Month: July 2020

KEVIN HARVICK – 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race Advance

Kevin Harvick became a NASCAR All-Star back in 2001 and has been one every year since.

He was 26 years old in March of 2001 when he scored his first NASCAR Cup Series win at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was in his third-ever Cup Series race and immediately qualified him for that year’s All-Star Race.

Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Busch Light Apple Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), has two wins, four second-place finishes, six top-fives, 12 top-10s and has led 157 laps in 19 previous All-Star events.

But those all took place at the 1.5-mile oval at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway and, Wednesday night, the event will take for the first time at the .533-mile Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway oval.

Harvick will also have Busch Light Apple on his car for the All-Star Race, as well as on July 23 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, and the doubleheader Aug. 8 and 9 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. Busch Light Apple is a refreshing, light lager, which combines the crispness of Busch with the light sweetness of apple flavor. It’s like the sound of refreshment meets the taste of the orchard, and is the first flavor innovation in the history of the Busch Light brand.

The All-Star Race will feature several new wrinkles Wednesday night.

Each driver’s car number won’t be centered on the driver-side door panel as normal. Instead, it will move back toward the rear wheel, giving teams more room for the sponsor logos on the sides of the cars. Also, the cars will feature underglow lighting beneath them that should add a visual effect never seen at a Cup Series race.

Additionally a choose rule will be in effect Wednesday night. When drivers emerge single file after pit stops under caution, a lap or two before the restart they will drive to a designated spot on the track marked by a cone, where they must commit to either the inside or outside lane. Failure to make a clear choice, or changing lanes after the designated spot, will result in a tail-of-the-field penalty. This is different from the current double-file restart system, where only the race leader chooses his lane.

Having the rule for the All-Star Race gives every driver the ability to make his own decision on whether to start in the inside or outside lane, and strategy will come into play in every instance. For example, the second-place driver could choose to start behind the leader or on the front row. Or, if the first four drivers pick the same lane because it is the preferred groove, the driver in fifth might decide to restart on the front row, even though it may be the non-preferred groove.

The All-Star Race will have four stages with Stage One lasting 55 laps, Stages Two and Three at 35 laps apiece, and Stage Four lasting 15 laps. Only green-flag laps will count in the final stage, and the final stage will end with a checkered flag. If the race is restarted with two or fewer laps remaining, then there will be unlimited attempts at a green-white-checkered finish.

It doesn’t matter if a driver has been an All-Star for almost 20 years running come Wednesday night. There is a $1 million first price is on the line, which means it should be a heck of a show.

 

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

 

Thoughts on the All-Star Race moving to Bristol?

“It’s going to look much different than the All-Star Races we’ve had over the past several years. I think all of us, from the drivers’ perspective and the fans’ perspective, have been itching for our All-Star Race. I think it’s going to be very similar to old Bristol because they are going to spray the traction compound on the bottom of the racetrack and there are very short races that are going to happen (starting with the All-Star Open). What I think is going to happen is the majority of the race is going to be run on the bottom of the racetrack, which means, in order to pass somebody, you’re probably going to have to use the front bumper, which could get pretty exciting. I’m looking forward to it and I’m really excited about the change for the All-Star Race.”

How strange has it been with no fans at any of these races?

“Anything I’ve ever competed in, whether it’s fantasy football, racing or park league basketball, you always had someone to share it with. And right now they really don’t let us be around anybody at the racetrack. And they just abandon us (laughs). Once the TV people leave, I drive the car to victory lane, I take a few pictures and then they make me leave (laughs). You have all that enthusiasm and excitement and it’s the strangest thing, but it’s a good reminder of how much enthusiasm you have to share with the fans and how much you feed off of that after you get out of the car. I’m looking forward to getting back to that, but am I excited that we are racing and that brings some normalcy with what’s going on.”

ARIC ALMIROLA – 2020 All-Star Open Race Advance

Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang, looks to race for $1 million Wednesday night at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, where the venue will host the NASCAR All-Star Race for the first time.

Sunday at Kentucky Motor Speedway in Sparta, Almirola started second and led a race-high 128 laps, and showed a promising run before he emerged in 20th after the first sequence of green-flag pit stops. The No. 10 Smithfield Ford driver managed to race his way back to eighth place to earn his sixth-straight top-10.

He finished fifth June 14 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, third June 22 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, third and fifth in the June 27 and 28 doubleheader at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, and third July 5 in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the best finishing streak of his career. Almirola’s next-best streak 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 Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.

Almirola has led 218 laps this season, surpassing his previous number of laps led in a single season in 2018, when he led 181.

“It’s been awesome to go to every track and be able to compete for a win,” Almirola said. “This team is busting it in the shop every week and it shows. We’ve been so consistent lately. When we came to Bristol earlier this year, we had a great car and got caught up in a wreck. That’s Bristol. I know this Smithfield team will unload with a car capable of getting us into the All-Star Race.”

Almirola is not locked into the All-Star Race and will have to race his way in through the All-Star Open that precedes it, unless he wins the fan vote. To aid the team’s endeavor to make the All-Star Race, Almirola’s longtime sponsor Smithfield Foods has given fans an opportunity to “vote for bacon” in order to secure their driver’s eligibility.

“A vote for me is a vote for bacon,” Almirola said. “I’m not one to promote myself and ask for popularity or votes, so fans can vote for bacon for a chance to earn free bacon for a year and we might make it into the All-Star Race. Smithfield is always giving back to our fan base, as we saw in Talladega when we gave away bacon for life.”

To “vote for bacon” and help secure Almirola’s eligibility in the All-Star Race, visit www.voteforbacon.com for a chance to win Smithfield bacon for a year, a private meet-and-greet with Almirola, and free SHR merchandise.

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 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.

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.

“Bristol is one of my favorite tracks,” Almirola said. “It would be awesome to be voted in by the fans, but I’m excited to try and race my way in for the million with all of the momentum that we have.”

 

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

 

What do you think about the All-Star Race being at Bristol? 

“I’m always open to change. I think this is going to be a lot of fun. I mean, you have guys battling for $1 million at a track that is known for conflict and the bump-and-run. If it comes down to winning, you know what’s going to happen.”

How does Bristol’s track surface change during the race?

“Bristol is one of those places where the track changes throughout the run, especially in the last couple of years, when they put the (traction) compound down on the bottom groove. That has tended to get rubbered up and get really slick as the run moves on and the cars migrate to the top of the racetrack. The top of the racetrack is not very good when it’s clean but, when it starts to rubber up, it actually gains momentum and gets faster, so the groove moves around a lot from run to run and throughout the run, and that makes it fun and it makes it exciting. As a driver, it gives you the option to search around and look for speed.”

CLINT BOWYER – 2020 All-Star Open Race Advance

It doesn’t take much to get Clint Bowyer excited about Wednesday night’s NASCAR All-Star Race held for the first time ever at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and run with a few interesting changes.

Marrying the sport’s toughest track with its wildest race and the biggest purse is sure to produce fireworks. Now, throw in $1 million to the winner and it merits everyone’s attention, including Bowyer’s.

“It is the All-Star Race. One million dollars! Say it with me. It is one of those things where you have been dreaming of the opportunity for a long time,” said Bowyer, who finished second May 31 in the most recent points race at Bristol.

“I’m glad for the opportunity to get this All-Star Race to Bristol. I thought it was a perfect fit for the All-Star format and I am excited to get there and see it all go down.”

Bowyer is a three-time winner of the NASCAR Open race that precedes the All Star event. A fourth win, or if he wins either of the Open’s first two segments, will earn Bowyer a spot in the All Star Race. If all else fails, he’s in a close battle to win the fan vote to transfer one more Open competitor to the All Star Race.

Three drivers have won the All-Star Race after advancing from the Open.

The All-Star Open and the All-Star Race will feature several new wrinkles Wednesday night.

Each driver’s car number won’t be centered on the driver-side body panel as normal. Instead, it will move back toward the rear wheel, giving teams more room for the sponsor logos on the sides of the cars. Also, the cars will feature underglow lighting beneath them that should add a visual effect never seen at a Cup Series race.

Additionally a choose rule will be in effect Wednesday night. When drivers emerge single file after pit stops under caution, a lap or two before the restart they will drive to a designated spot on the track marked by a cone, where they must commit to either the inside or outside lane for the restart. Failure to make a clear choice or changing lanes after the designated spot will result in a tail-of-the-field penalty. This is different from the current double-file restart system, where only the race leader chooses his lane.

Having the rule for the All-Star Race gives every driver the ability to make his own decision on whether to start in the inside or outside lane, and strategy will come into play in every instance. For example, the second-place driver could choose to start behind the leader or on the front row. Or, if the first four drivers pick the same lane because it is the preferred groove, the driver in fifth might decide to restart on the front row, even though it may be the non-preferred groove.

Bowyer approves of all the new wrinkles, but cautions race fans not to expect too much from the choose rule.

“I think it’s a good idea, but I want us to be careful and not oversell it,” he said. “For the most part, I don’t see people giving up two or three spots to stay on the outside. Possibly, if you are on old tires or something like that, that is where an opportunity like that comes in. Can it work? Yes. The rest of the car changes are going to be really cool and I can’t wait to see them under the lights.”

The All-Star Open will have three stages with Stages 1 and 2 being 35 laps apiece and Stage 3 lasting 15 laps. The winner of each stage, as well as the winner of the All-Star Fan Vote, will advance to the All-Star Race main event. In addition to the Open stage winners and Fan Vote winner, the All-Star Race consists of 2019 and 2020 race winners, as well as previous All-Star winners and active full-time Cup champions.

The All-Star Race will have four stages with Stage 1 lasting 55 laps, Stages 2 and 3 35 laps apiece, and Stage 4 lasting 15 laps. Only green-flag laps will count in the final stage, and the final stage will end with a checkered flag. If the race is restarted with two or fewer laps remaining, then there will be unlimited attempts at a green-white-checkered finish.

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

Wednesday’s event 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 Bristol that permits no fans, limited crew, strict social distancing, and mandated personal protective equipment and health screenings for all.

Bowyer arrives at Bristol after finishing 14th Sunday at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta. A caution after a green-flag stop and late damage hurt Bowyer’s chances for what looked like a top-five finish in the making. A caution has fallen just laps after Bowyer made green-flag stops three times in the two most recent Cup Series races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Kentucky.

“We have been running well, but we could obviously use a good finish,” Bowyer said. “There’s no better place for me than Bristol, so I’m pretty pumped up about Wednesday night.”

And, as Bowyer is quick to point out, there’s also $1 million on the line.

 

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

 

Can you describe your season so far?

“It is hard trying to learn one another in this format, with no practice or anything else. Honestly, it is just weird. It feels like you should have an asterisk behind every finish. If we would have had practice, we would have had a little different run or a different setup in the car and wouldn’t have encountered those problems. Those are all things that not having that chance to communicate and work with one another that we just don’t have and take for granted right now. It is the same for everybody. You have to unload well and my teammate Kevin Harvick says all the time that you can’t drive a slow car fast. We have had fast racecars and have led laps. We are kind of snake-bit right now. I hate the words bad luck, but I mean, at Indy we were seventh place and pretty much had it locked up. With 21 to go, caution comes out. We pit, two laps later the caution comes out and the rest is history. We are a lap down and 17th on old tires. You are screwed. Same thing happens in Kentucky on Sunday. We are top-five and caution comes out. It is just the way it is right now. I have been racing long enough to know that it will flip and those runs will come back. We have some good tracks for us coming up. We need a good run. We need a confidence booster. My crew, (crew chief) Johnny Klausmeier, everyone does a great job and works their butts off. It is hard to showcase how hard they are working right now by just showing up and racing. You don’t get that run that you deserve, sometimes, like what happened to us in Indy and Kentucky”

COLE CUSTER – 2020 Kentucky Race Report

Event: Kentucky 400 (Round 17 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Kentucky Speedway in Sparta (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 267 laps, broken into three stages (80 laps/80 laps/107 laps)
Start/Finish: 29th/1st (Running, completed 267 of 267 laps)
Point Standing: 20th with 321 points, 354 out of first

Race Winner: Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Aric Almirola of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-80):             

● Cole Custer started 29th and finished 16th.
● During the competition caution on lap 25, Custer reported he was pretty happy with the HaasTooling.com Mustang while running 19th.
● He pitted for fuel, four tires and a small adjustment and restarted 19th.
● During the long green-flag run, the rookie driver continued to work his way forward.
● The California native ended the stage in 16th and pitted for fuel, four tires, and adjustments to help loosen up the No. 41 Ford Mustang.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 81-160):

● Custer started in 16th and finished third to earn eight bonus points
● On lap 100, Custer was in the 14th position.
● The HaasTooling.com driver made a scheduled green-flag pit stop for fuel only on lap 149.
● The only caution in Stage 2 was displayed on lap 155.
● Custer stayed out and restarted fourth with only one lap left in the stage.
● Custer finished the stage in third and pitted for fuel, four tires and adjustments.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 161-267):

● Custer started 22nd, finished first.
● By lap 179, Custer was in the 12th position.
● On lap 215, the 22-year-old driver moved into the 10th spot.
● “Seems like the car is getting pretty good right now,” Custer told the HaasTooling.com crew on lap 218 from the ninth position.
● Custer inherited the lead on lap 224 as the field began to pit under green.
● Custer made a scheduled green-flag pit stop on lap 228. Just after receiving service, the caution was displayed on lap 229.
● He took the wave around and restarted 13th.
● The caution was back out on lap 243 and Custer stayed out. The Ford driver restarted 13th with 19 laps to go.
● Caution was quickly displayed again and Custer restarted 12th on lap 254.
● A great restart catapulted Custer up to sixth when the caution came out on lap 265 and set up a two-lap sprint to the finish.
● Custer restarted from sixth and drove four-wide to make the pass for the lead and win the race.

Notes:

● Custer earned his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory and it came in his first Cup Series start at Kentucky.
● This was Custer’s second straight top-five. The rookie finished fifth last Sunday in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
● Custer led twice for five laps – his first laps led in the NASCAR Cup Series.
● This was only Custer’s 20th career NASCAR Cup Series start.
● Custer’s margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr., was .271 of a second.
● Custer’s victory in the Kentucky 400 marked the 81st overall win for SHR. It was the organization’s 60th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series victory, its fifth of the season and its first at Kentucky.
● This is SHR’s second straight victory. Kevin Harvick won the Brickyard 400 last Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
● SHR has now won at every track on the current NASCAR Cup Series schedule except the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval, which has only hosted two races.
● This was SHR’s 24th NASCAR Cup Series victory with Ford. The team won its first race with Ford when former driver Kurt Busch captured the 2017 Daytona 500.
● This was Ford’s series-leading 10th NASCAR Cup Series win of the season and its 696th all-time Cup Series victory.
● This was Ford’s third NASCAR Cup Series victory at Kentucky. Each of its previous wins came with Brad Keselowski in 2014 and 2016.
● There were eight caution periods for a total of 42 laps.
● Twenty-six of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Harvick remains the championship leader after Kentucky with an 88-point advantage over second-place Keselowski.

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

“We were so good all day. Our car was so good.  I mean, obviously, it wasn’t the easiest track to pass on, so we were kind of stuck back there, but that was the best car I’ve ever driven in my life.  Everybody at SHR brought an unbelievable car. Mike (Shiplett, crew chief) and Davin (Restivo, lead engineer) on the box, that was unbelievable. Gene (Haas, team co-owner), I can’t stress enough how thankful I am for him taking a shot on me. It definitely was not the start to the year that we wanted. We were definitely way off at some places, but this was by far an unbelievable car. We put it all together and I just can’t thank everybody enough.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the non-points NASCAR All-Star Race on Wednesday, July 15 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The race starts at 8:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio beginning at 7 p.m. with the undercard NASCAR All-Star Open.

CLINT BOWYER – 2020 Kentucky Race Report

Event: Kentucky 400 (Round 17 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Kentucky Speedway in Sparta (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 267 laps, broken into three stages (80 laps/80 laps/107 laps)
Start/Finish: 15th/14th (Running, completed 267 of 267 laps)
Point Standing: 13th with 435 points, 240 out of first

Race Winner:      Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner:  Aric Almirola of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner:  Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-80):

● Clint Bowyer started 15th and finished ninth to earn two bonus points.
● The No. 14 One Cure Ford Mustang raced in 16th when the competition caution flew at lap 25.
● Bowyer restarted in 14th and climbed to ninth by lap 33.
● Bowyer held his position through the end of the stage as all cars struggled to pass on the 1.5-mile oval.
● During the stage break, Bowyer pitted from ninth for four tires and fuel, but no major handling changes.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 81 -160):

● Bowyer started seventh and finished 13th.
● The No. 14 One Cure Ford Mustang raced between seventh and ninth-place for most of the stage.
● Bowyer pitted under green for four tires and fuel with 11 laps left in the stage, but a caution after he pitted cost him several spots.
● The stage restarted after a caution with only one lap remaining and Bowyer in 13th.
● During the stage break, Bowyer stayed on the track and moved to ninth..

Final Stage Recap (Laps 161-267):

● Bowyer started ninth and finished 14th.
● Bowyer narrowly avoided disaster at the start of the stage when Kyle Busch brushed the wall a few car lengths in front of him.
● The No. 14 One Cure Ford Mustang was as quick as any driver in clean air moving to seventh with 69 to go and fifth with 58 to go.
● Bowyer made a routine pit stop under green with 45 to go, but another caution flew with 38 to go dropping him off the lead lap.
● Bowyer took the free pass and returned to the lead lap in 12th when the race restarted with 31 laps remaining.
● After two quick cautions, the race restarted with 14 laps remaining and Bowyer in 10th.
● Amid four-wide racing, Bowyer suffered damage and dropped to 11th before another caution forced a two-lap shootout.
● In the final two laps, Bowyer held on to finish 14th.

Notes:

●  This was Bowyer’s second straight top-15 at Kentucky. He finished sixth in last year’s race.
●  Since joining SHR in 2017, Bowyer has never finished outside the top-15 at Kentucky.
●  Cole Custer’s margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr., was .271 of a second.
●  There were eight caution periods for a total of 42 laps.
●  Twenty-six of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
●  Kevin Harvick remains the championship leader after Kentucky with an 88-point advantage over second-place Brad Keselowski.

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

“Our One Cure Ford Mustang was really fast today, but passing was so hard for everyone. We were sailing there at the end and figured we were top-five at least, but a caution after we pitted hurt us again. We got some damage before the finish so we were kind of hanging on. My guys gave me a great car today. They are working hard and I appreciate what they are doing. We are going to get the results soon. Congratulations to Cole (Custer), Gene (Haas) and SHR for winning the race. That was cool.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the non-points NASCAR All-Star Race on Wednesday, July 15 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The race starts at 8:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio beginning at 7 p.m. with the undercard NASCAR All-Star Open.

ARIC ALMIROLA – 2020 Kentucky Race Report

Event: Kentucky 400 (Round 17 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Kentucky Speedway in Sparta (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 267 laps, broken into three stages (80 laps/80 laps/107 laps)
Start/Finish: 4th/8th (Running, completed 267 of 267 laps)
Point Standing: 8th (504 points, 171 out of first)

Race Winner: Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Aric Almirola of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-80):

●  Aric Almirola started fourth and finished first to earn 10 bonus points and one playoff point.
●  The No. 10 Smithfield Vote For Bacon Ford driver took the lead on lap 10.
●  Almirola held the lead before the competition caution, where he pitted for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments.
●  He led the remainder of the stage to earn his second stage win of the season.
●  Almirola pitted at the end of the stage for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 81-160):

●  Almirola started first and finished 15th.
●  The No. 10 Ford driver held the lead until lap 138.
●  He pitted under green on lap 148 for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments from third.
●  The caution was called on lap 155.
●  Almirola was caught in the middle on the one-lap shootout and fell to 15th.
●  He stayed out of the pits at the end of the stage.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 161-267):

●  Almirola started 11th and finished eighth.
●  Almirola raced back inside the top-10 on lap 172
●  Almirola pitted on lap 217 under green for four tires, fuel and adjustments to correct tight-handling conditions.
●  When the caution was called on lap 230 the No. 10 driver did not pit.
●  After the lap-250 caution, Almirola gained eight positions before another caution on lap 262.
●  He restarted 12th and raced his way to eighth before the checkered flag waved.

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

“It’s hard to be mad about another top-10, but we had such a great car and led the most laps. We had a really fast car and got caught with a caution that came at the wrong time. We had to battle our way back up there most of the day. We’re bringing incredible cars. Congrats to Cole and everyone at Stewart-Haas. Six top-10s in a row. We’ll go on to Bristol and try to race our way in for a million bucks on Wednesday.”

Notes:

● Almirola earned his ninth top-10 of the season and his second top-10 in eight career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kentucky.
● This was Almirola’s sixth straight top-10. He finished fifth June 14 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, third June 22 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, third June 27 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, fifth June 28 at Pocono, and third last Sunday in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Almirola’s next best streak of races in his career 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 Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.
● Since joining SHR in 2018, Almirola has not finished outside the top-15 at Kentucky.
● Almirola’s eighth-place result equaled his previous best finish at Kentucky (2018).
● Almirola led once for a race-high 128 laps – his first laps led at Kentucky.
● Cole Custer’s margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr., was .271 of a second.
● There were eight caution periods for a total of 42 laps.
● Twenty-six of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Kevin Harvick remains the championship leader after Kentucky with an 88-point advantage over second-place Brad Keselowski.

Next Up: 

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the non-points NASCAR All-Star Race on Wednesday, July 15 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The race starts at 8:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio beginning at 7 p.m. with the undercard NASCAR All-Star Open.

KEVIN HARVICK – 2020 Kentucky Race Report

Event: Kentucky 400 (Round 17 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Kentucky Speedway in Sparta (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 267 laps, broken into three stages (80 laps/80 laps/107 laps)
Start/Finish: 3rd/4th (Running, completed 267 of 267 laps)
Point Standing: 1st (675 points, 88 ahead of Brad Keselowski)

Race Winner: Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Aric Almirola of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-80):

● Kevin Harvick started third and finished sixth, earning five bonus points.
● Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang, was eighth on lap 28 when he brought the car to pit road for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. He said the car was lacking rear grip.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 81-160):

● Kevin Harvick started ninth and finished 22nd.
● Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang, pitted on lap 82 for four tires, fuel and a tire and chassis adjustment. Said the front end was chattering.
● On lap 152, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure and chassis adjustment. Car is not handling well.
● Harvick pitted on lap 158 for fuel only and several chassis changes.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 161-267):

● Kevin Harvick started 23rd and finished fourth.
● Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang, pitted on lap 163 for four tires and fuel.
● On lap 228, the caution came out and Harvick hadn’t pitted yet running in second place. He pitted on lap 230 for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment.
● With 30 laps to go, Harvick restarted fifth.
● On the second-to-last restart with 14 laps to go, Harvick moved from fourth to first as he got by Kurt Busch, Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr.
● On the final restart on lap 266, Harvick was in the lead but was challenged the car driven by Truex. Truex and Harvick made slight contact on the backstretch but continued the fight for the lead into turns three and four. As they came to the frontstretch and crossed the start/finish line, it was four wide with Blaney low, Harvick next up, Truex above him and Cole Custer on the topside. Blaney car hit the sewer which is at the bottom of the racing surface on the apron and caused him to lose control of his car and the right side of his car hit the left rear of Harvick’s car. Smoke poured from the No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang as Harvick fell to third. Custer took the lead, with Truex second and Matt DiBenedetto got around Harvick on the backstretch. Harvick was still able to finish fourth.

Notes:

● Custer’s margin of victory over second-place Truex was .271 of a second.
● Custer earned his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory and it came in his first Cup Series start at Kentucky.
● There were eight caution periods for a total of 42 laps.
● Twenty-six of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Harvick remains the championship leader after Kentucky with an 88-point advantage over second-place Keselowski.
● Harvick earned his series-leading 10th top-five and 14th top-10 of the season, and his second top-five and seventh top-10 in 10 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kentucky.
● This was Harvick’s fourth straight top-five and his fifth consecutive top-10. It began with a 10th-place drive June 22 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. He then won June 27 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, finished second June 28 in the series’ return to Pocono, and won last Sunday in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis.
● Harvick has finished among the top-10 in 14 of the 17 races held this year. He has only one finish outside the top-15.
● Since joining SHR in 2014, Harvick has only finished outside the top-10 once at Kentucky.
● In the past eight races at Kentucky, Harvick has finished in the top-10 seven times. Until last year’s 22nd-place finish at Kentucky, Harvick had finished in the top-10 in six straight races at the 1.5-mile oval.
● Harvick finished sixth in Stage 1 to earn five bonus points.
● Harvick led once for 11 laps to increase his laps-led total at Kentucky to 139.
● Harvick has now led 10,259 laps since joining SHR in 2014. He has led 14,685 laps in his entire NASCAR Cup Series career.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“We got lucky with that caution and got track position. We had a couple good restarts there and then we were in a position to win. We made it through turns one and two and then Martin (Truex) kind of misjudged on the backstretch and kind of got into us. I had to check up. Next thing I knew I was four-wide on the front straightaway and the 12 (Blaney) hit the drain and went back up the racetrack. I just have to thank everyone from Hunt Brothers Pizza, Busch Light, Jimmy John’s, Mobil 1 and Haas Automation. Everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing for continuing to bring great cars. And congratulations to Cole Custer. Obviously, last week he was a big part of our win and to get to victory lane in your rookie year is a big deal. Really happy for Gene (Haas) and everyone at Haas Automation and especially for Cole. He works really hard.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the non-points NASCAR All-Star Race on Wednesday, July 15 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The race starts at 8:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio beginning at 7 p.m. with the undercard NASCAR All-Star Open.

CHASE BRISCOE – 2020 NXS Kentucky II Race Report

Event:  Alsco 300 (Round 15 of 33)
Series:  NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location:  Kentucky Speedway in Sparta (1.5-mile oval)
Format:  200 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/110 laps)
Start/Finish:  12th/2nd(Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing:  1st (643 points, 19 ahead of second)

Race Winner:  Austin Cindric of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner:  Noah Gragson of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner:  Austin Cindric of Team Penske (Ford)

Overview:

Chase Briscoe was the picture of perseverance Friday night in the Alsco 300 – the second part of the NASCAR Xfinity Series doubleheader at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta. The 25-year-old racer from Mitchell, Indiana, started 12th in the 36-car field after the invert from Thursday night’s race where he finished fourth. Briscoe wheeled his No. 98 Ford Performance Racing School Mustang deftly, finishing seventh in the first stage and fourth in the second stage. Crew chief Richard Boswell called for several big adjustments to loosen up the handling of Briscoe’s Ford throughout the night, but it wasn’t until the final caution of the race on lap 180 that Briscoe was in a position to challenge for the lead. After pitting for one final adjustment and four fresh tires, Briscoe was third for the lap-187 restart. He made a bold move to the inside of Daniel Hemric to power to second place, whereupon Briscoe was able to run on the back bumper of race leader Austin Cindric. But soon Cindric pulled away and opened up a sizeable gap to the No. 98 Ford Performance Racing School Mustang, winning the race by 2.262 seconds over Briscoe, who finished second.

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

“I think Kentucky is, by far, my worst racetrack on the schedule. I can never get my car to drive how I want it to drive. I don’t know if it’s something I’m doing, but I keep trying everything and nothing seems to work. So, I just need to do more homework on this place. Overall, I didn’t feel like we were a fourth-place or second-place car either night, so to be able to do that on what I think are our worst two nights of the year is a reason to keep our head high. We’ll go on to Texas next week, which is kind of a sister track to this one, and probably my second-worst mile-and-a-half. I feel like the high-grip, mile-and-a-half tracks with one lane of racing are where I struggle. We’ll move on to next week with our Ford Performance Racing School Mustang and try to learn from tonight and last night and be a little bit better.”

Notes:               

● Briscoe earned his ninth top-five of the season and his 23rd top-five in 65 career Xfinity Series starts.
● This was Briscoe’s seventh finish of second or better this season, a tally that includes a series-leading five wins.
● Briscoe finished seventh in Stage 1 to earn four bonus points and fourth in Stage 2 to earn seven more bonus points.
● Austin Cindric won the Alsco 300 to score his fourth career Xfinity Series victory, his second of the season and his second at Kentucky.
● There were five caution periods for a total of 27 laps.
● Only 12 of the 36 drivers in the Alsco 300 finished on the lead lap.
● Briscoe extended his lead in the championship standings to 19 points over second-place Noah Gragson.

Next Up:

The next event on the Xfinity Series schedule is the My Bariatric Solutions 300 on Saturday, July 18 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The race begins at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage on NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

CHASE BRISCOE – 2020 NXS Kentucky I Race Report

Event:  Shady Rays 200 (Round 14 of 33)
Series:  NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location:  Kentucky Speedway in Sparta (1.5-mile oval)
Format:  136 laps, broken into three stages (30 laps/30 laps/76 laps)
Start/Finish:  7th/4th(Running, completed 136 of 136 laps)
Point Standing:  1st (597 points, 16 ahead of second)
Note:  Race extended two laps past its scheduled 134-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner:  Austin Cindric of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner:  Noah Gragson of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner:  Noah Gragson of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Overview:

Chase Briscoe came into Thursday night’s Shady Rays 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta fresh off back-to-back victories in the series’ previous two races at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 98 Ford Performance Racing School Mustang showed that strength again at Kentucky, climbing from his seventh-place starting spot to lead twice for five laps before finishing fourth. The result was not indicative of the drive, as Briscoe positioned himself for a potential third-straight win when he lined up second to fellow Ford driver Austin Cindric for a lap-125 restart. Unable to complete the pass for the lead, Briscoe slipped back to second. But another caution that sent the race into overtime gave Briscoe one last shot at victory. When the green flag dropped on the race’s final restart on lap 134, Briscoe was in the lead and door-to-door with Cindric until the rear of Briscoe’s No. 98 machine stepped out on him. The 25-year-old racer from Mitchell, Indiana, gathered his Mustang back up, but slid back to fourth as Cindric motored away to the win. Still, the performance kept Briscoe atop the championship standings with a 16-point margin over his nearest pursuer, Noah Gragson.

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

“The second to last restart, I almost cleared Austin and then he got back around me. Then at the end of that last restart, I went down there and the same thing happened. I thought I was going be able to clear him and I just got too loose and about wrecked the thing. I don’t know if I just made the right-rear mad or what, because I was literally wrecking both ends after that. I felt like this was our worst car of the year as far as balance and speed goes, and we were still able to at least be in the hunt. We’ll go on to tomorrow and try to get our Ford Performance Racing School Mustang back out front. I feel like Kentucky and Texas are our two worst mile-and-a-half tracks, and those are the next two, so we’ll try to build on it and just try to learn a little bit and get better.”

Notes:               

● Briscoe earned his eighth top-five of the season and his 22nd top-five in 64 career Xfinity Series starts.
● Briscoe finished third in Stage 2 to earn eight bonus points.
● Cindric’s win in the Shady Rays 200 was his third career Xfinity Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Kentucky.
● There were nine caution periods for a total of 40 laps.
● Only 18 of the 36 drivers in the Shady Rays 200 finished on the lead lap.

Next Up:           

The second event of the Xfinity Series doubleheader at Kentucky is the Alsco 300 on Friday, June 10. The race starts at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

CHASE BRISCOE – 2020 NXS Kentucky Race Advance

Event:  NASCAR Xfinity Series Doubleheader (Rounds 14-15 of 33)
Date:  July 9-10, 2020
Location:  Kentucky Speedway in Sparta
Layout:  1.5-mile oval

 

Chase Briscoe Notes of Interest

 

•  This week’s NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta marks the series’ second doubleheader of the season. Two Xfinity Series races will be held on back-to-back nights at the 1.5-mile oval, beginning with the Shady Rays 200 on Thursday at 8 p.m. EDT. The series will take to the track again at 8 p.m. EDT on Friday for the Alsco 300. Both events will be broadcast live on FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

•  Briscoe’s No. 98 Ford Performance Racing School Mustang has proven to be a verifiable thoroughbred in 2020. At the reins of his trusty steed, Briscoe hasscored a series-leading five wins this season andholds a 21-point lead in the championship standings. Now Briscoe brings his blue-and-white Ford Mustang to the Bluegrass State intent on grabbing his sixth victory and his third straight, as the Stewart-Haas Racingdriver enters Kentucky fresh off of back-to-back wins at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

•  Briscoe’s recent Indy triumph didn’t come easy. He started 12th in the 38-car field and took the lead for the first time on lap 24, eventually leading five times for a race-high 30 laps. But leading the final two laps took considerable effort, as Briscoe had to battle road-course ace A.J. Allmendinger in the final seven tours around the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course. Allmendinger took the lead from Briscoe on lap 59 and jettisoned him to third after the Stewart-Haas Racing pilot overdrove a corner. But Briscoe buckled down and set his sights on regaining the lead, reasserting his position at the front of the field with a powerful drive past second-place Austin Cindric and leader Allmendinger on the penultimate lap. Briscoe deftly wheeled his No. 98 Ford Mustang around the serpentine layout inside the hallowed grounds of the Brickyard, pulling out a 1.717-second margin of victory over runner-up Justin Haley.

•  With the win at Indy, Briscoe became only the second driver in Xfinity Series history to earn five or more wins in the first 13 races of the season. The first driver to do so was Sam Ard in 1984 as part of an eight-win season that earned Ard his second straight Xfinity Series title.

•  While Briscoe is an Indiana native, he claims Kentucky as his second home track. The 1.5-mile oval in Sparta us just 100 miles east of the 25-year-old’s hometown of Mitchell, Indiana.

•  Briscoe has only one Xfinity Series appearance at Kentucky. It came last year when he started ninth and led three times for 14 laps before finishing fifth. But outside of the Xfinity Series, Briscoe has two additional starts at Kentucky – one in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors & RV Truck Series (2017) and one in the ARCA Racing Series (2016).

 

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

 

Five wins in 13 races is an incredible accomplishment, and you’ve been adamant since the beginning of the year that the No. 98 Ford Performance Racing School team is capable of even more. What do you see in this team that gives you that confidence?

“Every single racetrack we’ve gone to we’ve been in the hunt. It’s pretty unbelievable to think we’ve gone to 13 races and have had a chance to win every single one of them. I know it sounds so cliché to say it, but it’s a testament to the guys on this Ford Performance Racing School team. It really is. At Indianapolis we had practice, but every other week we don’t, and to show up and be that good week in and week out without that extra track time just shows how good they are at their jobs and really shows the strength and depth of Stewart-Haas Racing. On pavement especially, you’re only as good as the racecar you’re in. You can’t make up for a big gap like you can on dirt. I feel like I’m blessed to be the guy that gets to race with this team and be in that position.”

You’ve overcome a lot of adversity to finish up front in a lot of races this year. What do you feel you need to improve on as we approach the second half of the season?

“It’s doing the little things right, like maximizing pit road speed, but not speeding. I’ve been caught speeding three or four times this year. I want to get better as a racecar driver in general and minimize mistakes. I feel like I’ve been doing a better job of that, but I still make mistakes. A lot of times these races are won by the guy who makes the least mistakes. Then, just cleaning up the whole race. I could be a lot better at the beginning of these races. I ride around but feel my car out, especially with no practice, and I don’t rush my way to the front. I kind of pick my way in and out of cars and feel my way. It’s been working for us because we’ve been able to be there at the end of these races, but I also need to capitalize on stage points. For as many wins as we have, we don’t necessarily have that many stage points because I haven’t been 110 percent aggressive from Stage 1. So, just fine-tuning the little details and being better at describing what I need in my racecar. Coming from the dirt world, it was a fresh start, and I’ve learned a ton in the last year-and-a-half about setup, but I feel I could be a lot better.”

You put a lot of pressure on yourself to do well this season. Is that how you keep yourself focused?

“It’s weird to say but I feel like I’ve always thrived under pressure. I set a goal for myself and the team has stuck behind me, but it’s kind of like Babe Ruth calling his shot. I knew if I did that, I had to back it up. I’ve always fed on the pressure. You go back to the Roval and I won it. A lot of people don’t realize I didn’t have a ride if I didn’t win that race. Sleeping on couches, volunteering in race shops, and only having one race to prove myself, I had to do the best I could. So, I put a number out there. I want to win more races and prove my worth. I felt like that was an attainable goal and that if I put the pressure on myself it would give me something to shoot for.”