Fastenal Ford Leads Set of Laps, Two Top-10 Stage Finishes before Strong Comeback

CONCORD, N.C. (May 29, 2023) – Chris Buescher and the No. 17 team won the second stage, led a handful of laps and overcame a pit road mishap to earn an eighth-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“It was a really strong day,” Buescher said after the race. “Our Fastenal Mustang was really good. We got hit on pit road and definitely took a decent amount out of us, so I’m upset about that, but at the end of the day it was a good recovery. We kept digging back and it’s cool to have this camo paint scheme up front for a lot of the day, but I want to do more.”

It took three days for the Cup Series cars to hit the track as rain and mist prevented that on Saturday, and eventually Sunday. The inclement weather pushed the start to 3 p.m. ET Monday, with Buescher rolling off the grid 11th in the Fastenal Ford Mustang.

A mostly uneventful stage one – outside of a competition caution at lap 35 and one additional yellow – had Buescher in 15th by the stage end at lap 100. Buescher began stage two just inside the top-15, and worked his way inside the top-10 by lap 155 when the red flag was displayed for mist, and eventual rain.

Following a brief delay, Buescher restarted ninth at lap 163, then over the course of the final 37 laps in the stage drove his way to the lead, officially taking it at lap 192. He held on to the point for the final laps of the segment and won stage two with a positive outlook on the final half of the race.

But, under a yellow flag at lap 231 when Buescher took the No. 17 to pit road, he was hit by the No. 8 leaving his pit stall, ultimately resulting in damage that needed multiple checks on pit road. He restarted 24th on the ensuing restart, and from there had to dig out of a hole.

After finishing stage three in 22nd, Buescher did just that, methodically working his way back inside the top-20 by lap 360, as five yellows were displayed in the final 50 laps of the race. Buescher was 10th on the final restart of the race at lap 379, and maintained the position to cross the line eighth, his sixth top-10 of the season.

The NASCAR Cup Series schedule heads to WWT Raceway this weekend for Sunday afternoon action in Illinois. Race coverage is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Castrol Edge Ford Solid Early, Mid-Race Mishaps Hinder Strong Finish

CONCORD, N.C. (May 29, 2023) – Brad Keselowski and the No. 6 team had an eventful day in Monday’s rain-delayed Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, showing early potential before a series of mid-race mishaps resulted in the Castrol Edge Ford Mustang finishing 19th.

Weather was the story of the weekend as persistent precipitation set in over the 1.5-mile facility sometime Saturday, and remained there until early Monday evening. The weather washed out all of Saturday’s track activity, before ultimately postponing the original running of the 600-mile race Sunday night.

That resulted in Keselowski receiving a P3 starting position, with Monday’s action ultimately getting underway just after 3 p.m. ET. Due to no track activity for the Cup Series prior, NASCAR implemented a competition caution which would wave at lap 35.

Keselowski ran sixth at the time of that yellow, and worked his way to fourth by lap 65, ultimately finishing the stage in eighth. Stage two saw four cautions with the race’s first green-flag pit sequence occurring just prior to lap 150. Then, at lap 155, a heavy mist which turned into rain moved through the area, resulting in a brief red flag.

After the delay, Keselowski restarted sixth and drove to third by the stage end at lap 200, as teammate Chris Buescher found speed in his No. 17, winning that stage. Under the stage break, a fire broke out on the left rear of the No. 6, but initially resulted in no severe issues. That turned south just 10 laps into the third stage when Keselowski took the No. 6 to pit road for a tire issue, which put Keselowski well off the pace.

Later in the stage, Keselowski made contact with the wall on the right side and ultimately the No. 51 car, resulting in more right side damage and a flat tire.

Despite losing multiple laps to the leaders, Keselowski ultimately gained each lap back as five cautions flew in the final 55 laps, working back to 19th by race end at 400 laps.

The NASCAR Cup Series schedule heads to WWT Raceway this weekend for Sunday afternoon action in Illinois. Race coverage is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

STEWART-HAAS RACING
Coca-Cola 600
Date: May 29, 2023
Event: Coca-Cola 600 (Round 14 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)
Race Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Chris Buescher of RFK Racing (Ford)
Stage 3 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)

SHR Race Finish:

● Kevin Harvick (Started 2nd, Finished 11th / Running, completed 400 of 400 laps)

● Ryan Preece (Started 22nd, Finished 13th / Running, completed 400 of 400 laps)

● Chase Briscoe (Started 20th, Finished 20th / Running, completed 400 of 400 laps)

● Aric Almirola (Started 23rd, Finished 25th / Running, completed 400 of 400 laps)

SHR Points:

● Kevin Harvick (4th with 438 points, 8 out of first)

● Chase Briscoe (17th with 292 points, 154 out of first)

● Aric Almirola (26th with 233 points, 213 out of first)

● Ryan Preece (28th with 225 points, 221 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● Harvick finished second in Stage 2 to earn nine bonus points and eighth in Stage 3 to earn three more bonus points.

● Harvick led three times for 19 laps to increase his laps-led total at Charlotte to 624.

● Harvick has now led 11,584 laps since joining SHR in 2014. He has led 15,999 laps in his entire NASCAR Cup Series career. He is a single lap away from being one of just 11 drivers who have led 16,000 laps in their career.

● Preece’s 13th-place finish bettered his previous best result at Charlotte – 22nd, earned in the 2020 Coca-Cola 600.

Race Notes:

● Ryan Blaney won the Coca-Cola 600 to snap a 59-race winless streak and deliver team owner Roger Penske a sweep of the Memorial Day weekend as Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden won the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.

● This was Blaney’s eighth career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his first on the 1.5-mile oval at Charlotte. His margin over second-place William Byron was .663 of a second.

● Blaney was the 10th different winner in the 14 NASCAR Cup Series races run this season.

● This was Ford’s 722nd all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory and its second of the season.

● This was Ford’s 33rd all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory at Charlotte. The manufacturer won its first race at the track on Oct. 16, 1960 with Speedy Thompson.

● There were 16 caution periods for a total of 83 laps.

● Twenty-five of the 37 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Ross Chastain remains the championship leader after Charlotte with a one-point advantage over second-place Blaney.

Sound Bites:

“What a night. We battled all night long. Some of those cautions just did not work in our favor at all, but we had a good car and just needed track position and clean air. We made strong adjustments throughout the night and my crew was on it. I think we had a top-10 car. We’ll take 13th after a day like that and it’s definitely the momentum our team needed. Those top-10s and top-fives are coming and I’m looking forward to St. Louis.” – Ryan Preece, driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang

“It was a good night for our Smithfield Ford Mustang. It’s an honor and privilege to race on Memorial Day and it was an honor to fly Lance Corporal Daniel M. McVicker’s name on the windshield. Wish we could’ve brought it home a little bit better for them. We were running 10th with 20-somethng to go and got caught up in that restart wreck in the middle of (turns) one and two and got a lot of heavy damage that really hurt the racecar after that. Hate that we didn’t get out of here with a top-10. I felt like we certainly had a top-10 racecar. I got loose on an early restart, bent the right-rear toe-link, we fixed it, got two laps down, and then got all of our laps back and drove from the back and into the top-10. So, just really proud of the effort and the fight, but not the result. We fought hard and we’ll go get ready for Gateway. That was a really good track for us last year.” – Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter on Sunday, June 4 at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Illinois, near St. Louis. The race begins at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
COCA-COLA 600
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT
MAY 29, 2023

William Byron Leads Chevrolet with Runner-Up Finish in Coca-Cola 600
Team Chevy Drivers Take Four Top-10 Finishes

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
2nd William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1
6th Kyle Busch, No. 8 Alsco Uniforms Camaro ZL1
7th Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Kroger / Coca-Cola Camaro ZL1
9th Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Camaro ZL1

TOP-FIVE UNOFFICIAL RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st Ryan Blaney (Ford)
2nd William Byron (Chevrolet)
3rd Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota)
4th Bubba Wallace (Toyota)5th Tyler Reddick (Toyota)

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at World Wide Technology Raceway with the Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter on Sunday, June 4, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 9th

“We never gave up all night, and it feels like we passed more cars than anyone else all race long in our Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet. It was a hard-earned top-10 finish. We started this year’s Coca-Cola 600 deep in the field – 33rd – after practice and qualifying were canceled due to weather, but I knew that we would have a chance to be in contention at the end because this is the longest race of the year and there are plenty of laps to work our way forward. It was challenging, though. Pit road was tight for us today, and it felt like every time we gained positions we would pit and get trapped in our box and lose everything we worked so hard for. We never gave up and to finish in the top-10 is a testament to the tenacity that this No. 3 team has. We were just too tight at the end to advance any further, but I think we showed how hard we are willing to work. Today is about our heroes who served and made the ultimate sacrifice. I’m thankful that I can do what I love, which is race, because of them. Thank you to the families of Navy SEAL Mark Crampton and Army soldier Rusten Smith for allowing us to recognize them on our Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevy today as part of NASCAR’s 600 Miles of Remembrance program.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 ALSCO UNIFORMS CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 6th

“Coca-Cola 600’s are normally up-and-down, so we definitely had an up-and-down day. But the guys fought hard all race long and made some good repairs. We made a lot of good adjustments. There were a couple that we had to go back on, and then go back on again. But all-in-all, just proud of everyone on the No. 8 Alsco Chevy team. Our car wasn’t as fast as we wanted on the fire-off’s there – we wanted the long run to finish. Even though we hadn’t been good on the long runs all night, we adjusted for that, but we just didn’t get it. We’ll take a good solid effort and top-10 finish.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA PATRIOTIC CAMARO ZL1

Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 185.

Finished: 34th

“The No. 11 (Denny Hamlin) ran us up into the fence there. Once you tear the right-side off these things, it’s kind of over. I hate it – I thought our No. 9 NAPA Chevy was getting better. It was nice to be making some gains there throughout the race. Our pit stops were really good. We had some pretty good fortune to get up towards the front there. It was just trying to get to mile 600 and have a shot, so unfortunately failed to do that again.”

Denny (Hamlin) said there was some retaliation there. Was there any retaliation on your part?

“No, like I said, once you hit the wall in these things, you can’t drive them anymore. So no, just unfortunate circumstances.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 2nd

Byron on what else he needed for the win:

“I think we just needed a little bit more. Our No. 24 Liberty University Chevy was good. We could move around and get through the field. We could get to the top-five, and then we would just kind of stay there and not have enough pace to really get further than that.

That’s the way it goes sometimes, for sure. We’ll keep working.”

It looked like you kept up with the track changes from the day to the evening.

“Yeah, it was easier with the fact that it was cloudy and cool out when the race started, and it stayed that way for three-quarters of the race. It wasn’t as much change as it normally is here. Honestly I think everyone’s dialed their cars in so much that I don’t know how much change there would be even if it was really hot out.”

How satisfying is it that you guys were good enough to win the Coca-Cola 600?

“Yeah, we have some work to do. I felt like our balance was as close as its probably ever been in some ways. But we would just get out-paced for 20 or 25 laps. So I think we need a little bit more speed, but overall, it was a good day. Our balance was close every time – good on both sides of it, so that was good.”

Talk about the battle with (Ryan) Blaney. Every restart, it was the two of you battling back and forth.

“Yeah, it was fun. I enjoyed it. I have trust in how he (Ryan Blaney) races. He caught me off guard with the last restart. He restarted first and I thought about it – I tried it in the simulator actually, but I never did it throughout the night. I was getting good pushes from the No. 5 (Kyle Larson). When we got wrecked or whatever happened there, I had lost my help. Anytime you have the same engine, you can kind of match your push-up pretty good. So yeah, he caught me off guard there that last restart. But like I said, I think he was just that good and cleared me anyways.”

JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 15th

“We fired off tight today, but the No. 31 team made some great adjustments and had good pit stops. We made it as high as eighth and thought we would get a top 10 there but just got shuffled at the end. A top 15 is not a bad day, but our car was by far the best car we’ve had all year. We made some major gains today as a team.”

NOAH GRAGSON, NO. 42 BLACK RIFLE COFFEE COMPANY CAMARO ZL1

Sidelined by a mechanical failure.

Finished: 36th

“Bummer day for the No. 42 Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevy team. We made it through the first stage clean. Something went through the radiator. We replaced the radiator and the motor blew up. Just frustrating.

Thank you to Black Rifle Coffee Company and the Menusa family for coming out here. Wish we could have had a better run for them, but it was an honor to have Sgt. Menusa on the windshield. It makes this weekend all worth it. Wish we could have given him and his family a better run, but we’ll try again at Gateway.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 U.S. AIR FORCE CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 32nd

“We had a fast No. 43 U.S. Air Force Chevy, but nothing to really show for it. Appreciate the U.S. Air Force and their support. Just hate that we had the radiator issue, but hopefully we’ll go to Gateway with the same speed and have a good day.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER / COCA-COLA CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 7th

How are you feeling after 600 miles?

“I feel great. I got up and did the “Murph” workout this morning. My trainer wasn’t too thrilled about that, but went ahead and did that, and then came out here and ran 600 miles. Our No. 47 Kroger / Coca-Cola Chevy was so good all night. We just fought some track position every now and then, and then the No. 8 (Kyle Busch) fenced us there. I felt like we would have had a top-five if it wasn’t for that.

But all-in-all, it was a great Coca-Cola 600 for us. It was what we needed after last week at the All-Star Race.. we kind of got beat up there a little bit. But it’s cool to get another top-10. This team is doing a lot of good things.”

It was a wild weekend, obviously dealing with weather and no track time. As a driver with no preparation and going into 600-miles, was it easy or were you a little worried about it?

“Well it’s the same for everybody, so we weren’t too concerned about it. But I think all-in-all, you’re a little cautious the first few laps. I definitely was. We were a little looser than I thought we were going to be, so that kind of caught me off guard. But my guys did a really good job on pit road making adjustments and making the car better all night. It was a fun one.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 12th

First and most importantly, how is your back?

“It doesn’t feel very good at the moment, but about what I was expecting. There was no pain in the car really, but now that I’m out, I feel it a little bit.

Just proud of my No. 48 Ally Chevy team. We had a really fast long run car. Obviously the short runs was what we needed, but we were just too tight for that. We got stuck on pit road – every stop, we came in like 10th, but lost spots coming out. But that wasn’t on my guys, it was just pit stall selection. We’ll move onto Gateway. Hopefully we’ll get to qualify there, have a good pit box and just go have a normal day.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 84 CLUB WYNDHAM CAMARO ZL1

Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident.

Finished: 37th

“I just didn’t know we were put in that three-wide situation. There were a bunch of us cars that were wrecked and just trying to limp it home. Unfortunately I ended up in a situation I wasn’t aware of and got turned around. It’s a bummer for the No. 84 Club Wyndham Chevy team.”

TEAM CHEVY RACE HIGHLIGHTS:
Stage One

· After a battle with weather throughout the weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series finally hit the track for the first time Monday afternoon to take the green for the 64th running of the Coca-Cola 600.

· A scheduled competition caution flew on lap 35 with pit road opening for the first round of pit stops of the day. Polesitter William Byron was running in the fourth position at the time of the caution, and with the No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 pit crew firing off a fast four-tire stop, Byron won the race off pit road – gaining four positions to take a front-row starting position for the restart.

· The green-white checkered flag flew on lap 100 with Byron leading the field to the Stage One finish – his series-leading seventh stage win of the season and his first career stage win at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

· Team Chevy Stage One: Top-10

1st William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1

7th Kyle Busch, No. 8 Alsco Uniforms Camaro ZL1

9th Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1

10th Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Kroger / Coca-Cola Camaro ZL1

Stage Two

· After driving to an 11th-place finish in Stage One, Erik Jones was forced to take his No. 43 U.S. Air Force Camaro ZL1 to the garage to replace the radiator due to damage caused after hitting debris.

· After hitting the halfway point in Stage Two – precipitation began to fall, ultimately forcing the race to go under red flag conditions at lap 155.

· The race took the green flag following a brief weather delay, but was quickly brought back under caution on lap 163 following an incident involving the Jimmie Johnson and the No. 84 Club Wyndham Camaro ZL1 team. Damage sustained was deemed too much to repair, forcing the team’s early departure from the race.

· A handful of caution periods followed with an accident involving Team Chevy’s Kyle Busch and Daniel Suarez bringing out the sixth caution of the race on lap 175. Both Camaro ZL1’s obtained minimal damage and were able to make quick repairs to return to competition.

· Stage Two ended under a caution flag, bringing the race to the halfway point. Two Team Chevy drivers scored stage points, led by polesitter William Byron and the No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 team in the eighth position.

· Team Chevy Stage Two: Top-10

8th William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1

9th Ross Chastain, No. 1 Advent Health Camaro ZL1

Stage Three

· At the conclusion of Stage Three – the 300 lap marker – the race had seen 24 lead changes among 11 different drivers.

· For the third consecutive stage, William Byron led Team Chevy to the green-white checkered at the stage end – driving his No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 to fourth-place stage points.

· Team Chevy Stage Three: Top-10

4th William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1

6th Kyle Larson, No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1

7th Kyle Busch, No. 8 Alsco Uniforms Camaro ZL1

9th Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Kroger / Coca-Cola Camaro ZL1

10th Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1

Stage Four / Post-Race Notes

· William Byron led Team Chevy to the finish in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600 – driving his No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 to a runner-up finish in the crown jewel event.

· Byron’s runner-up finish marked his third career top-10 finish in seven NASCAR Cup Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway; and his eighth top-10 NCS finish of the 2023 season.

· The No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 pit crew showcased a stellar performance on pit road throughout the 600-mile race – giving Byron the win off pit road on seven different occasions, gaining a total of 18 spots by the conclusion of the race.

· Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain maintained the NASCAR Cup Series’ driver points standings lead with a one-point advantage over the Coca-Cola 600 winner Ryan Blaney.

· In 14 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race this season, Chevrolet continues to lead the series in wins (eight), top-fives (31), top-10s (59), stage wins (11) and laps led (1,845).

 

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

RACE: COCA-COLA 600 DATE: MAY 29, 2023

AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 MENARDS / DURACELL FORD MUSTANG

START – 21ST STAGE ONE – 19TH STAGE TWO – 21ST STAGE THREE – 13TH FINISH – 31ST

RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric was credited with a 31st-place finish after an early departure in Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the No. 2 Menards/Duracell Ford Mustang. After practice and qualifying went awash Saturday evening, the starting lineup for the longest race of the season was set based on NASCAR’s metric, which lined Cindric up 21st for the start. During a competition caution on Lap 35, Cindric was scored 25th and pitted for service to aid the balance. Cindric returned to pit road following a caution on Lap 74 and again at the conclusion of Stage 1 after finishing 19th. The Team Penske driver reported to his team that the car was tighter in Turn 1 and Turn 2,and headed to pit road for four tires and adjustments. Unfortunately, the No. 2 car was penalized for vehicle interference and had to restart at the tail. Rain moved into the area on Lap 158, bringing out the red flag. After a 30-minute red flag, a series of cautions ensued, and Cindric returned to the attention of the Menards pit crew for four tires and fuel on Lap 76, but unfortunately had to pit again for the crew to tighten the right-rear tire. The 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion finished Stage 2 21st. The No. 2 Ford Mustang restarted 20th and reported early in the segment that the car was tight firing off. Cindric moved up the charts, running as high as 12th before slipping to 13th at the end of Stage 3. The sophomore NASCAR Cup Series driver took the green flag 13th for the restart, but was unfortunately tagged from behind on Lap 371, sending the Menards/Duracell Mustang into the wall on the backstretch, collecting significant damage.

CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “You’re patient for 550 miles, why be patient for the last 40? I probably could have helped myself there by not drifting up the racetrack and knowing my own strength and weaknesses. It’s just unfortunate to get so close to the end of this race and not being able to finish it last year and the same with this year. I felt we had a lot of positives from today – some really good pit stops. We had good speed at times, but just having to put the whole race together as a team. I made some mistakes today and unfortunately not to be able to finish it off.”

RYAN BLANEY No. 12 BODYARMOR CHERRY LIME FORD MUSTANG

START – 8TH STAGE ONE – 3RD STAGE TWO – 5TH STAGE THREE – 1ST FINISH – 1ST

RACE RUNDOWN: Ryan Blaney captured Team Penske’s third Coca-Cola 600 victory Monday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, marking the first time Team Penske has won the Coca-Cola 600 and Indianapolis 500 in the same season. Blaney snapped a 59-race winless streak by leading a race-high – and career-high – 163 laps en route to his eighth-career win. The crown jewel victory also marks the first for Jonathan Hassler as a NASCAR Cup Series crew chief. Blaney took his first lead of the afternoon on lap 41 before settling into third in the latter stages of Stage 1 but battled with the No. 24 and No. 20 for the stage win before taking third in the opening stage. After continuing to run third for most of the Stage 2, Blaney brought the No. 12 to pit road for a scheduled green flag stop on lap 147 before the race went under the red flag on lap 155 for rain. Following a 30-minute delay, Blaney battled side-by-side with the No. 45 for the top spot before regaining the lead once again. However, teams on fresher tires made their way to the front, shuffling him back to fifth, where Blaney ultimately finished Stage 2. Blaney made his way back to the lead on lap 227 by making his way around the No. 4 with a big run off turn 4 and continued to lead while making the high line work. After the caution flag flew on lap 274, Blaney made a trip to pit road for four tires and a round of adjustments to address a loose-handling condition that set in on the long run. Despite battling back-and-forth with the No. 45 during the ensuing laps, Blaney prevailed to pick up the stage win in Stage 3. After coming off of pit road second during the stage break, Blaney once again regained the lead on the restart on lap 307. The final caution flag of the night waved on lap 374 on the opening lap of the restart where Blaney was scored the leader over the No. 24. The field took the green for the final time with 20 laps to go and Blaney stretched his lead lap-after-lap, culminating in his eighth-career NASCAR Cup Series victory.

BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “Obviously a big weekend for Team Penske. Watching the Indy 500 yesterday, how that played out, and watching Josef win his first one and watching Mr. Penske win No. 19, that’s really cool to see. Especially when that stuff happens, you’re like, well, the pressure is on for us to try to sweep the weekend, especially in two really big races. That was the goal, and fortunately we executed well enough to get it done. I’m really looking forward to talking to Roger here after I get done and back to the bus because I haven’t congratulated him enough, and I’m looking forward to hearing his voice. A big weekend, and obviously winning the 600 is massive. I grew up coming here watching my dad race for a long time as a kid. It’s just what we did every summer. Really cool, and it was cool for my parents to be here as well. So that was a special moment. Fun night, that’s for sure. Monday races seem to go really well for me. I don’t know what it is, but definitely a fun night.”

JOEY LOGANO No. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD MUSTANG

START – 17TH STAGE ONE – 21ST STAGE TWO – 4TH STAGE THREE – 11TH FINISH – 21ST

RACE RUNDOWN: Joey Logano battled a loose-handling Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang from the onset of Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600, but the No. 22 team went to work on the handling following a 21st-place finish in Stage 1. Following a four-tire stop with a round of adjustments at the stage break, Logano worked his way back into the top-15 by lap 112 before green-flag pit stops began to cycle. After a 30-minute rain delay, the No. 22 team brought Logano to pit road under caution for a two-tire stop but suffered from a pit road penalty for equipment interference, relegating him to the tail end of the field. Logano used the No. 22 team’s off-sequence pit strategy to work his way up into the top-10 by the end of Stage 2, resulting in a fourth-place finish. He made his way up to second in the running order following the restart to begin Stage 3, but Logano began to suffer from a loose-handling condition through the corners as he was shuffled out of the top-10. Logano rallied for an 11th-place in Stage 3 and made his way back into the top-10 by the halfway mark of the final stage but was collected in the last caution of the night when the No. 5 went around on the exit of turn 2. Despite a pair of trips to pit road for four fresh tires and repairs to the nose and splitter, the No. 22 team was able to keep Logano on the lead lap and took the checkered flag 21st.

LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “Tough night for the Shell-Pennzoil Mustang team. We struggled with the balance and unfortunately couldn’t miss the late accident and got damage. So happy for Team Penske, Josef, and Ryan on a weekend sweep.”

WHAT’S NEXT: The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Worldwide Technology Raceway on Sunday, June 4 for the Enjoy Illinois 300. Coverage of the event will be carried on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 3:30 pm E.T.

TRUEX LEADS TRIO OF TOYOTAS IN THE TOP-FIVE AT CHARLOTTE
Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick place two 23XI Racing Toyotas in the top-five

CONCORD, N.C. (May 28, 2023) – Martin Truex Jr. (third) led three Toyotas inside the top-five finishers in the rain-delayed 600-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Monday evening. Bubba Wallace (fourth) and Tyler Reddick (fifth) put two 23XI Racing Toyotas inside the top-five for the second consecutive weekend after the duo’s strong performance in the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro. Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin also spent time running at the front before all three were involved in on-track incidents.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Race 14 of 36 – 600 miles, 400 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Ryan Blaney*

2nd, William Bryon*

3rd, MARTIN TRUEX JR.

4th, BUBBA WALLACE

5th, TYLER REDDICK

24th, CHRISTOPHER BELL

26th, TY GIBBS

35th, DENNY HAMLIN

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

How was your 600?

“It was a handful. We just battled really hard and never gave up on the car. We had some stumbles on pit road – had some issues there. We had some issues getting a flat tire with some contact leaving pit road, which wasn’t our fault either. Just battled a lot of adversity today, but our Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Boats Camry was really fast. At the end of stage three, I thought that we had a shot to win this thing and then we got some damage out of nowhere on the splitter, and then I got too tight. We made some adjustments to try to get us balanced back out, but it just wasn’t as fast then, and we still ran third. Just proud of everybody for the effort. We definitely had a shot at this one tonight, just didn’t get enough things to go our way and we didn’t do a good enough job on pit road.”

Can you talk about your rebound to third?

“Yeah, it was a fun day overall. We had just too many hiccups, too many issues on pit road with a couple of bad stops and the damage that sent us to the rear and had to come back. I thought through stage three we were going to have a shot at this thing, and out of the blue at the start of the final stage, we got some damage on the splitter from debris and the car was never quite as good. Unfortunate that happened, but all-in-all, great night for our Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Boats Toyota Camry. The car looked amazing with the red, white and blue. It means a lot to have all of the soldiers on our cars this weekend. I got to meet an amazing family this weekend. Really wish I could have taken them to victory lane, so it’s a little bittersweet, but overall, it’s a solid day for us.”

BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 Dr. Pepper Strawberries & Cream Toyota Camry TRD, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 4th

Can you talk about the battle to get back inside the top-five today?

“It started on Friday. We didn’t get through tech. We are trying to push all we can get, and didn’t happen, so bad pit selection really set us back all day. I knew it would be a grind. I need my pit crew to know that as well – they made a couple mistakes – but they rebounded. We were playing the cards that we were dealt. I’m super proud of this Dr. Pepper Toyota team. Just continuing to make strides and continuing to show up and be a part of the factor. Just makes you think – if you were that close on the final restart, or closer, what could have happened. It looked like the 12 (Ryan Blaney) was lights out all day. About time he got him one. I thought he was done washed up (laughter).”

What happened between you and Aric Almirola?

“Yeah, we were just frustrated on how we raced each other. We were in stage two of the Coke 600. I finished fourth and that’s a good day for our team.”

TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 Jordan Brand Toyota Camry TRD, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

How was your race?

“We had a great car. We were really, really strong there. Just made a lot of mistakes – we kind of went to the bad side of it on that one strategy in the second stage. We had a million cautions, because we just kept crashing. We got behind there and we had to fight to get our track position back after that and we did. We got to the 12 (Ryan Blaney), and just being too aggressive, got sideways and hit the wall, and front there, hit the wall about 10 more times and pretty much took all of the life out of the race car.”

What more did you need?

“We had a fantastic car. We just couldn’t get around the 12 (Ryan Blaney). We were way faster that he was for most of the day. I tried to take our time, because it’s obviously a 400-lap race, but yeah, made a few mistakes along the way and then I knocked the fence down and then every time we did, we lost a little speed in our Jordan Brand 23XI Toyota. So yeah, fifth.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 35th

What happened there between you and Chase Elliott?

“I got right-rear hooked in the middle of the straightaway.”

Do you think there was some sort of retaliation?

“It’s a tantrum and he shouldn’t be racing next week. Right rear hooks are absolutely unacceptable. I don’t care. It is the same thing that Bubba Wallace did with Kyle Larson. Exact same. He shouldn’t be racing. It’s a tantrum.”

What happened there, Denny?

“He right rear hooked me down the straightaway. The same thing that happened with Bubba (Wallace) and Kyle (Larson) last year.”

What should happen to Chase Elliott?

“He shouldn’t be racing. He shouldn’t be racing.”

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.

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 22 electrified options.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Coca-Cola 600 | Monday, May 29, 2023

Ford Finishing Results:

1st – Ryan Blaney
8th – Chris Buescher
10th – Zane Smith
11th – Kevin Harvick
13th – Ryan Preece
16th – JJ Yeley
18th – Harrison Burton
19th – Brad Keselowski
20th – Chase Briscoe
21st – Joey Logano
25th – Aric Almirola
28th – Michael McDowell
31st – Austin Cindric
33rd – Todd Gilliland

RYAN BLANEY AND MUSTANG WIN COCA-COLA 600

• Ryan Blaney won his first race of the season and eighth of his career today.
• The victory snaps a 59-race winless stretch for Blaney, whose last win came at Daytona on Aug. 28, 2021.
• This marks the first time Roger Penske has won the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in the same season.
• Blaney won Stage 3 and led the most laps in today’s race.
• Today’s win is Ford’s 722nd all-time in NASCAR Cup Series competition.
• Of Team Penske’s 91 NCS wins with Ford, 64 have come since rejoining Ford in 2013.

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 BodyArmor Cherry Lime Ford Mustang – VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW

HOW ARE YOU FEELING? “It’s just so cool. What a weekend with Newgarden and Roger winning at Indy and us winning the 600, I mean that’s just so cool. That kind of snaps our winless streak right there and that’s even better. I’m just really thankful to everybody who stuck around with us. It’s huge to have BodyArmor on the car. It’s such a cool car and looking forward to celebrate with these guys and I’m just really proud of the car and the effort that we had and was able to hang on.”

YOU WEREN’T SURE WHAT YOU HAD WITH YOUR CAR. HOW CONFIDENT WERE YOU AS THE RACE WENT ON? “We just kept working on it all night and I think the track took a change. I didn’t feel great at the end of Stage 3. I was kind of getting pressured by a couple guys and we had to work on our car, and it was getting cooler outside. We just did a great job. Jonathan did a great job of working on it all night and getting it close enough at the end to where we could really take advantage of restarts, and then once we got the lead was able to stretch it out.”

HOW WILL YOU CELEBRATE WITH YOUR GUYS? “I don’t know. I’m looking forward to seeing those guys. Only time will tell. We’ll see.”

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang – YOU WON A STAGE, SO YOUR THOUGHTS ON TONIGHT’S EFFORT? “It was a really strong day. Our Fastenal Mustang was really good. We got hit on pit road and definitely took a decent amount out of us, so I’m upset about that, but at the end of the day it was a good recovery. We kept digging back and it’s cool to have this camo paint scheme up front for a lot of the day, but I want to do more.”

ZANE SMITH, No. 38 Boot Barn Ford Mustang – “I am so happy, as happy as could be, really. I was worried when we didn’t take tires there and were running really good and had a really good day. It just worked out, so just a great job by this whole 38 Boot Barn FRM team. We got our Mustang better and better every single stop and that’s so cool. We run on half the budget, if that, than a lot of these guys, so to finish top 10 in our sixth start at the Coke 600 is really cool.”

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? “It’s been a rough three weeks for me. The Cup Series is a different level and obviously I’m trying to prove I belong here and it’s just an outstanding run. Ryan does an outstanding job and it’s so cool to finish this race, but better yet with a top 10.”

THIS MUST HAVE BEEN THE LONGEST RACE YOU’VE RUN? “Yeah, no doubt. I got to about halfway and I had heard that story coming into this of how long this race feels and I did a lot of preparation for the past month of just trying to prepare myself for this one. I feel like I could go another 100 more, so I did a good job there. I’m just so proud of everyone at FRM and on this 38 car. It’s an outstanding job, I thought.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Menards/Duracell Ford Mustang – “You’re patient for 550 miles, why be patient for the last 40? I probably could have helped myself there by not drifting up the racetrack and knowing my own strength and weaknesses. It’s just unfortunate to get so close to the end of this race and not being able to finish it last year and the same with this year. I felt we had a lot of positives from today – some really good pit stops. We had good speed at times, but just having to put the whole race together as a team. I definitely made some mistakes today and unfortunate not to be able to finish it off.”

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang – WHAT HAPPENED WITH BUBBA WALLACE? “It was early in the race and I felt like he ran me all over the racetrack and then when he got by me he shot me the bird, so I just went by and asked him why you shot me the bird. I felt like I gave him a lot of room and a lot of respect and he started mouthing off and saying a lot of bad things and cussing at me after he shot me the bird, so I just wasn’t gonna take that.”

IS IT SQUASHED AT THIS POINT? “I think it’s squashed. I got my point across. I let him know it’s not acceptable. He’s not gonna cuss at me and shoot me the bird. It was a good night, honestly, for our Smithfield Ford Mustang. It’s Memorial Day and such an honor and privilege to race on Memorial Day. We were running 10th there with twenty-something to go and got caught up in that restart wreck in the middle of one and two and got a lot of heavy damage the really killed the race car after that. I hate we didn’t get out of here with a top 10. I felt we certainly had a top 10 race car, got loose on a restart early and hit the right-rear toe link, we fixed it, got two laps down, got all of our laps back and drove from the back to the top 10. I’m really proud of the effort and the fight, not the result, but we certainly fought hard. We’ll go get ready for Gateway. That was a really good racetrack for us last year.”

RYAN PREECE, No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang – “What a night. We battled all night long. Some of those cautions just did not work in our favor at all, but we had a good car and just needed track position and clean air. We made strong adjustments throughout the night and my crew was on it. I think we had a top-10 car. We’ll take 13th after a day like that and it’s definitely the momentum our team needed. Those top 10s and top fives are coming and I’m looking forward to St. Louis.”