Author: Official Release

 Race Notes

Atlanta Motor Speedway
Quaker State 400 available at Walmart
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Sunday, September 8 at 3:00PM EDT
USA | PRN | SiriusXM
Team Notes·

• Kaulig Racing has made 10 NCS starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, earning one top five and three top-10 finishes. The team has led seven laps at Atlanta.
• So far in the 2024 NCS season, Kaulig Racing has earned seven top 10s, 17 top 20s and led 53 laps.

SHANE van GISBERGEN

“I’m looking forward to another opportunity in the Cup car this weekend in Atlanta. The track races like a superspeedway, so we will have over 200 laps to learn and hopefully come home with a good finish for my No. 16 Acceptance Insurance team. Thanks to Chevrolet, Kaulig Racing and Trackhouse Racing for this opportunity!” – Shane van Gisbergen on Atlanta Motor Speedway

No. 16 Acceptance Insurance Camaro ZL1

• Shane van Gisbergen will make his first-career NCS start at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend, his seventh start of the season for Kaulig Racing.
• Last weekend in Darlington, Van Gisbergen and the No. 16 Kaulig Racing team started 34th and finished 26th.
• The three-time Supercars champion will carry the green-and-blue Acceptance Insurance livery this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Acceptance Insurance has been helping people save money on their car insurance for more than 50 years. The company specializes in helping drivers with imperfect records find a policy customized to their needs and budget. Acceptance’s low-cost insurance products also include renters insurance, as well as many other insurance options.
• Meet Van Gisbergen at the Acceptance Insurance storefront in Griffin, Ga. (1435 N. Expy, Ste. 102) on Friday, Sept. 6, at 2 p.m. local time.

DANIEL HEMRIC

“Atlanta is a track I really enjoy. We had a really fast No. 31 Chevy at the first race there earlier this season and ran up front. These superspeedway-style tracks are ones that Kaulig Racing excels at, so I think we have an opportunity to do well and improve on our last finish there.” – Daniel Hemric on Atlanta Motor Speedway

No. 31 Cirkul Camaro ZL1

Daniel Hemric has made two NCS starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, earning top-20 finishes in both attempts.
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Hemric earned four top fives, including two runner-up finishes at Atlanta.
So far in the 2024 NCS season, Hemric has earned four top 10s, nine top-20 finishes and has led 14 laps.
Hemric has currently completed more laps than any other driver in the 2024 season, 6929 of 6969 laps (99.4%).
 

 
Race Details

Atlanta Motor Speedway
Focused Health 250
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Saturday, September 7 at 3:00PM EDT
USA | PRN | SiriusXM
Team Notes

• Kaulig Racing has made 28 starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the NXS. The team has earned one win, 12 top fives and 19 top-10 finishes.
• Kaulig Racing visited victory lane with AJ Allmendinger in 2020 at Atlanta. Allmendinger started 30th before taking the lead for good on lap 127.
• So far in the 2024 NXS season, Kaulig Racing has earned three wins, eight top fives, 23 top-10 finishes and led 164 laps.

JOSH WILLIAMS

“We didn’t get a fair shake in Atlanta earlier this season, so I’m excited to get back there. The track’s obviously changed a lot over the years, but I think it’s starting to feel a little bit like the old version of Atlanta [with the track surface wearing down], so every time we go there now, it’s a bit different.” – Josh Williams on Atlanta Motor Speedway

No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet Camaro

• Josh Williams has made 10 starts in the NXS at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
• He recorded his only top-10 finish at the track in the NXS’ second visit there in 2023, finishing ninth after starting 16th.
• Williams sits 17th in the NXS points standings with three top 10s and 14 laps led.

AJ ALLMENDINGER

 ”Atlanta is a racetrack that we have always run upfront at. It’s unique with the way the draft works and package of lower horsepower, but I feel like over the last couple weeks between Michigan, Indy and the first race in Atlanta, we learned a lot there. It’s very track position based the way the draft works, but overall, we’ve brought a lot of speed the last few weeks and it’s a racetrack we have a shot to go win at.” – AJ Allmendinger on Atlanta Motor Speedway

No. 16 Campers Inn RV Chevrolet Camaro

• AJ Allmendinger has made six starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the NXS. He has earned one win, three top fives and four top-10 finishes. Allmendinger has an average finish of 7.5 and he has led 113 laps there.
• So far in the 2024 NXS season, Allmendinger has earned three top fives and 11 top-10 finishes. He has led 71 laps and is currently sixth in the driver standings.

SHANE van GISBERGEN

 ”I’m looking forward to getting back to Atlanta this weekend. The race here in February was a massive challenge for me, but to get a third-place finish in my second Xfinity career start was pretty special. Quad Lock has been a great partner of mine for years, so I’m excited to have them back on board my Chevrolet this weekend. It should be another fun Saturday with my No. 97 Kaulig Racing team!” – Shane van Gisbergen on Atlanta Motor Speedway

No. 97 Quad Lock Chevrolet Camaro

• Shane van Gisbergen will make his second start at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the NXS with the No. 97 Quad Lock team.
• In February at Atlanta, Van Gisbergen started 13th and finished third in only his second-career NXS start.
• Last weekend at Darlington, Van Gisbergen recorded a seventh-place finish, his seventh top-10 finish this season.
• The New Zealand native will carry the Quad Lock livery for the third time this season. The Quad Lock motto? Adventure. Whether on a bike, boat, car, a trip down the road, or an expedition across the globe, Quad Lock makes the experience better. And we build reliable gear so you can go anywhere. No matter your device. No matter your pursuit.
• Van Gisbergen and his No. 97 Kaulig Racing team lead the NXS in total wins this season (three) and currently sit 12th in the driver standings heading into this weekend.

About Kaulig Racing

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 23 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries, with a part-time fourth entry at select events. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

Atlanta Motor Speedway Competition Notes

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 4, 2024) – Michael McDowell and the No. 34 return to the Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend.

McDowell showed solid speed at the 1.5-mile Motor Speedway when he captured his first-career pole and earned his first Top-10 of the season, an 8th-place finish, back in February.

This weekend the No. 34 Ford Mustang Dark Horse will have B’laster on the car. Forming its roots in Cleveland, Ohio, the heart of the Rust Belt, B’laster has manufactured penetrants, lubricants, cleaners, solvents, rust removers, greases, and protectants for professionals and DIYers since 1957. Known for PB B’laster, the #1-selling penetrant, B’laster products are formulated to penetrate, lubricate, loosen, overcome, fix, and conquer each job.

Track activity for the NASCAR Cup Series will start with qualifying at 12:30 pm ET on Saturday, September 7th. The 260-lap event is scheduled for Sunday, September 8th at 3:00 pm ET. Fans can watch the action live on the USA Network or listen in from the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90.

No. 34 B’laster Ford Mustang Dark Horse:

DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL:

“We’re up to speed with what we need for Atlanta. We had a fast Ford Mustang Dark Horse in February, taking the pole and leading laps. We just need to execute everything to run up front and win because handling and drafting are still going to be very important to stay out of trouble.

“Happy to have B’laster on our car this weekend. The scheme looks great and we’re ready to run up front and give them a good result.”

CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON:

“Heading back to Atlanta, our car should have good speed. We’ve done our homework and made the right adjustments to our setup from what we brought back in February. We had a pole-winning car then and we hope to run up front again.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

ATLANTA 2

Saturday, September 7 — NASCAR Xfinity Series, 3 p.m. ET (USA)
Sunday, September 8 — NASCAR Cup Series, 3 p.m. ET (USA)

The NASCAR Cup Series will open its playoff season for the first time at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend as part of a doubleheader that will also see the NASCAR Xfinity Series in action. Six Ford drivers have qualified to compete for the championship, most among manufacturers, including each of the last two titleholders in Ryan Blaney (2023) and Joey Logano (2022).

FORD DRIVERS IN THE CUP SERIES PLAYOFFS

DRIVER – SEED (CUT LINE)

Ryan Blaney – 5th (+13)
Brad Keselowski – 8th (+3)
Joey Logano – 9th (+2)
Austin Cindric – 10th (+2)
Chase Briscoe – 13th (+0)
Harrison Burton – 14th (+0)

SECOND HALF SURGE

Ford enters the NASCAR Cup Series postseason having won back-to-back races at Daytona and Darlington and has been surging in the second half of the year with the new Mustang Dark Horse. The Blue Oval ended the regular season winning seven of the last 14 points races with the six Playoff drivers all delivering at least one victory and defending champion Ryan Blaney two (Iowa and Pocono). Not included in that streak is Joey Logano’s win in the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

PLAYOFF APPEARANCES SINCE 2014

NASCAR began the current 16-driver playoff elimination format in 2014 and this season Ford will have a manufacturer-best six drivers battling for the championship. This will mark the 10th time Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano have qualified in this latest iteration of the postseason while defending series champion Ryan Blaney will be making his eighth appearance. Chase Briscoe’s dramatic win at Darlington Raceway puts him in the postseason for the second time, which is the same scenario for Austin Cindric after his victory at World Wide Technology Raceway. Meanwhile, Harrison Burton will be making his first playoff appearance after winning in Daytona two weeks ago.

PLAYOFF APPEARANCES IN CURRENT FORMAT

Brad Keselowski – 10
Joey Logano – 10
Ryan Blaney – 8
Chase Briscoe – 2
Austin Cindric – 2
Harrison Burton – 1

FORD’S ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD

Ford has 52 all-time NASCAR Cup Series playoff victories since the postseason era started in 2004. Kurt Busch won the inaugural race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway that year and rode that momentum to the series championship. Since then, a total of 13 drivers have captured at least one playoff event with Joey Logano leading the way with 12. Brad Keselowski is next with six Ford playoff victories (8 overall) while Ryan Blaney won twice in the playoffs a year ago at Talladega and Martinsville.

KESELOWSKI GETS FIRST CUP WIN FOR MUSTANG

Brad Keselowski gave Mustang its first NASCAR Cup Series victory as he held off Martin Truex Jr. at the finish line to win the Folds of Honor 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2019. Keselowski, who was battling an illness all weekend and had Austin Cindric standing by in case he needed relief, led the final 33 laps to post his 28th career victory. In all, Ford led 177 of the 325 laps and won for the third straight year at the 1.5-mile track.

THREE TO GO

Even though the NASCAR Cup Series opens its Playoffs this weekend, the NASCAR Xfinity Series still has three races left in its regular season. Ford drivers Riley Herbst and defending champion Cole Custer have already secured their spots in the 12-driver field while Ryan Sieg is squarely on the bubble. The Georgia native heads to his hometown track on Saturday looking to carve into a 10-point deficit that currently has him on the outside looking in. Sieg finished 22nd in the first race at AMS earlier this year and has two top-10 finishes in 14 career starts.

FORD’S ATLANTA CUP SERIES WINNERS

1961 – Fred Lorenzen

1962 – Fred Lorenzen

1963 – Fred Lorenzen

1964 – Fred Lorenzen and Ned Jarrett

1965 – Marvin Panch (Sweep)

1967 – Cale Yarborough and Dick Hutcherson

1968 – LeeRoy Yarbrough

1969 – LeeRoy Yarbrough

1975 – Buddy Baker

1978 – Bobby Allison

1981 – Neil Bonnett

1985 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)

1987 – Ricky Rudd and Bill Elliott

1990 – Morgan Shepherd

1991 – Mark Martin

1992 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)

1993 – Morgan Shepherd

1994 – Ernie Irvan and Mark Martin

1997 – Dale Jarrett

2002 – Kurt Busch

2005 – Carl Edwards (Sweep)

2008 – Carl Edwards

2017 – Brad Keselowski

2018 – Kevin Harvick

2019 – Brad Keselowski

2020 – Kevin Harvick

2021 – Ryan Blaney (1)

2023 – Joey Logano (1)

RYAN PREECE
Atlanta Advance
No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

● Event: Atlanta 400 (Round 27 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 8
● Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia
● Layout: 1.54-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 260 laps/400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 100 laps / Final Stage: 100 laps
● TV/Radio: USA / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Sunday’s Atlanta 400 will mark Ryan Preece’s eighth NASCAR Cup Series start at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The best of his previous outings on the 1.54-mile oval was the most recent, a 16th-place result from the 20th starting position in March that also was best that day of the four Stewart-Haas Racing entries. Preece’s first four Atlanta starts came prior to the track’s old configuration, on which his best finish was 25th, earned twice – March 2021 and July 2021. Preece logged finishes of 28th and 24th in the March and July 2023 races, respectively, his first two outings on Atlanta’s current configuration.

● Outside of the NASCAR Cup Series, Preece has three other Atlanta starts. He ran two NASCAR Xfinity Series races at the track, each on the old layout, with his best result being seventh in February 2019. In March 2023, Preece competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Atlanta, where he also finished seventh.

● Atlanta Motor Speedway has been in existence since 1960, but the Atlanta track Preece and his NASCAR Cup Series brethren will compete on this Sunday is less than years old. The 1.54-mile oval was reconfigured after the final race of the 2021 season. The banking was increased from 24 degrees to 28 degrees and the track was narrowed from 55 feet wide to 40 feet wide, and it was all covered in fresh asphalt. The goal of the reconstruction was to recreate the kind of pack-style racing seen at the behemoth, 2.5-mile Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and the even bigger 2.66-mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Drivers competed on the new layout for the first time in March 2022 and the Atlanta 400 will be the sixth Cup Series race on the revamped track.

● Joining Preece and the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse at Atlanta is HaasTooling.com, the cutting tool division of Haas Automation. HaasTooling.com allows CNC machinists to purchase high-quality cutting tools at great prices. Haas cutting tools are sold exclusively online at HaasTooling.com and shipped directly to end users. Haas Automation, founded in 1983, is America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. The company manufactures a complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers, rotaries and indexers, and automation solutions.

Ryan Preece, Driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Your first race at Atlanta was back in February. So, seven months have passed and the weather is now a lot hotter and a lot more humid. How much does Atlanta change from late February to early September?

“With it being in the South and as hot as it is this time of year, I think it’s going to change a lot. It would help if it was a night race, which would make things a lot cooler and would give us a little more grip. But it is what it is, and it’s the same for everybody. We’ve been racing in these conditions pretty much every week since the beginning of summer, so it’s just another week of keeping focused and mindful of our hydration all week and through the race weekend.”

When you get to Atlanta, it’s just 10 more races until the season is over. What do you want to accomplish in these last 10 races at Stewart-Haas?

“Being competitive and staying competitive is the main thing. We want to run top-15, top-10, top-five, maybe even sneak in a win before all is said and done. But bottom line, no matter how it happens, it would be great to send it out on a good note.”

Now that you’ve run three Cup Series race on the current track configuration at Atlanta, how much does the racing at Atlanta emulate the racing you experience at Daytona and Talladega?

“I would say Atlanta versus Daytona and Talladega, they’re the same but they’re different. They’re different because Atlanta is still a mile-and-a-half, so we’re restricted on horsepower, we’re wide open like a superspeedway, but the runs happen twice as fast. Handling is, by far, way more important than it would be at Daytona and Talladega. Not only that, it’s a lot tighter of a corner at Atlanta, so when you’re going into turn three and you’re three-wide and four-wide, it gets tight really quick.”

Once again, single-car qualifying is all the track time you’ll have at Atlanta prior to Sunday’s race. How do you prepare for the race when you know so little about how your car will perform?

“You go into it completely blind. There’s nothing like showing up at a racetrack and going green and not really having an understanding of where you’re going to be. I guess that really just emphasizes how close the tools you’re using are as far as making sure your car drives well. But, yeah, we’re going to be completely blind.”

Is competing at Atlanta mentally taxing?

“Well, it’s different than it used to be, for sure. It’s not like the old Atlanta where you had balance shifts and you were trying to take care of your tires. Now, it’s about positioning yourself in the right lane, and potentially you can see handling becoming an issue and people trying to hang onto the draft. It’s going to be very mentally taxing, so hopefully our cars are really fast. That fixes everything.”

What do you need in your racecar to be fast at Atlanta?

“You need downforce, you need horsepower, really you need everything. Ultimately, if someone asks me that question, I’d say you need the total package. If you don’t have a lot of horsepower, or a really good-handling racecar because it has plenty of horsepower but a lot of drag, you could potentially struggle.”

Daytona and Talladega races are known to be a crapshoot, where there are so many things out of your control. Is that also the case at Atlanta, or are you still able to make a little bit of your own luck at Atlanta?

“I feel like at Atlanta you can control your destiny a little more. Yeah, you’re going to have to have track position, but if you have a really good-handling racecar at Atlanta, you’re going to have a good day. At Daytona and Talladega, sometimes it’s just luck of the draw.”

No. 41 HaasTooling.com Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Ryan Preece

Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut

Crew Chief: Chad Johnston

Hometown: Cayuga, Indiana

Car Chief: Jeremy West

Hometown: Gardena, California

Engineer: Marc Hendricksen

Hometown: Clinton, New Jersey

Spotter: Tony Raines

Hometown: LaPorte, Indiana

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Devin Lester

Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Rear Tire Changer: Austin Chrismon

Hometown: China Grove, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Chad Emmons

Hometown: Tyler, Texas

Jack Man: Sherman Timbs

Hometown: Indianola, Mississippi

Fuel Man: Dwayne Moore

Hometown: Griffin, Georgia

Road Crew Members

Front End Mechanic: Joe Zanolini

Hometown: Sybertsville, Pennsylvania

Interior Mechanic: Robert Dalby

Hometown: Anaheim, California

Tire Specialist: Matt Ridgeway

Hometown: Carrollton, Georgia

Engine Tuner: Jimmy Fife

Hometown: Orange County, California

Transporter Co-Driver: David Rodrigues

Hometown: Santa Clarita, California

Transporter Co-Driver: Charlie Schleyer

Hometown: Youngsville, Pennsylvania

Martin Truex Jr.
Atlanta Advance
No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Quaker State 400 (Round 26 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 8
● Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway
● Layout: 1.54-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 260 laps/400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 100 laps / Final Stage: 100 laps
● TV/Radio: USA Network / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Playoff Reset: Despite a disappointing result in the final race of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season last weekend at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, where he saw his day end after an accident on lap two, Truex was able to lock himself into the 2024 edition of the 10-race, 16-driver playoffs. Truex will start the playoffs this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway sitting 16th on the playoff grid with 2,004 points, 36 points behind No. 1 seed Kyle Larson.

● The Final Countdown: Truex announced earlier this summer that this will be his last year of fulltime racing in the NASCAR’s top series. In his final year, Truex made the playoffs for the 11th and final time when he clinched a spot in the regular-season finale last weekend at Darlington. He’ll hope to go on a magical run and add one more piece of championship hardware to his trophy case, where he already has a Cup Series championship from 2017, when he ran for Furniture Row Racing. Truex made his first playoff appearance in 2007 while driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. He then returned to the playoffs in 2012 driving for Michael Waltrip Racing. After moving to Furniture Row Racing in 2014, Truex returned to the playoffs in 2015, when he made his first Championship 4 appearance in just the second year of the elimination format. In all, Truex has made five Championship 4 appearances, which ties him with two-time champions Joey Logano and Kyle Busch and 2014 champion Kevin Harvick.

● Atlanta Motor Speedway is a much different track today than what Truex had grown accustomed to racing on earlier in his career. The 1.54-mile oval was reconfigured after the final race of the 2021 season, and this weekend’s race will be just the sixth on the latest configuration. The banking was increased from 24 degrees to 28 degrees and the track was narrowed from 55 feet wide to 40 feet wide, and it was covered with fresh asphalt. The goal of the reconstruction was to recreate the kind of pack-style racing seen at the behemoth, 2.5-mile Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and the even bigger 2.66-mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. The New Jersey native’s best finish on the current configuration is a eighth-place run in the first race on it in the spring of 2022. Truex has two other top-12 finishes on the current configuration – an 11th-place finish in the second race there in 2022 and a 12th-place finish there earlier this year.

● Truex has three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Atlanta, all of which came prior to the reconfiguration. Truex finished no worse than 11th in those three starts, and his most recent outing there in the spring of 2021 netted him a second-place finish.

● Looking for 35: Truex’s win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon in July 2023 was his most recent Cup Series win, the 34th of his career, tying him with 2004 champion Kurt Busch for 25th on the all-time Cup Series win list.

● Ahead at this Stage: Truex has accumulated 63 stage wins since the beginning of the stage era in 2017. He is the only driver with 10 or more stage sweeps, with his latest sweep coming at Michigan last August. Truex scored his third stage win of the season in July at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, leading the field across the line at the end of Stage 1.

Martin Truex Jr., Driver of the No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota Camry XSE

What are your expectations as you kick off the playoffs this weekend at Atlanta?

“In general, we’ve been consistently fast, which is good. If we can just put everything else together, we’re going to be in much better shape. It’s been frustrating the last couple of months and it’s not just been one thing. I made mistakes at both Michigan and Darlington that cost us a lot, we’ve had some issues on pit road at times, and there have been times where we just flat out had some bad luck, like cautions coming out at Richmond in the spring and then Kansas, where we looked like we had a shot at the win and those cautions hurt us. We know that this team is capable of getting the job done and we hope that we can get our Auto-Owners Insurance Camry up front this weekend and give us a chance and we can start the playoffs out on the right foot.”

What is the potential for your team as you head into the playoffs?

“I think we have the potential to finish off the year on a high note. We’ve got tons of speed, which we show a lot of weeks. We’re right there, we’ve been knocking on the door and it would be nice to win a couple before it’s all over.”

How difficult is it to win in the Cup Series with how competitive things are, especially when you are trying to get one in your final year?

“I try to always enjoy them all like they were the last because you never know. I think when we won our last race of the year last year, we probably thought we were going to win a couple more, at least, before I decided on retirement, it’s just been tough. We certainly have performed at the level we need to get it done, but just haven’t been able to finish the deal. It’s a tough sport and it’s tough to win these things because it takes a lot more than just a fast car, so we’ll just keep giving it all we’ve got.”

What has been the challenge at Atlanta since the repave and the superspeedway-style racing it now produces?

“Certainly, the challenge is being in the right position at the end and not getting caught up in a wreck, which takes some good fortune sometimes. We’ve had some fast cars there the last couple of years but seem to find our way into a wreck almost every time. Sort of what happens at those types of places – you can be in the best spot possible, but you have to count on other guys to help you and sometimes it just doesn’t work out. All I can do is hope we are in the same position this weekend with our Auto-Owners Insurance Camry XSE and maybe things will work out a little bit better in our favor and we can bring home the win.”

Has superspeedway racing changed in recent years?

“I think superspeedways probably haven’t changed much as opposed to some of the other types of tracks. Just the way you can bump draft with this car is totally different than the previous-generation cars. I think right now there are a lot more options as far as what lanes work. It used to be that you never wanted anyone on the outside, and now you can pass guys on the bottom a bit easier and that sets up some other opportunities. I feel like the racing has been fun on superspeedways, but you have to be really aggressive, as well.”

No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Martin Truex Jr.

Hometown: Mayetta, New Jersey

Crew Chief: James Small

Hometown: Melbourne, Australia

Car Chief: Chris Jones

Hometown: Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia

Race Engineer: Jaik Halpainy

Hometown: Blockville, New York

Spotter: Drew Herring

Hometown: Benson, North Carolina

Road Crew Members

Underneath Mechanic: Ryan Martin

Hometown: Mechanicsburg, Virgina

Mechanic: Todd Carmichael

Hometown: Redding, California

Interior/Tire Specialist: Tommy DiBlasi

Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland

Engine Tuner: Beau Morton

Hometown: Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Transporter Driver: Kyle Bazzell

Hometown: Fairbury, Illinois

Transporter Driver: Eddie DeGroot

Hometown: Baldwinsville, New York

Over-The-Wall Crew Members

Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Jackman: Caleb Dirks

Hometown: Riverside, California

Tire Carrier: CJ Bailey

Hometown: Outer Banks, North Carolina

Front Tire Changer: Thomas Hatcher

Hometown: Middleburg, Florida

Rear Tire Changer: Lee Cunningham

Hometown: Leaf River, Illinois