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HaasTooling.com Racing: Cole Custer 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: 28th/13th (Running, completed 405 of 405 laps)

Point Standing: 22nd with 118 points, 171 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):

● Cole Custer started 28th and finished 23rd.

● Custer pitted from 24th during the competition caution for adjustments to help his tight HaasTooling.com Mustang.

● At lap 50 the race was red-flagged for precipitation. When the event resumed, Custer pitted from 30th for more adjustments and restarted 24th on lap 57.

● As the laps clicked off, Custer reported his Mustang went from loose to tight, and lost all grip in the final 10 laps of the stage.

● During the Stage 1 break the 22-year-old pitted from 23rd for a bevy of adjustments, four tires and fuel.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200):

● Custer started 19th and finished 21st.

● On lap 116 the California native reported his Mustang fired off a tick loose, but had tightened up.

● Custer made a scheduled green-flag pit stop from 24th on lap 156 for fuel, four tires and adjustments.

● The rookie driver went one lap down on lap 168 while in the 22nd spot.

● Custer pitted from 21st during the Stage 2 break for fuel, four tires and adjustments to help with his tight-handling Mustang.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 201-300):

● Custer started 18th and finished 20th.

● Custer made a scheduled green-flag pit stop on lap 242 from 19th for fuel, four tires and adjustments.

● With the caution out on lap 275 he pitted from 20th for four tires, fuel and adjustments to help with his tight condition.

● During the Stage 3 break Custer reported his No. 41 Mustang remained tight. He was the beneficiary of the free pass from 20th.
Final Stage Recap (Laps 301-405):

● Custer started 20th and finished 13th.

● The Ford driver worked his way up to 18th with a tight car. He made a pit stop under caution on lap 350.

● After the pit stop, Custer served an uncontrolled tire penalty and was forced to start at the rear of the field in 20th.

● A green-flag run ensued until the caution was displayed with one lap to go. Custer pitted for fuel and four tires after reporting his Mustang was pretty solid during the run.

● The SHR driver restarted 19th for overtime and was able to maneuver his way to a 13th-place finish.
Notes:

● Custer made his 10th career NASCAR Cup Series start and his first on the oval at Charlotte.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Man, definitely a persevering night for the HaasTooling.com Mustang. I could’ve done better at the start of the race. We definitely got the car better throughout the race. We fought hard all night. We fought hard to stay on the lead lap and got our lap back that one time. To finish 13th in my first 600 that I’ve run was definitely pretty cool. I got a good restart at the end. We have some things we know we can do better when we come back Wednesday. I can do some things better. I’m looking forward to it. We’re moving in the right direction with this package. We just have to keep grinding through it.”

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.

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

by MikeMay 25, 2020

Date: May 24, 2020

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

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

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

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

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

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

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

Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

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

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

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

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100):

● Clint Bowyer started 20th and finished 40th.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Notes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next Up:

Kevin Harvick Coca-Cola 600 Race Report from Charlotte

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: 22nd/6th (Running, completed 405 of 405 laps)

Point Standing: (1st with 289 points, 22 points ahead of Joey Logano)

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):

● Kevin Harvick started 22nd and finished 14th.

● The No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang was lacking rear grip early in the race while in 22nd-place.

● On lap 24, Harvick brought his car to pit road for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure and chassis adjustment. Came out in 19th place.

● After a rain-delay of more than an hour, Harvick pitted on lap 54 for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. He was 16th.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200):

● Harvick started 18th and finished 11th.

● The No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang pitted on lap 102 for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure and chassis adjustment. Crew is taking a big swing at it.

● On lap 153, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment. Was in 13th place.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 201-300):

● Harvick started ninth and finished 19th.

● The No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang came to pit road on lap 205 for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. Car is still lacking rear grip.

● On lap 256, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure and chassis adjustment.

● He did not pit and restarted second late in the stage. However, he fell to 19th.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 301-400):

● Harvick started 17th and finished sixth.

● The No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang pitted on lap 303 for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure and chassis adjustment.

● On lap 350, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment. Will restart 12th.

● Harvick pitted on lap 400 for four tires as the race went into overtime.

● On the overtime restart, Harvick moved from 13th to sixth-place, which was the highest he’d been all day.

Notes:

● 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.

● Harvick earned his seventh top-10 of the season and his 18th top-10 in 37 career NASCAR Cup Series starts on the oval at Charlotte.

● Harvick is the only NASCAR Cup Series driver to have finished in the top-10 in every race this season.

● This was Harvick’s second straight top-10 at Charlotte’s oval. He finished 10th in the last year’s Coca-Cola 600.

● Harvick has finished outside the top-10 at Charlotte’s oval just twice since joining SHR in 2014.

Next Up:

M&M’S Red, White, and Blue Racing: Kyle Busch Race Recap for the Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte

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: 11th/5th (Running, completed 405 of 405 laps)

Point Standing: 9th (207 points, 82 behind leader)

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) in overtime

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):

● Kyle Busch started 11th and finished sixth, earning five bonus points.

● The M&M’S Red, White and Blue driver qualified in 11th, but soon after the green flag flew, found he had a very loose racecar.

● Good news for Busch was a competition yellow on lap 20, as he came to pit road for tires and adjustments on lap 22. The M&M’S over-the-wall team did quick work, moving Busch up from 12th to 10th on the ensuing restart.

● Busch held his 10th position when green flag racing resumed, but on lap 48, rain made it to the track and the race was red flagged for over an hour while the track was dried.

● When the race restarted, crew chief Adam Stevens called Busch to pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustment as a strong stop by the M&M’S team vaulted him up to seventh exiting pit road.

● The race restarted on lap 57, and Busch moved up to sixth by lap 79. Busch radioed to Stevens that his M&M’S Red, White, and Blue Camry was a little free on entry and tight off the corner. Busch held the sixth spot and finished stage one in that spot.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200):

● Busch started second and finished third, earning eight bonus points.

● Following the end of the stage, Busch came to pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments. Yet again, the M&M’S Red, White, and Blue pit crew had a phenomenal pit stops, gaining four spots on pit road to restart stage 2 in the runner-up spot.

● The Las Vegas native settled into third-place and hung there for most of stage 2, as Busch radioed to Stevens that his car starts the run a little bit free but trends to the tighter side as the run goes on.

● Busch came to pit road to take on four tires, fuel, and adjustments on lap 157.

● The M&M’S Red, White, and Blue driver cycled out in third and ended the stage in that same spot.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 201-300):

● Busch started 19th and finished sixth, earning five bonus points.

● Busch came to pit road following the end of the stage, taking on four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment, gaining one spot on pit road to second. However, Busch was penalized exiting pit road for speeding, sending him to the back of the lead lap in 19th on the lap 208 restart.

● The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion moved up to 15th by lap 275, as he came down pit road on lap 277 for four tires, fuel, and an adjustment to loosen up the M&M’S Red, White, and Blue Camry and restarted 13th on lap 282.

● Busch moved up quickly following the restart, as he made it into the top-10 by lap 285 and all the way up to sixth at the end of the stage.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 301-405):

● Busch started fifth and finished fifth.

● Busch came to pit road on lap 303, taking on four tires and fuel, as he gained one spot to restart in the top-five for the restart of the fourth and final stage.

● The M&M’S Red, White, and Blue driver dropped after the restart, as Busch reported that he couldn’t get back to the gas, but he couldn’t quote figure out what happened to the handling of his car, as he dropped to 11th by lap 337.

● When the caution waved on lap 348, Busch came to pit road on lap 350 for four tires and an air pressure adjustment back out from the previous stop. The M&M’S over-the-wall crew is one of the best on pit road, and they showed it yet again, gaining an incredible five spots on pit road to restart sixth on lap 353.

● On the next restart, Busch continued to struggle with the handling of his M&M’S Toyota, falling to eighth by lap 364 as it appeared he was going to end up in eighth as the laps wound down.

● However, a caution waved with two laps to go for a spin by William Byron. Stevens decided to bring Busch to pit road for two tires.

● Busch restarted in ninth, and over the course of the final two laps, gained four spots to secure what looked like an unlikely top-five finish.

Notes:

● Busch’s fifth-place finish was his fourth top-five finish of the season in seven starts.

● The top-five finish was Busch’s 14th top-five at Charlotte in 31 career starts at the 1.5-mile oval.

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Red, White and Blue Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

“During the middle stages of the race, I thought we were really fast. I feel like we had a great M&M’S Red, White, and Blue Camry and ran up front and got back up front from having to go to the back. But we put tires on it and it was never the same after that from about lap 280 or 290 when we put tires on it and it wasn’t the same as it was before that. We were lucky to steal a fifth-place finish out of it today and we’ll have to go back to work and figure out some things to make our stuff better for when we come back on Wednesday and get back after it. I certainly want to give a huge shout out and a huge thanks to all the men and women who have served for our country her on Memorial Day weekend, we appreciate you. Everyone be safe tomorrow and have fun.”

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

Buescher Battles Back to a Solid 11th-Place Finish in Coke 600

by MikeMay 25, 2020

CONCORD, N.C. (May 24, 2020) – Chris Buescher picked up three spots during a feverish final two-lap dash to bring his No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford home 11^th in Sunday night’s famed Coke 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Buescher and the No. 17 team battled to the final turn, overcoming an early penalty on pit road to secure the solid finish in one of NASCAR’s biggest events of the season.

After qualifying 19th, Buescher worked his Ford up to 13^th position, where he settled in until the competition caution flag waved at Lap 20. The team pitted for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment, but received a penalty on pit road and had to restart from the rear of the field.

Buescher hit the track running top-five lap times, driving up to 23^rd before the field was red flagged for heavy rain in the area. Once the weather subsided and racing resumed, the No. 17 team hit pit road for four more tires and fuel and Buescher moved his car up to 16^th at the end of Stage 1.

The 2015 Xfinity Series champion pitted at the stage break for grill tape, four tires and fuel and returned to the field in 13^th position. Halfway through the second stage, Buescher was toggling between 12th and 15th. As the first green-flag pit stops cycled through, the team elected to pit for four more tires and fuel. Back on track in 20th and one lap down, Buescher reported that his Ford was tight across the center and that his long run speed was off. The No. 17 team took the green-white checkered 18th, earning the free pass position to restart stage three back on the lead lap.

The longest green flag runs of the race came in Stage 3. Buescher held steady in 18^th all the way up to a green flag pit stop at lap 256. The team took four tires and fuel, returning to the track one lap down and 21^st. Spotter Mike Herman reported a tire rub on the No. 17 machine, but fortunately the smoke subsided as the team continued to focus on making lap times. At lap 275, a competitor car hit the wall and Buescher took the opportunity to pit for fresh tires and fuel with the caution. The driver restarted 17^th, but finished the stage 15^th.

Buescher’s successful stage break pitstop for four tires and fuel helped him to restart 13^th. The driver lost momentum on the restart and slid back to 16th. A late race caution allowed the No. 17 team to pit one more time to fix the front turn. The adjustments and strong restart helped propel Buescher to the 12^th-place result.

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway Wednesday for a 310-mile (205-lap) event, scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (FS1, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90).

John Hunter Nemechek Post Race Report: Charlotte

by MikeMay 25, 2020

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway, 1.5 Mile Oval

Race: 7 of 38

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

John Hunter Nemechek

No. 38 YANMAR Ford Mustang

Started: 25th

Finished: 17th

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

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

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

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

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

Nemechek on Charlotte:

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

Mechanical Issue Spoils Coke 600 for Newman, No. 6 Roman Team

by MikeMay 25, 2020

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (May 24, 2020) – Ryan Newman appeared poised for a strong run in Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600, having powered his No. 6 Roman Ford inside the top 10 before a faulty battery dropped the team off the pace just over halfway through the race. With only four cautions over the final 150 laps, Newman and the team continued to battle, but were unable to gain back the valuable positions lost — settling for a 28^th-place finish in the 600-mile event at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

For NASCAR’s longest race of the season, Newman qualified 18^th in an afternoon time-trial session, just a spot ahead of teammate Chris Buescher. With a competition caution set for lap 20, teams were able to complete early service, before rain set in by lap 50, forcing a red flag that would last just over an hour.

With a quick dry of the 1.5-mile track surface, Newman rolled off 14^th for the green again at lap 51, and fought his way to 11^th when the caution flew at lap 96 ending the stage. After pitting for service on his No. 6 machine, the Indiana native restarted 10^th.

He worked his way to eighth just a few laps into stage two and pitted from the 10^th spot when green flag stops cycled at lap 156. He would end the stage in 15^th, reporting his balance was neutral aboard the Roman Ford.

Newman fired off 14^th at lap 208, before a few laps later reporting a battery issue at lap 230. He went on to pit at lap 236 to replace the battery, putting his machine three laps down after stops cycled through. The yellow would wave again at lap 275, when Newman waved around to get back to two laps down in 25^th.

He would maintain that spot through the remainder of the stage, ending it in 25^th, but hitting pit road for fresh tires. With three additional cars on his lap, Newman worked his way to the front of his group by lap 348 in the 22^nd spot. When the ensuing caution came out, he took the wave again to get back to one lap down.

Newman was eventually forced to pit road for fuel at lap 374 due to being off pit cycle, before battery issues again arose with just 10 laps remaining, again sending him down pit road for repairs. The caution flew one final time with two laps to go shaking up the lead pack as Newman crossed the line 28^th.

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway Wednesday for a 310-mile (205-lap) event, scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (FS1, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90).

Michael McDowell Post Race Report: Charlotte

by MikeMay 25, 2020

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway, 1.5 Mile Oval

Race: 7 of 38

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

Michael McDowell

No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang

Started: 27th

Finished: 19th

Stage One: 29th
Stage Two: 24th
Stage Three: 21st
Stage Four: 19th

With the name of Sergeant First Class John Jarrell printed on his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang, Michael McDowell took the green flag in Sunday’s Coca Cola 600 from the 27th position. McDowell noted early in Stage 1 that the bumps in Turns 3 and 4 were playing a factor in his race and would take the green-white checkered flag from the 29th position. Under the stage 1 caution, Crew Chief Drew Blickensderfer called for 4 tires, fuel, pulled packer and a trackbar adjustment.

Taking the green flag in Stage 2, McDowell mentioned that the calls on pit road definitely helped his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang as he ran comfortably inside of the top 25 throughout the stage and would go on to finish Stage 2 in 24th. Under the Stage 2 caution, McDowell came to pit road for 4 tires, fuel and added grille tape.

Throughout Stage 3, the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops team did a good job of steadily making improvements to their Ford Mustang as McDowell knocked on the door of the top 20 all stage long, finishing Stage 3 in the 21st position. During the stage, McDowell noted that his car was on the tight side to begin, however became more free as he raced. Under the Stage 3 caution, the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stop Ford Mustang pitted for 4 tires, fuel and a trackbar adjustment.

In the final stage of the Coca Cola 600, Michael McDowell and his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops team picked up right where they left off in Stage 3 by running in the 21st position for a majority of the final stage. With 2 laps remaining in the race, the caution flag flew making McDowell the Lucky Dog, which put him back on the lead lap for the overtime restart and would go on to take the checkered flag in the 19th position.

McDowell on Charlotte:

“Our No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang had a tough time getting over the bumps in Turns 3 and 4 to start today’s Coca-Cola 600, but Drew and my guys on pit road did a good job of making adjustments all race long to get us more competitive. Thankfully, we caught a lucky caution with 2 laps to go and were able to get back on the lead lap. It was great to have Love’s Travel Stops back on board with us and I’m proud to have been able to represent Sergeant First Class John Jarrell on my car. We’ll regroup at the shop tomorrow and look ahead to coming back even stronger at Charlotte on Wednesday.”

Brad Keselowski Wins Rain-Delayed Coca-Cola 600

by MikeMay 25, 2020

After a 68 minute rain delay, the Cup drivers got back to it with few cautions until the very end when the final caution came out with Chase Elliott on his way to what appeared to be Victory Lane. (more…)

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

by MikeMay 22, 2020

NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Overview:

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

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

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

What You Need to Know:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Christian Eckes, Driver Q&A

Christian Eckes Charlotte Q&A

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

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

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

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

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

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

Christian Eckes Career Highlights:

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

Christian Eckes’ No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra:

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

KBM-58 Performance Profile:

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

KBM Notes of Interest:

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

No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Tundra 2020 Box Score:

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