Category: XFINITY Series PR

Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report
Track: The Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL
Race: Drive for the Cure 250 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
Date: October 10, 2020
___________________________________________________
No. 22 Wurth Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric
Start: 11th
Stage 1: 13th
Stage 2: 4th
Finish: 6th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 68/68
Laps Led: 0
Point Standings (behind first): 2nd (-10)

Notes:

Austin Cindric started 11th and finished sixth in the most unpredictable race of the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season Saturday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. The driver of the WURTH Ford used his 23rd top-10 finish of the season to advance to the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Playoffs. Cindric showed speed early in the dry conditions but torrential rain soon began to fall, forcing the team into a conservative strategy to ensure they’d advance in the playoffs.

At the onset of the race, Cindric made a power move at the drop of the green flag, stacking traffic four-wide into Turn 1 and picking off six positions in the opening lap with the No. 22 Wurth Ford Mustang. The team elected to put on rain tires under the first caution on lap 4 plus make a significant chassis adjustment preparing for the wet conditions, which had arrived as quickly as the race began. Unfortunately, NASCAR was forced to throw the yellow flag again at lap 15 for unsafe conditions as the rain intensified and the track accumulated standing water.

Cindric took a cautious approach to the remaining laps in the first stage, remaining focused on the championship pursuit, and was credited with a 13th-place finish position when the segment ended on lap 20. He relayed to crew chief Brian Wilson during the stage caution that he was too tight to make any progress through the field, so Wilson made the call to pit and put on the team’s final set of rain tires on plus make a significant air pressure adjustment to the front tires.

The adjustments greatly improved the handling of the Wurth Mustang. Cindric moved from outside the top-20 to 15th position before the race was halted again on lap 30 for standing water on the track, delaying the event for an hour.
When racing resumed, Cindric picked his way through a multi-vehicle incident in Turn 4, moving his No. 22 Mustang back inside the top-10. When the green-flag was displayed again, Cindric picked up four positions, returning to the top-five before the sixth caution was displayed on lap 38.

With a spot in the Round of Eight within reach, Cindric settled back into a conservative rhythm, logging laps after pitting for fuel to make the finish as darkness began to settle over Charlotte Motor Speedway. As other competitors continued to have issues, Cindric clinched his place in the Round of 8 during the final stage and set his sights on finishing the race in treacherous conditions fueled by heavy rain and dwindling daylight. He stayed out of trouble and cleanly logged laps to the finish and was rewarded with a sixth-place finish at the checkered flag.
Cindric opens the Round of 8 at Kansas Speedway next Saturday, second in the standings, trailing the lead by only 10 points.

Quote: “Advancing to the Round of 8 is a box checked for us. Obviously, we weren’t in a super tight spot heading into today, but that was kind of my only goal after it started raining. I got off to a pretty aggressive foot there to try and establish track position in the dry, and I think that got us the fastest lap of the race as well, so that’s a positive. After it started raining we were pretty conservative as far as my driving, the strategy and after we got into a place where we could advance I started being able to peck my way up through the field and finish inside the top-10 with our WURTH Ford Mustang.”

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2020
DRIVE FOR THE CURE 250 – CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
FORD PERFORMANCE DRIVER – POST RACE QUOTES

FORD FINISHING RESULTS:
6th — Austin Cindric
7th — Cody Ware
18th — Chase Briscoe

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 Wurth Ford Mustang — “I think a top-five effort was pretty likely there. I probably made one small mistake that kept our Wurth Ford Mustang out of the top five, but to race a car in the dark, in very, very wet conditions, pouring down rain with no headlights, no tail lights, splitter clearances being at dry minimums, I can assure you that no other race car can experience what we experienced today in our race for better or for worse. I’m sure it was entertainment for anyone at home, but I look forward to Kansas, Texas, Martinsville and Phoenix surely just for the fact that we don’t have to do that again.”

THE GOOD NEWS IS YOU ADVANCE TO THE ROUND OF 8. HOW DOES THE NEXT ROUND SET UP FOR YOU? “Advancing to the Round of 8 is a box checked for us. Obviously, we weren’t in a super tight spot heading into today, but that was kind of my only goal after it started raining. I got off to a pretty aggressive foot there to try and establish track position in the dry, and I think that got us the fastest lap of the race as well, so that’s a positive. That will help us out tremendously at Kansas, so looking forward to that, but after it started raining we were pretty conservative as far as my driving, the strategy and after we got into a place where we could advance I started being able to peck my way up through the field and get us to where we could finish inside the top 10 and maybe have a little more clear visibility than back in the twenties.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 98 Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang — WHAT HAPPENED OFF TURN ONE? “The driver just made a mistake. In the conditions like this you’ve got to be at 100 percent and I tried going 110 and it bit me, so very unfortunate. That one is gonna sting for a long time. I felt like I did my job for about 95 percent of the day right and I just knew if AJ was beside me getting into three, he had been running me up so much I tried throttling up and I was in first gear and I just hit the puddle and it spun me out. That was frustrating to say the least. We obviously had a really good Ford Performance Racing School/HighPoint.com Mustang, but didn’t get it in victory lane, so we’ll try to do it next week.”

YOU JUST WENT DOOR TO DOOR WITH A GREAT ROAD COURSE RACER IN AJ. IS THERE ANY SOLACE IN THAT? “It’s encouraging for sure to run with AJ, but the end result is he won the race and I came in 17th. I’m gonna think about that one a lot laying in bed. I know what I did wrong. That’s the frustrating part and just try to learn from it and move on.”

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE RESTART? “I just messed up. I wish I could have got the win. It’s a hometown race for both of our sponsors. Obviously, the racing school is based out of right here and HighPoint.com is down the road in Ballentine, so it would have been a big day. I did 95 percent of the day right and that’s 100 percent on me at the end. That last restart I knew if AJ was beside me getting into three he was gonna try to run me up the racetrack and I tried throttling up and I just hit a puddle wrong when I did it and messed up. That one is on me. We’ll go onto Kansas and have a short memory. Next week is a lot more important than today was, so we’ll go onto Kansas and try to get a win.”

AJ Allmendinger Notes
Best start at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS): 5th (2019)
Best finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in the NXS: 1st (2019)
Allmendinger’s win at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in 2019 marked Kaulig Racing’s second win as an organization
Laps led in 2020: 130 laps
Laps complete in 2020: 99.8%

Kaulig Racing Notes
Best start Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in the NXS: 5th (2019)
Best finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in the NXS: 1st (2019)

Race Notes
Saturday, October 10 at 3:30PM ET on NBC
Stages: 20/40/67 Laps

AJ Allmendinger Quote
“Here we go! It’s the ROVAL. It’s one of my favorite race tracks. It’s pretty cool when you can go back as the defending winner of the race. Kaulig Racing is riding some momentum. Justin Haley has three wins in-a-row on the superspeedways, and he’s locked into the next round. We’re trying to get Ross Chastain into the next round as well. We’re going to try to get that No. 16 Ellsworth Advisors Chevy up front. We’re starting mid-pack now. There could be some weather, but no matter what, we’re going to have a lot of action. The Kaulig Racing Chevys are going to be fast. Let’s go get another trophy, Matt Kaulig!”

About Kaulig Racing™
Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016 Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started. Kaulig Racing fields two full-time entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Ross Chastain and the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Justin Haley, as well as, a part-time entry – the No. 16 driven by AJ Allmendinger. Kaulig Racing™ earned two wins in 2019 and have come to be one of the top competitors on track each weekend. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

MOORESVILLE, N.C.: Watchonista, a global online magazine dedicated to covering the watch industry, watch collecting, and luxury lifestyle alongside driver Joe Graf Jr. announced today a partnership for this weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Drive for the Cure 250 at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway ROVAL with SS GreenLight Racing.

Every day, visitors flock to Watchonista’s website and social media channels to interact with immersive content produced by their dynamic team of writers, editors and content producers.

Founded in 2009 by Alexander Friedman and Marco Gabella, both watch and car lovers, Watchonista has also been active in both the car and Motorsports arena interviewing drivers such as Lewis Hamilton, Mario Andretti, Graham Rahal, Tom Kristensen, and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson.

A former marketing partner in sports and endurance cars with Rebellion Racing, Lamborghini Super Trofeo, and Tour Auto, this weekend marks the company’s first foray as a primary marketing partner in the stock car arena, specifically NASCAR.

Additionally, Watchonista will bring the added support of its partners WAX Insurance, STANDARD H, and Cantonment, all of which will have placement on Graf Jr.’s No. 08 Watchonista Chevrolet Camaro in the final road course race of 2020.

“We’re thrilled to partner with SS-Green Light Racing and Joe Graf Jr. for the Charlotte ROVAL race,” said Josh Shanks, Watchonista Editor-in-Chief. “As a former Hoosier turned New Yorker, motorsports runs in mine and Watchonista’s veins. This partnership will only help fuel Watchonista’s continued expansion in the United States market.

“We’re also excited to go racing with new to NASCAR marketing partners WAX Insurance, STANDARD H, and Cantonment.”

“As an insurer of watches, sneakers, memorabilia, and more, WAX looks forward to seeing Joe Graf Jr. compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series ROVAL race,” offered Calvin Bradley, CEO of WAX Insurance.

“We’ll be standing by to insure and protect the winner’s trophy!”

For Graf Jr., 22, Watchonista is the third new partner that he has brought to the NASCAR Xfinity Series scene since returning from the COVID-19 pandemic in May.

Collectively, Graf Jr. and Watchonista are committed to growing their relationship both on and off the track heading into the 2021 season.

“I’m super excited to welcome Watchonista to NASCAR and have them be a part of the NASCAR Xfinity Series with SS GreenLight Racing,” offered Graf Jr. “I’m a frequent visitor to the site being an avid collector of many things myself and to be able to bring this partnership to fruition is a testament to a lot of hard work and Watchonista eager to expand their horizons.

“Hopefully, we can have a strong finish on Saturday for Watchonista, WAX Insurance, STANDARD H, and Cantonment and then work on building our partnership for years to come.”

Graf Jr.’s race car will also have a special “Cancer Hero” tribute ribbon for Shanks’ mother, Teresa Shanks, who is fighting Stage III ovarian cancer. Following the completion of the race, Watchonista will be making a donation for ovarian cancer research on her behalf.

The Drive for the Cure 250 (67 laps | 155.44 miles) is the 29th of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2020 schedule. The field will take the green flag shortly after 3:30 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 10, 2020, with live coverage on NBCSN, the Performance Racing Network (Radio), and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90). All times are local (Central).

For more on Watchonista, please visit their website, like them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter and Instagram.

For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafJr.com., like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on Twitter (@JoeGrafJr) and Instagram (@joegrafjr).

For more on SS GreenLight Racing, please like them on Facebook (SS GreenLight Racing) and follow them on Twitter (@SSGLR0708), visit their website at SSGreenLight.com.
About Watchonista:

Watchonista was founded by Alexander Friedman and Marco Gabella in 2009 as a progressive digital platform by and for watch collectors and connoisseurs, at a time before the traditional watch industry fully embraced digital communications. Today, Watchonista has become an international, multi-media hub and a comprehensive database of some of the world’s most fascinating watch brands and products, delivering daily watch-centric content that balances the unbridled passion of watch collectors with a fact-filled journalistic approach.

With offices in Geneva and New York City, Watchonista’s global network and its contributing historians, connoisseurs, and journalists allow the media platform to be responsive and relevant, with a unique voice that appeals to its engaged readers around the world. Follow Watchonista on Instagram @watchonista or online at watchonista.com.

Haley Locked into the Round of Eight Heading to Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL

Justin Haley Notes
Best start at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS): 9th (2019)
Best finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in the NXS: 31st (2019)
Laps led in 2020: 103 laps
Laps completed in 2020: 98.8%

Kaulig Racing Notes
Best start Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in the NXS: 5th (2019)
Best finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in the NXS: 1st (2019)

Race Notes
Saturday, October 10 at 3:30PM ET on NBC
Stages: 20/40/67 Laps

Justin Haley Quote
“We just got done with Talladega – what an awesome week to get my third win in that beautiful looking LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing. I couldn’t be more happy for everyone at Kaulig Racing, LeafFilter and all of our partners for going out there and getting the job done and locking ourselves into the round of eight. This weekend we have the ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway. We broke last year, but we’ve been fast. We finished second at the Indy ROVAL, so I’m expecting some good stuff. My teammate, AJ Allmendinger, won the ROVAL race last year, so I know we’ve got speed in our cars. I’m really hopeful for this weekend. There’s some rain in the forecast, which I am in love with, because we won a stage in the rain at Road America. I’ve got a little rain racing experience myself. I cannot wait to get that LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet up front. We’re starting up front, due to our amazing win last weekend, so hopefully we can keep her there and get win number four.”

About Kaulig Racing™
Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016 Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started. Kaulig Racing fields two full-time entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Ross Chastain and the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Justin Haley, as well as, a part-time entry – the No. 16 driven by AJ Allmendinger. Kaulig Racing™ earned two wins in 2019 and have come to be one of the top competitors on track each weekend. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

About LeafFilter Gutter Protection™
Since 2005, LeafFilter Gutter Protection™ has revolutionized the gutter protection industry. The company is proud to have grown from one small office in Hudson, Ohio to the largest direct to customer home products company in the nation and the leading choice in gutter protection systems. Once installed on a homeowner’s existing gutters, LeafFilter Gutter Protection eliminates gutter cleaning for life. With more than 70 million feet of gutter guards installed on homes across the United States and Canada, LeafFilter Gutter Protection has the knowledge and expertise to guarantee that nothing, but water, will get into your gutters. Learn more about LeafFilter Gutter Protection and request a free estimate at www.leaffilter.com.

Ross Chastain Notes
Best start at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS): 16th (2018)
Best finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in the NXS: 12th (2018)
Laps led in 2020: 475 laps
Laps complete in 2020: 98.5%

Kaulig Racing Notes
Best start Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in the NXS: 5th (2019)
Best finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in the NXS: 1st (2019)

Race Notes
Saturday, October 10 at 3:30PM ET on NBC
Stages: 20/40/67 Laps

Ross Chastain Quote
“It’s ROVAL week! I’m ready to get going. We don’t have to go very far. We’re racing right here at home, and we get to sleep in our own beds. We’re going to run the road course at Charlotte. If I can see AJ Allmendinger and Justin Haley all day I think I’ll be doing ok, because they’re both really fast every weekend, but especially on the road courses. I still have a lot to learn about turning right and how to do it efficiently. That’s going to be my main focus — doing everything efficiently to take care of my drive line, because I haven’t always done that. Hopefully we can get Nutrien Ag Solutions and Kaulig Racing the finish we deserve”

About Kaulig Racing™
Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016 Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started. Kaulig Racing fields two full-time entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Ross Chastain and the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Justin Haley, as well as, a part-time entry – the No. 16 driven by AJ Allmendinger. Kaulig Racing™ earned two wins in 2019 and have come to be one of the top competitors on track each weekend. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.


About Nutrien Ag Solutions™
Nutrien Ag Solutions™ is the retail division of Nutrien™ Ltd. It combines global innovation with local expertise to provide full-acre solutions through a network of trusted crop consultants at retail locations around the world. Nutrien Ag Solutions strives to help growers achieve the highest yields with the most sustainable solutions possible, offering a wide selection of products, including our proprietary brands: Loveland Products, Inc.®, Proven® Seed and Dyna-Gro® Seed.

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Charlotte Motor Speedway
RACE: Drive for the Cure 250 (67 laps / 155.44 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020

Broadcast Information – TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC / Radio: 3 p.m. ET on PRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Michael Annett
No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
• Michael Annett enters this week’s NASCAR Xfinity Series cutoff event for the Round of 8 12th in points, 38 below the cutline to advance.
• On road courses this season, Annett has scored two top-10 finishes at Indianapolis and Road America.
• As October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Annett will carry the name of family friend Diane Ramsey on his No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet this weekend. Ramsey is a close friend of Annett and his family and is bravely battling cancer. Her name will appear on Annett’s right-side door.
• Annett has 17 top-10 finishes and three in the top five so far this season.

Daniel Hemric
No. 8 OnDeck Capital Chevrolet
• Daniel Hemric and the No. 8 team currently sit sixth in the playoff grid for the owner’s championship, 10 points ahead of the eighth and final cutoff position with one race remaining in the Round of 12.
• In nine NXS starts on road courses, Hemric has earned three top fives, four top 10s and a best finish of second in the 2017 event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
• Hemric has also scored an additional two top-five finishes in six combined road course starts across the Truck Series and the NASCAR Cup Series.
• OnDeck Capital, the largest US online lender for small businesses, adorns the No. 8 for the second time in 2020.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Lionel Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson currently sits third in the playoff standings, 47 points above the cutline with one race remaining in the Round of 12.
• Gragson has one start at the Charlotte Roval coming in 2019 where he finished fifth.
• In seven starts on road courses in the NXS, Gragson has earned five top fives, seven top 10s and an average finish of 5.0. Gragson’s best finish of third came on the road courses at Daytona and Indianapolis.
• In his last 10 series starts, Gragson has finished inside of the top 10 nine different times, including six straight.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier heads into the final race of the first round of the NXS Playoffs seventh in the standings. He’s currently 19 points above the cutline for the Round of 8.
• In two starts on the Charlotte Roval, Allgaier has one top five, finishing fourth last fall after starting seventh.
• This season on road courses, the 34-year-old driver has two top-10 finishes, with a best effort of seventh coming at Indianapolis.
• Overall, Allgaier has scored three victories, nine top fives and 21 top 10s in 31 starts on road courses in the NXS.
• Through 28 races this season, the Illinois native has three victories, 12 stage wins and has led 897 laps

Driver Quotes

“To have a runner-up finish taken away in post-race inspection this close to the cutoff race was a tough blow. We were in the playoffs at that point, too. That leaves us a lot of work to do this weekend at the Roval. Travis Mack and the No. 1 team have given me fast Pilot Flying J Chevrolets all year long, and the key to finishing well in these road-course events is to stay on the track. We’ll do that and do everything we can to win the race and keep going in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs.” – Michael Annett

“Being in the position we’re in after Talladega makes me that much more thankful for the wins and bonus points we earned before the playoffs. We definitely wish we had more of a cushion heading into to the Roval this weekend, but we’re still above the cutline and I feel like we’ve got a good track record on road courses. We just need to have a solid day, make no mistakes and maximize stage points with our BRANDT Camaro. I’m looking forward to the challenge and I know that I’ve got the best team that I could possibly have to get things done and move on to the next round.” – Justin Allgaier

“Any opportunity to race here in Charlotte is extremely special to me. From growing up racing on the quarter-mile here to competing across all three series here, it just carries a special meaning, especially since this is my home track. I feel really confident that we will unload with a really fast OnDeck Capital Chevrolet on Saturday. I have always enjoyed this layout at the Roval and road-course racing as a whole has been something that I’ve always enjoyed doing. So hopefully we can have a solid day and get this No. 8 team into the Round of 8 for the owner’s championship.” – Daniel Hemric

“I’m really looking forward to racing at the Charlotte Roval this weekend in my Lionel Racing Camaro. I enjoy road-course racing and have had success at road courses but the only thing I haven’t done yet is win at one in the Xfinity Series. That is the goal for this weekend to advance us into the Round of 8 and to give us a few extra playoff points along the way to help us further down the road.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates:
• JRM at the Roval: In eight previous starts at the Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway, JRM has recorded two top fives and four top 10s with a best finish of fourth coming in this event last season with Justin Allgaier.
• JRM on Road Courses: JRM has netted four wins, 30 top fives and 65 top 10s in 125 starts on road courses in the NXS. Ron Fellows and Regan Smith earned the organization’s first two road course victories at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal in 2008 and at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2015, while Justin Allgaier went to Victory Lane at Mid-Ohio and Road America in 2018.
• Driven by Die-Cast: This year marks 10 years since Lionel Racing was named The Official Die-Cast of NASCAR. Located near Charlotte Motor Speedway, the company continues to be “Driven by Die-Cast” and produces replica NASCAR cars and trucks that can be found at LionelRacing.com, official trackside merchandise trailers, authorized retailers and etailers, and in Walmart and Target stores nationwide.