Tag: truck series

NASCAR admits ‘changes’ could be coming in the Xfinity, Truck Series

NASCAR admits that “changes” could be coming in the Xfinity and Truck Series. Find out what NASCAR had to say about the potential changes!

NASCAR has drastically changed over the last decade, and one of its biggest shifts has been the NextGen car. The sport introduced a new NASCAR Cup Series car in 2022, and has changed the way that vehicles are constructed. There haven’t been many changes to the NASCAR Xfinity and Truck Series lately; however, that could be changing sooner rather than later.

NASCAR presdient Steve Phelps talked to Brad Gillie on the Race Industry Week webinar live stream last week, and admitted that changes could be coming in the Xfinity and Truck Series.

“You know, I think there’s some other opportunities for us in the lower series to make some changes,” Phelps said. “What those look like, I don’t know, but we’ll keep iterating on the NextGen car. I think we’re looking at some things in the [NASCAR Xfinity Series], nothing to announce now. I think there’s some things we need to do with our race teams in the Xfinity Series as well as [the manufacturers] that are existing and potential new OEs that could be in that series and in our [NASCAR Truck Series].”

It will be fascinating to see what NASCAR decides to do with the Xfinity and Truck Series platforms. Obviously, the sport needs to have people within the respecitive garages to be supported of any changes, but intergrating the NextGen car into the lower ranks isn’t a horrible idea. As of now, there are no announcements, but we’ll see what happens moving forward.

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Gio Ruggiero joins TRICON Garage for 2025 NASCAR Truck Series season

TRICON Garage announced that Gio Ruggiero will drive the No. 17 truck full-time during the 2025 NASCAR Truck Series season.

[autotag]Gio Ruggiero[/autotag] is taking a step to the next level in NASCAR. On Monday morning, [autotag]TRICON Garage[/autotag] announced that Ruggiero will drive the No. 17 truck full-time during the 2025 NASCAR Truck Series season. TRICON Garage needed to replace Taylor Gray, who is moving to the NASCAR Xfinity Series full-time at Joe Gibbs Racing.

The 18-year-old driver is regarded as one of Toyota’s top NASCAR prospects and now earns an opportunity with the manufacturer’s best Truck Series organization. Ruggiero has never driven in NASCAR’s top 3 levels, and doesn’t have much experience. Over the last two seasons, Ruggiero has 23 ARCA starts across three different levels.

TRICON Garage’s decision may seem like a surprise, but it’s clear that Toyota thinks highly of Ruggiero. In his 10 ARCA Menards Series starts, he has seven top-5 finishes and nine top-10 finishes. Ruggiero may take some time to develop in the Truck Series, but his future is expected to be really bright at TRICON Garage moving forward.

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Connor Mosack joins McAnally-Hilgemann Racing for 2025 NASCAR Truck season

McAnally-Hilgemann Racing announces Connor Mosack will drive the No. 81 truck full-time during the 2025 NASCAR Truck Series season.

[autotag]Connor Mosack[/autotag] has found a home for the 2025 NASCAR season. On Tuesday afternoon, [autotag]McAnally-Hilgemann Racing[/autotag] announced that Mosack will drive the No. 81 truck full-time for the organization during the 2025 NASCAR Truck Series season. The No. 81 truck will be sponsored by NAPA Nightvision starting at Daytona International Speedway.

Mosack has been around the NASCAR Xfinity and Truck Series since 2022 but hasn’t gone full-time. In 2023, the 25-year-old driver had his best year with one top-5 finish and four top-10 finishes in nine Truck Series starts. Mosack split time between Niece Motorsports and Spire Motorsports but also ran some races in the ARCA Menards Series.

McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s driver lineup has taken shape, with Mosack joining Tyler Ankrum (No. 18) and Daniel Hemric (No. 19). As of now, it’s unclear whether McAnally-Hilgemann Racing will expand to a fourth full-time entry. This is Mosack’s best opportunity in his NASCAR career, and he hopes it leads to wins and more success in the Truck Series next season.

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NASCAR lists four tracks to possibly replace Phoenix in Championship 4

NASCAR lists four tracks that could possibly replace Phoenix in the Championship 4. Which four tracks could host Championship Weekend?

NASCAR closed out the 2024 season at Phoenix Raceway, but there was admittedly less excitement heading into the weekend. Whether it was the playoff format or the expected racing at Phoenix, the sport’s Championship Weekend wasn’t as electric as usual. NASCAR will review the playoff format and make changes if deemed necessary, but what about the final race of the year?

On the final weekend of the 2024 season at Phoenix, NASCAR held its annual “State of the Sport” address. NASCAR Chief Operating Officer Steve O’Donnell was asked about possibly changing the host city for Championship Weekend and name-dropped four race tracks.

“[Homestead-Miami Speedway] certainly has been one that we’ve looked at,” O’Donnell said. “I would say that in March when we go back, how do we do from an attendance standpoint? That’s going to be really big for us to see can we gain some momentum? We already know the racing is terrific, right? We are going to deliver on that, but we have a job to do collectively as a sport to drive attendance.”

“Then you look at a number of other venues that are out there. You know, [Darlington Raceway], [Charlotte Motor Speedway], you name it, [Las Vegas Motor Speedway]. There’s a lot of considerations for us. I think the goal for us would be to get well ahead in the future on the schedule so that we’re talking about not necessarily the whole schedule, but championship 2032 will be here, 2031, and we can back that up.”

Phoenix has a great facility with amazing race fans, but the on-track product is admittedly not the best. O’Donnell mentioned Homestead, Darlington, Charlotte, and Las Vegas as possible replacements, which all can be regarded as top-5 race tracks. Hopefully, NASCAR can find a new track or start a rotation of tracks to end the season each year in 2026.

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Spire Motorsports reveals big additions to NASCAR program for 2025

Spire Motorsports reveals a few big additions to their NASCAR program for the 2025 season. Who will be joining Spire Motorsports in NASCAR?

[autotag]Spire Motorsports[/autotag] has made a few big additions to the NASCAR program for the 2025 season. On Monday morning, Spire Motorsports announced that Matt McCall and Dax Gerringer have joined the organization. McCall, who is Brad Keselowski’s former crew chief, will become the Director of Vehicle Performance.

Meanwhile, Gerringer, who served as the Lead Engineer for the No. 4 team at Stewart-Haas Racing, will become the Technical Director. These are two massive pickups for Spire Motorsports, which has undergone massive changes over the last two years. In 2025, Justin Haley (No. 7) and Michael McDowell (No. 71) will start their first full-time seasons with the team.

That doesn’t even include crew chief Rodney Childers and spotter Eddie D’Hondt, who both will join the No. 7 team with Haley. Spire Motorsports now has Keselowski’s race-winning crew chief from 2024 and Kevin Harvick’s race-winning engineer. Spire Motorsports wants to become a NASCAR powerhouse, and it is trying hard to make it happen.

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Toni Breidinger joins TRICON Garage full-time in NASCAR Truck Series for 2025

TRICON Garage announced that Toni Breidinger will drive the No. 5 truck full-time during the 2025 NASCAR Truck Series season.

[autotag]Toni Breidinger[/autotag] has found a home in NASCAR for the 2025 season. On Tuesday morning, [autotag]TRICON Garage[/autotag] announced that Breidinger will drive the No. 5 truck full-time during the 2025 NASCAR Truck Series season. The 25-year-old driver has made four starts for TRICON Garage over the last two seasons, with a best finish of 15th place at Kansas Speedway in May 2023.

Breidinger will replace Dean Thompson, who has been linked to the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the 2025 season. In 2024, Breidinger drove full-time for Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Menards Series and finished the season with a best finish of sixth place and 11 top-10 finishes in 20 races. It was a disappointing season for Breidinger after failing to finish in the top-5 spots.

Now, the former ARCA Menards Series driver finally has a full-time ride in the top 3 levels of NASCAR starting in 2025. Breidinger will bring TRICON Garage sponsorship from Raising Cane’s, Celsius, and Sunoco. It has been a long journey for Breidinger, but she has finally accomplished one major goal. She will be a full-time driver in NASCAR starting next year.

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Tyler Ankrum returns to McAnally-Hilgemann Racing for 2025 NASCAR season

McAnally-Hilgemann Racing announced that Tyler Ankrum will return to the No. 18 truck for the 2025 NASCAR Truck Series season.

[autotag]Tyler Ankrum[/autotag] won’t be going anywhere in 2025. On Monday morning, [autotag]McAnally-Hilgemann Racing[/autotag] announced that Ankrum will return to the No. 18 truck for the 2025 NASCAR Truck Series season. In 2024, the driver of the No. 18 truck made the Round of 8 and finished the year with six top-5 finishes, 12 top-10 finishes, and an eighth-place finish in the point standings.

Ankrum had a career year after moving to McAnally-Hilgemann Racing in 2024. The 23-year-old driver had a best finish of second place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and had a very hot start to the season. Now, Ankrum, LIUNA, and the No. 18 team will focus on taking a step to the next level during their second campaign together.

Ankrum will lose his teammates Christian Eckes and Daniel Dye to the NASCAR Xfinity Series but will have a veteran presence within the team. Daniel Hemric will replace Eckes in the No. 19 truck full-time in 2025. It’s unclear what McAnally-Hilgemann Racing will do with the rest of its driver lineup, but Ankrum will have another shot at becoming a championship contender.

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Rajah Caruth wins Most Popular Driver award in Truck Series for 2024

Rajah Caruth wins the 2024 Most Popular Driver award in the NASCAR Truck Series for the first time in his career!

[autotag]Rajah Caruth[/autotag] has officially been named the 2024 Most Popular Driver Award winner in the NASCAR Truck Series. Caruth received the honor at NASCAR’s banquet in Charlotte, North Carolina, as the sport celebrates its 2024 season. This is the first year that he has received the award after joining the Truck Series for the 2023 NASCAR season.

Caruth’s victory comes in a year that saw decent success with Spire Motorsports. The 22-year-old driver ended the season with one win, five top-5 finishes, 12 top-10 finishes, and a seventh-place finish in the point standings. It was a solid season from Caruth, who earned his first career Truck Series victory and improved as a race car driver in 2024.

Overall, Caruth has developed a great following, and if he returns to the Truck Series 2024, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him win the award next season. Caruth, Justin Allgaier, and Chase Elliott are NASCAR’s most popular drivers, and this likely won’t be the last time they each receive this honor.

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How to listen, watch NASCAR’s Awards Ceremony in 2024

Check out how you can listen and watch NASCAR’s Award Ceremony for the 2024 season as the sport goes to Charlotte on November 22nd!

The NASCAR family will congregate in Charlotte, North Carolina, for its yearly Champion’s Week that takes place after the season. This is the first year NASCAR will crown the champions at every level in Charlotte after spending the last four years in Nashville. Most notably, it features a banquet where the sport reveals the Most Popular Driver award winners and lets the champions speak.

The banquet will take place on Thursday, November 22nd, at 6:00 p.m. ET. Unfortunately, for those who want to watch the banquet live, it will not be covered on the night of the event. The first opportunity for a telecast will take place on Sunday, November 24th, at 3:00 p.m. ET on The CW. Unlike last year, the banquet is not behind a paywall, so a subscription will not be required to watch.

It was an exciting 2024 NASCAR season, and the sport is ready to officially close out the year. You don’t want to miss the action in Charlotte as NASCAR closes the book on another wonderful season.

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Daniel Hemric to drive No. 19 truck at McAnally-Hilgemann Racing in 2025

Daniel Hemric will drive the No. 19 truck full-time at McAnally-Hilgemann Racing during the 2025 NASCAR Truck Series season.

[autotag]Daniel Hemric[/autotag] has landed a top-tier ride in the NASCAR Truck Series. On Wednesday morning, [autotag]McAnally-Hilgemann Racing[/autotag] announced that Hemric will drive the No. 19 truck full-time for the organization starting in 2025. The former Kaulig Racing driver will replace Christian Eckes, who had one of the most historic NASCAR seasons of the 21st century.

Hemric’s crew chief for the 2025 season is “to be determined” as Charles Denike leaves for Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. The rest of the lineup for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing is also uncertain as Daniel Dye joins Eckes at Kaulig Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Tyler Ankrum hasn’t been confirmed for 2025.

Overall, this is a great move for both parties, as Hemric should be a championship contender in elite equipment. McAnally-Hilgemann Racing changed the course of Eckes’ career and could do the same with Hemric moving forward. This is a championship-altering move that could pay off in a big way for the 2025 season.

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