ARIC ALMIROLA
Charlotte Coca-Cola 600 Advance
No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Coca-Cola 600 (Round 14 of 36)

● Time/Date: 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 28

● Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway

● Layout: 1.5-mile oval

● Laps/Miles: 400 laps/600 miles

● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 100 laps / Stage 2: 100 laps / Stage 3: 100 laps / Final Stage: 100 laps

● TV/Radio: FOX / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● 600 Miles of Remembrance: The Memorial Day weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway is one of the most patriotic events in sports, honoring fallen soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country. This weekend, Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), Smithfield Foods, and Aric Almirola will honor LCPL Daniel M. McVicker of the United States Marine Corps. In 2003, just months after turning 18, McVicker enlisted in the USMC after his heartfelt call to serve following the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. McVicker was initially stationed at the Marine Air Station in Cherry Point, North Carolina. After his third attempt to volunteer for deployment to Iraq, he was assigned to the Combat Service Support Detachment 21, 2nd Expeditionary Force. On Oct. 6, 2005, McVicker lost his life while driving security detail during “Operation River Gate” near Al-Qaim, Iraq, when his Humvee struck an improvised explosive device (IED). McVicker had a passion for life and found enjoyment in every activity he chose to participate in. He was a Boy Scout, and played flag football, soccer, baseball, basketball, high school football, and wrestled. Unfortunately, after suffering a foot injury late in his freshman year of high school, he was no longer involved in sports. His love then turned to music. He participated in high school musicals and became a member of a select group named “Young and Alive!” He was also voted by his peers to become one of the school’s mascots. McVicker’s ultimate goal was to become a chef. At home and on base, he entertained everyone with the wildest concoctions of delicious meals – most of them involving ranch dressing and chili powder. His family and friends remember his smile and contagious laugh complemented by an infectious personality. No matter what the situation, he always raised the spirits of those around him and brought a smile to people’s faces. His mother Carrie and sister Mollie will be in attendance at Charlotte this weekend to see Almirola pilot the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang with “Danny’s” name across the windshield.

● On Tuesday, May 16, Charlotte Motor Speedway hosted Almirola for its final Mission 600 visit of the season, a day with Marines from the 2D LAR (Light Armor Reconnaissance) Battalion at North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune. Mission 600 is a campaign that pairs NASCAR drivers with military bases designed to educate the NASCAR community about the day-to-day lives of the men and women who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces and to build meaningful connections between the worlds of motorsports and the military. Almirola, along with Charlotte Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Greg Walter, flew in an MV-22 Osprey, participated in a tire-changing demonstration, learned about a variety of weapons systems, and fired an M242 Bushmaster from an LAV (Light Armored Vehicle). Almirola also served lunch to dozens of Marines, courtesy of Smithfield. Click here for imagery of the event.

● Almirola will be just as busy on the track as he will be off of it this week. Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET, Almirola will appear on FS1’s “NASCAR Race Hub.” Friday, Almirola will be the guest analyst in the booth for the ARCA Menards Series race at Charlotte, live on FS1 at 6 p.m. ET. Saturday, he’ll join Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Brad Keselowski in the FOX studio for the all-driver NASCAR Xfinity Series race broadcast.

● History at Charlotte Motor Speedway: In 17 starts, Almirola has one top-10 finish and has led four laps. Almirola also has eight NASCAR Xfinity Series starts with one top-five and three top-10 finishes.

● Driver Points: Almirola arrives at Charlotte 26th in the driver standings, 208 points out of first.

● Almirola’s career: In 437 career NASCAR Cup Series starts, Almirola has three wins, 28 top-five finishes, 92 top-10s, four poles, and has led 1,018 laps.

● Smithfield has been a sponsor of Almirola’s for the entirety of his fulltime NASCAR Cup Series career – making it one of the longest-lasting partnerships in NASCAR. Smithfield is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. Its 63,000 team members are dedicated to producing “Good food. Responsibly.®” Smithfield is one of the world’s leading vertically integrated protein companies. The company has pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including its industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30 percent across its entire U.S. value chain by 2030. Smithfield believes in the power of protein to end food insecurity and has donated hundreds of millions of food servings to local communities.

● Beyond the 10 YouTube Series:In 2023, Almirola is continuing to share his life beyond the No. 10 Ford with season five of his award-winning YouTube series. Fans and media can subscribe on YouTube to see Almirola’s personality on and off the track. Episodes have already featured life as a dad, a husband and an athlete, and the show gives fans a unique perspective on what goes on in the life of a professional NASCAR driver. Fans can also follow Almirola’s social media channels: @Aric_Almirola on Twitter and Instagram, and @AricAlmirola on Facebook.

Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

You visited Camp Lejeune last week for a day in the life with Marines of the 2nd Light Armored Recon Battalion. How cool was that?

“It makes me feel blessed to get the opportunity to come and engage with all of the people who are fighting for our freedom. From the moment we got in an Osprey and flew to the base, to get to do a simulated pit stop on an LAV (Light Armored Vehicle), and just seeing the team aspect of things really gives me a lot of enjoyment and makes you feel like you are a part of something bigger than yourself. It’s so easy to get caught up in our daily lives and in the business of work and life and we sometimes forget that these men and women are battling each and every day so that we can enjoy these freedoms with our family and friends. My dad was in the Air Force and I was born at Eglin Air Force base, so I know firsthand what these families have sacrificed. Without these men and women, we don’t get to race. We get to live without fear because of the brave members of our military who put their lives on the line for us. Words can’t describe how thankful I am for our troops and I hope that our visit to Camp Lejeune made them feel appreciated and let them know that we value their efforts. That’s what the Memorial Day weekend race is all about, remembering and honoring those who fought to keep this country free.”

Why is the Coke 600 such a crown jewel race?

“It’s a hundred miles longer than any other race we run, which provides a challenge in and of itself. On top of that, there is an extra stage, which gives us the opportunity to earn more points. The cars have less grip when the sun is out and they tend to slip and slide a lot more. As the sun goes down, the track gets more grip and we start going faster. That’s one of the very unique things about this race. What you have from a drivability and balance standpoint from the racecar at the beginning of the race is not what you have at the end. You’re trying to figure out what it takes to get your car to win at the end and you have to be good at all facets because there are a lot of points to be made.”

Although the finishes with the intermediate package have not been indicative of your speed, do you feel you are headed in the right direction to have a successful race at Charlotte?

“I do. I think we found some speed with this package at Kansas and Darlington, where we were a top-10 car all day. We struggled at Dover and really missed the balance, but I think we bounced back really well at Kansas and Darlington. We’ve had years where we headed to Charlotte with a lower level of confidence because of where we thought our package was compared to the rest of the field, but this year is different. We have to qualify well, for starters. Stage points are huge at Charlotte and we need to accumulate as many as possible.”

No. 10 Smithfield Ford Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Aric Almirola

Hometown: Tampa, Florida

Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer

Hometown: Decatur, Illinois

Car Chief: Jerry Cook

Hometown: Toledo, Ohio

Engineer: Davin Restivo

Hometown: Asheboro, North Carolina

Engineer: James Kimbrough

Hometown: Pensacola, Florida

Spotter: Joel Edmonds

Hometown: Dobson, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Ryan Mulder

Hometown: Sioux Center, Iowa

Rear Tire Changer: Trevor White

Hometown: Arlington, Texas

Tire Carrier: Tyler Bullard

Hometown: King, North Carolina

Jack Man: Sean Cotton

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Fuel Man: James “Ace” Keener

Hometown: Fortuna, California

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Chris Trickett

Hometown: Grafton, West Virginia

Mechanic: Jacob Cooksey

Hometown: Westbrookville, New York

Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller

Hometown: Monroe, New York

Tire Specialist: Russel Simpson

Hometown: Medford, New York

Transporter Co-Driver: Steven Casper

Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Matt Murphy

Hometown: Augusta, Georgia

TEAM AND RACE NOTES:

Michael McDowell and the No. 34 team head to the Charlotte Motor Speedway for one of the crown jewels of NASCAR, the Coca Cola 600. McDowell will race with Chicago Pneumatic Compressors as this weekend’s primary partner.

This will be the first race of a muti-race partnership for Chicago Pneumatic Compressors and the No. 34 team. Chicago Pneumatic Compressors is a market-leading manufacturer and distributor of compressed air products. They offer both fixed and variable speed compressors that range in sizes from 3 – 350 HP and come with the option to be either tank-mounted or base-mounted, as well as the availability for integrated dryers. No matter the application, Chicago Pneumatic Compressors has a compressed air solution to fit every need. Chicago Pneumatic Compressors will partner with McDowell and the No. 34 team again as NASCAR takes to the streets of Chicago.

In honor of Memorial Day, the No. 34 Chicago Pneumatic Compressors Ford Mustang will bear the name of Chief Warrant Officer 3 Ryan Michael Connolly.

Joining the US Army in May 2001, Connolly served the country faithfully for 17 years. Deploying multiple times to areas such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait. On April 6, 2018, in preparation for an upcoming deployment, Connolly was conducting a nighttime aerial training flight in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He along with his co-pilot, Warrant Officer 1 James Casadona were killed when their Apache helicopter’s night vision system failed, causing their aircraft to impact the ground.

The team and Chicago Pneumatic Compressors are honored to host this Gold Star family on Sunday and to race in memory of Connolly.

Cup activity will begin Saturday with practice and qualifying at 7:05 p.m. The 64th running of the Coca-Cola 600 is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 28 at 6:00 p.m. on FOX.

COMPETITION NOTES

Michael McDowell and the No. 34 team head to the Charlotte Motor Speedway looking to best last year’s eighth-place finish in the event. The team focused heavily on mental toughness in preparation of the longest race on the circuit.

CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON

“It’s every crew chief’s dream to win this race. The 34 team and Michael have the tools they need to succeed, and I can’t wait to go out there Sunday and compete. Anything can happen in this race, it is a long one, for sure, but we have stay focused all night.”

DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL

“I can’t wait to showcase the Chicago Pneumatic Compressors Ford Mustang. The Coca-Cola 600 is a great race to being the partnership with them. Everyone in the shop is working hard getting the No. 34 ready for the 400-lap race.”

“It is a huge honor to have Chief Warrant Officer 3 Ryan Michael Connolly riding along with me. He paid the ultimate sacrifice for this country and this weekend is about remembering our heroes.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY NOTES

Friday, May 26 – NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 8:30 p.m. ET (FS1)

Saturday, May 27 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 1 p.m. ET (FS1)

Sunday, May 28 – NASCAR Cup Series, 6 p.m. ET (FOX)

The three major NASCAR series will gather this Memorial Day weekend for races, including the iconic Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday. Brad Keselowski, recently named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers, has helped Ford to its most recent successes at CMS, posting a 2018 Xfinity victory and a 2020 Coca-Cola 600 triumph over the past five years.

Kevin Harvick: “The 600-mile thing in itself is just unique because of the fact that it’s just 600 miles. The engine guys freak out because you have to go an extra 100 miles, but the parts and stuff on the car are a lot more durable than they used to be. I remember when I started racing the 600 it was all about pacing yourself until it got dark. Now, there’s really no pacing yourself. You go as hard as you can go and still have the same goal of keeping yourself on the lead lap and doing the things you need to do until it’s dark, but back in the day it was take care of the motor.”

Chase Briscoe: “I don’t think you save your stuff, but you save your car a little bit. You don’t want to get it tore up the first 200-300 miles. You try to really make sure you’re there at the end, but you don’t save tires. You’re not trying to wait and wait to go. You’re really gonna run 600 miles of almost qualifying laps there, so that race is hard just because you have to get to the end.”

Harrison Burton: “That was the first race I ever got hungry. That was the one thing I noticed. I didn’t really think it would be that different, to be honest. I always heard that it was tough and it’s long. I figured it’s only 100 more miles than 500 and we do that fairly frequently and didn’t think it would be that different, but for whatever reason when that fourth stage starts it’s definitely daunting. That was also the worst my back has ever hurt the day after. I found some things that didn’t fit as good as I wanted in my seat, so that and getting hungry were firsts for me last year.”

HOLMAN-MOODY CONQUER THE WORLD

Ford won the Coca-Cola 600 for the first time on May 27, 1962 when the race was still referred to as the World 600. This marked the third running of NASCAR’s longest race and in the end it was Nelson Stacy, behind the wheel of a 1962 Holman & Moody Ford, that ended up in victory lane. Stacy passed David Pearson, who developed engine trouble with eight laps to go, and went on to beat Joe Weatherly to the finish line by 32 seconds in posting the third of his four career victories. Fellow Holman & Moody teammate Fred Lorenzen finished third. The win was Stacy’s second straight after he took the checkered flag two weeks earlier in Darlington.

THREE MAJORS FOR DJ IN ONE SEASON

Dale Jarrett won his share of major races during a sterling career in the NASCAR Cup Series, but no season may have been better than his first year driving at Robert Yates Racing in 1996. After winning the season-opening Daytona 500, his second of three triumphs in that event, Jarrett came to Charlotte in search of winning the Coca-Cola 600 for the first time. Jarrett, who qualified 15th, wasn’t much of a factor when the race started, but when the sun went down his No. 88 Quality Care Service/Ford Credit Ford Taurus came to life. He took the lead for the first time on lap 175 and ended up leading 199 of the final 226 laps for RYR to win going away. Jarrett eventually went on to win the Brickyard 400 a couple of months later to give him three of the sports biggest victories in one season.

FIRST TIME WINNER

Matt Kenseth joined an exclusive club when he made the Coca-Cola 600 his first NASCAR Cup Series victory in 2000. Kenseth, who was in his rookie season driving for car owner Jack Roush, joined David Pearson (1961), Jeff Gordon (1994) and Bobby Labonte (1995) as drivers who made the marquee event their first series win. Kenseth, who nearly won in Fontana (CA) a couple weeks earlier before settling for third, left no doubt on this night as he led the final 26 laps and beat Bobby Labonte to the finish line by half-a-second.

KESELOWSKI ADDS ANOTHER JEWEL

Brad Keselowski became the first Ford driver since Mark Martin in 2002 to win the Coca-Cola 600 when he held off Jimmie Johnson in an overtime finish to take the checkered flag in 2020. The race ended up going five laps past the advertised distance and ended with Keselowski adding another crown jewel victory with Ford to go with his wins in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis (2018) and Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway (2018).

FORD’S COCA-COLA 600 WINNERS

1962 – Nelson Stacy

1963 – Fred Lorenzen

1965 – Fred Lorenzeon

1970 – Donnie Allison

1982 – Neil Bonnett

1987 – Kyle Petty

1991 – Davey Allison

1996 – Dale Jarrett

1999 – Jeff Burton

2000 – Matt Kenseth

2001 – Jeff Burton

2002 – Mark Martin

2020 – Brad Keselowski

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT CHARLOTTE OVAL

1992 – Jeff Gordon (Sweep)

1993 – Mark Martin (2)

1995 – Chad Little (1) and Mark Martin (2)

1996 – Mark Martin (Sweep)

1998 – Mark Martin (1)

1999 – Mark Martin (1)

2000 – Jeff Burton (1)

2001 – Jeff Green (1) and Greg Biffle (2)

2003 – Matt Kenseth (1)

2006 – Carl Edwards (1)

2011 – Matt Kenseth (1) and Carl Edwards (2)

2014 – Brad Keselowski (2)

2016 – Joey Logano (2)

2017 – Ryan Blaney (1)

2018 – Brad Keselowski

TEAM AND RACE NOTES:

This weekend, Zane Smith hops back in the seat of the No. 38 Ford Mustang. Smith will race the No. 38 Boot Barn Ford Mustang in Sunday’s 600-mile race at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. It is NASCAR’s longest race of the season.

It is also an annual Memorial Day tradition as we honor and remember the heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice fighting for our freedom and their families. This year, Front Row Motorsports (FRM), Smith, and Boot Barn will honor Staff Sergeant Kevin Christopher Kimmerly by racing with his name on the windshield of the No. 38 Ford.

Kimmerly was born on September 14, 1972 and raised in North Creek, New York. He joined the Army in 1991 and in 1994 married Inge Kimmerly with whom he had one son who shares his birthday. Following his deployment in the Bosnia-Kosovo conflict, Kimmerly was deployed in the Iraq War as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On September 15, 2003, with only two weeks left before coming home to serve at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Kimmerly was killed in action at a checkpoint after being struck by a rocket-propelled grenade.

The team and Boot Barn are honored to host this Gold Star family on Sunday and to race in the memory of Kimmerly.

COMPETITION NOTES:

Smith will be making his 600-mile race debut in the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday.

But the 2022 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion has one top-five and one top-10 in the truck series at the track.

In Smith’s first two Cup starts he finished 17th and 13th. He was wrecked out of his third Cup Series start at the Talladega (Ala) Superspeedway.

CREW CHIEF RYAN BERGENTY:

“This week, the 38 team is focusing on mental toughness. Charlotte is the longest race on the schedule and a big part of that battle is staying mentally tough. We are working hard to bring a fast Boot Barn Mustang and we will keep working with Zane all weekend.

DRIVER ZANE SMITH:

“We are proud to have Boot Barn on our No. 38 Ford Mustang and I am honored to have Staff Sergeant Kevin Christopher Kimmerly riding along with me. He paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

“Charlotte is a great track, and I am enjoying these starts in the Cup Series. I just want to keep learning and getting better.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

KEVIN HARVICK
Charlotte Advance
No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Coca-Cola 600 (Round 14 of 36)
● Time/Date: 6 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 28
● Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 400 laps/600 miles
● Stage Lengths Stage 1: 100 laps / Stage 2: 100 laps / Stage 3: 100 laps / Final Stage: 100 laps
● TV/Radio: FOX / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Kevin Harvick is a two-time winner of the Coca-Cola 600. He took the trophy in 2011 and 2013. Harvick beat David Ragan by .703 of a second in 2011 and he beat Kasey Kahne by 1.490 seconds in 2013. Harvick led only two laps in 2011 and just 28 laps in 2013, but each of those tallies contained the only lap that mattered most – the last one.

● Harvick has three wins at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway’s 1.5-mile oval. In addition to his two Coca-Cola 600 triumphs on Memorial Day weekend, Harvick won the 2014 Bank of America 500 in the NASCAR Cup Series’ return to the track in October. Harvick dominated by leading a race-high 162 laps to beat four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon by .571 of a second.

● Harvick has earned two poles at Charlotte. The first came in the 2016 Bank of America 500 (27.547 seconds at 196.029 mph) and the second came in the 2017 Coca-Cola 600 (27.918 seconds at 193.424 mph).

● This year’s Coca-Cola 600 will mark Harvick’s 41st career NASCAR Cup Series start at Charlotte. The Bakersfield, California-native has 10 top-fives and 21 top-10s in a career dating back to the 2001 Coca-Cola 600, which was Harvick’s first points-paying race at Charlotte. In that 4-hour and 20-minute affair, Harvick finished second to Jeff Burton and ahead of third-place Tony Stewart, the car owner of the No. 4 Mobil 1 team at Stewart-Haas Racing.

● Harvick has finished among the top-10 in his last five races at Charlotte and 14 times in the last 16 races at the track. DNFs (Did Not Finish) thwarted Harvick in the 2016 Bank of America 500 (engine) and the 2018 Coca-Cola 600 (accident). Harvick finished third in last year’s Coca-Cola 600.

● Harvick has shown strength at Charlotte outside of the NASCAR Cup Series. He has made 28 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 1.5-mile oval, finishing among the top-10 18 times, with a best result of second, earned twice (October 2012 and May 2017). Harvick has also made three NASCAR Truck Series starts at Charlotte, finishing among the top-five twice with a best result of fourth in May 2004.

● As part of #NASCARSalutes and the 600 Miles of Remembrance initiative during the Coca-Cola 600, the No. 4 Mobil 1 team is honoring Marine Corporal Claudio Patino IV, a scout sniper with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force. The 22-year-old from Yorba Linda, California, was killed in action on June 22, 2010 during combat operations in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. As a young boy, Patino dreamed of being in the military and serving his country, with his bedroom wall adorned with pictures and posters of the military. He joined the Marines shortly after graduating from El Dorado High School in 2006. He was deployed to Iraq in 2008 and then to Afghanistan in 2009. In his third overseas deployment, Patino’s battalion, based in Twentynine Palms, California, returned to Afghanistan at the end of March 2010 to assist with general combat operations, train and equip Afghan security forces, and suppress the Taliban. Patino was decorated many times as a member of the Marine Corps, earning an Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Unit Commendation, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and NATO Medal. Patino received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal with Valor posthumously. “He was a Marine to the core,” said Patino’s brother, Marlon Chinchilla. “He died the way he wanted to die. He died a warrior, and he really believed in fighting for his country.”

● The Mobil 1 branding on Harvick’s No. 4 Ford Mustang goes more than skin deep as the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand gives Harvick an added advantage. Mobil 1 products are used throughout his racecar and they extend beyond just engine oil. Power steering fluid, transmission fluid, gear oil and driveline lubricants from Mobil 1 give Harvick a technical advantage over his counterparts by reducing friction, heat and rolling resistance.Mobil 1 is a sponsor whose technology makes Harvick’s No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang faster.

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang

We’re at the mid-point of the regular season. How is your season going so far?

“Our year’s been pretty solid, so far. We’ve been fortunate to have good cars at a lot of the racetracks that we’ve been to. We haven’t been to victory lane, but a couple of times we’ve been right there toward the end of races and it just hasn’t all worked out. But the one thing that I have learned is, if you keep putting yourself in that spot, that door will open soon, and that’s really our focus right now, to continue doing the things that we’ve been doing. We’ve run well at some of the racetracks we haven’t run well at in the past – Martinsville would be the biggest example of that. We ran well at Phoenix, and even at Daytona and Talladega and so many of the places that we’ve been able to put the car up front and lead laps, that’s what we have to do. I think we’ve scored more stage points this year than we probably scored all of last year. That’s a huge improvement. It means that we’re running in the right part of the field. I’m not disappointed that we haven’t won yet. For us, it’s really about the whole season and trying to keep putting yourself in that position because, if you do, that door will open.”

Much is made about the Coca-Cola 600 being the series’ longest race. Because the race is so long, can it be a good thing where if you’re not where you want to be, you have time to make things right? Or is the other side of the coin being that it’s too long of a race to not be good?

“There’s just not a lot of room for error because somebody’s going to be good and you’ve got to put yourself in a position to stay on the lead lap. There are so many different areas of transition that you go through in that race because of the fact that the sun goes down after it starts hot and slick. Then as you transition into the night, you have to have something completely different in your car compared to what you had at the beginning of the race. So there’s a sacrifice you have to make at the beginning of the race to just basically try to keep yourself in a good position. Don’t make any mistakes, stay on the lead lap, and try and put yourself in a good position for the night because that’s when it really counts.”

The Coca-Cola 600 used to be about pushing drivers and their cars to the limit, as attrition was once a key factor. But today, drivers are fitter than ever and cars seem to be built better than ever before. Is that extra 100 miles noticeable anymore, be it from your perspective behind the wheel or from your team’s when it comes to building your racecar?

“I don’t think from a physical standpoint it’s noticeable anymore. I think the biggest thing about the Coke 600 is your mental state. When they tell you halfway, it’s like, ‘Oh, my God, that’s only halfway?’ That’s 200 laps, and it feels like you’ve run a whole race and you have the other half of the race still to run. So I think from a mental standpoint, it’s hard to wrap your arms around the lap count and all the things that come with a race being that long.”

The Coca-Cola 600 is considered one of NASCAR’s crown jewels because it is the only 600-mile race on the schedule. But in this short-attention span era, is a 600-mile race still needed?

“You can debate it. Looking at the 600, it’s a pretty historic race and, listening to people who’ve watched the race, they think it’s too long. But I think from the sport’s standpoint, you have to have different tests, and I think 600 miles still represents a test that you can relate to the past, and it just adds a different level of preparation.”

You’re a two-time winner of the Coca-Cola 600 (2011 and 2013). Forget the folks who say a four-plus hour race is too long. Do you take special satisfaction in each of those wins because it is a big deal to not only run 600 miles at Charlotte, but do it better than anyone else – twice?

“I don’t that that one sticks out any more than any of the rest of them as far as the marquee, crown-jewel races go, just because of the fact that those four races (Coca-Cola 600, Daytona 500, Southern 500 and Brickyard 400) are pretty unique, and having the opportunity to win any of those is pretty special. And I think winning at Charlotte, no matter what it is, whether it’s the 600 or at the Roval, it’s definitely different because of all the people you have from the shop, and family and friends, and anything you can win at Charlotte is just special.”

What would it mean to win a third Coca-Cola 600 in your final Coke 600 start?

“When you look at Charlotte Motor Speedway, it’s obviously a huge piece of the NASCAR landscape, and to win one of the crown-jewel races in the Coke 600 and be able to put your name on one of those trophies is something that is important. For me, Charlotte was always one of those racetracks that I was like, ‘Uh, I don’t know, I don’t like it, I do like it, I don’t like it, I do like it,’ but over the last 10 or 12 years, it’s been a racetrack that’s been pretty good to me. I think when you’re in NASCAR racing, you understand that Charlotte Motor Speedway is not only special because it’s the home of the Coke 600, it’s also special because this is really our hub, this is where all the race shops are, this is where all the people are. It’s the place where the folks in the industry get to bring their family to the race and enjoy the weekend. You’re close to home and it’s a homecoming event year after year, and it’s always a special weekend – especially when you win, because you get to have people in victory lane that don’t normally get to victory lane. So that’s our goal – get people to victory lane who don’t normally get to go to victory lane.”

What does it mean to honor and remember a military member on your No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford this Memorial Day weekend?

“There isn’t any sport that honors the military any better than NASCAR. I know a lot of sports do a lot of things for our military, but when you roll into this particular weekend with the Coke 600 and you’re a part of the celebration and remembrance for all the things that have happened with our military, to see the support that NASCAR and everybody in our garage gives the military, especially on this particular weekend, is something that gives you goosebumps.”

No. 4 Mobil 1 Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Kevin Harvick

Hometown: Bakersfield, California

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith

Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engineer: Stephen Doran

Hometown: Butler, Pennsylvania

Engineer: Dax Gerringer

Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina

Spotter: Tim Fedewa

Hometown: Holt, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Daniel Coffey

Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith

Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Jeremy Howard

Hometown: Delhart, Texas

Jack Man: Brandon Banks

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Evan Marchal

Hometown: Westfield, Indiana

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Tyler Trosper

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Mechanic: Nick DeFazio

Hometown: Orange, California

Tire Specialist: Jamie Turski

Hometown: Trumbull, Connecticut

Engine Tuner: Robert Brandt

Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Transporter Co-Driver: Rick Hodges

Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen Mitchell

Hometown: Woodville, Ohio