Category: NASCAR Cup PR

Toyota Racing – Denny Hamlin
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
Charlotte Motor Speedway – May 17, 2019

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

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

Is there any cause for concern based on performance the past few weeks?

“No, just different race tracks and ones that we knew we had concerns with entering the race track. Did we even have the right setup or splitter heights or anything. Really, our races have spun from getting behind in practice and not showing up with the car hitting the race track and things like that. Just some different race tracks as we go back to some of these tracks again, we’ll get more data and tracks that are similar, you won’t have that issue in practice and we’ll be a little bit closer when we get there.”

Does the sport still need a 600-mile race?

“No, nothing – the sport doesn’t need any particular thing. I don’t think that anything is totally necessary. If the race was 300 miles, you’re going to have the same, I believe, core group watch the race and possibly even more that are interested because it’s not five hours long.”

Is there any part of the tradition that you like?

“Tradition, ‘shmadition.’ It’s whatever. All sports adapt and change. I hate it when people say, ‘well, that’s the way it always was.’ Things are different. I’d be just as happy with a Coke 300 trophy as a Coke 600 to be honest with you. I’m for whatever, but I certainly know that from my friends, they choose to come All-Star week and not 600 week because it’s just too long and they don’t want to sit here for five hours.”

How physical is the 600 on you?

“It’s not that bad. The comfort in the cars now, they do such a good job with inserts and things like that, it’s not too bad. Now different aero packages, it does get pretty hot, but it just kind of depends. Humidity affects us more than actual temperature does. Definitely, to me it hasn’t been a big game changer and I don’t prepare any differently for it.”

If it’s 94 degrees next weekend with this package, do you expect that to be a challenge?

“It will be tough and it will be hot. I’ll do the same things I always do, I always try to hydrate as well as I can, but maybe you’ll take in a snack or something in the middle of the race, but I won’t prepare any differently for it.”

Can you compare the All-Star race with other All-Star sporting events?

“I think the other sports get the cities to really buy into it. I think it’s been in Charlotte for such a long time now that getting people to just recognize that the race is here, the races are in town is the biggest challenge. It’s just different, I’ve been to several other All-Star games or Pro Bowls or whatever it may be and it’s about the town. It’s in a new venue so the towns are really excited about it and really buy in and you see banners and billboards all over the place in the town. Here in Charlotte, it’s just been here for so long that it’s just stagnant a little bit.”

Did winning the second Daytona 500 make you more established?

“I’m not sure, that’s going to be for my peers to decide later on and my competitors. I’m not sure. I’ve been in contention to win so many 500s that it’s amazing we only have two of them. It’s the ones like the Coke 600, the Brickyard 400 that are really the ones I want to win to get those off the box that I want to check. I don’t know, the second one certainly was great for me because I think it does validate the first one. There’s been a lot of great 500 champions, but to win multiple, that list becomes a little bit shorter and it’s not by chance. There’s a little bit more respect that goes along with it.”

Do other competitors see a block like what happened at Kansas and consider it acceptable?

“I didn’t even think twice about it when I saw it from my perspective. The person who gets blocked always makes it a bigger deal than what it really is. I think the other competitors don’t think anything about it to be honest with you. We all threw our blocks at certain times and sometimes it’s not as dramatic as that, sometimes somebody would just run up to you and you choose to run their line and block them that way. It’s a less dramatic way of doing it, but certainly one where you go from high lane to low lane or whatever it might be. You are counting on the person either checking up or counting on them losing enough air to where they’re going to lose their car. That’s the whole reason you do it in the first place. I don’t think any other competitors have any other opinion about it, but I’m not sure.”

Should NASCAR mandate carbon monoxide detectors in the race cars?

“As a driver you have to take your risk at your own hands, I guess. I don’t know about monitors and things like that because certainly every car is different. The way it’s built when you do have crash damage, crush panels get knocked out and the levels will be different. I don’t know what the right thing to do is, but certainly if I felt like I was unsafe to anyone, I would have pulled off, but I was still making up spots at the end of that race even though I wasn’t feeling that well. I felt like still some work to be done and I was going to get better once the race was over.”

Do you feel the other teams are closing the gap on JGR and Penske Racing?

“Oh yeah, Stewart Haas cars are by far the fastest cars right now. By a lot, by a whole lot. It seems like as an organization, we’ve had one car kind of hit it the last few weekends, but as an organization we’ve struggled. We have not been very good. Really it starts with struggles in practice when we unload. I think that one of our cars have gotten lucky and hit it overnight, but other than that, I don’t feel like we’re the cream of the crop by far.”

Is JGR working internally to remedy that situation?

“We just need more data. We just haven’t been to these race tracks with this big spoiler on the car and splitter. It’s just throwing us for a loop personally. We’re showing up and our travels have been way off so we’re just struggling to get the data, but as we go to more race tracks, that data is going to get better and we can start to tune better for the race and that’s what’s really held us back.”

Could you feel a difference from how the All-Star car drove to the package earlier this year?

“A little bit. I thought it was just a little bit rougher with the splitter, but overall not a huge change from what we had. I’m guessing they said they were doing this to help with the cars in traffic. I think that remains to be seen until we actually get in the All-Star race and see how it goes. Certainly can’t say that I’ve noticed any difference on track so far.”

No. 36 Driver Unveils Special Paint Scheme as Part of NASCAR’s “600 Miles of Remembrance”

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 17, 2019) – Matt Tifft’s No. 36 Surface Sunscreen/Tunity TV Ford will pay tribute to Carrollton, Virginia native U.S. Army Special Forces Sgt. 1st Class Joshua “Zach” Beale this Memorial Day weekend. SFC Beale was killed on January 22, 2019 in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations. He was assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

SFC Beale had more than seven years of service in the Army. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Old Dominion University in 2008 and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2011. He attended Basic Training in Fort Benning, Georgia, where he graduated from the U.S. Army Airborne School. Beale graduated in 2018 from the Special Forces Qualification Course and was subsequently assigned to 3rd SFG (A).

Beale was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and the Meritorious Service Medal. He was posthumously promoted to Sgt. 1st Class.

Tifft’s No. 36 Ford will display Beale’s name across the windshield for the “Coca-Cola 600” on May 26. His car will also feature a star-spangled paint scheme in honor of Memorial Day and NASCAR’s “600 Miles of Remembrance” tribute, where each car entered in the race will recognize a fallen U.S. soldier.

“It’s really an honor to represent SFC Beale on my car for the Coca-Cola 600,” said Tifft. “Participating in this tribute makes you take a step back to not only appreciate the sacrifices that these people have made for their country, but how fortunate we are to have such brave men and women fighting for our freedom every day.”

The No. 36 patriotic paint scheme will take to the track on Thursday, May 23 for practice and qualifying. The “Coca-Cola 600” Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race will air Sunday, May 26 at 6:00 p.m. on FOX.

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 Sunscreen 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.

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR ALL-STAR RACE
CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA
MAY 18, 2019

BOWTIE BULLETS:

POSITIVES OF THREE IN A ROW:
Alex Bowman, driving the No. 88 Axalta Camaro ZL1, has been the runner-up the past three races – a successful but frustrating stretch. Thirteen others in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series modern era have had three consecutive second-place finishes, most recently by Team Chevy driver Kyle Larson in 2017. Bowman is the first driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to record three runner-up finishes before claiming his inaugural win. He’s entered in the Monster Energy Open and is among the drivers eligible for the All-Star Race via fan vote.

ELLIOTT EARNS HIS WAY IN:
Chase Elliott has competed in the All-Star Race the past three years by being the fan vote winner. This year, Elliott earned a spot in the million-dollar shootout by being a 2018 race winner. He has an average finish of sixth in the All-Star Race. Elliott, who has a win and four top-five finishes in the 12 races this season in the No. 9 NAPA Brakes Camaro ZL1, has moved to fourth in the driver standings.

JOHNSON LEADS THE WAY:
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Ally Patriotic Camaro ZL1, leads all drivers with four wins in 17 All-Star Race starts, including back to back in 2012 and ’13. Kurt Busch, No. 1 Gearwrench/Monster Energy Camaro ZL1, is the other current Team Chevy driver with a victory (2010). Other Chevrolet drivers penciled in for the main event are Austin Dillon, No. 3 DOW Camaro ZL1, and Elliott.

FLASHBACK:
After rain caused a multi-car crash on Lap 1 of the All-Star Race in 2001, Jeff Gordon used his back-up Chevrolet to win the big prize. Gordon is a three-time winner of the race, all in a Chevrolet.

TUNE-IN:
FS1 will telecast the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway live at 8 p.m. ET Saturday, May 18. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

BY THE NUMBERS:
* Chevrolet has won 39 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships.
* Team Chevy drivers have scored 780 wins and 705 poles in MENCS competition.
* Chevrolet drivers have piled up 17 victories in the 34 All-Star Races, including the initial event on May 25, 1985 by Darrell Waltrip driving for Junior Johnson & Associates. GM brand Pontiac added a race win in 1989 with Rusty Wallace behind the wheel.

FOR THE FANS:
Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Fans can check out great a great assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: Camaro ZL1, 2500HD High Country, Traverse Redline, Colorado ZR2, 1500 Trailboss, and Blazer Premier
At the Chevrolet Display, fans can also view the Shock Camaro SS SEMA Concept car and the No. 9 Mountain Dew/NAPA Camaro ZL1 Showcar
Also, on display is a LT1 Connect & Cruise Crate Engine and NASCAR R07 Race Engine. Fans can also see a sample of engines, parts and accessories available for purchase from Chevrolet Performance at their local Chevrolet dealer
Other activities at the Team Chevy Racing Display include a variety of interactive games for adults and kids

TEAM CHEVY QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS AT THE DISPLAY:
Friday, May 17th
3:00 p.m. – Gus Dean, Spencer Boyd and Tyler Dippel
3:30 p.m. – Ross Chastain and Angela Ruch
Saturday, May 18th
2:00 p.m. – Daniel Hemric
2:20 p.m. – Kurt Busch
2:45 p.m. – Bubba Wallace
3:00 p.m. – William Byron
4:00 p.m. – Richard Petty

Chevrolet Display Hours of operation: Fri. May 17th – 1:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. and Sat. May 18th – 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

QUOTABLE QUOTES:
NASCAR MONSTER ENERGY ALL-STAR ENTRIES BY CAR NUMBER

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 GEARWRENCH/MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1
“I’m looking forward to the fun, energy and excitement of the Monster Energy All-Star Race. Our team is poised to break through! No points, all cash, lets go!”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW CAMARO ZL1
HOW DO YOU APPROACH THE ALL-STAR RACE FORMAT?
“You’ve got to go get it. You will be after it, on the gas the entire time and there will be some strategy played I’m sure at the end. The way it is with the true real strategy is going to be how these cars drive. It’s a totally different package. It should be very interesting for our fans.”

HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE URGENCY OF THE ALL-STAR RACE VERSUS THE BIG PICTURE OF A CHAMPIONSHIP?
“Well, you let everything go on All-Star night and as far as the big picture, the Coke 600 is a grueling 600-mile race, but it’s my favorite race of the year, especially with the military men and women that are out there. The start of that race there is nothing more American I feel like than that one. I would love to go back-to-back and win the Coke 600 again.”

DANIEL HEMRIC, NO. 8 CATERPILLAR/BASS PRO SHOPS CAMARO ZL1
WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU TO ADVANCE THROUGH THE OPEN AND RACE IN THE NASCAR ALL-STAR RACE IN FRONT OF YOUR HOME CROWD AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY?
“All-Star weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway is one of the most special weekends of the season. I came here as a kid so many times and to have the chance to race in the Open and possibly earn a spot in the night’s main event is truly an honor. I hope we can get the job done for Caterpillar, Bass Pro Shops, everyone at Richard Childress Racing and all of those fans that watched me race on the quarter-mile track for so many years. Charlotte Motor Speedway holds a special place in my heart, and it would be truly special to have a strong night there.”

RCR HAS FEATURED A NUMBER OF SPECIAL PAINT SCHEMES FOR THE ALL-STAR RACE, SO HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BRING THE GOLD COLORS BACK FOR SATURDAY NIGHT’S RACE UNDER THE LIGHTS?
“The gold cars generated such a buzz down at Daytona earlier this year and I can’t wait to see them on track again this weekend in Charlotte. You only have one 50th anniversary, and to recognize Richard and Judy Childress and everything they have accomplished by running the gold colors on the No. 8 Caterpillar/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet is an honor. Hopefully, we can honor them by having a strong run and racing our way into the All-Star Race at the end of the night.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA BRAKES CAMARO ZL1
“I’m very appreciative of the fan vote the past couple of years, but it’s nice to be locked in already and not have to worry about it. I think it will be exciting to go into the weekend locked in the race for the first time. I’m looking forward to being a part of the big show, for sure.”

TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO MILITARY CAMARO ZL1
“Everyone at Germain Racing is preparing for the All-Star Race weekend in the same way that they do every other weekend. There are some new areo elements this weekend that we will have to adjust to, but we’re not going to let the “all star” element of the weekend get in our heads and mess with our focus. We are taking a GEICO Military Camaro ZL1 to the track that we’re confident can race its way into the main event. We can also be voted in, but we have the same motivation and intentions that we do each and every weekend. We are in it to win it.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 HENDRICK AUTOGUARD CAMARO ZL1
“The All-Star race is an unpredictable race for sure. You’re racing for money and not points or positioning over the year. It creates a dynamic for you to be more willing to take greater risks. Going into that week as a driver, you look at it as a little bit less pressure than a typical race weekend. You’re racing just for the win, especially in a position like we’re in to race our way into the All-Star race to begin with. Outside of going for the win, it’s basically just bringing the steering wheel back at the end of the day. It’s a unique dynamic for that race and I’m really hoping that this weekend I’ll get to experience my first one.”

CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 KROGER YOUR PERSONAL PIT STOP CAMARO ZL1
“The opportunity to race for $1 million is always a wild and fun race, and I expect no different from the Monster Energy Open this weekend. This new package always throws something different at us, but we are ready for the challenge in our Personal Pit Stop Camaro ZL1. It’s really fun to be able to try something different with our cars, and see if we can get into the big show on Saturday night. JTG Daugherty Racing has good odds in the Monster Energy Open, and I’m ready to translate that to this year’s race.”

RYAN PREECE, NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1
“I’m really looking forward to competing in my first Monster Energy Open this weekend. Charlotte Motor Speedway is my new home track, and I’m looking forward to being able to see what this new aero package can do for our Kroger Camaro ZL1. I’m so thankful for all of the fans that voted for us to get into the race, and we’ll see if we can race our way in if we don’t win the fan vote. It’s going to be a fun night for sure.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1
THOUGHTS ON KANSAS OUTCOME:
“We had a really good car, I just made bad decisions going through lap traffic on lane choice. They stayed where I needed to run, and I should have gone high and I shouldn’t have picked the middle like I did. It was a great day for everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. We all had super competitive cars and we are seeing everyone’s hard work back at the shop come to life. The finish in Kansas definitely hurts, because man we could have won that race. Still a good points day, but if we could have just gotten one more spot at the end.”

THOUGHTS ON ALL-STAR RACE:
“I think having the support of the internet forums is pretty big when it comes to online votes from the fans. I appreciate everyone’s votes so far, but man I really want to race my way in first. We have been talking about how much a hundred grand means with the Pitch to Win Big campaign with Nationwide and Blue Vine and their Small Business Program and the winner of the All-Star race gets ten times that amount. It would be special. I am not sure how much I do or don’t get to keep out of it, but I’ll take whatever we can get if we can make it happen

Chevrolet Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

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

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

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

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

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

2019 STATISTICS:
Wins: 1
Poles: 6
Laps Led: 833
Top-five finishes: 14
Top-10 finishes: 38

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 780 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 705
Laps led to date: 233,088
Top-five finishes to date: 3,983
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,210

Total NASCAR Cup wins by corporation, 1949 to date

GM: 1,115
Chevrolet: 780
Pontiac: 155
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65

Ford: 781
Ford: 681
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4

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

Toyota: 129
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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

Toyota Racing
This Week in Motorsports – May 13-19, 2019

Toyota Racing On-Track this Week

·         MENCS/NGOTS: Charlotte Motor Speedway (Concord, North Carolina) – May 17-18

·         NHRA: Virginia Motorsports Park (North Dinwiddie, Virginia) – May 17-19

·         ARCA: Toledo Speedway (Toledo, Ohio) – May 19

·         USAC: Tri-City Speedway (Granite City, Illinois) – May 17-18

NASCAR National Series – MENCS  | NGOTS

All-Star Showdown… Drivers will compete in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway where all four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers have secured starting positions after winning a race last season. Kyle Busch has the most All-Star starts with 12 appearances while Denny Hamlin has 11 and Martin Truex Jr. has seven. Meanwhile, this will be Erik Jones first All-Star appearance. In total, Toyota drivers have won two All-Star races with Busch earning one win in the 2017 exhibition race while Hamlin was also victorious in 2015.

Don’t Count Him Out… While Matt DiBenedetto has not earned a spot in the All-Star race, it’s not too late to race his way in. DiBenedetto will compete in the Monster Energy Open, which includes three segments. Each segment winner will advance to the main event. Multiple Toyota drivers have raced their way into the All-Star race, including Truex (2010), as well as former Camry drivers Daniel Suarez (2017), Clint Bowyer (2014-15) and A.J. Allmendinger (2008). If DiBenedetto doesn’t win a segment, he has one final chance to make the starting field – the fan vote. Toyota has steadfastly supported DiBenedetto’s fan vote, encouraging Toyota team members to vote through digital signage at Toyota’s headquarters in Plano, Texas and online employee platforms.

Major Key to Charlotte… Experience bodes well in the Truck Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway with long-time series competitors finding their way to victory lane since 2013. Busch (2017, 2013-14) has tallied three of those wins in addition to former Tundra driver Matt Crafton (2016). A young Toyota Racing lineup looks to alter history with Todd Gilliland, Harrison Burton and Austin Hill all making a combined three starts at the 1.5-mile track. In fact, Burton will make his first series start at Charlotte after turning 18 years old following last year’s event. But don’t count out the veterans either. Following a brief break from competition, Busch returns to the Truck Series after winning all four events he has competed in this season.

NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car

Kalitta Eyes Fifth Win… Kalitta Motorsports looks to earn its fifth victory of the 2019 season this weekend at Virginia Motorsports Park, but what makes that even more impressive is that all four drivers on the team have already won this season.  No other team has seen more than two of its drivers reach the winner’s circle in the first seven races. Kalitta Top Fuel drivers have won in Pomona, California (Doug Kalitta) and Gainesville, Florida (Richie Crampton), while Camry drivers J.R. Todd and Shawn Langdon came out on top in Funny Car in Las Vegas, Nevada and Charlotte, North Carolina, respectively.

Brown Looks To Add Virginia To Trophy Case… Three-time world champion Antron Brown has won at least one race at every track on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule except two – Virginia Motorsports Park and Bristol Dragway. He’ll attempt to scratch Virginia Motorsports Park off the list this weekend. The long-time Toyota driver advanced to the finals at the Virginia track in 2009 before it dropped off the schedule until rejoining the series last year. After an overhaul of his Toyota team last year, Brown has been surging of late – advancing to the finals at Houston Raceway Park and then registering the fastest pass of race day at the most recent event in Atlanta.

Regional Stock Car Racing – ARCA

Keep the Streak Alive… Toyota drivers have won nine-straight races in the ARCA Menards Series, dating back to September 3, 2018 at DuQuoin (Illinois) State Fairgrounds. The series heads to Toledo Speedway this weekend where former Toyota driver Zane Smith won his second-straight event last year. In the last five events at the 0.5-mile paved oval, Toyota drivers have secured four victories with former Toyota driver Justin Boston (2014), current development drivers Gilliland (2015) and Burton (2017) and Smith (2018) each tallying one win.

New Kid on the Block… Toyota Racing development driver Hailie Deegan will make her ARCA Menards Series debut at the Toledo Speedway on Sunday where she will drive for Venturini Motorsports. It will be the first of six scheduled ARCA appearances for Deegan, who will also race at Pocono Raceway, Madison Int’l Speedway, Elko Speedway, Lucas Oil Raceway and Kansas Speedway.

Midget Racing – USAC

Thomas Leads Toyota Into Granite City… Kevin Thomas Jr., will lead an expected 13 Toyota-powered entries into this weekend’s USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Series double-header at Illinois’ Tri-City Speedway. Thomas won the series most recent event at Kokomo Speedway and enters the weekend second in points, just four points out of the top spot. Fellow Toyota driver C.J. Leary currently sits third in the point standings.

Stay Connected

ToyotaRacing.com   @ToyotaRacing.com  @ToyotaRacing  facebook.com/ToyotaRacing  ToyotaRacingMedia.com

Newman Set for All-Star Race; Stenhouse Looks to Race His Way Into Event

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) takes a break from points racing this weekend for the annual All-Star weekend. Ryan Newman is locked into Saturday night’s main event by way of his win in the 2002 event, while Ricky Stenhouse Jr., will attempt to race his way in during The Open. Jack Roush Fords have driven to victory lane on our occasions in the All-Star Race.

Saturday, May 18 | 6 p.m. ET

FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

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

Saturday, May 18 | 8 p.m. ET

FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

·         Ryan Newman, No. 6 Acorns Ford Mustang

All-Star Victories

Roush Fenway has earned four victories in NASCAR’s All-Star Main Event with drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards. Martin, who is a two-time All-Star race winner, first went to Victory Lane in 1998 for Roush Fenway before taking the checkered flag again in 2005. Kenseth earned the victory in the 2004 running of the event and Edwards visited the winner’s circle in 2011.

Racing in to the Show

Overall Roush Fenway has four victories in The Open – the preliminary qualifying races prior to the main event – two by Greg Biffle and one each by Jeff Burton and Trevor Bayne. Burton earned the win in the 2003 running of the Open after starting 18th. Biffle won his qualifying race in 2015 to earn a spot in the event, and the following year he and teammate Trevor Bayne swept the qualifying races to put their name in the hat for a shot at the $1 million payout.

Stenhouse in The Open

Prior to Saturday night’s All-Star Race, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., will attempt to race his way into the main event. Overall four drivers will advance to the All-Star race – the three stage winners along with the fan vote winner – and join the 15 locked in drivers for the $1 million payout. Stenhouse has raced his way in before, finishing second back in 2013 after starting fourth.

RFR Sweeps Front Row in 2018
A year ago Matt Kenseth and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., found themselves on the front row for the 2018 All-Star Race. Kenseth’s pit crew posted a blazing fast pit stop as part of the required 3-lap sequence in All-Star race qualifying to earn the pole, and Stenhouse was not far behind as the duo led the field to green.

Vote Ricky

In the event Stenhouse does not qualify for the All-Star race via The Open, he will rely on the #AllStarRace #FanVote, which remains open up until the last minute Saturday night. Click here to cast your vote for Stenhouse. Vote daily! Votes shared via Facebook and/or Twitter count double!

Stenhouse has also pledged to bring back his iconic ‘mullet’ haircut should he win the fan vote. Stenhouse once sported one of the flashiest mullets in all of professional sports before parting ways with the free flowing masterpiece in May of 2015. Now the NASCAR Champion and two-time NASCAR Cup winner is ready to reunite with his old friend.

Roush Fenway All-Star Wins

1998                       Martin

2004                       Kenseth

2005                       Martin

2011                       Edwards

CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY (1.5-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA
EVENT: NASCAR ALL-STAR RACE
TUNE IN: 8 P.M. ET, SATURDAY, MAY 18 (FS1/MRN/SIRIUSXM)

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

2019 Season
4th in standings
12 starts
1 win
2 pole positions
4 top-five finishes
5 top-10 finishes
357 laps led

Career
125 starts
4 wins
6 pole positions
37 top-five finishes
64 top-10 finishes
1,600 laps led

All-Star Career
3 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
1 top-five finish
3 top-10 finishes
0 laps led

ALL-STAR STATS: For the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career, Chase Elliott will head into the weekend locked into the All-Star Race. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native has three starts in the All-Star Race under his belt after receiving the fan vote to be in the big show the last three years (2016, 2017, 2018). In those three previous starts, Elliott averaged a starting position of 16.0 and finishing position of 6.0 – currently the third-best average finish all-time in the All-Star Race with a minimum of two starts.

MEET THE NO. 9 PIT CREW: The No. 9 pit crew consists of rear-tire changer Chad Avrit, 36, from El Centro, California, who is a 12-year veteran in the sport; tire carrier Jared Erspamer, 33, from Omaha, Nebraska, who attended Northwest Missouri State University and was introduced to racing by his college football coach; fueler John Gianninoto, 30, from Tucson, Arizona, who played football for UNLV and was named Academic All-MWC team (2007, 2009) and served as captain in 2010; front-tire changer Nick O’Dell, 35, from Springfield, Illinois, who is a 16-year veteran in the sport; and jackman T.J. Semke, 26, from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, who was a defensive lineman for three years at the University of Kansas, earning Academic All-Big 12 Second Team Honors in two of the three years he played for the Jayhawks.

ALL-STAR AUTOGRAPH SESSION: Elliott will sign autographs for fans as part of Charlotte Motor Speedway’s All-Star weekend on Saturday, May 18, at 4:45 p.m. local time. Approximately 150 wristbands will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis on Saturday starting at 11 a.m. ET in the Charlotte Motor Speedway midway area. Each fan who has a wristband will receive a commemorative poster.

NAPA BRAKES RETURNS: This weekend, the No. 9 NAPA Brakes Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will return at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Earlier this month, NAPA AUTO PARTS revealed the black-and-yellow machine on its newly relaunched Instagram account. The paint scheme coincides with NAPA AUTO PARTS’ May brakes promotion and was recently run at Dover, where Elliott started from the pole position, led a career-high 145 laps and finished fifth.

NAPA BRAKES: This weekend, Elliott’s NAPA Brakes paint scheme will promote NAPA AUTO PARTS’ brakes special that will run throughout the month of May. Customers can get up to $75 off a qualifying NAPA brake parts purchase of $250 at participating NAPA AUTO PARTS stores and NAPA AutoCare centers.

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

2019 Season
19th in standings
12 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
0 top-five finishes
2 top-10 finishes
92 laps led

Career
48 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
0 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
153 laps led

All-Star Career
0 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led

ALL-STAR ASPIRATIONS: As a rookie in the NASCAR Cup Series last year, William Byron was not locked into the 2018 All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Competing in his first Open to try to race his way in, Byron was challenged with a new rules package and limited time behind the wheel with it after weather canceled part of on-track activities last year. Lining up by points for the qualifying race, Byron fought to gain track position through the first stage, and despite running within the top five for almost the entirety of the race, came up just short of transferring to the main event and battling for his chance of winning the $1 million prize. Returning for redemption, Byron will have three chances to race his way into what would be the first All-Star Race of his career by winning any of the stages in this year’s Open.

HENDRICK AUTOGUARD IS HERE: For the first of five races in the 2019 season, Hendrick Autoguard will make its debut on Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend for Charlotte Motor Speedway’s All-Star Race. Hendrick Autoguard is a premier vehicle protection program available at Hendrick Automotive Group dealerships, which includes additional individualized maintenance products like tire and wheel protection, paintless dent repair, oil change program, mechanical repair service contract, flexible maintenance, and more. The program offers customers numerous options to get the maximum value from their vehicle with the highest level of service in the industry. All Autoguard vehicle protection programs are available as single products or value-packaged for additional savings. For more, visit the Hendrick Autoguard website.

MEET THE NO. 24 PIT CREW: Going over the wall every weekend for Byron and the No. 24 team, the No. 24 pit crew has been working alongside each other for five years – the longest of all of the Hendrick Motorsports pit crews. The crew includes front-tire changer Austin Dickey, 28, from Ashtabula, Ohio, an eight-year veteran at Hendrick Motorsports; jackman Eric Ludwig, 32, from Burlington, North Carolina, who played defensive lineman and nose tackle for Elon University; tire carrier Scott Riddle, 30, from Ramseur, North Carolina, who set multiple Southern Conference records while playing quarterback at Elon and played baseball for a season as well; rear-tire changer Johnny Roberts, 30, from Titusville, Florida, whose background is in surfing; and fueler Landon Walker, 30, from North Wilkesboro, who played offensive tackle at Clemson University setting a school record in snaps played and consecutive games.

HOME SWEET HOME: Cutting his teeth in the racing world in Charlotte, North Carolina, Byron is one of only a handful of drivers who was born and raised in the “home of NASCAR.” After visiting U.S. Legend Cars International headquarters in Harrisburg, North Carolina, with his father in 2012, Byron found himself behind the wheel for the first time the next year competing in the Young Lion Division. Winning 33 of the 69 legend car events he ran across the United States in 2013, Byron went on to lock up the U.S. Legend Young Lions National championship and the Thursday Thunder Young Lion championship at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Progressing to the Legend Car Pro Division the next season, Byron also signed with JR Motorsports developmental program at the same time. From that point on, Byron hasn’t slowed down at all as he climbed the racing ranks before ultimately making it to the top level of NASCAR as a Cup Series rookie in 2018.

HOME TRACK FEEL: In addition to Charlotte Motor Speedway being the home track of Byron, a handful of members of the No. 24 team also claim this as their home track including engineer Matt Piercy, from Conover and interior specialist Jacob Bowman, from Pilot Mountain. Three members of the No. 24 pit crew also call North Carolina home – Ludwig, Riddle and Walker.

KNAUS’ KNACK: Having made 17 starts as a crew chief in the All-Star Race, No. 24 team crew chief Chad Knaus is looking to make it 18 when he gets to the track this weekend with Byron. In his 17 starts in the million-dollar event, Knaus has gone on to claim the top prize four times despite an ever-changing format.

CHEVY STAGE: Byron will make an appearance at the Team Chevy stage on Saturday, May 18, at 3 p.m. local time at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Fans can visit the Chevy stage in the midway to see the Q&A with Byron.

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

2019 Season
16th in standings
12 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
1 top-five finish
4 top-10 finishes
68 laps led

Career
627 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
225 top-five finishes
357 top-10 finishes
18,771 laps led

All-Star Career
17 starts
4 wins
1 pole position
9 top-five finishes
11 top-10 finishes
237 laps led

Jimmie Johnson will be available to members of the media on Friday, May 17, at 3:45 p.m. local time in the media center at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

PRECURSOR TO THE 600?: Jimmie Johnson is one of seven drivers to have accomplished the feat of winning the All-Star Race and going on to win the 600-mile event at Charlotte Motor Speedway the following weekend. Johnson joins the likes of NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Davey Allison and Darrell Waltrip as well as former teammate Kasey Kahne and current competitor Kurt Busch. Johnson won the 2003 All-Star Race and then backed it up with his first win in the 600 the following weekend.

FOUR ALL-STAR WINS: Johnson has won the All-Star Race a record four times, which is more than any other driver. His first win came in 2003 when the race was called “The Winston.” Johnson then took home a victory in 2006 and went back-to-back in 2012 and 2013. Johnson also has eight points-paying wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the most of all drivers.

ALLY UNVEILS 600 CAR: This week, Johnson and No. 48 team partner Ally revealed a military-themed camouflage paint scheme for the No. 48 Ally Patriotic Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in tribute to Army Sgt. Richard Donlan, who died in combat during the Vietnam War. The patriotic car is part of the NASCAR Salutes initiative to honor fallen soldiers during the Memorial Day weekend race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Johnson revealed the car during an event at the Hendrick Motorsports campus as 50 volunteers from Ally, the USO and the No. 48 pit crew assembled approximately 1,000 care packages and pocket-size American Flag folds for active service members. Sgt. Donlan’s nephew, Laine Donlan, who is an Ally employee and member of Ally’s veteran employee resource group, assisted Johnson in revealing the car and honoring his uncle. Click here for more.

GOOD COMPANY: There are only five drivers who have won the All-Star Race and the NASCAR Cup Series championship in the same year. Johnson won the event and a Cup Series championship in 2006 and 2013. He joins NASCAR Hall of Famers Gordon (2001, 1997, 1995), Earnhardt (1993, 1990, 1987), Rusty Wallace (1989) and Waltrip (1985) with the same accomplishment.

ALL EYES ON THE CREW: The No. 48 Ally crew will have the opportunity to shine during the All-Star weekend as the team will make a four-tire pit stop during qualifying on Friday evening to help set the field for the event. Members of the No. 48 crew include: tire changer Calvin Teague, from Taylorsville, North Carolina, who was a baseball pitcher at Appalachian State University; fueler Brandon Harder, an Oak Harbor, Ohio, native; tire carrier Allen Stallings, from Manteo, North Carolina, who was a linebacker who broke every major tackle record in Greensboro College football history; tire changer Tanner Andrews, from North Aurora, Illinois, who was an award-winning Greco-Roman wrestler at Northern Michigan University and competed at the U.S. Open four times; and jackman Kyle Tudor, from Augusta, Georgia, who formerly played linebacker at East Carolina University.

AUTOGRAPH SIGNING TRACK-SIDE: Johnson will sign autographs for fans as part of Charlotte Motor Speedway’s All-Star weekend on Saturday, May 18, at 4:45 p.m. local time. Approximately 150 wristbands will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis on Saturday starting at 11 a.m. ET in the Charlotte Motor Speedway midway area. Each fan who has a wristband will receive a commemorative poster.

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

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

Career
129 starts
0 wins
2 pole positions
6 top-five finishes
17 top-10 finishes
360 laps led

All-Star Career
1 start
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led

KANSAS REWIND: Alex Bowman is coming off another career-best weekend after Saturday night’s race in Kansas. The Axalta team rolled off fifth for the 271-lap event under the lights and quickly had its eyes fixed up front. The 26-year-old driver finished Stage 1 in 14th after having to pit twice under caution during the stage. Following a quick stop by the Axalta pit crew, Bowman gained four spots on pit road and was set to start Stage 2 in 10th. Shortly after taking the green, the driver broke into the top five and finished the stage in the fourth position, earning valuable stage points. Once the green flag dropped for the final stage, Bowman settled into the lead position and was continuing to run first until the No. 2 car of Brad Keselowski got by with 11 laps to go, putting Bowman second when he crossed the finish line at the conclusion of the event.

SO CLOSE: For the past three weekends, Bowman and the No. 88 team have crossed the finish line at the conclusion of the race in second place. It marks the first time that a driver has finished second three times in a row before capturing his first win in the NASCAR Cup Series.

BOWMAN IN ALL-STAR: Last year, Bowman and the No. 88 team won the first stage of the Open to punch their ticket for the All-Star Race later that evening. The 2018 All-Star Race was the first time that the Tucson, Arizona, native made a start in the main event. Prior to that, Bowman made two starts in the Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway, finishing 13th in 2014 and 27th in 2015. The 26-year-old started third in last season’s Open and took the win in Stage 1, going on to finish 21st in the main event after a late-race incident on the backstretch. This year, if he were to join the main event once again, he could become the third driver in history to win the All-Star Race before his first points race win.

IVES’ ALL-STAR EXPERIENCE: Crew chief Greg Ives has called the shots four times for the No. 88 team at the All-Star event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The crew chief’s All-Star Race resume includes one top-five finish and two top-10 results. Last year, Ives led the No. 88 team to a victory in Stage 1 of the Open, putting the team in the big show later that evening. Ives hails from Bark River, Michigan, where he was a race engineer for the No. 48 team for seven All-Star Races between 2006 and 2012. The team won two events during that time (2006, 2012) and started from the pole back in 2009.

HOMETOWN TRACK: Scott Denton, backup hauler driver for the No. 88 team at Hendrick Motorsports, grew up in Belmont, North Carolina, and calls Charlotte Motor Speedway his home track. Denton attended his first NASCAR race at the 1.5-mile track back in 1988. In his spare time, Denton loves anything to do with golf and working out. He has been with the organization for almost nine years.

MEET THE NO. 88 PIT CREW: The No. 88 Axalta pit crew includes tire carrier Rowdy Harrell, 28, from Moundville, Alabama, who was on the University of Alabama football team for four years and won three NCAA national championships under head coach Nick Saban; fueler Jacob Conley, 29 from Omaha, Nebraska, who attended Doane University and started all four years on the football team as the offensive right tackle; jackman/tire carrier Dustin Lineback, 30, from Greensboro, North Carolina, who was a linebacker for East Carolina University from 2007 until 2011; front-tire changer Scott Brzozowski, 39, from Sterling Heights, Michigan, who had never watched a NASCAR race until he joined the sport and was on the No. 24 over-the-wall crew before switching over to the No. 88 team in 2015; and rear-tire changer Devin DelRicco, 28, from Malboro, Maryland, who played center field in baseball at St. Mary’s Ryken and has the nickname “Rocket.”

WELCOME BACK, AXALTA: This weekend marks the fourth of 12 events in which the Axalta primary colors will adorn the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Axalta will next be on board the No. 88 machine again at Pocono in June. Last year, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Axalta signed a four-year contract extension that will take the partnership through 2022. The leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings unveiled a new Axalta Racing website last year that includes plenty of behind-the-scenes content, photos, and videos. Check out Bowman’s page here.

PITCH TO WIN BIG: Small Business Week ran from May 5-11 and recognized small businesses everywhere. Nationwide and BlueVine are teaming up to give away up to $100,000 to one small business to help it grow. From now until the end of June, small business owners can visit www.pitchtowinbig.com to enter for a chance to win funds to achieve their business goals. Nationwide and BlueVine will select the contest finalists, who will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Nationwide’s headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, to pitch business leaders in-person during a live “Pitch to Win” event. The winning pitch will win the $100,000 prize, with second place receiving $20,000 and third place taking home $10,000.

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Hendrick Motorsports

ALL-STAR PROS: Hendrick Motorsports has sent at least three cars to the NASCAR All-Star Race for 19 consecutive seasons (2000-2018) – the longest streak all-time. If Alex Bowman or William Byron were to win the fan vote or race their way into the main event by winning one of the three stages in the Open, that streak would increase to 20. The organization also owns all-time records for the most starts (108), different drivers to compete (21), wins (eight), top-five finishes (38), top-10s (60) and laps led (711) in the All-Star Race.

WINNING WAYS: Hendrick Motorsports’ eight wins in the All-Star Race have come courtesy of three drivers – Jimmie Johnson (four), Jeff Gordon (three) and Terry Labonte. The eight wins are double the next-closest teams. Richard Childress Racing and Roush Fenway Racing are tied for second with four apiece.

OPENING STRONG: Hendrick Motorsports drivers have also won the Open prior to the All-Star Race four times, which leads teams all-time. Chip Ganassi Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing Inc. are tied for second with three apiece. Gordon, Ricky Craven, Brian Vickers and Dale Earnhardt Jr. each won an Open for Hendrick Motorsports. Bowman won Stage 1 of the Open last season in order to transfer to the All-Star Race.

ALL-STAR FAN VOTING: The organization has won the fan vote four times. and three of those victories have come in the past three years via Chase Elliott. The fourth came courtesy of Earnhardt in 2011. This year’s voting for the NASCAR All-Star Race is now open with two teammates from Hendrick Motorsports on the ballot in Byron and Bowman. Fans can cast their vote here, and votes shared on Twitter and Facebook count double.

LOOKING AHEAD: Of the next five races on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule – the All-Star Race, Charlotte, Pocono, Michigan, and Sonoma – Hendrick Motorsports owns the most all-time wins at four of them. The only exception is Michigan, where the organization’s eight wins are tied for third-most. This weekend’s race at Charlotte brings a history of kicking off back-to-back wins for the organization, as Johnson (2003) and Gordon (1997) both captured an All-Star win followed by a victory in the 600-mile race at Charlotte the following weekend.

FRONT ROW MOMENTUM: Hendrick Motorsports is the only team to have swept the front row in qualifying this year, accomplishing the feat four times. That ties for the second-most front row qualifying sweeps in a single season by the organization behind its record of seven in 1986.

ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 12 championships, 253 race victories, 219 pole positions, 1,053 top-five finishes and 1,802 top-10 finishes in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. Its teams have led more than 68,300 laps since 1984.

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QUOTABLE /
Chase Elliott on the All-Star Race:
“I’m very appreciative of the fan vote the past couple of years, but it’s nice to be locked in already and not have to worry about it. I think it will be exciting to go into the weekend locked in the race for the first time. I’m looking forward to being a part of the big show, for sure.”

William Byron on the All-Star Race:
“The All-Star Race is an unpredictable race, for sure. You’re racing for money and not points or positioning over the year. It creates a dynamic for you to be more willing to take greater risks. Going into that week as a driver, you look at it as a little bit less pressure than a typical race weekend. You’re racing just for the win, especially in a position like we’re in to race our way into the All-Star Race to begin with. Outside of going for the win, it’s basically just bringing the steering wheel back at the end of the day. It’s a unique dynamic for that race and I’m really hoping that this weekend I’ll get to experience my first one.”

Jimmie Johnson on the All-Star Race:
“The All-Star Race is a great event. It’s a race where all our teammates come over to the track because our shop is just over a mile from Charlotte Motor Speedway. Everyone can sleep in their own bed and enjoy their families while we race in Charlotte these two weeks. The All-Star Race is always exciting, and with a million dollars on the line, it’s just something to have fun with and go out and try to win.”

Alex Bowman on his Kansas result:
“We had a really good car, I just made bad decisions going through lap traffic on lane choice. They stayed where I needed to run, and I should have gone high and I shouldn’t have picked the middle like I did. It was a great day for everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. We all had super competitive cars and we are seeing everyone’s hard work back at the shop come to life. The finish in Kansas definitely hurts, because, man, we could have won that race. Still a good points day, but if we could have just gotten one more spot at the end.”

Bowman on the All-Star Race:
“I think having the support of the Internet forums is pretty big when it comes to online votes from the fans. I appreciate everyone’s votes so far, but, man, I really want to race my way in first. We have been talking about how much $100,000 means with the ‘Pitch to Win Big’ campaign with Nationwide and BlueVine and their small business program, and the winner of the All-Star Race gets 10 times that amount. It would be special. I am not sure how much I do or don’t get to keep out of it, but I’ll take whatever we can get if we can make it happen.”

Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Express Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Race Info:
Race: Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race
Date/Time: May 18/8:00 p.m. ET
Distance: 80 laps; 4 stages (30/20/20/10 laps)
Track Length: 1.5 miles
Track Shape: Quad-oval
Banking: 24 degrees
2018 Winner: Kevin Harvick

Express Notes:

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

Kansas Recap: Denny Hamlin finished 16th in Saturday’s race at Kansas Speedway in a night that included a blown tire, a difficult-handling car and an overtime finish. The #11 FedEx Freight Toyota started the race in 11th, but a blown tire on Lap 59 caused right-rear damage that required extensive repairs and put Hamlin back in 33rd and a lap down to the leader. The handling of the car throughout the race – too tight early and too loose late – made it difficult to regain track position, but Denny and the team managed to fight back for a 16th-place in a green-white-checkered overtime finish.

Charlotte All-Star Preview: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will be heading home to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the series’ All-Star Race on Saturday, May 18. With a top-five finish last year in the All-Star Race, Hamlin and the #11 FedEx team will be seeking another strong performance and Denny’s second-career All-Star victory.

Hamlin All-Star Statistics:

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway

Races: 13

Wins: 1 (2015) Sprint All-Star Race

Poles: 1 (2015)

Top-5: 4 (2006, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2018)

Top-10: 10 (2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

Laps Led: 64

Avg. Start: 11.1

Avg. Finish 9.1

Hamlin Conversation:

Can you describe the car in Kansas and some of the challenges your team faced?

“We really didn’t have the car we needed. We struggled with handling, and the blown tire really set us back. I’m proud of our FedEx team for fixing it up and working on adjustments, though. We wound up with a better result than how much of our race went.”

What adjustments will your team need to make to be ready for the All-Star Race in Charlotte?

“We had a strong performance last year at the All-Star Race, and we want to repeat that this year. We will just need to have a more complete race with little setbacks, since they are tough to overcome. However, I believe in our FedEx team and know we are always capable of getting the job done.”

No. 34 Team to Run Patriotic Paint Scheme During the Coca-Cola 600

FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: ALL-STAR RACE NOTES

Fresh off a victory last week at Kansas Speedway, Ford and its Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams will head to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the annual All-Star Race on Saturday night.  Kevin Harvick is the defending champion and one of seven Ford drivers already in the field.  Here’s a look at some of Ford’s past success in this non-points event.

FORD’S ALL-STAR LINEUP

There are seven Ford drivers guaranteed a place in the All-Star field with four additional spots available through the preliminary Open and Fan Vote.  Currently, all three drivers from Team Penske, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney, are in the race while Stewart-Haas will be represented by Harvick, Clint Bowyer and Aric Almirola.  Ryan Newman, who won the All-Star race in 2002 with Ford, will make his first start in the event with Roush Fenway Racing.

THE ONE AND ONLY

The first time Ford won the All-Star Race was in 1986 when Bill Elliott drove his Thunderbird to Victory Lane, but that race is remembered for another trivial fact as well.  That marked the only time the event has been run at a track other than Charlotte Motor Speedway as its sister track, Atlanta Motor Speedway played host.  Another tidbit for the race centered around its timing, which happened to be Mother’s Day – a day in which NASCAR traditionally does not race.  With only 10 cars making up the field, Elliott darted to the lead from his outside front row starting position and never gave it up as he led all 83 laps en route to a popular victory in front of his hometown fans.

WALTRIP-WOOD FIRST-TIME WINNERS

Michael Waltrip’s win in 1996 marked his first victory in NASCAR’s top division and was the first in the event for Wood Brothers Racing.  Waltrip almost didn’t get into the big show because he had to battle it out in the preliminary Winston Open, where he grabbed the final transfer spot by holding off Johnny Benson to finish fifth.  That meant he started last in the 20-car main event, which was called the Winston Select.  After the first two 30-lap segments had been completed, Waltrip found himself fourth for the final 10-lap shootout.  He passed Rusty Wallace for third after an aborted restarted, and then was riding behind Dale Earnhardt and Terry Labonte, who were battling side-by-side.  As the two entered turn one with eight laps to go, they made contact which slowed them down enough to allow Waltrip to dart to the inside and pass both of them for the lead.  He held on the rest of the way to post his first win of any kind in NASCAR’s top division.

ONE HOT NIGHT

Davey Allison had won the 1991 version of the All-Star Race, but when he and the other competitors came back the following year it was a totally different experience.  Why?  The 1992 Winston at Charlotte Motor Speedway was the first NASCAR superspeedway race run under the lights.  Billed as “One Hot Night” it lived up to that billing as the final 10-lap shootout featured a battle between Dale Earnhardt and Kyle Petty, who were racing for the win on the final lap.  Earnhardt was in the lead coming down the backstretch, but as they entered turn three Petty appeared to tap the familiar No. 3, which sent Earnhardt sliding toward the outside wall.  That enabled Allison to get to Petty’s rear bumper coming off turn four and then go to the inside as they entered the tri-oval.  As the two hit the finish line, Petty and Allison made contact sending the No. 28 Texaco Havoline Ford into the outside wall.  Allison ended up winning by half-a-car-length, but didn’t get to experience Victory Lane as he had to be cut out of the car and removed through the roof before being placed on a stretch and airlifted to an area hospital with a concussion and bruised lung.

EDWARDS WINS IN 2011

Carl Edwards took home the $1 million prize for winning the main event in 2011, capturing three of the four segments, while Roush Fenway teammate David Ragan won the preliminary Sprint Showdown.  The race came down to a mandatory four-tire pit stop to begin the fourth and final 10-lap dash to the checkered flag.  The 99 crew got Edwards out first and he was never threatened over the last 15 miles as he beat Kyle Busch to the finish line.  It marked the third time in history Ford swept the Showdown and All-Star Race.  The other two occasions came in 1996 with Jimmy Spencer (Showdown) and Michael Waltrip (All-Star), and 1998 with Jeremy Mayfield (Showdown) and Mark Martin (All-Star).  The win was the fourth for car owner Jack Roush, who also won with Matt Kenseth (2004) and Mark Martin (1998 and 2005).

LOGANO AND KESELOWSKI FINISH 1-2

Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski made All-Star history as they became the first teammates to sweep the top two spots in the All-Star Race when they did it in 2016.  Logano came out on top of a side-by-side battle with Kyle Larson in the final two laps, getting clear with just over one lap to go after Larson hit the outside wall coming off turn two.  That enabled Keselowski to get the runner-up spot and successfully commemorate the 50th Anniversary of car owner Roger Penske’s career in motorsports.  It marked Ford’s 11th All-Star Race win and first in five years since Carl Edwards won in 2011.

HARVICK DOMINATES

Kevin Harvick used a push from Ford teammate Joey Logano down the stretch to win last year’s All-Star Race, a race that featured a new aerodynamic package that utilized restrictor plates for the first time on a 1.5-mile track.  In addition, a larger spoiler designed to keep the cars packed together and create passing through the night was used and resulted in 38 lead changes.  Harvick was the dominant driver on the night as he won Stage 1 and Stage 3 before leading all 10 laps of the final segment.  Daniel Suarez finished second with Logano third.

FORD MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP ALL-STAR RACE WINNERS

1986 – Bill Elliott

1991 – Davey Allison

1992 – Davey Allison

1994 – Geoffrey Bodine

1996 – Michael Waltrip

1998 – Mark Martin

2002 – Ryan Newman

2004 – Matt Kenseth

2005 – Mark Martin

2011 – Carl Edwards

2016 – Joey Logano

2018 – Kevin Harvick

Paul Menard says he expects he and the No. 21 Menards/Knauf Insulation team will have a low-pressure but high-intensity Monster Energy All-Star Race weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

He and the Menards/Knauf team will start their weekend by competing in the Monster Energy Open, with hopes of advancing into the All-Star race by winning one of that race’s three Stages. One driver also will make the main event by a fan vote, so Menard’s fans should go to NASCAR.com and vote by noon on Friday. He was in the top 10 in the fan vote late last week.

The No. 21 Mustang that Menard will drive in the Monster Energy Open, like every other car on track for the All-Star weekend, will feature two technical parts that officials hope to feature on the Gen-7 car that is scheduled to hit the track in 2021.

One is a single-piece carbon fiber splitter/pan that is intended to offer more consistent aerodynamic performance in traffic.

The other is a radiator duct that releases air through openings the hood instead of through the engine bay. That change is meant to improve aerodynamic parity among cars regardless of their position on the track and to reduce engine temperatures.

In recent years NASCAR officials have used the All-Star race to test new ideas, many of which have found their way into use in future points-paying races.

“We’ll have a different package than what we’ll run in the Coca-Cola 600,” Menard said. “I’m not sure what to expect.”

What he does know is that he won’t have to worry about losing ground in the points standings if something goes awry during the race.

“It’s a low-pressure weekend,” Menard said. “It’ll give us a chance to try some things we might not try on a regular weekend, and that helps us learn and get better as a race team.

“And we can be more aggressive with our racing.”

He said that while there’s little pressure, there’s plenty of intensity. “It’s a different mindset,” he said. “You can hang it out with little repercussions.”

He said that even with two weekends to figure it out, sometimes the surface at Charlotte can be confounding.

“Charlotte is kind of a weird track,” he said. “Sometimes the fast line is right out by the wall, and there are lots of lane options, and other times it’s single-groove or no grip.”

Qualifying for the Monster Energy Open is set for Friday at 6 p.m. Eastern Time, and the race is scheduled to start on Saturday at 6 p.m. with TV coverage on Fox Sport 1.

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.