Category: NASCAR Cup PR

Martin Truex Jr.
Sonoma Advance
No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Toyota/Save Mart 350k (Round 16 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 9
● Location: Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway
● Layout: 1.99-mile, 10-turn road course
● Laps/Miles: 110 laps/218.9 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 25 laps / Stage 2: 30 laps / Final Stage: 55 laps
● TV/Radio: FS1 / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Where We Stand: The New Jersey native sits fourth in the driver standings with 490 points, 44 behind leader and JGR teammate Denny Hamlin. All four Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) entries are currently inside the top-10 in the standings, with Ty Gibbs seventh and Christopher Bell eighth as the series heads west this weekend to Northern California.

● Truex’s most recent win at Sonoma came last season, his second at Sonoma for Joe Gibbs Racing, having led a race-high 51 laps en route to victory lane in Northern California’s Wine Country.

● With 17 career Cup Series outings at Sonoma, Truex has four wins, six top-five finishes, seven top-10s, and he’s led a total of 264 laps. His average Sonoma finish is 16.7.

● With his aforementioned four Sonoma wins, Truex is the winningest active driver at the 1.99-mile, 10-turn circuit, with Kyle Busch next with two Sonoma victories. Truex is now just one win away from tying the all-time leader in Sonoma wins, Jeff Gordon, a five-time winner there.

● Road-Course Ace: In addition to his four victories at Sonoma, Truex has a fifth career road-course win, which came in August 2017 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. Truex has a total of 14 career top-five finishes, and 25 top-10s and 355 laps led in 53 career road-course races.

● Looking for 35: Truex’s win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon last July was his most recent Cup Series win, the 34th of his career, tying him with 2004 champion Kurt Busch for 25th on the all-time Cup Series win list.

● Ahead at this Stage: Truex has accumulated 63 stage wins since the beginning of the stage era in 2017. He is the only driver with 10 or more stage sweeps, with his latest sweep coming at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn last August. Truex scored his second stage win of the season at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway in April, leading the field across the line at the end of Stage 1.

Martin Truex Jr., Driver of the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE

You’ll be coming back to Sonoma this weekend as a four-time and defending race winner. What are your thoughts heading into the weekend?

“It’s a lot different with the repave, but I’m hoping it’s our normal deal out there and we have a chance to win again. I think this would be the first time I would have five wins at a track if we can get it done. This will be a new challenge, we’ve been able to win on the normal course we’ve used, been able to win on the carousel configuration, and now we have a new challenge with the repaved surface, as well. I just love going out there, and the area, and we have a lot of fans there who I know will be cheering us on with our Bass Pro Shops Camry XSE this weekend.”

You tested at Sonoma during the Goodyear tire test back in March. What were your impressions during the test?

“With the new pavement, the track was getting better and better. I know they’ve had to do a little bit of work there since, so I’m sure the same will go throughout the race weekend. With the more use it gets and rubber laid down, it will get better. The track was pretty slick but, as we ran laps and cleaned the track off and laid rubber down, things got a lot better. Our car was pretty good back then, but we also know it’s going to be a lot warmer there this weekend than it was back in March at the test, but it was nice to get an early jump and feel some things out a few months ago, well before this weekend.”

What has contributed most to your success at Sonoma?

“Just enjoying the track. I had a lot of fast cars at Sonoma and just been able to figure out the technique to get around there. The old pavement and the tire wear was part of the magic that we’ve found and I felt comfortable with, so this is a whole new ballgame with the new pavement. It’s essentially no tire falloff now, at least at the test, so we will have to approach it a little bit differently. Still the same track and the same kind of lines work around there, and some of the same techniques, so hopefully they picked a good tire and we can work this weekend to get around the place even faster and have a shot to continue to run well there.”

Even though the track is repaved, does having success there on multiple layouts give you confidence heading into Sonoma?

“Definitely, just having that past experience and that feel on what you want the car to do at a certain track to be successful is always important. Any time you’ve been able to unlock that a few different times, it’s helpful. It just gives you confidence and gets you excited to go out there and go to a place that you’ve had a lot of success, so it’s always a little bit different than a place where you’ve struggled or not won at.”

Why has Sonoma been such a special place for you and your team?

“Sonoma has just been a special place for me. Being able to win there four times is unreal and we’ve had a few slip away there, too. We could be talking about a few more wins if things went differently a few times. Sonoma just fits my style, I’m comfortable there and I really enjoy the track. It’s going to be a new challenge this year with the new pavement and it’s totally different with the new pavement. Some of the things that it took to be good there are gone and it’s going to be all about who can go the fastest with the tires not wearing out like they have in the past. It’s going to be a bit different than it has been in the past. It’s still a fun track and looking forward to trying to get a win on the latest layout. The easiest way to say it is that we are simply going faster. Every corner, the lap times are quicker and every part of it is faster, but we are looking forward to the challenge with our Bass Pro Shops Camry this weekend.”

No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Martin Truex Jr.

Hometown: Mayetta, New Jersey

Crew Chief: James Small

Hometown: Melbourne, Australia

Car Chief: Chris Jones

Hometown: Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia

Race Engineer: Jaik Halpainy

Hometown: Blockville, New York

Engineer: Jeff Curtis

Hometown: Fairfax Station, Virginia

Spotter: Drew Herring

Hometown: Benson, North Carolina

Road Crew Members

Underneath Mechanic: Ryan Martin

Hometown: Mechanicsburg, Virgina

Mechanic: Todd Carmichael

Hometown: Redding, California

Interior/Tire Specialist: Tommy DiBlasi

Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland

Engine Tuner: Beau Morton

Hometown: Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Transporter Driver: Kyle Bazzell

Hometown: Fairbury, Illinois

Transporter Driver: Eddie DeGroot

Hometown: Baldwinsville, New York

Over-The-Wall Crew Members

Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Jackman: Caleb Dirks

Hometown: Riverside, California

Tire Carrier: CJ Bailey

Hometown: Outer Banks, North Carolina

Front Tire Changer: Lee Cunningham

Hometown: Leaf River, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Mike Louria

Hometown: Gibraltar, Michigan

Sonoma Event Info:
Date: Sunday, June 9
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Sonoma, Calif.
Format: 110 Laps, 218.9 Miles, Stages: 25-30-55
TV: FOX
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Weekend Schedule:
Friday: 5:05 p.m. ET (Tape Delayed at 8:30 p.m. ET), Practice (FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 6 p.m. ET, Qualifying (FS2, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 3:30 p.m. ET, Race (FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Pace Laps:

• Sonoma hosts points race No. 16 this weekend as the Cup Series heads West for its annual summer date on the 12-turn road course.
• RFK will run its #Stage60 program for the second time this season as Cam Waters – Australian Supercars Star – makes his Cup Series debut.
• Waters sits fourth in the Supercars Championship standings this season as he leads the series with three poles, and is fresh off a win at Perth a couple weeks ago.
• Waters will be one of two Supercars stars in the field this weekend as Will Brown will pilot the No. 33 for RCR.
• Chris Buescher enters the weekend as one of the hottest drivers on road courses with a 9.9 average finish in 19 races since 2021. He carried a streak of eight-straight top-10s on road courses into the summer of last year, and has finished top-10 in 12 of 19 races on road courses since 2021.
• Brad Keselowski has already matched his top five total from 2023 (seven) through just 15 races, having finished top three in five of the last seven races (only second time in his career to accomplish that feat).
• He carries the best average finish in the last six races of any driver (8.2) with laps led in five of those six events.

6 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Partner: King’s Hawaiian Top Secret Car

17 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: BuildSubmarines.com

60 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Derrick Finley
Partner: AUKUS / BuildSubmarines.com

Keselowski at Sonoma
Starts: 13
Wins: —
Top-10s: 3
Poles: —

• Keselowski makes his 14th Cup start in Sonoma this weekend, where in 13 starts prior he has three top-10s and a 16.1 average finish.
• His best-career finish at the 12-turn course came in 2017 when he ran third. Most recently he finished 16th in 2023, and 10th in 2022.
• Keselowski has three top-10 qualifying efforts with a best of ninth in 2021, and an average of 17.5.

Buescher at Sonoma
Starts: 7
Wins: —
Top-10s: 2
Poles: —

• Buescher is in line for his eighth Cup start from Sonoma on Sunday, where he’s fresh off back-to-back top five results. He finished fourth in this race a season ago, and ran second in 2022.
• Dating back to the start of the 2021 season, Buescher has the second-best average finish of any driver on road courses (9.9) with 11 top-10s in that 19-race span. His average finish of 7.3 at Sonoma since 2021 is also second-best.
• In six road course events in 2023, Buescher finished top-10 in all but one (P11 in Indy).
• He also has back-to-back top-10 qualifying efforts of seventh (2023) and third (2022) with five efforts of 12th or better in his seven starts.
• In his Cup career, Buescher has a 13.5 average finish on road courses with 13 top-10s in 33 starts.

Waters in NASCAR
Starts: 2 (Truck Series)

• Waters makes his Cup Series debut this weekend at Sonoma, after making his NASCAR debut earlier this season in the Truck Series at Martinsville.
• He later made another start at Kansas finishing 19th, both races coming in the No. 66 for ThorSport.

RFK Historically at Sonoma
Cup Wins: 2 (Mark Martin, 1997; Carl Edwards, 2014)

• Looking for the Hat Trick in the ‘Golden State’: In 110 NCS starts at Sonoma, RFK has recorded two wins, 16 top-five finishes, 37 top-10 finishes and has led 281 laps. Former RFK driver Carl Edwards earned the organization’s most recent victory at the road course in 2014.
• Hasta La Vista Baby: RFK has left the California road course victorious on two occasions in the NCS with former drivers Mark Martin and Carl Edwards. Martin earned the victory in 1997 after starting from the pole and leading 69 laps, while Edwards started fourth and led 26 laps in the 2014 running of this event.
• RFK on the Road: As an organization, RFK has made 246 starts on road courses in the Cup Series with five wins, 86 top-10s and 40 finishes inside the top five with a 17.5 average finish.

RFK Sonoma Wins

1997 Martin Cup
1997 Ruttman Truck
2014 Edwards Cup

Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Gateway: Keselowski finished third in Gateway, his third-consecutive top-3 finish, while Buescher rebounded for a 14th-place finish in just the third trip to St. Louis for the Cup Series.

Points Standings (6: 9th, 17: 14th): Keselowski remains ninth in points, now tied with Christopher Bell (who has two wins). Buescher is up one spot to 14th with a 17-point gap separating 13th-16th.

NOAH GRAGSON
Sonoma Advance
No. 10 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

● Event: Save Mart 350k (Round 16 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 9
● Location: Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway
● Layout: 1.99-mile, 10-turn road course
● Laps/Miles: 110 laps/218.9 miles (352.3 kilometers)
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 25 laps / Stage 2: 30 laps / Final Stage: 55 laps
● TV/Radio: FOX / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Noah Gragson has made 54 career NASCAR Cup Series starts, and while four of those starts have come on road courses, none have come at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. Sunday’s Save Mart 350k on the 1.99-mile, 10-turn road course in California’s Wine Country will be his first Cup Series race at Sonoma. Gragson was forced to sit out last year’s Save Mart 350k after suffering from the lingering effects of a crash during the series’ previous race in St. Louis. After being sidelined at Sonoma, Gragson returned to racing the following weekend at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway.

● Despite missing last year’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma, Gragson is still well versed in the twists and turns of the track’s undulating layout. The Las Vegas native has three NASCAR K&N Pro Series West starts at Sonoma. He never finished outside the top-10, improving each year he competed at the track. After finishing seventh in his Sonoma debut in 2015, Gragson finished second in his return to the track in 2016. And in his last K&N West start at Sonoma in 2019, Gragson won, with a roster of Cup Series drivers behind him as Daniel Hemric, Austin Dillon and Cole Custer finished second, third and fourth, respectively.

● The NASCAR K&N Pro Series is now the ARCA Menards Series, and on Friday at Sonoma, Gragson will return to his roots and run the General Tire 200 ARCA Menards Series West race. Gragson will drive the No. 30 Ford for Rette-Jones Racing in the 64-lap race, which goes green at 3:30 p.m. PDT (6:30 p.m. EDT) and can be seen live on FloRacing.com.

● Across the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR K&N Pro Series, Gragson has made a total of 38 road-course starts – four in Cup, 21 in Xfinity, two in Trucks, one in ARCA and 10 in K&N – amassing four wins, 16 top-fives and 27 top-10s with 161 laps led.

● Gragson’s four road-course wins all came in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, and three were earned in a one-week stretch in September 2016. Gragson swept a pair of K&N Series West races at the Utah Motorsports Campus in Tooele, beating Todd Gilliland on Sept. 10 and then besting him again on Sept. 11, when Gragson took the lead from Gilliland on the last lap. Six days and 2,219 miles later, at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, Gragson scored his third straight road-course win, this time in the K&N Series East, where he beat Justin Haley. Gragson’s fourth and most recent road-course win was earned in the 2019 K&N West race at Sonoma.

● Overstock.com adorns Gragson’s No. 10 Ford Mustang Dark Horse at Sonoma. The partnership amplifies the recent relaunch of Overstock.com, home of crazy good deals that offer quality and style for less. Overstock.com is for the savvy shopper who loves the thrill of the hunt and it includes product categories customers know and love, like patio furniture, home furniture and area rugs, while reintroducing jewelry, watches and health-and-beauty products.

Noah Gragson, Driver of the No. 10 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

You’ve got one road-course race under your belt so far this year (March 24 at Circuit of the Americas), and it was one to forget (finished 34th). Does Sonoma allow you to hit the reset button when it comes to road-course racing? If so, what do you want to do differently compared to COTA?

“We were just struggling at COTA. It was a lot of challenges with just the balance of the racecar. We definitely want to run well at Sonoma. It’s definitely one of my favorite road courses, if not my favorite road course. I felt like I used to be pretty good there in the K&N cars, but with it being repaved, it’s kind of a different animal. It’s a lot faster now, so I don’t know if my sim techniques will make speed on a long run. That track was so worn out, I focused on being straight when I hit the gas and really managing the rear tires throughout the run. Now, with it not being that way, you probably can drive the car a little more hung out sideways and create a little more speed there, but definitely going to be a little bit different technique heading into Sonoma. I love that track and I love that area. It’s a beautiful place and it’s always a lot of fun to go there just because it’s so different.”

You weren’t able to compete at Sonoma last year as you recovered from your accident the previous week at St. Louis. That means no NASCAR Cup Series experience there, and your only experience at Sonoma comes in the form of three NASCAR K&N Series West starts, where you won in your last race there (2019). Knowing how different the NextGen car is compared to any other racecar, what will the learning curve be like for you at Sonoma?

“I think learning how to make speed in the NextGen car, combined with the repave, is going to be challenging, but I feel like I know the common technique on how to get around that track. I know every crack and bump around that place and I’ve really studied hard and have a good notebook for that track. I don’t necessarily know how we’re going to run, but if you have a really good car, you’re going to run good, and if you miss it, then it makes for a long weekend. We’re going to try and be on the earlier part of that and have a good car and run good.”

The entire Sonoma layout has been repaved. Does that help you in the fact that even though you’re competing against other drivers who have a lot of experience at Sonoma, it’s kind of a brand new track with the new pavement?

“In a sense, yes, but no because with the repave, if you hit it, you hit it good and you’re in that elite category for the weekend. If your setup’s off – I mean, we get 50 minutes of practice there, but there’s not a lot of opportunity to throw the kitchen sink at it and wholesale the setup. So with that being said, it’s definitely a challenge being a repave because if you don’t hit it, then you’re kind of off all weekend, where you probably could develop a notebook of what works around that track from years past, but everybody is on an equal playing field, you just want to be on the right side of things.”

When you’re at a newly paved track, how aggressive are you in finding the grip level? Do you try to sneak up on it or are you aggressive from the get-go because track time is so limited?

“I think you have to be aggressive. Luckily, we get a lot of simulator time and we’re able to simulate what the grip’s going to be like. Sometimes you get out there on a repaved track and it’s like, ‘Man, that feels like nothing that we simulated all week,’ but then other times it does. I think with that knowledge and with the repetitions inside the sim, it allows us drivers to get out there and be pretty much balls to the wall from lap one. You will work up to it a little bit, but you’re starting at 90 or 95 percent, you’re not starting at 45 or 50 (percent).”

You and crew chief Drew Blickensderfer have developed a strong rapport. He’s been to Sonoma a lot as a crew chief. Between his experience there and your rapport with him, how much will you lean on Drew to help you turn a fast lap at Sonoma?

“We’ll look at what we think are going to be the most important things. Is it rolling the corner really fast? Is it having a lot of drive on exit, being able to put the power down? How does the car flow through the esses, the ride quality of things? Can you hit the curbs, can you not touch the curbs, will the car get upset if you touch the curbs? Just going over stuff like that. I feel like Sonoma is one of the better road courses for me. I definitely appreciate and am open-minded to his inputs and his opinions, but for that track, personally, I know it like the back of my hand and it’s a good place for me, so I’m excited for it. If he ever sees anything, he always tells me and we have pretty open conversations and there’s nothing personal. If I’m doing something wrong or if he thinks I can do something better, I try and take everything and learn from it and become better.”

How important is qualifying at road courses? Has it become a bit like Formula One where track position is so precious that in order to finish up front, you really need to start up front?

“Absolutely. It’s really hard to pass. Everybody is so close on speed, especially in the Cup Series. With this NextGen car on these road courses, it definitely is somewhat like Formula One, where the winner’s probably going to come from the top-five unless there’s somebody absolutely elite and they messed up their qualifying lap maybe twice and start deeper in the field. But everyone’s so close that it’s really hard to find that advantage, so between strategy and starting up front, that’s where these races are won.”

As a West Coast guy, going to Sonoma and running the K&N Series West there, knowing that the NASCAR Cup Series paddock was right along pit road, did you guys collectively competing in that series look at that as an opportunity to where, “Hey, if I perform well here, it’s a little bit different because Richard Childress is standing on top of his transporter, Dale Earnhardt Jr., is over there, Tony Stewart is over there,” was it something you looked forward to knowing there were those eyeballs there and that success there could mean a little bit more in terms of advancing your career?

“Absolutely. Being in front of those Cup guys and all those Cup teams, they do watch, like we watch now, other races to see how the track is. Especially when you go to a track like that, it’s your biggest weekend when you’re racing in the K&N Series, or now the ARCA West Series. A lot of Cup guys want extra track time at these road courses, so they’ll move down to the lower series, including myself – I’m going to run the ARCA race out there and just get more laps and experience on the racetrack. As a young driver who hasn’t established his name or his presence within the industry, it definitely allows a lot of opportunity to go out there and race against the Cup guys as a 15-, 16-, 17-year-old, and if you can run good against them, it gives you a boatload of confidence on top of you’re probably gaining a little bit of respect and people are learning your name.”

What’s the competition like in the ARCA Menards Series, as you’re now the guy who is dropping into that race at Sonoma?

“It definitely feels different going there, but the preparation level is way higher than it was when I was running fulltime in that series. Even though it’s not our primary focus for the weekend – the Cup car is – it’s to gain experience. That being said, we’re sitting in a simulator, we’ve done probably three or four sessions for that race so far, so we’ll probably run six or seven sessions this year leading up to the Sonoma race. You don’t get that when you’re racing in those lower series. You’re going to school or you’re at the shop and, for myself personally, show up at the racetrack and gain my experience by playing the NASCAR Inside Line video game and turning laps on there and seeing how to create speed. Being in an OEM simulator definitely brings a lot of value on the preparation side and gives you a little bit of a leg up.”

No. 10 Overstock.com Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Noah Gragson

Hometown: Las Vegas

Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer

Hometown: Decatur, Illinois

Car Chief: Jerry Cook

Hometown: Toledo, Ohio

Engineer: James Kimbrough

Hometown: Pensacola, Florida

Spotter: Andy Houston

Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Ryan Mulder

Hometown: Sioux Center, Iowa

Rear Tire Changer: Trevor White

Hometown: Arlington, Texas

Tire Carrier: Tyler Bullard

Hometown: King, North Carolina

Jack Man: Sean Cotten

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Fuel Man: James “Ace” Keener

Hometown: Fortuna, California

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Chris Trickett

Hometown: Grafton, West Virginia

Mechanic: Beau Whitley

Hometown: Carmel, Indiana

Tire Specialist: Jacob Cooksey

Hometown: Westbrookville, New York

Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller

Hometown: Monroe, New York

Transporter Co-Driver: Steve Casper

Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Matt Murphy

Hometown: Augusta, Georgia

The #1 car meets the #1-selling compact tractor in Kubota’s VIP Race Day Giveaway.

Between now and August 30, fans can enter for a chance to win a trip for two (2) to Miami for a VIP experience at Homestead-Miami Speedway from October 26 to October 28, which includes roundtrip airfare for two, two nights’ hotel accommodations, two tickets to the race, pit road access for Saturday’s practice, a tour of the pits, garage, and hauler, a meet-and-greet with Ross Chastain, and access to watch the race from pit road and a tour of the pit box.

The winner also receives their choice of a second trip for an exclusive tour of Trackhouse Racing’s headquarters in Concord, North Carolina, or a check for $1,000. To enter and for more information, visit www.KubotaRaceVIP.com.

Entry Dates: 6/3/24 – 8/30/24

Prize: The “Grand Prize” consists of a trip for the winner and one (1) guest (21+) to Miami, FL for a VIP stock car race experience from October 26, 2024 – October 28, 2024 (details below) and winner’s choice of either a) a second trip to Trackhouse in Concord, NC (details below) dates TBD based on winner and Trackhouse schedules (approximate value $2,650), or b) a check for $1,000 made out to the winner. Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”) of the Grand Prize: $6,450 or $4,800, depending on the choice of prize.

Miami Trip (October 26 – 28, 2024): Includes two (2) roundtrip flights, two (2) nights’ hotel accommodations and two (2) tickets to the stock car race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, terms and conditions apply. The prize also includes pit road access for Saturday practice, a tour of pits, garage, and hauler, a short Meet and Greet with professional driver Ross Chastain, subject to availability, and access to watch the race from pit road and a tour of the pit box.

Concord Trip (if selected) (Dates TBD): Includes one (1) night’s hotel accommodations and a tour of Trackhouse Racing.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. Open only to legal residents of the 50 US/DC, 21 years of age and older. Void where prohibited by law. The sweepstakes starts at or about 8:00 a.m. CT on 6/3/24 and ends at 11:59 p.m. CT on 8/30/24. Subject to Official Rules, including how to enter, prize details, odds, and restrictions, see info.kubotausa.com/vipraceday.

Sponsor: Kubota Tractor Corporation, 1000 Kubota Drive, Grapevine, TX 76051.

25-Year Old Back Behind the Wheel of the No. 62 Chevrolet in the YellaWood 500

MT. PLEASANT, Michigan (June 3, 2024) – Beard Motorsports announced today that Fortify Building Solutions will be the primary sponsor for the No. 62 Chevrolet and driver Anthony Alfredo for the Oct. 6 NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

Fortify Building Solutions, part of Cornerstone Building Brands, offers North America’s most extensive selection of high-quality metal roofing, wall, and building solutions. Tailored for local builders, contractors, and homeowners, the brand’s 20-plus branch locations supply professionals and homeowners with hometown service and support, backed by a nationwide manufacturing and distribution network.

“We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with Beard Motorsports and driver Anthony Alfredo,” said Mike Pegues, General Manager of Retail Direct Sales at Fortify Building Solutions. “We believe Anthony’s dedication and passion on the track mirror our commitment to providing top-quality metal roofing, wall, and building materials to our communities and will bring excitement to our employees and customers.”

The YellaWood 500 will be the first foray into motorsports sponsorship for the Fortify Building Solutions brand, and it will be the fourth race of the 2024 NASCAR season for the family-owned Beard Motorsports team.

“We are very proud to be able to welcome Fortify Building Solutions, not only to Beard Motorsports but to the NASCAR Cup Series,” said Amie Beard, executive vice president of Beard Motorsports. “This sport is something our family is very passionate about and it’s exciting to be able to welcome new partners to NASCAR and share that passion. And Talladega is the perfect place for a new brand to make its debut. We are just so thankful for this new partnership and can’t wait to get to Talladega in October.”

This YellaWood 500 will be Alfredo’s third race with the No. 62 Beard Motorsports team. Alfredo joined Beard Motorsports for this year’s season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, where he finished 27th. He followed that up with a career-best sixth-place finish in the GEICO 500 at Talladega in April.

“I am so excited to have the opportunity to get back behind the wheel of the No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro for Beard Motorsports,” Alfredo said. “I am even more thankful for the support of Fortify Building Solutions for making it possible. This partnership really resonates with me, given my family background in the construction industry. I look forward to building a long-term relationship as strong as their metal building products.”

The No. 62 Fortify Building Solutions Chevrolet paint scheme will be revealed through social channels in the coming weeks.

About Fortify Building Solutions

Fortify Building Solutions is proud to provide builders, contractors and homeowners – across local communities and nationwide – with the broadest selection of metal roofing, wall and building products through our vast manufacturing and distribution network. As part of the Cornerstone Building Brands family, we are dedicated to offering personalized support and service to help our customers through every step of their project.

About Cornerstone Building Brands

Cornerstone Building Brands is the largest manufacturer of exterior building products for residential and low-rise non-residential buildings in North America. Headquartered in Cary, N.C., we serve residential and commercial customers across the new construction and repair and remodel markets. Our market-leading portfolio of products spans vinyl windows, vinyl siding, stone veneer, metal roofing, metal wall systems and metal accessories. Cornerstone Building Brands’ broad, multichannel distribution platform and expansive national footprint includes approximately 18,000 employees at manufacturing, distribution and office locations throughout North America. Corporate stewardship and environmental, social and governance responsibility are embedded in our culture. The company is committed to contributing positively to the communities where people live, work and play. For more information, visit us at www.cornerstonebuildingbrands.com.

Enjoy Illinois 300 – World Wide Technology Raceway
Madison, IL – June 2, 2024

AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 FREIGHTLINER FORD MUSTANG

START: 2ND STAGE ONE: 4TH STAGE TWO: 2ND FINISH: 1ST POINTS: 18TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Teamwork, determination and patience are just three of the keys to success, and that’s what it took Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway as Austin Cindric and the No. 2 Freightliner Ford Mustang team orchestrated a remarkable performance that culminated with a trip to victory lane, marking the second NASCAR Cup Series win of Cindric’s career. The 2022 DAYTONA 500 winner fired off from the second position after narrowly missing out on the pole in Saturday’s time trials and remained a frontrunner throughout the opening Stage. Cindric reported early on that he was fighting a loose condition and a lack of stability on entry. After finishing a strong fourth in the opening segment, the Team Penske driver made his way to pit road for four fresh tires, fuel and a swing of air pressure adjustments to aid the handling of the Freightliner Ford Mustang. Multiple cars stayed out and did not pit, leading Cindric to restart outside the top 10 on Lap 55. He quickly charged back inside the top 10 and shortly after reported that the handling of the car had improved. In the midst of green flag pit stops, Cindric cycled to the lead and remained there until he returned to pit road on Lap 112 when the No. 4 triggered the caution. With a four-tire stop on deck, Cindric returned to the track and restarted fifth with just over 20 laps remaining in Stage 2, ultimately climbing to finish second. The No. 2 team elected to stay out and Cindric restarted as the leader, choosing the outline lane. With the speed of Team Penske on full display, Cindric and teammates Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano occupied the top three positions at one point in the Stage ahead of the final pit cycle. The former NASCAR Xfinity Series champion made his final trip to pit road with 63 laps go to and remained in contention for the win as the final laps clicked away, ultimately securing the checkered flag for his first Cup Series win since a historic triumph in the 2022 Great American Race. While the Gateway victory marked the first win for Brian Wilson as a Cup Series crew chief, it also serves as his 50th win as a crew member on a Team Penske entry in NASCAR.

CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “Honestly, I’m heartbroken for the 12 team. I don’t know what happened to them at the end of the race, but they deserved to win this race. Ryan has been a hell of a leader on this team. This weekend was a great weekend for everybody involved. To have two cars in the fight and an eventual one-two there, like I said, I’m heartbroken for those guys, but this is huge for me. This is huge for this team. I’m so glad I was able to get a win with Brian (Wilson) as my crew chief in the Cup Series. You never know when it’s gonna happen again. I just drove my butt off and hoped for the best.”

RYAN BLANEY No. 12 MENARDS/RICHMOND FORD MUSTANG

START: 3RD STAGE ONE: 3RD STAGE TWO: 3RD FINISH: 24TH POINTS: 12TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Ryan Blaney came up one lap short of taking the checkered flag Sunday at Gateway as the No. 12 Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang ran out of fuel coming to the white flag, resulting in a 24th-place finish. Blaney led twice for 20 laps and picked up a pair of third-place stage finishes in the 300-mile event as the 12-team’s strategy nearly came to fruition. After starting from the inside of row two, Blaney was part of a three-car breakaway at the front of the field during the first long, green flag run of the day to secure a third-place finish in Stage 1. Following a four-tire stop and a round of adjustments at the stage break, Blaney lined up to restart 14th as teams began to vary their strategies in anticipation for another long run. Blaney battled his way back into the top-10 just 25 laps into the segment despite a loose-handling condition starting to set in. Crew chief Jonathan Hassler opted to run long instead of split the stage in half as Blaney moved all the way up to second in the running order by the time the caution flag flew on lap 112. After a four-tire stop and another round of adjustments, Blaney restarted from seventh with 21 laps to go in Stage 2 before fighting his way up to third by the end of the segment. Blaney remained on the track during the stage break as the Team Penske Fords lined up 1-2-3 for the start of the final segment. While running second, Blaney was called to pit road on lap 175 for the final stop of the afternoon before cycling to fifth in the running order with 30 laps to go. With the pit cycle nearing completion, Blaney was locked into a battle with the No. 20 for what would eventually be the race lead at the end of the green flag cycle. Blaney found success running the high line in the corners to fend off any potential runs to his inside before stretching out his lead to over a second with 18 laps remaining. While leading coming to the white flag, Blaney was off the pace coming out of turn four as the Menards/Richmond Ford ran out of fuel, culminating in a 24th-place finish.

BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “I never thought in my mind we were short. It’s one of those things. I’m proud of the 12 boys. The Menards/Richmond Ford was fast. I had my work cut out for me holding off Christopher [Bell]. That was fun. I don’t know what happened to him, but just one lap short. That stinks, but congrats to the 2 team. They did a good job all day. Props to them and Austin [Cindric]. I’m proud for Team Penske and Ford. I’m really happy with our showing today. I don’t know what I’ve got to do to get some luck on our side. I’ve wrecked the last two points races and thought we had a great shot to win today and I ended up bad, so I just appreciate the effort. We just have to keep sticking with it.”

JOEY LOGANO No. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD MUSTANG

START: 12TH STAGE ONE: 9TH STAGE TWO: 6TH FINISH: 5TH POINTS: 16TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Joey Logano posted his third top-five finish in three Cup Series starts at Gateway Sunday afternoon, coming away with a fifth-place result. Logano worked his way into the top-10 early in the opening stage after starting 12th despite a loose-handling condition to cross the line ninth in Stage 1. Following a four-tire stop at the stage break, Logano lined up to restart 18th as teams began to vary their strategies. Crew chief Paul Wolfe opted to run long as opposed to splitting the second stage, allowing Logano to climb the leaderboard all the way to fourth. The caution flag flew on lap 112 and Logano brought the Shell-Pennzoil Ford to pit road for four tires as the field lined up to restart with 21 laps to go in the second segment. Logano powered his way through traffic to reach the top-five with ten laps to go in the stage before settling for a sixth-place finish in Stage 2. The Team Penske Fords lined up 1-2-3 for the start of the final stage as Logano managed his tires over the long green flag run before hitting pit road for the final time on lap 177 from the lead during the cycle. He made his way back on the lead lap with 47 laps to go before making his way back into the top-10 with 23 laps remaining as the pit cycle continued to shuffle the field. The race stayed green the rest of the way as Logano continued to make his way to the front before ultimately crossing the line fifth for his second top-five finish of the season.

LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “We weren’t too far off. We were just a few adjustments away of getting our Shell-Pennzoil Mustang as good as our teammates were, but not too bad. We were able to grab some points, which we need to do, and a Penske car got in Victory Lane, so you’ve got to be happy about that. Obviously, we’d rather it be us, but that momentum goes through the whole shop. It’s still a good day. We still scored a bunch of points today with stage points in both stages. A poor qualifying effort, which probably hurt us a little bit on tuning the car and just a little too loose off.”

The NASCAR Cup Series heads west to the newly-repaved Sonoma Raceway for the second of five road course races on the 2024 schedule. The 110-lap event on Sunday, June 9, begins coverage at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Buescher Rebounds for 14^th at Gateway

MADISON, Ill. (June 2, 2024) – RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski scored his third-consecutive finish of third or better, powering the Solomon Plumbing Ford to a third-place finish in Sunday’s 300-mile NASCAR Cup Series race at Word Wide Technology Raceway. Chris Buescher rebounded for a 14^th-place finish.

“That was solid strategy,” said Keselowski after the P3 run. “We got behind early for sure but we kept putting ourselves in position to keep moving forward. It was a really hard-fought day for everyone on the Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang. We will take a lot of good momentum from this one for sure.

“We were in position early and we had the issue there on pit road,” Keselowski added. “The guys kept their heads down and recovered. We had some good strategy and made some good passes on that last restart to start stage three and on the long run we were really strong, so just making it all count where we can.”

6 Recap
Keselowski started his weekend off on a positive note, qualifying seventh in Saturday’s single-car session. Early in the going Sunday, he was forced to overcome an issue on pit road, thus incorporating a combination of pit road strategy and speed to maneuver his way through the field.

Keselowski finished 26^th to end the brief stage one, then had a caution go his way at lap 111 when he ran long on track, still needing a pit stop. He would restart sixth and finish the stage in fifth, setting up an eventful final stage of 100 laps.

He restarted 15^th for the final run and was back into the top-10 within a handful of laps. As teams began a green-flag pit cycle, Keselowski asked to remain on track and did just that, ultimately inheriting the lead for 17 laps at lap 194. Once his stop was complete, Keselowski ultimately drove back into the top five for the P3 result.

The No. 6 team now has eight top-10s in 15 races, seven inside the top five, coming off the three-straight top three results.

17 Recap
Buescher’s day began from the 26^th spot as he battled tough track position for a majority of the afternoon. He patiently moved his TravelCenters Ford inside the top-10 by lap 100, but an untimely caution just moments after pitting under green forced the No. 17 team to restart at the rear of the field.

Buescher moved from 32^nd to 23^rd by the conclusion of stage two. He hit pit road for the final time on lap 198, returning to the field in 15^th position, before finishing a spot better in 14^th.

Up Next
The NASCAR Cup Series heads West to Sonoma Raceway next weekend. Race coverage Sunday is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, with radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

About RFK Racing 
RFK Racing, in its 37^th season in 2024, features an ownership lineup pairing one of the sport’s most iconic names, Jack Roush, along with NASCAR Champion, Brad Keselowski, and Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry. Roush initially founded the team in 1988 and it has since become one of the most successful racing operations in the world, propelling him to be the first NASCAR owner to amass three hundred wins and capturing eight championships, including back-to-back NASCAR Cup titles in 2003 and 2004. Keselowski, a former owner in the NASCAR Truck Series, is the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. In 2007, Roush partnered with Henry, who also owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C., and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, to form Roush Fenway Racing. Off the track, RFK is a leader and proven winner in NASCAR marketing solutions, having produced multiple award-winning social media, digital content and experiential marketing campaigns. Visit rfkracing.com, and follow the team on all social platforms @rfkracing. 

Austin Dillon Races Dow Water & Nature Chevrolet to Sixth-Place Finish at World Wide Technology Raceway

Finish: 6th
Start: 18th
Points: 30th

“We had a great run today at World Wide Technology Raceway in the Dow Water & Nature Chevrolet. I didn’t expect it after practice, but the guys made great adjustments before qualifying, and good calls during the race. We had speed. Our Dow Water & Nature Chevrolet was really solid all day long, even in traffic. We were able to pass cars today, and I thought we were going to be able to make a pass for fifth at the end but ran out of laps. It was a good battle, and it feels good to have a solid finish, especially after the year we’ve had. I’m so proud of my team and ECR Engines for a huge day for the No. 3 Chevrolet that we really needed. Thank you to Dow, Rivers Are Life and Ducks Unlimited for coming together to highlight sustainability this weekend.” -Austin Dillon

Strong Run for Defending Race Winner Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Rebel Bourbon Chevrolet Sidelined by Stage 2 Accident

Finish: 35th
Start: 10th
Points: 17th

“The Rebel Bourbon Chevrolet Camaro was a top-10 car today at World Wide Technology Raceway. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to show just how strong our Chevy was today due to an on-track accident in Stage 2 that ended our day early. Crew Chief Randall Burnett made a good call to stay out at the end of Stage 1 instead of pitting, which gave us the lead for a few laps. We were holding our own when the No. 5 car got loose down the front straightaway into Turn 1. He was on older tires and trying to get us for a spot. I’m not sure what that single point would mean for him, but it certainly hurt us a lot. It took that point away, as well as the others that we would get for the stage and then also the rest of the day. It’s very frustrating because the No. 8 Rebel Bourbon Camaro wasn’t what it was last year, but it was a top-10 car and we were going to finish there. We can’t afford days like that.” -Kyle Busch

RICK WARE RACING
Enjoy Illinois 300

Date: June 2, 2024
Event: Enjoy Illinois 300 (Round 15 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Illinois (near St. Louis)
Layout: 1.25-mile oval
Format: 240 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/95 laps/100 laps)
Race Winner: Austin Cindric of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

RWR Race Finish:

● Justin Haley (Started 21st, Finished 9th/ Running, completed 240 of 240 laps)
● Cody Ware (Started 34th, Finished 33rd/ Running, completed 240 of 240 laps)

RWR Points:

● Justin Haley (31st with 205 points)
● Cody Ware (39 with 17 points)

Haley Notes:

● Haley earned his second top-10 and fifth top-20 of the season and his first top-10 in three career NASCAR Cup Series starts at WWTR.
● Haley matched his best finish of the season – ninth, first earned May 12 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. It is his second top-10 in the last three points-paying races and matched the best result on a non-superspeedway-type track for RWR.
● Haley’s ninth-place finish bettered his previous best finish at WWTR – 14th, earned in June 2022.
● The result is a new team-best for RWR at WWTR. The previous best was 24th, earned in June 2023 by J.J. Yeley.

Ware Notes:

● This was Ware’s second start of the season.
● Ware’s 33rd-place finish bettered his previous best finish at WWTR – 35th, earned in June 2022.

Race Notes:

● Austin Cindric won the Enjoy Illinois 300 to score his second career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Gateway. His margin of victory over second-place Denny Hamlin was 3.844 seconds.
● This was Ford’s 730th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory and its second of the season.
● This was Ford’s second NASCAR Cup Series win at Gateway. Joey Logano won the track’s inaugural race for the Blue Oval in 2022.
● There were five caution periods for a total of 32 laps.
● Twenty-four of the 36 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Hamlin remains the championship leader after Gateway with a 21-point advantage over second-place Kyle Larson.

Sound Bites:

“It was a really good race for the MotoRad 51 team. I’m really proud of the strategy that the Rick Ware Racing team brought. It was a fast competitive car, and we were able to stay with it all day and make positive adjustments. When the final stage started, we really started picking up speed and had a lot of pace in the car. We had some good strategy and ran out of fuel right there at the line, but still got a top-10 and now we’ve got solid momentum going to Sonoma.”– Justin Haley, driver of the No. 51 MotoRad Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“It was a tough day for the No. 15 team. I didn’t start off great for us but once I got settled in, we had really good pace. We were running top-10 speeds by the end of the race. I felt like it was good overall improvement for me, for only my second race this year. It’s been encouraging to see how much the organization is improving and building. We’ll keep working and learning.” – Cody Ware, driver of the No. 15 Jacob Construction Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Save Mart 350k on Sunday, June 9 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. The race begins at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.