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Chase Briscoe: Darlington NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance No. 98 HighPoint.com/Ford Performamce Racing School Ford Mustang

by MikeMay 19, 2020

NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview

Event: Darlington 200 (Round 5 of 33)
Date: May 19, 2020
Location: Darlington Raceway
Layout: 1.366-mile oval

Chase Briscoe Notes of Interest

• The Darlington 200 is the fifth event of the 33-race NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule. It will mark the first event for the Xfinity Series since racing went on hiatus following the March 7 LS Tractor 200 at Phoenix Raceway.

• Racing was forced into hibernation by the COVID-19 pandemic, but Briscoe made sure he stayed sharp. The 25-year-old from Mitchell, Indiana, competed in numerous iRacing events on both asphalt and dirt track tracks, and when he wasn’t in his sim rig, Briscoe was mastering the art of hibachi-style cooking and knocking out home-improvement projects while keeping up with his two French bulldogs, Ricky and Callie.

• Briscoe comes into Darlington second in the championship standings, just three points behind series leader Harrison Burton. Briscoe has three top-10 finishes this season, highlighted by a win Feb. 23 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

• Briscoe has just one NASCAR start at Darlington. It came in last year’s Xfinity Series race when Briscoe started fifth and finished sixth in the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200.

• Briscoe won the 2019 rookie-of-the-year title in the Xfinity Series and is racing for a championship in 2020. He is a three-time winner in the Xfinity Series and the 2016 ARCA Racing Series champion. Briscoe finished fifth in the Xfinity Series championship standings last year, narrowly missing out on advancing to the Championship 4 and competing for the series title.

• Briscoe shed his rookie stripe upon the conclusion of last season, but he and wife Marissa will soon be rookies together as they are expecting their first child in December following their first-year wedding anniversary.

• Briscoe can look to his crew chief, Richard Boswell, for veteran leadership when it comes to parenting. Boswell and wife Ashley welcomed their fourth child in March. Warner joins sisters Elizabeth, Grace and Juliette.

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 98 HighPoint.com/Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang

Were you able to learn anything from watching Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race that will help for when you take the green flag on Tuesday?

“I felt like I learned a little, but I think I’ll learn the most after talking to the Cup guys. Track conditions will likely be a little different for us with our race starting later. The more information we can get for our HighPoint.com/Ford Performance Racing School Mustang, the better since we’re running what we unload. It looked like each of the Stewart-Haas Racing cars was strong at some point in the race, with Kevin Harvick being the strongest at the end, so I think we can get some good feedback from our teammates.”

You spent a lot of time iRacing during the sport’s hiatus. While it’s not the same thing as real racing, do you feel like it kept your mind and reflexes sharp?

“Doing any type of racing keeps you sharp and in the right state of mind, and iRacing is, for sure, a part of that. There’s so much similarity between how you drive a track on iRacing and in real life. If you lose your focus for a second, that could mean a mistake that costs you or someone else a good finish, and I think we saw a lot of that in some of the Saturday Night Thunder races.”

How difficult is it to race at Darlington, even when you have plenty of track time beforehand?

“What makes it tough is it’s just so different from every track we go to. The groove, the surface and the shape are unlike any on the schedule, and it’s so narrow. You’ve got to take care of your tires or you aren’t going to be able to make any moves for position and move around on the racetrack to find speed. Under the lights at Darlington is going to be different, for sure. It’s easy to make mistakes – we saw that on Sunday – so patience is going to be the most important thing. I’m ready to be back in the HighPoint.com/Ford Performance Racing School Mustang and I’m ready for the challenge of Darlington.”

Chase Briscoe Darlington Performance Profile

No. 98 HighPoint.com/Ford Performance Racing School Team Roster

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Chase Briscoe

Hometown: Mitchell, Indiana

Crew Chief: Richard Boswell

Hometown: Friendship, Maryland

Car Chief: Nick Hutchins

Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina

Engine Tuner: Craig Hermann

Hometown: Albany, New York

Spotter: Tim Fedewa

Hometown: Holt, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Crew:

Front Tire Changer: Ryan Mulder

Hometown: Sioux Center, Iowa

Rear Tire Changer: Chris Jackson

Hometown: Fort Mill, South Carolina

Tire Carrier: Jon Bernal

Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Fueler: Andrew Migliozzi

Hometown: Westborough, Massachusetts

Jackman: Sean Cotten

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

About HighPoint

HighPoint is a leading IT infrastructure and solutions company. With its customer-centric, results-driven approach to digital transformation, you get technology that works, delivered by people you want to work with. HighPoint builds lasting relationships with clients, employees and partners based on honesty, integrity, trust and a mutual commitment to growth and success. The company, founded in 1996, is a minority-owned business headquartered in Sparta, New Jersey, serving markets in the tri-state region and southeastern United States, with a presence in Charlotte, North Carolina, and overseas in London. To contact us or learn more about our solutions, please visit www.HighPoint.com.

About Ford Performance Racing School

The Ford Performance Racing School is based in Tooele, Utah, approximately 30 minutes southwest of Salt Lake City, and has operations in Tooele and Concord, North Carolina. Along with high-performance driving instruction, the school conducts tire-training courses for BFGoodrich and Michelin, as well as product-focused experiential driving programs for owners of Ford Performance vehicles at no charge. Ford Performance Racing School is the only school to wear the Ford oval. For more information, please visit us online at www.FordPerformanceRacingSchool.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/FordPerformanceRacingSchool, on Twitter at @FPRacingSchool, on Instagram at @FordPerformanceRacingSchool and on YouTube.

KYLE BUSCH M&M’S Fudge Brownie Debut

by MikeMay 19, 2020

HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (May 18, 2020) – Following a 10 week-hiatus, the NASCAR Cup Series completed a successful return Sunday at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway as a national television audience on FOX witnessed one of the first major sporting events since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Fudge Brownie Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), his up-and-down race on Sunday was more successful than indicated by his final finishing position of 26th place. The day was filled with adversity from the very beginning, as Busch was forced to start at the rear of the field because of prerace inspection issues.

But one thing fans have witnessed over the last several years is the defending Cup Series champion and his team don’t back down from adversity, and Sunday was no different for Busch and the M&M’S team. Just 93 laps into Sunday’s 400-mile race, Busch made his way into the top-10 for the first time. But it was not smooth sailing from there as adversity struck again on lap 143, with Busch hitting the outside wall, causing damage to the right side of his M&M’S Toyota. However, a caution gave Busch and his team time to repair his car. Again, Busch worked his way back up through the field from 29th inside the top-10 by lap 247. Just as it looked like Busch would salvage at least a top-10 finish, he was forced to come to pit road under green with 29 laps remaining, resulting in a disappointing finish.

The good news for Busch is a rare second chance at the same track in less than a weeks time as the Cup Series returns to Darlington for the Toyota 500k on Wednesday night. Not only does Busch and his No. 18 get another shot at a Darlington win, they will be doing it with the colors of the new M&M’S Fudge Brownie product. The sharp, new look highlights the newest permanent addition to the M&M’S lineup. M&M’S Fudge Brownie are in stores now and feature the fresh-out-the-oven brownie taste without the hassle of baking.

In addition to competing in Wednesday’s Cup Series Toyota 500k, Busch is also scheduled to compete in Tuesday night’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington. Like he did on his Cup Series car Sunday, Busch will again sport the M&M’S Thank You Heroes scheme on his No. 54 Toyota Supra. The race is Busch’s second of five Xfinity Series starts scheduled for 2020, with Tuesday’s Darlington race replacing the Chicagoland Speedway stop on the tour that was previously scheduled for June.

So, while “The Lady in Black” didn’t treat Busch well the first time around in 2020, he and the M&M’S Fudge Brownie team get another shot at the track “Too Tough to Tame” on Wednesday night. The No. 18 team will no doubt regroup and have a shot at victory lane with some new colors on board.

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

What are you able to take to Wednesday night’s Cup Series race from Sunday’s race at Darlington?

“Going back and trying to figure out what we need to do to get better. We’ve got problems unloading off the hauler and being good. It takes a lot of work between Adam (Stevens, crew chief) and myself and the engineers to get the car tuned in and dialed into the racetracks. We fought the same thing last year at Indy. We ran terrible last year at Indy with no practice, and it’s a race we had won twice in a row in previous years. It’s something we definitely have to work on, but I have the confidence we can do that. We have M&M’S Fudge Brownie on the car this week for the first time. It would be great to have a good run and showcase them since we get another shot at Darlington here in a few days.”

Out of necessity, you’ll be running some midweek races for the first time ever. What are your thoughts on midweek races?

“To me, a race is a race. Whether I’m in a Cup car, Xfinity, Truck, or a Super Late Model, I’m not sure racing on a Wednesday is going to be all that different for me. Over the years with everything that I’ve raced, I’ve raced during the week all the time, so that part shouldn’t be a problem. As far as going forward, whatever NASCAR decides in the future on when they’ll have races, I’ll be there. It’s really whatever they think is best for the future of the sport and something our fans will like. If they tell me the races are on any day of the week, I’ll be there to race. Doesn’t make much difference to me what day of the week it is.”

What did you think of the safety procedures in place throughout the day on Sunday?

“It seemed to go really smoothly and really easy. Just being able to walk around the track from your bus to the car and just be there to do a job and a duty and less chaos kind of going around, the day seemed to make it a bit easier. Other than that, you kind of miss just being with or around your guys.”

What do drivers mean when they say you have to “race the track” at Darlington?

“It’s tough to pass there, for sure. It’s so difficult. So you run your laps until you get to a pit stop and try to get your guys to have a good stop for you so you can jump a couple of guys. Pit stops become really important there, as is track position and trying to stay up front.”

What makes Darlington a track that is too tough to tame?

“It’s a very narrow and challenging racetrack, especially for the speeds that we carry around there, now. We’re looking forward to getting another shot at Darlington with our M&M’S Fudge Brownie Camry on Wednesday night. You’ve really got to be able to get as close as you can to the wall in order to carry your momentum through the corners because you’ve got to make the straightaways as long as you can. The track is very narrow on entries and exits, so you’re always trying to round the place as much as you can. It’s very one-groovish. You can’t really run side-by-side there. Any time you get alongside somebody, you basically have to let them go. It’s a very big give-and-take type of track. It’s really aero-sensitive now, to where it used to be more about mechanical grip and getting your car to handle well and handle over the bumps well and keep the tires on it. Now you’re restricted off the car in front of you and are trying to find some air, basically.”

M&M’S Fudge Brownie Racing

Race 6 of 36 – Toyota 500k – Darlington

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 Toyota 500k will mark Kyle Busch’s 540th career NASCAR Cup Series start and his 17th NASCAR Cup Series start at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

Busch has career totals of 56 wins, 32 poles, 202 top-five finishes, 298 top-10s and 17,446 laps led in 539 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, four top-five finishes and 10 top-10s and has led a total of 716 laps in 16 Cup Series starts at Darlington. Busch’s average Darlington finish is 12.0.

2019 Darlington:When NASCAR’s top series raced at Darlington in September, Busch led once for a race-high 118 laps. Busch’s lead was late in the race, but he lost it to JGR teammate and eventual race-winner Erik Jones during a round of yellow-flag pit stops on lap 277. He restarted third on lap 281, and later moved himself up to second behind Jones. However, with less than five laps to go, Busch scraped the wall trying to catch Jones and he dropped to third when the checkered flag fell.

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 Wednesday night’s race at Darlington 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 STANLEY Toyota Camry Preview Toyota 500(k) at Darlington Raceway

by MikeMay 19, 2020

No. 20 STANLEY Toyota Camry News and Notes:

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

Jones Career NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Darlington Raceway:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
4	1	2	4	0	79	13.0	5.5

Jones 2020 Season NASCAR Cup Series Stats:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
5	0	0	2	0	0	18.0	17.4

Jones Career NASCAR Cup Series Stats:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
116	2	24	51	2	582	13.4	16.0

From the Driver’s Seat:

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

About STANLEY:

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

Denny Hamlin/FedEx Racing Express Facts – Darlington

by MikeMay 19, 2020

Race Info:

Race: Toyota 500

Date/Time: Weds, May 20/7:30 p.m. ET

Distance: 228 laps/311.4 miles

Track Length: 1.36 miles

Track Shape: Egg-shaped oval

2019 Winner: N/A

Express Notes:

Press Kit: Download the 2020 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Chris Gabehart and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights and statistics.

Darlington “The Real Heroes 400” Recap: Denny Hamlin battled the track “Too Tough to Tame” for a top-five finish in NASCAR’s return to live racing on Sunday. Hamlin finished fifth at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in the Cup Series’ first event since going on hiatus in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The #11 “Thank You FedEx Team Members” Toyota lined up 10th by virtue of a random draw for the one-day event. With no practice or qualifying laps before the green flag, Hamlin had to assess the car for the first time during the first part of the race. The FedEx Racing team had brought a fast car – they just worked on slight handling issues through the 400-mile event. Hamlin remained in the top 10 throughout the afternoon, but never had enough to challenge for the lead. Kevin Harvick dominated much of the race for the win, leading 159 of the 293 laps.

Darlington Toyota 500 Preview: The series heads back to Darlington Raceway Wednesday night for a 500-kilometer event on the egg-shaped oval. Hamlin is a two-time winner at the track, taking the checkered flag in 2012 and 2017. Hamlin owns eight top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 15 career races at Darlington, leading a total of 562 laps. Hamlin and the FedEx Racing team will look to improve on their fifth-place finish in Sunday’s return-to-racing event at the South Carolina oval.

FedEx “The Real Heroes Project” Spotlight: FedEx is honored to highlight team member and “Real Hero” Jami Clark, from Afton, Wyo., with her name above the door of Hamlin’s car for the Toyota 500. Clark splits her time as a Sr. Global Operations Control Specialist with FedEx and as an Air National Guard C-17 pilot. Lately she’s been flying COVID-19 aid in missions for the 155 Airlift squadron. When she gets a free moment, she loves to go for runs with her dogs and train horses. FedEx is honored and thankful for her continued service during these challenging times.

FedEx “Delivering Strength” Paint Scheme: The #11 FedEx Toyota will sport a special paint scheme for the Darlington NASCAR race, carrying the message “Delivering Strength” on the hood and #fedexstrong on the back of the car. FedEx wishes to draw attention to not just its 475,000 FedEx team members, but all the organizations FedEx is working with during the COVID-19 crisis, including nonprofit organizations, the healthcare community and FedEx customers.

Hamlin Statistics:

Track: Darlington Raceway

Races: 15

Wins: 2

Poles: 1

Top-5: 8

Top-10: 12

Laps Led: 562

Avg. Start: 8.9

Avg. Finish: 7.6

Hamlin Conversation – Darlington:

How did it feel to be back on a real racetrack in the FedEx Toyota?

“It definitely felt good to be on the racetrack, that’s for sure. I’m proud of our FedEx team and everyone who helped put this program together. NASCAR and FOX did a great job to put together a process of making this a safe return that fans could enjoy on TV. Obviously, we wish we could do it with fans at the track, but that will come in due time.”

What do you need to do differently in the return to Darlington on Wednesday?

“I’m excited to go back and give it another shot. I like the process of figuring out what we can do better and getting to work on those things. Our FedEx Camry is going to be just as good, if not better, than it was Sunday.”

FedEx Office – Closest to Darlington Raceway: 2813 W Hwy 74, Monroe, NC 28110, (704) 289-3859

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*	▼
Mar. 17	The Real Heroes 400	Darlington	10	5	293/293	Running	0	*6^th*	▲
*Averages/Totals*			*13.2*	*9.8*	*100%*		79

Ryan Newman | Darlington II Advance

by MikeMay 19, 2020

Team: No. 6 Oscar Mayer Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves

PR Contact: Brandon Lee; blee@roushfenway.com; 704-783-5446

Twitter: @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman
Race Format: 311.4 miles, 228 laps, Stage Lengths: 60-65-103

Toyota 500 – Wednesday, May 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

NASCAR Returns to Action

Following its return to racing Sunday at Darlington Raceway, NASCAR continues its modified schedule with a second event at ‘The Lady in Black’ Wednesday night in primetime. It will mark the third of seven NASCAR national series races in an 11-day span.
Once competition wraps at Darlington on Wednesday, the NCS will transition to Charlotte Motor Speedway for two-consecutive events, the first on May 24 with the crown jewel Coca-Cola 600. It will be followed by a shorter event on May 27.
Four weeks of NASCAR action were completed prior to the hiatus with races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville postponed.

Sunday Recap, Wednesday Preview

In his first race back since the Daytona 500, Newman fought his way inside the top-10 early on in Sunday’s 293-lap race at Darlington before finishing 15^th. He crossed the line ninth in stage one to earn two stage points, and came back from a speeding penalty and cut tire in the closing laps to earn a top-15 finish.
The starting lineup for Wednesday’s 311.4-mile race will be determined by an invert for positions 1-20, putting Newman sixth on the grid for Wednesday night’s race.

Newman Historically at Darlington Raceway

Wednesday will be Newman’s 23^rd Cup Series start at Darlington, where he has 13 top-10s and seven top fives. He carries a 12.7 average finish – his second-best of any track on the circuit behind only Richmond (12.3).
Newman has finished top-10 in 59 percent of the races at the 1.366-mile track, including a runner-up finish in his first ever-Southern 500 back in 2002. Dating back eight events, Newman has five finishes of 13^th or better including four top-10s.
Newman has one career pole at ‘The Lady in Black’, which came back in the 2003 Southern 500. Overall he has an average starting position of 11.1 with 13 top-10 starts, eight of which were inside the top five.
Newman also made five starts at Darlington in the Xfinity Series, earning the pole in each of the first two events in 2001. He went on to finish fourth in the 2001 fall race – his best career Xfinity result – with an overall finish of 13.6 in the series at the famed track.

Scott Graves at Darlington Raceway

Graves will call his sixth NCS race at Darlington atop the pit box. In five prior events, Graves has an average finish of 24.6, coming off Newman’s 15^th-place finish on Sunday.
In Xfinity Series action, Graves led Suarez to a third-place finish in 2016 after starting fifth. A year prior, he and Chris Buescher paired up for a fifth-place result.

QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on Wednesday’s race:
“I felt like we unloaded pretty well Sunday and had a good run going for a good portion of the race. We just got a little off in terms of adjustments and had a couple things go south, but battled back for a top-15. With those notes and our performance early on I feel pretty good heading into Wednesday. Looking forward to putting together another strong race in our Oscar Mayer Ford and once again showing everyone how NASCAR is coming back during these times.”

The Real Heroes Project Continues at Darlington
NASCAR is collaborating with other professional sports properties across the country to embark on The Real Heroes Project. The goal is to motivate and inspire healthcare workers as sports only can, by turning its greatest heroes (the athletes) into their greatest fans. To that end, the name of a COVID-19 frontline worker will be displayed above the driver’s side door on each entry Wednesday night.

NASCAR allowed teams to select the names of the frontline workers to appear on their cars, and Newman chose a name special to him, Fe Roster, VP & Chief Care Continuum Officer at Halifax Health. Fe played a vital role in Newman’s life in the days following his horrific, last-lap crash in the Daytona 500, where he walked out of Halifax Medical Center three days later under the care of Roster and others. Dr. Jerry Petty, a partner with NASCAR for 40+ years, also played a vital role in Newman’s recovery all the way up until clearing him for NASCAR action, and – at Newman’s request – Petty will be on the name rail of the No. 17 machine Wednesday night.

On the Car
Oscar Mayer returns for Wednesday’s race at Darlington, this time promoting its love for hot dogs. Oscar Mayer and Roush Fenway announced their continued partnership at the end of the 2019 season, as the company continues to highlight its quality meat offerings via its paint schemes throughout the season.

About The Kraft Heinz Company
For 150 years, we have produced some of the world’s most beloved products at The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ: KHC). Our Vision is To Be the Best Food Company, Growing a Better World. We are one of the largest global food and beverage companies, with 2018 net sales of approximately $26 billion. Our portfolio is a diverse mix of iconic and emerging brands. As the guardians of these brands and the creators of innovative new products, we are dedicated to the sustainable health of our people and our planet. To learn more, visit https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Riley Herbst / No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota Supra Preview Toyota 200 at Darlington Raceway

by MikeMay 18, 2020

No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota Supra News and Notes:

HERBST AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY: Four races in to his rookie season, Riley Herbst will visit Darlington Raceway for the first time in his young career when the Xfinity Series returns to the track on Tuesday, May 19.
STARTING LINEUP: With the starting lineup for Tuesday’s race selected by a random draw, Herbst and the No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota Supra team will roll off from the fifth position for the Toyota 200.
JGR AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY: Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has 58 total starts at Darlington Raceway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In those starts, the team has earned 10 wins, 29 top-five finishes, 39 top-10 finishes and seven pole starting positions. The team has led 1,114 laps, completed 8,001 of 8,482 attempted laps (94.3%) and earned an average start of 12.6 and an average finish of 10.6. Denny Hamlin leads the team with five wins followed by Kyle Busch with two wins and Bobby Labonte, Tony Stewart and Joey Logano each earning one win at the famed South Carolina track.
PHOENIX RECAP: In the last race before NASCAR action was halted due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Riley Herbst and the No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota Supra team started the race at Phoenix Raceway from the 11th position. Herbst struggled with handling most of the race before crossing the finish line in the 10th position. The finish marked Herbst third top-10 finish in just four starts in the 2020 season.
POINTS STANDINGS: After four races in the 2020 season, Herbst sits 11th in the Xfinity Series point standings, 67 points out of first place.
THIS WEEK ON THE NO. 18 SUPRA: This week, Monster Energy will serve as the primary partner for the No. 18 Toyota Supra team.
RACE INFO: The Toyota 200 at Darlington Raceway is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, 2020. Coverage will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1, MRN Radio and SIRIUS XM Channel 90.

Herbst Career Xfinity Series Stats at Darlington Raceway:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.0

Herbst 2020 Season NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
4	0	1	3	0	0	8.8	13.2

Herbst Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
14	0	1	7	0	1	10.2	15.1

From the Driver’s Seat:

Riley Herbst: “I’m really looking forward to getting to Darlington Raceway. It’ll be kind of interesting because I’ve never been there before. With no practice or qualifying, we just fire off and drop the green flag. It’ll be pretty interesting, but I’m looking forward to it. All of us on the No. 18 team are really prepared. I’ve been watching a lot of race film, working on the simulator and asking my super smart crew chief Dave (Rogers) a bunch of questions. I think we’ve done all of our homework and we’re ready to go out there and prove it at Darlington.”

Brandon Jones / No. 19 Toyota Service Centers Toyota Supra Preview

by MikeMay 18, 2020

No. 19 Toyota Service Centers Toyota Supra News and Notes:

NASCAR IS BACK: The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) goes back racing at Darlington Raceway this Tuesday after an unprecedented hiatus. The race is usually a classic on Labor Day Weekend, but because of the historic current world conditions it will be the first Xfinity Series race since Brandon Jones’ huge win 10 weeks ago at Phoenix. It will be a single day event with no fans in the stands, no practice or qualifying. Drivers will go straight to their cars and run the 147-lap event on a green track. NASCAR will have a competition caution on lap 15. The Lady in Black is one of the toughest tracks on the circuit and it will be a much anticipated and extremely exciting return to television for the sport, teams, sponsors and fans on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) This unique egg-shaped oval always provides great racing with an element of the unknown.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Jones and the No. 19 team will proudly display the Toyota Service Centers logos on their Toyota Supra as they head to “The Track Too Tough to Tame” for the Toyota 200. Jones and the 19 team started the 2020 season on fire with their win at Phoenix. They also have accumulated three top-10s and a pole in just four races. It has been 10 long weeks since they have been at the track, but their goal is to keep up the momentum and become a front runner for the Xfinity Series Championship and put their Toyota Supra in back-to-back victory lanes.

JGR AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY: Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has 58 total starts at Darlington Raceway in NXS competition earning 10 wins, 29 top-five finishes, 39 top-10 finishes and nine pole starting positions. The team has led 1,114 laps, completed 8,001 of 8,482 attempted laps (94.3%) and earned an average start of 12.6 and an average finish of 10.6.

RACE INFO: Toyota 200 at Darlington Raceway (1.366-mile) begins at 8:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 19^th. The race will be broadcast live on FS1, SiriusXM Channel 90 and MRN Radio.

Jones’ Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats at Darlington Raceway:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
4	0	0	2	0	0	21.2	12.8

Jones’ 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
4	1	2	3	1	97	6.0	10.2

Jones’ Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
141	2	11	53	3	437	12.7	15.7

From the Cockpit:

Brandon Jones: “I am very excited about returning to the track and getting back to racing again. Even though it has been ten long weeks since we raced at Phoenix, I have still been hitting the workouts every day and making sure I am ready when the time comes. I have taken this time to really push myself with at home workouts and healthy eating. Our 19 team is looking forward to getting back to the track and keeping the momentum going that we kicked off the season with. We are having our strongest start with a huge win at Phoenix, a pole in Fontana and three top-10 finishes.

We are headed into the race with no fans and very limited workers. NASCAR is making sure to put safety first as we get back to racing. Darlington Raceway is a great way to kick off the season again. The Lady in Black will be more of a challenge this time, especially since there will be no practice or qualifying. That means it could be very exciting for the fans to watch on TV since someone is bound to get their Darlington stripe on lap one. This week we will have Toyota Service Centers on our Supra and it would be very rewarding to put them in victory lane for the Toyota 200 at Darlington Raceway.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands. Over the past 60 years, we’ve built more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway

by MikeMay 18, 2020

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report

Track: Darlington Raceway

Race: The Real Heroes 400

Date: May 17, 2020

____________________________________

No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski

Start: 1st

Stage 1: 5th

Stage 2: 1st

Finish: 13th

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 293/293

Laps Led: 80

Point Standings (behind first): 5th (-60)

Notes:

Brad Keselowski did a lot of good things in The Real Heroes 400 Sunday afternoon at Darlington Raceway, NASCAR’s first race in more than 70 days during the COVID-19 pandemic. The driver of the Discount Tire Ford Mustang led 80 laps and won Stage 2, his second stage victory of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. But towards the end of the 293-lap, 400-mile event, Keselowski fell outside the top-10, landing in 13th-position at the checkered flag. With the finish, he jumps up to fifth-place in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings, a gain of five positions.
Keselowski drew the pole for the Darlington event and led the first 44 laps of the race. He overcame a loose-handling condition to score a fifth-place finish when Stage 1 concluded on lap 90. He pitted for four tires and air pressure adjustments during the stage caution on lap 93 and restarted sixth when the race went green.
Two excellent pit stops by the Discount Tire team put Keselowski in contention to win Stage 2. Keselowski was running seventh when the sixth caution flag came out on lap 156. He pitted one lap later for four tires and lightning-fast service by the 2 Crew gave him second position for the restart on lap 160. The seventh caution on lap 174 set up another round of stops and once again the team made a fast stop, this time giving Keselowski the lead on lap 176. The driver did his part on the track, holding the lead for the next 10 laps to score the stage win when the segment concluded on lap 185.
The final stage brought a disappointing turn of events for the team. Keselowski grabbed the lead on lap 193 and held the top spot until lap 215. But over the final 79 laps, the No. 2 Ford Mustang steadily became more of a handful for Keselowski. As the Discount Tire Ford became more loose and Keselowski lost rear grip on the car, he couldn’t maintain position inside the top-10, and he took the checkered flag in 13th place when the race concluded on lap 293.

Quotes: “We had an up and down day with our Discount Tire Ford and it finished on a down note after we lost the handling at the end. It was nice to be leading for quite a while. It felt like with 100 laps to go we were going to win. I came off of pit road second and I don’t know if I just lost the clean air or what it was, but it just went completely away, and we fell back. We ended up finishing 13th which was a major bummer, but it is what it is. It is nice to be back and get the opportunity to race.”

________________________________________________

No. 12 Menards/Duracell Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney

Start: 7th

Stage 1: 18th

Stage 2: 13th

Finish: 16th

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 293/293

Laps Led: 0

Point Standings (Behind First): 8th (-74)

Ryan Blaney battled an ill-handling Menards/Duracell Ford Mustang throughout The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina.
The field was set per random draw, which gave the High Point, N.C. native the seventh-place starting position. Within the first 20 laps Blaney fell outside the top-10 and, unfortunately, that’s where he would stay for most of the afternoon.
For much of the race, Blaney said the Menards/Duracell Ford was tight and lacked front grip. Crew chief Todd Gordon made multiple changes during the opening segment of the race, including air pressure, wedge and track bar adjustments. Blaney was credited with an 18th-place finish when the stage ended on lap 90.
Stage 2 saw the Menards/Duracell Ford continue to be on the tight side. The seventh caution on lap 174 and subsequent 10-lap run on fresh tires saw Blaney come home with a 13th-place finish when the stage ended on lap 185.
Blaney and the Menards team began to overcome their handling woes in the third and final stage – it just happened a little too late to make a run for the win. After falling back to 21st, the team improved the balance of the Menards/Duracell Ford and Blaney rallied through the field to score a 16th-place finish.
Blaney is now eighth in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings, 74 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.

Quote: “It was great to be back at the track today. We struggled with the balance of our Menards/Duracell Ford. We were too tight to start and finally got the car to the loose side by the end of the race. Darlington has been a challenge in the past and we’ll regroup and get ready to go racing again on Wednesday night.”

________________________________________________

No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano

Start: 9th

Stage 1: 11th

Stage 2: 8th

Finish: 18th

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 293/293

Laps Led: 0

Point Standings (Behind First): 3rd (-33)

Notes:

A loose wheel cost Joey Logano and Shell-Pennzoil team valuable track position in the final stage of The Real Heroes 400 Sunday afternoon at Darlington Raceway, robbing the team of a potential top-10 finish. Logano was credited with an 18th-place result and is now third in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings, 33 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.
Logano started ninth and struggled early during the first 30 lap run as he slipped back to the 16th position fighting an extremely tight Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang. Under the competition caution on lap 32, the team pitted twice, making multiple chassis adjustments to help Logano around the tricky Darlington Raceway. Logano wrestled a tight condition from then until Stage 1 ended on lap 90, as he scored a 12th-place finish. On the stop during the stage caution, the team made chassis and air pressure changes to the Shell-Pennzoil Ford, and sent Logano back to the track in ninth position.
Logano restarted the second stage in the bottom lane, a disadvantage that cost him a few positions. Two cautions early in the segment gave Logano and the Shell-Pennzoil team the opportunity to pit for adjustments. Logano restarted 10th but powered to the sixth position on the restart. Midway through Stage 2 Logano reported his Ford Mustang was really good in Turns 3 and 4 and he finished eighth when the stage concluded on lap 185.
Unfortunately, the No. 22 Ford had a loose wheel in the early laps of the third and final stage, which forced Logano to pit road – just as the ninth caution was displayed on lap 213. The sequence of events dropped Logano back to 24th position. He rallied back to the 16th before the 10th and final caution on lap 254 brought the field to pit road.
Good work by the Shell-Pennzoil crew on the final stop gained Logano three positions, as he moved up to 13th for the restart on lap 259. Over the final 34 laps, the track took another major swing to the tight side as Logano shuffled back to 18th position at the checkered flag.

Quote: “We were way off on the handling when we started. Our Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang was just too tight. Paul (Wolfe) and the guys made some really good adjustments on it and we got inside the top-10. Unfortunately, the loose wheel, not really sure what caused it, but we’ll look into it and figure it out. Towards the end of the race just lost the handling again. We’ll come back on Wednesday and start third and try to build on what we learned today. This was a big day for our sport getting back on track and thankful for all the fans who tuned in to FOX.”

John Hunter Nemechek Scores Career-Best Top-10 Finish at Darlington

by MikeMay 18, 2020

John Hunter Nemechek

No. 38 Scag Power Equipment Ford Mustang

Started: 34th

Finished: 9th

Stage One: 21st
Stage Two: 20th
Stage Three: 9th

John Hunter Nemechek took the green flag in the 34th position in The Real Heroes 400 Sunday afternoon at Darlington Raceway. The day’s event marked the first time NASCAR has competed in over two months, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nemechek, along with the rest of the field, fired off without having practiced or qualifying at the track “Too Tough To Tame.” His No. 38 Scag Power Equipment Ford Mustang’s balance was all over the place to start the race and the team made various adjustments during early pit stops to improve the car’s handling. Nemechek would finish Stage 1 in the 21st position.

Nemechek’s No. 38 Scag Power Equipment machine was free for much of Stage 2 and lacked front grip. The crew continued to make wedge adjustments and added grill tape during two pit stops. As the race went on, the handling improved and Nemechek finished Stage 2 in 20th place.

In the third and final stage, Nemechek spent much of his time inside the Top-15 on the leaderboard. The car’s balance continued to get better and Nemechek soon found himself battling for the 8th position. In his career-best finish and Front Row Motorsports’ best result to date at Darlington Raceway, Nemechek brought his No. 38 Scag Power Equipment Ford Mustang home in 9th place.

Nemechek on Darlington:

“We had a great day. I’m very excited that we were able to come home P9. My entire No. 38 Scag Power Equipment team and pit crew did an amazing job. Everybody executed all day with no mistakes. We made the right adjustments. Seth and the engineers did a great job getting the car ready for this race. The pit crew was flawless and I couldn’t have asked for a better day. It was great to get kicked off on the right foot for these races coming up. Hopefully, we can continue to build on this and create some momentum and continue to get our cars faster each and every week. It’s great to be back and I’m so excited to be able to race again on Wednesday. Thank you to all the fans that are out there supporting. We miss you at the race track. It’s definitely different without you guys there and I can’t wait until the day that you guys are back with us. Thank you to Scag Power Equipment and all of our partners for getting us to the race track. None of this would be possible without you guys.”

Newman Earns Hard-Fought Top-15 in Racing Return

by MikeMay 18, 2020

DARLINGTON, S.C. (May 17, 2020) – In his return to the track – and NASCAR’s return to action – Ryan Newman turned in a gutty performance, recovering from a late spin to drive his No. 6 Oscar Mayer Ford to a 15^th-place finish in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event at the famed Darlington Raceway.

“Really proud of everybody’s effort today to unload the Oscar Mayer Ford as good as we did,” Newman said following the race. “We started pretty strong and for the first 180 laps or so we were really good, then we got the car too free and we needed it to turn better, but we never got the front to work and made the back loose. Overall, great to be back in the racecar, proud of how everybody worked, not just our team, but everyone in NASCAR to break the ice on getting the world back in motion.”

Newman – making his return since the Daytona 500 – powered his way into the top-10 by the end of stage one, finishing ninth to earn valuable stage points. He maintained the top-15 position throughout much of stage two before the car’s handling went away late and a cut tire caused the car to spin out and ending the team’s bid for a top 10.

A random draw determined the starting lineup for #TheRealHeroes400, as drivers were grouped into their respective positions by points, with a draw for each spot from there. With the No. 6 20th in owners’ points, Newman rolled off 21st after the random draw.

Newman reported he was tight 30 laps in when the competition caution flew, in which teams were allowed two pit stops with no change in position. Crew chief Scott Graves and the team made a series of adjusting on the Oscar Mayer machine, setting him back up 15th for the restart.

From there, the South Bend, Indiana, native wasted no time charging his way forward, entering the top-10 less than 20 laps later before finishing the stage in ninth. He was caught speeding on pit road under the stage break, setting him back to the rear for the ensuing restart.

After restarting 27th, Newman again worked his way back up to 15th by lap 123, reporting the car felt good as stage two cycled through. A series of yellows flew from lap 124-172 in which he worked his way up to ninth, before crossing the line 15th for the second stage.

From there the handling went away, as he lacked grip with 90 to go. With 41 to go, Newman was running 17th when the right rear tire went down, sending his Oscar Mayer Ford for a spin to bring out the yellow. After a pit stop for fresh tires and cosmetic repairs, Newman restarted 25th with 34 laps left, but battled his way back to 15th by the checkered flag.

The No. 6 team returns to Darlington Raceway for the second race in four days Wednesday night for a primetime race under the lights (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90). The starting lineup for Wednesday’s 228-lap race will be set by a random draw for positions 1-20, meaning Newman will roll off sixth in his Oscar Mayer Ford.