Category: NASCAR Cup PR

Team: No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Luke Lambert

Twitter: @17RoushTeam, @RoushFenway and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 500 miles, 188 laps, Stage Lengths: 60-60-68

Geico 500 – Sunday, June 21 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

NASCAR Returns to Action

· NASCAR’s return to racing continues at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend, with the first superspeedway race since the Daytona 500. The 500-mile event from the 2.66-mile track was originally set for April 26.

· Despite the horrific last-lap crash in the Daytona 500 in which RFR was potentially in line for a 1-2 finish, RFR has fared particularly well in superspeedway races as of late. Buescher finished third in February in Daytona, while teammate Ryan Newman finished a close second at Talladega last fall.

· 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.

Homestead Recap, Talladega Preview

· After earning a crucial stage point in Sunday’s race at Homestead, Buescher went on to finish 23rd in the Fastenal Ford.

· In the original schedule for Talladega, there was one practice session for teams on Saturday. That has since been removed, meaning the Cup Series’ first on-track action will be when the green drops for the 500-mile race.

· The starting lineup will once again be determined by a random draw based on teams’ order in owners points. Buescher – 21st in points – will draw for a spot in the 13-24 group. The draw takes place at 6 p.m. ET Thursday on NASCAR RaceHub on FS1.

Buescher Historically at Talladega Superspeedway

· Buescher makes his 10th Cup start at Talladega on Sunday, where he has an average finish of 21.9. His best finish of 11th came back in the 2018 spring race.

· Buescher has two Xfinity Series starts at Talladega with a runner-up result in 2014, followed by a sixth-place run in 2015.

Luke Lambert at Talladega Superspeedway

· Lambert will be atop the box for his 16th Cup race at Talladega, where he has an average finish of 14.8 with six top-10 runs.

· He finished fifth in last season’s spring event with Daniel Hemric, his third top-10 in a stretch of three races that also included Newman’s runner-up result in 2017, and ninth-place finish in 2018.

· He also has one Xfinity race at Talladega with Elliott Sadler in 2012, where he started from the pole and finished 10th.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Talladega:
“Historically I haven’t had the best of luck at Talladega, but we had a really fast Fastenal Ford down in Daytona, and I think showed what we can do on superspeedway tracks. Patience is the name of the game at Talladega, and it’s our hope to be there at the end and try and steal one away in our Fastenal Ford.”

On the Car
Fastenal celebrates its 10th season with Roush Fenway Racing in 2020. The Minnesota company spent three years on the No. 99 before jumping to the No. 17 Cup Series entry, and were the primary partner on the No. 60 Xfinity team that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.

Milwaukee Tool, MCR, Weiler, Sqwincher and Louisville Ladder will ride aboard the No. 17 as Fastenal Racing’s featured suppliers Sunday at Talladega.

Milwaukee Tool Company, a leader in power tools since 1924, will ride on the hood.
MCR, a leader in the field of personal protective equipment (PPE), will be on the TV panel.
Wieler, a leading manufacturer of surface conditioning solutions, we ride on the deck lid.
Sqwincher, a leading producer of electrolyte beverages, will be on the lower rear quarter.
Lousiville Ladder, a producer of climbing equipment and accessories will be on the B-post.

About Fastenal
Fastenal [Nasdaq: FAST] is North America’s largest fastener distributor and a ‘one-stop’ source for hundreds of thousands of OEM, MRO and Construction products. With more than 2,600 stores worldwide, the company supports B2B customers with tailored local inventory and dedicated personnel, who visit regularly, quickly respond to emergency needs, and provide efficient inventory management solutions. Fastenal’s service-oriented business network includes the world’s largest industrial vending program, 14 regional distribution centers, 8 custom manufacturing facilities, thousands of delivery vehicles, and industry-leading sourcing, quality and engineering resources.

NEMECHEK TALKS TALLADEGA:

“I’m looking forward to racing at Talladega this weekend and continuing to have fans attend our events. It’s been really strange not having spectators in the stands these last few weeks. As a driver, the energy of the crowd helps get you pumped up for the race and it helps create an exciting atmosphere. I’ve missed that.

“Front Row Motorsports has always had a strong program at Talladega. We started the season strong with a good run at Daytona, so hopefully we can have a repeat performance for an even better finish this weekend.

“We have Death Wish Coffee on the car for the second race in a row and I’m excited to have them back. They’re kicking off a new contest this weekend where fans can win free coffee and signed merchandise, so I’d encourage everyone to check out their website and social media channels. We’re both excited for this partnership and looking forward to a great run.”

OilFire Rye Whiskey to Serve as Primary Sponsor in NASCAR’s Return to Talladega

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 16, 2020) – James Davison, a five-time Indianapolis 500 starter and native Australian, will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut in Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway behind the wheel of Spire Motorsports No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE.

Davison’s entry will be fielded in cooperation with Byrd Racing and Hayward Motorsports and feature primary sponsorship from OilFire Rye Whiskey.

A road racing specialist who hails from Melbourne, near the southern tip of Australia, Davison has four previous NASCAR Xfinity Series starts to his credit with a best finish of fourth coming at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2017. He completed all 200 laps in the 2019 Indianapolis 500 and steered his No. 33 Dale Coyne with Byrd and Belardi Racing entry to a spirited 12th-place finish.

Apart from his Xfinity Series and IndyCar experience, the 33-year-old comes to Spire Motorsports with a wealth of road racing expertise. Davison has an extensive background in Indy Lights, NASCAR Rolex Grand-AM Sports Car Series and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

“I am excited to make my NASCAR Cup Series and stock car oval debut at Talladega,” said Davison. “My goal will be to ride and survive, run all 500 miles and learn the fine details of restrictor-plate racing.”

Headquartered in Tulsa, Okla., OilFire Rye Whiskey is America’s First Seductive Handcrafted Spirit. Fueled by a vision and passion to bring inspiration and innovation to the flavored whiskey market, OilFire’s handcrafted secret sauce results in defining each consumer’s individual palate, ensuring that beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.

Live coverage of the GEICO 500 from Talladega Superspeedway will take the green flag Sunday, June 21 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The race will be televised live FOX and broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

About OilFire Rye Whiskey …
OilFire Rye Whiskey tastes great and is trademarked as America’s First Seductive Handcrafted Spirit. OilFire is appreciated by both women and men, alike. One of the competitive advantages of OilFire is the secret sauce which flavors the best-in-class, under-10-year rye whiskey, conforming to each consumer’s palate to ensure beauty is in the eye of the beholder. OilFire perfects that process. Celebrate like a champion today with OilFire Rye Whiskey by drinking responsibly.

FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: TALLADEGA NOTES

The NASCAR Cup Series headlines another full weekend of racing that also includes the NASCAR XFINITY and ARCA Menards Series at Talladega Superspeedway. Ford has been on a roll in the Cup Series recently, winning seven in a row at one point until that streak was snapped in this event last year. Ryan Blaney started another one, however, with his win in the Playoffs last fall, giving Ford 8 wins in the last 9 Talladega events.

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT TALLADEGA

· Ford has 29 all-time series wins at Talladega, including 8 of the last 9, and 9 of the last 11.
· Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola, Clint Bowyer and Ryan Blaney all have series wins at Talladega.
· NASCAR Hall of Famer Bud Moore helped Buddy Baker win three straight series races (1975-76), becoming the first to do that in Talladega history.

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT TALLADEGA

· Ford has 6 series wins at Talladega
· The first Ford victory in the series was by Chad Little in 1995.
· Mark Martin, David Ragan, Aric Almirola and Joey Logano have MENCS and NXS wins at Talladega with Ford.

FORD DOMINATES TOP FIVE IN CUP STANDINGS

Evidence of Ford’s fast start to the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season can be found in the standings, where four of the top five spots are occupied by Blue Oval competitors. Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski have all won twice this year and are sitting first, third and fourth, respectively, while Ryan Blaney rounds out the group in fifth. Ford also continues to hold a 25-point lead in the manufacturer standings due in large part to its series-high six victories.

TEAM PENSKE ROLLING AT TALLADEGA

Team Penske drivers Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney have combined to win 7 of the last 11 NCS races at Talladega Superspeedway. Keselowski won the Playoff race in 2017, making him the winningest active driver at the track with five, while Logano won the same event in back-to-back seasons (2015-16). Blaney made it a Penske trifecta with his Playoff victory last season.

BRISCOE ON TRACK

Earlier this year, Ford Performance development driver Chase Briscoe said he would like to win eight races this season and moved a bit closer to that goal with Sunday’s win at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The win is Briscoe’s third of the season, most among series drivers, and moved him within 18 points of first place in the series standings. Briscoe has seven combined wins in the NASCAR XFINITY (5) and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (2) in three-plus seasons at some of the most diverse tracks in the sport, including the annual dirt race at Eldora Speedway, the inaugural race at the Charlotte ROVAL, the speedy short track at Iowa Speedway and the challenging egg-shaped oval of Darlington.

WINNING IN THE CLUTCH

Needing a win to advance in the Playoffs, Brad Keselowski did exactly that in winning the Geico 500 on Oct. 19, 2014. The win was Keselowski’s sixth of the year, most for any driver in the NASCAR Cup Series season, and enabled him to move into the next round. Keselowski got a push from Penske teammate Joey Logano on the final green-white-checker restart and held off Matt Kenseth for the win.

ROUND OF 12 SWEEP

Joey Logano made history in 2015 when he came to Talladega Superspeedway and completed a three-race Round of 12 sweep by surviving a green-white-checker finish to win the CampingWorld.com 500. Logano became the first driver to sweep an entire round in only the second year of the format and won for the sixth time in 2015. In order to do it, he had to survive an aborted green-white-checker restart and then the official restart after it was determined by NASCAR that the original attempt had not gone green before an accident back in the pack occurred. The cars lined up again and shortly after Logano passed the start-finish line, a multi-car wrecked ensued that involved Kevin Harvick, who was having engine issues which brought the caution out and gave Logano the win.

BAKER PROVIDES MOORE SUCCESS

The first time Ford went to victory lane at Talladega Superspeedway was May 4, 1975 when Buddy Baker, driving for Hall of Fame car owner Bud Moore, held off David Pearson on the final lap. The win was Baker’s ninth career victory and came after he took the lead with 18 laps to go. One of the key decisions in getting Baker to the checkered flag first came when his team opted for two tires on its final pit stop of the day while Pearson and the Wood Brothers decided on gas only. Even though Pearson steadily gained ground on the final lap, Baker was able to hold on by half a car length to win. That started a streak which saw Baker and Moore win three straight Talladega races.

DAVEY ALLISON’S FIRST WIN

Ford has had many milestone moments at Talladega Superspeedway, including the first NASCAR Cup Series win for the late Davey Allison, who won the Winston 500 on May 3, 1987. The race came down to a restart with 10 laps to go in which Allison found himself behind Dale Earnhardt in the outside lane. Earnhardt bolted to the lead when the green flew and Allison tucked in right behind him through turns one and two. As they came off the second corner, Allison went to the inside and easily passed Earnhardt for what proved to be the winning pass. Terry Labonte ended up finishing second with Earnhardt third. Allison went on to win 19 NSCS races, including three at Talladega.

ROBERT YATES RACING’S FINAL WIN

When Dale Jarrett won the UAW-Ford 500 on Oct. 2, 2005 it ended up being the final trip to victory lane for Robert Yates Racing. This race came down to a green-white-checker restart, where Jarrett was positioned fourth. He was still in that spot when they came around to start the final lap, but quickly moved to the outside as Tony Stewart grabbed the lead on the inside lane. The two drivers battled side-by-side down the backstretch before Jarrett powered his way in front. Seconds after getting the lead, Kyle Petty was involved in a single-car accident that brought out the caution as the cars entered turn three. Jarrett was declared the winner after NASCAR verified that he was in front at the time the yellow flag was thrown. The win was RYR’s 57th triumph in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and came six years after the team won its only championship with Jarrett in 1999.

DAVID RAGAN’S SURPRISE VICTORY

And then there was David Ragan, who became the 11th driver to win a NASCAR XFINITY and NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway when he took the checkered flag in the 2013 Aaron’s 499. The win was his second series victory and first for Front Row Motorsports, and it ended in typical Talladega fashion. As the cars came to the white flag it was Carl Edwards in the lead while Ragan was fifth and tucked in the middle lane behind Aric Almirola. When Almirola moved to the high side, it enabled Ragan and teammate David Gilliland to work together and push their way forward. The duo was behind Edwards off turn two, but they made their move to the inside on the backstretch and made what proved to be the decisive pass.

FORD’S NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT TALLADEGA
1975 – Buddy Baker (Sweep)
1976 – Buddy Baker (1)
1979 – Bobby Allison (1)
1983 – Dale Earnhardt (2)
1985 – Bill Elliott and Cale Yarborough
1987 – Davey Allison and Bill Elliott
1989 – Davey Allison and Terry Labonte
1992 – Davey Allison (1)
1994 – Jimmy Spencer (2)
1995 – Mark Martin (1)
1997 – Mark Martin (1)
1998 – Dale Jarrett (2)
2005 – Dale Jarrett (2)
2009 – Jamie McMurray (2)
2012 – Matt Kenseth (2)
2013 – David Ragan (1)
2014 – Brad Keselowski (2)
2015 – Joey Logano (2)
2016 – Brad Keselowski (1) and Joey Logano (2)
2017 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (1) and Brad Keselowski (2)
2018 – Joey Logano (1) and Aric Almirola (2)
2019 – Ryan Blaney (2)

FORD’S NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT TALLADEGA
1995 – Chad Little
1997 – Mark Martin
2002 – Jason Keller
2009 – David Ragan
2015 – Joey Logano
2017 – Aric Almirola

Homestead, FL – June 15, 2020 – Chase Briscoe persevered to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series Contender Boats 250 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, recording his third win of the 2020 season, and marking Doug Yates’ 450th career race win as an engine builder.

“Congratulations to Chase, Greg, Tony, Gene, and the No. 98 crew,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Chase showed his maturity and skill as a driver. His patience and persistence paid off at the end of the race. It’s great to see these young drivers competing for race wins.”

After finishing in seventh place on Saturday, in the Hooters 250, Briscoe had something to prove on Sunday afternoon. Briscoe and substitute crew chief Greg Zipadelli kept refining their strategy throughout the race, putting themselves in position to win during the last few laps of the race, as the No. 98 cut into race leader Noah Gragson’s lead.

With just a few laps to go, a late race caution came out and Briscoe followed Gragson into the pits for fresh tires. The No. 98 crew made a ‘money stop’ to give Briscoe the lead out of the pits, over Gragson. Briscoe controlled the restart, but a crash on the first lap caused a second caution and the race went into double over-time. The No. 98 had a killer second restart to take the lead and defend a hard-charging Brandon Jones to the checkered flag, crossing the finish-line .072-seconds in front of Jones.

“It is a testament to all the guys at Stewart-Haas Racing” Briscoe commented. “Happy to get Ford Performance Racing School back in victory lane. HighPoint.com all of our partners. We have a good run going so far and we are looking to win a bunch more.”

Ford Performance teammate, Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang also had a great weekend, finishing P2 on Saturday and P10 at the conclusion of Sunday’s race.

The NASCAR Cup Series Dixie Vodka 400 was delayed multiple times for weather on Sunday afternoon. The Ford Mustangs led a total of 98 laps. Ryan Blaney led the Fords with a total of 70-laps and finished P3, Ford Performance teammate Aric Almirola finished P5, and Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski finished P10.

NASCAR heads to Talladega SuperSpeedway for Father’s Day weekend. The Xfinity series will race Saturday night, June 20th and the Cup series will take to the track Sunday afternoon, June 21st. For a complete race schedule head to roushyates.com.

27 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 388 WINS – 357 POLES!

About Roush Yates Engines
Roush Yates Engines is a leading-edge engine development company based in Mooresville, NC consisting of two state-of-the-art facilities – Roush Yates Engines and Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions, a world class ISO 9001 / AS9100 certified CNC manufacturing facility. The company’s core business includes designing, building and testing purpose-built race engines.

Ford Performance in partnership with Roush Yates Engines is the exclusive engine builder of the NASCAR FR9 Ford V8 engine and Ford Mustang 5.2L V8 engine, used in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series.

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

3 Series – 22 Teams – 81 Races

Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team battled back from damage on an early pit stop to score a 14th-place finish in Sunday’s Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

It was DiBenedetto’s best Homestead finish in six career starts, but he was hoping for more after a strong showing in the early going.

DiBenedetto started 23rd and had moved up to 14th place when the competition caution flag was displayed at Lap 22.

During the ensuing pit stop the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang incurred damage to the left-front fender in a chain-reaction incident on pit road.

After repairs to the No. 21 Mustang, DiBenedetto restarted 38th and was facing a tall order to the remain on the lead lap.

But he soon began turning laps as fast as the lead pack and worked his way up to 26th place at the end of the first 80-lap Stage, easily remaining on the lead lap.

In Stage Two, he continued to work his way through the field, and was up to 17th place by Lap 117, and was inside the top 15 after a mid-stage green-flag pit stop. He wound up 13th at the end of the second Stage.

The opening laps of the final Stage saw DiBenedetto move up into the top 10 briefly with 90 laps remaining, but he slipped back a bit as the laps wound down, and his 14th-place finish dropped him one spot in the Cup Series points standings to 14th place.

Eddie Wood said that overall it was a solid performance by the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team.

“They were pretty good through most of the race, and did a good job of gaining back the positions they lost because of the damage on pit road,” Wood said. “They turned some fast laps and stayed on the lead lap.

“The car was a little tight, so they loosened it up at the end, and kind of lost the handle.

“We’ll take it and move on to Talladega.”

The No. 21 Mustang will carry the colors of Quick Lane for next Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

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, visit www.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.

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report
Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Race: Dixie Vodka 400
Date: June 14, 2020
________________________________

No. 2 MoneyLion Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski
Start: 3rd
Stage 1: 6th
Stage 2: 18th
Finish: 10th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 267/267
Laps Led: 1
Point Standings (behind first): 4th (-51)

Notes:

Brad Keselowski made the most of a late-race pass around Clint Bowyer to score a 10th-place finish in the Dixie Vodka 400 Sunday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The driver of the No. 2 MoneyLion Ford Mustang reeled off his seventh consecutive top-10 finish, dating back to the race at Darlington Raceway on May 20. Behind his sixth top-10 finish in 13 starts at Homestead, Keselowski moved up to fourth in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings, now 51 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.

Multiple delays for lightning and rain pushed back the start of the race and brought out a red flag on lap 33. The race finally resumed just past 8:00 p.m. ET with Keselowski running in sixth position. The balance on the No. 2 MoneyLion Ford Mustang was free on corner entry and too tight in the middle of the turns but Keselowski held on to finish sixth when Stage 1 ended on lap 80. He pitted during the stage caution on lap 83 and restarted eighth when the race returned to green on lap 87.

Throughout Stage 2, Keselowski said the balance on the No. 2 Mustang was too tight. He made two pit stops during the segments (laps 120 and 152) but the adjustments didn’t drastically improve the handling of the MoneyLion Ford. Keselowski was credited with an 18th-place finish when Stage 2 concluded on lap 160. After he pitted for four tires and another chassis adjustment during the stage caution, Keselowski took the green flag in 16th place when the race restarted on lap 167.

Over the final 100 laps of the race, Keselowski steadily worked his way toward the top-10 and the No. 2 team, led by crew chief Jeremy Bullins, continued to improve the balance on the MoneyLion Ford. Keselowski was running 14th when the final green flag pit stop cycle was completed on lap 230, 37 laps from the finish. As the closing laps of the race began to wind down, Keselowski chased Bowyer, looking to secure a top-10 finish. On lap 264, just three laps from the finish, Keselowski passed Bowyer for the position to keep his recent streak of top-10 finishes intact.

Quotes: “It was a good comeback for our MoneyLion Ford team tonight. We were really tight for most of the race but Jeremy (Bullins) and the guys kept working hard and we came away with a top-10.”

______________________________

No. 12 Menards/Jack Links Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney
Start: 11th
Stage 1: 2nd
Stage 2: 4th
Finish: 3rd
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 267/267
Laps Led: 70
Point Standings (Behind First): 5th (-52)

Ryan Blaney started 11th and finished third in Sunday’s Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway driving the No. 12 Menards/Jack Links Ford Mustang. Sunday’s effort marked Blaney’s best finish in five career starts at the 1.5-mile South Florida track and his fifth top-five result in the last six races.

After lightning delayed the race several times Sunday evening, Blaney drove his way into the top-five by lap 30 and to the race lead by lap 37. He held the lead through lap 75 when Denny Hamlin got by Blaney as he was battling a tight-handling Menards/Jack Links Ford Mustang. Blaney would hold on for a second-place finish in Stage 1.

As Stage 2 began, Blaney restarted in third place but he quickly worked his way back to the lead on lap 91. As green flag pit stops cycled through, Blaney fell back to second behind Hamlin. With the balance on the No. 12 Ford Mustang still not to his liking, Blaney dropped two spots late to bring home a fourth-place result in Stage 2.

Blaney began the final stage of the 267-lap event in fourth place. He worked his way back to second on lap 180 and briefly reclaimed the lead on lap 194. A track bar adjustment on a lap 217 pit stop then brought the Menards/Jack Links Ford to life. Blaney began reeling in the leaders but try as he may, the High Point, NC native would have to settle for a third-place finish.

Blaney now sits fifth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, 52 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.

Quote: “When we came off pit road after that last green flag stop we were a ways behind those two guys and we made up a lot of ground, tons of ground on them, and just got to them and everyone is running the wall. You just get tight, especially in three and four. One and two there are multiple lanes, but three and four if you weren’t on the fence when you got 15 laps on your stuff, you were just tight and gonna hit the fence, so that made it hard for us to kind of go once we got there. The 8 was the same way with me. He kind of got there and stalled too, but I’m proud of the group. We had really good short run speed early in the race and I thought by the end we had really good long run speed, so we crossed over which is a good effort by the Jack Links team.”

______________________________

No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano
Start: 2nd
Stage 1: 20th
Stage 2: 25th
Finish: 27th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 265/267
Laps Led: 27
Point Standings (Behind First): 3rd (-29)

Notes:

Joey Logano and the Shell-Pennzoil team experienced a challenging race Sunday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Logano finished 27th in the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang after he started second and led 27 laps in the first stage. Throughout the event, despite numerous air pressure and chassis adjustments, the team was unable to get the No. 22 Ford Mustang to turn well in the center of the corners.

At the drop of the green flag, Logano used a push from teammate Brad Keselowski to grab the lead in the Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang.
Unfortunately, lightning brought a delay of over two hours after just five laps. Following a second lightning delay, the Shell-Pennzoil crew elected to make major adjustments to help the car’s tight-handling condition. After stopping to make the changes, Logano’s car suffered slight nose damage exiting pit road. Unfortunately, the tight handling on the No. 22 Ford persisted and Logano dropped to 20th by the end of the stage.

Through the second stage, Logano continued to battle an extremely tight No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang, even after the crew took time to repair any potential damage to the nose suffered during the Stage 1 pit stop. Logano fell one lap down to the leaders following green flag stops during the second stage of the race.

The struggles continued when Logano and Ryan Newman made contact later in the event, which resulted in right-rear and left-front damage on the Shell-Pennzoil Mustang. Logano eventually fell two laps down with the ill-handling No. 22 Ford before he finished the race in the 27th position.

Quote: “We just really struggled tonight, even when we were leading early in the race. The team made a lot of adjustments the first two stages and we just couldn’t ever get the front tires to work and turn the center. We’ll regroup and head to Talladega next Sunday.”

Strong Showing for Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Dow Coatings Chevrolet Team at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Finish: 7th
Start: 16th
Points: 16th

“It feels great to be able to capture a top-10 finish for my first race as a new dad, and to bring home a solid result for everyone on the Dow Coatings and Behr teams. The No. 3 Dow Coatings Chevrolet was much stronger at the end of the race than it was at the beginning of the race, so I am proud of everyone for sticking in there until the end. We started off way too loose, but adjustments on pit road helped us improve handling. By the end of Stage 2, the handling transitioned to tight, but we were really fast, especially in clean air. We worked our way up to seventh when we were issued a penalty for an uncontrolled tire during a pit stop and had to battle through the field to earn our seventh-place finish. We had a fast Chevy at the end of the race, and I’m proud of everyone at Richard Childress Racing. It was a solid effort all around for our organization this weekend.” -Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick Impresses with First Career Top-Five Finish in Chevy Cares Chevrolet at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Finish: 4th
Start: 24th
Points: 17th

“I’m really proud of my Chevy Cares Chevrolet team and the effort we showed today. We had really good speed and were able to run up front pretty much all night long. The men and women of RCR and ECR did a great job preparing us with a fast racecar to bring down to my favorite track on the circuit. We were able to use that speed to our advantage and race into the top 10 within the first 30 laps, and we were able maintain that track position. We fined tuned our car from then on out for the rest of the race and tried to make it better to run the fence. It was tough, though, because sometimes the top seam worked better instead of the fence, so figuring out which lane was the best to use at what time was tricky. We got a little too tight by the end of the night to really make the fence work like I wanted, but all in all, it was a solid effort. I’ve won the past two times I’ve come here, granted in the Xfinity Series, but it was so fun to be ripping the fence with three of the best tonight in the NASCAR Cup Series. It was a hard-fought battle and one we can build momentum off of.”-Tyler Reddick