Category: NASCAR Cup PR

NASCAR CUP SERIES
CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
COCA-COLA 600
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MAY 22, 2020

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 COCA-COLA CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media and discussed the return of NASCAR to racing at the two Darlington events, the fitness aspect of the upcoming Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, his relationship with the GM BuyPower Card and Pit Stops for Hope, and more. Transcript:

YOU HAVE A COLLABORATION WITH THE GM BUYPOWER CARD. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU’VE BEEN DOING WITH THEM LATELY DURING THE TIME-OFF WE’VE HAD?
“We created a relationship last year with the GM BuyPower Card from Capital One. We started off with a good year and this year, with everything that’s going on, obviously, with the coronavirus, we wanted to figure out a way to come together and partner and give back to our local community. Ray Wright, who is also on this call, is a good friend of mine. He’s our pit coach here at RCR and started Pit Stops for Hope a while back. I’ve always enjoyed working with him and seeing the work that he has done throughout our community for education and the local Piedmont Triad, and then has also been providing meals for kids. I’m getting ready to have my first kid and seeing what fatherhood is about. It’s kind of my mission to help support other children. Ray has always been really good with our racing community and bringing them together to find ways that we can give back. And so it was really cool that GM BuyPower card, Capital One, to help us out here and it’s made our relationship tie together closer and has really brought that family atmosphere to it.”

FROM A REALLY WIDE VIEW, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS PAST WEEK AND HOW NASCAR GOT BACK TO RACING? FIRST, THEY HAD TO HANDLE JUST THE RETURN ITSELF WITH ALL THE HEALTH PROTOCOLS AND SUCH. AND THEN YOU GUYS GOT GOOD RACES OUT OF IT AND HAVE SOME MOMENTUM GOING INTO THE 600. HOW DO YOU THINK THE WEEK HAS GONE?
“I was sitting at home last night and I had the TV on ESPN and I saw Chase Briscoe’s amazing victory and his interview. Seeing that on ESPN, it’s been a minute since our sport has really been featured on that channel, and that just kind of made me proud of NASCAR for the efforts they went through to be the first big sport to come back. I think NASCAR, a lot of people were watching, because of the amount of people that we have to bring to the track. It’s huge for our sport. I’m really proud of all the guys and girls from NASCAR that made it happen and they’ve done a good job of bringing it back safely. I felt like it ran super smooth. Obviously, it was awkward for the first time sitting and waiting and not being able to do things leading up to the race. That was kind of tough. But, as far as going out and getting in the race car and getting back on track, it felt so good just to be in a race car again. As soon as the green flag dropped, it was a race. And you saw that. It was good racing. And yes, we do have big momentum going into the 600, one of our best races as a sport that we have. I’m looking forward to that race.”

WITH ALL THESE NEW EYES ON YOU AND PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE NEW TO NASCAR, HOW DO YOU GET THEM TO SIT THROUGH THE 600, WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS THE MOST EXCITING RACE?
“Well, I think the package that we are bringing to the track now for 1.5-mile races, makes it more exciting. This weekend at Darlington, if you would have told me of those two races that we would have only gotten one green-flag stop in, over two races, that would have surprised me. I feel like it was pretty action-packed when it came to cautions and people wrecking and spinning out. Some spinning out I feel like can bring a caution out. That’s a different subject. But, I do feel like the racing will be action-packed this weekend at Charlotte. They’ll be good action on the track to be able to follow along and obviously re-starts and the stages have definitely brought more excitement throughout our races.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL PHYSICALLY? DO YOU THINK ANY DRIVERS WILL BE KIND OF FALLING OUT OF THE SEAT FOR THE 600 DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE’S NO PRACTICE? THEY’VE GOT TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE
“Yeah, I’ve spent a lot of my time early in the mornings during this coronavirus pandemic working out. So, I feel like I’m in the best physical shape I’ve ever been because I’ve had time. Usually, during this timeframe, I just can’t find the time to really get on a routine and focus on working out because I have a lot more obligations than I currently do. So, I’ve been able to really focus on my physical fitness. That’s been a good thing for me. I hope some of the guys have been lazy and played video games a lot and they fall out of the seat on Sunday because I feel like I’ll be one of the guys who is in a good position to hold onto that steering wheel for all 600 miles and put myself in a good position when it comes down to it at the end. It’s a quick turnaround because each race, the lingering affects of a long race, you definitely feel the dehydration factor and you can get that back quick. But, I feel like there’s also just time that your muscles and stuff take to kind of recover. You can get the hydration back quick; but I used to run two or three races on a weekend, and I know how I’ve recovered from those. So, I think this is the same as just kind of going back in time when I was running both Xfinity and Cup and sometimes Truck. And you’ve got the guys that just know how to deal with that and how to keep themselves in good hydration that helps in the long run.”

WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN AS FAR AS THIS ACCELERATED SCHEDULE AS FAR AS THE EQUIPMENT AT RCR? DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GUYS ARE IN GOOD SHAPE FOR ALL THESE RACES IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME?
“Well, as long as we don’t tear anything up. I feel like we did a good job in these first two races. It definitely can put a burden on your team if you wreck cars. Some of them lost two cars in two races. That’s not a good start, obviously, to a couple months worth of races packed-in. It just creates longer hours with a smaller group of guys who are able to work on the cars. You don’t give the road crew an ability to go help your mechanics work on the car because you’re separating them. So, you just don’t want to put your team behind by wrecking cars. And we’re in a pretty good spot right now, I feel like, at RCR, where we are able to turn both those cars around and be able to run them again.”

YOU HAVE PEOPLE FIRED UP ABOUT THE ‘CHOOSE CONE RULE’ ON TWITTER. WHY DO YOU THINK THIS IS A GOOD IDEA AND SOMETHING THAT NASCAR NEEDS TO ADOPT?
“My thoughts are that as a sport, we’re always changing. We’ve done a really good job with the 1.5-mile program and brought it back to life. I think the next thing is trying to make it better for the fans and create more drama than it already has. The ‘choose cone’ is something that is utilized throughout short tracks in America, asphalt, you name it. You see it on a weekly basis at places when I was heck, racing Legends cars at age 14, with no radios, you could figure out how to make a choose cone work. You just chose and that was your line that you had to make. This puts it in the drivers’ hands. It kind of allows us to decide our fate when it comes down to restarts. You can’t just be bummed because you got the bottom and you lost four spots on the last restart and you’re really a 10th place car or a fifth-place car, you lose spots because of your line you’ve had to choose. This makes it where you get to that choose cone, and the first three cars have chosen the outside, that guy in fourth can pull all the way up to the inside pole and try and make it work. And it’s the same throughout the back of the field. You’ll have guys that will take the outside three or four rows worth of it, and it gives that guy, all right, go see if you can make it happen and keep those spots that you think you can gain on the bottom. I think you’ll see the announcers in the booth will have something else to talk about. And after the race they’ll be questioning, man, I should have chosen a different line. I should have chosen the top or the bottom instead of I was given the bottom. And also, I was watching the Xfinity race yesterday and those guys literally were brake-checking to get off the end of pit road. It takes out pit crews’ fast stops. Your pit crew could have gained you a couple of spots there, but instead, you’re giving up two spots because you’d rather start on the outside. That’s got to stop. I think it’s going to knock somebody’s nose in at the end of pit road before too long so that’ll end a guy’s race.

“I don’t feel like it is a hard thing to do. I know that the cone with the rope is a little outdated. I just want a painted area in the restart line. A bunch of the drivers got together and talked about it. I feel like we can accomplish it as a group. We’ve been able to bring our sport back through a pandemic. I think we can make a choose rule work. It’s not that complicated in my eyes. I don’t want to be the guy up there in the booth the first time because I feel like it would be a little bit hard. But there are certain tracks like Michigan, where you’ve got a long time before you get back around to the start/finish line. I think that would be a great place to practice it for the first time. It’s also a place where the top line is dominant. You lose three or four spots by the time you get to Turn 1 because of the draft there. So, it would create a long time for them to be able to straighten it out by the time we got back around. I think, personally, the drivers can straighten it out themselves. If you choose a line, you must stay in that line after that mark. If you swap lanes, you’re automatically black-flagged and brought to the back. And if you don’t give up your position before the start, it’s a lap penalty. I think that will create a way that no one is going to mess around and change lanes. You get to that line, you’ve got to make a decision. And that’s what it is.”

DO YOU GET THE SENSE THAT NASCAR IS OPEN TO THIS AND SOMETHING THEY’LL CONSIDER?
“I think they’re definitely open to it. From the discussions I’ve had, I just feel like there’s a lot going on right now, so I can’t push too hard because they have a lot on their plate. But it is something I wish they would put on the drivers’ plate to kind of handle a little bit because I kind of feel like given that responsibility, we can do a good job as a group. Have a meeting about it, like this, and talk about it as drivers and try and make it happen for our sport because I know it will be more exciting and give you that, like I said, put it back in our hands at the end of the race to be able to decide our fate.”

FOR RAY WRIGHT, CAN YOU TALK A BIT ABOUT PIT STOPS FOR HOPE AND THE DONATION BETWEEN AUSTIN DILLON AND THE GM BUYPOWER CARD?
“Basically, Pit Stops for Hope started in 2013. It started right here at RCR when we found out the North Carolina, our home state, has a major problem with children and being food insecure. One in four kids in North Carolina go to school hungry. A lot of these kids are elementary school age, middle-age school age, so a lot of kids aren’t getting the proper nutrition and they’re brains aren’t developing. So when you get more into schools, you find out that the teachers in the school system are actually putting snacks in the kid’s backpacks and trying to help them get through the day. They’re putting school supplies in their backpacks. And the teachers do not have a budget for that in our state. The teachers are amongst the lowest-paid teachers in the country. So our society is really continuing a cycle of poverty. We’re sending hundreds of kids to school and then they’re going into a classroom that’s not properly funded by a teacher that’s not properly paid. So, what we’re doing is we’re paving the way for poverty. And that’s been Pit Stops for Hope’s mission since 2013 to raise awareness for these kids and for better education. We help them find food and we help these teachers provide a better atmosphere to learn.

“I’ve known Austin since he was in high school. We’ve had a great relationship through the years. I was the minister at his wedding and he has been with Pit Stops for Hope since the day we started. He loved the idea and loved that it is a local charity because he knows the need that’s in this area. And it’s a big need. What we’re doing now with the GM BuyPower Card is something that can’t come at a better time. Kids were in trouble before this pandemic. Now schools were cancelled, so you have kids who have to do online learning in their houses, who might not have a parent at home. They definitely don’t have a Chromebook to learn online. A lot of kids went to school just to get food. So now they’re at home. They don’t have nutrition at their house and they don’t have the tools to learn online. Before the pandemic is was a problem and now, during the pandemic there is a bigger problem.

“So, this is perfect-timing. We got with local officials in our county and the counties that surround us, and you try to find out who needs Chromebooks and who needs tablets. We’ve done two food giveaways in the parking lots at these schools. We posted some of those pictures on our social media. The lines were out onto the road for people waiting to pick-up a sandwich. So, I’m always proud of Austin and who he is and how he represents himself and his home state and his hometown. And, we’re just very happy at Pit Stops for Hope that we have this money to go help the community with.”
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
COCA-COLA 600
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MAY 22, 2020

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY PATRIOTIC CAMARO ZL1 1LE, spoke with media via teleconference to discuss the anticipation leading into this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600, what it means to race at his hometown track, and more. Full Transcript:

YOU’RE PILOTING THE NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY PATRIOTIC CHEVROLET THIS WEEKEND. CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT PAINT SCHEME THAT YOU WILL BE FEATURING IN THE COCA-COLA 600 THIS WEEKEND?
“We have the patriotic paint scheme again this year, so we kind of did something a little bit different with the way that it looks. It looks really good – I think they modeled it kind of after Captain America. It looks really cool; hopefully we can get Sgt. Billings a good run and just have a great 600. Obviously, it’s the longest race of the year. It takes a lot of patience, a lot of adjustments, a lot of pit stops, things like that, so you just have to progress your way through the event.”

THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE CHOOSE CONE RULE LATELY, JUST BECAUSE DARLINGTON OBVIOUSLY HAVING SUCH A DOMINATE GROOVE AFFECTED A LOT OF GUYS AND AUSTIN DILLON WAS TWEETING ABOUT IT. WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON WHETHER THAT SHOULD BE A THING IN NASCAR?
“I think it should be, especially with how critical restarts are with this package and just the shear track position you can gain or lose in one restart alone is pretty huge. And how close the field is, too. The top-10 to 12 cars are typically reasonably the same or close in pace to each other, so I think a choose cone would allow you to have some different options to be able to make a run. Let’s say you lost track position on a pit stop, you could have the potential to gain that back. I could see something that’s maybe for the top-20 cars and maybe the next 20 doubles up like normal so it’s not a huge confusion coming to a restart. But it would definitely be welcomed for us.”

HOW ARE YOU FEELING PHYSICALLY AFTER TWO RACES IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME AND ARE THERE ANY CONCERNS GOING INTO 600-MILES ON SUNDAY?
“I just got done training, so I hope I’m doing physically well (laughs). It’s been different for me. I train probably twice a week now. Given the fact if there’s two races, I kind of take the day after the race just to recover. Then, the following day is whatever training that my guys have lined up for me in terms of what they put on the app that we use. Really, I’ve just tried to stick to that schedule so far. The 600 is going to be tough just because of the humidity in North Carolina, so it’s not going to be easy.”

HAVE YOU GUYS LEARNED ANYTHING ABOUT PROCESSES OR HOW TO GO ABOUT THINGS DIFFERENTLY THAT YOU WOULD KEEP WHEN THINGS GO BACK TO NORMAL?
“We have. We run a little different interior components, like I have a drink bag that attaches to the left side of my seat, which is different than what I’ve had in the past. I usually just run a polar water bottle, so it’s a little bit different there. I run some extra fans inside the car just to get some air flow to my upper body and everything like that. So, a little different processes there inside the car. Everybody is carrying their helmets and stuff to the car, so that’s much different. I’ve got my suit in my car right now from this past weekend, so I have to wash those. It’s unique, but I love it honestly. It kind of feels like back to the roots of what we all grew up doing – going to the race track, bringing your own stuff and going to race.”

DARLINGTON WAS KIND OF A MIXED BAG FOR YOU GUYS, SO I’M JUST CURIOUS AS TO WHAT YOU TOOK OUT OF THOSE TWO RACES?
“We had some issues to work through in the Wednesday race that we didn’t really figure out until after the race, so that was kind of is what it is. But the Sunday race, we had a really good car and obviously had the misfortune there with the loose wheel. Like you said, kind of a mixed bag. We weren’t as good on Wednesday, but I think we know why and we just have to work towards getting ready for the 600. We had a really good car there last year; we qualified on the pole. We just have to try to carry over what we’ve been doing speed-wise at HMS. We’ve had some really good cars this year. We just have to put together solid races and have good execution. It sounds kind of boring and simple, but it’s really what it comes down to. Hopefully we’ll get to the end of the race and have the opportunity.”

HOW DOES THE STRATEGY CHANGE GOING INTO AN ENDURANCE RACE LIKE THE 600?
“Charlotte has become an interesting race track because you have the PJ-1 that they put down in the second groove. So, you have a much different balance over the course of the race. As that stuff starts to come in towards the middle part of the race, it creates a much different balance. As it wears off, the car, at least for us, progressively gets tighter. You’ve got to keep up with the race track to have a good car at the end because once that stuff wears off, it seems to have rubber that sticks to it and it gets pretty slick at times. It’s just a constant battle with that stuff on the race track and trying to figure out what your car needs to do and how to setup passes because a lot of guys can maintain a lap time up there. So, it makes it twice as hard to pass or complete the pass at least. You can run side by side pretty easily. It’s just a constant evolution throughout 600 miles.”

AS A CHARLOTTE-NATIVE AND THIS WEEKEND, YOU’RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE MORE EYES ON THE SPORT THAN EVER BEFORE, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR YOU?
“It’s awesome – it’s great every year running the 600. Honestly, what’s cool about it is just waking up in your own bed, driving to the race track and feeling like you’re in your own space. Again, it kind of goes back to the roots of where I grew up racing, what I grew up doing, so it makes it really cool. I will say, it’s a little bit easier this year because I don’t have anyone going to the race, unfortunately. I don’t have family or anything there, so we can spend time together away from the track, but not at the track. So, it’s going to be pretty seamless there.”

NOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN BACK IN THE CAR FOR TWO RACES GOING INTO CHARLOTTE, ARE THERE GOING TO BE ANY NEW CHALLENGES CONSIDERING YOU’RE GOING TO GET QUALIFYING THIS WEEKEND OR WILL IT FEEL LIKE A REGULAR RACE AGAIN?
“I think that with qualifying taking place, it’s hopefully going to be easier to have track position at the start of the race and kind of have the normal players, I guess you could say, towards the front. So, I guess that’s going to be an easier way to go about the start of the race. Hopefully, we qualify well and we’re up towards the front, and we can have a smooth start to the race. Yeah, I think that’s going to honestly be an easier process than the inverts have been and things of that nature. But still your pit selection goes back to last week, so that’s critical. I just look at the 600 as a long evolution of a race and it takes adaptation each run that goes by.”

WITH THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE’VE BEEN RUNNING UNDER AND THE FACT THAT THE 600 IS BASICALLY THE ONLY SHOW IN TOWN WITH NO MONOCO AND NO INDIANAPOLIS 500, IS THAT GOING TO BE WEIRD OR HOW UNIQUE WILL THAT BE FOR YOU GUYS TO BE THE CENTER OF ATTENTION ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND?
“Yeah, it’s different. It feels different. Usually at this time of the race weekend of the 600, you kind of know what to expect and you’ve been through practice. Typically, actually this day is a day off because they do the Thursday qualifying and Saturday practice, so it’s much different. Having not even sat in the car physically yet to know what’s going to happen, it feels much different. But in some instances, like a normal race like we’ve been having, you just kind of roll with the next one because we’ve had a series of races here every few days. So, it’s starting to get a little bit of a rhythm of just racing a lot.”

WITH THE 600 RUNNING ON SUNDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S RACE, BOTH RUNNING UNDER PRETTY SIMILAR CONDITIONS, DIFFERENT THAN DARLINGTON, DO YOU EXPECT THAT THE SAME FRONT RUNNERS WE’LL SEE WEDNESDAY NIGHT COMPARED TO THE 600?
“You’re going to have a different field just because of the ability everybody has, not just the driver’s ability, but the team’s ability to learn from the previous race and get better. I guarantee you’ll probably have five or six guys that run well in one race that won’t run well in the other or a new player that’s a dominant factor in each race is probably going to be different. I think you saw that at Darlington. Obviously, some of the players were the same at the front, but there were some different. So, I think that’s going to continue with these double-header type races where you have a couple of days to go back, review what happened, what went well, what didn’t go so well and make adjustments to your car or make adjustments as a driver to get better.”

WHAT IS THE ROUTINE LIKE IN THE MOTORHOME SINCE YOU’RE ISOLATED FOR ALL THAT TIME?
“It’s honestly not as complex as people probably think. I really just sit there, try to eat well, eat whatever meal I had planned on before the race. But you obviously can’t be with anybody else, so there’s not much going on like there would be at a normal race weekend where you have appearances, you talk to your team and all those things. In some ways, it’s kind of easier to kind of get yourself in that zone that you want to be in. I typically try to shut technology down, try to not look too much at what’s going on in the outside world and that seems to be working OK. Just try to find something that occupies by mind for a couple of hours if I can before the race.”

WITH YOU GUYS NOW RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT LIKE YOU REFERENCED, I KNOW THAT’S A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE TYPICALLY A LOT OF THAT STUFF WAS CARRIED ON THE HAULERS OR HANDLED BY INTERIOR PEOPLE. HAVE YOU COME CLOSE TO LEAVING ANYTHING BEHIND?
“Yeah, so it’s funny, I actually use my racing shoes on iRacing. I just started doing this because of the new format, but I’ll test a little bit on iRacing the night before the race typically. So, I try to run in the shoes I’m going to wear on race day. Obviously, they change every week with the sponsor changes and things of that nature. I’ve come close to leaving those a couple of times at home, so hopefully that doesn’t happen anytime soon. I try to leave them right in front of the door the night before so I don’t forget. That’s the closest I’ve come is just leaving gloves or shoes at home on my iRacing rig.”

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.

Event: Coca-Cola 600
Venue: Charlotte Motor Speedway (Concord, North Carolina)
Format: Four Stages – Stages End: Lap 100, 200, 300, 400
Date/Broadcast: Sunday, May 24 at 6 p.m. ET on FOX

Sunday’s 600-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway will be a special one for Go Fas Racing driver Corey LaJoie. When LaJoie takes the green flag, it will mark his 100th start in the NASCAR Cup Series.

LaJoie’s climb to the Cup Series started at a young age, following in the steps of his father, Randy LaJoie, a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion. And just like any racing career, LaJoie’s has included many ups and downs along the way.

The now 28-year-old made his first NASCAR national series start in 2013 in the NXS, driving the No. 9 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, which would be his only start that year. The following year in 2014, LaJoie made his first start at NASCAR’s highest level, debuting in the NCS at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. LaJoie would go on to make an additional Cup start at Charlotte Motor Speedway, compete in five NXS events and two NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series races.

Despite not making any national series starts in 2015, LaJoie returned to the cockpit in 2016 to wheel the No. 24 in the NXS for 10 races, earning two top 10 finishes. In 2017, he secured a spot in the NCS field for 32 races, and 23 for the ensuing season.

On December 20, 2018, GFR announced that it had signed LaJoie for a full season in the No. 32 for the 2019 schedule and nearly a year later sealed a contract extension for 2020. Since joining the single-car GFR operation, LaJoie has recorded career-high results, with nine top 20 finishes, including multiple top 10 results, to date. He earned a career and team-best finish at Daytona last July by tallying a sixth-place finish.

While Sunday’s race will be a special one for the North Carolina native to be proud of such a remarkable milestone, he will look to replicate the notable day the No. 32 team had at this event last year, finishing 12th. LaJoie will carry the decals of ARK, a blockchain technology platform, on his No. 32 Ford Mustang when he sets out for his 100th start.

ARK empowers everyone, regardless of their aim or technical background, to quickly and easily leverage blockchain technology. They provide the tools and resources that enable individuals, developers and startups to apply blockchain technology as a foundation for their own projects, applications and ideas.

Tune in to the 61st running of the 600-mile race on Sunday, May 24 at 6 p.m. ET on FOX as LaJoie sets the foundation for NCS start No. 101 on his trek to the next 100.

For more information on ARK, visit ARK.io.

LaJoie on his 100th race:
“If you would’ve told me when I was flying out west twice-a-month to Crew Chief a K&N West car just to pay the bills that I would eventually be running in my 100th Cup start at Charlotte I would’ve laughed in your face. It’s been an amazing journey – I have grown through lessons learned on the track but mostly off. I’ve formed countless friends and relationships I’ll have the rest of my life through this journey that I’m very appreciative of. In my mind, my Cup career is only just beginning in what I feel like I’m capable of competitively, but I certainly am enjoying the process. I was born 10 minutes from Charlotte Motor Speedway so it only feels right for number 100 to be right here in the backyard.”

LaJoie on ARK and the upcoming race weekend:
“I’m very thankful that ARK has supported me over the last three years and I’m really excited for the 600 this weekend. We had a really good finish there last year and we’ve been unloading with a lot of speed in these races without practice and qualifying. The 600 is all about being there at the end so we’ll manage our race and battle as we get closer to the finish. Memorial Day is all about remembering those who have served our country and we don’t want to lose sight of that in all that is happening in the world.”

LaJoie’s history at Darlington Raceway:
Starts: 5
Best Finish: 12th (2019)
Average Start: 36.8
Average Finish: 26.6

Looking back on Darlington II:
Corey LaJoie and Crew Chief Ryan Sparks put together a solid run at the Wednesday night Darlington event, finishing 24th after a taxing return to the season at the Real Heroes 400 just days earlier.

Early on, two cautions slowed the field and the driver of the Keen Parts Ford had powered his way up to the 25th position with only five laps to go until the competition caution. LaJoie communicated to the No. 32 team that he was “loose in and tight on throttle” with Sparks replying that the crew would make an air pressure adjustment during his stop. The Go Fas Racing Ford returned to the track and maintained its running around the 27th spot and concluded the first stage in 26th.

Under the break, LaJoie made his way back to the attention of the Keen Parts crew for four tires, fuel and a track-bar adjustment and lined up 27th for the restart on lap 69. Multiple yellow flags would slow the field yet again, but LaJoie powered through without harm. The 28-year-old crossed the line in 25th to finish the second stage at the track “Too Tough To Tame” as drivers started to report rain.

To start the final stage, LaJoie was racing in 24th but made contact with the wall in the opening laps of the stage. It appeared to LaJoie that the No. 32 had a tire going down, causing him to go two laps down after visiting pit road for an assessment. LaJoie gained a lap back by taking the wave around during a caution.

With 35 laps to go at the Lady in Black, LaJoie fought hard to inch his way up to 26th, just before reporting a “four out of ten tight” Keen Parts Ford. Rain swiftly moved in during a caution for the leaders, and the race was called with 20 laps to go in the scheduled distance. LaJoie and the GFR team brought home a 24th-place finish, a solid ending to back-to-back events at the South Carolina track.

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About Our Team

About ARK:
ARK empowers everyone, regardless of their aim or technical background, to quickly and easily leverage blockchain technology. They provide the tools and resources that enable individuals, developers and startups to apply blockchain technology as a foundation for their own projects, applications and ideas.

About Go Fas Racing:
Go Fas Racing (GFR) currently fields Ford Mustangs in the NASCAR Cup Series for driver Corey LaJoie. Located in Mooresville, North Carolina, GFR has competed in the NASCAR’s premier series since 2014; fielding cars for some of NASCAR’s top drivers, including past champions. To find out more information about our team please visit www.GoFasRacing.com.

Stay up-to-date on Corey LaJoie:
To get live updates during the race weekends follow @coreylajoie on Instagram and Twitter. Make sure to give Corey a “like” on Facebook – “@CoreyLaJoieRacing”. For a detailed bio and updated in-season statistics, please visit www.coreylajoieracing.com.

Toyota Racing – Martin Truex Jr.
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (May 22, 2020) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. was made available to media via videoconference prior to the Coca-Cola 600 this Sunday:

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How do you feel NASCAR has done with the return to the race track?

“I think it’s been awesome. I think everybody has been really excited about the racing. Darlington is typically a really good place to race anyway, but feel like everything has gone really well. We’ve had three really good races, exciting races and just judging off social media and the fans reactions, I feel like everybody is just really excited about racing coming back. From our perspective in the garage, I think the industry has been pleasantly surprised at just how smooth things have gone, how well-prepared NASCAR was and just what a great job of planning they did on all the things that we had to overcome. I think from all angles it’s been a huge success and I know all of us have been happy to be back working again.”

How do you keep new fans of NASCAR interested through the 600?

“I think the 600 is unique just because of the history and I think it’s obviously a long race and I don’t know if some of the casual fans that tuned in maybe for the first time this past week can sit through 600 miles. I think for our hardcore fans and for the people that appreciate the history of NASCAR, the 600 is it’s own kind of animal and it’s own show. To be able to win that race is huge. I’m not sure exactly how to answer your question, but I know for us in the sport and drivers especially, it’s a big one and it’s one we all want to win and just feel like it means a lot to all of us. There’s a great special that I saw the other day that is a few years old I think about the history of the 600 – NASCAR’s toughest race and I think that’s something maybe new fans should watch.”

Chase Elliott indicated that qualifying isn’t as important for the 600 as picking pit stalls, do you agree?

“I would tend to agree with him on that one. I think especially being such a long race, I don’t know that it really matters where you start. I think there’s plenty of time, if your car is good enough, to make it through the field. Last year we didn’t qualify all that well I don’t think and our typical mile-and-a-halves, we don’t seem to qualify all that great. Made our way towards the front fairly early on. Pit stalls are something you have to deal with all night long. Every time you come down pit road, if you have a good pit stall or a bad one, it can help or hurt you. I would agree 100 percent with what he says. Just going there to qualify isn’t a huge deal.”

What challenges does the extra 100 miles of the 600 impact drivers and how has this condensed scheduled made that even more difficult?

“I think in general Charlotte is a pretty high physically demanding track. 600 miles just adds on top of that. For us normally, if we’re doing our normal week-to-week, 300 to 500 mile races, you have a week to prepare for the 600 and it’s not really a big deal having that extra 100 miles. The schedule that we’ve been on so far, having two months off and getting back into racing is something that’s been different from what we’ve really ever had before. I don’t know if 600 miles is doing to feel the same as it normally does because of that. I know for me I’ve been trying to stay as well-prepared as I can, but there’s only so much you can do. There’s no way to practice for a 600-mile race and I feel like being in a race car is something that’s hard to prepare for. Just trying to do what all I can and the normal deal of eating healthy and drinking lots of water all week. That’s kind of been the plan I’ve been on and so far it’s working.”

What has your interaction been like with Christopher Bell this season?

“I’ve talked to him a few times here and there. Nothing specifically, but it’s been a little more difficult now with the COVID thing because we haven’t been having meetings and things like that. We haven’t really spent a lot of time around each other yet. I would say that for him, he’s been working around Kyle (Busch), especially up through the trucks and everything. I would assume he probably goes to him behind-the-scenes more than anyone.”

Are the drivers easing into these races and do you expect more aggressiveness?

“I think we were back 20 or 30 laps into Darlington one. I think everybody is out there to win. Nobody is easing into anything. I think because of the fact that we had no practice and we’ve been out for two months, I think it probably took 10 to 15 laps for most guys to get going. The biggest deal was just getting adjustments in your car and getting it to where it was somewhat driving the way you wanted it to. I think everybody is really doing all they can to be the best they can. I think all of us go to the track to win each weekend no matter the circumstances. We’ve seen Darlington two ramp up a little bit as you could see and I think a lot of that was just teams having a little more time to prepare and getting their cars dialed in a little more. It was a night races so the track was high grip and the pace was higher or faster. That’s why we saw a little different race. There’s no easing into this. I think everybody goes for all they can get all the time.”

Do you feel there is more attention on the sport of NASCAR currently?

“Honestly, it’s been really hard to gauge that from my standpoint. I would say, I’m not the most involved in social media of anyone. Also, we haven’t been out. We haven’t been talking to people we don’t know. We haven’t been seeing strangers and meeting new people and things like that. Really just judging off social media, I feel like we’re getting some new followers, but we really just have to go off the data that’s shared with us through NASCAR and other outlets.”

Did you have to drive to Darlington and back by yourself?

“I think everybody pretty much drove. It’s really not that far of a drive. It would have been harder for me if the races were earlier in the day, but they were afternoon so that worked out okay. It was all fine and now Charlotte, which is really close. It’s 45 minutes. Definitely worked out well to start out at these two places somewhat close to us.”

Is it difficult to get in your personal car after being on the race track?

“I think a lot of fans ask questions about how you drive on the street after getting out of a race car. Most days, you drive just like everybody else. You follow the rules and you kind of run with the traffic and all that. After a race is when it’s the most difficult because you’re so used to going fast for four or five hours or whatever it may be and you get to a 35 mph speed limit or 45, it literally feels like you’re not moving. It’s a little more difficult after the race than before, that’s for sure.”

Would you like to see the ‘choose cone rule’ implemented at some tracks because the preferred line at Darlington was clearly the top groove?

“I sure would have loved to have seen it the other night. We got murdered on that deal. I think we had one outside restart the whole, entire race. Probably had a top-three car and finished 10th. All because of inside restarts every single time. That was frustrating. I would definitely be for that and I think it’s a good option. I think it works well on short tracks where they do it. I think with this rules package that we have on the bigger tracks, it would be something that as drivers we’d all be interested in.”

Do you feel the Toyota camp as a whole has better speed than earlier in the season?

“I think we’re right there. I would say that we’re probably not the strongest team right now. I don’t think our cars are the fastest cars out there. I think if you look at the stats, we’ve had some really good race cars with the 19. Stage point wise, we’re really looking good. We’ve gotten a lot of stage points, I think more than anyone. Our stage two results have definitely been really good and average finish wise. For us, it’s just been little mistakes here and there. Darlington, both races really fighting bottom lane restarts hurt us. We also had a few problems on pit road sprinkled in as well. There’s just some little things we need to clean up for the results. We’re right there I think. Denny’s (Hamlin) win the other night was big for the company I feel like and all four of our cars, really all five of our cars were competitive at Darlington, especially the second race. We’re right there, we just have to keep plugging away and make all the right adjustments. Hopefully, Charlotte has been a good place for us and hopefully this weekend will go well.”

Do you have confidence heading into Charlotte with James Small as your crew chief?

“Absolutely, no question. I think James (Small, crew chief) has some in and done a wonderful job. I feel like we really picked up where we left off last year, aside from some issues here and there. I feel really good about our group, we’re strong. James has done a really nice job. Maybe our cars are not quite as good compared to the competition as they were in the past two years, but again, I feel like we’re right there and James is doing an awesome job. We’ve been consistently scoring more points than our teammates except for at the end of the race so we’re trying to figure that out. Feel like he’s done all the right things and we continue to get better each week.”

When did you come back from Florida?

“About two weeks before the first Darlington race so about three weeks ago now or so.”

What do you expect to be different with the military salutes that are traditional around the Coke 600?

“Obviously, it’s going to be different. The 600 is such a big race and it’s so special to be able to go there and honor the fallen soldiers. Not only the names on the cars, but to get to meet the families and really kind of understand more about their story or the kind of person that they were, that’s always been something that I think all of us look forward to, I certainly did. That’s something that’s going to be missed, but what won’t be missed is just what the weekend means, what the holiday means and the fact that we all know what we’re racing for, who we’re racing for. From that standpoint, it’s not going to lose any of it’s special meaning, it’s just a different time and we’re dealing with things the way we need to. Be great if we could all get together and do the normal thing, but obviously that’s not an option right now. Just hopefully everybody understands what it’s all about and remembers why we’re racing and who we’re racing for.”

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NASCAR CUP SERIES
CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
COCA-COLA 600
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MAY 22, 2020

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, spoke with media via teleconference to discuss NASCAR’s return to racing at Darlington Raceway, looking towards returning to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600, and more. Full Transcript:

WHEN YOU WERE GESTURING TO KYLE BUSCH AND THERE WERE NO FANS, COULD YOU ALMOST HEAR FANS CHEERING FROM HOME?
“No, I couldn’t. It was more just how I was feeling at the time. Really, it didn’t involve anyone else but he and I.”

IT LOOKED LIKE DENNY (HAMLIN) GOT A LITTLE SEPARATION AWAY FROM YOU RIGHT BEFORE YOU GOT HIT BY KYLE (BUSCH). I WAS CURIOUS, DID YOU HAVE TO LIFT AT ALL BEFORE GETTING HIT BY KYLE OR WERE YOU TRYING TO SETUP A MOVE GOING INTO TURN ONE?
“No, I didn’t lift. We were all wide open.”

KYLE (BUSCH) SAID YOU GUYS HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION AND HE SAID YOU WERE A CLASSY INDIVIDUAL. CAN YOU SAY FROM YOUR END HOW THAT CONVERSATION WENT BETWEEN YOU GUYS?
“Yeah, we talked about it. Like I told him, I don’t think he wrecked me on purpose. I think that he was trying to make a spot that wasn’t there. And, much like I told him, I get that mistakes happens, that’s part of life and I get it. He’s just not a guy that makes many mistakes, so for me to be on the poor end of a rare mistake on his end is, at the end of the day, unfortunate for me and my team.”

OBVIOUSLY, FANS LOVE THE DRAMA AND THEY LOVE TO SEE A RIVALRY AND A FEUD. IS THAT A COMFORTABLE SPOT FOR YOU TO BE IN?
“At the end of the day, obviously I hate that it was me that got wrecked. But I want nothing more than to go win and try to do my part for my team. That’s completely up to the people. I know it’s gained a lot of traction and there’s a lot of people talking about it, so that was ultimately a win for the sport. It was a loss for me and my team. But like you said, people love drama, they love talking about that stuff and they’ve been doing a lot of it. So, at the end of the day, there’s nothing we can do about it. But I really don’t care to answer your original question – it’s kind of up to whatever people want to make of it.”

IS IT OVER NOW OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT STICKS WITH YOU? DO YOU HAVE TO RETALIATE?
“For me, I just want to go win. I thought we had a really nice opportunity to try and grab a win there on Wednesday. So, that’s my goal. I want nothing more than to just go run well and try to put ourselves in position to win a lot of races, and we’ve been lucky to have been in a few positions this year. We’re fast enough to win, just hasn’t worked out. I’m hopeful that our day will come.”

I DON’T SEE YOU COMING BACK TO TAKE HIM OUT OR ANYTHING, AND DENNY HAMLIN SAYS IT NEVER WORKS TO DO THAT. I’M WONDERING IF NOW YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RACE HIM HARDER THAT SHOULD YOU MAKE A MISTAKE OR SOMETHING, THAT HE OWES YOU A LITTLE FORGIVENESS.
“I don’t know. Like I said, who knows the situations or the circumstances that you’ll be presented with down the road. But at the end of the day, the whole reason Wednesday was as unfortunate as it was because we were battling for a win. So, I guess the bottom line is to try and put ourselves in position to win more, and that’s a good problem to have. That’s my goal. Who knows the circumstances? Nobody’s perfect – I get that, everybody makes mistakes. I’m sure I’ll make plenty of mistakes as time goes on. I get it, I just hate I was on the wrong end of a rare one on his end.”

LIKE YOU SAID, EVERYBODY CAN MAKE MISTAKES. DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT’S WHAT MADE YOU SO MAD INITIALLY OR DO YOU FEE LIKE REALLY A GUY IS SO GOOD THAT THINGS LIKE THAT DON’T HAPPEN?
“A guy that’s that talented and does that good of a job, you certainly don’t see him make many mistakes. He kind of did the same thing to Martin I think at Bristol a couple of years ago and it was kind of the same situation. Like I said, I get it. I’ve never had a problem with Kyle and I don’t think he’s ever had a problem with me. Like I said, I don’t think he did it on purpose. Again, I hate that I was on the wrong end of a rare mistake on his end and for a guy that doesn’t make many, I hate that it was me.”

I’M WONDERING IF THE TRUCK SERIES BOUNTY IS STILL ON BETWEEN THE DRIVERS AND IF YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO RACE IN ANY OF THOSE UPCOMING TRUCK RACES?
“Yeah, as far as I know, it’s still on. That’s not my department to be real honest with you; that was Kevin (Harvick) and his people that put that up. I’m still planning on racing – planning on still running and trying to go beat Kyle (Busch), ironically enough after Wednesday. Yeah, still have full plans to run and as far as the bounty deal goes, I’m not real sure. I’m going to run whether they are still putting up the money or not.”

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE NEXT TRUCK RACE IS THAT YOUR ENTERING?
“Yeah – Tuesday at Charlotte.”

OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS ALL WEATHER PERMITTING FOR SUNDAY HAVING QUALIFYING FOR THE FIRST TIME, I’M CURIOUS WHAT YOU THINK WHAT DIFFERENCE THAT MIGHT MAKE FOR YOU GUYS BECAUSE YOU’VE RUN TWO RACES NOW WITH YOU GUYS JUST JUMPING IN THE CAR AND GOING.
“I think much like the last two races, I really don’t think it matters. I think the guys that are good and the teams that make good adjustments throughout the race are still going to win and still going to do really well, as they always do. So, I don’t really think it matters. I think the biggest thing I wish was different about the qualifying is I wish we got to pick pits off of where we qualified. I think the pit selection is probably a bigger motivator for qualifying than the actual starting spot. I wish that was the case, but it’s not. I think it’ll be really similar – I still think the guys that are good in the race will run well whether they start last or first.”

WHEN I HEARD OVER THE RADIO THAT THE TEAM WAS GOING DOWN AND WAITING AT THE 18 AFTER THE RACE, I WAS LIKE HOW ARE THEY GOING TO DO THAT IN THE ERA OF SOCIAL DISTANCING. WAS THERE ANY CONCERN?
“Yeah, it’d be kind of hard to fight when you have to stay six-feet apart. My arms aren’t long enough (laughs).”

THE FACT THAT YOU CARRY AROUND THE TITLE OF ‘MOST POPULAR DRIVER’, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THE LAST TWO ‘RIVALRIES’ HAVE NOW BEEN BETWEEN YOU AND KYLE (BUSCH) AND, BEFORE, YOU AND DENNY (HAMLIN). DO YOU THINK BEING THE MOST POPULAR DRIVER KIND OF MAKES YOU A TARGET FOR STUFF LIKE THAT?
“I don’t know – I don’t know that I would call them rivalries. I got crashed on both occasions, so at the end of the day, it’s just unfortunate for me. And my team too, they deserve better and they deserve to run really well. I don’t know if it does or not, that’s just kind of the way it’s worked out. Two moments that were in closing laps and battling for a win like that I think certainly adds to the spotlight more so than the names.”

WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE TO SHOW UP AT THESE RACES AND NOT PRACTICE? HAS IT CHANGED THE WEEKEND AT ALL FOR YOU AND THE TEAM?
“It’s made it really exciting for me. It’s added an element that I think NASCAR has been missing for a long time. I think we’re learning as an industry and I think the fans are also learning too, that we don’t need to practice for three days before a Sunday event and we can still put on a really good show. I hope as time goes on, we can race more and practice less. Maximize the time that the teams are at the race track and, two, with that being said, we can put on a full day of activities and events, and still maximize the fans’ time at the race track with the Xfinity Series and the Truck Series. I think we can have just as much racing for the people there, whenever they can come back and watch, as what we’ve had in the past, we’re just maximizing the time that the teams and drivers are there when we go. I hope we can learn from this and I think NASCAR has been in a unique situation with this situation to try different things, and that being one of them. So, I’m looking forward to seeing how things change as time goes and, like I said, I hope it does a little bit because I think this has been a really nice learning experience and I think it’s been a home run so far.”

IN DRIVER CODE, WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU GUYS HAVE TOGETHER THAT WE DON’T LIVE IN THAT WORLD, HOW IMPORTANT IS IT OR WHAT’S THE IMPACT OF ACTUALLY HEARING A DRIVER SAY ‘THAT ONE’S ON ME’ TO YOU, EVEN IF YOU CAN SEE IT ON THE TAPE THAT IT’S THEIR FAULT. HOW BADLY DO YOU NEED THAT MOMENT WHERE THEY GO ‘THAT ONE’S ON ME’, WHAT’S THAT IMPACT?
“I really think it depends on the person and how much respect you either had or didn’t have for that person prior to the moment. From Kyle (Busch)’s situation, Kyle and I have gotten along for many years. I feel like I’ve raced him with a lot of respect because I respect him. I think he’s really good, and he is. A two-time champion should be respected, in my opinion. I think he’s earned that right. The respect from my end was there prior to the event, so to hear that from a champion and a guy that we’ve raced really hard and clean together over the years, I think goes further than someone who I don’t care for as much, or somebody I don’t get along with as well, or somebody that doesn’t race with that kind of respect or that kind of integrity on the track. I think it really depends on the person, but good question.”

WHAT DOES IT TELL YOU ABOUT HIM THAT HE DID IT? WHAT’D YOU LEARN ABOUT HIM?
“I learned that he made a mistake and I was on the wrong end of it. But he apologized to me. Unfortunately, that doesn’t change the result, so at the end of the day, it still cost us a shot at a win. And at the end of the day, that’s really the bulk of what matters to me and my team because we’re in the business to perform more than anything.”

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Friday, May 22, 2020
EVENT: Coca-Cola 600 Media Availability

Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang, has two of Ford’s three victories this season – winning at Las Vegas and Phoenix. He was part of a media availability session this morning, where he spoke to reporters about how NASCAR’s return has gone and what fans can expect this weekend for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang – CAN YOU WALK THROUGH DARLINGTON AND YOUR ANTICIPATION OF CHARLOTTE? “First off you think about how different everything was, right? Having no practice, the social distancing, not being able to be with your team much. I’ve gotten very good as it looks like everyone else has at Zoom calls. I just go from one to the other. I’ve been on them all morning already, but we’ve all found new ways to make things work, whether we’re at the race track or at home preparing for the races. I think NASCAR did a great job. I know not everyone was able to be there over the weekend, but I think everything went as smooth as you could possibly hope for for the first two races, so a lot of credit to NASCAR, a lot of credit to the leaders in our sport, whether it’s owners, team principals of any sort, OEMs, everyone worked together to make this happen, so I’m proud to be a part of that group and our races went OK – not as good as we wanted them to. Darlington one we took off a little bit too far off and had some issues that just didn’t go quite the way we wanted it to and ended with a flat tire. And the second race we were able to make some good changes to our car, which you know everybody does and that’s a harder thing to do is when you go back to the second race you know everyone is going to be better. I’d say our net gain compared to our competition was better and we ended up finishing sixth with that and got us some stage points. We’re not where we want to be yet. Circumstances change a little bit. We have another restart, I believe a top five and maybe a top three was sitting in front of us, but that’s the way the rain fell, so we’ll kind of move onto the next one. Overall, still a decent start to the season. We’ve had some ups and downs, but still more ups than downs, so that’s good.”

HOW MIGHT THINGS CHANGE FOR THE COCA-COLA 600? WHAT MIGHT WE SEE? “The Coke 600 is a crown jewel event. It’s always been that way for us. It’s such a big deal to try to win that one. I’ve come so close, finished second there last year, just want to get that one done so bad, but that race track with this 550 rules package is pretty intense on these restarts. There is gonna be three and four-wide racing. There’s more room at Charlotte than there is at Darlington, so there’s gonna be more aggressive moves that you’ll see. I expect the outside lane still to be the dominant one and that to be something we’ve got to fight through, but I do think that this is gonna be – yes, it’s 600 miles and it’s a long one, but I guarantee those restarts are gonna be super-intense because once you get 15-20 laps into a run, it just gets harder and harder to pass, but for the first 15-20 laps it’s gonna be game on, where we’re gonna be very intense out there pushing and shoving.”

DO YOU FEEL YOU’RE BACK TO WHERE THINGS WERE BEFORE THE DELAY? “It’s all kind of gone back to normal, if you ask me. The protocol part is a little weird, but it is what it is and I’m glad we’re doing it – don’t get me wrong. As far as once you’re strapped in the car and racing nothing is different, nothing at all. The way you communicate to your team, we’re used to being secluded inside of a race car and only communicate through your radio. That’s what we do. That’s our job. Nothing changes from the driver’s standpoint. Now, for the pit crews and the team, yeah, it is. That’s a little bit different, but at least from the driver’s side right now it’s pretty similar.”

THERE WERE A LOT OF EYES ON YOU COMING BACK. DO YOU THINK NASCAR HAS MOMENTUM NOW AND HOW ARE YOU LOOKING AT THE SPORT OVERALL – THAT NASCAR IS BACK? “It’s awesome. One of my favorite lines I’ve heard this whole time is don’t let a good crisis go to waste, and at this point, yes, there is a lot of risk that we are all weighing out and concerns, and there are a lot of people trying to weather this storm whether it’s financially with their job or physically with their health. There are a lot of things up in the air, but there is also a lot of opportunity that sits in front of us as all these businesses are shut down and industries are shut down. For us to find a way to get back to the race track as a sport, as an industry, and get back to work before most was an amazing opportunity that I think NASCAR saw and it was important for everybody on this call for that to happen for all of our livelihoods – every one of us. That’s something, like I said, I’m proud of this sport to be able to do that and do this in the safest way we possibly can. I know I feel plenty safe at the race track. I’ve said it before, I feel safer at the race track than I do at the grocery store and I really do at this point. Yeah, we had a big opportunity in front of us, we took it and it’s paying off right now. I think when you look at the ratings and we’re putting on good races, we’re finding ways to race close to home so we don’t have to worry about the travel. Everyone is kind of throwing all the old stuff out of the way of, ‘Oh, we can’t do this. We can’t do this. We can’t do that,’ and we’ve pretty much thrown that out and said, ‘Whatever it takes.’ That’s the attitude we’ve got and that’s the reason why you see success in our sport right now.”

THE LONGEST RACE IS ON SUNDAY AND DIFFICULT FOR NON-HARD CORE FANS TO STICK WITH. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR THE 600 TO BE A GOOD SHOW? “I’ve always enjoyed the Coke 600 because there’s more racing to watch (laughing). We’re able to give the fans either one. You’re gonna have some shorter races to watch. You’ve got the XFINITY races and I believe the Trucks are running as well, so there are shorter races to watch if you don’t want to watch a long one, but as far as the 600 you can’t shorten that race, you just can’t. It’s the Coke 600. No one calls it the Coke 300 or 400. It’s the Coca-Cola 600 and you cannot change that. It’s a crown jewel event. We must keep it the same and that’s what we’re doing. I was watching the special during the rain delay this weekend about the 600 and the history behind it and all, and it just got me excited to race in that race this weekend. I’m glad we’re keeping it the same. I think fans will enjoy it either way. Like I said, it’s a good race track and it’s gonna be intense out there from lap one. At this point, nobody saves their car and says, ‘Oh, I’ve got to make sure I have brakes on it. It’s 100 percent from lap one. We’re hammer down every lap, so the intensity is there the whole time.”

TWO CUP RACES IN FOUR DAYS. HAVE YOU PHYSICALLY FELT ANY DIFFERENTLY? “I feel OK. I feel fine. I think, for me, I took the opportunity when we had all this time off to keep training and trying to become stronger because I know that this many races on top of each other is a big challenge. At this point I feel OK. We’re only two races in, but I think as we kind of keep going it’s going to take it’s toll on you. If we get in a crash that will kind of be the more challenging piece to recover from because you’re getting right back in, so there’s always gonna be soreness that you’re gonna have to work through, but for the first two race to be normal with no contact it’s been fine. My body feels good. It’ll be harder as we keep going, but right now it is good. I’ve been getting my Planet Fitness workouts in and making it happen.”

AFTER A BREAK LIKE THIS WHERE TEAMS HAVEN’T BEEN IN THE SHOP AND YOU’RE TURNING CARS AROUND QUICKLY. HOW IMPORTANT HAS THE FORD SIMULATOR BEEN TO NOT ONLY HELP TEAMS BUT MAYBE DRIVERS LOG SOME LAPS AND HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE SIMULATOR? “No, I haven’t been to the simulator. It’s not really my thing and if anyone watched these iRacing races, video games are not my deal (laughing). I’m more of a guy to be there in person and work through it. I do believe there are a lot of gains in simulation and the simulation world. I feel like now for me and Paul the conversations we’ve been having to build our cars and be ready is kind of the direction we want to go, not because we don’t feel like we’re being lazy and don’t want to go to it, no, we’re still working. It’s a good tool. It’s a tool that if used the correct way you can learn a few things here and there. If you put too much weight into it, you can totally dial yourself out, so it’s just like any other tool. It’s like anything else we use or do, there are limitations and we need to be aware of what those are. It’s a tool that we use for certain race tracks as we prepare, but, at this point, it’s not one that we’ve used since we’ve gotten through this pandemic.”

THE OUTSIDE GROOVE WAS PREFERRED AT DARLINGTON. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THE CHOOSE CONE? “I’ve been bringing it up for years. It’s not news I don’t think to any driver here, every meeting that I’ve had I’ve always brought up ‘Choose Rule. Let’s do it.’ I see nothing bad that it can bring. It’s brings another strategy to the table, it’s definitely something to talk about. You don’t have luck coming involved. You see guys hit their brakes at the end of pit road, number one that’s not real safe, but, two, you try to line yourself up sixth and then the car in front of you gets a speeding penalty and you’re like, ‘I gave up a spot and now I’m on the bottom too. I really blew it.’ That happens out there so many times that everybody is trying to play the game, so just put a cone out there and say, ‘Go left or right.’ Where you go is where you are. If you change after that, you go to the end of the line and you’re out. It’s an easy thing to do. I think right now it might be tough because we have plenty of changes right now with everything we’re doing, so I think we need to give a little bit of grace here, but I do think in the future I would love to try. I would love to have that in our sport. I think most of us have ran races with the choose rule or put the cone out there at some point in our careers. I tell you, if I see a bunch of 12-year-olds do it in the Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway, I’m pretty sure all of us could figure it out.”

CHARLOTTE PRE-RACE IS ALSO SO BIG. HOW DIFFERENT IS IT GOING TO BE TO NOT HAVE ANY OF THAT? “I don’t know if that’s quite the case that we’re not gonna have any of that. We’re gonna have quite a bit of that still. I don’t know the exact details, but I know we’re gonna have names on our cars from fallen soldiers. Knowing Charlotte Motor Speedway from the last few years that I’ve been in this sport, I know that they always find a way, especially with Coca-Cola, to find a way to honor our men and women who have served our country for our freedom. I know Fox will probably have a big presentation as well, so when you say none of that I think that’s way off.”

I MEAN PHYSICALLY WITH THE PRE-RACE SHOW – ALL THE POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE. “I can’t tell you until I get there. Like I said, I think there will still be some form of that for sure going on, whether that’s American flags throughout our teams and pit crews that bring things like that to the race track, we’ll be honoring in every possible way that we can. Maybe it won’t be the big show on the front straightway that we’ve gotten used to, but it won’t be in the back of our minds. It will be in the front of our minds of what that weekend is about.”

YOUR THOUGHTS ON SEEING ANOTHER COMPETITOR SALUTE ANOTHER COMPETITOR ON THE TRACK LIKE CHASE ELLIOTT DID THE OTHER NIGHT? AND DID YOU HAVE CHASE BEING FIRST TO DO THAT IN THE DRIVER POOL? “I didn’t see it until afterwards, which was a big letdown. I didn’t see it when it was happening. It was pretty good (laughing). I don’t know. It’s not my deal. I’m not involved in it. I’m involved in plenty. I’m choosing to stay out of this one.”

WHAT’S IT LIKE AFTER A RACE WHERE YOU CAN’T REALLY TALK TO ANOTHER DRIVER ABOUT SOMETHING. HAS IT BEEN MORE TEXTING AS FAR AS COMMUNICATING POST-RACE? “Yeah, I think so. Typically, you get out of the car and you may just go to the car behind you or in front of you that you were just racing and say, ‘That was cool,’ or ‘I’m mad and I hate you,’ whatever it is (laughing). Now, you get out of the car you put your mask on and kind of just walk away, which is weird. Yeah, we have communication still. I’ve been in touch with a couple of drivers this week just talking about the race itself, not good or bad, just like, ‘Hey, that was cool, or what do you think about this moment.’ Now with conflict I’m not really sure how that works. It might be a good thing for me anyway because normally I want to talk about it in person. That’s just the type of person that I am. I want to talk about it right now.”

FORD HAS NOT WON THE COCA-COLA 600 SINCE 2002. WHAT DOES A FORD HAVE TO DO TO GET BACK IN VICTORY LANE? “Well, go faster than everybody, I guess (laughing). I don’t know the reasons why. I can think of quite a few 600s, at least the 22 which is what I can control, has been very close to winning. I think I’ve got a few seconds and thirds there and have yet to break through. As a Coca-Cola driver, I know how big of a deal it is to win that thing and feel the pressure to do it. I want to get it done. I’ve been, like I said, close. There are different things every time and it takes the whole package to make it happen. The driver has got to be on his game. The pit crew’s got to be on it. The car’s got to be good and things gotta fall your way, so I guess in recent years it hasn’t for the Ford guys, but I wouldn’t bet money against us this week.”

FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: CHARLOTTE COCA-COLA 600 ADVANCE

The NASCAR Cup Series will host its third race in seven days on Sunday when the annual Coca-Cola 600 takes place at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Ford has won three of the first six races this season with Kevin Harvick being the latest victor after taking the checkered flag last weekend at Darlington Raceway. Here’s a look at some Ford Coca-Cola 600 highlights.

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT CMS

· Ford has 31 all-time series wins at CMS.

· Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski have oval wins at CMS with Ford while Ryan Blaney won the inaugural Roval event in 2018.

· The last Ford driver to win the Coca-Cola 600 was Mark Martin in 2002.

COCA-COLA 600 HIGHLIGHTS

HOLMAN & MOODY CONQUER THE WORLD

Ford won the Coca-Cola 600 for the first time on May 27, 1962 when the race was still referred to as the World 600. This marked the third running of NASCAR’s longest race and in the end it was Nelson Stacy, behind the wheel of a 1962 Holman & Moody Ford, that ended up in victory lane. Stacy passed David Pearson, who developed engine trouble with eight laps to go, and went on to beat Joe Weatherly to the finish line by 32 seconds in posting the third of his four career victories. Fellow Holman & Moody teammate Fred Lorenzen finished third. The win was Stacy’s second straight after he took the checkered flag two weeks earlier in Darlington.

THREE JEWELS FOR DJ

Dale Jarrett won his share of major races during a sterling career in the NASCAR Cup Series, but no season may have been better than his first year driving at Robert Yates Racing in 1996. After winning the season-opening Daytona 500, his second of three triumphs in that event, Jarrett came to Charlotte in search of winning the Coca-Cola 600 for the first time. Jarrett, who qualified 15th, wasn’t much of a factor when the race started, but when the sun went down his No. 88 Quality Care Service/Ford Credit Ford Taurus came to life. He took the lead for the first time on lap 175 and ended up leading 199 of the final 226 laps for RYR to win going away. Jarrett eventually went on to win the Brickyard 400 a couple of months later to give him three of the sports biggest victories in one season.

FIRST-TIME WINNER

Matt Kenseth joined an exclusive club when he made the Coca-Cola 600 his first NASCAR Cup Series victory in 2000. Kenseth, who was in his rookie season driving for car owner Jack Roush, joined David Pearson (1961), Jeff Gordon (1994) and Bobby Labonte (1995) as drivers who made the marquee event their first series win. Kenseth, who nearly won in Fontana (CA) a couple weeks earlier before settling for third, left no doubt on this night as he led the final 26 laps and beat Bobby Labonte to the finish line by half-a-second.

FOUR STRAIGHT

The last time Ford took the checkered flag in the Coca-Cola 600 was in 2002 when Mark Martin won the event and extended Jack Roush’s win streak in the event to four. Jeff Burton started the streak by winning in 1999 and then Matt Kenseth posted the first win of his NASCAR Cup Series career as a rookie the following season in 2000. Burton followed that with his second win in three years before Martin, who led the final 40 laps, was able to keep that streak going in 2002. The win was Martin’s 33rd career triumph, but it wasn’t easy as he had to hold off Kenseth down the stretch. The race ended with Ford sweeping the top four positions as Martin and Kenseth were followed across the finish line by Ricky Craven and Ricky Rudd, who was making his record 656th consecutive series start.

FORD COCA-COLA 600 WINNERS
1962 – Nelson Stacy
1963 – Fred Lorenzen
1965 – Fred Lorenzen
1970 – Donnie Allison
1982 – Neil Bonnett
1987 – Kyle Petty
1991 – Davey Allison
1996 – Dale Jarrett
1999 – Jeff Burton
2000 – Matt Kenseth
2001 – Jeff Burton
2002 – Mark Martin

Fresh off a ninth-place finish at Darlington Raceway on Wednesday night, Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/FVP team head to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Cup circuit’s annual Memorial Day weekend tradition – the Coca-Cola 600.

DiBenedetto, who enters the weekend ninth in the Cup standings, said he’s expecting to run well in his first start there in the iconic No. 21 Mustang.

“It’s a fun place to race,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

DiBenedetto, driving for another team last year, had a fast car in for the Monster Energy Open that preceded the All-Star race at Charlotte, finishing fourth. He said he can build on that as well as his second-place finish earlier this year at a similar track – Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“We were fast at the end at Las Vegas, so I feel good about that,” he said. “And Greg (Erwin, crew chief) and the people on the team feel good about the car and the set-up.”

The Wood Brothers will be making their 117th start at Charlotte, where they have six wins, 24 top-five and 39 top-10 finishes. They also have 19 poles, including 13 in a row from 1973-1979.

As part of NASCAR’s and Charlotte Motor Speedway’s annual 600 Miles of Remembrance, each car in the Coca-Cola 600 will carry the name of a service member who died serving their country.

This year, the Menards/FVP Mustang will carry the name of Air Force Major Lucas F. Gruenther, who was an F-16 Flight Lead and the Chief of Flight Safety for the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base in Italy.

As Chief of Flight Safety, he developed and executed all aspects of the wing commander’s flight safety mishap prevention and response program. He was responsible for conducting mishap investigations and safety inspections. Additionally, Major Gruenther directed various working groups, wrote and maintained the wing Mishap Response Plan, and coordinated safety concerns on all matters relating to airfield construction and maintenance.

Major Gruenther earned his commission from the United States Air Force Academy in 2003, where he was a Distinguished Graduate and member of the Parachute Team, the “Wings of Blue.”

He had more than 400 combat hours, including his service in Operation Enduring Freedom.

Major Gruenther, from Twain Harte, Calif., died Jan. 28, 2013, from injuries suffered when he ejected from his F-16 during a nighttime training flight.

He is survived by his daughter Serene Gruenther, who was born on February 7, 2013, just after he died, and his wife of seven years, Cassy Gruenther. He also is survived by his mother Romel Mathias, and numerous other relatives and friends.

Qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, at 2:05 p.m., and the race is set to start just after 6 p.m., also on Sunday, with TV coverage on FOX.

There will be no practice, and fans will not be allowed at the track.

Menards

A family owned company started in 1958, Menards is headquartered in Eau Claire, WI. Menards has more than 300 retail stores located throughout the Midwest in the states of IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI and WY. Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader. It’s famous slogan “Save Big Money at Menards” is widely known and easy to remember. For more information, visit Menards.com, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.

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.

This Week in Motorsports: May 24-27, 2020

· NCS/NXS/NGROTS: Charlotte Motor Speedway – May 24-27

PLANO, Texas (May 22, 2020) – NASCAR continues its return at the home track for most NASCAR teams – Charlotte Motor Speedway – for the tradition-filled Coca-Cola 600, along with three additional NASCAR events.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS | NGROTS

Hamlin Closing in on 40… Denny Hamlin scored his second win in the sixth NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) event of the season in the Toyota 500 at Darlington Raceway on Wednesday evening. Hamlin took the lead late and led the final 12 laps before the race was called due to rain, giving Hamlin the win. It was his 39th NCS victory, 36 of which have been in a Toyota.

Truex Jr. Reigning Winner… Martin Truex Jr. is looking for his third Coca-Cola 600 win after a victory last season. His Toyota team showed strength as the night went on – leading 116 laps (of 400) – and survived a late caution flag to score the win.

Looking for Three Straight… Toyota drivers have won the last two 600-mile events at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and four of the last five. Former Toyota driver Carl Edwards started the success with his victory in 2015, while Truex Jr. (2016 and 2019) and Kyle Busch (2018) have delivered wins for Toyota in recent years. Additionally, the first Cup Series TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development)-built engine victory was in this event in 2009, won by David Reutimann.

Burton Continues Solid Performance… Harrison Burton continued his strong start to his rookie NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) campaign with a ninth-place finish on Thursday afternoon at Darlington Raceway. Burton has finished all five events this season inside the top 10 –the only driver in the series to do so – which was highlighted by a win at California’s Auto Club Speedway earlier this year.

Former Champion Returns… The 2015 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (NGROTS) champion, Erik Jones, makes just his third series start on Tuesday since winning the title. He will be aboard the No. 5 Toyota Tundra. Jones has an outstanding record in the Truck Series with seven wins and 35 top-10 finishes in 42 starts.

Points Leader Hill… Austin Hill returns to the track as the NGROTS points leader through the first two completed events. Hill started the season with a sixth-place finish at Daytona International Speedway, before adding a third-place result at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

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