Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
New Hampshire Media Availability | Friday, June 21, 2024

Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Hass Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing, met with media members Friday afternoon at New Hampshire Motor Speedway prior to practice and qualifying sessions for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race.

COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse — IT’S BEEN 10 YEARS SINCE YOUR FIRST NATIONAL SERIES WIN HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. WHY DON’T YOU GET TO START US AND TELL US WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU TO BE BACK HERE TODAY? “It’s always been really special for me going to New Hampshire. You know, I won a K&N race here, and then next year won that truck race here and it’s always been a fun place to go. It means a lot to win here just because of how hard it is for the teams to get the cars right around these flat corners and for the drivers to try and manage that. It’s always a place, the fans are so awesome here, it’s awesome to come back here and I think reliving that day when I first won, you know, ten years ago now, which is hard to think, is definitely pretty cool and pretty special.”

WITH GENE’S ANNOUNCEMENT THIS WEEK, I GUESS THERE WAS ALREADY SOME PLANS WITH THE XFINITY TEAM, BUT KEEPING A CUP TEAM WAS A SURPRISE. ARE YOU HOPEFUL OR ARE YOU INVOLVED IN ANY OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH THOSE PROGRAMS ABOUT YOUR FUTURE FOR NEXT YEAR? “I think for me, whenever I went back to the Xfinity Series, my goal was always to go back to Cup. So, I’ve been trying to work on what I can do to get myself better over the past year and a half. At the end of the day, you try and do as best you can and you hope it all sorts itself out. But I really don’t have much to say or anything right now that’s solidified or anything. So we’re just kind of focused on New Hampshire and trying to win here.”

I ASKED YOUR DAD IF YOU WERE A CANDIDATE FOR THAT CUP CAR AND HE TOLD ME TO ASK YOU. SO HE PUT THE ONUS ON YOU ON THIS. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE A CANDIDATE FOR THAT CUP CAR OR SOME PEOPLE PREFER NOT TO RUN FOR FAMILY? “Yeah, I’d love to. At the end of the day, that’s what my career’s been, I guess. It’s always tied to that relationship. At the end of the day, I think what Gene Haas has done in this sport, it would be a dream come true to get to run that Cup car. I’m focused on this weekend and trying to figure out how to win here. But obviously for me, I’ve tried to go back to the Xfinity series, prove what I can do and try and make the most of it. And you just kind of try and hope it all sorts itself out from there.”

DOES IT BLOW YOUR MIND, THINKING BEING A 16 YEAR OLD WINNING A TRUCK RACE AND WHAT YOU ACCOMPLISHED AND WHAT THAT’S LIKE NOW THAT YOU HAVE 10 YEARS ON IT? “Yeah, it’s pretty crazy to think. I mean, at that time, I really didn’t know what I was doing. I was just trying to go out there and hit the gas and go fast. Hopefully you had a car underneath you that could do it. But now I think you just have so much more knowledge of what goes into it. On the bad days, you’re able to make more than most of it. So before I feel like when you’re that young it’s like if you get thrown a curveball and your truck’s not very good that weekend, you’re overall just struggling, it’s harder to know what to do to make the most of it. As a veteran you just kind of know how to grind away and make the most of a day. But that was one of those magical days where you have everything work out right, you have a great truck, and it all works out.”

I TALKED TO TY GIBBS ABOUT THIS, AND IT’S KIND OF AN INTERESTING DYNAMIC WHEN YOUR FAMILY’S INVOLVED WITH THE RACE TEAM, RIGHT? BUT HE ALSO SAID THAT IF HE’S RACING AGAINST SOMEBODY THAT HE THINKS SHOULD GET A SHOT, HE WILL SAY SOMETHING TO HIS DAD OR HIS GRANDDAD OR HIS MOM. WITH THE TWO XFINITY OPPORTUNITIES OPENING OVER THERE, DO YOU HAVE THAT SAME KIND OF INPUT BECAUSE YOU’RE THE GUY THAT’S ACTUALLY RACING AGAINST THESE GUYS IN XFINITY. “I can’t say that there’s been a huge dynamic with that, but he’ll at times ask me about some guys, you know, about who’s a good candidate for whatever it is, I guess. He’s got a lot of experience, he can handle it, you know, but I think it is a good thing where I can kind of maybe give him a little bit of feedback on things.”

AS YOU LOOK TO HOPEFULLY FILL THAT OPPORTUNITY AT THE CUP LEVEL, BACK TO BACK XFINITY CHAMPIONSHIPS WOULD BE A PRETTY BIG FEATHER IN YOUR CAP. I KNOW IT’S EARLY TO REALLY THINK TOO MUCH ABOUT THAT, BUT COULD YOU USE A TRACK LIKE THIS WHERE YOU’VE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS TO KIND OF SPRINGBOARD YOURSELF TOWARD ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP? “For sure. I always look forward to coming to New Hampshire and this is a place that’s always special coming back to. So I always look forward to it and you just hope that you have everything underneath you to go and compete for a win. I think at the end of the day we should have a shot at this weekend. Our guys are doing a great job. We just have to break through. I feel like we’re top five or so every single weekend and it’s very strange to be leading the points but also a little bit frustrated that you haven’t won yet. I think it’s coming. We just have to keep knocking on the door.”

THE PATH SEEMS TO BE LEADING YOU BACK TO THE CUP SERIES EVENTUALLY. WHAT WOULD THE APPROACH BE DIFFERENTLY NOW THAT YOU’VE HAD A COUPLE OF YEARS OF DIGEST AND LEARNED FROM WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS IN XFINITY? “I think at the end of the day the biggest thing is just how you communicate with your team. I think at the Cup level, the top 30 guys, you give them something underneath them that they can go fast with, give them a good car, a fast car, they’re going to go fast. The top 30 guys all have talent. It’s just how you communicate with your team to get that consistently. How you work with your team to fix problems and really be able to hone in on getting the car exactly how you want it every single weekend and consistently. So you just have to really be able to communicate with your team to try and fix those problems and I’ve tried to do that over the last year or so and really try and gain knowledge in that area.”

ARE YOU A TOP 30 TALENT IN THE SPORT? “I hope so. Yeah, I think I can definitely do it. I think when you look at what I’ve done at the Xfinity level, I think the guys that I’ve raced against that are in the Cup level now, I think there’s no reason why you can’t.”

FOR SOME ATHLETES TO HAVE MOVED FROM CUP BACK OVER TO XFINITY, WE WOULD HAVE NEVER HEARD FROM THEM AGAIN. YOU PROSPERED. YOU WENT OVER THERE. YOU WON A TITLE. WHAT ADVICE WERE YOU GIVEN OR WHAT DID YOU SAY TO YOURSELF TO BE SO SUCCESSFUL IN THAT TRANSITION? “I think the biggest thing is you’ve got to look yourself in the mirror. You’ve got to figure out the ways that you can be better. You just can’t put it all off to the side and say that you’re good enough and that you don’t need to work on anything. You got to try and work on yourself and try and keep making gains in those areas. Cause at the end of the day, like it’s never always a perfect situation. You got to try and make the most of it and work with your team and try and fix problems. There’s very few weekends except for maybe the weekend when I showed up here 10 years ago, the truck’s just perfect. You’ve got to go out there and really work at it to make it how you want it to be. So you just got to work on those areas to keep that getting better and better.”

WHEN YOU WERE ORIGINALLY TOLD THAT YOU WEREN’T GOING TO STAY IN CUP AND GO TO XFINITY, I’M SURE MOST PEOPLE IN SUCH SITUATIONS WOULD THINK, WELL, I SHOULD STAY HERE, RIGHT? BUT ONCE YOU GOT BACK INTO XFINITY LAST YEAR, WON A CHAMPIONSHIP, WHICH TONY STEWART SAID THIS WAS THE REASON WHY WE DID THIS, DID YOU FIND ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU THOUGHT YOU HAVE SHOWN SINCE YOU GOT BACK IN XFINITY THAT WILL MAYBE HELP YOU IN A RETURN TO CUP? “I think the great thing about our Xfinity season last year, and even this year a little bit, is that it’s not easy. You know, it’s not like we go out there and win every single race just because our cars are way better than everybody’s, or I’m way better than everybody, or whatever it is. It’s not easy. The Xfinity series has 15 guys out there that can go out there and win and if you’re off, you’re gonna run 15th. So, having to really work at it and try to work with your team to get the cars better and better and better throughout the year, and have it all come together in the playoffs last year I think just showed a lot of, I think just some more maturity and being able to really work through problems and make the most of things.”

WHAT IS THAT LIKE, KNOWING THAT THERE’S FOUR, FIVE, SIX, YOU SAY 15 GUYS THAT CAN WIN ANY WEEK AND HOW ARE YOU APPROACHING THAT? “I think it’s just great for the XFINITY series. There were a lot of years when Kyle Busch would win 10 races or 12 races. I think in 2019, my last year before moving to Cup, it was me, Tyler, and Christopher Bell that won a lot of races. That doesn’t really happen anymore, I feel like. You have so many guys that the package has really stayed really similar with the cars. So I think a lot of teams have honed in on how to make their cars better and it’s equalled the field out. But I think it just makes it more competitive and I think it’s good for the series.”

IS IT ENJOYABLE? “I think so. You want to be the guy who wins 10 races a year. That would be way more enjoyable. But I think it is cool to get to go and grind it out with a bunch of guys and not have it be easy. You’ve got to go out there and really work for it.”

WOULD YOU HAVE RATHER BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU HAD A TEAM THAT YOU COULD COMPETE IN THE TOP 15 ALL THE TIME AND KIND OF SHOW WHAT YOUR POTENTIAL WAS IN YOUR FIRST CUP STINT? IS IT A GAME CHANGER WHEN YOU’RE NOT, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO GO BACK, AND PROVE YOURSELF? AND MY FOLLOW UP TO THAT IS, IF INDEED, WHO ARE THE GUYS THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT IN XFINITY RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO ONE DAY BE SUNDAY DRIVERS? “I think the hard part about Cup is it’s not like there’s just a ton of them, so you take them when you can get them. It’s not like you’re going to get one every single year, an opportunity to go Cup racing. A lot of guys, you’ve got to take that shot, no matter what the car is a lot of the time. You see a lot of guys, like, say, Truex, he didn’t get to Gibbs until later in his career. Different guys that have gone that path, but at the end of the day, if you can go Cup racing, you go Cup racing. It’s definitely, it’s the place every driver wants to be and compete against the best.”

SO WHO ARE THE DRIVERS WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT AS THE NEW DRIVERS TO BE RACING NEXT YEAR? “You know, I think Chandler Smith does a good job. I think Carson Kvapil, obviously, he was really impressive at Martinsville and Dover. I’d have to really look at the list but that definitely kind of top of my mind, I guess.”

WHEN YOU WERE SAYING YOU NEEDED TO LOOK AT YOURSELF IN THE MIRROR AND EVALUATE EVERYTHING, LOOKING BACK AND ANALYZING WHEN YOU WERE IN CUP, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS MISTAKES THAT YOU MADE THAT YOU WOULD GIVE ADVICE TO ANOTHER YOUNGER DRIVER COMING ALONG? “I think just knowing how you need to communicate with your people. If that isn’t right, it’s just not going to work and you just have to make sure that you can go out there and really work with your team and try and fix problems the best you can. And if you’re not able to talk with your team openly and really fix those problems that’s where it gets tough. So I think that would be the biggest thing that I’d probably learn from.”

SO HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN IT IS TIME TO MAKE A CHANGE?

“I guess whenever you get that feeling. That is all I can really say.”

Toyota Racing – Christopher Bell
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

LOUDON, NH (June 21, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell was made available to the media prior to practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Friday.

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

What do you attribute all of the success at New Hampshire to?
“It is a very special stat, and a special opportunity I have in front of me to make it four-for-four. What I attribute it to is great cars, great teams, great pit crews, great crew chiefs. In NASCAR racing, in general, it is extremely hard because of how many people that have influence on the result. If one guy makes a mistake on your team, then you are not going to win the race and three times, it has happened where all of us pulled the rope in the same direction, and nobody made a mistake. I understand doing it for a fourth time is a tall ask, but I’m excited as a challenge.”

Would you consider this a pretty big accomplishment?

“It is awesome. I don’t think about it outside of one week a year – but it is certainly something that I’m proud of.”

Are you good to go without practice and qualifying?

“Yeah, I think I would be probably in favor of that. I know the metric has us lining up fourth, and with how the flat tracks and the short track package has been for our team, I feel like we would be really competitive right off the bat. We would have a great starting spot, more importantly, a great pit selection if it rains out, but if not, I will go out there and try to qualify for the pole. Either way, I’m completely content with.”

Are you comfortable with the new procedure if we are approaching darkness?

“I’m very, very glad that it is black and white now. There is a rule in place. It is just ironic – at Chicago and at Loudon – both times, I think those are the only two times in recent times that darkness has hindered the race, and I’ve been one of the prime culprits of it. I’m very, very happy that there is a black and white rule now, and it is nice to not have a guessing game. It is what it is.”

It’s better to race to a time versus a lap?

“I think either way is fine, as long as you know it ahead of time. Specifically, at Chicago, the race strategy was heavily dictated on the race end lap, and guys in the back half of the field just took a 100% gamble on what NASCAR was going to do, and it rewarded them because they won on the gamble, and the guys that were trying to race the race properly – to the full distance – got bit by it. Now, at least, if that situation comes up, we will all know that the race is getting white flagged at X time on the clock. I think having a black and white rule is always good.”

Does your success here make you more excited to come here?

“It definitely has me excited about the opportunity to continue my Xfinity streak and get another Cup win, but I can’t stress enough how hard it is to win any NASCAR race – with everything that goes on during the event, everyone has to do their job on the entire team, while I do have confidence that we are going to show up and we are going to have speed, and I’m going to be able to get around the race track at a good pace, that doesn’t mean success by any means. I’m confident that we are going to be in contention, and have a shot at it, but everything has to go right in order to win.”

Do you feel like you will need to take a bigger leadership role at Joe Gibbs Racing next year with Martin’s retirement from full-time competition?

“That is a good question, and honestly, I don’t really know if there is any leadership from the driver’s standpoint. Certainly, from when we get into our competition meetings, the more guys with experience will, I guess, take the role of steering the ship as far as what we need in the race cars and stuff like that. I have definitely grown in confidence telling the team what we need inside of our cars, with experience, but week-in and week-out, a different guy may lead the discussion. Every time we go into our Monday meetings, it could be whoever has a good race that week. Plenty of times it has been Ty (Gibbs), plenty of times it has been Martin (Truex) or me or Denny (Hamlin). I don’t think there really is a leadership role in that aspect, and whenever we have a new driver into the 19 car, whoever that is, their experience level will dictate how much input they will have in the team.”

Is this the time of year where you expect the racing to get more intense with people racing for the last few Playoff berths?

“This is definitely the time of year where people start thinking about the Playoff positions. If you look outside the cutline, it is very, very intense. There is a lot of talented cars and teams that are on the outside looking in, and it is going to be a battle. It is going to be a battle all of the way to the end, and the more guys that win outside the cutline, is going to make it even tighter and tighter.”

Is there any real benefit in racing on Saturday and Sunday now or are the cars too different?

“I think the advantage from Saturday to Sunday is pretty much gone. The cars are completely different, the shift patterns are completely different and the way that they react in corner – it is almost completely irrelevant from Saturday to Sunday. It is just about enjoyment and track time and it is very hard to take anything from Saturday to Sunday.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

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For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

5 KYLE LARSON

Age: 31 (July 31, 1992)

Hometown: Elk Grove, California

Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels

Standings: 2nd

No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

SETTING THE STAGE: On Sunday at Iowa Speedway, Kyle Larson won stage two to extend his series-leading stage victories in 2024 to eight. The Elk Grove, California, native has accrued 23 NASCAR Cup playoff points – five more than his nearest competitor – and sits second in the regular season standings, eight markers behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott.

OUT FRONT: With nine races to go in the regular season, Larson has led 755 laps, which is 148 more than anyone else. The 2021 Cup champion and driver of the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 also leads the series in pole positions (four) while being tied for most wins (three) and top-five finishes (seven).

SO CLOSE TO MAGIC: This weekend the Cup Series will visit New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where Larson has collected five top-five finishes and seven top-10s in 13 starts. His three runner-up results at “The Magic Mile” are the most by a driver without a win at the New England venue.

IN GOOD COMPANY: In just his fourth year driving for Hendrick Motorsports, Larson has already accumulated 20 points-paying wins, which rank him third in team history. He trails only NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (93) and Jimmie Johnson (83) in victories for the organization, which has won Cup races with a record 20 different drivers. Larson has won 16% of his Hendrick Motorsports starts.

THIS DECADE: Larson’s 20 point-paying wins since 2021 are also the most of any driver at NASCAR’s top level. During his 2021 championship season, he visited victory lane 10 times, then collected three victories in 2022, four in 2023 and three so far this season.

FOUR TIRES FAST: The No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM pit crew holds the seventh-fastest average four-tire pit stop time in 2024 at 10.962 seconds. Larson’s crew consists of Blaine Anderson (front-tire changer), R.J. Barnette (tire carrier), Brandon Harder (fueler), Brandon Johnson (jackman) and Calvin Teague (rear-tire changer).

AWAY BUT ALWAYS AVAILABLE: In 2024, the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM team recognizes “home” events by wearing white firesuits and “away” with blue. Its home races come at tracks with nearby Hendrick Automotive Group car dealerships. This weekend, the team races away in Loudon, New Hampshire. However, it’s easy to pick up a new set of keys from any one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 93 dealerships nationwide. Customers can shop from the convenience of their home selecting the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HENDRICKCARS.COM.

HENDRICK AUTOMOTIVE GROUP IS HIRING: Join 10,000+ others nationwide in working at Hendrick Automotive Group. The company is hiring technicians and other positions at its dealerships throughout the country. Positions are open for all skill levels and offer tuition and training reimbursement. Individuals who are interested can apply at HENDRICKCARS.COM.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT

Age: 28 (Nov. 28, 1995)

Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia

Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia

Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson

Standings: 1st

No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

TO THE POINT: With his third-place finish at Iowa Speedway on Sunday, Chase Elliott took over the NASCAR Cup Series regular season points lead for the first time in 2024. The last time he led the pre-playoffs standings was in 2022 when he went on to capture the regular season championship. Elliott is the third Hendrick Motorsports driver to sit atop the Cup Series this year, joining teammates Kyle Larson and William Byron. Currently, he is ahead of second-place Larson by eight points.

STELLAR SEASON: Elliott, the six-time National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver, leads all drivers with a 9.12 average finish through 17 races, the best of his Cup career. He has also finished inside the top 20 in all 17 events, the first driver to do so since Jeff Burton in 2008. In 2024, the driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has completed all but one lap of competition, the best mark since 2016 when Kurt Busch finished every lap of the first 17 races. Elliott’s only blemish came in March at Bristol Motor Speedway, where just five cars finished on the lead lap. He still finished eighth.

MILESTONE MET: At Iowa, Elliott became the fifth-youngest Cup Series driver to reach 100 top-five finishes at 28 years, 6 months and 19 days. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native follows NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Jeff Gordon as well as active drivers Kyle Busch and Joey Logano. Elliott is in a four-way tie for the most top-five finishes this season (seven).

READY FOR SOME MAGIC: This weekend, the Cup Series heads to the 1.058-mile oval of New Hampshire Motor Speedway. In 10 starts at the track in NASCAR’s premier series, Elliott has two top-five finishes and three top-10s, all occurring in his last six starts. His best finish of second came in 2022. The 2020 Cup champion has led 99 laps at New Hampshire and has started inside the top 10 all but four times.

SIMILAR TRACK PERFORMANCE: In his 60 Cup starts on tracks measuring 1 to 1.37 miles in length, Elliott has earned four wins. His first came at Dover Motor Speedway in 2018 and was followed by his championship-clinching performance at Phoenix Raceway in 2020. His two most recent victories came in 2022 at Dover and Nashville Superspeedway. Accompanying the quartet of triumphs are 23 top-five finishes, 30 top-10s and 1,246 laps led. In four 2024 races on this variation of track, Elliott’s best finish is fifth (at Dover).

GREAT GUSTAFSON: Veteran crew chief Alan Gustafson has called 31 Cup Series races atop the pit box at New Hampshire. The Ormond Beach, Florida, native has two wins with two different drivers in his career on the 1.058-mile track, the first with Kyle Busch in 2006 and the second with Mark Martin in 2009. Along with Gustafson’s two wins, he has eight top-five finishes, 14 top-10s and 563 laps led.

FAST FIVE: Through 17 Cup Series races in 2024, the No. 9 pit crew ranks first in average four-tire pit stop time (10.575 seconds). In April at Texas, the five-person team knocked out the fastest four-tire stop of the season with a time of 9.076 seconds. The 2021 Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew award-winning group is comprised of Chad Avrit (rear-tire changer), Jared Erspamer (tire carrier), John Gianninoto (fueler), Nick O’Dell (front-tire changer) and T.J. Semke (jackman).

BACK IN BLUE: NAPA Auto Parts’ blue-based livery is on the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the second weekend in a row. The Atlanta-based company has been the primary partner for Elliott in eight of his 10 Cup Series starts at the Loudon, New Hampshire, facility, including his best finish of second there in 2022. Get a look at all the angles of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet here.

24 WILLIAM BYRON

Age: 26 (Nov. 29, 1997)

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle

Standings: 4th

No. 24 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

IOWA INSIGHT: Heading to Iowa Speedway for the first time with the NASCAR Cup Series, William Byron led Hendrick Motorsports with a strong second-place finish. After starting fourth, he initially lost a few spots but rallied to complete stage one in fourth. He remained in the top-five running order during stage two, but on a late restart he made contact with a competitor and finished the stage in 11th. Despite the stage two result, Byron and the No. 24 team went to work making up lost track position. He moved himself into the second position with under 100 laps to go and did his best to reel in the leader before ultimately crossing the finish line in the runner-up position.

SIMILAR IN SIZE: Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will mark Byron’s 48th start on a track 1 to 1.37 miles in length. In his previous 47 appearances, the 26-year-old driver has collected two pole awards, two wins, 10 top-five finishes, 20 top-10s and led 537 laps.

LOVIN’ LOUDON: Since 2018, Byron has six Cup Series starts at NHMS, all resulting in top-15 finishes with a best of 11th (2020 and 2022). He’s been a threat at “The Magic Mile” from day one, making his track debut in the ARCA Series East in 2015 when he qualified on the pole and led 68 of 70 laps before taking home the checkered flag. He followed it up in dominant fashion by starting from the pole and leading 161 of 175 laps en route to his sixth of seven NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victories in 2016. Moving up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2017, Byron earned a top-five finish after starting seventh and finishing third.

NEW HAMPSHIRE WIZARD: Byron isn’t the only one who enjoys racing at New Hampshire. Crew chief Rudy Fugle has three Cup Series starts under his belt with a best showing of 11th coming in the 2022 race with the No. 24 team. The Livonia, New York, native also has three Truck Series starts at the 1.058-mile oval with one pole award and two victories, including Byron’s 2016 win. In fact, Fugle’s Truck Series drivers average a starting position of 2.3 and finishing position of 3.0 at NHMS.

HEADING HOME: Traveling to New England for Sunday’s race, two crew members of the No. 24 team call New Hampshire Motor Speedway their home track. Part of the team since 2019, car chief Tyler Jones hails from South Royalton, Vermont, less than 100 miles northwest of “The Magic Mile.” Front-tire changer Jeff Cordero grew up in Salem, Connecticut, which is less than 200 miles south of NHMS.

PIT ROAD PROWESS: After 17 races in 2024, the No. 24 pit crew ranks second in the Cup Series for the fastest average four-tire pit stop (10.751 seconds). The No. 24 pit crew consists of Spencer Bishop (jackman), Cordero (front-tire changer), Orane Ossowski (rear-tire changer), Ryan Patton (tire carrier) and Landon Walker (fueler).

24 IN ‘24: Byron’s 2024 Cup Series campaign started off hot with three wins (currently tied for the most), including the season-opening DAYTONA 500. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native has six top-five finishes (tied for fifth in the series) and 10 top-10s (tied for the most). He has the best average starting position (9.65) and is tied for the second-best average finish (12.47). After 17 races, he is up to fourth in the 2024 standings and holds 16 playoff points.

VALVOLINE RETURNS: Valvoline will make its second appearance of 2024 as the primary sponsor of Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Sunday’s race at New Hampshire. Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV) is a leading worldwide marketer and supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services, with sales in more than 140 countries. Established in 1866, the company’s heritage spans more than 150 years, during which time it has developed powerful brand recognition across multiple product and service channels. Valvoline ranks as the No. 3 passenger car motor oil brand in the DIY market by volume.

48 ALEX BOWMAN

Age: 31 (April 25, 1993)

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona

Resides: Concord, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Blake Harris

Standings: 12th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

TOP-10 LEADER: On Sunday at Iowa Speedway, Alex Bowman finished eighth to notch his 10th top-10 finish of 2024, putting him in a four-way tie for most in the NASCAR Cup Series. His 10 top-10 results and four top-fives both represent personal bests for the driver through 17 races in any Cup season.

FAST 48: Bowman and the No. 48 Ally Racing team rank 12th in the Cup standings, 117 points behind the leader. This season, they have an average finish of 13.24 (tied for sixth) and have finished in the top 10 in nine of the last 13 events. With nine races to go in the regular season, Bowman ranks 14th in the playoff standings, 66 points above the cut line.

DOUBLE MAGIC: NASCAR takes on New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday when Bowman will make his 13th career Cup Series start at the 1.058-mile oval. It will be his fourth race at “The Magic Mile” with primary sponsor Ally and his second with crew chief Blake Harris. In addition, the 31-year-old driver will pilot the No. 17 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series event at the track. Bowman will be reunited with Greg Ives, his former Cup Series crew chief, for the Hendrick Motorsports effort.

50 WITH BLAKE: Sunday will mark Harris’ 50th start as crew chief for the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet team. In his second year as a Hendrick Motorsports crew chief and third overall in the Cup Series, the Maypearl, Texas, native has 31 top-10 finishes and 10 top-fives in 82 career starts. At just 18 years old, Harris joined Evernham Motorsports (later Richard Petty Motorsports) in 2006 and has worked in racing ever since. Now 37, he enjoys spending time with his family, going to his mountain cabin, hiking and working on his shock company.

AUTOGRAPHS WITH ALEX: Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be active in the fan zone at New Hampshire. On Sunday, he can be found at the Hendrick Motorsports merchandise hauler at 11:30 a.m. local time signing autographs for 100 fans with an exclusive wristband. Fans who purchase a 1:24 scale diecast on site Friday, Saturday or Sunday (until 100 have sold) will receive a wristband for Sunday’s autograph session. Please visit the merchandise hauler at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for more information.

LIVE FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT: Join Bowman for views from the driver’s seat of his No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend. Fans can ride along for Sunday’s 318.46-mile race by tuning into NASCAR’s in-car camera. Visit nascar.com/drive to experience the behind-the-scenes perspective firsthand.

HEARTS AND TAILS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE: For four years, Bowman and Ally have teamed up to support Best Friends Animal Society and its vast network of partners. Last week, the organization launched its new “Bring Love Home” campaign with a website and compelling video. Every race weekend, the pair donates a total of $4,800 to help homeless pets. This weekend, the charitable donation will go to Hearts and Tails Animal Alliance. If you’re in town for the race, check out the animals available for adoption at the shelter located 34 miles southwest of the track. Not ready to adopt? Check out the website for details on how to help save a life by donating, volunteering or fostering.

FUELING THE PIT CREW: The Ally Racing pit crew ranks 10th on pit road for the best average four-tire stop (11.004). The five-man No. 48 crew is composed of jackman Allen Holman, tire carrier Brandon Grier, front-tire changer Donnie Tasser, rear-tire changer Andrew Bridgeforth and gasman Jacob Conley.

HENDRICK
MOTORSPORTS /

2024	All-Time	Loudon
Races	17	1,362	52
Wins	7*	308*	9
Poles	5*	251*	7
Top 5	24*	1,256*	45
Top 10	37*	2,149*	82*
Laps Led	1,134	80,891*	2,651
Stage Wins	10	108	1

*Most **Most (tie)

THREE LEADERS: Following his third-place finish Sunday at Iowa Speedway, Chase Elliott became the third Hendrick Motorsports driver to lead the 2024 NASCAR Cup regular season standings. Teammates William Byron (one week) and Kyle Larson (nine weeks) previously sat atop the series, which has completed 17 of 36 points-paying events.

THIRD TIME: 2024 is the third time Hendrick Motorsports has placed three different drivers atop the standings in a single season. The team first accomplished it in 2009 with the Hall of Fame trio of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin. The second came last year with Alex Bowman, Byron and Larson.

POINT MADE: Going into the 18th points-paying race of 2024 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers are within the top 12 in the Cup standings. Elliott (first), Larson (second) and Byron (fourth) occupy three of the top-four spots, while Bowman, who is tied for the most top-10 finishes in the series, is 12th overall.

DROUGHT BUSTER: Although Hendrick Motorsports has won nine Cup Series races at New Hampshire, its most recent victory at “The Magic Mile” dates to July 2012. Following that performance by driver Kasey Kahne, the team has earned four Cup championships and 104 points-paying victories on 26 other racetracks. Since then, Hendrick Motorsports has finished in every position inside the top 12 at New Hampshire – except first place.

CELEBRATING 40: In 2024, Hendrick Motorsports is celebrating its 40th anniversary. The team holds the all-time NASCAR Cup Series records in every major statistical category, including championships (14), wins (308), pole positions (251) and laps led (80,891). This season, it leads all Cup organizations with seven points-paying victories through 17 races.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on challenges at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: “New Hampshire is really challenging, especially with the bumps getting into turn three. Whether it’s being loose into the corners or whether your car is ‘bouncing’ into three, you have to be patient with your car. We’ve had some good runs there, and I like the track and the challenge it provides.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the challenges of New Hampshire Motor Speedway: “We’re looking forward to going to New Hampshire even though it has been a little bit of a difficult track for us. Typically, we are able to run in the top 10, but we never have the outright speed that we always look for. It’s just a tough place with flat corners. It’s got some bumps into (turn) three. So the track has good character, which we like because of the challenge of getting the car set up right and getting the balance right. Hopefully this trip we can get all that a bit closer than last year. We had an OK run there and are building on some of those notes to go and hopefully have a good weekend.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on what has led to this season’s success and looking ahead to the playoffs: “I just think we have a really solid group, top to bottom. Everyone has been super committed to finding that 1% each week, and whatever that is, it is. I just think collectively we’ve been solid. I feel that we haven’t reached our full potential yet, and I think that’s exciting. I think that’s okay, too, because it is only halfway through the year. As we all know, the way this playoff situation is now, you want to be good those last 10 (races), and really good in the last five. The trick is being good enough to get to the Round of 8 and really try to be spectacular those last three or four weeks. So it’s really just about having a solid enough base to get you through there and really trying to hit home runs in those last few races.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the team’s potential and focus as we get closer to the playoffs: “I agree with him (Chase Elliott). I don’t think we’ve reached our full potential, and I don’t know that anybody ever does. You can always get better. But relative to our competitors, yeah, I think we have opportunity to improve a lot, but so do they. So you can’t just assume that they’re not going to get better, too. This time of year is always an arms race, so to speak. It’s always going to be about who can stockpile the most information and the most playoff points and put themselves in the best position to really go and execute well in the playoffs. I think we’re in a decent spot there and certainly have some good opportunities in the next few weeks to try to get good finishes. We have an opportunity for the playoff points based off regular season points finish and we certainly want to add more in stages and wins.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his thoughts about New Hampshire Motor Speedway: “I don’t really know why we haven’t gotten the finishes we want at New Hampshire. I had a lot of success there leading up to the Cup Series. And then even my first two years in Cup, relative to where I was running at other tracks, I thought I ran pretty well there. It just seems like with our current team, we just haven’t really been very good there. We just have to figure out what that is. We’ll go through a lot of notes this week and kind of have something comparable to go run there. Last year, we had some damage on the car. I believe the right-front splitter was caved in based on a pit road issue. Up until then, we had led some laps. And then we had an issue in practice – the steering rack was locked up. Just not a clean weekend last year, so I think that’s a track that, last year, we probably could have run top seven at. But this year going back, obviously it’s a big focus to try and get better. Based on how Phoenix (Raceway) and Gateway (WWT Raceway) were to start this year, there’s definitely some work to do.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on what he expects at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: “I love going to New Hampshire. It’s a great racing culture up there, but it’s also always been one of the toughest tracks on the circuit in my opinion. Especially with this car and the bumps on the track, I think this is one of the most difficult places, period, to get the handling right. You have to run into the corner with a lot of speed, go over those bumps and then put a little bit of wheel to finish the corner, but the bumps shift the car the other way. It’s just a really hard track for the teams and the drivers. That usually makes a good show. When the difficulty is high for us it usually creates disparity, especially from short run to long run. It puts on a good show. I’m looking forward to that challenge and to see if we can repeat some of what we found last weekend at Iowa (Speedway) and make it a little better.”
​

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his goals for the weekend and running double duty at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: “New Hampshire has proved to be a decently challenging track for me. I was able to get a top 10 there back in 2021, but it’s certainly a place I’d like to improve. I’m excited about the opportunity to run in the No. 17 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevy during this weekend’s Xfinity Series race. Hopefully those extra laps on Friday and Saturday will help me gain some additional insight on the track before Sunday’s Cup race. Our Ally Racing team is still working diligently to try and put the No. 48 back in victory lane.”

Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on Alex Bowman racing in the Xfinity Series and Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend: “Anytime we (Hendrick Motorsports) run that Xfinity car, I think we have the opportunity to put that thing (No. 17 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Camaro) in victory lane. The team has already been able to do that a couple times this year. The interesting choice of that place for Alex is that New Hampshire is not one of his best tracks. He’s had a couple decent runs there, but overall it’s not statistically his best. But he chose it because he wants to get better there. I think it will be good for him to get some laps in the Xfinity car. Especially with the short practices, any lap time you get around that place is great. He’ll be able to see the evolution of the track on Saturday in the Xfinity car so when we go rolling into Sunday I think he’ll have a pretty good idea of how we need to approach it.”

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway… In 136 NASCAR Cup Series starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has recorded four wins. Clint Bowyer leads the organization with two victories (2007 and 2010) while Robby Gordon (2001) and Kevin Harvick (2006) also won with RCR at the Magic Mile. The Welcome, N.C., based team has 16 top-five and 43 top-10 finishes. In 2023, Austin Dillon led RCR in the Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, claiming a ninth-place after leading 12 laps.

Richard Childress Racing In the NASCAR Xfinity Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway… RCR has one win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition (Kevin Harvick in 2007) and has racked up 17 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes. Austin Hill led the way for RCR at New Hampshire in 2023 with a third-place finish at the 1.058-mile speedway.

Catch the Action at New Hampshire Motor Speedway… The SciAps 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, June 22 beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on USA. The race will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Tune-In on Sunday… The USA Today 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be televised live on Sunday, June 23 beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on USA Network. The race will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway… Austin Dillon has made 14 NASCAR Cup Series starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, earning his best finish of eighth in July 2015. Last year, he finished ninth after leading 12 laps of the Cup Series race after a rain delay pushed the race to Monday afternoon. Dillon has earned four top-five, and five top-10 finishes in six NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the track. He is a former New Hampshire Motor Speedway winner in the NASCAR Truck Series, winning the race from the pole position in 2015.

About Bass Pro Shops… Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations, and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops united with Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations, and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit http://www.basspro.com/.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:

What are your thoughts on New Hampshire Motor Speedway?

“I’ve always enjoyed New Hampshire Motor Speedway. This place reminds me of a giant paperclip. Despite being flat, it’s rough. Corner entry is fun there. It’s different. It’s a different type of feel than what we have anywhere else. It is important to have a car that allows you to get into the corner deep if you want to be fast at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The corner is flat, and there is not much banking to hold you. If your car is stable on entry, it helps the rest of the corner so you can be aggressive and make passes. Entry speed is also an important factor. I feel like the car will have to get into the corner and rotate in the center and drive off. At New Hampshire Motor Speedway, everything that matters at short tracks matters there.”

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 FICO Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway… Kyle Busch will make his 33rd NASCAR Cup Series start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend. Busch has three wins at the 1.058-mile New England speedway, scoring victories in 2006, 2015, and 2017, which is tied for most victories among active drivers. His most dominant win came in 2017 when he won the pole, led the most laps, and had an average running position of 1.43. The driver of the FICO Chevrolet has 11 top-five (tied for the most among active drivers) and 16 top-10 finishes in 32 previous Cup races at New Hampshire. He has led 1,134 laps in Cup Series competition at New Hampshire, second-best among active drivers. Busch has six wins in 12 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and owns three victories in NASCAR Truck Series competition at New Hampshire.

Did You Know? Kyle Busch is the most recent Cup Series driver to win from the pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (2017).

Points Update… Busch enters this weekend 16th in the Cup Series driver championship point standings, 31 points below the Playoff cutline.

Welcome FICO… FICO, Richard Childress Racing and Busch are teaming up to raise awareness about the need for financial education. For the millions of NASCAR fans across the country, knowledge about money, financial planning, how credit works and the importance of building good financial habit are critical life skills. FICO, RCR and Busch want to share information and resources so that everyone in the NASCAR community can achieve their financial goals, such as paying for education, buying a home, or running a business.

FICO is a leading analytics software firm best known for its gold standard FICO® Score. Learn more about the FICO, RCR and Busch partnership, here: https://www.fico.com/en/newsroom/fico-and-richard-childress-racing-kick-financial-and-credit-education-partnership-nascar.

KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:

What makes New Hampshire Motor Speedway so challenging?

“New Hampshire is a really tricky racetrack. It’s super flat and has bumpy characteristics to it as well. The asphalt has really gotten old over the years. It feels like racing over highway cracks, but those are all characteristics of a good racetrack. It’s just really challenging and very tough to pass. Everybody says it’s multi-groove. You could run three different grooves there, but there’s really only one that’s fast and that’s the middle one. It makes for a challenging Sunday.”

Why has New Hampshire Motor Speedway been so tough for you in the last few years?

“Unfortunately, for me, the last couple of years at New Hampshire have been a huge struggle. This new Next Gen car and I have just not gone well together at New Hampshire. It’s been easy for me to get in trouble because of the nature of the car, the way it rides, the bumps, and the different topography of the track at each end to make grip. It’s definitely a challenge of moving your line around in the corners to improve the balance of the car because this new car doesn’t like different angles and transitions very well.”

You’ve won four poles at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Why do you qualify so well there?

“I feel like qualifying at New Hampshire is important just because of track position. It’s so hard to pass, so making sure you’re in good position at the start of the race is important to keep your day simple. I’ve always put an emphasis on qualifying to make sure we do well.”

Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro SS at New Hampshire Motor Speedway… Jesse Love will make his inaugural start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend during the NASCAR Xfinity Series race. The Menlo Park, California native’s first-ever laps at ”The Magic Mile” will take place during NASCAR Xfinity Series practice on Friday afternoon.

Whelen Home Race… Located 70 miles from New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Whelen Engineering has one of their two facilities based in Charlestown, New Hampshire. Every Whelen product is proudly designed, sourced, and manufactured from start to finish at their two facilities in Chester, Connecticut, and New Hampshire.

Pit Stop in Charlestown, NH… On Thursday, June 20, Love and Crew Chief Danny Stockman visited the Whelen Engineering facility in Charlestown, New Hampshire to get a behind-the-scenes look at its production and operations. During the facility tour, Whelen employees had the opportunity to meet Love and Stockman, as well as see the No. 2 Whelen Camaro and the Talladega Superspeedway trophy, as well as tour the team hauler. Love distributed signed hero cards and took photos with employees throughout the day.

About Whelen Engineering… Whelen Engineering is a family-owned company with a pioneering spirit and a passion to protect the lives of those who protect and serve others. The company mission is to provide industry-defining safety solutions around the world, while creating a community of problem-solvers who are inspired to push boundaries and continue our legacy of delivering ground-breaking innovation. As a global leader in the emergency warning industry, Whelen has been trusted to perform since 1952, when George Whelen III invented the first rotating aviation beacon. Whelen now encompasses two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Connecticut and New Hampshire with over 750,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing space and the largest design staff in the industry. Every part of every Whelen product is proudly designed and manufactured in America. We embrace quality as our foundation, we celebrate innovative engineering in every product we produce.

Meet Love… On Friday, June 21 from 2:15 p.m. ET, Love is scheduled to sign autographs at the New England Racing Museum, located on property of New Hampshire Motor Speedway. On Saturday, June 22 at 11:30 a.m. ET, Love and his Richard Childress Racing teammate, Austin Hill, will join fellow Xfinity Series drivers for a series autograph session in the Fan Zone at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Stop by to meet the Sunoco Rookie of the Year points leader.

JESSE LOVE QUOTE:

Describe your thoughts heading to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the first time.

“We didn’t have the result that we wanted last week, but our Whelen team is looking to rebound strong. I’ve never raced at New Hampshire Motor Speedway before, but I feel confident that Danny Stockman and my guys on the No. 2 team are going to bring another fast Chevrolet. We are unloading really fast cars at the track each and every week, but we need to start putting together the finishes. Sometimes that is out of our control and sometimes that is in our control. When it’s in our control, that’s when we need to capitalize. To have a strong run this weekend would mean a lot to our team and everyone at Whelen. It was awesome to see their facility in Charlestown and get a firsthand look at all the processes and tools they have in place to create products that help protect first responders.”

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet Camaro SS at New Hampshire Motor Speedway… Austin Hill has two career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, piloting the No. 21 Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet Camaro to a top-10 finish in each event. Last season after starting from the eighth position, the Winston, Georgia native drove a consistent race to take the checkered flag in third place. Hill has also competed in two ARCA Racing Series East events at the 1.058-mile oval, capturing two top-10 finishes (seventh in 2014 and fifth in 2015).

About Bennett Family of Companies… McDonough-Ga. based Bennett Family of Companies is a woman-owned, Women’s Enterprise Business Council (WBENC) certified, diversified transportation and logistics company. Through its 14 affiliated operating companies, the Bennett Family of Companies delivers integrated transportation and supply chain management solutions worldwide. Bennett has 4,625 drivers/owner-operators, over 1,000 employees and 600 agents located across the United States. For more information, visit www.bennettig.com.

Meet Hill… On Saturday, June 22 at 11:00 a.m. ET, Hill is scheduled to stop by “The Morning Show” for a question-and-answer session in the Fan Zone at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Immediately following at 11:30 a.m. ET, Hill will join his Richard Childress Racing teammate, Jesse Love, and fellow competitors for a series autograph session in the Fan Zone at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Stop by to meet the eight-time Xfinity Series race winner before the green flag waves.

AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:

Two top-10 finishes in your two Xfinity Series starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. What is the outlook heading into Saturday’s race?

“New Hampshire Motor Speedway has been an interesting track for our No. 21 team the last couple of years. My rookie season, our car was solid. It had good drive, especially during the first run, but then it needed to be a little freer the longer we ran. Last year, our car wasn’t the greatest but between missing the melee and battling hard, we were able to finish third. It was free on entry and tight across the middle. When I put the throttle down, it would lose rear lateral and sheer the back of the car. With all that being said though, our team is bringing fast Chevrolets to the track each week. Hopefully during our practice session on Friday afternoon, we can fine tune the handling and post a good qualifying effort to put ourselves in a position during the race.”