Category: NASCAR Cup PR

Patriots of America PAC, a political action committee calling for the re-election of Donald Trump, has partnered with Go Fas Racing to run a ‘Trump 2020’ paint scheme on the No. 32 Ford starting this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In addition to serving as the primary sponsor this weekend at the prestigious Brickyard 400, the red, white and blue scheme will appear in eight additional races throughout the remainder of the season.

There are an estimated 75 million NASCAR fans, many of whom live in battleground states. Approximately 15 million of those fans are currently not registered to vote.

“With an estimated 75 million NASCAR fans out there, I was surprised that about 15 million of those fans are not registered voters,” said driver Corey LaJoie. “I will give my best effort to get NASCAR fans registered to vote, through our team efforts on and off the track. When they see the car, hopefully it makes them race to the polls in November.”

The Patriots of America PAC are proud to support and partner with Go Fas Racing and Corey LaJoie through their sponsorship in NASCAR Cup Series.

“Our mission is to get voters registered and to the polls in November. We are excited about our sponsorship with Go Fas Racing No. 32 and Corey LaJoie. We feel this partnership is the best way to help us communicate this message to the NASCAR community and encourage all Americans to do their part by heading to the polls”, said Jeff Whaley on behalf of Patriots of America PAC.

Team owner Archie St. Hilaire echoed the excitement for the new partnership.

“I am honored to be part of the President’s re-election campaign through the Patriots of America PAC. As a Trump 2020 supporter, this team will do everything possible to secure victory on and off the track electing President Donald Trump to a second term. Let us bring this country back and Keep America Great!” said team owner Archie St. Hilaire.

The No. 32 Trump 2020 Ford Mustang will take to the track for the first time on Sunday, July 5 at 4 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast on NBC.

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About Our Team

About Go Fas Racing:
Go Fas Racing (GFR) currently fields Ford Mustangs in the NASCAR Cup Series for driver Corey LaJoie. Located in Mooresville, North Carolina, GFR has competed in the NASCAR’s premier series since 2014; fielding cars for some of NASCAR’s top drivers, including past champions. To find out more information about our team please visit www.GoFasRacing.com.

Stay up-to-date on Corey LaJoie:
To get live updates during the race weekends follow @coreylajoie on Instagram and Twitter. Make sure to give Corey a “like” on Facebook – “@CoreyLaJoieRacing”. For a detailed bio and updated in-season statistics, please visit www.coreylajoieracing.com.

Nemechek on Indianapolis:

“Indy is such a historic track. One of the coolest things about going there is driving through the tunnel and seeing the museum right when you come out. For myself personally, it’s a special place. I grew up driving my little toy car around the motorhome lot while dad raced on track and now I get to be the one to strap into the racecar on Sunday.

“Indy is all about speed and consistency and trying to hold your own. I think strategy is also going to come into play. Hopefully we can learn a lot in the first half of the race and set ourselves up to really race in the second half of the day. This is my first race at Indy in a Cup car, and second or third time overall, so I’m looking forward to trying to fine tune as we go along and make the most of whatever situation we’re in on Sunday. I know that our Front Row Motorsports team is going to build us a fast Ford Mustang.

“We know that we want to run every lap to gain as much experience as we can and set ourselves up for a great finish. We’ve got Fire Alarm Services, Inc. and Digital Ally Body Cameras on the car so I really want to have a strong run for them. Their support has really helped us to strengthen our program.”

Team: No. 17 SunnyD Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Luke Lambert
Twitter: @17RoushTeam, @RoushFenway and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 400 miles, 160 laps, Stage Lengths: 50-50-60

Brickyard 400 – Sunday, July 5 at 4 p.m. ET on NBC, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

NASCAR Returns to Action

· The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend for the 16th race of the 2020 season. Overall, Indy will host three series across two days including the IndyCar Series, with the first time in history both IndyCar and the NCS will runn at the same track in the same weekend.

· The July 4 weekend – historically held for NASCAR’s summer trip to Daytona – was replaced by Indy after the schedule changed heading into the 2020 campaign.

· Sunday’s starting lineup for the Brickyard 400 will be determined by a random draw based on teams’ order in owners’ points. Buescher and the No. 17 team are 21st in points, and will draw for a starting spot in the 13-24 group.

· Four weeks of NASCAR action were completed prior to the COVID-19 hiatus with races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville postponed.

Buescher Historically at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

· Buescher makes his fifth Cup start at Indy on Sunday, a track where he has one top-10 with an average finish of 15.8.

· His best finish came back in 2017, where he finished ninth after starting 26th. Outside of that run, he has two additional top-15 finishes, including a 14th-place run in 2016, and most recently 15th last season.

· Buescher made two Xfinity Series starts – both in Jack Roush’s No. 60 entry – with an 11th and 16th-place finish in 2014 and 2015.

Luke Lambert at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

· Lambert heads to Indy for his eighth Cup race at the 2.5-mile track, where he has an average finish of 19.3 with two top-10s.

· Lambert led Ryan Newman to a third-place run in the 2017 Brickyard 400, and followed that with a 10th-place finish a year later. He and Newman also paired up for two 11th-place runs in 2014-15.

· Lambert called one Xfinity race with Elliott Sadler in 2012, finishing 15th.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Indy:
“I’m excited to get back to the famed Brickyard, and think it’s really cool we have IndyCar there with us. Our team has been able to string together some solid finishes as of late, and have put ourselves in good spots with stage finishes, so we hope to continue that trend in Indy. We have SunnyD back on the car, celebrating the Made in America campaign, which goes hand in hand with July 4 weekend and look forward to driving their patriotic scheme on a big weekend.”

Last Time Out
Buescher earned his fourth top-10 of the season in the first of two Pocono races last weekend. He followed that by earning stage points in the second event, running well inside the top-5 early on, before going on to finish 36th after spinning and making contact with the wall.

Where They Rank
Buescher is 20th in driver points entering Indy, within 20 points of 18th, and 43 points out of 16th.

On the Car
Iconic brand and thirst-quenching favorite SunnyD returns to the No. 17 machine this weekend at Indy, for the brand’s third race of 2020. Along with the bright, bold, unique orange and yellow colors, the No. 17 Ford will also sport a new patriotic theme with red, white and blue stars and stripes that reflect both SUNNYD’s heritage and the Fourth of July holiday. Since 1963, SUNNYD has been made in America and celebrates its roots with a limited-edition “Made in America” packaging that is released seasonally each year and available in stores now.

About SunnyD
The iconic SunnyD® brand is owned by Harvest Hill Holdings, a Brynwood Partners owned beverage company. The 54-year-old SunnyD® brand is a leading chilled juice drink in the U.S. In addition to the SunnyD® brand, the company markets the Juicy Juice®, Little HUG®, and Daily’s® beverage brands. Harvest Hill’s products are widely distributed through leading retailers in the U.S. and Canada.

Industry-wide platform to kick off with 2020 Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 at the Brickyard

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 1, 2020) – Beginning this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and running through July 31, the NASCAR industry will honor United States Armed Forces and frontline healthcare heroes as part of this year’s expanded NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola – an industry-wide opportunity to recognize and thank those who have gone above and beyond to keep society safe and healthy.

For the first time ever, NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola will kick off with the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 at the Brickyard (Sunday, July 5 at 4 p.m. ET on NBC, IMS Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), as the platform shifts to a mid-summer window due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

NASCAR Premier Partner Coca-Cola returns as the presenting sponsor of NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola, as the company will take an active role curating and highlighting stories of frontline personnel and other heroes during the platform window.

“We take pride in honoring all who work tirelessly to keep our nation safe, whether a frontline worker in the fight against COVID-19 or part of our U.S. Armed Forces protecting us around the world,” said Jill Gregory, executive vice president and chief marketing and content officer, NASCAR. “The NASCAR industry has always been passionate about saluting our nation’s heroes both past and present, and we once again look forward to recognizing those who serve.”

As part of the evolved campaign for 2020, NASCAR and Coca-Cola will create content opportunities to celebrate heroic work from our military and first responder community during the COVID-19 pandemic. In partnership with NBC, NASCAR and Coca-Cola will celebrate heroes in the military and medical community, and NASCAR and Coca-Cola’s dedicated actions to support our community. Through NASCAR digital and social channels, the industry will spotlight even more stories with a new “NASCAR Salutes Refreshing Moments” feature that will also be hosted on NASCAR.com/Salutes.

“While this crisis has impacted everyone’s daily lives, we are able to race because of the selfless acts by our military community and frontline workers,” said John Mount, vice president, sports marketing and region assets, Coca-Cola North America. “NASCAR Salutes offers an impactful opportunity to showcase our pride and appreciation for these heroes and their families.”

While NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola shifted due to COVID-19, the industry continued its tradition honoring fallen service members during the annual Memorial Day Weekend 600 Miles of Remembrance at the Coca-Cola 600. All 40 NASCAR Cup Series cars featured the name of a fallen service member on the windshield during the race in honor of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

The next weekend during the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Xfinity recognized its military community employees from across the company that are working to keep communities safe and connected during the pandemic. Among those recognized were 23 employees actively serving in the National Guard who are responding to the current crisis. The names of those Comcast employees, and a patriotic red, white and blue design replaced the Xfinity logo adorning each drivers’ windshield.  

A number of other NASCAR Official Partners leaned in to support the program as well:

• Mack Trucks will wrap its NASCAR Mack Anthem haulers with NASCAR Salutes-themed graphics voted on by fans at MackTrucks.com/NASCARSalutes. The paint schemes honor both military and frontline heroes and the winning designs will be unveiled July 4 and debut during the NASCAR Salutes window.
• AMR, the “Official Emergency Medical Services Partner of NASCAR,” will feature the NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola branding on its NASCAR safety trucks and safety team helmets throughout the program.
• Goodyear continued its tradition of replacing the iconic “Eagle” sidewall for 600 Miles of Remembrance at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This year’s recognition was the Honor and Remember organization, which works closely with the industry to honor gold star families who have lost family members while serving.
• Mack Trucks and Blue-Emu also collaborated on a day-long effort to thank truckers and critical workers for their hard work during COVID-19. After a kickoff at Mack Trucks’ headquarters, NASCAR’s Mack Anthem haulers visited Virginia-based Sovah Health to thank the frontline workers at the hospital en route to the NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway.

Fans can learn more about the heroes honored throughout the NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola program by visiting NASCAR.com/Salutes. 

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour), one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, Americrown Service and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

NASCAR CUP SERIES
BIG MACHINE HAND SANITIZER 400
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
JULY 1, 2020

TONY LUNDERS, TEAM MANAGER FOR CHIP GANASSI RACING, met with media via teleconference to reflect NASCAR’s first doubleheader race weekend at Pocono, the expectations going into Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and more. Transcript:

REFLECT A LITTLE BIT ON THIS PAST WEEKEND GOING TO POCONO, THE FIRST EVER NASCAR CUP SERIES DOUBLEHEADER. HOW DID YOUR TEAM PREPARE FOR THAT AND WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?
“We were looking forward to a double, especially with the lack of practice that we’ve been able to have since the Covid-19 pandemic started. So, we were looking forward to having an opportunity to race, and then put our heads together, talk with the drivers and then be able to adjust and see what types of changes we could make on our cars. It was good to have that. We didn’t know quite what to expect. We haven’t done that with using the same car back-to-back yet – we still have a couple more of those to go. So, I think we learned some things that we can apply going forward and we were happy to be able to do that.”

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT, TONY, AT INDIANAPOLIS, IN GENERAL? IF YOU LOOK AT THE WEEKEND AND THEN LOOK AT WHAT NASCAR MIGHT DO THERE, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SUCH A BIG WEEKEND FOR THE FANS.
“For sure. First off, Indy is an important place for our team. There’s a lot of history there with our IndyCar group, Chip (Ganassi), and we’ve had some success there in the past. We take it like we would most other races, as far as the prep and all that stuff. Obviously having the IndyCar group there before we get there, that’s exciting for us. It’s been a long time – I think back in the early 2000s we did some companion races with Trucks and IndyCar, and that was fun to do. So, we’re looking forward to it from the sense of one, in our team, we have both groups going up there. We wish were able to interact with those guys a little bit more and be there on the same day. But for our Cup guys, it will be somewhat business-as-usual as we’ve had these one-day shows. I think from that aspect, it won’t be anything different. We’ll show up the morning of – we’re actually flying out Sunday morning. So, our day will look similar to some of these one-day shows that we’ve been doing.”

WHAT’S YOUR OUTLOOK FOR YOUR TEAMS ON THE CUP SIDE OF THINGS AT INDY?
“Indy is a unique place. Some people relate it to some of the other stuff, maybe even some aspects from Pocono where we were just at. We need to run a little bit better there. We didn’t have as good of performance that we wanted at Pocono. I think we took some steps forward and did learn some things. But we’re optimistic. Indy is sort of a unique place. We’re optimistic and we look forward to getting out there.”

HAVING GONE THROUGH THE POCONO WEEKEND, OBVIOUSLY THERE SEEMS TO BE AT THIS POINT, THE EXPECTATION THAT THERE COULD BE ANOTHER ONE OR TWO DOUBLEHEADER WEEKENDS EVEN THIS YEAR. WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WERE LEARNED FROM THIS PAST WEEKEND’S EXPERIENCE TO MAYBE CONSIDER FOR ANY OF THE OTHER ONES?
“When you have a weekend or a race, you’re trying to makeup for practice time and the ability to throw some changes into. So, you come into it and put your best effort forward for the first race. But it gives you an opportunity to turn right back around and make changes. Not only the good stuff that you come across, but you’re also going to make some mistakes. I think in hindsight, you get a chance to digest and look at what happened throughout the weekend, what you think you did well and what you think you could improve on. And you can apply that same type of thing going forward. It’s a little bit difficult with the protocol stuff that we’re going through now at the track. The way our team operates as a two-car unit and using the other team and information you can get from them – having our groups split up at the race track presents some unique challenges for us. So, a big part of this for us is just trying to overcome some of the communication stuff and how to apply stuff that your teammate is learning. One of the strengths, luckily for us, we have two drivers that are similar in maybe their styles. They both know each other well and have experience with each other in the past. Their communication was really high from the beginning. They have a friendship and a mutual respect for each other that has definitely helped us through this.”

WITH THE 42 TEAM HAVING A LITTLE BIT BETTER PERFORMANCE THIS PAST WEEKEND THAN WHAT IT’S HAD, WHAT HAS BEEN THE CHALLENGE THERE AND WHERE THAT TEAM IS AND WHAT IT NEEDS TO DO TO HAVE EVEN STRONGER PERFORMANCES?
“I think a couple of things – across the board, obviously nobody has been able to practice and that hurts most teams equally. I think for us, it’s even a little bit more of a challenge with plugging that in there. Obviously he’s a champion and has won a ton of races, there’s a lot of respect there. But just getting plugged into our system, it’s taken a little bit of time. And I think in any situation, when you put a new driver with a new team, you go through that learning phase. Unfortunately, we have not been able to get a lot of that done in practice. In a normal practice, you can run through six to ten changes and get a leg up on that stuff. So, that’s been a little bit of a challenge where we’re starting a race many times and having to learn things throughout the race, where I feel like that would have been accelerated quite a bit given some practice with that group. We’ve had a couple better finishes, which is good. So, we’re just going to try and build on that going forward.”

OBVIOUSLY, INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY IS A SPECIAL PLACE FOR CHIP. I’M WONDERING IF THERE REALLY ARE ANY SORT OF THINGS THAT YOU NOTICE IN A TEAM AND THE DRIVERS THAT MAKE IT, WHEN YOU GO THERE, SOME PLACE THAT THEY FEEL EITHER MORE OPTIMISTIC IN WINNING OR CERTAINLTLY MORE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT DOING SO.
“One exciting thing is Kurt (Busch)’s 700th start this weekend, so that’s pretty cool. I had the opportunity to work with Kurt when he first got into the Truck Series and it’s been fun to watch him throughout the last 20 years or so. Like you mentioned, the history with Chip Ganassi Racing, Chip, Indy, the Indy 500, the Brickyard – there’s just a long history of respect for that place and what it is. Teams always circle that race as a big one in their year as one of their goals, one of the top races you want to put a lot of effort towards winning and having success there. I think as the year goes, you have realistic expectations of where you’re at and what you think you can do. Like I said, that’s a unique place and you lean on some past experience there in what has worked and what hasn’t worked. A lot of it is confidence in how the team’s working. I think we’re in a good spot going in there. The teams are working really well together – jellying on pitstops, the pit crew and the road crews. It’s just different. It will be different showing up there without a huge fan base. It’s nice to be able to see some of these tracks moving towards having some fans there because it definitely adds to the environment when we’re there. Having the empty garages – when I say empty, just a lot less people – it’s just a different feel to it, for sure. But the teams, none the less, have put a lot of effort into winning that race.”

WHAT ARE YOUR LONGTERM PLANS FOR THE 42 TEAM? DO YOU SEE MATT AS THE LONGTERM SOLUTION FOR THAT TEAM OR ARE YOU JUST LOOKING TO GET THROUGH 2020?
“We wanted to get some races with Matt (Kenseth) under us, kind of build that effort there and see where it took us. If Matt decided at some point that he’s enjoying what’s going on and we’re having some success, maybe there’s something more there. But I think the team is more focused on now, being mid-season, and what we need to do to get that car into the playoffs. We’re back in the points a little bit and we need to win a race. So, I think our focus is how do we build that group now to try to get towards the playoffs, win a race, and we’ll let the next year stuff take care of itself as the year goes on. Hopefully, the success is there. Certainly, there are others that know that seat is open and would contact us. And that’s all good, but I think our main focus now is just to get the performance and let the rest take care of itself.”

SPEAKING OF PERFORMANCE, ARE YOU CONTENT OR SATISFIED WITH THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MATT MCCALL AND KURT BUSCH AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW?
“Yeah, those two work really good together. That relationship has just gotten better as time has gone by. Kurt has a lot of confidence in Matt and that shows. And likewise, Matt’s communication to Kurt is working really well. We’ve got Kentucky circled coming up here. We got into victory lane there last year and that was really cool. So, we’re just trying to build on that and those guys are doing well together. I think that helps keep us as a company moving forward.”

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
BIG MACHINE HAND SANITIZER 400
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
JULY 1, 2020

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE met with media via teleconference, and discussed his 700th NASCAR Cup Series career start on Sunday at Indianapolis, having both INDYCAR and NASCAR racing on the same weekend, the ages of drivers currently competing in motorsports, the tight pit road conditions at Indy, and more. Full Transcript:

INDY WILL BE YOUR 700th NASCAR CUP SERIES START. DID YOU IMAGINE WHEN YOU STARTED YOUR CAREER THAT YOU WOULD HAVE 700 STARTS?
“It’s amazing. To have this opportunity and to have been blessed to have raced with so many great race teams over the years, just making it past the local track was something that I thought was an achievement because my dad was a local racer. He won a lot. But it was like money, sponsors, and the whole challenge of even getting to like the Southwest Tour and Late Model division, that was even tough for us way back in the past. So, it’s amazing. Twenty years of racing at the top series level and now having 700 starts, I never would have guessed.”

WHEN YOU LOOK AT GOING TO INDIANAPOLIS, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? WE HAVE THE ROAD COURSE FOR XFINITY, WE HAVE INDYCAR THERE, AND I’M SURE IT’S A TRACK THAT YOU FIND INTRIGUING. WHAT WILL THE WEEKEND BE LIKE IN YOUR MIND?
“It’s a big marquee race. It’s our Brickyard 400. But unfortunately, we don’t have our race fans. That’s what I still think about first, each time we’re heading to the race track. And, with a special weekend like this with INDYCAR and Xfinity on the road course on Saturday, and then the Cup race on Sunday on the oval, Roger Penske is the only one that could have made INDYCAR and NASCAR happen on the same weekend. And Big Machine is there with their sponsorship and I know they would put on a great concert and the whole atmosphere around Indy, it was set-up to be fan-based and to have that extra entertainment value. So, it’s something we’ll miss. But I’m focused-in on Sunday’s race. I’m just going to fly in day-of. I would have really liked to have enjoyed seeing the IndyCars and Xfinity on track, but it’s time to stay in the bubble and stay isolated.”

WILL YOU WATCH THE INDYCAR AND XFINITY RACE? AND, WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR GETTING A WIN AT INDY?
“Oh absolutely. I’ll be tuned-in to watch and just enjoy it as a motorsports fan. I think that’s what this weekend is about with it being a July 4th celebration of our country’s birthday, and to have top forms in motorsport in America at Indy, you have open-wheel with INDYCAR and we’ve got NASCAR with the fenders on and they go around the oval, so it’s a great weekend for motorsports to tune-in.

WITH YOUR EXPERIENCED IN INDYCAR, DID YOU LOOK AT ANY CHANCE OF COMPETING IN THE RACE ON SATURDAY?
“I did. I looked at it and just with everything going on with COVID and the pandemic and lack of preparation, it just kind of shut everything down as far as the progress and the approach, because it takes a full effort of being tested and track time and being ready. And that’s something that I really put in when I ran the Indy 500 six years ago now. And so, everything just got shut down. But, it would have been fun to with Chip Ganassi Racing and then with Jimmie Johnson now doing a test next week with Scott Dixon’s car, it’s all right there in front of us. It’s just the timing wasn’t right.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF HOW THE NEXT GEN CAR MIGHT REACT TO THE OVAL? THERE’S SOME TALK ABOUT IF THE XFINITY RACE GOES WELL OF MAYBE NASCAR DOING THE CUP CARS ON THE ROAD COURSE. BUT THEN, THERE’S TALK THAT WELL, COULD THE NEXT GEN CAR RACE ANY DIFFERENTLY?
“As far as testing and gathering up information and data on the new car, it’s all kind of shut down as well. And, I see those cars though, where they’re able to adapt to any circumstances (like) a street course, road course, or oval. The way that I’ve looked at it and they way they’re assembled, things can be changed out pretty quick. So, you could almost hammer out a road course on a Saturday and an oval on a Sunday with the same cars.”

CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT HAS ALLOWED DRIVERS IN THEIR LATE 30’S TO BE VIEWED TO BE IN THE PEAK OF THEIR RACING CAREER STILL HAVING SUCCESS AND MAKING AN IMPACT? AND IS THAT EXTENDING CAREERS OR WHAT HAS THAT ALLOWED THOSE FROM LATE 30’S ON TO HAVE MORE SUCCESS AT A TIME WHEN PEOPLE DIDN’T LOOK AT IT AS BEING AS STRONG OF A PERIOD FOR A DRIVER’S CAREER?
“It takes a good team to have a driver’s ability to find the success. A team is the foundation. But the way I’ve looked at things over the years is it seemed like drivers in the generation before me got in when they were in their young thirties and would go to their late forties. And then there was this guy named Jeff Gordon, who came into the sport and broke down a ton of barriers as far as age, and it opened up the flood gates for owners to look at all different areas of the country to find talent and to find racers. It’s been an amazing ride for me. I got in in my young twenties. And then a guy like Joey Logano got in in his teens. My little brother (Kyle Busch) got in in his teens. The change, the shift, has happened for younger drivers to get in and yet it’s still tough to go past 25 years is extreme. I don’t think we’ll ever see that anymore. And so that’s that window that we’ve all had this opportunity to race in, and I think it’s just a matter of age blended with the experience level and with a top-tier team. And when you see that, it’s usually in that 32 to 38 range that I would say could be the peak.

“But I’m having some of the best years of my career as far as consistency because I’m using that experience level. I’m using that calmness and that ability to project the future in the car, and that’s leading to good, consistent, and quality finishes. It’s just that we’ve got to cross over another barrier of sometimes you just throw caution to the wind and let it rip. And that’s when you see guys like (Ryan) Blaney, who now has won the last couple of restrictor-plate races, but yet ran into my little brother the other day at Pocono just driving over the nose of the car. So, you’ve got to blend in the youth and the experience and that’s when you’re going to find the right combination.”

WHAT IS PIT ROAD AT INDIANAPOLIS LIKE? THERE ARE A LOT OF CHALLENGES AT MANY TRACKS, BUT WITH HOW NARROW AND TIGHT INDIANAPOLIS IS, WHAT’S THAT LIKE IN AVOIDING ANY CONTACT THERE, WHICH CAN RUIN SOMEBODY’S DAY?
“Yeah, Indianapolis has the toughest pit road in all of the NASCAR circuit. It’s compounded because of the difficulty of passing on track. And so, we’re all trying to gain every inch, every foot possible, on pit road. And so, when you’re coming down pit road at speed, guys are trying to look ahead and see where to peel off to get into their pit box, and then it creates an accordion effect of guys that are sitting there right on top of their lights and their pit road speed, and so that checks people up. And then when you’re coming out of your pit box, you’ve got to turn hard to the right to get around the guy that’s in front of you, and you’re mostly likely blending straight into traffic and people usually just throw all caution to the wind and go you know what? I’m just going to block you and it’s up to you to check-up because we’re that aggressive on pit road to keep that track position.”

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY (2.5-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: SPEEDWAY, INDIANA
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE 16 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 4 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, JULY 5 (NBC/IMS RADIO/SIRIUSXM)

Chase Elliott
No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Chase Elliott Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 24 Resides Dawsonville, Georgia

2020 Season
4th in standings
15 starts
1 win
1 pole position
7 top-five finishes
9 top-10 finishes
425 laps led

Career
164 starts
7 wins
9 pole positions
51 top-five finishes
83 top-10 finishes
2,269 laps led

Track Career
5 starts
0 win
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finish
0 laps led

STRONG SHOWING: Chase Elliott, the driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, continues to lead all NASCAR Cup Series drivers with a 7.80 average running position and five stage wins this season. He has collected the third-highest number of stage points (150) in the series and has led the fourth-most laps (425). His 11 races led are second-most in the series résumé behind only Joey Logano (12).

NAPA IN INDY: This weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE will don the familiar blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS paint scheme. The Atlanta-based company is serving as majority sponsor for Elliott and the No. 9 team for a total of 26 NASCAR Cup Series races this season.

LOOKING BACK: Elliott and the NAPA AUTO PARTS team started last year’s race at historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 24th and rebounded after being collected in multiple on-track incidents to finish ninth. It was the 24-year-old driver’s best career finish at the 2.5-mile venue.

INDY RÉSUMÉ: In addition to Elliott’s five NASCAR Cup Series races at Indianapolis, he has three starts at the track in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with one top-five finish and two top-10s.

GUSTAFSON AT THE BRICKYARD: On Sunday, No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson will call his 16th NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis. In his previous 15 races calling the shots for five different drivers (Elliott, Kyle Busch, Casey Mears, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon) at the famed speedway, Gustafson has collected five top-five finishes – including a win in 2015 with Gordon – and one runner-up result, nine top-10s and 137 laps led.

PIT CREW POWER: Among the teams competing in the NASCAR Cup Series, the No. 9 pit crew ranks second in best average time for four-tire stops at 13.95 seconds through 15 races in 2020.

HOME SWEET HOME: No. 9 team engineer Tom Gray hails from Indianapolis. Gray attended Purdue University and majored in mechanical engineering technology. The Indy native was recently interviewed by Gustafson on “Behind the 9.” Watch the episode here.

BEHIND THE 9: Gustafson is trying his hand as a host in a new Hendrick Motorsports video series called “Behind the 9” in which he interviews each member of the No. 9 crew. Fans can learn about where they came from and the role they serve on the team, with each bringing a unique personality and skillset. Episodes are released every Tuesday on the Hendrick Motorsports Facebook page and YouTube channel. The most recent episode features mechanic Cole Timm.

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William Byron
No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver William Byron Hometown Charlotte, North Carolina
Age 22 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

2020 Season
15th in standings
15 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
5 top-10 finishes
26 laps led

Career
87 starts
0 wins
5 pole positions
5 top-five finishes
22 top-10 finishes
320 laps led

Track Career
2 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
1 top-five finish
1 top-10 finish
4 laps led

THE LAST FIVE: With momentum on their side, William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team have not finished outside the top 15 in the last five NASCAR Cup Series races. Of those five starts, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has racked up three top-10 results, including a season-best finish of seventh on Sunday at Pocono Raceway. With an average finish of 9.8 in the last five races, Byron ranks third-best in the Cup Series.

BACK AT THE BRICKYARD: With two Cup Series starts in the illustrious Brickyard 400, Byron has had Sunday’s race circled on his calendar. While weather dampened his rookie season start at the 2.5-mile track, Byron rebounded in last year’s race, qualifying 29th and racing his way to a personal-best fourth-place finish at Indianapolis in the Cup Series.

HISTORY MAKER: Byron made his first trip to Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2017 with the NASCAR Xfinity Series. While battling for a championship, he became the youngest driver to win a NASCAR race at the historic track at 19 years, 7 months and 23 days and the third-youngest driver in any racing series to win on the oval.

WHAT’S IN A NUMBER?: If Byron ends up kissing the bricks on Sunday, he will add to the already lengthy legacy of the No. 24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Currently, the No. 24 car number ranks first overall in Brickyard 400 wins at the historic track with five – all coming from Jeff Gordon – dating back to the inaugural race in 1994. If Byron were to capture the win, he would extend the lead that the No. 24 has over the second-ranked No. 48, also of Hendrick Motorsports, which has four wins currently.

KNAUS’ INDY INSIGHTS: Returning to the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 19th time atop the pit box, Chad Knaus leads all Cup Series crew chiefs in Brickyard 400 wins with four. No other crew chief, past or present, has more than two. Knaus won three of four Indy races from 2006-2009 with driver Jimmie Johnson and another in 2012. In addition to his four wins as a crew chief, Knaus visited victory lane at IMS one time as a member of Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 team in 1994 during the inaugural running of the Brickyard 400.

LIBERTY U LUCK: For this weekend’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Byron will carry the traditional red and white flames of Liberty University on the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. In Byron’s three combined NASCAR starts at the famed racetrack, Liberty University has been on board for all of them, including his 2017 Xfinity Series win. Liberty University is in its sixth season of sponsoring the 22-year-old driver, dating back to his time in the late model ranks. Liberty has been “Training Champions for Christ” since it was founded in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offers more than 600 degree programs from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in business communications, Byron is in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program.

TWO DOWN AT POCONO: With weather delaying the start of Saturday’s race at Pocono Raceway, Byron was able to make up ground early, racing into the top five by the halfway mark. However, when the setup of the Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE swung to the tight side, the No. 24 team had to shift its pit strategy as well, resulting in a 14th-place finish. Starting from the rear of the field for the second race of the doubleheader weekend due to an engine change, Byron again made up track position early. With weather looming and the uncertainty of when the race would end due to lack of daylight, Knaus opted to have his driver run longer into their fuel run in the final stage, allowing them to take two right-side tires on their final pit stop. Rejoining the field in the 15th position, Byron used the remaining laps to fight his way to seventh – his best finish of the 2020 season so far.

ALL-STAR RACE VOTING: For the first time in Cup Series history, the 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race will be held on the high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway, and Byron is looking to lock himself in. Last year, the driver of the No. 24 battled his way into the main event by winning the first stage of the Open qualifying race in a stellar last-corner pass. However, if Byron isn’t able to lock himself in to the All-Star Race before July 15 by winning a points-paying Cup Series race, he will have three chances during the Open qualifying race by winning one of the race stages, or receiving the fan vote. Fans can place their vote once per day with votes shared on social media counting double at NASCAR.com/fanvote until noon ET on Tuesday, July 14. The winner of the fan vote will be announced immediately following the conclusion of the Open qualifying race on Wednesday, July 15.

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Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 44 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

2020 Season
12th in standings
15 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
99 laps led

Career
666 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
229 top-five finishes
370 top-10 finishes
18,933 laps led

Track Career
18 starts
4 wins
1 pole position
6 top-five finishes
7 top-10 finishes
306 laps led

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: With a victory on Sunday, Jimmie Johnson can become just the third driver in history to win five major races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon won the Brickyard 400 for Hendrick Motorsports in 1994, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2014. Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher posted five U.S. Grand Prix victories on the road course there in 2000 and 2003-06. Johnson has won the Brickyard 400 four times: 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2012. He is tied with legends A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears, who each have four career Indianapolis 500 wins.

PERFORMANCE AT INDIANAPOLIS: Over his career racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Johnson has been impressive. The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion won the pole position for the coveted Brickyard 400 in 2008 and drove to victory lane that day after leading 71 of 160 laps around the historic venue. In addition to his four victories, Johnson has one runner-up finish, six top-five finishes and seven top-10s. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has led for 306 laps and has an average finish of 16.5 at the iconic track.

CROWN JEWELS: The Brickyard 400 is considered one of NASCAR’s modern “crown jewel” races, and Johnson is one of only four drivers in history to have won all four – the DAYTONA 500, the Charlotte 600, the Brickyard 400 and the Southern 500. Johnson has earned 12 crown jewel victories over his 19-season career and joins the ranks of current driver Kevin Harvick, as well as NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt.

ABOVE AVERAGE: The No. 48 team is performing better than its current points position of 12th would indicate. After 15 races in 2020, Johnson has the seventh-best average running position across all NASCAR Cup Series competitors at 12.2, and the No. 48 crew has been electric on pit road, ranking eighth with an average four-tire stop time of 14.19 seconds.

POWERFUL ‘POST’: Johnson was recently interviewed by The Washington Post’s Liz Clarke regarding his leadership in the NASCAR Cup Series garage surrounding current events. Johnson shared his thoughts and feelings on racism and gave insight into his own journey during these trying times. Click here to read the article.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CLIFF: Crew chief Cliff Daniels turned 32 years old on Tuesday, June 30. Daniels, who hails from Smithfield, Virginia, took over as crew chief for Johnson and the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet on July 29, 2019, and will call his second Brickyard 400 on Sunday at Indianapolis.

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Alex Bowman
No. 88 ChevyGoods.com/Adam’s Polishes Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE ​
Driver Alex Bowman Hometown Tucson, Arizona
Age 27 Resides Concord, North Carolina

2020 Season
8th in standings
15 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
5 top-10 finishes
381 laps led

Career
168 starts
2 wins
2 pole positions
12 top-five finishes
31 top-10 finishes
855 laps led

Track Career
4 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led

BOWMAN IN INDY: Alex Bowman will make his fifth start at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon. The Tucson, Arizona, native also has two starts (2013 and 2015) in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the historic track.

BEST AVERAGE: Over the last five races, Bowman, driver of the No. 88 ChevyGoods.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, is 10th in the NASCAR Cup Series with an average finish of 13.4. The sixth-year Cup Series driver has the sixth-best average running position overall in 2020 at 11.6. So far this season, the No. 88 pit crew has an average four-tire pit stop of 14.16 seconds, which is seventh-best among teams.

LEADING LAPS: Bowman, 27, has led 381 total laps in 15 events this season, which is fifth-best in the NASCAR Cup Series. The No. 88 team has four stage wins in 2020, which is second overall. Bowman has captured 142 stage points this season.

IVES AT THE BRICKYARD: Greg Ives has called the shots for the No. 88 Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway five times since joining the team as crew chief in 2015. The Bark River, Michigan, native’s Brickyard résumé includes a best finish of 13th, which came in 2016 with Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon behind the wheel. Ives also has two starts in the Xfinity Series at Indianapolis, which include one top-15 result when Chase Elliott finished 12th in 2014 after starting fifth. As a race engineer for the No. 48 team at Hendrick Motorsports from 2006-2012, Ives was part of four wins at the Brickyard with driver Jimmie Johnson.

HOMETOWN TRACK: Tim O’Brien, engineer for the No. 88 team, grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The 37-year-old attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and received his mechanical engineering degree in 2005. The first NASCAR event O’Brien ever attended was the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994 won by Gordon. He has been part of Hendrick Motorsports for five years and has six wins as a NASCAR Cup Series engineer.

WELCOME BACK, CHEVYGOODS.COM: The black and yellow ChevyGoods.com paint scheme featuring Adam’s Polishes will be on board Bowman’s No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Adam’s Polishes produces high quality products for auto detailing enthusiasts. In January, Hendrick Motorsports announced its partnership with ChevyGoods.com, which includes primary sponsorship of Bowman for 26 events. Associate brands that will be featured throughout 2020 are Adam’s Polishes, NOCO and Truck Hero.

GOOD DISCOUNTS: During the month of July, No. 88 team sponsor ChevyGoods.com is providing discounts on all accessories, including Adam’s Polishes, NOCO and Truck Hero. Customers can receive 10% off MSRP with purchases of $100-$249 (offer code “GET10”), 15% off with purchases of $250-$499 (code “GET15”), and 20% off with purchases of more than $500 (code “GET20”).

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Hendrick Motorsports

’YARD WORK: Hendrick Motorsports won the inaugural Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1994 and never looked back. The team has posted an all-time record 10 NASCAR Cup Series victories at the world-famous venue, which is twice the next-best total (Joe Gibbs Racing). Hendrick Motorsports holds the track records for top-five finishes (27), top-10s (42) and laps led (1,030). It has never gone more than three Brickyard races without a posting a win.

KISS THE BRICKS: Three different Hendrick Motorsports drivers have scored wins in the last eight Cup Series races held at Indianapolis: Jimmie Johnson (2012), Jeff Gordon (2014) and Kasey Kahne (2017). A Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet has led the most laps in four of the last nine races there.

PERCENTAGE PLAY: Hendrick Motorsports has won 10 of the 24 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Indianapolis for a win percentage of 38.46%, the best for any team at any active track and third all-time (minimum 10 races). Petty Enterprises posted win percentages of 50% at two inactive Cup tracks: Virginia’s South Boston Speedway (five wins in 10 races) and Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain Raceway (six wins in 12 races).

LEADING THE FIFTH: Sunday’s race at Indianapolis will fall on July 5. The last time a NASCAR Cup Series event was held on that date, Hendrick Motorsports scored a 1-2 finish at a different historic track. Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. won for car owner Rick Hendrick at Daytona International Speedway on July 5, 2015, with teammate Johnson coming in second.

BOWTIE DOMINANCE: Manufacturer Chevrolet has won 17 of the 26 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Indianapolis, including 10 by Hendrick Motorsports. Chevy most recently won the Brickyard 400 in 2017. It has never gone more than two Indy races without a victory.

70K ON THE WAY: Hendrick Motorsports is nearing 70,000 laps led in the NASCAR Cup Series. Its 69,820 laps led since 1984 is the all-time record and nearly 10,000 more than any other team.

ALL-TIME NUMBERS: Since its inception in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 12 championships, 258 race victories, 226 pole positions, 1,082 top-five finishes and 1,864 top-10s in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. Its teams have led nearly 70,000 laps, which is the all-time record. Including 2020, the organization has won at least one race in 35 consecutive seasons, the longest-ever streak. Hendrick Motorsports is 10 wins away from tying Petty Enterprises’ all-time Cup record of 268.

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QUOTABLE /
Driver Chase Elliott on racing at Indy:
“I’ve really struggled at Indy. We’ve just been trying to get better there. It has just consistently been a huge challenge for me every year. My excitement level probably isn’t as high as some others about going to Indy, but that’s just because of how hard it has been. I would love to get over the hump. I think it would be such a cool place to run well and have success at. We are looking forward to giving it our best shot this weekend.”

Driver William Byron on building off a strong run at IMS last year:
“I’m really excited for the Brickyard 400 to be on July Fourth weekend, even though it’ll be hotter than when we are normally there. The Brickyard is a marquee race at a marquee racetrack. This is another race that I’ve been looking forward to this season, not only because of how special the race is, but seeing what our team can do. Last year we had a really strong race overall and finished fourth. We’ll see how we unload this weekend, but I think we will have a good chance to contend for the win. We want to win every weekend, but this would just be an awesome race to win in general.”

Driver Jimmie Johnson on his best IMS moment:
“My favorite memory from the Brickyard was when (daughter) Genevieve was just a toddler. We won the race and she was so shy with all the media attention and hype when the team was kissing the bricks at the end of the race, she didn’t want to do it. So we went about the post-victory obligations and later that evening she kept saying ‘bricks, bricks’” and so (wife) Chani and I took her back out to the bricks and we had this amazing family moment where Evie kissed the bricks on her own. It was an amazing experience and one as a dad I will look back on and never forget.”

Johnson on what it means to win at Indianapolis:
“Winning this race is one of the proudest I have been in my career. There is so much effort that goes into the event back at the shop. It’s high priority when you look at the race schedule. It’s a ring race. When I drive in there and see the pagoda, I get the goosebumps.”

Driver Alex Bowman on learning at IMS:
“Indianapolis is one of those tracks where we continue to learn each time we go there. We haven’t had great finishes at the track, but I think we make gains each time. Greg (Ives) and the guys have been putting in a ton of work both at the track and away from the track. I know that we will have a car that can contend for a win when we arrive.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES
INDIANAPOLIS RACE WEEKEND PREVIEW
WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2020
KEVIN HARVICK NASCAR ZOOM MEDIA AVAILABILITY

KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 Ford Mustang — WHY DO YOU THINK IT IS, OR HOW IS IT, THAT DRIVERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE MORE SUCCESS AROUND THE AGE OF 40 THRESHOLD THAT IS BELIEVED TO BE A POINT WHERE ABILITY CAN DIMINISH? “The things that I would tell you is that the sport has changed a lot. I think with less practice and cars changing and a lot of the things are done through simulation and things like that now. The experience level obviously comes into play. I think when you surround that with a good team and a good organization and are able to work those details out, I think the potential is to drive into your 50’s. Why not? I think with the health side of things and the way that people take care of themselves and workout, I think the longevity of the body on most of us going forward is going to be more durable than what it has been in the past. I think that experience for the most part is the biggest key. Especially when you surround that with a crew chief and team that are good. That is the situation that I am in. I think I kind of had a second life I guess you could say coming to SHR. That was very motivating and I think as you look at it now, for me it is still very motivating. You work your whole career to get into a situation like this and I had a long conversation with Mark Martin. You work your whole career to get in this situation, why would you want to give that up and just say, ‘I quit’? As long as Delana and my family are supportive, I don’t think the drive and enthusiasm as far as showing up to the race track every week will go away anytime soon. You just have to balance those things. I think as you look at Martin (Truex Jr.) turning 40 and Denny (Hamlin) and a lot of the success has been from that particular age group. I don’t think that is going to change any time soon.”

SOME TRACKS HAVE STRATEGY THAT PLAY A KEY ROLE. INDIANAPOLIS CAN BE ONE OF THOSE. WHEN THERE ARE DIFFERENT DRIVERS ON DIFFERENT CYCLES, IS IT EASY FOR A DRIVER TO JUST DRIVE OR HOW MUCH ARE YOU WORRIED OR THINKING ABOUT THE STRATEGY PLAY DURING A RACE? “We have talked about it before the race and during the race I typically just let them handle it because they have way more information. From a driver’s standpoint it is a little more stressful because you aren’t really around the cars all the time that you are racing. You know if you give up a little here and there, you don’t know how much they give up through lap traffic or coming back through the field or what strategy they are on. From a driver standpoint it is a little more stressful and you have to push every lap to make sure you get the most out of that lap to give up the least amount of time. It is just a different style of race, which is good, right? You have all these different elements that play in at different styles of race tracks that aren’t the same style and element that play at all the other race tracks. It is actually more stressful in my opinion because you can’t judge it off a car that is around you. It is somewhere else on the race track but it all cycles together.”

WHEN DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WERE OKAY TO SPEAK OUT AS A DRIVER? WHEN DID YOU START SAYING WHAT YOU THOUGHT? WAS IT RIGHT WHEN YOU CAME INTO THE SPORT OR DID IT TAKE SOME TIME? “Unfortunately when I started I talked too much. It was a thought that it was more fun to rile everybody up than it was to actually just worry about racing. My opinions were too many. Then it affects your team and the things you do. They start having to answer questions. I think there is definitely a balance and I would definitely consider myself a little bit of a loose cannon for the first several years because I didn’t care what I said, didn’t care what you thought and didn’t care about much other than just driving the race car. It was a pretty self-centered approach. I think a lot of that process changed when I came to Stewart-Haas Racing and then had kids. You have a whole different responsibility that comes with the things you say and do when you have kids. I think for me in the race car, in order to get Rodney convinced to come to Stewart-Haas Racing, his first questions were, ‘You don’t have a very good reputation with your team and you yell on the radio and do all these things. The first time all this stuff happens I am out of here and most likely we won’t even get started unless we can make some changes in that process.’ I think in order to get the right person and start building a team it was important to commit to not only for my family but for Rodney and his situation and our relationship. To have that kind of reset button in order to start over and really have a different reputation of how you handled yourself, it really didn’t affect the things you do on the race track but how you handled yourself and that observation that you put out to the world needed to be different. I think coming to Stewart-Haas Racing and Rodney are the biggest reason for that.”

THE DOUBLE-HEADER WITH INDYCAR AND NASCAR, ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO RUNNING INTO PEOPLE IN THE GARAGE AND WATCHING WHAT THE INDY CARS DO? “I am definitely not going to run into anybody. I know that for sure because they will all be gone by the time I get there. That part, I wish that I was able to be in the garage and go over and see what the Indy cars are all about and watch in person. We will definitely be watching on TV. It is a great situation for all three series’ to be together and a huge step for racing. As you look at IndyCar and Xfinity and Cup cars all at the same venue because we are all racers. We all want to see racing be successful and I think this is definitely a great step for both series’ to be in the same venue and bring our fans together and show both sides that it is not about picking sides, it is about watching a great show and being a part of a great event.”

DO YOU HAVE A CURIOSITY OF THE XFINITY CARS ON THE ROAD COURSE AND WHERE DO YOU WAY IN ABOUT POSSIBLY RUNNING THE 400 ON THE ROAD COURSE? “I would never vote for that because I love everything about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For me it is all about the oval, I guess you can kind of call it an oval, racing on the traditional track because for me I am kind of old school and I think that the Cup cars belong and really started the Brickyard 400. That was kind of what it was always meant to be, that iconic one-off just the Cup cars event. I think with the Xfinity cars and the trucks and K&N cars and all the things that used to race at IRP, it was a great event. Hopefully the road course can kind of take that role that IRP used to have and be able to bring the IndyCars and NASCAR together to add to that event at the speedway. For me personally, I would never vote for the Cup cars to not run on the oval.”

DO YOU THINK WITH THE LACK OF PRACTICE THAT YOUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN AN ADVANTAGE THIS YEAR? “I think it could go either way. I think the experience of our team being together going on seven years now is definitely a big part of that. Being a part of that evolution of the things I like in the car and things they like to do, the evolution of the race cars themselves and what they figure out on the engineering side kind of evolves naturally. You can’t set too far out on a limb and try a bunch of things like you would in practice on a normal race weekend. The other peiece of that is that you don’t have a bunch of people studying what you do with all the SMT data to try to copy it and drive their car and set their car up like what you are doing because the race is over by the time all that happens. It has been very unique and it has been something that plays well for our team to just show up and race because I think for the most part that experience is helping us get to where we need to be quicker.”

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY HAS GONE RIGHT FOR YOU GUYS IN GENERAL THIS YEAR? “I think we have just been consistent. I think the other thing is for the most part when we have had chances to win races we have won them. I think Sunday was probably the only one that I could point to and say that we had the car to win the race and didn’t win the race. I think for the majority of the races that we have had chances to win we have capitalized on those situations and the days that we haven’t. We have collected some stage points and had a solid day to go with it. It is not anything out of the norm of what we have done in the past but I think capitalizing on those moments you have to win, we have done well.”

This Week in Motorsports: June 29 – July 5, 2020

· NCS/NXS: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Indianapolis, Indiana) – July 4-5
· ARCA: Lucas Oil Raceway (Indianapolis, Indiana) – July 3
· ARCA WEST: Irwindale Speedway (Irwindale, California) – July 4

PLANO, Texas (July 1, 2020) – NASCAR competes at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway and ARCA competes on the short track of Lucas Oil Raceway also in Indianapolis, while ARCA West heads to Irwindale Speedway in Southern California.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS

Kiss the Bricks… Kyle Busch owns both of Toyota’s NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) wins at the Brickyard, which he scored in back-to-back seasons (2015, 2016). In 2015, Busch used the final restart to score the win and in 2016 he dominated the field– leading 149 of the 170 laps. Not only did Busch sweep the Cup Series races at the 2.5-mile historic track, he was also victorious both of those years in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) and again in 2019.

Leading with Four… Denny Hamlin had a great weekend at Pocono Raceway, ending Sunday with his series-leading fourth win of the season. Since combining with crew chief Chris Gabehart at the beginning of the 2019 season, Hamlin has driven to 10 wins, which is the most in the series. Hamlin also leads the series with most top-five finishes (nine) this season. In his 41 career wins, Hamlin has yet to score a victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway having finished a career-best third at the track three times.

Jones Back in a Playoff Spot… With a season-best third-place finish Sunday at Pocono Raceway, Erik Jones has climbed back inside the provisional Playoff field. Jones is one of four Toyota drivers currently in the playoff field, along with his Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) teammates Busch, Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr., Jones drove to a runner-up finish in his first Brickyard attempt for JGR in 2018 – less than one second behind race winner Brad Keselowski.

First for the Xfinity Series… For the first time, the Xfinity Series will compete at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course. Veteran Brandon Jones owns three top 10 finishes on road courses, while rookie Harrison Burton will make his second road course start in the Xfinity Series after finishing 13th last fall at the Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Fellow rookie Riley Herbst is making his first NASCAR national series event start on a road course.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA | ARCA West

Toyota Looking for Lucky 13… Toyota heads into Lucas Oil Raceway looking for its 13th consecutive ARCA Menards Series race win – a streak that dates back nearly a full calendar year (July 2019). Venturini Motorsports (VMS) drivers have earned 10 of those victories with JGR adding two. Toyota will have five Camrys in the field including VMS’ Michael Self, who continues to lead the overall point standings, and JGR’s Ty Gibbs, who dominated on his way to victory lane at the series’ most recent event at Pocono Raceway.

Rookie Points Leader… The ARCA Menards Series West is back on track this weekend at Irwindale Speedway on Saturday with Toyota rookie driver Jesse Love leading the pack. The 15-year-old Love scored his first career ARCA West win this past weekend at Utah Motorsports Campus, and currently leads the point standings by nine on the strength of three top-two finishes to start the 2020 season.

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SUNNYD to bring bold, patriotic look to famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway

CONCORD, N.C. (July 1, 2020) – SUNNYD, the iconic beverage brand made solely in the USA, will return to Chris Buescher’s No. 17 Ford Mustang just in time for the Fourth of July holiday weekend, as the NASCAR Cup Series rolls into the iconic Brickyard 400 race at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“We are really looking forward to getting to Indianapolis,” said Buescher. “We’ve started to gel as a team, and are starting to see those results on track. Indianapolis is one of the most iconic tracks in the country and it’s really fitting that we’ll have the SUNNYD ‘Made in America’ paint scheme back on our Ford this weekend for our first race at Indy during the Fourth of July weekend.”

Along with the bright, bold, unique orange and yellow colors, the No. 17 Ford will also sport a new patriotic theme with red, white and blue stars and stripes that reflect both SUNNYD’s heritage and the Fourth of July holiday. Since 1963, SUNNYD has been made in America and celebrates its roots with a limited-edition “Made in America” packaging that is released seasonally each year and available in stores now.

“It’s really neat to have an American-made product on board,” said Buescher. “I know the whole Roush Fenway organization, and Jack especially, are very proud of everything and anything made in America and we can’t wait to get to see the scheme on track this Sunday.”

Buescher will make his fourth start at the Brickyard 400 on Sunday, a track he has an average finish of 15.8 with one top-10. Buescher has scored two top-10 finishes in the past three races and with his seventh-place stage one finish at Pocono Raceway last weekend, the driver racked up his seventh top-10 stage finish of the season, and his fifth in the last eight races.

Coverage for Sunday’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is set for 4 p.m. EST on NBC. Race coverage can also be heard on Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network and SiriusXM Channel 90.

About Sunny Delight Beverage Company:

The Sunny Delight Beverage Company is a division of Harvest Hill Beverage Company based in Stamford, CT. Harvest Hill is owned by private equity firm Brynwood Partners, who acquired Sunny Delight Beverage Company from J.W. Childs in February 2016. Harvest Hill markets some of America’s most beloved beverage brands, including SUNNYD, JUICY JUICE, LITTLE HUG, and DAILY’S Cocktails. SUNNYD products are widely distributed through leading retailers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. For complete nutrition facts, recipe and activity ideas, and other helpful information, visit SunnyD.com. For more information on Harvest Hill, please visit www.HarvestHill.com.

About Roush Fenway Racing
Roush Fenway Racing is one of the most successful teams in NASCAR history, fielding multiple teams in NASCAR Cup Series. In its 33rd season, Roush Fenway is a leader in driver development, having launched the careers for many of the top drivers in the sport. Off-track, Roush Fenway is a leader in NASCAR marketing solutions, having produced multiple award-winning Social Media, digital content and experiential marketing campaigns. Roush Fenway is co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Jack Roush and Fenway Sports Group, parent company of Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox and English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C. Visit RoushFenway.com, become a fan on Facebook and Instagram, and follow on Twitter at @roushfenway.