Bristol

MotorSportsNews.Net posts about the Bristol Motor Speedway, one of the race tracks used in NASCAR Cup Series, XFINITY Series, and Gander Trucks series

Drew Dollar to Compete in Eight Races in the No. 51 Tundra

by Mike
Drew Dollar to Compete in Eight Races in the No. 51 Tundra

Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) announced today that Drew Dollar will make eight starts behind the wheel of the organization’s No. 51 Tundra in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2021 with Mardy Lindley as his crew chief. Dollar’s Tundra will feature primary sponsorship from Sunbelt Rentals, the premiere rental company in North America, JBL, the authority in engineering superior sound, and another sponsor to be named later. (more…)

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REESE/Draw-Tite Ford Finish 31st at Bristol

by Mike
REESE/Draw-Tite Ford Finish 31st at Bristol

Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 REESE/Draw-Tite Ford team had some early success in Sunday’s Food City Presents the Supermarket Heroes 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway but were collected in a mid-race multi-car incident and wound up with a 31st-place finish.

DiBenedetto started ninth after the line-up for the top 12 starting spots was set by a draw among the top 12 teams in car owner points.

He struggled with a loose handling condition in the opening laps but took the lead by staying on the track when the yellow flag flew at Lap 62 for the second of two competition caution periods.

He held the top spot for four laps, the third-straight race in which he paced the field, then finished seventh in the first 125-lap Stage despite riding on older tires than many of his competitors.

Entering pit road at the end of Stage One, DiBenedetto was nabbed for speeding and sent to the rear of the pack for the restart.

As he was working his way forward, he was swept up in a nine-car crash on Lap 231. He wound up spending 43 laps in the garage while the REESE/Draw-Tite team replaced a broken tie rod. He rejoined the race and ran until the finish, moving up to 31st position but dropping two spots in the Cup Series standings to 13th.

A frustrated DiBenedetto was able to find some bright spots on an otherwise disappointing day.

“We hung on with old tires to get stage points,” he said. “The car was plenty fast.

“Then we got a speeding penalty, and were driving back through the field and broke a tie rod.

“We had a fast car, but in the end it didn’t matter.”

DiBenedetto said what he needs most is simple – a change of racing luck, such as that being enjoyed by his fellow Team Ford driver Brad Keselowski, who has won two of the last three races by capitalizing on others’ misfortunes in the closing laps.

“We need to borrow his horseshoe,” DiBenedetto said.

DiBenedetto and the No. 21 team now head to Atlanta Motor Speedway next Sunday for the Folds of Honor/Quik Trip 500.
Horizon Global
Headquartered in Plymouth, MI, Horizon Global is the #1 designer, manufacturer and distributor of a wide variety of high-quality, custom-engineered towing, trailering, cargo management and other related accessory products in North America and Europe. The Company serves OEMs, retailers, dealer networks and the end consumer as the category leader in the automotive, leisure and agricultural market segments. Horizon provides its customers with outstanding products and services that reflect the Company’s commitment to market leadership, innovation and operational excellence. The Company’s mission is to utilize forward-thinking technology to develop and deliver best-in-class products for our customers, engage with our employees and realize value creation for our shareholders. 

Horizon Global is home to some of the world’s most recognized brands in the towing and trailering industry, including: Draw-Tite, Reese, Westfalia, BULLDOG, Fulton and Tekonsha. Horizon Global has approximately 3,600 employees.  For more information, please visit www.horizonglobal.com .

Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. WoodBrothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Matt DiBenedetto in the famous No. 21 racer.

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Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – Bristol

by Mike
Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – Bristol

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report

Track:                Bristol Motor Speedway

Race:                 Food City Presents Supermarket Heroes 500

Date:                 May 31, 2020

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No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski

Start:  1st

Stage 1: 3rd 

Stage 2: 9th

Finish: 1st (32nd-career NASCAR Cup Series victory)

Status: Running 

Laps Completed: 500/500

Laps Led: 115

Point Standings (behind first): 4th (-55)

Notes: 

  • Brad Keselowski went from third to first with three laps to go to score his second NASCAR Cup Series victory of the 2020 season Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway.  Keselowski was running behind leaders Joey Logano and Chase Elliott when the they made contact in Turn 3. The driver of the Discount Tire Ford grabbed the lead with three laps to go and never looked back, officially taking the checkered flag by .471 seconds over second-place Clint Bowyer.
  • Keselowski drew the pole position and led the first 62 laps in the event before scoring a third-place finish when Stage 1 ended on lap 125. The driver of the No. 2 Mustang was good at the top of the track but was struggling with turning in the center on the bottom. He pitted on lap 130 for four tires and restarted fourth when the race went green on lap 136.
  • He finished ninth when Stage 2 ended on lap 250. Keselowski said he needed a longer run and for the track to come to him. A mix of pit strategies among the leaders shuffled the driver of the Discount Tire Ford Mustang back to 16th when the third and final stage went green on lap 261.
  • By lap 327, Keselowski has worked his way into the top-10 but got zapped by a speeding penalty after a four-tire stop under caution on lap 330, moving him back to 16th position.
  • On lap 460, crew chief Jeremy Bullins made the pit call that put his driver in position to win the race. He called Keselowski to pit road for a change of left-side tires. Keselowski restarted 12th three laps later and, armed with fresher tires, began his march to the front.
  • He was up to fourth-place when the 17th and final caution set up the final restart of the race on lap 495. Lined up in the preferred outside lane, Keselowski was in perfect position to avoid trouble when Logano and Elliott made contact, giving him the lead with three laps to go.
  • The victory was Keselowski’s second of the 2020 season and his 32nd in 386 NASCAR Cup Series races. He won for the third time in 21 Cup starts at Bristol Motor Speedway and jumps up to fourth-place in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings.

 

Quotes: “We kind of got a Christmas present here in Bristol but we’ll take it.  We’re in position and able to strike when it counted with the Discount Tire Ford Mustang.  Joey and Chase got together there, and I don’t know what all caused it, but we were just in position to strike and here we are in victory lane. I wish I could celebrate with my team, but you know how everything is right now.  There’s so much going on in the world I’m just so thankful to get to be a race car driver and get to do this.”

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No. 12 Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney

Start: 4th

Stage 1: 2nd

Stage 2: 40th

Finish: 40th

Status: Accident

Laps Completed: 199/500

Laps Led: 60

Point Standings (Behind First): 9th (-96)

  • A promising early start for Ryan Blaney ended up with an accident on lap 199 and a 40th-place finish in the Supermarket Heroes 500 at the Bristol Motor Speedway. The driver of the Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang led 60 laps on the day.
  • Blaney started fourth and quickly worked his way to second behind teammate Brad Keselowski. A lap-20 competition caution would see the High Point, N.C. native remain on track. He would fall back to fifth on the restart before the caution would waive for second time on lap 62 for another competition caution. Solid pit service would get Blaney out fourth.
  • On the restart, Blaney would get back up to second behind Keselowski and would eventually pass him for the lead on lap 84. He would lead the next 21 circuits before being passed by Chase Elliott on lap 105. Blaney would hold on to second when Stage 1 ended on lap 125.
  • Strong pit service by the Menards crew got Blaney out with the lead as Stage 2 began. He would lead the next 39 laps before relinquishing the top spot to Keselowski on lap 170.
  • On lap 199, Blaney would get loose in turn 2 while racing for the lead and lose control of the Menards Ford. He would be hit by Ty Dillion, ending a promising a day. Blaney now sits eighth in the championship standings, 96 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.

Quote: “I was running up there for a little bit. I did not think I was that high and suddenly I hit a slick spot. I was way high and that is obviously not where I wanted to be, but I did not think I was that high getting in there. It might have just been trying to get too much and got in the marbles and spun out. I thought we were going be okay and then we got destroyed about six seconds later, so that’s just Bristol. I probably should not have been pushing that hard, but I was trying to get back to the lead. I thought we found some speed up there, just a mistake on my part. I hate it for Menards and Richmond and everybody on this No. 12 team. After having two strong weeks, you go and you wreck not even halfway, so that is just a bummer. We’ll go to Atlanta and see what we can do.”

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No. 22 Autotrader Ford Mustang – Joey Logano 

Start:  3rd

Stage 1: 5th

Stage 2: 4th

Finish: 21st

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 500/500

Laps Led: 2

Point Standings (Behind First): 2nd (-14)

     

Notes:

  • Joey Logano started third and lead the race with just three laps remaining, but was forced into the outside wall late, ending a stellar day and remarkable late race surge by the No. 22 Autotrader Ford Mustang by finishing 21st. Logano was credited with leading two laps on the afternoon after rebounding from a pit road speeding penalty late in the Supermarket Heroes 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • After starting third, Logano raced inside the top-five throughout the opening stage. The team elected to remain on the track at the lap 20-caution flag. In the run to the end of the first stage, Logano reported the Autotrader Ford Mustang was good on entry and exit. The stage ending stop netted Logano two positions and lined him up in third for the Stage 2 start.
  • During the second stage, Logano reported he’d lost center turn in the Autotrader Mustang, and with a caution at lap 199. To complicate matters, Logano took right rear damage racing three-wide. Logano survived some inside lane restarts late in the second stage, ultimately bringing the Autotrader Ford Mustang home in the fourth position at the green-checkered.
  • Split strategies on the stage ending caution lined the Autotrader Ford Mustang up in the 13th position for the restart, the deepest Logano had been in the field all afternoon. On a lap 330 pit stop, quick work by the 22 crew sent Logano from eighth to third, however, the Autotrader Mustang was assessed a pit penalty for too fast entering, dropping Logano to the 17th position for the restart.
  • As caution with 68 laps remaining brought the teams back to pit road, Logano reported he needed to be freed up for the run to the finish as he’d been battling a tight condition. As the race continued to play out, Logano found himself inside the top-five and briefly claimed the lead with three laps to go before the No. 9 of Chase Elliott missed corner entry, collecting Logano and the No. 22 Autotrader Ford Mustang, ending a remarkable rebound.

 

Quote: “We just got wrecked there at the end. It’s a shame, we made good changes all day on our Autotrader Mustang, put ourselves in a position to win and then got wrecked with three to go. It’s unfortunate, we had a really good points day and had a shot at a third win on the season there at the end.”

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Suárez Scores Solid Top-20 at Bristol

by Mike
Suárez Scores Solid Top-20 at Bristol
It’s Good To Be Genuine Toyota Survives Eventful Race with 18th-Place Run
Date: May 31, 2020

Event: Supermarket Heroes 500

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval)

Format: 500 laps, broken into three stages (125 laps/125 laps/250 laps)

Start/Finish: 37th / 18th (Running, completed 500 of 500 laps)

Point Standing: 31st with 91 points, 279 out of first

 

Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 2 Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

 

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-125):

● Started 37th, finished 34th.

● Suárez got a good launch at the wave of the green flag, moved to 31st on the first lap and to 29th when the first caution appeared on lap seven for a single-car accident. He said the It’s Good To Be Genuine Toyota Camry was OK, that he was just getting used to the track.

● From the lap-12 restart to the first of two competition cautions on lap 20, Suárez dropped a position. After briefly debating whether to pit, crew chief Dave Winston opted to pit for just right-side tires and a slight air pressure adjustment. Suárez restarted 23rd when the race went back to green on lap 29.

● Midway to the lap-60 competition caution, Suárez reported his Toyota was getting loose on corner entry and exit and tight in the center. He fell back to 32nd by the time that caution appeared. He pitted for four tires, fuel, a return to the original right-side air pressures, and a track bar adjustment. A short time after getting back on track, Suárez was among seven drivers called for speeding on pit road and there was confusion coming to the restart about getting those seven cars to drop to the rear of the lead-lap competitors.

● Suárez restarted 32nd on lap 69 without the chance to drop to the rear, and was then instructed to serve a drive-through penalty. That dropped him off the lead lap and back to 35th place.

● The race remained green all the way to the lap-125 stage break and Suárez was not able to make any forward progress, saying his Toyota was still loose on entry and exit and tight in the center. He said the loose exit was manageable. He pitted on lap 136 for four tires, fuel, and a wedge adjustment and rejoined in 34th place, two laps down.

 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 126-250):

● Started 34th, finished 24th.

● From the start of the stage until its first caution on lap 198, Suárez held his ground in 34th but lost another lap to go three down. He said he still needed help with front grip through the center of the corner, and his drive off the corner. He stayed on track to take the wave-around to two laps down.

● Suárez restarted 31st, two laps down, on lap 207 and held position until the caution flag flew again for another single-car incident on lap 211.

● The green flag flew again on lap 216, moments before another yellow for a stalled car on the frontstretch. Suárez pitted, this time, for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments. He remained 32nd, two laps down, when the race went back to green on lap 221.

● The caution flag flew yet again on lap 229, this time for a multicar accident on the frontstretch. Suárez had emerged into position as the beneficiary of the Lucky Dog free pass, which moved him up to just one lap down, and still in the Lucky Dog position. The race was red-flagged to clean up the multicar accident on lap 230.

● When the race went green on lap 235 after an 11-minute, 35-second stoppage, Suárez was 25th and just one lap down, and just three laps later, the caution flag flew for a single-car accident that enabled him to cash in another free pass, this time onto the lead lap. He pitted for four tires, fuel and track bar adjustments and restarted 24th on lap 244. He held that position to the caution that ended the stage.

 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 251-500):

● Started 11th, finished 18th.

● Having stayed on track during the stage break, Suárez took the green flag on lap 261 just outside the top-10.

● The caution flag flew on lap 268, by which time Suárez had slid back to 22nd place. He stayed on track and restarted 20th on lap 277 and held that relative position in the early stages of that run.

● It turned out to be 56 consecutive laps of green, during which time Suárez dropped two positions back to 22nd and fell off the lead lap. He said his racecar was still loose on the extremities – in and out of the corners. He pitted for tires, fuel, air pressure and track bar adjustments. He restarted 21st on lap 234, the first car one lap down.

● The next caution flag flew on lap 354 with Suárez 23rd and one lap down. He pitted during the caution for tires, fuel and right-side air pressure adjustments, going back on the pressure adjustments made the previous stop as Suárez said the car took longer to come to him.

● He restarted 25th on lap 361, one lap down, after dropping to the back of the cars on his lap on the restart for speeding on pit road.

● Suárez made good forward progress in the opening laps of the run, working his way to 22nd. He lost a lap to go down two before the next caution flag flew on lap 433. He stayed out to take the wave-around back to one lap down, restarting 22nd on lap 439.

● Suárez worked his way back into Lucky Dog position by the time the caution flag flew on lap 457, moving him up to the lead lap. He pitted for tires, fuel, right-side air pressure adjustments, and the removal of tape from the brake duct intakes as Suárez reported he was struggling under braking. He restarted 22nd on lap 463.

● A multicar accident brought out the caution flag just one lap into the next run, on lap 464, and Suárez said he had to slide his Toyota sideways to avoid contact. He stayed on track through the caution and restarted 18th on lap 473.

● The 17th and final caution flag of the day flew on lap 489 with Suárez running 19th. Five laps remained when the race went back to green on lap 495, and Suárez held onto 18th place across the finish line.

 

Daniel Suárez, driver of the No. 96 It’s Good To Be Genuine Toyota Camry for Gaunt Brothers Racing:

“It was an eventful race. We had a lot of stuff going on. There was some miscommunication in the beginning and we had to do a pass-through, and a pass-through at Bristol is tough to come back from. We went two laps down and it was a struggle from there. But the team never gave up. We worked very hard and we were able to recover and fight back to get our first top-20 (of the season) for the team. The car had decent speed but, obviously, it’s never enough. We have to work hard to keep getting better and hopefully we’ll be stronger next weekend in Atlanta.”

 

Race Notes:

●  The result was the best for the No. 96 Toyota since Parker Kligerman’s 15th-place finish at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway last October, and it was the best finish for the team in three outings at Bristol.

●  Brad Keselowski won the Supermarket Heroes 500 to score his 32nd career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his third at Bristol. His margin of victory over second-place Clint Bowyer was .471 of a second.

●  There were 17 caution periods for a total of 102 laps.

●  Only 22 of the 40 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

●  Kevin Harvick remains the championship leader after Bristol with a 24-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.

 

Next Up:

The next NASCAR Cup Series event for Suárez and the Gaunt Brothers Racing team is the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 on Sunday, June 7 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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