Category: NASCAR Cup PR

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
EVENT: Blue-Emu 500 Media Availability

Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang, is one of three Ford drivers with two victories this season (Las Vegas and Phoenix). Logano, who has one series victory at Martinsville Speedway in 2018, goes into tomorrow night’s race second in the point standings. He held a Q&A session this afternoon to talk about the race and other issues.

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang – WILL THIS MARTINSVILLE RACE BE MORE COMPETITIVE THAN LAST YEAR WITH THIS NEW PACKAGE? “I think it’s not necessarily gonna be because we’re under the lights that’s gonna produce better racing, it’s the rules package that’s gonna produce better racing. The lower downforce with this big horsepower, and we talk about dirty air all the time and you say, ‘How can there be dirty air when they’re going 50 miles an hour in the center of the corner at Martinsville?’ Oh yeah, there’s dirty air, quite a bit of it. With this lower spoiler you can loosen cars up from being behind. The trailing car isn’t at as big of a disadvantage, where in the past year when you had that big spoiler on the car, being in the lead you have more downforce, you don’t have to use your brakes as much because you have more drag. It just snowballs and is an advantage for the leader to where you get up front, one thing after another just keeps getting better and better for you. Your brakes are cooler and your air-pressures come up less. Your car is handling better. You’re not slipping your tires as much. It’s a huge advantage, whereas now we lessen the advantage for the leader by taking downforce and drag off the cars on short tracks.”

BUBBA WALLACE SAID THE HE FEELS THE CONFEDERATE FLAG SHOULD BE BANNED BY NASCAR. DO YOU AGREE WITH HIM? “I think from my standpoint, and I’m probably not educated enough from any standpoint to speak much on anything, but as I’m trying to learn more, probably like a lot of Americans are right now is just trying to understand everything, I’m not someone that’s waved the Confederate flag in the past in any way. I’m someone that waves the American flag and I wave it proudly and I’ll continue to do that. That’s the only flag I wave, so why anyone waves the Confederate flag I have no idea. Like I said, I’m not educated in that department at all, so, like I said, I’m part of the United States. I’m a proud citizen of that and proud to fly the American flag for the men and women that have fought for my freedom, the people that I don’t even know have fought for my freedom. I can obviously appreciate that as does everybody else in America probably as well.”

DO YOU PLAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHY SOME PEOPLE CHOOSE TO FLY THE CONFEDERATE FLAG? “I think it’s probably smart for me to, but everybody has a different opinion, right? Opinions are like butt holes. Everyone’s got one and most of them stink, so I think at this point you do what you know is right and I know, like I said, I’m a proud citizen of this country and I wave the one with the stars and the stripes and that’s the one that I know the most about, and, like I said, the one that I know people fought for.”

HOW DO YOU APPROACH THESE RACES WITH NO PRACTICE? “It’s tough because working with Paul Wolfe now we have a new team and there’s been some challenges without practice, no doubt. Yes, we’ve had some good runs of late and have been really close to winning at Bristol and had a good car at Atlanta, but had some issues there. Preparing for the race it’s kind of like, ‘Well, what did you fight last year?’ ‘Well, I fought being loose here or tight here.’ ‘What did you fight?’ We had two different races going on. We had two different setups, so just trying to collaborate and put two and two together for an overall setup to start, and then when the race starts you hope you’re close and, if not, the communication between the driver and the crew chief during the race has been a little bit challenging of how far do we go? Is the track gonna change and go tighter because it’s rubbering up or looser or the sun is going down and which direction is it gonna go? We don’t have any practice notes to go off of. What’s gonna happen when we’re in dirty air compared to clean air? I don’t know. We didn’t have practice, and so that’s been a challenge for all the race teams, but I think also as a new race team working together it’s been a little bit extra challenging, but I feel like we’ve been able to overcome a lot already and also still have, I feel like, a lot of runway ahead of us to get even stronger. So I feel good about where we’re at. We’ve had some ups-and-downs throughout the races themselves, but I think overall we’ve had pretty good speed, so it’s tough without practice. You look at the way speeding penalties are lately. Boy, everyone is getting speeding penalties a lot lately, including myself, and a lot of that is due to no practice, so there’s just a lot of challenges right now that we’re trying to overcome.”

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE MARTINSVILLE TO SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE? “Take a 3400-pound race car with 750 horsepower and make a half-mile circle at your local grocery store parking lot, and try to do that as fast as you can 500 times. That’s Martinsville. Nobody knows what that is like because it’s not legal to do what I just explained, so it’s a tough place because to make speed on the short run compared to the long run, or channeling your aggression with patience is tough. Making a fast lap one lap is one thing. Making a fast lap 50 laps into a run is another thing. Getting frustrated during the race because you can’t get by somebody or the bumping and banging and keeping your fenders on. There are so many different aspects of winning at Martinsville, which makes it fun, but really, really hard to make it all come together. I enjoy the challenge. I absolutely love it. It’s a fun race track to go to. I’ve come out of there with a big smile on my face and I’ve come out of there wanting to beat someone up, but it’s one of those places that you’re gonna have memories, that’s for sure. Good or bad, you’re gonna remember your races at Martinsville.”

WHAT’S THE MOST FRUSTRATED YOU’VE GOTTEN AT MARTINSVILLE? “I’ll let you know Wednesday. I think what ends up happening is at the end of the races everyone starts picking it up a notch. To me, my all-time frustrating moment it’s hard not to say when I got wrecked into one a few years back as the leader. Obviously, that’s gonna take the cake when it comes to frustrating moments, but being able to win there means as much as anything. It’s definitely one of those race tracks that as a NASCAR driver you want to have a win at. To me, maybe it’s not Daytona or Indy, but, to me, it’s right in the wheelhouse with Charlotte and Darlington, a road course. You want to have on your stats that you clicked off a win at Martinsville because everyone knows how hard that is to say you’ve been able to accomplish. Everyone wants to have that Martinsville clock ringing in the morning every hour when you hear that thing going off in your house. That’s a sweet sound. That’s how you know you’ve been able to win there. It’s not an easy one to get.”

WHAT HAS THE EXPERIENCE BEEN LIKE BEING THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL SPORT BACK IN ACTION AND HOW HAS IT BEEN NOT HAVING FANS IN THE STANDS? “We miss them. Trust me, we really miss our fans, but, at the same time, we’re with our fans. Before the races start and you’re on pit road and you don’t have any fans around you, you can’t hear any cheering or booing from driver’s intros, or everyone getting all fired up before they say ‘drivers start your engines.’ We don’t have that part, but when the race starts, the race starts and you’re kind of in the zone and you don’t notice it. But when you get out of the car again at the end of the race it’s just quiet. It’s just an interesting feeling, and then you go back and you look at the impact we’ve made, whether it’s on social media or just looking at the ratings from what our races have been able to produce and you say, ‘Boy, there are a lot of fans watching us. This is great. It’s going really, really well.’ So your perspective is different sometimes when you don’t see them physically, but when you realize later on that we’re racing in front of what is the biggest crowd that we’ve raced in front of in a while makes you think that, ‘Boy, this is really great’ and we’ve taken this opportunity in front of us and really taken advantage of it, which as a sport I couldn’t be more proud of being in the meetings listening to all the team leaders and other drivers finding ways to do this and get back to the race track as soon as possible in the safest way. That being the biggest priority is doing this safely and what protocols need to be put in place and everyone working together. That was amazing to see because you’re talking about race teams and people that want to win every week and will do whatever it takes to beat the person next to them, and in this case we all came together and said, ‘Let’s just get back to the race track so we can race and then we’ll worry about kicking each other’s butt.’ It’s been an interesting few months leading up to what we’ve been able to accomplish the last few weeks and that’s just because of great collaboration throughout our sport and that’s all starting with the leaders at NASCAR. They’re the ones that put all of us together to come up with ways to make this work.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE COMPETITIVE BALANCE BETWEEN MANUFACTURERS? “I think if you look at just kind of where things are at right now, you’re fairly equal. I’d say Chevy’s new body has really brought them into the game to where you look at Ganassi and Hendrick, especially on the 550 race tracks, I’d say they’re stronger than anybody from the speed perspective, and then also on the long run deal. If you look at the average of the races, if you look at California or Darlington, some of the speed those cars had. Putting the race together for them has been their challenge, but if you look at raw speed, they’re there and they’re stronger than probably all of us right now. There’s always a rabbit to chase and that’s kind of the rabbit out there right now for us, but I feel like we’re close and I feel like on these 750 races the Fords and Team Penske in particular has been strong. You look at Bristol, we had a good car and we almost won and then Brad was able to sneak by and get that win. Phoenix, we were able to win, so Martinsville this week I hope to be in the running. I expect to be, so it seems like different packages are kind of playing into different manufacturers and different teams wheelhouses for them, but it just seems like everyone is fairly close right now and it’s just putting it all together.”

HOW DIFFERENT WILL IT BE GOING TO HOMESTEAD WITHOUT A CHAMPIONSHIP ON THE LINE? “It’s gonna feel really weird. My whole career that’s always been the final race of the year and here in the last few years you’re either in the Championship 4 or you’re racing against the guys in it and it’s kind of been 50/50 for me in those scenarios. A lot of times the cream always rises to the top at that race track and you always saw those Championship 4 drivers finishing in the top four or right there at it, and one of them has always won the race. I wouldn’t expect some of that to be much different, but you know when you get down there and you’re not in the Championship 4 the effort that those other four cars have put into it has really kind of set themselves apart from the field a little bit, whereas now it might be a little bit more of an equal playing field when we get there. That will be interesting. Miami is not gonna change. It’s still gonna be tires wearing, good, hard racing, side-by-side, a little bit of draft into play as well. Your car is up by the wall, cars on the bottom, so it’s still gonna be a great race. It’s still gonna be Miami any way you look at it and it’s one of the best, if not the best race track we go to, so I don’t see any of that changing it’s just the environment is gonna feel a little bit different not being the final race of the year.”

McDowell on Martinsville:

“I cannot wait to head to Virginia tomorrow evening for some Wednesday night racing under the lights at Martinsville Speedway. We will have The Pete Store joining our No. 34 Ford Mustang; a company that has really been an essential part in the growth of our race program over the years. We have two brand new Peterbilts parked in our truck bay at the shop that we rely on to get our race cars to the track every week. Year in and year out, The Pete Store has really taken care of our team and I’m ready to battle hard tomorrow night and hopefully get them the finish that they deserve.”

About The Pete Store

The Pete Store is a growing network of Peterbilt truck dealerships, with locations spanning the Eastern United States. Through our exclusive Peterbilt dealerships we offer sales of new and pre-owned trucks, truck parts, body shops, and truck service. A recipient of numerous awards, including Peterbilt North American Dealer of the Year (2004, 2016 and 2018), The Pete Store is a respected dealer in the transportation industry with a track record for quality support.

Richard Childress Racing at Martinsville Speedway … In 173 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Martinsville Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has earned four pole awards and posted seven victories with drivers Dale Earnhardt (five times), Ricky Rudd (1983) and Kevin Harvick (2011). RCR Chevrolet teams have earned 30 top-five and 63 top-10 finishes at Martinsville dating back to the team’s first start there on April 10, 1972. Richard Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, contributed four of those top-10 finishes from 1976-1978.

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 Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 from Martinsville Speedway will be televised live Wednesday, June 10, beginning at 7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports One and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This Week’s Symbicort Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Martinsville Speedway … In 12 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Martinsville Speedway, Dillon earned his best finish of fourth in April 2016 at the half-mile short track after starting deep in the field from the 29th spot. He also has a fifth-place finish at the track (April 2017). He has made four appearances at the track in the NASCAR Truck Series, earning his best finish of third in October 2011.

SYMBICORT Partners with the No. 3 at Martinsville Speedway … SYMBICORT is an AstraZeneca product and the sponsor of the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Martinsville Speedway with Austin Dillon. You can learn more at MySymbicort.com. AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
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.”

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Cat Fleet Monitoring Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Martinsville Speedway … Tyler Reddick will be making his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Martinsville Speedway this Wednesday night. This event also marks Reddick’s return to the half-mile track since his NASCAR Truck Series days, during which he had six starts, two top-five and three top-10 finishes at Martinsville.

About Caterpillar’s Fleet Monitoring Division … Whether you operate one piece of equipment or a fleet of hundreds, the amount of data today’s assets and sites generate is overwhelming. You know that data contains valuable insights that can help you make smarter operational, maintenance and repair decisions, but who has the time and expertise to analyze it? The experts at the Caterpillar Fleet Monitoring Center and dealer centers around the world do. They have the tools and training to review and interpret your data, then recommend specific actions you can take to cut costs, reduce downtime, improve performance and enhance safety. No matter your industry or brand of equipment, you can count on Caterpillar and dealer condition monitoring experts to help you make informed decisions that boost your productivity and profits. Learn more about how to better manage your equipment by taking a quiz at Cat.com/KnowYourFleet.

TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:
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. 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 years.”

Your Chevrolet will have special messaging from Caterpillar on the quarter panels at Martinsville 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.”

Team: No. 6 Koch Industries Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman
Race Format: 263 miles, 500 laps, Stage Lengths: 130-130-240
Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 – Wednesday, June 10 at 7 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

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.

Bristol Recap, Sunday Preview

· Newman overcame an early speeding penalty and picked off multiple positions to finish 14th in the Progressive Ford, his second-straight top-15 and fourth since returning to racing.

· Wednesday’s starting lineup was determined by a random draw based on teams’ order in owners points. Newman and the No. 6 team – 20th in owners’ points – drew the 16th spot in the random draw.

Newman Historically at Martinsville Speedway

· Newman – a former winner at Martinsville – will make his 37th Cup start Wednesday night at the .526-mile track. In 36 prior events, he has an average finish of 14.8 with 17 top-10s and eight top-fives.

· Newman won the spring race back in 2012, leading the final 12 laps after starting fifth. He’s completed more than 97 percent of the laps, and finished top-10 more than 47 percent of the time.

· Outside of his win in 2012, Newman’s other top finishes include a runner-up result in 2007 and two third-place finishes (2004, 2014).

· Newman has an average starting spot of 10.9 at the Paperclip with three career poles (2002, 2004, 2009).

Scott Graves at Martinsville Speedway

· Graves will call his eighth NCS event at Martinsville. In seven prior starts, Graves has a best finish of 10th, most recently with Newman last fall.

· Prior to 2019, Graves had a best result of 15th with Daniel Suarez in 2017.

QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on racing at Martinsville:
“Anytime we can get back to a short track, we feel confident and are excited to see what we’ve got. We drastically improved from last spring to finish 10th last fall. Despite being a short track, Martinsville tends to be a long race in terms of action happening throughout the track, so keeping the fenders clean and car together is important when it comes down to the final few laps. We’re glad to have Koch back on the car and appreciate their support, and look forward to finishing the deal off this time around.”

On the Car
Koch Industries (pronounced ‘Coke’) – who teamed up with RFR in Daytona – returns to the No. 6 machine Wednesday at Martinsville. Koch was on the verge of back-to-back victories, first in the Busch Clash exhibition event before going on to finish fifth, followed by the horrific last-lap crash in the Daytona 500 in which Newman led coming to the stripe, before finishing ninth despite the crash.

About Koch Industries
Based in Wichita, Kansas, Koch Industries, Inc. is one of the largest private companies in America, with estimated annual revenues as high as $110 billion, according to Forbes. It owns a diverse group of companies involved in refining, chemicals, and biofuels; forest and consumer products; fertilizers; polymers and fibers; process and pollution control systems; electronics, software and data analytics; minerals; glass; automotive components; ranching; commodity trading; and investments. Since 2003, Koch companies have invested nearly $105 billion in growth and improvements. With a presence in 60 countries, Koch companies employ nearly 130,000 people worldwide, with about 67,000 of those in the United States. From January 2009 to present, Koch companies have earned more than 1,300 awards for safety, environmental excellence, community stewardship, innovation, and customer service. For more news and information, visit www.KOCHind.com.

Just three days after a grueling 500-miler in the sweltering Georgia heat, Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are in for another endurance test in the form of a 500-lapper at Martinsville Speedway.

NASCAR’s revised schedule, created in response to the coronavirus, moved Martinsville’s spring race to this Wednesday night, where it is sandwiched in between races at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway, which will host a 400-miler on Sunday afternoon.

DiBenedetto said he came through Atlanta’s race in good shape physically and is ready to take on Martinsville’s paper-clip-shaped half mile oval.

“When I got out of the car at Atlanta a lot of guys looked pretty wiped out, but I actually felt pretty good,” he said, adding that he attributes that to keeping himself hydrated before and throughout the race and to his team’s pre-race work on the No. 21 Mustang. “It’s a real testament to the team’s preparation of the driver comfort and cooling features of the car.”

DiBenedetto said he’ll be needing more of the same from the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team Wednesday night.

“Martinsville is one of the most physically demanding tracks we go to,” he said. “You never get a break there.”

But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t like racing there.

“Short tracks are my favorite by far,” he said. “I’d be lying if I said anything different.”

DiBenedetto said he’s anxious to see how the Goodyear tire compound performs. “The new tire has more lap time fall-off during a run,” he said. “That should to be fun.”

He also said he’d especially like to run well at Martinsville since it’s the home track for his Wood Brothers team, which is from nearby Stuart, Va.

“Hopefully we can get the Wood Brothers a good finish because I know how much that track means to them.”

DiBenedetto will start Wednesday’s Blue Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 from 19th place, as teams drew for starting positions since no qualifying will be held. That means he’ll have work to do immediately once the green flag drops.

“Track position is big at Martinsville,” he said. “We’ll have to climb through the field, but it’s a long enough race that we can get back up there where we belong.”

There will be no practice before the drop of the green flag Wednesday night, which is scheduled for just after 7 p.m.

TV coverage will be carried by FOX Sports One.

About Motorcraft:

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

About Omnicraft:

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

About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center

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

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

Wood Brothers Racing

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

Koch Makes First Primary Appearance since Daytona 500

CONCORD, N.C., (June 9, 2020) – Roush Fenway Racing has announced that Koch (pronounced ‘Coke’) Industries – who served as the primary aboard Ryan Newman’s No. 6 Ford Mustang at Daytona International Speedway in February – will return as the primary for Wednesday night’s race at Martinsville Speedway.

“We are really excited to have Koch back on the car at Martinsville,” said Newman. “They came on board at Daytona and have been a great partner. We came really close to taking the Koch Ford to victory lane in the 500, so hopefully we can finish the job Wednesday night at Martinsville.”

Koch was on-board Newman’s Ford that came just a few feet away from winning the famed Daytona 500, before getting wrecked just short of Newman’s second Daytona 500 victory. Newman returned to the track on May 17 at Darlington when NASCAR also returned following the schedule being halted due to COVID-19.

“Koch Industries is excited to continue its partnership with Roush Fenway and Ryan Newman at Martinsville. As Ryan continues his inspiring comeback, both of our teams are committed to building a mutually beneficial relationship that creates value for our fans and customers alike. We wish Ryan and the Roush Fenway team the best of luck as they race to victory later this week,” said Steve Lombardo, chief communications and marketing officer for Koch Industries.

Koch also appeared as the primary partner for the Busch Clash event the Sunday prior to ‘The Great American Race,’ where Newman started from the pole and finished fifth. He went on to finish ninth in the Daytona 500 despite the crash.

Newman will make his 37th Cup start at Martinsville Wednesday night, a track he has one win at back in 2009. He has totaled 17 top-10s all-time, including eight inside the top five. Most recently he and the No. 6 team tallied a 10th-place run in the fall of 2019.

Coverage for Wednesday’s race kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on FS1. Coverage can also be heard live on MRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.

About Koch Industries
Based in Wichita, Kansas, Koch Industries, Inc. is one of the largest private companies in America, with estimated annual revenues as high as $110 billion, according to Forbes. It owns a diverse group of companies involved in refining, chemicals, and biofuels; forest and consumer products; fertilizers; polymers and fibers; process and pollution control systems; electronics, software and data analytics; minerals; glass; automotive components; ranching; commodity trading; and investments. Since 2003, Koch companies have invested nearly $105 billion in growth and improvements. With a presence in 60 countries, Koch companies employ nearly 130,000 people worldwide, with about 67,000 of those in the United States. From January 2009 to present, Koch companies have earned more than 1,300 awards for safety, environmental excellence, community stewardship, innovation, and customer service. For more news and information, visit www.KOCHind.com.

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

Team: No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Luke Lambert
Twitter: @17RoushTeam, @RoushFenway and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 263 miles, 500 laps, Stage Lengths: 130-130-240
Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 – Wednesday, June 10 at 7 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

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, Wednesday Preview

· Buescher battled an ill-handling Fastenal Ford to finish 22nd Sunday in Atlanta.

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

· The random draw will take place at 6 p.m. ET Monday night on RaceHub on FS1.

Buescher Historically at Martinsville Speedway

· Buescher makes his 10th Cup start at Martinsville on Wednesday, where he carries a best finish of 11th and an average result of 20.6.

· Buescher crossed the line 11th back in the 2017 spring event after starting 33rd in the No. 37 machine. Most recently he came home 12th last fall, his third top-13 dating back six races.

Luke Lambert at Martinsville Speedway

· Lambert will be atop the box for his 16th Cup start at Martinsville Wednesday, where he has six top-10 results and an average finish of 14.1.

· His best finish came back in the fall of 2014 where he and Ryan Newman crossed the line third after starting ninth. He led Jeff Burton to a sixth-place run in 2011 in his first-ever Cup race at the track, and also finished seventh (2015), 10th (2016) and eighth (2017, 2018) with Newman.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Martinsville:
“It’s hard to go wrong with a short track and I’m excited to see Martinsville under the lights for the first time. It’s a race that is always packed full of action, and it’s important to keep the fenders clear and survive to the end. We’re looking forward to the challenge and a solid run in our Fastenal Ford.”

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

Norton Abrasives, Loctite, ITW, MCR and Weiler will be the Fastenal suppliers to ride aboard the No. 17 on Wednesday.

· Norton Abrasives, a Saint-Gobain brand, will ride on the hood.

· Loctite, a leader in adhesives, sealants and surface treatments will be on the TV panel.

· ITW brands Red Head, Sammys, and Buildex will ride on the deck lid.

· MCR, a leader in the field of personal protective equipment (PPE), will be on the lower rear quarter.

· Weiler, a leading manufacturer of surface conditioning solutions, we ride on the B-Post.

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

FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: MARTINSVILLE

NASCAR history will be made on Wednesday when the Cup Series returns to action as Martinsville Speedway hosts its first night race. Ford has won 4 of the first 6 series events since the sport returned to action on May 17 and leads the way with six victories overall in 2020.

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT MARTINSVILLE

· Ford has 30 series wins at Martinsville Speedway.
· Ford has won three of the last four series events at Martinsville.
· Brad Keselowski is the defending winner of Wednesday’s event.

THE FIRST TIME SINCE…

As mentioned above, Ford leads the NASCAR Cup Series with six victories. This marks the first time since 1997 that Ford has won six of the first 10 races. Back then, it was Mark Martin and Dale Jarrett, who posted a pair of wins while Rusty Wallace and Jeff Burton had one apiece. This season it’s the trio of Kevin Harvick, Brad Keslowski and Joey Logano who have led the way with two victories each.

HARVICK CONTINUES FORD HOT STREAK

Kevin Harvick’s NASCAR Cup Series win on Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway was his second of the season and 51st of his career. Harvick is now 12th on NASCAR’s all-time win list and is three behind 11th-place Lee Petty. In addition, since coming to Ford with Stewart-Haas Racing at the start of the 2017 season, Harvick has won 16 races – the most for any Ford driver since that time. Those 16 wins are tied with Kurt Busch for 18th-place on Ford’s all-time list. Ned Jarrett is Ford’s all-time win leader with 43 while Bill Elliott is second with 40.

STANDINGS LEADER

Ford’s early-season surge has also showed itself in the manufacturer standings as the Blue Oval holds a 34-point lead after 10 events. Not surprisingly, the trio of Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski all appear high up in the regular season standings with Harvick holding a 48-point lead over second-place Logano while Keselowski is fourth, 75 points out of the lead. All three drivers have been to Victory Lane in the Cup Series at Martinsville with Keselowski having two wins at the half-mile paperclip (2017, 2019). Logano (2018) and Harvick (2011) have one apiece. Ryan Blaney is Ford’s fourth driver in the top 10 of the point standings as he is currently seventh.

MARTINSVILLE TURNAROUND

Martinsville Speedway has not historically been Ford’s best track, but that has been changing the past couple of seasons. After enduring a 28-race winless drought at NASCAR’s oldest track, Ford goes into Wednesday night’s event having won three of the last four and four of the last six overall. That includes a sweep in 2018 when Clint Bowyer and Joey Logano found their way to Victory Lane, marking the first time Ford captured both NASCAR Cup Series races in the same season since 2001. Brad Keselowski continued Ford’s hot streak when he won this event last year.

BOWYER NETS FIRST FORD WIN

Clint Bowyer snapped a 190-race winless stretch by leading the final 114 laps to win the weather-delayed STP 500 in 2018. The win was Bowyer’s first with Ford and ninth of his career. He passed Ryan Blaney on lap 285 to gain the lead for the first time, and when Jamie McMurray brought out the caution 100 laps later after hitting the wall, Bowyer’s pit crew got him back out with the lead and that proved to be the difference. That capped a big day for Ford, which had five drivers finish in the Top 10 and saw Blaney win Stage 2.

LOGANO PUNCHES CHAMPIONSHIP 4 TICKET

When NASCAR came to Martinsville in 2018 for the Round of 8 opener, Joey Logano emerged with an automatic berth into the Championship 4 after a dramatic final lap battle with Martin Truex Jr. Logano, who has five poles at the track, was dominant all day as he led a race-high 309 laps, but Truex challenged and took the lead on the final lap. Logano used his bumper to get inside Truex coming off turn four and the two ended up banging doors to the checkered flag with Logano narrowly beating him and Denny Hamlin.

KESELOWSKI WINS FIRST CLOCK

Brad Keselowski outdueled Kyle Busch down the stretch to win his first grandfather clock after capturing the STP 500 on Apr. 2, 2017. The two drivers waged a memorable battle that saw them swap the lead five times in the last 160 laps, but Keselowski ended up making the decisive pass on lap 458 and led the final 43 circuits to become the first repeat winner in 2017. Prior to winning at Martinsville, Keselowski took the checkered flag at Atlanta in the second race of the season.

A FIRST FOR FRED

The first time Ford won a NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway also marked the first career victory for 2015 NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen. The date was April 9, 1961 and Lorenzen battled Rex White, who led the first 118 laps after starting on the pole. Lorenzen, driving for Holman-Moody at the time, grabbed the lead on lap 119 and held it until rain came ending the race prematurely after 149 circuits. Little did anyone know that 54 years later both men would be enshrined into the NASCAR Hall of Fame as part of the same induction class. Martinsville was a place Lorenzen dominated, winning six times, including four straight from 1963-65. He was absolutely unbeatable in 1964 as he led 990 out of a possible 1,000 laps (487 in the first and 493 in the second) in winning both races.

CRAVEN WINS FIRST CUP RACE

Ricky Craven outlasted Dale Jarrett over the final laps to post the first victory of his NASCAR Cup Series career on Oct. 15, 2001 at Martinsville Speedway. Pit strategy played a key role in this race as Jarrett opted for four tires on his final stop while Craven just got two. That enabled Craven to build a lead following the ensuing restart with 17 to go, but Jarrett gained ground and found himself in position to win on the final lap. That’s when Jarrett went to the outside going into turn one and got side-by-side with Craven coming off turn two. Both Fords made contact door-to-door entering turn three, but Craven emerged off four with the advantage and took the checkered flag.

RUDD ROUGHS IT OUT

No driver displayed more toughness during his career than Ricky Rudd and that was evident again in 1998 when the Virginia native endured burns on his backside to win the NAPA Autocare 500 on Sept. 27. On a day that saw temperatures in the mid-nineties, Rudd found himself in a bad way just five laps into the race when his cooling unit failed. As the cockpit got hotter he asked to have a relief driver standing by, so Hut Stricklin was in the pit area ready to takeover. Ice packs helped momentarily, but his back was blistering so the team tried to cool him off with a hose. Unfortunately, the hose they used had been lying in the sun, so when they doused him the first time the water was hot. That method worked better on later stops, but in the end it was Rudd who toughed it out and led the final 96 laps to win and extend his streak to 16 consecutive seasons with at least one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup win.

BUSCH BEATS BENSON

When Kurt Busch won at Martinsville Speedway was on Oct. 20, 2002 he set a track record for winning from the furthest starting position after taking the green flag in 36th-place. It took him all day to eventually get to the front of the field, but he took the lead on lap 389 and surrendered it for only one lap to Johnny Benson the rest of the way in posting his second career win. Benson was all over Busch’s bumper in the closing laps as lap traffic created plenty of drama, but Busch was able to weave his way through and take the checkered flag.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT MARTINSVILLE
1961 – Fred Lorenzen (1)
1962 – Nelson Stacy (2)
1963 – Fred Lorenzen (2)
1964 – Fred Lorenzen (Sweep)
1965 – Fred Lorenzen and Junior Johnson
1966 – Fred Lorenzen (2)
1969 – Richard Petty (Sweep)
1986 – Ricky Rudd (1)
1990 – Geoffrey Bodine (Sweep)
1992 – Mark Martin and Geoffrey Bodine
1993 – Ernie Irvan (2)
1994 – Rusty Wallace (Sweep)
1995 – Rusty Wallace (1)
1996 – Rusty Wallace (1)
1997 – Jeff Burton (1)
1998 – Ricky Rudd (2)
2000 – Mark Martin (1)
2001 – Dale Jarrett and Ricky Craven
2002 – Kurt Busch (2)
2017 – Brad Keselowski (1)
2018 – Clint Bowyer and Joey Logano
2019 – Brad Keselowski (1)

HAMPTON, GA – June 8, 2020 – Kevin Harvick delivered a special birthday present to crew chief Rodney Childers by winning Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500. This was Ford’s fourth win in a row at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“Four in a row at Atlanta! What an accomplishment for everyone at Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines. Congratulations to Kevin, Rodney, Tony, Gene and everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “No practice nor qualifying has definitely been an adjustment for all of us, and to see Stewart-Haas and other Ford Performance teams run well is a testament to all the hard work of the entire team.”

This abrasive track paired with hot and humid weather made for a great race Sunday afternoon. Tires were crucial to all the competitors on track, putting pressure on the pit crews to get their drivers off pit road first. “We had a great pit stop (during the last caution), then we had a restart on the bottom, and it got my car to take off,” said Harvick. “I was able to get track position and then once I could get through those first 10 laps and my car was freed up enough to where I could get into rhythm and really started hitting my marks.”

Atlanta has always been a special place for Harvick, as he scored his very first NASCAR Cup Series victory in 2001. Harvick has led a total of 1,348 laps at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the most among active drivers. Throughout Sunday’s race, Fox Sports broadcasters’ mentioned “Harvicking”, referencing Kevin’s unique driving style around this challenging track.

Harvick paid tribute to the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. by holding three fingers out the window after crossing the finish line. “This is just a racetrack that I’ve taken a liking to, and you always come back and have those memories and now you want to celebrate everything that Dale Earnhardt did for this sport,” commented Harvick.

Harvick started from P9 and led a race-high 151 of the 325 laps. All three Team Penske Mustangs finished inside the top-10. Ryan Blaney finished in P4, Brad Keselowski in P9, and Joey Logano in P10. Clint Bowyer in the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang also led three times for 58 laps but pitted late in the race and finished outside the top-10.

With Harvick’s second win of the season, he retains the top spot in the driver points standings and maintains the owner standings lead for Stewart-Haas Racing. Logano currently sits second just 48 points out and Keselowski is forth, 75 points out of the lead. Ford leads all manufactures with six wins this season, four of those races since NASCAR returned to action May 17th.

The Xfinity series also took on Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend. Austin Cindric jumped out to an early lead and finished Stage 1 nearly nine seconds ahead of Ross Chastain. Stage 2 was all about the Mustangs, Cindric took Stage 2 checkered flag with Chase Briscoe in P2. During the final stage late race pit stop, both Briscoe and Cindric were penalized for speeding on pit road. Both Ford drivers came up through the field with purpose, Briscoe finishing P9 and Cindric P16.

Briscoe in the No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing machine maintained the top spot in driver points and Cindric in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford is sixth, just 55 points behind.

The NASCAR Cup Series will make a quick turnaround for Wednesday night racing at Martinsville Speedway, then down to Homestead-Miami Speedway for some Sunday afternoon action. The NASCAR Xfinity Series will run the first double-header of 2020 this upcoming weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway with two races in two days, running the same car and engine. Reference the full 2020 schedule on RoushYates.com.

27 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 387 WINS – 357 POLES!

*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images

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

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

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

3 Series – 22 Teams – 81 Races

NASCAR CUP SERIES
ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY
FOLDS OF HONOR QUIKTRIP 500
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
JUNE 7, 2020

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
6th KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
7th JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
8th CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE
11th AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 SYMBICORT CAMARO ZL1 1LE
12th ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st Kevin Harvick (Ford)
2nd Kyle Busch (Toyota)
3rd Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota)
4th Ryan Blaney (Ford)
5th Denny Hamlin (Toyota)

The NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Martinsville Speedway with the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 on Wednesday, June 10, at 7:00 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY NOTES AND QUOTES:
MATT MCCALL, CREW CHIEF FOR THE NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 6th
“We had a full effort from everyone today. We created a deficit for ourselves with issues in pre-race inspection, having to start at the rear and serve a pass-thru penalty to start the race. The driver did a great job racing to stay in position for the free pass, to get back on the lead lap at the competition caution on lap 25, after that we just worked on trying to make the car better. We had good long run speed, but the short-runs near the stage breaks were tough. Kurt did a great job of driving up through the field on the last long green-flag run to score another top-10 finish. Really proud of this Monster Energy team today.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 7th
Kevin clearly seems to have something figured out in recent years here in Atlanta and you’re one of the guys that also has something figured out in past years at Dover and still now. I’m curious, what is it like as a driver when you know going into a weekend and during the race that you have a leg up on your competitors?
“Yeah, it’s a great feeling, especially for the team when they know that they’ve hit on something that works, and what’s impressive is when a team and driver are able to continue for a long stretch of time at a track. You think about the various rules packages that have come down the pipe and that 4 car, and it’s consistently up front here at this track with an open motor, a 750 motor, a 550 motor, different aero packages, they just have a great feel for it, and I’ve certainly had that luxury a few times in my career. I wish it was still going on right now, especially going into Martinsville on Wednesday. I wish this was kind of mid to late 2000s when we had a great advantage there. But you enjoy it while you can.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 SYMBICORT CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 11th
“P-11, one spot out of a third-straight top-10. Feeling good after the race. All the work we’ve been putting in has paid off, I feel strong. Onto Martinsville and Homestead, and somewhere in between there, Ace is going to come out. It’s going to be a busy week. Man, I wish we got one more spot. Three-straight top-10’s would have been nice. Thanks to Symbicort and everybody that helps this program – Dow, Bass Pro Shops, we’ve got a great crew. We’ll keep grinding.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 12th
“We didn’t have the greatest day. Had some ups and downs. Started really loose and got the car better. I think the track tightened up a little bit after that. Got too tight there and got it freed back up there at the end. We tried some pit strategy which is always good to try, but at least we finished where we ran. Wish we could have been a little better, just not the greatest day for us. We just really struggled through the bumps today.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 NOS ENERGY DRINK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 13th
“P-13. I thought we had a shot at a top-10 there – got some stage points. The NOS Energy Drink Camaro looked awesome on the race track and drove really good, especially at the start of the race. I felt like we lost the handle there towards the middle and just got behind. And then I ran the tires off of it at the end and gave up a couple spots. But, all-in-all, a solid effort. This JTG Daugherty Team is putting in a lot of work and it’s a lot of fun to drive this 47 car. I’m looking forward to just building on this and building on the speed that we have.”

“It was hot out there. I burned 3,150 calories to be exact. But we put in a lot of hard work at my gym. Trainer Ryan has been pushing me hard, especially during this quarantine, giving me workouts to do and been busting my butt. Rogue’s supplied me with great equipment to workout with every day. This heat – it’s hot. We’ve got a long summer ahead, but feeling good, strong and ready to go.”

MATT KENSETH, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 15th
“A lot of challenges again today. We got some damage early, on pit road. We got some damage and lost our track position. We were trying to battle back from that. I felt like we were pretty close to being a top-10 car and got run into again near the very end, which knocked the front end out of alignment. Kind of a disappointing day, but the finish could be worse. I feel like there are some things that we improved on; we learned about our Credit One Bank Camaro, its fast, we’ve just got to put a whole race together. I’m looking forward to going to Martinsville Wednesday night”.

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 ROLAND CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 16th
“We just missed it with the handling today of our No. 8 Roland Chevrolet. We had speed during the first stage and were able to race up into the top 10, but as the stage came to an end, it felt like a tire was going down, so I slowed down to take care of the car and ended up getting shuffled back through the field. From there, it was just a tough day. I couldn’t really run anywhere except for the bottom, and even that was a challenge. The car would swing from being too loose to being too tight and struggle over the bumps in Turns 3 and 4. It seemed like no matter what adjustment we made throughout the day, it just didn’t make a huge difference in the handling of our car. It almost felt like there weren’t any front tires on it. I know everyone on my team will study this race to try to learn what went wrong and improve for next time. We grinded it out today and got as many spots as we could, which is important as we try to fight our way into the Playoffs. I know my crew chief, Randall Burnett, has a good feel for Martinsville Speedway, so I’m looking forward to racing there on Wednesday for the first time in a long time.”

BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 MCDONALD’S CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 21st
“Not the day we wanted for our Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 McDonald’s Chevrolet, that’s for sure. We thought we were OK – we had that loose wheel, but all-in-all, we couldn’t get a hold of our balance. We’ll go on and go to Martinsville Speedway.”

TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 29th
“Long day for our GEICO Camaro team. We started the race fast, but over time, our car just didn’t have the grip that those fast guys did. Even though we didn’t get the finish we were looking for, Matt (Borland) and the guys never gave up all day. During the last green flag stop, I made a mistake, sped on pit road and then had to do a pass-through penalty. Just a tough day overall. We will keep digging as a team and go to Martinsville on Wednesday.”
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.