Category: NASCAR Cup PR

NASCAR CUP SERIES
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS, CONCORD, NC
JIMMIE JOHNSON & RICK HENDRICK MEDIA EVENT
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
NOVEMBER 21, 2019

JIMMIE JOHNSON, THE SEVEN-TIME NASCAR CHAMPION AND ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL DRIVERS IN AUTO RACING HISTORY, WILL COMPETE IN HIS 19TH AND FINAL FULL-TIME CUP SERIES SEASON IN 2020. HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS OWNER, RICK HENDRICK AND JIMMIE JOHNSON MET WITH MEDIA AND DISCUSSED FUTURE PLANS, PAST ACHIEVEMENTS, AND MUCH MORE. FULL TRANSCRIPT:

WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU TOLD THE GIRLS? WHAT WAS THEIR REACTION?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“Yesterday when we were having breakfast, I was showing the girls the video we pushed out on social media. Breakfast is a very important part of the day, a focal point for my kids. Lydia was midway through her pancakes when I started the video, and could not be bothered by the video and wanted me to pass the butter (laughs).”

SO, YOUR RETIREMENT NOW HAS BEEN TRUMPED BY BUTTER?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“It was (laughs).”

INAUDIBLE
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“She’s been processing it. She just wants dad to be happy and it has been an exciting couple of days. I’m so proud of you for coming up here and speaking, I know that was tough.”

WHAT HAVE THE LAST FEW DAYS BEEN LIKE?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“It’s been interesting because I’ve worked through my headspace, and then came to see Rick (Hendrick) and spent some time with Jeff (Gordon). That’s all three weeks to a month ago, if not a little longer. I’m a little further down the road and I’m so excited to be where I am today. To be in this press conference today and tell everyone what my plans are. So, I’m very excited and I’m just ready to get 2020 started. The process has been interesting; telling friends, telling my team yesterday. To sit the team down, the people that have worked on the 48 from the beginning, that was probably one of the harder ones I think that I had. Chad (Knaus) and I went to dinner the other night; I did catch his attention when I mentioned it to him. But it’s been an interesting process and a day you can never really plan for. It’s here and I’m just thankful to just be with family and friends. This man right here (Rick Hendrick) and all he’s done for my life.”

THINK BACK ON THE PAST 24 – 26 HOURS; THE REACTION FROM THE INDUSTRY, THE FANS, WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THAT? WHAT STOOD OUT IN YOUR MIND?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“It’s been amazing. When I look back on the years I’ve had so far in NASCAR, I fall back into thinking about the experiences and the people; those are the memories that come to mind. Holding a trophy in victory lane or on the stage in Las Vegas that we’ve been on several times, it’s the people. So, to see some of my peers and their remarks, the phone calls, to connect with those people, text messages, whatever it may be; that part really filled my heart.”

MR. HENDRICK, WE WILL TALK ABOUT TODAY IN A LITTLE BIT, BUT I’VE GOT TO GO BACK TO 2000-2001. I KNEW JIMMIE’S CAREER IN THE BUSCH SERIES WAS NOT STELLAR. BUT, WITH THAT BEING SAID, WHAT DID JEFF (GORDON) SAY TO YOU TO CONVINCE YOU THAT JIMMIE JOHNSON WAS THE GUY TO PUT IN ANOTHER HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CAR?
RICK HENDRICK:
“I think he said ‘we don’t have a sponsor and I’m up for it if you are’. I thought that was a pretty darn good commitment. Jimmie was a good friend of my son Ricky (Hendrick) and Ricky told me he was going to be a champion. The only time I’ve waited three or four hours to go home after a race was the night that Ricky invited Jimmie to ride home with us. On the third lap, Ricky’s alternator went out, so we waited.”
Jimmie Johnson: “Ricky ran into the transporter after the race was over and said ‘hey man, mom and dad are waiting for us on the plane; let’s go!’.”

DID JEFF (GORDON) EVER TELL YOU WHAT YOU DID ON THE RACE TRACK THAT IMPRESSED HIM?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“We’ve talked some about it. I know what I did in Michigan to catch his attention. My hero is in front of me and in the closing laps of the race, I made a heavy commitment to drive past him on the last lap. Luckily, I didn’t clean us both out in the process (laughs).”

FAST FORWARD TO TODAY, MR. HENDRICK, I THINK JIMMIE TOLD YOU ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO THAT THIS WAS THE DIRECTION THAT HE WAS GOING. TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT DISCUSSION, THAT PROCESS AND YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT.
RICK HENDRICK:
“Shocked. Every time one of these drivers call me and come to my house, I know that’s not a good situation (laughs). Everybody knows Jimmie; he processes everything. When he’s made up his mind, he’s not wishy-washy at all. He’s done so much for us and for the sport. If you just said I’m going to make a list of what the perfect driver would be, from the talent to the ability to work with sponsors and athlete, he’s just raising the bar for our company. From fitness to charity, it’s unbelievable how perfect he is. So, whatever he wanted, I wanted for him. I told him that this year; I said we’re not on a clock, you tell me what you want to do and we’ll make it work. I thought he deserved that from our company. I knew the day would come; I should be the one retiring (laughs). I’m happy for him because I want to see what the next chapter is. He has set the foundation and the benchmark for us at this company that we’ll always stride to get there. He’s going to be a buddy, a friend, and go do things together. He’s just an unbelievable person and an unbelievable friend. So, he’s not just a driver, he’s family.”

YOU’VE MENTIONED WHAT HE MEANS TO YOU PERSONALLY, WHAT HE’S MEANT TO HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS. HOW WOULD YOU PUT INTO CONTEXT WHAT HE HAS MEANT TO THE SPORT OF NASCAR?
RICK HENDRICK:
“I’m not sure I could have gotten drivers to want to get together and debrief. Jimmie said, we should do that, and they did it. Everybody came, that’s where it started in the sport. He was the guy that put that together. I just think when you look back at a seven-time champion, he did it right; he represented the sport as a true champion. You never had to make an excuse for Jimmie Johnson. He was always on his mark. He never embarrassed anybody. He is a role model for kids, a role model for drivers and an athlete that I’ve never seen in any kind of sport. He’s that much committed to what he does in his job and to his family. I see a lot of his friends here; he’s a special guy. I just feel very blessed that I can have a guy like this and I can thank Jeff (Gordon) for pushing me along. I’m just very blessed to have known him, have him in that car, and win all the championships and all the races that he’s done for us.”

JIMMIE, WHAT WAS THE TIPPING POINT THAT YOU FINALLY REALIZED I’M GOING TO RETIRE, THIS IS WHAT I’M GOING TO DO AND I’M COMFORTABLE WITH THE DECISION?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“Many of you that know me, I like to have a plan and I like to think things through. I did plenty of that through the spring and summer, just knowing I have to make a decision. In my mind, I felt like I needed to make a decision by the end of the year. Nothing really hit me in the gut with the feeling that I wanted to stay or stop at the end of 2020. As the year went on and we rolled into October, the feeling just became real. It really did and it felt good to think about. It was such a profound moment that I really take it back to the moment in time where I knew I wanted to buy a ring for her (Chandra); it was just that strong in my stomach. I was like ‘wow, this is what I want to do’. So, of course I had to talk to Chandra and then take some time to kind of speak to Rick and Jeff. I feel very, very good about my decision. It’s time. I feel so fortunate that it showed up to me in that way. I’ve talked to greats like Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr.; everyone has had their own journey. Some of those guys maybe set a date and left before their heart really wanted to leave. There are a lot of other athletes that their time is called and they don’t have that opportunity to pick their own. I feel very blessed and fortunate to have this opportunity. It just feels right.”

JIMMIE, THAT MOMENT YESTERDAY WHEN YOU SAID YOU INTERRUPTED THE PANCAKES, IT SOUNDS LIKE A MOMENT WHERE BEING A DAD EXCEEDS BEING A NASCAR DRIVER. HOW MANY MOMENTS HAVE YOU HAD LIKE THAT RECENTLY THAT MAYBE IT OCCURRED TO YOU THAT FAMILY WAS A BIG REASON TO MAKE THIS DECISION? HOW MUCH DID YOUR DAUGHTERS AND CHANDRA IMPACT THIS?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“Yeah, absolutely. At the end of the day, this is about time. When I look at next year, I’ve been dreaming of racing as much as I could for forty years. I started racing dirt bikes at five and I’ve chased this that whole way. We waited to start our family a little bit later, just trying to be smart with timing in some respects. I know myself and I knew that at some point, that was really going to really weigh on me to want to be around a lot more. It’s hard to believe they are nine and six now, but I just have a fire in me to push for that and stay at the track. I still have that fire and I am coming back next year. Next year is a year we are going to win races and compete for a championship. I know I can give what I need to this team for another year. After that, I’m ready to have some time back on my side and just have a better balance in life.”

WHAT DO YOU HOPE RETIREMENT LOOKS LIKE FOR YOU?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“This is not a retirement from driving race cars. This is just slowing down from 38 weekends a year, and you certainly know the stress, pressure and grind that it takes. 19 years in Cup and 2 years in the Xfinity Series, plus everything before that, it’s been a heck of a run and we’ll keep going.”

RICK, WHEN DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE FOR WHO IS GOING TO BE IN THE 48? BY 2021, YOUR DRIVERS WILL HAVE A LOT MORE EXPERIENCE.
RICK HENDRICK:
“Yeah, I’ve already picked a guy. Jeff Gordon is coming back (laughs). Listen, we have another year. Our company is really excited; we’re going to put everything we got into all our cars. With Chad (Knaus) sitting here as a big part in Jimmie’s career and what he’s done for this company, it’s our goal to get him the absolute best and we want to see him go out on top; winning and getting that championship. We actually talked about that the day after we got back from the race in Homestead.”

INAUDIBLE
JIMMIE JOHNSON: “This is not retirement from racing; this is stepping down from the 38 weeks a year that it takes to be competitive and the time that goes with that. I would come back and drive Cup for Mr. Hendrick; all options are open, honestly. I really look forward to what might develop in the 12 months from now and the opportunities that might be out there. I wouldn’t mind going and getting dirty again, with the history I have of off-road racing in the dirt. I’ll just kind of wait and see. Most importantly, I feel like I need to take a deep breath and just see what comes from there. Put my family first instead of racing first for once, and take it from there.”

ARE THERE BUCKET LIST ITEMS FOR THE FAMILY THAT YOU GUYS HAVE TO DO SOMETHING OR GO SOMEWHERE TOGETHER?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“We love to travel. I could see us going places and traveling around the world. It is still new and we are still working through that whole process. We don’t know what 2021 will ultimately look like for us. Good news, we’ve got a year to kind of work through that stuff and see where we’ll be.”

WHAT WAS ALLY’S RESPONSE TO THE NEWS?
RICK HENDRICK:
“Well, that day, we were up front with them. They were hoping that Jimmie would run for five more years, but they knew that and they were aware that that could happen. And they’re excited because I think you’ll see Ally get behind him as a sponsor in his last year like you’ve never seen anyone send a guy out before. And so, they’re happy for Jimmie. They’re not happy that he’s not going to be there, but they’re good with it.”

OF ALL THE 83 POINTS-PAYING CUP RACES THAT YOU’VE WON SO FAR IN YOUR CAREER, WHICH ONE DO YOU THINK WAS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT OR THE ONE THAT YOU VALUE THE MOST.
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“For me, I go to the first. My dream was to be a Cup driver and to win a race. That was the top for me. So to be able to do that in my 13th start at my home track (Fontana, CA), that was a very special moment.”

MODERATOR – WINSTON KELLY
“THAT REMINDS ME OF THE CONVERSATION I THINK I’VE HEARD. TELL THE STORY OF THE FIRST MEETING YOU HAD WITH LOWE’S. I THINK WAS THE CEO BOB TILLMAN, AT THE TIME?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“Bob Tillman, yes. We had a meeting just across the street over here in Rick’s old office area. And, the Lowe’s folks were there and Tillman was waiting for me to arrive. I had a sponsor commitment for my Busch team and was just getting back to town from it. And, Bob wanted to look me in the eyes and find out if I was really willing to man-up and win a race for the company. At that point, I hadn’t won a race. And literally stared across the boardroom table and put me on the spot. He asked me if I thought I was able to win a race. And I dug deep and sat there and I felt like I lied right into his eyes and I said, ‘Yes sir, I can’! (laughter) Thankfully we’ve delivered 83 times since.” (more laughter)

YOU SAID YOU STILL HAVE THE FIRE TO COMPETE AND DO WELL NEXT YEAR. WHAT IS THE OUTLOOK FOR 2020 KNOWING THAT 2019 DIDN’T END THE WAY YOU WANTED IT TO. IS IT TO WIN AND MAKE THE PLAYOFFS AND STILL CONTEND FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP? DID THE 2021 CAR PLAY INTO YOUR DECISION AT ALL, KNOWING THAT IT’S GOING TO BE A COMPLETE RE-SET?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“First of all, the outlook for next year is to absolutely win races and be in that championship four. If’ you’re in that championship four, at Phoenix now, you’ve got a shot. And that is absolutely the goal for next year. I have the fire. Our team is getting stronger. I think Hendrick Motorsports as a whole; we’ve had a great evolution through the course of 2019. We have some new things coming our way for 2020. And just pulling back and looking at the opportunity this company has in 2020, and then myself, with it being my final full-time year, that’s a special opportunity. And that did kind of go into my thought process in my head, which I’ve probably never shared. Twenty years has always felt like a nice round number to be a full-time driver. I can see what 2020 looks like. I don’t know, much like all of us, what 2021 looks like. So, it didn’t play a role in my decision-making process. But, when I’m looking around trying to find things to sway me one way or the other, it’s like man, 2020 just looks like an awesome opportunity.”

WHAT IS ‘THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY THAT STILL GNAWS AT YOU WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT’?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“There’s two. There’s probably more than two. But, the Coke 600. For the rookie year, the Coke 600, I’m really soft at getting in the pit box. Chad is like c’mon buddy, get into the pit box harder. Get it in here, get it in here! I slide through the box. Com out in third or fourth and work my way back to second and left that one on the table. That one I definitely remember. For years after that, Chad just said, hey, take your time….come on in at your own pace (laughter). One other one is, and I still today swear that I should have 12 wins at Dover. Juan Pablo (Montoya) spun the tires on a restart and bailed and made me look bad and I beat him to the start/finish line and got called on it. So, that’s another one that comes to mind.”

IS THERE A SPECIFIC TRACK THAT YOU’RE GOING TO MISS GOING TO?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“I really do enjoy racing at all of them. I think it took me a little while to fall in love with the road courses, which is kind of odd with my background, but I really enjoyed going there. Dover is always going to have a special place in my heart. But, it’s so new, so I’m not sure what I’m going to miss. But first look at it, there’s nothing that I’m eager to get away from. I’m excited to go back and see these places and race at these places and see my fans. Maybe my last Daytona 500. Some of these moments that are going to be out there are going to be really special, so my head is much more in that space.”

OF HIS 83 WINS, WHICH ONE STANDS OUT TO YOU THE MOST?
RICK HENDRICK:
“I think the first one. I think that’s always the one that breaks the ice. And I was standing with (Bob) Tillman in your pits when you slid through the box (laughter). I think it’s the first one. You think about the championship and think about Daytona and you think about Indy. He had so many wins. But the celebration when you win your first one, I think that’s the one.”

CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH THE CONVERSATION WITH RICK WHEN YOU TOLD HIM?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“Yeah, it was three weeks ago or something like that, at his house. On a funny note, I did mention to him I think twice, maybe three times that 2020 was going to be my last year. He never reacted. And then the fourth time he said, ‘I guess you’re serious about this, aren’t you?’ (laughter)

RICK HENDRICK:
“I was waiting for something else beyond that.”

SEVERAL YEARS AGO AFTER YOU WON SIX TITLES, WE ASKED WHAT YOU HOPED YOUR LEGACY IS. YOU SAID YOU HAD A HELL OF A LOT MORE RACING LEFT TO DO. NOW YOU HAVE 38 MORE RACES. WHAT DO YOU HOPE IS YOUR LEGACY WHEN YOU’RE DONE WITH THIS?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“Legacy-wise, I feel that I’m a people-person and I’ve built a lot of extremely meaningful relationships in this industry and in this garage area. I go back to my younger years and various teams and series that I ran in, and there’s always been a feeling there in a friendship and a bond and a respect. Ultimately, it’s that respect and being one of the good guys out there on the track. When I think back on my 18 years so far, my mind goes to those memories and to the people that I share those memories with. Notwithstanding, holding a trophy somewhere. So, it’s much more of that headspace of being remembered than stats. It’s more of that heartfelt thing than stats.”

WHAT DO YOU HOPE JIMMIE’S LEGACY IS, TOO?
RICK HENDRICK:
“I think that the kind of person he is, everybody looks at the stats. And yeah, he is a seven-time champion, five-in-a-row and I’m thinking will I ever do that again. But, I think the respect he has from other athletes that aren’t in our sport, other people that he is friends with, but I think when you can do it and do it right and win like he did and set records that probably no one will ever break, and nobody can say anything bad about Jimmie Johnson. On the track, off the track; I mean I think sometimes people didn’t respect him because he was too perfect. You know, that he didn’t have that big edge. But, he could win and do it like that and be a gentleman and race people clean and ever had any problems. And so when history looks back at him, they’ll say that this guy was an unbelievable athlete, father, charities, and he and Chani give so much away. In every box that you check in life (like) what you do with kids, how you raise your family, and you’re a champion. And every sponsor that he’s had, they love him to death. I just think the stats speak for themselves. But, people are going to remember the man, Jimmie Johnson.”

YOU HAVE 7 CHAMPIONSHIPS. LOOKING BACK OVER THOSE, WHICH ONE JUMPS OUT TO YOU AS THE TOUGHEST….THE ONE THAT YOU THOUGHT WAS GOING TO SLIP THROUGH YOUR FINGERS?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“For me it was ’06, for sure. We had some trouble in the way the Playoff format worked out. We had two big moments. One was in Talladega that everybody probably remembers…..trying to pass Dale for the win Vickers and I get tangled-up and we spin Dale and at that point, with just a handful of races left in the championship, I didn’t think it was going to happen and it did. That’s the one that comes to mind for me.”

RICK HENDRICK:
“I thought his seventh because I didn’t think we were really going to be in it, the way we were running. And then a caution at the end and he got up on the wheel and I think that was one that you didn’t have any time to get ready for. It was just like in a few laps and hey you were the champion. It was unbelievable.”

AS MUCH AS YOU’VE DONE ON THE TRACK, YOU’VE DONE EVEN MORE OFF THE TRACK. EXPLAIN WHY IT’S IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO GIVE BACK AND MAYBE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES OVER THE YEARS THROUGH YOUR FOUNDATION AND HOW DO YOU PLAN TO CONTINUE THAT WHEN YOU’VE FINISHED RACING?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“I’ve always just felt extremely blessed and fortunate to be in the situation I’m in. As time went on, we felt like we could help more and at a larger level. But, that opportunity was set up just due to the experiences I had as a kid in racing in the off-road series. The series would take the drivers to a local children’s hospital and we’d walk the floors and pass out hats and stickers and stuff and that just left a mark in my mind and in my heart, I guess, more than anything; and how it felt to give and put a smile on someone’s face. That’s why our foundation focuses primarily on children. Our early focus was families in need. We built a block in my hometown and put families in some homes with Habitat for Humanity. I guess the bowling ally at Victory Junction Gang Camp was our first project that we funded. And now we’re involved with public education. So, I’m a kid at heart and that memory and that experience that I have, being a young teenager, going into a children’s hospital has stuck with me today and has really led our focus to where it is now charity-wise.”

FOR 18 YEARS, YOU’VE BEEN ACCUSED OF BEING VANILLA AND BORING. AT THE END OF 2020, IS THAT WILD SIDE GOING TO BECOME MORE PUBLIC?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“I guess we’ll find out.” (laughter)

WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SEE THE CAREFREE JIMMIE?
“When my head it out of the racing space, and I’ve said this all along. I’m not very smart. So, when I come to the track I’ve got to try really hard and that prevents me from being the person you see that’s so carefree (laughter).

YOU’VE SEEN A LOT OF RACE CAR DRIVERS AND EMPLOYED A LOT OF DRIVERS, WHAT DO YOU THINK ALLOWED JIMMIE TO BE SO SUCCESSFUL FOR SO LONG?
RICK HENDRICK:
“I think his drive. I think his attention to detail. His work ethic. Trying to prepare for the season. He’s like a computer in the car. He and Chad (Knaus) were the dynamic duo. And I would listen on the radio as he would break the corner down to like a tenth. And the way he could do that running 200 mph, was pretty remarkable. And, I just think he wanted it so bad and he, I mean he was like in the car or out of the car, and I think the combination was unbelievable. If he’s going to run a marathon, he’s going to be the best. Whatever he decides he wants to do, he wants to be the best. He prepares for it. I think you just don’t find a lot of people in life that are willing to make the sacrifice. When they set a goal, they absolutely will never yield from what it takes to get it done.”

NOW YOU’VE PUT YOURSELF ON THE FREE AGENT MARKET TO RUN IMSA AND INDYCAR, STREET AND ROAD COURSES. HAVE YOU MADE INROADS ON THAT? HAVE YOU TALKED TO ANY TEAMS?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“No, I haven’t talked to anybody.”

JUST HAD TO CONFIRM
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“I saw them all pinging me on social media, like hey, dibs! Come race here (laughter). Even the World of Outlaws sent me a tweet.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY PREFERENCE ON TEAMS OR SERIES?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“No, nothing now. I haven’t even thought about it.”

AND THEN DID 2019 AND THE STRUGGLES IMPACT THIS DECISION?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“Truthfully, it had very little implication on me making this decision. There’s been a feeling I’ve been waiting for. And in getting older and later in my career, I’ve just been aware of it. I’ve been waiting for that feeling to show up and I didn’t know when and I didn’t know why, but it did. And, in my heart of hearts, it was not because of the struggles of the last couple of years. Life is a journey, as we all know. Motorsports is a ruthless sport. And, it doesn’t matter who you are. It can beat you up and spit you out the other side. I feel so fortunate that I had just this magical moment for so many years with five in a row and the seven championships that we had. The journey to get there was a long, challenging one. We’ve joked about my ‘stellar’ Busch Series career some but I feel like these last two years are kind of like I’m back in that Busch car a little bit (laughs). And, I say that with a lot of respect to that moment in time in that Busch car because that gave me a stronger work ethic. That lit the fire. That made me work harder. And then when timing was right and my opportunity was right, I took the most of that opportunity and made stuff happen. And I feel like that’s coming. I feel like 2020 can be that moment for me. And these last two years have been part of that in building up for what could be a really special year.”

THROUGHOUT YOUR YEARS OF RACING, YOU’VE KNOWN AND SEEN RICHARD PETTY AND DALE EARNHARDT, SR. RACE. WHAT IS ONE QUALITY OR ELEMENT ABOUT DALE AND ONE ABOUT RICHARD THAT YOU SEE IN JIMMIE?
RICK HENDRICK:
‘Golly, I didn’t see Richard race that much in his prime. But, he was good everywhere. And, Jimmie has been that way. Dale was a different driver than Jimmie. Jimmie has been more of a finesse driver. And I’ve always been amazed to watch him at a place like California, where he talks about drifting into the corner at 220 mph and letting the car slide up to the wall, and he’s a half-second quicker than everybody else. And I think Dale was an intimidator. Dale could figure out how to get to the end of a race and have a chance to win it in every race. I would have liked to have seen them all run together at their prime. But, I think they are three different kinds of drivers, looking back and remembering the talent that all of them had. But, I think Jimmie has been like a machine that could really dissect a car like I’ve never seen before. I don’t know if I answered your question, but it would be hard to compare because they are different styles and different eras and then a bias-ply tire and a radial tire, it’s hard to compare.”

WAS THERE ANYTHING ON OR OFF THE TRACK THAT YOU SAW?
RICK HENDRICK:
“I think Richard Petty is a great ambassador. I can’t believe at his age that he still does what he does for our sport. He’s the ‘King’ and will always be the ‘King’, and I think Dale had a tremendous amount of fans and I was amazed when he passed at the reaction that the world had. Both of those guys really, are legendary and they made a big mark in our sport. And, I think Jimmie is going to be in that same category, I know he is, because of his championships. Sometimes after when you retire, people really appreciate you more than when you’re actually in the fight.”

THE NIGHT BEFORE YOU MADE YOUR FIST QUALIFYING ATTEMPT AT CHARLOTTE WAS THE ACCIDENT WITH BLAISE ALEXANDER. YOU’VE ALWAYS HONORED HIM WITH HAVING HIS INITIALS ON THE LEFT FRONT BUMPER OF YOUR CAR. THAT’S QUITE A TRIBUTE FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT ALL THESE THINGS?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“Wow, you have a good memory. Man. I hadn’t thought about it one bit. Clearly he was a very special fiend. That night, and losing him, and just everything about it was crazy. And, I guess that was in ’01. So, it will be 20 full years when it’s all said and done because that next morning, I came to drive my Xfinity car and Blaise was very close with a lot of guys on my team. And one of the guys took a sharpie and drew that on the left-front of the car. And then he ended-up coming to work at Hendrick Motorsports for us and started with a sharpie drawing that on every week and eventually made a sticker that went on. So, it’s been on ever since that night. But, it would be a heck of a tribute and thank you for bringing that up. I’m not sure I would have picked-up on it anytime soon. And, I’m still very close with his family and will definitely find a way to have some moments around that.”

AS YOU LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT SEASON, YOU’VE SEEN TEAMMATES AND OTHER DRIVER GO THROUGH THIS RETIREMENT PROCESS IN RECENT YEARS. IS THERE ONE RACE OR MOMENT YOU ARE EAGERLY AWAITING ABOVE OTHERS?
JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“I think the magnitude of being my last Daytona 500 is in the forefront of my mind and what that might be like. In my heart, I’m excited that I know what next year looks like because California is really on the schedule to go back to my home track, I’d glad I have that answer, and we can go home and celebrate. Past that, I haven’t really thought too much. But, those two tracks come to mind.”

FINAL THOUGHTS?
RICK HENDRICK:
“I don’t know how to thank you, buddy, for being a champion and the leader and friend and everything you’ve meant to this company. You’ve given us all these championships and done some unbelievable things. We’ll always be grateful. And, we’ll always be appreciative. And, I’ve got your number! (laughter)

JIMMIE JOHNSON:
“Thank you. I know you’ve got my number and I’m expecting it to ring and we’re going to have a lot of fun, whatever it is. But, I’m just so thankful to literally have chased the dream since I was a kid, to race. And, I’m just very, very thankful for relationships that I’ve built in this sport. My mind is running wild on me right now and I’m trying not to cry. But just, thank you.”

MODERATOR – WINSTON KELLY:
“We want to thank everybody from Jimmie’s Facebook page, NASCAR.com, and Sirius XM Channel 90 for listening. And I’d like to close with one thought that I think embodies that we’ve all had these experiences. I’m leaving the hall last night after having talked to Jesse Essex about being a part of this today, and what did I reflect on, with Jimmie. And, I recall talking about the comparisons with Jimmie and Richard and Dale. Dale Inman has a quote in Richard Petty’s video in the Hall of Fame that says, ‘What Richard did off the track impresses me a lot more than what he did on the track. And what he did on the track was pretty damn impressive’. And I’m thinking about that, and that reminds me of Jimmie Johnson. The phone rings, I look down and didn’t recognize the number and you don’t tend to take them all and I just said, ‘Hello’….’It’s Jimmie Johnson just calling to say thanks for coming today’. He didn’t need to do that. He could have done that today. We chatted for a while and I think I heard the girls in the background. But, he took the time to talk. He took the time to call. That’s quintessential, Jimmie Johnson, in my opinion. And it’s not what he’s done in the sport that I think we will remember him for, and that’s been dang impressive, but it’s what he has done for the sport and the class and character that he and Chani have done with their foundation and the kids that they’ve touched. So, on our behalf, thank you for letting us be a part of it. Thank you for being that same person and for setting that example for us and for kids. And we look forward to watch you chasing #8 this year and celebrating you much throughout the year. And oh yeah, there is a date a few years down the road that we’ll talk about later for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. But, thank you so much for everything, for a great career, and we look forward to this (next) year.”

# # #
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.

Paul Menard closed out his full-time Cup career, and a two-year stint in the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang, with a 17th-place finish in the season-ending Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Menard started 19th after qualifying was cancelled because of rain and the starting line-up set by car owner points. He spent the early portions of the race running around the top 20 and fell a lap down midway through the second stage as the race leaders set a torrid pace in a relatively caution-free race.

When a caution flag did fly with just over 20 laps left to run in Stage Two, crew chief Greg Erwin elected to take the wave-around even though Menard faced an uphill battle to remain on the lead lap while riding on worn tires.

But the veteran driver came through and finished Stage Two in 19th place and still on the lead lap.

He began to move forward in the third and final stage, driving up to 13th at one point before finishing 17th as the entire third segment of the race ran without a caution flag.

Eddie Wood said Menard turned in a solid performance in his final Cup start.

“It was a hard race for everybody,” Wood said. “There weren’t many caution flags so you really didn’t have opportunities to work on the car.

“Our race was pretty uneventful, no mistakes, and we were glad that Paul was able to be still running good at the end of his last race.”

Menard’s finish secured the 19th place in the final points standings for him and his Wood Brothers team, which means the No. 21 team will be eligible to participate in the rotation of future Goodyear tire tests. Those tests allow teams and drivers a rare opportunity to get experience on the various race tracks, which are off limits for testing according to NASCAR rules.

Wood also said that among the bittersweet moments of the weekend was that it was the final installment of Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Next year, the final races move to ISM Raceway near Phoenix and Homestead will host a race in March.

Since 2002, Ford Motor Company has been the title sponsor of the entire weekend, including the season-ending races for all three of the top NASCAR series – Cup, Xfinity and the Gander Outdoors Truck series.

“It’s been a good run for us and for everybody in NASCAR,” Wood said. “It’s the same with our family and the Menards.

###

About Motorcraft

Motorcraft® offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to under-hood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln dealers, independent distributors and automotive parts retailers are backed by Ford Motor Company’s two-year, unlimited-miles Service Parts Limited Warranty. Ask for Motorcraft by name when you visit your local auto parts store or your favorite service facility. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers

Ford’s Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers routine vehicle maintenance such as oil and filter changes, light repair services including brake repair, and tire replacements on all vehicle makes and models. With more than 800 locations and growing, customers can visit www.quicklane.com to find a center that is closest to them, print savings coupons and review maintenance tips to keep their vehicles running at peak efficiency. This site includes information on how to spot tire wear, how to jump-start a battery and even a series of tips to improve a vehicle’s fuel economy.

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 Paul Menard in the famous No. 21 racer.

Team Penske Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race Report
Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Race: Ford EcoBoost 400
Date: November 17, 2019
____________________________________

No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski
Start: 8th
Stage 1: 18th
Stage 2: 21st
Finish: 18th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 265/267
Laps Led: 0
Final Point Standings: 8th

Notes:

Brad Keselowski was credited with an 18th-place finish in the Ford EcoBoost 400 Sunday evening at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The driver of the Discount Tire Ford Mustang finished the 2019 season eighth in the NASCAR Cup Series point standing, 21 points behind seventh-place teammate Ryan Blaney and 28 ahead of ninth-place Clint Bowyer.

Keselowski started eighth in the 267-lap, 400-mile event after rain washed out qualifying. He was running eighth on lap 25 when he radioed the team that the balance on the No. 2 Mustang was tight. Crew chief Paul Wolfe called his driver to pit road for their first stop of the day on lap 34 for four tires and a wedge adjustment. When the cycle of green flag stops was complete, Keselowski was 12th. But the handling characteristics didn’t improve as the stage progressed. He was still struggling to turn, and he fell a lap down on lap 67. Keselowski was credited with a 18th-place finish when Stage 1 ended on lap 80. Wolfe made the call for four tires and a track bar adjustment when Keselowski pitted during the stage caution on lap 84. He restarted 16th when the race went green on lap 86.

The adjustments by Wolfe improved the balance of the Discount Tire Ford. By lap 107 Keselowski said his car was turning better and was a just a tick on the free side. He was running 15th we he made a scheduled stop under green on lap 118 for four tires and an air pressure adjustment. Early in the run Keselowski said his Discount Tire Ford was very good but after a few laps it began to tighten up. By lap 137 the balance had shifted to where he was way too tight again but appeared to catch a break in the form of the second caution on lap 138. Keselowski took the wave around back onto the lead lap and lined up 17th for the restart on lap 142. He stayed on the lead lap over the final laps of segment. Keselowski finished 21st when Stage 2 ended on lap 160 but pitted with the lead lap cars on lap 163 and restarted 19th on lap 166.

The final 101 laps of the race ran caution-free and was a tough stretch for Keselowski and the Discount Tire team. On lap 191 Keselowski told the team that his Mustang was “eight on a 10-scale tight” especially in the center of the corners. He pitted as scheduled on lap 206 under green for four tires and a significant track bar adjustment. Sixty-one laps later Keselowski ended his season with a 18th-place finish.

Quotes: “That certainly wasn’t the day we wanted. I’m proud of everyone on the Discount Tire team. We won three races this season and finished eighth in the points and that’s something to be proud of and build on for next season.”

__________________________________

No. 12 Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney
Start: 7th
Stage 1: 6th
Stage 2: 6th
Finish: 11th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 266/267
Laps Led: 0
Final Point Standings: 7th

Notes:

Ryan Blaney capped off the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season with an 11th-place finish in Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The driver of the Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang ran as high as third position, but a short-pit strategy late in the race didn’t pay big dividends, leaving Blaney 11th in the final rundown. The High Point, N.C. native finished a career-high seventh in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings. He established career-best results in top-five (11) and top-10 (18) finishes plus his overall average finish of 13.7 was a full position higher than his previous high in 2018.

Blaney started seventh and reported the balance of his Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang was tight on entry and getting back to the throttle in the center of the corners. He passed teammate Joey Logano for sixth place on lap 22 and made his first pit stop of the day on lap 35 for four tires, fuel, an air pressure adjustment plus a piece of tape on the nose of the No. 12 Mustang. He returned to the track in sixth position where he would finish when Stage 1 concluded on lap 80. Blaney pitted during the stage break for four tires plus additional air pressure adjustments and more tape and restarted sixth when the race went green on lap 86.

Shortly after the restart Blaney passed Denny Hamlin for the fifth position. He reported to crew chief Jeremy Bullins the balance of the Menards/Richmond Ford was still tight. Blaney would slip back to seventh position prior to his next pit stop on lap 118 where the Menards crew did another air pressure adjustment plus four tires and fuel. Blaney was seventh once the cycle of pit stops concluded and he reported back to the team that he was tighter than before and had lost turn.

The second caution of the race came out on lap 138. Blaney pitted on lap 140 for four tires, fuel and another air pressure adjustment. Strong service by the Menards crew moved him up to sixth on the restart on lap 142. A strong restart put Blaney fourth as the conclusion of Stage 2 drew closer. The air pressure adjustment wasn’t as effective and he gave up two spots late to Martin Truex Jr. and Hamlin, scoring a sixth-place finish when Stage 2 concluded on lap 160. Bullins opted to make the first chassis adjustment of the day during the stage caution, opting for wedge and air pressure adjustments to help the tight condition on the Menards Ford.

Restarting seventh for the final stage of the race, Blaney once again reported that the Menards Ford was tight. In a strategy move after falling back to ninth, Blaney would do an early short pit on lap 202, taking four tires, track bar and air pressure adjustments. Utilizing the speed of the new tires, once the cycle of pit stops concluded Blaney moved up to third position.

Blaney remained on track hoping for a timely caution, but the yellow never waved. He made his final stop of the race on lap 252, taking four tires and another track bar adjustment, 17 laps from the finish. Blaney returned to the track in 18th position and took full advantage of the new tires. He drove up to 11th position where he would take the checkered flag on the 2019 season.

Quote: “We had a pretty good Menards/Richmond Ford today. We fought tight most of the day and really didn’t have much for the leaders. We decided to a take a chance splitting the pit window in the hopes of catching a caution, but things didn’t work out which kind of stinks. I’m proud of everyone on this team and how far we’ve come this season. Big thanks to everyone at Team Penske and all our great partners.”

____________________________________

No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano
Start: 5th
Stage 1: 11th
Stage 2: 7th
Finish: 5th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 267/267
Laps Led: 0
Final Point Standings: 5th

Notes:

Joey Logano started and finished fifth in Sunday afternoon’s Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang. Logano’s finish was enough to secure the fifth position in the series point standings.

After starting fifth, Logano settled into the sixth position, running just ahead of his two teammates. On lap 17, the driver reported the Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang had built a little loose from the drop of the green flag. On lap 35, crew chief Todd Gordon called Logano to pit road for four tires with an air pressure adjustment and fuel to finish the first stage. Following the stop, Logano reported he was freer on corner entry and exit while being tighter in the center of the turns.

As the stage continued to run green, Logano dropped to 11th position where he finished the first stage. The team elected to make a significant air pressure adjustment while also being mindful of the changing track conditions. The team also elected to make a wedge adjustment and add tape to the nose. Unfortunately, the wedge adjustment went the wrong direction which forced a return to pit road before the green flag.

In the second stage, Logano reported that the handling continued to get looser, hurting corner entry and exit. A caution with 23 laps remaining in Stage 2 brought Logano back to pit road for four tires, air pressure and a trackbar adjustment. At the end of the stage, he reported the team had tightened the car up a good bit with the adjustments. Solid pit work would send Logano out with a gain of a position into the sixth spot, where he’d settle in after the start of the final stage.

By lap 190, Logano had slipped back to the eighth position, reporting the Shell-Pennzoil Ford had gone to the tight side over the course of the run. On lap 209, Logano pitted for a potential final stop, taking four tires and fuel, returning to the track waiting for the field to cycle through stops.

As the final stage continued to run, Logano reported the balance was decent on the Shell-Pennzoil Ford, moving inside the top-five as laps continued to click off. Logano would continue to run inside the top-five until the checkered flag. The finish marked the 200th top-10 finish in his 399th career start.

Quote: “We had a solid day today. Our Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang handled decent most of the race, especially after we made a few solid adjustments in the second stage. Overall a good year for us, we’re obviously disappointed that we didn’t get to race for a championship tonight, but we’ll use that as motivation and a way to get stronger for next season.”

Box Score Info:
RACE: NASCAR Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series; Ford EcoBoost 400
TRACK: Homestead-Miami Speedway
DRIVER: Matt DiBenedetto
CAR: No. 95 Toyota Express Maintenance Toyota Camry
START: 21st
FINISH: 20th
LAPS: 265/267

Post-Race Highlights:

NASCAR traveled to South Florida for the 2019 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway to crown this year’s Champion. Teams entered the weekend unsure of what the season’s rule package would produce at the track since Homestead is unlike any other track on the circuit. Two practice sessions were scheduled for Friday afternoon, but rain showers in the area washed out on-track activities for the series. NASCAR decided to cancel Saturday’s qualifying session and set the starting line-up per the rulebook, and instead of qualifying, teams were allotted a 50-minute practice that afternoon in order to shake cars down before the race. Matt DiBenedetto started Sunday’s last race of the year from 21st with his No. 95 Toyota Express Maintenance Camry and fought a tight-handling machine for the majority of Sunday’s event. The team worked on adjustments throughout the race as track conditions changed once the sun went down, but in the end, DiBenedetto ended the night in 20th.

Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 took the green flag at 3:31 p.m. EST as the field roared to life to begin Stage 1 of the 267-lap event. After starting from 21st, DiBenedetto told crew chief Mike Wheeler during his opening 10-lap run that the No. 95 Camry was “just too tight.” By lap 34, DiBenedetto went on to say “I’d take a big chunk of wedge out of it” as teams began to start their first round of green-flag pit stops. Wheeler brought his driver in for four tires, fuel, wedge and air pressure adjustments on lap 36.

Despite the round of adjustments, DiBenedetto radioed into the team shortly after the stop that his Toyota Express Maintenance Camry was still tight and that the adjustments “didn’t put much of a dent into the tight problem.” The team knew that they were going to need to take a bigger swing at their next round of adjustments, and when Stage 1 ended following lap 80, DiBenedetto reported how his car was “plowing tight.”

With only 13 cars on the lead lap to end the stage, Wheeler called for another four-tire stop with wedge and air pressure adjustments as the team worked to loosen up their No. 95 Camry. The race returned to green to begin Stage 2 at lap 87 with DiBenedetto in 23rd at the time. Working his way up to 20th over the next run, another round of green-flag pit stops began to cycle around lap 117 as DiBenedetto reported that his No. 95 was still too tight. The team hit pit road for service on lap 123 for more wedge and air pressure changes to their Toyota Express Maintenance Camry.

Stage 2 ended following lap 160 with DiBenedetto scored in 23rd as he told the team that his Camry was “still a little too tight, but if we free it up a bit more, it should be fine.” The race returned to green to begin Stage 3 and lap 167 with 100 laps remaining in the race. DiBenedetto continued to fight handling as he told the team on lap 191 “It’s now just too loose on throttle and the right-rear is out of the track.” One more round of green-flag stops started to cycle at lap 207 and DiBenedetto came down pit road on lap 213 for a four-tire stop with adjustments. In the end, the No. 95 Toyota Express Maintenance Camry crossed the line in 20th.

Kyle Busch won Sunday’s race while also claiming the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship in the process. Busch’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammates of Martin Truex, Jr. and Erik Jones finished second and third respectively, while Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano rounded out the top-five finishers. DiBenedetto finished 20th with his No. 95 Camry as the team ended the 2019 season ranked 22nd in the point standings after having earned seven top-10’s and three top-five finishes together.

2019 No. 95 Season Summary:

Starts

Wins

Top 5’s

Top 10’s

Poles

36

0

3

7

0

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Michael McDowell
No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops/Luber Finer Ford Mustang
Started: 28 | Finished: 26

“Well, that’s a wrap on the 2019 season. I would like to thank all of our partners, including Love’s Travel Stops for their support this year. The No. 34 Ford Mustang was a blast to drive. We had some good runs, some highs, some lows, top 5’s and top 10’s. You’re always learning and you’re always growing. Lastly, I want to thank all of my guys at Front Row Motorsports for their hard work and dedication to our program this year. Tonight didn’t go the way that we had hoped, but you’ll have races like that. I’m already looking forward to Daytona.”

John Hunter Nemechek
No. 36 Speedy Cash Ford Mustang
Started: 30 | Finished: 23

“It was definitely a learning experience for us tonight. We struggled to find balance and overall grip throughout the race, but I’m proud of our No. 36 team for never giving up. We managed to get some good notes for the next time we come back, and that’s a positive. It was cool to see the folks at Speedy Cash back for the second time, and hopefully they’ll continue that relationship with the team into next year. I’m thankful for this opportunity to make my first starts in a Cup car, and continue to wish Matt Tifft a speedy recovery.”

David Ragan
No. 38 “Thank You David” Ford Mustang
Started: 31 | Finished: 27

“Our last race was really uneventful. We tried some strategy a few times and it kind of bit us. We probably lost a lap or two that we shouldn’t have, but we were being aggressive because we didn’t really have anything to lose. I can’t say enough about everybody at Front Row Motorsports and the NASCAR industry for making this last weekend special. It was a tough season. I wish we had some better results to show for it, but the last season won’t dictate my 13-year career. We’ve had a lot of fun, a lot of good memories and don’t regret anything that we’ve done. I’ll sleep good tonight and think a little bit over the offseason on what I want to do next year and I’m sure I’ll be around.”

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (Nov. 17, 2019) – In his final time driving the No. 17 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. drove his Fastenal Ford to a 19th-place finish at the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“I was really hoping to have a better finish today to finish out my time with Roush Fenway Racing,” Stenhouse said. “We just couldn’t get the handling where we needed it. I want to thank everyone at Roush Fenway for the past 12 years.”

After rain cancelled both practice sessions on Friday, NASCAR decided to cancel qualifying and set the lineup by owner’s points. The two-time Xfinity champion lined up in the 23rd position but lost a few positions on the start. After the field settled out, Stenhouse marched his way back forward. With the first stage going caution free, Stenhouse took the first green checkered in the 20th position.

After a chassis adjustment during the stage break, the Fastenal Ford fired off decent but as the run progressed Stenhouse radioed that he was too tight. When the caution flag waved on lap 136, crew chief Brian Pattie chose to take the wave around to get back to one lap down to the leaders. When the second green checkered was displayed, Stenhouse was scored in the 24th position.

With the final stage going caution free, Stenhouse patiently worked his way forward picking up five positions to take the checkered flag in the 19th position.

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (Nov. 17, 2019) – Ryan Newman and the No. 6 team ended the 2019 season with a solid seventh-place finish in the Wyndham Rewards Ford Sunday afternoon at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the team’s 14th top-10 of the year.

“I didn’t really realize we were seventh, but I’m proud of the guys with the Wyndham Rewards Ford,” Newman said following the race. “We had a loose wheel that put us back, but we had a really good car. We had one run there at the start of the third stage that just wasn’t quite as good as we needed to be, but I felt like our last run was pretty good.

“I’m proud of the guys. We made a lot of progress this year. It is a good way to end the season and prove that we were a top-10 car there at the end. We didn’t end up there in points, but just proud of the overall team effort for sure.”

After rain washed out all of Friday’s on-track activity, Saturday’s qualifying session was replaced with one 50-minute practice, which put Newman 15th on the grid after lining up by points. With the two opening stages running 80 laps each, the South Bend, Indiana, native finished up stage one in 12th, reporting he was too tight.

Following service under the stage break, Newman lined up 11th but was forced to immediately pit again after he reported a loose wheel. After the stop, Newman ran 19th, one lap down, before pitting again at lap 115 for more adjustments. The only non-stage yellow of the race was displayed at lap 136, when crew chief Scott Graves kept Newman on track to earn the wave around.

The 2003 Driver of the Year would line up 15th for an 18-lap shootout to the stage end, and ended the segment 14th. He began the third and final stage in 13th, and from there continued his upward climb. The final stop of the day came at lap 210 when Newman pitted from the ninth spot, before picking off a few more spots until the checkered flag to cross the line seventh.

Kyle Busch Wins the Championship in Homestead
Victory scores third driver’s Cup Series title for Toyota

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (November 17, 2019) – For the third time, a Toyota driver can call themselves a Cup Series Champion as Kyle Busch earned the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) title after winning the final race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Race 36 of 36 – 400.5 miles, 267 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, KYLE BUSCH
2nd, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
3rd, ERIK JONES
4th, Kevin Harvick*
5th, Joey Logano*
10th, DENNY HAMLIN
20th, MATT DiBENEDETTO
29th, DREW HERRING
33rd, TIMMY HILL
*non-Toyota driver

· Kyle Busch is the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series champion after leading the most laps (120 of 267) en route to earning the race victory and series title in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

· It marked the second MENCS title for Busch after also winning the 2015 championship.

· Martin Truex Jr. finished second in the race and end of year standings after leading 103 laps (of 267) on Sunday and winning the first stage of the race.

· Erik Jones (third) earned his 10th top-10 in the 36th race of the season.

· Denny Hamlin (10th) finishes the season in the fourth position in the driver point standings.

· Camry drivers set a single-season wins record, visiting Victory Lane 19 times to help Toyota to its third manufacturer’s title in four years. In total, Toyota has earned 143 victories since joining the Cup Series in 2007.

TOYOTA QUOTES

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

How sweet is this moment for you?

“We have a great race team, a great owner and the best sponsors in sports. I just can’t say enough and thank everyone enough for this opportunity. I may be the one that’s able to hoist the trophy, or to have a championship, but it wouldn’t be possible without Adam Stevens (crew chief) and Joe Gibbs, J.D. Gibbs, Coy Gibbs and the whole family. M&M’s of course and Interstate Batteries and Norm Miller. And, Toyota – this TRD engine was awesome tonight. It’s been awesome all year. We had one issue, but man it’s so much fun to work with these guys and this group. Everybody that puts it all together for me. There’s always your doubters. There’s always your haters, but you know what, this one is for Rowdy nation because you guys are the best. Thank you so much.“

What does this mean to the Gibbs family after the passing of J.D. earlier this year?

“I know it’s been a difficult time on Melissa and Joe (Gibbs) and to reward him with a championship — I don’t know how much it means to them, but it’s the best I can do. I know J.D. (Gibbs) was looking down on us all year long. Damn, what a season Joe Gibbs Racing put together. For as awesome as our group is and everybody back at the shop and how awesome they are at building some really, really special race cars we put it on them this time.”

Did you soak this celebration in a little bit more the second time around?

“The last time I did a burnout, first it messed up the flag and everything. So, I wanted to get a good shot with the flag everywhere and make sure everybody could get a good shot of the flag, because we’re the 2019 champions.”

What kind of statement was tonight’s performance from the 18 team?

“Everybody always says you never give up and we’re no different and we just do what we can do each and every week and sometimes we may not be the best and sometimes we may not have the right track position. Today we had a really good car and I could race around and move around. That’s what’s so special about Homestead-Miami Speedway – is the ability to put on a show. Kind of like we did there racing those guys. It was exciting from my seat. It was a lot of fun to cap off such an amazing year.”

How does it feel to get your second championship?

“Right now, it’s all good but I’ll let you know in a couple weeks when it soaks in maybe. Obviously, I had tears in my eyes because this is just such an awesome moment. To share it with my family, with the Gibbs family and with the love and support of all of my sponsors, it’s a dream come true.”

What made the difference with your Camry during the second half of the race?

“Adam Stevens (crew chief). Just communicating with him and talking with him and being able to get the right adjustments on the race car to be able to get it to where we needed it. Then, when the lights came on, our car came to life. I think the 19 (Martin Truex Jr.) was really fast too. If it would’ve been a straight up race I don’t know there at the end. But, man, he (Truex) restarted fourth on that restart and we drove away so I don’t know. I think we earned this one.”

JOE GIBBS, team owner, Joe Gibbs Racing

What are your thoughts on winning a fifth Cup Series championship?

“It’s a thrill for us. The Lord blessed us with a great night. I spent three and a half hours worrying about everything. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I want to thank Mitch, Monster and Toyota. Norm Miller got us started over here. Coy (Gibbs) a big part of our family – our whole family is here. Thank you to everybody for being a part of this. It’s a thrill for me and to all of our fans, thank you to each and every one of you guys. We appreciate it so much.“

What does this championship mean and did it feel like J.D. was smiling down at you?

“I just want to say that J.D. (Gibbs) spent his entire professional life building our race team and this whole year I think is just a tribute to him. Everybody that saw the Daytona 500 and everything that’s happened this year would have to think the Lord had his hand on what has taken place. I believe J.D. had a great view of it. Everybody go to JDGibbsLegacy.com. Appreciate everybody. This whole year we’re celebrating his life.”

ADAM STEVENS, crew chief, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How do you explain the emotion of a moment like this after a year of such hard work?

“You’ve got to keep it in perspective, man. The goal from the time we left Homestead last year was to win it this year and that’s all we’ve tried to do and keep that in mind. I wish we had another dozen races to go with it, but we got the big trophy.“

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

Finishing Position: 2nd

How did you refocus yourself after the mistake on pit road?

“When things like that happen all you can do is do your best. Just try to forget about it and make it up. We got most of the way back there, just not quite all of the way. It’s unfortunate. I thought we were going to be okay and then the start of the third stage I had to restart third and I wish I would’ve let Denny (Hamlin) beat me off of the pit road restart and restart fourth. I felt like if we could’ve got by him there we would’ve had a shot at it. I just got blitzed on the outside by a few guys there on the restart with the 20 (Erik Jones) and the 22 (Joey Logano) and those guys. I had to race them so hard it hurt my right-front tire and then that whole run I just faded and got tight and lost all of my track position. At the end, we were way faster but just too much ground to make up. Unfortunate, but that’s the way it goes. We tried hard, we had a hell of a season and congrats to the 18 bunch.”

Do you feel this season is a success?

“Yeah, to get here is so difficult. To win seven races is so difficult so, yeah successful but at the same time dissapointing.”

ERIK JONES, No. 20 DeWalt Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

FInishing Position: 3rd

How was your race tonight?

“It was up and down for us. It really started pretty far off and just got our car really good by the end. I was feeling pretty confident the last stage. We were able to pick up a lot of ground and had the fastest car for a little bit, but got in the wall one too many times and didn’t have a shot at the end. It was a good day. Those guys are the best – the 18 (Kyle Busch) and the 19 (Martin Truex Jr.), so to run with them was a good feeling. The DeWalt Camry was good at the end. It was nice to finish off the year strong because the last two here haven’t been very good to us, so it was good.”

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

FInishing Position: 10th

What caused the overheating issue during the race tonight?

“We put too much tape on. Chris (Gabehart, crew chief) is really aggressive with his calls and he tried to add some tape there and it just overheated. All of my gauges were pegged and they peg it up a really high number so we weren’t going to make it. But, I’ve got to say thank you to TRD for that thing staying together. That is unbelievable. A hell of a season by our guys. We gave ourselves a shot. At the end there we woke up and I really just wanted a chance to go after them after that pit stop, but with the overheating I was going to blow up so I had to make the right call and try to un-lap ourselves and try to get a caution and try for a miracle. It stinks, but also we had a great year.”

# # #

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 38 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold 2.8 million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2018.

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

Kyle Busch Closes 2019 Season in Winning Fashion
Earns Second Cup Series Championship and Third for Toyota

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (November 17, 2019) – Kyle Busch and the No. 18 Camry completed the final burnout of the 2019 season as Busch celebrated his second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) championship on Sunday. With a victory in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Busch captured the third driver’s championship for Toyota.

TOYOTA FAST FACTS

• Busch won five races and claimed 17 top-five results and 27 top-10 finishes over 36 races to claim the 2019 driver’s championship.

• Busch is the winningest driver in Toyota history with 52 of his 56 career victories behind the wheel of a Camry in the Cup Series in his 12 seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing.

• The 34-year-old from Las Vegas, becomes the first Camry driver to win multiple Cup Series driver’s titles after previously earning the 2015 Cup Series championship. Martin Truex Jr. (2017) has also captured a premier series title for Toyota.

• Camry drivers set a single-season wins record, visiting Victory Lane 19 times to help Toyota to its third manufacturer’s title in four years. In total, Toyota has earned 143 victories since joining the Cup Series in 2007.

TOYOTA QUOTES

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How sweet is this moment for you?

“We have a great race team, a great owner and the best sponsors in sports. I just can’t say enough and thank everyone enough for this opportunity. I may be the one that’s able to hoist the trophy, or to have a championship, but it wouldn’t be possible without Adam Stevens (crew chief) and Joe Gibbs, J.D. Gibbs, Coy Gibbs and the whole family. M&M’s of course and Interstate Batteries and Norm Miller. And, Toyota – this TRD engine was awesome tonight. It’s been awesome all year. We had one issue, but man it’s so much fun to work with these guys and this group. Everybody that puts it all together for me. There’s always your doubters. There’s always your haters, but you know what, this one is for Rowdy nation because you guys are the best. Thank you so much.“

What kind of statement was tonight’s performance from the 18 team?

“Everybody always says you never give up and we’re no different and we just do what we can do each and every week and sometimes we may not be the best and sometimes we may not have the right track position. Today we had a really good car and I could race around and move around. That’s what’s so special about Homestead-Miami Speedway – is the ability to put on a show. Kind of like we did there racing those guys. It was exciting from my seat. It was a lot of fun to cap off such an amazing year.”

JOE GIBBS, team owner, Joe Gibbs Racing

What are your thoughts on winning a fifth Cup Series championship?

“It’s a thrill for us. The Lord blessed us with a great night. I spent three and a half hours worrying about everything. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I want to thank Mitch, Monster and Toyota. Norm Miller got us started over here. Coy (Gibbs) a big part of our family – our whole family is here. Thank you to everybody for being a part of this. It’s a thrill for me and to all of our fans, thank you to each and every one of you guys. We appreciate it so much.“

ADAM STEVENS, crew chief, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How do you explain the emotion of a moment like this after a year of such hard work?

“You’ve got to keep it in perspective, man. The goal from the time we left Homestead last year was to win it this year and that’s all we’ve tried to do and keep that in mind. I wish we had another dozen races to go with it, but we got the big trophy.“

VINAY SHAHANI, vice president of Integrated Marketing Operations, Toyota Motor North America

“Kyle is one of the most talented racers in NASCAR history and after capturing our first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title in 2015, we are thrilled to see him hoist the championship trophy once again. After more than a decade racing with Joe Gibbs Racing in a Camry, Kyle is an integral part of our brand and has had more success on track than any other Toyota driver. Congratulations to Kyle, Adam Stevens and everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing on this remarkable achievement.“

# # #

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 38 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold 2.8 million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2018.

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

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY
FORD ECOBOOST 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
NOVEMBER 17, 2019

DANIEL HEMRIC EARNS 2019 MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR TITLE

HOMESTEAD, FL (November 17, 2019) – Daniel Hemric, driver of the No. 8 Camaro ZL1, clinched the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year honors after a 12th-place finish in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. With the title, Hemric is now the 19th different Chevrolet driver to win the award in NASCAR’s premier racing series since 1972. He joins the list of recognizable Chevy-powered names, including Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Jeff Gordon.

“We are proud of Daniel Hemric for winning the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year title,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet’s U.S. Vice President of Performance and Motorsports. “Daniel is a talented driver, teammate, and class act. We are excited that he won this award and we look forward to more great things from him in the future.”

The year-end honor was achieved following one top-five and two top-10 finishes, plus 22 laps led during the 2019 season. Hemric also earned his first-career NASCAR Cup Series pole at Kansas Speedway for the Hollywood Casino 400. “Yeah, it’s pretty special to say the least,” said Hemric after earning the Rookie of the Year title. “I’m just proud of those guys and the heart they continue to fight with. A lot of really important people in our sport have been able to take these honors home, so I’m going to take pride in the Rookie of the Year title and look forward to the next chapter”.

DANIEL HEMRIC, NO. 8 CAMARO ZL1 PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:

THE MODERATOR: We’re joined by our Sunoco Rookie of the Year Daniel Hemric. Talk about what it means to you.

DANIEL HEMRIC: Yeah, it’s pretty special to say the least. I wish we were able to win Rookie of the Year and have a couple more solid finishes throughout the year than what we had, but about five or six years ago, myself and Preece somehow ended up tied with four or five races to go, so we knew we had to buckle down. And really proud of this group for doing that.
It’s tough for them, obviously, with me announcing my plans over the last couple days, a lot of those guys’ future is unknown. It’s easy for them to lay down, and they didn’t. They kept continuing to put their best effort in every single week. For the last three weeks, we were able to string three decent races together, tonight being one of our best of the year.
Just proud of those guys and the heart they continue to fight with. And a lot of really important people in our sport have been able to take these honors home, so I’m going to take pride in the Rookie of the Year title and look forward to the next chapter.

Q. This was really an intriguing Rookie of the Year contest. I mean, it really went back and forth. It was tight and ultimately came down to this race. Could you talk about that? Sometimes in other seasons it hasn’t been so close, but it certainly was.
DANIEL HEMRIC: Yeah, you’re right. I think it’s a combination of a lot of things, but this package in itself, right, a lot of unknowns to kick the year off, and because of that it felt like there were times where we had made bigger gains than what the other rookie guys had, and next thing you know we were behind and they were making strides.
I felt like at times it can feel pretty volatile trying to figure out what path to go down, but on the other side of it, I felt like it made for good racing not only for the Rookie of the Year battle but throughout the entire season.
I wish it wouldn’t have been as close as it was. We had to sweat way too much over the last two, three months, but really the dedication these guys committed to sticking to and putting the time and effort in, it was cool to see everyone really kind of latch on to what the Rookie of the Year battle was. I felt like I didn’t get no questions about it throughout the summer months, and next thing you know, there’s a rookie battle, and we were tied.
We were fortunate enough to come out on top tonight, and a ton of respect for Preece tonight. That guy has devoted his life as well as his family devoted their lives to racing. To see a guy like that have the opportunity he has, I’m pulling for him next year to continue to be better, and hopefully I can get back to this level and show I belong here.

Q. Daniel, you mentioned it off the top that this was one of your guys’ best runs of the season. Is it gratifying for you and for this team to have a statement run to close it out?
DANIEL HEMRIC: Yes and no. It’s bittersweet. You don’t want to ‑‑ you want to go out on a good note for sure, but it’s a spade being a spade. That’s what I’m going to call it right here. There’s so many different paths you can go down as a race team, from car builds to downforce to drag and all that stuff, and I felt like when we brought the car, I felt like what I needed in the seat of the race car, what I felt like I wanted and I needed week in and week out, we brought that particular race car four times out of 36 weeks. That’s frustrating.
But I’m glad we were able to at least rally and at least stay committed to the path of bringing the best piece possible to Homestead. Those guys could have just said, hey, we’ve got a car built already with a different body, we’ll come down here and see what happens, but that’s not what they did. I hate to whine about that, but I just wish we had a little better fair shake at it, but that’s life. Not going to cry about it, not going to lose sleep about it, but that’s just part of it.

Q. Reddick got the title last night, you get Rookie of the Year today. How special that to bring some of these accolades to Richard in his 50th anniversary?
DANIEL HEMRIC: Yeah, I don’t want that to get lost in things. 50 years RCR has been in existence, and what Richard and Miss Judy and that organization has done for countless number of people throughout our industry, they’ve changed lives and done it in bulk.
To be able to see Reddick do what he did, between himself and his crew chief, Randall, and that whole group last night, the job they did was exceptional all year, to bring RCR another Xfinity Series championship. And at the beginning of every year we all set a certain amount of boxes that we all want to check, and we were able to check off a couple of those throughout the year, and tonight was a big one we wanted to accomplish.
Yeah, just feels good to be a part of some success, and yeah, just very thankful for the opportunity from RC and ECR and all the folks back in Welcome, North Carolina, for the last three years.

Q. Next year I know it’s not a full season, but how excited are you to have the opportunity you’ve got with JRM, and I think you said you’re hoping to be back at this level?
DANIEL HEMRIC: Yeah, I’m really pumped up starting right to getting to work on that deal. It’s kind of a breath of fresh air knowing I’ve got the opportunity to go back and ‑‑ on the heels of that question, having runs like tonight make me go into the off‑season knowing I can compete and race at this level.
It’s the little things when you have a season like we’ve had that get you over that emotional hump. I mean, I passed a seven‑time champion on the last lap of a 60‑lap run at Homestead. Those are little victories you find in the light at the end of the tunnel in years like this.
I go into tomorrow, into next year knowing that I have an incredible opportunity with JR Motorsports and have Dale and Kelley, LW, everyone I’ve been dealing with over there for the last couple weeks giving me the shot. It is a breath of fresh air. Got some really good racetracks lined up on the schedule that we’re still somewhat putting together, but there’s a lot opportunity there to go out, and there’s no gray area. They know why I’m coming there. They know my goal is to get back to this level, and I feel like it’ll be a full force effort to get me back.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

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.