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FedEx Racing Express Facts – Charlotte Motor Speedway

by MikeMay 26, 2020

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

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

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

Hamlin Statistics:

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway

Races: 28

Wins: 0

Poles: 2

Top-5: 9

Top-10: 17

Laps Led: 377

Avg. Start: 10.9

Avg. Finish: 12.9

Hamlin Conversation – Alsco Uniforms 500:

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

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

Is your strategy different with a shorter race?

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

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

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

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

by MikeMay 26, 2020

No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry News and Notes

TRUEX AT CHARLOTTE: Martin Truex Jr. has three wins in 28 career NASCAR Cup Series starts on the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval layout. The Mayetta, New Jersey native has posted seven top-five results in the past nine races on the track’s 1.5-mile configuration. His 1,059 laps led at Charlotte rank third amongst all active drivers.
COCA-COLA 600 RECAP: Truex finished second in the opening two stages of Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and backed that up with a fifth-place result in stage three before ultimately finishing sixth. On the night, he led 87 laps, earned a race-high 56 points and led all drivers with a 2.76-average finishing position.
RETURN TO RACING = RETURN TO FORM: The No. 19 team has scored the most points over the past three races since NASCAR’s return to racing on May 17. Counting the two Darlington races and Sunday’s 600-miler at Charlotte, Truex racked up 139 points. The next-best driver over that span scored 128.
STAGE SUCCESS: Truex ranks second amongst all NASCAR Cup Series drivers in stage points earned through the season’s first seven races. After picking up 25 stage points Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Truex has now accumulated 92 stage points so far this season.
BASS PRO SHOPS: A longtime supporter of Truex and NASCAR, Bass Pro Shops will be featured as primary sponsor of the No. 19 Camry for Wednesday night’s race in Charlotte. Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri. Today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more.
JGR AT CHARLOTTE: Joe Gibbs Racing has earned seven victories at Charlotte Motor Speedway, including the 2018 and 2019 Coca-Cola 600s. Overall, the organization has tallied 52 top-five finishes, 80 top-10s, 10 pole awards and 3,760 laps led at the 1.5-mile quad-oval. Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart join Truex on the list of drivers to take JGR to victory lane at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
TUNE IN: Coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway begins Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, PRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

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

How do you approach Wednesday’s night’s much shorter race with the inverted starting lineup?

“It’s going to be tough with the invert. I think that’s going to be a big deal after everybody gets a chance to work on their cars and the track just seemed like it was really one groove and really, really difficult to pass during the 600. You give everybody two or three days to work on their cars and everybody is going to be closer yet. The invert is going to be a challenge in the shorter race for sure. We’ll see what we can do with it and do our best.”

Truex NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Oval)

Starts		Wins		Top 5		Top 10		Poles		Laps Led		Avg. Start		Avg. Finish
28		3		7		12		1		1,059		16.5		13.8

Truex 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats

Starts		Wins		Top 5		Top 10		Poles		Laps Led		Avg. Start		Avg. Finish
7		0		0		3		0		118		15.0		17.1

Truex NASCAR Cup Series Career Stats

Starts		Wins		Top 5		Top 10		Poles		Laps Led		Avg. Start		Avg. Finish
520		26		102		208		19		9,024		14.4		15.8

About Bass Pro Shops®

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

Stewart-Haas Racing: Chase Briscoe NXS Race Report from Charlotte

by MikeMay 26, 2020

Date: May 25, 2020

Event: Alsco 300 (Round 6 of 33)

Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series

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

Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/110 laps)

Start/Finish: 8th/20th(Running, completed 200 of 203 laps)

Point Standing: 1st (251 points, eight ahead of second place)

Note: Race extended three laps past its scheduled 200-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Overview:

Fresh off a victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ previous race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Chase Briscoe was poised for another strong result in his No. 98 HighPoint.com/Ford Performance Racing School Mustang Monday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway until oil on the racetrack sent him into the turn-three wall 47 laps short of the finish. Briscoe began the Alsco 300 from eighth in the 37-car field and climbed to as high as second. He finished eighth in Stage 1 and third in Stage 2. Shortly after, however, Briscoe’s race began to come undone. An uncontrolled tire penalty stemming from his pit stop after the second stage sent him to the back of the field for the lap-98 restart. Still, the 25-year-old from Mitchell, Indiana, made his way back inside the top-10, rising to sixth before making a green-flag pit stop on lap 148. Unfortunately, Briscoe was cited for speeding on pit road, and he had to serve a pass-through penalty on the following lap. Mired in the middle of the field, Briscoe became a victim of circumstance on lap 156 when his No. 98 Ford Mustang slipped up the banking and into the wall after the engine on Timmy Hill’s Toyota broke and spewed fluid onto the racetrack. While the No. 98 team was able to make repairs, Briscoe returned to the track in 18th, two laps down to the leaders. But on lap 172, a cut tire sent Briscoe back into the wall, deepening the damage to his HighPoint.com/Ford Performance Racing School Mustang. Briscoe soldiered on to finish 20th, maintaining his position atop the championship standings.

Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 98 HighPoint.com/Ford Performance Racing School Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“We had a pretty good HighPoint.com/Ford Performance Racing School Mustang the first run of the race. We were a little off before that first pit stop, but we were able to get the car dialed in and had good track position off pit road. I felt like I was pretty equal to the 54 (Kyle Busch). He was probably a little better in the latter half of the run, but I felt like we were just as good as the leaders. When we started that final stage with the uncontrolled tire, that’s what kind of set everything in motion. We went from starting dead last to sixth and for a while there we were still the fastest car, and I thought were going to be OK if we could catch a caution, but I sped on pit road and from there it was one thing after another. I thought we were a top-three car, for sure, and probably could’ve battled for the win. It’s tough to have a race-winning car and run 20th, but it could’ve been worse. We were able to rally and end up with a top-20 finish. It’s a shame we didn’t run better, but I’m ready to go to Bristol where we should be really good.”

Notes:

● Briscoe finished eighth in Stage 1 to earn three bonus points and third in Stage 2 to earn eight more bonus points.

● Briscoe remains the championship leader after Charlotte with an eight-point advantage over second-place Austin Cindric.

● Kyle Busch won the Alsco 300 to score his 97th career Xfinity Series victory, his first of the season and his ninth at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Daniel Hemric was .178 of a second.

● There were 11 caution periods for a total of 53 laps.

● Only 11 of the 37 drivers in the Alsco 300 finished on the lead lap.

Next Up:

The next event on the Xfinity Series schedule is the Cheddar’s 300 on Saturday, May 30 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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

by MikeMay 26, 2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

M&M’S Fudge Brownie Racing

Race 8 of 36 – Alsco Uniforms 500k – Charlotte

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

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

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

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Kyle Busch

Hometown: Las Vegas

Crew Chief: Adam Stevens

Hometown: Portsmouth, Ohio

Car Chief: Nate Bellows

Hometown: Fairfax, Vermont

Spotter: Tony Hirschman

Hometown: Northampton, Pennsylvania

Over-The-Wall Crew Members:

Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Front Tire Changer: Cam Waugh

Hometown: Johnstown, Colorado

Jackman: T.J. Ford

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Joe Crossen

Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Jeff Cordero

Hometown: Salem, Connecticut

Notes of Interest:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Erik Jones – No. 20 CRAFTSMAN Toyota Camry Preview (NCS) – Charlotte Motor Speedway

by MikeMay 26, 2020

No. 20 CRAFTSMAN Toyota Camry News and Notes:

JONES AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY: Erik Jones will make his sixth Cup Series start at the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday night for the Alsco 500(k). In his previous five starts at the track in the Cup Series, Jones best finish is seventh during his first appearance in the Coca-Cola 600 in 2017. In addition to his Cup starts, Jones has five Xfinity Series starts at the track earning a best finish of second in 2015. In his lone Truck Series start at track, Jones led 88 laps before falling to second to Kasey Kahne in one of the closest finishes in Truck Series history.
JGR AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY: Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has 134 total starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Cup Series competition. In those starts, the team has earned seven wins, 52 top-five finishes, 80 top-10 finishes and 10 pole starting positions. The team has led 3,760 laps, completed 46,965 of 48,727 attempted laps (96.4%) and earned an average start of 12.1 and an average finish of 11.7. Bobby Labonte leads the team with two wins followed by Dale Jarrett, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex, Jr. all with one win each.
STARTING LINEUP: For the Alsco 500(k) at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Jones will start the race from the eighth position. The top 20 finishers from the Coca-Cola 600 will be inverted to set the top 20 starting positions for Wednesday night’s race. By virtue of his 11th-place finish, Jones earned the 10th starting position.
THIS WEEK ON THE NO. 20 CAMRY: This weekend, the No. 20 Toyota Camry will carry the classic red and black CRAFTSMAN paint scheme for the first time this season.
POINTS UPDATE: With his 11th-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Jones gained two positions in the point standings to secure the 13th position.
COCA-COLA 600 RECAP: Qualifying in the 14th position, Jones ran as high as second in the Coca-Cola 600 before finishing the race in the 11th position.
RACE INFO: The Alsco 500 (k) at Charlotte Motor Speedway is scheduled for Wednesday, May 27, 2020. Coverage will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1, Sirius XM Channel 90 and PRN Radio.

Jones Career NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
5	0	0	1	0	0	15.4	19.0

Jones 2020 Season NASCAR Cup Series Stats:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
7	0	1	3	0	27	16.7	14.9

Jones Career NASCAR Cup Series Stats:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
118	2	25	52	2	609	13.4	15.9

From the Driver’s Seat: Erik Jones

Erik Jones: “I’m looking forward to getting back to Charlotte for race two. The 600 was a good race for us most of the night. We were pretty strong and ran up front. We had a car that I thought was good enough to contend for a while, unfortunately, we lost the handle late in the race and fell back towards the end. I think we learned a lot though about the track and how it changed and what we need to do to be fast and how our car handled through the night. Hopefully we make some good changes for Wednesday night. It’s a short race, so we aren’t really going to have an opportunity to work on the car as the night goes. We’re going to have what we have when we start and as the race gets going. I’m looking forward to it. Charlotte has been a fun track for me. We’ve had some fast cars there so we can hopefully put it all together and have a good finish at the end of the night.”

About CRAFTSMAN:

CRAFTSMAN is the American icon that homeowners, home builders, auto enthusiasts and master mechanics have trusted since 1927 – and today’s CRAFTSMAN continues that legacy. With a focus on reliable, high-performance tools, storage and equipment, CRAFTSMAN has revived its long-established pride in superior quality. Now it’s easier than ever to get the tools trusted for generations at more places than ever. For more information visit www.craftsman.com or follow CRAFTSMAN on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

DiBenedetto Finishes 17th in the Coca-Cola 600

by MikeMay 25, 2020May 25, 2020

Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/FVP team had an up-and-down day in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway before ending up 17^th at the finish.

The day started on the down side as the Menards Mustang was super loose in the first qualifying session held since the Cup Series resumed racing following a 10-week halt due to the coronavirus. DiBenedetto lost control and bounced off the wall, forcing the team to pull out a back-up Mustang.

That meant he had to start the 600-mile marathon from the rear of the pack.

The drop of the green flag was the start of an upswing for DiBenedetto and the Menards/FVP team. He made up 16 positions before the caution flag flew at Lap 20.

By Lap 30 he was up to 15^th place and was running there on Lap 49 when the race was halted for 68 minutes due to rain.

Back on the track, DiBenedetto continued to struggle with a loose handling condition and dropped to 20^th place, so when the caution flag flew just after Lap 100 for the end of Stage One, he headed to pit road for a series of adjustments to the No. 21 Mustang.

He returned to the track and passed several cars, but at the end of Stage Two was running 23^rd, one lap down.

Throughout most of the third 100-lap Stage, DiBenedetto ran in the free-pass position and finally was able to rejoin the lead lap when the caution flag flew at Lap 277 for a spin by Matt Kenseth.

Back on the move forward, he finished the third 100-lap Stage in 15^thplace.

A call to take just two tires on the pit stop at the end of the Stage propelled DiBenedetto into the lead, and he led Laps 304-306 under the caution flag and restarted as the leader.

He led three more laps once the green flag flew again before the drivers who took four tires overtook him.

DiBenedetto ran mostly in the top 10 over the final 100 laps. He was in 11^th place when the caution flag flew with two of the scheduled 400 laps remaining for a blown tire by William Byron.

That sent the race into overtime.

DiBenedetto stayed on the track while other pitted for fresh tires, so he restarted seventh for the green-white-checkered-flag run to the finish.

But the final two laps didn’t work out in his favor, and he wound up 18^that the finish. He picked up one spot when the car of apparent runner-up Jimmie Johnson was disqualified for failing a post-race inspection.

Eddie Wood said he was proud of his team’s efforts throughout the day on Sunday.

“They never gave up,” he said. “We went from having to go to a back-up car to losing a lap to leading the race.

“We were able to honor Major Lucas Gruenther as part of the 600 Miles of Remembrance, and the sport as a whole did a nice job of honoring all the servicemembers who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

“And we congratulate Brad Keselowski, Jeremy Bullins and Team Penske on their well-deserved victory.”

DiBenedetto and the No. 21 team, now 11^th in the Cup standings, return to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday night for a 500-kilometer (312-mile) race that will be broadcast on FOX Sports One.
###

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.

Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. Finishes in the 38th-place at the Charlotte Motor Speedway

by MikeMay 25, 2020May 26, 2020

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – Coca Cola 600

by MikeMay 25, 2020

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway

Race: Coca-Cola 600

Date: May 24, 2020

____________________________________

No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski

Start: 9th

Stage 1: 15th

Stage 2: 12th

Stage 3: 8th

Finish: 1st

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 405/405

Laps Led: 21

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

Notes:

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

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

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No. 12 DEX Imaging Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney

Start: 26th

Stage 1: 12th

Stage 2: 9th

Stage 3: 3rd

Finish: 3rd

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 405/405

Laps Led: 0

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

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

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

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No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano

Start: 7th

Stage 1: 5th

Stage 2: 7th

Stage 3: 1st

Finish: 13th

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 400/400

Laps Led: 26

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

Notes:

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

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

Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Racing: Daniel Suárez Coca-Cola 600 Race Report

by MikeMay 25, 2020

Date: May 24, 2020

Event: Coca-Cola 600

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

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

Format: 400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)

Start/Finish: 37th / 29th (Running, completed 399 of 405 laps)

Point Standing: 31st with 63 points, 228 out of first

Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 400-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 2 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 3 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100):

● Started 37th, finished 29th.

● Suárez had a solid launch when the green flag waved, powering his way up to 27th by lap three, but then settled in at 31st from lap five until the competition caution on lap 20. He reported the Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Camry (Stars & Stripes Edition) was free in turns one and two, tight in three and four. Crew chief Dave Winston made slight air pressure adjustments in both rear tires on the lap-22 pit stop. Suárez rejoined 29th, but NASCAR ruled a crew member was over the wall too early, forcing him to the rear of the lead-lap cars on the lap-27 restart, where he took the green flag 33rd

● Suárez slid forward two positions shortly after the restart and settled in at 31st until the caution flew for rain on lap 48. The race was red-flagged on lap 50 for 68 minutes.

● When pace laps resumed, Suárez pitted from 31st for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment and resumed 28th, from where he restarted on lap 57.

● By lap 60, Suárez had worked his way up to 22nd, but then reported his Toyota was starting to get tight.

● On lap 69, still running 22nd, Suárez reported the car began slipping out of gear. He dropped back to 30th while dealing with the issue.

● The caution flag flew for a single-car accident on lap 97, three laps before the scheduled stage break. Suárez was running 30th at the time, just having become the first car running one lap down, but he was the beneficiary of the free pass back onto the lead lap.

● Suárez pitted on lap 103 during the stage break caution for four tires, fuel and another track bar adjustment and rejoined 28th.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200):

● Started 28th, finished 29th.

● The segment restarted on lap 106 and Suárez held his relative position, reporting he was losing more and more grip in turns three and four.

● Suárez made his fuel last until lap 169, when he was one of the last cars to pit, having moved into the top-10 under the green-flag sequence of stops. A lug nut issue cost valuable time in the pits and Suárez rejoined in 29th, two laps down. He dropped another lap by the end of the stage, which he finished 29th.

● The stage break pit stop came on lap 204, and the Toyota. Tomorrow. Toyota Camry took four tires, fuel, air pressure and track bar adjustments.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 201-300):

● Started 29th, finished 29th.

● Like Stage 2, this one remained caution-free and Suárez made his fuel last until lap 267, when he pitted for four tires, fuel, air pressure, wedge and track bar adjustments. He then was penalized for speeding in the first segment of pit lane and had to serve a drive-through penalty on the ensuing lap.

● A single-car accident on lap 276 brought out the caution flag for something other than a segment break since the closing laps of Stage 1. Suárez stayed on track in 29th and took the wave-around to put him at five laps down.

● The team elected to stay out on track during the stage break to take the wave-around and move up to four laps down.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 301-400):

● Started 29th, finished 29th.

● Suárez brought his Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Camry down pit road on lap 339 for a final scheduled stop – fuel, tires and a wedge adjustment. He resumed in 29th, six laps down.

● A lap-347 caution for a single-car incident allowed Suárez to stay on track and take the wave-around to move from six to five laps down in 29th place.

● Another single-car incident two laps from the scheduled finish brought out the caution flag and set up a green-white-checkered finish with Suárez in 29th, six laps down.

● Suárez held his ground in overtime and crossed the finish line 29th.

Daniel Suárez, driver of the No. 96 Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Camry for Gaunt Brothers Racing:

“I think this Today. Tomorrow. Toyota has much more potential. We all just have to get better – everybody. In general, it was rough. In qualifying, we had big issues with the splitter – we barely made a lap. The splitter was hitting the ground so hard. We made adjustments going into the race and the car was much better, but it was extremely rough through the bumps in corners three and four. It was a long day. We made it better. I felt like the car had potential to be strong, but we struggled. I felt like we did a very good job on restarts. I felt like we could get to the top-20 and stay there, but we had some big issues on pit road. We had one stop that was extremely long and it was under the green flag. Anyway, we have to keep working. We’ll come back on Wednesday.”

Race Notes:

● Brad Keselowski won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his 31st career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his second on the oval at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Jimmie Johnson was .293 of a second.

● There were eight caution periods for a total of 52 laps.

● Only 20 of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.

● Kevin Harvick remains the championship leader after the Coca-Cola 600 with a 22-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.

Next Up:

The next NASCAR Cup Series event for Suárez and the Gaunt Brothers Racing team is the Alsco Uniforms 500k on Wednesday, May 27 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race starts at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

No. 10 Smithfield Ford Racing: Aric Almirola Charlotte I Race Report

by MikeMay 25, 2020

Date: May 24, 2020

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

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

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

Format: 400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)

Start/Finish: 40th/16th (Running, completed 405 of 405 laps)

Point Standing: 11th (207 points, 82 out of first)

Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 400-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 2 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 3 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100):

● Aric Almirola started 40th and finished 20th.

● Before the green flag waved, the No. 11 car dropped debris on the track, which made contact with Almirola’s splitter causing damage.

● Almirola advanced the No. 10 Smithfield Ford to 27th before the lap-20 competition caution.

● Inclement weather delayed the race for 68 minutes on lap 49. When racing resumed, the No. 10 team pitted for four tires, fuel, air pressure and chassis adjustments, and repaired splitter damage.

● Almirola advanced to 20th by lap 89 and continued to note loose-handling conditions.

● He pitted at the end of the stage for four tires, fuel and adjustments.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200):

● Almirola started 17th and finished 16th.

● The No. 10 Ford driver pitted on lap 153 for four tires, fuel and adjustments to correct loose-handling conditions.

● Almirola was 16th when green-flag pit stops cycled through.

● He successfully raced to stay on the lead lap for the remainder of the stage.

● Almirola brought the Smithfield Ford to the pits at the conclusion of Stage 2 for four fresh tires, fuel, and air pressure and chassis adjustments.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 201-300):

● Almirola started 13th and finished 13th.

● The No. 10 team advanced to its highest position of 11th on lap 212.

● Almirola pitted under green on lap 255 for four fresh tires, fuel and more adjustments. He was scored 15th after green-flag pit stops cycled through.

● He pitted again under caution on lap 272 for four tires, fuel and adjustments. The team found a puncture in the right-rear tire.

● Almirola raced in and around the top-15 before the end of the stage. He pitted for four tires, fuel and adjustments following Stage 3.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 301-400):

● Almirola started 15th and finished 16th.

● Almirola said the No. 10 car was extremely tight after the recent adjustments and needed better turn in the corners to make passes.

● The Smithfield Ford driver passed teammate Kevin Harvick for 13th on lap 347.

● Almirola pitted during the seventh caution of the race with 50 laps to go for four tires, fuel and adjustments to correct tight-handling conditions.

● He restarted 13th with 48 laps to go and raced to 11th before the caution on lap 398.

● Almirola brought the Smithfield Ford to the pits for two fresh tires and lined up 10th for the restart.

● On the final restart, Almirola was shuffled to the middle lane and lost positions before crossing the finish line in overtime.

Notes:

● This was Almirola’s third straight top-16 finish at Charlotte’s oval. He finished 11th in last year’s Coca-Cola 600.

● This was Ford’s 690th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory.

● This was Ford’s 31st NASCAR Cup Series victory at Charlotte’s oval, the most among all manufacturers. The last Ford driver to win the Coca-Cola 600 was Mark Martin in 2002. Ford’s first Coca-Cola 600 victory came in 1962 via Nelson Stacy.

● There were eight caution periods for a total of 52 laps.

● Only 20 of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.

● Harvick remains the championship leader after the Coca-Cola 600 with a 22-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.

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

“From the start of the day to the end of the day it was just a tough day. I was loose on the qualifying lap and spun, but was able to keep car from having much damage. We started in the rear and, on the pace laps, debris came out of the No. 11 car and damaged some of the splitter, so we had to make some repairs there later on. We battled both ends of the balance with the car all four stages and started to ease our way to the top-10 at the end before that final caution came out – then the restart didn’t go my way. The Coke 600 is such a long race and so much can happen. I’m proud we battled back up there, but didn’t get the finish we wanted. Luckily, we’ll be back here in a few days and see if we can get the Smithfield Ford Mustang up front the second time around like we did in Darlington.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Alsco Uniforms 500k on Wednesday, May 27 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race starts at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.