Month: June 2023

In The Know – Chicago Street Course

NASCAR CUP SERIES OVERVIEW:

SHR FAST FACTS:

Kevin Harvick:

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 GEARWRENCH Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), comes into the Grant Park 220 with some street-race experience, albeit 24 years ago when he drove on the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour. In 1998 and again in 1999, Harvick competed on a 1.1-mile street course layout around the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. He completed 116 of the 215 laps available, thwarted by mechanical issues in both races. But his 23rd-place finish in the 1999 race doesn’t tell the whole story. Harvick started fourth in that race and took the lead on lap 19 and paced the field for 34 laps before suffering a mechanical failure.

Aric Almirola:

In Almirola’s 12-year fulltime NASCAR career, he never considered himself to be a road-course racer – until three weeks ago. While a Cup Series win remains the ultimate goal for Almirola, the 39-year-old veteran on June 10 made his way to victory lane in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, driving the No. 28 RSS Racing Ford Mustang. It was the first road-course victory of his career. Almirola’s best road-course outing in the Cup Series also came at Sonoma in 2018, when he finished eighth. He made it back-to-back top-10 finishes at the track when he returned for a ninth-place result in 2019.

Chase Briscoe:

Though it will be the first time racing on a street course in the NextGen, Cup Series drivers are familiar with the left and right turns it will take to maneuver through the streets of Chicago. In his time in the Cup Series, Briscoe has made 15 road-course starts resulting in four top-10 finishes and six inside the top-15

Ryan Preece:

Prior to the sole open date on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule on Father’s Day weekend June 17-18, competitors took on Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway for the season’s second road-course race. Preece kicked off the weekend on the West Coast with a victory in the ARCA Menards Series West race on Friday afternoon. He qualified his No. 9 Bonanza Ford on the pole. From there, he dominated the Friday race by leading 55 of 64 laps and crossed the finish line 9.675 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Sammy Smith. Preece qualified 22nd for Sunday’s 110-lap Cup Series race and finished 13th

OUR WEEKLY WRAPS:

WHAT OUR DRIVERS ARE SAYING:

Kevin Harvick Driver of the No. 4 GEARWRENCH Ford Mustang:

When you’re preparing to race on a track you’ve never been to before, you get acclimated by using a simulator. How helpful is the simulator when you don’t have that seat-of-the-pants feel?

“For the most part, the simulator is basically for reference points and things that come with that particular racetrack. You’re able to sit in your own seat and have your own steering wheel and you’re just in a more realistic surrounding. It’s good for me just to get visuals of everything and be able to have everything memorized with the shift points before we get there.”

Aric Almirola Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang:

Are you excited to race on the streets of downtown Chicago?

“I’m excited, nervous, anxious all of the above. I’m excited to do something we have never done, but there is always anxiousness about the unknown and not knowing what to expect. It’s going to be such a fantastic event for the fans. There is so much to do around the course and it’s going to be a lot of fun for them not only during the race but before and after. As a driver, I’m looking forward to saying that I got to race on the streets of Chicago.”

Chase Briscoe Driver of the No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang:

What do you expect in the first NASCAR street race?

“I truthfully have no idea. I think we’ve seen a lot of attrition on the restarts at road course races this year and with the NextGen car, so I’d expect some of that. Maybe there will be some guys that take it easy, but I would guess you’ll have some ruffled feathers at some point and that could lead to excitement.”

Ryan Preece Driver of the No. 41 Operating Engineers Ford Mustang:

What kind of expectations do you and your team have this weekend?

“I believe our team can capitalize on moments like this. I embrace new and different and I look forward to it, so I don’t get nervous or worried about it. It’s going to be really challenging but that motivates me. The racetrack is so narrow and it’s going to continually change throughout the weekend. There’s going to be a lot of beating and banging on these cars. You’ve got long straightaways that abruptly turn into 90-degree corners. I think knowing when to press on the brake and knowing when it’s safe to make a move will be important. But, the most important thing will be where you qualify. Starting position is going to be crucial, those who qualify up front will likely stay up front and it’s going to be so hard to pass. We’ve seen how hard it is to pass this season as it is, and now being on a new street course, it’s going to be even harder. There’s also going to be a lot of things taking place on the track around you, so you’ve got to listen to all the spotters and be alert about those things, too.”

Post Race Report – Nashville

Date:  June 25, 2023

Event:  Ally 400 (Round 17 of 36)

Series:  NASCAR Cup Series

Location:  Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway (1.333-mile, concrete oval)

Format:  300 laps, broken into three stages (90 laps/95 laps/115 laps)

Race Winner:  Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing

Stage 1 Winner:  Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing

Stage 2 Winner:  Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing

SHR Race Finish:            

●  Ryan Preece (Started 25th, Finished 16th / Running, completed 300 of 300 laps)

●  Kevin Harvick (Started 17th, Finished 24th / Running, completed 299 of 300 laps)

●  Aric Almirola (Started 21st, Finished 25th  / Running, completed 299 of 300 laps)

●  Chase Briscoe (Started 18th, Finished 31st / Running, completed 298 of 300 laps)

SHR Points:

●  Kevin Harvick (6th with 515 points, 61 out of first)

●  Ryan Preece (24th with 290 points, 286 out of first)

●  Aric Almirola (27th with 272 points, 304 out of first)

●  Chase Briscoe (31st with 189 points, 387 out of first)

SHR Notes:        

●  This was Preece’s fifth straight finish of 17th or better.

●  Harvick finished ninth in Stage 2 to earn two bonus points.

●  While running fourth with 61 laps to go, Harvick suffered a flat tire and was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop.

Race Notes:       

●  Ross Chastain won the Ally 400 to score his third career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Nashville. His margin over second-place Martin Truex Jr., was .789 of a second.

●  Chastain was the 11th different winner in the 17 NASCAR Cup Series races run this season.

●  There were four caution periods for a total of 24 laps.

●  Twenty-one of the 36 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

●  Truex remains the championship leader after Nashville with an 18-point advantage over second-place William Byron.

Sound Bites:

“Today was tough for our team, but that was a great rally at the end. I battled a loose racecar all day long and then I lacked forward drive. Our car really came to life at the end of the race, and the last two adjustments my guys made were spot on. We salvaged a really decent finish for the day we could’ve had, so I’m happy about that. We’ll keep building on it and head to Chicago where who knows what will happen.” – Ryan Preece, driver of the No. 41 Morton Buildings Ford Mustang

“Tonight was, for sure, a struggle and not at all what we expect as a team. It takes longer than one race for things to improve. It’s no surprise we have a lot of work to do, but I’m confident in every guy on the 14 team and I know we’re going to get it figured out.” – Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Mahindra TractorsFord Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the inaugural Grant Park 220 on Sunday, July 2 on the streets of downtown Chicago. The race begins at 5:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

In The Know – Nashville

NASCAR CUP SERIES OVERVIEW:

●  Event:  Ally 400 (Round 17 of 36)

●  Time/Date:  7 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 25

●  Location:  Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway

●  Layout:  1.333-mile, concrete oval

●  Laps/Miles:  300 laps/399.9 miles

●  Stage Lengths:  Stages 1: 90 laps / Stage 2: 95 laps / Final Stage: 115 laps

●  TV/Radio:  NBC / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

SHR FAST FACTS:

Kevin Harvick:

Consistency has been a hallmark of Harvick’s career, and Nashville is yet another example of how he is a top-10 stalwart. In his two NASCAR Cup Series starts at the track, Harvick has finished fifth and 10th, respectively, to earn an average finish of 7.5. The result is emblematic of Harvick’s overall record at tracks that are between a mile and 1.49 miles in length, as he has an average finish of 11.9 in a career that dates back to his Cup Series debut on Feb. 26, 2001 at the 1.017-mile North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham where Harvick finished a respectable 14th.

Aric Almirola:

2021 marked the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, which was new for most everyone involved. This weekend, Almirola and the No. 10 team will head back to the 1.333-mile concrete oval with a little extra confidence. Not only did he earn inaugural Cup Series pole at Nashville in 2021, he piloted the No. 10 to a fourth place finish. Last year, Almirola qualified 11th and finished 17th.

Chase Briscoe:

Chase Briscoe and the No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) will arrive at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway with a renewed effort under new leadership. Richard Boswell steps into the role of NASCAR Cup Series crew chief with the No. 14 team, replacing Johnny Klausmeier, who transitioned to SHR’s vehicle performance group.

Ryan Preece:

The NASCAR Truck Series added Nashville back to its schedule in 2021 for the first time since 2011. Preece ran for David Gilliland Racing in the Truck Series events in 2021 and 2022 and took home the victory in both. In 2021, he qualified sixth and led eight laps en route to his first Truck Series win. In 2022, he qualified on the pole and led 74 laps.

OUR WEEKLY WRAPS:

WHAT OUR DRIVERS ARE SAYING:

Kevin Harvick Driver of the No. 4 Busch Light Peach Ford Mustang:

Last year when you competed at Nashville, you said after the race that you had found some things regarding your car’s setup that proved to be a turning point in your season, and it seemed to lay the groundwork for better performances that ultimately showed up via wins at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn and Richmond (Va.) Raceway. What was it that you learned?

“For us, it was really just a turning point in thought processes and (chassis) setups and kind of validating the things that we knew we could do with the car, but it just took different approaches to make the car do those types of things. From that point on in the season, we were really able to be competitive. It just took a little bit to get everything going, but it was definitely the turning point in the season, for sure.”

Aric Almirola Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang:

You won a pole and ran in the top-five at Nashville two years ago, but didn’t have the same speed last year. Do you look forward to going back there?

“I do think we learned some things last year at Nashville, where we missed the setup and where we felt like we were off, so I do look forward to going back there. I really enjoy that racetrack. It’s a track that I liked a lot when I ran Trucks and Xfinity races there, and then the first time there in a Cup car qualified on the pole and ran top-five, so it’s a place that I really enjoy running at and I hope that we learn from some of the things we felt like we did wrong last year with this new car that will make us better.”

Chase Briscoe Driver of the No.14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang:

Halfway through what has been a challenging third season in the Cup Series, you’re coming back from the midseason break in the schedule with a new crew chief. What does that do for the team in terms of a reset?

“Coming back from the off weekend is always a reset and a good chance for us to finish out the season with a fresh strategy. I’m excited to reunite with (Richard) Boswell. I’ve always enjoyed working with him and we have a good relationship that we worked on for many years in the Xfinity Series. He’s done a lot for me in my career and we had a lot of success together in the Xfinity Series, so I feel confident that he’ll know how to push me to be a better driver while he’s trying to figure out this side of things.”

Ryan Preece Driver of the No. 41 Morton Buildings Ford Mustang:

Back-to-back Nashville wins in the Truck Series in 2021 and 2022, and now you’re heading there for the Cup Series race. Your thoughts?

“Yeah, I’m really looking forward to Nashville this weekend. It’s another one of those tracks that I’ve had circled on my calendar. I don’t know what made me perform so well in the Trucks, but the track has been really good to me. I’ve got a lot of confidence heading into the weekend and it’s a track that I’ve really emphasized with my team. I won with (crew chief) Chad Johnston in the 2021 Truck Series race, so we’ve worked together at the track already.  These types of tracks have been stronger for us this season than our other programs, andI think this weekend will be strong for our 41 team.”

Josh Berry Marches #4Ward

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (June 21, 2023) – One of the most coveted seats in the NASCAR Cup Series has been filled.

Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) has named Josh Berry the driver of its No. 4 Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Cup Series beginning with the 2024 season. He will replace the retiring Kevin Harvick, whose 23-year Cup Series career will come to an end following the season finale Nov. 5 at Phoenix Raceway.

“I can’t imagine a better opportunity for me – to get in a car that’s been as successful and iconic as the No. 4,” Berry said. “Kevin is a future NASCAR Hall of Famer, and it’s going to be a challenge trying to come after someone so successful. But I know I’m going to have an amazing group of people around me, led by Rodney Childers, to where we can hit the ground running.”

Harvick and his crew chief, Childers, have combined for 37 points-paying wins since their pairing in 2014, when they came out of the gate in impressive fashion by winning the 2014 Cup Series title.

“We’re incredibly proud to have Josh Berry begin the next chapter of his racing career in our No. 4 Ford Mustang,” said Tony Stewart, co-owner of SHR with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas. “Kevin Harvick has obviously set a very high bar, but Josh brings maturity, experience and, above all, a winning record to Stewart-Haas Racing. He is the right driver, at the right time, for the No. 4 team and our organization.”

Berry currently competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the stepping-stone division to the elite Cup Series. The 32-year-old from Hendersonville, Tennessee, is a five-time Xfinity Series race winner who advanced to the Championship 4 in 2022. Berry’s on-track exploits have made him the go-to solution for Cup Series teams in need of an interim driver. He has already made 10 Cup Series starts, highlighted by a second-place finish April 2 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway while subbing for the injured Chase Elliott.

“Josh Berry has proven himself in the Xfinity Series and this year showed how quickly he can adapt to the cars and the level of competition in the NASCAR Cup Series,” said Greg Zipadelli, chief competition officer, SHR. “He’ll be a rookie in our racecar next year, but he drives like a veteran. He puts in the work to ensure that he’s always ready for the opportunities that come his way, and we’re very happy that his next opportunity is with Stewart-Haas Racing.”

Just as Berry earned his 2024 seat with SHR via strong and consistent performances in the Xfinity and Cup Series, Berry earned his spot in the Xfinity Series by dominating Late Model racing across a variety of grassroots series.

While winning six Legend Cars championships as a teenager, Berry also competed in iRacing, and it was during online racing sessions where Berry caught the attention of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Earnhardt offered a Late Model test to Berry and he seized the moment. Berry joined JR Motorsports’ Late Model program in 2010 and soon delivered wins and championships, most notably the 2017 CARS Late Model Stock Tour championship and then the 2020 NASCAR Weekly Racing Series championship.

Earnhardt’s belief in Berry had been duly rewarded, so Earnhardt double-downed on his faith in Berry by promoting his protégé to one of JR Motorsports’ Xfinity Series entries, albeit on a limited schedule. In just his 13th career Xfinity Series start, Berry won on April 11, 2021 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The site of one of Berry’s most prominent Late Model victories – the 2019 ValleyStar Credit Union 300 – became the site of his breakthrough NASCAR moment. A second Xfinity Series victory was earned on Sept. 25 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, setting the stage for a three-win campaign in 2022 where Berry competed for the championship in his first full-time season.

“I’m really proud of how I’ve gotten to this point and earned this opportunity,” Berry said. “I don’t like to use the word luck. It’s also been about preparation meeting opportunity.

“The Xfinity Series win at Martinsville changed my career and allowed us to point toward a full-time season for 2022 where we competed for the championship.

“It’s also been very meaningful to get some opportunities in the Cup Series this year. I’m proud of how they went, but I cannot wait to drive a Cup car that’s got my name on it.”

After subbing for race-winning drivers in the Cup Series, most notably Elliott and Alex Bowman, Berry will indeed get his own racecar in 2024, but one that has been driven for a decade by Harvick.

“Late Model racing is where I came from, and I think it’s the best place to learn and prepare to eventually race in the NASCAR Cup Series,” said Harvick, who is an ardent supporter of Late Model racing and its presence as a feeder system to NASCAR’s Truck, Xfinity and Cup Series. “Josh is a really good example, and probably the best and most recent example, of applying all that he’s learned in Late Models to what he’s doing in the Xfinity Series.

“Winning the CARS Late Model Stock Tour championship and the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series championship requires a lot of skill and an equal amount of determination. Josh did both and won a lot of races along the way. That experience allowed him to be fast and successful right off the bat when he got to the Xfinity Series, and when he had his opportunities to race in the Cup Series earlier this year, he again showed speed and an ability to race at the front.

“I’m very happy for Josh and proud to see him get this opportunity. He’s going to be a really good fit with Rodney and the No. 4 team.”

In May, Harvick partnered with Earnhardt, Jeff Burton and Justin Marks to purchase the CARS Late Model Stock Tour, the same series Berry ran from 2015 through 2022, winning 22 races and the 2017 title.

“When I was racing the Late Model car, I just wanted to be the most bad-ass short-track racer that you could be, and that’s how we progressed,” Berry said. “We won a ton of races, a national championship, and a CARS Tour championship. We had a list of things that we wanted to accomplish and big races we wanted to win, and we’d go out there every time with the intent of checking things off that list.”

Childers can relate to Berry’s Late Model ambitions. Before becoming a successful crew chief, Childers was a successful Late Model driver.

“I think one of the many things that’s made Kevin and I work so well together is our history in Late Model racing and our respect for it,” Childers said. “Late Model racing is a really great proving ground, and Josh showed that he was the best of the best when it came to pavement Late Model racing. And when he got to the Xfinity Series, he kept on winning. To be the guy who will help Josh get his first Cup win is something I’m really looking forward to.”

A road that began with karting in his home state of Tennessee that segued to iRacing with Dale Earnhardt Jr., which landed Berry a shop job at JR Motorsports as a parts washer while he worked to make a name for himself in Late Models and then the Xfinity Series, has finally culminated with a full-time drive in the Cup Series.

“I wouldn’t change anything about how I got here. It made me who I am,” Berry said. “Throughout my teenage years, it was a fight just to keep racing, to get to the next race.”

“The timing of Dale and I getting together, that was crucial. If that doesn’t happen, I don’t know that I would’ve ever raced a stock car, or how much more I would’ve raced at all, just because racing overextended us financially. And when you race that way, it’s hard to set any kind of a long-term goal. But your goals just change as you grow.

“Those years of racing and winning, and the people I was around and worked with, prepared me for the opportunities that I’ve gotten, and they’ve prepared me to capitalize on this opportunity with Stewart-Haas Racing. Even without knowing where it would ultimately take me, I’d do it all over again.”

Stewart-Haas Racing Shuffles Crew Chief Lineup

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Stewart-Haas Racing made select organizational changes to its crew chief lineup on Tuesday that will be in effect beginning with the upcoming Nashville Superspeedway race weekend June 24-25.

Richard Boswell, the main steward of SHR’s NASCAR Xfinity Series program since its inception in 2017, becomes the crew chief for driver Chase Briscoe and the No. 14 team in the NASCAR Cup Series. Boswell had been the crew chief for SHR’s No. 98 Xfinity Series team and driver Riley Herbst. Boswell won eight Xfinity Series races with Briscoe over a three-year span (2018-2020), including a six-win campaign in 2020, before becoming the crew chief for Herbst in 2021.

John Klausmeier, the former crew chief for the No. 14 team, remains at SHR and has transitioned to the company’s vehicle performance group.

Replacing Boswell as crew chief for the No. 98 Xfinity Series team is Davin Restivo. Since 2022, Restivo has been the lead engineer for the No. 10 team and driver Aric Almirola in the Cup Series. Before his time with the No. 10 outfit, Restivo was the lead engineer for driver Cole Custer, first in the Xfinity Series (2019) and then moving up with Custer to the Cup Series (2020-2021). Before joining SHR in 2019, Restivo was an engineer at Chip Ganassi Racing.

“We made these changes in the best interests of the entire organization,” said Greg Zipadelli, chief competition officer at SHR. “Different people in new positions brings new perspectives. There’s still a lot of racing left to do this year, which means there’s still a lot of opportunity. We need to seize these opportunities and make the most of them, and fresh perspectives from the top of the pit box to the preparation inside the shop will help us do that.”

International Union of Operating Engineers Partners with Stewart-Haas Racing

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (June 14, 2023) – The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) has partnered with Stewart-Haas Racing, with the trade union serving as the primary sponsor for two NASCAR Cup Series races with driver Ryan Preece and the No. 41 team.

The No. 41 IUOE Ford Mustang will debut during the inaugural Chicago Street Race Weekend July 1-2 in downtown Chicago. IUOE returns as a primary sponsor for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race Sept. 15-16 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

IUOE primarily represents operating engineers who work as heavy equipment operators, mechanics, pipeliners and surveyors in the construction industry, along with stationary engineers who work in operations and maintenance in building and industrial complexes, and in the service industries.

“We are excited to introduce more folks to the Operating Engineers through our partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing and the No. 41 team,” said IUOE General President James T. Callahan. “Our members go to work every day building and maintaining the infrastructure that keeps America moving, and we are looking for other hardworking men and women to join our team and jumpstart their career with the Operating Engineers.”

Founded in 1896, the IUOE has more than 400,000 members in 106 local unions throughout the United States and Canada. The IUOE International Training & Education Center, along with over 100 local training and apprenticeship programs, ensures that IUOE members are the safest, most productive and highly skilled craft workers in North America.

“I have a great appreciation for hard work and what it takes to put in the effort, day in and day out, to ensure the job is done right and done safely,” said Preece, a native of Berlin, Connecticut. “The IUOE helps ensure that its members are properly trained on the latest equipment and are up to date on all the right protocols to work in a safe and efficient manner.

“That’s what we do in racing. We perform at the highest level, with the highest level of safety and preparation, 38 weekends a year. There’s no room for complacency. What we do in NASCAR is what the IUOE instills in its members.”

Preece, a race winner across four NASCAR divisions – Whelen Modified Tour, ARCA Menards Series, Truck Series and Xfinity Series – saw firsthand the IUOE’s commitment to its members when he visited the IUOE International Training & Education Center in Crosby, Texas, earlier this year.

“The resources available at the International Training & Education Center were impressive,” Preece said. “The crane field alone, where they have more than 15 different cranes that allow instructors to create real-world scenarios, was larger than life. And their sim rooms were just as high-tech as the sim we use to get ready for races. They not only work on your mind at the International Training & Education Center, but your body too, with a full fitness center and complete dining facilities.

“It’s great that we can use the IUOE’s races with Stewart-Haas Racing to help tell their story and showcase all that the IUOE has to offer.”

Operating Engineer members enjoy paid, on-the-job training with free classes at over 100 local training sites and at the International Training & Education Center. The 265-acre campus near Houston is the largest and most comprehensive training facility for union operating and stationary engineers in North America. More information is available by texting “JOIN” to 41041 or at www.IUOE.org/41.

About Stewart-Haas Racing:

Stewart-Haas Racing is the title-winning NASCAR team co-owned by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. The Kannapolis, North Carolina-based organization has won two NASCAR Cup Series titles, one NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and nearly 100 NASCAR races, including such crown-jewel events as the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Southern 500. For more information, please visit us online at StewartHaasRacing.com and on social at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Post Race Report – Sonoma

Date:  June 11, 2023

Event:  Save Mart 350k (Round 16 of 36)

Series:  NASCAR Cup Series

Location:  Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway (1.99-mile, 10-turn road course)

Format:  110 laps, broken into three stages (25 laps/30 laps/55 laps)

Race Winner:  Martin Truex Jr., of Joe Gibbs Racing

Stage 1 Winner:  Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing

Stage 2 Winner:  Kyle Busch of Richard Childress Racing

SHR Race Finish:            

●  Kevin Harvick (Started 21st, Finished 11th / Running, completed 110 of 110 laps)

●  Ryan Preece (Started 22nd, Finished 13th / Running, completed 110 of 110 laps)

●  Aric Almirola (Started 20th, Finished 28th / Running, completed 110 of 110 laps)

●  Chase Briscoe (Started 24th, Finished 29th / Running, completed 110 of 110 laps)

SHR Points:

●  Kevin Harvick (5th with 500 points, 25 out of first)

●  Ryan Preece (25th with 269 points, 256 out of first)

●  Aric Almirola (26th with 260 points, 265 out of first)

●  Chase Briscoe (31st with 183 points, 342 out of first)

SHR Notes:        

●  Harvick made his 806th career NASCAR Cup Series start on Sunday when he took the green flag at Sonoma, surpassing NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon for ninth all-time. Harvick is on track to finish the year with 826 career starts, which will put him eighth all-time. He’s part of an impressive lineup that includes Richard Petty (1,185 starts), Ricky Rudd (906), Terry Labonte (890), Dave Marcis (883), Mark Martin (882), Kyle Petty (829), Bill Elliott (828), Darrell Waltrip (809) and Gordon (805). At age 47, Harvick was the fifth-youngest driver to make 800 starts.

●  This was Harvick’s fifth consecutive finish of 11th or better, a run highlighted by a second-place drive May 14 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

●  Harvick finished 10th in Stage 2 to earn a bonus point.

●  Preece’s 13th-place result bettered his previous best finish at Sonoma – 21st, earned in 2021.

●  Preece leaves Sonoma a winner despite his 13th-place finish. Preece won Friday’s ARCA Menards Series West race in dominating fashion. He scored the pole and then led twice for a race-high 50 laps, including the final 32 tours around the 1.99-mile, 10-turn road course, to take the victory by a commanding 9.675 seconds over second-place Sammy Smith. It was Preece’s first ARCA victory and the first ARCA win for SHR.

●  Even with his 28th-place finish in the Save Mart 350k, Almirola is a winner at Sonoma. Almirola won Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Sonoma, leading twice for 17 laps to take his fourth career Xfinity Series victory and his first on a road course.

Race Notes:       

●  Martin Truex Jr., won the Save Mart 350k to score his 33rd career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his fourth at Sonoma. His margin over second-place Kyle Busch was 2.979 seconds.

●  There were only two caution periods for a total of six laps.

●  All but five of the 36 drivers in the Save Mart 350k finished on the lead lap.

●  Truex leaves Sonoma as the new championship leader with a 13-point advantage over second-place William Byron.

Sound Bites:

“It felt like we had something like the diffuser break in the middle of the day. I just lost all grip and couldn’t keep the pace. I think we had about a 15th-place car today if we didn’t have to come back down pit road. I’m glad we could get it done in the Xfinity Series yesterday and have my family here with me to enjoy it. I’m looking forward to this off weekend to relax and we’ll come back fresh and ready to turn this season around.” – Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang

“Today was a good day for our 41 team. Like I’ve said, we’re moving in the right direction each weekend. I wish we got ourselves a few more spots to grab a top-10. I’m not a road-course guy at all, but I always enjoy them and our team worked really hard to make our program better. I did a lot of studying and work in the sim for this weekend. I’m proud of the effort we made and all the hard work from my team. Looking forward to the off weekend and then getting to one of my strong tracks, Nashville.” – Ryan Preece, driver of the No. 41 Autodesk Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The NASCAR Cup Series gets a well-deserved weekend off before returning to action on Sunday, June 25 for the Ally 400 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. The race starts at 7 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

In The Know – Sonoma

NASCAR CUP SERIES OVERVIEW:

●  Event:  Save Mart 350k (Round 16 of 36)

●  Time/Date:  3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 11

●  Location:  Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway

●  Layout:  1.99-mile, 10-turn road course

●  Laps/Miles:  110 laps/218.9 miles (352.3 kilometers)

●  Stage Lengths:  Stage 1: 25 laps / Stage 2: 30 laps / Final Stage: 55 laps

●  TV/Radio:  FOX / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

SHR FAST FACTS:

Kevin Harvick:

Harvick has made a total of 56 NASCAR Cup Series starts on road courses. He has 21 starts at Sonoma, 21 at Watkins Glen, five at the Charlotte Roval, three at COTA, and two apiece at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, Indianapolis and the road course at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. He has scored two road-course wins – Watkins Glen in 2006 and Sonoma in 2017 – along with 12 top-fives and 27 top-10s with 199 laps led.

Aric Almirola:

Almirola will be doing double duty for the second time this season at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, driving in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race and Sunday’s Cup Series Save Mart 350k. His first double-duty weekend was in March at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. In Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, Almirola will be in the No. 28 Ford Mustang for RSS Racing. It will be Almirola’s first Xfinity Series start at Sonoma, but it won’t be his first double-duty weekend at the Northern California road course. In 2018, Almirola nearly pulled off the victory in the ARCA Menards Series race there, leading 23 laps and finishing second. Almirola finished eighth in the Cup Series race that weekend.

Chase Briscoe:

Briscoe has two starts at the 1.99-mile, 10-turn Sonoma road course, with a best finish of 13th in last year’s event. In 13 Cup Series starts on road courses, Briscoe has four top-10 finishes and was just shy of earning his career first Cup Series victory on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2021.

Ryan Preece:

The No. 41 SHR Ford Mustang team has seen improvement and consistency in recent weekends, providing a heightened sense of motivation. Preece had a career weekend at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in April, earning his first Cup Series pole and leading a career-high 135 laps. In 15 points-paying events this season, Preece has four top-15 finishes, two of which came in the last three points-paying races May 14 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway and May 29 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

OUR WEEKLY WRAPS:

 

WHAT OUR DRIVERS ARE SAYING:

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang:

Sonoma marks your last NASCAR Cup Series race in your home state of California. Does that resonate with you to where you want to soak up every moment from the race weekend, or do you go in there with a more a business-like mindset of winning and everything else comes in second?

“I think you can do both. I’ve learned this year that you can take advantage of the year and get away with thinking both ways. For me, Sonoma is one of the places that I’ve raced at for so long and really spent a lot of time up there in my West Coast days with the Southwest Tour car and all the different things that I’ve been fortunate to race there. We’ve won a few races there and I think going up there and seeing all of the California fans for the last time is obviously something you’ve got to stop and pay attention to. I’m looking forward to that. I know the track has a lot of exciting things planned that week, along with the West Coast Hall of Fame and everything happening there. It’ll be a big week to take it all in.”

Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang:

Why did you decide to do double duty at Sonoma this year?

“Of all the road courses that we run, it’s my favorite. I run the best there, so having the opportunity to run an Xfinity car there, something that is new for that series, I just thought that it would be a great opportunity and something for me to go and do, and I think it is slightly helpful just to get some more reps at the road courses because, with only 20 minutes of practice, you don’t get a lot of laps in the Cup car. So just being able to pick up little things here and there on the racetrack maybe helps a little bit. But the cars are so different nowadays with the brakes, the way the cars drive, the transmission, all those things, that a lot of it doesn’t really correlate at all.”

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang:

The No. 14 team’s strategy has shifted over the last week. What is the biggest difference and how does it impact preparation for the rest of the regular season?

“At this point, it’s all about winning. We always show up to win, this just gives us an opportunity to change up our strategy to make it happen. It opens the door for us to pit off strategy or make some different calls when it comes to what we do on a stop. It doesn’t change preparation much. We might have some different options that we look at, but we always want to run up front so we don’t have to do too much differently when it comes to how we prepare.”

Ryan Preece Driver of the No. 41 Autodesk Ford Mustang: 

With your short-track background, what has been your mindset in preparing for Sunday’s race at Sonoma Raceway?

“Obviously, these road courses are all about track position. That’s going to be huge for our team this weekend. It’s tough to pass and pit strategy will come into play. We know what we’ve got to do, and I know what I’ve got to do as a driver. I’ve been working hard in the simulator and talking to other drivers to get some insight. There’s going to be a lot of beating and banging, so I need to manage that and be smart. The track is worn out and it takes a toll on the tires. I never got to drive the old racetrack and I always did in the video games when I was a little kid. So, I get to check that box off my bucket list. From a road-course standpoint, I certainly didn’t grow up doing it but it’s something I enjoy doing because I enjoy the challenge. That’s what I’m looking forward to the most.”

 

Post Race Report – St. Louis

Date:  June 4, 2023

Event:  Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter (Round 15 of 36)

Series:  NASCAR Cup Series

Location:  Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Illinois (near St. Louis)

Layout:  1.25-mile oval

Format:  240 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/95 laps/100 laps)

Note:  Race extended three laps past its scheduled 240-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner:  Kyle Busch of Richard Childress Racing

Stage 1 Winner:  Kyle Busch of Richard Childress Racing

Stage 2 Winner:  Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)

SHR Race Finish:            

●  Kevin Harvick (Started 4th, Finished 10th / Running, completed 243 of 243 laps)

●  Ryan Preece (Started 29th, Finished 17th / Running, completed 243 of 243 laps)

●  Aric Almirola (Started 24th, Finished 19th / Running, completed 243 of 243 laps)

●  Chase Briscoe (Started 25th, Finished 34th / Running, completed 193 of 243 laps)

 

SHR Points:

●  Kevin Harvick (3rd with 473 points, 22 out of first)

●  Aric Almirola (25th with 251 points, 244 out of first)

●  Ryan Preece (27th with 245 points, 250 out of first)

●  Chase Briscoe (31st with 175 points, 320 out of first)

SHR Notes:  

●  Harvick made his 805th career NASCAR Cup Series start on Sunday when he took the green flag at Gateway, tying NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon for ninth all-time. Harvick is on track to finish the year with 826 career starts, which will put him eighth all-time. He’s part of an impressive lineup that includes Richard Petty (1,185 starts), Ricky Rudd (906), Terry Labonte (890), Dave Marcis (883), Mark Martin (882), Kyle Petty (829), Bill Elliott (828), Darrell Waltrip (809) and Gordon (805). At age 47, Harvick was the fifth-youngest driver to make 800 starts.

●  Harvick earned his seventh top-10 of the season and his first top-10 in two career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Gateway.

●  This was Harvick’s fourth straight finish of 11th or better, a run highlighted by a second-place drive May 14 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

●  Harvick finished sixth in Stage 1 to earn five bonus points and eighth in Stage 2 to earn three more bonus points.

●  This was Preece’s third straight top-20. He finished 15th at Darlington and 13th in the series’ prior race at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

Race Notes:       

●  Kyle Busch won the Enjoy Illinois 300 to score his 63rd career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his third of the season and his first at Gateway. His margin over second-place Denny Hamlin was .517 of a second.

●  There were 11 caution periods for a total of 67 laps.

●  Twenty-eight of the 36 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

●  Ryan Blaney leaves Gateway as the new championship leader with a 13-point advantage over second-place William Byron.

Sound Bites:

“That was a really long day. I fought a tight racecar all day long and every time we came down pit road, my guys made really strong adjustments. It just wasn’t enough to get us to the front and stay there. There were so many cautions there at the end, I was just trying to save the car. Overall, it wasn’t a terrible day for us after qualifying 29th. The fans were out in full force today, too. That was awesome to see. We’ve just got to keep grinding for better finishes.” – Ryan Preece, driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang

“We battled handing issues all day and just couldn’t find it. We were loose to start the day and it felt like our car was tight on aero and loose mechanically. Our long-run speed was really all we had today and we could pass cars late in the run, but we had so many cautions in the final stage we didn’t have the chance to run those cars down. Drew (Blickensderfer, crew chief) put me on offense on the last 20 laps with fresh tires and I thought we could’ve driven up to 15th, but someone missed a shift on the last restart and stacked us up and put us behind. Just one of those days. We had to battle to get all we could get.” – Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Save Mart 350k on Sunday, June 11 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. The race begins at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

In The Know – St. Louis

NASCAR CUP SERIES OVERVIEW:

●  Event:  Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter (Round 15 of 36)

●  Time/Date:  3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 4

●  Location:  Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Illinois (near St. Louis)

●  Layout:  1.25-mile oval

●  Laps/Miles:  240 laps/300 miles

●  Stage Lengths:  Stage 1: 45 laps / Stage 2: 95 laps / Final Stage: 100 laps

●  TV/Radio:  FS1 / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

SHR FAST FACTS:

Kevin Harvick:

Harvick comes into St. Louis on the cusp of 16,000 laps led in his NASCAR Cup Series career. With his 19 laps led on Monday in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Harvick’s career tally is 15,999 laps led across 804 Cup Series starts. He is a single lap away from being one of just 11 drivers who have led 16,000 laps in their career. Harvick has led 11,584 laps since joining SHR in 2014 (72.4 percent).

Aric Almirola:

This weekend marks the second NASCAR Cup Series race at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Illinois, across the Mississippi River from downtown St. Louis. Almirola returns to the 1.25-mile oval with confidence after the No. 10 team ran inside the top-five for the majority of the inaugural race last year and brought home a solid fifth-place finish. In addition to the single Cup Series start, his three NASCAR Truck Series starts there add to his confidence, as well. In the 2006 Truck Series race, Almirola started 22nd and finished 10th, he started 15thand earned a solid fourth-place finish in 2009, and in 2010 he started 16th before leading 16 laps and finishing eighth.

Chase Briscoe:  

In his 2017 Truck Series outing at the track, Briscoe led twice for a race-high 88 of 160 laps and finished in the runner-up position. It was his fourth top-five in the first eight races that season. Briscoe went on to win the final race of the year at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and emerged with Rookie of the Year honors and the Most Popular Driver award.

Ryan Preece:

Through the first third of the Cup Series season, Preece has shown improvement and consistency at a variety of racetracks, bringing a heightened sense of motivation and anticipation for the No. 41 team. He had a career weekend at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in April, earning his first Cup Series pole and leading a career-high 135 laps. Since then, although the results haven’t shown it, Preece has started coming into his own.

OUR WEEKLY WRAPS:

WHAT OUR DRIVERS ARE SAYING:

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang:

The first of your 47 career NASCAR Xfinity Series wins came at Gateway on July 29, 2000. You beat Jeff Purvis by 1.338 seconds. What do you remember about that win?

“The thing I remember the most was that week, Richard (Childress, team owner) brought me into his office and told me that we needed to stop crashing cars and that we needed to figure out how to finish races. I think it was the 12th or 13th race of the season and he was tired of tearing stuff up. And then we go out and win that week and I remember what a relief it was to finally get that first one out of the way. We built a team and had our good moments and bad moments – we missed a race at Rockingham (North Carolina). So we had gone through a lot of things at the beginning of that season and, to finally get that first win, it was really the momentum that finally kicked off all the things that happened after that. From that point forward, Gateway was always a great track for me and we’ve had a lot of success there.”

Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang: 

You had a solid race at Gateway last year. Do you look forward to heading back there this weekend?

“I’ve had this race circled on the calendar all year. I love the way this track races and we had a car fast enough to win it last year. Our cars have continued to show consistent speed over the past few weekends, too. If last year was any indication, I think you’re going to see Stewart-Haas up front as we saw in Martinsville – hopefully dominating the race again, which is where we belong. We just have to have a clean day on pit road and I have to do my part.”

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang: 

You’re headed to a track where you had a lot of speed last year, but a blown tire took away a chance at a strong finish. Can you get that finish you know you’re capable of this weekend?

“I think this is a weekend where we can put the pieces together to find that consistency through a race and get a good result. The shorter tracks are places where we can go in, lead a lot of laps and get a lot of stage points, and hopefully win the race. We’re kind of right on that cutline for the playoffs, so winning a race would make life way easier, and this weekend is a great opportunity for us to do that. Last year, we were able to sit on the pole and lead laps before the blown tire, so we know that we have a car and setup that’s capable, it’s just a matter of applying the differences to what this year brings.”

Ryan Preece Driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang: 

You’ve never raced at Gateway. What are your thoughts on the track, and how are you preparing?

“I think Gateway is kind of its own beast, but I do think there are some similarities to other flat ovals that we visit. You know, New Hampshire and Phoenix are two that come to mind. Obviously, New Hampshire is home, so I’ve got a lot of experience there, and Phoenix is where I got my best finish of the season so far, so hopefully that translates to this weekend, too. Both ends of the track are so different at Gateway, but I’ve been taking notes and talking to Chad (Johnston, crew chief) and my teammates about it. We’ll be good to go, and hopefully we’ll unload fast and qualify up front so we can start the race up there and stay there. That’s our goal.”