COLE CUSTER – 2018 Pocono I Race Advance

Event:               Pocono Green 250 (Round 12 of 33)
Date:                 June 2, 2018
Location:          Pocono (Pa.) Raceway
Layout:             2.5-mile triangle

Cole Custer Notes of Interest 

 

  • The Pocono Green 250 marks Custer’s second Xfinity Series start at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. In his debut, Custer qualified third, led 14 laps and secured a seventh-place finish.
  • Custer heads to Pocono fresh off a second-place finish Saturday at Charlotte (N.C) Motor Speedway, which was his best finish of the 2018 season. He led 29 laps and battled for the lead during the closing laps. Custer was the highest finishing Xfinity Series regular behind Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski, who won the race. It was Custer’s 29th top-10 finish and 10th top-five in 49 career Xfinity Series starts. 
  • Custer has earned two poles, two top-five finishes, eight top-10s and has led 77 laps in the 2018 Xfinity Series season. 
  • Custer is no stranger to victory lane at Pocono’s 2.5-mile “Tricky Triangle.” He won the 2015 ARCA Series race there when he led the final 18 laps. 
  • In four combined starts at Pocono – one in the Xfinity Series, one in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and two in the ARCA Series – Custer has one win, two top-five finishes, three top-10s and 18 laps led.
  • Custer is fifth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver standings, 62 points behind series leader Elliot Sadler.
  • In the first 11 races run this season, Custer has earned four more top-10s and has led 77 more laps than the first 11 races run in his rookie 2017 season.
  • The Pocono Green 250 is the first of three races this season that the Xfinity Series will run a low-downforce aero package. This package was debuted last season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Custer finished fifth.
  • Custer is also entered in Sunday’s Pocono 400 NASCAR Cup Series race and will pilot the No. 51 Haas Automation Ford Fusion for Rick-Ware Racing. It will be his second Cup Series start.

 

Cole Custer, Driver Q&A

 

You were the highest finishing Xfinity Series regular in your runner-up finish at Charlotte last weekend. Should we expect to see you battle it out with Cup Series drivers more this season?

“After what we did at Charlotte, there’s no reason why we can’t battle with the Cup guys – it’s just a matter of doing everything right and beating them now. In my opinion, it’s great to have the Cup guys compete with us because it only makes us better.”

What do you expect out of the new aero package at Pocono? What new challenge does this bring?

“I think we’ll see what we’ve seen already with the package – a mix between Truck racing and speedway racing. The biggest thing at first is getting all the speed you can, but I think you will have to worry about long-run speed a little. It supplies us with a new challenge and, after coming into the Xfinity Series last year with nothing but an empty shop, we have proven to adapt well to change.”

What was it like to get an ARCA Series win at Pocono in 2015?

“It’s awesome to win at Pocono because it’s such a unique track. Everybody wants to win there because of the history behind it and how unique it is. Winning there in 2015 definitely gives me some confidence going into the weekend.” 

What is so tricky about the “Tricky Triangle?”

“It’s tough to figure out those three turns. A lot of times you’ll be better on one end than the other. It’s a kind of a tough track because you’re carrying so much speed going into a couple of the corners and they’re pretty much dead flat. You have to figure out how to use your brakes and max your speed going through those corners without sliding up the track. It’s just tough to figure out the flat corners.”

 

Jeff Meendering, Crew Chief Q&A

 

What new challenge does the aero package bring in the shop and at the track? 

“The biggest challenge for us will be figuring out the attitude of the car. You want to have as much downforce as possible to get through the corners faster, but the added downforce also adds a lot of drag, which hurts you on those long straightaways. We had a fast car at Indy last year and, with Goodyear bringing the Indy tire to Pocono this time, we are setting our car up very similar to that.”

ARIC ALMIROLA – 2018 Pocono I Race Advance

Aric Almirola and the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Fusion team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) head to Pocono (Pa.) Raceway for the first of two races at the 2.5-mile track. After a long and grueling 600-mile race at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway last weekend, Almirola soldiers on to the trickiest track on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series circuit – the three-turn layout located in the Pocono Mountains.

The Tampa native will make his 12th career Cup Series start at the “Tricky Triangle.” With his career reinvigorated in this, his first season driving for SHR, Almirola hopes to improve on his previous finishes at the track. He has a best Cup Series finish of 18th at the track, with his last two starts both resulting in accidents. However, so far this season, Almirola hasn’t finished lower than 17th just once. the exception being a 32nd-place result at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth after an accident in the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Fusion. This season, Almirola has accumulated an average finishing position of 12.5 and an average starting position of 19.8 behind the wheel of the No. 10 machine.

In addition to his Cup Series starts, Almirola has one Xfinity Series start at Pocono in June 2016, when he piloted the No. 98 DenBeste Water Solutions Ford to an 11th-place result. He also has one Camping World Truck Series start at Pocono, starting fifth and finishing fourth in July 2010.

While Almirola is still looking for his first win at Pocono, crew chief Johnny Klausmeier already has one win in at Pocono on his Cup Series resume in June 2016. “Johnny has a good track record at Pocono,” said Almirola. “He was the interim crew chief for a weekend there with Kurt (Busch) and got his first win as a Cup crew chief, so we have that going for us.”

Two weekends ago at Charlotte, Almirola’s No. 10 Ford Fusion had a different look for the non-points-paying NASCAR All-Star Race. Waffle House appeared on the car to help kick off its first-ever “Who’s Your All-Star?” sweepstakes in conjunction with Smithfield Foods. Fans can enter the sweepstakes by snapping a photo with their favorite Waffle House associate and sharing via Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #WhosYourAllStar. The top-10 associates and the customers who nominated them will receive special recognition and a Waffle House gift card. One grand-prize customer and associate winner will each receive a VIP experience to the NASCAR Cup Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November.

In addition to the Waffle House sweepstakes, fans can enter for their chance to win Smithfield’s Smoke Machine Mustang designed by team co-owner Tony Stewart with the help of drifting champion Vaughn Gittin Jr. They helped create a one-of-a-kind Ford Mustang RTR Spec 3 that will be given away to one lucky fan. Fans can register for their chance to win the suped-up Mustang and a trip to November’s Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead by visiting SmithfieldRacing.com, or by texting SMOKE to 82257.

Fans also continue to have the opportunity to celebrate the summer grilling season by entering Smithfield’s “Hero of the Grill” contest that Almirola and five-time world-champion barbecue pitmaster Tuffy Stone helped launch earlier this month. Fans are encouraged to nominate their favorite grill hero by visiting SmithfieldGetGrilling.com. One “Hero of the Grill” nominee will win $5,000. Plus, the first 10,000 nominees will have the chance to see their name featured on Almirola’s No. 10 Smithfield Ford at Richmond (Va.) Raceway in September.

The Pocono 400 marks the 13th points-paying event during which the Smithfield livery has adorned Almirola’s No. 10 Ford Fusion. Smithfield, a brand of Smithfield Foods, which is based approximately five hours northeast of SHR headquarters in Smithfield, Virginia, is in its seventh season with Almirola and its first with SHR. Founded in 1936, Smithfield is a leading provider of high-quality pork products, with a vast product portfolio including smoked meats, hams, bacon, sausage, ribs, and a wide variety of fresh pork cuts.

Ford has earned seven wins so far this season with Almirola’s SHR teammates earning a majority of the victories for the blue oval – Kevin Harvick with five and Clint Bowyer with one. Harvick also captured the All-Star Race win at Charlotte. The manufacturer has 23 all-time series wins at Pocono, and Ford has swept both Pocono races five times.

 

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

 

Can you talk about the transition for you from the last couple of years to this year at Stewart-Haas Racing? 

“I think when you look at it, just as a whole, Stewart-Haas Racing as an organization is doing incredible this year. You look at (Kevin) Harvick with all the wins and (Clint) Bowyer and Kurt (Busch) and I consistently running in the top-10, Kurt in the top-five more often than I am. For me, kind of going from where I came from to now, I showed up to the racetrack every week for the last few years and always went into it with a positive outlook but, deep down inside, never knew what to expect. I didn’t know if we would show up that week and have a 25th-place car or a 10th-place car. This year, every single time we go to the racetrack, when we get on the airplane to leave on a Thursday, I feel like we have a shot and all the tools and resources to go and win. It is up to my crew chief and engineers and me and the guys on my team. We see it internally at our shop. The ability to win is there every single week. No matter what kind of racetrack it is – a superspeedway, intermediate, short track or a concrete track. We are competitive every single week. That is what you live for. That is why you do what you do, to go out and be competitive. If I played baseball growing up and lost every single game that I played, I probably wouldn’t have played baseball much because it isn’t fun. Same for racing. The reason I loved racing so much was that, when I was a kid, more often than not I got a trophy and that makes it fun. I continued to pursue that passion. Then you make it to the top and it is really hard because the competition level is so high that, more often than not, you lose, even in a good year. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, you look at all the years those guys won championships, and Martin Truex Jr. last year, he won a lot of races but he lost way more than he won. You have to identify what success looks like for you. The last two years just got stagnant and tailed off and the fun meter got pegged. It was not as exciting and not as fun. So this has honestly just been a rejuvenation for me and my career, to be able to show up to the racetrack every week and feel like I am going to be competitive, and have that confidence to know we are going to run top-10 as long as we don’t screw up. If we do everything right, we will have a shot to win.”

Jeff Gordon has been voted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame next year. Do you have a favorite Jeff Gordon memory?

“I remember vividly watching Richard Petty’s last race and Jeff Gordon’s first race on TV. I was 8 years old then. I think back to that race, it was so memorable because Richard went out in a ball of fire and to see all of the fans going crazy to honor Richard, and then all of the buzz of this new kid Jeff Gordon making a splash in the Cup Series at the same time. I think when you look back at it now, I think it’s almost symbolic, like the passing of the torch, if you will.”

 

KURT BUSCH – 2018 Pocono I Race Advance

Kurt Busch seems to like Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. And since he’s won there three times, for three different owners, he’s hoping he can score victory number four while driving the No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR).

Busch first won at Pocono in July 2005 driving for Roush Fenway Racing, leading 131 of 203 laps after starting second. He then dominated in August 2007 driving for Roger Penske. He started second again but led 175 of 200 laps en route to victory at the 2.5-mile track known as the “Tricky Triangle.” Both races were 500 miles in length.

In June 2016, driving for SHR, he started ninth and led 32 of 160 laps of the now 400-mile race to score his third Pocono victory.

Perhaps Busch’s success is tied to the track’s unique design. The triangular layout was designed by two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Rodger Ward and remains unlike any other track in the world with three different corners each modeled after a different track.

Turn one, which is banked at 14 degrees, is modeled after the legendary Trenton (N.J.) Speedway. Turn two, banked at eight degrees, is a nod to the turns at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And turn three, banked at six degrees, is modeled after the corners at The Milwaukee Mile.

Busch’s first-ever NASCAR victory came on July 1, 2000 at Milwaukee, when he started on the pole and led 156 of 200 laps to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. Former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Greg Biffle was third, while a young Jamie McMurray finished 31st. Joe Ruttman, who is the brother of Troy Ruttman, the 1952 Indianapolis 500 winner, finished 24th. Troy Ruttman competed against Ward 10 times in the Indianapolis 500 during the 1950s and 1960s.

The No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford Fusion will be led by crew chief Billy Scott. Both Busch and Scott hope that they can score another victory at Pocono.

 

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

 

You’ve won three times at Pocono, but the 2007 win was so dominant. Can you describe that race?

“The win in 2007 with Penske Racing – that was the fastest car that I’ve ever driven. That car would turn, stick, drive down the straightaway – that car did everything. It didn’t have a single flaw. I knew how good that car was on the first lap of the race. I remember telling myself, ‘Don’t screw this up.’ I ran the rest of the race more nervous than I had in years prior. I’ve never dominated a race like that. We led 175 of 200 laps. That was, by far, the best car I have ever driven. It was a great race to show the balance of that team and the strength of where we were at that point. I think the 25 laps that we didn’t lead were from a bad pit stop at one point. My first win at Pocono in 2005 was pretty great, too. It’s fun to win at a racetrack that is so unique because of how different that track is compared to all the other oval tracks. Pocono is a little bit like Darlington in that all the corners are different, so you have to manage them the best that you can and not be perfect in one corner versus another.”

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you go to Pocono?

“How unique the place is. You drive in through the Tunnel Turn and that corner to me is one of the most unique corners of all the tracks that we go to. When you go to Pocono, the first thing you really think of is compromise – you have to juggle all three corners being different. It’s called the Tricky Triangle for a reason.”

You started your career with Ford and now you are with Ford again. How is the Ford performing as they seem to be leading the manufacturers?

“The level of commitment still feels the same. Edsel Ford is still very active. Henry Ford is very active. But the immediate group underneath them now with Ford Performance. The Ford Performance group – I see it everywhere, with all their different forms of motorsport collaborating together. Whereas Ford Racing before, maybe because I was younger and didn’t see it all, felt like it was more focused on the NASCAR program and didn’t use information from IndyCar, or Cosworth in Formula 1, or sports cars. What I see now is information channels that are able to communicate quickly and gather data from all different branches of motorsports that Ford is involved in.”

Of the three turns, which is the most important to you and why?

“It’s weird, I’ve had winning cars there a few different times and turn two always feels the best when my car has a chance to go to victory lane. But, I think turn three, if you are able to pass cars and maneuver around them, you’ve got to get a good run off turn three to be ready to pass them in turn one. All of them are important. You can’t exclude one from another.”

CLINT BOWYER – 2018 Pocono I Race Advance

Every crew chief in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series garage wants to win Sunday’s Pocono 400 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, but No. 14 crew chief Mike (Buga) Bugarewicz has a little extra incentive.

He grew up in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, just 20 minutes from the track.

“I used to go to qualifying all the time there – Pocono means a lot to me,” he said. “It would really mean a lot to me to have a win there at some point in my career. I haven’t been successful with that, yet, but I hope to change that shortly.”

Shortly could come Sunday when Bugarewicz’s driver Clint Bowyer takes to the 2.5-mile layout known as the “Tricky Triangle.” Bowyer should be one of the favorites. He arrives at Pocono eighth in points after posting three top-five finishes and seven top 10s in the season’s first 13 races. Last week in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Bowyer raced inside the top-five for some of the race before earning a 12th-place finish.

The Bowyer-Bugarewicz combination has already visited victory lane once in 2018 when it won the rain-delayed race March 26 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The victory gave Bowyer his first win at Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) and gave Bugarewicz his second career victory as a crew chief. His first came at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in 2016 in what turned out to be Tony Stewart’s final Cup Series victory as a driver.

It’s been a long journey for Bugarewicz, who spent a lot of time watching his father race at Mahoning Valley (Pa.) Speedway and working on cars at his father’s business long before he even owned a driver’s license. He studied mechanical engineering and performed research for the U.S. Navy through Applied Research Laboratories in graduate school at Penn State University before heading to North Carolina to embark on a NASCAR career that peaked at SHR. He won a championship serving as the lead engineer on SHR’s No. 4 car with Kevin Harvick in 2014. He took over the No. 14 crew chief duties in 2016 for Stewart’s final year of NASCAR competition.

Bugarewicz said he never doubted the No. 14 would return to victory lane with Bowyer.

“I can’t say I wondered when, but I wanted us to break through,” Bugarewicz said. “I wanted it for the team, for the company. This team has been through a lot over three years. Getting Tony his last win was great, was a big step, was great for Tony, was great for the team. But then you always want at least one every year, right? And last year, we didn’t have one and struggled for a little bit and had moments of greatness and moments of struggles. At times it was hard to put a race together. In 2018, we have been more consistent. The team is gelling well. Me and Clint are gelling well. And we’re very fortunate that we’ve already got a win.”

Some of the No. 14 team’s biggest competition will come from (SHR) teammate Kevin Harvick, who has won five races in 2018 plus the NASCAR All-Star Race two weekends ago. SHR drivers Kurt Busch and Aric Almirola are sixth and 10th in the standings.

Bowyer and Harvick have been friends since 2006, when he arrived at Richard Childress Racing. This weekend at Pocono, they are waging a friendly battle. Bowyer is driving the Busch Light Ford while Harvick is campaigning the Busch Ford. They plan to compete against each other in social media events this weekend and will appear on stage together at 7:15 p.m. EDT Friday at Pocono’s Block Party in the infield.

 Bowyer would love to best his buddy Harvick and bring home the trophy in Pennsylvania, giving Bugarewicz a career highlight he’ll likely never forget.

 “Pocono is a really tough track with three different turns,” he said. “I want to make sure we qualify well so we can get a good starting position and pit stall. Winning in Pennsylvania with Buga would be cool. He’d be thrilled. Heck, so would all of us.”

 

MIKE BUGAREWICZ, Crew Chief of the No. 14 Busch Light Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing:

 

What was it like to watch Clint Bowyer break a winless streak and win at Martinsville?

“I’m so happy for him to finally get another one, get a picture with his son. I know he’s wanted that for a long, long time, and I really liked it for this team. It’s not always seen because we’re not always up there leading all the laps in every race, but these guys work just as hard as any team out there. We’re a really tight‑knit group, and well-deserving for this whole team and whole company that really dug hard all winter long.”

What are some of the ways you and Clint Bowyer are better in 2018?

“I think one of the biggest things we just worked on was our relationship together. I think, even myself at times, I would question myself. ‘Am I doing the right things, am I doing the right things to help him, am I making the right calls, am I doing the right things to the cars?’ You’re always going to do that until you prove yourself out again and you’re always running good and got the chance to compete for wins. Like I said, last year there were some weeks that, man, we really felt that way. We had some really good days going. And other times, you know, not so much. And we’re wondering, ‘Are we doing things wrong or what’s going on?’ But this year, you know, coming out of the box, it’s all changed. It’s all been fast, it’s all been confidence in us working together, and literally just like talking a lot and just really talking about how we’re going to be better and what we need to do, being a bigger team.”

KEVIN HARVICK – 2018 Pocono I Race Advance

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Busch Beer Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), is going into the Pocono 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race looking to add to his series-best win total this weekend at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.

However, fans may do a double-take as Harvick’s SHR teammate Clint Bowyer will have a similar look this weekend when he gets behind the wheel of the No. 14 Busch Light Ford Fusion.

Bowyer and Harvick are longtime friends from back when they both broke into the Cup Series at Richard Childress Racing. The two friends were reunited at SHR in 2017, when Bowyer joined the team to drive the No. 14 Ford after brief stints at Michael Watrip Racing and HScott Motorsports. The two drivers plan to compete against each other in social media this weekend and will be on stage together Friday at Pocono’s Infield Block Party.

The driver of the No. 4 Busch Beer Ford is looking to rebound after last Sunday at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, where he started 39thand raced up to fourth by lap 83, when he cut a tire and retired to the garage for the remainder of the event to finish 40th. The result marked the first time in Harvick’s national series career that he finished last in an event, ending a streak that lasted 23 years and 1,089 starts without a last-place finish.

While a rebound is expected after his Coca-Cola 600 finish, Pocono makes the challenge that much more difficult.

The 2014 Cup Series champion has been fast nearly everywhere throughout his career, scoring wins  on short tracks, intermediate tracks, road courses and superspeedways, but it’s Pocono’s unique three-turn circuit that continues to leave him puzzled.

A trip to the “Tricky Triangle” has always proven challenging for Harvick. In fact, it is one of only two racetracks where Harvick has yet to record a NASCAR Cup Series win. Kentucky Speedway in Sparta is the only other Cup Series track where Harvick has yet to reach victory lane in the premier series.

However, his performance in recent years could be an indication that the time has come to finally cross Pocono off the list. The driver of the No. 4 Ford Fusion has finished runner-up in his last two Cup Series starts at the 2.5-mile triangle and he has four runner-up finishes in his eight starts since joining SHR.

Harvick has raced up front and has scored a Cup Series-best points-paying five race wins, a win in the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race, six stage wins, and he’s led 820 laps this year through the first 13 events of the season.

KEVIN HARVICK, Driver of the No. 4 Busch Beer Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

 

What are your thoughts on heading to Pocono this week?

“As we go to Pocono, we obviously want to win there, especially since its one of the two tracks we haven’t won at. I know that Rodney (Childers, crew chief) and the organization itself has put a lot of effort into that particular weekend trying to get to victory lane and take that race off the list. It’s a place I enjoy going – not so much the place I enjoyed going in my previous life before I came to Stewart-Haas Racing. It was never a track we ran very well at, but we’ve come to find out that if you have the cars where they need to be and the people around you, things are much different. So, Pocono is a place that I’ve learned to enjoy more than I did in my previous life at RCR.”

What will it be like having your teammate Clint Bowyer racing in the No. 14 Busch Light Ford?

“I’ve been with Clint Bowyer since the first time he sat in a stock car at RCR and used to go test with him. We’ve enjoyed a lot of beers together and have had a lot of fun times. Clint is a huge asset to the race team. He’s already scored a big win at Martinsville and is sitting in the top-10 in points. It’s great to see him performing well, but we also love to give each other a hard time. Having Busch and Busch Light on our respective cars this week is just another opportunity to have some fun and compete against each other like we do every week.”

The group at Pocono has done so much to improve the infrastructure and fan experience. What does that mean for the racetrack?

“Well, people see effort. When you go to Pocono, you see effort from the time you turn into the tunnel and see the waterfall – going through the tunnel to the guardrails all the way to the campgrounds. Everything there has been in a transition. You feel like you’re having more fun when you go to Pocono now than you did, say, six or seven years ago.”

KEVIN HARVICK – 2018 Charlotte I Race Report

Event:               Coca-Cola 600 (Round 13 of 36)
Series:               Monster EnergyNASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format:            400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)
Start/Finish:      39th/40th (Running, completed 83 of 400 laps)
Point Standing:  3rd (485 points, 88 points out of first)
Race Winner:    Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 3 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Ended on Lap 100):

  • Kevin Harvickstarted 39thand finished 40th.
  • The Mobil 1/Busch Beer Ford raced from 39thup to 11thby the first caution on lap 38.
  • The team came to pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment during the caution and restarted ninth on lap 43.
  • Harvick raced into the top-five by lap 67.
  • The No. 4 Ford cut a right-front tire and hit the outside retaining wall on lap 83, resulting in heavy damage.
  • The team was unable to continue due to the heavy right-side damage and retired to the garage, ending Harvick’s day. 

Notes:

  • This was only the second time that the No. 4 team did not finish (DNF) a race in 2018. Harvick also recorded a DNF in the Daytona 500.
  • Kyle Busch won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his 47th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his fourth of the season and his first at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr., was 3.823 seconds. With his Coca-Cola 600 victory, Kyle Busch became the first driver to secure a points-paying win at every track the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series visits.
  • There were 11 caution periods for a total of 54 laps.
  • Only nine of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1/Busch Beer Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Any indication why the tire went down?

“No, we stood in the garage and looked at it, and I can’t tell if we ran something over. There’s enough things that could have happened right there, but I’m just really proud of everybody on our Mobil 1/Busch Ford. The car was really, really fast. We came all the way through the pack and made it up into the top-three there, and sometimes those things happen. I can’t complain about anything that’s happened this year. We have to take the good with the bad. The guys did a great job in basically guessing at where the car needed to be today with all the penalties, no practice and starting in the back. To come out and have the fastest car again was quite an honor to drive, and they’re doing a great job. It was just bad luck.”

Next Up:                       

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Pocono 400 on Sunday, June 3 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. The race starts at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.

 

ARIC ALMIROLA – 2018 Charlotte I Race Report

Event:               Coca-Cola 600 (Round 13 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format:             400laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)
Start/Finish:      9th/13th (Running, completed 399 of 400 laps)
Point Standing:10th (376 points, 197 out of first)

Race Winner:    Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 3 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100):

  • Aric Almirola started Stage 1 in the ninth position at Charlotte Motor Speedway and completed it in sixth to earn five bonus points.
  • Almirola’s Smithfield Ford Fusion remained in the top-10 throughout the 100-lap stage and ran as high as fifth.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200):

  • Before the start of Stage 2, Almirola visited pit road for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment. He started the second stage in the fifth position and ended it in sixth to accumulate five bonus points.
  • During the fourth caution of the race on lap 116, the Tampa native reported his Ford Fusion was the best it had been all night.
  • Almirola made his first green-flag pit stop of the night on lap 158 for fuel, four tires and adjustments.
  • After green-flag pit stops cycled through, the 34-year-old was in the eighth position and worked his way up to sixth, where he ultimately finished the stage. 

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 201-300):

  • Before the start of Stage 3, Almirola came down pit road for four tires, fuel and tape to the No. 10 machine’s grille. He started Stage 3 in the sixth spot and finished it in 17th.
  • After a great Stage 3 restart, Almirola was in the fourth position.
  • On lap 227, Almirola came to pit road during the caution, and the No. 10 pit crew gained him one position to restart in third.
  • The eighth caution came out on lap 258, and Almirola came down pit road for fuel, four tires and adjustments after he slipped back to the eighth spot. He restarted ninth on lap 261.
  • On the final restart of the stage on lap 286, Almirola was in the fifth position, but he slipped back to 17thto end the stage after other cars had fresher tires. 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 301-400):

  • During the caution period for the final stage break, Almirola visited pit road for fuel, four tires and adjustments. He began the final stage from the 13thspot after speedy pit work from the No. 10 Smithfield crew.
  • The final stage was caution-free, and Almirola maintained a top-15 position throughout the stage. With Almirola’s No. 10 machine tight throughout the run, he ultimately ended up 13thfor the 600-mile event.

Notes:

  • This was Almirola’s 11thtop-15 finish of 2018.
  • Almirola finished sixth in Stage 1 to earn five bonus points and sixth in Stage 2 to earn another five bonus points.
  • Kyle Busch won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his 47thcareer Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his fourth of the season and his first at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr., was 3.823 seconds. With his Coca-Cola 600 victory, Kyle Busch became the first driver to secure a points-paying win at every track the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series visits.
  • There were 11 caution periods for a total of 54 laps.
  • Only nine of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.

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

“We just missed it. The first half of the race was pretty good for us, and then we missed an opportunity to pit there when we kind of stayed out on older tires, and we were one of the last couple cars on old tires. We went from running in the top-five or -six to finishing that third stage in 17th, and then that’s kind of the end of the night. That last run went green, and we had extra tires laying in the pits, but they didn’t do us any good.”

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Pocono 400 on Sunday, June 3 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. The race starts at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1.

CLINT BOWYER – 2018 Charlotte I Race Report

Event:               Coca-Cola 600 (Round 13 of 36)
Series:               Monster EnergyNASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format:             400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)
Start/Finish:      28th/12th (Running, completed 399 of 400 laps)
Point Standing:8th (421 points, 152 out of first)

Race Winner:    Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 3 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Ended at Lap 100):

  • Bowyer started 28th and finished seventh.
  • Told the crew his car was tight in the corners and said the tires felt like they had too much air.
  • The No. 14 pit crew made quick pit stops and chassis adjustments that propelled Bowyer into the top-10.
  • Car was loose at the end of the stage, but Bowyer climbed from ninth to seventh in final laps.

Stage 2 Recap (Ended at Lap 200):

  • Started seventh and finished fifth.
  • Reported car still needed more overall grip as crew continued to work to improve the handling.
  • Moved from seventh to fifth in the final 18 laps of the stage.

Stage 3 Recap (Ended at Lap 300):

  • Started fourth and finished 20th.
  • Dropped to seventh by the halfway mark.
  • Told crew his car started tight but ended up loose at the end of the run.
  • Stayed on the track to save tires and struggled with handling as he fell back to 19th. 

Final Stage Recap (Ended at Lap 400):

  • Started 21st and finished 12th.
  • Charged from 21st to 14th in the opening laps of the stage.
  • Stayed on the lead lap until 11 laps remaining.
  • Stage ran without a caution.

Notes:

  • This was Bowyer’s 11thtop-15 finish of 2018.
  • Bowyer finished seventh in Stage 1 to earn four bonus points and fifth in Stage 2 to earn an additional six bonus points.
  • Kyle Busch won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his 47thcareer Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his fourth of the season and his first at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr., was 3.823 seconds. With his Coca-Cola 600 victory, Kyle Busch became the first driver to secure a points-paying win at every track the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series visits.
  • There were 11 caution periods for a total of 54 laps. Only nine of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.

Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 14 Haas Automation VF-1 Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:  

“It’s frustrating. You come here and it’s a long race, and what a weird race. It was like we had track position and cars were way back and laps down and then all the wrecks opened the door for them to get the laps back. Then we lost track position on tires there and kind of halfway got it back, but it was just a frustrating weekend altogether, really.”

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Pocono 400 on Sunday, June 3 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. The race begins at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 beginning at 12:30 p.m.

KURT BUSCH – 2018 Charlotte I Race Report

Event:               Coca-Cola 600(Round 13 of 36)
Series:               Monster EnergyNASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format:            400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)
Start/Finish:      16th/ 8th(Running, completed 400 of 400 laps)
Point Standing:  6th (429points, 144out of first)

Race Winner:    Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 3 Winner:Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100): 

  • Kurt Buschstarted 16thand finished 12th.
  • The No. 41 Haas Automation Ford Fusion ran just outside of the top-10 for the majority of the stage.
  • Two caution periods allowed Busch to pit twice to correct balance issues.
  • Busch pitted at the conclusion of Stage 1 for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200): 

  • Buschstarted 11thand finished 12th.
  • Busch joined the top-five by lap 144.
  • He pitted under green-flag conditions on lap 159 for four tires and fuel. He was scored just outside of the top-10 when the pit stops cycled through.
  • The No. 41 pitted for four tires, fuel and adjustments at the conclusion of Stage 2. 

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 201-300): 

  • Buschstarted 12thand finished fourth to score seven bonus points.
  • After a lap-224 caution, Busch took four tires, fuel and chassis and air pressure adjustments. He restarted in ninth place.
  • Busch drove the Haas Automation Ford to fourth place before a lap-273 caution.
  • During the restart, Busch climbed as high as second place before finishing the stage inside the top-five.
  • He pitted for four tires, fuel and adjustments at the end of Stage 3.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 301-400): 

  • Buschstarted third and finished eighth.
  • Busch ran as high as third place during the final stage.
  • He pitted under green-flag conditions from sixth place on lap 346 and was still scored in sixth when pit stops cycled through.
  • Busch held the Haas Automation Ford inside the top-10 to secure his fourth straight top-10 of the season. 

Notes:

  • This was Kurt Busch’s seventh top-10 finish of 2018 and his 13th top-10 in 36 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Charlotte.
  • Kurt Busch finished fourth in Stage 3 to earn seven bonus points.
  • There were 11 caution periods for a total of 54 laps.
  • Only nine of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.
  • Kyle Busch won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his 47th career Cup Series victory, his fourth of the season and his first at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr., was 3.823 seconds. With his Coca-Cola 600 victory, Kyle Busch became the first driver to secure a points-paying win at every track the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series visits.

Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“We just didn’t do anything spectacular tonight. We had one really good restart, but we were positioned for restarting fourth. We struggled on pit stops the first half of the race, but the second half they cleaned them up and we kept up with the track as best we could. We just didn’t have any short-run speed that was stellar. We didn’t have any long-run speed that was stellar. We kind of just did everything as a top-10 team would do and I’m glad we put the Haas Automation Ford in eighth. We’ll have to keep fighting.” 

Next Up: 

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Pocono 400 on Sunday, June 3 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. The race begins at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 beginning at 12:30 p.m.

CHASE BRISCOE – 2018 Charlotte I Race Report

Chase Briscoe 11th at Charlotte

Late-Race Accident Slows Rookie Driver’s Bid for Top-10

Date: May 26, 2018
Event: Alsco 300 (Round 11 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Charlotte (N.C) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/ 45 laps/110 laps)
Start/Finish: 9th/11th (Running, completed 204 of 204 laps)

Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford) in overtime.
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-45):

  • Briscoe started ninth and finished 18th
  • Climbed to seventh in the opening laps before reporting his car was tight off the corners.
  • Dropped to 18th place before he could come to pit lane for adjustments after the stage completion.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 46-90):

  • Briscoe started 11th and finished 10th
  • Pitted for four tires and fuel plus adjustments before the stage’s start.
  • Started turning top-six lap times and drove from 18th to as high as fifth. 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 91-200):

  • Briscoe started 11th and finished 11th
  • Restarted 10th with 50 to go and immediately climbed to fifth before giving up several positions to cars with newer tires.
  • On the restart with 39 laps to go, Kyle Busch spun on the front stretch and collected Briscoe forcing him to pit lane for repairs.
  • Restarted 23rd, the last car on the lead lap, with 34 laps remaining.
  • Rain forced an hour-long delay with 28 laps remaining.
  • Briscoe survived the wild racing in the closing laps and overtime without incident.

Notes:              

  • Saturday’s race marked Briscoe’s sixth career NASCAR Xfinity Series start and third at Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste (SHR).
  • The 11th-place finish equals his career-best Xfinity Series finish.
  • Thirteen cautions slowed the race for 59 laps with only 22 of the 40 drivers finishing on the lead lap.
  • Brad Keselowski led 77 laps to win the Alsco 300 earning his 38th career Xfinity Series victory. It is his second victory of the season and fourth at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Cole Custer .421 seconds.

 

Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 98 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing With Biagi-DenBeste:    

“I wish we could get a clean race. Today I think we had a lot better car than we showed. We were looking really good on tires and in a good position then got caught up in Kyle’s (Busch) problem. I think we could have finished in the top five. Our Ford was fast today and the guys at SHR worked really hard the whole weekend. I can’t wait to get in this Mustang again.”