Category: NASCAR Cup PR

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
Saturday, September 7, 2019

RYAN NEWMAN MEDIA AVAILABILITY

RYAN NEWMAN, No. 6 Acorns Ford Mustang — WHAT IS YOUR TEAMS PLAN GOING INTO THE WEEKEND? “Just to perform and enjoy it. There are a lot of teams that would like to be in our situation. There are a lot of teams better than our situation but there are a lot that would love to be fighting for a playoff berth. We will do what we can to be the best we can with the Acorns Ford and enjoy the race. It is home for me. Lots of friends and family and I get a chance to run the Silver Crown car tonight at IRP. There is a lot going on. That is just part of it. I definitely enjoy it.”

DO YOU REMEMBER YOU FIRST RACE HERE AND WHAT THAT WAS LIKE? “I think there are a lot of guys that come here that are young that have never been here, if that makes any sense. Then there are guys that have been here but never got a chance to race. I was one of those guys. I understood more so the history and relevance and everything about the speedway. I watched Indy races here and had a better understand for myself of what to expect. I think it is totally different when you get out on the racetrack. I think my first experience was at a test and we had a lot of fun and had fast race cars. We came back here and had a practice session on a Thursday or something like that, a really quick 30-minute practice session and we were P1 and that was all the confidence I needed to go into that weekend, 18 years ago or whatever it was. I think that you can overcome the inexperience really quick with some confidence.”

SOME CONTACT WITH DANIEL SUAREZ LAST WEEK, WAS THAT JUST RACING AND NO BIG DEAL? “Are you saying I made contact with him or he made contact with me? That is just racing. That is what I said afterwards. Everything kind of cycles in our sport and what comes around goes around. It is what it is. I don’t think he meant to turn me around but he did turn me around. It is just racing. I get it. Whether he plowed through me like Kenseth did to Logano or just took the air of me or whatever. It is racing. I don’t have any intentions going into this race other than to do the best that I can for our team.”

REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS THIS WEEKEND, YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEING KIND OF A ROOKIE TEAM. WHAT DOES THIS GROUP NEED TO DO MOVING FORWARD TO WHERE YOU AREN’T IN THIS POSITION A YEAR FROM NOW? “Win. That is the easy answer. Just keep progressing as a team. We have talked about it a little bit personally but our team is so new. It is newer than I have ever experienced. That is huge. With all the changes we had in our sport in the offseason, I think it was underestimated by me and a huge change to tackle. I feel like we have done a good job but to answer your question, we just need to continue to progress to make our cars go faster. I think we have had some good strategy and pit stops and good moves on the race track. All those types of things. Good things need to turn into great things and keep progressing as a team. Those experiences will hopefully build a notebook that we can carry into next year and be more successful.”

HOW DOES EXPERIENCE HELP YOU WITH THIS RACE TOMORROW COMPARED TO SOMEBODY THAT HAS MAYBE NOT GONE THROUGH THIS BEFORE? “I think I am like one level beyond veteran now. I think I am like a senior veteran. Not only have I been around the sport a long time but I have experienced the pushes and pulls and ups and downs of the playoffs and racing your way in and not making it. I just think that no matter what I am going to sleep well because I will be tired after the Silver Crown race. It is a great opportunity to go out and have fun. There are so many kids out there that I have been a part of in my racing career and watched whether it was at the dirt track on Wednesday and Thursday that want to be in my seat. I appreciate that now more than I ever did.”

DO YOU APPROACH THIS WEEKEND ANY DIFFERENTLY BEING ON THE BUBBLE? ARE YOU MORE CAUTIOS OR MORE AGGRESSIVE? “Both. Always both. To me, this is no different than when the green flag dropped for the Daytona 500. You have just as many opportunities and points to gain as you do to lose and it is the same for everybody. You can’t try to make up for in one race what you didn’t accomplish in the first 25. We are in a position where we are break even with one, have to race another and have to keep our eyes on the one behind us. That is no different than it was in Daytona. We just need to go out there and do our job and try to win. If we can’t, take the best position we can take and keep in mind that we are racing for something more than just one race, we are racing for the next 10.”

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE SUAREZ, BOWYER AND JOHNSON ARE RUNNING OR DO YOU NOT WANT TO KNOW DURING THE RACE? “I want to be able to know where they are at, whether it is in front of me or behind me but in the end it doesn’t matter. It just is something that slides in your consciousness. If I can’t get to them, then I can’t get to them. If I have them behind me I want to keep them behind me. That is the facts of it. I think you kind of subconsciously want to know those things but in the end you can’t do anything about it, otherwise you would lap the field 22 times.”

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
BIG MACHINE VODKA 400 AT THE BRICKYARD
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
SEPTEMBER 7, 2019

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 Media Breakout Session Highlights:

REGARDING LAS VEGAS SURFACE AND TIRES
“I don’t know about saving because its kind of hard to save in general really anymore. Either you are good enough to push hard all the time, or you are probably not going to be very good. But yeah, its definitely worn out a lot and I thought the groove moved around a lot during the first race. I don’t know how hot or cold it will be next week but I am sure we will be all over the track again. Seemed like the preferred groove was the outside line in the first race. That will probably happen again.”

IS THERE ONE THING DIFFERENT ABOUT IMS THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN ALL OTHER TRACKS?
“Yeah, it’s actually a place where we have four corners. Most of them have two, and we like to talk about them having four. But this track has four individual corners and its been really tough for me. Myself and this place have not gone together very well. So whatever it is about it is certainly new. If I knew a fix for it, I would maybe fix it first and then tell you later.”

REGARDING JIMMIE JOHNSON NOT BEING QUALIFIED FOR PLAYOFFS AND TEAMWORK TO GET HIM IN
“Me personally I want to see him get in. I am a race fan first and I want to see him do well. I am certainly pulling for him to do that, but there is a lot of emphasis to make sure he has a fast car. That is the best way to fix it, to be fast. If they are fast today, that is the main thing. Your job gets a lot easier for the weekend.”

IT SEEMS YOUR SEASONS COME ALIVE IN THE PLAYOFFS. DESCRIBE HOW GRUELLING THOSE 10 WEEKS ARE
“I think it’s a fun time of the year because our season is so long and I look forward to this time of the year. This time of the year really counts and really matters. .The weather is starting to cool off and we are getting to these tracks and rounds where there is high pressure. Things definitely don’t get any easier from here and we are looking forward to it.”

REGARDING COMING HERE NEXT YEAR IN MID SUMMER WITH THE HEAT
“Its hot up here for sure in the summer time. I don’t make the schedule, but I reckon I will be here if I am still hired in July.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE A DARK HORSE GOING INTO THE PLAYOFFS?
“I really haven’t paid much attention to it. I haven’t Googled my Vegas odds, so you tell me.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE POTENTIAL TO MAKE SOME NOISE IN THE PLAYOFFS?
“I think these last two weeks we have been off for sure, but all it takes is a little bit of momentum and things going in the right direction to make a big deal and to make a lot of noise. Last year I felt like we weren’t doing great when the Playoffs started, but we were able to get a couple of wins in that second round. Like I said, it only takes hitting on that one little thing to improve your performance. Its never really over until its over in a lot of ways, but I think there are some places we are stronger at than others and we just need to clean up the others part of that. We just need to get better at some of these tracks we have struggled at. We have the potential to do that and when we are at our best, we can run with anybody. I truly believe that. We just have to be our best more often.”

REGARDING GROWING THE YOUNGER FAN BASE AND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS
“I think we are putting on the best racing that we can, we are all trying as best we can. The tracks and whatnot do a lot of work to have ticket packages, concerts, and things that go on.”

DO YOU THINK SOCIAL MEDIA HELPS OUT WITH THAT?
“You can’t make somebody like something, so either they do or they don’t. So if a concert is able to attract somebody and they are able to come because of the concert, and they happen to like the race, then great. If you happen to like racing, then great. If you don’t, that is fine too. I am not going to push somebody to like something. Either they do or they don’t. Happy to see whoever comes this weekend to watch.”

DO YOU REALLY GET INTO THE HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS OR DO YOU JUST SEE IT AS STOP NUMBER 26 OF 36?
“Little bit of both I guess. I know there is a lot of history here, but none of that history has anything to do with me. I haven’t had a lot of success here and when we come here now, after running here a few times, I just look at it as a place I have really struggled at. It’s a place that I feel we need to do a better job at for sure. Where this race fell, luckily we were able to be locked in at this point. But if we were coming to this race close, I would be concerned just with how bad we have been. We will try and make it better this weekend but to answer your question its both. For me its marked as not a lot of fun on Sunday, so I will just try and do a better job.”

WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO PUT NAPA IN THE WINNER’S CIRCLE HERE AT INDY WITH OTHER SPONSORSHIP SUCCESS HERE?
“It would be great. They are one of the few sponsors that is involved in all types of racing, which is cool and I am proud to be a part of that team. It is kind of a NAPA racing team, and that is what they call it. That would be great because (Alexander) Rossi had a great win here in the NAPA colors a few years ago and it would be nice to add to that.”

REGARDING THERE BEING A NEW CHAMPION EVERY YEAR RECENTLY
“I think a lot of it has to do with the format and getting down to the last race and the guy that finishes the highest winning. Homestead is a tough race track and its easy to miss it. I think you have seen that. You look at Harvick who won it and then was in it a few years after that. Its hard to get your car right and be in it. I think the dynamic is where it ends and how hard it is to be good there. You see guys dominate at race tracks, but that is a tough place to dominate.”

ESPECIALLY BECAUSE YOU DON’T TEST ANYMORE
“Well, we test every Sunday. You see the guys that run good and don’t. That is not going to change whether we test down there or not.”

WHAT IS THE EXPERIENCE OF THE INTENSITY OF THE FINAL TEN RACES?
“I feel like it’s kind of self-inflicted. Either you have a pressure packed 10 weeks or you don’t based on if you are running good. If you are running good you can kind of cruise through. If you are struggling and struggling to get Stage points, and you are right on the edge of getting three or four points every Stage and finishing eighth to 15th, then you are going to have a pressure-packed first handful of weeks. It really is what you make it and the big thing is that I think we are quick to forget the first 26 weeks of the season and how we could have had multiple wins to make this next 10 weeks a lot easier like a lot of these guys have.”

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
BIG MACHINE VODKA 400 AT THE BRICKYARD
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
SEPTEMBER 7, 2019

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 MCDONALD’S CAMARO ZL1 Media Breakout Session Highlights:

HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THE CUTOFF, THE PLAYOFFS AND HOW YOUR FOCUS WILL CHANGE? YOU RACE ALL THE TIME SO YOU’RE PROBABLY ALWAYS FOCUSED?
“Yeah, that’s good for me. I race a lot so I’m always focused on racing and the next race. It was cool to get locked into the playoffs last week. It wasn’t too long ago that I was right on the cutoff, so it shows how good a last month and a half we’ve had to gain as many points as we have. We’ve been running well and I’m looking forward to the playoffs starting. I feel like we’re at a good point with our race team, our momentum and how we’ve been doing. I’m ready to get through tomorrow’s race and on into the playoffs.”

ONE OF THE BIG TOPICS HERE LAST YEAR WAS CULTIVATING NEW NASCAR FANS. HOW DO YOU THINK THAT’S GOING AND CAN YOU FEEL THE FANBASE GROWING?
“I think so. It seems like there’s been a push into the grassroots stuff to get those fans who maybe haven’t tuned in for awhile and get them back interested in the sport. I know when I go to the dirt races and run that I have fans every single night who say I’m the reason why they’re tuning back into NASCAR. So that makes me feel special and feel like we’re doing a decent job of trying to grow the sport. It’s not just myself but the other competitors and series. You look at Darlington and it was sold out; Bristol looked a lot better than it has in the past couple years. It’s getting better. A lot of these tracks have so many seats that it’s hard to make them look full.”

A LOT OF YOUR FANDOM COMES FROM PLACES LIKE THAT AND DIRT TRACKS, BUT YOU’RE VERY GOOD HERE AT A PLACE THAT COULDN’T BE MORE OPPOSITE. WHY HAVE YOU TAKEN TO THIS PLACE?
“I think it comes down to your car being good everywhere. Chip (Ganassi) cars have always ran really well here at Indy, so I always feel like we have a decent shot whenever we come here. I have a lot of friends who come to this track… there’s a lot of history here so this race always excites me. It’s definitely a different feel here. It’s cool to be in these big garages… going down the frontstretch feels so tight and narrow even though it’s not really. You feel like everything is on top of you. And even the echo when you’re in the garage and you hear a car going down the frontstretch is really cool. It’s just a special place and we all enjoy coming here.”

WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU TO WIN HERE?
“It would mean a lot. It’s one of our biggest races of the year. Chip, with all the history he’s had here, it would be cool to stand in Victory Lane and kiss the bricks with him and our team. We’ve been working really hard at getting a win. We’d like to do it, and no better place than Indianapolis.”

WITH THE PLAYOFFS STARTING NEXT WEEK, WHAT ARE THE NEXT 10 WEEKS LIKE?
“You come here and then go to next week’s race, everything feels so much different. You wonder who’s been hiding what they’ve got in their cars the last couple of months; everybody rolls out their really good stuff for the playoffs. So that’s fun to pay attention to. The style of racing changes; the first round is a little less aggressive. The good guys with the fast cars just want to get through those first few races without any issues. It’s fun how it totally changes the feel of the season.”

DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU TAKE TIME TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE SPORT, OR IS IT 10 WEEKS WITH YOUR HEAD DOWN?
“In the past I’ve never done anything different than what I do every other week leading up. I’ll still golf a lot. I won’t race dirt races; I’m going race next Wednesday before Vegas but then after that, there aren’t any mid-week shows I could get to. Even if there were, I probably wouldn’t just to not risk anything. For me, I don’t approach anything too differently.”

IN THE PAST YOU’VE SEEN GUYS GO OFF-STRATEGY. SOME OF YOU LIKE CHASE (ELLIOTT), ALEX (BOWMAN), (RYAN) BLANEY… YOU’RE TRYING TO STAY IN THE TOP-10 FOR EXTRA POINTS. IS THIS A RACE WHERE YOU MIGHT GO FOR STAGE POINTS INSTED OF POSITIONING YOURSELF FOR THE WIN?
“I’m not sure how we’ll do it. Yeah, we’re close. We just moved into ninth last week, so it would be good to stay there and get two extra playoff points, which would help. You need to look at how those other guys are calling the races and how we can gain points on them to stay in ninth. You never know… those two extra points could come down to us making the next round. But at the same time you don’t want to risk giving up a shot to win either. We’ll see how it goes. I don’t know what our gameplan is yet, but there’s definitely some different strategies that can go on.”

HOW BIG IS KEEPING MOMENTUM? IS IT EVEN BIGGER TO GET A TOP-FIVE OR TOP-10 SUNDAY?
“Once you get in the playoffs, continuing that momentum is good. I don’t want to go out there with a slow car; if you have a slow car and finish just average then that could hurt your momentum and confidence more than having a fast car and finishing last. As long as we can have a fast car, we can keep that run going.”

HOW MUCH HAS KURT (BUSCH’S) INPUT HELPED FIND SPEED THIS YEAR?
“For me, just listening to the way he communicates to his team, what he feels in the car helps them get up to speed quicker which in turn helps us if you’re off a little. We can look at what they’re doing. He’s been a great asset this year and somebody I’ve been able to learn a lot from.”

LOOKING AHEAD TO VEGAS NEXT WEEK, IT’S A PLACE YOU KNOW PRETTY WELL. WHAT’S GOING TO BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RACE THERE EARLIER THIS YEAR AND WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO SEE NEXT WEEK?
“Last year was way hot compared to the race in March. I don’t really know how to race with this package there now. Everybody’s done their stuff a little better than earlier in year with how the style of racing is. The top got going so good, to me, last time that I assume we’ll be able to run the top again just as fast. Turn Four got really hot and slick, so hopefully handling comes into play. It didn’t seem like there was much of a handling issue earlier in the year, but it was also cooler with more grip. I would like handling to come into play because your teams with a better set-up car will be fast.”

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
BIG MACHINE VODKA 400 AT THE BRICKYARD
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
SEPTEMBER 7, 2019

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 Media Breakout Session Highlights:

HOW ELATED ARE FOR THE PLAYOFFS?
“I’m excited. I don’t really know what to do or what to expect or anything. But, obviously having been in the series last year and having seen the way that the races played out, it’s just all about getting down to business and pretty much doing the same thing that you’ve been doing to get here, and just try to eliminate mistakes, I think is the biggest thing. I’m going to try to definitely have really clean races and that starts this weekend for us and just trying to build the momentum for it and make sure we execute a good race.”

YOU HAVE MADE THE PLAYOFFS IN THE OTHER TWO SERIES UNDER THIS FORMAT. CAN YOU TAKE ANYTHING FROM THAT INTO THIS?
“I think I had good success in both. The thing that I lean on for those was I was a really high seed, I was like the number one seed in the Truck Series. In Xfinity, all those points helped. We had a bad race in the beginning of the Xfinity playoffs. But, if you put together one really good race in each round, you’re in a good position, I think; especially in the first couple of rounds. So, we’ve just got to put together one really good race or three really solid ones. There are a number of ways to do it. It just comes down to ultimately not making mistakes.”

MOST CHALLENGING UPCOMING TRACKS
“The Roval always comes to mind, especially with the new chicane. I feel like it’s going to be a different challenge than before. And then, I’d say Martinsville has been kind of a tough place. I’d say those two. The Roval and Martinsville. I haven’t seen the chicane. It looks like it’s much more of a corner than it was last year, so it looks basically like Watkins Glen’s bus stop. We’ll see how that goes. I think it’s going to be much slower. I really don’t know if it’s going to be a passing zone. But, it’s definitely going to set-up a passing into the front chicane with being able to out-brake someone.”

HOW CHALLENGING IS LAS VEGAS FOR YOU AND WILL IT BE DIFFERENT GOING BACK A SECOND TIME THIS YEAR?
“I would say the surface is probably going to be similar, if not the same, as the spring race. It doesn’t seem to age a lot out there the last couple of times we’ve been there. But, the evening start is going to make a difference. So, there’s going to be more grip, but it’s always really hot. I think the cars are going to be faster than the first time we went there with everyone making improvements. I think the track is going to be a little bit cooler. It’s probably going to be more of a tighter race around each other, for sure.”

ARE THERE TRACKS YOU LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE PLAYOFFS?
“I think anywhere we’ve been and then go a second time, like Vegas and Richmond come to mind. And that second or third round, Texas, would be a good track for us. I think Texas and Kansas would be good too because we’ve been there already this year. Anywhere that Chad (Knaus, crew chief) and I go for the second time is going to payoff.”

IN LOOKING AHEAD TO THE PLAYOFFS, WHAT DOES THIS BRICKYARD RACE MEAN?
“I think it means a lot just for the sole reason that it’s the Brickyard 400 and this place means a lot to win here. So, I think that for us, I don’t know if it would mean as much if it was just a typical race and we were already in the Playoffs, but for it being the race that it is, it would mean a lot. Plus, it would be such a big race to win right before you start the Playoffs, I think it would carry a lot of momentum into the first round.”

WHAT MAKES THIS TRACK SO UNIQUE COMPARED TO THE OTHER TRACKS FROM A PHYSICAL STANDPOINT?
“It’s really smooth. Obviously the IndyCars run here so It’s got to be smooth. I would say that it’s really fast, surprisingly. And the corners are like tunnel turns. So, it’s like the tunnel turn at Pocono. Every corner is. And it’s very narrow. I would say those things are a recipe for a tough race track.”

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
Saturday, September 7, 2019

BRAD KESELOWSKI MEDIA AVAILABILITY

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang — IS YOUR DAUGHTER PRACTICING TO KISS THE BRICKS AGAIN? “Well, she remembers last time for sure. It is great to be back here. As soon as I pulled through the tunnel I thought about last year. It was so cool to win here. It was really special for me. I never thought I would have my face hung up at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is a complete thrill for me personally, as I am sure it is for all the drivers that have won here. It is a good feeling to be back here and I am hopeful that we can repeat last years win. Certainly it was a very special day for myself and the team and my family as well. I am ready.”

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR YOU TO GET ANOTHER WIN HEADING INTO THE PLAYOFFS? “It is certainly nice that this time last year we won at Darlington, won this week and won the next week. That felt really good but then when we got to Dover we got caught up in a wreck. Talladega we ran out of gas. Kansas we ran fourth or fifth but it wasn’t enough to overcome the other races. It shows you how fleeting momentum can be. I would like to say it is everything but last year kind of showed it is not, at least for me. Probably what I am looking for the most is just to have the speed and the ability to execute. The wins and all that come when you have that. You need good finishes. With that, of course we still want to win, but when it comes to the playoffs I kind of feel like they are just their own animal.”

WHAT ARE THE NEXT 10 WEEKS LIKE? HOW DO THINGS RAMP UP? “The schedules are pretty busy right now and they just get busier. That can sort of wear you down but I try not to think about that. I try to think of it the opposite. It is an opportunity to win a championship. You can get caught up in the negatives of the responsibility that comes with the opportunity but I try to look more positive at the opportunity. Sometimes I am good at that and sometimes I am not. With that said, it is a tough stretch and it is meant to be tough. It is designed to be tough. It is part of the responsibility of having a great team to drive for and having an opportunity to leave a mark on this sport that has been around for decades and will be around for decades after I am gone. That is a real special time in anyone’s life and I just want to make the most of it.”

DO YOU REMEMBER COMING HERE THE FIRST TIME AND WHAT THAT WAS LIKE? “Yeah, it is an intimidating track as a race car driver. Daytona and Bristol are probably the only other two tracks it reminds me of in that sense. Daytona, when you pull in there you know what it means to stock car racing. Bristol, you pull in there and you are just completely surrounded by grandstands and everything is on top of you and it is super loud and aggressive. Indianapolis is a lot like both of those tracks in the sense that you are surrounded by the stands and you know the history and what it means to all of auto racing. I think with that in mind, it hits you pretty hard when you pull through that tunnel and you think about where you are at and what it means. That is a good thing. There are some tracks you go to and it is like, ‘This is just another race track’, Indianapolis is not just another race track. I think that is a good thing.”

WHAT DOES THE REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP MEAN TO THE DRIVERS? “I think it is great. It would mean a lot to me to win it. There is a trophy that comes with it and I guess some small recognition but as a team and a driver I think it means a lot.”

DOES IT MATTER TO THE SPORT OR ANYONE ELSE THAT JIMMIE JOHNSON MIGHT MISS THE PLAYOFFS? “That is a tough one. I am not sure if I have a great answer for that. Jimmie has done a lot for the sport. What is tough is when you set the bar so high as he has in his career then when you don’t go over it that first time. People are quick to point out when that happens and recognize that. I think in a lot of ways it is somewhat flattering that if he doesn’t make it that it is his first time not making it for the time he has spent in the sport. I still think he has a great shot to make it. I wouldn’t write him off. Jimmie has done a lot in the sport and has some great fans and I am sure they would be bummed if he didn’t make it but at the end of the day, whether he does or doesn’t make it, there will still be 16 drivers that have a shot at the championship and this sport is bigger than any one person.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR. MEDIA AVAILABILITY

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang — WHAT DOES THIS RACE AND THIS TRACK PRESENT TO YOU WITH ONE RACE TO GO. IT IS SUCH A BIG, BIG RACE: “Yeah, I think it is kind of now with this package, I haven’t been on it with the package yet, but watching the Xfinity race with the similar package I feel like it is kind of a wild card similar to Daytona. We are all going to run so close together, or at least I think we are. You are going to be close to wide open for most of the track and I think that presents different challenges but it also can present some chaos and different strategies and late race pit calls that could put somebody else up front that maye hasn’t won this year. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. Hopefully we can come out on the good end of it. You are going to have to have speed by yourself and a car that handles good behind other cars because you are not going to have clean air for much of the day. You might see the lead change quite a bid more than what normally happens here for us here at Indy. I think we are all kind of sitting here waiting to go practice, kind of unknowing what it will be like. It will be an interesting practice. I am sure we will be out there trying to figure it out.”

IF IT IS LIKE DAYTONA, ISN’T THAT YOUR CUP OF TEA? “Yes and no but it is different enough that makes it a different animal. The wild card that I feel like it is, like Daytona, is mainly because I think we will all be close together. The speed is not going to vary as much from the leader to the 20th place car. I think that is where the wild card race comes in. When all the cars are closer together in speed, it gives everybody else more opportunities to do something different on strategy and get out front and maybe win a race. It will be kind of crazy. For us, we don’t care about the stages. Obviously this is the last race for us to try to get a win, so if we had some decent speed and my car is handling good, Brian (Pattie) will call the race to set us up for that last stint to have the best change to win a race. We will see how it goes. It will be interesting I think. Like I said, all of us are excited to get out on the track and try to figure out what is going to be the best possible scenario for your car, whether it be leading, second or third in line and see how the draft works.”

HOW DIFFERENT WILL THIS BE HERE THIS TIME AT INDY WITH THIS NEW PACKAGE? “It will be 100% different than any other race we have had here on the Cup side. The Xfinity has ran this package or similar and we have watched those races but some of those races were three-wide coming across for a few of the stage wins. That was the battle for the lead. It will be interesting to see if ours ends up the same way.”

PAUL MENARD MEDIA AVAILABILITY

PAUL MENARD, No. 21 Menards Ford Mustang — “I think three and four seems grippier than one and two but turns two and four are the important ones. If you get a good exit off two and off of four you get it good, that will carry all the way down the straightaway.”

DO YOU LOOK AT THIS AS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS ARE DO YOU JUST GO RACE? “It is an, ‘Oh my gosh, this is the last chance.’ but we show up every week to compete at the highest level and this is our last opportunity to get in the playoffs. Not a whole lot different that we can do. We try to maximize points every week and this weekend points don’t matter, just the win. That is a lot easier said than done. You can’t stay out on 30-lap tires here. You just get eaten up. Maybe if you have five-lap older tires you can make something happen but basically you throw caution to the wind and try to make something happen.”

LOTS OF PEOPLE TALK ABOUT YOUR WIN HERE GIVING YOU A SHOT TO WIN AGAIN AND GET IN THE PLAYOFFS. DOES IT MEAN ANYTHING, THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE WON HERE BEFORE? “Yeah, sure, it helps. The package and the cars are so different than what it was in 2011 but anything can happen here. We stretched some fuel mileage in 2011 and we had a fast car. We didn’t have track position until we got up front and then stretched some mileage. The same thing could happen tomorrow.”

WILL THERE BE GUYS WORKING TOGETHER HERE ON TRACK? “Maybe there will be some give and take. This race you might work together a little more than we did last year. We are going to be going terminal velocity down the straight away so maybe you try to help somebody get a push past another car and work the draft a little better than in the past. You might see some guys working together tomorrow but at the end it is Indianapolis and everybody wants to win. You will help each other to try to get yourself in position but at the end of the day you are going for yourself.”

DOES THE FACT THAT IT IS INDIANAPOLIS TRUMP IT BEING THE LAST SHOT TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS? “Indianapolis is bigger than the playoffs for me. A win at Indianapolis is a win for the ages, playoffs or not. We always want to win at Indy.”

WOULD THIS TRACK BE CONSIDERED A “MAJOR” IN THIS SPORT? “Yeah. For motorsports in the world, Indianapolis is the most famous, prestigious race track in the world. For our series, a lot of people would say Daytona is our most prestigious race and racetrack but I disagree. I think Indianapolis is still number one in our sport in the world. The racing gets knocked down a lot but at the end of the day it is Indianapolis.”

WHERE IS YOUR TROPHY FROM YOUR WIN HERE? “In my office. When I sit at my desk I can gaze upon it.”

HOW WOULD IT FEEL TO WIN HERE TOMORROW? “Great for a lot of reasons. Obviously the number one reason is it is Indianapolis. The number two reason is that it would be win 100 for the Wood Brothers, something that is very meaningful to myself personally. The third best part would be the playoffs. You hate to say the playoffs would be the third best part about winning but it is true.”

EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE WON HERE, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVEN’T QUITE MADE YOUR MARK YET BECAUSE YOU HAVEN’T REALLY BEEN A CONTENDER IN THE PLAYOFFS? “We haven’t run very good this year. For us to win a race is the only way for us to really get in the playoffs. I feel like we could have probably won a couple of races the last few years but it is the elite series in North America. It is hard to win these races.”

Regular Season Finale on Tap at Indy

Roush Fenway Racing heads to the most famous speedway in the world this weekend as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) ends its regular season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the Brickyard 400. RFR has 17 top-five finishes at the 2.5-mile track dating back to 1994, the first year of competition for NASCAR.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Sunday, Sept. 8 | 2 p.m. ET
NBC, SiriusXM Channel 90
·         Ryan Newman, No. 6 Acorns Ford Mustang
·         Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang

Chasing History

Indianapolis is one of just three active MENCS tracks that Roush Fenway has not visited Victory Lane at, along with Chicagoland Speedway and Kentucky Speedway. Despite not earning a victory, Roush Fenway has finished in the second position on four separate occasions (1998, 2003, 2006 and 2008) with drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards.

Ragan’s Row

Former Roush Fenway driver David Ragan earned the organization’s first pole position at the famed 2.5-mile speedway in the 2011 running of this event. Overall, Roush Fenway has had one of its Fords on the front-row at the hallowed speedway four times.

Tale of the Tape

Roush Fenway has made 95 starts in the MENCS at Indianapolis dating back to 1994. In that span, RFR has 16 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes, with an average finish of 18.3. Jack Roush’s Fords have completed 14370 of the 15261 (94.2 percent) of the laps at the famed 2.5-mile track.

Xfinity Wins in Indiana

Roush Fenway has earned victories in the Xfinity Series in the state of Indiana before, recording two victories at the then named Indianapolis Raceway Park with Greg Biffle in 2002 and Edwards in 2009. Biffle’s victory was his fourth and final win of the 2002 NASCAR Xfinity Series season that helped propel the Roush Fenway driver to the Xfinity Series championship.

Where They Rank

·         Newman enters the weekend needing a strong run to make it into the NASCAR Playoffs. He and Daniel Suarez are tied for the 16th and final spot, but Suarez holds the tiebreaker (best finish of 2019). Clint Bowyer, currently 15th, has an eight-point advantage while Jimmie Johnson is 18 back in 18th, with the four battling for the final two spots Sunday.

·         Stenhouse enters Indy needing a win, currently 21st in points.

By the Numbers at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Race      Win       T5           T10         Pole       Laps       Led        AvSt      AvFn     Miles

95           0              16           30           1              14370    178         21.7        18.3        35925

15           0              1              6              0              1420       2              14.9        12.8        3550

110         0              17           36           1              15790    180         19.3        17.3        39475

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
BIG MACHINE VODKA 400 AT THE BRICKYARD
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
INDIANAPOLIS
SEPTEMBER 8, 2019

BOWTIE BULLETS:
CHEVROLET DOMINANT AT INDY
Chevrolet drivers have won 17 of the 25 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, including an amazing streak of 12 years (2004-13). Career Team Chevy driver Jeff Gordon, who won the inaugural event in 1994, leads all drivers with five victories on the 2.5-mile oval. In that first race, Gordon led seven different times for a total of 93 laps, including the final five. Gordon won the pole the next year and finished sixth.

SETTING THE STAGE
The 400-mile race at the “Brickyard” will set the stage for the playoffs and serve as the crowning event for the MENCS regular-season championship. Team Chevy drivers Kurt Busch is seventh in the standings, Chase Elliott is eighth and Kyle Larson is ninth. Alex Bowman is 11th. Seven-time MENCS champion Jimmie Johnson, aiming to qualify for the postseason, has had considerable success on the big oval. He leads active drivers with four wins (2012, ’09, ’08 and ’06) and also has a runner-up (2013) and third-place (2016) finish in 17 starts.

LARSON STREAKING INTO PLAYOFFS
Kyle Larson, driving the No. 42 McDonald’s Camaro ZL1, is riding a hot streak into Indianapolis. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver has placed in the top 10 the past five races, including a runner-up finish at Darlington Raceway. He’s qualified second at Bristol and third at Darlington the past two races. Overall, he has a dozen top 10s with an average finish of 14.5.

GORDON LEADS THE WAY
In addition to winning the inaugural MENCS race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 6, 1994, Jeff Gordon — at 23 years, 2 days — is youngest winner. The records don’t stop there. Gordon leads all drivers with five wins, 12 top-five finishes, 17 top 10s and 528 laps led in 17 starts. His last victory came in 2014. Additionally, he earned three pole starts.

TAKING IT STAGE BY STAGE:
Team Chevy drivers have registered 17 stage victories. Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson both have four stage wins to lead the way. Elliott has also 18 top-five finishes and is fourth among drivers with 189 bonus points. Larson has 11 top fives and 148 points.

TUNE-IN:
NBC will telecast the 160-lap race on the 2.5-mile oval live at 2 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 8. The NBCSports Gold app will stream the race and live coverage can also be found on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

BY THE NUMBERS:
* Victories by current Chevrolet drivers at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1, has four wins (2012, ’09, ’08 and ’06).
* Chevrolet has recorded 10 pole starts in the 25 races at Indianapolis, while GM brand Pontiac has added two top qualifying spots to the total.
* William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1, is tied for most poles with four. Team Chevy has 12 in the 24 races to lead all manufacturers.
* Chevrolet has won 39 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships.

PACING THE FIELD:
NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress will drive a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Pace Car to lead the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series field to the start of the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard Powered by Florida Georgia Line on Sunday, Sept. 8 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

FOR THE FANS:
·       Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway Area located just outside the front of the iconic Pagoda
·       Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: Silverado 1500 Crew High Country, 2020 Malibu Premier, Trax, Blazer RS, 2020 Traverse High Country, 2020 Tahoe RST, 2020 Equinox Premier, Silverado 2500 HD
·       At the Chevrolet Display, fans can also view the No. 3 Bass Pro/RCR 50th Camaro ZL1, Accessorized Silverado LT, Accessorized Silverado Trail Boss, 2019 Camaro ZL1 1LE, 2020 Camaro 2SS, Laguna LT5, 1970 Camaro LT4, Jimmie Johnson LT1, C10 ZZ6 EFI, Accessorized Colorado
·       Other activities at the Team Chevy Racing Display include a variety of interactive games for adults and kids

TEAM CHEVY QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS AT THE DISPLAY:
Friday, Sept. 6th
·       12:00 p.m. – Michael Annett
2:15 p.m. – Justin Haley
Saturday, Sept. 7th
·       10:00 a.m. – Kurt Busch
·       10:15 a.m. – Alex Bowman
·       11:00 a.m. – Tyler Reddick
·       12:30 p.m. – Chase Elliott
Sunday, Sept. 8th
8:45 a.m. – Bubba Wallace
9:10 a.m. – Austin Dillon
9:25 a.m. – Jimmie Johnson
10:00 a.m. – William Byron
Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:
·          Friday, September 6th: 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
·          Saturday, September 7th: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 8th: 8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

QUOTABLE QUOTES:
KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 – 7th in Standings:
“Looking forward to Indy with the way that these cars have been drafting at the big tracks. The draft is going to be insane once they drop the green flag and everyone is out there together. On the opposite end, I’m hearing that we will be wide-open all the way around in qualifying, which I did that once before in an Indy Car at 230 mph, it shouldn’t be any problem at 180 mph! But the draft will be intense, its going to be a whole different race day, once they drop the green flag.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 – 8th in Standings:
“Our number one goal is to get better at Indy and run better more consistently. That’s the main goal. It is such a special place that we want to run well. You want to run well everywhere you go, but especially at Indy.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CAMARO ZL1 – 11th in Standings:
BOWMAN ON THE PLAYOFFS:
“I think consistency is the key improvement we need. We go to a lot of places that we are really strong at and there are a lot of good tracks for us in the Playoffs, but at the same time, we are very hit and miss here lately. We have a lot of work to do I think, but I think the tracks that suit us can be very good. Starting at a place like Vegas, going back to Kansas and Dover, we are going to a lot of tracks that are good for us so we should be really strong. I think a lot of it is building momentum these two weeks after the off weekend. The first off weekend of the year was a really good reset for us. At the same time, we are working super hard on our Vegas stuff, really focused on that and getting it going.”
BOWMAN ON INDY:
“I’m excited to go to Indianapolis. We might actually get to practice this year, so that’d be nice. Every time I’ve been there, something has happened. So, I just want to have a good, solid race there. I feel like I still don’t have a good hang of that place and I’m still learning every time I go there.”

CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 KROGER FAST LANE TO FLAVOR CAMARO ZL1 – 20th in Standings:
“I won’t lie, Indianapolis Motor Speedway is not my favorite big track. It’s been a really tough race for us in the past. However with the package we have now, some of these tracks that weren’t great for us last year, have been much better. It’ll be really hard to pass I think. We’ve been working really hard to get our qualifying speed better so we can start out with that track position and race well from there, and I think that showed at Darlington Raceway last weekend. Indianapolis is a place where we can overperform from where we were expecting to be, and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do in our No. 37 Fast Lane to Flavor Camaro ZL1.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 SYMBICORT CAMARO ZL1 – 23rd in Standings:
YOUR GRANDFATHER IS GOING TO BE DRIVING THE PACE CAR THIS WEEKEND AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY. ARE YOU GOING TO GO UP THERE AND GIVE HIM A LITTLE NUDGE?
“I hope so. It would be cool to sit on the pole so that I can mess with him a little bit. I already told him that’s our goal, to go sit on the pole and give him a little bump before the race.”

DO YOU THINK HE MAY HAVE A LITTLE TROUBLE GETTING OFF THE TRACK LIKE RICHARD PETTY DID A LITTLE WHILE BACK WHEN HE DROVE THE PACE CAR AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY?
“Pop Pop usually has something up his sleeve. He’s not going to go out there and let it be just a regular pace car ride.”

RACING AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY WITH THIS NEW PACKAGE. THE XFINITY SERIES HAS DONE IT, YOU’VE DONE IT, WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS THING IS GOING TO RACE LIKE THIS TIME AROUND BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY YEAR IT’S DIFFERENT?
“It was a really fun race last year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. I had a blast running it and I had a fast car. This time around, we’ll be running the package in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, and it will be the last race before the Playoffs. It should be wild. This package gives you an opportunity to really put yourself out there and gives you a chance to win a race and put yourself in the Playoffs.”

WHY DO YOU THINK I’TS SO HOT AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY? EVEN WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS NOT THAT HOT IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THE AIR DOESN’T MOVE THERE WELL OR SOMETHING.
“It is a little stagnant. I don’t know if it’s the area you’re in or if it’s the bleachers that keeps the air packed in there. I don’t know, but it’s always warm when we’re out there.”

RYAN PREECE, NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 – 26th in Standings:
“I’m ready for Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This will be my first Cup start there, but I was able to race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series last season and get a little bit of seat time. The package will be very different from that race, however. We’re continuing to take notes that we’ve learned from tracks at the beginning of the year and build on them for these final eleven races. While we haven’t raced at Indianapolis before, both of our teams (with Chris Buescher) work really well together and I think we’ll have a Kroger Camaro ZL1 that’s fast off the truck and is competitive to keep our momentum going for the final stretch of the season.”

BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY CAMARO ZL1 – 27th in Standings:
“The Brickyard 400 is a really tough race. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is really big and a unique track. It’s a ‘crown jewel’ event for our sport.

“I feel like our racing and package hasn’t suited to the track well. Last year, the race was during the time when our team was going through brakes troubles, and had an incident that took our No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 out of the race early. Indy is a place where there’s a lot of time to be gained. It will be interesting to see how it’s going to race with this package, and how we can race around people because it’s so flat and there’s only one groove around there.”

Chevrolet Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

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

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

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

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

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

2019 STATISTICS:
Wins: 5
Poles: 12
Laps Led: 1,593
Top-five finishes: 32
Top-10 finishes: 78

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 784 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 711
Laps led to date: 233,848
Top-five finishes to date: 4,001
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,250

Total NASCAR Cup wins by corporation, 1949 to date

GM: 1,119
Chevrolet: 784
Pontiac: 155
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65

Ford: 784
Ford: 684
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4

Chrysler: 466
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 190
Chrysler: 59

Toyota: 136

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard powered by Florida Georgia Line
The Place: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Date: Sunday, September 8
The Time: 2 p.m. ET
TV: NBC, 1:30 p.m. ET
Radio: IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 400 miles (160 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 50),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 100), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 160)
2018 Race Winner: Brad Keselowski

NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: Indiana 250
The Place: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Date: Saturday, September 7
The Time: 3 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 2:30 p.m. ET
Radio: IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 250 miles (100 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 30),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 60), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 100)
2018 Race Winner: Justin Allgaier

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series
Next Race: World of Westgate 200
The Place: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
The Date: Friday, September 13
The Time: 9 p.m. ET
TV: FS1, 8:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 201 miles (134 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 30),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 60), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 134)
2018 Winner: Grant Enfinger

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

Last race to make the Playoffs

There have been 25 race trophies awarded this season – 25 opportunities to lock in a Playoff berth – but for the four drivers on the bubble, the last two Playoff positions will depend on their outing in Sunday’s Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard powered by Florida Georgia Line at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, IMS and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Veteran Clint Bowyer in 15th holds an eight-point edge on Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Daniel Suarez and Roush Fenway Racing driver Ryan Newman, who are tied in points. Suarez, however, holds the tiebreaker and is currently slotted into the 16th and final Playoff position entering the race while Newman is on the outside in 17th.

Seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson is ranked 18th – 18 points behind Suarez and Newman and 26 points behind Bowyer.

But there is also the possibility that a driver ranked below this foursome could earn one of those Playoff spots with a victory Sunday – which would leave room for only one of them to advance to the postseason on points.

Of the four still eligible to point their way in – Johnson holds a clear statistical advantage. Only NASCAR Hall of Famer and former Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon has won more Indianapolis races (five) than Johnson’s four. And Newman is the only other driver among this Playoff-hopeful quartet with a victory at Indianapolis – winning the 2013 race from the pole position.

In order of their current ranking, Bowyer has three top-five and four top-10 finishes in 13 Indianapolis starts, including a fifth place last year when he tied Denny Hamlin with a race-best 37 laps led.

Suarez has finishes of seventh and 18th in two starts at Indianapolis but has never led a lap.

Newman has had three top-five and five top-10 finishes in 18 career starts, including a third place in 2017. He’s finished in the top 10 in his last two Indianapolis starts, adding in a 10th-place result last year.

With his four Brickyard trophies, Johnson is not only best among those still vying for a Playoff positions but also best in Sunday’s field. He has six top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 17 starts. He won there four times in a seven-year span between 2006-2012, was runner-up in 2013 and then third in 2016. He was 16th last year.

Last week Bowyer bested the four drivers with a sixth-place finish at Darlington – good enough to move him up from 17th in the standings to a Playoff-eligible 15th. His SHR teammate Suarez was 11th at Darlington, securing him that 16th-place designation while Newman was 23rd Saturday night, putting him 17th in the Playoff standings – one spot out of the postseason.

Johnson finished 16th but earned some important stage points. He was running fourth when he was collected in a multi-car accident on Lap 276 of the 367-lap race.

Of note – Johnson has never missed the Playoffs in the 15 years the postseason has been in place for the Monster Energy Series.

And a historical note that Newman and Johnson will try to overcome…in the most recent two seasons, no driver raced into the Playoffs by virtue of his finish in the regular season finale.

Keselowski looking to go back-to-back at Indianapolis

The defending winner of the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard powered by Florida Georgia Line at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, IMS, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) comes from a team whose owner knows how to find Victory Lane at the historic 2.5-mile track.

Brad Keselowski’s Team Penske owner Roger Penske is the winningest team owner in Indianapolis 500 history (18 victories, including this year). And Keselowski’s victory at the historic track last year made Penske a proud winner of NASCAR’s race at the venue, as well.

Keselowski is living up to the Penske tradition at Indianapolis. He won the race last year, finished runner-up in 2017 and has five top-10 finishes in nine starts. Also very telling, Keselowski has led laps in seven of the nine races he’s run – 108 laps total.

Only two drivers – Jimmie Johnson (2008-2009) and Kyle Busch (2015-16) – have won back-to-back Indianapolis races, but Keselowski has to be a favorite to become the third.

This season he has three victories in the No. 2 Team Penske Ford – at Atlanta, Martinsville, Va., and Kansas. Keselowski has nine top-five and 14 top-10 finishes through the opening 25 races – including top-10 results in five of the last six. He’s coming off top-five showings at Bristol, Tenn. (third place) and last weekend at Darlington, S.C. (fifth).

He sits sixth in the points standings and his 966 laps led with 11 races remaining is more than he totaled in each of the three previous complete seasons.

Keselowski in locked into the Monster Energy Series Playoffs and is chasing his second title after winning the championship trophy for Team Penske in 2012 with a five-win season.

Kyle Busch locks up regular season championship

Kyle Busch wrapped up his second straight regular season championship last week at Darlington Raceway with a third-place finish and another stage win. He had been battling Team Penske driver Joey Logano for that top position all season, finally taking it back for good four races ago after the Watkins Glen, N.Y. road course race.

Busch has led the standings for 14 of the 25 weeks – most among drivers this season – and was never ranked lower than fourth, where he spent one week after the race in his native Las Vegas. He has a series-best 10 stage victories.

The title gives the four-time winner an extra 15 Playoff points for the postseason, which begins next week in Vegas.

“Obviously we set out to do that here a few weeks back,’’ Busch said of his regular season championship. “We knew when he [Logano] passed us and got the lead from us that it was going to be hard to get it back. But fortunately, we went back into stage racing a little bit more and tried to get some of the stage points and that helped us.’’

The bad news for Busch’s competition is that this week’s regular season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been an especially successful venue for the 2015 Monster Energy Series champion of late. He has won the last three pole positions and two of the last four Brickyard 400s. In fact, Busch (2015-16) and Jimmie Johnson (2008-09) are the only drivers in history to win back-to-back races at the historic 2.5-mile facility.

Busch has an impressive 11 top-10 finishes in 14 Indianapolis races, second only to Kevin Harvick’s 12, including seven straight from 2010-2016. He led a record 149 of 170 laps – from pole position – en route to his dominating 2016 win, one of only five times in the race’s 25-year history a driver has led at least 100 laps.

With the regular season title in hand, a series-best 1,166 laps led and seven top-10 finishes in the last 10 races, Busch is in good form as the Playoffs approach. But his last victory was 11 races ago during the first visit to Pocono, and he’s hungry for another win.

Hamlin riding a hot streak into the Playoffs

Despite a rough outing at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway over the weekend, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin is easily one of the hottest drivers headed into NASCAR’s postseason. He, along with several other race front-runners, was involved in a late-race, multi-car accident – not of his doing – the 29th-place finish that resulted snapped an impressive streak of six consecutive top-five finishes for the four-time race winner.

Hamlin has led 373 laps in the No. 11 JGR Toyota with wins in the Daytona 500 and at Texas, Pocono-2 and then two weeks ago at Bristol from the pole position. The combined work of his 13 top-five finishes this year and the four victories has him ranked third in the Monster Energy Series points standings as the series holds its last regular season race this week at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a venue where the championship challenger has never won.

Hamlin has come close, however.

He has five top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 13 starts at Indianapolis with a best showing of third place – in 2014 and last year. He’s finished among the top-five in four of the last five races at Indianapolis and his 37 laps led last year is the most time he’s had out front at the track.

A good showing at Indy would certainly boost his momentum heading into the 10-race championship Playoff that begins next week in Las Vegas. Among the other four-race winners – JGR teammates Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. – Hamlin has had the most recent success.

It’s been 10 races since Truex claimed his fourth trophy at the Sonoma, Calif. road course and it’s been 12 races since Busch last won – at the first Pocono, Pa. race of the summer.

After slow start (by his standards), Harvick is on a roll

As many predicted, getting that first victory of 2019 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway six weeks ago may have been the boost Kevin Harvick needed to make a true Playoff run. He has 16 top-10s through the opening 25 races, but since that first win, he has five top-10 finishes (and another win at Michigan) in the last six races. The only sore spot on this run was a 39th place at Bristol two weeks ago after his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford suffered a clutch problem.

Harvick answered that tough day with a fourth-place result at Darlington on Sunday night and is also in fourth place in the points as the regular season closes this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Harvick is always a favorite.

He has an impressive 12 top-10 finishes, best in the field, in 16 starts at Indianapolis and won from the pole in 2003. Harvick has finished eighth or better in the last five races there, including finishing fourth last year. He’s led laps in three of the last five races.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway has always been a special venue for Harvick, who grew up in Bakersfield, Calif. – also home to four-time Indy 500 winner Rick Mears. To win at the same track as his lifelong racing hero has a sentimental value unlike any other place the series races.

“For me, I grew up in Bakersfield, California, as a Rick Means fan,’’ Harvick said. “Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as a child, that was your racing dream. That was where you wanted to race. I’ve been fortunate to have won the Brickyard 400 and kind of live out that childhood dream.

“There is a mystique and history, and everything you can think about in racing that has happened for over 100 years has happened at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. … I always feel like it is one of the most special places that you can race because that is all I wanted to do as a kid.’’

Teams sweeping their way into the Playoffs

With one race left to formally set the 2019 16-driver Playoff field, there are three teams that have “swept” their way into the championship battle – and two others whose could match that mark after this week’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

One that’s certain – Joe Gibbs Racing has earned a Playoff opportunity for all four of its drivers – four-time winner and regular season champion Kyle Busch, four-race winners Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin and the newest winner this season, last weekend’s Darlington victor, Erik Jones.

Team Penske will field all three of their cars in the Playoffs. Defending Monster Energy Series champion Joey Logano challenged Busch for the regular season title all year and has a pair of wins heading to Indy. His teammate – the defending Brickyard 400 winner – Brad Keselowski has three wins in 2019 and the third driver, Ryan Blaney, is ranked 10th in the standings now and has locked himself in the Playoffs on points.

Chip Ganassi Racing is the other team with both of its drivers already eligible for the championship run. First-year CGR driver Kurt Busch won at Kentucky Speedway this summer. And Kyle Larson is ranked ninth in the standings, still looking for his win.

Stewart-Haas Racing is looking to get all four of its cars into the Playoffs for the second time. Two-race winner Kevin Harvick is locked in on wins, while teammate Aric Almirola secured a spot on points. Clint Bowyer (15th) and Daniel Suarez (16th) are looking to complete the SHR sweep heading into the regular season finale.

And Hendrick Motorsports currently has three of their four drivers in – Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman locked themselves in with wins, while William Byron is in on points. The fourth, and most veteran, member of the team – Jimmie Johnson – currently sits in 18th, just outside the Playoff cutoff.

Only eight points separate Bowyer (15th) from Suarez (16th) and Newman (17th). And 26 points separate Bowyer from 18th-place Jimmie Johnson. Of those four drivers, Johnson is a four-time Indianapolis winner and Newman won the 2013 race from the pole position.

Leading the way at Indianapolis

Only five times in 25 races has a driver led at least 100 laps in the 170-lap Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch holds the record for laps led en route to a win – leading for 149 of 170 laps in his 2016 victory from pole.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett was the first to lead 100 laps and win the race – famously kissing the bricks after a dominating 1999 victory when he led 117 laps and beat Bobby Labonte to the checkered.

Labonte answered that however, with a unique honor the very next year. He led 21 laps in earning the 2000 Brickyard 400 title over second-place Rusty Wallace, who led 110 laps on the day. It marked the first time a driver led 100 laps and did not win the race. The other time was 2009 when Juan Pablo Montoya – a two-time Indy 500 winner – led 116 laps but finished 11th.

Jeff Gordon led 124 laps to take the 2004 Brickyard victory – the most dominating win of his record five Indy triumphs.

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

Six drivers from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series – Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron and Chase Elliott; Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson; Joe Gibbs Racing’s Erik Jones; Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr.; and Wood Brothers Racing’s Paul Menard will be participating in this week’s media rotations at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in advance of Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ Big Machine Vodka 400 (2 p.m. ET on NBC, IMS and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

William Byron, 21, of Charlotte, N.C. is looking to head into his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff with some of the momentum he showed midseason. He earned his career-best finish of runner-up at the summer Daytona race, has won four pole positions and tallied a career high eight top-10s and two-top-fives with a third of the season still remaining. Byron’s 180 laps led in 2019 is also a career best for the second-year Cup driver, but he hasn’t led a lap since Chicago two months ago. He won the pole position last week at Darlington, S.C. in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet but finished 21st. He has only one previous Cup start on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway starting 22nd and finishing 19th last year. However, Byron won his Xfinity Series debut at Indianapolis in 2017. He’s ranked 13th in the championship standings.

Chase Elliott, 23, of Dawsonville, Ga., is enjoying another career year with victories at Talladega, Ala. and Watkins Glen, N.Y. already highlighting an impressive season total of 10 top-10s and eight top-fives. He had a streak of three consecutive top-10 finishes snapped at Darlington Sunday night with a 19th place run. He’s led laps in three of the last four races and is ranked eighth in the championship. Indianapolis has been a challenging venue for the driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. He has yet to lead a lap or score a top-10 in four previous starts at the big track. His best showing is 15th – his finish last year and also in 2016.

Kyle Larson, 27, of Elk Grove, Calif., finished runner-up to Erik Jones Saturday night at Darlington, S.C.- his second runner-up finish this season and fifth consecutive top-10 this summer. He’s finished in the top-10 six of the last seven races and has 12 top-10s on the season along with six top-five efforts. Larson’s ninth place ranking in the Cup standings is his highest since being eighth after the third race (Fontana) of the season. The driver of the No.42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet has plenty of reason to be optimistic about this weekend’s Indianapolis stop. He has three top-10s – including a career best fifth in 2016 – in five starts. He was 14th last year.

Erik Jones, 23, of Byron, Mich., earned his first victory of 2019 last weekend at Darlington, S.C. leading a season high 79 laps and becoming the fourth driver on his Joe Gibbs Racing team to celebrate in Victory Lane this year. Jones has had a remarkable year in the No. 19 JGR Toyota with 13 top-10 and nine top-five efforts. His victory helped him jump three positions in the Cup standings and he’s now 11th – his best position since March. Best of all for Jones, he takes his trophy to Indianapolis this week where he was runner-up to Brad Keselowski last summer in only his second start at the track. He led 10 laps in 2017 his maiden race at Indianapolis but was in a crash and finished 31st.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 31, of Olive Branch, Miss., is hoping to capitalize on his one last Playoff opportunity this week. It’s been a trying season with only two top-10 and a single top-five effort. His best work was a fifth place at Charlotte in May. He has two top-20s in the last eight races and was 33rd at both of the series’ last races in Bristol, Tenn. and Darlington, S.C. The driver of the No. 17 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford is looking for his first top-10 finish at Indianapolis. His best showing in six previous races is 12th in 2016. He was 34th at Indianapolis last year.

Paul Menard, 39, of Eau Claire, Wisc., earned his only career Cup victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2011 and had a top 10 (ninth) last year. A good showing this weekend – a win is his only opportunity at a Playoff berth – would be important for the driver of the famed No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford entry. He has three top-10s on the season including a best of sixth place at Bristol, Tenn. in the Spring. He was ninth last week at Darlington and has seven top-20 showings in the last eight races.

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Back to the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is considered one of the most prestigious and historic tracks in American racing history, and this weekend the NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to the Brickyard for the Indiana 250 on Saturday, September 7, at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, IMS and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

The almost rectangular-shaped, four-corner track is 2.5-miles in length, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, with nine degrees of banking in the four turns. This season’s Indiana 250 will be 100 laps (250 miles) with the first stage ending on Lap 30 and the second stage ending on Lap 60.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway has hosted seven NASCAR Xfinity Series races, engendering three different pole winners and five different race winners. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch leads the series in poles (four) and wins (three) at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

JR Motorsport’s Justin Allgaier won the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis; he is still looking for his first victory of the 2019 season this weekend.

Regular season championship on the line

With the regular season coming to a close, Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick has the opportunity to clinch the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season championship this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Indiana 250 on Saturday, September 7 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, IMS and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Reddick can clinch the regular season title at Indianapolis if he leaves the race with a 61-point lead on second in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver standings. He currently holds a 51-point lead on second-place Christopher Bell.

Reddick has made two series starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, posting a best finish of runner-up last season.

Playoff Crunch: To clinch or not to clinch

Just two races remain in the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season for drivers to lock themselves into the Playoffs with a win or by points. Noah Gragson clinched a spot in the postseason on points last weekend at Darlington Raceway, joining Tyler Reddick (four wins, standings leader), Christopher Bell (six wins), Cole Custer (six wins), Austin Cindric (two wins), Chase Briscoe (one win), Michael Annett (one win) and Justin Allgaier (one win) as the eight drivers who have now clinched. Four spots remain.

Here are the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff clinch scenarios for Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

The magic number is 56:

If there is a new winner, a clinching driver needs to be 56 points ahead of the fifth-highest winless driver.
If there is a repeat winner (or wins by Allgaier, Gragson, Haley, Nemechek, Jones) (possible: Haley, Nemechek, Jones), a clinching driver needs to be 56 points ahead of the sixth-highest winless driver.

Justin Haley – Would clinch with a win or would clinch on points with 45 points and a new winner. If there is a repeat winner (or a win by Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson, John Hunter Nemechek or Brandon Jones), he would clinch on points with 23 points.

Haley will be making his series track debut this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

John Hunter Nemechek – Would clinch with a win or could clinch on points with help.

Nemechek made his series track debut at Indianapolis last season. He started sixth and led two laps, but was caught in an incident that relegated him to a 25th-place finish.

Brandon Jones – Would clinch with a win or could clinch on points with a repeat winner (or a win by Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson, Justin Haley or John Hunter Nemechek) and help.

Jones has made three series starts at Indianapolis, posting three top 10s and an average finish of 9.7.

All other drivers can only clinch with a win.

Xfinity’s Big 3 continue to win

The 2019 season has been dominated by three talented drivers – Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer – and their winning ways don’t seem to be slowing. In total they have claimed 18 of the first 24 races of the season – a 75% winning percentage – and this weekend they turn their attention to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indiana 250 on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, IMS and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Cole Custer is the most recent of the “Big 3” to win, clutching his sixth victory this past weekend after Denny Hamlin was disqualified for failing post-race inspection. Custer is now looking for win No. 7 this weekend at Indianapolis, a track where he has made two starts, finishing fifth in 2017 and then 29th last season due to an incident.

Christopher Bell is also looking for his seventh win of the season and his first at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend. The JGR standout made his series track debut at Indianapolis last season, starting seventh and finishing seventh.

Xfinity points leader Tyler Reddick has four wins on the season but would gladly add a fifth this weekend at Indianapolis. Reddick has made two series starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway posting a best finish of runner-up last season.

Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon to pull double duty in Indianapolis

Two big names in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series – Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon – are pulling double duty this weekend and will compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race the Indiana 250 on Saturday, September 7 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, IMS and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Kyle Busch will drive the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with crew chief Ben Beshore. Busch will be quite the contender to challenge this weekend at Indianapolis as the Las Vegas native leads the series in poles (four) and wins (three) at the 2.5-mile track. Plus, in 2016, he became the first driver to win both the NASCAR Xfinity and Monster Energy Series races at Indianapolis from the pole.

Austin Dillon will be piloting the No. 10 Kaulig Racing’s Chevrolet with crew chief Lennie Chandler. Dillon has made three Xfinity Series starts at Indianapolis, posting one top five and two top 10s.

Parade Laps: Insights into the drivers participating the media breakouts

This weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Series media breakouts will be Saturday, Sept. 7 at 10-10:15 a.m. in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway media center deadline room and will include the following drivers – Kaulig Racing’s Justin Haley, Stewart-Haas Racing with Fred Biagi’s Chase Briscoe, JR Motorsport’s Justin Allgaier and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer.

Justin Haley (No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro)

Birthdate: April 28, 1999

Driver’s Age: 20

Hometown: Winamac, Indiana

Hobbies: Muscle car restoration, sports car racing, surfing, fishing and hunting, triathlons,

mountain biking, fitness, graphics & design, anything competitive

Team: Kaulig Racing

Crew Chief: Alex Yontz

Xfinity Career Highlights:

Signed with Kaulig Racing in the off-season to run his first full season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2019 – a Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender.
Posted series career-best finish of runner-up – this season at Daytona in July.
Made NASCAR Xfinity Series career debut last season – making three starts for GMS Racing posting a best finish of 12th at Iowa Speedway.
2019 Season Highlights:

Currently ninth in the NASCAR Xfinity driver championship standings, 327 points back from the series standings leader Tyler Reddick, and 207 points ahead of the Playoff cutoff.
In 24 starts this season he has posted two top fives, 16 top 10s and an average finish of 10.7.
Currently third in Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings, 66 points back from Chase Briscoe in the rookie standings lead.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Performance:

This weekend he will be making his series track debut at Indianapolis.

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

Birthdate: December 15, 1994

Driver’s Age: 24

Hometown: Mitchell, Indiana

Hobbies: Spending time with family, online racing, watching sports

Team: Stewart-Haas Racing with Fred Biagi

Crew Chief: Richard Boswell II

Xfinity Career Highlights:

Made NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in 2018 at Atlanta.
Ran 17 Xfinity races last season for Roush Fenway Racing (12) and Stewart-Haas Racing with Fred Biagi (five) and won the inaugural race at the Charlotte ROVAL.
2019 Season Highlights:

Currently sixth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver standings, 233 points back from the series standings lead.
In 24 starts this season he has posted one win (Iowa-2), nine top fives, 19 top 10s and an average finish of 8.2.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Performance:

Made his series track debut at Indianapolis last season; he started 22nd and finished ninth.

Justin Allgaier (No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro)

Birthdate: June 6, 1986

Driver’s Age: 33

Hometown: Riverton, Illinois

Hobbies: R/C cars, wakeboarding, graphic design, dirt racing

Team: JR Motorsports

Crew Chief: Jason Burdett

Xfinity Career Highlights:

In 2018, he won the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season championship and made the Playoffs for the third consecutive season after posting a career-high five wins on the season.
In 2016 and 2017, made the Championship 4 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs.
In 2011, 2016 and 2017, scored career-best third-place finish in NASCAR Xfinity Series standings.
Won first career NASCAR Xfinity Series race in 2010, at Bristol in March. Currently has 10 career Xfinity wins.
Won 2009 NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.
2019 Season Highlights:

Currently fourth in the NASCAR Xfinity driver points standings (highest ranked driver without a win), 172 points back from the series standings leader Tyler Reddick. He has already clinched a Playoff spot on points.
In 24 starts this season he has posted nine top fives, 16 top 10s and an average finish of 10.6.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Performance:

Has made five series starts at Indianapolis posting one win (2018) and two top fives.

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

Birthdate: January 23, 1998

Driver’s Age: 21

Hometown: Ladera Ranch, California

Hobbies: Watching sports

Team: Stewart-Haas Racing

Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett

Xfinity Career Highlights:

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

Currently third in the NASCAR Xfinity driver points standings, 136 points back from the series standings leader Tyler Reddick. Has already clinched a Playoff spot on wins.
In 24 starts this season he has posted five poles (Bristol, Dover, Pocono, Iowa, New Hampshire), six wins (California, Richmond, Pocono, Chicago, Kentucky and Darlington), 12 top fives and 16 top 10s.
Has won six stages and accumulated 36 Playoff points.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Performance:

Has made two series starts at Indianapolis posting one top-five finish.

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series

Breaking down the 1.5-mile tracks for the Playoff contenders

Following one more weekend off, the opening round of the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Playoffs will conclude with the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday, September 13 at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

And the field will face one more track of this length in the Playoffs – the championship-deciding venue of Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Here’s a look at the performances of the eight Playoff contenders at 1.5-mile tracks – organized by points standings:

Brett Moffitt – Moffitt has already won his way into the second round after winning the opening two races of the Playoffs at Bristol and Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. And if his history at 1.5-mile tracks counts for anything, he has a solid shot of the sweep of the Round of 8 races. Moffitt has four wins on intermediate tracks, all within the past two seasons. His first came at Atlanta in 2018. Overall in 23 races at venues of this length, he has nine top-five and 12 top-10 finishes.

Ross Chastain – On the surface, it doesn’t look like Chastain’s 1.5-mile statistics are that impressive. He has one win, two top fives and 13 top 10s in 34 races at venues of that size. But it’s when those stats occurred in his career that matter now. His one win came earlier this year at Kansas, before he had declared for points in the Gander Trucks. Both of his top fives were this year (Kansas and Kentucky) and eight of the top 10s have been in 2019. (Also, of note for Chastain, 15 of his 30 total career top-10 finishes have happened during the opening 18 races of this season. He has 77 total series starts.)

Stewart Friesen – Friesen is looking for his first win on a 1.5-mile track (his lone series win came earlier this season at Eldora). In 28 starts at this distance he has 10 top-five and 14 top-10 results. Five of those top fives and top 10s have come this season. Of those, he has a pair of runner-up results (Texas-1 and Kentucky) and two third-place finishes (Charlotte and Chicago) at this distance.

Matt Crafton – Once the king of the 1.5-mile tracks in the Gander Trucks, Crafton has faded as of late. In 162 starts on those tracks (53 more than the next closest in the Playoff field – Johnny Sauter), Crafton has nine wins (second to Sauter’s 10), 54 top fives, and 103 top 10s. All impressive numbers. But he hasn’t won at a 1.5-mile circuit since Charlotte in May of 2016…and in fact, hasn’t won a race since Eldora in July of 2017. His performance has been steady and solid this year – both at this distance and overall, just lacking a Victory Lane visit. He hasn’t had a finish worse than 14th (Atlanta in the second race of the year) and crossed the line second at Texas in June. His average finish at 1.5-mile tracks this season is 7.0.

Austin Hill – Hill is another driver whose numbers at 1.5-mile venues may not be impressive on the surface, but if you look at his recent performances, you’ll be more impressed. Overall in 28 starts at that distance, he has three top fives and nine top 10s. Two of those top fives (Kansas, Chicago) came this year, as did five of the top 10s. He also started on the pole at Chicago this season – his first time leading the field to green in the Gander Trucks.

Grant Enfinger – Enfinger has one win in 33 starts at 1.5-mile circuits – but it’s particularly relevant because that victory came at Las Vegas last fall. It’s one of two series wins that he has (Talladega, 2016). Overall he has 10 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes at this distance in the series. He has three top fives this season, including at both Texas races and at Atlanta. His best finish at a 1.5-miler this year was third at Atlanta.

Tyler Ankrum – Ankrum’s experience is limited at 1.5-mile tracks because he just turned 18 in March, so he hasn’t even had a chance to race on the upcoming Las Vegas Motor Speedway track. But he’s made his mark at that distance. In six starts this season on 1.5-mile circuits he has one win (Kentucky), two top fives (also finished third at Texas in June) and three top 10s.

Johnny Sauter – Sauter is in a tough spot in the Playoff standings, as he sits in eighth out of eight drivers with only six moving on to the next round after Las Vegas. In 109 starts at 1.5-mile tracks, Sauter has 10 wins (one more than fellow Playoff contender Crafton), 41 top fives and 66 top 10s. Only two of those top fives have come this season – in the second race in Atlanta and then in the fifth race of the year at Texas. In regards to recent history, five of his wins at this distance have come since the introduction of the elimination-style Playoff format in 2016, with the most recent being at the June Texas race last year.

Brett Moffitt looking to sweep opening round of Playoffs

Since the introduction of the elimination Playoff format in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series in 2016, no driver has swept a round’s worth of races.

Prior to this season, twice has one driver won two races in a round – Johnny Sauter in the Round of 6 in 2016 (Martinsville Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway) and 2017 (Texas, ISM Raceway).

Brett Moffitt is now hoping to achieve that feat after winning the opening two races of the 2019 Gander Trucks Playoffs at Bristol Motor Speedway and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

The Gander Trucks have two weeks off before returning to the track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on September 13 for the final race in the opening round of the Playoffs. And Moffitt’s track record in the Nevada sun shows that he may be the truck to bet on for the hat trick.

Moffitt has a trio of starts at the 1.5-mile track, including a runner-up finish to Kyle Busch this spring. He was third in his first start at the beginning of 2018 and then was 11th last fall.

And the driver of the No. 24 GMS Racing Chevrolet Silverado would just be building on what is quickly becoming his second straight career season. In 2018, Moffitt tallied six wins, 13 top fives and 13 top 10s en route to the Gander Trucks title.

So far, through 18 races in 2019, Moffitt has four wins, 11 top fives and 13 top 10s. And he’s bettered his 2018 season in another statistical column – he has three pole awards this year compared to none last year.

What a difference a year makes

One year ago, heading into the cutoff race for the first round of the Playoffs, Johnny Sauter held the lead in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series points standings and had no doubt he would be advancing the Round of 6.

But this year, Sauter is in danger of “going home” following the upcoming Round of 8 cutoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Friday, September 13 at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Currently, Sauter sits in seventh on the Playoff grid – two points and one spot behind his ThorSport Racing teammate Grant Enfinger, who currently holds the final position that would transfer to the Round of 6.

Sauter has never been eliminated from Gander Trucks title contention before the final race of the season during the era of the elimination Playoffs format (since 2016).

He doesn’t find himself on the outside looking in because of a particularly bad performance in either of the opening races of the Playoffs – he was 11th at Bristol and sixth at Canadian Tire. Instead, all of the 2019 Gander Trucks postseason contenders are proving they belong in the title talk and are also posting strong finishes – which gives Sauter little to no room to rise up in the standings.

Here is where each of the eight Playoff drivers finished in the first two races:

Drivers Bristol Canadian Tire Avg. Finish

Brett Moffitt 1 1 1

Ross Chastain 3 8 5.5

Stewart Friesen 4 7 5.5

Grant Enfinger 5 13 9

Matt Crafton 7 11 9

Austin Hill 10 5 7.5

Johnny Sauter 11 6 8.5

Tyler Ankrum 20 9 14.5

Sauter hasn’t won a race since Dover at the beginning of May – a streak of 12 races without visiting Victory Lane. That’s a bit of an unusual drought for the driver of the No. 13 ThorSport Racing Chevrolet – but it might not be a bad sign for his Playoff hopes. This season, in a way, looks a bit similar to his 2016 campaign – a campaign that ended with the championship trophy hoisted above his head in Miami.

In 2016, he started off the season with a win at the opener in Daytona. He then went winless for 18 races – but excelled when it counted by winning at Martinsville and Texas in the second round of Playoffs. Those were his only three wins that season.

Sauter will need to turn it up at Las Vegas, a track he has one win at – in his first race there in 2009, in order to have a shot at repeating the magic of 2016. He’s recorded six top fives and nine top 10s in 12 starts at the track. And of those, four are runner-up finishes, including both races in 2018.

Playoff contenders’ history at Vegas

Only two of the eight NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Playoff drivers have made their way to Victory Lane at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Johnny Sauter took the win in his first trip to the track in 2009. Second place in that race? His current ThorSport Racing teammate and Playoffs competitor Matt Crafton.

And Grant Enfinger comes to Las Vegas without a win this season, despite taking the regular season championship trophy home. However, he is the defending winner of this fall race at Las Vegas. Second place in that race? Sauter.

Current Playoff drivers finished first (Enfinger), second (Sauter), fifth (Crafton), seventh (Chastain), 11th (Brett Moffitt), 17th (Stewart Friesen) and 23rd (Austin Hill) in last year’s fall race.

The upcoming race will mark Tyler Ankrum’s first race at the 1.5-mile oval – he just turned 18-years old on March 6 – a week after the first trip to the desert this spring.

Overall, Sauter has a win, six top fives and nine top 10s in 12 starts at Las Vegas. His ThorSport teammates Crafton (eight top fives, 12 top 10s in 20 starts) and Enfinger (one win, two top fives and four top 10s in six starts) have also been consistently near the top of the finishing order.

Friesen has the next most starts in the Playoff grid, posting a pair of top-five and top-10 finishes in five starts. Chastain has two top 10s in four starts, while Moffitt as a pair of top-five and top-10 results in three appearances.

INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY (2.5-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: SPEEDWAY, INDIANA
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE 26 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 2 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, SEPT. 8 (NBC/IMS/SIRIUSXM)

Chase Elliott
No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver Chase Elliott   Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 23                       Resides Dawsonville, Georgia

2019 Season
8th in standings
25 starts
2 wins
3 pole positions
8 top-five finishes
10 top-10 finishes
531 laps led

Career
138 starts
5 wins
7 pole positions
41 top-five finishes
69 top-10 finishes
1,774 laps led

Track Career
4 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finish
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 9:45 a.m. local time in the media center at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

WHITE FLAG ON THE REGULAR SEASON: Chase Elliott has garnered some impressive stats through the first 25 races of the 2019 season. His April win at Talladega Superspeedway secured his spot in this season’s playoffs. The driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has collected two wins, three pole awards, eight top-five finishes, 10 top-10s and a total of 531 laps led this season. Although he ranks eighth in the NASCAR driver point standings, Elliott is currently ranked seventh in the playoff standings as the series heads into the regular-season finale this weekend.

NAPA KNOW HOW: The familiar blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS paint scheme will grace the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Atlanta-based company will serve as majority sponsor for Elliott and the No. 9 team for a total of 26 NASCAR Cup Series races this year.

GUSTAFSON AT INDY: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson will call his 15th NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway from atop the pit box this weekend. In his previous 14 races calling the shots for five different drivers (Elliott, Kyle Busch, Casey Mears, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon) at the Speedway, Indiana, track, Gustafson has collected five top-five finishes – including a win in 2015 with Gordon and one runner-up result, eight top-10 finishes and 137 laps led.

NO STRANGER TO INDY: In addition to Elliott’s four NASCAR Cup Series starts at Indianapolis, he has three starts at the 2.5-mile speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, collecting one top-five finish and two top-10s.

HOME SWEET HOME: No. 9 team engineer Tom Gray hails from Indianapolis. Gray attended Purdue University and majored in mechanical engineering technology.

SEE ELLIOTT AT INDY: On Saturday, Sept. 7, Elliott will appear at the Team Chevy Stage at 12:30 p.m. local time for a question-and-answer session.

NAPA FILTERS REVEALED: Today, NAPA AUTO PARTS took to Instagram to reveal the No. 9 NAPA Filters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that Elliott will pilot next weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Click here for more info.

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

2019 Season
13th in standings
25 starts
0 wins
4 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
8 top-10 finishes
180 laps led

Career
61 starts
0 wins
4 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
12 top-10 finishes
241 laps led

Track Career
1 start
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
3 laps led

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 9:45 a.m. local time in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway media center.

MAKING HISTORY: Capturing his fourth career NASCAR Cup Series pole this past weekend at Darlington Raceway – all of which have come in the 2019 season – William Byron joined elite company. Not only is he the youngest driver to earn the Cup Series pole at Darlington, but he is now one of three drivers to start from the pole position for the Daytona 500, the Charlotte 600 and the Southern 500 in the same year, joining NASCAR Hall of Famers Fireball Roberts (1962) and Bill Elliott (1985). No driver has ever won the pole for all four “crown jewel” races in one season, but the 21-year old driver can rewrite history if he is able to capture the top spot in qualifying this weekend for the Brickyard 400.

SOPHOMORE SUCCESS: In 2019, Byron has exceeded his totals in virtually every category from his 2018 rookie of the year campaign. Last season, he totaled four top-10 finishes and 61 laps led. So far this year, he has doubled his top-10s with eight and nearly tripled his laps led with 180. In addition, he has secured four pole positions and two top-five results compared to zero last year.

PLAYOFF TICKET PUNCHED: While there is still one race left in the 2019 Cup Series regular season, the No. 24 team has already locked itself into the 16-driver Cup Series playoffs field. Building his points gap over the bubble position dating back to the race at Kansas Speedway in May, Byron earned enough points in last Sunday’s race at Darlington to clinch his position. From 15 points below the cutoff line at Kansas, he is currently 66 point above it following last weekend. It is the first time the sophomore driver will be a part of the playoffs, and he became the ninth different driver that Hendrick Motorsports has taken into the playoffs, leading all organizations in series history.

LIBERTY U RETURNS: Kicking off a three-week stretch, Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will carry Liberty University on board this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Returning as a primary sponsor of the No. 24 team in 2019 for 12 races, Liberty University has a long history with the sophomore driver starting back in 2014 in the late model ranks and is in the midst of its fifth season of sponsoring the 21-year-old driver. Liberty University has been Training Champions for Christ since it was founded in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offers more than 600 degree programs from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in business communication, Byron is now in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program.

INDY INSIGHT: Making his second Cup Series start in the illustrious Brickyard 400, Byron is optimistic about the No. 24 team’s chances at a track where he’s had past success. While his lone Cup start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last season was hindered by weather washing out all practice and qualifying, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native started the race 22nd and raced within the top 10 for parts of the race, even leading laps due to pit strategy. However, with varying strategies in the closing laps, Byron crossed the stripe in the 22nd position. In 2017, Byron made his first trip to Indianapolis in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. While battling for a championship, Byron became the youngest driver to win a major race at the historic track at 19 years, 7 months and 23 days. He’s not only the youngest driver to win a NASCAR race at the 2.5-mile track, but is the third-youngest winner in any series, behind two Indy Car Light Series drivers. Byron would love to kiss the bricks again this weekend, adding to the already lengthy legacy the No. 24 team has at Indy. The team has five wins in the Brickyard 400, all with Jeff Gordon, dating back to the inaugural race in 1994.

KNAUS KNOWS INDY: Returning to Indianapolis for the 18th time as a Cup Series crew chief, Chad Knaus leads all crew chiefs for Brickyard 400 wins with four. Those four wins with Jimmie Johnson included trips to Victory Lane in three of four seasons from 2006-2009. His last win at the 2.5-mile oval came in 2012. Knaus has also visited Victory Lane at Indy one other time as a member of Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 team in 1994 during the inaugural running of the Brickyard 400.

CHEVY STAGE: Byron will make an appearance at the Team Chevy stage in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway infield on Sunday, Sept. 8, at 10 a.m. ET for a question-and-answer session.

HOME SWEET HOME: No. 24 team front-end mechanic Ty Sipes hails from Bloomfield, Indiana, which is located approximately one hour and 45 minutes southwest of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Growing up, Sipes gained experience at local racetracks working on USAC Series cars. He earned his mechanical engineering degree from Purdue University in 2012 and even worked as a mechanic with Kasey Kahne’s World of Outlaws sprint car team before joining Hendrick Motorsports during the latter part of the 2014 season.

DISHING ON DARLINGTON: Starting from the front row for the ninth time in the 2019 season, Byron ran in the top five early on last weekend at Darlington and showed speed throughout the race despite having to make up track position after an early issue on pit road. Making his way back inside the top five, Byron was poised to come home with a solid finish with an average running position of 10.43 before getting collected in a late-race incident. Suffering damage to the nose of his No. 24 Hendrick Autoguard/City Chevrolet Throwback Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Byron was able to continue and crossed the finish line in the 21st position, collecting enough points to lock himself into the 2019 playoffs.

Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver Jimmie Johnson   Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 43                             Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

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

Career
640 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
227 top-five finishes
360 top-10 finishes
18,787 laps led

Track Career
17 starts
4 wins
0 pole positions
6 top-five finishes
7 top-10 finishes
302 laps led

BRICKYARD WINNER: Jimmie Johnson is a four-time winner at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 scored wins at the historic Brickyard in 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2012. The only Cup Series driver to have scored five wins is NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon, who won the 400-mile event in 1994, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2014.

NOT A LOCK: For only the second time in his career since NASCAR implemented a playoff format for the final 10 races (2004-2019), Johnson is not locked into playoff contention entering the final race of the regular season. The only driver to have made the playoffs in every year of its existence, he enters the 26th race of the year 18th in the point standings, 18 points below the cut line.

PERFORMANCE AT INDIANAPOLIS: In the 17 starts for the No. 48 driver at the Brickyard, he has racked up some impressive stats. In addition to his four victories, Johnson has one runner-up result, six top-five finishes and seven top-10s. He has led 302 laps and has an average finish of 15.41 at the iconic 2.5-mile facility.

MODERN CROWN JEWELS: The Brickyard 400 is considered one of NASCAR’s “crown jewel” races. Johnson is one of only four drivers in NASCAR history to have won all four – the Daytona 500, the Charlotte 600, the Brickyard 400 and the Southern 500. He joins the ranks of fellow competitor Kevin Harvick as well as NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt to have accomplished the feat.

SEPTEMBER SUCCESS: The seven-time Cup Series champion has a history of success in the month of September. September is one of three months in which he has earned 10 wins, trailing only the month of October, when he has won 14 total races.

Q&A WITH JJ: Johnson will visit the Team Chevy stage in the infield at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 8, at 9:25 a.m. local time for a question-and-answer session with fans.

UNLUCKY AT DARLINGTON: Johnson had a fast No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 last weekend at Darlington Raceway. He qualified sixth and earned some valuable stage points by finishing Stages 1 and 2 in second and seventh, respectively. During the final stage on Lap 275, the driver was involved in a multiple-car incident, which caused significant damage to the Ally Throwback Chevrolet. The team repaired the car and Johnson was able to get back out on the track. Through a cycle of green-flag pit stops, he was scored the leader from Laps 324-327 and then lost a lap to the leaders once he returned to the track following a trip to pit road. The team ended up 16th at the checkered flag. Johnson’s average running position was 7.23 for the event – much better than the end result showed.

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

2019 Season
11th in standings
25 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
4 top-five finishes
7 top-10 finishes
182 laps led

Career
142 starts
1 win
2 pole positions
7 top-five finishes
21 top-10 finishes
456 laps led

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

ON BOWMAN’S SIDE: The primary blue-and-white colors of Nationwide will adorn the hood of Alex Bowman’s Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for this Sunday’s event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. As the No. 88 team’s majority partner, Nationwide will be featured in 20 NASCAR Cup Series events in 2019. After this weekend’s race, the sponsor will be back on board the No. 88 machine at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Richmond Raceway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course to round out the month of September.

BOWMAN AT THE BRICKYARD: Bowman has three previous starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 88 machine qualified 15th last season at the track and finished 33rd after the team suffered right-side damage from an incident on Lap 65. The Tucson, Arizona, native has two starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the historic track, where he finished inside the top 17 in both events.

25 RACES IN: There are 11 races to go in the 2019 season and the No. 88 driver has had a record year thus far. In 2018, Bowman had three top-five finishes and 11 top-10s. He completed 97.3 percent of the total laps and led 71 markers. In the last 25 races in 2019, Bowman has one win (Chicagoland Speedway), four top-five finishes and seven top-10s. Since Daytona this season, the 26-year-old driver has led 182 laps and completed 98.1 percent of the total laps run. In 2018, the driver or the No. 88 machine’s average start was 13.1 and his average finish was 17.0. Since the start of the 2019 season, Bowman’s average start is 13.5 and his average finish is 13.9.

LOOKING AHEAD TO PLAYOFFS: This weekend’s event in Indianapolis marks the final race of the regular season in the NASCAR Cup Series. Of the 10 tracks that make up the playoffs, Bowman has a runner-up finish at three (Dover International Speedway, Kansas Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway) this season. Last year, Bowman finished the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course event in the fourth position after starting third. The final race of the first round of the playoffs will be held at the Charlotte “roval” later this month.

IVES IN INDY: No. 88 team crew chief Greg Ives has called the shots four times at Indianapolis with three different drivers. The Bark River, Michigan, native earned his best finish of 13th with Jeff Gordon back in 2016 at the 2.5-mile oval. Ives has two starts in the Xfinity Series at the Brickyard, which includes one top-15 finish after Chase Elliott finished 12th in 2014 after starting fifth. As a race engineer for the No. 48 team at Hendrick Motorsports from 2006-12, Ives was a part of four wins at the track.

MEET BOWMAN: On Saturday, Sept. 7, Bowman will visit the Team Chevy display in the infield at Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 10:15 a.m. local time. The driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Camaro ZL1 will answer fan questions and sign autographs.

BOWMAN’S RUN AT DARLINGTON: Bowman qualified 16th for the 367-lap event at Darlington Raceway last Sunday evening. After a lengthy rain delay, the field finally took the green flag around 10 p.m. local time. Bowman fought tight conditions through the majority of Stage 1 making two pit stops for trackbar and wedge adjustments. During the second stage, the 26-year-old driver reported that his Axalta Throwback Chevy was lacking rotation and front turn. The team found itself inside the top 10 for the majority of the final 167 laps but were forced to make an unscheduled green-flag pit stop on Lap 349 after making contact with the outside wall and cutting a right-rear tire. The No. 88 team finished the event in the 18th position.

Hendrick Motorsports

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT INDY: At Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports owns a variety of NASCAR Cup Series records in the Brickyard 400. The organization’s 10 wins are the most by five, its 26 top-five finishes are the most by four, its 40 top-10s are the most by six and its 1,025 laps led are the most by 328. Hendrick Motorsports owns five Brickyard 400 poles, which is tied for the most all-time with Joe Gibbs Racing.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS AT THE BRICKYARD: Hendrick Motorsports has never gone more than three races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway without a trip to Victory Lane. That streak began with the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994, which was won by Jeff Gordon, the youngest driver ever to win at Indy. The organization has won three of the last seven races at the Speedway, Indiana, track, and those victories have come via three different drivers, which is tied for the most at the venue. A Hendrick Motorsports driver has led laps in four of the last eight Brickyard 400s.

DOUBLE-DIGIT WINS: Indianapolis is one of 13 tracks where Hendrick Motorsports has claimed 10 or more wins. That list is led by the organization’s 24 wins at Martinsville Speedway. Hendrick Motorsports has the best win percentage at Indianapolis (minimum 10 races), winning 10 of the 25 Cup Series events there – 40 percent of the races run. That’s the second-highest win percentage of all time by a team at a single track, behind only Petty Enterprises’ 50 percent at Maryville and South Boston.

PLAYOFF POSITIONING: Hendrick Motorsports currently has three drivers locked into the playoffs, which is tied for the second-most among all organizations. Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman clinched their way via wins, and William Byron secured his spot on points via his performance at Darlington last weekend. Jimmie Johnson has a chance to race his way in this weekend, as he is just 18 points below the cut line. Including this year, Hendrick Motorsports has sent at least three drivers to the playoffs in 12 seasons, the most all-time.

PILING UP POLE POSITIONS: After securing just two poles in 2018, Hendrick Motorsports has amassed eight poles this year with 11 races remaining in the season. It’s the sixth-highest total the organization has earned in a single season, tied with the 1998 campaign. Hendrick Motorsports’ record for poles came in 1986 with 16, followed by 12 in 2007 and 2009, 11 in 2008 and 2012, 10 in 1995, and nine in 1996 and 2004.

LEADING THE WAY: In 2019, Hendrick Motorsports has nearly doubled its total of laps led from a season ago. Last season, the organization’s drivers tallied 497 laps led, while this year they have already totaled 977 laps up front with 11 races remaining.

ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 12 championships, 255 race victories, 222 pole positions, 1,062 top-five finishes and 1,820 top-10 finishes in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. Its teams have led more than 68,700 laps since 1984.

QUOTABLE /
Chase Elliott on racing at Indianapolis:
“Our number one goal is to get better at Indy and run better more consistently. That’s the main goal. It’s such a special place that we want to run well. You want to run well everywhere you go, but especially at Indy.”

William Byron on racing at Indianapolis:
“I think this year’s package is going to do really well at Indy. It was good in the Xfinity Series when we ran there and we had good passing throughout the race. I think it will be a better race than Pocono was because of the short chute you have in between Turns 1 and 2 that give you the opportunity to really get a run on somebody. I think it will be interesting to see how it plays out. Depending on the weather and how hot it is, I think will play a role, too, on the outcome of Sunday’s race.”

Jimmie Johnson on one final race to make the playoffs:
“Our Ally team displayed a tremendous effort in Darlington. We have a great thing going right now on our team – everyone is pulling in the right direction. There is some pressure to go out and win this weekend, but that is what we do every weekend. We go to a track with the intention to contend for wins. If I look back over the first half of the season, I see a lot of races where we gave away a few points. It’s kind of unfair to put all the pressure on one race in Indy, but that is where we are right now. It’s a great track to win at. We know what we have to do this weekend.”

Alex Bowman on preparing for the playoffs:
“I think consistency is the key improvement we need. We go to a lot of places where we are really strong and there are a lot of good tracks for us in the playoffs, but at the same time, we are very hit-and-miss here lately. We have a lot of work to do, I think, but the tracks that suit us can be very good. Starting at a place like Vegas, going back to Kansas and Dover, we are going to a lot of tracks that are good for us, so we should be really strong. I think a lot of it is building momentum these two weeks after the off weekend, which was a really good reset for us. At the same time, we are working super hard on our Vegas stuff, really focused on that and getting it going.”

Bowman on racing at Indianapolis:
“I’m excited to go to Indianapolis. We might actually get to practice this year, so that’d be nice. Every time I’ve been there, something has happened. So, I just want to have a good, solid race there. I feel like I still don’t have a good hang of that place and I’m still learning every time I go there.”

When Paul Menard looks back on his 2011 win in the Brickyard 400, at Indianapolis, there’s one memory that means even more now that he’s the driver of the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford Mustang.

“I met Leonard Wood,” Menard said. “He came up and shook my hand the next week.”

Winning at a historic venue like Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is something any driver treasures, but it’s extra special for Menard because of his father John Menard’s years of participation at Indianapolis as both a car owner and sponsor. Young Paul was along for many of those Indy races.

“I spent a lot of time as a kid at Indianapolis in the garage area learning about race cars, up in the stands watching it as a fan,” he said. “To actually win at Indianapolis is a dream come true.”

Menard will be trying to duplicate that feat this weekend when he takes to the track in the No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy/Body Armor Ford Mustang.

It’s the 26th and final race of the Cup circuit’s regular season, and Menard, who is 19th in the points standings, needs a win at Indy to be among the 16 drivers who will start the 10-race, season-ending run for the championship.

For much of the season, Menard and the No. 21 team tried to position themselves to make the playoff based on their position in the points standings but came up a bit short.

“If we go back to June or early July we kind of switched up our mindset,” he said. “The points situation had us 50-60 points out and figured we could get some stage points and kind of chip away, and we did.

“We got some stage points and things, but didn’t get the finishes that we needed. So now over the last month or so everything we do is not for stage points, but finishing position. Basically, right now the only way we can get in is to win the race, so throw caution to the wind and pull a rabbit out of the hat.”

Menard said that while his playoff chances are a long shot, he still has confidence in his No. 21 race team.

“A little frustrated where we’re at, but I’m really proud of my team,” he said. “I’ve got a really good group of guys that we have a lot of fun together, and we’re all in it together trying to get better.”

Qualifying for the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard is set for Sunday at 10:35 a.m., and the race is scheduled to start just after 2 p.m., also 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.