Event: Quaker State 400
Date/Time: Saturday, July 14 at 7:30pm ET
TV Network/Radio: NBCSN | PRN Radio | SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 KROGER CLICKLIST CAMARO ZL1
KROGER HOME RACE AT KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY: “Kentucky Speedway is always an important race for us,” Allmendinger said. “It’s Kroger’s home race, so we’re happy to have our Kroger family there to cheer us on. It’s a big deal for us to have them there. For us, it’s kind of like a second home race and we look forward to going to Kentucky and performing. We’re coming off a great weekend at Daytona International Speedway where we scored a third-place finish in our Kroger ClickList Camaro and my teammate (Chris Buescher) posted a strong fifth-place finish with the 37. It’s great to have some positive momentum going into Kentucky. Also, I’m really looking forward to a visit to Kroger headquarters (Cincinnati) this week to meet with Kroger executives and employees. It’s pretty special to be a part of the Kroger family and I’m grateful for their incredible partnership and thankful for all the brands participating in this program.”
RACING AT KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY: “My best finish at Kentucky is ninth-place I believe,” Allmendinger said. “Luck hasn’t been on our side there, but we’re hoping to change that this weekend. Our 1.5-mile program has gotten a lot better this season and we’ve had good speed. The guys are working really hard to continue improvement. Kentucky is a racetrack that has changed with the reconfiguration and new pavement, so we’re still learning a lot about it since we only race there once a year. I feel like what we’ve learned in our 1.5-mile program so far this year can really help us. We’re really looking forward to having a great race for all of the Kroger employees and their families.”
CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 GAIN CAMARO ZL1
KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY REPAVE: “I enjoyed racing at Kentucky Speedway before the repave, but the repave has been pretty good for me,” Buescher said. “I think we have had pretty good speed there since the repave, and I know we have speed in our 1.5-mile program. Because of that, I enjoy it more now. It’s a different racetrack with the two corners being so different there. Turns 3 and 4 are really flat, similar to how Texas Motor Speedway reconfigured their Turns 1 and 2 with their repave, but not quite to the same extent. It’s a tough racetrack to pass at, but it is also a tough racetrack to set a car up for because turns 3 and 4 are so much slower than turns 1 and 2. It’s a unique racetrack and for that I give them props. I like going to places that are a little bit different. You look at all the 1.5-mile tracks and I like going somewhere that has character to it and different attributes. I think it makes it better for me. I like something that’s a little different and a challenge. Also, we’ve got Gain back on our 37 Camaro at Kentucky and we want to have a solid finish for them this weekend.”
KROGER HOME RACE AT KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY: “Ever since joining JTG Daugherty Racing, Kroger has welcomed me into the family with open arms,” Buescher said. “That’s what makes this weekend so special heading to a track that is so close to their headquarters in Cincinnati. We had a good weekend at Daytona (International Speedway) last weekend, and I’m proud to be able to bring that to Kentucky Speedway and put on a good show for all of our friends and family there.”
FAST FACTS – AJ ALLMENDINGER
Career Starts: 353
Wins: 1- 8/10/2014 Watkins Glen International
Top-fives: 11
Top-10s: 55
Pole Awards: 4
First Pole: 4/10/2010 ISM Raceway
Last Pole: 8/9/2015 Watkins Glen International
First Start: 3/25/2007 Bristol Motor Speedway
Best Start: 1st – 8/9/2015 Watkins Glen International (most recent)
Best Finish: 1st – 8/10/2014 Watkins Glen International
Driver DOB: 12/16/1981
Hometown: Los Gatos, CA
Crew Chief: Tristan Smith
FAST FACTS – CHRIS BUESCHER
Career Starts: 96
Wins: 1 – 8/1/2016 Pocono Raceway
Top-fives: 4
Top-10s: 8
Pole Awards: 0
First Start: 3/22/2015 Auto Club Speedway
Best Start: 9th – 6/25/2017 Sonoma Raceway
Best Finish: 1st – 8/1/2016 Pocono Raceway
Driver DOB: 10/29/1992
Hometown: Prosper, TX
Crew Chief: Trent Owens
JTG DAUGHERTY RACING APPEARANCES
AJ Allmendinger and Chris Buescher Kroger Store Appearance
When: Wednesday, July 11 at 5:30pmET
Where: Kroger, 7855 Tylersville Rd., West Chester Township, OH 45069