Category: NASCAR Cup PR

Campaign to Recognize Frontline Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 10, 2020) – Front Row Motorsports (FRM) today announces a new initiative as part of the team’s season-long cause marketing plan. The “We Care: Thank A Trucker” Program will offer fans the ability to show their appreciation for truck drivers on the frontlines who are working hard to keep our country going during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now more than ever, our nation relies on those hauling food, supplies and equipment cross-country to stock grocery stores, hospitals and homes. Front Row Motorsports is asking everyone to show their appreciation for these frontline heroes by visiting TeamFRM.com/thankatrucker and pledging to leave a personal message for a trucker. Responses will be collected and shared on team and driver social media.

Each pledge message will also be entered to win a swag bag that includes merchandise from various FRM partners, autographed items from FRM drivers and a chance to join a virtual team meet & greet. Throughout the campaign, messaging across the team, Michael McDowell, John Hunter Nemechek and Todd Gilliland’s social media channels will focus on thanking truckers for their hard work with the hashtag #FRMThankATrucker.

“This has been a difficult time for all of us,” said McDowell, Nemechek and Gilliland. “There isn’t a single person in this world who hasn’t been touched by the coronavirus pandemic in some way. The role of professional truck drivers continues to be critical to our livelihood. They’re working hard each and every day to keep shelves stocked and deliver vital goods to families across the country. Everyone at Front Row Motorsports hopes this initiative will help them know how much they are appreciated.”

The “We Care: Thank A Trucker” Campaign will also see a special decal on all FRM NASCAR Cup Series cars and Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series trucks, debuting this week at Martinsville Speedway. FRM partner The Pete Store will also use “Thank A Trucker” messaging in their paint scheme on McDowell’s No. 34 Ford Mustang in Wednesday’s race.

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

This Week in Motorsports: June 10-15, 2020

· NCS: Martinsville Speedway – June 10
· NCS/NXS/NGROTS: Homestead-Miami Speedway – June 13-14
· ARCA EAST: Toledo Speedway – June 13

PLANO, Texas (June 10, 2020) – NASCAR has a busy week with five races across the top three series, while Toledo Speedway hosts the return of the ARCA Menards Series East.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS | NGROTS

First Clock for Truex… The last time the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) raced at Martinsville Speedway, Martin Truex Jr. drove a Camry to his first-career Martinsville win, which clinched his spot in the Championship 4. Truex led an incredible 464 of 500 laps to earn his seventh win of the 2019 season.

Hamlin Looking for Sixth Martinsville Win… Denny Hamlin earned Toyota’s first Martinsville win in 2008. It was Hamlin’s first with Toyota, and one that came so close to home for the Chesterfield, Virginia native. Hamlin has won 36 times driving a Camry, including five Martinsville victories – three of which were consecutive in 2009 and 2010.

Homestead Success… For the first time in the series history, Homestead-Miami Speedway will run its race in June. Kyle Busch earned his second Cup Series championship with his Homestead victory last season, Truex was triumphant his championship year (2017) and Hamlin has also scored victories at the Florida track.

300 Toyota Starts… 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. will make his 300th start behind the wheel of a Toyota Camry on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Truex has scored 24 of his 26 career wins in a Toyota.

Burton’s Stellar Start Continues… Nineteen-year-old Harrison Burton has driven to nine consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) top 10 finishes – a streak dating back to last November’s event at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Burton has been the top rookie finisher at every race this season, and currently boasts a series-best 4.6 average finish.

Tundra Strong at Homestead… Toyota NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (NGROTS) drivers have won six of the last seven races at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The wins have been scored by six different drivers, including current Toyota drivers Austin Hill and Kyle Busch.

Hill Continues to Lead… After a second-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hill continues to lead the Truck Series point standings. Hill is the only NGROTS competitor to score top 10 finishes in all four events this season.

Eckes Matches Career-Best… Christian Eckes drove to a third-place finish on Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, tying his career-best result which he also matched last fall at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November, helping Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) earn its seventh owners championship.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA East

ARCA East Returns… The ARCA Menards Series East is back on track this weekend at Toledo Speedway with several Camry drivers in the field, including Hattori Racing Enterprises’ (HRE) Max McLaughlin and Joe Gibbs Racing’s (JGR) Ty Gibbs. Venturini Motorsports (VMS), which already has two ARCA wins this season with Michael Self and Chandler Smith, will field two Camrys for Ryan Repko and Mason Diaz.

Stay Connected

@ToyotaRacing.com @ToyotaRacing

facebook.com/ToyotaRacing Camera With Flash on Apple iOS 11.3 ToyotaRacingMedia.com

# # #

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.

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
BLUE-EMU MAXIMUM PAIN RELIEF 500
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
RIDGEWAY, VIRGINIA
JUNE 10, 2020

MARTINSVILLE FOR RACE #11
Originally slated for May 9 on the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) schedule, but postponed due to the COVID-10 pandemic, the Blue-Emu Maximum Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway is now set for the mid-week date of Wednesday evening, June 10 at 7:00 p.m. ET. The event marks the 11th of 36 races on the revised calendar.

The 500-lap, 263-mile race at the .526-mile paper clip-shaped oval venue will be an historic night for both NASCAR and Martinsville Speedway when they turn on the lights for the first time in the track’s 73-year history. The Speedway installed a state-of-the-art LED Lighting system in 2017 and became the first major motorsports facility in the United States to do so.

STARTING LINEUP
The event will be a one-day show without fans in attendance. With no practice and no qualifying, owner points and a random draw will again set the starting lineup. By virtue of the random draw, here are Team Chevy’s top-20 starters:

8th Alex Bowman, No. 88 ChevyGoods.com/Adam’s Polishes Camaro ZL1 1LE
9th Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE
11th Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE
14th Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Cat Fleet Monitoring Camaro ZL1 1LE
15th William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 1LE
17th Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., No. 47 Kroger Camaro ZL1 1LE
20th Matt Kenseth, No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1 1LE

BOWTIE BULLETS
· Jimmie Johnson is Chevrolet’s most recent winner at Martinsville – Oct. ’16. Of all active drivers, the career-Chevrolet driver leads the way in runner-up finishes (4), top-five’s (19), and top-10 finishes (24).
· Victories by current Chevrolet drivers include:
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE, has nine wins (2004, ’06, ’07-twice, ’08, ’09, ’12, ’13, & ’16)
Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE has two wins (2002, & ’14)
· Behind the wheel of his famous 1957 Chevrolet 150 ‘Black Widow’ stock car, Buck Baker was awarded the first win for the Bowtie Brand at Martinsville. Sporting its black & white paint scheme, the iconic Chevy is part of the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Glory Road. Other models to claim victories at the half-mile track are Bel Air, Biscayne, Impala, Monte Carlo, Lumina, Impala SS, and SS.
· Chevrolet team, Hendrick Motorsports, has led 806 laps so far this season, the most of any team.

GOING FOR A TENTH TIME
· With nine wins at Martinsville Speedway, Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE, leads all active drivers in victories at the popular Virginia track. A tenth victory would put Johnson ahead of former Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jeff Gordon, who also holds nine wins; and place him third on the all-time Martinsville win list. Only Richard Petty (15 wins) and Darrell Waltrip (11 wins) have more.

TEAM CHEVY SUCCESS
· Since 1949, Chevy teams and drivers have scored 56 wins in 142 races held at Martinsville Speedway, the oldest track on the circuit. Chevrolet has also registered 53 pole starts, 261 top-five’s, and 495 top-10 finishes.

· Hendrick Motorsports has captured more NCS victories at Martinsville than any other organization, all under the Chevrolet banner. In 1984, Geoff Bodine collected the team’s first win, and the current total has grown to 24: Jeff Gordon (nine), Jimmie Johnson (nine), Darrell Waltrip (four), Geoffrey Bodine (one) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (one).

TUNE IN
FS1 will telecast the 500-lap race live at 7:00 p.m. ET Wednesday, June 10th. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

QUOTABLE QUOTES:
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 3rd IN STANDINGS
WHILE THE TRACKS ARE DIFFERENT, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU ALL LEARNED AT THE FIRST TWO LOW-DOWNFORCE RACES THIS SEASON THAT COULD TRANSLATE TO MARTINSVILLE?
“I am looking forward to Martinsville Wednesday night. I think we should be able to bring over a few things we learned in Phoenix earlier this year. The biggest thing with the low-downforce package is just that the braking is going to be different. The good news is this package is pretty similar to what we ran a good bit over the past few years and I think we can look back into what we were doing at some of those races. Hopefully, with that information, we can give ourselves a pretty good starting point for Wednesday night. ”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 CHEVYGOODS.COM / ADAM’S POLISHES CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 8th IN STANDINGS
BOWMAN’S THOUGHTS ON SHORT-TRACK RACING:
“Martinsville is a fun track to run at. Our short track program is getting better, but we still have a little way to go on the No. 88. This ChevyGoods.com/Adam’s Polishes team has been bringing some fast Chevrolet’s to the track and I know that we will put everything we have into our car for Wednesday.”

BOWMAN ON MID-WEEK RACES:
“Racing mid-week is still something I have to get used to. I typically have more time to prepare during the week for a race, so I think this is a good challenge for us. Everyone at Hendrick Motorsports is working hard every day building strong cars and I think it is really showing on track.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 SYMBICORT CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 14th IN STANDINGS
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT SHORT TRACKS LIKE MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY?
“I love going to Martinsville Speedway. It’s an hour away from my house, so it feels like home. Anytime you can get to a short track and beat and bang and really work on those hard-braking corners you feel like you got a chance so I can’t wait to get there. Our cars have had speed this year, and I’m really looking forward to going to the flat paperclip that is Martinsville. We’re all racers at heart so we love short track racing.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 17th IN STANDINGS
“Martinsville is one of my favorite tracks. I’ve really gotten into a flow and rhythm that you need for that racetrack to run consistent lap times for such a long period of time and be consistently successful. I’ve enjoyed it a lot for that reason and it’s been fun. We ran so well in the fall and I hope that we run just as well on Wednesday. Regardless, I still enjoy going there so this is a race I’ve had circled for when we went back racing.”

BYRON ON THE SHORT TRACK PACKAGE:
“I think there’s going to be a lot more passing at Martinsville. With the low downforce, it’s going to really allow us to get up on each other. There’s going to be a lot of beating and banging not just because it’s Martinsville but because we saw that just a few races ago at Bristol (Motor Speedway). Hopefully we can keep our nose clean as much as possible and keep the splitter on it, and if we do, we should have a good shot at the end.”

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CAT FLEET MONITORING CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 18th IN STANDINGS
THIS WILL BE YOUR FIRST RACE AT MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY IN ABOUT FOUR YEARS. HOW ARE YOU PREPARING FOR THE RETURN TO THE HALF-MILE TRACK?
“This is a track that I’m excited for because my crew chief Randall Burnett is very excited for it. Martinsville Speedway is one of his favorite tracks, and he has a good notebook and game plan for it. That makes me motivated to go out and run well on Wednesday night. It’s going to be special running 500 laps at Martinsville under the lights for the first time, but with no practice beforehand, we will have a lot of variables. All our notes are from the day, so the night brings a new variable with it. Back during my NASCAR Truck Series days, I had good long run speed before they implemented the stage racing to shorten up the runs. The long run seemed to be where I was really comfortable at Martinsville, so hopefully we will get long runs like that in the Cup race where we can get in a rhythm and adjust on our car from there. It’s going to be a challenge, but I’m up for it and really looking forward to returning there for the first time in over three years.”

YOUR CHEVROLET WILL HAVE SPECIAL MESSAGING FROM CATERPILLAR ON THE QUARTER PANELS THAT HELP RECOGNIZE THEIR FLEET MONITORING DIVISION. ARE THERE ANY SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THAT AND RACING THAT RACE FANS MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT?
“Yeah, there are a lot of similarities between the world of Caterpillar and the world of racing that fans may not know about. The fleet monitoring division is a big one, and it relates a lot to our command center we utilize during the races. During these times when we’re dealing COVID-19 and the changes it’s bringing to the amount of people at the racetrack, but also on Caterpillar job-sites around the world, these two systems are so important. Our command center is staffed with engineers we normally have at the track for these races, and they’re working overtime to find any little advantage or strategy to help us on the track. With Cat’s Fleet Monitoring division, they’re doing the same thing in a way. They’re just focused on finding the most efficient strategies to provide operators with that will maximize their efforts and production during the workday while not being physically at the site. We’re both trying to get our respective jobs done as quickly and efficiently as possible. We actually unveiled the scheme to a group of Cat customers late last week, and it was really cool to see their reactions when we said we were going to run the car at Martinsville Speedway. We definitely want to get in a good run for them.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 20th IN STANDINGS
“We’ve had some solid runs the last couple of weeks at short tracks and intermediate tracks, and I think we can definitely carry that over to Martinsville Speedway Wednesday night. It’s going to be really cool to race there under the lights. Track position is always key, and our last couple of races have moved us into the bracket on the random draw that gets us a decent starting position of 17th. Martinsville has always been tough for me, but it’s Brian Pattie’s favorite track. I know JTG Daugherty Racing has had some really strong runs at Martinsville in the past, and I’m looking forward to keeping our momentum going that we’ve earned the last couple of races back in the No. 47 Kroger Chevrolet.”

TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 27th IN STANDINGS
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM THE FIRST NIGHT RACE AT MARTINSVILLE?
“I think racing at night is going to be something to adapt to. We’ve had a couple races recently at Martinsville that have ended at night with the lights being turned on, but just for a few laps. I’m hoping it’s going to be similar to how we unload and practice there in the spring when it’s really cold outside and the track is clean. Our GEICO Camaro has always been really fast in first practice at Martinsville, so hopefully that overlays into what we are stepping into on Wednesday night. I think it will be conducive to our typical setup that we bring there. We always seem to be fast the cooler it is and the cleaner the track is.”

RYAN PREECE, NO. 37 PURINA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 30th IN STANDINGS
“Martinsville Speedway is one of those tracks that I have circled on our NASCAR Cup Series schedule. I’ve been fortunate enough to run a couple of Modified races at Martinsville and even get a win in 2008. We were planning to run the modified race during the originally scheduled NASCAR weekend, and I’m really hoping we can still run it sometime this year. I’m really looking forward to running the No. 37 Purina Chevrolet paint scheme under the lights with our friend ‘Bentley’ on the hood. We had a couple of strong runs last year at Martinsville, and we’re still working to get some positive momentum going on our side. I’m a short track guy, so any time we can do short track racing under the lights is good for me.”

MATT KENSETH, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 31st IN STANDINGS
“Martinsville is a very challenging race track. It’s a track you have to be decent on the short runs so you can hold position or hopefully make some passes when your tires are fresh, but you also have to have enough traction to be good on the long run because you do get some long runs there. It’s a track that’s very tight with a lot of contact and it’s hard to be patient there, but you have to be. You have to use a lot of restraint, keep your fenders and brakes on the car, and try to be in position at the end of the race. 500 laps is a really long time there. Chad and the guys have been bringing me really fast Chevy’s each week. I’m looking forward to getting to Martinsville on Wednesday night and hopefully getting a complete race put together.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships:
Total (1949-2019): 39
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)

Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

Drivers Championships:
Total (1949-2019): 31
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)

Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016

Event Victories:
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)

2020 STATISTICS:
Wins: 2
Poles: 3
Laps Led: 938
Top-five finishes: 15
Top-10 finishes: 37

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 788 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 717
Laps led to date: 235,244
Top-five finishes to date: 4,029
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,319

Total NASCAR Cup wins by corporation, 1949 to date

General Motors: 1,122
Chevrolet: 788
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65

Ford: 792
Ford: 692
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 191
Chrysler: 59

Toyota: 145
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 Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Racing Returns;

 Advance Auto Parts To Support Local Racing Communities Through Partnership

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. AND RALEIGH, N.C. (June 10, 2020) – As NASCAR Weekly Series sanctioned events begin to return at select tracks across North America, NASCAR and Advance Auto Parts (NYSE: AAP), a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider, today announced a multiyear official partnership, designating Advance Auto Parts as the series entitlement sponsor. As part of the agreement, Advance also becomes the “Official Auto Parts Retailer of NASCAR.”

“It’s great to have Advance join us in welcoming the return of NASCAR-sanctioned grassroots racing,” said Ben Kennedy, vice president, racing development, NASCAR. “Advance’s commitment to our Weekly Series will develop some of the brightest NASCAR talent across North America. Advance has a long history in racing, and we’re thrilled to see its expanded presence from the grassroots all the way through our national series.”

The NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series is one of the oldest series in NASCAR, where champions are crowned at NASCAR-sanctioned Home Tracks. The NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series was paused in mid-March due to COVID-19 and recently returned with sanctioned events at select tracks beginning June 6.

The series is run at nearly 60 NASCAR-sanctioned Home Tracks throughout the United States and Canada. NASCAR Home Tracks are a group of local short tracks sanctioned by NASCAR.

“Drivers and race fans in North America have not been able to attend their local tracks due to COVID-19. We are excited to be partnering with NASCAR and the NASCAR Weekly Series to support tracks, drivers and fans as they resume live racing this year,” said Jason McDonell, Advance’s chief marketing officer. “We are committed to helping our customers advance in our stores, online and with this multiyear partnership with NASCAR. We are passionate about advancing local communities where we serve, and through this sponsorship we’ll be able to help grow racing at the grassroots level while supporting the next generation of champions.”

Race fans can catch select NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series races live and on-demand via TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold, the new streaming service from NASCAR and NBC Sports. NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series races are part of the NASCAR Roots package for $2.99/month or $19.99/annually. The full TrackPass package, which includes NASCAR Roots, IMSA and American Flat Track events is available for $4.99/month or $44.99/year. TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold will be available on desktop web browsers and via the NBC Sports app on iOS and Android phones and tablets, Apple TV (Gen 4), Roku, Amazon Fire TV, AndroidTV, Xfinity X1, Xfinity Flex and Chromecast devices connected via HDMI.

About NASCAR

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

About Advance Auto Parts

Advance Auto Parts, Inc. is a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider that serves both professional installer and do-it-yourself customers. As of December 28, 2019, Advance operated 4,877 stores and 160 Worldpac branches in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Company also serves 1,253 independently owned Carquest branded stores across these locations in addition to Mexico, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and British Virgin Islands. Additional information about Advance, including employment opportunities, customer services, and online shopping for parts, accessories and other offerings can be found at www.AdvanceAutoParts.com. service, and online shopping for parts, accessories and other offerings can be found at www.AdvanceAutoParts.com.

MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY (0.526-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: RIDGEWAY, VIRGINIA
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE 11 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 7 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, JUNE 10 (FS1/MRN/SIRIUSXM)

​
​ ​ ​
​

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

2020 Season
3rd in standings
10 starts
1 win
1 pole position
4 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
394 laps led

Career
159 starts
7 wins
9 pole positions
48 top-five finishes
80 top-10 finishes
2,238 laps led

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

​
​ ​ ​
​

ELLIOTT AT THE PAPERCLIP: Chase Elliott is set to make his 10th NASCAR Cup Series start at Martinsville Speedway on Wednesday night. The driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE made his Cup debut at the track for Hendrick Motorsports on March 29, 2015, and has since led a total of 192 laps there. He has finished inside the top 10 in three of his last four visits to the track, including a runner-up result in March 2019 when he posted the second-highest average running position (2.35) for the race. In his most recent visit to the 0.526-mile venue last October, Elliott started from the rear of the field and worked his way to fifth before experiencing a mechanical issue that ended his day.

PEACH STATE REWIND: Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA team started from the pole on Sunday afternoon at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native led 26 laps – the first Cup Series laps he’s led at his home track – and earned 11 stage points en route to an eighth-place finish. The effort marked Elliott’s sixth top-10 result of the season.

AFTER 10: With 10 races completed in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, Elliott ranks third in the driver standings. He also is second in laps led (394) with one win, four top-five finishes, six top-10s and one pole award (Phoenix in March). The 24-year-old driver leads the series with the highest average running position for the season (7.59). His five stage wins and 118 stage points are the most for any driver in 2020.

SHORT-TRACK STATS: On Wednesday, Elliott will make his 28th short-track start in the Cup Series. In those races, he has garnered seven top-five finishes, 11 top-10s and led a total of 513 laps. Since the start of 2018, Elliott is tied with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson with seven top-10s at short tracks, the fourth-most during that span.

GUSTAFSON’S MARTINSVILLE HISTORY: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson is set to call his 31st Martinsville Speedway race from atop the pit box. In his previous 30 Cup Series starts at the track, he has two wins, 12 top-five finishes and 21 top-10s. Both wins at the 0.526-mile oval came with NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon (2013 and 2015). The 2015 victory secured Gordon’s position in the Championship 4 for the season finale.

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 Sunday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. All four pairs of shoes have been autographed and are currently being auctioned off at the NASCAR Foundation online auction site with proceeds benefiting the hospital’s summer camp program. 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 tire specialist Mason Jennings.

​
​ ​ ​
​

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

2020 Season
17th in standings
10 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
2 top-10 finishes
15 laps led

Career
82 starts
0 wins
5 pole positions
5 top-five finishes
19 top-10 finishes
309 laps led

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

TURNAROUND TIME: Despite some bad luck this season, William Byron and the No. 24 Axalta team are optimistic about Wednesday night’s race at Martinsville Speedway. The last time the NASCAR Cup Series competed at the 0.526-mile track, he had the best race of his young career despite coming up one spot short of his first win. Tying his previous track-best qualifying effort of 11th, Byron made his way into the top five early and held his ground throughout the 500-lap race with an average running position of 4.15. In the closing laps, Byron chased down the leader but ran out of time to make the pass and crossed the finish line in second place. It was both a track-best and series-best finish for the third-year driver.

MARTINSVILLE MINUTES: Despite his young age, Byron’s relationship with Martinsville dates back more than a decade. The track is where he attended his first NASCAR Cup Series race as a fan in 2006, which motivated him to pursue his own career in racing. Since then the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has moved quickly through the ranks and is now poised to make his fifth Cup start there and seventh overall in a NASCAR national series. In his two NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series appearances, he posted third- and eighth-place finishes.

ON THIS DATE: The No. 24 team has two wins on June 10, with both coming courtesy of four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon. The NASCAR Hall of Famer won Hendrick Motorsports’ milestone 100th Cup Series race on June 10, 2001, at Michigan International Speedway and on June 10, 2007, at Pocono Raceway.

KNAUS’ KNACK FOR MARTINSVILLE: Calling the shots atop the pit box for the 40th time at Martinsville Speedway, Chad Knaus is ready to add another grandfather clock trophy to his collection. The seven-time champion crew chief’s nine Cup wins there are second only to his 11 at Dover International Speedway. His most recent victory at the Virginia short track came in the fall of 2016 with driver Jimmie Johnson. Byron’s runner-up performance last fall was Knaus’ 20th top-five finish at Martinsville – with 13 of those results in the top two.

BRINGING THE HEAT: The last time the Cup Series raced at a short track was just over one week ago at Bristol Motor Speedway where Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE had Axalta on board for an eighth-place finish – his best of the 2020 season. Wednesday night’s race at the Martinsville Speedway will again feature the iconic Axalta flames. 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.

​
​ ​ ​
​

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

2020 Season
13th in standings
10 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
5 top-10 finishes
28 laps led

Career
661 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
229 top-five finishes
369 top-10 finishes
18,862 laps led

Track Career
36 starts
9 wins
4 pole positions
19 top-five finishes
24 top-10 finishes
2,862 laps led

MARTINSVILLE MASTER: Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has seen plenty of success over the course of his 36 starts at Martinsville Speedway. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has nine wins at the short track, ranking behind only Dover International Speedway where he has 11 victories. His average finish of 9.3 at Martinsville is tied with Chicagoland Speedway for his second-best at any oval track, behind just Auto Club Speedway. He has 24 top-10 finishes and led 2,862 laps around the paperclip-shaped Virginia track, second only to his 25 top-10s and 3,110 laps led at Dover.

START ME UP: Two of Johnson’s nine Martinsville victories have come from a starting position outside the top 10. He came from the 18th spot to earn his first win at the track in 2004 and from 20th to victory lane in 2007. The No. 48 team will start 21st on Wednesday night.

LAST WIN: Johnson’s most recent win at Martinsville was Oct. 30, 2016, which locked him into the championship round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. He led 92 laps that day and took home his ninth grandfather clock trophy on the way to his record-tying seventh championship title.

SHORT-TRACK WINNER: Of all active Cup Series drivers, Johnson has the second-most career wins on short tracks with 14. The 44-year-old driver has earned multiple victories on all three active short tracks on the Cup circuit: Martinsville (9), Richmond (3) and Bristol (2).

ATLANTA GRANDSTANDING: At Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, Johnson and No. 48 crew chief Cliff Daniels secured their fifth top-10 finish in 10 races thus far in 2020. Johnson also was honored with his name in towering letters at the 1.5-mile track, where the Winners Grandstand was permanently renamed to honor the five-time Atlanta race winner. He joins NASCAR’s two other seven-time champions, Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty, as the only drivers recognized with a grandstand at the venue.

​
​ ​ ​
​

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

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

Career
162 starts
2 wins
2 pole positions
12 top-five finishes
28 top-10 finishes
843 laps led

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

CAREER YEAR: After 10 races, Alex 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 third among all drivers. He is currently eighth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, 107 markers behind the leader, and ranks fifth overall in average running position at 10.53. The driver of the No. 88 ChevyGoods.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has also captured four stage wins this year – second only to teammate Chase Elliott – and has earned 110 stage points, which is third in the series. Bowman’s No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports crew is averaging a four-tire pit stop of 14.067 seconds – good for fifth overall in the Cup Series.

MARTINSVILLE STATS: Bowman has eight previous Martinsville Speedway starts in the NASCAR Cup Series. The Tucson, Arizona, native’s best finish came in the 2018 spring event when he crossed the line seventh after 500 laps. Last season, the 27-year-old driver scored one top-15 finish at the 0.526-mile facility. Bowman is set to start eighth on Wednesday evening at the Virginia-based venue.

IVES IN VIRGINIA: Crew chief Greg Ives will call the shots for the 11th time for the No. 88 team at Martinsville on Wednesday evening. The Bark River, Michigan, native has one top-five finish and three top-10s at the short track with a best finish of fourth coming in 2015 with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team from 2006-2012 when he was a part of six wins, three pole awards and 12 top-10 finishes at Martinsville.

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

CLOSE TO HOME: No. 88 engine tuner Stephen Raynor calls Martinsville Speedway his home track. The 33-year-old crew member grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, which is approximately 50 miles from the Virginia venue. He has been with the Hendrick Motorsports engine department for eight years.

GOOD DISCOUNTS: During the month of June, 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.”

​
​ ​ ​
​

Hendrick Motorsports

APPROACHING 70K: Hendrick Motorsports is nearing another major milestone: 70,000 laps led in the NASCAR Cup Series. Its 69,721 laps led is the all-time record and nearly 10,000 more than any other team. In 2020, Hendrick Motorsports has posted a series-leading 806 laps, which is 100 more than second-place Team Penske. Since 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has led 26% of the laps raced at Martinsville Speedway (9,290 of 35,895).

HENDRICK-VILLE: Hendrick Motorsports’ 24 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series wins at Martinsville Speedway are the most by any team at any track in the sport’s history. Junior Johnson and Associates won 21 races at Bristol Motor Speedway, and Hendrick Motorsports has posted 20 points victories at both Dover International Speedway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval.

THE NUMBERS SPEAK: Hendrick Motorsports has won 33% (24 of 72) of the NASCAR Cup Series events it has raced at Martinsville. The team has earned at least one victory there in 53% (19 of 36) of its seasons, has won three consecutive races at the track on four different occasions and swept the top-two finishing positions five times. Since 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has placed at least one of its Chevrolets in the top 10 in 90% of the events (65 of 72).

VIRGINIA HOME: Car owner Rick Hendrick was raised in the small community of Palmer Springs, Virginia, which is two hours from Martinsville Speedway. Hendrick grew up on a tobacco farm and was exposed to cars and auto racing by his father, “Papa Joe” Hendrick. Rick Hendrick, who founded Hendrick Motorsports in 1984, has won a record 12 NASCAR Cup Series championships as an owner and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2017. He is also chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group, which is the largest privately held operator of car dealerships in the United States.

TRACK OF FIRSTS: Hendrick Motorsports’ first-ever NASCAR Cup Series win and laps led came at Martinsville Speedway on April 29, 1984, with driver Geoff Bodine. Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip secured his first of nine wins driving for Hendrick Motorsports there in September 1989. Most recently at the track, Chase Elliott made his Cup Series debut in March 2015 and William Byron attended his first Cup race as a fan in 2006.

SIX WOULD BE A RECORD: Hendrick Motorsports’ 24 Martinsville wins have come with a record-tying five different drivers: Jeff Gordon (9), Jimmie Johnson (9), Waltrip (4), Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Bodine. Junior Johnson and Associates and Joe Gibbs Racing have also sent five drivers to victory lane at the half-mile short track.

SHORT TRACK SUCCESS: With 50 wins, Hendrick Motorsports has the most short-track victories of any active NASCAR Cup Series team. Joe Gibbs Racing has 40, with Team Penske at 32 and Richard Childress Racing at 30.

ORGANIZATION STATS: Since its inception in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 12 championships, 258 race victories, 226 pole positions, 1,079 top-five finishes and 1,854 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.

​
​ ​ ​
​

QUOTABLE /
Driver Chase Elliott on his outlook for Martinsville:
“I am looking forward to Martinsville Wednesday night. I think we should be able to bring over a few things we learned in Phoenix earlier this year. The biggest thing with the low-downforce package is just that the braking is going to be different. The good news is this package is pretty similar to what we ran a good bit over the past few years, and I think we can look back into what we were doing at some of those races. Hopefully with that information we can give ourselves a pretty good starting point for Wednesday night.”

Elliott on the new tire Goodyear is running at Martinsville:
“The new tire at Martinsville is going to be interesting. It’s really hard to speculate on a tire until you get to the track, understand the feel and understand what the challenges are with that. Going straight into the race with no practice is going to potentially bring some new challenges for us. We have run the same tire there for the past number of races, so I think that could change the dynamic a little bit.”

Driver William Byron on getting comfortable at Martinsville:
“Martinsville is one of my favorite tracks. I’ve really gotten into a flow and rhythm that you need for that racetrack to run consistent lap times for such a long period of time and be consistently successful. I’ve enjoyed it a lot for that reason and it’s been fun. We ran so well in the fall and I hope that we run just as well on Wednesday. Regardless, I still enjoy going there so this is a race I’ve had circled for when we went back racing.”

Byron on the NASCAR Cup Series short track package:
“I think there’s going to be a lot more passing at Martinsville. With the low downforce, it’s going to really allow us to get up on each other. There’s going to be a lot of beating and banging, not just because it’s Martinsville. We saw that just a few races ago at Bristol (Motor Speedway). Hopefully we can keep our nose clean as much as possible and keep the splitter on it, and if we do, we should have a good shot at the end.”

Driver Jimmie Johnson on night racing at Martinsville:
“Martinsville under the lights should be really cool. I don’t know if the night will bring out the chaos like the night race at Bristol does (laughs), because the energy is different, so we have yet to see if that is the case at Martinsville. I do know from a fans’ point of view you can really get a sense of the braking requirements at the track and which drivers might be struggling with the brakes, because they glow and you will really be able to see that at night. You need a lot of brake to get the car to handle the way you need it to in the corners so look for the brake rotors to be bright orange. I’m really excited for the lights there because usually our two races at Martinsville are during the rainy season of the spring and the fall, so a hot summer night is going to be neat. Short tracks are what we need more of and especially a short track at night. I know our fans will really appreciate it even if they can’t be there. We will sure make some great TV.”

Driver Alex Bowman’s thoughts on short-track racing:
“Martinsville is a fun track to run at. Our short track program is getting better, but we still have a little way to go on the No. 88. This ChevyGoods.com/Adam’s Polishes team has been bringing some fast Chevrolets to the track, and I know that we will put everything we have into our car for Wednesday.”

Bowman on mid-week races:
“Racing mid-week is still something I have to get used to. I typically have more time to prepare during the week for a race, so I think this is a good challenge for us. Everyone at Hendrick Motorsports is working hard every day building strong cars, and I think it is really showing on track.”

Crew chief Greg Ives on racing at Martinsville:
“We are really excited to get back to short track racing at Martinsville, especially under the lights. The No. 88 team has been working hard to get our short track program where it needs to be. Starting eighth, I know the ChevyGoods.com/Adam’s Polishes Camaro ZL1 1LE will be racing forward.”

Toyota Racing – Martin Truex Jr.

NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

RIDGEWAY, Virginia (June 9, 2020) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. was made available to media via video conference prior to the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 this Wednesday:

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 SiriusXM Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How important is it for NASCAR to be as inclusive as it can be especially at a time like this?

“I think it’s important obviously. With what’s going on in our country today, I think it’s the right thing to do. Just to reiterate the message that everyone is welcome at NASCAR races and we want everybody to be included and not feel out of place in any way if they decide to come. Listening and learning about what people think is a part of the process and this is kind of the next step in that.”

What is your take on the rhythm that you try to establish early in races and if it’s different now that you don’t have practice or qualifying prior to the races?

“Yeah, I think for me at least my personal feeling is I’ve been doing this long enough that I feel like — for the most part — the veterans, even if we did have practice — and I feel like we all get in the car and right off the bat are pretty dialed in on what we’re doing. And, it doesn’t take a whole lot of practice from the driving side. It’s more getting the opportunity to feel what you have and go to work on it. That’s something that we don’t have now, but I feel that I can get in and fire off and go just as hard as I need to. It’s different from the perspective that you really don’t know what you have, and you have to kind of fly by the seat of your pants feel and just react and make adjustments on the fly. There is no, ‘Well, I’m going to go in the garage and make a few adjustments.’ You kind of just have to deal with what you have and wait for a pit stop to work on it. So, it’s been a little bit different from there. I definitely feel like I’m confident in being able to fire it off into turn 1 as hard as I need to each week.”

What is the thought process running under the lights at Martinsville for the first time?

“I think we’ve had a bit of experience with it just finishing a few races with the lights on and it getting dark. So, we have some past experience with that, and I think you go back and look at your notes on that and what you feel like the track did and how it changed to try to prepare that way. Yeah, it’s definitely going to be different, but I think it’s exciting to have our first night race there. Doing it mid-week, it should be fun so hopefully it goes over well. We’re all looking forward to it. I’m not sure the track will be that different with the concrete and the turns. It seems like concrete is a little bit less temperamental as far as the temperature, especially outside. I don’t expect it to be a whole lot different. I think the biggest question for us right now is just the tires. The tires are different and that can have such a huge impact at Martinsville. So, with no practice, kind of going back and building off of the things that we’ve learned there with our car and being able to win last fall. Are those things going to work still? And, how is the tire going to change the way the car drives and what it needs to do to be fast? Definitely a lot of question marks there as far as that goes I think more so than just being at night.”

Have the drivers talked about the Confederate flag issue among yourselves or is this something that only comes up when the media asks you about it?

“I have not had any conversations about it. I think it’s one of those things that some of us are just ignorant about and don’t really think about it or worry about it. And then you hear somebody like Bubba (Wallace) talk about it and how he feels about it and it wakes you up a bit. Yeah, I think NASCAR is going to do the right thing there and I stand with what they come up with there. I’ve learned a lot just from listening to Bubba and his take on things. Just seeing a lot of things that I haven’t really thought about. It’s interesting to see that and hear that. I think they’ll do the right thing obviously.”

Do you enjoy the mid-week races and would you like to see them continue?

“I think from a driver’s perspective, for me, I think it’s been good. I’ve enjoyed it. The fact that we’ve had all one day shows and no practice, no qualifying has made it a little bit easier on the teams. I think I would be all for it. Everybody has always talked about how long our season is and it would certainly be a way to shorten up the schedule timeline wise. I think it falls more on the teams and what they are capable of. It’s a lot of work to prepare race cars and do all the things you need to do to show up to the race track and race. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes. I think for the drivers, it’s easy. You show up and you race. I think you have to ask the teams more about how they feel about it and how many races could they do in a short amount of time like that.”

How will the new package play into the race at Martinsville?

“I think we have a lot of experience with the low downforce at short tracks. We’re going back to 2018 and earlier. I think what we’ve seen there is pretty consistently more competitive racing. It’s easier to make passes. Last year, when we had the super-high downforce on the short tracks, it was difficult to make passes, it was difficult to get to the guy in front of you. At line sensitive race tracks like Martinsville, where predominantly you are pretty much stuck to the bottom where who can run closest to the curb, and those kinds of things, it made it difficult to pass. We were able to lead a ton of laps, Brad (Keselowski) dominated the first part of the race. I think we’ll see for sure more competitive racing. It sounds like what they are bringing for a tire should add to that. We’ll have to wait and see because the tires are something that is really, really sensitive at Martinsville in how they lay down rubber and how things change there. That’s certainly going to play into it, and we’ll have to wait and see how that goes.”

How close do you feel you are to winning now?

“I feel real close. I feel we were in position to win three or four already. It’s just one of those things where we haven’t had everything come together. This past weekend at Atlanta, I felt like we had a dominant car through the first two stages, and just lost the handling a little bit there in stage three. Track cooled off a little bit. The car changed a little bit and you find yourself not able to track down the leader again. We’ve been right there. I feel like we had a shot at winning Darlington and the Coke 600. Those are the past couple races. I feel like we are right there, and we are working to get better each week. I think as far as the things with James (Small, crew chief), it’s a learning process. That’s been pretty seamless really. We know each other and we’ve worked together long enough to know that, and I don’t think that’s anything that is holding us up. It’s just a matter of putting all the little details together and executing.”

How different will Homestead-Miami Speedway be with it not be the championship race?

“It’s definitely going to be different. Just like Joey (Logano) said, I think since ’05 or ’04 I’ve been going there trying to win a championship. That’s really, I guess I have to go back all the way to ’03, the first time I ran there, actually the second time I ran there to know what it feels like to race for a championship there. It’s going to feel different, but I think every race this year has felt different just because, since the COVID thing, every race has felt a lot different without the fans. We’re certainly missing them. It feels a lot different. We’ll see how it plays out. Great race track, it’s one of my favorites. It’s going to be hot and slick racing in the daytime. I think it will fit right into what we do with the 19 car.”

What specifically is changing with this new set of tires?

“It’s hard to really know until you drive on them. They change construction, change compounds, so they are trying to give some more grip and more traction. When that happens, basically the rubber gets softer and stickier. It sticks to the track better as well as the tires wear out. They are trying to get the track to rubber in. Increase tire wear, increase the speed fall off throughout the run and hopefully give us more options as far as moving around running different lanes through the corners and things like that.”

How do you feel about a NASCAR official kneeling during the national anthem?

“I think that’s up to them, whatever they feel like is right for them, then they’ll do that. That is certainly something I wouldn’t do, but everybody is allowed to do what they want.”

How does it feel to be a part of the first professional sport back in action and without fans?

“Being back has been great. It’s putting a lot of eyeballs on our sport, maybe quite a few new ones as well, which is good. I think for us, just being able to get back to work has been good. Hopefully the whole country gets to go back to work soon. I think there’s a lot of things out there that are happening and show it’s time. Missing the fans. I think we all miss them. It feels so different. You know when you’re racing you don’t really look in the stands, you don’t really feel that energy or anything. When you’re out of the car, especially the grid pre-race, it just feels weird. It’s quiet, there’s not a whole lot going on. You don’t hear people yelling for you, hooting and hollering having a great time at the race track. It’s a little bit weird in that perspective. We’re definitely missing them, and I can’t wait to see the day when they return.”

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.

NEMECHEK TALKS MARTINSVILLE:

“Martinsville is a really fun and unique track. It’s somewhere that I’ve done really well. I made my debut there in the Truck Series when I was 16 and won there a few years ago. I like Martinsville a lot; we’ve gotten along well together in the past and I feel like our Front Row Motorsports team is strong on short tracks. We want to be able to capitalize on our opportunities throughout the day so that we can be contenders and have a strong finish at the end. We’ve got FAS back on board our No. 38 Ford Mustang this week. It’s the first time they’ve been on track with us in person since Fontana, so I’m looking forward to putting on a good show for them.”

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Martinsville I

NASCAR makes a quick turnaround to Wednesday night, where Martinsville Speedway will host the Cup Series under the lights for the first time ever. Jack Roush has six wins all-time at the Paperclip, including four in the Cup Series. Ryan Newman is coming off a 10th-place run at Martinsville last fall, while Chris Buescher has two finishes of 13th or better in his last three events at the .526-mile track.

Martinsville Speedway (.526-Mile)
Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500

Wednesday, June 10 | 7 p.m. ET

FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

· Ryan Newman, No. 6 Koch Industries Ford Mustang
· Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang

NASCAR Returns to Action

· NASCAR’s return to the track continues with another short turnaround to Wednesday night, where the Cup Series (NCS) visits Martinsville Speedway for a race that was originally scheduled to be run May 9.

· For the first time in its more than 70-year history, Martinsville will host the NCS under the lights with a 7 p.m. start time. Following action at the Paperclip, the schedule flips to Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday.

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

Atlanta Recap, Martinsville Preview

· Newman overcame an early speeding penalty, and prevailed late to record a 14th-place finish, his second-consecutive top-15 and fourth since returning to racing.

· Buescher fought handling inside his Fastenal Ford throughout the race to finish 22nd at Atlanta.

· Koch Industries – who served as the primary for Newman in the Daytona 500 – returns to the No. 6 machine at Martinsville, while Fastenal will ride along with Buescher Wednesday night.

Starting Lineup Procedures at Martinsville

For the third consecutive race, the starting lineup for Sunday’s race will be determined by a random draw based on teams’ order in owners points. Newman – 20th in owners’ points – drew the 16th spot, while Buescher – 21st in standings – drew the 24th spot.

For Whom The Bell Tolls

Roush Fenway has earned four Grandfather Clocks at Martinsville with former drivers Mark Martin (two), Jeff Burton and Kurt Busch. Roush Fenway most recently went to victory lane with Busch in Oct. 2002.

Rock Around the Clock

Roush Fenway had its overall most-successful outing at Martinsville in the spring of 2002 when it placed all four of its cars inside the top 10 with drivers Martin, Burton, Busch and Matt Kenseth.

Closing Time

Roush Fenway earned a one-two finish in the April 9, 2000 event at Martinsville with former drivers Martin and Burton. Martin paced the field for 64 laps en route to the victory.

Short-Track Prowess

Roush Fenway has started a total of 666 NCS races on short tracks, recording a total of 22 wins, 122 top-five finishes, 242 top-10 finishes and 7,584 laps led.

Tale of the Tape

Roush Fenway has started 212 NCS races at Martinsville, recording four victories, 26 top-five finishes, 68 top-10 finishes, an average finish of 17.7 and has led 1,378 laps. Roush Fenway also boasts two NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoor Truck Series (NGROTS) wins in 46 starts at Martinsville (fall of ’03 and ’05).

Roush Fenway Martinsville Wins
1992-1 Martin Cup
1997-2 Burton Cup
2000-1 Martin Cup
2002-2 Busch Cup
2003-2 Wood Truck
2005-2 Craven Truck

Toyota Racing – Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

RIDGEWAY, Virginia (June 9, 2020) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to media via videoconference prior to the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 this Wednesday:

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

Have you talked to Michael Jordan at all about things you can do to address racial inequality?

“I haven’t talked him about it. The last time we talked about something like that it was kind of in the (Kyle) Larson situation. We discussed that because he knows Larson, he was friends with Larson as well, and basically, gave his forgiveness to Kyle Larson and understood that it’s going to be a tough road back, but that he believed in him – that he could do it, but we haven’t discussed anything relating over the last couple weeks.”

You recently mentioned on Twitter that Martinsville is your favorite track. You are close to win 40, what would it mean to get it done there?
“It would be special to get it there for sure. When we looked at all of the two-race week schedule, over the last few weeks, we really looked at the tracks and said that we should be able to win two or three of these, not easily, but easily. Obviously, Bristol slipped through us. We got the Darlington win, and I just feel like these tracks are really good for me. We’re good everywhere at this point. I don’t think we have any weaknesses at all, but Martinsville’s one that is special. I know that – that kind of a win, those big even number wins, the 40’s, the 50’s – if I can ever get there – those are going to be special moments and obviously, you take wins anywhere that you can get them, but if they can fall at a track that I cut my teeth at, it’d mean a little bit more.”

What makes Martinsville really hard?

“Well, it’s just the technicality of it. I think similar to a road course in how technical it is. The road courses you have to really be good using the gas and the brake. Your braking points – the car gets very, very light on entry there with the back tires, especially as the tires wear out. You got to really be conscious of how your braking. Your acceleration has got to be really on point. You rush the throttle and you will burn up the tires. So, I think it’s a driver’s racetrack in that sense that you have to be smart. You’re going to get run into at some point of the day. You can’t let that escalate and throw you off mentally, and you go an retaliate and the next thing you know you’ve got a torn-up car. It’s just a racetrack that demands no mistakes and that’s what I like about it.”

You’ve shared a lot of what you know with your teammates. So do you feel like you still have an advantage there?

“It has got spread out. I think it was in 2009, or 2010, me, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano went to Martinsville and we all shared one car. At that time, I was kind of, quite a bit better than those guys at that racetrack. They just made us do 50 lap runs and then look at all the data and figure out why is Kyle so much faster at the beginning, but slower at the end, and why is Joey a little off everywhere, and why I was faster through the run. I think that kind of opened their eyes and now they have their fair share of clocks.”

Curious if your mindset is different with no practice or qualifying, just race immediately?

“Yeah, your mindset is different because the track changes more than ever. Now it’s a little bit better when we have the trucks or Xfinity Series that has come in and raced before us that lays rubber down. But like when we go in there tomorrow night, we are going to be on a green racetrack. You have to as a driver, understand that don’t panic in the first couple runs until the track gets fully laid down with rubber. Then you can kind of analyze where your car is at and really make solid adjustments. It’s trying not to panic at the first part when you’re not exactly perfect is the challenge. We’re starting these races on green racetracks. There’s no practice; there’s no anything. So, I can’t tell you how different the car drives from lap one than what it will at lap 300 tomorrow night.”

Do you agree with Bubba Wallace that it’s time for NASCAR to ban the confederate flag? And what has it meant to you to see so many drives get behind the support of racial equality?

“Yeah, I’m really proud of what our sport did the last week. The drivers coming together and obviously, Bubba was a big part of that initiative. It opened a lot of eyes. I’ve probably watched more videos and tried to educate myself more and more of the last couple weeks than I ever have over the issue. I think that it’s a shame that ended up tragic as it did, but I also had some text conversations with Bubba, and I thought the went really, really well. My kind of take on it is though, although tragic these people that lost their lives are probably going to save thousands of lives in the future. That is their legacy for this country, and we continue to have to get better. NASCAR’s going to continue to make changes and I’m sure they will look at what flags they want to fly in the infield. If you look at all of the haulers – each and every weekend – they’ve got the American flags flown all over the top of them. That’s what we salute when we do the national anthem. I’m supportive of whatever they want to change.”

Do you expect the changes – running at night – at Martinsville to be different than what you experience normally?

“Very good question. Very smart question. Martinsville will be different in a lot of different ways. They’re bringing a new tire to that racetrack, that could be as big as or bigger change than any weather change that we are going to have from history. You look at the dates, it’s going to be way further in the year than we’ve raced at Martinsville, way hotter temperatures. It used to be with the old tires, we used to need for it to be 60 degrees outside temperature for the tire to lay rubber. I know they really worked hard in the Goodyear test to try to have a tire that laid rubber down, that had fall off, because we hadn’t had fall off, and the racing had kind of suffered the last few years when we had the big spoiler and now fall off. Just really, racing suffered at Martinsville. That’s a track that should never – we should never be talking about aerodynamics, so they worked really hard on it. Even though we are going from day to night, I don’t think it will be as much because it is still a concrete surface that is brighter in color. The lighter the color the less transition you’ll have from day to night anyway. I don’t think that will be as big as of a difference as the tire change and the actual temperature.”

You’ve been one of the drivers that have more supportive of a ‘choose rule’. Can you take us through when you were with the driver’s council where it was at and where you think it is at now?

“I think that NASCAR has got a lot of pressure from the drivers on it. They have for many, many years. I would say they have their hands full probably right now with everything going on and it’s hard to implement more and more changes. Especially, procedure changes, but I think it’s something that we will talk about a year from now and it will be part of our sport. I don’t know if it will happen a month from now. I don’t know if it will happen at the end of the season, when it will happen, but I think there will just be too much pressure, too much shenanigans that’s obviously going on, on pit road that – let us just choose. Let us choose the line we want to be in. If we want to sacrifice a few spots here-and-there, to be in the line that we want to be, then by all means. If you want to move up a line, and put yourself in a non-preferred groove, do that. There are interesting stats to this – look at David Smith’s stats – is that on rows four, five and six at Darlington, if you are on the inside, it’s a 0% chance that you’ll maintain your spot. 0% percent. You got to play the numbers. Everyone’s playing that game at the end of pit road. I nearly wiped out the front of someone or the back of (Ryan) Blaney when those guys were stopped at the end of pit road, so it’s not that hard. Local short tracks do it. These tracks are big enough that where you could put it, maybe going into turn one, where we choose after we get to one to go. We’ve got the way till we come back around to get back lined up for the green flag. We can do it. I’m certainly confident that with NASCAR’s officiating that they can make it happen, but I’ve also got to kind of give them a pass right now that they are really adapting in a lot of different things within our sport right now.”

# # #

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.