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Press Release | THORSPORT RACING SANDUSKY, Ohio (February, 22, 2024 ) – Campers Inn RV has partnered with ThorSport Racing again to be the Official RV provider. Campers Inn colors will be the primary partner on the No. 99 Ford F-150 of Ben Rhodes for multiple races in 2024 starting this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.     “We are overjoyed to once again be the Official RV provider for ThorSport Racing,” said Campers Inn RV CEO Jeff Hirsch. “Ben Rhodes winning the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 last season in the Campers Inn RV truck and becoming the two-time Truck Series Champion were some of the largest highlights for our company last year. We are looking forward to another very successful season with Ben and ThorSport.    Campers Inn RV was established in 1966 and has grown to become the nation’s largest family-operated dealership group with 36 dealership locations throughout all U.S. regions with its headquarters located in Jacksonville, Florida. It is Campers Inn RV’s goal to enrich the lives of its customers and all RVers, whether they are at home or on the road through five-star service and ensuring every customer is treated with dignity and respect.    Tune into FOX Sports 1 (FS1) to catch all the racing action from Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, February 24 at 2 p.m. ET. Listen to the race on the Motor Racing Network Radio (MRN) or SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90.

Press Release | CATWALK FOR A CAUSE

By Adam Carabine

Press Release | JR MOTORSPORTS MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 22, 2024) – JR Motorsports announced today that two-time and defending zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car champion Carson Kvapil will make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at the famed Martinsville Speedway on April 6 behind the wheel of the team’s No. 88 Chevrolet. As a product of JRM’s vaunted Late Model organization, Kvapil becomes the fifth driver from the program to make his NXS debut for the organization, joining Richard Boswell, Josh Berry, William Byron and Sam Mayer.     “Our Late Model program at JR Motorsports has been a huge part of the success we’ve had as a company,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr. “We’re excited to be able to give Carson the opportunity to take the next step in his career. Helping young drivers with opportunities to climb the ladder is part of the foundation of JRM. Carson is part of a long list of drivers who deserve the chance to take that step forward in the sport.”   A native of Mooresville, N.C., Kvapil started his foray into NASCAR competition last season, making starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the ARCA Menards Series, scoring a career best ARCA finish of second at Kansas Speedway.     “I’m really looking forward to making my NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Martinsville,” said Kvapil. “My dad(Travis Kvapil) made his NASCAR Cup Series debut there back in 2004, so it’s cool to make my first Xfinity start at the same track. I’ve run there in the Late Models for JR Motorsports and done well, and hopefully I’ll be able to use that experience to hit the ground running again with JRM in April.”   Kvapil heads into his third seasonwith JRM’s storied Late Model program fresh off of back-to-back championships, nine wins, 27 top-five finishes and 951 lapsled in his combined 34 starts in the CARS Tour. Kvapil’s two titles gave JRMtheir fourth and fifth championships for the Late Model team, which dates backto 2004. He joins Berry as the only drivers to earn multiple championships for JRMacross the Late Model and NXS competition.   Additional details regarding partners for Kvapil and the No. 88 team will be announced in the coming weeks.

By Adam Carabine Worst Weather Mother Nature has it out for NASCAR.  Obviously this is out of anyone’s control, but weather has been a major issue in the first two events of the 2024 season.  The Busch Light Clash was pushed a day early (the first time in history that an event has ever been moved forward), and the Daytona 500 was postponed to Monday. What was encouraging was to see how full the stands were, despite running both the Cup and Xfinity Series races a day late.  This is NASCAR’s premiere event of the season, and while they were likely helped with the fact that Monday was also a holiday, it bodes well for the sport that people were willing to stick around and show up. NASCAR took a huge financial hit with the Clash, as they had to refund everyone’s Sunday tickets (and they vowed to “make it right” with the fans who lost out).  I’m sure there aren’t many fans who are crying over the league’s financial losses, especially with news of a newly renegotiated media rights deal bringing a fresh $7.7 billion to their pockets, but a sport that is making money is good for the fans. Or, at least, a sport that isn’t losing money. Weirdest Strategy Evolution It’s no secret that fuel saving has become paramount at the Super Speedways, but never was it more apparent than in the middle of Stage One on Monday.  In a weird turn of events, everyone just… decided to go slower to save fuel. And it wasn’t just the fans that noticed - multiple drivers were remarking on their radios just how strange it was. Denny Hamlin said, “How slow can we go?” and the answer was, quite slow. At one point, AJ Allmendinger, who had fallen out of the draft, was running faster lap times than the giant pack.  That’s unheard of. The giant pack was running 2-3 seconds slower per lap than their fastest.  And really, all for what? Yes, there was the early caution that had some drivers pitting, and others staying out.  The thought might’ve been that they could save enough fuel to not have to stop again before the end of Stage One, but ultimately it didn’t work.  Everyone still had to pit for fuel, and did it really make any difference? The drivers often talk about “putting on a good show.”  This wasn’t it. Best Throwback So much is made about the rules package that NASCAR runs.  There are always going to be complaints.  Some say more horsepower, others say less downforce, but most seem to think it’s some happy medium between the two. One of the main complaints is that it seems harder for drivers to pass each other.  It’s undeniable that at some tracks, particularly the short tracks, the rules package leaves a bit to be desired.  However, NASCAR does seem committed to trying new things and experimenting.  It’s a work in progress, and you’ll likely never be able to make everyone happy at once. However, Kyle Busch showed some old school flair in the middle of the 500.  After a costly error on pit road, Busch had a loose wheel.  He was forced to baby his car around the track under caution and come right back to his pit stall to have it corrected.  This could have proven quite costly in a race where track position seemed really important. But somehow Kyle found his way back to the front… 13 laps later.  It might’ve looked like he channelled Dale Jr. in the 2001 Pepsi 400, that is, if anyone had noticed.  Suddenly we all blinked and there was Kyle Busch right back there challenging for the lead. Rules package haters be damned. Loudest Roar Huge props to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for sticking around and doing the command to fire engines a day later than originally scheduled.  Yes, it’s cool to see celebrities at the track, and yes, they usually are just there to promote their own latest endeavours, but let’s not forget that these people are busier than busy. Both Pitbull and DJ Khaled were supposed to be in attendance, and unfortunately were unable to stay for the postponed Monday race.  And this isn’t an indictment of them for leaving - people are busy.  DJ Khaled even filmed a Wendy’s commercial (short film?) that aired during the race.  And Pitbull announced he will perform at the 2025 Daytona 500. It would’ve been easy for The Rock to bow out, citing scheduling issues, etc.  But he stayed around, he seemed to genuinely be enjoying himself, and even afterward spoke of the chills he had during the command.  I’m not sure it translates to that many more eyes on the UFL this season, but there is a funny sense of pride I get when important people like our sport. Most Misplaced Fury So without naming names, I did get this text in the middle of the race from a friend who was also watching. Yeah, initially it didn’t look great on Brad Keselowski, but you have to look farther back in the pack at who’s pushing.  It’s unfortunate, but a lot of the wrecks are essentially inevitable.  Unless of course they all slow down.  We tried that, I didn’t love it. Best “That’s My Son!” Have we ever seen Jeff Gordon this excited for a Hendrick Motorsports win? Certainly not since his driving days! I can’t tell if those are dollar signs in his eyes, or fatherly pride.  We might need Maury Povich to do a DNA test here Best Stats Joey Logano led the most laps of the day with 45.  Unfortunately he was collected in the Big One and finished 32nd. Tyler Reddick had the most Quality Passes (passes while driving in the top 15) with 296, though I find these stats are always over-inflated at drafting tracks. Who had the most Fast Laps of the race? It was AJ Allmendinger with 12!  I honestly think that must’ve been when he was trying to catch back up with the main pack. Kyle Busch had the most stage points of the day, also with 12.  It’s never too early to start collecting those. Only 19 cars finished on the lead lap.  You can thank the Big One for that, as it took out nearly half the field. Biggest Hype NASCAR is officially back.  Need I say more?

By Matt Marr Joey Logano and Michael McDowell made up the front row to start The Great American Race, the Daytona 500. There was an early caution on lap 5. Harrison Burton, Carson Hocevar, Ryan Preece, Jimmie Johnson were all involved in the multi-car wreck. As they came back to green at lap 12, Ryan Blaney was the leader. It stayed green for the remainder of the stage, resulting in green flag pit stops.  After they cycled through, Kyle Busch took the lead - however Chase Elliott passed him on lap 65 and got the Stage One win. Josh Berry and Kyle Larson led the start of Stage Two to green. Blaney made a move underneath teammate Austin Cindric to pass for the lead to win Stage Two on lap 130. With 9 laps to go, the big one struck.  Alex Bowman gave William Byron a bump, who then got into Brad Keselowski and calamity ensued, taking out roughly half the field. Byron and Ross Chastain led the restart with 4 laps to go in the Daytona 500. Byron led the field to the white flag as Cindric got into Chastain bringing out the caution at the start/finish line, ultimately declaring William Byron the 2024 Daytona 500 Champion. Daytona 500 Top 5:  1. William Byron 2. Alex Bowman 3. Christopher Bell 4. Corey Lajoie 5. Bubba Wallace Notables: 7. John Hunter Nemechek 13. Zane Smith 16. Daniel Hemric 20. David Ragan

By Adam Carabine

(Photo Source: Twitter.com/ FeatherliteInc ) Press Release | NASCAR, FEATHERLITE TRAILERS Featherlite Trailers, the official trailer of NASCAR®, is excited to announce a new strategic partnership with Superior Trailer Solutions as its newest Featherlite Authorized Transporter Service Center. With this partnership, Featherlite is strengthening its commitment to quality service, not just on the track, but also in service and support to NASCAR teams throughout the off-season. This collaboration is set to debut at one of the most anticipated events in the racing calendar, the Daytona 500. Superior Trailer Solutions, known for their expertise and commitment to quality service, will be stationed alongside Featherlite’s NASCAR transporter service trailer at the Daytona 500. Featherlite has been providing at-track service since the 1990s, when their relationship with NASCAR began. “We are excited to welcome Superior Trailer Solutions as our Featherlite Authorized Transporter Service Center,” said Justin Queensland, President of Featherlite Trailers. “Their reputation for swift and reliable service aligns with our commitment to quality and speed. This partnership reinforces our position as the official trailer of NASCAR and our dedication to supporting the teams who give their all on the track, race after race.” The presence of Superior Trailer Solutions at the Daytona 500, alongside the iconic Featherlite NASCAR service trailer, will enhance Featherlite’s trackside support for its specialty transporters. Teams can now expect an enhanced level of service with the ability to address urgent service needs even more promptly and effectively, minimizing downtime and maximizing performance. “Featherlite continues to lead the way in innovative transportation solutions,” Queensland said. “This partnership with Superior Trailer Solutions is more than an addition to our specialty transporter service network; it’s a statement of our ongoing commitment to excellence and our support for the sport that ignites passions across the nation.” Featherlite and NASCAR’s relationship dates back to the early 1990s when Featherlite built its first race car transporter for owner Richard Childress and the late Dale Earnhardt and then became the official trailer of NASCAR. Today, Featherlite manufactures haulers for a large segment of NASCAR teams as well as builds trailers that serve as NASCAR’s at-track offices and meeting spaces for race officials and other personnel throughout the race weekend. Featherlite Trailers and Superior Trailer Solutions encourage race teams and visitors to the garage area to stop by the Featherlite transporter during the Daytona 500 to witness the beginning of this new partnership.