GEORGIA WATERMELON ASSOCIATION, TROPHY TRACTOR REJOIN JD MOTORSPORTS AS PRIMARY SPONSORS FOR POCONO

Gaffney, SC-

JD Motorsports with Gary Keller (JDM) is proud to announce that Georgia Watermelon Association and Trophy Tractor will once again join the team’s efforts this weekend at Pocono Raceway as primary sponsors on two Chevrolet Camaros.

Georgia Watermelon Association will be represented on Ross Chastain’s No. 4 Chevrolet Camaro, a partnership that has been years in the making. With summer being just around the corner, watermelon season is in full force, which is why the Association would like to spread the message to grab some fresh, juicy Georgia-grown watermelons in your local grocery store. This weekend’s Pocono Green 250 will be the first race of the season that GWA will be on board the No. 4.

Chastain, who comes fresh off an 11th place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway last Saturday, currently has an average finish of 17.1 so far in the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, and sits 13th in the points standings, just a mere 49 points outside of the Playoffs cutoff.

Trophy Tractor, a longtime supporter of Garrett Smithley, will jump on board the No. 0 #NumberNuthin Chevrolet for the second time this season. Earlier this year at Texas Motor Speedway, the tractor and equipment rental service company partnered with Smithley, who delivered a 31st place finish due to an early exit in which his engine expired. Garrett and the No. 0 race team are looking to keep the momentum rolling strong after a solid 17th place finish last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Smithley has an average finish of 20.7 in the first eleven races of the season, and currently sits 16th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series standings.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Pocono Raceway for the running of the Pocono Green 250 Recycled By J.P. Mascaro & Sons on Saturday, June 1st. Be sure to watch FS1 for live coverage at 1:00 PM ET, or listen along on the radio on PRN. For all things JD Motorsports with Gary Keller, be sure to follow along on our social media pages @JDMotorsports01. #TeamJDM

MEDIA CONTACT:

Leighton Sibille

Office: (864) 488-2376

lsibille@jdavismotorsports.com

JD MOTORSPORTS CARS EARN TWO TOP 15, FOUR TOP 20 FINISHES IN CHARLOTTE

GAFFNEY, SC –

On Saturday, the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) raced at Charlotte Motor Speedway for a 300-mile race in the sweltering heat. With two off weekends in a row leading up to the Charlotte race, the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller (JDM) race teams had plenty of time to prepare cars capable of running well.

And run well they did. Though the weekend didn’t start off the greatest for any of the JDM cars in qualifying, they made their way through the field during the race, ending up with some good finishes.

Ross Chastain, who drives the No. 4 Florida Watermelon Association Chevrolet Camaro, started 37th due to a broken wire in the ignition during qualifying. He didn’t stay there long, however, as he worked all the way up to the Top 15 during Stage 1 of the race. The No. 4 was a rocket ship early on, but midway through the race, it was apparent that there was a problem with the car, which turned out to be the splitter pan that was dragging underneath, which hindered performance.

Once the team fixed the issue, Chastain made his way back through the field at a quick rate. He was nipping on the heels of another Top 10 finish, but ultimately ran out of time, and brought his Camaro home in the 11th position. That finish keeps Ross solidly in 13th for the season standings, now 49 points behind the Playoffs cutoff spot.

Stephen Leicht, driver of the No. 01 Flex Glue Chevrolet Camaro, had a roller coaster of a day. The near by Asheville, NC native struggled in qualifying, and rolled off from the 32nd position to start the race off. From there, he was able to knock down spots one at a time, and ran on the lead lap for the majority of the event. Leicht consistently improved throughout the race, and thanks to the help of four fresh tires near the finish, he was able to cap the weekend off with a solid 15th place run – his best finish yet this season. Stephen jumps up a whopping three spots in the season standings to 23rd, and now sits 26 markers back from the Top 20.

The #NumberNuthin Flex Tape No. 0 Chevrolet Camaro driven by Garrett Smithley had a relatively uneventful afternoon in Charlotte. After qualifying the car in 30th place, he too made his way through the field, spending most of the day in the 15th – 20th positions. At one point, thanks to some strategy by the crew, Garrett found himself restarting up inside the Top 10. He ran consistently for the remainder of the race, and ended up coming away with a 17th place finish. Smithley still sits in 16th in points, now just 38 points back of being inside the Top 15.

BJ McLeod, who had backing from Flex Seal on his No. 15 Chevrolet Camaro, continued to build on momentum for the team with another solid run. McLeod qualified the car in 21st, which was the best out of the four JDM cars. From there, he ran right around Garrett in the 15th – 20th positions, ultimately coming home with an 18th place finish. BJ sits 22nd in the standings, just 11 points back out of 20th.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Pocono Raceway for the running of the Pocono Green 250 Recycled By J.P. Mascaro & Sons on Saturday, June 1st. Be sure to watch FS1 for live coverage at 1:00 PM ET, or listen along on the radio on PRN. For all things JD Motorsports with Gary Keller, be sure to follow along on our social media pages @JDMotorsports01. #TeamJDM

MEDIA CONTACT:

Leighton Sibille

Office: (864) 488-2376

lsibille@jdavismotorsports.com

FLEX SEAL, FLORIDA WATERMELON ASSOCIATION JOIN JD MOTORSPORTS’ FOUR CAR EFFORTS FOR CHARLOTTE

GAFFNEY, SC –

JD Motorsports with Gary Keller (JDM) is proud to welcome back the Flex Seal Family of Products as well as the Florida Watermelon Association on board as primary partners on all four Chevrolet Camaros.

Florida Watermelon Association will once again team up with Ross Chastain and the No. 4 team, a partnership that dates back to 2014 in his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Charlotte. This will be the first race of the season for the FWA aboard Chastain’s Chevrolet.

Flex Seal will join forces with BJ McLeod and the No. 15 team, marking it as the first time that he has been sponsored by the longtime JDM supporter. In two sponsored races this season, Flex Seal was able to earn an 11th place finish at Richmond with Chastain, and a 9th place finish at Talladega with Landon Cassill, both driving the No. 4 Chevrolet.

Flex Tape will hop on board the No. 0 Camaro with Garrett Smithley for the third time this season. In Talladega just a few weeks ago, the Flex Tape backing helped push Smithley to his season-best finish in 12th place.

And lastly, but certainly not least, Flex Glue will reunite with Stephen Leicht and the No. 01 Chevrolet for the second time this season. In their only other race aboard Leicht’s Camaro, they walked away with a 24th place finish after getting caught up in “The Big One”.

This weekend’s race in Charlotte marks the third time this season where all four JDM cars have been fully sponsored, and the team is very pleased. Team owner Johnny Davis was quoted saying “We here at JD Motorsports truly appreciate all of the fantastic support we have had this season. Our cars have been running as good as ever, and I take pride in knowing that more and more companies are starting to take notice. We are going to give it our all this Saturday in Charlotte to represent them well!”

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the running of the Alsco 300 on Saturday, May 25th. With this being a race close to home for many NXS teams and drivers, there is always an extra sense of pride and desire to perform. Be sure to watch FS1 for live coverage at 1:00 PM ET, or listen along on the radio on PRN. For all things JD Motorsports with Gary Keller, be sure to follow along on our social media pages @JDMotorsports01. #TeamJDM

MEDIA CONTACT:

Leighton Sibille

Office: (864) 488-2376

lsibille@jdavismotorsports.com

CHASTAIN LEADS TEAM OF FOUR JD MOTORSPORTS CARS TO A 12TH PLACE FINISH IN DOVER

DOVER, DE –

Dover is a racetrack that JD Motorsports with Gary Keller (JDM) looks forward to coming to every year. In seasons past, the team has had some good success, and with the support of the Delaware Office of Highway Safety, there’s always a boost in morale and team spirit associated with the trip up north.

Entering the weekend, driver Ross Chastain was eager to hop back in the seat of his No. 4 Protect Your Melon Chevrolet after briefly stepping out of the ride one week prior in Talladega. Chastain, who looked to get back in the swing of things with the team, showed the world that he was going to give it his all by qualifying in the Top 10 early Saturday morning. Indeed, it was his best ever qualifying result with JDM, which added a sense of pride within the organization. Throughout the Allied Steel Buildings 200, Ross kept his Protect Your Melon Chevy up in and around the Top 10, even going as far as earning a couple stage points at the end of Stage 1.

In a race that only saw five total cautions, there weren’t many opportunities to work on the racecar, but a late caution brought everybody down pit road for some final adjustments. This set the field up for a fourteen-lap sprint to the finish, and crew chief Paul Clapprood went with a Hail Mary call to drastically change the setup on Chastain’s car, hoping to gain some track position. The effort paid off, ending with Ross coming home with a 12th place finish. He leaves Dover still sitting in 13th place in the season points standings, now 44 markers out of the Playoffs cutoff.

Garrett Smithley, driver of the No. 0 Camaro from nearby Ligonier, Pennsylvania, likes coming to Dover due in part to a good number of local fans and friends coming out to support his racing efforts. This weekend, Garrett got to visit the Dover Air Force Base, in which he was able to connect with local military members and their families, a humbling experience for himself. On Saturday morning, Garrett qualified his Chevrolet in the 26th position. From there, he found himself racing in close quarters with two of his JDM teammates in Stephen Leicht and BJ McLeod for the bulk of Stage 1.

Stage 2 came around with Smithley starting to find his stride a little bit, running up near the Top 20 for most of the rest of the race. The crew made some slight changes to help find more balance, and at one point, Smithley radioed “We are about one adjustment away from being perfect!” At the end of the day, Garrett brought his Number Nuthin Chevy home with a 23rd place finish. Smithley sits 16th in the standings, 41 points out of the Top 15 positions.

Stephen Leicht started the weekend off with a 23rd place qualifying effort, and felt pretty confident of what he had for the 200-lap main event. He wrestled a “tight” condition with his No. 01 Chevrolet for the entire race, and with Dover being one of those tracks that eats tires, he was at a disadvantage with a car that was resistant to turning. Though he ran consistently near the 20th to 25th position, it seemed as if none of the adjustments made to his car helped fix the handling issues. Leicht ended up in the 26th position, and dropped down one spot in points. Don’t fret though, for he is only twelve points behind 22nd place, and will have a shot at gaining some points on his competition in the next outing at his home track in Charlotte.

Dover just so happens to be one of BJ McLeod’s favorite racetracks, and he proved it in qualifying. He was able to bust out a lap good enough for 20th place to start the day off, which was his best qualifying effort this season, and his second-best starting spot of his entire career. From there, he raced around Stephen and Garrett for the first stage, ending up right behind them at the end of it. McLeod continued to race around the 25th spot for the remainder of the race, before ultimately coming home with a 27th place finish. BJ sits in 21st in points, and actually moves up one spot compared to the week prior in Talladega.

All in all, it was a solid race for the team. The crews seemed pretty content with their showing, and they were able to gather some valuable notes for when the series returns to the track later on in the season. Thank you to the Delaware Office of Highway Safety for their continued support, and we here at JD Motorsports with Gary Keller would like to sincerely remind everybody to buckle their seatbelts up when they get in a vehicle!

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads home to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 25th for the running of the Alsco 300. Though the teams have two weeks off from racing, all of our crew is working hard on making the Charlotte cars as good as they can possibly be. Follow us along on our adventures by following our social media pages with the username @JDMotorsports01 and using the hashtag #TeamJDM.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Leighton Sibille

O: (864) 488-1276

C: (909) 486-5873

lsibille@jdavismotorsports.com

CASSILL EARNS JD MOTORSPORTS’ SECOND TOP 10 FINISH OF THE SEASON; SMITHLEY 12TH AT TALLADEGA

TALLADEGA, AL –

This past Saturday, the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) took to the high banks of Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama for the running of the Money Lion 300. This was the series’ second visit to a super speedway in the 2019 season, following the season opener at Daytona.

Longtime JD Motorsports with Gary Keller (JDM) driver Landon Cassill made a return to the team driving the No. 4 Flex Seal / Contec Chevrolet Camaro, filling in for Ross Chastain. The Cedar Rapids, IA driver made it his goal to have a clean race and return the car in one piece, so he rode around the 20th position for most of the race.

As the big wrecks continued to take out numbers of cars, Cassill found his way up near the Top 10 late in the going. Team Owner Johnny Davis gave him the signal that it was ‘go time’, and with that, the 4 shot up to the front. With the last restart being a Green White Checkered finish, Landon methodically sliced his way through the pack in the two-lap sprint, coming home with a clean car and a 9th place finish – his first in the series since 2015.

Coming in right behind Cassill was Garrett Smithley, driver of the No. 0 Flex Tape Chevy. He, like Landon, rode around near the middle of the pack for most of the afternoon to avoid all of the crashes that come with super speedway racing. However, he found himself running right behind Cassill on the last restart, and followed him through the pack to a 12th place finish. This marked Smithley’s best finish of the season, and he moved up two spots in points up to 16th. Not a bad way to celebrate your 27th birthday!

BJ McLeod, driver of the No. 15 Camaro, exercised a similar strategy as the two drivers previously mentioned, but rode off of the pack along with the three cars that he is a team owner for. He knew that he needed to have a clean weekend to get to Daytona in July with no issues, so the team was content with him saving his equipment back near the rear of the pack. As the smoke cleared from the carnage, McLeod came home with a 22nd place finish, further securing his 22nd position in points – now just a lone point out of 21st.

Bad luck continued to strike the No. 01 Flex Glue team of Stephen Leicht, who started the day out by out qualifying all of his JDM teammates in 20th. He ran right with Cassill and Smithley for the majority of the event, but “The Big One” late in the race on the backstretch crumpled his hopes of coming away with a Top 15 finish. Thankfully, the crew was able to repair his car by putting loads of Flex Tape on the left front fender, allowing him to stay in the draft for the rest of the race. Stephen came home with a 24th place finish, but actually was able to move up a spot in the standings, now up to 25th.

Ross Chastain, who normally pilots the No. 4 Chevy, ran up front for the majority of the race, capturing some valuable Stage Points and laps led. However, as he was avoiding the crash that caught Stephen up, he ran over a piece of debris that broke an internal component of his racecar, forcing him to retire from the race early. He came away with a 30th place finish, but still sits in 13th in the season standings, just 36 points outside of the Playoffs. He returns to the JDM No. 4 Protect Your Melon Camaro this weekend in Dover looking to get back into the swing of things.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware this Saturday afternoon for the running of the Allied Steel Buildings 200. The track is often referred to as “The Monster Mile”, and with blindingly fast speeds and high banks, it is a driver’s paradise. Be sure to tune into FS1 at 1:30 PM ET to see all of the JD Motorsports drivers take on the concrete and try to tame Miles the Monster. For all things JDM, follow along with us on our social media accounts @JDMotorsports01. #TeamJDM

MEDIA CONTACT:

Leighton Sibille

Office: (864) 488-1276

Cell: (909) 486-5873

lsibille@jdavismotorsports.com

CURRENT POINTS:

Position. Driver  (Points behind 12th place Playoff cutoff)

13th. Ross Chastain (-36)

16th. Garrett Smithley (-101)

22nd. BJ McLeod (-135)

25th. Stephen Leicht (-154)

JD MOTORSPORTS DRIVERS BOUNCE BACK IN RICHMOND; CHASTAIN NEARLY EARNS ANOTHER TOP 10 FINISH

Richmond, VA –

Last Friday night, the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) made its first trip of the year to Richmond Raceway, a ¾ mile short track right in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, for the running of the ToyotaCare 250 under the lights.

Being that this was the first night race of the year, held at one of the series’ best short tracks on the schedule, the teams expected nothing less than a night filled with excitement and drama. Thankfully, after battling rain all throughout the day, the race was able to get through with no delays, despite Qualifying being rained out earlier in the afternoon.

Ross Chastain and the No. 4 Flex Seal crew went into the weekend knowing that they had some ground to make up in the points standings after getting taken out with a lapped car early on last race in Bristol. Their goal was to have an incident-free night, and after struggling to find speed in practice, veteran crew chief Paul Clapprood decided to make a “Hail Mary” call and make huge changes to the racecar before Qualifying.

Since they ended up having to start the field based on Owner’s Points, Ross would start the race on these changes with no laps or prior knowledge on hand, from the 15th position. From there, he quickly jumped up to the 10th-12th position, and knew that the changes were the right call. The 4 team stayed competitive throughout the race, and had a shot at earning his second Top 10 finish of the season, until getting knocked out of the way on the last lap. They had to settle for 11th that night, but the crew was able to accomplish what they came to do. Ross currently sits 13th in the standings, 32 points back from the Playoff cutoff line.

Stephen Leicht entered the weekend with high hopes as well, after getting some last-minute sponsorship from PG Tech secured the team with some valuable funding for the short track. A veteran of the old ASA late model series, Stephen grew up cutting his teeth on the bullrings of the Southeast, so Richmond fell perfectly within his wheelhouse. The 01 team was fast in practice, posting a lap good enough for 9th place overall. Unfortunately, they never got to show the speed in Qualifying, and were forced to start all the way back in the 31st position.

Leicht and company knew they were going to have to fight an uphill battle starting that far back, but they are never ones to back down from a challenge. As soon as the green flag dropped, they started picking up positions right away. By the end of Stage 1, they had made it into the Top 20. From there, they fought up near the Top 15 for the remainder of the race, before ultimately coming home with a 18th place finish. This is Stephen’s best finish of the season, and he hopes to keep the momentum rolling heading into Talladega. He currently sits in 27th position in points, just 1 back from the Top 25.

Garrett Smithley, driver of the No. 0 Chevrolet Camaro, came into Richmond looking to build on his short track momentum from a 22nd place finish last time out in Bristol. The #NumberNuthin crew started the night off from 20th on the grid, and raced at around the 18th-25th positions all night. Smithley was able to take advantage of the wave around at one point, helping him stay on the lead lap for the remainder of the race.

When it came down to crunch time, the No. 0 team shined late in the going with a great pitstop, getting Smithley into the Top 20 with few laps remaining. From there, he fought hard with JDM teammate Stephen Leicht for the rest of the race, where he rounded out with a 19th place finish to end the night. Garrett still sits in 18th place in points, just 1 point back of 17th heading into Talladega.

One driver who couldn’t wait to get to Richmond was Tyler Matthews, who made his NXS debut driving the No. 15 Linetec Services Camaro usually driven by BJ McLeod. Matthews, who has three previous NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series starts to his name, entered into Richmond as cool as could be, not nervous at all like one would expect.

Tyler used the night as a learning experience, something to put in the memory bank for the future. The #15Machine crew’s goals were to finish the race in one piece and gain as much experience as possible, and they were able to accomplish just that. The stat books will show a 24th place finish for Matthews, not a bad first start at all. The next time he will be in the 15 will be at Iowa Speedway on June 16th, with BJ returning to the seat next race at Talladega.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, April 27th for the running of the Money Lion 300. Always known as a track filled with exciting racing and dangerously close quarters, Talladega never disappoints. Fans can watch live coverage of the race on FS1 or listen along on MRN radio. Be sure to tune in to see the JD Motorsports drivers take on the task of restrictor plate racing from the series’ biggest oval on the circuit. For all things JD Motorsports, follow along on our social media pages @JDMotorsports01. #TeamJDM

CURRENT POINTS:

13th. Ross Chastain (32 behind Playoffs Cutoff)

18th. Garrett Smithley (-103)

22nd. BJ McLeod (-127)

27th. Stephen Leicht (-144)

MEDIA CONTACT:

Leighton Sibille

lsibille@jdavismotorsports.com

Office: (864) 488 - 1276

Cell: (909) 486 – 5873

LANDON CASSILL SET TO MAKE HIS TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO JD MOTORSPORTS IN THE NO. 4 AT TALLADEGA

Gaffney, SC –

JD Motorsports with Gary Keller (JDM) is proud to announce that longtime driver Landon Cassill will make a return to the team at Talladega Superspeedway driving the team’s No. 4 Flex Seal / Contec Chevrolet Camaro.

Cassill, who drove for JDM full time from 2013 to 2015, made a brief return to the team last season as well, driving in a three race schedule with a best finish of 14th at Darlington in September. Next weekend at Talladega will mark his first race on a Super Speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) since the July Daytona race in 2015.

The Cedar Rapids, Iowa driver has spent the bulk of his career racing for various teams in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, and has one Top 5 and one Top 10 finish to his name, both coming at Talladega. His NXS stats are even better, with a showing of one Top 5 and twelve Top 10 finishes throughout his career.

“We are ecstatic to have Landon back in the seat for Talladega”, said team owner Johnny Davis. “He has always been considered one of the best drivers we had ever had in our cars in the time that he has spent driving for us, and I’m excited to see what we can accomplish with his wealth of experience on the Super Speedways.”

Longtime JDM sponsor Flex Seal will serve as primary sponsor on Cassill’s No. 4 Camaro, which will also be sporting associate sponsorship from new sponsor Contec, Inc. The team currently sits 15th in NXS Owner’s Points.

Ross Chastain, who usually drives JDM’s No. 4 car, will be back in the seat for the series’ next outing at Dover. He will spring back in action with his signature Protect Your Melon paint scheme once again to bring awareness of how important it is to be driving with a seat belt on. You won’t want to miss it!

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, April 27th for the running of the Money Lion 300. This will be the series’ second trip to a Super Speedway this season, following the season opener at Daytona in February. Fans can watch live coverage of the race on FS1 at 1:00 PM ET, or listen along on MRN. Be sure to see Landon Cassill take on the challenge of avoiding “The Big One” and wheel the No. 4 Flex Seal / Contec Camaro to the front of the pack. For all things JD Motorsports, follow along on our social media pages @JDMotorsports01. #TeamJDM

MEDIA CONTACT:

Leighton Sibille

lsibille@jdavismotorsports.com

Office: (864) 488 - 1276

Cell: (909) 486 – 5873

TYLER MATTHEWS SET TO MAKE HIS NASCAR XFINITY SERIES DEBUT WITH JD MOTORSPORTS AT RICHMOND

Gaffney, SC –

JD Motorsports with Gary Keller (JDM) is proud to announce that Richlands, NC native Tyler Matthews will make his NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) debut this Friday night at Richmond Raceway in the No. 15 Linetec Services Camaro.

Matthews, who won the 2016 North Carolina NASCAR Whelen All American Series championship racing late model stock cars all throughout the state, will be right at home at the ¾ mile short track in Richmond.

“Man, I can’t stress enough how much this opportunity means to me. Getting the chance to drive for one of the most respected team owners in the garage area in Johnny Davis is huge. I know that this will be a big step up in my career, coming from racing late model stocks and all, but I’m treating this as just another racecar. If we can stay out of trouble and keep the car within the Top 25, I think that would be a solid day for us. I know we can do it, and I’m just counting down the hours until I can get on track to practice.” said Matthews before the weekend.

Linetec Services, an electric utility service company based out of Alexandria, Louisiana, will serve as primary sponsor for Matthews’ debut race.

Last season, Tyler made three NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series starts. This season, he plans on putting together a three-race deal with JDM, should Friday night’s race go well. Other planned races will include Iowa and one race at a 1.5 mile track yet to be determined.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Richmond, Virginia this week at the Richmond Raceway for the running of the ToyotaCare 250. This race will be held under the lights on Friday, April 12th, marking the series’ first night race of the season. Be sure to tune in on FOX Sports 1 at 7:00 PM ET to watch the four JD Motorsports with Gary Keller drivers battle it out at the “short track that races like a superspeedway”. For all things JDM, follow along on our social media pages @JDMotorsports01. #TeamJDM

MEDIA CONTACT:

Leighton Sibille

lsibille@jdavismotorsports.com

Office: (864) 488 - 1276

Cell: (909) 486 – 5873

McLEOD LEADS FOURSOME OF JD MOTORSPORTS CARS IN BRISTOL WITH A TOP 20 FINISH; CHASTAIN’S DAY ENDS EARLY DUE TO CRASH

Bristol, TN –

Over the weekend, the NASCAR Xfinity Series went back to its’ roots on the short track at Bristol Motor Speedway for the running of the Alsco 300. Bristol, which is affectionately known as “Thunder Valley”, has a reputation among drivers and teams alike as being a treacherous track that has things happen in a hurry.

This weekend’s outing was boosted significantly with a team-wide sponsorship from local Tennessee grocery store, Food City, who jumped on board all four JD Motorsports with Gary Keller (JDM) cars just before the team loaded up for the track.

BJ McLeod, who drove the No. 15 Food City Camaro in Saturday’s 300 lapper, was eager to get back to the short tracks, where he has thrived at throughout his career. After starting from the 23rd position, McLeod methodically went to work on picking up spots where he could while also keeping his #15Machine out of trouble.

As it turns out, BJ was able to come home with his season-best finish, an 18th place run. This was also his best career finish at the Tennessee short track, and he was able to gain some valuable points on the competition ahead of him in the season points standings. McLeod currently sits in 22nd in NXS points, just twelve markers back of the Top 20.

Following right behind BJ was Garrett Smithley, driver of the No. 0 Food City Camaro. Garrett, who qualified his Chevrolet in the 26th spot to start out the day, ran from 20th to 25th place for most of the afternoon in his #NumberNuthin Chevrolet.

However, a late caution gave him the opportunity to make up a lap via the wave around, and he was able to then fight for a Top 20 spot. Ultimately, he crossed the line in 22nd, but was able to put some notes in the memory bank for when the series returns to the track in August. He remains in 18th place in the season points standings.

Local Asheville, N.C. driver Stephen Leicht grew up roughly only an hour or so from Bristol, so he had somewhat of a “homecoming” this weekend. The day started off great with Leicht advancing to Round 2 of Qualifying, but since the team opted to not run a lap in the round to save tires, their time was disallowed, forcing Stephen to start from the rear of the field.

From there, Stephen worked his way through the field, impressing many by staying on the lead lap despite starting so far back in the field. However, two thirds of the way into the race, engine issues plagued the 01 team once again. The bad luck seems to continue on for Leicht’s group, but they are eager to head to Richmond, a track Stephen has had good success at in the past. He currently sits 28th in points, as he drops a couple positions due to coming home with a 32nd place finish.

And for the first time this season, Ross Chastain failed to finish his race due to an on-track incident. After making it to Round 3 of Qualifying and ending up with a 12th place time trial, Ross found himself racing near the Top 10 early on. Then, on lap 41, disaster struck. A lapped car in front of Chastain appeared to have had a radiator hose come undone, sending the driver spinning right into the side of the No. 4 Food City Camaro. He had nowhere to go, and was collected in a big way. Their day was cut short early, rendering Ross a 33rd place finish. He loses points to the Playoff cutoff, but remains 13th in the season standings.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Richmond, Virginia this week at the Richmond Raceway for the running of the ToyotaCare 250. This race will be held under the lights on Friday, April 12th, marking the series’ first night race of the season. Be sure to tune in on FOX Sports 1 at 7:00 PM ET to watch the four JD Motorsports with Gary Keller drivers battle it out at the “short track that races like a superspeedway”. For all things JDM, follow along on our social media pages @JDMotorsports01. #TeamJDM

CURRENT POINTS:

13th. Ross Chastain (40 behind Playoffs Cutoff)

18th. Garrett Smithley (-103)

22nd. BJ McLeod (-116)

28th. Stephen Leicht (-145)

MEDIA CONTACT:

Leighton Sibille

lsibille@jdavismotorsports.com

Office: (864) 488 - 1276

Cell: (909) 486 – 5873

JD MOTORSPORTS DRIVERS LOOK TO REBOUND IN BRISTOL AFTER A MIXED RESULT WEEKEND IN TEXAS

Gaffney, SC –

After what could be best described as a challenging weekend to say the least in Texas, JD Motorsports drivers Ross Chastain, Garrett Smithley, BJ McLeod, and Stephen Leicht look to get back into their mojo this Saturday during the first short track race of the year at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Chastain, who started the day off qualifying his No. 4 Swan Transportation Services / Perpetua Advisors Camaro in 18th place, ran solidly in around the 10th to 15th positions all day. A strategy call from veteran crew chief Paul Clapprood at the end of Stage 2 allowed the No. 4 crew to gain some valuable Stage points with an impressive 2nd place finish.

From there, Ross made his way near the back half of the Top 10, but an unfortunately timed caution came out as he made his way down pit road. This put the team trapped one lap down, leaving them forced to fight it out with the other lap-down cars with less than twenty laps to go. At the end of the day, Ross brought his Chevy home with a 16th place finish. He remains sitting in the 13th position in points, now just a mere ten points out of the elusive Playoff field.

Stephen Leicht, who qualified his No. 01 “In Memory of Hippie” Camaro in the 30th position to start off the day, quietly started knocking positions off one by one throughout the race. Though at one point he was scored two laps down, in danger of going a third lap behind, a lucky caution break allowed crew chief Mark Setzer to make a gutsy call and keep Leicht out on the race track to pick up a lap via the wave around.

They were able to save enough fuel to stay out for the remainder of the race, and matched their best finish of the year with a respectable 22nd place finish. Stephen jumps up two spots in the points standings to 26th place, just seven markers behind 23rd.

Garrett Smithley’s weekend at Texas could be summed up as being a very unlucky one at best. The Ligonier, PA native who drove the No. 0 Trophy Tractor Chevy started out behind the eight ball with a crash in qualifying which left his car with serious damage only hours before the race. He would have to start shotgun on the field, but his Number Nuthin’ crew was able to repair all of the damage and get his car out to the grid with minutes to spare.

From there, he sliced his way through the pack, running at one point all the way up to 16th. Just as it seemed it was going to be a great way to end an unfortunate start, disaster struck yet again. This time, however, it was from the engine department. Terminal damage set Smithley back and out of the race early, resulting in a 31st place finish. He drops a couple spots in points, down to 18th position.

BJ McLeod, driver of the No. 15 Camaro, had his fair share of bad luck as well in the Lone Star State. Starting off from the 28th position, BJ ran solidly in the 20th-25th positions for the beginning part of the race, but a vibration in the suspension forced him to bring his car behind the wall to fix the issue. He ended up spending a total of 60 laps in the garage area, relegating the 15 Machine team to a 32nd place finish. He slips back to 22nd in the standings, and looks to make up the lost points at the Bristol short track this weekend.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, April 6th, for the running of the Alsco 300. Bristol, which is known affectionately as the Last Great Coliseum, always puts on a great show for the fans, and a challenging one for the drivers. Be sure to tune into the race broadcast live on FOX Sports 1 and PRN radio at 1:00 PM ET on Saturday to see JD Motorsports’ drivers take on the World’s Fastest Half Mile. Also, to gain an all-access behind the scenes look at the race weekend, follow our social media accounts @JDMotorsports01. #TeamJDM

CURRENT POINTS:

13th. Ross Chastain (10 behind Playoffs Cutoff)

18th. Garrett Smithley (-84)

22nd. BJ McLeod (-101)

26th. Stephen Leicht (-116)

MEDIA CONTACT:

Leighton Sibille

lsibille@jdavismotorsports.com

Office: (864) 488 - 1276

Cell: (909) 486 – 5873