Category: NASCAR Cup PR

Toyota Racing – Denny Hamlin
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
Michigan International Speedway – August 9, 2019

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to the media in Michigan:

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

How was first practice?

“Everyone was in qualifying trim, so no one ran around each other, and everyone is running wide open, so it was uneventful from that stand point. You kind of got a good idea of where your car was on speed. I think ours is probably a couple tenths off from a pole winning car, but if we can be somewhere in the top 12-13, we will pretty happy.”

Do you think anyone will use the traction compound that is up there?

“No. Not today. I don’t think it will be used in the race very much. It is so high up there that the distance is going to be too much because people on the bottom will be running so much throttle. It’s just a shade too high to be useful right now.”

Do you think it should have been moved down?

“I think Goodyear didn’t want us to move it down because worries about tires.”

How has the season been going for you?

“It’s been going as good as we could hope. I think we have done a good job in the regular season of getting playoff points and those are the important things you are going to have to have if you are going to get to Homestead. We’ve done pretty good so far; we are pretty happy about where we are at.”

You think there will be a lot of side drafting here?
“I think side drafting will be an important part of how we execute passes. I think you are going to have time those side drafts in good places up on the racetrack. I’m looking forward to see how it all plays out and hopefully we are on the right end of it.”

How prepared do you feel about this weekend?

“Good, I hope. I think that the race here a month ago was our worst race of the season. The stats said we were like the 19th fastest car during the race. We finished 11th and we expect fully to recover from that and to have a good race. I know my crew chief does a great job of making adjustments whenever he sees that we did something wrong. I’m actually excited to get the race going and see how we stack up now that we have more information.”

Talk about your crew chief, Chris Gabehart.

“Yeah, he’s just a great crew chief. He does things a lot differently than I’m used to, but it has been working good, so I have embraced it.”

The last seven races here have been won by a Ford or a Chevy, does that make it more of an emphasis?

“It doesn’t make us put a point of emphasis. If you look at the tracks that are in the playoffs, I don’t know that there is a two-mile, wide open track like this one. So, we don’t spend any more time on this than any other race to be honest. We focus every week to win that week; we don’t go out and build special cars for Michigan because it’s home to the big three. We enjoy when we come here and run well. I think it’s a little more coincidence than we haven’t won here in a few years.”

You are solidly in the playoffs. Does that affect how you run at the end of stages?

“We are fourth in the points right now. We are just a handful behind (Kevin) Harvick. We are somewhat in our own race. We would like to win stages. We would like to win this race, but if not, we are going to do everything we can to gain points on the three guys in front of us. We’ve scored the most points over the last six or seven weeks and, certainly, we’ve closed the gap on the leader in the points by a significant amount. Maybe they just have one or two more bad races in the next few, we could really make a run at getting up even higher in the points. That will pay us more playoff, which will make our job to get to Homestead easier. We race each race individually to gain as many points as we can and grab as many playoff points as we can.”

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
CONSUMERS ENERGY 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 9, 2019

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 met with media and discussed traction compound, what it would be like to win at Michigan, the upcoming race at Bristol, and more. Full Transcript:

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME USING THE PJ1 HERE AT MICHIGAN. WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF TRACTION COMPOUND OVERALL? PRO OR CON?
“I think it’s a good thing to be messing with. Back when we were going really fast here, I think this was probably a track that really needed it bad. It’s so far up the race track here that everybody is a little concerned. It might be a little too far around for the amount of power we have. I feel like that’s the big question mark. You’re not lifting enough to make up longer distance. You use 2 rpm or whatever kind of distance, if you can move up high enough and get it; whereas now, we’re so close to wide-open running the regular groove, I think it’s going to be hard. But the one thing I don’t know and I’m not sure about everybody else. But it seems like to me, if there’s an advantage in maybe drafting or being to the right side of a car here, that might push it up. But, just to be running out there by yourself with nobody else around you, I don’t think you can go any faster up there. I think it’s too high.”

YOUR DAD (BILL ELLIOTT) WON 7 TIMES AT MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY. WHAT WOULD IT MEAN FOR YOU TO WIN HERE?
“That would be great. I haven’t won enough to be picky. So, anywhere is good for me and anytime sounds good too. This is definitely a frustrating place because we’ve had some really close runs here. I’ve had a couple of great opportunities that I pretty much threw in the trash can over there in the corner and I would love to try to finish some of those days off.”

A LOT OF RACERS HAVE UNIQUE TALENTS LIKE YOU DO THE VOICEOVERS. WHAT’S IT LIKE ON AND OFF THE TRACK WITH YOUR FELLOW RACERS?
“We all have obligations and things that we do outside of racing and then we all have hobbies and things we like to do outside of racing, too. I guess the following of NASCAR and that opens the door to do some of those things like the voiceovers, so things like that are cool. In the right circumstance, it gets you out of the norm, which is sometimes a good thing.”

FOR THE UPCOMING BRISTOL RACE, TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONCRETE AND ASPHALT AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A NIGHT RACE AND A DAY RACE
“Again, it has some more grip than the regular asphalt or concrete, or so it seems. I feel like the amount they’ve been putting on it at Bristol has been really nice. I guess there was a rumor going around that they weren’t going to put it down this time. I’m not sure if that’s the case or not. But, I think it would be a big mistake if they didn’t. In my opinion, the top is already the preferred lane. And I think it will continue to be the preferred lane. It was even with the grippy stuff down. So, I think it gives the bottom a little bit bigger chance for the majority of the race, at least. And then the top tends to prevail, as momentum will, I guess, over time. Yeah, I think it was good. I thought what they’ve been doing there was pretty nice.”

WITH YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE CUP SERIES HOW HAVE YOU SEEN THE MORAL COMPASS OF THE FIELD EVOLVE?

WHAT’S A MORAL COMPASS?
“What people are willing to do or not willing to do.”

OKAY
“I feel like everybody has always kind of done what they’ve had to do for the most part. I do feel like now it seems like we’re all a little closer on the race track because the spoilers are big and everything. Drafting at some places keeps you closer it seems like. But I don’t necessarily think that’s really evolved a whole lot since I’ve been here. Everybody has always done what they’ve had to do. The good guys tend to prevail. We’ve seen the same crowd make it to Homestead the past number of years. The law of average, at some point you’re going to start seeing trends. I’ve seen a lot of trends in my three and a half years being here.”
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
Friday, August 9, 2019

Consumers Energy 400 Media Availability — Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang — LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEKEND, IS IT YOUR BEST SHOT TO WIN? “I think Bristol is our race track to go in and do what we need to do. I am 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. I know we have ran second there and struggled in practice and qualifying. I was bummed that we didn’t get to show that speed. I am thinking that when we go back there that we will have that same speed and hopefully showcase what we’ve got.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS WEEKEND? “I think we have brought a lot of different things with our cars, us and the 6 team. The 6 got a good finish here the last race but we struggled on speed and it was difficult. He had some really good restarts to get a top-10 here. But we struggled with speed and so that was one thing that we focused on, trying to find that speed and build that into our cars when we got here. Off the truck we struggled a little on speed and there are cars that are really fast. We closed the gap a little bit there throughout that practice and feel like we still have some adjustment in our race car to get it faster for qualifying. We will see how it shakes out here pretty soon.”

DO YOU FEEL THE PJ1 WILL HELP YOU WITH SPEED ON THE HIGH SIDE IN THE RACE? “Yes and no. It is pretty high up there. I am not sure that you will see a ton of people running in it. You never know. We have only done qualifying practice so far and I think you don’t need it for qualifying. We will see how it plays out in the race. I do know that you feel a little more comfortable out there on the race track with it there because it used to be that you ran the third lane and if you slipped too high you would be in the gray and it would be really slick and a lot of times you couldn’t save it. I think it gives everybody that comfort of knowing that if you do slip up that you might be able to save it and you might be able to not lose as much time. It will be interesting to see. You will have people eventually venture up there, we just have to see how long that takes. Hopefully we do that in practice and run two or three-wide in practice. Nobody used it at Pocono and then I think a few guys started using it in turn three and four and then one and two and in the tunnel on the restart. By the end of the race it was beneficial to use. Hopefully it won’t take until the race for us to use it. Hopefully we can use it in practice to try it out.”

DO YOU SEE ANYONE VENTURING UP THERE IN PRACTICE TO GET AN ADVANTAGE FOR THE RACE? “Not today. We are all in qualifying trim and trying to run the shortest distance to put the fastest lap time down. Michigan you can change your line a lot and change the stopwatch a little bit with it. We are all kind of trying to figure out what that perfect ideal line is for qualifying around here. The 22 ran a little different line here in the spring I feel like and I think he qualified on the pole or was up front. He ran a little different line compared to most and everybody paid attention to that. We all pick up on things and try to figure that out throughout practice. I ran three different lines throughout practice to try to figure out which one was best for our car but also what will bring us the best lap time.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO WIN ONE OF THE NEXT FOUR RACES? “100-percent we have to win. It is a bummer because I feel like we have been fast compared to the previous years. At least on the 1.5 mile tracks. It is a bummer that we are kind of in that spot but I think we can get our car good here and strategy, there are all different ways these races can play out. I don’t think Michigan is our best opportunity to win but I do think it is an opportunity that if the situation arises that you might be able to get something done. Bristol is by far the one that we circle.”

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
Friday, August 9, 2019
Consumers Energy 400 Media Availability — Matt Tifft

MATT TIFFT, No. 36 Meijer Ford Mustang — DID YOU GET INTO THE UPPER GROOVE AT ALL YET? “I used the upper groove a little bit, but just my right sides on entry into one. The rest of it, no.”

WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE? “It didn’t feel like anything for the 10-feet that I ran through it. I have been watching the Trucks to see if anyone could get up there. It is so high that it is hard to commit to going up there. I have seen Crafton try to run a few laps up there and try to get it going but it is tough to be the one to commit to trying to be up there today when we are in qualifying trim. Tomorrow I think you will see guys run it and try to work it in and then we will see with the truck race how that goes. On restarts I am sure you will see us use it. It is going to make that part really interesting but the rest of it we will just have to play it by ear tomorrow and at some point we will have to try it.”

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT WEEK AT BRISTOL? “The spring race was atrocious for us. Hopefully we will have a better weekend this time. We didn’t have things go our way. Back then we were really struggling with our short track package in center turn and have since changed a lot of things with our cars and the geometry and how we approach those weekends. I am excited to go back and try to capitalize on the gains we have made. We have had solid finishes lately and we need to keep building on that. The fact that it is my first Bristol night race is really cool. To be a part of that on the Saturday night race, it is one of the biggest races of the summer for NASCAR and I think it is really cool to participate in that.”

DO YOU FEEL ANY ADDITIONAL PRESSURE WITH THE MANUFACTURER TROPHY AND EVERYTHING HERE AT MICHIGAN? “Yeah, we got to do a really cool tour of Ford Headquarters yesterday and there is certainly a lot of pride coming up here and being in Fords backyard and sporting the Blue Oval, you want to see a Ford in victory lane. This used to be about who could build the fastest car and go 220 mph into the corner. It has changed so much now that it is more about working with each other a little bit. If someone is pulling down to the bottom and if it is your teammate or another Blue Oval you might want to push him and try to get by somebody else. There is a little bit of that which is a bit more like the plate tracks. There is definitely an element of that now that wasn’t necessarily there in previous races. You certainly don’t want to be pushing a Chevy or Toyota and helping another manufacturer to a win.”

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
Friday, August 9, 2019

Consumers Energy 400 Media Availability — Joey Logano

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang — YOU SET A LOT OF RACING RECORDS WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG. WHAT MOTIVATED YOU AND KEPT YOU GOING WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER? “That is really awesome for you. We probably have a lot of similarities with you stepping into a tough situation right? Here you are, how old are you? 12. Okay. You are here with a bunch of media members that have been in here for way longer than 12 years. For you to step up in those situations and be mature way past your age takes a lot of courage. It takes a lot. That is hard to do. You learn at an accelerated rate because you put yourself around people that are smarter than you and that is how you learn. Similar for me, I moved up really young, before I was ready and got put into very challenging positions and because of that it accelerated my career at a quicker rate than it would have if I had just raced around kids my own age. It is harder, no doubt, but there is a bigger reward if you can battle through it and come out on the other end. That is kind of where I am at now. You are down in here getting ready and doing things like this, so that is awesome for you. That is great.”

WITH AN AVERAGE FINISH OF 15TH IN THE LAST SEVEN RACES, IS THAT SOMETHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT? “Oh, I wasn’t ready for that. Okay. Well, not necessarily. Obviously we want to be better than that and we want to be winning but I think when you look at the way we have called some races to go for stage points, it probably has a little bit to do with that. Watkins Glen was just a horrible weekend, there is no excuse for that one. Pocono we had our own set of issues that was a little bit unique but we scored a bunch of stage points but didn’t get the finish we wanted. I could go through all the races and make an excuse for each one of them on why we finished where we did but I wouldn’t say that our speed has been 15th. The last few, really Watkins Glen was its own beast so I kind of write that one off until we get back there next time. Really I don’t feel like our speed has been that far off. I do feel like the field is closed up a lot over the last few weeks from what we had early in the season which means we need to try to move ahead again. That is the biggest thing. As you get closer to the playoffs everyone is going to try to find and dig deeper down inside and find that little extra and we are getting to that point in the season where you have to start finding it and be ready to come out guns blazing and start the playoffs ready to rip. I don’t feel like we are are farther off or further ahead than we were last year when we won the championship so I feel pretty good about it.”

YOU SPOKE ON THE RADIO THIS MORNING ABOUT THE POLITICS OF THE SPORT AND HOW YOU KEEP A LIST. IS IT A MATTER OF CAUTION WHEN DEALING WITH THOSE PEOPLE? “Yeah, I think it is part of sports that you have to kind of keep in mind who you are competing against, not only yourself but other rivalries. I think it is important to know a little bit of the status of what is going on because you don’t want to get caught up in something they are doing just because you were close to it. Being aware of the situations is key. I think it is important to try to keep up with that as much as possible. You don’t want to let it consume you. It isn’t the most important thing but it is part of the game that we all need to be aware of one way or another. I lean on my wife because I try to surround myself with people smarter than me and she is quite a bit smarter than I am, so that works out good for me.”

BRAD SAID HE LETS NASCAR SET THE LINE FOR IF THINGS ARE TOO AGGRESSIVE, DO YOU AGREE WITH YOUR TEAMMATE? “Yeah. There is no written rule. It is kind of just what you have seen in the past and you can kind of read between the lines of what is okay and what is not.”

PJ1 IS ON THE TRACK HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME. WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF THAT? “I have been all good with the PJ1 pretty much anywhere we have gone so far. I think it has nothing but help and improve the racing and widen the race track out. Obviously it is the first time for it here and we were all in qualifying trim the first practice and we didn’t touch it. I watched Truck practice and it looked like they were flirting with it but they haven’t committed to it yet. It looked like it might be a little high up there. I think NASCAR has done a good job at trying to have the drivers, Goodyear and the teams to collaborate and understand what is the best place to put it to improve the racing, even after the race, coming back to you to ask what we think and trying to grow a notebook on how to improve it. That is great. I think that is good and there is nothing wrong with trying to make it better. I don’t think the product is awful to start with but if we widen the race track out and make more room to build runs and see more three-wide racing to where when the guy gets to the outside is just hanging on and loses 10 spots on a restart. The PJ1 is something that we are all still learning about and we are learning about how it works at each surface. It works different at Charlotte than it does at Michigan or Bristol or Kentucky. The way it gets activated and wears out and how much grip it actually puts back into the race track. Those are all things that we are trying to figure out and as a sport we are trying to figure it out. I like the avenue we are going down and playing with.”

YOU HAVE HAD SUCCESS AT THIS TRACK, WON THREE TIMES. DO YOU PREFER THIS TRACK WITH A SINGLE GROOVE OR DOES IT MATTER TO YOU? “I don’t think so. You just have to be willing to adapt. This is a good race track for Team Penske and the 22 team in particular. You have to be willing to adapt because what it took to win here in the spring was completely different than what it took to win here the last few times. You just have to be willing to change it up and it will be different than the spring race. A lot of teams brought different cars back and different body builds. Everyone learned a lot in the spring race that will affect the race and the traction compound up there, that can put a whole new set of questions into play. You just have to be willing to adapt even though it is a good track and you want to kind of continue that trend of what has worked for you and keep going with it, you have to be willing to step outside the box as well.”

WHEN YOU THINK OF DRIVERS MOST LIKELY TO USE THE BUMPER OR SIDE DRAFT YOU TOUGH, WHO ARE SOME OF THE DRIVERS THAT COME TO MIND? “I am not going to sit up here and name names but there are plenty of them out there. It seems that it is the way you have to race these days. There is a time for it. You don’t do it every lap but there is a time that the aggression level will get you forward on the race track. There are times it will put you backwards into the fence. You just have to be smart with what you do and when you do it. I think there is a level that is accepted and there is also a line, just like anything else.”

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
Friday, August 9, 2019

Consumers Energy 400 Media Availability — Brad Keselowski

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang — YOU HAD SOME GOOD NEWS THIS WEEK WITH DISCOUNT TIRE, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT? “It has been a good week so far for a lot of reasons but certainly being here in Michigan, I always enjoy coming out here. It is a good chance to see a lot of family and friends and Team Penske with Roger Penske out of here as well. We get a lot of turnout for the team and our sponsor this weekend, Discount Tire, was founded here in Ann Arbor which is special as they have re-upped for the next few seasons. We have a lot of good news and good things happening. I am hopeful that we can convert that into a great race come Sunday and hopefully our first win here.”

FIRST TIME FOR PJ1 HERE AT THIS TRACK. WHAT IS YOUR OPINION? “I don’t know. I would really like to be an armchair and make a decision on Sunday night. I think at the end of the day it is done to try to make the racing better for the fans. Will it work or will it not work, I don’t know. I don’t think it was a bad race here in the spring but NASCAR is just trying new things and always trying to improve the racing and things that we can do. I always appreciate good effort and I know there was a lot of effort put into it. I am not thoroughly convinced it is going to work or not going to work. I could see either side. I think it is kind of a jump ball.”

YOU HAVE WON THREE TIMES THIS YEAR BUT MIS HAS ESCAPED YOU. WHAT HAS YOU EXCITED ABOUT THIS YEAR BEING THE YEAR FOR YOU HERE? “We had a great run here in the spring. I thought we were more than capable of winning. We had a pit road issue very close to the end when we were in a position to grab the lead and take control of the race. That was really frustrating. I felt like we had the speed last spring to be in contention at the end. Everything has to fall your way and you have to execute as well but that didn’t happen for us here and it hasn’t happened for us. It looks like we are off to a good start this weekend. We have really good speed. We are one day into a three day weekend so it is a bit early and presumptuous to say anything beyond that, but it is a good start nonetheless.”

HOW AGGRESSIVE MIGHT YOU BE WILLING TO GET IF YOU FEEL LIKE A WIN IS POSSIBLY THERE IN THE FINAL LAPS? “I don’t know. You don’t really know until you are in those shoes. That question always reminds me of the story of the guy that fell down in a canyon by himself and a rock fell on his arm so he bit his own arm off to get out. So people ask you what you would do to survive if you have to and I am guessing he never would have guessed that he would do that. I don’t know what I am capable of either or what I would do. I hope I don’t have to bite my own arm off. With that in mind, I think without a doubt I would do more for this race than most any other.”

YOU DID A TEST WITH SIMON PAGENAUD’S INDYCAR A FEW YEARS AGO. DID YOU GET AN APPETITE FOR OPEN WHEEL RACING? “Yeah, that might have been two or three years go. Time goes by fast. I had a great time and Simon and Team Penske were very gracious to have that opportunity. I feel like that was probably a one-time opportunity for a number of reasons, the biggest of all being that of course I compete for Ford in NASCAR. It is a lot easier to do a test session than it is to do a race in the eyes of those partners. Racing is so much different now than it was back in the AJ Foyt and Mario Andretti days where guys could do all those different series’ in the sense that we are in a sport now where about 65-75% of the revenue of money that pays for everything we do comes from sponsors. Those sponsors can be the Discount Tire that is on our car or the manufacturer and we really don’t want to piss them off. So when they tell us that they don’t really want us to do something we tend to listen. I want to be able to win races and be competitive but in order to do that you have to have a really fast car and you aren’t going to have a really fast car without the engineering and the engineering comes from the sponsorship and being able to spend money and develop the cars. It becomes really difficult to do those things. It is not always because we don’t want to do those things, it is because of the economical landscape. I want to be able to be a NASCAR driver at the highest level possible. To win races and win championships. Any other goal, dream or aspiration beyond that inhibits the ability to do it. So with that in mind, that opportunity is not one that I see coming to fruition any time soon.”

WHEN YOU THINK OF DRIVERS MOST LIKELY TO USE THE BUMPER OR SIDE DRAFT YOU TOUGH, WHO ARE SOME OF THE DRIVERS THAT COME TO MIND? “Everyone. If you are a top tier driver you are going to run these cars hard. You have to. You have to push the limits, not just of your car but of everyone else’s cars. I can’t think of anyone that is a top driver that I wouldn’t expect that from.”

LOOKING TOWARD BRISTOL NEXT WEEKEND, WITH THE PJ1 THERE AND THE DIFFERENCE RACING AT NIGHT VERSUS DAYTIME THERE. IS THERE MORE TO IT THAN THAT OR JUST ATMOSPHERICS? “The Bristol night race is a very special race and always has been. It continues to almost grow in its status. When we think about the Crown Jewel races of NASCAR it is right on the fringe of being one. You look at the race winners of the past two or three decades and they are all what I consider to be Hall of Fame drivers. That gives the race a lot of credibility. I would also say that the track has changed a lot with different configurations and pavements and grindings and PJ1. There is a whole list of things that have happened at the track over the last decade or so and that has changed it up a lot but it is still the same Bristol. It is still a really tough race track where things happen very fast.”

HOW MUCH DO YOU LOOK AT THE PLAYOFF CHASE FROM TOP TO BOTTOM AND IS IT SOMETHING GOOD FOR THE SPORT EACH WEEK WHEN THERE IS SOMETHING LIKE THAT BREWING? “I look at the points once every two or three days. Everybody is a little different. It is the clearest measurement of your success in the sport. It is one of the great things about NASCAR or being in this sport in general. You think about most careers, most lives and it is always hard to have a measuring stick. In sports, the scoreboard is up there all the time. You constantly get a reference on it. It is one of the things I appreciate about the sport so much. You really know if you are doing well or not. There is no ambiguity to it. I look at it a lot and I think it is interesting. I am not always completely sold on all the playoff stuff and the five’s and the 10’s and the bonuses and this and that. That is what it is. Certainly we pay attention to it because we want to be the best.”

WHERE IS THE LINE ON THE AGGRESSIVENESS ON THE TRACK? “The line is whatever NASCAR says it is. If you can pin them down on that then you are a better man than me. I am not sure that I have a perfect answer to that. I would like to think that there were so clear markers left in the sand or in the ground a couple of years ago with some of the issues with Matt (Kenseth) and Joey but then I saw a similar issue to that probably just last week. I don’t necessarily know that I know all the differences between what that line is and what it isn’t but what I do know is it is NASCAR that sets it, not the drivers.”

WITH DISCOUNT TIRE ADDING FIVE RACES, THERE WAS SOME QUESTION WONDERING WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MILLER LITE. CAN YOU ENLIGHTEN US? “I am pretty confident that Miller Lite is coming back but I don’t necessarily have anything to announce today as to what races or how many and so forth. I would rully expect them to be on the car next year.”

HOW DIFFICULT IT IS AND HOW MUCH OF A RELIEF IS IT TO GET ANY SPONSORSHIP DEAL DONE COMPARED TO EVEN FIVE OR EIGHT YEARS AGO? “It is the lifeblood of the team. It determines winners and losers before the race has even started. We talk about the sponsorship side and I think I am guilty of this at least, I don’t know about anybody else. But I see a press release that so-and-so’s sponsor has re-upped I just click and move away. I am so caught up in the headlines and performances and who bumped who and who is leading the points and has the most wins. The reality is that all that connects. That is telling you the future. The sponsorship announcements are telling you the future. Unfortunately most of those announcements you don’t get the scope of it. You might read that so and so just resigned as a sponsor and it might be pennies for a few races or mega-bucks for decades. It is hard to get a scale of those things but the scale determines your ability to engineer and develop in the sport. If you don’t have a fast car, you are not going to win in this sport. I have been very fortunate to have some pretty good cars that have given me opportunities to win races and Discount Tire has been a bit reason for that. Their willingness to continue to commit means to me, personally, that I will continue to have those opportunities and blessings to continue to have cars that can win races.”

HOW HAS YOUR MORAL COMPASS CHANGED IN WHAT YOU ARE WILLING TO DO OR NOT TO DO AT THIS POINT ON A RACE TRACK? “I don’t see a lot that has changed there personally. I think the racing is as intense as I remember it being over the last two or three seasons. It is definitely much more intense than it was when I first started in Cup. It is hard for me to really see change in the sport outside of maybe a two or three-year envelope. I think I get too close to the fire. When I have a five or 10-year envelope I can probably see it and appreciate it. I will probably have a different answer to that five or 10 years from now and say, ‘In 2019 a lot of things changed.’ Maybe I am too close to it and am in denial and can’t see it but I feel like it is similar to last year. Certainly the cars are a little closer together at some tracks, not all of them. Some tracks they are further away and that lends itself to naturally just making more moves. I don’t know if I would say that there is one thing that stands out to me that I would clearly say that the racing has changed dramatically and the tactics with respect to aggressiveness.”

WHEN YOU SAW CHAD KNAUS TELL WILLIAM BYRON TO GO GET THE 18. OF COURSE HE ENDED UP HURTING THE FRONT OF HIS CAR. DO YOU REMEMBER A TIME WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER THAT ANYONE TOLD YOU TO GET UP AND DO SOMETHING TO SOMEBODY? “I heard about it. I heard a third hand story about that. I was very fortunate to have some really great teams and people that cared about me early on in my career. Whether that be very early in my career with my dad and uncle or even as I got my first huge break which was driving Dale Jr.’s Xfinity car and having Tony Eury Sr. as a crew chief. He always made me feel like if something went down he was going to have my back. That is a big deal for a young driver. You need that. It is a big deal even more so for a young driver that is trying to feel his way out in the sport. He needs to feel like his car owner and crew chief are going to be there and not just in the press box, the press box is good, don’t get me wrong, but in the garage and at the car. Tony Eury Sr. always made me feel that way and it was one of his qualities that without it, I am not sure I would be where I am today.”

IT SEEMS LIKE AS THE YOUNG GUYS GET A LITTLE OLDER AND GAIN CONFIDENCE AND HAVE THESE RUN-IN’S IT SEEMS LIKE SOME OF THEM FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE EARNED THEIR WAY ALMOST. DO YOU AGREE? “Sometimes. Every story is a little different. I know my story better than I know anybody else’s. I think that it has been interesting to see over the last 10-20 years, 10 years of which I have been in the sport and 10 years watching as a fan before that, the crew chief base has changed. It used to be all these grizzled, tough guys that had started out sweeping a floor and worked their way up to driving the hauler or whatever it was. The next thing you knew they were working on the cars and became a master mechanic and naturally made their way up through the ranks until they were the crew chief and in charge of the whole thing 20 or 30-years later as the grizzled veteran leader. Over the last decade or two it has changed to where now these teams are all hiring these real smart guys. These guys that have these big fancy engineering degrees. I know when I had the truck team I was really cautious to not hire the really smart guys and put them with an 18 or 19-year-old kid because I felt like they needed someone who was grizzled and tough and would make them feel like the world was not coming to an end whenever there was a run-in on the race track because they were there for them. I see some of these younger drivers who are having a lot of success but aren’t surrounded by that and I feel as though they are going to have a lot of these types of moments that are kind of difficult to navigate. It is interesting to see who can play through it and who can’t”

Event: Consumers Energy 400 (Race 22 of 36)
Venue: Michigan International Speedway (Brooklyn, MI)
Format: Three Stages – Stages End: Lap 60, 120, 200 = 400 Miles
Date/Broadcast: Sunday, August 11 at 3:00 PM ET on NBCSN and MRN

Michigan International Speedway’s second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event is next up on the schedule and both Go Fas Racing and Corey LaJoie have a lot to be proud of headed into the weekend in the Irish Hills.

More than $115,000 was raised last weekend at Watkins Glen International via more than 1,700 donors in support of the Samaritan’s Feet organization.

LaJoie and wife, Kelly, spent hours handwriting the names of each individual that selflessly donated to the cause, continuously adding names throughout the weekend as the donations accumulated, even up until the green flag.

Initially, LaJoie’s goal was to raise $20,000. He was blown away at the support of the NASCAR community and fans when his $20,000 goal was significantly surpassed.

“This weekend was one of the biggest wins I’ve had in my life,” implied LaJoie. “Raising $115,000 through 1,732 people for Samaritan’s Feet was a dream that came true.”

The driver and team can also be confident about the return to Michigan after a stellar 23rd-place finish at the two-mile track back in June.

This weekend, Schluter Systems will return as a primary sponsor of the No. 32 Ford, after last appearing at Kansas in May, where LaJoie finished 22nd. At Talladega, LaJoie earned the brand an 11th-place result.

Schluter-Systems offers an assortment of over 10,000 proven system solutions for the installation of tiles and natural stone. Their products include metal and PVC profiles to protect and improve the appearance of tile edges and transitions, uncoupling membranes to prevent cracks from appearing in tiled floors, waterproofing systems for showers and other wet areas, and a modular screed system to improve heat transfer in hydronic heating systems.

Tune in to the Consumers Energy 400 on Sunday, August 11 at 3:00 PM ET on NBCSN.

LaJoie on the upcoming weekend at Michigan International Speedway:

“This is a big weekend for Schluter Systems! We will have a lot of their guests out at the racetrack and I hope we can put together a good run for them. Obviously, we are also in Ford’s backyard and we will have a lot of executives from their group out as well. As a small team, we always look forward to coming back to a track for the second time, so we can apply what we learned the first race. We don’t have big money simulation or anything, so this allows us to grow our program and hopefully bring home a solid finish for our No.32 Go Fas Racing team.”

LaJoie MENCS career highlights at Michigan International Speedway:
Starts: 5
Best Finish: 23rd (2019)
Average Start: 32.4
Average Finish: 30.2

————————————————————–
About Our Team

About Schluter Systems
Schluter®-Systems products are specifically designed for the tile industry to ensure that installations maintain integrity and durability. Their product line includes over 4,000 items, including tile trims, uncoupling membranes, waterproof building panels, electric floor warming systems, and shower systems. Schluter®-Systems is renowned for its state-of-the-art technology with attention to detail for highly functional and visually appealing results. For more information on Schluter Systems, North America, please visit https://www.schluter.com

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.

No. 88 Axalta/CARSTAR Chevrolet ZL1 Raced at Watkins Glen International Last Week with Hendrick Motorsports Driver Alex Bowman Wearing a Unique Helmet Design

CHARLOTTE (August 7, 2019) – CARSTAR,North America’s premier network of independently owned collision repair facilities, was prominently featured on the No. 88 Axalta/CARSTAR Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 last week at the NASCAR Cup Series event at Watkins Glen International. This opportunity was thanks to a joint promotion with paint partner Axalta Coating Systems, which sponsors Alex Bowman and the No. 88 team at Hendrick Motorsports.

The CARSTAR logo was featured on the roof and television panel. In addition, Bowman wore a unique helmet in the race featuring a design created through the “Accelerate the Cure” contest for cystic fibrosis chapters across North America.  The winner of the contest – Mikayla Bianchin, an 18-year-old from Hamilton, ON – created a dynamic design featuring healthy lungs, the DNA helix that carries the cystic fibrosis gene and beautiful roses that reflect what a future without cystic fibrosis  (CF) would look like.

“Accelerating a cure would dramatically influence my life beyond belief,” said Bianchin. “The first feeling I imagine in a world without CF is easy breathing, something many people take for granted. As someone living with CF and having a sister with CF, I am familiar with deteriorating lung x-ray images, other patients’ post-transplant lung photos and preparedness of the decline of lung function. I have illustrated here bright beautiful lungs and bronchi thriving on their own, done in blue representing the blue aura light associated with clarity and calmness after a trauma. The first breath of clear lungs is what I look forward to most. I incorporated the roses as homage to the 65 roses story, about a young boy pronouncing ‘Cystic Fibrosis’ as ‘65 roses’. I believe this story to be a grand metaphor for the disease. Behind all the pain and struggles of CF patients there lies so much beauty and strength. I put the DNA design because I feel like that would be a target of research points for a cure. The DNA makeup of the cystic fibrosis gene and disease is the root of it all that creates and progresses the disease and could be the point of change. The disease of cystic fibrosis is taking too many lives that want to be lived. Life can still be great when you are going through times that seem terrible, but a cure for cystic fibrosis would be the most beautiful event I could ever see. A phenomenon so impactful that it saves thousands of lives, that is a day so beautiful I hope and pray is in our near future.”

CARSTAR has supported the fight against cystic fibrosis for more than 20 years, and through a variety of fundraising initiatives, CARSTAR, its owners, partners and employees have raised over $3.7 million for cystic fibrosis research, care and advocacy. For the Watkins Glen race, CARSTAR worked with cystic fibrosis chapters across the U.S. and Canada to host the “Accelerate the Cure” contest to design the special scheme for Bowman’s helmet.

The winning design was selected by representatives from Axalta, Hendrick Motorsports, CARSTAR, Cystic Fibrosis Canada and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The winner enjoyed a special VIP race experience at the Watkins Glen race last week, meeting Bowman and other NASCAR stars.

“We were proud to take the CARSTAR brand to one of North America’s top spectator sports with a young star like Alex Bowman, as he helps us raise awareness for our charity of choice – cystic fibrosis,” said Michael Macaluso, president of CARSTAR. “We were excited to see the No. 88 Axalta/CARSTAR Chevrolet on the track and share the CARSTAR story with millions of race fans.  Many congratulations to Mikayla on her winning helmet design and her outreach efforts to educate people about living with cystic fibrosis.”

For more information on the No. 88 Axalta/CARSTAR Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and Mikayla’s story, visit CARSTAR.com and follow CARSTAR on Facebook and twitter.

About CARSTAR

CARSTAR is North America’s largest network of independently owned and operated collision repair facilities with more than 650 locations in 35 states and 10 Canadian provinces. A part of the Driven Brands family of automotive aftermarket franchise brands, CARSTAR delivers national scale, premier vehicle repairs, repeatable outcomes and the industry’s highest customer satisfaction ratings. Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, CARSTAR has maintained its commitment to give back to the communities it serves through a variety of fundraising initiatives, including raising over $3 million for Cystic Fibrosis Canada, and has made fighting cystic fibrosis its cause, North American wide. For more information visit www.carstar.com and www.carstar.ca and follow on Facebook, twitter and LinkedIn. CARSTAR is actively seeking new franchise partners and interested parties should contact 844-906-9764.

About Axalta Coating Systems – Celebrating 150 Years in the Coatings Industry

Axalta is a leading global company focused solely on coatings and providing customers with innovative, colorful, beautiful and sustainable solutions.  From light OEM vehicles, commercial vehicles and refinish applications to electric motors, buildings and pipelines, our coatings are designed to prevent corrosion, increase productivity and enable the materials we coat to last longer. With 150 years of experience in the coatings industry, the 12,800 people of Axalta continue to find ways to serve our more than 100,000 customers in 130 countries better every day with the finest coatings, application systems and technology.  For more information visit axaltacoatingsystems.com and follow us @axalta on Twitter and on LinkedIn.

MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (TWO-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: BROOKLYN, MICHIGAN
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE 23 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 3 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, AUG. 11 (NBCSN/MRN/SIRIUSXM)

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

2019 Season
8th in standings
22 starts
2 wins
3 pole positions
7 top-five finishes
8 top-10 finishes
489 laps led

Career
135 starts
5 wins
7 pole positions
40 top-five finishes
67 top-10 finishes
1,732 laps led

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

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media on Friday, Aug. 9, at 3 p.m. local time in the media center at Michigan International Speedway.

BACK-TO-BACK: Last weekend, Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS team returned to Victory Lane at Watkins Glen International for the second year in a row. Elliott won his fifth career NASCAR Cup Series race in a dominating fashion after starting from the pole position, winning both Stage 1 and Stage 2 and leading 80 of the 90 laps in the event – the second-most laps led by a driver at the 2.45-mile course and only three laps shy of of the record held by Tony Stewart (83). It is only the fourth time in history a driver has won the pole and swept every stage before going on to win the race.

LAST 37: Over the last 37 NASCAR Cup Series races, Elliott has collected five wins – the second most of any driver in that span behind Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch, who both have six. He is the only Chevrolet driver to win more than once in the last year. Over the last 37 events, he has won three pole awards and collected 13 top-five finishes, 19 top-10s and 758 laps led.

MICHIGAN STATS: Elliott currently holds the best average finish (7.4) of all time at Michigan. He finished inside the top 10 in the first six of his seven career NASCAR Cup Series starts at the two-mile oval, which ties him for the series’ longest streak of starts before a finish outside the top 10 at Michigan. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native has collected three top-five finishes at Michigan, all of which were runner-up results.

RUNNER-UP FINISHES: Elliott is in good company as one of four drivers with the most runner-up finishes at Michigan before their first win at the track. NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon also earned three second-place results before capturing his first win at the two-mile oval (1998), and both Martin Truex Jr. and NASCAR Hall of Famer Terry Labonte have three runner-up results without a win at Michigan.

GUSTAFSON STATS: In his 15th season as crew chief, Alan Gustafson is set to call his 30th race from atop the pit box this weekend at Michigan. In his previous 29 starts at the venue with five different drivers (Elliott, Gordon, Busch, Mark Martin and Casey Mears), Gustafson has collected two wins – with Martin in June 2009 and Gordon in August 2014, when he started from the pole position. The No. 9 team crew chief has garnered five top-five finishes, 13 top-10s and 293 laps led at the Michigan track.

SEE ELLIOTT AT DAYTONA: On Sunday, Aug. 11, Elliott will appear at the Team Chevy Stage at 11:45 a.m. local time for a question-and-answer session.

NASHVILLE: Last week, Elliott headed to Nashville to promote the upcoming Bristol night race. He joined the Tennessee National Guard in a Black Hawk helicopter and met with members of the military before heading to Fairgrounds Speedway to give them and media members a ride around the track in the Bristol Motor Speedway pace car. Take a look at Elliott’s day here.

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

2019 Season
12th in standings
22 starts
0 wins
3 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
7 top-10 finishes
180 laps led

Career
58 starts
0 wins
3 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
11 top-10 finishes
241 laps led

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

FRONT ROW FREQUENCY: Continuing to improve in all aspects during his sophomore season, this past weekend William Byron started on the outside pole at Watkins Glen International. It marked the eighth time he has qualified on the front row this season, which leads all NASCAR Cup Series drivers in 2019. It was the fifth time Hendrick Motorsports has swept the front row starting positions and the No. 24 team has been a contributing factor in all five. It was also the third time that Byron and teammate Chase Elliott, who won the pole at Watkins Glen, have shared the front row this season (Bristol Motor Speedway, Dover International Speedway and Watkins Glen International).

HEATING UP IN THE SUMMER: Riding a hot streak during the summer months of the 2019 season, Byron currently has the fourth-highest average finishing position in the series, 10.83, over the last six races. In those six races, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has collected two top-five finishes and three top-10s. The driver of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has solidly maintained his 12th position in the driver point standings throughout those six races and now holds a 60-point gap above the cutoff line with only four races remaining before the playoffs begin. In fact, in the last 10 races, Byron has gained 75 points on the cutoff line, improving his cushion in every race but two during that span.

WHAT SOPHMORE SLUMP?: Just 22 races into the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season, Byron has exceeded his total of laps led, poles and top-10 finishes from his rookie of the year campaign in 2018. So far during his sophomore season, Byron has led 180 laps, collected three poles and earned seven top-10s, including finishing inside the top 10 in three of the last six races. In his rookie year, Byron led 61 laps, did not capture a pole and finished in the top-10 four times across 36 starts.

TIED FOR SECOND: Byron is one of four Cup Series drivers who have finished second in a race in 2019 but have yet to capture the checkered flag. He ranks third among the Cup field for most laps led (180) without a win.

LIBERTY U RETURNS: For the seventh time in 2019, the Liberty University colors will be on board Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 when the team unloads for this weekend’s race at Michigan International Speedway. Returning as a primary partner of the No. 24 team in 2019 for 12 races, Liberty University has a long history with the driver starting back in 2014 in the late model ranks and is in the midst of its fifth season of partnering with the 21-year-old driver. Liberty University has been Training Champions for Christ since it was founded in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offer more than 600 degree programs from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in business communication, Byron is now in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program.

MICHIGAN MINUTES: Returning to Michigan International Speedway for the second time in 2019 and for the second time with crew chief Chad Knaus atop the pit box, Byron is optimistic about his chances for improvement this weekend. In June, the sophomore driver qualified 21st but was running inside the top five when his Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 swung loose under a competitor, causing him to spin. Byron tried to regain as much track position as he could in the closing laps but restarting in the bottom lane halted his momentum, leaving him with an 18th-place finish. Before this year’s race, he had five NASCAR starts at Michigan International Speedway across all three series at the two-mile, D-shaped oval with a best starting position of 14th and a track-best finish of 13th, both coming in the rain-shortened Cup event last June. In his lone Xfinity Series start at Michigan, he qualified fourth and ended the race in the runner-up position, and in his one Gander Outdoor Truck Series start at the track, he started third and finished fourth.

WHAT HAPPENED AT WATKINS GLEN: After qualifying second and running within the top five throughout the entirety of Stage 1 last weekend at Watkins Glen International, Byron sustained substantial front-end damage due to contact with a competitor during the stage break.The incident forced the No. 24 team to make significant repairs that continued throughout Stage 2. Happy with the repairs made to the No. 24 Hendrick Autoguard Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 before the start of the final stage, Byron lined up 36th, still on the lead lap, and was able to fight his way up to the sixth position as pit strategy began to take effect. Pitting for fuel only with fewer than 30 laps remaining, the No. 24 car was running within the top 15, however as the laps wound down, fresher tires behind him prevailed, sending him to a 21st-place finish.

Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Driver Jimmie Johnson   Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 43                             Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

2019 Season
17th in standings
21 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
3 top-five finishes
8 top-10 finishes
81 laps led

Career
637 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
227 top-five finishes
360 top-10 finishes
18,784 laps led

Track Career
35 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
5 top-five finishes
13 top-10 finishes
700 laps led

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media on Friday, Aug. 9, at 3:15 p.m. local time in the media center at Michigan International Speedway.

CLIFF’S FIRST RACE: In their first start together, No. 48 team crew chief Cliff Daniels and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson made up some valuable ground in the point standings at Watkins Glen International. Daniels and the driver qualified in eighth for the road course event then finished sixth in Stage 1 and 10th in Stage 2, earning extra points for the results. Johnson pitted after the second stage and was making up ground through the field when contact with a competitor sent him into the tire barriers in Turn 5, causing damage to the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet. The team made swift repairs and Johnson was able to advance from 31st to 19th in the closing laps of the event. The team is now tied at 16th in the point standings with four races remaining to secure a spot in the 2019 playoffs.

CREW CHIEF BABY WATCH: Daniels and wife Shannon are expecting their first child any day now, In the event Baby Daniels makes his or her way into the world over the weekend while the No. 48 team is on track at Michigan International Speedway, the plan would be for Daniels to return to Charlotte, North Carolina, to be present for the baby’s arrival. In that case, Hendrick Motorsports technical director Darian Grubb would call the race for the No. 48 Ally team. Grubb is no stranger to the pit box, or Victory Lane, as a crew chief, having won a NASCAR Cup Series championship with NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart. He has 23 wins in his career, including a Daytona 500 win with Johnson as an interim crew chief subbing for Chad Knaus.

MICHIGAN FINISHES: The driver of the No. 48 scored his first and only win at Michigan on June 15, 2014. He has led 700 laps at the track in the Irish Hills and has five top-five finishes and 13 top-10s over 35 starts.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: Michigan is a “home” track for Brandon Harder, the fueler on the No. 48 pit crew. Harder is a native of Oak Harbor, Ohio, less than 90 miles from the track, and attended Bowling Green State University, majoring in construction management before moving to North Carolina to pursue his NASCAR dreams.

JJ Q&A: Johnson will participate in a question-and-answer session Sunday, Aug. 11, on the Chevy Stage at Michigan International Speedway at 12 p.m. local time.

ALLY SWAG(GER): Ally will help fans get their “Ally Swag(ger)” on once again this weekend. Fans will have the opportunity to update their Johnson gear with the Ally colors if they find an Ally brand ambassadors in the campgrounds at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. Follow @AllyRacing on Twitter for exact locations and updates.

ALLIES CLOSE BY: Ally Financial is based in nearby Detroit, roughly 78 miles east of MIS. Ally Detroit Center, formerly One Detroit Center, is a skyscraper located in the downtown area overlooking the Detroit financial district. The 43-story tower is the tallest office building in Michigan and the second tallest building in the state. Michigan is also home to manufacturer Chevrolet, as General Motors Company is also based in Detroit’s Renaissance Center just around the corner from Ally.

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

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

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

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

AXALTA ON BOARD: This weekend marks the 10th of 12 events in which the Axalta colors will adorn Alex Bowman’s No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this season. The leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings will be on board this weekend at Michigan International Speedway and again in three weeks at Darlington Raceway. Axalta unveiled a new Axalta Racing website last year that includes plenty of behind-the-scenes content, photos, and videos. Check out Bowman’s page here.

MICHIGAN PERFORMANCE: Bowman has eight previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan International Speedway. His best finish at the track came earlier this season when he crossed the finish line 10th. The Tucson, Arizona, native has four starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at MIS. In the series, he earned one pole (2016), one top-five finish and three top-15 results at the track. In 2015, the driver made one start at the Michigan-based track in the Truck Series and finished 11th after 100 laps. He made one start in the ARCA Series event in Michigan, starting third and leading 12 laps before finishing second.

IVES HEADS HOME: No. 88 team crew chief Greg Ives will make his 10th NASCAR Cup Series start as crew chief at his home track of Michigan International Speedway this weekend. In his nine previous starts calling the shots, he has one top-five finish and four top-10s. Ives’ best finish of second came in 2015 with Dale Earnhardt Jr. behind the wheel. In 2013, Ives was a crew chief at JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and captured the victory in the spring event at Michigan with driver Regan Smith. Ives’ drivers have led 20 laps in the Xfinity Series at the two-mile track and have an average finish of 3.5. He was a race engineer for the No. 48 team between 2006 and 2012. During that time, the team captured six top-10 finishes and three second-place starting positions at Michigan.

‘ACCELERATE THE CURE’ WINNING DESIGN: Last weekend, Bowman wore a special helmet during the 90-lap event at Watkins Glen International. Axalta partnered with CARSTAR, North America’s premier network of independently owned collision repair facilities, for last Sunday’s event in New York. CARSTAR initiated the “Accelerate the Cure” contest with cystic fibrosis (CF) chapters across North America that allowed individuals affected by CF to take their shot at designing the No. 88 driver’s helmet. The winning design was drawn by Mikayla Bianchin and featured a blue color scheme with DNA strands, among other meaningful themes, signifying that cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease. Read more here.

THE FANS HAVE SPOKEN: Last week, Nationwide announced the winner of the fan-designed paint scheme that Bowman will pilot at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sept.15. Kyle Sykes Designs’ scheme will be featured on the No. 88 machine after more than 30,000 votes were cast for his design. The driver announced the winning scheme on Twitter this past Thursday.

TEAM CHEVY APPEARANCE: On Saturday, Aug. 10, Bowman will visit the Team Chevy display in the Fan Zone at Michigan International Speedway at 10:30 a.m. local time. Be sure to stop by to meet the driver of the No. 88 machine and get an autograph.

HOMETOWN TRACK: Three members of the No. 88 team have ties to the state of Michigan. Ives grew up in Bark River, Michigan, which is approximately 443 miles from Michigan International Speedway. The No. 88 team crew chief received his degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan Technological University. Hauler driver Andy “Squiggs” Quillan grew up in Belding, Michigan, which is approximately two hours from the track. Quillan grew up a NASCAR fan and attended his first race at his home track back in 2001. Front-tire changer Scott Brzozowski grew up in Sterling Heights, Michigan, which is just outside Detroit. Brzozowski started as a member of the No. 24 over-the-wall crew before switching to the No. 88 team in 2015.

Hendrick Motorsports

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT MICHIGAN: At Michigan International Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has collected eight wins, 11 pole positions, 52 top-five finishes and 100 top-10s along with 2,494 laps led.

TRIPLE DIGITS: Michigan is one of seven tracks where Hendrick Motorsports has accumulated 100 or more top-10 finishes. The list is led by Martinsville and Pocono, as the organization owns 126 top-10s at each track.

FEELING HOT, HOT, HOT: Hendrick Motorsports is the only team with multiple wins in the last six races. Including race wins, the organization has won four of the last five stages in 2019. Of Chevrolet’s last eight wins, Hendrick Motorsports has accounted for six.

THREE OR MORE SINCE ’94: Chase Elliott’s win last weekend at Watkins Glen was the third of the season for Hendrick Motorsports. That extended the organization’s streak, which began in 1994, to 26 consecutive seasons with at least three wins. It marks the longest stretch all-time by a team. The second-longest streak of 21 belongs to Petty Enterprises from 1957-77. The next closest active streak of seasons with at least three wins belongs to Team Penske with six.

POWER OF THE POLE: Hendrick Motorsports leads all organizations in poles for the 2019 season with seven. Last weekend at Watkins Glen International, Elliott captured the pole with William Byron on the outside pole. It was the fifth time the organization has swept the front row in 2019, which also leads all teams.

CREW CHIEF CREDIT: Two of the organization’s crew chiefs are among the winningest currently active in the series. No. 24 crew chief Chad Knaus holds the top spot with 81 wins. After last weekend’s win at Watkins Glen, No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson sits fifth with 25 wins, just one victory shy of tying Rodney Childers and Adam Stevens for third among active crew chiefs.

PLAYOFF POSITIONING: All four Hendrick Motorsports drivers are currently in position to make the 16-driver NASCAR Cup Series playoffs at the end of the regular season. Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman have essentially locked in their spots by finding Victory Lane and rank eighth and 11th, respectively, in the point standings. William Byron is currently 12th, with Jimmie Johnson in 16th.

ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 12 championships, 255 race victories, 222 pole positions, 1,061 top-five finishes and 1,816 top-10 finishes in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. Its teams have led more than 68,600 laps since 1984.

QUOTABLE /
Chase Elliott on heading to Michigan:
“Michigan is a much different place now. Nothing like it used to be, we are close to wide open. It has been an OK place for me. We didn’t get the result we wanted in June, but we will look at our notes and go back and hopefully be better.”

Elliott on the No. 9 team’s performance:
“To kind of have a weekend that wasn’t as poor as the last six have been was really nice, and then the way we did it I think was the biggest thing. We’ve never had a weekend like that in my career, showing up, qualifying on the pole and leading the most laps and win the race. That’s the kind of weekend you want to have, and that’s the kind of team and the kind of effort you have to put on occasionally and often to compete with the guys that you’re going to have to beat in this deal.”

William Byron on heading back to Michigan:
“I don’t really know what to expect fully when we go back to Michigan a second time this year, but I’m optimistic about it. Earlier this year was more of a learning process with the new package and what to expect at such a high-speed track. This time I think we have a better idea of where we need to be when we show up and what we can expect throughout the race. In general, we’ve learned a lot as a team as the season has gone on, though, which puts us in an even better position when we start going back to some of these places for the second time. I’m excited to get to Michigan and see how the weekend goes for us because of it.”

Jimmie Johnson on his new crew chief, Cliff Daniels:
“Cliff (Daniels) did a great job last weekend. We had a strong car and everyone did a great job all weekend long. We got stage points, we executed. Bring on Michigan.”

Cliff Daniels on his first race as No. 48 team crew chief:
“The first weekend was just incredibly busy. We had a great plan in practice and we executed it pretty well, I thought, but with that there are always a lot of changes and things going on. Overall, there was just a lot of excitement with the team, with Jimmie, and I’m really thankful for just the energy level we had and the enthusiasm.”

Alex Bowman on racing at Michigan:
“I’m looking forward to Michigan. We raced really well there earlier this year. We were running in the top five. The last green-white-checkered we were stuck on the bottom and couldn’t really go anywhere. But, it’s a fun place. I think the aero package obviously changed it quite a bit. It’ll be interesting to see how everybody has learned each and every week we take that package to the racetrack. I am ready to see what it’s like going back there versus the first time and see if guys have figured out new stuff or changed their approach. I thought our car drove really well there last time. We were a little down on single-car speed, but it turned into a good race for us. So, we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Richard Childress Racing at Michigan International Speedway … In 173 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan International Speedway, RCR teams have earned three wins, two with Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990) and one with Kevin Harvick (August 2010). Additionally, RCR has claimed 25 top-five and 58 top-10 finishes with 10 different drivers including Richard Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, who recorded top-10 finishes at MIS in June 1978 and August 1979.

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,965 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 Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway will be televised live Sunday, August 11 beginning at 3 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This Week’s Chevy Accessories Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Michigan International Speedway … In 14 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan International Speedway, Dillon boasts two top-five and four top-10 finishes. He is a former winner at the track in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

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.

Meet Dillon … Dillon is scheduled to participate in a Q&A session on the Team Chevy Stage in the fan midway at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, August 11 at 11 a.m. ET

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
You ran well at Michigan International Speedway in June. What was the biggest takeaway with this new package?
“We had a strong Chevy at Michigan International Speedway in June. We had great opportunities to run inside the top-five and top-10. We won a Stage and I thought we had a solid, top-five car but I tried to make a move to the outside and when I made it three-wide I got a little too high. The No. 24 car finished me off there. I thought I had it saved, but he got in my left rear. This time around, there will be traction compound in that same area, which will help the racing. I’m excited about going back to Michigan International Speedway. We have that circled as one of those places where we can capitalize.”
Daniel Hemric and the No. 8 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Michigan International Speedway … Hemric will be making his second NASCAR Cup Series start at Michigan International Speedway during this weekend’s 400-mile event. During his first Cup Start at the 2-mile, D-shaped oval, Hemric started 11th and finished 12th, earning points in Stage 2. Hemric also has two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Michigan, finishing second in June 2018.

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/.

NASCAR YouTube Tour … Hemric is slated to give a 10-minute behind-the-scenes look at the NASCAR garage area and how the No. 8 Bass Pro Shops team is wrapping up opening practice and preparing for qualifying on the NASCAR YouTube Channel on Friday, August 9. The video will be posted to NASCAR’s YouTube Channel throughout the race weekend.

Meet the Driver … Hemric is scheduled to be at the Richard Childress Racing merchandise hauler located in the Michigan International Speedway fan midway area to sign autographs on Sunday, August 11, starting at 11:30 a.m. ET.

DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTE:
We were just at Michigan International Speedway a few weeks ago and you recorded a 12th-place finish in that event. What can you take from what was learned that weekend to apply to this weekend’s event?
“The last Michigan race was probably a turning point for us as a company. We thought we had all the potential there to perform like we did at Pocono Raceway. Now knowing how far our cars have come in the weeks since, I’m excited to get back to Michigan. I know where our cars did well and the direction we took to improve, so I’m looking forward to applying those lessons to our race weekend at Michigan.”
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course … In 22 Series starts at the 2.4-mile road course, RCR has accumulated eight top-five finishes, 11 top-10 finishes, one pole award, led 72 laps and averages a starting position of 10.8 and finishing position of 11.5. The Welcome, North Carolina, organization has completed 1,742 laps of the 1,752 (99.4 percent) that they have competed.

Watkins Glen Review … Tyler Reddick picked up his 15th top-five finish of the year when he placed fifth in Saturday’s race at Watkins Glen International.

The Points … Tyler Reddick remains the current Xfinity Series points leader.

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

Catch the Action … Coverage of this week’s Mid-Ohio 170 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course will be televised live on Saturday, August 10, beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on NBCSN. It will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.
Tyler Reddick and the No. 2 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Camaro at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course … Tyler Reddick has one previous NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, but a wreck last year took him out of the race early.

About Nationwide Children’s Hospital … Named to the Top 10 Honor Roll on U.S. News & World Report’s 2018-19 list of “Best Children’s Hospitals,” Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of America’s largest not-for-profit freestanding pediatric health care systems providing wellness, preventive, diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitative care for infants, children and adolescents, as well as adult patients with congenital disease. Nationwide Children’s has a staff of more than 13,000 providing state-of-the-art pediatric care during more than 1.4 million patient visits annually. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children’s physicians train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the Top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded freestanding pediatric research facilities. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org.

Meeting with Patient Champions … Reddick is scheduled to visit with Nationwide Children’s Hospital patient champions on Thursday, August 8. Reddick will tour portions of the hospital, meet with patients and hold a Hot Wheels race with them during his visit.

Tune In … Reddick is a scheduled guest on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Friday, August 9, at 12 p.m. ET. He plans to talk about his visit to Nationwide Children’s Hospital and preview his weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Meet Reddick … Fans at Mid-Ohio can meet Reddick when he takes part in the Xfinity Series autograph session on Saturday, August 10, at 10 a.m. ET.

TYLER REDDICK QUOTE:
What are your thoughts as you head to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the second of three road course races for the Xfinity Series this month?
“Last year, the race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was one of my favorite ones of this stretch. I just don’t have the result to show for it. Turn 1, the hairpin turn and keyhole are challenging but the rhythm section of the track was something I really enjoyed. You’re not braking too hard or getting on the gas too hard in that section but instead finessing the car around the track. I feel really good about that back half of the track. I just need to continue to improve on the first couple of turns of that course this year. I feel like last year I could have earned a top five finish and maybe even contended for the win, but instead I ended up with rear end damage and had a tire go down. We ended up breaking an axle. I’m actually really looking forward to going back to Mid-Ohio this weekend and redeeming myself.”

Michael McDowell on Michigan
11 Starts
Best Finish: 23rd
“I’m ready to head back to Michigan. You always welcome an opportunity to improve your performance going to a track for the second time, especially when we’re racing with a blue oval on our car in the Irish Hills. Typically, you have a lot of green flag racing at this track, and if you’ve got the car handling the way you need it to, you can really drive through the field. I’m looking forward to having a fast car and a great run this weekend.”

David Ragan on Michigan
25 Starts | 1 Top-5 | 2 Top-10
Best Finish: 3rd
“Michigan is a really fast racetrack. We’ve been working to improve upon our speedway notebook throughout the season, and I think this weekend will be a good test of our strategies. You’ve got to walk a fine line between having patience and making aggressive moves. I’m confident that we’ll be able to get some good speed out of our No. 38 Ford. Being in Ford’s backyard for this race makes it that much more significant for us, and pushes us to put on a good show for our partners.”

Consumers Energy 400
Michigan International Speedway
(Brooklyn, MI)
Sunday, August 11
3:00 p.m. ET NBCSN, MRN

Qualifying
Friday, August 9
5:05 p.m. ET NBCSN, MRN