Official Release

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 – 12th IN STANDINGS “You know, Kentucky has lost a lot of grip quickly. They repaved it less than five years ago and it has really gotten greyer and greyer each year. I’m sure it’s going to be even more slick this year when we go back. It’s one of those tracks that takes a while to get rubber, so you just have to almost wait for that process to happen and make sure you tune your car to the rubber and not the clean track. That’s really all I’m worried about is once the rubber lays down you know it’s going to be a different race track.”

It’s been a remarkable season for Travis Braden (No. 27 MatrixCare/Consonus Health Care/Liberty Village Ford) so far. Braden, a back-to-back champion of the ARCA/CRA Super Series for super late models, made his first foray into the ARCA Menards Series in 2015 and scored an improbable victory in his debut race at Lucas Oil Raceway in suburban Indianapolis.

Exuberant. That's how Corey LaJoie and the Go Fas Racing team are feeling after a remarkable weekend at Daytona. Both parties have a lot to be proud of headed into the weekend in Kentucky for a different kind of derby.

Paul Menard and his No. 21 Ford Mustang will be honoring one of America’s racing heroes this weekend in the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway. Menard’s Quaker State-sponsored Mustang will carry a paint scheme reminiscent of the Quaker State colors that appeared on the No. 11 World of Outlaws sprint car driven by Steve Kinser in 2005, the year he won his 20th series championship.

The action is nonstop during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Consumers Energy 400 weekend on Aug. 9 – 11. And now the entertainment is just as thrilling in the fan plaza and campgrounds at Michigan International Speedway. With more than 35 performers and 80 performances, NASCAR’s Most Entertaining Track provides something for every guest.

“We just came off a career weekend at Daytona! We had a 1-2-3 finish across the line with Ross Chastain getting Matt Kaulig’s first win. This weekend we are going to Kentucky. Blake Koch just told me that I am the only driver that has Top-10s at every mile-and-a-half track. We’re going to this new repave mile-and-a-half where I’ve had success in the truck series, so we’re looking for another Top-5 after last weekend.”

Jimmie Johnson on Kentucky: “We are back to getting some top-fives and knocking on the door right now. These guys on my team have been working really hard. I think we’re starting to hit our stride as a group. While I’ve had a lot of success on 1.5-mile tracks, Kentucky has always seemed to be a challenge for me. It’s got bumps. Going into Turn 1 you are climbing up a hill and then quickly descend until you actually turn into Turn 3. The cars are very edgy and then you get some grip off of Turn 4 and then you are down the front straightaway again.”

"The Voice of NASCAR" today launched its sixth original “MRN Presents” podcast series, “Jeff Gordon – A Colorful Career” presented by the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Richard Childress Racing in the Bluegrass State ... In 24 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kentucky Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has earned two top-five and three top-10 finishes, completing 6,403 of the contested 6,429 laps (99.6 percent).

Make-A-Wish® Foundation (MAW), the nonprofit organization responsible for creating and granting wishes to children with critical illnesses, has teamed up with Turn5 (T5), home to AmericanMuscle (AM), for their biggest “Wish” build to date.