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Press Release | TOYOTA RACING DEVELOPMENT MOORESVILLE, N.C. (November 17, 2023) – Toyota Racing Development (TRD) is pleased to announce a multi-year commitment to Jade Avedisian, which will see the California-native continue her development with dirt and pavement opportunities as a part of the Toyota Racing family. For the 2024 motorsports season, Avedisian will compete in USAC National Midget and XTREME National Midget races with Keith Kunz Motorsports (KKM), while also running the complete Toyota GR Cup schedule with Nitro Motorsports to begin her development on pavement and give her experience in road course racing. TRD partner, ExxonMobil, will be featured throughout the season on Avedisian’s efforts, with additional sponsorship to be announced at a later date. “I’m honored to continue my motorsports career with Toyota Racing and their driver development program in the years ahead,” said Avedisian. “Everyone at Toyota has quickly become family and have provided me with all the tools necessary to achieve my dreams in racing. This commitment means so much, and I’m beyond grateful to the entire team at TRD for believing in me!” The 17-year-old made history throughout 2023 as part of the KKM team. Avedisian started the season by becoming the first woman to finish on the podium on a Chili Bowl preliminary night before claiming Rookie of the Year honors as the only rookie – of more than 80 – to qualify for the main event. More recently, Avedisian became the first woman to earn a national dirt midget championship, winning the 2023 Xtreme Outlaw Midget title on the strength of five victories and 16 top-five finishes in 29 events. “Toyota and TRD remain dedicated to finding and developing the future talent of our sport,” said Tyler Gibbs, GM, TRD. “Jade has earned her place in our development program with her tremendous talent, work ethic and bright future. We are thrilled to make this commitment to Jade and her family and look forward to continuing to watch her succeed at the highest levels in years to come.” Avedisian is a part of a celebrated Toyota Driver Development (TD2) program that includes graduates Christopher Bell and John Hunter Nemechek, who will compete in the NASCAR Cup Series next season. Further information on the 2024 TD2 lineup will come at a later date.

Press Release | KAULIG RACING LEXINGTON, N.C. (November 16, 2023) – Kaulig Racing announced today that Josh Williams will drive the No. 11 Chevrolet in the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) season. Williams’ long-time sponsor, Alloy Employer Services, will serve as a primary partner. Williams began his national series career at the age of 16 and has made 186 starts in the NXS, earning three top-10 finishes in 2023. The Port Charlotte, Fla. native looks to capitalize on his biggest opportunity yet with Kaulig Racing. “After only an hour in the shop, I already feel like it’s home,” said Williams. “I’ve known a lot of these guys for a long time, and I felt like coming over here would give us a good opportunity to get wins. That’s the goal, Trophy Hunting.” “Josh Williams has fought tooth and nail for everything in his racing career, and we’re really excited to have him race for us,” said Chris Rice, president of Kaulig Racing. “We love his energy and passion at the track, and we think his personality and drive will fit right in with the Kaulig Racing culture.” Alloy Employer Services, which focuses on proactive claims management for workplace injuries and risk management, began its relationship with Williams in 2020. The company creates cost reductions on premiums for employers that are complemented by long-term cost control. “Josh Williams represents the spirit of racing as we know and love it,” said Alloy CMO, Chris Estey. “We are excited and confident in his potential for the 2024 season. His blend of competitive edge, skill and sportsmanship promotes a super opportunity for him and all his sponsors. For all of us to be aligned with Kaulig Racing produces a powerful recipe.” Also joining Alloy Employer Services and Williams will be a host of long-term and new partners who have been with Williams throughout his NXS career. Williams will make his first start for Kaulig Racing when the season kicks off at Daytona International Speedway in February. Additional partnership announcements will come at a later date.

Press Release | THOR SPORT RACING SANDUSKY, Ohio (Nov. 15, 2023) – ThorSport Racing announces Jake Garcia to its 2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series driver lineup, with Quanta Services onboard his Ford F-150. Garcia is coming off his rookie season in the Truck Series where he tallied three top-five, and nine top-10 finishes in 22 races. “To have the chance to race for a championship organization like ThorSport Racing is huge for me,” said Garcia. “I’m extremely excited for this opportunity and cannot wait to get the 2024 season started.” The Georgia native’s racing career started in quarter midgets at the age of five where he moved up the ranks competing in Allison Legacy, USAC Eastern Midget Series, Pro Late Model and Super Late Model Series. Garcia’s accomplishments include the 2021 Southern Super Series Champion becoming the youngest driver to do so. Five Flags Speedway Super Late Model track champion in 2021, the 2020 Southern Super Series Rookie of the Year, and the 2019 Five Flags Super Pro Late Model track champion. Quanta Services has built the largest skilled-labor force in North America by uniting over 200 operating companies to tackle the most complex infrastructure challenges in the world. The company operates in a regional structure to marshal its global resources seamlessly and efficiently in the local interest of its customers.

Press Release | HALMAR FRIESEN RACING STATESVILLE, NC (November 14, 2023) – Halmar Friesen Racing has made three crucial additions as its No. 52 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro team and driver Stewart Friesen prepare for the 2024 season. Jimmy Villeneuve, a veteran of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, was selected as the team’s Crew Chief. Joining him is Dustin Dunn as Race Engineer and Tim Packman was hired in September as HFR’s Commercial and Communications Director. Villeneuve, from Auburn, NH, brings 20 years of experience to HFR coming from Kyle Busch Motorsports as the crew chief for its No. 4 Toyota team. Prior to his tenure at KBM, “Jimmy V” worked at Wood Brothers Racing and Kevin Harvick, Inc. “I am looking forward to working with Stewart Friesen,” Villeneuve said. “He is a winning driver in Trucks, Dirt Modifieds and pretty much all he has driven. My goal is to work with the incredible team he currently has and return HFR and Stewart back to a championship-contending team.” Dunn has a Mechanical Engineering degree from UNC Charlotte and comes from KBM, as well. Before that, he was part of McAnally-Hilgermann Racing as a race engineer. The native of Jupiter, FL has been in motorsports more than two decades starting with go-karts at age 5 and then Super Late Models in Florida for 18 years. Packman, a native of Akron, NY, is a 30-year motorsports veteran who, coincidentally, got his start from Friesen’s uncle, Alex Friesen, at Lancaster (NY) Motorplex and Ransomville Speedway as an announcer and Public Relations for the tracks. From there, he worked his way to the NASCAR ranks as part of NASCAR.com, Dale Earnhardt, Inc., MRN Radio and Richard Childress Racing. He was also a track promoter at Lancaster for three years. “To say I’m already looking forward to the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season is an understatement,” Stewart Friesen said. “Bringing on these three industry veterans will help us achieve the goals we have been striving for the past few years. “We talked to a lot of people to fill these positions and we know the best ones were hired for HFR. I like winning and have a lot of confidence that Jimmy V and Dustin will help make that happen with the already-great team we have in place.” These moves are a continued effort by HFR and Halmar International, LLC owner Chris Larsen to keep improving the team. “I’m very proud of what this HFR team did in 2023 and adding Jimmy, Dustin and Tim shows the commitment we’re making to turn into a champion for years to come. I can’t wait for Daytona,” Larsen said.

Press Release | JR MOTORSPORTS MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Nov. 14, 2023) – Jarrett, a leading provider of logistics, transportation, warehousing and fleet services, will partner with JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the third consecutive season in 2024, the team announced today. In addition, Jarrett will shift its presence to the No. 7 Chevrolet with driver Justin Allgaier after spending the last two seasons with JRM’s No. 8 team. The Orrville, Ohio-based Jarrett, which celebrates its 25th anniversary next season, will have six primary races with Allgaier and the No. 7 team, the winningest driver-team combination in JRM history. Jarrett will have associate placement on the Chevrolet Camaro in the remaining events. “It has been a blast getting to know Mike (Jarrett, founder, president and CEO) and his family during their time with JR Motorsports,” said Allgaier. “Mike is just as passionate about racing as he is about his company. I think we can do a lot for them in helping to create awareness around everything Jarrett has to offer.” Jarrett is family-owned with a vision to be the best logistics company in the industry. Aimed at providing continuous improvement opportunities throughout clients’ supply chains, Jarrett focuses on enhancing operational efficiencies and ensuring seamless execution of end-to-end supply chains. Jarrett is known for world-class customer service, innovative technology and premier high-touch services to clients. “We are thrilled to partner with JR Motorsports again this year,” said Mike Jarrett, founder, president and CEO of Jarrett. “Justin Allgaier and the No. 7 team embody integrity, teamwork and consistency, which are among Jarrett’s core values. We look forward to an exciting season and watching Justin capture the checkered flag!” said Mike Jarrett. Allgaier brought home four wins in 2023 en route to a runner-up finish in the championship standings. His career totals include 23 NXS victories – 20 of which came with JRM – launching him to 11th on the all-time NXS win list. Specific races for the No. 7 Jarrett Chevrolet will be announced at a later date. Jarrett actively invites JR Motorsports fan engagement through its digital and social channels at www.goJARRETT .com, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn pages.

Press Release | RICHMOND RACEWAY RICHMOND, Va. (Nov. 15, 2023) – Richmond Raceway unveiled new logos today that reflect the River City’s astral aspirations as the track prepares for two NASCAR Cup Series races that will finish beneath the stars next year. “Here in the River City, it’s all about striving for excellence and reaching for the stars,” said Richmond Raceway President Lori Collier Waran, who unveiled the new marks during a special event on the frontstretch Wednesday afternoon. “Richmond is the cradle of American racing, where upstarts have dared to be legends and legends have driven to stardom. These new logos are a perfect representation of that bold Richmond spirit that defines our commonwealth and our sport.” Indeed, Richmond Raceway’s rebranded look includes key visual cues that harken to elements of familiar Commonwealth imagery. The outline of the logo is Richmond Raceway’s D-shaped oval, filled by the James River and Richmond city skyline. The striping is borrowed from the City of Richmond’s flag, while the stars and star streaking are influenced by the city seal and motto that dates back 200 years – sic itur ad astra, Latin for “to the stars.” Richmond Raceway and NASCAR announced earlier this year that both of its 2024 NASCAR Cup Series races will finish beneath the stars. The Toyota Owners 400 will be contested at 7 p.m. on Easter Sunday, March 31, continuing NASCAR’s three-year effort of taking ownership of the Easter holiday and garnering new interest with a coveted primetime slot. The race will be broadcast live on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. And then at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, the Cook Out 400 returns to Richmond’s 0.75-mile oval live on USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Richmond Raceway’s Easter weekend will also include the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 on Friday, March 29, and the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ ToyotaCare 250 on Saturday, March 30. The summer race weekend will include the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series regular-season finale on Saturday, Aug. 10. Fans are encouraged to secure their tickets now at www.richmondraceway.com.

NASCAR is a sport going through a period of evolution. That evolution has proved challenging for some of the sport ’ s smaller teams. Live Fast Motorsports, one of NASCAR’s smaller teams co-owned by BJ McLeod, Matt Tifft and Joe Falk, announced in September that they were selling their NASCAR Cup Series charter to Spire Motorsports. While Live Fast had no intention of selling their charter when the 2023 season began, their dynamics shifted throughout the year. "We started out the year definitely sticking to hoping we'd be here 20 years as Cup owners," McLeod said Tuesday. "That definitely took a little bit of a turn, probably around Bristol. I think somewhere around there, it definitely changed the direction of what we were planning on doing." McLeod went on to explain that the Cup Series has become more competitive than he’s ever seen before. “From first to 36, it is the tightest field I’ve ever seen in Cup in my life,” said McLeod, who has been involved in the sport for 20 years. “I, unfortunately, live that 35th to 36th spot a lot. What caught me by surprise was the speed at which the sport advanced around Matt [Tifft] and I and team Live Fast. That’s the part I didn’t anticipate and [we] simply [weren’t] in a strong enough position financially to be able to keep up with our surroundings. That happens in other businesses too, but I didn’t see that we were gonna end up getting pushed to 36th on speed.” However, this doesn’t mean the end of Live Fast Motorsports for good. “I'm definitely not ready to quit driving a Cup car," McLeod said. "I love the Next Gen car. I love the feeling of driving them. I love the people, the sport, the series, the competition level.” "I like being challenged. I just want to be in a competitive car when I go and actually have a shot to see what I'm capable of." It was also announced that Matt Tifft will be departing the ownership group to pursue other opportunities. “Live Fast will operate just as it has,” McLeod said. “Matt is going to move on and pursue other opportunities that he has on his side, so it will just be myself, Jessica and Joe [Falk] on the Live Fast side. Everything on the appearance side will remain the same.” For now, the team will focus on getting ready for Daytona. They plan to compete part-time next season and have specific goals in mind as far as where they think they can be competitive. They will focus on superspeedways and potentially road courses in 2024 “We’re still going to be in Cup part time,” McLeod said. “I’m looking to run the [superspeedways] because we’re competitive there and then if we can put a driver in for the road courses. We showed great speed at the road courses this year with Josh Bilicki. He ran exceptionally well and that’s something that we’re looking forward to trying to put together.” (Cover Photo Source Twitter.com/teamlivefast)

Press Release | LEGACY MOTOR CLUB STATESVILLE, N.C. (November 13, 2023) -- LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ today named Ben Beshore as the crew chief for John Hunter Nemechek, who recently signed on to drive the Club’s No. 42 Toyota NASCAR Cup Series entry in 2024. Beshore, 42, has proven success in every series he has worked within. The York, Pa., native began his career in NASCAR shortly after earning an engineering degree from Virginia Tech. He joined Roush Fenway Racing, (now RFK), in 2007 as a race engineer. He moved over to Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) in 2014, to become the race engineer for NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch until 2018. In 2019, Beshore moved to the JGR Xfinity Series team where he worked with multiple drivers as the crew chief for the No. 18 series entry and then the No. 20 Toyota with driver Harrison Burton. In 2021, Beshore was promoted to the NASCAR Cup Series to work as the crew chief for Kyle Busch. The duo won their first race of the season for JGR – the exhibition Busch Clash at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. His success with Busch includes three series wins, 23 top-five, and 39 top-10 finishes in 71 races. In 2023, Beshore became the Xfinity Series crew chief for the young John Hunter Nemechek at JGR. “I’m excited to join LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and continue working with John Hunter in the Cup Series - we had so much success last season. I’m looking forward to helping build this program into a perennial contender that can compete at the highest level possible each and every week.” Nemechek agrees his chemistry with Beshore will continue to breed future success. “The partnership between driver and crew chief requires a type of chemistry that is hard to find,” said Nemechek. “As a driver, if you're lucky enough to find a crew chief that you mesh with as well as Ben and I do, you do everything possible to stick together. I look forward to building on our competitive partnership and fighting for more wins and championships.” If anyone knows how important chemistry is with a crew chief, its Jimmie Johnson. “The driver-crew chief relationship is something I know well and it's such an important part of the performance foundation,” said Johnson. “We are so thankful to see Ben join the Club. His experience with John Hunter and Toyota will help us with the transition and his on-track experience will elevate us in so many ways. I have learned that Ben is a highly focused person and that he believes in the future potential of an organization that is going through a lot of change. He’s a great fit.” Beshore’s role within the organization is effective immediately.

By Adam Carabine & Crystal Clay Last year, in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship race, Blaney finished in the runner up position, though he had already been eliminated from contention for the big prize. This year, Blaney repeated his second place finish and while he certainly would have loved to have the race win, this year P2 came with a fresh side of Championship. Championship Four hopeful Christopher Bell had the worst day of the eligible drivers. On lap 108, one of his brake rotors exploded, sending him into the wall and ending his race prematurely. Just laps earlier, he had been complaining about the brake heat over the radio, but there was nothing he could do. William Byron started on the pole, and looked unstoppable early on. Despite a total of 95 laps led, he wound up finishing third in the Championship standings. In the final 100 laps or so, Kyle Larson proved to be the biggest obstacle for Blaney’s championship charge. At this point, Ross Chastain had made his way to the lead and had no intention of giving any leeway to the Championship Four. “I knew that if I could hold him off [...] I wasn’t going to run him up or pinch him up. I know he was mad and I don’t care. I do not care, I did not care then, I do not care now. I’m here to race him, I’m not going to wreck him,” said Chastain. And he’s not wrong, Blaney was mad. At one point Blaney came right up and rammed into the back of Chastain. While it didn’t cause Chastain to lose the lead, it sent a message. “He gets angry, that’s okay. I checked the [rear-view] camera, he was aaaaangry,” Chastain added. From Blaney’s perspective, he was less concerned with beating Ross, than worried that the holdup was allowing Larson (who was also vying for the championship) to catch up. In the end, Chastain prevailed for the race win, but Blaney held on to second place. Under NASCAR’s Playoff format, Blaney only needed to have the best finish of the Championship Four drivers, meaning his P2 was enough to get him his first career NASCAR Cup Series Championship. Blaney’s second-place finish was his third in a row at Phoenix. When asked whether that bothered him, “I don’t give a SHIT about running second three times. Not now. Don’t care” he quickly responded. And with that, Ryan Blaney rode off into the Arizona sunset, a newly crowned NASCAR Champion.