Press Release | LEGACY MOTOR CLUB STAMFORD, Conn. – May 14, 2024 – Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is joining NBC Sports’ motorsports coverage for four races in 2024. Johnson will contribute to pre-race and race coverage of NBC Sports’ presentation of the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 from iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) on May 26 on NBC and Peacock, bolstering NBC Sports’ robust presentation of the historic event. Previously, Johnson contributed to studio coverage at the 2021 iteration of the event. He will also serve as an analyst on NBC Sports’ NASCAR coverage of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona Superspeedway on Aug. 24 and the YellaWood 500 from Talladega Superspeedway on Oct. 6, one of three playoff races in the Round of 12. In addition, Johnson will contribute to NBC Sports’ coverage for select NASCAR races in which he is competing this year, including the NASCAR Cup Series Championship from Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 10. “To have the opportunity to experience ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ once again is such an honor,” said Johnson. “I was part of the NBC broadcast team in 2021 and it just fueled the fire I needed to make my childhood dream of racing in the Indianapolis 500 one day a reality. Competing in this race as a driver was a chance of a lifetime, so to be able to experience the pageantry again is just so special. Even though I’ve never been able to do the ‘double’ as a driver, May 26th is going to be a very busy day. After the broadcast, I’ll fly to Charlotte Motor Speedway and drive in the Coca-Cola 600. I’m so thankful to NBC for the opportunity and continued partnership.” “Any time you can add one of the greatest drivers of all time and an icon of the sport, you jump at the opportunity,” said Sam Flood, lead producer for NBC Sports’ motorsports coverage. “We are thrilled to be working with Jimmie and adding his unique perspective on every race he covers, as well as having him become the first person ever to do the ‘double’ – history awaits.” Johnson is one of the most successful NASCAR drivers in the history of the sport. His seven Cup Series championships are tied for the most all time with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, and he is the only driver to ever win five consecutive championships (2006-2010). His 83 NASCAR Cup Series race wins are third-most in the modern era (1972-present) and, in 2009, he became the first and only NASCAR driver to ever be named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. Earlier this year, he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. In 2022, Johnson turned his attention to open-wheel racing and competed in the NTT INDYCAR Series, including that year’s Indianapolis 500, where he was named the 2022 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year. More details about NBC Sports’ Indianapolis 500 broadcast team will be announced soon. Peacock will again be the home of Indy 500 practice and qualifying providing more than 50 hours of coverage, with the first practice session starting earlier this morning exclusively on the platform. The NBC broadcast network will air three hours of Indy 500 qualifying coverage on Sunday, May 19, at 3 p.m. ET to determine the starting grid for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Peacock will simulstream all qualifying coverage on NBC. In addition to practice and qualifying, exclusive coverage of Carb Day, the Indy 500 Parade, and Victory Celebration during race weekend will stream live on Peacock. NBC Sports’ coverage of the 2024 NASCAR season begins Sunday, June 16, with the Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at 7 p.m. ET on USA Network.

(Photo Credit: Twitter.com/RaceSonoma) Press Release | SONOMA RACEWAY SONOMA, Calif. (May 13, 2024) Before the roar of NASCAR Cup Series cars reverberates off the hillsides at Sonoma Raceway, Bay Area native DJ Umami will boost the crowd’s energy in the form of a prerace concert prior to the Toyota/Save Mart 350 on Sunday, June 9. DJ Umami is currently the resident DJ for the San Francisco Giants, after having entertained fans in that same fashion with the Golden State Warriors from 2012-2021. The unmistakable fervor and flavor she brings to any event, celebration or dance floor has been a constant since she splashed onto the local scene in San Francisco in 2008. Within just a year, she gained residency with the prestigious female DJ crew “Peaches.” Umami’s rise in the music industry has been punctuated with opening sets for renowned artists such as Dua Lipa, Anderson Paak, and Thundercat. In addition, DJ Umami has made appearances at Outside Lands in San Francisco, Google and the Nike Women’s Marathon and is part of the Creative Collective for Bacardi Ocho Reserve. While R&B, Soul and Hip Hop are foundational to her musical taste, it’s Umami’s ability to read the energy of a crowd combined with her belief in music as healing that drives her to serve an eclectic menu of sounds. As a Filipina American, her desire is to bring more visibility to the craft, and inspire the next generation of women DJs. Umami’s vibrancy and versatility across varied audiences promises to rev up the crowd in anticipation of the green flag. Fans wanting to get up close to the stage for DJ Umami’s concert will want to get a pre-race track pass ticket upgrade. Tickets, pre-race track passes and camping are available for NASCAR weekend at SonomaRaceway.com or by calling (800) 870-RACE [7223].

Press Release | SONOMA RACEWAY SONOMA, Calif. (May 9, 2024) – Get ready for a dose of rock ‘n’ roll energy as world-renowned lefty guitarist, singer and acclaimed songwriter Malina Moye takes center stage to perform the National Anthem for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway on June 9. Lauded as a musical pioneer and one of the world’s top guitarists by Guitar World Magazine, she is a singular presence in the rock world and has received critical acclaim across the spectrum for her contributions to music culture. Moye’s musical narrative boasts an impressive and unique resume bolstered by her making history as the first African-American woman to play the National Anthem on guitar at a professional sporting event. Her latest album “Dirty”, which landed at the top of Billboard’s Blues chart, was listed among the top five albums of the year on Guitar World Magazine’s Greatest Guitar Albums of 2023 list and in March, Moye was featured in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Revolutionary Women in Music: Left of Center exhibit, marking a first of its kind showcase at the famous museum. Moye’s last album, Bad As I Wanna Be, spent two weeks at No. 1 on the same chart. Her meteoric rise has resonated with fans, with over 70 million impressions across social media platforms and streams. Known for her electrifying performances, Malina Moye is set to kick off the racing action with an exhilarating rendition of the National Anthem that will prepare fans for the thunder about to erupt from the track. With her unique blend of rock, blues, and funk, Moye promises to deliver a performance that will inspire and captivate fans from start to finish. Tickets and camping are available for NASCAR weekend at SonomaRaceway.com or by calling (800) 870-RACE [7223].

Each week here on Racing Refresh we take a look back on the week that was in motorsports on X. Let's get started! 10. The in-season tournament is now a thing. It got a mixed reaction. Loved by new, younger fans. Largely panned by old-school purists. Let's see how it pans out next season. 9. Brad K. Man of the people. 8. Larson has the type of talent to make any move work. We may see something like this again someday. 7. Is there a cooler Victory celebration in NASCAR right now? I don't think so. 6. Seeing Mike Joy in a Speed dress shirt reminds you of a better time and better coverage for a NASCAR fan. Hopefully, NASCAR's new partners can give more than Fox is willing to these days. 5. The King has never been one to mince words or sugarcoat his feelings. If you ask him a question you will get an answer. 4. How cool is this? 3. NASCAR's renewed effort to actively and continuously honor the history of the sport has been so wonderful to see. 2. Kyle Larson is not a Swifty. Maybe. 1. I love the passion. This shows what winning means in NASCAR. You want the drivers to do everything they can to win.

By Adam Carabine Zane Smith – This week: 34th – Last week: 34th Darlington was not a friend to Zane Smith, he had a DNF, and finished 35th. Harrison Burton – This week: 33rd – Last week: 33rd A lead lap finish, P22 is better than we’ve seen from Burton in a bit, but it’ll take more than that to move up. Austin Dillon – This week: 32nd – Last week: 31st What has happened to this team?  Dillon is in a free-fall. Michael McDowell – This week: 31st – Last week: 32nd McDowell has been making his way forward in the Power Rankings with some solid finishes.  A Top 10 at Darlington helped for sure. Austin Cindric – This week: 30th – Last week: 30th When Cindric brings it home in 20th, and that’s seen as an improvement? Not great. Carson Hocevar – This week: 29th – Last week: 28th Hocevar started the year strong, and was leading in the Rookie of the Year battle for a while.  He lost it to Josh Berry this weekend with a P26 finish. Corey LaJoie – This week: 28th – Last week: 29th Finishing just outside of the Top 15, on a tough track like Darlington? Decent weekend for the 7 team. Justin Haley – This week: 27th – Last week: 27th We congratulated Haley on a P18 last week, this week he followed up with a P9.  Maybe he’s finding his footing with Rick Ware Racing. Daniel Hemric – This week: 26th – Last week: 23rd Two consecutive weeks of Hemric plummeting in the Power Rankings.  He finished 33rd at Darlington. Erik Jones – This week: 25th – Last week: 25th Solid, quiet week for Erik Jones in his return from injury.  He can perform better at Darlington, we know, but a Top 20 with a broken back isn’t too shabby. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – This week: 24th – Last week: 21st Another underwhelming performance from Stenhouse.  P23 isn’t terrible, but nothing shines in his underlying stats either. Ryan Preece – This week: 23rd – Last week: 22nd P17 for Preece.  Sure, it could have been worse, but he was the worst finisher of all the Stewart-Haas cars. John Hunter Nemechek – This week: 22nd – Last week: 20th A rough day for Nemechek, a P31 has him fall two spots. Todd Gilliland – This week: 21st – Last week: 24th A spicy day on the 38’s radio, and a solid day for the Power Rankings.  A Top 15 finish for Gilliland, but he also got extra points in Stage One, and happened to have the most Quality Passes of any driver all day. Josh Berry – This week: 20th – Last week: 26th Biggest mover of the week, Josh Berry finished 3rd at Darlington (after starting 33rd, no less).  It’s no wonder he had the best passing differential on the day too. Daniel Suarez – This week: 19th – Last week: 17th When Suarez won at Atlanta, the overall consensus at the time was that he had saved his seat at Trackhouse.  With what we’ve seen from the 99 team since then, now I’m not so sure. Noah Gragson – This week: 18th – Last week: 19th Make that seven Top 20s in a row for Noah, after a P14 at Darlington.  He’s regaining some of his Xfinity prowess! Bubba Wallace – This week: 17th – Last week: 18th A Top-10 in Darlington for Bubba Wallace moves him up the ladder a little more.  Plus he scored some points in each stage break.  Bubba is in the Top 10 of stage points earned this season. Joey Logano – This week: 16th – Last week: 15th Another woeful finish for Joey Logano.  He did score 7 stage points, and was running in the Top 10 for most of the day, so he’s got that going for him. Chase Briscoe – This week: 15th – Last week: 16th A Top 5 for Briscoe at a track that’s notoriously difficult to drive bodes well for this team.  Hopefully that’s a shift in momentum for them. Chris Buescher – This week: 14th – Last week: 13th Aside from the actual finishing position, Buescher actually had a solid race.  He was in contention until Tyler Reddick’s failed slide job did him in.  P30 drops him one spot this week. Christopher Bell – This week: 13th – Last week: 14th It was a quiet race for Bell this week, but he managed to pull out a P13 at a tough track. Alex Bowman – This week: 12th – Last week: 12th Bowman continues to be underrepresented on TV, as his Hendrick teammates seem to take all the screentime.  He finished P8 at Darlington, that’s four Top 10s in a row now. Kyle Busch – This week: 11th – Last week: 11th Has Kyle Busch started doubting his transition to RCR yet? He was supposed to elevate them, but have they brought him down?  He keeps his position this week but it’s very much in danger. Ryan Blaney – This week: 10th – Last week: 7th It wasn’t entirely his fault, but Blaney had a rough race at Darlington.  DNF, finishing last, and throw in some profanities on his radio too.  He tends to bounce back pretty well, so don’t count him out yet. Ross Chastain – This week: 9th – Last week: 10th It sometimes feels like Chastain and Suarez are not teammates, they tend to run so differently.  A disappointing day for Suarez, but P11 for Chastain is something he can be happy with. Ty Gibbs – This week: 8th – Last week: 8th A really solid day for Ty Gibbs at Darlington.  He gets a runner-up finish, ties for the most stage points on the day, and spent the majority of the day in the Top 5. Brad Keselowski – This week: 7th – Last week: 9th The only reason Gibbs didn’t move up was because of Keselowski’s impressive win.  Did luck play a factor? Yes, but he’s been knocking at the door for a while, too.  He tied Reddick for the best average running position all day, and finally broke the winless streak! Chase Elliott – This week: 6th – Last week: 5th A poor qualifying effort kept Chase Elliott from success at Darlington.  He had good passing numbers, and did eventually make his way up to finish 12th, but the others around him had better days. William Byron – This week: 5th – Last week: 4th It’s hard to imagine a world where Byron finishes P6 and drops a spot, but here we are.  He and Chase Elliott were likely supplanted by the incredible day Reddick had (up until the mistake at the end).  It’s definitely harder to maintain your spot in the Power Rankings at the top. Tyler Reddick – This week: 4th – Last week: 6th Don’t let that P32 fool you.  Reddick had a stellar day, all up until he tangled with Buescher in the final run to the finish.  He led 174 laps (a career high, and the most of anyone all day), had the fastest car on track for 75 laps (again, the most of anyone), and even won a stage.  Yes, the finishing position was bad, but watch out for Reddick. Martin Truex Jr. – This week: 3rd – Last week: 3rd Truex was having a solid day until he got caught in a wreck on a restart stackup.  His car wasn’t the same after that, and they couldn’t seem to find the balance.  However, some decent underlying stats kept him in the Top 3 of the Power Rankings. Denny Hamlin – This week: 2nd – Last week: 2nd Somehow a quiet day for Denny still wound up being a P4.  You didn’t see much of him, but he’s consistently getting results. Kyle Larson – This week: 1st – Last week: 1st Unfortunately for Larson, his tires did not agree with him at Darlington and he wound up crashing out of the race with about 40 laps to go.  He earned plenty of stage points, though, and had some solid passing numbers.  Plus, Larson has been so good, it’s hard to dock him a spot in the Power Rankings for a DNF just yet.

By Matt Marr Pole-sitter Tyler Reddick led Brad Keselowski and the rest of the field to the green flag. Kyle Larson took over the lead from Ty Gibbs with 8 laps to go in Stage One and held on for the win. Thanks to having chosen the first pit stall, Reddick restarted Stage Two with the lead on lap 99. The caution came out for John Hunter Nemechek as he spun and blew a tire on the frontstretch on lap 121. The caution came out quickly again off the restart lap 129, William Byron and Ryan Blaney squeezed Martin Truex Jr. in the middle but it put Blaney in the wall with enough damage to end his day early. Zane Smith went around and into the inside wall on the frontstretch bringing out another caution on lap 164. Reddick won Stage Two. Kyle Larson spun out with a flat tire, bringing out a caution at lap 254. Chris Buescher made it a three-car battle for the lead with Reddick and Keselowski with 31 laps to go. With 29 to go, Buescher took the lead, taking the front two three-wide. In a Hail Mary move, Tyler Reddick got into Buescher along the turn three wall, attempting to slide up ahead of him.  Doing so forced both of them to have to pit for flat tires, handing Keselowski the lead. Brad Keselowski held off a late charge by Ty Gibbs to win the Goodyear 400 throwback race at Darlington, snapping his 110-race winless streak. Goodyear 400 Top 5: 1. Brad Keselowski 2. Ty Gibbs 3. Josh Berry 4. Denny Hamlin 5. Chase Briscoe

By Adam Carabine

Press Release | SPIRE MOTORSPORTS MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 8, 2024) –Spire Motorsports has agreed to a multi-year contract with 2021 DAYTONA 500 winner Michael McDowell to drive the team’s No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) beginning with the 2025 season. McDowell, a native of Glendale, Ariz., is a veteran of 477 NCS starts and a two-time race winner. He made his NCS debut in 2008 and has since recorded two pole positions, nine top-five and 40 top-10 finishes in NASCAR’s premier division. He will be teamed with veteran Corey LaJoie and 2024 Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Carson Hocevar. "This is a new chapter for my family and me, and we’re incredibly thankful for the opportunity that’s in front of us,” said McDowell. “It’s going to take some hard work, but I feel like everything is in place for us to be successful as a race team — to win races and contend for championships. People are the greatest asset to any organization, and with Spire’s vision, ambition, knowledge, and dedication, we will achieve great things. Failure is not an option, and that’s the mindset that it will take to achieve our goals." The father of five comes to Spire Motorsports from Front Row Motorsports where he was the organization’s leader in wins, starts, and top-five finishes. In addition to his victory in the 2021 Great American Race, McDowell proved his versatility with a road-course win in last year’s Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He earned NASCAR Cup Series Playoff berths in 2021 and 2023. In addition to his vast NCS resume, McDowell has made 94 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts where he earned two poles, one win (Road America 2016), six top-five and 20 top-10 finishes. He’s also a four-time ARCA Menards Series race winner. “Michael McDowell is a proven winner and brings a NASCAR Playoff pedigree,” said Spire Motorsports president Doug Duchardt. “Michael has always been committed to elevate his teams. His experience and enthusiasm are a perfect fit for Spire Motorsports, and we are sure he will be a great teammate to both Carey LaJoie and Carson Hocevar. We’re thrilled to keep up the positive momentum by adding someone as accomplished as Michael to our driver lineup. “Our 2024 plan for the No. 71 team remains unchanged. Spire Motorsports fully supports Zane Smith and Stephan Doran. We remain committed to the success of our collaboration with Trackhouse. That team is just beginning to realize its potential. We’re looking forward to seeing how the Rookie of the Year battle plays out between Zane and Carson.” Outside the stock car world, McDowell is an accomplished road racer with wins and championships spanning the karting, Formula Renault, Star Mazda and IMSA landscapes. He is a two-time International Karting Federation Champion who compiled 18 consecutive World Karting Association wins. The 39-year-old collected Formula Renault USA Championship honors in 2002 and went on to claim the Star Mazda Series championship two years later. He boasts a 2005 IMSA win in Mexico City and was named the ARCA Menards Series Rookie of the Year in 2007. Spire Motorsports was founded in 2018 and has logged 324 Cup Series starts, posting one win, six top fives and 12 top 10s. Since then, its teams and drivers have become Cup Series mainstays.

(Photo Credit: Twitter.com/Team_FRM) Press Release | FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 8, 2024) – After seven seasons with Front Row Motorsports (FRM), Michael McDowell has announced he will leave FRM at the end of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season. The organization’s NASCAR Cup Series leader in wins, starts, and top-5 finishes, McDowell has been an important part in the growth and success of FRM, including winning the 2021 Daytona 500, the 2023 Verizon 200 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and two appearances in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. A statement from FRM Owner, Bob Jenkins: “We thank Michael for all he has done during his time as a driver at Front Row Motorsports. His 2021 Daytona 500 victory, a dominant win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and two appearances in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs set a new standard for our organization. He became the leader of his team and the organization. Outside the car, he was the model for a driver we want to represent us and our partners.” “We’re sad to see Michael leave, but wish him, Jami and his family nothing but the best as he moves on to another chapter of what is already an incredible racing career.” McDowell and the No. 34 team are focused on competing for wins and returning to the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs throughout the rest of the season.