Category: NASCAR Cup PR

Team:                   No. 6 Oscar Mayer Ford Mustang
Crew Chief:         Scott Graves
Twitter:                @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman
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 run 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. Newman and the No. 6 team are 22nd 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.

Newman Historically at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

·         Newman makes his 20th Cup start at Indy on Sunday. In 19 prior events, he has an average finish of 16th with one win back in the 2013 Brickyard 400. He took the lead from Brad Keselowski and led the final 12 laps to secure one of the most coveted wins in all of racing.
·         Most recently, Newman finished eighth last season at the 2.5-mile track, which secured his spot in the 2019 NASCAR Playoffs. Dating back to 2001, Newman has six top-10s and three top-fives. He has an average finish of seventh dating back three events – including a third-place run in 2017.
·         Newman has an average starting spot of 10.3 with one career pole (2013). He qualified inside the top-10 in his first eight Indy races and overall has 13 top-10 starts.

Scott Graves at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

·         Graves will be atop the box for his fifth NCS start at Indy on Sunday. In four prior starts, he has a best finish of seventh with Daniel Suarez in 2017, and is coming off the eighth-place run with Newman a season ago.
·         He also called three Xfinity Series races (two with Chris Buescher, one with Suarez) with a best finish of seventh in 2016.

QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on racing at Indy:
“Going back home to Indiana is always special to me, and anytime you visit the Brickyard, it’s a special time. I’ve been fortunate to win there in the past, and we had a good run last year putting our car into the playoffs last fall. We’re excited to have Oscar Mayer back on board, which fits well with the Independence Day weekend and everything it has to offer. We’re looking forward to the challenge and wish a happy July 4 to everyone watching.”

Last Time Out
Newman earned an 18th-place run in Sunday’s 350-mile event from Pocono. In the process, he finished third in stage two earning valuable stage points, as varying pit strategies played out over the closing laps. A day prior, Newman finished 15th after leading 13 laps.

Where They Rank
Newman is 24th in driver points after 12 races in his 2020 campaign. In owners’ points, the No. 6 is tied for 22nd with teammate Chris Buescher, but within 20 points of the 18th spot.

On the Car
Oscar Mayer returns to the No. 6 Ford this weekend in Indy. Oscar Mayer and Roush Fenway announced their continued partnership at the end of the 2019 season, as the company continues to highlight its quality meat offerings via its paint schemes throughout the season.

·         The stars and stripes will don the No. 6 along with the bright color scheme of Oscar Mayer this weekend, celebrating America’s Independence Day in Indy.

About the Kraft Heinz Company

For 150 years, we have produced some of the world’s most beloved products at The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ: KHC). Our Vision is To Be the Best Food Company, Growing a Better World. We are one of the largest global food and beverage companies, with 2018 net sales of approximately $26 billion. Our portfolio is a diverse mix of iconic and emerging brands. As the guardians of these brands and the creators of innovative new products, we are dedicated to the sustainable health of our people and our planet. To learn more, visit https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

No. 77 Chevrolet to Promote Melon Man Brand at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 30, 2020) – Ross Chastain will handle the driving responsibilities for Spire Motorsports in Sunday’s Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 NASCAR Cup Series Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS).

The No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will showcase Chastain’s Melon Man Brand as the NASCAR Cup Series embarks on its inaugural doubleheader weekend with the NTT IndyCar Series at the legendary 2.5-mile speedway.

“I’m excited to roll out the Melon Man Brand paint scheme this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” explained Chastain, an eighth-generation planter and fourth-generation watermelon farmer from Alva, Fla. “It’ll be fun to do something new. When we came up with the idea to create a personal brand, we wanted to do something different, something that would stand out. I think the look of the car and our branding initiatives check those boxes. Jeff (Dickerson) and T.J. (Puchyr) have supported me and my career without a moment’s hesitation, ever. It’s an honor for me to drive for Spire Motorsports this weekend in Indianapolis.”

Chastain has made five Cup Series starts in 2020, earning a season-best 17th-place finish in the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway while filling in at Roush Fenway Racing aboard the team’s iconic No. 6 machine.

Meanwhile, the 2019 NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Most Popular Driver Award winner sits third in the NASCAR Xfinity Series point standings where he’s earned back-to-back runner-up finishes for Kaulig Racing.

In his two previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at IMS, Chastain finished 26th and 22nd, respectively completing all but two of the 320 laps contested. In Xfinity Series competition, the 27-year-old has made four IMS starts and calls a 12th-place finish a career best.

“Any time we race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it’s a big deal,” said Spire Motorsports co-owner T.J. Puchyr. “That said, I would qualify this race as historic. For the first time in both NASCAR Cup and IndyCar Series’ history, we’ll have a doubleheader where both series will race at the grandest track in the world on the same weekend. Spire Motorsports is extremely proud to put a member of the Spire family in the driver’s seat and to support the Melon Man Brand at the same time. We love watching Ross compete so this weekend will be a lot of fun for our entire organization.”

The Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 from Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be televised live on NBC Sunday, July 5 beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The race will be broadcast live on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

McDowell Will Hit the Track with Patriotic Scheme on July 5th

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 30, 2020) – CarParts.com and longtime partner PowerStop are joining together to celebrate this coming July 4th weekend at the world-famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Debuting a new star-spangled theme, CarParts.com will be the primary sponsor of Michael McDowell and the No. 34 Ford Mustang on Sunday, July 5th, with PowerStop-the leading brand in performance brake system upgrades-serving as a co-primary partner. All PowerStop brake system upgrade kits are sold at CarParts.com.

One of NASCAR’s most prestigious events, the Brickyard 400, moves to July 4th weekend for the first time in NASCAR Cup Series history. The Brickyard will also play host to the NTT IndyCar Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series events on Saturday, prior to Sunday’s race, where the No. 34 CarParts.com Ford Mustang will compete in the NASCAR Cup Series. All three races will be televised nationally on NBC.

“We’re honored to take part in this historic occasion at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as we all commemorate America’s independence,” said Lev Peker, CEO of CarParts.com and its parent company, US Auto Parts. “We’re proud to have CarParts.com and our friends at PowerStop featured on the No. 34 machine of Michael McDowell and the Front Row Motorsports team. We hope our car’s scheme will bring joy to our fellow hardworking Americans as we all observe the nation’s birthday.”

CarParts.com returns as a partner with FRM as McDowell continues to have career-best finishes this season. The support for McDowell has extended off the track, as McDowell recently received a PowerStop Z36 Truck & Tow Brake Upgrade Kit for his 2017 Ford F-150. McDowell will continue to showcase upgrades from CarParts.com throughout the year.

Keeping customers across America on the road, the e-commerce business offers an easy-to-navigate, mobile-friendly website and a 90-day return policy to assure customers they will get the right parts, guaranteed. CarParts.com is also a prime destination to find PowerStop products. PowerStop has pioneered the performance brake upgrade category by providing exceptional-quality brake parts and full brake kits at affordable prices.

“This is such a big weekend with us running at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the July 4 weekend,” said McDowell. “Having CarParts.com and PowerStop join us with a very cool paint scheme makes us want to run up front and have a great finish for them. I’ve really enjoyed working with CarParts.com and now I’m starting to work on putting new PowerStop brakes on my truck. I encourage everyone to check out their sites to see how they can help you, too.”

For more information about CarParts.com, visit CarParts.com. For more information about PowerStop, visit PowerStop.com.

About CarParts.com
Established in 1999, CarParts.com is an e-commerce auto parts retailer that specializes in OE replacement collision, repair, and maintenance parts. With over 50 million parts delivered, we’ve helped millions of drivers across the United States find the right parts to fix their cars and keep their vehicles on the road. Our vehicle selector and easy-to-navigate, mobile-friendly website offer customers guaranteed fitment and a convenient online shopping experience. Paired with our 90-day return policy and satisfaction guarantee, CarParts.com makes it easier than ever to get the parts you need delivered straight to your door. CarParts.com’s parent US Auto Parts trades under NASDAQ:PRTS.

Twitter: @CarPartscom
Instagram: @CarPartscom
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carpartscom/

About PowerStop
PowerStop is on a mission to deliver an easy way for any driver to upgrade to quality brakes – no matter where or how they use their vehicle. Taking the difficulty out of upgrading, our performance brake kits directly bolt-on your vehicle with ease to get you back on the road quicker with components that out-perform standard, off the shelf parts at an affordable price. With 30 years of experience innovating the aftermarket brake world, we offer braking performance you can trust to give you complete control on the brake pedal regardless of your vehicle type and driving style.

About Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields two full-time entries – the No. 34 of Michael McDowell and the No. 38 of John Hunter Nemechek – from its Mooresville, N.C., headquarters just outside of Charlotte. In 2020, the team announced an expansion to include the No. 38 Ford F-150 in the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series, driven by Todd Gilliland. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: INDIANAPOLIS NOTES

The NASCAR Cup and NASCAR XFINITY Series return to action this weekend at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  For the first time, the speedway’s infield road course will be used to host a NASCAR event as the XFINITY Series races there on Saturday, followed by the Cup drivers on the historic oval one day later.

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT IMS

·         Ford has 5 all-time series wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
·         Ford has won the last 2 Cup races (Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick).
·         Dale Jarrett is the lone Ford driver with two victories at the track.

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT IMS

·         Ford is looking for its first series win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
·         Ryan Blaney pole has Ford’s lone series pole (2018).
·         Team Penske has one series win at the track (2012).

FORD WIN TOTAL REACHES EIGHT

Kevin Harvick’s win in Saturday’s Pocono opener gave Ford eight wins this season, most among manufacturers, and six in the 11 events held since returning to action on May 17 at Darlington Raceway.  Harvick, Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski hold the top three spots, respectively, in the regular season point standings after 15 races, and Ford holds a 32-point lead in the manufacturers’ battle with Toyota and Chevrolet.

BRISCOE TAKES NXS POINTS LEAD

Chase Briscoe’s series-leading fourth win on Sunday at Pocono Raceway, which was his second straight overtime triumph, moved him into the points lead by three over second-place Noah Gragson.  Briscoe, who grew up in Mitchell, IN, and considers the Indianapolis Motor Speedway one of his home tracks, now has six career series victories in three seasons.

HARVICK LOOKS TO DEFEND BRICKYARD VICTORY

Kevin Harvick captured his first Brickyard 400 with Stewart-Haas Racing and second overall with a dominating performance in last year’s race.  Harvick was fast all weekend as he claimed the pole and then led 118-of-160 laps, which included wins in the final two stages.  The race, which served as the final event of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, saw Ford lead all but 11 laps on the day and have seven of the top 11 finishers.

KESELOWSKI ENDS FORD DROUGHT

Coming on the heels of his triumph at Darlington Raceway in the Southern 500, Brad Keselowski collected his second straight crown jewel victory by winning the Brickyard 400 last season.  Keselowski battled Denny Hamlin on a restart with three laps to go and used fresher tires to make the decisive pass and give car owner Roger Penske his first NASCAR Cup Series win at the track.  The win was also Ford’s first in the Brickyard 400 since Dale Jarrett won in 1999.

THREE JEWELS FOR DJ

The first time Ford found victory lane at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a NASCAR Cup Series race was in 1996 when Dale Jarrett won the first of his two Brickyard 400 championships.  What made the race most memorable from a Ford perspective is that it ended up being a battle between Jarrett and his Robert Yates Racing teammate, Ernie Irvan.  The two ended up breaking away from the field as Irvan found himself in the lead after passing Jarrett on lap 139, but when he pushed up the track going into turn two with only seven laps to go, Jarrett was there to take advantage and make the pass.  Jarrett held on to eventually win as the race ended under caution.  That completed a trifecta of sorts for Jarrett, who also won the Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600 earlier that season, and capped a memorable day for Ford with seven finishers in the Top 10 and 11 in the Top 14.

RUDD’S BIG WIN

Ricky Rudd stretched his fuel to the limit in winning the 1997 Brickyard 400 as he went the final 46 laps without stopping.  That decision, along with a pair of timely cautions, enabled him to gain the lead and hold it until the checkered flag.  Rudd inherited the lead on lap 147 after the yellow flag came out for debris after Robby Gordon hit the wall.  While leader Dale Jarrett and fellow contender Jeff Gordon were forced to pit for fuel under the caution, Rudd stayed out.  Another caution with seven laps remaining allowed Rudd to save the necessary fuel to make it the rest of the way.  In a single-file restart with three laps to go, Rudd led Bobby Labonte, Johnny Benson, Mark Martin, Jarrett and Gordon.  Labonte was never able to get closer than a couple of car lengths as Rudd posted his second win of the season and biggest triumph of his career.

TWO FOR JARRETT

When Dale Jarrett won in 1999 for the second time in four years, it overcame the disappointment from the previous year when he had a dominant Ford Taurus but ran out of gas midway through the race.  Jarrett, who qualified fourth, was in a class by himself as he led 81 of the final 82 laps to win his fourth race of the season.  The crucial part of the race came under caution when Jarrett came down pit road on lap 143 and opted for two tires.  He was able to clear Bobby Labonte on the ensuing restart and was not threatened the rest of the way as he joined Jeff Gordon as the only two-time winners of the event.

A MAST-ERFUL START

Another memorable Brickyard highlight came in the inaugural weekend in 1994 when Rick Mast won the pole while driving the No. 1 Ford of car owner Richard Jackson.  Mast went on to lead the first lap at the speedway in official NASCAR competition, but ended up finishing one lap down in 22nd place.  The pole was one of four Mast earned during his 15-year NASCAR Cup Series career.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT THE BRICKYARD

1996 – Dale Jarrett
1997 – Ricky Rudd
1999 – Dale Jarrett
2018 – Brad Keselowski
2019 – Kevin Harvick

Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team turned in another strong performance in the Sunday’s second half of a double-header at Pocono Raceway.

After finishing 13th and scoring 10 Stage points on Saturday, DiBenedetto and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team came back on Monday and scored eight more Stage points and finished sixth in the Pocono 350.

Sunday’s finish netted 41 points, the most DiBenedetto has earned in a race this season. He remains 14th in the Cup Series standings, but is just three points behind 13th-place Clint Bowyer and six back of 12th-place Jimmie Johnson.

DiBenedetto lined up eighth for the start of Sunday’s race and quickly drove his way into the top five then finished the first 30-lap Stage in sixth place, earning five Stage points.

In the second Stage, a 55-lapper, he ran in second or third place for much of the way, then made a pit stop from third place with 10 laps remaining in the Stage. Still, he drove his way back to ninth at the end of the Stage, earning two more points.

In the third and final segment of the race, he made his final pit stop with 38 laps remaining, taking two tires and fuel.

He rejoined the race and began working his way forward, gaining some spots through passes and others when drivers ahead of him made their last stops.

With 22 laps remaining, he was up to 15th place, and broke back into the top 10 six laps later. With four laps remaining, he took sixth place and held off William Byron and Clint Bowyer to claim his best Pocono finish in 12 career starts and his fourth top-10 finish of the season.

“We had great strategy from start to finish,” DiBenedetto said of the plans formulated by crew chief Greg Erwin. “We followed Greg’s plan and it worked out even better than we thought.”

DiBenedetto said he and Erwin figured that making a pit stop just before the end of the second Stage would set them up better for the finish but cost them some Stage points, but that wasn’t the case.

“We thought we’d be sacrificing Stage points, but we had a good pit stop and had a solid restart and grabbed a couple of points.”

DiBenedetto said his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang was fast and his crew was on their game.

“We had a top-10 car all day long,” he said. “Everything was really smooth. Everybody executed well, and it was just a good, solid day.”

He said the weekend’s performance at Pocono has him and the team feeling upbeat as they head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“We’ve known we can do this,” he said, adding that he, Erwin and the crew have been working on their communication and on being more consistent in their on-track performance. “I think this weekend was an example of what we’ve been working on and knowing that we’re capable of doing is addressing that and just having solid days like we did today being in the top 10 from the start to the finish of the day, getting stage points and finishing up there.

“We’ve done a good job at working on that and I think we can do a lot more of this moving forward.”

Next up for DiBenedetto and the No. 21 team is the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard on July 5.

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About Motorcraft:

Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln Dealers, independent distributors and automotive parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Omnicraft:

Omnicraft is part of the Ford lineup of parts brands: Ford Parts, Motorcraft and Omnicraft. Omnicraft is the exclusive non-Ford/Lincoln parts brand of premium aftermarket parts. With over a century of parts heritage to build upon, Omnicraft provides excellent quality and fit and is a preferred choice of professional automotive technicians. To find out more about Omnicraft, visitwww.omnicraftautoparts.com or contact your local Ford or Lincoln Dealership.

About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center

Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine vehicle maintenance including tire repair and replacement with a Low Tire Price Guarantee and a full menu of automotive services including oil and filter, brakes, alignments, batteries, and shocks and struts on all vehicle makes and models. Service is performed by certified technicians at more than 1,000 locations worldwide while you wait, and no appointment is necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 200,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Matt DiBenedetto in the famous No. 21 racer.

Solid, Top-15 Finish and Stage Points for Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate) Chevrolet Team at Pocono Raceway

Finish: 4th
Start: 2nd
Points: 17th

“Everyone on the Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate) Chevrolet team did a great job hanging in there today and working together to pull off a top-15 finish. We made a few adjustments to our car and strategy based on what we learned yesterday. There was a lot more grip on the track then what I figured there would be for a 4 p.m. Eastern race start. We just battled a tight-handling condition for most of the day today, especially at the beginning of the race. We had to free it up a bunch. We missed Stage points at the conclusion of Stage 1 by just one position, but then earned a few key Stage points at the end of Stage 2. During Stage 3, we worked our way into the top-five before pitting for fuel with 13 laps remaining. All-in-all, can’t complain about a 14th-place finish. I want to thank everyone at AstraZeneca and Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate) for their support.” -Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick and No. 8 Caterpillar Team Put Up Strong Fight at Pocono Raceway

Finish:35th
Start: 30th
Points: 18th

“This weekend did not go at all how we wanted it to, but I’m proud of the No. 8 Caterpillar team for never giving up at any point. When I came across the line to take the green flag today, I lost all power steering and had to drop back to protect the car. Right as I was going to hit pit road to see what we could do to fix the handling, the caution came out for rain, which almost ended up helping us. I was able to pit and give my team the entire yellow to work on the car. We figured out we would be able to replace the alternator belt as the red flag came out. Once the yellow flag came back out, my team worked as fast as they could to make the repairs but we still ended up a handful of laps down by the time we could rejoin the field. From that point on it was just a matter of capitalizing on everything  that came our way to gain as many spots as we possibly could. Every point matters in the fight to make the Playoffs, and we weren’t going to go down without a fight. We got trapped a little bit with how the race played out, but we gave it our all today to get everything we could. I wouldn’t want to be racing with any other group than the one I have right now and am looking forward to getting back after it at Indy next weekend.” -Tyler Reddick

NASCAR CUP SERIES
POCONO RACEWAY
POCONO 350
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
JUNE 28, 2020

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS.   DRIVER
4th      CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE
7th      WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE
9th      ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 CHEVYGOODS.COM/ADAM POLISHES CAMARO ZL1 1LE
12th    MATT KENSETH, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1 1LE
13th    KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS.  DRIVER
1st      Denny Hamlin (Toyota)
2nd     Kevin Harvick (Ford)
3rd      Erik Jones (Toyota)
4th      Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)
5th      Aric Almirola (Ford)

The NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 Powered by Big Machine Records on Sunday, July 5th, at 4:00 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on NBC, NBC Sports Gold and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY NOTES AND QUOTES:

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 4th
“It was good to have a solid run for our NAPA team after yesterday being so poor. Obviously, we would’ve liked to of been a little better, but after starting in the back, I was pleased how I was able to move forward and gain a lot of that track position back. It was a good rebound. Looking forward to getting back on track at Indy.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 7th
“We ended up with a top-10 finish today which was good. It was definitely an improvement from yesterday – seven spots better to be exact – which is good. We still struggled a good portion of the race but I think we made the right calls and adjustments at the end. We had a lot of speed actually the last couple runs. I think the track kind of came to us and ultimately that’s what we needed. So we’ll go on to Indy and hopefully have a better run there.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 CHEVYGOODS.COM/ADAM POLISHES CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 9th
“It was an up and down day. So many people are on different pit strategies throughout the day here in Pocono. We had a top 10 car all day, just didn’t have the running positions to show for it. Greg (Ives) and the guys made great adjustments on pit road and really improved the car throughout the race. A top-10 finish today is good momentum for us going to Indy next weekend.”

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 13th
“The team made a lot of changes to the car from the race yesterday, but we still really struggled with the handling in traffic. The difference between dirty and clean air is crazy. The Monster Energy Chevy was good early on when we had track position (clean air) and we were able to lead all the laps and get the Stage 1 win, but just a tough ending for the No.1 team, a little Pocono Deja vu for us today!”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 SYMBICORT CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 14th
“Everyone on the Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate) Chevrolet team did a great job hanging in there today and working together to pull off a top-15 finish. We made a few adjustments to our car and strategy based on what we learned yesterday. There was a lot more grip on the track then what I figured there would be for a 4 p.m. race start. We just battled a tight-handling condition for most of the day today, especially at the beginning of the race. We had to free up a bunch. We missed Stage points at the conclusion of Stage 1 by just one position, but then earned a few key Stage points at the end of Stage 2. During Stage 3, we worked our way into the top-five before pitting for fuel with 13 laps remaining. All-in-all, can’t complain about a 14th-place finish. I want to thank everyone at AstraZeneca and Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate) for their support.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 15th
“Overall, I think it was a solid weekend for our Kroger Chevrolet. We definitely learned some things on Saturday that we were able to adapt to for Sunday, but the track raced very differently on Sunday than it did on Saturday. We were really loose most of the race, but Brian (Pattie) made some great strategy calls to keep us running up front and ultimately get a top-15 finish at the end. We’re on a solid momentum streak and I’m looking forward to carrying that over to Indianapolis Motor Speedway next weekend.”

BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 VICTORY JUNCTION CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 20th
“Our Richard Petty Motorsports team made the right adjustments for what we fought yesterday, but it still was not the right adjustments; that is kind of the frustrating part. We did not have enough raw speed and couldn’t quite get the handling we needed on our No. 43 Victory Junction Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. All-in-all, we came-out with a top-20 finish and it’s an improvement from yesterday. Good to get out of Pocono, and give us time to refocus before we come back.”
“I’m glad we got the race in. Racing with no lights is a little tricky, but all-in-all, we’ll head to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We had our best finish there last year, so we’ll see if we can back that up.”

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CATERPILLAR CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 35th
“This weekend did not go at all how we wanted it to, but I’m proud of the No. 8 Caterpillar team for never giving up at any point. Unfortunately, when I came across the line to take the green flag today I lost all power steering and had to drop back to protect the car. Right as I was going to hit pit road to see what we could do to fix the handling, the caution came out for rain, which almost ended up helping us. I was able to pit and give my team the entire yellow to work on the car. We figured out we would be able to replace the alternator belt right as the red flag came out. Once the yellow flag came back out, my team worked as fast as they could to make the repairs but we still ended up a handful of laps down by the time we could rejoin the field. From that point on it was just a matter of capitalizing on everything that came our way to gain as many spots as we possibly could. Every point matters in the fight to make the Playoffs, and we weren’t going to go down without a fight. We got trapped a little bit with how the race played out, but we gave it our all today to get everything we could. I wouldn’t want to be racing with any other group than the one I have right now and am looking forward to getting back after it at Indy next weekend.”

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