Category: NASCAR Cup PR

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series
Next Race: UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics
The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway
The Date: Thursday, August 15
The Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: FS1, 8 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 100.6 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 55),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 110), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)
2018 Winner: Johnny Sauter

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series

We’re talkin’ ‘bout Playoffs

Thursday’s UNOH 200 (8:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) marks the start of the 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Playoffs and eight drivers – Brett Moffitt, Grant Enfinger, Stewart Friesen, Austin Hill, Ross Chastain, Matt Crafton, Johnny Sauter and Tyler Ankrum – will battle it out over the next seven races for the series title.

Moffitt enters the postseason as the top seed, carrying 22 Playoff points following two wins (Iowa, Chicago) and two stage wins. Regular season champion Enfinger trails just slightly with 19 Playoff points – four from stage wins and the remainder as the bonus earned by finishing atop the points standings after Michigan.

Friesen (Eldora), Hill (Daytona, Michigan), Chastain (Gateway, Pocono – Playoff-eligible wins; Kansas – prior to declaring for Gander Trucks points), Sauter (Dover) and Ankrum (Kentucky) all made their way to the postseason with wins.

ThorSport Racing teammates Enfinger and Crafton, who finished first and third in the regular season points, respectively, raced their way in on consistent finishes throughout the season.

Bristol Motor Speedway, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Las Vegas Motor Speedway make up the trio of tracks in the opening Round of 8 in the Playoffs. Two drivers will be eliminated from title contention following Las Vegas, and the Round of 6 will consist of Talladega Superspeedway, Martinsville Speedway and ISM Raceway. That will narrow the field down to the Championship 4 who will race for all the marbles at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November.

Click here for a complete look at the 2019 statistics and Gander Trucks Playoff history of each of the eight drivers.

Looking back on Gander Trucks Playoff history

The 2019 edition of the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Playoffs will be the fourth season using the elimination-style, three-round system to determine a champion.

Johnny Sauter won the initial showdown in Miami in 2016, holding off Matt Crafton, Christopher Bell and Timothy Peters to claim the crown. Bell turned the tables the next year, bettering Sauter, Crafton and Austin Cindric for the title.

And last year, Brett Moffitt won the race and the championship with Hattori Racing Enterprises, defeating Sauter, Justin Haley and Noah Gragson in South Florida.

Sauter is the only driver who has made it to the Championship 4 in each season of the elimination-style Playoff system. Crafton and Bell have each been there twice.

Austin Hill, Ross Chastain and Tyler Ankrum are all making their Gander Trucks Playoffs debuts this week. Moffitt, Stewart Friesen and Grant Enfinger each have one previous postseason appearance (last year). Sauter and Crafton lead the field, having qualified for the Playoffs in each year of the current format’s existence.

This year’s Playoffs features three previous series champions, as in addition to Sauter and Moffitt who won under the current format, Crafton captured back-to-back titles in 2013 and 2014, prior to the introduction of the elimination-style Playoff grid.

Prior performances at Bristol

Only one of the 2019 Gander Truck Playoff drivers has visited Victory Lane at this weekend’s venue – Bristol Motor Speedway – and he did it just a year ago. Johnny Sauter enters “The Last Great Colosseum” as the defending winner and hopes to repeat to guarantee his spot in the Round of 6.

And only one of the Playoff drivers has yet to race at Bristol – Sunoco Rookie of the Year Tyler Ankrum.

Matt Crafton leads the group with 16 starts (five more than Sauter’s 11) at Bristol. He has four top fives and 10 top 10s, with a pair of runner-up finishes (2009, 2017). Sauter has the win, five top-five and seven top-10 finishes.

Of the rest of the contenders, the most appearances any driver has at Bristol is three – by Ross Chastain, Stewart Friesen and Austin Hill.

Chastain’s starts are spread out a bit – he raced there in 2012 and 2013, posting his best Bristol finish of third in that second start. He was 12th in last year’s race. Meanwhile, Friesen had rough outings with results of 22nd or worse in his first two starts – but finished second to Sauter last season.

Hill is the lone Playoff contender with Bristol experience who has not tallied a top 10 at the track. In his three starts, his average finish is 20.7.

Brett Moffitt and Grant Enfinger each have two races under their belts at Bristol – and each has a top-five finish. Enfinger was fourth and 10th in his two starts while Moffitt finished second (2016) and 18th (last year).

The teams behind the contenders

ThorSport Racing leads the garage with three drivers contending for a championship in the 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Playoffs. And they are the only team with more than one driver qualified for the postseason.

In all, six different teams are fielding Playoff drivers – and all six teams won at least one race during the regular season.

Although ThorSport Racing’s Grant Enfinger and Matt Crafton secured their Playoff berths on points without a win, their teammate Johnny Sauter visited Victory Lane at Dover earlier this year.

GMS Racing (Brett Moffitt – two wins), Halmar Friesen Racing (Stewart Friesen – one win), Hattori Racing Enterprises (Austin Hill – two wins), Niece Motorsports (Ross Chastain – two Playoff-eligible wins, three overall) and DGR-Crosley (Tyler Ankrum – one win) make up the balance of the teams fielding Playoff contenders.

Tyler Ankrum locks up Sunoco Rookie of the Year title early

Heading into last weekend’s race at Michigan International Speedway, Harrison Burton had a 56-point lead over Sheldon Creed in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings (506 to 450). Tyler Dippel was third with 337 points while Tyler Ankrum had 322 points in fourth.

But that all changed at the drop of the checkered flag in the Irish Hills.

As luck would have it for Ankrum, he is the only Sunoco Rookie contender who qualified for the Playoffs, therefore he has already clinched the Sunoco Rookie of the Year title with seven races to go.

This is due to the points reset that happened at the beginning of the Playoffs, guaranteeing Ankrum would finish the season with no less than 2000 points.

Potential Bristol spoilers come in form of part-time entries

A pair of young rising stars and two seasoned veterans make up a quartet of drivers to watch as they attempt to play the role of spoiler this weekend to the Playoff drivers’ postseason hopes and dreams.

Seventeen-year old ARCA Menards Series standout Chandler Smith heads to the half-mile oval to make his third NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series start of the season. In two races so far with Kyle Busch Motorsports, he has recorded a pole (in his debut at Iowa) and two top-10 finishes (eighth at Iowa, fourth at Gateway). He’ll be behind the wheel of the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota on Thursday night.

And he’s shown that he has the coordinates to Victory Lane plugged into his GPS in ARCA – in only 18 starts over the past two seasons, he’s collected six race trophies, including four of the last six races he’s entered. (His participation has been limited by age at the larger tracks.) He has also recorded eight poles, including in the first four races he entered.

Also making is his series debut at Thunder Valley will be Raphael Lessard, as the 18-year-old Quebec, Canada, native will be starting his fourth Gander Trucks race. He made his debut at Martinsville with KBM, finishing 14th, and then ran a second race with the outfit at Dover, recording an 11th-place result. His third start came with DGR-Crosley at Iowa, where he notched his first top 10, placing ninth.

He will return to Kyle Busch Motorsports equipment this week, piloting the No. 46 entry for the team.

Parker Kligerman will be making his second series start this season and 78th overall in a truck, driving the No. 75 Henderson Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend. Kligerman has a pair of wins in the Gander Trucks and brings a pretty successful track record into Bristol. In five starts, he’s posted an average finish of 8.8, highlighted by a runner-up finish in 2012. Additionally, he finished fourth in this race last season.

And Timothy Peters will be racing for the fourth time this season in the Gander Trucks. A veteran with 246 series races and 11 wins under his belt, he’ll be driving the No. 92 Ricky Benton Racing Enterprises Ford.

Peters has climbed up into Victory Lane at “The Last Great Colosseum,” having taken the win in 2012. He has a total of three top-five and five top-10 finishes in 12 starts at Bristol, following up his win with a runner-up result in 2013.

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Etc.

Manufacturer standings: At the conclusion of the regular season, Toyota holds a 19-point lead over Chevrolet in the manufacturer standings (600 – 581). Ford is third with 533 points. Toyota also leads in wins this season, totaling nine victories. Chevrolet has visited Victory Lane six times while Ford has one win.

Owner’s championship outlook: Of the eight trucks contending for the 2019 Gander Trucks driver’s championship, seven are also entered in the fight for the owner’s title. The only outlier is the No. 88 ThorSport Racing Toyota – without a win on the season, they were replaced by the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota entry, which scored a post-season qualifying win at Texas Motor Speedway with Greg Biffle in June. That truck will be piloted by Chandler Smith this weekend.

Parade Laps: Insights into the driver in this week’s media breakouts

Four drivers from the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series – Hattori Racing Enterprises’ Austin Hill, ThorSport Racing’s Johnny Sauter, DGR-Crosley’s Tyler Ankrum and Niece Motorsports Ross Chastain – will be participating in this week’s media rotations at Bristol Motor Speedway leading into the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics on Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Gander Trucks media rotations are scheduled for Thursday, August 15 from 1-1:15 p.m. ET in Media Center Deadline Room.

Austin Hill (No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota Tundra)

Birthdate: April 21, 1994

Driver’s Age: 25

Hometown: Winston, Georgia

Hobbies: Hunting, spending time with family and boating

Crew Chief: Scott Zipadelli

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Career Highlights:

2019 marks Hill’s second full-time season in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Trucks Series.
He made his Truck Series debut in 2014 at Martinsville, finishing 26th.
Finished 11th in 2018 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series championship points, his first full season.
2019 Season Highlights:

Enters the 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Playoffs as the fourth seed, 10 points behind the Playoff standings leader Brett Moffitt and two points behind of third place Stewart Friesen.
This is his first career Gander Trucks Playoff appearance.
Through 16 races this season, Hill has put up two wins (Daytona, Michigan), four top fives, eight top 10s and two poles (Chicago, Pocono).
Has yet to win a stage this season but has accumulated 12 Playoff points.
Has led 121 of 2,059 laps completed (5.8%)
2019 average starting position, 8.9 and average finishing position, 14.2.
Bristol Motor Speedway Performance:

Has made three starts at Bristol Motor Speedway posting a best finish of 19th in 2016
Has an average start of 21.0 and an average finish of 20.7.

Johnny Sauter (No. 13 ThorSport Racing Ford F-150)

Birthdate: May 1, 1978

Driver’s Age: 41

Hometown: Necedah, Wisconsin

Hobbies: Late-model racing, family activities, hockey

Crew Chief: Joe Shear Jr.

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Career Highlights:

In 2018, he made the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Championship 4 for the third consecutive season; posted a career-high six wins on the season.
Finished second in 2017 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Playoffs, amassing a then career-high four wins along the way.
In 2016, he won the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series championship.
In 2009, he won the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award.
2019 Season Highlights:

Enters the 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Playoffs as the seventh seed, 13 points behind the Playoff standings leader Brett Moffitt and two points behind of sixth place Matt Crafton.
This is Sauter’s fourth consecutive career Gander Trucks Playoff appearance.
Through 15 races this season, Sauter has posted one win (Dover), three top fives, and seven top 10s – *Sauter only competed in 15 of the 16 scheduled races due to being suspended for one race (Charlotte).
Has won three stages and accumulated nine Playoff points.
Has led 76 of 2,060 laps completed (3.6%).
2019 average starting position, 7.4 and average finishing position, 7.2.
Bristol Motor Speedway Performance:

Has made 11 series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway posting one win (2018), five top fives and seven top 10s. Has also led 65 laps.
Average start, 11.6 and average finish, 8.8.

Ross Chastain (No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado)

Birthdate: December 4, 1992

Driver’s Age: 26

Hometown: Alva, Florida

Hobbies: Farming watermelons

Crew Chief: Phil Gould

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Career Highlights:

Chastain has raced part-time over nine seasons competing in 75 series races, recording three wins (Kansas, Gateway, Pocono – all in 2019), eight top-five and 22 top-10 finishes.
In 2012, he ran his only full-time season in the Gander Trucks. He tallied a top five and four top 10s.
2019 Season Highlights:

Enters the 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Playoffs as the fifth seed, 10 points behind the Playoff standings leader Brett Moffitt and two points behind of third place Stewart Friesen. Hill and Chastain are tied in the points, but currently Hill owns the tiebreaker (highest finishes).
This is Chastain’s first career Gander Trucks Playoff appearance.
Through 16 this season, Chastain has posted three wins (Kansas, Gateway, Pocono), six top fives, 13 top 10s and a pole (Michigan).
Has won three stages and accumulated 12 Playoff points.
Has led 305 of 2,334 laps completed (13.1%)
2019 average starting position, 12.1 and average finishing position, 9.2.
Bristol Motor Speedway Performance:

Has made three series starts at Bristol posting one top-five finish.
Has an average start of 19.7 and average finish of 11.3.

Tyler Ankrum (No. 17 DGR-Crosley Toyota Tundra)

Birthdate: March 6, 2001

Driver’s Age: 18

Hometown: San Bernardino, California

Crew Chief: Kevin Manion

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Career Highlights:

Clinched the 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors by becoming the only rookie to make the Playoffs.
Due to age restrictions, Ankrum missed the first three races of the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series season before turning 18-years old in March.
Made NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series debut on Oct. 27, 2018 at Martinsville Speedway driving for DGR-Crosley; he started 19th and finished 18th.
2019 Season Highlights:

Enters the 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Playoffs as the eighth and final seed, 17 points behind the Playoff standings leader Brett Moffitt and four points behind of seventh place Johnny Sauter.
Ankrum has clinched the Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series for 2018 because he is the only rookie this season to make the Playoffs.
Through the first 16 races of the season Ankrum has only competed in 13 of the events due to being too young to compete at the beginning of the season. In his 13 starts he has posted one win (Kentucky), three top fives and six top 10s.
Has yet to win a stage in 2019 but he has accumulated five Playoff points.
Has led 52 of 1,678 laps completed (3.1%)
2019 average starting position, 12.4 and average finishing position, 14.3.
Bristol Motor Speedway Performance:

He will make his first series start at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend.

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Knauf Insulation team head to Bristol Motor Speedway hoping for a repeat – or better – of their run at the Tennessee track back in April.

In that Food City 500, Menard and his No. 21 Ford Mustang stayed on the track on old tires on the race’s final caution period and came away with a season-best sixth-place finish.

He earned a season-high 34 points for that race in which he started ninth, earned three points with an eighth-place finish in the first Stage and generally made the most of pit strategies that saw him run numerous fast laps on older tires.

Eddie Wood said running fast times on old tires at Bristol is nothing new and pointed to the team’s only win at Bristol, where Elliott Sadler ran the final 162 laps on the same set to tires and same tank of fuel to beat John Andretti in the No. 43 fielded by Petty Enterprises.

That 2001 race was the last time that the 21 and the 43 have finished 1-2 in a Cup race, and it was the first at Bristol where teams chose to treat the race like one on a road course from a strategy standpoint.

“That was the start of teams using a strategy where once you get to where you can make it to the end on fuel you stay out during cautions,” Wood said, adding that trips to Bristol have long been fun experiences. “I always look forward to going up there.

The night race is special, and now that the PJ1 (traction compound) is a mainstay there, it’s interesting to see what affect it will have on the race.”

Wood also said he wouldn’t mind seeing a repeat of 2001.

“It’s been a while since we won a race, so it would be a good time to go get another one,” he said.

Qualifying is set for Friday at 5:45 p.m., and the race is scheduled to start just after 7:30 p.m. on Saturday with TV coverage on NBCSN.

Menards

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

Wood Brothers Racing

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

Richard Childress Racing’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series history at Bristol Motor Speedway … In 173 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing boasts nine wins – seven with Dale Earnhardt, one with Kevin Harvick and one with Jeff Burton – three pole awards, 34 top-five and 69 top-10 finishes.  The Welcome, N.C.-based organization has led 3,680 laps at the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile.”

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,967 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 51 pole awards,108 wins, 489 top-five finishes and 1,073 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.7 and an average finishing position of 16.2. RCR has earned 15 total championships (six Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championships with Earnhardt in 1986, ’87, ’90, ’91, ’93 and ’94, six NASCAR Xfinity Series titles, two NASCAR Truck Series titles and one ARCA Menards Series title) and was the first organization to win titles in NASCAR’s three national series.

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

Catch the Action … The Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway will be televised live Saturday, August 17 beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This Week’s Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Bristol Motor Speedway … In 11 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Dillon has one top-five and two top-10 finishes. He posted his best finish of fourth in August 2016. He is a former winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the track.

Welcome, Tracker Off Road … Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 prominently features TRACKER ATVs, a game-changing new line of all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides offering breakthrough performance, service and value in the off-road industry.

TRACKER OFF ROAD was born out of a powerhouse partnership formed between Bass Pro Shops and TRACKER founder Johnny Morris and Textron Specialized Vehicles, bringing together the undisputed world leader in boating with a global leader in innovation and technology.

Meet Dillon … Dillon is scheduled to join his teammate, Daniel Hemric, at an autograph session at Bass Pro Shops in Bristol, Tennessee (1 Bass Pro Drive, Bristol, Tenn. 37620) on Thursday, August 15 beginning at 7 p.m. ET. He is also scheduled to participate in a Q&A Session on the Team Chevy Stage in the Bristol Motor Speedway Midway on Saturday, August 17 at 4:05 p.m. ET.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
What do you think about racing at Bristol Motor Speedway?
“Man, they can’t mess Bristol Motor Speedway up, truthfully. Bristol is Bristol and it doesn’t matter what lane you are in it is good racing. I enjoy going there. Bristol is just a hardcore track where you need some driveability that you have built into the car mechanically. I look forward to Bristol each year. That time of year is always fun, I think. It is what racing is all about.”
Daniel Hemric and the No. 8 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Bristol Motor Speedway … Hemric will be making his second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at Bristol Motor Speedway and first in the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race. The Kannapolis, North Carolina, native was turned into the outside wall during his first Cup Series start at Bristol in April. He also has four previous NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the half-mile track, earning two top-five and three top-10 finishes.

About Bass Pro Shops … Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit www.basspro.com/.

Meet the Driver … Hemric is scheduled to be at the Bass Pro Shops in Bristol, Tennessee with fellow RCR driver Austin Dillon starting at 7 p.m. local time on Thursday, August 15. He is also scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR merchandise hauler in the Bristol Motor Speedway midway on Friday, August 16, starting at 3 p.m. local time.

DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
What was your biggest takeaway from your first Cup start at Bristol Motor Speedway, despite being caught up in someone else’s incident?
“We’re definitely not bringing the package we had in the Spring race for this weekend’s Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race. As a company, once we got through the first Bristol race in April – myself, Austin Dillon, our affiliate teammates Ty Dillon and Bubba Wallace – we sat in our competition meetings and determined we needed to fundamentally go in a different direction at the high-banked, high-speed tracks like Bristol and Dover. Our best race car was able to run 14th to 16th, and that is where we were running when we got crashed by a lapped car in April. That’s not going to cut it. You have to be better than that. Especially when it is a track that you and everyone on your team feels you should have success at. With that being said, we know it is not easy and you have to work for it. We will show up this weekend with a fundamentally different package on the Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet and we have been working ever since we left that racetrack in April to change those fundamentals, so I am eager to get there and see what we have come up with.”

What does it mean to not only be a part of your first Bristol night race, but to have Bass Pro Shops on the car for Saturday night’s event?
“One of my earliest memories of NASCAR racing was watching Dale Earnhardt and Terry Labonte go at it under the lights at Bristol from the foot of my father’s bed. Bristol is such a special racetrack, but everything seems to be ramped up when the lights turn on for the August night race. Bass Pro Shops has been an amazing partner to RCR over the years, and it is an honor to have them on our No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for this weekend’s race. I know the scheme will look great under the lights and hopefully we can give them a strong performance once the green flag flies.”

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

Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race – Saturday, Aug. 17 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Newman at Bristol Motor Speedway

·         Newman will make his 36th Cup start at Bristol Saturday night. In 35 prior events, Newman has 19 top-10 finishes with two top-fives and an average finish of 15.5.

·         Newman’s best result at the half-mile track came back in 2004 when he finished second. He also crossed the line fifth in 2015. In the past 10 races at Bristol, Newman has only one finish outside the top-15 with six top-10s.

·         In the last four second Bristol races alone, Newman has two top-10s with an average finish of 14th.

·         Newman has three career Cup poles at The World’s Fastest Half Mile and an average start of 12.2 He led the field to green in 2003, 2004 and again in 2011.

·         Newman also has an additional nine starts in the Xfinity and Truck series combined, winning in Xfinity action back in 2005. He earned the pole for the 2006 race and finished 10th or better in five Xfinity starts there. He also started from the top spot in 2009 in the No. 2 truck before finishing fourth.

·         Additionally, Newman has seven starts at Bristol in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, where he won twice (2010, 2011).

Scott Graves at Bristol Motor Speedway

·         Graves will call his eighth MENCS race at Bristol on Saturday. In seven prior events, Graves’ best finish came with Newman back in April, a ninth-place result.

·         Graves has called seven Xfinity Series events at Bristol dating back to 2012, recording one top five (Chris Buescher – 2015) and two additional top-10s (Buescher – 2014, Suarez – 2016).

Last Time at Bristol
Newman drove his Wyndham Rewards Ford to a ninth-place finish in the April race at Bristol this past spring, his first top-10 of the season. After lining up 11th, Newman picked up his best stage finish of the season of third to end stage two. He went on to restart the race fifth for a 20-lap shootout before finishing ninth, his first of three-straight top-10s during the month of April.

QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on racing at Bristol:
“We’re coming down to the wire in the playoff picture, which puts an extra emphasis on these next three races. Bristol is a track we feel like we can excel at based off both our run there, as well as the speed Ricky (Stenhouse) had back in April. The night race at Bristol is always full of excitement and we’re ready to unload in our Acronis Ford to see what we can do.”

Tracking the Playoff Hunt

·         With three races to go in the regular season and hunt for the playoffs, Newman sits 15th in points, 16 ahead of the cutoff. Clint Bowyer is 10 back in 16th, while Daniel Suarez is the next-closest in 17th, 16 behind Newman.

On the Car
The Global leader in Cyber Protection, Acronis, makes its second appearance aboard Ryan Newman’s No. 6 Ford Mustang this weekend at Bristol. It is the second of three races for Acronis as the primary partner on the No. 6 (Watkins Glen, Dover II).

About Acronis
Acronis leads the world in cyber protection — solving safety, accessibility, privacy, authenticity, and security (SAPAS) challenges with innovative backup, security, disaster recovery, and enterprise file sync and share solutions that run in hybrid cloud environments: on-premises, in the cloud, or at the edge. Enhanced by AI technologies and blockchain-based data authentication, Acronis protects all data, in any environment, including physical, virtual, cloud, mobile workloads, and applications. With 500,000 business customers, and a powerful worldwide community of Acronis API-enabled service providers, resellers, and ISV partners, Acronis is trusted by 79 of the top 100 most valuable brands and has over 5 million customers. With dual headquarters in Switzerland and Singapore, Acronis is a global organization with offices worldwide and customers and partners in over 190 countries. Learn more at acronis.com.

Recapping Michigan
A great strategy call combined with some late race fortune allowed Newman to climb from 20th up to 12th in the closing laps of Sunday’s race at Michigan. As cars begin to fade due to a race on fuel mileage, Newman was good to the end thanks to a key strategy call and gained valuable points to exit Michigan +16 in the playoff picture.

Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway

No. 95 Toyota Express Maintenance Camry Notes:

·       DIBENEDETTO BY THE NUMBERS: In nine Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career starts at Bristol, Matt DiBenedetto has an average start of 28.0, an average finish of 19.7, and he’s completed 4,488 of 4,511 (99.5 percent) career laps at the half-mile high-banked track, making it one of his best tracks on the circuit.

·       THE TOYOTA EXPRESS MAINTENANCE DIFFERENCE: When your Toyota needs factory-scheduled service, Toyota Express Maintenance (TXM) helps keep our guests moving with quality, speed and value.  Toyota Express Maintenance provides precision service that’s precisely timed to fit within the busy schedules of Toyota owners.  The pit crew-inspired approach helps get our guests in and out quickly, all at the right price with the quality they expect from a Toyota dealer.  Toyota Express Maintenance emphasizes quality workmanship, competitive pricing and fast service.  Services performed under Toyota Express Maintenance include oil and filter change, brake inspection, tire rotation, fluid inspection/replenishment and multipoint vehicle inspection. Additional expedited services are available.

·       RACE INFO: The Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (0.533-mile) begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 17th. The race will be broadcast live on NBCSN, Sirius XM Channel 90 and PRN Radio.

DiBenedetto’s Career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Bristol:

Date                Event:                                                             S          F         Laps            Status
04/19/15          Food City 500                                                 22        21        508/511        Running
08/22/15          Irwin Tools Night Race                                   42        33         493/500       Running
04/17/16          Food City 500                                                 30        6          500/500       Running
08/21/16          Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race                  18        17        500/500        Running
04/24/17          Food City 500                                                 32        19        498/500        Running
08/19/17          Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race                  34        26        496/500        Running
04/16/18          Food City 500                                                 24        21       497/500        Running
08/18/18          Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race                  29        22        496/500        Running
04/07/19          Food City 500                                                 21        12       500/500        Running

Races     Wins     Top 5s    Top 10s       Poles
Cumulative         9            0              0              1                0

DiBenedetto’s 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats:
Starts         Wins        Top-5’s     Top-10’s         Poles        Laps Led          Avg. Start       Avg. Finish
23               0                 2                 4                    0                50                     21.4                 20.4

DiBenedetto’s Career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Stats:
Starts         Wins        Top-5’s     Top-10’s         Poles        Laps Led          Avg. Start       Avg. Finish
163                0                 2                8                    0                 73                     29.7                 27.7

From the Driver’s Seat:

Matt DiBenedetto: “I like all short tracks, so of course I’m looking forward to getting to Bristol this weekend.  Bristol has always been one of my favorite tracks to go to because it’s such a fast and fun high-banked track where you really need to be up on the wheel all day hustling the car.  All the work that you have to do inside of the car throughout the race at Bristol makes it a place that really fits my style of driving.  The cars have gotten so fast around Bristol lately that it’s not quite as much of the bumping, routing, and gouging each other that we used to see there because we’re now driving on the razor’s edge, and if that stuff happened, it would be so much easier to crash or get crashed.  When we raced at Bristol earlier this season, we had the most green-flag passes and we really didn’t touch anybody all day since you just can run a different line than the person in front of you in order to try and get by.  My expectation this weekend is to win the race.  When we go to a 1.5-mile or two-mile track I feel like sometimes we’re just hoping for a top-15 finish, but coming to a place like Bristol this weekend we’re really shooting for a top-five run since those goals and expectations of mine are different depending upon the track.  We as a team can make a bigger impact at some tracks versus others where it’s not just car speed, but it’s car handling and drivers working their guts out inside of the cars.”

From the Pit Box:

Mike Wheeler: “I’m looking forward to going back to Bristol this weekend.  Obviously, we have some good notes for there from the spring race and it was one of our better early season performances of the year.  Hopefully with everything we learned in that first race, as well as everything we’ve learned over the course of the season, we can perform even better this weekend.  Since they applied the PJ1 there to make it two different lanes, it definitely made it better for passing and multiple grooves.  There are still basically only two main grooves and not three or four.  Saying that, passing is somewhat difficult, but when you do have a better car, it is very possible to make up a lot of spots.  A challenge of Bristol is that the track is ever-changing and as the rubber gets laid down, the PJ1 picks up, and as the temperatures change, it seems like you might have a good balance at one point during practice in the morning, but by the end of practice, it’s definitely different.  One of the battles you face there is trying to understand how the track is going to change over the course of the weekend.  The night race is a change from the spring race at Bristol, but obviously we’ve learned a lot over the season thus far so that makes things change as well, but ultimately your race notes from the first Bristol race should still apply to this night race.  A lot of what we go through on a normal weekend will still apply, even though it is a night race compared to a day race.”

No. 95 Toyota Express Maintenance Camry Team:
Driver: Matt DiBenedetto                   Crew Chief: Mike Wheeler
Car Chief: Greg Emmer                     Spotter: Doug Campbell
Engineer: J.R. Houston                     Engineer: Etienne Cliche
Mechanic: Bill Mares                         Mechanic: Matt Kimball
Shock Specialist: Sean Studer         Mechanic: Zach Marquardt
Tire Specialist: Tony Ramirez          Jackman: Charles Thacker
Fueler: Brian Eastland                       Rear Changer: Deven Youker
Front Changer: Adam Hartman        Tire Carrier: Chris Hall
Hauler Driver: Damon Lopez

About Toyota:

Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands. Over the past 60 years, we’ve built more than 38 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 47,000 people (more than 37,000 in the U.S.).  Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2018 – and about 87 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 16 years are still on the road today.

Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Freight Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Race Info
Race: Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race
Date/Time: August 17/7:30 p.m. E
Distance: 500 laps/266.5 miles
Track Length: .533 mile
Track Shape: Oval
2018 Winner: Kyle Busch

Express Notes:

Press Kit: Download the 2019 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Chris Gabehart and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights and statistics.

Michigan (Consumers Energy 400) Recap: Denny Hamlin finished second to Kevin Harvick at Michigan International Speedway Sunday in a race where the closing laps had everyone guessing who had enough to fuel to make it to the finish. Hamlin and the #11 team had a fast FedEx Office Toyota, shooting from their starting position of 14th to the top five by Lap 23 and to the lead by Lap 40. Hamlin stayed in the top five for most of the 200-lap event, well ahead of numerous wrecks that victimized several mid-pack cars throughout the race. He led twice for a total of six laps. The final pit stop of the day proved pivotal to the race’s outcome. The leaders all came to pit road after a caution on Lap 150, with some filling their fuel tanks enough to make it to Lap 200 and some coming up a little short. As the final laps of the race ticked down, some of the top five had to peel off for fuel, while Harvick stayed out front and Hamlin worked to chase him down. The #11 wasn’t fast enough and crossed the line for a runner-up finish – Hamlin’s fifth straight top-five finish.

Bristol (Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race) Preview: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads next to the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile” for 500 laps of action at Bristol Motor Speedway for a Saturday night race on August 17. With five top-five finishes, including a win, in the past five races, Hamlin and team will be looking to continue their momentum as playoff racing approaches in the coming weeks.

Hamlin Bristol Statistics:
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway
Races: 27
Wins: 1 (2012)
Poles: 3 (2013, 2014, 2015)
Top-5: 8
Top-10: 13
Laps Led: 618
Avg. Start: 14.0
Avg. Finish 14.9

Hamlin Conversation:

How is your team making adjustments to racing at tracks the second time around?

“As we did in Michigan, the FedEx team did a great job adjusting from the last time we were there. The fastest car won the race, speed-wise, but I feel like we had a great FedEx Camry and performed better than last time. We secured a top-five finish last time out at Bristol, so our team is hard at work looking at what we can improve and how we can put ourselves in the best position to win.”

How is your team preparing for Bristol, and do you find it more difficult preparing for a night race?

“Our team is always working hard to prepare for every race, and of course we learn about ourselves and our Toyota Camry through practice, but how we practice is totally different from how we race at night. As a result, you see a lot of experienced drivers perform well at night races, and we will have to be at the top of our game to stay competitive.”

Industry-Leading Transportation Services Company Celebrates its 50th Anniversary in 2019

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (August 13, 2019) – Penske Truck Leasing (PTL), a leading transportation services company, will be the primary sponsor of the No. 22 Penske Truck Rental Dallara/Chevrolet driven by 2019 Indianapolis 500 winner Simon Pagenaud of Team Penske for the IndyCar Series race weekend at Pocono Raceway, August 17-18.

Both PTL and Pagenaud have enjoyed landmark years in 2019 and they will team up for PTL’s “home-state” race next month. Based in Reading, Pennsylvania, PTL is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019, having grown from just three locations to operating more than 3,700 across North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Today, PTL operates and maintains an expansive fleet of more than 323,000 vehicles.

Pagenaud became the first driver in INDYCAR history to sweep the month of May at Indianapolis this year by winning the INDYCAR Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500 pole position and then producing the record 18th victory for Team Penske in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

The first French driver to win the Indianapolis 500 in 99 years hopes to continue his remarkable season when he carries PTL’s iconic yellow Penske Truck Rental livery on his Team Penske IndyCar for the upcoming 500-mile race at Pocono.

“The Pocono race is an important event for Penske Truck Leasing as the only IndyCar Series race in Pennsylvania and it is a great opportunity for our team to represent PTL with the Indianapolis 500-winning team and with Simon behind the wheel,” said Roger Penske. “Pocono will also be a pivotal race in the series championship and we know Simon and the No. 22 Chevrolet team will be working hard to add another 500-mile race win to their accomplishments this season.”

The distinctive yellow and blue Penske Truck Rental paint scheme has a successful history with Team Penske, including four combined wins among NASCAR and INDYCAR competition. The most recent race victory for PTL came with Helio Castroneves at the Edmonton (AB) City Centre Airport circuit during the 2012 IndyCar Series season. Pagenaud also has a history representing PTL as the company was featured as the primary sponsor on his car for eight races during the 2015 IndyCar Series season – his first with Team Penske.

“This is a special 50th anniversary year for us at Penske Truck Leasing and what better way to mark our anniversary than by partnering with a winning driver like Simon and Team Penske for the INDYCAR race at Pocono,” said Brian Hard, PTL’s president and CEO. “We’re proud of our founding heritage here in Pennsylvania and we’re sincerely grateful to our customers, associates, and partners for the growth and success we’ve experienced these past 50 years.”

Pagenaud, the 2016 IndyCar Series champion, is currently third in the series standings, just 47 points behind series leader and Team Penske teammate Josef Newgarden with four races remaining on the season. In addition to sweeping the races at Indianapolis, Pagenaud also scored a victory on the streets of Toronto, as his three wins rank second behind only Newgarden among all series drivers this season.

“It is always a special opportunity to represent one of the other Penske companies on the racetrack,” said Pagenaud. “Penske Truck Leasing has a remarkable success story and it will be an honor to help them celebrate their 50th anniversary in their home state of Pennsylvania. A win at Pocono would mean a lot to them, and it would also give our team a great push for the championship as well.”

ABOUT PENSKE TRUCK LEASING

Celebrating its 50th year in business, Penske Truck Leasing Co., L.P., headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania, is a partnership of Penske Corporation, Penske Automotive Group and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. A leading global transportation services provider, PTL operates more than 323,000 vehicles and serves customers from more than 3,700 locations in North America, South America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Product lines include full-service truck leasing, contract maintenance, commercial and consumer truck rentals, used truck sales, transportation and warehousing management and supply chain management solutions. Visit https://www.gopenske.com/ to learn more.

ABOUT TEAM PENSKE
Team Penske is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Cars owned and prepared by Team Penske have produced more than 530 major race wins, over 600 pole positions and 34 Championships across open-wheel, stock car and sports car racing competition. Over the course of its 53-year history, the team has also earned 18 Indianapolis 500 victories, two Daytona 500 Championships, a Formula 1 win and overall victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Team Penske currently competes in the IndyCar Series, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The team also races in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, in a partnership with Dick Johnson Racing, as DJR Team Penske. For more information about Team Penske, please visit www.teampenske.com.

Team: No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Brian Pattie
Twitter: @Stenhouse17Team, @stenhousejr, and @roushfenway

ADVANCE NOTES

Stenhouse at Bristol Motor Speedway

Stenhouse has 13 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, with an average starting position of 19.6 and average finishing position of 13.0.

In his 13 MENCS starts, Stenhouse has scored four top-five and six top-10 finishes at the ‘World’s Fastest Half-Mile’.

Last time at Bristol

When a few cars tangled on the start causing a chain reaction, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. suffered major damage to the front of his Ford forcing him to settle with a 33rd-place finish.

Tennessee native

Lead engineer on the No. 17 team, Randy Seals, grew up in McMinnville, Tennessee, which is about four hours from Bristol Motor Speedway. Seals is an avid pilot who flies his University of Tennessee orange plane to most of the close races, including Bristol.

Fastenal Racing Fan Club

Make sure to go join the new Fastenal Racing Fan Club to receive exclusive content and prizes.

On the Car

Fastenal is currently in its eighth season as a primary partner in the MENCS for Roush Fenway. They spent three years on the No. 99 before jumping over to the No. 17 entry, and were the primary partner on the No. 60 Xfinity team that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.

Stenhouse Jr. on racing at Bristol:

“Bristol is by far my favorite track so I’m looking forward to this weekend. I was bummed in the spring that we didn’t get to race and show exactly how much speed we had because throughout the weekend in practice that was by far the best race car that I have ever had at Bristol. We know we need to win one of the next three races to make the playoffs and Bristol is probably our best shot. Hopefully our Fastenal Ford will have the same speed we had in the spring and we will be able to showcase it.”

FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: BRISTOL NOTES

Bristol Motor Speedway will be host to all three NASCAR national series this week, beginning with the Gander Outdoor Truck Series Playoff opener on Thursday night. That’s followed by the NASCAR XFINITY Series race on Friday and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event Saturday night. Here’s a look at each series going into this week’s competition.

FORD IN THE MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES AT BMS

· Ford has 37 all-time series wins at BMS.

· Joey Logano won back-to-back Bristol Night Races in 2014 and 2015.

· Roger Penske is tied for the most BMS series wins among active owners with 12.

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT BMS

· Ford has nine series wins at BMS.

· The last Ford victory came by Joey Logano in 2015 (Drive to Stop Diabetes 300).

· Jack Roush has five series wins at BMS by five different drivers (Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and David Ragan).

FORD IN THE GANDER OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES AT BMS

· Ford has 5 all-time series wins at BMS.

· Joe Ruttman won the first series event at the track in 1995.

· Brad Keselowski’s only NCWTS win came at Bristol in 2014.

CUP PLAYOFF RACE DOWN TO THE WIRE

With three races remaining in the regular season, there are five Ford drivers in prime position to advance and make the NASCAR Playoffs field of 16. Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick have won multiple times and are guaranteed spots while Ryan Blaney and Aric Almirola are ninth and 11, respectively, in the point standings. Three other Ford drivers are battling to be 16th or better in the standings with only three races remaining. Ryan Newman (15th), Clint Bowyer (16th) and Daniel Suarez (17th) are separated by 16 points.

FORD GOING FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT NXS VICTORY

Ford enters this weekend’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway on a three-race winning streak. Chase Briscoe won his first event of the season at Iowa Speedway and then Austin Cindric captured back-to-back road course races at Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio. Ironically, the last time Ford won four straight NXS races was 2014 when Brad Keselowski, Marcos Ambrose, Chris Buescher and Ryan Blaney won consecutively at Iowa, Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio, and Bristol – the same stretch of races for this current streak.

THREE FORD DRIVERS EYE TRUCK SERIES TITLE

The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Playoffs get started on Thursday night and three Ford drivers from ThorSport Racing will be contending for this year’s championship. Grant Enfinger enters as the regular-season champion after clinching that title last week at Michigan International Speedway. He’s joined by Johnny Sauter, who earned his position by winning at Dover, and Matt Crafton, who got the final position based on points. Crafton won back-to-back series championships in 2013-2014 while Sauter captured the crown in 2016.

FIREBALL BURNS BRIGHT IN FORD DEBUT

Ford won its first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 31, 1963 when Fireball Roberts won the Southeastern 500. What made the win so noteworthy is that it marked the debut of Roberts with Ford as a teammate of Fred Lorenzen’s at Holman-Moody. The duo put on a dominant show that day as they combined to lead 329 of 500 laps with Roberts leading 165 and Lorenzen 164. Roberts passed his new teammate with eight laps to go and won by five seconds as the race saw only one caution for nine laps. Roberts went on to win four races in 1963 while Lorenzen won six times.

A THREE SERIES SWEEP

One of the most memorable Ford weekends in recent years came in August of 2014 when Ford swept all three NASCAR series races – Gander Outdoors Truck, XFINITY and Monster Energy Cup at Bristol Motor Speedway. Brad Keselowski captured his first GOTS victory while Ryan Blaney took the XFINITY event. Joey Logano capped the weekend sweep when he passed Matt Kenseth with 45 laps to go and then had to hold off Keselowski to post his third win of the 2014 season. Logano was in control until caution came out with 69 laps to go. While he pitted for four tires, Kenseth and others stayed out which put Logano sixth on the ensuing restart with 63 to go. With fresh tires, however, he was able to move to the front in less than 20 laps and then hold off his Penske teammate down the stretch. It marked the first time Ford swept all three divisions in the same weekend since 2006 when Mark Martin (GOTS) and Kenseth (NXS and MENCS) did it, ironically, at Bristol.

LOGANO WINS BACK-TO-BACK NIGHT RACES

Joey Logano held off a hard-charging Kevin Harvick over the final 25 laps to win the IRWIN Tools Night Race for the second consecutive year in 2015. Logano led four times for 176 laps, including all but four of the final 147 laps and that was because he pitted when the caution came out with 71 laps to go while Penske teammate Brad Keselowski opted to stay out for track position. Even though Keselowski had the lead on the ensuing restart, Logano’s four fresh tires enabled him to get the lead immediately and he held on over the final 64 circuits to post his 11th career victory.

BRISTOL BULLET POINTS

Rusty Wallace and Kurt Busch lead the way with five career Ford wins at BMS while Fred Lorenzen won three consecutive races at the half-mile oval…In addition, Alan Kulwicki won five races during his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career and two of those came at Bristol Motor Speedway (1991-92)…Ford has swept both Bristol races seven times with the last coming in 2014 when Carl Edwards won the first event in March and Logano followed with his Night Race triumph in August.

ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND

The date was July 20, 1969 and while Neil Armstrong we uttering those groundbreaking words as being the first man to step foot on the moon, David Pearson was busy winning at Bristol on the first race since the track installed high banking. What made the race even more interesting is that Pearson was relieved during the race by none other than Richard Petty, who was driving a Ford that season and dropped out earlier in the event. Even more ironic is that Petty was chasing Pearson for the championship that season, one in which Pearson eventually won for the second straight time.

FORD MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP WINNERS AT BRISTOL
1963 – Fireball Roberts and Fred Lorenzen
1964 – Fred Lorenzen (Sweep)
1965 – Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett
1966 – Dick Hutcherson (1)
1968 – David Pearson (Sweep)
1969 – David Pearson (2)
1970 – Donnie Allison (1)
1971 – David Pearson (1)
1988 – Bill Elliott (1)
1990 – Davey Allison (1)
1991 – Alan Kulwicki (2)
1992 – Alan Kulwicki (1)
1993 – Mark Martin (2)
1994 – Rusty Wallace (2)
1996 – Rusty Wallace (2)
1997 – Dale Jarrett (2)
1998 – Mark Martin (2)
1999 – Rusty Wallace (1)
2000 – Rusty Wallace (Sweep)
2001 – Elliott Sadler (1)

2002 – Kurt Busch (1)
2003 – Kurt Busch (Sweep)
2004 – Kurt Busch (1)
2005 – Matt Kenseth (2)
2006 – Matt Kenseth (2)
2007 – Carl Edwards (2)
2008 – Carl Edwards (2)
2014 – Carl Edwards and Joey Logano
2015 – Joey Logano (2)
2018 – Kurt Busch (2)

FORD NASCAR XFINITY WINNERS AT BRISTOL
1989 – Mark Martin (2)
1994 – Kenny Wallace (2)
1996 – Mark Martin (1)
1997 – Jeff Burton (1)
2006 – Matt Kenseth (2)
2007 – Carl Edwards (1)
2009 – David Ragan (2)
2014 – Ryan Blaney (2)
2015 – Joey Logano (1)

FORD GANDER OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT BRISTOL
1995 – Joe Ruttman
2004 – Carl Edwards
2006 – Mark Martin
2014 – Brad Keselowski
2015 – Ryan Blaney

Austin Dillon and The No. 3 Chevy Accessories Team Coast to 13th-Place Finish at Michigan International Speedway

Finish: 13th
Start: 37th
Points: 22nd

“It was a battle all weekend at Michigan International Speedway, but this Richard Childress Racing team never gave up. We started far back in the field in our Chevy Accessories Camaro ZL1 but opted for two-tire pit stops during the early part of the race in order to get track position. That strategy worked because we were able to race our way into the top-10. There was a one-lap shootout to end Stage 2 and things got wild when we got spun through the grass at 200 mph. That was a scary moment, for sure. We ended up with damage that again put us far back in the running order. Luckily, our Chevy Accesories Camaro ZL1 remained fast. On a restart we gained a lot of spots but came really close to wrecking and lost them all. We drove back to the front and were on our way to a 10th-place finish but ran out of fuel with one lap to go and coasted to the end to finish 13th. What a day! Bring on Bristol Motor Speedway!”-Austin Dillon

Daniel Hemric and the Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Team Show Speed at Michigan International Speedway Before On-Track Incident

Finish: 26th
Start: 38th
Points: 25th

“Luck certainly has not been on the side of this No. 8 team the last two weeks. We started at the back of the field but we had a strong Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet and were able to race into the top 15 at the beginning of the race. Our troubles started at the end of Stage 2. There was a one-lap restart to end the stage and I don’t know if Aric Almirola thought he was clear or what, but he came right across my nose, put me into the outside wall and damaged the left front, collecting our teammate as well. From there, we just tried to salvage all we could out of the damaged race car. I’m proud of these guys for never giving up and doing all they could to get me back out on the track without losing a lap after that incident. We fell a lap down at the end but I was doing all I could to maintain position as best as possible.” -Daniel Hemric