A look back at some of the sports happenings during the week of Sept. 15-21: Last year on Sept. 16, 2023: South Dakota’s 2023 stint on the NASCAR circuit has ended. A South Dakota marketing strategy to promote its Freedom Works Here campaign led by Gov. Kristi Noem and her staff included a partnership with the NASCAR team Live Fast Motorsports for two races. NASCAR driver B.J. McLeod’s No. 78 Chevrolet Camaro was specially wrapped to promote “South Dakota is hiring” and the state campaign’s web site in hopes of attracting workers to fill some 20,000 open jobs across South Dakota. In the first race at the Cook Out 400 in Virginia on July 30, McLeod finished last (36th). At this weekend’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at the Bristol (TN) Motor Speedway, McLeod finished 31st in a field of 36 cars. The $130,000 NASCAR sponsorships were funded from marketing dollars by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and were part of a $6.5-million marketing campaign. 10 years