Clint Bowyer | The MotorSportsNews.Net(work)

Harvick & Bowyer to Sport Dual Paint Schemes #ForTheFarmers At Atlanta Race

by MikeMay 26, 2020

NEW YORK, MAY 26, 2020: Busch, the beer brewed for America’s heartland and a long-time supporter of agricultural communities, announced today that it will provide funds for the nonprofit Farm Rescue to expand its operations into Kansas. Farm Rescue will begin harvest assistance operations in Kansas immediately, with Busch marking this milestone with the release of limited-edition Corn Cans across the country*. Busch is raising further awareness to the cause with NASCAR drivers Kevin Harvick and Kansas-native Clint Bowyer at the June 7 NASCAR Cup Series race in Atlanta. Kansas is the first new state to be added to Farm Rescue’s support network since 2017 and will be the seventh state supported overall.

The expansion into Kansas will allow Farm Rescue to provide free harvest assistance to farm families throughout the state experiencing a major illness, injury or natural disaster. Since its inception in 2005, Farm Rescue has helped nearly 700 family farms sustain operations in times of crisis. These efforts are made possible through a network of volunteers from across the United States. Busch has been a partner of Farm Rescue since early 2019 and played an instrumental role in facilitating Farm Rescue’s entry to Kansas with a mix of financial support, public affairs assistance, and more.

“Farm Rescue is an incredible organization that has not only helped, but saved, hundreds of family farms throughout the Midwest,” said Daniel Blake, VP of Value Brands at Anheuser-Busch “What originally started off as a small partnership has grown into something really special, and as unexpected injuries, illnesses and natural disasters continue to strike, we’re honored to take our partnership with Farm Rescue to the next level so they can keep providing critical assistance to more family farms across the country.”

Busch recently teased the news of this partnership with the release of their special-edition Busch Light Corn Cans, a remixed edition of the classic Busch Light can and packaging. Consumers nationwide can support Farm Rescue with every purchase of the new limited-edition Busch Light corn packs in select states**. For each pack purchased in these states between May 18 and July 5, 2020 $1 will be donated by Busch, up to $100,000 to benefit Farm Rescue’s ongoing efforts.

“We are very grateful for the unwavering support Busch has provided toward our mission of helping America’s farmers,” said Bill Gross, President of Farm Rescue. “Thanks to their generosity, we are mobilizing equipment and volunteers throughout Kansas to help farm families in times of crisis.”

Busch will raise additional awareness for Farm Rescue and farmers across America at the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race in Atlanta on June 7, with Busch-sponsored driver Kevin Harvick teaming up with Kansas-native Clint Bowyer to race in the same corn-themed paint scheme. Throughout the race fans will have the chance to win a suite of farm-related prizes, and can check out @BuschBeer on Twitter ahead of June 7 to find out more information.

Fans can head to ForTheFarmers.org to learn more, and stay informed as race day approaches. Fans can also check out the Busch social accounts (@BuschBeer) to shop exclusive Busch/Farm Rescue merchandise including apparel and corn hole games.

No. 14 PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze Racing Clint Bowyer Charlotte 500k Advance

by MikeMay 25, 2020May 26, 2020

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (May 25, 2020) – When Clint Bowyer fires his engine at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Wednesday night for the NASCAR Cup Series’ 500-kilometer race, it will mark the fourth of five races in a 14-day span since the sport returned from a 10-week hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The frenetic schedule after a long layoff might be too much, too soon, for some drivers, but like his PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze partner, the Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) driver isn’t about to get overheated when times are tough.

In fact Bowyer sort of likes the busy schedule.

“It’s kind of fun man,” he said. “It’s the same for everybody. I miss racing like this. It reminds me of the old days when I was racing two or three nights a week on dirt, or even when I first started my NASCAR career when I was running the Xfinity cars. With a day or two in between, it isn’t really a big deal.”

Wednesday will continue to see NASCAR operate under a comprehensive health and safety plan that permits no fans, limited crew, strict social distancing, and mandated personal protective equipment and health screenings for all just as it did for two races in Darlington last week and Sunday’s 600-mile race in Charlotte.

In that most recent race at Charlotte, Bowyer was relegated to a last-place finish after a mechanical issue sent his No. 14 Mustang hard into the wall after he ran just 96 laps. He was racing in 11th place at the time of the accident.

“That was pretty much a helpless feeling,” said Bowyer, who has struggled to get a good finish, of late, despite running well.

He was 17th and 22nd in the two races at Darlington in NASCAR’s first events since March 8 due to the pandemic. Bowyer ran in the top-six most of the race in the May 17 Darlington race before late-race problems dropped him to 17th. Last Wednesday, he won the first two stages – the first driver to do so in 2020 – and led 71 laps surpassing the 3,000 mark for career laps led. But once again, trouble very late in the race led to wall contact and a spin, resulting in a disappointing finish.

Wednesday’s race will mark the second of several primary races planned for this season for Bowyer with Old World Industries, the parent company of the PEAK and BlueDEF® brands. PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze will serve as the No. 14 team’s sponsor at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in September.

PEAK’s legacy in motorsports spans 40 years and includes leading drivers Dale Earnhardt, Michael Waltrip and Kyle Petty. Besides Bowyer’s No. 14 team, PEAK is a partner with Haas F1 Team and its drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen, the NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series, and drag racing’s winningest driver John Force.

PEAK will celebrate its first NASCAR victory on Thursday when it hosts a live viewing party to watch a replay of Petty and then-crew chief Gary Nelson’s domination of the 1990 race at Rockingham, N.C. Petty led 433 of 492 laps that afternoon. Fans can join in on PEAK’s Facebook page and YouTube channel (Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/peakauto YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/peakcarcare) for the one-time-only viewing Thursday at 7 p.m. EDT.

There will also be a special announcement by Bowyer during the event.

There isn’t much rest planned for the days after Charlotte. The Cup Series will return to action at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on Sunday, then Atlanta Motor Speedway on June 7, Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on June 10 for the third Wednesday-night event since returning to racing, Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway on June 14, and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on June 21.

Clint Bowyer, Driver of the No. 14 PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What are your thoughts on NASCAR leading the way for the return of sports in America?

“I was proud to be part of a sport that stepped up and figured out how to make us safe and how to handle the situation. They did a great job. Was it overkill in some areas? Yes, but you’ve got to be that way right now. You’ve got to cover everything. They checked all the boxes twice, took care of business and put cars on the track, which is what everyone wanted to see. I’m proud to be part of that. It went down well in both Darlington and in Charlotte on Sunday.”

How is the confidence after running so well since the return from the hiatus but having some back luck since?

“The way we are running, I think we can pounce on one and get one here. We just have to get rid of some of the bad luck. And, trust me, there’s not a team that will party as much as the old 14 car.”

What do you think of your PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze paint scheme?

“I think it looks great, and I have always said any paint scheme looks good in victory lane, so maybe we can put it in victory lane and make her look spectacular.”

No. 14 PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze Team Report

Round 8 of 36 – Alsco Uniforms 500k– Charlotte

Car No.: 14 – PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

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

No. 14 At-Track Crew Roster

Primary Team:

Driver: Clint Bowyer

Residence: Emporia, Kansas

Crew Chief: Johnny Klausmeier

Hometown: Perry Hall, Maryland

Car Chief: Chad Haney

Hometown: Fairmont, West Virginia

Engine Specialist: Jon Phillips

Hometown: Jefferson City, Missouri

Engine Builder: Roush Yates Engines: Mooresville, North Carolina

Spotter: Brett Griffin

Hometown: Pageland, South Carolina

Over-The-Wall Crew:

Fuelman: Rick Pigeon

Hometown: Fairfax, Vermont

Front Changer: Ryan Mulder

Hometown: Sioux City, Iowa

Carrier: Jon Bernal

Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Rear Changer: Chris McMullen

Hometown: Canton, Michigan

Jackman: Sean Cotten

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Notes of Interest:

Bowyer owns career totals of 10 wins, three poles, 81 top-five finishes, 216 top-10s and 3,069 laps led in 511 NASCAR Cup Series races. He also owns eight NASCAR Xfinity Series victories.
- His most recent Cup Series victory came at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (June 10, 2018).
- His most recent Cup Series pole came at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California on Feb. 29, 2020

Bowyer at Charlotte: He owns a victory, two top-five and five top-10 finishes in 27 starts on the Charlotte oval. He owns third- and fourth-place finishes in the track’s two Roval races.

Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600: Bowyer started 20th and raced in 11th until the closing laps of Stage 1, when a mechanical issues sent him hard into the wall, leaving the No. 14 team with a 40th-place finish.

In the 2019 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte: Bowyer started eighth, but handling issues plagued him early, then damage from an accident caused by other drivers left him three laps behind the leaders in 24th place.

2019 All-Star Race at Charlotte: Bowyer won the pole and led two laps, but handling issues left him with a 12th-place finish.

One of Bowyer’s 10 career Cup Series victories came on the Charlotte oval on Oct. 13, 2012. Bowyer led 29 laps and ran out of fuel on his victory celebration lap. His crew pushed the car to victory lane.

SHR has five poles and one points-paying win on the Charlotte oval (Kevin Harvick in October 2014), plus eight top-five finishes and 23 top-10s in 66 oval starts.

All-time victory list: With 10 career victories, Bowyer is in a 59th-place tie on the all-time wins list with Donnie Allison and Sterling Marlin.

Bowyer’s Top-Three Finishes at SHR (2017- Present):
- Wins
  - Michigan International Speedway (June 10, 2018)
  - Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (March 26, 2018)
- 2nd place:
  - Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (March 31, 2019)
  - Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 15, 2018)
  - Dover (Del.) International Speedway (May 6, 2018)
  - Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (April 24, 2017)
  - Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway (June 25, 2017)
  - Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (July 1, 2017)
- 3rd place:
  - Richmond (Va.) Raceway (April 13, 2019)
  - Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval (Sept. 30, 2018)
  - Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway (June 24, 2018)
  - Atlanta Motor Speedway (Feb. 25, 2018)
  - Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (Oct. 29, 2017)
  - Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California (March 26, 2017)

Bowyer’s Stage Victories
- Darlington (S.C) Raceway Stage 1 (May 20, 2020)
- Darlington (S.C) Raceway Stage 2 (May 20, 2020)
- Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 14, 2019)
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway Stage 1 (Sept. 10, 2018)
- Pocono (Pa.) Raceway Stage 2 (July 30, 2017)

Bowyer Cup Series Career Victories:
- Michigan International Speedway (June 10, 2018)
- Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (March 26, 2018)
- Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (Oct. 13, 2012)
- Richmond (Va.) Raceway (Sept. 8, 2012)
- Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway (June 24, 2012)
- Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 23, 2011)
- Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 31, 2010)
- New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (Sept. 19, 2010)
- Richmond (Va.) Raceway (May 3, 2008)
- New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (Sept. 16, 2007)

Bowyer Cup Series Career Poles:
- New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (Sept. 14, 2007)
- Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (May 11, 2007)
- Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Sept. 14, 2019)
- Auto Club Speedway (March 1, 2020)

Bowyer Career Cup Series Points Finishes:
- 2019 9th
- 2018 12th
- 2017 18th
- 2016 27th
- 2015 16th
- 2014 19th
- 2013 7th
- 2012 2nd
- 2011 13th
- 2010 10th
- 2009 15th
- 2008 5th
- 2007 3rd
- 2006 17th

Bowyer Cup Series Career Stops:
- 2017- Present Stewart-Haas Racing
- 2016 HScott Motorsports
- 2012-2015 Michael Waltrip Racing
- 2006-2011 Richard Childress Racing

Bowyer Xfinity Series Championship:
- 2008

Bowyer Xfinity Series Career Victories:
- Dover (Del.) International Speedway (Sept. 26, 2009)
- Daytona (Fla) International Speedway (July 3, 2009)
- Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (March 15, 2008)
- Richmond (Va.) Raceway (May 4, 2007)
- Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway in Avondale (April 20, 2007)
- Dover (Del.) International Speedway (Sept. 23, 2006)
- Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park (Oct. 22, 2005)
- Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway (June 12, 2005)

Bowyer NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Victories:
- Kansas (Kan.) Speedway in Kansas City (June 4, 2011)
- Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway in Avondale (Nov. 12, 2010)
- Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (Nov. 3, 2006)

Crew Chief Johnny Klausmeier’s Victories:
- Talladega SuperSpeedway (Aric Almirola, Oct 14, 2018)
- Pocono Raceway (Kurt Busch, June 6, 2016)

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

by MikeMay 25, 2020

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.

FOX AND FOX DEPORTES PRIMED FOR FOUR CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF LIVE NASCAR ACTION BEGINNING WITH SUNDAY’S COCA-COLA 600

by MikeMay 22, 2020

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – FOX NASCAR is live from Charlotte Motor Speedway for four consecutive days during Memorial Day Weekend beginning with the 61^st running of the COCA-COLA 600, NASCAR’s longest race, on Sunday, May 24 (6:00 PM ET on FOX and FOX Deportes), followed by on-track action through Wednesday, May 27.

Continuing a tradition that started in 2009, FOX NASCAR honors American service members who have fallen in the past year with “FOX Sports Remembers” during Sunday’s COCA-COLA 600 broadcast. The tribute features a running scroll on-screen listing the name of every U.S. service member who lost his or her life at home or abroad since last year’s Memorial Day Weekend race.

Mike Joy, Jeff Gordon and Larry McReynolds call Sunday’s COCA-COLA 600 from the FOX Sports studios in Charlotte. Reporters Jamie Little and Regan Smith cover the action live from the track. FOX Deportes broadcasters, play-by-play announcer Tony Rivera and analyst Jessi Losada, are live from the FOX Deportes studios in Los Angeles. A special edition of NASCAR RACE HUB airs on Sunday (5:30 PM ET on FOX) immediately prior to the race, while FS1 airs qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600 live at 2:00 PM ET on Sunday.

For the first-ever scheduled NASCAR race on Memorial Day, Adam Alexander, Jamie McMurray and NASCAR CUP SERIES driver Clint Bowyer call Monday’s NASCAR XFINITY SERIES race from the Charlotte studio with at-track reporting by Matt Yocum. The race airs live on FS1 at 7:30 PM ET, preceded by NASCAR RACE HUB at 6:30 PM ET on FS1. Rivera and Losada are on the call for FOX Deportes from Los Angeles.

On Tuesday, May 26, at 8:00 PM ET on FS1, the NASCAR GANDER RV & OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES returns to action at Charlotte. Vince Welch, Phil Parsons and Michael Waltrip call the action from the Charlotte studio with Alan Cavanna reporting from pit road. Rivera and Losada have the call from the FOX Deportes studios.

For Wednesday’s 300-mile NASCAR CUP SERIES encore, Joy, Gordon and McReynolds are back in the studio for the call on FS1 (8:00 PM ET) with Welch reporting from the track. NASCAR RACE HUB airs on FS1 at 7:00 PM ET. FOX Deportes offers live coverage with Losada and Rivera calling the race.

Following Charlotte, NASCAR heads to Bristol Motor Speedway, followed by Atlanta Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. Additional race date announcements are forthcoming.

DATE	RACE	SERIES	NETWORK	TIME (ET)
Saturday, May 30	Bristol 1	Xfinity	FS1/FOX Deportes	3:30 PM
Sunday, May 31	Bristol 1	Cup	FS1/FOX Deportes	3:30 PM
Saturday, June 06	Atlanta	Trucks	FS1	1:00 PM
Saturday, June 06	Atlanta	Xfinity	FOX	4:30 PM
Sunday, June 07	Atlanta	Cup	FOX/FOX Deportes	3:00 PM
Wednesday, June 10	Martinsville 1	Cup	FS1/FOX Deportes	7:00 PM
Saturday, June 13	Miami	Trucks	FS1	12:30 PM
Saturday, June 13	Miami	Xfinity	FOX	3:30 PM
Sunday, June 14	Miami	Xfinity	FS1	12:00 PM
Sunday, June 14	Miami	Cup	FOX/FOX Deportes	3:30 PM
Saturday, June 20	Talladega	ARCA	FS1	2:00 PM
Saturday, June 20	Talladega	Xfinity	FS1	5:30 PM
Sunday, June 21	Talladega 1	Cup	FOX/FOX Deportes	3:00 PM

About FOX Sports

FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing FOX Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, the business has ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing relationships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Network; FS1, FS2, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Deportes. FOX Sports’ digital properties include FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App, which provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content, instant scores, stats and alerts to iOS and Android devices. Additionally, FOX Sports and social broadcasting platform Caffeine jointly own Caffeine Studios which creates exclusive eSports, sports and live entertainment content. Also included in FOX Sports’ portfolio are FOX’s interests in joint-venture business Big Ten Network, a licensing and commercial relationship with The Stars Group that created the FOX Bet sports betting platform and the FOX Sports Super 6 free-to-play game, as well as a licensing agreement that established the FOX Sports Radio Network.

Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Racing: Daniel Suárez Toyota 500k Race Report from Darlington

by MikeMay 21, 2020

Date: May 20, 2020

Event: Toyota 500k

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.366-mile oval)

Format: 228 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/65 laps/103 laps)

Start/Finish: 25th / 27th (Running, completed 207 of 208 laps)

Point Standing: 30th with 54 points, 204 out of first

Note: Race called official 20 laps short of its scheduled 228-lap distance due to rain.

Race Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Winner: Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 2 Winner: Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

● Started 25th, finished 30th.

● The opening lap saw Suárez drop a position as the green flag flew, then restart 23rd on lap seven after the day’s first caution period, then fall back to 27th when the caution flag flew again on lap 10. He said the Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Camry lacked overall grip even though it was turning well in the opening laps.

● Suárez restarted 34th after right-side wedge and air pressure adjustments enabled him to pick up five spots by the time a scheduled competition caution period arrived on lap 25. He restarted 30th after the competition caution and held that position to the end of the segment while reporting the car was “a little better balanced.”

● A solid four-tire pit stop, during which the No. 96 Toyota crew made just air pressure adjustments, enabled Suárez to pick up six spots and restart 24th to begin the second segment.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 60-125):

● Started 24th, finished 27.

● The segment restarted on lap 68 and the caution flag flew just six laps later. The team decided to gamble by keeping Suárez on track, and he restarted 12th on lap 76. But with most of the rest of the field having pitted for fresher tires, he dropped 16 positions over the next six laps before the caution flag flew once again.

● Suárez pitted for tires this time and restarted 25th. He dropped two positions over the next 21 laps before the next caution, reporting the Today. Tomorrow. Toyota struggled on short runs but seemed to improve on longer runs. He also said he was surprised the track grew more free as the race progressed to that point, rather than get tighter as is typical during nighttime racing at Darlington.

● He restarted 27th on lap 113 and held that position to the end of the stage. The team made a multitude of adjustments during the break – air pressure, wedge, track bar – in an effort to tighten up the car.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 126-228):

● Started 27th, finished 27th.

● Suárez held his relative position throughout the final stage, which started with the longest green-flag run of the night – 46 laps.

● He was called to the pits under green on lap 175 while working his way up to 17th as one of the last cars to cycle through green-flag stops. One lap later, the caution flag flew, and he restarted on lap 185 in 28th, one lap down.

● The yellow flag flew again on lap 195, and Suárez pitted from 28th for fresh tires and adjustments to counter those that were made during the prior segment break in an effort to free up the car.

● Suárez gained a position to 27th before rain began to fall and the red flag flew on lap 208. Officials called the race shortly thereafter, 20 laps short of its scheduled 228-lap distance.

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

“We are building, so from that standpoint, I think Dave (Winston, crew chief) and the team did a good job. Compared to Sunday, I think we brought a lot more speed with our Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Camry this time. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to capitalize. I was surprised from the early to the middle part of the race how the car was getting more and more free. Darlington is a track that always gets tighter and tighter as the race goes. I thought the loose car actually seemed to be working for us on the longer runs. Then we made some big changes in the middle part of the race and the car got too tight. We were kind of stuck with that because of the long run. Other than that, I feel like we’re heading in the right direction. The car had more raw speed tonight even though the balance wasn’t as good as we would like it to be. We just need to keep building.”

Race Notes:

● This was the first NASCAR Cup Series race to be held on a Wednesday in 36 years. The last time: July 4, 1984 when Richard Petty scored his 200th career victory at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

● Denny Hamlin won the Toyota 500k to score his 39th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his third at Darlington.

● There were 11 caution periods for a total of 54 laps.

● Only 23 of the 39 drivers in the Toyota 500k finished on the lead lap.

● Kevin Harvick remains the championship leader after Darlington with a 34-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 Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 24 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. The race starts at 6 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

No. 10 Smithfield Ford Racing: Aric Almirola Darlington II Race Report

by MikeMay 21, 2020

Date: May 20, 2020

Event: Darlington 500k

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.366-mile oval)

Format: 228 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/65 laps/103 laps)

Start/Finish: 9th/7th (Running, completed 208 of 208 laps)

Point Standing: 7th (186 points, 72 out of first)

Note: Race called official 20 laps shorts of its scheduled 228-lap distance due to rain.

Race Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Winner: Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 2 Winner: Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

● Aric Almirola started ninth and finished sixth, earning five bonus points.

● The No. 10 Smithfield/#GoodFoodChallenge Ford driver advanced to fourth place before the lap-25 competition caution.

● He took four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments under caution and restarted third.

● Almirola noted loose-handling conditions and fell to sixth.

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

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-125):

● Almirola started ninth and finished 11th.

● The first caution was called on lap 72 with Almirola in seventh.

● He advanced to fourth on the restart.

● Another caution was called right after Almirola said “the car was really coming to me.” He pitted for four tires and fuel to restart 12th.

● Almirola rejoined the top-five on lap 97.

● The caution was called on lap 108. Almirola pitted for four tires and fuel.

● He restarted seventh on the inside line and fell just outside the top-10 by the end of the stage.

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

Final Stage Recap (Laps 126-208):

● Almirola started 12th and finished seventh.

● Almirola raced the Smithfield/#GoodFoodChallenge Ford to seventh on lap 137.

● Crew chief Mike Bugarewicz said Almirola turned the fastest lap on lap 160.

● The caution was called on lap 179 after Almirola pitted under green for four tires and fuel. This caution put the majority of the field a lap down due to pit cycles. Almirola took the wave around to restart seventh.

● Almirola pitted under caution on lap 193 for four tires, fuel and more adjustments to restart seventh.

● The final caution was called with 28 laps to go. Inclement weather ended the race early with Almirola in seventh to earn his first top-10 at Darlington.

Notes:

● Almirola earned his third top-10 of the season and his first top-10 in 10 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington.

● Almirola’s seventh-place result bettered his previous best finish at Darlington – 11th, earned in the 2015 Southern 500.

● This is Almirola’s fourth straight finish of 12th or better. He finished eighth March 1 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, eighth March 8 at Phoenix and 12th last Sunday at Darlington.

● Almirola finished sixth in Stage 1 to earn five bonus points.

● This was the first NASCAR Cup Series to be held on a Wednesday in 36 years. The last time: July 4, 1984 when Richard Petty scored his 200thcareer victory at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

● Denny Hamlin won the Darlington 500k to score his 39th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his third at Darlington.

● There were 11 caution periods for a total of 54 laps.

● Only 23 of the 39 drivers in the Darlington 500k finished on the lead lap.

● Harvick remains the championship leader after Darlington with a 34-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.

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

“I thought we had a really good car tonight. We ran up in the top-five quite a bit and had a really fast car on the long runs. Everyone else’s car would slow down a lot and my car wouldn’t slow down nearly as much on the long run. We would start beating all the leaders really good on the long run. If we could have had that race go green to the end I think it would have been interesting because we were beating the leaders pretty bad. I’m just really proud of all of the guys on our Smithfield team. We came back with some setup changes from what we ran Sunday and I felt like we made some real improvements to the car and were very competitive. We cleaned up some things on pit road, so I’m really proud of those guys. We’ll just continue to build off of that. I feel like we’re in the game.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 24 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. The race starts at 6 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

HaasTooling.com Racing: Cole Custer Darlington 500k Race Report

by MikeMay 21, 2020

Date: May 20, 2020

Event: Darlington 500k

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.366-mile oval)

Format: 228 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/65 laps/83 laps)

Start/Finish: 22nd/31st (Running, completed 206 of 208 laps)

Point Standing: 24th with 88 points, 170 out of first

Note: Race called official 20 laps short of its scheduled 228-lap distance due to rain.

Race Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Winner: Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 2 Winner: Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

● Cole Custer started 22nd and finished 17th.

● Custer climbed to 18th in the opening laps reporting his HaasTooling.com Mustang was a little loose.

● During the lap-25 competition caution Custer pitted his Ford for fuel, four tires and adjustments to help his tight condition. He restarted 17th on lap 31.

● The HaasTooling.com Mustang ended the stage 17th.

● A penalty for an uncontrolled tire during the stage break pit stop sent Custer to the rear of the field for the start of Stage 2.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-125):

● Custer started 30th and finished 34th.

● The 22-year-old pitted from 28th for fuel, four tires and adjustments to help with his tight-handling Mustang at lap 72.

● Custer moved from 23rd to fifth when he stayed on the track during the lap 83 caution.

● The California native made contact with the outside wall on lap 107, bringing out a caution.

● He pitted twice to repair damage on the right side and change four tires.

● Custer restarted 32nd on lap 112, one lap down and completed the stage 34th, one lap down.

● The HaasTooling.com driver pitted during the Stage 2 break for more repairs to his Mustang.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 126-208):

● Custer started 34th and finished 31st.

● Custer lost a second lap during the long green flag run to open the stage.

● With the caution out on lap 179 he pitted from 33rd for four tires, fuel and adjustments.

● The rookie driver restarted 32nd on lap 186 and was 33rd at the lap 195 caution.

● The final caution was displayed for an accident on lap 201 with Custer in the 33rd spot.

● Rain ended the race on lap 208 – 20 laps short of the schedule distance.

Notes:

● Custer made his ninth career NASCAR Cup Series start and just his second at Darlington.

● Denny Hamlin won the Darlington 500k to score his 39th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his third at Darlington.

● There were 11 caution periods for a total of 54 laps.

● Only 23 of the 39 drivers in the Darlington 500k finished on the lead lap.

● Harvick remains the championship leader after Darlington with a two-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.

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

“We definitely had a lot better to start tonight at Darlington in the HaasTooling.com Mustang. We just had some bad luck and damage which made for a long night. We’ll move on to the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday. ”

Next Up:

Bowyer Finishes 22nd in Darlington 500k

by MikeMay 21, 2020

Date: May 20, 2020

Event: Darlington 500k

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.366-mile oval)

Format: 228 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/65 laps/103 laps)

Note: Race called official 20 laps short of its scheduled 228-lap distance due to rain.

Start/Finish: 4th/22nd (Running, completed 208 of 208 laps)

Point Standing: 9th with 170 points, 88 out of first

Race Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Winner: Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 2 Winner: Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

● Clint Bowyer started fourth and finished first to earn 10 bonus points and one playoff point.

● The No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil Delvac 1 Ford Mustang quickly showed it was one of the fastest on the track moving to second by the lap-25 competition caution.

● Bowyer grabbed the lead on the restart logging his 3,000th lap led in the Cup Series.

● Bowyer led the next 30 laps to capture his fourth stage victory of his career.

● Before the stage, Bowyer had led 17 laps in 15 races at Darlington.

● Bowyer reported his car was a little loose, but crew made minimal changes during the stage break.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-125):

● Started first, finished first to earn 10 bonus points and one playoff point.

● The No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil Delvac 1 Ford Mustang stayed at the front through two cautions.

● Bowyer pitted during the stage’s third caution and returned to the track in 10th on lap 85.

● The Kansas native wasted no time moving to third by lap 100.

● Bowyer was using his fresher tires to chase down SHR teammate Kevin Harvick for the lead on lap 109 when the seventh caution of the race came out. Fast pit work returned Bowyer to the lead for the lap 111 restart.

● The Ford driver stayed at the front to win the stage. It was the first time he’s ever won two stages in a race and the first time in 2020 a driver has won the first two stages of a race.

● During the stage break he told his crew: “this car is pretty fast.”

● Two cars stayed on the track on old tires hoping for rain forcing Bowyer to start the final stage in fourth.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 126-208):

● Started fourth, finished 22nd.

● Amid frenetic racing in the opening laps, the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil Delvac 1 Ford Mustang dropped to sixth.

● Bowyer climbed to fourth but handling issues for the first time in the race slowed his progress leaving him in third with 60 to go.

● The veteran driver made a routine green-flag stop with 53 laps remaining, but a caution a few laps later dropped Bowyer off the lead lap.

● Bowyer took the wave around to return to the lead lap and restarted sixth with 43 laps remaining.

● Bowyer moved to fourth after the restart despite telling the crew, “I hit the wall pretty good.”

● Bowyer cut a right rear tire after wall contact with 34 laps to go damaging the right side of the car and bringing out a caution.

● Bowyer restarted the race in 22nd with 30 laps remaining, but another car hit the No. 14 from behind as cars attempted to avoid a wreck at the front of the field.

● Heavy rain during the caution ended the race with 20 to go.

Notes:

● Bowyer led twice for a race-high 71 laps. Prior to tonight’s race, Bowyer had led only 17 laps at Darlington, 16 of which came in the 2007 Southern 500.

● Denny Hamlin won the Darlington 500k to score his 39th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his third at Darlington.

● There were 11 caution periods for a total of 54 laps.

● Only 23 of the 39 drivers in the Darlington 500k finished on the lead lap.

● Harvick remains the championship leader after Darlington with a 34-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.

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

“Very proud of the car the guys brought for me on a short turn around. Fast hot rod. Thing just took off behind two cars racing for lucky dog and smoked the wall and blew our night. The No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil Delvac 1 Ford was fast. We keep doing that our day will come.”

Next Up:

Mobil 1 Racing: Kevin Harvick Darlington 500k Race Report

by MikeMay 21, 2020

Date: May 20, 2020

Event: Darlington 500k

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.336-mile oval)

Format: 228 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/65 laps/103 laps)

Start/Finish: 20th/3rd (Running, completed 208 of 208 laps)

Point Standing: (1st with 258 points, 34 points ahead of Joey Logano)

Note: Race called official 20 laps short of its scheduled 228-lap distance due to rain.

Race Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Winner: Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 2 Winner: Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

● Kevin Harvick started 20th and finished 15th.

● During the competition caution, Harvick brought the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang to pit road for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment and raised the track bar one round.

● The changes did not work for Harvick as the car had no rear grip.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-125):

● Harvick started 14th and finished fifth, earning six bonus points.

● On lap 64, Harvick brought the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang to pit road for four tire, fuel a tire pressure and track bar adjustment. The crew went back on their adjustments.

● On lap 73, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment.

● Harvick got by leader Martin Truex Jr., for the lead on lap 98.

● On lap 109, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment. Said rear grip was good, but the front end needed some work.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 126-228):

● Harvick started fifth and finished third.

● On lap 128, Harvick, pitted for four tires and fuel. Was the first car off pit road.

● While running third on lap 159, Harvick radioed that his car was “plowing tight.”

● With 56 laps to go, Harvick had fallen from third to eighth.

● On lap 175, Harvick brought the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang to pit road for four tires, fuel and two rounds up on the track bar. He was ninth when he pitted.

● Harvick pitted on lap 195 for four tires, fuel and one round up on the track bar. Was the first car off pit road.

● He restarted third, but fell to fourth and was running there when third-place Kyle Busch’s car made contact with second-place Chase Elliott. The No. 9 of Elliott made contact with the SAFER Barrier on the inside wall and then rain starting falling which ended the race with Harvick back in third place.

Notes:

● Denny Hamlin won the Darlington 500k to score his 39th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his third at Darlington.

● There were 11 caution periods for a total of 54 laps.

● Only 23 of the 39 drivers in the Darlington 500k finished on the lead lap.

● Harvick remains the championship leader after Darlington with a 34-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.

● Harvick earned his fourth top-five and sixth top-10 of the season, and his 10th top-five and 14th top-10 in 25 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington.

● Harvick is the only NASCAR Cup Series driver to have finished in the top-10 in all six races this season.

● This is Harvick’s third straight top-three. He finished second March 8 at Phoenix Raceway and won last Sunday at Darlington in The Real Heroes 400.

● This is Harvick’s fourth straight top-five and ninth straight top-10 at Darlington.

● Harvick has never finished outside the top-10 at Darlington since joining SHR in 2014, a streak that began with a win in the 2014 Southern 500.

● Harvick finished fifth in Stage 2 to earn six bonus points.

● Harvick led once for 10 laps to increase his laps-led total at Darlington to 750.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“We had to start 20th and battled kind of an ill-balanced car tonight. The track conditions were just a lot different. We made some adjustments going into the race. Just couldn’t get the front of the car to turn. Every time we tried to adjust the back, it would just take the back out. We never could get the front of the car to turn. Had to use a lot more throttle tonight. The things I could do with the car Sunday, I couldn’t do tonight. They kept clawing and fighting. In the end we had a great pit stop on the last pit stop, were in position to have a chance to win the race there, and it rained. The whole night we wound up restarting on the bottom of the racetrack. We’d lose three or four spots every time we’d restart. Definitely didn’t get the good end of the draw on the restarts. In the end our Mobil 1 guys did a great job of just battling. Sometimes you have great nights, sometimes you have nights you have to battle. It was a good two days in Darlington for us.”

Next Up:

Kevin Harvick Socially Distances Himself From the Field in Darlington Return

by Chuck AbramsMay 20, 2020May 20, 2020

I suppose it isn’t a surprise that Kevin Harvick, The Closer, sealed the deal on Sunday with a dominating final stage push that left everyone else in the dust. Harvick led 150 laps overall, essentially doubling the 80 laps led by Brad Keselowski.

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