Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

Autodesk Fusion 360/HaasTooling.com Racing: Cole Custer Alsco 500k Race Report

by Mike
Autodesk Fusion 360/HaasTooling.com Racing: Cole Custer Alsco 500k Race Report

Ford Driver Earns Top-20 at 1.5-Mile Track

 

 

Date: May 28, 2020

Event: Alsco Uniforms 500k (Round 8 of 36)

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

Format: 208 laps, broken into three stages (55 laps/60 laps/93 laps)

Start/Finish: 9th/18th (Running, completed 208 of 208 laps)

Point Standing:22nd with 138 points, 193 out of first

 

 

Race Winner:       Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Winner:  Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 2 Winner:  Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

 

 

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-55):             

● Cole Custer started ninth and finished 30th.

● Early in the stage, Custer reported his Autodesk Fusion 360/ HaasTooling.com Mustang was loose.

● At the competition caution on lap 25 he pitted from 19th for fuel, four tires and adjustments to help with his loose condition. Restarted 22nd.

● Race was red flagged for weather for approximately 75 minutes. Once it resumed, Custer once again pitted for fuel, four tires and adjustments to help his loose-handling Mustang. Restarted 31st.

● During the Stage 1 break the 22-year-old pitted from 30th for fuel, four tires and adjustments.

 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 56-115):

● Custer started 27th and finished 21st.

● Caution on lap 75 and crew chief Mike Shiplett made the call for Custer to stay out and restart 14th.

● Reached top-10 on lap 80.

● The rookie remained in the top-15 until lap 99, and remained in the top-20 through the end of Stage 2.

● Custer pitted from 20th during the Stage 2 break for fuel, four tires and adjustments to help with his loose-handling Mustang.

 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 116-208):

● Custer started 18th and finished 18th.

● Custer made a yellow flag pit stop on lap 146 from 19th for fuel, four tires and adjustments.

● The event remained under the green-flag for the rest of the race and Custer maintained a top-20 position, and ultimately finished 18th.

 

Notes:

● Custer made his 11th career NASCAR Cup Series start and his second at Charlotte’s oval.

● Chase Elliott won the Alsco Uniforms 500k to score his seventh career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Charlotte’s oval. His margin of victory over second-place Denny Hamlin was 2.208 seconds.

● There were seven caution periods for a total of 37 laps.

● Only 22 of the 40 drivers in the Alsco Uniforms 500k finished on the lead lap.

● Harvick remains the championship leader after Charlotte with a 14-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.

 

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 41 Autodesk Fusion 360/HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“Thank you guys. It didn’t start the way we wanted to tonight, but we kept chipping away at it. I think we have some stuff we can take to other tracks. We definitely learned a lot.”

 

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Supermarket Heroes 500 on Sunday, May 31 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Views: 393
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No. 14 PEAK Coolant and Antifreeze Racing: Clint Bowyer Charlotte 500k Race Report

by Mike
No. 14 PEAK Coolant and Antifreeze Racing: Clint Bowyer Charlotte 500k Race Report

Penalties Slow No. 14 PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze Mustang

 

Date: May 28, 2020

Event: Alsco Uniforms 500k (Round 8 of 36)

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

Format: 208 laps, broken into three stages (55 laps/60 laps/93 laps)

Start/Finish: 39th/16th (Running, completed 208 of 208 laps)

Point Standing:14th with 192 points, 139 out of first

 

Race Winner:      Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Winner:  Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 2 Winner:  Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

 

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-55):

● Clint Bowyer started 39th and finished 26th.

● The No. 14 PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze Ford Mustang moved from 39th to 29th by the lap 20 competition caution.

● A pit road speeding penalty forced Bowyer to pit twice during the caution and restart 37th on lap 25.

● Bowyer raced in 32nd-place when lightning and rain stopped the race on lap 31 for 75 minutes.

● Bowyer pitted before the restart, but too many crew members over the wall forced the No. 14 to the back of the field.

● Despite reporting he had “no rear grip,” Bowyer worked his way to 26th by the end of the stage.

 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 56-115):

● Started 23rd, finished 11th.

● The No. 14 PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze Ford Mustang suffered minor damage after contact with another car during the opening laps of the stage.

● Bowyer stayed on the track during the lap 74 caution and restarted the race in 12th on lap 78.

● Bowyer quickly moved to ninth before the cars with newer tires dropped him to 11th by the end of the stage.

● Another pit road speeding penalty dropped him from ninth to 30th before the start of the final stage.

 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 116-208):

● Started 30th, finished 16th.

● The No. 14 PEAK Coolant and Antifreeze Ford Mustang climbed to 24th with 70 to go.

● Bowyer pitted during the lap 145 caution and restarted 21st with 60 laps remaining.

● Bowyer moved to 18th with 40 laps to go and 16th with 30 to go.

● Bowyer held his position for the final laps of the race to finish 16th.

 

Notes:

●  Chase Elliott won the Alsco Uniforms 500k to score his seventh career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Charlotte’s oval. His margin of victory over second-place Denny Hamlin was 2.208 seconds.

●  There were seven caution periods for a total of 37 laps.

●  Only 22 of the 40 drivers in the Alsco Uniforms 500k finished on the lead lap.

●  Kevin Harvick remains the championship leader after Charlotte with a 14-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.

 

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

“We need to figure something out for this place. We just had too many penalties tonight. We can’t make those kinds of mistakes.”

 

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Supermarket Heroes 500 on Sunday, May 31 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Views: 485
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No. 10 Smithfield Ford Racing: Aric Almirola Charlotte II Race Report

by Mike
No. 10 Smithfield Ford Racing: Aric Almirola Charlotte II Race Report

Smithfield Ford Driver Endures Handling Issues After Starting in the Rear

 

Date: May 28, 2020

Event: Alsco Uniforms 500k (Round 8 of 36)

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

Format: 208 laps, broken into three stages (55 laps/60 laps/93 laps)

Start/Finish: 6th/20th (Running, completed 208 of 208 laps)

Point Standing: 9th (225 points, 106 out of first)

 

Race Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 2 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

 

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-55):

●  Aric Almirola started sixth and finished 16th.

●  The Smithfield Ford driver was forced to start in the rear due to unapproved adjustments before the green flag waved.

●  Almirola raced to 26th before the competition caution on lap 20. He said his car was tight on the exit of the turns.

●  He pitted under caution for two tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments to come off pit road 18th.

●  Inclement weather postponed the race on lap 30. When racing resumed, Almirola did not pit and restarted 16th.

●  Almirola continued to battle tight-handling conditions on the exit of the turns.

●  At the end of the stage, he pitted for four tires, fuel, and wedge and air pressure adjustments. He came off pit road 14th.

 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 56-115):

●  Almirola started 14th and finished 22nd.

●  Almirola and the No. 18 car made contact on lap 65. He held on to the No. 10 Ford and fell to 21st.

●  After a caution was called on lap 74, Almirola pitted twice for four tires, fuel and adjustments, and to repair damage.

●  He restarted 32nd and drove back into the top-25. Almirola said he was extremely loose in traffic and needed help passing.

●  At the end of the stage, he pitted for four tires, fuel, and air pressure and chassis adjustments. He came off pit road 16th and gained six spots.

 

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 116-208):

●  Almirola started 16th and finished 20th.

●  The No. 10 Smithfield driver continued to note loose-handling conditions in traffic and fell to 18th.

●  He pitted on lap 174 under caution for four tires, fuel and adjustments to restart 18th.

●  Almirola endured more handling issues and fell back to 24th.

●  The No. 10 Smithfield Ford driver battled his way back to 20th before crossing the finish line.

 

Notes:

●  This was Almirola’s fourth straight top-20 finish at Charlotte’s oval. He finished 16th in last Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.

●  Chase Elliott won the Alsco Uniforms 500k to score his seventh career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Charlotte’s oval. His margin of victory over second-place Denny Hamlin was 2.208 seconds.

●  There were seven caution periods for a total of 37 laps.

●  Only 22 of the 40 drivers in the Alsco Uniforms 500k finished on the lead lap.

●  Harvick remains the championship leader after Charlotte with a 14-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.

 

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

“That was just an overall tough day for our Smithfield Ford team today. After starting in the rear we were able to get back to 16th by taking two tires and holding on, but our day went downhill from there. The car was just not where we wanted it to be and contact with the No. 18 put us back where we started. The pit crew did a great job today and gained us some spots, but unfortunately I just couldn’t pass in traffic with the way the car handled. I’m looking forward to Bristol in a few days to get back to a short track.”

 

Next Up: 

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Supermarket Heroes 500 on Sunday, May 31 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Views: 474
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Buescher Comes Home 22nd at Charlotte

by Mike
Buescher Comes Home 22nd at Charlotte

CONCORD, N.C. (May 28, 2020) – After earning a valuable stage point by finishing 10th in the first stage of racing Thursday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Chris Buescher and the No. 17 Fastenal team battled a tight handling car to a 22nd -place finish in the second race at the 1.5-mile track this week. 

 

The team got off to a fast start, rolling off the grid 11th and holding position through the first caution of the race on lap one. At lap 29, another caution flag flew for lightning in the area and the team came down pit road for a 75-minute red flag delay. When the caution flag was displayed again, the No. 17 team elected to stay out to maintain track position. By Lap 39, Buescher was scored 10th and held on to that position through the green-white-checkered flag for stage one, earning the stage point.  

 

The No. 17 crew had an outstanding pit stop, gaining three positions on pit road resulting in Buescher’s seventh-place restart for stage two. At lap 72, Buescher was running 11th as a caution flag waved; the team pitted for four tires, fuel and adjustment to loosen up the Fastenal Ford taking it back on track in 19th. A competitor car stalled in front of Buescher at the restart, causing the team to lose several positions, and he ultimately finished stage two, 21st with reports of a tight Ford.  

 

Buescher took the green flag for the final stage of racing in 21st. The No. 17 team worked all stage to loosen up the No. 17 Ford, but ran out of time. During the only caution of the stage, the team pitted for a track bar adjustment, four tires and fuel. After restarting 19th, Buescher held onto his track position as long as possible, before ultimately taken the checkered flag 22nd.

 

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway, Sunday May 31 for a 500-lap event, scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET (FS1, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90).  

Views: 358
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DiBenedetto Finishes 17th in the Coca-Cola 600

by Mike
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.
###

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.

Views: 445
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HaasTooling.com Racing: Cole Custer Coca-Cola 600 Race Report

by Mike
HaasTooling.com Racing: Cole Custer Coca-Cola 600 Race Report

Date: May 24, 2020

Event: Coca-Cola 600

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

Format: 400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)

Start/Finish: 28th/13th (Running, completed 405 of 405 laps)

Point Standing: 22nd with 118 points, 171 out of first

Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 400-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

 

Race Winner:       Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Winner:  Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 2 Winner:  Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 3 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

 

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100):             

● Cole Custer started 28th and finished 23rd.

● Custer pitted from 24th during the competition caution for adjustments to help his tight HaasTooling.com Mustang.

● At lap 50 the race was red-flagged for precipitation. When the event resumed, Custer pitted from 30th for more adjustments and restarted 24th on lap 57.

● As the laps clicked off, Custer reported his Mustang went from loose to tight, and lost all grip in the final 10 laps of the stage.

● During the Stage 1 break the 22-year-old pitted from 23rd for a bevy of adjustments, four tires and fuel.

 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200):

● Custer started 19th and finished 21st.

● On lap 116 the California native reported his Mustang fired off a tick loose, but had tightened up.

● Custer made a scheduled green-flag pit stop from 24th on lap 156 for fuel, four tires and adjustments.

● The rookie driver went one lap down on lap 168 while in the 22nd spot.

● Custer pitted from 21st during the Stage 2 break for fuel, four tires and adjustments to help with his tight-handling Mustang.

 

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 201-300):

● Custer started 18th and finished 20th.

● Custer made a scheduled green-flag pit stop on lap 242 from 19th for fuel, four tires and adjustments.

● With the caution out on lap 275 he pitted from 20th for four tires, fuel and adjustments to help with his tight condition.

● During the Stage 3 break Custer reported his No. 41 Mustang remained tight. He was the beneficiary of the free pass from 20th.
Final Stage Recap (Laps 301-405):

● Custer started 20th and finished 13th.

● The Ford driver worked his way up to 18th with a tight car. He made a pit stop under caution on lap 350.

● After the pit stop, Custer served an uncontrolled tire penalty and was forced to start at the rear of the field in 20th.

● A green-flag run ensued until the caution was displayed with one lap to go. Custer pitted for fuel and four tires after reporting his Mustang was pretty solid during the run.

● The SHR driver restarted 19th for overtime and was able to maneuver his way to a 13th-place finish.
Notes:

● Custer made his 10th career NASCAR Cup Series start and his first on the oval at Charlotte.

● Brad Keselowski won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his 31st career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his second on the oval at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Jimmie Johnson was .293 of a second.

● This was Ford’s 690th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory.

● This was Ford’s 31st NASCAR Cup Series victory at Charlotte’s oval, the most among all manufacturers. The last Ford driver to win the Coca-Cola 600 was Mark Martin in 2002. Ford’s first Coca-Cola 600 victory came in 1962 via Nelson Stacy.

● There were eight caution periods for a total of 52 laps.

● Only 20 of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.

● Harvick remains the championship leader after the Coca-Cola 600 with a 22-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.

 

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

“Man, definitely a persevering night for the HaasTooling.com Mustang. I could’ve done better at the start of the race. We definitely got the car better throughout the race. We fought hard all night. We fought hard to stay on the lead lap and got our lap back that one time. To finish 13th in my first 600 that I’ve run was definitely pretty cool. I got a good restart at the end. We have some things we know we can do better when we come back Wednesday. I can do some things better. I’m looking forward to it. We’re moving in the right direction with this package. We just have to keep grinding through it.”

 

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Alsco Uniforms 500k on Wednesday, May 27 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race starts at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Views: 473
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Buescher Battles Back to a Solid 11th-Place Finish in Coke 600

by Mike
Buescher Battles Back to a Solid 11th-Place Finish in Coke 600

CONCORD, N.C. (May 24, 2020) – Chris Buescher picked up three spots during a feverish final two-lap dash to bring his No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford home 11th in Sunday night’s famed Coke 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Buescher and the No. 17 team battled to the final turn, overcoming an early penalty on pit road to secure the solid finish in one of NASCAR’s biggest events of the season.  

 

After qualifying 19th, Buescher worked his Ford up to 13th position, where he settled in until the competition caution flag waved at Lap 20. The team pitted for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment, but received a penalty on pit road and had to restart from the rear of the field.  

Buescher hit the track running top-five lap times, driving up to 23rd before the field was red flagged for heavy rain in the area. Once the weather subsided and racing resumed, the No. 17 team hit pit road for four more tires and fuel and Buescher moved his car up to 16th at the end of Stage 1.  

 

The 2015 Xfinity Series champion pitted at the stage break for grill tape, four tires and fuel and returned to the field in 13th position. Halfway through the second stage, Buescher was toggling between 12th and 15th. As the first green-flag pit stops cycled through, the team elected to pit for four more tires and fuel. Back on track in 20th and one lap down, Buescher reported that his Ford was tight across the center and that his long run speed was off. The No. 17 team took the green-white checkered 18th, earning the free pass position to restart stage three back on the lead lap. 

 

The longest green flag runs of the race came in Stage 3. Buescher held steady in 18th all the way up to a green flag pit stop at lap 256. The team took four tires and fuel, returning to the track one lap down and 21st. Spotter Mike Herman reported a tire rub on the No. 17 machine, but fortunately the smoke subsided as the team continued to focus on making lap times. At lap 275, a competitor car hit the wall and Buescher took the opportunity to pit for fresh tires and fuel with the caution. The driver restarted 17th, but finished the stage 15th.

 

Buescher’s successful stage break pitstop for four tires and fuel helped him to restart 13th. The driver lost momentum on the restart and slid back to 16th.  A late race caution allowed the No. 17 team to pit one more time to fix the front turn. The adjustments and strong restart helped propel Buescher to the 12th-place result.  

 

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway Wednesday for a 310-mile (205-lap) event, scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (FS1, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90). 

Views: 433
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Michael McDowell Post Race Report: Charlotte

by Mike
Michael McDowell Post Race Report: Charlotte
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway, 1.5 Mile Oval
Race: 7 of 38
Event: Coca-Cola 600 (600 miles, 400 laps)
Michael McDowell
No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang
Started: 27th
Finished: 19th
  • Stage One: 29th
  • Stage Two: 24th
  • Stage Three: 21st
  • Stage Four: 19th
  • With the name of Sergeant First Class John Jarrell printed on his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang, Michael McDowell took the green flag in Sunday’s Coca Cola 600 from the 27th position. McDowell noted early in Stage 1 that the bumps in Turns 3 and 4 were playing a factor in his race and would take the green-white checkered flag from the 29th position. Under the stage 1 caution, Crew Chief Drew Blickensderfer called for 4 tires, fuel, pulled packer and a trackbar adjustment.
  • Taking the green flag in Stage 2, McDowell mentioned that the calls on pit road definitely helped his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang as he ran comfortably inside of the top 25 throughout the stage and would go on to finish Stage 2 in 24th. Under the Stage 2 caution, McDowell came to pit road for 4 tires, fuel and added grille tape.
  • Throughout Stage 3, the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops team did a good job of steadily making improvements to their Ford Mustang as McDowell knocked on the door of the top 20 all stage long, finishing Stage 3 in the 21st position. During the stage, McDowell noted that his car was on the tight side to begin, however became more free as he raced. Under the Stage 3 caution, the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stop Ford Mustang pitted for 4 tires, fuel and a trackbar adjustment.
  • In the final stage of the Coca Cola 600, Michael McDowell and his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops team picked up right where they left off in Stage 3 by running in the 21st position for a majority of the final stage. With 2 laps remaining in the race, the caution flag flew making McDowell the Lucky Dog, which put him back on the lead lap for the overtime restart and would go on to take the checkered flag in the 19th position.
McDowell on Charlotte:
  • “Our No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang had a tough time getting over the bumps in Turns 3 and 4 to start today’s Coca-Cola 600, but Drew and my guys on pit road did a good job of making adjustments all race long to get us more competitive. Thankfully, we caught a lucky caution with 2 laps to go and were able to get back on the lead lap. It was great to have Love’s Travel Stops back on board with us and I’m proud to have been able to represent Sergeant First Class John Jarrell on my car. We’ll regroup at the shop tomorrow and look ahead to coming back even stronger at Charlotte on Wednesday.”
Views: 417
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FedEx Racing Express Facts – Charlotte

by Mike
FedEx Racing Express Facts – Charlotte

Race Info:

Race: Charlotte Coca-Cola 600

Date/Time: Sunday, May 24/6 p.m. ET

Distance: 400 laps/600 miles

Track Length: 1.5 miles

Track Shape: Quad-oval

2019 Winner: Martin Truex Jr.

Express Notes:

Darlington Toyota 500 Recap: Denny Hamlin won Wednesday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in the #11 FedEx “Delivering Strength” Toyota, after a late-race call to stay out on older tires with less than 30 laps to go was followed by a wreck and rainfall, cancelling the end of the race. Hamlin and crew chief Chris Gabehart elected to come to pit road to put on new tires – the team’s last set – during a caution on Lap 183, just a handful of laps after pitting under green flag conditions. Hamlin lined up fourth for the ensuing restart, and quickly moved into third. Another caution came seven laps later, and Hamlin elected to stay out having already used all of his fresh tires. The move proved prophetic because Hamlin inherited the lead when the lead lap cars pitted and held the point after the restart. Then, following a wreck and caution on Lap 202, the skies opened up and NASCAR called the race official. Hamlin started 16th based on an inversion of the top-20 finishers from Sunday’s race at the same track, but was bogged down in traffic in the early going. He climbed to eighth at the end of Stage 1, and finished seventh in Stage 2. The race length – only 300 miles – increased the drivers’ sense of urgency to move to the front, but with a host of cautions and a car built for long-run speed, Hamlin could never show his true strength. That changed in the final segment, as Hamlin picked off cars in a march to the front. He got up to second before a green flag stop on Lap 178. The win is the second of the season for Hamlin and the 39th of his NASCAR career. He moved up two spots to fourth in the 2020 NASCAR standings following the victory, now 57 points behind leader Kevin Harvick after six of 26 regular season races.

 

Charlotte Coca-Cola 600 Preview: The series heads home to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday night for the annual 600-mile event on Memorial Day weekend. Hamlin owns nine top-five and 17 top-10 finishes in 27 career races at Charlotte, leading a total of 377 laps. Hamlin looks to this weekend’s race to secure his first victory at the North Carolina track. As part of NASCAR’s “600 Miles of Remembrance” tribute, the #FedEx11 car’s windshield will honor U.S. Army 1SG Russell Bell. The Ohio native, who had been based at North Carolina’s Ft. Bragg, was killed in action in 2012 in Afghanistan.

FedEx “#SupportSmall” Paint Scheme: The #11 FedEx Toyota will sport a special paint scheme for the Charlotte NASCAR race. The paint scheme pays tribute to small business owners, the real backbone of America, which is represented through the stars on the car. #SupportSmall is also included on the hood to highlight the support FedEx has and will continue to show small businesses during the ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of that support, FedEx has announced a new grant for small businesses to help them get back to business from COVID-19 impacts, with $1 million available in grant money. Small businesses can head to fedex.com/supportsmallgrants to learn more. FedEx has also teamed up with BigCommerce to help get businesses online and products in customers’ hands, fast. Head to FedEx.com/bigcommerce to find out more.

Hamlin Statistics:

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway

Races: 27

Wins:  0

Poles: 2

Top-5: 9

Top-10: 17

Laps Led: 377

Avg. Start: 10.9

Avg. Finish: 12.3

Hamlin Conversation – Charlotte Coca-Cola 600:

What is behind the look of your new paint scheme for the Charlotte race?

“We’re happy to have the new #SupportSmall paint scheme for this weekend’s race in Charlotte. The scheme pays tribute to small business owners, the real backbone of America, which is represented through the stars on the car. FedEx knows how valuable small businesses are to our country and economy, so they have been working to ensure they are supported during this difficult time.”

 

How do you get yourself ready for the longest race of the year, especially when you had a long hiatus out of the car?

“I’ve been driving in this race for years now, and I know what to expect. I’ve also kept in shape while we stayed at home for two months, so I feel like physically I’m ready for it. Our FedEx team will be working hard to prepare, and we’ll be ready to put on a good show for the fans watching at home on this holiday weekend. And, we’re fresh off a Wednesday night victory, so we’ve got momentum on our side.”

 

 

FedEx Office – Closest to Charlotte Motor Speedway: 7741 Gateway Lane NW, Suite 110, Concord, NC, (704) 979-1971

 

2020 FedEx Racing Team Results
DATEEVENTLOCATIONSTARTFINISHLAPSSTATUSLEDPTSTREND
Feb. 16Daytona 500Daytona211209/209Running791st▬
Feb. 23Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy LubeLas Vegas417267/267Running09th▼
Mar. 1Auto Club 400Fontana286200/200Running07th▲
Mar. 8Fan Shield 500Phoenix320316/316Running011th▼
May 17The Real Heroes 400Darlington105293/293Running06th▲
May 20Toyota 500Darlington161208/208Running124th▲
Averages/Totals13.68.3100% 91  
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