Latest news with #FrontRowMotorsports
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Zep® Featured as Primary Partner on Noah Gragson's No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway
Zep makes its primary race debut as the official cleaning supplier with Front Row Motorsports ATLANTA, June 27, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NASCAR driver Noah Gragson will debut Zep® as the primary partner on the No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Front Row Motorsports (FRM) during this weekend's Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. The partnership with Zep, the go-to cleaning brand for professionals and auto enthusiasts, marks a new chapter in Gragson's NASCAR Cup Series journey and highlights the ongoing, season-long partnership between Zep and FRM. Zep serves as the Official Cleaning Supplier of FRM and appears as a primary partner on the No. 4 car at two Cup Series races, starting this Saturday, June 28, in Atlanta. Zep will also be featured as an associate partner across all FRM vehicles, including entries in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. After his 2024 season, Gragson signed a multi-year agreement to drive full-time for FRM. With Zep on board and a strong foundation of crew members carried over from his former team, Gragson is ready to compete on one of the biggest stages of the season. "We're growing as an organization, and this race is a chance to show we're here to compete," said Gragson. "Zep has been incredible to work with. They stocked the shop with everything from degreasers to all-purpose cleaners, and the whole team was excited. Plus, the car looks amazing in the Zep blue and yellow colors. Yellow has always been my favorite color, and it makes it easy for fans to spot the car from the stands." "Partnering with Zep is a great step forward for our organization," said Jerry Freeze, General Manager of Front Row Motorsports. "They're supporting us through branding as well as helping our team's performance in the shop and at the track. Their energy, commitment, and innovation align perfectly with our goals as we look to grow and compete at a higher level." Saturday's Quaker State 400 marks the opening round of NASCAR's first-ever In-Season Tournament - a new, bracket-style competition featuring 32 drivers vying for a $1 million prize. The race will be televised on TNT Sports at 7:00 PM ET and broadcast on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Gragson previously found success at Atlanta in the Xfinity Series, earning three top-five finishes, five top-10s, with an average finish of 8.3. Now driving for a team where he feels right at home, he sees this weekend as a pivotal opportunity. Fans can meet Gragson in person at the Fan Zone area of EchoPark Speedway on Saturday, June 28, from 3:50 PM to 4:05 PM ET. The partnership coincides with the national launch of Zep's Cherry Bomb Auto+ Degreaser & Cleaner, now available in over 2,500 Walmart locations and online at Built for everything from cars and garages to tools and grills, the professional-grade formula reflects the same high-performance standards that Gragson and FRM bring to the track. For more information on Zep and to find a retailer near you, visit About Zep, Inc. Zep, Inc. is a leading innovator, producer, and distributor of maintenance, cleaning, and sanitation solutions for industrial and institutional, retail, and food & beverage customers. Zep possesses a large portfolio of premium solutions built over an 85-year legacy of developing the most effective products trusted by professionals and consumers to get the job done right the first time. About Front Row Motorsports Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Craftsman Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 Craftsman Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 4, No. 34, and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 34 and No. 38 Craftsman Truck Series teams from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @teamfrm and Facebook at View source version on Contacts Jason Feldman - PR & Mediajason@ // (470) 626-1055 Sign in to access your portfolio
Al Arabiya
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Al Arabiya
Judge Orders NASCAR Teams to Turn Over Financial Data to Stock Car Series, Limits Details
A federal judge ordered twelve NASCAR teams to provide eleven years of financial data to the stock car series as part of an ongoing legal fight, but sharply limited what they need to share. A day after hearing arguments from both sides, US District Judge Kenneth Bell of the Western District of North Carolina said the information will allow NASCAR to have much of the arguably relevant substance of the requested information while protecting the legitimate interests of the twelve teams. They had raised concerns that the private financial details could end up being made public and would hurt competitive balance. Under the decision, the teams must provide top-line data–total revenue, total costs, and net profits and losses–dating to 2014. The teams and NASCAR were ordered to settle on an independent accounting firm to handle the details by Friday, with that work paid for by NASCAR. Earlier this week, attorneys for twelve of the fifteen overall race teams argued against disclosing their financial records to become part of NASCAR's antitrust lawsuit. They are not parties in the ongoing suit filed by 23XI Racing, which is owned by NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports, owned by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins. 23XI and Front Row are the only two organizations of the fifteen that refused last September to sign take-it-or-leave-it offers on a new charter agreement. Charters are NASCAR's version of a franchise model, with each charter guaranteeing entry to the lucrative Cup Series races and a stable revenue stream. Of the thirteen teams that signed, only Kaulig Racing has submitted the financial documents NASCAR subpoenaed as part of discovery. Teams have long argued that NASCAR is not financially viable and they need a greater revenue stream and a more permanent length on the charter agreements, which presently have expiration dates and can be revoked by NASCAR. Two years of negotiations ended last fall with thirteen teams signing on and 23XI and FRM instead heading to court.
NBC Sports
4 days ago
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
Good news, bad news for NASCAR Cup drivers ahead of Atlanta weekend
Nine races remain before the playoffs begin, as the NASCAR Cup Series goes to EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, Georgia, this weekend. Saturday night's race has the chance to disrupt the playoff standings. Four times in the seven races since the track was reconfigured, there have been at least 26 cars involved in a crash in a race. Twenty-eight cars were involved in accidents in February's event. Here is a look at the good news and bad news for Cup drivers heading into the weekend. 23XI Racing — Good news: Tyler Reddick makes his 200th career Cup start this weekend. Bad news: Bubba Wallace has finished 33rd or worse in four of the last seven races, dropping him to 29 points above the playoff cutline. … Wallace's six DNFs leads the series. … Since starting the season with three consecutive 17th-place finishes (Daytona 500, Atlanta and COTA), Riley Herbst has only one finish better than 17th in the last 14 races. … Tyler Reddick has three top-five finishes this season. He's on pace for his fewest number of top-five finishes in a season since 2021 (also the last time he went winless in a season). Front Row Motorsports — Good news: The organization has won the pole for six of the last eight races at drafting tracks. … Noah Gragson's best finish of the season came at a drafting track when he placed fourth at Talladega. … Gragson has gone a series-best 60 consecutive races without a pit road speeding penalty. … Todd Gilliland ranked third in passing in the Atlanta race in February. … He has started in the top 10 in each of the last four Atlanta Cup races. … Zane Smith has five top-20 finishes in the last eight races. … Smith finished 11th in February, his best Cup finish there. Bad news: Gilliland has finished 22nd or worse in each of the last four races. … Gilliland has never scored a top-five finish in 21 Cup races on drafting tracks. Haas Factory Team — Good news: All four of Cole Custer's top-20 finishes have come in the past eight races. … Custer started a season-best fifth last weekend at Pocono. Bad News: Custer has made 134 Cup starts since his win at Kentucky in July 2020. Hendrick Motorsports — Good news: Chase Elliott heads into this weekend with back-to-back top-five finishes, the first time he's done that this season. … Elliott has the best average finish this season at 10.8. … Kyle Larson has won 13 of his last 82 Cup starts for a 15.9 percent winning percentage. … William Byron has two wins on the reconfigured Atlanta track. … Byron's four drafting track wins (two Daytona 500s and two at Atlanta) are the most in the Next Gen car. … Alex Bowman has six top-10 finishes in the last 11 races on drafting tracks. Bad news: Bowman dropped one spot in the playoff standings and now holds the final playoff spot with nine races left in the regular season. … Larson has failed to finish five of the last seven races at Atlanta due to accidents. … Larson has not won in 50 starts at drafting tracks. … Larson's five-race winless streak matches his longest of the season. Dustin Long, Hyak Motorsports — Good news: All four of Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s Cup wins have come on drafting tracks. … He finished fifth at Atlanta in February. … Stenhouse ranked second in passing in the February Atlanta race. Bad news: Stenhouse has placed 27th or worse in three of the last four races this season. Joe Gibbs Racing — Good news: Christopher Bell won the most recent Atlanta race in February. … Bell has three top-five finishes in his last five Atlanta starts. … Chase Briscoe is coming off his first Cup win with JGR, taking the checkered flag at Pocono. … Briscoe has four finishes of seventh or better in the last six races. … Denny Hamlin has won nine of his last 77 Cup starts for an 11.7 percent winning percentage. … With eight top-five finishes in his first 16 races, Hamlin is on pace to have his most top-five finishes in a season since 2021. … Ty Gibbs led a race-high 32 laps at Talladega in the most recent race on a drafting track. Bad news: Hamlin's average finish in the last seven races at Atlanta is 18th. … Hamlin is winless in 21 starts on drafting tracks in the Next Gen era (since 2022). … Briscoe has one top-10 finish in the last eight races at drafting tracks. Kaulig Racing — Good news: AJ Allmendinger has an 11.0 average finish at the reconfigured Atlanta track, a total that is tied for third among drivers who have made at least three starts at that track. Bad news: Ty Dillon has not finished better than 19th in five Cup starts at the reconfigured Atlanta track. … Allmendinger has finished 20th or worse in five of the last eight races. … Allmendinger is winless in 48 career Cup starts on drafting tracks. Legacy Motor Club — Good news: John Hunter Nemechek has finished sixth in each of the last two Cup races. … Nemechek has four top 10s in the last seven races. … Nemechek's six top 10s this season are a career high in Cup. …He finished 10th at Atlanta in February. … Nemechek ranked fourth in passing in that Atlanta race. … Erik Jones has five top-15 finishes in the last seven races. Bad news: Jones has two top-10 finishes in his last 12 starts on drafting tracks. Richard Childress Racing — Good news: Kyle Busch has finished in the top 10 in all five races at Atlanta with Richard Childress Racing, his most at a track since moving to the team. … Busch ranks second in the series in passing at drafting tracks this season. … Busch has eight top-10 finishes in his last 14 Cup starts at drafting tracks. Bad news: Austin Dillon has finished 19th or worse in six consecutive races. … Dillon has only two top-10 finishes in his last 16 starts at drafting tracks. … Busch has one top-10 result in the last nine races this season. … Busch has lost 63 points to the playoff cutline in the past two races. Rick Ware Racing — Good news: Corey LaJoie is back with the team this weekend in the No. 01 car. … LaJoie has two top-five finishes in the last seven Atlanta races. … Nine of LaJoie's 11 career top-10 finishes in Cup have come on drafting tracks. … Both of Cody Ware's two top-10 Cup finishes have come at drafting tracks. Bad news: Ware has finished 30th or worse in six of the last nine races. RFK Racing — Good news: Chris Buescher has finished in the top 10 in each of the last three races. … Buescher has nine top-10 finishes this season, his most through 17 races in a Cup season. … Brad Keselowski has three top-10 finishes in the last five races. … Ryan Preece has five top 15s in the last six races, including four top 10s. Bad news: A penalty for pitting when pit road was closed (a team miscommunication) and then a caution coming out before he had pitted prevented Keselowski from having a chance to win last week at Pocono and claim a playoff spot. … Keselowski, who has seven drafting track wins, last won on such a track in 2021. … Preece finished second at Talladega in the most recent race on a drafting track but was disqualified when his car failed post-race inspection. Spire Motorsports — Good news: Carson Hocevar finished second in the most recent Atlanta race in February. … He ranked first in passing in that race, via Racing Insights. … Hocevar has finished in the top 10 in the last two races on drafting tracks, placing second at Atlanta and sixth at Talladega. Bad news: It has been 158 starts since Justin Haley's lone Cup win at Daytona in July 2019. … Michael McDowell has placed 21st or worse in seven of the last 10 races. Team Penske — Good news: The organization led 131 of 266 laps at Atlanta in February. … The team has won seven of the 14 stages since the Atlanta track was redone. … Ryan Blaney has six consecutive top 10s at Atlanta, his longest streak at any track. … He has led in all seven Atlanta races on the reconfigured track. … Blaney has four wins on drafting tracks. … Blaney has six top-five finishes in the last 10 races this season. … Since the track's reconfiguration, Austin Cindric has led 193 laps at Atlanta (second most among all drivers). … Joey Logano has two wins on the reconfigured Atlanta track. Bad news: Logano's Atlanta win during last year's playoffs is his only top-10 finish in the last 10 races on a drafting track. Trackhouse Racing — Good news: Daniel Suarez has placed in the top two, including a win, in three of the last four Atlanta races. … Suarez is tied with Ryan Blaney for the most top-five finishes at the reconfigured Atlanta track with four. … Ross Chastain has four top 10s in his last seven Atlanta starts. … Connor Zilisch will make his third career Cup start this weekend, driving the No. 87 car. Bad news: Shane van Gisbergen's 31st-place finish last week at Pocono was his lowest since Bristol in April. Wood Brothers Racing — Good news: Josh Berry led a career-high 56 laps at Atlanta in February. … Berry ranked second in defense in the Atlanta race, according to Racing Insights. … Berry started third at Atlanta and won the opening stage in February. Bad news: Berry has one top-10 finish in the 12 races since his Las Vegas win.
Forbes
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
Noah Gragson Looks To Rewrite His NASCAR Story At EchoPark Speedway
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 21: Noah Gragson poses for a photo during NASCAR Production Days ... More at Charlotte Convention Center on January 21, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) If you tried to pitch Noah Gragson's last year as a TV script, even Hollywood would've told you to tone it down. A team collapses, sponsors scatter, the driver ends up sidelined—and somehow, twelve months later, he's back in the NASCAR Cup Series, with a new car, a new team, a new sponsor, and a shot at a million dollars. Even Gragson didn't see it coming. 'No, I didn't know how it was all going to happen,' Gragson said this week ahead of the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. 'I kept my confidence up that I'd have an opportunity. I just didn't know what it was going to look like.' Turns out, it looks like this: Gragson behind the wheel of the No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Front Row Motorsports, with Zep—yes, that Zep, the cleaning products people that once sponsored Chase Briscoe at Stewart-Haas Racing—plastered across the hood. And if that wasn't enough of a plot twist, Saturday night also kicks off NASCAR's first-ever in-season tournament, complete with brackets, eliminations, and a $1 million prize. It's part March Madness, part demolition derby. Which, frankly, suits Gragson just fine. Downsized, Not Derailed When Stewart-Haas Racing announced it was shutting down at the end of 2024, Gragson and his crew found themselves in NASCAR limbo—a place where drivers either reinvent themselves or disappear entirely. AVONDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 10: (L-R) Noah Gragson, driver of the #10 Nitro Circus Ford, ... More Stewart-Haas Racing owners, Gene Haas and Tony Stewart poses for photos on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway on November 10, 2024 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by) 'There were so many different options and conversations being had, just trying to narrow down what we felt like was going to be the best opportunity,' Gragson explained. 'After speaking with Bob Jenkins and Jerry Freeze and everybody at Front Row Motorsports, it just seemed like the perfect fit.' In racing terms, Front Row isn't exactly a superpower. But in Gragson's view, that's not a bad thing. Besides he's hedged his bets a little, bringing a bit of familiarity along with him. 'I have probably half of the team from SHR—my crew chief, some engineers, a few mechanics,' he said. 'It's been a pretty smooth transition. And honestly, maybe downsizing a little bit has been better. At Stewart-Haas, we might've had too many cooks in the kitchen. Now, everyone's locked in on their role. We all work together really well.' Translation: fewer suits, fewer egos, more racing. The Dark Horse with Cleaning Products While Ford's new Mustang Dark Horse, introduced last season, has been hyped as the brand's next great racing weapon, Gragson's not the type to gush. 'No, not really,' he said when asked if the new car feels more aggressive or unpredictable than last year's version. Fair enough—sometimes a car is just a car. The sponsor, however, has potential for far more fun. HOMESTEAD, FL - OCTOBER 26: Chase Briscoe (#14 Stewart Haas Racing Zep Ford) during practice for the ... More NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 400 on October 26, 2024 on October 26, 2024, at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Malcolm Hope/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) 'They've been awesome to work with,' Gragson said of Zep. 'They brought a pallet over to the shop, had all the cleaning supplies—and the thing was raided within a couple of minutes. Everything was gone.' Race car drivers, it turns out, are surprisingly enthusiastic about spotless garages. 'They got everything—carpet cleaner, wall cleaner, degreasers, wax, coatings—the whole deal,' Gragson said. 'And yellow's my favorite color. It's bright, you can see the car on the racetrack. The car turned out really sharp.' It might be the first time in NASCAR history that 'cleaning products' and 'bold new livery' show up in the same sentence. But as Gragson knows better than most, strange combinations sometimes work. Million-Dollar Mayhem The in-season tournament? That's where things really get interesting. NASCAR's new bracket challenge brings eliminations, one-on-one rivalries, and—most importantly—a $1 million payday for the driver who survives. AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 24: Noah Gragson, driver of the #10 Rush Truck Centers Ford, walks onstage ... More during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on March 24, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by) 'We're paying attention to see who we're up against, but you can't really do a whole lot until the race starts,' Gragson said. 'Once we strap the helmets on, we keep tabs on them. But with the bracket format… it might be more wild than anything. One thing goes wrong, and anybody can win—or lose.' For Gragson, that means opportunity—and a statement. 'A million bucks is awesome,' he said. 'But where we're at at Front Row Motorsports, we're growing as an organization. I think this is a steppingstone to say,' Hey, we're here to compete.'' EchoPark, Atlanta—Call It What You Want The track itself—officially EchoPark Speedway, though half the sport still calls it Atlanta—is a mixed bag for Gragson. In the Xfinity Series, he racked up three top-five finishes, five top-10s, and an average finish most drivers would trade for. But since the reconfiguration that turned the track into a superspeedway hybrid, things have gone… less smoothly. 'The old track, I was really, really good there,' Gragson admitted. 'Since they added the banking and made it more like a superspeedway, it's been tough to stay out of wrecks. Honestly, it's probably my worst statistical track since the reconfiguration.' Still, he's not exactly the type to back down. 'We've got an opportunity this weekend to change that,' he said. The Critics Can Wait It wasn't long ago Gragson's future in NASCAR was the subject of online message boards, Twitter (sorry, X) threads, and plenty of barstool debates. He says none of it matters now. 'None of it at all,' he said. 'I just do me at the end of the day. They want to hop on the bus, they can. They want to hate, go for it.' His attention, he insists, is elsewhere. 'If you don't have my number, you don't know me,' Gragson added. 'The people close to me know me, and they know the person I am.' Home—or a Launchpad? For now, Gragson's betting on Front Row Motorsports as more than just a rebound. 'I hope it's a long-term home,' he said. 'Bob Jenkins and Jerry Freeze are awesome people. It's a great organization to drive for. If you're not having fun where you're working, might as well not work there—and I really, really enjoy going into the shop every day.' But this is NASCAR. Long-term homes have a way of turning into springboards. And with a million dollars on the line and a high-visibility new sponsor on the car, this weekend could be the beginning of something much bigger. HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA - MARCH 23: Noah Gragson, driver of the #4 Beef A Roo Ford, prepares for the ... More NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 23, 2025 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by) Biggest pressure this weekend? Gragson joked, 'Probably moving on to the next round. But I'll definitely say 'Atlanta' instead of EchoPark on TV… that's a given.' And if it all goes according to plan? 'I don't know what the headline's gonna be,' Gragson said. 'But it's gonna be pretty big. I know that.' Noah Gragson's made a career out of turning unlikely chances into headlines. This weekend at EchoPark—or Atlanta, if you slip up—is just the latest opportunity to prove that in NASCAR, underdogs don't just survive. Sometimes, they clean house.
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Associated Press
NASCAR teams fear 'catastrophic' impact of disclosing financial records during court fight
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Attorneys for 12 of NASCAR's 15 race teams argued in federal court Tuesday that disclosing their financial records to the stock car series would be 'catastrophic' to competitive balance and warned that making such details public would put them all in danger. The hearing was over a discovery dispute between NASCAR and the teams that are not parties in the ongoing antitrust suit filed by 23XI Racing, which is owned by retired NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports, owned by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins. 23XI and Front Row are the only two organizations out of the 15 that refused last September to sign take-it-or-leave offers on a new charter agreement. Charters are NASCAR's version of a franchise model, with each charter guaranteeing entry to the lucrative Cup Series races and a stable revenue stream. Of the 13 teams that signed, only Kaulig Racing has submitted the financial documents NASCAR subpoenaed as part of discovery. The other 12 organizations are fighting against releasing the information to NASCAR and even argued that NASCAR asking for them violates the charter agreement, which claims all disputes must go to arbitration. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell of the Western District of North Carolina promised a quick ruling but, just like last week, seemed exasperated at the lengths being taken in this brawl that for now is heading toward a December trial. 'I am amazed at the effort going into burning this house down over everybody's heads,' Bell said at the end of the nearly two-hour hearing. 'But I'm the fire marshal and I will be here in December if need be.' Attorneys for the teams say their financial records are private and there is no guarantee the information won't be leaked; in a hearing last week, information learned in discovery was disclosed in open court. 'It would be absolutely devastating to these race teams if their competitors were able to find out sponsorships on the cars, driver salaries and all revenue streams,' attorney Adam Ross said. 'It cannot make its way into the public realm.' Ross said NASCAR has asked for 11 years of records and communications — including what Hendrick Motorsports spent on both its Garage 56 project building a car to race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the cost of Kyle Larson running both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 the last two seasons. 'NASCAR has gone a step too far,' Ross said. NASCAR argued it needs the financials to understand profit margins and whether teams are actually unable to make ends meet under the charter agreement. NASCAR vowed to redact details to conceal team identities, a suggestion that was met with skepticism from team attorneys who contended it would be easy to connect the dots and, for example, figure out which contracts belong to, say, Team Penske. Attorneys also argued that money is not often distributed equally across the board with each team. For example, Team Penske might use an engineer for a NASCAR team, an IndyCar team and a sports car team. Bell asked NASCAR why it would not be satisfied with just 'topline' numbers. 'Why is not enough to know it costs X to run a car?' Bell asked. Attorneys for the 12 teams also noted that their clients are extremely uncomfortable to be dragged into the suit. 'This is the opposite of what they want — all the teams are torn to pieces that NASCAR wants them to disclose this information and they don't want to upset NASCAR,' Ross said. Teams have long argued that NASCAR is not financially viable and they needed multiple concessions, including a greater revenue stream and a more permanent length on the charter agreements. Those presently have expiration dates and can be revoked by NASCAR. Two years of negotiations ended last fall with 13 teams signing on but 23IX and FRM instead heading to court. The hearing came one day after Bell declined to dismiss the teams' request to toss out NASCAR's countersuit, which accuses Jordan business manager Curtis Polk of using 'cartel'-type tactics in the most recent round of charter negotiations. ___ AP auto racing:
