Category: XFINITY Series PR

NASCAR XFINITY Series Press Release

  • Haley Excited for High-Banked Monster Mile

    Haley Excited for High-Banked Monster Mile

    Justin Haley Notes
    Best start at Dover International Speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS): 11th (2019)
    Best finish at Dover International Speedway in the NXS: 4th (2019)
    Haley earned Kaulig Racing its best finish at Dover International Speedway in 2019

    Kaulig Racing Notes
    Best start Dover International Speedway in the NXS: 8th (2018)
    Best finish at Dover International Speedway in the NXS: 4th (2019)

    Doubleheader Race Notes
    Saturday, August 22 at 12:30PM ET on NBCSN
    Stages: 45/90/200 Laps
    Sunday, August 23 at 1:30pm ET on NBCSN
    Stages: 45/90/200 Laps

    Justin Haley Quote
    “I can’t wait to get to Delaware this weekend to race at Dover, one of my favorite race tracks. They call it the Monster Mile. It’s a one-mile concrete oval, super high banked. You drop into the corner. There’s not a race track like it. I cannot wait to get my No. 11 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet Camaro out there, like always. It’s going to be a double-header weekend, so we have two shots for some trophies. We’re going to hopefully bring two trophies home within the Kaulig Racing organization. It’s one of my favorites – it’s bad to the bone. I can’t wait to get out there. No practice and the new qualifying format. I don’t think we will be starting too great this week, but we still should be up there thanks to our awesome points that we’ve collected throughout this season. Hopefully we can get some ‘W’s’.”

    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.

  • Cindric Wins Inaugural Xfinity Daytona Road Course Race

    Cindric Wins Inaugural Xfinity Daytona Road Course Race

    DAYTONA BEACH, FL – August 17, 2020 – Austin Cindric won his fifth race of the season in the historic first race on the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. This marked the 10th NASCAR Xfinity Series win of the season for Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines.

    “Congratulations to Austin, Brian and the No. 22 crew,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Austin is an accomplished road racer and drove a great race on Saturday. Our team at Roush Yates Engines is proud to partner with and build world-class engines for all the Ford Performance teams.”

    The inaugural running of the Daytona Road Course was fast and furious, starting from the first lap. Ford Performance teammates, Cindric and Chase Briscoe, led the Xfinity field to the green flag and it was game on from the first lap. It was Cindric that mastered the course layout and track conditions to take control of the race to win the first Stage and secure 10 additional stage points.

    The Ford Performance teammates would continue to battle each other throughout Stage 2, and it was Briscoe that would come out on top, winning Stage 2 and leading 26 laps.

    In the final stage, Cindric perfectly managed a chaotic late race restart to stay in contention for the win. He passed leader Brandon Jones with five laps to go and built a sizable lead to take the checkered flag 7.108-second ahead of Jones. This was his fifth win out of the last six races and second road course win in a row.

    When asked how he would describe the race, Cindric commented, “I’m not sure anyone was really happy with their race car. Unfortunately, I have a tough perspective of driving really fast high-grip race cars at this track, but great credit to my team, the MoneyLion guys and everyone that puts this together Ford Performance, Roush Yates Engines, obviously everyone at Team Penske for working hard. That’s five wins on the year and back-to-back now. I’m really proud of that. I didn’t feel like I drove my best today, but we executed there at the end where it counts and that’s what makes these races so difficult to win.”

    Chris Buescher of Roush Fenway Racing led the Ford Performance teams to a top-5 finish, finishing P5 in the NASCAR Cup Series race in the Go Bowling 235 on Sunday, followed by Stewart-Haas Racing driver Clint Bowyer in P6, Team-Penske’s Joey Logano P9 and Front Row Motorsports driver Michael McDowell in P10.

    With the playoffs fast approaching, NASCAR heads to Delaware for a double-header weekend. Both series will run back-to-back races, on Saturday and Sunday at Dover International Speedway.

    27 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 402 WINS – 358 POLES!

    *Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images

    About Roush Yates Engines
    Roush Yates Engines is a leading-edge engine development company based in Mooresville, NC consisting of two state-of-the-art facilities – Roush Yates Engines and Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions, a world class ISO 9001 / AS9100 certified CNC manufacturing facility. The company’s core business includes designing, building and testing purpose-built race engines.

    Ford Performance in partnership with Roush Yates Engines is the exclusive engine builder of the NASCAR FR9 Ford V8 engine and Ford Mustang 5.2L V8 engine, used in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series.

    With an unparalleled culture of winning and steeped in rich racing history, Roush Yates Engines continues to follow the company’s vision to lead performance engine innovation and staying true to the company’s mission, provide race winning engines through demonstrated power and performance.

    3 Series – 22 Teams – 81 Races

  • Austin Cindric Continues Domination on Road Courses, Takes Checkered Flag in Historic UNOH 188 at Daytona International Speedway

    Austin Cindric Continues Domination on Road Courses, Takes Checkered Flag in Historic UNOH 188 at Daytona International Speedway

    NASCAR Makes Debut on Iconic DAYTONA Road Course; Now has Won Five out of Six Races, Tying a NASCAR Record Held by Sam Ard

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 15, 2020) – History was made at Daytona International Speedway Saturday, as the first of three NASCAR national series made its debut on the iconic DAYTONA Road Course with the running of the NASCAR Xfinity Series UNOH 188.

    It was only appropriate that the race winner – Austin Cindric – made history himself. In addition to claiming victory in the first Xfinity Series race on the 14-turn, 3.61-mile layout, he won for the fifth time in the last six races, joining Sam Ard (1983) as the only NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers to win five races over a six-race span.

    The UNOH 188 was Cindric’s second win in-a-row, as the only time he has not recorded a victory of this six-race stretch was on July 25 at Kansas when he secured a second-place finish.  He also continues to thrive in road course racing, on which he has accounted for four of his seven career wins.  In fact, his 12 career Xfinity Series starts on road courses have resulted in nine top-10 finishes, all in the top-5.

    While Cindric won Saturday’s race by more than seven seconds over second-place finisher Brandon Jones, it was far from an easy win for the driver of the No. 22 Money Lion Ford Mustang. 

    “I’m not sure anyone was really happy with their race car,” Cindric said. “Unfortunately, I have a tough perspective of driving really fast, high-grip race cars at this track, but great credit to my team and everyone that puts this together. That’s five wins on the year and back-to-back now.  I’m really proud of that.  I didn’t feel like I drove my best today, but we executed there at the end where it counts and that’s what makes these races so difficult to win.”

    Cindric battled Chase Briscoe for a majority of the afternoon before Briscoe was forced to exit the race after suffering severe damage to the front left side of his car in a multi-car incident shortly following a restart with seven laps remaining.  In fact, the pair combined to lead 42 of the first 44 laps of the race, including 26 by Briscoe.  Cindric led a total of 21 laps on the day.

    Cindric won Stage 1 of the race by leading all 15 laps.  Briscoe then claimed Stage 2, as he led all but two of the 15 laps, and edged Cindric down the stretch as the two exchanged the top position on the final lap of the stage. 

    Cindric, who leads the overall points standings with 830, now has claimed eight stages on the year, tied with Noah Gragson for the most in the Xfinity Series. He also has accumulated 33 playoff points on the year.  Briscoe, who is second with 782 points, has taken four stages on the year and amassed 29 playoff points.  They both have accounted for a series-best five wins on the year.

    Cindric was obviously pleased to join Sam Ard in select company, but he is even more excited about producing valuable playoff points today in addition to his team’s prospects for the remainder of 2020.

    “It’s incredible and takes great race cars and executing races,” Cindric said.  “I’m proud to be driving this 22 car and contending for wins week to week.  There’s still a lot of work to do, but this is great for the points for sure.”

    Jones challenged Cindric briefly and led the two laps prior to the final restart of the day, but he did not have enough to keep pace with a hard-charging Cindric, who led the pack for the final five laps.

    “I had a flashback to Kansas (1st-place finish for Jones) there when they all pushed up into turn one,” Jones said. “I hate there was a caution because I know (Austin) Cindric was lights out fast, but I think we could have at least gotten pretty close there the end to possibly winning this thing. It’s been a good day here. I did not come here thinking I was going to have a shot to win the race. I stayed in the game, never locked the wheels up, stayed on track and it paid off.”

    Noah Gragson (3rd), AJ Allmendinger (4th) and Andy Lally (5th) completed the top-five.  Riley Herbst (7th) was the top finishing rookie.

    Saturday’s race was originally scheduled to take place at Watkins Glen International but was realigned as a result of the pandemic and its impact on the state of New York.

    The start of the race was delayed by nearly two hours due to lightning in the area, accompanied by some rain.  As a result, NASCAR declared damp conditions for the start of the race, giving the teams its choice of tires.

    The historic weekend of racing on the DAYTONA Road Course will conclude on Sunday, which will feature a doubleheader, consisting of the Sunoco 159 (12:00 p.m. ET, FS1) for the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, as well as the NASCAR Cup Series’ Go Bowling 235 (3:00 p.m. ET, NBC). Like the UNOH 188, Sunday’s races will be inaugural events on the DAYTONA Road Course for both series.  

    A limited number of fans will get the opportunity to see the Go Bowling 235 and Sunoco 159. Fans can get tickets, which start at $49 (both races included) for adults and $10 for kids 12 years old and younger, by visiting www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or calling 1-800-PIT-SHOP.

    Cindric will get a chance to make history yet again in just two weeks as the Xfinity Series will return to the high banks of the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway. The Wawa 250 is set for Friday, Aug. 28, while the Coke Zero Sugar 400 takes the green flag on Saturday, Aug. 29. It will be the final race of the regular season to set the 2020 Cup Series Playoffs.

    Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, PinterestYouTube and by downloading Daytona International Speedway’s mobile app, for the latest Speedway news throughout the season.

    For more information, video, photos and graphics to assist your coverage, register and visit NASCARMedia.com.

    About Daytona International Speedway

    Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of “The Great American Race” – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the “World Center of Racing,” boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. In addition to at least nine major event weekends, the Speedway grounds are also used extensively for events that include concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.

  • Ford Performance NASCAR: Cindric Wins Daytona Road Course

    Ford Performance NASCAR: Cindric Wins Daytona Road Course

    NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
    SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 2020
    UNOH 188 – DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
    FORD PERFORMANCE DRIVER – POST RACE QUOTES

    FORD FINISHING RESULTS:
    1st — Austin Cindric
    29th — Chase Briscoe

    CINDRIC AND FORD CONTINUE TO ROLL WITH DAYTONA ROAD COURSE VICTORY

    Austin Cindric registered his fifth win of the season and fifth in the last six events overall with today’s win at Daytona International Speedway.

    Since returning to action on May 17 at Darlington Raceway, Ford has dominated in the NASCAR Cup and NASCAR XFINITY Series, winning a combined 20 times in 33 starts. Ford has registered 11 wins in Cup in 18 races, which includes a current three-race winning streak, while the NXS duo of Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric have combined to win nine times in 15 events, including seven of the last eight.

    AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 MoneyLion Ford Mustang — VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW — HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE DAY? “I’m not sure anyone was really happy with their race car. Unfortunately, I have a tough perspective of driving really fast high-grip race cars at this track, but great credit to my team — the MoneyLion guys — and everyone that puts this together — Ford Performance, Roush Yates Engines, obviously everyone at Team Penske for workig hard. That’s five wins on the year and back-to-back now. I’m really proud of that. I didn’t feel like I drove my best today, but we executed there at the end where it counts and that’s what makes these races so difficult to win.”

    FIFTEEN YEARS BEFORE YOU WERE BORN SAM ARD WON 5 OUT OF 6 XFINITY RACES AND NOW YOU’VE DONE THAT. “Yeah, it’s incredible and takes great race cars and executing races. I’m proud to be driving this 22 car and contending for wins week to week. There’s still a lot of work to do, but this is great for the points for sure.”

    HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE THE DAY AND WHAT YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH? “I think we dug ourselves two holes there. Staying out got us a good stage point there. That’s important and then I probably grabbed a shovel and dug us a little bit bigger of a hole there on the restart in trying to win that second stage. That put us behind a little bit and maybe I wasn’t able to be as ahead of my adjustments, but, overall, I’m super-excited for five wins on the year so far and adding to the points. To get MoneyLion in VIctory Lane again at Daytona of all places, I wish there were fans here to see this race because it was a thriller.”

    THE END OF STAGE TWO WAS PHYSICAL BETWEEN YOU AND CHASE. “Yeah, I think there was give-and-take available on both ends. I probably could have been a bit more patient judging that second stage and I think he could have been a little less aggressive on his defense, but, overall, it’s two brothers fighting and then they go yell at mom saying it was his fault. It’s easy for me to say because I was the winner of the race, but he drove a great race and obviously wasn’t able to survive that turn one carnage.”

    TAKE US THROUGH GOING INTO TURN ONE ON THAT ONE RESTART? “A lot of the restarts I kind of learned by my own mistakes as far as trying to drive it in deep three-wide. There was less and less grip it seemed like there as the race went on, or maybe patience went out the window. I saw guys lock up tires and I was fortunate enough to be on the inside and not get collected and was able to get a good restart and come away with it.”

    THE PASS FOR THE WIN WASN’T EASY. “I probably scared him. I got a whole ton of wheel-hop in turn six. I thought I was gonna clean us both out, but he did a great job driving smart there. It was fun. He was driving hard and came up with a good finish, so good job to those guys. Hopefully, we can have more fun in Dover.”

    POST-RACE WINNER’S PRESS CONFERENCE

    AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 MoneyLion Ford Mustang — “It was a lot of survival there at the end. That’s what makes these races as difficult as they are is to make it to the finish. We were a contender all day and tried to get our race car a little bit better. We had to fight through in that second stage to try and regain some track position, but it was just a solid day up until that point. Obviously, being on the bottom of that restart I felt like I had made enough mistakes trying to come through the field, diving three-wide to the outside knowing that there was pretty big grip limitation trying to do that, so I saw it coming, but I was surprised that I did it too, to be 100 percent honest. That was kind of the catalyst for us today and put us in a great spot to be able to execute on the restart and come up with the win.”

    WHAT ARE YOUR EMOTIONS WINNING ON THE ROAD COURSE TODAY? “I probably need to give myself a day or so to calm down. I’m not 100 percent proud of my race, so it makes me apprehensive about being super-excited. I’m pretty hard on myself and usually don’t need too many people to tell me what I’ve done wrong because I’ve probably already thought about it or at least beat myself up over it. There were plenty of things I could have cleaned up today, but if I took a step back and rewind a couple a couple months ago, I worked really hard as I do every year to try to get a ride for the Daytona 24 and it was the first time in three years I hadn’t gotten a ride for the Daytona 24. I ended up staying and spotting the race, which was a great motivator to get a ride the next year, so that was kind of a low point for me early in the year not to get that to go together. It doesn’t play your way. It’s hard to do in a series where you don’t run full-time, but that was a bummer for me. So, to be able to come to this track and be able to do that is a big check in the box for me — something that would make this year really special and my time at Daytona really special is if we were to come back here in a couple week’s time to be able to win on the superspeedway. That would be special because that would mean I would have won on the road course, the superspeedway and in a rallycross car here when they ran rallycross. I think that would be really cool for me as far as driving different things at Daytona and kind of add to my versatility, if you will. I think that’s probably what makes today special.”

    HOW DO YOU LOOK BACK AT THROWING THE WATER BOTTLE AT BRISCOE BETWEEN THE TWO STAGES? “That’s a double-downer because I didn’t even make it in the window. I didn’t even execute on that. It’s tough. I got pretty heated there and I probably should have reeled myself in. That’s probably the biggest thing I’m not very happy about with myself today. I let that get to me and obviously it showed. I’m very passionate about what I do. I’m very passionate about driving and it’s been a while since I’ve had a heart on my sleeve moment like that. It’s probably a good lesson for me halfway through the year to know that I’ve still got some work to do up here and that’s where it counts, so I’ll reel that in and use it as a learning experience and hopefully the two of us can learn a little better from that end of stage two.”

    IS WINNING GETTING OLD SO OFTEN LIKE THIS? “Those guys work extremely hard. I was way more excited after Kentucky than I was after today, but I feel like it’s very, very difficult in all three series to win these races. For me right now, I’m already thinking about Dover. I’m thinking about things I could have done better today. That’s what makes racing in NASCAR so exciting and so challenging is you have to prepare immediately for the next week — or at least to be the best you have to. That’s what I’m focused on. Like I said, I’m not extremely impressed with everything that I did today, but I don’t think that should take away from — we got the fastest lap of the race. We should be able to start on pole at Dover, somewhere I really love going to race, so I’m really motivated to make that a great weekend as well. Having some stats this year to be compared to Richard Petty and compared to Sam Ard, that’s pretty cool and it’s pretty cool for the guys that get to work on my cars. I wouldn’t be here without them and it makes me very motivated whenever I show up to the track that I know those guys have done their best and they know that I’m doing my best.”

    ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO TALK TO YOUR CUP TEAMMATES AND GIVE THEM ADVICE ON HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS ROAD COURSE? “Yeah, I think there’s a lot to be learned as far as with the setup of the cars, learn from the things we did right today, learn from things we didn’t do right today. Hopefully, that’s able to transfer over and help those guys. I’ve been a pretty open book to whatever I can do to help that group, whether if it’s this weekend or any other weekend. I talked to Joey for a good bit last week about things that I feel about this racetrack and I feel like you see a lot of those guys doing their homework for this weekend because it is a big challenge for teams and drivers and crews alike.”

    IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD TELL THEM ABOUT THE TRACK AFTER EXPERIENCING IT TODAY? “I was surprised, honestly, I’ve got bad perspective because I’ve driven some really incredible race cars here as far as prototype machinery and top tier GT cars. This thing drove terrible in comparison between being able to navigate the infield. It was a lot of fun to go through the bus stop. I was fully expecting the bus stop to be the most fun portion of the racetrack for me because, talking to Noah he said his watch was on recording the race for almost three or four hours. That’s the longest stint that I’ve ever done at the Daytona 24, so your stint length is probably about the same length as what I’ve done here, but you don’t have to worry about saving brakes, saving fuel, saving your splitter, saving your equipment. You can go all-out in the bus stop and that’s somewhere where you have to be pretty conservative in the 24 hours, so that was really fun for me to do today and kind of feel the limits of that and drive these big, heavy cars and try to make them work.”

    DO YOU LIKE RACING ON A COURSE LIKE THIS THAT NOT MANY GUYS HAVE EXPERIENCED BEFORE? “I definitely think it’s a challenge. There’s a little bit that you feel like you want to develop things a little better because you can get in the scenario where you can have a simple issue that completely ruins your day. That’s what makes starting these races with no practice or qualifying or really any hot laps very challenging, so it’s a big burden on the teams and, fingers crossed, my guys have done an incredible job at doing that. Most of the field really has across all three series, but it’s a fun challenge. I’ve never been a stranger to doing that. I look back, I’ve obviously run a lot of laps here, so I could say that I kind of knew what I was getting into maybe a little bit more than some of the regulars, but when I raced rallycross back in 2015, I was the points leader heading into the Detroit race and I had just come from Limerock, where I was racing Mustangs. I missed practice. I missed qualifying and they had a problem with the jump in qualifying. They had a big wooden ramp. It was all screwed up and they had to cancel qualifying, so they started on owner’s points and I was on the pole. I showed up right before my heat race and there were no sighting laps or whatever, so it’s literally just a standing start and you go. That was probably one of the most intense moments of my life, getting a standing start and just figuring the track out when you can, so I’ll always remember that about that race and it can always be more difficult. At least you get some pace laps to figure it out, but it’s a fun challenge and I think it shows the talent of the drivers in NASCAR.”

    WHAT’S GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THAT BRISCOE IS DONE AND ALLMENDINGER IS DAMAGED? IS IT EASIER TO SEE THE FINISH LINE AT THAT POINT? “That was probably the first thought that crossed my mind was, ‘Man, those guys are out. This should be smooth sailing,’ but nothing is guaranteed. These races are so hard to win. You saw Brandon Jones be able to put in a great drive the last couple laps to finish second there, so you have to push 100 percent. You’ve got to remind yourself of that constantly to never underestimate your competition. You can get yourself in a real hole if you don’t respect the guys that you’re racing and I have a great deal of respect for the guys that I’ve been racing because a lot of them I’ve been racing a lot of my career and I know what they’re capable of and it’s fun to be in a series that way. I wish between the 98, the 16 and myself we would have been able to race that one out for the win because I want to beat the best. I want to beat the best because if you can beat the best, you are the best. Obviously, those guys were the best today and I felt like them getting involved in that wreck impeded probably a greater finish than what we had.”

    DO YOU EVER REGRET GIVING CHASE BRISCOE SO MUCH ADVICE ON ROAD COURSES? “It’s tough because I feel like my approach as a teammate or a friend or whatever it may be — a co-driver — is that I have to have the confidence in myself that if you know everything that I know, I can still go do a better job of it. Now with saying that, I’m not gonna tell him what springs I’m running and what setup we’ve got in and so on, but you’ve got to have that confidence and I took that approach at a very early age and I think in some ways it’s paid a lot of benefits because it makes me push myself with very talented people that I’m racing against. He’s come a long way in this stuff from the first time we ran together, I believe it was 2018. He was seconds off the pace and when we came here earlier this year with the GT4 cars, he was all over the same pace that I had, so I talked to his crew chief from ARCA earlier this week and we were laughing about that because I really feel like the progression that I’ve made running the high line, running up against the wall, is equal to the same progression that he’s made in road racing and it’s been fun to push ourselves in that regard. I think that’s what we’re constantly doing. I feel like we can’t ger ourselves in the trap of ruining it for both of us, pushing ourselves that hard because there was some emotion today just for a stage win. So, I feel like that needs to be reeled in on my end and his end. I don’t think there are any innocent parties there. I said in my MRN interview it’s like getting in an argument with your brother where he got to the Playstation first or whatever and you go yell at mom and ask her to pick a side, but, at the end of the day, we both lose if we’re not moving forward. We’ve had the tie with Ford Performance for a while and I’ve really tried to use that as a friendship. We went to lunch today before the race and just watching IndyCar qualifying and he and I have a good relationship, but today was probably a bump in that road.”

    HOW IMPORTANT IS THE MENTAL ASPECT OF ALL THIS? “It’s everything. Racing is mental. It’s very mechanical, but it’s very mental. I don’t think it really hurt my race, but I showed vulnerability and as a race car driver you can’t show that. You can’t show your weaknesses. You’ve got to execute on your strengths and go back to the shop on your weaknesses. Today, I did something I probably hadn’t done in a while which is raise my voice on the radio, so there’s some sort of pride that it’s been a while since that’s happened, but you get heated and you get excited and you want it really, really bad, and I think that played into it today and I’ll be pretty open and honest about it because I’m a pretty open and honest guy. So everything I’ve done in NASCAR has been on the surface and that’s no exception. I think it’s a good reminder for me at this middle stage of the year that you’ve got to keep locked down.”

    WHAT WAS IT ABOUT TODAY THAT MADE YOU UPSET? YOU MENTIONED BLOCKING IN A BRAKING ZONE. “So blocking and blocking under brakes are two different things and I’m pretty passionate about blocking. That’s why there are blocking rules in other series is because it’s very dangerous. I haven’t seen a replay and I probably may have been a bit preemptive on my complaints because it’s something that he did a lot at Indy in the long brake zones and I really didn’t like it a lot because what you’re doing there is you’re asking the car behind you to not hit you. You’re putting yourself in harm’s way and it creates contact. That was what I felt was the instance there, but, like I said, I never saw a replay and I probably could have been a bit more passive about it, but, yeah, blocking under brakes and blocking on the straight are two different things because that’s after you’ve committed to a brake zone, that’s after you’ve committed to a line and you’ve committed to the corner. If you’re usually blocking someone under brakes it means they’re going faster than you and you’re putting yourself in harm’s way doing so. Hopefully, we can learn from it, but I don’t think that’s the best way to approach at least halfway through the race, but it’s aggressive, it’s hard racing and those playoff points mean a lot, so I’m not gonna fault him for driving aggressive, but, like I said, I think we could have given ourselves a couple favors and avoided some of the contact.”

    BRIAN WILSON, Crew Chief — No. 22 MoneyLion Ford Mustang — “That was an eventful day. Obviously, staying out there to try to win the first stage, that was not what I wanted to see, but we we’ve definitely been focused on trying to get as many playoff points as we can get, so I’m glad that worked out. Things got mixed up a little in the second stage. I don’t feel like once Briscoe got up front, I don’t feel like we had the best car. He was pretty strong today. Obviously, it was a good battle, but he was able to pull away from us, so we’ve still got some work to do, but I do think it’s a good statement from our team that we can win even on days when we don’t have the best car. I do feel like we probably had the second-best — the two of us were able to pull away over a longer run — so we’re not far off, but I feel like as a group we’ve got some work to do to make the car better for here.”

    YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE 74 AND 47 STAYING OUT ON THAT ONE RESTART? “I’m all for it. I’ve been on plenty of teams where we’ve called different strategies. We obviously did it at the end of stage 1 to try to get the playoff point. Everyone’s got to weigh out what their situations are and what they’re willing to do. Obviously, those guys thought it was a good move to stay up there. In that situation, all you can do as a team is try to react to it and make your situation as good as you can. You’ve got to think that’s gonna happen at some point in the race, where you’re gonna be on a different strategy. I think that’s part of what stage racing does and the number of tires we have in this series. That adds to a lot of the strategy and I like the fact that we have those options, so I can’t really get mad when somebody else takes a different option.”

    HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THE DOVER DOUBLEHEADER NEXT WEEKEND? “I’m excited about it. If my math is right, I think we should have the number one stall and should start up front. We’ve been using these doubleheaders as a way to try and learn something when we don’t have practice, so we’ll try to build off of our setup from last year for the first race, and then we’ll have a package ready to go for the second race to try to learn something to make our team better.”

    HOW DO YOU WORK WITH A YOUNG DRIVER IN TRYING TO MAINTAIN THEIR EMOTIONS? “I don’t ever think that emotion is a bad thing. We’re all heavily invested in this. It’s an emotional sport and we all want to win. Right now, we’re going head-to-head with our Ford teammate week in and week out and I think that’s gonna continue through the year. Austin and Chase have raced really hard for a lot of years. Austin has called him like a brother and they raced like brothers, so it’s okay to get mad and upset like that. Austin reigned it in really quick. I think he did a good job of that. If there’s anything that as a team we need to work on we’ll talk about that behind closed doors, but I liked the fact he was able to bring it back in really quick and execute at the end of the race.”

    WHAT DOES THIS TEAM NEED TO DO TO MAINTAIN ITS MOMENTUM? “It’s tough. That’s what you worry about when you go on a streak like this where we’ve been winning so much. Are the other guys gonna catch up? What do we have to do to keep the hammer down and try to keep the momentum for the playoffs. The playoff points help a lot. We’re at a point now where I feel like if we’re able to close out this regular season, we should have plenty of points to carry us through. It’s almost gonna be a race worth of points that we have going into the playoffs, so that’s gonna be huge. The biggest thing is, like I said about the Dover weekend, we’ve got to try to keep learning as much as we can with limited practice, so using those weekends to move the program forward is big for us right now.”

  • Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report – Daytona Road Course

    Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report – Daytona Road Course

    Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report
    Track: Daytona International Speedway Road Course
    Race: UNOH 188
    Date: August 15, 2020
    __________________________________________________
    No. 22 MoneyLion Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric
    Start: 1st
    Stage 1: 1st (Eighth stage win of 2020)
    Stage 2: 2nd
    Finish: 1st (Seventh career NXS victory)
    Status: Running
    Laps Completed: 52/52
    Laps Led: 21
    Point Standings (ahead of second): 1st (+48)

    Notes:

    Austin Cindric and the No. 22 MoneyLion Ford Mustang team were victorious in the inaugural race at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course Saturday, winning the UNOH 188. The Mooresville, N.C. native led a total of 21 laps, en route to his fifth victory in the last six races of the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) season, tying the record of Sam Ard. Cindric won for the fourth time on a road course and has finished second or better in the last six races. He leads the NXS driver standings by 48 markers ahead of second place Chase Briscoe.

    Cindric started the weather-delayed event from the first position after the field was per the new lineup formula which uses three performance metrics of the finishing position from the previous race (weighted 50%), the ranking in team owner points standings (35%), and the fastest lap from the previous race (15%) to determine lineup and pit selection order.

    During pace laps, NASCAR decided the track was damp, allowing teams to pit and choose between slick and rain tires. Cindric started the 52-lap race on slicks once the green flag dropped. He took turn-1 wide, losing the first position but quickly regained the lead from Noah Gragson. He extended his lead before the first caution was displayed with three-laps remaining in the first stage. Cindric remained on track during the caution while most of the field came to pit road. Stage 1 restarted with a one-lap sprint and Cindric capturing his eighth stage win of the 2020 season.

    Crew chief Brian Wilson made the call to pit during the stage caution for tires, fuel and adjustments. Cindric restarted 17th after a mixture of pit strategy shuffled the running order. Cindric raced his way to the 12th position before the caution waved for the third time on lap 17. With a series of cautions throughout the 15-lap stage, Cindric was able to battle his way to the second position at the conclusion of Stage 2. During the caution, Cindric came to pit road for fuel and tires and restarted the final stage in fourth.

    Cindric quickly regained the runner-up position to race leader Chase Briscoe, where he ran until the caution was displayed on lap 42. The driver of the No. 22 MoneyLion Ford came to pit road for four fresh tires and fuel and would hold his position leaving pit road. With three cars remaining on track, Cindric would restart fifth with seven laps remaining. As the field entered turn 1, chaos struck as most of the field missed the turn and the caution was displayed once more with Cindric lining up second. He reclaimed the race lead with five laps remaining and never looked back to capture his seventh career NXS victory.

    The NASCAR Xfinity Series is back in action with the Dover International Speedway double header. The first race will take place on Saturday, August 22 at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio followed by race two on Sunday, August 23 at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

    Quote: “I’m not sure anyone was really happy with their race car. Unfortunately, I have a tough perspective of driving really fast high-grip race cars at this track, but great credit to my team — the MoneyLion guys — and everyone that puts this together — Ford Performance, Roush Yates Engines, obviously everyone at Team Penske for working hard. That’s five wins on the year and back-to-back now. I’m really proud of that. I didn’t feel like I drove my best today, but we executed there at the end where it counts and that’s what makes these races so difficult to win.”

  • Toyota Racing NXS Post-Race Recap — Daytona 8.15.20

    Toyota Racing NXS Post-Race Recap — Daytona 8.15.20

    JONES TAKES SECOND AT HISTORIC DAYTONA ROAD COURSE CIRCUIT
    Brandon Jones wheels Supra to runner-up result

    DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (August 15, 2020) – Brandon Jones (second) drove to a career-best road course finish to lead Toyota in the UNOH 188 at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course on Saturday afternoon.

    Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
    NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
    Daytona International Speedway Road Course
    Race 19 of 33 – 187.7 miles, 52 laps

    TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
    1st, Austin Cindric*
    2nd, BRANDON JONES
    3rd, Noah Gragson*
    4th, AJ Allmendinger*
    5th, Andy Lally*
    7th, RILEY HERBST
    8th, HARRISON BURTON
    12th, JOSH BILICKI
    19th, SCOTT HECKERT
    21st, STEPHEN LEICHT
    28th, BRANDON GDOVIC
    30th, BOBBY REUSE
    35th, HAROLD CROOMS
    *non-Toyota driver

    TOYOTA QUOTES

    BRANDON JONES, No. 19 Menards/Inspire Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

    Finishing Position: 2nd

    What was your perspective of today’s race?

    “I had a flashback to Kansas there when they all pushed up into turn one. I hate there was a caution because I know (Austin) Cindric was lights out fast, but I think we could have at least gotten pretty close there the end to possibly winning this thing. It wouldn’t be possible without everyone at JGR, Menards, Inspire was a new sponsor for us – Special Forces Foundation. It’s been a good day here. Did not come here thinking I was going to have a shot to win the race. I stayed in the game, never locked the wheels up, stayed on track and it paid off.”

    How was your run overall today and what was it like racing on the Daytona Road Course?

    “We started the day off and had the weather. It was our call to put the tires on, the wet tires. So I kind of went around the race track and assessed it. Saw a lot of it drying up, but I saw a lot of it also damp with a couple puddles so I wasn’t really sure what we should do so they made the call to put on the wet tires. Obviously, it dried up way quicker than we thought so we came pretty quick and got those off of it. Started running really good lap times once we got stickers on the race car. We started about sixth to fourth-place lap times. Kind of maintained that all day too really. Just kind of stayed on track all day and made sure that we made no mistakes. A couple times I had some wheel hop, but never had any front lock up and never once went off the track. All those things eventually pay off. Obviously, you need some speed too, you can’t just ease around the race track all day and expect to finish good. You still need the speed so that was pretty good to see there. We have the Roval too, obviously that’s a similar race track so that gives me a lot of insight and kind of pumped up to go there now. This was a really big day for us. I think we needed this for road courses, confidence-wise. The last restart, I thought about Kansas all over again when they all pushed up and I thought this could possibly be a chance. I looked up the mirror and I had a pretty big gap, but it was just too many people spinning out there. It was fun racing (Austin) Cindric there. Me and him are finally racing really clean I feel like and having a good time doing it. All that was really good. I think just a solid day. Pit crew did what they needed to do. Crew chief did his job and I feel like I did mine. We’ll go back to the drawing board and figure out where the 22 (Cindric) is a little bit better. It’s every corner, he’s just able to attack harder I feel like. If that’s brakes or just experience, I don’t know. I’ll have to figure that out.”

    How much do you feel lack of practice impacted the race?

    “Honestly, I don’t think the outcome would have been much different. Maybe some guys would have fine-tuned their brakes, and some wouldn’t have locked them up as much. I feel like everybody that came here competitively this weekend ran simulators. I guarantee it, for weeks on end at this track. I know we did anyways just to prepare for it. I know lots of these guys are going to go-kart tracks and we’re doing the same thing. Everyone’s prepping really, really hard so I think we would have showed up and if anything, we all would have been a little faster to get going, that’s the only difference.”

    Did you think you had anything for Austin Cindric at the end?

    “At first, I kind of did in a way. Then, every corner, it’s just a little bit here and there and the next thing you know, you’ve got 14 corners and if it’s a tenth in each corner, you guys can do the math there. That’s a lot. I was really happy to see that for a few corners at least, we hung with him. Then we were able to maintain second.”

    Did you feel what you learned in the simulator carried over to the actual race track?

    “The biggest thing in the simulator is that you’re not scared at all. You go off the race track, you smash into the wall, you hit reset and you go again. Here, you don’t have that opportunity so you’re just more timid the whole time I feel like. That’s the difference between going there and here. I think it is really close. I don’t know exactly what the lap time difference was, but grip-wise it was really similar and all that. I would say the biggest thing that surprised me here today was how well our car held on. Sometimes you come to these road courses and start strong and really fade quick. I feel like today we didn’t really have a ton of fade. That was really good to see there.”

    Are you planning to debrief with your Cup teammates?

    “We haven’t really planned on it. We obviously do it between our drivers in the Xfinity race afterwards, but I don’t know. If they reach out to us, I guess we’ll share some info. I feel like that’s the way it is with the Cup guys, the Xfinity guys have to ask them to get information so I assume it would be the same way for us. I would say the biggest thing is that you need to make sure your exit speeds are really good and that you slowly apply throttle to get grip. The guys that were somewhat beating us would drive in deep, but then they had no grip on exit to where we would kind of power off there. I thought that was our strong suit in the race and I thought that’s what kind of made us hang on there.”

    How did you prepare for this race?

    “Going back to simulators, TRD obviously has one. I know pretty much every manufacturer has one as well. We used that a bunch. We were probably three or four weeks in advance on that, running laps and trying to get used to the race track. They threw that chicane in there so we didn’t have that for a couple weeks and then we got that added in. That was pretty good to be able to practice everything there. I used iRacing a little bit, but not much. That was more working on passes there, that’s kind of what that tool was really good for, not so much learning the race track. Then go-kart track locally, doing that kind of stuff. That’s at least weeks in advance doing that and that was prep for Road America as well. Everything that went into that. That’s kind of what I’ve been doing the last couple weeks.”

    What do you and the team need to work on for Playoffs and what track are you looking forward to within the Playoffs?

    “I really want to start working on trying to get stage points again and trying to get stage wins even. I think those are really big when you start getting to the Playoffs. The first round obviously we’ve got some wins, but I think even without some wins, it wasn’t going to be a big deal to try to get to that one, but as we go down the line here and as we get smaller and smaller, it’s really going to come down to winning these races and even some stage wins carrying over to the next round. All that stuff is going to be very big and I think that’s the area we need to work the most on is maintaining track position all day and not sneaking in here on these restarts at the end to try to win them, which is still good, but I just think that’s an area we can improve on a little bit. I’m looking forward to the final round if we get there, that’s Kansas and Phoenix and we’ve won both of those this year with really good race cars so if we get there, they’re going to be ready for it.”

    Why did so many drivers miss turn one on the second-to-last restart?

    “I think once one guy drives in a little too deep, the guy behind him thinks that it’s okay to go in a little bit deeper just judging off the car in front of you. Then the one car goes in too deep, locks up and then everyone is going to start locking up. At that point, you really can’t control what the car is going to do if you get wheel hop, you get front lock up – you’re kind of just along for the ride. There’s a few ways to defend against it and try to improve it, but when you’re that deep into the corner, it’s really tough. I think it’s just a domino effect that you saw there at the end. A couple guys over shot the corner maybe and it applied to a lot of people.”

    RILEY HERBST, No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

    Finishing Position: 7th

    Talk about a crazy day at Daytona International Speedway.

    “We had a fast Monster Energy Supra. We drove up to fourth, and then I wasn’t using my head and spun out in the bus stop. We got back on the strategy because we came down and put tires on. One of the restarts, it got hectic there and I had to drive through the grass and had grass on my tires. I started wheel hopping into (turn) three. Yeah, it was crazy. Luckily, we came back to seventh, but it sucks that we finished seventh. We should have been top-three to be honest.”

    Talk about your preparation for this race. As a rookie, you have had several races where you were racing at the track for the first time. Did you feel like it was more of an even playing field today?

    “Yeah, it wasn’t anything different for me. I’ve been to multiple tracks that I’ve never seen and had to fire off for the race with no practice. I thought I had a leg up because I kind of know what to expect in that nature. I prepared a lot for this track, hoping to get a good finish and I was in a position to have a good finish, my team put me in a good position to have a good finish and I’d didn’t capitalize on it.”

    Next up, a doubleheader at Dover, where you earned a solid top-15 finish last season in just your third career start. Are you looking forward to the Monster Mile?

    “Yeah, I’m excited to get back to Dover and get back on an oval. I know we will have a really fast Monster Energy Supra. I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully, we can steal a Miles up in Delaware one of those days.”

    HARRISON BURTON, No. 20 DEX Imaging Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

    Finishing Position: 8th

    A very solid race, and you made a great rebound after a couple wild final restarts. Talk about your finish today in Daytona.

    “It was a tough race for sure. Everyone firing off on the first lap in halfway wet, halfway dry race track, sounds like a pretty good recipe for disaster for me but I feel like everyone in the series did a pretty good job not wadding us up there in the first few laps. I was learning the track, and I feel like once I got the hang of it, we were not quick enough to win, but we were quick enough to finish third or fourth. We ran third for quite a bit of the day. That was good for us. That’s improvement for me on a road course, especially in a road course at a Roval. I’ve struggled at those in the past. Good to kind of run a little better. Still need to get a lot more speed to be faster than (Austin) Cindric, (Chase) Briscoe and (AJ) Allmendinger, but we made a step in the right direction. We didn’t get the finish we deserved, I don’t think, but we were able to recover and salvage a decent points day from it.”

    How did you prepare for a race like this?

    “The biggest thing about preparing is just trying to learn the race track as much as you can. We don’t get any laps here. That’s a big disadvantage to guys that have had laps here. It’s just a tough deal. It’s all about watching as much film as you can, and taking as much notes as you can from people that you know did a good job in the ARCA race or have done a good job here in the past in sports cars, or whatever that might be. It’s just a tough, tough deal. It was a lot fun. It’s a fun challenge to kind of prepare for something you don’t even know what to expect. Obviously, not the run I wanted. I made some mistakes, but able to recover and finish not terribly and we will move on from there.’

    What do you think you learned today that you can apply to the Playoff race at the Charlotte Roval?

    “I think it helped for sure. Just getting laps at a similar race track. I’ve been to the Roval before, so that’s nice to kind of know that ‘Hey, I’ve been here before and I know what to expect a little bit here.’ So, that’s a good thing. We are able to move on from this and get a notebook. It’s nice to be locked in the Playoffs, so this is something that if you don’t win or get a stage win, it’s not going to kill you. For us, it’s all about learning and being the best team we can be come Playoff time. It seems like we always have speed; it’s just putting the whole race together.”

    # # #

    About Toyota

    Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

    Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

  • SS GreenLight Racing | Joe Graf Jr. | NASCAR Xfinity Series Daytona Road Course Preview

    SS GreenLight Racing | Joe Graf Jr. | NASCAR Xfinity Series Daytona Road Course Preview

    SS GreenLight Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series

    Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway Road Course | UNOH 188

    Fast Facts
    No. 08 SS GreenLight Racing Team:

    Driver: Joe Graf Jr. (@JoeGrafJr)

    Primary Partner(s): Bucked Up Energy | Core Development | EAT SLEEP RACE

    Manufacturer: Chevrolet Camaro

    Crew Chief: Patrick Donahue

    Starting Position for UNOH 188: 25th (Event Formula)

    Driver Points Position: 21st

    Owner Points Position: 24th

    Chassis Intel: SSGLR Chassis No. 720; competed last at Road America (Wisc.) Road Course on August 8, 2020

    (Start: 26th | Finish: 25th)

    Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines (ECR)

    Notes of Interest:

    Full of Energy: Bucked Up Energy will continue its role as the primary partner of Graf’s No. 08 Chevrolet Camaro. The Daytona International Speedway Road Course is the 11th race in a multi-year, multi-race deal with the former ARCA Menards Series winner.

    Bucked Up is the everyman (or woman) energy drink. We don’t care about the color of your collar; whether blue or white, we all require energy to power our days. We want something that tastes like success, enhances mood and focus, and most of all, delivers long-lasting energy.

    Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Daytona International Speedway Road Course Starts: Joe Graf Jr. will make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in Saturday afternoon’s UNOH 188 at the 14-turn Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway Road Course.

    Turning Lefts and Rights Again: For the third time in his NASCAR Xfinity Series career, Joe Graf Jr. will compete on a road course. Graf, 22, has never seen the 3.56-mile, 14-turn road course before Saturday’s UNOH 188.

    Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Career Road Course Nuggets: At tracks classified as a road course, Graf has competed in just two NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Road America (Wisc.) respectively.

    He holds an average starting position of 27.5 (per rule book) and an average result of 25.5 with 100 percent of the laps complete.

    Put Me In Coach: During this weekend’s Xfinity weekend at Daytona, Graf Jr. is working with fellow NASCAR driver Will Rodgers who will serve in a dual role as a spotter and driver coach for the 19th Xfinity Series race of the season.

    Rodgers an experienced road racer has four ARCA Menards Series wins between the East and West divisions, including victories at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway and New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP).

    Rodgers will be able to give Graf Jr. firsthand knowledge of the Daytona Road Course as he’s set to make his seventh career ARCA Menards Series premier start in Friday afternoon’s General Tire 100 in Daytona Beach.

    Early Preparation: To help Joe Graf Jr. prepare for the fundamentals of Saturday’s UNOH 188, earlier this year while on the West Coast Swing, Graf Jr. and his crew chief Patrick Donahue participated in the Chris Cook Performance Driving School at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Ariz.

    Popular Return: The SS GreenLight Racing team has brought back a popular paint scheme for Saturday afternoon’s 52-lap race. The Bucked Up Energy paint scheme is infused with a patriotic fighter aircraft as a tribute to the country’s Declaration of Independence of the United States on July 4, 1776.

    Coming Soon: Joe Graf Jr. is set to announce a new associate marketing partner for the remainder of the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season ahead of the Xfinity Series doubleheader weekend at Dover (Del.) International Speedway on Sat., Aug. 22, 2020.

    The Second Half: Despite the coronavirus pandemic which shuttered NASCAR Xfinity Series races for more than two months, the series recently reached the halfway point of their season at Kansas Speedway in late July.

    18 races down, 15 races to go, Graf Jr. is ranked 21st in the Xfinity Series championship standings and looks to improve his average finish of 23rd over the final three months of the season.

    Sneaker Mania: Along with the adrenaline of Motorsports competition, Joe Graf Jr. also has a vogue for hype sneakers. In his current collection, he owns and wears at least 80 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow every month.

    Did You Know?: While NASCAR Xfinity Series competition was idle during the coronavirus pandemic for two months, Joe Graf Jr. got busy.

    Whether it was working out, spending time on iRacing in the Pro Series Invitational or Saturday Night Thunder, Graf recently gave an insider view on how his quarantine went and offered even a little insight on himself as a person.

    Click here to watch video.

    From The Pit Box: Industry veteran Patrick Donahue is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief. He will crew chief his 171st NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday afternoon. In his previous 170 races, he has two wins, eight top-five and 14 top-10 finishes to his resume.

    Like Graf Jr., Donahue will make his Xfinity Series debut as crew chief on the Daytona International Speedway Road Course.

    This Is 2020: Entering the Daytona Road Course, Graf Jr. has 21 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts to his credit with four top-15 and eight top-20 finishes. After 18 races in 2020, he stands 21st in the championship standings with 15 races remaining.

    Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has a teammate at SS GreenLight Racing. Sports car standout Jade Buford drives the No. 07 SS GreenLight Racing Chevrolet Camaro. The 32-year-old will make his third Xfinity start of 2020 on Saturday.

    Follow on Social Media: 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) and visit their website at SSGreenLight.com.
    Joe Graf Jr. Pre-Race Quotes:

    On Road America: “Learned a lot at Road America. Stayed out of trouble and got a chance to race in the rain. It was an incredibly long race, but we brought our No. 08 Bucked Up Energy Chevrolet home in one piece. Overall, we’re taking steps in the right direction and that’s important.”

    On Daytona International Speedway Road Course: “Much like everyone else in the garage, I don’t know what to expect for Saturday’s race. Without practice and or qualifying, we are all going into the race kinda-blinded.

    “Sure, you can use iRacing and the simulator to help you prepare but there is nothing like the real thing. We knew the road course races would be one of my biggest challenges this season, but I have run all the laps and saw the checkered flag.

    “Our goal is the same this weekend, but we’re hoping to leave Daytona with a top-20 finish.”

    On Working With Will Rodgers: “I like working with Will. I raced with him a little bit in the ARCA Menards Series, but he has been a big help for me in preparing for Daytona.

    “The good thing for me is that Will is racing the ARCA race on Friday, so being able to pick his brain after the race while everything is fresh will hopefully be a benefit to all of us on Saturday.”

    Race Information:

    The UNOH 188 (52 laps | 187.72 miles) is the 19th of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2020 schedule. The 38-car field will take the green flag shortly after 3:00 p.m. on Sat., Aug. 15, 2020 with live coverage on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90). All times are local (Eastern).

    About SS Green Light Racing:

    As one of the most tenured teams in all of NASCAR, SS GreenLight Racing has been a developmental hub for drivers looking to climb the ranks. Led by owner and former driver Bobby Dotter, the team has fielded entries in either the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series or the Xfinity Series competition since 2001.

    Coming off a successful 2019 Xfinity campaign, SS GreenLight Racing looks to build further momentum with their two-car program in 2020.

  • Temecula Road to Perform National Anthem for UNOH 188 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 15

    Temecula Road to Perform National Anthem for UNOH 188 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 15

    Top New Country Trio to Share Their Signature Harmonies for the National Anthem Prior to the NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at the World Center of Racing

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 13, 2020) – Top new country music artists Temecula Road will virtually perform the National Anthem prior to the UNOH 188 At The DAYTONA Road Course on Saturday, Aug. 15. The group will share their trademark harmonies for the National Anthem prior to the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the “World Center of Racing”.

    Temecula Road, named after the California town, is comprised of sisters Emma (20) and Maddie Salute (19), and Dawson Anderson (20). The group has been lauded by CMT, The Huffington Post, Sounds Like Nashville, and Taste of Country as one of the top new country recording artists. Their signature sound and covers have also earned praise from Carrie Underwood, Dan + Shay, and Brett Eldredge.

    Temecula Road, signed to Buena Vista Records, has released three new acoustic tracks, “Fades” which hit Top 5 on the Radio Disney Country Chart, followed by Rolling Stone Country Song You Need to Hear “Never Knew I Needed You,” and the soulful track, “Maybe Not”. They also released a cover of multi-platinum No. 1 smash, “The Climb,” prior to graduation season. With over 13 million streams and counting, it is their original music that is now putting them on the map.

    The trio made their Grand Ole Opry debut at the Ryman in November 2019 and returned to the Opry stage earlier this year in February. Over the past two years, Temecula Road made debut performances at C2C’s Country Music Festival in London, Stagecoach Music Festival and the CMA Music Festival.

    The band was named one of Radio Disney’s NEXT BIG THING artists and was nominated in “The Freshest! – Radio Disney Country Best New Artist” category at the Radio Disney Music Awards, putting them in great company alongside Maren Morris, Lauren Alaina and Old Dominion.

    To learn more about Temecula Road, visit temecularoad.com. Saturday’s UNOH 188 can be seen on broadcast television at 3:00 p.m. ET on NBCSN and heard on radio via the Motor Racing Network (MRN).

    Daytona International Speedway 2020 Season

    Road course racing – NASCAR Cup style – is back in Daytona Beach, Fla. after running on the old beach-road course from 1949-58. A limited number of fans will get the opportunity to see the Go Bowling 235 At The DAYTONA Road Course, along with the Sunoco 159 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race, on Sunday, Aug. 16. Fans can get tickets, which start at $49 (both races included) for adults and $10 for kids 12 years old and younger, by visiting www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or calling 1-800-PIT-SHOP.

    The weekend kicks off Friday with the General Tire 100 ARCA Menards Series on Friday at 5:00 p.m. ET (MAVTV) while the NASCAR Xfinity Series UNOH 188 is set for Saturday at 3:00 p.m. ET (NBCSN).

    NASCAR will also return to DAYTONA at the end of August to the high banks of the 2.5-mile trioval with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 (Aug. 29). It will mark the final regular season race that will determine the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff driver lineup. The Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola for the NASCAR Xfinity Series takes to the track on Friday, Aug. 28 to ignite the weekend.

    Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, PinterestYouTube and by downloading Daytona International Speedway’s mobile app, for the latest Speedway news throughout the season.

    About Daytona International Speedway
    Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of “The Great American Race” – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the “World Center of Racing,” boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. In addition to at least nine major event weekends, the Speedway grounds are also used extensively for events that include concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.

  • Haley Confident in First Xfinity Series Start on Daytona Road Course

    Haley Confident in First Xfinity Series Start on Daytona Road Course

    Justin Haley Notes
    Best start at Daytona International Speedway (Oval) in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS): 3rd (2020)
    Best Finish at Daytona International Speedway (Oval) in the NXS: 2nd (2019)

    Kaulig Racing Notes
    Best start at Daytona International Speedway (Oval) in the NXS: 2nd (2019)
    Best finish at Daytona International Speedway (Oval) in the NXS: 1st (2019)

    Race Notes
    Saturday, August 15 at 3PM ET on NBCSN
    Stages: 15/30/52 Laps

    Justin Haley Quote
    “We are headed to Daytona this weekend. It’s going to be different, because we’re not running the big track – we’re running the ROVAL. It has a little bit of the infield and a little bit of the high banks, and it’s going to be awesome. We’ve run a few road courses getting up to this point, so now we are ready. No practice, no qualifying. All three series are racing this new road course. This is something new that we’ve never seen before. I can’t wait to get the No. 11 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet up front like we did last week at Road America. Hopefully we can stay up front and get ourselves a win.”

    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.

  • Chastain Up for the Challenge at Inaugural Daytona Road-Course Race

    Chastain Up for the Challenge at Inaugural Daytona Road-Course Race

    Ross Chastain Notes
    Best start at Daytona International Speedway (Oval) in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS): 4th (2019)
    Best finish at Daytona International Speedway (Oval) in the NXS: 1st (2019)

    Kaulig Racing Notes
    Best start at Daytona International Speedway (Oval) in the NXS: 2nd (2019)
    Best finish at Daytona International Speedway (Oval) in the NXS: 1st (2019)

    Race Notes
    Saturday, August 15 at 3PM ET on NBCSN
    Stages: 15/30/52 Laps

    Ross Chastain Quote
    “Daytona is this weekend. I’m pumped to get back home to Florida and run a new track. We’ll be on the road course with the new chicane off turn four that nobody has ever raced on. NASCAR has never raced on this layout at all. It will be a learning curve for the whole field. We start fourth, so that’s going to be tough for me, because I’m around a bunch of guys that are really fast on road courses and have a lot of experience. Although we kept up at road America, it’s an even bigger challenge now trying to keep up and win this weekend at Daytona. I feel up for the challenge.

    We have a new sponsor on board – the Moose Fraternity, the Loyal Order of the Moose. I got to meet some of the great folks up at Mooseheart and learn more about what the Moose is all about. I got to see some kids and see what they do there on their farm. Now as we travel to Florida, maybe we will see some more Moose Lodge locations. Go to beamoose.org if you want to find out more about what they are, because a lot of people don’t know. That’s why they are sponsoring in NASCAR – they want you to know. I’ve joined, and my dad has joined. You should join too.”

    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.