kid growing up here you never think where life will take you.”

The parade was one of several highlights for Almirola’s visit back home. A day earlier he was a much sought-after and well-received star – and his Smithfield sponsor’s bacon a favorite treat – as he made the rounds at the local television and radio stations and met with area journalists.

In the hours before the parade began, Almirola spent time at the 2004 Stanley Cup-winning Tampa Bay Lightning’s morning skate before returning that night – post-parade – to be recognized again at the game.

(Photo courtesy of NASCAR IMC)

He traded jerseys with Lightning defenseman and NASCAR fan Braydon Coburn, who also had smaller Lightning jerseys to present to Alex and Abby. The feel-good moments have been well-earned by Almirola after his first year competing with the Stewart-Haas Racing team.

“Just an incredible first year for me and our team,” Almirola said. “I knew going to Stewart-Haas Racing it was going to be about how well I performed and how I adapted and gelled with my team. They obviously are one of the best teams in the garage. I knew we had the resources, I knew we had the equipment and I knew a lot of that would be on me. I was up for the challenge and excited. But you still never know.

“You never know what to really expect until you get into the thick of things and go through the year the way we did, and continue to perform better and better and better as the season went on. Was truly just great and has me that much more fired up for 2019.”

Almirola’s work last season was the best of his seven-year full-time career at the Monster Energy Series level. He won his second race, had a career-high four top-five finishes and 17 top 10s – more than double his best previous production in the second category. His 12.8 average finish was significantly better than his previous best of 17.9 in 2015. And he made a valiant run through the Playoffs – nearly advancing into the Championship 4 round.

By all accounts, it appears a relatively seamless transition to the SHR team from Richard Petty Motorsports, where Almirola spent the previous six years of his career. And Almirola freely concedes the uptick in performance and production last season was as much about him feeling the need to raise his game for the perennial championship SHR team. All four drivers – Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch and Almirola – won races last year and SHR was the only team to have every driver qualify for the 16-driver Playoffs.

VIDEO: How will Suarez fare in his first season at SHR?

“I would say a lot of people, most of the media members, did not have me in the 16 going into the Playoffs and I think certainly most of the media would not have had me going into the Round of 8,” Almirola said, allowing a slight smile. “And I feel very confident that nobody had me finishing fifth in the points.

“So I definitely feel we exceeded expectations, including our own to be honest. And so, I’m really proud and glad that we had the success we had so quickly but at the same time it just raises the expectations going forward.

“A lot of that just came from wanting to prove to myself and our team that we can compete with the Martin Truexes and the Kevin Harvicks and all of those guys that run for the championship. I think last year, as much as anything, that’s the biggest thing we took away from the 2018 season. We really proved to ourselves what we are capable of.”

Equally rewarding as the statistical statement that Almirola’s team made was the way that team came together. The group included a brand-new crew chief in Johnny Klausmeier, and many team members – over-the-wall and engineers, too – were as new to the team as Almirola was. To have that kind of production immediately bodes well.

“Last year was Johnny’s first year ever being a crew chief of anything,” Almirola said, admiringly. “He’s never been the crew chief of a truck, an Xfinity (Series) car, anything. He’s done phenomenal and I think that gets overlooked as much as anything, the fact he’s really, really young. Our whole team is young. My lead race engineer is 30-31 years old. Most of the guys on my team are in their late-20s. We have an incredibly young team and we’re built to grow.

“To go through the first year and know we’re going to go through some growing pains and that our potential is high, but we’ve got to work our way in to figuring out how we can reach our max potential and know we’re still not there.

“We’ve still got room to get better in several different areas. I think the sky is the limit for us, truly.

“I think we’re just scratching the surface on how good we can be.”

Posted on January 22, 2019January 26, 2019 by Zack Albert

The annual winter festival of speed at Daytona International Speedway officially kicks off this weekend with a stellar prelude to NASCAR’s Speedweeks: The 57th edition of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The season opener for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will bring an all-star field of drivers and cars for the twice-around-the-clock classic. Here’s a point-by-point glimpse at the endurance event, with format, tune-in information and all the details as IMSA kicks off its 50th anniversary season and motorsports roars back to life at Daytona.

What: 57th Rolex 24 at Daytona, the first race of the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

When: Race starts Saturday, Jan. 26, 2:35 p.m. ET, and ends Sunday, Jan. 27, 2:35 p.m. ET.

Where: Daytona International Speedway, 3.56-mile combined tri-oval and road course.

How to watch: NBCSN plans extensive live coverage, starting Saturday with a pre-race show at 1 p.m. ET. Supplemental coverage will come through the NBC Sports App and IMSA.tv for around-the-clock broadcasting. Information for radio and international broadcasts can be found here. The full TV broadcast schedule is listed below.

RELATED: Where to watch the Rolex 24

Divisions: The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is divided into four classes, all competing on the track at the same time. Those four divisions include two prototype classes — Daytona Prototype International (DPi) and Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) — and two sports-car classes — Grand Touring Le Mans (GTLM) and Grand Touring Daytona (GTD).

Preliminary events: The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, split into Grand Sport (GS) and Touring Car (TCR) classes, will host the four-hour BMW Endurance Challenge at Daytona on Friday, January 25 (12:15 p.m. ET, IMSA.tv). The Rolex 24 Heritage Exhibition will feature classic sports cars from IMSA’s past turning laps Saturday at 10:30 a.m. ET.

2018 winners: The Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi took overall honors with drivers Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi and Filipe Albuquerque.

SHOP: Rolex 24 gear

Cars: A total of 13 manufacturers will participate in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s four classes. The number of automakers grows to 19 when including the Michelin Pilot Challenge series. The full list: Acura, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Lamborghini, Lexus, Mazda, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, Nissan, Porsche, Volkswagen.

NASCAR involvement: No current Monster Energy Series drivers are entered in the 24-hour event, but plenty of drivers and teams with their hands in the stock-car world are participating. Among them are longtime NASCAR team owners Roger Penske and Chip Ganassi, who both will field two cars.

The NBC Sports broadcast crew will also feature some familiar faces from their NASCAR coverage team. Among them are Dale Earnhardt Jr., Steve Letarte and Krista Voda on the Peacock Pit Box, plus Rick Allen, Dave Burns, Parker Kligerman, Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast and Rutledge Wood.

A list of the Rolex 24 participants with NASCAR ties:

• Acura Team Penske will field the Nos. 6 and 7 Acuras in the DPi class. Former Monster Energy Series competitor Juan Pablo Montoya, a three-time Rolex 24 overall winner, will be a part of the three-driver effort for the No. 6 team.

• Ford Chip Ganassi Racing will field the Nos. 66 and 67 Ford GTs in the GTLM class.

• AJ Allmendinger and Justin Marks will team up with Mario Farnbacher and Trent Hindman in the Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian No. 86 Acura NSX GT3. Allmendinger, who was a regular Monster Energy Series participant for the last 12 seasons, has one overall Rolex 24 win (2012). Marks, a one-time Xfinity winner with starts in all three NASCAR national divisions, notched a Rolex 24 class win in 2009.

• Austin Cindric, a NASCAR Xfinity Series regular for Team Penske, will compete in the AIM Vasser Sullivan entry in GTD class, co-driving the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3.

• Andy Lally, NASCAR’s Sunoco Rookie of the Year in its premier series in 2011, will be part of a four-driver effort in the Magnus Racing No. 44 GTD Lamborghini. Lally is a five-time class winner in the Rolex 24.

• Katherine Legge, who got her first taste of NASCAR with four Xfinity Series starts last season, will participate in the Heinricher Racing w/Meyer Shank Racing No. 57 Acura NSX GT3.

• Colin Braun, a one-time Truck Series winner in 2009 who also has Xfinity Series experience, will team up in the CORE Autosport No. 54 DPi Nissan entry.

FULL BROADCAST SCHEDULE

(All times Eastern)

Thursday, Jan. 24

2 p.m.: 2019 IMSA Season Preview (NBCSN)
3-5 p.m.: Rolex 24 at Daytona qualifying (NBCSN)
3:25-4:40 p.m.: Rolex 24 at Daytona qualifying (IMSA.tv)

Friday, Jan. 25

12:05 p.m.: IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge: BMW Endurance Challenge at Daytona (IMSA.tv)

Saturday, Jan. 26

1-2 p.m.: 2019 Season Preview Show (NBCSN re-air)
2-5 p.m.: Rolex 24 at Daytona (NBCSN)
5-9 p.m.: Rolex 24 at Daytona (NBC Sports App)
9 p.m.-3 a.m.: Rolex 24 at Daytona (NBCSN)
2:25-11:55 p.m.: Rolex 24 at Daytona (IMSA.tv)

Sunday, Jan. 27

12 a.m.-2:35 p.m.: Rolex 24 at Daytona (IMSA.tv)
12-3 a.m.: Rolex 24 at Daytona (NBCSN)
3-6 a.m.: Rolex 24 at Daytona (NBC Sports App)
6 a.m.-3 p.m.: Rolex 24 at Daytona (NBCSN)

Posted on January 22, 2019January 22, 2019 by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) announced today that Todd Gilliland will return to the organization as the full-time driver of the No. 4 Tundra for the 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (NGOTS) season. JBL, part of the HARMAN portfolio of legendary audio brands–and Mobil 1™, the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand, are also both returning as primary sponsors on Gilliland’s Toyota.

Gilliland competed in 19 of 23 races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) for KBM in 2018, moving into a full-time role once he turned 18 on May 15. Despite missing four races early in the season due to age restrictions, he finished 10th in the championship standings after posting one pole, 208 laps led, four top-five and nine top-10 finishes. Overall, in two part-time seasons competing for the organization, the NASCAR Next alum has tallied six top-five and 12 top-10 finishes across his 25 starts since making his Truck Series debut at Dover (Del.) International Speedway in June of 2017.

“I’m excited to be returning to the seat of the No. 4 Tundra at Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2019 and looking to build on the momentum that we had going at the end of 2018,” Gilliland said. “Last year we definitely had some high points and low points, so my goal is to be more consistent throughout the season. After being so close a couple times last year, I’m confident that I’ll be able to find Victory Lane this year and once that happens more wins will follow. I’m ready to reward everyone at JBL, Mobil 1, Toyota and TRD for their continued support.”

RELATED: On the move: 2019 changes

“There was a lot of pressure on Todd last year early in the season after he had to miss four of the first six races due to age restrictions and then needed to get a win to become eligible for the playoffs,” Kyle Busch said. “I think maybe he was pushing a little too hard to try and dig himself out of that hole. While it was unfortunate that he didn’t make the playoffs, at the end of the year he did a much better job and if it wasn’t for a few unfortunate endings he should’ve won two races. We’re looking for him to continue the progress that he made at the end of last year and be a contender for the championship this season.”

In addition to his Truck Series schedule in 2018, the North Carolina native made a handful of starts in both the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and the ARCA Racing Series. Gilliland went to Victory Lane twice in just three starts in the K&N Pro Series East; the season-opening event at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway in February and again at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in April. In the ARCA Racing Series, he tallied one pole, two top-five and three top-10 finishes across four starts in 2018.

Gilliland captured back-to-back K&N Pro Series West championships in 2016 and 2017, collecting six wins each season. He also finished second in the 2017 K&N Pro Series East standings while collecting a series-high four wins. The 18-year-old has won a remarkable 39.2 percent (20 of 51) of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series races he has competed in combined between the East and West Series since he became the youngest winner in West Series history after going to Victory Lane in his debut as a 15-year-old in November of 2015. Gilliland is also the youngest driver ever to win an ARCA Racing Series race, winning his series debut in May of 2015 at Toledo (Ohio) Speedway, also at the age of 15.

The third-generation driver is the son of former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver David Gilliland and the grandson of 1997 NASCAR Winston West champion, Butch Gilliland.

Posted on January 22, 2019January 22, 2019 by Staff Report

Editor’s note: Today begins NASCAR.com’s countdown of team previews for the Monster Energy Series season, ranked in order of best finish in last year’s owner standings. We’ll kick off with teams that finished outside the top 30 or are new for 2019 (listed alphabetically).

GO FAS RACING

Manufacturer: Ford

Engine: Roush Yates Engines

Driver: Corey LaJoie

Crew chief: Randy Cox

2018 standings: 31st

What’s new: LaJoie steps in as the replacement for Matt DiBenedetto, the No. 32 team’s driver the last two seasons. It’s a step up for the 27-year-old journeyman, who has run partial schedules in recent years while maintaining a number of duties — from driver to crew chief to seat welder for his father’s business. The organization will also use pit crew service from Team Penske, a shift from Hendrick Motorsports that’s intended to bolster its ties to Ford.

Outlook: The organization made incremental gains during DiBenedetto’s term, notching its first top-10 finishes since team owner Archie St. Hilaire first joined NASCAR’s top division. The team aims for a quick adjustment to a new rules package in 2019, with hopes to shoe-horn its way into the next tier of competition. “We’re probably the best of the small teams, but every week we race with that middle bunch — with the 34, the 38, the 95 and those guys — so we think we’re going to beat some of those this year, especially with this type of racing,” said team owner Archie St. Hilaire. “We need to be patient and just take advantage of every move we can and I think we’ll have some decent finishes and move up continually.”

• • •

MBM MOTORSPORTS

Manufacturer: Toyota

Engine: Race Engines Plus, former Triad Racing Engines inventory

Drivers: Timmy Hill, Joey Gase

Crew chiefs: TBD

2018 standings: 41st

What’s new: Gase joins the organization for a full-time effort in the Xfinity Series, driving the No. 35 Toyota Supra with the potential for some Monster Energy Series starts. Hill indicated he’ll return to the Carl Long-owned team for 2019. The No. 66 appeared in 20 races last season, but Long indicated he hoped to increase his participation to as much as 90 percent of the schedule this year.

Outlook: The team’s battle to crack the higher reaches of the standings will come on a budget, with Long in negotiations with Toyota Racing Development for additional manufacturer support. The next task for Long and his drivers: Trying to find the right fit for hands-on crew chiefs ahead of Daytona.

• • •

OBAIKA RACING

Manufacturer: Toyota

Engine: TBD

Driver: Tanner Berryhill

Crew chiefs: TBD

2018 standings: 46th

What’s new: After fielding cars in three Xfinity Series campaigns (2015-17), team owner Victor Obaika announced a full schedule for its No. 97 Camry with Berryhill entered in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year race. The remaining details for its Monster Energy Series operation are still coming together with Daytona’s Speedweeks approaching.

Outlook: Obaika got a jump on 2019’s move up by participating in the final three races of last season, with Berryhill starting two and veteran David Starr in one. Expect a tall learning curve for the upstart group, even with a new rules package that may level some spots on the playing field.

• • •

PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Engine: ECR Engines

Driver: Ross Chastain

Crew chiefs: Pat Tryson

2018 standings: 32nd

What’s new: The Jay Robinson-owned team is set to bring back Chastain with what’s been described as a handshake deal, as reported by RacinBoys.com. Chastain competed in all but two Monster Energy Series events last year, but earned championship points in the Xfinity Series.

Outlook: Details for the season ahead should come into clearer focus closer to Speedweeks. Chastain was among the busiest drivers in NASCAR last season, with 74 starts across all three national series, but he was also among the biggest overachievers. Known for getting the most out of his equipment, Chastain will need to punch above his weight as the No. 15 team adjusts to a new rules package.

• • •

RICK WARE RACING

Manufacturer: Chevrolet, Ford

Engine: TBD, Roush Yates Engines

Drivers: TBD

Crew chiefs: TBD

2018 standings: 36th; 45th

What’s new: RWR announced earlier this month that it had acquired a second charter with the intent to field two entries — Nos. 51 and 52 — in the Monster Energy Series this year. The team is assembling other details ahead of Daytona with personnel moves to be announced shortly, but the organization has scooped up what it has termed as “a fleet of cars” from Leavine Family Racing and Front Row Motorsports. According to a report from NBC Sports, 59-year-old veteran Mike Wallace says he is in negotiations with the organization in an attempt to return to the series for the first time since 2015. After a nearly two-year hiatus, Rick Ware Racing is also planning an Xfinity Series entry — No. 25 in honor of the organization’s silver anniversary.

Outlook: The Ware group competed in a full Monster Energy Series schedule last season, fielding a two-car effort in five of those events. A total of 16 drivers split time in RWR’s seats last year, with BJ McLeod getting the most reps (14). Though there’s a risk of spreading the team’s resources too thin with expansion, Ware hopes the move to two full-season entries will foster data-sharing and enhanced teamwork. “It’s been a busy offseason for our team since Homestead but we’re embracing 2019 with a wide-open approach,” team owner Rick Ware said in a news release. “By acquiring a second Cup charter it will allow us to have two full-time cars at the race track each weekend where we hope it will allow the two teams to work together and improve the team performance overall from the 2018 season.”

• • •

SPIRE MOTORSPORTS

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Engine: TBD

Drivers: Jamie McMurray, Quin Houff, others TBD

Crew chiefs: TBD

2018 standings: none

What’s new: Almost everything. Spire Sports + Entertainment, a North Carolina agency that represents multiple types of motorsports clients, purchased the No. 78 charter from Furniture Row Racing with the intent to go full-time racing. Spire employs several former team principals — Joe Garone, Ty Norris and T.J. Puchyr among them — who should be able to steer the start-up effort. The organization announced that through a partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing, it will field a No. 40 Chevrolet for Jamie McMurray in what’s expected to be his final Monster Energy Series start. The entry will then carry No. 77 with rookie Quin Houff jumping in for a partial schedule. Beyond that, details for the rest of the season are still taking shape.

Outlook: Spire’s possession of the Furniture Row charter will add a level of stability and financial incentives based on that team’s finishes of first (2017) and second (’18) the last two seasons. The team has as good a shot as any in the opener with former Daytona 500 champ McMurray in the fold, but may face an uphill path with Houff, a veteran of just 10 Xfinity Series starts. Until the placement of more key personnel — most notably, more drivers and a crew chief — becomes clearer, the performance bar for 2019 will be tough to gauge.

• • •

STARCOM RACING

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Engine: ECR Engines

Driver: Landon Cassill

Crew chief: Wayne Carroll

2018 standings: 34th

What’s new: There’s plenty of new to go around in the organization’s second full go at Monster Energy Series competition. The team has purchased the charter it leased last season from Richard Childress Racing, which will provide support through a technical alliance and a new contract with ECR Engines. StarCom will also move to a new 20,000-square-foot shop in Salisbury, North Carolina. Veteran crew chief Wayne Carroll, who spent time last year with StarCom’s No. 99 entry, will shift to the team’s flagship No. 00 Chevy.

Outlook: Cassill’s return offers a dose of continuity to StarCom’s efforts after the two joined forces for 29 races last season. The additional technical support from RCR should assist the cause for a team hoping to fortify its foundation in its second full campaign.

• • •

TOMMY BALDWIN RACING

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Engine: TBD

Drivers: Ryan Truex

Crew chiefs: TBD

2018 standings: none

What’s new: Tommy Baldwin Racing announced Jan. 16 that Truex would drive its No. 71 entry in the Daytona 500. The Baldwin-Truex partnership marks a series of returns to the Monster Energy Series: TBR will be back on track for the first time since an 11-race slate in 2017, and Truex — an Xfinity Series regular last year — will attempt to make his first Cup Series start since 2014.

Outlook: TBR indicated that it’s seeking sponsorship for more events beyond Daytona, and that more announcements are forthcoming. In the meantime, the new partnership offers a chance at redemption for Truex, who was a heartbreaking DNQ for the Daytona 500 in his only other attempt at the race — for BK Racing in 2014.

Posted on January 22, 2019January 22, 2019 by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — One by one, they took a seat smiling. Wayne Taylor Racing’s all-star driver lineup stopped by the Daytona International Speedway media center ready to reinforce to reporters of the high expectations they carry into this weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Taylor, the team’s namesake, owner and himself a former winner of this IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opening race, sat proudly alongside his son Jordan – a two-time IMSA champion – full-time team co-driver Renger van der Zande, and Rolex-only drivers two-time Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso and FIA World Endurance Championship standout Kamui Kobayashi. It’s an all-star driver lineup with fantastic reason to give Taylor confidence and optimism for the weekend’s race.

Handling high expectations may be as important as anything else and that’s a good problem to have.

RELATED: Where to watch the Rolex 24

Their No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi operation is as top-shelf as it gets in the Rolex 24. For five years — between 2012-2017 — Taylor’s car finished on the podium. In 2017, it won overall, earning NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon — another high-profile co-driver — his first Rolex victory. A year earlier, former F1 driver Rubens Barrichello co-drove with the team for a runner-up finish overall.

“At this point, we’re optimistic,’’ said Jordan Taylor. “From a car point of view, we made a lot of progress with some changes. It was also good to get Alonso and Kobayashi through the car to get them comfortable driving-wise and seat-wise and ergonomics.”

And, he confirmed, “They bring so much experience and information from what they’ve done in Formula 1 and WEC and in Japan to help us learn, and hopefully we’ll be ahead of the curve all through race weekend.’’

SHOP: Rolex 24 gear

This is the second Rolex 24 for Alonso, who drove last year in an LMP2 car for United Autosports and briefly led overall in the race. That team ultimately finished 38th overall, but Alonso was pleased with the orientation lesson and is ready to improve on the result this week.

“I definitely feel I am in a much better position this year compared to last year,’’ said Alonso, who stepped away from F1 at the conclusion of the 2018 season. “Last year, this was my first U.S. sports car race and my first closed-cockpit experience and definitely this year, I’m ready to enjoy it a bit more and use the experience of my first WEC season as well.

“Everything is much more open than racing in Europe. The target this year is definitely to be more competitive on the track and I’m happy. I’m sure that with the Konica Minolta Cadillac and Wayne Taylor Racing, we can be in that position.”

The atmosphere of the twice-around-the-clock event — with a full international slate of racers, dramatic turns of fate and a vivid full-on embrace from a crowded Daytona International Speedway — is something the 2005-06 F1 champion Alonso said he immediately became fond of.

The racing venue provides carnival-like appeal for the young and the old — with a Ferris wheel in the infield, impressive manufacturer displays filling up the midway, vast memorabilia sales and genuinely exciting, suspenseful racing even in a test of endurance. The 47-car field this week is filled with the biggest names in racing — the starting grid a Who’s Who for any race fan.

“There were a lot of good moments last year and already this year with a couple kids that were even jumping in the car at one point,’’ Alonso said recalling the reception with a smile. “They get really close to the teams, to the drivers, to the cars. They can even touch the car if they want.

“It’s just something unthinkable in Formula 1 or racing in Europe, so I think that’s the nice part of this atmosphere and this race. I know it will be even bigger with all the fans here and how close they are on pit lane as well. When you jump in the car, you’re still signing autographs and taking pictures even with the helmet on, waiting for the car to come to pit lane – sometimes you need to tell them you are in a critical moment and you should be ready to jump in.

“But at same time if you embrace that and enjoy that, it is a very nice event and very nice emotion to see all the passion from the fans when they see the cars.’’

Beyond the feel-good moments, this Wayne Taylor team is once again considered among the legitimate favorites to earn Rolex watches in the winner’s circle come Sunday. They finished third in the 2018 season championship by a mere seven points, concluding the schedule with a dramatic final-minute victory in the famed Motul Petit Le Mans 10-hour race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. And van der Zande — who drove that final stint at Petit Le Mans — concedes he was almost immediately ready to leave that Victory Lane and start preparing for the Rolex 24.

“I’m happy to go racing and happy to be back in the car,’’ van der Zande said with a grin. “For sure, Wayne has brought us some incredible things to this team, including the pair of drivers who will be joining us.

“Overall I’m excited about our chances. We have Fernando Alonso and he’s a legend. You can feel that in everything he does. Heading to Daytona with him and also Kamui as a teammate, I think is very special.’’

Qualifying for the Rolex 24 At Daytona is scheduled for Thursday and will be televised live on NBCSN at 3 p.m. ET with final practice on Friday. NBCSN kicks off its race telecast at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Live IMSA Radio coverage throughout the week will be available on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com, with race coverage also available through both online outlets as well as SiriusXM Radio.

Tickets for the Rolex 24 At Daytona are available for purchase at DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.com.