stock car racing

M&M’S Thank You Heroes Racing: Kyle Busch Race Recap for The Real Heroes 400 from Darlington

by Mike
M&M’S Thank You Heroes Racing: Kyle Busch Race Recap for The Real Heroes 400 from Darlington
Kyle Busch, No. 18 M&M’S Thank You Heroes Toyota Camry

Race Recap for the The Real Heroes 400

Date: May 17, 2020

Event: The Real Heroes 400 (Round 5 of 36)

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.366-mile, egg-shaped oval)

Format: 293 laps, broken into three stages (90 laps/95 laps/108 laps)

Start/Finish: 4th/26th (Running, completed 292 of 293 laps)

Point Standing: 14th (122 points, 96 behind leader)

 

Race Winner: Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Winner: William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 2 Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

 

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-90):

● Kyle Busch started 4th, finished 15th

● Busch drew the fourth starting position in Thursday night’s draw. However, the No. 18 team failed pre-race inspection twice and was forced to start the race at the rear of the field, despite officially being scored as starting in fourth.

● The M&M’S Thank you Heroes Toyota Camry didn’t stay in the rear of the field for long, moving up to 32nd by lap 1 and 25th by the time the competition caution waved on lap 30.

● The 2019 Cup Series champion told Crew Chief Adam Stevens that his splitter was dragging on the track for the first 20-25 laps of the race and still touching the surface in the bumps. He suggested to Stevens that he tighten up the car on their pit stops.

● With Darlington being the first race back and no on track activity prior to the race weekend, NASCAR gave teams the opportunity to make two pit stops under yellow without losing positions under the lap 30 competition caution only.

● Busch came down pit road on lap 33 for adjustments and then back down pit road on lap 35 to take on four tires and fuel.

● Busch restarted 25th when green flag racing resumed on lap 39.

● The M&M’S Thank You Heroes driver slowly worked his way up through the field, finding himself in 20th by lap 50, 18th by lap 56 and all the way up to 15th when the stage ended on lap 90.

●Busch radioed to Stevens that he was pretty good overall, but was lacking overall grip everywhere as the stage ended.

 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 91-185):

● Busch started ninth and finished 16th

● Busch came to pit road on lap 93 for four tires, fuel and tires pressure adjustments. The M&M’S team gained Busch five spots on pit road and Busch moved up one more spot as a car ahead of him was penalized for speeding on pit road, and he restarted in ninth for the start of stage 2.

● The M&M’S Thank You Heroes driver came to pit road under caution on lap 111 for four tires and fuel as Busch told Stevens that his car was just a little tight landing in the corner, and Busch restarted in ninth on lap 115.

● Busch restarted ninth, but fell several positions after the restart as he told Stevens that he couldn’t get going. Busch reported his car was really loose getting into turn three during the first two laps of the green flag run. Fortunately, Busch was saved by a caution on lap 123.

● Stevens called Busch down pit road on lap 125 to take on four tires, fuel, and an air pressure adjustment that they hoped would make Busch better on restarts.

● Busch restarted 20th on lap 129, and moved up to 17th by lap 134. However, on lap 143 Busch hit the outside SAFER barrier exiting turn 4, causing fairly significant right side damage to the M&M’S Thank You Heroes Toyota.

● Good news for Busch was the caution waved for debris on lap 155, and Busch pitted on lap 157 to fix significant damage and make sure the tires were not rubbing on the wheel well of the No. 18 Toyota.

● Even with lengthy time on pit road to fix damage, Busch did not lose a lap, but the repairs forced the M&M’S driver to start in 29th at the tail-end of the lead lap.

● Busch worked his way back into the top-20 by lap 167 and after a caution and another pit stop, Busch finished the second stage in 16th-place.

 

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 186-293):

● Started 17th and finished 26th.

● Busch pitted after stage 2, and took on four tires, fuel and more adjustments as the M&M’S driver restarted 17th for the third and final stage.

● Busch moved his way back up to 13th by the time the next caution waved on lap 212. Stevens called Busch to pit road two laps later for four tires, fuel and more chassis adjustments, as the M&M’S over-the-wall crew gained two spots on pit road and Busch restarted 11th on lap 218.

● The Las Vegas native moved up into the top 10 by lap 247 and sat in ninth when the caution waved on lap 252. Busch came to pit road for four tires and fuel on lap 255, and the M&M’S pit crew gave him another phenomenal stop, getting him off pit road in the fifth position.

● Busch dropped a few positions after the restart to seventh. Just five laps into the green flag run Busch radioed to the M&M’S team to get ready, as he had an apparent problem.

● On lap 266, Busch did indeed come to pit road for four tires with an apparent loose wheel. He returned to the track in 27th-place, one lap down.

● Busch and the M&M’S Thank You Heroes team got themselves into the free pass position over the final laps, but the caution they needed never came, and the No. 18 team finished a once promising race in 26th.

 

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Thank You Heroes Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

 

“Really disappointing to have to start at the back when we had a fourth-place starting position. That was going to be a great day for us to just kind of be up front, ride up front, and hopefully stay up front all day and make our M&M’s Thank You Heroes Camry better. But we didn’t start where we thought we would. Instead, we had to make up the whole day. Finally we got to fifth and restarted there late in the race, but fell to eighth or ninth on a restart. Our car was so slow on restarts, but also I was too loose on that restart. Then got in the wall and had to go back to the back and worked our way back up to the front again. Then got back to fifth again for the final restart and had a loose wheel. My guys had a good pit stop, but obviously too good of a pit stop where we didn’t get all the lugnuts tight and it was a loose wheel. Ended up having to come down pit road and service the car again to make it to the end. Just didn’t get the result we wanted for the effort that was put out today.”

 

Next Up: The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Darlington on Wednesday, May 20 for the Toyota 500k. It starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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

by Mike
John Hunter Nemechek Scores Career-Best Top-10 Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek
No. 38 Scag Power Equipment Ford Mustang
Started: 34th
Finished: 9th
  • Stage One: 21st
  • Stage Two: 20th
  • Stage Three: 9th
  • John Hunter Nemechek took the green flag in the 34th position in The Real Heroes 400 Sunday afternoon at Darlington Raceway. The day’s event marked the first time NASCAR has competed in over two months, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nemechek, along with the rest of the field, fired off without having practiced or qualifying at the track “Too Tough To Tame.” His No. 38 Scag Power Equipment Ford Mustang’s balance was all over the place to start the race and the team made various adjustments during early pit stops to improve the car’s handling. Nemechek would finish Stage 1 in the 21st position.
  • Nemechek’s No. 38 Scag Power Equipment machine was free for much of Stage 2 and lacked front grip. The crew continued to make wedge adjustments and added grill tape during two pit stops. As the race went on, the handling improved and Nemechek finished Stage 2 in 20th place.
  • In the third and final stage, Nemechek spent much of his time inside the Top-15 on the leaderboard. The car’s balance continued to get better and Nemechek soon found himself battling for the 8th position. In his career-best finish and Front Row Motorsports’ best result to date at Darlington Raceway, Nemechek brought his No. 38 Scag Power Equipment Ford Mustang home in 9th place.
Nemechek on Darlington:
  • “We had a great day. I’m very excited that we were able to come home P9. My entire No. 38 Scag Power Equipment team and pit crew did an amazing job. Everybody executed all day with no mistakes. We made the right adjustments. Seth and the engineers did a great job getting the car ready for this race. The pit crew was flawless and I couldn’t have asked for a better day. It was great to get kicked off on the right foot for these races coming up. Hopefully, we can continue to build on this and create some momentum and continue to get our cars faster each and every week. It’s great to be back and I’m so excited to be able to race again on Wednesday. Thank you to all the fans that are out there supporting. We miss you at the race track. It’s definitely different without you guys there and I can’t wait until the day that you guys are back with us. Thank you to Scag Power Equipment and all of our partners for getting us to the race track. None of this would be possible without you guys.”
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Bowyer Finishes 17th in Darlington Return

by Mike
Bowyer Finishes 17th in Darlington Return

No. 14 Ford Mustang Raced At Front Until Final Laps

 

Date: May 17, 2020

Event: The Real Heroes 400

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Darlington (S.C) Raceway (1.366-mile oval)

Format: 293 laps, broken into three stages (90 laps/95 laps/108 laps)

Start/Finish: 13th/17th (Running, completed 293 of 293 laps)

Point Standing:10th with 135 points, 83 out of first

 

Race Winner:      Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Winner:  William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 2 Winner:  Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

 

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-90):

● Clint Bowyer started 13th and finished seventh to earn four bonus points

● Despite no track time before the race, the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Ford Mustang enjoyed a smooth start until a crash at the back of the field brought out the caution on lap one.

● Bowyer reported his car was tight and dropped to 17th before rallying back to 14th at the lap-30 competition caution.

● The Kansas native restarted the race in 14th on lap 40 and moved to 10th within two laps turning top-five lap speeds.

● Bowyer continued a steady climb to the front turning ultra-quick times before finishing the stage in seventh.

● Minor air pressure changes plus a quick stop by the No. 14 crew moved Bowyer from seventh to fifth during the stage break.

 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 91-185):

● Started fifth, finished fifth to earn six bonus points.

● The No.14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Ford Mustang stayed in the top eight through cautions on lap 109 and 123.

● Bowyer raced in fifth at the lap-135 mark as he searched for the fastest way around the 1.33-mile, egg-shaped oval.

● The Ford driver battled for fourth midway through the stage with Denny Hamlin before another round of stops for a lap-154 caution.

● After all cars pitted under caution, Bowyer restarted the race in sixth for an eight-lap shootout to conclude the stage.

● Bowyer used a good restart to climb to fifth before the stage ended.

.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 186-293):

● Started seventh, finished 17th.

● The No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Ford Mustang dropped to ninth on the restart but moved to sixth with 70 laps remaining.

● Bowyer raced in seventh with 60 to go when he reported his car was starting to get very loose.

● Bowyer faded to 10th with 50 laps to go telling the crew, “I’m in trouble. I don’t know what happened here.”

● A caution allowed Bowyer to visit pit road to tighten the car, but trouble during the stop dropped him to 15th with 34 laps to go.

● Bowyer suffered debris on the grill in the final laps and dropped to 17th by the time the checkered flag flew.

 

Notes:

●  Bowyer’s 17th-place finish plus 10 bonus points earned in the first two stages moved him from 13th to 10th in the standings.

●  Harvick’s victory marked the 73rd overall win for SHR. It was the organization’s 56th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series win, its first of the season and its second at Darlington.

●  This was SHR’s 20th NASCAR Cup Series victory with Ford. The team won its first race with Ford when former driver Kurt Busch captured the 2017 Daytona 500.

●  Harvick is responsible for SHR’s previous win at Darlington (2014 Southern 500).

●  This was Ford’s milestone 30th NASCAR Cup Series victory at Darlington. NASCAR Hall of Famer Curtis Turner won Ford’s first race at Darlington in 1966.

 

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

“That stunk. I don’t know how that got away from us. Really disappointed with what happened. I’ll be mad about this for a while, but we’ll get over it and be ready for Wednesday night. Our Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Ford was fast and it was cool to be back racing today, just wish we had a better finish. Glad Kevin (Harvick) got SHR and Ford to victory lane.”

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Newman Earns Hard-Fought Top-15 in Racing Return

by Mike
Newman Earns Hard-Fought Top-15 in Racing Return

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Shell Leverages NASCAR and Team Penske Relationship to Advance Support of Feeding America

by Mike
Shell Leverages NASCAR and Team Penske Relationship to Advance Support of Feeding America

We are experiencing unprecedented times in our history and the COVID-19 pandemic has spread through the world, changing the lives of Americans.  It is creating greater demands on health care and front-line workers, first responders, food banks, and in these challenging times, children, seniors, and families are going hungry.

Shell in the U.S. is focused on doing their part to aid in the response and will continue to contribute to COVID 19 relief efforts across the country, and through national efforts with Feeding America®.  To date, Shell in the US has contributed more than $2 million to support COVID-19 relief efforts across the country.   Shell is also providing 2.5 million* meals to help fight hunger in communities in need via Feeding America®

This weekend the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang, driven by 2018 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Joey Logano, will carry the Feeding America® logo on the deck lid of his race car in NASCAR’s return to racing in the Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, May 17th.   It will remain on the car for the second Darlington event as well as both Charlotte races.  Joey also recorded the video above to bring awareness to the cause.

Fans can go to fuelrewards.com/moreforgood and they’ll also have the opportunity to make a donation to Feeding America® themselves.

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Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Darlington

by Mike
Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Darlington

Racing is back this weekend at Darlington Raceway for the first of two NASCAR Cup Series races in four days. Following Sunday’s return to racing – the first time on track since March 8 at the end of the West Coast swing – the NCS will again visit ‘The Lady in Black’ for a primetime event under the lights Wednesday night. Roush Fenway Racing has five Cup Series wins all-time at Darlington and has finished in the top-ten in nearly half the events it has raced it.



Darlington Raceway
The Real Heroes 400

Sunday, May 17, 2020 | 3:30 p.m. ET

FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

  • Ryan Newman, No. 6 Oscar Mayer Ford Mustang
  • Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang



NASCAR Returns to Action

  • NASCAR makes its return to racing this weekend with a NASCAR Cup Series race that will serve as the first of seven national series races over an 11-day span at two different tracks throughout May.
  • The race at the historic South Carolina track will be held without fans in attendance and is slated to be NASCAR’s first on-track action in more than two months as the sport and world have been on pause during COVID-19.
  • Following the initial race back on Sunday, the NCS will again visit Darlington for a midweek race under the lights three days later. The May schedule also includes the crown jewel Coca-Cola 600 in its traditional Memorial Day Weekend home for the 60th consecutive season, plus other midweek races in prime time.
  • Four weeks of NASCAR action were completed prior to the outbreak before races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville were later postponed.

 

Newman Returns to the Seat Following Daytona 500

Newman makes his return to the No. 6 car this weekend following a last-lap crash in the Daytona 500 in which he was leading coming to the checkered flag. After recovering from the injuries sustained in the crash, Newman was cleared for racing activity on April 28 and granted a playoff waiver from NASCAR after missing three races (Las Vegas, Fontana, Phoenix).

 

Darlington Two-Step

Roush Fenway has twice won consecutive NCS races at Darlington, including a season sweep in 1999 with former driver and current NBC commentator Jeff Burton. Roush Fenway also earned victories in consecutive seasons at the egg-shaped oval in 2005 and 2006 with Biffle.

 

Tale of the Tape

In 244 all-time NASCAR starts at ‘The Lady in Black,’ Jack Roush’s Fords have 20 wins, 69 top-five and 116 top-10 finishes, along with 20 poles. Over the years RFR has led 4500+ laps across the Cup, Xfinity and Truck series, with more than 84,000 miles logged at the 1.366-mile track. In NCS action alone, RFR has finished top-10 in 44 percent (69-of-158) of the races with 35 top-five results and five wins.

 

Kickin’ It Old School

Legendary Roush Fenway drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Burton and Greg Biffle are responsible for the five Cup wins for Jack Roush at Darlington. Martin earned Roush’s first Cup win back in 1993 after leading 178 laps. Burton swept the 1999 events as the dominant car, and Biffle earned the two most recent victories in 2005 and 2006.

 

Most All-Time

It’s no secret that when Roush has dominated in the Xfinity Series at Darlington. In 79 starts, the organization has 15 wins, 33 top-five and 44 top-10s. Mark Martin is responsible for eight of the victories, second-most for him among any track, after winning five of the first seven races at the track for Roush from 1993-96. He also went on to win in 1999, and swept again in 2000. Jeff Burton got in on the fun with wins in 1997, 2001 and 2002, while Biffle earned a win in 2004. Most recently, Kenseth drove to victory lane in 2005 and 2009.

 

The Real Heroes Project Debuts at Darlington

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

For the first race back on May 17, NASCAR worked in partnership with FOX and their tune-in priority market affiliate program to select the COVID-19 worker being recognized. FOX affiliates from around the country were asked to nominate a local hero from their community to be recognized during the return.

 

Roush Fenway Darlington Wins

 

1993-2   Martin  Cup

1999-1   Burton  Cup

1999-2   Burton  Cup

2005       Biffle     Cup

2006       Biffle     Cup

1993-2   Martin  NXS

1994-1   Martin  NXS

1994-2   Martin  NXS

1995-2   Martin  NXS

1996-1   Martin  NXS

1997-2   Burton  NXS

1999-2   Martin  NXS

2000-1   Martin  NXS

2000-2   Martin  NXS

2001-2   Burton  NXS

2002-1   Burton  NXS

2002-2   Burton  NXS

2004-1   Biffle     NXS

2005       Kenseth NXS

2009       Kenseth NXS

 

 

By the Numbers at Darlington Raceway

Race      Win       T5           T10         Pole       Laps       Led        AvSt      AvFn     Miles

                   158         5              35           69           7              50552    2718       16.6        16.0        69054.0

                    79           15           33           44           12           10616    1856       9.9          12.9        14501.4

               7              0              1              3              1              944         9              16.0        15.9        1289.50

244         20           69           116         20           62112    4583       14.4        15.0        84844.9

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ARCA Menards Series Returns At Talladega

by Mike
ARCA Menards Series Returns At Talladega

The ARCA Menards Series will resume its 2020 schedule with a return to the race track at Talladega Superspeedway.

The General Tire 200 at Talladega will run on Saturday, June 20, at 2 p.m. ET, and air live on FS1.

“Talladega Superspeedway holds a unique and special place in ARCA’s history, and we are eager for the ARCA Menards Series to return to action on June 20 at Talladega,” said ARCA Racing President Ron Drager. “We will continue to work closely with the industry to ensure a safe return to racing, and we look forward to sharing the return dates for the ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West in the coming days.”

The General Tire 200 was originally scheduled for Friday, May 22, but was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

All ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East and West races through May 21, have postponed as series officials continue to work with tracks and local government officials to determine new race dates.

The ARCA Menards Series continues working on rescheduling races slated for Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Michigan International Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway in June. The ARCA Menards Series event at Iowa Speedway remains scheduled for July 18, as part of the NTT IndyCar Series weekend.

Michael Self won the season opener at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 8, and Chandler Smith picked up the win at Phoenix Raceway on March 6. Self leads Hailie Deegan by 12 points in the championship.

Sam Mayer won both the ARCA Menard Series East and West openers, at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway and The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, respectively.

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Christopher Bell – No. 95 Rheem Toyota Camry Preview – The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway

by Mike
Christopher Bell – No. 95 Rheem Toyota Camry Preview – The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway

No. 95 Rheem Toyota Camry News and Notes:

  • Bell at Darlington: The NASCAR Cup Series returns to live racing action Sunday at Darlington Raceway and Christopher Bell will be making his Cup debut at “The Lady in Black.”  Bell has two NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) starts under his belt at the 1.366-mile track, earning one top-five and one top-10 finish.  For both NXS starts at Darlington Bell qualified second, narrowly missing starting on the pole at Darlington both times.
  • #TheRealHeroes: Christopher Bell will replace his name on the No. 95 Rheem Toyota Camry with J.T. Corbitt for Darlington as part of honoring and thanking the front-line workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic.  J.T. is a Respiratory Therapist Supervisor out of Austin, Texas and was instrumental in helping to setup and train employees on how to care for COVID-19 patients.
  • Phoenix Recap: Christopher Bell qualified 15th and battled a tight handling car from the start.  After suffering three speeding penalties on pit road during stage one, Bell and the No. 95 team got the timing lights corrected on the dash.  Bell rebounded from being sent to the tail end of the field as a penalty for speeding on pit road, but was tagged from behind and into the wall, resulting in damage to his Camry.  The team worked to repair his car and Bell was able to stay on the lead lap to finish 24th at Phoenix.
  • RACE INFO: The NASCAR Cup Series Race at Darlington Raceway begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 17, 2020. The race will be broadcast live on FOX, Sirius XM 90, and MRN Radio.

 

Bell’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats at Darlington Raceway:

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
2011002.019.0

 

Bell’s 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats:

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
40000019.029.0

 

Bell’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:

StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedAvg. StartAvg. Finish
741641461229206.410.2

 

From the Cockpit:

Christopher Bell: “I’m really pumped to get back behind the wheel, this is probably the longest stretch I’ve gone without being in a race car.  Darlington is a super challenging track under normal circumstances and now going back with no practice and not being in a car for so long will be really difficult.  I’ve been able to spend a few hours on the sim preparing and I know Jason (Ratcliff) and the team has been working hard on the car.  I can’t wait for the green flag Sunday.”

About Rheem

Founded in 1925, Rheem® innovates all-new ways to deliver just the right temperature while saving energy, water and supporting a more sustainable future. Today, Rheem is America’s #1 water heating brand, and its products are available in more than 50 countries. Paloma Co., Ltd. of Nagoya, Japan, acquired the iconic Rheem brand in 1988, and today the company’s portfolio of premium brands include Rheem®, Raypak®, Ruud®, Eemax®, Richmond®, Splendid®, Solahart® and EverHot™ as well as commercial refrigeration brands Russell®, Witt®, ColdZone® and Kramer®, which are part of the Heat Transfer Products Group (HTPG®) division.

*All are Trademarks of Rheem Manufacturing Company.

 

About Leavine Family Racing

Leavine Family Racing is an organization competing in the NASCAR Cup Series focused on growing competitively and providing results-driven partnerships for its sponsors. The single-car team was founded in 2011 by Bob and Sharon Leavine, two individuals who are passionate about NASCAR and started the team to make a positive impact on the sport and community. Christopher Bell will pilot the No. 95 Toyota Camry for the team starting with the 2020 season. In alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota Racing Development, the team operates out of their Concord, N.C.-based race shop with a veteran group of racing personnel driven by their desire for progress. For more information, please visit www.LFR95.com.

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