Category: NASCAR Cup PR

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
Friday, August 30, 2019
EVENT: Bojangles’ Southern 500, Darlington, SC. (Media Availabilities)

RYAN NEWMAN, No. 6 Oscar Mayer/Velveeta Ford Mustang – ANY CONCERN THAT YOU COULD BE WORN OUT FOR THE PLAYOFFS WITH AS HARD AS YOU’VE BEEN GOING THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS? “It all depends on what you’re prepared for. When do you show up to play? We’ve been showing up to play every race this year and I don’t see us getting softer by any means when the Playoffs start, no matter what our position is. My focus isn’t gonna change. My goals aren’t gonna change. What I can achieve will have changed, but still I’m trying to win. I see it as a good quiz before the ultimate test.”

CAN YOU PEAK FOR THE PLAYOFFS? “You try to. You can put the effort in teamwork-wise to try to, but you should be doing that the whole time, so what’s really the point? It’s just a play on words.”

THERE’S NOTHING THAT CHANGES FROM HOW YOU PREPARE ALL YEAR. “If you can peak at the Playoffs, you should have peaked back in Daytona.”

THERE WAS SOME ANGER ON SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER BRISTOL TOWARD YOU AND THE CONTACT WITH MATT DIBENEDETTO. DOES THAT BOTHER YOU? “No. I think Kyle Busch would tell you the best, there’s always gonna be haters. I did what I needed to do to be competitive. I haven’t seen any replays. I don’t know exactly how he hit me twice in two separate straightaways in the right rear going down the straightaway. If I pinched him or if he didn’t give himself enough room or what, but in the end there was nothing intentional by me. Fans can choose whatever they want, I mean there are thousands of fans that have come to Bristol to see crashes for years, so I’m sorry I let them down.”

YOU HAVEN’T TALKED TO MATT SINCE? “No, there’s no reason to.”

HE MENTIONED HE MIGHT TRY TO TALK TO YOU AND THOUGHT MAYBE YOU MOVED UP. “I don’t think I did. I even told somebody after the race, I said, ‘I don’t know what his deal was.’ I thought I was in the same spot with every car that was on the outside of me, and I didn’t hit any cars or any cars had hit me up until he came on the outside of me. Now, he did surprise me off of turn two the first time, but I thought I left him plenty of room.”

YOU’RE A HOOSIER. IS THE BRICKYARD THE RIGHT TRACK FOR NASCAR AND SHOULD IT CONTINUE TO HAVE A DATE? “There are thousands of race tracks that are right for NASCAR and there’s no doubt in my mind that they should have a date. It’s a very historical, prestigious race track venue, event, fan base, you name it. Geographically it makes sense. Historically it makes sense, but that’s not my decision. I’m fine with going to the Illinois State Fairgrounds and running on dirt. There’s a great fan base there, too.”

ARE YOU IN FAVOR OF RUNNING THE OVAL, THE ROAD COURSE OR IT DOESN”T MATTER TO YOU AT THE BRICKYARD? “If you’re gonna go to the Brickyard, you need to race the oval. I don’t feel like it’s the best racing that we have. What I did see was great racing when they took the drag duct package there in the XFINITY Series, the best racing I’d seen in Indianapolis in years, so I don’t know what it’s gonna be like when we go there with this package. It’s obviously yet to be seen, but I’ve always thought that we’ve struggled to put on great racing, not necessarily that it hasn’t been a good finish or a great race, but just in general great racing throughout the pack because the track is so fast and so flat and the grip is so high that it’s aerodynamically sensitive.”

DO YOU FIND DARLINGTON TO BE TOUGH? DOES IT FAVOR VETERAN DRIVERS? “It’s my favorite race track. I don’t see it as any different challenge my 19th year as it was my very first year. I love the race track. It’s a challenge to run next to the fence, to adapt to the grip, and race the race track. I think being a veteran I think you’ll see too as well on Sunday night when the checkered flag drops that somebody over 40 has probably won the race.”

WHY? “I don’t know. I’m not gonna tell you that. We’ll talk about that afterwards – because it takes experience to be successful here.”

HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE DROP IN ATTENDANCE AND POPULARITY OF THE BRICKYARD? “I don’t know. I think the tire deal from ’08 was a huge black eye for that race track and our sport, but that race track in particular, and I think we’re still on the rebound of that, and I think you also saw that cycle go through with the Indianapolis 500, where the attendance went down and now it’s booming back. Will it happen in NASCAR? Good question.”

DID THE PLAYOFF SITUATION CROSS YOU MIND WHEN MATT DIBENEDETTO WAS TRYING TO PASS YOU AT BRISTOL, KNOWING IF HE WON IT WOULD TAKE AWAY A SPOT? “It didn’t cross my mind. I was racing to race hard. I thought I left him plenty of room and I think there was 50 laps still left in the race, which could have been three cautions, so I don’t think it really has any relevance.”

DOES HAVING DARLINGTON AND INDIANAPOLIS AS THE LAST TWO TRACKS IN THE REGULAR SEASON GIVE YOU A SENSE OF COMFORT WITH YOUR POINTS POSITION? “It gives me a percentage of confidence to know that I’m capable. That doesn’t mean that we are capable and that doesn’t mean that some other guy is not going to be victorious and take away a spot, so we just have to go out and do our job and do our business as usual and just do the best we possibly can, which we’ve done to this point and it’s got us in a Playoff position, so I know that we need to change to be better, but we also need to not change too much to be worse.”

YOU WANT TO STAY IN 15TH. “Without a doubt. We want to win. We want to lock ourselves in. We don’t want to worry about letting these other guys try to race their way in points-wise, but we’re just gonna go out and do the best job we possibly can. Yes, there’s lots of different ways to look at the math of it. Scott Graves did a great job making some stage points for us in the race at Bristol. That made our day better and you’ve got to look at those situations too. When it comes to a place like there where you only get so many sets of tires and you might need to stay out and maybe get a few points, give up a little track position later to get 20 percent of your potential points for the day.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE BATTLE THE FOUR OF YOU HAVE GOING FOR THE LAST TWO SPOTS? “I’ve been a part of that for years for some reason. I was fortunate to win two years ago and missed the deal last year, but, to me, it’s no different than any other race at any other point. I’m racing more than four, but there’s four or five – whatever the number is – I’m racing them all is my point, but there are four or five that have more influence on the progress of our season.”

WHY DO YOU DO WELL IN THOSE POSITIONS WHEN YOU REALLY NEED TO HAVE IT? “Just stubborn, I guess. I don’t know. I don’t enjoy being in that position, but I feel like I’ve won more than I’ve lost there as far as making it into the Playoffs.”

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang – WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER MOST ABOUT YOUR WIN AT DAYTONA A FEW YEARS AGO? “I remember going to Victory Lane there and it was raining and looking up into the grandstands and just thinking about being a kid and sitting in those grandstands and how life has a funny way of working out. It’s crazy to be able to look back on life for everybody, not must me, but when you look back on life and see how things and events happen in your life to get you to where you’re at, and so when I won at Daytona that was one of those moments to where I had an opportunity to sit there and reflect and it was really special.”

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THE RACE ITSELF? “That was a crazy race. I remember heat in the car and I remember racing like it was the last lap for what seemed like forever. The rain just kept holding off and it we just kept continuing to race. It was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this could be the last lap. The rain is coming.’ Every lap was like that, so we were racing so hard, side drafting and everything to try and keep the lead, and then finally the rain came and it worked out.”

WHAT IS YOUR CONFIDENCE LIKE GOING TO INDY AND WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE TO KISS THE BRICKS? “That would be really cool. That’s a really cool place to race at, the Brickyard, so to have the opportunity to go there and have a shot to win would be great. But the first order of business is leaving here at Darlington with a comfortable enough points gap to feel safe about being locked in the Playoffs or feel really good about it, so that’ s our first order of business, and then that really allows us to be able to go to Indy with an opportunity to be kind of laid back and just chill out and go to Indy and have some fun.”

HOW DO YOU APPROACH THESE LAST TWO WEEKS OF THE REGULAR SEASON? “We’ve had two rough weekends and went from having an almost 100-point cushion to now it’s like 64 points, so you can never just throw caution to the wind. If we have two more weekends like we just had, that could be devastating for us, so I don’t want to be in that situation. I want to have a good, solid weekend here at Darlington and if we can leave here in a similar situation to what we’ve entered with over a 60-point lead, I think that should lock us in and we should be able to go into Indy pretty comfortably and have fun. That’s what we’re really looking forward to. That last 10 weeks of the season is a grind and it’s very stressful, so if you can get one week to just kind of let loose and go have fun and enjoy it, and not be stressed out and anxious, it makes for a better start into the Playoffs just because everybody is relaxed and having fun at Indy, and then we can shift gears and turn the focus up going into Vegas like we did last year.”

HOW FRUSTRATING IS IT WHEN YOU GET TO INDY AND IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF THINGS ARE WORKING AGAINST YOU GUYS? “That’s part of it. I think racing at the Brickyard has so much nostalgia and is really, really special to have that opportunity to race there. For me, every time I go there to race I always think about the history. That yard of bricks, if they could speak, it would be pretty cool to sit down and have a conversation with, so, for me, that’s a special place. It’s hallowed ground for auto sports and to be able to race there is neat and significant, but it is a challenge. Man, is it a challenge, and it is very track position dependent and aerodynamically dependent, so it presents its challenges, but at the end of the day when you win there you get to write your name down in the record books with some greats.”

HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO RACE THERE IN AN OPEN-WHEEL CAR? “No. I sit back and watch those guys on TV and I respect the hell out of them and think what they do is really cool driving those race cars at those speeds and going 240 miles an hour. That is spectacular, but I have zero interest. I just never have. I like open-wheel racing. My grandfather raced dirt sprint cars and I would go race dirt sprint cars in a heartbeat. I think those cars are cool and incredible and awesome, but Indy cars just for whatever reason has not been something I’ve aspired to do. I’ve always dreamed about NASCAR and I think it would be cool to drive one, but I’m not so sure I’d want to race one.”

NO CURIOSITY TO BE IN AN OPEN COCKPIT GOING 240 MILES INTO THE CORNER? “I think it would be fun to drive the car around the race track and run some laps. I think it would be quite the thrill to run 240 miles an hour and have all that downforce and just run wide-open around that place going that fast. It must be exhilarating, but I’ve had zero interest in racing those cars. I don’t know why other than it doesn’t interest me.”

HOW COOL WOULD IT BE TO GO 240 INTO THE CORNER AND KNOW IT WOULD STICK? “Yeah, you certainly wouldn’t with our cars. Our cars are too heavy and don’t make that amount of downforce, and we have way smaller tires, so we’ve got less rubber on the road, less downforce and a higher center of gravity and more weight. Physically, it’s about impossible.”

CAN YOU DESCRIBE TURNS ONE AND TWO HERE AT DARLINGTON? “I think that’s a challenge and that’s what makes Darlington special is that the race track is so challenging and so unique, but it’s just so challenging. You’ve got turn one and two that is a very odd, unique-shaped corner and you carry so much speed down the back straightaway because of that big wide sweeping corner in one and two, but then three and four, thanks to the pond that they wouldn’t give up the real estate for outside of the race track, it makes that a very tight, narrow corner, so you have to slow down and use the brakes and drive that corner completely different than the way you drive turn one and two. So, yeah, it’s what makes it Darlington, it makes it too tough to tame.”

HOW DOES TIRE WEAR AFFECT THE WAY YOU RUN THE TRACK? “Darlington has always been a challenging place to pass and I think with this rules package and stuff that’s not gonna be any different. It will still be a challenge. I think restarts will be interesting to see how we sort out getting through there. It used to be that there was a lot of give-and-take through turn one and two on the restarts and as the run would go on if you cut a guy a break on the restart and let him in line and five or six laps later you were breathing down his neck, he would pull over and let you go and there was a respect about racing at Darlington because of that, but now track position being so important it’ll be interesting to see what kind of give-and-take happens on these restarts.”

YOUR PAINT SCHEME COMMEMORATES ONE OF TONY’S CHAMPIONSHIPS. “Yeah, everybody loves it and I am so pumped about it. I think it’s such an awesome paint scheme and I’ve talked a lot about it this week, but it’s really special for me. I grew up watching Tony race in sprint cars and midgets on Thursday Night Thunder, and then I followed his career and watched him in NASCAR. Then I got the opportunity to go to Joe Gibbs Racing and drive for them, and I actually drove a late model sponsored by Home Depot with the reverse of this paint scheme – it was black with white and orange. The paint scheme was exactly the same, just different colors, and so to come 15 years later and have the opportunity to drive one of my childhood heroes race cars and for him to be my boss and my friend it’s just really cool. It’s a cool story, but, for me, it has a special meaning just because it kind of brings my whole career together with where I aspired to get to, where I started in NASCAR, and where I’m at today.”

IS THIS THROWBACK WEEKEND STILL FUN? “I think it’s important. It’s fun, for sure, but I think it’s important. We have a lot of fans of our sport that recognize a lot of these paint schemes, so that is cool, but it’s also important for the new fan to be able to tell the story of where our sport has come from, and I think that’s one of the cool things about this Throwback Weekend is not only are we honoring a lot of the people from the past that have paved the way to get to where we’re at today, but on top of that we’re telling a story about where our sport once was and where we’re at today, so I think that’s really cool.”

PAUL MENARD, No. 21 Motorcraft Ford Mustang – WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO RACE FOR THE WOOD BROTHERS AND CARRYING GLENN’S TRIBUTE SCHEME THIS WEEKEND? “Last year we honored Cale Yarborough and then obviously with the events in January this year it’s a no-brainer to honor Glenn and all that he’s done for the race team and the sport of NASCAR. I couldn’t be more proud. The car looks great to have this scheme with Motorcraft on board, our Glenn Wood hats, our throwback firesuit. It’s a good-looking race car that’s fast. It’s good.”

IS IT A SPECIAL FEELING BEING WITH A TEAM THAT IS A THROWBACK TEAM? “Yeah, and I think of the Wood Brothers as the ultimate throwback team. They work hard and do it with not a lot. The Wood Brothers shop is really small compared to most Cup teams. We get a lot of support from Team Penske, obviously, but they’ve stuck through it since 1950, which is obviously a long time for any business let alone a race team, so it’s the ultimate throwback team and I feel like every weekend is a throwback with them.”

YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT YOU REMEMBER MOST ABOUT WINNING THE BRICKYARD? “A lot of memories. I met Leonard Wood. He came up and shook my hand the next week. It’s just a lot of great memories. 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, and to actually win at Indianapolis is a dream come true.”

IT WAS A FUEL MILEAGE RACE. WHAT WERE THE LAST FEW LAPS LIKE? “It was a fuel mileage race. We had enough to get to the end, barely. I had to do a lot of saving. There was a handful of us that were up front saving. I know McMurray and I swapped the lead a few times trying to draft off each other and with three laps to go or something Slugger Labbe came on the radio and said that Jeff Gordon had fresh tires and he kept me up throughout the whole run where he was, but the last three laps he’s like, ‘It’s time to go. If we run out, we run out.’ He was calling out my lap time compared to Jeff’s and Jeff was a little bit quicker on newer tires, but it wasn’t that much faster. We did have a good car and enough fuel.”

ARE THOSE THE BEST LAPS YOU HAVE EVER DRIVEN? “Yeah, it’s all kind of a blur. When you’re leading at Indianapolis with a few laps to go and Jeff Gordon is driving up on you with fresher tires you have to be perfect, and I felt like we executed really well that day. We were really lucky that it was carbureted engines back then and when you part-throttle a carbureted engine the fuel doesn’t – with the EFI stuff it’s all compensated, but we were really close to burning up the engine. The pistons were all shot. I’ve got a piston out of the engine that they gave me and it looks like it’s been through hell and back, so we were just lucky to finish from an engine standpoint with the ECR engines.”

HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THE TEAM’S PERFORMANCE TO THIS POINT? “Not where we want to be for sure. We’ve got two more opportunities to get in the Playoffs. We just had one practice here and I felt really good about where we’re at with our Ford speed-wise, drive ability-wise, and I think we do have a shot to run really well on Sunday night. We have two opportunities to get in the Playoffs, but we’re obviously looking week-to-week to improve from where we’re at.”

ARE YOU FRUSTRATED THE POINTS HAVEN’T COME LIKE YOU THOUGHT THEY WOULD THIS YEAR? “Yeah. We’ve had some solid runs. We haven’t had anything special. We’ve only got like two top 10s, I think, haven’t led many laps. We’ve led some, but not many. Yeah, a little frustrated where we’re at, but I’m really proud of my team and 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.”

HAVE YOU BEEN TRYING TO TAKE CHANCES TO MAKE THESE PLAYOFFS? “If we go back to June or early July we kind of switched up our mindset. 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 was we can get in is to win the race, so throw caution to the wind and pull a rabbit out of the hat.”

WHY IS IT SO TOUGH HERE AT DARLINGTON? “It’s hard to reign in yourself. As a race car driver you put new tires on, you go through turn one and two and go down the backstretch and hear the engine singing a song at 9000 RPM. Twenty laps into a run you’re at 8500 RPM, the engine sounds totally different, you feel like you’re going really slow, so you try to make it up and you get in the fence. Knowing that your best lap at Darlington is probably gonna be your first lap, and it’s all downhill from there, that’s a good thing that a lot of kids probably don’t know.”

DO YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT? “Oh, it’s very difficult. It’s probably the hardest oval track just to get around that we go to. I love the track. Turn one and two is extremely, for lack of a better word, badass. You enter it low, go up by the wall wide-open through the center of the corner, try to get all you can to get a good exit off turn two and then three and four there’s zero grip down there. You just slide and it feels like you’re on loose gravel, just kind of sliding around, so you just pick your line and either get up by the wall or run the bottom – the middle is kind of no man’s land.”

COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang – HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR CHANCES TOMORROW? “I’m really looking forward to this race. I think we can run good, it’s just I think we were fast all day. I think we worked on our long run speed and think I got it a little bit too comfortable for me on the last run, so I think we’ll try to get it back to where we need it to be and then from there I think we’ll be pretty good.”

CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT IT’S LIKE TO RUN HERE? “It’s so crazy because the tires wear out so fast. You’re just slipping and sliding around. You have to be so patient. That’s the biggest thing, but then you have to run up against the wall. It’s just balancing everything and you’re slipping and sliding around, so it’s one of the toughest tracks we go to.”

HOW DO YOU BALANCE PATIENCE WITH THIS BEING SHORT RACE? “It’s really tough, honestly. It’s trying to save your car where you still have something at the very end. When you run the top you don’t want to hit the wall too many times. It’s about patience but also being aggressive.”

HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THESE LAST THREE RACES OF THE REGULAR SEASON? “I think we want to build up some consistency going into the Playoffs now. I think the last month has been a little bit rough for us, so I think building some consistency would be nice and then also if we can win a race that would be awesome too, but we want to build some consistency.”

HOW WILL IT BE TO HAVE DALE JR. BACK IN THE RACE? “Yeah, it’s cool to run against him. It’s really cool to say you’ve run against Dale Jr. before, so having him come back and everything I think it’s really cool and awesome for NASCAR and everything.”

HAVE YOU TALKED WITH JUNIOR IN THE PAST ABOUT ANY TIPS OR ADVICE? “A little bit, for sure. When I was driving that truck and everything he definitely gave me a few tips along the way and has definitely made me a little bit better driver.”

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
BOJANGLES’ SOUTHERN 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 30, 2019

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 AXALTA THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 Media Breakout Session Highlights:

THE SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT HAS BEEN FANTASTIC. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT HAS GONE INTO THAT?
“It has been fun, for sure. I think I’m pretty shy and keep to myself at times, so I had to get into character a little bit there during that photo shoot. It’s been fun to do. We have one picture per day for the whole week, so that’s been neat. It’s been a lot of fun.”

DO YOU FEEL MORE POWERFUL WHEN YOU HAVE THE OUTFIT OR UNIFORM ON?
“When I have the wig, mustache, aviators and Tim Richmond fire suit, I’m just not me anymore (laughs). I guess in character would be the best way to say that. It took me a minute for sure during the photo shoot. I was like man this is awkward, but it was pretty cool.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL GOING INTO 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.”

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS HAS A STELLAR RECORD AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY. I THINK EARLY IN YOUR CAREER, YOU PROBABLY WOULD HAVE TAKEN AN INDYCAR RIDE OR NASCAR RIDE. WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO ALEX BOWMAN TO KISS THE BRICKS?
“It would be really special. I grew up racing a lot at IRP down the street, so getting a win there would be equally as special. I’ve ran second there in a midget a couple of times and have always been frustrated by that one. It’s a place that is definitely special to me. I’ve won a quarter midget race there in the infield, that’s the closest I’ve gotten. I haven’t really ever gotten a good day there. That place hates me a little bit, but hopefully we have a better day this year.”

HAVE YOU TALKED TO JIMMIE JOHNSON ABOUT IT AT ALL GIVEN HIS SUCCESS AT THAT TRACK?
“Yeah, I mean I think he’s obviously been really successful there. Jeff (Gordon) obviously has a lot of success there as well. It’s just going to be so different there this year with this rules package. It’s so hard to predict what’s going to be fast, where you need to run and how you need to approach it. Just like this place was coming into Darlington, we were all questioning if we were going to be against the wall, off the wall, are we going to be wide open in 1 & 2 or are we going to have to lift. So, it’s just a lot of unknowns going anywhere with this rules package this year that we haven’t been to previously.”

YOU HAD MENTIONED A LACK OF POWER ON THE RADIO TODAY. CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE SENSATION YOU WERE LOOKING FOR AND WHAT YOU COULDN’T FIND?
“It’s just 3 & 4 is a lot different, especially when you run the bottom and you really slow the corner down. You used to fight wheel spin and forward drive pretty bad off of 4 from the bottom. Now, you can kind of just go wide open. So, it’s more just fighting center turn than anything. I’m sure 40 laps into a run during the race it will start to be a little different, but it’s just looking for different things in the race car just because of how the power effects how the car needs to be driven here.”

CAN YOU DESCRIBE TURNS 1 & 2?
“I was wide open on stickers, but other than that, I’ve been lifting a little bit down there. I saw the 24 is really fast through 1 & 2 and he was definitely wide open, so I think that is where most of our speed is at and we really need to work on it. It’s different going down in there wide open. You feel like you are going really fast through there for sure.”

IS 1 & 2 GOING TO BE TOUGH ON OLDER TIRES?
“I think the whole track gets tougher, but 1 & 2 for me is where my car was falling off the most. I think it’s going to be really dependent on what your race car is doing.”

PLAYING THE ROLE OF TIM RICHMOND THIS YEAR, HOW MUCH FUN ARE YOU HAVING?
“I begged for it last year, but couldn’t make it happen. It has been a lot of fun. It has gotten me out of my shell a little bit, which is tough to do if you haven’t noticed that (laughs). It has been a good time so far. It’s cool to be in a Hendrick Motorsports car and throwing back to Tim Richmond is pretty special.”

“I’d say he’s probably the polar opposite of me in a lot of ways, but it’s been interesting to learn more about him and see all the cool stuff he drove.”

TALKING ABOUT THE PLAYOFFS, HAVE YOU TALKED TO YOUR CREW CHIEF ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN?
“Locking in has changed it quite a bit, just with how aggressive we are able to be and how much we have been able to try things lately. I think I learned this last year throughout the Playoffs. We had a decent start to the Playoffs and had a lot of speed at places. I’m looking forward to getting started this year. I think the layout just kind of suits us with where our cars are strong and where we struggle at. So, I’m excited for it.”

BEING SOMEONE FROM A GENERATION THAT WITNESSED JIMMIE JOHNSON’S SUCCESS, WHAT’S IT LIKE TO SEE HIM IN THE POSITION HE IS CURRENTLY OUTSIDE OF THE PLAYOFFS.
“Yeah, it’s interesting for sure. We are doing all we can to get Jimmie (Johnson) into the Playoffs. But, at the end of the day, they’ve had a lot of bad luck and a tough year. He is still more motivated and fired up than ever, at least since I’ve been around. He’s a big part in the success that I’ve had I feel like. He definitely still has it and he’s not given up. They have two more chances to win or get a lot of stage points and point their way in. I think everyone has learned over the years that you can’t count the 48 out by any means.”

HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO HELP JIMMIE (JOHNSON)?
“We just all share everything we can. I’m not sure how Jimmie Johnson can ask for my help, I’m not sure what I really have to offer. But, if he did, I’d be all in for whatever he needs for sure.”

YOU HAVE A GREAT PERSONALITY; IT HAS JUST BEEN SLOWLY COMING OUT. AFTER WE SEE YOU WINNING MORE, WILL WE SEE MORE OF WHO YOU ARE?
“Yeah, that or when Kelsey (Tucker) starts yelling at me when I do things that are going to start getting me in trouble. It’s a tough balance. I feel like I have a really good relationship with my race team and I’m definitely my self around them, but at the same time, you don’t want to get yourself in trouble. I feel like I say dumb things quite often and I stick my foot in my mouth quite often around my friends and my team, so that’s probably enough for me to deal with and I don’t need to do it in public as well (laughs). It’s my job, I have to be somewhat professional about it. I don’t want to get in trouble. I’ve been yelled at enough over the years.”

YOU HAD MENTIONED IN THE PAST THAT THERE WAS A LITTLE MORE STRESS AT INDIANAPOLIS LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF YOUR POINTS POSITION, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A BIG ENOUGH GAP IN A SENSE. AS A WINNER, YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT. WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT THESE NEXT TWO WEEKENDS GOING INTO THE PLAYOFFS?
“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 and I want to use this off weekend the same way. At the same time, we are working super hard on our Vegas stuff, really focused on that and getting it going. 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.”

HAS HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS PICKED UP ON THE INTERMEDIATE TRACK PROGRAM?
“I think so. I think that’s our best program, other than our superspeedway program. Our cars are extraordinary every time we go to a superspeedway. But our 1.5-mile program is our strongest program right now. I think our short track program is the program that we need to work on and try to pick up. Richmond was a big struggle for us when we were there in the spring and we need to be strong when we go back.”

WHAT CAN A TEAM GET OUT OF THESE LAST FEW WEEKS?
“Momentum. I think the biggest thing is when you have good momentum and things are going well, the moral of the team is up, everyone is getting along really well, everyone is having fun and just the atmosphere going to the track is better. When you’ve been beat down and things aren’t going your way, you start seeing personalities clash, tempers flare, and things just get frustrating. It’s just like if you start a weekend off well, you tend to run well. But if you unload off or have an issue before you even get on the track for the first run, it ends up not being a good weekend for you. You just have to keep things rolling in the right direction at all times.”

WHERE ARE YOU GUYS AT, SPONSORSHIP WISE, FOR 2020?
“I know everyone is working really hard at it. I don’t even know any details that I can even leak to anyone; they don’t tell me any of that stuff. I just know everyone is working really hard at filling it out and we’ll see.”

“Mr. Hendrick made it very clear that even if nothing comes together, we’ll be just fine and I’ll still be in the car. As much as it’s a big part of what we do in getting sponsorship, I’m not too worried about it. I’m just worried about doing my job on the 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.

Toyota Racing – Matt DiBenedetto
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

FLORENCE, S.C. (August 30, 2019) – Leavine Family Racing driver Matt DiBenedetto was made available to media at Darlington Raceway:

MATT DiBENEDETTO, No. 95 IMSA GTO Throwback Toyota, Leavine Family Racing

What might it take for your success to continue this weekend?

“I think we definitely have those tracks that we do circle off where we can be better at some than others because the ones where we are more grip limited and we have the most off-throttle time is where we as a team can excel a lot more than the others and that’s really unique to just this season with the way the rules are this year. That hasn’t been anything in the past with the lower downforce. I think here, at Darlington in particular, is one where actually – the 500-spec race tracks and the bigger race tracks have been the ones where we’ve had to improve the most at and we’ve gotten better, but you’re close to wide-open throttle all the way around a lot of those places and so it kind of limits what you can do as a driver and it’s just kind a lot about car speed, so it takes a lot of things I can do and we can do out of it. But a place like Darlington I think is really unique though because Turns 3 and 4, you’re going to have to slow down, you’re going to be pretty grip limited, the tires will fall off. Not anything like we’ve seen in the past, but I think it will be grip limited enough to where this could be one of our best 550-spec race tracks.”

How do you approach Indianapolis where that might be the last shot to get a Playoff position?

“This one’s a real important one for us. I think if I’m picking and choosing and being totally honest, if we’ve got Darlington and Indy left, I’m circling off Darlington as probably more of a strong suit because we’re going to have more off-throttle time and be a little more grip limited here, which are the things we need as a team to make it where I can stand out more and my team can stand out more with the things they do. Hopefully we can do that here and a win would be great because we have the speed at those type of race tracks. We really do. And our team has done a great job at growing and improving and everybody has seen that. I would hope to try and get it done and have a strong run this weekend or have a shot at winning here. I would be a little bit more worried about Indy probably.”

Over the final 10 races, do you just put yourself in audition mode?

“I drive the same really any race under any circumstances. At Bristol some people were like, ‘oh, did you drive different there,’ and I’m like, ‘no, it doesn’t make a difference’. When I strap in the car, I’m 100% every single lap I’m on the race track no matter what. I’ve learned that lesson and been that way a long time. I always feel like I’m auditioning every time I climb in a race car for basically my whole life. That’s nothing any different, but I want to win for this team really, really bad because it would be really special to get their first win for the team.”

Has anyone called you about rides for next year?

“I got a lot of like really nice, encouraging texts and stuff from a lot of fellow drivers and such so that was really neat and encouraging. Nothing in particular. Just keeping all options open.”

Did you talk to Dave Portnoy at Barstool Sports and did you come up with anything?

“I’ve been a really big fan of them (Barstool Sports) for a long time. I think I send like all their Instagram videos to friends on a daily basis. I’ve been a big fan of them and Dave, I’ve followed him forever and watched probably 5,000 pizza reviews. Long story short, at Bristol after the race, I saw him standing by and I was pretty, obviously everybody knows I was pretty bummed after the race, but when I saw him, I perked up and I was like hey, I’m a big fan actually of them and of him, so went and chatted with him and did the interview and people saw it live and public basically. We talked, chitchatted and he really loved the story and thought it was cool. He thought the fan support was amazing just like I did and he was like, ‘hey, we want to – we’ve been wanting to get into NASCAR more, we want to sponsor’. I was like, ‘okay’, so it happened right there live on camera, so what everybody saw, that was what it was and then he reached out to me on Twitter. I gave him my phone number, we chatted on the phone. It was quick and he’s like, ‘man, we want to sponsor your car, we love the story and we want to get more involved in the sport’ and it really got him and then me even more interested and really it’s a big credit to the fans because post-race, them screaming and giving that kind of support to us is what really made it a special story to where it got us a sponsor with the team. They’re going to sponsor Vegas and Talladega this year and that’s big for us, big for the team and for the whole sport in general because they’ve got a really crazy reach, of course.”

Do you feel like maybe Barstool Sports could take the sponsorship elsewhere with you for 2020?

“This all came together real quick. I think the goal is – especially after having the talks with Dave (Portnoy) – to grow the relationship. They loved the story. Easy fit for me because I’ve already been a huge fan of them and followed them forever, so I know everything about all that they do and love it. I think that would be the goal of talking is that they want to sponsor me and the story and I told them a little bit more about our team too, most importantly, and how they gave me the shot to do this and drive this race car this year. I wanted to, if it was possible, build the momentum and for them to help our team this year and while we had the momentum to do it. That would be the goal, to carry that with me moving forward and keep on building that relationship because it’s much beyond me. It’s big for our – I think it would be big for our whole sport.”

What are you looking for next year – a team where you have a ride or a team where you could be competitive?

“A lot of people have known I’ve been real all-in on myself and that’s the only way I can live with myself is going all-in on this journey. I think as far as criteria, I have to win at this point. I think we’ve shown as a team that we can go out there and run up front and win. I know I can win and so that would be my only criteria. I feel like at this point, I’ve got to continue climbing the ladder, however that is, and winning is priority.”

Did you feel that with Joe Gibbs Racing asking you to drive the Xfinity Series car at Road America was a sign of how you’re viewed by other organizations in the sport?

“Yeah, it meant a lot to me because they had seen the road courses this year and how fast we were on the Cup side and so it actually did mean a lot, especially with having a history with them years ago. They’re the ones that got me into NASCAR and into the sport. J.D. Gibbs is a huge impact to my whole life. For them to ask me to drive it and know that I was fast on the road courses and they had the confidence in me to go out there and be a candidate to go win was awesome. Obviously the finish stunk for sure. It just shows how much of a team sport it is because the car was so fast. I was on cruise control out in the lead and it was like one of those days where like man, if everything goes smooth, this could be an easy win, but it just shows how dependent you are on everybody around you and you lose track position and it could change the whole tone of your day. It was neat to have that confidence from them.”

# # #

About Toyota

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

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
BOJANGLES’ SOUTHERN 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 30, 2019

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 CLOVER CAMARO ZL1, met with media to discuss what Darlington Raceway means to him, hitting a positive stride leading into the Playoffs, what he can apply from his dominate run at Darlington last year, and more. Full Transcript:

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK, THERE’S ALWAYS DISCUSSION ABOUT INDIANAPOLIS AND WHETHER NASCAR DESERVES A DATE GOING THERE. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON INDIANAPOLIS AND ITS PLACE ON THE SCHEDULE? DOES IT STILL HAVE RELEVANCE IN NASCAR?
“I don’t know. I mean as long as I’ve been alive, they’ve been going there. So, for me, yeah, I think we should be racing there. Obviously, the racing isn’t the most exciting there, but it’s still a historical place that I always enjoy going to, getting to be in the garage area and going around the same race track that some legends have. I don’t really know how else to answer that, but I think it deserves to be on the schedule.”

WHAT KIND OF TRACK IS DARLINGTON TO YOU? DO YOU LOVE DRIVING HERE OR DO YOU HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT THIS TRACK?
“This is one of my favorite tracks, probably in the top three of my favorites. I enjoy coming here. This track, more than the rest of them, when you drive into this place you feel like you are at a race track. I know it is throwback weekend, but even before all that, I always got that vibe that this felt like a race track. It has fairly small stands for how big this place is. The painted walls, the campgrounds and everything just feels like a grass roots kind of track. The surface is really worn out, the style of racing here is intense, so it suits me and I really enjoy it.”

INAUDIBLE
“Honestly, I believe that we should only go to tracks one time. I feel like if you added an event here, you would probably risk the potential of not having sellout crowds because you could go to either one. There are obviously race tracks where I love racing at and wish I could race there more than once. I think for the growth of the sport and attendance, I feel like we should only race in a market once. Go to more places, go to more tracks.”

YOU KIND OF HAD A CHANGE FROM JULY TO LATE JULY AND EARLY AUGUST IN YOUR RACES. YOU DID WELL HERE LAST YEAR. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS TRACK AND THIS TIME OF YEAR THAT HELPS YOU MAKE THAT STRIDE?
“I just think that with these tracks that are worn out with an old surface, our team has a good setup for those places. You look at Atlanta, I led the most laps there. Chicago, we almost won. We led a ton of laps here last year. I was good at Homestead. It’s just something about these intermediate tracks that suit us. It’s just unique; you run close to the wall and I’m obviously comfortable with that. So, I just get excited about this place and look forward to it.”

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES, IF ANY, OF RUNNING DOUBLE DUTY NEXT WEEK WITH RUNNING THE MIDGET AND THE BRICKYARD 400?
“I don’t know, there aren’t any challenges really. We race Wednesday and Thursday, we aren’t even on the track until Saturday I don’t think in the Cup car. So, it’s not going to feel like double duty to me. I have a busy week coming up. I race the go-cart in California Monday and Tuesday, the midget Wednesday and Thursday, and on track Saturday and Sunday in the Cup car. It won’t feel like triple duty, or whatever you want to call it. But having the day off will be nice and not being in multiple cars on the same day will be relaxing. I enjoy double duty. I haven’t gotten to do any double duty NASCAR stuff this year. I did double duty on my off week at Placerville with the midget and sprint car. That was fun, but hectic just because it’s all happening within a few hours. Next week will be fun and not too crazy.”

I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THE SHOWCASE AND THAT WAS KIND OF WHAT KEPT YOU FROM THE BC 39 RACE LAST YEAR. WHAT DID YOU ADJUST TO MAKE IT ALL WORK THIS YEAR AND WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO WIN THE MIDGET RACE THURSDAY NIGHT?
“I didn’t adjust anything. Last year, I was just worried about getting done late at Chico and trying to catch a 5:30 AM or 6:00 AM flight to Indianapolis. I think I land at like 3:40 PM on Wednesday, so if there are any hiccups in flight delays or anything like that, that’s where I could risk missing the race. Last year, I went to Oregon and raced the sprint car. I saw how cool the BC 39 race was last year, so I didn’t want to miss it and do everything I could to make it. We’re just going to do it and if there is a flight delay, then oh well.”

AS A PART OF A GENERATION THAT SAW JIMMIE JOHNSON DOMINATE THE SPORT AND THE 48 TEAM NOT BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING WRONG FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, TO SEE THE STRUGGLE THAT ADMITTEDLY A LOT OF ATHLETES GO THROUGH AT THE END OF THEIR CAREERS, WHAT IS THAT LIKE FOR YOUR GENERATION TO SEE SOMEONE LIKE THAT FIGHTING TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS?
“It’s weird to see. When you are watching somebody like that dominate, you never expect to see them in this position, being winless for as long as he’s been, at risk of not making the Playoffs and having a chance to win the Championship. Obviously, I’m a huge Jimmie Johnson fan. I want to see him either run well these next two races to get himself in a better points position or win. I would like to see him just win to shut everyone up, I guess. It is crazy and I think it just shows how tough our sport gets, how tough our drivers are, how close our equipment is, and how good of a combination him and Chad (Knaus) really were. Hopefully they can figure something out and finish up front where he belongs.”

I KNOW YOU’RE FAR AWAY FROM HAVING TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO WITH YOUR CAREER, BUT OBVIOUSLY AT THE END OF JEFF GORDON’S CAREER, IT WAS MORE CHALLENGING TO WIN. AT THIS LEVEL, JIMMIE JOHNSON IS GOING THROUGH THAT. WHEN YOU SEE EVEN THE GREATS OF THE SPORT GO THROUGH THAT, WHAT DOES THAT MAKE YOU THINK ABOUT OR WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER IN KNOWING THAT, AT SOME POINT, THAT IS GOING TO BE YOUR FUTURE?
“Yeah, I mean you see it all the time. Look at Steve Kinser, the greatest sprint car racer ever, and to watch him go through his struggles his last few seasons was honestly sad. It’s hard to predict and probably hard to convince yourself that maybe it’s time to retire whenever it is that time, but hopefully a long time from now whenever I have those thoughts in my head, I choose the right time to which I’m still competitive. I would like to retire when I’m still competitive, that way you don’t go through those down moments. I think it’s just hard for anybody to figure out when that time is, rather than have other people try to convince you. I think you want to be able to do it on your own terms. Our egos as drivers are big too, so we always believe we can win. It doesn’t matter how old you get or even after a string of 100 bad races, you still think you can go out there and win. So, I think that’s also what makes it tough for some people to know when the time is right.”

YOU DROVE A DYNAMITE RACE HERE LAST YEAR. LOOKING BACK AT IT, WHAT COULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE LEARNED FROM LAST YEAR TO CLOSE IT OUT AND GET THE WIN IF YOU RUN THAT WAY THIS WEEKEND?
“We had the best car all race long last year. Brad Keselowski’s team just did a little better job than us on pit road that final stop and beat me off pit road by a foot or whatever it was. With not a lot of laps left, which I was really good on the long runs, we didn’t have enough laps for me to get anything going. I don’t think there is anything I could have done differently there at that point. I felt like I ran a really good race, took care of my stuff, kept out of the wall. We had a car capable of winning. We honestly didn’t have a bad pit stop at that time; Keselowski’s team was just really good. He was able to control the restart and control the last little run.”

HOW MUCH GROWTH HAVE YOU SEEN FROM CARSON MACEDO SINCE HE CAME INTO YOUR SPRINT CAR PROGRAM?
“Yeah, I’ve been extremely happy with Carson (Macedo) and the team. They have been doing a good job. He’s done honestly better than I thought he would do as a rookie on the World of Outlaw tour. Winning a few times on the road at a lot of these places that he’s never been to before is really cool. There is still a lot of racing to do, so hopefully he can get himself a few more. I don’t know how the points look, I think Shane Stewart is close behind him, but hopefully he can at least stay where he’s at.”

I TALKED TO JEFF GORDON ABOUT DAVID GRAVEL. YOU SAW THE KIND OF SUPPORT HE GAVE HIM DURING THE KNOXVILLE NATIONALS. I ASKED HIM WHAT HE THOUGHT THAT LEVEL WOULD GO TO AND HE SAID THAT AT HIS AGE, IT’S PROBABLY TOO LATE FOR HIM TO DO ANYTHING ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT YOU’RE DOING, BUT HE DOES FORESEE HIM GETTING INTO A TRUCK. HOW DO YOU THINK HE WOULD TRANSITION IF HE WAS TRYING TO GO FROM THE WORLD OF OUTLAWS TO STOCK CARS, GIVEN THE FACT THAT HE, RYAN PREECE AND JOEY LOGANO ALL GREW UP TOGETHER?
“I thought what Jeff (Gordon) and David (Gravel) were able to do together for Knoxville was awesome. Hopefully that can grow into something because that’s good for the sport. I hate to hear Jeff (Gordon) say that he’s too old to make it because obviously he has the talent. There aren’t a lot of people that have won the Knoxville Nationals and won as many Outlaw races that he has at our age. I feel like if you’re good, you should get the chance to race. He’s got more talent and deserves a better opportunity than just the Truck Series alone. I hope it can grow to that where he can at least get some starts in a Truck. You never know what could happen if he goes out there and starts winning races like I know he would. I honestly think he would do better in a Cup or Xfinity car than a Truck. A Truck is way different than what a sprint car feels like; Xfinity or Cup is a little closer to it because you’re sliding around and you have more horsepower. Jeff (Gordon) has big dollars, so maybe he could invest. We talk about Jimmie (Johnson) retiring in the future, maybe David Gravel will be that guy.”

COULD YOU IMAGINE MAKING THAT TRANSITION AT YOUR AGE NOW COMPARED TO BACK THEN WHEN YOU DID?
“I think it would be easier to make the transition because you have more experience now than what we would have when we were 18 years old. I think the transition would go smoother and I think owners need to look at that rather than just thinking they need the next teenager.”

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)
Friday, August 30, 2019
EVENT: Bojangles’ Southern 500, Darlington, SC. (Media Availabilities)

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Mustang – DO YOU ENJOY COMING TO DARLINGTON?  “I love coming here.  It’s always been one of my favorite race tracks.  I love the challenge.  I love running up against the wall.  I’m not always a big fan of the heat, but I do like that it’s a very demanding track.  It makes you feel like a race car driver.  It makes you feel like you’re on the edge and it makes me really kind of appreciate my job.  All the race tracks have their challenges, but this one just has so many and it’s so unforgiving.  If you mess up just a little bit, you’re in the wall and your day is ruined.  I appreciate that.  It demands that to be successful you drive aggressively, but also that you not make any mistakes.  That’s pretty cool to me.”

INDIANAPOLIS IS NEXT WEEK.  DO YOU FEEL THAT TRACK STILL NEEDS TO BE ON THE SCHEDULE?  SHOULD NASCAR KEEP GOING BACK THERE?  IS IT STILL RELEVANT?  “I think that’s probably a better question for the NASCAR execs as to whether we should keep going back there.  They seem to have a plan and know things that I probably don’t know, but I think that the reaction that we get from going to indy is always going to vary.  There’s always going to be some open-wheel loyalists who would rather not see us there, but there has also been a fan base there that really loves having us there, so I’m kind of mixed. I know I really enjoyed winning there.  It’s a big deal to me.  It would be a bummer if it wasn’t on the schedule because I wouldn’t have a shot to win there, so I would hate to see that go away, but that race has its challenges that I think are well documented and I wish there was a way to work through them. I don’t really have any specific ideas on what to do there.  It seems like there are a few people working on it, but I’d hate to see it go away, mostly out of pure selfishness.  But as for what’s best for the sport and all that, I can’t say I know all the scenarios to understand that fully.”

IF THE RACE IS TO CONTINUE WOULD YOU BE OK WITH IT BECOMING A ROAD COURSE RACE OR STAY ON THE OVAL?  “If I was gonna keep running there and they asked me I would say stay on the oval.  I know there’s kind of a pro road course movement going on right now, but I feel like we’ve got a pretty good balance as it is.”

WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING END OF THIS TRACK FOR YOU?  I’ve always felt like that end – three and four – is a little more challenging because if you mess up over there it seems like you are more likely to hit the wall, and the groove over there is tighter to the wall, so I’ve always felt like three and four was just a little bit harder than one and two.”

DO YOU TRY TO SET UP AS A COMPROMISE?  “I just try to be as fast as I can be.  If that means one end over the other it doesn’t matter to me, I set up off the stopwatch.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI CONTINUED — WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE JIMMIE JOHNSON ON THE BUBBLE TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOU AS YOU LOOK AHEAD?  “The first thing I think of is I want some of whatever Tom Brady is taking because it doesn’t seem to be affecting him, and then I look at guys like Mark Martin and Harry Gant, who drove in their fifties, and go, ‘Wow, how did they do that?’  There’s some special practices or special genes, I don’t know what it is, but it tells you that it’s possible to be successful in this sport for a long time.  Do I have the answer to how or why certain people can do it and can’t do it?  No.  I hope that I can, but time inevitably gets all of us.  Death and taxes.  I know that one day it’ll get me in my career, but that’s OK.  I’m happy with what I’m doing now and want to make the most of the window that I have now.  I think that’s probably the biggest takeaway I have is I’m in a terrific window in my career right now and I want to make the most of it.”

IT’S STILL ODD TO SEE JIMMIE JOHNSON THOUGH STRUGGLING TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS THIS SEASON ISN’T IT?  “Yeah, I don’t take any pleasure in someone else’s pain, and I know that’s probably very painful for him.  I don’ have any solutions.  I’m not close enough to what’s going on over there, but it just gives you, myself included, a sense of how fragile this sport is and how fleeting success can be.”

DID YOU HAVE ANY INVOLVEMENT IN YOUR THROWBACK PAINT SCHEME THIS YEAR AND HAS RUSTY LOOKED AT IT YET?  “I get a little bit.  They gave me a little sneak peak and said, ‘Hey, what do you think about this one?’  I’m very lucky because Penske has so many great ones to pick from, and when I think of Roger Penske he’s kind of the art director/owner, and he really takes pride in the paint schemes and has always done a good job at it, so they don’t particularly need my help.  I can’t comment on how much Rusty knows about it.  That’s a better question for the marketing guys at Penske, but he seems to embrace it as well, which is great.”

Event: Bojangles Southern 500 (Race 25 of 36)

Venue: Darlington Raceway (Darlington, SC)

Format: Three Stages – Stages End: Lap 100, 200, 367 = 501.3 Miles

Date/Broadcast: Sunday, September 1 at 6:00 PM ET on NBCSN and MRN

Corey LaJoie, 27, has raced in the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Brickyard 400, and on Sunday will make his third start in another crown jewel event, the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

With an 18th-place finish in the prestigious, season-opening Daytona 500 and a 12th-place in the grueling Coca-Cola 600, the third-generation racer looks to have another stellar run in Sunday’s iconic 367-lap event at The Lady in Black.

For the weekend, LaJoie and the No. 32 team will have 32-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series winner, Dale Jarrett, on their side as the Keen Parts/CorvetteParts.net scheme will mimic the Crunch scheme that the 1999 Cup Series champion powered in the then Busch Grand National Series in 1991.

Jarrett scored two victories in the blue and white scheme at the track Too Tough to Tame.

Be sure to stay tuned to the Keen Parts social channels (@KeenParts & @KeenParts2) for contests and giveaways to celebrate the NASCAR throwback weekend and visit CorvetteParts.net for any of your Corvette needs.

Whether you’re looking for a complete interior for your vintage ’58 Corvette or a performance accessory for your ’09, they have the Corvette part you need and the expertise you want as Corvettes are their sole focus.

Don’t miss the Bojangles Southern 500 on Sunday, September 1 at 6:00 PM ET as we go back in time to honor the history and heritage of NASCAR. The 367-lap will be televised on NBCSN and MRN.

LaJoie on the upcoming weekend at Darlington Raceway:

“I’m really excited to be going to one of my favorite racetracks with an awesome throwback Dale Jarrett Keen Parts scheme. Hopefully we can keep the momentum rolling from Bristol and try to break into the top 20 this weekend. We’ve had some really good runs lately and I’m excited to see what we can do on this prestigious race weekend. Thank you to Tom and TJ Keen for allowing us to run this special scheme!”

LaJoie MENCS career highlights at Darlington Raceway:
Starts: 2
Best Finish: 27th (2018)
Average Start: 34.5
Average Finish: 27.5

In the Rearview Mirror: Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race
LaJoie and the Go Fas Racing team had a fast IncredibleBank Ford at Bristol. LaJoie qualified 26th for the thrilling night race and eventually tied his career best MENCS finish at the short track, finishing 24th. Early on in the 500-lap event the first report from LaJoie was that the No. 32 was “really loose.” He would offer another report in the final stretch of the first Stage, relaying that the IncredibleBank Ford was “really free on entry,” just before finishing Stage One 23rd. The team would restart 25th for Stage Two, but would settle into the 27th position for the remainder of the Stage. The 27-year-old jumped up the leaderboard after maneuvering around a multi-car crash in the final Stage, placing the GFR Ford in the 21st position. LaJoie maintained the position and was on track to crack the top-20 until a tire expired in the closing laps of the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race forcing him to pit road under green. Despite the incident relegating LaJoie to 24th, it was still a strong night for the No. 32 team.
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About Our Team

About Keen Parts/CorvetteParts.net:
Corvettes are all they do, so whether you’re looking for a complete interior for your vintage ’58 Corvette or a performance accessory for your ’09, they have the Corvette part you need and the expertise you want. For your Corvette exterior, they got you covered bumper-to-bumper.  They even have emblems, moldings, grilles, bumpers and brackets, fiberglass, exterior trim and weather stripping. For the interior, they have steering wheels, seats, dash pads, consoles, carpeting, door panels, seat belts, interior trim and fasteners. Under the hood, they’ve got it all from air cleaners to exhaust systems, air conditioning, radiators, and valve covers all the way down to the decals and correct fasteners to bolt it all back together. For more information, please visit www.corvetteparts.net
or call 1-844-Tom-Keen.

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

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

One of the most anticipated weekends on the NASCAR circuit each year has arrived as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) tackles the track ‘Too Tough to Tame’ as one of the final two races remaining before the playoffs begin. Roush Fenway Fords have 20 wins all-time across NASCAR’s three major touring series.

Darlington Raceway
Sunday, September 1 | 6 p.m. ET
NBCSN, MRN, Sirius 90
· Ryan Newman, No. 6 Oscar Mayer / Velveeta Ford Mustang
· Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Dog’s Most Wanted Ford Mustang

Darlington Two-Step

Roush Fenway has twice won consecutive MENCS races at Darlington, including a season sweep in 1999 with former driver and current NBC commentator Jeff Burton. Roush Fenway also earned victories in consecutive seasons at the egg-shaped oval in 2005 and 2006 with Biffle.

A Tradition Unlike Any Other

NASCAR’s Official Throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway pays tribute to the years 1990-94 this season. Both Roush Fenway cars will sport unique looks on track at ‘The Lady in Black,’ both in unique styles.

Newman’s scheme pays homage to Martin’s 1993 scheme that scored Jack Roush’s first Southern 500 win.
· Oscar Mayer, who first appeared on the No. 6 back in 2003, was also featured on the car during last year’s #NASCARThrowback weekend with Matt Kenseth.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will team up with Duane “Dog” Chapman and his exhilarating new unscripted series “Dog’s Most Wanted” for the famed Southern 500.
Stenhouse’s No. 17 Ford Mustang will be fully-wrapped to promote WGN America’s new series “Dog’s Most Wanted,” which features Duane “Dog” Chapman, his late wife Beth and a hand-picked team of bounty hunters bringing criminals to justice. The series premieres on Wednesday, September 4 at 9/8c on WGN America.

TALE OF THE TAPE

In 242 all-time NASCAR starts at ‘The Lady in Black,’ Jack Roush’s Fords have 20 wins, 69 top-five and 116 top-10 finishes, along with 20 poles. Over the years RFR has led 4500+ laps across the Cup, Xfinity and Truck series, with more than 83,000 miles logged at the 1.366-mile track. In MENCS action alone, RFR has finished top-10 in 44 percent (69-of-156) of the races with 35 top-five results and five wins.

Kickin’ It Old School

Legendary Roush Fenway drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Burton and Greg Biffle are responsible for the five Cup wins for Jack Roush at Darlington. Martin earned Roush’s first Cup win back in 1993 after leading 178 laps. Burton swept the 1999 events as the dominant car, and Biffle earned the two most recent victories in 2005 and 2006.

Most All-Time

It’s no secret that when Roush has dominated in the Xfinity Series at Darlington. In 79 starts, the organization has 15 wins, 33 top-five and 44 top-10s. Mark Martin is responsible for eight of the victories, second-most for him among any track, after winning five of the first seven races at the track for Roush from 1993-96. He also went on to win in 1999, and swept again in 2000. Jeff Burton got in on the fun with wins in 1997, 2001 and 2002, while Biffle earned a win in 2004. Most recently, Kenseth drove to victory lane in 2005 and 2009.

Where They Rank

· Newman enters the weekend 15th in points, 12 ahead of Daniel Suarez (16th), with Clint Bowyer just behind, two points outside the cut line with two races remaining.

· Stenhouse is 21st in driver points needing a win over the final two races of the regular season.

Roush Fenway Darlington Wins
1993-2 Martin Cup
1999-1 Burton Cup
1999-2 Burton Cup
2005 Biffle Cup
2006 Biffle Cup
1993-2 Martin NXS
1994-1 Martin NXS
1994-2 Martin NXS
1995-2 Martin NXS
1996-1 Martin NXS
1997-2 Burton NXS
1999-2 Martin NXS
2000-1 Martin NXS
2000-2 Martin NXS
2001-2 Burton NXS
2002-1 Burton NXS
2002-2 Burton NXS
2004-1 Biffle NXS
2005 Kenseth NXS
2009 Kenseth NXS

By the Numbers at Darlington Raceway

Race Win T5 T10 Pole Laps Led AvSt AvFn Miles
156 5 35 69 7 49836 2718 16.6 15.9 68075.9
79 15 33 44 12 10616 1856 9.9 12.9 14501.4
7 0 1 3 1 944 9 16.0 15.9 1289.50
242 20 69 116 20 61396 4583 14.4 14.9 83866.8

Paint Scheme, Documentary, Parade Lap included in weekend of festivities

• Wood Brothers Racing patriarch Glenn Wood honored with special paint scheme this week
• Special tribute highlights a variety of Ford activities as part of annual Throwback Weekend
• Wood Brothers Racing documentary and parade lap by Ford family, Leonard and Eddie Wood also featured

DEARBORN, Mich. Aug. 29, 2019 – Ford will honor the late Glenn Wood, Wood Brothers Racing’s patriarch and NASCAR Hall of Famer, with a special tribute paint scheme on the No. 21 Ford Mustang this week at Darlington Raceway.

The paint scheme will cap a weekend of Ford activities. A special Wood Brothers documentary will air on 6 p.m. ET Friday and 4 p.m. ET Sunday on NBCSN. On Sunday, Edsel B. Ford II, his sons Henry III and Albert, NASCAR Hall of Famer Leonard Wood, who has been with the team since its inception, and team co-owner Eddie Wood will make a parade lap in Ford vehicles before the green flag drops. Edsel Ford will drive the Ford Mustang GT500 pace car, while his sons and Leonard will drive four fan-chosen vintage Mustangs.

“The relationship that’s developed between the Wood Brothers and Ford through the years is so important to us,” said Jasmine Pendleton, Marketing Manager, FCSD. “We wanted to make sure we honored Glenn in an appropriate manner when the time was right, and with all the success he had at Darlington it just made sense for us to do this as part of the throwback weekend.”

Wood Brothers Racing, which originated in Stuart, Va. was founded by Glenn and aided by his brother Leonard, in 1950. Glenn’s sons, Eddie and Len, along with daughter Kim, have led the team since the 1980s. Together they have combined to produce 99 wins over seven decades. Paul Menard is the current driver of the No. 21 Ford Mustang – one of many great names who have been in the seat.

The inspiration for this tribute paint scheme is the 1957 Ford Sunliner Glenn raced – a car that was used by Ford Motor Company for endurance testing and destined to be scrapped. The success of the car set Wood Brothers Racing off on the path that now sees it as the longest active race team in NASCAR. 

“It means a lot to me, obviously, because it’s honoring our Dad. I was five years old during the convertible days, when they raced that car, so it means a lot to see us race in the same colors now,” Eddie Wood said. “That car was special to our Dad and Leonard because they had a lot of success there and that’s what got them started where we are now.”

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 196,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

New Martinsville Ticket Package to Provide Fans with RCR Museum and Childress Vineyards Discounts

WELCOME, N.C. (August 29, 2019) – Martinsville Speedway, Richard Childress Racing, and Childress Vineyards are teaming up to celebrate the race team’s 50th Anniversary with a special “Cheers to the Years” ticket package available to fans attending the First Data 500 this fall.

Each ticket fans purchase to the First Data 500 on October 27, 2019, will include one free admission to the RCR Museum and one free cellar or barrel select wine tasting at Childress Vineyards. Vouchers for the two experiences will be mailed with race tickets and are good from October 1 through November 16, 2019.

“We are very pleased to be partnering with Richard Childress Racing as well as Childress Vineyards to celebrate Richard’s 50 years in NASCAR,” said Clay Campbell, Martinsville Speedway track president. “Richard has played such an important part in the history of NASCAR, as well as Martinsville Speedway, and we are honored to be involved in such a milestone year for him. His achievements reflect what the American dream is all about.”

Fans can use the RCR Museum voucher during the team’s Fan Day on Friday, October 25, 2019, when the organization celebrates its 50th Anniversary leading into the Martinsville Speedway race weekend. Driver autograph sessions, Q&As, shop tours and more will be available to fans throughout the day before Childress Vineyards kicks off the Lexington BBQ Festival that evening with the fifth annual Pre-Pig Shindig just down the road.

“We’ve had a lot of memorable moments throughout RCR’s 50 years at Martinsville Speedway,” said Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “Martinsville Speedway has become a home track to us over years, so we’re proud to be partnering with them to provide a special ticket package for our fans. I hope they’ll take advantage of the offer, and come visit our race shop, museum and the winery before a great weekend of racing at Martinsville.”
Tickets for Martinsville Speedway’s First Data 500 can be purchased by calling 1-877-RACETIX (1-877-722-3849) or by visiting martinsvillespeedway.com.

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

About Martinsville Speedway:
Founded in 1947 by the late H. Clay Earles, Martinsville Speedway is only track which has hosted Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races every year since the division’s inception in 1949. At .526 miles in length, Martinsville Speedway is the shortest track on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series circuit, and offers some of the most exciting and close-quarters racing in the sport. The track is also one of the most modern, with high-rise aluminum chair back seating, corporate and fan suites and state-of-the-art facilities for the media. Now owned by International Speedway Corporation, Martinsville Speedway conducts three major race event weekends each year.For more information about Martinsville Speedway, visit martinsvillespeedway.com

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

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
BOJANGLES SOUTHERN 500
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
SEPTEMBER 1, 2019

BOWTIE BULLETS:
TOO TOUGH TO TAME?
Chevrolet has won 41 of the 115 races at the 1.366-mile venue dubbed “The Track Too Tough to Tame” and “The Lady in Black.” Twenty different Chevrolet drivers and teams have hoisted the winner’s trophy at the egg-shaped racetrack. That list includes Herb Thomas, who produced the Bowtie’s inaugural win at the track on September 5, 1955. He qualified eighth in a Chevrolet Bel Air with an SBC Chevy V8 engine and earned $7,480 for the victory in the 336-lap race that took 5 hours, 25 minutes.

IMPRESSIVE STREAKS:
Dale Earnhardt won three consecutive races at the track — in September 1989, and April and September 1990 — in a Chevrolet. He also won three of the four races at the track in the 1986 and ’87 seasons. Tim Richmond, driving a Chevrolet, won the other on August 31, 1986. Overall, Earnhardt had eight wins at the track driving a Chevrolet. Career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon matched Earnhardt’s three-race winning streak at the track – the March and September 1996 races and the September ’95 race. Sterling Martin, driving a Chevrolet, won the March ’95 race.

TAKING IT STAGE BY STAGE:
Team Chevy drivers have notched 16 stage victories. Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson both have four stage wins to lead the Bowtie Brigade. Elliott has also 18 top-five finishes and is fourth among drivers with 184 bonus points. Larson has nine top-five finishes and 134 points.

TUNE-IN:
NBCSN will telecast the Bojangles Southern 500 live at 6 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 1. The NBCSports Gold app will stream the race and live coverage can also be found on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

BY THE NUMBERS:
* Victories by current Chevrolet drivers at Darlington Raceway:
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1, has three wins (March 2004, November ’04, May 2012).
* Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1, has two pole starts at the track (September 2001, May 2013).
* A Chevrolet driver has started from the pole 21 times at Darlington.
* Kyle Larson has an average finish of 7.6 and has led 456 laps in five starts at the track.
* With 851 green flag passes at Darlington, Johnson leads active drivers.
* Johnson leads active drivers with nine top-five finishes at the track.
* Johnson maintains a streak of 35 consecutive races running at the finish.
* Team Chevy drivers have scored 183 top-five and 386 top-10 finishes at Darlington Raceway.
* Chevrolet reached 4,000 top-five finishes dating to 1949. Team Chevy has recorded 31 top fives this season.
* Chevrolet has won 39 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships.

QUOTABLE QUOTES:
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 – 7th IN STANDINGS
“It’s always a cool thing to be able to honor family or throw back to something within your own blood. I have enjoyed doing that the past couple years. I felt like it was another good opportunity to do so, kind of fits the NAPA colors, car looks good. Look forward to getting to the track and seeing it in person.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 AXALTA THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 – 10th IN STANDINGS
“Running this Tim Richmond scheme is so amazing. These iconic Axalta colors look great on this Chevrolet and I can’t wait to get this car on track. We have had a week off to dig back into the notebooks and get ready for Darlington. We qualified well there last year, but didn’t get the result we needed. I know this number 88 team can get the car dialed in and ready to go for Sunday. The last time Tim (Richmond) ran at Darlington for Hendrick Motorsports, he won so maybe that will bring our team some luck this weekend.

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 CLOVER CAMARO ZL1 – 11th IN STANDINGS
“Darlington has proven to be a really good track for my team over the years, and we’re excited to get there this weekend and hopefully show the speed we had in last season’s race. I think our team and myself just have a good feel for worn out surfaces at intermediate tracks, and we’ve shown good speed at each of those types tracks so far this season. Racing at a place like Darlington seems to fit my style and we usually show up for this race with a really good package in our Chevy. I’m really proud of the work everyone has put in over the last few races, after a rough start to the summer, and I feel like our cars have gotten a little better each week. We’ll look to have another strong race at Darlington and keep building our momentum heading into the playoffs.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 HENDRICK AUTOGUARD/CITY CHEVROLET THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 – 12th IN STANDINGS
“I’m really excited about our throwback scheme this year. Obviously, the Cole Trickle throwback from Days of Thunder is going to look really cool on track and under the lights. It fits us as a team, as a whole really well, especially with it being City Chevrolet and Hendrick Autoguard on board. It makes for a perfect fit. I’m definitely a fan of the movie though and I’ve seen it a number of times. My dad actually just watched it for the first time a few weeks ago when I told him what we were doing. It’s a great movie and it’s really good for fans outside of the sport because it’s so encompassing of what NASCAR is about. It pretty much covers all the basics, so I feel like it’s a pretty good representative of what the sport is like.”

DARLINGTON IS NOTORIOUS FOR CHEWING UP TIRES, SO THE BIG TOPIC IS MANAGING THEM. HOW DO YOU ACHIEVE THAT IN THE CAR? IS THAT SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO KEEP IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND?
“It definitely chews up tires like Richmond and tracks like that, but it really comes down to car setup. You can manage your tires to a certain degree if you have clean air and out front or if you’re back in traffic and have a large gap on the guy in front of and behind you. If you’re pressing for a position though, you’re always elbows up. My rule of thumb is trying not to make any big slides and trying to work the grip limit of the tire while not over taxing it. I was fortunate last year at Darlington that I never hit the wall in the race. We had a blown engine but we were running pretty well until then.”

CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 KROGER FAST LANE TO FLAVOR CAMARO ZL1 – 20th IN STANDINGS
“I love racing at Darlington Raceway. It’s a really challenging and unique racetrack. That’s what I like the most – racing on tracks that are different from our standard 1.5-mile oval. It puts on fantastic racing, and for me, is really similar to racing at tracks like Berlin Raceway. When you drive through Turns 1 and 2, you’re on the apron and have a hard brake getting into Turn 3. Once tracks go through a repave, it seems like it’s really hard and takes a while to get that same tire fall off back. But at Darlington, I felt like they got it back really quickly, and it puts on some fantastic racing.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 AMERICAN ETHANOL CAMARO ZL1 – 23rd IN STANDINGS
ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE SOME THROWBACK FUN AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY THIS YEAR LIKE A LOT OF TEAMS ARE?
“Yeah, we are. Our paint scheme this year honors the Black Gold car my grandfather raced in the 1970s. We’ve had fun filming the car with American Ethanol and getting into the history of the era. It’s really special to be able to honor my grandfather with our Darlington Throwback scheme.”

IF YOU RUN AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY AND YOU DON’T HAVE A DARLINGTON STRIPE HAVE YOU TRULY RACED AT THAT TRACK?
“Yeah, I have actually made it through without a Darlington stripe, but I have wiped out two cars in first practice. It’s a place that will bite you quick and you just have to have the right mentality going into it of what you are racing against. It’s not necessarily the competition as much as yourself. Mentally it’s a challenging place and I love that about it.”

IS DARLINGTON RACEWAY A PLACE WHERE YOU FEEL LIKE IT’S MORE IN YOUR CONTROL VERSUS SOME OTHER TRACKS?
“For sure, it is. It’s a place where if you do your job and you have to have a good car, obviously, everybody that runs well there does, but doing your job rewards you at the end of the night.”

RYAN PREECE, NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 – 26th IN STANDINGS
I’m really excited to head to Darlington Raceway this weekend. Obviously having a Modified driver as our ‘throwback’ scheme with Ron Bouchard is really cool and I’m very thankful to Kroger for allowing us to change our scheme for the weekend. Darlington is definitely a worn-out track, so it’s not going to be your typical oval, where you’re kind of committed to finding speed or trimming the car out. It’s going to be a combination of speed and balance. It’ll be hot, but we’ve had a couple of hot races so far this season that I think have prepared us for that.”

BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 VICTORY JUNCTION 15TH ANNIVERSARY CAMARO ZL1 – 27th IN STANDINGS
“I remember showing up at the Darlington Raceway for the first time three years ago, and really just could not find my way. Every corner of the track is different and it was tough to get a hold of. Our team was not the greatest car last year, but I have a better feel for the track now and how to race it. At that place, you don’t really race other people, you just race the track. Hopefully, this time, our No. 43 Victory Junction Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is dialed-in a little bit better with a better package, and we’ll go from there.

“It’s such a special ‘Throwback Weekend’, being Labor Day weekend and the Southern 500 – a crown jewel of the sport. We’re running the awesome bright and wow-looking car that Adam Petty drove in the ARCA Racing Series, and won at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1998 in the No. 45 Spree Prepaid Foncard. I’m excited about that. Having Victory Junction on the side is really cool and a very special tribute.”

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: 11
Laps Led: 1,443
Top-five finishes: 31
Top-10 finishes: 75

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 784 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 710
Laps led to date: 233,698
Top-five finishes to date: 4,000
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,247

Total NASCAR Cup wins by corporation, 1949 to date

GM: 1,118
Chevrolet: 784
Pontiac: 155
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65

Ford: 782
Ford: 682
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4

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

Toyota: 133

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.