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No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang: Cole Custer Supermarket Heroes 500 Race Advance

by MikeMay 30, 2020

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (May 29, 2020) – Cole Custer and the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Mustang team venture a little more than four hours to the north and west from their Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) headquarters to Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Supermarket Heroes 500. Custer will make his first Cup Series start at the Tennessee track and 12th career Cup Series start.

The No. 41 Ford Mustang will sport the colors of co-owner Gene Haas’ newest holding, HaasTooling.com, for the short-track event. Haas Tooling was launched a few weeks ago as a way for CNC machinists to purchase high quality cutting tools at great prices. Haas’ cutting tools are sold exclusively online at HaasTooling.com and shipped directly to end users.
Custer spent the last week honing his craft at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway for the season’s longest race – Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600, and Thursday night’s Alsco Uniforms 500k. His first Cup Series start at the 1.5-mile track last Sunday netted Custer a 12th-place finish after recovering from falling one lap down earlier in the race. He earned an 18th-place finish in Thursday night’s 500-kilometer – 310-mile – race after battling a loose-handling No. 41 Mustang.
The Cup Series has completed one race at a short track this season at Phoenix Raceway in March, where Custer and the No. 41 team finished ninth. The series will run a similar package this weekend at Bristol and the HaasTooling.com driver hopes to capture another top-10 this weekend.

In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Custer had six consecutive starts at Bristol from 2017 through 2019. Five of those resulted in top-five qualifying positions. The California native has two Xfinity Series pole awards at Bristol – April 2018 and 2019. Custer has four top-10 finishes in the series at Bristol, with 31 laps led. Custer also has three Bristol outings in the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series at Bristol, all starting in the top-10 with a pair of top-10 finishes and 111 laps led.
While the NASCAR season has resumed, the sport also continues to do its part during the COVID-19 pandemic. SHR’s partnership with Novant Health continues to expand. So far, SHR has helped transport and deliver millions of face masks for Novant, in addition to building intensive care unit webcam carts. Now, SHR is now providing 25,000 square feet of property adjacent to its shop in Kannapolis, North Carolina, for Novant’s partnership with Zipline, the world’s only national-scale, on-demand drone logistics service. Zipline will deliver medical supplies via its fleet of drones to Novant Health’s integrated system of physician practices, hospitals and outpatient centers. Click here to download b-roll of site build, drone delivery and interviews.

In SHR’s 70 starts at Bristol, the team has earned two pole awards and two victories. The championship team has 10 top-fives, 29 top-10s and 873 laps led at the high-banked, concrete oval.
Haas Automation, founded by Haas in 1983, is America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. The company manufactures a complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers and rotary tables and indexers. All Haas products are constructed in the company’s 1.1-million-square-foot manufacturing facility in Oxnard, California, and distributed through a worldwide network of Haas Factory Outlets.
Even though Custer had a trio of starts in the Cup Series in 2018, 2020 officially marks his Rookie of the Year campaign in NASCAR’s most prestigious series. He’s competing for rookie honors with notables Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick. The three have battled against each other in the Xfinity Series and are making the full-time transition to the Cup Series together. Custer was the third-highest-finishing rookie at Charlotte Thursday night and looks to improve his position Sunday afternoon at a track where he’s run well in the past.

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

You’ve wrapped up a couple races at a mile-and-a-half track. Do you feel like you learned a lot, and can apply some things to the other mile-and-a-halves coming up?

“We’ve learned a ton as a team over the last four races and running the 550 horsepower package. I think I have a better understanding of the cars now and it’s just applying it in the future.”
In the Xfinity Series, you’ve done really well at Bristol as long as you haven’t had something happen. Why do you think you excel there, or what makes it suit your driving style so much?
“Bristol has been a good track for me in Xfinity. It’s a track that has always come a little natural to me, I feel like. I like the feel of it and being able to move around in the lanes. It’s a lot about keeping momentum. The bottom is about hooking the line. Sunday it’s just a matter of running a lot longer race and a lot of cars to pass, which makes it chaotic.”
You had a ninth-place finish at Phoenix earlier this year. You’ll run the same package at Bristol. Do you favor the 750 package?
“I think the 750 horsepower package is definitely something that’s more natural to me because it’s similar to the Xfinity car. A lot of the stuff I did in the Xfinity car transfers over to this 750 package in the Cup Series. It doesn’t do that with the 550 horsepower package we run at a lot track in Cup. So I’d say I’m more comfortable and used to the 750.”
We’re going back to a little bit of a traditional NASCAR schedule with one race per week. Are you looking forward to going back to more of a traditional schedule? Or were you really starting to like the two races per week schedule?
“I think it was nice to kind of mix it up with the mid-week races. It was interesting and I think it might get used in the future some. I don’t think it’s something you could do all year long though. You need to have a break at some point. It’ll be nice to go back to our week by week schedule to catch our breath and look at what we learned to apply to future races.”

No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Team Report
Race 9 of 36 – Supermarket Heroes 500 – Bristol

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

Bristol Motor Speedway Notes of Interest:

Cole Custer will make his first Cup Series start Sunday afternoon at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The start will bring his career Cup Series total to 12.
The California native earned 12th- and 18th-place finishes at the series’ most recent events at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
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 Ford driver has six NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Bristol, all from the top-10 position on the grid, and he has two top-five finishes and four top-10s. Two of his top-10 starts were from the pole – April 2017 and April 2018. He also has three NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series starts at the half-mile track with a best finish of sixth.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Partnership with Novant Health Takes Flight with Zipline

by MikeMay 27, 2020

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (May 27, 2020) – Working in extreme conditions where the clock is always ticking, Stewart-Haas Racing is well-versed in delivering under the most intense circumstances. The championship-winning NASCAR team has put its experience to good use during the COVID-19 pandemic, partnering with Novant Health to deliver 20 million face masks and produce 120 ICU webcam carts.

Today, its partnership takes flight. Literally.

Novant Health has launched an emergency drone logistics operation for hospital pandemic response through a partnership with Zipline, the world’s only national-scale, on-demand drone logistics service, which will provide drone flight services. Stewart-Haas Racing is providing 25,000-square-feet of property adjacent to its Kannapolis campus for Zipline to deliver medical supplies via its fleet of drones to Novant Health’s integrated system of physician practices, hospitals and outpatient centers.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted Novant Health a Part 107 waiver to begin operation, which is being initiated as part of the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) Unmanned Aircraft System Integration Pilot Program (IPP).

The operation provides contactless distribution of personal protective equipment and critical medical supplies to frontline healthcare workers in the Charlotte, North Carolina, metro area. The operation helps position Novant Health, which operates 15 hospitals and nearly 700 locations in the southeastern United States, to adapt quickly to the evolving pandemic and could lead to such innovative uses as testing, drug trials and vaccine distribution in the future.

The groundbreaking operation will provide ongoing drone logistics flights in Class-D controlled airspace, where all air traffic is actively managed by the FAA under a Part 107 waiver issued to a major U.S. healthcare system. True to its roots, North Carolina is once again “First in Flight.”

“This new part of our relationship with Stewart-Haas Racing has – quite literally – taken our logistics operations to new heights,” said Mark Welch, senior vice president of supply chain, Novant Health. “Once again, SHR stepped up when we had a need in response to this pandemic by providing us the critical space to create our distribution center. This operation is taking Novant Health logistics to the next level and we could not do it without the assistance of Stewart-Haas Racing.”

The operation uses battery-powered drones with autonomous navigation systems which launch from a distribution center near Stewart-Haas Racing. Novant Health is able to move its products efficiently from this hub to its frontline medical teams powered by Zipline’s long-range, fixed-wing drones. Since 2016, Zipline has used its fleet of drones to deliver 110,000 vaccines, units of blood and critical medications internationally.

“As soon as we heard about the initiative Novant Health had with Zipline, our only question was, ‘How can we help?’,” said Mike Verlander, vice president of sales and marketing, Stewart-Haas Racing. “Finding a tract of land that could be used for the distribution center was paramount, and Gene Haas, the co-owner of our race team, had the perfect spot right behind our race shop. He cut through all the red tape and dirt was quickly moved. We helped with logistical coordination during the build and have seen firsthand the work of the Zipline crew and the efficiency of the distribution center and the technology it houses. It’s all very impressive.”

In the span of a few minutes, a lightweight drone takes off from Novant Health’s distribution center, with the package placed inside a parachute in the belly of the Zipline drone. When the drone reaches its destination, it simply drops the parachute and the healthcare worker collects it. The drone then returns to the distribution center to get outfitted for its next flight.

“Zipline has been hard at work helping other countries respond to the pandemic,” said Keller Rinaudo, CEO, Zipline. “And we’re proud to partner with Novant Health, a true leader in healthcare innovation, to begin helping in the United States as well. We’re likely in for a long-term fight against COVID-19. Using contactless drone logistics will be an important tool in that effort. The work underway here in North Carolina will provide the rest of the country with a blueprint for how to build the most resilient and responsive healthcare system possible.”

Over the next two years, the partnership plans to expand beyond emergency operations in the Charlotte area to regular commercial operations, subject to approval under FAA Part 135 rules, to serve health facilities and, ultimately, patients’ homes across the state. Novant Health and Zipline’s partnership seeks to create a next-generation model for health system logistics leveraging contactless drone deliveries. To accomplish this, Zipline works hand-in-hand with national civil aviation authorities.

Safety is Zipline’s top priority at every stage of operation. Zipline drones are designed to automatically detect issues inflight and safely return to base for repair. Each drone is equipped with redundant flight computers, motors, communications systems, and flight control surfaces, as well as redundant navigation and power systems. In the event of emergencies like severe weather or unplanned flight operation issues, each drone is equipped with a parachute that allows it to make an immediate landing by slowly descending to the ground.

Zipline drones weigh approximately 40 pounds with payload, have a top speed of 80 mph, can service a 50-mile radius, and can carry packages close to four pounds, even in high winds and rain.

About Stewart-Haas Racing:

Stewart-Haas Racing is the title-winning NASCAR team co-owned by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. The Kannapolis, North Carolina-based organization has won two NASCAR Cup Series titles, one NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and more than 70 NASCAR races, including such crown-jewel events as the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Southern 500. For more information, please visit us online at www.StewartHaasRacing.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/StewartHaasRacing, on Twitter at @StewartHaasRcng, on Instagram at @StewartHaasRacing and on YouTube at www.YouTube.com/StewartHaasRacing.

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.

Martin Truex Jr. – No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry Preview – Toyota 500 at Darlington Raceway

by MikeMay 19, 2020

No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry News and Notes

TRUEX AT DARLINGTON: In 15 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington Raceway, Martin Truex Jr. has earned one victory, two top-five finishes and seven top-10s. The Mayetta, New Jersey native led 28 laps on his way to winning the 2016 Southern 500 at the historical track and has led laps in three of the past five Darlington races. The track was also the site of Truex clinching the 2004 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship driving the No. 8 car for Chance2 Motorsports.
SUNDAY AT DARLINGTON: In NASCAR’s return to racing Sunday afternoon at Darlington Raceway, Truex started 15^th and finished sixth. His day was not quite that easy though. Early in the race, the No. 19 Camry was very loose as Truex faded as far back as 30^th. After a series of adjustments, he rallied back to finish third in stage two and ultimately ended the day with his first top-10 finish of the season.
STARTING POSITION: By virtue of his sixth-place finish on Sunday, Truex will start 15^th when the NASCAR Cup Series race goes green on Wednesday evening.
STRONG IN THE STAGES: As a sign that Truex and the No. 19 team continue to be contenders at the front of the pack, he ranks third in stage points earned so far this season despite having to start from the rear of the field at Auto Club Speedway and Phoenix Raceway. Counting stage points earned in the five races, Truex has claimed 50 stage points. Only Alex Bowman (55) and Chase Elliott (51) have earned more.
THE REAL HEROES PROJECT: As part of The Real Heroes Project campaign, the No. 19 Camry will carry the name of Dr. Wheeler Jervis above the driver’s window for Wednesday’s race at Darlington Raceway. Dr. Jervis is a critical care physician and medical director of the Intensive Care Unit at Novant Health hospitals in Charlotte, North Carolina. During the COVID-19 crisis, Dr. Jervis and his team of doctors, nurses and other healthcare experts are managing the care of numerous critically ill people in the intensive care unit. The Novant Health connection is a personal one for Truex as his foundation works closely with the hospital on a number of projects, including the Novant Health Martin Truex Jr. Foundation Children’s Emergency Department at Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center and Novant Health SherryStrong Integrative Medicine Oncology Clinic that are both currently under construction.
BASS PRO SHOPS: A longtime supporter of Truex and NASCAR, Bass Pro Shops will be featured as primary sponsor of the No. 19 Camry for Wednesday’s race at Darlington Raceway. Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri. Today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more.
JGR AT DARLINGTON: Joe Gibbs Racing owns seven NASCAR Cup Series victories at Darlington Raceway, including Erik Jones’ win last September. Overall, the organization has amassed 25 top-five finishes, 55 top-10s, two pole awards and 1,595 laps led in 92 combined starts at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval.
TUNE IN: Coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway begins Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, MRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

Martin Truex Jr., Driver of the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry

Talk about what you expect going back to Darlington again on Wednesday…

“I feel like we learned a lot on Sunday that will help us when we go back on Wednesday. Obviously we learned what not to do from how we started, but James (Small, crew chief) and the guys made some great changes throughout the race and we had a car good enough to finish in the top three or four. We were faster than the leader when we could get clean air at the end of the race, so that gives me confidence that we’ll unload a lot closer which will be very important since the race is shorter.”

Truex NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Darlington Raceway

Starts		Wins		Top 5		Top 10		Poles		Laps Led		Avg. Start		Avg. Finish
15		1		2		7		0		232		16.3		11.2

Truex 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats

Starts		Wins		Top 5		Top 10		Poles		Laps Led		Avg. Start		Avg. Finish
5		0		0		1		0		15		16.4		20.8

Truex NASCAR Cup Series Career Stats

Starts		Wins		Top 5		Top 10		Poles		Laps Led		Avg. Start		Avg. Finish
518		26		102		206		19		8,921		14.4		15.8

About Bass Pro Shops®

Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group , offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge , America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.”

KEVIN HARVICK 50 is Nice….Let’s Go For 51

by MikeMay 19, 2020

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (May 18, 2020) –Kevin Harvick scored his 50th win Sunday in NASCAR’s comeback race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

It was one of the most historic victories for Harvick in the series, ranking right up there with his very first win in March 2001 at Atlanta Motor Speedway three weeks after Dale Earnhardt’s death.

As historic as Sunday’s win was, Harvick wants more, including number 51, which could come in Wednesday night’s Darlington 500k at Darlington.

Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), will bring back the same car he won with on Sunday. He dominated the race with 159 laps led and won by 2.154 seconds over Alex Bowman.

Wednesday’s race will be a bit different than Sunday’s as it will be only 500 kilometers – 311.4 miles – and will be run at night, as opposed to Sunday’s race that was conducted during the day.

Harvick will have the No. 1 pit stall for Wednesday’s race but will start 20th as the top 20 cars invert to create the front half of the grid. But if his pit crew is as good as it was Sunday, Harvick could once again be in contention for the win.

He’ll also have Mobil 1 on board as a sponsor and partner.

Mobil 1 isn’t just the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand, it also provides the entire SHR team with leading lubricant technology, ensuring that all SHR Mustangs have a competitive edge over the competition on the track. In its 18th consecutive season as the “Official Motor Oil of NASCAR,” Mobil 1 is used by more than 50 percent of teams throughout NASCAR’s top three series.

Harvick will also have Christopher Bucciarelli’s name on his Mobil 1 Ford Mustang during the Darlington 500k in continuation of NASCAR’s support of The Real Heroes initiative. Bucciarelli works in imaging at the Novant Health Matthews Medical Center and is from Monroe, North Carolina. He spent 11 years as a United States Navy corpsman and had three combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as a corpsman for the United State Marine Corps.

Bucciarelli joined Novant in 2018 and is regarded as dependable, loyal and always willing to go above and beyond for his patients and team members. He volunteered to work at the field hospital that was planned during the COVID-19 crisis. He realized his passion for emergency care during his time working with Med Center 1 in 2018 after Hurricane Florence. Bucciarelli’s son Keegan, who is 6, are avid NASCAR fans, and his favorite driver is Harvick.

Here’s hoping Mobil 1, along with Bucciarelli, can help Harvick score win number 51, which would put him only three behind Lee Petty for 11th on the all-time NASCAR wins list.

KEVIN HARVICK, Driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

You have 50 wins. Can you talk about that accomplishment?

“When you say those two names (Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson, also with 50 career wins), obviously they’re a huge part of what built this sport. Obviously Hall of Famers. What a huge honor it is to have my name sitting next to theirs. I’ve been fortunate, especially since I’ve come to Stewart-Haas Racing. This was 27 wins together with this group of guys. I think that experience going into our seventh year here really paid off Sunday, getting our car right, making adjustments on our car, rebounding from the adversity of a bad pit stop, all the things that came with turned into a race win. That says a lot about the experience of our team, the depth we have with everything that Gene (Haas) and Tony (Stewart) give us. It’s been a lot of fun to drive fast racecars. To have your name next to those guys goes to show you how fortunate I am to be able to ride in those fast racecars. We’ve been able to capitalize on a few.”

Drivers describe Darlington as one of the more physically demanding tracks. Normally, you have a full week to recover. You’re going back there to race Wednesday. Does that change how you recover from a race? What do you normally do to recover from a NASCAR race?

“We have been off for 10 weeks. We should be pretty fresh from the physical standpoint. For me, I’ve been working hard to make sure I was in as good a shape as I’ve been in in a long time coming back, not even knowing what the schedule was, but just wanted to be better.I think as you look at that, really the biggest thing is 300 miles for us is a short race. I think as you look at the weather, being at night, it’s going to be fairly cool. The 600 miles (at Charlotte) the next weekend will be the one that you really have to pay attention to as far as what you do.Hydration is the key for me. For the most part, it’s really about making sure that you put enough fluids back in your body.”

Why do your prefer Mobil 1 synthetic?

“I’m a synthetic guy because, in 1993 when we were sitting in the engine shop, we dumped Mobil 1 synthetic in and that’s all we did and gained seven horsepower. From that day on, we would actually save our money and then go to the local auto parts store because, at that time, it was like $5.50 a quart and the conventional and other oils were like $3.50. At the big races, we would put the Mobil 1 in the car and the regular races would put the regular oil in there. You know I’m going to say synthetic.”

Mobil 1 Racing Team Report

Round 6 of 36 – Darlington 500k – Darlington

Car No.: 4 – Mobil 1 Ford Mustang

PR Contact: Joe Crowley, True Speed Communication (704) 875-3388 ext. 808 or Joe.Crowley@TrueSpeedCommunication.com)

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Kevin Harvick

Hometown: Bakersfield, California

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert Smith

Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engine Builder: Roush-Yates Engines

Headquarters: Mooresville, North Carolina

Engine Specialist: Robert Brandt

Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Spotter: Tim Fedewa

Hometown: Holt, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Crew Members:

Front Tire Changer: Shayne Pipala

Hometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith

Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Mike “Shrek” Morneau

Hometown: Oxford, Maine

Gas Man: Evan Marchal

Hometown: Westfield, Indiana

Jackman: Stan Dolittle

Hometown: Ninety Six, South Carolina

Windshield: Shawn Hopkins (also serves as interior mechanic)

Hometown: Chesterfield, Virginia

Darlington Notes of Interest:

· Dynamic Duo: While this is Harvick’s 20th year in the NASCAR Cup Series, it’s his seventh with crew chief Rodney Childers, which is the longest pairing of any current driver-crew chief combination. Since joining forces at Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) in 2014, Harvick and Childers have combined to produce 27 points-paying victories, a victory in the non-points-paying 2018 NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, 25 Busch poles, 109 top-five finishes and 158 top-10s while leading 9,929 laps. They won the 2014 championship, finished runner-up in the 2015 title chase to champion Kyle Busch, finished eighth in 2016 and third in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

· Harvick has career totals of 50 wins, 31 poles, 209 top-fives, 367 top-10s and 14,352 laps led in 687 starts.

· His most recent Cup Series win came on Sunday at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

· His most recent Busch Pole came in November 2019 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.

· Harvick’s 50 career NASCAR Cup Series victories puts him in a tie with NASCAR Hall of

Famers Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson for 13th on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins list. He is third on the active driver list behind Jimmie Johnson and Busch. Harvick’s is four wins behind Lee Petty for 12th on the all-time wins list.

· At the Homestead season finale in 2019, Harvick became just the 11th driver to have led 14,000 laps in his NASCAR career. He’s led 14,352 and trails 10th-place Busch, who has led 17,445, and Johnson, who is ninth with 18,856 laps led.

· Points Position: Harvick arrives at Darlington first in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with 218 points, 28 markers ahead of second-place Alex Bowman.

· Darlington Numerology – Harvick has two wins, three poles, nine top-five finishes, 12 top-10s and has led a total of 740 laps in his 24 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington. His average start is 14.0, his average finish is 13.8 and he has a lap-completion rate of 96.2 percent, 8,135 of the 8,452 laps available.

· Harvick at Darlington since 2014 – The combination of Harvick competing at Darlington in SHR equipment is impressive. In his last seven NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington – all of which have come with SHR, he has finished inside of the top-10 in each, with two wins and four other top-fives. He has an average finish of 3.9 during that span. And of the 740 laps Harvick has led at Darlington dating back to his rookie year in 2001, a total of 677 (more than 91 percent) have come with SHR despite only seven (29 percent) of his 24 Darlington starts being with SHR.

· Xfinity and Trucks at Darlington: Harvick has competed in 16 NASCAR Xfinity Series races with three top-fives and nine top-10s with one pole position (August 2003). He has driven in two NASCAR Gander Outdoors & RV Truck Series events with a best finish of fourth in March 2002.

· 111 and Counting – Harvick scored his 100th career win in NASCAR’s top three series with his March 2018 Las Vegas win. He now has 111 total victories – 50 in the Cup Series, 47 in the Xfinity Series and 14 in the Truck Series. Only three other drivers in NASCAR history have passed 100 wins in NASCAR’s top three series: Richard Petty, David Pearson and Busch.

COLE CUSTER A Second Consecutive Cup Series Start at Darlington

by MikeMay 19, 2020

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (May 18, 2020) – Cole Custer and the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) head back to Darlington (S.C.) Raceway on Wednesday for the second consecutive event at the egg-shaped oval. Custer’s Mustang will once again highlight 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.

After much anticipation, the 2020 NASCAR season resumed Sunday with a 400-mile race at Darlington. Custer received the 14th starting position after a drawing was held to set the field. The Cup Series rookie had a strong run in Stage 1 of the race but, after his car’s handling tightened up, he was relegated to a 22nd-place result. The 22-year-old feels fortunate to have another opportunity to master the South Carolina “Track Too Tough To Tame” Wednesday night.
“I think we definitely made gains during Sunday’s race,” Custer said. “The car drove fairly well. I think if I would’ve gotten a little more confident with running the wall, that we could’ve had a better day. I think we’re going in the right direction. It’s just a matter of working out the little things and being a rookie, and we’ll be on the right track.”
Riding along with the California native for Wednesday’s race will be Novant Health employee Dean Hines. Hines is part of NASCAR’s support of The Real Heroes initiative. He has been a patient transporter at Novant Health Matthews Medical Center since 2011. Hines, who calls himself a

huge NASCAR fan, is from Kinston, North Carolina. Hines is said to always put his patients first

. His contributions to the hospital, especially during these uncertain times, warrant the honor of him riding along with Custer at Darlington. Hines’ patients are always complimenting him for instinctively knowing how to comfort them with his kind words of healing and understanding

during their darkest times. Along with his passion for people, Hines also enjoys playing multiple musical instruments with his band on the weekends.
SHR has 39 starts at Darlington and two victories, both earned by No. 4 driver Kevin Harvick – one in 2014, and most recently on Sunday after Harvick led a race-high 159 laps. In total, the Kannapolis-based Ford team has 11 top-fives and 19 top-10s in the Cup Series at the South Carolina track.
Harvick hit a career win milestone with Sunday’s victory. “It’s pretty cool seeing Kevin get to 50 wins,” Custer said. “He’s been on a tear and it’s pretty impressive to watch. Being able to be this close to it and see how he goes about it, and how he prepares for a weekend and thinks about things. I think he’s different than anybody else on how he puts it all together, and I’m sure he’s going to win a lot more races.”
Haas Automation, founded in 1983 by SHR co-owner Haas, is America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. The company manufactures a complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers and rotary tables and indexers. All Haas products are constructed in the company’s 1.1-million-square-foot manufacturing facility in Oxnard, California, and distributed through a worldwide network of Haas Factory Outlets.
Even though Custer had a trio of starts in the Cup Series in 2018, 2020 officially marks his Rookie of the Year campaign in NASCAR’s most prestigious series. He’s competing for rookie honors with notables Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick. The three have battled against each other in the Xfinity Series and are making the full-time transition to the Cup Series together. Custer was the third-highest-finishing rookie at Darlington Sunday and looks to improve his position Wednesday night.

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

What did race day feel like Sunday after the 10-week hiatus?
“It was definitely different. I think the strangest thing was how quiet it was before and after the race, without the fans. But other than that, it was kind of back to normal – driving to the track and climbing in the car. But it was definitely strange not having the fans there.”

What was it like to start a race after such a long break without practice or qualifying?

“It was a little tough to start the race after the long break and no practice or qualifying. It left you guessing a little bit more. I felt like we fired off pretty good and the guys had built a great car. It was well prepared for the race. It’s just those little things that you try and work through in practice, but you don’t have that time to work through them now. You just have to jump into it, so it might lead to more mistakes, when more experienced guys might have more of an advantage.”
Once the race started, did it take some time get acclimated?
“I feel like the first lap was pretty good. I was pretty well adjusted to it. I think the biggest thing that I had to get acclimated to was just how I was going to run this car that I’ve never run before. The different lines, and how I was going to work the racetrack and do everything involved with that. It was just a matter of me getting used to the car.”
Was the level of difficulty even higher because of the nature of the Darlington track, and a race that’s notoriously difficult even with hours of track time beforehand?
“It was definitely a little bit difficult because it was Darlington but, at the same time, you try and do as much preparation as you can. Get yourself in the mindset of which different lines you’ll be running, working the dirty air and things like that. It would’ve been nice to test some of those things during practice, but I feel like we all do a pretty good job of showing up to the racetrack and being ready.”
Do you think you’ll feel much more comfortable coming back to Darlington Wednesday? What did you learn from Sunday’s race that you’ll apply when you return Wednesday?
“I think going back on Wednesday I’ll be a lot more comfortable. Just kind of being used to the whole racetrack and being confident in moving my car around is probably the biggest thing. I was pretty conservative with running the top during the race because I didn’t want to hit the wall my first time there and ruin our day. I think going back I’ll have a good feel for it to be aggressive.”
Any big similarities or differences from racing the Xfinity Series car there to now having done it in the Cup car?
“I definitely feel like there were a decent amount of similarities to the Xfinity car, how you got around the corner and which lines you would run, and stuff like that. I think the biggest thing is how you work traffic and how you want to pass people. I think traffic was the biggest thing that was different.”

Mike Shiplett: Crew Chief of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What did you learn during yesterday’s race that you’ll apply when we return on Wednesday?
“Since it was Cole’s first time with these cars at Darlington, we learned a lot for the race we will have on Wednesday. The track will be different since it is a night race, so we will have to make a few small adjustments.”
How good did it feel to hear cars on the track after 70 days without activity, see people in the garage, etc.?
“It was good to get back to the track and keep Cole’s rookie year going. We had a lot of plans for the early races this year that we had to make adjustments for to start the new 2020 season. We were following all of NASCAR’s protocols, so we didn’t get to talk much to the other teams.”
Your overall assessment of how NASCAR and the teams did with being organized and following the new and different policies and procedures at-track?
“NASCAR and the team did a great job with getting us back to racing.”
Now that Cole has one Cup Series race under his belt at Darlington, is there anything in particular that you’ll focus on for Wednesday that you think could really help him?
“We are going to work on the things that will get us the most speed moving into the race on Wednesday, now that he understands the lines he needs to run with this car.

No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Team Report
Race 6 of 36 – Darlington 500k – Darlington

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

Darlington Raceway Notes of Interest:

Cole Custer will make his second Darlington (S.C.) Raceway NASCAR Cup Series start Sunday, bringing his total career Cup Series starts to nine.
The 22-year-old finished 22nd at Darlington on Sunday behind the wheel of 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 HaasTooling.com driver has three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 1.366-mile track in South Carolina. His lone victory at Darlington came last year after the original winner was disqualified. In 2018, Custer finished the race second in only his second Xfinity Series start. In all three career Xfinity Series outings, he has started and finished inside the top-10.

ARIC ALMIROLA Back-to-Back Darlington Action

by MikeMay 19, 2020

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (May 18, 2020) – The No. 10 Smithfield / #GoodFoodChallenge Ford Mustang team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) returned to live racing Sunday at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, where driver Aric Almirola started fifth by a random draw and finished 12th to advance one position in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings. The team sits seventh with 151 points – 67 out of first place. SHR teammate Kevin Harvick dominated the race to earn his first win of the season.

Almirola raced inside the top-five in the first stage and earned six stage points. He was forced to race his way back through the field after an uncontrolled tire penalty forced him to the rear of the field in the second stage. He gained four positions on the final restart and held the Smithfield/#GoodFoodChallenge Ford just outside the top-10 before the checkered flag waved. He was the second highest-finishing SHR driver.

“Overall, it was a good day after earning some stage points and moving up in the standings, but we’ve got some rust to knock off,” Almirola said. “The Smithfield car was good until we lost track position and, when we finally had the opportunity to run back toward the top-10, it was toward the end of the race. We definitely learned a lot that we can take back on Wednesday. That’s the good thing. We know where our weakness is and now we just need to get

buttoned up and run a clean race.”

Without a single practice lap or qualifying, Almirola and crew chief Mike Bugarewicz were put to the test. Communication was key and patience led the team to progress in the point standings.

“We have a few areas to fine-tune on our team,” Bugarewicz said. “We show potential every week to run top-10 and top-five. We just need to clean up a few areas and we’ll be in good shape.”

Advancing one position in the standings wasn’t the only positive during the team’s return to racing. Almirola and Smithfield teamed up to bring meals to families in need through Smithfield’s #GoodFoodChallenge.

From last Tuesday through May 21, Smithfield and Almirola are conducting the #GoodFoodChallenge. Smithfield launched the campaign amid the COVID-19 outbreak and has donated more than 40 million servings of protein to Feeding America – Now fans are asked to continue to help. The easiest way is via social media posts using the hashtag #GoodFoodChallenge, which automatically donates 10 meals to Feeding America through Smithfield. They can also visit www.SmithfieldGoodFoodChallenge.com if they’d like to donate monetarily.

Fans and industry members have rallied around the cause with an abundance of social media posts during Sunday’s The Real Heroes 400. Almirola and the Smithfield/#GoodFoodChallenge Ford team look to continue that charitable momentum Wednesday night.

Wednesday’s race will also again support The Real Heroes project by recognizing a front-line health care worker by replacing Almirola’s name above his driver-side door with that of Clayton Vaught, a supervisor of diagnostic radiology at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center. Vaught’s work ethic is said to be second to none. He is thought of as a tremendous leader and team player. He works at Novant Health and Stone institute, a urology group that takes care of kidney stones. Vaught is a die-hard NASCAR fan who, throughout the years, has hosted a group of more than 30 fans at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway campgrounds and fires up the grill for everyone involved. Clayton is in the market for a new favorite NASCAR driver.

“It’s people like Clayton who make all of this possible,” Almirola said. “Without our front-line health care workers, we wouldn’t be racing on Wednesday. Hopefully, I can win him over and gain a new fan.”

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

How was it finally getting back to racing?

“I’m proud of everybody. I’m proud of NASCAR for being the first sport to get things going again. It was kind of eerie to walk out to pit road and not see anyone in the grandstands, but it sure felt good to get back in the racecar and that thrill of competition was much needed. I hope everybody enjoyed it and I hope everybody started getting their fix on sports from watching us race. We’re one step closer to getting back to normal.”

What would it mean to win at Darlington?

“It is such a physically demanding track, it’s such a demanding track on the car, on the crew, on everybody. When you win at Darlington, you’ve done something. Darlington is just a really tough racetrack. It’s called ‘Too Tough to Tame’ and the ‘Lady in Black’ for a reason. It such a challenging place. To go there and have success, to walk away with a trophy, is a bucket list kind of race that you want to win.”

No. 10 Smithfield/#GoodFoodChallenge Ford Mustang Team Report
Round 6 of 36 – Darlington 500k – Darlington (S.C.) Raceway

Car No. 10: Smithfield/#GoodFoodChallenge Ford Mustang Team Report

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

Primary Team:

Driver: Aric Almirola

Hometown: Tampa, Florida

Crew Chief: Mike Bugarewicz

Hometown: Lehighton, Pennsylvania

Car Chief: Jerry Cook

Hometown: Toledo, Ohio

Engine Builder: Roush Yates Racing

Headquarters: Mooresville, North Carolina

Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller

Hometown: Monroe, New York

Spotter: Joel Edmonds

Hometown: Dobson, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Crew:

Gas Man: James “Ace” Keener

Hometown: Fortuna, California

Front Tire Changer: Clay Robinson

Hometown: Simi Valley, Calif.

Tire Carrier: Tyler Bullard

Hometown: King, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Chris McMullen

Hometown: Canton, Michigan

Jackman: Corbin Martin

Hometown: Winston Salem, North Carolina

Notes of Interest

● Almirola will make his 10th Cup Series start at Darlington Wednesday to bring his total of career Cup Series starts to 322.

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

o Almirola’s best finish at Darlington was 11th in 2015.

● Career: Almirola has career totals of two wins, two poles, 18 top-five finishes, 63 top-10s and 543 laps led in 321 starts.

● Points: Almirola sits seventh in the season standings with 151 points – 67 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.

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

● #GoodFoodChallenge: As a food company, Almirola’s longtime sponsor Smithfield Foods has a responsibility to ensure the continuity of our nation’s food supply during this difficult time. In doing so, it has committed to donating more than 40 million servings of protein to Feeding America and its nationwide network of food banks in response to COVID-19. As the company continues to help communities across America, it invite everyone to join its journey in support of Feeding America by participating in the Good Food Challenge. Participating is easy – simply type the three words of the hashtag #GoodFoodChallenge on social media to automatically donate 10 meals to Feeding America on behalf of Smithfield Foods. Donations can also be made via the www.SmithfieldGoodFoodChallenge.com to donate. With such a simple task, large amounts of protein can be made to food banks across the nation.

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

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

Martin Truex Jr. – No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry Preview – The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway

by MikeMay 14, 2020

No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry News and Notes

TRUEX AT DARLINGTON: In 14 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington Raceway, Martin Truex Jr. has earned one victory, two top-five finishes and six top-10s. The Mayetta, New Jersey native led 28 laps on his way to winning the 2016 Southern 500 at the historical track and has led laps in three of the past four Darlington races. The track was also the site of Truex clinching the 2004 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship driving the No. 8 car for Chance2 Motorsports.
LAST TIME AT DARLINGTON: Truex finished 15^th in last fall’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. After starting 22^nd, he methodically climbed his way into the 10 before a loose wheel during stage two forced him to make an unscheduled pit stop that dropped him off the lead lap and he was never able to recover the lost time.
FIRST FOUR RACES: The No. 19 driver ranks 15^th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings through the opening four races of the season. According to NASCAR Loop Data, Truex ranks in the top 10 in average running position, fastest drivers early in a run, fastest laps run, green flag speed, laps in the top 15, laps led and percentage of laps run on the lead lap.
STRONG IN THE STAGES: As a sign that Truex and the No. 19 team continue to be contenders at the front of the pack, he ranks third in stage points earned so far this season despite having to start from the rear of the field at Auto Club Speedway and Phoenix Raceway. Counting stage points earned in the four races (including the Duels at Daytona), Truex has claimed 46 stage points. Only Chase Elliott (50) and Joey Logano (47) have earned more.
iRACING EXPERIENCE: Truex competed in the final eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race last Saturday at the virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway. After starting 14^th, he was collected in an early accident and suffered front-end damage to his No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry. Despite the misfortune, he rallied to as high as seventh before being involved in another incident late that dropped him to a 20^th-place finish.
THE REAL HEROES PROJECT: As part of The Real Heroes Project campaign, the No. 19 Camry will carry the name of Dr. Wheeler Jervis above the driver’s window for Sunday’s race at Darlington Raceway. Dr. Jervis is a critical care physician and medical director of the Intensive Care Unit at Novant Health hospitals in Charlotte, North Carolina. During the COVID-19 crisis, Dr. Jervis and his team of doctors, nurses and other healthcare experts are managing the care of numerous critically ill people in the intensive care unit. The Novant Health connection is a personal one for Truex as his foundation works closely with the hospital on a number of projects, including the Novant Health Martin Truex Jr. Foundation Children’s Emergency Department at Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center and Novant Health SherryStrong Integrative Medicine Oncology Clinic that are both currently under construction.
BASS PRO SHOPS: A longtime supporter of Truex and NASCAR, Bass Pro Shops will be featured as primary sponsor of the No. 19 Camry for Sunday’s race at Darlington Raceway. Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri. Today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more.
JGR AT DARLINGTON: Joe Gibbs Racing owns seven NASCAR Cup Series victories at Darlington Raceway, including Erik Jones’ win last season. Overall, the organization has amassed 24 top-five finishes, 52 top-10s, two pole awards and 1,595 laps led in 88 combined starts at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval.
TUNE IN: Coverage of this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway begins Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

Martin Truex Jr., Driver of the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry

Talk about getting back to racing this weekend in Darlington…

“Everyone is excited to get back going and to put on a good show for everyone tuning in. This is a huge opportunity for our sport and one we all are taking very seriously to take the proper precautions during this time. From a racing standpoint, it is going to be different. To not have any practice or qualifying will be different from our typical weekends, but it is the same for everyone. I have confidence James (Small, crew chief) and our guys are prepared. We feel good about our chances at Darlington with how we have run there the past few years.”

Truex NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Darlington Raceway