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AVONDALE, Ariz– Sunday’s Cup Series United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway ended in NASCAR Overtime and like déjá vu, William Byron was able to capitalize on a second trip to Victory Lane on a late race pit strategy. Byron started the day strong, winning Stage 1 after passing teammate and polesitter Kyle Larson. Larson was able to find his way back to the front of the pack to win Stage 2 and led a race-high 201 laps of 317. Kevin Harvick was able to overtake Larson towards the long run but ultimately lost the opportunity to win for a 10th time at Phoenix Raceway after a caution was triggered by Harrison Burton that brought the leaders down pit road. While many at the front opted to change right-side tires for the advantage in the race out of pit road, Harvick’s crew chief Rodney Childers elected to change out all four. Harvick said after the race, “It’s what I would have done.” Despite his efforts to match Kyle Busch’s all-time Cup Series win record of 61, Harvick ended the day with a 5th place finish and record of 20 consecutive top-10 finishes at Phoenix. Byron credited his crew chief Rudy Fugle with the pit strategy that got him out front to win. “Owe the last couple of weeks to him” said Byron. “He’s done a really good job strategy-wise, and execution-wise we’ve done a good job to put ourselves in those positions on the front row with a shot in the end.”

AVONDALE, Ariz.– If there’s anything to be learned about racing, it's that Vegas kids are often fastest behind the wheel out west. NASCAR Cup Series driver and Las Vegas native Noah Gragson was spotted in Victory Lane on Friday night to congratulate the 15 year-old Tyler Reif from Henderson, NV after winning his first ARCA Menards Series win. “We spent a lot of time with him [Reif] growing up, and he's younger than me” Gragson said. ”Going to the go-kart track and watching him progress throughout his racing career, it's been really cool to see the hard work and him apply himself in his craft and always trying to be better.” On Saturday, Racing Refresh caught up with Gragson who is currently in his rookie season in the Cup Series and has taken on a mentorship role with Reif by making himself available for any questions the young driver has. “I'm glad to kind of take him under my wing, and it's cool to see him be able to ask questions and talk about stuff when he’s young,” he said. “It's his first race really. So I am trying to help them as much as I can and just really proud of that [win] for the guys last night.” This is Reif’s third start on the ARCA platform and adds his name to a short list of drivers to win their main ARCA Series debut.The only other drivers to have done so are Christopher Bell, Todd Gilliland and Myatt Snyder. The race wasn’t without some misfortune for Reif, who was involved in a crash on Lap 11 that damaged the rear of his car. The swift work of his No. 41 Lowden-Jackson Motorsports crew kept him in the race, work that would result later with a trip to Victory Lane. “Got in a racing incident at [Lap 11], got turned, no big deal,” said Reif, “This team is so good to get this car hooked up. I’m happy. There are just no words to describe this.” For much of the General Tires 150 it appeared as though William Sawalich, who was making his ARCA debut for Joe Gibbs Racing, would be the driver taking home the checkered flag. However, during the first green-white-checkered restart, Sawalich spun from the race lead after contact with third-place Bradley Erickson. That suddenly handed the lead to Reif, the younger brother of two-time West Series race winner Tanner Reif. During the ensuing chaos, second-place Landen Lewis got a massive jump and took the lead as Reif found himself battling for second with Erickson. Reif quickly dispatched Erickson and set his sights on Lewis. Reif caught him coming out of Turn 2 on the final lap and made the race-winning move entering Turn 3 to secure his first ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series West triumphs.

By Adam Carabine Welcome to the 3rd annual Playoff Forecast project! Using a top-secret predictive formula in Excel, the 2023 Cup Series schedule is simulated 100,000 times. The formula takes three important categories into account - individual stats at each specific track, recent overall stats, and team performance. Here's how to read it: The numbers in brackets show last week's position. The percentages in each column refer to the probability of that driver making it to that round of the playoffs. Separately, this week's Cup Series race is also simulated - check out who's favoured to win this week: Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @RacingRefresh Or you can email directly: acarabine@racingrefresh.com Follow us on Facebook: Racing Refresh Facebook Page Get all of your Racing Refresh Merch from our online store! Is there an error? Something missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

(Photo Source: Twitter.com/KBMteam) Press Release | KYLE BUSCH MOTORSPORTS MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 9, 2023) – Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) announced today that William Byron, the most recent winner in the NASCAR Cup Series and KBM alum, will return to the organization to compete in a three-race schedule behind the wheel of the No. 51 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this season. HendrickCars.com, the online home for everything Hendrick Automotive Group, will be the primary sponsor on Byron’s Silverado when he makes his KBM return April 8 for the Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway and the Ricky Hendrick tribute scheme will also adorn the No. 51 for the races at Darlington Raceway May 12 and North Wilkesboro Speedway May 20. All three races on Byron’s schedule will mark his first starts in the Truck Series at the respective venues. Byron collected a Truck-Series leading seven victories and 727 laps led driving for KBM in 2016. He earned Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors that season and led the No. 9 team to an owner’s championship with his victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The North Carolina native returned to victory lane in the Truck Series last year leading a race-high 94 laps for Spire Motorsports in the HendrickCars.com Silverado at Martinsville Speedway. Across 26 career starts in NASCAR’s Truck Series, the 25-year-old driver has totaled eight wins, three poles, 821 laps led, 12 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 10.7. With his win Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Byron now has five career NASCAR Cup Series victories. In 2022, he tallied a career-high two victories, finished a career-best sixth in the Cup Series championship standings and ranked third in the series with 746 laps led. Across 183 career Cup Series starts he has totaled eight poles, 1650 laps led, 27 top-five and 63 top-10 finishes. Between his time at KBM and graduating to the Cup Series in 2018, Byron captured an Xfinity Series championship and Rookie of the Year Honors for Jr. Motorsports in 2017 after totaling four wins, two poles, 262 laps led, 12 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes. “I am so excited to return to racing with KBM. I’m looking forward to getting back in their trucks and hopefully having some fun for these three races,” Byron said. “These are three cool race tracks we’re paired up for and I’m interested in running at them since I haven’t raced there in a truck before. “ “Having William return to KBM for three races is going to be beneficial for our whole organization as we continue to build our notebook as a Chevrolet team,” Busch said. “You expect that he’ll compete for the win each time out, he’ll provide valuable feedback to Brian Pattie and our other crew chiefs and when it comes to the development drivers that we’ve had come through KBM, his race preparation is second to none, so he’ll be a valuable asset as a teammate to the young drivers we have in the building. “Ricky (Hendrick) was a good friend of mine, so seeing one of my trucks hitting the track with the paint scheme he raced with in the Truck Series is going to be really special. We appreciate Rick (Hendrick) and everyone at HendrickCars.com for stepping up and making this deal possible.” “This is a tremendous opportunity for us to continue building HendrickCars.com into a national brand through our racing partnerships,” said Greg Gach, president of Charlotte-based Hendrick Automotive Group. “We’re excited about supporting Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron, and partnering with Kyle Busch Motorsports and Chevrolet — who each have winning traditions in the Truck Series.”

(Photo Source: Twitter.com/RFKracing) Press Release | RFK RACING CONCORD, N.C. (March 9, 2023) – RFK Racing and the Racing Force Group have announced a multi-year collaborative partnership, that will see the team work exclusively with the industry leader in motorsports safety products. “We share a commitment to innovating together to create the next generation of racing gear,” said Brad Keselowski, who will also sport OMP gear throughout the season. “It’s always a pleasure to work with like-minded people in pushing the envelope in everything we do in racing — including keeping safety No. 1 in mind, along with maintaining style and comfort at the same time.” RFK’s teams will utilize OMP’s firesuits throughout the season as the only Cup Series team in the garage to be fully outfitted by OMP. Keselowski will wear OMP’s racewear throughout the season, while he and teammate Chris Buescher will be outfitted by Bell Helmets, the leading manufacturer in helmet safety and design in motorsports. “Racing Force is honored and excited to partner with RFK Racing and Brad Keselowski to develop racing safety equipment, purpose-built for use in NASCAR by drivers and crews under the OMP brand,” said Kyle Kietzmann, Racing Force USA, Inc. Co-CEO. “RFK and Racing Force share the same commitment and passion for innovation and the application of technology to enhance safety and maximize performance. “We look forward to a successful and collaborative partnership with RFK in 2023 and beyond to develop advanced safety equipment to provide protection and help the team perform at the highest level possible in one of the most demanding forms of motorsports in the world.”

(Photo Credit: @Max33Verstappen) Well, it's the same song different verse as Max Verstappen picks up another dominating victory for the season opening race at the Bahrain International Circuit. For Verstappen, it seemed like he was out for a nice Sunday drive. For everyone else, it was a battle for second place. From the start it was a Red Bull Racing front row lock out while the Ferrari's took the second. Perez got a slow jump out of the box and Charles Leclerc took second place. By this time, Verstappen was already out to a 1.5 second lead. Leclerc made the first stop on lap 13 which brought Verstappen in a lap later. By pit exit, Vertsappen still held a ten second lead. Perez went longer on his stent to take soft tires and used them to close on Leclerc. Using DRS down the pit straight, he was able to overtake Leclerc on lap 26. Verstappen was hindered slightly by a downshift issue which caused his rear tires to lock up but pulled away to a 11.9 second lead to take the win. While Red Bull seemed to take the top two spots, the battle was for the final spot on the podium between Sainz, Hamilton, and Alonso. For Ferrari, Leclerc's teammate Carlos Sainz. He was the last Ferrari on track at race end as on lap 40, Leclerc said that he lost drive on his engine and retired on lap 40, thus bringing out a virtual safety car. During that restart, Alonso was able to pass Sainz and hold on for his first podium with Aston Martin. Formula One Podium: 1st: Max Verstappen 2nd: Sergio Perez 3rd: Fernando Alonso For Formula One, the series takes a week off before returning March 19th as the series gears up for round two of the FIA Formula One World Championship as they take to the streets of Jeddah for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

By Crystal Clay LAS VEGAS- Chandler Smith was the fastest qualifying rookie when he won the Pole Award in Friday’s qualifying session for the Alsco Uniforms 300. He appeared to be a promising bet on Saturday afternoon, but he turned up snake eyes as he drove the No.16 Quick Tie Products Inc. Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing to the checkered flag in third place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. With 5 to go, media could be seen gathering around the No.16 Kaulig Racing pit box prepared to capture a winning team’s celebration, but the team was focused on monitors and the jumbotron. The writing was on the wall that leading more than half of the 200 lap race and a great team effort wasn't going to guarantee a trophy. After the race, “I can’t be too disappointed. It sucks, we just led 115 laps or whatever, and lost it with 2 to go,” said Smith. “We’re going to one of my favorite tracks next weekend and I know that their [Kaulig Racing] stuff was good there last year so, I'm looking forward to that.” Any race is truly a roll of the dice at the end of the day and he is pleased to roll on to next week at Phoenix, as a top-5 finish doesn’t equate to a complete crap out. “If we ran like a bag of crap today, I would be a different disappointed”, he said. Smith who finished third and the second place driver, Justin Allgaier said that having to race lapped traffic led to getting tight and ultimately losing track position in the final 10 laps of the race.

Press Release | CHICAGO STREET RACES CHICAGO, Ill. (March 7, 2023) – Today, the Chicago Street Race announced the official race names and lengths for the unprecedented 12-turn, 2.2-mile street races that will take the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series past and through many of Chicago’s most renowned downtown landmarks over Fourth of July Weekend, July 1-2. To honor the historic city of Chicago, the Cup Series race will be named the Grant Park 220 and the Xfinity Series race will be The Loop 121. The Grant Park 220 will be a 220-mile race with 100 laps and The Loop 121 will be 121 miles with 55 laps. To recognize the 220 miles in the Cup Series race, the Chicago Street Race will send 220 local youth (ages 6-12) to the Chicago Park District’s Summer Day Camp . “As the home of the nation’s first automobile race in 1895, the inaugural Chicago Street Race will recognize the city of Chicago with the Grant Park 220 and The Loop 121,” said Julie Giese, Chicago Street Race President. “For the first-ever Cup Series street race in NASCAR’s 75-year history, we are proud to continue to have a positive impact in the Chicago community by sending one local youth for each mile of the Grant Park 220 to the Chicago Park District’s Summer Day Camp.” Grant Park , commonly referred to as “Chicago’s Front Yard,” is a public park located in Chicago’s central business district in The Loop neighborhood. Grant Park’s most notable features include Maggie Daley Park , Buckingham Fountain , Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum Campus . The park plays host to some of the city’s largest food and music festivals, including The Taste of Chicago and The Grant Park Music Festival. Grant Park is also the site of the start and finish lines for the Chicago Marathon, Lollapalooza, and NASCAR’s first-ever Chicago Street Race. Recognized as one of the largest business districts in North America, The Loop is a vibrant area in the heart of Chicago filled with iconic local attractions, including architecture, river cruises, Millennium Park, the Chicago Riverwalk, historic theatre district, eclectic eateries and shops, and more. The name refers to the elevated L train that makes a loop around Lake Street, Wabash Avenue, Van Buren Street, and Wells Street to form the boundaries of The Loop neighborhood. One youth for each of 220 miles of the Cup Series race will attend the Chicago Park District’s fun-filled six-week Summer Day Camp program that includes sports, arts, fitness, and outdoor activities with unique experiences in civic engagement, environmental awareness, inclusion, collaboration and team building, brain play, reflection and journaling, and friendship and kindness. To learn more about the Chicago Park District’s Summer Day Camp, visit www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/programs-memberships/programs-overview/day-camp . With more than 8,900 acres of green space, the Chicago Park District is one of the largest municipal park managers in the nation. The District’s more than 600 parks offer thousands of physical activities as well as cultural and environmental programs for youth, adults, and seniors. From canoeing to soccer fields to arts and crafts, there is never a shortage of activities to participate in in Chicago’s parks. For more information on the Chicago Park District, visit www.chicagoparkdistrict.com . The commitment by the Chicago Street Race to the Chicago Park District’s Summer Day Camp continues NASCAR’s overarching commitment to the Chicago community and programs that have a positive and lasting impact on local youth and teens. Last month, the Chicago Street Race announced a collaborative initiative with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) that will engage and inspire more than 22,000 students with racing-themed STEM and STEAM learning experiences and curriculum. CPS students from all 43 STEM and STEAM schools will compete in an in-classroom design challenge culminating with the first-ever “STEAM Fest” in downtown Chicago on May 2. Nearly 500 student finalists will interact with NASCAR drivers, engineers and other industry STEM professionals at the Field Museum in the event’s championship round for the opportunity to attend the Chicago Street Race Weekend.

Press Release | PHOENIX RACEWAY PHOENIX (March 7, 2023) – A racing legend and trailblazer will lead the NASCAR Cup Series field to green Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. The track announced today that Lyn St. James is the Honorary Pace Car Driver for Sunday’s United Rentals Work United 500. “Lyn St. James’ work on and off the track continues to pave the way for women in racing,” said Phoenix Raceway President Latasha Causey. “To say her leadership, legacy and advocacy is inspiring is an understatement. We’re honored she’ll lead the field Sunday as she carries the banner forward for women in our sport.” St. James will pace the field in a brand-new Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and is no stranger to the vanguard of racing. This legendary racer has competed in fifteen IndyCar races, including seven Indianapolis 500s. She is the second of nine women who have raced in the Indianapolis 500 and was the first woman to win Indy 500 Rookie of the Year. She has competed, has victories, and set speed records on racetracks around the globe, including the Rolex 24 at Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, and 24 Hours of LeMans. St. James is a Past President of the Women’s Sports Foundation, Women in the Winners Circle founder, an honoree at the 2021 Amelia Island Concours, and recipient of the Spirit of Ford Award. Automotive News selected Lyn as one of the top 100 Women in the Automotive Industry and Sports Illustrated for Women as one of the Top 100 Athletes of the 20th century. She serves on the ACCUS board, is the North American Regional Representative on the FIA Women in Motorsports Commission and serves on the appeals panels for NASCAR and IndyCar. She is also the co-founder of the not-for-profit Women In Motorsports North America and an inductee of the prestigious Automotive Hall of Fame in 2022. “This is truly an honor to serve as the Honorary Pace Car Driver at Phoenix Raceway,” St. James said. “I’m hoping my presence and my story will continue to inspire future generations of women who seek more opportunities in racing.” Sunday’s United Rentals Work United 500 caps an action-packed weekend at Phoenix Raceway that features racing Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The action begins at 6 p.m. Friday with the ARCA Menards Series’ General Tire 150. On Saturday, the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will practice and qualify, followed by the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ United Rentals 200 at 2:30 p.m. That sets the table for Sunday, as the green flag will drop shortly after 12:30 p.m. for the United Rentals Work United 500. Tickets remain for all three days but are going fast. Fans can secure their seats today at www.phoenixraceway.com.

Press Release | TRACKHOUSE RACING CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA –The Iceman is returning to NASCAR and this time at a track he knows quite well. Trackhouse Entertainment Group today announced 2007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen will return to the NASCAR Cup Series on March 26 at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas to race PROJECT91’s Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. The race will mark Räikkönen’s second Cup Series race after debuting with PROJECT91 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International on Aug. 21 last year. Unlike the Watkins Glen track, Räikkönen is familiar with COTA, racing on the road course eight times during his Formula One career. One of Räikkönen’s 21 Formula One victories, and most recent, came at COTA on Oct. 21, 2018, when he led 39 laps on his way to victory driving a Ferrari. “I had a fantastic time in NASCAR,” said Räikkönen. “There was a lot to learn in a very short amount of time, but everyone was very helpful, the competition was a big challenge. This time I get to race on a track I am familiar with so there won’t be as steep of a learning curve. I want to have fun, but also do as well as we can.” Trackhouse Racing – a division of Trackhouse Entertainment Group – fields the No. 99 and the No. 1 Chevrolets with drivers Daniel Suárez and Ross Chastain in the NASCAR Cup Series. Kimi Raikkonen Trackhouse Owner and Founder Justin Marks created PROJECT91 last year intent on expanding the organization’s global reach by fielding a Cup Series entry for renowned international racing drivers. “When we announced Kimi last year I said he was the global superstar I had in mind when we created PROJECT91. I think you saw the fan reception across the world and Kimi’s performance in the car was proof of the concept. Kimi’s following is massive and it’s great for NASCAR, Trackhouse plus I think Kimi really enjoys our racing.” Räikkönen will race the No. 91 Onx/iLOQ Chevrolet Camaro at COTA fielded by a Trackhouse crew led by 23-time wining crew chief Darian Grubb who won a Cup Series title with Tony Stewart in 2011. Onx is transforming how the world builds homes and neighborhoods through X+ Construction, a fully integrated system that merges high-end design and leading technology, delivering more value at every step of the homeowner journey. The company served as the primary sponsor on Ross Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet when he won the COTA race last year as well as Daniel Suárez's victory at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in June. iLOQ, the Finnish pioneer of smart and mobile locking systems, is present in the American market with its battery-free technology that ensures secure and intelligent access management for people and businesses. Last summer, Räikkönen became the first PROJECT91 driver visiting the team’s Concord, North Carolina race shop and testing with the team at Virginia International Raceway. At the Watkins Glen race, Räikkönen qualified 27th then raced in the top-10 most of the afternoon before a late race accident caused by another driver ended his day. Marks said Räikkönen will again visit the shop in the days before the Austin, Texas event, but no test sessions are planned before the COTA race. “I’m sure there are a lot of drivers that would like to have a chance to try NASCAR,” said Räikkönen. “It’s not very easy, so maybe it will open some doors in the future for more chances to try and get more Europeans into the sport.” The native of Espoo, Finland retired from Formula One in 2021 after competing with the Sauber, McLaren, Ferrari, Lotus and Alfa Romeo teams since he started in 2001. His Formula One highlight came in 2007 when he won the F1 World Driving title for Scuderia Ferrari. He competed in the Xfinity and Truck Series races at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May 2011.

Press Release | HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CONCORD, N.C. (March 8, 2023) – For the second consecutive season, Hendrick Motorsports will run a limited NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule with primary sponsorship from HendrickCars.com. This year’s four-race slate will feature three of the team’s NASCAR Cup Series drivers with leadership from a pair of winning crew chiefs. In 2023, the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro will be entered March 25 at Circuit of The Americas with William Byron, June 10 at Sonoma Raceway with Kyle Larson, Aug. 19 at Watkins Glen International with Alex Bowman, and Sept. 2 at Darlington Raceway with Larson. Veteran crew chiefs Greg Ives and Kevin Meendering will oversee the effort. Hendrick Motorsports entered four Xfinity Series races in 2022, earning two pole positions, two runner-up finishes and three top-five results in its first action on the circuit since 2009. Overall, the organization has recorded 26 wins and one driver’s championship (2003) in the series. “Watching the No. 17 return to the track last year was very special,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group. “It was fun being back in the Xfinity Series and seeing a great return from our HendrickCars.com sponsorship. The team had strong results on the track, but we didn’t quite get to victory lane. Having unfinished business gives us extra motivation this season.” The No. 17 car number has a rich history with Hendrick Motorsports. NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip drove it to nine wins for the team from 1987 to 1990, including in the 1989 DAYTONA 500. The car number was also driven by Ricky Hendrick in various races, including in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in 2000 and 2001. This year, the HendrickCars.com paint scheme will again be based on the No. 17 truck driven by Hendrick during his 2001 rookie season. “We learned a lot in 2022 and felt the extra seat time was valuable for our drivers,” said Jeff Andrews, president and general manager of Hendrick Motorsports. “Bringing back the program was an easy decision, but we know competing at a high level in the Xfinity Series takes a big commitment. We’re going to throw everything we have at these four races. Winning with the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevy is the priority.” HendrickCars.com is Hendrick Automotive Group’s online destination for new and pre-owned vehicle shopping, locating centers for service and collision repair, exploring career opportunities, and learning about vehicle investment protection. It also sponsors Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team, NHRA champion Greg Anderson and other racing efforts at the grassroots level.

Press Release | RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING WELCOME, N.C. (March 7, 2023) – NASCAR Cup Series veteran Austin Dillon is poised to look sharp on and off the race track — and on and off the water — this season thanks to a continued partnership with Marolina Outdoor, the parent company of Huk Performance Fishing. Dillon will drive the No. 3 Huk Performance Chevrolet at select races in 2023. “We’ve found great value in our partnership with Richard Childress Racing and Austin Dillon and we’re thrilled to continue our relationship in 2023, marking the third year of our partnership,” said Chris Russell, vice president of marketing for Marolina Outdoor. “Austin Dillon has proven to be an authentic ambassador for our brand, and we’ve found it valuable to be able to use the power of RCR’s marketing platforms to highlight our performance fishing offerings.” Based in Charleston, S.C., at the confluence of three major rivers and home to one of America’s favorite destinations, the designers at Huk take their inspiration from the water itself. They shape and mold a line of performance clothing designed to keep you looking good and feeling cool and comfortable on or off the water. Over the course of their multi-year partnership with RCR, those same design inspirations have authentically been integrated into the No. 3 Chevrolet with fan-favorite schemes such as the popular “BassCar” which featured a Huk exclusive pattern and largemouth bass styling by artist KC Scott. Huk will continue to leverage their RCR relationship with unique car designs and exclusive consumer offerings. They will also integrate celebrity brand ambassadors and utilize Austin Dillon to showcase Huk’s product line. “Huk’s innovative performance fishing apparel and clothing aligns closely with my own family’s passion for the outdoors, and Richard Childress Racing’s emphasis on cutting-edge technologies in everything we build,” said Dillon. “I wear Huk clothing on and off the water, and look forward to continuing to showcase some of my favorite collections, such as the Waypoint and Icon X, as well as working with everyone at RCR to drive success for Huk on and off the track.” For more information, please visit rcrracing.com and www.hukgear.com.

(Photo Credit: @TB_Times) In an event where survival meant more then on-track speed, your 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson held on to win the season opening event; the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. For all the hype, and all the excitement that this weekend provides from the hopes of every driver to start out the year strong and to get a jump on favorites from around the INDYCAR fan base, this race certainly looked at the beginning to be a demolition derby in South Florida to probably an all-time classic when we look back in twenty-five years if the event is still around. Starting first with that lap one incident coming out of turn three. For the entire weekend, turn three was one of the big issues of the weekend. In the past, a driver could run full throttle through three on there way down to turn four. This year, it seamed like a driver had to lift off the throttle just a little bit as the area was obviously repaved and there was a serious transition for the old unpaved asphalt to the new asphalt that made up 1st St South (Turn Three). The accident was triggered by Felix Rosenqvist being caught in the bottleneck that is turn two. Rosenqvist slowed and eventually made the field check up coming out of three at that time Santino Ferriccui made contact with Heilo Castroneves and blocked the track for incoming cars which sent Delvin Defrancheso flying from contact from Benjamin Peterson. All drivers thankfully walked away. After a near twenty minute red flag delay, the race restarted again and your P1 Pole Award winner Romain Grosjean took a commanding 7.2 second lead by lap twenty-five over his Andretti teammate, Colton Herta. Further back, young Callum Ilott was up from 22nd to 14th as he was the biggest mover of the race so far. Coming to close lap 25, Pato O'Ward caught and passed Herta as the Andretti driver was struggling with failing tires towards the end of the first stint. He unfortunately fell all the way to 6th by lap 28 as he made his way in for his first pit stop of the day. For Grosjean, who took primaries to start the event held on to the end of lap 31 without issue. Pitting at lap 31 gave the lead to Scott McLaughlin who then pitted on lap 36 for fresh Firestone alternates. McLaughlin pitted out in front of Grosjean who held off a passing attempt heading into turn four which saw some contact but McLaughlin was able to hold the lead. On the same lap, Kyle Kirkwood got into Conor Daly in turn nine and brought out the second caution of the day. The race restarted on lap 41 but the field didn't even make it to turn nine as Daly went wide in turn four and into the tire barrier. Jack Harvey made contact from behind which sent the INDYCAR rookie Kirkwood into Harvey and was launched over his car. All drivers walked away but Harvey was sent to a local hospital for further evaluation and as of writing, he has been checked and released. The lap 50 restart saw Scott Dixon dive to the inside of Ericsson, but when Power tried to make that pass, Ericsson closed the door quickly and bumped him wider than he wanted to be. It allowed Hetra to get close and Dixon and him made contact and sent Herta into the Turn 8 wall which brought out the fifth caution of the day. Lap 55 saw another restart as McLaughlin was your leader followed by Grosjean and O'Ward. Even though Grosjean had the disadvantage to McLaughlin by being on primary tires, he was able to keep up with McLaughlin and the pair pulled away to a three second lead over O'Ward. As O'Ward made his final stop of the day on lap 69, the battle was up front between McLaughlin and Grosjean as the latter pulled down for a fresh new set of primary tires to go to the end of the race. McLaughlin was held up by a lap car and made his last stop of the day. On the next lap, McLaughin was able to beat Grosjean and the pair went side-by-side down into turn four. The pair made contact and both drivers fighting all day for the win went into the wall. For Grosjean, the incident ended his day and McLaughin went on to finish 13th, one lap down. With twenty-two laps to go, the race restarted for the final time as the battle for the win was now down to Pato O'Ward and Marcus Ericcson. For O'Ward, he the pulled out to a 2.7 second lead over Ericsson, by lap 88 the lead shrunk to 1.1 seconds off. For Josef Newgarden, who was running inside the top ten all day had a fire coming from the left-rear of his car, but still all eyes were at the front as O'Ward seemed off the pace and coming off the final turn on lap 96, Ericcson was able to make the pass for the lead and went on to a 2.4 second lead as he took his fourth win of his career and third on a road/street course. For O'Ward, the issue he had was with his Chevrolet power unit which cause the engine to "burp" which is why O'Ward was not able to hold on. Opinion: Well another fantastic race at St. Petersburg is in the books and in recent years this race has not disappointed me or anyone else in the fanbase. For Marcus Ericsson, I am now officially on the bandwagon. Not to under estimate the type of driver he is, I know he has talent. But to some people who had him as the championship favorite going into 2023, I can certainly buy into that idea somewhat. I believe he would just need to stay consistent for that to happen. As it was a good day for Chip Ganassi Racing, it was a devastating day for Andretti Autosport as only Kyle Kirkwood finished the event while everyone else did not make it past lap 71. For all the noise they were making in practice and qualifying to see the bad luck that every driver had to deal with for 180 miles was probably the most demoralizing thing I have seen in INDYCAR in quite a while. Hurts even more when we have to wait almost a month to see cars back on track again. In my race preview, I did say that there is always a driver that seems to surprise us in the opening race of the year. In my opinion, I though it was going to be Kyle Kirkwood. It turned out to be Callum Ilott for Juncos Hollinger Racing. No longer are the days of that team being a back marker in any INDYCAR field. The amount of engineers and technicians they brought in during the off season certainly puts them in the midfield contention. I would not be surprised if we see more top five runs or fighting for wins by seasons end. Also mentioned in the race preview was how that this event seems to be the catalyst for a championship winning season to come up short. Last year it turned out to be Josef Newgarden. This year you can point to him again. Along with Colton Herta. To be honest, I was not surprised that Herta is in this position as his driving style has put him into either a boom or bust outcome each race has has competed in. For the NTT INDYCAR Series, the next race will be the first oval race of the season as we head to Texas Motor Speedway for the PPG 375. The race will be on April 1st at Noon EST on your local NBC station, Peacock, and INDYCAR Radio.

From the NASCAR Wire Service / Reid Spencer William Byron leads 1-2-3 Hendrick Motorsports sweep at Las Vegas LAS VEGAS—William Byron won the most important race of Sunday afternoon—by inches off pit road. Quick work by Byron’s pit crew enabled the driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to beat teammate Kyle Larson off pit road for an overtime restart in the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and that was the decisive factor in Byron’s fifth career NASCAR Cup Series victory. When Aric Almirola spun into the Turn 4 wall with four laps left of a scheduled 267, the race turned upside down. Larson held a two-second lead at that point and appeared the almost certain winner. After NASCAR called the fourth and final caution, Martin Truex Jr. stayed on the track, with Byron, Larson and most of the other contenders pitting for two tires. Byron’s crew was a fraction of a second faster on the stop, and Byron claimed a front-row starting spot for the overtime to Truex’s outside. On the first overtime lap, Byron surged past Truex as the cars entered Turn 3 at the 1.5-mile track and pulled away to win by.622 seconds over Larson and by .766 seconds over teammate Alex Bowman. It was the third time Hendrick Motorsports had finished 1-2-3 in a Cup Series event. The drivers accomplished the feat with their fourth driver, Chase Elliott, watching from North Carolina with team owner Rick Hendrick. Elliott broke his left tibia in a snowboarding accident in Colorado on Friday and will miss multiple races as he recovers from surgery. Josh Berry, substituting for Elliott, finished 29th, two laps down, in his first race in NASCAR’s Next Gen car. “Yeah, just been really confident about the group of guys that I have on this 24 team,” said Byron, who led 176 of 271 laps, swept the first two stages and won for the first time at Las Vegas. “They work extremely hard, and we spent a lot of time in the offseason just going through running at the sim (simulator) with Chevy and running on iRacing and just trying to get better as a race car driver and as a team. “Thinking of Chase back home. Wish he was out here with us. He’s a great race car driver, great teammate. Wish he was out here.” For the overtime restart, Larson chose the inside lane behind Truex and was bottled up behind the No. 19 Toyota. But Larson acknowledged the race was lost on pit road. “Damn,” Larson said with a wry laugh. “It’s just part of Cup racing. It seems like kind of laps down, lap by lap, and then, sure enough, the yellow lights come on. You’ve just got to get over that and then try to execute a good pit stop, and I thought I did a really good job getting to my sign, and getting to the commitment line. “I had a gap to William behind me, and their pit crew must have just done a really good job and got out in front of us, and that gave up the front row. I knew I was in trouble with the 19 staying out. I felt like William was going to get by him. “Yeah, just a bummer that we didn’t end up the winner, but all in all, William probably had a little bit better car than I had today, and their pit crew executed when they needed to there at the end.” In the overtime scramble, Bubba Wallace finished fourth and Christopher Bell fifth, both in Toyotas. Austin Cindric, who had been lapped at one point, recovered to run sixth as the top-finishing Ford driver. Truex, Justin Haley, Kevin Harvick and Daniel Suarez completed the top 10. In a race that featured 13 lead changes among eight drivers, Larson took the top spot in Lap 196, after restarting third behind Denny Hamlin and Bowman on lap 190. The 2021 series champion extended his advantage to nearly five seconds over Byron during an exchange of green-flag pit stops before Almirola’s accident caused the fourth caution on Lap 263. Byron had cut Larson’s lead to two seconds before the accident forced overtime. The first caution for an on-track incident didn’t occur until Lap 183, nine laps after the final stage went green. Pole winner Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch were running three-wide through Turn 4 when disaster struck. With Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford in the middle, Logano ran out of room to the outside, and after contact with Keselowski’s car, Logano’s No. 22 Ford bounced off the wall and spun into the infield grass. Logano brought his car to pit road, but his crew couldn’t repair the Ford before the seven-minute time limit ran out under NASCAR’s damaged vehicle policy. Asked whether Keselowski pinched him into the corner, Logano replied, “Yeah, he did. I’m sure he didn’t mean to do it. It is what it is. What are you going to do, right? We got fenced.” –30— NASCAR Cup Series Race – Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, Nevada Sunday, March 5, 2023 (2) William Byron, Chevrolet, 271. (6) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 271. (11) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 271. (13) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 271. (10) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 271. (9) Austin Cindric, Ford, 271. (15) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 271. (27) Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 271. (14) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 271. (24) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 271. (12) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 271. (8) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 271. (3) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 271. (5) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 271. (34) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 271. (21) Aric Almirola, Ford, 271. (7) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 271. (23) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 271. (22) Erik Jones, Chevrolet, Accident, 270. (19) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet, 270. (18) Chris Buescher, Ford, 270. (4) Ty Gibbs #, Toyota, 270. (31) Ryan Preece, Ford, 270. (16) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 270. (17) Michael McDowell, Ford, 270. (35) Harrison Burton, Ford, 269. (26) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 269. (20) Chase Briscoe, Ford, 269. (32) Josh Berry(i), Chevrolet, 269. (25) Noah Gragson #, Chevrolet, 269. (28) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 268. (36) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 266. (29) JJ Yeley, Ford, 265. (33) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 265. (30) Cody Ware, Ford, 259. (1) Joey Logano, Ford, DVP, 183. Average Speed of Race Winner: 142.98 mph. Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 50 Mins, 35 Secs. Margin of Victory: .622 Seconds. Caution Flags: 4 for 26 laps. Lead Changes: 13 among 8 drivers. Lap Leaders: J. Logano 1-9;W. Byron 10-36;B. Keselowski 37;T. Reddick 38-40;W. Byron 41-185;D. Hamlin 186-195;K. Larson 196-220;W. Byron 221;A. Bowman 222-223;B. Keselowski 224-227;K. Larson 228-265;W. Byron 266;M. Truex Jr. 267-269;W. Byron 270-271. Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): William Byron 5 times for 176 laps; Kyle Larson 2 times for 63 laps; Denny Hamlin 1 time for 10 laps; Joey Logano 1 time for 9 laps; Brad Keselowski 2 times for 5 laps; Martin Truex Jr. 1 time for 3 laps; Tyler Reddick 1 time for 3 laps; Alex Bowman 1 time for 2 laps. Stage #1 Top Ten: 24,5,1,20,11,19,48,23,8,6 Stage #2 Top Ten: 24,5,48,19,20,23,1,11,6,4

LAS VEGAS -- Kyle Busch, the Las Vegas native who won the PALA Casino 400 at Auto Club Speedway last week, topped the charts for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series qualifying session and earned the victory hours later. Busch led the field to green and the checkered flag in the No. 51 Zariz Transport Chevrolet for Kyle Busch Motorsports after posting the top qualifying lap of 30.222 at 178.678 mph for the Victoria’s Voice 200 presented by Westgate Resorts, making the Las Vegas wheelman still eligible to sweep the weekend in his hometown. This win is his 63rd victory in 166 Craftsman Truck Series races and his fourth victory and seventh top-10 finish in seven races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Busch will start Saturday’s Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 300 outside of the top-10 qualifiers in eleventh, piloting the No. 10 LA Golf Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing. The first family of Las Vegas motorsports will add to the family legacy on Saturday, March 4th when Brexton Busch makes his West Coast Bandolero debut in the Bash at the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.