LAWSON ASCHENBACH RETURNS TO NASCAR WITH JD MOTORSPORTS’ NO. 4 GOPRO MOTORPLEX CHEVROLET AT MID-OHIO

GAFFNEY, SOUTH CAROLINA –

JD Motorsports with Gary Keller is proud to announce that Lawson Aschenbach will make his return to NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) competition this weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Aschenbach, who is a four-time Pirelli World Challenge champion, has two previous NXS starts. His best finish in the series came back in 2015 at Road America, where he piloted the No. 0 JDM Chevrolet to a 18th place finish in his series debut.

Supporting Lawson this weekend will be GoPro Motorplex, a state-of-the-art go karting facility located in Mooresville, NC. The go kart track is owned by former Mid-Ohio NXS winner, Justin Marks, and brings a tie in with JDM’s team owner, Johnny Davis, who made a reputation in the go kart industry throughout the 1990’s as one of the most revered chassis builders at that time.

Davis was quoted saying “This partnership with Lawson, GoPro Motorplex, and our team is really neat for me. I started building go karts in the early ‘90’s and it was a big part of my life at that time, and to get the opportunity to have it show back up all these years later, man that’s just cool. Lawson has done a good job for our team in his two previous starts, and I am confident that we will be able to have another solid outing this weekend. He is one of the most talented road course ringers I know, and I really think we have a shot at getting a Top 10 finish in Mid-Ohio.”

Last season, Aschenbach raced the No. 01 Chevrolet for the team at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval race in September, where he had a legitimate shot at contending before being caught up in a wreck late in the going. The team has goals in place to keep the car on the racetrack in one piece and see where the pieces fall into place.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio on Saturday, August 10th for the running of the B&L Transport 170. Be sure to tune in on NBCSN at 3:00 PM ET to watch Lawson Aschenbach make his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start of 2019 at arguably the toughest road course on the schedule. 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

LEICHT EARNS TOP 20 FINISH AT WATKINS GLEN; CHASTAIN OUT EARLY WITH MAJOR CONTACT

WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK –

On Saturday, the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) started its first leg of a string of road course races at Watkins Glen International. Always a fan favorite, Watkins Glen offers both the high speeds of super speedways and the close quarters of a short track – all while turning both left AND right.

Stephen Leicht, driver of the No. 01 Chevrolet, is not necessarily somebody that comes to mind as a road course ringer, but this weekend he was able to prove his ability is much greater than what most people had originally thought. Leicht started the race from the 28th position, but ran consistent throughout the entire race, keeping his car on track and out of harm’s way. In Stage One, Stephen was 27th, followed by a 25th place effort in Stage Two. In the latter part of the 82 lap race, Leicht maintained a focused attitude, methodically passing cars without risking damaging his Camaro. At the conclusion, Stephen came home with a 20th place finish, keeping him 19th in the driver’s points standings.

Garrett Smithley, who drove the No. 0 Trophy Tractor Chevrolet, raced right around Leicht for the majority of the day, but unfortunate circumstances would place him behind where he should have finished. The #NumberNuthin Chevy rolled off the starting grid in 29th, and Garrett conserved his equipment early on, putting him 30th in Stage One. However, Smithley excelled in Stage Two, coming home with a 21st place run, which propelled him into the final 40 laps. Just as it looked as if Garrett would come home with a Top 20 run, a flat left front tire forced him to pit under green. It was then found out that the sway bar arm had been sheared off from being dragged around the 2.45-mile course. Garrett was able to rebound to a 24th place finish at “The Glen”, keeping him 18th in the driver’s points standings.

BJ McLeod, driver of the No. 15 Chevrolet, just couldn’t seem to catch a “brake” on Saturday, and was forced to bring his Camaro behind the wall numerous times to fix issues with the braking system. McLeod qualified in the 33rd position, but the brake issues brought him into the garage early, hurting his positions in Stage One and Stage Two. The #15Machine crew was able to get him back out on the track, where he finished 27th. BJ moves back up into the Top 20 in driver’s points, now back in 20th position.

Ross Chastain made his return to JD Motorsports with Gary Keller in the No. 4 Protect Your Melon New York Chevrolet for the first time since Michigan earlier this season. Throughout both practices and qualifying, Chastain looked to have a solid run going, and started Saturday’s race from the 19th position. He was up into the Top 15 early on when he had contact with another driver, sending the driver around in the bus stop. Though the incident was not intentional, the other driver caught back up to Ross on the last lap of Stage One and slammed him off the racetrack and into the tire barriers, ending the No. 4’s day early with significant damage. Ross brought his Chevrolet home with a 33rd place finish, a disappointing end to a solid effort.  

The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to road course racing this weekend on Saturday at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. This track is known as being the most technical road course on the schedule, and drivers must be on their A-game if they want to have a good finish here. Be sure to tune into NBCSN at 3:00 PM ET to watch the B&L Transport 170.  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

LEICHT SHINES AT IOWA; VARGAS IMPRESSES MANY IN XFINITY DEBUT

NEWTON, IOWA –

On Saturday, the NASCAR Xfinity Series made its second trip to the 7/8th mile Iowa Speedway for the running of the US Cellular 250. Heading into the weekend, JD Motorsports with Gary Keller (JDM) brought a driver lineup composed of regulars Stephen Leicht and Garrett Smithley, in addition to newcomers Ryan Repko (one previous start) and Ryan Vargas (who made his series debut). The team was looking forward to returning to Newton, because it has historically been one of JDM’s best tracks result wise.

Stephen Leicht, driver of the No. 4 Chevrolet, returned to Iowa with some unfinished business from June where he retired early due to lost brakes. Leicht started the race from the 25th position, and started to settle his way in early on. By the end of Stage 1, he placed 22nd, but moved up significantly through Stage 2 to finish 16th. Crew Chief Paul Clapprood opted to play some strategy near the end of the race by saving a set of tires in the pits in case of a late caution.

Indeed, the caution came with Stephen on the lead lap, and it played out perfectly for the crew. Unfortunately for the No. 4, the right rear tire fell off as he left the pit stall, putting him one lap down. Leicht recovered to finish 16th, but the crew was left thinking what could have been as he would have been the only car on fresh tires at the end of the race. Stephen remains 19th in the points standings heading into Watkins Glen.

Ryan Vargas, driver of the No. 15 Cranio Care Bears Chevrolet, made a statement in his NXS debut. The La Mirada, California native proved he belonged in the series early on by qualifying the best out of the four JDM drivers in 23rd, and learned quickly about how these cars drive. In Stage 1, Vargas finished 26th, and like Leicht, he moved up several positions in Stage 2 to finish 18th. As the race progressed, Ryan stayed on the lead lap for a significant period of time, ultimately coming home with a 17th place finish. Vargas matched the season best finish for the No. 15 Chevrolet, and in the process, turned plenty of heads.

Garrett Smithley, driver of the No. 0 Chevrolet, fought through adversity all weekend at Iowa. Smithley qualified 35th in the #NumberNuthin Camaro, and had to battle a motor that was down on power for a good portion of the race. Stage 1 showed Garrett in 31st, with Stage 2 ending in a 27th place finish. The Ligonier, PA native was able to make up some spots late in the going, and brought his Chevrolet home in 22nd, besting his 29th place effort in June. Garrett drops two positions in points, and currently resides in the 18th spot heading into the road course portion of the schedule.

Ryan Repko, driver of the No. 01 The McLain Group Chevrolet, looked to earn his first Top 20 finish after finishing a solid 22nd in June, but he unfortunately was plagued with a series of issues throughout the weekend. He started shotgun on the field in 38th due to not being able to get a lap in qualifying because the car would not fire, and early in the race, radio communications were lost, forcing him to pit under green. To add insult to injury, Repko’s helmet hose came undone, and as the crew went to fix it, they were unable to raise the window net for several laps, costing the Denver, NC driver plenty of valuable time. Stage 1 had Ryan scored in 34th, with Stage 2 not being much better in 30th. At the end of the day, the nineteen year old brought his Camaro home with a 25th place finish, leaving him to wonder what could have happened had he not have had to fight through numerous issues.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series will turn left AND right this weekend for the first time of the season at Watkins Glen International for the running of the Zippo 200. Be sure to tune into NBCSN on Saturday at 5:00 PM ET  to watch Ross Chastain, Garrett Smithley, Stephen Leicht, and BJ McLeod take the twists and turns of one of the United States’ oldest road courses in upstate New York. 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

BJ McLEOD FLIES THE FLAG FOR JD MOTORSPORTS AT NEW HAMPSHIRE, THREE CARS FINISH IN THE TOP 25

LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE –

On Saturday, the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) headed North to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the running of the ROXOR 200. This was the tour’s lone trip to what is normally a cool, breezy New England, but that was not the case this weekend. Temperatures were over 100 degrees at one point, and it made for a significantly more physically demanding race.

BJ McLeod, driver of the No. 01 Flex Glue Chevrolet, started deep in the field for the 200 miler down in 36th, but started to make up spots early. At the end of Stage One, McLeod was scored in 30th, and by Stage Two, he was up to 26th. Due to some strategy calls, he was able to earn some track position via the wave around. As the day ended up, BJ brought his Camaro home with a 21st place finish. McLeod remains P20 in the NXS points standings.

Stephen Leicht, driver of the No. 4 Flex Seal Chevrolet, qualified the best out of the JDM cars by far, starting up in the 18th position. Leicht lost some spots early on, finishing Stage One in 25th, dropping even further to 29th in Stage Two. However, the crew went to work and made a big swing on adjustments to finish 23rd on the Magic Mile. Stephen remains P19 in the drivers’ points standings heading into Iowa, where he will remain in the No. 4 Chevrolet.

Garrett Smithley, driver of the No. 0 Flex Tape Chevrolet, rolled off the starting grid from 30th position. Stage One had Smithley in 29th, but he was able to move up to 24th in Stage Two. The balance on Garrett’s #NumberNuthin never really seemed to come to him, but he was able to manage his equipment and keep the car in one piece. The Ligonier, PA native ended up finishing in the 24th position, and remains P16 in the drivers’ points standings.

Tyler Matthews, driver of the No. 15 Linetec Services Chevrolet, struggled all weekend in just his third career NXS start. The crew faced electrical issues on Friday, which forced them to lose valuable track time in practice. Due to the lack of practice, Matthews was unsure what to expect in qualifying, where he got loose and had to start shotgun on the field. As the race started, the issues came back to haunt the #15Machine, causing him to take the car behind the wall for dozens of laps. He ended up 35th in Stage One and 33rd in Stage Two multiple laps down, and came home to finish a disappointing 32nd. Tyler will be back to race for JDM for a few more races later in the season in 2019.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa on Saturday, July 27th for the running of the US Cellular 250. Be sure to tune in on NBCSN at 4:00 PM ET to watch the four JD Motorsports drivers of Stephen Leicht, Garrett Smithley, Ryan Repko, and Ryan Vargas battle it out at the 7/8th mile multi-grooved short track with high banking and high speed. 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

JD MOTORSPORTS PLANS TO HONOR LATE JARED LORENZEN FOR THE REST OF THE 2019 SEASON FOLLOWING SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN AT KENTUCKY

GAFFNEY, SC –

JD Motorsports with Gary Keller (JDM) is proud to announce that following a very successful campaign to bring awareness to fallen University of Kentucky football player Jared Lorenzen at Kentucky Speedway, the team will honor his legacy throughout the rest of the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

Lorenzen was a standout football player, having set the all time SCC record for passing yards in his career as a quarterback. In 2007, he won a Super Bowl playing for the New York Giants. At 285 pounds, Jared was known affectionately as “Heavy Lefty”, and was one of the heaviest quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL.

The fund was created in the name of Jared has been set up for family, friends, and fans to help finance his children’s education, and aims to help put them through the university. In just one week, there has already been well over $65,000 raised on Go Fund Me.

Last Friday night in Kentucky, BJ McLeod drove the No. 4 Chevrolet with Jared riding on the hood to help raise awareness for the cause. JDM plans to show its support of Jared and his family by running memorial decals on all four team cars for the rest of the season.

To donate to the Jared Lorenzen Memorial Fund, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/JLoFund. For all things JD Motorsports, follow us on our social media platforms @JDMotorsports01. #TeamJDM

MEDIA CONTACT:

Leighton Sibille

lsibille@jdavismotorsports.com

Office: (864) 488-1276

Cell: (909) 486-5873

RYAN VARGAS SET TO MAKE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES DEBUT FOR JD MOTORSPORTS AT IOWA

Gaffney, SC –

JD Motorsports with Gary Keller (JDM) is proud to announce that NASCAR Next Class of 2018-2019 member Ryan Vargas will make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut next Saturday at Iowa Speedway driving the No. 15 Cranio Care Bears Chevrolet Camaro.

Vargas, who is a NASCAR Drive For Diversity alumni, most recently competed in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East for Rev Racing, where he finished sixth in the season’s standings last year.

The 18-year-old driver out of La Mirada, California has spent most of his 2019 campaign racing in late model competition on both the East and West Coasts, driving for Lee Falk Racing and Alec Martinez Racing on the respective coasts. So far this year, he notched himself two wins on the West Coast at Irwindale (CA) Speedway, where he is chasing after a track championship.

This will be Vargas’ first start in NASCAR’s national touring series, but it will not be his first at Iowa Speedway. Last season, Ryan finished seventh after running inside the Top 5 for most of the night in the K&N Pro Series race. He believes that this track time will help him in Saturday afternoon’s race.

“Making my NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Iowa just makes sense. Last year, I felt that I was able to run my best race all year at the speedway, and to have the chance to drive for a well-respected team owner in Johnny Davis really adds to the excitement heading into the weekend. I think if we can keep all the fenders on my No. 15 Chevrolet and run as many laps as possible, the weekend will be a success. At this point in my career, I want to learn as much as I can so I can keep moving up the NASCAR ladder, so I am not necessarily worried about what the results show.”

Supporting Ryan in his debut race will be Cranio Care Bears, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to spread awareness and support to families and children that struggle with Craniosynostosis, a condition that causes problems with a child’s brain and skull growth. This organization hits close to home for Vargas, who at just the age of eleven months, had to undergo surgery to correct such problems.

“It means a lot to me to be able to help bring awareness to this great charity in Cranio Care Bears through the sport that I love so much. I know that I will have a lot of little supporters cheering me on that look up to me as a role model in the Cranio community, and I want to show them that anything is possible, even with the condition.”

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa on Saturday, July 27th for the running of the US Cellular 250. Be sure to tune in on NBCSN at 4:00 PM ET to watch Ryan Vargas make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at the 7/8th mile multi-grooved short track with high banking and high speed. 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

JD MOTORSPORTS CARS EARN TWO TOP 20 FINISHES IN KENTUCKY, ONTO NEW HAMPSHIRE NOW

SPARTA, KY –

On Friday night, the NASCAR Xfinity Series raced under the lights at Kentucky Speedway for the lone night race on a 1.5 mile track this season. The recently repaved track always possesses new challenges to drivers, and this latest race was no exception. JD Motorsports with Gary Keller (JDM) drivers were ready to tackle the challenges in the Bluegrass State head on.

Garrett Smithley, driver of the No. 0 Victory Lane Quick Oil Change/Kendall Motor Oil Chevrolet, started his night off from deep in the pack in 35th due to a mishap in qualifying. However, he proved to be the biggest mover from the JDM stable, finishing 21st in Stage 1, then following that up with a 19th place effort in Stage 2. The #NumberNuthin driver out of Ligonier, PA retained his spot throughout all of Stage 3 to come home with a 19th place effort, leading the charge of his JDM teammates. With this finish, Smithley was able to move up one spot in the drivers’ points standings, now sitting in 16th.

BJ McLeod had his first drive in the No. 4 machine this weekend in Kentucky, sporting some decals bringing awareness to deceased University of Kentucky player Jared Lorenzen and his Memorial Fund. McLeod qualified his Chevrolet in the 24th position, and continued to run right around the Top 20 throughout the night. Stage 1 had the Florida native scored in 23rd, with Stage 2 showing him in 21st place. BJ ended the night with a 20th place finish, keeping him in the 20th position in the drivers’ points standings.

Stephen Leicht started his No. 01 Rising Star Casino & Resort Chevrolet the highest out of all the JDM cars in 23rd position to start the night off. Leicht ran consistently near the Top 25 throughout the race, finishing Stage 1 in 27th and Stage 2 in 26th, respectively. After having to battle the car coming out of gear late in the race, Stephen was able to stay on track and come home with a 24th place finish. He remains in 19th place in the drivers’ points standings heading into New Hampshire, just 16 points ahead of fellow teammate BJ McLeod.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa’s Landon Cassill drove JDM’s No. 15 Chevrolet this weekend for the first time this season, but he faced his share of problems all night. Cassill qualified in 30th position to start the race, but early on in Stage 1, he was forced to go behind the wall to fix a suspension issue, relegating him to a 35th place finish at the end of the stage, multiple laps down. Stage 2 showed Cassill in 31st, and as attrition started to hit multiple cars in the latter portion of the race, he was able to continue on to reach a 26th place finish.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire on Saturday, July 20th for the running of the Lakes Region 200. Be sure to tune into NBCSN at 4:00 PM ET to watch the four JD Motorsports with Gary Keller drivers battle it out at the flat track known as the “Magic Mile”. 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

JD MOTORSPORTS AND BJ MCLEOD AIM TO HELP BRING AWARENESS TO EX UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY FOOTBALL PLAYER JARED LORENZEN’S MEMORIAL FUND

SPARTA, KY –

As the NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Kentucky this weekend, JD Mototsports with Gary Keller (JDM) will be racing in honor of Jared Lorenzen, one of the most widely known University of Kentucky quarterbacks of all time, who unfortunately passed away last week at the tender age of 38 years old.  

Lorenzen was a standout football player, having set the all time SCC record for passing yards in his career as a quarterback. In 2007, he won a Super Bowl playing for the New York Giants. At 285 pounds, Jared was known affectionately as “Heavy Lefty”, and was one of the heaviest quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL.

The fund has been created in the name of Jared has been set up for family, friends, and fans to help finance his children’s education, and aims to help put them through the university.

JDM aims to bring awareness to the fund by representing it on the hood of BJ McLeod’s No. 4 Chevrolet in Friday night’s Alsco 300 at Kentucky Speedway. Aiding in the effort is local graphics company, GCI Digital, who will provide the team with memorial decals that will be placed on all four JDM Camaros.

Funeral arrangements for Lorenzen were held on Wednesday in Kentucky, and among the numerous attendees were some of his former teammates, including legendary player Eli Manning.

Donations to the Lorenzen family can be made on GoFundMe on the page named “The JLo Fund”. With the race being held in primetime on Friday night, JDM hopes it can help raise as many funds as possible to the family.

The Alsco 300 will be ran at Kentucky Speedway on Friday Night at 7:30 PM Eastern Time. This race will be the series’ lone night race on a mile and a half intermediate speedway, and is bound to put on a great show for the fans. Be sure to tune into NBCSN to watch BJ McLeod drive the No. 4 Jared Lorenzen Memorial Fund Chevrolet on the track in the Bluegrass State! For all things JD Motorsports, follow us on our social media platforms @JDMotorsports01. #TeamJDM

MEDIA CONTACT:

Leighton Sibille

lsibille@jdavismotorsports.com

Office: (864) 488-1276

Cell: (909) 486-5873

VICTORY LANE QUICK OIL CHANGE AND KENDALL MOTOR OIL GEAR UP WITH GARRETT SMITHLEY AND JD MOTORSPORTS FOR KENTUCKY

GAFFNEY, SC –

JD Motorsports with Gary Keller (JDM) is proud to announce that Victory Lane Quick Oil Change and Kendall Motor Oil will be partnering with Garrett Smithley at Kentucky Speedway this Friday night during the Alsco 300 for the first of a multi-race schedule.

Smithley, who enters the weekend sitting in 17th place in the NASCAR Xfinity Series points standings, will drive the No. 0 Victory Lane Quick Oil Change/Kendall Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro at a track that is near and dear to his heart, having grown up in the state of Kentucky.

Joining Victory Lane Quick Oil Change and Kendall Motor Oil will be associate sponsors Bucks Oil and True Brand, which will both be displayed on the lower quarter panels and deck lid of the #NumberNuthin Chevrolet. These partners also joined Smithley earlier this year at Michigan International Speedway for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race held in June.

Other races for these partners will be announced as the season progresses.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky this Friday night for the running of the Alsco 300. This race will be the series’ lone night race on a mile and a half intermediate speedway, and is bound to put on a great show for the fans. Be sure to tune into NBCSN at 7:30 PM Eastern Time to watch Garrett Smithley pilot the No. 0 Victory Lane Quick Oil Change/Kendall Motor Oil Chevrolet on the track in the Bluegrass State! For all things JD Motorsports, follow us on our social media platforms @JDMotorsports01. #TeamJDM

MEDIA CONTACT:

Leighton Sibille

lsibille@jdavismotorsports.com

Office: (864) 488-1276

Cell: (909) 486-5873

LEICHT SHINES AT DAYTONA, BRINGS HOME JD MOTORSPORTS’ FIRST TOP 5 FINISH OF THE SEASON

DAYTONA BEACH, FL –

On Friday night, the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) returned to Daytona International Speedway for the series’ final restrictor plate race of the season. Always a special event, the July 4th tradition of racing under the lights in the Firecracker 250 usually puts on a spectacular race for fans and drivers alike.

Heading into the weekend, Stephen Leicht, driver of the No. 01 Flex Glue Chevrolet, found himself sitting 20th in the overall drivers points standings with a season-best finish of 15th. Leicht returned to Daytona looking for redemption after a blown engine relegated his No. 01 Chevrolet to a disappointing 38th finish in the first race of the season at Daytona. He rolled off from the 25th position in qualifying, but as the race started, he only went up from there.

JDM utilizes an unusual strategy at the super speedways of Daytona and Talladega in which the drivers ride at the back of the pack in order to keep their racecars clean and avoid getting collected in “The Big One”, so his Stage finishes weren’t anything to write home about. Stephen ended up P31 and P26 in both Stage One and Stage Two, respectively. However, it was in Stage Three where the 01 came to life. He narrowly avoided a few big wrecks in the final laps to find himself running in the Top 10 late in the going.

Despite getting caught up in the final wreck of the night, Leicht was able to continue with the aid of some Flex Tape support on his quarter panels. He made calculated moves through the pack to come home across the line in sixth place, however, when one car was disqualified, he was moved up to fifth, bringing home JDM’s first Top 5 of the season. The run was Stephen’s first Top 5 finish since 2007, and the team couldn’t be happier with his result. He moves up to 19th in the drivers points standings now, just 35 points behind his next competitor. Leicht returns to the site of his first NXS win this weekend at Kentucky Speedway, a track near and dear to his career.

Garrett Smithley, driver of the No. 0 Flex Tape Chevrolet, came into Daytona needing to have a good run as well, as the last month has been rough on the #NumberNuthin crew. Despite starting the race off in the 35th spot, Smithley was able to steer clear of all of the wrecks while staying up in the draft, and was able to get himself in position to make a late race charge. Stage One showed Smithley in P23, with Stage Two ending in a P27 finish.

In the last Stage, like Leicht, Smithley was able to restart up inside the Top 10 on the final restart and ran solidly in sixth up until three laps to go, when the No. 0’s engine dropped a cylinder. He went from having a guaranteed Top 10 run to finishing 14th, but the run still helped his points efforts, bumping him up to 17th in the drivers standings now.

Bad luck struck BJ McLeod, driver of the No. 15 Flex Shot Chevrolet, as he was swept away in “The Big One” on the backstretch on lap 73 of the 100 lap race. He ended up coming home with a 33rd place finish, dropping him one spot in the drivers points standings to 20th, 20 points behind Stephen Leicht.

Like BJ, Landon Cassill, driver of the No. 4 Flex Seal Chevrolet, was taken out early on lap 10 in a multicar crash in turn 4. Cassill ended up in 37th place, but he will be back for more this weekend at Kentucky.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky this Friday night for the running of the Alsco 300. This race will be the series’ lone night race on a mile and a half intermediate speedway, and is bound to put on a great show for the fans. Be sure to tune into NBCSN at 7:30 PM Eastern Time to watch Landon Cassill, BJ McLeod, Garrett Smithley, and Stephen Leicht take on the track in the Bluegrass State! For all things JD Motorsports, follow us on our social media platforms @JDMotorsports01. #TeamJDM

MEDIA CONTACT:

Leighton Sibille

lsibille@jdavismotorsports.com

Office: (864) 488-1276

Cell: (909) 486-5873