2020 cup series

M&M’S Red, White, and Blue Racing: Kyle Busch Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Advance and Team Report

by Mike
M&M’S Red, White, and Blue Racing: Kyle Busch Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Advance and Team Report
HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (May 22, 2020) – Memorial Day in the United States is a time to remember and honor the soldiers who lost their lives while serving in the United States military.

 

With that, Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N. C.) Motor Speedway takes on a special meaning for those in the NASCAR community. It will be the annual “600 Miles of Remembrance,” during which each car in the field will carry the name of a fallen soldier on the windshield.

 

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Red, White & Blue Toyota, has the honor of displaying the name of Naval Helicopter Aircrewman 1st Class Jonathan Clement on his windshield during NASCAR’s longest event. Clement, a native of Vero Beach, Florida, lost his life in July 2018 in an accident in San Diego. A longtime Washington Redskins fan, Clement’s family is excited to be riding along for the team owned by three-time Super Bowl winning coach of the Redskins. 

 

In addition to honoring the fallen soldier, the No. 18 M&M’S Red, White & Blue Toyota Camry features a patriotic paint scheme that celebrates M&M’S Red, White & Blue Mix that is available for fans to show their patriotic spirit.

 

The traditional Memorial Day-weekend 600-mile race comes at a busy time for NASCAR. The suspended 2020 schedule resumed last weekend at Darlington (S. C. ) Raceway after a 10-week hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Busch is coming off a runner-up finish Wednesday night at Darlington, where he rallied from his 26th-place starting spot after finishing in that same position in Sunday’s first race back from the hiatus for NASCAR’s top series. Sunday’s race is one of five among NASCAR’s top three series that Busch is scheduled to compete in over a seven-day span as the sport’s schedule is back in full swing.

 

As for the 1. 5-mile oval in Charlotte, Busch has managed to enjoy plenty of success there with 13 top-five finishes and 18 top-10s in his 30 previous Cup Series starts over the past 14-plus seasons. In addition to solid Cup Series finishes, Busch has captured eight NASCAR Xfinity Series wins at Charlotte – May 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2010, October 2008 and 2009, and both May and October 2013. He also has eight NASCAR Truck Series wins at the track – 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2019.

 

While he had gone to victory lane early and often in the Xfinity and Truck Series, Busch only recently broke through in the Cup Series at Charlotte. His 2017 win in the non-points All-Star Race was his first Cup Series win of any kind at Charlotte. The following year, in 2018, Busch was able to win there again, this time bringing home his first points-paying Cup Series win at the track and adding another crown jewel to his already impressive resume. Even more special, another fallen soldier’s name was able to help Busch on his ride to victory lane. SGT Eric Toth, who lost his life in Iraq in March 2005, adorned his windshield that day.

 

So, this Memorial Day weekend, Busch will look to bring home his second crown jewel win at Charlotte and, at the same time, honor Clement and all troops who have given the ultimate sacrifice, as well as those who continue to serve America and the Red, White & Blue.

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Red, White, and Blue Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing: 
Do you take pride in the way NASCAR handles honoring the military and the national anthem before races?

 

“Absolutely. We all are patriotic in our own ways. NASCAR seems to do it probably the best with the NASCAR Salutes program that we’ve had over the course of the last few years with having the ability to have the fallen soldiers on our racecars for Memorial Day weekend. Two years ago, I was fortunate enough to take my soldier’s family to victory lane – the Toth Family with SGT Toth. This year, I get the opportunity to carry around the name of Naval Helicopter Aircrewman Jonathan Clement, so I’m really looking forward to that. I understand that he was a big fan of the Washington Redskins, so i know his family is happy he’s along for the ride with us in a Joe Gibbs owned car. I’m honored to be able to have them as part of our night, and it makes it most special when you’re able to take them to victory lane. So, hopefully, we can do that with our M&M’S Red, White, and Blue Camry. With what we all do on Memorial Day weekend, I feel like we do it the best. ”

 

A lot of people talk about the beginning of the season, “Let’s skip past the West Coast swing and get back East to run a couple of races to see where your team stands.” Was there anything you saw out of the two Darlington races that is more optimistic than that take?

 

“The 11 (Denny Hamlin) had pretty good speed, but he’s always good at Darlington. Arguably, we were pretty equal on that second‑to‑last run, although he passed me and was able to drive away a good bit. He definitely had the long-run speed over what I did. He’s better at being able to take care of his tires, I think. The 20 (Erik Jones) led for a bit. I think he overused his stuff and fell back a little bit. You can kind of see those guys up front who ran hard, real fast on the front side of the runs, they’d burn their stuff up and start coming back to the other guys. Track position was so important. You could hold a guy up for a fair amount, not allow him to pass you very easily. That was, I guess, a little disappointing in that we were not able to make moves as good as we wanted with myself and the 18 car with the way my car was driving. Charlotte is a completely different deal, so we’ll see what that brings us. ”

 

Does the sport still need a 600-mile race like we have Sunday?

 

“Yes, I think so. Is it a tough race for the drivers? It is a tough race for the drivers. Is it as tough as it once was? Maybe not. Is it (tough) on the cars? No. The cars are way too sophisticated now. I bet you we could probably go 800, maybe even 1,000 miles, on a racecar before you’d start to see problems. It’s just a matter of length and attention span, I guess. Some other drivers would probably argue the fact with me that we don’t need a 600-mile race, but it’s tradition. I think it’s history. I think you keep some of those that have been the longer ones, that have meant more to our sport over the years like the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400, the Coca-Cola 600, the Southern 500. Those probably could stay the length that they are and many of the others could probably change. ”

 

Does Sunday’s 600-mile race feel different than other events?

 

“It depends on what kind of car you have. I’ve been in races in the 600-mile race where it’s felt really easy and short, and I’ve been in races where it’s been a long, drawn-out, knock ’em, sock ’em kind of day. Hopefully, Adam Stevens (crew chief) and the guys can bring a really good M&M’S Red, White & Blue Camry for me this weekend and it will be a smooth race for us. I like running the 600 miles. I think it brings a different aspect to our sport – its longevity. People will say, ‘It’s too long. It’s boring. Whatever.’ Well, you know, it’s a part of the product and the history that we’ve had on Memorial Day weekend for a long time that you run that extra hundred miles. And car preparation goes into that. Will your car make it? Will your engine last? Are the drivers able to be competitive throughout the whole race? You’ll have fatigue, sometimes, even at a 500-mile race. So, if you don’t show signs of weakness, you should be pretty good. ”

M&M’S Red White, and Blue Racing

Race 7 of 36 – Coca-Cola 600 – Charlotte

Car No.: 18 – M&M’S Red, White, and Blue Toyota Camry

 

Teammates:  Denny Hamlin – No. 11 Toyota Camry; Martin Truex Jr. – No. 19 Toyota Camry; Erik Jones – No. 20 Toyota Camry.

 

At-Track PR Contact: Bill Janitz, True Speed Communication (704-875-3388 ext. 803 or Bill.Janitz@TrueSpeedCommunication.com).

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Kyle Busch

Hometown: Las Vegas

 

Crew Chief: Adam Stevens

Hometown: Portsmouth, Ohio

 

Car Chief: Nate Bellows

Hometown: Fairfax, Vermont

 

Spotter: Tony Hirschman

Hometown: Northampton, Pennsylvania

 

Over-The-Wall Crew Members:

Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

 

Front Tire Changer: Cam Waugh

Hometown: Johnstown, Colorado

 

Jackman: T.J. Ford

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

 

Tire Carrier: Joe Crossen

Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina

 

Rear Tire Changer: Jeff Cordero

Hometown: Salem, Connecticut

 

Notes of Interest:
  •  The Coca-Cola 600 will mark Kyle Busch’s 541st career NASCAR Cup Series start and his 31st NASCAR Cup Series start at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
  • Busch has career totals of 56 wins, 32 poles, 203 top-five finishes, 299 top-10s and 17,446 laps led in 540 career Cup Series races. His most recent Cup Series win came in November at Homestead-Miami Speedway, resulting in his second Cup Series championship. Busch’s most recent pole, the 32nd of his career, came in November at Phoenix Raceway.
  • Busch has one win, 13 top-five finishes and 18 top-10s and has led a total of 1,449 laps in 30 Cup Series starts at Charlotte. Busch’s average Charlotte finish is 14.6.
  • Finally: Busch’s combined record in NASCAR Xfinity Series and Truck Series races is quite impressive at Charlotte, where the Las Vegas native has eight wins apiece on the 1.5-mile oval for a total of 16 victories. While he found victory lane early and often at Charlotte in those series, Busch was unable to find similar success in NASCAR’s top series. That all changed starting in 2017, when he brought home the win in the NASCAR All-Star Race, the first Cup Series win of his career at Charlotte, albeit a non-points event. But a little more than a year later, in 2018, Busch was able to bring home his first Cup Series points paying win at Charlotte as he led a whopping 377 laps of the 400-lap event en route to the crown jewel win.
  • 56 Career Cup Series Wins: With his Cup Series win at Homestead in November, the 56th points-paying win of his career, Busch passed NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace for sole possession of ninth place on the all-time win list in NASCAR’s top series. Next up for Busch on the list is eighth-place Dale Earnhardt, who had 76 wins during his Hall of Fame career. With his 40th Cup Series victory at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in August 2017, Busch became the fourth-youngest driver to reach 40 Cup Series wins at 32 years, 109 days, behind only Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon and Herb Thomas.
  • All-Time JGR Wins Leader: With his Brickyard 400 win in July 2016, Busch passed Tony Stewart for most all-time Cup Series wins for JGR. Busch now has 52 wins for JGR to Stewart’s 33 following his most recent win at Homestead last year.
  • 209 and Counting: Busch enters Sunday’s race at Charlotte with 209 career wins among NASCAR’s top three divisions – Cup (56), Xfinity (96) and Truck (57) – following his Truck Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway back in February.
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McDowell Back in Action with CarParts.com at Darlington

by Mike
McDowell Back in Action with CarParts.com at Darlington
MCDOWELL TALKS SECOND RACE IN A ROW AT DARLINGTON:
“We kind of had to go into Sunday’s race without knowing what to expect. It’s rare during the NASCAR Cup Series season that we get a chance like this to go back to the same track so quickly after a race. Drew [Blickensderfer] and I have talked a lot since Sunday on what we want to do different for Wednesday’s race.
“This new routine is different, and will take some time to adjust, but everyone at NASCAR and our Front Row Motorsports team has worked tirelessly to have the opportunity to blaze a trail for live sports to return. I’m really proud to be part of that effort.
“Our No. 34 CarParts.com Ford Mustang looked great on track on Sunday and I think it’ll look even better under the lights on Wednesday. Huge shoutout to everyone at CarParts.com for coming on board to support us this week.”
Views: 412
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John Hunter Nemechek Returns to Darlington with Scag Power Equipment

by Mike
John Hunter Nemechek Returns to Darlington with Scag Power Equipment
NEMECHEK TALKS SECOND RACE IN A ROW AT DARLINGTON:
“It felt great to turn laps on Sunday in our No. 38 Scag Power Equipment Ford Mustang. Safety continues to be the number one priority across the industry. We’ve got to do everything we can to make sure that we can compete while mitigating current health risks. We’re all in this together, learning and adjusting as we go along.
“We were anticipating Wednesday being our best race at Darlington, so to get a top-10 was a huge accomplishment. We were able to learn a lot on Sunday and it’s actually pretty helpful to have the opportunity to race in the same place again just a few days later. We’ve talked about some adjustments we want to make, not only to run at Darlington again, but to transition into a night race as well.
“I’m also excited to have Scag Power Equipment with us again for Wednesday’s race. I’m confident that our No. 38 team is ready to ‘mow’ the competition down again.”
Views: 416
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Wood Brothers Racing: Wednesday Night Race at the Lady in Black

by Mike
Wood Brothers Racing: Wednesday Night Race at the Lady in Black

Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team head back to Darlington Raceway Wednesday night for an encore performance with the Lady In Black.

DiBenedetto finished 14th in this past Sunday’s The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington, which marked NASCAR’s return to racing after a 10-week hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

With that race in the books, DiBenedetto and the team are working to find more speed for Wednesday’s 500-kilometer race, a rare midweek prime-time TV appearance for the sport. Once again, there will be no fans in the grandstands due to the threat of spreading COVID-19.

DiBenedetto, who will be making his sixth career Cup start at the iconic South Carolina track, said he plans to review the broadcast of Sunday’s race, taped for him by his wife Taylor, to see what can be learned from it.

“I’ll watch the other guys and see what I can pick up as far as how to improve,” he said, adding that he expects crew chief Greg Erwin to make adjustments as well to the Mustang they’ll race on Wednesday. “We’ve got a little catching up to do, but we can do it.”

Wednesday’s race will be the 95th Cup appearance at Darlington for the Wood Brothers, who first competed there in the 1961 Rebel 300 with the legendary Curtis Turner, a close friend of the Woods, at the wheel of the No. 21.

Modern era fans point to the spring race at Darlington in 2003, where Ricky Craven edged Kurt Busch for the win in a door-slamming battle to the checkered flag, as the best-ever finish at Darlington. But for fans of an earlier era, the ’61 Rebel 300 was the gold standard for great Darlington finishes.

Here’s how author and historian Greg Fielden described the late-race battle between the veteran Turner and the youngster Fred Lorenzen in his book, Forty Years of Stock Car Racing: “Fair-haired Fred Lorenzen and old pro Curtis Turner literally fought each other with fists of steel in Darlington Raceway’s fifth-annual Rebel 300 in a death-defying slugfest which decided perhaps the most exciting stock car race of all time.”

Fielden reported that the two “slapped considerable sheet metal” before Lorenzen finally took the lead with two laps remaining, leaving a frustrated Turner to finish second.

Turner expressed his sentiments to reporters after the race, saying: “If I could have caught [Lorenzen] before he got the checkered flag, I guarantee you he never would have finished the race.”

It was the first of seven runner-up finishes at Darlington for the Woods, who have eight victories there. Six of those victories were with David Pearson driving. Cale Yarborough and Neil Bonnett scored the other two.

In Wednesday’s race, DiBenedetto and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team will show that not all heroes drive race cars.

The team will honor Loretta Burton as a Star of Life.

Burton, a paramedic from Youngstown, Ohio, will be recognized for her actions that saved the life of a cardiac arrest patient in April of 2019.

On that day, she and her EMT partner were called to a dental clinic parking lot where they found an 81-year-old male in cardiac arrest. With the help of her partner, Burton began CPR and then continued ALS care on her own.

She was able to establish a return of spontaneous circulation, and the patient was transported to the emergency department of a local hospital. The patient was released a few days later with no neuro deficits or cardiac damage.

This save was a direct result of Burton’s dedication to the patients she serves. That dedication perhaps was demonstrated best when she was the medic on the scene of a car accident involving the man who had earlier tried to shoot her policeman husband. She treated this patient with respect, and he received the best of care.

Burton has been in EMS for 18 years. She began her career as an EMT and continued her education to become a paramedic. She attained the rank of supervisor but reduced her hours to part-time to care for her five children.

Wednesday’s 228-lap race is set to get the green flag just after 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time with TV coverage on FOX Sports One.

###

About Motorcraft:

Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln Dealers, independent distributors and automotive parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Omnicraft:

Omnicraft is part of the Ford lineup of parts brands: Ford Parts, Motorcraft and Omnicraft. Omnicraft is the exclusive non-Ford/Lincoln parts brand of premium aftermarket parts. With over a century of parts heritage to build upon, Omnicraft provides excellent quality and fit and is a preferred choice of professional automotive technicians. To find out more about Omnicraft, visitwww.omnicraftautoparts.com or contact your local Ford or Lincoln Dealership.
About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center

Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine vehicle maintenance including tire repair and replacement with a Low Tire Price Guarantee and a full menu of automotive services including oil and filter, brakes, alignments, batteries, and shocks and struts on all vehicle makes and models. Service is performed by certified technicians at more than 1,000 locations worldwide while you wait, and no appointment is necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 200,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers 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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DANIEL SUÁREZ Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Driver Ready for a Second Dose of Darlington

by Mike
DANIEL SUÁREZ Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Driver Ready for a Second Dose of Darlington
MOORESVILLE, North Carolina (May 18, 2020) – After having to wait 70 days between their back-to-back top-25 finishes March 8 at Phoenix Raceway and Sunday at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Daniel Suárez and his No. 96 Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Camry for Gaunt Brothers Racing (GBR) have just three days to wait until their next scheduled stop on the NASCAR Cup Series tour – Wednesday night’s Toyota 500k that takes them back to Darlington’s 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval.

 

The fourth-year Cup Series driver from Monterrey, Mexico, and his single-car GBR team that’s tackling the full Cup Series schedule for the first time in its 10-year history returned from the 10-week shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and posted a 25th-place finish in Sunday’s The Real Heroes 400. They started 37th on a grid determined by blind draw, overcame a midrace tire puncture and subsequent spin approaching turn two, and picked up where they left off 10 weeks prior at Phoenix, where they finished 21st.

 

With no practice or qualifying, Suárez and his crew chief Dave Winston took a conservative approach into their first race back, looking to ease into competitive mode on one of the trickiest and meanest racetracks on the NASCAR calendar. The goal Sunday was to post a solid result, emerge unscathed in the Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Camry, and bring it back in attack mode for Wednesday’s 310-mile race under the lights.

 

From that conservative standpoint, it was mission accomplished. Deep down inside, however, the fiercely competitive Suárez and Winston are hungry for much better results and feel they are capable of achieving them, even though Sunday’s was just their fourth race together.

 

Suárez will start 25th on a Toyota 500 starting grid determined by Sunday’s finishing order – the top-20 ahead of him inverted, with race-winner Kevin Harvick starting 20th and 20th-place finisher Ryan Preece starting on the pole.

 

Continuing the Real Heroes initiative in recognition of the nation’s frontline health care workers who have been battling the COVID-19 pandemic since its onset, the No. 96 Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Camry will honor Johnanna Brooke Munroe, a registered nurse in the Medical ICU at Duke University Hospital, which is a designated COVID-19 unit. Munroe hails from Southport, North Carolina, and attended East Carolina University before passing her nursing board exams. She also is a longtime friend of team owner Marty Gaunt and his family. Munroe’s name will appear above the driver-side door of the No. 96 Camry during the Toyota 500k and, like Sunday, a huge thank you to all medical frontline workers will appear on the hood of the racecar.

 

Arriving with an improved racecar after lessons learned Sunday and avoiding trouble in the race will be the goal as usual for Suárez and his GBR teammates, all with an eye toward bettering that season’s best run at Phoenix.

 

Daniel Suárez: Driver of the No. 96 Today. Tomorrow. Toyota. Camry for Gaunt Brothers Racing:
 

How do you feel about your and the team’s return to live racing Sunday at Darlington and your 25th-place finish?

“I think it was a decent day, a clean day. Not totally clean, actually, because I almost hit the wall when we had a flat tire – a flat right-rear that put us behind a little bit. But we were able to overcome that. Like I said Sunday night, we are overachieving at this point, which is good, but obviously we have to keep working to try to get more speed. We’re still building many different areas of the team and I have a lot of confidence that we’re going to start heading in the right direction. We just have to really keep digging and hopefully take everything we learned on the track on Sunday, and everything we can learn in our meetings at the shop, and come back stronger on Wednesday.”

 

Wednesday’s race scheduled to be a night race. How much of what you learned during Sunday’s afternoon race apply?

“Nighttime at Darlington is definitely different than daytime. The track is tighter and you have to keep adjusting on that. At the end of the day, you just have to work on your adjustments at the shop and, whoever has the best notebook and best simulation and data, that’s the team that has the best chance on Wednesday night.”

 

There’s been talk of midweek races for years, and now they’re finally here. What do you think about that?

“That’s a good question and I don’t really know. We’ll find out starting Wednesday night. We’re all going to learn. For me, I think it’s fun to race during the week. I think every single team is going to struggle at least a little bit because nobody was planning on doing this when the season started, and then we were shut down for so long. We’re definitely working hard to make it work to our advantage as a team. As a driver, if I could race every day, I would be very happy, but from a team standpoint, it’s going to be very good experience and a very good learning curve for everyone.”

 

With less time to recover from the last race and prepare for the next race, what effect do midweek races have from a driver fitness standpoint?

“Normally we race once every six or seven days, and now we will have weeks where we will have races every three or four days. From a time standpoint, that means twice as many competition meetings, data sessions, reports to write, all the things we normally do to debrief after one race and get ready for the next race. It’s most important to stay focused on all of those things, especially because, with no practice and qualifying, preparation is more important than it’s ever been. As a driver, it’s also important to stay in top shape, physically. So you just need to make time to train your body so you can be fresh at the end of these races. That can have a lot to do with your results on the racetrack.”

 

Dave Winston, Crew Chief of the No. 96 Today. Tomorrow. Toyota. Camry for Gaunt Brothers Racing:
 

Your thoughts after Sunday’s first race back after the layoff, and your return to Darlington Wednesday?

“I feel like we’ve got it under control. Yesterday, I felt like we didn’t run very well even though we came away with a 25th-place finish. Marty (Gaunt, team owner) and Mark (Chambers, general manager) were good with it. Everybody seemed to be happy, but deep down inside, Daniel and I definitely feel like we want to do better than that. There were positives that came out of Sunday’s race, sure, but there were frustrations, too. I want to give Daniel a much better racecar than we did on Sunday and I know we’re capable of that. He wants to go out and be in a position to win races and knows what it takes to do that, and that’s the way it should be. Right now, it’s a matter of putting in the work to do everything we can to come back Wednesday with a better racecar.”

 

What would you consider to be some of the positives that came out of the race on Sunday?

“I think a big thing was that the track came to us. We got better as the race went along. We were being conservative to start with. Daniel was conservative with the way he attacked the track and I was conservative with the setup because neither of us wanted to hurt the car. Yes, we finished 25th, but we still felt like it was maybe a 30th-place car. Now, when we go back Wednesday, we can be a little more aggressive and attack the track.”

 

With Wednesday’s race being at night after an afternoon race Sunday, will any of what you learned carry over?

“I think a lot of it will carry over. Darlington has been a night race for a lot of years, and we’re already used to practicing in the daytime and racing at night there and it’s not been a big deal. The track will tighten up as more rubber gets laid down, so you just have to leave yourself plenty of room to free up the car to begin with. That’s how it goes at Darlington and that should be the case this time, too.”

 

How did the first race back go for you from a team standpoint after the lengthy layoff?

“We made no real mistakes, nothing fell off the car, so from that standpoint it went well. Having a competition caution with a cold pit stop was nice because we were able to knock the rust off on that first stop. I think we functioned as a team pretty well. We had to have a reduced number of personnel there so we had to get creative to make sure all the job functions were taken care of, and that came off smoothly. All of our preparation tools worked. Now it’s a matter of using them even more and getting more confident with them. The goal continues to be having a better racecar than last time every time we go to the track.”

 

No. 96 Today. Tomorrow. Toyota. Camry Team Report
Race 6 of 36 – Toyota 500k – Darlington
 
Car No. 96: Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Camry

PR Contact: Laz Denes with True Speed Communication (Laz.Denes@TrueSpeedCommunication.com)

Primary Team:

 

Driver: Daniel Suárez

Hometown: Monterrey, Mexico

 

Crew Chief: Dave Winston

Hometown: Miami, Florida

 

Technical Director: Nick Ollila

Hometown: Warren, Michigan

 

Car Chief: Mark Hillman

Hometown: Lockport, New York

 

Engine Specialist: Kirk Butterfield

Hometown: Carrollton, Ohio

 

Engine Builder: Toyota Racing Development

Headquarters: Costa Mesa, California

 

Spotter: Steve Barkdoll

Hometown: Garrison, Iowa

Over-The-Wall Crew:

 

Gas Man: Cory White

Hometown: Vinson, Iowa

 

Front Tire Changer: Mike Mead

Hometown: Sherrills Ford, North Carolina

 

Rear Tire Changer: Brandon Traino

Hometown: Cherry Hill, New Jersey

 

Tire Carrier: Mason Harris

Hometown: Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia

 

Jackman: Joel Bouagnon

Hometown: St. Charles, Illinois

 

Windshield: Mark Hillman

Hometown: Lockport, New York

 
Toyota 500k Notes of Interest:

 

  • After piloting the No. 19 NASCAR Cup Series Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2017 and 2018, then the No. 41 Cup Series entry for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2019, Suárez joined the single-car No. 96 Toyota Camry effort for Gaunt Brothers Racing (GBR) for the full 2020 season.
  • Suárez will make his 113th career NASCAR Cup Series start in Wednesday night’s Toyota 500k on the 1.366-mile, egg-shaped oval at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. He has career totals of eight top-five finishes, 32 top-10s and 241 laps led, with an average start of 15.8 and an average finish of 17.4. He also has qualified on the pole twice.
  • In four previous Cup Series outings at Darlington, Suárez has a best start of fifth and a best finish of 11th, both scored in his September 2019 outing in his Stewart-Haas Racing entry.
  • Suárez has a pair of third-place finishes in two career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Darlington. He qualified second and led 14 laps before crossing the finish line behind winner Denny Hamlin and runner-up Kyle Busch in September 2015. A year later, Suárez qualified fifth and finished behind winner Elliot Sadler and runner-up Hamlin en route to that year’s series championship in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
  • Crew chief Dave Winston, a native of Miami, Florida, and a veteran of 64 Cup Series races atop the pit box, called the shots at two previous races at Darlington prior to Sunday’s The Real Heroes 400. He collaborated with driver Alex Bowman in the No. 23 BK Racing Toyota in the April 2014 race, starting 34th and finishing 29th. His driver Michael McDowell started 30th and finished 27th in the September 2016 race driving the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing entry.
  • GBR last week welcomed the addition of longtime motorsports veteran Nick Ollila as technical director. The native of Warren, Michigan, will oversee the team’s engineering department and returns to the United States after a three-year stint serving in the same capacity with Kelly Racing in the Virgin Australian Supercars Championship. Ollila and team owner Marty Gaunt first worked together in 1997 when the two were at Kranefuss-Haas Racing. Their NASCAR paths crossed again 10 years later when both worked at Red Bull Racing – Gaunt as general manager and Ollila as chief aerodynamicist. NASCAR is where Ollila has spent the bulk of his career, which includes being the drivetrain specialist at Rod Osterlund Racing in 1980 when Dale Earnhardt won the first of his seven Cup Series championships. Ollila’s racing career began at Team Penske in 1972 as a mechanic. He prepared cars for each of the series in which the organization competed, a lineup that included IndyCar, NASCAR, Can-Am, Formula 5000, sports cars and Formula One. NASCAR became Ollila’s focus in late 1976. He joined DiGard Racing as the team’s drivetrain specialist, working with NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip until the end of the 1978 season, whereupon he went to work for Osterlund. IndyCar and Penske beckoned in 1982, and Ollila returned as the team’s engine builder, enjoying four championships (1982, 1983, 1985 and 1988) and four Indianapolis 500 victories (1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988). That Penske connection led Ollila back to NASCAR in 1990, when he became the lead engineer for Hall of Fame driver Rusty Wallace. It was the beginning of a 20-year stint in NASCAR.
  • Wednesday night marks the third Darlington Cup Series start for the No. 96 Gaunt Brothers Toyota. Prior to Sunday’s 25th-place finish from the 37th starting position by Suárez in The Real Heroes 400, driver Jeffrey Earnhardt drove to 34th-place finish from the 40th starting position there in September 2018.
  • Coca-Cola and CommScope continue their respective partnerships with Suárez at Gaunt Brothers Racing. The iconic Coca-Cola brand has been with Suárez since 2015 when he won the Xfinity Series rookie-of-the-year title. CommScope, a leader in communication network technology, has been with Suárez through its ARRIS and Ruckus Networks brands since 2014, when he first competed in the Xfinity Series.
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DANIEL SUÁREZ Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Driver Ready for a Second Dose of Darlington Read More

CLINT BOWYER Remember To #ThankATrucker

by Mike
CLINT BOWYER Remember To #ThankATrucker
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KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (May 18, 2020) – Clint Bowyer drove by a lot of cars Sunday as he raced in the top-10 most of the day before late trouble left him with a 17th-place finish in the NASCAR Cup Series’ return to competition in The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

 

“Man, that was a bummer,” Bowyer said after the race.

 

“We were pretty damn good all race long until the money was on the line. Then things fell apart very quickly.”

 

It marked the first Cup Series race since March 8 and ran under a comprehensive health and safety plan that permitted no fans, limited crew, strict social distancing, and mandated personal protective equipment and health screenings for all.

 

Sunday looked like it could have been a great day for Bowyer, who started 13th and drove to seventh by the end of Stage 1. He kept that speed and finished fifth in Stage 2. It appeared he would battle for victory as he raced in sixth with 60 laps remaining, but a loose-handling car late in the run combined with several issues left him with a 17th-place finish.

 

While the finish was disappointing, Bowyer moved from 13th to 10th in the standings.

The 40-year-old Emporia, Kansas, native not only passed cars on the track Sunday but also passed a lot of trucks on the road during his 300-mile commute between his Mocksville, North Carolina, home and the Darlington track.

 

“It was kind of cool to drive to Darlington and see all of the trucks driving up and down the highway,” Bowyer said. “That kind of reminds you that things are still moving in America. Businesses are shipping and truckers are bringing people what they need to live their lives.”

He hopes to see that again Wednesday when he commutes to and from Darlington for NASCAR’s 500-kilometer – 310-mile – race that evening.

 

Just as it did on Sunday, Bowyer’s No. 14 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) will again carry Rush Truck Centers and Mobil Delvac 1 decals at Darlington, as well as the special social media hashtag #ThankATrucker.

 

The hashtag calls attention to the men and women transporting goods and providing a public service. Rush Truck Centers is considered an essential business by the government with its more than 100 dealerships operating across the country. Mobil Delvac 1 heavy-duty diesel engine oils are designed to help commercial fleets boost uptime. Mobil Delvac 1 oils can help deliver fuel economy savings, extend the life of engines and lengthen oil drain intervals.

 

“There are lots of heroes right now, but I hope NASCAR fans will take the time to thank a trucker,” said Bowyer, whose No. 14 Ford Mustang includes several corporate partners heavily involved in the trucking industry, like Rush Truck Centers, Mobil Delvac 1, PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant, as well as Cummins.

 

According to the American Trucking Associations, there are more than 700,000 trucking businesses in the country, employing 7.8 million people, including 3.5 million truck drivers. More than 36 million trucks log 297 billion miles per year, moving 71 percent of the nation’s freight.

 

“Whatever you have at your house or business, a trucker probably played a role in getting it to you,” Bowyer said.

 

Before Bowyer returns to Darlington on Wednesday where he will start fourth, he’ll join Jeff Gordon and Mike Joy in the FOX Charlotte studio to broadcast Tuesday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington. Bowyer, the 2008 Xfinity Series champion, joined FOX as an analyst and studio guest this season.

 

His schedule only gets busier after Wednesday night’s Cup Series race as the series then moves to Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, followed by a 500-kilometer race at Charlotte on May 24. The schedule also includes recently announced stops at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on May 31, Atlanta Motor Speedway on June 7, Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on June 10, Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway on June 14, and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on July 21.

 

While everyone is glad for the return of live racing, SHR wasn’t idle during the hiatus between the March 8 Phoenix and Sunday’s return at Darlington.

 

The organization co-owned by Gene Haas and three-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart has been building ICU webcam carts for Novant Health. The team began building a prototype cart in mid-April for use in hospital intensive care units. SHR recently delivered 10 of its ICU webcam carts to Novant Health with the plan to build 110 units over the coming weeks for use across Novant Health’s integrated system of physician practices, hospitals and outpatient centers.

 

In support of the Real Heroes Project, a collaborative initiative by 14 sports leagues, Wednesday’s race will again honor health care workers serving on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19. Bowyer’s No. 14 Ford will carry the name of Josie Fongoh, RN, from the emergency department of the Novant Health Mint Hill (S.C.) Medical Center. The 38-year-old Charlottean has been working in health care in North Carolina since 2012 after moving to the United States from Cameroon, Africa. She began her career as a certified nurse assistant before obtaining her license as a registered nurse. She has experience in hemodialysis, rehabilitation, and currently in emergency nursing. She is recognized as a compassionate and skilled nurse providing emergency care at the Mint Hill facility since 2018. She recently completed her master’s program as a Family Nurse Practitioner and is entering the next phase of her health care career in internal medicine.

 

 
Clint Bowyer, Driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil Delvac 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:
What was Sunday in Darlington like?

“Once you get into the car, it’s normally business as usual and it was really that way in Darlington. Was it weird driving down there by yourself, walking to the car with no fans and no atmosphere? Yes, and it sucked. But once you got in the car, it was pretty normal. Those racecars don’t know if there are fans there or if there is a pandemic going on or not. You still have to keep four tires on the track and go as fast as you can.”

 

Was there any “rust?”

“Not nearly as much as I thought. We set a good pace in the first run. Within six or seven laps, I was comfortable and ripping it 100 percent.”

 

What did you learn for Wednesday night’s race?

“We learned a lot about the balance of our racecar. There were some adjustments we will do again and there are some adjustments we won’t do again. It was just our fifth race as a team and we’re still working on our communication. Communication plays a big factor in deciding the adjustments you make.”

 

Is there a difference between day and night races at Darlington?

“The night races are always different. One of the things that caught us off guard is, typically at Darlington, you get tighter as the race goes on, but we got looser. We are trying to decipher why that was with our setup and, again, what happens when it cools off even more Wednesday. Plus we have weather moving in Wednesday at Darlington. We have to keep an eye on that storm and understand what the track conditions are going to be like and make the best decisions possible.”

 

Why should race fans tune in Tuesday to watch you as part of the FOX broadcast team announcing the Xfinity race?

“I’m excited about Tuesday night and working the Xfinity race. This series is always awesome to watch. There’s a great mix of veterans with a lot of experience and rookies without much experience who are in really good, fast hot rods. That’s always a recipe for massive entertainment, especially on a track that’s as hard to get around as Darlington. I think the sparks will fly.”

 

No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil Delvac 1 Team Report

Round 6 of 36 – Darlington 500k – Darlington

 
Car No.: 14 – Rush Truck Centers/Mobil Delvac 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

 

At Track PR Contact: Drew Brown with True Speed Communication (Drew.Brown@TrueSpeedCommunication.com) ​

 
No. 14 At-Track Crew Roster
Primary Team:

 

Driver: Clint Bowyer

Residence: Emporia, Kansas

 

Crew Chief: Johnny Klausmeier

Hometown: Perry Hall, Maryland

 

Car Chief: Chad Haney

Hometown: Fairmont, West Virginia

 

Engine Specialist: Jon Phillips

Hometown: Jefferson City, Missouri

 

Engine Builder: Roush Yates Engines: Mooresville, North Carolina

 

Spotter: Brett Griffin

Hometown: Pageland, South Carolina

Over-The-Wall Crew:

Fuelman: Rick Pigeon

Hometown: Fairfax, Vermont

 

Front Changer: Ryan Mulder

Hometown: Sioux City, Iowa

 

Carrier: Jon Bernal

Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

 

Rear Changer: Chris McMullen

Hometown: Canton, Michigan

 

Jackman: Sean Cotten

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Notes of Interest:
  • Bowyer owns career totals of 10 wins, three poles, 81 top-five finishes, 216 top-10s and 2,998 laps led in 510 NASCAR Cup Series races. He also owns eight NASCAR Xfinity Series victories.
    • His most recent Cup Series victory came at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (June 10, 2018).
    • His most recent Cup Series pole came at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California on Feb. 29, 2020
  • Bowyer’s Career at Darlington: Bowyer owns two top-10 finishes in 14 races at Darlington. One of his four career poles came at Darlington on May 11, 2007.
  • 2019 Darlington: Bowyer finished sixth – a career best at the track – at the 70th annual Southern 500. He started 13th and fell as far down as 17th before rallying to finish sixth in the second stage. Bowyer stayed at the front of the field for the remainder of the race delayed by rain and ending in the early hours of Monday morning.
  • 2018 Darlington: Bowyer started 17th and raced up to 11th by the end of Stage 1. In Stage 2, he climbed to seventh before a vibration forced him to pit lane for new right-side tires, dropping him to 27th and a lap behind the leaders. The new tires allowed him to drive through the field, climbing to 12th, and he passed leader Kyle Larson on lap 195 to return to the lead lap. In the final stage, Bowyer raced in 12th when he made contact with a slow moving car on lap 309, which ended his race and left him with a 36th-place result.
  • 2017 Darlington: Bowyer started 16th and moved to 12th in the opening laps, but engine issues on lap 18 sent Bowyer to the garage, ending his race and leaving him with a 40th-place finish.
  • SHR has two points-paying victory at Darlington (Kevin Harvick in April 2014 and Sunday) and 11 top-five finishes and 19 top-10s in 39 starts.
  • All-time victory list: With 10 career victories, Bowyer is in a 59th-place tie on the all-time wins list with Donnie Allison and Sterling Marlin.
  • ​Bowyer’s Top-Three Finishes at SHR (2017- Present):
    • Wins
      • Michigan International Speedway (June 10, 2018)
      • Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (March 26, 2018)
    • 2nd place: 
      • Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (March 31, 2019)
      • Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 15, 2018)
      • Dover (Del.) International Speedway (May 6, 2018)
      • Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (April 24, 2017)
      • Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway (June 25, 2017)
      • Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (July 1, 2017)
    • 3rd place: 
      • Richmond (Va.) Raceway (April 13, 2019)
      • Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval (Sept. 30, 2018)
      • Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway (June 24, 2018)
      • Atlanta Motor Speedway (Feb. 25, 2018)
      • Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (Oct. 29, 2017)
      • Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California (March 26, 2017)
  • ​Bowyer’s Stage Victories 
    • Indianapolis Motor Speedway Stage 1 (Sept. 10, 2018)
    • Pocono (Pa.) Raceway Stage 2 (July 30, 2017)
    • Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 14, 2019)
  • Bowyer Cup Series Career Victories:
    • Michigan International Speedway (June 10, 2018)
    • Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (March 26, 2018)
    • Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (Oct. 13, 2012)
    • Richmond (Va.) Raceway (Sept. 8, 2012)
    • Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway (June 24, 2012)
    • Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 23, 2011)
    • Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 31, 2010)
    • New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (Sept. 19, 2010)
    • Richmond (Va.) Raceway (May 3, 2008)
    • New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (Sept. 16, 2007)
  • Bowyer Cup Series Career Poles:
    • New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (Sept. 14, 2007)
    • Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (May 11, 2007)
    • Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Sept. 14, 2019)
    • Auto Club Speedway (March 1, 2020)
  • ​Bowyer Career Cup Series Points Finishes:
    • 2019  9th
    • 2018 12th
    • 2017 18th
    • 2016 27th
    • 2015 16th
    • 2014 19th
    • 2013 7th
    • 2012 2nd
    • 2011 13th
    • 2010 10th
    • 2009 15th
    • 2008   5th ​
    • 2007   3rd
    • 2006 17th
  • Bowyer Cup Series Career Stops:
    • 2017- Present Stewart-Haas Racing
    • ​2016  HScott Motorsports
    • 2012-2015 Michael Waltrip Racing
    • 2006-2011 Richard Childress Racing
  • Bowyer Xfinity Series Championship:
    • 2008
  • Bowyer Xfinity Series Career Victories:
    • Dover (Del.) International Speedway (Sept. 26, 2009)
    • Daytona (Fla) International Speedway (July 3, 2009)
    • Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (March 15, 2008)
    • Richmond (Va.) Raceway (May 4, 2007)
    • Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway in Avondale (April 20, 2007)
    • Dover (Del.) International Speedway (Sept. 23, 2006)
    • Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park  (Oct. 22, 2005)
    • Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway (June 12, 2005)
  • Bowyer NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Victories:
    • Kansas (Kan.) Speedway in Kansas City (June 4, 2011)
    • Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway in Avondale (Nov. 12, 2010)
    • Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (Nov. 3, 2006)
  • Crew Chief Johnny Klausmeier’s Victories:
    • Talladega SuperSpeedway (Aric Almirola, Oct 14, 2018)
    • Pocono Raceway (Kurt Busch, June 6, 2016)
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