Category: NASCAR Cup PR

DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (2.5-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE 18 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 7:30 P.M. ET, SATURDAY, JULY 6 (NBC/MRN/SIRIUSXM)

​
​ ​ ​
​

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

2019 Season
7th in standings
17 starts
1 win
2 pole positions
6 top-five finishes
7 top-10 finishes
406 laps led

Career
130 starts
4 wins
6 pole positions
39 top-five finishes
66 top-10 finishes
1,649 laps led

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

NAPA MILITARY MONTH: As part of NAPA’s Military Month promotion, Chase Elliott’s No. 9 NAPA Batteries Chevrolet will don a patriotic scheme for the Fourth of July weekend at Daytona International Speedway. The red, white and blue colors featured on the No. 9 machine also showcase the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund on the TV panel. During the month of July, a portion of the proceeds from select products will go to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

SUPERSPEEDWAY STATS: This weekend, Elliott will make his 15th superspeedway start in the NASCAR Cup Series (Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway). In his previous 14 starts on the track type, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native has started on the front row six times, four from the pole position. He averages a starting position of 6.2 in his superspeedway starts and has led 168 laps. In April, he earned his first superspeedway victory at Talladega Superspeedway after collecting his first stage win of the season and leading 45 laps. The driver has two Duel wins at Daytona (2017, 2018). He has also made 11 superspeedway starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In those 11 events, he garnered one victory (Daytona, Feb. 2016), four top-10 finishes and a total of 53 laps led.

LAST EIGHT: Elliott has garnered the second-most points (303) over the last eight races, 20 points less than teammate Alex Bowman. He has collected top-five finishes in five of the last eight events (Talladega – first; Dover – fifth; Kansas – fourth; Charlotte – fourth; Pocono – fourth).

SUNSHINE STATE NATIVE: This weekend, No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson will return home to the “Birthplace of Speed.” Gustafson hails from Ormond Beach, Florida, less than 10 miles down the road from Daytona International Speedway. After graduating from Seabreeze High School, he enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to study mechanical engineering. He returns to Daytona for his 15th full-time season as a crew chief and fourth with Elliott.

GUSTAFSON AT DAYTONA: Though Gustafson has never won a points race at Daytona, he has collected two Duel wins (2017, 2018) with Elliott. The 43-year-old crew chief also has two runner-up finishes at the 2.5-mile oval with Kyle Busch in 2006 and 2007. The 2007 result with Busch ahead of Jamie McMurray was the closest margin of victory ever in the July race at Daytona (0.005 seconds). Gustafson has also won the pole award at Daytona five times with three drivers (Elliott – three, Jeff Gordon – one, Mark Martin – one).

SEE ELLIOTT AT DAYTONA: On Saturday, July 6, Elliott will appear at the Team Chevy Stage at 4:55 p.m. local time for a question-and-answer session.

DEWNITED STATES: Last week, Elliott’s Kentucky ride was revealed on social media. The No. 9 Mtn. Dew DEWnited States Chevrolet Camaro celebrates the entire country. Mountain Dew launched 50 unique labels on bottles across the U.S. representing all 50 of the DEWnited States. Fans that find and collect all 50 can score $100 by entering the code under each cap at dewnited.com. On Tuesday, Elliott shared a virtual cheers video via his social channels promoting the DEWnited States campaign. Click here to watch.

​
​ ​ ​
​

William Byron
No. 24 Axalta Flames of Independence Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver William Byron Hometown Charlotte, North Carolina
Age 21 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

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

Career
53 starts
0 wins
3 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
9 top-10 finishes
241 laps led

Track Career
3 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
56 laps led

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Axalta Flames of Independence Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media on Thursday, July 4, at 3:15 p.m. local time in the media center at Daytona International Speedway.

CHICAGO CLOUT: Forced to start at the rear of the field for last Sunday’s race at Chicagoland Speedway due to an engine change from an oil leak discovered after practice, William Byron powered his No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 through the field, ultimately taking over the lead on Lap 99. When a caution with 60 laps remaining shuffled the running order, the driver continued to maintain his top-10 running position as the laps wound down before ultimately scoring an eighth-place result, his fifth top-10 finish of the 2019 season.

SOPHOMORE SEASON SUCCESS: At the halfway mark of his sophomore season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Byron has improved in spades behind the wheel of the No. 24 Chevy. In 17 races so far, Byron has five top-10 finishes, 180 laps led and three poles compared to only four top-10 finishes, 61 laps led and zero poles in all of 2018. The driver is currently the leader in the entire Cup Series with an active streak of laps led in seven consecutive races, with the next closest driver at five straight events. That streak has him tied for the third-longest streak of races led in 2019 and ties his longest streak of consecutive races with laps led dating back to his standout Truck Series season in 2016. In the last eight races, Byron ranks eighth among Cup drives for the most amount of points earned with 257.

AXALTA’S FLAMES OF INDEPENDENCE: This weekend, Axalta Coating Systems will return to Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Daytona. The iconic Axalta flames will take on a new look for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. On Tuesday, the Axalta Flames of Independence paint scheme was unveiled sporting a pearl-white base coat with red and blue ombre flames traveling down the sides of the car.

DAYTONA DATA: When Byron returned to Daytona International Speedway for the Cup Series season opener this February, it marked his third start at the famed 2.5-mile superspeedway but his first with No. 24 team crew chief Chad Knaus. A strong Speedweeks yielded Byron securing the pole for the Daytona 500, his first Cup Series pole award. Across the driver’s three Daytona Cup Series starts, he’s led 56 laps and has a track-best finish of 21st earlier this season after an on-track incident with two laps remaining took him out of contention. He has a Daytona win on his racing resume – during his 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship campaign, Byron qualified third in the July race at Daytona and found himself at the front of the field when it mattered most, leading 29 laps to score the victory. In the process, he became the youngest driver with a Xfinity Series win at Daytona at 19 years, seven months and one day. Aside from his two Xfinity starts at Daytona, Byron also has one Truck Series start and one ARCA Racing Series start at the track on his resume.

HEADING HOME: Making the trip to the “Sunshine State” for the second time in 2019, three crew members on the No. 24 team call Daytona International Speedway their hometown track. Longtime Hendrick Motorsports rear-tire changer Johnny Roberts hails from Titusville, Florida, just down the coast from Daytona Beach, where he spent most of his time surfing before making his way to North Carolina and eventually trying out with Hendrick Motorsports in 2010. New to Hendrick Motorsports and the No. 24 team in 2019, engineer Brandon McSwain grew up approximately 100 miles from the “World Center of Racing” in Auburndale, Florida. Just a few miles down the road from where McSwain grew up, engine tuner Ben Proctor calls Lakeland, Florida, home.

KNAUS’ KNACK: This weekend’s race at Daytona will mark the 37th race Knaus has called from atop the pit box at the track, but it will be his second with Byron at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. Making his 2019 debut with the sophomore driver in February, the duo claimed the Daytona 500 pole. Aside from this year’s pole award, Knaus has two other pole awards at Daytona as well as two wins, sweeping the 2013 season.

​
​ ​ ​
​

Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 43 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

2019 Season
14th in standings
17 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
2 top-five finish
7 top-10 finishes
78 laps led

Career
632 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
226 top-five finishes
359 top-10 finishes
18,781 laps led

Track Career
35 starts
3 wins
2 pole positions
11 top-five finishes
15 top-10 finishes
299 laps led

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to the media on Thursday, July 4, at 3:30 p.m. local time in the media center at Daytona International Speedway.

SPARKLE AT CHICAGO: Although Jimmie Johnson did not win at Chicagoland Speedway, he led 10 laps and scored his best finish of the season. The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion qualified fourth and jumped to an early lead on Lap 11, but was interrupted by a serious bout of inclement weather. Once the track dried and racing resumed hours later on the 1.5-mile oval, Johnson completed Stage 1 in fourth, Stage 2 in fifth and took the checkered flag in fourth. The driver had a 46-point day and moved from 17th to 14th in the point standings.

ONE MORE LOOK AT CHICAGO: How good was Johnson at Chicago? His average running position of 4.24 was his best in a race this season. He spent 97 laps in the top two, 238 laps in the top five, and 245 of the 267 total laps in the top 10, all of which marked his best performances of the season. In addition to his best finish of the year, he collected his third Stage 1 top-five finish and first Stage 2 top-five finish, leading laps for the fourth time this season.

APPLES TO APPLES: Compared to last season’s performance at this time, Johnson has a pole, two top-five finishes and 78 laps led in 2019 after having no poles, two top-five finishes and 40 laps led in all of 2018.

FLASHBACK TO FEBRUARY: Right out of the gate, Johnson and No. 48 team crew chief Kevin Meendering won the non-points race “The Clash” leading into 2019 Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway. While Victory Lane has eluded Johnson since 2017, he is closing in on his 84th career victory and as history has it, two of the last three Daytona races were won by drivers who gave their crew chiefs their first career wins. Johnson was able to win the 2006 Daytona 500 with interim crew chief Darian Grubb, which was Grubb’s first win on top of the pit box.

HOT SUMMER NIGHTS: The last time Johnson won at Daytona in the summer was on July 6, 2013. He led 94 laps and scored his third victory at the 2.5-mile superspeedway under the lights after starting eighth. His best finish since then was on July 5, 2015, when he started 12th, led 35 laps and finished second behind former teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr.

TEAM CHEVY STAGE: Johnson will make a public appearance at the Team Chevy stage at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, July 6, at 4:30 p.m. local time for a question-and-answer session.

​
​ ​ ​
​

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

2019 Season
9th in standings
17 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
4 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
182 laps led

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

Track Career
6 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finish
14 laps led

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 88 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media on Thursday, July 4, at 12:15 p.m. local time in the media center at Daytona International Speedway.

WINNER, WINNER: Last weekend, Alex Bowman and the No. 88 team led 88 laps en route to a victory at Chicagoland Speedway. It was Bowman’s first career NASCAR Cup Series victory and No. 88 team crew chief Greg Ives’ fifth win. The team qualified eighth for the 267-lap event last Sunday and finished both stages inside the top 10, earning valuable stage points. Bowman is now locked into the NASCAR playoffs, which kick off later this season. He is now one of 10 drivers to capture their first Cup Series victory with Hendrick Motorsports, an all-time record.

BRING IT HOME: On Monday afternoon, the winning Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 made its way back to Hendrick Motorsports. Hauler drivers Andy “Squiggs” Quillan and Scott Denton returned around 1 p.m. local time and unloaded the confetti-covered Axalta machine and the Chicagoland trophy. Check it out here.

GOING FOR TWO: The last time a driver captured his first two series victories back-to-back was in 1964 when Billy Wade captured his first win at Old Bridge and went on to get his second win the following weekend at Bridgehampton. Bowman finished second in the last superspeedway race at Talladega back in April and his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Chase Elliott, took home the win. The No. 88 team is looking to have back-to-back wins this weekend at Daytona.

BOWMAN IN DAYTONA: Bowman is set to make his seventh start at Daytona International Speedway this Saturday night. The Tucson, Arizona, native has one pole (February 2018) and one top-10 finish at the superspeedway. During the July race weekend last season, Bowman and the No. 88 team finished 10th after rolling off second for the 168-lap event. The driver has led a total of 14 laps at the Florida-based track and has completed 99.6 percent of the total number of laps run.

A LOT OF FIRSTS: Bowman may have scored his first NASCAR Cup Series victory last weekend, but there are many more firsts. The Arizona native is the first Cup Series driver to get his first win at Chicagoland Speedway. He is also the first driver of the No. 88 machine to get their first win with that number on the door. Hailing from Tucson, Arizona, Bowman also became the first NASCAR driver from the state to win a Cup race.

2019 AT A GLANCE: Following last weekend’s victory at Chicagoland Speedway, the No. 88 team continues to make gains this season. This season, Bowman has one win, four top-five finishes, and six top-10s. The No. 88 team has led 182 laps this season thus far, which is more than double its number of laps led in 2018. The team is locked into the NASCAR playoffs and currently sits eighth in the playoff standings. Bowman is ranked number one on the list of drivers who have earned the most points over the last eight races this season. In that span, the 26-year-old sits first with 323 points. He also has the best average finish of the series at 6.63 in the last eight races, finishing inside the top two in four of them.

IVES’ STATS: Ives will call the shots for the 10th time at Daytona International Speedway this weekend under the lights. The crew chief’s resume includes two pole wins, one win with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2015, two top-five results and three top-10s at the track. Ives’ drivers have led a total of 166 laps at the superspeedway. In 2013 and 2014, Ives was a crew chief at JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. His drivers led 25 laps at Daytona and had an average start of 14.8 and an average finish of 14.2. From 2006-2012, Ives was a race engineer on the No. 48 team with Jimmie Johnson. During that time, the team had one win (2006), one second-place finish and one pole award at Daytona.

WELCOME VALVOLINE: Valvoline Inc. – a leading worldwide supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services – extended its partnership with Hendrick Motorsports through 2022 in January 2018. Valvoline will be on board the No. 88 Camaro ZL1 during two events this season starting this weekend at Daytona and again at Texas Motor Speedway in November. The Official Lubricants Partner for Hendrick Motorsports also serves as an associate sponsor on the team’s full stable of Chevrolets. On June 13, Valvoline and Hendrick Motorsports unveiled the special patriotic paint scheme that will run this weekend. The scheme honors the American Heroes Fund, which provides support to the American Red Cross, Building Homes for Heroes and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Check it out here.

MEET BOWMAN: If you are at Daytona International Speedway this weekend, there are two opportunities to meet the No. 88 driver. On Friday, July 5, Bowman will be at the Hendrick Motorsports/JR Motorsports merchandise trailer from 1:15-1:45 p.m. local time signing autographs. You can find the Chicagoland winner at the Chevrolet display on race day, July 6, from 3:15-3:30 p.m. local time.

EYES SET FOR THE GLEN: On Monday, June 17, Hendrick Motorsports partner Axalta Coating Systems, along with Bowman, announced a joint branding initiative with CARSTAR for the upcoming race at Watkins Glen International on Aug. 4. CARSTAR is North America’s premier network of independently owned and operated collision repair facilities. The CARSTAR logo will be featured on the television panel and roof of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Watkins Glen. In addition to the branding on the car, Bowman will also wear a special helmet designed through the “Accelerate the Cure” contest. Those affected by cystic fibrosis can design a helmet for the driver in order to raise awareness for the disease. Those interested can visit the “Accelerate the Cure” website to submit an entry. The deadline to submit is July 5.

​
​ ​ ​
​

Hendrick Motorsports

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT DAYTONA: Over the years Hendrick Motorsports has accumulated quite the resume at Daytona International Speedway. The organization boasts the second-most wins all-time at the track with 14, behind only Wood Brothers Racing‘s 15. Hendrick Motorsports has accumulated 54 top-five finishes, 96 top 10s and 2,102 laps led at the track.

A NEW RECORD: Following Alex Bowman’s victory last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports tied Wood Brothers Racing for the all-time record for the most drivers to win for a team with 18. Of the 23 drivers that have competed in at least 10 races for Hendrick Motorsports, only five have failed to win. The organization is responsible for each of Chevrolet’s last five Cup Series wins.

GOT POLES?: Hendrick Motorsports has a Daytona record five straight poles at the track. Chase Elliott began the streak by grabbing the top starting spot for the 2017 Daytona 500, which was followed by pole wins from Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bowman, Elliott again and most recently William Byron earlier this season in the Daytona 500.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES: Through the first 17 races of 2019 compared to that span in 2018, Hendrick Motorsports has improved across the board. The difference in many categories includes poles (+5), wins (+2), top-five finishes (+5), top-10 finishes (+4), laps led (+740), average start (-4.28), average finish (-2.51) and stage wins (+3). The organization has placed at least three drivers in the top 10 at the end of four of the last seven races, compared to three or more Hendrick Motorsports drivers finishing inside the top 10 in the same race just three times in all of 2018.

PLAYOFF POSITIONING: Currently, all four Hendrick Motorsports teammates are in position to make the 16-driver NASCAR Cup Series playoffs at the end of the regular season. Elliott and Bowman have both essentially locked in their spots by finding Victory Lane and rank seventh and ninth, respectively, in the point standings. Byron currently ranks 12th in the standings, with Jimmie Johnson in 14th.

ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has a total of 12 championships, 254 race victories, 221 pole positions, 1,057 top-five finishes and 1,812 top-10s in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. Its teams have led more than 68,500 laps since 1984.

​
​ ​ ​
​

QUOTABLE /
Chase Elliott on how the Daytona races compare:
“Being at night is one thing that’s different. I love the summer Daytona race. You can almost enjoy that one a little more – it’s not the 500 and it’s not all the madness that comes with that first race of the season. It’s nice to be able to go back to Daytona, which is a cool area. I love going to the beach that time of year and just being able to go down there and race, it feels more like a normal race weekend. Always a lot of fireworks under the lights there, it seems.”

Elliott on night races:
“You hear people who have been around longer than me talking about racing in the day. But, for me, I like the excitement of a night race. That’s all I have ever known. So, if I had a choice, I like it like that. I like going down there and spending the week. It’s typically around the 4th and then racing at Daytona on Saturday night has always been exciting to me. So, I’ve enjoyed that tradition a lot.”

William Byron on Daytona:
“I’m excited to get to Daytona this weekend. We obviously started off the season there with a lot of speed by getting the pole for the Daytona 500, and we really had a good race going until the last couple laps. As a team we’ve gotten stronger since then, on and off the track, and I think that can only help us. The thing with Daytona though is you can’t really prepare for it; it’s about making sure you’re still there in the end. The hope is to collect as many points as possible in the first two stages to help balance out what may happen in the end, but even then, it’s easy to lose a ton as well. Hopefully though we can get the result that I think our team deserves. I honestly feel like we should be contending for the win at the end.”

Jimmie Johnson on going from Chicago to Daytona:
“Chicago was a huge step forward for this No. 48 team. Huge. I’m proud of the organization. Everyone is working hard. This gives us some momentum, but this weekend in Daytona is such a different animal, you know. We go down there, want to be fast, hope to be lucky and good. We obviously had great cars in February, had fast cars at Talladega, you just have to hope not to get caught up in anything.”

Alex Bowman on his first win:
“I’m still pretty speechless. I was able to go home and enjoy it even more with my friends and team and we won the race! I am just so thankful for Hendrick Motorsports, Axalta, Nationwide, LLumar, Valvoline and Chevrolet for believing in me. They stuck behind this team and it means so much. I am extremely thankful for this opportunity with this No. 88 team and Greg Ives. Greg is a great crew chief and I am so happy to get my first win with him.”

Bowman on Daytona:
“Going to Daytona this weekend, we have a little bit of a monkey off our back. I was one who definitely kept track of the point standings and now we can go out and focus on stage points and race wins. Being locked into the playoffs is an amazing feeling. Our goal is to get to Miami and be in the running for a championship.”

Bowman on finding success at Daytona:
“This team brought an amazing car to Talladega earlier this year and I know that these guys were back in the shop putting together a great car for this weekend. The superspeedway program at Hendrick Motorsports has always been good and the teams all work together pretty well on the track. I think we have a shot at the win this weekend, too, which is a great feeling.”

When Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford Mustang leave Daytona International Speedway at the end of Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400, it’ll mark the end of an era.

From the opening of Daytona International Speedway in 1959, the track has hosted the series now known as Monster Energy Cup on the Fourth of July or that weekend.

Beginning next year, the second Cup race at Daytona, behind the season-opening Daytona 500, will be run in late August and become the final event in the 26-race regular season, giving drivers and teams one last chance to make the cut for the 10-race Playoffs, which will begin the following week at Darlington Raceway.

From 1959 through 1987, the race commonly known as the Firecracker 400 back in the day was run on July 4.

Races typically got the green flag at 10 a.m., allowing fans a break from the July heat, and giving race teams an opportunity to do their work at the track and get in some beach time in the afternoon before heading home. (Fans also were able to flock to the beaches after the race.)

In 1988 the race moved to the Saturday of the Fourth of July weekend and ran on that day until this year, with the lone exception being in 1998, when wildfires in central Florida forced the race to be moved to October.

The summertime Daytona races have been good for the Wood Brothers team, which has five wins in the premier Daytona 500. The Woods have eight victories in July at Daytona, with the legendary David Pearson accounting for half of them.

Pearson swept the summer races at Daytona from 1972-74 and won again in 1978, with Neil Bonnett following up with another victory in 1979.

Buddy Baker won in 1983, and that ended up being the 19th and final Cup victory for the NASCAR Hall of Fame driver.

Leonard Wood, the long-time crew chief for the No. 21, said he was cool with the hot Daytona temperatures.

“I never minded the heat,” he said. “The drive down there wasn’t bad because I was looking forward to the race and enjoyed it so much.”

Wood said that he and fellow NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Inman, the veteran crew chief for Richard Petty, carried on a friendly rivalry about their Daytona successes.

“Dale used to like to tell me about him being a seven-time Daytona 500 winner, but I’d tell him, ‘Yeah, but you don’t have any in July.’

“Of course they finally won one.”

Wood’s cars often were dominant in the July heat.

“In 1968, Cale Yarborough was driving our car, and we were sitting third when it rained,” Wood said. “I said I’d be happy if they called it right there, but Cale disagreed. He said there were two more spots to get, and when they restarted the race he went on to win.”

Yarborough repeated the next year. “He ran away with, and set a new race record of over 167 miles per hour,” Wood said.

Even though Wood can take the heat without breaking out in a big sweat, there were times at Daytona that the heat got to him.

“After we won the race, I had to tear down the engine,” he said. “And standing over that hot engine, sweat was running off my nose.”

But it was all worth it.

“I loved to win the race and then go over to the beach,” he said.

Qualifying for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 is set for Friday at 5:05 p.m., and the race is scheduled to start just after 7:30 p.m. on Saturday with TV coverage on NBC.

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.

Michael McDowell on Daytona
16 Starts | 2 Top-5 | 6 Top-10
Best Finish: 5th

Richard Childress Racing’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series history at Daytona International Speedway … Dating back to 1976, Richard Childress Racing has won 11 poles and collected six points-paying victories at the most-storied race track on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series circuit. RCR owns three Daytona 500 wins (Dale Earnhardt – 1998, Kevin Harvick – 2007, Austin Dillon – 2018), three Coke Zero 400 trophies (Earnhardt – 1990, 1993 and Harvick – 2010) and 14 qualifying races, including a record 10-consecutive victories with Earnhardt (1990 – 1999). In addition, RCR has earned the Advance Auto Parts Clash win a total of eight times, with drivers Harvick (2009, 2010, 2013) and Earnhardt (1986, ’88, ’91, ’93, and ’95).

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,955 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 50 pole awards,108 wins, 489 top-five finishes and 1,071 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.7 and an average finishing position of 16.2. RCR has earned 15 total championships (six Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championships with Earnhardt in 1986, ’87, ’90, ’91, ’93 and ’94, six NASCAR Xfinity Series titles, two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series titles and one ARCA Menards Series title) and was the first organization to win titles in NASCAR’s three national series.

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

Catch the Action … The Coca-Cola Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway will be televised live Saturday, July 6, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This Week’s American Ethanol Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Daytona International Speedway … In 12 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Daytona International Speedway, Dillon has earned one win (2018 Daytona 500), two top-five and seven top-10 finishes. The Welcome, North Carolina, driver, who grew up attending races at Daytona International Speedway with his family, has 10 starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with one win, seven top-five and seven top-10 finishes. He has two starts at the track in the NASCAR Truck Series.

Former Pole Winner … Dillon earned his career-first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pole award in the 2014 edition of the Daytona 500, and started on the front row for the July 2015 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. This year, Dillon has earned three pole awards.

American Ethanol Honors Veterans … The American Ethanol industry employs a high percentage of military veterans and is one of the most patriotic industries that you will find in the United States. We are proud to produce homegrown biofuel that lessens our dependence on foreign oil and supports hundreds of thousands of American jobs. Many employees of Growth Energy member companies have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, and it is our honor to host a group of those individuals this July 4 weekend at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 as a thank you for their service for the final race of NASCAR Salutes.

Meet Dillon … Dillon is scheduled to participate in a Q&A Session at the Coca-Cola Display in the fan midway at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, July 5 beginning at 3:15 p.m. ET. On Saturday, July 6 Dillon will be greeting fans at the Costa Boardwalk Club Tiki Hut and Beach in the Daytona International Speedway infield at 1:30 p.m. ET. He is also scheduled to make an appearance at the UNOH FanZone on Saturday at 3:35 p.m. ET and will participate in a Q&A session at the Chevrolet stage in the fan midway at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
Are you getting excited to head back to Daytona International Speedway, a track where you’ve had a lot of success in the past?
“Yeah, I’m definitely excited to get back to Daytona International Speedway. I thought Chevrolet did such a good job working together at Talladega Superspeedway that it bodes well for Daytona. We’ll probably take a similar plan going into the Daytona race weekend and see if we can’t be on the winning side of it like Chase Elliott was able to. I really am pumped about how Chevrolet is turning it around when it comes to speedway racing.”

How excited are you to race under the lights at Daytona International Speedway in July?
“Racing at Daytona International Speedway is a lot more fun when the sun goes down. In the middle of the day, practice can be a little bit of a bear, but the night race at Daytona is usually turned into something fun. It’s July 4th weekend, who doesn’t love that?”
Daniel Hemric and the No. 8 Cessna Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Chicagoland Speedway … Hemric will be making his second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at Daytona International Speedway during this weekend’s 400-mile event. The Kannapolis, North Carolina, native finished 34th in the Daytona 500 after being involved in one of the event’s large wrecks. Hemric also scored his career-best finish of fifth at Talladega Superspeedway in April with the current rules package that will be run this weekend at Daytona.

About Cessna … Textron Aviation offers the industry’s broadest product portfolio and most capable global service network supporting the Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker brands. Leveraging unparalleled speed-to-market, Textron Aviation delivers unrivaled innovation, performance and leadership to the industry, and offers an unmatched value proposition rooted in the total ownership experience. Visit txtav.com.

4th of July @DISUpdates Instagram Takeover … Follow @DISUpdates on Instagram on Thursday, July 4 as Hemric takes over the account to give you a behind-the-scenes look at his day practicing the No. 8 Cessna Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

Meet the Driver … Hemric is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR merchandise hauler in the Daytona International Speedway fan midway area behind the main grandstands on Saturday, July 6, starting at 3:15 p.m. local time. He is also scheduled to be at the Team Chevy display in the fan midway the same day, starting at 3:45 p.m. local time.

DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
This is going to be the first time racing this package at Daytona International Speedway. What do you expect?
“I think we’ll see some of what we saw at Talladega Superspeedway in April again. I think you’ll see a lot more of the teams and their manufacturers working closer together, especially with Chevrolet. The handling is going to be so much more critical. You need to have handling at Talladega Superspeedway, but nowhere near what you have to have at Daytona International Speedway.”

You’ve run well at Daytona International Speedway in the past. Do you look at this weekend as your chance to get a win?
“I definitely think the opportunity is greater. I think what we did at Talladega and speedway racing in general has never really been a huge strong suit for me, so it’s good to kind of get my feet on the ground.”
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Daytona International Speedway … In 94 Series starts at the 2.5-mile speedway, RCR has captured six victories with drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2002 and 2010), Kevin Harvick (2007), Clint Bowyer (2009), Tony Stewart (2013) and Austin Dillon (2015). The Welcome, N.C., organization has completed 10,262 laps of the 10,606 (96.8 percent) that they have competed. RCR has accumulated eight pole awards, 33 top-five and 52 top-10 finishes, led 691 laps and averages a starting position of 10.8 and finishing position of 12.8.

Welcome back, Joe Graf Jr. … Joe Graf Jr. will be making one of his select starts for RCR in the No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro this weekend at Daytona.

NASCAR Salutes … This weekend the No. 2 and No. 21 RCR Chevrolet Camaros will have active military units displayed across their windshield headers in place of the drivers’ names, as part of the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ salute to the military.

Chicagoland Review … Tyler Reddick and the No. 2 team finished ninth during last weekend’s Xfinity Series race at Chicagoland Speedway.

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

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

Catch the Action … Coverage of this week’s Circle K Firecracker 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway will be televised live on Friday, July 5, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on NBCSN. It will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.
Tyler Reddick and the No. 2 Gimme Country Camaro at Daytona International Speedway … Tyler Reddick has five NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Daytona International Speedway, securing one win and two top-10 finishes. The current points leader also earned the pole award at the superspeedway during this year’s season opening weekend with the No. 2 team, while also making his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut during the DAYTONA 500. Reddick also has three NASCAR Truck Series starts at the 2.5-mile track, with one win coming in 2015, as well as one ARCA Menards Series start and top-five finish.

Welcome, Gimme Country … Founded by digital music veterans from Apple Music, Google Play, Beats Music and Rhapsody, Gimme Country (gimmecountry.com) is the ultimate listening experience for the country music fan. Listeners tune in to Gimme Country to hear world class DJs – like Grammy Award-winning singer Lee Ann Womack, Grammy nominee Brandy Clark, Third Man recording artist Joshua Hedley, Riser House Records artist Dillon Carmichael, and legendary guitar slinger Jesse Dayton – playing music they can’t hear anywhere else…for free. And the best part is that Gimme Country allows country music fans from around the world and the DJs/artists to communicate directly with one another in a live feed, in real time, as the music is being played. Download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play and start listening today!

Reddick’s DJ Debut … Reddick will be making his debut as a radio DJ this Friday, beginning at 1 p.m. ET as he will host the “RCR 50: Wheels of Country” show on the Gimme Country app. Make sure to download the app and tune in to the show, as well as join the conversation when Reddick logs on to the app’s chat room at 1:30 p.m. ET to talk with fans about the songs and stories in the show.

NASCAR Salutes … This weekend the 1st Armored Division Sustainment Brigade based out of Fort Bliss, Texas will appear on the No. 2 Gimme Country Chevrolet Camaro’s windshield header, as Reddick and his RCR team will take part in the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ salute to active military bases and units at Daytona International Speedway.

Meet Reddick … Fans have the chance to meet Reddick on Friday, July 5 when he heads to the Team Chevy display, located in the track’s fan zone, for a Q&A beginning at 5 p.m. local time.

TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:
We return to superspeedway racing this weekend, under the lights this time. Are you excited to get back to this style of racing, considering you won the last one at Talladega Superspeedway?
“I’m looking forward to getting back to superspeedway racing this weekend. We obviously have had success with this style, winning the pole at Daytona earlier this year and then the race at Talladega Superspeedway just a couple months ago. We had a really good Chevrolet Camaro at Daytona earlier this year. It was just ridiculously fast, and it was the same way at Talladega. Luckily, the damage at Talladega wasn’t too bad and we were able to repair it, so we’re bringing that car back to the track this weekend. My crew chief, Randall Burnett, and the guys worked really hard on it, and they think they even made it a little bit faster than before. I’m excited to get behind the wheel of the No. 2 Gimme Country Chevrolet and hopefully put on a good show for everyone.”

Did the kind of racing we had at Daytona in the spring, where it was mostly just a single line, surprise you? Do you expect that again this weekend?
“Yes, it was very surprising. It was a shame. Too many drivers got in their mind that they needed to run the top around Daytona, but you really don’t need to with how well the cars drive. I was bummed when Brad Keselowski fell out of the race since I felt like he was one of the few that would try the bottom and try to work with me there. Chase Elliott and I were able to make the bottom work at times, but no one would stick together with us long enough to make a lot of headway. I hope that everyone saw that at Talladega when enough of us went down to the bottom and worked together, we were able to make good runs at the lead.”
Joe Graf Jr. and the No. 21 EAT SLEEP RACE Chevrolet Camaro at Daytona International Speedway … Joe Graf Jr. will be making his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Daytona International Speedway this weekend in the No. 21 EAT SLEEP RACE Camaro. Graf Jr. has one previous ARCA Menards Series start at the superspeedway from earlier this year.

About EAT SLEEP RACE … EAT SLEEP RACE (eatsleeprace.com) is a racing lifestyle apparel company based out of New Jersey. Since 2001 the brand has offered a full product line including accessories and apparel for men and ladies. As one of the pioneers of motorsports apparel, the brand has deep roots in the racing industry and was created to offer fresh designs for all racing enthusiasts. The company has expanded to now offer a dedicated children’s product line of apparel and accessories branded as the Fast Kids Club with its hot selling ABC book for future race car drivers.

Meet RCR’s Latest Intern … In addition to driving for Richard Childress Racing, Graf Jr. is interning with the team’s marketing and communications staff this summer to learn the business side of the sport. The dual role will help the New York University freshman grow as a driver on both the competition and front office ends of racing.

NASCAR Salutes … Graf Jr. and his No. 21 EAT SLEEP RACE team will take place in the NASCAR Salutes program to honor active military unites during the Daytona race weekend. Special Troops Battalion, 1st Armored Sustainment Brigade based out of Fort Bliss, Texas will be displayed on the windshield header of Graf’s No. 21 Camaro all weekend long.

Meet Graf … Fans can meet Graf Jr. when he stops by the Chevy stage in the fan midway for a Q&A session on Friday, July 5, beginning at 1:35 p.m. local time. Graf Jr. will also take part in the Xfinity Series autograph session taking place at the track’s infield fan zone later that day, beginning at 4:45 p.m. local time.

JOE GRAF JR. QUOTES:
You ran at Daytona International Speedway in the ARCA Menards Series earlier this year. Do you think that experience will help you prepare for next weekend?
“Absolutely. I’ve been a part of several superspeedway races in ARCA, and I think I can definitely apply that experience to the NASCAR Xfinity Series this weekend. I feel like you’re always learning when it comes to superspeedway racing though, and I’m sure I’ll learn a lot in Friday night’s race. It’s not necessarily a physical race but a mental race. I’ve done a lot of preparation for this race, and I know my RCR team is bringing me a really fast No. 21 EAT SLEEP RACE Chevrolet and I look forward to showcasing that during the race.”

How will your experience at Iowa Speedway a couple of weeks ago with the No. 21 team help you coming into Daytona?
“Momentum. Start-to-finish, I think our performance was solid. I feel like I learned a lot about the Xfinity Series cars at Iowa and the communication between myself and  my crew chief, Justin Alexander, was very strong. I’m looking forward to going to Daytona this week and capitalizing on the opportunity to race for Richard Childress Racing and representing EAT SLEEP RACE.”

Toyota Racing
This Week in Motorsports – July 1-7, 2019

Toyota Racing On-Track this Week
· MENCS/NXS: Daytona International Speedway (Daytona Beach, Florida) – July 5-6
· NHRA: New England Dragway (Epping, New Hampshire) – July 5-7
· POWRi: Fairbury American Legion Speedway (Fairbury, Illinois) – July 6
Angell Park Speedway (Sun Prairie, Wisconsin) – July 7

NASCAR National Series – MENCS | NXS

July Sizzler… Erik Jones earned his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) win at Daytona International Speedway during last July’s race. Jones came back from a mid-race incident to take the lead from now-teammate Martin Truex Jr. on the final lap to score the victory. The win also allowed Jones to clinch a spot in his first NASCAR playoffs.

Last Go ‘Round… Last time he was at this track, Denny Hamlin earned his second Daytona 500 win in four years back in February, taking the lead for the first time late in the event. Hamlin withstood multiple challenges in NASCAR overtime by teammates Kyle Busch and Erik Jones to claim the win. Fellow Toyota driver Matt DiBenedetto led a race-high 49 laps (of 207) in his first race with Leavine Family Racing – the most laps led by DiBenedetto in a single race in his MENCS career.

Restrictor-Plate Success… Joe Gibbs Racing driver Brandon Jones has seen recent success at the restrictor plate tracks in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) with two top-three finishes in the last four superspeedway events. Jones started the 2019 season with a third-place finish at Daytona International Speedway, and one year ago, scored a career-best second-place finish at the spring event at Talladega Superspeedway.

Daytona Truck Winner Makes Supra Debut… NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (NGOTS) regular Austin Hill makes his NXS debut with Hattori Racing Enterprises (HRE) at Daytona. HRE, the same team Hill drives for in the NGOTS, returns to the Xfinity Series for the first time since 2015. The last time Hill was at Daytona, he won the NGOTS season-opener which was his first career Truck Series win. He is currently seventh in the NGOTS standings with three top-five and seven top-10 finishes.

NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car

Going Rounds… Antron Brown enters this weekend’s NHRA New England Nationals having won at least one round in each of the last six races. During that time, Brown has been to two semifinals and one final round, climbing from 10th to fourth in points. The three-time Top Fuel world champion looks for his second win at New England Dragway after claiming the Wally in 2016. He also earned runner-up honors last season.

Epping’s Fastest Top Fuel Driver… Doug Kalitta currently holds the title as the fastest Top Fuel driver in New England Dragway history with a record pass of 331.69 mph set in 2017. He is second in the Top Fuel point standings with just six races remaining before the start of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship.

Midget Racing – POWRi

Seavey Out Front… Logan Seavey has opened up a commanding 460-point championship lead over Tucker Klaasmeyer heading into Saturday’s POWRi event at Fairbury American Legion Speedway. Seavey looks for his fourth win in the last five races to go along with a second behind Christopher Bell in the most recent event at Lincoln Speedway.

Toyota Drivers Go for Ten… One of the most prestigious events in Midget car racing will take place this weekend with the 38th annual Pepsi Nationals at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, where Toyota drivers look to earn a 10th straight victory dating back to 2009. Tanner Carrick looks to repeat this year after a 2018 win. Other Toyota winners of the event include Zach Daum (2017, 2013), Carson Macedo (2016), Rico Abreu (2015), Christopher Bell (2014), Caleb Armstrong (2012), Tracy Hines (2010) and Josh Wise (2009). The 2011 event was rained out.

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

Coke Zero Sugar 400 – Saturday, July 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Newman at Daytona International Speedway

·         Newman will make his 36th regular season start at Daytona International Speedway Saturday night. In 35 previous events between the Daytona 500 and the July race, Newman has an average finish of 18.8 with 10 top-10s and five top-fives.

·         Newman is the 2008 winner of the Great American Race, driving his then-No. 12 to victory lane at the season kickoff event.

·         In the last two Daytona July races, Newman finished eighth (2018) and fifth (2017). He also finished top-five at the World Center of Racing in 2013 (fifth), 2012 (fifth) and 2006 (third).

·         Newman qualified seventh for last year’s Coke Zero Sugar 400. His other top qualifying efforts in the summer event came back in 2012 (2nd) and 2009 (7th).

·         Newman also made a start in the July Xfinity Series race back in 2010, finishing eighth for a James Finch owned machine.

Scott Graves at Daytona International Speedway

·         Graves will call his seventh MENCS race at Daytona. In six prior starts in either the Daytona 500 or July race, Graves has an average finish of 21st with a top finish of 11th.

·         The 11th-place result came with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., back in 2013. Most recently he led Newman to a 14th-place finish in February’s Daytona 500.

·         Graves does have a runner-up finish at Daytona in Xfinity action, leading Chris Buescher to a second-place result back in 2015 at the season kickoff event. He also finished eighth with Suarez in 2016.

QUOTE WORTHY

Newman on racing at Daytona:

“Superspeedway racing and Daytona are always full of surprises and you’re never sure what can happen. We hung around in the Daytona 500 back in February and were able to bring the car home despite a late-race wreck. We’re looking forward to the weekend in our No. 6 Ford.”

Recapping Chicago
Newman crossed the line 17th in his No. 6 Ford in a rain-delayed 400-mile race Sunday in Chicago. The team toyed with strategy in the middle portion of the race on fuel mileage, leading briefly before the stage two break.

Last Time at Daytona
Newman battled through two red flags in the final 10 laps of February’s Daytona 500, before crossing the stripe 14th. He was able to limp the No. 6 the final 10 laps with a battered right front tire and heavily-damaged front end.

Team:                          No. 17 Fifth Third Ford Mustang
Crew Chief:                 Brian Pattie
Twitter:                        @Stenhouse17team, @Stenhousejr, and @roushfenway

ADVANCE NOTES

Driver Gloves from Kentucky Race To Be Auctioned to Raise Funds for Nationwide Children’s  

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 2, 2019) – In support of the Dale and Amy Earnhardt Fund at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Dale Jr. Foundation has announced its 2019 Driven to Give Gloves program. After raising more than $50,000 for Nationwide Children’s and the fund last season, the program is centered on the July 12 and July 13 events at Kentucky Speedway.

This year, 55 drivers in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series races will wear Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s signature skeleton driving gloves during the events on the 1.5-mile oval in Sparta, Ky. In addition to the gloves, Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman (No. 88) will carry a special Nationwide Children’s Hospital paint scheme for the event, as will JR Motorsports driver Noah Gragson in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Once the racing events are concluded, the race-worn gloves will be signed by the driver and Dale Jr. and then placed on The NASCAR Foundation’s auction site nascarfoundation.org/dalejr.  The proceeds from the event, which is set to go live on July 12, will be directed to the Dale and Amy Earnhardt Fund, which champions the cause of pediatric injury rehabilitation, research and prevention. During the past three seasons, the Driven to Give Gloves program has raised more than $150,000 for Nationwide Children’s and the fund.

“Nationwide Children’s Hospital is very important to The Dale Jr. Foundation, and both Amy and I are extremely proud that our fund at the hospital has raised more than $1.3M in less than 2 years,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr. “Last year, we expanded the Driven to Give gloves program to more than 30 drivers, and this year we’ll nearly double that thanks to all the support we have received from the drivers and teams. Helping Nationwide Children’s Hospital in its quest to offer fantastic, cutting-edge care and treatment to chronically ill children is a very worthy cause and one we plan to support for many years to come.”

In November 2017, Earnhardt Jr. and his wife, Amy, created the Dale and Amy Earnhardt Fund at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and it was seeded with an $88,888 donation from The Dale Jr. Foundation.

“Each year, we are excited to be part of the Driven to Give Gloves program and this year is certainly no different,” said Niki Shafer, senior vice president, outreach. “We are grateful to Amy, Dale Jr. and the team at The Dale Jr. Foundation, and all the drivers who are using their racing platform to help support pediatric research and care at Nationwide Children’s.”

Members of Nationwide Children’s Hospital Patient Champion Program and their families will be in attendance at the NASCAR Cup Series event at Kentucky on July 13 as guests of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports team and driver Alex Bowman.

The three Patient Champions are:

Austin Warren, age 17: Austin loves building and restoring custom trucks. He was driving his vintage 1952 International pickup, which he and his father had built, on July 21, 2018 when he was involved in an accident that left him with a traumatic brain injury. He spent six nights in a local hospital (two in an induced coma) and then 12 more nights at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Less than a year after his accident, Austin has made nearly a complete recovery. He still enjoys building trucks and going to car shows, NASCAR, racing go-karts and woodworking, for which he has won multiple state fair awards. In 4-H water sports, the young man built a custom hydroplane boat and enjoys water skiing and going to Daytona Beach. Entering his senior year, Austin will graduate with honors from both high school and the Automotive Technology Program at the Apollo Career Center. He has applied to the University of Northern Ohio’s High Performance Motorsports program to continue his education.

Brooklyn Malone, age 7:  Brooklyn was diagnosed with a heart murmur and a slow heartbeat during her six-month checkup as an infant, and she and her family were sent to Nationwide Children’s Hospital that same afternoon. After being monitored every six months, doctors at Nationwide Children’s decided to implant a pacemaker to treat her AV Block Type 2 in December 2014. Since that procedure, Brooklyn has healed wonderfully and emerged with just one scar, which she calls her “princess scar.” She was dressed as Princess Tiana from Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” on the day of her surgery. Brooklyn loves animals, her church, school, soccer, reading and challenging herself.

Emma Grace Belcher, age 11: Emma Grace contracted bronchitis at eight months old and ended up in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, beginning a four-year journey in and out of the hospital. She suffered from recurrent pneumonia and was placed on antibiotics for two years. As she began kindergarten, she was diagnosed with Asthmatic Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which affects all of her body’s systems, and began physical therapy, including aquatics and yoga. Nicknamed Emoji, Emma Grace enjoys all types of arts and crafts, is in the ORFF ensemble and plays the trumpet in school. She attends youth group, is a cheerleader and loves playing softball.

ABOUT THE DALE JR FOUNDATION:

The Dale Jr. Foundation is a charity dedicated to giving underprivileged individuals with a focus on youth, the resources to improve their confidence and education, and the opportunity to achieve extraordinary goals. The Dale Jr. Foundation has made a monumental impact in the local community since its beginning.  Dedicated to giving underprivileged individuals, with a focus on youth, the resources to achieve extraordinary goals, TDJF has contributed to more than 300 charities nationally and locally, including The Make-A-Wish Foundation, Blessings in a Backpack, Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Ace and TJ’s Grin Kids, and Mooresville Christian Mission. For more information, visit www.thedalejrfoundation.org.

About Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Named to the Top 10 Honor Roll on U.S. News & World Report’s 2019-20 list of “Best Children’s Hospitals,” Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of America’s largest not-for-profit freestanding pediatric health care systems providing wellness, preventive, diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitative care for infants, children and adolescents, as well as adult patients with congenital disease. Nationwide Children’s has a staff of more than 13,000 providing state-of-the-art pediatric care during more than 1.5 million patient visits annually. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children’s physicians train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the Top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded freestanding pediatric research facilities. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series headlines this weekend’s action at Daytona International Speedway, where Ford seeks to win the Coke Zero Sugar 400 for the third time in the last four years. Here’s a look at some notes from Ford’s success at Daytona in July.

FORD IN THE MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES AT DAYTONA
· Ford has 37 all-time series wins at Daytona.
· The Wood Brothers have the most wins among car owners at Daytona with 15.
· Ford has won 8 of the last 17 series races at Daytona.

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT DAYTONA
· Ford has 5 series wins at Daytona.
· Ryan Reed has two of those wins (2015 and 2017).
· The last time Ford won this event was in 2016 with Aric Almirola.

FORD DRIVERS LIKE DAYTONA IN JULY

Ford has won this event twice in the last three seasons and four times in the last eight, all by different drivers. David Ragan got his first series victory in this event in 2011 while driving for Jack Roush while Aric Almirola earned his initial MENCS win in 2014 with Richard Petty. Since then, Brad Keslelowski (2016) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2017) have registered July victories at DIS.

ALMIROLA TAKES THE KING BACK TO VICTORY LANE

The first victory of Aric Almirola’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career came in the 2014 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. The win, which came after rain forced a halt to the event after 112 laps, came 30 years after his car owner, Richard Petty, won his record 200th series race in the same event. Almirola had held the lead for seven laps and 14 of the previous 15 circuits when the rain began falling. NASCAR waited 56 minutes before calling the race official. The win marked the first for the famous No. 43 since 1999 and the first time it had been to victory lane with Ford since The King’s only season with the manufacturer in 1969 when he won nine times.

RAGAN RECOVERS FROM 500 SETBACK

Only five months after suffering heartbreak in the 2011 Daytona 500, David Ragan bounced back to win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in the July event at Daytona International Speedway. Ragan, who was leading the 500 on a green-white-checker restart, was assessed a penalty by NASCAR after getting ahead of Trevor Bayne and then changing lanes before the start-finish line. The penalty cost him a chance at victory, but he made up for that in July as he passed Ryan Newman with eight laps to go and held off Matt Kenseth on the final lap to win for car owner Jack Roush.

A FIRST FOR THE BIFF

Greg Biffle made his rookie season a memorable one when he registered his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory in the July race at Daytona International Speedway in 2003. Making only his 23rd career start, Biffle played the fuel-mileage game to perfection while his closest pursuer, Bobby Labonte, ran out on the final lap. In a race that saw the last 81 laps go green, Biffle assumed the lead on lap 140 and held it for the final 21 laps. Jeff Burton finished second and Ricky Rudd third as Ford swept the top three spots.

FIRECRACKER GOES TO FIREBALL

When Daytona International Speedway hosted the very first Firecracker 400 in 1963, the first man across the finsh line was Fireball Roberts, who led a Ford Motor Co. sweep of the top five spots. Roberts passed Fred Lorenzen on the final lap to win the race with Marvin Panch third. All three of those drivers were in Fords while fourth-place finisher Darel Dieringer was in a Mercury. Ned Jarrett rounded out the top five in his Ford. This marked the fifth overall event in July for the speedway, which opened in 1959, but the first four were 250-mile features. The fans got their money’s worth on this day as the race featured 39 lead changes between six drivers, but the best was saved for the end as Roberts and Lorenzen waged a major battle that saw them exchange the lead four times in the final five laps before Roberts earned his third July win at Daytona.

JUNIOR AND CALE DOUBLE DOWN

Junior Johnson and Cale Yarborough hold the distinction of being the only two men who have won at Daytona International Speedway in a Ford as both driver AND owner. Johnson won a qualifying race at the speedway in 1965, but had on his owner’s hat when Lee Roy Yarbrough won twice in 1969 and Jimmy Spencer in 1994. Yarborough won the Firecracker 400 in 1967 as a driver and watched John Andretti take his Ford to victory lane in 1997.

FORD MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES JULY RACE WINNERS AT DAYTONA
1963 – Fireball Roberts
1965 – A.J. Foyt
1967 – Cale Yarborough
1969 – LeeRoy Yarbrough
1970 – Donnie Allison
1983 – Buddy Baker
1988 – Bill Elliott
1989 – Davey Allison
1991 – Bill Elliott
1994 – Jimmy Spencer
1997 – John Andretti
1999 – Dale Jarrett
2000 – Jeff Burton
2003 – Greg Biffle
2007 – Jamie McMurray
2011 – David Ragan
2014 – Aric Almirola
2016 – Brad Keselowski
2017 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT DAYTONA
1995 – Chad Little
2004 – Mike Wallace (2)
2015 – Ryan Reed (1)
2016 – Aric Almirola (2)
2017 – Ryan Reed (1)

Popular Beach Store Celebrating its 60th Anniversary with No. 36 Ford

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 2, 2019) – Ron Jon Surf Shop, the iconic surfer style retailer, will partner with Front Row Motorsports (FRM) and Matt Tifft for the “Coke Zero Sugar 400” Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway on July 6. Ron Jon Surf Shop is celebrating the brand’s 60th anniversary in 2019.

Ron Jon Surf Shop is known for offering the surf, beach and active lifestyle to visitors from around the world. Ron Jon Surf Shop currently operates stores throughout Florida and in other locations along the eastern seaboard including Ocean City, Md., Orange Beach, Ala., two locations in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and its original location in Ship Bottom, N.J. Ron Jon Surf Shop carries all of the beach essentials needed to have fun in the sun and features a wide assortment of surfwear, swimwear, sunglasses, hats, footwear and many other items perfectly suited for the casual beach lifestyle.

“NASCAR fans obviously like spending a lot of time outdoors,” said Heather Lewis, Marketing Director of Ron Jon Surf Shop. “There’s a natural correlation between their core fans and our customers. We’re excited to team up with Matt Tifft once again and help carry our message and values to a broader audience.”

“It’s so great to have Ron Jon Surf Shop on the car at Daytona,” said Tifft. “If you grew up going to beaches on the east coast, they’re a brand you instantly recognize. To have them with us, celebrating their 60th anniversary is a huge honor and I can’t wait to turn heads on track with this car.”

The No. 36 Ron Jon Surf Shop Ford Mustang will make its debut at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, July 4 for practice. Matt Tifft will visit the Cocoa Beach store (4151 N. Atlantic Ave, Cocoa Beach, FL) on Friday, July 5 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET. The “Coke Zero Sugar 400” Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race will air Saturday, July 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and MRN.

For more information about Ron Jon Surf Shop, visit RonJonSurfShop.com and follow them on social media: Facebook at Facebook.com/RonJons; Twitter at @RonJons and Instagram at @ronjonofficial.

About Ron Jon Surf Shop
Ron Jon Surf Shop was founded in 1959 on the New Jersey shore out of an appreciation for the sport of surfing. Two years later, “The Original” Ron Jon Surf Shop opened in Long Beach Island, N.J. The lifestyle-apparel and board-sports-equipment retailer has since opened stores in Cocoa Beach, Orlando, Fort Myers, Key West, Panama City Beach, Pensacola Beach, Clearwater Beach, Fla., as well as in Ocean City, Md., Orange Beach, Ala. and Myrtle Beach, S.C. The flagship store in Cocoa Beach is the world’s largest surf shop. It operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. www.RonJonSurfShop.com.

About Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields three full-time entries – the No. 34 of Michael McDowell, the No. 36 of Matt Tifft and the No. 38 of David Ragan – from its Mooresville, N.C., headquarters just outside of Charlotte. The team’s partnership base includes CITGO Petroleum Corporation, Ford Performance, Love’s Travel Stops, Select Blinds, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Tunity, Surface and Speedco. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.