Brandon Jones and the No. 19 Menards/Jeld-Wen team charge into Daytona for the 2021 Xfinity Series season kickoff this Saturday. Jones finished 2020 with his personal best performance with a career-high three wins and his first career Truck Series win while notching a career-high 10 top-five and 19 top-10 finishes. (more…)
Brandon Jones – No. 19 Menards/Pelonis Toyota Supra Race Advance – Bristol Motor Speedway (NXS)
No. 19 Menards / PELONIS Toyota Supra News and Notes:
- NASCAR UPDATE: Due to travel and setup challenges, NASCAR announced that the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Cheddar’s 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway has been moved to Monday, June 1 at 7 p.m. ET.
- IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Jones and the 19 Menards/Pelonis team head to the last great colosseum, Bristol Motor Speedway. This will be Jones’ 10th NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) career-start on the 0.533-mile high-banked concrete oval. Jones is locked into the playoffs. He is coming off a strong run at Charlotte and Bristol is one of his strongest tracks. The team has had a couple of tough finishes in the first two races after the 10 week hiatus, but they have had a very strong Toyota Supra and they are focused on getting back to their early season form and are very motivated, confident and are focused on getting back in victory lane. Bristol is the perfect track to make it happen.
- XFINITY TO SALUTE EMPLOYEE HEROS: On Monday, June 1 during the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Xfinity will salute a variety of military veteran frontline employees for their efforts in response to the crisis, including 23 employees across the company that are actively serving on the frontlines in the National Guard and reserve to keep communities safe and connected. These employee names will replace the Xfinity logo that typically adorns the windshield headers of each race car and be featured in a special patriotic red, white and blue design that showcases the support Xfinity provides to military veteran employees that are holding true to the company’s core service values.
- “Our 19 team is honored to have Freddy Canales riding along with us at Bristol,” stated Brandon Jones. “He works for Xfinity and is actively serving in response to the pandemic through the Army National Guard.”
- JGR AT BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY: JGR has 99 total starts at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NXS, earning 13 wins, 32 top-five finishes, 47 top-10 finishes and 10 pole-starting positions. The team has led 3,177 laps and earned an average start of 11.2 and an average finish of 14.5.
- RACE INFO: Cheddar’s 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway (.533-mile) begins at 7:00 p.m.ET on Monday, June 1, 2020. The race will be broadcast live on FS1, SiriusXM Channel 90 and PRN Radio.
Jones’ Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats at Bristol Motor Speedway:
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 136 | 10.1 | 14.8 |
Jones’ 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish |
| 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 97 | 5.7 | 14.7 |
Jones’ Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish |
| 143 | 2 | 11 | 53 | 3 | 437 | 12.6 | 15.8 |
From the Cockpit:
Brandon Jones: “We had a very strong Toyota at Charlotte Motor Speedway this past Monday. We certainly had a winning car but unfortunately were presented with a few challenges that prevented us from having the strong finish we were capable of having. Now it’s time to respond with a strong showing this weekend at Bristol. I am really looking forward to racing on one of my favorite tracks. It’s a unique short track with a concrete surface and very steep banking that can reach high speeds. Bristol is one of my best tracks where I have a lot of confidence and have led several laps there, with multiple close wins. I have had this race circled on my calendar all year. As drivers we are constantly weaving in and out to avoid lap traffic and competitors which I know makes for a good race to watch for fans. The track is constantly changing as rubber builds up. Lines will be alternating and trying to be the first to figure out which lane is the fastest will be a challenge; but a challenge we are highly capable of. Our team keeps bringing fast cars and everyone on the team is working extremely hard. There is no better track to be going to this weekend and our Menards team is very motivated.
TRD has done a great job recreating the track on their simulator all the way down to the traction compound that gets put down on the surface. This week I put in another great amount of work and effort between the simulator, training and getting myself prepared for Bristol. Our No. 19 team will have Menards and Pelonis back on our Supra. We are focused on giving it a fight and getting our team back in victory lane to give Menards the strong finish that they deserve.”
About Menards: A family owned company started in 1958, Menards is headquartered in Eau Claire, WI. Menards has more than 300 retail stores located throughout the Midwest in the states of IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI and WY. Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader. It’s famous slogan “Save Big Money at Menards” is widely known and easy to remember. For more information, visit Menards.com, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.
DiBenedetto Finishes 15th at Charlotte
After a promising start to Thursday’s Alsco Uniforms 500-kilometer Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/Richmond team struggled with a loose handing condition for the remainder of the race and wound up with a 15th-place finish.
DiBenedetto started fourth when the line-up was set using a modified inversion of the finish of Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, where he finished 17th.
On the start of Thursday’s 208-lap race, he pushed pole-sitter William Byron into the lead going into Turns One and Two then passed him for the lead down the backstretch.
He led the next nine laps then retook the top spot on the 11th lap for a total of 10 laps led. It was the second-straight race he’s been out front, the first being the six circuits he led in the Coca-Cola 600.
After losing the top spot DiBenedetto continued to keep pace with the front-runners and ended the first 55-lap Stage in third place, collecting eight Stage points.
But from then on to the finish, the loose handling conditions persisted, hampering his progress in a race that ended with a 59-lap green-flag run to the finish.
“The car got really loose, and with it being a short race we never really got a handle on it,” DiBenedetto said. “We worked on the car, but it just wasn’t responding to the adjustments we made.
“But it was good to lead the race, and the Stage points helped make our day not too bad. They saved us a little.”
DiBenedetto remains 11th in the Cup Series standings as and the No. 21 team head to Bristol Motor Speedway, one of his best tracks and where he finished second last fall driving for another team.
“I’m ready to go to a short track and get away from these mile-and-a-half tracks for a weekend,” he said.
Sunday’s Food City presents the Supermarket Heroes 500, for which there will be no practice or qualifying, is set to start just after 3:30 p.m. with TV coverage on FOX Sports One.
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Menards
A family owned company started in 1958, Menards is headquartered in Eau Claire, WI. Menards has more than 300 retail stores located throughout the Midwest in the states of IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI and WY. Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader. It’s famous slogan “Save Big Money at Menards” is widely known and easy to remember. For more information, visit Menards.com, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.
Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Matt DiBenedetto in the famous No. 21 racer.
DiBenedetto Finishes 17th in the Coca-Cola 600
Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/FVP team had an up-and-down day in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway before ending up 17th at the finish.
The day started on the down side as the Menards Mustang was super loose in the first qualifying session held since the Cup Series resumed racing following a 10-week halt due to the coronavirus. DiBenedetto lost control and bounced off the wall, forcing the team to pull out a back-up Mustang.
That meant he had to start the 600-mile marathon from the rear of the pack.
The drop of the green flag was the start of an upswing for DiBenedetto and the Menards/FVP team. He made up 16 positions before the caution flag flew at Lap 20.
By Lap 30 he was up to 15th place and was running there on Lap 49 when the race was halted for 68 minutes due to rain.
Back on the track, DiBenedetto continued to struggle with a loose handling condition and dropped to 20th place, so when the caution flag flew just after Lap 100 for the end of Stage One, he headed to pit road for a series of adjustments to the No. 21 Mustang.
He returned to the track and passed several cars, but at the end of Stage Two was running 23rd, one lap down.
Throughout most of the third 100-lap Stage, DiBenedetto ran in the free-pass position and finally was able to rejoin the lead lap when the caution flag flew at Lap 277 for a spin by Matt Kenseth.
Back on the move forward, he finished the third 100-lap Stage in 15th place.
A call to take just two tires on the pit stop at the end of the Stage propelled DiBenedetto into the lead, and he led Laps 304-306 under the caution flag and restarted as the leader.
He led three more laps once the green flag flew again before the drivers who took four tires overtook him.
DiBenedetto ran mostly in the top 10 over the final 100 laps. He was in 11th place when the caution flag flew with two of the scheduled 400 laps remaining for a blown tire by William Byron.
That sent the race into overtime.
DiBenedetto stayed on the track while other pitted for fresh tires, so he restarted seventh for the green-white-checkered-flag run to the finish.
But the final two laps didn’t work out in his favor, and he wound up 18th at the finish. He picked up one spot when the car of apparent runner-up Jimmie Johnson was disqualified for failing a post-race inspection.
Eddie Wood said he was proud of his team’s efforts throughout the day on Sunday.
“They never gave up,” he said. “We went from having to go to a back-up car to losing a lap to leading the race.
“We were able to honor Major Lucas Gruenther as part of the 600 Miles of Remembrance, and the sport as a whole did a nice job of honoring all the servicemembers who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
“And we congratulate Brad Keselowski, Jeremy Bullins and Team Penske on their well-deserved victory.”
DiBenedetto and the No. 21 team, now 11th in the Cup standings, return to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday night for a 500-kilometer (312-mile) race that will be broadcast on FOX Sports One.
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Menards
A family owned company started in 1958, Menards is headquartered in Eau Claire, WI. Menards has more than 300 retail stores located throughout the Midwest in the states of IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI and WY. Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader. It’s famous slogan “Save Big Money at Menards” is widely known and easy to remember. For more information, visit Menards.com, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.
Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Matt DiBenedetto in the famous No. 21 racer.
Wood Brothers Racing: A Memorial Day Weekend Tradition
Fresh off a ninth-place finish at Darlington Raceway on Wednesday night, Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/FVP team head to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Cup circuit’s annual Memorial Day weekend tradition – the Coca-Cola 600.
DiBenedetto, who enters the weekend ninth in the Cup standings, said he’s expecting to run well in his first start there in the iconic No. 21 Mustang.
“It’s a fun place to race,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
DiBenedetto, driving for another team last year, had a fast car in for the Monster Energy Open that preceded the All-Star race at Charlotte, finishing fourth. He said he can build on that as well as his second-place finish earlier this year at a similar track – Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“We were fast at the end at Las Vegas, so I feel good about that,” he said. “And Greg (Erwin, crew chief) and the people on the team feel good about the car and the set-up.”
The Wood Brothers will be making their 117th start at Charlotte, where they have six wins, 24 top-five and 39 top-10 finishes. They also have 19 poles, including 13 in a row from 1973-1979.
As part of NASCAR’s and Charlotte Motor Speedway’s annual 600 Miles of Remembrance, each car in the Coca-Cola 600 will carry the name of a service member who died serving their country.
This year, the Menards/FVP Mustang will carry the name of Air Force Major Lucas F. Gruenther, who was an F-16 Flight Lead and the Chief of Flight Safety for the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base in Italy.
As Chief of Flight Safety, he developed and executed all aspects of the wing commander’s flight safety mishap prevention and response program. He was responsible for conducting mishap investigations and safety inspections. Additionally, Major Gruenther directed various working groups, wrote and maintained the wing Mishap Response Plan, and coordinated safety concerns on all matters relating to airfield construction and maintenance.
Major Gruenther earned his commission from the United States Air Force Academy in 2003, where he was a Distinguished Graduate and member of the Parachute Team, the “Wings of Blue.”
He had more than 400 combat hours, including his service in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Major Gruenther, from Twain Harte, Calif., died Jan. 28, 2013, from injuries suffered when he ejected from his F-16 during a nighttime training flight.
He is survived by his daughter Serene Gruenther, who was born on February 7, 2013, just after he died, and his wife of seven years, Cassy Gruenther. He also is survived by his mother Romel Mathias, and numerous other relatives and friends.
Qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, at 2:05 p.m., and the race is set to start just after 6 p.m., also on Sunday, with TV coverage on FOX.
There will be no practice, and fans will not be allowed at the track.
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Menards
A family owned company started in 1958, Menards is headquartered in Eau Claire, WI. Menards has more than 300 retail stores located throughout the Midwest in the states of IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI and WY. Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader. It’s famous slogan “Save Big Money at Menards” is widely known and easy to remember. For more information, visit Menards.com, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.
Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Matt DiBenedetto in the famous No. 21 racer.
Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 – Back to Racing at Richmond
After a week off for Easter, Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/Richmond Water Heaters Ford Mustang return to the world of virtual racing with the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at Richmond Raceway. (more…)
Brandon Jones Returning to KBM for Four Races in the No. 51 Tundra
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 11, 2020) – Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) announced today that Brandon Jones, the most recent winner in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, will return to the organization for four races in the No. 51 Tundra during the 2020 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series season.
Busch Clash At DAYTONA Moving to DIS Road Course, New Date in 2021
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 4, 2020) – In a response to fans’ increased interest in road-course races, Daytona International Speedway announced today that the Busch Clash At DAYTONA will move to the speedway’s 3.56-mile road course and be held under the lights on Tuesday, Feb. 9, making the annual preseason NASCAR Cup Series event one of the most unique in all of motorsports. (more…)
Denny Hamlin Defends DAYTONA 500 Championship in NASCAR Double-Overtime Finish
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 17, 2020) – Denny Hamlin became the fourth driver to win back-to-back DAYTONA 500s on Monday night, winning the 62nd running of “The Great American Race” in a NASCAR Overtime finish at Daytona International Speedway. (more…)
Noah Gragson Wins NASCAR Racing Experience 300
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 15, 2020) – Noah Gragson won the NASCAR Racing Experience 300 on Saturday to open the NASCAR Xfinity Series season at Daytona International Speedway. (more…)
Grant Enfinger Wins 21st Annual NextEra Energy 250 in ‘NASCAR Overtime’
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 14, 2020) – In a dramatic three-wide, fender-banging finish to open the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series season, Grant Enfinger won Friday night’s 21st annual NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway in “NASCAR Overtime.” (more…)
NASCAR Cup Series News and Notes – 2020 Daytona 500
NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: Daytona 500
The Place: Daytona International Speedway
The Date: Sunday, February 16
The Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
TV: FOX, 2 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 500 miles (200 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 65),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 130), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)
2019 Race Winner: Denny Hamlin (more…)
Joey Logano, William Byron Win Bluegreen Vacations Duel At DAYTONA Races
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 13, 2020) – Former DAYTONA 500 champion Joey Logano and William Byron won the Bluegreen Vacations Duel At DAYTONA races Thursday night at Daytona International Speedway, earning second-row starting positions for Sunday’s 62nd annual DAYTONA 500 (2:30 p.m. ET; TV–FOX; Radio–MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio), the season-opening race for the NASCAR Cup Series. (more…)
Tickets for 62nd Annual DAYTONA 500 Sold Out
Fifth Consecutive Year that ‘The Great American Race’ has Sold Out
Tickets for the 2021 DAYTONA 500 Available Through Pre-Sale
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 13, 2020) – Reserved tickets for the 62nd annual DAYTONA 500, the tradition-rich, prestigious season-opening event for the NASCAR Cup Series, are sold out, Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile announced today. This is the fifth consecutive year that the DAYTONA 500 has sold out. (more…)
Air Force Technical Sergeant Nalani Quintello to Perform National Anthem Prior to 62nd DAYTONA 500
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 4, 2020) – Technical Sergeant Nalani Quintello, acclaimed vocalist with Max Impact, the United States Air Force Band, will perform the National Anthem prior to the 62nd annual DAYTONA 500 on Feb. 16 at Daytona International Speedway. (more…)
DAYTONA Speedweeks On-Track NASCAR Action Complemented by Off-Track Activities
DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Presented By Kroger/Busch Clash At DAYTONA Doubleheader Feb. 9
Popular USAC Quarter-Midgets Returning to DIS on Feb. 5-9
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 29, 2020) – The first week of DAYTONA Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth is the ultimate stage-setter for this year’s big show on Sunday, Feb. 16, the 62nd annual DAYTONA 500. (more…)
WWE Superstar Sheamus Named Honorary Pace Car Driver for 62nd DAYTONA 500
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 28, 2020) – Four-time World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Champion Sheamus will serve as the Honorary Pace Car Driver for the 62nd annual DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 16 at Daytona International Speedway, behind the wheel of a 2020 Toyota Camry TRD. (more…)
USAF Thunderbirds To Perform Flyover at 2020 DAYTONA 500
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 7, 2020) – The world-renowned U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will perform the flyover for the 62nd annual DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 16 at Daytona International Speedway, the prestigious season-opening event to the NASCAR Cup Series (FOX, FOX Deportes, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). (more…)
Denny Hamlin Wins DAYTONA 500 for 2nd Time
DAYTONA BEACH (Feb. 17, 2019) – Denny Hamlin won the 61st annual DAYTONA 500 Sunday at Daytona International Speedway, his second triumph in “The Great American Race.”
In the process, he delivered a special ending to a special day for Joe Gibbs Racing. The organization honored Joe Gibbs’ late son J.D. Gibbs on Lap 11, as crew members stood on pit wall as a tribute. J.D. Gibbs, who passed away last month due to a neurological disease, wore No. 11 as a high school football player and later, as a race car driver himself. Hamlin’s car number: 11. (more…)
Former Champions Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano Win Gander RV Duel Races, Earn Row 2 Starting Spots for 61st Annual DAYTONA 500
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 14, 2019) – Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano won the two Gander RV Duel races Thursday night at Daytona International Speedway, securing second-row starting positions for Sunday’s 61st annual DAYTONA 500 (2:30 p.m. ET; TV–FOX; Radio–MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio), the season-opening race for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. (more…)