Author: Ashlyn Siske

Event: NASCAR Racing Experience 300
Date: February 16, 2019
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway
Television: 2:30 p.m. EST on FOX Sports 1

CHASE BRISCOE NOTES OF INTEREST:

Crew Chief: Richards Boswell        Spotter:Time Fedewa

• After running five races for Stewart-Haas Racing with Fred Biagi in 2018, Chase Briscoe returns to the seat of the No. 98 Nutri Chomps Ford Mustang full time and will contend for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.
• The NASCAR Racing Experience 300 will mark Briscoe’s first NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Daytona International Speedway.
• On January 25th, Briscoe competed in the Michelin Pilot Challenge for Ford Performance as part of the 24 Hours of Daytona weekend. Briscoe and team finished fifth overall.
• Briscoe will appear alongside Custer at the Ford Performance display in the midway at Daytona International Speedway for an autograph session on Saturday, February 16th at 12:30 p.m.
• This weekend is the beginning of the #ChaseThe98 social media campaign with Chase’s dog, Ricky, adorning the sides of the No. 98 Nutri Chomps Ford Mustang. As part of this campaign, fans are encouraged to send in photos of their dog, via Twitter and Instagram, using the hashtag #ChaseThe98 for a chance to be featured on the side of the car.
• Click here for Briscoe’s career stats.

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What are you looking forward to the most in 2019?

“Being full time with one team, especially a team that is able to compete at the level that Stewart-Haas Racing with Fred Biagi does on a weekly basis. In 2018, we proved we could win at this level, so we are going to work on adding to the victory total for SHR, Fred Biagi, Nutri Chomps and Ford.”

Click Here to Listen to Chase

Event: NASCAR Racing Experience 300
Date: February 16, 2019
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway
Television: 2:30 p.m. EST on FOX Sports 1

COLE CUSTER NOTES OF INTEREST:

Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett        Spotter: Joel Edmonds

• Cole Custer and Stewart-Haas Racing welcome Jacob Companies to the No. 00 Ford Mustang beginning in Daytona.
• Custer will appear at the Ford Performance display in the midway at Daytona International Speedway for a fan autograph session on Saturday, February 16th at 12:30 p.m.
• Click here to listen to the No. 00 crew chief announcement.
• Click here for Custer’s career stats.
• Click here for Custer’s stats at Daytona.

Jacob Companies joins Custer in the NASCAR Xfinity Series after a successful outing in the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway. Jacob Companies, Inc. (Jacob), is a multifaceted construction firm with a focus on construction, development, design and technology services. Jacob provides clients with a wide range of services in the Design Build and Construction Management sectors of the construction industry. In conjunction with these services, Jacob self performs structural concrete, architectural and structural precast erection.

What are your goals for the 2019 season?

“For us, we’ve always competed in the top-five in the past, but now we want to break through and be able to celebrate in Victory Lane more this season. I am excited to have Mike Shiplett on top of the pit box as he had a breakout year in 2018 with six wins in the Xfinity Series, so I feel like we have all the parts to be contending for a championship in 2019.”

Click Here to Listen to Cole

Kevin Harvick won eight Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races in 2018, plus the non-points-paying NASCAR All-Star Race.

And he’s hoping that success leads right into 2019.

His eight race wins were a career high after winning five races each in 2006 and 2014.

And for the kickoff to the new season at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway over the next two weekends, his car will have a new look.

As the Official beer of NASCAR, Busch has a long and storied history within the NASCAR family. Not only has Busch been the beverage of choice by countless winners during their celebrations in victory lane, but Busch has been along for the ride for four decades dating back to the 1979 Daytona 500.

Since 2019 marks the 40^th anniversary of Busch’s presence at Daytona, the brand is celebrating racing roots and raising a cold one to 40 years of NASCAR support with something never before seen in motorsport – a crisp, cold can of Busch constructed from Harvick’s No. 4 racecar. The Car 2 Can collection from Busch is giving people the unique opportunity to drink the sport they eat, sleep, and breathe.

See the full making-of video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5hSJOtIBUM

On Daytona 500 race day Feb. 17, Busch is inviting nearly 10 million Daytona 500 viewers to play a live trivia contest for a chance to win one of the exclusive cans. The truer the fan, the higher the chance folks have of winning one of the most exhilarating cans ever created. To join the race for a can during Daytona, participants will need to look out for the trivia questions on screen and simply tweet their answers using the designated hashtags #Car2Can and #BuschContest.

How to Participate:

• Follow @BuschBeer on Twitter
• Watch Daytona 500 live
• Answer trivia questions on Twitter using the hashtags #Car2Can and #BuschContest
• Stay tuned for the winners

Trivia skills not up to par? Consumers can also score a can via Busch’s charity auction ahead of the contest at Daytona. The first can of the collection will be offered to the highest bidder Monday (Feb. 11) at rallyup.com/car2can. All proceeds will go directly to Keep America Beautiful (KAB) and be matched dollar-for-dollar by Busch. KAB’s mission is to improve and beautify community environments across the country every day. As a part of Busch’s ongoing commitment to giving back to and taking care of the great outdoors, Busch partnered with KAB to kick off the collection announcement with a special auction of can #1.

“We wanted to do something for the hardcore fans that had never been done before, and give them a chance to hold the sport they love,” said Daniel Blake, Senior Marketing Director, Anheuser-Busch. “This year marks the 40^th anniversary of our first Daytona 500, so we created the 40 collector’s edition cans to give a piece of the sport back to the fans that have been there every step of the way.”

Follow @Buschbeer on Twitter to stay up to speed with how consumers can get their hands on a piece of NASCAR history with Busch Beer’s #Car2Can collection auction Monday (Feb. 11) and via live trivia during the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17.

For more information on Busch Car 2 Can collection, please visit https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialBuschBeer

Meanwhile, this is Harvick’s 19^th year in the NASCAR Cup Series and his sixth with crew chief Rodney Childers. Since joining forces at Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) in 2014, Harvick and Childers have combined to produce 22 points-paying victories, a victory in the non-points-paying 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, 19 poles, 91 top-five finishes and 127 top-10s while leading 8,655 laps.

They won the 2014 championship, finished runner-up in the 2015 title chase to champion Kyle Busch, finished eighth in 2016 and third in 2017 and 2018. The team has qualified for the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway four times in the last five years.

Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Busch Beer Car2Can Ford Mustang for SHR, has two wins at Daytona, including the 2007 Daytona 500. He also has nine top-five finishes, 14 top-10s and has led a total of 244 laps in his 35 career points-paying NASCAR Cup Series starts at Daytona. That said, he has not had a top-15 finish at Daytona in a points-paying race since he finished fourth in the 2016 Daytona 500.

He does have three victories in the non-points Clash exhibition race – in 2009, 2010, 2013 – tying him for second on the all-time list with his team owner Tony Stewart and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett. Additionally, the Bakersfield, California native has seven top-five finishes and 10 top-10s in Clash competition.

In addition to his three Clash wins at Daytona, Harvick has four other victories at the famed 2.5-mile racetrack – two NASCAR Cup Series points-paying races in February 2007 and July 2010, the 2013 non-points-paying Gander RV Duel, and the February 2007 NASCAR Xfinity Series race.

The key for Harvick and the rest of the SHR team is the transition to the new Ford Mustang for this season. It is the world’s best-selling sportscar and been in continuous production since its debut in 1964. But it has never been used in the Cup Series.

Harvick is hoping he can start 2019 the right way – with a second career Daytona 500 victory. He would be just the 12^th driver to win the race multiple times.

KEVIN HARVICK, Driver of the No. 4 Busch Beer Car2CanFord Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Talk about Car2Can for Daytona Speedweeks.

“Busch Beer officials brought the idea to me last year and I thought it was great way to connect with the fans. These cans are made up of pieces of my car from the 2018 season and I’m excited for the cans to be released. Can’t wait for the fans to see them.”

Talk about the Ford Mustang.

“Well, the first thing I think of is muscle car and, in today’s world, I guess you would call it a sportscar. For me, I know how much the Ford Mustang brand means to Ford. I’m still new to the Ford family. I would consider myself new only being here two years, going into the third. Being able to drive the Ford Mustang on the racetrack and know that it’s never been in the Cup Series, and to have seen the car being designed, developed and put on the racetrack, I feel like I’ve been part of the whole process. Not doing anything, but part of the whole process and how much effort has gone into getting the Mustang to the racetrack at the Daytona 500.”

How important would it be to win a second championship in 2019?

“Winning championships is important and, obviously, getting the first one out of the way takes a lot of pressure off of things. I think as you start to add championships, it puts you in a different class of competitors who have done that before and there are a lot less of them. So, to be able to add championships is a goal and what we’re still here racing for on a yearly basis. It’s a lot different than it used to be. There’s not a week-to-week point count. There are stages and cutoff races and cutoff races in playoffs – there are so many more elements in NASCAR than there used to be. There is a lot of short-term thinking. In the end, more championships are definitely better.”

SHR’s last restrictor plate race was pretty impressive. Qualified 1, 2, 3, 4. Ran 1, 2, 3, 4 for much of that race. Can that type of performance be replicated in the Daytona 500?

“Well, we hope so and we specifically hope to finish the race in the 4 car whether it’s a wreck or a circumstance or something along those lines, the restrictor plate stuff hasn’t been great for us. But from a team performance side of things for 98 percent of that race, I thought all the drivers and the plan that was laid out to try to execute during the race started in qualifying by having fast, fast cars and, you know, as we went into the race the four of us did a really good job of, of navigating everything and keeping ourselves in the front of the pack, which is the safest place to be. And it came down to some, some crazy fuel mileage at the end but definitely possible. I mean speedway racing is all about details. It’s all – to me when I owned a race team, that was really a measuring stick of, of how detailed your organization was because or specifically your aero department and the guys putting the cars together in the fab because speedway racing is all about details and, obviously, they shined that day.”

You won the 2007 Daytona 500. How satisfying is it to win that race?

“You always hear people talk about how winning the Daytona 500 is different than winning any other race. Once experiencing that, I would definitely say that it’s true just because everything you do at Speedweeks during the Daytona 500 weekend is just bigger and different than any other race you go to. So, winning our sport’s most prestigious race is pretty cool and something you would definitely like to experience again.”

Does winning one Daytona 500 make you even hungrier for another one?

“After experiencing everything that comes with the Daytona 500, yes. But, you know, you look back in time and see how hard it’s been to win that one particular race because you only get one shot a year. It’s a tough one to win. So I’m very fortunate to have been to victory lane in the Daytona 500, but would love to get back there.”

The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series kicks off at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway with the 61^st running of the Daytona 500 with Daniel Suárez piloting the No. 41 Haas Automation Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). This season marks Suárez’s third year behind the wheel of a stock car in NASCAR’s most elite series for the Monterrey, Mexico native.

The 27-year-old Suárez is looking for a “Haas-ome” year, which in just a little more than a month has already been a busy one. On his birthday, Jan. 7, it was announced he would be the driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation/ARRIS Ford Mustang. Shortly after the announcement, Suárez headed out to California for a quick media tour and then on to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana for a two-day Goodyear tire test Jan. 9 and 10. The test signified the first time the Mexico native was behind the wheel of the No. 41 Mustang and his first time working with his new team.

Suárez will pilot the black-and-red Haas Automation Ford Mustang for Daytona Speedweeks. Haas Automation is America’s leading builder of CNC machines and owned by SHR team co-owner Gene Haas. In addition to Haas Automation, the No. 41 Ford Mustang will also feature ARRIS International PLC for a portion of the season. In 2016, Suárez captured the Xfinity Series title with support from ARRIS.

The No. 41 crew remains intact for 2019 after a successful campaign in 2018. Billy Scott, a native of Land O’Lakes, Florida, continues to lead the Haas Automation team as crew chief. Scott and the No. 41 team most recently visited victory lane at the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway race in August 2018. The veteran crew advanced to the Round 8 in last year’s NASCAR playoffs and captured a series-leading five pole awards.

Before running in the 61^st “Great American Race” on Sunday, Feb. 17, Suárez will participate in the Advance Auto Parts Clash this Sunday. He gained entry into the 75-lap exhibition race by winning his first career Cup Series pole award at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in July 2018. This season marks Suárez’s second time running the event with his most recent start during his 2017 Cup Series rookie campaign. He brought home an eighth-place finish.

Suárez is the newest driver among SHR’s four-car contingent, joining veterans Aric Almirola, Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick. The new Ford driver is looking forward to getting to know his teammates better and being an integral part of the two-time championship-winning organization, which is coming off of its most successful season since its inception.

“Stewart-Haas Racing is a very good organization and all they do is race to win trophies,” Suárez said. “Tony (Stewart, co-owner) told me that and you can tell that’s what they do. When the owner of the team tells you that we do everything we can to win races, that just gives you a smile on your face. That’s all you want as a driver, that’s all you care about. I’m very happy at SHR and everyone has made me feel at home in a very short period of time. I’m excited and can’t wait to start the season. We had a test in California and it went well, and it was very productive for me and for my team.”

Among his many goals for 2019, Suárez is looking to improve his record at superspeedways. With three of his four previous superspeedway starts in the Cup Series resulting in accidents, SHR might just turn his luck around. The SHR organization pulled off the amazing ability to stick together throughout almost the entire race during the fall race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway last year and Almirola went on to claim the victory. As a whole, SHR led 155 laps that day and looks to have the same success at the season-opening Daytona 500.

“The Daytona 500 is the biggest race of the year,” Suárez said. “It’s a big deal to be in it and to have an opportunity to win it. It’s extremely hard to be up front at the end of the race. It’s one of the races that you can easily be in a wreck that is from someone else’s mistake. At a regular racetrack, it doesn’t happen as much. It’s difficult to win and you have to learn how to run those marathons and I feel like I’ve had the opportunity to learn quite a bit the last couple of years and hopefully I can put myself in position to be a contender at the end and to win the Daytona 500.”

With several rules package changes, a new manufacturer, new car model and a new team, the 2019 season begins a year of change for Suárez and his Cup Series career.

DANIEL SUÁREZ, Driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What’s it like to work for Tony Stewart?

“The way I look up to Tony is that he is a true racer. A guy that does racing for breakfast, racing for lunch and racing for dinner, and I’ve been like that since I moved to the United States. I don’t have family here. I have friends now, but when I moved here in the beginning, I didn’t have any friends, either. When you’re in that position, all you’re thinking about is how to win races and be better. To be able to learn from him and get advice from him as a driver, that’s extremely helpful. I feel like I’ll learn a lot from him and he’s one of the most talented drivers. The year that I moved here to the U.S. in Charlotte, that was the last year he won the championship in 2011. I’ve been a Tony fan since then. I’m excited to know how much I’m going to be learning from Tony, Kevin, Clint and Aric. There’s a lot of experience between all of them.”

What has your experience been like working with Billy Scott, so far?

“For me, you have to have good chemistry and communication with the group of guys. Billy is a racer. When we went to Auto Club, we all went go-kart racing one night and he was the fastest one out there. He likes to win, he’s competitive and it doesn’t matter if it’s the Cup Series or go-karts. We get along well. I’m very confident that we’re going to build a great team together. He has a good personality, he’s very smart and I feel like we are going to be a good fit.”

How challenging is it switching manufacturers?

“It’s been a process. I will say that I’ve never done a change like this, but now I have the opportunity with Ford Performance and it’s been very good. I’m very happy and lucky to be in the Cup Series with Ford and to be in the Mustang. I don’t think there is one person out there who doesn’t think of the Mustang when you think of muscle cars. I think it’s going to be great to run the Mustang in the Cup Series. I was fortunate to drive the car at Auto Club and it felt good.”

What are you looking forward to at Stewart-Haas Racing? 

“It’s a very competitive team. Racing for wins week in and week out. SHR was able to do that not only with one car but all of their cars, which is very impressive to me. The goal is to continue to grow with this team and continue to learn from these guys. I have learned a lot. They obviously do things a little bit different from what I’m used to and there are a lot of things that they’re trying.”

How did your first test go with the No. 41 team?

“It was a very productive test for us. Billy and the guys have been trying a bunch of stuff with the Ford Mustang. The car looks very sharp and it’s fast. I’m looking forward to making the car go faster and to drive well, too. We had two productive days and brought back as much information as we could to the table for SHR and for my teammates. It was the first test for me with this package. Everyone is intense about how it’s going to go at a track the size of Auto Club. It reminds me a lot of the All-Star Race and the Xfinity package that I raced back in 2016. It worked out well for me in 2016, so hopefully we can work out something similar. There was a lot of throttle time and drafting, just a different kind of racing. I think it will be fun.”

Just one year ago, Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang, made his debut with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) with an open mind and no expectations. A new crew chief, a new team and a blank canvas of opportunity. What he didn’t know was that he was about to embark on a record year – beginning with the 60^th running of the Daytona 500.

On the final restart during the closing laps of the 2018 season opener at Daytona, Almirola found himself at the front of the pack. When the green flag waved, the Tampa, Florida native took the lead and, when he looked in the rearview mirror, realized he was less than a lap away from becoming a Daytona 500 champion.

“I felt so confident,” he said. “I knew that if I hit all of my gears perfectly, I would have a shot at it and I did. I looked in my mirror and saw everyone racing side by side and figured that I was in control of the race and, if I made the right move, I was going to be the winner of the Daytona 500. About halfway down the back straightaway, they were coming with a run and I pulled over to block it. In your head, you know it’s the Daytona 500 and you’re a mile and a half away from winning, so you’re going to do everything you know to try and win that race. I pulled over to block and put a pretty aggressive block on the No. 3. I knew that if I blocked high, he was going to go low. As soon as I blocked high I knew I was going to have to immediately block low. When I blocked low, he turned against my back bumper and into the outside wall. I wrecked a mile away from winning the Daytona 500. I don’t necessarily fault him for what he did but, given the same opportunity this year, you can bet your bottom dollar I would return the favor. You’re going to do whatever it takes.”

After nearly becoming Daytona 500 champions, Almirola and the No. 10 Smithfield Ford team led by rookie crew chief Johnny Klausmeier continued their success, knocking down 17 top-10 finishes, four top-fives, led 181 laps on the year, and earned their first win Oct. 14 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway to clinch a spot in the semifinal playoff round before finishing a career-best fifth in the championship. Almirola’s 181 laps led in the 2018 season were more than his previous six full-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series seasons combined.

Almirola is no stranger to victory lane at the 2.5-mile Daytona superspeedway. His first Cup Series win there came in July 2014. He led 14 laps and captured the win in the rain-shortened race. In the July 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona, he led the most important lap – the final one – at the high-banked superspeedway, then added to his restrictor-plate resume with an Xfinity Series win at Talladega May 6, 2017.

“Restrictor-plate racing is about drafting and teamwork,” Almirola said. “Two cars go faster than one and four cars go faster than two. The pack as a whole goes faster than a couple of cars. The more teamwork, the faster that train will go. That win at Talladega last year was clutch and it taught us a lot about restrictor-plate racing as a team.”

Almirola will have the opportunity to knock the high-bank-racing rust off early this season during Sunday’s 75-lap, non-points Clash. He is one of 20 drivers who are eligible for the race, which invites recent Daytona 500 pole and race winners, Clash winners, and previous playoff participants. Almirola’s best finish in his three previous Clash outings is eighth place.

“The Clash is a preseason all-star race,” he said. “It’s very much a who’s who of NASCAR in that race. It’s prestigious but, at the same time, I think it’s beneficial because you get an opportunity to get a race under our belts before our ‘Super Bowl.’ Unlike other sports, our Super Bowl comes first, so it’s great to have the opportunity to get some racing under your belt.”

The Mustang driver enters the 2019 season the same way he did last year, partnered for the eight year with Smithfield, a brand of Smithfield Foods, which is based approximately five hours northeast of SHR headquarters in Smithfield, Virginia. Founded in 1936, Smithfield is a leading provider of high-quality pork products, with a vast product portfolio including smoked meats, hams, bacon, sausage, ribs, and a wide variety of fresh pork cuts.

With no expectations other than being stronger week in and week out, Almirola and the Smithfield Ford team look to finish that final mile on a high note to turn their “Daytona 499” of 2018 into the 2019 Daytona 500 championship.

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

How do you feel going into your second full-time season with Stewart-Haas Racing? 

“Going into last year I really had no expectations and I don’t this year. I went into last year very open-minded, wanting to learn the system at Stewart-Haas. I wanted to learn my team and my teammates and just wanted to be a part of the team. I wanted to learn how I fit in, so as time went on and as the year progressed, I felt like all the learning started to pay off. By summertime, we showed up to the track with a better understanding of what we needed. We were faster in practice, qualifying and the race. Then we started to put ourselves in position to win races. I’ve started to take that same state of mind and attitude going into this year. We don’t need to sit down and say these are our expectations and we need to check this box and that box. The goal is to just be better. If there was a track we struggled at we just had to be better. If there were details we missed, we needed to be better. If there were things we did great, we need to identify that and make them even better. I think setting expectations can set you up for failure because you get disappointed when things don’t go your way and you get complacent when you exceed those expectations. You know, life is like a box of chocolates and you never know what you’re going to get, so it’s really just about grinding and working hard to make your weaknesses stronger and your strengths even stronger.”

How confident are you in Ford Performance and Stewart-Haas Racing’s ability to adapt to a new car and new aero package?

“If you look over the span of time, Ford has been able to win with pretty much anything. I think you can say the same for Stewart-Haas Racing. They switched to Ford two years ago and, with only a year under their belt, they developed so much success with 13 wins. That’s because of smart people and all of the people we have at Ford Performance to give us the resources we need. All of the engineers and geniuses we have here at SHR have just been able to figure it out. I don’t see where switching to the Mustang is anything but a benefit. Ford and Ford Performance have put everything into the Mustang to make sure it’s successful and it is just a badass racecar. It’s going to be really fun to see the fans watch it on the track this year.”

Are you confident in your ability to adapt to a new car and new aero package?

“One of the things that makes great racecar drivers great is the ability to adapt. It’s always going to be a little tight or a little loose and there will be times that you’re going to have the best car or you’re not. You have to make the most out of what you’re given. For me, I’ve always prided myself on that – the ability to react to the circumstances on the racecar or adapt to the car I have on that day. I’ve always viewed it as, ‘I have a steering wheel, a gas pedal, and a clutch pedal,’ and that never changes. What I do with those is ultimately how I can perform the best, so I always have to try to think about how I can do better with the racecar. That doesn’t matter if the rules change or the car is different. Whatever that may be, I’m constantly striving to be better.”

How have you been able to use the technology provided by Ford Performance to prepare you for the new season?

“It’s important. As we grow and evolve to have more technology at our fingertips, we have to be able to utilize those resources to the max potential. That has been important to us as we have limited testing and as we try to find an edge on our competition. We have to be creative and find ways to better our simulator tools. We need to be able to actually take something away from our simulators to use on the racetrack.”

No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Ford Mustang driver Clint Bowyer believes the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season will be one of change for competitors, fans, teams and corporate partners. The sport’s normal breakneck pace, combined with new leadership and a daring new rules package designed to boost competition should dominate headlines throughout the year.

But one thing will remain the same according to the Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) driver who logged two victories, nine top-five finishes and 16 top-10s in 2018.

“I know there is a lot going on rules-wise in 2019, but that’s for later,” said Bowyer, who crossed the finish line of the 2007 Daytona 500 upside down and on fire. “Let me tell you, the Daytona 500 is still going to be the Daytona 500. That’s still the ‘Granddaddy of Them All’ and the race everyone wants to win. You are still going to see the same wild racing and the same intensity. That’s going to be must-see television, for sure.”

Las Vegas odds already make Bowyer one of the top four favorites to capture the sport’s most prestigious race. His Roush-Yates-powered Mustang, combined with Ford Performance expertise and the crew chief Mike Bugarewicz-led crew at SHR should keep him at the front of all the events of the 2019 Speedweeks. Bowyer’s Speedweeks kicks off Sunday when he drives the No. 14 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang in the 75-lap Advanced Auto Parts Clash – his first Clash appearance since 2016.

“We’re glad to be back in the Clash where we belong,” said Bowyer, who finished second in the 2012 championship and third in the 2007 title chase but just missed advancing to the Round of 4 in 2018. “That’s going to be the first time we race against each other and gets us a jump on learning where our stuff is at before we race again Thursday in the qualifying races.”

NASCAR officials in October announced two baseline rules packages for the 2019 season, making a move to bolster competition with enhanced aerodynamic and engine configurations. The different packages are tailored to the specific tracks on the Cup Series circuit, with a combination of a smaller tapered spacer to reduce engine horsepower to a target goal of 550 – from 750 – and aero ducts to foster tighter racing on a majority of speedways measuring longer than 1 mile. Both features will be in place for 17 of the 36 races, except for the Daytona 500, which will run with traditional restrictor-plate rules. Five other races will be run with the smaller spacer, but without ducts.

“This is a drastic rule change,” said Bowyer, who tested the package at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Jan. 31 to Feb 1. “The face of our sport is going to be different. Time will tell what opinions are made, and certainly I’ll form my opinion when that time comes. Testing is one thing. It is, what, 14, 15 cars out there. When you get to race weekend with 40 cars, it’s a whole different story. Right now, I’m focused on Daytona.”

It’s fitting Bowyer’s No. 14 Ford begins the season carrying the Rush Truck Centers and Mobil 1 paint schemes at Daytona. Rush Truck Centers has been the primary partner for the No. 14 team since Bowyer arrived at SHR in 2017 and has been with the organization since 2010. The Texas-based company has used Bowyer and the team to appeal to NASCAR fans as one way to recruit the technicians it needs to operate the largest network of commercial truck and bus dealerships in the country, with locations in 22 states. According to Rush Truck Centers, the trucking industry is expected to need 200,000 diesel technicians over the next 10 years to keep up with maintenance demands. Rush Truck Centers wants to make NASCAR fans aware of these opportunities and knows that, with Bowyer’s background, he is the right guy to help get the message out.

Mobil 1 isn’t just the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand, it also provides the entire SHR team with leading lubricant technology, ensuring that all SHR Mustangs have a competitive edge over the competition on the track. In its 17th consecutive season as the “Official Motor Oil of NASCAR,” Mobil 1 is used by more than 50 percent of teams throughout NASCAR’s top three series.

“I know you hear drivers talk about the importance of corporate partners all the time and that’s true, but at SHR, they are a key to our success on the track,” Bowyer said. “Mobil 1 is such a source of technology under the hood and it’s a real advantage for us. Our success illustrates the technological advantages Mobil 1 is giving us on the track every single week.

“Rush Truck Centers helps us get to the track, and that isn’t easy. SHR has four primary Cup haulers, two Xfinity, and several test haulers. It’s a logistical challenge traveling all over the country, but the Rush Truck Centers folks oversee everything for us. Without either one, SHR wouldn’t enjoy the success we have enjoyed.”

Bowyer hopes he can celebrate with Rush Truck Centers and Mobil 1 many times in 2019, and none would be bigger than the season-opening Daytona 500.

“That’s the one we all want,” he said. “I’d wreck my mom to win that race. And, you know what? She’d be glad I did.”

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

Are you ready for the new season?

“Man, I can’t wait to get to Daytona. After Homestead, you are glad to get a break and kind of unwind. We had a lot of fun but, after a couple of weeks, you are ready to get going and start racing again. I don’t care how long you have been in the sport, when you drive through the tunnel at Daytona for the first time, it gets your heart racing and your blood pumping and you are ready to start the new season.”

How was your offseason?

“The offseason is always an exciting time for everybody. You get the holidays to spend time with family that you’ve missed all year long while we’ve been chasing this dream of racing, and we’re fortunate enough to do a lot of fun things in the offseason. We went skiing – just got back from a skiing trip to Colorado. It was beautiful. It was great snow. Stopped and watched my Chiefs. Man, we lost, but we gave them a hell of a battle. Watched several Chiefs games. It’s been fun. It’s been a lot of fun to be a fan, you know. I mean, that’s the crazy thing about it, it’s no different than our fans in NASCAR. You become attached to individuals, to people. Usually for me, it’s all through a relationship, or something else makes you really want to pull for somebody. It’s been no exception with the Chiefs this year. They all came out to Kansas Speedway and rooted us on doing what we do, and we certainly showed up and showed the same respect to them.”

What are your expectations for 2019?

“They are the same as they have always been. We want to win races, develop consistency and peak around the time the playoffs start. We improved a lot last year and plan to keep that going this year. I know (crew chief) Mike (Bugarewicz) and everyone at SHR, plus the Roush-Yates guys, have worked really hard in the offseason to keep us going. That hard work will pay off.”

Your thoughts on running a Mustang in 2019?

“I have said for years that we should be running the Mustang in the Cup Series and this year I get my wish. I’m a car guy and there isn’t anything much cooler than a good-looking Mustang. I think the fans are going to be pretty excited to see my Mustang out on the track. Ford Performance is top notch and I know they’ve put a lot of thought behind it and I’d love nothing better than to drive a Mustang to victory lane in the Daytona 500.”

Aric Almirola and the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Fusion team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) head to Homestead-Miami Speedway to cap off what has been the Tampa, Florida native’s most successful of 11 seasons in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

While he fell short in the point standings and just three positions short on the track Sunday of transferring to the Championship 4 and the chance to battle for the 2018 Cup Series title during Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400, Almirola joins SHR teammate Kurt Busch in the battle to finish as high as fifth in the final standings.

Almirola is seventh in points entering Homestead, trailing sixth-place Busch by two points and leading eighth-place Brad Keselowski by seven. Last week at ISM Raceway near Phoenix, Almirola qualified 18th and finished fourth after running as high as second place late in the race.

Almirola’s history at Homestead includes one top-five finish and two top-10s in eight starts on the 1.5-mile oval south of Miami. But this is the first year Almirola has driven a Ford for SHR, which had all four of its drivers advance to the Round of 8 in the Cup Series playoffs after combining for 12 wins, 41 top-fives and 80 top 10s in 2018. SHR’s Kevin Harvick is one of the four drivers battling for the title Sunday as part of the Championship 4.

The 34-year-old Almirola has had some success on 1.5-mile ovals this season. In his last 10 starts at tracks similar in length, he’s accrued six top-10 finishes with four of those earned in his most recent starts. He’s led 70 laps and earned an average start of 10.6 and an average finish of 13.4 at intermediate tracks this season.

The 2018 season has been one of resurgence for the Smithfield driver whose highlight was a return to victory lane in October at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. He nearly won the season-opening Daytona 500, as well as races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, Dover (Del.) International Speedway and, most recently, Phoenix last weekend. But Almirola took the checkered flag at Talladega just ahead of teammate Bowyer for his second career Cup Series win and the first with the Smithfield paint scheme.

Under the leadership of first-year crew chief Johnny Klausmeier, Almirola set season bests this year in laps led with 181 – more than during his previous 10 Cup seasons combined – top-fives with four, and top-10s with 16. And no matter where he finishes in points after Homestead, he’ll notch another season best in the final standings.

In addition to it being the conclusion of the 2018 racing season, the Smithfield Smoke Machine Ford Mustang giveaway culminates this weekend. The grand prize winner will be flown to Miami and will ride in the one-of-a-kind 2018 Ford Mustang RTR Spec 3 with Almirola for a few laps around Homestead-Miami Speedway. Tony Stewart, who designed the high-performance Mustang in conjunction with Vaughn Gitten Jr., will present the keys to the winner on Sunday during Ford Championship Weekend.

The timing of his Talladega win couldn’t have been any better because he sported a special bacon-themed Smithfield Ford Fusion that afternoon. The unique paint scheme coincided with Smithfield’s Bacon for Life promotion. Yes, it’s possible to win bacon for life. The sweepstakes runs until Dec. 31, and fans can enter by finding specially marked packages of Smithfield bacon in stores, then visiting Smithfield.com/BaconForLife and entering the unique code provided in the package. More than 1,000 runners-up will be awarded select bacon merchandise.

Almirola is piloting the traditional Smithfield paint scheme for the final race of the 2018 season but, with the holiday season is just around the corner, Smithfield continues to promote its perfectly cooked, spiral sliced ham as an ideal addition to most every kind of holiday feast to make family and friends feel special. Not only does it make holiday cooking a breeze, it provides equally flavorful leftover dishes. Fans can visit Smithfield.com/HolidayHub for information on how to make every holiday soiree a breeze, as well as foolproof tips and simple recipes that are sure to wow holiday guests with flavor-filled dishes for all the celebrations the season brings.

Almirola hopes for a good run this weekend en route to his best career points finish in order to build momentum for the 2019 Cup Series season that begins with the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17 in the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang.

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

For who or what are you racing for?

“I feel like I’m racing for my team, and for our sponsors, and for the people who believe in me. I’m obviously racing for myself, too. But, more importantly, it takes so many people to put me in this position and give me the opportunity that I have. The only way I know how to pay them back is to win, or to go win a championship to thank them for believing in me. You can say thank you and do all of the right things off of the racetrack but, on the track, they want you to perform.”

How do you and your team stay motivated?

“Everybody on this No. 10 team is self-motivated. There really is nothing I can say to change that. I’m not really a leader with words – I’m not really good with words, I’m not a motivational speaker, I’m not a cheerleader. I try to lead by example. I put in a lot of hours of studying and working out and doing all of the things I can do to be as prepared as possible. I think all of the guys on my team appreciate that and see that, and they’re the same way. They all work endless hours to make sure our racecars are fast and perfect. That’s the only way I know how to lead, and that’s to lead by example.”

JOHNNY KLAUSMEIER, Crew Chief of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What are your thoughts overall on the No. 10 team’s season?

“While we came up short on advancing to the final four, the overall performance of this Smithfield team throughout our first season together is something I am proud of. We continued to improve as the year progressed and had some of our best results when it mattered the most in the playoff races. Aric did an outstanding job learning our system at SHR and pushing our team throughout the year. You could see everyone’s confidence grow throughout the season, and that in itself has me looking forward to 2019.”

Any noticeable differences on your moving from an engineer to crew chief this season? 

“I have enjoyed the crew chief role in my first full-time year. The biggest differences are getting to work alongside and rally the talented people we have on our team. As a race engineer, you are so immersed into the technical workings of the car’s performance, you sometimes lose sight of the larger picture. As a crew chief, you get to motivate and rely on the specialists in each area of the team to get the best result possible. Working with Aric has been a great experience and I hope to continue to grow our relationship into a championship-caliber team.”

Event:               Ford EcoBoost 300 (Round 33 of 33)
Date:                Nov. 17, 2018
Location:          Homestead-Miami Speedway
Layout:             1.5-mile oval

Cole Custer Notes of Interest

• While this will be Cole Custer’s first NASCAR Xfinity Series championship eligibility at the Homestead Miami-Speedway season finale, the 20-year-old California native is no stranger to victory lane at the 1.5-mile oval. Last November, Custer won the Homestead race by a hefty margin – 15.405 seconds – after winning Stages 1 and 2 and leading 182 of 200 laps. He also earned a perfect driver rating of 150. 
• Custer’s victory two weekends ago at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth clinched his Championship 4 spot in this weekend’s Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead. It was his first victory this season.
• Custer leads the Xfinity Series playoff standing, and he’s earned the most points (422) at 1.5-mile tracks in 2018. 
• Custer leads the Xfinity Series playoff standings and is tied with Elliott Sadler for points earned at 1.5-mile tracks this season with 334. Custer’s average start of 5.2 at 1.5-mile tracks leads all Xfinity Series regulars. He also led the series in points earned at 1.5-mile tracks last season with 422.
• In addition to Custer’s championship eligibility, fellow Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick will race for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship at Homestead Sunday. Since NASCAR’s inception, no team has ever won both Xfinity Series and Cup Series titles in the same season.
• Custer, 20, is the youngest competitor in the Championship 4.
• This season, Custer has one win, 13 top-five finishes, 15 top-10s, five pole awards and has led 294 laps in 32 career Xfinity Series starts. 
• In nine Xfinity Series races at 1.5-mile tracks this season, Custer has earned one win, two poles, seven top-10s, six top-five finishes and has led 66 laps.
• Custer has two wins, 21 top-five finishes, 46 top-10s, five pole awards and has led 596 laps in 70 career Xfinity Series starts.
• Custer’s five pole awards this season tie Christopher Bell for most in the series and his average starting position of 6.1 is the best among Xfinity Series regulars.
• Saturday’s Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead caps 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs, which began with 12 eligible drivers and was divided into three rounds with the first two rounds consisting of three races apiece, followed by Sunday’s single-race round. Four drivers were eliminated after each of the first two rounds to ultimately establish four finalists at Homestead. Drivers automatically qualified for the next round with a win in the current round with the remaining spots determined by the point standings. At Homestead, the top-finishing driver among the four finalists – Custer, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick and Daniel Hemric – wins the championship.

Cole Custer, Driver Q&A

To what can you attribute your success at Homestead in 2017?

“We just hit on something really good. Our Xfinity Series team thrives at 1.5-mile tracks and we capped off our debut season with a solid win in Homestead. We also did everything right. From the pit crew to me not making any mistakes, we were perfect. We have to do our homework this week, though, and fully focus on everything we can get there. We obviously have a really good baseline to go off of.” 

How much pressure do you feel to bring home an Xfinity Series championship?

“I don’t know if you would say there is a lot of pressure going into the weekend, but we all know you don’t know how many opportunities you’ll get to win a championship, so we’re going to make sure we make the most of it and leave it all out on the track.”

Last year, bad luck at Kansas and Texas took you out of contention for a championship. You went on to win the race in Homestead but were not crowned champion. Would this be the icing on the cake to finally prove you deserve to hold the Championship title? 

“For our second year in the Xfinity Series, it would be huge to go out and win a championship. All our people have worked extremely hard to get us to where we are today, so now we need to take advantage of it. We have competed at a championship level all year and it’s time to back that up by actually doing it.”

What is a lap around Homestead like and why has it seemed to fit your driving style so well?  

“Homestead is a place with very little grip and there are countless different lines you can run. I think I’ve been able to drive some really good cars there in the past and I found the lines that I like to run to fit my driving style. It’s unique and a fun track to get around.”

Jeff Meendering, Crew Chief Q&A

What car are you bringing to Homestead and what car did the Haas Automation team bring there in 2017? 

“We are bringing Chassis No. 1114 – the same car we ran at Chicago and Vegas (this year). Last season, we ran Chassis No. 1059, which we retired after that race and added to the Cole Custer car collection.”

Do you expect to run as well as you did last year, or are there variables that will come into play? 

“We had high expectations last year after having a very productive test leading up to the race. There are a few different variables this year, one being a different tire, another being the new composite body. I feel like we have a really good idea on how to adjust for those items and have a lot of confidence going to Homestead.”