Team: No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @RFK17Team, @RFKRacing and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 501.3 miles, 367 laps, Stages: 115-115-167
NASCAR Cup Race at Darlington – Sunday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. ET on USA, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
ADVANCE NOTES
Weekend Format
· The traditional weekend schedule returns this weekend with practice and qualifying on deck for Saturday in group format, which will determine Sunday’s lineup.
Buescher at Darlington
· Buescher is set for his 11th Cup start from Darlington where he is coming off two top-10s in the last three starts. He ran ninth in both of last season’s events and has a 17.4 average finish.
· Prior to last season, Buescher’s top finish stood as 12th (2019 fall race).
· He carries a 22.8 average starting position with a best starting spot of 11th which came in last season’s spring race.
· Buescher also made four Xfinity starts at Darlington with a fifth-place run in 2015.
Scott Graves at Darlington
· Graves will be on the box for his 11th Cup event from Darlington where he carries a 19.2 average finish with one top-10.
· Graves led Ryan Newman to a P10 finish in last season’s spring race after starting 20th, and otherwise has five finishes inside the top-15 in the last six races.
· Graves also called three Xfinity events – two with Buescher – with a career-best third-place finish in 2016 with Daniel Suarez.
QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Darlington:
“Darlington is one of those places we’ve worked really hard at to be better, and I think we made some good strides in the spring as a company, even though our finish(es) didn’t necessarily show for it. It’s a really challenging place to drive, but is really fun once you get the drive of the car tuned in. We’re looking forward to a solid weekend in the Fifth Third Ford.”
Last Time Out
Buescher was in the mix of vying for the race lead when rain began to fell in turn one with just over 20 to go Sunday at Daytona, and was caught up in the multi-car crash that claimed a host of victims, ending his day in 27th.
On the Car
Fifth Third makes its fifth appearance as the primary on the No. 17 this weekend. Fresh off celebrating its 10th season as a partner with RFK in 2021, Fifth Third returns this season for five races in total, while serving as an associate in all events for the No. 17 team.
The bank will also feature Sam’s Xpress Car Wash this weekend on the decklid of the No. 17 machine as part of the Fueled by Fifth Third pass-through program.
Sam’s Xpress Car Wash is a privately owned and operated company headquartered in Matthews, N.C. Its first location was opened in Fort Mill, S.C. in 2012, and now has over 35 locations in the Carolinas and Virginia.
They offer an express model car wash; a ride through xperience with free self-service vacuums that include many unique features like unlimited wash options, free gourmet coffee, mat cleaning, and exceptional customer service. Sam’s Xpress® also aims to be a friend to the communities they serve through fundraising, sponsorships and using environmentally safe processes and chemicals.
To learn more about Sam’s Xpress® Car Wash, please visit www.samsxpresscarwash.com.
About Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio and the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank, National Association, a federally chartered institution. As of June 30, 2020, Fifth Third had $203 billion in assets and operated 1,122 full-service banking centers and 2,456 ATMs with Fifth Third branding in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia and North Carolina. In total, Fifth Third provides its customers with access to approximately 53,000 fee-free ATMs across the United States. Fifth Third operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending and Wealth & Asset Management. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of June 30, 2020, had $405 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $49 billion for individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations through its Trust and Registered Investment Advisory businesses. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Fifth Third’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.” Fifth Third Bank was established in 1858. Deposit and Credit products are offered by Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Member FDIC.
