Stewart-Haas Racing To Field Ford Mustang for Chase Briscoe in Five NASCAR Xfinity Series Races in 2018

As Chase Briscoe climbs the racing ladder toward his ultimate goal of competing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the 23-year-old from Mitchell, Indiana, will grab a few rungs at Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste (SHR).

The championship-winning NASCAR team will field Briscoe in five NASCAR Xfinity Series races in 2018, beginning with the April 14 Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Briscoe will drive the No. 98 Ford Performance Ford Mustang alongside SHR teammate Cole Custer in the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang.

Briscoe will return to the No. 98 Ford Performance Ford Mustang April 28 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, May 26 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway’s 1.5-mile oval, Sept. 29 on Charlotte’s 2.28-mile, 17-turn roval, and Oct. 20 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. The schedule is part of Briscoe’s overall racing program in 2018. As a member of the Ford Performance Driver Development Program, Briscoe has an additional 12 Xfinity Series races with Roush Fenway Racing in 2018, which included his debut Feb. 24 at Atlanta Motor Speedway where he finished a respectable 15th.

While new to SHR, Briscoe’s background makes him an excellent fit at the team co-owned by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart. Like Stewart, Briscoe’s path to NASCAR began on dirt tracks where the third-generation driver has been running sprint cars since he was 13 years old.

“If you grow up in Indiana racing sprint cars and you want to make a name for yourself in NASCAR, I don’t think there is anyone better to be around than Tony Stewart,” said Briscoe, whose family has been involved with sprint car racing for more than 40 years. “He’s one of my idols. To get the opportunity to drive a Ford for his race team is beyond my wildest dreams. I can’t wait to get into the No. 98 Ford Performance Ford Mustang at Bristol and the other races they have slated for me. I realize what an opportunity Ford and Stewart-Haas Racing have given me.”

Briscoe has thrived in his transition to NASCAR, which began after a six-win campaign in the 2016 ARCA Racing Series earned him the championship by a whopping 535 points. He advanced to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2017, earning four poles and winning the season-ending Ford EcoBoost 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. His 10 top-five and 14 top-10 finishes allowed Briscoe to make the playoffs, finish sixth in points and score the series’ rookie of the year and most popular driver awards.

“Watching him in the Truck Series, it’s easy to see his talent,” said Greg Zipadelli, vice president of competition, SHR. “He’s done a great job for his amount of experience. He has a good head on his shoulders and is a racer at heart. That’s the kind of people we surround ourselves with at Stewart-Haas Racing.”

The Briscoe name is still relatively new in NASCAR, but it’s a venerable name in the sprint car community.

Chase’s grandfather, Richard Briscoe, is a legendary sprint car team owner, who over time has fielded entries for 37 different drivers including such renowned wheelmen as Chuck Amati, Dave Blaney, Dick Gaines, Jack Hewitt, Steve Kinser and Rich Vogler. Chase’s father, Kevin Briscoe, raced sprint cars for over 20 years and won more than 150 feature events. He claimed track championships at Tri-State Speedway and Bloomington Speedway five times, including a streak of three straight titles.

​Chase Briscoe’s first time behind the wheel of a racecar came in 2001. Driving a quarter midget, he won his first heat race and then won the feature event later that evening. Briscoe moved on to mini sprints and when he was 13, stepped into a 410 sprint car where in his first race he finished 10th in a 40-car field. In a rookie season that saw 37 starts, Briscoe racked up eight top-five and 17 top-10 finishes, including a win in the last race of the season, where he broke Jeff Gordon’s record as being the youngest person to win a 410 sprint car race.

Briscoe continued to race 410 sprint cars in Indiana and other surrounding states. People began to take notice, and soon the switch from sprint cars to stock cars was on. Cunningham Motorsports hired Briscoe in 2016 to pilot its No. 77 Ford Fusion for a full-time drive in ARCA. Briscoe responded by winning six races and the championship.

Briscoe is working on more than just ovals. As part of his road-racing development, he has teamed with veteran sports car driver Scott Maxwell, who won the 2016 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Series championship in a Ford Shelby GT350R-C.

“I’ve worked hard to get where I am, but I’ve also benefited from a lot of people having faith in me,” Briscoe said. “I hope to reward everyone for their efforts. For Stewart-Haas Racing, that starts at Bristol.” 

About Stewart-Haas Racing:

Stewart-Haas Racing is the title-winning NASCAR team co-owned by three-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. The organization fields four entries in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series – the No. 4 Ford Fusion for Kevin Harvick, the No. 10 Ford Fusion for Aric Almirola, the No. 14 Ford Fusion for Clint Bowyer and the No. 41 Ford Fusion for Kurt Busch. The team also competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series by fielding a full-time entry – the No. 00 Ford Mustang for Cole Custer – and one part-time entry – the No. 98 Ford Mustang. Based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, Stewart-Haas Racing operates out of a 200,000-square-foot facility with approximately 380 employees. For more information, please visit us online at www.StewartHaasRacing.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/StewartHaasRacing, on Twitter @StewartHaasRcng and on Instagram @StewartHaasRacing.

Go Bowling Going Racing; Consumer-Facing Brand of Bowling Industry Strikes Partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing

Go Bowling, the consumer-facing brand of the bowling industry, has partnered with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), the championship-winning NASCAR team. Go Bowling will leverage SHR’s presence in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series to promote the sport of bowling.

Go Bowling will serve as the primary sponsor of SHR’s No. 10 Ford Fusion and driver Aric Almirola during the Aug. 4-5 Go Bowling at The Glen Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. Then on Sept. 21, Go Bowling will be the primary sponsor of SHR’s No. 00 Ford Mustang and driver Cole Custer in the Go Bowling 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Richmond (Va.) Raceway.

“Our racing partnerships have proven to be very effective at reinforcing the bowling brand among consumers,” said John Harbuck, president of Strike Ten Entertainment, the marketing arm of the bowling industry. “This new endeavor with Stewart-Haas Racing and primary sponsorships of its teams during our two NASCAR race weekends at Watkins Glen and Richmond allows us to drive tremendous top-of-mind awareness for bowling by reaching a huge audience with similar demographics.”

Go Bowling is an associate sponsor of the No. 10 team and Almirola throughout the 2018 season, with signage on the B-post of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Fusion and on the team’s transporter, pit equipment and uniforms.

“Bowling and racing line up well together,” said Almirola, who has represented Go Bowling and its initiatives since 2013. “It’s a great team-building sport. Whenever we have some free time during the racing season, me and the crew will get together and go bowling. It’s a sport that brings your family and friends together too. My kids love it. We always have a great time when we go bowling.”

Go Bowling’s partnership with Custer and the No. 00 team at Richmond coincides with the Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) Tour Championship. The PWBA’s pinnacle event is Sept. 16-19 in the historic Old Dominion Building at Richmond, giving bowling exposure throughout the race week.

“Like racing, bowling is a great sport, but it’s one everyone can play,” Custer said. “We’re proud to be associated with the bowling industry and we look forward to a great weekend on the track and on the lanes.”

GoBowling.com is the go-to site for consumers to learn more about the sport of bowling, including information about the more than 1,700 bowling centers around the country. The site helps fans find local bowling centers, promotional offers, bowling video tips, and other bowling information. To learn more about Go Bowling, visit GoBowling.com.

 

About GoBowling.com:
GoBowling.com is the destination for bowling fans and enthusiasts seeking news and information about one of America’s favorite pastimes and the nation’s No. 1 participatory sport. With more than 67 million people taking to the lanes every year, GoBowling.com is a one-stop location where people of all ages can go to satisfy their love of bowling. Consumers turn to GoBowling.com every day to find bowling fun – discovering new bowling centers, tips and tricks to use on the lanes, event news, and great deals at more than 1,700 family-friendly bowling centers across the country.

About the PWBA:

The Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) was originally formed in 1960. The PWBA Tour has events throughout the country, offering high-level competition and top prize money for women bowlers. The PWBA is supported by the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America (BPAA) and the United States Bowling Congress. 

About Strike Ten Entertainment:
Headquartered in Arlington, Texas, Strike Ten Entertainment (STE) is the centralized sponsor-activation arm of the bowling industry. STE serves all of the organizations of bowling by coordinating the industry’s sales and marketing efforts. Its mission is to increase national awareness of bowling and to assist the bowling industry in developing new bowlers and increasing the frequency of existing bowlers each year through promotions, publicity and industry-wide marketing initiatives. For more information, visit www.stemarketing.com. 

About Stewart-Haas Racing:

Stewart-Haas Racing is the title-winning NASCAR team co-owned by three-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. The organization fields four entries in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series – the No. 4 Ford Fusion for Kevin Harvick, the No. 10 Ford Fusion for Aric Almirola, the No. 14 Ford Fusion for Clint Bowyer and the No. 41 Ford Fusion for Kurt Busch. The team also competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series by fielding a full-time entry – the No. 00 Ford Mustang for Cole Custer – and one part-time entry – the No. 98 Ford Mustang. Based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, Stewart-Haas Racing operates out of a 200,000-square-foot facility with approximately 380 employees. For more information, please visit us online at www.StewartHaasRacing.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/StewartHaasRacing, on Twitter @StewartHaasRcng and on Instagram @StewartHaasRacing.

Smithfield® Building Ultimate ‘Smoke’ Machine… And It Could Be Yours

Tony Stewart, best known as “Smoke” for his ability to smoke the competition and burn up a set of tires when celebrating a victory, has teamed with Smithfield® and vaunted car builder RTR Vehicles and the man behind it, drifting champion Vaughn Gittin Jr., to build a one-of-a-kind 2018 Ford Mustang RTR Spec 3 that will be given away to one lucky fan.

Thanks to Ford’s 5.0-liter V-8 engine receiving 12 pounds of boost from Ford Performance’s new supercharger, Tony Stewart’s Smithfield Smoke Machine will have the sound and feel of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Fusion Stewart-Haas Racing campaigns in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with driver Aric Almirola. After hearing the thunder of the Ford Mustang’s 700-horsepower capability, onlookers will see its racing lineage in the paint scheme, body work and wheels that emulate the No. 10 Smithfield Ford.

Beginning May 6, fans can register for a chance to win Tony Stewart’s Smithfield Smoke Machine by visiting www.SmithfieldRacing.com.

“From being a part of tailgating at the track to home cookouts on race day, getting to engage with fans is our favorite part of our racing program at Smithfield,” said Tim Zimmer, chief marketing officer for Smithfield Foods’ Packaged Meats Division. “Receiving the keys to this custom, one-of-a-kind car from Tony Stewart himself during Ford Championship Weekend is going to be truly an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience for our lucky winner.”

“I’m a car guy as much as I am a racer,” Stewart said. “I love to see how the performance parts and pieces we use in racing make their way into street cars. We picked the right car builder in RTR and Vaughn Gittin Jr. to make sure this car performs as well as it looks. They know Ford Mustangs inside and out, and we’ve incorporated our technical partners into this build too, with Mobil 1 and WIX Filters technology getting installed. Our friends at Smithfield are genuine race fans, and it’s exciting to partner with them to bring a genuine performance machine in this Ford Mustang to one lucky fan.”

Gittin is a world-champion drifter and professional fun-haver in the premier drifting series, Formula Drift. He is best known for his aggressive, foot-to-the-floor, door-to-door, big-smoke driving style behind the wheel of his signature Ford Mustang RTR. Vaughn is the visionary behind RTR Vehicles (www.RTRvehicles.com), which builds turnkey Ford Mustangs featuring aggressive, modern styling and tactical performance enhancements available through select Ford dealers across the globe.

“We’re going to have a lot of fun building this tire slayer of a Mustang so we can have some smoky fun with Tony Stewart and Smithfield,” Gittin said. “Our plan is to take the incredible, new 2018 Ford Mustang GT to the next level by converting it to a Mustang RTR Spec 3 that screams with 700 horsepower thanks to Ford Performance’s new game-changing supercharger with air-to-water intercooler. We will also add a few other custom touches with inspiration from Aric Almirola’s No. 10 Smithfield Ford Fusion. We have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time, but with Smithfield involved, at least we know our RTR crew will eat well as they burn the midnight oil.”

Completing the customization of Tony Stewart’s Smithfield Smoke Machine will be:

• RTR’s adjustable dampers, lowering springs, sway bars and performance exhaust.
• RTR’s complete aero package, LED grille lighting and a custom leather interior.
• A custom set of RTR’s 20-inch Tech 5 wheels.
• And a unique, serialized “1 of 1” build plaque signed by Stewart and Gittin.

-more-

Tony Stewart’s Smithfield Smoke Machine Page Two

One lucky winner will be selected in October, whereupon Smithfield and Stewart-Haas Racing will fly them and a guest to Ford Championship Weekend Nov. 17-18 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. There, Stewart will personally hand over the keys to the winner of his Smithfield Smoke Machine Ford Mustang.

About Smithfield:
A leading provider of high-quality pork products, Smithfield was founded in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia, establishing the town as the “Ham Capital of the World.” From hand-trimmed bacon and slow-smoked holiday hams to marinated tenderloins, Smithfield brings artistry, authenticity and a commitment to heritage, flavor and handcrafted excellence to everything it produces. With a vast product portfolio including smoked meats, hams, bacon, sausage, ribs and a wide variety of fresh pork cuts, the company services retail, foodservice and deli channels across the United States and 30 countries abroad. All of Smithfield’s products meet the highest quality and safety standards in the industry. To learn more about how Flavor Hails from Smithfield, please visit www.Smithfield.com, www.Twitter.com/SmithfieldBrand, and www.Facebook.com/CookingWithSmithfield. Smithfield is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Stewart-Haas Racing:
Stewart-Haas Racing is the title-winning NASCAR team co-owned by three-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. The organization fields four entries in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series – the No. 4 Ford Fusion for Kevin Harvick, the No. 10 Ford Fusion for Aric Almirola, the No. 14 Ford Fusion for Clint Bowyer and the No. 41 Ford Fusion for Kurt Busch. The team also competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series by fielding a full-time entry – the No. 00 Ford Mustang for Cole Custer – and one part-time entry – the No. 98 Ford Mustang. Based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, Stewart-Haas Racing operates out of a 200,000-square-foot facility with approximately 380 employees. For more information, please visit us online at www.StewartHaasRacing.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/StewartHaasRacing, on Twitter @StewartHaasRcng and on Instagram @StewartHaasRacing.

KURT BUSCH – 2018 Martinsville I Race Report

Event:               Martinsville 500 (Round 6 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (.526-mile oval)
Format:             500 laps, broken into three stages (130 laps/130 laps/240 laps)
Start/Finish:      11th/11th (Running, completed 500 of 500 laps)
Point Standing: 10th (177 points, 80 behind leader Kyle Busch)

Race Winner:    Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-130): 

  • Kurt Busch started 11th and finished eighth to collect three bonus points.
  • The No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford Fusion was loose early on.
  • On lap 52, Busch pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment. 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 131-260):

  • Started sixth, finished seventh to collect four bonus points.
  • Said car lacked “forward bite.”

Final Stage Recap (Laps 261-500): 

  • Started eighth and finished 11th.
  • Busch pitted on lap 265 for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment.
  • After a quick caution, Busch pitted on lap 130 for four tires and fuel, running in 11th.
  • Still trying to find a little rear grip as the race came to a close, Busch managed to secure a solid 11th-place finish while teammate Bowyer crossed the finish line first to score the win for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). 

Notes:

  • This was Busch’s fourth top-15 of 2018.
  • Busch finished eighth in Stage 1 to collect three bonus points and seventh in Stage 2 to earn four additional bonus points.
  • Bowyer’s victory in the Martinsville 500 marked the 47th overall win for SHR. It was the organization’s 43rd points-paying Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win and its fourth at Martinsville.
  • This was SHR’s seventh Cup Series victory with Ford. The team won its first race with Ford when Busch captured the 2017 Daytona 500.
  • It was SHR’s fourth victory in the first six races of 2018, as Harvick scored back-to-back-to-back wins at the second, third and fourth events of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and ISM Raceway near Phoenix.
  • This was the second time in five races that all four SHR cars finished in the top-14.
  • There were four caution periods for a total of 33 laps.
  • Fourteen of the 38 drivers in the Martinsville 500 finished on the lead lap.
  • Bowyer’s margin of victory over second-place Kyle Busch was 1.146 seconds. 

Next Up: 

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 on Sunday, April 8 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The race starts at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.

ARIC ALMIROLA – 2018 Martinsville I Race Report

Event:               Martinsville 500 (Round 6 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (.526-mile oval)
Format:             500 laps, broken into three stages (130 laps/130 laps/240 laps)
Start/Finish:      10th/14th (Running, completed 500 of 500 laps)
Point Standing: 11th (171 points, 86 out of first) 

Race Winner:    Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-130):

  • Aric Almirola started Stage 1 in the 10th position at the paperclip-shaped track and ended it in the 19th spot.
  • The Mobil 1 driver was the fastest car on track by lap 30.
  • Almirola’s car made contact with the No. 4 of Kevin Harvick on pit road following the lap-52 stop, causing slight damage to the right front of the No. 10.
  • Johnny Klausmeier, the Mobil 1 crew chief, called Almirola back down pit road following the contact to repair the right front.
  • Almirola was able to race back into the top-20 by lap 100.
  • The Tampa, Florida, native requested “more drive off” as the first stage came to a close, though he was running top-10 lap times.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 131-260):

  • The 33-year-old Almirola began Stage 2 from the 19th spot and ended the stage 13th.
  • Before the start of Stage 2, the Mobil 1 crew serviced Almirola’s Ford with four tires, fuel and adjustments.
  • Almirola raced his Mobil 1 Ford Fusion back into the top-15 by lap 224.
  • On lap 255 Almirola raced around the reigning NASCAR champion, Martin Truex Jr., to take over the 13th spot. 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 261-500):

  • Almirola entered the final stage in the 14th position and completed it in 14th.
  • The Mobil 1 team battled a loose-handling condition through most of the stage.
  • Almirola persevered and raced back into the top-10 by lap 329 to put all four Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) cars into the top-10 once again.
  • The Mobil 1 driver had raced into ninth prior to the lap-384 caution, where he opted for a full-service stop with chassis adjustments.
  • Unfortunately, Almirola was penalized for speeding in Zones 5 and 6 on pit road during the lap-384 caution and had to restart in 14th.
  • Almirola once again worked his way into the top-15 and ultimately finished 14th – his sixth top-15 finish in six races.

Notes:

  • NASCAR postponed Sunday’s Cup Series race at Martinsville to Monday due to snow.
  • The last time snow postponed a NASCAR Cup Series race was in 1993 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
  • Monday marked Almirola’s 250th Cup Series start.
  • Almirola has yet to finish outside of the top-15 this year.
  • There were four caution periods for a total of 33 laps.
  • Fourteen of the 38 drivers in the Martinsville 500 finished on the lead lap.
  • Bowyer won the Martinsville 500 to score his ninth career Cup Series victory, his first with SHR and his first at Martinsville. His margin of victory over second-place Kyle Busch was 1.146 seconds.
  • Bowyer’s victory in the Martinsville 500 marked the 47th overall win for SHR. It was the organization’s 43rd points-paying Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win and its fourth at Martinsville.
  • This was SHR’s seventh Cup Series victory with Ford. The team won its first race with Ford when Kurt Busch captured the 2017 Daytona 500.

Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Mobil 1 Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“I worked all day to get my track position back after the first mistake, and then I made another. But our Mobil 1 Ford Fusion was fast, and while we needed to roll the corner a bit better all day, we still had a solid run. All of our finishes at Stewart-Haas have been solid this year, really showing that Mobil 1 oil technology performs on the track and Mobil 1 Annual Protection can do the same for our fans at home.”

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 on April 8 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The race starts at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.

KEVIN HARVICK – 2018 Martinsville I Race Report

Event:               Martinsville 500 (Round 6 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (.526-mile oval)
Format:             500 laps, broken into three stages (130 laps/130 laps/240 laps)
Start/Finish:      8th/5th (Running, completed 500 of 500 laps)
Point Standing: 7th (212 points, 45 out of first)

Race Winner:    Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-130):

  • Kevin Harvick started eighth, finished sixth and scored five bonus points.
  • The No. 4 Ford came to pit road for four tires, fuel, wedge and air pressure adjustments under the competition caution on lap 52.
  • Harvick’s car and the No. 10 of Aric Amirola made contact following the lap-52 pit stop, causing cosmetic damage to the right front fender of the No. 4.
  • The No. 4 Jimmy John’s Ford restarted sixth on lap 56 and maintained the position through the end of the stage.
  • Harvick came to pit road for four tires, fuel, wedge and minor repairs to his car’s right-front fender at the end of the stage.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 131-260): 

  • Started eighth, finished sixth and scored an additional five bonus points.
  • The second stage ran caution-free, and Harvick raced from eighth up to sixth by the end of the stage.
  • The Jimmy John’s Ford came to pit road for four tires, fuel and a small adjustment at the conclusion of the stage. 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 261-500): 

  • Started fifth and finished fifth.
  • Harvick raced his way from fifth up to the fourth position by the caution on lap 385.
  • The No. 4 came to pit road under caution on lap 387 for four tires, fuel and adjustments and came out in the fifth position.
  • Harvick raced his way through traffic for the final 109 laps without incident and finished fifth.

 Notes:

  • This was Harvick’s fourth top-five of 2018.
  • This was his fifth top-five and 16th top-10 finish in 34 career Cup Series starts at Martinsville.
  • Harvick finished sixth in Stage 1 to earn five bonus points and sixth in Stage 2 to earn an additional five bonus points.
  • Bowyer’s victory in the Martinsville 500 marked the 47th overall win for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). It was the organization’s 43rd points-paying Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win and its fourth at Martinsville.
  • There were four caution periods for a total of 33 laps.
  • Fourteen of the 38 drivers in the Martinsville 500 finished on the lead lap.
  • Bowyer’s margin of victory over second-place Kyle Busch was 1.146 seconds. 

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

“I didn’t mess it up today. We had a good car and saw how fast the SHR cars can be with the right driver in them here. This hasn’t been one of my better spots, but everything today went reasonably well, and we were able to get (SHR teammate) Clint (Bowyer) to Victory Lane – and it was a good day for our Jimmy John’s/Busch Ford.” 

Next Up: 

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 on April 8 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The race starts at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.

CLINT BOWYER – 2018 Martinsville I Race Report

Event:               Martinsville 500 (Round 6 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (.526-mile oval)
Format:             500 laps, broken into three stages (130 laps/130 laps/240 laps)

Start/Finish:      9th/1st (Running, completed 500 of 500 laps)
Point Standing: 8th with 210 points, 47 out of first 
Race Winner:    Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-130):

  • Started 9th and finished fifth.
  • . Told crew he needed more grip throughout opening run. Crew made adjustments to help the handling.
  • Brushed wall on lap 30 but crew reported the damage was minimal.
  • Turned ultra-fast lap times during the run.
  • Broke into the top-five on lap 94 and held his position until the end of the stage.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 131-260):

  • Started fifth and finished second.
  • Moved into third on lap 176 and second on lap 195 as stage ran without caution.
  • Approached the leader in closing lap of the stage but could not make the pass.
  • Best stage finish since he won Stage 2 at Pocono (Pa) International Raceway in July. 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 261-500):

  • Started third and won the race.
  • Took over lead on lap 285 – his first laps led of the 2018 season – and led all but one lap the rest of the way for a total of 215.
  • The only lap Bowyer did not lead during that final stretch was during the final pit stop of the day on lap under the only incident-related caution of the day.
  • Bowyer was the first off pit road to regain the lead during that final pit stop and got away cleanly from the outside lane on the lap-390 restart.
  • He crossed the finish line 1.146 seconds ahead of second-place Kyle Busch. 

Notes:

  • Bowyer’s victory in the Martinsville 500 marked the 47th overall win for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). It was the organization’s 43rd points-paying Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win and its fourth at Martinsville.
  • This was SHR’s seventh Cup Series victory with Ford. The team won its first race with Ford when Busch captured the 2017 Daytona 500.
  • It was SHR’s fourth victory in the first six races of 2018, as Harvick scored back-to-back-to-back wins at the second, third and fourth events of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and ISM Raceway near Phoenix.
  • This was the second time in five races that all four SHR cars finished in the top-14.
  • This was Bowyer’s first Cup Series victory since joining SHR in 2017 and his first since winning on Oct. 13, 2012, at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
  • This was Bowyer’s first win and third top-10 finish of 2018, and his first victory in 25 career Cup Series starts at Martinsville.
  • Bowyer led twice for a race-high 215 laps to bring his career laps-led total at Martinsville to 571.
  • The 215 laps led Monday were more than he led in seven of his previous 12 full-time Cup Series seasons.
  • With the win, Bowyer earned five playoff points. He finished fifth in Stage 1 to earn six bonus points and second in Stage 2 to earn an additional nine bonus points.
  • There were four caution periods for a total of 33 laps.
  • Fourteen of the 38 drivers in the Martinsville 500 finished on the lead lap.
  • Bowyer’s margin of victory over second-place Kyle Busch was 1.146 seconds.

Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 14 Haas Automation Demo Days Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“This is a place where I’ve gotten so close. I wanted to win this grandfather clock (trophy) so bad. I got so close back in 2012. Obviously, Harvick came on strong at the end of last year, but it was a learning year for our team, the 14 bunch. For whatever reason, it felt right driving up here. It’s such a cool place to be able to drive up through the countryside on a two-lane road and think about the race. I told my son this morning, I was like, ‘Dammit, we’ve got to get our picture in victory lane.’ He told me he wanted a checkered flag. Let me tell you something, Gene Haas, Tony Stewart, to give this old dog a fresh chance and fresh blood with a new opportunity. Finally, to get the 14 in victory lane is just a weight off the shoulders. It’s been a long time. You start to question if you can get it done or not. To have it come at this place meant a lot. This place is an acquired taste. When I first got here, I was a duck out of water just like everybody else who starts here, at first. I learned from Jimmie Johnson and learned from Jeff Gordon – sometimes the hard way – but, nonetheless, I learned over the years and finally put it to good use. To keep Kyle Busch, one of the best in the business, behind you in those closing laps, the nerves were through the roof. It’s unbelievable how it all came true and to have everybody here. The dirt boys, they had a good weekend, and I told them guys to come up here and that we were gonna have a good one. Mobil 1, the technology they gave us is second to none. It’s awesome. To watch those Haas F1 cars run as good as they did this weekend, and then all four of our Stewart-Haas cars had a good weekend, so it was a great weekend for the Stewart-Haas company.” 

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 on April 8 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The race starts at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.

KEVIN HARVICK – 2018 Martinsville I Race Advance

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), is heading to Martinsville (Va.) Speedway for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Martinsville 500 looking to start a fresh winning streak at a notoriously challenging venue.

Harvick has won three of the first five NASCAR Cup Series events of 2018, scoring consecutive wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and ISM Raceway near Phoenix. His streak ended Sunday with a 35th-place result at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Now, the 42-year-old driver is looking to regain his form and start a new streak with a trip to victory lane this weekend at Martinsville.

The .526-mile paperclip-shaped racetrack is the shortest NASCAR Cup Series circuit while its low banking and tight corners provide some of the closest and toughest competition of the year.

Due to its tight quarters, a racecar rarely finishes a race at Martinsville without a tire mark on the door or a few dents in the sheet metal.

What makes it maddening for competitors is that they can race to the front of the field and stay there throughout the majority of the event, only to get shuffled back on a late-race restart if they wind up in the outside lane.

Harvick and the No. 4 team suffered that very fate at Martinsville in April 2016, when he started 19th, raced to the front and led 72 laps before being stuck in the outside lane on consecutive late-race restarts, ultimately finishing 17th.

But the madness of Martinsville can work to a driver’s benefit, as well. Harvick found that out in April 2011, when he started ninth, led just six of 500 laps and beat runner-up Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the finish line by .727 of a second.

The Bakersfield, California, native scored his first top-five at Martinsville since joining SHR in his most recent visit to the venue in October 2017, but it didn’t come easily. The No. 4 Ford was collected in a last-lap accident and crossed the finish line backwards with the tires smoking. The racecar finally made contact with the outside SAFER Barrier and suffered so much damage that the crew could not load it into the team hauler.

One of the most important things to watch for this weekend at Martinsville will be stage points and stage wins, which can be scored early in the race. Harvick has scored 53 stage points through the first five races in 2018, which accounts for more than 31 percent of his total of 170 points in the driver standings.

Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row Racing claimed the points lead following his win last week at Fontana, while Harvick dropped from first to eighth place in the standings with his 35th-place finish Sunday.

While Harvick leads the Cup Series with three wins and 11 playoff points through the first five races, he still would love nothing more than to start another winning streak this weekend in Martinsville.

 

KEVIN HARVICK, Driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

 

Where do you want to be at Martinsville to help you avoid trouble on the racetrack?

“I think the best position to be in at any racetrack is in the lead. You want to be in control of the race and try to get yourself in a position to where you can have a good, clean restart and have as much clear track – especially at Martinsville – just for the fact that there is so much pushing and shoving on the restarts to get to the bottom lane that you want to try to be as far forward as possible.”

When you think of Martinsville, what comes to mind?

“Some guys just have a knack for Martinsville. There are some weekends when I show up and I feel good about where I’m at and some weekends I just feel like I’ve never been there before. You look at this little bitty racetrack and you think it would be so simple, and you go out there and it becomes so hard. We had a decent finish there last time. We finished fifth and ended up on a flatbed – we couldn’t get it on the truck. We were backwards crossing the start-finish line with the tires smoking. There’s nothing better than that, though. At least you finish the race.”

ARIC ALMIROLA – 2018 Martinsville I Race Advance

Aric Almirola and the No. 10 Mobil 1 Ford Fusion team wrapped up the three-race “NASCAR Goes West” swing Sunday at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California with a 12th-place finish for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). Three of the four SHR entries finished in the top-15 at Fontana – the lone exception being Kevin Harvick, who was involved in an accident – continuing the show of strength by the four-car entity five races into the 36-race Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. The strong start for the Ford-backed team has placed all four cars in the top-11 in the driver point standings – Harvick in eighth, Clint Bowyer ninth, Almirola 10th and Kurt Busch 11th.

This weekend, NASCAR’s premiere series heads to a completely different style of track. Martinsville (Va.) Speedway is known for its unique surface with racecars competing in very tight quarters, creating exciting racing for the fans. Tempers often flair as drivers vie for one of the most coveted trophies on the circuit – a hand-crafted grandfather clock.

Almirola hits career milestone Cup Series start No. 250 this weekend at Martinsville. The toughness of the sport doesn’t allow for many drivers to stick around long enough to make it to their 250th start. Almirola first competed in the Cup Series in 2007 as a part-time driver. While the 34-year-old has enjoyed recent success at SHR, he knows it doesn’t come easily. If the current Almirola could give advice to his younger self, it’s interesting what he would say.

“I wish I knew going into all of this how tough it was really going to be,” he said. “I think everybody views things from TV and thinks they’re way easier than they really are. The reason things look easy when you watch on TV is because those people are professionals and they do it for a living. The reason they make it look easy is because they’re really, really, really good at it. I just think as a kid you grow up, and you’re arrogant, and you think you know everything, and you’re awesome. Then, it’s especially the case when you get your first few opportunities and you’ve got people who surround you and they’re pumping your ego up, and telling you that you’re awesome and that you’re going to be the next big superstar. What you don’t realize in those early years is that it’s so tough. You’ve got to want it. Desire and passion don’t do it alone. You’ve got to have the work ethic, the mental stability, all of those things to make a really great racecar driver.”

Almirola eyes this weekend’s event as another opportunity to continue building his relationship with crew chief Johnny Klausmeier and the No. 10 Mobil 1 team. Klausmeier’s alma mater, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, enjoyed success last weekend in the opening rounds of the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament. The relatively unknown school took front and center on the national stage after routing No. 1 seed University of Virginia to move on to the second round, where it was eliminated by Kansas State.

This weekend’s Martinsville event marks the first two-day show of the season for the Cup Series. The condensed schedule means one less practice session for the premiere series as track activity doesn’t begin until Saturday morning.

While most people are familiar with Almirola piloting the white, black and gold Smithfield Ford Fusion this weekend, the No. 10 machine will dawn the Mobil 1 colors of red, blue, and white. The longtime SHR partner is also the “Official Motor Oil of NASCAR,” and the partnership with Mobil 1 continues to provide a rigorous and extreme testing ground to improve lubricant technology performance on and off the track.

Statistically, the half-mile, paperclip-shaped Martinsville oval has been one of Almirola’s better tracks. He’s earned one top-five finish and three top-10s with 2012 being his best season at the track with finishes of eighth and fourth. He’s also led a total of 56 laps at the Virginia track and has an average starting position of 20.7 with an average finishing position of 22.4. This weekend in the Cup Series at Martinsville, the native of Tampa, Florida will make his 19th start in the series. In Almirola’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career at Martinsville, he has an average starting positon of 12.0 and an average finishing position of 11.4.

To this point in the season, Almirola has completed 1,308 laps in five Cup Series events for a completion rate of 99.8 percent. Coming off five top-13 finishes – 11th at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, 13th at Atlanta Motor Speedway, 10th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, seventh at ISM Raceway near Phoenix and 12th at Fontana – Almirola and the No. 10 team have proven their competitiveness at several styles of tracks – a superspeedway, two intermediate ovals, a short track and a fast, 2-mile oval.

Martinsville serves as the final race before the first NASCAR Cup Series off weekend. The series returns to action April 8 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. Almirola and the No. 10 team have already visited the 1.5-mile track once, before the season officially started for a two-day test Jan. 9 and 10. It marked the first time the Klausmeier-led team worked together.

 

ARIC ALMIROLA, Driver of the No. 10 Mobil 1 Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

 

How much are you looking forward to going to Martinsville, the first real short track of the season?  

“I really look forward to going to Martinsville. Every time we go there, it’s just fun racing. It’s a love-hate relationship with Martinsville Speedway because it’s tight quarters and it’s easy to get frustrated. You kind of beat and bang with all of your competitors but it’s so cool. It’s one of the coolest places to watch a race, as well. I’m excited, it’s my 250th Cup start. Who would’ve ever thought I’d actually be in the series that long? I know I didn’t. It’s going to be a fun weekend.”

What do you have to get right at Martinsville to be successful?  

“Martinsville is no different than any other racetrack. You’ve got to have a good car, good brakes, good pit stops, you’ve got to have everything. You can’t win at this level in the Cup Series and have a weak link. Martinsville just really exposes a few of those areas more than others. You’ve got to have a good-turning car and good mechanical grip because the tires wear out so fast. Aerodynamics is not overly important, but aerodynamics are still important. We show up to Martinsville and guys still get tight behind other cars and, if your spoiler falls off, you’ll still spin out and wreck.”

Can you describe how difficult pit road is at Martinsville, especially coming off of pit road when drivers are playing games with each other?

“Martinsville’s pit road is probably the most treacherous pit road of any track we go to. It’s very, very tight quarters. You don’t have a lot of room to work and the pit crews don’t have a lot of room to work. Then, leaving pit road is very narrow, so you run into issues with guys pulling out of their box and you’re already two-wide and you either have to give way to them, or you run the risk of getting your left-front fender cleaned off. You see wrecks on pit road a lot at Martinsville Speedway, and then the games everyone plays at the end of pit road. They’re checking up to try and make sure that they’re going to restart on the inside lane, because the inside lane is usually – nine out of 10 times – the preferred lane at Martinsville.”

When you were growing up, did you ever think you’d be at this point in your career with 250 Cup Series starts?

“I wanted to be dirty and work on racecars. I didn’t care if I made $200 a week, or $200,000 a week. It honestly made no difference to me, I didn’t care. I just wanted to make a living, to be able to wake up in the morning and be a racer. To be able to do it at this level, and to have stayed in the Cup Series for this amount of time and have this opportunity in front of me, it’s incredible to think about my 250th start. I now realize when I look in the mirror and I see the gray hair in my sideburns and in my beard, it all makes sense.”

KURT BUSCH – 2018 Martinsville I Race Advance

Kurt Busch loves the West Coast. He loves the desert, the dry, hot weather and the motor racing facilities in Las Vegas, Phoenix and Fontana, California.

But, it’s time to look east, specifically toward Martinsville Speedway located in Southern Virginia, for Sunday’s Martinsville 500.

And what a history Martinsville has considering it opened for business in 1947, two years before NASCAR came to be. Every series champion including Busch has competed at the track, which has hosted Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series events twice a year since 1950.

Martinsville is the shortest track on the NASCAR schedule and, viewed from the air, its looks like a paperclip as its long straightaways lead into tight, flat turns. The racing there can be described as “give-and-take,” with drivers giving some bumps and taking some bumps as dozens of cars constantly fight for space in its tight confines.

So, no matter how good a driver’s car is, one does need a bit of luck to win at Martinsville. Several drivers have been leading late in the 500-lap race, only to be nudged out of the way in the closing laps. A good vehicle is needed, but also that stroke of luck.

Should Busch win this weekend, he’ll once again score one of the most unique and coveted trophies in NASCAR – the Ridgeway Furniture Company’s grandfather clock that’s given to race winners at Martinsville Speedway.

The tradition of giving the famous grandfather clock to the winner of every Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville got its start in 1964. Henry Clay Earles, who founded the short track, was inspired to use the grandfather clock as his trophy when Curtis Turner told him he had to start finding storage room for his trophies, and give some away, as well. It was then that NASCAR’s most iconic trophy was born.

Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), already has a pair of grandfather clocks for winning the fall Martinsville race in 2002 and the spring race in 2014 – the latter win for SHR. He also won the pole position for the fall race in 2006.

Busch knows he will have a good Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford Fusion from crew chief Billy Scott this weekend. He’s also hoping for a stroke of luck, as well.

 

KURT BUSCH, Driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

 

What is the toughest part about racing at Martinsville? 

“To me, the toughest part about Martinsville is you just never have a moment to breathe. You have to be on your game nonstop for 500 laps because somebody’s on you, or you are on top of somebody the whole time, and there’s just no room for error.” 

How much does pit strategy become a factor at Martinsville? 

“It’s definitely something that comes into play. You may gamble early to pick up some positions on the track, especially if you’ve had trouble in qualifying. It’s just one of those things, though, where you always hope you’re on the right one (strategy) and, if you get caught on the wrong one, then you’re kicking yourself the whole time.” 

How much more important is track position at a place like Martinsville? 

“Track position is everything, everywhere, but at Martinsville it is just so easy to lose it. It doesn’t take much to find yourself going backward, whether it’s a situation with someone bumping you out of the way or you get too high on the track and up in the marbles. Then, deal with what that does to the tires and, boom, next thing you know, you may have had a 10th-place car and now you are 18th. It’s a goal all day to work your way forward and then just to have smooth pit stops to carry you through those midpoints of the race. Then, at the end, when everything is on the line, you have to be aggressive and you can’t be afraid to use the fenders on people to get that solid finish.”