TC Daily Pit Stop: Bowman Not Running North Wilkesboro Truck Race; Herbst Honoring Ken Block; Darlington Entry Lists

TC Daily Pit Stop: Tuesday, May 9th, 2023

May 9, 2023

PHOTO CREDIT: Jonathan McCoy | TobyChristie.com

Alex Bowman will not compete in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 20th, as originally scheduled, Spire Motorsports confirmed to TobyChristie.com on Monday.

Bowman, 30, has been absent from the NASCAR Cup Series grid for the last two weekends, after suffering a compression fracture to his vertebra in a winged sprint car racing accident on March 25, as part of the High Limit Racing event at 34 Raceway.

The Tucson, Arizona-native was scheduled to pilot the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado in the inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at North Wilkesboro Speedway, with sponsorship coming from HendrickCars.com.

According to a representative from Spire Motorsports, the organization will continue to move forward with its plans to compete in the historic event, despite a semi-last-minute change of plans on who will be driving the entry.

Riley Herbst, Stewart-Haas Racing Honoring Late Ken Block at Darlington

Even though ‘Throwback Weekend’ at Darlington Raceway is usually dedicated to honoring the legends of NASCAR, Riley Herbst, and Stewart-Haas Racing have decided to take things in a different direction, with the cooperation of Monster Energy.

Herbst, who sits eighth in NASCAR Xfinity Series point standings for Stewart-Haas Racing, will carry the colors of the late Ken Block, whose skill as a rallycross driver and stuntman is globally recognized in large part because of his Gymkhana YouTube videos.

So, in Saturday’s Shriners Children’s 200 at Darlington Raceway, Herbst and the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang will emulate the paint scheme of the Gymkhana 3 “Drip” car that Block made famous.

“I was a big fan of Ken Block’s infamous Monster Energy ‘Drip’ livery growing up,” Herbst said. “It’s such an honor to bring it back and run it at Darlington. I’m so appreciative of the Block family for letting me run this tribute. I chose this paint scheme specifically because I was such a huge Ken Block fan growing up. Back then, I wanted to be a rally-car driver just like him and be a part of the Hoonigan nation.”