{"id":249151,"date":"2025-10-30T02:19:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T02:19:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/249151\/"},"modified":"2025-10-30T02:19:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T02:19:07","slug":"team-chevy-nascar-race-advance-championship-weekend-at-phoenix-raceway-speedway-digest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/249151\/","title":{"rendered":"TEAM CHEVY NASCAR RACE ADVANCE: Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway &#8211; Speedway Digest"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The 2025 NASCAR tour will come to a close this weekend as the Cup, Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series will make the trek out west to Phoenix Raceway to crown the season\u2019s champions in all three divisions. Chevrolet stands tall entering the championship weekend as the only manufacturer to have the opportunity to compete for all three titles.<\/p>\n<p>Coming off a \u2018walk-off\u2019 win, William Byron and his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kyle Larson, will represent Chevrolet in the fight for the coveted Bill France Cup. In the Xfinity Series, the Bowtie brand added onto an already record season by sweeping the Championship Four with the series\u2019 reigning champion, Justin Allgaier, and three first-time title contenders, Connor Zilisch, Carson Kvapil and Jesse Love, competing for the manufacturer\u2019s 23rd driver championship in the division. Carrying an already career season, Tyler Ankrum is set to make his first Championship Four appearance in the Truck Series.<br \/>\u200a<\/p>\n<p>Byron Beaming with Confidence<\/p>\n<p>William Byron drove arguably the race of his career at Martinsville Speedway. With his back against the wall, the 27-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native turned a \u2018must-win\u2019 situation into an opportunity to compete for his first career championship title in NASCAR\u2019s top division. The victory, his third of the season, came in nearly dominate fashion including a pole win, a sweep of the stages and a tally of 304-laps led en route to a position in this weekend\u2019s title-deciding race. Byron has competed in the playoffs for the past seven consecutive seasons, including three-straight Championship Four appearances. In 15 career starts at Phoenix Raceway, Byron has earned one trip to victory lane and an average finish of 10.8 (third-best of the series). The Next Gen era has fared well for the driver at the one-mile venue \u2013 recording results no worse than sixth in five of the seven events. Byron has also earned top-10 finishes in each stage for the past nine consecutive races at the track \u2013 helping to boost a series-best running position of 9.178.<\/p>\n<p>Larson Eyeing Second Career Title<\/p>\n<p>A strong pair of rounds ultimately delivered Hendrick Motorsports\u2019 Kyle Larson a spot back in the Championship Four for the third time in his NASCAR Cup Series career. The 33-year-old Elk Grove, California, native will have the opportunity to earn a spot on a very elite list in series\u2019 history with the Team Chevy driver looking to become just the third active and 18th driver all-time to become a multi-time champion in NASCAR\u2019s premier series. Larson has 22 career starts at Phoenix Raceway under his belt, with his most memorable coming in 2021 when he earned his first victory at the track en route to his championship title. Similar to his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Larson\u2019s numbers in the Next Gen era at the track include an impressive four top-five and five top-10 finishes in seven events.<br \/>\u200a<\/p>\n<p>A Historic Xfinity Series Season Continues<\/p>\n<p>What has already been a record season continues for Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as the manufacturer concluded the Round of Eight with a sweep of the Championship Four \u2013 guaranteeing its 23rd driver championship in the division. Since the elimination-style format was introduced to the series\u2019 playoffs in 2016, Chevrolet has been the only manufacturer in history to sweep the Championship Four positions \u2013 accomplishing the feat with JR Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing in 2017. The pair of organizations powered Chevrolet to the feat once again this season with a trio of JR Motorsports drivers \u2013 Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier and Carson Kvapil \u2013 and Richard Childress Racing\u2019s Jesse Love representing the manufacturer in this season\u2019s title-deciding race.<br \/>\u200a<\/p>\n<p>Allgaier Aiming to Defend<\/p>\n<p>One of Team Chevy\u2019s longest-tenured drivers, Justin Allgaier, could rest easy in the Round of Eight elimination race with an already guaranteed spot in the Championship Four on points. One year ago, the 39-year-old old Riverton, Illinois, native earned his long-awaited title as a NASCAR Xfinity Series champion. Allgaier will be able to lean on his veteran experience heading into the season finale weekend with the Team Chevy driver making his series-leading eighth appearance in the Championship Four. Among the remaining title contenders, Allgaier is the only past winner at Phoenix Raceway with two victories on his resume. On top of his wins, the reigning champion has garnered an impressive 12 top-fives and 20 top-10s throughout his 30 career starts at the one-mile Arizona venue.<br \/>\u200a<\/p>\n<p>Team Chevy\u2019s Rising Stars Get First Title Chance<\/p>\n<p>Joining the reigning champion in the title-deciding race is a trio of Team Chevy rising stars that are set to make their first career appearance in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Four.<\/p>\n<p>Joining the likes of his JR Motorsports teammate, Connor Zilisch punched his ticket into the Championship Four following the penultimate race of the Round of Eight. The 19-year-old Mooresville, North Carolina, native\u2019s record-setting rookie campaign positions him as a strong favorite for the championship title. Zilisch has set a handful of records this season, highlighted by his 10 wins (the most by a rookie in series\u2019 history) and 18 consecutive top-fives for a 2.1 average finish during that time span. Zilisch has just two starts at Phoenix Raceway, with his best finish of fourth coming in his first appearance at the track in the championship race one year ago.<\/p>\n<p>Despite a dismal finish to the Round of Eight, Richard Childress Racing\u2019s Jesse Love was backed up by a strong points cushion to secure his first trip into the Championship Four. The 20-year-old Menlo Park, California, native was the first driver to punch his ticket into the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs with his victory in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway. Throughout his sophomore campaign in the series, steady consistency has put Love near the top of a variety of statistical categories including an average finish of 11.4 and 21 top-10 finishes \u2013 both of which rank the No. 2 team second-best in the series. Phoenix Raceway might just be the best spot for Love to find redemption. One year ago, Love fell just short of the win during an overtime restart \u2013 resulting in a sixth-place finish. In his three career starts at Phoenix, Love has yet to finish worse than ninth, with his best finish of second coming in his debut appearance at the track.<\/p>\n<p>In a race all the way to the checkered-flag at Martinsville Speedway, Carson Kvapil and the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet team edged out the remaining title contenders by four-points to earn the fourth and final position in the Championship Four. The 22-year-old Mooresville, North Carolina, native will head into the final race of his rookie season with seven top-fives, 14 top-10s and an average finish of 13.8. Hungrier than ever for this first win, Kvapil could become the first driver since 2021 to earn his first career victory and the championship at the same time \u2013 a feat last achieved by Daniel Hemric.<br \/>\u200a<\/p>\n<p>Ankrum\u2019s Career Season Continues with First Championship Four Berth<\/p>\n<p>McAnally-Hilgemann Racing\u2019s Tyler Ankrum made the ultimate comeback in the final stage at Martinsville Speedway to earn his first career berth into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Four. Ankrum is currently competing in his seventh full-time season in the division \u2013 joining the Bowtie brigade in 2024 when the 24-year-old San Bernadino, California, native took over the reigns of the No. 18 Chevrolet for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing. A championship title would add onto an already career season for the Team Chevy driver. Making his return to victory lane for the first time since his rookie campaign at Rockingham Speedway earlier this spring, Ankrum will head into the season-finale weekend with a career-best eight top-five and 15 top-10 finishes in 2025.<br \/>\u200a<\/p>\n<p>Chevrolet\u2019s season statistics with 35 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:<\/p>\n<p>Wins: 15<\/p>\n<p>Poles: 13<\/p>\n<p>Laps Led: 3,941<\/p>\n<p>Top-Fives: 65<\/p>\n<p>Top-10s: 140<\/p>\n<p>Stage Wins: 27<\/p>\n<p>Chevrolet\u2019s season statistics with 32 NASCAR Xfinity Series races complete:<\/p>\n<p>Wins: 25<\/p>\n<p>Poles: 20<\/p>\n<p>Laps Led: 3,775<\/p>\n<p>Top-Fives: 107<\/p>\n<p>Top-10s: 209<\/p>\n<p>Stage Wins: 49<\/p>\n<p>Chevrolet\u2019s season statistics with 24 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races complete:<\/p>\n<p>Wins: 6<\/p>\n<p>Poles: 2<\/p>\n<p>Laps Led: 956<\/p>\n<p>Top-Fives: 48<\/p>\n<p>Top-10s: 109<\/p>\n<p>Stage Wins: 8<br \/>\u200a<\/p>\n<p>BOWTIE BULLETS:<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Phoenix Raceway:<\/p>\n<p>Kyle Busch \u2013 three wins (2019, 2018, 2005)<\/p>\n<p>Ross Chastain \u2013 one win (2023)<\/p>\n<p>William Byron \u2013 one win (2023)<\/p>\n<p>Kyle Larson \u2013 one win (2021)<\/p>\n<p>Chase Elliott \u2013 one win (2020)<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 In 58 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Phoenix Raceway, Chevrolet has recorded 27 victories, including a record-setting streak of 10 straight \u2013 earned by six different drivers between 2005-2010.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Chevrolet is the only manufacturer that will compete for the championship title in all three divisions this weekend with Hendrick Motorsports\u2019 William Byron and Kyle Larson in the NASCAR Cup Series; JR Motorsports\u2019 Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier and Carson Kvapil and Richard Childress Racing\u2019s Jesse Love in the NASCAR Xfinity Series; and McAnally-Hilgemann Racing\u2019s Tyler Ankrum in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Since the start of the elimination-style format in the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs, Chevrolet has been the only manufacturer to sweep the Championship Four \u2013 accomplished in 2017 with JR Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Chevrolet has earned at least half of the top-10 finishing results in 14 of the 35 points-paying races thus far this season, including a season-high seven top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 In 143 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 67 victories \u2013 a winning percentage of 46.9%.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 881 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.<\/p>\n<p>FOR THE FANS:<\/p>\n<p>Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Phoenix Raceway, which features a variety of Chevrolet vehicles including: 2026 Corvette ZR1X, 2026 Tahoe Z71, 2026 Equinox Activ, 2026 Blazer EV SS, 2026 Silverado High Country, 2026 Silverado EV Trailboss, 2026 Colorado Z71 Trailboss, 2500 HD Trailboss, Silverado 1500 Trailboss, and a Chase Elliott No. 9 Show Car.<\/p>\n<p>Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:<\/p>\n<p>Friday, October 31<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Tyler Ankrum: 10:30 a.m. \u2013 10:45 a.m.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Grant Enfinger: 10:45 a.m. \u2013 11:00 a.m.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Rajah Caruth: 11:00 a.m. \u2013 11:15 a.m.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Sammy Smith: 11:15 a.m. \u2013 11:30 a.m.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Connor Zilisch: 12:15 p.m. \u2013 12:30 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Tristan McKee: 2:00 p.m. \u2013 2:15 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Carson Kvapil: 3:00 p.m. \u2013 3:15 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>Saturday, November 1<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Justin Allgaier: 10:30 a.m. \u2013 10:45 a.m.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Corey Day: 11:00 a.m. \u2013 11:15 a.m.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Shane van Gisbergen: 11:15 a.m. \u2013 11:30 a.m.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Justin Haley: 11:30 a.m. \u2013 11:45 a.m.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Alex Bowman: 12:40 p.m. \u2013 12:55 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>Sunday, November 2<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Michael McDowell: 9:00 a.m. \u2013 9:15 a.m.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Ross Chastain: 9:15 a.m. \u2013 9:30 a.m.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Austin Dillon: 9:30 a.m. \u2013 9:45 a.m.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Daniel Suarez: 9:45 a.m. \u2013 10:00 a.m.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Chase Elliott: 10:00 a.m. \u2013 10:15 a.m.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 William Byron &amp; Kyle Larson: 10:20 a.m. \u2013 10:35 a.m.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Kyle Busch: 10:40 a.m. \u2013 10:55 a.m.<\/p>\n<p>\ufeffChevrolet Display Hours of Operation:<\/p>\n<p>Friday, October 31: 10:30 a.m. \u2013 4:30 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>Saturday, November 1: 9:30 a.m. \u2013 4:30 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>Sunday, November 2: 8:00 a.m. \u2013 1:00 p.m.<br \/>\u200a<\/p>\n<p>TUNE-IN:<\/p>\n<p>NASCAR Cup Series<\/p>\n<p>NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race<\/p>\n<p>Sunday, November 2, at 3 p.m. ET<\/p>\n<p>(NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)<\/p>\n<p>NASCAR Xfinity Series<\/p>\n<p>NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race<\/p>\n<p>Saturday, November 1, at 7:30 p.m. ET<\/p>\n<p>(CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)<\/p>\n<p>NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series<\/p>\n<p>NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race<\/p>\n<p>Friday, October 31, 7:30 p.m. ET<\/p>\n<p>(FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)<br \/>\u200a<\/p>\n<p>QUOTABLE QUOTES:<\/p>\n<p>Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ve been the spoiler before at the Phoenix championship race. How difficult is it to do that?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of that depends on how good your car is. Typically, we always run pretty well at Phoenix and Phil (Surgen) does a great job in giving me a car that\u2019s really drivable there. We also get a little extra practice which is different from most weekends. And when you\u2019re not running for the championship and are solely focused on winning, you can use different strategy in comparison to the Championship 4 guys. Winning in the championship race is just as important as it is any other weekend. There is nothing better than going to victory lane at the last race of the season like we did in 2023.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What do you plan to do in the off season?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m going to stay in Phoenix and hit the NASCAR banquet. I plan to get home to Florida and see the family and we\u2019ll have a fall crop harvesting and get the spring crop ready. Not that I do a lot of work but I like to look at it and get in my brother\u2019s (Chad) way when I can (laughs). December in South Florida staying in a double-wide, it\u2019s hard to beat it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet<\/p>\n<p>To close out the season, the sport returns to Phoenix Raceway. What is the outlook for the No. 3 team racing in the desert?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe tested at Phoenix (Raceway) earlier this year, so I\u2019m excited to get back there. We all know the Penske cars are very fast at Phoenix, but I feel better than I did the first race around. We were just okay there. But after the test, I feel like we learned some things that could help us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would say this is probably the best I\u2019ve felt about what we\u2019re bringing for the Championship 4 compared any other year. Everyone at Hendrick Motorsports went to work on getting our flat short track program better. We went to Gateway and we were super strong and New Hampshire we were really good and Phoenix is somewhat similar to those places so I feel like we\u2019ll have a better opportunity to win a championship than we ever had in the Next Gen era. That motivates me and gets me excited.<\/p>\n<p>Making the final four is really tough to begin with. Huge props to everyone at Hendrick Motorsports for working hard and getting us to this point. We have a 50 percent chance of winning Mr. H a 15th championship.<\/p>\n<p>I would love to win a second championship. I\u2019ve said this before, but I really look up to Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon and to win one more would move me closer to matching guys that I looked up to or surpass them someday. We\u2019re going to try to execute like we have been here lately and see where that puts us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet<\/p>\n<p>What are your thoughts on Phoenix?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t thank Gainbridge enough for all of their support. I want to thank my guys on the team for building competitive cars each and every week. In the spring we had a good baseline, but got caught up in an unfortunate situation. I\u2019m looking forward to coming back and contending with the guys up front. I am hoping to go out on a good note and have a great race.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet<\/p>\n<p>Do you race the drivers in the Championship 4 any differently at Phoenix Raceway? Do you try to give them extra room?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou definitely don\u2019t want to put yourself in a spot where you take out a Championship 4 contender. It\u2019s important to be mindful of everything going on around you but you\u2019re also not just going to just layover and give positions away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>How important is it to end this season on a positive note with a strong run at Phoenix Raceway?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not sure that I would put any more emphasis on Phoenix Raceway than I would at any other week prior because I think every race is important.<\/p>\n<p>How does having the practice session on Friday change your strategy for the weekend?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnytime you\u2019re able to get a little bit more practice should allow you time to dissect the car and make the necessary changes that you think you need as a driver to be able to have a good race car.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne to go. Kaulig Racing and our No. 16 group has a lot of positives to take away from this year, even though the results didn\u2019t always show that. As we head to Phoenix, we\u2019re focused on closing out the season with a strong run, continuing to learn, and focusing ahead to the off-season and building for 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m excited to have Real American Beer back on board for the last race in Phoenix. We\u2019re focused on finishing strong and carrying that momentum into next year. I\u2019m really proud of the No. 47 team for all their hard work and effort this season.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet<\/p>\n<p>What makes Phoenix such a dynamic track given it\u2019s the final race of the season?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not so much the track as it is the weekend. It\u2019s the championship weekend. It\u2019s high intensity and high excitement. But for me, it\u2019s the last race of the season and you want to go out with good momentum. I know it sounds silly, but we always talk about, you\u2019re only as good as your last race, and you don\u2019t want to carry your last race into the offseason if it is not a good one. So, finishing off strong is super important for everybody at the shop, the crew, and morale. It\u2019s a grueling season. You get to the end and you don\u2019t want the last couple of races to be that gut shot where you just feel like you\u2019ve lost steam. So, I think finishing strong across the last few weeks is really important as we build momentum going into the 2026 season.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet<\/p>\n<p>How do you rate this season overall?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt has been a tough season, but I think we learned a lot as a team and I learned a lot as a driver. On and off the track, there were some moments that were not ideal or in any way fun to work through, but we can look back now and say we made it and we\u2019re a stronger team for it. We were so close to a win multiple times this year and it sucks to not have the finishes to show for that, but that just gives us something to strive for as we work through the off season.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet<\/p>\n<p>Talk about your Sunoco Rookie season and how much you\u2019ve progressed on the ovals.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s been a fun season but challenging too. The road courses, obviously, have been amazing, and then the ovals \u2013 I started the year finishing in the 30s, but I feel like we\u2019ve grounded out, now we\u2019re a 15th to 10th place car on most weeks. I think how much better we\u2019ve gotten is a pretty awesome feeling, but certainly those first ten weeks of the year were eye-opening. We\u2019ve made huge progress on the ovals the last couple of months, so we just need to keep building off that and we will be in a good spot to start next season.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a big deal to win five races as a Cup Series rookie. What does that mean to you?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt means everything. That\u2019s why I moved here, and that\u2019s why Justin believed in me, and he knew I could do this. I\u2019ve changed my life to come and do this, and to come and make true of what everyone believed in me and to execute myself and get everything right, it\u2019s why I go racing. As I said, sharing it with those people and seeing how much it means to the guys who work so hard every week on the car and their pit stops, it\u2019s so cool. It means the world to everyone. To see the guys at the shop who did all the prep work for these wins too, and I love the team environment. It\u2019s been a great year for the team.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet<\/p>\n<p>Have you taken time to think about what Monday after Phoenix will be like for you?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy years with Trackhouse have been the best years of my Cup career, not just on-track, but off-track, building something with people and thinking outside the box, being different; I loved that. That\u2019s something that can\u2019t be taken away from me. I\u2019ve been part of huge organizations that never made me feel as important as Trackhouse made me feel in the early years and that\u2019s what I want to keep with me. At the same time, I can\u2019t wait for the future. I\u2019m only 33 years old and feel like I\u2019m in the prime of my career.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What has Trackhouse has meant to you? You were a part of the organization from the very beginning.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrackhouse was literally a piece of paper the first time I heard about the team. It was interesting to me, because I was coming from a team that was an upstart project, but when the COVID epidemic hit, it didn\u2019t work out. Essentially Trackhouse was a similar project. I believed in it right away; my dad and others did not, but my gut was telling me that it was something good after talking with Justin.<\/p>\n<p>I followed my gut, and I wasn\u2019t wrong. I was super happy because I believed Trackhouse was probably the first team in the NASCAR Cup Series that gave me 100% trust. We were able to build something very good together and I\u2019m very proud of that. Definitely the best moments of my career in the Cup Series have been at Trackhouse and that\u2019s another thing I\u2019m going to keep with me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Connor Zilisch, No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s really cool to have both Justin and Carson in the Championship 4 at Phoenix. I think Carson did a great job at Martinsville to race his way in. We just need to execute the day and make the most of it on Saturday. We\u2019ve made sure that everything we do is calculated and that we\u2019re making changes for the better and not just to do it. Before the season started my crew chief Mardy Lindley had me fill out a points and win prediction. I had myself winning four races. To sit here today with 10 wins and winning the regular season championship plus locking into the Championship 4 early, I certainly have outdone my expectations. It\u2019s been really, really cool to experience it and be a part of it. We\u2019ve had bad days, but I\u2019ve certainly learned through all of it. I\u2019ve become a better driver and more importantly become a better human at JRM. I\u2019ve learned how to treat people, how to build a team, and to be a leader. I\u2019m certainly grateful for my time at JRM. I\u2019ve grown a lot and I\u2019m excited to carry all the things that I\u2019ve learned into the Cup Series and hopefully make my mark there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>GM PR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 2025 NASCAR tour will come to a close this weekend as the Cup, Xfinity and Craftsman Truck&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":249152,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[446],"tags":[49,48,717,718,925,77,720,634,1702,721,722,82,723],"class_list":["post-249151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nascar","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-charlotte","tag-craftsman-truck-series","tag-daytona","tag-international","tag-motor","tag-nascar","tag-ricky-stenhouse-jr","tag-series","tag-speedway","tag-sports","tag-xfinity-series"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249151","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=249151"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249151\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/249152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=249151"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=249151"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=249151"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}