NASCAR Announces NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2021, Landmark Award

NASCAR Announces NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2021, Landmark Award

Earnhardt Jr., Farmer, Stefanik make up first three-person class

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 16, 2020) – NASCAR announced today the inductees who will comprise the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2021. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Red Farmer and Mike Stefanik make up the Hall of Fame’s 12th class, and first with three members. In addition, Ralph Seagraves was named as the recipient of the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

As a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel met virtually to debate and vote upon the 15 nominees for the induction class of 2021 and the five nominees for the Landmark Award. The group also became the first to vote on two different Hall of Fame ballots.

Ten nominees appeared on the Modern Era ballot, which was selected by the traditional Nominating Committee. The same committee selected the five Landmark Award nominees. The Pioneer ballot, which included five nominees whose careers began in 1961 or earlier, was selected by a new Honors Committee. Beginning with the Class of 2021, each Hall of Fame class will feature two inductees from the Modern Era ballot and one from the Pioneer ballot.

Earnhardt Jr. received 76% of the Modern Era ballot votes, Stefanik received 49%. Ricky Rudd finished third, followed by Neil Bonnett. Red Farmer received 71% of the Pioneer ballot votes. Hershel McGriff finished second.

Each class is selected by the Voting Panel, which expanded to 65 members this year. They include representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks, media members, manufacturer representatives, competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs), recognized industry leaders, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion (Kyle Busch) and a nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR.com. Seven new voters from the Honors Committee – Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick, Ron Hornaday Jr., Dale Jarrett, Roger Penske, Darrell Waltrip and Rusty Wallace – participated for the first time. In all, 63 votes were cast. The accounting firm of EY presided over the tabulation of the votes.

Results for the NASCAR.com Fan Vote were Neil Bonnett, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Red Farmer.

In addition to Earnhardt Jr. and Stefanik, the other Modern Era ballot nominees included Neil Bonnett, Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards, Harry Gant, Harry Hyde, Larry Phillips, Ricky Rudd and Kirk Shelmerdine. The other Pioneer ballot nominees were Jake Elder, Banjo Matthews, Hershel McGriff and Ralph Moody.

Nominees for the Landmark Award included Janet Guthrie, Alvin Hawkins, Mike Helton and Dr. Joe Mattiolli.

 

 

Class of 2021 Inductees:

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., a third-generation NASCAR champion in a family synonymous with the sport, is perhaps the most popular driver in NASCAR history. The son of “The Intimidator,” Earnhardt Jr. made his own path and served as the face of NASCAR as 15-time Most Popular Driver. He began his career at family-owned Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) winning back-to-back Xfinity Series titles and 13 races in two full-time seasons. He quickly moved to the Cup Series where he won in his 12th career start. Like his father, Earnhardt Jr. was a master of the draft and thrived in restrictor plate racing. Ten of his 26 Cup victories came at Daytona and Talladega, including Daytona 500 wins in 2004 and 2014. In 2006, Earnhardt founded JR Motorsports, adding team owner to his resume. The team has three Xfinity Series championships and 47 wins. Earnhardt currently serves as an analyst for NBC Sports and hosts the popular podcast ‘Dale Jr Download.’

 

Red Farmer

Red Farmer’s career is one long series of immeasurable accolades. For instance, it’s entirely unknown just how many wins Farmer has. One thing is for sure: it’s a lot … somewhere north of 700. His passion for the sport is likewise immeasurable. After all, he continues to race, even as he approaches 90 years of age. But the record books do have a few things that are black-and-white and proof positive about this member of the Alabama Gang. He collected three consecutive championships in NASCAR’s Late Model Sportsman division from 1969-71, long after he won the Modified title in 1956. Though he preferred racing in the Late Model Sportsman division, Farmer did run 36 Cup Series races, with a best finish of fourth (twice). In 1998, Farmer’s many successes – clearly too many to officially count – landed him on the list of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers.

Mike Stefanik

At the very top of the list of all-time NASCAR championships sit two men: NASCAR Hall of Famer Richie Evans … and Mike Stefanik. Each tallied nine in their exemplary careers, with Stefanik’s coming in both the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR East Series. Seven of his titles came in his primary racing series – the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. In 2003, he was named one of the Tour’s 10 Greatest Drivers, an obvious choice if there ever was one – Stefanik holds the all-time series record in championships, wins, poles, top fives and top 10s. Stefanik won two championships consecutively in the NASCAR East Series, in 1997-98. That, along with a win total that ties for ninth on the all-time series wins list, earned him a spot on the Top 10 Drivers of the First 25 Years of the NASCAR East Series list in 2011. In addition, Stefanik spent one full-time season in the NASCAR Gander Outdoor & RV Truck Series – and it was a successful one. He captured the Rookie of the Year Award in 1999.

 

Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR:

 

Ralph Seagraves

Ralph Seagraves’ life – and NASCAR’s world – changed the moment he met NASCAR Hall of Famer Junior Johnson. In the late 1960s, Seagraves, an official with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, had been searching for a means to market cigarettes after the federal government banned RJR’s products from advertising on television and radio. Johnson, ever the entrepreneur, had an idea. How about RJR sponsor his cars? Seagraves had a bigger idea: Why not sponsor NASCAR’s top series? And so, in 1971, for the first time since its inception in 1949, NASCAR’s premier series had major corporate backing. The NASCAR Winston Cup Series was born. The partnership helped NASCAR launch into the national spotlight, and created a bedrock of stability for the next three decades. RJR’s Winston brand sponsored NASCAR’s top series for more than 30 years, ending in 2003. Under Seagraves leadership, RJR helped a number of race track operators refurbish their facilities, many of which were short tracks that ran developmental NASCAR Winston Racing Series races.

 

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour), one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, Americrown Service and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

 

About the NASCAR Hall of Fame

Located in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, the NASCAR Hall of Fame is an interactive, entertainment attraction honoring the history and heritage of NASCAR. The high-tech venue, designed to educate and entertain race fans and non-fans alike, includes artifacts, hands-on exhibits, a 278-person state-of-the-art theater, Hall of Honor, Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant, NASCAR Hall of Fame Gear Shop and NASCAR Productions-operated broadcast studio. Opened on May 11, 2010, the NASCAR Hall of Fame is owned by the City of Charlotte, licensed by NASCAR and operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. For more information, visit nascarhall.com.

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Stewart-Haas Racing’s Partnership with Novant Health Takes Flight with Zipline

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Partnership with Novant Health Takes Flight with Zipline

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (May 27, 2020) – Working in extreme conditions where the clock is always ticking, Stewart-Haas Racing is well-versed in delivering under the most intense circumstances. The championship-winning NASCAR team has put its experience to good use during the COVID-19 pandemic, partnering with Novant Health to deliver 20 million face masks and produce 120 ICU webcam carts.

 

Today, its partnership takes flight. Literally.

 

Novant Health has launched an emergency drone logistics operation for hospital pandemic response through a partnership with Zipline, the world’s only national-scale, on-demand drone logistics service, which will provide drone flight services. Stewart-Haas Racing is providing 25,000-square-feet of property adjacent to its Kannapolis campus for Zipline to deliver medical supplies via its fleet of drones to Novant Health’s integrated system of physician practices, hospitals and outpatient centers.

 

 

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted Novant Health a Part 107 waiver to begin operation, which is being initiated as part of the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) Unmanned Aircraft System Integration Pilot Program (IPP).

 

The operation provides contactless distribution of personal protective equipment and critical medical supplies to frontline healthcare workers in the Charlotte, North Carolina, metro area. The operation helps position Novant Health, which operates 15 hospitals and nearly 700 locations in the southeastern United States, to adapt quickly to the evolving pandemic and could lead to such innovative uses as testing, drug trials and vaccine distribution in the future.

 

The groundbreaking operation will provide ongoing drone logistics flights in Class-D controlled airspace, where all air traffic is actively managed by the FAA under a Part 107 waiver issued to a major U.S. healthcare system. True to its roots, North Carolina is once again “First in Flight.”

 

“This new part of our relationship with Stewart-Haas Racing has – quite literally – taken our logistics operations to new heights,” said Mark Welch, senior vice president of supply chain, Novant Health. “Once again, SHR stepped up when we had a need in response to this pandemic by providing us the critical space to create our distribution center. This operation is taking Novant Health logistics to the next level and we could not do it without the assistance of Stewart-Haas Racing.”

 

The operation uses battery-powered drones with autonomous navigation systems which launch from a distribution center near Stewart-Haas Racing. Novant Health is able to move its products efficiently from this hub to its frontline medical teams powered by Zipline’s long-range, fixed-wing drones. Since 2016, Zipline has used its fleet of drones to deliver 110,000 vaccines, units of blood and critical medications internationally.

 

“As soon as we heard about the initiative Novant Health had with Zipline, our only question was, ‘How can we help?’,” said Mike Verlander, vice president of sales and marketing, Stewart-Haas Racing. “Finding a tract of land that could be used for the distribution center was paramount, and Gene Haas, the co-owner of our race team, had the perfect spot right behind our race shop. He cut through all the red tape and dirt was quickly moved. We helped with logistical coordination during the build and have seen firsthand the work of the Zipline crew and the efficiency of the distribution center and the technology it houses. It’s all very impressive.”

 

In the span of a few minutes, a lightweight drone takes off from Novant Health’s distribution center, with the package placed inside a parachute in the belly of the Zipline drone. When the drone reaches its destination, it simply drops the parachute and the healthcare worker collects it. The drone then returns to the distribution center to get outfitted for its next flight.

 

“Zipline has been hard at work helping other countries respond to the pandemic,” said Keller Rinaudo, CEO, Zipline. “And we’re proud to partner with Novant Health, a true leader in healthcare innovation, to begin helping in the United States as well. We’re likely in for a long-term fight against COVID-19. Using contactless drone logistics will be an important tool in that effort. The work underway here in North Carolina will provide the rest of the country with a blueprint for how to build the most resilient and responsive healthcare system possible.”

 

Over the next two years, the partnership plans to expand beyond emergency operations in the Charlotte area to regular commercial operations, subject to approval under FAA Part 135 rules, to serve health facilities and, ultimately, patients’ homes across the state. Novant Health and Zipline’s partnership seeks to create a next-generation model for health system logistics leveraging contactless drone deliveries. To accomplish this, Zipline works hand-in-hand with national civil aviation authorities.

 

Safety is Zipline’s top priority at every stage of operation. Zipline drones are designed to automatically detect issues inflight and safely return to base for repair. Each drone is equipped with redundant flight computers, motors, communications systems, and flight control surfaces, as well as redundant navigation and power systems. In the event of emergencies like severe weather or unplanned flight operation issues, each drone is equipped with a parachute that allows it to make an immediate landing by slowly descending to the ground.

 

Zipline drones weigh approximately 40 pounds with payload, have a top speed of 80 mph, can service a 50-mile radius, and can carry packages close to four pounds, even in high winds and rain.

 

 

About Stewart-Haas Racing:

Stewart-Haas Racing is the title-winning NASCAR team co-owned by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. The Kannapolis, North Carolina-based organization has won two NASCAR Cup Series titles, one NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and more than 70 NASCAR races, including such crown-jewel events as the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Southern 500. For more information, please visit us online at www.StewartHaasRacing.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/StewartHaasRacing, on Twitter at @StewartHaasRcng, on Instagram at @StewartHaasRacing and on YouTube at www.YouTube.com/StewartHaasRacing.

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Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Charlotte II

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Charlotte II

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Charlotte II

The NASCAR Cup Series hits the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway for its second event in four days with a shorter, 310.6-mile event under the lights. After Chris Buescher’s top-10 finish in Sunday’s Coke 600, Jack Roush has 80 top-10 runs at the oval at CMS all-time, the fourth-most of any track on the circuit for the NASCAR Hall of Fame owner.

 



Charlotte Motor Speedway (1.5-Mile)
Alsco Uniforms 500

Wednesday, May 27, 2020 | 8 p.m. ET

FS1, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

  • Ryan Newman, No. 6 Roush Performance Ford Mustang
  • Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang



NASCAR Returns to Action

  • NASCAR continues its return to racing Wednesday with the fourth Cup Series event in a 10-day span as Charlotte Motor Speedway hosts its second consecutive race – this time a condensed, 310.6-mile shootout.
  • From Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 to Wednesday, cars will turn nearly 1000 miles this week alone as the series is slated for its eighth points race overall of 2020, and fourth in the return of the sport. Following Wednesday’s race, the NCS will then hit five different tracks from May 31 – June 21 in the remainder of the announced scheduled to date.
  • Four weeks of NASCAR action were completed prior to the hiatus with races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville postponed.

 

Wednesday Recap, Sunday Preview

  • Ryan Newman appeared poised for a strong run in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, having powered his Roman Ford inside the top-10, before a faulty battery dropped the team off the pace just over halfway through the race.
  • Newman recorded a 10th-place finish in stage one, but with only four cautions over the final 150 laps, he was unable to gain all his laps back to settle for a 28th-place finish.
  • Buescher picked up three spots during a hectic final two-lap shootout to bring his Fifth Third Ford home 10th in the Coke 600. He and the 17 team overcame an early pit road penalty to record their second top-10 of 2020.

 

Invert Determines Starting Lineup for Wednesday

The NASCAR Cup Series held a qualifying session for Sunday’s Coke 600 – the first and only scheduled qualifying thus far in NASCAR’s return – as Newman qualified 18th with Buescher 19th. The top-20 invert is back for Wednesday’s race, with Buescher rolling off 11th after a 10th-place run. Newman will fire off 28th after his finish on Sunday.

 

Golden Sombrero

Roush Fenway won a record four-consecutive Coca-Cola 600’s from 1999-2002 with drivers Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth and Mark Martin. During that span, Roush Fenway led 427 laps, including 201 of 400 laps in the 1999 event.

 

2006 Dominance in the Coca-Cola 600

Roush Fenway had its best overall outing in the Coca-Cola 600 in 2006, when its five entries averaged a 5.4 finish. Roush Fenway Fords finished third, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth while leading 52 laps in the event. In 2002, Roush Fenway posted a one-two finish in the event with Martin and Kenseth battling feverishly for the win and combining to lead 67 laps in the race (with Martin taking the win).

 

Tale of the Tape

Roush Fenway has started 212 NCS races at Charlotte, recording eight total wins with 46 top-five and 80 top-10 finishes. RFR Fords have an average finish of 16.3 with 2627 laps led all-time.

 

Roush Fenway Charlotte Wins

 

1992-2   Martin  Cup

1995-2   Martin  Cup

1998-2   Martin  Cup

1999-1   Burton  Cup

2000-1   Kenseth Cup

2001-1   Burton  Cup

2002-1   Martin  Cup

2011-2   Kenseth Cup

1993-2   Martin NXS

1995-2   Martin NXS

1996-1   Martin  NXS

1996-2   Martin  NXS

1998-1   Martin  NXS

1999-1   Martin  NXS

2000-1   Burton  NXS

2001-2   Biffle     NXS

2002-2   Burton                  NXS

2006-1   Edwards               NXS

2011-1   Kenseth               NXS

2011-2   Edwards               NXS

2011-2   Edwards               NXS

2015-1   Buescher             NXS

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Wood Bros. Racing: Wednesday Night Racing at Charlotte

Wood Bros. Racing:  Wednesday Night Racing at Charlotte

After the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/Richmond team are ready for a fresh start back at Charlotte in Wednesday night’s 500-kilometer race.

“I feel good going into Wednesday,” DiBenedetto said. “We’re starting fourth, and racing the primary car, so that’s good.”

The line-up for Wednesday’s race was set by inverting the finish of the Coca-Cola 600, where DiBenedetto finished 17th. The top 20 finishing positions from Sunday were inverted, and the remainder of the field will start Wednesday’s race from where they finished the 600.

On Sunday at Charlotte, DiBenedetto bounced off the wall in qualifying and had to race a back-up Ford Mustang in the 600. “It was a messy race,” he said. “The car was way looser than expected in qualifying. We took the back-up and had to work on it a lot, but we fought from really struggling to an easy top-10 car.”

He said he expects Wednesday to go much smoother for him and the Menards/Richmond team. “The car has plenty of speed, so I feel much better about the race,” he said.

DiBenedetto said racing again after just two off days, and running four races in 11 days, has caused him to modify his weekly routine.

“I’m backing off my training a good bit,” he said, explaining that he’s giving his body time to recover between races. “Racing puts a lot of strain on you, but I’m still working out three or four days a week.”

There will be no practice or qualifying for the 312-mile Alsco 500k, and the green flag is set to fly just after 8 p.m. on Wednesday with TV coverage on Fox Sport One.

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M&M’S Fudge Brownie Racing: Kyle Busch Alsco Uniforms 500k at Charlotte Advance and Team Report

M&M’S Fudge Brownie Racing: Kyle Busch Alsco Uniforms 500k at Charlotte Advance and Team Report
HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (May 25, 2020) – Until last Wednesday night’s event at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, the last time the NASCAR Cup Series ran a race on a Wednesday was almost 36 years ago – the Firecracker 400 on July 4, 1984. Back then, no matter on what day July 4 fell, NASCAR’s top series raced at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. That 1984 Firecracker 400 also happened to be one of the more memorable races in NASCAR history, as Richard Petty brought home the 200th win of his Cup Series career.

 

While the race last week at Darlington marked the first Wednesday Cup Series race in more than three decades, the next midweek event is set for just seven days later. The series heads back to Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway for Wednesday night’s Alsco Uniforms 500k as NASCAR continues to make up races lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected events of every kind, not only in the United States but all over the world.

 

This Wednesday night, Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Fudge Brownie Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), will look to improve on his most recent outing, which resulted in a fourth-place finish in Sunday night’s traditional Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. Busch ran up front for most of the first portion of the race, but a pit road speeding penalty sent him to the rear of the field. However, he and the M&M’S team were able to rally back to bring home his fourth top-five finish in seven races this season. Wednesday night’s 500-kilometer race replaces the cancelled race at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway originally scheduled for June. With a second-place finish last Wednesday at Darlington and the fourth-place run Sunday night at Charlotte, Busch is hoping the Sonoma replacement race nets him his third top-five in a row and first win of the season.

 

Busch has managed to enjoy plenty of success at the 1.5-mile Charlotte oval. He now has 14 top-five finishes and 19 top-10s in his 31 previous Cup Series starts there 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 Charlotte’s victory lane at early and often in the Xfinity and Truck Series, Busch only recently broke through in the Cup Series there. His 2017 win in the non-points All-Star Race was his first Cup Series win of any kind at the track. The following year, in 2018, Busch was able to win there again, this time in the points-paying Coca-Cola 600 to add another crown jewel to his already impressive resume.

 

So as the Cup Series continues its busy run of eight races in less than a month, Busch and his M&M’S Fudge Brownie team hope they can break through for the first of many wins under the Wednesday night lights at Charlotte. He’ll hope to keep the momentum he’s built over the last two races as the season is finally able to kick into full gear for the summer.

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Fudge Brownie Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing: 
With track position being so important, how will you approach Wednesday night with the inversion of the top-20 grid positions?

 

“It’s definitely going to be more of a sprint race with our M&M’S Fudge Brownie Camry. Thankfully, my guys are really, really, really good on pit road and they probably passed the most cars Sunday night on pit road – more than I did. It’s definitely beneficial when you can come down pit road 15th, 10th, eighth, seventh, whatever it is, and those guys are going to get you five or six spots. I’m not too upset about where we have to start. We certainly saw that track position was a big deal on Sunday night, so we want to work our way to the front and stay there if we can. I know I’m up for it and the guys on pit road are up for the task, too, with how well they performed on Sunday night.”

 

It seemed you had some pretty big swings in handling on Sunday night. Will you go back and try and figure out why that was the case and make some changes for Wednesday night?

 

“The only thing I can really attribute it to is tires. That’s the only thing that makes sense. When you go and you have two runs that are really, really good and you have tires on and you don’t make any changes, and then you make one slight air pressure adjustment with the next set of tires and it goes haywire, you have to think it’s the tires. You didn’t put a wedge wrench in the thing, you didn’t change anything too crazy. Also, track position sometimes, too, is a factor. When you’re further up toward the front, the cars drive way, way better. We had the speeding penalty there and it put it toward the back and it certainly handled differently back there than up at the front of the field. When you get back in the seventh to ninth to 11th range, you are just out of control and have no grip. So I know Adam (Stevens, crew chief) and I will go back and talk about how to make our car better this week and we’ll see what happens.”

 

Do you feel you’re in race shape now that you’ve run three Cup Series races since the shutdown?

 

“I felt good after all of these races. We had the race last Sunday at Darlington and it was a little warmer out and I saw a couple of guys get out of the car and kind of sit next to their car and they were pretty wet and kind of hot and overheated maybe a little bit. I felt fine. Then, no issues the last couple of races, certainly a bit easier when they are at night and cooler outside. I’ve got enough cooling and things like that where I feel pretty good and ready to go.”

 

M&M’S Fudge Brownie Racing

Race 8 of 36 – Alsco Uniforms 500k  Charlotte

Car No.: 18 – M&M’S Fudge Brownie 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 Alsco Uniforms 500k will mark Kyle Busch’s 542nd career NASCAR Cup Series start and his 32nd NASCAR Cup Series start at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
  • Busch has career totals of 56 wins, 32 poles, 204 top-five finishes, 300 top-10s and 17,446 laps led in 541 career Cup Series racesHis 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 win14 top-five finishes and 19 top-10s and has led a total of 1,449 laps in 31 Cup Series starts at Charlotte. Busch’s average Charlotte finish is 14.2.
  • 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 Coca-Cola 600 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 Monday night’s Xfinity Series 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.
M&M’S Fudge Brownie Racing: Kyle Busch Alsco Uniforms 500k at Charlotte Advance and Team Report Read More

No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang: Cole Custer Coca-Cola 600 Race Advance

No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang: Cole Custer Coca-Cola 600 Race Advance
KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (May 22, 2020) – This Sunday, Cole Custer and the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) makes the short trek to Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway for Sunday’s 61st running of the iconic Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Cup Series race. Custer’s Mustang will once again highlight SHR co-owner Gene Haas’ newest holding, HaasTooling.com. Haas Tooling was launched just weeks ago as a way for CNC machinists to purchase high quality cutting tools at great prices. Haas’ cutting tools will be sold exclusively online at HaasTooling.com and shipped directly to end users.

 

While racing has returned, SHR’s contribution to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t stopped. The race shop is serving dual purposes – race team and medical device manufacturer. SHR has partnered with healthcare provider Novant Health to produce intensive care unit mobile webcam carts. The carts allow a medical professional to monitor a patient electronically, ultimately limiting the professional’s possible exposure to COVID-19. Additionally, SHR helped transport and deliver 2 million facemasks to replenish Novant’s supplies during the pandemic.
In the first two Cup Series events since the onset of the pandemic, both at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Custer finished 22nd last Sunday and 31st Wednesday night. Sunday’s race was his first in the Cup Series at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval.
Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 is NASCAR’s longest event of the season, requiring the drivers, crew members and cars to be in excellent shape to go the extra distance. Most NASCAR races are 400 or 500 miles. Even though the Coca-Cola 600 is a grueling race, Custer’s goal is a solid finish. “We need to build consistency in these races and work up from there,” he said. “We’re definitely making gains with this package. It’s just figuring out how to improve every race.”
The traditional Memorial Day weekend event is bringing some normalcy during the COVID-19 outbreak. NASCAR is a longtime supporter of the United States military, and this weekend will be no different. For the past several years during the spring holiday weekend, NASCAR has worked

with the families of fallen soldiers to be recognized on each Cup Series racecar. Custer’s No. 41 Mustang will carry the name of Dillon Baldridge, who was an Army sergeant based in Fort

Campbell, Kentucky, and was part of 1-187 Rakassans, 101st Airborne Division. The 22-year-old was killed in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, when an Afghan soldier opened fire in an apparent inside attack. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. Baldridge, a native of Youngsville, North Carolina, died on June 10, 2017.
“It’s definitely really cool how we honor the fallen military members on our cars,” Custer said. “NASCAR has always done a really good job saluting the military and everything they’ve done for our country to keep us safe. We wouldn’t be here without the military. Especially during these times, you really appreciate the people who risk their lives for us. I think it’s really cool that we do this and hopefully we can give them a good run.”
While Sunday marks Custer’s first Cup Series start on Charlotte’s 1.5-mile oval, the Ford driver has a good track record there in the Xfinity Series. Even though he hasn’t visited victory lane there, he’s finished inside the top-10 in all seven starts, the only exception being in May 2019.
The California native has one Charlotte appearance in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck series, starting 16th and finishing 13th in 2016.
SHR has 62 Cup Series starts at Charlotte with one victory earned by No. 4 Ford driver Kevin Harvick in 2014. In total, the Kannapolis-based team has seven top-fives, 22 top-10s, and five pole awards there.
Haas Automation, founded in 1983 by Haas, is America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. The company manufactures a complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers and rotary tables and indexers. All Haas products are constructed in the company’s 1.1-million-square-foot manufacturing facility in Oxnard, California, and distributed through a worldwide network of Haas Factory Outlets.
Even though Custer had a trio of starts in the Cup Series in 2018, 2020 officially marks his Rookie of the Year campaign in NASCAR’s top series. He’s competing for rookie honors with notables Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick. The three have battled against each other in the Xfinity Series and are making the full-time transition to the Cup Series together.

Cole Custer: Driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:
One of the biggest differences from the Xfinity Series to the Cup Series is the length of the races. Sunday’s Coke 600 is the longest of the season, how are you physically and mentally preparing for the lengthy race?  
“The 600 is definitely a lot longer than what we’ve done in the Xfinity cars and it’s definitely the longest race I’ve ever run. I think the biggest thing is staying hydrated and making sure you’re loose before the race and not sore. Just try and relax, especially in the first part of the race. At halfway you just need to try and settle in and get some laps done. The thing about it is you can’t really relax too much because you have to fight for the stage points, and fight for track position as much as you can. You have to stay hydrated. I guess I’ll probably need a snack in there somewhere, too, but it’s definitely going to be the longest, most grueling race that I’ve run.”
You’ve had two races since we’ve been back, including a rain delay. Do you feel like you’re starting to get into some sort of routine – on and off the track with competition meetings, etc.?
“I feel like we are getting in more of a routine. It seems like we were all kind of new at the start and didn’t know what to expect. Then, as it’s all kind of come together, we’ve been able to calm down and get in a rhythm. Now, I think it’s just trying to perfect things and get in a better rhythm. We’re trying to figure out how we can excel at every single part of the weekend. We’re just going to keep working at it and get better every race.”
Your Xfinity Series track record at Charlotte is pretty strong – all top-10 finishes with the exception of your oval finish last year. Why do you think you’ve excelled on both courses at Charlotte?
“Charlotte has always been a good track for me. I’ve always run pretty good there. It’s definitely one of the most difficult mile-and-a-half tracks that we go to because it’s so edgy. It’s starting to get bumpy and you have to move around a little bit. It’s definitely a challenging mile-and-a-half to race on. It’s worked out for me and been good to me in the past. It’s just a matter of trying to figure out how you can work traffic in these cars and work your way to the front.”

 

 
No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Team Report
Race 7 of 36 – Coca-Cola 600 – Charlotte
 
Car No. 41: HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Team Report

At Track PR Contact: Lauren Emling with True Speed Communication (Lauren.Emling@TrueSpeedCommunication.com)

Primary Team:

 

Driver: Cole Custer

Hometown: Ladera Ranch, California

Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett

Hometown: Amherst, Ohio

Engine Specialist: Evan Cupples

Hometown: Hudson, Illinois

Car Chief: Tony Cardamone

Hometown: Bristol, Virginia

Engine Builder: Roush Yates Engines

Headquarters: Mooresville, North Carolina

Spotter: Andy Houston

Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Crew:

Fuelman: Chad Emmons

Hometown: Tyler, Texas
Carrier: Dwayne Moore

Hometown: Griffin, Georgia

Jackman: Brett Morrell

Hometown: Windham, Maine

 

Front Changer: Josh Leslie

Hometown: Mount Clemens, Michigan

Rear Changer: Coleman Dollarhide
Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina

Charlotte Motor Speedway Notes of Interest:
  • Cole Custer will make his first Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway NASCAR Cup Series start Sunday, bringing his total career Cup Series starts to 10.
  • The California native finished 22nd and 31st at the Darlington (S.C.) Raceway events last Sunday and Wednesday night, respectively, while piloting the HaasTooling.com Mustang.
  • 2020 marks Custer’s first fulltime season in the Cup Series and he will contend for Rookie of the Year honors along with four other Cup Series competitors.
  • The 22-year-old rookie driver has seven NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Charlotte. He has finished in the top-10 six times, which includes one runner-up finish. He’s led a total of 59 laps at the 1.5-mile track. He’s also made one NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series start at Charlotte, which ended with a 13th-place finish.
No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang: Cole Custer Coca-Cola 600 Race Advance Read More

Austin Dillon Teams Up with GM BuyPower Card® to Support Local Community

Austin Dillon Teams Up with GM BuyPower Card® to Support Local Community
Pit Stops for Hope contribution will provide educational and nutritional assistance within the Piedmont-Triad and Charlotte areas of North Carolina
WELCOME, NC (May 21, 2020) – Through his collaboration with the GM BuyPower Card®, NASCAR star Austin Dillon is coming to the aid of his local community in advance of the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway through a contribution to Pit Stops for Hope.
“Pit Stops for Hope is an organization close to my heart since it started over 10 years ago, but as I prepare for fatherhood, the mission to support children in poverty has become even more meaningful to me,” said Dillon. “So many families across the country are in need right now, and I hope this contribution will offer some much-needed assistance to the city we call home.”
Pit Stops for Hope, a charitable collaboration within the racing community focused on addressing educational and nutritional needs among the youth, will use the funds from the contribution within the Piedmont-Triad and Charlotte areas of North Carolina to provide meals and educational materials.
“There has always been poverty within our communities, but the needs are growing exponentially as families struggle with various hardships associated with COVID-19,” said Ray Wright, founder of Pit Stops for Hope. “Chances are good that just a few short miles from your own home, there are children who will go to bed hungry tonight because they did not receive a nutritious meal in school. This generous contribution will help answer an immediate need around food insecurity and will also provide educational resources for students and teachers as they adjust to home learning environments.”
Dillon grew up around General Motors and Chevrolet vehicles, and officially began his long-standing collaboration when he started racing professionally. In 2019, he teamed up with the GM BuyPower Card from Capital One to show race fans how they can use the credit card on everyday purchases and redeem Earnings toward the purchase or lease of a new GM vehicle, or toward statement credits on qualified purchases for vehicle care and certain GM extras.
“My relationship with GM and Capital One goes beyond their products or services. At the heart, it’s based on our aligned values and focus on celebrating the journey of life,” said Dillon. “We came together to recognize a need in my community and discuss simple ways to help those in need, and I’m proud to work with them and Pit Stops for Hope to help families in the Carolinas.”
To learn more about Pit Stops for Hope or to make a contribution, visit www.pitstopsforhope.org. Catch Austin Dillon in the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 24 at 6 p.m. ET live on FOX.
 
About Richard Childress Racing:
Richard Childress Racing (rcrracing.com) is a renowned, performance-driven racing, marketing and manufacturing organization. Incorporated in 1969, RCR has celebrated over 50 years of racing and earned more than 200 victories and 16 championships, including six in the NASCAR Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series and is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 (1998, 2007, 2018). Its 2020 Cup Series lineup includes two-time NASCAR champion, 2017 Coca-Cola 600 winner and 2018 Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon (No. 3 Dow/Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road/E-Z-GO/American Ethanol/Symbicort/RigUp Chevrolet), along with Rookie of the Year contender and two-time Xfinity Series champion Tyler Reddick (No. 8 Caterpillar Chevrolet). Its Xfinity Series program includes Anthony Alfredo, Myatt Snider (TaxSlayer Chevrolet) and Kaz Grala in select races during the year.
About Pit Stops for Hope:
Pit Stops for Hope is a collaboration of the racing community united together for the betterment of America’s youth.  We believe positive change will come to our community by investing in our children. Pit Stops for Hope plans to invest in our youth by primarily assisting food banks and academic instructors. Food and education work hand and hand in producing success. Our mission is to replace poverty with hope in our community!
About General Motors
General Motors Co.(NYSE:GM) has leadership positions in the world’s largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.
About Capital One
At Capital One we’re on a mission for our customers – bringing them great products, rewards, service, and access to unique and unforgettable experiences they are passionate about. Capital One is a diversified bank that offers products and services to individuals, small businesses and commercial clients. We use technology, innovation and interaction to provide consumers with products and services to meet their needs. Learn more at capitalone.com.
Austin Dillon Teams Up with GM BuyPower Card® to Support Local Community Read More