Month: July 2020

ARIC ALMIROLA – 2020 Texas I Race Advance

Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Hometown Original Heroes Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), heads to Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth with gratitude for both his recent success on the track but, more importantly, the hometown frontline heroes who have worked tirelessly to help others.

“The front-line heroes who help us put food on the table, keep us healthy, and selflessly help others in need are the reasons we’re able to make it through the COVID-19 pandemic,” Almirola said. “To show our gratitude, we’ve decided to run a new paint scheme and program honoring these frontline heroes with the help of our fans and industry.”

Each day, we are introduced to new sets of heroes who are helping the nation get through the COVID-19 pandemic. With operations throughout the United States, Smithfield is proud to share hometowns with many of these heroes and to keep them fed with various Smithfield products, including an Almirola household favorite, “Hometown Original” bacon.

Along with SHR and Almirola, Smithfield looks to honor those who are putting their own health and safety at risk in a selfless act to protect and nourish others around them. The Smithfield “Hometown Original Heroes” program provides the opportunity for fans to share the stories of their own “Hometown Hero.” Be it a nurse, doctor, food worker, public servant or anyone who is on the frontlines each and every day, Smithfield and Almirola want to hear their stories and give them an opportunity to be rewarded for their service.

To nominate a hometown hero, visit www.SmithfieldHometownHeroes.com and submit a one-minute video nominating the “Hometown Hero”. Ten heroes will be chosen to have their stories told and will have their names riding onboard the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang at a race during the NASCAR playoffs this fall. The heroes will also receive a VIP race day experience and full-year supply of Smithfield “Hometown Original” bacon.

With a positive outlook on his championship contention this year, Almirola is motivated to bring his team and the hometown heroes more solid finishes, starting Sunday at Texas, where last November he led 62 laps and finished runner-up to teammate Kevin Harvick.

“Texas is a track I had circled on the list this year,” Almirola said. “It’s a track that I have really become comfortable with over the years. Last year, we had an incredible run and came up just short of a win. We’ve been good at tracks this year that haven’t been my best in the past. Now we’re headed to some venues that, statistically, I’m better at. With the momentum and points cushion we have right now, all we have to do is run a clean race and hope to be there in the end.”

Almirola is riding a string of six consecutive top-10 finishes – fifth at Homestead-Miami Speedway, third at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, third and fifth, respectively, in the series’ first modern-era doubleheader weekend at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, third at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and eighth last Sunday at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta.

This is Almirola’s best season to date and the first time in his career he has earned consecutive top-five finishes. His five top-fives are the most he’s had in any single season during his nine-year full-time Cup Series career.

The No. 10 Ford driver sits eighth in the playoff standings for his career-best points position after 17 races. In his first two seasons at SHR in 2018 and 2019, Almirola was 11th in the standings after 17 races. Almirola’s next-best streak of races was a run of six consecutive top-10s in 2019 that began with the second race at Atlanta Motor Speedway and lasted through the series’ seventh race at Texas.

The No. 10 Ford driver has career totals of two wins, two poles, 23 top-five finishes, 70 top-10s and 755 laps led in 333 starts. In addition to his recent string of top-fives, he has nine top-10s and has led 218 laps.

Almirola continues to provide fans with content from his documentary series Beyond the 10, where they 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.

While Almirola is the highest average finishing driver in the last six races at 4.5, he’ll try to cap it off with a win Sunday to secure his position in the playoffs.

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

What do you think about your new paint scheme? 

“It looks fast. I love it. The fact that we’re honoring frontline heroes every weekend is awesome. I’m grateful to be able to run a paint scheme that does good for others.”

What is the most difficult thing to get right or figure out at Texas Motor Speedway?

“I think the most difficult thing at Texas is that it’s repaved and they changed the banking in turns one and two, and it’s just the speed you carry through the banked corner of turns three and four, and then you have to get slowed down for the flat turns one and two. That has made it very challenging. Then, the exit of turn two is very flat, so you’re carrying some speed there and the car just doesn’t have a lot of grip because there isn’t any banking.”

COLE CUSTER – 2020 Texas I Race Advance

Coming off his maiden NASCAR Cup Series victory last Sunday at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Cole Custer and the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) head to Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth for this Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500. Sunday at Texas will mark Custer’s 21st career Cup Series race and his first at the 1.5-mile oval.

The No. 41 machine will sport the HaasTooling.com livery for Sunday’s 500-mile race. Team co-owner Gene Haas’ newest holding, Haas Tooling was launched last month as a way for CNC machinists to purchase high quality cutting tools at great prices. Haas’ cutting tools are sold exclusively online at HaasTooling.com and shipped directly to end users. Beginning July 1, HaasTooling.com products became available nationally. The cutting tools available for purchase on HaasTooling.com are even more important during the current COVID-19 pandemic as CNC machines have become vital to producing personal protective equipment. To celebrate Custer’s win, HaasTooling.com is offering 15% off purchases on their website by using the code “Kentucky.”

“Now I have a lot of confidence going into these next races,” Custer said. “I can go into each weekend without second-guessing myself. When you’re a rookie trying to learn a bunch of different things, and figure things out as fast as you can, you can start to second-guess yourself and not know if you’re doing things right. Now, we know the right steps and I’m not second-guessing myself.”

The California native’s win at Kentucky was the first by a Cup Series rookie at that 1.5-mile track. It also notched SHR’s first win in the Bluegrass State. The organization now has at least one win at every active track on the circuit with the exception of Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway’s roval, which has only been on the schedule for two years. Sunday’s thrilling finish in Kentucky included Custer’s pass of teammate Kevin Harvick. “It was pretty crazy,” he said “I’ve watched a lot of the guys I passed as a little kid on television. To race them for the win was pretty surreal.”

The 22-year-old is also the first rookie to capture a non-weather-shortened race win since 2009. With just nine races left in the regular season, Custer’s ability to make the 16-driver playoff field is looking good. His teammate Harvick is already locked in with multiple wins this season, and teammates Aric Almirola and Clint Bowyer are currently in the top-16 based on points.

Custer is coming off back-to-back top-five finishes in the Cup Series as he heads to Texas. “Everyone has been so congratulatory,” he said. “I’m really lucky to be with the team I’m with and have the teammates I have. To have their support is huge. They’ve helped me a ton this year to try and get me going in my rookie year. It’s a real honor to be with the team I’m with.”

While Sunday marks his first Texas start in the Cup Series, the young driver has six NASCAR Xfinity Series starts there, with all but one resulting in top-10 finishes, including his November 2018 victory by a .162-of-a-second margin over Tyler Reddick after leading 16 laps.

In the NASCAR Gander & RV Outdoor Series, Custer has two starts at the Fort Worth track with a best finish of ninth in November 2016.

In 70 starts at Texas, SHR has four wins – team co-owner Tony Stewart in November 2011, and Harvick with a trio of consecutive wins in the November 2017, 2018 and 2019 races. In total at Texas, SHR has 15 top-fives, 32 top-10s and 1,211 laps led.

Haas Automation, founded by Haas in 1983, 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 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 is the first of the 2020 rookie class to earn a win this season.

 

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

 

Can you take us through the last couple of laps for you at Kentucky?

“I knew I needed to get to the top to keep the momentum. It just worked out for me to get a good draft around those guys. I was able to get to their outside and that’s when I kind of knew that I had it. I knew going into the restart that was the kind of move I wanted to make, but you never know if it’s really going to play out.”

What were your expectations going into the Kentucky race weekend?

“It was unimaginable to get the win at Kentucky. Going into the race as a rookie I was just trying to get some momentum built up going into the playoffs. Just try and get our team going in the right direction. To come out of there with a win is unimaginable. It’s something I’ll never forget the rest of my life.”

How do you hold your nerves together when you have those moments on the final laps and the cars are making contact with each other?”

“I think you focus on the task at hand. You take it one step at a time. We kind of get used to it because that’s what we do, we beat and bang at 200 miles per hour. It’s definitely a day and restart I won’t forget.”

How cool was it to have a bunch of fans back at the All-Star Race Wednesday night at Bristol?

“It was cool and strange at the same time. The fans are such a big part of our sport, they make our sport. To have them cheering and hyping us up before the race, everyone was pretty pumped up. We haven’t seen them in a while and kind of got used to the silence, but it’s really nice to have them back. Hopefully, we can have more back in the future.”

CLINT BOWYER – 2020 Texas I Race Advance

They say everything is bigger in Texas.

Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage said four-and-a-half footprints of the Dallas Cowboys’ NFL stadium fit in his track’s infield and the track’s grandstands are as massive as any on the circuit.

So, when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order allowing the Fort Worth track to operate at 50% spectator capacity during Sunday’s 500-mile NASCAR Cup Series race, it was billed as the “first major league sports event in Texas open to fans since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.”

For Clint Bowyer, driver of Stewart-Haas Racing’s (SHR) No. 14 Rush Truck Centers Ford Mustang, it means the 2020 season is getting a little bit closer to normal.

“The weirdest thing in 2020 has been not having fans in the stands and in the infield,” said Bowyer, who finished 15th in Wednesday night’s NASCAR All-Star Race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

“I miss their energy, their excitement, hearing them cheer or boo, or just have a reaction to what’s going on. The fans at Bristol Wednesday were great, and then with fans at Texas on Sunday means we are getting that atmosphere back at the track.”

There will be many safety measures in place.

Anyone in attendance over the age of 10 is required to wear a facial covering when 6 feet of space cannot be maintained from other people not belonging to the same household. Fans won’t be granted access to the infield, and payment for concessions purchases will be limited to credit cards. The track has posted nearly 10,000 signs reminding fans of the importance of social distancing

It’s the same for competitors. Sundays’ race is the NASCAR Cup Series’ 14th since the Cup Series returned from a 10-week hiatus on May 17 due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As it did at the previous 13 races, NASCAR series and team personnel in the infield will continue to operate under a comprehensive health and safety plan at Texas that permits limited crew, strict social distancing, and mandated personal protective equipment and health screenings for all.

Once he climbs into the car, Bowyer will be all business. He arrives at Texas after Wednesday night’s All-Star festivities at Bristol, which included a second-place finish in the non-points NASCAR All-Star Open and his advancement into the All-Star Race via the fan vote.

Since its return in May, NASCAR has used a random draw to determine the start order each week. Positions 1 through 12 are determined by a random draw among charter teams occupying those positions in team owner points. The same is true for positions 13 through 24 and 25 through 36, while positions 37 through 40 are filled out by open, non-chartered teams in order of owner points.

Bowyer is 13th in points just 21 markers outside the top-12 drawing for starting positions each week.

“Aside from the obvious of winning the race each and every week, right now our goal is getting back into damn 12th place,” Bowyer said. “Gosh, it has been tough – since Talladega. We were in 12th, would have been just fine. Look at my teammate Aric Almirola and myself. He was 13th and I was 12th at Talladega. I got wrecked on the last lap. He finished third and I was like, ‘No big deal, we will race it out.’ We were within striking distance of others, too. He sat on pole the next week and won two stages and put 50 points on me in three races where we have been starting 21st, 22nd or worse and struggling and started digging ourselves out of a hole. Just that difference in that one spot and one particular race, that is a wildcard race at Talladega.

“No excuses or anything else, but it is just a prime example of how quickly things can change in this world. That shoe can be on the other foot and it will be. The biggest thing is, we need to get back in the top-12 if we are going to continue to draw for positions.”

Not that he needs any incentive to do well in Texas, but Bowyer has added reasons for success. His cornerstone partner Rush Truck Centers is headquartered near San Antonio.

Rush Truck Centers has been the primary partner on 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.

“Rush Truck Centers keeps our trucks and transporters in great condition, and you could argue those are the most important parts of our race team. Without them, our cars never get to the racetrack,” said Bowyer, who before Covid-19 normally spent time with Rush customers and guests each weekend. “The employees of Rush Truck Centers are as detail-oriented as we are, and their technicians are the heartbeat of their dealerships. They play a critical role in the success of our race team.”

The team from Rush Truck Centers and Rush Enterprises Chairman, CEO and President Rusty Rush can frequently be found at the track hosting customers and supporting Bowyer and SHR. Bowyer considers them to be among his closest racing friends. He’d love nothing better than to deliver a victory for Rush Sunday in Texas.

“We love seeing our friends from Rush Truck Centers and spending time with their customers,” he said. “Plus, Rusty knows our entire crew, and the leadership and inspiration he provides truly help motivate all of us. I miss seeing those guys at the track and I hope we can get everyone back soon.”

If Bowyer does win at Texas on Sunday then you’ll see how big they party in Texas.

 

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

 

NASCAR sent a memo last week reminding everyone in the sport to keep following the safety guidelines. Is it getting harder to follow those guidelines?

“I don’t think it is getting harder to follow. I think everybody needs a reminder whether you are at the racetrack or home. It is just life to get lax with things. You always need reminders. Certainly them coming out with a memo was nothing more than an opportunity. Again, I feel 100-percent safe in here. We are a family that travels together and have for a long time. We look out for each other and I think that our track record is proving itself. We are the only ones that have been doing this for 10-plus races. There are some other sanctions that are trying to start back up and, make no mistake, they are starting back up following the lead of NASCAR and the job we have done. Have there been instances where we have to learn and bob and weave? Absolutely. But show me anywhere in this COVID deal – there is no handbook that comes with it. You have to create it and you have to learn from your mistakes quickly and put them to use, and certainly we have done that with NASCAR.”

KEVIN HARVICK – 2020 Texas I Race Advance

Texas musician Pat Green released a song in 2001 titled, “Texas on My Mind.” The first lines of the song state, “I woke up this morning, with Texas on my mind …”

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), probably is thinking the same thing this week as the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule reaches its halfway point with Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.

Harvick has three wins, three poles, 11 top-threes, 22 top-10s and has led a total of 614 laps in his 34 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Texas. But his last 11 races, all with crew chief Rodney Childers and SHR’s No. 4 team, have been outstanding.

He has finished in the top-10 in all 11 of those races with seven top-threes and two poles. And all three of Harvick’s career Texas victories have come consecutively in the November races of 2017, 2018 and 2019.

The 2020 season once again has been good to Harvick as he has amassed four wins and leads the points by 88 markers over Brad Keselowski.

Sunday will and could be a big day for Harvick as he will make his 700th career NASCAR Cup Series start to become only the 18th driver to accomplish that feat. He will be tied with Buddy Baker, who also has 700 starts.

If he completes lap 222 at Texas Motor Speedway, he will also surpass 200,000 laps completed in the Cup Series. Harvick is the leader among active drivers in that category and is closing in on Dale Earnhardt, who is 15th with 202,888.

And if he scores the win at the 1.5-mile oval, he will score his 54th career victory, which would tie him with Lee Petty for 11th on the all-time list.

Those are big numbers and big names, and Harvick isn’t looking to slow down. He’ll have the help of Mobil 1 on board as a sponsor and partner.

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 has Texas on his mind, and victory, as well.

 

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

 

There were some questions with regard to track prep last week at Kentucky. Is there a concern with what happened at Bristol, too? Is there a worry going into Texas where track prep can play an important role?

“Yeah, I mean, you’re definitely dependent on the guys taking care of the racetrack. I think we definitely went to Charlotte and the track prep didn’t seem like the PJ1 was what it had been the last couple of years. It seemed like when we started at Kentucky, the track prep obviously wasn’t very good for the Xfinity cars, dust flying everywhere. The top was just nasty dirty (at Bristol), really no chance to ever even run up there. Yeah, I mean, the track prep piece of it, last week we showed up on race day, the PJ1 was put on the racetrack without anybody knowing. Definitely, yeah, I think you have to be concerned with it going to Texas because it hasn’t been the same as what it was last year.”

What’s the lesson of this week, to avoid what happened last weekend and Kentucky?

“Yeah, that’s a good question. I think the one thing that lacks there is practice. I think everybody is kind of guessing at what’s right and what’s wrong. But the track was definitely not ready to race last week at Kentucky when those guys took off in the Xfinity race. At Bristol, there was no chance that the top groove was going to come in. There was enough setup up there, if you drove up there, it was going to take you two or three laps to get cleaned back up. Just wound up not being able to push it high enough. We still had a second groove, but I think a lot of people had the expectations that the bump-and-run was going to come into play. When the bottom has that much grip, then it becomes kind of an aero game, which it kind of became.”

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.”

CHASE BRISCOE – 2020 NXS Texas I Race Advance

Event:  My Bariatric Solutions 300 (Round 16 of 33)
Date:  July 18, 2020
Location:  Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth
Layout:  1.5-mile oval

Chase Briscoe Notes of Interest

•  Briscoe brings his No. 98 Ford Performance Racing School Mustang to Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth riding a wave of front-running consistency with four straight top-five finishes. The 25-year-old scored back-to-back wins at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway and then finished fourth and second, respectively, in the NASCAR Xfinity Series doubleheader last weekend at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta.

•  With nine races remaining in the regular season,Briscoe is atop the championships standings with a 19-point advantage over his nearest pursuer, Noah Gragson. Briscoe’s point standing is emblematic of his season, as he leads the Xfinity Series in wins with five (next best has two wins) and playoff points with 28 (next best has 18). Briscoe is tied with Austin Cindric for the most top-fives with nine apiece, and he is second in top-10s with 12, one fewer than the leader in this category, Ross Chastain. Should Briscoe hold on to this lead through the remaining nine races of the regular season, he will score the regular-season championship and the 15 valuable playoff points that come with it.

•  Briscoe has three career Xfinity Series starts at Texas with a best finish of fourth in March 2019.

•  Outside of the Xfinity Series, Briscoe has two NASCAR Gander Outdoors & RV Truck Series starts at Texas. Both came in 2017 and both delivered top-fives. Briscoe led seven laps in the June event before being edged out on the final restart by Christopher Bell, the eventual series champion. In the Truck Series’ return to Texas in November, Briscoe finished fourth after starting 10th.

CHASE BRISCOE, Driver of the No. 98 Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang:

What are your thoughts on Texas and what are your expectations for the weekend?

“Texas is a really unique track. It’s got one lane of racing and tons of grip, until that moment when there’s no grip at all. You can carry a lot of speed in turns three and four and then it almost feels like you stop when you get back to turns one and two. The results on the Xfinity side haven’t really reflected where we’ve run during the race, so while the track’s not one of my favorites, I think we’ll have a shot at taking the Ford Performance Racing School Mustang back to victory lane.”

The Xfinity Series will race again at Texas in October during the playoffs. Are you going into this weekend focused on this race specifically, or are you playing the long game and trying some things out for later in the year?

“A little of both. Obviously, this week is still very important. We always want to do well when we show up to the track. We’ve been in position to win every week, so there’s no reason to back off of that. But, big picture, the playoff races are important, so we will try a mix of what we know works at Texas as well as trying stuff for the future.”

Does not having practice or qualifying impact that gameplan?

“For sure. Not having practice at Texas or any track that we’ll run again hurts because that’s when we could have tried stuff for the playoffs. You have more time to try different setups and see which adjustments work. It’s just the situation of not having that extra track time. You always want more. But the races have been exciting and Richard Boswell (crew chief) and the guys on this team have done such a good job setting up our Ford Mustangs to unload fast.”

CLINT BOWYER – 2020 All-Star Race Report

Event:  NASCAR All-Star Race and All-Star Open (non-points events)
Series:  NASCAR Cup Series
Location:  Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval)
All-Star Race Start/Finish: 20th/15th (Running, completed 140 of 140 laps)
All Star Open Start/Finish: 9th/2nd (Running, completed 85 of 85 laps)

NASCAR All-Star Race (140 laps, broken into four stages (55 laps/35 laps/35 laps/15 laps) :

●  Race Winner:  Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
●  Stage 1 Winner:  Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)
●  Stage 2 Winner:  Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
●  Stage 3 Winner:  Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Note: The NASCAR All-Star Race was comprised of drivers who won a points-paying race in 2019 or 2020, fulltime drivers who have previously won the All-Star Race, fulltime drivers who have won a NASCAR Cup Series championship, and drivers who advanced from the All-Star Open.

All-Star Open (85 laps, broken into three stages (35 laps/35 laps/15 laps):

●  Race Winner:  Matt DiBenedetto of Wood Brothers Racing (Ford)
●  Stage 1 Winner:  Aric Almirola of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
●  Stage 2 Winner:  William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
●  Fan Vote Winner:  Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Note:The All-Star Open was the undercard event to the NASCAR All-Star Race, where non-qualified drivers attempted to race their way into the All-Star Race by winning any one of the race’s three stages or by winning the fan vote.

NASCAR All-Star Open

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-35):

● Clint Bowyer started ninth, finished sixth.
● Bowyer jumped from ninth to fifth in the opening two laps.
● Bowyer reported his car was loose and finished sixth.
● Bowyer pitted to make handling adjustments during the segment break.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 36-70):

● Started 12th, finished fourth.
● Bowyer narrowly avoided two spinning cars on the second lap of the segment to move to ninth.
● The No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Ford Mustang moved to fifth with 20 to go and finished fourth.
● He stayed on the track during the break.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 71-85):

● Started third, finished second.
● Bowyer moved to second in opening lap but couldn’t make the pass for the lead.
● Bowyer earned the most votes in a fan vote to advance to the All-Star Race

NASCAR All-Star Race

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-55):

● Clint Bowyer started 20th and finished 12th.
● The No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Ford Mustang jumped to 15th in the early laps of the race.
● Bowyer reported his car was on top of the track.
● Bowyer still turned some of the fastest laps of any car during the stage.
● During the stage break, Bowyer pitted for four tires, fuel and tire air pressure adjustments.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 56-90):

● Bowyer started seventh and finished sixth.
● The No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Ford Mustang avoided a spinning Ryan Newman on the first lap.
● Bowyer reported his car was loose with 20 laps to go in the stage.
● During the stage break, Bowyer pitted for four tires and adjustments..

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 91-125):

● Bowyer started fifth and finished 10th.
● The No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Ford Mustang was loose on the restart and dropped to ninth.
● Bowyer finished the stage in tenth and stayed on the track during the break.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 126-140):

● Bowyer started eighth and finished 15th.
● The No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Ford Mustang climbed as high as sixth before the cars with fresher tires drove by him.
● Bowyer faded to 15th in the closing laps.

Notes:

●  This was Bowyer’s 11th appearance in the All-Star Race.
●  Chase Elliott won the All-Star Race with a .418 of a second margin of victory over runner-up Kyle Busch.
●  The All-Star Race featured six lead changes among four different drivers. Twenty drivers comprised the field.

Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“I hate to lean on them (fans) to get into the All-Star Race, but I thank them for putting us in. It sure was fun to have them back at the track tonight. We were pretty good at times during the All-Star Race. On the final segment we gambled and stayed out, but we struggled to take off and those guys with fresher tires got by us. We’ll be ready for Texas on Sunday.”

Next Up:

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to points-paying racing on Sunday, July 19 with the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The race gets underway at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

KEVIN HARVICK – 2020 All-Star Race Report

Event: NASCAR All-Star Race (non-points events)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval)
Start/Finish: 5th/3rd (Running, completed 140 of 140 laps)

Note : The NASCAR All-Star Race was comprised of drivers who won a points-paying race in 2019 or 2020, fulltime drivers who have previously won the All-Star Race, fulltime drivers who have won a NASCAR Cup Series championship, and drivers who advanced from the All-Star Open.

Race Winner:      Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Winner:  Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner:  Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 3 Winner:  Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-55):

● Kevin Harvick started fifth and finished second.
● The No. 4 Busch Light Apple Ford Mustang moved to second-place quickly and trailed Ryan Blaney. Said car was tight early on, but then started to go loose.
● At the end of the stage, Harvick brought the No. 4 Busch Light Apple Ford Mustang to pit road for four tires and fuel. Came out in first place.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 56-90):

● Kevin Harvick started first and finished second.
● Said his No. 4 Busch Light Apple Ford Mustang was still too loose.
● At the end of stage two, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure and chassis adjustment.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 91-125):

● Kevin Harvick started sixth and finished fifth.
● Harvick said he lost some front turn on his No. 4 Busch Light Apple Ford Mustang.
● Before the final stage, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 126-140):

● Kevin Harvick started 10th and finished third.
● The No. 4 Busch Light Apple Ford Mustang moved from 10th for third, but could not get to the front of the field.

Notes:

●  Chase Elliott won the All-Star Race with a .418 of a second margin of victory over runner-up Kyle Busch.
●  The All-Star Race featured six lead changes among four different drivers. Twenty drivers comprised the field.
●  Harvick has made an appearance in every single NASCAR All-Star Race in his 20-year career, the most of any driver eligible for this year’s All-Star Race.
●  Harvick led once for six laps to increase his laps-led total in the All-Star Race to 163.

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

“There were a couple of laps there where I had to spend a little bit more time in traffic than I needed too, to get back to the front. Our Busch Light Apple Ford Mustang guys did a good job and I think that was the right call (to pit at the end of stage three). That was our only chance, we weren’t going to beat the 9 (Chase Elliott) where we were sitting on the same tires. It all came down to getting past those cars for the first couple laps.”

Next Up:

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to points-paying racing on Sunday, July 19 with the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The race gets underway at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

COLE CUSTER – 2020 All-Star Race Report

Event:  NASCAR All-Star Race (non-points event)
Series:  NASCAR Cup Series
Location:  Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval)
Format:  140 laps, broken into four stages (55 laps/35 laps/35 laps/15 laps)
Start/Finish:  8th/16th (Running, completed 140 of 140 laps)

Note I:  The NASCAR All-Star Race was comprised of drivers who won a points-paying race in 2019 or 2020, fulltime drivers who have previously won the All-Star Race, fulltime drivers who have won a NASCAR Cup Series championship, and drivers who advanced from the All-Star Open.

Race Winner:  Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Winner:  Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner:  Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 3 Winner:  Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-55):

● Cole Custer started eighth and finished 17th.
● Starting on the outside lane in eighth proved to be a challenge during the opening laps as Custer lost a number of positions. He was in 18th place when caution came out for a single car accident on lap six. He reported that the No. 41 HaasTooling.com/Autodesk Fusion was handling on the loose side getting into the turns, but tight in the center.
● Custer settled into a comfortable pace, competing in 17th place. He reported on lap 35 that the car’s handling had become too loose.
● The rookie driver finished the stage in 17th place. He reported that he was unable to get into or exit the corners due to the loose-handling condition. The team made a number of changes, adjusting the chassis and air pressure, changing four tires and adding fuel to the No. 41 Fusion. He lined up 16th to start Stage 2.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 56-90):

● Custer started in 16th and finished 16th.
● It didn’t take long for the caution to wave in Stage 2 with the No. 6 car spinning and slowing the pace during the first lap of green-flag racing. Custer was in 14th place and elected to drop to the inside lane for the restart.
● Despite the number of adjustments the team made during the break, the loose-handling condition persisted on the No. 41 Fusion.
● The California native was in 16th place when Stage 2 concluded. He reported that the splitter on the No. 41 HaasTooling.com/Autodesk Fusion was fine but he needed more grip to be aggressive.
● During the Stage break, the team took another big swing at the handling – pulling packer, adjusting the chassis, changing four tires and adding fuel. Custer lined up 17th to start Stage 3.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 91-125):

● Custer started 17th and finished 15th.
● The 22-year-old quietly logged laps and patiently picked off a couple of spots, positioning the No. 41 Fusion in 15th place with 10 laps to go in Stage 3.
● Custer maintained 15th place to the conclusion of Stage 3. He noted that the car started well but lacked rotation in the center of the turns as the run continued. He also said that he would prefer the car to stay on the tight side. The team changed four tires and added fuel during the break.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 126-140):

● Custer started 17th and finished 16th.
● The California-native found himself in a tight battle with veteran drivers Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman to start the final stage. He was finally able to break loose and was in 16th place with five laps to go.
● Custer was unable to make up any more positions and finished his first All-Star Race in 16th place.

Notes:

●  This was Custer’s first appearance in the All-Star Race.
●  Chase Elliott won the All-Star Race with a .418 of a second margin of victory over runner-up Kyle Busch.
●  The All-Star Race featured six lead changes among four different drivers. Twenty drivers comprised the field.

Cole Custer, driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com/Autodesk Fusion 360 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“I am pretty pumped that I got to run my first All-Star Race. It wasn’t the night that we wanted though for our Haastooling.com/Autodesk Fusion. We couldn’t get a handle on it. The track seemed to change since the spring race. We will move on to Texas.”

Next Up:

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to points-paying racing on Sunday, July 19 with the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The race gets underway at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

ARIC ALMIROLA – 2020 All-Star Race Report

Event:  NASCAR All-Star Race and All-Star Open (non-points events)
Series:  NASCAR Cup Series
Location:  Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval)
Start/Finish: 8th/16th (Running, completed 140 of 140 laps)

NASCAR All-Star Race (140 laps, broken into four stages (55 laps/35 laps/35 laps/15 laps):

●  Race Winner:       Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
●  Stage 1 Winner:  Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)
●  Stage 2 Winner:  Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
●  Stage 3 Winner:  Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Note I: The NASCAR All-Star Race was comprised of drivers who won a points-paying race in 2019 or 2020, fulltime drivers who have previously won the All-Star Race, fulltime drivers who have won a NASCAR Cup Series championship, and drivers who advanced from the All-Star Open.

Note II: The All-Star Open was the undercard event to the NASCAR All-Star Race, where non-qualified drivers attempted to race their way into the All-Star Race by winning any one of the race’s three stages or by winning the fan vote. 

Note III: Almirola won Stage 1 of the All-Star Open to advance to the the All-Star Race. 

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-55):

●  Aric Almirola started 16th and finished sixth.
●  Almirola raced his Smithfield Ford to sixth by lap 40.
●  He pitted at the end of the stage for four tires, fuel and adjustments to correct loose-handling conditions.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 56-90):

●  Almirola started ninth and finished ninth.
●  Almirola said the adjustments made his Smithfield Ford difficult to turn.
●  He pitted at the end of the stage to take four tires and reverse the previous adjustments made.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 91-125:

●  Almirola started 12th and finished 11th .
●  The No. 10 Ford driver raced just outside the top-10 in Stage 3 and said the previous adjustments helped.
●  He pitted at the end of the stage for four tires, fuel an adjustments.

Stage 4 Recap (Laps 126-140:

●  Almirola started 11th and finished ninth.
●  The No. 10 Ford driver gained two more positions before the checkered flag waved.

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

“Great job to all of our guys. We definitely deserved to be in this race today. We learned some things today. Can’t wait to get to Texas this weekend and continue the momentum to get us a win.”

Notes:

●  Almirola’s ninth-place result marked his second straight top-10 in the All-Star Race. He finished sixth last year.
●  This was Almirola’s third appearance in the All-Star Race.
●  Chase Elliott won the All-Star Race with a .418 of a second margin of victory over runner-up Kyle Busch.
●  The All-Star Race featured six lead changes among four different drivers. Twenty drivers comprised the field.

Next Up: 

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to points-paying racing on Sunday, July 19 with the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The race gets underway at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

COLE CUSTER – 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race Advance

By capturing his first career NASCAR Cup Series win Sunday at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Cole Custer locked himself and the No. 41 HaasTooling.com/Autodesk Fusion 360 team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) into Wednesday night’s NASCAR All-Star Race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The win also means HaasTooling.com is offering 15% off purchases from their website by using the code “Kentucky.”

SHR has two entries locked into the $1 million-to-win exhibition event by virtue of race wins. Custer’s teammate Kevin Harvick has multiple wins this season. SHR’s Aric Almirola and Clint Bowyer have the opportunity to race their way in via the All-Star Open, which precedes the All-Star Race, or by winning the NASCAR.com fan vote. “This is a great opportunity for the No. 41 team and all of our sponsors,” said Custer’s crew chief Mike Shiplett. “Everybody puts in so much effort and to know that we’re already locked into the All-Star Race is huge.”

Winning the $1 million first prize would go a long way for Custer, who has just 20 Cup Series starts. The All-Star Race will consist of four stages for a total of 140 laps at the Tennessee short track. The All-Star Race will also feature a choose cone rule, where drivers will have the opportunity to select which lane they want to restart in as long as they make the decision before they reach the designated spot on the track as determined by NASCAR. Making the decision after the designated spot will incur a penalty for the driver. “I think the choose cone will put a lot into the driver’s hands,” Custer said. “It’ll be interesting when you dominate one lane at the track, but who knows. You’re going to have decide how much risk you want to take – which lane has been really good, and how even they are. It’s going to change throughout the race, which lane you’ll want to take, and that will keep it interesting.”

Additionally, fans will notice all cars locked into the main event on Wednesday will have lights glowing underneath as they shine down on the racetrack. “It’s pretty unbelievable to be locked into the All-Star Race on Wednesday,” Custer said. “I only have to focus on the main event, versus the Open, too. I’ll have the light shining underneath my car and that’s cool.”

The 22-year-old raced at Bristol for the first time in the Cup Series on May 31. Custer started 22nd but finished 35th after getting caught up in a multicar accident. The All-Star Race is usually held at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May, but was moved to this week at Bristol due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the All-Star Race provides the opportunity to change things up a little bit, the paint schemes on the racecars will feature the car number in a noticeably different place, moved rearward from the traditional spot centered on the door panel. That is intended to allow sponsor logos to be more centered along the side of the car. The No. 41 livery will be shared this weekend by HaasTooling.com and Autodesk Fusion 360. Team co-owner Gene Haas’ newest holding Haas Tooling was recently launched as a way for CNC machinists to purchase high quality cutting tools at great prices. Haas’ cutting tools are sold exclusively online at HaasTooling.com and shipped directly to end users. The cutting tools available for purchase on HaasTooling.com are even more important during the current COVID-19 pandemic as CNC machines have become vital to producing personal protective equipment.

Autodesk is a leading designer and supplier of software for the architecture, engineering, construction, media and entertainment, and manufacturing industries. Autodesk’s Fusion 360 cloud-based 3D CAD, CAM, CAE, and PCB software brings enterprise-grade capabilities, data services, and a support network to teams of any size, uniting people, products, and processes across the product development process. The company empowers customers, like SHR, to push their boundaries and shape a thriving future.

What makes the HaasTooling.com and Autodesk Fusion 360 relationship unique is that Autodesk recently integrated the ability to directly purchase Haas Tooling components via its software. “Autodesk’s Fusion 360 integration of Haas Tooling directly within Fusion’s cloud-based platform, gives engineers, CNC programmers and CNC operators direct access to Haas’ proven cutting tools, data and presets,” said Adam N. Smith, manager, Strategic Partnerships, at Autodesk. “Haas Tooling’s integration continues to support Fusion 360’s commitment to delivering end-to-end workflows with industry-leading partners.”

Haas Automation, founded by Haas in 1983, 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’s win at Kentucky made him the first 2020 rookie candidate to capture a win this season.

 

COLE CUSTER, Driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com/Autodesk Fusion 360 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

 

How does it feel to be locked into the All-Star Race?

“I was a little nervous originally thinking I was going to have to race in the Open. Bristol isn’t easy and there are a lot of good guys in the Open this year. To already be locked into the All-Star Race takes a lot of stress off. It’ll be fun to race for one million dollars. We were pretty solid at Bristol (in May) but ended up getting wrecked.”

You’re the first of this year’s “big three” in the rookie class to get a win. What does it feel like?

“I’m very thankful. I’m with an amazing team that has stuck behind me when we’ve had some tough races – really tough races. It’s definitely been a learning experience, but I think we’ve grown from that and dug deep to figure out how to get better each race. It’s just unbelievable to be in this situation. Coming into this year, I was just trying to gain respect, and fit in, and earn the respect of the other drivers. To get a win already is almost unimaginable.”