Posted on by Adam Fenwick

The Inaugural Granite State Derby presented by USA Insulation on Saturday at New Hampshire’s Lee USA Speedway is not going to be like any other NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event on the 2022 schedule.

The event takes its name from the Kentucky Derby, the famous horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, that typically draws more than 150,000 people to Churchill Downs.

Josh Vanada, the owner of JDV Productions and promoter of the Granite State Derby presented by USA Insulation, explained he was looking for a way to connect the race at Lee USA Speedway to a major sporting event during the month of May when he settled on the Kentucky Derby theme.

“When you think of the some of the most iconic regional motorsports events, they are tied to larger sporting events happening nationally,” Vanada said. “I was looking to see what major sporting events were going on in May, and that one (the Kentucky Derby) stuck out. I thought there was something we could do with that, and it turns out that, in fact, there was.

“When you start to think of … in the Kentucky Derby, what’s competing? Horses,” Vanada continued. “Well, what’s under these Whelen Modified Tour cars? 600 horsepower.”

RELATED: Watch the Granite State Derby on FloRacing

Vanada is not just borrowing the Derby name for Saturday’s race. He is utilizing a number of the same themes for the Granite State Derby, including having a bugler on hand as part of the pre-race ceremonies. Tracking down a bugler, as it turned out, was one of the more difficult parts of organizing the Granite State Derby.

“It was probably one of the most challenging things of the whole event,” said Vanada, who confirmed his bugler for the Granite State Derby will even wear a red sport coat just like the bugler who performs at the Kentucky Derby. “Somehow or another we found a local music organization, and it turns out he does placement for musicians at events. We told him what he wanted to do, and he said no problem.”

Having a bugler perform is just one small part of what Vanada and his JDV Productions team are doing to give Saturday’s race a Derby flare.

“The pre-race will mirror very similar to what happens at the Kentucky Derby when the horses are brought to post,” said Vanada. “The trophy is a replica of the Kentucky Derby trophy. I actually saw a picture of it yesterday, it looks truly amazing. It’s going to be really, really cool.

“Our event production, our sound elements and other things you’ll see throughout the event, they’ll make you feel like you’re at a horse race.”

In addition to the Derby theme, the Granite State Derby presented by USA Insulation is the first of three races that are part of the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup. The three-race mini series includes the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races at Lee USA Speedway, Monadnock Speedway and Claremont Motorsports Park and features its own purse and bonus structure.

“Whelen’s partnership on the Granite State Short Track Cup has really I think elevated these three New Hampshire races, and we’ve drawn some local talent who has never competed on the Tour and will make their debut on Saturday or who has had very random starts, but we anticipate competing in the three Cup races,” Vanada said.

Tickets for Saturday’s Granite State Derby presented by USA Insulation are available by visiting JDVProductions.com. Tickets for the JDV Experience, an all-inclusive premium ticket package for each of the JDV Production events on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule that includes premium seating and a private autograph session, are also available.

Early owner’s championship lead for Tommy Baldwin Jr.

Doug Coby
Doug Coby (Photo: Mike Lawrence/NASCAR)

Through three NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races this year, Tommy Baldwin Jr. sits atop the series’ car owner standings.

He has accomplished that with three different drivers steering his No. 7 Modified at three different race tracks.

Baldwin opened the season at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway with Mike Christopher Jr. piloting his car to a third-place finish, followed by Jimmy Blewett taking the reins and delivering a seventh-place run at Richmond Raceway in April.

Doug Coby got the call to drive for Baldwin last Saturday night at New York’s Riverhead Raceway in place of Blewett, who sat out the race in order to care for his sick daughter. Coby rewarded Baldwin’s confidence with a dominant victory in the Miller Lite 200, his third in four races at the New York oval.

Those three results combined have given Baldwin a 12-point edge in the owner standings, a position he would like to maintain throughout the season.

With that in mind, Coby will once again pilot Baldwin’s No. 7 this Saturday night at Lee USA Speedway while Blewett continues to spend time with his family at home.

While Coby does not have any NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour experience at Lee USA Speedway since the last event there took place in 1998, he does have experience on abrasive surfaces like the one he’ll face Saturday. He won the last Tour race at South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach Speedway, another track with a famously abrasive surface.

“At Myrtle Beach, you couldn’t even go 100 percent,” Coby said earlier this week. “In these races, it’s definitely timing of when you take tires, versus when the cautions fall. In the last race I won at Myrtle Beach, we timed our pit stop well, when some others stayed out and were hoping for a caution later in the race, but it never came out. Being a six-tire race at Lee, it’s a big difference to be able to come into the pits twice. Someone may even try to time it right and only pit once and not need the second stop.

“The race is going to be about pacing yourself and not abusing the car. At Riverhead, I was able to pace myself the whole race, and knowing how the car responded to it, it gives me a lot more confidence. At Lee, we will be in a tire saving mindset from the drop of the green. Lee is a great facility and the track is a ton of fun.”

Matt Hirschman, driver of the #60 PeeDee Motorsports Car, celebrates in victory lane during the New Smyrna Visitors Bureau 200 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour during night 2 of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna, Florida on February 12, 2022. (Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Matt Hirschman, driver of the No. 60 PeeDee Motorsports Car, celebrates in Victory Lane after the New Smyrna Visitors Bureau 200 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour during night 2 of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, on Feb. 12, 2022. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

New Smyrna winner Matt Hirschman back in action

For the first time since he won the opening race of the 2022 season, Matt Hirschman will return to action with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour on Saturday evening.

Hirschman’s win at New Smyrna in February was his fifth Tour victory dating back to 2005. While he hasn’t been a regular with the Tour since 2014, Hirschman is always a threat when he shows up at the race track.

His victory at New Smyrna was a prime example of that, as he led 112 of 200 laps and held off Eric Goodale at the checkered flag.

Last year in three starts with the Tour, Hirschman won once at New York’s Oswego Speedway and finished no worse than second in the other two events he entered. He also has experience at Lee USA Speedway, where he has at least one victory in a Modified during his career.

If you’re picking favorites for the Inaugural Granite State Derby presented by USA Insulation, you can’t go wrong with a thoroughbred like Hirschman.

Notes:

  • Patrick Emerling, who currently sits sixth in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings, has withdrawn from Saturday’s race in order to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday afternoon at Texas Motor Speedway.
  • Jacob Perry will make his second career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start and first since 2019 on Saturday. His only previous start with the series came at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where he completed only two laps before retiring from the race following a crash.
  • Steven Dickey Jr., who has experience in a Late Model at Lee USA Speedway, is entered in his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event.
  • Sam Rameau is set for his season debut with the Tour on Saturday. He last competed with the series in 2021, making starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway.
  • In addition to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the Granite State Pro Stock Series, NEMA Lites, New England Pro 4 Modifieds and NHSTRA Mini Stocks will also be in action as part of the Granite State Derby presented by USA Insulation.
Posted on by Staff Report

Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron is already in the midst of what appears to be a breakout season, earning two wins in the opening 13 races and being within a lap and a half of a third at Darlington Raceway.

With his fleet of Next Gen No. 24 Chevrolets built up, he may get even better.

RELATED: Cup Series standings | Updated Power Rankings | New contract for Byron

Byron joined a NASCAR Twitter Spaces event with hosts Alex Weaver and Kim Coon on Wednesday, and he shared a recent perspective he holds with crew chief Rudy Fugle.

“I’m definitely not worried about the car,” Byron said when discussing Sunday’s All-Star Race and beyond. “My crew chief told me after Kansas after we qualified 13th, he’s like, ‘I’m done telling you to be conservative. Just go race. We’ve got enough cars now.'”

It’s the first year of the Next Gen car, and teams spent long hours over the offseason — while facing supply-chain delays — to build a new fleet of cars.

For Byron and likely others, the transitional period passing has brought a sense of relief.

“The narrative definitely has changed over the past three weeks, I’d say,” Byron said. “For now we kind of know what the car needs and we’re not so worried about crashing. I think you’re going to start to see guys get a lot more comfortable.”

Could be bad news for the rest of the field as Byron — who has led a season-high 569 laps — looks plenty comfortable so far.

Check out the entirety of Wednesday’s audio conversation with Byron, Team Penske driver Austin Cindric and Stacking Pennies co-host Ryan Flores, as the three get into the upcoming All-Star Race, rookie stripes, pit-crew competitions and more.

Listen to the recording here.

Posted on by Staff Report

The National Motorsports Appeals Panel ruled Wednesday that penalties levied against Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 11 Toyota team will stand.

The three-member panel met to hear the organization’s appeal Wednesday, and the group later confirmed that the No. 11 team did violate Section 10.5.2.6 of the NASCAR Rule Book. That heading covers the separation of an improperly installed wheel.

RELATED: Cup Series standings | All-Star weekend schedule

Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

The safety infraction occurred May 2 during the rain-delayed conclusion of the DuraMAX Drydene 400 for the NASCAR Cup Series at Dover Motor Speedway. Hamlin won Stage 1 of the 400-mile race, but the left-front wheel detached from his No. 11 Toyota as he left pit road.

NASCAR announced penalties the next day, issuing four-race suspensions to three members of the No. 11 team — crew chief Chris Gabehart, jackman Derrell Edwards and tire changer Blake Houston. Those suspensions were deferred pending the appeal, and the trio was in place for Cup Series events at Darlington and Kansas the last two weeks.

As a part of Wednesday’s ruling, the panel modified the original penalty to make those suspensions take effect for the next four points-paying Cup Series events — if the decision is not appealed further. The initial suspensions had included this weekend’s NASCAR All-Star Race exhibition at Texas Motor Speedway among the four races. The penalty is now scheduled to span races at Charlotte (May 29), Gateway (June 5), Sonoma (June 12) and Nashville (June 26).

Joe Gibbs Racing has the option to take its case to the National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer, but the team did not immediately indicate whether it would file a final appeal.

NASCAR teams moved to the Next Gen car for the 2022 Cup Series, and the vehicle features a single, center-locking lug nut for the larger 18-inch wheels. Those replaced the 15-inch wheels and the five-lug fastening system from the previous-generation car. Since the start of the season, competition officials have issued nine penalties to Cup Series teams for the separation of a wheel during a race event.

The three members of the National Motorsports Appeals Panel who served in Wednesday’s hearing were: Kelly Housby, Bill Mullis and Kevin Whitaker.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Corey LaJoie expresses a light-hearted regret about the years-ago beginnings of his friendship with Ryan Flores. “I wish we would have had a lot more foresight to fire up a YouTube channel,” LaJoie says, thinking about all the viral moments left uncaptured in those rambunctious early years. “… We were doing some wild stuff.”

What started as a bond between youngsters and forged by a common love of racing has grown along parallel paths. From those days of goofing off with go-karts, big wheels and late nights working on race cars, both LaJoie and Flores traced their journeys to established roles at NASCAR’s highest level, but also as hosts for a loyal audience of podcast listeners.

RELATED: Stacking Pennies podcast home | Cup Series standings

That chemistry — years in the making — plays out each week on the Stacking Pennies podcast. LaJoie currently drives the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet in the Cup Series. Flores is a tire changer with Team Penske’s No. 12 Ford team for driver Ryan Blaney. Together, they’ve grown through similar challenges on their path to stock-car racing’s big leagues.

“I think that’s what’s cool now is we both worked toward a goal,” Flores says. “I wanted to be a tire changer, he wanted to be a driver and we both probably got beat around pretty good trying to get there, but not to be at this level … obviously he’s not where he wants to be at yet in the Cup Series but it’s been cool to grow together and to be able to ride to the race track together now and do all that stuff competing in the same race, it’s a big deal.”

2022 May18 Stacking Pennies 4 Main Image
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media

LaJoie’s path has been well-documented, and his knack for grinding throughout his career against taller odds is reflected in the podcast’s name — a creative re-use of his personal mantra. The 30-year-old journeyman has done a little bit of everything from racing in the Late Model ranks, winning as a driver and a crew chief at the ARCA Menards Series level, and building racing seats at the shop founded by his father, two-time Xfinity Series champion Randy LaJoie.

Flores’ journey took similar turns — BMX racing by age 3, quarter-midgets by 5 and a stock-car jump at 14. He moved from his native New Jersey five years later, hoping to catch on with a NASCAR team as a spotter. Shortly after the move in 2006, Flores landed with what was then known as Roush Fenway Racing as a fabricator.

Mutual friends and relationships led their paths to cross in North Carolina. Before long, Flores’ regular routine became finishing work at Roush Fenway, then heading to LaJoie’s shop in the evening to help out with his Late Model program and participate in all those shenanigans that YouTube missed.

“We would be in the shop so late that Randy would call and tell us ‘hey, man, you guys got to shut it down. I’m not paying the power bill anymore,’ ” Flores recalls. “You know, working on race cars … some 20-year-olds would be playing video games and we’d just be building race cars.”

MORE: Corey LaJoie driver page

Other jobs followed for Flores — welder, tire specialist, mechanic — before he found his calling with over-the-wall duty. He was a reserve crew member for Tony Stewart’s final championship run in 2011, then joined Team Penske’s operations in 2014.

“It takes so much commitment and drive and sacrifice to get to the level that he’s at being a tire changer, and people don’t really understand the mental side of everything,” LaJoie says. “There’s the talent piece of being a quote-unquote professional, then there’s the mental stuff. Unless you’re in the fire next to somebody else, they really don’t understand. So as much as I’m in the fire in the public eye, driving around in circles, he’s up against the same similar battles, trying to stay on top of the depth chart doing what he’s doing. So we can relate on so many things.”

2022 May18 Stacking Pennies 2 Main Image
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media

Being able to relate is part of what prompted LaJoie to get Flores involved on the podcasting side. His addition to the Stacking Pennies lineup has provided perspective about the week-to-week pressures from the pit-crew member’s point of view, but his long-running rapport with LaJoie has kept the conversation light.

“I think that’s why people tune in because they do feel like they’re just somebody else at the table listening to a couple of buddies BS about racing, whether we either work in it or just enjoy being genuine fans of the sport,” LaJoie says. “You know, I didn’t wake up one day being like, ‘Man, you know what, I really want to be a podcaster,’ or like, ‘I need my own podcast.’ Like it kind of just happened.”

Since then, LaJoie is in his fourth year as a podcast host, counting his time with MRN Radio’s “Sunday Money” show from 2019-2020 to his transition to NASCAR’s podcast platform a year ago. “I just kept doing it, but now I realize the impact that it can have for my career off the track of just cultivating fans and making my story,” he says. “You know, it’s one thing to tell your story on social media, but to have longform conversations about the actual grind week to week of what happens in the sport, I think it’s a good way to give fans a peek into the struggles. It’s not all the red carpet and rock-star life that people make it out to be.”

Having Flores in the Stacking Pennies co-host rotation gave LaJoie another friendly voice to lean on in recording sessions, but added an educational element about his evolving pit-crew role. That focus has grown this year as teams have adapted to the Next Gen car and its new single-lug setup, a pit-stop process that Flores has shed light on this season.

“I’ve always had a heart for talking about racing, but especially the more I’ve been on the pit-crew side and been in the trenches in that, I understand how high that level of competition is, and it’s just getting to be more and more competitive,” says Flores. “… I think we’ve both talked about this, and it’s something Joey (Logano) says, who is one of our really good friends, too … try to leave the sport in a better place than you found it. Really, at the end of the day, we’re good friends because we’re students of the sport and we both want to succeed in racing but also want to see racing succeed.”

2022 May18 Stacking Pennies 1 Main Image
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media
Posted on by Brandon White

Akinori Ogata arrived in the United States from his home country of Japan in 2003 with the goal of becoming a successful NASCAR driver.

Despite knowing little about American culture at the time, Ogata had always been fascinated by the vibrant atmosphere of NASCAR. He wanted to add his name to a long and prestigious list of winners in the sport that included Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and many more.

Almost two decades of hard work and determination to reach that goal is finally paying off for Ogata, who tallied his first three victories on American soil this year at Hickory Motor Speedway.

For Ogata, getting that elusive first win back on Apr. 9 could not have come at a more perfect location with Hickory having a storied reputation as ‘The Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars.’

“Hickory has such a great history behind it,” Ogata told NASCAR.com. “So many drivers started their own careers there. I’m a Japanese driver, but I want to be like the American racers. If I want to race in the Cup Series one day, I need to win at the local tracks, so people know that Akinori Ogata is a good driver.”

RACING REFERENCE: Ogata’s career statistics

Akinori Ogata
Akinori Ogata walks the grid prior to the NASCAR Xfinity Series Go Bowling 250 at Richmond Raceway on Sept. 11, 2021. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

There were many days when Ogata wondered whether his leap of faith into NASCAR would ever work out.

Back in Japan, Ogata had established himself as a solid driver in multiple forms of motorsports. He claimed 30 victories as a motocross rider and even visited Victory Lane at Twin Ring Motegi driving a dirt Midget back in 2007.

Transitioning to full-time auto racing in the United States served as a clean slate for Ogata. He had to get acclimated with competing inside a full-bodied stock car all while trying to build relationships in the industry with a limited understanding of the English language.

Those challenges for Ogata were only compounded when he moved his family to Mooresville, North Carolina, back in 2010 so he could devote more time and energy toward getting comfortable with NASCAR.

“Moving to North Carolina was hard, because we honestly didn’t know anybody here,” Ogata said. “I could not speak any English, and it was difficult to understand what other people were saying. My English is much better now, but it was so hard when we first moved here.”

Ogata admitted adjusting to racing in the United States would have been more difficult without the assistance of people like Billy Larrimore, who was his first crew chief when he started racing at Concord Speedway in 2003, as well as his current crew chief in Zach McDaniels.

Being able to regularly compete at Hickory has also helped Ogata find a comfort zone in becoming a staple of the track’s Saturday night festivities, even with him occasionally branching out into the NASCAR Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series, as well as the ARCA Menards Series East.

Hickory track operator Kevin Piercy has seen Ogata come close to winning on so many occasions during his tenure and has been overjoyed by the amount of success the veteran has experienced in 2022.

“Akinori is a very respectful driver to his competitors,” Piercy said. “He will race you hard but clean, and I think he has a lot of grit. Akinori is a tough customer who digs in week in and week out, so I was happy to see him finally fulfill this opportunity.”

Piercy added that Ogata’s consistency reinforces the idea of Hickory as a track where anybody can win regardless of nationality or skin color. Rajah Caruth joined Chris Bristol as a Black winner at Hickory last year, while Annabeth Barnes-Crum, Gracie Trotter, Katie Hettinger and Kate Dallenbach are among the women who have found Victory Lane throughout the track’s storied history.

What Piercy enjoyed the most about seeing Ogata add to that legacy was how popular the win was not only amongst his fellow competitors, but also the local fanbase that had watched him grind over the past several years.

As Ogata continues to add wins in Hickory’s Limited Late Model division, Piercy hopes the driver’s dedication will allow him to contend for a Late Model Stock championship within the next few years.

“I would love to see Akinori have an opportunity to move up to Late Models,” Piercy said. “He needs a genuine chance to win a NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series championship. It would be a great honor for him to go to the banquet and accept that trophy.”

Akinori Ogata
Akinori Ogata pictured during East Series competition at Georgia’s Gresham Motorsports Park on June 9, 2012. (Photo: Kevin Liles)

The confidence Ogata had from Hickory gave him extra motivation heading into first Truck Series start of the year at Darlington Raceway, where he drove a Mike Skinner tribute scheme for Reaume Brothers Racing.

Unfortunately for Ogata, he struggled to find speed with his truck in qualifying and found himself out of the race before the halfway point after a collision with teammate and owner Josh Reaume just eight laps into the event.

“[Darlington] was a tough weekend,” Ogata said. “I was disappointed, because I felt I had momentum from the Late Models and thought I was in for a good race. We started slow and then we got into Josh on the track, so it was frustrating.”

Despite the rough outing at Darlington, Ogata is still dreaming big on his racing aspirations in the United States even as he continues to deal with challenges on and off the track.

Staying in touch with his wife Eniko and two children in Ken and Ryo has been difficult since they now reside in Japan again, but he knows they are supporting his journey and is eager to celebrate his on-track success with them.

With his program making significant strides, Ogata is confident that he and his family will have plenty more to cheer about once the 2022 season ends.

“Now that I have three wins, I want to try and win the [Limited Late Model] championship at Hickory,” Ogata said. “I also want to keep moving up through NASCAR, but my goal is to keep having great performances wherever I race.”

Ogata still plans to make his debut in the NASCAR Cup Series sooner rather than later and is hoping to at least have an opportunity to race in the Daytona 500 before he eventually decides to retire.

As someone used to overcoming adversity, Ogata remains determined to pursue that Cup Series ride and keep alive a dream that has been ongoing for almost two decades.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Toyota Racing Development (TRD) President David Wilson expressed his strong support Tuesday for keeping Kyle Busch on the automaker’s driver roster with Joe Gibbs Racing until his retirement, hinting that maintaining that partnership would pave the way for the next generation of Buschs to continue that legacy.

Busch has driven the No. 18 Toyota for Coach Joe Gibbs’ team since the 2008 season. In that time, he’s amassed 56 of his 60 NASCAR Cup Series victories. His agreement with JGR runs through the end of this season, and Busch periodically has spoken candidly, sometimes in blunt terms, about his contract status in recent weeks.

RELATED: Cup Series standings | Kyle Busch driver page

Tuesday, Wilson reaffirmed his commitment to Busch in a roundtable with reporters, making reference to Busch’s ebbs and flows with the manufacturer but also his 203 NASCAR national series wins in Toyota equipment.

“We’ve been very close to Kyle for years and years and years, and some of that relationship, to be candid, has been born through trials that we’ve gone through together and through controversy that we’ve gone through together,” Wilson said. “We’ve had some really tough times with Kyle Busch but we also are sitting on two championships and in celebrating recently our 1,500 starts across the three national series.

“I’ll pull this up, because I keep the stat handy all the time: One driver has accounted for 36% of our total wins across all three series, and you know who that driver is. It’s just amazing. So any scenario that doesn’t have Kyle Busch retiring from Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota would be a monstrous disappointment — for us and for Coach Gibbs and the family.”

Wilson admitted that the offseason decision of primary sponsor Mars, through its M&M’s brand, to leave the No. 18 team at year’s end had added a surprise wrinkle to the negotiations. But the TRD executive said he understood and was “somewhat empathetic” to Busch’s stance on the delays, which he has aired out in media interviews at recent races.

Wilson said he hoped to keep Busch as part of the Toyota family, making overtures that his son — Brexton, who turns 7 years old Wednesday — could keep the family connection going one day, starting with the Camping World Truck Series team that his father owns.

“Put yourself in his shoes. He’s on an out year of his contract. This is so rare, because, of course, what the team, what we try and do is get well ahead of this, particularly with a tier-one driver like Kyle Busch,” Wilson said. “The circumstances, unfortunately, have made that challenging. So you know, we’re working on it. This is a conversation I have with Joe every week, and I’m optimistic.

“I know, and Kyle wants … you know, he doesn’t want to go anywhere else. He has been very candid. You know, he can’t wait for the day that his little boy, Brexton, races a Toyota Tundra out of the Kyle Busch Motorsports stable. He has that in his sights. And that’s not going to be for another 10-plus years, which means that we’ve got to make sure that we’re still together long after Kyle’s out of the driver’s seat full time.”

Busch, 37, competed in his first three seasons for Hendrick Motorsports, collecting four Cup Series wins in that span. His first season with JGR coincided with the organization’s first year under the Toyota banner.

That driver-owner-carmaker relationship now stands at nearly a decade and a half, a grouping that Wilson intends to keep going.

“If nothing else, I can’t envision any other scenario. Any other scenario is just unacceptable,” Wilson said. “The last I’ll add is just the point of obvious — it takes both of us to get there, right? It takes Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing and Kyle Busch to get there. So we can’t control everything, and I’ll leave it at that.”

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

Located a short drive from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Lee USA Speedway has been a staple of the New Hampshire racing scene since it first opened in 1964.

First operating as a dirt track and now as a paved 0/375-mile paved oval, Lee USA Speedway has been entertaining New England race fans for more than 50 years.

The track has hosted countless races through the years. It was reconfigured from a tri-oval to an oval in the mid-1980s, a move that gave the facility new life. The track continues to host weekly racing in addition to special events, including the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s Inaugural Granite State Derby presented by USA Insulation on May 21.

FLORACING: Watch the Granite State Derby at Lee USA Speedway

The track has even played host to some of NASCAR’s greatest stars, with competitors like Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Terry Labonte, Tim Richmond and Buddy Baker among those known to have turned laps at the historic New Hampshire racing venue. NASCAR Hall of Famer Richie Evans also raced his modified at the track several times through the years.

Current NASCAR competitors like Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace, Brett Moffitt and Ryan Truex have turned competitive laps at Lee USA Speedway, with Wallace even winning an ARCA Menards Series East (then NASCAR K&N Pro Series East) event at the track in 2010.

Below is everything you need to know about Lee USA Speedway.

Lee USA Speedway

Track Profile

Image001
An aerial view of Lee USA Speedway (Photo Courtesy of Souza Media)
Track Lee USA Speedway
Location Lee, New Hampshire
Opened 1964
Length 0.375 miles
Surface Asphalt

The track now known as Lee USA Speedway opened for the first time in 1964 as a third-mile dirt tri-oval under the ownership and direction of Bob Bonser. Interestingly, the track featured two elevation changes, one uphill and the other downhill.

Originally known as Lee Raceway, the facility didn’t remain a dirt track for very long. In 1965, the track was paved in an effort to attract the New England Super Modified Racing Association, a goal that was accomplished later in the year.

Lee USA Speedway is part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. (Photo Courtesy of Souza Media)
Lee USA Speedway is part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. (Photo Courtesy of Souza Media)

The track continued to operate until 1979, when due to financial reasons the facility was closed. It sat dormant for the next few seasons until three men – Kenny Smith, Russ Conway and Charlie Elliott – came together to purchase and reopen the facility in 1983.

Prior to reopening, the track was reconfigured from its tri-oval layout to the current 0.375-mile oval shape. With the new configuration came a new name – Lee USA Speedway.

In 1986, the track was sold once again, this time to the MacDonald family, who operated the track until early 2018. The track is now owned by Norman Wrenn Jr., who also owns two other New Hampshire race tracks – Monadnock Speedway and Claremont Motorsports Park.

Lee USA Speedway is part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, with the track hosting weekly racing for the Late Model Sportsman, Street Stocks, Six Shooters and Pure Stock divisions.

In addition, the track has hosted the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the ARCA Menards Series East several times in its history. Below is the complete list of winners for both divisions at Lee USA Speedway.

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races at Lee USA Speedway

Year-Race No. Date Winner
1993-11 8/6/93 Reggie Ruggiero
1994-06 6/10/94 Jamie Tomaino
1995-06 6/2/95 Tim Connolly
1996-08 6/28/96 Rick Fuller
1998-12 7/17/98 Ed Flemke Jr.

East Series races at Lee USA Speedway

Year-Race No. Date Winner
1992-09 6/7/92 Kelly Moore
1993-01 4/25/93 Dale Shaw
1993-17 9/19/93 Stub Fadden
1994-18 9/4/94 Stub Fadden
1995-03 4/30/95 Bobby Dragon
1995-17 9/3/95 Robbie Crouch
1996-02 4/28/96 Dave Dion
1996-16 9/1/96 Brad Leighton
1997-02 4/20/97 Brad Leighton
1998-01 4/26/98 Brad Leighton
1999-01 4/18/99 Brad Leighton
2000-01 4/16/00 Dale Shaw
2001-01 4/22/01 Tracy Gordon
2002-01 4/21/02 Andy Santerre
2003-01 4/27/03 Andy Santerre
2004-01 4/26/04 Andy Santerre
2010-07 7/30/10 Bubba Wallace
Posted on by Dustin Albino

Ryan Truex has been put through the ringer since entering NASCAR’s national series in 2010. But that hasn’t stopped him from trying to make it.

In February, Joe Gibbs Racing announced Truex would return to the organization in a four-race deal for the first time since 2012, which began at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He would go on to compete at Martinsville Speedway and Darlington Raceway, before the final race this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Prior to that, he was announced to drive the No. 26 Toyota for Sam Hunt Racing in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

RELATED: Entry list for Texas Motor Speedway

Truex, who had two previous stints under the Toyota banner, had been wanting to make the transition back for a while. And he elected now was the time to either put up or shut up.

“This was in the works for a while, but my goal was to be back in the Toyota family,” Truex told NASCAR.com at Darlington. “Both of those deals worked out perfectly together. Obviously, Sam uses JGR engines and gets support. TRD is a big supporter of him.

“When I come here, the goal is to win races and show everyone what I can do with the right equipment.”

Previously, Truex ran three partial Xfinity Series seasons for Toyota between JGR and Michael Waltrip Racing. In those 35 combined races over three different seasons, he scored nine top-10 finishes, including the infamous runner-up finish to Kyle Busch at Dover Motor Speedway in 2012. He led 43 of his 50 career laps in the series during that race.

For the 2016 season, Truex returned to Toyota to run in the Camping World Truck Series for Hattori Racing Enterprises. Competing in a limited schedule, he earned four top 10s, including a runner-up finish to Johnny Sauter at Daytona. But by the end of 2017, the deal fizzled out, leaving him once again without a ride.

“I’ve been trying to get back (to Toyota) for a long time,” Truex said. “When I was with Hattori in 2016 and 2017, I was trying to build that relationship with TRD. That was a lot of work with Shige to get to the point where we got the support that we needed and got close with the Toyota guys. The way the deal ended with Shige wasn’t how I wanted it to go.”

After leaving Hattori, Truex landed in the Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing in 2018, before being replaced by Justin Haley in 2019. That year, he ran just six NASCAR races for JR Motorsports.

Getting bounced around is something Truex is unfortunately accustomed to. He’s coming off a full-time season with Niece Motorsports with just three top-10 efforts, and there wasn’t an opportunity to return to the team in 2022.

Enter JGR.

“I felt like I needed to give myself an opportunity to get into something that I felt like I could win in right away,” Truex said. “I felt like this was the best opportunity.”

Having run four of the opening 11 Xfinity races in 2022, Truex has a best finish of seventh at Martinsville. In his most recent outing at Darlington, the No. 18 Toyota was battling for a top-10 position on the final lap before contact with Jeremy Clements wrecked both cars. Truex was visibly frustrated after the race, tossing his gloves at the race car after parking it on the frontstretch.

While having a few races to pick from on the schedule in the “all-star” No. 18 car, Truex chose the four tracks based on circuits he has run well at. He also knew being in the car more regularly would likely elevate his potential chances of winning.

“I felt like I had a better shot of front-loading them and being in the seat more consistently,” he said. “Having Darlington and Texas in a row is a huge deal for me. That was a lot of it, just trying to get some consistency.”

XFINITY SERIES: Standings | 2022 schedule

Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. sees how hard his brother works. But that makes Martin even more frustrated, believing his brother has done a good job behind the wheel.

“To think that ‘I’ve got four races in a really good car; if I don’t win one or two of these, I’m probably going to be in the same situation next year,’ it’s tough and it’s a lot of pressure,” Martin said. “He’s just happy to have the opportunity to race a good car and show what he can do. You just pray for things to go really well. A lot of this stuff is about timing.”

Toyota, in general, is happy to have Ryan Truex back in the fold, as executives have become close with the Truex family. Even David Wilson, president of Toyota Racing Development said, it doesn’t hurt having a former champion in the family.

“We would love to see Ryan break through, and with the struggles that he’s had is emblematic of just how hard it is to break through in this sport,” Wilson said. “Hopefully, this year will be a turning point for Ryan and looking forward he might have more opportunities and longer-term opportunities.”

Reflecting on his first few races in the No. 18 car hasn’t been ideal. In Sin City, Truex was caught up in a late-race crash to finish 30th, despite earning stage points in both stages. While Martinsville was his best finish, he believes he had a top-three car and finished seventh, coming back from a late-race spin.

The little things add up. But overall, the transition has been easy.

“My biggest worry was if I would get in the car and have speed because it’s been a while since I’ve been in the Xfinity Series,” Truex said. “And JGR has shown that their cars are the cars to beat every weekend. I probably put more pressure on myself than I need to.”

On a team led by Jason Ratcliff, winner of 54 Xfinity races as a crew chief, Truex considers himself the “weakest link.” That pressure of performing came from knowing he’d have to elevate his game in order to have a fighting shot.

“This is something,” Truex said, “that I needed to do to prove to myself that I can do it.”

Looking at recent success stories at JGR, Truex points to Ryan Preece, who ran two partial seasons in 2017-18. In 19 races, Preece won twice, earning 14 top 10s. He also looks at what Ross Chastain achieved when given an opportunity at Chip Ganassi Racing, winning in his second start.

That was the goal for Truex. And heading into his final scheduled race, it’s something he needs. Because after Texas, Truex hopes to be in an Xfinity car again this season and the team is working to find the necessary sponsorship.

“I need to win,” Truex said. “I feel that way. Vegas, we could have had a shot. At Martinsville, anything can happen there. But for me, the speed has been there and that’s been encouraging. That was the biggest thing I was worried about going into, wondering, ‘Would I still have the speed to do this?’

“My confidence is higher than it was going into the start of this deal. I’ve just to keep it there and do my job right.”

Posted on by Press Release

RALEIGH, N.C. (May 18, 2022) — Western Pennsylvania’s Jennerstown Speedway, located in Jennerstown, Pa., has claimed the $50,000 prize as winner of the Advance My Track Challenge, a community engagement-based program led by Advance Auto Parts (NYSE: AAP), a leading automotive aftermarket parts retailer and entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series (NAAPWS).

Jennerstown secured the most votes out of six NAAPWS tracks participating in the final round of voting. Opened in the late 1920s as a dirt oval, the speedway was paved in 1987. Officially measuring as a 0.522-mile track, Jennerstown hosts NAAPWS racing and other racing series from April to October on an annual basis. Jennerstown will be able to use their grand prize for capital facility enhancements and efforts to support the local community.

“Jennerstown is a true gem of the grassroots racing scene in Pennsylvania, and we’re proud to celebrate their team and community as winners of the Advance My Track Challenge,” said Jason McDonell, Advance’s executive vice president of merchandising, marketing and eCommerce. “Fans have supported racing at Jennerstown for generations and winning this challenge is a great example of their passion and dedication for their local track. We’ve enjoyed seeing how Advance My Track has been embraced by the racing community and we look forward to advancing grassroots racing in the years to come.”

RELATED: More on the Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series

Jennerstown will also host an Advance Auto Parts-themed night for race fans during an upcoming weekend of racing in 2022. As part of the Advance My Track Challenge, Advance awarded $15,000 to the track finishing with the second-most votes, Alaska Raceway Park in Palmer, Alaska. The track finishing in third, Adams County Speedway in Corning, Iowa, received $10,000.

“It’s great to see a historic track such as Jennerstown win the Advance My Track Challenge in their return to the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series family,” said NASCAR Senior Vice President of Racing Development & Strategy Ben Kennedy. “We know Jennerstown will use this award to continue to elevate the track and grassroots racing within the community, and we appreciate Advance’s continued dedication to supporting these facilities. Additionally, we’re looking forward to Alaska Raceway Park and Adams County Speedway taking advantage of their opportunity to build upon their strong foundation in their regions.”

The Advance My Track Challenge began April 5, with 21 NAAPWS tracks across the United States and Canada represented in the program’s first round of voting. Fans voted up to three times daily in the first round, which concluded May 6. The six tracks receiving the most fan votes took part in the final round of voting, from May 9-13. More than 130,000 total votes were tallied during this year’s challenge.

Advance promoted the program through its partnership with the Team Penske organization and its driver Ryan Blaney, a 7-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner. He raced the No. 12 Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang with Advance My Track Challenge branding at the April 9 Martinsville Speedway race and on May 9 at Darlington Raceway.

“First off, I’m excited for the team at Jennerstown,” said Blaney. “It’s a track that has meant a lot to my family. My grandfather raced there for many years, so it’s neat to see them win the Advance My Track Challenge. This is such an outstanding program, and I think it’s great what Advance is doing to support local race tracks. These tracks are all so important to their communities, and for local race fans, there’s no better value than visiting your local NASCAR track on a Saturday.”

Learn more about the drivers, teams and NASCAR’s local tracks that make up the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series by visiting the series page on NASCAR.com.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials issued penalties to the No. 31 Kaulig Racing team Tuesday for a detached wheel during last Sunday’s Cup Series event at Kansas Speedway.

RELATED: Cup Series standings | Kansas results

The violation fell under Sections 10.5.2.6 in the NASCAR Rule Book: “Loss or separation of an improperly installed tire/wheel from the vehicle.” Competition officials handed down four-race suspensions to each crew chief Trent Owens plus crew members Jonpatrick Kealey (rear-tire changer) and Marshall McFadden (jack) have been suspended from the next four Cup Series races. That span stretches through the June 12 event at Sonoma Raceway and includes this weekend’s NASCAR All-Star Race exhibition at Texas Motor Speedway.

Kaulig’s Justin Haley was an early exit from Sunday’s Kansas event, finishing 35th in the 36-car field. His No. 31 Chevrolet expired with an electrical failure after just 64 of the 267 laps in the AdventHealth 400.