Las Vegas Recap
START: 10th
FINISH: 2nd
POINTS: 6th
Notes & Quotes:
- Nemechek was scored as the highest-finishing rookie in today's NASCAR Xfinity Series Boyd Gaming 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
- Following his 2nd-place finish this weekend, Nemechek ranks sixth in the points standings. Four points behind Michael Annett in fifth-place.
- This event at LVMS was Nemechek’s Xfinity debut at the mile-and-a-half mile track and collected his first runner-up finish in the Xfinity Series.
“I felt like we gave Kyle (Busch) a run for his money today. I was hoping that Austin (Dillion) would have been able to give me a push there on the last restart but the No. 1 was on his quarter panel pulling him back and he wasn’t able to get to my bumper to help. I am proud of this GMS Racing team though. We didn’t unload where we needed to be on Friday but Chad (Norris, crew chief) and the boys worked really hard to get the car where it needed to be in race trim. We had a great car for the short runs and I could gain a lot of spots on the restarts. We will take this momentum and run with it.”
Las Vegas Preview
Las Vegas Xfinity Stats
First NXS start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
2019 Season Stats
2 starts, 1 top-10
Notes:
- Nemechek is currently tied for first-place with Justin Haley in the Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year points standings.
- Nemechek and the GMS Racing team will utilize new chassis no. 223 this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Quotes:
“This weekend is my Xfinity series debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. I have ran some truck races there and have done fairly well but I am excited to get behind the wheel of an Xfinity car. Vegas is really unique because it still has character. It reminds me a lot like Kansas. It’s bumpy, rough and it gets hot out there in the desert so that means the track is really slick, which makes for some great racing. Allegiant is on the car this weekend and it’s their hometown track so I hope we can give them a great show, run up front and park it in victory lane.”
Atlanta Recap
Start: 10th
Finish: 20th
Points: 12th
Notes & Quotes:—
-A late race incident and a penalty involving Nemechek resulted in a 20th-place finish for the GMS Racing team.
-Nemechek finished sixth in the first stage and 10th in the second stage of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Rianni 250 and collected a total of six stage points.
"It just wasn't our day. We lost some track position on pit road and then I spun out with only a few laps to go and we just couldn't recover from that. I'm proud of this GMS Racing team though. They worked really hard this weekend during practice to get the Fire Alarm Services Chevrolet where it needed to be in race trim. We will keep our heads up, regroup and focus on the west coast swing."
Atlanta Preview
Atlanta Xfinity Stats
1 start, 1 top-five
Best Finish: 4th (2018)
2019 Season Stats
1 start, 1 top-10
Notes:
- Last year, Nemechek qualified third and finished fourth in his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway with Chip Ganassi Racing.
- Nemechek and the No. 23 team will utilize chassis no. 224. This chassis has been raced three times in the 2018 season, twice with Spencer Gallagher behind the wheel both times at Texas Motor Speedway (start:14th/finish: 10th – spring, start: 12th/finish: 9th - fall), the other at Michigan Int’l Speedway by Alex Bowman (start: 10th/finish: 21st).
Quotes:
“Atlanta Motor Speedway is a track that I thoroughly enjoy. For a driver it takes a lot of patience since it’s rough and worn out. Atlanta is the type of track that I grew up racing on in late models around the country. Just knowing how to adapt to the track surface and how to manage your equipment to make sure you are there in the end is crucial. We had a solid finish last weekend at Daytona so we are looking to carry that momentum into this weekend.”
Daytona Recap
START: 14th
FINISH: 8th
POINTS: 8th
Notes & Quotes:
-Nemechek brought the No. 23 Fire Alarm Services Chevrolet home in the eighth-position in his first start with GMS Racing and in his NASCAR Xfinity Series Daytona debut.
-Nemechek finished third in the first stage of the NASCAR Racing Experience 300 and collected eight stage points.
"An eighth-place finish in my first start with GMS Racing and in my Xfinity Daytona debut is a solid start for this season. We had a fast No. 23 Fire Alarm Services Chevrolet but just didn't get the opportunity to get up front and fight for the win. I wanted to get down and run the bottom line but every time I tried I would fall to the back of the pack and would lose a lot of track position which was crucial today since passing was minimal. I'm thankful for this opportunity and I can't thank Maury Gallagher and Mike Beam enough. I'm looking forward to Atlanta next weekend."
Daytona Preview
John Hunter Nemechek, No. 23 Fire Alarm Services Inc. Chevrolet Camaro
Daytona Xfinity Stats
- First NXS start at Daytona Int'l Speedway
Notes:
-Nemechek joins the GMS Racing stable full-time for the 2019 season and will compete for Xfinity Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.
-Nemechek and the No. 23 team will utilize chassis no. 211. This chassis has been raced three times in the 2018 season, twice with Spencer Gallagher behind the wheel, once at Daytona Int'l Speedway in the Spring (start:4th/finish:6th), the other at Talladega Super Speedway where Gallagher collected his first NXS win (start:3rd/finish:1st) and then once by Chase Elliott at Daytona Int'l Speedway in the Fall (start:11th /finish:29th).
-While in Daytona, Nemechek will participate in Scott Lagasse Jr.’s Champion Ride for bicycle safety on Thursday, February 14th. The event will be a forty-five mile, full rolling enclosure bike ride from Daytona Int’l Speedway returning to Daytona Int’l Speedway to help humanize cyclists.
Quotes:
"I am beyond ready to get down to Daytona to get this season rolling. I'm thankful for this GMS Racing team, they have taken me under their wing and made the transition to a new organization really easy for me. I have ran at one plate-track in the Xfinity Series which was last year at Talladega and ended up finishing seventh. Besides running a few Truck Series races at Daytona this will be my first Xfinity event at the superspeedway. Patience and staying out of trouble is very important at plate-tracks. It's all about who survives in the end. I know that I have a solid team behind me and top of the line equipment to be in contention every week, now I just need to execute on track and park this No. 23 Fire Alarm Systems Chevrolet in Victory Lane."
JR Motorsports and GMS Racing Launch Drivers Edge Development
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Jan. 24, 2019) – Building on a successful technical alliance, JR Motorsports and GMS Racing jointly announced today the establishment of Drivers Edge Development, a program presented by Chevrolet aimed at grooming the next generation of racing superstars through a tiered competition pipeline coupled with comprehensive off-track education.
Drivers Edge Development will give participating drivers, all with differing levels of experience, the opportunity to race in five types of developmental series with JRM or GMS-fielded entries while staying aligned with Chevrolet. The program allows the two teams to complement each other by offering participants competition options with JRM’s regional late model program leading into GMS’ NASCAR K&N Pro Series and ARCA entries. The next tier presents potential seat time in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series with GMS. Finally, at the program’s top level, JRM entries await in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Equally as important as the competition focus, Drivers Edge Development provides added training to enhance participants’ professional growth off the track. Drivers will have access to a host of programs focusing on their physical, mental and technical development. An emphasis will be placed on educating them in areas such as brand building, social media and digital content, media training and fan relations as well as support for partner procurement and retention.
“We have always prided ourselves on being a stepping stone for drivers that want to get to the top level of racing,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr., JRM team owner. “JR Motorsports was designed with that in mind, and now with the help of GMS and Chevrolet, Drivers Edge Development will provide a clear-cut path and more options for drivers to get there.”
Although mainly performance-based, there are no set criteria for selection into the program. Ideally, drivers between the ages of 14 and 21 years old will be considered. Currently, six drivers are enrolled in the Drivers Edge Development program:
- Noah Gragson (NXS driver for JRM)
- John Hunter Nemechek (NXS driver for GMS)
- Zane Smith (NXS driver for JRM in eight races)
- Sheldon Creed (Truck driver for GMS)
- Sam Mayer (Truck/ARCA/K&N driver for GMS and Late Model driver for JRM)
- Adam Lemke (Late Model driver for JRM)
“We couldn’t be more pleased to get this program off the ground,” said Mike Beam, GMS team president. “Between GMS and JRM, I feel our two programs are very complementary of each other and will give Drivers Edge Development participants multiple series options.
“We have to give Lorin Ranier some credit, too. He has been working behind the scenes and is a great help in scouting drivers for the program. He is really plugged into the local and regional short-track scene and has already worked with some of the drivers in the program.”
Drivers Edge Development participants will also benefit from the mentoring of veteran racers from both the JRM and GMS stables.
“Drivers Edge Development is going to be critical to the future of the sport and our race team,” said Kelley Earnhardt Miller, JRM general manager. “The fact that you have JRM, GMS and Chevrolet involved in getting this off the ground speaks to that importance.
“We’re emphasizing on-track experience in multiple series while still keeping the drivers under the Chevrolet umbrella. Off track, we’re going to offer these drivers decades of industry knowledge and best practices with the goal of helping them become the best versions of themselves in all aspects of the sport.”
The six drivers enrolled in Drivers Edge Development are joining established and successful operations. The JRM late model teams have delivered 40 wins in the last three seasons and own a total of four championships. GMS Racing has nine wins and a championship with its ARCA program. Its Truck teams have amassed 23 wins along with a championship in 2016. Over 13 years of competition, JRM’s NXS program lays claim to 44 wins and three championships, including consecutive titles in 2017-18.
Fire Alarm Services Continues Partnership with John Hunter Nemechek at GMS Racing in Select 2019 Xfinity Series Races
STATESVILLE, N.C. (January 18th, 2019) – GMS Racing announced today that Fire Alarm Services, Inc., (FAS), a provider in a superior fire, life safety, and security services, will serve as primary sponsor for John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 23 GMS Racing team in 13 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) races in 2019.
Since 2016, FAS has been a supporter of Nemechek. The Colorado-based company served as a primary sponsor in multiple NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (NGOTS) races for Nemechek, as well as 11 NXS races in 2018. FAS has been apart of many of Nemechek’s career-first accomplishments, including his first NGOTS pole award at Iowa Speedway in 2016, his first NXS win at Kansas Speedway and his first NXS pole award at ISM Raceway, both took place in 2018.
“Fire Alarm Services has been a supporter of my career since 2016 in the Truck Series starting at my family-owned team," said Nemechek. "I couldn’t be more excited to continue this relationship with them in 2019. I am super thankful and blessed that Shannon and Connie Smith, owners of Fire Alarm Services, Inc., believe in me and my career. They have been a staple in various first accomplishments for me, and I hope we can add an Xfinity Series Championship on to that list of firsts.”
FAS will sponsor the following races for Nemechek in 2019, Daytona International Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, ISM Raceway (spring and fall), Auto Club Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway (spring and fall), Darlington Raceway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway and the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The No. 23 Fire Alarm Services Inc., Chevrolet Camaro will sport a new red and black paint scheme beginning at the 2019 season-opening race, the Daytona 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16 at 2:30 p.m. ET.