Official Release

“What didn’t happen is we didn’t go fast enough to make a long story short. It was a solid effort for our Love’s Travel Stops team. We’re trying really hard. This fire off speed has been tough on us, especially at Loudon. You look at the last race and it was kind of the same way. Our race speed was OK, and I was happy with that.

"We had a really solid practice and had a better qualifying session today. We kept getting faster throughout practice, and overall, our handling in our No. 44 Shaw's Ford was one of the best we've had all season as a team. We had a decent run in qualifying the first time out, but just needed a little bit more to advance into Round 2.

“I think any athlete or public figure takes on a responsibility when you sit down here and talk to you guys, or at any point. There’s a lot of people that you can influence in good ways or bad ways, and I feel like you should know that.

The NASCAR Foundation will donate $1 million to NYU Langone Medical Center, as part of a multi-year partnership to benefit hospitalized children. Through this partnership, The NASCAR Foundation will enhance the Child Life Program at the Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital of New York at NYU Langone.

NASCAR also announced that neither the No. 78 driven by Martin Truex Jr. nor the No. 48 driven by Jimmie Johnson will be penalized for failing post-race LIS following last Sunday's Chicagoland Speedway.

Richard Childress has four victories as a team owner at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with Robby Gordon (2001), Kevin Harvick (2006) and Clint Bowyer (2007 and 2010).

“I think it’s going to be a really fun weekend at Kentucky Speedway!” said Black. “To be the only NASCAR series racing out there this weekend and be the main show is really cool. It’s fun having all the focus of the fans like that! You have a chance to make a big impression on people.”

“We will go to work and see what we can figure out and move the needle,” Allmendinger said. “New Hampshire is a place we ran decent at the first couple times we went there and have some work to do based on the last couple times. We’ve been better this year compared to last year at some of these racetracks and we are working hard to get up into the next group.”

NASCAR Driver Michael McDowell and Circle Sport - Leavine Family Racing (CSLFR) are looking forward to returning to New Hampshire Motor Speedway with a new set-up package and data after a mechanical issue during the New Hampshire 301 in July turned the race into a test session for the growing team.

The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team will be trying to maintain momentum gained from a fourth-place finish at Chicagoland Speedway – in a race it was leading with two laps to go – when it unloads at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for Sunday’s New England 300.