Category: NASCAR Cup PR

Toyota Racing
This Week in Motorsports – July 15 – 21, 2019

Toyota Racing On-Track this Week
· MENCS/NXS/NKNPSE: New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Loudon, New Hampshire) – July 20-21
· NHRA: Bandimere Speedway (Morrison, Colorado) – July 21
· Formula Drift: Evergreen Speedway (Monroe, Washington) – July 20

NASCAR National Series – MENCS | NXS

Lobster Connection… Toyota has nine NASCAR Cup Series wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with Camry drivers most recently posting victories at the one-mile track when Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch swept a pair of races in 2017. Hamlin has the highest average finish (10.2) among active drivers and has scored top-10 finishes in over half of his starts at the track. In addition to his win in 2017, Hamlin also won in a Toyota in 2012 after scoring his first victory in 2007.

Closing In… Camry drivers Busch, Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. have all solidified a spot in the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs while Erik Jones (currently 16th in driver standings) and Matt DiBenedetto (25th in standings) still hope to make their way to victory lane to guarantee their own spot in the Round of 16. Jones has scored four top-10 finishes in his last six starts, including two of his season-best third-place finishes. He most recently contended for the win at Kentucky Speedway, battling Busch and his brother, Kurt, in the thrilling overtime finish. While Jones has only one top-10 finish at New Hampshire in the Cup Series, he has experience making his way around the one-mile track as he scored three top 10s in three combined starts in the Xfinity Series and Truck Series.

New England Dreaming… While the Supra race car will make its first trip to New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Toyota drivers have four consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series wins at the track and nine total. Christopher Bell is the defending race winner after scoring a victory last July when he led 93 laps (of 200). It was Bell’s second of three consecutive race wins. Bell’s teammate, Brandon Jones, could also extend Toyota’s winning ways in New England as he looks to improve on a sixth-place finish from last year’s event while Harrison Burton will make his first appearance at the track in the series.

NHRA

A Place of Firsts for Todd… When J.R. Todd arrives in Denver this week, he will be returning to a track that’s played host to two major firsts in his career. He earned his first career Top Fuel win at Bandimere Speedway on the way to the 2006 NHRA Auto Club Road to the Future award, which recognizes NHRA’s top performing rookie driver. Then, after going without a full-time ride from 2009 to 2013, Todd recorded another Mile High Nationals milestone when he registered his first victory for Kalitta Motorsports in 2014. He went on to finish second overall in the point standings that season and cemented a relationship that has seen him earn 12 wins and a Funny Car world championship with the team.

Brown’s Western Swing Sweep Distinction… Antron Brown heads to Denver this weekend holding the distinction of being the last Top Fuel driver to sweep NHRA’s Western Swing when he was victorious in Denver, Seattle and Sonoma in 2009. The long-time Toyota driver has won 11 times on the Western Swing beginning with his 2009 sweep. Among those victories were three at the Mile High Nationals (2017, 2012, 2009), to go along with one runner-up showing (2016).

Formula Drift

Halfway Home… Formula Drift eclipses the halfway point of the 2019 season with Round 5 at Evergreen Speedway on Saturday. Toyota drivers head to the Washington track with plenty of momentum as Frederic Aasbø and Ryan Tuerck swept the top-two positions in the last two events at Road Atlanta and New Jersey’s Wall Speedway, respectively. Aasbø currently leads the point standings while Tuerck is third. Heading into Evergreen Speedway, Tuerck finished runner-up in last year’s event, scoring his first podium finish since March 2017.

Regional Stock Car Racing – NKNPSE

Wicked Good in K&N East… Toyota drivers have won four of five K&N Pro Series East events this season with Derek Kraus leading the way after securing two victories at New Smyrna Speedway and South Boston Speedway. Tyler Ankrum and Todd Gilliland won the last two July events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, as Camry drivers have posted a combined eight victories at the New England track.

Michael McDowell on New Hampshire
16 Starts
Best Finish: 23rd
“New Hampshire is always a cool track to visit. We don’t race too much in the Northeast, so it’s nice to be able to see the fans up there. New Hampshire is a tight, tough racetrack, which makes for a long Sunday, but if you plan ahead and can get your car setup right, you’ll be successful. I’m confident that Drew and the entire No. 34 crew will be able to put together a great racecar for us this weekend.”

Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Express Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Race Info:
Race: Foxwoods Resort Casino 301
Date/Time: July 21/3:00 p.m. ET
Distance: 301 laps/318.4 miles
Track Length: 1 mile
Banking: 7 degrees
Track Shape: Oval
2018 Winner: Kevin Harvick

Express Notes:

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

Kentucky Recap: A fast FedEx Freight Toyota helped Denny Hamlin battle back from a penalty to score a top-five finish at Kentucky Speedway Saturday night. The #11 team had a car capable of winning – leading laps and running in the top five for much of the race – but once again had to overcome a pit road penalty that sent the team to the back of the pack. The race-changing penalty came late in Stage 2. Hamlin had been running second before pitting for two tires and fuel and subsequently incurring a penalty from NASCAR for an uncontrolled tire. After completing his pass-through penalty, he sat in 22nd and a lap down to the leader. After getting the “Lucky Dog” pass to return to the lead lap, Hamlin spent Stage 3 gradually picking off positions until he returned to the top five – including leading five laps before having to peel off to pit. A late-race caution led to a green-white-checkered overtime finish, but Hamlin stood his ground in the top five and crossed the line in fifth as Kurt Busch scored the win.

New Hampshire Preview: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will be heading to New England for 301 laps of action at New Hampshire Motor speedway on Sunday, July 21. With Hamlin and team incurring costly penalties the last two races, Denny and team will be looking to improve their race execution and hoping for their third win of the 2019 Cup Series season.

Hamlin New Hampshire Statistics:
Track: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Races: 25
Wins: 3 (2007, 2012, 20170
Poles: 0
Top-5: 9
Top-10: 14
Laps Led: 549
Avg. Start: 10.2
Avg. Finish 10.2

Hamlin Conversation:

You’ve had success at Loudon; what will your team need to repeat in New Hampshire?

“I’ve been fortunate to have had some good races at New Hampshire, but every year is different, and it’s a tough group of drivers who are battling every week for the win. I am confident in our team’s ability, but we will need to be at the top of our game to get the win this weekend at Loudon.”

Penalties have continued to be an issue with your team this season; what will your team need to adjust and improve upon to put yourselves in the best position to win every week for the remainder of the season?

“We’ve had fast FedEx Toyotas this season, but the penalties have definitely hurt us. In these races, we have been able to rally because we had a fast car and fought our way back up to the front. I’m proud of the speed we bring to the track every week, but we still need to work on our execution in order to run a complete race.”

FedEx PYMA Along for the Ride at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: For the Foxwood Resort Casino 301 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the FedEx #11 will proudly feature the letters PYMA on its B-post to recognize team members for exceeding performance goals in FY19 for FedEx First Overnight and FedEx Priority Overnight service.

Team: No. 6 Oscar Mayer / Velveeta Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman

Foxwood Resort Casino 301 – Sunday, July 21 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Newman at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

· Newman will make his 34th MENCS start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday. In 33 prior events, Newman has three wins (tied for most of any track), seven top fives and 19 top-10 finishes. His overall average finish is 13.7 with 722 laps led, second-most of any track on the Cup circuit (behind Dover – 849).

· Newman earned wins in 2002, 2005 and 2011 at the 1.058-mile track. He led a combined 328 laps in the three victories and started from the pole in two (2002, 2011). In the event last season he drove to a sixth-place finish. He’s finished 13th or better in six of the last nine MENCS events in Loudon, four of which were top-10 results.

· Newman has an average starting spot of 10.6 at NHMS with seven poles, tied for second-most of any track on the circuit. He started from the point in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, swept both poles in 2011, and again in 2013.

· Newman has a wealth of experience in other series’ at NHMS, including one Xfinity Series start (2001) and 19 starts in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour series.

· The modified event at NHMS has become an annual tradition for Newman, who has two wins (both 2010), nine top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. He has sat on the pole for seven of the events and led 228 laps overall.

Scott Graves at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

· Graves will be atop the pit box for his sixth MENCS event at NHMS on Sunday. In five prior starts – two with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and three with Daniel Suarez – Graves has two top-10s and a best finish of sixth (2017).

· Graves also called three Xfinity Series events in Loudon, earning two top-five results. He led Chris Buescher to fifth back in 2014, and most recently finished fourth with Suarez in 2016.

QUOTE WORTHY

Newman on racing at Loudon:

“I look forward to going to Loudon because it’s been a good track to me. Each race this year we’ve continued to make gains and progress. I think our short track program has been one of our strengths as well, so I’m looking forward to the opportunity to go to Loudon (and some of these other track we go to a second time) to prove that we’ve learned a lot. It’s also a big weekend for all of the Fenway family as we’re in their backyard in our Oscar Mayer Ford Mustang, so we’re looking forward to the opportunity.”

Tracking the Playoff Hunt

· Newman was again the recipient of a top-10 point total (28) after his ninth-place result in Kentucky. Heading into Loudon he sits 17th, just two points outside the top-16 cutoff for the playoffs.

· With seven races remaining until the playoffs, the battle from 14th on continues between Clint Bowyer, Jimmie Johnson, Erik Jones, Newman and Daniel Suarez. Just 12 points separate those four drivers as Newman carries his best average finish (13.8) in four seasons.

On the Car
As part of a season-long rollout celebrating Oscar Mayer’s quality meat offerings, Newman’s scheme will feature Oscar Mayer with a side of Velveeta this weekend in Loudon.

About The Kraft Heinz Company
The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ: KHC) is one of the largest food and beverage companies in the world. A globally trusted producer of delicious foods, The Kraft Heinz Company provides high quality, great taste and nutrition for all eating occasions, whether at home, in restaurants or on the go. The Company’s iconic brands include Kraft, Heinz, ABC, Capri Sun, Classico, Jell-O, Kool-Aid, Lunchables, Maxwell House, Ore-Ida, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Planters, Plasmon, Quero, Smart Ones and Velveeta. The Kraft Heinz Company is dedicated to the sustainable health of our people, our planet and our Company. For more information, visit www.kraftheinzcompany.com.

Recapping Kentucky
Newman led 15 laps en route to his second top-10 in as many races, crossing the stripe ninth last Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway, his seventh top-10 finish of 2019.

Foxwoods Casino Resort 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

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 seven Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Matt DiBenedetto has an average start of 27.0 and an average finish of 30.4.  He’s completed 2,082 of 2,104 (99.0 percent) career laps at “The Magic Mile.”

·       RACE INFO: The Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1.058-mile) begins at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 21st. The race will be broadcast live on NBCSN, Sirius XM Channel 90 and PRN Radio.

DiBenedetto’s Career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Loudon:
Date                Event                                                  S          F         Laps               Status
07/19/15          5-Hour Energy 301                             35        35       296/301           Running
09/27/15          Sylvania 300                                       35        30       297/300           Running
07/17/16          New Hampshire 301                           16        31       299/301           Running
09/25/16          Bad Boy Off Road 300                        33        28       298/300           Running
07/16/17          Overton’s 301                                     16        30        299/301           Running
09/24/17          ISM Connect 300                                26        31       295/300           Running
07/22/18          Foxwoods Resort Casino 301            28        28        298/301           Running

DiBenedetto’s Career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Loudon:
Races        Wins     Top 5s      Top 10s       Poles
Cumulative         7                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
19               0                 1                 2                 0                   50                       22.6                 22.2

DiBenedetto’s Career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Stats:

Starts         Wins        Top-5’s     Top-10’s         Poles        Laps Led            Avg. Start       Avg. Finish
159                0                  1                6                   0                 73                       30.1                 28.1

From the Driver’s Seat:

Matt DiBenedetto: “New Hampshire is one of my favorite tracks on the circuit because it’s a short track and those seem to be where we have been running the best at lately.  Loudon I think would be closest to Phoenix in my comparison since they’re both flat short tracks.  I thought that we had a good Camry at Phoenix earlier this year and we’ve of course had more of the season since then to work on things.  This weekend will still be hard to pass, and track position will be even more important than some of the other tracks we visit.  Qualifying well at New Hampshire is really important, so teams will put a lot of emphasis on getting set for that session.  If you can start further up front in the field, it just seems to set-up your whole race from there.  Now that we’re back to single-car qualifying it’s more fun because the pressure is on you to get a good clean fast lap.  For qualifying this weekend we’ll really be wheeling it and trying to lay a strong lap down.  In the race, the track is really flat and we’ll be relying on the grip that we have, so if you get stuck back further in traffic, it’s tougher to pass this year.  PJ1 will be applied this weekend to several grooves of the track and I anticipate us running that third groove since that was the lane most ran last year.  We should have the bottom lane as an option even though it’s flat down there, but the PJ1 should assist.  You need to have lane choices this year with this package in order to find clean air.  Last year, you could follow more in people’s tire tracks, but this year you can’t.  The PJ1 at Kentucky last weekend helped a bit, but we still need to be able to get into clean air somehow.  You have to be consistent all day at Loudon.  You can’t have mistakes that force you to fall back to the tail-end of the line because that can affect your entire race if that happens now, where it didn’t use to.  You have to execute from start to finish, you have to qualify well, you have to have a smooth day, you have to be aggressive and get everything that you can on restarts and all of it just compounds more at New Hampshire it seems.”

From the Pit Box:

Mike Wheeler: “Loudon this weekend sounds be similar to the short track package that we had at Richmond and Phoenix, but we have a new tire for it this year, and on top of that change they’re laying PJ1 in some of the lanes around the track.  Last weekend in Kentucky, the PJ1 on the track showed some promise.  When they have used PJ1 in the past at Loudon it did help the bottom groove to come in, and instead of it being a single lane racetrack, it developed multiple grooves.  The PJ1 never makes all the lanes even, but it does allow for more opportunities to run different lanes.  Loudon can be ever-changing during the course of a race depending how many guys are on it and how hot it is, along with the tire, but definitely can allow you to use different grooves to get around guys.  One of the biggest challenges of Loudon is that it’s a flat track so the cars are very prone to rolling over and having bad platforms.  The bumps into Turn 3 are fairly pronounced, so as much as you want to run fairly stiff for platform control, once you do that the bumps are so bad that it can jostle the car pretty heavily.  There is a challenge of trying to get the ride quality right for the bumps in Turn 3 as well as controlling the platform through mid-corner and exit.  Every year in New Hampshire with the winters that come and go the track always ages a little more so things always get a little worse due to that aging.  We’ll still be using a ton of brake at Loudon since it is a short track.  While the mid-corner speeds might be slightly higher there than last year, we’ll still be using quite a bit of brake on entry which is where the bumps are at.  One of the top-three challenges you face there is making sure you can race well over the bumps without having issues.  Our game plan for this weekend is that we’ll look to unload in qualifying trim and then switch to race trim on Saturday.  Usually by the end of Happy Hour we have a pretty good idea of what to expect for the race.”

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: Dakota Ratcliff
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.

Team:                       No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief:              Brian Pattie
Twitter:                    @Stenhouse17Team @Stenhousejr @FastenalRacing and @Roushfenway

ADVANCE NOTES

Stenhouse Jr. at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Stenhouse Jr. has 11 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with an average starting position of 22.5 and average finishing position of 20.8.

In his 11 starts, Stenhouse has scored two top-10 finishes.

Last Time at New Hampshire

After a rain delayed start to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race on Sunday afternoon, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. solidly ran in the top-15 for a majority of the race before cutting a right-front tire that ultimately forced him to settle with a 30th-place finish.

New Hampshire Native

Our Interior Mechanic, Chris Church, a diehard Boston Red Sox fan, grew up in Haverhill, MA, which is a little over an hour from NHMS.

Red Sox Game

Stenhouse Jr. will throw out the first pitch during Wednesday’s night Boston Red Sox game versus Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park.

Fastenal Racing Fan Club

Make sure to go join the new Fastenal Racing Fan Club to receive exclusive content and prizes.  https://www.fastenalracing.com/fanclub.html

On the Car

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

Stenhouse Jr. on racing at New Hampshire:

“New Hampshire is a fast one-mile track with multiple grooves. We’ve been decent there in the past. Last year, I thought we had a top-15 car but cut a tire late in the race. Track position is key, so qualifying will be important on Friday. With the forecasted high temperatures on Sunday, the track is going to be slick so it should be an exciting race.”

MOORESVILLE, NC (July 16th, 2019) — Nineteen races are now official and the Go Fas Racing organization has had a very respectable first-half of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. Driver Corey LaJoie started his first season with the organization off with an 18th-place finish at the prestigious Daytona 500. LaJoie wheeled the now-famous Old Spice Mustang for the crown-jewel, which returned for a second appearance the following weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The No. 32 had a relatively solid showing during the West Coast Swing at Las Vegas and Phoenix finishing 27th and 26th, respectively, representing Prospr and Schluter Systems.

Fast forward to Talladega, the 27-year-old tied the best finish of his career at the time, 11th, piloting the Schluter Systems Ford, after starting from the 36th position. Following that finish up a few weeks later, LaJoie brought home a top-25 (22nd) at Kansas, also with the orange Schluter colors on board.

LaJoie undeniably made a statement when he scored a 12th-place result with Superior Logistics at the 1.5-mile oval of Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600.

“Finishing 12th in the 600 at Charlotte was a true testament of the hard work the guys at Go Fas Racing put forth and the fast cars they’re putting together back at the shop,” remarked LaJoie.

The third generation racer would continue the positive results within the top-25 when the series visited the Irish Hills of Michigan in June for the FireKeepers Casino 400. At the checkered flag, the Harvest Investments team would end the day in 23rd, a great finish for a track of that size for the family-owned team.

The 18th race stood to be the best race of all thus far, for both LaJoie and the GFR team. Representing Shine Armor, LaJoie scored his career-best finish and the team’s best-ever finish by placing sixth in a rain-shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona.

“I’m pretty happy with where we’re at as a team at the halfway point of the year,” commented LaJoie. “We’ve had some trying weekends but we’ve also had some very good results. Randy and I will continue to build our notebook to keep overachieving versus some of our competitors and keep grabbing as many points as possible every race.”

Thirteen different paint schemes have decorated the No. 32 Ford over the stretch of the first-half of the season: Old Spice, Prospr, Schluter Systems, Hartford Gold Group, Keen Parts/CorvetteParts.net, DUDE Wipes, Freedom Hard, Superior Logistics, Visone RV/Wildcat Adventures Off Road Park, Harvest Investments, Motion Group/GM Nameplate, CoinLotto.com and Shine Armor.

“We’ve had some incredible partners come on board so far this season, in addition to our returning partners,” stated General Manager Mason St. Hilaire. “We as a company were excited about the new rules package, but we weren’t quite sure how it would turn out for us. We’ve been able to stay on the lead lap more and we’ve been able to put a good racing product out there. We’ve had a lot of great finishes the first half of the season, 11th at Talladega, 12th at Charlotte, and a 6th place finish at Daytona. We feel that our mile and a half program has once again been elevated and we’ve been working hard as a group to collect data to continue to get better each race that we go to and we look forward to seeing what the second half has in store for our race team.”

Headed into the 20th race of the year, the Charlotte, NC native has three top-12s and six top-25s this season and sits 29th in the standings.

The organization as a whole looks to continue building on the positives they’ve constructed in the first nineteen events this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301.

Catch the 301-lap race on Sunday, July 21 with coverage on NBCSN at 3:00 PM ET.

————————————————————–
About Our Team
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.

FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: NEW HAMPSHIRE ADVANCE

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup and NASCAR XFINITY Series will headline this weekend’s schedule of racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where Kevin Harvick will be looking for his first win of the season and second straight win at the one-mile track. Here’s a look at how Ford has fared through the years.

FORD IN THE MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES AT NEW HAMPSHIRE

· Ford has 14 all-time series wins at New Hampshire.

· Ford’s all-time winningest MENCS driver at New Hampshire is Jeff Burton (4 wins).

· Kevin Harvick is the defending champion of this weekend’s event.

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT NEW HAMPSHIRE

· Ford has 8 series wins by 8 different drivers at New Hampshire.

· The last Ford winner was Brad Keselowski in 2014.

· Ford has 3 MENCS/NXS season sweeps at NHMS (1994, 2004 and 2014).

HARVICK LOOKING TO DEFEND

Kevin Harvick used the bump-and-run on Kyle Busch, passing him with seven laps to go, to take the checkered flag and register his series-leading sixth win of the season in last year’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Harvick broke a tie with Busch for the most individual wins as the race came down to the final laps following a restart with 40 laps to go. Harvick steadily gained ground on Busch and made his move in the middle of turns one and two. He led a group of five Fords that finished in the top 10 as Aric Almirola was third, Ryan Blaney seventh, Kurt Busch eighth and Joey Logano ninth.

FOUR OVER TWO

A pit call by crew chief Todd Gordon with 53 laps to go proved to be the key decision in helping Joey Logano win the Playoff race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2014. With Logano running inside the top-five for most of the race, Gordon called for four tires while most of the other teams opted for two. That put Logano 16th on the ensuing restart, but he quickly moved up to sixth 10 laps later when another caution slowed the field. Logano endured three more cautions, including a green-white-checker restart, over the final 30 laps to post the seventh win of his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career.

WEEKEND SWEEP

Brad Keselowski had a weekend to remember as he became the first driver to sweep a NASCAR XFINITY and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, achieving the feat on July 12-13, 2014. Keselowski led 138 of 305 laps, including the final two under a green-white-checkered finish, to beat Kyle Busch to the finish line. The win was Ford’s fourth straight series win, marking the first time that had happened since 2001.

PLAYOFF FIRST

Kurt Busch became the first driver to ever win a race in the Playoff format when he won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sept. 19, 2004. Busch, who went on to win the series championship later that season, led 155-of-300 laps to complete a season sweep. Matt Kenseth finished second to give owner Jack Roush and Ford a 1-2 finish. The victory enabled Busch to grab a share of the points lead as he left Loudon tied with Dale Earnhardt Jr. for first place.

300-FOR-300

Jeff Burton is the last driver to lead every lap of a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race when he did it on Sept. 17, 2000 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Bobby Labonte started from the pole, but Burton grabbed the lead after starting on the outside of the front row. Even though Labonte and Dale Earnhardt challenged him throughout the day, Burton never gave up the lead, becoming the first driver to lead every lap of a series race since Cale Yarborough did it in the Music City USA 420 at Nashville Speedway on June 3, 1978. The race, which was run with the use of restrictor plates, ended under caution after Sterling Marlin was involved in an accident with three laps remaining. It was Burton’s fourth win at the speedway and concluded a stretch that saw him win four consecutive seasons at the Magic Mile.

OWNER/DRIVER FIRST

Ford’s first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway came in the track’s second year of hosting events in 1994. That’s when Ricky Rudd outdueled Dale Earnhardt in the closing laps to post his 15th career win. Rudd led 55 laps on the day, but won it after a memorable side-by-side battle with seven laps to go in which he passed Earnhardt on the inside, only to see the black No. 3 crossover and pull alongside for the next lap. Rudd eventually pulled in front and held on to take the Slick 50 300 on July 10, 1994. Rudd went on to post 23 NSCS wins in his career and had at least one victory in 16 consecutive seasons (1983-98), but none may have been as satisfying as this one because it marked his first triumph as an owner/driver.

FORD MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP WINNERS AT NHMS
1994 – Ricky Rudd
1996 – Ernie Irvan
1997 – Jeff Burton (1)
1998 – Jeff Burton (1)
1999 – Jeff Burton (1)
2000 – Jeff Burton (2)
2001 – Dale Jarrett (1)
2002 – Ryan Newman (2)
2004 – Kurt Busch (Sweep)
2008 – Greg Biffle (2)
2014 – Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano
2018 – Kevin Harvick

FORD NASCAR XFINITY WINNERS AT NHMS
1994 – Derrike Cope
1995 – Chad Little
1999 – Elton Sawyer
2001 – Jason Keller
2002 – Bobby Hamilton Jr.
2004 – Matt Kenseth
2006 – Carl Edwards
2014 – Brad Keselowski

SPARTA, Ky. (July 13, 2019) — Ryan Newman earned his second top-10 in as many races Saturday night under the lights at Kentucky Speedway, crossing the line ninth after leading 15 laps in his Acorns Ford Mustang.

“I think we got five or six cars there coming to the white,” Newman said. “It was a good run for our Acorns Ford. We still have to get our performance better. The guys did a good job on pit lane but we just have to have faster race cars.”

Newman earned his seventh overall top-10 of the season, advancing through the field after starting from the rear for failing pre-race tech. Pit strategy played a factor in the final 50 laps as Newman led the field for 15 laps under green.

Early on Newman battled tight conditions in his No. 6 Ford ending the opening stage in 20th. After pitting under yellow at lap 48, Newman was on pit strategy and remained on track for the stage break setting him up third for the stage two start.

He maintained the top-five position by lap 100, riding fourth reporting he was still tight in his Acorns Ford. He hit pit road at lap 117 for four tires and adjustments in what was his final stop of the stage. By lap 140 he rode 27th, reporting he was loose, but cycled back to 13th after green-flag stops at the end of the stage.

The South Bend, Indiana, native brought his machine down pit road again under the break, taking more adjustments and tires. He went on to restart 14th for the final stage and maintained the spot when the yellow was displayed again at lap 179.

Following another stop for two tires and fuel he lined back up 15th at lap 184. By lap 200 Newman ran 13th, but quickly began advancing his way through after green-flag stops started. He was up to fourth by lap 227 and five laps later took the lead. He would go on to lead for 15 laps before hitting pit road at lap 245 for fuel only.

Newman cycled back into the top-10 with 17 to go, but with six to go the caution came out for a spin. With varying strategies in play, Newman stayed out and powered his way to a ninth-place finish in NASCAR overtime.

Newman and the No. 6 team return to the track next weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Race coverage on Sunday begins at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Coverage can also be heard on PRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Quaker State Ford Mustang put together one of their best races of the season and came away with an 11th-place finish in Saturday’s Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway.

Menard earned points in both preliminary Stages, then overcame the disadvantage of restarting on the inside lane in an overtime run to the finish line to finish 11th after dropping as low as 15th place during the final two-lap dash.

It was the team’s best finish since a 10th place at Richmond Raceway in April.

Eddie Wood said he was glad to see a strong team performance on a night in which the team’s sponsor was also the title sponsor of the race.

“We’re happy to have a good run for Quaker State,” Wood said. “The pit crew had a good night. [Crew chief] Greg Erwin called a really good race, and Paul drove a solid race from start to finish.”

Menard lined up 14th for the opening green flag but dropped out of the top 20 in the early laps as he sized up damage to the left front of the No. 21 Mustang due to contact on the initial start.

He was back to 13th place by Lap 60 and was in 10th place at the end of the first 80-lap Stage, earning one bonus point.

In Stage Two, he took advantage of Erwin’s call to stay on the track during a long green-flag run then take fuel only with 15 laps remaining to finish ninth and collect another two Stage points.

In the final segment of the race, Menard continued to show good speed, usually posting his best lap times in the latter portions of long green-flag runs, as he had done in the opening stages.

Due to the speed of the Quaker State Mustang at the end of long runs, Erwin elected to leave Menard on the track as many of his competitors made their final scheduled pit stops under the green flag.

Menard moved up to third place and was poised to capitalize should the caution flag be displayed before he made his pit stop. That opportunity never arose and Erwin called Menard to the pits from third place with 23 laps of the scheduled 267 laps remaining.

Menard had worked his way back to 11th place when the yellow flag was displayed with six laps remaining for a spin by Bubba Wallace. That set up an overtime run to the finish. Erwin elected to pit for fresh tires for the race-ending sprint to the finish.

Menard restarted 13th and dropped back on the restart but drove his way up to 11th at the checkered flag.

“It feels good to get a good finish,” Wood said. “We’ll move on to Loudon and try to pick up where we left off here.”

Menard and the No. 21 team travel to this week’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

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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.