Category: NASCAR Cup PR

Four All-Star Wins for RCR … Richard Childress Racing has won four Monster Energy All-Star races with drivers Kevin Harvick (20017) and Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990 and 1993). Earnhardt’s 1987 All-Star victory included the legendary “Pass in the Grass.”

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,945 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 50 pole awards,108 wins, 489 top-five finishes and 1,071 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.7 and an average finishing position of 16.2. RCR has earned 15 total championships (six Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championships with Earnhardt in 1986, ’87, ’90, ’91, ’93 and ’94, six NASCAR Xfinity Series titles, two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series titles and one ARCA Menards Series title) and was the first organization to win titles in NASCAR’s three national series.

#RCR50 … Richard Childress Racing celebrates it’s 50th Anniversary in 2019. Follow our social channels season-long to join in the celebration.

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

Catch the Action … The Monster Energy All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway will be televised live Saturday, May 18 beginning at 8 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This Week’s Dow Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Dillon, the 2017 Coca-Cola 600 race winner, has made one previous appearance in the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star race, finishing 12th in 2018.

Dow brings a science and engineering crew who is driven by limitless curiosity to the RCR Team … Austin Dillon and the RCR team are again supported by Dow’s materials science expertise and technologies this season. Backed by the power of data analysis and virtual modeling, Dow develops and manufactures high-performance components and materials custom-made for the No. 3 car. Dow and RCR’s partnership has expedited innovation and shortened testing time in the automotive industry by recreating in the lab one of the most extreme environments – the racetrack. After 5 years of collaboration, Dow scientists and RCR engineers are continuing to work together to make the No. 3 car faster, safer and more precise. Stay up to date with Dow’s exciting developments at www.dow.com/sports and follow us on Twitter @DowRacing, @DowSports & @DowChemical

3 Dow All Star 2019

Gold for #RCR50 … As part of RCR’s 50th anniversary celebration, Dillon will race a gold No. 3 Dow Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 paint scheme during this weekend’s All-Star race. A replica 1:24 scale die-cast is currently available for pre-order at the RCR Team Store:

Questions, Please … Dillon is scheduled to partake in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Media Rotations on Friday, May 17 at 4:20 p.m. in the Theater Room in the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Center.

Meet Dillon… Come celebrate the 60th running of the Coca-Cola 600 and the 30th anniversary of Cook Out when Coca-Cola Racing Family driver Austin Dillon greets race fans at Cook Out (9705 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC) on Monday, May 20 at 4 p.m. ET. 200 wristbands will be distributed on a first come, first served basis on the day of the event.

Cheering for Dillon … If you’re at Charlotte Motor Speedway, come shop Austin Dillon merchandise available track-side by visiting the RCR merchandise trailer in the fan midway. Dillon is scheduled to sign a limited number of autographs on Friday, May 17 at 4:45 p.m.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
How do you approach the All-Star race format?
“You’ve got to go get it. You are on the gas the entire time but there will be some strategy played I’m sure at the end. The real question 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 win the Coke 600 again.”

Daniel Hemric and the No. 8 Caterpillar/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Hemric will be making his first start in the NASCAR All-Star Open in hopes of advancing to the night’s main event, the NASCAR All-Star Race. The Kannapolis, North Carolina, native made a name for himself on Charlotte Motor Speedway’s quarter-mile track racing Legend Cars and Bandoleros, earning multiple race wins and championships, including the 2010 Legends Million race. In three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 1.5-mile speedway, Hemric recorded an average start of 9.7 with an average finish of 9.0.

About Bass Pro Shops … Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. For more information, visit .

About Caterpillar … For nearly 90 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. Customers turn to Caterpillar to help them develop infrastructure, energy and natural resource assets. For more information, visit caterpillar.com. To connect with us on social media, visit caterpillar.com/social-media.

8 Bass Pro All Star 2019

Gold for #RCR50 … As part of RCR’s 50th anniversary celebration, Hemric will race a gold No. 8 Caterpillar/ Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 paint scheme during this weekend’s All-Star race. A replica 1:24 scale die-cast is currently available for pre-order at the RCR Team Store:

Get Out the Votes … While Hemric hopes to race his way into the NASCAR All-Star Race through the NASCAR All-Star Open, he can also advance to the night’s main event through the NASCAR Fan Vote. Fans are encouraged to vote daily at NASCAR.com/fanvote and share their votes via social media for them to count twice. Voting continues through Saturday, May 18.

Meet the Driver … Fans will have multiple opportunities to meet the driver of the No. 8 Caterpillar/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He is scheduled to help the speedway unveil a historical marker on Thursday, May 16, starting at 2 p.m. ET along with team owner Richard Childress and teammate Austin Dillon. He is also scheduled to take part in a Q&A session at the Chevy Stage in the fan zone on Saturday, May 18, starting at 2 p.m. ET. Following that event, he will make an appearance at the RCR merchandise hauler for an autograph session starting at 2:20 p.m. ET.

DANIEL HEMRIC QUOTES:
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.”

Ryan Newman – All-Star Advance
Team:                   No. 6 Acorns Ford Mustang
Crew Chief:         Scott Graves
Twitter:                @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman

All-Star Race – Saturday, May 18 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Newman in the All-Star Race

·         Newman will make his 18th start in the All-Star Race on Saturday. He’s locked in to the event by way of his 2002 victory in The Winston, after winning the No Bull Spring qualifying event.

·         Outside of his win in 2002, Newman also has two additional top five finishes in the star-studded event, second in 2004 and fifth in 2006.

·         Newman is in search of his first top-10 finish in the event in seven years, when he finished 10th in two-straight events in 2011 and 2012.

·         The 2003 Driver of the Year has started on the pole once for the All-Star Race back in 2005. He also started second in 2004 and 2012.

Scott Graves in the All-Star Race

·         Scott Graves will be atop the pit box for his first All-Star Race on Saturday.

QUOTE WORTHY

Newman on racing in the All-Star Race:

“The All-Star event is always a fun race that really has no limits. Everyone seems to be a little more aggressive, both in chances they take in setup and on the track since it’s a non-points event. The different segments, and now the introduction of some Gen-7 car features, will make it a challenging but fun night. One way or another it’s sure to be entertaining and we’re looking forward to it in our Acorns Ford.”

On the Car
Acorns makes its fourth appearance of the season aboard Newman’s No. 6 Ford Mustang this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

About Acorns
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Recapping Kansas
Newman finished 23rd last Saturday night under the lights in Kansas.

CONCORD, N.C. (May 14, 2019) – In a shocking announcement from Roush Fenway Racing, NASCAR Cup driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has pledged to bring back his iconic ‘mullet’ haircut should he win the fan vote for this weekend’s NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“I know we are late to the game here, but I’ve decided to throw my name, and mane, into the race for the All-Star Fan vote,” said Stenhouse. “And when we win the vote, I’m going to bring back the mullet! Just remember a vote for me is not just a vote for the No. 17 team, but a vote for the greatest hair style of the 21^st century.

“From the Mississippi Mudflap to the Kentucky Waterfall, to the Tennessee Top Hat and the North Carolina Neckwarmer, nothing says freedom like a mullet blowing unfettered in the wind and I can’t wait to restore it to its rightful place in the NASCAR garage.”

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.

To vote for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and his mullet, visit https://www.nascar.com/fanvote and vote today. Fan are allowed to vote once a day and votes shared via Facebook and Twitter count doubl

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

ADVANCE NOTES

Monster Energy Open

Stenhouse will have to race his way into the Monster Energy Open or be the recipient of the Fan Vote.

Stenhouse has three chances to race his way in by winning one of the three stages.

Stenhouse has four starts in the Open and three starts in the All-Star race.

All-Star Fan Vote

Stenhouse is one of drivers that is up for the All-Star Fan Vote. Go to www.nascar.com/fanvote to help vote him in.

Last Year’s All-Star Race

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. lined up on the outside of the front row beside teammate Matt Kenseth but an ill-handling machine forced him to settle with an 11th-place finish in Saturday night’s Monster Energy All-Star race.

On the Car

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

Ford Hall of Fans

ARE YOU THE WORLD’S GREATEST NASCAR® FAN? Go to https://www.nascar.com/ford

Tell us why and you could be inducted into the Ford Hall of Fans.

All season long, we’ll be searching for the most passionate NASCAR fans to become the first-ever Ford Hall of Fans inductees. Tell us, and send a photo or video letting us know just what makes you hall-worthy.

Six finalists, chosen by drivers and fans, will head to Miami during Ford Championship Weekend, where they will compete to be inductees into the Ford Hall of Fans.

Stenhouse Jr. on racing in the All-Star Race:

“When he hit the track on Friday, this will be the first time any of us have ran this new aero package. Monster Energy always does a great job promoting this event and the pre-race show is always a fan favorite. We have to race our way in or rely on the fan vote. Our cars have been fast lately so I think we have a good shot at racing our way in and hopefully can put on a good show in the All-Star race.”

Go Fas Racing is proud to announce that Freedom Hard, a veteran-owned and operated organization, will serve as the primary sponsor of Corey LaJoie and the No. 32 Go Fas Racing team for the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race Open this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Freedom Hard was established in 2017 and proudly thrives on supporters of patriotism and pride of country. Founder and owner, Chris White, is a United States Marine Corps Veteran, whose mission is to instill and spread the same power of pride and patriotism that our founding fathers had when laying the fabric for this great nation. After spending over 8 years in Corporate America, Chris White saw a need to support and unify our country; not only in the Veteran Community, but in the Civilian Community as well, and as a result, Freedom Hard the Lifestyle Brand was born.

Freedom Hard develops and markets products that represent rooted patriotism and simple American values that all backgrounds can identify with and proudly support.
Through humor, non-profit partnerships, and awareness campaigns, the goal of Freedom Hard, is to unify this nations people, stand together as one, and support our everyday freedoms that were fought so hard for, in the past and now.

“I’m really excited to welcome Freedom Hard to NASCAR and our team,” said driver Corey LaJoie. “With Memorial Day right around the corner, this red, white, and blue scheme is very fitting for such a patriotic brand. I love everything that Freedom Hard represents and I think NASCAR fans will fall in love their brand as well.”

Freedom Hard reflects the principle values of patriotism, freedom, and support for active duty military, veterans, and first responder communities.

“There’s no other sport in the world that’s as patriotic as NASCAR & with the relentless effort of FreedomHard to reinvigorate patriotism across America, said Chris White, CEO of Freedom Hard. “This opportunity is an American match made in heaven.”

The polls are still open to elect Corey LaJoie into the All-Star race – to cast your vote, visit NASCAR.com/fanvote.

Don’t miss the Freedom Hard No.32 Ford team as it competes in the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race Open at 6pm EST on Saturday, May 18th on FS1 and be sure to support the No.32 team by purchasing Freedom Hard products today at FreedomHard.com!

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About Our Team:
About Freedom Hard:
Freedom Hard was established in 2017 and proudly thrives on supporters of patriotism and pride of country. Founder and Owner, Chris White, is a United States Marine Corps Veteran, whose mission is to instill and spread the same power of pride and patriotism that our founding fathers had when laying the fabric for this great nation.

After spending over 8 years in Corporate America, Chris White saw a need to support and unify our country; not only in the Veteran Community, but in the Civilian Community as well, and as a result, Freedom Hard the Lifestyle Brand was born.

Freedom Hard develops and markets products that represent rooted patriotism and simple American values that all backgrounds can identify with and proudly support. Through humor, non-profit partnerships, and awareness campaigns, the goal of Freedom Hard, is to unify this nations people, stand together as one, and support our everyday freedoms that were fought so hard for, in the past and now.

Chris White’s motto: “It’s not if you FREEDOM, but how HARD.”

Get Corey LaJoie Updates:
To get live updates during the race weekends follow @coreylajoie on Instagram and Twitter. Make sure to give Corey a “like” on Facebook – “@CoreyLaJoieRacing”. For a detailed bio and updated in-season statistics, please visit www.coreylajoieracing.com .

About Go Fas Racing:
Go Fas Racing (GFR) currently fields Ford Mustangs in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for driver Corey LaJoie. Located in Mooresville, North Carolina, GFR has competed in the NASCAR’s premier series since 2014; fielding cars for some of NASCAR’s top drivers, including past champions. To find out more information about our team please visit www.GoFasRacing.com.

CONCORD, N.C. (May 14, 2019) – Leavine Family Racing (LFR) is proud to announce a partnership with Anest Iwata for the 2019 season with Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 95 Toyota Camry. Anest Iwata is a leading manufacturer specializing in painting equipment, turnkey coating systems, air compressors and high-end dry vacuum pumps. The company is the leading producer of spray guns in the world and they continue to introduce and produce the most effective finishing equipment in the world. Anest Iwata first partnered with DiBenedetto during the 2015 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season as a primary sponsor at Kentucky Speedway.

The partnership with LFR will feature Anest Iwata as the primary paint scheme aboard the No. 95 Toyota Camry for both the Monster Energy All-Star weekend as well as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at Kentucky Speedway in July.

“Anest Iwata is honored to ride along with LFR and Matt (DiBenedetto) for this very special All-Star weekend,” said Nicolle LouAllen, Marketing Manager for Anest Iwata. “It’s extra special for our team to be able to support this paint scheme under the return to Matt’s childhood nickname of ‘Guido’ as well, the same name that ran on our very first car with him back in 2015. We are proud to work with LFR, the Leavine family, and Toyota Racing, and we look forward to a long and victorious partnership together.”

Along with the two primary paint schemes, Anest Iwata will be the presenting sponsor of the team’s paint scheme release videos that the team creates for their social media channels whenever there is a new paint scheme featured aboard the No. 95 Toyota Camry. Anest Iwata will also utilize LFR’s paint booth facility inside the team’s race shop as an opportunity to do research and development for the race team to test out and help to provide feedback on their painting equipment.

“We are thrilled to welcome Anest Iwata into the LFR family,” said Jeremy Davidson, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Leavine Family Racing. “They serve as a leader in their industry, and we look forward to highlighting their products, while creating exciting content that showcases the Anest Iwata brand both on and off of the track.”

Anest Iwata will be featured as the primary paint scheme this coming weekend aboard the No. 95 Toyota Camry as Matt DiBenedetto and his team will attempt to race their way into Saturday night’s Monster Energy All-Star Race. DiBenedetto will be competing in the Monster Energy Open Saturday night which will take place prior to the Monster Energy All-Star Race and will include three segments (20 laps / 20 laps / 10 laps). The winner of each segment will earn a transfer spot to then be able to compete in the All-Star Race. One other driver from the Monster Energy Open will be able to compete in the All-Star Race by winning the Fan Vote.

Coverage of the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race will begin on May 18th at 5:00p.m. EST on FS1 with the Monster Energy Open starting at 6:00 p.m. EST.

About ANEST IWATA USA, Inc.:
Anest Iwata USA, Inc. is the North American Spray Equipment & Systems Headquarters of Anest Iwata Corporation based in Yokohama, Japan. Our high-end finishing solutions include manual and automatic spray guns, airbrushes, robotic systems, pressure pots, fluid delivery systems, and mold release applicators. Anest Iwata spray equipment is used around the world for precise coating applications such as automotive refinish, woodworking, fine art, transportation, military, firearms, textiles, electronics, furniture, novelty goods, and much more.

We are the coating experts. From automotive paint to industrial adhesives, Anest Iwata’s technology and innovative design help you create the most reliable and consistent finish in the industry.

To learn more about Anest Iwata and its community of painters, applicators, and artists join the conversation using #TeamIwata on Facebook (@AnestIwataUSA), Instagram (@anest_iwata), or Twitter (@anestiwatausa).

About Leavine Family Racing:

Leavine Family Racing is an organization competing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series focused on growing competitively and providing results-driven partnerships for its sponsors. The single-car team was founded in 2011 by Bob and Sharon Leavine, two individuals who are passionate about NASCAR and started the team to make a positive impact on the sport and community. Matt DiBenedetto will pilot the No. 95 Toyota Camry for the team starting with the 2019 season. In alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota Racing Development, the team operates out of their Concord, N.C.-based race shop with a veteran group of racing personnel driven by their desire for progress. For more information, please visit www.LFR95.com.

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
KANSAS SPEEDWAY
DIGITAL ALLY 400
TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES & QUOTES
MAY 11, 2019

POS. DRIVER
2nd ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 AXALTA CAMARO
4th CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1
6th JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO
7th KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 GLOBAL POKER CAMARO
8th KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1

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

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season continues next weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway with the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star race on Saturday evening, May 18th at 8:00 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 2nd
WHO DO YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO ON THOSE CALLS?
“You have to listen to anyone that’s giving you any information. 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. I should have gone high and I shouldn’t have picked the middle like I did. I just had to lift and let the 2 and the 20 drive right around me. I’m pretty frustrated with myself. There was no way around that, that was a bad mistake on my part. We’ll go home and get them next week.”

IS IT A GOOD DAY EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE DISAPPOINTED?
“It’s absolutely a good day for everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. We all had really competitive cars and we really appreciate everyone’s hard work to continue to build our cars and continue to get better like we have. It was a really good day. My family is from here, so it would have been pretty cool. Probably the two closest times I have been to winning was my hometown and my dad’s hometown, so it’s just frustrating. We will get one soon.”

WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
“Just stick to what you know and don’t overthink it. When you’re out there running wide open, it’s all about lane choice.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 4th
HOW DO FEEL ABOUT TODAY’S RUN?
“It was OK. It was nice running top 5. I hate to have been leading the laps that we did and not finish it off, but what do you do. It was unfortunate.”
THOUGHTS ON THE PACKAGE WITH THE CONCLUSION OF THE RACE.
“I think this track suited with what they were after, as far as being able to draft and be close to each other. This is kind of the perfect form for it, I don’t really think it’s realistic everywhere. It was exciting tonight, so that was a win for them.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 6th
“The first three-quarters of the race was pretty awful for us. But, the guys kept their head in the game and made some big adjustments and made some good adjustments and we got back in the mix. We’re still missing some speed though. So, we’ve still got plenty of work to do. I’m pretty frustrated and we’ve got to try to get on top of things. That’s the bottom line.”

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE THE TALENT TO DO IT BUT YOU JUST DIDN’T HAVE THE CAR?
“Yeah, I wish I could share all the details of things that have taken place. It’s internal knowledge that I can’t share but I’ve had some bad luck and we’ve been aggressive when we shouldn’t have. It’s a tough environment we live in and we’re trying really hard but at the end of the day we’ve just got to make some better decisions and just get a little closer and then we’ll be in good shape.

“The first half, two-thirds of that race, we were terrible. That’s just the bottom line. Kevin (Meendering, crew chief) made some really good adjustments to get us back in the game and we worked out way up to fourth on the second to the last re-start and I lost a couple of spots there on the last restart. We’re still missing a chunk of speed even out there running by ourselves there’s a pretty good gap from our car to even our own teammates’ cars. We’re missing something. We’ve just got to get on top of it. But tonight was a night of perseverance and the guys did a nice job of keeping their heads in the game and taking a 25th place car and finishing sixth with it.”

KNOWING THAT THE NO. 9 (CHASE ELLIOTT) AND THE NO. 88 (ALEX BOWMAN) SHOWED SPEED THROUGH A LOT OF THAT RACE, IS THAT SOMETHING THE NO. 48 CAN ALSO USE TO BUILD ON?’
“Yeah, it is. We’re not the same. We’re similar in some ways but in other ways, definitely not the same. It’s tough. We know we want to get better so we want to be aggressive and bring new stuff to the track. We’re probably on the aggressive side of trying to bring new stuff to the track and doing a nice thing for our company in developing and proving it and I wish I could tell you what went wrong at Dover last week but the company learned a lot from it. So, I’m trying to stay patient but years are flying by. We’ve got to get to work. We’ve got to be winning races and finishing higher in the points if we’re going to have a shot at the championship. So, hopefully we can clean that stuff up and get where we need to be.”

IS IT TAKING AS LONG AS YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD TO GET TO THIS POINT?
“Company-wise, yes. But the company is there. We’ve seen good speed with the No. 9 (Chase Elliott) and the No. 88 (Alex Bowman) recently. The No. 24 (William Byron) has had some speed. We have had speed. We just haven’t had it from Friday to Sunday. We just can’t get on top of it.”

THERE WERE SEVEN CHEVROLETS IN THE TOP 10. WAS THAT CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE RACE OR, YOU’RE TALKING HENDRICK, GANASSI, AND JTG CARS IN THE TOP 10
“I don’t know how they ran. That’s the first I saw of the front. I don’t know what the front looked like for most of the race (laughs), so it could have been circumstantial.”

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 GLOBAL POKER CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 7th
“It feels like when the sun was out, our car had grip and I could make moves and make aggressive passes and then as the sun went down and each of our adjustments, I was just struggling for grip as the track got cooler. So, it doesn’t quite make sense. We did battle for good stage points today. I think we were like fifth, seventh, and seventh. But overall, our car was real racey early. So, thanks to my crew and the set up and everything that Matt Mccall is doing, normally we get better as the race goes on. Today was not the case. We just kind of plateaued and stayed there and I think others got better grip at the end or maybe we didn’t quite get it exactly racey enough. Literally, I was just kind of stuck in one groove at the end.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 8th
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR TEAM HAS MADE GAINS?
“I feel like the Hendrick guys are really close to winning right now. I don’t feel like I’m close to winning yet. I feel like I’ve had eighth to twelfth place car speed all year long, I just haven’t gotten the finisher. The last couple of weeks we’ve finally got to finish some races where we deserve. We still have a lot of room to improve, but it is nice to see some Chevy’s up there.”
WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR YOU BEHIND THE WHEEL DURING THE CLOSING LAPS?
“Restarts were intense, probably a little more intense than the old package was. I thought once we got some green flag laps in, I didn’t think it was easy to pass at all. On a couple of guys, I was slower than them, so I could hold them up and take their air away, which I’m sure was frustrating for them. In the pack, if you caught somebody, you could pass them.”

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 31 TAME THE BEAST CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 9th
THOUGHTS ON THE TODAY’S FINISH?
“We are very fortunate to have a lot of cars that were trapped down a lap or two. It honestly saved us from having a pretty unfortunate finish to how good we were at times throughout the race. I think we could have definitely had a little more there with the way the situation played out. From that aspect, it’s disappointing, but a top ten has a lot of positives. It was a lot of fun driving the car. It was a unique opportunity. I always want more. I’ve raced against some of these guys in the Xfinity Series. It’s still a lot of fun to finish in the top ten, but we didn’t come here to run top ten. We can here for the win.”

CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 KROGER YOUR PERSONAL PIT STOP CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 10th
IT LOOKS LIKE YOU REALLY FOUND STRONG RACING AT THE END?
“It was really fun all day. This group did a fantastic job this week. We knew we had a good car. I’m not complaining about the system, I loved it. We did not qualify as good as we wanted to, but it was something that we sacrificed to be able to go out there and run up there. We did not need that caution at the end, that definitely made it hard to get going for the first two laps. After that, we were really solid. I had a lot of fun. I always love Kansas. This has been a really good track for me over the years. We always put on a good show. We are pretty happy with that.”

TAKE US FROM THE CAUTION TO THE END.
“It was just chaos. On the restart, you are just trying to get up to speed and by the time you get to turn one, you are three or four-wide. That’s frustrating, but it’s also exciting. It’s not what we needed; we definitely needed 10 to 15 laps in a run all the way to the end. We had a fantastic car and really good speed. Hats off to this group.”

TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 13th
“This just wasn’t our day. We decided to run a setup similar to our Texas car that ran well back in March after practice didn’t go how we wanted it to. Our GEICO Camaro ZL1 qualified well with it, but we weren’t quite sure what it would do during the race because all of the intermediate tracks are just so different from each other. It started off a little loose, but my team made great adjustments when they had the opportunity and I was really happy with my car by the end of Stage 2. I wish we could have gotten a better finish, but we will take this as a learning night and be ready to come back in the fall.”

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

About Chevrolet
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
Saturday, May 11, 2019
EVENT: DIGITAL ALLY 400 – Post Race

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
1st – Brad Keselowski
5th – Clint Bowyer
11th – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
12th – Aric Almirola
13th – Kevin Harvick
14th – Daniel Suarez
15th – Joey Logano
21st – Matt Tifft
23rd – Ryan Newman
24th – Paul Menard
26th – Michael McDowell
27th – David Ragan
32nd – Ryan Blaney

BRAD KESELOWSKI CLAIMS KANSAS CHECKERS

Brad Keselowski won his third race of the season tonight claiming victory at Kansas Speedway.

The win is the 30th of his Cup Series career.

The win is Mustang’s fourth of the season.

Today’s win is Ford’s 681st all-time in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competition.

Of Team Penske’s 69 MENCS wins with Ford, 41 have come since rejoining Ford in 2013.

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Wurth Ford Mustang | Finished: 1st — VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW

WHAT WAS THE SITUATION EARLY IN THE RACE AND HOW HARD DID YOUR GUYS WORK ON THIS RACE CAR? “Yeah, we were just too loose early and then in the traffic I brushed the wall a little bit and we couldn’t get it tightened up and finally with about 100 to go Paul Wolfe and the team made some adjustments and the car responded. I felt we were a top-3 or top-5 car but then the yellow came out right as we came to pit road and I thought we would have to claw to get a top-10. We clawed and clawed and a couple opportunities presented themselves and we were fighting for the lead. Alex Bowman ran an incredible race. I feel kind of bad. I think I kinda stole one from him. He was one of the best cars, him and Kevin Harvick. We just had a little fresher tires and I was able to catch the traffic just right to make the move on him and from there we were able to get the win.”

WHAT WERE THE RESTARTS LIKE? “Very hectic. You know you have to get the draft to get your car up to speed and the bottom lane just does not go. You are cursed if you are on the bottom lane. It is a dog fight for sure.”

“I am just thankful to be at this level. I never dreamed I would ever be in the Cup Series. I just dreamed of making a living in racing. I worked with guys like Mike Mittler who taught me the grit and energy and effort you have to have to be successful in this sport. Mike was local to this area and he passed away yesterday. It hurts to lose guys like that because they mean so much to me and the sport. I think this was hopefully something he would be proud of.”

CLINT BOWYER, No. 14 Rush Truck Centers Ford Mustang | Finished: 5th

“Tonight wasn’t as good as I thought it was going to be. We struggled. We struggled with handling, especially as soon as the night fell and it got dark outside we were not handling at all. It was tight and it was loose and on top of the race track. With two stops to go we came in and raised the back of the car up and we got better in traffic and were able to race. Then all hell broke loose on the restart and things like that. It was tires, no tires, two tires. Everyone was on different strategies, people were a lap down that should have been up front. It was hard to even figure out who you were racing. We should have finished second. I had a huge run on both those guys but that kid, I guess he was willing to wreck himself to hold the position.”

HOW FRUSTRATING IS IT? “It is frustrating. It is always disappointing when you come here and don’t get a win. A top-five was a solid night for us. We did a good job of fighting for that finish because it probably wasn’t exactly where we deserved to run the way we ran all night.”

WITH 30 TO GO YOU STARTED TO MAKE A RUN: “Yeah, you gotta go for it. You know those restarts are gonna be hectic. The 20 got to my outside over there getting into three and stalled me out and I really thought it was over. I got another run down here in one and two and got to the outside. It was hard to pass. Those things punch such a big hole in the air. You get behind in traffic and you just don’t have as much downforce as the car in front of you. You have to swing out wide and go somewhere that he doesn’t have the big wake in front of you. Some could do it better than others. Kevin (Harvick) was extremely fast. We were fast. Earlier in the race, he and I took off and I thought we were going to walk away from these guys. Halfway through I started slipping and sliding around and I knew we would have to make some adjustments and it was tricky to figure out which way to go with those adjustments. We just missed it a little bit.”

YOU A LITTLE FRUSTRATED WITH JONES? “Yeah, that wasn’t very smart. If it had been another scenario where I would have had some room I would have just turned him in front of the whole field and he would be back there wishing he wouldn’t have done that. Oh well.”

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
Kansas Speedway
Race 12 of 36 – 400.5 miles, 267 laps
May 11, 2019

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Brad Keselowski*
2nd, Alex Bowman*
3rd, ERIK JONES
4th, Kevin Harvick*
5th, Chase Elliott*
16th, DENNY HAMLIN
19th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
30th, KYLE BUSCH
36th, MATT DiBENEDETTO
38th, JOEY GASE
39th, TIMMY HILL
*non-Toyota driver

· Toyota driver Erik Jones was the highest finishing Camry driver in Saturday night’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race at Kansas Speedway claiming a third-place result, tying his season-best finish.

· Jones has now scored three straight top-10 finishes at Kansas Speedway.

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Finishing Position: 3rd

What is your take on the discussion with Clint Bowyer post-race?

“I think it was just racing. We’re racing hard and this package kind of leads into a lot of blocking and a lot of protecting your position. When I take the white flag, I’m not going to give up a lane to give up two, three or four spots if he would have got to the inside. The DeWalt Camry was good. We had a car that could have won. We just got in the wrong spot at the end of the race and we weren’t able to capitalize on it. We’ll keep moving forward. It’s been two good weeks. This is the best car we’ve had in a long time – really since Texas. It’s nice to be up in contention and have that shot.”

What were the closing laps of this race like?

“It was kind of all over the map. When it started, we were kind of off and then we got better. Then we got off again and got better at the end. It was a good night and it was nice to have a shot at the win. The DeWalt Camry was for sure capable of winning. We just weren’t in the right situation and didn’t have some runs work out and the caution at the end. Just didn’t have the right push. Not a lot more you can ask for other than the win. Everybody did a great job, but it’s good momentum going on to two weeks now having good runs and having shots to run up front, it’s been nice after a rough month. Hopefully we can keep it going.”

What was the racing like tonight?

“That was scrappy. With this package you just have to be really scrappy and really fight for every spot. They’re just really valuable and really tough to get. We had a good car on top of that, it was a weird day. It was really up and down, but at the end of the day we had a good enough DeWalt Camry to win. Just weren’t able to get to the right spot. We ran out of time and ran out of getting the right runs and the right positions. Just didn’t quite work out, but a good car.”

How much did you have to fight for your positions tonight?

“I feel like I haven’t been aggressive enough with this package here in the first couple mile-and-a-half races. Everybody else was really on it and really aggressive with the blocking and the big moves. I figured it was my time to get in on the action. It didn’t work out, but I thought it was a step in the right direction. We were close.”

Do you think Brad Keselowski went early on the final restart?

“A little bit. I think he (Brad Keselowski) definitely went early. I expected it, but he maybe went 10 to 15 feet early. It’s the nature of the game and it’s hard to make that call. NASCAR isn’t going to make a stick-and-ball, strike call on that. We’ve all done it, we’ve all been there and it’s frustrating as a driver, but it happens.”

Was Clint Bowyer’s frustration at the end of the race justified?

“I’d be mad if I was him, but it’s just racing. I’ve been blocked a lot, especially with this package and I haven’t done a lot of blocking, so you have to get aggressive and fight for every position. That’s all I was doing at the end of the race. We were taking the white flag and you’re going for it. It’s unfortunate. You don’t want people upset, but feelings are going to get hurt and you’ll move on and we’ll be fine next week.”

Have the rules changed for blocking this year?

“I think a lot this year. I’ve seen it change quite a bit from the last couple with the low downforce package, it wasn’t really necessary to block. You can get some big runs with this package and it really lends to a lot of big moves and unfortunately, you’re going to have to throw big blocks to defend those at the end of the race especially. It changes a little bit.”

Why do you think we saw different drivers at the front of the field tonight?

“I think it’s part package and part the way the race played out. It kind of really got jumbled up with that caution there with about 40 (laps) to go. Mixed a different bag of drivers up front and different guys than I had raced all night up there. Also, the package tonight was the closest iteration that NASCAR is, what I’m guessing, shooting for. We were very close to wide open and there was definitely some pack racing moments after the restarts and stuff like that. Both of those things combined lent to that.”

Did you feel you should have been the leader on one of the closing cautions based on other cars pitting?

“I haven’t talked to NASCAR yet. I hope we can sort it out. I don’t know if they made a mistake or if I’m looking at it wrong, but we beat the pace car and we were on the lead lap. We didn’t pit, but we started behind the guys that did pit. I was just confused and am confused about it so hopefully we can figure that out.”

Is there anything you could have done differently on the final restart?

“I don’t know. It’s tough. It’s really up to the pusher and I really wasn’t getting any help. The 2 (Brad Keselowski) got a lot of help from the 88 (Alex Bowman) and I thought I was in a good spot on the top, but the guys behind me just weren’t able to give me the pushes I needed. I don’t know what else I could have done there.”

Are you encouraged by this race tonight?

“Last week was just a real low-key week for us where we ran good, but we didn’t have anything big happen. Today we were really up and down. We had a really good car, then a really bad car and then we ended with a good car. We were kind of all through the field a couple times so it’s encouraging to know we can come back from those things.”

Toyota Racing Post-Qualifying Report
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
Kansas Speedway – May 10, 2019

TOYOTA STARTING POSITIONS
1st, Kevin Harvick*
2nd, Aric Almirola*
3rd, Clint Bowyer*
4th, Daniel Suarez*
5th, Chase Elliott*
6th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
11th, ERIK JONES
13th, KYLE BUSCH
17th, DENNY HAMLIN
29th, MATT DIBENEDETTO
38th, JOEY GASE
39th, TIMMY HILL
*non-Toyota driver

NOTE: Qualifying positions are tentative based on Saturday morning technical inspection.

TOYOTA QUOTES

MARTIN TRUEX JR, No. 19 Auto Owners Insurance Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Qualifying Position: 6th

How do you balance speed and knowing it’s tough to pass when you plan a qualifying strategy?

“It’s difficult. The hard part is if you go for that speed and you do qualify good, then at some point you are going to be in traffic. That’s just how it is. You have to plan on that. You are digging yourself a grave.”

Are you not as upset where you end up in qualifying because you are just holding it wide open?

“Exactly. Especially here, where it’s easy wide open. It’s a lot more like Daytona or Talladega. I did all that I could do. It is a team effort; you kind of game plan everything together and you come out with what you get.”

How was your qualifying lap?

“I am happy with that. It’s better than we anticipated. Made a lot of changes after practice, thinking we were going to better. We didn’t have any idea where we would qualify, so I think we are happy with that. We expected to be a little slower.”

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

Qualifying Position: 11th

How was your lap?

“It was a lot better than we thought. That is always a nice surprise. I think the DeWalt Camry is pretty good, especially in race trim. Hopefully we can keep this up inside the top 10 at the start of the race and that will be a good start for us to start and work our way to the front.”

How do you translate that into the race?

“It is nice to know that you have that kind of speed in your car. As far as handling, you don’t learn a lot there. That is probably the fastest we have been on a track like this, so hopefully that will translate over to tomorrow night.”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Red Nose Day Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Qualifying Position: 13th

How was your lap? How was the track different than earlier today with this new rules package?

“It was pretty easy. You just hold it wide open. I tried to cut off as much of the race track as I could. I don’t know what kind of lap time we really expected with our M&M’s Camry, but we will see where it lines up.”

Is track position especially important here?
“Track position is more important this year certainly. Vegas was okay and Texas the package raced well there too. It was definitely interesting in practice today. There was times where guys were running around the top and if you were fast enough with your race car, you could go lower than them and make a run on them in the corner.”

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

Qualifying Position: 17th

Was your car setup for the race more than for qualifying?

“Everyone set it up for the race. We got a little work to do organizationally. With this format, certainly takes the driver out of it. It really is an indication of how fast your car is by itself. We’ve got the 17th fastest car and we’ll go out there and race with it tomorrow. I felt pretty decent with it in traffic so we’ll see how it all turns out.”

How are you feeling after Dover?

“It just was the worst circumstance as far as which crush panel you knock out – the one right next to the exhaust is always the worst. With that few laps to go, 70 or 80, I wasn’t feeling well, but just had to gut it out and go out and finish.”

How do you balance getting the car better versus getting caught back in traffic?

“It’s going to be a challenge. It’s going to be about getting good restarts and having a car that handles well. We saw with the 4 (Kevin Harvick), he had extremely fast speed by himself in practice so we knew that whole team was going to be a force with the Stewart Haas cars. We’re just a little off on speed, we just have to make up for it with handling.”

Do you expect a cool intermediate track to act like a hot, slick track when it comes to racing quality?

“It’s just going to be about trying to time drafts, that’s the biggest thing. You’re going to have to time your drafts and with the Stewart Haas cars in general, they’re so fast that it will be hard for the slower cars to draft past them simply because they are so much faster.”

MATT DiBENEDETTO, No. 95 Digital Momentum/Hubspot Toyota Camry, Leavine Family Racing

Qualifying Position: 29th

How was qualifying and what do you expect for tomorrow night’s race?

“Hopefully, some changes to help it drive better in traffic. It was really on edge. You have to be almost wide open all the way around and not lifting. We were just having to mess with the throttle too much and be out of the gas a little bit too much. If you’re out of the gas just a tiny bit, it takes the car 45 minutes to recover. You just have to really keep it wound up. I was just out of the gas too much.”