Category: NASCAR Cup PR

NASCAR Cup Series Press Release

  • Leonard Wood Helped Panch Stay On Track For 1965 Win At The Glen

    Leonard Wood Helped Panch Stay On Track For 1965 Win At The Glen

    NASCAR racing has changed a lot since the Wood Brothers won on the road at Watkins Glen in July of 1965 with Marvin Panch at the wheel of the team’s 1965 Ford. But some things will be the same this weekend when Paul Menard drives the Wood’s No. 21 Menard/Dutch Boy Paint Ford Mustang in the Go Bowling at the Glen.

    For one thing, when the Monster Energy Cup Series runs on road courses, it’s still a challenge for drivers to remain on the asphalt for the entirety of the race.

    Leonard Wood, long-time crew chief for the Wood Brothers, remembers a couple of off-road excursions by Panch at the old road course in Augusta, Ga., the second of which led to Wood saying, “Oh no, not again!” a remark heard by several including driver Larry Frank.

    Then when the circuit arrived at Watkins Glen, driver E.J. Trivette ran off the track not twice, but three times in practice. That gave Panch, who had been told of the “not again” remark, the opportunity to ask his crew chief, “Will you forgive me for Augusta now?”

    Wood tuned Panch’s No. 21 Ford prior to the race, changing the rear springs to tighten up the handling, and staying on course wasn’t a problem.

    Panch started third after qualifying was cancelled and took the lead after 13 laps.

    The challenge after that was an overheating engine, a problem later traced to a faulty pressure cap on the radiator that was allowing water to escape.

    “Marvin was long gone, so when the engine started getting hot we gave him the “easy” signal,” Wood said. “And he got faster. We won the race by taking it easy.”

    Despite “taking it easy” Panch, who led 53 of the race’s 66 laps, was well ahead of runner-up Ned Jarrett, the only other driver on the lead lap at the finish, and Wood got to celebrate in Victory Lane with his then-six-month-old daughter Beth.

    The rest of the top five that day – Buddy Baker, Cale Yarborough and Tiny Lund – all shared something in common with Panch, who died on Dec. 31, 2015, in that they were Cup winners for the Wood Brothers.

    The Watkins Glen victory was Panch’s eighth and final one as driver of the No. 21, and the final victory for any Cup driver at Watkins Glen until 1988, as the track was dropped from the schedule after the 1965 race.

    When the Cup cars returned in 1988, all the drivers in the field signed the green flag and presented it to Panch, who was the Honorary Starter for that race.

    His daughter Marvette has since given the flag to the Wood Brothers, who display it at the team’s museum in Stuart, Va.

    The weekend schedule at the Glen includes two Cup practice sessions on Saturday followed by qualifying at 6:40 p.m. Sunday’s 90-lap race is set to start just after 3 p.m. Eastern Time 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.

  • FedEx Racing Express Facts – Watkins Glen

    FedEx Racing Express Facts – Watkins Glen

    Denny Hamlin
    #11 FedEx Cares Toyota
    Joe Gibbs Racing

    Race Info:
    Race: GoBowling at The Glen
    Date/Time: August 4/3:00 p.m. ET
    Distance: 90 laps/220.5 miles
    Track Length: 2.45 miles
    Track Shape: 11-Turn Road Course
    2018 Winner: Chase Elliott

    Express Notes:

    Pocono Recap: Denny Hamlin notched his third win of the 2019 season Sunday in a nail-biting, overtime finish at Pocono Raceway. The #11 FedEx Ground Toyota was low on fuel in the closing laps but had enough juice to get Hamlin across the finish line and into Victory Lane – with two teammates behind him for a 1-2-3 Joe Gibbs Racing finish. The FedEx Ground Camry was fast all weekend, and crew chief Chris Gabehart called a race strategy that allowed the team to pick up points at each stage end and be out front when the final laps ticked down. After running in the top five for most of the race, Hamlin took over the lead at the start of the third and final stage. He led for 12 laps before coming to pit road under a caution to take right-sides tires and fuel. He later passed two teammates – Martin Truex Jr. and Erik Jones – to regain the lead with 16 scheduled laps remaining. Despite being low on fuel, he held onto the lead for the remaining regulation laps, plus three overtime laps. Jones and Truex Jr. followed Hamlin across the finish for a 1-2-3 team sweep. This victory has now placed Hamlin as fourth in the championship standings and fourth in playoff points.

    Watkins Glen Paint Scheme Reveal: On Friday, July 26, Denny Hamlin unveiled a special FedEx Cares paint scheme in conjunction with FedEx announcing its FedEx Cares 50 by 50 initiative, which has the goal of positively impacting 50 million people by the company’s 50th anniversary in 2023. The new FedEx Cares paint scheme will showcase the successful and longstanding relationship between FedEx and Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit organization working to help families and communities keep kids safe from injuries. Denny and Safe Kids will conduct a special event on Sunday, August 4, with kids from the Watkins Glen Kids Club to speak about the importance of pedestrian safety as kids get set to return to school in the coming weeks. Safe Kids Worldwide will also be featured as the “Along for the Ride” organization on the #11 car’s B-posts.

    Watkins Glen Preview: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will head next to Watkins Glen International for another weekend of road course racing, with the event scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 4. With one win to his name at The Glen, Hamlin and team will be looking for another strong showing as they seek the team’s fourth win of the 2019 Cup Series season.

    Hamlin Watkins Glen Statistics:
    Track: Watkins Glen International
    Races: 13
    Wins: 1 (2016)
    Poles: 1 (2018)
    Top-5: 3
    Top-10: 6
    Laps Led: 12
    Avg. Start: 13.2
    Avg. Finish 17.3

    Hamlin Conversation:

    Your team has been displaying some great performances these past few weeks. What has been the difference maker?

    “We did everything right to win the race in Pocono. We made the right calls, had good restarts when we needed them and overall had a really smooth race. I was doing everything I could to save fuel at the end, and we had a fast FedEx Toyota. We displayed that when we are connecting on all levels, we are a very competitive team.”

    Are you excited about going back to road course racing at Watkins Glen?

    “Road course racing is a different challenge, and our team is preparing hard to put us in the best position to win. With a strong effort at Sonoma, we are confident in our abilities and are looking forward to the challenge that awaits us at The Glen.”

  • Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Watkins Glen

    Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Watkins Glen

    WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL (2.45-MILE ROAD COURSE)
    LOCATION: WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK
    EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE 22 OF 36)
    TUNE IN: 3 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, AUG. 4 (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
    21 starts
    1 win
    2 pole positions
    6 top-five finishes
    7 top-10 finishes
    409 laps led

    Career
    134 starts
    4 wins
    6 pole positions
    39 top-five finishes
    66 top-10 finishes
    1,652 laps led

    Track Career
    3 starts
    1 win
    0 pole positions
    1 top-five finish
    1 top-10 finish
    61 laps led

    Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media on Saturday, Aug. 3, at 12:15 p.m. local time in the media center at Watkins Glen International.

    2018 ROAD COURSE SUCCESS: Chase Elliott proved his road course prowess in 2018 after collecting his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory at Watkins Glen International. The win made Elliott the ninth-youngest first-time winner in the Cup Series (22 years, eight months, eight days) and the youngest road-course winner of all time. In 2018, he was one of only three drivers to finish inside the top 10 in all three road course races (Sonoma, Watkins Glen, Charlotte “roval”) and he also garnered the second-most laps led on road courses (52) behind only Martin Truex Jr. (71) last season. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native held the best average finish on road courses last season (3.67) and his 141 points collected on those tracks were 20 more than any other driver. He is also tied with teammate Jimmie Johnson for the most top-10 finishes in Stage 1 and Stage 2 on road courses since 2018 with six.

    ROAD COURSE STATS: The No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driver is set to make his ninth Cup Series start on a road course this weekend. In his previous eight starts on a road course, he has collected one win, two top-five finishes, four top-10s and a total of 64 laps led. He has started inside the top five in each of the last five road course races.

    WATKINS GLEN STATS: On Sunday, Elliott will make his fourth Cup Series start at Watkins Glen International. In the Dawsonville, Georgia, native’s previous three starts at The Glen, he averages a finishing position of 9.0 – the third-best average of active drivers. Last season at the 2.45-mile road course, Elliott qualified third and led a total of 52 laps en route to a dramatic finish as he held off Truex down the stretch to bring home his first career Cup Series win.

    NAPA AT THE GLEN: For the first time in his Cup Series career, Elliott will pilot the blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet at Watkins Glen. The Atlanta-based company will serve as majority sponsor for the driver and the No. 9 team for a total of 26 NASCAR Cup Series races this year.

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson will celebrate his 44th birthday on Monday, Aug. 5. Last season, the crew chief celebrated his birthday in Victory Lane. He grew up just down the road from historic Daytona International Speedway, where he got his start in racing turning wrenches on the go-karts of a childhood friend, Casey Yunick. Yunick is the grandson of legendary car builder and mechanic Smokey Yunick.

    DALE JR DOWNLOAD: This week, Elliott was the special guest on the “Dale Jr. Download.” He talked Dawsonville living, flying, world travel and more. Dirty Mo Media released the podcast on Monday evening and a condensed version was shown on NBCSN Tuesday evening.

    HOOTERS SPIRITS: On Monday, Hooters announced that Elliott would pilot the No. 9 Hooters Spirits Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Bristol Motor Speedway in August. The scheme comes ahead of the Fall 2019 launch of Hooters’ premium line of spirits that will be available at Hooters restaurants and select retailers.

    HEADING TO NASHVILLE: Wednesday, Elliott headed to Nashville to promote the upcoming Bristol night race. He joined the Tennessee National Guard in a Blackhawk 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.

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

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

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

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

    William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Autoguard Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media on Saturday, Aug. 3, at noon local time in the media center at Watkins Glen International.

    HEATING UP IN THE SUMMER: Collecting his second NASCAR Cup Series career top-five finish this past weekend at Pocono Raceway, William Byron’s success in the summer months hasn’t slowed down. In the last five races, the sophomore driver has the second-best average finish in the Cup field, 8.8, which includes two top-five finishes, three top-10s and four top-15s. In those five races, he has continued to put ground between himself and the playoff bubble spot, now holding a 62-point gap in 12th in the point standings with only five races remaining before the playoffs begin.

    HENDRICK AUTOGUARD RETURNS: Returning for the fourth time on board the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 during the 2019 season, the Hendrick Autoguard colors will adorn Byron’s ride for this weekend’s road course race at Watkins Glen International. Available at Hendrick Automotive Group dealerships, Hendrick Autoguard includes additional individualized maintenance products like tire and wheel protection, paintless dent repair, an oil change program, a mechanical repair service contract, flexible maintenance and others. The program affords customers numerous options to get the maximum value from their vehicle with the highest level of service in the industry. All Autoguard vehicle protection programs are available as single products or value-packaged for additional savings. For more, visit the Hendrick Autoguard website.

    WATKINS GLEN WHIZ: This weekend’s race will mark Byron’s second NASCAR Cup Series start at Watkins Glen and his fourth NASCAR national series start at the road course. In his three previous national starts at the 2.45-mile track, Byron has never finished outside the top-10 running order. Last year, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native had one of the best races of his Cup rookie season, qualifying 16th and racing to a solid eighth-place finish at Watkins Glen. Previous to his Cup start, he made his Watkins Glen debut in the 2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race, starting second and finishing seventh. He raced at the venue in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2017, qualifying 17th and crossing the line 10th.

    KNAUS WANTS WATKINS GLEN WIN: This weekend’s race marks the third track of four this season where No. 24 team crew chief Chad Knaus has yet to claim a victory, with only the Charlotte Motor Speedway “roval” remaining this year. Calling the shots for 17 races at the 2.45-mile road course, third with Jimmie Johnson in 2012 is the closest Knaus has come to taking home a checkered flag. In those 17 starts, the veteran crew chief has two poles (2004 and 2009), three top-five finishes and seven top-10s. As an extra incentive, if Knaus is able to secure his first victory at The Glen this upcoming weekend, it will come the day before he celebrates his 48th birthday.

    RUNNER-UP RESULT: 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 is also ranked third among the Cup field for most laps led (180) without a win.

    HOME SWEET HOME: One member of the No. 24 team is excited to make the trip to Upstate New York this weekend – primary hauler driver Mark Ellis. Hailing from Utica, New York, which is less 150 miles from Watkins Glen International, Ellis graduated from Proctor High School before pursuing his racing career. Other than NASCAR, Ellis has also spent time working in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), where he was an engine builder on Tony Schumacher’s Top Fuel team, ultimately winning a world championship before heading back to the NASCAR circuit.

    POCONO PLAYBACK: Despite starting from the 31st position due to issues in pre-race technical inspection, Byron began his march through the field last weekend at Pocono Raceway early on until the handling of his Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 swung to the extremely tight side and hindered his progress through traffic. Finding himself back within the top-10 running order at the start of the final stage, Knaus made the call for two right-side tires when the caution came out with fewer than 45 laps remaining. Told to save fuel aggressively to make it to the end of the race, Byron maintained his position within the top 10 until a caution with six laps to go changed the complexion of the race. Despite being close on fuel but restarting from the sixth position, Knaus gave Byron the green light to “go all out” for the final laps. Byron was able to move within the top five and crossed the finish line with a track-best fourth-place finish, running out of fuel as he crossed the finish line.

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

    Track Career
    17 starts
    0 wins
    1 pole position
    4 top-five finishes
    8 top-10 finishes
    18 laps led

    DANIELS ON THE BOX: On Monday, Hendrick Motorsports named Cliff Daniels as the new crew chief for seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team. Daniels, 31, won the 2016 Cup Series championship as Johnson’s race engineer. The Smithfield, Virginia, native joined the No. 48 team in December 2014, moved into Hendrick Motorsports’ competition systems group following the 2018 season and rejoined the No. 48 team as race engineer last month at Sonoma Raceway.

    MORE CLIFF: Daniels started competing in Bandolero cars as a 9-year-old. As a child, he worked on cars out of the family garage in Smithfield, following his father Charlie Daniels, a Late Model driver at Langley Speedway in the 1980s and ’90s, into racing. The younger Daniels was winning Legends races at Langley in his teens before pursuing a mechanical engineering degree at University of North Carolina at Charlotte. After graduating, he joined RAB Racing in 2011 and then moved to Stewart-Haas Racing, where he served as the race engineer of the No. 14 Chevrolet driven by Tony Stewart from 2013 to 2014 before coming to Hendrick Motorsports.

    NO STRANGER TO THE PIT BOX: Daniels has been sitting on top of the No. 48 pit box for quite some time. Beginning in the 2015 season, Daniels served as the race engineer of the No. 48 Chevrolet and worked closely under the guidance of champion crew chief Chad Knaus. During that timeframe, the No. 48 team had much success, accumulating 13 wins, 31 top-five finishes, 60 top-10s, two pole positions, 1,552 laps led and most notably a record-tying seventh NASCAR Cup Series Championship in 2016 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    ROAD COURSE STAGE POINTS: Since 2018, Johnson has six top-10 stage finishes on road courses, which is tied for the most in the Cup Series during that span. Last year at Watkins Glen, he finished second and 11th in the first two stages and was on target for a great finish when a penalty for driving through too many pit boxes relegated him to a 30th-place result.

    PUSHY TEAMMATE: Johnson is always willing to lend a helping hand to a teammate in need, as he did for Chase Elliott at the end of the Watkins Glen event last year. Elliott had just scored his first NASCAR Cup Series win before running out of gas during his celebratory burnout. Johnson came to the aid of his young teammate and pushed him back to the start-finish line, where he could collect his checkered flag, and then got out to congratulate the first-time winner on his accomplishment.

    PLAYOFF PICTURE: With five races remaining until the playoffs, Johnson is currently 12 points behind the cutoff 16th position. In his career, he owns a top-10 starting position at Watkins Glen (7.9) and has earned eight top-10 finishes at the New York road course, including four top-five results. Johnson’s best finish at The Glen is third, as it remains one of the four tracks where he has yet to score a win along with Chicagoland Speedway, Kentucky Speedway and the road course at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    HOMESTATE GUY: No. 48 team underneath mechanic Thomas Heslink, 28, hails from Clymer, New York and considers Watkins Glen his hometown track. Heslink graduated from Clymer Central High School and the University of Northwestern Ohio before joining the team late in the 2018 season.

    JOHNSON AND HELMET OF HOPE WINNERS: The Jimmie Johnson Foundation announced the five recipients of this year’s $25,000 Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope grants this week. The final five were selected via a week-long public vote and more than 215,000 votes were cast for the 10 semi-finalists during the voting period. The five recipients are: Art with a Heart in Indianapolis; High Mountain Youth Project in Ruidoso, New Mexico; Immigrant Family Services Institute in Roslindale, Massachusetts; Lakeshore Elementary School PTA in San Francisco; and Pilot Light in Chicago. For more information, go to www.JimmieJohnsonFoundation.org.

    HELMET SWAP STORIES: Johnson has been documenting his history in the sport via a video series titled “The Archives,” which lives on his social media feeds. This week’s release was a story about the late Nicky Hayden, and his helmet swap with the Kentucky Kid. Fans can view the video on Johnson’s Twitter feed.

    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
    21 starts
    1 win
    0 pole positions
    4 top-five finishes
    6 top-10 finishes
    182 laps led

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

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

    Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media on Saturday, Aug. 3, at 9 a.m. local time in the media center at Watkins Glen International.

    AXALTA ON BOARD: This weekend marks the ninth of 12 events in which the Axalta colors will adorn Alex Bowman’s No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. The leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings will be on board this weekend in Watkins Glen International and then again at Michigan International Speedway, Darlington Raceway and ISM Raceway later this season. 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.

    ACCELERATE THE CURE WINNING DESIGN: Axalta has partnered with CARSTAR, North America’s premier network of independently owned collision repair facilities, for this weekend’s event at Watkins Glen. The CARSTAR logo will be placed on the roof and television panel of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Through the “Accelerate the Cure” contest with cystic fibrosis (CF) chapters across North America, individuals affected by CF had the chance to design Bowman’s helmet for this weekend. On Saturday, Aug. 3, at 9 a.m. local time, the winning helmet design will be unveiled in the WGI media center.

    WATKINS GLEN PERFORMANCE: Bowman has three previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at Watkins Glen. His best finish at the track came in August 2018 when he finished 14th with the No. 88 team. In 2013, he made one start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the 2.45-mile road course and finished 13th after qualifying 19th.

    ROAD COURSE CAREER: Since 2018, the driver has averaged a finish of 10.25 on road course events in the NASCAR Cup Series. This number ranks sixth on the list of average finishes for drivers on a road course since last season. The 26-year-old hasn’t finished outside the top 14 in a road course event since June of last year. Bowman’s best road-course finish of fourth came at the Charlotte Motor Speedway “roval” in September 2018. The driver of the No. 88 Chevy has captured five top-10 stage finishes in road course events since last season, which ranks him second behind three drivers tied for first with six top-10 stage finishes in that span.

    STATS AT THE GLEN: No. 88 team crew chief Greg Ives will call the shots for the fifth time at the New York-based road course this weekend. The Bark River, Michigan, native’s resumé includes three top-15 finishes. Ives’ best result at the track came back in 2015 when Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 11th after starting seventh in the 90-lap event. Last year at Watkins Glen, Ives led Bowman to a 14th-place finish. The crew chief has two starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the track, capturing one top-five finish and two top-10s. Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 team from 2006-2012 and captured one pole (2009), two third-place finishes and four top 10s at Watkins Glen.

    HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CAREER NUMBERS: Since Bowman’s first start with Hendrick Motorsports at New Hampshire in 2016, the driver has made 67 starts and has two pole wins (Phoenix in 2016, Daytona 500 in 2018). The Tucson, Arizona, native claimed his first Cup Series victory at Chicagoland Speedway back in June. The driver of the No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet has claimed seven top-five finishes, 20 top-10s and 453 laps led with Hendrick Motorsports in that span.

    BACK HOME IN NEW YORK: Andrew Seamans, the interior specialist on the No. 88  team, is going back to his home state of New York this weekend. Seamans grew up in Liverpool, New York, which is approximately 80 miles from Watkins Glen International. The 32-year-old attended college at SUNY Oswego in Oswego, New York, and has a degree in informational science. Prior to joining Hendrick Motorsports, Seamans worked with Kasey Kahne Racing and Kyle Larson Racing in the World of Outlaws Series.

    Hendrick Motorsports

    HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT WATKINS GLEN: In 33 races at Watkins Glen, Hendrick Motorsports has seven wins, six pole positions, 19 top-five finishes and 37 top-10s. Chase Elliott earned the organization’s most recent victory at the road course when he won the event last season to capture his first career NASCAR Cup Series trip to Victory Lane.

    ON THIS DATE: The last time a Cup race fell on Aug. 4 was in 2013, when Kasey Kahne won at Pocono Raceway. Following him to the finish line was Jeff Gordon in second, Dale Earnhardt Jr. in fifth and Jimmie Johnson in 13th. During that race, the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers led 118 of the 160-lap race (74 percent).

    ROCKING THE ROAD COURSES: Hendrick Motorsports owns the all-time record for the most wins (16), poles (17), top-five finishes (58), top-10s (104) and laps led (1,512) on road courses.

    PLAYOFF POSITIONING: Three 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 standings. William Byron is currently 12th, with Jimmie Johnson 17th, just 12 points behind the cutoff line.

    ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 12 championships, 254 race victories, 221 pole positions, 1,060 top-five finishes and 1,815 top-10 finishes in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. Its teams have led more than 68,500 laps since 1984.

    QUOTABLE /
    Chase Elliott on going back to Watkins Glen after his 2018 win:
    “Any time you run good somewhere, whether you win it or not, it’s always nice to go back. It makes you feel a little more confident. It will be a special weekend going back. That was a big moment for us last year and hopefully we can do that well again.”

    Elliott on his first win:
    “Last year’s win at Watkins Glen was just such a relief. It was so good to finally get the first one for not only me but my guys, too. We had been working on three years and I hadn’t won one, we gave ourselves a good opportunity that day and I was able to get it done.”

    William Byron on Watkins Glen versus Sonoma:
    “Sonoma was a good race for us, but Watkins Glen is really fast and narrow compared to that track. I think with this package, the track is going to be a lot faster. I’m excited to see what that’s all about. We can translate some stuff from our setup in Sonoma and I think it will really be strong for Watkins Glen. I’m excited about that, for sure.”

    Byron on what he learned at Spring Mountain:
    “Before Sonoma we got the chance to drive the Chevy cars out at Spring Mountain. It was helpful for me to work on hitting my marks and being consistent every lap, but it really helped us with overall communication. (No. 24 team crew chief) Chad (Knaus) could really understand better what I was talking about with the car and what I needed, and I think it paid off in Sonoma. We wanted to put a lot of importance into the road course races this year because it’s really like every other race. You can win the race and lock yourself into the playoffs just like the others. I don’t think a lot of guys really prepare completely for them since there’s so few road courses on the schedule, but I think that’s starting to change with the Charlotte ‘roval’ being added into the playoffs. There’s now more of an importance on road courses and we want to make sure we’re as ready as we can be.”

    Jimmie Johnson on the rest of the regular season:
    “Our focus and No. 1 priority right now is to make the playoffs. Our road course game has been pretty good the past few outings, and with stage racing it adds a huge element of strategy, so we will be looking at this weekend from a lot of different angles. Every point, every lap counts from now until the end of the regular season. We are looking at everything. I have a lot of faith in (crew chief) Cliff (Daniels) and in the No. 48 team, so I know we can do this, we just need to execute.”

    No. 48 team crew chief Cliff Daniels on his new role:
    “I know this is the first weekend I will be calling a race as a crew chief but I am confident in myself and the team. The cool part about it is that Hendrick Motorsports has a very good recent history of success at The Glen. (No. 9 team crew chief) Alan (Gustafson) and Chase (Elliott) and the No. 9 team winning last year, they had a fast car last year and did a great job with strategy. I was a part of the No. 48 team with Jimmie as he was two turns away from winning at Charlotte on the ‘roval’ last season but that just didn’t work out for us. Jimmie has so much experience of driving cars and trucks on different types of tracks, so he is super adaptable on road courses. I have a lot of notes to rely on and many resources to pull from, so I will be studying up heading into the weekend and have a good plan going into it.”

    Alex Bowman on Watkins Glen versus Sonoma:
    “Even though the tracks are pretty different, I think Watkins Glen is probably a little easier than Sonoma from a driver’s standpoint. I am excited to get there and unload a fast car that (No. 88 team crew chief) Greg (Ives) and the guys have put together. I know our road course stuff is really strong, so it should be fun.”

    Bowman on wearing a special helmet:
    “This weekend I will be wearing a special helmet that was designed by an individual with cystic fibrosis. This individual won the ‘Accelerate the Cure’ contest that was promoted through CARSTAR and cystic fibrosis chapters across North America. I can’t wait to unveil the winning helmet design on Saturday morning at Watkins Glen.”

  • Team Chevy at The Glen: Team Chevy Advance

    Team Chevy at The Glen: Team Chevy Advance

    TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
    GO BOWLING AT THE GLEN
    WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL
    WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK
    AUGUST 4, 2019

    BOWTIE BULLETS:
    CHEVROLET LEADS THE WAY:
    Chevrolet has 18 wins in 36 Monster Energy NASCR Cup Series races on the 2.45-mile Watkins Glen International road course – more than any other manufacturer. Chevrolet drivers have been successful on the two road courses currently on the MENCS schedule with a combined 29 wins at Watkins Glen International and Sonoma Raceway.

    DRIVE THROUGH HISTORY:
    Chevrolet earned the victory at the inaugural NASCAR Grand National Series-sanctioned race at Watkins Glen International when Buck Baker drove his ’57 Chevy – nicknamed the “Black Widow” — to Victory Lane from the pole in the 100-miler on August 4, 1957. Baker went on to win the championship with 10 wins and six poles in 40 races. His season race earnings totaled $30,763.

    REMEMBERING BIG WIN A YEAR AGO:
    Chase Elliott notched his first career MENCS win on August 5, 2018, at The Glen after starting third. “It’s something I’ll never forget,” said Elliott, who delivered the 250th win for Hendrick Motorsports. It was a long time coming for Elliott, who won in his 99th start after recording eight runner-up finishes. At 22 years, 8 months, 8 days old, Elliott is the youngest MENCS winner at the track. His father, Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, also earned his first Cup win on a road course (Riverside in 1983).

    NEARING ANOTHER MILESTONE:
    This weekend, Chevrolet is aiming to surpass 4,000 top-five finishes dating to 1949. The Bowtie brand has 3,997 top fives heading to Watkins Glen. It added two to the total at Pocono Raceway.

    TUNE-IN:
    NBCSN will telecast the 90-lap/221-mile Go Bowling at The Glen live at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, August 4. The NBCSports Gold app will stream the race and live coverage can also be found on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

    BY THE NUMBERS:
    * Victories by current Chevrolet drivers at Pocono Raceway:
    Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1, won in August 2018.
    * A Team Chevy driver has sat on the pole at Watkins Glen 14 times.
    * Chevrolet drivers have recorded 62 top-five and 125 top-10 finishes at the track.
    * Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1, maintains a streak of 32 consecutive races running at the finish.
    * Like Elliott, AJ Allmendinger picked up his first MENCS win in 2014 at the track, driving a Chevrolet.
    * Career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon leads all drivers with 2,075 laps completed and 262 laps led at Watkins Glen.
    * Chevrolet has won 39 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships.

    QUOTABLE QUOTES:
    KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1 – 7th IN STANDINGS:
    “Looking forward to Watkins Glen; it’s a historical track that with Formula 1, INDYCAR, Sports Cars and NASCAR, it’s one of those cool iconic tracks that I have in my top-five to try and get a win. I’ve got a second-place finish, some Xfinity wins and it’s a good place to get back on track, so to speak for, the No. 1 car. We haven’t followed-up our win at Kentucky in the fashion that we needed to, so we are just looking to execute and have a solid run. With all the teamwork and things we learned from Sonoma, we’ve got to apply it here and prep for the Roval race that will be part of the Playoffs later in the year. Its an important weekend and a good tune-up to be on top of everything that we need.”

    CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 – 8th IN STANDINGS:
    “Any time you run good somewhere, whether you win it or not, it’s always nice to go back. It makes you feel a little more confident. It will be a special weekend going back. That was a big moment for us last year and hopefully we can do that well again.”

    ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 – 11th IN STANDINGS:
    BOWMAN ON SONOMA VS WATKINS GLEN:
    “Even though the tracks are pretty different, I think Watkins Glen is probably a little easier than Sonoma from a driver’s standpoint. I am excited to get there and unload a fast car that Greg (Ives, crew chief) and the guys have put together. I know our road course stuff is really strong, so it should be fun.”

    BOWMAN ON WEARING A SPECIAL HELMET:
    “This weekend I will be wearing a special helmet that was designed by an individual with cystic fibrosis. This individual won the ‘Accelerate the Cure’ contest that was promoted through CARSTAR and cystic fibrosis chapters across North America. I can’t wait to unveil the winning helmet design on Saturday morning at Watkins Glen.”

    WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 HENDRICK AUTOGUARD CAMARO ZL1 – 12th IN STANDINGS:
    “Sonoma was a good race for us, but Watkins Glen is really fast and narrow compared to that track. I think with this package though; the track is going to be a lot faster. I’m excited to see what that’s all about. We can translate some stuff from our setup in Sonoma and I think it will really be strong for Watkins Glen. I’m excited about that for sure.”

    Earlier this year you took Chad Knaus out at the Spring Mountain road course to prepare for the road course races. What did you both learn from that?
    “Before Sonoma we got the chance to drive the Chevy cars out at Spring Mountain. It was helpful for me to work on hitting my marks and being consistent every lap, but it really helped us with overall communication. Chad (Knaus) could really understand better what I was talking about with the car and what I needed, and I think it paid off in Sonoma. We wanted to put a lot of importance into the road course races this year because it’s really like every other race. You can win the race and lock yourself into the playoffs just like the others. I don’t think a lot of guys really prepare completely for them since there’s so few road courses on the schedule, but I think that’s starting to change with the Charlotte Roval being added into the playoffs. There’s now more of an importance on road courses and we want to make sure we’re as ready as we can be.”

    CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 COTTONELLE CAMARO ZL1 – 21st IN STANDINGS:
    “Watkins Glen International is a track that I really enjoy racing at. I have a lot of fun road racing, and the speeds with the turns at Watkins Glen make it a really fun and challenging racetrack. I am not a road course driver by nature, but I’ve been able to learn a lot from some really good road course drivers throughout my career to give us a competitive edge. It’s a big weekend for our friends at Kimberly Clark Corporation and Cottonelle on the car along with Kroger, and I’m looking forward to putting on a great show for them and our fans this weekend.”

    TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO MILITARY CAMARO ZL1 – 23rd IN STANDINGS:
    “I feel like I’m a great road racer. Our team has struggled in the past couple of years, but I feel like a top-20 or a top-18 finish there would be a great improvement for our GEICO Military team. Watkins Glen is such a different animal than Sonoma and The Roval. So, you can’t really build off of any them to prepare for the next one. Hopefully we can continue to better ourselves from last year’s notes and our time in the simulator.”

    RYAN PREECE, NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 – 26th IN STANDINGS:
    “This weekend will be busy for sure, but I’m very grateful for the extra seat time on Saturday to prepare me for my first Watkins Glen Cup race on Sunday. Watkins Glen can be vastly different from Sonoma Raceway, with less turns and higher speeds. I enjoy road racing and how it breaks up our schedule. While the finish at Pocono Raceway wasn’t what we were hoping for, I felt we had a solid weekend leading up to that and we’re starting to hit on a couple of things. JTG Daugherty Racing has a great track record on road courses, and with Chris’s (Buescher) guidance, I’m looking forward to a great race on Sunday in the Kroger Camaro ZL1.”

    BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 VICTORY JUNCTION CAMARO ZL1 – 28th IN STANDINGS:
    “I love going to Watkins Glen International. I remember racing ‘The Glen’ when I first started racing on video games. It was always a blast!

    “With the repave it’s super-fast. I’m excited to get there. Our Richard Petty Motorsports team had a 180-degree change from Sonoma Raceway last year, and I had a lot of fun. We were still slow and off the pace, but I picked-up some time. Every lap we made I got faster. So, it was a good weekend. I’m carrying that same kind of positive energy with our No. 43 Victory Junction Camaro ZL1 to Watkins Glen.”

    Chevrolet Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

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

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

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

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

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

    2019 STATISTICS:
    Wins: 4
    Poles: 10
    Laps Led: 1,248
    Top-five finishes: 28
    Top-10 finishes: 64

    CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
    Total Chevrolet race wins: 783 (1949 to date)
    Poles won to date: 709
    Laps led to date: 233,503
    Top-five finishes to date: 3,997
    Top-10 finishes to date: 8,236

    Total NASCAR Cup wins by corporation, 1949 to date

    GM: 1,117
    Chevrolet: 783
    Pontiac: 155
    Oldsmobile: 115
    Buick: 65

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

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

    Toyota: 132

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

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

  • Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Watkins Glen

    Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Watkins Glen

    Empire State of Mind

    Roush Fenway Racing heads north to the Empire State and the concrete jungle where dreams are made of as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) tackles the 2.45-mile road course at Watkins Glen International. RFR has six wins all-time at The Glen, including three in the Cup series – all by Mark Martin.

    Watkins Glen International

    Sunday, August 4 | 3 p.m. ET

    NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

    ·         Ryan Newman, No. 6 Acronis Ford Mustang

    ·         Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Acronis Ford Mustang

    There’s Nothing You Can’t Do, Now You’re  in New York
    In 103 MENCS starts at WGI, Roush Fenway has three wins, 23 top-five and 41 top-10 finishes along with four poles. All three of RFR’s victories came with former driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin (1993, 1994, 1995).

    Top of the List, King of the Hill

    Martin secured three-straight wins for Roush Fenway at the famed New York road course from 1993-95. He started on the pole for each of the three races and led a combined 183 laps during the three-year streak.

    Tale of the Tape – Road Courses

    In 210 road course starts all-time in the MENCS, Jack Roush’s Fords have won five races and tallied 37 top-five and 76 top-10 finishes, along with six poles. In those 210 starts, an RFR Ford has led 577 laps for an average finish of 17.5.

    New York, New Sponsor

    The global leader in Cyber Protection, Acronis, makes its debut with Roush Fenway Racing aboard both Ryan Newman’s No. 6 and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s No. 17. This is the first of three races for Acronis as the primary partner on the No. 6 with the other two coming at Bristol (8/17) and Dover (10/6).

    Where They Rank

    ·         Newman remains in the playoff top-16 following Pocono, 12 points ahead of Jimmie Johnson in 17th. Newman and Clint Bowyer are both 25 points back from Kyle Larson in 14th with five races remaining until the playoffs begin.

    ·         Teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr., sits 20th in points, 20 back of 19th and 88 back of 16th.

    Roush Fenway Watkins Glen Wins

    1993       Martin                  Cup

    1994       Martin                  Cup

    1995       Martin                  Cup

    1998       Ruttman             Truck

    2000       Biffle                     Truck

    2012       Edwards               NXS

    By the Numbers at Watkins Glen

    Race      Win       T5           T10         Pole       Laps       Led        AvSt      AvFn     Miles

    103         3              23           41           4              8982       301         18.3        16.4        22041.8

    40           1              8              17           0              3069       47           16.1        15.7        7531.3

    9              2              5              6              1              503         46           7.6          10.9        1234.3

    152         6              36           64           5              12554    394         17.1        15.9        30807.4

  • Samaritan’s Feet – Watkins Glen – Race Advance

    Samaritan’s Feet – Watkins Glen – Race Advance

    Event: Go Bowling at The Glen (Race 22 of 36)

    Venue: Watkins Glen (Watkins Glen, NY)

    Format: Three Stages – Stages End: Lap 20, 40, 90 = 220.5 Miles

    Date/Broadcast: Sunday, August 4 at 3:00 PM ET on NBCSN and MRN

    More than 1.5 billion people, or 24% of the world’s population, are infected with soil-transmitted helminth infections worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

    Corey LaJoie is headed to Watkins Glen with a special cause on-board his No. 32 Ford Mustang that has reached major strides in an effort to reduce that heart-tugging statistic.

    LaJoie and his wife Kelly have teamed up with Samaritan’s Feet, an organization founded in 2003 to provide shoes to children and individuals in need to inspire hope and encouragement.

    “There is absolutely no better fit being that my longtime racing nickname is “SuperShoe.” Now being a “SuperShoe” is being a part of something bigger than myself to bring the gift of a new pair of shoes,” LaJoie said gracefully.

    People without shoes face dangers such as laceration, fungus, and insect bites that can lead to infection, disease, and even death.

    Since its founding in 2003, Samaritan’s Feet and its partners have distributed over 7 million pairs of shoes in 108 countries and more than 389 U.S. cities.

    LaJoie hopes to spread the mission and raise awareness of this enormous undertaking throughout the weekend at The Glen, the second of three road courses on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule.

    In his lone Cup start at the 2.45-mile road course, the Charlotte, NC native finished 33rd.

    On Sunday, August 4 at 3pm ET, tune in to catch the No. 32 making left and right turns at the famed Watkins Glen International and consider how you can get involved in the effort to provide shoes by visiting samaritansfeet.org.

    LaJoie on the upcoming weekend at Watkins Glen:
    “I certainly wouldn’t call road racing one of my strong suits, but hopefully I can apply what I learned my first trip there and some simulator work to have a solid weekend. I can’t wait to get kick off the alliance with Samaritan’s Feet this week by having them on the racecar as well as being a Hope Giver for their campaign from August to November. I genuinely care enough about their mission to feel called to personally commit financially to give Samaritan’s Feet the platform they deserve.

    LaJoie MENCS career highlights at Watkins Glen:
    Starts: 1
    Start: 36th
    Finish: 33rd

    In the Rearview Mirror: Gander RV 400
    Corey LaJoie and the No. 32 Adirondack Tree Surgeons team rallied to a 26th-place finish in the Gander RV 400 on Sunday afternoon. LaJoie qualified 30th for the 160-lap race but rolled off 36th after pre-race tech inspection issues. Despite being relegated to the rear, LaJoie showed no lack of speed as he made his way up to 29th by lap six. Around lap 28 the third-generation driver reported that he may have a tire going down, resulting in crew chief Randy Cox calling LaJoie to pit road early to assess the situation and to prevent any trouble. Good until the Stage break, LaJoie would finish Stage One 31st, before another visit to pit road. As Stage Two got underway, the Charlotte, NC native would be racing the Ty Dillon and Matt Tifft for the free-pass position. The No. 32 would run in the 30th position until a caution came out for the No. 9. The caution allowed the Adirondack Tree Surgeons team to pit for service, just before another caution for a brief rain shower. When Stage Two came to a close, the No. 32 Ford was scored 29th. Set for the final Stage, LaJoie would hold the free pass position when another yellow was thrown for a stopped car, allowing LaJoie to only be two laps down instead of three. An intense restart brought out another caution, giving LaJoie another lap back, now just one lap down. LaJoie concluded the day 26th in a G-W-C finish.
    ————————————————————–
    About Our Team

    About Samaritan’s Feet
    Samaritan’s Feet serves and inspires hope in children by providing shoes as the foundation to a spiritual and healthy life resulting in the advancement of education and economic opportunities. Since their founding in 2003, Samaritan’s Feet and its partners have distributed over 7 million pairs of shoes in 108 countries and 395 U.S. cities. For more information, visit samaritansfeet.org.

    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.

  • FRM Race Preview: Watkins Glen

    FRM Race Preview: Watkins Glen

    Michael McDowell on Watkins Glen                                                                                                        10 Starts
    Best Finish: 12th

    “I always love going to Watkins Glen – and any road course, for that matter. It’s one of my favorite tracks to race at. You’ve got to be smart about your restarts and braking zones. We’ve had some great speed in our Front Row Motorsports cars there in the past, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what Drew and the guys can put together for our No. 34 Long John Silver’s Ford Mustang.”

    David Ragan on Watkins Glen
    12 Starts
    Best Finish: 19th

    “Heading to Watkins Glen this weekend, it’s just so different from Sonoma, the only other road course we visit this year. It’s very fast, with very sharp corners and Sonoma is almost the total opposite. Obviously, strategy comes into play a lot at a place like Watkins Glen. I’m looking forward to seeing what Mike Kelley has in store for our No. 38 MDS Ford. It’s going to be a challenging race and we’ve got to make sure we’re still there at the end in order to get a good finish.”

    Go Bowling at the Glen
    Watkins Glen International
    (Watkins Glen, NY)
    Sunday, August 4
    3:00 p.m. ET NBCSN, MRN

    Qualifying
    Friday, August 3
    6:40 p.m. ET NBCSN, MRN

  • Stenhouse Jr – Watkins Glen Advance

    Stenhouse Jr – Watkins Glen Advance

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

    ADVANCE NOTES

    Stenhouse at Watkins Glen

    Stenhouse has six Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) starts at Watkins Glen, with an average starting position of 26.5 and average finishing position of 24.3.

    Stenhouse has two XFINITY Series starts at the road course, earning his career best finish of fourth in 2012.

    A Year Ago At Watkins Glen

    After an early spin, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rallied back to earn a 16th-place finish in Sunday afternoon’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race at Watkins Glen International scoring a career best finish at the 2.45-mile track.

    On the Car
    The Global leader in Cyber Protection, Acronis, makes its debut with Roush Fenway Racing aboard Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s No. 17 Ford Mustang, as well as on the car of teammate Ryan Newman, this weekend at Watkins Glen.

    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.

    New York Natives

    Jackman Brad Robinson and Gas Man Kevin Wing grew up in Groton, NY, which is approximately one hour from Watkins Glen International.

    Stenhouse Jr. on racing at Watkins Glen:

    “I’m looking forward to racing this weekend at the Glen. The key to road racing is being smooth and trying to limit your mistakes. Like in years past, pit strategy and fuel mileage usually becomes a factor. If we can stay out of trouble and play the right strategy, I’m confident that we can have a solid finish this weekend.”

  • Ryan Newman – Watkins Glen Advance

    Ryan Newman – Watkins Glen Advance

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

    Go Bowling at The Glen – Sunday, August 4 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

    ADVANCE NOTES

    Newman at Watkins Glen

    ·         Newman will make his 18th start at Watkins Glen on Sunday. In 17 prior starts, Newman has an average finish of 17.9 with three top-10s and one top five.

    ·         Newman’s best Cup finish of second came back in his first-ever MENCS race at WGI back in 2002 after he started fifth and led 11 laps. He followed that with a ninth-place result in 2003 and also finished top-10 (eighth) in 2006.

    ·         With nine top-10 starts at WGI, Newman’s average starting position is 11.8. His best qualifying effort of third came back in 2006 and he also lined up fifth in 2002.

    ·         Newman does have a win in the Xfinity Series at WGI, which came back in 2005 after starting fourth. He has one additional top-10 (ninth) in 2007.

    Scott Graves at Watkins Glen

    ·         Graves will call his fourth MENCS event at WGI this weekend. Dating back two seasons, Graves has finishes of third (2017) and fourth (2018) with Daniel Suarez.

    ·         Graves also led Carl Edwards to an Xfinity Series win at the track back in 2012 after starting second. He followed that with finishes of third (2015) with Chris Buescher and fourth with Suarez in 2016.

    QUOTE WORTHY
    Newman on racing at Watkins Glen:
    “Watkins Glen has always been a fun and challenging race track to me over the years. With our second road course race in as many months, the key as a driver is just to be smooth and limit your mistakes. Track position is always vital which puts an emphasis on qualifying. Our last time out at Sonoma we hung around and had a solid day, so we’re looking for the same this weekend. We’re excited to officially welcome Acronis on board our No. 6 and hope to put on a good show for everyone there.”

    Tracking the Playoff Hunt

    ·         Newman remains in the playoff top-16 following Pocono, 12 points ahead of Jimmie Johnson in 17th. Newman and Clint Bowyer are both 25 points back from Kyle Larson in 14th with five races remaining until the playoffs begin.

    On the Car
    The Global leader in Cyber Protection, Acronis, makes its debut with Roush Fenway Racing aboard Ryan Newman’s No. 6 Ford Mustang, as well as on the car of teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr., this weekend at Watkins Glen. This is the first of three races for Acronis as the primary partner on the No. 6 with the other two coming at Bristol (8/17) and Dover (10/6).

    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 Pocono
    Strategy played a big factor in Sunday’s race at Pocono as Newman at one point restarted second as varying pit strategies played out before going on to pass a host of cars in the final laps to finish 14th.

  • Matt DiBenedetto – No. 95 Procore Toyota Camry – Watkins Glen Preview

    Matt DiBenedetto – No. 95 Procore Toyota Camry – Watkins Glen Preview

    Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International

    No. 95 Procore Toyota Camry Notes:

    ·       JOIN THE PROCORE CREW: Become a member of the No. 95 Crew today to get your free, collectible Matt DiBenedetto 95 hero card. Plus, you can enter to win exclusive Procore No. 95 Car merchandise throughout the season.  Visit www.procore.com/95crew to enroll today.

    ·       DIBENEDETTO BY THE NUMBERS: In four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career starts at Watkins Glen International, Matt DiBenedetto has an average start of 31.8 and an average finish of 30.2.  He’s completed 338 of 360 (93.9 percent) career laps at the 2.45-mile road course.

    ·       RACE INFO: The Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International (2.45-mile road course) begins at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 4th. The race will be broadcast live on NBCSN, Sirius XM Channel 90 and MRN Radio.

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

    Date                Event                                      S          F         Laps          Status
    08/09/15          Cheez-It 355                           27        26        90/90         Running
    08/07/16          Cheez-It 355                           35        34        83/90         Crash
    08/06/17          I Love New York 355              37        28        90/90         Running
    08/05/18          Go Bowling at The Glen         28        33        75/90         Running

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

    Races        Wins     Top 5s      Top 10s       Poles
    Cumulative         4                0             0                0                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
    21               0                 2                 3                0                    50                      21.2                 21.1

    DiBenedetto’s Career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Stats:

    Starts         Wins        Top-5’s     Top-10’s         Poles        Laps Led            Avg. Start       Avg. Finish
    161                0                  2                7                  0                73                        29.8                 27.9

    From the Driver’s Seat:

    Matt DiBenedetto: “I’m looking ahead to getting to Watkins Glen this weekend because I’ve really come to love road courses.  I think I enjoy it because it’s back to laying off the gas, using the brake pedal, and really getting up on the wheel and hustling in the car.  The Glen is a much different road course than Sonoma, a lot of the same things don’t apply from Sonoma to The Glen.  Watkins Glen is a road course that’s a little higher speed and slightly less technical than Sonoma.  We want a lot of downforce at The Glen as well as making sure that we have speed in our race car.  In looking ahead to The Glen, it’s not just focusing on forward-drive and grip like we do at Sonoma.  It’s new asphalt at The Glen as well so that gives us a lot of grip, high speeds, and high downforce.  Strategy is really important and that’s what makes the road course racing really fun for me.  Most teams will try to pit and be good to go on fuel as soon as possible, so pit strategies generally dictate your race there.  It’s a fun race and one that we look forward to because I’ve always loved Watkins Glen.  It’s a place we circle on the schedule as a race that we have a chance to hopefully get a strong run at.”

    From the Pit Box:

    Mike Wheeler: “For Watkins Glen, qualifying well is really important.  Being able to start in the top-10 or top-five makes the day a whole lot easier as far as passing and strategy.  Keeping track position is definitely a key to running well at The Glen.  Ultimately, you want to make sure that you’re good in the braking zones like Turn 1 to ‘the bus stop’ as well as heading into Turn 6 are areas that you can get positions on guys and have the ability to pass.  You can make a lot of lap time in ‘the bus stop’ as far as overall speed, but you can’t really pass there.  With the new package, it’ll be a different deal all together but ultimately qualifying well and having good brakes are keys.  Generally, you can afford to give up some forward drive there, and it’s not like Sonoma where you end up having traction-limited moments.  A lot of it is high-speed new pave hard tires and we don’t fight traction as much as we do in Sonoma so it’s one of those deals that we work on steering and braking more at The Glen than we typically do at other road courses.  The track is really nice, and I always enjoy going up there, so I’m looking forward to this weekend.”

    No. 95 Procore Toyota 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 Procore Technologies:

    Procore is a leading provider of cloud-based applications for construction. Procore connects people, applications, and devices through a unified platform to help construction professionals manage risk and build quality projects—safely, on time, and within budget. Procore has a diversified business model with products for Project Management, Construction Financials, Quality & Safety, and Field Productivity. Headquartered in Carpinteria, California, with offices around the globe, Procore is used to manage billions of dollars in annual construction volume. For more information about Procore, visit procore.com.