DANIEL SUÁREZ – 2019 Las Vegas I Race Advance

The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads out West for the third race of the season with Daniel Suárez piloting the No. 41 Haas Automation Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). Las Vegas marks the second time Suárez will pilot the black-and-red Haas Automation livery this season.

This weekend marks the first time the series will utilize the complete new rules package. Las Vegas is the first true test of the new rules package, part of which already produced wild restarts last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. “The restarts, I hope everyone at home enjoyed them because they were crazy,” Suárez said. “At times, I was screaming to myself in my helmet.”

The Mexico native finished 10th at Atlanta last weekend after qualifying fifth and heads to the 1.5-mile Las Vegas track this weekend looking for another solid result with his new team. In his three previous Cup Series starts, Suárez has earned a best finish of eighth, which he captured in September of last year. Additionally, he has three Xfinity Series starts, which includes a runner-up finish in March 2016, third place in March 2017, and 10th place in March 2015.

Suárez’s new team, SHR, was successful at Las Vegas last year with teammate Kevin Harvick taking the checkered flag in his second of three consecutive wins. Harvick dominated the event, leading 214 of the 267 laps. Harvick’s Las Vegas win was part of an extremely successful season for the two-time championship-winning SHR team with all four entries capturing a victory.

“It has been a lot of fun to work with my teammates – Kevin, Clint (Bowyer) and Aric (Almirola),” said the Haas driver. “They have been very good to me and have been racing for a long time. For me to be able to work with them and learn from them is very good for me. I’m excited for this season and to continue to grow with my team.”

Before Suárez headed to the track this weekend, he attended WWE’s SmackDown event Tuesday in Charlotte, North Carolina. The first-time WWE attendee collaborated with a wrestling superstar for an upcoming announcement. “I had so much fun at SmackDown,” Suárez said. “It was my first time going to a wrestling event and it was cool to see all of the behind-the-scenes. I learned that their schedule is just as crazy as ours and they have very passionate fans, too.”

Las Vegas is the first of three events in the western portion of the United States and each track during the swing is unique. Las Vegas kicks it off with a fast, mile-and-a-half track, followed by ISM Raceway near Phoenix, which is a 1-mile track, and concludes at the extremely fast, 2-mile Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.

Ford has 11 Cup Series wins at Las Vegas, which leads all manufacturers at the venue. The “Blue Oval” swept both races at Las Vegas last year. Ford’s new Cup Series Mustang captured its first win last weekend at Atlanta.

NASCAR’s new rules package is in full effect for this weekend’s event at Las Vegas. NASCAR has made rule changes for 2019 to bolster competition with enhanced aerodynamic and engine configurations. The different packages are tailored to the specific tracks on the Cup Series circuit, with a combination of a smaller tapered spacer to reduce engine horsepower to a target goal of 550 – from 750 – and aero ducts to foster tighter racing on a majority of speedways measuring longer than 1 mile.

 

DANIEL SUÁREZ, Driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

 

How has it been working with Tony Stewart?

“Tony is a driver, so he knows exactly what I’m going through and what it takes to be a successful driver. I’ve been extremely impressed with how involved Tony is with the team. It’s hard for me to sometimes separate him as an owner and as a driver because he still drives so much outside of NASCAR. He actually drives in more races than me. I’m very proud to call him a friend, now. I’ve always had a lot of respect for him.”

How do you remain so calm before a race?

“I’m extremely relaxed on the morning of the race, but about one hour before it starts, if you come and talk to me, I’m most likely going to forget what you told me. I’m busy thinking about the race at that time, pit stops and trying to go over the race in my head. Right after the driver’s meeting is race mode for me.”

What has it meant to you to join the Ford camp? Specifically, we see you talking to Joey (Logano) quite a bit.

“Joey and I go way back. I met him when I first moved to the United States and didn’t know any English. Joey was trying to talk to me when I didn’t speak any English. We have good memories together and we talk about how to work together as Ford drivers. He’s a great friend of mine and I’m excited to work with him in the Ford Performance family. Obviously, we want to beat each other, but we’re friends, too.”

ARIC ALMIROLA – 2019 Las Vegas I Race Advance

The new Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rules package was debuted last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway with reduced horsepower to provide tighter racing at tracks 1 mile in length or longer. There was side-by-side racing during each restart, but the low grip of Atlanta’s 21-year-old racing surface evened the playing field within a few laps to each restart.

This weekend, NASCAR heads West to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) races for his second consecutive top-10 finish.

The team was quick to adapt to the new rules package last weekend when it laid down the quickest lap in the final round of qualifying to earn its first-career pole award as a team and become the first to earn a pole with the new Ford Mustang that debuted at the season-opening Daytona 500. It was Almirola’s second-career NASCAR Cup Series pole award – his first earned May 27, 2012 at Charlotte (N.C) Motor Speedway. Almirola led the first 36 laps at Atlanta, but was handed a pit-road speeding penalty early on, demoting the Mustang driver to the rear of the field. Almirola was able to race his way back to as high as sixth place and secured his first top-10 of the season.

With Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s much newer and smoother track surface, Almirola expects three-and four-wide racing to last much longer, providing plenty of excitement all afternoon long for the fans watching this weekend.

“Atlanta is a track that is very worn out and the cars slip and slide a lot,” Almirola said. “Vegas has a lot more grip and the cars are going to be way faster. The tires aren’t going to wear out as much as they did at Atlanta. I think you’ll see what we saw on the restarts at Atlanta for much longer in Vegas. I don’t think it will last the entire fuel run, but I think the crazy, wild restarts are going to last more like 10 or 12 laps. I think it’s going to be wild and we’re going to have more three- and four-wide racing for a lot longer.”

Being able to drive both at the front of the field and the back of the field last weekend gave Almirola perspective on what’s to come at intermediate tracks this year. He’ll look to benefit from that knowledge this weekend in the same black-and-white Smithfield paint scheme he sported last weekend. 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.Smithfield is based approximately five hours northeast of SHR headquarters in Smithfield, Virginia.

“When we were out front in clean air, our car was really fast and drove really well,” Almirola said. “When we fell back to second and third, our car was really fast but our car didn’t drive as well. Then, when we got a speeding penalty and went to the back, the car was a handful. Getting clean air is going to be one of the biggest challenges. No matter what rules package you have, the clean air is always going to be important. Your car makes the most amount of downforce when it’s in clean air. Every car you get behind just makes conditions worse and you lose grip and handling.”

Almirola scored his first- and second-career top-10s at the 1.5-mile Las Vegas oval last season and plans to carry the momentum to this weekend’s first of three consecutive West-Coast races as NASCAR. In addition to his Cup Series starts, Almirola has four Xfinity Series starts at Las Vegas, where he’s never finished outside the top-17 or started outside the top-15. The Cuban American has also made three starts in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series and completed all three events inside the top-10.

He enters the third race of the season 11th in the standings with 58 points – 29 out of first place. He’ll look to move on up in the standings with another solid effort this weekend in Las Vegas.

 

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

 

How significant of a role do intermediate tracks play during the season? 

“It’s crucial to really excel at the intermediate tracks. We have so many of them on the schedule and, if you can get them figured out, they can make a huge impact on your season. We’ve seen it so many times where teams get something figured out at those tracks, those teams start running up front every weekend. If you look at the schedule, most of the tracks on the circuit are intermediate tracks and the most important race if you’re in the hunt for a championship. We figured some things out last weekend at Atlanta that I hope we’ll be able to take to Vegas and on throughout the season. We found a lot of speed and now it’s time to dial the handling in and hopefully go on a tear of winning at these tracks.”

How exciting is it for the fans to potentially see tight racing for longer runs at intermediates tracks? 

“Racing is about the fans and it should be about the fans. It’s great for them to see tight racing and, as a fan, I like to see tight racing. If you’re me, though, I want to see my Smithfield Ford Mustang way out in front of the field with no cars close. As a driver, you want a race where you’re not having to race side-by-side the whole time and you want the fastest car out there. Whatever this race provides, I hope the fans have a great time and continue to watch our great sport.”

KEVIN HARVICK – 2019 Las Vegas I Race Advance

Let’s face it, Las Vegas is all about luck. If one vacations out in the desert, that person could win $1 million, or perhaps lose some money at one of the many casinos on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing, knows about Vegas luck. Just look back on his 2018 visits to Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

In the spring race, after starting second, he dominated by leading 214 of 267 laps and won by 2.906 seconds over second-place Kyle Busch. Some would say he was freaky fast.

But in the fall race, Harvick started fifth and led 14 laps before cutting a tire, leading to contact with the turn-one wall and a disappointing 39th-place finish.

One day people can have all the luck and, the next day, none. That’s the story of Las Vegas.

Harvick will again play with a different set of rules in Sunday’s Las Vegas 400.

For last week’s race at Atlanta, NASCAR officials introduced a new rules package announced last October. The new and different packages are tailored to the specific tracks on the Cup Series circuit, with a combination of a smaller tapered spacer to reduce engine horsepower to a target goal of 550 – from 750 – and aero ducts to foster tighter racing on a majority of speedways measuring longer than 1 mile. Both features are in place for 17 of the 36 races, the lone exception being the Daytona 500, which ran with traditional restrictor-plate rules. Atlanta, along with four other races, were set to run with the smaller spacer, but without ducts.

Las Vegas will be the first true test of the entire new rules package, including the ducts. So, will Harvick be able to lead 214 laps again? Who knows?

But he’s has been strong at the 1.5-mile oval.

The Las Vegas 400 will mark Harvick’s 20th career Cup Series start at Las Vegas. He won in 2015 in addition to last spring’s victory, and he has five top-five finishes and eight top-10s there with 452 laps led.

He’s also competed in NASCAR Xfinity and Gander Outdoors Truck Series races there, as well. In 11 Xfinity Series starts at Las Vegas, Harvick has two wins, one pole, six top-five finishes, seven top-10s and he’s led 364 laps.

Harvick’s first Xfinity Series win at Las Vegas came in 2004, when he started 11th and led 14 laps, and his second in 2010, when he started second and led 82 laps. His lone Xfinity Series pole position came in 2007, when he ran 181.111 mph.

In his three Truck Series starts at Las Vegas in 1997, 1998 and 1999, Harvick has an eighth-place finish in 1997 and ninth in 1999.

No one really knows what is going to happen at Las Vegas with the new rules package this weekend, but that’s fitting for the city. One thing for certain, however, is that the winner will need a little luck.

 

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

 

You were in the broadcast booth last week for the Xfinity Series race at Atlanta and are again this week in Las Vegas. How do you prepare for the broadcasts?

“I usually over-prepare and usually wind up using nothing. But, it’s good to have those thoughts. Usually what happens is, if you over-prepare, the story and narrative is totally different by the time you get to the racetrack because of something that happened the week before, during the week or on the race weekend during practice. So I’ve learned to let it kind of evolve into the weekend and understand and watch and that is something that you’re going to do as a competitor, anyway – especially when the Xfinity cars are at the same racetrack. So there is a level of preparation. I think that, for me, I like to be prepared. I like to know who I’m talking about and not show up unprepared. It would be more nerve-racking for me than anything just because I wouldn’t be comfortable talking about the things that I need to be talking about. So, usually if I can come prepared, I can have enough in my mind to make it through the day. But a lot of times the story tells itself.”

You had Jimmie Johnson on your radio show last week. How was that interview?

“It was great because, in my opinion, Jimmie is one of the most disrespected great drivers who has ever come through this garage. Jimmie Johnson is just a good, old-fashioned, great guy. He helps people and has done great things in the garage and in a racecar, out of a racecar, and sometimes I feel like we forget that he has won seven championships and all the races that he has won and all the great things he has done. It isn’t like he came from a rich daddy or family that had a lot of money. He came all the way up from the bottom to the top and worked hard and had a lot of success and has won as many championships as Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty. I never feel like he is on that pedestal next to those guys appropriately. Sometimes as a group, from a fan standpoint, you are just letting it go by and not even realizing that you are watching one of the greatest careers that will ever come through the garage. So, we talked about the basic things. Where did you start? How did you start? How did you get here? Because I feel like a lot of times the fan base changes so much from the majority of our fan base that you almost have to re-introduce yourself every five or six years. Once you hear the Jimmie Johnson story and how he got to where he is, a lot of people know what he has done here, but it isn’t like it was handed to him. Our goal was to do something different and I don’t want the fans to not realize what they are watching with Jimmie because he has done so many great things, is such a great person, and a fun guy. He gets a knock for not being super fun, for being a buttoned up, tight-laced guy. That couldn’t be further from the truth actually, more so than anybody could understand. We only had 20 minutes. It isn’t easy to explain all those things in 20 minutes, but I feel like we touched on those things and it is fun to hear guys talk about stuff like that.”

CLINT BOWYER – 2019 Las Vegas I Race Advance

Everyone knows Clint Bowyer’s love of racing. Whether it’s racing motorbikes in his youth, competing 15-plus years in NASCAR, or spending his free time these days watching his Dirt Late Model teams race across the country, his love for motorsports is well documented.

There’s another aspect of his life that might not be as well known but certainly evident after spending even a few minutes with Bowyer family at the track or on its 650-acre farm in Mocksville, North Carolina, where vintage cars, trucks, racecars, dogs, cows, eagles, pigs, donkeys and goats are intermixed.

Yes, Bowyer is an animal lover.

“We’ve always had animals around ever since we were kids, so it’s something that’s always been part of me,” he said. “Heck, these days Lorra and I travel with two kids and two dogs each weekend to the racetrack. Between all the kids’ toys and the dogs, our motorhome looks like the Clampetts (of the television series Beverly Hillbillies) live there.”

He’ll get to combine that love of animals with his racing this weekend when he drives the One Cure Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) in Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

One Cure is a project led by the Flint Animal Cancer Center at Colorado State University. The One Cure program is founded on the principle that cancer affects all creatures and that treatment breakthroughs come through collaboration between scientists and doctors working with people and animals. This approach is known as comparative oncology and it is the guiding concept of One Cure and the Flint Animal Cancer Center at CSU. The center works to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer in pets, and teams with the human medical field to translate research findings that will help people with cancer.

The center, located in Colorado State’s James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital, sees more than 1,500 new animal cancer patients every year, with approximately 130 patients enrolling in carefully monitored clinical trials specific to their cancer type. The canine and feline patients are helping pioneer cancer research, moving cutting-edge treatments out of the laboratory and into clinical practice, ultimately providing hope for the next generation of animal and human cancer patients.

“We lost a great guy on our dirt team to cancer earlier this month and there have been a few folks we’ve lost in NASCAR recently to cancer,” Bowyer said. “Cancer sucks. But I’ve learned about cancer through One Cure and there’s hope through studying animals. They told me one in three people, one in four dogs, and one in five cats will develop cancer in their lifetime and it’s a leading cause of death for all of us.”

Bowyer said there are few things in life more important than seeking a cure for cancer.

“Dogs are the best subjects to study cancer because they get cancer naturally, just like people,” he said. “Plus, they live in the same places, breathe the same air, drink the same water – even sometimes eat the same foods. I’ve learned through the One Cure folks that dogs share 85 percent of our genetic makeup. If you can cure cancer in a dog, then you have a good shot at doing the same things for humans.”

Bowyer hopes race fans will visit www.OneCure.com, where they can learn about the research and offer financial support.

He hopes he can create even more attention for One Cure Sunday at the fast 1.5-mile Las Vegas oval. It marks his 15th start at Las Vegas, where he earned a second-place finish in 2009, plus three other top-10 finishes. He’s riding momentum into Las Vegas after  leading every practice session, qualifying third and finishing fifth at Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend. That finish, combined with Bowyer’s 20th-place run in the season-opening Daytona 500, put him ninth-place in the standings after two races.

“It’s been a lot of fun to run so well at Daytona and Atlanta,” he said. “Let’s keep it that way in Las Vegas.”

 

CLINT BOWYER, Driver of the No. 14 One Cure Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

 

What were your thoughts on the new rules package at Atlanta?

“It’s still early. Trying to figure out the right scenario for this is going to be interesting. You have to remember, Atlanta is a one-off race. There is no track that we go to anymore that is as slick and is as hard on tires as Atlanta. It will be interesting to see what Las Vegas brings.”

Do you enjoy Las Vegas?

“Who wouldn’t? And I don’t just mean the track. There’s so much to do there. If you aren’t a gambler, there are good restaurants and good shows and concerts to go to. I think it’s a great place to catch a race if you are a fan.”

COLE CUSTER – 2019 NXS Las Vegas I Race Advance

Date: March 2, 2019
Race Name: Boyd Gaming 300 (Race 3 of 33)
Venue: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Television: 4:00 p.m. EST on FOX Sports 1
Point Standings: 

– Cole Custer: 5th; trails points leader by 23 points
– Chase Briscoe: 14th; trails points leader by 48 points

COLE CUSTER NOTES OF INTEREST:

Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett        Spotter: Joel Edmonds

  • Custer will make his sixth NASCAR appearance at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He has one start in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, three previous starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and one start in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series.
  • Custer earned a top-five finish in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Las Vegas on September 15, 2018. Custer owns an average finish of 7.7 at the 1.5-mile oval.
  • Crew chief Mike Shiplett swept both NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2018. His last three attempts have resulted in two wins and one second-place finish.
  • Click here for Custer’s career stats.
  • Click here for Custer’s stats at Las Vegas.
  • Click here for photos of Cole.

Haas Automation, Inc., is America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. Founded by Gene Haas in 1983, Haas Automation manufactures a complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers and rotary tables and indexers. All Haas products are built in the company’s 1,100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Oxnard, California, and distributed through a worldwide network of Haas Factory Outlets that provides the industry’s best sales, service and support while offering unparalleled cost-to-performance value.

The last three finishes for your crew chief, Mike Shiplett, was a second-place in 2017 and two wins in 2018 at Las Vegas. How much confidence does this give you going into the weekend?

“We had a really good start to the year in Atlanta, so that gives us a lot of confidence to feed off of to start the year. Mike obviously has a really good background at Las Vegas, so I think we can go there and be really strong, but at the end of the day we still have to hit all of our marks and do everything right to put the Haas Automation Ford Mustang into victory lane.”

CHASE BRISCOE – 2019 NXS Las Vegas I Race Advance

Date: March 2, 2019
Race Name: Boyd Gaming 300 (Race 3 of 33)
Venue: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Television: 4:00 p.m. EST on FOX Sports 1
Point Standings: 

 – Cole Custer: 5th; trails points leader by 23 points
– Chase Briscoe: 14th; trails points leader by 48 points

 

CHASE BRISCOE NOTES OF INTEREST:

 

Crew Chief: Richard Boswell        Spotter: Tim Fedewa

 

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After testing at Las Vegas last month, what did you learn and what are you looking forward to about heading back?

 

“I feel like we learned a lot as a team. Boswell has never been there as a crew chief before, so we went through a lot of different packages and felt like we found one that was pretty good. I feel like we will have really good speed and good balance too. It’s also nice to have two cars, with me and Cole, to try different things and see how it works out. As a company, we are looking forward to it and believe we can go compete for a win.”

DANIEL SUÁREZ – 2019 Atlanta Race Report

Event:               Folds of Honor 500(Round 2 of 36)
Series:               Monster EnergyNASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Atlanta Motor Speedway(1.54-mile oval)
Format:            325 laps, broken into three stages (85 laps/85 laps/155 laps)
Start/Finish:      5th/10th (Running, completed 325 of 325 laps)
Point Standing:20th (41 points, 46 out of first) 

Race Winner:    Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner:Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner:Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-85):

  • Daniel Suárez started Stage 1 from the fifth position and ended the stage in 13th.
  • The Mexico native pitted during the competition caution on lap 35 for fuel, four tires and adjustments to help with his Mustang’s “plowing tight” condition. He restarted 14thafter coming down pit road in ninth.
  • The remainder of the stage ran under green, and Suárez ended it 13th.
  • During the Stage 1 break, the Ford driver pitted for fuel, four tires and adjustments and began Stage in the 12thspot.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 86-170):

  • The ARRIS driver started Stage 2 12th and completed it in 13th.
  • On lap 126, Suárez made a scheduled green-flag pit stop for fuel and four tires from 15th.
  • The rest of the stage ran under green, and the No. 41 driver ended it 13th.
  • During the Stage 2 break, he pitted for fuel, four tires and adjustment and started the final stage in 14th.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 171-325):

  • The 27-year-old began the final stage in 14thand concluded it 10th.
  • Crew chief Billy Scott made the call for a scheduled green-flag pit stop on lap 220. Suárez received fuel and four tires.
  • Just after Suárez made the stop, the caution was displayed, and he was the beneficiary of the free pass.
  • Suárez made another pit stop under the caution for fuel and four tires and for the crew to assess a hole in the grille.
  • He restarted 15thon lap 227, and by lap 240 he was up to the 12thspot.
  • The Ford driver made a scheduled green-flag pit stop on lap 270 for fuel and four tires.
  • Once again, just after Suárez made a pit stop the caution came out. This trapped the No. 41 driver one lap down, forcing him to take the wave-around with most of the field. He restarted 13thon lap 281.
  • By lap 290, Suárez was up to the ninth position and ultimately finished the event in 10th. 

Notes:

  • Suárez earned his first top-10 in three career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Atlanta.
  • Suárez’s 10th-place result bettered his previous best finish at Atlanta – 15thin last year’s Folds of Honor 500.
  • Brad Keselowski won the Folds of Honor 500 to score his 28thcareer Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his second at Atlanta. His margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr. was .218 of a second.
  • There were five caution periods for a total of 30 laps.
  • Only 17 of the 37 drivers in the Folds of Honor 500 finished on the lead lap.
  • Denny Hamlin leaves Atlanta as the championship leader with an eight-point advantage over second-place Kevin Harvick.

Daniel Suárez, Driver of the No. 41 ARRIS Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

“A top-10 isn’t a bad day for our ARRIS team, but we do have a couple of things to clean up. We got caught by a couple of those cautions, and that didn’t help us any. It was a good day for us, but I do wish we could’ve done better. We’re still getting to know each other, though, and overall we learned a lot.” 

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Las Vegas 400 on Sunday, March 3 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its prerace show at 3 p.m.

KEVIN HARVICK – 2019 Atlanta Race Report

Event: Folds of Honor 500 (Round 2 of 36)
Series: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile oval)
Format: 325 laps, broken into three stages (85 laps/85 laps/155 laps)
Start/Finish: 18th/4th (Running, completed 325 of 325 laps)
Point Standing: 2nd (79 points, eight out of first)
Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-85):

Started 18th, finished second and collected nine bonus points.
● After starting 18th, Harvick was eighth by lap seven. Said his Busch Beer Ford Mustang was a bit tight.
● At the competition caution, Harvick pitted on lap 37 for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment. Went from eighth to third.
Harvick finished 3.1 seconds behind stage winner Kyle Larson.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 86-170):

Started first, finished first and collected 10 bonus points.
● Harvick pitted on lap 88 for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment.
● On lap 111, Larson passed Harvick for the lead.
● On lap 127, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment.
● Harvick got by Larson with less than 10 laps to go to win Stage 2.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 171-325):

Started first, finished fourth.
● Harvick pitted under caution on lap 224 for four tires, fuel and a tire and track bar adjustment. Was in third place.
● On lap 233, Harvick was fourth and said the car was really tight.
● Harvick said on lap 251 that he was “chattering the front tires.” Was in fifth.
● On lap 270, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment, and the team put tape on the grill. He finished the race fifth.

Notes:

● Harvick earned his eighth top-five and 14th top-10 in 29 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Atlanta.
● Harvick finished second in Stage 1 to earn nine bonus points and won Stage 2 to earn an additional 10 bonus points and one playoff point.
● Harvick led seven times for 45 laps to increase his laps-led total at Atlanta to 1,197.
● Brad Keselowski won the Folds of Honor 500 to score his 28th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his second at Atlanta. His margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr. was .218 of a second.
● There were five caution periods for a total of 30 laps.
● Only 17 of the 37 drivers in the Folds of Honor 500 finished on the lead lap.
● Denny Hamlin leaves Atlanta as the championship leader with an eight-point advantage over second-place Harvick.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Busch Beer Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“We had a good race. It just felt like we were one step behind all the way from Friday. We made it the best it had been there at the end of the run. When we got the shadows in one and two and it cooled off, our car got way too tight and started chattering the right tire. We made it a lot better at the end. Our Busch Beer Ford had a solid day, though, and we were able to adjust on the car and make it better throughout the day. We just got really tight in the middle of the race, and we just ran out of time.”

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Las Vegas 400 on Sunday, March 3 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its prerace show at 3 p.m.

CLINT BOWYER – 2019 Atlanta Race Report

Event  Folds of Honor 500 (Round 2 of 36)
Series: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile oval)
Format: 325 laps, broken into three stages (85 laps/85 laps/155 laps)
Start/Finish: 3rd/5th (Running, completed 325 of 325 laps)
Point Standing: 9th with 60 points, 27 out of first

Race Winner:      Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner:  Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner:  Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-85):

Started third and finished 10th.
● Bowyer reported his car was loose in the opening laps as he drifted outside the top-five.
● Bowyer raced in 10th after the competition caution on lap 35.
● Crew told Bowyer his car’s nose had a hole in it the size of a tennis ball.
● Bowyer told his crew he felt like his car was “just on top of the track.”

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 86-170):

Started 10th and finished 10th.
● Bowyer climbed to eighth by lap 124.
● He made a scheduled green-flag stop on lap 128.
● Bowyer raced in seventh by lap 140, turning some of the fastest lap times during this stage of the race.
● Dropped to 10th in the closing laps of the stage.
● Bowyer told his crew the car “takes off too good and falls off too fast.”

Final Stage Recap (Laps 171-325):

Started fifth, finished fifth.
● Bowyer moved to fifth after a quick stop by the pit crew before the stage break.
● Bowyer climbed as high as third in the opening laps of the final stage.
● Crew continued to make handling changes to improve performance.
● With less than 60 laps remaining Bowyer pitted, reporting major handling issues. After further inspection the crew determined he had a cut tire.
● Bowyer finished the race without incident to record the fifth-place finish.

Notes:                   

● Bowyer earned his second top-five and seventh top-10 in 19 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Atlanta.
● Bowyer’s fifth-place result came one year after his career-best Atlanta finish of third in last year’s Folds of Honor 500.
● Bowyer finished 10th in Stage 1 to earn one bonus point and 10th in Stage 2 to earn an additional bonus point.
● Bowyer led both practices held on Friday and Saturday.
● Brad Keselowski won the Folds of Honor 500 to score his 28th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his second at Atlanta. His margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr. was .218 of a second.
● There were five caution periods for a total of 30 laps. Only 17 of the 37 drivers in the Folds of Honor 500 finished on the lead lap.
● Denny Hamlin leaves Atlanta as the championship leader with an eight-point advantage over second-place Kevin Harvick.

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

“Our run wasn’t pretty. I knew our car had great speed, obviously, from practice and qualifying. Racing is a different beast, especially at Atlanta. You have to take care of those Goodyears. The way I had it, it felt like I was on top of the track skating around too much. We made good air pressure adjustments and got the grip level back in my racecar to where I could compete. It is just weird. You see cars that are kind of up, cars that are down, cars that are dragging, cars that aren’t. Trying to figure out the right scenario for this is going to be interesting. You have to remember, this is a one-off race. There is no track that we go to anymore that is as slick as this and as hard on tires. It will be interesting to see what Las Vegas brings.”

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Las Vegas 400 on Sunday, March 3 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its prerace show at 3 p.m.

 

ARIC ALMIROLA – 2019 Atlanta Race Report

Event: Folds of Honor 500 (Round 2 of 36)
Series: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile oval)
Format: 325 laps, broken into three stages (85 laps/85 laps/155 laps)
Start/Finish: 1st/8th (Running, completed 325 of 325 laps)
Point standings: 11th (58 points, 29 out of first)

Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-85):

● Started first, finished third to collect eight bonus points.
● The No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang driver led the first 36 laps and fell to second after a pit stop for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments during the competition caution.
● He ran inside the top-three for the entirety of Stage 1 and noted tight-handling conditions.
● When the stage concluded, Almirola pitted for four fresh tires, fuel and air pressure and chassis adjustments. Unfortunately, he was handed a penalty for speeding in section one of pit road and was demoted to the rear of the field.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 86-170):

● Started 27th and finished 14th.
● Almirola pitted the Smithfield Ford on lap 126 for four tires and fuel. He exited pit road in 16th place.
● He raced the No. 10 Mustang back to 14th place by lap 163 and began to note loose-handling conditions.
● He pitted for four tires, fuel and adjustments at the end of Stage 2 and exited pit road 12th. After the pit stop, Almirola told the team that he had no grip when exiting his pit box.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 171-325):

● Started 12th and finished eighth.

● Almirola reported difficult handling conditions to crew chief Johnny Klausmeier on the restart and fell to 16th place.
● The caution was thrown on lap 221, and Almirola pitted for four fresh tires and adjustments. He came off pit road in 14th place.
● Almirola raced the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang back into the top-10 by lap 249.
● He pitted on lap 270 under green-flag conditions for four tires and fuel. A caution was thrown on lap 273 for an incident on pit road.
● Almirola restarted in 10th place and raced as high as sixth. In the closing laps, he held off the No. 20 car for an eighth-place finish.

Notes:

● Almirola earned his second top-10 in nine career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Atlanta.
● Almirola earned his second-career pole award and first at Stewart-Haas Racing. It was also the first pole award earned in the Ford Mustang.
● Almirola’s eighth-place result bettered his previous best finish at Atlanta – ninth in 2014.
● Almirola led one time for 36 laps – his first laps led at Atlanta.
● Brad Keselowski won the Folds of Honor 500 to score his 28th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his second at Atlanta. His margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr. was .218 of a second.
● There were five caution periods for a total of 30 laps.
● Only 17 of the 37 drivers in the Folds of Honor 500 finished on the lead lap.

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

“Clean air was a big deal. Early in the race our Smithfield Ford Mustang was really fast out front, and when we got behind in second it still felt like we were a second- or third-place car. Then I made a terrible mistake getting onto pit road and was three-tenths of a mile an hour too fast. I had to go to the tail and then, my goodness, was it a challenge. Traffic cars make so much downforce and we are all going so fast that it is really hard to make passes until late, late, late in the run. We had a really fast Smithfield Ford Mustang today.”

Next Up: 

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Las Vegas 400 on Sunday, March 3 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its prerace show at 3 p.m.