CHASE BRISCOE – 2020 NXS Fontana Race Report

Event:  Production Alliance Group 300 (Round 3 of 33)
Series:  NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location:  Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California (2-mile oval)
Format:  150 laps, broken into three stages (35 laps/35 laps/80 laps)
Start/Finish:  3rd/19th (Running, completed 148 of 150 laps)
Point Standing:  2nd (126 points, 10 behind leader)

Race Winner:  Harrison Burton of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner:  Brandon Jones of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner:  Brandon Jones of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Key Moment:

Chase Briscoe led three times for 16 laps in the Production Alliance Group 300 Saturday at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, but a late-race spin relegated the 25-year-old racer from Mitchell, Indiana, to a 19th-place finish. Briscoe started third in the 150-lap race around the 2-mile oval and proved to be a top-five mainstay, but he and crew chief Richard Boswell continued to improve their No. 98 Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang, and their collective work took hold on lap 97 when Briscoe took the lead for the first time. A spirited battle with rookie Harrison Burton where the duo swapped the lead twice made for some nail-biting moments, but Burton ultimately pulled away on lap 118 after Briscoe got loose off turn two. Briscoe’s No. 98 Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang continued to get looser as the race wore on, and on lap 126 the rear end of his racecar came around off turn four, sending Briscoe spinning into the infield grass. The time it took to get the car refired and fitted with four new tires put Briscoe a lap down, and then a flat tire with three laps to go sent Briscoe further down the leaderboard, with the 19th-place result unrepresentative of his overall performance.

Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 98 Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

“We had a pretty good Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang and just couldn’t ever get track position early in the race. When we finally got the track position, we had a voltage issue where the motor kept shutting off. I kept overdriving it trying to make up for it and then I just spun out off of four and that buried us, obviously. That one is on me. We definitely had a car capable of winning, or for sure running second at the absolute worst. I don’t even know where we ended up. We will have to just go to Phoenix and try to not do that again.”

Notes:                   

● Briscoe’s 16 laps led were his first laps led at Fontana.
● Briscoe finished second in Stage 1 to earn nine bonus points and fourth in Stage 2 to earn seven more bonus points.
● This was Briscoe’s second Xfinity Series start at Fontana and his 53rd career Xfinity Series start.
● Harrison Burton won the Production Alliance Group 300 to score his first career Xfinity Series win. His margin of victory over second-place Riley Herbst was .455 of a second.
● There were eight caution periods for a total of 36 laps.
● Only 15 of the 36 drivers finished on the lead lap.
● Burton leaves Fontana as the championship leader with a 10-point advantage over second-place Briscoe.

Next Up:               

The next event on the Xfinity Series schedule is the LS Tractor 200 on Saturday, March 7 at Phoenix Raceway. The race starts at 4 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

CHASE BRISCOE – 2020 NXS Fontana Race Advance

Event:            Production Alliance Group 300 (Round 3 of 33)
Date:              Feb. 29, 2020
Location:      Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California
Layout:         2-mile oval

Chase Briscoe Notes of Interest

●  The Production Alliance Group 300 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, is the third event on the 33-race NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule. It will mark Briscoe’s 53rd career Xfinity Series start and his second at Fontana.

●  In Briscoe’s only Xfinity Series start at Fontana, which came in last year’s Production Alliance Group 300, he started sixth and finished fifth.

●  Briscoe captured his first win of the season last Sunday in the Boyd Gaming 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 25-year-old driver from Mitchell, Indiana, led five times for a race-high 89 laps to earn his third career Xfinity Series win and his first at Las Vegas.

●  Briscoe comes into Fontana as the Xfinity Series championship point leader. His victory at Las Vegas combined with his fifth-place finish in the season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway gave Briscoe a seven-point advantage over his nearest championship pursuer, Noah Gragson.

●  In addition to being the title sponsor of the Xfinity Series race at Fontana, Production Alliance Group is the primary sponsor of Briscoe and the No. 98 Ford Mustang from Stewart-Haas Racing. It is the first of three events where the Tustin, California-based premium live-event and creative development company will adorn Briscoe’s No. 98 machine. Production Alliance Group will return with Briscoe May 2 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway and Sept. 26 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

●  The No. 98 Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang carries a lineage to Carroll Shelby, an automotive jack-of-all-trades who raced and built performance cars. Shelby won the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans as a driver and founded Shelby American in 1962. There, he took British AC roadsters and fitted them with Ford engines, creating the Shelby Cobra. That relationship with Ford led Shelby to develop the Ford GT40 and win Le Mans in back-to-back seasons as a constructor (1966 and 1967). Ford asked Shelby to take its new Mustang racing in 1965, and he promptly made it a champion. Today, the Shelby name is synonymous with the Ford Mustang, and Shelby’s iconic No. 98 – which he originally raced and then used during his time as a racing constructor – adorns Briscoe’s No. 98 Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang. In fact, the grille of the No. 98 Ford Mustang features the iconic Shelby Cobra badge.

●  DYK?: Before Shelby won Le Mans in 1966, his Ford GT40 won the 1966 Rolex 24 at Daytona. Both of these races were chronicled in the recent Oscar-winning movie Ford v Ferrari, and it is the 1966 Rolex 24 at Daytona that has a connection to Auto Club Speedway. Ford v Ferrari director James Mangold transformed the southern California racetrack into the Daytona road course of the 1960s by creating a historically accurate, digital replica of Daytona and filling it with cheering fans. Artists removed backgrounds from production footage shot at Auto Club Speedway and replaced them with digital replicas of Daytona’s grandstand and its environment, populating the stands with tens of thousands of digital spectators while applying other enhancements to help replicate the look and intensity of the actual race. Actor Matt Damon played Shelby, while Christian Bale played the role of Ken Miles, who drove the Ford GT40 to victory at Daytona. The number of that race-winning car? No. 98, of course.

CHASE BRISCOE, Driver of the No. 98 Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang:

You earned your first win of the season in the second race of the year last Sunday at Las Vegas. How important was that victory for you and the No. 98 Production Alliance Group team?

“It was definitely a team win. Our Ford Mustang was really good out front, but we struggled in dirty air, so the last pit stop was crucial to get back out front. It’s nice to be able to get to victory lane this early in the season – for us and all of the partners we’ve got on board this year. I feel like this is something we can do all year long, and I’m thankful to be the one with the opportunity to drive the No. 98 and work with Richard Boswell (crew chief) and this team. It’s even more fun to be able to start off the West Coast swing with a win to where we can go out to Fontana with Production Alliance Group and just have fun.”

Drivers talk about Fontana being a fun racetrack. What makes it fun?

“It’s one of those tracks that is really fun to go to as a driver. Last year was the first time I ever got to go there, and it was a track I had circled on the schedule for a long time. It’s so slick and worn out. It’s not the same shape or even the size of Homestead, but it races a lot like Homestead where you kind of start off of the wall and, as the run progresses, you get up to the wall. Now that I’ve gotten a lot more experience in the Xfinity Series, I’m looking forward to going back and having a shot at a good run with our Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang, especially with it being such a big weekend for their group. Last year, we were in the top-five and had good speed at the end of the race but, honestly, it took me the whole race to figure out how to run the track, so I’m looking forward to going back there this year with a baseline of where to start.”

You mentioned how the track surface at Fontana is old and worn out – in fact, it’s the oldest surface on the Xfinity Series circuit, dating back to 1996. Seams separate the four main lanes of the track. When you cross over those seams, do they upset the car’s handling?

“I feel like any race we go to the seams really affect us, but it seems like Fontana is the worst. You throw that into how rough that place is and how worn out it is, and it really makes it challenging. But I feel like this is the kind of track that plays into a dirt guy’s background – and I love racing dirt – because it changes so much throughout the race. You have to save your tires because it’s slick and worn out and you want to be there with a shot at the end. For a two-mile racetrack, it requires the most throttle control we have to use out of anywhere we go. Hopefully, we go out there and it’s 100 degrees and really slick.”

COLE CUSTER – 2020 Fontana Race Advance

The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series ventures to California this weekend for Sunday’s 400-mile race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. Cole Custer will pilot the No. 41 Haas Automation/Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) at the 2-mile oval.

Auto Club Speedway is the second of three races in the 2020 West Coast Swing. Last weekend, Custer raced at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he started 17th after Saturday qualifying was cancelled due to weather and the starting grid was set by owners points, per the NASCAR rule book. The 22-year-old went two laps down at one point in the 267-lap event at the 1.5-mile track, but he was able to return to the lead lap and ultimately finished 19th in the Production Alliance Group/Haas Automation Mustang. The result bettered Custer’s previous Las Vegas Cup Series finish of 25th.

Custer, who is from Ladera Ranch, California, which is located approximately 50 miles south of Fontana, will be making his first Cup Series start at his home track. Two hours west of Fontana, at I-10 Speedway in Blythe, California, Custer won three Late Model stock car events at age 14 in 2012 to become the track’s youngest Late Model winner.

Riding along on the No. 41 Ford Mustang this weekend are two California companies – Haas Automation based in Oxnard, and Production Alliance Group, based in Tustin.

Haas Automation, founded in 1983 by SHR co-owner Gene Haas, is America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. The company manufactures a complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers and rotary tables and indexers. All Haas products are constructed in the company’s 1.1 million-square-foot Oxnard manufacturing facility and distributed through a worldwide network of Haas Factory Outlets.

Production Alliance Group (PAG) will share the No. 41 livery with Haas Automation for the second weekend in a row. PAG is a premium live-event and creative development company. The company’s creative works can been seen at concerts, award shows, sporting events, or corporate events. From the lights to the sound and everything in-between, PAG is the creativity and execution behind it all.

What makes the PAG relationship unique with the No. 41 team is that its President and CEO Dale Sahlin met Custer in victory lane at Auto Club Speedway after Custer won the Production Alliance Group 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race there last March. Sahlin and Custer formed a relationship, which led to PAG increasing its presence within NASCAR to SHR’s Xfinity Series program last season and now to the Cup Series.

Custer has three Fontana appearances in the Xfinity Series, all of which he started within the top-four. He started third in last year’s race and led 29 laps on his way to his first victory at his home track. He took the checkered flag 1.927 seconds ahead of second-place finisher, Kyle Busch.

Even though Custer had a trio of starts in the Cup Series in 2018, 2020 officially marks his Rookie of the Year campaign in NASCAR’s most prestigious series. He’s competing with notables Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick, and the three have battled against each other in the Xfinity Series and are making the full-time transition to the Cup Series together. Custer was the second-highest-finishing rookie at Las Vegas last weekend with his 19th-place finish.

In addition to last year’s win with Custer at Fontana, No. 41 team crew chief Mike Shiplett also won the 2017 Xfinity Series race with driver Kyle Larson. The veteran crew chief led Custer to a career-high seven wins in 2019 Xfinity Series competition – second-most in the series. In total, the crew chief from Amherst, Ohio added six poles with Custer, 17 top-five finishes and 24 top-10s, and 922 laps led in 2019.

 

COLE CUSTER, Driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation/Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

 

What do you like about racing at your home track, Auto Club Speedway?

“We won in the Xfinity car there last year, so that was pretty cool. It’s a great track because you’re moving around so much, slipping and sliding.”

What is your most embarrassing moment in a car, be it a racecar or a regular street car?

“I do not have the best track record on the actual road – I’ve been in a couple of car accidents. I hit somebody in a parking lot once at school, and it was bad because everybody saw it. The lady was yelling at me and I think that is probably the one that sticks out the most.”

How are you going to shine among the strong rookie class this year?

“For me, it’s just focusing on myself and whatever problems I encounter, and learning the most that I can. I know I’m not going to do everything perfectly. I’m just going to take it one step at a time.”

CLINT BOWYER – 2020 Fontana Race Advance

Clint Bowyer has some interesting advice for rookie teammate Cole Custer, who makes his NASCAR Cup Series debut at his home track of Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California this weekend.

The 22-year-old native of Ladera Ranch, California is Bowyer’s newest teammate at SHR joining the driver lineup that includes veterans Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola. Bowyer’s rookie year in the Cup series came in 2006 season, when he drove the No. 07 car at Richard Childress Racing

“I don’t remember any of it,” joked Bowyer. “I was sponsored by Jack Daniels and that was kind of a fog area in my life, as a matter of fact. So, first thing I would tell him is stay off of the bottle.”

Bowyer actually does remember that season.

“He’ll have this, the shock of looking over, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s Jeff Gordon, that’s Tony Stewart,’ and then all of a sudden I remember I’m fixing to pass Tony Stewart. ‘What is going on here?’ And, you know, and then all of a sudden I’m racing Tony Stewart!

“That is a critical moment in which you need to realize you’re a rookie, realize the situation you’re in and get the hell out of Dodge or they’re going to just teach you a lesson. That will happen in his rookie season. Be ready for it. You know one or two things are going to happen. You’re going to learn from it or you’re going to bull up and you’re going to make it hard on yourself. I did both. There’s no question I did both.”

Bowyer said Custer will go through all the trials every other driver goes through to establish himself in the Cup Series, but the key for Custer and any of the notable full-time Cup Series rookies in 2020 is to remain confident.

“You can’t lose your confidence because that’s exactly what’s going to happen,” Bowyer said. “Racing is all – competition is all about confidence, and the first thing that they’re going to try to take from you is your confidence. You have to stay confident, you have to stay focused on the prize and you have to set realistic goals.

“Cole has come out of the Xfinity Series. He won a ton of races last year. That’s exactly what his lifestyle and his brain is trained to think is going to happen. Might happen. But you’ve got to be ready to set realistic goals and not think you’re just going to go out there and dominate every lap and every race. When that happens, when you think that is going to happen, the next thing you know you’re 10 feet over your head and you wreck, and then you take it all away. Now you’ve knocked that confidence down a notch and another notch and another notch. Now you’re trying even harder than you ever were before. Now it’s another notch. Now you’ve rock bottomed and you’re lost.”

Bowyer doesn’t have to worry about confidence going to Auto Club Speedway. He finished sixth at the season-opening Daytona 500 and 12th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend. His SHR No. 14 Ford is 13th in points coming in to Sunday’s race at the ultra-fast, 2-mile California oval where cars are often four- and even five-wide as they battle for all-important track position once the green flag flies.

Drivers know that it’s easier to gain spots in the opening laps than later in the run, when passing is most difficult.

“The restarts at California have always been awesome,” said Bowyer, who added that drivers can choose from among five different racing lines on the D-shaped oval. “I think it’s great for the fans. As a driver, you think I should get up there and race and get as many positions as I can. But, part of you is thinking that maybe I should just be safe this early in the race, hang back a bit and make sure we survive. Problem is, if you hang back and they don’t wreck, you feel stupid.”

Bowyer’s No. 14 Mustang will carry the logos of Rush Truck Centers and Haas Automation this weekend. Rush has been the primary partner for the No. 14 team since Bowyer arrived at SHR in 2017 and has been with the organization since 2010. The Texas-based company has used Bowyer and the team to appeal to NASCAR fans as one way to recruit the technicians it needs to operate the largest network of commercial truck and bus dealerships in the country, with locations in 22 states. According to Rush Truck Centers, the trucking industry is expected to need 200,000 diesel technicians over the next 10 years to keep up with maintenance demands.

Rush Truck Centers wants to make NASCAR fans aware of these opportunities and knows that, with Bowyer’s background working in his dad’s towing service in Emporia Kansas, he understands the importance of keeping trucks up and running. That is why Rush is proud to partner with Bowyer and support the trucks that haul the racecars as well as customers across the country with its total service management package, RushCare Complete. This all-inclusive solution provides dedicated concierge service, vehicle telematics, mobile service, express routine maintenance, real-time service updates and a comprehensive source for all-makes parts.

Haas Automation, owned by SHR co-owner and California native Gene Haas, is America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. Founded by 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 1.1-million-square-foot manufacturing facility in nearby Oxnard, California, and distributed through a worldwide network of Haas Factory Outlets.

“I know Rush and Haas will have a lot of guests this weekend,” Bowyer said. “I’d love nothing better than to give them a good run. Heck, I’d let the Haas folks take the trophy back to Oxnard if we win it.”

 

CLINT BOWYER, Driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Haas Automation Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

 

What are your thoughts on Auto Club Speedway?

“The speeds are always very fast at California and, on top of that, the grip level goes away drastically fast. For me, I love that. I love how the track slicks off and you have to focus on the balance. You can’t have that front end turning too good and have that rear end pulling out from under you, and vice versa.”

What are your thoughts about SHR co-owner and California native Gene Haas?

“Everybody knows what Tony (Stewart) brought to the table. Gene is that rock. He is the rock behind all of us. That enables us to go out and perform at our best. It’s never a question of, ‘What does it take financially?’ or anything else. It’s, ‘What does it take to win?’ What does it take to be better? What does it take to find victory lane?’ Those are the questions Gene Haas asks and that’s it. He doesn’t talk about, ‘Well, that was a good top-10 finish.’ You can be proud of a good run somewhere. Maybe that was a track you struggle at, maybe you run fifth or sixth – no call. Winning and winning only is what he does in his industry. It bleeds through to his employees and everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing.”

KEVIN HARVICK – 2020 Fontana Race Advance

It’s Homecoming week for Kevin Harvick as he heads to the Auto Club 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), is from Bakersfield, Calif., which is about three hours north of Fontana. There will be no cheerleaders, bands or football players, however. Instead, it will be members of his Mobil 1 crew and a loud and powerful No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang that will greet him as he returns to his home state.

Fontana has been good to Harvick as he has one win, seven top-five finishes and 12 top-10s in 27 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at the 2-mile oval. The 44-year-old driver has led 237 laps there and has an average starting position of 14.8, an average finish of 15.4, and has completed 98.6 percent – 5,874 of 5,956 – of the laps he’s contested.

He has competed in some sort of race at Fontana every year since 1997, the year Auto Club Speedway opened. He started in October of that year in a NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race driving for Wayne Spears. He finished 20th. No one, probably not even Harvick, could have imagined he would race there each year since. He now enters his fourth decade of racing at Fontana.

In addition to crew chief Rodney Childers and the No. 4 team helping Harvick, he will also have the support again of sponsor and technical partner Mobil 1.

Mobil 1 isn’t just the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand, it also provides the entire SHR team with leading lubricant technology, ensuring that all SHR Mustangs have a competitive edge over the competition on the track. In its 18th consecutive season as the “Official Motor Oil of NASCAR,” Mobil 1 is used by more than 50 percent of teams throughout NASCAR’s top three series.

Harvick is hoping he can put the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang in victory lane at Fontana. Because much like any Homecoming game, it’s much sweeter when it ends with a win.

 

KEVIN HARVICK, Driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

 

Is Auto Club Speedway a place you look forward to going to, and why?

“Auto Club Speedway is by far one of my favorite tracks we go to. It’s top three on my list as far as tracks that I’m excited to go to, just for the fact that the asphalt is so worn out. It is very similar to Atlanta in a much different shape of a racetrack. It’s a very unique racetrack because it is so wide and you have so many options to run all over the racetrack. When you add in the tire falloff, then it becomes strategy and how many laps do you stay out when everybody else starts pitting because you’re going to give up three seconds a lap. If the caution comes out, you can get caught a lap down. So there are so many things that come into play, but it has become a great race and a great racetrack to race on. The crowd has been great since we went from two races down to one. It has changed the whole vibe at Auto Club Speedway. It’s in my home state. It’s a big week and I know, from a driver standpoint, Auto Club Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway are right up there at the top of everybody’s list because there is so much falloff and the asphalt is so worn out.”

Why do your prefer Mobil 1 synthetic?

“I’m a synthetic guy because, in 1993 when we were sitting in the engine shop, we dumped Mobil 1 synthetic in and that’s all we did and gained seven horsepower. From that day on, we would actually save our money and then go to the local auto parts store because, at that time, it was like $5.50 a quart and the conventional and other oils were like $3.50. At the big races, we would put the Mobil 1 in the car and the regular races would put the regular oil in there. You know I’m going to say synthetic.”

NASCAR used to be considered a Southern regional sport, but now so many drivers have come out of California. Can you describe what the culture was like there, racing-wise, when you and some of the other drivers came up and how it led to what we have now?

“I think, when you look at California, there are a lot of racetracks up and down the coast. Whether it’s asphalt, dirt tracks, go-kart tracks, there is a well-supported community of racing up and down the state of California, even into Washington and Oregon. As I was coming up, there was the Southwest Tour, Winston West Series, and the (NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors) Trucks that raced on the West Coast a lot. There was also a fairly good following for Late Models. Things have slowed down from what they used to be, but you have the Kern County Raceway in this particular area. There is definitely a lot of racing when you look at way back in the day it was mostly a Southeastern sport. I think Jeff Gordon was obviously somewhat responsible for being able to allow guys like myself in and pave the way for us to have a path to have an opportunity to come and race in NASCAR. It’s always been a well-supported racing area and I was fortunate to grow up in Bakersfield, California, which is a very well-supported racing town no matter what you race. There is a lot of racing. It just took a while for everybody to figure that out.”

Now that there is just one race a year at Fontana, talk about what the atmosphere has been and how the crowds have gotten better and how the drivers’ perceptions of the way things are starting to turn around there.

“This racetrack is a great example of lessons that a lot of people who run racetracks don’t pay attention to. Sometimes, if you take one really great thing, you can easily make them into two mediocre things. I don’t understand that with racetracks a lot of the time, but this one has come full circle. When you look at the crowds that we’ve had over the last couple of years, they’ve been really good. The racing has been really good as that track surface has aged. As a driver, you look forward to going there now because it’s one of those tracks where you can run all over the place, the cars slide around, and you’re going to have fun from the driver’s seat. That bleeds over into the perception that the fans get because everybody is talking about enjoying racing on this particular track. Some markets are just one-race markets. I would say ninety percent of them are one-race markets, but a lot of them still have two races and you just see those mediocre crowds and, when people know that you’re only coming once a year, you have to go to that one particular race. Having a race with a good date is obviously good for the weather and the people to come out and enjoy it. It’s not 115 degrees in August, which was always fun to be a part of in the racecar (laughs). But, I think, it’s all come full circle and everything is going well for this particular track.”

ARIC ALMIROLA – 2020 Fontana Race Advance

The No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) heads to the second stop of this year’s three-race “NASCAR Goes West” swing with Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

This time, Almirola and the No. 10 Smithfield Ford team have some work to do to move up in the point standings. Last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Almirola saw the promise of a top-10 start fall by the wayside when his left-rear fender was damaged when a car made contact with his under caution. He was able to finish the race 21st and on the lead lap, but it hasn’t been the start to the season the team has been looking for. The week before, at the season-opening Daytona 500, Almirola ran up front and had potential to visit victory lane until he was involved in a late-race accident.

“We certainly had a car fast enough for a top-10 (at Las Vegas) and we did everything we could to adjust it and make it better,” Almirola said. “We made some gains and learned a lot. That damaged fender and cut tire put us off course for a decent points day and we have some making up to do at Auto Club this weekend after a tough two weeks.”

Last year, Almirola earned his first top-10 in 12 starts at Fontana after leading seven laps and running in and around the top-10 for the majority of the race. Crew chief Mike Bugarewicz has called the shots in four starts at Fontana with a best finish of third with Clint Bowyer in 2017.

“We ran well there last year and I’m confident we can do it again,” Almirola said. “We just need a few things to go our way to get us on the right track and build momentum. I know our Smithfield team is capable of it.”

Almirola has career totals of two wins, two poles, 18 top-five finishes, 61 top-10s and 543 laps led in 318 starts. His last win came in October 2018 at Talladega (Ala.) Super Speedway.

In addition to the on-track action, Smithfield and Almirola are teaming up to surprise the students at Joe Baca Middle School in Bloomington, CA with a $10,000 donation to further support the education and growth of their students on Friday morning.

Media is invited to attend the assembly where Almirola will lead a Q&A session speaking to his personal life experiences, meet the students, and sign autographs. To close out the event, he will present a $10,000 check donation to support the school’s creation of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Lab.

This assembly is the first of a series of community visits led by Smithfield and Almirola to support the academic advancement of students across the nation, while providing them with the tools and resources needed for success.

The Tampa native will again sport the iconic black, white and gold No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang this weekend.

Smithfield Foods, Inc., who will sponsor a majority of the races this season, is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. Its 40,000 U.S. employees are dedicated to producing “Good food. Responsibly®” and have made it one of the world’s leading vertically integrated protein companies. It has pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including many industry firsts, such as an ambitious commitment to cut carbon impact by 25 percent by 2025. The company believes in the power of protein to end food insecurity and has donated hundreds of millions of food servings to neighbors in need. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com, and connect on FacebookTwitterLinkedIn, and Instagram.

Almirola is back with season two of his documentary series Beyond the 10, where fans can get VIP, behind-the-scenes access by subscribing to his YouTube channel. Episodes showcase never-before-seen footage of Almirola at the racetrack, on family trips, and “A Day in the Life” during the week, as well as all that goes into a NASCAR Cup Series driver’s season. Click here to subscribe on YouTube and watch the latest episode.

He enters the third race of the season 17th in the standings with 48 points, 37 out of first place. He’ll look to shake off the bad luck from the first two weeks and advance in the point standings or secure a playoff position with a trip to victory lane.

 

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

 

Is the West Coast swing one of the most difficult stretches of races throughout the season?

“This is where it really becomes the grind. You go out to Vegas, you come back home, then go back out two more times. The jet lag is really starting to set in and, when you wake up, you’re trying to figure out when you wake up in the morning what time zone you’re in, and then you have to go back and do it one more time. Some of the crew guys stay out on the West Coast but, with me having a 6- and a 5-year-old and wife at home, I’ve been going back and forth. This coast-to-coast travel definitely turns into a grind.”

What kind of racing can we expect this weekend at Auto Club Speedway? 

“The racing is going to be incredible at Auto Club Speedway. The restarts have always been really wild and the track is really wide, so it promotes five-wide racing on the restarts. Now, with this new rules package, you’re going to see us all over the place. We’re going to be four- and five-wide for multiple laps in a row. I think it’s going to be insane and I’m excited. Any time you see the racing get crazy like that, it’s an opportunity. Hopefully, we can get our Smithfield Ford Mustang positioned up front and they are doing four- and five-wide behind us and we can race off into the sunset.”

CHASE BRISCOE – 2020 NXS Las Vegas I Race Report

Event:  Boyd Gaming 300 (Round 2 of 33)
Series:  NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location:  Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format:  200 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/110 laps)
Start/Finish:  2nd/1st (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing:  1st (92 points, 7 ahead of second place)
Note:  Rain 50 laps into the Boyd Gaming 300 postponed the remainder of the race to Sunday afternoon.

Race Winner:  Chase Briscoe of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner:  Chase Briscoe of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner:  Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Key Moment:

Briscoe’s No. 98 Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang was dominant in the Saturday portion of the Boyd Gaming 300, leading twice for 26 laps and taking the Stage 1 win. It proved to be a slightly different racecar in the Sunday edition of the race, for after rain postponed the remainder of the contest to after the NASCAR Cup Series race, track conditions changed significantly, seemingly to the betterment of others. Briscoe and crew chief Richard Boswell were undeterred, continually adjusting the handling of the No. 98 Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang. Their work, combined with a quick pit stop on lap 165, put Briscoe back into the lead for the lap-170 restart. Briscoe bested fellow Ford driver Austin Cindric when the green flag dropped, opening up a significant margin that, despite Cindric’s best efforts in the final 15 laps, could not be overcome. Briscoe collected his first victory of 2020 and the third Xfinity Series win of his career. The triumph, combined with Briscoe’s fifth-place result in the season-opener last weekend at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, makes the 25-year-old driver from Mitchell, Indiana, the championship leader with a seven-point advantage over next best Noah Gragson.

Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 98 Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

“It’s nice to get a win early. Obviously, we were hoping that we could get a win at some point in the year – we expected to – but to get it in our Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang before Phoenix is definitely nice just because we can go there and kind of try some stuff because I feel like that’s one place I need to get way better at. That being said, it’s nice to take the point lead. It doesn’t mean as much this early in the season, but it’s a good confidence booster and it goes a long way when you’re in that first garage stall with your guys.

“If we do our job every week, I feel like we can contend at any racetrack. This shows that we’re capable of winning, and that’s something that internally I feel like we all knew, but you never know until you do it. It makes a little bit of a statement, but not a definite statement that this is who you’ve got to go through to win the championship, by any means. There are still a lot of guys that are going to be really good and, truthfully, we’ve got to get a lot better too to be that definite guy.

“The race was really weird. I feel like every time I come to Vegas, you can run up to the wall or even run the middle really well, and the bottom kind of goes away after seven or eight laps. The beginning of the race I felt like I was really, really good, and I had clean air, but when we lost the lead my car completely changed. It took a total 180 and it was hard to tell if it was really just dirty air doing that or the sun going down. Cindric ran away with it there for a while, and then when I was able to get the lead and I kind of ran away with it, and it seemed like tonight was the fastest I’ve ever felt like I’ve gone around Vegas, just because we had so much grip and so much speed around the bottom. It was almost like driving a truck in terms of how hard you could drive the thing, so clean air was crucial just because it was so hard to make a pass. I probably gave up a ton of time trying to make the top work, and even trying to make the middle work and pass guys. I just had to try to stay disciplined to run the bottom and, obviously, it would prevail.”

Notes:                   

● Prior to Briscoe’s win in the Boyd Gaming 300, his previous best finish at Las Vegas was eighth, earned in last year’s Boyd Gaming 300.
● Briscoe led five times for a race-high 89 laps to bring his laps led total at Las Vegas to 90.
● Briscoe earned his third victory, 16th top-five and 32nd top-10 in 52 career Xfinity Series starts. This was his fourth Xfinity Series start at Las Vegas.
● Briscoe won Stage 1 to earn 10 bonus points and one playoff point. He finished third in Stage 2 to earn eight more bonus points.
● Briscoe’s margin of victory over second-place Cindric was 2.874 seconds.
● There were five caution periods for a total of 28 laps.
● Only 11 of the 36 drivers in the Boyd Gaming 300 finished on the lead lap.

Next Up:               

The next event on the Xfinity Series schedule is the Production Alliance Group 300 on Saturday, Feb. 29 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. The race starts at 4 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

KEVIN HARVICK – 2020 Las Vegas I Race Report

Event: Las Vegas 400
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 267 laps, broken into three stages (80 laps/80 laps/107 laps)
Start/Finish: 3rd/8th (Running, completed 267 of 267 laps)
Point Standing: (3rd with 81 points, four points out of first)

Race Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-80):

Kevin Harvick started third and finished third and earned eight bonus points.
● The Busch Light Ford Mustang led twice for 59 laps but faded back at the end of the stage.
● Harvick pitted on lap 27 under caution for four tires, fuel and track bar and tire pressure adjustment, saying the car was quite loose.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 81-160):

Started third and finished sixth and earned five bonus points.
● The Busch Light Ford Mustang pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment on lap 83.
● On the restart, Harvick moved from third to first on the restart and held the point until he was passed by Chase Elliott.
● On lap 121, Harvick was fifth and pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 161-267):

Started fifth and finished eighth.
● The Busch Light Ford Mustang pitted on lap 164 for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment.
● On lap 217, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment.
● With less than 40 laps to go, Harvick was in second and was stalking Joey Logano for the lead.
● A caution came out with six laps to go with Harvick in fifth place. He decided to pit for four tires and fuel, but several cars stayed out or took on two tires.
● Despite restarting outside the top-10 with two laps to go, Harvick was working his way up and making moves until a caution came out just after the white flag. Harvick finished eighth.

Notes:

● Harvick earned his second top-10 of the season and his 11th top-10 in 22 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Las Vegas.
● This is Harvick’s second straight top-10. He finished fifth in the season-opening Daytona 500 last Sunday.
● Harvick’s 11 top-10s at Las Vegas are the most among active NASCAR Cup Series drivers.
● This is Harvick’s third straight top-10 at Las Vegas. He was the runner-up in the series’ most recent visit to the track last September.
● Harvick has finished in the top-10 at Las Vegas all but three times since joining SHR in 2014.
● Harvick led five times for a race-high 92 laps to increase his laps-led total at Las Vegas to 679, the most among active NASCAR Cup Series drivers.
● Joey Logano won the Las Vegas 400 to score his 24th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his second at Las Vegas. He beat second-place Matt DiBenedetto as the race ended under caution.
● This was Ford’s series-leading 13th NASCAR Cup Series victory at Las Vegas and its 687th all-time NASCAR Cup Series win.
● There were nine caution periods for a total of 37 laps.
● Twenty-four of the 38 drivers in the Las Vegas 400 finished on the lead lap.
● Ryan Blaney leaves Las Vegas as the championship leader with a three-point advantage over second-place Logano.

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

“The caution really decided that. I think there would have been some of us that got back close to the lead by the time we got off of turn four. I don’t even know where we restarted, but we were seventh or so going into turn one on the last lap with a big head of steam, and the caution came out. Our Busch Light Ford was really good on the short runs. We just kind of lost the handling as we would get deep in those runs and that kind of hurt us. It came down to what we wanted there at the end, but we just got too far back.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Auto Club 400 on Sunday, March 1, at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

COLE CUSTER – 2020 Las Vegas I Race Report

Event: Las Vegas 400
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 267 laps, broken into three stages (80 laps/80 laps/107 laps)
Start/Finish: 17th/19th (Running, completed 267 of 267 laps)
Point Standing: 28th with 25 points, 60 out of first

Race Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-80):             

● Cole Custer started 17th and ended the stage 29th.
● The Ford driver pitted on lap 26 during the competition caution for fuel, four tires and adjustments to address a loose condition.
● Custer restarted 27th and reported his Production Alliance Group/Haas Automation Mustang had tightened up.
● He ended the stage 29th, then pitted for fuel, four tires and adjustments.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 81-160):

● Custer started Stage 2 in 27th and completed it 28th.
● He made a scheduled green-flag pit stop on lap 129 for fuel, four tires and adjustments to help his tight-handling Mustang while in the 29th position.
● Custer ended the stage 28th.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 161-267):

● Custer began the final stage from 28th and ended the race 19th.
● Shortly after the green flag dropped on the final stage, a caution occurred on lap 169, which allowed Custer to be the beneficiary of the free pass and gain one lap back.
● When the next caution was displayed on lap 177, Custer was once again the beneficiary of the free pass, putting him back on the lead lap in 28th.
● On lap 217, he was 27th and made a scheduled green-flag stop for fuel, four tires and adjustments.
● The California native was 26th when the next caution was displayed on lap 221 and crew chief Mike Shiplett made the call to stay out.
● After returning to green, Custer was in the 23rd position on lap 228.
● With six laps remaining, the final caution of the race was displayed. The Ford driver pitted for fresh tires and restarted 20th, before ending the day in 19th.

Notes:

● Custer’s 19th-place result bettered his previous best finish at Las Vegas – 25th, earned in March 2018.
● Joey Logano won the Las Vegas 400 to score his 24th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his second at Las Vegas. His beat second-place Matt DiBenedetto as the race ended under caution.
● This was Ford’s series-leading 13th NASCAR Cup Series victory at Las Vegas and its 687th all-time NASCAR Cup Series win.
● There were nine caution periods for a total of 37 laps.
● Twenty-four of the 38 drivers in the Las Vegas 400 finished on the lead lap.
● Ryan Blaney leaves Las Vegas as the championship leader with a three-point advantage over second-place Logano.

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 41 Production Alliance Group/Haas Automation Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“It’s not the result we wanted today with the Production Alliance Group/Haas Automation Mustang, but the guys worked hard on the car all day. I’m still learning a lot with the Cup car and wanted a better result. We came back from two laps down, and (crew chief) Mike Shiplett did a good job continuing to adjust on the car. I know I need to be better at restarts and some things like that, but I’m looking forward to next week and excited about working with the No. 41 team this year.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Auto Club 400 on Sunday, March 1 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

CLINT BOWYER – 2020 Las Vegas I Race Report

Event:               Las Vegas 400
Series:              NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format:             267 laps, broken into three stages (80 laps/80 laps/107 laps)
Start/Finish:       9th/12th (Running, completed 267 of 267 laps)
Point Standing:  13th with 56 points, 29 out of first 

Race Winner:    Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-80):

  • Clint Bowyer started ninth, finished 18th.
  • The No. 14 BlueDEF Ford Mustang started ninth after rain cancelled Saturday practice and qualifying.
  • Bowyer immediately reported his car wouldn’t turn as he needed it and it was tight in traffic.
  • During a lap-25 competition caution the No. 14 crew made tire pressure air adjustments to improve the handling.
  • Bowyer restarted seventh, but as the race wore on the problems worsened, and Bowyer dropped to 18th by the end of the first stage.
  • The crew took a bigger swing to correct the issues, making a wedge adjustments during the stage break.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 81-160):

  • Started 16th, finished 16th.
  • Bowyer still struggled with handling through the first green-flag run of the stage before pitting for tires and fuel on lap 122.
  • Bowyer remained in 16th throughout the stage, telling the team that the “front end is just really numb.”
  • No. 14 BlueDEF Ford Mustang crew made more adjustments during the stage break, and a quick stop jumped Bowyer from 16th to 11th.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 161-267):

  • Started 11th, finished 12th.
  • The No. 14 BlueDEF Ford Mustang took advantage of early cautions in the stage to pit for tires and fuel.
  • With 87 laps to go, Bowyer restarted the race in 17th.
  • He worked his way up to 14th during the stage before drifting backward.
  • His final green-flag stop came with 50 to go, but seconds later a caution dropped Bowyer and all except the top-five cars off the lead lap.
  • Bowyer took the wave-around to return to the lead lap in 18th with 42 laps remaining.
  • A shootout just before the white flag waved saw Bowyer jump from 18th to 12th. 

Notes:

  • This is Bowyer’s second straight top-15. He finished sixth in the Daytona 500.
  • Joey Logano won the Las Vegas 400 to score his 24th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his second at Las Vegas. His beat second-place Matt DiBenedetto as the race ended under a last-lap caution.
  • This was Ford’s series-leading 13th NASCAR Cup Series victory at Las Vegas and its 687th all-time NASCAR Cup Series win.
  • There were nine caution periods for a total of 37 laps.
  • Twenty-four of the 38 drivers in the Las Vegas 400 finished on the lead lap.
  • Ryan Blaney leaves Las Vegas as the championship leader with a three-point advantage over second-place Logano. 

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

“That was a long day for us. We just couldn’t get our front end to work like we wanted it to work. Our car did not want to roll the middle today. We’ll be better in Fontana next week.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Auto Club 400 on Sunday, March 1, at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.