CHASE BRISCOE – 2020 NXS Martinsville Race Report

Event:  Draft Top 250 (Round 32 of 33)
Series:  NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location:  Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (.526-mile oval)
Format:  250 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/130 laps)
Start/Finish:  5th/7th (Running, completed 250 of 250 laps)
Point Standing:  1st with 4,000 points (advanced to Championship 4)


Race Winner:  Harrison Burton of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner:  Noah Gragson of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner:  Ross Chastain of Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)


Overview:


Thanks to a victory Oct. 17 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Chase Briscoe had already secured his spot in the Championship 4 with still two races remaining before the season finale Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway. That meant the driver of the No. 98 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang could race stress-free, and that’s just what Briscoe did Saturday in the Draft Top 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Briscoe started fifth in the 250-lap race around the .526-mile oval and was a top-10 mainstay. He finished 10th in the first stage and 14th in the second stage, but rallied his way back into the top-10 on lap 233 before rising to seventh when the checkered flag dropped on the year’s penultimate race. It was Briscoe’s 21st top-10 of the season, and now the 25-year-old racer from Mitchell, Indiana, turns his attention to the Championship 4 at Phoenix where he’ll compete against Justin Allgaier, Austin Cindric and Justin Haley for the Xfinity Series title.


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


“We had a very quiet, but good, day at Martinsville. Not having the stress of having to win allowed us to focus on how our HighPoint.com Ford Mustang was driving. The team was able to improve on it all day so that we could come out with another top-10. This was cool to be able to race at Martinsville again and a nice way for us to close out our run up to Phoenix. I’m excited to have all focus on next weekend and be able to finish out the season strong.”


Notes:


● Briscoe earned his 21st top-10 of the season and his 51st top-10 in 82 career Xfinity Series starts.
● Briscoe finished 10th in Stage 1 to earn one bonus point.
● Harrison Burton won the Draft Top 250 to score his fourth career Xfinity Series victory, his fourth of the season and his first at Martinsville. His margin of victory over second-place Justin Allgaier was .355 of a second.
● There were 10 caution periods for a total of 63 laps.
● Twenty-one of the 39 drivers in the Draft Top 250 finished on the lead lap.


Next Up:


The next event on the Xfinity Series schedule is the season-ending Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200 on Saturday, Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway. The race starts at 5 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

CHASE BRISCOE – 2020 NXS Martinsville Race Advance

Event:  Draft Top 250 (Round 32 of 33)
Date:  Oct. 31, 2020
Location:  Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
Layout:  .526-mile oval

Chase Briscoe Notes of Interest

•  Who is the most relaxed driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series heading into the penultimate race of season? It’s Chase Briscoe, of course. The driver of the No. 98 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing has won a series-best nine races in 2020, a tally that includes wins in the opening race in each round of the playoffs, ensuring his advancement into the next round. Briscoe’s win Sept. 26 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway punched his ticket to the Round of 8, and his victory Oct. 17 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City cemented his place in the Championship 4 Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway. The playoffs began with 12 drivers, with each round jettisoning the four drivers lowest in points. The caveat, however, is win and you’re in. As the series enters the final race in the Round of 8 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, Briscoe has no worries as the only driver to have secured a spot in the Championship 4.

•  Martinsville is a tight and flat .526-mile oval, and when filled with nearly 40 racecars wheeled by drivers eyeing the same piece of real estate, it can be a scary place. It’s appropriate that Saturday’s Draft Top 250 is on Halloween, as Martinsville is known for delivering plenty of tricks, often by drivers treating their counterparts to a shove from their bumper. Briscoe has proven that he can handle himself on short tracks like Martinsville. The 25-year-old racer from Mitchell, Indiana, has made 14 short-track starts in the Xfinity Series, scoring two wins – Sept. 18 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and last July at Iowa Speedway in Newton – and earning nine top-10 finishes.

•  The Draft Top 250 marks the Xfinity Series’ return to Martinsville after a 13-year hiatus. The last Xfinity Series race at Martinsville took place on July 22, 2006. Kevin Harvick defeated Clint Bowyer by .271 seconds. Briscoe was 12 years old. Today, Briscoe races for the same team as Harvick and Bowyer. In 2021, Briscoe will replace Bowyer in the team’s No. 14 Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Cup Series as Bowyer transitions to his new television role with FOX Sports broadcasting NASCAR races.

•  Even though the Xfinity Series hasn’t raced at Martinsville in 13 years, Briscoe has competed at the Virginia short track. Briscoe has made two NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series starts at Martinsville. His best finish came April 2017 when he started eighth and finished 11th. He returned in October to start on the pole and lead the first 39 laps of the race before a late-race accident resulted in a 19th-place finish.

•  In the Xfinity Series’ most recent race last Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Briscoe started from the pole and led the first 34 laps but finished an uncharacteristic 24th due to a broken shock mount on his No. 98 Ford Mustang. His 24th-place finish was only the second time this season that Briscoe has finished outside the top-20.

•  Despite the tough day at Texas, Briscoe still leads the championship standings by 30 points over second-place Austin Cindric, though Briscoe already secured his position in the Championship 4 by virtue of his win at Kansas. This is Briscoe’s second straight playoff appearance, but his first time advancing to the final round and competing for the series title.

•  Beyond being the first driver to claim his a shot at the title and having a series-best nine wins, there are other numbers that bolster Briscoe’s championship aspirations:

• Briscoe has already led 991 laps this season, the most of any Xfinity Series driver and 794 more laps than he led all last season.
• Briscoe has already scored 16 top-fives, three more than he earned last year.
• Briscoe’s average starting position this season is 6.5, an improvement over his 8.8 average starting position last year.

CHASE BRISCOE, Driver of the No. 98 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang:

Martinsville is usually a pretty chaotic race, but will it be even more chaotic considering it’s now the cutoff race to determine the Championship 4 field next week at Phoenix?

“I think we’re going to see the craziest race of the year. There is going to be a lot of desperation throughout the field and some tempers are going to show. There’s no telling what’s going to happen. I’m so glad we’re locked in to Phoenix with our HighPoint.com Ford Mustang and don’t have to stress over getting a win or having a good points day.”

What is the toughest part of racing at Martinsville?

“Martinsville is a tough track to find success because there’s just a lot out of your control. We’re racing on a narrow short track with tight corners where you have nowhere to go to avoid a bad situation. It’s so easy to get caught up in someone else’s mess or make someone mad to the point where they retaliate and then your day is ruined.”

It has been a few years since you raced at Martinsville in the Truck Series. Are you happy to see it back on the schedule?

“I can’t wait to get there. It’s always a fun place to go to because you’re up on the wheel so much and always in traffic. You have to have a lot of patience and focus. I’ve had this race circled for a long time and I would love to get our HighPoint.com Ford Mustang out front and pick up another win.”

Martinsville is the only track that has been on the NASCAR schedule since the sport’s inception. What would it mean to add a grandfather clock to your trophy collection?

“It would mean a lot. Martinsville is one of those places where a win holds so much meaning because of its history but also because it’s considered a driver’s track. Not to mention, the grandfather clock is probably one of the coolest and most iconic trophies in the sport.”

KEVIN HARVICK – 2020 Martinsville II Race Advance

In the 1999 film, For Love of the Game, Billy Chapel (played by Kevin Coster) is pitching for the Detroit Tigers and in the midst of a perfect game.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, with his arm weary and aching, he looks up to see Ken Strout ready to bat for the New York Yankees. Ken Strout is the son of Joe Strout, who Chapel played with 20 years prior.

Ken Strout is the last chance for the Yankees to break up the perfect game. As Chapel sees him walking up to the plate, he looks up and says, simply, “Why not?”

That’s how Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), might be feeling after this past week at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. Harvick started on the pole and led early, but he brushed the SAFER Barrier on the outside retaining wall early on as the track may or may not have been a little wet during a constant mist. Then the rains came and, after more than 72 hours, the race finally got restarted late Wednesday afternoon.

Or, better than “Why not?” perhaps an overriding thought in Harvick’s mind is, “It’s a journey.”

That’s because 2020 has been a journey for everyone. NASCAR conducted four races, took a nine-week break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, then contested 30 races in six months before getting delayed by rain for more than 72 hours this week at Texas.

Never fear, though, because we (might) be almost done.

Harvick finished 16th at Texas and is still first in points, 42 markers above the cutoff to advance to the Championship 4.

He now moves on to Martinsville (Va.) Speedway for the final race in the Round of 8.

Harvick has one win, five top-fives, 19 top-10s and has led a total of 628 laps in his 38 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Martinsville. His average start there is 14.1, his average finish is 14.9, and he has a lap completion rate of 98.2 percent – 18,695 of the 19,039 laps available.

Thankfully, Harvick will have the help of Mobil 1 as a sponsor and partner at the tight, half-mile Martinsville paperclip.

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.

During the playoffs, Mobil 1 is giving fans the chance to win exclusive prizes, including signed exclusive SHR gear, race gloves, race used parts and die casts, one-of-a-kind stickers and a once in a lifetime opportunity to receive a zoom call from SHR co-owner Tony Stewart or Harvick’s SHR teammate Cole Custer.

To find out more or to enter, fans can head to http://officialmotoroilofnascar.com/.

 

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

 

Thoughts heading into Martinsville?

“For me, it doesn’t really change that much. Most of the preparing comes from videos and things you have done in the past. And I could do all that during the rain delay in Texas.”

Can you talk about the promotion with Mobil 1 that is taking place?

“We are always excited to have Mobil 1 on the car and they are such a great partner of ours as we go week-to-week through the entire season. The best thing I’ve seen that you can win in this promotion is a Zoom call with Tony Stewart. That is a little bit scary (laughs), but they have all sorts of cool racing prizes and things and you can go to http://officialmotoroilofnascar.com/ and find all these prizes. It’s always fun to have a sponsor that supports what we do and hopefully we can go to Martinsville and have a good showing.”

Can you talk about your relationship with Mobil 1?

“Running up front and winning races has been a lot of fun together. It’s great to see a partner like Mobil 1 come in be so involved in our race team. They are very involved day-to-day in our engine program and our lubricants, whether its transmission, rear-end hubs, whatever it is – we are always getting something that is better. It’s kind of a little bit of an unfair advantage, but one that everyone works really hard at to continue to get better.”

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.”

ARIC ALMIROLA – 2020 Martinsville II Race Advance

Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Hometown Original Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), heads to Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in hopes of capping off the season with a visit to victory lane to honor the 20 nominated Hometown Heroes who will be displayed on the decklid of the No. 10 Ford.

Along with SHR and Almirola, Smithfield is honoring those who are putting their own health and safety at risk in their selfless acts to protect and nourish others around them. The Smithfield “Hometown Original Heroes” program provided 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.

Each day, new sets of heroes are introduced 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.

“The frontline 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 honor 20 of the nominated heroes on our Ford Mustang this weekend and I hope we can make them proud.”

The No. 10 Ford driver’s six top-five finishes this year surpass his previous best of four in a season in 2018. In addition, his 297 laps led is a career high for a season, and his 17 top-10 finishes equals his season best.

In last year’s spring Martinsville race, Almirola qualified second and ran inside the top-five for the first two stages until contact with the No. 18 car demoted him to a ninth-place finish. In the fall race on the paperclip-shaped half-mile oval that year, Almirola qualified fourth and ran in and around the top-five until another incident with the No. 18 car ended his day 135 laps early.

In 22 career starts at Martinsville, the 36-year-old Almirola has four top-10 finishes, one top-five and has led 56 laps.

Smithfield Foods, Inc., which sponsors Almirola’s No. 10 Mustang for a majority of the races this season and will again this weekend, is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. Its 40,000 U.S. employees are dedicated to producing “Good food. Responsibly®” and have made it one of the world’s leading vertically integrated protein companies. It has pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including many industry firsts, such as an ambitious commitment to cut carbon impact by 25 percent by 2025. The company believes in the power of protein to end food insecurity and has donated hundreds of millions of food servings to neighbors in need. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com, and connect on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

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

While Almirola is no longer in the playoffs, he sits 15th in the standings with 2,181 points and looks to improve his rank this weekend.

 

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

 

What is it like racing at Martinsville?

“Martinsville is a really challenging racetrack. It’s the smallest racetrack we go to on the circuit. One of the most challenging parts about Martinsville is that the tires wear out pretty rapidly and, when that happens, you really struggle to get the power down to the ground.”

What does it take to run well at short tracks?

“No matter what the situation is, we as racers always love going to short tracks. It’s what we grew up doing and it puts the outcome in the driver’s hands more than the superspeedway races. You can’t pass much there, so it’s extremely important that you stay mentally and physically focused throughout the entire run.”

CLINT BOWYER – 2020 Martinsville II Race Advance

In his 16 years of racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, Clint Bowyer has sported dozens of paint schemes in many colors, but none like he’ll drive Sunday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway when the 41-year-old former race winner makes his final appearance at the historic, half-mile track in Southern Virginia.

Bowyer announced on Oct. 9 that he will retire from full-time racing and join the FOX television booth in 2021. To commemorate his career, Bowyer’s No. 14 Ford Mustang fielded by Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) on Sunday will carry 58 logos of nearly every major sponsor that appeared on a Bowyer racecar during his tenures at Richard Childress Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing and SHR.

“SHR allowed us to run this paint scheme at Martinsville as a way to say ‘thank you’ to all my current and past sponsors,” said Bowyer, who will close out his full-time racing career at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 8. “Along with the fans, it’s our corporate partners that allow the drivers and race teams to do what we do each weekend. If it wasn’t for the support of all these people, we wouldn’t be able to race.”

Bowyer’s car will feature his 2020 partners at SHR on the hood while carrying 43 brand logos on the decklid that date back to his first full NASCAR Cup Series season in 2006. Since his first start in 2005, when he ran one race, Bowyer has run 539 races, earning 10 victories, 82 top-five finishes and 225 top-10s. Bowyer hopes to add to those totals when he returns Sunday to Martinsville, where he owns a victory, six top-fives and 16 top-10s in 29 races.

While Bowyer is closing out his full-time driving schedule, he remains highly competitive. He arrives in Martinsville after finishing 17th at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth in a race that began Sunday afternoon but didn’t finish until Wednesday night because of persistent rain. Bowyer won the first stage, led 89 laps and held the lead until he was forced to make an extra fuel stop with just 25 laps remaining.

He wouldn’t mind a little redemption at Martinsville. Not only does he like the flat, .526-mile oval, it’s sort of a home race for the native of Emporia, Kansas, as his current residence is in nearby Clemmons, North Carolina.

“It’s 40 minutes from the house,” he said. “It’s just a fun, fun weekend. Fun racetrack. It’s old-school racing at its finest.

“When I went there the first couple of seasons in the sport, that was the one racetrack that I couldn’t wait to leave. I was terrible. I hated it, every aspect of it. Everything in your natural tendencies as a racecar driver doesn’t hold true there. Alright, I have to pass this guy in front of me. Well, I have to get in the corner deeper than him, I have to pick up the gas sooner than him, and both of those things took me about 27 times there before I ever figured it out.”

In 2018, Bowyer notched one of his most memorable victories when he dominated the 500-lap race by leading 215 laps on his way to ending his 190-race winless streak. It was his first victory at SHR, and he climbed from his No. 14 Ford on the frontstretch and looked to his left to see his wife Lorra and daughter Presley, led by then 3-year-old son Cash running from turn four toward “Dad.”

He couldn’t resist running toward his family.

“You know, I make fun of these other drivers sometimes for having tears in victory lane, but I’ve got to admit that moment got to me,” Bowyer said with a laugh about embarking on a raucous victory celebration that saw him climb into the stands with the Martinsville fans who stayed in Southern Virginia an extra day because snow canceled the race scheduled for the previous day.

“Cash was young enough that he had never been to victory lane before, so it was his first chance to be there,” Bowyer said. “That’s something I always wanted to make happen.”

Bowyer said Cash still asks him when he’s going back to victory lane. He’d love to Sunday and carry all the logos of the corporations that have made his career possible.

CLINT BOWYER, Driver of the No. 14 Clint Bowyer Tribute Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Martinsville seems to be the most difficult track for drivers to figure out. Why is that?

“It’s a short track, but it’s not like any other short track you’ve ever been to. It goes against everything your tendencies tell you to do. You have to back the corner up and let the car roll way around the corner before you get back on the gas. Your tendencies are to get in the corner as deep as you can and get back on the throttle as fast as possible. Those are two things that are catastrophic there, so you’ve got to discipline yourself and stay disciplined throughout the race.”

Martinsville is your second-to-last NASCAR race. Are you at peace with how you career has played out?

“I don’t think anybody is ever satisfied with anything in life. I mean, if you win, you leave, ‘Damn, I wish I had hit that restart a little bit better. I didn’t lead every lap. I had a bad pit stop.’ That’s if you win. There are certainly things about that that you’ll always be not satisfied about, but I’m very satisfied with being able to be a part of this sport for a long time, having a lot of friends in this sport, making a lot of friends because of this sport, representing so many different organizations and just powerhouses in Corporate America. It’s cool to have those relationships still to this day, to be able to look back and say, ‘Hey, man. I represented them. They were a sponsor of mine.’ Or, ‘I know that CEO or that president, and I’m going to dinner with him next week.’ Those are all the things that were afforded to me in my life and my family because of this sport and being a part of it for so long. I don’t regret anything. I can promise you this – I’ve probably had more fun than about anybody out there these last 16 years, probably too much fun, sometimes. But, would I take anything back or change anything? Absolutely not. I mean, we got close (to the championship) once – finished second and I think fifth – had good runs within the playoffs and things like that. Did I win as many races I would have liked? No, but I had wonderful opportunities to and raced for a lot of good organizations. I won races for all three manufacturers. That’s something that was super cool. I’ve done a lot. I’m proud of what I’ve done and I’m satisfied, for sure. There’s no question about it.”

Do you envision a time when you’ll return to the car for a one-off race at some point in the future?

“I’m definitely open for anything. Hey, you can’t just shut off being a racecar driver. Are there tracks that I wish I never see again? Yes, but I’m probably gonna see them anyway. I’m gonna be there calling the races, but certainly there are some tracks that I’m really, really going to miss. Those road courses, believe it or not, are right up there. The short tracks and things like that, those are tracks that I felt like my talent and my experience that I’ve learned over the years were really good. I think that if an opportunity comes down the line and somebody was to be out or something like that, I would love to fill in if I could do a good job, and I know I could at some of those tracks, so who knows? I think we’re just going to have to see how it all goes and, if an opportunity comes to the table, maybe I’ll take it.”

How do you want your racing career to be remembered?

“I want people to obviously remember the good runs that I had, the fun that we had. I think everybody knows there are people who win races and there are people who win races and had a lot of fun doing it, and I’m proud to say there are probably not many people who celebrated and had as much fun winning as we did, but we had a lot of fun on the bad weekends, too. You’ve got to shake that off. You’ve got to chase this dream and the organizations and the people I represented – that’s what you’re most proud of, but the relationships and friendships I’ve made because of this sport, being a part of it, are what you’re most proud of. The fans, I haven’t said that enough. There is nothing more fun than going to a NASCAR race, and it’s that way because of the fans. This year has completely sucked, being at those tracks without fans. It is an empty hole that you can’t replace. You literally can’t. I’ve been one of the only drivers over the years – I’m not saying I’m the only one, but I go out each and every week and jump on the golf cart and go ride around and see fans and see people. I can’t tell you how many people – you know that ‘Ole Jim’ is going to be parked right there in the corner with his Winnebago and he’s going to have cornhole out, and he’ll have him some Busch Lights there. You know you can stop there for a cold beer, gotta see Jim. Over here are those people from Louisiana who have been your fans forever. You know those people. I don’t know their names, but I know damn well every single year that’s where they’re parked, where you can rely on them and know that they’re there and know that they’ll be there with your flag or your shirt on or your hat on their head. Those are the things that you’ll miss the most.”

 

COLE CUSTER – 2020 Martinsville II Race Advance

Cole Custer will make his 38th career NASCAR Cup Series start in his No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) during Sunday’s Xfinity 500 on the .526-mile oval at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Custer started 16th in the No. 41 Autodesk Fusion 360/HaasTooling.com Mustang last Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. After 52 laps around the 1.5-mile oval, the 500-mile event was halted due to rain. After futile attempts to dry the track on Monday, the race was once again postponed and eventually concluded on Wednesday. Custer’s No. 41 crew worked on the handling of his Mustang and he ultimately finished 14th. The result was the best in the race among the four-car SHR entry.

Custer made his first Martinsville start in the Cup Series in June. The California native started 27th and fought a tight-handling Mustang throughout the race and finished 29th.

In the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series at Martinsville, Custer has six starts and, with the exception of the March 2016 race, the rookie driver started in the top-10 each time, including a pole award in October 2015. The Ford driver has a best Truck Series finish of fourth and an average starting position of 5.2 and an average finishing position of 16.2, along with 115 laps led at the Southern Virginia paperclip-shaped track.

In his last seven starts at tracks 1 mile or less, Custer has two top-10s – Phoenix Raceway and Dover (Del.) International Speedway – with an average starting position of 17.2 and an average finishing position of 18.7.

Even though Custer is out of contention for this year’s Cup Series championship, he still has two more opportunities to capture his second win of the season. This weekend, a limited number of fans will be allowed to attend the 500-lap event while following social distancing guidelines.

So far this season, Ford has won 18 races, and Custer and his SHR teammate Kevin Harvick have both earned wins for the Blue Oval – one for Custer and nine for Harvick. Ford’s milestone 700th win in the Cup Series came at the hands of Harvick on Aug. 23 at Dover. Ford captured its first victory on June 25, 1950. Ford drivers made up 50 percent of this year’s starting playoff field. SHR’s Harvick advanced to the playoffs’ Round of 8, of which Martinsville is the third of three races.

With Custer’s Cup Series win July 12 at Kentucky, he became one of 10 drivers who have won in each of NASCAR’s top three national series, as well as in ARCA and one of NASCAR’s developmental series.

Team co-owner Gene Haas’ newest holding, Haas Tooling, was 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. Beginning July 1, HaasTooling.com products became available nationally. The cutting tools available for purchase at HaasTooling.com are even more important during the current COVID-19 pandemic as CNC machines have become vital to producing personal protective equipment.

SHR has 74 starts at Martinsville with four wins – team co-owner Tony Stewart in October 2011, Ryan Newman in April 2012, Kurt Busch in March 2014 and Clint Bowyer in March 2018. SHR has one pole award with 10 top-fives and 29 top-10s at Martinsville, with an average starting position of 13.7 and an average finishing position of 17.2 along with 739 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.

Custer, who had a trio of starts in the Cup Series in 2018, clinched 2020 Rookie of the Year honors in his official rookie season in NASCAR’s most prestigious series. Competing against fellow rookie notables Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick, he was the only rookie to clinch a playoff spot this season.

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

Martinsville has moved from being the first race in this round to the cutoff race. What do you think Martinsville is going to be like, now?

“There’s going to be a lot of intensity at Martinsville. There’s probably going to be a lot of contact. The drivers who are in bad points positions are going to do what they have to do to get their spot in the playoffs at Phoenix. There will be desperate people making some desperate moves.”

Martinsville is such a tough place and there’s much more to it than the eye can see, so how do you survive?

“I have a few starts there in the Truck Series, and one earlier this year in the Cup Series. The flat, short tracks are some of the hardest to get around in the Cup car. A lot of Martinsville is just about trying to be there at the end. I think if you’re closer to the front, you’re going to have a better chance of staying out of trouble. It’s a tough race and you’ve got to kind of root and gouge your way around there. I think being very patient is one of the biggest things.”

COLE CUSTER – 2020 Texas II Race Report

Event: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 (Round 34 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 334 laps, broken into three stages (105 laps/105 laps/124 laps)
Note: Race was stopped after 52 laps due to rain and wasn’t able to resume until Wednesday night.
Start/Finish: 16th/14th (Running, completed 334 of 334 laps)
Point Standing: 16th with 2,169 points

Race Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-105):             

● Cole Custer started 16th and finished 14th.
● By the lap-25 competition caution, Custer was in the 11th position and reported his Mustang was tight. He pitted for two tires, fuel and adjustments, and restarted sixth.
● By lap 31 Custer reached the top-five, but slipped back to 20th on lap 33 after the No. 41 Mustang got loose.
● The caution was displayed for rain on lap 43 and Custer pitted for service from the 24th position. The race was eventually red flagged for precipitation until Wednesday.
● Once the event resumed, Custer restarted from the 21st position. He survived a couple of early cautions and was in the 14th position on lap 76.
● 72 hours after the green-flag dropped, Stage 1 ended with Custer in the 14th spot.
● The Autodesk Fusion 360/HaasTooling.com driver pitted and fell to 23rd when another car blocked him in his pit stall during the stage break.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 106-210):

● Custer started 23rd and finished 13th.
● A solid restart launched Custer up to 14th by lap 118.
● On lap 132, the Ford driver reported his Mustang was loose and he pitted under caution on lap 136. After getting blocked in his pit stall once again, he restarted 22nd.
● On lap 165, the rookie driver reported his Mustang’s handling was improving as the run continued while he remained in the 16th spot.
● The California native made a scheduled green-flag pit stop from 18th on lap 196 for two right-side tires and fuel.
● On lap 205, Custer reported his car had a vibration before ultimately finishing 13th in Stage 2.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 211-334):

● Custer started 12th, finished 14th.
● Custer remained in the top-15 during the opening green-flag run. He made a scheduled pit stop on lap 275 and returned to the field in 17th.
● On lap 317, Custer was in the 15th position.
● In the closing laps, Custer worked his way up to the 14th position to take the checkered flag.

Notes:

● Custer earned his 13th top-15 of the season and his first top-15 in his second career NASCAR Cup Series start at Texas.
● This was Custer’s third straight top-15. He finished ninth on Oct. 11 at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval and 14th in the series’ previous race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.
● Kyle Busch won the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 to score his 57th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his fourth at Texas. His margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr., was .468 of a second.
● There were eight caution periods for a total of 47 laps.
● Only 15 of the 40 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Kevin Harvick remains the championship leader after Texas with a 15-point advantage over second-place Denny Hamlin.

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

“Man, it has definitely been a long few days in Texas. We pulled off a top-15 finish and made the most of our day. The Autodesk Fusion 360/HaasTooling.com guys did a great job.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Xfinity 500 on Sunday, Nov. 1 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. It is the penultimate race of the 10-race playoffs and the final race in the Round of 8. It starts at 2 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

KEVIN HARVICK – 2020 Texas II Race Report

Event: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 (Round 34 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 334 laps, broken into three stages (105 laps/105 laps/124 laps)
Start/Finish: 1st/16th (Running, completed 333 of 334 laps)
Point Standing: (1st with 4,137 points, 42 points ahead of top-four cutoff)

Race Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-105):

Harvick started first, finished 15th.
● Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang led early on and pitted on lap 26 for two tires and fuel. He said the car was a bit tight in turns one and two.
● On lap 28, Harvick was leading and brushed the SAFER Barrier on the outside retaining wall exiting turn two. He was forced to pit for two tires and repairs. He returned to the track in 38th place, one lap down.
● Harvick pitted on lap 50 for four tires and fuel. The crew, including car chief Robert Smith, looked at the car and made repairs.
● Several days later, when the race resumed after a lengthy rain delay, Harvick pitted on lap 53 for more repairs to the right side. He returned one lap later for more repairs.
● He restarted 37th, one lap down.
● When a caution came out on lap 60 due to an accident between Bubba Wallace and Matt Kenseth, Harvick got his lap back due to the lucky dog rule. He was 33rd.
● On lap 66, Harvick pitted for fuel only and so the crew could clean some trash off the grill. He was in 31st, but on the lead lap.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 106-210):

Harvick started 12th, finished 10th and earned one bonus points.
● Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang pitted on lap 108 for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. Said his car was just too tight.
● On lap 136, Harvick pitted for two tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. He was eighth.
● Harvick pitted on lap 176 for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment. He was sixth.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 211-334):

Harvick started 14th, finished 16th.
● Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang pitted for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment on lap 213. He was 10th.
● On lap 270, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a chassis and tire pressure adjustment. He was 18th.

Notes:

● Kyle Busch won the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 to score his 57th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his fourth at Texas. His margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr., was .468 of a second.
● There were eight caution periods for a total of 47 laps.
● Only 15 of the 40 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Harvick remains the championship leader after Texas with a 15-point advantage over second-place Denny Hamlin.
● Harvick led once for 28 laps to increase his laps-led total at Texas to 682.
● Harvick has now led 11,139 laps since joining SHR in 2014. He has led 15,565 laps in his entire NASCAR Cup Series career.
● Harvick has led 1,531 laps in the 34 races held this season. He was the first of two drivers to hit the 1,000 laps led mark this season. Next best is Denny Hamlin with 1,041 laps led and then Brad Keselowski with 933 laps led.
● This was only the fifth time this season that Harvick has finished outside the top-15

Playoff Standings (with one race to go before the Championship 4):

1.      Joey Logano (4,094 points) 1 Win
2.      Kevin Harvick (4,137 points) +42 points
3.      Denny Hamlin (4,122 points) +27 points
4.      Brad Keselowski (4,120 points) +25 points
5.      Alex Bowman (4,095 points) -25 points
6.      Chase Elliott (4,095 points) -25 points
7.      Martin Truex Jr. (4,084 points) -36 points
8.      Kurt Busch (4,039 points) -81 points

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Xfinity 500 on Sunday, Nov. 1 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. It is the penultimate race of the 10-race playoffs and the final race in the Round of 8. It starts at 2 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

CLINT BOWYER – 2020 Texas II Race Report

Event: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 (Round 34 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 334 laps, broken into three stages (105 laps/105 laps/124 laps)
Note: Race was stopped after 52 laps due to rain and wasn’t able to resume until Wednesday night.
Start/Finish: 21st/17th (Running, completed 333 of 334 laps)
Point Standing: 13th with 2,199 points

Race Winner:      Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner:  Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner:  Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-105):

Clint Bowyer started 21st and finished first to earn 10 bonus points.
● The No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang restarted the race in 13th after the lap-25 competition caution.
● A fuel-only stop on lap 48 moved Bowyer to the lead before rain stopped the race Sunday on lap 52.
● The race resumed on Wednesday night 72 hours, 28 minutes, 34 seconds after stopping on Sunday.
● Bowyer remained at the front when the race restarted Wednesday leading every lap until the end of the stage.
● During the stage break the No. 14 pitted for four tires and fuel.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 106-210):

Bowyer started second and finished eighth to earn three bonus points.
● The No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang dropped to fifth in the stage’s opening laps.
● Bowyer climbed to third by lap 200 when he pitted for four tires and routine service under green.
● Bowyer said his car started to get tight in the closing laps of the stage.
● The No. 14 stayed on the track during the stage break.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 211-334):

Bowyer started second and finished 17th.
● The No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang battled for the lead in the opening laps of the stage.
● Bowyer raced in second with 80 to go when he reported he was out of fuel and immediately pitted.
● Bowyer fell to 24th and a lap behind the leaders, but the race stayed green and he returned to first place when the leaders pitted.
● Because he had to pit early, he didn’t have enough fuel to make it to the end of the race and pitted from the lead with 24 laps to go.
● The green-flag stop dropped Bowyer to 18th and a lap behind the leaders.
● The remainder of the race ran without caution and Bowyer finished 17th.

Notes:

●  Bowyer led four times for 89 laps to increase his laps-led total at Texas to 213.
●  Kyle Busch won the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 to score his 57th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his fourth at Texas. His margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr., was .468 of a second.
●  There were eight caution periods for a total of 47 laps.
●  Only 15 of the 40 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
●  Kevin Harvick remains the championship leader after Texas with a 15-point advantage over second-place Denny Hamlin.

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

“So much for getting a six-shooter. That was a sick feeling to be out front knowing you couldn’t make it to the end. Obviously, we had a good Ford Mustang tonight. I’m ready to go home and then try again in Martinsville.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Xfinity 500 on Sunday, Nov. 1 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. It is the penultimate race of the 10-race playoffs and the final race in the Round of 8. It starts at 2 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

ARIC ALMIROLA – 2020 Texas II Race Report

Event: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 (Round 34 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 334 laps, broken into three stages (105 laps/105 laps/124 laps)
Start/Finish: 13th/23rd (Running, completed 332 of 334 laps)
Point Standing: 15th with 2,181 points
Note: Race was stopped after 52 laps due to rain and wasn’t able to resume until Wednesday night.

Race Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-105):

● Aric Almirola started 13th and finished 26th.
● Almirola raced to the top-10 before pitting on lap 23 during the competition caution.
● The red flag was waved on lap 52 due to inclement weather and postponed the race until Wednesday.
● When the race resumed, Almirola was involved in an accident on lap 61, causing damage to the rear of his No. 10 Ford.
● Almirola pitted multiple times to repair damage and restarted 30th.
● He pitted at the end of the stage for four tires, fuel and adjustments.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 106-210):

● Almirola started 29th and finished 14th.
● The No. 10 Smithfield driver pitted during the lap 135 caution.
● He said his car was repaired enough to run top-five if he was not racing through traffic.
● Almirola pitted under green on lap 204 for fuel only.
● He came off pit road in 13th.
● Almirola pitted at the end of the stage for four fresh tires, fuel and more adjustments.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 211-334):

● Almirola started 17th and finished 23rd.
● Almirola was forced to the pits on lap 238 due to a right-rear tire going down.
● He pitted on lap 303 to refuel. Due to the remainder of the race running without a caution Almirola finished two laps down.

Notes:

● Almirola led one lap to increase his laps-led total at Texas to 101.
● Kyle Busch won the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 to score his 57th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his fourth at Texas. His margin of victory over second-place Martin Truex Jr., was .468 of a second.
● There were eight caution periods for a total of 47 laps.
● Only 15 of the 40 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Kevin Harvick remains the championship leader after Texas with a 15-point advantage over second-place Denny Hamlin.

Next Up: 

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Xfinity 500 on Sunday, Nov. 1 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. It is the penultimate race of the 10-race playoffs and the final race in the Round of 8. It starts at 2 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.