Author: Official Release

This Week in Motorsports: August 26 – September 2, 2024

NCS/NXS: Darlington Raceway – Aug. 31-Sept. 1
ARCA: DuQuoin State Fairgrounds – Sept. 1
NHRA: Indianapolis Raceway Park – Aug. 30-Sept. 2

PLANO, Texas (Aug. 28, 2024) – A busy holiday weekend is ahead for Team Toyota across the nation. NASCAR’s Cup and Xfinity Series return to Darlington Raceway, with this weekend marking the cutoff race for the Cup Series Playoffs. The ARCA Menards Series heads to DuQuoin State Fairgrounds on Sunday with five races remaining in the 2024 season. The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series enters its final race before the Countdown to the Championship at the Toyota U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS

Reddick leads Cup points heading to Playoff cutoff race … Going into the final race of the Cup Series regular season, 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick holds the series points lead by 17 points, looking to secure the regular season title and 15 bonus Playoff points heading to Atlanta next weekend. Reddick is joined inside the provisional playoff field by Christopher Bell (sixth), Denny Hamlin (eighth), Martin Truex Jr. (ninth) and Ty Gibbs (10th). Bubba Wallace comes into the weekend just 21 points below the Playoff cutline. In the current Playoff standings, Bell has the second most Playoff points entering the weekend with 25, thanks to his 10 stage wins and three race wins this season.

Wallace looks for another Darlington top-five … With his Playoff hopes on the line Sunday night, Wallace returns to a track that has been favorable to him of late. The No. 23 Camry XSE driver has four consecutive top-10 finishes at Darlington, including a seventh-place result in the spring. Another such finish, and more, may be enough to get Wallace into the Playoffs once again.

Four races remain in Xfinity Series regular season … Heading to Darlington this weekend, Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing’s (JGR) two full-time Xfinity Series drivers find themselves solid in the point standings. Chandler Smith moved up to third in the regular season points with a runner-up finish at Daytona last weekend, while Sheldon Creed remained seventh in the points after his fourth consecutive top-10 finish.

Bell returns to No. 20 GR Supra … Bell will be doing double duty this weekend at the ‘Track Too Tough to Tame’ as he’s back in the No. 20 GR Supra for JGR. The Oklahoma-native will make his fourth career Xfinity Series start at Darlington, with a career-best finish of fourth in 2019. He also returns to the Xfinity Series off his triumph at New Hampshire back in June.

Creed returns to favorable Darlington … Like Wallace in the Cup Series, Darlington Raceway has been kind of late to Creed in the Xfinity Series. The driver of the No. 18 GR Supra has three top-10 finishes in his last four Darlington starts, which includes a ninth-place result in the spring.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA Menards Series

Sawalich continues dominance … After another victory in Milwaukee last weekend, William Sawalich is on quite the roll in the ARCA Menards Series. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has scored four consecutive wins and six in his last seven starts. The Minnesotan makes his second career start at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds this weekend, where he was on pole and finished fifth a season ago.

Reimer returns to ARCA … For the second time this season and third time in her career, Taylor Reimer is back in the ARCA Menards Series with Venturini Motorsports this weekend in DuQuoin. In her lone start this season a few weeks ago in Springfield, Reimer finished third behind Sawalich and Isabella Robusto in a Team Toyota top three sweep.

NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car

Toyota’s streaks roll on to Indianapolis … Toyota brings its nine NHRA drivers to Indianapolis with multiple impressive streaks on the line once nitro engines fire Friday night. Following Justin Ashley’s win at Brainerd, Toyota-supported Top Fuel Dragsters have won 13 of the last 14 races dating back to last November in Pomona. Additionally, Toyota enters the weekend making 36 consecutive final rounds in either the Top Fuel or Funny Car categories after the all-Toyota final round in Top Fuel with Ashley and Shawn Langdon two weeks ago in Brainerd.

NHRA regular season closes with Toyota at the top … Heading into the final race before the ‘Countdown,’ Toyota’s racers remain towards the top of the points standings. In Top Fuel, Toyota owns the top five positions with Doug Kalitta, seeking a repeat Top Fuel world championship, sitting atop the standings, followed by Shawn Langdon (second), Justin Ashley (third), Steve Torrence (fourth) and Antron Brown (fifth). Billy Torrence currently sits in ninth position, inside the Countdown field going into this weekend. In Funny Car, J.R. Todd (fourth) and Ron Capps (sixth) are inside the top-10.

Brown, Capps seek U.S. Nationals threepeats … Along with positioning themselves for the Countdown, Brown and Capps also return to the Toyota U.S. Nationals each looking for their third consecutive victories at the biggest race on the NHRA schedule. Another victory at Indianapolis Raceway Park would be Brown’s sixth overall U.S. Nationals win, as he currently has three in Top Fuel and two in Pro Stock Motorcycle, while another Wally Trophy for Capps would be his third in Indianapolis.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 13th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 29 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

CLUB ENTRY LIST

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
POINT STANDINGS: 31ST

ERIK JONES
POINT STANDINGS: 26TH

CLUB NOTES

After a Saturday night race in Daytona, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to the “Lady in Black” – Darlington Raceway. The Southern 500 will mark the last race of the regular season before the playoffs, and with drivers on the bubble to make it in, Darlington is sure to host an exciting race this weekend on September 1.

Darlington 1 Rewind: While running just outside the top-10 during the first Darlington Raceway race in 2024, John Hunter Nemechek incurred a pit-road speeding penalty that sent him deep in the field. Nemechek lost control of his No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE off Turn 4, relegating him to a disappointing 31st-place finish.

The No. 43 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE battled handling issues during all three stages at Darlington Raceway back in the spring. Despite the team’s efforts to correct adjustments, Jones found difficulty to advance through the field. The LEGACY MOTOR CLUB entry finished 19th in the Goodyear 400.

NBC Emed: The NBC team has chosen to showcase the No. 43 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB crew this weekend at Darlington Raceway. There will be cameras on the pit box, in the car, and on the team’s spotter, Rick Carelli. With a mix of live pit crew/crew chief interviews, the broadcast will help story tell all moving parts of the No. 43 Dollar Tree team during the Cook Out 400.

JHN Stats: Nemechek returns to the track to the Lady in Black to make his 14th career start while in the top-three NASCAR Touring Series. Sunday will be his fifth NASCAR Cup Series start at Darlington. In the 13 starts, Nemechek has recorded 1 victory in the 2022 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) and 5 top-five finishes across the NCTS and NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Beshore Stats: Ben Beshore has an impressive record when it comes to calling races at Darlington Raceway. With 10 trips to 1.5-mile oval, across the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series, Beshore has amassed seven total top-10 finishes. In 2023, Beshore teamed up with Nemechek, the duo swept the pole positions at Darlington and brought home two-five finishes as a results. Beshore has coached his NXS drivers to 183-laps led around the place they call Too Tough to Tame.

EJ Stats: With two wins at the Southern 500 under his belt in 2019 and 2022, Jones has had incredible success at the South Carolina track. Since racing full time in the Cup series in 2016, Jones has accumulated 2 wins, 3 top-5s and 3 top-10s. Jones is hopeful of earning the black and white checkered flag this weekend at Darlington Raceway.

Elenz Stats: Jones’ partner in crime, Dave Elenz, has also won at Darlington Raceway. Elenz took home the checkered flag in 2021 with the then Xfinity driver, Noah Gragson. Before joining Jones in the Cup series in 2022, Elenz earned 1 win, 4 top-5s and 2 top-10s at Darlington Raceway in the Xfinity series.

Partner Spotlight: This weekend, the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE will pilot vendors Energizer, Tyson, and Unilever around the track at Darlington Raceway.

Going for G.O.L.D.: Partners Dollar Tree and Family Dollar will honor store #11422 this weekend as a part of the company’s “Go for G.O.L.D.” (Grand Opening Look Daily) program. The Dollar Tree and Family Dollar primaries will highlight these stores on the deck lid of all three LEGACY M.C. entries throughout the race season. Store #11422 is located in Columbia, SC.

PETTY 75TH ANNIVERSARY

ABOUT PETTY 75th: The 2024 season marks a significant milestone in the history of the Petty family as they have helped define stock car racing for 75 years. Their commitment to the sport and the people who make it possible – behind the wheel, under the hood, in the back office, and beyond – has shaped the growth and success of NASCAR. Their LEGACY lives on with the countless fans, drivers, technicians, and team members they touched. Throughout 2024, LEGACY M.C. will celebrate the Petty family and share countless memories with friends and fans at racetracks across the country.

This Week in Petty History: Julian Petty (Lee Petty’s Brother / Richard Petty’s Uncle) scored his first career victory as a car owner at Coastal Speedway, Myrtle Beach NC on August 26, 1959. Lee Petty visited victory lane for the 44th time in his career on August 29, 1959, at Columbia Speedway.

The King’s Hat: The King’s Hat that was unveiled back in May is displayed in the Fan Zone. Be sure to check out Darlington Raceway’s social media for exact location and activities planned for race weekend.

CLUB QUOTES

John Hunter Nemechek, Driver of the No. 42 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry XSE:

“This week’s race will be different than the spring race with it going from day to night and with it being 100-miles longer. The pit crew will need to be on top of their game with several more stops than a regular race. Our mindset hasn’t really changed with this being the final regular season race; our goal is always to win every time we hit the track. With so much history attached to this race, it would be cool to add my name to the list of winners.”

Ben Beshore, Crew chief of the No. 42 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry XSE:

“Darlington is a very tough place and there are a lot of options of what to do from a driving style standpoint. Some guys drive it in really deep with a big, long lift, other guys have a shorter lift and then get back to the gas or a later lift; there are a lot of options that you can be fast at Darlington and be successful.”

“Darlington is all about tire fall-off and it’s so big. The track is baking in the sun, but it can be a balancing act. If you only have a couple laps on tires and you pit or you can stay out for track position where that and the number of laps left in the race, where that cross over happens – it can get pretty crazy at the end. When you start to get a lot of cautions, everyone is bunched back up and it’s right before the playoffs start and where the intensity ramps up. You could see a lot of fireworks.”

Erik Jones, Driver of the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE:

This is the last race before playoffs, but you’ve won at Darlington twice. How do you balance confidence and pressure?

“Balancing confidence and pressure is easy for me. You go in with the sense of right now we have to win to get in, that makes it a bit easier honestly than if we were in a position where we were close on points like a lot of these guys are going in. I feel like that position is a lot more pressure than just having to win the race. We have to have a good car, a good race, good strategy and put ourselves in a position to win.”

How does tire fall off affect the race strategy?

“Tire fall off really affects strategy at Darlington a lot. More than probably most places between how you pit through the cycles – we’ve got some pretty long stages here at this race compared to the spring – and whether you pit two or three times in a stage and how you’re going to play everything out really makes a big difference in how your race goes and how you bank on how the yellows are going to fall and how you end up with some good track position. It’s pretty important, along with how you’re managing it in the car and through the run and how you’re using up your tires or not and when you’re planning to go and race hard and when you’re trying to ride.”

How is racing at Darlington in the spring different from racing in the fall?

“Racing at Darlington in the fall is a lot different than racing there in the spring. In spring, it’s usually hot – a full race in the daytime. In the fall we start in dusk hours and finish in full night. It’s a lot cooler outside and it cools down a lot through the race from the start, so the track goes through a pretty big transition compared to the spring where you’ve just got full sun and full heat for the entirety of the race. Along with extra distance and an extra 100 miles that affects the stage and the strategies, but it’s a pretty different race than what we do in the spring.”

Dave Elenz, Crew chief of the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE:

“Tire wear is always a big focus at Darlington. To do well there, you must manage your tires without giving up too much short-run speed. The Southern 500 makes this tougher since we must manage our tires as the track changes from evening to night. Even with cooler temperatures, tire wear will be high, and we’ll be looking to put on four fresh tires as often as we can. This makes for an interesting day on pit road, highlighting the fastest crews. We’re ready for the challenge on pit road and the track to conquer this tough race!”

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

BROADCAST INFO

DARLINGTON RACEWAY

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST @ 6:00 PM ET

ABOUT OUR PARTNERS

ABOUT DOLLAR TREE, INC.: Dollar Tree, a Fortune 200 Company, operated 16,622 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces as of October 28, 2023. Stores operate under the brands of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree Canada. To learn more about the Company, visit www.DollarTree.com.

ABOUT MOBIL 1: For 50 years, Mobil 1 has been trusted by drivers to keep their engines running longer. Our products combine the latest technology and innovation to exceed the toughest standards of vehicle manufacturers and tuning shops—so consumers can get the most out of their time behind the wheel, both on the road and on the track. Turn every day into an adventure with Mobil 1, the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand. Learn more at www.mobil1.us or and follow @Mobil1Racing on Instagram and X. Join us. For the love of driving.

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice “Maury” J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. The CLUB competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series fielding the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE of John Hunter Nemechek, the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE of Erik Jones, and the No. 84 limited schedule entry for Johnson. LEGACY M.C. also competes in the Extreme E Series. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty “The King” serves as CLUB Ambassador. With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level. To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ on Facebook, X, Instagram and at www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.

Race Notes

Darlington Raceway
Cook Out Southern 500
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Sunday, September 1 at 6:00PM EDT
USA | MRN | SiriusXM
Team Notes

• Kaulig Racing has made 10 NCS starts at Darlington Raceway, earning one top five and two top-10 finishes.
• So far in the 2024 NCS season, Kaulig Racing has earned seven top 10s, 17 top 20s and led 49 laps.

SHANE van GISBERGEN

“I’m really looking forward to racing the Cup car at Darlington. It’s another oval that is a massive challenge for me, but I had a lot of fun racing the Xfinity car there in the spring. Darlington has quickly become one of my favorite tracks to race. Excited to have Acceptance Insurance on board my 16 Kaulig Racing Chevy this weekend, it’s going to be fun!” – Shane van Gisbergen on Darlington Raceway

No. 16 Acceptance Insurance Camaro ZL1

• Shane van Gisbergen will pilot the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Camaro ZL1 for the sixth time this season at the historic Darlington Raceway. This will be Van Gisbergen’s first NCS start on the 1.366-mile track.
• It was announced last week that the New Zealand native will drive in seven of the final 12 Cup races this season for Kaulig Racing.
• The three-time Supercars Champion will carry the green and blue Acceptance Insurance livery this weekend at Darlington Raceway. 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 their 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 Florence, SC (1231 S Irby St. C) on Friday, August 30th at 4 p.m. local time.

DANIEL HEMRIC

“The Southern 500 is one of those crown-jewel events that’s always a privilege to be a part of. I’m excited to be able to spend some time with my family and see a lot of great fans fill that racetrack for one of the biggest races of the year. I think we have a good opportunity to build off what we had in the spring, so hopefully we have the opportunity to showcase that.” – Daniel Hemric on Darlington Raceway

No. 31 Cirkul Camaro ZL1

• Daniel Hemric has made four NCS starts at Darlington Raceway.
• In the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS), Hemric has earned one pole award, one top five, four top-10 finishes and led 56 laps at Darlington.
• Following his ninth-place finish at Daytona International Speedway last weekend, Hemric has earned four top 10s, nine top-20 finishes and has led 14 laps.

 
Race Details

Darlington Raceway
Sports Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Saturday, August 31 at 3:30PM EDT
USA | MRN | SiriusXM
Team Notes

• Kaulig Racing has made 29 starts at Darlington Raceway in the NXS. The team has earned one win, five top fives and 12 top-10 finishes.
• Kaulig Racing visited victory lane with Kyle Larson in the series’ first race at Darlington in 2023.
• So far in the 2024 NXS season, Kaulig Racing has earned three wins, eight top fives, 22 top-10 finishes and led 164 laps.

JOSH WILLIAMS

 ”I always love heading to Darlington. It’s a great track and really challenges us as drivers. We didn’t have the best run earlier this season there, but we’ve made some good progress lately, and I hope the momentum has shifted for good.” – Josh Williams on Darlington Raceway

No. 11 Call811.com Chevrolet Camaro

• Josh Williams has made 10 starts at Darlington Raceway in the NXS. His best finish at the track (15th), last came in 2021.
• Williams qualified in the top 10 at Darlington in the NXS in 2020.
• Williams sits 17th in the NXS points standings with three top 10s and 14 laps led.

AJ ALLMENDINGER

“I feel like every time we go to Darlington, I get a little bit better with our Xfinity cars. We had a really strong race car in the spring, we had some bad luck, but we had a really competitive top five car. We’ve made our cars better since then. It’s a tough racetrack; I’m still learning the key essentials of the racetrack to be faster, but it’s definitely a racetrack I have gained confidence at. Where are cars are at, I think we can go out there, run inside the top five again and maybe give ourselves an opportunity to win the race.” – AJ Allmendinger on Darlington Raceway

No. 16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet Camaro

• AJ Allmendinger has made five NXS starts at Darlington Raceway. He has earned one top five and two top-10 finishes and led 36 laps.
• So far in the 2024 NXS season, Allmendinger has earned three top five and 11 top-10 finishes. He has led a total of 74 laps and currently sits fifth in driver points.

SHANE van GISBERGEN

“Darlington is one of my favorite tracks I’ve raced so far in my NASCAR career. It’s a challenging track, but one I’m hoping to someday accomplish. Excited to have WeatherTech back on board this weekend. Hoping for another fun Saturday with my 97 Kaulig Racing team!” – Shane van Gisbergen on Darlington Raceway

No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet Camaro

• Shane van Gisbergen and the No. 97 WeatherTech team head to Darlington Raceway for his second-career NXS start at the track ‘Too Tough To Tame’.
• At Darlington in May, Van Gisbergen recorded a 15th-place finish in his first-career NXS start at Darlington.
• Last weekend in Daytona, Van Gisbergen recorded his 14th top-20 finish on an oval track this season.
• The New Zealand native will carry the white and red WeatherTech livery this weekend at Darlington. For decades, WeatherTech has delivered on its promise of quality and craftsmanship through a commitment to American-made auto, home and pet products. More information can be found at weathertech.com.
• Van Gisbergen and his No. 97 Kaulig Racing team lead the Xfinity Series in total wins this season (three) and currently sit 12th in driver standings heading into the 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.

DARLINGTON 2

Saturday, August 31 — NASCAR Xfinity Series, 3:30 p.m. ET (USA)
Sunday, September 1 — NASCAR Cup Series, 6 p.m. ET (USA)

The final race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular season headlines this weekend’s action as Darlington Raceway hosts its annual Labor Day event. Brad Keselowski will be going for a season sweep on the Cup side as he looks to follow up his win in the spring with another on Sunday night. Ford currently has five drivers locked into Cup Series playoff spots after Harrison Burton’s dramatic win last week at Daytona International Speedway.

WOOD BROTHERS WIN #100

Wood Brothers Racing celebrated its 100th NASCAR Cup Series win on Saturday night when Harrison Burton won the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, becoming the eighth organization in NASCAR history to reach that milestone. Current Ford owners Roger Penske and (143) Jack Roush (142) are also part of that elite group.

BURTON JOINS EXCLUSIVE CLUB

Harrison Burton’s win on Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway put him and his dad, Jeff, into an exclusive club as one of only eight father-son duos to each win a NASCAR Cup Series race. Jeff won 21 career Cup events, including 17 when he was driving for Jack Roush. Here is the list of father-son winners: Bobby and Davey Allison; Buck and Buddy Baker; Jeff and Harrison Burton; Dale and Dale Earnhardt Jr.; Bill and Chase Elliott; Ned and Dale Jarrett; Lee and Richard Petty; Richard and Kyle Petty.

KESELOWSKI GOING FOR DARLINGTON SWEEP

Brad Keselowski won the Southern 500 in 2018 and if he can do it again this weekend he’ll sweep the 2024 season at Darlington Raceway. That’s because the 2012 Cup Series champion captured his first win since becoming co-owner with Jack Roush in 2022 and snapped a 110-race winless streak in the spring race last May. Keselowski passed Chris Buescher and Tyler Reddick with nine laps to go after those two made contact while battling for the lead and went on to win the first race for the new Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

FORD PLAYOFF SCENARIO

There are five Ford drivers locked into the Cup Series playoffs as Brad Keselowski (Darlington), Austin Cindric (WWTR), Joey Logano (Nashville), Ryan Blaney (Iowa and Pocono) and Harrison Burton (Daytona 2) all claimed their spots with wins earlier this season. Chris Buescher currently holds one of the final spots going into Sunday’s race at Darlington Raceway, 21 points above the cut line.

JOEY LOGANO: “The good thing for us is we’re in the playoffs, so it takes that piece of it away, and it’s kind of the last race we get to go all-or-nothing before the playoffs start, and then you have a lot more on the line. For us, getting in the top 10 in points isn’t likely, so it’s kind of about going to win and that’s kind of nice to have that. To me, that’s a little bit of fun and it’s the Southern 500. That’s the biggest part, which it’s fun to win that one.”

RYAN BLANEY: “It’s obviously a different look. That race has been the kickoff to the playoffs for a little bit and I really liked it being the first race in the playoffs. It was a huge race for multiple reasons, so now it’s a little bit different, but at the end of the day it’s still important to go try to win and go try to have a good run to keep some good momentum going before you get going for 10 weeks. We had a great run there in the spring and just got cut short, but it would be nice to add another crown jewel. Hopefully, we can do it.”

CHRIS BUESCHER: “Darlington, you’re always racing the track. I love that racetrack. I love how difficult it is and what it makes you think of as a driver. For us, you will pay attention. If that’s the scenario we’re in, we’ll pay attention to where others are at, but you’ve got to race that racetrack first, run our own race, and make sure we don’t make mistakes. You’re right at the edge at any given point there and while the cars have proven to be quite robust when you are right there up against the fence, they’re certainly not indestructible. We have to have our mindset right going in.”

KESELOWSKI SWEEPS 2018 SOUTHERN 500 WEEKEND

Brad Keselowski rode a fast pit stop by his crew to register a win in the 2018 Southern 500. Keselowski found himself in a three-way battle with Kyle Larson and teammate Joey Logano in the latter stages. When the caution came out for a spin by Jeffrey Earnhardt with 23 laps to go, Keselowski and his crew were able to win the race off pit road and assume the lead for what proved to be the final restart of the race. Keselowski was able to get out front on the restart with 19 laps to go and eventually win by 1.224 seconds. Logano finished second to make it a 1-2 Ford/Team Penske finish and cap a weekend that also saw him take the NASCAR Xfinity Series race a day earlier.

WOOD BROTHERS LEAD THE WAY

It comes as no surprise that the Wood Brothers are Ford’s all-time winningest team at Darlington Raceway, posting eight career victories. All but one of those triumphs came in a Mercury, which the team ran in the 1960’s and 70’s. David Pearson, who holds the record with 10 career Darlington Cup victories, led the way with six while Cale Yarborough captured the team’s first in 1968. The last Darlington win for Wood Brothers Racing came in 1981 when Neil Bonnett took the Southern 500 in 1981 behind the wheel of a Ford.

DARLINGTON MASTER

David Pearson holds the record for most NASCAR Cup Series wins at Darlington Raceway with 10 and eight of those came in Ford Motor Co. products. He won six times driving the famed No. 21 Wood Brothers Mercury (1972,’74,’76-2,’77), winning the Southern 500 twice in that span (1976-77), and two more times in a Holman-Moody Ford (1968 and ’70). Pearson won three Southern 500 titles overall, including 1979.

SIEG EYEING PLAYOFF BERTH

Ryan Sieg’s fifth-place finish last weekend at Daytona International Speedway helped him strengthen his position for making the playoffs. Sieg, who is 10th in the regular season point standings, currently holds the 12th and final playoff position going into this weekend’s race at Darlington Raceway. He’s 15 points above the cut line and 29 points behind Parker Kligerman, who is one spot above him. Sieg has made 15 series starts in his career posting three top-10 finishes and one top-5 effort with that being a third-place run in 2020.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS

AT DARLINGTON

1956 – Curtis Turner

1960 – Joe Weatherly (1)

1961 – Fred Lorenzen and Nelson Stacy

1962 – Nelson Stacy and Larry Frank

1963 – Fireball Roberts (2)

1964 – Fred Lorenzen

1965 – Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett

1968 – David Pearson (1)

1969 – Lee Roy Yarbrough (2)

1970 – David Pearson (1)

1981 – Neil Bonnett (2)

1982 – Dale Earnhardt (1)

1985 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)

1988 – Bill Elliott (2)

1992 – Bill Elliott (1)

1993 – Mark Martin (2)

1994 – Bill Elliott (2)

1997 – Dale Jarrett (1)

1998 – Dale Jarrett (1)

1999 – Jeff Burton (Sweep)

2001 – Dale Jarrett (1)

2005 – Greg Biffle

2006 – Greg Biffle

2018 – Brad Keselowski

2020 – Kevin Harvick (1) and (3)

2022 – Joey Logano (1)

2024 – Brad Keselowski (1)

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS

AT DARLINGTON

1993 – Mark Martin (2)

1994 – Mark Martin (Sweep)

1995 – Mark Martin (2)

1996 – Mark Martin (1) and Terry Labonte (2)

1997 – Jeff Burton (2)

1999 – Mark Martin (2)

2000 – Mark Martin (Sweep)

2001 – Jeff Green (1) and Jeff Burton (2)

2002 – Jeff Burton (Sweep)

2004 – Greg Biffle

2005 – Matt Kenseth

2009 – Matt Kenseth

2018 – Brad Keselowski

2019 – Cole Custer

2020 – Chase Briscoe (1)