From Frontstretch’s Kevin Rutherford…
Amazon Prime Video and TNT will have Adam Alexander, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte in their broadcast booths for NASCAR races in 2025, both companies announced Nov. 18. (more…)
Coca-Cola 600
Richard Childress Racing Fan Day to Kick Off Martinsville Race Weekend This October
WELCOME, N.C. (June 16, 2023) – Race fans are encouraged to make a “pit stop” to Richard Childress Racing’s campus in Welcome, North Carolina prior to this Fall’s NASCAR race weekend at Martinsville Speedway for the race team’s 2023 RCR Fan Day celebration.
Blaney Conquers Charlotte Motor Speedway
Ryan Blaney and the No. 12 BODYARMOR Team quenched their thirst for victory by leading a race-high 163 laps during Monday’s Coca-Cola 600 to take home the win in one of NASCAR’s Crown Jewel events.
Team Penske Memorial Day Weekend Race Sweep, INDY 500 & Coca-Cola 600
It’s a Memorial Day weekend for the history books with an unprecedented Team Penske sweep of two marquee motorsports events – the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600.
NASCAR Cup Series News & Notes – Charlotte Motor Speedway
As it has each year for nearly a decade, the NASCAR community will come together to formally honor and recognize the United States Armed Forces during Military Appreciation Month through the annual NASCAR Salutes Together with Coca-Cola program.
This marks the ninth season of NASCAR Salutes Together with Coca-Cola celebrating the service and sacrifice of U.S. military members and their families through a multitude of at track integrations, original content features and fan engagement opportunities.
Kyle Larson Spanks The Field in NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro
NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. – Kyle Larson’s third victory in the Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race was a case of absolute dominance.
It was also a case study in strategy at revitalized North Wilkesboro Speedway, with the eventual winning move made on Lap 18 of 200.
NASCAR Cup Series News & Notes – Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway will host the NASCAR Cup Series for the 63rd running of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, in a weekend filled with remembrance for the brave men and women who are serving or have served in our military. The annual event takes pride in honoring our service members and their families and this weekend is expected to be another great experience for all.
Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte Motor Speedway | NASCAR Cup Series Full Race Replay
Relive the Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte in this NASCAR Cup Series Full Race Replay (more…)
Almirola Finishes 29th at Bristol
Smithfield Ford Driver Races as High as Second; Involved in Lap-464 Accident
Date: May 31, 2020
Event: Food City presents the Supermarket Heroes 500 (Round 9 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval)
Format: 500 laps, broken into three stages (125 laps/125 laps/250 laps)
Start/Finish: 2nd/29th (Accident, completed 470 of 500 laps)
Point Standing: 11th (240 points, 130 out of first)
Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-125):
● Aric Almirola started second and finished fourth, earning seven stage points.
● The Smithfield Ford driver started on the bottom groove and fell to sixth before a caution on lap six.
● Almirola drove to fourth before the competition caution.
● He restarted fourth and drove the No. 10 Ford to second-place before the second competition caution.
● Almirola pitted for four tires, fuel and adjustments to restart third.
● Starting on lap 110, Almirola tapped the No. 2 car’s bumper multiple times to ultimately make the pass. He noted tight-handling conditions during the run and held the No. 10 Ford inside the top-five.
● He pitted at the end of the stage for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments.
Stage 2 Recap (Laps 126-250):
● Almirola started sixth and finished 21st.
● Almirola raced the No. 10 Ford to fourth by lap 177.
● He was scored second after a caution on lap 199. He said his car was good on the long runs and tight on the restarts.
● Almirola pitted for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments to restart fifth.
● After a red flag on lap 229, Almirola was scored eighth. On the restart, he said he may have a tire going down and pitted for four tires, fuel and adjustments.
Final Stage Recap (Laps 251-500):
● Almirola started 10th and finished 20th.
● Almirola advanced the Smithfield Ford six positions on the restart before a caution on lap 269.
● He raced to third before a caution on lap 329. He pitted for four fresh tires, fuel and adjustments to restart third.
● After another caution on lap 355, Almirola reported a loose wheel and pitted for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments to restart 10th.
● Almirola was contacted by the No. 2 car on the restart and dropped to 13th.
● He rejoined the top-10 on lap 393.
● Almirola pitted under caution on lap 433 from eighth-place for four tires, fuel and more chassis adjustments after noting loose-handling conditions. He came off pit road in seventh.
● Another caution was called with 43 laps to go. Almirola opted not to pit with 19 laps on his tires.
● During the restart, Almirola was involved in an accident and hit the outside wall. He was forced to pit to repair damage and returned to the track two laps down. He retired the No. 10 Smithfield Ford on lap 470 due to unrepairable damage.
Notes:
● Brad Keselowski won the Food City presents the Supermarket Heroes 500 to score his 32nd career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his third at Bristol. His margin of victory over second-place Clint Bowyer was .471 of a second.
● This was Ford’s series-best fifth win of the season and its 691st all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory.
● This was Ford’s 38th NASCAR Cup Series victory at Bristol. The last Ford driver to win at Bristol was Kurt Busch in August 2018 while a member of SHR.
● There were 17 caution periods for a total of 102 laps.
● Only 22 of the 40 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Kevin Harvick remains the championship leader after Bristol with a 24-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.
Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:
“Man. We had such a good car today. We would have had a shot at a top-three finish. That’s Bristol. I felt like I had a tire going down at one point, so we pitted and even came back to the top-10 from that pretty quickly. We had a loose-wheel later and had to pit under caution that put us 10th. We were definitely making our way back towards the front and had a promising finish if we didn’t get caught up there. It looked like the 19 got into me. The car just took off towards the wall and we were done. I hate it for this Smithfield Ford team. We’re flirting on the edge of some really good runs. The good news is we came to Bristol with a setup that can win, so we’ll have confidence coming back.”
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Folds of Honor 500 on Sunday, June 7 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Newman Finishes 17th Thursday at Charlotte
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (May 28, 2020) – Track position proved to be the key to the race, as Ryan Newman drove his No. 6 Roush Performance Ford to a 17th -place finish in Thursday night’s 208-lap race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Originally scheduled to be run on Wednesday, Newman started 27th based off his finish in Sunday’s Coke 600. The 310-mile event was again affected by weather just after the green flag dropped, causing an hour-plus lightning and rain delay.
With a competition caution at lap 20, Newman was 24th and reporting the balance was nearly dialed in aboard his Roush Performance machine. The red flag was displayed a few laps later at lap 30, in what resulted in a delay of 75 minutes.
Once track-drying efforts were complete, Newman fired off 20th for the restart at lap 24, the same position he would end the stage in by lap 55. Following service on pit road, he restarted 19th for stage two.
Newman received a tire rub on the left rear on the ensuing restart that would last for several laps, before the yellow came back out at lap 73. With the top-15 cars staying out under the yellow, Newman fired off 24th at lap 78, and powered his way to 16th by lap 84, before going on to finish the stage in 23rd.
After starting the final stage in 15th, the handling unfortunately went away aboard Newman’s machine as the race ran caution-free and he crossed the line 17th.
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to action Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway for 500 laps at ‘The World’s Fastest Half Mile.’ Race coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.
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
Ryan Newman | Charlotte II Advance
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 so far.
- Four weeks of NASCAR action were completed prior to the hiatus with races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville postponed.
Sunday Recap, Wednesday Preview
- Newman fought battery issues inside his Roman Ford in Sunday’s long Coca-Cola 600, putting him off the lead lap for the second half of the event. Despite the issues, Newman had fought his way inside the top-10 early on with one stage point after the first segment.
- Wednesday’s starting lineup will once again be set by an invert of the top-20 cars, with cars 21-40 starting in their respective finish positions from Sunday, meaning Newman will be gridded 27th.
Newman Historically at Charlotte Motor Speedway
- Sunday marks Newman’s 38th start at the oval of Charlotte Motor Speedway. He has an overall average finish of 18.4.
- Newman has turned in 15 career top-10 finishes at CMS including seven from 2013-17.
- Newman has an impressive nine poles at CMS dating back to 2001, by the far the most of any active driver at the 1.5-mile track and tied for second-most of any driver in NASCAR history. Only David Pearson has more with 14, while Newman and Jeff Gordon are tied for second. He swept the pole awards in 2003 and 2007, and also secured the top spot in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2009 and 2010.
- Newman has five Xfinity Series starts at CMS with one win (2005) and finished top-10 in each race. He also made one start in the truck series there in 2009 finishing fourth in a Kevin Harvick-owned truck.
Scott Graves at Charlotte Motor Speedway
- Graves will call his ninth NCS race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday. In eight prior starts he has an average finish of 17.1 with one top-10 (sixth – 2017).
- He also has sixth starts in the NXS atop the pit box, earning four top-10s and one top five. He finished third with Suarez in 2016, and also earned three top-10s with Chris Buescher in 2014 and 2015.
QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on the Wednesday’s race:
“We’re looking to rebound Wednesday night after an unfortunate turn of events on Sunday. The battery bug bit us throughout the Coke 600, which isn’t a race you want that to happen at. Despite that, we drove our way into the top-10 early on there and were feeling good about the balance. We’ll regroup and get after it again on Wednesday in a much shorter race.”
Christopher Bell – No. 95 Procore Toyota Camry Preview – Alsco Uniforms 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
No. 95 Procore Toyota Camry News and Notes:
- Bell at Charlotte: Christopher Bell, a rookie contender in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS), will make his second Cup start at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) Wednesday evening. Bell made his first NCS start at CMS on Sunday earning a ninth-place finish.
- NXS at Charlotte: Bell has three NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) starts at CMS earning two top-five and two top-10 finishes. Last year at CMS Bell dominated early in the race, earning the pole position and leading 33 of 45 laps in the opening stage before a flat tire ended his day early in stage two.
- Starting Lineup: The top 20 finishers from the Coca-Cola 600 will be inverted to set the top 20 starting positions and by virtue of his ninth-place finish, Bell will start 12th in the Alsco 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Wednesday evening.
- Coca-Cola 600 Recap: With no practice or previous laps in a Cup car at CMS, Bell qualified his No. 95 Toyota Camry 15th for the Coca-Cola 600, the longest race of the season. Bell was consistent throughout the 400 laps, even recovering from a partial spin after contact from behind. A late race caution set the field up for an overtime finish. Bell was running 12th and came down pit road for four fresh tires to take the final restart. Bell restarted 16th and maneuvered his way to a top-10 finish, capitalizing on the fresh tires.
- Procore: Procore, a leading provider of construction management software, first appeared on the hood of the No. 95 in 2017 and has continued to build on their program as they enter their fourth season with LFR. For more information visit: https://www.procore.com/
- RACE INFO: The Alsco Uniforms 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway begins at 8:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 27, 2020. The race will be broadcast live on FS1, Sirius XM 90, and PRN Radio.
Bell’s Career NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway:
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15.0 | 9.0 |
Bell’s 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats:
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
| 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20.4 | 22.9 |
Bell’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
| 74 | 16 | 41 | 46 | 12 | 2920 | 6.4 | 10.2 |
From the Cockpit:
Christopher Bell: “I’m excited to try and build off what we had the first race at Charlotte. We were pretty competitive on Sunday and we learned a few things to make us even better for the Wednesday night race at Charlotte.”
About Procore
Procore is a leading provider of construction management software. Their platform connects every project stakeholder to solutions we’ve built specifically for the construction industry—for the owner, the general contractor, and the specialty contractor. Procore’s App Marketplace has a multitude of partner solutions that integrate seamlessly with our platform, giving construction professionals the freedom to connect with what works best for them. Headquartered in Carpinteria, California, Procore has offices around the globe. Learn more at procore.com.
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.
FedEx Racing Express Facts – Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Coca-Cola 600 Recap: Denny Hamlin’s shot at a Coca-Cola 600 victory was all but eliminated before the green flag even waved Sunday, when the #11 had to return to pit road during the pace laps after losing ballast weights. The blocks of tungsten, which are required for the car to meet minimum weight, fell out of the FedEx #SupportSmall Toyota as the car rolled off pit road at Charlotte Motor Speedway to begin the pace laps. NASCAR ordered Hamlin back to pit road so the team could replace the weight as the rest of the field took the green flag. Hamlin rejoined the field eight laps later. The team tried various pit strategies throughout the 600-mile race to regain ground but never returned to the lead lap. Hamlin was able to climb 11 positions, though, to finish the day in 29th as Brad Keselowski took the win.
Alsco Uniforms 500 Preview: The series returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday night for the Alsco Uniforms 500, the second of two races at the Concord, N.C., oval in NASCAR’s return-to-racing schedule. The Wednesday night race will only be about half the distance of Sunday’s race – just 500 kilometers or 312 miles. Hamlin will seek his first victory in his 29th start at the 1.5-mile track.
FedEx “#SupportSmall” Paint Scheme: The #11 FedEx Toyota will sport a special paint scheme for the Charlotte NASCAR race. The paint scheme pays tribute to small business owners, the real backbone of America, which is represented through the stars on the car. #SupportSmall is also included on the hood to highlight the support FedEx has and will continue to show small businesses during the ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of that support, FedEx has announced a new grant for small businesses to help them get back to business from COVID-19 impacts, with $1 million available in grant money. Small businesses can head to fedex.com/supportsmallgrants to learn more. FedEx has also teamed up with BigCommerce to help get businesses online and products in customers’ hands, fast. Head to FedEx.com/bigcommerce to find out more.
Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Races: 28
Wins: 0
Poles: 2
Top-5: 9
Top-10: 17
Laps Led: 377
Avg. Start: 10.9
Avg. Finish: 12.9
Hamlin Conversation – Alsco Uniforms 500:
You didn’t have a great result on Sunday; but, did the team gather information that could help Wednesday?
“For sure. Our FedEx #SupportSmall Toyota was actually pretty fast on Sunday. We tried various adjustments throughout the night and learned how the car reacts in traffic and in various lines around the track. So, we have a good baseline to start with for Wednesday.”
Is your strategy different with a shorter race?
“In some ways, yes. Obviously, you’ve got a shorter distance to accomplish what you need to. Tire and fuel mileage strategy will be different, and we’ll have shorter stages to work within. This one will be more of a sprint than a marathon.”
FedEx Office – Closest to Charlotte Motor Speedway: 7741 Gateway Lane NW, Suite 110, Concord, NC, (704) 979-1971
| 2020 FedEx Racing Team Results | |||||||||
| DATE | EVENT | LOCATION | START | FINISH | LAPS | STATUS | LED | PTS | TREND |
| Feb. 16 | Daytona 500 | Daytona | 21 | 1 | 209/209 | Running | 79 | 1st | ▬ |
| Feb. 23 | Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube | Las Vegas | 4 | 17 | 267/267 | Running | 0 | 9th | ▼ |
| Mar. 1 | Auto Club 400 | Fontana | 28 | 6 | 200/200 | Running | 0 | 7th | ▲ |
| Mar. 8 | Fan Shield 500 | Phoenix | 3 | 20 | 316/316 | Running | 0 | 11th | ▼ |
| May 17 | The Real Heroes 400 | Darlington | 10 | 5 | 293/293 | Running | 0 | 6th | ▲ |
| May 20 | Toyota 500 | Darlington | 16 | 1 | 208/208 | Running | 12 | 4th | ▲ |
| May 24 | Coca-Cola 600 | Charlotte | 13 | 29 | 398/405 | Running | 0 | 8th | ▼ |
| Averages/Totals | 13.6 | 11.3 | 99.6% | 91 | |||||
Martin Truex Jr. – No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry Preview – Alsco Uniforms 500 at Charlotte Motor
No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry News and Notes
- TRUEX AT CHARLOTTE: Martin Truex Jr. has three wins in 28 career NASCAR Cup Series starts on the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval layout. The Mayetta, New Jersey native has posted seven top-five results in the past nine races on the track’s 1.5-mile configuration. His 1,059 laps led at Charlotte rank third amongst all active drivers.
- COCA-COLA 600 RECAP: Truex finished second in the opening two stages of Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and backed that up with a fifth-place result in stage three before ultimately finishing sixth. On the night, he led 87 laps, earned a race-high 56 points and led all drivers with a 2.76-average finishing position.
- RETURN TO RACING = RETURN TO FORM: The No. 19 team has scored the most points over the past three races since NASCAR’s return to racing on May 17. Counting the two Darlington races and Sunday’s 600-miler at Charlotte, Truex racked up 139 points. The next-best driver over that span scored 128.
- STAGE SUCCESS: Truex ranks second amongst all NASCAR Cup Series drivers in stage points earned through the season’s first seven races. After picking up 25 stage points Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Truex has now accumulated 92 stage points so far this season.
- BASS PRO SHOPS: A longtime supporter of Truex and NASCAR, Bass Pro Shops will be featured as primary sponsor of the No. 19 Camry for Wednesday night’s race in Charlotte. Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri. Today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more.
- JGR AT CHARLOTTE: Joe Gibbs Racing has earned seven victories at Charlotte Motor Speedway, including the 2018 and 2019 Coca-Cola 600s. Overall, the organization has tallied 52 top-five finishes, 80 top-10s, 10 pole awards and 3,760 laps led at the 1.5-mile quad-oval. Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart join Truex on the list of drivers to take JGR to victory lane at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
- TUNE IN: Coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway begins Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, PRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
Martin Truex Jr., Driver of the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry
How do you approach Wednesday’s night’s much shorter race with the inverted starting lineup?
“It’s going to be tough with the invert. I think that’s going to be a big deal after everybody gets a chance to work on their cars and the track just seemed like it was really one groove and really, really difficult to pass during the 600. You give everybody two or three days to work on their cars and everybody is going to be closer yet. The invert is going to be a challenge in the shorter race for sure. We’ll see what we can do with it and do our best.”
Truex NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Oval)
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
| 28 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 1,059 | 16.5 | 13.8 |
Truex 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
| 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 118 | 15.0 | 17.1 |
Truex NASCAR Cup Series Career Stats
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
| 520 | 26 | 102 | 208 | 19 | 9,024 | 14.4 | 15.8 |
About Bass Pro Shops®
Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.”
Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Racing: Daniel Suárez Alsco Uniforms 500k at Charlotte Preview
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No. 41 Autodesk Fusion 360/HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang: Cole Custer Alsco Uniforms 500k Race Advance
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Erik Jones – No. 20 CRAFTSMAN Toyota Camry Preview (NCS) – Charlotte Motor Speedway
No. 20 CRAFTSMAN Toyota Camry News and Notes:
- JONES AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY: Erik Jones will make his sixth Cup Series start at the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday night for the Alsco 500(k). In his previous five starts at the track in the Cup Series, Jones best finish is seventh during his first appearance in the Coca-Cola 600 in 2017. In addition to his Cup starts, Jones has five Xfinity Series starts at the track earning a best finish of second in 2015. In his lone Truck Series start at track, Jones led 88 laps before falling to second to Kasey Kahne in one of the closest finishes in Truck Series history.
- JGR AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY: Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has 134 total starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Cup Series competition. In those starts, the team has earned seven wins, 52 top-five finishes, 80 top-10 finishes and 10 pole starting positions. The team has led 3,760 laps, completed 46,965 of 48,727 attempted laps (96.4%) and earned an average start of 12.1 and an average finish of 11.7. Bobby Labonte leads the team with two wins followed by Dale Jarrett, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex, Jr. all with one win each.
- STARTING LINEUP: For the Alsco 500(k) at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Jones will start the race from the eighth position. The top 20 finishers from the Coca-Cola 600 will be inverted to set the top 20 starting positions for Wednesday night’s race. By virtue of his 11th-place finish, Jones earned the 10th starting position.
- THIS WEEK ON THE NO. 20 CAMRY: This weekend, the No. 20 Toyota Camry will carry the classic red and black CRAFTSMAN paint scheme for the first time this season.
- POINTS UPDATE: With his 11th-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Jones gained two positions in the point standings to secure the 13th position.
- COCA-COLA 600 RECAP: Qualifying in the 14th position, Jones ran as high as second in the Coca-Cola 600 before finishing the race in the 11th position.
- RACE INFO: The Alsco 500 (k) at Charlotte Motor Speedway is scheduled for Wednesday, May 27, 2020. Coverage will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1, Sirius XM Channel 90 and PRN Radio.
Jones Career NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway:
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15.4 | 19.0 |
Jones 2020 Season NASCAR Cup Series Stats:
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish |
| 7 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 16.7 | 14.9 |
Jones Career NASCAR Cup Series Stats:
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish |
| 118 | 2 | 25 | 52 | 2 | 609 | 13.4 | 15.9 |
From the Driver’s Seat: Erik Jones
Erik Jones: “I’m looking forward to getting back to Charlotte for race two. The 600 was a good race for us most of the night. We were pretty strong and ran up front. We had a car that I thought was good enough to contend for a while, unfortunately, we lost the handle late in the race and fell back towards the end. I think we learned a lot though about the track and how it changed and what we need to do to be fast and how our car handled through the night. Hopefully we make some good changes for Wednesday night. It’s a short race, so we aren’t really going to have an opportunity to work on the car as the night goes. We’re going to have what we have when we start and as the race gets going. I’m looking forward to it. Charlotte has been a fun track for me. We’ve had some fast cars there so we can hopefully put it all together and have a good finish at the end of the night.”
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Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – Coca Cola 600
Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Race: Coca-Cola 600
Date: May 24, 2020
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No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski
Start: 9th
Stage 1: 15th
Stage 2: 12th
Stage 3: 8th
Finish: 1st
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 405/405
Laps Led: 21
Point Standings (behind first): 5th (-56)
Notes:
- Brad Keselowski held off Jimmie Johnson in a NASCAR overtime finish to win the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Keselowski scored his first career victory in NASCAR’s longest race. The win was his first of the 2020 season and the his second in his career at Charlotte. It represented his 31st victory in NASCAR Cup Series competition and his 30th triumph in NASCAR’s premier series for Team Penske. With the win, he jumps up to fifth-place in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings.
- Keselowski qualified ninth for the race but unapproved adjustments to the Miller Lite Ford Mustang forced the former Cup Series champ to start at the rear of the 40-car field. He had moved up to 16th position when rain forced the cars to pit lane on lap 50 for a delay of just over an hour. When the event resumed, Keselowski has his hands full with the handling on the No. 2 Mustang, but he persevered and finished 16th when Stage 1 concluded on lap 100.
- Stage 2 was much of the same for the No. 2 Miller Lite team. Keselowski ran inside the top 15 for most of the segment but worked his way up to 12th position when the stage ended on lap 200. He pitted for four tires during the caution on lap 204, and quick work by the No. 2 Crew moved Keselowski up to 10th position when the race went back to green on lap 208.
- Keselowski ran inside the top-10 for nearly all of Stage 3. He took the lead for the first time during a cycle of green flag stops on lap 256. He held the top spot for seven laps before pitting under green on 263 for four tires and adjustments. Keselowski was 11th when the fifth caution slowed the pace of the field on lap 276 and he was running eighth when the stage ended on lap 300. The Miller Lite Mustang made a four-tire stop during the stage caution and restarted seventh when the final segment began on lap 307.
- Adjustments by crew chief Jeremy Bullins and the No. 2 crew for the changing track conditions paid off in the final segment. Keselowski was up to fourth when the seventh caution flag was displayed on lap 349. Excellent work by the Miller Lite team moved Keselowski up to second place for the race restart on lap 353. He passed Jimmie Johnson for the lead one lap later, holding the top spot until Chase Elliott moved by Keselowski on lap 363.
- Elliott appeared to be in command of the race until the final caution flag flew with two laps to go, setting up a NASCAR overtime finish. Elliott chose to pit on lap 401, while Keselowski stayed on the race track and reclaimed the lead. Keselowski cleared Jimmie Johnson to maintain the lead off Turn 2 moments after the race went green on lap 403 and he never looked back. The Team Penske driver scored his first Coca-Cola 600 victory by .293 seconds ahead of Johnson, who was later penalized after his car failed post-race tech inspection.
Quotes: “I’m so happy for my team. I wish my wife and my daughters were here. It’s the Coke 600 and this leaves only one major left for me, the Daytona 500, so we’re checking them off. I’m really happy for Miller Lite and Ford and everybody who just works their butt off at Team Penske. We might not have been the fastest car today, but, wow, did we grind this one out. The pit crew at the end – during the yellow right before the last one – had a blazing stop to get us up front and put us in position. All these things just came together and I’m tickled to death. It’s a little overwhelming to be honest.”
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No. 12 DEX Imaging Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney
Start: 26th
Stage 1: 12th
Stage 2: 9th
Stage 3: 3rd
Finish: 3rd
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 405/405
Laps Led: 0
Point Standings (Behind First): 7th (-79)
- Ryan Blaney capped off a strong night with a third-place finish in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, driving the No. 12 DEX Imaging Ford Mustang. This was the High Point, NC native’s best finish in eight prior starts at the 1.5-mile oval as well as his first top-10 finish since the Daytona 500 in February.
- Blaney started 26th and within the first 10 laps of the event, he worked his way into the top-20. After being blocked in on his first pit stop on lap 23, Blaney was running 26th before a rain delay halted the event for just over an hour. Once racing resumed the DEX Imaging Ford marched forward scoring a 12th-place finish in Stage 1.
- Blaney began Stage 2 from the 11th position. He eventually worked his way into the top-10 by lap 150. Blaney reported improvements in the car from Stage 1 but he needed a little more front turn. He brought the DEX Imaging Ford Mustang to pit road on lap 154 for routine service and an air pressure adjustment. Blaney maintained the ninth position when the stage came to its conclusion on lap 200.
- After beginning Stage 3 in the eighth position, Blaney pitted for routine service and a wedge adjustment on lap 25. He drove in fifth position for most of the stage before stopping under caution on lap 277 for right-side tires. The move allowed him to bring home a third-place finish in Stage 2 and valuable stage points in the process.
- Following a tough pit stop, Blaney restarted the final stage of NASCAR’s longest race from the 10th position. With the balance on the No. 12 Mustang going to the free side, Blaney raced his way to seventh by lap 360 and sixth by lap 390. A caution on lap 399 saw crew chief Todd Gordon keep Blaney on track for a green/white/checkered flag finish. He restarted fourth and make his way up to third before he was passed by Chase Elliott, racing with fresh tires, on the last lap as Blaney crossed the finish line in fourth place.
- Blaney is now seventh in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings, 79 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.
Quote: “We started towards the back and gained a lot of spots in the beginning, but we got boxed in on the first stop and lost all those spots we gained. I thought we were in a good spot on the restart with 45 or 48 to go and somebody got loose on the bottom into three and we had to go all the way up to the wall to miss him in the middle of three and four. We lost a lot of spots right there and that really hurt us. That lost us all the track position we gained towards the end. We restarted sixth or maybe even eighth on the top and I thought we were going to roll, but that dropped us back to maybe 12th and we had to fight back from there. I thought our DEX Imaging Ford was competitive, probably not the best car out there, but a top-five car all night. It was a good call to stay out there at the end. We restarted fourth and gave us a chance. We would have come home with a decent day, but we passed a lot of cars and definitely had a long night working on it.”
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No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano
Start: 7th
Stage 1: 5th
Stage 2: 7th
Stage 3: 1st
Finish: 13th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 400/400
Laps Led: 26
Point Standings (Behind First): 2nd (-23)
Notes:
- Joey Logano started seventh Sunday night, won the third stage and ran inside the top-10 for the majority of the event before a late-race speeding penalty derailed the strong run. The pit-lane speed violation relegated the Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang to a 13th-place finish.
- After starting seventh, Logano settled in for the opening 20 laps of the 600-mile race as he reported the Shell-Pennzoil Ford was a little tight handling and then went into a four-wheel slide. At the competition of the caution period, the No. 22 team elected to not make any changes to the air pressure and chassis, but they did add tape to the nose as the track was expected to take a swing to the tight side. Rain then brought a halt to the race for an extended period of time at lap 50.
- At the end of the first stage, Logano reported his Ford Mustang was running just a touch free, but he didn’t want the team to make adjustments as he felt the car was really close to being balanced over the run to lap 100. The Shell-Pennzoil Ford remained free for the majority of the second stage, as Logano ultimately finished in the seventh position. Under the stage caution, crew chief Paul Wolfe called for a significant air pressure adjustment, looking to get the No. 22 Mustang ahead of the changing track conditions.
- Midway through the third stage, Logano reported the Shell-Pennzoil Ford was a little free in clean air while being almost neutral in traffic. At lap 257, Wolfe elected to make a slight wedge adjustment to the car to prepare for the final stage. At lap 277, the team decided to remain on the track and cycle to the lead as many of the leaders pitted to take two tires for the 20-lap run to the end of the third stage. The gamble paid off as Logano cruised to the Stage 3 victory.
- After winning the third stage, Logano restarted second as the No. 21 Ford gained position while electing to take two tires on its stop. On the restart, Logano avoided disaster when the Shell-Pennzoil Ford jumped sideways, and he was forced to rally back from the eighth position. Unfortunately, the No. 22 Ford Mustang took a swing to the loose side, with Logano dropping to the 10th position as the car ran as free as it had been all night long by lap 340.
- A pit stop at lap 350 saw the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford penalized for speeding on pit road, which dropped Logano to the tail of the field for the final 48-lap shootout. Logano settled into 17th-place, battling an extremely tight-handling Ford Mustang. A late caution flag set up an overtime finish with the No. 22 Ford team choosing to pit for four tires and a major air pressure adjustment. Logano restarted the race 18th and rallied for a 13th-place finish in the two-lap shootout.
Quote: “The Shell-Pennzoil Ford was as fast as anybody when we had track position tonight. We fought loose at times and then got really tight at the end of the race. We pitted before the overtime finish and we were able to battle forward and finish 13th. We scored a fair amount of stage points and got the playoff point for the Stage 3 win, and those are really important once you get to the playoffs.”