Arkansas
Arkansas Will Sponsor Tricon Garage, Jones in Friday’s Truck Series Race
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — As if the Arkansas Razorbacks brand wasn’t big enough nationally after first year coach John Calipari led the Hogs to a Sweet 16 and baseball’s No. 1 national ranking at the midway point, the school’s partnership with NASCAR might put it over the top.
Repping the U of A 🐗@BrandonJonesRac will team up with @UArkansas and the College of Engineering this weekend at Bristol! pic.twitter.com/dmS3dZflQC
— TRICON (@TRICONGarage) April 7, 2025
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team Tricon Garage is in its fourth season in the sport and will be sponsored by the University of Arkansas’s College of Engineering Friday, April 11 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Brandon Jones will make his second truck series start of the season in the Razorback sponsored rig.
Jones won the Xfinity series race at Darlington this past Saturday, breaking a 98-race winless streak in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing car. The 28-year-old currently ranks No. 7 in the Xfinity Series standings.
Brandon Jones breaks a 98-race drought with a win at Darlington!
The celebration says it all ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/t3hDylMgZB
— Taylor Kitchen (@_TaylorKitchen_) April 5, 2025
While the engineering school’s logo will be on the rear quarter-panels, an oversized Razorbacks logo will be in on the hood which is prime placement for the brand. This will be a one-off type of sponsorship for now, but several universities have been featured in the sport over the years.
Some of NASCAR’s iconic names such as Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon have repped schools such as Liberty, Alabama, Texas A&M, Carson-Newman, Kentucky, Auburn, Appalachian State, Virginia Tech, East Carolina, Florida State, Louisville, Penn State and South Carolina due to NASCAR’s partnership with Learfield.
NASCAR has ventured into the NIL realm in recent seasons to help with market different races. Former Costal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall was featured at Darlington a few years back, while popular LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne helped promote the Xfinity event in Nashville in 2023.
The average cost to be a primary sponsor for a truck series team can range between $25,000 to $100,000 per race depending on the team. Times are much different in the sport compared to years past when each team would have the same company sponsor for the entirety of a season.
Arkansas’ decision to sponsor Jones’ team was a strategic one as Bristol is one of the top races on NASCAR’s calendar each season. It’s very likely the Razorback logo will be seen by many as the truck race at Bristol can draw 800,000 to 1.2 million fans based off recent years.
Should Jones win or be competitive toward the front Friday night, the University of Arkansas could see it as a lucrative deal and seek sponsorship again. The Weather Guard Truck Race at Bristol will begin at 6:30 p.m. and broadcast live on FS1.
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CORNING, Ark. (KATV) — Regulatory Enforcement Agents with the Department of Finance and Administration, along with local police, seized a significant amount of illegal THC products from Pacific Green in Corning on Tuesday.
According to the DFA, more than a dozen agents joined the City of Corning Police in the day-long operation that resulted in two arrests.
DFA agents seized more than 25 pounds of illegal products consisting of flower, vapes, and edibles.
Owner Ben Bennett and employee Sharia Shipman were arrested and both charged with the following:
- Delivery of a Schedule VI controlled substance (Class D Felony)
- Possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance with the purpose to deliver (Class B Felony)
- Controlled substances – Offenses relating to records, maintaining premises (Class C Felony)
- Possession of drug paraphernalia (Class D Felony)
- Unauthorized use of another person’s property to facilitate certain crimes (Class C Felony)
Bennett’s bond was set at $150,000, while Shipman’s bond was set at $100,000.
“In addition to selling illegal products, investigators confirmed violations involving underage access at this location,” said David Potter, Director of the Regulatory Enforcement Division. “This retailer, which was located within 1,000 feet of a school, presented significant public health and safety concerns. We are proud to partner with the Corning Police Department in addressing these violations. We seized a substantial quantity of illegal products, including flower, vapes, edibles, and other items, during the operation. We appreciate the cooperation of local law enforcement and information received from the community that led to yesterday’s operation and stopped this blatant disregard of the law.”
Note: All suspects accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court of law.
The Department of Finance and Administration said Arkansans can use Apple Wallet to present their license or ID in person, online and in apps at select organizations, including at more than 250 Transportation Security
IDEMIA Public Security North America and the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration’s Division of Driver Services and Motor Vehicles have launched Arkansas driver’s licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet, allowing residents to securely store and use their credentials on an iPhone or Apple Watch.
The new feature gives Arkansans the ability to present their identification at participating businesses and venues, at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints in more than 250 airports, and online or within apps when age or identity verification is required.
The launch builds on Arkansas’ ongoing efforts to expand digital identification options. In March 2025, the state introduced the Arkansas Mobile ID app, and officials say adding IDs to Apple Wallet offers residents another secure and convenient way to access their credentials.
“We’re proud to build on our partnership with the Arkansas DFA’s Division of Driver Services and Motor Vehicles, expanding on the launch of the Arkansas Mobile ID app in March 2025. The launch of ID in Apple Wallet in the state provides Arkansas residents a new, secure way to store and present their digital credentials, with transparency and control over how their information is shared at the forefront,” said Rob Gardner, CEO, IDEMIA Civil Identity.
To add an Arkansas driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet, users can tap the plus sign at the top of the Wallet app on their iPhone, select “Driver’s License or State ID,” and follow the verification process.
Officials say privacy and security were central considerations in the rollout. Information stored in Apple Wallet is encrypted on a user’s device, and users control when and how their information is shared. When presenting an ID, only the information necessary to verify age or identity is provided.
Apple and the Arkansas Division of Driver Services and Motor Vehicles also do not receive information about when or where residents use their digital IDs.
The technology is also designed to make verification easier for businesses. Participating businesses can use IDEMIA’s Mobile ID Verify app to accept and verify mobile IDs directly from an iPhone without requiring customers to hand over their devices or use additional hardware.
The launch marks another step toward broader adoption of digital credentials in Arkansas, giving residents a secure alternative to carrying a physical driver’s license or state ID while maintaining control over their personal information.
For information on the launch of IDs in Apple Wallet in Arkansas, click here.
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