Joe Gibbs Racing | The MotorSportsNews.Net(work)

Daytona 500: Martin Truex Jr. / No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry

by MikeFebruary 8, 2021

Martin Truex Jr. owns three top-five finishes and five top-10s in 31 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Daytona International Speedway. In the series’ most recent race on the 2.5-mile superspeedway, Truex led 14 laps and ended up fourth. Truex is also a former DAYTONA 500 pole winner after recording the fastest lap in qualifying back in 2009. (more…)

PRISTINEAUCTION.COM JOINS JOE GIBBS RACING SPONSOR LINEUP

by MikeFebruary 4, 2021February 4, 2021

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (February 4, 2021) – Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announces today PristineAuction.com will join their sponsorship lineup for 2021. PristineAuction.com will be an associate sponsor in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) with Christopher Bell on the No. 20 and will be featured as a primary sponsor for two races with Ty Gibbs at Phoenix Raceway in March for the ARCA Menards Series event and the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) race. (more…)

Reser’s Fine Foods Joins No. 19 Sponsor Lineup

by MikeJanuary 14, 2021January 14, 2021

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (Jan. 14, 2021) – Joe Gibbs Racing announced today that Reser’s Fine Foods will be the primary sponsor of Martin Truex Jr.’s Toyota Camry for four races and an associate partner on the No. 19 for the balance of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. Truex’s Camry will carry the Reser’s colors for races at Dover International Speedway (May 16), Pocono Raceway (June 27), New Hampshire Motor Speedway (July 18) and Watkins Glen International (August 8). (more…)

Kevin Harvick Sweeps Michigan…. Where Will Erik Jones Wind Up?

by Chuck AbramsAugust 10, 2020

Michigan might be an historically good track for Joe Gibbs Racing, but as I alluded to last week, they all had to beat Kevin Harvick. That proved to be a tall order. (more…)

Martin Truex Jr. – No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry Preview – Alsco Uniforms 500 at Charlotte Motor

by MikeMay 26, 2020

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

by MikeMay 26, 2020

MOORESVILLE, North Carolina (May 25, 2020) – Daniel Suárez and the red, white and blue No. 96 Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Camry team for Gaunt Brothers Racing (GBR) can’t wait to get back to the 1.5-mile Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway oval for Wednesday night’s NASCAR Cup Series Alsco Uniforms 500k after an admittedly frustrating run in Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600.

Their sixth race together Sunday night – and third since the season resumed after a 70-day shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic – netted a 29th-place finish. That wouldn’t normally be cause for concern for a small, one-car team that’s tackling the entire Cup Series schedule for the first time in its 10-year history in NASCAR. But a series of mishaps, which included a penalty for a crewman over the wall too early, another penalty for speeding on pit road, a stuck lug nut on a green-flag pit stop, and a fueling issue that negated a planned strategy call midrace, left the team wondering what might have been with its patriotic-schemed Toyota that its driver said had so much more potential.

Thank goodness for second chances as Suárez and his teammates will get to find out during Wednesday night’s 500-kilometer event that will feel like a sprint race just three days removed from Sunday night’s 600-mile marathon. Last week, between their back-to-back races just down the road at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Suárez and crew chief Dave Winston put their heads together and returned to the tricky, 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval with a Toyota that felt far better in Wednesday night’s race than it did the previous Sunday.

This Wednesday night, they’ll look to once again show that kind of marked improvement in the performance of their Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Camry, eliminate the kind of mishaps that hampered their efforts Sunday night, and put themselves in position to better their best finish this season of 21st, which came March 8 at Phoenix Raceway.

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

How are you and the team feeling about heading back to the Charlotte oval after Sunday’s night’s Coca-Cola 600?

“It’s always good to go back a second time, but it’s the last time we’re going to do it as far as the schedule is now, so we can’t get used to that. The goal is to be as prepared as possible for the first time you race at a track because we won’t have those second races after this. We all know what we have to do to be better prepared, to do a better job with simulation, and better preparation at the shop. Sunday night was very frustrating. We had some issues on pit road – a lot of mistakes – and we all know we need to minimize our mistakes because I felt our Today. Tomorrow. Toyota had the potential to be in the top-25. We’ve been breaking down every aspect of Sunday night’s race and are working on bringing a little better speed for Wednesday night – that, and minimizing mistakes.”

Do you expect it to be a totally different kind of race as it’s about half the distance you covered on Sunday night?

“It might be, but personally, I will treat it the same. I was being aggressive for 600 miles on Sunday night, just as I would be aggressive in a 300-mile race. It’s just the way I am. If I see an opportunity, I’m going to take it.”

It will be your fourth racing event operating under what might be called, for now at least, the temporary new normal with no fans, health screenings, etc. How has it been for you and the team?

“Having no fans there, I hope we never get used to that. Honestly, it’s not fun to race without fans all around. It still feels weird to show up at the track the way it has been so far. But obviously a lot of people are watching us on TV and that’s a really good thing because we can’t have fans in the stands. But as drivers, and especially in our sport, we’re all about the fans and the sponsors and we’re looking forward to the day when they will be back out there with us.”

Dave Winston, Crew Chief of the No. 96 Today. Tomorrow. Toyota. Camry for Gaunt Brothers Racing:

Your assessment of Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 and what you might expect as you head back to Charlotte Wednesday night?

“On a positive note, I felt like, especially on restarts, it was pretty fun to watch for a while and gave me hope that we have some speed in our Toyota, and then we could work on getting it better on the long runs. But we had issues where we ended up hurting ourselves, whether it was a bad stop, being over the wall too early and having to start at the back, Daniel sliding the tires and coming in too fast and then having to do a pass-through. There was a time where I felt like if it could go wrong, it did. Last week at Darlington, we went back the second time with a better car than we had in the first race, so the goal is to do the same this week, and also to not make the mistakes we did on Sunday night. It’ll be another night race and the track should be really good since it’ll be the fourth straight day of racing there, and the weather should be close to the same as Sunday.”

After a night like Sunday night, do you have to dig deep to remind yourself this is a long-term project and to keep everybody feeling positive?

“You always want to be positive and I think everybody is. Nobody’s giving up, there’s no question about that. We showed up with a lot of confidence because we did a simulation test for qualifying and we felt we would qualify in the top-20. That didn’t happen, so we immediately went into recovery mode, trying to see what we had to do to get the splitter off the track. It was humbling. That’s a good word for it. Reality set in after there was huge optimism for 36 hours, and all it took was a 31-second lap to change that optimism. We’ve been poring over the data, trying to figure out how to fix what went wrong, then what we can do to make the car better – things on the aero side, things to increase the performance side of the car. Daniel talks about this car having so much more potential. When he feels there’s more in the car, that’s always a good thing. We went to Darlington and felt there was more potential in the car after the first race. We went back and it was better in the second race. That’s the goal this week.”

No. 96 Today. Tomorrow. Toyota. Camry (Red, White & Blue Edition) Team Report
Race 8 of 36 – Alsco Uniforms 500k – Charlotte

Car No. 96: Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Camry (Red, White & Blue Edition)

PR Contact: Laz Denes with True Speed Communication (Laz.Denes@TrueSpeedCommunication.com)

Primary Team:

Driver: Daniel Suárez

Hometown: Monterrey, Mexico

Crew Chief: Dave Winston

Hometown: Miami, Florida

Technical Director: Nick Ollila

Hometown: Warren, Michigan

Car Chief: Mark Hillman

Hometown: Lockport, New York

Engine Specialist: Kirk Butterfield

Hometown: Carrollton, Ohio

Engine Builder: Toyota Racing Development

Headquarters: Costa Mesa, California

Spotter: Steve Barkdoll

Hometown: Garrison, Iowa

Over-The-Wall Crew:

Gas Man: Cory White

Hometown: Vinson, Iowa

Front Tire Changer: Mike Mead

Hometown: Sherrills Ford, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Brandon Traino

Hometown: Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Tire Carrier: Mason Harris

Hometown: Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia

Jackman: Joel Bouagnon

Hometown: St. Charles, Illinois

Windshield: Mark Hillman

Hometown: Lockport, New York

Alsco Uniforms 500k Notes of Interest:

After piloting the No. 19 NASCAR Cup Series Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2017 and 2018, then the No. 41 Cup Series entry for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2019, Suárez joined the single-car No. 96 Toyota Camry effort for Gaunt Brothers Racing (GBR) for the full 2020 season.
Suárez will be attempting to make his 115th career NASCAR Cup Series start in Wednesday night’s Alsco Uniforms 500k at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway oval. He has career totals of eight top-five finishes, 32 top-10s and 241 laps led, with an average start of 16.1 and an average finish of 17.5. He also has qualified on the pole twice.
In five previous Cup Series outings on the 1.5-mile Charlotte oval, Suárez has a best start of sixth in last year’s Coca-Cola 600 in his Stewart-Haas Racing entry, and a best finish of sixth in the fall 2017 race in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. His average Charlotte oval start is 17.4 and average finish is 15.6.
Suárez has a pair of top-fives and another pair of top-10 finishes in five career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Charlotte. He qualified on the pole and led 111 laps before finishing eighth in the fall 2017 race in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, and has a best finish of third in the fall 2016 race en route to that year’s Xfinity Series championship.
In his lone career NASCAR Gander Outdoors & RV Truck Series race at Charlotte, Suárez started seventh, led six laps and finished 23rd in his Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra in the spring 2016 race.
Crew chief Dave Winston, a native of Miami, Florida, and a veteran of 66 Cup Series races atop the pit box, has called the shots at four previous races at Charlotte. Prior to Sunday’s night’s 29th-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600, he collaborated with driver Alex Bowman in the No. 23 BK Racing Toyota in the spring 2014 race, starting 29th and finishing 33rd. The duo came back for the fall 2014 race and started 33rd and finished 30th. His driver Michael McDowell started 32nd and finished 34th in the spring 2016 race driving the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing entry.
On May 11, GBR announced the addition of longtime motorsports veteran Nick Ollila as technical director. The native of Warren, Michigan, will oversee the team’s engineering department and returns to the United States after a three-year stint serving in the same capacity with Kelly Racing in the Virgin Australian Supercars Championship. Ollila and team owner Marty Gaunt first worked together in 1997 when the two were at Kranefuss-Haas Racing. Their NASCAR paths crossed again 10 years later when both worked at Red Bull Racing – Gaunt as general manager and Ollila as chief aerodynamicist. NASCAR is where Ollila has spent the bulk of his career, which includes being the drivetrain specialist at Rod Osterlund Racing in 1980 when Dale Earnhardt won the first of his seven Cup Series championships. Ollila’s racing career began at Team Penske in 1972 as a mechanic. He prepared cars for each of the series in which the organization competed, a lineup that included IndyCar, NASCAR, Can-Am, Formula 5000, sports cars and Formula One. NASCAR became Ollila’s focus in late 1976. He joined DiGard Racing as the team’s drivetrain specialist, working with NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip until the end of the 1978 season, whereupon he went to work for Osterlund. IndyCar and Penske beckoned in 1982, and Ollila returned as the team’s engine builder, enjoying four championships (1982, 1983, 1985 and 1988) and four Indianapolis 500 victories (1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988). That Penske connection led Ollila back to NASCAR in 1990, when he became the lead engineer for Hall of Fame driver Rusty Wallace. It was the beginning of a 20-year stint in NASCAR.
Wednesday night marks the fourth Cup Series start on the Charlotte oval for the No. 96 Gaunt Brothers Toyota. Prior to Sunday’s Xth-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600, driver Parker Kligerman drove to 27th-place finish from the 32nd starting position there in the 2018 Coca-Cola 600, and to a 26th-place finish from the 34th starting position in last year’s Coca-Cola 600.
Coca-Cola and CommScope continue their respective partnerships with Suárez at Gaunt Brothers Racing. The iconic Coca-Cola brand has been with Suárez since 2015 when he won the Xfinity Series rookie-of-the-year title. CommScope, a leader in communication network technology, has been with Suárez through its ARRIS and Ruckus Networks brands since 2014, when he first competed in the Xfinity Series.

Erik Jones – No. 20 CRAFTSMAN Toyota Camry Preview (NCS) – Charlotte Motor Speedway

by MikeMay 26, 2020

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.”

About CRAFTSMAN:

CRAFTSMAN is the American icon that homeowners, home builders, auto enthusiasts and master mechanics have trusted since 1927 – and today’s CRAFTSMAN continues that legacy. With a focus on reliable, high-performance tools, storage and equipment, CRAFTSMAN has revived its long-established pride in superior quality. Now it’s easier than ever to get the tools trusted for generations at more places than ever. For more information visit www.craftsman.com or follow CRAFTSMAN on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Christopher Bell – No. 95 Rheem Toyota Camry Preview – Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte

by MikeMay 22, 2020

No. 95 Rheem Toyota Camry News and Notes:

600 Miles at Charlotte: Christopher Bell, a rookie contender in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS), will make his first Cup start at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) in the Coca-Cola 600, the longest race of the season for the series. The 600 miles that make up the Coca-Cola 600 is a challenge for all drivers, but Bell knows his way around the 1.5-mile track at CMS.
Bell 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.
NASCAR Salutes: Christopher Bell will carry the name of Sergeant Jerry L Ganey Jr. on the windshield header of his No. 95 Rheem Toyota Camry this Sunday for the Coca-Cola 600 in honor of Memorial Day weekend as a part of NASCAR Salutes. Ganey Jr. was assigned to the 648th Engineer Battalion, 48th Infantry Brigade, Georgia Army National Guard, Statesboro, GA, and was killed Aug. 3, 2005 when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near his armored personnel carrier as he was conducting a dismounted security patrol in Baghdad.
Darlington Recap: Christopher Bell started 24^th for the Wednesday night race at Darlington Raceway and went on to earn his best finish of the season. The No. 95 team steadily made adjustments on Bell’s Toyota all night and Bell was sitting just outside the top 10 when the rains came, and the race was called. Bell finished 11^th, his best finish through six races this season.
RACE INFO: The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway begins at 6:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 24, 2020. The race will be broadcast live on FOX, Sirius XM 90, and PRN Radio.

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

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
3	0	2	2	1	33	5.0	12.7

Bell’s 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
6	0	0	0	0	0	21.3	25.2

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 pretty anxious about the Coke 600 this weekend. Obviously, it’s a really long race, so I’m trying to make sure I’m as prepared as I can be. I just want to do a good job. I want to make sure I see the end of the race; after this one, the rest of them are going to feel short. It’s also an honor to pay tribute to the brave men and women who protect our country’s freedom. I’m proud to have Sergeant Ganey Jr. riding along with me on Sunday.”

About Rheem

Founded in 1925, Rheem^® innovates all-new ways to deliver just the right temperature while saving energy, water and supporting a more sustainable future. Today, Rheem is America’s #1 water heating brand, and its products are available in more than 50 countries. Paloma Co., Ltd.of Nagoya, Japan, acquired the iconic Rheem brand in 1988, and today the company’s portfolio of premium brands include Rheem^®, Raypak^®, Ruud^®, Eemax^®, Richmond^®, Splendid^®, Solahart^® and EverHot^™ as well as commercial refrigeration brands Russell^®, Witt^®, ColdZone^® and Kramer^®, which are part of the Heat Transfer Products Group (HTPG^®) division.

*All are Trademarks of Rheem Manufacturing Company.

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.

Martin Truex Jr. – No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry Preview – Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

by MikeMay 22, 2020

No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry News and Notes

TRUEX AT CHARLOTTE: Martin Truex Jr. has three wins in 27 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 eight races on the track’s 1.5-mile configuration, including four consecutive finishes of third or better. He has led more than 100 laps in three of the past four Coca-Cola 600s, including last season when he led 116 laps and won the race after overcoming an early tire issue and having to make a daring four-wide pass in the closing laps.
ELITE COMPANY: Truex is one of only three active drivers with multiple Coca-Cola 600 wins. After securing his second victory in the crown jewel event last May, he joined Jimmie Johnson (four wins) and Kevin Harvick (two wins) as the only active drivers to accomplish the fete more than once.
NASCAR’S RETURN TO RACING: The No. 19 team picked up their first two top-10 finishes of the season as the NASCAR Cup Series returned to action Sunday and Wednesday at Darlington Raceway. He claimed top-three stage finishes in three of the four stages and finished sixth and 10th in the races, respectively.
STAGE SUCCESS: Truex leads all NASCAR Cup Series drivers in stage points earned through the season’s first six races. After earning 17 stage points Wednesday night at Darlington Raceway, Truex has now accumulated 67 stage points this season. Those points account for 37.4% of his 179 total points scored so far.
TSGT JOHN A CHAPMAN: Truex and the No. 19 team will honor Technical Sergeant John A. Chapman this Memorial Day weekend. Sergeant Chapman, a native of Windsor Locks, Connecticut, was a highly decorated combat controller who served in the United States Air Force. In 2018, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Battle of Takur Ghar during the War in Afghanistan. He is the first airman to receive the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War and the first Air Force combat controller to earn the Air Force Cross in any war in history. His awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, Air Force Commendation Medal with one device, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two devices, Air Force Good Conduct Medal with four devices, National Defense Service Medal, Air Force Longevity Service Award with three devices, Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Military Education ribbon, Small Arms Expert Marksmanship ribbon, and the Air Force Training ribbon.
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 the Coca-Cola 600. 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.
RED, WHITE AND BLUE: Truex’s No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Camry will feature a red, white and blue design for this weekend’s race to honor the United States military and Bass Pro Shops’ relationship with the United Service Organizations (USO).
JGR AT CHARLOTTE: Joe Gibbs Racing has earned seven victories at Charlotte Motor Speedway, including the past two Coca-Cola 600s. Overall, the organization has tallied 51 top-five finishes, 78 top-10s, 10 pole awards and 3,673 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 Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

Martin Truex Jr., Driver of the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry

After two races back, what do you expect going into the 600 this weekend?

“The 600 is always a special race and an important weekend for our sport around Memorial Day weekend. Obviously, the circumstances are a lot different this year with everything that’s going on, but that doesn’t change the challenge the race presents going from day to night and 600 miles. It is difficult to keep up with the changes the track goes through as the sun goes down, but that’s what makes it fun. It’s an honor to have won this race twice now and we’re excited to get to the track Sunday for another chance to get it done.”

Truex NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Oval)

Starts		Wins		Top 5		Top 10		Poles		Laps Led		Avg. Start		Avg. Finish
27		3		7		11		1		972		16.8		14.1

Truex 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats

Starts		Wins		Top 5		Top 10		Poles		Laps Led		Avg. Start		Avg. Finish
6		0		0		2		0		31		16.2		19.0

Truex NASCAR Cup Series Career Stats

Starts		Wins		Top 5		Top 10		Poles		Laps Led		Avg. Start		Avg. Finish
519		26		102		207		19		8,937		14.4		15.8

About Bass Pro Shops®

Erik Jones – No. 20 DEWALT ATOMIC Thank You Heroes Toyota Camry Preview (NCS) – Charlotte Motor Speedway

by MikeMay 22, 2020

No. 20 DEWALT ATOMIC Thank You Heroes Toyota Camry News and Notes:

JONES AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY: Erik Jones will make his fifth Cup Series start at the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend for the Coca-Cola 600. In his previous four 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 130 total starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Cup Series competition. In those starts, the team has earned seven wins, 51 top-five finishes, 78 top-10 finishes and 10 pole starting positions. The team has led 3,673 laps, completed 45,352 of 47,107 attempted laps (96.3%) 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 first time since returning to racing, the NASCAR Cup Series will qualify to set the field for the Coca-Cola 600. Prior to Sunday’s race, teams will qualify starting at 2 p.m. ET.
THIS WEEK ON THE NO. 20 CAMRY: This weekend, the No. 20 Toyota Camry will carry the familiar black and yellow DEWALT paint scheme featuring DEWALT ATOMIC. The No. 20 Camry will also feature a “Thank You Heroes” message on the car to honor those that have been fighting and continue to fight the Covid-19 pandemic around the United States and the world.

o The ATOMIC Compact Series ™ is an addition to the 20V MAX* system, which is DEWALT’s largest cordless platform with 200+ products.

- Where Size Meets Power, the ATOMIC™ Compact Series combines performance and durability in a compact format for a variety of applications.

600 MILES OF REMEMBRANCE: Continuing NASCAR’s tradition of honoring fallen military members during Memorial Day weekend, Jones will carry Richmond, VA native Private First Class Leslie D. Jackson of the United States Army on the No. 20 Camry. Private First Class Jackson was assigned to A Company, 115th Forward Support Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, Ft. Hood, TX, and was killed May 20, 2004, when her military vehicle hit an improvised explosive device as she was returning to Camp Eagle in Baghdad.
POINTS UPDATE: With his fifth-place finish in the Toyota 500(k) at Darlington Raceway, Jones gained two positions in the point standings to secure the 15th position.
DARLINGTON – TOYOTA 500(k) RECAP: Earning the 13th starting position for the Toyota 500(k), Jones was forced to drop to the back of the field before the green flag due to an unapproved adjustment on the starting grid. Focused on the leaders and improving the tight-handling condition of the No. 20 Camry, Jones was able to move in to the top 20 on lap 30 and cracked the top 10 at the start of stage two. Continuing to improve throughout the race, Jones took the lead on lap 134 and led 27 laps before contact with the wall changed the handling of his car. During the closing laps, Jones slipped to fifth before a late race caution waved and before NASCAR could restart the race, rain forced the race to end 20 laps short. Jones was credited with a fifth-place finish.
RACE INFO: The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, 2020. Coverage will begin at 6:00 p.m. ET on FOX, 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
4	0	0	1	0	0	15.8	20.8

Jones 2020 Season NASCAR Cup Series Stats:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
6	0	1	3	0	27	17.2	15.3

Jones Career NASCAR Cup Series Stats:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
117	2	25	52	2	609	13.4	15.9

From the Driver’s Seat: Erik Jones

How does this solid start bode well for you as we head into Charlotte?

“I think it’s good. We’ve done a good job at these first two with no practice. I think we can continue down that path. I’ve been putting a lot of work in the simulator and been trying to get things close for when we fire off on race day in the race. It’s been paying off. I’m going to continue that trend. Hopefully, we can keep bringing good cars to the track to start the race and I’ll keep having shots to go out and win. Charlotte’s been good to us. We’ve had some issues there, but we’ve had some really fast cars. Hopefully, we can finish a few spots better than we did at Darlington.”

About DEWALT

DEWALT is obsessed with how users work in the real world and is relentlessly pursuing total jobsite solutions. By incorporating its latest technology and industry innovations, DEWALT is leading the charge for the jobsite of the future. DEWALT products. GUARANTEED TOUGH®. For more information, visit www.dewalt.com or follow DEWALT on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.