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DiBenedetto Finishes 17th in the Coca-Cola 600

by MikeMay 25, 2020May 25, 2020

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 17^th 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 15^th 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 20^th 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 23^rd, 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 15^thplace.

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 11^th 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 18^that 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 11^th 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.

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – Coca Cola 600

by MikeMay 25, 2020

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway

Race: Coca-Cola 600

Date: May 24, 2020

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No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski

Start: 9th

Stage 1: 15th

Stage 2: 12th

Stage 3: 8th

Finish: 1st

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 405/405

Laps Led: 21

Point Standings (behind first): 5th (-56)

Notes:

Brad Keselowski held off Jimmie Johnson in a NASCAR overtime finish to win the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Keselowski scored his first career victory in NASCAR’s longest race. The win was his first of the 2020 season and the his second in his career at Charlotte. It represented his 31st victory in NASCAR Cup Series competition and his 30th triumph in NASCAR’s premier series for Team Penske. With the win, he jumps up to fifth-place in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings.
Keselowski qualified ninth for the race but unapproved adjustments to the Miller Lite Ford Mustang forced the former Cup Series champ to start at the rear of the 40-car field. He had moved up to 16th position when rain forced the cars to pit lane on lap 50 for a delay of just over an hour. When the event resumed, Keselowski has his hands full with the handling on the No. 2 Mustang, but he persevered and finished 16th when Stage 1 concluded on lap 100.
Stage 2 was much of the same for the No. 2 Miller Lite team. Keselowski ran inside the top 15 for most of the segment but worked his way up to 12th position when the stage ended on lap 200. He pitted for four tires during the caution on lap 204, and quick work by the No. 2 Crew moved Keselowski up to 10th position when the race went back to green on lap 208.
Keselowski ran inside the top-10 for nearly all of Stage 3. He took the lead for the first time during a cycle of green flag stops on lap 256. He held the top spot for seven laps before pitting under green on 263 for four tires and adjustments. Keselowski was 11th when the fifth caution slowed the pace of the field on lap 276 and he was running eighth when the stage ended on lap 300. The Miller Lite Mustang made a four-tire stop during the stage caution and restarted seventh when the final segment began on lap 307.
Adjustments by crew chief Jeremy Bullins and the No. 2 crew for the changing track conditions paid off in the final segment. Keselowski was up to fourth when the seventh caution flag was displayed on lap 349. Excellent work by the Miller Lite team moved Keselowski up to second place for the race restart on lap 353. He passed Jimmie Johnson for the lead one lap later, holding the top spot until Chase Elliott moved by Keselowski on lap 363.
Elliott appeared to be in command of the race until the final caution flag flew with two laps to go, setting up a NASCAR overtime finish. Elliott chose to pit on lap 401, while Keselowski stayed on the race track and reclaimed the lead. Keselowski cleared Jimmie Johnson to maintain the lead off Turn 2 moments after the race went green on lap 403 and he never looked back. The Team Penske driver scored his first Coca-Cola 600 victory by .293 seconds ahead of Johnson, who was later penalized after his car failed post-race tech inspection.

Quotes: “I’m so happy for my team. I wish my wife and my daughters were here. It’s the Coke 600 and this leaves only one major left for me, the Daytona 500, so we’re checking them off. I’m really happy for Miller Lite and Ford and everybody who just works their butt off at Team Penske. We might not have been the fastest car today, but, wow, did we grind this one out. The pit crew at the end – during the yellow right before the last one – had a blazing stop to get us up front and put us in position. All these things just came together and I’m tickled to death. It’s a little overwhelming to be honest.”

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No. 12 DEX Imaging Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney

Start: 26th

Stage 1: 12th

Stage 2: 9th

Stage 3: 3rd

Finish: 3rd

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 405/405

Laps Led: 0

Point Standings (Behind First): 7th (-79)

Ryan Blaney capped off a strong night with a third-place finish in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, driving the No. 12 DEX Imaging Ford Mustang. This was the High Point, NC native’s best finish in eight prior starts at the 1.5-mile oval as well as his first top-10 finish since the Daytona 500 in February.
Blaney started 26th and within the first 10 laps of the event, he worked his way into the top-20. After being blocked in on his first pit stop on lap 23, Blaney was running 26th before a rain delay halted the event for just over an hour. Once racing resumed the DEX Imaging Ford marched forward scoring a 12th-place finish in Stage 1.
Blaney began Stage 2 from the 11^th position. He eventually worked his way into the top-10 by lap 150. Blaney reported improvements in the car from Stage 1 but he needed a little more front turn. He brought the DEX Imaging Ford Mustang to pit road on lap 154 for routine service and an air pressure adjustment. Blaney maintained the ninth position when the stage came to its conclusion on lap 200.
After beginning Stage 3 in the eighth position, Blaney pitted for routine service and a wedge adjustment on lap 25. He drove in fifth position for most of the stage before stopping under caution on lap 277 for right-side tires. The move allowed him to bring home a third-place finish in Stage 2 and valuable stage points in the process.
Following a tough pit stop, Blaney restarted the final stage of NASCAR’s longest race from the 10th position. With the balance on the No. 12 Mustang going to the free side, Blaney raced his way to seventh by lap 360 and sixth by lap 390. A caution on lap 399 saw crew chief Todd Gordon keep Blaney on track for a green/white/checkered flag finish. He restarted fourth and make his way up to third before he was passed by Chase Elliott, racing with fresh tires, on the last lap as Blaney crossed the finish line in fourth place.
Blaney is now seventh in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings, 79 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.

Quote: “We started towards the back and gained a lot of spots in the beginning, but we got boxed in on the first stop and lost all those spots we gained. I thought we were in a good spot on the restart with 45 or 48 to go and somebody got loose on the bottom into three and we had to go all the way up to the wall to miss him in the middle of three and four. We lost a lot of spots right there and that really hurt us. That lost us all the track position we gained towards the end. We restarted sixth or maybe even eighth on the top and I thought we were going to roll, but that dropped us back to maybe 12th and we had to fight back from there. I thought our DEX Imaging Ford was competitive, probably not the best car out there, but a top-five car all night. It was a good call to stay out there at the end. We restarted fourth and gave us a chance. We would have come home with a decent day, but we passed a lot of cars and definitely had a long night working on it.”

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No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano

Start: 7th

Stage 1: 5th

Stage 2: 7th

Stage 3: 1st

Finish: 13th

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 400/400

Laps Led: 26

Point Standings (Behind First): 2nd (-23)

Notes:

Joey Logano started seventh Sunday night, won the third stage and ran inside the top-10 for the majority of the event before a late-race speeding penalty derailed the strong run. The pit-lane speed violation relegated the Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang to a 13th-place finish.
After starting seventh, Logano settled in for the opening 20 laps of the 600-mile race as he reported the Shell-Pennzoil Ford was a little tight handling and then went into a four-wheel slide. At the competition of the caution period, the No. 22 team elected to not make any changes to the air pressure and chassis, but they did add tape to the nose as the track was expected to take a swing to the tight side. Rain then brought a halt to the race for an extended period of time at lap 50.
At the end of the first stage, Logano reported his Ford Mustang was running just a touch free, but he didn’t want the team to make adjustments as he felt the car was really close to being balanced over the run to lap 100. The Shell-Pennzoil Ford remained free for the majority of the second stage, as Logano ultimately finished in the seventh position. Under the stage caution, crew chief Paul Wolfe called for a significant air pressure adjustment, looking to get the No. 22 Mustang ahead of the changing track conditions.
Midway through the third stage, Logano reported the Shell-Pennzoil Ford was a little free in clean air while being almost neutral in traffic. At lap 257, Wolfe elected to make a slight wedge adjustment to the car to prepare for the final stage. At lap 277, the team decided to remain on the track and cycle to the lead as many of the leaders pitted to take two tires for the 20-lap run to the end of the third stage. The gamble paid off as Logano cruised to the Stage 3 victory.
After winning the third stage, Logano restarted second as the No. 21 Ford gained position while electing to take two tires on its stop. On the restart, Logano avoided disaster when the Shell-Pennzoil Ford jumped sideways, and he was forced to rally back from the eighth position. Unfortunately, the No. 22 Ford Mustang took a swing to the loose side, with Logano dropping to the 10th position as the car ran as free as it had been all night long by lap 340.
A pit stop at lap 350 saw the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford penalized for speeding on pit road, which dropped Logano to the tail of the field for the final 48-lap shootout. Logano settled into 17th-place, battling an extremely tight-handling Ford Mustang. A late caution flag set up an overtime finish with the No. 22 Ford team choosing to pit for four tires and a major air pressure adjustment. Logano restarted the race 18th and rallied for a 13th-place finish in the two-lap shootout.

Quote: “The Shell-Pennzoil Ford was as fast as anybody when we had track position tonight. We fought loose at times and then got really tight at the end of the race. We pitted before the overtime finish and we were able to battle forward and finish 13th. We scored a fair amount of stage points and got the playoff point for the Stage 3 win, and those are really important once you get to the playoffs.”

No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/ Mobil Delvac 1 Ford Racing: Clint Bowyer Charlotte 600 Race Report

by MikeMay 25, 2020

Date: May 24, 2020

Event: Coca-Cola 600 (Round 7 of 36)

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)

Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 400-lap distance due to an overtime finish.

Start/Finish: 20th/40th (Running, completed 96 of 405 laps)

Point Standing: 15th with 171 points, 118 out of first

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):

● Clint Bowyer started 20th and finished 40th.

● The No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil Delvac 1 Ford Mustang reported a lack of rear grip to begin the race.

● Bowyer restarted the race in 14th after the competition caution at lap 25.

● Bowyer moved to 11th by lap 50 when rain stopped the race for a little more than an hour.

● The Ford driver restarted the race in 12th on lap 57.

● Bowyer’s race came to an end on lap 97 when a mechanical issue at the front of the car sent him hard into the turn one wall while racing in 11th.

● Bowyer gingerly climbed from the car before visiting the care center where he was evaluated and released.

● The No. 14 suffered too much damage to continue racing.

Notes:

● Sunday marked Bowyer’s first DNF (Did Not Finish) this season and only his second in 27 career NASCAR Cup Series starts on Charlotte’s oval

● 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 Joe Logano.

Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil Delvac 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“It knocked the wind out of me there. I mean, we’re 100 laps into a 400-lap race and to be out already, you talk about a helpless feeling. The guys worked really hard on the Rush Truck Centers/Mobil Delvac 1 Ford, but it just wasn’t meant to be. We’ll get ready for next Wednesday and we’ll be back at it. I’m going to go somewhere and take this thing (mask) off and find somewhere where I can find a cold beer. I’m out of here.”

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.

John Hunter Nemechek Post Race Report: Charlotte

by MikeMay 25, 2020

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway, 1.5 Mile Oval

Race: 7 of 38

Event: Coca-Cola 600 (600 miles, 400 laps)

John Hunter Nemechek

No. 38 YANMAR Ford Mustang

Started: 25th

Finished: 17th

Stage One: 24th
Stage Two: 20th
Stage Three: 17th
Stage Four: 17th

Driving in memory of Staff Sergeant Nicholas Carnes, John Hunter Nemechek started Sunday’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the 25th position. Nemechek reported difficulty finding a comfortable balance in his No. 38 YANMAR Ford Mustang early on and the crew made a wedge adjustment and added some grille tape during the competition caution on Lap 20. Mother Nature forced the race to come to a pause after almost 50 laps and engines refired a little over an hour later. Nemechek continued to struggle with the car’s handling for the remainder of Stage 1 and would finish P24.

Throughout the second stage, Nemechek continued to struggle with the handling of his No. 38 YANMAR machine. He reported his biggest issue being tight in traffic. Nemechek opted not to pit under the Stage 2 caution in order to regain a lap he had lost earlier in the stage. He took the green- and white-checkered flag in 20th position.

Optimistic at the start of the third stage, Nemechek said the previous run had been his best of the night thus far. Running low on fuel, Nemechek would pit on Lap 235 under green, putting him two laps behind the leader. He was able to regain a lap once green flag pit stops cycled through and made his way back inside the top 20 towards the end of the stage. The car was still tight in traffic and Nemechek finished the stage in 17th.

To start the final stage, Nemechek pitted for tires, fuel, a wedge adjustment and grille tape in hopes of loosening up his YANMAR Ford Mustang. The team called him back to pit road to correct an adjustment, and he would restart in 20th position. Despite the car continuing to be tight in traffic, Nemechek managed to stay inside the top 20 for much of the final stage. He would finish the race in 17th position.

Nemechek on Charlotte:

“It was kind of an up and down day, but overall, we had a good run in our No. 38 YANMAR Ford Mustang. We started off the night pretty free. Once we refired after the rain delay, we had a pretty tight racecar for most of the night. Seth [Barbour] and the crew kept trying different adjustments to get our handling better and we managed to run in the top 20 for most of the last stage. We never gave up and got some good notes to come back on Wednesday. Thanks to our partners at YANMAR for coming on board with us this weekend and thank you especially to all the men and women who serve our country. It’s an amazing privilege to have the freedom to race because of their sacrifices.”

Michael McDowell Post Race Report: Charlotte

by MikeMay 25, 2020

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.”

Christian Eckes – No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra Gander Trucks Charlotte Preview

by MikeMay 22, 2020

NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Overview:

Event: N.C. Education Lottery 200, Race 3 of 23, 134 Laps – 30/30/74; 201 Miles

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

Date/Broadcast: May 26, 2020 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

What You Need to Know:

Nineteen-year-old Christian Eckes will make his first NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway driving the No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) in Tuesday night’s N.C. Education Lottery 200. While he has no prior Gander Trucks experience at Charlotte, Eckes started fifth and finished seventh in last year’s ARCA Menards Series event at the 1.5-mile quad-oval.

Eckes has proven to be fast in the first two events of the 2020 season, but accidents in the final stage at both Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway have relegated him to an average finish of 22.5. While the first two events haven’t ended the way Eckes would like, the talented teenager has posted an average finish of 5.0 across the opening two stages of the first two events, including runner-up finishes to KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch in the first two stages at Las Vegas.

As part of being able to collect stage points in three of the six stages of the opening two events, Eckes currently sits eighth in the Gander Trucks driver point standings despite not having strong finishes. He currently sits second in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings, two points behind Zane Smith.

Across 14 career Gander Trucks starts, the New York native has produced three poles, three top-five and seven top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 13.1. Eckes earned a career-best third-place finish twice last season, at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway in Sept. and again at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway in Nov., where he clinched KBM’s record-extending seventh owner’s championship.

The talented teenager captured the 2019 ARCA Menards Series championship after recording four wins, two poles, 400 laps led, 13 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes, resulting in an average finish of 4.8 across 19 starts. Across 46 career ARCA Menards Series starts overall, Eckes has collected seven wins, four poles, 1094 laps led, 23 top-five and 35 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 6.9.

Eckes is paired with champion crew chief Ryan “Rudy” Fugle. Fugle has guided his team to five owner’s championships (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019) as a crew chief at KBM, including combined owner’s/driver’s championships with Erik Jones in 2015 and Christopher Bell in 2017. The New York native’s drivers have combined for 28 wins, 24 poles, 71 top-five and 107 top-10 finishes across his 138 races calling the shots for the organization.

Fugle’s drivers have two wins, one pole, four top-five and six top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 5.4 at Charlotte. Owner-driver Kyle Busch led a race-high 102 laps en route to victory in last year’s event and was also victorious with Fugle calling the shots in 2013. The 2013 victory was Fugle’s first of 28 career victories as a Gander Trucks crew chief.

Safelite AutoGlass, the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair and replacement services, will adorn the hood of Eckes’ No. 18 Tundra for all 23 events on NASCAR Gander RV& Outdoors schedule in 2020.

Christian Eckes, Driver Q&A

Christian Eckes Charlotte Q&A

Are you preparing Charlotte any differently knowing that there will be no practice and no qualifying?

“Honestly not too much. Most of these races that we go to in the Truck Series I haven’t been to in a truck, so I’m always preparing to be better and get ready for that race track. We’ve done a lot of time in the simulator now that it’s opened back up. I think we’ve done a good job with that and that we should be prepared when we unload at Charlotte.”

What have you done to stay busy since the last NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race?

“It’s definitely been different, but luckily we’ve had a lot of race preparation. Me and Rudy (Fugle, crew chief), have been on zoom conference calls pretty much every week. We’ve done a great job of getting ahead and kind of preparing for whatever comes next. I’d definitely say we are prepared. That’s what I’ve done over this little break.”

Will it be different racing without fans? Once you get in your truck, do you notice the fans?

“It will definitely be different without fans. Our Safelite supporters that come out mean a lot to me and in the meantime not having them there it’s definitely going to be different. The great fans throughout auto racing that come to the race track – it’s going to be different. I’ve kind of grown up racing and always having fans in the stands. It’s definitely different for sure, but hopefully we put on a good show for the fans watching on the couch instead of at the race track.”

Christian Eckes Career Highlights:

Across 14 career Truck Series starts has produced three poles, three top-five and seven top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 13.1. Earned a career-best third-place finish twice last season, at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway in Sept. and again at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway in Nov., where he clinched KBM’s record-extending seventh owner’s championship.
Captured the 2019 ARCA Menards Series championship after recording four wins, two poles, 400 laps led, 13 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes, resulting in an average finish of 4.8 across 19 starts. Has seven career ARCA Racing Series victories across 46 starts to go along with four poles, 1094 laps led, 23 top-five and 35 top-10 finishes.
Eckes put his name on the motorsports map when he won the prestigious Snowball Derby Super Late Model race in 2016 at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla. The then 15-year-old battled side-by-side with John Hunter Nemechek for the final two laps before narrowly edging him to the finish line.

Christian Eckes’ No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra:

KBM-58: The Safelite AutoGlass team will unload KBM-58 for Tuesday’s N.C. Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte. The Tundra has five previous starts, including a win with owner-driver Kyle Busch last May at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Eckes led 10 laps and finished second in both stages of this year’s Las Vegas event before being forced into the wall early in the third stage and limping home to a 23^rd-place finish.

KBM-58 Performance Profile:

Starts	Wins	Average Start	Average Finish	Laps Led
5	1	6.6	6.6	152

KBM Notes of Interest:

Across 27 starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, KBM drivers have earned six wins, three poles, six top-five and 12 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 8.6 and an average finish of 8.8.
Owner-driver Kyle Busch has collected all six of his organization’s wins (2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018).
KBM holds the NGROTS records for most career wins (76) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers; Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
The No. 18, the number which was on the first Tundra that went to victory lane for KBM in 2010, has 21 career victories.

No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra 2020 Box Score:

Date	Site	Driver	Start	Finish	Laps	Laps Led	Status	Driver Pts. /Pos.
14-Feb	Daytona	Eckes	3	22	106/107	0	Running	23/16th
21-Feb	Las Vegas	Eckes	4	23	130/134	10	Running	55/8th
25-May	Charlotte	Eckes
6-June	Atlanta	Eckes
13-June	Homestead	Eckes

Harrison Burton/ No. 20 DEX Imaging Toyota Supra Preview-Alsco 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

by MikeMay 22, 2020

No. 20 DEX Imaging Toyota Supra News and Notes:

Racing at Home: Harrison Burton and the NASCAR Xfinity Series return to the track on Monday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) for the Alsco 300 and race number six of the 2020 season. While Monday will be Burton’s first-career Xfinity Series start at 1.5-mile oval, the young rookie has one start under his belt in the Gander Outdoor Truck Series at CMS. In his lone start, Burton started fourth and went on to finish 11^th in his Toyota Tundra.
Darlington Recap: After a nearly two-month layoff due to COVID-19 Pandemic, the NASCAR Xfinity Series returned to the track on Thursday afternoon for the Toyota 200. After starting 12^th based on a random draw, Burton worked his way inside the top 10 by the second stage and continued to battle the racetrack all afternoon. After 147 laps were complete, Burton finished ninth and collected his fifth top-10 finish in as many races to start the 2020 season.
Points Update: Heading into Charlotte on Monday night, Burton currently sits second the Xfinity Series Driver Championship points standings, just 19 points back of the leader. Burton also heads to Charlotte with a commanding 76-point lead in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings.
JGR at Charlotte: In combined 96 Xfinity Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, JGR has earned eight wins, 37 top-five finishes, 56 top-10s and six pole starting positions. The team has led 18,457 laps, with an average start of 10.6 and an average finish of 12.1.
DEX IMAGING: DEX Imaging returns as a full-time sponsor of Burton and the No. 20 team this season. DEX Imaging is the digital document imaging division of Staples, the world’s largest business solutions provider. DEX sells and services the broadest selection of copiers, printers and data management solutions in the industry, such as Konica Minolta, Canon, Kyocera and HP. What makes DEX unique is its people, whose combined knowledge of cutting-edge business technologies and depth of service experience is unmatched. DEX Imaging’s success is directly tied to its mission: to help customers of all sizes drive down document-related expenses while improving productivity.
RACE INFO: The Alsco 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway is scheduled for Monday, May 25^th, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Watch and listen live on FoxSports 1, Sirius XM Channel 90 and MRN Radio.

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

Starts

Wins

Top 5

Top 10

Poles

Laps Led

Avg. Start

Avg. Finish

–

Burton’s 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:

Starts		Wins		Top 5		Top 10		Poles		Laps Led		Avg. Start		Avg. Finish
5		1		4		5		0		49		5.6		3.8

Burton’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:

Starts		Wins		Top 5		Top 10		Poles		Laps Led		Avg. Start		Avg. Finish
14		1		5		10		0		49		7.9		12.1

From the Cockpit:

Harrison Burton:

Does your run at Darlington give you momentum heading into Charlotte?

“Yeah, definitely. My confidence level heading into Charlotte is really good, before and after this. That is the good thing about our team. Our confidence is not based off of one week or another. We know that we have good people, and we feel like we can win if we all do our jobs. We were definitely operating under some strange circumstances. It was definitely weird not having the fans there (at Darlington). You obviously cannot tell when you are driving, but before and after the race the energy is not the same. It’s a little bit tougher to get focused in. Glad to have gotten a race under my belt, because now I feel like I can come back here and really fire off good. I’ll be confident we can go out and contend for a win. Just needed that time to learn, and now that we have it should be good.”

About DEX IMAGING:

DEX Imaging is the digital document imaging division of Staples, the world’s largest business solutions provider. DEX sells and services the broadest selection of copiers, printers and data management solutions in the industry, such as Konica Minolta, Canon, Kyocera and HP. What makes DEX unique is its people, whose combined knowledge of cutting-edge business technologies and depth of service experience is unmatched. DEX Imaging’s success is directly tied to its mission: to help customers of all sizes drive down document-related expenses while improving productivity.

Raphael Lessard – No. 4 CANAC Tundra Gander Trucks Atlanta Advance

by MikeMay 22, 2020

NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Overview

Event: N.C. Education Lottery 200, Race 3 of 23, 134 Laps – 30/30/74; 201 miles

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

Date/Broadcast: May 26, 2020, at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Racing with Raphael

As the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series resumes action, Raphael Lessard will debut a new primary sponsor, Canac, a Quebec-based group specializing in the distribution and retail sale of building products and hardware. Lessard, a 19-year-old Canadian driver, has one career start on a 1.5-mile oval, earlier this season at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway. There he started eighth but finished 30th after a late-race incident. He is in his first full-time season in the Gander Trucks and is competing for Rookie of the Year honors with veteran crew chief Mike Hillman Jr.

So far in 2020, Lessard has two starts, with an average starting position of 8.0 and an average running position of 12.8, but due to bad luck near the end of both races has been relegated to an average finish of 25.0 despite running well. He is currently ranked 18th in the Gander Trucks driver points standings and fifth in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings.

Lessard made five Gander Trucks starts in 2019, three of those with Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM). Across his five starts he posted two top-10 finishes while recording an average starting position of 10.4 and average finish of 11.1.Lessard’s strongest run came in his final start of the season when he was running inside the top five with under 30 laps remaining before getting spun and relegated to a 12th-place finish. While Lessard may be a newcomer to the Gander Trucks, Hillman Jr. has plenty of experience. The veteran crew chief has 302 Gander Truck Series starts under his belt, with 22 wins, 115 top-five and 170 top-10 finishes with drivers including Todd Bodine, Jeb Burton, Kyle Busch and last season, Harrison Burton. At Charlotte Motor Speedway, Hillman has 13 Gander Trucks starts and his drivers have earned one pole, four top-five and four top-10 finishes, with an average start of 10.5 and an average finish of 13.7. His best result was a runner-up finish twice; in 2010 with Bodine and in 2018 with KBM owner-driver Busch.

Due to Lessard’s presence in the series, all 23 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Series races this season will be broadcast throughout Canada on RDS and RDS DIRECT.

CANAC is the first independent hardware and building materials store chain to open in Quebec City. Its expertise of over 145 years of experience allows CANAC to perpetuate the spirit of the hardware stores of yesteryear in a modern environment, with qualified personnel trained by its continuing education centre accredited by Emploi-Québec. CANAC serves both individual customers and contractors and offers aggressive prices that defy all competition. Since its acquisition by Groupe Laberge in 1985, the company’s expansion has focused on opening new modern hardware stores and on renovating existing branches to better adapt them to the needs and expectations of consumers. Today, CANAC has 30 branches and employs more than 3,400 part-time and full-time workers.

Raphael Lessard, Driver Q&A

Raphael Lessard Charlotte Q&A

What have you done to stay busy since the last NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race?

“During these crazy times I just worked out as much as I could to be ready for the season and I also watched a lot of film –studied some videos of races in the past. Also, I played some iRacing — iRacing helped a lot, I think it’s the best tool we can use right now. Also, the Toyota Racing Development (TRD) sim once it opened up. I just spent a lot of time there — they have an awesome simulator and I think it is going to help me a lot for the Charlotte race.”

Are you preparing Charlotte any differently knowing that there will be no practice and no qualifying?

“I haven’t been prepping any different. It’s another new race track and another race that I’ve been studying a lot. I’ve just been watching film and asking questions. I have one of the best crew chiefs in the series, Mike Hillman Jr., he’s got a lot of experience, so I’m sure he’s going to bring me a really good CANAC Toyota Tundra for the race. It’s going to be on me, getting used to the race track and the line. I’m going to be able to pace myself to the guys around me for the first few laps and they were are going to tray and just go for it after that. I’m sure we are going to be really fast.”

Will it be different racing without fans? Once you get in your truck, do you notice the fans?

“Not having the fans in the stands is going to be very weird. The atmosphere is going to be different and the place is going to feel empty. Once we get in our trucks, we don’t really see the fans because we are so focused on what we are doing on the race track and trying to win the race. I would say normally we see them during the cautions, for sure. What’s going to feel weird is not having my family with me. I moved down to North Carolina at the beginning of the year, full time, and my parents I see them at every race usually, but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen them and they won’t be at Charlotte. It’s going to feel a little bit weird, but it’s the same for everyone. I’m looking forward to the opportunity of having CANAC onboard with us for the first time as a primary sponsor. The truck is beautiful and I think we are going to have a very good day at Charlotte.”

Raphael Lessard Career Highlights

Across seven career Truck Series starts, he has produced two top-10 finishes and an average finish of 15.1.
In 2019, Lessard posted 83 laps led, two top-five and three top-10 finishes across three ARCA Menards Series starts and one win, one top-five and two top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series. His Pinty’s Series victory came at his hometown track, Autodrome Chaudiere in Vallee-Jonction, Quebec, on June 29 when he led a race-high 153 laps en route to the sentimental win.
Won two marquee events driving KBM’s famed No. 51 Super Late Model in 2018; the Short Track U.S. Nationals at Bristol Motor Speedway in May and the Red Bud 400 ARCA/CRA Super Series race at Anderson Speedway in July.
Overall in 16 starts for KBM in 2018 split across the CARS Super Late Model Tour, the Southern Super Series and the ARCA/CRA Super Series, posted two wins, three poles, seven top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in 2018.
Started seventh and led 68 laps in the prestigious Snowball Derby at 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., in 2018
Captured the 2016 CARS Super Late Model Tour championship after recording four wins, one pole, 157 laps led, eight top-five and nine top-10 finishes across 10 races.

Raphael Lessard’s No. 4 CANAC Tundra:

KBM-066: The No. 4 CANACteam will unload chassis number KBM-066, a brand new Tundra.

KBM Notes of Interest

Across 27 starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, KBM drivers have earned six wins, three poles, six top-five and 12 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 8.6 and an average finish of 8.8.
KBM holds the NGROTS records for most career wins (76) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers; Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).

Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 4 Toyota Tundra 2020 NGOTS Box Score:

Date	Site	Driver	Start	Finish	Laps	Laps Led	Status	Driver Pts./Pos.
2/14	Daytona	Raphael Lessard	8	20	105/106	0	Running	24/14^th
2/21	Las Vegas	Raphael Lessard	8	30	90/134	0	Accident	39/18^th
5/26	Charlotte	Raphael Lessard
6/6	Atlanta	Raphael Lessard
6/13	Homestead-Miami	Raphael Lessard

No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang: Cole Custer Coca-Cola 600 Race Advance

by MikeMay 22, 2020

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (May 22, 2020) – This Sunday, Cole Custer and the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) makes the short trek to Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway for Sunday’s 61st running of the iconic Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Cup Series race. Custer’s Mustang will once again highlight SHR co-owner 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 will be sold exclusively online at HaasTooling.com and shipped directly to end users.

While racing has returned, SHR’s contribution to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t stopped. The race shop is serving dual purposes – race team and medical device manufacturer. SHR has partnered with healthcare provider Novant Health to produce intensive care unit mobile webcam carts. The carts allow a medical professional to monitor a patient electronically, ultimately limiting the professional’s possible exposure to COVID-19. Additionally, SHR helped transport and deliver 2 million facemasks to replenish Novant’s supplies during the pandemic.
In the first two Cup Series events since the onset of the pandemic, both at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Custer finished 22nd last Sunday and 31st Wednesday night. Sunday’s race was his first in the Cup Series at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval.
Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 is NASCAR’s longest event of the season, requiring the drivers, crew members and cars to be in excellent shape to go the extra distance. Most NASCAR races are 400 or 500 miles. Even though the Coca-Cola 600 is a grueling race, Custer’s goal is a solid finish. “We need to build consistency in these races and work up from there,” he said. “We’re definitely making gains with this package. It’s just figuring out how to improve every race.”
The traditional Memorial Day weekend event is bringing some normalcy during the COVID-19 outbreak. NASCAR is a longtime supporter of the United States military, and this weekend will be no different. For the past several years during the spring holiday weekend, NASCAR has worked

with the families of fallen soldiers to be recognized on each Cup Series racecar. Custer’s No. 41 Mustang will carry the name of Dillon Baldridge, who was an Army sergeant based in Fort

Campbell, Kentucky, and was part of 1-187 Rakassans, 101st Airborne Division. The 22-year-old was killed in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, when an Afghan soldier opened fire in an apparent inside attack. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. Baldridge, a native of Youngsville, North Carolina, died on June 10, 2017.
“It’s definitely really cool how we honor the fallen military members on our cars,” Custer said. “NASCAR has always done a really good job saluting the military and everything they’ve done for our country to keep us safe. We wouldn’t be here without the military. Especially during these times, you really appreciate the people who risk their lives for us. I think it’s really cool that we do this and hopefully we can give them a good run.”
While Sunday marks Custer’s first Cup Series start on Charlotte’s 1.5-mile oval, the Ford driver has a good track record there in the Xfinity Series. Even though he hasn’t visited victory lane there, he’s finished inside the top-10 in all seven starts, the only exception being in May 2019.
The California native has one Charlotte appearance in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck series, starting 16th and finishing 13th in 2016.
SHR has 62 Cup Series starts at Charlotte with one victory earned by No. 4 Ford driver Kevin Harvick in 2014. In total, the Kannapolis-based team has seven top-fives, 22 top-10s, and five pole awards there.
Haas Automation, founded in 1983 by 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 top 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.

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

One of the biggest differences from the Xfinity Series to the Cup Series is the length of the races. Sunday’s Coke 600 is the longest of the season, how are you physically and mentally preparing for the lengthy race?
“The 600 is definitely a lot longer than what we’ve done in the Xfinity cars and it’s definitely the longest race I’ve ever run. I think the biggest thing is staying hydrated and making sure you’re loose before the race and not sore. Just try and relax, especially in the first part of the race. At halfway you just need to try and settle in and get some laps done. The thing about it is you can’t really relax too much because you have to fight for the stage points, and fight for track position as much as you can. You have to stay hydrated. I guess I’ll probably need a snack in there somewhere, too, but it’s definitely going to be the longest, most grueling race that I’ve run.”
You’ve had two races since we’ve been back, including a rain delay. Do you feel like you’re starting to get into some sort of routine – on and off the track with competition meetings, etc.?
“I feel like we are getting in more of a routine. It seems like we were all kind of new at the start and didn’t know what to expect. Then, as it’s all kind of come together, we’ve been able to calm down and get in a rhythm. Now, I think it’s just trying to perfect things and get in a better rhythm. We’re trying to figure out how we can excel at every single part of the weekend. We’re just going to keep working at it and get better every race.”
Your Xfinity Series track record at Charlotte is pretty strong – all top-10 finishes with the exception of your oval finish last year. Why do you think you’ve excelled on both courses at Charlotte?
“Charlotte has always been a good track for me. I’ve always run pretty good there. It’s definitely one of the most difficult mile-and-a-half tracks that we go to because it’s so edgy. It’s starting to get bumpy and you have to move around a little bit. It’s definitely a challenging mile-and-a-half to race on. It’s worked out for me and been good to me in the past. It’s just a matter of trying to figure out how you can work traffic in these cars and work your way to the front.”

No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Team Report
Race 7 of 36 – Coca-Cola 600 – Charlotte

Car No. 41: 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 Notes of Interest:

Cole Custer will make his first Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway NASCAR Cup Series start Sunday, bringing his total career Cup Series starts to 10.
The California native finished 22nd and 31st at the Darlington (S.C.) Raceway events last Sunday and Wednesday night, respectively, while piloting the HaasTooling.com Mustang.
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.

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

by MikeMay 22, 2020

No. 95 Rheem Toyota Camry News and Notes:

600 Miles at Charlotte: Christopher Bell, a rookie contender in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS), will make his first Cup start at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) in the Coca-Cola 600, the longest race of the season for the series. The 600 miles that make up the Coca-Cola 600 is a challenge for all drivers, but Bell knows his way around the 1.5-mile track at CMS.
Bell at Charlotte: Bell has three NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) starts at CMS earning two top-five and two top-10 finishes. Last year at CMS Bell dominated early in the race, earning the pole position and leading 33 of 45 laps in the opening stage before a flat tire ended his day early in stage two.
NASCAR Salutes: Christopher Bell will carry the name of Sergeant Jerry L Ganey Jr. on the windshield header of his No. 95 Rheem Toyota Camry this Sunday for the Coca-Cola 600 in honor of Memorial Day weekend as a part of NASCAR Salutes. Ganey Jr. was assigned to the 648th Engineer Battalion, 48th Infantry Brigade, Georgia Army National Guard, Statesboro, GA, and was killed Aug. 3, 2005 when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near his armored personnel carrier as he was conducting a dismounted security patrol in Baghdad.
Darlington Recap: Christopher Bell started 24^th for the Wednesday night race at Darlington Raceway and went on to earn his best finish of the season. The No. 95 team steadily made adjustments on Bell’s Toyota all night and Bell was sitting just outside the top 10 when the rains came, and the race was called. Bell finished 11^th, his best finish through six races this season.
RACE INFO: The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway begins at 6:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 24, 2020. The race will be broadcast live on FOX, Sirius XM 90, and PRN Radio.

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

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

Bell’s 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats:

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

Bell’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
74	16	41	46	12	2920	6.4	10.2

From the Cockpit:

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

About Rheem

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

*All are Trademarks of Rheem Manufacturing Company.

About Leavine Family Racing

Leavine Family Racing is an organization competing in the NASCAR Cup Series focused on growing competitively and providing results-driven partnerships for its sponsors. The single-car team was founded in 2011 by Bob and Sharon Leavine, two individuals who are passionate about NASCAR and started the team to make a positive impact on the sport and community. Christopher Bell will pilot the No. 95 Toyota Camry for the team starting with the 2020 season. In alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota Racing Development, the team operates out of their Concord, N.C.-based race shop with a veteran group of racing personnel driven by their desire for progress. For more information, please visit www.LFR95.com.