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

SWAN TRANSPORTATION SERVICES AND PERPETUA ADVISORS ALIGN WITH ROSS CHASTAIN & JD MOTORSPORTS FOR SPONSORSHIP OF TEXAS RACE

GAFFNEY, SC:

As the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) heads to the Lone Star state this week at the Texas Motor Speedway, JD Motorsports with Gary Keller (JDM) is proud to announce that Swan Transportation Services and Perpetua Advisors are joining Ross Chastain in car No. 4 as primary sponsors.

Swan Transportation Services, a worldwide shipping partner that has been involved in the shipping and freight industry for over 20 years, is based out of Northeastern Texas – making this weekend’s race a “home game” of sorts. They will grace the hood, decklid, and rear bumper on Chastain’s No. 4 Camaro SS this weekend, and look forward to making their first foray into NASCAR and NXS a successful one.

Perpetua Advisors, a business technology and strategy firm, will also be making their first adventure into the racing world this weekend at Texas. Their firm plans on sponsoring Ross with their brand well represented on both quarter panels on JDM’s No. 4 entry.

Driver Ross Chastain currently sits in 13th place in the season points standings, and is looking to make up some lost ground from a misfortunate tire issue last time out in California. Chastain, who was able to score JDM’s first Top 10 finish of the season a few races back in Las Vegas, is eager to getting back to the similar high-speed intermediate tracks like Texas.

Johnny Davis, JDM team owner was quoted saying “I look forward to having worldwide shipping leader Swan Transportation Services and innovator in the business technology strategy and management space Perpetua Advisors on our No. 4 car this weekend. We genuinely appreciate both of their contributions to our team, and are confident that Ross Chastain will be able to represent them at the front of the pack in the race they will be sponsoring.”

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Texas Motor Speedway for the running of the My Bariatric Solutions 300 on Saturday, March 30th. Fans can watch this race live on FOX Sports 1 at 1:00 PM ET, or listen along on the radio with PRN - the Performance Racing Network. Be sure to tune in to see Ross Chastain pilot the newly branded No. 4 Swan Transportation Services/Perpetua Advisors Chevy Camaro SS. #TeamJDM

 MEDIA CONTACT:

Leighton Sibille

lsibille@jdavismotorsports.com

Office: (864) 488-1276

Cell: (909) 486-5873

About Swan Transportation:

Swan Transportation is a world-class shipping partner dedicated to growing businesses through efficient freight management, concierge support and service, and agent expertise. 

Known for their culture and exclusive family feel, Swan has an impeccable market reputation for over 20 years. You can count on Swan to provide expertise to excel in all aspects of transportation. Whether you are interested in outsourcing your entire supply chain, looking for a team to manage freight, or searching for capacity to cover a single expedited shipment, Swan provides a custom approach that fits your needs.

No matter how complex or critical your freight may be, Swan agents are ready and waiting to move your business forward.

www.SwanTrans.com

About Perpetua Advisors

Perpetua Advisors helps clients generate increased business value through strategic adoption of business technology. By aligning, brokering, and managing information capabilities and systems, Perpetua’s customers realize business optimization, structural improvements, and better cost-value decision making.

As industry continues to increasingly adopt cloud, software-as-a-service, and outsourced IT models, Perpetua brings Fortune 1000 business technology leadership to its customers by offering strategic guidance, complete day-to-day IT operations, effectively positioning “IT as a service” and fractional CIO guidance.

www.PerpetuaAdvisors.com

JD MOTORSPORTS DRIVERS OVERCOME ADVERSITY; COME HOME WITH TWO TOP 20 FINISHES IN CALIFORNIA

FONTANA, CA –

This past Saturday, the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) went to the Auto Club Speedway in Sunny Southern California for the final leg of the West Coast Swing. The Swing, which started off two weeks prior at the high banked intermediate track in Las Vegas, ended with a track very similar in shape and size.

Heading into the weekend, Ross Chastain, driver of the No. 4 EZ Angus Ranch/RM Parks Inc. Chevrolet, had his hopes held high knowing that his car would have some good speed after coming home with a great Top 10 run in Las Vegas. He just missed out on making the second round in Qualifying, and ended up starting in the 15th position.

From that point on, his race was plagued with bad luck, starting off with a tire that nearly disintegrated at the end of Stage 1. He would be put two laps down to the leader, and eventually lost another lap under green during Stage 2. Veteran Crew Chief Paul Clapprood made a risky call at the beginning of Stage 3 to stay out for a wave-around, but due to the track’s abrasive nature, Ross was forced to come back down pit road under green for four new Goodyear Eagles.

Chastain ended up rallying back through the field, finishing the day off with a frustrating, yet respectable 18th place finish. He slides back a couple of positions in the points standings to 13th, just eight points below the Playoff cutoff.

Garrett Smithley, driver of the No. 0 Cal Fire Benevolent Foundation Camaro SS, ended up having just the type of day the team needed, running calmly within the Top 20 for the bulk of the afternoon after qualifying in 25th position.

Smithley, who’s father RK piloted the fly over plane for pre-race festivities, quickly made his way up through the field and made it known that he stayed there due to his consistently quick lap times. At the end of the day, Garrett was able to bring his Chevrolet home without a scratch (which in itself is a tough fought accomplishment at California) in the 19th position. He currently sits in 18th position in the standings, 58 points behind the cutoff.

Stephen Leicht, driver of the No. 01 “In Memory of Hippie” Chevrolet, came into the weekend hoping to turn his bad luck and misfortunes around. After having his best run of the season by far last week in Phoenix end up in smoke, the 01 crew came back fighting strong in Fontana.

Despite starting deep in the field in 29th, Stephen was able to scratch and claw his way through the field up to the Top 20 with the help of longtime Spotter Mike Herman and Crew Chief Mark Setzer. Cars with fresher tires were able to get around Leicht late in the running, but he was still able to bring home a respectable 22nd place finish, his best of the year. He jumps up three spots in points to 28th, not far behind the Top 25.

Finally, making his 100th career NXS start this past weekend was Florida native BJ McLeod, who drives the No. 15 Camaro SS. McLeod had a relatively nonchalant type of day, laying low near the 20th-25th positions all race. Like Chastain, BJ also had a tire go down near the end of Stage 1, which forced him to come down the pit road and lose a couple of laps. However, he was able to keep his car clean for the remainder of the race, and came home with a 24th place finish, making that his fourth Top 25 in a row. He sits in 21st in the season standings.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series has an off week this weekend, but will resume in two weeks’ time at the newly reconfigured Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 30th. Fans can tune into FOX Sports 1 for live TV coverage at 1:00 PM Eastern Time or listen live on the radio with the Performance Racing Network. For all things JD Motorsports, be sure to follow along on social media with the username @JDMotorsports01 on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. #TeamJDM

CURRENT POINTS:

13th. Ross Chastain (8 points behind Playoff cutoff)

18th. Garrett Smithley (-58)

21st. BJ McLeod (-74)

28th. Stephen Leicht (-99)

MEDIA CONTACT:

Leighton Sibille

lsibille@jdavismotorsports.com

Office: (864) 488-1276

Cell: (909) 486-5873

JD MOTORSPORTS HAS UP & DOWN DAY IN PHOENIX, ENDS UP WITH THREE TOP 25 FINISHES

AVONDALE, AZ –

This past weekend, the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) headed back out west to ISM Raceway for the running of the iK9 Service Dog 300. The 1 mile, newly reconfigured, relatively high-speed track just outside Phoenix proved to be a race of attrition.

Ross Chastain, driver of the No. 4 EZ Angus Ranch/RM Parks Inc. Chevrolet Camaro SS, started the day off with a 16th place run in Qualifying. For the majority of the race, he positioned himself within the Top 15 positions, occasionally breaking into the Top 10 at some points in the race. It was an “under the radar” type of day for the No. 4 team, solid nonetheless. At the end of the day, Ross came home with a respectable 17th place finish. He currently sits comfortably in the 11th spot in the points standings.

 BJ McLeod, driver of the No. 15 Camaro SS, started in the 25th position, and raced consistently in the Top 25 for most of the afternoon. On the last pit stop, veteran crew chief Wayne Carroll made a chassis adjustment that helped McLeod pick up some spots late in the race. At the end of the day, the No. 15 crew came home with a solid 21st place finish, helping McLeod jump to 21st in the season standings.

Garrett Smithley, driver of the No. 0 Camaro SS, picked up the most positions out of the JD Motorsports crew after starting from the 28th position. Smithley ran a mostly conservative campaign, running around the 25th spot for the bulk of the race. However, when it came to the last stage, he was able to position himself near the Top 20, ultimately coming home with a 22nd place finish. This was Smithley’s fourth Top 25 result of the season, and he currently sits 17th in the season standings.

Unfortunately, the of bad luck for Stephen Leicht didn’t come to an end in the desert. Leicht, driver of the No. 01 Camaro SS, was having his best run of the season by a considerable margin early on. He managed to stay on the lead lap for the most part of the race, sitting comfortably in the 19th position, until his engine grenaded on lap 129. The freak accident was enough to take himself out of the race, finishing in the 31st position. He currently sits in the 31st position in points as well, and certainly wants to turn his luck around next weekend in Fontana.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Sunny Southern California with the running of the Production Alliance Group 300 at the Auto Club Speedway on Saturday, March 16th. This will be the third and final leg of the West Coast Swing, so be sure to tune in to FOX Sports 1 to watch live coverage at 5:00 PM Eastern Time (2:00 PM local).

CURRENT POINTS:

11th. Ross Chastain (43 behind leader)

17th. Garrett Smithley (-102)

21st. BJ McLeod (-113)

31st. Stephen Leicht (-140)

MEDIA CONTACT:

Leighton Sibille

lsibille@jdavismotorsports.com

Office: (864) 488 - 1276

Cell: (909) 486 – 5873

CHASTAIN EARNS FIRST TOP 10 OF THE SEASON; THREE JD MOTORSPORTS CARS FINISH IN TOP 20 AT LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS, NV -

The Boyd Gaming 300 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway was held over the weekend on Saturday, completing the third round of the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) season. Entering the weekend, JD Motorsports with Gary Keller (JDM) drivers set their sights on winning big in the desert to start their season off in the right direction.

Ross Chastain, driver of the No. 4 EZ Angus Ranch / RM Parks Inc. Camaro SS, showed up to the 1.5 mile intermediate oval with his head held high after a couple of solid weeks in Daytona and Atlanta left him sitting ninth place in the overall points standings. Due to Qualifying being rained out for the second consecutive week, he rolled off the starting grid from the 15th position. Most of his race was spent around the 12th to 14th position, and as the laps clicked off, he seemed to be setting himself up for a solid Top 15 run.

That was all until a speeding penalty late in Stage 3 was handed to the No. 4 team. Ross was forced to drive back down pit lane for a pass-through penalty, putting him one lap down to the leaders. Luckily, a caution flew shortly after serving the penalty, allowing Ross to earn the Free Pass and get back on the lead lap. The final laps were dangerous, as multiple crashes ended many competitors’ races. However, Ross was able to stay calm, cool, and collected, and narrowly avoided disaster to bring home a 7th place finish, collecting JDM’s first Top 10 of the year.

“You know, Las Vegas is a city based on luck.” said veteran crew chief, Paul Clapprood. “Once we got the speeding penalty, I thought our race was over. But as soon as I got word of the caution, I knew we were back in it. We just happened to be in the right place at the right time, and Ross did a fantastic job avoiding all of the carnage. This is a great way to start our West Coast Swing off.”

Garrett Smithley, driver of the No. 0 “In Memory of Hippie” Camaro SS, also had a solid day in the desert. Owner’s Points had him line up in the 22nd position, but he was able to pass a few cars early in the going, and ran consistently within the Top 20 for the duration of the afternoon. He brought his car home in one piece without a scratch on it in the 18th position.

Sometimes, having a non-eventful race is a good thing, as the driver and team are able to execute their plan flawlessly without having to overcome any obstacles. Saturday’s race proved just that, and the team is ecstatic because they are able to take his car to the Auto Club Speedway in just a couple of weeks’ time without making any major repairs to it.

BJ McLeod, driver of the No. 15 Camaro SS, was also able to earn his second Top 20 in a row in Las Vegas, and was also the driver who picked up the most positions from the JDM stable. After starting in the 29th position, McLeod was able to claw his way up the leaderboard one by one, and actually was able to crack the Top 15 at one point during the race. He ultimately brought his car home in the 20th position, and currently sits in 23rd in points.

Stephen Leicht, driver of the No. 01 “In Memory of Hippie” Camaro SS, didn’t quite have the same success as his JDM teammates this weekend, but was able to earn his best career finish at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The No. 01 team started from the 30th position, and fought hard all day right at the edge of the Top 25. Leicht brought his Camaro SS home in the 27th position, and now moves up a couple of positions in points to the 29th spot.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to ISM Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, this Saturday for the 15th annual running of the Arizona 200 on the 1-mile low-banked oval right outside of Phoenix. Be sure to tune in to see JDM drivers Chastain, Smithley, McLeod, and Leicht take on the newly reconfigured track challenges both drivers and teams in the desert heat. TV broadcast will be live on FOX Sports 1 at 2:00 PM local time (4:00 PM Eastern Time).

CURRENT POINTS:

9th. Ross Chastain (-43)

17th. Garrett Smithley (-87)

23rd. BJ McLeod (-99)

29th. Stephen Leicht (-116)

MEDIA CONTACT:

Leighton Sibille

lsibille@jdavismotorsports.com

Office: (864) 488 - 1276

Cell: (909) 486 – 5873