charlotte motor

Christopher Bell – No. 95 JBL Toyota Camry Preview – Bristol Motor Speedway

by Mike
Christopher Bell – No. 95 JBL Toyota Camry Preview – Bristol Motor Speedway

No. 95 JBL Toyota Camry News and Notes:

  • Bell at Bristol: Christopher Bell has four NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) starts at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) including one win a year ago in the spring race.  In addition to the victory, Bell has two top-five and two top-10 finishes in his four starts and has led 110 laps.  Bell also has three NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series (NGOTS) starts at the 0.533-mile speedway, earning one pole and two top-10 finishes.
  • Season Refresh: In the last four races Bell has increased his average finish to 16.2, over 13 positions higher than the start of the 2020 season.
  • On the Hood: JBL will be featured on the No. 95 at Bristol.  Bell and JBL have a winning history in the NGOTS, including a Championship in 2017.  For more information on JBL visit: www.jbl.com
  • Charlotte Recap: Bell had a fast No. 95 Toyota Camry Thursday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, running consistently in the top 10 for most of the first two stages.  A slow pit-stop marred him back in track and the handling shifted to tight.  Despite the handling, Bell was able to salvage a lead-lap 21st-place finish.
  • RACE INFO: The Food City presents the Supermarket Heroes 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 31, 2020. The race will be broadcast live on FS1, Sirius XM 90, and PRN Radio.

 

From the Cockpit:

Christopher Bell: “Bristol is one of my favorite tracks and I’m really anxious to get there this year.  The biggest transition for me going from Xfinity to Cup has been the rules package with the Cup car.  The rules package between the Xfinity cars and the Cup cars has been totally different, but now this year on the short tracks, we have a rules packages that is almost identical to what I raced in Xfinity.  At Phoenix it was really rewarding to get to drive this package, so going to Bristol with a rules package that is really similar to what I’ve been driving has the recipe to be a really good weekend for us.  We still have to be on our game, but it’s going to be a great race.”

 

Bell’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats at Bristol Motor Speedway:

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
412201105.211.5

 

Bell’s 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats:

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
80010019.422.6

 

Bell’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
741641461229206.410.2

About Leavine Family Racing

Leavine Family Racing is an organization competing in the NASCAR Cup Series focused on growing competitively and providing results-driven partnerships for its sponsors. The single-car team was founded in 2011 by Bob and Sharon Leavine, two individuals who are passionate about NASCAR and started the team to make a positive impact on the sport and community. Christopher Bell will pilot the No. 95 Toyota Camry for the team starting with the 2020 season. In alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota Racing Development, the team operates out of their Concord, N.C.-based race shop with a veteran group of racing personnel driven by their desire for progress. For more information, please visit www.LFR95.com.

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Martin Truex Jr. ­– No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota Camry Preview – Food City Presents Supermarket Heroes 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway

by Mike
Martin Truex Jr. ­– No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota Camry Preview – Food City Presents Supermarket Heroes 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway

No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota Camry News and Notes

  • TRUEX AT BRISTOL: Martin Truex Jr. has earned two top-five finishes and three top-10s in NASCAR Cup Series competition at Bristol Motor Speedway. Most recently, Truex matched his career-best starting position (third) and led 52 laps when the Cup Series visited the ‘World’s Fastest Half-Mile’ last August. He posted finishes of 17th and 13th in two starts at Bristol in 2019 despite running in the top five during both events.
  • CHARLOTTE RECAP: Truex claimed a pair of top-10 finishes in two starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway earlier this week. In the Coca-Cola 600, he ran inside the top five throughout the race before ultimately finishing sixth. On Thursday night, Truex battled a loose handling condition throughout the race and ran as low as 28th before mounting a late charge to finish ninth.
  • BREAKTHROUGH MOMENT: In March 2004, Bristol Motor Speedway played host to Truex’s first NASCAR national series victory when he won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race. He led a race-high 134 laps that afternoon and fended off Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch for the first of six victories during his 2004 Xfinity Series championship season.
  • SINCE THE RETURN TO RACING: The No. 19 team is tied for the most points scored since NASCAR’s return to racing on May 17. Counting the two Darlington races and a pair of events at Charlotte, Truex and overall points leader Kevin Harvick have each earned 167 points. Over that stretch, Truex jumped from 15th to seventh in the series standings.
  • STRONG IN THE STAGES: Through eight races, Truex ranks second in stage points. His 92 stage points trail only Alex Bowman in that category.
  • NASCAR LOOP DATA: According to NASCAR’s Loop Data, Truex ranks seventh or better in multiple categories. He leads all drivers as being the fastest on restarts. The No. 19 driver is also fourth in fastest laps run and percentage of laps run on the lead lap. Additionally, he is fifth in fastest drivers early in a run and sixth in average running position, green flag speed, laps in the top 15, laps led and speed by segment. Truex currently has the seventh-best driver rating.
  • AUTO-OWNERS: Sunday marks the first race this season that Auto-Owners Insurance will be featured as primary sponsor of Truex’s No. 19 Camry. The Lansing, Michigan-based company offers multiple lines of insurance, including life, home, auto and business to customers in 26 states. In their first season with Joe Gibbs Racing, Auto-Owners was on board for monumental moments like Truex’s first victory for the team at Richmond in April, his 500th career start at Michigan in August and the No. 19 team’s dominant Martinsville win that propelled them to a Championship 4 appearance.
  • JGR AT BRISTOL: Joe Gibbs Racing owns 13 NASCAR Cup Series victories at Bristol Motor Speedway, including both races last season and four of the past five overall. In 138 combined starts, the organization has amassed 34 top-five finishes, 52 top-10s, 11 pole awards and 5,833 laps led the .533-mile concrete oval. Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart have each raced JGR entries to victory lane at Bristol.
  • TUNE IN: Coverage of this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway begins Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, PRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

 

Martin Truex Jr., Driver of the No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota Camry

Talk about going to Bristol on Sunday and racing with no practice…

“Bristol is always wild, so you go in there expecting anything can and probably will happen. Going there without practice and running the low downforce package will be exciting and a challenge for everyone for sure. I feel like we’ve actually ran pretty well there the last few times and just crazy stuff happens to knock us out of contention. We just need to be able to put a full race together without any mistakes. If we can do that, I feel good about our chances to have a solid day.”

Truex NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Bristol Motor Speedway

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
28023028216.020.6

Truex 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
8004011815.016.1

Truex NASCAR Cup Series Career Stats

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
52126102209199,02414.415.7

About Auto-Owners Insurance

Established in 1916 and headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, Auto-Owners Insurance Group is the 15th-largest property/casualty insurance group in the nation, based on written premium of over $7.4 billion. The company also ranks 375th on the Fortune 500 list. Auto-Owners is one of nine insurance carrier groups in the U.S. to receive the highest rating possible, A++ Superior, by A.M. Best, which is a nationally recognized rating agency for insurance companies. Auto-Owners offers auto, home, business and life insurance through more than 44,000 licensed independent agents in its 26 operating states. Auto-Owners owns Atlantic Casualty Insurance Company which sells excess and surplus lines polices in 49 states and is affiliated with Concord General Mutual which sells property & casualty products in four states. Auto-Owners employs over 5,000 associates nationwide. Find your agent at auto-owners.com, and connect with Auto-Owners Insurance on Facebook and Twitter (@AutoOwnersIns).

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Harrison Burton/ No. 20 DEX Imaging/FIELDS Toyota Supra Preview- Bristol Motor Speedway

by Mike
Harrison Burton/ No. 20 DEX Imaging/FIELDS Toyota Supra Preview- Bristol Motor Speedway

No. 20 DEX Imaging/ FIELDS Toyota Supra News and Notes:

  • Last Great Coliseum: Harrison Burton and the NASCAR Xfinity Series return to the track Monday night at Bristol Motor Speedway for the Cheddar’s 300 and race number seven of the 2020 season. Despite being a rookie this season, Burton does have one NASCAR Xfinity Series start under his belt at the half-mile oval, starting fifth and finishing 10th in his DEX Imaging Supra last April. Monday will also serve as the first qualifying race for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash Program.
  • Racing for Military Heroes: During the race Monday night, Xfinity will salute a variety of military veteran frontline employees for their efforts in response to the COVID-19 crisis, including 23 employees across the company that are actively serving on the frontlines in the National Guard and reserve to keep communities safe and connected. The DEX Imaging/FIELDS Toyota Supra will carry the name of Johnathan Bogle on their windshield. Mr. Bogle works for Xfinity and is actively serving in response to the Covid-19 pandemic in the Army National Guard in Louisiana.
  • Charlotte Recap: Harrison Burton collected his sixth top-10 finish in as many races on Monday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Burton was a mainstay inside the top 10 for most of the race and crossed the finish line in ninth following a multitude of cautions to the end race. With his finish Monday night, Burton currently sits fourth in the Xfinity Series driver standings and continues to hold a commanding lead in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year battle.
  • JGR at Bristol: In combined 99 Xfinity Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, JGR has earned 13 wins, 32 top-five finishes, 47 top-10s and 10 pole starting positions. The team has led 3,177 laps, with an average start of 11.2 and an average finish of 14.5.
  • Welcome FIELDS: For the first time this season, FIELDS will adorn the hood of the No. 20 Toyota Supra this season. FIELDS is an award-winning sports general contractor whose projects include natural grass and synthetic turf sports field construction for professional sports teams, universities, and municipalities. Headed by principals with a combined 100+ years of industry experience, expertise and creativity is applied to every project that’s undertaken. FIELDS is part of the Sports Fields Inc. family of companies which also includes FIELDS Maintenance, The Sports Force and Sports Force Parks. Learn more at www.fields-inc.com.
  • DEX IMAGING: DEX Imaging returns as a full-time sponsor of Burton and the No. 20 team this season. DEX Imaging is the digital document imaging division of Staples, the world’s largest business solutions provider. DEX sells and services the broadest selection of copiers, printers and data management solutions in the industry, such as Konica Minolta, Canon, Kyocera and HP. What makes DEX unique is its people, whose combined knowledge of cutting-edge business technologies and depth of service experience is unmatched. DEX Imaging’s success is directly tied to its mission: to help customers of all sizes drive down document-related expenses while improving productivity.
  • RACE INFO: The Cheddar’s 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway is scheduled for Monday, June 1st, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Watch and listen live on FoxSports 1, Sirius XM Channel 90 and PRN Radio.

 

Burton’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats at Bristol Motor Speedway:

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
1001005.010.0

 

Burton’s 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
61460496.54.7

 

Burton’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
1515110498.111.9

 

From the Cockpit:

Harrison Burton:

You are heading back to the track you made you Xfinity Series debut – Bristol Motor Speedway. What have you learned since your debut?

“I’ve learned a lot. We had a good car last time we were at Bristol. A really fast race car – we made good moves towards the front. We were running top five and had some damage that held us back for the rest of the race after that. That was a good experience to have for me to be able to run there, get some laps. It will be nice to be able to go somewhere I know what to expect instead of going somewhere I’ve never been in Xfinity with no practice. Hopefully, we will get a better qualifying draw for there too. We will see what happens. I’m just excited to go racing again. It’s been so nice to be able to focus on racing and get back in the swing of things. Hopefully, we can put the Supra back in Victory Lane.”

About DEX IMAGING:

DEX Imaging is the digital document imaging division of Staples, the world’s largest business solutions provider. DEX sells and services the broadest selection of copiers, printers and data management solutions in the industry, such as Konica Minolta, Canon, Kyocera and HP. What makes DEX unique is its people, whose combined knowledge of cutting-edge business technologies and depth of service experience is unmatched. DEX Imaging’s success is directly tied to its mission: to help customers of all sizes drive down document-related expenses while improving productivity.

About FIELDS

FIELDS is an award-winning sports general contractor whose projects include natural grass and synthetic turf sports field construction for professional sports teams, universities and municipalities. Headed by principals with a combined 100+ years of industry experience, expertise and creativity is applied to every project that’s undertaken. FIELDS is part of the Sports Fields Inc. family of companies which also includes FIELDS Maintenance, The Sports Force and Sports Force Parks. Learn more at www.fields-inc.com.

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Brandon Jones – No. 19 Menards/Pelonis Toyota Supra Race Advance – Bristol Motor Speedway (NXS)

by Mike
Brandon Jones – No. 19 Menards/Pelonis Toyota Supra Race Advance – Bristol Motor Speedway (NXS)

No. 19 Menards / PELONIS Toyota Supra News and Notes:

  • NASCAR UPDATE:  Due to travel and setup challenges, NASCAR announced that the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Cheddar’s 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway has been moved to Monday, June 1 at 7 p.m. ET.

  • IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Jones and the 19 Menards/Pelonis team head to the last great colosseum, Bristol Motor Speedway. This will be Jones’ 10th NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) career-start on the 0.533-mile high-banked concrete oval. Jones is locked into the playoffs. He is coming off a strong run at Charlotte and Bristol is one of his strongest tracks. The team has had a couple of tough finishes in the first two races after the 10 week hiatus, but they have had a very strong Toyota Supra and they are focused on getting back to their early season form and are very motivated, confident and are focused on getting back in victory lane.  Bristol is the perfect track to make it happen.

  • XFINITY TO  SALUTE EMPLOYEE HEROS: On Monday, June 1 during the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Xfinity will salute a variety of military veteran frontline employees for their efforts in response to the crisis, including 23 employees across the company that are actively serving on the frontlines in the National Guard and reserve to keep communities safe and connected. These employee names will replace the Xfinity logo that typically adorns the windshield headers of each race car and be featured in a special patriotic red, white and blue design that showcases the support Xfinity provides to military veteran employees that are holding true to the company’s core service values.

  • “Our 19 team is honored to have Freddy Canales riding along with us at Bristol,” stated Brandon Jones. “He works for Xfinity and is actively serving in response to the pandemic through the Army National Guard.”

  • JGR AT BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY: JGR has 99 total starts at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NXS, earning 13 wins, 32 top-five finishes, 47 top-10 finishes and 10 pole-starting positions. The team has led 3,177 laps and earned an average start of 11.2 and an average finish of 14.5.

  • RACE INFO: Cheddar’s 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway (.533-mile) begins at 7:00 p.m.ET on Monday, June 1, 2020.  The race will be broadcast live on FS1, SiriusXM Channel 90 and PRN Radio.

 

 

Jones’ Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats at Bristol Motor Speedway:

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
9002013610.114.8

 

Jones’ 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
61231975.714.7

 

Jones’ Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
14321153343712.615.8

 

 

From the Cockpit:

Brandon Jones: “We had a very strong Toyota at Charlotte Motor Speedway this past Monday. We certainly had a winning car but unfortunately were presented with a few challenges that prevented us from having the strong finish we were capable of having. Now it’s time to respond with a strong showing this weekend at Bristol.  I am really looking forward to racing on one of my favorite tracks.  It’s a unique short track with a concrete surface and very steep banking that can reach high speeds.  Bristol is one of my best tracks where I have a lot of confidence and have led several laps there, with multiple close wins.  I have had this race circled on my calendar all year. As drivers we are constantly weaving in and out to avoid lap traffic and competitors which I know makes for a good race to watch for fans. The track is constantly changing as rubber builds up. Lines will be alternating and trying to be the first to figure out which lane is the fastest will be a challenge; but a challenge we are highly capable of. Our team keeps bringing fast cars and everyone on the team is working extremely hard.  There is no better track to be going to this weekend and our Menards team is very motivated.

TRD has done a great job recreating the track on their simulator all the way down to the traction compound that gets put down on the surface. This week I put in another great amount of work and effort between the simulator, training and getting myself prepared for Bristol. Our No. 19 team will have Menards and Pelonis back on our Supra. We are focused on giving it a fight and getting our team back in victory lane to give Menards the strong finish that they deserve.”

About Menards:  A family owned company started in 1958, Menards is headquartered in Eau Claire, WI.  Menards has more than 300 retail stores located throughout the Midwest in the states of IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI and WY.  Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader.  It’s famous slogan “Save Big Money at Menards” is widely known and easy to remember.  For more information, visit Menards.com, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.

Views: 474
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DiBenedetto Finishes 15th at Charlotte

by Mike
DiBenedetto Finishes 15th at Charlotte

After a promising start to Thursday’s Alsco Uniforms 500-kilometer Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/Richmond team struggled with a loose handing condition for the remainder of the race and wound up with a 15th-place finish.

DiBenedetto started fourth when the line-up was set using a modified inversion of the finish of Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, where he finished 17th.

On the start of Thursday’s 208-lap race, he pushed pole-sitter William Byron into the lead going into Turns One and Two then passed him for the lead down the backstretch.

He led the next nine laps then retook the top spot on the 11th lap for a total of 10 laps led. It was the second-straight race he’s been out front, the first being the six circuits he led in the Coca-Cola 600.

After losing the top spot DiBenedetto continued to keep pace with the front-runners and ended the first 55-lap Stage in third place, collecting eight Stage points.

But from then on to the finish, the loose handling conditions persisted, hampering his progress in a race that ended with a 59-lap green-flag run to the finish.

“The car got really loose, and with it being a short race we never really got a handle on it,” DiBenedetto said. “We worked on the car, but it just wasn’t responding to the adjustments we made.

“But it was good to lead the race, and the Stage points helped make our day not too bad. They saved us a little.”

DiBenedetto remains 11th in the Cup Series standings as and the No. 21 team head to Bristol Motor Speedway, one of his best tracks and where he finished second last fall driving for another team.

“I’m ready to go to a short track and get away from these mile-and-a-half tracks for a weekend,” he said.

Sunday’s Food City presents the Supermarket Heroes 500, for which there will be no practice or qualifying, is set to start just after 3:30 p.m. with TV coverage on FOX Sports One.
###

Menards

A family owned company started in 1958, Menards is headquartered in Eau Claire, WI.  Menards has more than 300 retail stores located throughout the Midwest in the states of IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI and WY.  Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader.  It’s famous slogan “Save Big Money at Menards” is widely known and easy to remember.  For more information, visit Menards.com, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.

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.

Views: 477
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Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – Charlotte II

by Mike
Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – Charlotte II

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report

Track:                Charlotte Motor Speedway

Race:                 Alsco Uniforms 500

Date:                 May 28, 2020

____________________________________

No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski

Start: 20th

Stage 1: 25th

Stage 2: 27th

Finish: 7th

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 208/208

Laps Led: 0

Point Standings (behind first): 5th (-66)

Notes: 

  • Brad Keselowski overcame early right-front damage to the No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang resulting from a cut tire to score a “Keselowski-esque” seventh-place finish in Thursday night’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
  • By virtue of winning the Coca-Cola 600 last Sunday, Keselowski was rewarded with the 20th starting position following the series invert. While in the middle of the pack at the start of the race, the 2012 Cup Series champion made contact with another competitor that resulted in a cut tire and contact with the outside wall just before a red flag was displayed for inclement weather at lap 30.
  • After making repairs and restarting from his lowest-running position of 36th, Keselowski and crew chief Jeremy Bullins methodically worked their way through the field, eventually entering the top 10 by electing to stay out under a lap-74 caution period in Stage 2.
  • Unfortunately, the handling deteriorated during the second stage and Keselowski fell back through the field to the 27th position at stage end. He radioed to Bullins that more repairs were needed to the right side of his Discount Tire Ford.
  • With the repairs made prior to the start of the final stage, Keselowski was prepared to gash his way through the field. Few cars had better speed in the final stage, and thanks to a great pit stop by the No. 2 crew on a lap 44 caution, Keselowski made it back inside the top 10 by lap 150. He would remain there the rest of the way, eventually crossing the finish line in the seventh position for his sixth top-10 finish of the 2020 season. He remains fifth in the Championship point standings, 66 points behind the leader Kevin Harvick.

Quote: “Compared to Sunday’s race, the feeling I have after this one is like I played only half of a game instead of the full game. I also like this format a lot. We should have longer races on the weekend and shorter races – minus the weather delay – during the week. No practice and no qualifying, inverting the field from the week before provides some compelling storylines. I think NASCAR has struck gold with this format and I hope they keep it for years to come.”

____________________________________

No. 12 BODYARMOR Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney

Start: 18th

Stage 1: 2nd

Stage 2: 2nd

Finish: 3rd

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 208/208

Laps Led: 0

Point Standings (Behind First): 6th (-67)

  • Ryan Blaney capped off a strong night with a third-place finish in Thursday night’s 500k NASCAR Cup Series event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in No. 12 BODYARMOR Ford Mustang. This was the High Point, NC native’s second-consecutive third-place finish, including last Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.
  • Blaney started 18th and within the first 20 laps of the race worked his way up to 11th. During a lap-20 competition caution, Blaney and crew chief Todd Gordon opted to stay out for track position. Following a short delay for inclement weather, Blaney would fall back to third but managed to work his way back to second before the conclusion of Stage 1.
  • From there, Blaney would be a constant fixture inside the top-five. After briefly falling back, Blaney would work his way around teammate Joey Logano for second position on lap 90 and hold on to second when Stage 2 came to a close. Under the stage break, Blaney pitted for four tires and a slight air pressure adjustment.
  • The No. 12 team would begin the final stage from the fifth position following another round of pit stops. Blaney made short work to the front and drove the BODARMOR Ford up to second by lap 140.
  • After restarting fourth, he would work his way to the runner-up position behind leader and eventual race winner, Chase Elliott. Try as he might, Blaney was not able to catch Elliott and lost the second spot on the final lap to come home in the third position.  Blaney is now sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings, 67 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.

Quote: “We got to second and the No. 4 (Kevin Harvick) was really fast getting going and the No. 9 got by me. I kind of thought I was equal with him when we were both running the No. 4 down and I just got tight. I was a little bit free all night and we tightened it up just a touch for that last run, and it was the longest run we had, and we just kind of burned the right-front tire off of it and couldn’t stay with the No. 9 there late in the run, and then the 11 (Denny Hamlin) got by me. Overall, not a bad day for our BODYARMOR Ford Mustang. We had two solid races here at Charlotte. We just need to find a little bit more speed, but we are right there. I’m really proud of this team.”

____________________________________

No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano 

Start:  8th

Stage 1: 1st – Second stage win of 2020

Stage 2: 3rd

Finish: 6th

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 208/208

Laps Led: 42

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

     

Notes:

  • Joey Logano started eighth and finished sixth in Thursday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was a strong effort for Logano, who led 42 laps on the night and won Stage 1, his second stage win of the season. Logano maintained position inside the top-10 throughout the race with considerable time spent in the top-five, ultimately battling a tight handling Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang in the closing laps and finishing sixth.
  • On the initial start of the race, Logano charged to fourth before the caution flag was displayed on the opening lap. When the race resumed, Logano reported the Shell-Pennzoil Mustang was slightly tight in the top-groove. With teams electing to pit at the competition caution, crew chief Paul Wolfe elected to leave Logano on the track to claim the lead. After a 75-minute stoppage due to rain, Logano maintained the lead as the race resumed and went on to win his second stage in the last two races.
  • Logano would lead the field to green to begin Stage 2, but fell to third before a lap-73 caution flag. Logano reported he was a little tight and only needed a small adjustment, but was lacking overall straightaway speed. Logano maintained the third position until the completion of Stage 2 while battling a vibration he described as a “five out of 10.”
  • At the beginning of the final stage, Logano settled into the fifth position before moving up to fourth when the No. 88 had to make an unscheduled stop. Logano remained too tight over the long run to the checkered flag, ultimately bringing the Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang home in the sixth position.

 

Quote: “We had a good-to-okay day. We were able to get some track position early and win the stage. A couple of restarts really set me back some and then it was pretty tough to pass once we got running. The track wasn’t really wide enough to be able to make a lot of gains on the long run, unless another car was really falling off drastically.”

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Chevy’s Chase Elliott Victorious At Rain-Delayed Charlotte NASCAR COVID-19 Race

by Mike
Chevy’s Chase Elliott Victorious At Rain-Delayed Charlotte NASCAR COVID-19 Race

Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, celebrates his victory Thursday, May 28, 2020 during the rain-delayed NASCAR Cup Series Alsco Uniforms 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. This is the second NASCAR Cup Series race within a few days at an empty Charlotte Speedway, during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo for Chevy Racing by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

 

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RCR Post Race Report – Alsco Uniforms 500

by Mike
RCR Post Race Report – Alsco Uniforms 500
Austin Dillon and The No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road/E-Z-GO Chevrolet Team Cap Off Strong Charlotte Motor Speedway Run with Top-10 Finish

8th
 7th
   15th
“We finished eighth in the Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road/E-Z-GO Chevrolet. A top-10 finish is what we deserved in both this race, and in the Coca-Cola 600 this past Sunday. It’s crazy. We’ve run 900 miles at Charlotte Motor Speedway over the past few days and we were an eighth-place car for all of it. We had spurts where we were really fast – top five at times. Justin Alexander, the pit crew, my spotter Brandon, everybody did a great job. It was fun. I had fun on the restarts, and we were able to pick up some Stage points. We were just a little too free tonight. It was good on the long runs because it was free, but during the first 10 laps if you didn’t get going you would lose a couple of spots.  We needed a little better take off speed. We’ll keep working. Bristol Motor Speedway is next. I’m loving it. A lot of miles in a short period of time.”
-Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick Forges to 14th-Place Finish with Okuma Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway

14th
 13th
   17th
“Man, what an up and down night for our No. 8 Okuma Chevrolet team. We worked hard and we were able to grab a top-15 finish. The biggest challenge was managing the balance tonight. For the first two stages of the race, we were too tight on entry and exit of the turns and way too loose in the middle. It made it really hard to trust the car as we went into the corners of the track. The adjustment my Richard Childress Racing team made during the final stop of the race was the best one of the night and allowed me to race up through the field and into the top 15. We just lacked some long run speed tonight to stay up there and battle within the top 10. That’s something we’ll go back and look at to improve on for future intermediate tracks. It’s been fun racing in our backyard of Charlotte over the past week, but I’m looking forward to moving on to Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday.”
-Tyler Reddick
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John Hunter Nemechek Earns “Rookie of the Race” Title at Charlotte

by Mike
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway, 1.5 Mile Oval
Race: 8 of 38
Event: Alsco Uniforms 500 (312 miles, 208 laps)
John Hunter Nemechek
No. 38 Scag Power Equipment Ford Mustang
Started: 5th
Finished: 13th
  • Stage One: 24th
  • Stage Two: 8th
  • Stage Three: 13th
  • A top-20 finish in Sunday’s race and an invert to start Thursday’s event saw John Hunter Nemechek take the green flag in 5th place for the “Alsco Uniforms 500.” Not long after, he radioed an issue with a part coming loose on his No. 38 Scag Power Equipment Ford Mustang. He pitted during the Competition Caution on Lap 20 to take 4 tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment, in addition to having the crew fix the loose part. Lightning was reported in the area shortly afterwards and the race came to a red flag pause for just over an hour. Once the cars refired, Nemechek indicated his car’s handling was still tight, finishing Stage 1 in the 24th position.
  • Stage 2 started off tight for Nemechek’s Scag Power Equipment machine. The crew made some adjustments to the track bar and Nemechek fought his way up into the top 10 towards the end of the stage. He would pass fellow Sunoco Rookie-of-the-Year Contender Christopher Bell to finish P8 in Stage 2, earning stage points for the first time this season.
  • An issue on pit road took Nemechek out of the top 10 to start the final stage. He noted over the radio that the track had gotten freer as the night progressed and his No. 38 Ford needed to tighten up a tick. The Scag Power Equipment crew made some slight air pressure adjustments in later pit stops, and Nemechek continued to find speed on track. He would cross the finish line in 13th place and earn the Sunoco Rookie of the Race award.
Nemechek on Charlotte:
  • “Overall, it was a solid night for our No. 38 Scag Power Equipment Ford Mustang. I’m worn out… It was a hard-fought night. We had to overcome a couple of mistakes and we weren’t great in traffic, but we never gave up. Seth [Barbour] and the crew did a really good job of tuning her up and making improvements so we could find some speed. We were able to bring home another top-15 finish for our Front Row Motorsports team. Thank you to our partners at Scag for your support and coming on board with us. I’m looking forward to heading to Bristol on Sunday.”
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Michael McDowell Post Race Report: Charlotte – Alsco Uniforms 500

by Mike
Michael McDowell Post Race Report: Charlotte – Alsco Uniforms 500
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway, 1.5 Mile Oval
Race: 8 of 38
Event: Alsco Uniforms 500 (312 miles, 208 laps)
Michael McDowell
No. 34 CarParts.com Ford Mustang
Started: 3rd
Finished: 25th
  • Stage One: 13th
  • Stage Two: 25th
  • Stage Three: 25th
  • Michael McDowell and his No. 34 CarParts.com Ford Mustang took Thursday’s rain delayed “Alsco Uniforms 500” from the 3rd position. The CarParts.com Ford ran strong inside of the top-10 for nearly all of Stage 1 before McDowell noted that his race car began to tighten up on entry into the corners. McDowell would go on to finish Stage 1 in the 13th position. Under the Stage 1 caution, Crew Chief Drew Blickensderfer made the call for 4 tires plus an air pressure and wedge adjustment.
  • During Stage 2, McDowell ran competitively inside of the top-20 through the first half of the stage before once again mentioning that his No. 34 CarParts.com Ford Mustang had a tough time on entry into the corners and would finish Stage 2 from the 25th position. On pit road, the No. 34 team did a good job of hustling to change 4 tires, add fuel and grille tape, and make both packer and spring rubber adjustments.
  • Taking the green flag in Stage 3, Michael McDowell continued to battle a tight No. 34 CarParts.com Ford Mustang. Again, Drew Blickensderfer and the No. 34 team did a nice job of making multiple adjustments on pit road to try and better their race car. Unfortunately, McDowell ran out of time to make a charge towards the front, taking the checkered flag 25th at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
McDowell on Charlotte:
  • “It was an up and down night at Charlotte Motor Speedway for our No. 34 CarParts.com Ford Mustang. We fired off extremely well and ran competitively inside of the top-10 for the majority of Stage 1. However as daylight faded and the track temperature began to change, our race car started to tighten up on entry into the corners, making it tough to carry speed through the turns; something we battled all night long. Drew and my guys fought hard on pit road to make multiple adjustments on our No. 34 CarParts.com Ford Mustang, but we just ran out of time at the end. I have to thank CarParts.com for coming on board our No. 34 Ford Mustang tonight at Charlotte. They’ve been a great partner of Front Row Motorsports and I hope to have them back on our No. 34 car later this season.”
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