NASCAR Cup PR

DIBENEDETTO BY THE NUMBERS: In four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career starts at Watkins Glen International, Matt DiBenedetto has an average start of 31.8 and an average finish of 30.2.  He’s completed 338 of 360 (93.9 percent) career laps at the 2.45-mile road course.

Richard Childress Racing at "The Glen" ... In 73 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Watkins Glen International, RCR boasts two wins (Robby Gordon 2003 and Kevin Harvick 2006), eight top-five and 21 top-10 finishes. Dale Earnhardt won three poles (1990, '92, '96) at the high-speed, seven-turn, upstate New York facility.

This week’s NASCAR schedule kicks off Thursday night with the Eldora Dirt Derby, an event that Chase Briscoe won last year in a thrilling final lap duel with fellow ThorSport driver Grant Enfinger. That race will be followed by a weekend doubleheader at Watkins Glen International, featuring the NASCAR XFINITY Series on Saturday and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday. Here’s a look at how Ford has done at both tracks through the years.

In advance of the official launch, Chase Elliott will drive a special No. 9 Hooters Spirits Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17. Hooters has expanded its sponsorship with Elliott and 12-time NASCAR Cup Series Champions, Hendrick Motorsports, to include the Bristol night race.

For the seventh time in Toyota Racing history, Toyota drivers swept the top-three positions with Hamlin (first), Erik Jones (second) and Truex Jr (third). It was the second time Toyota has swept the top-three positions this season (Daytona 500).

With fuel strategy becoming a factor in the final stage, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was one of four cars that topped off on lap 117 having two additional laps of fuel than the leaders. After a late-race caution set up a four- lap shootout, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was battling for position when he was forced into the outside wall causing significant damage forcing him to settle for a 21st-place finish in Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race at Pocono Raceway.

Ryan Newman drove his Performance Plus Oil Ford to a 14th-place finish Sunday afternoon at Pocono Raceway.

Monster Energy Cup Series races at Pocono Raceway more often than not boil down to fuel-mileage gambles and pit strategy plays. Sunday’s Gander RV 400 was no different.

"I'm so proud of this team. We had a major setback today after having to start at the rear of the field. However, these guys didn't let that dampen our spirits or prevent us from working on a plan to get the No. 3 Freightliner Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 up front."

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 4th “It was a struggle. I felt like the guys did a good job with strategy, and being able to maximize on restarts. We got fortunate on a couple of things. We go on from it and move onto Watkins Glen.” “It was a tough day. We didn’t really have a lot going our way. In the first stage and even the second stage, we were just kind of hanging on. We just found a way to kind of make it work. We had good strategy and just found a way to kind of settle in there in a decent spot, and save the right amount of fuel. We ran out of fuel coming across the line, so that was great. We saved the right amount of fuel and that was about it.”