The last NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race before its 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup is Saturday night at Richmond. Perhaps overlooked are the battles in the Nationwide Series, as both driver and owner championships are tight heading into Friday’s 25th round of the season.
Sam Hornish Jr. currently leads Austin Dillon by 10 points and the two are poised to expand that gap over the other three in the top five, Elliott Sadler, Regan Smith and Justin Allgaier. Those three have fallen to 26, 29, and 47 points back, respectively.
Due to the frequency of Sprint Cup regulars winning Nationwide races though, Hornish has only one win and Dillon none yet this year.
The owner championship sees the No. 54 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota trailing the No. 22 Penske Racing Ford by 11 points. Kyle Busch has won a series-high nine races this year, with Brad Keselowski winning four thus far in the No. 22.
Benny Bloss will race for the factory Beta Motorcycles team in 2024 as that manufacturer joins SuperMotocross as the ninth brand to compete in the series. Beta Motorcycles will make their debut in the Monster Energy Supercross opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California in January.Benny Bloss finished among the top 10 twice in Pro Motocross, in 2016 and 2018. – Beta Motorcycles
“The wait is over and we can finally share everything we have been working towards,” said Carlen Gardner, Race Team Manager in a press release. “It has been a great experience being a part of this development and seeing the progression. The only missing part was finding a rider that would mesh well with our Beta Family.
“After a one phone call with Benny, we knew it would be a good fit for him, and for us. We are happy to have him on board for the next two years and can’t wait to see everyone at Anaheim in January.”
Bloss has a pair of top-10 rankings in the division with a sixth-place finish in the Pro Motocross Championship in 2016 and a seventh in 2018. His best Supercross season ended 15th in the standings in 2018.
“I’m extremely excited to join the Beta Factory Racing team,” Bloss said. “It’s cool to see a brand with such a rich history in off-road racing to come into the US Supercross and Motocross space. I know this team will be capable of great things as we build and go racing in 2024.”
Bloss is currently 22nd in the SuperMotocross rankings and has not raced in the first two rounds of the Motocross season.
Testing for Beta Motorcycles is scheduled to begin in August and the team expects to announce a second rider at that time.
The family-owned brand adds to the international flare of the sport. The company was founded in Florence, Italy in 1905 as Società Giuseppe Bianchi as they built handmade bicycles, The transition to motorcycle production in the late 1940s.
Beta Motorcycles competed and won in motocross competition in the late 1970s and early 1980s with Jim Pomeroy and other riders.
