Same song, different verse: Revival reaction as roar returns to Nashville Superspeedway

Posted on June 19, 2021June 20, 2021 by Chase Wilhelm

LEBANON, Tenn. — It looks brand new.

That was the initial impression from many throughout the garage after getting an in-person look at Nashville Superspeedway.

The 1.33-mile concrete track sat dormant since the final NASCAR-sanctioned event — an Xfinity Series race won by now-retired driver Carl Edwards on July 23, 2011.

One of the highest marks the extensive renovations and fresh coats of paint received was from NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee and NBC Sports analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. upon walking into the track on Friday.

Nashville Superspeedway looks amazing. Didn’t know what to expect after it sat idle for so long. They have done an incredible job preparing it for this weekend. It looks brand new. @NashvilleSuperS @NASCARonNBC @NASCAR

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) June 18, 2021

It was a well-earned compliment for track president Erik Moses and his fleet of employees, one that he didn’t take for granted.

“I would be lying to say I didn’t smile when I saw that,” Moses said on Saturday in the Nashville Superspeedway media center on Saturday. “It’s great to hear that kind of thing from people who are legends in the sport and for someone who really values this market as a market for NASCAR, it’s fantastic.

“We’ve thankfully heard that sentiment echoed out of people from NASCAR and our sport over the last couple days and we’re really grateful. It’s been a great team to get this to look like what you see here.”

If that wasn’t enough, NASCAR champion Brad Keselowski raved about the track’s condition after Cup Series practice on Saturday afternoon.

“I’m really impressed. The track is in amazing condition for having sat 10 years,” said Keselowski, a two-time Xfinity winner here. “I feel like it’s in better condition than I last was here. I don’t know how that’s possible. It’s like it reversed age. They’ve got the fountain of youth in here somewhere. The concrete is really good … last time I was here it was really bumpy and it doesn’t seem nearly as bumpy as it used to be.

“Somebody has been doing a lot of work around here and they’ve done an excellent job. Far surpassed my expectations coming here to Nashville.”

Chase Wilhelm | NASCAR Digital Media

The transformation came at a price — a mountain of work by many and a hefty investment to get the track back up to full song. Moses noted that it took $8 million-$10 million worth of improvements. The list of developments included the installation of WiFi and fiber networks, a revamp of the media center, infield care center and tower suites, light and sound systems just to name a few. The track also traded in traditional white outside retaining walls for a lighter, Tennessee blue coat.

No stone, or piece of concrete in this instance, was left unturned.

“There have been very few spaces on this campus that have not been touched as we’ve gotten this place ready to be reborn,” Moses said.

As the track enjoys the dawn of a new day, it also serves as a blast to NASCAR’s past in Music City. Twenty-two Xfinity Series races were held from 2001-11. Edwards was the winningest driver during that span with five career victories, including the final two events in 2011.

In the Camping World Truck Series, 11 different drivers won the 13 races held from 2001-11. Kyle Busch and Johnny Benson Jr. tied with a pair of victories, while Edwards also owns one triumph in a truck. Austin Dillon earned the victory in 2011 before the 10-year hiatus ended with Cup Series regular Ryan Preece’s win Friday night.

Keeping with tradition

The winner of each of those events received a custom guitar designed by the late Sam Bass and provided by Nashville-based guitar manufacturer Gibson.

While what was old is now new again, bringing back the Gibson tradition to Victory Lane and honoring Bass were constants that were important for Moses to keep intact.

“Without question it’s important to maintain the tradition of a Music City-made Gibson guitar for our race winners,” Moses said. “While everyone misses Sam and we could never recreate what he offered to our track champions, we are thrilled to rekindle our partnership with Gibson and to award their timeless guitars to our race winners.”

Moses also presented a special Gibson guitar that features Sam Bass’ iconic logo, which will be on display at the speedway for years to come.

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

“Sam had a special place in this sport and certainly a special place at this track,” Moses said. “We thought that was worthy not only of a tribute to him, but one that would be permanent.”

Busch is a noteworthy story when it comes to the famous trophy’s past. After winning the Xfinity Series race at Nashville in 2009, Busch destroyed the guitar with a rock-star-style slam in Victory Lane. After making history by earning his 100th career Xfinity Series win in Saturday’s race, Busch jokingly pretended to crunch another one for the cameras, but better judgement prevailed.

“What’s the harm in having a little bit of fun?” Busch said after the race.

A look ahead

As renovations came to life and traditions were put back into place, an entitlement sponsor for the Cup Series race arrived as another integral part of the process. That’s where Ally Financial came into the fold, announcing their participation back in January, their first race entitlement sponsorship in company history.

“For an inaugural race and having the privilege to bring back Cup Series racing to Middle Tennessee for the first time in 37 years, it’s critically important that you have the right partner to help you lead that charge,” Moses said back in January. “I have no doubts that Ally is that right partner. They see this the same way we do, from investing in the community to making certain that we’re active in the promotion of this race.”

Moses was certainly right as we fast forward to Sunday where the Ally 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will be run in front of a sold-out crowd, which will fill an additional 15,000 temporary grandstand seats to reach the roughly 40,000-seat capacity.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Now, with the re-imagining of Nashville Superspeedway finally realized and received with high accolades, what does the future hold for NASCAR in Middle Tennessee?

With a successful switch up to Nashville for the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series Awards banquet and talks ongoing between Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, Speedway Motorsports Inc., and the City of Nashville, it appears the sport has a strong hold on Music City.

Moses continues to focus on reaching the highest level of success for his own facility, but he welcomes the opportunity for more racing in the heart of The Volunteer State.

“I will tell you, if any fans in the country deserve more Cup Series racing, it’s the fans in Middle Tennessee,” Moses said. “My view is a rising tide raises all boats. We’re going to put on a great show out here with our partners at Ally and make sure people want to come back to the Ally 400 year over year. If there’s more Cup Series racing in the marketplace, then that’s good for fans and good for our sport.”

Posted on June 19, 2021June 19, 2021 by Holly Cain

Kyle Busch earned his historic 100th NASCAR Xfinity Series victory Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway in epic fashion – starting on the pole position, leading a race-high 122 of the 189 laps and bettering the field on three restarts in the closing 20 laps of the Tennessee Lottery 250.

For the second race in a row, Busch had to hold off veteran Justin Allgaier on a series of late-race restarts. The margin of victory was a mere 1.11 seconds – the two dueling side by side in the final laps and exchanging the lead seven different times in the final stage of racing. The victory makes Busch a perfect 3-for-3 in Xfinity Series starts this season, and it’s the second time he has won from the pole.

Appropriately for a Father’s Day weekend race, Busch was immediately greeted in Victory Circle by his 6-year-old son, Brexton.

“I remember growing up as a kid and watching (NASCAR Hall of Famer) Mark Martin win every week in that 60 car, just the domination he had,” said Busch, driver of the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. “And he’s No. 2 with 49 wins.

“Wanted to give a huge shoutout to Rowdy Nation out there, we appreciate you, Rowdy Nation. I saw a lot of you standing up when Allgaier took the lead then a lot of you sat back down when I took the lead. So, an awesome day for Rowdy Nation.”

Moments later, after receiving the famed guitar awarded to Nashville winners, Busch strummed the strings, but he did not smash the guitar as he infamously did in 2009.

For his part, Allgaier left no doubt he was tired of being the race bridesmaid to Busch.

“Running second sucks, I’m not going to lie to you,” said Allgaier, who had both his daughters’ names – Harper and newborn Willow – on the car and at the track in recognition of the Father’s Day race weekend. “When we took the lead from Kyle I thought we were good, we were able to drive away. But then all those restarts at the end, he just held me down really hard in the middle of (Turns) 3 and 4 and we got loose and I think that was the difference-maker, after that we just didn’t have the speed after that.

“Again, just proud of my guys – to bring two fast race cars two weeks in a row to have a shot at it and have it come down to late in the races is a big deal. We’ll keep digging.”

The race marked the first time the series had competed at the 1.333-mile concrete Nashville, Tennessee, track since 2011.

Busch’s JGR Toyota teammate, Harrison Burton, finished third followed by Allgaier’s Chevy teammate, Josh Berry, who had a triumphant, if busy afternoon. He started 22nd but raced hard enough to earn points (eighth place) at the end of Stage 1. An unfortunately timed pit stop late in the race – a caution came out while he was on pit road – put him another lap down with just over 40 laps remaining. But the Tennessee native still rallied to a fourth-place finish – his fourth top five in 13 races this year.

AJ Allmendinger overcame an early race pit penalty to finish fourth in the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. Brandon Jones, Jeb Burton, Noah Gragson, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular Austin Hill and Riley Herbst rounded out the top 10.

The current Xfinity Series championship leader Austin Cindric finished 32nd after being collected in an accident toward the front of the field late in the race. He led every lap in Stage 1 to earn his series-best seventh stage victory. The finish is his worst of the season.

“Pretty hard hit right at the start-finish line,” said Cindric, driver of the No. 22 Penske Racing Ford. “I hate it for all the Penske guys. We had made great strides after practice, obviously. Winning the first stage was great but kind of lost handling of the car. I learned a lot today. But kinda battling back through the field. … It was not our day.”

Despite the disappointing finish this week, Cindric remains the championship leader – 90 points over Allmendinger. With 11 races remaining until the playoffs begin, Jeremy Clements holds a 48-point advantage over Brandon Brown for the 12th and final playoff position.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series races next at Pocono Raceway in a doubleheader June 27 with the NASCAR Cup Series in the Pocono Green 225 (noon ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Note: Post-race inspection in the Xfinity Series garage was completed without major issue. The winning No. 54 Toyota driven by Busch was found with one unsecured lug nut, which — according to guidelines in the NASCAR Rule Book — should result in a fine for the team during next week’s penalty report.

Posted on June 19, 2021June 19, 2021 by Staff Report

Kyle Busch has picked up his 100th career win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with his overtime victory at Nashville Superspeedway, making him the first driver in Xfinity Series history to reach triple-digit wins.

Busch is already the most decorated driver in Xfinity Series history. The 36-year-old also has the most all-time wins in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with 61 victories under his belt. In addition to that, Busch has the most wins across NASCAR national series history with 219.

Busch’s first Xfinity Series win came in 2004 at Richmond Raceway on May 14. In fact, his first five national series wins all came in the Xfinity Series driving for Hendrick Motorsports. His 100 Xfinity Series wins are a dominant 51 more than that of the next closest driver – NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, who has 49 wins. Kevin Harvick is next on the list at 47 wins, followed by Brad Keselowski with 39 and Carl Edwards with 38.

The 100 Xfinity Series wins make Busch the third driver in NASCAR national series history to earn 100 or more wins in one series. NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty (200 wins) and David Pearson (105 wins) have also accomplished that feat, but in the NASCAR Cup Series. Busch has 58 wins in the sport’s top series –tied with Harvick for ninth-most entering Sunday’s Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.

Busch won the 2009 Xfinity Series championship before later winning the 2015 and 2019 NASCAR Cup Series championship – all of which have come while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Last weekend at Texas, his 99th win in the Xfinity Series, also marked the 300th win for JGR with Toyota. He has three wins in as many Xfinity Series starts this season.

Posted on June 19, 2021June 19, 2021 by Staff Report

NASCAR Cup Series drivers hit Nashville Superspeedway for the first time Saturday afternoon, and Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Kyle Larson topped the practice leaderboard with identical lap times.

Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet and Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet were clocked at 161.082 mph around the 1.33-mile concrete track just east of the Music City. The 50-minute session was the only practice scheduled for NASCAR’s top division before Sunday’s Ally 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM).

Chase Elliott logged the third-fastest lap in another Hendrick entry, the No. 9 Chevy. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. placed fourth on the practice leaderboard with Tyler Reddick fifth. Chevrolets swept the top seven spots on the practice chart.

Sunday’s event is the inaugural race for the Cup Series at Nashville Superspeedway, which is hosting its first NASCAR weekend since 2011. It’s the first Cup Series race in the Nashville area since 1984, when the circuit last visited the .596-mile fairgrounds track in town.

Busch Pole Qualifying to set the 39-car starting lineup is scheduled for Sunday at 11:05 a.m. ET (NBCSN, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM).

Posted on June 19, 2021June 20, 2021 by Staff Report

This article is brought to you by BetMGM.

This weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series visits Nashville Superspeedway for the first time in the history of stock-car racing’s highest level. While the Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series have history at the venue since it opened in 2001, the Cup Series hasn’t visited — and it makes for some intriguing questions about who will do what this weekend.

With qualifying being held Sunday morning before the race, it’s anybody’s guess who will start where — but as we enter the weekend, there are some stud drivers who need no introduction that are perched atop the NASCAR betting odds. There are also some talented veterans who’ve had success at Nashville in the lower series ranks.

Take a look at who tops the NASCAR racing odds:

THE ODDS-ON FAVORITE

Kyle Larson (+175)

Kyle Larson again, eh? That’s right. Larson is quickly earning a reputation for being so talented he could probably wheel a fire truck with a flat tire around a track during a race and still be competitive. He’s that good.

Larson won the All-Star Race last weekend in Texas, and he’s won the last two NASCAR Cup Series points races (Sonoma and Charlotte). He hasn’t finished outside the top five in more than 45 days, has 11 top-10 finishes in 16 starts, and has shown he can win on just about any kind of track.

So why wouldn’t he be at the top of the NASCAR odds this week, right?

OTHERS: Along with Larson, Martin Truex, Jr. (+1000), and Chase Elliott (+550) have run well on a myriad of tracks this year and the odds reflect that. While the Cup Series hasn’t visited Nashville before, Truex, Jr. has. Back when he was dominating the Xfinity Series in the mid 2000s, Truex, Jr. took second at Nashville Superspeedway in 2004 and fifth in 2005. So it’s been awhile for Truex, but unlike a lot of his competitors this weekend — he at least has a solid record at the track. Like Larson, Elliott is solid just about anywhere.

That takes us to Kyle Busch (+1000), who I just can’t drop into the dark horse threat category below. Busch has won at Nashville in Xfinity (one time), the Camping World Truck Series (twice), and ARCA (once). We put him in the dark horse category last week and it just seemed … inappropriate. Or put more simply — weird.

THE DARK HORSE THREAT

Brad Keselowski (+1400)

Brad Keselowski’s very first win at any level in NASCAR was at Nashville in 2008. Talk about sentimental. Driving the No. 88 for JR Motorsports, he battled Clint Bowyer and David Reutimann for the win. That win launched what has become a big-time stock-car racing career. Up until then, he wasn’t much more than a stroker in the Camping World Truck Series.

Like Busch above, Keselowski has had success at Nashville before, just in a lower series. In 10 Xfinity starts, he had two laps, seven top-five finishes while leading 253 laps.

This venue helped launch a career that has seen him win a NASCAR Cup Series season championship (2012), an Xfinity Series title (2010) and grab 35 Cup Series victories along the way. And he’s still several years away from his 40th birthday, so there’s time to add to it.

OTHERS: Denny Hamlin (+850) was five-for-five when it came to finishing in the top 10 back when he raced at Nashville in the Xfinity Series. Granted, that was a long time ago (just like with Busch and Keselowski) but it may be just the mental edge he needs to secure that first 2021 victory so he’s firmly locked into the NASCAR postseason later this year. That’s right, he still doesn’t have a win, even though he’s leading the season’s points race.

THE INTRIGUING LONG SHOT

Aric Almirola (+15000)

Hear me out on this: Aric Almirola has the eighth-best average finish on intermediate-length tracks since the beginning of the 2018 season, and some of his best success has come at 1.5-mile, D-shaped oval tracks, which is as about close as it gets to Nashville’s 1.33-mile, D-shaped form. Almirola has led 175 laps at these tracks since 2018 (all with Stewart-Haas Racing), with seven top-10 finishes. He also has three career top-10 finishes in four attempts at Nashville in the Xfinity Series.

Posted on June 18, 2021June 18, 2021 by Holly Cain

Ryan Preece took the lead from Grant Enfinger with seven laps remaining in the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway to earn his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory Friday night in his first race in the series.

Preece, the 30-year-old Connecticut native who competes full time in the NASCAR Cup Series, is only the fifth driver in history to win in his Truck Series debut.

“That was a lot of fun,” Preece said. “Really I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know anything.

“I was just taking the guidance from (crew chief) Chad (Johnston) and my teammates and told them I’d be better in the race than I was in qualifying and practice. And fortunately, I lived up to that.”

RELATED: Official results

Preece’s teammate, Todd Gilliland, who started at the rear of the field after a pre-race inspection violation, rallied all the way to second place, passing Enfinger with four laps remaining.

“It stings not to get that last spot, especially because I was under the 17 (Preece) and got too loose, but that’s racing,” said Gilliland, whose father, David, served as his crew chief after his normal crew chief was suspended as part of the inspection penalty.

The Preece-Gilliland work gave Ford its first one-two finish of the season. Enfinger finished third, followed by Zane Smith and Stewart Friesen.

Veteran Matt Crafton, two-race winner Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski, Austin Hill and championship leader John Hunter Nemechek rounded out the top 10.

Preece, who drives the No. 37 JTG-Daugherty Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series, was one of three full-time Cup Series drivers entered Friday – all wanting to get some extra laps at the 1.333-mile Nashville track, which is hosting its first-ever Cup race Sunday. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Ross Chastain finished 22nd driving for Niece Motorsports, and Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron finished last in the 36-truck field, his No. 27 Rackley W.A.R. Chevrolet experiencing a motor problem shortly after the Stage 1 break.

Nineteen-year-old Derek Kraus, who won his first career Camping World Truck Series pole position Friday afternoon, followed it up by leading the first 48 laps of the race and earning the Stage 1 victory – his second career stage win.

A slow pit stop during that stage break forced Kraus to play catch-up, but he rallied back inside the top 10. His race ended early after contact with the Josh Berry truck sent Kraus’ No. 19 Toyota hard into the wall with only 40 laps remaining.

Nemechek’s 10th-place finish retained the lead in the championship standings for the second-generation driver. A four-race winner so far in 2021, he leads Rhodes by 78 points with only three races remaining to set the 10-driver playoff field.

Chandler Smith, who finished 13th Friday, sits in the final playoff transfer position with a slim 15-point edge on former series champion Johnny Sauter, who finished 12th at Nashville.

The series races next in the CRC Brakleen 150 at Pocono Raceway (June 26 at 12 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NOTE: NASCAR indicated there were no issues in its post-race inspection, thus confirming Preece’s victory.

Posted on June 18, 2021June 18, 2021 by Staff Report

Two teams were penalized during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series pre-qualifying inspection at Nashville Superspeedway before Friday night’s Rackley Roofing 200 (8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The No. 15 DGR-Crosley Ford of Tanner Gray and the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford of Todd Gilliland failed Sections 20.4.2a; 20.4.b; 20:4:1b; 20.20.a (body part did not meet NASCAR rule specifications) of the NASCAR Rule Book.

As a result, both crew chiefs have been ejected — Seth Smith for the No. 15 team (Jacob Hampton will fill in) and Chris Lawson for the No. 38 entry (Gilliland’s father, David, will take over). Gray and Gilliland will also drop to the rear of the field for the series’ first race at the 1.33-mile track since 2011.

In addition to the immediate race consequences, both teams have lost 25 owner and driver points, respectively, for 2021. Gilliland already has a win in hand, where as Gray is in a points battle to try and reach the 10-driver Playoffs.

Posted on June 18, 2021June 18, 2021 by Staff Report

NASCAR officials reinstated spotter Eddie D’Hondt on Friday, restoring his membership privileges.

D’Hondt was suspended by the sanctioning body May 26 after news of his recent arrest in Catawba County, N.C., came to light. In the reinstatement notice, NASCAR competition officials stated that D’Hondt’s “indefinite suspension has been lifted. He has been approved to return to all NASCAR racing activities effective June 18, 2021.”

D’Hondt has been the spotter for Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 9 Chevrolet team and driver Chase Elliott. He was a part of the effort that claimed the Cup Series championship in 2020.

In a statement, Hendrick Motorsports said: “We are pleased about the resolution of this matter and look forward to Eddie D’Hondt re-joining our team this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway.”

D’Hondt issued a statement earlier Friday indicating that charges against him had been dismissed. The statement read: “Mr. D’Hondt is very pleased with today’s announcement of dismissal. He is grateful that based on the diligent efforts of his defense team the District Attorney was able to process this case and ultimately decide it had no merit and the charges levied against him were totally unfounded. Mr. D’Hondt would like to personally thank all the people who have shown him and his family a tremendous amount of support and love. He is glad that justice has won the day and will consider any and all available legal remedies against his accuser. Mr. D’Hondt looks forward to resuming his lengthy career as one of the top spotters in NASCAR.”

NASCAR officials said last month that D’Hondt violated Sections 12.8.1.e (Member Conduct Guidelines) and 2.11 (Required Notice) in the NASCAR Rule Book.

Section 12.8.1.e states, in part, that member actions that could result in a fine and/or indefinite suspension, or termination, include: “Being charged with or convicted of significant criminal violations (e.g. Domestic Violence, Trafficking, Assault), or having had determinations rendered by criminal or civil authorities that in NASCAR’s judgment necessitate action. NASCAR will not pre-judge guilt or innocence in the criminal or civil legal system, or the guilt or innocence of the Member, but rather review each matter in its own context and circumstances and with regards to its potential effects upon the sport.”

Section 2.11 states: “Any NASCAR Member charged with any violation of the law (misdemeanor and/or felony) shall notify NASCAR … prior to the next scheduled Event or within 72 hours of being so charged, whichever is earlier.”

Trey Poole filled in for D’Hondt during the suspension. Poole, Elliott’s cousin, had previous served as an additional spotter for the team at road-course events.

D’Hondt has been a spotter for Elliott since he joined the NASCAR Cup Series as a rookie in 2016, and has also worked with Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch on the Cup Series side. He has also served as a spotter in the Xfinity Series for the JR Motorsports No. 7 team and driver Justin Allgaier, and in the Camping World Truck Series for the Hattori Racing Enterprises No. 16 team and driver Austin Hill.

NASCAR officials also reinstated Kurt Butcher after he successfully completed the Road to Recovery program. Butcher, who was listed as the hauler driver for Sam Hunt Racing for six races at the start of the season, was suspended April 13 for violating the sanctioning body’s Substance Abuse Policy.

Posted on June 18, 2021June 18, 2021 by Pat DeCola

Kaulig Racing will race full time in the NASCAR Cup Series season in 2022, the team announced Friday at Nashville Superspeedway.

The current Xfinity Series organization has secured a pair of Cup Series charters and will field a full-time ride for Justin Haley, while veteran AJ Allmendinger will pilot select Cup races in a second car. Allmendinger also will compete full time for an Xfinity championship in 2022. The two deals are part of multi-year agreements with both drivers.

“(Owner) Matt Kaulig is continuously showing how much he has invested in NASCAR and what he’s going to do,” Kaulig Racing president Chris Rice told NASCAR.com. “We’ve been working hard over the last three years on trying to secure a charter and how we went about it and it’s been so much fun it gives me cold chills but also it’s been a lot of work, a lot of endless nights. … Going Cup racing means a lot. Bringing somebody like AJ back to help us understand a little bit more about Cup racing helps, because he’s done it.”

Haley, who has served as Kaulig’s longest-running full-time driver in the Xfinity Series, will continue his commitment as the team’s first-ever full-time Cup driver. The 22-year-old Haley is a past premier series winner in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway and has driven the team’s flagship No. 11 Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series since 2019, earning three wins, 15 top fives and 50 top-10 finishes. He also claimed the team’s first-ever Cup start in the 2020 Daytona 500.

“It’s just really cool for me, right? I’ve been within their Xfinity program, and building that up to a championship-level organization has been so cool, so to kind of flood that over and get the Cup opportunity with Kaulig Racing, it just feels like the right fit,” said Haley, currently sixth in Xfinity Series points. “It feels like a family atmosphere and it feels like I’m still part of the family, so to go Cup racing my first full-time season, to go to the Daytona 500 with the Matt Kaulig racing machine is pretty cool.”

The team revealed in Friday’s press conference that the two charters were purchased from Spire Motorsports, which currently fields the No. 7 Chevrolet driven by Corey LaJoie. Spire sent out a statement confirming the deal and some of its plans for 2022.

“Spire Motorsports will sell two of its three charters to Kaulig Racing,” the statement read. “We will continue to field the No. 7 with Corey LaJoie as a chartered entry in 2022. We remain committed to NASCAR and the Cup Series and we will continue to look for opportunities to grow and compete in the future.”

Matt Kaulig’s foray into NASCAR began in 2014 when he put his company, LeafFilter Gutter Protection, on a Cup car as the primary partner. Instantly hooked, Kaulig formed his own team in 2016 and began full-time competition in the Xfinity Series.

Haley and Allmendinger each joined the team in 2019. A longtime road-course ringer, Allmendinger has shown to be a well-rounded driver, earning five wins, 16 top fives and 19 top-10 finishes since his first start with the team in ’19. The most recent win came at Kaulig’s home track of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course earlier this month.

“I feel like I’m a small part of it, but I love seeing where this team is going; what Kaulig Racing as a whole in NASCAR is trying to develop into,” Allmendinger said. “It’s to the degree where I told Chris Rice, ‘I’m all-in whatever you want me to do,’ whether that’s full-time in Cup or part of the Xfinity program full-time again and running Cup races, I’m here to help this team in whatever capacity I can help them with.”

MORE: Allmendinger returns for 2022

In only two Cup starts this season, Allmendinger has earned the team’s best-ever Cup finish — a top five at Circuit of The Americas — as well as a top-10 finish at the Daytona Road Course earlier this year.

Kaulig’s entry to the Cup Series in ’22 will also line up with the debut of the NASCAR Next Gen car, one of many factors that made the chance to make the move to Cup full time too good to pass up for the team’s owner.

“We’re super excited to get a fresh start with the Next Gen car,” Kaulig said. “We’ve almost been using a saying on our race tram for us is where it’s a Next Generation car, Next Generation owner and Next Generation team. So, we’ve done a great job of trying to be really relevant in the Xfinity Series and now that we’ve got the opportunity to go Cup racing, we’re super excited about ’22 and what’s on the horizon.”

The team plans to make its full-time debut in February at Daytona.

Posted on June 18, 2021 by Holly Cain

Nashville Superspeedway is a familiar venue for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the track having hosted 14 races between 2001-11. But Friday night’s Rackley Roofing 200 (8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will be a new ball game for most of the drivers in the field.

There will be a practice and qualifying session Friday prior to the green flag. There are no defending winners entered, and only six Truck Series regulars have competed previously at the 1.33-mile track – Johnny Sauter, Matt Crafton, Jennifer Jo Cobb, Norm Benning, Parker Kligerman and Clay Greenfield.

Among those with some Nashville laps, Sauter boasts an impressive resume – four top-10 finishes in five series starts. His runner-up work in the 2011 race – the last time the series competed at the track – is tops among those with previous starts.

Sauter could certainly use that promising past this week. The former series champion sits in 11th in the series driver standings – one position outside the Playoff cutoff. He trails 10th place Chandler Smith by eight points.

Four-time winner John Hunter Nemechek continues to lead the points. The Kyle Busch Motorsports driver holds a commanding 78-point advantage on two-race winner Ben Rhodes. Austin Hill is third, followed by Todd Gilliland, Zane Smith and 2020 series champion Sheldon Creed. Gilliland and Creed are the only other drivers with a win this season to guarantee their playoff run.

None of these championship frontrunners has ever raced at Nashville previously.

Even so, Nemechek has to be considered a favorite this weekend. The driver of the No. 4 Toyota has won the last two races – at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway – and led double-digit laps in nine of the 11 races to date. A win at Nashville would make him only the eighth driver in series history to win three consecutive races.

Nemechek finished eighth at Darlington Raceway last month but led a race-best 65 of the 147 laps – significant in that Darlington is a 1.366-mile oval and Nashville is a 1.333-miler.

Creed, driver of the No. 2 GMS Racing Chevrolet, could use a boost this weekend. His only victory this year came at Darlington, which is encouraging for the team. However, he has finished 32nd or worse in three of the last five races – including DNFs in the last two.

Rhodes, driver of the No. 99 ThorSport Racing Toyota, was runner-up to Creed at Darlington and is another looking to rebound from a poor performance last week in the Lone Star State. His 26th-place finish at Texas was his worst showing of the season.

Also entered in this weekend’s Truck race, eager to get some competitive laps, are Cup regulars William Byron and Ryan Preece as well as 2021 Xfinity Series race winner Josh Berry.