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Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Charlotte II

by MikeMay 27, 2020

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 10^th-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 28^th-place finish.
Buescher picked up three spots during a hectic final two-lap shootout to bring his Fifth Third Ford home 10^th 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 18^th with Buescher 19^th. The top-20 invert is back for Wednesday’s race, with Buescher rolling off 11^th after a 10^th-place run. Newman will fire off 28^th 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

2015-1 Buescher NXS

Wood Bros. Racing: Wednesday Night Racing at Charlotte

by MikeMay 26, 2020

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 17^th. 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.

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

by MikeMay 26, 2020

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 races. His 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 win, 14 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.

Recent Articles From SpeedwayMedia

by MikeMay 25, 2020

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

by MikeMay 21, 2020

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.

DiBenedetto Finishes 9th at Darlington

by MikeMay 21, 2020May 21, 2020

Despite struggling to find the speed he hoped to have at Darlington Raceway, Matt DiBenedetto came away from two races in four days with two solid finishes, including his second top-10 finish of the season, a ninth-place effort in Wednesday night’s 500-kilometer race at the Lady in Black.

DiBenedetto and his No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang fired off fast in Wednesday’s race, the start of which was delayed by rain throughout the day.

He started seventh after the qualifying order was set through an inversion of the finishing order of Sunday’s Darlington race in which he finished 14^th.

He had driven up to fifth place, but made an early pit stop because he and the team were worried that there might be an issue with his car.

The decision to pit cost DiBenedetto and the team track position and caused them to use up one of the eight sets of tires each team was allotted for the race.

DiBenedetto restarted 27^th and passed 15 cars in just 10 laps.

“It was fun to fly through the field like that,” he said. “I was surprised how many cars I could just fly by.”

But as the track took on more rubber, the results weren’t as good.

“We were a lot better on the green track,” he said. “When the track rubbered up, we just weren’t where we needed to be.”

Still he was able to finish 10^th in the second 60-lap stage, earning one stage point.

As the laps wound down, DiBenedetto and his team, led by crew chief Greg Erwin and spotter Doug Campbell, used strategy to move into the top 10 when it counted.

Sensing rains would arrive before the race reached the advertised distance, the decision was made to leave DiBenedetto on the track when the caution flag flew with 32 laps remaining.

DiBenedetto moved up to second for the restart and was hanging on to ninth place when the race was called for rain 20 laps shy of the planned 228 laps.

“We gambled at the end and got lucky, but we’ll take it,” he said of his second top-10 finish of the season, the first a runner-up run at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the second race of the season. “All of the tracks except for Darlington we have had really good speed, so I know we will take a little luck from this one and moving forward we should be fast at a lot of places and be better at Charlotte.”

DiBenedetto and the team remain in ninth place in the Cup standings heading into this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
###

About Motorcraft:

Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln Dealers, independent distributors and automotive parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Omnicraft:

Omnicraft is part of the Ford lineup of parts brands: Ford Parts, Motorcraft and Omnicraft. Omnicraft is the exclusive non-Ford/Lincoln parts brand of premium aftermarket parts. With over a century of parts heritage to build upon, Omnicraft provides excellent quality and fit and is a preferred choice of professional automotive technicians. To find out more about Omnicraft, visitwww.omnicraftautoparts.com or contact your local Ford or Lincoln Dealership.
About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center

Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine vehicle maintenance including tire repair and replacement with a Low Tire Price Guarantee and a full menu of automotive services including oil and filter, brakes, alignments, batteries, and shocks and struts on all vehicle makes and models. Service is performed by certified technicians at more than 1,000 locations worldwide while you wait, and no appointment is necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 200,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Matt DiBenedetto in the famous No. 21 racer.

Chris Buescher | Darlington II Advance

by MikeMay 19, 2020

Team: No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Luke Lambert

PR Contact: Brandon Lee; blee@roushfenway.com; 704-783-5446

Twitter: @17RoushTeam, @RoushFenway and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 311.4 miles, 228 laps, Stage Lengths: 60-65-103

Toyota 500 – Wednesday, May 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

NASCAR Returns to Action

Following its return to racing Sunday at Darlington Raceway, NASCAR continues its modified schedule with a second event at ‘The Lady in Black’ Wednesday night in primetime. It will mark the third of seven NASCAR national series races in an 11-day span.
Once competition wraps at Darlington on Wednesday, the NCS will transition to Charlotte Motor Speedway for two-consecutive events, the first on May 24 with the crown jewel Coca-Cola 600. It will be followed by a shorter event on May 27.
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

Buescher had an unlucky return to the track Sunday at Darlington, getting caught up in other cars’ incidents twice. He received heavy damage early on that set the No. 17 team back for the remainder of the race, eventually crossing the line 32^nd.
The starting lineup for Wednesday’s 311.4-mile race will be determined by an invert for the top-20 cars, with cars 21-40 starting where they finished on Sunday, meaning Buescher will fire off 32^nd.

Buescher Historically at Darlington Raceway

Buescher makes his sixth Cup start at Darlington Wednesday night where he carries an average finish of 18.2.
Buescher finished 12^th last fall at ‘The Lady in Black,’ his best effort in five starts.
After qualifying 31^st and 27^th in his first two events at Darlington, Buescher followed that with qualifying efforts of 19^th and 12^th in 2018-19.
Buescher earned a Xfinity career-best fifth-place run at Darlington back in 2015 in the No. 60 RFR entry. He also finished 12^th two years prior in the No. 16 for Jack Roush.

Luke Lambert at Darlington Raceway

Lambert will be atop the box for his ninth NCS race at Darlington on Sunday. In eight prior events, he has an average finish of 18.4 including three top-10 runs.
All three of those came with Newman in the No. 31, with a 10^th-place result in 2014, an eighth-place finish in 2016 followed by seventh a year later.
Lambert also has one Xfinity Series race under his belt at Darlington with Elliott Sadler in 2012, finishing 24^th.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Darlington:
“We had an unlucky Sunday at Darlington in getting caught up in a couple accidents that spoiled our day. Thankfully, the turnaround is quick and we can put that behind us and use our notes to tackle Wednesday night. We’re excited to have Fifth Third on board in their first race of 2020, and look forward to putting on a great show at one of my favorite tracks.”

The Real Heroes Project Debuts at Darlington
NASCAR is collaborating with other professional sports properties across the country to embark on The Real Heroes Project. The goal is to motivate and inspire healthcare workers as sports only can, by turning its greatest heroes (the athletes) into their greatest fans. To that end, the name of a COVID-19 frontline worker will be displayed above the driver’s side door on each entry Wednesday night.

NASCAR allowed teams to select the names of the frontline workers to appear on their cars, and Roush Fenway elected to have Buescher’s teammate, Ryan Newman, select two names that were influential in his recovery since the Daytona 500. Dr. Jerry Petty, a partner with NASCAR for 40+ years, played a vital role in Newman’s recovery all the way up until clearing him for NASCAR action, and – at Newman’s request – Petty will be on the name rail of the No. 17 machine Wednesday night.

On the Car
Fifth Third Bank makes its 2020 debut aboard Buescher’s No. 17 entry Wednesday night at Darlington. As part of NASCAR’s return and Fifth Third’s return to the car, the company will run special messaging aboard Buescher’s Ford Mustang on the hood and TV panel.

In appreciation of all frontline employees, Fifth Third has added a special tribute to the No. 17 scheme. The message reads, “Thank you frontline heroes for giving your 166.7%.” The messaging is a nod to the Bank’s brand campaign, which plays off the improper fraction that is the Bank’s name.
As a fraction, 5/3 translates to more than 100 percent – 166.7 percent, to be exact – this special scheme honors all frontline employees who are going the extra mile to help our communities during this difficult time.

About Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank, National Association, a federally chartered institution. As of March 31, 2020, Fifth Third had $185 billion in assets and operated 1,123 full-service banking centers and 2,464 ATMs with Fifth Third branding in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia and North Carolina. In total, Fifth Third provides its customers with access to approximately 53,000 fee-free ATMs across the United States. Fifth Third operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending and Wealth & Asset Management. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of March 31, 2020, had $374 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $42 billion for individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations through its Trust and Registered Investment Advisory businesses. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Fifth Third’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq^® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.” Fifth Third Bank was established in 1858. Deposit and Credit products are offered by Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Member FDIC.

Ryan Newman on Darlington: I’m so excited and thankful to be healthy to get back into the race car.

by MikeMay 13, 2020

Team: No. 6 Oscar Mayer Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves

Twitter: @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman
Race Format: 400.2 miles, 293 laps, Stage Lengths: 90-95-108

Darlington 400 – Sunday, May 17 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

NASCAR Returns to Action

NASCAR makes its return to racing this weekend with a NASCAR Cup Series race that will serve as the first of seven national series races over an 11-day span at two different tracks throughout May.
The race at the historic South Carolina track will be held without fans in attendance and is slated to be NASCAR’s first on-track action in more than two months as the sport and world have been on pause during COVID-19.
Following the initial race back on Sunday, the NCS will again visit Darlington for a midweek race under the lights three days later. The May schedule also includes the crown jewel Coca-Cola 600 in its traditional Memorial Day Weekend home for the 60^th consecutive season, plus other midweek races in prime time.
Four weeks of NASCAR action were completed prior to the outbreak before races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville were later postponed.

Newman at Darlington Raceway

Newman makes his return to the car this weekend following a last-lap crash in the Daytona 500 in which he was leading coming to the checkered flag. After recovering from the injuries sustained in the crash, Newman was cleared for racing activity on April 28 and granted a playoff waiver from NASCAR after missing three races (Las Vegas, Fontana, Phoenix).
Newman will make his 22^nd Cup Series start at Darlington on Sunday, a track he has 13 top-10s at with seven top-five finishes. He has an average finish of 12.6 – his second best of any track on the circuit behind only Richmond (12.3).
Newman has finished top-10 in 62 percent of the races at the 1.366-mile track, including a runner-up finish in is first ever-Southern 500 back in 2002. Dating back seven events, Newman has five finishes of 13^th or better including four top-10s.
Newman has one career pole at ‘The Lady in Black’, which came back in the 2003 Southern 500. Overall he has an average starting position of 10.6 with 13 top-10 starts, eight of which were inside the top five.
Newman also made five starts at Darlington in the Xfinity Series, earning the pole in each of the first two events in 2001. He went on to finish fourth in the 2001 fall race – his best career Xfinity result – with an overall finish of 13.6 in the series at the famed track.

Scott Graves at Darlington Raceway

Graves will call his fifth NCS race at Darlington atop the pit box. In four prior events, Graves has an average finish of 27^th (two starts with Daniel Suarez, one each with Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., and Ryan Newman).
In Xfinity Series action, Graves led Suarez to a third-place finish in 2016 after starting fifth. A year prior, he and Chris Buescher paired up for a fifth-place result.

QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on return to racing:
“I’m so excited and thankful to be healthy to get back into the race car. I am thankful for all the people and support that have prayed for me and given me a multitude of miracles. I cannot think of a better track to start back at than Darlington, my favorite track and one we feel confident in. I’m excited to get back behind the wheel of the Oscar Mayer Ford.”

For the first race back on May 17, NASCAR worked in partnership with FOX and their tune-in priority market affiliate program to select the COVID-19 worker being recognized. FOX affiliates from around the country were asked to nominate a local hero from their community to be recognized during the return. Newman’s frontline worker will be Dr. Benjamin Petty, an Emergency Medicine Physician at IU Health West Hospital in Avon, selected by WXIN FOX 59 in the Indianapolis market.

On the Car
Oscar Mayer returns to the No. 6 Ford this weekend at Darlington. Oscar Mayer and Roush Fenway announced their continued partnership at the end of the 2019 season, as the company continues to highlight its quality meat offerings via its paint schemes throughout the season.

Oscar Mayer’s Front Yard Cookout initiative inspired the No. 6 Oscar Mayer Ford scheme for Darlington. To celebrate the return of NASCAR and Ryan Newman, the brand is encouraging fans to recreate their own at-home infield experience by firing up the grill and connecting with fellow race fans and neighbors on their front lawn from a safe distance.
Snap a pic of your pre-race cookout and share for a good cause! Each usage of #FrontYardCookout on Twitter donates one additional meal to Feeding America on top of the brand’s 1 million-meal commitment. Oscar Mayer’s Front Yard Cookout runs through May 31, 2020.

About The Kraft Heinz Company
For 150 years, we have produced some of the world’s most beloved products at The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ: KHC). Our Vision is To Be the Best Food Company, Growing a Better World. We are one of the largest global food and beverage companies, with 2018 net sales of approximately $26 billion. Our portfolio is a diverse mix of iconic and emerging brands. As the guardians of these brands and the creators of innovative new products, we are dedicated to the sustainable health of our people and our planet. To learn more, visit https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Chris Buescher on Darlington: We’re definitely excited to get back to a real racetrack…

by MikeMay 13, 2020

Team: No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Luke Lambert

Twitter: @17RoushTeam, @RoushFenway and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 400.2 miles, 293 laps, Stage Lengths: 90-95-108

Darlington 400 – Sunday, May 17 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

NASCAR Returns to Action

NASCAR makes its return to racing this weekend with a NASCAR Cup Series race that will serve as the first of seven national series races over an 11-day span at two different tracks throughout May.
The race at the historic South Carolina track will be held without fans in attendance and is slated to be NASCAR’s first on-track action in more than two months as the sport and world have been on pause during COVID-19.
Following the initial race back on Sunday, the NCS will again visit Darlington for a midweek race under the lights three days later. The May schedule also includes the crown jewel Coca-Cola 600 in its traditional Memorial Day Weekend home for the 60^th consecutive season, plus other midweek races in prime time.
Four weeks of NASCAR action were completed prior to the outbreak before races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville were later postponed.

Buescher at Darlington Raceway

Buescher makes his fifth Cup Series start at Darlington on Sunday, where he carries an average finish of 14.8 – his best of any track on the circuit.
Buescher finished 12^th last fall at ‘The Lady in Black,’ his best in four starts, and has finished no worse than 17^th dating back to 2016.
After qualifying 31^st and 27^th in his first two events at Darlington, Buescher followed that with qualifying efforts of 19^th and 12^th in the last two events.
Buescher earned a Xfinity career-best fifth-place run at Darlington back in 2015 in the No. 60 RFR entry. He also finished 12^th two years prior in the No. 16 for Jack Roush.

Luke Lambert at Darlington Raceway

Lambert will be atop the box for his eighth NCS race at Darlington on Sunday. In seven prior events, he has an average finish of 16.4 including three top-10 runs.
All three of those came with Newman in the No. 31, with a 10^th-place result in 2014, an eighth-place finish in 2016 followed by seventh a year later.
Lambert also has one Xfinity Series race under his belt at Darlington with Elliott Sadler in 2012, finishing 24^th.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Darlington:
“We’re definitely excited to get back to a real racetrack. Darlington is probably my second-favorite racetrack, so I’m stoked about kicking it off there. It’s going to be tough with no practice and no fans, the atmosphere is going to be a lot different, but it’ll be great to be back to a racing routine.”

For the first race back on May 17, NASCAR worked in partnership with FOX and their tune-in priority market affiliate program to select the COVID-19 worker being recognized. FOX affiliates from around the country were asked to nominate a local hero from their community to be recognized during the return. Buescher’s frontline worker will be Kimberly W. Ebb, MD, selected by WFXT Boston 25. Ebb is a Hospitalist, Medical Director, Division of Palliative Care, Home Health Hospice at the UMass Memorial Medical Center, hailing from Leominster, MA.

On the Car
Fastenal celebrates its 10^th season with Roush Fenway Racing in 2020. The Minnesota company spent three years on the No. 99 before jumping to the No. 17 Cup Series entry, and were the primary partner on the No. 60 Xfinity team that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.

About Fastenal
Fastenal [Nasdaq: FAST] is North America’s largest fastener distributor and a ‘one-stop’ source for hundreds of thousands of OEM, MRO and Construction products. With more than 2,600 stores worldwide, the company supports B2B customers with tailored local inventory and dedicated personnel, who visit regularly, quickly respond to emergency needs, and provide efficient inventory management solutions. Fastenal’s service-oriented business network includes the world’s largest industrial vending program, 14 regional distribution centers, 8 custom manufacturing facilities, thousands of delivery vehicles, and industry-leading sourcing, quality and engineering resources.

FOX NASCAR Resumes Live Action From Historic Darlington Raceway Sunday, May 17 on FOX

by MikeMay 12, 2020

FOX Sports Honors Health Care Workers Across the Country with Special Grand Marshal Initiative to Kick off Sunday’s Race

Mike Joy, Jeff Gordon and Larry McReynolds Call Race from Charlotte Studio; Regan Smith Reports Live from Darlington

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – FOX NASCAR resumes its 20^th consecutive season of coverage at historic Darlington Raceway on Sunday, May 17 (3:30 PM ET on FOX), with a live broadcast of the first NASCAR CUP SERIES race in 10 weeks. Sunday’s 400-mile event marks the first of seven races at two tracks across three series in the span of 10 days, all airing on the FOX family of networks and the FOX Sports app. The NASCAR XFINITY SERIES returns to Darlington on Tuesday, May 19 (8:00 PM ET on FS1 and FOX Deportes), followed by a second NASCAR CUP SERIES race, a midweek 300-miler, on Wednesday, May 20 (7:30 PM ET on FS1 and FOX Deportes).

To honor those who selflessly have been on the front lines of the COVID-19 battle, NASCAR, FOX Sports and its local affiliates have selected 36 health care workers from various markets across the country to serve as special grand marshals for Sunday’s return race at Darlington. These local heroes appear in an on-air mosaic to simultaneously give the command to start engines. NASCAR drivers, who have been paired with these local heroes, will be posting videos to their social channels to honor these individuals on Thursday, May 14, around 7:00 PM ET.

Mike Joy, Jeff Gordon and Larry McReynolds call Sunday’s race from the FOX Sports studios in Charlotte. Reporter Regan Smith covers the action live from Darlington. Race producer Barry Landis is based in Charlotte with the broadcast team, while director Artie Kempner is positioned at 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 (3:00 PM ET on FOX) immediately prior to the race.

“We are thrilled for the return of FOX NASCAR this weekend and are incredibly honored to use this time to acknowledge health care workers across the country as they help us kick off Sunday’s race from Darlington,” said Mark Silverman, President, National Networks, FOX Sports. “The health and safety of our employees and all involved remains paramount, and we will continue working in lockstep with our partners at NASCAR and the racetracks to follow all national, state and local health guidelines.”

Adam Alexander, Michael Waltrip and NASCAR CUP SERIES driver Clint Bowyer call Tuesday’s NASCAR XFINITY SERIES Darlington race from the Charlotte studio with at-track reporting by Smith. NASCAR RACE HUB airs at 7:00 PM ET on FS1 immediately preceding the Xfinity race. For Wednesday’s NASCAR CUP SERIES encore at Darlington, Joy, Gordon and McReynolds return to the studio for the call with reporter Matt Yocum live from the track, with a 6:30 PM ET edition of NASCAR RACE HUB airing immediately before on FS1.

Following Darlington, NASCAR heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway for a four-race run that kicks off with the 61^st running of the COCA-COLA 600 on Sunday, May 24 (6:00 PM ET on FOX and FOX Deportes), its customary Memorial Day Weekend spot.

Below is the FOX NASCAR broadcast schedule for the current slate of the next seven races:

DATE	TRACK	SERIES	NETWORKS	START (ET)
Sun., May 17	Darlington	Cup	FOX/FOX Deportes	3:30 PM
Tue., May 19	Darlington	Xfinity	FS1/FOX Deportes	8:00 PM
Wed., May 20	Darlington	Cup	FS1/FOX Deportes	7:30 PM
Sun., May 24	Charlotte	Cup (qualifying)	FS1	2:00 PM
Sun., May 24	Charlotte	Cup	FOX/FOX Deportes	6:00 PM
Mon., May 25	Charlotte	Xfinity	FS1/FOX Deportes	7:30 PM
Tue., May 26	Charlotte	Gander Trucks	FS1/FOX Deportes	8:00 PM
Wed., May 27	Charlotte	Cup	FS1/ FOX Deportes	8:00 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.