Category: NASCAR Cup PR

Kentucky and Bristol to Feature Branded Glamping Experience

Hackettstown, N.J. (June 4, 2019) – Today, M&M’S® unveiled the M&M’S® Glampground, a first-of-its-kind, all-inclusive glamping experience that will provide race fans at Kentucky Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway with an unforgettable weekend. The M&M’S® Glampground will deliver on the colorful fun M&M’S® is known for, combined with the unforgettable experiences and access that only the “Official Chocolate of NASCAR®” can provide.

Beginning today, fans searching for the ultimate way to experience the Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart at Kentucky Speedway can reserve their spots in the M&M’S® Glampground by visiting https://www.kentuckyspeedway.com/MMSGlampground/. Located in the infield, the M&M’S® Glampground will provide a turnkey, VIP option for race fans looking to experience the race like never before. From glamping tents to garage tours, the M&M’S® Glampground will be a weekend filled with five-star amenities allowing new and seasoned race fans to experience NASCAR in an entirely different way. 

Of course, an M&M’S® party is not complete without an appearance from NASCAR’s “Candy Man” Kyle Busch, the 2015 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion and driver of the No. 18 M&M’S® Toyota. Busch will visit the M&M’S®Glampground in Kentucky and Bristol, joined throughout the weekend by wife Samantha. Other NASCAR drivers and personalities will make appearances throughout the race weekend.

“M&M’S® always does so much for the fans, but if I wasn’t racing, I’d probably book myself a spot in the M&M’S®   Glampground,” said Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’S® Toyota Camry. “I am so excited to swing by and check this out and meet all of the M&M’S® and NASCAR fans that are going to be attending at both Kentucky and Bristol.”

“We are delighted to unveil the M&M’S®  Glampground, the first ever sponsor-branded luxury camping experience at a NASCAR race that we know all fans of M&M’S®  and NASCAR are going to love,” said Allison Miazga-Bedrick, Brand Director, M&M’S®. “This is going to be a race experience like no other and we look forward to welcoming both returning and new race fans to the Glampground in Kentucky and Bristol. We encourage all fans to get their tickets now, with the experiences we have to offer they aren’t going to hang around for long.”

At Kentucky, the M&M’S® Glampground will be located in a private area in the infield, with each M&M’S® Glamping package for two priced at $500.00, and featuring the following incredible amenities:  

• One 12×14 glamourous camping tent (choice of one queen bed or two singles)
• Bathrooms with private showers
• VIP valet service, including a dedicated shuttle for transportation around the track
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner catered by popular local restaurants for Friday and Saturday
• Activities throughout the weekend, including garage and pit tours, tailgate games, movies and more
• Events and appearances by M&M’S® Racing team members and other famous racing personalities
• Wi-fi and charging stations to keep every moment sharable
• Two Kentucky Speedway Bluegrass Club weekend tickets
• Two Cold Passes for access to the Kentucky Speedway garage
• One FanVision and two headsets, allowing you to listen to race and driver communication
• Unlimited colorful fun that only M&M’S® can provide!

M&M’S® Glamping packages for the Bristol Motor Speedway M&M’S® Glampground will be available later this summer. To find out more information about the M&M’S® Glampground fans can visit the M&M’S®  Racing Facebook page.

About Mars, Incorporated

Mars is a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. With more than $35 billion in sales, the company is a global business that produces some of the world’s best-loved brands: M&M’s^®, SNICKERS^®, TWIX^®, MILKY WAY^®, DOVE^®, PEDIGREE^®, ROYAL CANIN^®, WHISKAS^®, EXTRA^®, ORBIT^®, 5™, SKITTLES^®, UNCLE BEN’S^®, and COCOAVIA^®. Mars Associates proudly take care of half of the world’s pets through our nutrition, health and services businesses such as Banfield Pet Hospitals™, BluePearl®, Linnaeus, AniCura, VCA™ and Pet Partners™.  Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire our more than 115,000 Associates to take action every day to help create a world tomorrow in which the planet, its people and pets can thrive. 

 About Kentucky Speedway

Owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI), Kentucky Speedway is a 1.5-mile tri-oval located in Sparta, Kentucky just 35 miles south of Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky. The track attracts fans from the Tri-State area of Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and beyond. Entering its 20th season of racing, the speedway hosts all three national NASCAR series.    

In July, the venue will present the ninth running of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart. Prior to 2011, Kentucky Speedway hosted stand-alone NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series races. Currently, all three races take place in a July NASCAR tripleheader weekend.

The venue also is home to many other special events throughout the year including concerts, driving schools, car shows, and fitness runs. 

For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

Michael McDowell
No. 34 Dockside Logistics Ford Mustang
Started: 28th | Finished: 20th

“We had some ups and downs today. We made some good changes, got up in the top 20 and then took some damage with lapped traffic which knocked the nose of our car in and that hurt us. But my team worked hard, we were able to get back on the lead lap, fell back into position and earned a top-20 finish, which is something to build on. I’m really proud of everybody’s hard work.”

Matt Tifft
No. 36 Surface Sunscreen/Tunity Ford Mustang
Started: 31st | Finished: 33rd

“Well, the Tricky Triangle lived up to its name for our No. 36 Surface Sunscreen/Tunity Ford. Thought we had a good shot at another top-20 finish, but things just didn’t go our way today. I spun out just trying to be aggressive on a restart and then we lost 4th gear on a different restart and had to take the car to the garage for repairs, which put us in a 32-lap deficit. I’m proud of the way my guys rallied, though, and I’m looking forward to having another shot next week at Michigan.”

David Ragan
No. 38 Exploria Resorts Ford Mustang
Started: 27th | Finished: 30th

“We had a rough day with our Exploria Resorts Ford Mustang. We fired off pretty good in the first Stage, making some good improvements. Our Mustang was a little faster than it was on Saturday, but I got into the wall to start the second Stage, had a little bit of damage and after a few series of cautions and multiple flat tires, we went multiple laps down and couldn’t rebound. It’s unfortunate because I felt like we could have run in the top 20 today, but having 3 or 4 consecutive restarts where we had damage and had to pit under green, we lost too many laps and by that point you kind of get in a hole and it’s hard to dig your way out. Thank you to Exploria Resorts and Rich Mar Florist for coming along with our team this weekend at Pocono Raceway.”

Team Penske Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race Report
Track: Pocono Raceway
Race: Pocono 400
Date: June 2, 2019

____________________________________

No. 2 Wabash National Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski
Start: 5th
Stage 1: 3rd
Stage 2: 4th
Finish: 2nd
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 160/160
Laps Led: 4
Driver Point Standings (behind first): 4th (-59)

Notes:

· Brad Keselowski scored a second-place finish in the Pocono 400 Sunday afternoon at Pocono Raceway. The driver of the Wabash National Ford Mustang grabbed his sixth top-five finish of the 2019 season. Keselowski claimed his 10th top-10 in 19-career Pocono starts, racking up seven top-five finishes in the last eight races at the 2.5-mile Pennsylvania speedway. He also moved up one position in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings to fourth, 59 points behind leader Kyle Busch.

· Keselowski started fifth in the 160-lap, 400-mile event and discovered early in the race that passing was going to be a challenge. He was running seventh at the time of the competition caution on lap 20. Crew chief Paul Wolfe called for right-side tires when Keselowski pitted on lap 22 and restarted second on lap 24. He held his own during the remainder of Stage 1 and collected a third-place finish when the segment ended on lap 50. Keselowski stayed out during the stage caution while the other leaders pitted and restarted in the lead on lap 55.

· Keselowski was running in second position when the fourth caution on lap 58 gave him a chance to pit. He made a four-tire stop under the yellow and rejoined the field in 23rd position. Three cautions slowed the pace in the second stage. Keselowski steered clear of the incidents and picked off positions on each restart to climb his way through the field. As Stage 2 drew to a close, several of the leaders chose to pit. Keselowski stayed on the track and finished fourth when the stage ended on lap 100. He pitted during the stage caution on lap 102 for four tires and restarted 13th when the race went green on lap 105.

· Keselowski had just climbed into the top-10 when he made a green flag pit stops on lap 119 for right-side tires. When the cycle of stops was complete among the leaders, Keselowski was up to fourth-place. He was running there when the eighth and final caution slowed the pace on lap 148. The race went green on lap 151 and Keselowski passed two of his rivals to move up to second-place behind leader Kyle Busch. By the time the duo had cleared traffic, Busch had pulled away from Keselowski. Try as he might, the driver of the No. 2 Wabash National Ford couldn’t find a way around his rival, crossing the finish line two seconds behind Busch.

Quotes: “I think we had a pretty good Wabash Ford. I am proud of the team effort to make a lot of stage points and get a solid finish out of the day. It was a good all-around effort, just not the playoff bonus points and win and all of that that we were looking for but I’m still very proud of everyone on the Wabash team. He (Busch) was strong. Not only was he one of the fastest cars but if you were a 20th-place car and got into the lead today you were going to drive away. It’s just the way the rules were.”

________________________________________

No. 12 Menards/Libman Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney
Start: 17th
Stage 1: 6th
Stage 2: 24th
Finish: 12th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 160/160
Laps Led: 0
Driver Point Standings (behind first): 9th (-162)

Notes:

· A quiet day for Ryan Blaney resulted in a 12th-place finish Sunday afternoon at Pocono Raceway. The driver of the Menards/Libman Ford Mustang battled back late in the 160-lap, 400-mile race at the “Tricky Triangle” and remains ninth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings.

· Blaney started 17th and struggled early, falling outside the top-25. As the laps ticked off he began picking off positions one by one and reported to crew chief Jeremy Bullins the balance of the No. 12 Mustang was tight, especially in Turn 3. Blaney pitted during the competition caution on lap 20 for right-side tires and an air pressure adjustment.

· Once racing resumed on lap 24, Blaney reported no change in the handling of his Ford Mustang with the two tires. Several leaders chose to pit before the end of Stage 1 and Blaney benefitted, steadily moving up through the running order. He scored a sixth-place finish when the first segment of the race concluded on lap 50.

· Under the stage caution, Bullins called for four tires and multiple adjustments to the Menards/Libman Ford including wedge, air pressure and a piece of tape on the nose. Racing resumed on lap 55, but the pace slowed once again on lap 58, thanks to the fourth caution. Blaney pitted for a splash of fuel and stayed on the track during the next yellow on lap 62. In a race that proved to be challenging to pass and with Blaney outside the top-10, the Menards crew called the High Point, N.C. native to pit road on lap 94 for four tires and fuel along with an air pressure adjustment – six laps from the conclusion of the segment. Blaney returned to the track and collected a 24th-place finish when Stage 2 ended on lap 100. He didn’t pit during the stage caution and restarted ninth on lap 105.

· A chaotic restart shuffled Blaney back to 17th when the race went green. The driver of the Menards/Libman Ford slowly began to pick off positions, moving up to 15th by lap 115. Blaney reported his car’s balance switched from the tight to loose side. He would make his penultimate pit stop on 120, where the team changed right-side tires and made a wedge adjustment. The final caution of the race flew on lap 148 and Blaney made his final pit stop of the day for right-side tires. He restarted 14th with nine laps to go and gain two positions over the final miles, claiming a 12th-place finish at the checkered flag.

Quote: “I thought we had a pretty good Menards/Libman Ford today. Passing was difficult so track position basically meant everything. Several of the restarts I was stuck on the bottom lane that made it difficult to get going. We’ll now focus on Michigan next week and we’ll try to bring home a strong run.”

____________________________________

No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano
Start: 16th
Stage 1: 8th
Stage 2: 2nd
Finish: 7th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 160/160
Laps Led: 0
Point Standings (Behind first): 2nd (-4)

Notes:

· Joey Logano started 16th in Sunday afternoon’s Pocono 400 in the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang at Pocono Raceway. Logano moved inside the top-10 by lap 3, reporting that his Ford Mustang was hampered by dirty air when he was behind other cars.

· During the competition caution on lap 20, Logano pitted from the 10th position for a two-tire stop with an air pressure adjustment to work on the tight handling condition he was battling. At lap 30 when the race was slowed by its second caution, Logano reported the Shell-Pennzoil Ford was looser overall during the run but he still maintained the fifth position.

· Logano finished eighth when Stage 1 ended on lap 50. The Shell-Pennzoil team made an air pressure adjustment to help Logano on corner exit when he pitted during the stage caution. He gained two spots on pit road but restarted 14th thanks to a variety of pit strategies among the leaders. Logano continued to battle a slightly tight Ford Mustang in Stage 2, but still ran inside the top-10. While other leaders began to pit, Logano stretched his fuel mileage to the end of the segment and was rewarded with a second-place finish at the end of Stage 2.

· As the third and final stage began, Logano reported that his No. 22 Ford Mustang was as tight as it had been all day while running in the 10th position. When Logano pitted, the team made air pressure and track bar adjustments to improve the handling. The changes yielded mix results: Logano reported that the Shell-Pennzoil Ford was freer, but still fighting tight on corner exit.

· With 12 laps to go, the eighth and final caution flag was displayed, bringing Logano to pit road for two right-side tires and tape on the nose. The race went green with nine laps to go and Logano used the adjustments to power to the seventh position on the restart. Try as he might, Logano could get no closer to the front and was credited with the seventh-place finish.

Quote: “It was brutal to pass, really hard in dirty air. It was all about strategy and restarts and you saw some chaotic restarts. The last restart was insane. I was in the middle of it and we were four or five-wide down into one and I wasn’t sure where I was supposed to be. You hope it all sorts out and somehow it did. That is where the race is at, trying to get a good restart and then figure out a way to get ahead of everyone on strategy.”

LONG POND, Pa. (June 2, 2019) — Ryan Newman picked up valuable stage points en route to a 16th-place finish Sunday afternoon in his Wyndham Rewards Ford Mustang at Pocono Raceway.

Newman rolled off the grid 19th in what looked to be a race affected by rain in the forecast. But, other than a brief mist prior to the green flag, sunny skies prevailed as all 160 laps were completed.

Early on the South Bend, Indiana, native was lacking overall grip prior to a competition caution at lap 20. The No. 6 team was able to go to work on the handling at lap 23 putting on just two right-side tires. Newman went on to finish the segment 14th after some cars short-pitted the stage.

He would begin the second stage in 18th before three caution flags ensued in a span of 11 laps as Newman fought tight conditions. He lined back up 17th for another restart at lap 72 as the remainder of the 50-lap stage rain caution-free. A host of cars pitted prior to the break, but crew chief Scott Graves kept Newman on track to earn a fifth-place finish in the stage, picking up valuable stage points.

The 2008 Daytona 500 Champion restarted the final segment in 14th and pitted under green at lap 125. The yellow flag was displayed for the final time at lap 146 for teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr., when Newman pitted one final time for four fresh tires and fuel.

Newman lined up 19th for the final 9-lap shootout and picked off three spots in the closing laps to cross the line 16th at ‘The Tricky Triangle.’

Newman and the No. 6 team return to action next weekend at Michigan International Speedway. Race coverage for next Sunday’s race begins at 2 p.m. ET on FS1. Coverage can also be heard on MRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.

LONG POND, Pa. (June 2, 2019)- With less than 15 laps remaining in Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. blew a tire sending the Fastenal Ford hard into the turn two wall resulting in a 32nd-place finish.

”That was a hard hit,” Stenhouse said. “We actually got our Fastenal Ford a little bit better there. We had a little contact early on and blew a right rear and we were battling back. I felt like we could have maybe got three more positions before the end of the race but the tire let go going into two. All in all, we will just try to figure out how to get our cars better for here next time.”

The two-time Xfinity champion rolled off in the 18th position gaining two positions on the start but when the competition yellow was displayed on lap 20 for rain overnight Stenhouse was scored in the 20th position. The team took the opportunity to work on the tight handling machine taking four tires, fuel and chassis adjustment. Stenhouse steadily worked his way forward despite battling a tight machine to take the first green checkered in the 12th position.

During the stage break, Stenhouse received a pit-road speeding penalty lining him up at the tail end of the field for the restart. After restarting in the 33rd position, the Roush Fenway Racing driver marched his way forward picking up 13 positions by the time the caution flag was displayed on lap 68.

On the restart at lap 72, Stenhouse lined up in the 19th position and as he was jockeying for position he sustained some right side damage ultimately ended up cutting the right rear forcing Stenhouse to pit for an unscheduled green flag pit-stop on lap 80. With only 20 laps remaining in stage two, Stenhouse settled for a 29th place finish.

The Olive Branch, Miss. native lined up in the 28th position for the final 60-lap stage and patiently worked his way up to 21st before having to hit pit-road for a scheduled stop. Stenhouse was steadily marching up through the field before cutting a tire ultimately ending his day with less than 15 laps remaining in Sunday’s 160-lap race.

Next up for Stenhouse Jr. and the No. 17 team is Michigan International Speedway on June 9. Race coverage begins at 2 p.m. on Fox Sports 1. Coverage can also be heard on MRN and SIRIUS radio channel 90.

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang came away from Sunday’s Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway with an 18th-place finish plus an additional point for a 10th-place finish in Stage One.

Menard started the race from 14th place and worked his way forward to post a top-10 finish in the first 50-lap Stage.

As the race went on, Menard had to deal with a tight handling condition and came up two positions short of scoring more points in the second 50-lap Stage.

Skies were threatening for the first two stages, but the sun came out for the final 60 laps, and that seemed to adversely affect the handling of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang.

“When Paul was in clean air he was really fast, but there was a noticeable difference in speed when he was in traffic,” Eddie Wood said. “We were tight off Turn Three, and restarts were a challenge.”

Wood said the team’s over-the-wall pit crew had another impressive outing, and complimented crew chief Greg Erwin for his call to run long during the third and final stage, a strategy that netted the team four positions.

“We made the most of what we had today, and we’ll move on to Michigan, which has always been one of our better tracks,” he said.

About Motorcraft

Motorcraft® offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to under-hood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln dealers, independent distributors and automotive parts retailers are backed by Ford Motor Company’s two-year, unlimited-miles Service Parts Limited Warranty. Ask for Motorcraft by name when you visit your local auto parts store or your favorite service facility. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers

Ford’s Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers routine vehicle maintenance such as oil and filter changes, light repair services including brake repair, and tire replacements on all vehicle makes and models. With more than 800 locations and growing, customers can visit www.quicklane.com to find a center that is closest to them, print savings coupons and review maintenance tips to keep their vehicles running at peak efficiency. This site includes information on how to spot tire wear, how to jump-start a battery and even a series of tips to improve a vehicle’s fuel economy.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 200,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

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.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
Pocono Raceway
Race 14 of 36 – 400 miles, 160 laps
June 2, 2019

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, KYLE BUSCH
2nd, Brad Keselowski*
3rd, ERIK JONES
4th, Chase Elliott*
5th, Clint Bowyer*
6th, DENNY HAMLIN
17th, MATT DiBENEDETTO
35th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
*non-Toyota driver

Camry driver Kyle Busch earned his 55th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win at Pocono Raceway on Sunday afternoon.

Busch led 79 laps (of 160) on the way to his fourth victory of the 2019 season.

Camry teammate Erik Jones tied a season-best finish of third while Denny Hamlin (sixth) also finished in the top 10 for a ninth time this season.

TOYOTA QUOTES

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Hazelnut Spread Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

Describe this run here today at Pocono.

“I mean it was a great race for us. We had a really, really fast car. I mean this M&M’s Hazelnut Spread Camry was flawless. Overall, a huge thanks to everybody at Joe Gibbs Racing. Everybody has done a phenomenal job building us some fast Toyota Camrys. Thanks to TRD (Toyota Racing Development, U.S.A.) and Interstate Batteries and Stanley, Rheem, Monster Energy, of course, and all of the fans. I appreciate your support here in Pocono. It’s cool – this place was a real struggle for me early on, but here the last two years it’s been pretty good for me, so pretty pumped about that.”

What changed with Pocono and you the last couple years?

“I started hitting on a couple things that made me a little bit better here with Dave Rogers (crew chief) and then when I got Adam (Stevens, crew chief), it just kind of clicked for us. We’ve been really good here ever since. Certainly thanks to Adam Stevens and all my guys, everybody on the A and B team here and everybody that does such a good job working on my stuff. It’s fun to be able to come down pit road and know you’re going to pick up spots and then to also have good race cars on the race track.”

How important was the outside line and why did it work so well for you?

“I didn’t think anybody else was really doing it and then I figured I might as well give it a shot and I got (Clint) Bowyer there on that restart and I’m like oh man, here we go, we’re just going to ride here, this is what I needed. I came off of Turn 2 really good with a head of steam and I kind of shallowed entry a little bit and Bowyer wanted to go low early in order to block and I just put it to the outside and just drove it off in there to get alongside of him. I felt like once I got alongside of him, then him and I could race it out on exit. That was what got us to lead. That’s what got us the track position. That’s what got us out front to be able to control the rest of the race.”

How did you pass and put together a near flawless race?

“I passed one guy on the outside of Turn 3 and that was the only guy I needed to pass, I guess. It was hard otherwise. We kind of got stuck in traffic back there a little bit earlier in the race. We were about fifth or sixth and couldn’t really do anything, but overall my guys on pit road were awesome. We got some spots there, track position. Adam Stevens (crew chief) and some of our race calls getting us further up towards the front, so it’s cool to get a win here. It’s cool to get a win at Pocono again. Rowdy Nation is up there supporting us. Having some M&M’s Hazelnut Spread Camrys that are fast like this makes my job a hell of a lot easier.”

ERIK JONES, No. 20 DeWalt Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

What’s going right for you and this No. 20 team right now?

“I wish we could’ve had a good run last week, but we’ve just got fast cars. I mean it shows each week. One of us it seems like is winning and I wish it was us. We need to keep doing this. We need to keep running well and having days where there’s nothing crazy happening, nothing outstanding, we’re just going up and doing what we’re doing. If we keep running in these spots, the wins will come. The DeWalt Camry was fast all weekend really. From the time we unloaded, to qualifying and the race. Chris (Gayle, crew chief) did a good job strategy-wise keeping us where we needed to be – clean air and up front. It worked out with a good finish. I wish it was more, but it’s good to get back on track after last week.”

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

Finishing Position: 6th

How would you evaluate your run today?

“It was a good run. We didn’t hit the wall. That’s a first in about a month. Didn’t blow a tire. That’s about the first in a month. The positives are we got a decent finish out of it there. We had a pretty good car in clean air. I thought the 18 (Kyle Busch) definitely was substantially better. The 4 (Kevin Harvick) was pretty good as well, but I thought we could hold our own there. We were running third and got four tires there at the end. We really – track position was just such a huge deal. I didn’t see many cars out there passing today and we were one of them that couldn’t. You got stuck behind guys and it didn’t matter how old their tires were in front of you, you just got stuck behind them and we were one of those guys. Then we had an inside lane restart on the end that cost us a spot or two. Overall, a decent day. We’re at least back on the train of a good run and not tearing our car up so we’ll build from there and go to Michigan next week.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR, No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 34th

What happened to take you out of the race?

“I don’t know. We just lost an engine there – dropped a cylinder down the backstretch and figured I might as well pit. I thought maybe it was a possibility we were out of gas, but it started smoking out of the pipes and shut off. Tough day. TRD (Toyota Racing Development, U.S.A.) does a great job of building engines and obviously they’re fast. Probably a fluke deal. I’m not sure, but we’ll go back to look at it. Frustrating day.”

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
Sunday, June 2, 2019
EVENT: Pocono 400 MENCS Post Race

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
2nd – Brad Keselowski
5th – Clint Bowyer
7th – Joey Logano
8th – Daniel Suarez
10th – Aric Almirola
12th – Ryan Blaney
16th – Ryan Newman
18th – Paul Menard
20th – Michael McDowell
22nd – Kevin Harvick
25th – Bayley Currey
30th – David Ragan
32nd – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
33rd – Matt Tifft
35th – Corey LaJoie

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Wabash National Ford Mustang: FINISHED 2nd

“I think we had a pretty good Wabash Ford. We wanted a little bit more to be able to pass everybody but you had to be so much faster that you just try to execute the best you can and hope things fall the right way. They fell decent, just not good enough to win today.”

WHAT WAS THE TRAFFIC LIKE TRYING TO DEAL WITH THE AIR? “You had to be about three-quarters of a second faster than someone. With the parody the cars have with the rules and all that you aren’t going to see that in the top-20. It is just part of it. That is the hand we are dealt. We try to make the most of it.”

WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU COULD DO TO CATCH THE 18? “Not really. He was strong. He was one of the fastest cars. Not only was he one of the fastest cars but if you were a 20th place car and got into the lead today you were going to drive away. it is just the way the rules were.”

ANY TAKEAWAYS? “You learn some things to tweak. I am proud of the team effort to make a lot of stage points and get a solid finish out of the day. It was a good all around effort, just not the playoff bonus points and win and all of that that we were looking for. Still proud of the team.”

CLINT BOWYER, No. 14 Haas Automation Ford Mustang: FINISHED 5th

“We had a pretty good car. We had a third to fifth place car. That is about what we had and we did a good job finishing with what we had. We are just giving up way too many stage points. We have to figure out how to get some stage points. That is all we had today.”

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 10 Valley Technical Academy Ford Mustang:

“I honestly don’t know how well this will translate to the July race but I feel like we learned quite a bit today. Our car was decent but we didn’t have anything for the 18. Our car was decent and we were pretty competitive, we just fought track position. I got up to fifth or sixth there and just barely brushed the wall off turn three and had bad tire smoke and had to come pit so that I didn’t blow a right rear tire and end our day. I errored on the side of caution there and then we just fought to recover from that the rest of the day. We were buried in traffic and had to be aggressive on restarts to try to get back up through the field.”

“I think the biggest thing continues to be traffic. It is the common theme week in and week out. Traffic is a challenge. You saw the 18 without a doubt was the best car. He got back in fifth or sixth and ran fifth or sixth. It is very situational. You’ve got to figure out ways to get out in clean air.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang: FINISHED 7th

“It was brutal to pass. Really hard in dirty air. Tough. Tough racing here. It was all about strategy and restarts and you saw some chaotic restart. The last restart was insane. I was in the middle of it and we were four or five-wide down into one and I wasn’t sure where I was supposed to be. You hope it all sorts out and somehow it did. That is where the race is at, trying to get a good restart and then figure out a way to get ahead of everyone on strategy.”

DOES THIS FEEL LIKE A ONE-OFF TYPE RACE? “Yeah, you have to try something different than that. Maybe put some track bite down. Try anything. There is nothing to lose.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, No. 41 Haas Automation Demo Days Ford Mustang: FINISHED 8th

“We had a little bit more speed than an eighth place car but we struggled through the race at one point in traffic. We got the balance back by the end but it wasn’t easy. I feel like a top-10 is what we deserve today and we have to work on it.” HOW WERE YOUR RESTARTS? “Actually, I felt like the restarts were a struggle for me today. I just couldn’t go. I am not sure if we had too much shocks or something but I was struggling a lot. At least in corner one. Everything else was fine but I was struggling quite a bit. My teammates did a good job. My team did a good job. It was a top-10 and that is what we deserve for the speed we had and we will have to keep working to get better.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang: FINISHED 32nd (Retired on lap 146 due to accident)

“That was a hard lick. We actually got the car a little bit better but we still weren’t very good all day. We made it better and better and had a little contact early and cut a right rear tire. We were trying to battle back. We were gaining on it. I feel like we could have maybe got three more spots before the end of the race but the tire let go going into two. That is about the worst place that can happen. That was a bummer. All in all, we will just try to figure out how to get our cars better here. Us and the 6 were struggling all day.”

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Dow Chevrolet Team’s Race Cut Short at Pocono Raceway After On-Track Incident

Finish: 37th
Start: 10th
Points: 21st

“We had a fast Dow Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in practice and were hopeful about our chances today at Pocono Raceway. We needed a solid day to get back a couple spots in the points. Unfortunately, it didn’t go that way for us. Another car made contact with us and sent us into the wall in Stage 1, ending our day. This was not how we wanted our day to go at all, and we’re all disappointed in being out of the race so soon. This will hurt us in the points but we’ll regroup and get back into it at Michigan.” -Austin Dillon

Daniel Hemric Leads Laps, Finishes 13th with No. 8 Kalahari Resorts & Conventions Chevrolet at Pocono Raceway

Finish: 13th
Start: 23rd
Points: 24th

“I thought we did a really good job of maximizing our day with this No. 8 Kalahari Resorts & Conventions Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. We struggled a little bit too much on restarts, and I have to figure out how to position myself better to not give up so much track position. In the race the car took off too loose on corner entry to attack. I thought we would never get that connected to make some decent lap times. As soon as Luke Lambert and this team were able to make some adjustments to this No. 8 Kalahari Chevrolet, we were able to do that and made forward progress. Staying out long on the next-to-last run and pitting late for right side tires and fuel gave us a huge amount of track position and made our lap times much better than the cars around us. The clean air helped us get track position as well. I wish we could have maintained in the top 10 over the course of that last restart, but it just didn’t work out. We’ll go to work, build off this momentum and look to have another strong day next week in Michigan.”-Daniel Hemric

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
POCONO RACEWAY
POCONO 400
TEAM CHEVY Post Race Notes & Quotes
JUNE 2, 2019

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
4th Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1
9th William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Autoguard Camaro ZL1
11th Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1
13th Daniel Hemric, No. 8 Kalahari Resorts and Conventions Camaro ZL1
14th Chris Buescher, No. 37 Kroger Thrill of the Grill Camaro ZL1

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st Kyle Busch (Toyota)
2nd Brad Keselowski (Ford)
3rd Erik Jones (Toyota)
4th Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)
5th Clint Bowyer (Ford)

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season continues next weekend at Michigan International Speedway with the FireKeepers Casino 400 on Sunday, June 9 at 2 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

TEAM CHEVY NOTES AND QUOTES:

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 4th
THOUGHTS ON HIS RUN:
“Playing the strategy game was really important. Pitting before the stages was giving up stage points doing that, but ultimately having track position in the back half was where it was worth it. Luckily, Alan (Gustafson) and our group saw that earlier in the race and we kind of jumped on board with that strategy. It worked out for a top five. I’m proud of the effort. We’ve had some good NAPA Chevrolet’s the last couple of weeks. We’ve been good, just not great and you have to be great to win these things. I’ll go to work and try to do a better job, and we’ll see what we can do next week.”

“We had a solid day. Things kind of went our way there at the end to get that Top 5. It was nice to be running in the Top 5 and be close, just not close enough.”

HOW HARD WAS IT TO PASS?
“It was really tough.”

CAN YOU TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM THIS RACE?
“Yeah, a Top 5. We didn’t get a lot of points. We were playing the strategy game there on the stage deal, but we’ll take a Top 5 anytime. We’d like to be just a little better. I feel like we’re really close. We’re just not there. It’s nice to be disappointed with running in the Top 5 these past few weeks.”

DO YOU NEED MORE SPEED IN THE CAR?
I don’t know if it’s that or me or both or whatever. We’ve got some work to do.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 HENDRICK AUTOGUARD CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 9th
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR RACE? YOU WERE REALLY STRONG. FOR A MINUTE WE THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO GET THIS ONE. YOU PROBABLY DID, TOO.
“Yeah, it was really good. We had some really good parts of the race. We kind of went for the points, which with the way the strategy was, it was hard to get back there. But we got a lot of points today, which was great. I know it doesn’t sound super good, but we had really good stages and really good runs there. So, we were able to go from 12th to 9th on that last restart and that was nice and we finished with a Top 10, so hopefully we can go to Michigan and be able to improve on that even more.”

DID YOU THINK YOU HAD SPEED IN THE CAR LIKE YOU HAD ENOUGH FOR KYLE BUSCH OR YOU JUST COULDN’T GET TO HIM? THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY A LOT TO FOCUS ON
“Yeah, we were definitely as fast as him at the start of the race. I don’t know how the race would have progressed. But, it took us a long time to get by guys and that was just something that kind of was a hindrance. But overall the guys did a great job on the car and this was a solid day. We’ve had two in a row now. That’s great for us.”

ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10, HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE RACING TODAY? WAS IT DIFFICULT TO PASS?
“I wish it was a little easier, but it felt like any time I got within striking distance to somebody, I just couldn’t quite get there and I’d lose as much as I gained and then I’d have to work that all back for 10 laps and then lose it again. It was just really hard. I don’t know if that was just me or what, but it was hard to complete it. The only times I could really make a move was when I just went in there and almost crashed the guy trying to do it and just got so close that it got loose. There were very few times I could get that close, but if I could, that was how I passed guys.”

ALL IN ALL, IT WAS A GREAT WEEKEND FOR YOU GUYS. WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT YOUR RACE TEAM?
“That’s great. Another pole is obviously awesome. I have to work on some things and just clean it all up and I think we’ll be really close.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 15th
“That was not what we needed today. We had a good car, and we just fought some handling issues off and on. Greg (Ives) and the Axalta team made good adjustments on each stop. There at the end, it just came out of fourth gear and wouldn’t stay in. I had to hold it in place for the end of the race.

“We learned some things today about how this package will run at Pocono, sio we have a little idea for next time. We will leave here and move on to Michigan.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1 – Won Stages 1 and 2, Finished 26th
“It felt like our team did a really good job of calling pit strategy the first half of the race for those two Stage wins. I felt like our car was really good, especially in that final Stage. I just didn’t have the track position, but I could pass people when I felt like other people couldn’t pass. So, I was happy about that. And then, just that restart, I tried to be really aggressive and fit in that hole. I haven’t seen a replay, but am assuming I just wasn’t clear and I turned myself in the wall. I hate that I did that, but I felt like that was a good opportunity to fit in that hole and just get the run and maybe get by whoever was in front of me because I feel like I had a really good car at the time. So, I’ve just got to be smarter.”

WAS THIS A SHOT IN THE ARM FOR YOU GUYS WITH THE 2 STAGE WINS AND THE ALL-STAR WIN?
“Yeah, it was good. I thought our team did a really good job. I thought our pit stops for the most part were really good and our restarts were really good, except for the last one; which is was a good restart, I just got overly aggressive there. Yeah, it was a good day. We had a really fast car. I felt like my speed down the straightaways was really good. I felt like I had good power thanks to Hendrick Engines. I just wish I would have finished out the day good.”

DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD HAVE JUST SETTLED-OUT IN THE TOP 5 IF IT WASN’T FOR THAT ACCIDENT WHEN IT CAME TO 8 LAPS TO GO?
“I think if I would have not tried to fit in that hole; I think Clint (Bowyer) finished 5th so I probably would have been around 5th or 6th.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR RESULT TODAY?
“I feel like we had a good car. It was a Top 3 speed, and probably third or fourth-best car. I just got really aggressive there and got myself in the wall.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW CAMARO ZL1 – Sidelined on Lap 30 due to accident. Finished 37th
WHAT HAPPENED?
“Paul Menard has been doing this for a long time. I was a teammate with him at some point. I don’t know. He still hasn’t figured it out, I guess. I don’t know where I was supposed to go or what I was supposed to do. He just ran into the back of me and missed the corner. He overshot it.”

ARE YOU FRUSTRATED WITH HIM AND WILL YOU TALK TO HIM ABOUT IT?
“No, I’m not going to talk to him about it. There’s no need to talk to him about it. He know what he did.”

HE DID TAKE THE BLAME ON THE RADIO
“Well, it takes me out of the race and kills us in the points. I know he’s close in points, too. It’s all where it’s at. I don’t know. It’s disappointing. That’s all I’ve got to say about it. There’s nothing nice I have to say about him right now.”

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

About Chevrolet
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