Category: NASCAR Cup PR

GREENVILLE, S.C., (May 8, 2020) — The Greenville Swamp Rabbits and Bon Secours, will be featured aboard Spire Motorsports No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 when the NASCAR Cup Series returns to action at Darlington Raceway May 17 where veteran Reed Sorenson will handle the driving chores.

Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, the presenting sponsor of the 2019–20 Swamp Rabbits season and one of the top healthcare organizations in Upstate South Carolina, has partnered with the Swamp Rabbits to extend a message of gratitude to healthcare workers and a message of health, safety and security to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bon Secours St. Francis Health System is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health, the fifth-largest Catholic health care ministry and one of the United States’ 20 largest health care systems.

“We’re excited to continue to support frontline healthcare workers and also have a good working relationship with the Swamp Rabbits,” said Matt Caldwell, President of Bon Secours St. Francis Health System. “It’s always great to recognize the real frontline heroes in healthcare, especially in times like these.”

The NASCAR Cup Series has been on hiatus since it last competed at Phoenix Raceway nearly two months ago as the United States and countries around the world grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of the partnership, the Swamp Rabbits, Bon Secours and Spire Motorsports will participate in The Real Heroes Project, honoring healthcare workers through the power of sports. The Swamp Rabbits livery will adorn the hood, rear quarter panels and tail of the team’s Chevy Camaro.

The Real Heroes Project recognizes and honors the spirit of front-line healthcare workers who have stepped up during the global emergency, placing themselves in harm’s way to care for those battling the COVID-19 virus.

Sorenson’s name will be covered with tape, and replaced by Stacey Anne Wilson, a registered nurse who joined Bon Secours St. Francis Health System in 2017. Wilson, a Clemson University School of Nursing graduate, cares for patients in the Intensive and Critical Care Units at St. Francis Downtown in Greenville and plans to graduate with a doctorate in nursing from the University of South Carolina later this year.

“The Swamp Rabbits are thrilled to partner with Bon Secours and Spire Motorsports to salute healthcare workers who answer the call during these unparalleled times,” explained Swamp Rabbits president Todd Mackin. “We have a unique opportunity to highlight the amazing and selfless work we’re seeing across the healthcare industry and we’re proud to embody the work of Stacey Wilson through the Real Heroes Project. At the same time, we’re eager for the Swamp Rabbits fan base to see their logo showcased on a national level.”

The hashtag #TheRealHeroes will be displayed on the hood and above the rear window on the No. 77 entry. The Swamp Rabbits logo on the hood of the machine will sport a protective mask to follow the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) safety guidelines.

“Spire is proud to showcase two of our properties and a major partner in the battle against COVID-19 when the NASCAR Cup Series gets back to business in two weeks at Darlington Raceway,” offered Spire Motorsports co-owner T.J. Puchyr. “We have a unique opportunity to integrate the Swamp Rabbits partnership with Bon Secours into the Real Heroes Project. It’s hard to imagine where we’d be in the fight against COVID-19 without the hard work and dedication of healthcare professionals like Stacey. We’re grateful to express our gratitude with this unique platform.”

The NASCAR Cup Series gets back to work Sunday, May 17 and Wednesday May 20 with a pair of races at the legendary Darlington Raceway. The May 17 400-mile race will be televised live on FOX beginning at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The first of back-to-back Cup Series contests at the “Track Too Tough To Tame” will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The second race will be contested under the lights three days later beginning at 7:30 p.m. EDT., where FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the race live.

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About Spire Motorsports … Spire Motorsports was established in 2018 by longtime NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. In its first year as a full-time team in NASCAR’s premiere series, Spire Motorsports won the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at the legendary Daytona International Speedway with driver Justin Haley. The team is based in Mooresville, N.C.

eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series
Next Race: North Wilkesboro 160
The Place: Virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway
The Date: Saturday, May 9
The Time: 3 p.m. ET
TV: FOX (where available and subject to change), FS1 and FOX Sports App
Distance: 160 laps

Friday Night Thunder
The Place: Virtual Martinsville Speedway
The Date: Friday, May 8
The Time: 8 p.m. ET
Online: enascar.com/live, NASCAR’s YouTube Channel

Distance: Four heat races – 10 laps each; one LCQ – 15 laps; Main Event – 125 laps

Wrapping up the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series at North Wilkesboro

With one more weekend until NASCAR returns to the real track, drivers and fans are continuing to turn to the virtual world of iRacing to see some of the best racing competition around.

This weekend’s race at the historic virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway wraps up the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series as the NASCAR Cup Series returns to action on May 17 at Darlington Raceway.

NASCAR, iRacing and FOX Sports teamed up to deliver the first-ever eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series event, the Dixie Vodka 150, at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway after all national pro sports were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic several weeks back. The event produced a wild finish that saw Denny Hamlin just barely beat Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the line. Fans responded with an overwhelming reaction setting records in eSports viewership, and as a result FOX Sports committed to covering the remainder of the eNASCAR iRacing season.

The second eNASCAR iRacing event took place at virtual Texas Motor Speedway and again was a success with the fans. Longtime iRacing veteran and rising NASCAR star Timmy Hill won the race with an aggressive move on William Byron to take the win.

The third race of the Pro Invitational Series was at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway, where iRacing veteran William Byron showed off his talents dominating the event and taking the checkered flag. Next, the series went to virtual Richmond Raceway, where Byron once again took the checkered flag and won back-to-back races. The virtual race at Talladega Superspeedway was won by Alex Bowman and last weekend’s race at virtual Dover International Speedway was won by Byron. In total Byron leads the series with three wins.

This Saturday, May 9, the series heads to virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway for the series finale the North Wilkesboro 160 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX (where available and subject to change), FS1 and the FOX Sports app.

History of North Wilkesboro Speedway

North Wilkesboro Speedway in Wilkes County, North Carolina, has a wide and renowned history in NASCAR dating back to 1949. The last time the venue hosted a NASCAR national series race was in 1996 when NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon won the NASCAR Cup Series event before the track closed.

The .625-mile short track was built in 1946 and became a North Carolina racing staple while hosting 93 NASCAR Cup Series races. The inaugural race, the 1949 Wilkes 200 on October 16, was won by Bob Flock. The track was known for being one of the fastest short-tracks in racing and in the 1950’s speeds reached up to 73 mph.

The track’s unique layout featured an uphill backstretch and downhill frontstretch with 14 degrees of banking in the turns and three degrees of banking on the straightaways.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty led the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at North Wilkesboro Speedway with 15 victories. NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip led the series in poles at North Wilkesboro Speedway with nine.

Last December, Dale Earnhardt Jr. led a group of drivers and NASCAR broadcasters in an effort to clean the track surface at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The cleaning allowed iRacing to scan and map the historic venue.

Among those that helped Earnhardt clean the speedway were Speedway Motorsports Inc. president Marcus Smith, iRacing executive vice president and executive producer Steve Myers, NASCAR Cup Series driver Chris Buescher, NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Myatt Snider, NBC Sports’ Rick Allen and Marty Snider, William Byron’s spotter Tab Boyd, and Austin Dillon’s spotter Andy Houston.

This weekend will mark the debut of North Wilkesboro Speedway virtually and will feature 28 drivers, including Earnhardt.

Aric Almirola’s Mother’s Day iRacing paint scheme

In honor of Mother’s Day weekend, Aric Almirola will run a paint scheme that his wife Janice colored using the Stewart-Haas Racing coloring sheets. Janice was coloring with their children a few weeks ago when she told Aric that her coloring page would be a cool paint scheme. So as a surprise, Aric requested that Smithfield and his team run her paint scheme on Mother’s Day weekend. When the No. 10 Ford hits the track on Saturday for the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series North Wilkesboro 160 at virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway (3 p.m. ET on FOX, FS1, FOX Sports App), Janice’s blue and pink paint scheme with “Happy Mother’s Day” on the front will be seen by everyone watching. You can check out Aric’s video here.

Friday Night Thunder at virtual Martinsville Speedway

With such a big response from competitors to join the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, NASCAR and iRacing introduced Saturday Night Thunder in the beginning of April to allow drivers from all series to compete on the platform during the real-time racing postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This weekend the event returns, but this time the action will take place on Friday night, at virtual Martinsville Speedway.

The Friday Night Thunder entry list includes drivers from the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series and NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.

There will be single-car qualifying to set the heat race grids. From there, the format will feature four 10-lap heat races to set the first 24 spots for the main feature.

Then, there will be one 15-lap last chance qualifier to fill out the six remaining spots in the 30-car field.

The event will be live streamed at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, May 8, on enascar.com/live, and on NASCAR’s YouTube channel.

The main event will be a 125-lap feature that will allow for one reset, with manual cautions and three attempts at a green-white-checkered finish.

The format will be as follows (all times ET):

7 p.m.: One-hour practice session

8 p.m.: Stream starts on eNASCAR.com/NASCAR YouTube Channel

8:05 p.m.: Three-minute, two-lap single-car qualifying session. Sets the starting grid for the heats.

8:08 p.m.:

Heat 1 starts. All heats will be 10 laps with no cautions and one reset. There will be four heats and 26 cars will advance.
Heats will set the starting grid for main race with a field of 26 cars.
Heats will be followed by a 15-lap last chance qualifier with six drivers advancing to the main event (30-car field).
Main event will be 125 laps with manual cautions and one reset. There will also be three attempts at a green-white-checkered finish.

Saturday’s run of show and race format

Saturday’s North Wilkesboro 160 will wrap up the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series as NASCAR is set to resume racing next weekend at Darlington Raceway. This weekend’s iRacing event will feature a two-lap, single-car qualifying session with the top 10 inverted to set the grid for the main feature event.

The main race will be a total of 160 laps with double-file restarts and lapped cars will go to the rear. There will be three attempts at a green-white-checkered finish, if necessary. The field will consist of a 28-driver entry list. The top-three finishers from Dover (William Byron, Christopher Bell and Timmy Hill) will be relegated to the back of the starting lineup and will not make a qualifying attempt.

Drivers will be allowed one reset this week at virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway with manual cautions. If a car is damaged, drivers must drive back to their pit stall and come to a complete stop. This will automatically apply the fast repair and give the driver a new car.

The below times are approximate and subject to change:

2 p.m. – Practice session goes live

2:50 p.m. – Qualifying (Two laps, single-car with top 10 inverted)

3:00 p.m. – FOX, FS1, FOX Sports App broadcast begins

3:13 p.m. – Green flag (160 laps)

Statistical Notes

A wide range of drivers with various experience at North Wilkesboro Speedway and in iRacing will be contending in this Saturday’s North Wilkesboro 160 in the seventh race of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series (3 p.m. ET on FOX – where available and subject to change, FS1 and the FOX Sports app).

Below is a list of anticipated participants (listed numerically), their statistics, and career highlights. Please note, the participant list is subject to change.

Note on iRacing stats below:

The stats are cumulative lifetime stats for each driver in public oval events in stock car disciplines (ranging from top-level Cup cars to Legends) on iRacing. It doesn’t include stats from private leagues. Statistics for drivers who have starts in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series include those races run.

Entered Drivers (Listed in numerical order):

Austin Dillon – iRacing #3

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Highlights:

· Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway

· Won the 2018 Daytona 500

· 2013 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion

· 2012 NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year

· 2011 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series champion

· 2010 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year

Overall iRacing Stats

· 6 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles

· Finished 27th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway

· Finished 29th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway

· Finished 15th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway

· Finished 28th at virtual Richmond Raceway

· Finished 24th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway

· Finished 23rd at virtual Dover International Speedway

Kevin Harvick – iRacing #4

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Highlights:

· Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway

· 2014 NASCAR Cup Series Champion and 2007 Daytona 500 winner

· Qualified for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 five-times in the last six seasons.

· Has made 13 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff appearances, tied for second-most all-time

· 2001 and 2006 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion

· 2007, 2009 and 2011 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series champion owner with wife DeLana Harvick

· 2001 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year

· 1998 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion

Overall iRacing Stats

· 3 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles

· Finished 29th at virtual Richmond Raceway

· Finished 12th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway

· Finished 18th at virtual Dover International Speedway

Ross Chastain – iRacing #6

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Xfinity Series – No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Highlights:

· Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway

· This year, he has filled in for Ryan Newman in the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series for three races

· In 2019, he completed 19 races in the Xfinity Series and posted a win at Daytona with Kaulig Racing

· In 2018, he made the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs and won his first career race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; driving for Chip Ganassi Racing

· In 2011, he made his NASCAR national series debut in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series debut at Lucas Oil Raceway

Overall iRacing Stats

· 543 starts, 67 wins, 196 top fives and 64 poles

· Finished 14th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway

· Finished 22nd at virtual Texas Motor Speedway

· Finished 16th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway

· Finished 13th at virtual Richmond Raceway

· Finished 29th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway

· Finished 17th at virtual Dover International Speedway

Dale Earnhardt Jr. – iRacing #8

Current Series/Occupation: Retired NASCAR Cup Series driver, NBC Sports Analyst

Highlights:

· Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway

· Made his debut as an NBC broadcaster in 2018

· Retired from full-time racing at the end of 2017

· Won the NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver Award for 15 straight years (2003-2017)

· Won the 1998 and 1999 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship

· 1999 NASCAR Xfinity Series Most Popular Driver of the Year

· Team owner of Xfinity Series team JR Motorsports, collecting 47 wins since 2005

Overall iRacing Stats

· 420 starts, 194 wins, 334 top fives, 188 poles

· Finished 2nd at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway

· Finished 6th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway

· Finished 22nd at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway

· Finished 8th at virtual Richmond Raceway

· Finished 30th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway

· Finished 26th at virtual Dover International Speedway

Aric Almirola – iRacing #10

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Highlights:

· Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway

· Had a career best fifth place finish in the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series championship

· In 2014, won first career NASCAR Cup Series race (Daytona-2) on the 30th anniversary weekend of team owner Richard Petty’s 200th career win.

· Made first career NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in 2014, ultimately finishing 16th in the standings.

· Has won at least one race in all three NASCAR national series.

Overall iRacing Stats

· 2 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles

· Finished 18th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway

· Finished 10th at virtual Dover International Speedway

Denny Hamlin – iRacing #11

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Highlights:

· Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway

· Won the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway

· Three-time Daytona 500 champion (2016, 2019, 2020)

· 2006 NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year

· Has 38 NASCAR Cup Series career wins

· Finished runner-up in the 2010 NASCAR Cup Series championship standings

· Has 17 NASCAR Xfinity Series career wins

Overall iRacing Stats

· 169 starts, 31 wins, 76 top fives, 31 poles

· Won the race at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway

· Finished 24th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway

· Finished 4th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway

· Finished 6th at virtual Richmond Raceway

· Finished 39th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway

· Finished 6th at Dover International Speedway

Ty Dillon – iRacing #13

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 13 Germain Racing Chevrolet

Highlights:

· Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway

· Has made 130 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series posting one top five and five top 10s

· Finished runner-up in 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship standings

· Won the 2013 Most Popular Driver Award for the Gander Trucks

· 2012 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year

Overall iRacing Stats

· 6 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles

· Finished 19th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway

· Finished 16th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway

· Finished 25th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway

· Finished 15th at virtual Richmond Raceway

· Finished 23rd at virtual Talladega Superspeedway

· Finished 32nd at virtual Dover International Speedway

Clint Bowyer – iRacing #14

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Highlights:

· Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway

· In 2019, he qualified for the Playoffs on points and finished ninth in the series standings

· Finished a career-best runner-up in the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series championship

· 2008 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion

· Multiple winner in all three NASCAR national series

Overall iRacing Stats

· 5 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles

· Finished 16th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway

· Finished 11th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway

· Finished 11th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway

· Finished 30th at virtual Richmond Raceway

· Finished 33rd at virtual Talladega Superspeedway

· Did not compete at virtual Dover International Speedway

Brennan Poole – iRacing #15

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 15 Premium Motorsports Chevrolet

Highlights:

Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
Made his Xfinity Series track debut in 2015 and finished 12th
Best finish of fifth at the track in 2017 in the Xfinity Series
2020 marked his first full season in the Cup Series, making his debut at the Daytona 500
He finished runner-up at Charlotte Motor Speedway last season in the Gander Trucks, a career-best finish

Overall iRacing Stats

2 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 0 poles
Finished 7th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
Finished 11th at virtual Dover International Speedway

Chris Buescher – iRacing #17

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford

Highlights:

Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
Buescher joined Roush-Fenway Racing for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season
In 2016, he won first NASCAR Cup Series race (Pocono-2) in his rookie season; first driver since Joey Logano (2009) to accomplish the feat
One of three drivers in NASCAR Cup Series history to make the Playoffs in their rookie season, joining Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin
Won the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in 2015
Was the 2012 ARCA Menards Series champion

Overall iRacing Stats

6 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles
Finished 28th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
Finished 18th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
Finished 23rd at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
Finished 21st at virtual Richmond Raceway
Finished 27th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
Finished 25th at virtual Dover International Speedway

Kyle Busch – iRacing #18

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Highlights:

· Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway

· Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion also won championship in 2015. One of two (Jimmie Johnson) active drivers with multiple Cup championships

· Has made the Championship 4 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs the last five consecutive seasons

· Won the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in 2009

· In 2010, set all-time single-season record with 24 victories across NASCAR’s three national series

· Currently has most all-time NASCAR national series wins with 208 (56 Cup, 96 Xfinity, 57 Gander Trucks)

· Record seven-time NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series owner champion (2010, ’13, ’14, ’15, ’16, ’17 and ‘19) and one driver championship (2015)

Overall iRacing Stats

· 6 starts, 0 wins, 1 top five and 0 poles

· Finished 29th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway

· Finished 17th at Texas Motor Speedway

· Finished 18th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway

· Finished 5th at virtual Richmond Raceway

· Finished 8th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway

· Finished 15th at virtual Dover International Speedway

Bobby Labonte – iRacing #18

Current Series/Occupation: 2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee

Highlights:

Has eight starts at North Wilkesboro Speedway with a best finish of 10th in 1996
Labonte was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020. He joins his brother, Terry, with the prestigious honor
He won the 2000 NASCAR Cup Series championship
Labonte has 21 NASCAR Cup Series wins, 10 Xfinity Series and one Gander Trucks win
He is one of 27 drivers to have a win in all three of NASCAR’s national series

Overall iRacing Stats

81 starts, 7 wins, 31 top fives, 5 poles
Finished 18th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
Finished 13th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
Finished 13th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
Finished 14th at virtual Richmond Raceway
Finished 31st at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
Finished 13th at virtual Dover International Speedway

Martin Truex Jr. – iRacing #19

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Highlights:

Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion
Won the Xfinity Series championship in 2004 and 2005
Named Most Popular Driver in the Xfinity Series in 2004 and 2005
Got his first Cup Series win at Dover International Speedway in 2007

Overall iRacing Stats

10 starts, 5 wins, 7 top fives, 5 poles
Making eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series debut this weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway

Erik Jones – iRacing #20

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Highlights:

Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
Won his first NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona in July of 2018
2017 NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year – becoming the first driver to earn the award in all three of NASCAR’s national series
2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year
2015 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Champion and Sunoco Rookie of the Year – the youngest champion in series history

Overall iRacing Stats

6 starts, 0 wins, 1 top five, 0 poles
Finished 10th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
Finished 21st at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
Finished 31st at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
Finished 7th at virtual Richmond Raceway
Finished 37th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
Finished 4th at virtual Dover International Speedway

Jon Wood – iRacing #21

Current Series/Occupation: Senior Vice President, Co-Owner of Wood Brothers Racing

Highlights:

· Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway

· Made four NASCAR Cup Series career starts in 2007 and 2008

· Has made 85 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts with a best finish of runner-up in 2005 at Talladega

· Has two Gander Trucks wins from 2003 at Kansas Speedway and Martinsville Speedway

Overall iRacing Stats

· 22 starts, 3 wins, 11 top fives, 5 poles

· Making eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series debut this weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway

Jeff Gordon – iRacing #24

Current Series/Occupation: 2019 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee; FOX Sports NASCAR analyst

Highlights:

Has made eight NASCAR Cup Series starts at North Wilkesboro Speedway posting one win (1996), one pole (1995), four top fives and five top 10s
Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (1995, 1997-1998, 2001)
Three-time Daytona 500 winner (1997, ’99, 2005)
Five-time Brickyard 400 winner (1994, ’98, 2001, ’04, ’14)
Third on all-time NASCAR Cup Series win list with 92

Overall iRacing Stats

1 start, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles
Finished 38th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway

Tyler Reddick – iRacing #31

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Highlights:

Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
Back-to-back NASCAR Xfinity Series champion (2018-2019), and first driver to do it with two different organizations (JR Motorsports 2018, Richard Childress Racing 2019).
2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year; just third driver in series history to win the title in his rookie season joining Chase Elliott (2014) and William Byron (2017).
In 2017, captured his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, at Kentucky, while running a partial schedule.
In 2015, he competed full-time in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, winning his first race and finishing runner-up in the championship standings.

Overall iRacing Stats

5 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 0 poles
Finished 28th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
Finished 8th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
Finished 12th at virtual Richmond Raceway
Finished 22nd at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
Finished 25th at virtual Dover International Speedway

Corey LaJoie – iRacing #32

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 32 GoFas Racing Ford

Highlights:

Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
In 2019, LaJoie posted career-bests in starting position (16th, Kansas), finishing position (sixth, Daytona) and final points position (29th in points).
In 2014, he made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at New Hampshire Motorsports Speedway.

Overall iRacing Stats

1 start, 0 wins, 1 top five, 1 pole
Started from the pole at virtual Talladega Superspeedway in his eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series debut and finished second
Finished 20th at virtual Dover International Speedway

Michael McDowell – iRacing #34

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford

Highlights:

Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
Xfinity Series debut was in 2009, finishing 11th for JTG Daugherty Racing
McDowell is currently in his 13th season in the NASCAR Cup Series
Finished a career-best 26th in the 2017 and 2018 NASCAR Cup Series standings
Earned his lone NASCAR Xfinity Series win in 2016 at Road America

Overall iRacing Stats

105 starts, 25 wins, 46 top fives and 25 poles
Finished 23rd at virtual Homestead Miami Speedway
Finished 12th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
Finished 10th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
Finished 34th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
Finished 5th at virtual Dover International Speedway

Ryan Preece – iRacing #37

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 37 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

Highlights:

Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
Finished runner-up in 2019 Sunoco Rookie of the Year battle in the NASCAR Cup Series
Won first career NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Iowa in 2017
In 2013, he was the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, youngest champion in series history

Overall iRacing Stats

257 starts, 42 wins, 104 top fives and 15 poles
Finished 33rd at virtual Homestead Miami Speedway
Finished 2nd at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
Finished 6th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
Finished 19th at virtual Richmond Raceway and won the pole award
Finished 3rd at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
Finished 29th at virtual Dover International Speedway

John Hunter Nemechek – iRacing #38

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford

Highlights:

Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
2020 is Nemechek’s first fulltime season in the NASCAR Cup Series
Earned his first NASCAR Xfinity Series win in 2018 at Kansas while driving for Chip Ganassi Racing
Won his first NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race at Chicagoland Speedway in 2015, driving for NEMCO Motorsports
Has tallied six career Gander Trucks wins

Overall iRacing Stats

294 starts, 29 wins, 98 top fives and 37 poles
Finished 30th at virtual Homestead Miami Speedway
Finished 8th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
Finished 2nd at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
Finished 16th at virtual Richmond Raceway
Finished 25th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
Finished 27th at virtual Dover International Speedway

Cole Custer – iRacing #41

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Highlights:

Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
Currently in his rookie season in the NASCAR Cup Series with Stewart-Haas Racing
· In 2018, he made his NASCAR Cup Series debut for Rick Ware Racing. He made three starts for the team posting a best finish of 25th at Las Vegas

· Has made 104 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts posting nine career wins

· In 2014, he became the youngest driver in NASCAR national series history to win a race at the age of 16 years, seven months, 28 days (NGROTS, New Hampshire)

· In 2014, he became the youngest driver in NASCAR national series history to win a pole at the age of 16 years, four months, 22 days (NGROTS, Gateway)

Overall iRacing Stats

2 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles
Finished 26th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
Finished 12th at virtual Dover International Speedway

Chad Finchum – iRacing #49

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Xfinity Series – No. 13 Motorsports Business Management Toyota

Highlights:

Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
In 2019, competed in his second full season for MBM finishing the year a career-best 26th in the standings

Overall iRacing Stats

2 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles.
Finished 21st at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
Finished 22nd at virtual Dover International Speedway

Garrett Smithley – iRacing #51

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 51 Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet

Highlights:

Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
Finished a career-best 18th in the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series standings
Has a NASCAR national series career-best finish of fifth at Daytona in the NASCAR Xfinity Series

Overall iRacing Stats

1,231 starts, 146 wins, 538 top fives and 131 poles
Finished 5th at virtual Homestead Miami Speedway
Finished 3rd at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
Finished 9th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
Finished 16th at virtual Richmond Raceway
Finished 4th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
Finished 9th at virtual Dover International Speedway

JJ Yeley – iRacing #52

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 52 Rick Ware Racing Ford

Highlights:

Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
Yeley has competed for various teams throughout the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series
2003 United States Auto Club (USAC) Triple Crown (Silver Crown, sprint, midget) champion
Won 2001 USAC sprint car championship, 2002 USAC Silver Crown championship
In 1995 became youngest driver to win Sprint Car Racing Association (SCRA) feature

Overall iRacing Stats

2 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles
Finished 15th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
Finished 19th at virtual Dover International Speedway

Joey Gase – iRacing #53

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 53 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet

Highlights:

Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
Made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Chicagoland Speedway in 2014 for GO FAS Racing
Has over 200 starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series
Overall iRacing Stats

2 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles
Finished 20th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
Finished 24th at virtual Dover International Speedway

Timmy Hill – iRacing #66

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 66 Motorsports Business Management Toyota

Highlights:

Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
Won the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
Finished third in the 2020 Xfinity Series season-opener at Daytona, his career-best NASCAR national series finish
Owner of Hill Motorsports, fielding the No. 56 Chevrolet in the Gander Trucks

Overall iRacing Stats

1,681 starts, 674 wins, 1,208 top fives, 456 poles
Finished 3rd at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
Won the race at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
Finished 3rd at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
Finished 2nd at virtual Richmond Raceway
Finished 11th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
Finished 3rd at virtual Dover International Speedway

Parker Kligerman – iRacing #77

Current Series/Occupation: NBC Sports TV Analyst and part-time NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series driver

Highlights:

Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
Has made 28 NASCAR Cup Series starts since 2012
Finished a career-best ninth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship standings in 2013
Finished a career-best fifth in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series championship points in 2012

Overall iRacing Stats

420 starts, 57 wins, 190 top fives and 11 poles
Finished 13th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
Finished 12th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
Finished 7th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
Finished 3rd at virtual Richmond Raceway
Finished 16th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
Finished 34th at virtual Dover International Speedway

Landon Cassill – iRacing #89

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Xfinity Series – No. 89 Shepherd Racing Chevrolet

Highlights:

· Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway

· In 2014, he scored a NASCAR Cup Series career-best fourth-place finish at Talladega

· In 2010, he made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Michigan

· In 2008, he won the NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year award

Overall iRacing Stats

· 48 starts, 4 wins, 28 top fives and 2 poles

· Finished 12th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway

· Finished 4th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway

· Finished 20th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway

· Finished 4th at virtual Richmond Raceway

· Finished 5th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway

· Finished 21st at virtual Dover International Speedway

Christopher Bell – iRacing #95

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 96 Leavine Family Racing Toyota

Highlights:

Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
Has posted a total of 16 NASCAR Xfinity Series wins
Set the rookie single season Xfinity Series wins record with seven victories in 2018
2017 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series champion
Has a total of seven career Gander Truck wins

Overall iRacing Stats

1,032 starts, 237 wins, 557 top fives and 132 poles
Finished 27th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
Finished 34th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
Finished 12th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
Finished 24th at virtual Richmond Raceway
Finished 13th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
Finished 2nd at virtual Dover International Speedway

Richard Childress Racing at North Wilkesboro Speedway … Although the NASCAR Cup Series has not competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway since 1996, Richard Childress Racing has enjoyed an illustrious history at the North Carolina-based track that includes five race wins with Dale Earnhardt.

The Format … NASCAR, iRacing and FOX Sports are teaming up to deliver the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, a selection of simulation-style esports races that include NASCAR Cup Series drivers Austin Dillon (No. 3 American Ethanol Chevrolet) and Tyler Reddick (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet). The series heads to the virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway for a fixed set-up race this Saturday, May 9.

But Wait, There’s More … In addition to Saturday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race, RCR will compete in a special Friday night race at virtual Martinsville Speedway with our roster of NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers, including Anthony Alfredo (No. 33 Blue Otter Polarized Sunglasses Chevrolet), Myatt Snider (No. 93 TaxSlayer Chevrolet) and Kaz Grala (No. 29 HotScream Chevrolet). The race features NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series and NASCAR Whelen Euro Series drivers competing within the iRacing platform, complete with qualifying times to set heat races and a last chance qualifier race to round out the starting lineup. Fans can watch all the action at eNASCAR.com.

COVID-19 Relief … Own a piece of history by participating in a recently launched 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, including an original No. 3 Chevrolet once raced by Dale Earnhardt, complete with engine. To bid or purchase items from Childress’ personal collection, visit https://www.ebay.com/str/RichardChildresscollection. Bidders interested in the Dale Earnhardt racecar should register here https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Home/OnlineMay-2020/4ac775c5-37d9-4906-800b-84478937ab2b.

Did You Know … Richard Childress notched six top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Cup Series at North Wilkesboro Speedway when he competed at the track as a driver from 1972-1981.

Interactive RCR … For up-to-date news and exclusive content, visit RCR’s corporate Twitter page – @RCRracing – along with the RCR eSports Twitter page – @RCR_eSports, the RCR NASCAR Cup Series team Twitter page – @RCRCup and the RCR NASCAR Xfinity Series team Twitter page – @RCRNXS. Information about the 16-time championship winning organization can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardChildressRacing and on Instagram at Instagram.com/rcrracing. Visit www.RCRracing.com.

Catch the Action … The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series at the virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway will be televised live Saturday, May 9, beginning at 3 p.m. ET on the FOX broadcast network (where available), FS1 and the FOX Sports app. Races will be available in Canada through FOX Sports Racing. Catch our Xfinity Series drivers Friday night at Martinsville Speedway at 8 p.m. ET by visiting eNASCAR.com.

This Week’s American Ethanol Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway … This Saturday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series event marks Dillon’s first time racing at North Wilkesboro Speedway, virtually or otherwise. Dillon’s father, RCR’s Vice President of Competition Mike Dillon, is a former race winner at North Wilkesboro in Late Model competition and can provide plenty of tips to help guide him.

Throwback Celebration … Dillon’s No. 3 American Ethanol Chevrolet virtual paint scheme this week, along with teammate Tyler Reddick’s scheme, is designed to honor Dale Earnhardt’s Chevrolet from his first win at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 1986. Earnhardt went on to win a total of five races at the 0.625-mile speedway.

Delivering Performance on and Off the Racetrack… Austin Dillon races on Sunoco Green E15 fuel made with 15 percent American Ethanol. Ethanol is the most effective and least expensive source of octane available and it also burns cleaner and cooler than gasoline. All those factors mean that ethanol helps drive peak engine performance whether you’re in a racecar or on your way to the grocery store. And, ethanol helps keep our air cleaner and our environment healthier by reducing toxic and greenhouse gas emissions. Learn more about why ethanol is the smart choice for your engine, your wallet and our environment at americanethanolracing.com.

A Commitment to eSports … Dillon is a long-time iRacing team owner. For the past two years, he has fielded two cars in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, which is a $300,000 eSport World Championship series officially sanctioned by NASCAR featuring the world’s most elite oval sim racers. Dillon’s two drivers, Blake Reynolds (No. 30) and Michael Guest (No. 33) compete on simulated versions of the actual real-world NASCAR tracks with the Gen6 cars available on iRacing. The rounds run every other Tuesday night and is broadcast live on Twitch, Facebook and YouTube.

The Crew … Dillon will be competing in a rig provided by Sim Seats and will have a talented support system on Saturday, including his eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series driver, Blake Reynolds (@breynolds_66). Reynolds was a Champ 4 contender in 2019.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
What are your thoughts on virtually racing at North Wilkesboro Speedway?
“It’s going to be interesting, that’s for sure. I’ve personally never raced at North Wilkesboro, but my family has a lot of experience there. North Wilkesboro was one of my dad’s favorite tracks when he was a driver. He’s won Late Model races there.”
This Week’s Caterpillar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway …

Jon Wood has 208 starts as a driver across NASCAR’s top three series, but hasn’t competed since 2008. He hasn’t done a lot of iRacing in the years since, but Saturday afternoon he’ll be wheeling the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang at the virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway in the final race of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series.

Wood, now 38, will be driving for Wood Brothers Racing, where he’s now Senior Vice President and Co-owner. He’s taking the place of the team’s regular driver, Matt DiBenedetto, who is missing the Invitational finale because of a prior family commitment. Steve Myers, iRacing’s Executive Vice President and Executive Producer, invited Wood to join the line-up since DiBenedetto was unavailable.

The prospect of returning to competition against the top talent in NASCAR is a bit unnerving for Wood, a two-time winner in the truck series.

“I can’t believe how nervous the thought of being in this race has made me,” he said. “I don’t remember being this wound up for any of my real-world races.”

In addition to getting reacquainted with his iRacing rig, Wood has been busy designing a throw-back paint scheme for Saturday’s race at the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway. His Mustang will be Candy Apple Red, just like the Ford that the late Marvin Panch drove to two wins at North Wilkesboro, in 1963 and 1964. The paint scheme is also a way of honoring the late Ray Lee Wood, who died May 5. Wood, one of the original members of the Wood Brothers racing team, was a tire changer from the time he and his brothers started racing until the end of the 1965 season. Ray Lee Wood changed front tires for both of Panch’s wins at North Wilkesboro.

“We’ve had some very popular throwback schemes that have already been used so it’s getting tricky to stay original,” Wood said. “My dad [Eddie Wood] chose to honor Marvin Panch’s 1963/64 season and North Wilkesboro win.”

“I’m thrilled and honored but also humbled to be able to pay tribute to both Marvin and Ray Lee. It feels so appropriate given their history at this place.”

As fate would have it, Wood will make his Pro Invitational Series debut at a track where he actually has turned laps, unlike nearly every other entry in Saturday’s race.

After the 2004 season, Wood, driving for Roush Racing at the time, was moving up from the truck series to the circuit now known as the Xfinity Series. Roush set up a tryout at North Wilkesboro to pick a driver to take over the trucks being vacated by Wood and Carl Edwards.

Wood was the first one to drive on the track, which had sat idle since its final Cup race in the Fall of 1996.

“There was so much dust on the track that the truck was slinging rooster tails going down the straightaway,” Wood said, adding that the facility had a surreal feel, having sat basically untouched for nearly 10 years. “There were trees growing up in the grandstands, but there was still toilet paper on the rollers in the bathrooms.”

Even with his brief experience at North Wilkesboro, Wood isn’t setting his sights too high for Saturday.

“I consider myself a part-time part-timer as far as iRacing is concerned,” he said. “I love it, but I don’t have a ton of experience.”

Saturday’s North Wilkesboro 160 is set to get the green flag at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, with TV coverage on FOX and FOX Sports 1.

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, visitwww.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.

For decades people in southern Virginia and beyond knew Ray Lee Wood for the beautiful flowers growing in front of his home in the community of Buffalo Ridge and for the sourwood honey that he collected from his beehives.

They knew of his prized Persian cats and Siberian Huskies, and the goldfish he raised in ponds on his family property.

Others were amazed at his knowledge of the Bible and his loyalty to the Pentecostal Holiness Church.

And there were some that knew the rest of the story, about how Wood was an integral part of some of the grandest triumphs in motor racing history – among them victories in the 1963 Daytona 500, the 1965 Indianapolis 500 and the inaugural American 500 at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham in 1965.

Ray Lee Wood, who died May 5 at the age of 92, was the third son of J. Walter and Ada Wood. In the early 1950s, he and his brothers Glenn, Clay, Delano and Leonard, took on the world of automobile racing with the same passion and determination that they applied to every task they ever took on.

Early in the Wood Brothers’ career, they worked on their race cars under a giant beech tree, its limbs serving as support for pulling engines with a chain hoist. Ray Lee Wood spent the last half of his life serving as caretaker of the famous tree, one that attracted visitors including Edsel Ford II.

As the team began competing in the series now known as Cup, Ray Lee changed front tires and helped prepare the Fords initially driven by his brother Glenn but later driven by some of the biggest names in motorsports.

Leonard Wood said his brother could have added his name to that list had he chosen to do so.

“Ray Lee could have been a race driver as well as Glenn,” he said. In 1958, on the sands of Daytona Beach, Ray Lee hit 142 miles per hour on the measured mile in a hopped-up street car, topping the speed chart for that day.

When the Wood Brothers won the Car Owner’s Championship in 1963 using multiple drivers, Ray Lee Wood was the car owner of record and the Championship trophy bears his name.

When the Woods scored the first of their five Daytona 500 victories, with Tiny Lund filling in for a badly burned Marvin Panch, Ray Lee played a key role in the team’s winning pit strategy.

After the first 10 laps of the 500 were run under the yellow flag because of rain, the Woods saw an opportunity to play a pit strategy similar to those used in road-course races today. They began making their pit stops with the intention of making one fewer stop than their competitors.

They also were hoping to run the race on a single set of tires.

Firestone representative John Laux and Ray Lee were in charge of checking the tires. Both agreed on each early stop that the tires were good to go.

On the final stop, Laux wasn’t so certain. Ray Lee said the tires were good for another 100 miles. His brothers took his advice, and Lund drove on to the checkered flag.

Wood played a similar role in the Indianapolis 500, as he and his brothers pitted the Lotus Ford driven by Jim Clark. Again, Wood checked tires on each stop, and again the call was made to continue. The result was another major win for the Stuart, Va.-based team.

That trip to Indianapolis was a life-changer for Wood.

“When we were up there in Indiana, I felt the calling of the Lord,” Wood said in a 2010 interview. “He had something else for me to do.”

It was the same calling his brother Delano, the family jack man, would feel at the end of the 1983 season.

Not wanting to leave his brothers in mid-season, in an era when good tire changers were hard to find, Ray Lee decided to stay on through the end of that year.

His racing career ended in storybook fashion, with his old friend Curtis Turner driving the Woods’ Ford to victory at Rockingham.

Wood and Turner had become close over the years, and Wood often flew back from races with Turner, so he could be back at work with his grading business on Monday morning.

That race, Turner’s 17th and final Cup win, also was the final NASCAR appearance for Ray Lee Wood, who began spending his Sunday’s at his beloved church, located near his home in Buffalo Ridge.

In the years after that, he never attended another NASCAR race, although he did participate in a Fan Appreciation event at the Wood Brothers Museum in 2011.

His nephew Eddie Wood said that in a family of cool brothers, Ray Lee stood out.

“He had the coolest cars,” Eddie Wood said. “He had lots of girlfriends. He had one of the first color TVs in our county. He was just a happy-go-lucky guy.”

Like his brothers, Ray Lee didn’t do things halfway.

“He started a rose garden, and the next thing you know he had 500 of them, and then a thousand,” Wood said. “He bought two expensive Persian cats, Sam and George, and kept getting more until he had 50 show cats.

“He got into Siberian Huskies and had giant goldfish… Whatever he did, he went at it 100 percent.”

Ray Lee Wood lived in the same house where he grew up, and in his latter years was content with a simple life, far removed from the cheering crowds and checkered flags of his early years.

“He was just laid back, in no hurry,” his nephew Len Wood said. “Nothing ruffled his feathers.”

With his racing career behind him, Ray Lee was close to his sister Crystal and his church family, and remained supportive of the racing side of his family.

“Ray never went back to the track after 1965, but he supported us all the way and always followed our races on the radio or TV,” Leonard Wood said. “He was a great brother and a great all-around person.

“I can’t say enough good words about him.”

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 driven by Paul Menard in the famous No. 21 racer.

FedEx Racing Express Facts – Virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway

Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx “Delivering Strength” Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

MCDOWELL ON VIRTUAL NORTH WILKESBORO:

“I’m sure that I am speaking for not only myself, but for the entire NASCAR community when I say that it has been a long two months without racing. I’m thankful for the recent news that we will be returning to the race track soon, and I’m also thankful for all of the hard work that iRacing, NASCAR and FOX Sports have put in to deliver fans, drivers, teams and partners with the closest thing possible to live racing during quarantine.

“This coming Saturday, we will have a very special Pro Invitational Series race as we visit the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway. This is a track that is brand new to the iRacing world, which means nobody has virtually had prior experience turning laps here, so I’m looking forward practicing as much as I can this week and hopefully have my virtual Ford Mustang dialed in to put on a good show for all of the fans that tune in.

“I’m excited to have Love’s Travel Stops back on for this event. They’re doing a great job supporting professional drivers who are delivering vital goods across the country. Recently, they announced the “Thank A Driver” e-coupon on the Love’s Connect app, which saves drivers money at Love’s. Thank you again to all the hard-working men and women who are keeping America moving!”

NEMECHEK TALKS LATEST PRO INVITATIONAL SERIES EVENT AT NORTH WILKESBORO:

“I’m proud to have taken part in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series over the last several weeks. It’s been both exciting and humbling to see our industry come together to provide some much-needed entertainment at home while we’ve been apart. The show we’ve been able to put on has been the next-best thing to competing in person and I have to give major props to everyone at NASCAR, iRacing and FOX for working feverishly to make this happen.

“It’s going to be really cool to race virtually at North Wilkesboro Speedway this weekend. No one has run an iRacing event at this track before, so it might be a little wild and crazy, but definitely worth tuning in. I think it will be the perfect finale to the Pro Invitational Series, and a great sendoff as we get ready to return to the track in Darlington next weekend.

“I’m pumped to have FAS on board the No. 38 Mustang this week. We have a great relationship with the folks over there and they’ll be with us a few more times throughout the season. I’m looking forward to having a good run for them in the virtual space.”

ARIC ALMIROLA ENJOYS SEEING RED IN HIS DRIVEWAY

It seemed to be a rather odd question in the aftermath of an exciting win.

“What’s your favorite color?”

Huh?

“What’s your favorite color?”

Red.

That brief exchange between Aric Almirola, who had just led the final four laps to win the 2017 Sparks Energy 300 in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Talladega Superspeedway, and co-owner Bill DenBeste was pretty much forgotten in the midst of high-fiving crew members, conducting interviews, and posing for pictures in victory lane.

Until…

“It was about a month later and I looked out in the driveway and there was this black Shelby Cobra with red racing stripes,” recalled Almirola, who is in his third season driving the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing. “Bill is really big into the restoration and re-creation of the Shelby Cobras. He’s got lots of them in a warehouse, so he went back to California and basically picked out one that was already restored.

“That’s kind of my date night car with Janice,” added Almirola, who says the 1965 two-seater resides in his garage, but is ominously surrounded by a variety of bikes, scooters, and other toys that children Alex and Abby play with on a daily basis. “When the weather is nice and it’s a beautiful day, we’ll go for an afternoon cruise or go get lunch, or I’ll take the kids to go get ice cream in it.”

It’s also a major departure from what he normally drives, which has also changed over the years. At first, he had an Expedition, which was understandable with a young and growing family, but when it came time to get something new Almirola opted for an F-150 with one specific reason in mind.

“I decided to go with the F-150 because I enjoy doing projects around the house and when I’m cleaning up I just like being able to take things and throw it in the bed of the truck,” said Almirola. “Whether you go to get lumber from a home improvement store or you’re going to the dump it’s just nice having the bed of the truck. With the Expedition I just always felt bad throwing things in the back and messing up the carpet.”

One such project Almirola recently completed was totally rebuilding the deck on the back of his house. We’re talking everything from tearing the old one down to putting the new one up.

“I love working with wood, so that was something I really enjoyed,” said Almirola, who welcomes the many challenges that come along with the actual build more so than the relatively mindless task of taking something apart. “But over the course of rebuilding it there were many trips to get materials, and then when you demolish the old one there is plenty of stuff that needs to be hauled away, so my F-150 came in handy throughout the whole project.”

While he loves the enjoyment that his vintage sports car brings and appreciates the versatility his truck provides, Almirola talks like a fisherman who let the big one get away when it comes to one specific vehicle.

“I’m very envious of the people that have the Ford GT,” said Almirola. “I think that is an incredible vehicle and I wish I had one, but I just was not courageous enough to make that financial investment.”

Then again, you never know what could end up in his driveway the next time he wins a race or, even better, a NASCAR Cup Series championship.