Team: No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @RFK17Team, @RFKRacing and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 400 miles, 300 laps, Stages: 70-160-170

NASCAR Cup Race at Richmond – Sunday, Aug. 14 at 3 p.m. ET on USA, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Weekend Format

· The traditional weekend format is on tap this weekend with practice split into two groups Saturday afternoon, immediately followed by group qualifying.

Buescher at Richmond Raceway

· Buescher makes his 13th start at Richmond on Sunday where he has a 25.3 average finish. He finished 15th this spring, his career-best at the ¾-mile track.

· He also made five NXS starts for Jack Roush from 2011-15, earning three top-10s with a best finish of seventh (2014).

· Buescher’s best qualifying effort came back in the 2019 spring race, lining up seventh.

Scott Graves at Richmond Raceway

· Graves will be atop the box for his 13th Cup race Sunday afternoon. In 12 prior starts he has a best finish of fifth, which came with Ryan Newman in the 2019 fall race.

· Prior to that he also finished ninth with Newman in the spring, and most recently ran 15th with Buescher this spring.

· Graves’ top qualifying effort of 11th came with Daniel Suarez back in the 2017 spring event as he has a 21st average starting position overall.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Richmond:
“Brad’s been a huge help for me at certain race tracks with Richmond being one of the bigger ones. It hasn’t historically been my place but it went pretty decent last time there, much better than in the past. It says something that we have speed at different types of race tracks, and been in the top-10, just have to put the pieces together and get the end result.”

Last Time Out
Buescher put his LeBron James Family Foundation Mustang to the front early in Sunday’s race from Michigan, earning a fifth-place result in stage one before going on to finish 16th.

On the Car

Fastenal, in its 12th season with RFK in 2022, makes its 12th appearance with the No. 17 this weekend. In its early days with RFK, Fastenal originally was a partner with the No. 99 team before moving over to the No. 17 team since. They were also the primary partner on the No. 60 Xfinity Series entry that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.

Fastenal will feature top suppliers Loctite, Ansell, Berkshire Corporation, Dupont and Seco Tools on Buescher’s Mustang as he competes this weekend. For more information on these suppliers, visit Fastenal.com, and stay up-do-date on social @FastenalCompany.

About Fastenal
Fastenal [Nasdaq: FAST] is North America’s largest fastener distributor and a ‘one-stop’ source for hundreds of thousands of OEM, MRO and Construction products. With more than 2,600 stores worldwide, the company supports B2B customers with tailored local inventory and dedicated personnel, who visit regularly, quickly respond to emergency needs, and provide efficient inventory management solutions. Fastenal’s service-oriented business network includes the world’s largest industrial vending program, 14 regional distribution centers, 8 custom manufacturing facilities, thousands of delivery vehicles, and industry-leading sourcing, quality and engineering resources.

Team: No. 6 ROUSHParts.com Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Twitter: @RFK6Team, @RFKRacing and @keselowski
Race Format: 400 miles, 300 laps, Stages: 70-160-170
NASCAR Cup Race at Richmond – Sunday, Aug. 14 at 3 p.m. ET on USA, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Weekend Format

· The traditional weekend format is on tap this weekend with practice split into two groups Saturday afternoon, immediately followed by group qualifying.

Keselowski at Richmond Raceway

· Keselowski, a two-time winner at Richmond, makes his 26th Cup start at the 3/4-mile track this weekend. He is one of the more recent winners in Virginia, having led 192 laps in the 2020 fall race after starting ninth. He finished 13th there this spring.

· Keselowski’s first win at Richmond came back in 2014 when he started from the pole and led 383 of the 400 laps. In total, Keselowski has led laps in 12 of his 25 starts at Richmond for a total of 1177 led, the most of any track on the circuit. Of those 12, he has led more than 100 laps in five different events.

· His 12.3 average finish stands as one of his best on the circuit as he has finished 14th or better in 13-straight races. In those 13 races he has an average finish of 8.0.

· Keselowski also made 17 Xfinity Series starts from 2006-17 in Richmond earning four victories and 10 top-10s. He won his last NXS start there in 2017, and also went to victory lane in 2010 once and 2013 twice.

Matt McCall at Richmond Raceway

· McCall will call his 14th Cup race from Richmond this weekend, a track where he has three top-10s and a 14.8 average finish.

· Jamie McMurray finished fourth back in 2015 – McCall’s first-ever Cup race at Richmond – which stands as McCall’s best career finish to date. He and Kurt Busch finished 13th or better in three of the last five events there.

QUOTE WORTHY
Keselowski on racing at Richmond:
“We had a decent run at Richmond in the spring and just missed out on a top-10. Our short-track program has definitely come a long way in a short time, and I think our results have shown that. For me Richmond has historically been a really good track so I’m looking to repeat some of that same success and put our Roush Performance Ford in a great position Sunday afternoon.”

Last Time Out

Keselowski earned a fifth-place finish in stage two of Sunday’s race from Michigan and went on to finish 15th in the Castrol Ford.

On the Car

Keselowski will carry the Roush Performance banner this weekend and run a scheme that highlights ROUSH Parts. The hood design on the No. 6 is meant to emulate a see-through design that creates an illusion of a ROUSH supercharger on the car.

About ROUSH Performance
ROUSH Performance was founded in 1995 by motorsports legend Jack Roush, the winningest name in racing. Combining performance engineering with entrepreneurship, ROUSH began selling designs he had created for his own team to the wider world of motorsports. Based out of Plymouth Township, Michigan, ROUSH Performance, a division of Roush Enterprises, designs, engineers and manufacturers completely assembled pre-titled vehicles, aftermarket performance parts, and superchargers for the global performance enthusiast market. For more on ROUSH, please visit ROUSHperformance.com or call 800.59.ROUSH.

The Pete Store Backs Todd Gilliland

 MOORESVILLE, N.C. (August 9, 2022) – The Pete Store, a network of Peterbilt truck dealerships, will again partner with Front Row Motorsports. Todd Gilliland will race the No. 38 The Pete Store Ford Mustang this weekend at the Richmond (Va.) Raceway.

With locations spanning the eastern United States, The Pete Store offers sales, service, leasing, parts, and financing of Peterbilt trucks. A recipient of numerous awards, including Peterbilt North American Dealer of the Year (2004, 2016 and 2018), The Pete Store is a respected dealer in the transportation industry with a record for quality support. This is the second race of the season that The Pete Store has adorned the No. 38 Ford Mustang.

Gilliland is looking to rebound from last weekend at Michigan.

“Michigan just wasn’t our race that’s for sure,” said Gilliland. “So, we are going back to Richmond with determination to be better. We have been working hard to get our program better results. It does not take much to swing this car from being fast to missing what you need. It is a bit of a fine line. At Indy, we hit it. We hit on it early in the season, too. Now, we just need to find that consistency and that will give us momentum.

The rookie drivers also knows the right attitude is important.

“Richmond has been a tough track for Front Row Motorsports, but I’m not worried,” continued Gilliland. “I know we can have a good race and a good run. I like short track racing and I always come into the weekend feeling optimistic. We have a great looking Pete Store Ford, and we now need to grab a great finish.”

For more information about The Pete Store, visit www.petestore.com

About The Pete Store

The Pete Store is a growing network of Peterbilt truck dealerships, with locations spanning the Eastern United States. Through our exclusive Peterbilt dealerships we offer sales of new and pre-owned trucks, truck parts, body shops, and truck service. A recipient of numerous awards, including Peterbilt North American Dealer of the Year (2004, 2016 and 2018), The Pete Store is a respected dealer in the transportation industry with a track record for quality support.

About Front Row Motorsports

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series and the 2021 Daytona 500 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 NASCAR Camping World 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.

FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: RICHMOND NOTES

The NASCAR Cup Series heads back to Richmond with only three races remaining in the regular season while the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to action with its second playoff event. Here’s a look at where Ford drivers stand in the playoff hunt, along with past Richmond winners.

This Week’s Schedule:
Saturday, August 13 – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, 8 p.m. (FS1)
Sunday, August 14 – NASCAR Cup Series, 3 p.m. (USA)

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT RR

· Ford has 33 all-time series wins at Richmond.
· Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano each have two Ford wins at RR.
· Kevin Harvick also has one career series win.

MICHIGAN MAKES FOUR

Kevin Harvick’s win at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday was not only Ford’s eighth consecutive victory at its hometown track, but also increased the manufacturer’s automatically eligible playoff drivers to four. Harvick joins two-time winner Joey Logano (Darlington and Gateway), Chase Briscoe (Phoenix) and Austin Cindric (Daytona) currently in the playoff field. With 15 different winners in the 2022 season and three races remaining in the regular season, only one spot is currently available on points with Ford’s Ryan Blaney currently in that spot.

CLIMBING THE FORD WIN LIST

Harvick’s victory also continued his climb on the all-time Ford Cup win list. Despite the fact he has only been with the manufacturer since 2017, Harvick now stands 10th with 24 career triumphs. That figure actually ties him with Matt Kenseth and puts him only two behind Brad Keselowski, Junior Johnson and Fred Lorenzen. In addition, Harvick has won more Cup races in Mustang (14) than any other driver since the iconic muscle car became Ford’s flagship Cup model in 2019.

RICHMOND ONE OF LOGANO’S BEST

It would be easy to look at Joey Logano’s two career wins at Richmond and say it’s got to be one of his best tracks on the circuit, but the statistics provide further proof. In 26 career starts, Logano has 12 top 5 and 15 top 10 finishes, which gives him an average finish of 10.5. That’s his second-best average finish on tracks where he’s run at least five races. The only track where Logano has a better average finish is Las Vegas, where his two wins and 11 top-10 finishes in 18 starts works out to an 8.9 average finish.

HARVICK A CAREER TOP-10 FINISHER AT RICHMOND

Another Ford driver who has experienced consistent success at Richmond is Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick. This weekend will mark his 43rrd career Cup Series start at the track in which his 9.9 average finish is fifth-best among tracks currently on the circuit in which he has more than five starts. The other four tracks that statistically are Harvick’s best include: Homestead (7.3), Indianapolis (8.6), Phoenix (8.7) and Kansas (9.1).

FORD IN THE NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES AT RR

· Ford has 3 all-time series wins at Richmond.

· Greg Biffle captured Ford’s first win in 1999.

· Grant Enfinger is Ford’s last winner at the track (2020).

SMITH OFF TO GOOD PLAYOFF START

Zane Smith opened the NASCAR Camping World Series playoffs with a 15-point lead after winning the regular season championship, and a solid third-place run in the opener at Indianapolis Raceway Park helped him maintain a his position toward advancing to the Round of 8. With two races remaining before the year’s first elimination, Smith is 50 points above the cut line. Driving in his first season with Front Row Motorsports, Smith continues to lead the series in wins with three, top 5 finishes with 10, top 10 finishes with 14, and laps led with 347.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT RICHMOND

1957 – Paul Goldsmith

1959 – Tom Pistone and Cotton Owens

1960 – Speedy Thompson (2)

1963 – Ned Jarrett (2)

1965 – Junior Johnson (1)

1968 – David Pearson (1)

1969 – David Pearson (1)

1970 – James Hylton (1)

1979 – Bobby Allison (2)

1980 – Bobby Allison (2)

1981 – Benny Parsons (2)

1984 – Ricky Rudd (1)

1986 – Kyle Petty (1)

1988 – Davey Allison (2)

1990 – Mark Martin (1)

1992 – Bill Elliott (1)

1993 – Davey Allison (1)

1994 – Ernie Irvan (1)

1995 – Rusty Wallace (2)

1996 – Ernie Irvan (2)

1997 – Rusty Wallace and Dale Jarrett

1998 – Jeff Burton (2)

1999 – Dale Jarrett (1)

2001 – Ricky Rudd (2)

2002 – Matt Kenseth (2)

2005 – Kurt Busch (2)

2013 – Carl Edwards (2)

2014 – Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski

2017 – Joey Logano (1)

2020 – Brad Keselowski

FORD NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT RICHMOND

1999 – Greg Biffle

2000 – Rick Carelli

2020 – Grant Enfinger

Spire Motorsports Adds Intercontinental Expertise for Remaining 2022 Road Races

CONCORD, N.C. (August 9, 2022) – Spire Motorsports announced today two-time 24 Hours of LeMans race winner Mike “Rocky” Rockenfeller will steer the team’s No. 77 NationsGuard Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in NASCAR Cup Series Competition in the August 21 Go Bowling at the Glen at Watkins Glen International and the October 9 Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Considered to be one of the most talented German racing drivers of the modern era, Rockenfeller has enjoyed a hugely successful career spanning almost two decades and is eager to try his hand in a Spire Motorsports-prepared, full-bodied stock car.

A former DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) champion, “Rocky” has also been a key fixture on the US motorsports scene since the early years of his professional career. As a Porsche Junior competitor, he made his stateside debut with Flying Lizard Racing at the 2004 24 Hours of Daytona where he finished third overall. Six seasons later, Rockenfeller collected his first American win in the Daytona Prototype (DP) Class in the 2010 Rolex 24 at Daytona.

“Since starting my professional racing career back in the early 2000s, I’ve always kept a close eye on NASCAR,” said Rockenfeller. “What’s more, after teaming up with Jimmie Johnson – one of the heroes of the sport – my respect and appreciation for NASCAR has grown. It’s an immensely competitive series with some of the world’s greatest drivers racing wheel-to-wheel, merely centimeters apart. Room for error is minimal, at best. Watkins Glen is a difficult track in any car but given how sensitive and big a NASCAR Cup Series car is, I think this will be an even bigger challenge.

“I’ve been fortunate to race LMP prototypes, DTM, and GTs, but now I’m ready to get my name out there in NASCAR. This is a huge honor for me to be racing the No. 77 NationsGuard Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, and I want to say thank you to Spire Motorsports for giving me this opportunity to start a new chapter in my career.”

Rockenfeller underscored his versatility by recording consecutive top-three finishes for Chevrolet at the Rolex 24 of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring from 2015 to 2019 in IMSA Sportscar Championship competition. In 2017, he scored the GTLM class victory with Corvette Racing at Sebring aboard a legendary C7.R.

While Rockenfeller has yet to make laps at the ROVAL, his accomplishments at Watkins Glen include a third-place overall effort in the 2006 Sahlen’s Six Hours at the Glen and a sixth-place finish in 2022 for Ally/Action Express Racing where he shared the cockpit with Johnson and Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi.

“Attracting world-class talent like Mike Rockenfeller is such an honor for Spire Motorsports,” said Spire Motorsports President Bill Anthony. “Mike is a talented, globally-accomplished driver and we’re thrilled to introduce him to NASCAR. We’ve invested in getting Mike up to speed quickly through the Driver Familiarization Test and our partners at Chevrolet have generously offered simulation time for him. Everyone at Spire Motorsports is motivated and committed to providing Mike with a great effort for Watkins Glen and the Charlotte ROVAL.”

The Go Bowling at the Glen from Watkins Glen International will be televised live on USA Sunday, August 21 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The 25th of 36 races on the 2022 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

About NationsGuard …
Created by car dealers for car dealers, NationsGuard gives dealer groups total control over finance and insurance products and prioritizes the customer experience while generating income, cash flow and wealth. To learn more, visit NationsGuard.com.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports was established in 2018 and is co-owned by Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. In 2022, Spire Motorsports will field two full-time NASCAR Cup Series entries. Corey LaJoie will drive the team’s No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in NASCAR’s premier series for the entire 2022 campaign while Josh Bilicki and Landon Cassill will split time in the team’s No. 77 entry. The team also fields a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team in select events.

Spire Motorsports earned an upset victory for the ages in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019.

 CP Compressors Returns to the No. 34 Ford Mustang

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (August 9, 2022) – Chicago Pneumatic Compressors is back with Front Row Motorsports and 2021 Daytona 500 Champion, Michael McDowell. This weekend in Richmond, the CP Compressors red and black primary branding returns to the No. 34 Ford Mustang.

With the history of a top-10 finish together from 2020, McDowell and Chicago Pneumatic Compressors are now looking to score a win to get the team in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

The No. 34 team has momentum going into Richmond. With nine top-10 finishes this season, the team is looking to continue their strong run. Having learned a lot during their first trip to Richmond with the new Next Gen Ford Mustang, optimism is high for their playoff push.

“We have had a great season, but we have set the bar high for ourselves,” says McDowell. “We expect to finish top-10 or higher at every race we go to.

“We missed a few things on the setup earlier in the spring, but we have put together so much positive data throughout the season that we are optimistic going into our second visits at all these tracks. I mentioned earlier that we have performed significantly better at all profiles of tracks this season, and I am optimistic to be able to repeat that at these short tracks. Richmond is a fun and technical track to race at, and I am eager to get back with our Chicago Pneumatic Ford.”

McDowell’s No. 34 Chicago Pneumatic Compressors Ford Mustang will race at the Richmond Raceway this Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET on the USA Network.

About Chicago Pneumatic

Chicago Pneumatic Compressors is a market leading manufacturer and distributor of industrial compressed air products such as screw compressors, piston compressors and air treatment. When you are in need of a professional air compressor, CP Compressors is sure to have the right solution. We have used our years of experience to design compressors that are professional and reliable, and to tailor our products to your needs. Visit www.cpcompressors.com for more information.

About Front Row Motorsports

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series and the 2021 Daytona 500 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 NASCAR Camping World 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.