Category: NASCAR Cup PR

Team:                   No. 6 Blue Bird Ford Mustang
Crew Chief:         Scott Graves
Twitter:                @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman

First Data 500 – Sunday, Oct. 27 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Newman at Martinsville Speedway
·         Newman will make his 36th Cup start at Martinsville this weekend. In 35 prior events, Newman has an average finish of 14.9 with 16 top-10s and eight top-fives with one win.
·         Newman won the spring race back in 2012, leading the final 12 laps after starting fifth. He’s completed more than 97 percent of the laps at the .5-mile track, and finished top-10 46 percent of the time.
·         Outside of his win in 2012, Newman’s other top finishes include a runner-up result in 2007 and two third-place finishes (2004, 2014).
·         Newman has an impressive average starting spot of 10.2 at the Paperclip with three career poles (2002, 2004, 2009).

Scott Graves at Martinsville Speedway
·         Graves will call his seventh MENCS event at Martinsville this weekend. In six prior starts, Graves has a best finish of 15th with Daniel Suarez in 2017 (fall).
·         He was atop the pit box for a pair of races with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., finishing 25th and 31st in 2013.

Last Time at Martinsville
Newman battled a loose-handling machine in the spring race to finish 23rd in his Acorns Ford.

QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on racing at Martinsville:
“We’re once again excited to get to a track for our second try at it with Martinsville this weekend. We have definitely improved our short-track program and feel confident in our ability there. Martinsville tends to be a longer race, so patience pays off in the long run. We’re proud to have another new partner on board in Blue Bird, part of the Roush Industries family, and we look forward to putting on a good show for them.”

On the Car
Blue Bird, the iconic school bus company, will ride with Ryan Newman this weekend at Martinsville as part of a partnership with ROUSH CleanTech delivering their 15,000th propane school bus this week to the Newport News Public Schools district in Virginia. This will be the second time Blue Bird has appeared on one of Jack Roush’s Fords, as Ricky Stenhouse took the company to victory lane in his own No. 6 Mustang in September 2012 at Chicagoland Speedway.

About Blue Bird Corporation
Blue Bird (Nasdaq: BLBD) is the leading independent designer and manufacturer of school buses, with more than 550,000 buses sold since its formation in 1927 and approximately 180,000 buses in operation today. Blue Bird’s longevity and reputation in the school bus industry have made it an iconic American brand. Blue Bird distinguishes itself from its principal competitors by its singular focus on the design, engineering, manufacture and sale of school buses and related parts. As the only manufacturer of chassis and body production specifically designed for school bus applications, Blue Bird is recognized as an industry leader for school bus innovation, safety, product quality / reliability / durability, operating costs and drivability. In addition, Blue Bird is the market leader in alternative fuel applications with its propane-powered, electric and compressed natural gas-powered school buses. Blue Bird manufactures school buses at two facilities in Fort Valley, Georgia. Its Micro Bird joint venture operates a manufacturing facility in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada. Service and after-market parts are distributed from Blue Bird’s parts distribution center located in Delaware, Ohio. For more information on Blue Bird’s complete line of buses, visit www.blue-bird.com.

About ROUSH CleanTech
ROUSH CleanTech, an industry leader of alternative fuel vehicle technology, is a division of Roush Enterprises based in Livonia, Michigan. ROUSH CleanTech designs, engineers, manufactures and installs propane autogas and electric fuel system technology for medium-duty Ford commercial vehicles and school buses, and compressed natural gas fuel systems for school buses. As a Ford QVM-certified alternative fuel vehicle manufacturer, ROUSH CleanTech delivers economical, clean and domestically produced fueling options for fleets across North America. Learn more at ROUSHcleantech.com or by calling 800.59.ROUSH.

Recapping Kansas
Newman unfortunately had a couple issues early on in the race last Sunday at Kansas, resulting in his first DNF of the season finishing 40th.

Driven for a Cause
Throughout the month of October, Roush Fenway Racing will show its support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month by running special pink numbers on its Ford Mustangs. In addition, Roush Fenway Fords will sport pink ‘Driven for a Cause’ ribbon decals on the C-Post all month long.

Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Freight Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Race Info:
Race: First Data 500
Date/Time: Sunday, Oct. 27/3:00 p.m. ET
Race Distance: 500 Laps/263 Miles
Track Shape: Oval
Track Length: .526-Mile
Banking: 12 degrees
2018 Winner: Joey Logano

Express Notes:

Kansas Recap:  Denny Hamlin earned his fifth win of the season Sunday at Kansas Speedway, overcoming two overtime restarts and a hard-charging effort from Chase Elliott. After starting 23rd, Hamlin appeared to be cruising to his first win of the 2019 Playoffs after winning Stage 2 of the race and then dominating Stage 3. But the caution flag flew for Ryan Blaney with just 14 laps to go in the race. Crew chief Chris Gabehart brought Hamlin to pit road under the yellow for two tires, while others in the top 10 took four. Hamlin held the lead for the restart and the next six laps, when the caution came out again, this time for a multi-car accident that would send the race into overtime. Once again, Hamlin restarted in the lead. And, once again, a multi-car incident brought out a yellow flag, just as it appeared the FedEx Toyota was taking the white flag – and the win. But NASCAR ruled that Hamlin was short of the start-finish when the caution flag was displayed. The field bunched up one more time for a second attempt at a green-white-checkered finish, and this time Hamlin paced two solid laps, holding off runner-up Chase Elliott for the win.

Martinsville Preview: With only four races remaining in the 2019 season, the Series returns to Martinsville for Sunday’s 500-lap event around the half-mile “Paperclip.” Denny Hamlin is coming off a victory at Kansas Speedway and hopes to continue his success around the narrow oval. Sitting third in points, Hamlin is dialed in and ready to move deeper into the playoffs.

Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Martinsville Speedway
Races: 27
Wins: 5
Poles: 3
Top-5: 14
Top-10: 20
Laps Led: 1,536
Avg. Start: 9
Avg. Finish: 9.6

Hamlin Conversation – Martinsville:

How do you feel heading into the Round of 8 at Martinsville coming off your victory at Kansas?

“It was a great victory for us. Hats off to the entire team, especially Chris Gabehart making all the right calls on those late cautions. Now we’re dialed in and focused on Martinsville and the Round of 8. Martinsville is going to be very pivotal. We’ve always seen great battles there. I feel like it’s the greatest race in the playoffs other than Homestead.”

You must be feeling pretty good about the performance you’re putting on this season for your sponsor, FedEx?

“We definitely feel proud to be giving FedEx the results we’ve had this year. (CEO) Fred Smith and his whole team have been so great to support me and this race team for 14 years of my career, and I could not be happier to get a fifth win for this company and all the folks that work there.”

FedEx Freight’s Along for the Ride at Martinsville: For the First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway, FedEx Freight recognizes the company’s Staunton, Va., service center by featuring the call letters STN on the #11 FedEx Freight race car. The Staunton service center has approximately 50 team members who are committed to making every FedEx experience outstanding.

CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 22, 2019) – Ryan Newman’s No. 6 Ford Mustang will pay homage to another legendary American vehicle this weekend when the NASCAR Cup Series returns to Martinsville Speedway, carrying the iconic Blue Bird School Bus colors.

“As a parent, I was interested to learn about what ROUSH CleanTech is doing to help make school buses safer, more economical and environmentally friendly,” said Newman. “The Blue Bird paint scheme reflects the familiar yellow bus that we all grew up riding to school and I think the fans are going to love it when they see it on the track in Martinsville.”

The paint scheme will celebrate Blue Bird and ROUSH CleanTech delivering their 15,000th propane school bus this week. The buses will be delivered to the Newport News Public Schools district in Virginia.

ROUSH and Blue Bird have been partners since 2012. The Ford engine with a ROUSH CleanTech propane fuel system used to equip the Blue Bird Propane Vision buses are averaging 65 percent lower emissions than the current EPA and CARB standards. On average, propane autogas costs up to 50 percent less than diesel, allowing school districts to use those savings for other areas in need of funding.

This will be the second time Blue Bird has appeared on one of Jack Roush’s Fords, as Ricky Stenhouse took the company to victory lane in his own No. 6 Mustang in September 2012 at Chicagoland Speedway.

The NASCAR Cup Series takes to the track at Martinsville Speedway for the First Data 500 at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 27. The race will be broadcast on NBCSN, and can be heard on SiriusXM Chanel 90.

About Blue Bird Corporation
Blue Bird (Nasdaq: BLBD) is the leading independent designer and manufacturer of school buses, with more than 550,000 buses sold since its formation in 1927 and approximately 180,000 buses in operation today. Blue Bird’s longevity and reputation in the school bus industry have made it an iconic American brand. Blue Bird distinguishes itself from its principal competitors by its singular focus on the design, engineering, manufacture and sale of school buses and related parts. As the only manufacturer of chassis and body production specifically designed for school bus applications, Blue Bird is recognized as an industry leader for school bus innovation, safety, product quality / reliability / durability, operating costs and drivability. In addition, Blue Bird is the market leader in alternative fuel applications with its propane-powered, electric and compressed natural gas-powered school buses. Blue Bird manufactures school buses at two facilities in Fort Valley, Georgia. Its Micro Bird joint venture operates a manufacturing facility in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada. Service and after-market parts are distributed from Blue Bird’s parts distribution center located in Delaware, Ohio. For more information on Blue Bird’s complete line of buses, visit www.blue-bird.com.

About ROUSH CleanTech

ROUSH CleanTech, an industry leader of alternative fuel vehicle technology, is a division of Roush Enterprises based in Livonia, Michigan. ROUSH CleanTech designs, engineers, manufactures and installs propane autogas and electric fuel system technology for medium-duty Ford commercial vehicles and school buses, and compressed natural gas fuel systems for school buses. As a Ford QVM-certified alternative fuel vehicle manufacturer, ROUSH CleanTech delivers economical, clean and domestically produced fueling options for fleets across North America. Learn more at ROUSHcleantech.com or by calling 800.59.ROUSH.

About Roush Fenway Racing
Roush Fenway Racing is one of the most successful teams in NASCAR history. In its 32nd 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.

FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: MARTINSVILLE PLAYOFF NOTES

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs have reached the halfway mark and three Ford drivers are part of the Round of 8, which begins this weekend at Martinsville Speedway.  Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick and Ryan Blaney are still in contention for this year’s championship.  The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series will also be in action at the half-mile oval as the Round of 6, featuring Ford’s Matt Crafton, continues with its second of three races.

ROUND OF 8 MENCS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 4 Advance After Phoenix)
4th – Joey Logano (+2 ahead of cutoff)
5th – Kevin Harvick (-2 from final transfer spot)
8th – Ryan Blaney (-21 from final transfer spot)

FORD IN THE MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES AT MARTINSVILLE
·         Ford has 30 series wins at Martinsville Speedway.
·         Ford has won three straight and four of the last five series events.
·         Brad Keselowski is going for the season sweep this weekend.
·         Joey Logano has won the pole in 5 of the last 7 contested qualifying sessions.

ROUND OF 6 NCWTS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 4 Advance After Phoenix)
4th – Matt Crafton (+1 ahead of cutoff)

FORD IN THE NASCAR GANDER OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES AT MARTINSVILLE
·         Ford has five all-time NCWTS wins at Martinsville Speedway.
·         ThorSport’s Matt Crafton has two victories at the speedway while Johnny Sauter has four.
·         Sauter is the defending winner of this weekend’s race.
·         Ben Rhodes led Ford with a second-place finish in the first race this year at Martinsville.

MARTINSVILLE TURNAROUND

Martinsville Speedway has not historically been Ford’s best track, but that has been changing the past couple of seasons.  After enduring a 28-race winless drought at NASCAR’s oldest track, Ford goes into this weekend having won three straight and four of the last five events.  That includes a sweep of last year’s two races in which Clint Bowyer and Joey Logano found their way to Victory Lane, marking the first time Ford captured both Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races in the same season since 2001.  Brad Keselowski continued Ford’s hot streak when he won here in the spring.  In addition, Ford has won five of the last seven contested poles (all by Logano), not including two sessions that were cancelled due to weather.

BOWYER NETS FIRST FORD WIN

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

LOGANO PUNCHES CHAMPIONSHIP 4 TICKET

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

KESELOWSKI WINS FIRST CLOCK

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

A FIRST FOR FRED

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

CRAVEN WINS FIRST CUP RACE

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

RUDD ROUGHS IT OUT

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

BUSCH BEATS BENSON

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

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

FORD NASCAR GANDER OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT MARTINSVILLE
1995 – Joe Ruttman
2003 – Jon Wood (2)
2004 – Rick Crawford (1)
2005 – Ricky Craven (2)
2015 – Joey Logano (1)

Team Penske Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race Report

Track: Kansas Speedway
Race: Hollywood Casino 400
Date: October 20, 2019

____________________________________

No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski
Start: 4th
Stage 1: 6th
Stage 2: 16th
Finish: 19th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 277/277
Laps Led: 2
Driver Point Standings (behind first): 9th (Eliminated from Playoffs)

Notes:

Brad Keselowski missed advancing to the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Playoffs Sunday afternoon at Kansas Speedway. The playoff fortunes for the driver of the Discount Tire Ford Mustang seesawed back and forth multiple times in the closing laps of the race between he and Chase Elliott but when the dust finally settled, Keselowski was eliminated from the playoffs by just three points.

Keselowski started fourth and ran well during Stage 1. As the 80-lap segment drew to a close, the balance on the No. 2 Mustang was free on corner entry and tight on exit. He was ninth when the first caution slowed the pace on lap 76. Keselowski pitted one lap later for fuel and tires and used a good restart on lap 78 to claim a sixth-place finish when the segment concluded. Crew chief Paul Wolfe made the call to stay on the track during the stage caution and Keselowski restarted fourth when the race went green on lap 86.

During the next run, Keselowski said the balance on his Mustang was still free on both ends on the track and felt like it was sliding the right-rear through the corners. He was ninth when the third caution on lap 117 gave him a chance to pit for four tires and more adjustments. He recovered but still had his hands full as the balance on the No. 2 Ford shifted to being too tight in the center of the corners. Keselowski was credited with a 16th-place finish when Stage 2 ended on lap 160. He pitted during the stage caution for four tires plus tape on the nose and restarted 14th when the Stage 3 went green on lap 166.

As the laps ticked away in the final stage, it became clear that the final transfer spot into the Round of 8 would be decided between Keselowski and Elliott. Keselowski said his car was jumping between “super-loose and super-tight” and he was mired back in 16th position. Elliott, meanwhile, ran just inside the top-10 but still trailed Keselowski by a handful of points.

Keselowski made a scheduled stop under green on lap 216 for four tires and a track bar adjustment. Once the pit cycle was complete, he fell a lap down to the leaders. A caution for debris on lap 254 gave Keselowski the chance to take the wave around and rejoin the lead lap. He restarted 19th on lap 258, nine laps from the finish, three points ahead of Elliott.
With just two laps to go, the sixth caution waved for an accident on the backstretch. Keselowski pitted for four tires one lap later and restarted 15th for the restart in NASCAR Overtime. He was running 13th and three points ahead of Elliott when the final caution waved on lap 271, a split-second before race leader Hamlin crossed the finish line, which set up another restart and dash to the finish.

Keselowski took the green flag in 13th position and nothing appeared to go his way during the final dash to the finish. He went to the middle at the entrance to Turn 1 and was promptly boxed-in by heavy traffic. Moments later Keselowski and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rubbed fenders as he was fighting through traffic. On the final lap he bounced off the wall in Turn 2 trying to find a hole in traffic on the outside. He crossed the finish line 19th while Elliott place second to advance in the Playoffs.

Quotes: “We didn’t make it. I pushed as hard as I knew how and didn’t quite do good enough on the last restart and that was it. We clawed as hard as we could and there were times it looked like we were going to be fine and times it didn’t. In the end it didn’t work out.”

________________________________________________

No. 12 Menards/Dickies Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney
Start: 3rd
Stage 1: 7th
Stage 2: 2nd
Finish: 21st
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 277/277
Laps Led: 2
Point Standings (behind first): 8th (-37)

Notes:

Ryan Blaney was zapped by a cut tire with 23 laps to go in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. The misfortune relegated Blaney to a 21st-place finish Sunday afternoon but thanks to his Talladega victory last week, the driver of the Menards/Dickies Ford Mustang advances to the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Playoffs, 37 points behind points leader Kyle Busch.
Blaney started third and quickly worked his way to second in the opening laps. He settled into third position after Kyle Larson passed him on lap 10. He reported to crew chief Jeremy Bullins that his No. 12 Mustang was tight especially in Turns 3 and 4. His first stop of the day came on lap 41 where the Dickies team changed four tires, added fuel plus made wedge and air pressure adjustment. Blaney cycled back inside the top-five after the green flag stops were completed. The first caution of the race came out on lap 76 for debris. Bullins made the call to stay out in the hopes of winning the stage and collecting a valuable playoff point. When racing resumed on lap 78, Blaney was stacked three-wide on the restart and lost several spots but managed to score a sixth-place finish when Stage 1 ended on lap 80. He pitted during the stage caution for four tires and fuel plus track bar and air pressure adjustments to improve a loose-handling condition.

The driver of the Menards/Dickies Ford restarted outside the top 10 when Stage 2 began on lap 86. The balance on the No. 12 Ford was improved from the first two runs but Blaney said he was too free in Turns 1 and 2 and too tight in Turns 3 and 4. He drove up to eighth-place and pitted on lap 117 for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment. Speedy work on the pit lane by the Menards/Dickies crew gained him one spot on pit road up to seventh.

The chassis adjustments along with an increasingly overcast afternoon helped the Dickies Ford come to life. He passed Kevin Harvick for third on lap 127 and grabbed second from Martin Truex Jr. Blaney and Denny Hamlin waged a spirited battle for the lead as Stage 2 drew to a close but try as he might, he could not find a way around Hamlin and settled for a second-place finish when the segment concluded on lap 160. Bullins called for four tires plus a track bar and air pressure adjustments during the stage caution and Blaney restarted second on lap 166.

Once back under green, Blaney resumed his chase of Hamlin. Using the outside line in both corners, Blaney steadily made up time on Hamlin. But as the run grew longer, the balance on Blaney’s Ford went to the free side, stalling his pursuit. Kyle Busch passed Blaney for second at the 200-lap mark. He made a scheduled green flag pit stop on lap 218 for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments.

Blaney was running third with 13 laps remaining when he cut a right-rear tire in Turn 2 and the debris brought out a caution on lap 254. Blaney pitted during the caution for tires and hasty repairs to his Ford. He survived the next two chaotic restarts (on laps 269 and 275 respectively) to bring home to a 21st-place finish.

Quote: “It was an up and down day. We didn’t start off great, but we got better throughout the race. We were able to get up to second but the No. 11 (Hamlin) was phenomenal. I could only make time at the wall and had to pound the fence to do anything. Eventually I got too close to the fence trying to run those guys back down and hit it. We blew a tire before we could get to pit road. We knew we had to take that chance today trying to run hard. It stinks that I blew a tire and caused that caution.”

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No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano
Start: 29th
Stage 1: 1st
Stage 2: 7th
Finish: 17th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 277/277
Laps Led: 4
Point Standings (behind first): 4th (-16)

Notes:

Joey Logano experienced a full range of emotions on Sunday afternoon at Kansas Speedway. Logano started deep in the field, won Stage 1, and scored a 17th-place finish after considerable damage to the Shell-Pennzoil Ford late in the race. He scored 14 valuable stage points on the afternoon, which were critical for the No. 22 team to advance into the Round of 8 for the second consecutive season. Logano stays alive in his quest to become the first driver to successfully defend a championship since the playoff format was adopted in 2014.

After starting 29th, Logano moved inside the top 20 by lap 8. He was quiet on the radio about the car’s handling, reporting only a slight brush with the wall from earlier in the race. On lap 15, Logano reported he was too tight to run the bottom and tight overall around the 1.5-mile speedway. On lap 32 a vibration forced Logano to make a stop under green for four tires and fuel.

Logano returned to the lead lap thanks to an uninterrupted green flag pit cycle. On lap 58 he radioed crew chief Todd Gordon and asked if the Shell-Pennzoil Ford could make it all the way to the end of the first stage without another stop and told yes. A caution flag with four laps remaining in the first segment set up pit stops among the leaders but Logano stayed on the track to gain valuable stage points. He restarted third when the race went green on lap 79 and two laps later Logano powered his way to the Stage 1 victory on lap 80. Logano gained 10 points and another valuable playoff point. He pitted during the stage caution and restarted 15th on lap 86 – the same position he was running in when the team elected to gamble at the end of the first stage.

Under caution on lap 117, Logano reported the Shell-Pennzoil Ford was too loose to run the top lane and that good lap times on the bottom groove was depended on clean air. He scored a seventh-place finish when Stage 2 ended on lap 160 and told his team that he needed the Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang to be quite a bit tighter for the final stage.
Through the first 50 laps of the final stage, Logano ran inside the top-10 but continued to wrestle a loose-handling Ford Mustang. During a scheduled green flag stop on lap 217, crew chief Todd Gordon elected to make both track bar and air pressure adjustments to the Shell-Pennzoil car.

The fifth caution on lap 254 brought Logano back to pit road for four tires and an air pressure adjustment because the Shell-Pennzoil Ford was too loose to run the high line. The sixth caution on lap 265 pushed the finish of the race into NASCAR Overtime. As Logano neared the start-finish line and white flag at the end of the first attempt at the green flag finish, Logano was sent through the infield grass, one of five cars collected in the accident that forced another two-lap dash to the finish. The Shell-Pennzoil crew was able to repair the No. 22 Ford and Logano was credited with a 17th-place finish in the final rundown.

Quote: “We needed every point we could get, and it looked like we were in a good spot. Next thing you know they are wrecking on the outside and I get hit and I am going through the grass. I felt comfortable before that. I didn’t hit anything, so I got lucky for sure. I have been lucky a few times. We were able to finish Talladega and I parked the thing and there was a hole in the radiator. This was a hard fought and blue-collar round for sure. On to the next round.”

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Oct. 20, 2019) – A wreck just before the end of Stage 1 rendered Ryan Newman’s No. 6 ROUSH Performance Ford Mustang unable to continue, and relegated the driver to a 40th-place finish at Kansas Speedway.

Newman rolled off the grid from the seventh position following his best qualifying effort of the season. The advantageous track position would not last long, however, as wild racing at the 1.5-mile track damaged the right side of his Ford Mustang and forced the team to make an unscheduled pit stop just eight laps into the race.

With varying pit strategies playing out across the field, Newman was battling to get back onto the lead lap when he made contact with teammate Ricky Stenhouse and hit the retaining wall of the race track. The damage was too severe to repair, and Newman was dealt his first DNF of the season and a 40th-place finish.

Newman and the No. 6 team return to action next weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Race coverage on Sunday begins at 3 p.m. on NBCSN. Coverage can also be heard on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Oct. 20, 2019) – After the race was sent into overtime with two green-white-checkered attempts, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. picked up six positions in the final six laps to take the checkered flag in the 16th position.

“We were really tight all day,” Stenhouse said. “No matter what we did to our Fastenal Ford it just remained tight. It’s definitely not what we wanted after running so well here in the spring but overall it was a decent finish. Our main goal is just to finish the season strong and we have done that the past few weeks.”

The Olive Branch, Miss. native rolled off in the 19th position for the 267-lap race and quickly powered his way forward, picking up eight positions by lap three. As the run progressed, the Fastenal Ford steadily got tighter costing him two positions before green flag pit stops started cycling through. With six laps remaining in stage one the No. 6 slid up, making contact with the No. 17 to bring out the first caution of the day.

With only two laps remaining in the stage once going back green, crew chief Brian Pattie chose to stay out in hopes of picking up some valuable stage points. After restarting in the third position, Stenhouse was able to hang on and take the first green checkered in the 10th position.

During the stage break, Pattie took the much-needed time to repair the left front fender and nose damage caused by the No. 6. After lining up in the 21st position, Stenhouse was able to work his way up to 19th despite still battling a tight machine. With only one caution in stage two, the two-time Xfinity champion took the second green checkered in the 22nd position.

When the caution flag waved on lap 252 with 15 laps remaining in the 267-lap race, crew chief Brian Pattie chose to take the wave around to get back on the lead lap in hopes of a quick caution. Stenhouse picked up three positions before the caution flag waved setting up the first green white checkered attempt.

With newer tires for the final two green-white-checkered attempts, Stenhouse was able to capitalize and gain six positions to take the checkered flag in the 16th position.

Stenhouse and the No. 17 team head to Martinsville Speedway for the First Data 500 . The race is set for Sunday, Oct. 27. Coverage will begin at 3 p.m. (EST) on NBCSN.

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Atlas Roofing Shingles Ford Mustang flirted with a top-10 finish before falling back to 18th over two eventful green-white-checkered-flag runs to the finish of Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Menard started Sunday’s 400-miler from 22nd place but moved into the top-15 in the opening laps before dropping back and off the lead lap near the end of the first 80-lap stage.

He was running in the free-pass position when a caution flag flew with four laps remaining for debris from an accident involving Ryan Newman and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Back on the lead lap, he moved into the top 15 and then into the top 10 by the halfway point of Stage Two. Capitalizing on quick pit stops by his Menards/Atlas crew, he maintained his spot in the top 10 throughout Stage Two and ended that segment in eighth place.

In the final segment of the race, Menard raced in the top 15 and was running 11th when a caution flag flew with two of the scheduled 267 laps left to run.

That set up the first green-white-checkered attempt, and Menard was running 13th when a second caution flag resulted in another green-white-checkered try.

In the frenetic bumping and banging over the final two laps, Menard dropped to 18th at the finish.

“We were pretty good most of the day,” Eddie Wood said. “Paul did a good job, and the pit crew had some great stops.”

“We just got jammed up at the end. Now we’ll go to our home track, Martinsville Speedway, and try to give Paul a fast car for his last Cup start at a place that means a lot to our race team and to our family.”

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Menards

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

Wood Brothers Racing

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

Hamlin scores milestone win for Joe Gibbs Racing at Kansas
Denny Hamlin earns fifth win of the season

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (October 20, 2019) – Denny Hamlin earned Joe Gibbs Racing their 16th win of the season – a new season-best – at Kansas Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Kansas Speedway
Race 32 of 36 – 400.5 miles, 267 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, DENNY HAMLIN
2nd, Chase Elliott*
3rd, KYLE BUSCH
4th, Kurt Busch*
5th, William Bryon*
6th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
7th, ERIK JONES
15th, MATT DiBENEDETTO
29th, PARKER KLIGERMAN
38th, JOEY GASE
*non-Toyota driver

• Denny Hamlin earned his fifth win of the season, second at Kansas Speedway and 36th of his career this afternoon.

• It was the 16th win for Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota this season. For Joe Gibbs Racing, that is the most wins in a single season. For Toyota, 16 wins ties the most Cup Series win in a single season (2017 and 2016).

• Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. advance to the next round of the Playoffs – the Round of 8, which begins next weekend at Martinsville Speedway.

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

FInishing Position: 1st

Let’s talk about those last two restarts and being able to hold off your teammates.

“Yeah, I just had to hold the bottom and get a good push. It was all about the push that I got from the 9 (Chase Elliott) and really the 18 (Kyle Busch) those last couple of restarts. That was the most important thing for us – to get a good restart. Once we got out front, we could hold it wide open. Our car was built for downforce, so it worked out that it was just fast enough to win.”

Talk about that last pit call – taking two tires instead of four.

“I knew track position was the biggest factor for us. As long as we could keep our car out front, it was the most important thing beyond tires. We made the right call and took two lefts there and that turned out to be the best call there.”

We talk about momentum. You came from 23rd to win and now you head to one of your best tracks.

“Yeah, I love where we are at, no doubt about it. I cannot wait to get to Martinsville. This week was just supposed to be a fun week for us, kind of check things out and make sure that we are good once we get down the road as we get to other tracks and I’m pretty happy about where we are at.”

Talk about the celebration with FedEx and your team.

“Fred Smith (CEO, FedEx) and his whole team have been so great to support me and this race team for 14 years of my career and I could not be happier to be with this company and all the associates that work there. I want to thank FedEx, Toyota, the Jordan Brand, Little Big Burger, all of this crew. The pit crew did an amazing job. Chris (Gabehart, crew chief) made the right call every time and we just had a race winning car. The second half of the race showed that. I’m glad we could pull it off.”

Denny, you are going into the next round now.

“It’s step-by-step, week-by-week. We are not getting too far ahead of ourselves. We concentrate every week as if it’s the most important one, and this win here shows that.”

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

Finishing Position: 3rd

Any idea what happened with the throttle during today’s race?

“I had a teammate that had the same problem a few weeks back and obviously we thought we had the issue resolved.”

Do you feel like you made strides in today’s race?

“No, it’s about how we’re supposed to run. I guess if you’re not in control on the last restart then you don’t have a chance to win.”

Did you work together with your teammates to ensure a Joe Gibbs Racing Camry won the race today?

“I think we proved that point when there were three Gibbs cars on the bottom row and all we did was basically push each other and stay in line with one another all the way down into the corner.”

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

Finishing Position: 6th

How was the race for you today?

“It was a good race and we had a good Bass Pro Toyota all day long. We just got off there those last couple runs of the race. When it got cloudy, we got tight and we couldn’t quite get it dialed in where we needed to. Overall, a solid day and we did what we needed to do.”

How drastically did the handling of the car change in the later runs of the race?

“For sure, we definitely got tight and just never could get back out of it. We got it freed up towards the end of the race there and those last couple runs felt good. Just seemed that whatever lane we restarted in, we fell backwards. Had to battle back from those a few times, but overall a good day for us and the guys did what they needed to do and a good, solid day here at Kansas after struggling in the spring. Congrats to the 11 (Denny Hamlin). They were really strong late in the race especially.”

ERIK JONES, No. 20 Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 7th

How was the race for you today?

“It was a good day. Kind of up and down. We lost some track position there in that middle stage and it was just a struggle to get it back all day. I thought the Reser’s Camry was really good on the long run and we were kind of running those guys down before we had the caution come out late for the first of those final restarts. We just didn’t have a great short run car and it didn’t play out the way we needed it and not a clean enough race to contend. It’s frustrating when you have that fast of a car, but a good day.”

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.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Roland Chevrolet Team Earn 20th-Place Finish at Kansas Speedway

Finish: 20th
Start: 9th
Points: 23rd

“Man, what a day. I was excited about our top-10 starting position, but we were just way too loose to start the race and lost a lot of positions. We ended up falling one lap down to the leader and struggled all day to earn our lap back. Crew chief Danny Stockman called for a lot of adjustments but no matter how many my crew made, we just never got a solid feel for the handling of the Roland Chevrolet. In the closing laps, we had to make a last-minute pit stop for tires after we got a flat from a multi-car incident. We were able to still finish in the top 20, and I’m really proud of everyone at RCR and ECR for working so hard all weekend.”-Austin Dillon

Daniel Hemric and No. 8 Caterpillar Team Start on the Pole and Lead Laps Before Late-Race Wreck at Kansas Speedway

Finish: 31st
Start: 1st
Points: 26th

“That’s an unfortunate ending to our day at Kansas Speedway for our No. 8 Caterpillar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. We had a fast Chevrolet this weekend, and it was really special to earn our first pole award as a group at Kansas. I was hoping once the green flag dropped we’d be able to set sail, lead laps and be in contention for the win. Unfortunately, our Caterpillar Chevrolet was just a little tricky to balance today. I needed more rear grip throughout most of the day, but never got it to where I could run both the top and bottom grooves like I wanted to. On the first attempt at a late-race restart, it all just happened so fast on the frontstretch and before I knew it, the No. 41 was turned down in front of me and we made contact. We were making up good positions before that and would have come away with a decent finish, but we’ll just refocus on Martinsville Speedway next week and try again.”-Daniel Hemric