Universal Technical Institute (NYSE: UTI), Team Penske, and Würth will recognize instructors who have worked tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to continue providing state-of-the-industry training to students, both in the classroom and remotely. UTI instructors and Würth Trainers will see their names racing around the track during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway on May 16, 2021. Brad Keselowski’s No. 2 Würth Ford Mustang will feature a unique paint scheme honoring these COVID-19 heroes.
As part of National Teacher Appreciation Week, the hood and roof of Keselowski’s car will carry the names of 480 instructors from UTI’s 12 campuses, alongside the names of 39 Würth Trainers.
The team effort offers these instructors much-deserved recognition for persevering through the challenges of teaching during a global pandemic. Like millions of educators across the country, UTI and Würth instructors created and utilized new digital platforms and introduced CDC guidelines to their classrooms so that students could continue learning in a safe environment.
“Würth and Team Penske are valued industry partners to UTI, and we truly appreciate the opportunity to partner in thanking our educators,” said Jerome Grant, CEO, Universal Technical Institute. “We are proud of UTI’s instructors, because their heroic efforts ensure student success. We’ve been able to continue providing industry-aligned training and graduate skilled technicians to help meet demand in the transportation industry. Our instructors deserve recognition for their tireless efforts on behalf of students.”
Würth has incredible trainers that keep the company’s employees up to date on its products, sales, and operations training.
“Last year, at the height of the pandemic, our team found an opportunity to recognize 2020 UTI graduates in this unique way,” said Thomas J. O’Neill, EVP, Würth Line Craft North America. “Technicians are the lifeblood of the repair and maintenance industry we are proud to serve, and many are our future customers. This year, we’re taking the program to the next level by honoring the connection between UTI Instructors and our Trainers, both of whom demonstrate a tremendous dedication to continued education and impacting students’ lives in a meaningful and positive way.”
For Team Penske and the Penske Corporation, the custom paint scheme is another way to thank UTI for training the skilled talent that helps them succeed on and off the track. They’ve employed more than 2,000 UTI graduates in the last decade, and currently have graduates of UTI’s NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, N.C. working on the crews for Keselowski, Joey Logano, and Ryan Blaney.
“We appreciate the partnership and the value that UTI graduates bring to our team and our organization,” said Roger Penske. “We thank all of the UTI instructors and Würth trainers that have worked so hard and found new ways to continue to provide elite training and education to their students during the pandemic. Team Penske is honored to recognize their efforts as they will be featured on the No. 2 Würth Ford Mustang during race weekend at Dover International Speedway.”
The race will be broadcast live on Sunday, May 16 at 2 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and The Motor Racing Network (MRN) radio.
While Martin Truex Jr. is the deserving favorite to win Sunday’s Drydene 400 at Dover International Speedway, NASCAR bettors can’t be blamed for looking for something more enticing than 7-2 odds for their money.
With his win last week, Truex has two more than any other driver in the Cup Series this season. Not only did he finish first at Darlington Raceway, a track many race handicappers use as a comparison to Dover, he won both stages and led 248 of 293 laps. He has also been victorious at Phoenix Raceway and Martinsville Speedway, tracks to which teams brought the 750-horsepower, low downforce package to be used again Sunday.
Truex’s 4.3 average finish over the 10 most recent races at Dover is best in the Cup Series, and he as two wins, eight top fives and nine top 10s during that span.
Still, there are factors beyond these stellar performances that have him priced so low this week, +350 (bet $100 to win $350) at multiple sportsbooks around the country. The action bookmakers anticipate from bettors, who tend to put too much emphasis on recent results, influences how drivers are priced.
And there will be plenty of money bet on the No. 19 Toyota at Dover.
“When you have a driver who’s so dominant, especially like last week’s race at Darlington, you have a little bit of recency bias with the betting public, and the books know they’re going to get a lot of action on it, too. So there’s no reason not to make Truex a huge favorite,” said Blake Phillips, a sharp NASCAR bettor.
Seamus Magee, who posts NASCAR odds at BetMGM, added of Truex, “He’s running really well the past few weeks. He’s a Jersey kid, so (Dover) is as close to a home track for him as you can get. It’s a really short price, but this is where the money across the market has been coming.”
The “overzealous” pricing on Truex creates value elsewhere on the betting board, Phillips believes, and Denny Hamlin, Truex’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, might be an interesting play at 6-1, odds available at Barstool Sportsbook as of Friday morning.
“I see Denny Hamlin as being a little bit under-represented here, which is crazy to say,” Phillips said of the Cup Series points leader.
While Hamlin has yet to win a race this season, Phillips said “looking at all the other statistics, he’s been absolutely fantastic. You can see some scenarios where a guy like that may not be getting enough attention.”
In Las Vegas, SuperBook USA is dealing Truex as a rather sizeable -150 favorite (bet $150 to win $100) in a matchup prop over Hamlin in similar Gibbs equipment, the No. 11 offered as a tempting +130 underdog.
“I would be taking that bet personally,” said Phillips. “…. If you look at the speed rankings and the lap times, Hamlin’s been a little bit faster than Truex at these (750 hp) tracks.”
Much of the early action at BetMGM has been on Kyle Larson, according to Magee. The No. 5 Chevrolet, the 9-2 (+450) second betting choice, has been running near the front much of the season and finished second to Truex last week at Darlington.
“That seems to be where the early handle is going. Looks like it’s all Larson right now,” Magee said Thursday. “… Larson’s been running hot, too, so I imagine we’ll keep seeing Larson money coming in.”
Joey Logano was running fourth at Darlington before a pit-road speeding penalty late in the race took him out of contention. His fat price at Dover has to get some bettors’ attention.
“Logano has been great at the 750-horsepower package but has had a little bit of trouble lately,” Phillips said. “The penalty at Darlington didn’t help him at all. I see him out there at +1600 — might be a little bit of value there.”
With Truex and Hamlin as dominant as they’ve been, plus Kyle Busch winning two weeks ago at Kansas Speedway, the Gibbs garage has started separating itself from the pack. Even Christopher Bell deserves a look.
“He’s not quite there yet, he’s still pretty green, he’s new with the team, but his stats are looking pretty great,” Phillips said. “I don’t necessarily see him as a major candidate for a top-three finish, but he’s a guy I would certainly keep an eye on. He’s a good passer. I think that’s going to come into play a lot in this race.”
Magee said he has heard Cole Custer’s name mentioned as a live long shot this week. Custer steered his No. 41 Stewart-Haas Ford to 10th- and 11th-place finishes at the Dover doubleheader last fall.
While Bell can be had at 25-1 odds in the outright market and Custer for a hopeful 200-1, here are some props offered at Barstool that give bettors a more realistic, albeit less lucrative, shot at cashing a ticket on these drivers.
• Custer (+450) to finish in top 10
• Custer (+325) to finish first in a group that also includes Aric Almirola (+155), Chris Buescher (+265) and Ryan Newman (+325)
• Bell (-118) to finish top 10
• Bell (+350) in group matchup against Brad Keselowski (+175), Alex Bowman (+250) and Ryan Blaney (+275)
Marcus DiNitto is a writer and editor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been covering sports for nearly two-and-a-half decades and sports betting for more than 10 years. His first NASCAR betting experience was in 1995 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he went 0-for-3 on his matchup picks. Read his articles and follow him on Twitter; do not bet his picks.
Haley, currently sixth in Xfinity Series points with six top 10s on the season, will miss Saturday’s Drydene 200 Xfinity Series race (1:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). As the team noted, Camping World Truck Series driver Zane Smith will sub in for Haley.
Per a NASCAR spokesperson, a waiver has been approved for Haley that will allow him to remain postseason eligible in the Xfinity Series.
The No. 11 Chevrolet driver was also on the entry list for Sunday’s Cup Series Drydene 400 (2 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) to pilot the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. The team announced Josh Berry will make his Cup debut and will replace Haley. The veteran driver picked up his first career national series win earlier this season in the NXS race at Martinsville Speedway.
Smith tweeted about the news as well, offering thoughts to Haley and expressing his excitement for his first NXS start since 2019.
Bummed for Justin & hoping for a quick return but Excited for this opportunity, can’t wait to be back in a Xfinity car at one of my favorite places. Last time we were there it went pretty good! Hope to represent @KauligRacing the best I can and give my miles the monster a friend! https://t.co/CmvvjCOyJ4
After a stellar NASCAR throwback weekend, the Cup Series takes on the “Monster Mile” Sunday in the Drydene 400 at Dover International Speedway (2 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Before you tune in for the race, take a look at a few important details you should know.
WHO’S ON THE POLE?
After a dominant performance at Darlington Raceway, Martin Truex Jr. earned his second Busch Pole Award of the season and sets the pace for this Sunday’s race at Dover. Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin fills out the top row, ahead of the Hendrick Motorsports duo of William Byron and Kyle Larson in row two.
General admission tickets for the 2021 Drydene 400 are sold out. However, premium packages may still be available at the Dover International Speedway event site.
Truex has been on a tear lately and it’s caught the eye of oddsmakers across the board, as he enters this weekend a 7-2 favorite. Larson (9-2), Hamlin (5-1), Chase Elliott (7-1) and Kevin Harvick (7-1) stand in the way as the primary contenders, according to BetMGM Dover betting odds.
Notably, Hamlin and Harvick won here last year, but Dover only has one slot on the 2021 Cup Series schedule.
Outside of the usual favorites, one driver has impressively finished top five in three of the last four races at the track and was collected in an early wreck in the other — Alex Bowman. Bowman already has a win this season and arguably has his best performances at Dover. Look out for the new driver of the No. 48 to continue bringing a familiar number to Victory Lane.
The 2020 NASCAR rules package for short tracks and road courses will be in effect with a reduced downforce package that features a 1.17-inch tapered spacer used to achieve a target of 750 horsepower, a significantly smaller rear spoiler at 2.75 inches, a quarter-inch front splitter overhang with approximately 2-inch wings and alterations to the radiator pan and the removal of its vertical fencing to reduce front-end downforce.
GOODYEAR TIRES
Surfaced in 1995, the paved concrete track is the oldest on the Cup Series schedule and a terror on tires throughout the afternoon. For 400 miles around the 1-mile circuit, teams have nine sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials to conquer the “Monster Mile”.
The Minimum recommended tire inflation is 18 psi for the left side tires, 49 psi for the right front and 45 psi for the right rear.
“Dover poses several obvious challenges for us and the race teams,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “In addition to the concrete surface, the high banks and high horsepower put an emphasis on the importance of air pressures. Getting aggressive on-air pressures is definitely a way to gain grip, but that also carries a certain amount of risk. We added some grip to the left-side tire we bring to Dover for last season, and that has proven to help teams get the grip they need while helping protect the right-front position.
KEY STORYLINES, STATS
— There have been five different winners in the last five races at Dover (Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr. and Chase Elliott).
— 21 cars finished on the lead lap in the second race at Dover in 2020, tying the record for the most all-time.
— Hendrick Motorsports has 20 Dover wins (11 by Jimmie Johnson), totaling more than double any other organization. However, Hendrick has failed to reach Victory Lane in the last four, making it their longest winless streak since 2008.
— 10 different drivers have secured a checkered flag in the 12 races in 2021, with Martin Truex Jr. as the only repeat winner this season.
Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Well, you can with NASCAR Fantasy Live. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew chief instincts. It’s not too late to join in on the competition!
The 2021 Fantasy Live points leaders are Denny Hamlin (529), Martin Truex Jr. (454) and William Byron (428).
ALSO ON NASCAR.COM
Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available – as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.
New for this season, NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement in the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more – and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.
It may have taken Justin Allgaier a couple races to get going this season, but the veteran is going and going fast. Last week’s Darlington Raceway winner is the only NASCAR Xfinity Series championship-eligible driver to have ever won on this week’s equally-notoriously tough track, the 1-mile Dover International Speedway. And he has done so twice.
Allgaier will line up second for Saturday’s Drydene 200 (1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and is one of four drivers not only racing for a win but competing for a $100,000 bonus as part of the Xfinity Dash 4 Cash program.
Noah Gragson, whose bonus-winning fourth-place finish at Darlington was disqualified post-race Saturday then reinstated Wednesday on appeal, is eligible for the money again this weekend. Josh Berry and Brandon Jones join Allgaier and Gragson. Three of them – Allgaier, Gragson and Berry – are JR Motorsports teammates. Jones drives for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Allgaier earned his second career Dover victory in the first part of a doubleheader weekend last August at the track, finishing 1.977 seconds ahead of eventual series champion Austin Cindric and leading 120 of the 200 laps.
Allgaier and Cindric are the only two two-time race winners in 2021. And they show up Saturday as the race favorites. Allgaier has had eight top-five finishes in the last 10 races there – including a six-race streak from 2017-20 when he finished no worse than third at the Dover mile. The driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet has been runner-up three times overall, boasts a career average finish of 9.7 and led 334 of his career 353 laps led at Dover in just the last six races.
Historically, Allgaier has a tendency to go on winning runs. In 2018, he won twice in a five-race stretch and then three times in a five-race stretch later in the season. Last year, he won three times in a six-race late-summer stretch. His victory last weekend was his second in a four-race window.
“Dover has been a really good place for us these last couple of years and I can’t wait to get back there with this BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet,” Allgaier said. “Hopefully we can unload with the same speed that helped us get to Victory Lane last summer here and that we can come home with that $100,000 Dash 4 Chase prize from Xfinity. I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can do.”
Cindric’s showing at Dover last year – a runner-up and third-place finish – was indicative of a good weekend and what he is also capable of at the track. He has finished no worse than ninth in six career starts and has finished third or better in his last three races there.
The driver of the No. 22 Penske Racing Ford is looking to reclaim his early-season hot streak. After opening the year with five straight top-five runs, he has only a pair of top-10 finishes in the last four races. It’s still good enough to keep the 22-year-old 39 points ahead of second-place Daniel Hemric in the series driver standings.
Gragson, who will be going for his fourth consecutive Dash 4 Cash bonus check, has historically counted Dover as a good venue. The 22-year-old has four top-10 finishes in five starts there. He was fourth in the first race of the Dover doubleheader in 2020 – leading 27 laps – and sixth in the second race.
No doubt having won the appeal this week and shown himself a factor in the race, Gragson is hopeful Dover will be a turning point in a frustrating 2021 run. He has three DNFs coupled with five top-10 finishes. His best showing is a runner-up finish at Martinsville Speedway.
Every driver in NASCAR’s national ranks has a story, the details of the path that got them to that level. Those stories take hold, marking the key moments in the passage of time and in their own journey.
Telling the story of Cody Ware’s path not just to the NASCAR Cup Series but his growth to adulthood means acknowledging some hard truths and deep-rooted memories — that quote-unquote “real talk,” as it’s sometimes called. Those acknowledgements have gotten easier with each retelling through the years, and Ware has strived to use them as a positive — helping others and, in turn, healing himself.
“Honestly, for me it’s really easy now,” Ware says. “The biggest reason why I do it now isn’t for me, it’s for other people, so that other people who have had traumatic experiences or have dealt with things, whether their mental health issues have been with them since they were born, or coming from a bad experience. Just trying to tell my tale so that people don’t feel as alone, and that they can feel comfort in that it’s OK to not be OK, and to get help and to get better.”
Ware shared his story with NASCAR earlier this month, and his experiences with bullying in his youth and his walk with mental wellness are featured in a short film called, “The Battle Within.” The release coincides with Mental Health Awareness Month, a national movement to fight stigmas and offer support for individuals battling mental illness and their loved ones.
Ware has opened up with frank transparency about his past, using it as a means to move forward in his ongoing fight with the effects of depression. In the film, he details his relationship with the clique he fell in with as a teenager and how their interactions went from relatively minor mischief to a dark place. One day in woods, Ware’s group scattered and fled after soaking him with gasoline and setting his legs ablaze.
Help eventually came, and a painful recovery from severe burns followed. But so did mental anguish and a struggle to find his way after the trauma. That part of the story represented a long road back, but Ware found an outlet in following the path of his father, Rick, into motorsports. To this day, racing remains a refuge, one where he’s able to block out disruptions.
“It really just boils down to living in the moment,” Ware says. “When you’re doing something as all-intensive as driving a race car is, it just gets rid of the static and the chatter so all the doubts or fears that I might have that always are prevalent in day-to-day life, those thoughts just turn off because it’s just 110 percent focused on living in the moment and driving the race car to where — even if I wanted to — I don’t have time to think about all those other things that would normally worry me or bother me.
“So for me, racing obviously, it’s passion. I’m an adrenaline junkie, so I love the adrenaline, I love the intensity, but I also love the escape and the reprieve that driving a race car gives me from dealing with the issues that I deal with.”
While racing has often provided Ware with a sense of belonging and community, it hasn’t been a cure-all. The pressure of competing and sometimes finding conflict on the track steeped in the 2017 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, where Ware’s effort ended early after a crash with AJ Allmendinger and Matt DiBenedetto. Struggles in his day-to-day life fueled a post-race feud on social media, one that turned personal. It became a crossroads moment.
“Where it kind of came to a head and became that fork in the road was Darlington in 2017 where all the repressed emotions and trauma and hurt that I was feeling from my teenage years that obviously just couldn’t go ignored any longer or else it was going to end my career and ruin racing for me,” Ware says. “So that was the moment where I really needed to acknowledge that I needed to get help and I had to decide that that’s what I wanted to do because I didn’t want to lose racing and give up what was really the one thing I had to look forward to each week, which was getting to drive a race car.
Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
“Having to kind of have my job and career put to the burner made me realize that things had to change. I had been going to therapists and things like that in the past, but I really was always skeptical and not very optimistic about it and didn’t have the right mentality to get help. That was the catalyst that made me realize that I had to put in genuine effort into making things better and healing.”
Those hard truths and deep-rooted memories? Ware became more public in addressing them, and his openness has been a beacon to others dealing with similar pains. That’s also meant trying to harness social media’s reach for positive ends.
As social platforms go, escaping the negativity that exists hasn’t always been easy. Some of that friction flared after last month’s race at Martinsville Speedway, where an on-track altercation with teammate James Davison became heated, sparking conflict within the team. Critics were quick to associate Ware’s mental-health battles with the short-track frustrations many drivers face at Martinsville. Ware says it has led him to maintain a lower profile on social media in the weeks since.
“I know that I’m not the first and I’m not the last person that’s ever going to lose their mind and have moment at a place like Martinsville,” Ware says, “but a lot of the people who were making it about mental health or being like, ‘ahh, he’s angry and he wrecked his teammate because he’s crazy and has mental-health issues,’ it’s like … no. I lost my cool at a short track. I did something dumb. Everyone’s done something that they’ve regretted and known was wrong, especially in racing at a place like that.
“And so, that was kind of the straw that broke the camel’s back for me on social media, just seeing and realizing that the stigma is still very real with mental health, and I’m always going to do my best to be an advocate and wear my heart on my sleeve and open up for those that need it and those that deserve it. But I definitely have had to take a break from that because I’ve got a very real first-hand experience in how the stigma is still very real to this day.”
Through it all, Ware has relied on a close-knit support system, one that includes his parents and fellow drivers, whether it’s at the track or in his daily life. He specifically mentions BJ McLeod as someone he speaks with regularly, leaning on his perspectives as a fellow competitor to work through issues.
The support has helped him, but Ware also makes sure to devote time to helping others, whether it’s through sharing his story or listening and learning about their personal experiences, being present with each retelling.
“For me, what it boils down to is just giving back, it’s just trying to be a good Christian, trying to be there and be the somebody for someone else that I wish was there for me when I was going through things directly as a teenager in the first months and years after my incident,” Ware says. “I didn’t have anyone who I trusted to confide in or let be there to let them give me support. So I’m just trying to be the person that I wish was there for me when I was going through all this stuff as a teenager.
“Half of it’s ending the stigma and trying to normalize talking about mental health and normalize getting health care and treatment for it, and the other half is as a reminder to let people know that if you need someone to talk to, I’ve been through a lot, I’ve been through many ups and downs, and I’m someone you can talk to. I’ve had many friends of mine and people that I’ve met through racing reach out and talk to me, and I’m very thankful that I’ve been able to be there for people. I’m confident and I have a peace about me, knowing that no matter how hard racing gets or how hard life may be — now or in the future — I feel like I’ve done some good, and that also motivates me to continue doing that and hopefully helping more people along the way. I think even if it’s saving just one person, it’s worth it.”
The Navy brought both Rick Poust and Louie Pasderetz to Virginia, and it just so happened they both fell in love with racing while there.
Poust and Pasderetz are both active duty members of the U.S. Navy and stationed on the Eastern shore of Virginia. Poust had been a race spectator his entire life, going to races at local tracks in Pennsylvania as a kid with his grandfather and dreaming of getting the chance to be like the drivers he idolized on the track.
“I always wanted to be one of those drivers. I looked up to them. They were my heroes,” Poust said. “And then when my grandfather passed away, I wanted to pursue that dream of racing for him in his honor.”
It was the summer of 2015 when Poust found someone on Craigslist who was willing to swap a race car for Poust’s Jeep. Later that summer he walked through the gates of Langley Speedway – a NASCAR-sanctioned 0.397-mile paved oval track in Hampton, Virginia – and “had no idea what I was doing,” he said.
Pasderetz was also a fan of racing growing up, and his dad was a driver in Illinois where he grew up.
When he moved to Virginia, he saw a commercial for Langley’s annual Hampton Heat.
“We went and watched it and then a couple months later I bought a car and we started racing,” Pasderetz said.
Rick Poust is currently third in the points in the Super Trucks division at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Virginia. He is also currently active duty in the U.S. Navy.
Poust and Pasderetz will be competing for a win in Langley’s Super Trucks Division this Saturday night, but they’ll also be driving for something more, too. Langley will host “Armed Forces Night,” this Saturday, honoring members of the military with the annual Commanders Cup. The top seven drivers in each division will randomly draw for which branch of the military they will represent during the race. The branch with the lowest average finish will be awarded the Commanders Cup.
“To me, this is honestly the biggest race of the year,” Poust said. “Being active duty and having the opportunity to represent all the active, reserve, and retired fans in the stands. Just having that opportunity to carry that military banner is an honor. I feel like I represent everybody up there that’s ever served… It’s honestly a real honor to be able to partake in this.”
“It’s so awesome the track really puts on an event like this to represent the military,” Pasderetz said. “It means a lot to us and my whole team. Being active duty and knowing what it’s like to be on deployment and miss races and miss holidays and getting to do something like that, where we can be active duty and represent a branch is really awesome.”
Poust is currently third in the Super Trucks points at Langley this season, but his main goal is to just be as competitive as he can in what will likely be a shortened season for him. He will start working towards a deployment in June, and will deploy shortly after, though he doesn’t know where yet.
“If we can pull off a win, great, otherwise just have fun,” Poust said of his goals the rest of the season.
Pasderetz is the defending champion in Langley’s Super Trucks division, and he leads the points this year with a win and a second place finish so far. Having only been racing for about five years, he’s learned a lot about the sport in a little amount of time.
Both drivers have found that while racing is a good opportunity for a competitive outlet, there’s also a close-knit bond among drivers, which has helped them acclimate to their new homes a lot quicker.
“We just got lucky with some of the people we partnered with and they really made a big difference. We were kind of slow and we ran in the back when we were by ourselves,” Pasderetz said.
“The only friends I had was a couple military people and I was just living in Virginia and didn’t really know anybody. And then going out to Langley, they kind of welcomed me into their family and it gives you something to do and keeps you out of trouble. Langley is really welcoming to all military people.”
Poust estimates 95 percent of his friends are from Langley, and said most have become more than friends. They’re an extended family.
“That’s probably the thing I’ve taken away from it the most. No matter what happens on track, if you have an issue, there’s always somebody willing to help make sure you can get out there and race,” he said. “Fortunately, with the truck division at Langley Speedway, we all have each other’s backs. We’ll all go out there and beat the crap out of each other on the track but between races and leading up to the races everybody helps out. Somebody is willing to drop what they’re doing and help out. The teamwork aspect, the family aspect, that’s the biggest takeaway I’ve gotten with this racing gig.”
Both drivers also have family near and far cheering them on and helping in any way they can. Poust’s dad, Richard Poust Sr., works on the truck during the week.
“I wouldn’t be where I am right now if it wasn’t for my dad’s hard work,” he said. “I just hold the steering wheel, but my dad really puts in the time and effort on the truck to study the set up and see what’s going on with it and try to make it fast. We work together in the garage but he’s the brains behind everything.”
Pasderetz isn’t able to be with his family throughout the week, but he has a cheering section back home in Illinois on race day. His mom throws a big party for family and friends to come over and watch a livestream of every race, putting up banners and checkered flags throughout their home. Julie Pasderetz even threw a championship party last year to celebrate her son’s first title.
For both drivers, their new race track families will be supporting them on and off the track and in an even more special way this weekend.
Langley’s Virginia Army National Guard Armed Forces night will kick off at 7 p.m. on Saturday with late models, modifieds, super streets, super trucks, and enduros. Fans can also watch the racing on TrackPass on NBC Gold.
With the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race set for June 13 at Texas Motor Speedway, the All-Star Race Fan Vote opened Thursday.
Fans can participate by visiting here and voting for their favorite driver. You can only vote for one eligible NASCAR driver per submission, and you may only submit one ballot per day per each unique email address. Sharing your vote on Twitter and Facebook adds a bonus entry for each, for a total of four submissions for your favorite driver per day.
Here are the drivers eligible for the Fan Vote: Aric Almirola, Anthony Alfredo, Chris Buescher, Josh Bilicki, Chase Briscoe, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Matt DiBenedetto, Joey Gase, Timmy Hill, Quin Houff, Erik Jones, Corey LaJoie, BJ McLeod, Ryan Preece, Tyler Reddick, Garrett Smithley, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Daniel Suarez, Bubba Wallace and Cody Ware.
Drivers are eligible for the Fan Vote by having attempted to qualify for the 2021 Daytona 500. Should a Fan Vote candidate win a 2021 NASCAR Cup Series race before the All-Star Race — Dover International Speedway, Circuit of the Americas, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Sonoma Raceway stand as the four opportunities left — that driver is automatically in the field.
Should a driver win a stage in the NASCAR Open qualifying race before the All-Star Race then that driver will be locked into the field and not eligible to be the Fan Vote winner. A driver must finish the NASCAR Open with his respective vehicle in a raceable condition at the time called as determined by the NASCAR Cup Series Managing Director in order to win the Fan Vote.
One Fan Vote winner has gone on to win the All-Star Race in the event’s history: Kasey Kahne in 2008.
Seventeen drivers are already locked into the All-Star Race. The criteria for eligibility includes NASCAR Cup Series race winners in 2020-21 and full-time drivers who are either past All-Star winners or past Cup Series champions. Those drivers are: Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Cole Custer, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Michael McDowell, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson and Ryan Newman.
After more than three decades of service to race fans on behalf of Speedway Motorsports, including the last 25 years at Texas Motor Speedway, Eddie Gossage will step down as President of The Great American Speedway following the June 13 NASCAR All-Star Race.
“The timing just feels right after 32 years with the company,” Gossage stated. “The Smith family and Speedway Motorsports changed my life and I will forever be appreciative and grateful.
“Before my wife Melinda and I chart our next adventure, I’m thankful that I get to come full circle as a promoter with the NASCAR All-Star Race.”
After working for Nashville International Raceway, Bristol International Raceway and Miller Brewing Company in motorsports management and public relations capacities, Gossage joined Speedway Motorsports in 1989 as the Vice President of Public Relations at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He honed his skill for promotional flair under the guidance of Speedway Motorsports Executive Chairman Bruton Smith and then Charlotte Motor Speedway President Humpy Wheeler. During one Gossage-produced press conference in 1992 to promote the first NASCAR All-Star Race to run at night, the young promoter rigged a giant light switch to highlight the innovative new lighting system at the superspeedway. When Smith threw the switch, sparks flew, setting the speedway founder and owner’s hair on fire.
“I thought I was headed for the unemployment line for sure,” laughed Gossage. “But for some reason, Bruton kept me around, and it wasn’t long after that he gave me an opportunity I could have only dreamed of.”
Smith took Gossage under his wing as he began to purchase property in North Texas and design plans for what would become not only the finest motorsports facility in Texas, but also one of the most spectacular entertainment venues in the world. The 1,500-acre complex includes a 1.5-mile superspeedway, 194 luxury suites, 76 condominiums, a nine-story Speedway Club, Class A office space and the 11,000-seat, four-tenths-mile Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track. Smith named Gossage General Manager of Texas Motor Speedway in 1995 and added the title of TMS President in 2004. Now 62, Gossage is one of the longest-tenured employees at Speedway Motorsports.
“When I built Texas Motor Speedway, I had plenty of architects, accountants and attorneys, but what I really needed was promotion,” said Smith. “That’s where Eddie came in. They say ‘everything’s bigger in Texas’, and I needed a big personality in Dallas/Fort Worth. Eddie’s become a shrewd businessman over the years, but he’s remained a publicist at heart, and he never forgot what the entertainment business is about—having FUN.
“I am grateful for all that Eddie has done for our company. He’s been a promoter, friend and an asset to the entire motorsports industry.”
“In my career, I’ve been blessed to meet presidents, world leaders, astronauts, scholars, world-famous athletes, actors and musicians, millionaires and billionaires,” said Gossage. “Of them all, Bruton Smith is the greatest man I’ve ever met. I thank God I met Bruton and that he selected me to head up Texas Motor Speedway. His continued trust in me is an honor I consider part of one of the most cherished relationships two men could enjoy.”
Under Gossage’s leadership, Texas Motor Speedway has hosted millions of fans at NASCAR, IndyCar and World of Outlaw races, produced car shows and concerts with The Rolling Stones, ZZ Top and Willie Nelson, and in 2015, built the world’s largest LED high-definition television, the 22,704 square-foot ‘Big Hoss’.
“Eddie Gossage has been synonymous with Texas Motor Speedway’s success, and his contributions to our company and the speedway’s impact on the state of Texas during his career are immeasurable,” said Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith. “Beyond the big events, wild pre-race shows and publicity stunts, Eddie has always been the biggest fan of the fans. No one has more desire to give them a memorable experience. I’ll always be thankful for his dedication to our company and the inspiration he’s given our staff to always put the fans first.”
“The NASCAR All-Star Race was one of the first major events I promoted at Charlotte,” Gossage said. “I’ve wanted to bring it to Texas for years. I’m glad Marcus made it happen, and I’m thankful for each and every opportunity he’s continued to give me since becoming CEO. Like with his dad, Speedway Motorsports is in good hands with Marcus.
“I’m not sure what my next adventure will be. I do know Melinda and I are looking forward to some more fun with the grandkids,” Gossage said with his trademark smile. “But first, we’re going to corral some Texas-sized fun one last time with the fans at the NASCAR All-Star Race!”
Speedway Motorsports will launch a nationwide search for Gossage’s successor.
Tickets for Texas Motor Speedway’s 2021 major event season, including the June 13 NASCAR All-Star Race, are on sale now at texasmotorspeedway.com. For more information, fans can keep track of all of Texas Motor Speedway’s events during the 25th Season of Speed by following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Keep up with all the latest news and information on the speedway website and TMS mobile app.
The 2021 NASCAR Salutes Together with Coca-Cola campaign is more than just a military appreciation platform — it’s a campaign that salutes heroes next door. Each week, NASCAR.com will highlight multiple individuals in the week’s race markets who have made a difference with their service both in the military and to their communities.
In the latest profile of a next-door hero, NASCAR.com is highlighting Rebecca Gray.
Gray is currently the Executive Director of Military and Veteran Affairs at Comcast NBCUniversal and serves as a colonel in the Air National Guard. In her role with Comcast, she works collaboratively across the company developing programs and outreach to engage the veteran and military community. Gray also works on Comcast Lift Zones, a multi-year initiative to close the digital divide by delivering free WiFi to 1,000 local community centers, including those serving veterans and military families.
Before working at Comcast, she worked at Southern Company leading business partnerships with the U.S. Department of Defense. She also served as the CEO of Focused Community Strategies, an Atlanta-based nonprofit developing affordable urban housing, healthcare centers and youth and senior centers.
In 2007, she co-founded an International Baccalaureate charter school that teaches English and Mandarin Chinese to 800-plus students, many of whom come from low-income homes.
Gray was a recruited athlete to the United States Air Force Academy, where she was a three-time All-American in springboard diving. Having never considered military service before, she views her experiences at the academy as “life-changing” as she’s now proudly served the country for more than 30 years.
Today, Gray continues her dedication to the nation’s military as the Director of Diversity and Inclusion in the Air National Guard. In this role, she works to develop programs that take care of airmen by creating inclusive, supportive environments and addressing barriers preventing them from achieving their full potential.
In celebration of women’s contributions to the nation’s defense, Comcast NBCUniversal is supporting the Military Women’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. The initiative aims to document the service of the nearly three million women who’ve served with or in the U.S. Armed Forces.
To learn more about the women veterans national registry, go to womensmemorial.org.
