Production Alliance Group Joins Stewart-Haas Racing with Fred Biagi as a Primary Partner of Cole Custer and No. 00 NASCAR Xfinity Series Team

Production Alliance Group, a worldwide premium live-event and creative development company, has partnered with Stewart-Haas Racing with Fred Biagi (SHR) in the NASCAR Xfinity Series by serving as a three-race primary sponsor of driver Cole Custer and the No. 00 team.

Tustin, California-based Production Alliance Group will make its debut with Custer and the No. 00 Ford Mustang during the Aug. 30-31 race weekend at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. The No. 00 Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang will return Oct. 4-5 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway and Oct. 18-19 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. At all other races beginning with this weekend’s Xfinity Series race at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Production Alliance Group will serve as an associate sponsor of Custer and the No. 00 team.

“We work with the top names and brands in both corporate and entertainment industries, and NASCAR brings both of these entities together from February through November,” said Dale Sahlin, President and CEO, Production Alliance Group. “We’ve paired with an up-and-coming talent in Cole Custer and an established team in SHR to enhance our commitment to the sport while showcasing our abilities to the many brands involved in NASCAR.”

Custer and Production Alliance Group became acquainted on March 16 in victory lane at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, when Custer won the Production Alliance Group 300. It was Custer’s first win of 2019 and first at his home track, as he grew up in nearby Ladera Ranch, California. Custer has since won two more Xfinity Series races to bring his career total to five. The 21-year-old is currently third in the championship standings and has already secured his spot in the first round of the NASCAR Playoffs, which begins Sept. 20 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway.

“Our win at Fontana was special for a lot of reasons, mainly because California is my home and because that victory punched our ticket to the playoffs,” Custer said. “But that win has taken on even greater meaning because it allowed us to parlay the introductions and high-fives we had in victory lane with Production Alliance Group and transform it into a partnership with our race team. Ultimately, we win some more races with them and drive recognition for Production Alliance Group and its capabilities.”

Production Alliance Group’s television company, 3rd Rail Productions, produces original content and used the Xfinity Series race in Fontana to launch its latest reality show about iconic films from the 70s, 80s and 90s called Beyond the Backlot, which can be seen on YouTube and Facebook Watch. Together, both companies create experiences that move and impressions that last. Beyond the Backlot is made by fans for the fans, focusing on movie nostalgia that explores real-life locations and sits down with filmmakers and stars from such films as The Goonies, Back to the Future, Jaws, The Sandlot and more.

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 organization fields four entries in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series – the No. 4 Ford Mustang for Kevin Harvick, the No. 10 Ford Mustang for Aric Almirola, the No. 14 Ford Mustang for Clint Bowyer and the No. 41 Ford Mustang for Daniel Suárez. The team also competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with two fulltime entries – the No. 00 Ford Mustang for Cole Custer and the No. 98 Ford Mustang for Chase Briscoe. Based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, Stewart-Haas Racing operates out of a 200,000-square-foot facility with nearly 400 employees. For more information, please visit us online at www.StewartHaasRacing.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/StewartHaasRacing, on Twitter @StewartHaasRcng and on Instagram @StewartHaasRacing.

ARIC ALMIROLA – 2018 Dover I Race Report

Event:               AAA 400 Drive For Autism (Round 11 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Dover (Del.) International Speedway (1.0-mile oval)
Format:             400laps, broken into three stages (120 laps/120 laps/160 laps)
Start/Finish:      13th, 11th (Running, completed 400 of 400 laps)
Point Standing:11th (304 points, 162 out of first) 

Race Winner:    Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner:Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner:Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-120):

  • Aric Almirola started Stage 1 in the 13thposition at Dover International Speedway and ended it in the 16th spot.
  • Throughout the stage Almirola was battling a tight-handling No. 10 Smithfield Ford Fusion.
  • During the second caution of the day, the Tampa native visited pit road for fuel, four tires and adjustments and restarted 19thon lap 25.
  • The race stayed green for the remainder of the stage, and Almirola finished it in the 16th position.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 121-240):

  • Before the start of Stage 2, Almirola visited pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments. He started the second stage in the 17thposition and ended the stage in 12th.
  • With the Smithfield Ford handling better, Almirola was running in the 13thspot when the caution came out on lap 153. He once again came for service by the No. 10 pit crew and restarted 15thon lap 158.
  • The race remained under the green flag until the end of stage, and Almirola worked his way up to 12th.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 241-400):

  • During the caution period for the final stage break, Almirola visited pit road for fuel, four tires and adjustments, and restarted 13thon lap 249.
  • On lap 254 the sixth caution of the day came out while the 34-year-old was in the 13thspot. He reported the Smithfield Ford’s handling was improving so he did not visit pit road, restarting 10thon lap 259.
  • With the No. 10 Smithfield Ford handling better, Almirola worked his way up to the seventh position when the seventh caution came out on lap 271. Almirola pitted and restarted in 12thon lap 281.
  • From lap 281 until the red flag was displayed for precipitation on lap 317, the No. 10 Ford’s handling went away, with Almirola reporting, “It doesn’t feel anything like it did before.”
  • Before the field returned to green, Almirola visited pit road for fuel, four tires and multiple adjustments to help with the car’s handling and restarted 15thon lap 325.
  • The remaining 75 laps were raced under the green flag, and Almirola worked his way up to the 11thposition to take the checkered flag.

Notes:

  • This was Almirola’s best finish at Dover since the 2015 season when he finished fifth in both races.
  • Almirola finished 16thin Stage 1 and 12thin Stage 2.
  • Harvick’s victory in the AAA 400 Drive for Autism marked the 48thoverall win for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). It was the organization’s 44thpoints-paying Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win and its third at Dover.
  • Sunday’s win marks SHR’s fifth victory in the first 11 races of the 2018 season.
  • There were eight caution periods for a total of 48 laps.
  • Only 13 of the 38 drivers in the AAA 400 Drive for Autism finished on the lead lap.

Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“The guys did a good job today. They worked on the Smithfield Ford Fusion all day long, and it was good there at the end. We just needed more time to pass cars on the long green-flag run after the rain delay.”

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the KC Masterpiece 400 on Saturday, May 12 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. The race starts at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 beginning with a prerace show at 7 p.m.