Category: NASCAR Cup PR

This Week in Motorsports: July 15 – 21, 2024

• NCS/NXS: Indianapolis Motor Speedway – July 19-21
• NCTS/ARCA: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park – July 19
• NHRA: Pacific Raceways – July 19-21

PLANO, Texas (July 17, 2024) – NASCAR makes its return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) oval with the Cup and Xfinity Series, culminating with the 30th anniversary Brickyard 400 on Sunday. The Truck Series, along with the ARCA Menards Series, are back at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, just outside of the “Circle City” for short track action Friday night.

NHRA is back on track for the first time in three weeks, traveling to the Pacific Northwest and Pacific Raceways just outside of Seattle, Washington.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS | NCTS

Hamlin back on favorable IMS oval … The return to the IMS oval is a welcome sight for many, including Denny Hamlin. Coming into the weekend, Hamlin has finished inside the top-10 in six of the last nine Brickyard 400s as he looks for that long-awaited triumph on the yard of bricks.

Reddick’s top-10 streak continues … The sixth-place finish on Sunday in Pocono gave Tyler Reddick his fourth consecutive top-10 finish and seventh in the last eight races. His 14 top-10 finishes are also the most in the Cup Series. The strong finishes from the driver of the No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE have put him in prime contention for the regular season championship, as he’s risen to third in the points standings and sits only 15 points back of the top spot. Reddick returns to Indianapolis this weekend as a former winner as well, capturing victory on the road course in 2022.

Johnson back in No. 84 Camry XSE … For the first time since Charlotte back in May, Jimmie Johnson is behind the wheel of the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE this weekend in Indianapolis. Sunday marks Johnson’s 695th career Cup Series start as he nears the milestone, 700. He’ll also make his 19th Brickyard 400 start on Sunday, where he’s captured four wins (2006, 2008, 2009, 2012), second all-time, along with six top-fives and seven top-10s.

Daly debuts in GR Supra … Indianapolis native and long-time IndyCar Series veteran, Conor Daly, will pilot the No. 26 GR Supra for Sam Hunt Racing this weekend in Indianapolis. Daly has made two career starts in the Xfinity Series, lastly in 2023 at the Charlotte ROVAL and makes his debut on his home track in a stock car this weekend. Daly has made 10 starts in the Indianapolis 500 around the famed 2.5-mile oval, with a career-best finish of sixth in 2022.

Toyota seeks repeat Xfinity win on IMS oval … With the Xfinity Series also returning to the IMS oval, it allows Toyota to go for a repeat victory after being triumphant in 2019 with former Toyota driver, Kyle Busch. Toyota also seeks four wins in the last seven races around the oval, as Busch won half of the eight previous Xfinity Series races there.

Heim on hot streak … Following his dominant victory at Pocono, Corey Heim has now captured victory in four of the last seven Truck Series races heading to Indianapolis this weekend, seeking his sixth victory of the season. Sweeping the stages last Friday now gives Heim six stage wins on the year, the most in the Truck Series, and he also leads the Playoffs points standings, while sitting second in the regular season standings. This weekend will be Heim’s third start at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park where he has two top-10 finishes.

Sawalich back in Tundra TRD Pro … Toyota Development Driver, William Sawalich, is back behind the wheel of the No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro with TRICON Garage this weekend in Indianapolis. This will be the Minnesotan’s ninth career Truck Series start and first since Martinsville in April. His best career finish to-date is sixth in this same race a season ago. He’ll be doing double duty on Friday, also participating in the ARCA Menards Series race Friday afternoon.

Sauter returns to a Tundra TRD Pro … Long-time NASCAR veteran, Johnny Sauter, is back with Team Toyota as he’ll drive the No. 16 Tundra TRD Pro for Hattori Racing Enterprises Friday night. This will be Sauter’s third Trucks start of 2024 and the 323rd of his career. This will be his first run in a Tundra TRD Pro since 2022 at Talladega.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA Menards Series

Sawalich seeks third straight win … Before he climbs into his Tundra TRD Pro, Sawalich will go for his third straight win in the ARCA Series and fourth of the season at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park Friday evening. Sawalich made his debut in Indianapolis last year, coming home fourth in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry.

NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car

Toyota Top Fuel dragsters control point standings … Heading to Seattle this weekend, Toyota currently owns the top-five of the Top Fuel point standings with four races remaining before the Countdown to the Championship. Defending Top Fuel World Champion, Doug Kalitta, sits atop the standings leading Justin Ashley (second), Shawn Langdon (third), Antron Brown (fourth) and Steve Torrence (fifth), who is going for a repeat win Seattle. In Funny Car, J.R. Todd is in fifth place going into the weekend with Ron Capps sixth and Alexis DeJoria in eighth.

Toyota seeks to continue streaks … The return to NHRA action allows Toyota to extend some incredible streaks with its Top Fuel Dragsters and GR Supra Funny Cars. Should one of Toyota’s six Top Fuel drivers capture victory on Sunday, it will have 11 wins in the last 12 Top Fuel races, dating back to Kalitta’s Pomona win last November. And should one of Toyota’s nine drivers across Top Fuel or Funny Car reach the finals, it will be 34 straight NHRA events with a Toyota racer in the final round.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 49,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 34 million cars and trucks at our nine manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 10th 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 28 electrified options.

Through its Driving Possibilities initiative, the Toyota USA Foundation has committed to creating innovative educational programs within, and in partnership with, historically underserved and diverse communities near the company’s U.S. operating sites.

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

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Competition Notes

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 17, 2024) – Michael McDowell and the No. 34 team return to The Brickyard for the final race before the two-week Olympic Break.

McDowell is the defending winner at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, winning the Verizon 200 last year on the road course and locking his place in the NASCAR Playoffs. For the oval configuration, it will be his 12th career Cup Series start with a best finish of 7th-place in 2020, the last time the Cup Series raced on the oval.

Horizon Hobby is back on the 34 for the first time since the Phoenix Raceway in March, where McDowell scored his second Top-10 of the season with an 8th-place finish. The 34 will also have LOSI branding on the car, the makers of the 1/12th scale NASCAR RC Race Car, featuring McDowell’s Ford Mustang Ford Dark Horse.

On track action for the Cup Series will begin Friday July 19 with practice at 2:30 p.m. ET on the NBC Sports App and qualifying on Saturday, July 20 at 1:00 p.m. ET on USA Network. The Brickyard 400 will be at 2:30 p.m. ET, Sunday July 21, televised on NBC. Fans can also listen to the action on SiriusXM Channel 90.

No. 34 Horizon Hobby Ford Mustang Dark Horse:

DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL:

“It is cool to go back there because we won last year and there will be banners there with us in victory lane. That is cool. It is going to be fun. It’s a great feeling returning to Indy as the defending race winner – even though we’re back on the oval, not the road course. There’s something really special about going to Indy – it’s almost hard to explain. That track has so much history and so many emotions associated with it, it’s a place where you really want to win. At the end of the day, a lot of the time you’re battling the track itself. It can be difficult to pass because the corners are so tight and you can’t really run well in a pack. Track position and restarts will be the key to a good run.

“It’s super exciting to see Horizon Hobby back on our Ford Mustang Dark Horse. They have been such a fun partner to represent and it’s going to be fun to see them again this weekend.”

CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON:

“We’re excited to go back to Indy. It’s the track where I got my first win as a crew chief, so it will always be a special place, personally. Being back on the oval will have its own set of challenges compared to the road course. It’s a tough place to pass and track position and strategy will be key. Michael is one of the few Cup drivers with experience on the oval, so we’ll have a good gameplan for this weekend. We just need to capitalize on the opportunity.”

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.

Relationship Kicks Off with Ty Dillon Driving the No. 33 Titan Risk Solutions Chevrolet in the Brickyard 400 NASCAR Cup Series Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

WELCOME, N.C. (July 16, 2024) – Titan Risk Solutions will debut a multi-year, multi-car partnership with Richard Childress Racing this weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Ty Dillon will race the No. 33 Titan Risk Solutions Chevrolet in the Brickyard 400. The race airs live on NBC at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Titan is a “one stop shop” for today’s trucking companies. With career trucking professionals as the founders, Titan Risk Solutions provides the very best in insurance, and insurance related services.

“We’re thrilled to be able to showcase Titan’s vast reach across the trucking industry through the relationships and platform that our race team partnership with Richard Childress Racing provides,” said Tim Smith, president of Titan Risk Solutions. “I can’t think of a better place to introduce our relationship than Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a track seeded in history and tradition, and with a race team that exemplifies the same commitment to quality and family values as Titan Risk Solutions. We’re all looking forward to cheering on Ty Dillon this weekend, as well as an exciting lineup of Titan drivers in the years to come.”

Dillon will be making his 243rd NASCAR Cup Series start this weekend. He is a former winner at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

“I’m excited to once again race on the oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, especially behind the wheel of the No. 33 Titan Risk Solutions Chevrolet,” said Dillon. “Kissing the bricks at the historic track is a special moment that I’ve been fortunate enough to experience with RCR. Every time we go to Indy, the memories come back. I’m grateful for the opportunity and look forward to having a great showing while representing Titan Risk Solutions.”

This weekend’s race kicks off a multi-year, multi-car partnership between Titan and RCR.

“Titan Risk Solutions is made up of career trucking professionals with the knowledge and integrity that we look for in all of our partners,” said Torrey Galida, president of RCR. “Their real time platform of trucking solutions aligns well with the needs of our industry and partners. We’re thrilled to welcome Titan to our sponsorship portfolio and to have the opportunity to help them achieve their business goals.”

Titan Risk Solutions, based out of Overland Park, Kansas has representatives located around the U.S. to assist those in the trucking industry. With the ability to provide insurance quotes or customer support in a matter of minutes, Titan has positioned themselves as market leaders for motor carriers across the country.

For more information or to contact Titan, visit www.titantruckins.com

For more information and all that is going on at RCR, visit rcrracing.com.

Titan Risk Solutions is your one-stop shop for everything related to the trucking industry. Founded by dedicated insurance professionals that understand the frustrations of today’s marketplace, Titan was built to eliminate many of the stresses America’s truck drivers face every day. Whether you are needing help with insurance, safety compliance, factoring, or driver training, Titan is here to help! With representatives located all across the U.S. and a 24/7 service hotline, there is always a live person to assist you!

Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) is a renowned, performance-driven racing, marketing and manufacturing organization. Incorporated in 1969, RCR has celebrated over 50 years of racing and earned more than 200 victories and 16 championships, including six in the NASCAR Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series and is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 (1998, 2007, 2018). Its 2024 NASCAR Cup Series lineup includes two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch (No. 8 Chevrolet) and 2017 Coca-Cola 600 winner and 2018 Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon (No. 3 Chevrolet). RCR fields a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series program with Jesse Love (No. 2 Chevrolet) and Austin Hill (No. 21 Chevrolet).

Martin Truex Jr.
Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Advance
No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Brickyard 400 (Round 22 of 36)
● Time/Date: 2:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 21
● Location: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
● Layout: 2.5-mile rectangular oval
● Laps/Miles: 160 laps / 400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 50 laps / Stage 2: 50 laps / Final Stage: 60 laps
● TV/Radio: NBC / IMS Radio Network / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Where We Stand: Truex sits sixth in the Cup Series driver standings with 640 points, 63 behind new leader Chase Elliott. All four JGR entries are currently inside the top-11 in the standings with Denny Hamlin fourth, Christopher Bell eighth and Ty Gibbs 11th as the series heads back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval this weekend before the two-week Olympic break commences.

● As the Cup Series returns to the oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time since 2020, Truex has one top-five finish and three top-10s and has led a total of 11 laps in 16 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at its 2.5-mile oval. Truex’s average Indy oval finish is 22.4.

● Truex had mixed results when the Cup Series raced on the Indianapolis road-course circuit the past three seasons. He earned a best road-course finish of seventh, which came last season. Back on the oval this weekend, Truex is looking to add himself to the list of Cup Series champions who have won 22 of the 27 previous Brickyard 400s.

● 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 International Speedway in Brooklyn last August. Truex scored his third stage win of the season last weekend 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

You have run well on the Indianapolis oval over the years, but the results haven’t quite panned out how you’ve wanted them to. Is there any reason for that?

“It’s for a number of different reasons, honestly. I think there was a window in time where we actually ran really well at Indianapolis, but we always had issues. We got wrecked on pit road a few times, we had a brake rotor explode one year when we were really fast. The fastest car we had there was 2017 when Kyle Busch and I were racing for the lead on a restart and we definitely had a car we could have won with that day. We’ve definitely been close a few times, but for whatever reason, we haven’t been able to put a whole race together there. We’ve shown speed as a team and as a company there, so I think we should have a great chance to run up front this weekend with our Auto-Owners Insurance Camry. Just like Pocono, you want to be able to qualify toward the front, keep your track position and put yourself in a spot where you can race for the win. That’s the plan for this weekend.”

What will the Olympic break be like for you?

“Yeah, it’s going to be interesting. Not very often we get two weeks off. It’s definitely great for the crew guys. They work so hard, so many hours, they just don’t stop. So it’s a grind and it’ll be good for them to spend a little time with their families. As a team, you kind of regroup, recharge with the playoffs coming up, the end of the season and all that goes into that with the pressure. It’ll be a nice break for everyone. I’d say I get more of a break than those guys, so it’s nice to see they get it, as well. It should be fun.”

Anything to pinpoint for not getting some finishes you’ve deserved over the last several weeks?

“It’s been multiple things, frustrating for sure. You name it across the board, it’s happened. The last three races before Pocono, we’ve been crashed at the end by someone, and that’s frustrating. Dealt with a lot of things like rain and crazy things like that. Hopefully this is another normal, straightforward weekend. We did that to a point at Pocono last weekend, but we just didn’t have the speed late in the race to challenge for the win like we had hoped.”

Do you anticipate feeling any different as your last fulltime season winds down?

“I’m not going to approach it any differently. I don’t expect my team to, either, and they haven’t this year at all. I think it’s business as usual as far as when we’re at the track. I guess it feels a bit different knowing that I’ll be going to tracks for the last time in a Cup car now. Some of the tracks have done some cool stuff, like Pocono putting my name on the start-finish line. I’m going to try to enjoy it and we really would like to get a win here soon. We will give it our best this weekend with the Moody Blue Auto-Owners Insurance Camry at Indy.”

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

Engineer: Jeff Curtis

Hometown: Fairfax Station, Virginia

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

Indianapolis Event Info:
Date: Sunday, July 21
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Speedway, Indiana
Format: 160 Laps, 400 Miles, Stages: 30-65-65
TV: NBC
Radio: SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Weekend Schedule:
Friday: 2:30 p.m. ET, Practice (NBC Sports App, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 1 p.m. ET, Qualifying (USA, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 2:30 p.m. ET, Race (NBC, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Pace Laps:

• For the first time since the 2020 season, NASCAR will run on the 2.5-mile oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The last three seasons, the sport has competed on the infield road course.
• Brad Keselowski is a former champion of the Brickyard, and has the fifth-best average finish of any driver at Indy entering the weekend (12.9).

6 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Partner: BodyGuard

17 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: Castrol Edge

Keselowski at Indy
Starts: 11
Wins: 1 (2018)
Top-10s: 6
Poles: —

• Keselowski enters the weekend as a prior winner at the Brickyard, having won the 2018 Brickyard 400. Otherwise he has six top-10s overall including three finishes of fourth or better, all of which came in the last four races on the oval.
• The 2012 Cup Champion has led laps in seven events at Indy with a 12.9 average finish dating back to 2010.
• Despite no pole at the Brickyard, Keselowski has six top-10 starts, including a career-best third in 2014.
• Keselowski won the Xfinity Series event at Indy back in 2012, leading 33 laps in the No. 22 car.

Buescher at Indy
Starts: 5
Wins: —
Top-10s: 1
Poles: —

• This weekend marks Buescher’s sixth start on the oval track at Indy. He carries a 18.8 average finish into the weekend with a career-best ninth back in 2017.
• Buescher’s best qualifying effort at Indy came in 2019 (16th).
• Buescher also ran a pair of Xfinity events at Indy back in 2014-15, earning finishes of 11th and 16th, respectively.

RFK Historically at Indy
Cup Wins: —

• Chasing History: Indianapolis is one of just three active NCS tracks that RFK has not visited Victory Lane at, along with Chicagoland Speedway and Kentucky Speedway. Despite not earning a victory, RFK has finished in the second position on four separate occasions (1998, 2003, 2006 and 2008) with drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards.
• Ragan’s Row: Former RFK driver David Ragan earned the organization’s first pole position at the famed 2.5-mile speedway in the 2011 running of this event. Overall, RFK has had one of its Fords on the front row at the hallowed speedway four times.
• Tale of the Tape: RFK has made 99 starts in the NCS at Indianapolis dating back to 1994. In that span, RFK has 16 top-five and 31 top-10 finishes, with an average finish of 18.6.

Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Pocono: Both RFK Fords led laps Sunday at Pocono (39 combined) as Keselowski earned stage points in each of the first two stages, before finishing seventh. Buescher finished 11th.

Points Standings (6: 9th, 17: 12th): Keselowski continues the points shuffle, now back to ninth, while Buescher is again up a position to 12th with now five races remaining in the 2024 regular season.

LONG POND, PA – July 15, 2024 – Ryan Blaney won the Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway on Sunday marking his second win of the season, 12th of his career, and second at Pocono. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer also won the Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 on Saturday in the Xfinity Series, completing a weekend sweep for the Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

“Congratulations to Ford Performance, Team Penske, and Stewart-Haas Racing on the wins at Pocono” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Pocono is a special track to Roush Yates Engines as we had our first win with the FR9 engine in 2010 with Greg Biffle. To see Ryan and Cole win these races showcases all the dedication and hard work by our Ford Performance teams.”

Sunday’s 160-lap race started with three Ford Performance drivers in the top-10: Stewart-Haas Racing’s Josh Berry in P5 along with Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney in P8 and Joey Logano in P10. After the first stage ended, Team Penske’s Joey Logano and RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski started on the front row in Stage 2. Prior to the end of Stage 2, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney and RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher took fuel and fresh tires that lasted until the end of the race. As stage 3 began, Buescher took the lead with Blaney right behind him. With 40 laps remaining, Blaney took the lead and maintained it throughout multiple restarts. Blaney won over second place Denny Hamlin by 1.312 seconds.

“I think we are in a better spot at this time this year than where we were last year at this point. I feel like our speed is better. Our execution is great. We are doing everything as a 12 group the best that we can. We have had some other unforeseen circumstances that have hindered some finishes and possible wins. I am so proud of this Team Penske group. All the men and women at the race shop, they work their butts off to try to get better and deal with the drivers when they say we need to get a lot better. I appreciate them and Roush Yates Engines and all the work they do and continue to do. Go USA,” commented Blaney.

Team Penske’s Joey Logano finished in P5 and RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski finished in P7.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series also raced at Pocono on Saturday. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer took the lead from Justin Allgaier on a restart with nine laps remaining and maintained the lead until the end of the race, beating Allgaier to the checkered flag by .670 seconds. The victory marked Custer’s first win of the 2024 season and second at Pocono. Custer becomes the first driver to win multiple Xfinity Series races at the track following his first win in 2019. The win also allowed Custer to extend his lead in the Xfinity Series point standings and now holds a 51-point advantage over second place Justin Allgaier.

“This means so much. These guys have worked so hard this year and just haven’t gotten that final result. It is awesome to get it here at Pocono. This is such an awesome race track that is hard to win at. I can’t thank all of them enough. An unbelievable car. Doug Yates gave us awesome Roush Yates horsepower,” commented Custer.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst finished Saturday’s race in P11 and RSS Racing’s Ryan Sieg finished in P12.

The NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series both compete this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana.
39 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 465 WINS – 432 POLES

*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images

About Roush Yates Engines
Roush Yates Engines is a leading-edge engine development company based in Mooresville, NC consisting of two state-of-the-art facilities – Roush Yates Engines and Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions, a world class AS9100 Rev D/ISO 13485 certified CNC manufacturing facility. The company’s core business includes designing, building and testing purpose-built race engines.

Ford Performance in partnership with Roush Yates Engines is the exclusive engine builder of the NASCAR FR9 Ford V8 engine.

With an unparalleled culture of winning and steeped in rich racing history, Roush Yates Engines continues to follow the company’s vision to lead performance engine innovation and staying true to the company’s mission, provide race winning engines through demonstrated power and performance.

The Great American Getaway 400: Pocono Raceway
Pocono, PA – July 14, 2024
NASCAR TRACKS – POCONO RACEWAY – NASCAR 101

AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 MENARDS/RICHMOND FORD MUSTANG

START: 20TH STAGE ONE: 35TH STAGE TWO: 31ST FINISH: 18TH POINTS: 19TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric and the No. 2 Menards/Richmond team registered an 18th-place finish in Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway. Cindric started the 400-mile race from the 20th position and battled a tight-handling Ford Mustang through the start of the race. When the first caution flew on Lap 14, the No. 2 team elected to stay out, lining up 12th for the restart. With three laps remaining in the opening stint, the Team Penske driver visited pit road for a four-tire service stop, resulting in a 35th place finish in Stage 1 as varying strategies played out across the teams. Cindric, a former winner at Pocono in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, fired off 22nd for the start of the second segment, but continued to fight a tight condition inside the Menards/Richmond machine. Cindric remained on-track when a caution for the No. 1 slowed the field on Lap 52, cycling to the top-five for the ensuing restart as many cars opted to pit. The 25-year-old driver returned to the attention of his crew on pit road with less than 25 laps to go in Stage 2, ultimately finishing 31st. Still facing a less-than-ideal tightness, Cindric stayed out at the break, positioning himself sixth for the restart. Despite losing track position as those with newer tires charged forward, Cindric capitalized on some late race incidents to regain spots, resulting in an 18th-place finish.

CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “I think we made some good calls strategy-wise to put together the race. Just unfortunately, every time we didn’t need a caution, we got a caution. So I’m proud of the effort, but we kind of had to reset ourselves a few times throughout the day and kind of just had to play it straight-up from the tail at the end of the race to get inside the top 20 there. Overall, it was a decent weekend for the Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang, but I’m happy for the 12 boys. We’ll take what we learned and hopefully apply to Indy next weekend.”

RYAN BLANEY No. 12 WABASH FORD MUSTANG

START: 8TH STAGE ONE: 29TH STAGE TWO: 27TH FINISH: 1ST POINTS: 7TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Ryan Blaney led a race-high 44 laps to earn his second win of the 2024 season Sunday at Pocono Raceway, marking his second victory in the last five races. Team Penske has now won four of the last seven NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) races while Blaney’s win Sunday serves as Team Penske’s first at Pocono since 2011. Blaney now has three career multi-win seasons to his credit – all coming in the last four years – after picking up his 12th-career Cup Series victory. The win also marks Blaney’s second NCS triumph at the 2.5-mile track after taking his first-career checkered flag in 2017 while driving for Wood Brothers Racing. After starting eighth Sunday, the Wabash Ford Mustang showed top-five speed from the drop of the green flag. Crew chief Jonathan Hassler put the 12 team’s strategy in motion early on, bringing Blaney to pit road in the closing laps of each of the first two stages to set him up for the final run of the afternoon. Following Stage 2, Blaney stayed out under caution and lined up on the outside of row two to take the green for the final segment. Blaney wheeled the Wabash Ford up to second in the running order during the opening laps of the run, but a tight-handling condition initially kept him from chasing down the leader. The caution flag flew with 45 laps to go as the field hit pit road for the final time as Hassler made the call for right side tires only, allowing Blaney to exit second. However, a pit road speeding penalty issued to the No. 5 turned the lead over to Blaney as he chose to restart from the outside of row one with 40 laps remaining. A trio of cautions over the span of 12 laps continued to bring the field back together despite Blaney clearing the inside lane out of turn one on each restart. Ultimately, the field took the green for the final time with 23 laps to go as Blaney once again powered around the inside row off the exit of turn one and worked to stretch his advantage as the laps ticked off. The No. 48 closed in on the Blaney’s bumper during the opening laps of the run, but his long-run speed prevailed as the Wabash Ford steadily increased the gap on the field. After stretching his lead out to over two seconds, Blaney took the checkered flag to claim the 12 team’s second win of the season.

BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “I think things are just kind of falling into place for us. I feel like we have gotten to a great place on speed in the last two months, especially. I feel like we honestly had a couple races slip away from us which I thought we had a good shot at winning. It was nice to stick to the plan today and our plan was to have track position at the end. I knew our car was fast enough. I am super proud of the whole 12 team. The Wabash Ford Mustang was amazing. I appreciate Menards, BODYARMOR, the Wurth Group, Advance Auto Parts, DEX Imaging and everyone that makes this possible. It is so cool to win here again. I think we are in a better spot at this time this year than where we were last year at this point. I feel like our speed is better. Our execution is great. We are doing everything as a 12 group the best that we can. We have had some other unforeseen circumstances that have hindered some finishes and possible wins. I am so proud of this Team Penske group. All the men and women at the race shop, they work their butts off to try to get better and deal with the drivers when they say we need to get a lot better. I appreciate them and Roush Yates Engines and all the work they do and continue to do.”

JOEY LOGANO No. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD MUSTANG

START: 10TH STAGE ONE: 7TH STAGE TWO: 9TH FINISH: 5TH POINTS: 14TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Joey Logano wheeled the Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang to a fifth-place finish Sunday at Pocono Raceway, marking his fourth top-five finish of the season. Logano battled a loose-handling condition throughout the 30-lap opening stage but rallied to come away with a seventh-place finish in Stage 1. After opting to stay out during the stage break, Logano assumed the lead and restarted the second segment from the outside of row one but was shuffled out of line in turn one before settling into 10th in the running order. Despite reporting a tight condition while in traffic, Logano began to make his way back up through the field in the closing laps of Stage 2 as the No. 22 team altered its strategy to go opposite of the leaders who hit pit road prior to the end of the stage. Ultimately, Logano notched a ninth-place finish in the second segment before a four tire stop under caution prior to the start of the final stage saw Logano line up 12th to take the green flag. After making his way back into the top-10, a caution with 45 laps to go prompted crew chief Paul Wolfe to make the call for right side tires only when pit road opened while several speeding penalties ahead vaulted Logano to fourth in the running order before going back green. Three cautions over the next 12 laps aided the 22 team’s fuel strategy as Logano shifted his focus to making it to the end without the need for an additional stop as he lined up fourth with 23 laps to go. Logano went on to maintain top-five pace the rest of the way before taking the checkered flag fifth.

LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “Overall, a top-five, you have to be somewhat happy with that. We had speed there toward the end of the race and I think we could have run in the top two. I don’t know if we could have been better than Ryan [Blaney] or not, but it just took us too long to get the balance right. Once we got the track position and the balance close, I about wrecked it on the restart. Those spots there kind of ultimately cost us a chance to win it, but overall I am proud of the speed that we brought to a track like this. It makes me look forward to Indy a little bit more where we have some long straightaways again and it seemed like our car was decent on the straightaways this time.”

The NASCAR Cup Series makes its return to the oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 21. Coverage of the Brickyard 400 begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, IMS Radio Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.