The 200% American Brand Ramps Up Visibility with Bold New Paint Scheme on the No. 47 Chevy

TAMPA, Fla., June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — June 3, 2025 – Real American Beer is back on the NASCAR track this weekend, teaming up with Hyak Motorsports to bring its 200% American energy to Michigan International Speedway for the FireKeepers Casino 400 on June 8.

The No. 47 Chevrolet, driven by Ricky Stenhouse Jr, will debut a refreshed Real American Beer paint scheme-marking the second time this season Hyak Motorsports and the fast-growing beer brand have joined forces.

This latest collaboration builds on Real American Beer’s momentum as a disruptive new name in the premium light beer space. With Real American Beer now in 27 states and growing support across national retail, the brand has quickly become a fan-favorite among beer drinkers who live for race days, tailgates and flag-flying weekends.

“We didn’t get the result we were after in Nashville, and that’s frustrating for sure,” said Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Driver of the No. 47 Chevrolet for Hyak Motorsports. “But this team’s got heart. We’ve put in the work this week, and we’re heading to Michigan with a clean state and a fast Real American Beer Chevy.”

The FireKeepers 400 paint scheme brings Real American Beer’s signature 200% American aesthetic to one of the fastest tracks in the series-giving fans on the ground and watching at home a taste of the brand’s trademark energy.

“Brother, Michigan knows how to go full throttle-and so does Real American Beer,” said Hulk Hogan, WWE Hall of Famer and co-founder of Real American Beer. “We’re back on the track, back in the fight, and there’s no better time to crack one open and let it rip.”

The partnership with Hyak Motorsports underscores Real American Beer’s commitment to the NASCAR community, especially in markets where beer drinkers are seeking alternatives with real identity and American-made values.

“Motorsports fans have been some of our loudest supporters from day one,” said Terri Francis, CEO of Real American Beer. “This partnership is part of our strategy to meet them where they are-on the road, in the stands and in the beer aisle.”

Jimmy Hart, aka The Mouth of the South, will be trackside bringing the heat-and handing out the cold ones. He’ll be repping Real American Beer all weekend long with a megaphone in hand. If you’re in the infield, you’ll hear him before you see him.

Fans can catch the FireKeepers Casino 400 live from Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, June 8 at 2PM EDT, broadcast on PRIME, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

And now, for fans who want to skip the beer run, Real American Beer is also available online. With just a few clicks, RAB can be delivered straight to your door-just in time for race day. Visit the Real American Beer Finder to order.

ABOUT REAL AMERICAN BEER

Co-founded by WWE legend Hulk Hogan, Real American Beer (RAB) is a premium light beer that’s proudly American-owned and made. At 4.2% ABV with just 110 calories and 4g carbs, RAB is now available in 27 states and counting, with a simple mission: bring people together, one beer at a time. Learn more at therealamerican.com and follow along on Instagram, Facebook and X.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

ABOUT HYAK MOTORSPORTS

HYAK Motorsports welcomes in a new era of racing for the iconic No. 47 team with a fresh, new rebrand, name and ownership. For the 2025 season, the team has transitioned from JTG Racing to HYAK Motorsports as Gordon Smith, who became the principal owner of the team on November 18, 2023,transitions into the role after owning a large portion of the team since 2016.HYAK Motorsports will continue to carry out Smith’s plan to bring a fresh, new energy to the team and show his commitment in advancing the team’s legacy both on and off the race track. The change starts with the name “HYAK” which means “fast” in Chinook Jargon, which is a trade language of the Pacific Northwest that incorporates terms from Chinook, Chehalis, and many other local languages. The ownership transition promises to fuel HYAK Motorsports with a competitive edge by enhancing its approach to performance, innovation, and fan engagement. Smith is now joined by co-owners Brad Daugherty, Mark Hughes and Ernie Cope, who are also dedicated to maintaining the team’s high standards while introducing updated strategies and resources to help bring the team to a new level.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/412b8cf7-8a2c-4993-9129-e9199972539c

HAMPTON, Ga. — Speedway Motorsports and EchoPark Automotive introduced the new identity of Georgia’s only NASCAR track today; the iconic, 66-year-old facility in Hampton, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway, is now EchoPark Speedway.

Through a new partnership, the speedway, which hosts two NASCAR Cup Series races annually, including the upcoming June 28 Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart, will carry the EchoPark brand for the duration of a seven-year, multi-million-dollar agreement.

Specializing in pre-owned vehicle sales, EchoPark Automotive is one of three operating segments of Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Fortune 300 company and one of the largest automotive and powersports retailers in the United States. EchoPark Automotive operates 17 locations in 13 markets, including Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama, where a majority of Atlanta NASCAR fans travel from each year to visit the historic speedway. From restart zone signage to fan zone activations and race entitlements, the pre-owned car dealership chain has leveraged resources across nine Speedway Motorsports facilities nationwide to activate its brand and reach race fans and potential new customers. Acquiring the naming rights to one of NASCAR’s most iconic tracks is the latest and biggest step in this strategy for EchoPark Automotive.

“We have enjoyed serving guests in the Atlanta metro area since EchoPark Atlanta opened its doors in 2020,” David B. Smith, Chairman and CEO of Sonic Automotive, said. “This partnership allows us to share the value of the exceptional EchoPark car-buying experience with more guests in Atlanta and the surrounding area who enjoy the excitement of NASCAR racing at this iconic venue.”

EchoPark Automotive is seen as the number one pre-owned car buying experience, reflected in over 100,000 five-star reviews. Using this iconic sports venue, which is the largest in all of Georgia, will help EchoPark Automotive share the message of the brand to millions locally and nationally through major televised NASCAR events.

EchoPark Speedway’s entire 850-acre facility has undergone a massive facelift in preparation for its upcoming national debut as the opening race for the TNT portion of the NASCAR broadcast schedule and the kickoff event for the new in-season Cup Series tournament. Fans will see the new EchoPark Speedway’s signature green color and the new track logo across track walls, Victory Lane, and throughout the concourse when they attend the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart on Saturday night, June 28, or tune in nationally at 7 p.m. ET on TNT and can be heard live on WDUN AM 550 & FM 102.9.

The winner of the race will also receive a “nearly new” EchoPark Chevy Silverado and a trailer equipped with an 85th Anniversary, Sturgis Motorcyle Rally Limited Edition Harley-Davidson motorcycle. These exclusive motorcycles can be pre-ordered now at SturgisHD.com, but the very first one of only 26 manufactured will go to the winner of the inaugural EchoPark Speedway race. This incredible prize will be presented to the winner in Victory Lane courtesy of EchoPark Automotive. 

“This is a great opportunity to showcase the incredible vehicles we sell at EchoPark and share the exposure with another important entity in our Sonic Automotive family,” Jeff Dyke, President of Sonic Automotive, said. “The Sturgis Rally is right around the corner, and we know NASCAR fans and drivers will not only love the new presentation of this track, but also the opportunity to see this limited edition Harley-Davidson presented in Victory Lane.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with an innovative, customer-focused company like EchoPark Automotive as the entitlement partner of our newly named EchoPark Speedway,” Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith said. “EchoPark Automotive is as committed to exceptional customer service as we are, and we know that together we’ll elevate our fan experience to a new level unmatched for Southern hospitality. This partnership will fuel great experiences for fans attending our speedway for years to come.”

EchoPark Speedway has a storied history in NASCAR, hosting races every year since it opened as Atlanta International Raceway in 1960. The speedway hosted NASCAR’s season finale from 1987-2000, including the epic conclusion of the 1992 campaign which saw “The King,” Richard Petty, compete in his last NASCAR race; future legend Jeff Gordon make his first NASCAR Cup Series start; and Georgia’s own Bill Elliott win the race – narrowly losing the title to underdog owner-driver Alan Kulwicki.

Racing enthusiasts have long celebrated EchoPark Speedway’s high-speed, close-quarters racing action and exhilaratingly close finishes. Since its reconfiguration to a 28-degree banked, superspeedway-style track in 2021, that reputation has only been further bolstered. Three- and four-wide racing with abundant lead changes has become the norm when NASCAR visits Atlanta. In February 2024, EchoPark Speedway saw the closest three-wide finish in NASCAR history with race winner Daniel Suárez eclipsing Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch by just 0.003 and 0.007 seconds, respectively. Earlier this year, a new record was set for most lead changes at the speedway. This month’s Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart is expected to continue that trend of thrilling NASCAR action in Atlanta.

EchoPark Speedway will host two NASCAR national touring series during the spectacular June 26-28 summer event. Schedules, tickets, and camping for the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart weekend, can be found online at www.EchoParkSpeedway.com.

 

Each week, The Athletic asks the same 12 questions to a different race car driver. Our series continues with our fourth consecutive series points leader interview: Corey Heim, current leader in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Tricon Garage. This interview has been condensed and edited, but the full version is available on the 12 Questions podcast.

1. What was one of the first autographs you got as a kid, and what do you remember about that moment?

My family would go to the Fourth of July weekend at Daytona when I was growing up. It’s my birthday weekend (he was born July 5), so it’s always a fun thing for me. I grew up a big Denny (Hamlin) fan, so I remember going to his merch trailer at the time. His mom (Mary Lou) ran his trailer, and we had no idea, but my mom made it a point that it was my birthday to see if we could get something extra because it was my favorite driver.

They gave me a rookie card of his that was pre-signed. I thought (it) was the coolest thing ever, because within that we met his mom and we didn’t know at first. (Heim is now a development driver for 23XI Racing, which Hamlin co-owns.)

2. What is the most miserable you’ve ever been inside of a race car?

In 2021 at Watkins Glen, I had to run Kyle Busch’s shell (for the seat at Kyle Busch Motorsports). Kyle sits really strangely; he’s very low and his legs are like cramped up into his chest. That’s like the opposite of what I need, because I get a lot of hip cramping, so I need my legs to be really straight out so they’re not clenched the whole time.

It was my second-ever Truck start, and I was so uncomfortable. By the middle of Stage 2, my hips cramped up on me. I literally couldn’t walk when I got out of the truck. My guys had to carry me by both shoulders back to the hauler, and they were giving me cramping pills.

3. Outside of racing, what is your most recent memory of something you got way too competitive about?

My girlfriend (Taylor Reimer) loves Monopoly. She’s really competitive, and I’m really competitive, and that makes us clash a little bit. You know how you charge rent? There was one instance where I went to go check my phone, and I forgot to charge her rent for being on my property. And I’m like, “Hey, weren’t you on my property?” And she’s like, “Yeah, but you weren’t paying attention. You have to tell me that I owe you money for rent.” And I’m like, “What? That’s not how a board game works. If you’re on my property, you pay me rent.” She’s like, “No, you weren’t paying attention.”

So the next time comes around, and I was on some other person’s property, and I was doing everything I could to make sure they didn’t know I was on it, and they forgot — and she called me out on it because I got so worked up when she was on my property! I was like, “Taylor, you can’t be a hypocrite. You just did the same thing!” And she’s like, “Well, you’re a hypocrite because you got mad about it.” So that is part of the game, I guess.

Wait until Corey Heim is distracted before you land on his properties in Monopoly. (Sean Gardner / Getty Images)

4. What do people get wrong about you?

I see a lot of people talk about how I whine a lot. I don’t feel like I whine. People talk about how I complain, but I feel like that’s pretty typical for anyone who is interviewed a lot? I don’t feel like I’m a whiner. I feel like I’m pretty chill, and if the race up front is good quality and we rub a little bit, that’s fine with me. But I feel like when people overstep and wreck you, that’s when I complain and people get worked up about that.

5. What kind of Uber passenger are you, and how much do you care about your Uber rating?

I don’t Uber a lot. I’m kind of a homebody. But I’m pretty adaptable. I just read the room a little bit. If the driver is more quiet, I like to keep it that way. I don’t really care about my Uber rating, but it’s 4.9 or something.

6. This one is a wild-card question I’m mixing up for each person. I know you grew up in the Atlanta suburbs and think you started racing quarter midgets when you were 5, and you some Legend car racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway. But I don’t really know about your background growing up beyond that. Can you fill in the blanks for me?

My dad was always a big NASCAR fan. He raced Legend cars a lot when I was growing up at Lanier (Raceway), and he actually raced against Chase Elliott and the Dillon brothers in the same class. He was low-budgeted; he works in the gambling industry and sold old monitors from slot machines to fund his racing when I was growing up and raced locally.

I had started to love NASCAR and watch it with him, and he surprised me with a go-kart for Christmas when I was 4 years old. I started racing locally in Cumming, Georgia, and at the Lanier quarter-midget track up the road. When I first started out, it was a very low-budget operation because it was more of a hobby for us. I didn’t like losing, like most people, and was skeptical whether I wanted to continue racing. Quite honestly, when I was 7 or 8 years old, I had one foot out the door. If it wasn’t for the friends and the people I had met and formed those relationships with, I probably would have quit racing. When you’re not doing as well as you want to be, it’s not very fun.

My dad’s business started doing better, started putting more money into the racing side of things and chipped away at it and eventually decided to go Late Model racing. Had some success there, met the right people, and my dad’s business was doing better, so he was able to throw more money at it and invest in the ARCA side of things. Ever since I’ve been in Trucks, I’ve made a career out of it from there.

When you didn’t have enough funding to run well, at what point did you know you were good enough to do this? Because if you’re not winning at that age, how do you know?

I did a lot of iRacing growing up, and I was always pretty good at that, and we had a decent amount of success later in my quarter-midget career and definitely in Late Models, too. My dad always told me he didn’t have enough money to fund ARCA racing, so it was always in the back of my mind like, “I’m just going to keep doing it until I can’t anymore.”

But that’s when his business started doing a lot better, and he was able to throw a little bit more money at it for me to get that ARCA opportunity. And then little by little, Toyota started to help us, and eventually it turned into what it is now. I just always enjoyed it just enough to want to stay in it, and I felt like the day I didn’t enjoy anymore, I would be done with it. But that day never came.

7. This is the 16th year I’ve been doing these 12 Questions interviews, and I’ve been going back to a previous question and re-using it. You seem like a very even-keeled guy from what I’ve seen, so I found this one from 2012: When is the last time you got nervous about something?

I get nervous all the time. I mean, I’m nervous right now for Cup practice (Heim ran the No. 67 car at Nashville Superspeedway last weekend). I have emotions, but they’re just more internal. I feel a fair amount of stress and nerves going into these races. I want to impress people and perform at the best of my ability.

Anyone who cares gets nervous about things. Like, if you have a big event where you have to speak to a lot of people, you’d get nervous too, if you care about it. So I feel like it’s pretty natural.

8. Other than one of your teammates, name a driver who you would be one of the first people to congratulate them in victory lane if they won a race.

Tanner Gray in the Trucks. He’s been a really good teammate to me. You said no teammates, but I was thinking on the 23XI side. So I’ll say Tanner for my Tricon side. I don’t really have a lot of close friends outside of my Toyota group, so it’s a tough one.

9. How much do you use AI technology, whether for your job or your daily life?

I’ve never used it, but a lot of the photos people generate are really funny, so I’ve wanted to give it a shot. But do they all cost money to use? I’d like to use it sometime.

I’ve seen people use it for paint schemes, and people (on social media) lose their marbles because it takes away (the human element), which makes sense. But I feel like that’s just adapting to the times, you know?

Tanner Gray and Corey Heim, Tricon Garage teammates in the NASCAR Truck Series. (Chris Graythen / Getty Images)

10. What is a time in your life that was really challenging, but you feel proud of the way that you responded to it?

The 2023 championship in the Trucks, just with Carson (Hocevar) and the whole mess there. (Heim was going to win the championship but was wrecked by Hocevar; Heim later retaliated by wrecking Hocevar and was penalized for it afterward.) It was just a big rollercoaster of emotions and the public perception. For the most part, I’ve been a really clean driver. I don’t really cause a lot of crap, but being under that microscope with 30 to go in a Truck (championship) race and everything happening the way it did, it put me in a bad light. I had to handle that because I pride myself on racing the way I want to be race, so seeing people come crashing down on me for retaliating was tough.

The good part of it was I had the whole offseason to just get over it. It wasn’t like I had to go racing next week with that mindset. But from a broad perspective, I feel like it was a warranted thing, but I had to just understand I was under a microscope, and it got blown out of proportion a little bit from my standpoint.

11. What needs to happen in NASCAR to take this sport to the next level of popularity?

First of all, every race would sell out if it was as big of a party as Talladega. No one is coming to watch 25 minutes of practice; you come to party and enjoy the race. Of course, there’s a fan group that enjoys the racing quality, but what are you going to do for the other three days you’re here camping out? People go for that more than anything. (More of a party scene) would help at pretty much every racetrack.

And then I feel like MLB has done a really good job with ballpark food. I’ve seen a lot of parks introduce new ballpark food. People travel just to go and try these new ballpark items. They’re crazy contraptions of food and stuff you don’t see on a normal day. That would be cool for certain tracks.

12. Each week, I ask a driver to give me a question for the next interview. The last one was with Justin Allgaier, so his question for you is: “It’s inevitable for you to be a Cup Series superstar. What has been the hardest part about your progression and what do you still need to work on to become the best all-around driver in whatever series you’re in on a given weekend?”

Just the little things I need to work on. My speed is there. My racecraft has gotten a lot better. The little things such as pit road and restarts are things I can put effort into it and continue to get better, and I can execute on it for one race — but after I stop making that a point to look at on a consistent basis, I start slacking on it again. So it’s like I need to learn how to somehow mentally let myself know (to do those things) every week.

The next interview I’m doing is with Daniel Suárez. Do you have a question I can ask him?

Aside from Trackhouse, he’s never been able to settle into a groove with one team. He was with the Xfinity team with Gibbs for one year, won the championship, went Cup racing probably prematurely (when Carl Edwards suddenly retired). Once he was getting in his groove (in Cup with Gibbs), he’s out the door going to Haas, and then once he was getting his groove there, he’s out the door with the next move. What’s it been like to have to readjust constantly every year versus being comfortable and finding his groove at Trackhouse?

(Top photo: James Gilbert / Getty Images)

CLUB MINUTES:
JJ AT MICHIGAN: LEGACY MC co-owner and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson owns 38 starts in NASCAR’s elite series at the 2-mile oval in Brooklyn, Michigan. He has one win at Michigan from June 2014, where he started seventh and led 39 laps en route to a 1.214-second margin of victory over runner-up Kevin Harvick. Overall, Johnson has scored five top-fives, 12 top-10s and led 700 laps at Michigan in his career.

KENSETH – THREE-TIME WINNER WINS BIG IN MICHIGAN: LEGACY MC’s competition advisor Matt Kenseth found success at the 2-mile oval in Michigan as well. With 40 NASCAR Cup Series starts at the track, Kenseth owns three victories from his June 2002, August 2006, and August 2015 starts. He’s earned 14 top-fives, 20 top-10s, and led 443 laps at Michigan.

THE KING WINS AT MICHIGAN: Richard Petty has a total of 47 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan in his career. The LEGACY MC ambassador earned a total of four victories, 19 top-fives, and 25 top-10s during his legendary career. His victories at the track came in June 1974, August 1975, August 1979, and August 1981.

NEVER SETTLE: Join ESPN’s Marty Smith and LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s co-owner Johnson for their weekly podcast, “Never Settle”. The podcast airs live on SIRIUS XM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90 at 2 p.m. ET every Wednesday and can be downloaded wherever fans source their podcasts. This week’s guest is Rodney Scott a renowned pitmaster and restaurateur, widely recognized for his expertise in whole hog barbecue. He gained national fame after opening Rodney Scott’s BBQ in Charleston in 2016. His barbecue journey began at his family’s restaurant in Hemingway, South Carolina, where he learned the art of whole hog cooking from a young age.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
NO. 42 PYE-BARKER FIRE & SAFETY TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
NATIONAL SAFETY MONTH: June is National Safety Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness and promoting safety at work, at home, and everywhere in between. Since 1996, this annual observance has offered free resources to spotlight the leading causes of preventable injuries and deaths. One of LEGACY MC’s primary partners, Pye-Barker Fire & Safety is committed to making safety a priority this June and throughout the year.

JHN AT MIS: John Hunter Nemechek heads to Michigan International Speedway with three prior NASCAR Cup Series starts, two from his rookie season in 2020 and one from last year. Beyond the Cup Series, the 27-year-old has made 10 more appearances at the track, with five starts each in the NASCAR Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Nemechek visited Victory Lane in 2023 when driving for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR).

JHN IN THE POINTS: During this time last year, Nemechek sat 27th in driver points and ultimately finished in 34th. As the team heads into Michigan, Nemechek and the No. 42 team sit in 22nd in points and just 22 points back from the playoff cut line.

TMACK AT MIS: Crew chief Travis Mack has visited the Brooklyn, Michigan, speedway on six occasions as a crew chief. Five of those came in the Cup Series. Among those five starts, he has an average starting spot of 24 and finishing spot of 21. In the one Xfinity Series race with Michael Annett behind the wheel, the team started seventh and finished third (2019).

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTE:

“Last year at Michigan, we went in and had some speed but got caught up in a wreck early that ruined our race. We managed to continue to run and learn and gain some experience there. Our team continues to prep and try to find new speed. We’re hoping that we can unload with some speed and have a solid weekend.”

TRAVIS MACK QUOTE:

“Michigan always seems like it turns into a fuel mileage race. We should have the speed, and we should race good, but it seems like it turns into a strategy race. I am looking forward to going to Michigan and seeing what we have.”
ERIK JONES
NO. 43 DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
TOP-10 AT NASHVILLE: Erik Jones is riding a wave of momentum into Sunday’s race at Michigan International Speedway after his seventh-place finish last Sunday night under the lights at Nashville Superspeedway. After qualifying 14th for the Cracker Barrel 400, he went on to score his second top-10 of the 2025 season. Both of these finishes have come on intermediate tracks with his first being his fifth-place result on May 4 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.

HOMETOWN HERO: Jones is returning to his home track of Michigan for Sunday’s Firekeepers Casino 400. The Michigan native grew up just 73 miles north of the track in the small town of Byron, where he started his racing career at a young age before transitioning to stock cars at age 13. He quickly moved up the ranks in NASCAR but never forgot his Michigan roots along the way. He is one of only three Michigan natives racing in the Cup Series fulltime along with Brad Keselowski and Carson Hocevar.

JONES MICHIGAN STATS: Sunday’s Firekeepers Casino 400 will mark Jones’ 13th NASCAR Cup Series start at Michigan. In his prior 12 starts, Jones earned a best finish of third in August 2017 after starting eighth. He owns another two top-10 finishes with his finishes of eighth in August 2022 and 10th in August 2023. He has an additional two starts outside of the Cup Series at Michigan – one in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and one in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He earned a finish of fourth in his one and only Xfinity Series start in June 2016 after starting second and leading 18 laps. In the Craftsman Truck Series, Jones finished third in August 2015 after starting seventh and leading 16 laps.

CLAYS FOR CAUSES: On Friday, Jones will host his third annual “Clays for Causes” fundraiser in Dryden, Michigan at the Huntsman Hunt Club starting at 8 a.m. CT. As a proud Michigan native with a deep appreciation for the outdoors, Jones uses this event to reflect both his roots and his passion for giving back. Clays for Causes raises funds to support the foundation and their efforts to change lives by igniting children’s passion for reading, encouraging early cancer detection and care, and promoting animal welfare. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit ErikJonesFoundation.org.

BESHORE AT MICHIGAN: Crew chief Ben Beshore has a total of four races under his belt at Michigan as a crew chief in the NASCAR Cup Series. His best results are a pair of seventh-place finishes with Kyle Busch from the June 2017 and August 2021 races, where they started fourth and seventh, respectively. He has an additional two races on top of the box in the Xfinity Series as the crew chief for Riley Herbst and John Hunter Nemechek. He won at Michigan in August 2023 with Nemechek after the team started 10th.

GRADUATION AT THE TRACK: This Friday will mark the 11-year anniversary of Jones’ makeshift graduation ceremony held on the driver introductions prior to the WinStar World Casino 400K Craftsman Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. On June 6, 2014, Jones missed his graduation at Swartz Creek Academy to run the race while still running a part-time schedule in the series. After he walked the stage in a graduation cap and gown to receive his diploma, he went on to start the race fifth and finished 11th.

TOYOTA IN-CAR CAMERA: Ride along with Jones this weekend in the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE with the Toyota in-car camera. His view from inside the car will be featured on the Amazon Prime broadcast and on HBO Max.

ERIK JONES QUOTE
“I always look forward to Michigan. Obviously, it’s a home race for me and my home track. It’s a lot of fun to get up there and be with family and friends. I typically get there earlier in the week to go spend more time with them and get to see them before the busy weekend. It’s always exciting and a lot of fun. The race itself – I just really enjoy the track. It’s come into its own here as it’s aged and widened out. Racing there with this NextGen car has been good. I’m looking forward to it. This one is high on my bucket list of tracks to win at one day. I just look forward for the chance to be out there every year.”

BEN BESHORE QUOTE
“Michigan is a high-speed oval where speeds are as fast as they can get at a sorta repaved-type track. It’s more strategy driven and trying to keep your car in the best position possible throughout the race plus playing the strategy so you’re out front and need the least fuel possible on the last stop. You can kind of leapfrog your way to track position with that. I know Erik’s super excited for that one with it being his home track and us having some speed at mile-and-a-halves this year, so we’re really looking forward to that one.”

CLUB APPEARANCES:

Nemechek will make a stop out at the NASCAR Classics Merchandise hauler on race day at 11:00 a.m. to meet with the fans and sign some autographs.
TUNE IN:
The NASCAR Cup Series will head to Michigan International Speedway for the Firekeepers Casino 400 on Sunday, June 8. The race broadcast will take place on Amazon Prime, MAX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90) at 2 p.m. EDT.

LMC PR

If you think about it, getting something done in NASCAR is no different from how it might be done in everyday life: Just b y wearing someone down.

It happens in NASCAR when drivers and teams start beating the drum over and over about a situation they feel strongly about. Those with the biggest microphone, after all, know they can use it to get a point across and cause change. Take the Damaged Vehicle Policy as the most recent example, which NASCAR tweaked during the offseason after a 2024 in which drivers and crew chiefs repeatedly expressed frustration with how the procedure played out.

NASCAR finds itself in a similar situation again. The topic this time is horsepower.

The drivers want more horsepower; the drivers have always wanted more horsepower. But in the Next Gen era, when the industry continues to try and come up with ideas of what will help the car, particularly on short tracks, the drum is being pounded repeatedly about increasing horsepower.

At this point, why not? Why not give in, give people what they want, and see what happens?

“We’ve been saying it for years – we want more horsepower – and we’ve been told we’re waiting on other manufacturers to come in and they aren’t in,” Bubba Wallace said. “So, let’s do something. I think we have all the momentum on our side with our sport right now, and I think bringing in something exciting … I think they need to look at it from an exciting standpoint rather than a worrisome standpoint.”

Finally, and fortunately, the feeling from the other side (i.e., NASCAR) is changing. For the longest time, the idea of increasing horsepower was a non-starter, and the sport went through years where horsepower was decreased. Lest we forget the decision to go to 550. And so, the message to fans was always, don’t get your hopes up. Even the drivers felt it was a long shot, or some had given up hope.

Except the talk has never gone away. The drum continued to be beaten.

So now NASCAR is acknowledging it’s not a hard no. In fact, it could potentially be implemented later this year.

“It’s on the table,” NASCAR senior vice president of competition, Elton Sawyer, told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio last week. “We are working closely with all the stakeholders in the industry and the collaboration has been better than ever in our sport on all topics. This particular one, [we] had a team owner council meeting last week, came up and we discussed that. I know John Probst had a conversation with our engine builders to see what we could do, how that would look and what changes would need to be made.”

The current engine package is 670 horsepower, and any increase would not be extreme. It would not go back to the days of 900hp or the big 1,000 that drivers would love in a perfect world. It seems the 750 number is more likely.

No, it’s not a lot, but it’s something. Many would agree in this case, something is better than nothing.

“I think it’d be worth a shot if the engine manufacturers are willing to do it,” Chase Elliott said. “So, you’re going to have to get all of them to agree, which in my view, is going to be a difficult thing to do. But hopefully they can, and everybody’s willing to give it a shot somewhere just to see if it makes a difference. It might not do anything, but it might really help. And until you try, I don’t know that you really have an answer.”

Is cranking up the power all that’s needed to amp up excitement on short tracks, or is there more to consider? Sean Gardner/Getty Images

A very simple approach – wear them down until you get what you want – seems to work. Will it work on the racetrack? Hopefully, NASCAR gives the industry a chance to find out. But also remember that an increase in horsepower is one step but won’t be the cure-all for what ails the short track package.

“I definitely think it needs more,” Josh Berry said. “The question, I think, boils down to how much more does it need to move the needle? I don’t really have an answer to that. It probably needs to be pretty significant. What I would hate to happen is to go up 100 horsepower and it doesn’t really look that different and everyone goes, ‘Oh, that wasn’t it.’ It is a combination of a lot of things. It is the aero side of the car, it is horsepower, it’s the tires.

“Honestly, it’s technology. I raced a Pro Late Model on Thursday night and when I got out front my car drove a lot better than when I was tucked up behind someone’s bumper. It’s just technology and the fields are that close. It’s just physics and aero. It would definitely be a step in the right direction if they go in that direction. We will see what happens.”

NASCAR is being worn down to push the horsepower lever. It seems more likely than ever before it will happen, and cue the celebration when it does, followed by the magnifying glass on what it does on the racetrack. Then, get the drum ready because there will be something else that becomes worth repeating over and over.