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59-478: In 2008, ThorSport Racing made its Nationwide Series debut with Shelby Howard driving the No. 13 Chevrolet Monte Carlo in two races, starting at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and Bristol . Howard finished 20th and 23rd in those events. In 1998, ThorSport Racing—then known as SealMaster Racing—fielded the No. 8 truck at Mesa Marin for Jerry Cook. Cook started 34th but retired early, finishing 32nd. In 1999,

118-491: A late-race incident with Ron Hornaday and finished 3rd in points, behind Todd Bodine . For 2011, the team gained sponsorship from Safe Auto Insurance . Sauter claimed victories at Martinsville and Homestead , finishing 2nd in points to Austin Dillon . Safe Auto left at the end of the season, and The Peanut Roaster took over as the primary sponsor in 2012. Although Sauter's season was marred by bad luck, he improved late in

177-494: A one-race suspension. Myatt Snider was named as Sauter’s replacement for the race at Gateway . Later in the season, Sauter's playoff hopes were dashed at Las Vegas , where he finished 29th due to an engine failure. The issue, which also affected three other trucks, was traced to severe detonation in Ilmor 's NT1 engines, caused by a combination of high engine loads and extreme weather conditions. Although Ilmor took responsibility for

236-402: A race for the team before it ultimately shut down. Kimmel returned to the No. 13 truck for the season-ending race at Homestead-Miami . In 2014, Jeb Burton was hired to drive the No. 13 truck on a race-by-race basis, contingent on sponsorship. His ride was upgraded to a full-season deal when Estes Express Lines signed on as a sponsor. However, the sponsorship was not renewed for 2015, leading

295-455: A set-up closer to the current Cup car and some Cup drivers who have tested the car say it has similar handling characteristics. The new car has gone full-time since the 2011 season. In 2007, six out of the top ten drivers in the final point standings were Cup regulars, with Jason Leffler being the only non-Cup driver in that group to win a race in 2007. This number decreased from 2006 when 8 out of 10 drivers were Cup regulars. The decreased number

354-596: A seven-race Chase system similar to the one used in the NASCAR Cup Series. Xfinity race fields have varied in the number of drivers. Prior to 2013 , the grid size resembled its Cup counterpart with 43 cars per race; that year, it shrank to 40 maximum cars. The field was further reduced in 2019 and 2020 to 38 and 36, respectively. During the 2020 season, fields were temporarily increased to 40 cars again to accommodate part-time teams that were otherwise unable to qualify due to such sessions being canceled in

413-512: A three-race test of unleaded gasoline in this series that began on July 29, 2006, with a race at Gateway International Raceway . The fuel, Sunoco GT 260 Unleaded, became mandatory in all series starting with the second weekend of the 2007 series, with Daytona being the last race weekend using leaded gasoline. Another distinction between the cars started in 2008: Goodyear had developed a rain tire for NASCAR road course racing in both series but NASCAR had yet to use them under race conditions by

472-610: Is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR . It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series . NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a Cup Series event scheduled for that weekend. The series was previously called the Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series in 1982 and 1983, the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series from 1984 through 2002,

531-478: Is attributed to Cup regulars running only partial schedules, allowing for more NXS regulars to reach the top ten in points. However, the champions from 2006 to 2010 were all Cup regulars driving the full series schedule ( Kevin Harvick , Carl Edwards , Clint Bowyer , Kyle Busch , and Brad Keselowski ). As a result, beginning with the 2011 season, NASCAR implemented a rule stating that drivers could only compete for

590-463: Is to gain more "seat time", or to familiarize themselves with the track. Examples of this would be Dale Earnhardt , who won the very first NXS race, and Kyle Busch , who has won the most races in NXS history. In recent years, this practice had been dubbed "Buschwhacking" by its detractors. The colloquialism originated when Anheuser-Busch was the main sponsor of the series by combining the name "Busch" with

649-556: The Busch East and Winston West series as part of a nationwide standardization of rules for NASCAR's regional racing; both series are now run under ARCA Menards Series banner after NASCAR purchased the organization in 2018). Anheuser-Busch dropped the sponsorship after the 2007 season ; Nationwide Insurance took over the sponsorship for the 2008 season, renaming it the Nationwide Series . The Nationwide sponsorship

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708-890: The Camaro SS , after initially running the Impala and then the Zeta-based Camaro (which coincided with GM's Cup car being its four-door Zeta counterpart, the Holden VF Commodore based Chevrolet SS , being used in Cup at the time). Ford uses the Mustang GT . Toyota runs the Camry , reconfigured in 2015 to resemble the current production model. Toyota announced they would be running the Supra starting in 2019, replacing

767-682: The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec , another road course. It was won by Kevin Harvick , while Quebec native Patrick Carpentier finished second. In July 2008 , NASCAR announced that the Nationwide Series would not return to Mexico City in 2009 , and in 2012 they announced that it would not be returning to Montreal in 2013 . While the Xfinity Series races at nearly all the same tracks as

826-528: The Late Model Sportsman Series in 1968, and soon featured races on larger tracks such as Daytona International Speedway . Drivers used obsolete Grand National cars on larger tracks but by the inception of the touring format in 1982 , the series used older compact cars. Short track cars with relatively small 300 cubic inch V-8 motors were used. Drivers used smaller current year models featuring V6 motors. The modern-day Xfinity Series

885-780: The NASCAR Busch Series from 2003 through 2007, and the NASCAR Nationwide Series from 2008 through 2014. Since 2015, it is sponsored by Comcast via its consumer cable and wireless brand Xfinity . The series emerged from NASCAR's Sportsman division, which had been formed in 1950 as NASCAR's short track race division. It was NASCAR's fourth series (after the Modified and Roadster series in 1948 and Strictly Stock Series in 1949). The sportsman cars were not current model cars and could be modified more, but not as much as Modified series cars . It became

944-636: The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series have been held at the Homestead–Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida , since 1996. The 200-mile race, originally a 250-mile race between 1996 and 2002, is currently known as Baptist Health 200 for sponsorship reasons. Grant Enfinger is the race's defending winner. Beginning as a 250-mile race, the inaugural race in 1996 was won by Ford racing driver Dave Rezendes after starting

1003-1355: The National Debt Relief 250 at Martinsville (November 2, 2024). 1982  J. Ingram 1983  S. Ard 1984  S. Ard 1985  J. Ingram 1986  L. Pearson 1987  L. Pearson 1988  T. Ellis 1989  R. Moroso 1990  C. Bown 1991  B. Labonte 1992  J. Nemechek 1993  S. Grissom 1994  D. Green 1995  J. Benson Jr. 1996  R. LaJoie 1997  R. LaJoie 1998  D. Earnhardt Jr. 1999  D. Earnhardt Jr. 2000  J. Green 2001  K. Harvick 2002  G. Biffle 2003  B. Vickers 2004  M. Truex Jr. 2005  M. Truex Jr. 2006  K. Harvick 2007  C. Edwards 2008  C. Bowyer 2009  Ky. Busch 2010  B. Keselowski 2011  R. Stenhouse Jr. 2012  R. Stenhouse Jr. 2013  A. Dillon 2014  C. Elliott 2015  C. Buescher 2016  D. Suárez 2017  W. Byron 2018  T. Reddick 2019  T. Reddick 2020  A. Cindric 2021  D. Hemric 2022  T. Gibbs 2023  C. Custer 2024  J. Allgaier NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Homestead%E2%80%93Miami Stock car races in

1062-545: The United Kingdom , the Xfinity races—in full and highlights—are available on Premier Sports 2 . All races are live on Sports Illustrated Television channels using FOX's or NBC's coverage with highlights on Fox Sports Asia . Since the early days of the Xfinity Series, many NASCAR Cup Series drivers have used their days off to drive in the NXS. This can be for any number of reasons, most prominent or often claimed

1121-643: The 2019 NextEra Energy 250, Myatt Snider drove the No. 27 Ford F-150 at Daytona and Martinsville . Chase Briscoe took over the No. 27 for the Eldora Dirt Derby . After leading the majority of the race and winning the first two stages, a late crash resulted in a seventh-place finish. 12 4 20 23 8 4* 5 8 14 27 30 2 11 5 10 6 7 1 23 9 18 20 19 1* 21 Nationwide Series The NASCAR Xfinity Series ( NXS )

1180-640: The Camry, which had been run in the series since Toyota joined the Xfinity Series in 2007. Dodge teams used the Challenger R/T model, despite the manufacturer pulling all factory support after 2012 (though it continued in Canada as FCA Canada still supports the Pinty's Series). Following Dodge's exit, smaller underfunded teams continued to run second-hand Challenger chassis without factory support (thus earning

1239-604: The Cup Series, there are some stand-alone weekends in the Xfinity Series, with the only one being Portland in 2024 . In 2016, the NXS and Truck Series adopted a playoff format similar to the NASCAR Cup Series Chase for the Championship. Unlike the Cup Series, whose Chase consists of four rounds, the Xfinity Series and Truck Series both use a three-round format. After each of the first two rounds,

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1298-490: The NASCAR Cup Series began racing with the Car of Tomorrow , a radically new specification different from the NXS. NASCAR Cup Series drivers have admitted that driving the Xfinity car the day before the race does little to help with the NASCAR Cup Series race, as the cars differ greatly. This loosely resulted in the new Nationwide Series car making its debut in the 2010 Subway Jalapeño 250 at Daytona International Speedway. This car has

1357-447: The NXS take away opportunities from the NXS regulars, usually younger and less experienced drivers. On the other hand, many fans claim that without the NASCAR Cup Series stars and the large amount of fan interest they attract on their own races, the NXS would be inadequate as a high-tier division. In addition, many NXS drivers have welcomed the Cup drivers because it gives them the opportunity to drive with more seasoned veterans. In 2007,

1416-520: The No. 13 truck full-time in 2023. The No. 98 team would be renumbered to No. 13, with the No. 98 team transitioning to the new number. On November 15, 2023, it was announced that Jake Garcia would move to the No. 13 truck for the 2024 season , replacing Deegan, who is transitioning to a full-time role in the Xfinity Series . In 2001 , Lance Hooper drove the No. 22 truck for ThorSport Racing at Milwaukee . In 2017, Ben Rhodes moved from

1475-400: The No. 41 truck to the No. 27, where he ran full-time with Safelite AutoGlass as his season sponsor. He secured his first victory at Las Vegas , holding off Truck Series champion Christopher Bell , and finished 5th in the point standings. On July 16, 2018, Chase Briscoe joined ThorSport Racing and won the Eldora Dirt Derby , marking his first NASCAR Truck Series victory since 2017. For

1534-632: The Playoffs for the first time in his career, finishing 13th in the final standings. In 2021, Sauter achieved his first top-5 finish in 20 races at the Fr8Auctions 200 . In 2022, Sauter's schedule would be reduced from 13 to just four races, as ThorSport added a new fourth team. Despite the limited number of races, Sauter impressed, coming close to winning at Martinsville Speedway and securing another top-five finish at Gateway . On December 15, 2022, Thorsport announced that Hailie Deegan would drive

1593-481: The cars still used V6 engines. The cars gradually became similar to Cup cars. In 1995, changes were made. The series switched to V-8s with a compression ratio of 9:1 (as opposed to 14:1 for Cup at the time). The vehicle weight with driver was set at 3,300 pounds (as opposed to 3,400 for Cup). The body style changes, as well as the introduction of V-8s, made the two series' cars increasingly similar. The suspensions , brake systems, transmissions, were identical between

1652-414: The drivers' championship in one of three national series (Cup, Xfinity, and Truck) of the drivers' choosing. On October 26, 2016, NASCAR announced plans to limit Cup participation in the lower series starting in 2017. Cup drivers who were competing for points in the Cup Series with at least five years of experience in the series would be allowed to compete in up to 10 NXS races, but are banned from racing in

1711-456: The event after qualifying third on the grid; the highest starting position for any of the winners at the time. Ted Musgrave won the final 250-mile race ahead of Travis Kvapil in 2001 . For the 2002 running of the race, the race's distance was shortened by 50 miles and was moved to November, becoming the last race in the championship season. Ron Hornaday Jr. recorded the win ahead of the defending winner Musgrave. The next five runnings of

1770-461: The failures, NASCAR rejected ThorSport's request to reinstate Sauter and Grant Enfinger into the playoffs. On February 21, 2020, the No. 13 team was penalized 10 points for an illegal engine oil reservoir tank discovered during pre-race inspection, ahead of the Las Vegas race . Despite the penalty, Sauter finished 2nd, behind Kyle Busch , marking his best finish of the season. However, he missed

1829-591: The first half of the season. Like the previous time Fox held rights to the series, most of the coverage aired on cable, though this time on FS1 . Four races aired on Fox itself until 2019, when all races moved to FS1. The second half of the NXS season is televised by NBC Sports . Four to five races air on NBC itself, while the others air on NBCSN (until 2020) or, during the Olympics, CNBC or USA Network (prior to 2020). Since 2021, USA Network had carried all races not aired on NBC or Fox Sports. On July 28, 2023, it

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1888-472: The four Chase grid drivers with the fewest season points are eliminated from the grid and Chase contention. In the 1980s, races were sparsely shown, mainly by ESPN if they were covering the cup race at the same track. Starting in 1990, more races began to be shown. By the mid-1990s, all races were shown. Most standalone races were aired on TNN , which helped grow coverage of the series, while races that were companion races with Winston Cup dates mostly aired on

1947-602: The front wheel on the Next Gen. The then Nationwide Series unveiled its "Car of Tomorrow" (CoT) at the July 2010 race at Daytona International Speedway . Before being fully integrated in the 2011 season, it was also used in 2010 races at Michigan International Speedway , Richmond International Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway . The Xfinity CoT has important differences from the NASCAR Cup Series CoT , and

2006-485: The network airing the Cup race. TNN aired some of these races, which also aired on CBS , NBC , ESPN , ABC and TBS . From 2001 until 2006, Fox Sports covered the entire first half of the Busch Grand National season, while NBC and TNT both aired races during the second half, with Turner Sports producing all the coverage for both networks. However, in even numbered years, coverage was changed, with

2065-469: The network's schedule. Televisa Deportes also broadcast a 30-minute recap every Sunday morning on national television in Mexico . In Brazil , BandSports carries all three series. Network Ten 's additional high-definition service, ONE , began broadcasting races from the NXS live or near live during the 2008 season. ONE continued to air highlights packages of each race until the end of 2014. Broadcasts of

2124-401: The nickname "Zombie Dodges"). As a result of a rules change after the 2018 season, all Challenger chassis were rendered ineligible for competition, as the series made the switch to composite body panels. Since FCA had pulled factory support years earlier, no new body was submitted for competition, ending the possibility of running a Challenger chassis in the series. All figures correct as of

2183-607: The now-retired Generation 4 style car. The body and aerodynamic package differs from the NASCAR Cup Series cars, marketing American pony cars from the 1960s such as the Ford Mustang , Dodge Challenger , and Chevrolet Camaro . The change to share the same CoT chassis as the Cup series resulted in the wheelbase being lengthened from 105 to 110 inches Each manufacturer uses a distinct body design (similar to 1960s muscle cars), built within strict aerodynamic guidelines provided by NASCAR. The Chevrolet car body currently resembles

2242-471: The opening race at Daytona airing on NBC in 2004, on TNT in 2002 and 2006 (due to NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics ) and the track's July race airing on FX. Large portions of Fox's coverage aired on sister network FX , with a few marquee events on the network itself. From 2007 until 2014, ESPN was the home of the renamed Nationwide Series. Generally four races per season aired on ABC, with

2301-610: The race tenth on the grid. The following year, John Nemechek was seriously injured in a crash during the race and died several days later, becoming the first of two drivers (the other being Tony Roper in 2000) to die from injuries sustained in a crash in the Truck Series. Kenny Irwin Jr. and Rick Crawford won the second and third running of the race, while Mike Wallace won the event in 1999 after going an extra seven miles. In 2000 , Chevrolet racing driver, Andy Houston won

2360-657: The race was postponed to Saturday, June 13 due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Baptist Health assumed naming rights for the event. The 2021 race was replaced by the Sunoco 159 at the Daytona International Speedway road course, a move that followed the Cup and Xfinity Series changing from Auto Club Speedway to Daytona because of COVID-19. However, the two higher series retained their Homestead races for

2419-444: The race were won by Bobby Hamilton , Kasey Kahne , Todd Bodine , Mark Martin and Johnny Benson Jr. In 2008 , Bodine became the first driver to win the event more than once. Kevin Harvick , Kyle Busch and Johnny Sauter won the next three editions of the event in 2009 , 2010 and 2011 . In 2020, the race was moved from the season finale to the third round of the schedule. Although initially scheduled for Friday, March 20,

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2478-468: The remainder on ESPN, ESPN2 , and ESPNews . Early in ESPN's run, ESPN Classic was used for NNS overflow, however with less carriage of that network, this practice ended. Fox Sports made a return to the series, airing the 2011 Bubba Burger 250 at Richmond on Speed Channel , as ESPN gave up its exclusive rights to the race because of programming conflicts. In 2015, the NXS returned to Fox Sports during

2537-564: The season. In 2018, Coughlin was released and replaced by Myatt Snider . Snider went on to achieve three top-5 finishes and eight top-10s, earning a 9th-place finish in the points standings as a rookie. Just days before the Truck Series season opener at Daytona, it was announced that Johnny Sauter would return to the team for the 2019 season. However, Sauter's season was marked by controversy and setbacks. At Iowa , NASCAR parked him for intentionally wrecking Austin Hill under caution, resulting in

2596-549: The series are now exclusively shown on the Fox Sports pay TV channels. All races are live on TSN channels using FOX's or NBC's coverage. Also, races are broadcast on RDS or RDS2 in French using the world feed produced by NASCAR. In 2012, Motors TV broadcasts all Xfinity races live, delayed and highlights, until 2018 when the channel ceased operations. In Portugal , SPORT TV broadcasts every Xfinity races live. In

2655-540: The series' regular season finale, Chase, and Dash 4 Cash races. In the early 1980s, teams were switching from the General Motors 1971–77 X-Body compact cars with 311-cubic inch engines. Later, teams were using General Motors 1982–87 G-body cars. Ford teams have used the Thunderbird cars consistently. In 1989, NASCAR changed rules requiring cars to use current body styles, similar to the Cup cars. However,

2714-431: The team again fielded the No. 8 truck, this time at Phoenix for Joe Ruttman . In 2004, the No. 13 truck debuted with Tina Gordon as the driver, backed by sponsorships from Vassarette and Microtel . Gordon left the team after five races due to injuries sustained at Atlanta , and the truck was then driven by Lance Hooper and Paul White for several races. After a string of disappointing finishes, Jimmy Spencer took

2773-595: The team to release Burton. He later joined BK Racing in the Sprint Cup Series . In 2015, Cameron Hayley took over the No. 13 ride, with Cabinets by Hayley signing on as the sponsor. Hayley returned in 2016 but had a challenging season, failing to make it to the Chase and finishing lower in the points standings than the previous year. In 2017, Hayley did not return and was replaced by Cody Coughlin . Coughlin finished 14th in points, leading to his release after

2832-416: The term " bushwhacker ," but it has gradually fallen out of use since Anheuser-Busch's sponsorship ended. Other nicknames, such as Claim Jumper (for when Nationwide was the series sponsor), and Signal Pirate (for the current sponsor Xfinity) have never really caught on, although the generic term "Cup leech" is often used after the end of Busch sponsorship. Critics claim that NASCAR Cup Series drivers racing in

2891-478: The time NASCAR abandoned the program for the Cup Series in 2005 (the Cup Series eventually used rain tires at the 2020 Bank of America Roval 400 and 2021 Texas Grand Prix ), but the Busch Series continued to use rain tires in races at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve , since the races could not be planned with rain dates. When rain started to fall at the 2008 NAPA Auto Parts 200 ,

2950-499: The tires were used in the rain for the first time. Another distinction was added in 2012, when NASCAR changed the fuel delivery system in the Cup cars from carburetion to fuel injection . NXS cars continue to use carburetors. Furthermore, with the Cup Series' switch to Next Gen car in 2022, Xfinity cars (as well as Truck Series vehicles) continue to use traditional five-lug steel wheels and centered door numbers, as opposed to an aluminum center lock wheel and numbers being placed behind

3009-496: The two series, but The Car of Tomorrow eliminates some of these commonalities. The Car of Tomorrow is taller and wider than the Generation 4 -based vehicles in the then-Nationwide Series, and until 2010, it utilizes a front "splitter", opposed to a front valance. The Car of Tomorrow also set pole speeds slower than the NXS cars at companion races. Previously, Busch Series cars used fuel that contained lead . NASCAR conducted

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3068-739: The wake of the COVID-19 pandemic . On March 6, 2005 , the series held its first race outside the United States, the Telcel-Motorola 200 . The race was held in Mexico City , Mexico at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez , a track that has held Formula One and Champ Car races in the past. It was won by Martin Truex Jr. On August 4, 2007 , the series held its second race outside the United States, at

3127-529: The wheel at Loudon , achieving an 18th-place finish. Jason Small and Andy Houston closed out the season. In 2005, Tracy Hines drove the truck, securing a fifth-place finish at Richmond with sponsorship from David Zoriki Motorsports. Hines was released with two races remaining, and Chad Chaffin and Johnny Sauter completed the season in his place. In 2006, Kerry Earnhardt drove the No. 13 truck, achieving his best finish of 11th place twice—once at Nashville and again at Las Vegas . In 2007, Earnhardt

3186-422: The year, sweeping both races at Texas and finishing 9th in points. In 2013, Todd Bodine became the driver for the season, securing an 11th-place finish at Daytona . Mattei Air Compressors was introduced as the truck's primary sponsor. However, the team struggled to secure additional sponsorship and had to part ways with Bodine after the seventh race. Brett Moffitt , Frank Kimmel , and Tracy Hines each drove

3245-440: Was a seven-year contract, and did not include the banking and mortgage departments of Nationwide. The sponsorship reportedly carried a $ 10 million commitment for 2008, with 6% annual escalations thereafter. On September 3, 2014, it was announced that Comcast would become the new title sponsor of the series via its cable television and internet brand Xfinity , renaming it the Xfinity Series . In 2016 , NASCAR implemented

3304-645: Was announced the Xfinity Series will move exclusively to The CW in 2025 as part of a seven-year deal. It was then announced on April 11, 2024, that the move would begin a year early to broadcast the final eight races of the 2024 season. The NXS is available in most Latin American countries on cable and satellite TV. Since 2006, Fox Sports 3 (formerly called SPEED until 2013) carries live coverage of all events. The races are also shown on Fox Sports Latin America , some of them live and some tape-delayed depending on

3363-480: Was formed in 1982, when Anheuser-Busch sponsored a newly reformed late-model sportsman series with its Budweiser brand. In 1984, the series switched sponsorship to Anheuser-Busch's Busch Beer brand and was renamed the Busch Grand National Series . "Grand National" was dropped from the series' title in 2003 as part of NASCAR's brand identity (the "Grand National" name was later used for

3422-531: Was not retained for another season, and rookie Willie Allen was signed as his replacement. Allen achieved two top-ten finishes and won Rookie of the Year, but he was replaced at the end of the season by USAR Hooters Pro Cup driver Shelby Howard . In 2008, Howard achieved two top-ten finishes driving the BobCat Company/FarmPaint.com Chevy but ended the season ranked seventeenth in points and

3481-433: Was subsequently released. In 2009, Johnny Sauter returned to ThorSport Racing as a full-time driver with sponsorship from Fun Sand. The team entered a partnership with Mike Curb , and Sauter secured the team's third win at Las Vegas , also achieving ThorSport's first-ever 1-2 finish, with teammate Matt Crafton finishing second. Sauter ended the season 6th in points. In 2010, Sauter earned his second win at Kansas after

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