Posted on by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C.  – Action sports legend Travis Pastrana will make his return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for the first time in three years, piloting the Niece Motorsports No. 41 WWEX Racing Chevrolet in the 2023 season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 17.

Pastrana’s No. 41 Chevrolet will also race with support from Black Rifle Coffee Company, Dixxon and Wienerschnitzel.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Al [Niece], Cody [Efaw] and the Niece Motorsports crew quite a bit since the team was formed,” Pastrana said. “I was looking to be part of as much racing as possible during Daytona Speedweeks this year and couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity to drive their 41 truck with support from WWEX Racing in my first Daytona start in the Truck Series.

MORE: Truck Series news | Full 2023 schedule

“Cody was my car chief when I raced Daytona for my first time in the Xfinity Series. We qualified third and finished 10th, despite being backward across the grass when I crossed the line! We have an amazing team with amazing sponsors like Worldwide Express/WWEX Racing, Black Rifle, Dixxon and Wienerschnitzel. As always, we are approaching the race with optimism that we have the package to put in a great result while having the most fun of anyone at the track.”

His last start with Niece Motorsports came in 2020 when he drove the No. 40 truck at both Kansas and Las Vegas.

“In our second year with Niece Motorsports and competing in the Truck Series, we’re proud to have Travis kick off the season sporting WWEX Racing and Worldwide Express colors,” said Mike Grayson, executive vice president of the WWEX group of brands. “Travis is an amazing ambassador of the brands he represents, and we’re honored to be alongside his other sponsors. Travis is a fierce, multi-disciplinary competitor and we share his passion for excellence and always pursuing new goals.”

Through its WWEX Racing program, the Worldwide Express, GlobalTranz and Unishippers brands will provide full-season support to the No. 41 Chevrolet Silverado as Niece Motorsports eyes the Truck Series Owners Championship. Following Pastrana’s Daytona start, a rotation of drivers throughout the season will include Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain as well as Niece drivers Chad Chastain, Bayley Currey and others to be announced.

“This is shaping up to be a great season for Niece Motorsports,” General Manager Cody Efaw said. “We’re really optimistic heading into this year. We are excited to have Travis in the truck in Daytona. He always brings a lot of energy and excitement, and it’s really an honor to work with him. On top of that, to be able to run the 41 truck full time this season, anchored by Ross – that’s huge for our organization. We can’t thank the WWEX brands enough for their support and are looking forward to big things with them this season.”

Chastain advanced to the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs last season with Trackhouse Racing, finishing second in the playoff standings. Chastain also gave WWEX Racing its first NASCAR win last season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series NC Education Lottery 200 with Niece Motorsports.

“We built last year’s program on a commitment to collaboration and supporting drivers and teams at all stages of their career,” Grayson said. “We’re excited to watch the continued mentorship that occurs this year between Niece, the Trackhouse team and now with the benefit of Travis’ perspective.”

Niece Motorsports has retained veteran crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. to lead the No. 41 team. Hillman has more than 450 starts as a crew chief across NASCAR’s top three series, with 23 wins in the Craftsman Truck Series and 2,903 laps led.

“I love getting behind the wheel of a race car any chance I get,” Chastain said. “It’s an added bonus working with everyone at Niece Motorsports and the WWEX brands. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to contend for wins in the No. 41 WWEX Racing Chevrolet. Thanks to Niece Motorsports and Trackhouse Racing for giving me the chance to do what I love.”

Logistics leaders Worldwide Express, Unishippers and GlobalTranz provide access to industry-leading small package, truckload and less-than-truckload shipping solutions and managed transportation services. Together, the three brands are the Official Logistics Partner of Niece Motorsports, Trackhouse Racing and NASCAR.

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will kick off at Daytona International Speedway with the NextEra Energy 250 on Friday, February 17, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. ET, airing live on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Posted on by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion Zane Smith and Front Row Motorsports formally announce a new, multi-series partnership with Centene Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, that includes both primary and associate sponsorship for the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) entries driven by Smith.

The partnership – which will feature Ambetter Health, a leading provider of health insurance offerings on the Health Insurance Marketplace, and Wellcare, which offers a wide range of Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (PDP) – starts at Daytona International Speedway in February when Smith attempts to qualify for his second career NCS start and first Daytona 500 aboard the No. 36 Wellcare Ford Mustang.

“I’m fortunate to have a great sponsor of Centene’s stature to step up and support me and Front Row Motorsports as I look to gain racing experience in the NASCAR Cup Series while at the same time defending the NASCAR Craftsman title,” said the 23-year-old Smith. “I’m excited to represent Ambetter Health and Wellcare as Centene continues to grow their involvement in NASCAR and their healthcare presence across the United States.”

As the cornerstone partner for Smith’s previously announced part-time 2023 NCS plans, Centene will be primary sponsor for five additional NCS races aboard the chartered No. 38 car at the following race tracks: Phoenix Raceway (March, Wellcare), Talladega Superspeedway (April, Wellcare), Sonoma Raceway (June, Wellcare), Texas Motor Speedway (September, Ambetter Health) and Charlotte Motor Speedway (October, Ambetter Health).

In addition to the six-race NCS primary car sponsorship, Centene will feature Ambetter Health as the primary sponsor of Smith’s NCTS No. 38 Ford 150 truck at Miami-Homestead Speedway on Oct. 21. The comprehensive partnership also includes full-season associate sponsorship on Smith’s No. 38 NCTS truck and on the No. 38 NCS car with driving duties split between Smith and Todd Gilliland. Smith is expected to race up to six of the 36 NCS points races in the No. 38 Ford.

“We want to welcome Centene Corporation to Front Row Motorsports,” said Bob Jenkins, owner, Front Row Motorsports. “This is an example of another well-respected and premier company to join our organization and the sport. Their support also allows us to move Zane up into the NASCAR Cup Series part-time and continue his growth while also helping us defend our NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship. We’re excited for the year ahead.”

St. Louis, Mo.-based Centene is not new to the sport of NASCAR. Centene is a healthcare partner of Speedway Motorsports (SMI) and serves as a race track sponsor across several SMI properties, plus as the race entitlement sponsor of the Ambetter Health 400 NCS race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March and the Ambetter Health 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July.

“We’re excited to partner with Front Row Motorsports and Zane Smith to build on our relationship with racing fans across the country,” said Sarah London, Chief Executive Officer, Centene Corporation. “Through this partnership, we have the opportunity to further connect with racing fans and educate them on our mission to transform the health of our local communities and ensure everyone is able to access high-quality affordable healthcare.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

Editor’s Note: Today’s 23XI Racing preview continues NASCAR.com’s countdown of team previews for the 2023 Cup Series season, ranked in reverse order of best finish in last year’s owner standings.

23XI RACING

Manufacturer: Toyota
Engine: Toyota Racing Development
Driver-crew chief pairings: Bubba Wallace-Robert “Bootie” Barker (No. 23), Tyler Reddick-Billy Scott (No. 45)

Team Outlook: After collecting two wins – one from each driver in 2022 (Wallace and Kurt Busch) – the team is enthusiastic about its third season in the NASCAR Cup Series. Expectations remain high, and the addition of Reddick – a three-time winner himself in 2022 – will raise the stakes this season. Both drivers are widely considered to be playoff contenders, and team owner Denny Hamlin says that’s the outcome he’d like this season. He noted that the team has had another year under its belt to gel, grow and bond and expects that foundation to pay off.

“Certainly, the performance he [Wallace] had at the end of last year kind of showed what his potential is, so I think both making the playoffs [is a reasonable expectation],” Hamlin said. “Then if they can make it into the Round of 12 and keep going, then that’s going to be a pretty successful year for us.

“I know it’s a cliché thing, but I want to continue to see us move up in the standings and our drivers win more races,’’ Hamlin added. “We won one in year one and two in year two, so want to keep seeing that growth.”

RELATED: Tyler Reddick joins 23XI Racing for 2023

BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 23 TOYOTA

Experience: Sixth full-time season in NASCAR Cup Series.
2022 stats: 19th in final standings; 1 win, 5 top 5s, 10 top 10s
2023 championship odds (BetMGM): 25-1

Outlook: Wallace comes off a season where he felt definitive progress. His win at Kansas Speedway during the playoffs marked his second career victory and was also important to the 29-year-old driver, he felt, because it proved he could be competitive on venues other than superspeedways, where he has gained so much acclaim. Wallace began the 2022 season with a dramatic runner-up finish in the Daytona 500 and recorded career highs in top-five and top-10 finishes and laps led (150) – doubling his previous best outputs statistically.

“I would say this is the most excited I’ve been for a season to start just because of the momentum we have and all the changes we’ve made in the offseason,’’ Wallace said. “It’s shaping up to be hopefully our best year yet.

“We’ve been able to win the last two seasons but at the wrong time. We didn’t win for the playoffs and getting into the playoffs, which our team is totally capable of doing now with people in the right place and mentalities now. The work efforts are there, and I just need to go out and do my job and start this year off right.”

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 45 TOYOTA

Experience: Fourth full-time season in NASCAR Cup Series.
2022 stats: 14th in final standings; 3 wins, 10 top 5s, 15 top 10s
2023 championship odds (BetMGM): 12-1

Outlook: 2022 was a breakout year for Reddick, who earned his first victories in the premier NASCAR Cup Series – wins on the Road America and Indianapolis Motor Speedway road courses and then at Texas Motor Speedway during the playoffs. Reddick moved to the team a year earlier than originally planned, with Kurt Busch – who drove the No. 45 23XI Toyota – announcing he would be stepping away from full-time competition at the end of 2022.

While Reddick expects a learning curve with his move to 23XI Racing’s Toyotas from Richard Childress’ Chevy team, he is confident he can win and make his second consecutive playoff appearance. This is a young talented driver, after all, who won back-to-back NASCAR Xfinity Series championships in 2018-19 driving for different teams.

Last year Reddick not only became a first-time NASCAR Cup Series winner, but drivers Chase Elliott (five wins) and 2022 series champion Joey Logano (four wins) were the only others to visit Victory Lane more often. Reddick earned career highs in top-five finishes (10), tripling his previous best mark. His 503 laps led was also significantly better than his previous single-season mark of 43 laps out front in 2021.

“As it all is shaping out, this is earlier than we thought it was going to happen but really glad the switch happened when it did,’’ Reddick said. “The team’s got a lot of exciting things, and we’re growing at a great pace. The vision that the ownership group has, that Denny [Hamlin] has, from a driver’s point of view, and everyone they have put into place around the team, I’m really excited about this year and what this year is going to mean for me and for Bubba and really everybody that’s a part of the organization.”

RELATED: Opening championship odds | 2023 schedule

NASCAR.com 2023 team previews schedule

Jan. 23: Non-chartered and teams outside the top 30
Jan. 24: Spire Motorsports
Jan. 25: Wood Brothers Racing
Jan. 26: JTG Daugherty Racing
Jan. 27: Front Row Motorsports
Jan. 30: Kaulig Racing
Jan. 31: RFK Racing
Feb. 1: Legacy Motor Club
Feb. 2: Richard Childress Racing
Feb. 7: 23XI Racing
Feb. 8: Stewart-Haas Racing
Feb. 9: Joe Gibbs Racing
Feb. 10: Hendrick Motorsports
Feb. 13: Trackhouse Racing
Feb. 14: Team Penske

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

LOS ANGELES – As the sun rises on a new NASCAR Cup Series season, Bubba Wallace’s confidence is already beaming.

That comes with good reason: The driver of the No. 23 Toyota for 23XI Racing enters 2023 off his strongest season yet, scoring a win during the playoffs at Kansas Speedway to go along with career-high marks in top fives (five) and top 10s (10). He also garnered some playoff experience competing for an owner’s championship after then-teammate Kurt Busch was sidelined due to injury.

MORE: 2023 Cup schedule | At-track photos: LA

Wallace’s continued rise in performance has culminated in sincere optimism, eager to prove last year wasn’t a fluke and find ways to improve in his third year at 23XI.

“I would say this is the most excited I am for a season to start just because the momentum we were on last year,” Wallace said Saturday ahead of the Busch Light Clash. “All the changes that we’ve made in the offseason, it’s shaping up to be hopefully our best year yet. We’ve been able to win the last two seasons but at the wrong time. We need to win before the playoffs, get in the playoffs and make a good playoff run which I think our team is totally capable of doing now.

“We have the right people in place. Our mentality is there, our work efforts are there. So I just have to do my job and go out and start this year off right.”

The first on-track action of 2023 validated much of that hope. Wallace led 40 laps in Sunday’s exhibition opener at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, second-most behind Ryan Preece’s 43 laps led, and had a strong chance of leaving with a podium finish. But contact from Austin Dillon with seven laps to go sent Wallace backward into the Turn 2 SAFER barrier, relegating the No. 23 to a 22nd-place result.

RELATED: Recap the Clash | Preview 23XI Racing’s season

Despite the disappointing ending, Wallace focused on the positives that stemmed from an impressive outing.

“We were really good at the first half of the race obviously,” Wallace said. “And then all the cautions, I couldn’t tell if I was letting [the car] get too cold or letting it get too hot. And then once I fell back to fourth, I realized I was letting everything get too cold, so I was kicking myself for that.

“But quickly adjusted and got back going, and the 3 (Dillon) never tried to make the corner. He just always run into my left rear. It is what it is. I got run into the fence by him down the straightaway on that restart, so I gave him a shot. And then we get dumped. It sucks, but y’all are looking for something I ain’t gonna give you.”

Bootie Barker, crew chief of Wallace’s No. 23 team, sees the work both Wallace and the collective group have done to prepare for the season ahead. The key is finding a way to “be there all the time,” Barker said, and to keep building off last year’s foundation.

“I think it’s a continuation from the end of the year, you know?” Barker told NASCAR.com. “We felt we should be good. We’ve got good people and did good work, so that’s what I expect.”

Next is the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 19 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Wallace finished runner-up in the Great American Race by 0.036 seconds to Austin Cindric a season ago and has two second-place showings in the sport’s grand opener.

Posted on by Press Release

The Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour is now formally a part of FloRacing’s burgeoning motorsports platform.

For the 2023 season, all 19 race weeks split between the CARS Late Model Stock Car (LMSC) and Pro Late Model (PLM) divisions will be streamed live on FloRacing. Founded in 2006, FloSports was established with the goal of providing broader coverage for underserved sports. As FloSports grew during the 2010s, motorsports became a central focus for the company, particularly when it came to grassroots racing.

In 2019, FloSports acquired DirtonDirt.com before purchasing Speed Shift TV the following year, acquiring over 400 races in the process.

CARS Tour founder Jack McNelly knew that 2023 was a perfect time to partner up with FloRacing and utilize all their resources following an offseason of momentous change that included a new ownership group for the series consisting of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick and Justin Marks.

McNelly said FloRacing displays immense professionalism when it comes to highlighting the overall appeal of short track racing. He is confident FloRacing will do the same with the CARS Tour and showcase the passion that has been prevalent in the series since day one.

“We are excited to work with FloRacing this season,” McNelly said. “We feel this series has been elevated to a new level and it deserves more visibility, which is what Flo brings with their extensive audience capturing the best asphalt late model racing in the country.”

Multi-year deals with NASCAR, United States Auto Club (USAC), Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway and All Star Circuit of Champions, the Chili Bowl, MAVTV and NASCAR Champion Kyle Larson, amongst others, have cemented FloRacing as an essential destination for motorsports fans.

Partnering with NASCAR only bolstered the company’s mission to amplify grassroots racing, as FloRacing currently provides live broadcasts for all three ARCA divisions, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Pinty’s Series and NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series.

Michael Rigsby, who serves as the vice president of motorsports through FloRacing’s parent company FloSports, said it’s imperative for short track racing to receive as much coverage as possible and is looking forward to introducing the exhilarating action of the CARS Tour to a larger audience.

“Last year we partnered with NASCAR Roots to really step up our short track pavement offering, and now we’ve taken another step by bringing the CARS Tour to the FloRacing airwaves,” Rigsby said. “From our perspective, the CARS Tour is the premier pavement late model touring series in the country, and we plan to build a robust production and content strategy around this partnership. We are beyond excited to work with the CARS Tour and help grow the sport further.”

Many drivers in the CARS Tour have already received recognition through FloRacing broadcasts, as the Virginia Late Model Triple Crown, which culminates in the prestigious ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway, always has healthy representation from the LMSC division.

The first chapter of the CARS Tour’s relationship with FloRacing will commence on March 11 when both divisions travel to Lucama, North Carolina for the season-opener at Southern National Motorsports Park.

Posted on by Staff Report

Motorsports star Conor Daly will attempt to make the field for the 2023 Daytona 500 with The Money Team Racing, the Chevrolet-backed organization announced Tuesday morning.

Daly, who made his NASCAR Cup Series debut last fall at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, will look to capture his first start in the “Great American Race” (Feb. 19. 2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) behind the wheel of the No. 50 TMT Chevrolet, with BitNile sponsoring his bid.

MORE: The Money TeamvRacing 2023 preview  | Daytona 500 news

Daly also has a trio of starts split between the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series, documenting his “Road to Road America” in a 2018 YouTube series. His best NASCAR finish is 18th, piloting the No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevy Silverado in 2020 at Las Vegas.

The Indiana native has 97 NTT IndyCar Series starts spread across the past decade, with a podium finish (P2) coming at Belle Isle in 2016.

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

A long offseason for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will end Saturday night when the series makes its second visit to New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, for the running of the New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200.

While Modifieds have raced at New Smyrna for years as part of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, last season marked the first time the track hosted a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event.

The inaugural Tour event at New Smyrna was dominated by Matt Hirschman, who led 112 of 200 laps to claim his only Tour victory of the season. A full field of Modified drivers are expected for Saturday’s 2023 opener, and all will be looking to make their own mark at New Smyrna and leave with the 1948 Cup, a special trophy honoring the legacy of NASCAR and the Modified division.

Below is everything you need to know about Saturday’s New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200 at New Smyrna Speedway.

MORE NEW SMYRNA: Entry list | Tickets | Streaming

New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200 at New Smyrna Speedway

What to watch for:

Nss PrimaryThere is nobody better in a Modified at New Smyrna than Hirschman. The driver from Northampton, Pennsylvania has been racing Modifieds at the half-mile paved oval since 2009, and in that time he has won a whopping 14 times.

Thirteen of those victories have come during World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing events, with the lone exception being the Tour’s New Smyrna debut last season. It’s not unreasonable to presume that if someone is going to earn a trip to Victory Lane on Saturday, he or she will have to go through Hirschman.

“The key is how good is Matt Hirschman that day,” said Doug Coby, who is returning to the Tour this year with Tommy Baldwin Racing. “I know there are like 30 other drivers to worry about, but if you’re talking about what does it take to win a race, it’s going to take beating Matt.”

Cars race during the New Smyrna Visitors Bureau 200 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour on Night 2 of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna, Florida, on Feb. 12, 2022. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

Coby is one of several drivers to watch in Saturday’s opener, as is defending NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Jon McKennedy. The reigning champ is back with the same Tim Lepine-owned squad as he looks to begin his title defense on a strong note at New Smyrna.

Also entered are the three drivers McKennedy battled last season for the Tour championship. Justin Bonsignore, Eric Goodale and Ron Silk will all be in action as they look to open the 2023 season on the right foot.

Other entrants include 2023 race winners Craig Lutz, Jimmy Blewett and Anthony Nocella, as well as Tour regulars Tommy Catalano and Kyle Bonsignore. Patrick Emerling, who is set to compete in the ARCA Menards Series opener at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 19, is also entered.

A handful of drivers, including Chris Hatton Jr., Anthony Bello and Justin Brown, will also be making their NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour debuts Saturday night.

The complete entry for the New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200 can be viewed here.

RACE FACTS

Race New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200
Date Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023
Track New Smyrna Speedway
Layout Half-mile paved oval
Location New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Start Time 7:30 p.m. ET
Laps 200
Posted awards $122,108
Live stream FloRacing (Live)

Schedule: Saturday, Feb. 11 … Practice from 1 – 1:45 p.m. ET … Final practice from 2:45 to 3:30 p.m. ET … Qualifying at 5:30 p.m. ET … Race at 7:30 p.m. ET

Qualifying: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. NASCAR reserves the right to have more than one vehicle engage in qualifying runs at the same time. Starting field for the New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 200 is limited to 32 starters including Provisional Positions.

Tire allotment: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is fourteen (14) tires per team. All tires used for qualifying and the race must be purchased at the track and scanned by Hoosier, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Series Director. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. All qualifying tires must remain in impound until released by NASCAR Officials. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice and/or change tires during the event. The tire change rule is six (6) tires, any position.

Posted on by Zack Albert

FOX Sports announcers Mike Joy and Clint Bowyer invoked the name of Bowman Gray Stadium a time or two during Sunday night’s broadcast of the Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum. Race runner-up Austin Dillon did the same post-race, a nod to the pint-size but bruising quarter-mile track in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, just one county up from his stomping grounds.

Sunday’s second edition of the Clash had the look and feel of a Saturday night madhouse scramble in the tobacco capital but was set instead in a historic West Coast arena with elaborate pageantry and Olympic bonafides. And just like the stadium, the formula for denting fenders and friendliness was perfectly mixed.

“Just a lot of chaos, a lot of mayhem, a lot of disrespect, if you will,” said third-finisher Kyle Busch. “That’s tight-quarters racing at a quarter mile. What do you expect, right?”

RELATED: Truex prevails in Clash | At-track-photos: LA

Last year’s inaugural exhibition in Los Angeles was shaped by heavy uncertainty — about both the new car and the new track, which were 1A and 1B on the list of unknowns — and the non-points event’s unique nature, which remains one of one in the NASCAR Cup Series. Year 1 was more about whether the NASCAR industry could pull off such an undertaking; Year 2 was whether the Clash could be a more competitive show. With a bit more familiarity with both car and track for this year’s edition, drivers’ limits on how far they could push were more of a known quantity.

Push they did. What the race may have lacked in flow, thanks to 16 caution periods, it made up for as an incubator for full-contact drama.

We emerged with preseason grudges — some rekindled from long-ago but lingering wounds and others we didn’t know we had or wanted. The on-and-off feuds involving Denny Hamlin and Ross Chastain, plus Joey Logano and Busch, were stoked anew by Sunday night transgressions. Hard feelings between Dillon and Bubba Wallace also came to light when a late-race bumping battle boiled all the way over.

WATCH: Chastain dive bombs Hamlin | Busch: ‘I owe (Logano) a few’

Those are just the higher-profile squabbles. It’s a full laundry list all the way down the field, and the season hasn’t truly started yet. “I don’t think anyone really respects anyone that much,” Hamlin said later, replying to NBC Sports’ Dustin Long, “but that’s just kinda the new way.”

Drivers and teams usually enter the two-week run-up until the season-opening Daytona 500 with embryonic optimism, but now there might be an edge to that boundless hope. The 2.5-mile superspeedway is rarely a place where scores are settled, but drivers might be far less likely to cut a rival a break when fighting for prime positioning inside the aerodynamic draft. Other opportunities for evening up the tote board could be filed away for later in the season.

The Busch Light Clash has worked so far as an exhibition, using a one-off format and venue to bring NASCAR racing to a different market. Just don’t say it’s all for funsies. The madhouse gladiators can attest to that.

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

What started as a one-race deal for Doug Coby to drive Tommy Baldwin Jr.’s No. 7NY Modified in a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at Riverhead Raceway last year has become so much more.

The pairing, which won that race at Riverhead as well as events at Lee USA Speedway and Langley Speedway, has set its sights on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship in 2023.

Baldwin, who won the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour owner’s championship last year with Coby, Jimmy Blewett and Mike Christopher Jr. splitting time in the No. 7NY, spent most of the offseason working on the deal to put Coby in his race car for the full year.

“I think we all talked about it at the end of the year, myself, Jimmy Blewett and Doug, and we decided that it would be best to try for a driver and owners’ championship and having one driver through the whole year and having another car for Jimmy doing some races here and there,” Baldwin said. “We felt that was probably best for this year.

“Doug brings that Tour championship form. He’s used to doing these races. He understands where he needs to be, what’s going on during the races. Jimmy does, too, we just decided as a group to do this this year.”

RELATED: 2023 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule

Prior to teaming up with Baldwin at Riverhead last year, Coby had only planned to compete in a handful of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events after scaling back his own operation.

However, after winning back-to-back races at Riverhead and Lee, Coby and Baldwin decided to work together as often as they could. Coby ended up competing in 12 of 16 races last year, nine for Baldwin and three in his own car.

In the nine races driving for Baldwin, Coby never finished worse than 10th. He finished the year ranked ninth in the Tour standings and led more laps than any other driver despite missing four races.

“It was a very nice surprise to say the least of how quickly we gelled and got along and how he adapted to how we do things,” Baldwin said. “He came from a completely different environment where he was at, the thought process and doing stuff. For him to come in and adapt real quick was huge for us. We didn’t really have to change much.”

Coby will chase his seventh NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship in 2023, which would tie him with Tour legend Mike Stefanik for most championships. Richie Evans holds the all-time record for NASCAR Modified championships with nine.

Coby, from Milford, Connecticut, said that after the success the combination enjoyed during the 2022 season, it was natural to try and put something together for the full 2023 season.

Thankfully, Coby’s long-time sponsor Mayhew Tools stepped up to help make the deal happen.

Tommy Baldwin Jr., owner of the No. 7 John Blewett Inc. Modified, during practice for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200 at Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 27, 2022. (Adam Fenwick/NASCAR)

“It came together pretty naturally based on performance from last season,” Coby said. “We clicked right away when I first drove for him at Riverhead and Lee and clicked with the crew. Just found a good fit for his program with all the drivers that he works with.

“It just makes the most sense I think for me to run with him in as many Tour races as we could, and I was able to get enough sponsorship from Mayhew to do all 19 Tour shows.”

Prior to 2022, Coby explained he spoke with Baldwin about potentially putting a deal together for Coby to race the No. 7NY. However, those talks fizzled out and he instead settled on a part-time program in his own car.

“He and I did talk before last season to see if we could do something last year,” Coby said. “It just got, with me and my team and losing Phil (Moran) to Tyler (Haydt) and Ron (Silk)’s team and having to move my cars to a race shop and having to figure out sponsorship and how much it was going to cost and if we were going to split a season, it just got to be too much for me.”

Everything changed at Riverhead on May 14, 2022, when Coby was a late fill-in for Blewett, who had to miss the race to care for his sick daughter.

The rest, as they say, is history.

“It just kind of worked out,” Coby said. “I think I’m a little disappointed; last year I missed New Smyrna and Richmond before we started running well together. I think if I had gone to New Smyrna and Richmond I think I might have had a shot at a championship.”

Baldwin and Coby are hesitant to call themselves the favorites to win the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship this year, and with good reason.

Jon McKennedy is returning to defend his title, and perennial contenders Justin Bonsignore, Ron Silk and Eric Goodale are all expected to make championship runs.

As far as Baldwin is concerned, the goal for 2023 is the same as it was in 2022: Win as many races as possible. If Coby and Baldwin win enough races, the championship will take care of itself.

“My goal still hasn’t change after all these years,” Baldwin said. “My philosophy is you win races, you’re going to get the most points. So that’s what we’re going to go do. We’re going to try and win races first and see where we’re at towards the later part of the year.

“If we have to change that as far as little points chasing at the end, that’s a different story. But right now we’re going for wins and maximizing as many points as we can.”

Coby and Baldwin will look to open the season with a victory in the New Smyrna Beach Visitors Bureau 200 at New Smyrna Speedway on Feb. 11. The event will be available to watch live exclusively on FloRacing.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

LOS ANGELES — Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch beat each other’s bumpers all weekend, leaning on each other around the tight confines of the quarter-mile track nestled inside Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

But the new teammates at Richard Childress Racing left smiling, each with medals around theirs necks on the podium as Dillon and Busch finished second and third, respectively, in the 2023 edition of the Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum.

RELATED: Official results | At-track-photos: LA

The duo executed its game plan to near perfection, rubbing fenders in battles for position but also yielding to each other when appropriate.

“Austin and I worked hard together today on, A, working together, but, B, all the information to put ourselves in the best possible spot,” Busch, the two-time Cup champion, said. “Good collaboration between the RCR bunch.”

Dillon, the 2018 Daytona 500 champion and winner of the 2017 Coca-Cola 600, showed steady speed throughout the weekend after qualifying sixth in Saturday’s time trials ahead of finishing third in his heat — coincidentally behind heat winner and eventual Clash champion Martin Truex Jr. and Busch.

“I’ll just echo what Kyle said. It was really fun,” Dillon said. “Our car was really good. It really kind of turned on that last practice. We figured out that our car was pretty good on the long run. We were able to qualify decent, which is good for us. Not a great qualifier usually at the short tracks.

“Felt like if we could just maintain we could have a shot. Kyle helped me there at the end. He knew we had a fast car, so let me try and got a shot at Martin. That was nice, so hopefully I can pay back the favor when we go to Daytona and work together well. It’s a great start for all of us.”

Andy Petree, vice president of competition at RCR, was thrilled to see the Nos. 3 and 8 Chevrolets find immediate success in Year 2 of the Next Gen car. In the vehicle’s inaugural season in 2022, RCR was victorious four times, but three of those wins came from Tyler Reddick. With Reddick gone and Busch in, the No. 8 team showed steadiness in its debut with its new driver.

“It’s kind of a proud moment to see our guys working together like that,” Petree told NASCAR.com. “And you see the mutual respect, but they raced each other super hard. Just came up a little short on trying to beat Martin Truex. But it looked like it might happen there.”

Indeed, the teammates had a chance to track down Truex late. The final restart came with seven laps remaining — Truex on the front row alongside former teammate Busch and in front of Busch’s new teammate Dillon. The No. 19 Toyota scurried away to the checkers, but not without a fight from RCR.

MORE: Full Clash recap | Watch Race Rewind

The key for the Childress cars was allowing room for each other to work efficiently.

“We’ve been working well together this whole weekend off the track, on the track, and having the opportunity of being able to take care of one another on a couple of those restarts,” Busch said. “You know, the 3 would be easy off the corner and give me a gap to be able to get down and some other stuff that we did, too. Yeah, I mean, that’s just a good omen for great teamwork and good sportsmanship from the two of us, so let’s keep that rolling.”

“I think the other good part,” Dillon added, “is some of the things that we like in a race car — what I was excited about, because I’ve watched Kyle’s data over the years, and the way he approaches the setup of a car and things I think we’re actually pretty close. Like our delta would be close.

“So that’s nice to be able to hopefully work off of that, and we’re only going to be able to build off that as we go and find those places that when we have a good run, where do I need to be setup-wise compared to him to echo that.”

All the positivity came despite contact between Dillon and Busch both in their heat races as well as the main event.

“But that’s what we want to see,” Petree said. “We want to see them race hard, but they’ve got respect for each other. And it was showing during the race. I saw a couple times on these restarts where they were starting side by side and you saw all the pushing and shoving and they were kind of protecting each other.

“And then on that last little run, you know, Kyle used up so much of his car to get there and he didn’t have much for Martin and looked like Austin maybe was a little quicker and he let him go, and I thought you know that’s pretty good, guys working together like that.”

Busch had to use so much of his No. 8 Chevrolet because another long-ago Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Joey Logano, drove into the back of Busch and sent him for a spin at Lap 86.

“I just overdrove it. I screwed up. It was my mistake,” said Logano, the defending series and Clash champion. “I don’t know why. I mean it’s still kind of a mystery to me because I re-fired and I came off [Turn] 2 awful. Had no rear grip off 2. And then I went down into the corner and I still had no rear grip and slid down into the 8.

“Thankfully, he was fast enough to get all the way back up there. I felt pretty bad.”

Busch, who certainly hadn’t had time to chat with Logano before his post-race obligations, wasn’t thrilled with another run-in from Logano.

“He just flat-out drove through me, so he’s got another one coming,” Busch said. “I owe him a few.”

WATCH: Busch reacts to contact from Logano

What Busch and RCR do have is momentum heading into the start of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, which officially gets underway with the 65th annual Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 19 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM).

“It does help the momentum, you know?” Petree said. “No matter what kind of race it is to get our guys working together. You know, now we’ve got confidence, right? So we can go to the next race with that confidence and build on it, you know?

“Next thing is that Daytona 500. Let’s go get it.”