Auto Owners Insurance joins Furniture Row Racing for three races

By Daniel McFadinFeb 17, 2016, 4:20 PM EST

After joining forces with Bass Pro Shops for eight points races, Furniture Row Racing announced Wednesday it will partner with Auto Owners Insurance for three races this season.

Instead of its traditional flat black or the orange of Bass Pro, Martin Truex Jr.‘s No. 78 Toyota will have the dark blue of Auto Owner’s Insurance for the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway and the fall race at Martinsville Speedway.

Lee Janis, Auto-Insurance VP, @martintruex_jr, and FRR GM, Joe Garone announce Auto-Owners… https://t.co/cOeaoVgoBd pic.twitter.com/SAPwNkH3G3

— Furniture Row Racing (@FR78Racing) February 17, 2016

The insurance company joins the No. 78 as it celebrates its 100th anniversary.

The new sponsors for Martin Truex Jr.’s team comes after it enjoyed its best year to date in 2015, with Truex winning one race at Pocono Raceway and making it to the championship round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Bass Pro Shops will be the primary sponsor for Truex in Sunday’s Daytona 500 and Thursday’s Can-Am qualifying race.

Follow @DanielMcFadin

COTA Truck starting lineup: Ross Chastain wins pole

By Dustin LongMar 24, 2023, 6:21 PM EDT

Ross Chastain will start on the pole for Saturday’s Craftsman Truck Series race at Circuit of the Americas.

Chastain earned the top starting spot in Friday’s qualifying with a lap of 91.877 mph. He’ll be joined on the front row by Kyle Busch (91.490 mph).

More: COTA Truck starting lineup

Ty Majeski qualified third with a lap of 91.225 mph. Rookie Nick Sanchez (90.993) will start fourth, and Christian Eckes (90.937) will complete the top five.

Alex Bowman failed to make the race. Bowman had a flat right front on his qualifying lap.

Issues for the No. 7 during Group A qualifying. pic.twitter.com/6PyJIybJKO

— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) March 24, 2023

Tyler Reddick leads Cup practice at COTA

By Dustin LongMar 24, 2023, 3:48 PM EDT

Tyler Reddick posted the fastest lap in Friday’s Cup practice at Circuit of the Americas.

Reddick, who won two road course races last season, topped the field in his 23XI Racing Toyota with a lap of 92.989 mph. Kyle Larson was next, posting a lap of 92.618 mph around the 3.41-mile road course.

MORE: COTA Cup practice results

Ross Chastain, who won this race a year ago, was third on the speed chart in practice with a lap of 92.520 mph. He was followed by Kyle Busch (92.498 mph) and Daniel Suarez (92.461 mph).

Jordan Taylor, subbing for the injured Chase Elliott in the No. 9 car for Hendrick Motorsports, was 10th on the speed chart in practice after a lap of 92.404 mph.

Former world champion Jenson Button, driving for Rick Ware Racing, was 28th in practice with a lap of 91.759 mph. Former world champion Kimi Raikkonen, driving the Project 91 car for Trackhouse Racing, was 32nd in practice after a lap of 91.413 mph.

Seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, driving in his first race for Legacy Motor Club since the Daytona 500, was 36th in practice after a lap of 91.072 mph. IndyCar driver Conor Daly was last among the 39 cars in practice with a lap of 90.095 mph.

Cup qualifying is Saturday. The series races Sunday.

Saturday COTA Xfinity race: Start time, TV info, weather

By Mike HembreeMar 24, 2023, 1:00 PM EDT

Austin Hill, the dominant driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series through the early weeks of the season, will be looking for his first Xfinity road course win Saturday.

Hill has won three of the season’s first five races, scoring victories at Daytona, Las Vegas and Atlanta.

Hill has been close in previous road course runs. He has a second at COTA, a third at Portland, a fourth at Road America and a ninth at Indianapolis.

MORE: Dr. Diandra takes a look at top Cup road course drivers

Kyle Busch and AJ Allmendinger own wins in the previous Xfinity races at COTA.

Allmendinger and three other Cup Series regulars — Aric Almirola, William Byron and Ty Gibbs — are scheduled to race in the Xfinity event.

Details for Saturday’s Xfinity race at Circuit of the Americas

(All times Eastern)

START: The command to start engines will be given at 5:08 p.m. … The green flag is scheduled at 5:19 p.m.

PRERACE: Xfinity garage opens at 2 p.m. … The invocation will be given by Jordan Thiessen of Pit Boss Grills at 5 p.m. … The national anthem will be performed by recording artist Payton Keller at 5:01 p.m.

DISTANCE: The race is 46 laps (156 miles) on the 3.41-mile track.

STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 14. Stage 2 ends at Lap 30.

TV/RADIO: FS1 will broadcast the race at 5 p.m. … NASCAR RaceDay airs at 4 p.m. on FS1. … Performance Racing Network coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. and can be heard at goprn.com. …SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the PRN broadcast.

FORECAST: Weather Underground — Mainly sunny. Temperature of 82 at race time. No chance of rain.

LAST TIME: AJ Allmendinger won last March’s Xfinity race at COTA. Austin Hill was two seconds behind in second place. Cole Custer finished third.

NASCAR Friday schedule at Circuit of the Americas

By Mike HembreeMar 24, 2023, 7:00 AM EDT

NASCAR’s new Cup Series aerodynamic package for short tracks and road courses will be tested in competition on a road circuit for the first time this weekend as the tour stops at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

All three major national series will be in action at the 3.41-mile, 20-turn track this weekend. The schedule begins Friday with practice for all three series and qualifying for Xfinity and Trucks.

MORE: Drivers say North Wilkesboro’s worn surface will be challenging

The Friday practice was added for Cup teams because of the new competition package, providing 50 minutes of on-track time for adjustments. Teams also will be racing with a new tire compound this weekend.

Chase Elliott (2021) and Ross Chastain (2022) are winners from the previous Cup races at COTA. Elliott won the inaugural event in a race shortened by rain, and Chastain won after a last-lap battle with AJ Allmendinger and Alex Bowman. The victory was Chastain’s first in the series.

A look at Friday’s schedule:

Circuit of the Americas (Cup, Xfinity and Truck)

Weekend weather

Friday: Thunderstorms in the morning. Mostly sunny later. High of 87 with an 80% chance of rain.

Friday, March 24

(All times Eastern)

Garage open

11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. — Cup Series
11:30 a.m. .- 6:30 p.m. — Truck Series
1:30 – 8:30 p.m. — Xfinity Series

Track activity

2:05 – 2:55 p.m. — Cup practice (No live broadcast; tape-delayed version airing at 8 p.m. on FS1)
4:30 – 5 p.m. — Truck practice (No live broadcast)
5 – 6 p.m. — Truck qualifying (No live broadcast; tape-delayed version airing at 9 p.m. on FS1)
6:30 – 7 p.m. — Xfinity practice (FS1)
7 – 8 p.m. — Xfinity qualifying (FS1)

More: COTA Truck starting lineup

Read more about NASCAR

MORE: COTA Cup practice results

Read more about NASCAR

MORE: Dr. Diandra takes a look at top Cup road course drivers

Details for Saturday’s Xfinity race at Circuit of the Americas

(All times Eastern)

Read more about NASCAR

MORE: Drivers say North Wilkesboro’s worn surface will be challenging

Circuit of the Americas (Cup, Xfinity and Truck)

Weekend weather

Friday, March 24

(All times Eastern)

Read more about NASCAR