Richard Childress Racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Richard Childress Racing has racked up 12 points-paying victories on the oval at Charlotte. The team has eight wins in the NASCAR Cup Series, led by four by Dale Earnhardt (a sweep of both races in 1986 plus Coca-Cola 600 wins in 1992 and 1993). Kevin Harvick won twice for RCR, claiming 600-mile victories in 2011 and 2013. Jeff Burton (2008 fall race) and Austin Dillon (2017 Coca-Cola 600) also won at Charlotte with the Welcome, N.C.,-based team.

Xfinity Series at Charlotte … Richard Childress Racing has also found success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Charlotte with five victories, most recently with Tyler Reddick in the 2019 ALSCO Uniforms 300. Austin Dillon swept both spring and fall races in 2015. Jeff Green gave RCR its first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory in 2002 (spring) while Jeff Burton won in 2007 (fall).

Introducing the Carolina Cowboys … Driven by the same passion for performance that guides his race team, Richard Childress’ latest endeavor brings Professional Bull Riding to the Carolinas. The Carolina Cowboys represent Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in the PBR Team Series, an elite new league featuring the world’s top bull riders competing in games beginning in Summer 2022. The team is operated by Richard Childress Racing with 2018 Daytona 500 Champion Austin Dillon serving as General Manager.

Meet Carolina Cowboys coach, PRCA World Champion and Bull Riders Ring of Honor Recipient Jerome Davis, along with newly-crowned PBR World Champion Daylon Swearingen, rising star Mason Taylor, Beadreaux Campbell and Cannon Cravens at the Carolina Cowboys display in the Charlotte Motor Speedway Fan Zone on Saturday, May 28 from 5:30 – 6 p.m. ET.

Don’t miss the Carolina Cowboys inaugural “Cowboy Days” Home Stand September 9-11 at Wake Forest’s Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Tickets are on sale beginning Monday, May 30 at PBR.com and Ticketmaster.

Catch the Action … The Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, May 28 beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Follow Sunday’s Action at Charlotte … The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway will be televised live on Sunday, May 29 beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

This Week’s Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Austin Dillon earned his career-first win in the NASCAR Cup Series with a victory in the Coca-Cola 600 in May 2017. A native of North Carolina, Dillon has competed in 13 NASCAR Cup Series races at his hometown track, earning four top-10 finishes, including a sixth-place result last year. He is a two-time winner at the track in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Dillon grew up watching races at Charlotte Motor Speedway from his grandfather’s condo, which overlooks the racetrack.

Tracker Off Road … Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 prominently features TRACKER ATVs, a game-changing new line of all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides offering breakthrough performance, service and value in the off-road industry. TRACKER OFF ROAD was born out of a powerhouse partnership formed between Bass Pro Shops and TRACKER founder Johnny Morris and Textron Specialized Vehicles, bringing together the undisputed world leader in boating with a global leader in innovation and technology.

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

Welcome Coca-Cola, Arby’s Foundation, and Folds of Honor … As a Coca-Cola Racing Family driver, Austin Dillon and Richard Childress Racing are proud to partner with Coca-Cola and Arby’s Foundation to highlight the amazing work Folds of Honor does for families of those who’ve sacrificed their lives for our country. To learn more about Folds of Honor, visit https://foldsofhonor.org/.

600 Miles of Remembrance … Dillon and the No. 3 team will participate in 600 Miles of Remembrance on Memorial Day Weekend. Dillon’s name will be replaced on his race car windshield header with the name of a fallen military service member for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The No. 3 team will feature Chief Warrant Officer Navy SEAL Scott Adam Stout, who died in the line of duty on July 2, 2021.

Double Duty … In addition to competing in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, Dillon is scheduled to race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Saturday afternoon. The race is live on FS1 on Saturday, May 28 at 1 p.m. ET.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:

You’ve had three top-10 finishes in the Coca-Cola 600 in the last three races there. Is Charlotte Motor Speedway a track that your team is circling this year as one of your potentially best races where you can lock in a win? What has made the No. 3 team so strong there?

“I don’t know what it is about Charlotte Motor Speedway. I’ve always had success there. I enjoy the track. I understand what it takes to be fast there in a race car and I have a feel for it. Obviously, I won my first Cup race at Charlotte, so I definitely circle it every year as a place where we go and compete well at. Last year, we were really fast. One of our pit crew members went down leading into that race, so we kind of struggled on pit road that week. I’m really excited about it and taking the Next Gen car there. We did get one test there this off season when it was really cold outside. I’m always excited to go to Charlotte. It’s a good place for me.”

Looking beyond the racing and the event of the weekend, there’s been so much change in the NASCAR Cup Series schedule and so much innovation. What do you see as the benefit of keeping something like the Coca-Cola 600 a crown jewel event on the NASCAR Schedule? Or do you think they should take it off the schedule at some point?

“I hope they never take the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend off the schedule. To me, it’s an iconic weekend – being Memorial Day weekend and seeing all the different military branches represented, and getting to honor the men and women that protect our country. I always get excited for that race – the national anthem, the show that goes on before and really paying homage to all of those that have fought for this country. To me, I hope it doesn’t change. It is a crown jewel. Being 600 miles, your preparation changes a little bit because you know you’re going to be in the race car for such a long period of time. I think it’s a very special race and I hope it never goes away.”

I think there is a feeling that RCR is strong this year at this point of the season, but looking at what you did last year compared to this year at this time, the stats are fairly similar. How much has changed? Are you guys really that much stronger?

“We were pretty strong last year and we kind of got overlooked because we didn’t make the Playoffs. We were a consistent team all of last year. This year, I do feel like we’ve had way more opportunities to win races. I think the disappointing part is that we’ve had bigger catastrophes at the race track, like getting wrecked at Phoenix Raceway and finishing 21st in that race, getting wrecked at Atlanta Motor Speedway coming to a stage end for a possibility of top-three points there, and blowing up at Daytona International Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway.

We didn’t have those types of bad days at this point last year. We had a couple more average days, but we’ve also had some bigger days with two second-place finishes at Auto Club Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and a third-place finish at Martinsville Speedway. We’ve definitely had more opportunities to win than last year. My teammate, Tyler Reddick, has two or three second-place finishes, as well. If you look at the total of it, we’ve done a good job and should be in victory lane at this point. That’s the disappointing part – I feel like we’ve had some really close calls and not been able to capitalize. That’s why you see us where we’re at in points. I feel confident that we can go to Victory Lane this year and I think it will happen.”

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This Week’s Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Reddick will make his fourth Cup Series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday evening and his third Coca-Cola 600 appearance. His first start at the track came in 2020 when he started fifth and finished eighth. Most recently, he started 15th and finished ninth last season in the 400-lap, crown jewel event. In the Xfinity Series, Reddick has four starts with one win (2019), two top fives and three top 10s. He led 110 laps in those starts and completed 99.8 percent of laps attempted.

Reporting Live from Pit Road … Although Reddick isn’t pulling double duty behind the wheel of a race car this weekend, you will be able to catch him live on pit road as part of the Driver’s-Only Broadcast for Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Reddick will be right in the middle of all the action, reporting from pit road alongside Team Penske’s Austin Cindric. While you’re cheering on RCR’s Xfinity Series program, be sure to tune in and get all the information from Reddick.

600 Miles of Remembrance … Reddick and the No. 8 team will participate in 600 Miles of Remembrance on Memorial Day Weekend in conjunction with NASCAR Salutes. Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen is debuting a patriotic paint scheme for this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Reddick’s name will be replaced on the windshield of his race car with the name of a fallen service member. The No. 8 team will feature SP4 Tristan. Albert F. Tristan, who was born in Monterrey, Mexico on March 26, 1949, and emigrated to Dallas, Texas in November 1955. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on February 17, 1969. Tristan became a naturalized U.S. citizen on May 7, 1969. Tristan was killed in action in the Republic of Vietnam on July 6, 1970. During his active career, he won awards such as the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Silver Star, Combat Infantry Badge, and Army Commendation Medal. Albert’s nephew, Salomon, works at the Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen in Arizona and submitted his uncle’s name. Similar to the story from Saving Private Ryan, Salomon’s father was drafted into the war after his brother but was sent home upon Albert’s death. Salomon and other Tristan family members still wear POW bracelets in his honor, acknowledging they owe their lives to Albert’s sacrifice. Salomon’s father is still alive and is overjoyed to see his brother honored this way.

About Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen … Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen is the homestyle casual dining restaurant where guests always Get a lot. For not a lot™. The restaurant offers a variety of scratch-made meals and generous portions served up in a warm, welcoming atmosphere – all at an unbelievable price. After being welcomed with a signature Honey Butter Croissant on the house, guests can enjoy signature entrées like hand-breaded Chicken Tenders, Homemade Chicken Pot Pie and Fall-off-the-Plate Baby Back Ribs. Cheddar’s operates more than 170 restaurants in 28 states and employs more than 15,000 friendly and passionate team members. For more information or to locate the nearest restaurant, visit Cheddars.com. Fans can like or follow Cheddar’s on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

When Tyler Wins, You Win Tenders! … Like Reddick, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen is hungry for his first Cup Series win to come in 2022. So, all season long, when Reddick crosses the finish line first in the Cup Series and grabs the checkered flag, all NASCAR fans will win a FREE No. 8 Special Chicken Tender Platter at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen the Monday following the race with the purchase of an adult entree. Offer is valid both dine-in and To Go. See cheddars.com/offer/race-day for full details.

TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:

You’ve had some strong runs at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the past, how do you approach this race every year?

“The Coca-Cola 600 is always one of the most special races we run every season. The track is really fun to race on and it always provides really exciting racing for the fans. I got to test at Charlotte Motor Speedway earlier this season in the Next Gen car and it was a good opportunity for our team to learn how the new car runs on the surface. I pushed it pretty hard during testing and ended up spinning a couple times, but I think that helped me realize how to best prepare for this weekend’s race. It’s such a long race and the weather can really impact the track, too.”

The Coca-Cola 600 is a crown jewel event and is our sport’s way of celebrating Memorial Day, what does it feel like getting to race in the event?

“It’s honestly a really big honor to get to race in the Coca-Cola 600. NASCAR does such an amazing job of honoring our military and making it a special experience for people attending the race and viewing at home. It’s always a really special gift getting to carry the name of a fallen soldier on our windshield and the moment of at the completion of Stage 2 continues to be a special moment. I’m looking forward to the race and honoring Albert F. Tristan and his family and friend all weekend long and I hope to park it in Victory Lane for them.”

This Week’s Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Camaro SS at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Sheldon Creed will be making his first Charlotte Motor Speedway start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Saturday afternoon. He made three NASCAR Truck Series starts at Charlotte with a best finish of fifth place in 2020. Creed is 15th in the NXS series drivers standings, 93 points outside of the top 10.

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

SHELDON CREED QUOTES:

How important is it to run well and do well at Charlotte?

“It’s going to be important for us. We want to run well in front of our hometown crowd. It’s a track that I’ve always ran well at. You always want to run well at Charlotte because a bunch of people are in town for the race. I’ve led a lot of laps at Charlotte but never won so hopefully we can contend for a win. I’ve always liked Charlotte because it’s super technical and I’m looking forward to this weekend.”

Have you found that Charlotte is temperature sensitive and changes a lot?

“Charlotte is probably the worst for temperature changes and it’s a completely different racetrack throughout the day. Sometimes you can feel really good about your car and there are other times when you’ll have the same setup and not feel good about it at all.”

Is there a particular area of the track where the car has to perform well?

“The most important thing is if you can get into Turn 3 over the bumps and get to the line on the bottom. Staying on that line through Turns 3 and 4 is also super important. A good way to pass is to be able to run the bottom late in a run through Turns 1 and 2. That’s pretty important when the spray comes in.”

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This Week’s Alsco Uniforms Chevrolet Camaro SS at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Austin Hill will be making his second Charlotte Motor Speedway start in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition on Saturday afternoon, having competed in the 2020 spring event at the 1.5-mile speedway. Hill has five Truck Series starts at Charlotte, racking up three top-10 finishes (best finish was sixth in 2019). He scored a fifth-place finish last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. He used his fifth top-five of the 2022 season to move up to ninth in the NXS driver standings, a gain of one position.

About Alsco Uniforms … Alsco is a fifth-generation family-owned and -operated uniform company founded in 1889 and recognized by the prestigious Hohenstein Institute for having invented the uniform rental industry. Celebrating over 130 years of business, Alsco provides uniform laundry services and other products that keep businesses clean and safe to all kinds of customers in the healthcare, automotive, industrial and hospitality industries. With more than 180 locations and 20,000 employees, Alsco provides laundry rental services to more than 355,000 customers in 14 countries, which makes Alsco Uniforms the largest uniform company in the world. Visit www.alsco.com to learn more about how Alsco Uniforms is the industry’s best kept secret.

AUSTIN HILL QUOTES:

What is your mindset heading to Charlotte this weekend?

“Charlotte is just a very tough racetrack to get around. The bumps are really rough and it seems like every year the bumps get worse. Trying to figure out how to position your car over the bumps means a lot throughout the race and trying to figure that part out is crucial. If you go through the bumps and your cars gets upset it makes for a very long day. There are things that I need to learn as a driver to get around Charlotte a little bit better. I felt like on the Truck side we ran decent but we never had a truck that could go win.”

How do you adapt to the track changing so much at Charlotte?

“Early in the run, if your car is working well, you can run the bottom or maybe one lane off the bottom. As the run goes and as you’re losing grip in the tire, you’re probably going to have to be right up against the fence or right down on the bottom with the left-side tires right on the line. It seems like the middle of the racetrack gets greasy and it’s no man’s land once you get laps on the tires, so I think we’re going to see similar things when we go to Charlotte that we’ve seen in the past. Whoever can get their car to maneuver the best and be able to run the bottom, middle or top is going to be the guy to beat for the win.”

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
COCA-COLA 600
CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA
MAY 29, 2022

RACE #14 – CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

On a day famously known as “the greatest day in motorsports”, the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) will take over Charlotte Motor Speedway for one of the sports’ crown jewel events: the 63rd Annual Coca-Cola 600. Located in the epicenter of NASCAR, Charlotte Motor Speedway is the host to the traditional Memorial Day weekend event, marking the longest race on the series’ schedule with drivers enduring 400-laps/600-miles around the 1.5-mile North Carolina oval.

Previously known as the “World 600”, the inaugural 600-mile race that took place in June 1960 was won by Chevrolet, when Joe Lee Johnson drove his Chevrolet Impala to victory lane. Since then, Chevrolet has recorded a manufacturer-leading 25 wins in the marquee race, including the most recent by Kyle Larson in the 2021 event. In the 123 NCS points races held at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Chevrolet – the winningest brand in the NASCAR Cup Series – tops all manufacturers in victories with 47. While Charlotte Motor Speedway played an intricate role in testing throughout the development of the Next Gen car, the Coca-Cola 600 will mark the competition debut of the Next Gen Camaro ZL1 at the North Carolina venue.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) are also on tap for on-track action at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend, making it just the second time in the track’s history to hold a NASCAR tripleheader on Memorial Day weekend.

CAMARO SS DOMINATES AT TEXAS

Returning from the off weekend, the Camaro SS made its way back to a familiar place in the NASCAR Xfinity Series: victory lane. In only his second NXS start of the season, Tyler Reddick drove the Camaro SS to its fourth-consecutive NXS victory of the 2022 season at Texas Motor Speedway. The triumph not only marked Reddick’s first NXS victory since winning the 2019 NXS driver championship title, but the first ever win for the Big Machine Racing team.

Chevrolet proved its dominance at the Texas venue, with six different drivers contributing to 165 laps led in the 167-lap race; a laps led percentage of 98.8. The Camaro SS also swept the top-five finishing positions, with Reddick leading NASCAR Cup Series regular, William Byron, who piloted the JR Motorsports No. 88 Camaro SS to a runner-up finish; JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer and Justin Allgaier in third and fourth, respectively; and NXS rookie Austin Hill rounding out the Team Chevy top-five.

Now sitting at a manufacturer-leading seven wins thus far this season, Chevrolet continues to lead in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver and manufacturer points standings heading into Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Already locked into the NXS Playoff field by virtue of a win, AJ Allmendinger continues to lead the driver standings by 44-points. The Kaulig Racing driver scored his 12th top-10 finish of the season at Texas, making him the only driver in the series to finish in the top-10 of every race this season. Allmendinger leads a strong presence by the bowtie brand in the driver standings, with four of the top-five and seven of the top-10 of the standings occupied by Chevrolet drivers.

Chevrolet, who has won the past five-consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series Manufacturer Championships, extended its points lead in the NXS manufacturer standings to 52-points over its competitors. While leading the series in wins, the bowtie brand has also recorded 42 top-five’s, 81 top-10’s, 1,238 laps led, five pole wins and 17 stage wins heading into the Charlotte race weekend.

2017 Coca-Cola 600 winner, Austin Dillon, will be pulling double duty this weekend, making his first appearance of the season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Piloting the No. 48 Big Machine Racing Camaro ZL1, Dillon will have big shoes to fill as he looks to make it back-to-back wins for the team following his Richard Childress Racing teammate, Tyler Reddick’s, victory in the Chevrolet-powered machine last weekend. Dillon is no stranger to success in the series, recording one championship title (2013), nine wins, 65 top-five’s and 106 top-10’s in his 150-career NXS starts.

NCWTS TO KICK-OFF TRIPLEHEADER

The highly anticipated Memorial Day race weekend gets underway with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ North Carolina Education Lottery 200 on Friday night. The 200-mile race is the 10th race on the series’ 23-race schedule; and the fourth of an eight-race consecutive run for the series. Niece Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar led Chevrolet to a fourth-place finish at Texas, marking the driver’s third top-five finish on the season. Hocevar looks to return to the Charlotte oval to finish one spot better than his 2021 result, where he drove his Silverado to a runner-up finish; a team-best finish in the series at the track.

Ross Chastain is another Chevrolet driver scheduled to do the double this weekend, returning to the seat of the No. 41 Niece Motorsports Silverado RST for his fourth NCWTS start of 2022. The 29-year-old Florida native has previously made five NCWTS starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with his best finish of ninth recorded in the 2013 spring event. Heading into his 99th all-time start in the series, Chastain has three wins, 17 top-five’s and 42 top-10’s under his belt.

SANCHEZ RETURNS TO NXS AT CHARLOTTE

Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez will return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series this weekend, piloting the No. 99 B.J. McLeod Motorsports (BJMM) Chevrolet Camaro SS. Sanchez, who competes full-time with Rev Racing in the NASCAR ARCA Menard Series, made his NXS debut at Phoenix earlier this season with BJMM, where he recorded a 26th-place finish. The team recently expanded their partnership with Sanchez, adding six additional NXS starts to his schedule, kicking off at Charlotte.

The 20-year-old Florida native will be doing double duty during the Charlotte race weekend, also piloting the No. 2 Max Siegel Inc. Chevrolet in the NASCAR ARCA Menards Series General Tire 150. Sanchez is looking to make it three-in-a-row for Rev Racing following his wins in the series’ previous two races (Kansas Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway).

LOOKING BACK AT A MILESTONE

The 2021 Coca-Cola 600 was more than just a win for Chevrolet team Hendrick Motorsports. Kyle Larson, who swept all three stage wins and led a race-high 327 laps en route to the crown jewel win, gave Hendrick Motorsports its 269th all-time NASCAR Cup Series win. The feat topped Petty Enterprises’ NCS win record, giving Rick Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports the title as the winningest team in NCS history, one of stock car racing’s greatest achievements. Now, one year later, Hendrick Motorsports has extended that lead, sitting at 285 all-time wins in NASCAR’s premier series heading into the Charlotte race weekend.

STARTING THE SECOND HALF UP FRONT

The prestigious Memorial Day weekend event marks the start of the second half of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, with 13 races left for drivers to battle for a Playoff berth. Chevrolet – the defending NCS Driver and Manufacturer Champions – continues to sit atop of both the NCS driver and manufacturer points standings.

For the ninth-consecutive week, Chevrolet’s Chase Elliott continues to pace the field from the lead in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings, now with a 52-point lead over second-place. Elliott, who claimed a Playoff spot following his win at Dover Motor Speedway, is tied with the most top-10 finishes through 13 races with nine; and leads the field in an average finish of 10.77. Fellow Chevrolet drivers joining Elliott in the top-10 of the driver standings includes William Byron (4th), Ross Chastain (5th), Alex Bowman (8th) and Kyle Larson (9th); all have which recorded wins already this season.

Chevrolet also continues to lead in the NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer points standings with a 35-point lead over its manufacturer competitors. In 13 races, Chevrolet continues to pace all manufacturers in race wins (7), laps led (1,884), top-five’s (36), top-10’s (63) and stage wins (12).

BOWTIE BULLETS

· Victories by active Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway include:

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 (2021)

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 (2020)

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1 (2017)

· With 13 NASCAR Cup Series races complete in the 2022 season, Chevrolet continues to lead all manufacturers in NCS wins (7), top-five’s (36), top-10’s (63), laps led (1,884) and stage wins (12). Chevrolet’s NCS wins, top-five’s and laps led count for more than double its manufacturer competitors.

· Chevrolet has recorded a manufacturer-leading 47 wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway, including back-to-back Coca-Cola 600 victories (2021 and 2020). The bowtie brand has also recorded 213 top-five’s, 425 top-10’s and 14,598 laps led at the 1.5-mile North Carolina oval.

· Chevrolet leads all manufacturers in pole wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway with 35. Chevrolet driver, William Byron, holds the title of the youngest pole winner at Charlotte following his Coca-Cola 600 pole win in 2019 (21 years, 4 months, 27 days).

· Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway with 21 victories among nine different drivers. Pacing that group is Career Chevrolet driver Jimmie Johnson who also leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at the 1.5-mile North Carolina oval with eight victories.

· At the conclusion of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, Kyle Larson became just the fifth driver in NCS history to win both the Coca-Cola 600 and the NCS Championship in the same season; and the first driver to accomplish that feat since Career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon in 1998. Other drivers on that elite list include: Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt (twice) and Jeff Gordon (twice).

· William Byron leads all drivers with 569 laps led this season in points-paying events. That is a career-high most laps led by the Chevrolet driver after 13 events in a single season. Byron has also led laps in 10 of the 13 events this season, tying him for the second-most with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson.

· Seven Team Chevy drivers have combined 12 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins:

Tyler Reddick 2 – (Fontanax2)

Alex Bowman 1 – (Las Vegas)

Ross Chastain 2 – (Las Vegas), (Darlington)

William Byron 3 – (Phoenix), (Atlanta), (Talladega)

Daniel Suarez 1 – (COTA)

Chase Elliott 2 – (Martinsvillex2)

Kyle Larson 1 – (Bristol)

· 10 drivers in NASCAR history recorded their first-career NASCAR Cup Series win at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Of that list of active drivers includes Chevrolet’s Austin Dillon, who drove the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet to his first win in NASCAR’s premier series in the 2017 Coca-Cola 600.

· The only two NCS drivers with multiple wins this season come from the Chevrolet camp. Ross Chastain and William Byron have captured two wins each: (Chastain – COTA, Talladega), (Byron – Atlanta, Martinsville).

· Chevrolet drivers lead the driver points standing in both the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Chase Elliott remains in the top position in the NCS standings with a 52-point advantage over second; and AJ Allmendinger continues to lead the NXS standings by 44-points. Chevrolet also remains atop both the NCS and NXS manufacturer points standings.

· With its 40 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships; 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships; and 821 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR.

TUNE IN

FOX will broadcast the NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at 6 p.m. ET Sunday, May 29. Live coverage can also be found on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

FS1 will broadcast the NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 300 at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 28. Live coverage can also be found on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

FS1 will broadcast the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 27. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 ADVENT HEALTH CAMARO ZL1

DO YOU HAVE ANYONE CLOSE TO YOU IN THE MILITARY?

“I grew up with a buddy named Joe Edwards that went into the Marines. He’s out now and is raising his family in Fort Myers. I remember when he decided to go in. That thought never crossed my mind. I guess I was never exposed to that in a way, or called like he was. He married his high school sweetheart and they went and traveled from base to base and he worked on helicopters. I’m still really close with him. He’s running his own business back home. I don’t know how to say thank you, I don’t feel thank you is enough.”

HOW SPECIAL IS IT TO RACE ON MEMORIAL DAY?

“I think the best thing about sports, is it sports. It’s not real life – it is if you make a living here and it supports a lot of families, but to race on Memorial Day and put a name on the windshield, I never quite feel fulfilled enough and that we’re doing enough.

We give their families just a few hours to watch auto racing and enjoy it. If it takes them away from their everyday life and the real world, that’s great that we can do that for them.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER OFF ROAD CAMARO ZL1

YOU’VE HAD THREE TOP-10 FINISHES IN THE COCA-COLA 600 IN THE LAST THREE RACES THERE. IS CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY A TRACK THAT YOUR TEAM IS CIRCLING THIS YEAR AS ONE FOR YOUR POTENTIALLY BEST RACES WHERE YOU CAN GET A WIN? WHAT HAS MADE THE NO. 3 TEAM SO STRONG THERE?

“I don’t know what it is about Charlotte Motor Speedway. I’ve always had success there. I enjoy the track. I understand what it takes to be fast there in a race car and I have a feel for it. Obviously, I won my first Cup race at Charlotte, so I definitely circle it every year as a place where we go and compete well at. Last year, we were really fast. One of our pit crew members went down leading into that race, so we kind of struggled on pit road that week. I’m really excited about it and taking the Next Gen car there. We did get one test there this off season when it was really cold outside. I’m always excited to go to Charlotte. It’s a good place for me.”

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BENEFIT OF KEEPING SOMETHING LIKE THE COCA-COLA 600 AS A CROWN JEWEL EVENT ON THE NASCAR SCHEDULE? DO YOU THINK THEY SHOULD TAKE IT OFF THE SCHEDULE AT SOME POINT?

“I hope they never take the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend off the schedule. To me, it’s an iconic weekend – being Memorial Day weekend and seeing all the different military branches; the men and women that protect our country out there. I always get excited for that race – the national anthem, the show that goes on before and really paying homage to all of those that have fought for this country. To me, I hope it doesn’t change. It is a crown jewel. Being 600-miles, your preparation changes a little bit because you know you’re going to be in the race car for such a long period of time. I think it’s a very special race and I hope it never goes away.”

I THINK THERE IS A FEELING THAT RCR IS STRONG THIS YEAR AT THIS POINT OF THE SEASON. BUT LOOKING AT WHAT YOU DID LAST YEAR COMPARED TO THIS YEAR AT THIS TIME, THE STATS ARE FAIRLY SIMILAR. HOW MUCH AS CHANGED? ARE YOU GUYS REALLY THAT MUCH STRONGER?

“We were pretty strong last year and we kind of got overlooked because we didn’t make the Playoffs. We were a consistent team all of last year. This year, I do feel like we’ve had way more opportunities to win races. I think the disappointing part is that we’ve had bigger catastrophes at the race track, like getting wrecked at Phoenix Raceway and finishing 21st in that race, getting wrecked at Atlanta Motor Speedway coming to a stage end for a possibility of top-three points there, and blowing up at Daytona International Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway.

We didn’t have those types of bad days at this point last year. We had a couple more average days, but we’ve also had some bigger days with two second-place finishes at Auto Club Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and a third-place finish at Martinsville Speedway. We’ve definitely had more opportunities to win than last year. My teammate, Tyler Reddick, has two or three second-place finishes, as well. If you look at the total of it, we’ve done a good job and should be in victory lane at this point. That’s the disappointing part – I feel like we’ve had some really close calls and not been able to capitalize. That’s why you see us where we’re at in points. I feel confident that we can go to victory lane this year and I think it will happen.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

LARSON ON THE WIN IN THIS RACE LAST YEAR:

“That was so cool to get Mr. (Rick) Hendrick that historic win. It wasn’t spoken about, but I think every team wanted to deliver that win for him and we were fortunate enough to be the ones who did. Hopefully, we can have the same type of performance this weekend. Track position will be important, so a good qualifying session on Saturday helps a lot for Sunday.”

LARSON ON FAN FEST AT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS:

“This will be my first one as a Hendrick Motorsports driver. It’s great they are opening up campus again to the fans and it’ll be great to see them all out there this weekend.”

CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

DANIELS ON IF THERE WILL BE BIG SWINGS FROM DAYTIME TO NIGHTTIME RACING IN THE 600:

“I don’t really know. Yes, there will be some swings from daytime to nighttime, but the biggest swings with this Next Gen car may be due to track position. Your car tends to get ‘free’ when running up front because of all the air on the car. Back in traffic, when there is not much air on the car, you tend to get tight. It’s a different balance requirement depending on where you are in traffic. There will be some changes based on daytime to nighttime racing, but the bigger swings or adjustments may be when you are out front versus running in traffic.”

COREY LAJOIE, NO. 7 THE USO & COCA-COLA CAMARO ZL1

THIS WEEKEND BEING MEMORIAL DAY, HOW COOL IS IT FOR YOU TO HAVE USO ON YOUR CAR?

“Man, super cool. It’s something I’ve been working with Coke on with some different things through Enascar, as well as the podcast. To tie Coca-Cola and their support with the USO, obviously the Coke 600 – there are so many different things that are coming together this week; a lot of obligations on my part that I’m happy to be a part of. Meeting a lot of service members, feeding men and women on Sunday before the race; and just the amount of support that’s coming for having USO on the car for 600 Miles of Remembrance is pretty cool. It’s been a lot of work behind the scenes trying to put all of this together, so to carry USO and this patriotic paint scheme on Memorial Day weekend is something I take pretty seriously.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA CAMARO ZL1

ELLIOTT ON HONORING U.S. ARMY FIRST LIEUTENANT NOAH HARRIS:

“Racing on Memorial Day weekend has always been something that’s meant a lot to me. While I didn’t know Noah (Harris) firsthand, after reading his story and his commitment to his country, obviously it speaks for itself, but he was just a standup individual. He was devoted to his country from a very young age, and I think for that we’re always grateful. He was a standup young man who gave his life serving our country and protecting us here at home. It’s an honor to be carrying his name on my NAPA Chevy this weekend.”

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA CAMARO ZL1

GUSTAFSON ON PREPARING FOR THE LONGEST RACE OF THE YEAR:

“There’s not as much for us to prepare for with this new car than in years past. You’ve just got to make sure you’re taking care of your car because it is such a long race. You’ve got to make good decisions, be around at the end and not get crashed. The field typically thins itself out with people making mistakes or having issues. We’ll see how it goes. Racing on Memorial Day weekend is always something I enjoy, so I’m looking forward to it.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY PATRIOTIC CAMARO ZL1

BYRON ON WHAT RACING AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY MEANS TO HIM:

“Racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway is always special for me. I grew up watching races here as a fan, I raced Legend cars on the quarter-mile and have raced there in every series of NASCAR for the most part. It’s a hometown race for Mr. (Rick) Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports as well. You always want to run good when the shop is literally across the street. Winning the 600 would already mean so much given the history of this race, but it would carry even more meaning for myself. We ran well in last year’s 600, the biggest difference will be with the Next Gen car. I think we have some good notes on mile-and-a-half tracks so far this year, and with how long the race is, it gives us time to adjust throughout the race if we need to.”

RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY PATRIOTIC CAMARO ZL1

FUGLE ON WHAT HE EXPECTS FOR THE RACE AT CHARLOTTE:

“Even though we have raced at two mile-and-a-half track in a row now, I think we can take the most away from the race at Kansas (Speedway). We had a fast car that weekend and I think with how the race played out, we could have had a shot to be there in the end, or at least finish top five. About the only thing we can apply from last weekend’s race at Texas (Motor Speedway) is that they applied the resin in the upper lanes. That will affect the handling of the car throughout a run, especially going from day to night like we will during the 600. It’s a long race though and you want to make sure you keep up with how the track changes so you don’t fall behind early on.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 FOCUSFACTOR CAMARO ZL1

JONES ON RACING AT CHARLOTTE:

“Charlotte has been a pretty good track for me in the past. With this weekend being one of our longest races of the year, it’s important to prepare for not only the race, but the endurance of the day. Dave and the team have been working hard all season and bringing great cars to the track and I know this weekend will be no different. This is a special weekend as we honor Lt Col Kenneth Stonebraker on our FOCUSfactor Chevy and recognize all the men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice. We’ve also got the Erik Jones Foundation and some of our partners canvasing the track property handing out sunscreen samples and helping educate race fans on the importance of sun protection. With May being Melanoma Awareness month, this was important for me and to be a part of helping spread the message for fans to protect themselves and get checked. There’s a lot going on this weekend with many great causes. Should be a good weekend all around.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS ON THE NEW CAR AND EQUIPMENT WITH THE 600 BEING CONSIDERED ONE OF NASCAR’S ENDURANCE RACES?

“I’m not too worried about the endurance. As for the parts and pieces wise, these cars have been pretty good. The issues we’ve had have been somewhat self-inflicted by the teams. You know, when the parts and pieces are left alone for the most part, they are happy and haven’t seen issues. I don’t think we will have any issues for the race.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER / REESE’S CAMARO ZL1

“We’ve been good the last few races at Charlotte (Motor Speedway). We’ve finished inside the top-five twice, had a few top-10s and been capable of winning. We know a lot of things have changed, but the test we had in the off season went good for us. The No. 47 Kroger Camaro has been running well lately and we know there’s a lot to accomplish. We’re ready for Charlotte and looking forward to having Reese’s on the sides of our Camaro.’”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY PATRIOTIC CAMARO ZL1

BOWMAN ON WHAT IT MEANS TO CARRY THE NAME OF U.S. ARMY SPECIALIST MATTHEW E. BAYLIS FOR THE RACE ON MEMORIAL DAY:

“It is an honor to be able to have Spc. Baylis on the No. 48 Ally Chevy this weekend. Hearing about the bravery he had to join the Army after the events on 9/11 and then to serve our country and give the ultimate sacrifice, it is my privilege to be able to have him ride along this weekend. Hopefully, we can get him into victory lane and have his family join us in remembering him for the hero he was.”

GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY PATRIOTIC CAMARO ZL1

IVES ON RACING AT CHARLOTTE THIS WEEKEND:

“With the race being 600 miles, you have to plan your stops as strategically as you can. We expect a lot of tire wear with fall off so that will play into more of a tire strategy, but we also need to be prepared for a fuel mileage race to break out as past races have been won that way. All in all, we are confident we have learned a lot this year about the new car on 1.5-mile tracks and will be ready to go compete like we do every weekend.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 COMMSCOPE CAMARO ZL1

WHAT IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS IN SUCH A LONG RACE AS THE COCA-COLA 600?

“As a driver, your goal is to be as fresh at the end of the race as you are at the beginning. That’s important. It isn’t about making it to the end of the race. It’s about being at your best at the end and taking advantage of other drivers who are tired.”

DO YOU TAKE MOMENTUM FROM THE OPEN VICTORY AND THE FIFTH-PLACE FINISH IN THE ALL-STAR RACE IN TEXAS?

“Of course. Whenever you win it is fun and builds confidence, but knowing we have a similar track this weekend in Charlotte makes you wish the race were sooner than Sunday.”

HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR SUNDAY?

“As a human being you try and perform at 100 percent the entire time, but when you’re running a marathon you’re not going to be as strong in the last 30 minutes. That’s normal. Fatigue is setting in, your muscles are tired, you’re running out of fluid, and you’re hungry. Racing is the same way, especially in the Coca-Cola 600. We start running out of energy and you’re mind gets tired after four hours of racing. But I look to this race as a marathon and you have to be on top of your game for the last part of this race. So I always try to keep that in my mind when I’m in the car. This isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon.”

WHAT HURTS THE MOST AFTER THE RACE?

“It’s a combination of things. Your neck is tired, your lower back is tired, legs are tired and you’re just fatigued. You definitely feel it the next morning after a 600-mile race. You feel like you worked out a lot the day before, and you did inside the car. Two-and-a-half of these 600-mile races and I could be home in Monterrey, Mexico. It’s crazy to think of it that way.”

IS IT IMPORTANT TO STAY IN SHAPE?

“Working out is a lifestyle for me. I like to feel well and it helps me in the racecar, but it also helps me mentally. You lose a lot of weight in the racecar, and you have to be strong not only at the start of the race, but also at the end of the race. At the end of the day, you don’t win a race at the beginning when everyone is fresh, you win the race at the end when everyone is tired, and I feel like being in shape gives me that advantage at the end.”

GRANT ENFINGER, NO. 23 CHAMPION POWER EQUIPMENT SILVERADO RST

“I look forward to racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend with my No. 23 Champion Power Equipment team. It is always nice to race at home, so I generally have this race circled on my calendar. Charles won here a couple years ago as a crew chief with GMS Racing, so I’m hoping we can duplicate that success this weekend.”

JACK WOOD, NO. 24 CHANNELADVISOR / AUTO PARTS 4LESS SILVERADO RST

“Personally, I really like racing at Charlotte because I feel that the layout really suits my driving style. This track is home to our NASCAR industry as a whole, and it’s great to run in front of the hometown fans. Last year, I was fortunate to run in two races at the speedway with my GMS Racing team, and I think that having that experience will be a big help this weekend. We were able to contend up front during the ARCA race and ran top-15 in the truck, so I have some solid confidence heading into this week.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships:

Total (1949-2021): 40

First title for Chevrolet: 1958

Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)

Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021

Drivers Championships:

Total (1949-2021): 33

First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)

Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)

Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021)

Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021

Event Victories:

Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)

2022 STATISTICS:

Wins: 7

Poles: 2

Laps Led: 1,884

Top-five finishes: 36

Top-10 finishes: 63

Stage wins: 12

· Tyler Reddick (Fontanax2)

· Alex Bowman (Las Vegas)

· Ross Chastain (Las Vegas), (Darlington)

· William Byron (Phoenix), (Atlanta), (Talladega)

· Daniel Suarez (COTA)

· Chase Elliott (Martinsvillex2)

· Kyle Larson (Bristol Dirt)

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 821 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 725

Laps led to date: 243,220

Top-five finishes to date: 4,174

Top-10 finishes to date: 8,618

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,155

       Chevrolet: 821

       Pontiac: 154

       Oldsmobile: 115

       Buick: 65



       Ford: 814                                                         

       Ford: 714

       Mercury: 96

       Lincoln: 4



       Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467

       Dodge: 217

       Plymouth: 191

       Chrysler: 59



       Toyota: 165

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Coke 600 Advance | Wednesday, May 26, 2022

Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang, is fresh off his million-dollar win in the NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway as he heads into the annual Coke 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Sunday night. Blaney met with media via the Ford Performance Zoom call earlier today.

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Ford Mustang — FRESH OFF YOUR WIN THIS WEEKEND. WHAT HAS LIFE BEEN LIKE SINCE SUNDAY NIGHT AND DID YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THE WINDOW NET YET? “Yeah, I think I have an idea. I want to hang it up somewhere. I don’t know. They said they can get it for me, so I think I will save that one. There is a neat story behind it. I am looking forward to getting that and I think I have a decent spot picked out for it right now. Maybe it will move around throughout the years. I am excited to keep that thing.”

HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO RACE AT WATKINS GLEN COMING UP IN A FEW WEEKS NOW THAT KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN HAS ANNOUNCED HE WILL BE IN THAT RACE? “Yeah, the Ice Man. I am a big Kimi fan. I enjoyed growing up watching him race F1 and I remember when he ran a truck for Kyle (Busch). It is really cool. Honestly, I think what Trackhouse did with announcing that was brilliant. I think it is a great idea, especially for however many races they want to run that third car and have some other drivers in it. I think that is really cool. I don’t mind. I think it is great that drivers from other series want to come try out NASCAR. I think it is awesome for the sport. I think it is healthy and it is going to be really cool to get to speak with him. I don’t know how many words he will say to me. He doesn’t seem like a guy of many words. It is just cool. I think it is awesome. We will see how he does. It will be fun.”

HOW MUCH DO YOU LOOK FORWARD TO CARRYING THE MOMENTUM FROM TEXAS INTO POSSIBLY WINNING THE 600 THIS WEEKEND? “Anytime you can get some momentum it is good. I think the biggest thing that helps us with momentum is that our whole group, all of Penske, we kind of tried a little something new with our cars at Texas. We have been lacking a little bit of speed. That is something we have been really working hard on trying to find and we came to Texas with a little different idea of how to do things. It seemed to work. I think all our cars were pretty fast. You hope it carries over to other races and tracks and for the 600 this weekend. That was the biggest thing for me, looking back on that race, I thought our cars were really fast and you hope that carries forward.”

HAVE YOU RETHOUGHT ANY OF THE EVENTS OF SUNDAY NIGHT WITH TAKING THE WINDOW NET DOWN, DOING IT LATER NEXT TIME, THINGS LIKE THAT? “Heck, it isn’t like I put it down two seconds after we crossed the start-finish line. I waited for a whole lap to take it down. That is when I found out it wasn’t over yet. I don’t know. We joked that next time we win I am going to come out the roof hatch. I am not even going to undo my window net. I am not even going to touch the thing. It was a weird deal with the rules and thinking we took the checkered but we joked that if we win another one I will come out the right side or roof hatch just to kind of stick it to everybody. I am not touching that window net. We will see.”

DID YOU HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH NASCAR AFTER THE RACE? “I did. We had a conversation in victory lane about it and they gave me their explanation. First off their ruling on the window net situation and when I got it latched that they deemed it safe and saw that two hands were on the wheel and I was warming my tires up and it wasn’t becoming unlatched. They gave me their explanation on that. Secondly, they gave me their explanation on that they made a mistake and shouldn’t have thrown that caution. They talked to me about both of those things and I thought it was great that Scott Miller did a presser outside the trailer and they explained themselves and admitted their mistake on the caution side of it and probably shouldn’t have thrown it. To me, I appreciated them coming to me and getting their thoughts on things and where they were at. It was a lot more clear to me because I don’t know those things. I don’t know what the caution was for and stuff like that. So they explained everything to me and I appreciated them doing that.”

YOU ARE LOOKING TO BECOME THE 9TH DRIVER TO WIN THE ALL-STAR RACE AND COKE 600 IN THE SAME SEASON. WOULD THAT BE HUGE FOR YOU? “It would be great. That would be awesome to do. Hopefully, we can do that.”

HOW DO YOU THINK KIMI WILL PROBABLY DO AT WATKINS GLEN IN THIS NEXT GEN CAR? “It is hard to tell. I am not sure. I feel like it is going to be tough to just jump in it with 20 minutes of practice. He is an amazing road racer and an F1 champion but that is hard for anyone to do. To jump in a new car. I don’t even think they can go test anywhere with that thing. the rules don’t allow it. It will be tough just jumping in something brand new. Going to a place where he hasn’t run much and try to learn a new car and everything will be tough but he is a great race car driver and I am excited to see how he does. It will be tough for sure. It would be for anybody. It is going to be cool to be around him and all that stuff. It will definitely be tough for him to get going with the limited practice that we’ve got.”

BEN KENNEDY THOUGHT THAT YOU GUYS WOULD BE BRAKING A LOT IN THE CORNERS AT GATEWAY AND THAT DRIVERS WILL LOVE IT. WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING? “I always thought Gateway was a great track and it is a great facility and they do a great job. I think they are very deserving of a Cup race with the way they have grown. They have always hosted good events with IndyCar and Truck and stuff like that. We have been going over some of the Gateway stuff on the sim and I think there are some heavy braking spots and it is a track where you will see us downshifting. That is what it is going to be. There will be a lot of shifting for sure. I think it will be a good place. I am excited to get there because I always thought it was a fun track. I think it will be great for that area and speedway and I think they are very deserving of a Cup race.”

HAVE YOU TAKEN THE WINDOW NET AND PUT IT SOMEWHERE YET OR IS IT STILL ON THE CAR? “I am working on getting it. The car just got back on Tuesday so they are working on getting that thing for me. I think I picked out a good place for it. I am definitely going to want to save that one and maybe frame it. We will see. I am excited that I will be able to get it.”

LOOKING AT THE 600, DO THINK THERE WILL BE CAUTIONS FROM TIRE WEAR AND THAT TYPE OF THING? “It is hard to tell before we get there and see what tire wear looks like in the practices and stuff like that. I hope we don’t have any tire issues. We will see. It is hard to tell until we kind of get a gauge on how they are wearing when we get on track Saturday but I hope there are no issues.”

SUNDAY IS ALSO THE INDY 500. ANY INTEREST IN KEEPING AN EYE ON HOW JIMMIE JOHNSON DOES? WILL YOU BE ROOTING FOR HIM? “Yeah, I definitely make sure I watch as much as I can that day. You can usually watch most of it before we have to go to intros and stuff like that. I look forward to watching that. Obviously I am going to be rooting for Jimmie after my Penske guys, Scott, Joseph and Will. But I will be rooting for Jimmie because it will be really special for him. Talking to him, he has been having a lot of fun up there and doing a pretty good job. I always make sure I watch to see how those guys are doing. Obviously first I want our Penske guys to win but I will be rooting for Jimmie to run fourth. We will see how that goes. It will be a fun time. I hope he really enjoys it. I know he will appreciate that he gets to do that and he is very deserving to get to run the 500.”

WHERE ARE YOU GUYS AT IN TERMS OF CARS? HAVE YOU BEEN TOLD ANYTHING IN TERMS OF BEING CONSERVATIVE OR ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH WHERE YOUR FLEET IS? “We are in a good spot from what I understand. You don’t want to go out and just be reckless and waste cars and stuff like that. At the beginning of the year teams were understandably stressed out but I feel like everything has gotten not as caught up as we want to be but we are getting there. I feel like we are in a good spot. We aren’t completely stressed out if a bunch of cars get tore up.”

IS THIS CAR AN IMPROVEMENT ON AERO TIGHT AND AERO LOOSE? IS THERE SOMETHING YOU GUYS ARE ABLE TO DO WITH THE SETUP TO COUNTERACT THAT? IT LOOKED LIKE AT TEXAS YOU GOT VERY AERO TIGHT BEHIND SOMEBODY. “Texas is so narrow and we aren’t able to get away from people as far as different lanes. You get so aero tight behind people that you have to run the car setup super free if you are in traffic. We were fortunate at Texas that we were kind of in the top three, four of rive all race where we didn’t have to swing big. We didn’t have to loosen it way up because we weren’t in traffic. That is kind of what happened to the 11. That is something you have to balance and it is tough to do. It is hard to kind of find that in between because to be free enough for traffic and drive through the field you are just wrecking loose and you can’t drive these cars that loose in clean air. It has been tough for teams to try to figure out and drivers to figure out where the happy medium is. There isn’t really a happy medium. That has been tough. I think Texas was kind of an eye opener for how these cars struggle when there is a narrower lane. Hopefully we can figure some of that stuff out and move forward to make them a little better in traffic. That is something everyone is working towards.”

HAVE YOU ASKED ROGER PENSKE IF YOU CAN RUN THE INDY 500? “It has been amazing to be with the Penske group because you get to know those guys and talk to those guys and understand the Indy 500. The month of May is very important at Penske. One day I would love to do it and I am with a good group that would be able to do it. I might have to win a championship first to be able to go over and do that. That is the goal. I would love to do it one day. I would love to do the double. That would be really cool.”

YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE TOP TWO POINTS SINCE COTA. DO YOU FEEL OVERLOOKED AT ALL OR DO YOU LIKE SNEAKING UP ON PEOPLE? “I don’t know. Sometimes it is easy to get overlooked. Honestly the last month or so we haven’t had incredible speed and that is something that we are working on. I don’t know. I feel like we just have to be up front a little bit more and win races. Even if we start winning races I think we will probably still be overlooked and this is just kind of what it is about.”

LOOKING BACK TO WHEN YOU WERE TESTING AT CHARLOTTE IN THE WINTER. WHAT STOOD OUT TO YOU ABOUT HOW THIS CAR PERFORMS THERE COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS GENERATION OF CAR? “I never got to test the low downforce package at Charlotte. I was on the high spoiler day. I didn’t get to do the lower one. Comparing last year’s package to what I ran in the Next Gen car, the Next Gen car had more drag and was going slower down the straightaways. It had a lot of the same characteristics that is has now like if it steps out it is easy to spin out because there is no side force on the thing. There is no quarter panel on them. The biggest thing is the dirty air side of it. The cars have to drive a little bit better in traffic for it to be an improvement. Do they do that? To an extent, I feel like they do a little bit but there are some things I think are better and some things I think are worse. Hopefully, Charlotte gets wide. That will be the biggest thing that will help that track is if it gets widened out and we can go run the wall. If not it is just going to be fighting for the bottom and stuff like that and it will be a long night. I hope it gets wide out there. That is when this car is really good when you can run the fence, the bottom, and the middle and get some air under your nose. That is when the racing is really good with this car like at Fontana and Vegas where there are multiple lanes to go and it is easy to make mistakes and that is what makes racing good. If it is easy for drivers to mess up and make mistakes and be on the verge of wrecking, that is when you see people go forward and backward and it takes a wide track to do that. If it isn’t wide, like Texas, people just park it on the bottom and you can’t pass them. You have to have a wide track.”

WHAT DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE TEAM WAS LACKING RECENTLY? YOU REFERRED TO SPEED, BUT WAS THERE MORE TO IT? “I would say the last month or so we have been okay. In some of the circumstances, I feel like we didn’t finish as good as I thought we could have. Like we went to Kansas and I thought we could have ran fifth probably at best but we got put in a bad spot on the last restart and ended up outside the top-10 and then I hit the wall. Dover was kind of the same thing. We were running pretty good up towards the front and we had some pit road issues and had to go to the back. That is something that some of it is circumstantial but you want your cars to be a little faster because it makes everything a lot easier when your car is faster.”

TALK ABOUT YOUR FUNDRAISER THIS WEEKEND: “Yeah, thanks for asking. We had our Ryan Blaney Family Foundation event. I thought it went great. A lot of people came out and we had a lot of great partners that really pitched in. Dex Imaging was a huge one. Body Armour, Flag & Anthem, they did an amazing job and really pitched in. Then we had a lot of other partners there like Ford, Advance Auto Parts who were both out there. UPMC was out there as well. We had two of the fellows out that are currently going through the program and one day they will open their own clinics to help treat these concussion issues. We had Dr. Mickey Collins out who treated my dad and Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. and a lot of people. He has been revolutionary in the concussion world and helping people out. That was a great event and I can’t thank everybody enough for coming out. We raised a lot of money for those guys. It was a lot of fun. It was pretty stressful because that was the first event we have put on. We have been trying to do something the last couple of years and it just hasn’t happened. We build that Ford Bronco three years ago and auctioned it off at Barrett Jackson but that wasn’t an event. That wasn’t having a couple hundred people out and entertaining them. My mom and sister and a lot of people are involved in that in my family with setting that up and they were the reason that was possible. It was a fun event, for sure. It all went to a good cause.”

THERE HAVE BEEN 11 WINNERS THIS YEAR. DO YOU THINK WE WILL GET TO 16? “I think we do. I really think we will get to 16 and you hope you are part of that 16, obviously. Just for that reason, I feel like there are people who haven’t won yet that are really close to winning and have cars and teams that can win any given week. You saw it at Kansas. Kurt (Busch) has been good all year but they haven’t shown that speed all year. He was brutally fast at Kansas. That is one of those things were you have a guy that is 20-something in points and they hit it right and go win the race and that is someone below me in points that jumped me now. That can happen any week that a team finds something where maybe they didn’t show that amount of speed all year but they go and win the race. You are going to have to win and I feel like you are going to have to be a winner in the regular season. I could see us getting to 16 and maybe even more than that.”

IS THERE ADDED PRESSURE FOR YOU TO WIN THIS WEEKEND WITH HOW IMPORTANT THIS WEEKEND IS FOR TEAM PENSKE AND THIS BEING A CROWN JEWEL RACE? “It is obviously a big day. I don’t know if there is pressure but you want to win the race because it is a huge race and huge event but I think that comes with every weekend. You understand what you are racing for every weekend and a win is a win, but you also understand that this is a Crown Jewel event. One of the coolest things we could do as a company is win the Indy 500 and the 600. There might be more pressure if one of our guys goes out and wins Indy. We will learn that right before our race and then it will be like, ‘Oh damn, we gotta win tonight to make it a double.’ That would be super cool. I think there might be added pressure once one of those guys win the 500 and we want to make it a Penske sweep. We will see. You just go out and do the best you can and try to treat it like another race. That is how you have to approach it.”

For many American race fans, the enduring images of Memorial Day weekend are the checkered flags at marquee events across the globe and of cemeteries full of white crosses marking the graves of American service members who made the ultimate sacrifice for the country they loved.

This year there is another image that gives the weekend a more somber tone – American flags flying at half-staff in honor of the children and teachers who died in Tuesday’s massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The victims of the horrific school shooting will be on the minds and hearts of participants and fans at this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the third major race of the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. It follows the Formula One race in Monaco early in the morning, along with the Indianapolis 500, which runs just prior to the 600.

Continuing a tradition begun years ago, the NASCAR race cars in the 600 will carry the names of fallen service members as part of the track’s 600 Miles of Remembrance program.

The No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang driven by Harrison Burton will carry the name of U.S. Air Force Captain Jason Ramsey of South Boston, Va.

Ramsey was one of 33 who died Sept. 13, 1997, off the coast of Namibia, Africa, when an Air Force C-141 was involved in a mid-air collision with a German Tupolev 154. Reports stated that the C-141 had just delivered U.S. Soldiers and mine-clearing equipment from Ft. Bragg in North Carolina to Windhook Field, Namibia.

Ramsey was one of the pilots of the C-141.

An Air Force investigation found that the German plane was flying at the wrong altitude, causing the crash.

In his younger years, Ramsey was friends with Burton’s parents Jeff and Kim Burton.

“Jason Ramsey was the son of Ron and Marie Ramsey,” Kim Burton said. “Ron was the high school football coach in my hometown of South Boston, and Marie worked for years with my Mom and Dad in my father’s medical clinic.”

“Jeff and I attended high school with Jason, and his parents were good friends with my parents.”

After graduating high school in 1988, Ramsey attended the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he graduated in 1992.

He graduated from Flight School at Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas. At the time of his death he was assigned to the 13th Airlift Squadron based at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey.

“As a family, we are so pleased to be able to honor Jason and the service and sacrifice he made for our country,” Kim Burton said. “It is important to our family and to our hometown to keep Jason’s memory alive and to let Jason’s parents Ron and Marie know that we won’t ever forget their son.”

“Harrison will proudly carry Jason’s name with him this weekend.”

Practice for the Coca-Cola 600 is set for Saturday at 7 p.m., followed by qualifying at 7:45.

Sunday’s 400-lap, 600-mile race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 6 p.m., with TV coverage on FOX.

Stage breaks are set for Laps 100, 200 and 300.

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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.