Motorsport in the United States | The MotorSportsNews.Net(work)

Harvick & Bowyer to Sport Dual Paint Schemes #ForTheFarmers At Atlanta Race

by MikeMay 26, 2020

NEW YORK, MAY 26, 2020: Busch, the beer brewed for America’s heartland and a long-time supporter of agricultural communities, announced today that it will provide funds for the nonprofit Farm Rescue to expand its operations into Kansas. Farm Rescue will begin harvest assistance operations in Kansas immediately, with Busch marking this milestone with the release of limited-edition Corn Cans across the country*. Busch is raising further awareness to the cause with NASCAR drivers Kevin Harvick and Kansas-native Clint Bowyer at the June 7 NASCAR Cup Series race in Atlanta. Kansas is the first new state to be added to Farm Rescue’s support network since 2017 and will be the seventh state supported overall.

The expansion into Kansas will allow Farm Rescue to provide free harvest assistance to farm families throughout the state experiencing a major illness, injury or natural disaster. Since its inception in 2005, Farm Rescue has helped nearly 700 family farms sustain operations in times of crisis. These efforts are made possible through a network of volunteers from across the United States. Busch has been a partner of Farm Rescue since early 2019 and played an instrumental role in facilitating Farm Rescue’s entry to Kansas with a mix of financial support, public affairs assistance, and more.

“Farm Rescue is an incredible organization that has not only helped, but saved, hundreds of family farms throughout the Midwest,” said Daniel Blake, VP of Value Brands at Anheuser-Busch “What originally started off as a small partnership has grown into something really special, and as unexpected injuries, illnesses and natural disasters continue to strike, we’re honored to take our partnership with Farm Rescue to the next level so they can keep providing critical assistance to more family farms across the country.”

Busch recently teased the news of this partnership with the release of their special-edition Busch Light Corn Cans, a remixed edition of the classic Busch Light can and packaging. Consumers nationwide can support Farm Rescue with every purchase of the new limited-edition Busch Light corn packs in select states**. For each pack purchased in these states between May 18 and July 5, 2020 $1 will be donated by Busch, up to $100,000 to benefit Farm Rescue’s ongoing efforts.

“We are very grateful for the unwavering support Busch has provided toward our mission of helping America’s farmers,” said Bill Gross, President of Farm Rescue. “Thanks to their generosity, we are mobilizing equipment and volunteers throughout Kansas to help farm families in times of crisis.”

Busch will raise additional awareness for Farm Rescue and farmers across America at the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race in Atlanta on June 7, with Busch-sponsored driver Kevin Harvick teaming up with Kansas-native Clint Bowyer to race in the same corn-themed paint scheme. Throughout the race fans will have the chance to win a suite of farm-related prizes, and can check out @BuschBeer on Twitter ahead of June 7 to find out more information.

Fans can head to ForTheFarmers.org to learn more, and stay informed as race day approaches. Fans can also check out the Busch social accounts (@BuschBeer) to shop exclusive Busch/Farm Rescue merchandise including apparel and corn hole games.

Wood Bros. Racing: Wednesday Night Racing at Charlotte

by MikeMay 26, 2020

After the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/Richmond team are ready for a fresh start back at Charlotte in Wednesday night’s 500-kilometer race.

“I feel good going into Wednesday,” DiBenedetto said. “We’re starting fourth, and racing the primary car, so that’s good.”

The line-up for Wednesday’s race was set by inverting the finish of the Coca-Cola 600, where DiBenedetto finished 17^th. The top 20 finishing positions from Sunday were inverted, and the remainder of the field will start Wednesday’s race from where they finished the 600.

On Sunday at Charlotte, DiBenedetto bounced off the wall in qualifying and had to race a back-up Ford Mustang in the 600. “It was a messy race,” he said. “The car was way looser than expected in qualifying. We took the back-up and had to work on it a lot, but we fought from really struggling to an easy top-10 car.”

He said he expects Wednesday to go much smoother for him and the Menards/Richmond team. “The car has plenty of speed, so I feel much better about the race,” he said.

DiBenedetto said racing again after just two off days, and running four races in 11 days, has caused him to modify his weekly routine.

“I’m backing off my training a good bit,” he said, explaining that he’s giving his body time to recover between races. “Racing puts a lot of strain on you, but I’m still working out three or four days a week.”

There will be no practice or qualifying for the 312-mile Alsco 500k, and the green flag is set to fly just after 8 p.m. on Wednesday with TV coverage on Fox Sport One.

FedEx Racing Express Facts – Charlotte Motor Speedway

by MikeMay 26, 2020

Charlotte Coca-Cola 600 Recap: Denny Hamlin’s shot at a Coca-Cola 600 victory was all but eliminated before the green flag even waved Sunday, when the #11 had to return to pit road during the pace laps after losing ballast weights. The blocks of tungsten, which are required for the car to meet minimum weight, fell out of the FedEx #SupportSmall Toyota as the car rolled off pit road at Charlotte Motor Speedway to begin the pace laps. NASCAR ordered Hamlin back to pit road so the team could replace the weight as the rest of the field took the green flag. Hamlin rejoined the field eight laps later. The team tried various pit strategies throughout the 600-mile race to regain ground but never returned to the lead lap. Hamlin was able to climb 11 positions, though, to finish the day in 29th as Brad Keselowski took the win.

Alsco Uniforms 500 Preview: The series returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday night for the Alsco Uniforms 500, the second of two races at the Concord, N.C., oval in NASCAR’s return-to-racing schedule. The Wednesday night race will only be about half the distance of Sunday’s race – just 500 kilometers or 312 miles. Hamlin will seek his first victory in his 29^th start at the 1.5-mile track.

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

Hamlin Statistics:

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway

Races: 28

Wins: 0

Poles: 2

Top-5: 9

Top-10: 17

Laps Led: 377

Avg. Start: 10.9

Avg. Finish: 12.9

Hamlin Conversation – Alsco Uniforms 500:

You didn’t have a great result on Sunday; but, did the team gather information that could help Wednesday?

“For sure. Our FedEx #SupportSmall Toyota was actually pretty fast on Sunday. We tried various adjustments throughout the night and learned how the car reacts in traffic and in various lines around the track. So, we have a good baseline to start with for Wednesday.”

Is your strategy different with a shorter race?

“In some ways, yes. Obviously, you’ve got a shorter distance to accomplish what you need to. Tire and fuel mileage strategy will be different, and we’ll have shorter stages to work within. This one will be more of a sprint than a marathon.”

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

2020 FedEx Racing Team Results
DATE	EVENT	LOCATION	START	FINISH	LAPS	STATUS	LED	PTS	TREND
Feb. 16	Daytona 500	Daytona	21	1	209/209	Running	79	*1^st*	▬
Feb. 23	Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube	Las Vegas	4	17	267/267	Running	0	*9^th*	▼
Mar. 1	Auto Club 400	Fontana	28	6	200/200	Running	0	*7^th*	▲
Mar. 8	Fan Shield 500	Phoenix	3	20	316/316	Running	0	*11^th*	▼
May 17	The Real Heroes 400	Darlington	10	5	293/293	Running	0	*6^th*	▲
May 20	Toyota 500	Darlington	16	1	208/208	Running	12	*4^th*	▲
May 24	Coca-Cola 600	Charlotte	13	29	398/405	Running	0	*8^th*	▼
*Averages/Totals*			*13.6*	*11.3*	*99.6%*		91

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

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.

No. 41 Autodesk Fusion 360/HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang: Cole Custer Alsco Uniforms 500k Race Advance

by MikeMay 26, 2020

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (May 25, 2020) – The No. 41 Autodesk Fusion 360/HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) with young driver Cole Custer returns to Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Wednesday for the fourth NASCAR Cup Series race since the COVID-19 pandemic halted the season back on March 9. Wednesday night’s race will be 500 kilometers, or 310 miles – a little more than half of Sunday night’s marathon Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.

Custer’s Mustang will look a little different for Wednesday’s race with the Autodesk Fusion 360 livery sharing the No. 41 machine with HaasTooling.com. Autodesk is a leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software. Autodesk has been integral to SHR and the software has played a vital role in creating personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. To better support its customers facing the new reality of working remotely, Autodesk has introduced a special Extended Access Program for several of its cloud collaboration products, including BIM 360 Docs, BIM 360 Design, Fusion 360, Fusion Team, AutoCAD Web and Mobile, and Shotgun. Additionally, during the pandemic, Autodesk’s goal is to connect resources and people looking to help with pressing needs. For projects or resources that could help communities with COVID-19 efforts, visit here.
Sharing the No. 41 Mustang with Autodesk is Gene Haas’ newest holding, HaasTooling.com. Haas Tooling was launched just weeks ago as a way for CNC machinists to purchase high quality cutting tools at great prices. Haas’ cutting tools are sold exclusively online at HaasTooling.com and shipped directly to end-users.
Sunday’s grueling 600-mile race at Charlotte is annually the longest event on the Cup Series calendar. Custer qualified 28th in the afternoon before climbing into the HaasTooling.com Mustang for his first ever Coca-Cola 600 that night. The Ford driver battled a tight-handling Mustang for the most of the night, and went one lap down at one point during the race. He was able to maneuver his way back onto the lead lap and ultimately finished 12th after gaining multiple positions on the final green-white-checkered restart. “We were able to get a solid finish,” Custer said. “We have a lot of good ideas and I learned a lot to come back better on Wednesday.” The finish was the SHR driver’s second top-12 of the 2020 season.
Wednesday’s race marks the 22-year-old Custer’s 11th career Cup Series start. Coming off Sunday’s 600-mile race, he’s looking to hit the reset button and improve in what will be much more like a sprint race. The nature of the current schedule, with weekend and midweek races that are one-day shows with no practice, gives the field the opportunity to run consecutive races at the same venue, which is extremely helpful to a rookie driver like Custer.
SHR has 66 starts at Charlotte with five pole awards and one victory earned by No. 4 Mustang driver Kevin Harvick in 2014. In total, the Kannapolis-based Ford team has eight top-fives and 23 top-10s there, along with 764 laps led.
Haas Automation, founded in 1983 by SHR co-owner Haas, is America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. The company manufactures a complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers and rotary tables and indexers. All Haas products are constructed in the company’s 1.1-million-square-foot manufacturing facility in Oxnard, California, and distributed through a worldwide network of Haas Factory Outlets.
Even though Custer had a trio of starts in the Cup Series in 2018, 2020 officially marks his Rookie of the Year campaign in NASCAR’s most prestigious series. He’s competing for rookie honors with notables Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick. The three have battled against each other in the Xfinity Series and are making the full-time transition to the Cup Series together. Custer was the third-highest-finishing rookie at Charlotte Sunday night and looks to improve his position Wednesday evening.

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

Now that you’ve completed your first 600-mile race, how do you feel?
“For my first 600 race, I actually thought it was going to feel longer than what it did. It goes by kind of fast when you’re constantly thinking about how to get your car better and how the track is going to change, and everything like that. It actually went a lot faster than I thought it would. It was just a night where you had to be there at the end, and we were.”
The bumps in turns three and four were a pretty prevalent topic in the Coke 600. Do you think the track surface has gotten that much worse? Or is it more of something to do with the tires and car setup?
“The track has definitely gotten rougher over the last couple of years. The track was built on a landfill, so it’s constantly changing and getting bumpier. I think it’s wearing out and getting to the point where you can start slipping and sliding more. It’s getting more fun. The bumps in turns three and four are making it more challenging and they jar your head around a lot, and make it hard on the drivers.”
Will Wednesday almost seem like a breeze since it’s a shorter race?
“Wednesday will definitely be a faster-paced race compared to the 600, where you’re just trying to make it to the end and fight all night. Wednesday’s race will probably have some crazier restarts and people being more aggressive. I think people might have a different attitude going from a really long race to a short race. It’s going to be different, but we just have to make sure we get a solid finish.”
What are some of the key things you guys will work on for Wednesday?
“Going into Wednesday, there are definitely some things that I can do better. We have some ideas with the car that we can do to get it a little bit better. Hopefully, we can run consistently in the top-15 and get a top-10 out of it. We just need to keep getting solid finishes. Overall, when you run 600 miles, you’re going to have some ideas on what you can do better the next time, so it should help us a lot going into Wednesday.”

No. 41 Autodesk Fusion 360/HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Team Report
Race 8 of 36 – Alsco Uniforms 500k – Charlotte

Car No. 41: Autodesk Fusion 360/HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Team Report

At Track PR Contact: Lauren Emling with True Speed Communication (Lauren.Emling@TrueSpeedCommunication.com)

Primary Team:

Driver: Cole Custer

Hometown: Ladera Ranch, California

Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett

Hometown: Amherst, Ohio

Engine Specialist: Evan Cupples

Hometown: Hudson, Illinois

Car Chief: Tony Cardamone

Hometown: Bristol, Virginia

Engine Builder: Roush Yates Engines

Headquarters: Mooresville, North Carolina

Spotter: Andy Houston

Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Crew:

Fuelman: Chad Emmons

Hometown: Tyler, Texas
Carrier: Dwayne Moore

Hometown: Griffin, Georgia

Jackman: Brett Morrell

Hometown: Windham, Maine

Front Changer: Josh Leslie

Hometown: Mount Clemens, Michigan

Rear Changer: Coleman Dollarhide
Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina

Charlotte Motor Speedway II Notes of Interest:

Cole Custer will make his second consecutive Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway NASCAR Cup Series start Wednesday night, bringing his total of career Cup Series starts to 11.
The Ford driver finished 12th in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. Custer was able to rally from one lap down with a tight-handling No. 41 Mustang to secure a solid finish. It was his second top-12 of the 2020 season.
2020 marks Custer’s first fulltime season in the Cup Series and he will contend for Rookie of the Year honors along with four other Cup Series competitors.
The 22-year-old rookie driver has seven NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Charlotte. He has finished in the top-10 six times, which includes one runner-up finish. He’s led a total of 59 laps at the 1.5-mile track. He’s also made one NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series start at Charlotte, which ended with a 13th-place finish.

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

by MikeMay 26, 2020

HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (May 25, 2020) – Until last Wednesday night’s event at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, the last time the NASCAR Cup Series ran a race on a Wednesday was almost 36 years ago – the Firecracker 400 on July 4, 1984. Back then, no matter on what day July 4 fell, NASCAR’s top series raced at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. That 1984 Firecracker 400 also happened to be one of the more memorable races in NASCAR history, as Richard Petty brought home the 200th win of his Cup Series career.

While the race last week at Darlington marked the first Wednesday Cup Series race in more than three decades, the next midweek event is set for just seven days later. The series heads back to Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway for Wednesday night’s Alsco Uniforms 500k as NASCAR continues to make up races lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected events of every kind, not only in the United States but all over the world.

This Wednesday night, Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Fudge Brownie Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), will look to improve on his most recent outing, which resulted in a fourth-place finish in Sunday night’s traditional Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. Busch ran up front for most of the first portion of the race, but a pit road speeding penalty sent him to the rear of the field. However, he and the M&M’S team were able to rally back to bring home his fourth top-five finish in seven races this season. Wednesday night’s 500-kilometer race replaces the cancelled race at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway originally scheduled for June. With a second-place finish last Wednesday at Darlington and the fourth-place run Sunday night at Charlotte, Busch is hoping the Sonoma replacement race nets him his third top-five in a row and first win of the season.

Busch has managed to enjoy plenty of success at the 1.5-mile Charlotte oval. He now has 14 top-five finishes and 19 top-10s in his 31 previous Cup Series starts there over the past 14-plus seasons. In addition to solid Cup Series finishes, Busch has captured eight NASCAR Xfinity Series wins at Charlotte – May 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2010, October 2008 and 2009, and both May and October 2013. He also has eight NASCAR Truck Series wins at the track – 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2019.

While he had gone to Charlotte’s victory lane at early and often in the Xfinity and Truck Series, Busch only recently broke through in the Cup Series there. His 2017 win in the non-points All-Star Race was his first Cup Series win of any kind at the track. The following year, in 2018, Busch was able to win there again, this time in the points-paying Coca-Cola 600 to add another crown jewel to his already impressive resume.

So as the Cup Series continues its busy run of eight races in less than a month, Busch and his M&M’S Fudge Brownie team hope they can break through for the first of many wins under the Wednesday night lights at Charlotte. He’ll hope to keep the momentum he’s built over the last two races as the season is finally able to kick into full gear for the summer.

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Fudge Brownie Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

With track position being so important, how will you approach Wednesday night with the inversion of the top-20 grid positions?

“It’s definitely going to be more of a sprint race with our M&M’S Fudge Brownie Camry. Thankfully, my guys are really, really, really good on pit road and they probably passed the most cars Sunday night on pit road – more than I did. It’s definitely beneficial when you can come down pit road 15th, 10th, eighth, seventh, whatever it is, and those guys are going to get you five or six spots. I’m not too upset about where we have to start. We certainly saw that track position was a big deal on Sunday night, so we want to work our way to the front and stay there if we can. I know I’m up for it and the guys on pit road are up for the task, too, with how well they performed on Sunday night.”

It seemed you had some pretty big swings in handling on Sunday night. Will you go back and try and figure out why that was the case and make some changes for Wednesday night?

“The only thing I can really attribute it to is tires. That’s the only thing that makes sense. When you go and you have two runs that are really, really good and you have tires on and you don’t make any changes, and then you make one slight air pressure adjustment with the next set of tires and it goes haywire, you have to think it’s the tires. You didn’t put a wedge wrench in the thing, you didn’t change anything too crazy. Also, track position sometimes, too, is a factor. When you’re further up toward the front, the cars drive way, way better. We had the speeding penalty there and it put it toward the back and it certainly handled differently back there than up at the front of the field. When you get back in the seventh to ninth to 11th range, you are just out of control and have no grip. So I know Adam (Stevens, crew chief) and I will go back and talk about how to make our car better this week and we’ll see what happens.”

Do you feel you’re in race shape now that you’ve run three Cup Series races since the shutdown?

“I felt good after all of these races. We had the race last Sunday at Darlington and it was a little warmer out and I saw a couple of guys get out of the car and kind of sit next to their car and they were pretty wet and kind of hot and overheated maybe a little bit. I felt fine. Then, no issues the last couple of races, certainly a bit easier when they are at night and cooler outside. I’ve got enough cooling and things like that where I feel pretty good and ready to go.”

M&M’S Fudge Brownie Racing

Race 8 of 36 – Alsco Uniforms 500k – Charlotte

Car No.: 18 – M&M’S Fudge Brownie Toyota Camry

Teammates: Denny Hamlin – No. 11 Toyota Camry; Martin Truex Jr. – No. 19 Toyota Camry; Erik Jones – No. 20 Toyota Camry.

At-Track PR Contact: Bill Janitz, True Speed Communication (704-875-3388 ext. 803 or Bill.Janitz@TrueSpeedCommunication.com).

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Kyle Busch

Hometown: Las Vegas

Crew Chief: Adam Stevens

Hometown: Portsmouth, Ohio

Car Chief: Nate Bellows

Hometown: Fairfax, Vermont

Spotter: Tony Hirschman

Hometown: Northampton, Pennsylvania

Over-The-Wall Crew Members:

Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Front Tire Changer: Cam Waugh

Hometown: Johnstown, Colorado

Jackman: T.J. Ford

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Joe Crossen

Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Jeff Cordero

Hometown: Salem, Connecticut

Notes of Interest:

The Alsco Uniforms 500k will mark Kyle Busch’s 542nd career NASCAR Cup Series start and his 32nd NASCAR Cup Series start at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

Busch has career totals of 56 wins, 32 poles, 204 top-five finishes, 300 top-10s and 17,446 laps led in 541 career Cup Series races. His most recent Cup Series win came in November at Homestead-Miami Speedway, resulting in his second Cup Series championship. Busch’s most recent pole, the 32nd of his career, came in November at Phoenix Raceway.

Busch has one win, 14 top-five finishes and 19 top-10s and has led a total of 1,449 laps in 31 Cup Series starts at Charlotte. Busch’s average Charlotte finish is 14.2.

Finally: Busch’s combined record in NASCAR Xfinity Series and Truck Series races is quite impressive at Charlotte, where the Las Vegas native has eight wins apiece on the 1.5-mile oval for a total of 16 victories. While he found victory lane early and often at Charlotte in those series, Busch was unable to find similar success in NASCAR’s top series. That all changed starting in 2017, when he brought home the win in the NASCAR All-Star Race, the first Cup Series win of his career at Charlotte, albeit a non-points event. But a little more than a year later, in 2018, Busch was able to bring home his first Cup Series points paying win at Charlotte as he led a whopping 377 laps of the Coca-Cola 600 en route to the crown jewel win.

56 Career Cup Series Wins: With his Cup Series win at Homestead in November, the 56th points-paying win of his career, Busch passed NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace for sole possession of ninth place on the all-time win list in NASCAR’s top series. Next up for Busch on the list is eighth-place Dale Earnhardt, who had 76 wins during his Hall of Fame career. With his 40th Cup Series victory at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in August 2017, Busch became the fourth-youngest driver to reach 40 Cup Series wins at 32 years, 109 days, behind only Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon and Herb Thomas.

All-Time JGR Wins Leader: With his Brickyard 400 win in July 2016, Busch passed Tony Stewart for most all-time Cup Series wins for JGR. Busch now has 52 wins for JGR to Stewart’s 33 following his most recent win at Homestead last year.

209 and Counting: Busch enters Monday night’s Xfinity Series race at Charlotte with 209 career wins among NASCAR’s top three divisions – Cup (56), Xfinity (96) and Truck (57) – following his Truck Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway back in February.

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.

No. 10 Smithfield Ford Racing: Aric Almirola Charlotte II Race Advance

by MikeMay 25, 2020

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (May 25, 2020) – Aric Almirola and the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) will head back to Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Wednesday night for its second of back-to-back races at the 1.5-mile oval.

Almirola and the No. 10 Smithfield Ford team endured a difficult evening at Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600. After starting in the rear from adjustments made on the car after slight contact with the wall in qualifying, the No. 10 team persevered and made its way back to the top-10 after 398 laps. On the final restart, Almirola was shuffled to the middle lane with no help and finished 16th. If it weren’t for the final caution, Almirola would have been the highest-finishing SHR driver and third-highest Ford driver.

As the Smithfield Ford team heads back to the 1.5-mile oval, it will take some things it learned from Sunday night’s race and apply it to Wednesday night’s 208-lap race, which is nearly half of the Coca Cola 600’s.

“Sunday was a long day,” Almirola said. “We battled loose-handling conditions, then neutral, then extremely tight conditions with those long runs and it made it so difficult to pass. We won’t have those same issues coming back here on Wednesday with the stage lengths being so much shorter, so that’s something that we’ll have to adapt to. It’s nearly half of Sunday’s race, so you’re going to see completely different strategies from teams.”

Almirola will again run a special red, white and blue patriotic paint scheme with Smithfield adorning the hood. Smithfield Foods Inc., who will sponsor Almirola’s car this weekend and at the majority of races this season, is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. Its 40,000 U.S. employees are dedicated to producing “Good food. Responsibly®,” and have made it one of the world’s leading vertically integrated protein companies.

Last weekend, Almirola ran the same patriotic paint scheme that featured United States Army SPC Seth Blevins, who paid the ultimate sacrifice in 2011 in Eastern Kunar Province, Afghanistan, when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.

“It was a big deal,” Almirola said. “I was honored to have him and his family on my car. We get to do whatever we want, whenever we want, because he paid the ultimate sacrifice.”

The 36-year-old Almirola has eight NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Charlotte and garnered one top-five finish, three top-10s and has completed 99.4 percent of all possible laps. He also has two Charlotte starts in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, which both resulted in top-10 finishes.

Almirola has three top-10s this season and sits 10th in the driver standings with 208 points – 83 behind first-place SHR teammate Kevin Harvick.

After a rollercoaster of difficulties and perseverance Sunday night, Almirola has a simple approach to his second Charlotte race in three days.

“We’ll regroup and get ’em on Wednesday night,” he said. “We did it in Darlington.”

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

Will there be takeaways from the Coke 600 to apply to a race with almost half the laps?

“Yes and no. We’re still racing at night, so that applies, but we won’t see those extremely long runs. The team and I have to take our notes from shorter runs similar to what we’ll see Wednesday night. It will be action-packed, and track position and perfection on pit road will be even more important because there won’t be many laps to catch up.”

What do you do to prepare yourself for four races in 11 days?

“I’ve done a lot of heat training and I stay extremely active on my bike at home. It’s something I have always seen as a boost to my career. I know I’m physically prepared when I get in that car and, at the end of the race, I feel hydrated and ready to go.”

No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang Team Report
Round 7 of 36 – Alsco Uniforms 500k – Charlotte Motor Speedway

Car No. 10: Smithfield Ford Mustang Team Report

At Track PR Contact: Dakota Hunter with True Speed Communication (Dakota.Hunter@TrueSpeedCommunication.com)

Primary Team:

Driver: Aric Almirola

Hometown: Tampa, Florida

Crew Chief: Mike Bugarewicz

Hometown: Lehighton, Pennsylvania

Car Chief: Jerry Cook

Hometown: Toledo, Ohio

Engine Builder: Roush Yates Racing

Headquarters: Mooresville, North Carolina

Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller

Hometown: Monroe, New York

Spotter: Joel Edmonds

Hometown: Dobson, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Crew:

Gas Man: James “Ace” Keener

Hometown: Fortuna, California

Front Tire Changer: Clay Robinson

Hometown: Simi Valley, Calif.

Tire Carrier: Tyler Bullard

Hometown: King, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Chris McMullen

Hometown: Canton, Michigan

Jackman: Corbin Martin

Hometown: Winston Salem, North Carolina

Notes of Interest:

● Almirola will make his 15th NASCAR Cup Series start at Charlotte Wednesday night to bring his total of career Cup Series starts to 324.

o The Smithfield driver is looking to capture his fourth top-10 finish of the season.

Almirola has one career Cup Series top-10 finish at Charlotte, along with one pole award – both earned in 2012.

● Career: Almirola has career totals of two wins, two poles, 18 top-five finishes, 64 top-10s and 543 laps led in 323 starts.

● The 35-year-old has eight NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Charlotte with one top-five finish, three top-10s and a lap-completion rate of 99.4 percent. Almirola also has two starts in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series at Charlotte, which both resulted in top-10 finishes.

● Points: Almirola sits 10th in the driver standings with 209 points – 83 behind leader Kevin Harvick.

● Last win: Almirola’s Oct. 14, 2018 win at Talladega was his most recent in the Cup Series.

● ‘Beyond the 10’ – Almirola is back with season two of his YouTube documentary series, where fans can get VIP, behind-the-scenes access by subscribing to his YouTube channel. Episodes showcase never-before-seen footage of Almirola at the racetrack, on iRacing, and “A Day in the Life” during the week, as well as all that goes into a NASCAR Cup Series driver’s season. Click here to subscribe on YouTube and watch the latest episode.

● Crew chief Mike Bugarewicz is in his fifth full-time season at SHR and his first with Almirola. To learn more click here.

Scag Power Equipment Signs Up for Additional Races with John Hunter Nemechek

by MikeMay 25, 2020

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 25, 2020) – Following a successful debut partnership on John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 38 Ford Mustang, Scag Power Equipment will return as the primary sponsor on the Front Row Motorsports (FRM) entry for the upcoming races at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway on May 27 and Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on May 31.

Based in Mayville, Wis., Scag Power Equipment has been producing premium, heavy-duty mowers for its commercial and residential customers since 1983. The lawn care mogul joined FRM for the-back-to-back NASCAR Cup Series races at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway that signaled the return of live sports just over a week ago.

“Our first foray into the NASCAR Cup Series was a huge success with Front Row Motorsports and John Hunter Nemechek,” said Chris Frame, President of Scag Power Equipment. “We couldn’t wait to get back into the action and we’re really excited to continue this partnership. This is a great opportunity for our our brand and all of Scag nation.”

“To have a partner join and then sign up for more races, especially in these uncertain times, speaks volumes about the opportunities in NASCAR as a platform and the value we can bring to our partners,” said Nemechek. “We had some really great speed in our first race with Scag Power Equipment, and I can’t wait to get back on the track to show them another great result.”

Scag Power Equipment’s innovation and attention to quality is known and respected throughout the power equipment industry. Mowers and accessories are designed to be user friendly, with an emphasis on quality, performance, ease of maintenance, profitability and long life.

The No. 38 Scag Power Equipment Ford Mustang will be ready to return to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday, May 27. The NASCAR Cup Series race will air nationally on FS1 at 8:00 p.m. ET. The following Sunday, May 31, the NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway will air on FS1 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

For more information about Scag Power Equipment, visit Scag.com.

About Scag Power Equipment

Scag Power Equipment, a division of Metalcraft of Mayville Inc., is one of the largest independent manufacturers of commercial lawn mowing equipment in the United States. Metalcraft of Mayville Inc., an ISO 9001:2008 Registered company, manufactures products in its three facilities, totaling over 850,000 square feet, located in Mayville, West Bend, and Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.

About Front Row Motorsports

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields two full-time entries – the No. 34 of Michael McDowell and the No. 38 of John Hunter Nemechek – from its Mooresville, N.C., headquarters just outside of Charlotte. In 2020, the team announced an expansion to include the No. 38 Ford F-150 in the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series, driven by Todd Gilliland. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.