KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) has hired Ryan Preece as its reserve driver for the 2022 NASCAR season.
The 31-year-old racer from Berlin, Connecticut, will perform simulator work while running a mix of races across each of NASCAR’s top three touring series — Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Trucks. Preece will be a Ford Performance driver in each series, and he will be the default driver if any of SHR’s full-time drivers are unable to compete due to COVID-19 or any other unforeseen circumstance.
“Ryan is a versatile wheelman with a racer’s mentality who fits extremely well within our culture at Stewart-Haas Racing,” said Greg Zipadelli, vice president of competition, SHR. “Between the amount of testing and development work we’re doing with the Next Gen car this year, his added insights and time in the simulator will make us better by allowing us to learn faster.
“Plus, we’re still dealing with COVID. As much as we all want it to be over, it’s not. We needed a more robust plan in the event COVID sidelines one of our drivers. We have that now with Ryan.”
Preece will run a total of 12 races — two in Cup, three in Xfinity and seven in Truck. His Cup and Xfinity Series races will be in coordination with SHR and its technical alliance partners. His Truck Series starts will come with David Gilliland Racing.
“This is a unique setup, but I feel like it provides me with the best opportunity to win races and contribute to a championship-caliber team while expanding my racing experience,” said Preece, who spent the last three seasons (2019-2021) competing full-time in Cup. “I’m a racer, and Stewart-Haas Racing is a team built by racers. They measure success by wins. Whether I’m in the simulator, in one of their cars, or in a Ford Mustang or Ford F-150 for another team, I’m here to help SHR and Ford win.”
Preece’s two Cup Series races will be May 1 at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway and May 29 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. His three Xfinity Series races will be April 2 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, May 28 at Charlotte and June 25 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. His seven Truck Series races will be March 4 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, March 19 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, May 6 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, May 20 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, June 24 at Nashville, July 23 at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania and Sept. 9 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.
Preece made two Truck Series starts last year, winning in his series debut June 18 at Nashville. He is a two-time Xfinity Series victor, winning in July 2017 at Iowa Speedway in Newton and April 2018 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
Preece is especially known for his exploits on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. He won the series championship in 2013 and has amassed 25 victories, three of which came last year — July 17 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, Aug. 6 at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway and Sept. 10 at Richmond.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce, one of the largest LGBT Chambers within the region pushing for equitable change within the workplace and marketplace, announced Wednesday that NASCAR will become the organization’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion partner for the 2022 term. This is the first time NASCAR has partnered with an LGBT Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber’s annual DE&I partnership funds and supports all of its training and programming in diversity, equity and inclusion, and it allows the organization to have a more expansive reach throughout the region.
“NASCAR has a rich history in our region and continues to be one of the most popular sports in the nation,” said Tiffany Keaton, the vice chair of the Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce. “The intentionality of their partnership will allow the Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber to leverage relationships and increase our work in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion. The distinct brand that NASCAR brings to the chamber validates their commitment to equality and non-discrimination both on and off the track. It is an honor to name the league our ‘DE&I Partner’ for 2022, and I look forward to developing this amazing relationship.”
The Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce’s work to support change and growth helps strengthen organizations large and small – and the Carolinas region as a whole. Promoting DE&I training and education programming is a critical component of that change and progress for NASCAR and the communities in which it operates.
“NASCAR is excited to partner with the Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce,” said Brandon Thompson, NASCAR’s vice president of diversity and inclusion. “With NASCAR offices and much of our industry based in the Carolinas, we look forward to working with CLGBTCC in support of its mission to foster equity, inclusion and economic prosperity for the LGBTQ community.”
About Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce: The Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce is an organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and LGBT+ and allied businesses, corporations and professionals throughout western North Carolina and most of South Carolina. Its mission is to foster equity, inclusion and economic prosperity for the LGBTQ community through strategic policy, professional enrichment, ally partnerships and economic development.
Reigning champion Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin all head into the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season hopeful to carry the momentum they ended 2021 with.
While a new season is always accompanied by high anticipation and a plethora of unknowns, it would be no surprise if those four drivers come out of the gates swinging, beginning with the first points-paying race — the Daytona 500.
After a nice warm-up with the Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to kick things off, which Championship 4 driver from last season is most likely to break into Victory Lane first in ’22? NASCAR.com’s Sean Montgomery and Chase Wilhelm debate.
MONTGOMERY: Kyle Larson and the No. 5 crew will pick up the first win of the bunch at Auto Club Speedway in Race 2.
You would be hard-pressed to bet against three-time Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin at the coastal superspeedway in the opener, but this season will favor the underdogs. With only the Championship 4 drivers in debate consideration, odds are the season-opening win will come from someone else.
The premier series’ return to the West Coast track, for the first time since March 1, 2020, leaves an opportunity for another triumphant return to California (Fontana) for the Elk Grove native. In seven starts there, Larson has one win (2017) and a pair of runner-up finishes. Though that stint was with Chip Ganassi Racing, he has undoubtedly been the driver to beat at the intermediates since switching camps.
Larson’s first win last season came at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Race 4. If we have to wait that long this year, it would be a surprise.
WILHELM: While it’s safe to say Kyle Larson is going to win multiple races once again in 2022, I have my eye on a different driver in the Hendrick Motorsports stable.
After a runner-up finish in the Daytona 500 last year, Chase Elliott has all the potential to earn his first victory in The Great American Race. The 2020 title winner is actually on a run of three straight finishes of eighth or better at Daytona International Speedway, which includes finishes of second and eighth, respectively, in the last two regular-season finales on the 2.5-mile Florida high banks.
While all drivers will be up against a learning curve of the new car, especially on superspeedways, Elliott is a quick study and has always had strong drafting prowess. Oh, and I’m also well aware I’m betting against three-time Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin in the process. Nevertheless, it could be time for engine No. 9 to break into the win column at Daytona.
Even though he started racing go-karts at 6 years old, Stacy Compton was a late bloomer by NASCAR standards, skipping over both national feeder series to make his NASCAR debut in the Cup Series at 29 years old.
While other rookies might be intimidated or awestruck by guys like Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Darrell Waltrip and others around him, that wasn’t the case with Compton. In fact, he looked like he’d been doing it for years in his first-ever start, at Martinsville Speedway, in April 1996.
“Back then you could still make it on talent,” Compton told NASCAR.com. “I felt like there was a chance if you got in front of the right people, that you could make it happen. To get to Martinsville, I mortgaged my home, my body shop, seven rental properties, all to generate enough money for that one shot, for that one race.
“And it paid off. If it wouldn’t have, I would have filed for bankruptcy, there’s no doubt. That was the first time I’d ever sat in anything with that kind of horsepower or radial tires, or ever even made a pit stop.”
But Compton definitely made his presence known immediately during practice and qualifying.
“Rusty Wallace walked up to me after qualifying, poked me in the chest and said, ‘You don’t know me and I don’t know you, but you don’t have a clue what you just did,’ ” Compton recalled after qualifying ninth.
Jon Ferrey | Allsport
He chuckled when he remembered his reply to Wallace: “I’m like, ‘Did I do something wrong?’ I didn’t have a clue how hard it was to make the show, I didn’t realize what we were doing.
“Then during practice, I went out and ran Darrell Waltrip down and passed him. He came over afterward and said, ‘Boy, what are you doing? We don’t race each other in practice.’ I said, ‘I’m sorry.’ ”
Waltrip was so struck by Compton’s racing naiveté that he paused for a few seconds before quipping, “Let me tell you what, you looked pretty darn good.”
“We got a lot of attention that day,” Compton chuckled.
He ran in the top 12 for much of the first half of the race until brake failure three-quarters of the way into the 500-lap event ended his day early. Still, he proved he could run with NASCAR’s big dogs.
Which leads to another story Compton related: “Then a couple weeks later, we were walking through the garage at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Jeff Gordon said, ‘What you did at Martinsville, it was pretty impressive. I really look forward to running against you one day. If you ever need anything, you come look me up.’ ”
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Compton grew up in Hurt, Virginia — just south of Lynchburg — and never left, commuting back and forth to Charlotte, North Carolina, during his NASCAR career. Even today, the now 54-year-old still calls the little hamlet of Hurt (population 1,300) home, and it’s also the base of what has become a very successful post-racing career selling residential and commercial real estate.
The married father of two began selling real estate in his 20s, essentially preparing for what he’d do once his racing days were over.
“When you step away from racing, there is no NFL pension, there’s nothing,” Compton said. “So when I was racing, I started fooling around with real estate with rental properties and some different things like housing developments and stuff like that.
“When both of my girls started school, they couldn’t go with me. It wasn’t fun anymore. At the time, I was working for ESPN and racing. And I think the last year I did that, I was home 302 days. At that point, I said, ‘I need to be a dad versus running around in circles.’
“It just felt like the right time. I wanted to spend more time with my girls. They had gotten to the age that I felt like they needed a dad worse than I needed to race.”
When he started racing go-karts at age 6, Compton took to it both naturally and quickly, winning a number of championships up and down the East Coast, from North and South Carolina to Georgia and all the way up to New York state. From there, he moved on to late-model racing in his teens and into his 20s at short tracks in and around Virginia, at one point winning 36 races in seven seasons.
He had grown up a NASCAR fan, but even back then, the cost was too prohibitive. He couldn’t get proper sponsorship and felt his NASCAR dream would remain that until he just decided to go for broke when he geared up for that first Cup race at Martinsville in 1996.
The gamble paid off, and he moved into the now-Camping World Truck Series full-time from 1997-99, capturing the only two wins of his NASCAR career in 1998.
“I’ll never forget the first win, at Portland, in (Greg) Biffle’s backyard,” Compton said. “We battled and battled, and Greg and I have become friends. To be able to go up there and win my first race was a dream. Then, later on in the same season, to go to Topeka and win on a road course, not being a road-course ringer per se, that was a big highlight for me, too.”
The next season, it looked like Compton finally had everything together to win the championship. And for the first half of the season, it looked like that would happen, as he either led or was second in the standings.
“But we ran out of money and that dropped us to fourth in the points and that was that,” Compton said.
But there was something that came out of that same 1999 season that helped cushion the blow of coming so close to the title. Upon capturing one of six poles that season, a stranger tapped Compton on the shoulder at Michigan International Speedway.
“I thought it was someone wanting an autograph,” Compton admitted. “Instead, it was a guy who handed me his business card. He said, ‘If you’re interested, call me.’ He then turned around and walks off. I just stuck it in my pocket, went to the media center to do an interview, and while I was waiting, I pulled the card out, looked at it and it’s Mark Melling (son of former Cup team owner Harry Melling). As soon as I got out of the media center, I called him up and asked him, ‘What do you mean, if I’m interested?’ He said, ‘Do you want to drive my Cup car next year?’ And I was like, ‘Heck, yeah.’ ”
During Compton’s second season of driving for Melling (2001), they hired a young crew chief by the name of Chad Knaus, who lasted just one season before becoming crew chief for a new upstart young driver by the name of Jimmie Johnson. The pair would go on to win 81 races and seven championships.
Jon Ferrey | Allsport
“Chad came to our team after being a fabricator for Ray Evernham,” Compton said. “I told Mark after about 30 minutes with Chad, I said, ‘I found our crew chief.’ Chad was probably one of the smartest people I’ve ever worked with in my entire life. Obviously, he’s proven that through the years. He was really sharp.”
Because Melling’s team was underfunded, Compton lasted just two seasons before racing for just over a half-season for A.J. Foyt’s Cup team before the duo parted ways. Compton would then move to what is now known as the Xfinity Series, where he raced full time from 2002-06, before returning to the Truck Series from 2007-10.
Compton gave Cup racing one more try in 2012, starting his own team, but qualifying for just one of the four races he attempted prompted him to finally call it a career in NASCAR.
“We were thinking, we can do a couple of start and parks and generate enough money to where we can go run two or three or four races and maybe get some sponsorship,” Compton said. “I hadn’t been in a Cup car in nearly 10 years and yet we went out and qualified and got the car in the show, knowing we were going to run 20 laps and park it.
“I had a fan walk up to me and said, ‘You know, you ended your NASCAR career on a good note. Do you want to be remembered for start-and-parks?’ I told him, ‘You’ve got a good point. I didn’t want to be remembered for that.’ The start-and-park thing just wasn’t for me, I’m way too competitive. If we couldn’t be competitive, honestly, I just didn’t want to be a part of it.”
He would subsequently go back to racing late models part-time in Virginia, but that didn’t last long.
“Then my younger daughter Izzy (short for Isabella) started barrel racing horses, and I said, ‘You know what, it’s time. It’s their time. I’ve had my time.’ She is probably one of the best riders I’ve ever witnessed. She’s incredibly competitive, and she can ride anything. So pretty much every weekend now for us, we’re at a barrel race somewhere with our daughters.”
Even so, Compton has the desire to still race again today.
“If Kyle Busch would call me like he called Greg (Biffle) to be in his truck, heck yeah, absolutely, I’d be there in a heartbeat,” Compton said with a big laugh.
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Compton welcomes talking with fans about his racing career, one that he said he has very few regrets.
Grant Halverson | Getty Images
“I was fortunate enough to get in on talent and got some people’s attention,” Compton said. “We never were truly funded like we needed to be. I wish we could have been because I think I could have stayed in the sport a little bit longer as far as the Cup side. But look, I was fortunate to do it as long as I did. I met some great people, made some tremendous friends that turned into family.
“We were probably closer than a lot of real families. You know, it was fun, I enjoyed it, I miss it. I still miss the competition and I miss going to the race track.”
But there’s one thing he didn’t miss that he’s very proud of: “What I didn’t miss, I didn’t miss a single first of anything my daughters did. So, mission accomplished for that.”
Compton tried to steer his daughters away from racing, but he adds with a laugh, sometimes he questions that move.
“I said I was going to keep them out of go-karts because as expensive as it is, I thought horses would be a better way to go. Man, I was so wrong. I should have put them in a go-kart or quarter-midgets a long time ago because there isn’t nothing more expensive than barrel horses.”
Growing serious once again, Compton then concluded, “I enjoyed the sport, I really did. I was fortunate enough to be one of the few that has been able to go to Cup and be there for several years. I’m just thankful I was able to do that.”
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The Stacy Compton File:
* Age: 54
* Hometown: Hurt, Virginia
* Personal: Stacy and his wife Vickie have two daughters, Olivia (17 years old) and Isabella (14 years old).
Career highlights:
* NASCAR Cup career: 89 races, 0 wins, 0 top-five and 1 top-10 finish. Also two poles. Best season finish: 33rd (2001).
* NASCAR Xfinity Series career: 173 races, 0 wins, 11 top-five and 33 top-10 finishes. Also 1 pole. Best season finish: 9th (2002).
* NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career: 158 races, 2 wins, 26 top-five, 65 top-10 finishes. Also 9 poles. Best season finish: 4th (1999).
Drew Blickensderfer will crew chief for Aric Almirola in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, as Mike Bugarewicz transitions into a performance director role at Stewart-Haas Racing after two years with Almirola and the No. 10 Ford team.
Stewart-Haas Racing announced the personnel switch Tuesday. All other Cup Series driver-crew chief pairings will remain the same – Kevin Harvick with Rodney Childers, Cole Custer with Mike Shiplett and Chase Briscoe with Johnny Klausmeier. Crew chief Richard Boswell will also return to the organization’s Xfinity Series program, continuing his work with driver Riley Herbst.
Blickensderfer was most recently crew chief for Michael McDowell from 2019-21, and that span included the 2021 Daytona 500 victory. Overall, Blickensderfer has four career wins at NASCAR’s top level from his time with McDowell, David Ragan and Matt Kenseth.
This pairing is more of a reunion. Blickensderfer and Almirola worked together for 35 races between 2016-17 at Richard Petty Motorsports. They produced three top-five and seven top-10 finishes between the two seasons.
“Drew has been in the sport a long time and knows how to get the best out of the people around him, and that’s really what the job of crew chief has become,” Stewart-Haas Racing vice president of competition Greg Zipadelli said in a news release. “We have the same parts and pieces, but what we do with those parts and pieces will make the difference. Drew has worked with a lot of drivers and managed a lot of people. He already has a rapport with Aric, and that will make the learning curve in a season full of learning a little less steep.”
Bugarewicz’s move comes after six years as a Stewart-Haas Racing crew chief in the NASCAR Cup Series. He won a race with every full-time driver he worked with – Almirola, Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart – for four career victories. Bugarewicz and Almirola won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last season to qualify for the NASCAR Playoffs and ultimately finished 15th in the overall final standings.
Veteran hands-on experience as a crew chief and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Penn State University sparked Bugarewicz’s promotion.
“With the Next Gen car being brand new, there will be continuous development on it every time it turns a wheel. Going into it, we knew we needed to shore up our resources and really bolster our competitive approach. Buga is the right guy to tackle all the newness that’s coming at us pretty fast,” Zipadelli said. “He’s an engineer and he’s also a racer. He will be that glue between simulation, at-track reality, engineering and our race teams, and his laser-like focus in this new role of performance director will be a huge asset to our team.”
The Next Gen car makes its competitive debut Feb. 6 in Los Angeles with the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum exhibition event (6 p.m. ET). The official 2022 season will kick off two weeks later with the points-paying Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET). Both races will air live on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Jan. 4, 2022) – 23XI Racing announced Leidos will join the team as a primary partner beginning with the 2022 season. Leidos, a Fortune 500 technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader, with a focus in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets, will partner with Bubba Wallace and the No. 23 Toyota Camry TRD.
“We are thrilled with our decision to once again team up with Bubba Wallace and now with 23XI Racing,” said Leidos Chairman and CEO Roger Krone. “Bubba’s efforts have paved the way for real change, pushing for a culture of inclusion and diversity not only in NASCAR, but throughout the world. We see this as much more than a sponsorship – we see an opportunity to fight for our shared values. We are proud to have Bubba Wallace representing Leidos both on and off the track.”
The new partnership will reunite Wallace and Leidos, who previously had an affiliation from 2016-2017 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
“I’m pumped to partner with Leidos again,” said Bubba Wallace. “We had a great partnership when I was running Xfinity and to now have them on board our No. 23 Camry TRD and continue supporting my career and what we are doing both on and off the racetrack at 23XI is really a cool thing for me. I’m excited to have them on board for the ride.”
“Bringing Leidos back to NASCAR and building upon the relationship they previously had with Bubba is another step forward for us as we move 23XI into our second year,” said 23XI Racing President Steve Lauletta. “To add a technology brand like Leidos to our lineup gives us a new platform to reach a wider audience, allowing us to continue growing both the 23XI brand and the affiliation with Leidos.”
Leidos will appear on the No. 23 Toyota Camry TRD for its first race at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas on March 27, 2022.
The first NASCAR test session of the new year is set for the newly reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway this week, with all three national series tackling the freshly paved 1.54-mile track.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series will share the circuit Tuesday in Goodyear tire testing. The tire-test sessions will continue Wednesday and Thursday with the Next Gen car for the 2022 Cup Series.
Tuesday morning, NASCAR competition officials confirmed the driver lineup for the three-day test, with each of the three manufacturers represented across the three series:
• Cup Series: Chris Buescher (RFK Racing Ford), Kurt Busch (23XI Racing Toyota), Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet). • Xfinity Series: Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports Chevrolet), Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota), Riley Herbst (Stewart-Haas Racing Ford). • Camping World Trucks: Grant Enfinger (GMS Racing Chevrolet), Tanner Gray (David Gilliland Racing Ford), John Hunter Nemechek (Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota).
Atlanta officials announced the reprofiling for the intermediate-sized layout on July 6, just five days before the last Cup Series race on the aging asphalt surface. Track representatives indicated Dec. 22 that the renovation project was complete.
“Certainly a lot of hard work’s gone into the reconfiguration of the track,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “We got a little bit behind with some of the paving issues, but luckily the weather’s been really, really good for us in terms of getting the track ready for this next test. So, all three series will be there. We’ll spend one day where you’ll have Xfinity and Trucks on the track, same day, and then Cup, we’ll look at multiple days of testing as well.
Atlanta Motor Speedway
“So really with any new configuration, it’s making sure that the tire matches the car in terms of the aero package we put together and the engine’s also obviously part of that. So, making sure all those three are dialed in for the package that we want for Atlanta and then we’ll go race.”
Atlanta officials increased the banking through the track’s sweeping turns from 24 to 28 degrees, all while narrowing the racing surface and improving the drainage systems. It’s the first major reconfiguration of the track since 1997, when the front and back straightaways were switched, with a double dogleg added to the frontstretch.
O’Donnell indicated that the track’s characteristics and the expected increase in speeds are likely to prompt competition officials to use the superspeedway rules package reserved for the series’ fastest ovals, a short list that includes Daytona (2.5 miles) and Talladega (2.66 miles).
The test is scheduled roughly one month before the Next Gen model makes an exhibition debut in the Feb. 6 Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum (6 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Two more test sessions — both organizational tests — are scheduled before then: Jan. 11-12 at Daytona International Speedway and Jan. 25-26 at Phoenix Raceway.
Atlanta is scheduled to play host to two NASCAR weekends in 2022, with all three national series in action March 19-20. The Cup Series and Xfinity Series return July 9-10.
Monday, Jan. 3
7 p.m., NASCAR Presents Beyond the Wheel (re-air), FS1
8 p.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2016 Toyota/Save Mart 350 (re-air), FS1
11 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Legends Show (re-air), FS1
Tuesday, Jan. 4
Midnight, NASCAR Race Hub: Hometown Show (re-air), FS1
3 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 1986 Miller High Life 400 (re-air), FS1
6 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2016 Toyota/Save Mart 350 (re-air), FS2
9 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Legends Show (re-air), FS2
10 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Hometown Show (re-air), FS2
Wednesday, Jan. 5
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 1986 Miller High Life 400 (re-air), FS2
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub Race Hub Game Night: Part 1 (re-air), FS2
9:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub Race Hub Game Night: Part 2 (re-air), FS2
Friday, Jan. 7
6 p.m., The Golden Hour: Making of Days of Thunder (re-air), FS2
7 p.m., NASCAR Presents Beyond the Wheel (re-air), FS2
8 p.m., NASCAR Race Classic: 1988 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS2
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Classic: 1998 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS2
9 p.m., Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR (re-air), FS2
Sunday, Jan. 9
2 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 1986 Miller High Life 400 (re-air), FS2
5 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: 2021 Champion Season Rewind (re-air), FS2
7:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Classic: The 1987 Winston 500 (re-air), FS1
8 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2001 Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 500 (re-air), FS1
Champion: Ben Rhodes Champion crew chief: Rich Lushes Wins leaders: John Hunter Nemechek (5) Most top fives: John Hunter Nemechek (12) Most top 10s: John Hunter Nemechek, Ben Rhodes, Todd Gilliland (16) Laps-led leader: Sheldon Creed (708)
How 2021 ended:
Entering the championship race at Phoenix Raceway, John Hunter Nemechek was looking to fulfill his destiny of winning a championship. Nemechek returned to the Truck Series after spending the previous two years competing in Cup and Xfinity. But on the opening lap at Phoenix, the No. 4 Toyota made contact with Kris Wright, cutting down Nemechek’s left front tire. Despite going two laps down, Nemechek rebounded to finish seventh. It wasn’t good enough for the championship, though, as Ben Rhodes passed Zane Smith with less than 10 laps remaining to cruise to his first championship. Rhodes bookended the season with many career bests, including wins (two), top 10s (16) and average finish (9.3).
At times during the 2021 season, the Truck Series drivers showed little respect for one another. That, however, was not the case in the series’ inaugural race at Circuit of The Americas, all the way back in mid-May. Todd Gilliland came out victorious, swapping the lead back and forth with Kaz Grala multiple times. This was the same race that started in wet conditions, where GMS Racing teammates Sheldon Creed and Tyler Ankrum made three passes for the lead on one another in the closing laps. Evidently, Gilliland squeaked by before running away with the race, winning by nearly eight seconds.
Additional season highlights:
Toyota dominated the season, winning 15 of the 22 races. Nemechek led the way with five checkered flags, while Rhodes, Kyle Busch, Chandler Smith and Austin Hill all contributed two wins each. Christian Eckes and Martin Truex Jr. won one race apiece. It’s the seventh time in the last nine years Toyota has won the manufacturer’s championship.
Throughout the season, four different drivers won consecutive races: Rhodes at Daytona International Speedway and the Daytona Road Course; Nemechek at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway; Hill at Knoxville Raceway and Watkins Glen International; and Creed at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway and Darlington Raceway.
Stats to know:
• Though it seemed like Nemechek dominated the season — winning five of the opening 13 races — it was Creed who led the most laps on the year at 708. Of those 708 laps led, 547 came in the playoffs, which included three straight races of the No. 2 Chevrolet leading north of 100 laps (Gateway, Darlington and Bristol).
• At 2 hours, 44 minutes and 46 seconds, the Daytona International Speedway Road Course race in February was the longest race in series history.
Looking ahead:
Ben Rhodes will look to repeat as champion in 2022, as he will return to ThorSport Racing. Championship 4 competitors John Hunter Nemechek and Matt Crafton will also be back with their respective teams, though the No. 88 team will have a new crew chief. Spending the last three years in the Truck Series, Creed will jump to the Xfinity Series with Richard Childress Racing, where he will be joined by Austin Hill as a teammate.
Competing for GMS, Enfinger will run a full season. The series will make new stops at Sonoma Raceway and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, before returning to Lucas Oil Raceway for the first time in 11 years.
Champion: Daniel Hemric Champion crew chief: Dave Rogers Wins leaders: Austin Cindric, AJ Allmendinger, Kyle Busch (5) Most top fives: Austin Cindric (22) Most top 10s: Austin Cindric (26) Laps-led leader: Austin Cindric (1,150)
How 2021 ended:
The end of the 2021 season couldn’t have been much better, as it came down to the final set of corners to determine the series’ champion. Daniel Hemric, who entered the season finale at Phoenix Raceway having never won a race, executed an old school bump-and-run to move Austin Cindric out of the lead and catapult Hemric to the championship stage.
After a solid regular season, Hemric got hot in the playoffs, earning six top fives in the seven-race postseason. AJ Allmendinger and Noah Gragson both had wins in the playoffs, propelling them to the Championship 4, and they will return to their respective teams in 2022.
It’s Bristol, baby. The Xfinity Series and short tracks go hand-in-hand, but the regular-season finale at Bristol Motor Speedway had it all. Entering the race, Allmendinger held a five-point lead over Cindric in the regular-season championship standings. And the fun was just beginning.
Earning the same amount of stage points in the first two stages, the duo were separated by five points heading into the final stage. And when Cindric looked to be in control of the race, a late caution came out when Justin Allgaier spun Sam Mayer. On the restart, Allmendinger and Cindric swapped paint and slid across the finish line before pounding the inside wall. The advantage went to the No. 16 team.
The Xfinity Series also always puts on a show at road courses. This, too, was the case at Watkins Glen International.
Road-course experts Cindric and Allmendinger swapped the lead back and forth before rookie Ty Gibbs took control of the race, leading 25 of the final 27 circuits. More impressive was Gibbs’ late-race tenacity after losing the lead to both Cindric and Allmendinger on separate restarts, only to get it back. That marked the then 18-year-old’s third victory of the season. And speaking of Gibbs.
Additional season highlights:
Running just 18 of 33 races, Gibbs was impressive almost every time he strapped into a JGR Toyota. By winning in his series debut at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course in February, he became just the sixth driver in series history to win his first time out and the first to do it without ever making a Cup Series start.
In a part-time role with JR Motorsports, Josh Berry won at a familiar place back in April — Martinsville Speedway. That win led to more opportunities within the sport for Berry, including his first start for Jordan Anderson Racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He went on to win his second race of the season in the playoff opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, replacing an injured Michael Annett, who retired at season’s end.
Kyle Busch went five-for-five in Xfinity Series competition, leading 57.4% of the laps. Included in that handful of victories was his 100th series victory, coming at Nashville Superspeedway. Busch, who may be done racing in the Xfinity Series, now has 102 wins, picking up additional triumphs at Road America and Atlanta Motor Speedway.
• 1,150 laps led by Cindric is the most laps led by a Team Penske driver in a single season. Brad Keselowski previously held the record at 1,147, coming in his 2010 championship-winning season.
• Competing in just 18 races, Gibbs won the Rookie of the Year. It’s the fewest number of races a ROY has competed in since David Stremme (also 18) in 2003. That year, Ty’s father, Coy, was also one of the ROY competitors.
• Making the playoffs for the second time in his career, Jeremy Clements posted a career-high eight top-10 finishes during the 33-race schedule. The No. 51 team led the series with just one DNF (Las Vegas fall race).
Looking ahead:
Coming off the 2021 championship, Hemric will move over to Kaulig Racing to pilot the No. 11 Chevrolet. He replaces Justin Haley, who will transition full-time to the Cup Series, along with Cindric and Harrison Burton.
Allmendinger will return for a second full season with Kaulig, while Berry will drive the No. 8 car for JR Motorsports. Gragson, Allgaier and Mayer will round out the four-car team at JRM. Though it hasn’t been formally announced, Gibbs will run for the Xfinity Series title for JGR, joining Brandon Jones as full-time competitors for the reigning championship organization.
For the first time ever, the Xfinity Series will visit Portland International Raceway in early June, which replaces Mid-Ohio on the schedule. The playoff tracks will have a bit of a different look in 2022, with Texas Motor Speedway and Las Vegas switching dates, and Homestead-Miami Speedway being added to the Round of 8, replacing Kansas Speedway. The season will conclude at Phoenix on Nov. 5.
