Author: Kellye Arning

“Crazy, fast and risky.” That’s how Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing, describes restrictor-plate racing at tracks like Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, where the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will compete in Sunday’s Alabama 500.

Talladega has long been considered somewhat of a wild-card event, where a driver’s fate is not entirely in his or her own hands. It is one of only two racetracks on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit where restrictor plates are used. A restrictor plate is a device installed at the air intake of an engine to limit its power in an effort to reduce speeds, increase safety and help provide an equal level of competition. The horsepower-restricted engines require drivers to draft together, side-by-side, at speeds approaching 200 mph.

As a result, superspeedway events often produce crazy, fast and unpredictable racing.

“It’s super easy to drive around the track flat-out by yourself – it’s not difficult at all,” Patrick said. “When you put all of the other cars around you, it’s not necessarily about how the car feels on the track, although that can be an issue, for sure, at times. It’s more about what everyone else is doing around you. You’re constantly looking at what’s happening in front of you. You’re also looking at what’s behind you. Probably more important than what’s happening in front of you is what’s happening behind you – who’s coming, who’s following you, who’s helping you move forward.”

All of that jostling and jockeying around for position at speeds near 200 mph can lead to the seemingly inevitable “big one” – a multicar accident that typically eliminates multitudes of drivers from the event. This type of racing leaves teams wondering what it will take to survive the “big one” and make it to victory lane at the end of the day.

Patrick has set records at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway – the other restrictor-plate superspeedway on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule – but she’s yet to find the same level of success at Talladega. With 10 prior NASCAR Cup Series starts at the track, her career-best finish is a 19th-place result she earned in October 2014.

In May, after running as high as seventh, a late-race, 18-car accident relegated Patrick to a 38th-place finish. Last year, another late-race accident left her with a 24th-place result in May and, when the series returned to the track in October, she finished 20th.

As the NASCAR Cup Series returns to Talladega this weekend, Patrick and the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford team will be prepared for a crazy race as they look to survive the “big one” and go for the win on Sunday.

DANICA PATRICK, Driver of the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What are three words that describe restrictor-plate races?

“Three words that describe plate racing would be: crazy, fast and risky.”

Describe the intensity of restrictor-plate racing.

“It’s super easy to drive around the track flat-out by yourself – it’s not difficult at all. When you put all of the other cars around you, it’s not necessarily about how the car feels on the track, although that can be an issue, for sure, at times. It’s more about what everyone else is doing around you. You’re constantly looking at what’s happening in front of you. You’re also looking at what’s behind you. Probably more important than what’s happening in front of you is what’s happening behind you – who’s coming, who’s following you, who’s helping you move forward. There have been plenty of times that I’ve gone to the bottom and complained, ‘Where’s my help?’ It seems like I’ll slot in on the bottom line and then everyone behind me disappears. You really have to have people behind you, pushing you. The race is constantly evolving and you and your spotter have to be on it. It’s a big race for spotters, so having a really good one that you trust is very important.”

You’ve always liked going to Talladega. Why is that?

“The fans really make that place. The campgrounds, all that stuff, make it one, big party. You see how much fun the fans are having and that makes it fun for us as drivers. It’s just a unique place. The sheer size of the facility is amazing. I liked it from the first time I went there and, hopefully, we can have a good run and a good finish. The cool thing about superspeedways is that anybody can win. It’s a toss-up, what’s going to happen. On top of that, SHR’s superspeedway cars are really good.”

What is your favorite part of going into the Talladega infield?

“My favorite part about going into the infield at Talladega is seeing things you’re not supposed to see. I mean, it’s a crazy party and I feel like those are the kinds of things that keep people coming back. It’s the atmosphere and the whole package of the weekend – not just the racing – but the parties, having fun and making memories.”

As the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to the high banks of Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway for the Alabama 500, the second race in the Round of 12 in the 2017 playoffs, Kevin Harvick will be in the great outdoors hunting for a win to secure his second win of the season and lock in his position for the Round of 8.

Harvick’s No. 4 Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) will feature a special-edition Busch Light outdoors paint scheme with iconic Realtree camouflage, blaze orange accents and a Busch Light trophy can giving a nod to the beer brand’s seasonal Great Outdoors packaging.

Busch Beer and Realtree come together to form a natural collaboration, as both brands have deep roots in outdoor pursuits. Given the overlaps between Busch Beer and Realtree, including established relationships with Harvick and SHR, it makes sense for the brands to team up at Talladega.

Busch’s Great Outdoors campaign runs through Nov. 20, with specially marked packs of Busch Beer and Busch Light featuring the new Great Outdoors look, introducing bold colors, wildlife and the brand’s iconic stream. The promotion features 30,000 golden trophy cans to be placed randomly nationwide, allowing lucky consumers to enter the Great Outdoors sweepstakes for a chance to win weekly prizes or the grand prize – a trip to Big Cedar Lodge with professional angler Kevin VanDam.

Busch Beer fans can also check out the collaboration on BuschBucks.com, where consumers can redeem points for Busch Beer and Realtree co-branded gear. The program is simple – register at BuschBucks.com, purchase eligible products and collect points by snapping a picture of the receipt and uploading it to BuschBucks.com. Redeem points for Busch-themed prizes ranging in point values, from apparel, coolers and tents, to scrap metal from Harvick’s No. 4 Ford Fusion. Race fans can head to BuschBucks.com for more details.

While consumers can win by enjoying a cold, crisp and refreshing Busch Light, Harvick will be trying to score his own prize Sunday afternoon at Talladega. A win would automatically secure his position in the Round of 8 in his pursuit of the ultimate NASCAR prize – the 2017 Monster Energy Cup Series trophy.

The Bakersfield, California native had a fast start in the Round of 12, securing two stage wins and a third-place race finish last weekend at Charlotte to provide a 26-point advantage over the ninth-place driver with two races remaining in the round.

Harvick has shown speed at the superspeedway races in 2017 – especially on qualifying day, where he has started sixth or better in the three restrictor-plate events on the season. While speed has been on his side, luck, on the other hand, has eluded the No. 4 team on race day, with a top restrictor-plate finish on the year of 22^nd in the season-opening Daytona 500.

The 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion’s lone Cup Series win at Talladega Superspeedway came in April 2010, when he started fourth and beat runner-up Jamie McMurray by .011 of a second – the 15^th-closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history.

Hopefully, with the help of Busch Beer and Realtree, Harvick can stalk his competitors in the closing laps and secure what may be one of the season’s most difficult trophies to capture.

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

Describe the intensity of restrictor-plate racing?

“Plate racing is something you have to be aggressive at just for the fact that, if you’re not aggressive, it always seems like you are not going to be where you need to be. Nine times out of 10, I believe, the aggressor is going to be the guy who comes out on the good side of things just for the fact that you’re making things happen and you’re not waiting for something else to happen. When you wait for something else to happen, that’s usually when you get in trouble because it’s usually someone else’s mess. You can still get in trouble if you’re aggressive, but it seems like, with this rules package and the way that things are, it’s best to stay aggressive and try to stay up front.”

Do you approach Talladega differently this year than in years past?

“I think, with the current points system, it’s better to stay up front and try to get as many points in each stage as you can throughout the day. Obviously, if you don’t qualify well, that makes it much more difficult but, with the new points system, I think you’re going to see a much different race. Guys aren’t going to be able to leave 20 potential points and playoff points on the table. They’re going to be racing for every point – that’s a good thing for the fans and should make it an exciting race.”

Kurt Busch won the Daytona 500 in February of this year at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. And he has won at just about every other type of racetrack on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup schedule.

From the shortest racetrack – Martinsville (Va.) Speedway – to a road-course victory at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, to Daytona, Busch has found victory. He’s won on racetracks ranging in length from .526 of a mile, .533 of a mile, .75 of a mile, 1 mile, 1.5 miles, 1.99 miles and 2 miles. He’d celebrated in victory lane at the high-banked ovals and flat tracks. He even won the championship in 2004.

Busch has won at 15 of the 23 racetracks on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule and can now shift his focus to checking another box. He’ll head to Talladega this weekend looking to return to his winning ways by putting a check in the win column there.

Busch, driver of the No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), has finished third at Talladega four times – in April 2001, 2002 and 2007, and October 2006. But he’ll return this time with a new chassis provided by veteran crew chief Tony Gibson.

Talladega is one of only two racetracks on the NASCAR circuit where restrictor plates are used. By definition, a restrictor plate is a device installed at the air intake of an engine to limit its power. The use of a restrictor plate is intended to both limit speed and increase safety with an eye toward equaling the level of competition.

Races at Talladega and its sister track at Daytona are ones literally anyone can win. Horsepower-choked engines require drivers to draft together, side-by-side, at speeds approaching 200 mph.

This weekend, Busch would like nothing more than to add another win to his already impressive resume and win his second restrictor-plate race of the season.

KURT BUSCH, Driver of the No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Talk a little bit about racing at Talladega.

“It’s so difficult to predict Talladega. You can ride around in the back, or charge up front all day and, either way, your day can end with your car on the hook. You just hope to have Lady Luck guide you to a good finish. Restrictor-plate races have turned into this pattern that it is hard to have any type of advantage over any other team. It just comes down to being in the right place at the right time.”

Restrictor-plate racing has been described as a 200 mph chess match. How would you describe it?  

“That’s pretty much it. You’ve got to be able to know the draft, understand the draft, use the draft, block other guys, find holes, make holes. It’s definitely a chess game because you’re always thinking three or four steps ahead. It’s tough to get caught up when you make a mistake. You’ve got to quickly get rid of that and put together a new plan. At the end of the race, everybody is saving their best for the end. Cars are just going everywhere. The plan you thought you had, you’ve got to make a new one. You’ve got to go on the fly.”

In order to be successful in a restrictor-plate race, you need some assistance from other drivers. How do you get that assistance when every driver out there is trying to beat one another?

“Cash? I don’t know. There are certain guys you know to draft with. There are certain guys you know they’re going to be tough. There are certain guys you might see work their way up, like the Fords always come in strong with Front Row Motorsports. The Roush cars are always there. The Penske cars have been tough the last five, six years at the restrictor-plate races. So, you just get a gauge as the race goes on who’s been up front all day. But you’ve got to keep track of the guys who have been hanging out in the back and they’re going to show up at the end.”

It’s been an impressive few opening chapters in what should be a long history book for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR).

The Kannapolis, North Carolina-based team has won 38 times in 948 races since its first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race in 2009. The organization owned by Gene Haas and three-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart has notched championships with Stewart in 2011 and Kevin Harvick in 2014.

In February, SHR celebrated its first Daytona 500 victory when Kurt Busch took the checkered flag. SHR drivers have won at every active track on the Cup Series tour except two: Kentucky Speedway in Sparta and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, where the Cup Series races Sunday in the Alabama 500.

First-year SHR driver Clint Bowyer would like to write his name in the team record book by bringing home a trophy from the 2.66-mile Alabama restrictor-plate track. Bowyer, the driver who replaced Stewart in the No. 14 in 2017, would join Stewart, Harvick, Busch and Ryan Newman as SHR winners.

“No doubt that’s our goal this weekend in Talladega,” said Bowyer, who is tied with Harvick for the most points in the last 10 Talladega races with 296. “Look at the list of those guys who’ve won at SHR. There are three champions on the list. These guys are the best of the best.”

Bowyer isn’t too shabby at restrictor-plate tracks. He’s won twice, posted six top-five finishes and 12 top-10s in just 24 races at Talladega while also logging four top-five finishes in 24 points races at Talladega’s sister track Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

Bowyer nearly wrote his name in the record book in May at Talladega when he raced in the top-five in the closing laps before tire damage forced a pit stop that dropped him to 23rd at the start of overtime. He rallied in the two-lap shootout to finish 14th.

While it might not seem like it from the stands, Bowyer said there is a great deal of strategy behind restrictor-plate racing success. It begins as early as Friday during practice when drivers and teams balance the risk of damaging a car versus the knowledge gained by running in a pack.

“Attitude is a big part of this, but it goes toward being a student while you’re out there, learning as much as you can. That’s the tricky thing about these situations at these racetracks,” he said.

“We’re scared to practice because we don’t want to tear our cars up because that’s the best car we’ve got. Then you are out there in the race and you’re like, ‘I need to learn something.’ If you are single file in the race, you’re not learning, either, so you are now at the end of the race and nobody has really learned anything. Then all hell breaks loose as we’re trying to figure it out with two or three laps to go, trying to win the race for our teams.”

Bowyer owns the ninth-best average finish of all the full-time drivers in 2017. But the 2017 stat sheet could really use a victory. He and the crew chief Mike Bugarewicz-led team have posted three second-place and two third-place finishes this year.

“We are still trying to win our first race, so we have work to do,” said Bowyer, who owns top-10 finishes in two of the last three Cup Series races. “We have some races coming up that are good tracks for us, including Talladega. We want to finish this season out right and would love to win and build some momentum going into 2018.”

A trophy from Talladega would be an excellent start.

CLINT BOWYER, Driver of the No. 14 Haas Automation Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What are your thoughts on Talladega?

“You have to respect these racetracks and you’ve got to get to the end of them. Obviously, you’ve got to have a little bit of luck not to get caught up in things and, more importantly, be careful not to cause them yourself.” 

Does attitude matter in restrictor-plate racing? 

“You better make sure that you’re having fun with it. If you’re miserable the whole time you’re there, you’re not going to make the right decisions and probably not going to have the success you want.”

Event:               Drive for the Cure 300 (Round 29 of 33)
Date:                 Oct. 7, 2017
Location:          Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway
Layout:             1.5-mile oval

Cole Custer Notes of Interest 

• The Drive for the Cure 300 is the third of seven races in the NASCAR XFINITY Series playoffs and the last race in the series’ first playoff round. Four drivers will be eliminated at the conclusion of the race, narrowing the field to eight drivers. Those eight drivers will compete in three more races before the playoff field is whittled down to just four drivers for a winner-take-all championship battle in the season finale Nov. 18 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
• Cole Custer is fourth in the XFINITY Series playoffs with 2,093 points, 14 points behind series leader Justin Allgaier and one point behind third-place Elliott Sadler. Custer has accumulated two bonus points for the second round of the playoffs, earned by his two stage wins in the Sept. 23 race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta. 
• The Drive for the Cure 300 will mark Custer’s 34^th career XFINITY Series start and his third XFINITY Series start at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
• Custer is competing for his fourth-straight top-10 and his third-straight top-10 at Charlotte. He has earned seven top-10s in the last eight races and two top-10s in the first two playoff races. 
• In Custer’s first XFINITY Series start at Charlotte in May 2016, he led one lap around the 1.5-mile oval and equaled his career-best finish of fourth. He was the highest-placing XFINITY Series regular behind Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers Denny Hamlin, Austin Dillon and Joey Logano. In his second race at Charlotte this past May, Custer ran in and around the top-five before securing his seventh Rookie of the Race award with a seventh-place finish. 
• In 11 XFINITY Series starts and nine NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at 1.5-mile ovals, Custer has four top-five finishes and 11 top-10s. Custer has earned two top-fives this season at 1.5-mile tracks – Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth on April 8 (fifth) and Kentucky Speedway in Sparta on Sept. 23 (fifth) – and finished in the top-10 at three other venues – Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 4 (10^th), Charlotte on May 27 (seventh) and Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois on Sept. 16 (seventh).
• Custer’s best finish in the 28 XFINITY Series races run this season is fourth, earned in the 11^th race of the year June 3 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. The result equaled Custer’s best career XFINITY Series finish, which he earned in his series debut at Charlotte in May 2016.
• Custer has six top-fives and 15 top-10s in 33 career XFINITY Series starts.
• Custer’s best qualifying effort in the 28 XFINITY Series races run this season is third, earned three times – April 22 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, June 10 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and Sept. 23 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta. Custer has 20 top-10 starts and nine top-five starts this season.
• Custer is third in the XFINITY Series Rookie of the Year standings, 57 points behind leader William Byron and 17 points behind third-place Daniel Hemric. Custer has earned seven Rookie of the Race awards this season, two having come at 1.5-mile tracks (fifth at Texas and 11^th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway). Rookie of the Race awards are given to the highest-finishing rookie.

Cole Custer, Driver Q&A

What are your thoughts on racing at Charlotte?

“Coming back to Charlotte is pretty important because you have all of the shop members around and all of their family and friends. It’s an important race for everybody and everyone wants to step up their game up to win here. I wouldn’t say Charlotte is my favorite track to race at, but it’s a track where I’ve had some really good runs. There’s no reason why we can’t do that again. I don’t think there’s a better track we could go to as a cutoff race for the second round. I think we’re in a good position now and another decent finish will lock our Haas Automation team into the next round.” 

What is a lap around Charlotte Motor Speedway like?  

“It’s a really edgy racetrack. Age-wise, it’s in the middle of a grippy track and a really worn-out track. It has a lot of tiny, high-speed bumps throughout the track that will upset the car. It’s a really challenging place to get around. Honestly, it’s one of the most difficult tracks I’ve been to. You have to hit your marks just right, but it’s a fun track. Last race, when they put the VHT down, it was a challenge to get used to. Now that we understand the way the compound works, we’re more confident with it, but it still throws you a curveball when you get out there.” 

Some of your best finishes in your XFINITY Series career have been at 1.5-mile tracks. Why is that?

“I think we’ve unloaded some great cars at the 1.5-mile tracks, which seems to be our strong suit this year. The team has given me some great Haas Automation Ford Mustangs that have helped me adapt to the track faster than I normally would. The team has done a great job with the cars and it has given me the opportunity to race up front. I think we understand and have a really good package going to the intermediate tracks like Charlotte. I think they are definitely our strong suit right now.”

 What is the strategy with playoff racing?

“It’s kind of a mix. I think you want to get as many stage points as you can in the first stage because you want to keep buffering yourself away from the cutoff line, but you want to make sure you’re setting yourself up for a win because that’s a lot of bonus points, as well.”

You’re headed to Charlotte after earning another top-10 the race prior at Dover. How does it feel?

“It’s crazy, honestly. I think the last few races have kind of come together for us, but we have to keep our heads down and focus on not just being first in the first round, but being first at Homestead.”

Jeff Meendering, Crew Chief Q&A

What is the strategy heading into Charlotte?  

“We have some buffer room now to go out there and contend for a win. After our performance at Dover, we can race a little harder and compete for those bonus points and a win to help us out in the second round.” 

What are your thoughts on racing at Charlotte?  

“I’ve attended every race at Charlotte for as long as I can remember. For that reason alone, it makes the track special to me. The fact that I can sleep in my own bed over the race weekend is just a bonus.”