Young's Motorsports Phoenix Raceway Team Preview

Young’s Motorsports | NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series

Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway | GOVX 200

Fast Facts

No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Team:

Driver: Ryan Ellis  

Primary Partner(s): Demco Products

Manufacturer: Chevrolet Camaro

Crew Chief: Eddie Troconis 

2026 Driver Points Position: 21st | 2026 Owner Points Position: 22nd

Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing

Year Three, Driven Forward: In November 2025, Ryan Ellis was announced as Young’s Motorsports’ full-time driver in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series as the organization enters its third season of competition.

In a significant step for 2026, Young’s Motorsports will transition its flagship No. 02 — long synonymous with the organization’s success in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series — to the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series full-time, underscoring the team’s continued growth at the national level.

Ellis will pilot the No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro across the full 33-race schedule, continuing with Saturday night’s GOVX 200 at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway and culminating with the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Championship Race at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway in November.

● About Ryan: A respected veteran in the NASCAR garage, Ellis joins Young’s Motorsports with more than a decade of experience across NASCAR’s national ranks, including competition in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

The 2026 season will mark Ellis’ fourth full-time campaign in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

The 35-year-old Virginia native is coming off his first career NASCAR top-10 finish in 2025 and looks to build on that momentum while continuing to expand his résumé, which includes 166 career starts in series competition.

Known for his consistency, professionalism, and versatility both behind the wheel and in the garage, Ellis aims to apply his experience to elevate Young’s Motorsports’ competitive presence in its third season of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series competition.

● All-Aboard!: For the fourth of 33 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races this season, Young’s Motorsports welcomes Demco Products as the primary partner on the No. 02 Chevrolet Camaro for Saturday night’s 200-lap event.

Demco's history begins with Robert Dethmers, who started as a blacksmith and later ran an Allis Chalmers dealership with his father. In 1958, he sold the business and shifted to building agricultural equipment.

By 1964, he founded Dethmers Manufacturing Company (Demco). After his passing in 1974, Jim Koerselman and Ken Mulder took over ownership.

In the 1980s, during the Farm Crisis, Demco diversified by creating the Kar Kaddy, which saved the company.

Over the years, Demco expanded further by acquiring companies like Maurer Manufacturing and adding new products, including 5th-wheel hitches and braking systems.

Today, Demco remains family-owned and is led by Bob Koerselman, Kevin Ten Haken and James Koerselman.

They continue to uphold the company’s values, focusing on innovation, relationships, and community. Demco recently renovated its original location in Boyden to include a Heritage Center that showcases its 60-year history and a training facility called DEPOT.

● Ryan Ellis O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Phoenix Raceway Stats: Saturday night’s first of two 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series trips to Avondale, Ariz., will mark Ellis’s eighth career start at the 1.0-mile layout.

In his previous seven Phoenix Raceway starts, Ellis’s best result was delivered in his track debut in the 2022 edition of the United Rentals 200, where he earned a track-best 16th, driving for Alpha Prime Racing.

Overall, he holds an O’Reilly Auto Parts Series average finish of 23.0 at the famed course in the desert.

The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series returns to action Saturday, March 7, for the fourth race of the 2026 season at Phoenix Raceway.

The one-mile desert oval in Avondale presents a unique challenge for teams as they navigate progressive banking, tight corners and the importance of track position on one of the most strategic short tracks on the schedule.

The weekend marks a quadruple-header of competition at Phoenix, beginning with the ARCA Menards Series on Thursday night.

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES takes center stage Saturday afternoon, followed by the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series under the lights Saturday night.

The NASCAR Cup Series headlines the weekend Sunday afternoon with the running of the Straight Talk Wireless 500.

Ryan Ellis and Young’s Motorsports look to regroup and rebound at Phoenix Raceway as the No. 02 team continues its push through the 33-race campaign.

With one of NASCAR’s premier short-track venues on deck, the weekend provides another opportunity for Ellis to strengthen his position in the championship standings and showcase the organization’s continued growth at the national level.

● Ryan Ellis NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Career Stats: Entering Phoenix, Ellis has 167 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races to his credit, earning a career-best sixth-place finish after starting 32nd in the 2026 edition of the United Rentals 300 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway for Young’s Motorsports.

Since his 2012 debut, Ellis has averaged a 26.4 finish in series competition, including the past three seasons running full-time.

● Circuit of the Americas | Focused Health 250 Race Recap: After a respectable finish in the second race of the season at EchoPark (Ga.) Speedway, Ryan Ellis and the Young’s Motorsports team headed west to Phoenix Raceway for the fourth race of the 2026 season.

The No. 02 ROSCH Chevrolet showed improvement between practice and qualifying, allowing the team to build confidence heading into Saturday night’s one-mile desert oval showdown.

From the drop of the green flag, Ellis maintained pace and worked to keep the car in contention as track position proved critical throughout a series of extended green-flag runs.

The team’s opportunity to capitalize late in the race took a significant hit when on-track adversity shuffled Ellis deep in the running order during the closing laps, forcing the team to manage both damage and track position in the final stretch.

Despite the setback, the team persevered and avoided a DNF (did not finish), ultimately crossing the line 34th at the checkered flag.

● Calling the Shots: Guiding Ellis as crew chief of the No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro is longtime crew chief, engineer and industry veteran Eddie Troconis.

On Saturday afternoon, he will be crew chief in his 25th NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race. In his previous 24 races, he has two top-10 finishes, most recently in the 2026 season-opener at Daytona International Speedway.  

The season’s fourth race will serve as his second event atop the pit box at Phoenix Raceway in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and his first appearance there since 2020.

● Young's Motorsports' NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Phoenix Raceway: This weekend will mark Young’s Motorsports’ fifth start in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.

In the organization’s four previous races, the team has earned a track-best 11th-place finish during the 2024 edition of the Call 811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 200, with rookie driver Leland Honeyman Jr. behind the wheel.

In Phoenix, the organization’s four previous starts have resulted in an average starting position of 25.5 and an average finish of 24.3.

Beyond its O’Reilly Auto Parts Series efforts, the team has made 21 starts at Phoenix in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series since 2014, producing a 23.6 average finish.

That stretch is highlighted by a team COTA-best eighth-place result with Kaden Honeycutt in the series’ finale in November 2023.

● Young's Motorsports' NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series History: Since entering the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2024, the family-owned organization has logged 72 starts and earned one top-five and four top-10 finishes while maintaining an average starting position of 26.2 and an average finish of 23.6.

● Follow on Social Media: For more on Ryan Ellis, please visit ryanellisracing.com, like him on Facebook (Ryan Ellis), and follow him on Instagram (@ryanellisracing), TikTok (@ryanellisracing), and X | Twitter (@ryanellisracing).

For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports), and follow them on Instagram (@youngsmotorsports) and X |Twitter (@youngsmtrsports).

Ryan Ellis Pre-Race Quotes:

On Phoenix Raceway: “Phoenix is such a unique mile track and it really rewards patience. Track position means everything there, and you have to execute all night — especially on restarts and long runs when tire wear starts to come into play.

“It’s easy to overdrive the corners, so for us it’s about staying disciplined, building the race the right way and minimizing mistakes.

“We didn’t get the result we wanted last weekend, but this No. 02 Young’s Motorsports team keeps making gains. If we qualify well and put ourselves in position, I’m confident we can be there when it matters and have a solid night.”

On Circuit of the Americas Finish: “It wasn’t the finish we wanted at Circuit of the Americas, but we learned a lot. We made improvements throughout the weekend and felt like we had more in it before the late issues.

“There are three more road courses on the schedule, and I think what we gained from that race will really help us moving forward.”

On O’Reilly Auto Parts Series West Coast Swing: “The West Coast swing is always a big stretch on the schedule. You go from a place like Phoenix, where track position and execution are everything, to Las Vegas, where speed and long-run balance really matter.

“It’s a great test for our team because they’re two completely different mile tracks in back-to-back weeks. If we can put together clean races at both, it can really set the tone when we head back to the East Coast and into the heart of the season.

“I’m excited for the challenge and confident we can make the most of it.”

On 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Goals: “Our goal for 2026 and beyond is simple — keep improving every weekend and build something sustainable together.

“Young’s Motorsports has been putting in the work to establish itself in this series, and I want to help take that next step. If we can stay consistent, run competitively every week, and continue to close the gap to the front, the results will follow. It’s about progress, chemistry, and execution. I’m ready to get started!”

No. 42 Young’s Motorsports Team:

Driver: Nathan Byrd

Primary Partner(s): Young’s Building Systems | Randco Industries Inc.

Manufacturer: Chevrolet Camaro

Crew Chief: Andrew Abbott

2026 Driver Points Position: N/A | 2026 Owner Points Position: 26th

Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing

Year Three, Driven Forward: Young’s Motorsports continues its campaign in the newly rebranded NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, aiming to make an immediate impact with its second full-time entry, continuing this weekend at Phoenix Raceway.

Fan-favorite Nathan Byrd returns to the organization and will pilot the No. 42 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro in the fourth of 33 races on the 2026 schedule.

● About Nathan: Byrd, 26, began racing go-karts in 2018, just after graduating High School, and he entered his first car race in February 2020.

Since then, the Goodyear, Ariz. native has raced over 30 types of cars in 348 total races at 67 different race tracks, effectively becoming one of the most diverse and interesting race car drivers in the world.

Completing more than 300 races in the first four years of his career, Byrd is no stranger to piloting race cars.

In 2024, the Indianapolis, Ind. resident turned his attention to NASCAR. He successfully made his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut at Portland International Raceway and delivered a respectable 21st-place finish for DGM Racing.

In September 2024, Byrd made his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series debut at Kansas Speedway, earning a respectable 19th-place finish after starting 32nd.

Last year, Byrd continued his foray into the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, making 15 starts for Young’s Motorsports.

His campaign was highlighted by three top-15 finishes, including a career-best 14th-place result in back-to-back races at Rockingham Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway, respectively.

Byrd’s most recent NASCAR national series start came under the lights at Phoenix Raceway on October 31, 2025 — a Halloween night showdown in the desert.

● All-Aboard!: For the fourth of 33 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races this season, Young’s Motorsports welcomes back Texas-based Young’s Building Systems and Randco, who partner with the Mooresville, N.C.-based team as the primary partners on the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro for the 200-lap race on Saturday night.   

Since 1981, Young’s Building Systems has been providing West Texas with all their metal building needs. This family-owned and operated business has become an industry favorite due to the experience gained and the professional results completed.

Young’s Building System is a division of Randco Industries, Inc. We have expanded into a company that has the ability to erect any type of building, from a small single-story to a city high-rise.

Our customers have multiple uses for our buildings, including commercial, residential, agricultural, industrial, skid-mounted buildings and compressor station buildings.

We also have a team that specializes in stairs and railings of all shapes and sizes. Young’s Building Systems is fully insured for your peace of mind, so we carry workmen’s compensation and general liability coverage that goes above and beyond State requirements.

Our company is fully equipped with moving and lifting equipment along with compressors, generators and welding equipment. We have the tools and equipment needed to support large, demanding projects. Our work ethic is based on the principles of quality, promptness, and customer experience.

Young’s Building Systems continuously raises our standard of excellence and works hard to make sure that each and every one of your needs are met.

● Nathan Byrd O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Phoenix Raceway Stats: Saturday night’s first of two 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series trips to Avondale, Ariz., will mark Byrd’s inaugural start in the series in the Grand Canyon State.

However, Byrd did make his Phoenix Raceway debut last Halloween, in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, qualifying his No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST on speed and using the season finale to methodically work his way through the field to earn a solid 15th-place finish in the extended 161-lap contest.

The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series returns to action Saturday, March 7, for the fourth race of the 2026 season at Phoenix Raceway.

The one-mile desert oval in Avondale presents a unique challenge for teams as they navigate progressive banking, tight corners and the importance of track position on one of the most strategic short tracks on the schedule.

The weekend marks a quadruple-header of competition at Phoenix, beginning with the ARCA Menards Series on Thursday night. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES takes center stage Saturday afternoon, followed by the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series under the lights Saturday night.

The NASCAR Cup Series headlines the weekend Sunday afternoon with the running of the Straight Talk Wireless 500.

Nathan Byrd will pilot the No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet in his first NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start of the 2026 season this weekend, aiming to capitalize on prior experience at Phoenix Raceway and deliver a competitive performance for the Mooresville, N.C.-based organization.

With one of NASCAR’s premier short-track venues on deck, Saturday night presents Byrd with an opportunity to continue building his national series résumé while contributing to Young’s Motorsports’ continued presence on the national stage.

● Nathan Byrd NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Career Stats: Entering Phoenix Raceway, Byrd has three NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts to his credit, highlighted by a career-best 21st-place finish in his series debut after starting 35th in the 2024 Pacific Office Automation 147 at Portland International Raceway for DGM Racing.

Since his 2024 debut, Byrd has recorded an average finish of 27.3 in series competition, adding starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course for DGM Racing and SS-GreenLight Racing, respectively.

Further bolstering his NASCAR résumé, Byrd has made 18 starts in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series since 2024.

● Calling the Shots: Guiding Byrd as crew chief of the No. 42 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro is longtime crew chief Andrew Abbott.

On Saturday night, he will be the crew chief in his 166th NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race. In his previous 165 races, he has four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes.  

The season's fourth race will be his 11th tango at Phoenix Raceway as crew chief in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. 

In his 10 previous leadership efforts at Phoenix, Abbott has earned a track-best 10th-place finish with driver Jeremy Clements in the 2020 fall edition of the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200.

● Young's Motorsports' NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Phoenix Raceway: This weekend will mark Young’s Motorsports’ fifth start in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.

In the organization’s four previous races, the team has earned a track-best 11th-place finish during the 2024 edition of the Call 811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 200, with rookie driver Leland Honeyman Jr. behind the wheel.

In Phoenix, the organization’s four previous starts have resulted in an average starting position of 25.5 and an average finish of 24.3.

Beyond its O’Reilly Auto Parts Series efforts, the team has made 21 starts at Phoenix in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series since 2014, producing a 23.6 average finish.

That stretch is highlighted by a team COTA-best eighth-place result with Kaden Honeycutt in the series’ finale in November 2023.

● Young's Motorsports' NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series History: Since entering the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2024, the family-owned organization has logged 72 starts and earned one top-five and four top-10 finishes while maintaining an average starting position of 26.2 and an average finish of 23.6.

● Follow on Social Media: For more on Nathan Byrd, please visit byrdracing.com, like him on Facebook (Nathan Byrd), and follow him on Instagram (@nathanjbyrd) and X |Twitter (@nathanjbyrd).

For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports), and follow them on Instagram (@youngsmotorsports) and X |Twitter (@youngsmtrsports).

Nathan Byrd Pre-Race Quote:

On Returning to Young’s Motorsports at Phoenix Raceway: “I’m really thankful for the opportunity to get back behind the wheel with Young’s Motorsports.

They’ve played a big role in my development, and Phoenix is a place where I’ve already learned a lot. To return there with this group means a lot to me.

The goal is to execute, stay disciplined and give the No. 42 team something to be proud of on Saturday night.”

On Phoenix Raceway: “Phoenix is a track that really makes you think, especially on long runs. Even though last fall was in a Truck and this weekend we’re in a car, a lot of the fundamentals still apply — managing your tires, hitting your marks and being patient.

“Finishing 15th there gave me a lot of confidence, and I’m hoping to build on what I learned in that race and translate it into a solid run for our No. 42 team.”

On Returning to NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Competition: “I’m really excited to get back into NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series competition. The level of competition is high, and every opportunity at this stage is valuable.

“I feel like I’m a more complete driver than I was in my previous starts, especially after gaining experience in the Truck Series over the past year.

“The focus for me is on executing, staying disciplined and putting together a strong performance for Young’s Motorsports this weekend.”

Race Information:

The GOVX 200 (200 laps | 200 miles) is the fourth of thirty-three (33) NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races on the 2026 schedule. Practice will occur on Fri., March 6, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 5:50 p.m. Qualifying will immediately follow, beginning at 6:05 p.m. The field will take the green flag the next night, Sat., March 7, shortly after 5:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m. ET), with live coverage on The CW Network, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. All times are local (MT).

-30-