Brad Keselowski

Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Racing: Daniel Suárez Coca-Cola 600 Race Report

by Mike
Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Racing: Daniel Suárez Coca-Cola 600 Race Report

Date: May 24, 2020

Event: Coca-Cola 600

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

Format: 400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)

Start/Finish: 37th / 29th (Running, completed 399 of 405 laps)

Point Standing: 31st with 63 points, 228 out of first

Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 400-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

 

Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 2 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 3 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

 

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100):

● Started 37th, finished 29th.

● Suárez had a solid launch when the green flag waved, powering his way up to 27th by lap three, but then settled in at 31st from lap five until the competition caution on lap 20. He reported the Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Camry (Stars & Stripes Edition) was free in turns one and two, tight in three and four. Crew chief Dave Winston made slight air pressure adjustments in both rear tires on the lap-22 pit stop. Suárez rejoined 29th, but NASCAR ruled a crew member was over the wall too early, forcing him to the rear of the lead-lap cars on the lap-27 restart, where he took the green flag 33rd

● Suárez slid forward two positions shortly after the restart and settled in at 31st until the caution flew for rain on lap 48. The race was red-flagged on lap 50 for 68 minutes.

● When pace laps resumed, Suárez pitted from 31st for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment and resumed 28th, from where he restarted on lap 57.

● By lap 60, Suárez had worked his way up to 22nd, but then reported his Toyota was starting to get tight.

● On lap 69, still running 22nd, Suárez reported the car began slipping out of gear. He dropped back to 30th while dealing with the issue.

● The caution flag flew for a single-car accident on lap 97, three laps before the scheduled stage break. Suárez was running 30th at the time, just having become the first car running one lap down, but he was the beneficiary of the free pass back onto the lead lap.

● Suárez pitted on lap 103 during the stage break caution for four tires, fuel and another track bar adjustment and rejoined 28th.

 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200):

● Started 28th, finished 29th.

● The segment restarted on lap 106 and Suárez held his relative position, reporting he was losing more and more grip in turns three and four.

● Suárez made his fuel last until lap 169, when he was one of the last cars to pit, having moved into the top-10 under the green-flag sequence of stops. A lug nut issue cost valuable time in the pits and Suárez rejoined in 29th, two laps down. He dropped another lap by the end of the stage, which he finished 29th.

● The stage break pit stop came on lap 204, and the Toyota. Tomorrow. Toyota Camry took four tires, fuel, air pressure and track bar adjustments.

 

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 201-300):

● Started 29th, finished 29th.

● Like Stage 2, this one remained caution-free and Suárez made his fuel last until lap 267, when he pitted for four tires, fuel, air pressure, wedge and track bar adjustments. He then was penalized for speeding in the first segment of pit lane and had to serve a drive-through penalty on the ensuing lap.

● A single-car accident on lap 276 brought out the caution flag for something other than a segment break since the closing laps of Stage 1. Suárez stayed on track in 29th and took the wave-around to put him at five laps down.

● The team elected to stay out on track during the stage break to take the wave-around and move up to four laps down.

 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 301-400):

● Started 29th, finished 29th.

● Suárez brought his Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Camry down pit road on lap 339 for a final scheduled stop – fuel, tires and a wedge adjustment. He resumed in 29th, six laps down.

● A lap-347 caution for a single-car incident allowed Suárez to stay on track and take the wave-around to move from six to five laps down in 29th place.

● Another single-car incident two laps from the scheduled finish brought out the caution flag and set up a green-white-checkered finish with Suárez in 29th, six laps down.

● Suárez held his ground in overtime and crossed the finish line 29th.

 

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

“I think this Today. Tomorrow. Toyota has much more potential. We all just have to get better – everybody. In general, it was rough. In qualifying, we had big issues with the splitter – we barely made a lap. The splitter was hitting the ground so hard. We made adjustments going into the race and the car was much better, but it was extremely rough through the bumps in corners three and four. It was a long day. We made it better. I felt like the car had potential to be strong, but we struggled. I felt like we did a very good job on restarts. I felt like we could get to the top-20 and stay there, but we had some big issues on pit road. We had one stop that was extremely long and it was under the green flag. Anyway, we have to keep working. We’ll come back on Wednesday.”

 

Race Notes:

●  Brad Keselowski won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his 31st career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his second on the oval at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Jimmie Johnson was .293 of a second.

●  There were eight caution periods for a total of 52 laps.

●  Only 20 of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.

●  Kevin Harvick remains the championship leader after the Coca-Cola 600 with a 22-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 Alsco Uniforms 500k on Wednesday, May 27 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race starts at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Views: 505
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No. 10 Smithfield Ford Racing: Aric Almirola Charlotte I Race Report

by Mike
No. 10 Smithfield Ford Racing: Aric Almirola Charlotte I Race Report

Date: May 24, 2020

Event: Coca-Cola 600 (Round 7 of 36)

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

Format: 400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)

Start/Finish: 40th/16th (Running, completed 405 of 405 laps)

Point Standing: 11th (207 points, 82 out of first)

Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 400-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

 

Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 2 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 3 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

 

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100):

●  Aric Almirola started 40th and finished 20th.

●  Before the green flag waved, the No. 11 car dropped debris on the track, which made contact with Almirola’s splitter causing damage.

● Almirola advanced the No. 10 Smithfield Ford to 27th before the lap-20 competition caution.

● Inclement weather delayed the race for 68 minutes on lap 49. When racing resumed, the No. 10 team pitted for four tires, fuel, air pressure and chassis adjustments, and repaired splitter damage.

● Almirola advanced to 20th by lap 89 and continued to note loose-handling conditions.

● He pitted at the end of the stage for four tires, fuel and adjustments.

 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200):

●  Almirola started 17th and finished 16th.

●  The No. 10 Ford driver pitted on lap 153 for four tires, fuel and adjustments to correct loose-handling conditions.

●  Almirola was 16th when green-flag pit stops cycled through.

●  He successfully raced to stay on the lead lap for the remainder of the stage.

●  Almirola brought the Smithfield Ford to the pits at the conclusion of Stage 2 for four fresh tires, fuel, and air pressure and chassis adjustments.

 

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 201-300):

●  Almirola started 13th and finished 13th.

●  The No. 10 team advanced to its highest position of 11th on lap 212.

●  Almirola pitted under green on lap 255 for four fresh tires, fuel and more adjustments. He was scored 15th after green-flag pit stops cycled through.

●  He pitted again under caution on lap 272 for four tires, fuel and adjustments. The team found a puncture in the right-rear tire.

●  Almirola raced in and around the top-15 before the end of the stage. He pitted for four tires, fuel and adjustments following Stage 3.

 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 301-400):

● Almirola started 15th and finished 16th.

● Almirola said the No. 10 car was extremely tight after the recent adjustments and needed better turn in the corners to make passes.

● The Smithfield Ford driver passed teammate Kevin Harvick for 13th on lap 347.

● Almirola pitted during the seventh caution of the race with 50 laps to go for four tires, fuel and adjustments to correct tight-handling conditions.

● He restarted 13th with 48 laps to go and raced to 11th before the caution on lap 398.

● Almirola brought the Smithfield Ford to the pits for two fresh tires and lined up 10th for the restart.

● On the final restart, Almirola was shuffled to the middle lane and lost positions before crossing the finish line in overtime.

 

Notes:

●  This was Almirola’s third straight top-16 finish at Charlotte’s oval. He finished 11th in last year’s Coca-Cola 600.

●  Brad Keselowski won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his 31st career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his second on the oval at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Jimmie Johnson was .293 of a second.

●  This was Ford’s 690th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory.

●  This was Ford’s 31st NASCAR Cup Series victory at Charlotte’s oval, the most among all manufacturers. The last Ford driver to win the Coca-Cola 600 was Mark Martin in 2002. Ford’s first Coca-Cola 600 victory came in 1962 via Nelson Stacy.

●  There were eight caution periods for a total of 52 laps.

●  Only 20 of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.

●  Harvick remains the championship leader after the Coca-Cola 600 with a 22-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.

 

Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“From the start of the day to the end of the day it was just a tough day. I was loose on the qualifying lap and spun, but was able to keep car from having much damage. We started in the rear and, on the pace laps, debris came out of the No. 11 car and damaged some of the splitter, so we had to make some repairs there later on. We battled both ends of the balance with the car all four stages and started to ease our way to the top-10 at the end before that final caution came out – then the restart didn’t go my way. The Coke 600 is such a long race and so much can happen. I’m proud we battled back up there, but didn’t get the finish we wanted. Luckily, we’ll be back here in a few days and see if we can get the Smithfield Ford Mustang up front the second time around like we did in Darlington.”

 

Next Up: 

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Alsco Uniforms 500k on Wednesday, May 27 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race starts at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Views: 440
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HaasTooling.com Racing: Cole Custer Coca-Cola 600 Race Report

by Mike
HaasTooling.com Racing: Cole Custer Coca-Cola 600 Race Report

Date: May 24, 2020

Event: Coca-Cola 600

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

Format: 400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)

Start/Finish: 28th/13th (Running, completed 405 of 405 laps)

Point Standing: 22nd with 118 points, 171 out of first

Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 400-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

 

Race Winner:       Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Winner:  Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 2 Winner:  Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 3 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

 

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100):             

● Cole Custer started 28th and finished 23rd.

● Custer pitted from 24th during the competition caution for adjustments to help his tight HaasTooling.com Mustang.

● At lap 50 the race was red-flagged for precipitation. When the event resumed, Custer pitted from 30th for more adjustments and restarted 24th on lap 57.

● As the laps clicked off, Custer reported his Mustang went from loose to tight, and lost all grip in the final 10 laps of the stage.

● During the Stage 1 break the 22-year-old pitted from 23rd for a bevy of adjustments, four tires and fuel.

 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200):

● Custer started 19th and finished 21st.

● On lap 116 the California native reported his Mustang fired off a tick loose, but had tightened up.

● Custer made a scheduled green-flag pit stop from 24th on lap 156 for fuel, four tires and adjustments.

● The rookie driver went one lap down on lap 168 while in the 22nd spot.

● Custer pitted from 21st during the Stage 2 break for fuel, four tires and adjustments to help with his tight-handling Mustang.

 

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 201-300):

● Custer started 18th and finished 20th.

● Custer made a scheduled green-flag pit stop on lap 242 from 19th for fuel, four tires and adjustments.

● With the caution out on lap 275 he pitted from 20th for four tires, fuel and adjustments to help with his tight condition.

● During the Stage 3 break Custer reported his No. 41 Mustang remained tight. He was the beneficiary of the free pass from 20th.
Final Stage Recap (Laps 301-405):

● Custer started 20th and finished 13th.

● The Ford driver worked his way up to 18th with a tight car. He made a pit stop under caution on lap 350.

● After the pit stop, Custer served an uncontrolled tire penalty and was forced to start at the rear of the field in 20th.

● A green-flag run ensued until the caution was displayed with one lap to go. Custer pitted for fuel and four tires after reporting his Mustang was pretty solid during the run.

● The SHR driver restarted 19th for overtime and was able to maneuver his way to a 13th-place finish.
Notes:

● Custer made his 10th career NASCAR Cup Series start and his first on the oval at Charlotte.

● Brad Keselowski won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his 31st career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his second on the oval at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Jimmie Johnson was .293 of a second.

● This was Ford’s 690th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory.

● This was Ford’s 31st NASCAR Cup Series victory at Charlotte’s oval, the most among all manufacturers. The last Ford driver to win the Coca-Cola 600 was Mark Martin in 2002. Ford’s first Coca-Cola 600 victory came in 1962 via Nelson Stacy.

● There were eight caution periods for a total of 52 laps.

● Only 20 of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.

● Harvick remains the championship leader after the Coca-Cola 600 with a 22-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.

 

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“Man, definitely a persevering night for the HaasTooling.com Mustang. I could’ve done better at the start of the race. We definitely got the car better throughout the race. We fought hard all night. We fought hard to stay on the lead lap and got our lap back that one time. To finish 13th in my first 600 that I’ve run was definitely pretty cool. I got a good restart at the end. We have some things we know we can do better when we come back Wednesday. I can do some things better. I’m looking forward to it. We’re moving in the right direction with this package. We just have to keep grinding through it.”

 

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Alsco Uniforms 500k on Wednesday, May 27 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race starts at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Views: 494
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No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/ Mobil Delvac 1 Ford Racing: Clint Bowyer Charlotte 600 Race Report

by Mike
No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/ Mobil Delvac 1 Ford Racing: Clint Bowyer Charlotte 600 Race Report

Date: May 24, 2020

Event: Coca-Cola 600 (Round 7 of 36)

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

Format: 400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)

Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 400-lap distance due to an overtime finish.

Start/Finish:      20th/40th (Running, completed 96 of 405 laps)

Point Standing:  15th with 171 points, 118 out of first

 

Race Winner:      Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Winner:  Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 2 Winner:  Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 3 Winner:  Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

 

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100):

● Clint Bowyer started 20th and finished 40th.

● The No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil Delvac 1 Ford Mustang reported a lack of rear grip to begin the race.

● Bowyer restarted the race in 14th after the competition caution at lap 25.

● Bowyer moved to 11th by lap 50 when rain stopped the race for a little more than an hour.

● The Ford driver restarted the race in 12th on lap 57.

● Bowyer’s race came to an end on lap 97 when a mechanical issue at the front of the car sent him hard into the turn one wall while racing in 11th.

● Bowyer gingerly climbed from the car before visiting the care center where he was evaluated and released.

● The No. 14 suffered too much damage to continue racing.

 

Notes:

● Sunday marked Bowyer’s first DNF (Did Not Finish) this season and only his second in 27 career NASCAR Cup Series starts on Charlotte’s oval

●  Brad Keselowski won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his 31st career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his second on the oval at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Jimmie Johnson was .293 of a second.

●  This was Ford’s 690th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory.

●  This was Ford’s 31st NASCAR Cup Series victory at Charlotte’s oval, the most among all manufacturers. The last Ford driver to win the Coca-Cola 600 was Mark Martin in 2002. Ford’s first Coca-Cola 600 victory came in 1962 via Nelson Stacy.

●  There were eight caution periods for a total of 52 laps.

●  Only 20 of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.

●  Harvick remains the championship leader after the Coca-Cola 600 with a 22-point advantage over second-place Joe Logano.

 

Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil Delvac 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“It knocked the wind out of me there. I mean, we’re 100 laps into a 400-lap race and to be out already, you talk about a helpless feeling. The guys worked really hard on the Rush Truck Centers/Mobil Delvac 1 Ford, but it just wasn’t meant to be. We’ll get ready for next Wednesday and we’ll be back at it. I’m going to go somewhere and take this thing (mask) off and find somewhere where I can find a cold beer. I’m out of here.”

 

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Alsco Uniforms 500k on Wednesday, May 27 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race starts at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Views: 479
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Kevin Harvick Coca-Cola 600 Race Report from Charlotte

by Mike
Kevin Harvick Coca-Cola 600 Race Report from Charlotte

Date: May 24, 2020

Event: Coca-Cola 600

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

Format: 400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)

Start/Finish: 22nd/6th (Running, completed 405 of 405 laps)

Point Standing: (1st with 289 points, 22 points ahead of Joey Logano)

Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 400-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

 

Race Winner:      Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Winner:  Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 2 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 3 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

 

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100):

● Kevin Harvick started 22nd and finished 14th.

● The No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang was lacking rear grip early in the race while in 22nd-place.

● On lap 24, Harvick brought his car to pit road for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure and chassis adjustment. Came out in 19th place.

● After a rain-delay of more than an hour, Harvick pitted on lap 54 for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. He was 16th.

 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200):

● Harvick started 18th and finished 11th.

● The No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang pitted on lap 102 for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure and chassis adjustment. Crew is taking a big swing at it.

● On lap 153, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment. Was in 13th place.

 

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 201-300):

● Harvick started ninth and finished 19th.

● The No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang came to pit road on lap 205 for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. Car is still lacking rear grip.

● On lap 256, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure and chassis adjustment.

● He did not pit and restarted second late in the stage. However, he fell to 19th.

 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 301-400):

● Harvick started 17th and finished sixth.

● The No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang pitted on lap 303 for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure and chassis adjustment.

● On lap 350, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment. Will restart 12th.

● Harvick pitted on lap 400 for four tires as the race went into overtime.

● On the overtime restart, Harvick moved from 13th to sixth-place, which was the highest he’d been all day.

 

Notes:

●  Brad Keselowski won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his 31st career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his second on the oval at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Jimmie Johnson was .293 of a second.

●  There were eight caution periods for a total of 52 laps.

●  Only 20 of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.

●  Harvick remains the championship leader after the Coca-Cola 600 with a 22-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.

●  Harvick earned his seventh top-10 of the season and his 18th top-10 in 37 career NASCAR Cup Series starts on the oval at Charlotte.

●  Harvick is the only NASCAR Cup Series driver to have finished in the top-10 in every race this season.

●  This was Harvick’s second straight top-10 at Charlotte’s oval. He finished 10th in the last year’s Coca-Cola 600.

●  Harvick has finished outside the top-10 at Charlotte’s oval just twice since joining SHR in 2014.

 

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Alsco Uniforms 500k on Wednesday, May 27 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race starts at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

 

Views: 417
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M&M’S Red, White, and Blue Racing: Kyle Busch Race Recap for the Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte

by Mike
M&M’S Red, White, and Blue Racing: Kyle Busch Race Recap for the Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte

Date: May 24, 2020

Event: Coca-Cola 600 (Round 7 of 36)

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

Format: 400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)

Start/Finish: 11th/5th (Running, completed 405 of 405 laps)

Point Standing: 9th (207 points, 82 behind leader)

Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 400-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

 

Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford) in overtime

Stage 1 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 2 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 3 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

 

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100):

● Kyle Busch started 11th and finished sixth, earning five bonus points.

● The M&M’S Red, White and Blue driver qualified in 11th, but soon after the green flag flew, found he had a very loose racecar.

● Good news for Busch was a competition yellow on lap 20, as he came to pit road for tires and adjustments on lap 22. The M&M’S over-the-wall team did quick work, moving Busch up from 12th to 10th on the ensuing restart.

● Busch held his 10th position when green flag racing resumed, but on lap 48, rain made it to the track and the race was red flagged for over an hour while the track was dried.

● When the race restarted, crew chief Adam Stevens called Busch to pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustment as a strong stop by the M&M’S team vaulted him up to seventh exiting pit road.

● The race restarted on lap 57, and Busch moved up to sixth by lap 79. Busch radioed to Stevens that his M&M’S Red, White, and Blue Camry was a little free on entry and tight off the corner. Busch held the sixth spot and finished stage one in that spot.

 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200):

● Busch started second and finished third, earning eight bonus points.

● Following the end of the stage, Busch came to pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments. Yet again, the M&M’S Red, White, and Blue pit crew had a phenomenal pit stops, gaining four spots on pit road to restart stage 2 in the runner-up spot.

● The Las Vegas native settled into third-place and hung there for most of stage 2, as Busch radioed to Stevens that his car starts the run a little bit free but trends to the tighter side as the run goes on.

● Busch came to pit road to take on four tires, fuel, and adjustments on lap 157.

● The M&M’S Red, White, and Blue driver cycled out in third and ended the stage in that same spot.

 

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 201-300):

● Busch started 19th and finished sixth, earning five bonus points.

● Busch came to pit road following the end of the stage, taking on four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment, gaining one spot on pit road to second. However, Busch was penalized exiting pit road for speeding, sending him to the back of the lead lap in 19th on the lap 208 restart.

● The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion moved up to 15th by lap 275, as he came down pit road on lap 277 for four tires, fuel, and an adjustment to loosen up the M&M’S Red, White, and Blue Camry and restarted 13th on lap 282.

● Busch moved up quickly following the restart, as he made it into the top-10 by lap 285 and all the way up to sixth at the end of the stage.

 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 301-405):

● Busch started fifth and finished fifth.

● Busch came to pit road on lap 303, taking on four tires and fuel, as he gained one spot to restart in the top-five for the restart of the fourth and final stage.

● The M&M’S Red, White, and Blue driver dropped after the restart, as Busch reported that he couldn’t get back to the gas, but he couldn’t quote figure out what happened to the handling of his car, as he dropped to 11th by lap 337.

● When the caution waved on lap 348, Busch came to pit road on lap 350 for four tires and an air pressure adjustment back out from the previous stop. The M&M’S over-the-wall crew is one of the best on pit road, and they showed it yet again, gaining an incredible five spots on pit road to restart sixth on lap 353.

● On the next restart, Busch continued to struggle with the handling of his M&M’S Toyota, falling to eighth by lap 364 as it appeared he was going to end up in eighth as the laps wound down.

● However, a caution waved with two laps to go for a spin by William Byron. Stevens decided to bring Busch to pit road for two tires.

● Busch restarted in ninth, and over the course of the final two laps, gained four spots to secure what looked like an unlikely top-five finish.

 

Notes:

● Busch’s fifth-place finish was his fourth top-five finish of the season in seven starts.

● The top-five finish was Busch’s 14th top-five at Charlotte in 31 career starts at the 1.5-mile oval.

 

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Red, White and Blue Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

 

“During the middle stages of the race, I thought we were really fast. I feel like we had a great M&M’S Red, White, and Blue Camry and ran up front and got back up front from having to go to the back. But we put tires on it and it was never the same after that from about lap 280 or 290 when we put tires on it and it wasn’t the same as it was before that. We were lucky to steal a fifth-place finish out of it today and we’ll have to go back to work and figure out some things to make our stuff better for when we come back on Wednesday and get back after it. I certainly want to give a huge shout out and a huge thanks to all the men and women who have served for our country her on Memorial Day weekend, we appreciate you. Everyone be safe tomorrow and have fun.”

 

Next Up: The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Alsco Uniforms 500k on Wednesday, May 27 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. The race starts at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Views: 450
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Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – Darlington

by Mike
Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – Darlington

eam Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report

Track:                Darlington Raceway

Race:                 Toyota 500

Date:                 May 20, 2020

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No. 2 PIRTEK Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski

Start: 8th

Stage 1: 16th

Stage 2: 14th

Finish: 4th

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 208/208

Laps Led: 7

Point Standings (behind first): 6th (-67)

Notes: 

  • Brad Keselowski scored a fourth-place finish in the rain-shortened Toyota 500 Wednesday evening at Darlington Raceway, for his best finish and second top-five result of the 2020 season. A gusty call by crew chief Jeremy Bullins late in the event, paired with a timely caution flag, gave Keselowski the race lead and propelled him into contention for a win. The driver of the PIRTEK Ford Mustang is now sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings, 67 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.
  • Keselowski started Wednesday’s race eighth and he had his hands full with an ill-handling Mustang throughout Stage 1. He was also squeezed into the wall while racing Ryan Newman on lap 33 but he overcame those struggles to finish 16th when the segment concluded on lap 60. He pitted for wedge and track bar adjustments during the stage caution on lap 63, while the No. 2 crew also made repairs to the right-rear of the Ford Mustang. Keselowski restarted 25th when the race went green on lap 68.
  • During Stage 2, Keselowski gained and lost track position twice following pit stops and he continued to wrestle with the balance on the PIRTEK Mustang. He finished 14th when the stage concluded on lap 125 and he pitted during the stage caution for four tires, plus wedge and air pressure adjustments. Keselowski restarted 16th when the third and final segment began on lap 132.
  • Good fortune smiled on the PIRTEK team during Stage 3. Keselowski climbed his way into the top-10 on lap 166. As a sequence of green flag pit stops began on lap 174, Bullins made the call to keep his driver on the track. Keselowski cycled into the race lead on lap 176 and five laps later the caution flag came out, which gave Keselowski much-needed track position. He made his final stop for four tires during the 10th caution on lap 196 and he restarted eighth when the race went green three laps later. He worked his way through traffic and up to fourth position when Chase Elliott spun on lap 202 to cause the final caution. Moments later, a light rain began to fall and it quickly intensified, soaking the track and ending the race at lap 208.

Quotes: “I thought we were in a really good spot. We had made kind of an aggressive, bold move to stay out on the long run there and it was looking like it was going to pay off.  The yellow came out and we hit pit road and lost a few spots there, which was a bummer, but we cycled back to fourth right when the next caution came out and were in position to have the optimum lane and be behind a car that had older tires.  I was licking my chops, but the rain never gave us a chance. Just part of the way it goes.  We weren’t the fastest car today, but I thought we persisted and put ourselves in a spot to potentially steal a race win with our PIRTEK Mustang and just came up a tiny bit short.”

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No. 12 Menards/Moen Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney

Start: 5th

Stage 1: 3rd

Stage 2: 33rd

Finish: 21st

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 208/208

Laps Led: 0

Point Standings (Behind First): 11h (-90)

  • A strong early start for Ryan Blaney and No. 12 Menards/Moen Ford Mustang was derailed by an unscheduled pit stop in Wednesday night’s Toyota 500 at the Darlington Raceway. Blaney fought to get back on the lead lap before the race was called 20 laps from the finish, which resulted in a 21st-place finish.
  • The field was inverted following Sunday’s 400-mile race Darlington, which gave the High Point, N.C. native the fifth-place starting position. By lap 10, he worked his way up to second after the first round of pit stops on lap 27. After he was eventually passed by Martin Truex Jr. for the runner-up spot, Blaney finished Stage 1 in third place.
  • As stage 2 began, Blaney said the Menards/Moen Ford was on the tight side, especially coming off turn 4. Crew chief Todd Gordon made multiple changes during the opening segment of the race, including air pressure, track bar and tape on the nose of the No. 12 Ford Mustang.
  • Nearing the conclusion of Stage 2, Blaney’s car got loose and made hard contact with the turn 4 wall which caused an unscheduled pit stop for repairs. After Blaney returned to the track he brought home a 33rd-place finish in Stage 2.
  • Blaney and the Menards team continued to battle back and they returned to the lead lap under the final caution of the race on lap 202. Unfortunately, the race never returned to green flag conditions as rain halted the event for good on lap 208.
  • Blaney is now 11th in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings, 90 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.

Quote: “I’m really proud of my No. 12 Menards/Moen team. We made big progress from where we were on Sunday. Unfortunately, I got loose off turn 4 and made contact with the wall. Darlington has been tough on our team today and Sunday, but I’m looking forward to racing in Charlotte this coming Sunday.”

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No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano 

Start:  3rd

Stage 1: 5th

Stage 2: 9th

Finish: 6th

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 208/208

Laps Led: 0

Point Standings (Behind First): 2nd (-34)

     

Notes:

  • Joey Logano started third and finished sixth in Wednesday night’s Toyota 500 at Darlington Raceway in the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang. Logano had a night full of uphill track position battles as multiple early pit stops set the No. 22 back in the running order while the team adjusted the handling of the Shell-Pennzoil Ford. Once the performance of the car improved, Logano marched forward and reached the sixth position in the closing laps before rain brought an end to the race, 20 laps short of its full distance.
  • After starting third, Logano moved to the lead for the first time of the race at Lap 10 and led the race until the competition caution period at lap 25. Throughout the opening run, Logano battled a tight-handling condition, which prompted crew chief Paul Wolfe to make air pressure and track bar adjustments on the first stop of the race. Unfortunately, the combination of the adjustments and the changing track conditions made the No. 22 Ford too loose on the second run of the race as Logano finished fifth at the end of the first stage.
  • Logano started the second stage from the ninth position but was shuffled back to 13th after fighting the losing battle of the inside restart line. The team elected to pit again when the caution flag was displayed five laps into the run. The team restarted 22nd and rallied forward to 15th with 20 laps remaining in the second stage before the caution flag was displayed again.
  • Through the second stage, Logano battled track position and dirty air, but was able to advance inside the top-10 to the ninth position before the stage concluded. During the final stage, Logano reported the balance on the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang was neutral and the team just needed to gain track position.
  • With 34 laps remaining, the caution flag was displayed for the 10th time, prompting the Shell-Pennzoil crew to return to pit road for four tires and a slight adjustment to its setup for a run to the finish. Logano was able to rally to the sixth position before a caution flag was displayed for an accident. Unfortunately, rain moved in over Darlington Raceway and brought an early end to Wednesday night’s race.

 

Quote: “Hard fought, blue collar night for us. A lot of the race came down to where you placed yourself. You needed the outside lane on restarts. A lot of it came down to strategy. We only had one long green flag run all day, which isn’t normal. Wish we’d have had one more restart in the Shell-Pennzoil Ford at the end.”

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Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway

by Mike
Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report

Track:                Darlington Raceway

Race:                 The Real Heroes 400

Date:                 May 17, 2020

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No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski

Start:  1st

Stage 1: 5th

Stage 2: 1st

Finish: 13th

Status:  Running

Laps Completed: 293/293

Laps Led: 80

Point Standings (behind first): 5th (-60)

Notes: 

  • Brad Keselowski did a lot of good things in The Real Heroes 400 Sunday afternoon at Darlington Raceway, NASCAR’s first race in more than 70 days during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The driver of the Discount Tire Ford Mustang led 80 laps and won Stage 2, his second stage victory of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. But towards the end of the 293-lap, 400-mile event, Keselowski fell outside the top-10, landing in 13th-position at the checkered flag. With the finish, he jumps up to fifth-place in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings, a gain of five positions.
  • Keselowski drew the pole for the Darlington event and led the first 44 laps of the race. He overcame a loose-handling condition to score a fifth-place finish when Stage 1 concluded on lap 90. He pitted for four tires and air pressure adjustments during the stage caution on lap 93 and restarted sixth when the race went green.
  • Two excellent pit stops by the Discount Tire team put Keselowski in contention to win Stage 2. Keselowski was running seventh when the sixth caution flag came out on lap 156. He pitted one lap later for four tires and lightning-fast service by the 2 Crew gave him second position for the restart on lap 160. The seventh caution on lap 174 set up another round of stops and once again the team made a fast stop, this time giving Keselowski the lead on lap 176. The driver did his part on the track, holding the lead for the next 10 laps to score the stage win when the segment concluded on lap 185.
  • The final stage brought a disappointing turn of events for the team. Keselowski grabbed the lead on lap 193 and held the top spot until lap 215. But over the final 79 laps, the No. 2 Ford Mustang steadily became more of a handful for Keselowski. As the Discount Tire Ford became more loose and Keselowski lost rear grip on the car, he couldn’t maintain position inside the top-10, and he took the checkered flag in 13th place when the race concluded on lap 293.

 

Quotes: “We had an up and down day with our Discount Tire Ford and it finished on a down note after we lost the handling at the end. It was nice to be leading for quite a while. It felt like with 100 laps to go we were going to win. I came off of pit road second and I don’t know if I just lost the clean air or what it was, but it just went completely away, and we fell back. We ended up finishing 13th which was a major bummer, but it is what it is. It is nice to be back and get the opportunity to race.”

________________________________________________

 

No. 12 Menards/Duracell Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney

Start: 7th

Stage 1: 18th

Stage 2: 13th

Finish: 16th

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 293/293

Laps Led: 0

Point Standings (Behind First): 8th (-74)

  • Ryan Blaney battled an ill-handling Menards/Duracell Ford Mustang throughout The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina.
  • The field was set per random draw, which gave the High Point, N.C. native the seventh-place starting position. Within the first 20 laps Blaney fell outside the top-10 and, unfortunately, that’s where he would stay for most of the afternoon.
  • For much of the race, Blaney said the Menards/Duracell Ford was tight and lacked front grip. Crew chief Todd Gordon made multiple changes during the opening segment of the race, including air pressure, wedge and track bar adjustments. Blaney was credited with an 18th-place finish when the stage ended on lap 90.
  • Stage 2 saw the Menards/Duracell Ford continue to be on the tight side. The seventh caution on lap 174 and subsequent 10-lap run on fresh tires saw Blaney come home with a 13th-place finish when the stage ended on lap 185.
  • Blaney and the Menards team began to overcome their handling woes in the third and final stage – it just happened a little too late to make a run for the win. After falling back to 21st, the team improved the balance of the Menards/Duracell Ford and Blaney rallied through the field to score a 16th-place finish.
  • Blaney is now eighth in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings, 74 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.

Quote: “It was great to be back at the track today. We struggled with the balance of our Menards/Duracell Ford. We were too tight to start and finally got the car to the loose side by the end of the race. Darlington has been a challenge in the past and we’ll regroup and get ready to go racing again on Wednesday night.”

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No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano 

Start:  9th

Stage 1: 11th

Stage 2: 8th

Finish: 18th

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 293/293

Laps Led: 0

Point Standings (Behind First): 3rd (-33)

     

Notes:

  • A loose wheel cost Joey Logano and Shell-Pennzoil team valuable track position in the final stage of The Real Heroes 400 Sunday afternoon at Darlington Raceway, robbing the team of a potential top-10 finish. Logano was credited with an 18th-place result and is now third in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings, 33 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.
  • Logano started ninth and struggled early during the first 30 lap run as he slipped back to the 16th position fighting an extremely tight Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang. Under the competition caution on lap 32, the team pitted twice, making multiple chassis adjustments to help Logano around the tricky Darlington Raceway. Logano wrestled a tight condition from then until Stage 1 ended on lap 90, as he scored a 12th-place finish. On the stop during the stage caution, the team made chassis and air pressure changes to the Shell-Pennzoil Ford, and sent Logano back to the track in ninth position.
  • Logano restarted the second stage in the bottom lane, a disadvantage that cost him a few positions. Two cautions early in the segment gave Logano and the Shell-Pennzoil team the opportunity to pit for adjustments. Logano restarted 10th but powered to the sixth position on the restart. Midway through Stage 2 Logano reported his Ford Mustang was really good in Turns 3 and 4 and he finished eighth when the stage concluded on lap 185.
  • Unfortunately, the No. 22 Ford had a loose wheel in the early laps of the third and final stage, which forced Logano to pit road – just as the ninth caution was displayed on lap 213. The sequence of events dropped Logano back to 24th position. He rallied back to the 16th before the 10th and final caution on lap 254 brought the field to pit road.
  • Good work by the Shell-Pennzoil crew on the final stop gained Logano three positions, as he moved up to 13th for the restart on lap 259. Over the final 34 laps, the track took another major swing to the tight side as Logano shuffled back to 18th position at the checkered flag.

 

Quote: “We were way off on the handling when we started. Our Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang was just too tight. Paul (Wolfe) and the guys made some really good adjustments on it and we got inside the top-10. Unfortunately, the loose wheel, not really sure what caused it, but we’ll look into it and figure it out. Towards the end of the race just lost the handling again. We’ll come back on Wednesday and start third and try to build on what we learned today. This was a big day for our sport getting back on track and thankful for all the fans who tuned in to FOX.”

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