Category: NASCAR Cup PR

NASCAR CUP SERIES
HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY
DIXIE VODKA 400
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
JUNE 14, 2020

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
2nd CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE
4th TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CHEVY CARES CAMARO ZL1 1LE
7th AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW/BEHR ULTRA SCRUFF DEFENSE CAMARO ZL1 1LE
9th WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE
13th BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st Denny Hamlin (Toyota)
2nd Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)
3rd Ryan Blaney (Ford)
4th Tyler Reddick (Chevrolet)
5th Aric Almirola (Ford)

The NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Talladega Superspeedway with the GEICO 500 on Sunday, June 21, at 3:00 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY NOTES AND QUOTES:

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 2nd
YOU GUYS HAVE HAD A LOT OF SPEED, WEEK IN AND WEEK OUT, SINCE WE’VE COME BACK. BUT WAS THE ISSUE WITH THE NO. 22 OF JOEY LOGANO HOLDING YOU UP? WAS THAT THE DIFFERENCE TONIGHT FOR YOU?
Just needed to get through lap traffic better. I thought our Hooters Camaro was plenty good enough to win. I thought we executed a really nice race. I kept it out of the wall almost the whole race – got it there at the end. I’m proud of the effort. We’re bringing fast cars right now and everybody at HMS is working really hard to do that. So, we’ll keep putting ourselves in good position, do a little better job of getting through lap traffic, and maybe we’ll have another sticker. We’ll just try to put ourselves in more spots to win and see where it goes from there.”

DURING THE RED FLAG, SECOND ONE, AFTER YOU HAD ABOUT 30 LAPS, IN A RACE WHERE YOU DON’T HAVE PRACTICE, IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL DEBRIEFING THAT GOES ON? MORE THAT YOU WOULD TALK ABOUT COMPARED TO A RACE WHERE YOU HAVE PRACTICE?
“Not really. I mean, I feel like at that point you kind of have what you have. You might talk through some changes here or there if you feel like you’re way off, want to make a big swing at it.”

“We just basically ran back over the things I already said on the radio. That pretty much confirmed the changes we wanted to make and we went from there.”

DID YOU GET MANY SUGGESTIONS FROM THE TRUCK RACE OR NOTHING APPLICABLE?
“We really struggled last night. It was really hard to apply, to be honest with you, for me personally.”

OBVIOUSLY, YOUR FANS ARE UPSET ABOUT THE LOGANO MOVE WHEN YOU’RE TRYING TO LAP HIM THERE. IN THE DRIVER CODE OF ETHICS, IS THAT CONSIDERED FAIR GAME? HOW DID YOU VIEW WHAT HE DID THERE?
“I just need to get through lap traffic better.”

WHAT WAS IT LIKE THE WAY THIS RACE STARTED AND STOPPED? HOW DO YOU STAY IN THE GAME?
“Just really odd. I’ve never experienced anything like that. But, yeah, it was all good, normal. Just hated we started and stopped for everybody watching.”

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CHEVY CARES CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 4th
“I’m really proud of my Chevy Cares Chevrolet team and the effort we showed today. We had really good speed today 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 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 tonight. 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.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW/BEHR ULTRA SCUFF DEFENSE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 7th
“We took our No. 3 Dow / Behr Ultra Scuff Defense Chevy to a top-ten. That was a fun race for the Dow Coatings team. We were not good to start – we started from the back a couple of times. Made big adjustments – Justin (Alexander, Crew Chief) made a good adjustment about halfway through the race to allow us to get some stage points. Things started turning for us and we got a good restart. And then a caution came out, pitted and we had a tire that got away. Unfortunate, but we kept our heads down and dug hard. We were able to come all the way back to P-7. Strong run for our team.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 9th
“We had a good and solid night and honestly it was nice to be able to run in the top five. We continued to adjust on the car as the race went along there. Hopefully we can continue to string runs together like we had tonight and be able make the right adjustments at the right point in the race to be in contention in the end. We’re getting close to that first win we just need to continue working on a couple things to get faster. On to Talladega.”

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 GEARWRENCH CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 17th
“I’m not sure really where things unraveled for us tonight. We did have one pit penalty, but it just seems like with each new set of tires that we put on the car, at some of these low-grip race tracks, the car is just really inconsistent and we are having to battle with the setup. We just have to get better at this type of race track as the season goes on, unfortunately it was just a real struggle with the GEARWRENCH Chevy tonight.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 LLUMAR CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 18th
“We really struggled today. We fought some tough handling conditions all night. The guys worked hard on pit road making adjustments and we had some quick stops. This LLumar Chevy was just off tonight. We will go back to the notebook this week and come back strong in Talladega next weekend.”

TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO FOR YOUR BOAT CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 28th
“Tonight, our GEICO For Your Boat Chevrolet just didn’t have the grip needed. We as a team have to go to work. Somehow over the break, we lost an immense amount of speed in our intermediate program. I believe in this GEICO team and know that we can build fast Chevrolets. We proved that earlier this season at Las Vegas. We will keep battling and buckle down to find ways to get speed out of these cars.”

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
HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2020
FORD PERFORMANCE DRIVER – POST RACE QUOTES

FORD FINISHING RESULTS:
3rd – Ryan Blaney
5th – Aric Almirola
10th – Brad Keselowski
11th – Clint Bowyer
14th – Matt DiBenedetto
15th – Michael McDowell
19th – John Hunter Nemechek
22nd – Cole Custer
23rd – Chris Buescher
26th – Kevin Harvick
27th – Joey Logano
29th – Corey LaJoie
30th – Ryan Newman
36th – Joey Gase
38th – JJ Yeley

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Jack Links Ford Mustang — WHAT MORE DID YOU NEED TO GET UP THERE WITH DENNY? “The lead (laughing). 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.”

HOW LONG DID THAT RACE FEEL WITH ALL THE STOPS AND STARTS? “Once it got going it was nice, but all the starting and stopping for lighting, I understand you have to be safe, but that definitely stinks getting in and out. I hate it for the fans too. They come out and want to see a race. At least once we got back going we were able to keep going, which was good, but that’s a little strange.”

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang — “Man, we finally had a nice clean day today. We really needed that as a team. We haven’t raced a full race yet without having something go wrong. This proves we have the speed we need to compete this season if we continue to run clean with no mistakes. Homestead is not an easy track to earn a top-five at either. To get our first of the season here shows we have a lot of potential.”

HAMLIN TAKES TOYOTA TO THE WIN IN HOMESTEAD
Denny Hamlin earns his 40th Cup Series victory

HOMESTEAD, Florida (June 14, 2020) – Denny Hamlin won the first two stages and drove his Camry to the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) win at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday evening. It was the third win of the year for Hamlin (Daytona International Speedway – February, Darlington Raceway – May) and the 40th for his NCS career. Toyota won its fourth NCS event of this season and took the victory in three of the four races contested at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. Christopher Bell (eighth) also scored a career-best finish.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Race 12 of 36 – 400.5 miles, 267 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, DENNY HAMLIN
2nd, Chase Elliott*
3rd, Ryan Blaney*
4th, Tyler Reddick*
5th, Aric Almirola*
6th, KYLE BUSCH
8th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
12th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
21st, ERIK JONES
31st, DANIEL SUÁREZ
34th, TIMMY HILL
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

You stated on the radio that this is a championship-winning team performance. How important is this win with Chris Gabehart back on the pitbox?

“Definitely. Our car was really good. This is a setup based off of what we had in the fall here last year going for the championship. Had a strong car all day. Obviously with the laps led and was able to get around Chase (Elliott) there at the end. This whole FedEx team has just done a phenomenal job. This Camry is real special. Have to thank Coca-Cola, Jordan Brand, FedEx and all of our partners. Everyone at JGR for putting together great race cars and keep digging to make ourselves a little bit better.”

Did you feel patience would pay off and Chase Elliott would come back to you after the last pit stop?

“I didn’t know. It seems like the end of these races are Chase’s best suit. I knew that if I was just patient and ran the pace that I wanted and the pace I was comfortable with, we were going to be hard to beat in the long run.”

Describe the last segment and the racing with Chase Elliott.

“I knew with three runs to go, my crew chief (Chris Gabehart) was giving me lap times and saying that the 9 (Chase Elliott) had good stuff going when we had that big lead. Really, I think our strong suit was being able to run a good lap time no matter where we were on the track. He was able to short pit us there. I wasn’t able to come to pit road, I kind of missed pit road there and he was able to get us on that cycle. I just knew if I ran the pace I knew I needed to save the tires that I was going to be good in the long run.”

How important was this win to bounce back after Martinsville?

“This team fights for sure. My crew chief and myself had an hour-and-a-half phone call after Martinsville talking about how we’re going to go to work and keep fighting. This is a good response to a week like that.”

How do you feel about where your team stands looking at the big picture of a championship?

“We’re obviously in great position. We gained seven bonus points for the Playoffs. The driver gave away one at Bristol or else we would have four wins right now. I’ll take every win I can, let’s just keep piling them up.”

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 95 Rheem/Smurfit Kappa Toyota Camry, Leavine Family Racing

Finishing Position: 8th

You had a tough draw in qualifying, and then just continued to move forward all evening. Talk about your career-best run.

“Our Rheem Camry was really, really loose to start the night and then Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) did a great job adjusting on it got it pretty close to where I was happy and then we were able to pick our way though there. The races are so long – there are so many yellows – that I really wasn’t worried about our starting position. I knew that if we had a car that was good; we were going to get up front.”

What has changed at LFR over the last couple of races? The finishes have been solid and you seem to be marching forward.

“I think that it’s all just coming together. There was a lot of adjustment over the off season with Jason coming on board, the new partnership with (Joe) Gibbs, so it was just tough to get on the same page. I’m not going to say that we’re ready to make the next step, but at least we are being competitive the majority of weeks and we just have to keep it up.”

With another top 10 in the books, how do you feel about going to Talladega next weekend?

“Talladega’s not my favorite style of racing. You have to take that one with a grain of salt, and get back to work going into Pocono.”

# # #

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway, 1.5 Mile Oval
Race: 12 of 38
Event: Dixie Vodka 400 (400.5 miles, 267 laps)

Michael McDowell
No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang

Started: 30th
Finished: 15th

Stage One: 19th
Stage Two: 17th
Stage Three: 15th

Sunday’s 267-lap race at Homestead-Miami Speedway got off to a slow start as lightning in the area delayed the start of the 400-mile event. Once racing did commence, it wasn’t long before Michael McDowell radioed to his team to say that he “hit something really big. If it was a bird, that thing must have been a turkey.” The red flag would be displayed shortly after as lightning was once again detected at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Once racing resumed and teams were able to pit, McDowell would bring his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang down pit road for the team to make necessary repairs, along with taking 4 fresh Goodyear tires and fuel. Another lightning strike would come halfway through the stage, displaying the red flag once again. Thankfully, once NASCAR gave the green light to resume racing, the remainder of the stage would stay green and McDowell would go on to finish Stage 1 from the 19th position.

During Stage 2, Michael McDowell and his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang ran comfortably inside of the top 20. With roughly 40 laps to go in the stage, green flag pit stops began. McDowell would bring his race car to pit road for 4 tires, fuel and a trackbar adjustment after noting that his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang was “a little bit too tight this run.” As the stage continued, Michael McDowell and his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang would continue their push towards the front and would finish Stage 2, 17th. Under the Stage 2 caution, Crew Chief Drew Blickensderfer made the call for 4 tires, fuel and a trackbar adjustment.

During the final stage of Sunday’s 400-mile race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Michael McDowell and his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang continued their strong run as they battled inside of the top 20 throughout the entirety of Stage 3. With 50 laps remaining, McDowell came down pit road for 4 tires, fuel and a trackbar adjustment after noting that his race car was, “a little looser this run.” Michael McDowell and his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stop Ford Mustang would make a late race charge, taking the checkered flag in the 15th position, earning McDowell his second best finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway and second consecutive top 15 finish.

McDowell on Homestead:

“That was great. Another top 15 run; that’s two in a row for us. Everyone at Front Row Motorsports has worked really hard. Our No. 34 program has been a lot better this year and we’re starting to see some of the fruit of that, so thanks to all of the guys back at the shop who have been working really hard to get everything that they can out of our race cars. Our Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang was fast on the long runs; we just needed a couple more laps at the end to grab a couple more positions, but I’m really excited about our performance today. Drew and the boys did a good job tonight and I’m ready to keep the momentum rolling with Love’s Travel Stops next weekend at Talladega.”

Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway, 1.5 Mile Oval
Race: 12 of 38
Event: Dixie Vodka 400 (400.5 miles, 267 laps)

John Hunter Nemechek
No. 38 Death Wish Coffee Ford Mustang

Started: 18th
Finished: 19th

Stage One: 21st
Stage Two: 22nd
Stage Three: 19th

John Hunter Nemechek started Sunday’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the 18th position following a random draw to determine the starting lineup. Shortly after the green flag, a weather delay (lightning) came that lasted a little over two hours. After a brief green flag run, Nemechek noted that his No. 38 Death Wish Coffee Ford Mustang was tight and at the Competition Caution, he took 4 tires, fuel, a wedge adjustment and grille tape. Another lightning hold delayed the race for close to 40 minutes. Once cars refired, Nemechek tried to get into a rhythm but still said the car was tight. He finished Stage 1 in the 21st position.

At the Stage Break Caution, Nemechek pitted for 4 tires and fuel with a track bar adjustment and some more grille tape. After a few laps, he said the track bar adjustment made a positive difference, but as Stage 2 progressed, his Death Wish Coffee machine lacked front grip and was too tight. He would take the green- and white-checkered flag to end Stage 2 in 22nd place.

Nemechek was able to find a good rhythm in the Final Stage and spent most of his time inside of the top-20. The handling on his No. 38 Death Wish Coffee Ford Mustang also loosened up as the evening went on. Nemechek remained quiet on the radio for much of the third and final stage and despite a right front tire going down on the last lap, went on to finish the race in 19th place.

Nemechek on Homestead:

“We had a solid night in our No. 38 Death Wish Coffee Ford Mustang. We fired off pretty tight and battled with that for probably two-thirds of the race. The crew was lightning fast on pit road all night long and we managed to get the car a little bit freer towards the third stage. We would have finished a few spots higher but I had a right front tire go down on the last lap. We still were able to get a top-20, which is another solid result for us. Thanks to our partners at Death Wish Coffee for coming on board. Looking forward to having them back with us next week in Talladega.”

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (June 14, 2020) – After earning a crucial stage point in the first stage of racing Sunday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Chris Buescher and the No. 17 Fastenal team battled a tight handling car to a 23rd place finish at the 1.5 mile track.

Buescher rolled off the grid 13th and was running 15th when the caution flag waved for lightning in the area. Cars came down pit road and the red flag was displayed as multiple strikes were in the area. When the race got started again, the No. 17 team did not pit and stayed steady in the 15th position. The caution flag prematurely waved at lap 20 and the team pitted for four tires, fuel, and to adjust the tight handling Ford. After restarting 14th, the team had worked their way up to 12th when another caution for inclement weather waved at Lap 31. Before Buescher exited the car to take shelter, he reported that he was happy with the No. 17 Ford’s handling and that it had decent speed through the corners. When bad weather finally left the area, the team pitted for four tires and fuel, restarting eighth. Buescher kept up the momentum and held track position to earn a stage point, finishing stage one 10th.

At the stage break, the No. 17 team pitted for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. Back on track 13th, Buescher got shuffled back through the field with reports of a tight handling Ford. As green flag pit stops began to cycle through, the team pitted at lap 120 to help loosen up the handling. With no cautions in the stage, the team took the green-white-checkered flag for stage two in 19th.

The Prosper, Texas native drove his way down pit road at the stage break, where the No. 17 team had a phenomenal pit stop. Back on track 14th, the team held track position until a caution at lap 170. The team elected to pit for four more fresh tires and no adjustments. As the track returned to green at lap 175, Buescher fired off 13th and was able to maintain track position up until cutting his right rear tire down around lap 210. The incident didn’t bring out the caution flag as he was able to make it to pit road for a green flag pit stop. As green flag pit stops continued to cycle through, the driver was able to earn one of his laps back. Without enough laps left to gain more ground, Buescher ended up taking the green flag 23rd.

Buescher and the No. 17 team return to action next Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. Race coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (June 14, 2020) – In a race that featured multiple red flags for inclement weather, Ryan Newman was unable to overcome a mountain obstacles — including multiple on-track incidents and a late speeding penalty — driving his Oscar Mayer Ford to a 30th- place finish Sunday afternoon at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The 400-mile race — originally set to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET — did not get fully rolling until after 8 p.m. ET. After a delay to start the race, five laps were completed before a 2-hour plus red flag was displayed for lightning. Following the return to the track, Newman had a right rear tire go down at lap 20, bringing out the caution, which resulted in the competition yellow, originally scheduled for lap 25.

Following service on his Oscar Mayer Ford, Newman fired off at the tail end, before lightning again brought out the red flag at lap 33. The lightning eventually made its way out of the Homestead area, as Newman drove his way up to 14th by lap 50. He finished the segment 15th, reporting he was mostly loose.

Under the stage break, Newman was boxed in on a very busy pit lane, forcing him to restart 22nd for stage two. After it ran green to start, Newman was the first to hit pit road for service again at lap 118. He went on to finish the stage in 23rd, one lap down, reporting he was mostly tight on entry.

Just a few laps into the stage, Newman was blocked by the No. 22 machine down the back straightaway, resulting in a caution at lap 170. After suffering nose and right-rear damage, Newman restarted 28th at lap 175. He later pitted for his final stop at lap 230 – in which he was caught speeding – before going on to finish 30th.

With no midweek race this week, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to action next weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, the first restrictor-plate event since the Daytona 500. TV coverage on Sunday begins at 3 p.m. ET on FOX. Coverage can also be heard on MRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY
DIXIE VODKA 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
JUNE 12, 2020

BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE, spoke with media via teleconference and discussed social injustice and the importance of that to him, along with the busy racing schedule and how he is managing that, the speed in the Richard Petty Motorsports cars, his expectations at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend, and more. FULL TRANSCRIPT:

IT’S BEEN A BIG WEEK FOR YOU. TALK ABOUT YOUR EXCITEMENT LEVEL AS YOU ARE GETTING READY TO HEAD TO HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY
“Oh, is that what’s next on the schedule? (laughs) I wouldn’t know. Yeah, Homestead is fun. It’s going to be different going back this time of year. Usually it’s the last race of the season, so that’s a big change for the sport. It should be good. The weather I’ve seen doesn’t look too good, but it’s past dark, so that’s about normal.”

HAVE YOU HAD ANY TALKS WITH PEOPLE ABOUT WHETHER TO KNEEL DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM? AND IF SO, WHAT HAS BEEN THE CONTEXT OF THOSE TALKS?
“Oh, the manager asked me about it and we didn’t get into depth, but I’m still looking up and reading on stuff and learning exactly what the message we are trying to push across; learn and understand. I think the messages that I have been putting out there on the race tracks during the anthem is speaking for itself, so I haven’t put much forethought into that. I loved that the official, Kirk Price, took that initiative and stood for what he believed in, kneeled for what he believed in. A man that served our nation in the military kneeled. So I thought that was pretty powerful.”

HAVE OTHER ATHLETES IN OTHER SPORTS REACHED OUT TO YOU, INCLUDING MAYBE THOSE WHO HAVE SPOKEN UP ABOUT SOCIAL INJUSTICE IN THE PAST, AND PROVIDED A SOUNDING BOARD OR TO CONSULT YOU IN THIS TIME TO HELP YOU AS YOU TALK ABOUT LEARNING AND LISTENING AND GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS? IF SO, WHO HAVE THEY BEEN AND HOW HAVE THEY TRIED TO ADVISE OR CONSULT YOU DURING THIS TIME?
“Obviously you’ve seen the public outreach to LeBron (James). That was pretty big. Josh Dobbs, who I’ve been communicating with on and off since we were able to meet at the University of Tennessee practice session there, which was a lot of fun. He’s been in my corner every step of the way. I’ve supported him in everything. He reached out last night with some powerful quotes that he lives by, and that made a ton of sense and just kind of fit the narrative that we are living in the world today. There’s been a lot of outreach just from social media fan points, privately, that was probably one of the ones; but there is a lot of support in my corner from all aspects; from sports, from just normal people, people that are wanting to stand up for what’s right in this world.”

OBVIOUSLY, A LOT HAS BEEN PUT ON YOUR SHOULDERS. WHAT HAS THAT BEEN LIKE; AND THE RESPONSIBILITY AND THE WEIGHT OF THIS WEEK OR EVEN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, FOR YOU?
“It’s definitely been a lot. It’s mentally taxing. But, we were talking earlier, it’s that part of the pedestal that you sign-up for. It doesn’t say that on the front page, the book of being an athlete or an icon in the sport, it doesn’t say that on the front page of what you’re going to have to go through. It’s just part of it. It’s in the fine print, the underlying print there, that you have to go through. And when you sign-up to become something, you’re signing-up to become something larger than yourself and representing something more than yourself. And so, it’s part of it.

“I’m learning how to manage that, along with the racing-side of things; the on-track things, I have to manage that, as well as manage what’s going on off the track. I would say off the track is a lot more busy and a lot more hectic. I’m thankful for no practice or the three-day shows that we’re used to, because I’d be wiped-out by practice time. So, it’s good to just kind of stay focused on this throughout the week, but you’ve definitely got to do a quick shift, a mind shift, going into the race. So, it’s challenging, but I’m learning every step of the way.”

NOW THAT THE (CONFEDERATE) FLAG AND THE PROTEST ISSUES HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED, WHAT MORE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE NASCAR DO IN THIS AREA? AND CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OVER THE YEARS AT THE TRACK; TIMES YOU MAY HAVE FELT UNCOMFORTABLE THERE?
“Yeah, next steps, I don’t know. I would love to see us get back to normal and allow fans to come back in full capacity, just to see how much more diverse or what different demographics we bring in. So, I would love to see studies on that as we start allowing fans to come back. But, we are talking about next steps and how to keep the message and keep the ball rolling, here on Tuesday with a couple of key leaders of NASCAR and a couple of drivers that have been pushing the efforts, too. I’m excited about that phone call.

“My past experiences; I like to go out and sometimes spend time in the infield with the fans and have a good time, and I haven’t been ridiculed against. I know that’s going to change now. I’ve got to be careful what I do. That’s kind of where we live in. My dad has texted me. He was proud of what I was doing on and off the race track, but he was worried about my safety; you know, going out in public and whatnot. So, it’s just crazy you have to think about that side of things. So, you’ve definitely got to watch your back now, and can’t be like that outspoken guy, just happy-go-lucky guy that would go take a trip on the golf cart or my longboard down into the infield, or whatever, and have a good time. So, it’s definitely different. But, my past experience wasn’t anything that was blown out of proportion of something that bothered me. We always had a good time at the race track.”

I’VE INTERVIEWED YOU A COUPLE OF TIMES AND WE TALKED ABOUT OUTREACH AND YOU TALKED ABOUT GOING INTO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND SOME OF THE PROGRAMS. THE LATEST MOVES FROM NASCAR AREN’T NECESSARILY OUT OF THE BLUE. THERE HAVE BEEN EFFORTS TO INCREASE THE DIVERSITY, MAYBE NOT SEEN IN THE PUBLIC REALM, IF YOU’RE NOT LOOKING FOR IT. HOW DO YOU SUGGEST NASCAR MAKES THOSE EFFORTS A LITTLE BIT MORE PUBLIC, OBVIOUSLY AFTER WE GET SOME SENSE OF NORMALCY AFTER COVID-19?
“I think you’re right. We have to do a little bit more diving deep into our communities and doing some public outreach there. Like I said, we’ll kind of get more of a direction and step past, after this phone call on Tuesday, so I don’t know. Right now I’m brainstorming ideas with my team to come up with what we could do locally and help organizations and whatnot grow, and get them a part of the sport or expose them to the sport, really.

“Not everybody has social media. Not everybody watches the news or hears what’s going on, so we have to make sure we’re getting our message across to all people that somewhat have an interest of wanting to be a part of the sport. We have to solidify that message that we have conveyed over the last couple of weeks so that we don’t stand what’s been going on, we’re standing up for quality, unity, love, compassion, and understanding; just like it read on our race car on Wednesday (at Martinsville, No. 43 Black Lives Matter Camaro ZL1 1LE).

A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE SPORTS WORLD REALLY APPLAUD NASCAR’S MOVE THIS WEEK. MANY IN THE NASCAR COMMUNITY THEMSELVES, ADDRESSED HEAD-ON THE FANS WHO MAY BE FRUSTRATED WITH THE BAN. WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO THE FANS THAT MAYBE BROUGHT FLAGS TO THE TRACK IN THE PAST AND MAY BE CONSIDERING NOT COMING BACK BECAUSE OF THE BAN?
“I’d look at what Marty Smith (ESPN) said. It was the fans that are upset were not NASCAR. We are not closing a door on you, we’re opening up a door for many others. And that speaks volumes right there. And Marty has been a huge advocate in my corner the last couple of weeks, the last couple of days; I got a text message from him this morning. We’ve been very open with each other. And, I think what he said there is spot-on. It’s not something that we’re not trying to take out of your daily life or whatnot, we’re trying to just allow….. What I want is just for people to not feel uncomfortable. The first thing they talk about is feeling uncomfortable because of something that reminds them of a negative past and that has so much negative history behind it. And yeah, to you it might seem like it’s heritage, but others see hate. And I don’t understand why it’s so hard for us. We’re selfish. We’re a selfish nation, but we need to come together and meet in the middle and be like, you know what? If this bothers you, I don’t mind taking it down. I’m not saying go to your house and get rid of everything you have. It’s just, at a sporting event, a public event, where all walks of life are welcome, let’s just get rid of it. So, like Marty said, we’re not closing the door on you. We’re opening it up to many others. Not about you.”

YOU’RE ALL ABOUT CHASING THE CHECKERED FLAG RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT HAD TO FEEL LIKE YOU’RE FIRST REAL WIN THIS WEEK. IT WAS SUCH AN EMOTIONAL WEEK FOR YOU. CAN YOU COMPARE? MAYBE THAT WAS THE FIRST VICTORY, AND HOPEFULLY A LOT MORE FOR YOU.
“Yeah, it would have been sweet. I thought, the way we fired-off there, I was oh like, oh, this might be setting up to be a beautiful beginning because I thought we’d go win the race with the speed we had at Martinsville. We kind of lost it there, halfway through; and rallied back there, late. Yeah, this was definitely the biggest race of my career and not knocking the Daytona 500 debut, or even my Pocono debut in the No. 43 car. It’s just something that it was so much historical impact and movement behind this race that we had just had, that it just overpowered everything else that I’ve gone through. Standing it up for what I believe is right in the world; that’s very important to me. Maybe I didn’t stand up in the past, but now is more than the time of ever, to take leadership and to represent not only myself, but the sport of NASCAR, and my sponsors, my team, and everybody involved that helps me to get to the race track and keep my brain going. It’s something that’s hard to describe fully, but definitely the biggest race of my career. So yeah, it felt like a win. We finished 11th. I don’t see that as a win. I see that as the 10th loser. We have some work to do.”

GROWING UP IN A RACIAL FAMILY, HAVE YOU HAD CHALLENGES WHERE YOU’VE HAD TO PROVE YOUR BLACKNESS TO OTHER PEOPLE OR WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TRIED TO CHALLENGE IT AND ALSO, THE PRESSURES OF BEING IN NASCAR. WHAT’S THAT LIKE FOR YOU IN SUCH A WHITE-DOMINATED SPORT?
“Yeah, no, I think what I go through, and before all this, I didn’t have it as bad as other African Americans in the community. One, I stay home. I sit on the couch. I’m lazy. I love doing that. It’s my favorite thing to do. But, even the encounters I’ve had were very few. But they were powerful. The negative encounters I’ve had with law enforcement were very few, but they stood out. And, they definitely left a toll on me and something that you don’t really pay attention, but it kind of comes back full-circle when all this is being talked about and you’re discriminated against because of skin color. The comments made, can you afford this car? It’s just like, really? What year are we in. You don’t know me. You don’t know what I do. You don’t know how much money I make. So, it doesn’t give you the right to ask that question, but I kind of get what you are insinuating. You think because I’m African American and drive a really nice car, you wonder what I do. Do I sell drugs or whatever it is? It’s something that I’ve gone through and it’s unfortunate for me to be a part of that.

“But then I think of how bad others have it every day. I’ve talked to multiple people that my fame and who I am, my name, gets me out of a lot. And necessarily, is that right? No, it’s not. We should all be treated equally. No matter who you are or what profession you have, we should all get treated equally. But that’s just not how the system works. And the system is so broken in the world that we live it today. And so, there’s a lot we have to do to change that. That’s not going to change overnight. We’ve been trying to change that for many years. Taking it one step at a time, step-by-step, brick by brick, and building up a new image for the world.”

WITH THE WHOLE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT, PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE FREEDOM TO SPEAK OUT. WHEN YOU CHOSE TO SPEAK OUT, WERE YOU MENTALLY PREPARED FOR THE REACTION YOU WOULD GET IN THE NASCAR CULTURE?
“No, I wasn’t surprised at all. I knew there would be a lot of ‘all lives matter’ people. One thing that really opened my eyes was after the Bristol race, I got in a little Twitter argument with a respectable guy on there, and he kind of labeled me as a ‘all lives matter’-guy. And I responded back; yes, all lives do matter. I believe in all of us coming together to understanding that black lives matter, to kind of create this new image and push that message across. And so, we took the messaging privately and talked and had a really good conversation. He’s been a supporter of mine for a really long time. So, those are the conversations that you need to have. You kind of get sparked-up, fired-up, and want to say something back, but you handle it with class and move it privately and talk things out and get a better understanding. It goes back to the messaging that we always say: Listen and learn and understand what people are going through and what they’re talking about. And it’s as simple as saying, when we say Black Lives Matter, there’s a poster of a little girl that says, yes we said black lives matter. No, we did not say that only black lives matter. We know that all lives matter. But, we are trying to make you all understand that black lives matter, too. Too. T-o-o. Its three letters that are left off that people don’t understand. Black lives matter, too. Families are worried about their kids going out and driving for the first time and getting pulled over and being killed. The African American community is so worried about that. Like, we shouldn’t live like that. The African American community should not live like that. And so we’re trying to get other people to understand just how tough it is to live in this world right now.”

DURING THIS WHOLE TIME, THAT IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF THIS STUFF HAS BEEN GOING ON OUTSIDE OF THE TRACK, YOU’VE ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO ENJOY SOME OF THE STRONGEST CARS YOU’VE BEEN GETTING OUT OF RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS, PROBABLY SINCE YOUR TENURE. YOU’VE HAD HICCUPS ALONG THE WAY THAT HAVE PREVENTED YOU FROM CAPITALIZING ON THEM A LOT, BUT WHAT HAS IT FELT LIKE TO SHOW UP AT THE RACE TRACE MORE CONSISTENTLY AND BEING IN THE MIX OF THE OUTCOME OF THE RACE, ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT’S BEEN GOING ON?
“Thanks for bringing that up. As much as we talk about racing, you kind of get lost in the translation of what’s going on today, so it’s nice to talk about it a little bit. My guys have done a really good job and everybody at Richard Petty Motorsports, ever since we were kind of allowed to go back into the shops, they’ve been busting their tails to get our Camaro race cars competitive and fast. So yes, we’ve had some hiccups. Charlotte was definitely and eyesore for us, and a headache. I wish we could go back and do those again because we had a ton of speed. The hubs didn’t last there, but I’m proud of the efforts that we’re doing on the race track. And, I’m super thankful for what they’re doing off the race track, just for me. From Richard Petty to Andy Murstein and everybody at RPM standing behind me, and believing in me for on-track, but also following this journey off-track, and letting me find my way and find my voice and stand up for what is right. So, it’s a whole team effort. It’s a very collaborative group that I’m excited to be with. And, we’ll keep pushing the envelope. We’ve got a lot of racing left. It kind of slows down a little bit now, with the midweek races done for a little bit, so we’ll focus on Homestead. We’ve got a good package going there, so I’m excited about that.”

YOU MENTIONED THAT WHEN YOU STARTED THE MARTINSVILLE RACE, THAT YOU HAD A FEELING FOR A MOMENT THAT THIS CAR IS SO GOOD, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO WIN THIS RACE. HAS THAT HAPPENED VERY OFTEN, SO FAR, IN YOUR CUP CAREER? WHAT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A SURPRISE FOR YOU?
“I’d say Indy last year, we all that that moment. We have our little moments of success and I’d like some success. And it’s up to me, at the end of the race, to capitalize on and when a car underneath you is well-built like my guys have done the last couple of weeks, they believe in me to go out and get the job done. So, it’s been fun to go out and showcase what I’ve been able to do in years past of winning races and bringing out my competitive edge and go up against some of the best. At the end, I was battling seven-time, Jimmie Johnson, a nine-time winner at Martinsville. We were trying to get past him. He started right in front of me at the beginning of the race, and finished right in front of me at the end of the race. But, it was fun just seeing who we’re up against and passing good cars and being competitive and showing guys like, hey, no matter what car I’m in we’re going to be competitive and give it my all. And, it may not be every race, but those races that we do have those moments are going to stick out and I’m going to be a force to be reckoned with, so I’m not going to back-down to anybody.”

CAN YOU TALK MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT HOMESTEAD THIS WEEKEND? NORMALLY YOU RACE THERE AT NIGHT IN NOVEMBER. NOW YOU’LL BE IN THE DAYTIME IN JUNE. HOW DIFFERENT WILL THAT BE? DO YOU START FROM SCRATCH, OR DO SOME NOTES STILL APPLY?
“No, I think some notes still apply, for sure. And we start a little bit during the day for the Cup race there. And, I’m pretty sure; well, we ran during the day in the Xfinity race at little bit as well there, as well. It may have ended at night. But all in all, it’s a race track. It’s not and slick. Its wore out. We’re going to be two-tenths our fastest lap by lap one-and-a-half. It’s definitely got to kind of be treated the same there. We’re going to be searching around and moving around a lot for grip and riding right up against the fence. We’ll find out. Everything is kind of new to us as we travel through. We’ll have some rubber on the race track from the Xfinity cars, so that’ll be interesting. But, we’ll just get there and I’ll let you know after the fact.”

ALEX BOWMAN TALKED ABOUT THE HEAT AT MARTINSVILLE. HE SAID IT WAS THE HOTTEST HE’D EVER BEEN IN A RACE CAR AND THAT HE LOST A TON OF WEIGHT AND HE’S TRYING TO GAIN IT BACK. HE SAID THE SCHEDULE IS INSANE. DO YOU CONCUR WITH HIM ON THAT? AND YOU’RE DOING ALL THIS EXTRA STUFF. ALEX IS JUST RACING. TALK ABOUT WHETHER YOU FELT THE SAME IN THE CAR AND IF IT’S JUST HOT AND INSANE
“Yeah, I’m battling two jobs here. There’s a lot going on mentally, off the track. My phone batter is going to die here in probably about five minutes, so that might be a good thing for me. And I can focus on some racing stuff. No, this schedule is tough. And it was hot, for sure. Atlanta was a wake-up call of just how much extra stress is being added. I talked to Jimmie Johnson about Atlanta. He had come over and offered some help and he wanted to talk. We were sitting there talking. Stress, it doesn’t matter if it’s positive stress or negative stress is what he said. Stress takes a toll on your body. And going through all that, on top of racing and humidity and heat, is just another factor going-in. Would it have been a different outcome at Atlanta? Maybe. If we didn’t have all this stuff going on? Maybe. Was I mad and frustrated and moving too fast after all that? For sure. I should have kind of taken it slow like I did in Martinsville. I was definitely gassed after Martinsville. It was hot. No doubt about it. And, I was actually thinking like damn, it’s nighttime, it’s fully night, a full moon is out, whatever it is, and it’s still 90 degrees inside here. But, at the end of the race, I took my time. I walked over and sat on pit wall. I sat there for 20 minutes after the race just kind of gathering myself and not moving around so much just because your body is not ready for that, yet. So, it’s tough. It’s mentally draining throughout the week, and then it’s just highlighted more, exclamation point added to it, when you have to go out and race 400 to 500 miles on that Sunday. It’s a lot, But, like I said earlier, I’m learning every step of the way and making sure I’m eating right and drinking right and getting some physical activity in.”

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO HANDLE IT ROLLING FORWARD INTO MIAMI? THERE ARE PROBABLY STILL A LOT OF REQUESTS FROM PEOPLE WHO WANT TO TALK TO YOU. AND IT’S JUST ONE RACE RIGHT AFTER THE OTHER. HOW DO YOU PLAN TO HANDLE IT?
“I am a ‘in the moment’ type of guy. So, bring it on. We’ll find it out.”

IS THERE A MOMENT WHERE YOU JUST BURST INTO TEARS OR CRY HAVE HAD A HARD TIME BEHIND THE SCENES?
“No, I haven’t had one of those moments. It’s definitely been a lot. But it’s kind of been knowing what I’m standing up for and being a leader in this message. It’s positive stress. It’s kind of made me feel good about things and not work me down too much. But, just the work that’s going into it is a lot. And, it’s taken away from what I would like to be doing physically to stay in shape. But, it’s part of it.”

WENDELL SCOTT’S FAMILY IS HOPING TO HAVE THE TROPHY AWARDED TO THEM FOR HIS HISTORIC WIN AT JACKSONVILLE. THEY PUT OUT A VIDEO URGING NASCAR TO DO A CEREMONY FOR IT. HAVE YOU HAD CONTACT WITH THE FAMILY AND HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT FOR AN ICON LIKE HIM TO HAVE THE TROPHY WITH THE FAMILY?
“Yeah, for sure. I think that’s big. And, obviously that brings up a time when the sport was not in a good place. But, that’s back when things like that were normal in this nation, of discrimination; and we are trying to obviously get away from that and push a new message. And Wendell Scott, Jr. texted me and reached out and he’s proud of what I’m doing and he’s glad to see some competitiveness on the race track. That speaks volumes to him and his family. But as far as the ceremony, I think that would be big. And, I’ll actually mention that and talk with Steve Phelps (NASCAR president) and how they’re going to handle that. It’s kind of a sticky situation, but it definitely needs to be done.”
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.

Richard Childress Racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway … Homestead-Miami Speedway is one of the few race tracks where team owner Richard Childress has yet to earn a NASCAR Cup Series victory. Richard Childress Racing entries have finished second on four occasions: 2003 (Kevin Harvick), 2008 (Harvick), 2009 (Jeff Burton) and 2014 (Ryan Newman). In 64 Cup Series starts, RCR has earned nine top-five and 25 top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile, progressively-banked oval. The Welcome, N.C.-based organization has captured three NASCAR Xfinity Series wins, including 2019 when Tyler Reddick was crowned the 2019 Xfinity Series champion.

COVID-19 Relief … Own a piece of history by participating in an auction and sale of Richard Childress’ personal collection of memorabilia. All proceeds will assist COVID-19 relief efforts. Thousands of rare, hard-to-find and exclusive items from Richard Childress’ 50+ years in NASCAR are up for bid or sale. Visit https://www.ebay.com/str/RichardChildresscollection

Catch the Action … The first of two NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend will be televised live Saturday, June 13, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series’ second Homestead-Miami Speedway race will be televised live Sunday, June 14, beginning at 12 p.m. ET on FOX Sports One and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

The Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway will be televised live Sunday, June 14, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This Week’s Dow Coatings Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Homestead-Miami Speedway … Dillon has six previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway, securing his best finish of eighth in November 2019 and a best starting position of 10th in November 2015.

Homestead-Miami Memories … The Welcome, North Carolina driver has plenty of positive memories at the 1.5-mile, intermediate-style track. In 2013, he clinched the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway by finishing 12th in the Series’ season finale. He also clinched the NASCAR Truck Series title at the track in 2011.

Dow brings a science and engineering crew who is driven by limitless curiosity to the RCR Team … Austin Dillon and the RCR team are again supported by Dow’s materials science expertise and technologies this season. Backed by the power of data analysis and virtual modeling, Dow develops and manufactures high-performance components and materials custom-made for the No. 3 car. Dow and RCR’s partnership has expedited innovation and shortened testing time in the automotive industry by recreating in the lab one of the most extreme environments – the racetrack. After seven years of collaboration, Dow scientists and RCR engineers are continuing to work together to make the No. 3 car faster, safer and more precise. Stay up to date with Dow’s exciting developments at www.dow.com/sports and follow us on Twitter @DowSports & @DowNewsroom.

Welcome, Dow Coating Materials … Dow Coating Materials is the most innovative coatings raw material supplier in the world; driving fundamental shifts in the coatings industry and moving the market as the expert’s expert in coatings solutions. Through its mission of collaboration, inspiration, innovation and growth, the business provides material products, science, technology, and manufacturing solutions to the architectural and industrial coatings industry worldwide. Dow innovation and collaboration is on showcase this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway through a partnership with BEHR ULTRA SCUFF DEFENSE and Richard Childress Racing on the No. 3 Chevrolet driven by Austin Dillon. Dow Coating Materials manufacturing and R&D footprint spans across all major geographic markets where Dow does business. For more information, please visit

Seek Together … Dow’s brand platform – Seek Together™ – represents our deeply felt belief in partnership and focuses on everything we do. During Pride Month – and all year long – Dow is dedicated to collaborating with our customers to develop innovative materials that transform our world. However, only in a culture where all voices have seats at the table will the full power of collaboration be realized and truly transformative ideas emerge. That is why Dow is taking action to address equality in the workplace and the world – not only for the LGBTQ+ community, but all those who face inequity and injustice daily. A more inclusive future can’t be built by one person or company. It will take all of us, working together. For more information or to read our 2019 Inclusion Report, please visit:

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
What’s it like racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway?
“It’s one of the best tracks. I think it’s the most driver-friendly track. It’s fun. Actually, it’s not really friendly because you can get into the wall pretty easily, but it’s so much fun to run right up against the fence. You have to be disciplined in how you drive that track and save your tires. It’s an epic race. It’s always intense.”

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Chevy Cares Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Homestead-Miami Speedway … This Sunday will mark Tyler Reddick’s NASCAR Cup Series debut at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Reddick has two wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the 1.5-mile speedway, which clinched back-to-back Xfinity Series championships. Reddick also has a fourth-place finish at the track from his part-time schedule in 2017, as well as two pole awards in the Xfinity Series. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender has three NASCAR Truck Series starts at the track, starting and finishing in the top 10 for all three events.

Welcome, Chevy Cares … At Chevrolet, we’re committed to getting you back on the open road with confidence and peace of mind. From answering questions about your vehicle to helping you shop for a new Car, Truck or SUV from home, there are lots of ways we’re here to help. This includes enhanced vehicle cleaning after your vehicle purchase or service by using CDC-approved cleansers and offering a Chevrolet First Responder Discount for our everyday heroes in our educators, first responders, healthcare personnel, and military. Chevrolet also offers OnStar® Crisis Assist services to all current Chevrolet owners and has converted the GM plant in Kokomo, Indiana, to build ventilators to help with the additional need for medical equipment. In addition, the facility in Warren, Michigan, is producing thousands of surgical masks a day. Learn more at ChevyCares.com

TYLER REDDICK QUOTE:
You’ve won your last two races at Homestead-Miami Speedway, granted in a different series. Does that provide any extra confidence heading into this weekend?
“It’s tough to know if that experience will help me this weekend. These Cup cars are just so difficult to drive, especially in the dirty air like we saw at Atlanta and Fontana. Once the tires start to go away, it’s really easy to prohibit any progress on someone who is catching you on the track by moving into the lane they’re using. I even had that happen to me at Darlington last month. Being fast against the fence will be important to our long run speed this weekend, but how much we’ll be able to capitalize on that will depend on where we start a run because tires will start to fall off, and other drivers will start to move up and take your line away. It’s hard to maintain and close on other cars when they start doing that. It’s just a new challenge that comes with the Cup Series for me. We’ll need to have some versatility built into our No. 8 Chevy Cares Chevrolet this weekend, and all that depends on outright speed, what balance we bring to the track and the rest of the little things we need to have a fast car.”

This Week’s No. 21 iRacing Chevrolet Camaro at Homestead-Miami Speedway …This weekend will mark Anthony Alfredo’s debut at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Alfredo made one career NASCAR Truck Series start at the 1.5-mile oval in 2019.

Welcome Back iRacing … iRacing is the leading sim racing game for your PC. Developed as a centralized racing and competition service, iRacing organizes, hosts, and officiates online racing on virtual tracks all around the world. In the fast-paced world of eSports, iRacing is a one-stop-shop for online racing. We utilize the latest technologies to recreate our ever-expanding lineup of famed race cars and tracks from the comfort of your home. Simulate what a professional NASCAR driver experiences inside the seat of a stock car, or a Grand Prix driver sees over the dash. All of the details add up to a lineup of cars and tracks that are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. This creates unmatched immersion when sim racers take the green flag in our online racing simulator. Although iRacing is an online racing simulator at heart, the value as a training tool is just as real. The best sim racers in the world compete on iRacing and you can watch the race broadcasts live on the iRacing eSports Network. Sign up today and get 50% off all new memberships at iracing.com.

Fast Start for Fast Pasta … Alfredo has secured two top-ten finishes in his first three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts in the No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing. He also won an
eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Saturday Night Thunder Race at Dover International Speedway during NASCAR’s hiatus from on-track competition.

Did You Know … Alfredo established his own iRacing league called the ERL (eSports Racing League) that features several talented iRacing drivers, including competitors from the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series.

ANTHONY ALFREDO QUOTE:
You’ve had an excellent start to your young NASCAR Xfinity Series career with two top-ten finishes in three races. What kind of challenges do you and your team expect to face this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway with back-to-back races?
“We’ve had a great start to the season so far. I’m looking forward to carrying that momentum and getting better each week. Running two races back-to-back will be a challenge in a multitude of ways. Hydration and nutrition will be very important for me to perform at my peak during both days. Additionally, we need to take care of our car in the first race so we have something to build on for the second race. I’m looking forward to racing at the same track on consecutive days and applying what we learned from the first race into the second race. That will be crucial since there is no practice to learn from. I technically have one NASCAR Truck Series start at Homestead, but unfortunately, we had mechanical issues on the pace laps, which ended our day before the race actually started. I have a lot of confidence in our Richard Childress Racing team and I fully expect our No. 21 iRacing Chevrolet Camaro will be competitive in both races. I’ll be preparing on iRacing so that I am as prepared as possible.”

HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY (1.5-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE 12 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 3:30 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, JUNE 14 (FOX/MRN/SIRIUSXM)

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

2020 Season
3rd in standings
11 starts
1 win
1 pole position
5 top-five finishes
7 top-10 finishes
395 laps led

Career
160 starts
7 wins
9 pole positions
49 top-five finishes
81 top-10 finishes
2,239 laps led

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

MIAMI MAKES 50: Chase Elliott will make his 50th start on a 1.5-mile track on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In his previous 49 races, he has led 590 laps and most recently scored his second career 1.5-mile track win at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 28. Along with two victories, Elliott has collected 17 top-five finishes – four of which are runner-up results – and 27 top-10s on 1.5-milers.

SHOWING THE WAY: Through 11 races in 2020, Elliott has racked up some impressive numbers. The driver of the No. 9 Hooters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE sits third in the 2020 NASCAR Cup standings and has the top average running position in the series at 6.8. He has posted one win and seven top-10 finishes, which are both tied for his most through 11 races in a season. Elliott’s five top-five finishes, 395 laps led and five stage wins are all personal records through 11 events.

CHASING CHASE: The No. 9 Chevrolet has been a familiar sight at the front of the field in 2020. Elliott has led laps in nine of 11 NASCAR Cup Series events this season, tying him with Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano for the most races led. Elliott has led laps in each of the last six events, matching Logano for the longest active streak. If he leads at least one lap on Sunday at Homestead, Elliott will tie his career best of seven consecutive races led.

TOP-TENNING 1.0: Homestead-Miami Speedway is one of eight NASCAR Cup Series racetracks where Elliott averages a top-10 finish. In four career starts there, the 24-year-old driver has an average result of 9.5, which is second all-time behind Kevin Harvick. Elliott has never finished worse than 15th at the venue.

TOP-TENNING 2.0: Elliott has posted three consecutive top-10 finishes at 1.5-mile tracks, which is tied for the third-longest current streak in the NASCAR Cup Series and the second-longest ever for the fifth-year driver. In addition to his May 28 win on the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native finished second at Charlotte on May 24 and eighth at his home track of Atlanta Motor Speedway on June 7. Across 2017 and 2018, he posted a personal record of seven straight top-10s at 1.5-mile tracks.

PAPERCLIP REWIND: Elliott and the No. 9 team ran inside the top 10 all race at Martinsville Speedway en route to a fifth-place finish on Wednesday night. It was his his fifth top-five result of the season – a career best through 11 events.

GUSTAFSON AT HOMESTEAD: This weekend, No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson will call his 16th Homestead-Miami Speedway race from atop the pit box. In his previous 15 events at the venue, Gustafson has collected one win (2012 with Jeff Gordon), three top-five finishes, seven top-10s and 220 laps led. The Ormond Beach, Florida, native also started from the pole position in 2014 with Gordon.

WELCOME BACK, HOOTERS: This weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Hooters will make its 2020 season debut on the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE with the “Night Owl” paint scheme. The black and orange design was selected over three other options in an open fan vote on Hooters.com. A casual dining establishment with a deep history in NASCAR, the Atlanta-based company will be a three-race primary sponsor of the No. 9 team this year. Elliott will also pilot the No. 9 Hooters Chevrolet later this season at Daytona International Speedway and in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs at Texas Motor Speedway.

WCWYW IS BACK: For the fourth year, Hooters’ “When Chase Wins, You Win” promotion has returned. Hooters will give fans 10 free boneless wings with the purchase of any 10 wings any time Elliott wins a Cup Series race. In addition, if he finishes in the top 10, fans can receive one free order of fried pickles with a beverage purchase. All promotions will be eligible the Monday after a race at participating Hooters locations when guests mention the deal to their server. For more information, visit hooters.com/racing.

DOING THE DOUBLE: In addition to piloting the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in the Cup Series, Elliott will compete in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race in the No. 24 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet for GMS Racing on Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Elliott has piloted the No. 24 Silverado twice in 2020: on May 26 at Charlotte, where he led 47 laps and won, and on June 6 at Atlanta, where he was running in the top five when he had a tire go down, relegating him to a 21st-place finish.

DESI9N TO DRIVE: As part of the Chase Elliott Foundation’s fourth annual “DESI9N TO DRIVE” art collaboration with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Elliott and his three Hendrick Motorsports teammates wore patient-designed racing shoes during the race last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. All four pairs of shoes have been autographed and are currently being auctioned at the NASCAR Foundation online auction site with proceeds benefiting the hospital’s summer camp program. The auction ends on Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET. In addition, the Chase Elliott Foundation will match the proceeds from the “DESI9N TO DRIVE” program and make a separate donation to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s COVID-19 fund that helps provide support, supplies and equipment for its most fragile patients and frontline workers.

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 engine tuner Tony Bove.

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

2020 Season
16th in standings
11 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
3 top-10 finishes
15 laps led

Career
83 starts
0 wins
5 pole positions
5 top-five finishes
20 top-10 finishes
309 laps led

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

BUILDING MOMENTUM: Recent results have bolstered William Byron and the No. 24 Axalta team. In the last four NASCAR Cup Series races, the third-year driver has earned two top-10 results and posted an average finish of 15.25 – an improvement of 6.75 positions over the first seven events of the 2020 season.

MANAGING MARTINSVILLE: After starting 15th Wednesday for the first NASCAR Cup Series night race at Martinsville Speedway, Byron wasted no time marching his way into the top five. An uncontrolled tire penalty before the final stage forced him to go through the field again, but the 22-year-old driver pushed back inside the top 10 to post an eighth-place finish and match his best result of 2020.

HEADING TO HOMESTEAD: With two previous Cup Series races under his belt at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Byron is hoping his past success will be a factor this Sunday. In both of his Cup starts, the driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE was running solidly in the top 10 but a flat tire in 2018 and a mechanical issue last year left him with a best finish of 24th (2018). Byron has two other NASCAR national series races under his belt at the track: one in the Xfinity Series and one in the Truck Series. In 2017, he started sixth and went on to finish third, locking up the Xfinity Series championship in the process. In 2016, Byron started on the pole for the Truck Series race and led 31 laps en route to the win at the 1.5-mile venue.

HARD TO BEAT: If anyone knows how to get the job done at Homestead-Miami Speedway, it’s Chad Knaus. The No. 24 team crew chief clinched all seven of his NASCAR Cup Series championships at the season finale formerly held at the track. Since becoming a crew chief for Hendrick Motorsports in 2002, his teams have posted one win, two pole positions, five top-five finishes and 11 top-10s in 18 races there.

MIAMI HEAT: On Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the Axalta flames will hit the track on board Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for the ninth time this season. Since NASCAR resumed last month, Byron has collected his best finishes of 2020 driving the iconic paint scheme – eighth place twice (Bristol and Martinsville). In 2020, Axalta is the 22-race majority partner of the No. 24 team. The company’s relationship with Hendrick Motorsports was recently extended, taking one of the most enduring partnerships in sports through 2027.

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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
11th in standings
11 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
98 laps led

Career
662 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
229 top-five finishes
370 top-10 finishes
18,932 laps led

Track Career
19 starts
1 win
2 pole positions
5 top-five finishes
11 top-10 finishes
102 laps led

JJ’S HOUSE: Jimmie Johnson started 21st Wednesday night at Martinsville Speedway and powered his way to a stage win and a top-10 finish. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE led 70 laps, giving him nearly 3,000 for his career at the half-mile track. He won the race’s second stage and closed the mid-week event in 10th – his 25th career top-10 finish at Martinsville.

HOMESTEAD HISTORY: Going into his final career race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, Johnson is looking for one more highlight at a track where he’s already made history. The 44-year-old driver has clinched each of his seven championships there, including an unprecedented five consecutive from 2006-2010. In 2016, he won Homestead in dramatic fashion to clinch his historic seventh title, which tied legends Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty for the all-time record.

THE 1.5-MILE MAN: Johnson is the GOAT on 1.5-mile racetracks with a record 28 Cup Series victories. His career total is 11 more than former Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon and current competitor Kevin Harvick, who are tied for second with 17 all-time wins.

ABOVE AVERAGE: Johnson’s 2020 average running position is nearly twice as good as his current place in the points. The seven-time champion sits 11th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, but his average running position of 10.9 is sixth-best overall.

TUNNEL VISION: As NASCAR descends upon Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend, there will be a noticeable tribute to Johnson. The turn three tunnel, which is located off of Palm Drive in Homestead and happens to be the southernmost tunnel in the continental United States, will be permanently renamed “Jimmie Johnson’s Southernmost Tunnel.” The artwork on the tunnel entrance will feature an image of Johnson and his seven NASCAR Cup Series trophies as well as his car number, 48.

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Alex Bowman
No. 88 LLumar Window Films Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE ​
Driver Alex Bowman Hometown Tucson, Arizona
Age 27 Resides Concord, North Carolina

2020 Season
7th in standings
11 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
3 top-10 finishes
369 laps led

Career
164 starts
2 wins
2 pole positions
12 top-five finishes
29 top-10 finishes
843 laps led

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

GOOD, BETTER, BEST: Alex Bowman earned a sixth-place finish Wednesday night at Martinsville Speedway, marking the fourth time in 2020 he has recorded a new personal-best finish at a track. This season, he has also set new high marks at Auto Club Speedway, Darlington Raceway and Atlanta Motor Speedway.

DO IT AGAIN: On Sunday, Bowman will try for another career-best finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Last season, the Tucson, Arizona, native posted a ninth-place result at the 1.5-mile track, which was a new personal record there.

CAREER YEAR: After 11 races, Bowman has already captured one win (Auto Club Speedway) and secured his third playoff berth in three full seasons with Hendrick Motorsports. His 369 laps led in 2020 represent a personal full-season best and rank fourth among all drivers. He is currently seventh in the NASCAR Cup Series standings and his average running position of 11.3 ranks seventh. The driver of the No. 88 LLumar Window Films Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has also captured four stage wins this year – second only to teammate Chase Elliott.

IVES AT HOMESTEAD: For the sixth time in his NASCAR Cup Series crew chief career, Greg Ives will call the shots for the No. 88 team this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Bark River, Michigan, native’s best finish at the track came last season when the team crossed the line in ninth after qualifying 12th. The crew chief’s resumé includes two starts in the Xfinity Series at the 1.5-mile venue, where his best finish of 17th came in 2014 with Elliott. From 2006-12, Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team. During that time, he was a part of two pole awards, two top-five results and four top-10s.

LLUMAR IS BACK:  Eastman Performance Films LLC joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2018 as a primary sponsor of Bowman and the No. 88 team. The sponsorship will feature the LLumar brand of window film and paint protection film on board Bowman’s Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for three NASCAR Cup Series races this season, with this weekend’s event at Homestead-Miami Speedway being the second in 2020. The red, yellow, white and orange paint scheme will be on track later this year at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In February, Hendrick Motorsports and LLumar unveiled the 2020 scheme that will run on track this season.

GOOD DISCOUNTS: During the month of June, 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”). Free ground shipping is also available with offer code “FREESHIP.”

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Hendrick Motorsports

WINNING STAGES: With Jimmie Johnson’s stage win on Wednesday night at Martinsville Speedway, a Hendrick Motorsports driver has won 11 of the 23 NASCAR Cup Series stages in 2020. Chase Elliott leads the series with five stage wins, followed by teammate Alex Bowman with four. Johnson and William Byron each have one. Hendrick Motorsports’ 11 stage wins is nearly twice the total of Team Penske, which is second overall with six this season.

FOUR MORE: In Wednesday night’s primetime NASCAR Cup Series race, Hendrick Motorsports placed four of its Chevrolets inside the top 10 at Martinsville Speedway for a record-extending fifth time. No other team has put four cars in the top 10 more than once at the Virginia short track.

LUCKY NUMBERS: On Sunday, Homestead-Miami Speedway will host the 12th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race of 2020. Hendrick Motorsports has won the 12th event of the year both times it’s been held on June 14. Tim Richmond triumphed at Pocono Raceway on June 14, 1987, for Hendrick Motorsports’ 13th Cup win, and Mark Martin went to victory lane at Michigan International Speedway on June 14, 2009, to deliver the organization’s 181st win in the series.

ON THIS DATE: Richmond’s Pocono win on June 14, 1987, gave the driver his third consecutive win at the track and made it the first venue where Hendrick Motorsports won three straight times.

A GOOD DAY: Hendrick Motorsports has won the 12th race of the NASCAR Cup Series season a record eight times with five different drivers. Wood Brothers Racing is second with five wins in the season’s 12th event.

STREAKING MIAMI: Hendrick Motorsports has placed at least one of its Chevrolets inside the top 10 in 20 of the 21 NASCAR Cup Series events hosted by Homestead-Miami Speedway including the last 18 in a row. The second-longest active streak is nine straight by Joe Gibbs Racing. The last time Hendrick Motorsports did not post a top-10 result at Homestead was 2001 when Terry Labonte was the team’s top finisher in 11th place. Hendrick Motorsports is currently riding a streak of 10 consecutive Cup races with at least one top-10 result dating back to Feb. 23 at Las Vegas, which is the longest active streak.

GOING FOR 61: Hendrick Motorsports has won an all-time record 60 NASCAR Cup Series races on 1.5-mile tracks, which is 10 more than second-place Joe Gibbs Racing.

APPROACHING 16K: On 1.5-mile tracks, Hendrick Motorsports has led a record 15,787 laps in Cup Series competition, which is over 2,300 laps more than any other team.

AND 70K: Hendrick Motorsports is nearing another major milestone: 70,000 laps led in the NASCAR Cup Series. Its 69,766 laps led is the all-time record and nearly 10,000 more than any other team. In 2020, Hendrick Motorsports has led 877 laps.

ORGANIZATION STATS: Since its inception in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 12 championships, 258 race victories, 226 pole positions, 1,080 top-five finishes and 1,858 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 Series record of 268.

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QUOTABLE /
Driver Chase Elliott on racing at Homestead:
“I am looking forward to getting down to Homestead this weekend. It will be interesting to see how different the handling of our cars are at the track in the summertime. This will be our first race of the season with Hooters so I hope we can put on a good show for them and be in contention throughout the day.”

Crew chief Alan Gustafson on his team’s positive outlook for Homestead:
“We are excited about Homestead. The strategy is to go down there and win. Our Chevrolet Camaros have been really good on the intermediate tracks, and we have been good on tracks that lack some grip. Homestead is kind of a worn-out surface, and it’s a place with Chase that we haven’t unlocked our full potential. We haven’t really figured out exactly what we need down there, but I feel like we are closing in on it. With the performance of our cars and everybody working together we will have a good opportunity to go there and potentially win or compete to win. We’re looking forward to having a good race.”

Driver William Byron on racing Homestead in June instead of November:
“It’s going to be different to be running at Homestead in the summer versus the last race of the year for sure. I think the top groove is going to be even more dominant probably than it usually is. It’s a racetrack that the preferred line usually migrates up towards the wall where there’s more banking up there. Plus, the wall helps you turn some. I plan on running right against the wall. I’m interested to see if that’s the case though when we get racing. I think I move around and search less for a line at Homestead than a lot of other race tracks we race at. You still have to move around, though, to find that line that works best for your car’s handling and find grip. I just think it’s a track that no matter what, as a driver you know you need to make speed against the wall. I think with when we’re racing, finding that line early on is going to be critical for this year’s race though.”

Driver Jimmie Johnson on going to Homestead for a final time:
“It will be bittersweet going to Homestead for the last time this season – and not having the pit in my stomach that usually you have when you go down there in the hunt for the championship. I have so many incredible special memories that I will never forget. It’s a special place, and I really hope I can take a minute when I get there to reflect on that.”

Johnson on his performance at Martinsville:
“All in all, Martinsville was a strong race for us. Not near the result we wanted but it was encouraging. My pit crew was on fire. They gained with every stop and Cliff (Daniels) and the guys made good adjustments. We just didn’t keep up with the track.”

Driver Alex Bowman on the strength of the No. 88 team:
“Getting back to an intermediate track should be good for this No. 88 team. We have a really strong intermediate program and it has been providing good results so far this season. Miami is a track where you can typically run the wall. It will be a quick turnaround from Martinsville, but everyone back at Hendrick Motorsports has been working hard to get these Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE race cars set up and ready to go before the next event.”