Month: May 2020

It’s been an odd year and now the 2020 NASCAR Cup season gets even odder.

Kevin Harvick finished second in the FanShield 500k on March 8 at Phoenix Raceway. He led 67 laps but couldn’t quite catch winner Joey Logano and finished just .276 of a second behind him. Despite not yet having a win in 2020, Harvick left the mile oval with the points lead.

Then the racing stopped, along with every other sport on March 13 due to the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic.

Thankfully for drivers and their fans, the TV broadcasts turned to iRacing, which is a premier motorsport racing simulation. NASCAR, FOX and iRacing teamed up to show races on Sunday afternoons.

Now though, it’s time to get back to real racing with Sunday’s Darlington 400 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. The historic 1.366-mile oval has hosted some of the biggest and most important races in NASCAR history.

None may be more important that this one, though.

There will be no fans in attendance, an extremely limited number of workers in the infield, along with no practice and no qualifying. It’s unlike anything seen before in major-league automobile racing.

Harvick will pilot the No. 4 Busch Light #YOURFACEHERE Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) for the first time since March 8. Fans are what make every sport great, especially NASCAR. But right now, it’s best these events are run without fans in the stands for their safety, as well as the safety of the drivers and teams. Even if fans can’t be there in person, Busch Beer wants them to be there in spirit. So, the company is asking fans to tweet pictures of themselves with a Busch Light logo using the hashtags #YOURFACEHERE and #buschcontest for a chance to be featured on Harvick’s No. 4 car, along with a pair of tickets to a 2021 NASCAR race of their choice.

The upside for Harvick as NASCAR returns to racing is that he has some of the most experience of any driver in the field. This will mark his 687th start and his 24th at Darlington.

He’s had success at Darlington with one win, three poles, eight top-five finishes, 11 top-10s, and he’s led a total of 581 laps in his 23 career Cup Series starts there. His average start is 14.4, his average finish is 14.3 and he has a lap-completion rate of 96.1 percent, 7,842 of the 8,195 laps available.

Since 2014, the combination of Harvick competing at Darlington in SHR equipment is particularly impressive. In his last six Cup Series starts there – all of which have come with SHR – he has finished inside of the top-10 in each. Five of those were top-fives. He has an average finish of 4.1 during that span. And of the 581 laps Harvick has led at Darlington dating back to his rookie year in 2001, a total of 518, or 89 percent, have come with SHR despite only six, or 27 percent, of his 23 Darlington starts being with SHR.

Perhaps more important than anything is Harvick’s relationship with crew chief Rodney Childers. They’ve been paired together since 2014 and are longest-running current driver-crew chief combination in the garage. And Childers always seems to provide Harvick with a good car, which will be key as there is no practice or qualifying. As the old racing slogan says, “Run what ya brung.”

And that will be the key as Darlington is unlike any other racetrack where NASCAR competes. It’s an egg-shaped oval – the odd shape because the western portion needed at tighter turn radius as founder Harold Brasington promised Sherman Ramsey, who owned a farm next to the property, that he wouldn’t disturb his minnow pond when he built the track in 1949.

The odd shape means that, to find the fastest way around the track, drivers run against the outside walls in each turn, sometimes brushing up against it and thus earning what has affectionately become known as a “Darlington Stripe” on the right side of the car. And the black marks left on the walls by the tires rubbing up against them all race weekend have led to the track’s other nickname – “The Lady in Black.”

While the race is being run, it’s important to never forget the first responders, doctors, nurses and hospital workers who have fought COVID-19 during this pandemic. Those including Dr. Josh Hughes, an emergency medicine physician with the Mid-Atlantic Emergency Medical Associates practice and the assistant director of the emergency department at Novant Health Presbyterian in Charlotte, North Carolina. Hughes was part of a PSA that Harvick did with several athletes for “The Real Heroes Project.”

Hopefully, for a few hours Sunday, NASCAR can give everyone something exciting to watch.

KEVIN HARVICK, Driver of the No. 4 Busch Light #YOURFACEHERE Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

How will Darlington change, just in logistics for you?

“When I go to the racetrack now, I’m going to bring all my own food and I won’t really need a change of clothes because it’s a one-day show, but I’ll bring a change in case it rains. That way, I don’t have any interaction with anybody else. I’ll take my helmet, my shoes and my uniform and I’ll bring it all with me to the car.”

What are your thoughts on what NASCAR has done and the rule for picking positions?

“I had many conversations with the folks from NASCAR and global pandemic isn’t in the playbook. As you look to getting back on track, everything is about doing that safely. I think for me, we are leading the points, so we get to pick the first pit box and then draw for one of the first twelve positions. And then 13 to 24 will draw for their positions. And then what happens next week? Because the goal in all of this is to get the teams caught up. They don’t have to overwork to get caught up. They can take one car to the racetrack and we don’t have to worry about crashing in practice and you don’t have to prep it for qualifying so you don’t have to bring all the extra parts and pieces to the racetrack. There is a need to change that rule in this instance, because of the fact we have to catch up on races. We only need to bring one car, but if you keep lining them up by points, pit road is going to look awfully similar, as is the starting grid. If you hit it at Darlington (Sunday), you’ll probably do well in the second Darlington (Wednesday). I think we had to look at coming back safely first and then make it entertaining. I think it’s worked out pretty well and we’ll roll with it and see what happens.”

How has the break affected you and your family?

“At this particular point, we’re fighting all the same problems that everyone else is fighting. You can’t go get your hair cut, you can’t go sit in your favorite restaurant, all the things that you normally do.”

With races the next two Wednesdays, does your body have time to recover as we normally have six days between races?

“I think for me, there is no exact science to it. When I get done on Sunday, I know how I feel and when I wake up on Monday, I know what I need to concentrate on. Hydration is always there. Just in North Carolina in the last few weeks, on the weekend it’s 85 and then during the week it’s in the high 60s. When we get to Darlington, it’s not like it’s going to be when we’ve gone the last few years, where we start at dusk and you work your way into the evening and into the dark. For us, it’s going to be all in the daylight and maybe a little dark at the end. For me, it’s just about knowing your body and knowing the things you need to do – weather it’s a recovery run or a bike ride. The hyperbolic chamber and some of the stuff I would use during the summer is just not an option at this point because the facility that I use is just not somewhere I’m going to go at this point. Hydration is for sure front and center.”

What are your thoughts on starting back at historic Darlington Raceway?

“I think when you look at Darlington, it has such a deep history in our sport. When I first started, we went there twice a year, then we moved the Southern 500 to earlier in the year and it didn’t feel right, and then we did the right thing and moved it back. It’s a fortunate situation for us, to be able to go back to South Carolina to be able to put on this race. To go there twice within three or four days is something that’s unique, but it’s a great way to kick this thing off and get it fired back up.”

RODNEY CHILDERS, Crew Chief of the No. 4 Busch Light #YOURFACEHERE Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

As of right now, it sounds like you’re going to go through tech and then race immediately. How do you prepare for that? Would this be similar to getting ready for a situation when qualifying and practice are rained out?

“Honestly, it’s just like any other weekend for us. We try to unload the best we can every week and get ready to race. Sometimes you get to practice and sometimes you don’t.”

Will Darlington sort of feel like the first race of a new season since it has been several weeks since the last race?

“It will definitely feel different, but I think everyone is still in the swing of things and ready to keep building on what we have been doing all year. Knocking out consistent top-10 finishes and being up front.”

Has this time away changed your view of racing?

“Haha, this is a trick question. It hasn’t on racing, but it has on the world. And just how fragile things can really be.”

Are you set on the crew roster?

“With the limitations on our roster, about half of our road crew will not be going to the racetrack. You kind of have to pick and choose who you want to be there. It’s myself and one engineer, and then our car chief going, our interior mechanic and our tire guy. Plus, the truck drivers. That’s a lot different from what we normally do. Our front-end and underneath mechanic will not even be there. Pushing through tech and a lot of stuff we normally think is easy will be more challenging. People are going to be doing stuff they normally don’t have to do. Overall, though, the infield is going to be totally different. To have no fans and no vehicles except for those we drive there will be interesting.”

The No. 10 Smithfield / #GoodFoodChallenge Ford Mustang team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) makes its way to historic Darlington (S.C.) Raceway for Sunday’s resumption of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season with two goals in mind – cross the finish line first to secure a spot in the NASCAR playoffs, and earn as many donations as possible to Feeding America on behalf of Smithfield.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Almirola’s longtime sponsor Smithfield Foods was quick to develop a way to help families in need through the support of Feeding America with protein donations. On March 26, Smithfield launched the Good Food Challenge with the goal of providing more than 10 million meals. Just a few weeks later, Smithfield committed to donating more than 40 million servings of protein to Feeding America. Now, Smithfield and Almirola are asking for help.

“All you have to do is open your phone and use the hashtag #GoodFoodChallenge between May 12 and May 21,” Almirola said. “Every time someone uses this hashtag, they instantly provide 10 servings of protein to Feeding America. That’s hard to pass up on. We’re obviously extremely excited to get back to racing and compete for a championship, but it’s even more exciting to have the opportunity to help those in need in these tough times by typing three words on your phone and clicking send. I’m blessed to be partnered with a company who, in these times, uses our partnership to give back.”

In addition to using the hashtag, donations can be made via the website www.SmithfieldGoodFoodChallenge.com. The Smithfield / #GoodFoodChallenge Ford Mustang scheme will debut at Darlington for Sunday’s 400-mile race and will hit the 1.366-mile, egg-shaped oval again on Wednesday, May 20.

After nine weeks without racing with the COVID-19 shutdowns preventing large gatherings, drivers, fans and industry members are excited to get back on track as one of the first major sports to resume competition. In the interests of the safety and well-being of NASCAR’s loyal fans, the grandstands will be empty, but live television coverage by FOX will deliver the races to its viewers beginning Sunday as drivers battle it out for the first time since March 8 at Phoenix.

Almirola and the No. 10 Ford team head to the 1.366-mile oval eighth in the point standings after consecutive eighth-place finishes at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, and Phoenix Raceway. Almirola looks to continue that momentum Sunday at the track “Too Tough to Tame.”

“I’d like to think we can pick right back up or even be better,” Almirola said. “That’s one reason I have faith in Buga (crew chief Mike Bugarewicz). During this time, he’s really been focused on working from home with the team guys. He has stayed engaged with everyone. We have still been together a lot as a team on video calls. We really wanted to continue to grow every week even if we’re not at the track. We hope to go out there and keep the top-10 streak going. It’s going to be difficult at Darlington because we as a team don’t really have any notes at Darlington working together. We’re going to have to go off of Mike’s previous knowledge from last year’s race with his car and the package and I’ll have to look at my notes from last year. We’ll have to mesh those together and hope for the best-case scenario. Then we’ll drop the green flag and go race.”

Not only does Almirola and the No. 10 team face the difficulties of racing at Darlington for the first time together, but a comprehensive health and safety plan put in place by NASCAR means all upcoming races will be one-day shows with personal protective equipment mandated for all members at-track, health screenings for all individuals before entering the facility, strict social distancing guidelines, and limits on the number of team personnel who are granted access.

“First off, I applaud NASCAR for taking every precaution necessary,” Bugarewicz said. “We’re grateful to be able to race in these circumstances. It’s going to be a challenge to have limited resources at the track with the number of guys we can take, though. I think the tech process will be fine. The hardest part is the pit crew. We’ll still have our pit crew but, the problem is, behind the wall you still had your road crew that had other duties during that pit stop, so we have to figure out how to make that as easy as possible. The biggest challenge at this time is to figure out as a company how to safely get people back to work. We’re not flooding people back to the shop and taking risks. There are very limited crews, so the process takes longer. It involves a lot of communication between everybody. Road guys aren’t going to see shop guys, so you have to make sure something isn’t overlooked that could take you out of the race early because it was overlooked.”

Despite the unknowns over the last few months and the challenges the new regulations bring, like everyone else, Almirola is just excited to get back to racing.

“It will be exciting,” he said. “There are a lot of unknowns. A lot of variables racing at Darlington on a green racetrack. No rubber down from practice. No tire wear. All of those things are things that the crew chiefs and all of us are thinking about. As much uncertainty as there is and as much worry as there is, we’re all just excited. We all just want to go back racing. I think that’s the most common feeling among all of us. We’re just excited to get back on the racetrack. We’re just happy to give our fans something to cheer for again. It gives everyone a sense of hope and excitement as we move forward.”

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

How would you rate your first four races as a new team with a new crew chief? 

“I think the first few races have gone really well for us. We had a really fast car at Daytona and unfortunately got caught in a wreck. Vegas didn’t go too well for us, but we rebounded really well. Our communication through that struggle was really good and I think that’s one thing that I really enjoy about Buga. He’s a great communicator and a great team leader. It’s been fun to see that side of him. Being eighth in points and running top-10 recently has us really excited to get back on the track and continue where we left off. We’re fired up.”

What challenges does a one-day show with no practice or qualifying bring? 

“At all the other tracks, we get to unload and practice and I get to tell the team what I did and didn’t like. It’s a whole process to get us where we want to be and, by the time the green flag drops, that car is the best it’s been all weekend. That will obviously be a challenge for everyone to hit the nail on the head for everyone as soon as they unload. It puts a lot of pressure on the engineers and team to set the car up right.”

Going racing without practice or qualifying has happened before. Why is it different this time?

“It’s going to be really different. We have done this a couple of different times. I think the most recent was Indy a few years ago, but this is really different, especially going two months without being inside a racecar. I think that’s the toughest part. When we went to Indy, we were racing all year long and didn’t get a practice in. We had a lot of notes to go off of. Now we’ve all been at home and we’ll walk into the track, get inside our racecars, and the first lap of a real race will be our first laps since the postponements.”

MIKE BUGAREWICZ, Crew Chief of the No. 10 Smithfield/#GoodFoodChallenge Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What is your attitude finally getting back to racing? 

“It’s great we are able to get back to racing in a safe manner where we don’t have to stay in hotel rooms and we can ease into the process of getting back to racing. We’re still going to be racing and we’re stilling going to be tallying off points to see if we can win a championship this year. A lot of people are looking at this new schedule and how fast everything is going to happen and the lack of practice as a negative. I’m trying to view this as an opportunity. I told Aric and the team we need to be the ones who come out and seize this as an opportunity here. How can we be more prepared than the rest of the guys to at least come out of these first few races with a couple of good runs and even a win or two. Those who come out ready the most and knock down points early will succeed the most. ”

What will it take to be successful at Darlington after months at home and unloading without practice?

“Long-term relationships between driver and crew chief will help just because you know each other, but if you have a company that has worked together for such a long time like we have here, we’re pretty well off. I was pretty familiar with Aric before we even ran together. We have really clicked during these first few races. We’ve had some decent runs and we’ve had some hiccups. I think we’re still good in points and we know there is more potential we can capitalize on. The next part is just the preparation because, obviously with no practice and not a lot of time over the weekend, you better be prepared and know where the splitter and the attitude of the car needs to be. Your driver has to be focused and hopefully he’s been taking care of himself over the off weeks. I know Aric has. Your team needs to be mentally prepared and your driver mentally prepared, which everyone has been working hard on with training and studying. Then there’s the execution part of it. This is going to be something to capitalize on rather than let be a detriment to our season.”

Is it difficult to keep everyone motivated right now?

“I just think Aric and I are on the same page about it and I have a great relationship with my guys on the team. We get along so well. We’re always going to be dealt a hand in life, no matter what it is. Everyone has to play this game and learn how to handle it the best and capitalize. We can sit here and say it stinks or it’s not fair, but the truth is that it’s the same for everybody.”

Does the postponement provide more opportunities for teams to make mistakes?

“Yes. Even to the crew chief level. We haven’t called a race in months and we’re going to have to adapt back into a rhythm and knock the rust off. You have to be laser focused when you get there. Our team is up for it, though.”

Cole Custer and the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) will make the two-hour drive to Darlington (S.C.) Raceway for Sunday’s 400-mile race. Custer’s Mustang will showcase a new livery that represents Gene Haas’ newest holding, Haas Tooling. Haas Tooling was launched just weeks ago as a way for CNC machinists to purchase high quality cutting tools at great prices. Haas’ cutting tools will be sold exclusively online at HaasTooling.com and shipped directly to end-users.

After a nine-week shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic that prevented large gatherings, the NASCAR Cup Series season resumes Sunday at the track that’s “Too Tough To Tame.” The remaining 2020 schedule is still fluid, but race fans and sports fans alike finally can rejoice with live racing action. While fans will not be allowed in the grandstands due to restrictions, NASCAR’s longtime television partner FOX will do its best to heighten the race action in living rooms across the nation and abroad.

What makes this weekend particularly unique for Custer is that he’s a rookie in NASCAR’s premiere series and will take the green flag on Sunday without ever turning a lap in NASCAR’s top series at the 1.366-mile oval. Even though that will present challenges to the California native, he’s ready. “I think the best thing I can do is learn and figure out as much as I can in the first part of the race and get more aggressive as it goes,” Custer said. “When you don’t have practice, you don’t have the time to learn how much you can push all the lanes and the track in general, so I’ll have to work up to it a little.”

In the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Darlington, the 22-year-old has three starts and managed stellar statistics. He hasn’t started or finished outside the top-10 in the Xfinity Series at the South Carolina track. He has one runner-up finish, as well as a victory, earned last year in the No. 00 Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang after the car that crossed the finish line first was disqualified. “It was a really strange ‘win’ for us,” Custer said. “I ran second there two years in a row and was definitely a little mad because that’s the coolest track you can win at. Then we ended up winning about an hour after the race was over. It’s definitely not the same as a real win, but we can take a little pride in it that we could go there and compete for wins with the best of them.”

During the quarantine period, the young driver figured out that do-it-yourself projects are not as easy as they’re made to seem on popular television shows. Custer spent several days working on a seemingly easy project of installing a brick pathway from his garage to his house. He chronicled the effort via his Twitter account, but the project is at a standstill after he felt like he needs to call in professional help. “I’ve reached a point of where it’s beyond my abilities,” Custer said. “I got everything dug up and got the stuff I need, but I need to move the edging around so I can fit the pavers and I really don’t trust myself with that project.” Additionally, he released another episode of Cole Custer’s Cold Custard Review with his first store-bought custard review and a homemade version.

The Ford driver participated in three eNASCAR Pro Invitational Series iRaces – Talladega, Dover and North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Raceway. The virtual races have aired on FOX and provided an outlet for drivers to participate in at some form of racing from home.

SHR has 35 starts at Darlington and one victory earned by No. 4 driver Kevin Harvick in 2014. In total, the Kannapolis-based Ford team has 10 top-fives and 18 top-10s in the Cup Series at the historic track.

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 manufacturing facility in Oxnard, California, and distributed through a worldwide network of Haas Factory Outlets.

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 for rookie honors with notables Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick. 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 highest finishing Cup Series rookie at Phoenix Raceway with a ninth-place finish in March.

COLE CUSTER, Driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What have you been doing to stay in race-ready shape?

“Since I haven’t been able to go to the gym or anything, the best thing I feel like I’ve been doing is running to stay in shape. It definitely helps running long distances because it relates to how we run long races in the car.”

Midweek races were a hot topic heading into this season. They’re going to happen now, unexpectedly. What do you think about that?

“I think it’s cool that during this time we can kind of try things in the sport that we can’t during regular seasons. It will be cool getting to see how midweek races work and how we will manage that as a team.”

NASCAR hasn’t seen a break like this before. Do you feel like you’re starting the season over now, since it has been so many weeks since the last race?

“It’s definitely a little strange because, during the offseason, you still have things to work on for the next year. But, during this time, we weren’t really allowed to. So we went completely without racing for a couple of months and it has us all dying to get back.”

You talk to your teammates before each race, but you seem to really rely on Kevin Harvick for advice. Have you talked to him yet about Darlington? Or do you plan to? It seems his advice may be more important than ever, given that you will not have any time on the track there before you climb in the car.

“Yes, it’s definitely going to be more important than ever to talk with my teammates about what to expect going into the race. They’ve been some of the best to get advice from and, especially for a track like Darlington, you’ll want as much advice as you can get.”

What do you think it’s going to be like to be at the track but not have any fans on pit road or in the stands?

“It will make before and after the race very strange, not having the fans in the stands. But, once you get in the car and get racing, you’ll be focused on trying to not hit the wall more than anything at Darlington.”

You’ve participated in a few virtual meet-and-greets with sponsors. How unique was that?

“It’s pretty cool because you can really spend just as much time or more with guests and have them ask questions. It’s pretty personable, too, because you’re in the same situation as they are – sitting at home.”

The new car for next season has been put on hold given the current situation. How much of an advantage is that for you, given that you’ll get another season in this year’s car? Whereas, before, you were going to spend time this year learning this car, then having to turn around and have to learn a whole different car for 2021.

“It will definitely help me and the team having the new car delayed. Having that extra time to learn and figure that car out will be important, and I think something we all just don’t want to rush into.”

Normally, you know every racetrack you’re going to and when, well before the season starts. Now there are changes in the schedule and you only know a few weeks out which track you’re going to. Does that make things more difficult for you? Or do you typically break the schedule up in sections, anyway, and not get too far ahead?

“I think the toughest part about it is getting prepared for the races when you only have a few days in between. When you have to go over everything from pit road, to the track, to restarts and everything in between, it makes it hard to get that all done in a couple days.”

MIKE SHIPLETT, Crew Chief of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What have you been doing during the break besides working from home? Any house projects, car projects, anything like that?

“I’ve been working on house projects that I have been putting off for too long. Working in my garage on my 1937 pickup truck. It’s a complete rebuild into a hotrod with a stock-looking body and modern suspension. It’s one of those long-term projects.”

There has been talk of midweek races for a while and now they’re happening this year, unexpectedly. What do you think about that? How hard will it be to prepare for multiple races in one week, especially given the restrictions placed on employees at the shop?

“I think it’s a great idea to have races on Wednesday night. It gives the fans something to look forward to during the week. It will be hard to get four cars ready to race in two weeks, but we always find a way to get it done. We do have to limit the amount of people that are in the shop at one time, which makes it harder to get things done. We have a great group of people at the shop and I’m confident they will build great Fords to take to the track.”

As of right now, it sounds like you’re going to go through tech and then race immediately. How do you prepare for that? Would this be similar to getting ready for a situation when qualifying and practice are rained out?

“When we go to the track and we have practice and qualifying rained out, we usually don’t know that going into the weekend, so we have spent a lot of time working on our practice plan. Since we know going into this race we have no practice, that’s more time we can use our tools we have to build a setup for the race. We will have to use our teammates’ notes to help us, since Cole has never been to these tracks with a current Cup car. It will make it a little more challenging, but we have a great group of engineers on the No. 41 team that will get the job done.”

Will Darlington sort of feel like the first race of a new season since it has been several weeks since the last race?

“It will be the first time back at a track since this happened, but we have been doing all the same stuff each week, just from home. It’s different during the offseason with just having a shut down. We never knew when we would get back to the track. In the offseason, you know when Daytona is going to happen, and you count down from the last race of the season before.”

What advice do you have for Cole, or do you have a plan to give him for Darlington? He’s a rookie in a completely different car, at a track he hasn’t been to before in the Cup Series, and this is a difficult situation to be put in at a track that’s known to be one of the toughest.

“Go run every lap and we will work on the car each pit stop. Seat time is the best way to learn, and he will get a lot of that in the next few weeks.”

How many hours do you expect Cole to spend in the simulator getting ready for Darlington?

“We will get him into the simulator as many times as possible. Since all the Ford teams use the same simulator, time will be at a premium.”

Do you see the first Darlington race as a little bit of test and practice for the second Darlington race for Cole, since he hasn’t been there before in Cup?

“Our whole plan from the start of the season was to use the first quarter of the races as a test for each week to build for the future. With the current car being able to race next year, this will help Cole in his learning curve a lot. We’ve never had back-to-back points races at the same track before in NASCAR, so I feel it will help all the teams to be better for the next race three days later.”

You’ll be driving to races for the next several weeks. Does that kind of bring back an old-school feel when several of the tracks were within driving distance of the Charlotte area?

“Sort of, but we would all go in one van. This time, we all have to drive ourselves to keep safe distancing practices.”

In the 60-plus-year history of NASCAR, there will likely never be a more unusual or more welcomed group of races than the next four Cup Series races held over a 10-day span beginning Sunday with a 400-miler at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

Clint Bowyer, the driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), wishes the race was sooner.

“Tell me where the racetrack is and I’ll be there tonight,” Bowyer said with a laugh when asked about the upcoming schedule.

Bowyer is especially antsy since he hasn’t sat in a racecar since finishing fifth in the March 8 race at Phoenix Raceway. That seems like a lifetime ago before the coronavirus pandemic brought sporting events to a halt in America and made social distancing a way of life.

“It’s been forever since we fired the engines, but I always knew this day would come” Bowyer said. “I hope we can give people something to enjoy as we fight this (pandemic) together. I’ve been going crazy waiting around, so it’s time to go have some fun.”

While Bowyer knows he, himself, will have some fun, it’s not going to be business as usual at Darlington Sunday, or the following Wednesday night when the Cup Series returns for a 310-mile race on the 1.33-mile, egg-shaped oval. Nor will it be standard operating procedure when the series hits Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway for its annual 600-mile race May 24 and a 310-mile race May 27.

NASCAR has implemented a comprehensive health and safety plan with nearly every aspect of how an event is conducted. All upcoming races will be one-day shows without fans in attendance, and the use of personal protective equipment is mandated for series participants and officials throughout the event, as well as health screenings for all individuals prior to entering the facility, while inside the facility and exiting the facility, social distancing protocols throughout the facility, and strict limits on the number of individuals who are granted access.

Bowyer said he supports the steps NASCAR is taking to keep everyone safe, but admits it won’t be the same without full grandstands, especially at Darlington.

“Doing it without the fans sucks,” he said. “No way around it. It’s going to be awkward and it’s going to be difficult. Yes, you will be racing in front of an audience who will be on their couch, but it just won’t be the same. Hopefully it will only be like this for a few races and we’ll be back to normal soon and see everyone at the track.”

The Cup Series drivers will race without practice or qualifying at Darlington – perhaps the toughest track on the circuit. But there’s a precedent. In a September 2018 race, Bowyer started eighth, won Stage 1, led 37 laps and finished fifth at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when rain kept the Cup Series from any practice or qualifying Saturday and Sunday before finally racing on Monday.

Bowyer’s crew chief Johnny Klausmeier believes the lack of track time won’t be difficult to overcome. In fact, he said his team plans on using the same No. 14 Ford in both Darlington races.

“Obviously, we are ready and, if we have a hiccup, we have a backup plan where we can bring another car,” he said. “To have a race under your belt, then go back and have everything set on the car that you just raced, puts you a little bit further ahead for the second race. That could be a little bit optimistic because, obviously, Darlington isn’t the kindest track with the wall and the ‘Darlington Stripe.’ We’ll have personnel ready to turn it around for the second race if we need to.”

Bowyer’s No. 14 will carry Rush Truck Centers and Mobil 1 decals at Darlington. 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.

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 17th 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.

No matter what happens at Darlington or Charlotte, Bowyer said he is glad to be back behind the wheel and appreciates what everyone has done during the pandemic.

“Look, we wouldn’t be here without the doctors and nurses on the frontlines doing what they are doing,” Bowyer said. “That goes the same for the farmers growing our food, the auto workers making safety equipment and everybody doing their jobs. They are the real heroes and I hope these races can give those folks a few hours of fun. They deserve it.”

Bowyer and Rush Truck Centers are joining in a nationwide campaign to call out a special group of heroes – truck drivers. Bowyer’s Ford will carry the Twitter hashtag #ThankATrucker during the first round of races. Many of the No. 14 partners like Rush Truck Centers, Mobil 1, PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant, and Cummins all have ties to the trucking industry.

According to the American Trucking Associations, there are more than 700,000 trucking businesses in the country employing 7.8 million people, including 3.5 million truck drivers. More than 36 million trucks log 297 billion miles per year moving 71 percent of the nation’s freight.

“Anything that we’ve needed during the quarantine, whether its medical supplies, food at the grocery stores or whatever the case may be has been delivered by a truck driver who’s away from his family doing the job to make sure our country still works,” Bowyer said. “If you see one of those truckers going down the road, give him a thumbs-up. They deserve it.”

Hopefully, race fans can thank a trucker on their way to the racetrack in the near future. Until then, NASCAR will take the lead in the coming days as sports slowly restart in America.

Like Bowyer, a lot of fans can’t wait.

CLINT BOWYER, Driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

How has your time away from racing been?

“We are quarantined crazy around the Bowyer residence and it sucks, just like it does for everybody. I am over hearing the words COVID-19 and I am over hearing the word pandemic, as is everybody else. My wife asked me, ‘What is wrong with you?’ I told her what is wrong with me is, for 17 years of my life, two weeks is about as long as I have ever been home, even during the holidays. So it’s been rough. I’m ready to go have some fun.”

What’s been the toughest part of the pandemic?

“Trying to keep two kids entertained is the toughest thing. You feel so bad for them. My wife thinks my attention span is shorter than theirs. But, that being said, it’s been tough. We have a farm and we’ve been building fences and I think we’ve caught every fish I know of in the pond.”

How was home-schooling your kids during the time away from racing?

“It’s the same for everyone, I think. It makes you feel really dumb, trying to help your 5-year-old and navigate through that. Let me tell you I have a new appreciation for teachers. I can promise you that.”

Did iRacing bridge the gap during the time away?

“Yes, we had a blast. Who’d ever thought that we could have that much fun and be that competitive and have so many people watching us as we did with those iRacing races each weekend? I have a whole new respect for people who put in the time and get really good at that. I sucked when I started but kept getting better. No way can I compete with some of those guys, but I got good enough to where I could really enjoy what I was doing. Those guys have won 800 races and I haven’t even run 800 laps.”

JOHNNY KLAUSMEIER, Crew Chief of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Will it be like starting a new season once we go back to racing at Darlington?

“Yes, I think it will. Anytime you take some time off, it will take an adjustment time to get back in the swing of things, but everyone is programmed to race. They are all thinking about going faster and putting speed in the cars. That’s what racers think about all the time. This isn’t going to take a lot of time to get back in the swing of things.”

Has this time away changed your view of racing?

“It makes you appreciate what you have in life. You look at how everyone globally is fighting with this virus. The fact that we get to do something we love every day makes you appreciate it. When you are not doing it, it makes you appreciate it even more. You are always thinking about it and it gives you time to reflect on your career and how you can work harder to be even better at it. Just being away from anything you love gives you time to think about it and come back and do it better.”

How would you describe the first few races of the 2020 season before the break?

“I think they were good. We showed some potential. The races we have known we’d need work, like the 550 tracks, we have some good ideas. I really wanted to run Atlanta and Homestead. I think we will be able to adapt. I was happy with the 750 package and the speedways. We have had some good things to build on. We are improving with our communication with Clint, learning what he needs and wants in the car. If we do that, we’ll continue to improve. You want to win every week, but so far it’s been a good starting point for us.”