WWT Raceway
Sunday, June 5, 2022
1.25-Mile Oval
3:30 PM ET
Location: Madison, Illinois
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (15 of 36)
Radio: SiriusXM, PRN

5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 29 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 9th

No. 5 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available in the WWTR media center on Friday, June 3, at 1:30 p.m. local time.

600 TO REMEMBER: Last Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kyle Larson and the No. 5 team overcame myriad issues to battle for victory late in the race. Larson, who started at the rear of the field following an incident during Saturday’s practice session, made contact with the wall, restarted from the rear of the field three times and spun off turn four – all before halfway in the race scheduled for 400 laps. No. 5 crew chief Cliff Daniels delivered an impassioned speech during the stage two break, and the team battled back with Larson taking the lead at lap 354. A caution on the penultimate lap bunched the field for the first attempt at a green-white-checkered flag finish, and the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion was collected in a multi-car incident off turn four. After stopping for new tires, Larson battled back in the second overtime to post a ninth-place finish.

NEWFOUND SUCCESS: Sunday’s race at WWTR marks the first Cup race at the 1.25-mile track. Last year during Larson’s championship season, five new events appeared on the Cup Series schedule including the inaugural event at Nashville Superspeedway. From the fifth starting position, the Elk Grove, California, native led 264 of the 300 laps on the Tennessee track en route to a third consecutive win. Larson scored two other top-five finishes in inaugural events last year: a runner-up finish to Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott at Circuit of The Americas and a third-place result on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. Larson accumulated the most points (186) in the five inaugural events, 17 more than any other competitor.

SECOND THAT: In his last Cup Series start in Illinois prior to this weekend’s race at the Madison, Illinois, venue, Larson finished runner-up to now Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman at Chicagoland Speedway in 2019. At the time, Larson was driving for Chip Ganassi Racing.

SECOND IN COMMAND: Larson ranks second this season in top-five finishes with six, trailing only Ross Chastain who has seven. Larson has a victory at Auto Club Speedway, runner-up finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway, fourth-place finishes at Bristol Motor Speedway (dirt) and Talladega Superspeedway and a fifth-place finish at Richmond Raceway.

ACTIVELY OUT FRONT: In his last six races, Larson has led at least one lap – tied for the longest active streak in NASCAR’s top division with Kyle Busch. In addition, the driver of the No. 5 Valvoline Chevrolet has paced the field in 11 races, tied for the second-most with teammate William Byron this season and only trailing Ryan Blaney (12).

SEEING RED: Valvoline will make its second of three appearances as the primary sponsor of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend. Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV) is a leading worldwide marketer and supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services, with sales in more than 140 countries. Established in 1866, the company’s heritage spans more than 150 years, during which time it has developed powerful brand recognition across multiple product and service channels. Valvoline ranks as the No. 3 passenger car motor oil brand in the DIY market by volume. To learn more, visit www.valvoline.com.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 26 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 1st

No. 9 Hooters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

NEW TRACK SUCCESS: Chase Elliott has quite the knack for success in races on new tracks added to the NASCAR Cup Series schedule and this Sunday’s race at WWTR is the latest new addition to the slate. He’s been the first one to visit victory lane at the Daytona Road Course (2020), Circuit of The Americas (2021) and most recently at Road America last July. Those victories make up three of his 14 Cup Series wins.

SIMILAR TRACK STATS: While Elliott has never raced at the 1.25-mile track in the St. Louis area, he has plenty of experience on tracks similar in length. In 45 starts on tracks measuring 1 to 1.37 miles in length, the 26-year-old driver has three wins, including a victory at Dover Motor Speedway earlier this season. Accompanying those victories are 18 top-five finishes, 24 top-10s and 1,190 laps led.

NO. 9 IS TOPS: Despite a tough result at Charlotte Motor Speedway for Elliott and the No. 9 team, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native continues to hold the Cup Series points lead by 34 markers over Ross Chastain. Elliott has been atop the standings for 10 consecutive weeks and now has eight playoff points with the help of his stage one win last weekend.

LEADING LAPS: Elliott has spent a lot of time at the front of the field in 2022. Through 14 races, he’s led 445 circuits, a career-high mark for the driver of the No. 9 at this point in the season. Those laps are second to his Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron, who’s led 570 on the season.

PIT ROAD PROWESS: The No. 9 team currently owns the best average time for four-tire pit stops at 11.644 seconds. The team is comprised of jackman T.J. Semke, gasman John Gianninoto, tire carrier Jared Erspamer and tire changers Chad Avrit and Nick O’Dell.

HOOTERS IS BACK: Hooters joins the No. 9 team as the primary partner for the first of three races in 2022 on Sunday at WWTR. At the end of 2021, it was announced that Hooters had extended its primary sponsorship of Elliott and the No. 9 team through 2024. Hooters will also be on Elliott’s Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 later this season at Bristol Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the Cup Series playoffs. Get a look at all of the angles of the 2022 Hooters paint scheme here.

WHEN CHASE WINS, YOU WIN: Fans can visit Hooters on Mondays after Cup Series races this season and ask their server for free fried pickles with any drink purchase when Elliott finishes in the top 10. If he wins, customers receive free boneless wings with any 10-wing purchase. Get more details at hooters.com/racing.

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 24 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 7th

No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2022 SO FAR: So far in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, William Byron has scored two wins, four top-five finishes, with 570 laps led across 11 of the 14 races, three stage wins and 13 playoff points accumulated. He is currently seventh in the driver point standings and is locked into the Cup Series playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.

LEADING THE FIELD: With 14 races complete in 2022, Byron has led laps in 11 of them – tied for the second-most with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson. His 570 laps led is the most by a driver this season and he is currently on a streak of three consecutive races with at least one lap led – tied for the fourth-longest active streak. He also continues to spend the most laps running in the top-10 (2,516) as well as the most laps running within the top-five (1,687).

SIMILAR IN STYLE: This Sunday’s race at WWTR will mark Byron’s 31st start on tracks 1 to 1.37 miles in length (Dover Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway and Phoenix Raceway). In his previous 30 starts, the 24-year-old driver has collected one pole award, five top-five finishes, 10 top-10s with 82 laps led.

GOING TO GATEWAY: While this weekend’s race will mark the first time that the Cup Series has raced at the track located just outside St. Louis, it will not be the first time that Byron has visited the Illinois-based facility. In 2016, Byron competed at this track in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. During that race, he started third and led 47 of the 160 laps before being collected in a late race on-track incident that resulted in a 17th-place finish.

THE RUDY RUNDOWN: While many in the Cup Series will be experiencing the venue for the first time, crew chief Rudy Fugle is one of a few that has prior experience at the 1.25-mile oval. The Livonia, New York, native has eight prior starts at the track, with six coming in the Truck Series and two in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. His drivers have collected two top-10 finishes – with a best finish of sixth – all while leading 258 laps. One of those six starts was with Byron, where the duo led almost one-third of the race before settling for a 17th-place finish from an on-track incident.

RAPTOR® TOUGH: Returning for this weekend, Byron will race the No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Sunday’s event. RAPTOR® is a durable protective coating and bed liner that is designed to tolerate the toughest climatic conditions and can be applied to a wide range of substrates from steel, wood, concrete and plaster to plastics and composites. Resistant to common fuels, U.V., scratches and stains, RAPTOR® is available at local paint distributors, auto parts stores and can also be purchased from online retailers like Amazon.

48 Alex Bowman
Age: 29 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Greg Ives
Standings: 8th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

CONQUERING CHARLOTTE: Last Sunday, Alex Bowman crossed the finish line at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 10th after evading several on-track incidents, including one on the first green-white-checkered attempt. His top-10 result marked his ninth front-running finish this season. Through 14 races, Bowman is eighth in regular season points, 74 markers behind leader and teammate Chase Elliott.

BACK TO WHERE IT BEGAN: The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Illinois this weekend as the field takes on WWTR for the first time. Last time Bowman was in the Prairie State, he took home his first Cup Series win at Chicagoland Speedway in June 2019 in the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro. Since then, the Tucson, Arizona, native has tallied six more wins, including primary sponsor Ally’s first Cup Series win at Richmond Raceway in April 2021.

FRONT RUNNER: Bowman continues to be a model for consistency this season. The 29-year-old driver has nine top-10s in the 2022 Cup Series season – more than any other year in his Cup career through 14 races. In his career-best season of 2021, he tallied his ninth top-10 in the 18th race of the season at Pocono Raceway. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is also tied with 2021 Cup Series champion and teammate Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and Kyle Busch for the most top-10 results in the last six events with five.

THERE AT THE END: With a mark of 11.71, Bowman still holds the second-best average finish in the Cup Series. Only Kyle Busch has a better average result at 11.21. The winner of the spring race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway also follows Busch in most top-10 finishes in the Cup Series, garnering nine and 10 placements, respectively.

SLINGING DIRT: This Friday at Tri-City Speedway, Bowman will make another start for Alex Bowman Racing with the World of Outlaws. Fielding and driving the No. 55 Ally sprint car in Illinois for his own team, he continues to refine his racing skillset this season.

NEARING 100,000: Hendrick Motorsports needs to lead just 98 miles in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race to cross 100,000 miles led in the sport’s top series. This would be achieved by leading 79 laps at WWTR this weekend. The four-car team has led 1,445.43 miles in the 14 points-paying races held thus far in 2022.

INAUGURAL TRIUMPHS: Sunday’s race marks the first Cup Series race at the 1.25-mile track. In the last six races on new tracks for the Cup Series, Hendrick Motorsports has won four times. Three of those wins came last year with victories for Chase Elliott at Road America and Circuit of The Americas and Kyle Larson grabbing the win at Nashville Superspeedway.

VARIETY PACK: Hendrick Motorsports has gone to victory lane at more racetracks than any other active team. Its series-best 285 Cup wins have been spread across 31 different venues.

PRAIRIE STATE LOOK BACK: Prior to Sunday’s race at the Madison, Illinois, track, the Cup Series has raced 21 times in the state of Illinois with 19 of those starts coming at Chicagoland Speedway. Hendrick Motorsports won at that 1.5-mile track three times with Alex Bowman winning in the last event held there in 2019.

OUT FRONT: Through the first 14 races in 2022, Hendrick Motorsports has led the most laps in the Cup Series with 1,280 circuits out front. The second- and third-place teams just eclipse that mark when combined. This is the first time in eight seasons that the 14-time Cup champions have led over 1,200 laps at this point in the season.

WHERE THE WINS STAND: With 12 races left in the regular season, Hendrick Motorsports has five wins in 2022 – the most in the series. The organization is the fastest to have its entire four-car lineup win in one season as it achieved that in the first 11 races of the season. William Byron’s two wins lead the way for the squad.

FINISHING TOUCHES: Hendrick Motorsports has the most top fives (16) and top 10s (30) in the 2022 Cup Series season. Larson has a team-best six top-fives, while Elliott and Bowman are tied for the team lead with nine top-10 finishes.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on preparing for the inaugural WWTR race: “I’ll watch some (NASCAR Camping World) Truck Series races on YouTube – probably the most recent truck races and maybe some old Xfinity races. It looks like a cool track and I’m sure Cliff (Daniels, crew chief of No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1) and the team have been using every tool and resource possible to ensure we have a good package when we unload there.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on preparing for the first race at the Madison, Illinois, track: “The trucks just raced there last year or the year before, and I have been watching that race today. We also have data from a wheel-force tire test a few weeks ago, so we have data and in-car cameras from that – all OEM’s do. That data is super valuable just to help understand our simulation tools and how those match up to what we saw on the track data. Then we try to understand the nuance of the track and compare it to similar tracks we’ve been to with a Next Gen car, which would probably be Phoenix (Raceway). Fortunately, we do have the 50-minute practice on Friday to really tune on the car. It’s not a lot of time, but it’s enough to get a good feel for things.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on heading to the 1.25-mile oval for the first time: “I think anytime you head to a new track it’s tough. You can do everything to try to prepare, but you’re not really going to know until you make those first laps in practice. We’re getting a little more track time than we do at most tracks so that will help give us an opportunity to try to figure some things out ahead of Sunday. There are a lot of unknowns, but I’m looking forward to heading there and seeing what we can do.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 on racing at the St. Louis-area track: “We’re just going to have to be prepared to adapt. We’ve been looking at our notes from Phoenix (Raceway) and Richmond (Raceway) and trying to put them together as we’ve been anticipating what to expect. I don’t really think anybody is going to be able to hit it right off the truck, so that’s where you’re going to have to be able to adapt and adjust. Whoever does a good job of that is going to be fast. Chase always does great at providing feedback and telling us what he needs out of the car, so hopefully we’ll be in a good position heading into Sunday.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his thoughts for this weekend: “I don’t know what to expect this weekend really. I think Gateway will race similar to how Phoenix (Raceway) does. We had some speed there earlier this year so I think we have a good starting point, plus we have a full 50-minute practice this Friday to really feel things out. It’s been a few years since I’ve raced there, and when I did, we had a good race going and led a bunch of laps. The last few weeks we haven’t gotten the results we’ve wanted despite leading laps and running up front. This weekend is a good chance for us to turn that around heading into the summer stretch of the season.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on what he thinks it will take to win on Sunday: “Gateway may be a mile-and-a-quarter long but it races more like a short track with long straightaways. So far this season with the Next Gen car, we have been fast on those style tracks so that gives us confidence heading into this weekend. It’s a unique track that’s tough to figure out and those are the challenges I enjoy as a crew chief. I think it’s safe to say that track position is going to be a major factor this weekend and that pit stops are going to be a major key to that. We’ve really improved on pit road the last few weeks, so that gives me confidence as well. You always go to the race track wanting to win, but with this being the first Cup Series race there, everyone wants to be able to say that they were the winner of a inaugural event.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his consistency this season: “I am happy that we have been able to finish in the top 10 as much as we have, but I think we are capable of more. Our goal was to be more consistent this year and we are achieving that – now we need to stay consistent and move our aim to higher finishes. We have been close to the front at the end of races and have been able to make a few passes when it counts. Just need to find a way to be in the front of the pack and contend for more wins. I am proud of the effort every week from our guys, and we will continue to work hard and try to knock off a few more wins this year.”

Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how he is preparing for the race at the Illinois-based track: “Our short track package is pretty good – we have run well at Richmond (Raceway) and Martinsville (Speedway). We will lean on our notes from those tracks and what I have learned from conversations with Rudy (Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1). He has run there in the (NASCAR Camping World) Truck Series and though they aren’t Cup cars, it helps us with how the track will progress through the race and what to expect the racing to look like as the day goes on.”

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Ford/Disabled American Veterans team are headed this weekend to a new venue for NASCAR’s Cup Series, but one that Burton and his crew chief Brian Wilson are familiar with.

Burton has raced in both NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series and the ARCA Menards Series at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, the 1.25-mile track located in the St. Louis suburb of Madison, Ill.

And crew chief Brian Wilson competed there back in 2010 as a race engineer for Brad Keselowski in the series now known as Xfinity. That team came away a winner in the fall race at Gateway that year.

Wilson said he’s looking forward to this weekend’s inaugural Enjoy Illinois 300 at Gateway.

“It’s really exciting to be going to the St. Louis market this weekend,” Wilson said. “Personally I always enjoy the challenge of going to a new track for the Cup series.

“This weekend I’m especially interested in the extended practice format that we’ll have. We get extra time and will be able to make more changes to the setup than on a normal weekend.”

Wilson said he, Burton and the No. 21 Ford/DAV team are hoping to continue down the technological path they’ve taken at recent races.

“The past few weeks we’ve been working on a new direction that showed some potential at Charlotte in qualifying,” he said. “We’ll continue on that path and try to utilize the extra practice time to maximize the potential.”

And Wilson said his No. 21 team showed Sunday in a marathon Coca-Cola 600 that even when things looked discouraging in the early laps, each member continued to put forth a maximum effort.

“I feel like last week’s race shows the fight in this team, which resulted in a great 11th-place finish,” he said. “With that fighting mentality we’ll continue to push to learn and improve on our speed.”

For this weekend’s race, the No. 21 Mustang will carry a special paint scheme celebrating the 100-year relationship between Ford and the Disabled American Veterans.

That relationship began in 1922 when Ford provided 50 Model Ts for veterans of the first World War to attend the second national DAV convention. In the years since, Ford has worked to ensure that veterans have access to reliable transportation to reach their healthcare and medical appointments.

Ford’s efforts on behalf of veterans are also evident in the company’s employment of approximately 6,000 veterans. Since 2019, the Ford-Lincoln Veteran Careers Program has been a part of New Ford Tech, a program that hires and trains Ford service technicians.

A 50-minute practice session at Gateway is scheduled to start at 4:05 p.m. (5:05 Eastern Time) Friday, and qualifying is set for Saturday at 10 a.m. (11 Eastern).

Sunday’s 240-lap, 300-mile race is planned for 2:30 p.m. (3:30 Eastern Time) with TV coverage on FOX Sports 1.

Stage breaks are set for Laps 45 and 140.

About Motorcraft
Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln Dealers, independent distributors and automotive-parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty* of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Omnicraft
Omnicraft is part of the Ford lineup of parts brands: Ford Parts, Motorcraft and Omnicraft. Omnicraft is the exclusive non-Ford/Lincoln parts brand of premium aftermarket parts. With over a century of parts heritage to build upon, Omnicraft provides excellent quality and fit and is a preferred choice of professional automotive technicians. To find out more about Omnicraft, visit www.omnicraftautoparts.com or contact your local Ford or Lincoln Dealership.

About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center
Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine maintenance, serving all vehicle makes and models. Quick Lane provides a full menu of automotive services, including tires, oil change & maintenance, brakes, batteries, alternator & electrical system, air conditioning system, cooling system, transmission service, suspension & steering, wheel alignment, belts & hoses, lamps & bulbs, wiper blades plus a thorough vehicle checkup report. Service is performed by expert technicians while you wait at any of nearly 800 locations in the U.S., with evening and weekend hours available and no appointment necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification; mobility solutions, including self-driving services; and connected services. Ford employs approximately 187,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit corporate.ford.com.

*See seller for limited-warranty details.

Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glenn’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Harrison Burton in the famous No. 21 racer.

About DAV
DAV empowers veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. It is dedicated to a single purpose: keeping our promise to America’s veterans. DAV does this by ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them, fighting for the interests of America’s injured heroes on Capitol Hill, providing employment resources to veterans and their families, and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life. DAV, a nonprofit organization with more than 1 million members, was founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932. Learn more at DAV.org.

Feels Confident Heading into a Familiar Track with First Phase

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 1, 2022) – For the NASCAR Cup Series, this weekend’s race at the World Wide Technology Raceway will be a first. For Cup Series rookie, Todd Gilliland, it will and it will not. It will be his fifth year in a row returning to the St. Louis track, but first in the Cup car. Gilliland looks to bring four years of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series experience to the table and hopes to have a solid result.

“World Wide Technology Raceway is a tight track with long straightaways,” said Gilliland. “I like the layout and have run well there in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. I have two second-place finishes and have always felt comfortable racing on what can be a tricky track at times. Hopefully, we can turn that into a good run in the Cup car.”

“I have said at the beginning of the year that I do not believe this car drives much different than what I have driven in the past. But it is still an adjustment, and the completion level is high. Coming out of the 600 at Charlotte, we had a good run and back near the top-15. We just need more of those races under our belt and this weekend is a great opportunity at another track I like.”

Returning to the No. 38 this weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway is First Phase. The new credit card from CURO Credit, LLC, issued by The Bank of Missouri, a staple partner for Todd Gilliland and Front Row Motorsports.

“First Phase has been a huge supporter in my first year in the NASCAR Cup Series,” continued Gilliland. “Getting to know everyone throughout this year has been amazing and they have really jumped in and have become a part of this No. 38 team.”

Gilliland and the First Phase Ford Mustang will hit the track at the World Wide Technology Raceway on June 5 at 3:30 PM ET on FS1.

ABOUT CURO

CURO Group Holdings Corp. (NYSE: CURO) is a full-spectrum consumer credit provider across the U.S. and Canada. The Company was founded in 1997 by three childhood friends in Kansas to meet the growing consumer need for short-term loans. Today, CURO operates a robust, omni-channel platform providing comprehensive credit solutions to help customers achieve their financial goals. CURO’s decades of experience with alternative data power the underwriting and scoring engine, mitigating risk across the full spectrum of credit products. CURO operates under a number of brands including Speedy Cash®, Rapid Cash®, Cash Money®, LendDirect®, Flexiti®, Avío Credit®, Opt+®, Revolve Finance®, Heights Finance, Southern Finance, Covington Credit, Quick Credit and First Phase. Our diversified product channels allows us to meet the changing needs and preferences of our customers.

ABOUT FIRST PHASE

First Phase is a new credit card issued by The Bank of Missouri that provides pathways to financial freedom for people with unestablished or imperfect credit. It’s a powerful tool that can provide flexibility and help fuel the next chapter of their financial future. First Phase is the doing business assumed name of CURO Credit, LLC, whose ultimate parent company is CURO Group Holdings Corp (NYSE: CURO).

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 Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Enjoy Illinois 300 Advance | Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Cole Custer, driver of the No. 41 Feeding America/Wow Wow Classic Waffles Ford Mustang, heads to World Wide Technology Raceway for this weekend’s debut NASCAR Cup Series event with some previous track experience on his resume. Custer has three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at the facility, including a victory in 2015. He spoke about returning to the place known as Gateway earlier this afternoon with media members.

COLE CUSTER, No. 41 Feeding America/Wow Wow Classic Waffles Ford Mustang — WHAT IS IT LIKE TO GO BACK TO A TRACK WHERE YOU’VE HAD SUCCESS? “It gives you a little bit of confidence. I haven’t run the track since 2016, I think, so I’ve never run on the repave so that’s gonna be interesting, but I kind of know the idea of the track. One end is extremely tight with the feel at that end and then you have the other end that’s really similar to maybe New Hampshire or Phoenix one and two, where it’s really wide and sweeping, so just kind of have to get used to the repave. I think I have an idea of the racetrack from using the Ford simulator, but the repave is definitely gonna be different than what I was used to.”

IF YOU HAD TO WRITE TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF ABOUT YOUR NASCAR CAREER, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOURSELF? “I think the biggest thing is just asking questions and figuring out what is good for you. I think what works for everybody doesn’t work for you, so you have to kind of figure out your style inside the car and outside the car. You have to figure out what works for you and I think at this level that really becomes apparent that you have to focus on yourself and figure out what’s gonna work for you inside and outside the car.”

YOU’RE IN ST. LOUIS. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT TO THE TRACK YET? “No, I haven’t been to the track yet. I’ve been to the Cardinals stadium, but not the track.”

SO YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT’S DIFFERENT? “I haven’t seen it. From what I’ve heard, I saw some of the people who work there yesterday and obviously the repave makes it different than when I was there, but they said they made a lot of renovations with fan zone stuff and throughout the racetrack and the facility. I’m pretty excited about seeing it because I think it’s come a long way.”

WHEN YOU WON THERE IN 2015 WERE YOU SHIFTING? “If I remember right, it was an option. I definitely do remember shifting, but I can’t remember if it was every lap or not.”

SO YOU MIGHT BE SHIFTING TWICE ON THE FRONTSTRETCH AND ONCE ON THE BACKSTRETCH. HOW WILL THAT BE? “I think that is the idea going into it, that we’ll shift twice in one and two and then once in three and four, but we won’t know until we get to practice. It’s more of a pain than anything to be completely honest. Doing one shift and everything that’s all fine, but having to do two is a little bit more, but that’s why we’re paid the big bucks, I guess. As race car drivers we’re always looking for a little advantage over everybody, so I think having that shifting there hopefully we can figure out how to use that to our advantage.”

WE SAW SHIFTING USED AT SHORT TRACKS AS A DEFENSE MECHANISM. WILL IT BE THE SAME AT GATEWAY OR WILL IT BE DIFFERENT? “I think so, a little bit, for sure. I think, when you look at it, if you go in there and wash up, make a mistake, you can always grab a gear and the car is gonna accelerate really good off the corner. It’s gonna be harder for that guy behind you to pass, but it’s just part of these cars. We have five gears now and I don’t think you’re gonna escape that at Gateway either because the ends are so much different. You’re always gonna be shifting. I think at Martinsville we can figure out something to where we can make it so that we don’t have to shift, but Gateway it will always be hard to make that happen.”

WHAT MADE CHARLOTTE SO MUCH BETTER THIS TIME AROUND? “I think the biggest thing is we have a smaller spoiler, less downforce, the cars are really on edge this year, so we were able to move around the track a lot. And I think the track also did a really good job with how they used the resin, the chemical they put down. They really didn’t put much down with it, so they made it so we could run multiple lanes and be able to race. We had a lot of options to try and pass. The cars were really on edge. I think you saw that with all the guys spinning out, so they just made it to where there were a lot of options and a lot of guys were edgy and traded a lot of chaos and it was good racing.”

THE NUMBERS ARE NOT VERY GOOD THE LAST FEW RACES, BUT YOU WERE IN CONTENTION AT THE END ON SUNDAY BEFORE GETTING CAUGHT UP IN A WRECK. HOW HAVE YOU AND YOUR TEAM DEALT WITH THIS ROUGH STRETCH? “You just have to keep grinding. It’s a really long year and you just have to stay at it and keep working with your team and get your cars better and go week by week. But I think the biggest thing from last week is that we can take a lot of positives and a lot of momentum from that. I mean, being able to run up there in the top five and have a shot to win the race at the end, that makes you pumped to go to the track the next week. I think we’re going in the right direction, it’s just a matter of cleaning some things up and having some good luck. Like you said, it’s been a brutal year from the standpoint of I think we’ve shown we can have speed at times. I think at Martinsville we were in the top five most of the race. At COTA were in the top 10 for most of the race and Charlotte we had a really good run, but we’ve had tires roll away, we’ve had motors blow, and we’ve gotten wrecked I think six or seven times, so it seems like one thing after another, but if you bring fast cars to the racetrack, it’ll eventually turn around.”

YOU DID THE CHARLOTTE TIRE TEST A MONTH BEFORE THE RACE. DID THAT HAVE ANY ROLE IN YOUR PERFORMANCE LAST WEEK? “I think it helps a little bit. I mean, having those laps there and just kind of get there and settle on what we want in the car and everything and what to expect, but at the same time I think there’s a lot to be said about how hard our team has worked the last few weeks at getting our cars better. Obviously, Texas and Kansas probably weren’t our best races, so it was a lot of work that went into our team trying to make our cars better and they’ve done a great job. We went to Charlotte and had some really fast cars by the end of the race, so it gets us really pumped up for going into the summer and hopefully having some speed.”

YOU GET A FULL PRACTICE SESSION THIS WEEK. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AND HOW CAN THAT HELP? “It’s exciting, I think mainly for the crew chiefs. When you look at it, 15 minutes of practice and now we get an hour, they’re probably itching to try a bunch of different things that they’ve been thinking about in their heads and talking with engineers, so I think you’ll see a lot of guys trying some things because now we’re to the point where everybody probably has a little bit of a baseline of where they’re at with these cars, but now you’re gonna try some little different things to get that little bit extra speed, so having this hour long practice, I think you’ll definitely see some guys trying some different setups and things like that. It’ll be cool. It’ll be interesting. Gateway is a hard track to get a hold of because it’s two different ends. There’s gonna be a lot of shifting like we said before, so we’ll see who comes out on top.”

NASCAR HAS SAID SHIFTING ON OVALS IS SOMETHING THEY’RE GOING TO LOOK AT. WHAT ABOUT THE DRIVERS? HOW DO YOU GUYS FEEL ABOUT HAVING TO DO THAT? “I don’t want to speak for everybody, but for me I think at places like Gateway, Darlington, Pocono, it’s gonna be really hard to make it to where we don’t shift at those places. I mean, it’s probably gonna be a thing that’s part of the racing now, but I think when you look at Martinsville and the traditional tracks that we don’t shift at, it doesn’t help the racing to have the shifting. It makes it a little bit more busy as a driver at times and stuff like that, but I don’t think it helps the racing when you can kind of grab a gear and accelerate off the corner. Even if you make a little mistake you can kind of make up for it with the shift, so I think it’s something where going to the traditional tracks and not shifting would probably be better.”

RESIN WAS USED AT CHARLOTTE AND HAS BEEN USED MORE FREQUENTLY THAN PJ1. IS THAT BETTER FOR DRIVERS? “Yeah, it seems like it’s just kind of a milder kind of PJ1, I would say. It doesn’t put off maybe quite as much grip as PJ1 and, like you said, it probably doesn’t take quite as long to work in either. Last week, I think they only put one coat down, which was not very much, so I think that’s what made it to where we could move around the track a lot. Charlotte probably doesn’t need it as much anymore just because the surface is aging, so it’s definitely interesting to say the least. I think the direction that they’re going of a little bit of resin or less or almost no chemicals is probably better.”

HAVE YOU HAD ANY TIME IN THE SIMULATOR FOR GATEWAY AND DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND? “We went to the Ford simulator and got to run a decent amount. I think there’s gonna be shifting. I think that’s kind of a for sure, but it’s two different ends. It’s a track that I haven’t seen in four or five years and I haven’t seen the repave, so it’s gonna be a hard track to get a hold of for the teams, I think, just from the standpoint of you have one end that’s really tight, you have one end that’s really sweeping, so it’s gonna be an interesting weekend.”

IT SEEMS SHR TENDS TO GET MUCH BETTER THE LONGER THE RACE GOES ON? DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT FOR YOUR TEAM AND IS IT NOTICED WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION? “I think it’s just a matter of dialing your car in more and more throughout the race and finding what you need in it, and I think we’re getting better and better about unloading and figuring out what we need in our cars, so that will get better as the year goes on. Overall, I think our team, at Charlotte especially, we did a great job of making the car better and once it went to night time we really came to life, so hopefully we can keep building on it and have a few good weeks here.”

CHARLOTTE HAS ALWAYS BEEN TEMPERATURE SENSITIVE. WAS IT THAT WAY WITH THE NEXT GEN CAR OR COULDN’T YOU TELL A DIFFERENCE? “Yeah, I mean Charlotte is probably one of the most temperature-sensitive tracks that we go to on the schedule. For me personally, my car didn’t change a ton, it just had way more grip. It’s like a light switch. When the shade happens and it goes to night time, it’s unreal how much grip that track picks up. We’ve always seen that at Charlotte. It’s pretty crazy.”

GATEWAY HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT TRACK IN YOUR RACING HISTORY. DOES IT HOLD A SPECIAL PLACE IN YOUR HEART? “Yeah, I think so for sure. I think it was my first pole, and I’m pretty sure we got the track record when we went there, and then I won one of my truck races here, so it’s one of those places that I took to well and I really like it. I think in one and two you’re able to be able to go in there and be really aggressive on the brakes, get the car slowed down, get it to hook the line and then you’re trying to get up to speed as fast as you can for that long straightaway on the backstretch. And then you go into a completely different corner in three and four that is a big sweeper corner and it’s similar to New Hampshire. We actually won another truck race there and Phoenix, so it was definitely a good track for us and hopefully can keep it going.”

IS IT A FACT THAT THE NEXT GEN CARS FROM A COMPETITION STANDPOINT ARE CLOSER? “I think it’s definitely a closer field of cars. I think you can see that you’ll have guys who start off the race not as good as they want to be and then they’ll get it better just because there’s only so far off you can be, I guess. There still are good cars and bad cars, but it’s in a tighter box, so I think it’s made it a little bit more competitive. You’ll see teams that haven’t run up front in the past. I mean, they’re right up there competing for wins, so it’s made it good, I think. Like I said, the cars are on edge on the bigger tracks especially just because you don’t probably have the downforce that you would want when you go to places like that, but it makes the drivers work that much harder and makes for some exciting racing.”

Roush Fenway Keselowski Weekly Advance | Gateway

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to yet another piece of unfamiliar territory as Gateway hosts the Cup stars for the first time in its history. The track does have history of hosting both the Xfinity and Truck Series in which Jack Roush collected five wins. Brad Keselowski has prior experience there including a win in Xfinity in 2010, while Chris Buescher heads into the weekend with a clean slate, much like the rest of the field.

NASCAR Cup Series Race at Gateway
Sunday, June 5 | 3:30 p.m. ET
FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

· Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang
· Chris Buescher, No. 17 Acronis Ford Mustang

Biffle One of the First Winners at Gateway

Greg Biffle established himself as a winner early in the days of NASCAR visiting Gateway, winning his second-ever truck race there in 1999. He led 30 laps in the No. 50 machine after starting fifth for one of his 17 truck wins all-time, and one of nine on that season.

Edwards a Three-Time Winner in Illinois

Carl Edwards went to victory lane on three occasions at Gateway, all two years apart beginning in 2006. He led 26 laps in the 2006 race, then went on to lead 79 laps in 2008. He went on to win again in 2010 after starting eighth, capping off his trifecta at the 1.25-mile track.

Tale of the Tape

RFK has 49 starts at Gateway across the Xfinity and Truck Series, tallying five combined wins with 28 total top-10s. Four of those victories came in the Xfinity Series from 2002-2010, with the lone Truck win coming in 1999.

RFK Gateway Wins
1999 Biffle Trucks
2002 Biffle Xfinity
2006 Edwards Xfinity
2008 Edwards Xfinity
2010 Edwards Xfinity