Category: NASCAR Cup PR

New Agreement Extends Relationship With One Of The Sport’s Most Recognizable Brands To More Than Two Decades

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 31, 2019) – NASCAR and Mars, Incorporated announced a multi-year extension, continuing the iconic candy manufacturer’s long-standing partnership and designation as the “Official Chocolate of NASCAR®”. The renewed agreement ensures Mars’ various brands remain a race day staple for millions of fans and extends the relationship to more than 20 consecutive years of Official Partnership, highlighted by a fully integrated strategy that activates every corner of the sport. 

Mars entered NASCAR as a team sponsor nearly 30 years ago and steadily increased its participation in the sport, becoming a NASCAR Official Partner in 2000. Through the Official Partnership, Mars builds comprehensive marketing strategies, leveraging the sport as a backdrop to debut new products, build experiential marketing platforms for consumers and drive business-to-business deals. Mars launched the M&M’S® Chocolate Bar in the United States with the DAYTONA 500 as its backdrop, unveiling a special paint scheme with Kyle Busch and the No. 18 team and an on-site activation to celebrate its release.

“We are thrilled to be continuing our partnership with NASCAR – a relationship we have been proud of for over 20 years,” said William Clements, vice president, sponsorships and sports marketing, Mars, Incorporated. “This partnership allows us to seamlessly integrate our iconic brands into the sport like no other league, and the innovative fan experiences we are able to bring to race day help to create lasting memories for fans of our brands and fans of the sport alike.”

Central to Mars’ 2019 activation was its first ever M&M’S Glampground, an experiential marketing platform that set a new standard for lifestyle brands in NASCAR. The exclusive experiences at Kentucky Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway sold out immediately, delivering the colorful fun M&M’S is known for with unforgettable experiences. The Glampground provided a turnkey, VIP option for race fans looking to experience a NASCAR race weekend like never before, featuring everything from glamping tents and garage tours to celebrity meet and greets.

“Mars’ has been connected to so many memorable moments in our history and its wide-ranging presence across our sport has resulted in its’ brands being some of the most recognizable in NASCAR,” said Lou Garate, senior vice president, partnership marketing, NASCAR. “This renewed partnership is representative of the collaboration and fully integrated approach that Mars delivers year-after-year, positioning their iconic brands as a race day favorite for millions of our brand loyal fans.”

The renewed agreement with Mars furthers the brand’s comprehensive approach to NASCAR through its Official Partnership, combining digital and social marketing, hospitality, race entitlement, and team relationships to achieve its marketing objectives. Earlier this year, Mars announced an extension of its relationship with Joe Gibbs Racing and 2015 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kyle Busch in a multi-year agreement.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs continue at Texas Motor Speedway for the AAA Texas 500 Sunday, Nov. 3 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

About Mars, Incorporated

Mars is a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. With almost $35 billion in sales, the company is a global business that produces some of the world’s best-loved brands: M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5™, SKITTLES®, UNCLE BEN’S®, MARS DRINKS and COCOAVIA®. Mars also provides veterinary health services that include BANFIELD® Pet Hospitals, Blue Pearl®, VCA® and Pet Partners™. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire its more than 100,000 Associates to create value for all its partners and deliver growth they are proud of every day.

For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

About NASCAR

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

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
AAA TEXAS 500
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
NOVEMBER 3, 2019

BOWTIE BULLETS:
CHECKING ON CHEVROLET CONTENDERS
Chevrolet drivers Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson are competing in the Round of 8 of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Heading into the eighth of 10 races – on the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway oval – a look at their success in 33 starts:

* Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 (3 wins, 11 top fives, 15 top 10s, 5 stage wins and 232 stage bonus points; 8th in points)
* Kyle Larson, No. 42 McDonald’s Camaro ZL1 (1 win, 7 top 5s, 16 top 10s, 5 stage wins and 213 stage bonus points; 7th in points)

HOW CHEVY DRIVERS HAVE FARED
How the drivers fared at Texas on March 31 and in October 2018 playoff race:
Elliott – Started 3rd, Finished 13th (March)                        Started 16th, Finished 6th (2018)
Larson – Started 22nd, Finished 39th – accident (March)  Started 22nd, Finished 5th (2018)

Their career-best start and finish at Texas:
Elliott – Started 3rd (March 2019)                                Finished 4th (November 2016) *
Larson – Started 5th (November 2015, ‘16)                 Finished 2nd (April 2017)
* Elliott is tops among active drivers with an average finish of 8.0 at the track.

MAKING STRIDES FOR STRONG FINISH
William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1, made strides to secure a top-10 spot in the final standings with a runner-up finish after starting 11th at Martinsville. He picked up 10 points on ninth-place Brad Keselowski. Byron has five top-fives and 13 top-10s – along with five poles and two stage wins – in 33 starts.

NOVEMBERS TO REMEMBER
Career Chevy driver Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1, has seven wins at Texas Motor Speedway to pace all drivers, including a string of four in a row in November (2012-15). He also won in November 2007, April 2017 and April 2015. Johnson, the pole sitter for the March 31 race at the track, also leads all drivers with 16 top-five, 22 top-10 finishes, 26 lead-lap finishes, and 1,112 laps led in 32 races. He’s had only two DNFs.

TUNE-IN:
NBCSN will telecast the 334-lap race live at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 3. The NBCSports Gold app will stream the race and live coverage can also be found on PRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

BY THE NUMBERS:
* Victories by current Chevrolet drivers at Texas Motor Speedway:
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1, has seven wins (April 2017, April and November 2015, November 2014, November 2013, November 2012, November 2007).
Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1, has one win (November 2009).
* Johnson paces active drivers with 72.8% of laps in the top 15 (7,043) at the track.
* In 33 races at the track, Busch has the most poles of any driver with three (April 2018, November 2017, April 2015).
* Chevrolet has scored 13 wins and 15 poles at Texas Motor Speedway.
* Team Chevy drivers have recorded 67 top-five and 160 top-10 finishes at the track.
* Johnson needs one win to tie Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip (84) for fourth on the all-time list.
* Ty Dillon, No. 13 GEICO Military Camaro ZL1, has been running at the finish in the past 42 races – tops among current drivers.
* Chevrolet has surpassed 100 top-10 finishes for the season.
* Chevrolet has won 39 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships.

Chevrolet will be pacing the field at Texas Motor Speedway, with a Camaro SS leading the NASCAR Xfinity Series in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300, and a T1 Silverado leading the NASCAR Monster Energy Series in the AAA Texas 500.

FOR THE FANS:
·       Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Texas Motor Speedway
·       Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: 2020 Silverado 2500 HD Diesel, 2020 Silverado 1500 2LT, 2020 Silverado 1500 High Country, 2020 Traverse 2LT RS, 2019 Blazer RS, Colorado ZR2, and 2019 Corvette Stingray Convertible
·       At the Chevrolet Display, fans can also view Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Mountain Dew Camaro ZL1 showcar
·       Other activities at the Team Chevy Racing Display include a variety of interactive games for adults and kids

TEAM CHEVY QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS AT THE DISPLAY:
Friday, November 1
·       2:15 p.m. – Michael Annett

Saturday, November 2
·       3:05 p.m. – Tyler Reddick
·       3:50 p.m. – Justin Haley
·       5:00 p.m. – Bubba Wallace

Sunday, November 3
·       10:00 a.m. – Kyle Larson
·       11:00 a.m. – Alex Bowman
·       TBD – Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:
·       Friday, November 1st: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
·       Saturday, November 2nd: 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
·       Sunday, November 3rd: 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

QUOTABLE QUOTES:
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 MCDONALD’S CAMARO ZL1 – 7th IN STANDINGS
“I’m really proud of how our team executed last weekend in Martinsville. We knew that was going to be a tough track for us, but knew we needed to have a good race to start off this round of the playoffs. We did a good job, but we know we probably need to win one of the next two races to make it into the final four. This weekend, we’ll feel a lot more confident heading to a track where we’ve had fast Camaros and some good finishes. We’ve had tire issues at three of the last four Texas races, but have been in contention each time and ran well here last fall. Texas, especially Turn 1, can be a tricky place, but I think we’ll be competitive again this time as we go for the win and spot in the next round.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 – 8th IN STANDINGS
“It’s just a different racetrack. (Turns) 3 and 4 are obviously similar with the banking and everything, but 1 and 2 have been the struggle for everyone. Obviously for us, but I think everyone struggles on that end more than 3 and 4, so it’s just a matter of minimizing our problems on the 1-2 side of the track relative to everybody else. I feel like that has been our weak point at the racetrack since they re-did it.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 – 10th IN STANDINGS
AFTER THE REPAVE, THE CORNERS AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ARE VERY DIFFERENT AT EACH END. DOES THAT MEAN YOU HAVE TO COMPROMISE A LITTLE BIT OR CAN YOU BE GOOD IN BOTH AT THE SAME TIME?
“I think you can be good in both. Turns 1 and 2 was where more speed was made earlier this year and getting off Turn 2 was an important thing for a fast lap. I’ll be interested to see if Turns 3 and 4 have worn at all since we were there last though. It’s usually a pretty hot race, even in November. We had a great race there in the spring though. We weren’t position to win that early on in the season but we were in the top-five most of the day before finishing sixth. I think this time we’ll have a great opportunity to go in there and have a great run.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1 – 12th IN STANDINGS
“Our intermediate program at Hendrick (Motorsports) is pretty good. I feel like we are able to work on our cars throughout the weekend and continue to improve throughout the race. Earlier this year, we had a really good car in Texas. We had a pit road penalty in the race that kind of threw off our strategy. I am looking forward to unloading on Friday and seeing what this Valvoline Chevrolet can do.”

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 – 13th IN STANDINGS
“Texas was a solid race for us in the Spring. We had to work around an issue with a tire that separated, but were able to catch the issue quick enough and battle back to finish in the top-10. We felt like we had the pace to be where the No. 11 car was, the eventual winner. Texas (Motor Speedway) is as close as you can get to Kentucky (Speedway), as far as sister tracks go. This is a race that we look to win!”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 RIGUP CAMARO ZL1 – 23rd IN STANDINGS
TELL US ABOUT RACING AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY AND HOW IT DIFFERS FROM OTHER 1.5-MILE TRACKS, SUCH AS KANSAS SPEEDWAY?
“Texas Motor Speedway is a bit different from Kansas Speedway in that it has two different ends. You have one end that’s very banked and has high speeds, and then you have a hard end where you have to get turned and get back on the gas. Texas Motor Speedway just has so much grip now. It’s quite a bit different, and the banking has changed a lot from the old track to the new track. I really like Texas and am looking forward to getting there.”

BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 COVERT AUTO GROUP CAMARO ZL1 – 27th IN STANDINGS
YOU’RE GOING TO TEXAS FOR THE SECOND TIME THIS SEASON. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU LEARNED FROM THE SPRING RACE THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO THIS RACE?
“Texas Motor Speedway has a lot of speed. I think we have a good No. 43 Covert Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 going there, so I’m excited. The place is fast! We are still trying to get the grooves widened-out more, and more. Hopefully, the track is starting to age a little with the re-pave. Our Richard Petty Motorsports team has been okay at the Texas Motor Speedway; it’s been one of our better tracks. We finished in the eighth-place there last year. We have to make sure we are hitting all of our marks, and see if we can come away with another good finish. Our 1.5-mile program has really ramped-up over the last couple of months, so we’ll keep on digging.”

Chevrolet Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships:
Total (1949-2018): 39
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)

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

Drivers Championships:
Total (1949-2018): 31
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)

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

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

2019 STATISTICS:
Wins: 7
Poles: 15
Laps Led: 2,032
Top-five finishes: 43
Top-10 finishes: 105

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 786 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 714
Laps led to date: 234,242
Top-five finishes to date: 4,012
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,277

Total NASCAR Cup wins by corporation, 1949 to date

General Motors: 1,120
Chevrolet: 786
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65

Ford: 785
Ford: 685
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4

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

Toyota: 141

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.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: AAA Texas 500
The Place: Texas Motor Speedway
The Date: Sunday, November 3
The Time: 3 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 2:30 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 501 miles (334 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 85),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 170), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 334)
2018 Race Winner: Kevin Harvick

NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: O’Reilly Auto Parts 300
The Place: Texas Motor Speedway
The Date: Saturday, November 2
The Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 8 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 300 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)
2018 Race Winner: Cole Custer

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series
Next Race: Lucas Oil 150
The Place: ISM Raceway
The Date: Friday, November 8
The Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: FS1, 8 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 150 miles (150 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 150)
2018 Winner: Brett Moffitt

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

High expectations for Harvick

Kevin Harvick hasn’t celebrated in Victory Lane since a dominating victory in the regular season finale at Indianapolis on Sept. 8, but he’s been close. And the driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford heads into the final two races of this Playoff round a heavy favorite to hoist hardware at either this week’s AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway (3 p.m. ET on NBSCN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) or next week at Phoenix’s ISM Raceway.

Harvick, 43, earned all three of his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victories this season in a seven-race span starting with the New Hampshire mile in July and ending with the notoriously challenging Indianapolis 2.5-miler in September. Since Indianapolis, he’s had six top-10 finishes in the seven Playoff races, including a best showing of runner-up in the Las Vegas Playoff opener and a third place at the Charlotte ROVAL.

In total he’s had 12 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes and his five pole-winning efforts ties him with Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron for most on the season. His 8.96 average start is best in the series, and his 10.6 average finish is fourth-best.

Only championship leader Martin Truex Jr. has equaled Harvick’s Playoff top 10 effort. And only Truex (6.2) has a better Playoff average finish than Harvick (7.0).

But while Truex’s win last week at Martinsville Speedway secured a position in the Championship 4, Harvick rolls into Texas ranked fifth in the championship standings, 14 points behind fellow Ford driver Joey Logano in that all-important fourth position in the standings.

The encouraging news for Harvick is that he’s secured a position in the Championship 4 in four of the previous five years of this title format and actually won the first version of it in 2014.

The Californian isn’t just “good” at the upcoming tracks, his 11 combined wins is the most of any current Playoff driver at Texas (two) and Phoenix (nine) – a mark that ties seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson (seven at Texas and four at Phoenix) for most among active drivers at the two venues.

Importantly, Harvick’s two wins at Texas have come at crucial times. He’s won the last two Playoff races there, securing his position to contend for the big trophy. He’s finished in the top-10 in the last 10 Texas races – with three runner-up finishes to compliment his two wins. In total at Texas he has 21 top-10 finishes in 33 starts – 64 percent of his races.

Should Harvick’s No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing team continue on to Phoenix next week still looking for a Playoff win, he has the confidence of nine Phoenix victories, most in the field. His last Playoff win there came in 2014, the year Harvick won his series championship.

Hamlin’s championship path

Denny Hamlin’s season has been an example of sustained excellence.

After winning the season-opening Daytona 500 – his second career victory in the sport’s most famous race – he has steadily answered with victories on a wide variety of venues and turned in convincing showings even when he hasn’t hoisted a trophy. He is the most recent winner at this week’s Texas Motor Speedway, he won on the unique Pocono 2.5-miler this summer, answered that with a win from the pole position at Bristol Motor Speedway and then won a Playoff race at the Kansas two weeks ago.

His five victories mark the second-largest single-season trophy haul for the 38-year old Virginian. He won eight times in his 2010 championship runner-up season. His 18 top-five finishes this year is a personal best and his 22 top-10 efforts ties a personal high set in 2016 and 2017. He has the most top-five finishes in the series and only Kyle Busch (24) and Kevin Harvick (23) have more top 10 results.

While some of his closest competitors are enduring months of winless efforts, Hamlin has been consistent – especially on his game for the Playoffs. He has five top-five finishes through the opening seven Playoff races, winning a pair of pole positions (at Dover and Martinsville) and notching that win at Kansas – his first there since 2012. He’s led 404 laps in the seven Playoff races – 51.9 percent of his entire season total (777).

Hamlin arrives in Fort Worth tied with his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch for the most wins (three) there among the championship-eligible Playoff drivers. He’s had three top-10 finishes in the last eight Texas races and is one of only three drivers (Jimmie Johnson – 2015 and Carl Edwards – 2008) to score a season sweep at the track (2010).

Busch & Logano are riding long droughts

Two of the season’s most competitive championship contenders, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano, remain among the top four in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings heading into this week’s race at Texas Motor Speedway. But both seem overdue to return to Victory Lane.

Busch, a four-race winner and the 2019 regular season champion, heads into the AAA Texas 500 ranked third in the Playoff standings, seven points behind second-place Denny Hamlin. He’s 20 points behind standings leader and Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr., who has already secured a spot in the Championship 4 with his win last weekend at Martinsville.

Team Penske driver Logano is a two-race winner this season and challenged Busch for the regular season title. He is currently fourth in the Playoff standings, three points behind third-place Busch and 14 points ahead of fifth-place Kevin Harvick.

But for all their early season success, neither Busch nor Logano has won a race since June – taking the checkered flag in consecutive weekends. They each have only three top-10 showings through the opening seven races of the Playoffs and neither has earned top 10s in consecutive Playoff races.

Busch was the quickest driver to reach four victories this season, earning his fourth on June 2 at Pocono. His 1,375 laps led on the season are most in the series. And his average finish of 9.5 through the first 33 races is second best in the series to his JGR teammate Denny Hamlin (9.2).

Since his victory at Pocono, however, Busch has 11 top-10 finishes in 19 races. Eight times he finished a race lower than he started on the grid, including a pair of season-low 37th-place finishes at Indianapolis and the Charlotte ROVAL. His best Playoff showing was a runner-up at Richmond Raceway – the second race of the Playoffs – where he led a race-high 202 laps but finished runner-up to Truex by more than two seconds.

Logano earned his wins in March at Las Vegas and this summer at Michigan, where he won from the pole position. His average start (10.7) this season is third best behind only Harvick (9.0) and his Penske teammate Brad Keselowski (10.1). He has 10 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes on the season.

However, in the 18 races since his Michigan win on June 10, he has only two top-five and seven top-10 showings. Eleven times in those 18 races, Logano has finished worse than he’s started. His best Playoff showing is an eighth place last week at Martinsville.

Busch and Hamlin are tied with the most Texas wins (three) among the eight Playoff drivers, his last coming in the spring of 2018. Logano has one Texas win in the spring race in 2014. Busch has a pair of top 10s – including the win – in his last five Texas starts. Logano had a string of six consecutive top-10 finishes at Texas snapped this March, when he finished 17th.

Time to Texas two-step

Of the eight Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff drivers competing for a position inside the Championship 4 at the Nov. 17 Homestead-Miami season finale, four of them have never won at Texas Motor Speedway or Phoenix’s ISM Raceway.

Last week’s winner Martin Truex Jr. – a seven-time race winner this season – headlines this group of four Playoff competitors vying for a first-time win at either track. Truex has a pair of runner-up finishes at Texas, including the 2017 Playoff race in the season he went on to win the Cup title. He’s led 373 laps in just the last eight Texas races – 61 percent of his career total in 28 starts.

His work at Phoenix is similar. He was runner-up there this March and earned three of his four career top-five finishes in just the last four races at the one-miler. He was 14th in last year’s Phoenix Playoff race. And best of all for Truex, his win at Martinsville guarantees his position in the Championship 4 regardless of where he finishes this week or next week.

Although he suffered a frustrating 37th-place finish at Texas in March, Ryan Blaney has a positive history at the big track with three top-10 finishes in nine starts. He won the pole position and finished runner-up in last year’s November Playoff race there, leading 40 laps. He enters the race ranked sixth among the eight Playoff drivers, 15 points behind fourth-place Joey Logano in the final cutoff position.

The driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford has fared well at Phoenix too, winning the pole position and finishing third in March. The 94 laps Blaney led are the bulk of the 108 career laps led there. He also won the pole position for the 2017 Playoff race and has three top-10 finishes in seven Phoenix starts.

Kyle Larson comes to Texas Motor Speedway ranked seventh in the Playoff standings, 24 points behind fourth-place Joey Logano. The driver of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet shows up in Fort Worth fresh off a top-10 finish at Martinsville – a track that has historically delivered heartbreak. His history at Texas has been one of extremes. He has three top-five finishes, including a runner-up showing in April 2017. He was fifth in last year’s Playoff race; however, he’s crashed out in three of the last four races at Texas – including this April.

The famous ISM Raceway one-miler would appear to be right in Larson’s wheelhouse. The short track star has five top-10 finishes in 11 starts, including a runner-up finish in spring, 2017. He was sixth this March. He seems to have his best outings during the fall Playoff stretch with third-place finishes in both the 2016 and 2018 Playoff races.

Chase Elliott finds himself essentially in a must-win situation for the final two races of this penultimate round. He sits 44 points behind fourth-place Joey Logano heading to Texas. But Elliott has celebrated in the track’s Victory Lane before – earning his first NASCAR Xfinity Series win there in 2014 en route to his first series championship. He has five top-10 finishes in seven starts, including the first four Cup races he ran there. His best showing is fourth place in the 2016 Playoffs. He finished sixth in the Texas Playoff race last year and was 13th this March.

The newly-reconstructed ISM Raceway provides similarly encouraging history for the driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. He has four top-10 finishes in seven starts with a best showing of runner-up in the 2017 Playoff race there. He started on the outside pole this March and finished 14th.

John Hunter Nemechek making Cup debut

Up-and-coming young driver John Hunter Nemechek has been tabbed to drive the No. 36 Front Row Motorsports Ford for the remainder of the season while the car’s fulltime driver Matt Tifft is out of the car. Tifft required medical attention at the Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and was transported to a local hospital last Saturday afternoon and did not compete in Sunday’s race.

According to the team’s press release, Tifft will be undergoing further evaluation under the care of his medical team and Front Row Motorsports said it hopes the 23-year old Ohio native will return to the driver’s seat upon medical clearance.

“Our thoughts are still with Matt and his family,’’ Front Row Motorsports General Manager Jerry Freeze said Tuesday. “We feel that John Hunter can step up and do a great job for us as Matt heals.’’

Tifft earned his first Cup series top-10 finish – a ninth place – at Daytona International Speedway this summer and had four top-20 finishes, most recently a 13th place showing at Talladega Superspeedway. He finished top-10 in the Xfinity Series championship in 2017 and 2018 with a career-best showing of runner-up at Road America in 2018.

Nemechek, the 22-year-old son of four-time Cup race winner Joe Nemechek, will make his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Currently an Xfinity Series rookie, he is ranked ninth in that series’ standings with four top-five and 16 top-10 finishes. He won a Xfinity race at Kansas in 2017 while driving part-time in the series and is a six-race winner in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series.

“This isn’t the way any driver wants to make their Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut,’’ Nemechek said. “I am hoping that Matt feels better and can get back in his car as soon as possible. That is what is important.

“Hopefully I can learn a lot and make Matt, the Front Row Motorsports team and its partners proud.’’

Competition Update

The uptick in competition as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series continues into its Playoff “peak” is evident both on track and in the record books. Statistically, the series is enjoying one of its most competitive seasons with new milestones being met with each week of racing.

The Joe Gibbs Racing team turned in another record setting race weekend at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway with Denny Hamlin earning his third pole position of the year and teammate Martin Truex Jr. claiming his series best seventh victory of the year.

Hamlin has earned all the JGR team’s pole positions this season. Veteran Kevin Harvick and second-year Cup competitor William Byron lead the series with five poles each.

Truex’s win extended the JGR team’s series best win mark to 17 victories in 33 races – or 51.5 percent of the season. In addition to Truex’s seven trophies, Hamlin has five, regular season champion Kyle Busch has four and Erik Jones has one – all four drivers qualified for the Playoffs and Truex, Hamlin and Busch continue to lead the championship standings.

There have been 13 different race winners representing six race teams. Truex’ .373-secoond victory over Byron last weekend marked the 18th time in 33 races, the Margin of Victory was less than 1-second (54.5 percent).

The average number of race leaders (9.12) is the most since 2014 (10.09). The average number of lead changes (17.55) is at a four-year high. And the Year-over-Year comparison for Green Flag Passes for the Lead is up 48.3 percent over 2018. It’s been up in 22 of the 33 races including all seven of the 1.5-mile tracks such as Texas Motor Speedway, site of Sunday’s race.

There is an increase in overall Green Flag Passes. It’s up 27.4 percent over last season and been higher in 19 of the 33 races so far.

In the Playoffs, that stats is even more striking. Green Flag Passes for the Lead are up 88.2 percent over last year and Green Flag Passing in general is up 31.1 percent over last year.

Parade Laps: Insights ahead of this week’s driver media rotations

Six drivers from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series – Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron, Team Penske’s Joey Logano, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsport’s Chase Elliott and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Daniel Suarez will be participating in this week’s media rotations at Texas Motor Superspeedway in advance of Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ AAA Texas 500 (3 p.m., ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

William Byron, 21, from Charlotte, N.C., equaled his career best effort in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with a runner-up finish at Martinsville on Sunday. The driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet also finished second at Daytona this summer. His Martinsville work along with a fifth-place effort at Kansas the week previously marks the first time in his two-year Cup career he’s scored back-to-back top fives. It’s been a career year for the series’ youngest competitor, whose earned a personal best five top-five and 13 top-10 finishes and qualified for his first Playoffs although he did not advance out to the Round of 8. His five pole positions ties him with veteran Kevin Harvick for most on the season. He returns to Texas where he finished sixth after starting on the outside pole. He has celebrated in Texas’ Victory Lane – winning the 2016 summer NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race there.

Joey Logano, 29, of Middletown, Conn., is eager to right his Playoff ship. The defending series champion has only three top-10 finishes in seven Playoff races – his best an eighth place at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on Sunday. His last victory was 18 races ago when he won at Michigan from the pole position. The driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford does, however, remain ranked fourth with the top four drivers advancing to the Homestead-Miami Speedway championship round on Nov. 17. He holds a 14-point edge on fifth-place Kevin Harvick, a two-time Texas winner, and trails regular season champion Kyle Busch by three points. Logano is a former Texas winner as well, earning the spring, 2014 victory. He led a race-best 178 laps in the 2016 Texas Playoff race only to finish second. He has six top-10 finishes in the last seven races – with a 17th-place run this March. Logano was third in the Texas Playoff race last year.

Kyle Busch, 34, of Las Vegas, Nev., is coming off a 14th-place finish at Martinsville last weekend. The regular season champion has only three top-10 finishes in the seven Playoff races with a best showing of runner-up at Richmond in September after leading a race best 202 laps. A four-time winner this season, Busch’s last victory in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was at Pocono, 19 races ago. Twelve of his 14 top-10 finishes have been top-five efforts and he’s led nearly a 1,000 laps this year (930). Among the eight remaining Playoff drivers, Busch and his JGR teammate Denny Hamlin boast the best winning record at this week’s Texas Motor Speedway. They both have three victories – Busch’s last coming in the spring, 2018 race. It is one of only two top-10 finishes in the last five Texas races. He led 66 laps and finished 10th in March. He was 17th in this Playoff race last season. The 2015 Cup champion is ranked third in the standings with only a three-point advantage on fourth-place Joey Logano. He trails second-place Hamlin by seven points.

Kyle Larson, 27, of Elk Grove, Calif., has ground to make up if he hopes to advance to his first ever Championship 4. He is a Playoff winner – taking the win at Dover four weeks ago – and has four top-10 finishes in the seven Playoff races to date. His ninth-place effort at Martinsville last weekend has him ranked seventh of the eight Playoff drivers. He sits 24 points out of the fourth place transfer position currently occupied by reigning Cup champ Joey Logano. This week’s Texas Motor Speedway 1.5-mile venue has been hit or miss for the popular driver of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. He has four top-10 and three top-five finishes – with a career best showing of runner-up in spring, 2017. He’s had tough luck of late, however, crashing out in three of the last four Texas races. He was 39th this spring after being collected in a wreck, but was his lone finish in the last four races was an encouraging fifth place in last year’s Playoff race.

Chase Elliott, 23, of Dawsonville, Ga., is essentially in a must-win situation to advance to his first ever Championship 4 round. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ reigning Most Popular Driver suffered a 36th-place finish last weekend at Martinsville, his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet suffering early mechanical problems. It was stark contrast to his runner-up finish at Kansas only a week earlier. He has a Playoff race win at the Charlotte ROVAL and four top 10s in the seven Playoff races, but trails fourth-place Joey Logano by a substantial 44 points. The good news for Elliott is that the series is headed to a track that has been a bright spot on his resume. He won his first Xfinity Series race there in 2014 en route to that championship and has five top-10 finishes in seven Cup starts, including a best showing of fourth place in the 2016 Playoff race. He was sixth in last year’s Playoff race and finished 13th this May after leading a career-best 35 laps.

Daniel Suarez, 27, of Monterrey, Mexico, just missed qualifying for the Playoffs, but is still well within reach of posting career best overall statistics. The third-year Cup driver has three top-five finishes, tying a career best mark. His 10 top-10 finishes are two off his best mark with three more races remaining this season. Certainly, the Playoff portion of the schedule has turned out to be rough for the driver of the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. He has only one top-10 in six races and four finishes of 30th or worse, including the last three weeks. He trails seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson by nine points to be tops among those non-Playoff drivers and this week’s Texas Motor Speedway venue has been one of his better tracks. He scored a career best third-place finish at Texas this March, leading nine laps. And he has top-five finishes there in both the Xfinity (fifth place) and Gander Outdoors Truck (fifth place) series. Suarez will be sporting a special helmet this weekend designed by Dallas-based artist, Agustin Chavez, who is also from his home state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Known locally for his mural designs, Agustin developed the “Dia de los Muertos” or “Day of the Dead” (celebrated on November 1 and 2) graphic design which was applied to Daniel’s helmet. The helmet design is inspired by the “calavera” or “sugar skull,” which is one of the most iconic and colorful items you’ll see during “Dia de los Muertos” festivities is the sugar skull, or calavera. These skulls can come in all sizes and are made of sugar and decorated with icing to be fun and colorful.

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Texas Motor Speedway sets the stage for the Xfinity Playoffs

Just two races remain (Texas and ISM Raceway) in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff’s Round of 8 to decide who makes it to the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Up next is Texas Motor Speedway for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 on Saturday, November 2, at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Texas has hosted the fifth event of the seven-race NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs since its inception in 2016. Three different drivers have won the Texas Xfinity Playoff race, but only one was a Playoff contender. And in all three of the previous Texas Playoff races the eventual series champion has finished in the top 10.

2016 Playoff race recap – Driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series contender Kyle Larson took the lead from Brad Keselowski on Lap 171 and led the final 30 laps to victory. Prior to the fifth and final lead change of the race by Larson, Keselowski had dominated the contest, leading 145 of the 200 scheduled laps. Just three Xfinity Playoff contenders finished in the top 10 – Erik Jones (fourth), Daniel Suarez (fifth) and Elliott Sadler (sixth). Suarez would go on to win the Xfinity title in 2016.

2017 Playoff race recap – After moving up to the Monster Energy Series to drive for Furniture Row Racing in 2017, Erik Jones would occasionally sharpen his skills driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series. Jones won the 2017 Texas Playoff race piloting the JGR No. 20 Toyota, dominating the event while leading 142 of the scheduled 200 laps. The race saw 10 lead changes among six drivers. Four Xfinity Playoff drivers finished inside the top-10 – Elliott Sadler (fourth), Cole Custer (fifth), Brennan Poole (seventh) and William Byron (ninth). Byron would go on to win the Xfinity title in 2017.

2018 Playoff race recap – Last season, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer won the Texas Motor Speedway Playoff race and guaranteed his spot in the Championship 4. Custer was first Xfinity Series Playoff contender to win the postseason race at Texas. Of the three Playoff races at Texas, the 2018 race was the most dynamic, delivering 17 lead changes among nine different leaders, and a last-lap pass by Custer over Tyler Reddick to win the race by a scant margin of 0.162 – the third-closest finish in series history at the track. Seven Playoff contenders finished in the top 10 – Custer (first), Reddick (second), Austin Cindric (third), Justin Allgaier (fifth), Matt Tifft (seventh), Elliott Sadler (eighth) and Daniel Hemric (10th). Reddick would go on to win the title last year.

Big 3 has Xfinity Playoff competition tensions running-high

With the close action on the track and heated exchanges on pit road, tensions have run high in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs this season, and though they are having an historic year, the Big 3 are no exception.

“I thought we had a shot to win. Just, a lot of things went wrong (at Kansas),” said Cole Custer. “I went up just to yell at him (Tyler Reddick). But when I put my arm on his shoulder, he went berserk. So, I guess, you don’t want to do that to Tyler.”

The two drivers (Reddick & Custer) made contact in the closing laps at Kansas and Reddick finished second while Custer fell to an 11th-place finish. Bell rebounded from an incident on Lap 185 to finish 12th.

“Not the end of the race that our guys are looking for,” said Reddick. “But I think a lot of Cole and his driving ability and a lot of that team. It’s just the heat of the moment. We’re pissed off. I’m sure we’ll talk about it here soon. Maybe today, tomorrow. Who knows, maybe have a beer over it. We’ll talk about it then.”

Bell, Custer, Reddick prepare for Texas

The Big 3 – Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer and Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick – are now separated by a mere 12 points in the Playoff standings with just two races left to decide who will move on to the Championship 4 in Miami.

Bell holds the Playoff standings lead with 3,106 points after Kansas; followed by Cole Custer (-11) in second and Tyler Reddick (-12) in third. Heading to Texas this weekend for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 (Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), fourth-place Justin Allgaier is in fourth, another 35 points behind Reddick.

Custer is the defending Texas Playoff race winner. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver led 16 laps and grabbed the checked flag last season to secure his position in the Championship 4. Texas is one of Custer’s best tracks, in five starts he has one win (2018 Playoffs), four top fives and an average finish of 9.8 (best of the Big 3).

JGR’s Bell has also found success at Texas. In four series starts he has put up two poles, two top fives, three top 10s and an average finish of 10.8. Bell sat on the pole for this race last season and led 35 laps but finished 32nd due to an incident. Watch for Bell to rebound this weekend as the rising star finished third at the 1.5-mile facility earlier this season.

Last season’s Texas Playoff race was a big step in Reddick’s ascension to the Championship 4 and ultimately the title; as he finished runner-up to take the standings lead heading to Phoenix. This year driving for RCR, Reddick is on pace to defend his title. In four starts at Texas he has posted two top fives and an average finish of 15.0.

Who can catch the Big 3 in the Xfinity Playoffs at Texas?

The Big 3 are currently 1-2-3 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs standings with fourth place Justin Allgaier 35 points behind third; which has many posing the question, “Who can catch them?”

Justin Allgaier (No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet)

Allgaier is currently in the fourth and final Championship 4 transfer spot in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings; 35 points behind third-place Tyler Reddick and only two points up on fifth-place Sunoco rookie Chase Briscoe. In 30 starts this season, Allgaier has put up 15 top fives, 22 top 10s and an average finish of 9.2. Of the Playoff contenders, Allgaier has the most experience at Texas, having made 18 starts while posting one top five, eight top 10s and an average finish of 13.1.

Chase Briscoe (No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing with Fred Biagi Ford)

Briscoe is currently fifth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings – the first spot outside the Championship 4 cutoff – just two points behind fourth-place Justin Allgaier. In 30 starts this season, Briscoe has posted one win (Iowa), 12 top fives, 24 top 10s and an average finish of 7.9. Briscoe has made two starts at Texas (both spring races – 2018, 2019), posting one top five (fourth earlier this season) and an average finish of 7.5. Briscoe is one of two Sunoco rookies (Noah Gragson) left in the postseason.

Michael Annett (No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet)

Annett has settled in to the sixth position in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings following Kansas; 12 points back from his JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier in fourth. In 30 starts this season, Annett has gathered one win (Daytona), six top fives, 18 top 10s and an average finish of 10.0. Among Playoff contenders, Annett has the second-most starts at Texas with 14, but has just two top-10 finishes; including his career-best finish at the track (sixth) earlier this season.

Noah Gragson (No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet)

Gragson finds himself seventh in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings following Kansas, 17 points behind his fourth-place JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier. In 30 starts this season he has collected eight top fives, 20 top 10s and an average finish of 8.8. Gragson made his series track debut at Texas earlier this season, starting 16th and finishing 13th.

Austin Cindric (No. 22 Team Penske Ford)

Cindric is currently in the eighth and final position in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff’s Round of 8 standings following an incident at Kansas on Lap 71 that relegated him to a 25th-place finish. As a result, the Team Penske standout dropped four spots in the Playoff standings and now has a 30 point mountain to climb over the next two races to make his way into the Championship 4. In 30 starts this season, Cindric has posted two wins (Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio), 13 top fives, 21 top 10s and an average finish of 9.3. He has made three series starts at Texas posting one top five, two top 10s and an average finish of 7.7. He finished third in this race last season.

New winners are the norm in Xfinity and at Texas

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brandon Jones became the latest winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with his victory at Kansas, and the second first-time winner of the season – joining Austin Cindric (Watkins Glen & Mid-Ohio). Every season since the series’ inception in 1982 has seen at least one new winner, totaling 160 different drivers. In fact, over the last 10 seasons (2011-2019) the series has produced 32 different new winners (list is below in chronological order from most recent):

Rank

First-Time Winners

Track

Date

Rank

First-Time Winners

Track

Date

1

Brandon Jones

Kansas

10/19/2019

17

Erik Jones

Texas

4/10/2015

2

Michael Annett

Daytona

2/16/2019

18

Ryan Reed

Daytona

2/21/2015

3

John H. Nemechek

Kansas

10/20/2018

19

Chris Buescher

Mid-Ohio

8/16/2014

4

Chase Briscoe

Charlotte RC

9/29/2018

20

Ty Dillon

Indianapolis

7/26/2014

5

Ross Chastain

Las Vegas

9/15/2018

21

Brendan Gaughan

Road America

6/21/2014

6

Spencer Gallagher

Talladega

4/28/2018

22

Chase Elliott

Texas

4/4/2014

7

Cole Custer

Homestead

11/18/2017

23

Kyle Larson

Auto Club

3/22/2014

8

Christopher Bell

Kansas

10/21/2017

24

Ryan Blaney

Kentucky

9/21/2013

9

Alex Bowman

Charlotte

10/7/2017

25

AJ Allmendinger

Road America

6/22/2013

10

Tyler Reddick

Kentucky

9/23/2017

26

Regan Smith

Homestead

11/17/2012

11

Jeremy Clements

Road America

8/27/2017

27

Austin Dillon

Kentucky

6/29/2012

12

Ryan Preece

Iowa

7/29/2017

28

Nelson Piquet Jr

Road America

6/23/2012

13

William Byron

Iowa

6/24/2017

29

James Buescher

Daytona

2/25/2012

14

Michael McDowell

Road America

8/27/2016

30

Sam Hornish Jr

Phoenix

11/12/2011

15

Justin Marks

Mid-Ohio

8/13/2016

31

Trevor Bayne

Texas

11/5/2011

16

Daniel Suarez

Michigan

6/11/2016

32

Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Iowa

5/22/2011

Since Texas Motor Speedway joined the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule in 1997, the track has produced five first-time winners and all of them are names you’ve heard of – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1998), Kurt Busch (2006), Trevor Bayne (2011), Chase Elliott (2014) and Erik Jones (2015).

NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.

Achievable Milestones: RSS Racing’s Ryan Sieg will attempt to become the 66th different driver in series history to make 200 or more starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Sieg began his Xfinity Series career back in 2013 and has made the Playoffs twice; including this season. … If Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell wins this weekend, he will tie former series champions Jeff Green and Joe Nemechek for 18th on the series all-time wins list with 16 victories.

Starting Up Front At Texas: Not since the spring race of 2008 has a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Texas been won from a starting spot outside the top 10. All three of the Playoff races have been won from starting spots inside the top five – 2016 (fifth starting spot), 2017 (pole), 2018 (third).

OEM Texas Playoff Parity: All three manufacturers have visited Victory Lane at Texas in the Playoffs – 2016 (Chevrolet), 2017 (Toyota) and 2018 (Ford).

Sunoco Rookie of the Year Playoff Update: Just two NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco rookies remain eligible for the end of the season honors as only Stewart-Haas Racing with Fred Biagi’s Chase Briscoe and JR Motorsport’s Noah Gragson have advanced to the Round of 8 in the Playoffs. Briscoe currently holds a 37-point lead on Gragson heading into Texas.

Parade Laps: Insights to the drivers participating in this week’s media breakouts

Three NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers – Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer, Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brandon Jones – will participate in this week’s media breakout sessions at Texas Motor Speedway.

Cole Custer (No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang)

Birthdate: January 23, 1998

Driver’s Age: 21

Hometown: Ladera Ranch, California

Hobbies: Watching sports

Team: Stewart-Haas Racing

Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett

Xfinity Career Highlights:

In 2018, he made the Championship 4; ultimately finishing runner-up in the final driver standings while his No. 00 Ford won the owner’s title for Stewart-Haas Racing.
Made the Playoffs and finished fifth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship standings in his rookie year (2017).
Has nine career NASCAR Xfinity Series wins (Homestead-Miami, Texas, Auto Club Speedway, Richmond, Pocono, Chicago, Kentucky, Darlington, Dover); including last season’s Playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway to win his way into the Championship 4 finale.
2019 Season Highlights:

Currently ranked second in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff driver standings with 3,095 points; 38 points ahead of fifth-place Chase Briscoe.
In 30 starts this season he has posted six poles (Bristol, Dover, Pocono, Iowa, New Hampshire, Las Vegas), seven wins (California, Richmond, Pocono, Chicago, Kentucky, Darlington and Dover-2), 15 top fives and 21 top 10s.
Has won eight stages and accumulated 50 Playoff points.
Texas Motor Speedway Performance:

Has made five series starts at Texas putting up one win (last season’s Playoff race) and four top fives.

Tyler Reddick (No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro)

Birthdate: January 11, 1996

Driver’s Age: 23

Hometown: Corning, California

Hobbies: Riding ATVs, gaming, working on cars

Team: Richard Childress Racing

Crew Chief: Randall Burnett

Xfinity Career Highlights:

Won the 2019 regular season championship.
Won the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.
Also won the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors; just third driver in series history to win the title in his rookie season joining Chase Elliott (2014) and William Byron (2017).
In 2017, he captured his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Kentucky, while running a partial schedule. Currently has eight series career wins.
2019 Season Highlights:

2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season champion.
Currently ranked third in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff driver standings with 3,094 points; 37 points ahead of fifth-place Chase Briscoe.
In 30 starts this season, he has posted three poles (Daytona, California and Daytona-2), five wins (Talladega, Charlotte, Michigan, Bristol and Las Vegas), 21 top fives and 24 top 10s – leads the series in both top fives and top 10s this season.
Has won four stages and accumulated 44 Playoff points.
Texas Motor Speedway Performance:

Has made four series starts at Texas Motor Speedway posting two top-five finishes.

Brandon Jones (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Supra)

Birthdate: February 18, 1997

Driver’s Age: 22

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

Hobbies: Woodworking, antique car restoration, metal fabrication, farming

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

Crew Chief: Jeff Meendering

Xfinity Career Highlights:

Has made the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs for the third-time in his career in 2019.
Won his first Xfinity Series career race at Kansas Speedway two weeks ago.
In 2018, he tallied a career-best finish of second at Talladega and reached the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs for the second time, finishing a career-best ninth in the standings.
In 2017, he captured his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series pole (Daytona-1).
In 2016, he made the inaugural NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs in his rookie season; ultimately finishing a then career-best 10th in the standings.
2019 Season Highlights:

Heads to Texas ranked 10th in the NASCAR Xfinity Playoff standings.
In 30 starts this season, he has produced one win (Kansas), five top fives, 14 top 10s and an average finish of 15.3.
Has won three stages and accumulated four Playoff points this season.
Texas Motor Speedway Performance:

Has made seven starts at Texas posting two top 10s.

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series

ISM Raceway to set the Championship 4

After opening with the high-speed, high-banked, 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway, then taking on much shorter and flatter 0.52-mile Martinsville Speedway last weekend, the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series will take this weekend off before wrapping up the Round of 6 at ISM Raceway near Phoenix, Arizona.

The Lucas Oil 150 (Friday, November 8 at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will take place on the one-mile track that was recently reconfigured (prior to the 2018 fall race) to move the start/finish line to the former backstretch, just before the dog leg.

The banking in Turns 1 and 2 is 11 degrees while it’s nine degrees in Turns 3 and 4. The frontstretch is 1,179 feet long and banked at three degrees and the backstretch is 1,551 feet long and has nine degrees of banking.

Brett Moffitt won this race last year and is the only remaining Playoff contender with a victory at the track.

Spoilers prevailing in the Round of 6

Todd Gilliland became the second winner in as many Round of 6 races to capture his first NASCAR national series win and play the spoiler – preventing a Playoff driver from locking themselves into the Championship 4 by visiting Victory Lane.

A week earlier, it was Spencer Boyd who upset the field and took the checkered flag at Talladega Superspeedway.

Since the elimination-style postseason format was introduced in the Gander Trucks in 2016, there hasn’t been a round of three races completed without at least one Playoff driver earning a win. That would all change if one of the six remaining Playoff contenders doesn’t win at ISM Raceway next weekend.

And it’s entirely possible that a spoiler will prevail again in the desert. Brett Moffitt is the lone Playoff contender who has won at the one-mile circuit. And Johnny Sauter is the only other 2019 regular racer who has won there.

If a third straight driver captures their first career Gander Trucks win at ISM Raceway, they would be the sixth driver to do so at that track:

Mike Skinner – 1995

Jack Sprague – 1996

Kevin Harvick – 2002

Erik Jones – 2013

Daniel Suarez – 2016

Champs’ history at ISM Raceway

Last year Brett Moffitt won at ISM Raceway and then went on to win at Homestead-Miami Speedway to capture his first NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series championship.

And that marked the first time since Ron Hornaday Jr. won the spring 1998 race, when the Gander Trucks last competed twice per season at the track, that the series champion won at ISM en route to the championship. In fact, it also happened in 1995 (Mike Skinner swept the races) and 1997 (Jack Sprague won the April race).

The records show – if you’re good enough to win in Phoenix at some point in your career, then you’re good enough to win the series title. Of the 17 individual drivers who have won a Gander Trucks championship, more than half (nine) have recorded at least one win at ISM Raceway in their career.

That includes three of the past four series titleholders – Moffitt (2018), Johnny Sauter (2016 champion) and Erik Jones (2015 champion).

How they got to this point in the Round of 6…and performance at ISM Raceway

With all four slots in the Miami championship showdown still up for grabs after Playoff outsiders captured the wins at Talladega and Martinsville, the heat will be on at ISM Raceway for the Lucas Oil 150 next Friday night (8:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Here’s a breakdown of how the six Playoff drivers have fared in this round and the past ISM Raceway performances for each, in order of points standing:

Brett Moffitt – No. 24 GMS Racing Chevrolet: The defending series champion started this round off strong, finishing fourth at the always-unpredictable Talladega Superspeedway. But, like a good chunk of the field at Martinsville, was involved in a wreck last weekend and, as a result, was relegated to a 29th-place finish. Fortunately, he has a large stockpile of Playoff points from throughout the year that are letting him keep hold of the top spot in the points – by 10 points over second-place Stewart Friesen and by 45 points over fifth-place Matt Crafton just outside the Championship 4 cutoff.

Moffitt enters the penultimate race of the season as the lone Playoff contender who has won at ISM Raceway – and he did so in his only series start to date at the track during which he started fifth.

Stewart Friesen – No. 52 Halmar Friesen Racing Chevrolet: Friesen has been impressive in this round – finishing fifth at Talladega and sixth last week at Martinsville, keeping him in second place in the points standings. He’s only 10 points behind the leader, Moffitt, and holds a 35-point advantage over Crafton in fifth.

Friesen has gotten progressively better over each of his three starts at ISM Raceway – finishing 18th in his track debut in 2016, then sixth in 2017 and fifth last year for an average finish of 9.7. His starting position has also improved each time – 20th in 2016, 12th in 2017 and then fourth last fall.

Ross Chastain – No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet: Chastain’s Round of 6 started off rough, as he wrecked from the lead late in the race and wound up with a 22nd-place finish at Talladega. But he nearly flipped that around last weekend in Martinsville, leading 68 laps before finishing second after being edged out by Todd Gilliland following an overtime restart. That Martinsville finish, coupled with a great deal of misfortune by the rest of the Playoff field (after Friesen’s fifth-place finish, the next highest finishing postseason contender was Crafton in 23rd) vaulted Chastain from sixth in the points entering the race to third coming out of it. He’s now 20 points ahead of Crafton in fifth.

It’s been six years since Chastain has raced in the Gander Trucks at ISM Raceway. He was 33rd in his track debut in 2012 after mechanical issues eliminated him early in the race. However, he started from the pole and finished second in 2013.

Austin Hill – No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota: Hill has a precarious nine-point advantage over Crafton for the fourth and final Championship 4 slot. He opened the round with a sixth-place finish at Talladega but then was one of the unfortunate drivers caught up in myriad of incidents at Martinsville that ended his day early and he left with a 26th-place result.

Hill’s going to have to improve upon his past efforts at ISM Raceway if he’s going to have a shot to contend for the title in Miami. In two starts at the track, he has a best finish of 23rd and an average finish of 26.5.

Matt Crafton – No. 88 ThorSport Racing Ford: Crafton’s Round of 6 results closely mirrors those of Moffitt and Hill – a solid eighth-place result at Talladega before finishing several laps down in 23rd at Martinsville. He currently sits in fifth in the standings – one spot outside the Championship 4 – trailing fourth-place Hill by nine points.

Crafton has the largest body of work at ISM Raceway of the remaining Playoff drivers. However, in 18 starts at the one-mile circuit, he has yet to win a race – although he was the runner-up in 2014, the year of his second championship. He’s recorded six top-five and 11 top-10 finishes, putting together an average finish of 10.0. However, in the most recent four trips to ISM, he’s tallied two finishes outside the top 20. He was 11th last fall.

Tyler Ankrum – No. 17 DGR-Crosley Toyota: Have you heard this before regarding the Round of 6 for this Playoff group? Ankrum had a solid race at Talladega, finishing seventh. But was eliminated from contention at Martinsville by a crash – placing 25th. He now sits sixth, 15 points back from Hill, who holds that fourth and final Championship 4 slot.

Ankrum has made one visit to ISM Raceway, placing and impressive sixth in the second of two starts he made last season.

Richard Childress Racing at Texas Motor Speedway … In 109 starts at Texas Motor Speedway dating back to 1997, RCR has recorded one win (Jeff Burton, April 2007), eight top-five and 32 top-10 finishes. Prior to Texas Motor Speedway’s inaugural season in 1997, Richard Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, earned a pair of top-10 finishes at the now defunct Texas World Speedway in College Station, Texas.

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,988 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 52 pole awards,108 wins, 489 top-five finishes and 1,075 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.8 and an average finishing position of 16.3. RCR has earned 15 total championships (six Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championships with Earnhardt in 1986, ’87, ’90, ’91, ’93 and ’94, six NASCAR Xfinity Series titles, two Truck Series titles and one ARCA Menards Series title) and was the first organization to win titles in NASCAR’s three national series.

Interactive RCR … For up-to-date news and exclusive content, visit RCR’s corporate Twitter page – @RCRracing – along with the RCR Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team Twitter page – @RCRCup, and driver Twitter pages @austindillon3, @TylerReddick and @DanielHemric. Information about the 15-time championship winning organization can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardChildressRacing and at www.RCRracing.com along with official driver pages –  http://www.facebook.com/austindillon3 and www.facebook.com/DanielHemric.

Catch the Action … The AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway will be televised live Sunday, November 3 beginning at 3 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This Week’s RigUp Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Texas Motor Speedway … Dillon has 13 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts to his credit at Texas Motor Speedway. He earned his best finish of 10th at the track in November 2018 and his best starting position of first in November 2016. In 11 Xfinity Series starts, Dillon has not finished worse than 10th at the 1.5-mile track, acquiring his best finish of third in April 2013 and November 2015 (polesitter). In five NASCAR Truck Series starts at Texas, Dillon has earned two top-five finishes, one pole award and has led 76 laps.

Welcome, RigUp … RigUp empowers the men and women who power the world. Founded in Austin, Texas, in 2014, RigUp’s marketplace is transforming the energy industry by seamlessly connecting field workers with energy companies to get the job done-whenever, wherever.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
Tell us about racing at Texas Motor Speedway and how it differs from other 1.5-mile tracks, such as Kansas Speedway?
“Texas Motor Speedway is a bit different from Kansas Speedway in that it has two different ends. You have one end that’s very banked and has high speeds, and then you have a hard end where you have to get turned and get back on the gas. Texas Motor Speedway just has so much grip now.  It’s quite a bit different, and the banking has changed a lot from the old track to the new track. I really like Texas and am looking forward to getting there.”
Daniel Hemric and the No. 8 Cat Dozers Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Texas Motor Speedway … Hemric will be making his second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at Texas Motor Speedway during this weekend’s 334-lap event. The Kannapolis, North Carolina, native also has four NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 1.5-mile speedway, earning one top-five and two top-10 finishes.

About Warren Cat … Warren CAT is one of the largest and fastest growing Caterpillar® dealerships in North America proudly serving customers throughout fifteen locations in West Texas and the State of Oklahoma. As a Cat dealer, we dedicate ourselves to providing customers complete solutions for their equipment needs, from heavy machinery to industrial engines.

About Cat Dozers … The Richard Childress Racing No. 8 Chevrolet driven by Daniel Hemric will feature a special Cat Dozers paint scheme for the November 3rd race at Texas Motor Speedway. The car, covered in black with yellow accents, will showcase several of Caterpillar’s newest and highest performing dozers. Featured on the sides of the car is an image of the D8T. Cat’s newest D8T, like the race car, is all about performance, with up to 13% more power to the ground and up to 18% more productivity. Also featured on the car are the Cat Next Gen Dozers; The D6 XE with the world’s first high drive, electric drive dozer powertrain, the brand new D5, and the all new D7 coming next year.

Rookie of the Year Battle Heating Up … With three races left in the 2019 season, Hemric is currently tied with Ryan Preece for the Rookie of the Year title with 467 points.

Meet the Driver … Hemric is scheduled to make an appearance at the RCR merchandise hauler in the Texas Motor Speedway fan zone for an autograph session on Saturday, Nov. 2, starting at 4:10 p.m. local time.

DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTE:
How difficult is it racing at Texas Motor Speedway now that the track has been reconfigured and the two corners are so dramatically different?
“The reconfiguration of Texas Motor Speedway has really thrown everyone for a loop. It is different every time we go back since they repaved it, depending on how they utilize the Tire Dragon and drag tires around, where they apply any PJ1, all of those things. Those things are all variables done by the track officials, so it has not been the same each time. It takes almost that full first practice to try to hit on your balance and understand where the racetrack is at to be able to make your race car get to where you need it to be for the weekend. There is so much throttle-on time though Turns 3 and 4 now. I think the entire field was all but wide open through those corners during the first race there earlier this year. You drive so hard down into the first turn and it feels like bottom falls out from underneath you, it is so flat, then you have to change directions. You need a really well-balanced car, from the mechanical grip to the aero balance, make a lot of speed through there. That is where your hay is made, though. Everybody feels fairly good in Turns 3 and 4, but you have got to be able to get through Turns 1 and 2 to have a solid day, which we hope to have with the No. 8 Cat Large Dozers Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.”

This Week in Motorsports: October 28 – November 3, 2019
·         MENCS/NXS: Texas Motor Speedway (Fort Worth, Texas) – November 2-3
·         NHRA: The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, Nevada) – November 3

PLANO, Texas (October 30, 2019) – Toyota NASCAR drivers look to extend a record-breaking season at the home track for Toyota Motor North America – Texas Motor Speedway, while Doug Kalitta hopes to close the gap in the charge for his first NHRA title in Las Vegas.

NASCAR National Series – MENCS | NXS

Truex Clinched… With his win on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, Martin Truex Jr. heads into Texas Motor Speedway with a secured spot to run for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway in three weeks. This is the third consecutive season – and fourth time in the last five seasons – that Truex has been a part of the Championship 4. He won the 2017 title and was the runner-up one year ago. After coming into this season with no short track wins, Truex has also now won three of the last four NASCAR Cup Series races run on short tracks.

Back in the Spring … In March, Denny Hamlin scored his third career win at Texas Motor Speedway. Hamlin first took the lead shortly after halfway and survived a late race round of pit stops to earn his second win of the season. Since then, Hamlin has added three more wins to his season total of five and is currently second in the point standings with a 24-point buffer on the cutline.

Record Breaking Season for Toyota… With Truex’ series-leading seventh win of the season on Sunday, Toyota has won 17 of the 33 points-paying MENCS races this season, which is the most ever for the manufacturer in one season. In addition to Truex’s seven wins, Hamlin has scored five triumphs, followed by Kyle Busch with four victories. Erik Jones completes Toyota’s winning efforts so far this season with a victory at the historic Darlington Speedway.

A Victor at Last… At the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ (NXS) last event at Kansas Speedway, Brandon Jones earned the win after leading the last 10 laps. It was the first NASCAR national series event win for Jones after five second-place efforts in his combined NXS and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series starts. In the spring at Texas Motor Speedway, Jones started on the front row and ran in the top 10 all day before being taken out in a late-race crash.

Bell Looking for His First… Christopher Bell is looking for his first Xfinity Series win at the Fort Worth-area track, but has had many strong runs in prior events at Texas Motor Speedway. Bell scored a Truck Series win at the track in 2017 and has three top-six finishes in four Xfinity Series starts. Bell currently leads the point standings with three races remaining in the 2019 season. He holds a 49-point advantage over the cutoff line in the NASCAR Playoffs.

NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car

Todd Looks to Make History in Las Vegas… Camry Funny Car pilot J.R. Todd can become just the third Funny Car driver in history to win four consecutive races at one track with a victory at The Strip At Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday. Todd swept both events last year and was the victor in April at Las Vegas. The reigning Funny Car world champion would join Don Prudhomme and John Force as the only drivers to accomplish the feat. In addition, Todd would become the first nitro driver in NHRA history to win four consecutive races at the Las Vegas track.

Kalitta in Thick of Title Race… Doug Kalitta enters this weekend’s NHRA Nationals in second place in the Countdown to the Championship, just 33 points out of the top spot with 321 points still available over the season’s final two races. Kalitta, a four-time series runner-up, is attempting to become the fifth different Toyota Top Fuel driver to win a world championship since 2010 – joining current Toyota drivers Antron Brown (2012, 2015 and 2016) and Shawn Langdon (2013), along with former Toyota drivers Larry Dixon (2010) and Del Worsham (2011).

Hitting the Jackpot in Vegas… Toyota drivers have combined to win 15 races at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway since 2008. During that span, Camry drivers have won eight times in Funny Car, while Toyota Top Fuel drivers have seven victories with Brown leading the way with four.

Stay Connected
ToyotaRacing.com   @ToyotaRacing.com  @ToyotaRacing
facebook.com/ToyotaRacing  ToyotaRacingMedia.com

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 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.

Oscar Mayer Announces Two-Year Partnership Extension with Roush Fenway Racing and Driver Ryan Newman and Will Offer Fans Opportunity to Design 2020 Paint Scheme

CONCORD, N.C. & PITTSBURGH & CHICAGO – (October 30, 2019) – Everyone’s favorite name in racing, O-S-C-A-R, is extending its sponsorship of the No. 6 Oscar Mayer Ford Mustang with driver Ryan Newman and Roush Fenway Racing through the 2021 season.

Oscar Mayer will return as the primary partner on the No. 6 Ford for multiple races during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, beginning at the TicketGuardian 500 in Phoenix on March 8, 2020.

“After a strong 2019 season, we at Oscar Mayer couldn’t be prouder to continue our season-long sponsorship of driver Ryan Newman and Roush Fenway Racing,” said Matt Riezman, associate director for Oscar Mayer. “Through our sponsorship, we’re able to connect with fans in a whole new way from our paint schemes to pre-race celebrations. We look forward to supporting the sport and No. 6 over the next two seasons and feeding people’s love of meat, both on and off the track.”

Fans can catch Ryan sizzling around the track in NASCAR’s tastiest paint schemes highlighting Oscar Mayer’s quality meat offerings for the whole family, including bacon, hot dogs and cold cuts.

To celebrate the two-year extension, Oscar Mayer is giving fans the chance to design a 2020 paint scheme for the No. 6 Oscar Mayer Ford Mustang. Starting today, meat-loving fans can head to Oscar Mayer’s social channels (Facebook, Twitter or Instagram) to download a car template and put their creative pedal to the metal by designing their own meat-inspired paint scheme. The winning design will race at the TicketGuardian 500 in Phoenix on March 8, 2020. Interested fans can keep an eye on Oscar Mayer’s social channels for more details on how to submit their designs and when the window for submission will close.

“We’re obviously excited to continue our relationship with such a great brand in Oscar Mayer and the Kraft-Heinz Company,” said Newman. “The Oscar Mayer team and everyone at Roush Fenway has done a great job on collaborating on various innovative ideas throughout this season, and we’re looking forward to more creative excitement both on and off the track in the future.”

Oscar Mayer made its return to Roush Fenway in 2018 at the famed Darlington Raceway and served as the primary sponsor for seven races during Newman’s run to the 2019 NASCAR Playoffs. 

Newman has scored three top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in 2019. He has finished inside the top 15 in 20 races in 2019 and came inches short of putting the No. 6 in victory lane two weeks ago at Talladega Superspeedway.

Prior to last season, Oscar Mayer appeared as a primary sponsor on NASCAR Hall-of-Famer Mark Martin’s Ford in 2004 and served as an associate partner with Roush Fenway Racing in the early 2000s and was featured on Matt Kenseth’s No. 17 Ford and Kurt Busch’s No. 97 Ford, when NASCAR Hall-of-Fame owner Jack Roush led the team to back-to-back Cup championships in 2003 and 2004.

Along with the Oscar Mayer red and yellow displayed across the No. 6 Mustang this season, Oscar Mayer will bring miles of smiles to fans throughout the 2020 season with the help of the Oscar Mayer

Wienermobile and the Hotdoggers. To keep up with the vehicle and see exactly what races it will be at, follow along at https://www.oscarmayer.com/wienermobile.

For more information about Oscar Mayer bacon, Deli Fresh and hot dogs, visit OscarMayer.com or Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

About The Kraft Heinz Company
For 150 years, we have produced some of the world’s most beloved products at The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ: KHC). Our Vision is To Be the Best Food Company, Growing a Better World. We are one of the largest global food and beverage companies, with 2018 net sales of approximately $26 billion. Our portfolio is a diverse mix of iconic and emerging brands. As the guardians of these brands and the creators of innovative new products, we are dedicated to the sustainable health of our people and our planet. To learn more, visit https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Roush Fenway Racing
Roush Fenway Racing is one of the most successful teams in NASCAR history. In its 32^nd season, Roush Fenway is a leader in driver development, having launched the careers for many of the top drivers in the sport. Off-track, Roush Fenway is a leader in NASCAR marketing solutions, producing multiple award-winning Social Media, digital content and experiential marketing campaigns. Roush Fenway is co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Jack Roush and Fenway Sports Group, parent company of Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox and English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C. Visit RoushFenway.com, become a fan on Facebook and Instagram, and follow on Twitter at @roushfenway.

No. 38 Team Ready for Another Strong Run with the CITGO Family of Brands

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (October 30, 2019) – Once again this season, David Ragan will pilot the No. 38 Mystik Lubricants Ford Mustang, this time for the Monster Energy NASCAR Series race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

Mystik Lubricants, a member of the CITGO Petroleum Corporation family of brands, develops products for real-world conditions that are specially formulated to meet the unique demands of specialized machines. Mystik supplies greases and engine oils for automotive, heavy-duty, commercial, industrial, powersports and agricultural customers. The brand served as Ragan’s primary sponsor for the spring weekend at Kansas Speedway and has been featured as an associate sponsor throughout the season.

“I’m looking forward to having our partners at Mystik Lubricants back on the car this weekend in Texas,” said Ragan. “We had a fast car in the spring, and we’ve really been able to hone our mile-and-a-half notebook over the course of the season. I’m confident that we’ll be able to get a good result and show our partners a good time this weekend.”

The No. 38 Mystik Lubricants Ford Mustang will take to the track at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, Nov. 1 for practice. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas will air Sunday, Nov. 3 at 3:00 p.m. ET on NBCSN and PRN.

About Mystik Lubricants
Tracing its heritage back to 1922, Mystik Lubricants offers specialized performance lubricants that are developed in real-world conditions to meet the unique demand for consumer, commercial, agriculture, power sports, such as personal watercraft, snowmobile, outboard and ATVs, and industrial equipment. Mystik Lubricants products exceed industry standards and are available through local retailers, national marketers and online at www.mystiklubes.com or call 1-855-4-MYSTIK (469-7845) for more information.

About Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields three full-time entries – the No. 34 of Michael McDowell, the No. 36 of Matt Tifft and the No. 38 of David Ragan – from its Mooresville, N.C., headquarters just outside of Charlotte. The team’s partnership base includes CITGO Petroleum Corporation, Ford Performance, Love’s Travel Stops, Select Blinds, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Surface and Speedco. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Ryan Newman – Texas II Advance
Team:                   No. 6 Roush Performance Ford Mustang
Crew Chief:         Scott Graves
Twitter:                @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman
AAA Texas 500 – Sunday, Nov. 3 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Newman at Texas Motor Speedway
·         Newman will make his 33rd start at Texas on Sunday. In 31 prior events Newman has one win with three top-five and six top-10 finishes and an average finish of 18.7.
·         Newman went to victory lane in just his second Cup race ever at the 1.5-mile track back in 2003, leading 77 laps after starting third.
·         He also crossed the line fifth in the 2007 fall race and fourth in the following event (spring 2008). His most recent top-10 came in the 2016 fall event where he finished 10th.
·         Newman has two career Cup poles at Texas, both of which came in 2005 when he swept the pole spot that season. Overall he has an average starting spot of 16.4 with his most recent top-10 start coming in 2017 (ninth).
·         Newman also has three starts in the Xfinity Series at TMS, where he led the field to green in 2005 and recorded a top finish of 14th in 2001.

Scott Graves at Texas Motor Speedway
·         Graves will be atop the box for his seventh MENCS race at Texas on Sunday. In six prior starts with Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Daniel Suarez and Ryan Newman, Graves has an average finish of 21.5.
·         He led Suarez to a 14th-place result in 2017 and also finished 16th with Stenhouse in 2013. He also has two top-10 starts at the 1.5-mile track, including ninth in 2013 and sixth in 2017.
·         Graves also has two top-10s and one top-five in the Xfinity Series at Texas, finishing fifth with Suarez in 2016 and ninth with Buescher in 2015.

Last Time at Texas
Newman ran inside the top-10 for a large portion of the spring race at TMS, before going on to record an 11th-place finish in his Wyndham Rewards Ford.

QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on racing at Texas:
“Our spring race at Texas was sort of the start of our stretch of consistent runs for the year. We ran inside the top-10 for a good portion of that race so we’re pretty confident in our setup and approach going into this weekend. We’ve got three left, so we’re looking for another solid run in our Roush Performance Ford.”

Recapping Martinsville
Newman and the No. 6 team battled back from early adversity to earn their way back onto the lead lap, and ultimately drive inside the top-10 for the majority of the end of Sunday’s race at Martinsville to finish 10th.

Matt DiBenedetto – No. 95 Procore Toyota Camry Preview
AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway

No. 95 Procore Toyota Camry Notes:

JOIN THE PROCORE CREW: Become a member of the No. 95 Crew today to get your free, collectible Matt DiBenedetto 95 hero card. Plus, you can enter to win exclusive Procore No. 95 Car merchandise.  Visit www.procore.com/95crew to enroll today.