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From the NASCAR Wire Service / Reid Spencer Dramatic late pass lifts Austin Hill to NASCAR Xfinity win at Las Vegas LAS VEGAS — Austin Hill ran down rookie pole winner Chandler Smith from three seconds back, passed him as the cars approached the white flag and held on to win Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The victory was the second of the year for Hill, who won the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. The driver of the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet won for the first time at Las Vegas and for the fourth time in his career. Smith’s car tightened up in the closing laps, allowing both Hill and Justin Allgaier to pass him on the final two circuits. Hill finished .268 seconds ahead of Allgaier, who was closing on the final lap but ran out of time. Kyle Busch ran fourth in his first Xfinity Series start of the season and lost his chance to complete a Las Vegas triple. Busch won Friday night’s CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at LVMS and will compete in Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube NASCAR Cup Series event (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). “When the 16 (Smith) got by me (after a restart on Lap 98), I got really, really loose off of (Turn) 3,” said Hill, who led 19 laps and won Stage 2. “Almost wrecked it, saved it. The 16 got really far out. I just knew I had to not abuse the tires and try to methodically just work my way through traffic. The track was really tough today. Had a really thin line between (Turns) 3 and 4. If you missed it by—it seemed like a half of an inch—you paid for it through the whole lap. “That’s just really what I stuck to all race long, was just trying to be disciplined through 3 and 4… I saw the 16 struggling in traffic and my spotter Derek (Kneeland) was like, ‘Come on, baby. You can get it!’ I saw him get tight off of (Turn) 4 there, and I knew I painted the line perfectly. I knew if I could clear him down the frontstretch, I felt like once we had clean air, we could hold him off.” In a green flag run to the finish that lasted 103 laps, Smith took the lead from Busch on Lap 102 of 200, regained it on Lap 146 after a cycle of pit stops and held it until Hill powered to the front on Lap 199. “I just got a little tight there at the very end,” said Smith, who led 118 laps. “It is what it is. That’s a tough pill to swallow. There are some things I could have done inside before we started building tight. Getting by (lapped traffic)—we needed to have a bigger bumper. “All in all, I can’t be too disappointed. It’s my sixth (Xfinity) start, third start with Kaulig Racing. We had a really fast Quick Tie Products Camaro, and I just really appreciate (owner) Matt Kaulig, (team president) Chris Rice, everybody at Kaulig Racing for bringing me on board, believing in me. We’re going to win a few races this year, for sure.” LAS VEGAS, Nev.-- Kyle Busch, the Las Vegas native who won the PALA Casino 400 at Auto Club Speedway 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. John Hunter Nemechek won the first stage but lost track position when he had to pit on Lap 74 because of a loose wheel and never got back in contention for the win. Nemechek, who led 45 laps, finished sixth behind Hill, Allgaier, Smith, Busch and Josh Berry. “Probably one of the fastest cars—just didn’t execute,” Nemechek said. “It’s frustrating, but to come home sixth after a loose wheel, going to the back and driving back up through. Then pitting and going to the back. Just shows the speed, and we’ll have to go to Phoenix (next Saturday) and put it on them.” Sam Mayer, Riley Herbst, Sheldon Creed and Daniel Hemric completed the top 10. - NASCAR Wire Service - NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – Alsco Uniforms 300 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, Nevada Saturday, March 4, 2023 (9) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 200. (2) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 200. (1) Chandler Smith #, Chevrolet, 200. (11) Kyle Busch(i), Chevrolet, 200. (5) Josh Berry, Chevrolet, 200. (7) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 200. (13) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 200. (10) Riley Herbst, Ford, 200. (12) Sheldon Creed, Chevrolet, 200. (8) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, 200. (6) Parker Kligerman, Chevrolet, 200. (3) Cole Custer, Ford, 200. (15) Tyler Reddick(i), Toyota, 199. (24) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 199. (17) Joe Graf Jr., Toyota, 199. (26) Kyle Weatherman, Chevrolet, 199. (14) Sammy Smith #, Toyota, 199. (32) Alex Labbe, Ford, 199. (23) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 198. (22) Kyle Sieg, Ford, 198. (19) Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, 198. (4) Brett Moffitt, Ford, 198. (21) Kaz Grala, Toyota, 198. (18) Ryan Sieg, Ford, 197. (25) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 197. (16) Rajah Caruth(i), Chevrolet, 197. (36) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 197. (29) Bayley Currey, Chevrolet, 197. (35) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 197. (27) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 197. (31) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 196. (34) Gray Gaulding, Ford, 196. (33) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 196. (38) Patrick Emerling, Chevrolet, 194. (30) Blaine Perkins #, Chevrolet, 192. (28) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 187. (20) Parker Retzlaff #, Chevrolet, 186. (37) Joey Gase, Toyota, Fuel Pump, 156. Average Speed of Race Winner: 136.519 mph. Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 11 Mins, 51 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.268 Seconds. Caution Flags: 4 for 22 laps. Lead Changes: 14 among 8 drivers. Lap Leaders: C. Smith # 1-12;J. Allgaier 13-21;J. Nemechek 22-48;A. Hill 49-53;J. Nemechek 54-71;C. Smith # 72-85;A. Hill 86-97;K. Busch(i) 98-101;C. Smith # 102-140;J. Allgaier 141;S. Mayer 142;J. Berry 143-144;A. Alfredo 145;C. Smith # 146-198;A. Hill 199-200. Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Chandler Smith # 4 times for 118 laps; John Hunter Nemechek 2 times for 45 laps; Austin Hill 3 times for 19 laps; Justin Allgaier 2 times for 10 laps; Kyle Busch(i) 1 time for 4 laps; Josh Berry 1 time for 2 laps; Sam Mayer 1 time for 1 lap; Anthony Alfredo 1 time for 1 lap. Stage #1 Top Ten: 20,7,21,16,98,11,10,18,2,8 Stage #2 Top Ten: 21,9,10,1,18,16,98,00,25,2 See all of the latest from the NASCAR Xfinity Series: https://www.nascar.com/news/nascar-xfinity-series/

(photo credit @F1) The sun will set for a duel in the desert as the greatest drivers in the world will begin their quest to becoming a Formula One world champion. It has been 105 days since Max Verstappen has been crowned champion, while Red Bull has seemed to pull away in terms of development in the off season. Ferrari and Mercedes will be looking to rebound after disappointing campaigns. Aston Martin looks to be Miss Congenitally as the look to take the fight to McLaren at the top of the midfield. Like any new season, new faces in new places will be something to look at all season while an American looks to take Formula One by storm. A lot of questions will be answered by November but now, the adventure begins. Below is everything you need to know for the Bahrain Grand Prix. New Faces: - For the first time since Alexander Rossi in 2015, an American will make a start in Formula One as Logan Sargeant joins Williams in a full-time ride replacing the departing Nicholas Latifi. Sargeant has been climbing the open-wheel ladder as for the past year he drove for Carlin in FIA Formula 2. On July 4th weekend during the British Grand Prix weekend, he picked up his first win in Silverstone followed by his second win a week later in Austria. He would go on to finish fourth in the championship standings. As he drives for Williams, expectations will not be high for him but this places him in the Mercedes development ladder with a promising future. - Oscar Piastri replaces Daniel Riccardo in his seat at McLaren. Piastri is another driver from the Formula One ladder who shows amazing potential as he was the champion of the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2019. He was also the FIA Formula 3 and FIA Formula 2 champion in 2020 and 2021 respectively. In 2022, he was a test driver for Alpine and a reserve driver for McLaren towards season end. - Nyck de Vries replaces Pierre Gasly in the second entry for AlphaTauri in 2023. For de Vries, he was the 2020-2021 FIA Formula E world champion as well as the 2019 FIA Formula 2 champion. He made his first start in September of 2022 at the Italian Grand Prix for Williams last year. New Places: - Two-time FIA Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso left Alpine and replaced four-time FIA Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin. - Nico Hulkenberg replaces the departing Mick Schumacher at Hass for 2023. - Pierre Gasly replaced Fernando Alonso's vacant seat at Alpine for 2023. Event History: Formula One has held a race in every season since 2004 except 2011. The legendary Michael Schumacher took the victory that year. In 2010, the event was held on the endurance circuit and was never used again for any race under the FIA banner. Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Charles Leclerc are the only winners at the track that are currently active drivers. Ferrari and Mercedes are both tied with seven wins each and Hamilton has the most wins of any driver at five. Track Facts: The Bahrain International Circuit is a 3.363 mile road course that makes up fifteen turns. It includes three DRS zones with only two of them being followed by hard braking zones (Turns 1 and 4). Action zones will include turns one, four, eight, ten, thirteen, and fourteen as passing opportunities. 2022 Event: The last time F1 traveled to Bahrain was an absolute disaster for Team Red Bull as both drivers retired with powertrain issues in the final three laps of the event. The win went to Ferrari and Charles Leclerc as hopes were high the the Scuderia could challenge Red Bull in a championship fight but to no avail. Tire Choice: C1 -> C5 (Hardest to Softest) C1 = Hard White C2 = Medium Yellow C3 = Soft Red Teams will receive two sets of Hard tires, three sets of Medium tires, and eight sets of Soft tires. Opinion: As winter testing just wrapped up a few weeks ago in Bahrain, it did show us that Red Bull will still be a force to be reckoned with this weekend as the team believes they improved an already powerful engine and made it even better. Like last year the battle will come down to Ferrari and Red Bull with the Austrians seeming to have the edge in this bout. Ferrari in 2022 was brilliant in qualifying and made too many mistakes on race strategy. With a new team principal calling the shots for Ferrari and the no mistakes winter testing for Red Bull, it seems like the win will go to Verstappen this weekend. I would not write Verstappen as champion in stone but I would probably start making outlines in it. You can watch the Bahrain Grand Prix this Sunday at 8:55 A.M. CST on ESPN. For the first week of the season you can also catch the race for free on F1TV with access to timing and scoring and live driver camera and radio.

(Photo Credit: @INDYCAR) After what always feels like an eternity that is the time between the final lap at Laguna Seca to the time teams set up the paddock for the first weekend, another amazing season of the NTT INDYCAR Series is upon us as we get ready for another season opening weekend at St. Petersburg, Florida. Coming off what seemed to be a very tame off season, the series has a lot of new faces in new places. Two drivers that are primed for there very first championship at season's end. Sunday begins the seven month long journey before we will see who holds the Astor Cup in 2023. Below is everything you need to know for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg New Faces: - Sting Ray Robb replaces Takuma Sato in the No. 51 Honda at Dale Conye Racing in 2023. Last year, Robb finished second in the INDYCAR NXT championship standings and won the final race of the year at Laguna Seca. For DCR, the team now has the youngest stable of drivers in the INDYCAR paddock. - Marcus Armstrong replaces Seven-Time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson in the revamped No. 11 Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing. Although Armstrong is not a full-time driver in the No. 11. Armstrong is another touted rookie in the NTT INDYCAR Series as one of the best rookie drivers the series has seen in a long time. Armstrong finished 13th in the 2022 Formula 2 standings but picked up three wins in 2022. - Over the offseason, Juncos Hollinger Racing expanded to a two-car team in 2023 bringing in Agustin Canapino for a full time ride. A touring car champion in Argentina, Canapino has a venerated road racing career but it will be his first time in an open-wheel car. - Benjamin Peterson finished fifth in the 2022 INDYCAR NXT standings. Driving for A.J. Foyt Racing, he will replace the departing Dalton Kellett. New Places: - 2021 INDYCAR NXT Champion Kyle Kirkwood replaces the seat left by Alexander Rossi leaving Andretti Autosport. - 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi has moved to Arrow McLaren SP to run a third full-time team. - Santino Ferrucci will replace the departing Kyle Kirkwood in the No. 14 Chevrolet for A.J. Foyt Racing. Event History: While there has been racing in St. Petersburg, Florida since 1985, the series had been racing on the current layout of the Grand Prix course since 2003, back before the CART/IndyCar merger in 2008. The first win was taken by Forsythe Racing and Paul Tracy. After a hiatus in 2004, the series returned in 2005, and the event was won by Dan Wheldon. Scott McLaughlin won in 2022. There are four other active drivers who have won in South Florida, joining the Kiwi are Josef Newgarden, Colton Herta, Will Power, and Helio Castroneves, Track Facts: The Streets of St. Petersburg is a 1.8 mile, 14 turn street course that has 5 right turns and 9 left-hand turns that incorporates some downtown roads of St. Petersburg and a runway of the nearby Albert Whitted Airfield. That section of the runway is the widest part of the racetrack that also holds the pits and paddock area for teams to use. This track has three main passing opportunities. A heavy braking zone into turn one, where a driver can start a pass and complete it as they exit the turns one and two right-left switchbacks. Coming out of two, there is a kink that is listed as turn three, but the next main opportunity to pass is the heavy braking zone of turn four, a sharp 90-degree right-hand corner which leads into the more technical and tight turns five through nine. Coming out of turn nine leads you on to the longest section of the course, which leads to the third hard-braking zone of turn ten. After that, the course leads on to Dan Wheldon Way (Turns 11,12, and 13), which leads into a carousel of turns thirteen and fourteen, which completes a lap at St. Petersburg. 2022 Event: Scott McLaughlin led the field to green for the 2022 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Under the initial start, Will Power fell beck to third before turn one as Colton Herta took the outside through turn one, although McLaughlin was able to clear him exiting turn two and was able to take a commanding lead. Although, McLaughlin lost the lead due to pit cycles, he was able to hold off the defending series champion of Alex Palou in order to pick up his first win in his young INDYCAR career. Opinion: Every time the series has an opening race the past few years, it always seems like the championship can be decided even though there is such a long season ahead of us. You can point back to last year as Josef Newgarden had finished second in championship standings in 2022 but you can look back for the past two years as poor results in the opening rounds were certainly a factor in Newgarden coming up short in the championship hunt. I can predict that this trend is going to continue in this year's race as well as one of the championship favorites will struggle and be unable to rebound by the end of the year. It is also a race that produces a head turning performance for one driver. In the past two years, this race has elevated Colton Herta and Scott McLaughlin into favorites every single week since those races. With a rookie like Marcus Armstrong and second-year drivers like David Malukas and Kyle Kirkwood poised for breakout performances, it could be a very exciting weekend. For the winner of the 2023 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, I am choosing Scott McLaughlin to go back-to-back. You can watch the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, March 5th at Noon EST on your local NBC station.

LAS VEGAS, NV–Chandler Smith, driver of the No. 16 Quick Tie Products Inc. Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing won the Pole Award for the Alsco Uniforms 300 with a lap of 29.489 seconds and 183.119 mph at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This is his first pole in six NASCAR Xfinity Series races and he was the fastest qualifying rookie. Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 7 BRANDT Chevrolet for JR Motorsports will roll off second after posting his third top-10 start of 2023 and his 12th in 18 races at LVMS. The Alsco Uniforms 300 airs Saturday, March 4 at 1:30p.m. ET on FS1. Top 10 Starting lineup for Saturday’s Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 300: 1 Chandler Smith 16 2 Justin Allgaier 7 3 Cole Custer 00 4 Brett Moffitt 25 5 Josh Berry 8 6 Parker Kligerman 48 7 J.H. Nemecheck 20 8 Daniel Hemric 11 9 Austin Hill 21 10 Riley Herbst 98

(Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) Kyle Busch gets milestone NASCAR Cup victory in Fontana finale February 26, 2023 By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service FONTANA, Calif. – The Kyle Busch era at Richard Childress Racing began three weeks ago at the Los Angeles Coliseum, but the coronation was reserved for Sunday’s Pala Casino 400 in the last NASCAR Cup Series race at 2.0-mile Auto Club Speedway. Busch grabbed the lead from Ross Chastain on Lap 165 and regained it on Lap 180 at the end of a cycle of green-flag pit stops, as the race ran under green for the final 55 laps. He crossed the finish line on Lap 200 with a 2.998-second advantage over runner-up Chase Elliott. The victory was the 61st of Busch’s career, most among active drivers and ninth all-time. For the 19th straight season, Busch has won at least one NASCAR Cup Series race, breaking a tie with seven-time champion Richard Petty for the series record. Kyle and Kurt Busch now hold the record for most combined Cup victories by brothers with 95, one more than the total accumulated by Bobby and Donnie Allison. Coincidentally, Busch claimed the first Cup win of his career at Auto Club, the bulk of whose property was recently sold—with plans to replace the 2.0-mile speedway with a half-mile short track. Busch’s victory at Auto Club came in his second start in the No. 8 Chevrolet for RCR, the team he joined after 15 seasons and two series championships with Joe Gibbs Racing. “I can’t thank Richard and Judy (Childress) enough, Austin (Dillon) for calling me and getting me talking and getting me the opportunity to come over here to RCR,” said Busch, who had to overcome a pit road speeding penalty under caution on Lap 43. “The guys did a great job. (Crew chief) Randall (Burnett)—everybody that worked so hard in the offseason. We did a lot of sim stuff, a lot of testing in general, just trying to get up to speed. There is nothing more rewarding than being able to go to Victory Lane… “You put yourself in a different situation and you’re able to reward your guys. It’s not about me always winning, but about the guys. I’ve worked with a lot of great people who’ve given me a lot of great opportunities in my career. It’s awesome to be able to reward them.” With qualifying rained out on Saturday, Elliott started 31st according to a metric formula based on owner points and performance in the previous race (the DAYTONA 500). Throughout the race, Elliott’s crew made the No. 9 Chevrolet better. By race’s end, it was competitive with the fastest cars in the field. “Yeah, just really proud of our team,” Elliott said. “We obviously didn't run very good there toward the end of the year last year, and just everybody really went to work hard over the winter to try and get better… “Obviously, I think we still have some work to do, but it was really nice to just see a lot of that hard work pay off and have the car driving like we were wanting it to do. So that's always a good thing… “Congratulations to Kyle. For him to leave and then to go get the job done like that is pretty cool. He's always been really good to me, so happy for them and looking forward to getting to Vegas and hopefully competing for some more wins.” Chastain led a race-high 91 laps to Busch’s 27 and finished third after sweeping the first two stages, the second by 6.673 seconds. Chastain’s Trackhouse Racing teammate, Daniel Suárez ran fourth, followed by Kevin Harvick. Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon and Joey Logano completed the top 10. A multicar accident during a restart on Lap 86 eliminated polesitter Christopher Bell, as well as Ryan Preece, Aric Almirola and Tyler Reddick. Ryan Blaney, who ran at or near the front of the field in Stage 1, sustained heavy damage to his No. 12 Ford during the wreck and finished 26th. John Hunter Nemechek rides to victory in last race at Auto Club Speedway After the sun set on Auto Club Speedway, John Hunter Nemechek drove his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to victory in Sunday’s Production Alliance Group 300 in the final race at the 2.0-mile track. It wasn’t supposed to be that way. The NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers were scheduled to race on Saturday, leaving the speedway’s swan song to the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday, but rain and snow—yes, snow in Southern California’s Inland Empire—forced postponement of the race until Sunday. And after Kyle Busch won the Cup race, Nemechek, who drove for Busch in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series last year, took the checkered flag in his first full-time stint in the JGR Supra. “Man, this whole 20 team gave me one heck of a race car,” said Nemechek, who took the lead for the last time after a restart on Lap 139 of 150. “Just a huge shout-out to all the guys who work on this 20 team. “I think a lot of guys doubted (crew chief) Ben (Beshore) coming down from the Cup Series, and to have him on the box and to be able to establish the relationship I have with him, it’s been awesome. I’ve worked with a lot of the guys on the team the last couple of years, and the pit crew—they got it done when it counted tonight.” Nemechek, who finished second by a matter of inches in the NASCAR Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona, led a race-high 49 laps and finished .761 seconds ahead of runner-up Sam Mayer. The Xfinity Series win was the third of his career, and it came at the track where his father, Joe Nemechek, won the first Cup pole of his career and the first-ever pole at the venue. Justin Allgaier ran third, followed by Chandler Smith. Josh Berry was fifth, joining JR Motorsports teammates Mayer and Allgaier in the top five. Mayer chased Nemechek for the final 12 laps but couldn’t get close enough to make a move for the win. “I’m super proud of my team,” Mayer said. “We struggled early on, that’s for sure. We had our work cut out for us, but we threw the kitchen sink at it, and we ended up second. All things considered, I’m really happy and really proud of these guys.” Cole Custer may have had the fastest car in the race. The driver of the No. 00 Stewart-Haas Ford, the defending race winner, swept the first two stages and led twice for 46 laps. But after a Lap 91 restart, Custer hit the outside wall on the backstretch, thanks to a flat tire, and sustained further damage when the Chevrolet of Austin Dillon couldn’t avoid Custer’s wounded car.. Custer finished 27th, one lap down. NASCAR Cup Series Race - Pala Casino 400 Auto Club Speedway Fontana, California Sunday, February 26, 2023 1. (21) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 200. 2. (33) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 200. 3. (8) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 200. 4. (7) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 200. 5. (10) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 200. 6. (13) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 200. 7. (16) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 200. 8. (4) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 200. 9. (28) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 200. 10. (3) Joey Logano, Ford, 200. 11. (14) Martin Truex Jr, Toyota, 200. 12. (2) Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Chevrolet, 200. 13. (5) Chris Buescher, Ford, 200. 14. (12) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet, 200. 15. (24) Harrison Burton, Ford, 200. 16. (23) Ty Gibbs #, Toyota, 200. 17. (25) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 200. 18. (26) Michael McDowell, Ford, 200. 19. (34) Erik Jones, Chevrolet, 200. 20. (31) Chase Briscoe, Ford, 200. 21. (29) Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 199. 22. (20) Noah Gragson #, Chevrolet, 199. 23. (22) JJ Yeley, Ford, 199. 24. (30) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 199. 25. (32) William Byron, Chevrolet, 198. 26. (9) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 196. 27. (11) Cody Ware, Ford, 195. 28. (19) Austin Cindric, Ford, 194. 29. (15) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 185. 30. (18) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, Engine, 172. 31. (36) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, Engine, 140. 32. (1) Christopher Bell, Toyota, Accident, 88. 33. (27) Ryan Preece, Ford, Accident, 87. 34. (35) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, Accident, 87. 35. (17) Aric Almirola, Ford, Accident, 86. 36. (6) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, Accident, 75. Average Speed of Race Winner: 127.603 mph. Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 8 Mins, 5 Secs. Margin of Victory: 2.998 Seconds. Caution Flags: 8 for 38 laps. Lead Changes: 28 among 13 drivers. Lap Leaders: C. Bell 1;A. Bowman 2-17;R. Chastain 18-27;J. Logano 28-29;R. Blaney 30-42;J. Logano 43;R. Blaney 44-46;R. Chastain 47-67;A. Bowman 68;R. Chastain 69-72;D. Hamlin 73-74;J. Logano 75-76;A. Dillon 77-79;N. Gragson # 80;J. Logano 81-92;D. Hamlin 93-97;R. Chastain 98-132;J. Logano 133;K. Harvick 134-137;K. Busch 138-141;J. Logano 142;K. Busch 143-144;K. Harvick 145;R. Chastain 146-166;C. Elliott 167;D. Hamlin 168-171;B. Keselowski 172-173;M. McDowell 174-179;K. Busch 180-200. Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Ross Chastain 5 times for 91 laps; Kyle Busch 3 times for 27 laps; Joey Logano 6 times for 19 laps; Alex Bowman 2 times for 17 laps; Ryan Blaney 2 times for 16 laps; Denny Hamlin 3 times for 11 laps; Michael McDowell 1 time for 6 laps; Kevin Harvick 2 times for 5 laps; Austin Dillon 1 time for 3 laps; Brad Keselowski 1 time for 2 laps; Chase Elliott 1 time for 1 lap; Noah Gragson # 1 time for 1 lap; Christopher Bell 1 time for 1 lap. Stage #1 Top Ten: 1,12,99,48,11,24,22,4,19,9 Stage #2 Top Ten: 1,8,22,4,99,11,9,48,6,7 NASCAR Xfinity Series Race - Production Alliance Group 300 Auto Club Speedway Fontana, California Saturday, February 25, 2023 1. (2) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 150. 2. (22) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 150. 3. (3) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 150. 4. (5) Chandler Smith #, Chevrolet, 150. 5. (19) Josh Berry, Chevrolet, 150. 6. (1) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 150. 7. (6) Riley Herbst, Ford, 150. 8. (15) Austin Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 150. 9. (25) Brett Moffitt, Ford, 150. 10. (23) Parker Kligerman, Chevrolet, 150. 11. (14) Joe Graf Jr., Toyota, 150. 12. (35) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, 150. 13. (29) Kaz Grala, Toyota, 150. 14. (16) Ryan Sieg, Ford, 150. 15. (18) Kyle Sieg, Ford, 150. 16. (9) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 150. 17. (17) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 150. 18. (11) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 150. 19. (13) Sammy Smith #, Toyota, 150. 20. (4) Parker Retzlaff #, Chevrolet, 150. 21. (20) Rajah Caruth(i), Chevrolet, 150. 22. (7) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 150. 23. (31) Sheldon Creed, Chevrolet, 150. 24. (38) Ross Chastain(i), Chevrolet, 150. 25. (30) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 150. 26. (26) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 150. 27. (8) Cole Custer, Ford, 149. 28. (28) Alex Labbe, Ford, 149. 29. (34) Joey Gase, Toyota, 149. 30. (36) Bayley Currey, Chevrolet, 149. 31. (33) Blaine Perkins #, Chevrolet, 149. 32. (37) Timmy Hill(i), Ford, 149. 33. (10) Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, 149. 34. (32) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 149. 35. (21) David Starr, Chevrolet, 148. 36. (24) Tyler Reddick(i), Toyota, 148. 37. (27) CJ McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 147. 38. (12) Gray Gaulding, Ford, Accident, 26. Average Speed of Race Winner: 115.471 mph. Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 35 Mins, 53 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.761 Seconds. Caution Flags: 10 for 41 laps. Lead Changes: 23 among 9 drivers. Lap Leaders: J. Nemechek 1-20;A. Hill 21-24;C. Custer 25-38;J. Allgaier 39-41;C. Custer 42-73;J. Berry 74-75;S. Smith # 76-83;J. Berry 84;S. Smith # 85;S. Creed 86-95;C. Smith # 96;S. Creed 97;J. Nemechek 98-99;S. Smith # 100;J. Nemechek 101-107;S. Smith # 108-109;J. Nemechek 110-116;S. Smith # 117-118;A. Dillon(i) 119-128;J. Nemechek 129;S. Creed 130-133;J. Allgaier 134-138;J. Nemechek 139-150. Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): John Hunter Nemechek 6 times for 49 laps; Cole Custer 2 times for 46 laps; Sheldon Creed 3 times for 15 laps; Sammy Smith # 5 times for 14 laps; Austin Dillon(i) 1 time for 10 laps; Justin Allgaier 2 times for 8 laps; Austin Hill 1 time for 4 laps; Josh Berry 2 times for 3 laps; Chandler Smith # 1 time for 1 lap. Stage #1 Top Ten: 00,21,16,11,98,2,25,10,20,48 Stage #2 Top Ten: 00,20,18,10,48,7,1,2,98,16

Press Release | TOYOTA RACING FONTANA, Calif. (February 26, 2023) – Denny Hamlin (sixth) led Toyota with a top-10 finish at Auto Club Speedway on Sunday afternoon. Toyota Post-Race Recap NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Auto Club Speedway Race 2 of 36 – 400 miles, 200 laps TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS 1st, Kyle Busch* 2nd, Chase Elliott* 3rd, Ross Chastain* 4th, Daniel Suarez* 5th, Kevin Harvick* 6th, DENNY HAMLIN 11th, MARTIN TRUEX JR. 16th, TY GIBBS 30th, BUBBA WALLACE 32nd, CHRISTOPHER BELL 34th, TYLER REDDICK *non-Toyota driver TOYOTA QUOTES DENNY HAMLIN , No. 11 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 6th How was your run at the last race on the two-mile track here in California? “Yeah, such a great race track – such a fun track. Wish we had a little more speed overall with our Sport Clips Camry, but still a solid day. I thought our balance was pretty good, just needed a little speed there and I thought we would be there in contention. I felt like we were a third-place car or so, so we just came up a little short of that. A decent day.” CHRISTOPHER BELL , No. 20 Sirius XM Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 32nd What happened out there? “Yeah, just the same thing that everybody already said – you can’t see what’s going on. You are just going off the guy in front of you and all of sudden he slows down and I got into him, and other guys got into me.” TYLER REDDICK , No. 45 The Beast Unleashed Toyota Camry TRD, 23XI Racing Finishing Position: 34th How did you see that restart unfold? “I saw it stacked up pretty bad. I saw the car behind me kind of laid off to get a really big run, so I kind of elected to make the decision to go to the bottom and get around it. Unfortunately, I think Ryan (Blaney) had the same idea. We just got collected and went through the grass and the right front of The Beast Unleashed Toyota Camry TRD was broke. Unfortunate end to my Cup racing career at this two-mile track, but thankfully I’ve got one more shot later on with GearWrench and Sam Hunt Racing in the Xfinity car.”

Press Release | TOYOTA RACING CHRISTOPHER BELL , No. 20 Sirius XM Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 32nd What happened out there? “Yeah, just the same thing that everybody already said – you can’t see what’s going on. You are just going off the guy in front of you and all of sudden he slows down and I got into him, and other guys got into me.” TYLER REDDICK , No. 45 The Beast Unleashed Toyota Camry TRD, 23XI Racing Finishing Position: 34th How did you see that restart unfold? “I saw it stacked up pretty bad. I saw the car behind me kind of laid off to get a really big run, so I kind of elected to make the decision to go to the bottom and get around it. Unfortunately, I think Ryan (Blaney) had the same idea. We just got collected and went through the grass and the right front of The Beast Unleashed Toyota Camry TRD was broke. Unfortunate end to my Cup racing career at this two-mile track, but thankfully I’ve got one more shot later on with GearWrench and Sam Hunt Racing in the Xfinity car.”

Press Release | TRANS AM SEBRING, Fla. (February 26, 2023) ― Matthew Brabham continued his streak of podium finishes in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s season-opening race at the historic Sebring International Raceway. After mechanical failures struck defending champion Chris Dyson and polesitter Justin Marks, Brabham cruised to victory in the No. 20 Gym Weed Ford Mustang, earning his fourth win in just six Trans Am starts. Marks led the field to green in his No. 99 Trackhouse Chevrolet Camaro, showing incredible speed through the first half of the 27-lap event. Brabham ran hot on Marks’ tail, periodically challenging for the lead but unable to complete the pass, followed by CD Racing owner Dyson, 2002 champion Boris Said and CD Racing teammate Adam Andretti. Disaster struck Dyson when his No. 16 Gym Weed Mustang lost power on Lap 14, bringing out a full-course yellow. Said’s No. 79 ECC/Anchor Bolt & Screw Dodge Challenger was damaged when he made contact with Dyson’s car as it suddenly slowed in front of him, forcing Said to also visit pit road. On the restart just three laps later, Marks experienced his own power failure, leading to his retirement from the race. Once Brabham took over the lead, he maintained it for the remaining 10 laps. Andretti followed closely in the No. 21 allgram Ford Mustang, and the two paced the field until the checkered flag waved, earning CD Racing a 1-2 finish. Keith Grant in the No. 40 Showtime Motorsports Camaro rounded out the podium. “This was an unbelievable weekend,” said Brabham on the podium. “Chris [Dyson] was really fast in the race, and Justin [Marks] was too, but they had issues. This track is just really hard on the cars. I was fortunate, and sharing the podium with these guys is so cool, especially having Adam [Andretti] here. Hearing the names Brabham and Andretti at a track like this with so much history, in a series with so much history, is pretty cool. Trans Am is just unbelievable; it’s so much fun. Thank you to Chris and the team. They deserved a 1-2 finish and I’m so happy to get it for those guys. We made it to the end and survived. Thank you so much to Gym Weed and allgram for supporting our team.” Notes of Interest: In his six starts in the Trans Am Series, Matthew Brabham has accrued an average finish of 1.3, winning four of the six races he has competed in. His worst finish in the series is second. TA Top Five: 1. Matthew Brabham, No. 20 Gym Weed Ford Mustang 2. Adam Andretti, No. 21 allgram Ford Mustang 3. Keith Grant, No. 40 Showtime Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro 4. Ken Thwaits, No. 7 Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro 5. Tomy Drissi, No. 8 Lucas Oil Ford Mustang TA Masters Award: Ken Thwaits, No. 7 Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro COOLSHIRT Cool Move of the Race: Keith Grant, No. 40 Showtime Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro In XGT, Danny Lowry led from start to finish in his No. 42 BridgeHaul/Bennett Mercedes AMG GT3, with Nathan Byrd close behind. Randy Hale struggled against mechanical issues the entire race, crossing the finish line third in class. “I had a great race, I had a great car, and I had a lot of fun competing with these guys today,” said Lowry. “Young Nathan [Byrd] right here was eating my bumper up most of the time, and I think his tires went before mine did. He’s one hell of a racecar driver. I’m hoping we see him out here all year long. Thank you to the Bennett Family of Companies and BridgeHaul.” XGT Results: 1. Danny Lowry, No. 42 BridgeHaul/Bennett Mercedes AMG GT3 2. Nathan Byrd, No. 88 Sonesta/Tilson/Hopegivers Porsche 911 GT3 3. Randy Hale, No. 31 Hale Motorsports/Marsh Racing Chevrolet Corvette XGT Masters Award: Danny Lowry, No. 42 BridgeHaul/Bennett Mercedes AMG GT3 SGT was a race of attrition, with both Kaylee Bryson and Aaron Pierce suffering mechanical issues early in the race. Florida native Lee Saunders carried the torch for the class for the remainder of the race and took the win. “It was obviously really hot out there today,” said Saunders. “Unfortunately, Aaron [Pierce] and Kaylee [Bryson] couldn’t finish; they were really doing well. I hate that for them and wanted to see them out there, obviously. Thank you to my team, and thanks to Trans Am for putting on a great race.” SGT Results: 1. Lee Saunders, No. 44 LandSearch LLC Dodge Viper 2. Kaylee Bryson, No. 26 AP Driver Development/LSI Racing Chevrolet Corvette 3. Aaron Pierce, No. 02 Logical Systems Inc./Sam Pierce Chevrolet Corvette Tyler Hoffman, filling in for Mike Attaway, led from green flag to checkers to claim the victory in GT. Billy Griffin was ahead of Chris Coffey until the final lap when he experienced a mechanical failure, losing the second position in the closing moments of the race. “Thank you very much, it was a blast out there,” said Hoffman. “Thank you to Mike Attaway for the privilege to drive his car. Unfortunately, he got sick and asked me to fill in for him. It’s a privilege and an honor to be up here racing with these guys.” GT Results: 1. Tyler Hoffman, No. 91 Bennett/BridgeHaul/Pitboxes.com Audi R8 2. Chris Coffey, No. 97 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GTA 3. Billy Griffin, No. 14 Griffin Auto Care/Sheehan’s Towing Ford Mustang TAH: Wally Dallenbach put on an impressive show in his Trans Am Heritage car, finishing fifth overall, duking it out with Ken Thwaits and earning the win for his class. TAH Results: 1. Wally Dallenbach, No. 4 Ultimate Headers Ford Mustang Full official race results can be found here. The broadcast of today’s race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, March 2 at 9:00 p.m. ET. The Trans Am Series returns to the track March 9-12 at NOLA Motorsports Park.

Press Release | AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY FONTANA, Calif. (Feb. 26, 2023) – NASCAR’s 75th Anniversary season is off to a sold-out start. Auto Club Speedway announced that today’s Pala Casino 400 is officially sold out. It marks the second sellout in as many weeks for the NASCAR Cup Series, which began with a capacity crowd for the 65th running of the DAYTONA 500 last week. “This is proof positive that support for NASCAR racing in Southern California is alive and well,” said Auto Club Speedway President Dave Allen. “From our campers who lined up to park on Thursday to the fans who visited us at the box office this morning, we’ve seen nothing but an amazing show of support. We’re grateful for the opportunity to provide them a day to remember at this 2-mile oval." Sunday’s Pala Casino 400 marks the final NASCAR Cup Series race on Auto Club Speedway’s historic surface, and will be followed by the NASCAR Xfinity Series' Production Alliance Group 300, which was postponed due to inclement weather Saturday afternoon. This doubleheader ends an era of incredible high-speed racing that began here in 1997. Some of NASCAR’s most legendary drivers have won races on its wide, sweeping surface, which features five distinct lanes of racing beneath majestic snow-capped peaks. In the future, they will tower over a proposed state-of-the-art NASCAR short track planned for a portion of the existing site, pending approval. More details will be shared in the weeks and months ahead. But first comes today’s Pala Casino 400, featuring a final five-wide salute led by Honorary Pace Car Driver Alfonso Ribeiro. The green flag flies shortly after 12:30 p.m. PST. Fans looking to buy or sell reserved seats for the Pala Casino 400 should visit the Official Ticket Marketplace of NASCAR,  SeatGeek . For more information on Pala Casino 400 tickets on SeatGeek, visit here . NASCAR fans are also encouraged to keep the momentum going as NASCAR’s West Coast Swing continues. The NASCAR Cup Series rolls into Las Vegas next week for the Pennzoil 400 weekend, then heads to Phoenix Raceway the following week for the United Rentals Work United 500 weekend. Tickets are available at nascar.com/tickets .

Press Release | TRANS AM SEBRING, Fla. (February 25, 2023) – Practice and qualifying are in the books for the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli at Sebring International Raceway. Justin Marks opened his first full-time Trans Am season with the Motul Pole Award, laying down a lap time of 1:58.972 in his No. 99 Trackhouse Chevrolet Camaro. Marks scored a pole in his last TA appearance at Watkins Glen International in 2022, going on to win the race. “This is a brand-new car that we’re just starting to develop right now, so we’re doing a lot of hard work and kind of understanding what this new car needs out of this setup,” said Marks. “We made some really good progress. Unfortunately, we lost our first practice session this weekend, so we’re kind of playing from behind a bit, but we made all the right changes for qualifying and just put a lap together. It was good to reward the guys’ hard work with a pole.” TA Qualifying Top Five: 1. Justin Marks, No. 99 Trackhouse Chevrolet Camaro (1:58.972) 2. Paul Menard, No. 2 Weaver Racing/Technique Dodge Challenger (1:59.097) 3. Chris Dyson, No. 16 Gym Weed Ford Mustang (1:59.355) 4. Matthew Brabham, No. 20 Gym Weed Ford Mustang (2:00.015) 5. Keith Grant, No. 40 Showtime Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro (2:00.492) XGT Qualifying: 1. Nathan Byrd, No. 88 Sonesta/Tilson/Hopegivers Porsche 911 GT3 (2:07.483) 2. Danny Lowry, No. 42 BridgeHaul/Bennett Mercedes AMG GT3 (2:09.865) 3. Randy Hale, No. 31 Hale Motorsports/Marsh Racing Chevrolet Corvette (2:23.567) SGT Qualifying: 1. Lee Saunders, No. 44 LandSearch LLC Dodge Viper (2:12.420) 2. Aaron Pierce, No. 02 Logistical Systems Inc./Sam Pierce Chevrolet Corvette (2:14.280) 3. Kaylee Bryson, No. 26 AP Driver Development/LSI Racing Chevrolet Corvette (2:21.097) GT Qualifying: 1. Tyler Hoffman, No. 91 Bennett/BridgeHaul/Pitboxes.com Audi R8 (2:13.787) 2. Chris Coffee, No. 26 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GTA (2:16.062) 3. Billy Griffin, No. 14 Griffin Auto Care/Sheehan’s Towing Ford Mustang (2:16.611) TAH Qualifying: 1. Wally Dallenbach, No. 4 Ultimate Headers Ford Mustang (2:04.801) Full official qualifying results can be found here . TA Practice Top Five: 1. Matthew Brabham, No. 20 Gym Weed Ford Mustang (1:59:194) 2. Chris Dyson, No. 16 Gym Weed Ford Mustang (1:59.595) 3. Justin Marks, No. 99 Trackhouse Chevrolet Camaro (2:00.504) 4. Paul Menard, No. 2 Weaver Racing/Technique Dodge Challenger (2:00.361) 5. Tomy Drissi, No. 8 Lucas Oil Ford Mustang (2:01.222) XGT Practice: 1. Danny Lowry, No. 42 BridgeHaul/Bennett Mercedes AMG GT3 (2:09.216) 2. Randy Hale, No. 31 Hale Motorsports/Marsh Racing Chevrolet Corvette (2:17.920) SGT Practice: 1. Aaron Pierce, No. 02 Logistical Systems Inc./Sam Pierce Chevrolet Corvette (2:12.160) 2. Lee Saunders, No. 44 LandSearch LLC Dodge Viper (2:14.009) 3. Kaylee Bryson, No. 26 AP Driver Development/LSI Racing Chevrolet Corvette (2:41.084) GT Practice: 1. Tyler Hoffman, No. 91 Bennett/BridgeHaul/Pitboxes.com Audi R8 (2:14.786) 2. Billy Griffin, No. 14 Griffin Auto Care/Sheehan’s Towing Ford Mustang (2:17.114) 3. Chris Coffee, No. 26 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GTA (2:19.831) Full practice results can be found here. The TA/XGT/SGT/GT race will be contested on Sunday, February 26 at 1:10 p.m. ET and will be streamed live at the links below. The TV broadcast of the race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, March 2 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Press Release | TRANS AM, TA2 SEBRING, Fla. (February 25, 2023) ― Rafa Matos experienced redemption at the 2023 Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series season opener at Sebring International Raceway. After ending 2022 with a heartbreaking loss of the championship, he opened up the new year by crossing the finish line first in his No. 88 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang, earning his third-career win at the historic Florida track. After winning the pole in yesterday’s qualifying session, Connor Mosack brought the field to green in his No. 28 Open Eyes/SLR-M1 Race Cars Ford Mustang. While he was being chased by the two Peterson Racing cars of Austin Green and Matos, Mosack appeared untouchable, leading the first 19 laps of the 27-lap event. Unfortunately, Mosack experienced wheel hop and got loose following a restart, allowing Green to take the lead in his No. 89 3-Dimensional Services Group Mustang. As Mosack dropped to third, Matos followed closely behind his teammate until the opportunity struck on the next lap to make the pass for the lead. Just one lap later, with Matos in the lead, two competitors made hard contact in Turn 16, requiring extensive cleanup. With too much cleanup before the laps wound down, Matos received the checkered flag under yellow conditions, claiming his third season-opening win at the track. “Yeah baby!” exclaimed Matos in Victory Lane. “Losing the championship last year in the last race and on a tiebreaker was pretty disappointing for our team, and we had a lot of time to think about it. The 3-Dimensional Services Group team did a fantastic job building four brand-new race cars over the off-season; the cars are very fast. I’m very proud of every single member of the team, and very proud of [team owner] Doug Peterson. I want to thank every person that supported us, directly and indirectly, and my family, especially my wife and daughter. I’m just a happy camper right now.” Notes of Interest: In his five-career Trans Am starts at Sebring International Raceway, Rafa Matos has never finished worse than third, and has an average finish of 1.8. Three Peterson Racing cars were on the podium, with Matos and Green taking first and second, and team owner Doug Peterson finishing top of the Masters competitors. Top Five: 1. Rafa Matos, No. 88 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang 2. Austin Green, No. 89 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang 3. Connor Mosack, No. 28 Open Eyes/SLR-M1 Race Cars Ford Mustang 4. Brent Crews, No. 70 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang 5. Evan Slater, No. 6 Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro TA2 Masters Award: Doug Peterson, No. 87 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang TA2 Pro/Am Winner Doug Winston, No. 98 Bring Back The Trades/D&M Electric Ford Mustang COOLSHIRT Cool Move of the Race: Rafa Matos, No. 88 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang Omologato Watches Fastest Lap of the Race: Rafa Matos, No. 88 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang Full official race results can be found here . The broadcast of today’s race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, March 2 at 8:00 p.m. ET. The Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series returns to the track March 9-12 at NOLA Motorsports Park.

Fontana, California - by Tyler Lawler The off-season was as long, dark, and dismal for some drivers as the weather has been in Southern California over the last week. We saw drivers lose rides, others retire, and a headline showcased two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch rotate from top Toyota personality to Chevy's next-gen 'Man-in-Black'. Many critics questioned over the last several months if the switch to Richard Childress Racing and a revolving list of b-class sponsors was the death rattle on Busch's career. Since the Clash in LA, he's proven each week just the opposite. **Rewind to last Sunday in Daytona. Kyle Busch was leading on the 200th lap, a feat he had never accomplished in his 19 season career. He overcame a pit road speeding penalty and made it to the front in the final stage. A late caution interfered with him and ally Austin Dillon totally stealing the show. Their teamwork and horsepower, though, was certainly showcased. ** Kyle wasn't able to win his prestige events starting the year. He went winless at the Clash, his Duel, and the 500, but the speed continued. Entering the final race at beloved Auto Club Speedway 2.0 mile configuration, media and fans reminisced all week about their favourite memories from Penske's dream property. Busch, now with over 200 career national victories in NASCAR, and 60+ in the cup series earned his first ever premier victory in nothing other than a Chevrolet at Auto Club in 2004. Like many others in the field, he knew in his heart that he had no choice but to go out on top before the track was nuked. Listening to the radio through the race, Busch's energy and interaction with his crew was poised, polished, and proper. A driver known to be crisp and tough when things don't result in success, he was respectful in his wording when challenging his 2nd pit road speeding penalty of the season. The penalty put the #8 Lucas Lubricants Chevrolet Camaro team a full lap down. Even with the now tenured 'Lucky Dog' rule in effect, overcoming a lap on tracks longer than 1.5 miles have proven to be nearly impossible. He did earn it back, though. He was calm and consistent and drove his way to the front by the end of the second stage, finishing second to Ross Chastain. Chastain led the most laps and some in all three of the stages. The final portion of the race was glue. Everything the stuck. The car tires stuck in the turns, the team's game plan didn't need to evolve. Crew chief Randall Burnett called a great game and 'Wild Thing' Rowdy-Busch claimed his first victory in a Chevrolet since the 2000's. With the victory, he earned his 61st overall premier series win and passed NASCAR Hall-of-Famer Richard Petty's consecutive seasons with a victory, now at 19 years running. Kyle's joy and confidence in his post race interview was youthful. He reminded us of the young gun many fans loved, but still sprinkled in a little bit of the monster some fans have grown to hate. He's witty, and he plays the game. A quick blunder did take place when he nearly called his CAMARO a CAMRY, but he fixed it with a smile and as they say in the book of Genesis...all was well. Kyle Busch is back. And he's back big.

Press Release | 23XI CORONA, Calif., Feb. 24, 2023 -- The Beast has been Unleashed! Monster Brewing and 23XI Racing have unveiled the very first look at The Beast Unleashed paint scheme, set to adorn the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD for a number of races during the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season. Tyler Reddick, who will pilot the savage new look Toyota, was among those gathered at a special unveiling event today at Monster's global HQ in Corona, CA, ahead of the Beast's track debut this weekend at Fontana's Auto Club Speedway. "This is all really cool," said a beaming Reddick. "I love the time and effort that I put into my racing and there are definitely times after a really long day that it's nice to crack open a cold one, and now I can do that with The Beast Unleashed. That's awesome. As of now, my favorite flavor to start is Mean Green, and I'm looking forward to trying out the other flavors. "And now I get to debut The Beast this weekend at Fontana here in California. With the race being in such close proximity to Monster's Global HQ, It worked out to where we got to unveil the Beast scheme here today before getting on-track this weekend... Really cool to unveil the scheme with all the employees today." Making a surprise appearance alongside him was the legendary Kurt Busch, as he handed over the reins of the #45 to the young Reddick. "We got the right kid, we got the right guy," said Busch. "Tyler is an excellent talent. There are those little things that make a big difference in racing and I want to continue to help Tyler hone his skills. To me, Tyler Reddick is like a young Kyle Larson where he has that dirt racing background where when they drop the green, he goes at it 101 percent. I'm there to try and provide him those veteran key points sooner rather than later. Denny Hamlin knows talent, he found Reddick and we're going to make him a superstar." 23XI Racing Team Owner Denny Hamlin added: "We went after Tyler. No question. I mean he's a franchise talent in my mind. He won three races last year and he can win everywhere. He's so well rounded that I just believe he's going to carry this franchise into the next decade and beyond. We plan on being around for a long time and there are going to be a lot of races and championships won with this No. 45 car." Also present at the unveiling was Renold Aparicio, VP of Monster Equity Brands at Monster Brewing. "I'd seen photos of the new paint scheme… but seeing it for the first time up close and in person was something else," he said. "It looks amazing, fans are going to love it. The Beast has been Unleashed! Can't wait for the race this weekend. Tyler is going to look good on that track."

(Photo Credit: twitter.com/GoTransAm) By Logan Morris The Trans AM Series Presented by Pirelli kicked off its season this weekend at Sebring International Raceway. The action kicked off Saturday with plenty of pomp and circumstance in the Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 race. NASCAR icon Richard Petty served as the Grand Marshall. Part-Time Xfinity Series driver Connor Mosack dominated early until he made a costly mistake at lap 20 and allowed Austin Green to pounce. However, Green’s lead didn’t last long. Rafa Matos took the lead at lap 21. A full-course caution closed the race at lap 23. Matos got some redemption and led the field to the finish after losing the TA2 championship on a tie-breaker to Thomas Merrill last season. On Sunday the racing continued with another 100-mile sprint. TrackHouse Racing owner and pole-sitter Justin Marks dominated in the TA class early on until an alternator issue took him out of contention at lap 18. Another early contender was Paul Menard but he suffered a mechanical issue at lap 16. Road course legend Boris Said was in contention until a fender/tire issue on lap 20. Australian-born driver Matt Brabham was able to hold off his Ford teammate Adam Andretti for the win. Keith Grant rounded out the podium. The Trans Am Series Presented By Pirelli returns March 9-11 at NOLA Motorsports Park. Catch all the Trans Am Series action on their Youtube Page .

FONTANA, Calif. - It’s going to be a historic double-header for NASCAR on Sunday in Fontana due to inclement weather. The Production Alliance Group 300 will now be postponed until Sunday 5pm PST following the NASCAR Cup Series PALA Casino 400. A ticket to Sunday’s Pala Casino 400 is good for both races. Production Alliance Group 300 ticket holders will be admitted following the conclusion of the NASCAR Cup Series race. Saturday began with rain and unusual blizzard conditions in Southern California. As the clouds cleared in the area around noon, there was hope that the Xfinity Series would be able to go green. Despite efforts to dry the track, more rain would not allow for green flag conditions. “The silver lining is that it creates a power-packed Sunday doubleheader for our fans,” said Auto Club Speedway President Dave Allen. “The final day of racing on our 2-mile oval will be one for the ages, and we can’t wait to welcome all of our fans for this special day.” With clearer expectations for Sunday, concern grows for the weepers. No, not fans crying for the final race on the 2-mile D-shaped oval but the amount of spots on the track where water is seeping through the cracks of the aged concrete once it is considered dry. Weepers are to be expected since the track has not been repaved since the track first opened its gates in 1997. What will create a challenge is the amount of water is considered okay to race on. Because this is the final race at Auto Club Speedway, fans can remain confident that track officials can and likely will make adjustments for an exciting day of racing.