Category: NASCAR Cup PR

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
Friday, October 4, 2019

Drydene 400 | MEDIA AVAILABILITY

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang

THE CHEVROLET TEAMS HAVE MORE CLOSELY WORKED TOGETHER AT TALLADEGA. GOING THERE NEXT WEEK, HOW HAS THAT CHANGED THINGS? “It affects everybody. I have said this before about super speedway racing. It always evolves. You don’t have to change the rules of the cars to watch superspeedway racing evolve. The teams and drivers figure out new ways to gain an advantage on someone. Whether it is this rules package or last year or 10-years ago, drivers and teams are going to figure out ways to become stronger. What we have seen here recently is the manufacturers finding a way to become selfless within each other to be able to gain an advantage among the competition and control the race. I feel like Chevy has kind of taken that to the next level recently to where we all have to figure out a way to beat that. They did a very good job at the first few superspeedway races here this year and have controlled the race on us. We need to figure out a way to take them down again, which we know we can do with the speed in our Ford cars to be able to do that. We all have to be on the same page together. A lot of times it is easier said than done. We all still want to win and be competitors. The facts are, as much as everyone works together there is only one winner at the end of the day. You don’t get the same amount of points if you finish fifth that you do if you finish first. Those are the things all the teams have to work through to try to figure out how to be okay with that. That is where personalities and the human element becomes a big player in that.”

LOOKING AT THE THREE-RACE GROUPINGS OF THE PLAYOFFS, WHEN YOU COME INTO THE NEXT ROUND, IS THERE SOMETHING WHERE THE ENERGY AND ANXIETY PICKS UP OR IS IT JUST CONTINUALLY PICKING UP OVER THE 10 RACES? “If you win this week you are going to be feeling pretty good the next couple of weeks. The 19 team got to breathe really well through the first round. You get that win early and everything is great. If you put yourself behind the eight-ball and head to Talladega with a 50-percent chance of finishing the race, you aren’t sleeping too well. That is why it is so important when you come here to Dover to have a solid finish and score a lot of points in this race. Stage points, finishing points and if you get the win that is awesome and definitely how you want to do it but it is one race at a time. I do notice that pressure ratchets up each race in the round. The pressure that those guys had last race going into the roval that were anywhere near the cut going into the roval is a stressful weekend. Last round was all about scoring enough points to where you didn’t have to worry about the roval because you don’t know what is going to happen there.”

DO YOU GET STRESSED OUT OR WORRY ABOUT THE PLAYOFFS? “I was just on the radio a minute ago and was asked the same question and I told them there is a reason most of these drivers are bald. I don’t know if it is the helmet, but it might be the stress. There is a lot you have to deal with as a driver and as a leader. There is a lot that you have to overcome and figure out. The pressure is on this time of year and it either makes you better or you are going to fall apart. It kind of depends on the person. A lot of times you have to figure out what works for you. What works for Kyle Busch or Jimmie Johnson or Brad (Keselowski) or whoever is different. You have to go through these high pressure moments a few times to understand what works for you. That is why the experienced guys have such an advantage, they have been through it before and know how to handle it and the pressure actually makes them better. I feel like we are in a good spot for that reason being in this spot before.”

WHAT WORKS FOR YOU THEN? “I can’t tell you that. I think it is just finding ways to enjoy it and have fun. If you look at the past, the playoffs have been the times we have scored the most wins and most points throughout these 10 races. That helps with confidence to fire away at these playoffs and not even really think about it.”

FOR TALLADEGA NEXT WEEK, DO YOU HAVE A PLAN FOR THAT RACE? “The strategy is to never fall to the back. That is one thing I do know. As far as Talladega, it is hard to say right now. We need to get through Dover and understand what our situation is points wise. For us as a race team, I am not good at running around the back. I just can’t do it. Some people can. I just don’t have the patience to do it long enough and then I usually get in a crash trying to get to the front. I am better off just racing the whole time. That is what works for me. It is different for everyone. Everyone has their own approach, but for us it is racing and pretty much no matter what happens here this weekend that will be the approach.”

WHAT DOES TALLADEGA MEAN TO YOU PERSONALLY? “Talladega is a historic race track. A lot of times when you ask fans what their favorite track is, the answer a lot of times is Talladega. It is a special place. It means a lot to win there because it is so hard to win there. A lot of times you don’t know you have it until you get there because anything can happen, good or bad. It is one of those race tracks where we have left angry and quite a few times we have left there with a smile on our face and a trophy. It is one of those places that you know you don’t leave there just having an okay day. You are either mad or happy.”

DO YOU NOTICE AFTER THREE RACES IF THERE IS MORE PUSH BACK FROM NON PLAYOFF DRIVERS FEELING LIKE PLAYOFF DRIVERS CAN USE THEM UP, SO THEY ARE KIND OF PUSHING BACK? OR IS THIS JUST NORMAL RACING OUT THERE? “It seems pretty similar to other years. There might be a couple of cases that have been shown a little bit more but I would say most of the time I don’t see special privilege for playoff guys out there. There is still a lot that those other teams are racing for. Non playoff guys are still racing for a lot. As a playoff driver you hope to get a little more room and respect but you can’t expect it. You can hope for it. They still have something to race for and you have to be big enough to understand that piece of it. From someone that has been on both sides of the fence, I understand that piece. If you didn’t make the playoffs, you are just trying to get some solid finishes and build for next year. It is important for them. We shouldn’t be the ones taking that away from them or expecting any special privileges. You go out there and race like normal and hope that you get a little bit of room because of what you are racing for but you can’t expect it.”

THE YEAR YOU MISSED THE PLAYOFFS, WAS IT EYE-OPENING FOR YOU HOW A NON-PLAYOFF DRIVER IS TREATED? “I would say it was maybe a little bit. You are just trying to have a good run. If you missed the playoffs, you have more than likely had a tough year and you are looking for anything you can grasp that is positive. That was the situation we were in a few years ago when we missed it. A top-five felt like a win. I don’t care if we are in the playoffs or not, we needed to build for the next year which ended up being our championship year. You can imagine that you never stop trying to turn the ship around and set yourself up for some momentum into the off-season.”

WHAT ARE THE FIRST FEW LAPS LIKE HERE AT DOVER WHEN YOU ROLL OUT ONTO THIS CONCRETE AND GET UP TO SPEED? “You have to respect this race track. You don’t just go out there – you go out there and go as fast as you can on the first lap no matter what because it is what you do, but it is a place that always gets your attention. It is one of those places that every time we qualify here I get out of the car and I have the shakes. I am telling you, it is something that you are pushing so hard. Race runs you find your limits and know where you are at and that you can kind of reset at a certain point in the corner to make sure you are low enough on the entrance so that when you come up onto that banking that you don’t just slap the wall. But in qualifying you don’t know what you’ve got until you get into the corner and it has to be your best lap so you push harder than your mind says is okay. When you do that, there is more risk and you know that because you are pushing yourself harder than you feel comfortable with but the reward, the pole, is what you go for. You have to do that to go fast around this place. It makes that really fun. It is really hard because you are fighting against your instincts but it is definitely a place to lay down some fast laps for sure.”

Drydene – Dover International Speedway – Race Advance
Event: Drydene 400
Venue: Dover International Speedway (Dover, DE)
Format: Three Stages – Stages End: Lap 120, 240, 400 = 400 Miles
Date/Broadcast: Sunday, October 6 at 2:30 PM ET on NBCSN

Corey LaJoie and the No. 32 team persevered at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, surviving his first-ever start on the 17-turn configuration all while raising money for Samaritan’s Feet.

Nearly 600 applicants entered for a chance to win a race-worn, signed pair of racing shoes by donating via ShoeStakes.

With his focus now set on the next race of the season, the driver of the No. 32 Go Fas Racing (GFR) Ford heads to Dover International Speedway with a new partnership.

Drydene Performance Products and LaJoie recently announced the primary sponsorship during a press briefing at the Monster Monument at Victory Plaza on the grounds of Dover International Speedway.

“I’m excited to partner with Drydene for the Drydene 400 at Dover,” commented LaJoie. “Their support of racing as a whole makes this a great match, and we’re excited to take it to the next level.”

Adding to the excitement, fans of Team Drydene will also have the opportunity for a chance to win a 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350. If LaJoie wins any stage of the Drydene 400, one registered fan will win the new Mustang. Fans can enter the sweepstakes at Drydene400.com from September 19 to noon on October 6.

Drydene products are built with ALL Technology®, Advanced Lubricity Life chemistry, to meet and exceed today’s modern automotive, heavy duty and industrial needs. Drydene offers a complete line of automotive, commercial and industrial lubricants, including engine oils, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), transmission fluids, grease, and hydraulic & gear oils. For more information, visit www.drydene.com

The Drydene 400 will be broadcast on Sunday, October 6 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

LaJoie on the upcoming weekend at the Dover International Speedway:

“It’s a very important race weekend for us at GFR with Drydene on our car and as the primary sponsor of the Drydene 400. Dover is a really fast track with this new package and it’ll produce some really good racing for the fans. [Crew Chief] Randy Cox has had some fast race cars at Dover in the past and I’m looking forward to continuing that this weekend for Drydene.”

LaJoie MENCS career highlights at Dover International Speedway:
Starts: 4
Best Finish: 29th (2019)
Average Start: 34th
Average Finish:
32.8

In the Rearview Mirror: Bank of America Roval 400
It was a hectic weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway for Cup teams with three practice sessions, qualifying, and 400 miles around the 17-turn Roval. LaJoie qualified 26th in the Samaritan’s Feet Ford, and reported fuel pressure issues early in the race. After suffering a speeding penalty on pit road, he consistently ran top-25 lap times despite the issue. The No. 32 would then lose a lap after pitting outside the box, setting LaJoie up to race the Nos. 77, 27 and 15 for the free pass in Stage Two.

Early in the second stage, LaJoie made an unscheduled stop for four tires and fuel after sliding the right front tire. By the conclusion of Stage Two, the Go Fas Racing team had worked their way back on the lead lap for the final stage. LaJoie wasted no time clawing forward after getting back on the lead lap, up to 29th in the early laps of Stage Three. With 5 laps to go, the 28-year-old had charged to 25th, but would be shuffled to 29th at the time of the checkered flag.

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About Our Team

About Drydene Performance Products:
Since 1893, Drydene Lubricants have been made in America and made to last…paving the way into two centuries on our highways, in our fields and on the production line. In the dawn of American industry, Drydene was there as we built our first roads, laid the blocks for our first factories, spanned rivers with new bridges and rail. And we’re still right here today doing what we do best….helping America get the job done.

We keep in mind our heritage and all that we have helped build for more than a century. And we instill that tradition into every Drydene product that we put our name on. Because it’s much more than just the name on the bottle, it’s the uncompromising tradition of performance, value and durability that make the product inside the bottle help you get the job done.

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

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

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (ONE-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: DOVER, DELAWARE
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE 30 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 2:30 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, OCT. 6 (NBCSN/MRN/SIRIUSXM)

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Chase Elliott
No. 9 Hooters Give A Hoot Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver Chase Elliott Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 23 Resides Dawsonville, Georgia

2019 Season
6th in standings
29 starts
3 wins
3 pole positions
10 top-five finishes
13 top-10 finishes
578 laps led

Career
142 starts
6 wins
7 pole positions
43 top-five finishes
72 top-10 finishes
1,821 laps led

Track Career
7 starts
1 win
1 pole position
6 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
294 laps led

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hooters Give A Hoot Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media on Friday, Oct. 4, at 11:30 a.m. local time in the media center at Dover International Speedway.

PLAYOFF MOMENTUM: Chase Elliott rallied back from mid-race trouble last weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway “roval” to earn his sixth career NASCAR Cup Series victory – his third this season. With the win, Elliott advanced to the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Half of the 23-year-old driver’s wins have come during the playoffs, and 2019 is his second straight season with a win in the playoffs. Since 2016, the driver has scored three victories during the playoffs, tied with teammate Jimmie Johnson for the fourth-most playoff wins in that span.

HOOTERS RETURNS: This weekend, Hooters will grace the No. 9 Chevrolet for the final time this season. In September, Hooters revealed the No. 9 Hooters Give A Hoot Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that Elliott will pilot this weekend at Dover International Speedway. The special pink and white scheme will promote the restaurant’s Give A Hoot campaign that supports the fight against breast cancer.

GIVE A HOOT: Hooters’ Give A Hoot fundraising in October benefits the V Foundation for Cancer Research, one of the nation’s leading cancer research funding organizations, as well as other local beneficiaries through the Kelly Jo Dowd Breast Cancer Research Fund. Elliott and Hooters are donating a portion from pink merchandise (specific hats and shirts) sales from the Chase Elliott Store and Hooters Store to the V Foundation and the Kelly Jo Dowd Breast Cancer Research Fund.

HELLO ROUND OF 12: As the Round of 12 takes the green flag this weekend at Dover, Elliott and the No. 9 team prepare to return to three tracks (Dover, Talladega Superspeedway and Kansas Speedway) where they have seen success. In the last year, the driver has won on every track in this round of the playoffs (Dover – Oct. 7, 2018; Kansas – Oct. 21, 2018; and Talladega – April 28, 2019). A win at any of the three tracks would lock the No. 9 team into the Round of 8. Elliott collected top-five finishes at all three tracks earlier this season, led the most laps (235) and scored the most points (156) of all drivers. He holds the second-highest average finish (3.3) at the three tracks this season behind only teammate Alex Bowman (2.0).

‘MONSTER MILE’ STATS: Elliott has garnered six top-five finishes in seven starts at Dover International Speedway, four of which were top-three finishes. Among those top-three finishes was his win in overtime last season and a runner-up result in 2017. His six top-five finishes at Dover are his most at a single track in his Cup career. Elliott currently averages a finish of 4.43 at the one-mile oval, the best average finish by an active driver on a track with a minimum of three starts. Elliott finished in the top three in both of his rookie appearances at Dover in 2016 – something only Johnson, Kyle Busch and Davey Allison have accomplished in their rookie seasons. He also has four starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and one in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the Dover, Delaware, track and never finished outside the top 10 in either series.

TEAL & GOLD STEERING WHEEL: Last weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway “roval,” Elliott and his Hendrick Motorsports teammates were among the NASCAR drivers participating in the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation Drive for Teal and Gold Steering Wheel campaign. September is both Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. The program supports the awareness and battle against both diseases. Elliott’s race-winning wheel will be autographed and is currently being auctioned off by the NASCAR Foundation to benefit the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation through Monday, Oct. 7, at 9 p.m. ET.

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William Byron
No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver William Byron Hometown Charlotte, North Carolina
Age 21 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

2019 Season
11th in standings
29 starts
0 wins
5 pole positions
3 top-five finishes
11 top-10 finishes
210 laps led

Career
65 starts
0 wins
5 pole positions
3 top-five finishes
15 top-10 finishes
271 laps led

Track Career
3 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finish
5 laps led

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media on Friday, Oct. 4, at 2:45 p.m. local time in the media center at Dover International Speedway.

READY FOR THE ROUND OF 12: After locking himself into his first-ever NASCAR Cup Series playoff one month ago, driver William Byron has now raced his way through the first round and solidified his position in the Round of 12. Sitting 11th in the driver points standings after last weekend’s race, Byron is currently just five points below the cutoff line with three races to make up the ground (Dover International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Kansas Speedway). In the same three races earlier this season, the sophomore driver collected 79 points, ranking eighth among the current playoff drivers.

AT IT AGAIN WITH AXALTA: Last appearing on the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in July, the iconic Axalta flames paint scheme will return to Byron’s machine this weekend when the Cup Series returns to Dover International Speedway. After this weekend, Axalta Coating Systems will have three races left on Byron’s Chevy in 2019 – at Talladega next weekend and two more races in November (Texas and Homestead).

DOVER DIGEST: Set to make his fourth NASCAR Cup Series start at Dover, and second of the 2019 season, Byron is ready to get behind the wheel of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 on the one-mile concrete oval. The 21-year-old qualified on the front row alongside Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott and led five laps in the rain-delayed race in May en route to a career track-best eighth-place finish. Before his previous Cup starts, Byron had four other starts at the “Monster Mile,” his first being in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East where he started on the pole, led 57 laps and finished ninth. Graduating to the top three national tiers of NASCAR starting in 2016, Byron once again captured the top spot in qualifying at Dover, this time in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series, leading 80 laps and finishing 11th. The next season, Byron would race at the concrete one-mile oval twice in the Xfinity Series, with the best of the two starts occurring in the fall when he qualified first, led 62 laps and finished third.

FRONT-ROW FAMILIARITY: Byron owns the most front-row starts of any driver in the NASCAR Cup Series this season with 10. He added to that total last weekend with his pole at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course.

TIED FOR SECOND: Byron is one of four Cup Series drivers who have finished second in a race in 2019 but have yet to capture the checkered flag. He ranks third among the Cup field for most laps led (210) without a win.

KNAUS’ DOVER DOMINATION: Returning to Dover for a second time with veteran crew chief Chad Knaus on top of the box, Byron is hoping to build off his visit in the spring after qualifying on the front row and racing to an eighth-place finish. Aside from that solid showing earlier this season, as a Cup Series crew chief, Knaus has an impressive 11 wins, 17 top-five finishes and 24 top-10s at the one-mile oval in 36 starts. Knaus leads all active crew chiefs with 81 total career wins. The next closest crew chief owns 28 Cup Series wins.

‘ROVAL’ REDEMPTION: After securing his fifth pole of the 2019 season, Byron jumped out to an early lead during last Sunday’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s road course. Using strategy early on, he was able to score points in Stages 1 and 2, setting himself up for a run to the checkered flag while trying to solidify his position above the playoff cut line. Running within the top five until a handful of laps to go when competitors on fresher tires prevailed, Byron crossed the finish line in the sixth position, scoring his 11th top-10 finish in 2019 and securing his place in the Round of 12.

HERTZ ULTIMATE RIDE SWEEPSTAKES: In conjunction with Hendrick Motorsports, Hertz is introducing a new “pace car” to its fleet with a limited-edition custom 2020 Camaro ZL1 and 2020 Camaro SS. Available to be reserved beginning mid-October 2019, customers have the opportunity to rent the custom Camaros fashioned in the signature Hertz yellow and black color scheme with custom wheels, interior badging and full performance upgrades outfitted by Hendrick Motorsports. In conjunction with the program rollout, customers can celebrate the debut of the limited-edition Camaros by participating in The Hertz Ultimate Ride Sweepstakes – beginning Sept. 18, through Nov. 15, 2019 – for a chance to win a 2020 Hertz-Hendrick Motorsports Camaro SS. Five finalists will also win an exclusive driving experience in Charlotte. Click here for more information on the Hertz-Hendrick custom Camaro program.

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Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 44 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

2019 Season
18th in standings
29 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
3 top-five finishes
10 top-10 finishes
88 laps led

Career
644 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
227 top-five finishes
362 top-10 finishes
18,791 laps led

Track Career
35 start
11 wins
3 pole positions
17 top-five finishes
24 top-10 finish
3,109 laps led

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media on Friday, Oct. 4, at noon local time in the media center at Dover International Speedway.

‘ROVAL’ RECAP: Jimmie Johnson notched his 10th top-10 finish of the season last weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course. The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion topped the speed chart in practice on Friday and then qualified fourth. He finished Stage 2 in fourth place and went on to finish the race in ninth.

QUALITY QUALIFYING: Since the 22nd race of the season at Watkins Glen International – Cliff Daniels’ first race as Johnson’s crew chief – the No. 48 team has captured seven top-10 starting positions in the last eight races. The group has earned a pair of top-10 finishes in that span.

JOHNSON AT DOVER: Not only has Johnson shared tremendous success throughout his career at Dover, it was the site of his most recent win. On June 4, 2017, he led only seven laps but it was enough to put him in position to drive the No. 48 Chevrolet to Victory Lane for the 11th time at the one-mile concrete oval, which is the all-time record at the track. The victory tied him for sixth on the all-time wins list in the sport. In his 35 starts at Dover, he has amassed three pole positions, 17 top-five finishes, 24 top-10s and 3,109 laps led in addition to his 11 wins.

OVERTIME WINNERS: Of the four races that have spilled into NASCAR’s version of “overtime” at the “Monster Mile,” Johnson has won three of them. Those three races were in September 2005, May 2015 and June 2017. His Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott won the fourth, which came in October 2018. In addition, the No. 48 driver owns the most laps led at the track all-time with 3,109.

FOR THE KIDS: This week in Charlotte, Johnson hosted his annual golf tournament to raise funds for the Jimmie Johnson Foundation. The private event along with silent auction raised $500,000 to fund grants to K-12 public schools. The tournament, which in 13 years has raised more than $8 million, benefits the Jimmie Johnson Foundation Champions Grant program. The grants range from $20,000-$75,000 and are distributed to K-12 public schools in the Johnsons’ home towns in California and Oklahoma and where they currently reside in North Carolina. For more information, click here.

PINK ACCENTS: To commemorate October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Johnson will don pink Alpinestars driving gloves and an Ally Racing hat with pink accents.

MODERN-ERA WINS: Johnson is just one win shy of having the most wins all-time at a single track in the modern era (since 1972). He currently has 11 wins at Dover, behind only NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip’s 12 at Bristol.

MILESTONES ON THE HORIZON: Johnson has the most wins of all active drivers, and his next trip to Victory Lane will be his 84th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series win. He secured his 83rd in June 2017 to tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough for sixth on the all-time wins list. An 84th win would tie the driver with Hall of Famers Waltrip and Bobby Allison for fourth all-time. The No. 48 driver is currently 10 wins behind former teammate Jeff Gordon, who has 93 victories and is third on the list.

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Alex Bowman
No. 88 Cincinnati Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver Alex Bowman Hometown Tucson, Arizona
Age 26 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

2019 Season
9th in standings
29 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
5 top-five finishes
9 top-10 finishes
182 laps led

Career
146 starts
1 win
2 pole positions
8 top-five finishes
23 top-10 finishes
456 laps led

Track Career
7 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
1 top-five finish
1 top-10 finish
42 laps led

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 88 Cincinnati Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media on Friday, Oct. 4, at 3 p.m. local time in the media center at Dover International Speedway.

WELCOME CINCINNATI: On Sept. 20, Hendrick Motorsports announced a 10-year agreement with leading machine tool manufacturer Cincinnati Inc. As the new Official Metal Fabrication and Additive Equipment Provider of Hendrick Motorsports, the Ohio-based company will serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Dover International Speedway. In 2020, fans can see the Cincinnati colors on board Alex Bowman’s machine for two NASCAR Cup Series events. Click here to see the No. 88 paint scheme for this weekend’s race.

‘ROVAL’ RECAP: Last weekend, the Cup Series raced at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course for the cut-off race in the Round of 16 of the playoffs. Bowman qualified second for the event behind teammate William Byron. In the last 30 seconds of final practice on Saturday, the No. 88 Chevrolet made contact with an outside wall barrier and sent the team to a back-up car. After starting Sunday’s race at the rear of the field, Bowman missed the backstretch chicane and spun on the first lap. The team was forced to serve a pass-through penalty on Lap 5 for missing the chicane. Making up ground, Bowman found himself inside the top 10 for the first time of the day on Lap 92 and had his sights set on the competitors ahead of him. With less than five laps to go in the 109-lap event, Bowman entered the top five. Continuing his momentum, the 26-year-old driver was able to knock off three more positions to finish the race second to teammate Chase Elliott. The second-place finish marked Bowman’s best finish at a road course and his fourth runner-up result of 2019, and most importantly advanced him to the Round of 12.

HELLO ROUND OF 12: Following his second-place finish at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course on Sunday, Bowman claimed a spot in the Round of 12. It is the second season in a row that the driver of the No. 88 Chevy has made it to the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. At each of the next three tracks, Bowman finished as the runner up earlier this season. The Tucson, Arizona, native and Elliott are the only two drivers to finish in the top five in each of the three races on the Round of 12 tracks earlier this season. Bowman scored the second-most points at the three tracks earlier this year, earning 143 points total.

BOWMAN IN DOVER: The driver of the No. 88 machine will make his eighth career start at Dover on Sunday. Bowman’s best finish of second at the track came earlier this year after the team qualified fifth and led 16 laps. Back in the spring of 2018, Bowman led 26 laps at the one-mile speedway. The driver has six starts at the track in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He earned two top-five finishes, both of which came with JR Motorsports in 2016. The driver led 33 laps in the spring event that year and crossed the line third. Bowman also ran an ARCA Series race at the track in 2011 and finished 23rd after suffering an engine failure after 132 laps.

IVES STATS AT THE ‘MONSTER MILE’: Crew chief Greg Ives will call the shots for the 10th time for the No. 88 team at Dover this weekend. The Bark River, Michigan, native has two top-five finishes and four top-10s at the track. The crew chief’s resume includes two top-five finishes and three top-10s at the venue in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Both top-five results came in 2014 when Ives led Elliott to two second-place starting positions and 19 laps led before taking the checkered flag inside the top five. Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 team at Hendrick Motorsports from 2006 until 2012. During that time, he was a part of four wins, four pole awards and 10 top-10s at Dover.

HOME-TRACK FEELS: No. 88 team rear-tire changer Devin DelRicco grew up 86 miles from Dover International Speedway in Marlboro, Maryland. The 28-year-old visited the “Monster Mile” for the first time back in 2005 for the NASCAR Cup Series event. DelRicco has been with Hendrick Motorsports for five years and was part of two NASCAR Xfinity Series championships with JR Motorsports.

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Hendrick Motorsports

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT DOVER: At Dover International Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has accumulated 20 wins, 67 top-five finishes, 108 top-10s, 10 poles and 6,851 laps led at the one-mile oval. A single organization has won at least 20 times at a track just three times in history, and Hendrick Motorsports owns two of those achievements. The organization’s 20 Dover wins are its second-most behind its 24 at Martinsville Speedway, which are the most all-time at any track. Since 2009, the organization has won at Dover in all but two seasons (2011, 2016).

100 FOR THE WIN: This weekend marks the 100th race at Dover International Speedway. Hendrick Motorsports has a history of finding Victory Lane on the 100th race at a track, starting with Jeff Gordon at Daytona International Speedway in February 1997, then Jimmie Johnson at Darlington Raceway in March 2004 and this April at Talladega Superspeedway with Chase Elliott.

ROUND OF 12 RINGERS: The three tracks that make up the Round of 12 in the playoffs are Dover, Talladega and Kansas. At those three venues in 2019, Hendrick Motorsports leads the Cup Series in poles (one), runner-up results (three), top-five finishes (six), top-10s (eight), laps led (334) and average finish (9.83). The organization’s one win is tied for the most.

PLAYOFF WINNERS: Hendrick Motorsports has won at least once in 15 of the 16 seasons of the playoffs, with the 2017 campaign as the only outlier. Its three drivers still in the playoffs are tied for the most from a single team. Its six playoff wins at Dover are the most all-time, with Team Penske in second place with three. Johnson owns four of those wins.

POSTSEASON POSITIONING: The 2019 season marks a series-best 12th in which the organization has sent at least three drivers to the playoffs. It is also the 14th consecutive year that Hendrick Motorsports has at least two drivers in the playoffs, which is also the most of all organizations.

UP FRONT ON THE ‘ROVAL’: Hendrick Motorsports swept the front row in qualifying last weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course, and took the checkered flag with a one-two finish. A team has started and finished one-two in a race just seven times in the modern era, and Hendrick Motorsports has now accomplished the feat three times. Prior to the “roval,” the organization did so at Talladega in 2015 and Daytona in 1989. All four Hendrick Motorsports drivers finished in the top 10 last Sunday for the second time this season – both at Charlotte. It was the 23rd time in the organization’s history that all four cars finished in the top 10.

CHEVROLET IN VICTORY LANE: In the last 16 races at Dover, a Chevrolet has found Victory Lane nine times. In the last 13 Dover races, Hendrick Motorsports has won on six occasions.

PILING UP POLE POSITIONS: After securing just two poles in 2018, Hendrick Motorsports has amassed nine poles this year with seven races remaining in the season. It’s the fifth-highest total the organization has earned in a single season, tied with the 1996 and 2004 campaigns. Hendrick Motorsports’ record for poles came in 1986 with 16, followed by 12 in 2007 and 2009, 11 in 2008 and 2012 and 10 in 1995.

LEADING LAPS: In 2019, Hendrick Motorsports has more than doubled its total of laps led from a season ago. Last year, the organization’s drivers tallied 497 laps led. Now, after last weekend’s race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course, the 2019 total has been brought to 1,058 laps up front with seven races remaining in the season.

ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 12 championships, 256 race victories, 224 pole positions, 1,066 top-five finishes and 1,830 top-10 finishes in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. Its teams have led more than 68,700 laps since 1984.

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QUOTABLE /
Chase Elliott on success at Dover:
“We’ve had fast cars there. To be honest with you, I think probably the biggest reason we’ve had some good runs at the racetrack is because of Jimmie (Johnson)’s success over the years. I think he’s been so good and he’s put a really good baseline for us to go there and have a decent place to start for the weekend. I think a lot of it is because of that. Obviously, he’s won how many races there, so he has a really good feel of what he needs to do and he does a better job than I do a lot of times in being able to describe things and put things into words. Sometimes things are really complicated in what you’re feeling and it’s hard to put that into simplifying terms to explain it, and he does a really nice job of that. I think that’s why he’s had a lot of the success that he’s had.”

Elliott on winning more as the playoffs progress:
“I hope so. You know, it’s nice to have an extra six points going into the next round, for sure. But it’s hard to carry anything really from Sunday into next week just because it’s back to the ovals. Anything we learned from a road course standpoint obviously we don’t have another one the rest of the year. But can definitely take those six points with you as long as you’re alive in this playoff system, and hopefully we don’t need them but we got them.”

William Byron on what he can learn from the spring Dover race:
“The main thing is trying to keep track position all race long. It’s a track that’s really hard to pass, so in the spring we unfortunately got stuck in the back at one point and it took almost the whole race to climb back up to the front. We had a really good car then, so I expect to unload with another fast one this weekend. Hopefully we can get a good starting position and keep the track position the entire race.”

Jimmie Johnson on racing at Dover:
“I absolutely love Dover. If it was up to me we would race there more than twice a year. It suits my driving style because it’s got the characteristics I loved racing when I was in off-road trucks. It’s a special track for me for so many reasons.”

Bowman on advancing to the Round of 12:
“It is great to be able to advance to the next round of the playoffs. Charlotte was rough, that’s for sure. This team never gave up and continued to make the car better and ultimately we finished second. The three tracks in the Round of 12 were really good to us in the spring. We finished second at each track and we have the notes to hopefully get us one spot further on Sunday.”

Bowman on racing at Dover:
“Dover is a track that is more physically demanding than you would think. There is a lot of elevation change getting into the corner. Depending on how the rubber is laying down, the track changes from run to run. This is a track that is ever changing.”

As Paul Menard heads into the final seven weeks of his time as a full-time driver in the Monster Energy Cup Series, it’s been on his mind that he’ll likely never again drive a Cup car on the tracks remaining on the schedule.

“I think about it some,” he said. “There are some I’ll miss more than others, and Dover is one of those I’ll probably miss.”

Menard, who will drive the No. 21 Menards/Cardell Cabinets Ford Mustang in the Drydene 400 at Dover International Speedway this weekend, said the one-mile, high-banked concrete oval has many of the characteristics that he’s come to appreciate over his 16-year, 464-race career in the elite NASCAR division.

“It’s a cool track,” he said. “It’s a unique, high-speed track. There’s nothing like it. Bristol is the closest.”

Menard said that based on the speed the No. 21 Mustang has shown the past few weeks he believes the Menards/Cardell team is poised for a strong performance in this weekend’s 400-miler.

“We’ve hit on a couple of things,” he said. “We ran good at Darlington and Indy back to back, and we ran in the top 10 for most of the day at Charlotte before we got a little behind and wound up having to go to the back late in the race.”

Menard also said that while many of the teams in the playoffs have stepped up their performances since the 10-race run for the championship began three weeks ago, the playoff teams aren’t the only ones running better.

“Everybody is learning more about this [handling] package,” he said. “A lot of teams are getting better and better.”

Qualifying at Dover is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at 1:35, and the Drydene 400 is set to start just after 2:30 p.m. on Sunday with TV coverage on NBCSN.

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.

Richard Childress Racing at Dover International Speedway … RCR has earned four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins at Dover International Speedway, one with Jeff Burton in September 2006 and three with Dale Earnhardt behind the wheel, including both events at the Monster Mile in 1989 as well as the spring race in 1993. RCR has also earned one pole award, 24 top-five and 57 top-10 finishes in 173 combined starts at the high-banked, one-mile oval. Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, contributed three of those top 10s from 1976-1980.

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,979 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 51 pole awards,108 wins, 489 top-five finishes and 1,074 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.7 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.

A Celebration of 50 Years … Help Richard Childress Racing celebrate their golden anniversary at RCR Fan Day at our campus in Welcome, North Carolina on Friday, October 25. The unique, one-day event is will include driver/owner autograph sessions, panel discussions with key personnel, a kids’ interactive area, pit crew demos, military interaction, shop tours and even a hauler parade to help send off our teams as they head to Martinsville Raceway. Follow RCR’s social media channels for updates regarding Fan Day and all 50th Anniversary events.

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 Delaware 400 at Dover International Speedway will be televised live Sunday, October 6 beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This Week’s AAA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Dover International Speedway … Dillon has 12 previous Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts to his credit at Dover International Speedway, earning his best finish of seventh in October 2018 and best start of ninth in June 2017. In eight previous NASCAR Xfinity Series appearances at the track, Dillon’s best finish is fourth in May 2015, and he is the June 2013 Xfinity Series pole sitter at the Monster Mile. The 2011 NASCAR Truck Series champion has two starts at the track in the Truck Series, earning his best finish of fourth in the May 2011 event. He also finished ninth at the track in a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race.

Go Ahead … AAA has been in the assurance business for over 100 years, providing the peace-of-mind that comes with the nation’s most recommended roadside assistance. But now more than ever, AAA helps to enhance the everyday – providing knowledge and insight so members can make the most of their lives. From auto loans to insurance, roadside assistance to repair and maintenance, travel planning to discounts, AAA offers the products, services and experience to fulfill members’ needs. Learn how AAA helps members go ahead at AAA.com.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
Does Dover just drive like a giant Bristol or not so much?
“Not so much. There’s a lot of aero stuff that comes into play at Dover because you’re going so fast. You see different lines come into play as the rubber builds up. On the long run you can start running way up by the fence and find some speed so that’s always fun when you can move around and find speed on the long run and people fall off as you run. It’s a good place to go.”

How hard is that when you pick up rubber during the cautions?
“Yeah it’s just a process that we go through every week that we have to try and balance our car around. It can get difficult at times, but Dover is a place where it’s fun.”
Daniel Hemric and the No. 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Dover International Speedway … Hemric will be making his second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at Dover International Speedway during this weekend’s 400-mile event. The Kannapolis, North Carolina, native started 23rd and finished 25th at the ‘Monster Mile’ in May.

About Lucas Oil … Forrest and Charlotte started Lucas Oil Products with the simple philosophy of producing only the best line of lubricants and additives available anywhere. Since its inception, Lucas has steadfastly adhered to this corporate objective. Through innovative product research and development, along with aggressive marketing programs, Lucas has established itself as a top selling additive line in the American truck stop industry. Lucas is also one of the fastest growing additive lines in the consumer automotive industry. A premium line of oils, greases and problem solving additives has helped to firmly establish Lucas as a prominent figure in this marketplace. Lucas has long been directly involved in the American racing industry through multiple vehicle sponsorships and racing event promotions, at all levels. Seeing a need for better lubricants in this industry, the Lucas people went to work again. The end result being a line of high performance engine oils and gear oils that are second-to-none in the racing industry.

Meet the Driver … Hemric is scheduled to be at the RCR merchandise hauler in the Dover Fan Zone for an autograph session on Sunday, Oct. 6, starting at 11:30 a.m. local time.

DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTE:
What was your biggest takeaway from the Cup Series race at Dover earlier this year that you can apply to this weekend’s 400-mile event?
“We really struggled at Dover as a company. The concrete racetracks have seemed to be our Achilles’ Heel this year, and we have not really been able to hone in on what we’re missing there. That being said, over the past few months the evolution of our race cars should help us going back to Dover this weekend. We have been going in the right direction in that regards. We had a 12th-place run at Bristol Motor Speedway in August – and that was a bit of a ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ moment for our program on the concrete tracks. I’m looking forward to getting to Dover and implementing some of that stuff we have learned over the last few months. I always enjoy going to Dover, though. We sat on the pole at Dover last fall in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race and have had strong runs on that side in the past. I feel really comfortable there and love getting around that place, but you’ve got to have a really good balance to attack it. That’s what we will look to do with this No. 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. It’s a great looking scheme on the car and means a lot to honor Lucas Oil’s 30th anniversary on the No. 8 Chevy this weekend.”
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Dover International Speedway … In 95 Series starts at the one-mile concrete oval, RCR has captured three victories with drivers Jeff Burton (2006) and Clint Bowyer (2006 and 2009). The Welcome, North Carolina, organization has accumulated six pole awards, 22 top-five finishes, 50 top-10 finishes, led 755 laps and averages a starting position of 10.8 and finishing position of 13.3. RCR has completed 17,695 laps of the 18,703 (94.6 percent) that they have competed.

Charlotte Review … Tyler Reddick started and finished second during Saturday’s ROVAL race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Round of 12 … Richmond Raceway opens the Round of 12 for the Xfinity Series Playoffs. The round will continue through Charlotte Motor Speedway and conclude at Dover International Speedway. Eight drivers will move on to the next round.

The Points … Tyler Reddick is third in the Xfinity Series Playoff standings.

Social Media … To keep up with the latest updates from RCR’s Xfinity Series teams, follow @RCRracing and @RCRNXS on Twitter. Updates can also be found via RCR’s Facebook Page and Instagram (@RCRracing).

Catch the Action … Coverage of this week’s Use Your Melon Driver Sober 200 at Dover International Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, October 5, beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on NBCSN. It will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.

Michael McDowell on Dover
17 Starts
Best Finish: 19th
“Every racetrack we visit has its unique challenges, but Dover is always towards the top of the ‘most challenging’ list. It’s tricky to pass and we don’t have as much tire falloff as we did in the past, so you might not get as many opportunities to really drive through the field. I’m looking forward to having our partners at The Pete Store on the car with us this weekend. I think we’ll be able to see some great speed from our No. 34 Ford Mustang.”

Return Trip to ‘The Monster Mile’ On Tap This Weekend

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) and Roush Fenway head north to Delaware this weekend for the return trip to ‘The Monster Mile,’ a track Jack Roush has had major success at over the years. Combined across the three national series, a Jack Roush Ford has won 17 times with 140 overall top-10 finishes.

Dover International Speedway
Sunday, Oct. 6 | 2:30 p.m. ET
NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
·         Ryan Newman, No. 6 Acronis Ford Mustang
·         Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang

The Monster Mash

Roush Fenway’s nine wins in the MENCS at Dover ranks third for the organization (trailing only Michigan and Bristol with 13 and 11, respectively). Dover also ranks second in top-fives (52) and third in top-10s (84) for the organization.

Get the Broom

Roush Fenway swept the MENCS and NASCAR Xfinity Series spring races at Dover in 2004 and 2011, and won both the NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series (NGOTS) and MENCS races at the track in 2006.

First in the First State

Roush Fenway has won in all three major NASCAR series at Dover (9 MENCS, 6 NXS and 2 NGOTS). Roush Fenway won its first race at Dover in the MENCS from the pole in the fall of 1997 with former driver Mark Martin.

To Xfinity and Beyond

Roush Fenway has recorded six victories at the one-mile oval in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with drivers Chris Buescher, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards. Buescher recorded his victory in June 2015, Biffle earned victories in the spring event in both 2002 and 2004, while Edwards took the checkered flag in the spring of 2007 and swept both races in 2011.

Tale of the Tape

Roush Fenway has started 212 MENCS races at Dover with 84 top-10 and 52 top-five finishes along with seven poles. Former drivers Mark Martin (1997, 1998, 1999, 2004), Greg Biffle (2005, 2008), Matt Kenseth (2006, 2011) and Carl Edwards (2007) are responsible for RFR’s combined nine Cup wins at the 1-mile track. Overall a Jack Roush Ford has led 3892 laps at Dover.

Where They Rank
·         Despite not advancing through to the round of 12 in the #NASCARPlayoffs, Ryan Newman and the No. 6 team have a lot left to race for with seven races remaining. Newman left the Roval 14th in points, but still has room to advance with the points reset beginning this weekend.
·         Ricky Stenhouse Jr., is 22nd in points with seven races left.

Roush Fenway Dover Wins
1997-2   Martin Cup
1998-2   Martin  Cup
1999-2   Martin  Cup
2000-1   Busch    Truck
2002-1   Biffle     NXS
2004-1   Martin  Cup
2004-1   Biffle     NXS
2005-1   Biffle     Cup
2006-1   KensethCup
2006-1   Martin  Truck
2007-2   EdwardsCup
2007-1   EdwardsNXS
2008-2   Biffle                     Cup
2011-1   Kenseth               Cup
2011-1   Edwards               NXS
2011-2   Edwards               NXS
2015-1   Buescher             NXS

By the Numbers at Dover International Speedway
Race      Win       T5           T10         Pole       Laps       Led        AvSt      AvFn     Miles
212         9              52           84           7              81419    3892       17.2        16.1        81419
91           6              27           46           5              16988    888         11.3        13.2        16988
21           2              7              10           2              3602       154         14.3        14.4        3602
324         17           86           140         14           102009  4934       15.0        15.0        102009

This Week in Motorsports: September 30 – October 6, 2019
·         MENCS/NXS/NKNPSE: Dover International Speedway (Dover, Delaware) – October 4-6
·         ARCA: Lucas Oil Raceway (Clermont, Indiana) – October 5
·         POWRi: Jacksonville Speedway (Jacksonville, Illinois) – October 4-5

PLANO, Texas (October 2, 2019) – Three NASCAR series take on the ‘Monster Mile’ in Dover, Delaware, the ARCA Menards Series heads back to Indiana while POWRi begins its final month of the season in Illinois.

NASCAR National Series – MENCS | NXS

Top Three in the Playoffs… With one round down in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, Toyota drivers Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin have moved on to the Round of 12 as the top-three seeded drivers, respectively. Together, they have a combined 14 wins this season and five career-Cup Series victories at Dover International Speedway. Additionally, Hamlin will make his 500th career-Cup Series start this weekend, which is something Busch and Truex have also achieved in the 2019 Cup Series season.

Back in the Spring… Truex led 132 laps (of 400) for his second win of the season and second win for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) in the first race at Dover earlier this year. Truex has gone on to earn four more victories as he leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) with six wins this season. Truex also scored his first of 25 career-Cup Series wins at the ‘Monster Mile’ in 2007.

Looking for Three-in-a-Row… Christopher Bell is looking for his third straight Xfinity Series win at Dover. Bell, who has an average finish of second at the track, won this event last season after starting from the front row and leading over half the race. In the spring, Bell led 44 of the final 45 laps to claim the win.

First for Brandon Jones… Last season, Brandon Jones earned his first career pole for Toyota at the spring event at the ‘Monster Mile.’ He went on to lead the first 22 laps and scored a top-10 finish. Jones is hoping for another strong Dover run as he looks to gain 11 points and move inside the Xfinity Series Playoff cut line.

Burton in the Xfinity Field Again… Harrison Burton is making his third consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) start, and this time he is headed to one of his best tracks. Burton has earned top-five finishes in his last two Truck Series starts at Dover International Speedway, including a career-best-tying third place result earlier this year.

Regional Stock Car Racing – NKNPSE | ARCA

Last Race of the Season… The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East heads to its final race of the season at Dover International Speedway. Toyota has won seven of the 11 races run thus far with Derek Kraus and Chase Cabre leading with two wins each. Additionally, Tanner Gray, Ty Gibbs and Max McLaughlin have each scored their first career K&N Pro Series East wins this season.

Last Year at the Monster Mile… Last season at Dover, Toyota claimed 10 of the top 11 finishes as Ruben Garcia Jr. earned his second career win, while current Truck Series Playoff contender Tyler Ankrum clinched the championship.

Championship Race Tight… In the ARCA Menards Series, the championship race between Toyota drivers and Venturini Motorsports teammates Michael Self and Christian Eckes is down to just five points heading into the final two races of the season. One year ago, Eckes was dominate at Lucas Oil Raceway as he started from the pole and led 171 (of 200) laps before driving to victory.

Midget Car Racing – POWRi

POWRi Title Race Coming Down to the Wire… Heading into the final month of the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League season, the championship race has become a two-man shootout between Toyota drivers Jesse Colwell and Zach Daum. Colwell takes a 170-point lead into this weekend’s double-header at Jacksonville Speedway. The Red Bluff, California, native is a rookie in the series after earning his ride with Keith Kunz Motorsports by winning the KKM Giveback Classic last fall at Millbridge Speedway. Daum is anything but a rookie, having earned three previous POWRi titles (2013, 2014 and 2016) with Toyota.

Seavey One Win Away from Tying Record… Having recorded 10 POWRi wins this season, Logan Seavey can tie or possibly surpass Christopher Bell’s POWRi National Midget League single-season record of 11 victories at Jacksonville this weekend. Seavey won the 2017 POWRi title as well as the 2018 USAC crown. He has registered 25 national midget feature victories in his career, with 14 of those coming in 2019.

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.

Daniel Hemric’s No. 8 Chevrolet will commemorate 30 years of the lubricant and additives company at the ‘Monster Mile’

WELCOME, N.C. (October 2, 2019) – The 2019 season is a year of celebrating special anniversaries, and with that in mind Richard Childress Racing (RCR) will help celebrate long-time partner Lucas Oil’s 30th anniversary by running a commemorative scheme on Daniel Hemric’s No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for this weekend’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event at Dover International Speedway.

The special scheme will bring together a total of three special anniversaries, as both RCR and Dover International Speedway are also celebrating 50 years. Lucas Oil has served as the Official Lubricant of RCR and ECR Engines since 2014 and is the Official Motor Oil of ECR Engines. Together, RCR, ECR and Lucas Oil have gone to NASCAR Victory Lane over 20 times since the partnership began.

Much like RCR, Lucas Oil was founded by Forrest and Charlotte Lucas, self-made businesspeople who came from humble beginnings and were able to build an organization into an internationally recognized brand.

“In addition to being a great friend over the years, Forrest Lucas and his team have developed outstanding high-performance products that have helped RCR and ECR Engines to succeed on the racetrack as well,” said Richard Childress, chairman and CEO, Richard Childress Racing. “We’re proud of our partnership with Lucas Oil and are honored to celebrate milestone anniversaries alongside one another.”

Throughout the 2019 season, RCR has been highlighting the partnership with Lucas Oil through a variety of content series, commemorative decals and now a special scheme on Hemric’s No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

For more information on today’s announcement, and all that is happening at RCR, please visit rcrracing.com.

About Lucas Oil
Forrest and Charlotte started Lucas Oil Products with the simple philosophy of producing only the best line of lubricants and additives available anywhere. Since its inception, Lucas has steadfastly adhered to this corporate objective. Through innovative product research and development, along with aggressive marketing programs, Lucas has established itself as a top selling additive line in the American truck stop industry. Lucas is also one of the fastest growing additive lines in the consumer automotive industry. A premium line of oils, greases and problem solving additives has helped to firmly establish Lucas as a prominent figure in this marketplace. Lucas has long been directly involved in the American racing industry through multiple vehicle sponsorships and racing event promotions, at all levels. Seeing a need for better lubricants in this industry, the Lucas people went to work again. The end result being a line of high performance engine oils and gear oils that are second-to-none in the racing industry.

About Richard Childress Racing
Richard Childress Racing (rcrracing.com) is a renowned, performance-driven racing, marketing and manufacturing organization. Incorporated in 1969, RCR celebrates 50 years of racing in 2019 and has earned more than 200 victories and 15 championships, including six in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series and is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 (1998, 2007, 2018). Its 2019 Cup Series lineup includes two-time NASCAR champion, 2017 Coca-Cola 600 winner and 2018 Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon (No. 3 Dow/American Ethanol/AAA/Symbicort/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) along with Rookie of the Year contender Daniel Hemric (No. 8 Caterpillar/ Bass Pro Shops/Liberty National Life Insurance/Cessna/VF Workwear Chevrolet). Its Xfinity Series program includes defending Series Champion Tyler Reddick (No. 2 Hurdl/Pinnacle Financial Partners/Anderson’s Maple Syrup Chevrolet) as well as select races with Kaz Grala (No. 21 Camaro).