DiBenedetto Finishes 17th in the Coca-Cola 600

DiBenedetto Finishes 17th in the Coca-Cola 600

Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/FVP team had an up-and-down day in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway before ending up 17th at the finish.

The day started on the down side as the Menards Mustang was super loose in the first qualifying session held since the Cup Series resumed racing following a 10-week halt due to the coronavirus. DiBenedetto lost control and bounced off the wall, forcing the team to pull out a back-up Mustang.

That meant he had to start the 600-mile marathon from the rear of the pack.

The drop of the green flag was the start of an upswing for DiBenedetto and the Menards/FVP team. He made up 16 positions before the caution flag flew at Lap 20.

By Lap 30 he was up to 15th place and was running there on Lap 49 when the race was halted for 68 minutes due to rain.

Back on the track, DiBenedetto continued to struggle with a loose handling condition and dropped to 20th place, so when the caution flag flew just after Lap 100 for the end of Stage One, he headed to pit road for a series of adjustments to the No. 21 Mustang.

He returned to the track and passed several cars, but at the end of Stage Two was running 23rd, one lap down.

Throughout most of the third 100-lap Stage, DiBenedetto ran in the free-pass position and finally was able to rejoin the lead lap when the caution flag flew at Lap 277 for a spin by Matt Kenseth.

Back on the move forward, he finished the third 100-lap Stage in 15th place.

A call to take just two tires on the pit stop at the end of the Stage propelled DiBenedetto into the lead, and he led Laps 304-306 under the caution flag and restarted as the leader.

He led three more laps once the green flag flew again before the drivers who took four tires overtook him.

DiBenedetto ran mostly in the top 10 over the final 100 laps. He was in 11th place when the caution flag flew with two of the scheduled 400 laps remaining for a blown tire by William Byron.

That sent the race into overtime.

DiBenedetto stayed on the track while other pitted for fresh tires, so he restarted seventh for the green-white-checkered-flag run to the finish.

But the final two laps didn’t work out in his favor, and he wound up 18th at the finish. He picked up one spot when the car of apparent runner-up Jimmie Johnson was disqualified for failing a post-race inspection.

Eddie Wood said he was proud of his team’s efforts throughout the day on Sunday.

“They never gave up,” he said. “We went from having to go to a back-up car to losing a lap to leading the race.

“We were able to honor Major Lucas Gruenther as part of the 600 Miles of Remembrance, and the sport as a whole did a nice job of honoring all the servicemembers who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

“And we congratulate Brad Keselowski, Jeremy Bullins and Team Penske on their well-deserved victory.”

DiBenedetto and the No. 21 team, now 11th in the Cup standings, return to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday night for a 500-kilometer (312-mile) race that will be broadcast on FOX Sports One.
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Menards

A family owned company started in 1958, Menards is headquartered in Eau Claire, WI.  Menards has more than 300 retail stores located throughout the Midwest in the states of IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI and WY.  Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader.  It’s famous slogan “Save Big Money at Menards” is widely known and easy to remember.  For more information, visit Menards.com, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.

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.

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Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Charlotte 1

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Charlotte 1

NASCAR’s return to racing continues Memorial Day weekend with the running of the prestigious Coca-Cola 600. Roush Fenway has 20 wins all-time at Charlotte Motor Speedway, including four in the Coke 600. Chris Buescher – who will pilot the Fifth Third Ford – is coming off a sixth-place run in this race a year ago while Ryan Newman –piloting the Roman Ford – has nine-career poles at the 1.5-mile track, the most of any active driver in NASCAR.



Charlotte Motor Speedway (1.5-Mile)
Coca-Cola 600

Sunday, May 24, 2020 | 6 p.m. ET

FOX, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

  • Ryan Newman, No. 6 Roman Ford Mustang
  • Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fifth Third Ford Mustang



NASCAR Returns to Action

  • NASCAR continues its historic return to racing Sunday with the prestigious Coca-Cola 600, the third of four NASCAR Cup Series events over a 10-day span. The NCS will return to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday for a 310.6-mile event, which is set for 8 p.m. ET.
  • Despite heavy rain in the Darlington area on Wednesday, NASCAR was able to get an official race in under the lights for the Cup Series’ sixth points race of 2020.
  • 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

  • With rain in the area through much of the night Wednesday, a bold strategy call put Newman in the lead just past halfway Wednesday night, before he overcame an unlucky pit road incident to record a 14th-place finish in a rain-shortened 208-lap race.
  • The same strategy call put Buescher just behind teammate Newman for a restart just past halfway in Wednesday’s event at Darlington, with the race ultimately running 208 laps before rain cut it short. Buescher later missed pit road on a pit stop and got one of his laps back, before recording a 23rd-place finish.
  • After two straight events with no qualifying, the field for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 will be set by qualifying, which is slated for 2 p.m. ET (FS1).

 

Roush Fenway in the 600

In 102 NCS starts in the famed Coca-Cola 600, Roush Fenway Racing has visited victory lane four times and recorded 23 top-five and 38 top-10 finishes. Jeff Burton leads the way with two Coke 600 victories for Jack Roush, while Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth have one each.

 

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 210 NCS races at Charlotte, recording eight total wins with 46 top-five and 79 top-10 finishes. RFR Fords have an average finish of 16.3 with 2627 laps led all-time.

 

600 Miles of Remembrance

To align with the nation’s spirit of Memorial Day, the NASCAR industry will come together to honor and remember the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice defending our freedom. Each driver/team entry into the Coca-Cola 600 will display a fallen service member name on the windshield header decal of the racecar.

Buescher will carry the name of SPC Anthony Kinslow, a native of Phoenix who was based in Fort Carson, Colorado, in the U.S. Army. Kinslow was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. He was killed June 13, 2005, when his military vehicle came under a grenade attack while he was conducting combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq.

Newman will carry the name of Nathan Bruckenthal, a native of Stony Brook, N.Y., who enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard on Jan. 5, 1999. He was later assigned to Tactical Law Enforcement Detachment South, LEDET 403, at Coast Guard Air Station Miami, Florida, and deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

 

On April 24, 2004, while serving as part of Coast Guard Patrol Forces Southwest Asia aboard USS Firebolt, Petty Officer 3rd Class Bruckenthal, a damage controlman, and two U. S. Navy sailors were killed in the line of duty while conducting maritime intercept operations in the North Arabian Gulf. Bruckenthal and six other coalition sailors attempted to board a small boat near the Iraqi Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal. As they boarded the boat, it exploded. Bruckenthal later died from the wounds he sustained in the explosion. Bruckenthal was the first Coast Guard member killed in action since the Vietnam War.

 

Roush Fenway Charlotte Wins

 

1992-2   Martin  Cup

1995-2   Martin  Cup

1998-2   Martin  Cup

1999-1   Burton  Cup

2000-1   Kenseth Cup

2001-1   Burton  Cup

2002-1   Martin  Cup

2011-2   Kenseth Cup

1993-2   Martin NXS

1995-2   Martin NXS

1996-1   Martin  NXS

1996-2   Martin  NXS

1998-1   Martin  NXS

1999-1   Martin  NXS

2000-1   Burton  NXS

2001-2   Biffle     NXS

2002-2   Burton                  NXS

2006-1   Edwards               NXS

2011-1   Kenseth               NXS

2011-2   Edwards               NXS

2011-2   Edwards               NXS

2015-1   Buescher             NXS

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Erik Jones / No. 20 STANLEY Toyota Camry Preview Toyota 500(k) at Darlington Raceway

Erik Jones / No. 20 STANLEY Toyota Camry Preview  Toyota 500(k) at Darlington Raceway

No. 20 STANLEY Toyota Camry News and Notes:

  • JONES AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY: Erik Jones will make his fifth start in the Cup Series at Darlington Raceway when NASCAR races under the lights Wednesday night. NASCAR returned to action at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, May 17, after a two month hiatus, where Jones scored an eighth-place finish. Jones captured his first Southern 500 victory on September 1, 2019 and in his other two starts at the track, he recorded a fifth-place and an eighth-place finish. In addition to his Cup Series starts, Jones has two starts at the South Carolina track in the Xfinity Series where he earned a sixth-place and fourth-place finish.
  • JGR AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY: Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has 92 total starts at Darlington Raceway in Cup Series competition. In those starts, the team has earned seven wins, 25 top-five finishes, 55 top-10 finishes and two pole starting positions. The team has led 1,595 laps, completed 30,906 of 31,637 attempted laps (97.7%) and earned an average start of 14.3 and an average finish of 11.7. Denny Hamlin leads the team with two wins followed by Bobby Labonte, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Jones with one win each.
  • THIS WEEK ON THE NO. 20 CAMRY: This weekend STANLEY will be on the No. 20 Toyota Camry for the first time this season as one of four Stanley Black and Decker brands represented on the car during the 2020 season. STANLEY was scheduled for their first race of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway before NASCAR halted the season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • HONORING THE REAL HEROES: Continuing The Real Heroes campaign, Jones will carry Jennifer LaRue Bussanich on the No. 20 Camry for the Toyota 500(k). Bussanich works at Atrium Health Pineville in the Medical ICU and is a part of the COVID-19 Critical Care Unit. She has been a registered nurse for 14 years.
  • STARTING LINEUP: For the Toyota 500(k) at Darlington Raceway, Jones will start the race from the 13th position. The top 20 finishers from The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, May 17, 2020, were inverted to set the top 20 starting positions for the Toyota 500(k). By virtue of his eighth-place finish, Jones earned the 13th starting position.
  • POINTS UPDATE: With his eighth-place finish in The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway, Jones gained four positions in the point standings to secure the 17th position.
  • DARLINGTON –THE REAL HEROES 400 RECAP: For the first race back following a two-month hiatus, Jones and the No. 20 team started The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway from the 20th position. Making moves throughout the day, Jones was able to run the majority of the race in the top 15 and as high as fifth before a loose wheel late in the race slowed him down. Jones crossed the finish line in the eighth position.  
  • RACE INFO: The Toyota 500(k) at Darlington Raceway is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, 2020. Coverage will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1, Sirius XM Channel 90 and MRN Radio.

 

Jones Career NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Darlington Raceway:

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
412407913.05.5

 

Jones 2020 Season NASCAR Cup Series Stats:

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
50020018.017.4

 

Jones Career NASCAR Cup Series Stats:

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
11622451258213.416.0

 

From the Driver’s Seat:

Erik Jones: “I’m looking forward to getting back to Darlington on Wednesday. On Sunday we continued to get the car better each stop. We continued to get our Camry faster and the last run of the race was the best the car was all day. We had the car how we needed it. We just had the loose wheel issue. I think that gives us at least a good baseline to start Wednesday night’s race. The race ended around 7:15-7:20, so a little bit closer to dark and a little bit closer to what we will be racing on Wednesday at the start of the race. Hopefully, we can start at that point and be close and make a few adjustments from there and be up in the top five most of the race and contend for the win.”

 

About STANLEY:

STANLEY has set the precedent for quality tools and engineered solutions for professionals around the globe for more than 175 years. With a legacy of reliability, STANLEY is the No. 1 tapes manufacturer in the world and continues to drive the industry forward with innovations including the STANLEY FATMAX® product line as well as hand tools and accessories that make like easier. For more information visit www.STANLEYtools.com or follow STANLEY on FacebookInstagram, and Twitter.

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Erik Jones / No. 20 DEWALT ATOMIC Thank You Heroes Toyota Camry Preview Darlington 400 at Darlington Raceway

Erik Jones / No. 20 DEWALT ATOMIC Thank You Heroes Toyota Camry Preview  Darlington 400 at Darlington Raceway

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

  • JONES AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY: Erik Jones will make his fourth start in the Cup Series at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, May 17, when NASCAR returns to the track. In his most recent trip to “The Lady in Black,” Jones captured his first Southern 500 victory and his second Cup Series victory in just his 100th Cup Series start. In his other two starts at the track, Jones recorded a fifth-place and an eighth-place finish. In addition to his Cup Series starts, Jones has two starts at the South Carolina track in the Xfinity Series where he earned a sixth-place and fourth-place finish.
  • JGR AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY: Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has 88 total starts at Darlington Raceway in Cup Series competition. In those starts, the team has earned seven wins, 24 top-five finishes, 52 top-10 finishes and two pole starting positions. The team has led 1,595 laps, completed 29,735 of 30,465 attempted laps (97.6%) and earned an average start of 14.4 and an average finish of 11.7. Denny Hamlin leads the team with two wins followed by Bobby Labonte, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Jones with one win each.
  • THIS WEEK ON THE NO. 20 CAMRY: For the return to racing 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 what have been fighting and continue to fight the Covid-19 pandemic around the United States and the world.
  • DEWALT ATOMIC:
    • 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.
  • RACE INFO: The Darlington 400 at Darlington Raceway is scheduled for Sunday, May 17, 2020. Coverage will begin at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, Sirius XM Channel 90 and MRN Radio.

 

Jones Career NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Darlington Raceway:

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
312307910.74.7

 

Jones 2020 Season NASCAR Cup Series Stats:

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
40010017.519.8

 

Jones Career NASCAR Cup Series Stats:

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
11522450258213.416.1

 

From the Driver’s Seat:

Erik Jones: “I’m looking forward to Darlington. It’s been a really good track to me in the past, over the last few years and especially last year getting the win there in the Southern 500. Hopefully I have another shot at a good run this weekend. It’s going to be a unique weekend with no practice or qualifying. We’re really going to have to hit it right off the truck and hopefully our car is where it needs to be when we start the race. I’m just excited to get back to the race track in general. The iRacing has been fun, but it’s nothing like really being in the car, really being at the track and working with your guys and having that team effort. It’s always a good feeling of everyone working toward one goal, it’s pretty cool. I’m just excited. Darlington has been a great track for me. It’s going to be a unique race and kind of knocking the rust off at first, and then hopefully getting in to a groove and being able to run up front and contend for a win. Really looking forward to it and getting back in the seat.

 

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 FacebookTwitterInstagram, and LinkedIn.

Erik Jones / No. 20 DEWALT ATOMIC Thank You Heroes Toyota Camry Preview Darlington 400 at Darlington Raceway Read More

NASCAR AMERICA AT HOME PROVIDES COVERAGE OF NASCAR’S RETURN AND POST-RACE ANALYSIS ACROSS NBC SPORTS’ DIGITAL PLATFORMS

NASCAR AMERICA AT HOME PROVIDES COVERAGE OF NASCAR’S RETURN AND POST-RACE ANALYSIS ACROSS NBC SPORTS’ DIGITAL PLATFORMS

Weekday Episodes and Post-Race Analysis on NBCSports.com and Motorsports on NBC YouTube Page

Matt Kenseth Joins The Dale Jr. Download Today at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN

“It’s going to be a steep learning curve. I’m already a little anxious about that first lap at Darlington.” – Kenseth on The Dale Jr. Download

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 13, 2020 – NBC Sports covers the return of NASCAR and provides post-race analysis of upcoming races at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway with new digital editions of NASCAR America At Home on NBCSports.com and the Motorsports on NBC YouTube page. (more…)

NASCAR AMERICA AT HOME PROVIDES COVERAGE OF NASCAR’S RETURN AND POST-RACE ANALYSIS ACROSS NBC SPORTS’ DIGITAL PLATFORMS Read More

Former NASCAR Cup Series Champion Matt Kenseth Set to Join Chip Ganassi Racing

Former NASCAR Cup Series Champion Matt Kenseth  Set to Join Chip Ganassi Racing

Kenseth Will Assume Driving Duties in the No. 42 for Remainder of 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Season

 

CONCORD, N.C. (Apr. 27, 2020) – Chip Ganassi Racing announces today that when the NASCAR Cup Series returns to the track for the remainder of the 2020 season, Matt Kenseth will be behind the wheel of the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro. Kenseth, the former Cup Series Champion and two-time Daytona 500 Champion, most recently competed full-time at NASCAR’s highest level in 2017, where he finished seventh in the points and won the second to last race of the season at Phoenix Raceway.

The Wisconsin native is a 39-time Cup Series winner and will join a talented group on the No. 42 team, which entered the 2020 season following a best-ever sixth place finish in the 2019 point standings, a fourth consecutive trip to the playoffs, and a playoff race win at Dover International Speedway. With a newly designed Chevrolet Camaro for the 2020 season, the No. 42 team started the year strong, with three top-10 finishes in the first four races.

 

NOTES OF INTEREST:

  • Running Up Front – With 18 years of experience in the Cup Series, Kenseth has consistently run near the front, averaging 10 top-five and just over 18 top-10 finishes a year in his 18 full-time seasons behind the wheel. During his career, Kenseth posted at least one win in all but four seasons and made the playoffs in all but one season in which he was eligible, finishing his full-time career with eight consecutive appearances.

  • A Winning Attitude:  Overall, the former Cup Champion, has 39 Cup wins including the Daytona 500 twice, the Coke 600, the Southern 500 and the All-Star race. He has 181 top-5s and has finished in the top-10 in points in 13 of his 18 seasons. When Kenseth scored his first Dayton 500 victory in 2009, he became only the fifth driver in NASCAR history to win a Cup Series Championship, the Rookie of the Year Award and the Daytona 500 — joining Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, David Pearson, and Richard Petty.

  • Return to Team Chevy: While this marks the first time Kenseth will race with Team Chevy in the Cup Series, he is no stranger to the manufacturer. Kenseth began his racing career in 1988 in a Camaro and made his debut in the NASCAR Southeast Series in 1994 behind the wheel of a Chevrolet, and continued racing Chevrolet’s in the Xfinity Series through the 2001 season.

QUOTEBOARD:

  • Chip Ganassi, Owner, Chip Ganassi Racing: “I have always said that when we have to fill a driver spot, that I owe it to our team, our partners and our fans to put the best available driver in the car. We are doing exactly that with Matt. Throughout my time in NASCAR, I have always admired the way Matt Kenseth raced. He has proven to be a consistent winner, strong competitor, and respectful driver, and I’m glad we are able to add another NASCAR champion to the team for the remainder of this season.”

  • Matt Kenseth, Driver No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro: “This was an unexpected opportunity for sure. I can’t say racing was even on my radar two weeks ago. After spending some time thinking about it and all the unique circumstances surrounding all of us right now, it just seemed the timing and the opportunity was perfect to come back. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me to get up to speed in a relatively short period of time, but I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’m excited to work with Kurt again and to meet all my new CGR team members, and I’m really looking forward to getting back in a Chevrolet. In 1988, I started my career in a Camaro and I can’t wait to finally race a Chevy in the Cup Series. I also need to thank Chip and all his partners for this opportunity. Hopefully we will be on the track soon.”

About Chip Ganassi Racing:

Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 30 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include three cars in the NTT IndyCar Series and two cars in the NASCAR Cup Series. Overall his teams have 19 championships and over 220 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400, eight Rolex 24 At Daytonas, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Former NASCAR Cup Series Champion Matt Kenseth Set to Join Chip Ganassi Racing Read More

On This Date in NASCAR History…

On This Date in NASCAR History…

Sunday, April 8, 2002 – On this day in history, retired NASCAR Cup Series champion Matt Kenseth came from the furthest starting spot in the field (31st) to win a NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. Kenseth swapped the lead with NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart five times in the closing laps of the race to take the victory. It was Kenseth’s second of five wins in 2002. (more…)

On This Date in NASCAR History… Read More