NASCAR CUP SERIES
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
FOOD CITY DIRT RACE
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 16, 2022

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Bristol Motor Speedway. Press Conference Transcript:

KYLE, OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE A DEEP DIRT BACKGROUND. GIVE US A REVIEW OF YOUR TWO PRACTICES YESTERDAY AND HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT GOING INTO THE HEATS THIS AFTERNOON.
“I was pretty sad after first practice. Our car was not handling very good at all, but you know after second practice I was really proud of my team because they did a really good job with adjustments between the sessions. I felt like we were really competitive the second time and the balance was much closer. I was happy about that. The track was pretty good. Probably as good as it could be I thought. We felt like we could run all over the track and slide around which was fun. The heats will be, I assume, pretty fast paced, and go by quickly. Probably a little hard to pass, but still a long race for tomorrow. The heats aren’t extremely important in my eyes.”

EVERYONE SEEMS TO THINK THAT YOU’RE THE ONE THAT’S ADVISING NASCAR AND BRISTOL ON WHAT THEY NEED TO BE DOING AND TRACK PREP. BUT THEN ON SIRIUS YOU SAID YOU REALLY HADN’T TALKED TO THEM THAT MUCH. WHAT’S BEEN YOUR INVOLVEMENT SINCE LAST YEAR?
“The only person I’ve talked to about track stuff is Steve Swift and that’s just when I am here. Like when I was here for the late model races just throughout the night, I would be like hey I think, and he’s got a really good understanding anyways, but I think just maybe hearing from me or helps verify. Just like hey I think the top needs a little bit of moisture right now to help it survive or help it be racy, just stuff like that. I mean even yesterday during practice after first practice I told them hey you need to water and pack the apron. Stuff like that. He has been the only one that I’ve talked to.”

DOES HE LISTEN TO YOU?
“Yeah, I think so. It seems like everything that he’s done, I’m sure a lot of the times he’s already got it a part of his plan to do that anyways. He’s done a really good job. I feel like everybody has here. I feel like the surface has been much better than it was last year.”

HAS THAT TOP CUSHION OPENED UP ANYMORE IN THE TRACK THAT YOU SAW IN PRACTICE AND DO YOU EXPECT GUYS TO BE RUNNING THAT LINE?
“It’s hard to say now. I mean the track is totally different and fresh from where it was in practice yesterday. Now we’ll just have to wait and see how the track develops during these truck heats. It’s hard to predict the future with dirt.”

WAS IT OK IN PRACTICE?
“I thought the track was really good. It got slick from top to the very wall. There’s no cushion here, but we just kind of chased the moisture up the track until it got to the wall, which was fun. I thought all the lanes were pretty equal. It should make for a good race.”

THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT WHAT FUTURE CUP SCHEDULES MIGHT LOOK LIKE, MAYBE A STREET RACE, MORE DIRT, ETC. HOW WOULD THE SCHEDULE BE DIFFERENT IF YOU HAD A LOT MORE INPUT INTO IT OR HAD THE MAJOR INPUT INTO IT? WHAT WOULD THE SCHEDULE BE LIKE?
“I don’t think it really matters I guess what I would think. Really, I am cool with a street course and stuff like that. I don’t know. I mean, I think everybody assumes my opinion would be to race dirt every weekend, but no I don’t think Cup cars should be on dirt. That’s the only change I would make is not race on dirt.”

HOW DO YOU VIEW YOUR SEASON TO THIS POINT?
“It’s been a struggle so far. I feel like our racecar is close. I feel given different circumstances if we execute a little bit better and get that little bit better track position, we could have some totally different races. Here lately it’s just been a lot of mistakes on my part, so that’s been frustrating when it’s on you. I feel like that’s also the easiest thing to fix is when it’s yourself. I feel like phoenix we blew up, but we were competitive. Atlanta we were competitive and got in a wreck. COTA we were competitive, and I just did a really bad job on the restarts and then got myself in the hornet’s nest and didn’t do a good job. Richmond we were ok and got a better finish than we deserve and then last week we were clawing our way to get some good track position and right when we did, I sped on pit road. Like I said, a lot of mistakes on my part here lately, which has gotten me frustrated. I’ve got a really great race team with really great leadership with Cliff (Daniels) and everybody. I know we’ll be able to get through it, we just got to keep working hard and keep fighting and staying positive.”

WE’VE BEEN TO A VARIETY OF TRACKS. DO YOU HAVE A GOOD FEEL FOR THE CAR NOW THAT KIND OF FEEL THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE CAR NEEDS TO GO FAST? DO YOU HAVE THAT KIND OF COMFORT LEVEL YET?
“Yeah, I think I don’t feel like it drives way different so that comfort feel is not hard to find. I feel like as we’ve gotten racing more it’s maybe just the way the schedule is laid out, it’s gotten really hard to pass and that makes executing that much more important. That’s where I feel like I haven’t done a good job. You look at your guys who are winning and they’re just executing really good races and maintaining their track position all race long. That starts from practice through qualifying and into the race, where I haven’t done a good enough job to be challenging for wins yet consistently like we were. Just got to do a little bit more work on my part and just be a little bit better and we’ll be right there.”

WHAT’S THE RISK OF GOING UP TOP THIS WEEKEND, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE WITH THE NEW CAR A LOT OF TOE LINK AND ISSUES IN THE REAR? WHAT’S THAT KIND OF RISK AND BALANCE?
“I don’t know. I mean, I think when the track gets to where it was yesterday and dusty kind of on entry the risk is higher. If the track’s got some moisture on entry the risk, to me, isn’t quite as much because it’ll hold you a little bit better with the grip up there. Obviously, you always want your car handling good to where you can go anywhere, and the safest part of the track is further away from the wall. A lot of times you can find a lot of speed up there, so just like any pavement race you definitely have to weigh the risk versus reward.”
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.

Toyota Racing – Kurt Busch
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

BRISTOL, Tenn. (April 16, 2022) – 23XI Racing driver Kurt Busch was made available to media prior to the Bristol Motor Speedway race this Saturday:

KURT BUSCH, No. 45 Monster Energy Toyota Camry TRD, 23XI Racing

Can you give us an update of how your practice was yesterday and how the track looks today?

“I feel like the way that everybody has adapted to this in the second year in the Cup Series and the Trucks to dirt being on top of Bristol – it seems like there is more confidence out of everybody and the practice sequences and how you attack them are all about that track prep and how you read the mud. With yesterday’s practice, I thought we were a top-five car in the first practice and the second one we were sideways loose, struggling for grip. I’m glad we had both of those elements in both of our practices yesterday for my team on the No. 45 car. So, with Billy Scott (crew chief) and my engineering group, the mechanics, we all have our theories in dirt racing and with Bubba (Wallace) and the way that he approaches it, as well, it’s just a matter of collecting the right information and then applying it to each of our sequences or each of our times on track. Watching the truck races – their heat races will be important for our heat races, and then we will see how the mud looks and what the trucks will do in the different stages tonight and who ultimately wins will have to do it on a dry slick style dirt. That’s what we will end up seeing with the Cup cars, but to start tomorrow’s race we are going to see it just as muddy as this is right now, so you have to go through all of the changes and make sure you adapt to all of the changing circumstances.”

How long does it take a veteran driver like yourself to embrace all of the recent changes?

“Ever since we had the break for COVID and came back, it’s been night and day, so you roll with it. You just smile. For me, it gives me an appreciation more so of my job and the fun that this is and the challenge that it takes for everybody to keep finding that rhythm of that sequence. I would honestly say that the crew chiefs and the crew members have a tougher time than the drivers do. Each week is fun, new challenges everywhere we go.”

Has your previous success here helped you since it’s been covered in dirt?

“For me, I ran dirt back in the mid-90s in a little dwarf car. When we found a rhythm with that car at some of the dirt tracks we traveled to, the setup didn’t change much. We just stuck with three or four things to try to make it easy and to make it travel and go to all of the different styles of mud or banking. With Bristol being dirt, it’s completely different than the concrete. The spring race had its attitude versus the night race on how it raced. The old Bristol versus the new Bristol with the way the concrete was reconfigured. This Next Gen car – every week – is a fun, new challenge – with all honesty. I have over two decades of experience, but I try to throw all of that out and just go with it and just challenge myself with my team to get the best results for the No. 45 Toyota Camry.”

How would the schedule look if you were in charge of it in the future?

“I think we made huge improvements last year. All of the new venues we went to seemed to have that inaugural vibe. The energy level was up with everything that went on in Road America, Nashville, the Indy Road Course even had that different feel through the garage area. Everywhere we are looking to go with dirt here at Bristol, whatever we can do to keep things right on that edge of doing it for the right reason and integrity of NASCAR and to know that these are oval cars that are supposed to be going 185 mph. That’s important, but also to be reaching out to new demographics, new fans, new markets. That’s a key element. Keeping the variety going is what I would recommend.”

NASCAR and FOX see tomorrow night as a big opportunity. What kind of race do fans need to see to justify that?

“It’s the product. We know that we have a show to produce. We have the cars and the way that they have to look on track, whether it’s the speed, whether it’s the passing. We are going to see cars sideways and in yaw, and it’s like the best stock cars drivers in the world are hanging on to these things and putting on a great show. The 250-lap count is tough because you are just cooking that dirt and now you are ending up with way more dust and it’s very difficult to control that so, I’m hopeful that the night element helps the dust level stay down. It helps the mud level and the consistency of the track stay more consistent, because if it is in the day, you are just going to cook it and get it slicker quicker. The atmosphere of a cool coliseum effect, the stands all wrapped around this track. It’s rare you see 150,000 seats ready to watch a race and this is a good show to stand on. I don’t know what produces a good show other than cars side-by-side and commentators talking about what makes it fun to be a fan in this sport and what it means to have fun as a driver, owner as well as the sponsors being involved.”

How confident are you that the double-wide racing can exist throughout the race?

“It looked great. That was the biggest thing. I was on a FOX production call earlier this week talking about track prep and the fun, quick answer was it was a monsoon last year. What do you do with that type of track prep? I’m like I think we are going to see something different. Kudos to the staff here at BMS and the way the dirt crew has made the track look thus far. Let’s hope the Truck race goes that same way and we can get that with the Cup cars. It’s just tough. Our Cup cars are 3,600 pounds. They are 40 of us out there and we are blazing the tires across the surface and that is why we cook it more than any other dirt series in the world.”

Can you talk about the decision to paint the top of the wall white?

“That’s good. I just thought because I was one of the older guys, I just couldn’t find the wall and then the white line people would rub the white line with their left side tires and it’s like wow, everything is dirt out here. I think a few guys have recommended something for the outer wall and then the inside line, I guess they just need to go out there with a quick paint crew. Just like you would do in baseball – put in a new chalk or new lines to help during the stage breaks. We’ve all got to work together the right way and we should all be pretty darn smart from the all the dirt racing that we have for experience in this group.”

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About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

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

Ford drivers Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola and Ryan Blaney came into the Bristol Motor Speedway infield media center following their final NASCAR Cup Series practice session last night. Here is some of their Q&A sessions with members of the media.

KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 Busch Latte Ford Mustang – DO YOU FEEL BETTER AT THIS POINT THIS YEAR THAN A YEAR AGO IN TERMS OF THIS EVENT? “Yeah. At this point I wasn’t worried about coming here just because you kind of know everything that you’re gonna go through. The cars are my cars. I sit in them every week and it’s the same throttle, the same stuff and learned last year that it’s not a dirt late model or something along those lines. It’s our own style of dirt racing – much slower pace.”

WAS VISIBILITY A PROBLEM TONIGHT? “It was way worse in the first practice than it was in the second practice. When I have a question, I would assume that would probably get better at night. Briscoe tells me that should get better at night and that’s really all I have to go off of, so if he tells me to run the bottom, I run the bottom. If he tells me to run the top, I run the top. If he tells me to go backwards on the back straightaway, I’ll go backwards on the back straightaway because it’s just not anything that I know what’s going on.”

YOU HAVE THAT MUCH TRUST IN HIM? “Oh, yeah. I think as you look at it he’s the leader of this whole dirt program, so he’s the only one with any experience, so we kind of have to live and die by what he says and use his experience as the guidance for what we do.”

SO WHEN CHASE SAYS THEY SHOULD CONSIDER WATERING THE TRACK MORE, YOU WOULD AGREE WITH THAT? “They tell me water makes dust, so I don’t know (laughing). I don’t know when you water the track.”

WATER MAKES MUD. “That’s only at the beginning. Apparently, water makes dust if you water it right now, so I’m totally confused because I thought water made mud, too.”

SOMETHING IS MAKING IT DUSTY. “I don’t know. Water makes dust and mud, so I don’t know. Once I get into a rhythm, I feel like I’m just always five laps behind the guys who know what they’re doing because they know where to go on the racetrack. They know where the moisture is, but once I can get into a rhythm I’m fine, but you’re just always trying to play catchup with the guys who know where to go on the racetrack instantly and you’re always a little bit behind because you’re playing follow-the-leader. It’s like a really slick asphalt track once you get going, but it’s just those fast laps, knowing how hard to push it and things like that, but the rest of it I’m fine with.”

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE TOE LINK ISSUES AND WHAT’S THE BALANCE OF NOT DAMAGING THAT? “Don’t hit the wall. The same guys have all hit the wall and they break the toe link. You hit the wall and the car is 45 degrees yawed out it’s gonna hit the back of the wheel and it’s gonna break the toe link. There’s really no way around that, so I don’t know what to tell them other than don’t hit the wall.”

IS THE FASTEST WAY AROUND HERE UP AGAINST THE WALL OR DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE BOTTOM WILL COME IN? “It depends. Earlier it was faster around the top. I never had any luck with the dead bottom, right against those little turtles down there. We were one lane up and seemed to be the best place for us, but in the first practice what was the top, I was fine with and could do that, but I never got in a good rhythm like right against the wall with the small cushion. It’s not even a cushion because if you miss it’s dust. It’s just a big pile of dirt. You can’t even call it dirt. It’s a big pile of dust, so that’s what happens. You get comfortable and then you get hung in that dust up there and it then it will just kind of grab it and pull it into the wall.”

HAVE YOU EVER RACED ON EASTER BEFORE? “I have not.”

WHAT DO YOU NORMALLY DO ON EASTER? “We have an annual vacation that we got to come home from three days early this year.”

SO YOU’RE THRILLED ABOUT BEING HERE? “Super thrilled (laughing).”

THEY NEED THIS TO BE A NIGHT RACE AND PUT IT ON EASTER SUNDAY TO CAPITALIZE ON THE TELEVISION WINDOW. IS IT IMPORTANT THAT THE SHOW IS DECENT? “The only way it’s successful is if the TV ratings are through the roof. That’s the only way that having it on Easter night is successful. That’s the only reason it is where it is is for a TV rating, so if it doesn’t have a TV rating, you should never do it again, in my opinion. It’s an experiment, which I’m fine with experiments if it’s beneficial. If it’s beneficial for this sport and beneficial for TV ratings and beneficial for a number of things, then I’m all in, but that will be the real tell of success if that rating is way up compared to what it was.”

WHERE WAS VACATION? “The beach.”

DID THEY STAY AND YOU CAME BACK FOR THIS WEEKEND? “No, they went early when I was at Martinsville and then we all came back.”

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 10 Cummins/Rush Truck Centers Ford Mustang – WAS VISIBILITY ANY BETTER FROM PRACTICE 1 TO PRACTICE 2? “Not for me. It just depends on how close you are to a car. If you have three quarters of a straightaway or so from a car in front of you, then you’re OK. The closer you get to a car in front of you, and depending on where they’re running, if they run up close to the wall, it just creates such a cloud of dust that it’s really hard to see the wall. The wall is painted black. I think that makes it harder to see as well.”

THE GOOD NEWS IS YOU COULD RUN AGAINST THE WALL, BUT THE BAD NEWS IS IT’S UNFORGIVING IF YOU HIT IT? “Yeah, I tried to test those limits as well. I got in the fence a couple of times just trying to figure it all out. I’m not a dirt racer and these cars are not dirt cars, so just trying to figure out what those limits are and how much of a cushion, it’s not really a cushion. There’s a bunch of loose crumbs up there, but if you get close to it there’s some grip, but if you just barely go over the top of it, you get in all of that loose dirt and it sucks you into the wall pretty quick.”

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN BUILD OFF OF FROM LAST YEAR’S DIRT RACE? “No, it’s a totally new car and the track is even different with the banking change and the way they transition from the straightaways into the corners is different than what we had last year. Those turtles, or whatever those are on the bottom, are less aggressive as last year, so I think so much is different from last year that you can’t really take anything away from that.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford Mustang – WHAT WAS THE VIEW LIKE FOR YOU OUT THERE? “It was hard to see, not as bad as last year but it’s still pretty rough. The sun being down definitely helped that, which was a little bit better. The wall is painted black, so you can’t see the wall, which makes it worse. They need to paint that white or neon or Easter egg colors. I don’t care, but you need to paint it something other than black because you can’t see it when it gets dusty. Overall, it’s not as bad as last year. I think the night race is gonna help it out a little bit. The track seemed to be OK, pretty decent, so it’ll be nice to just get the dust down, but you can’t really do anything about that.”

DID VISIBILITY IMPROVE FROM PRACTICE 1 TO PRACTICE 2? “A little bit with the sun going down helped, but I think the track got dustier in general the second practice, so it kind of evened each other out. It was better than the sun being up and getting a glare. You could at least squint your eyes and see a little bit.”

THERE’S NOT A LOT OF SIMILARITY FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR, BUT IS THERE SOMETHING YOU CAN TAKE FROM THAT RACE TO THIS ONE? “Yeah, I mean slightly. The car is obviously different. The tire is way different. The tire is way better this year, honestly. It’s got way more grip and you can actually drive it more, so I don’t know if you can compare much like car to car, setup to setup, but just knowing the trends of how the race went last year, maybe that applies to this year so you try to look at the trends of the racetrack and all that, but the track is a lot smoother than what it was last year, so that’s nice. But there’s not a lot you can compare.”

DID YOU FIND A PREFERRED LINE? “That’s the deal. The top, where the moisture was, was really small by the end of practice. Larson and Bell, they were up there and could do it really good, but I think they both hit the fence pretty hard, so I was right around the middle. I’m not good enough to run up there consistently like they could, honestly, so I was like middle. I thought I had pretty decent grip, actually, so that’s gonna be tough. I think you’re gonna have that option Sunday night, where it’s gonna be a pretty narrow strip of kind of moist mud, but the risk factor is gonna be pretty big with no cushion. There’s really nothing to lean on and you’re just kind of gauging where your right-rear tire is and is it gonna get in the moisture. And the bad thing is you can’t get close to the wall because the quarter-panel is gonna hit before the tire hits anything, so I will not be up there probably because I’m not good enough, so I’m gonna be in the middle trying to chase where the other grip is.”

IS RUNNING THE TRUCK RACE AN ADVANTAGE FOR JOEY? “I talked to him and he was like there’s so much different – the two cars. The tire is way different. He was like, the Cup cars are spoiled from the tire we’ve got now. That tire the trucks have and what we had last year was way less grip of what we have now. I think it will help him, like seeing how the track changes. I think it’s gonna help those guys running, but I think the tire being such a big difference over there can be misleading, but the track time is gonna be big for those guys, I think.”

Toyota Racing – Kyle Busch
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

BRISTOL, Tenn. (April 15, 2022) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch was made available to media prior to the Bristol Motor Speedway race this Friday:

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Crunchy Cookie Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

What are your thoughts on the track and the conditions compared to what it was last year?

“So far better I guess, but the second half of that practice you couldn’t see. You put one car in front of you, you can’t see. Two cars, you definitely can’t see. That’s going to be the toughest part – the dust. It looked like Truck practice went pretty well, but as the track started to widen a couple of those guys were a little tentative doing it the right way, and then once they started doing it, it was just dust off of the first truck that was running that high side burning it with the right rear.”

Were the screens working and could you tell any difference with the mud flaps?

“The track was dry our whole time, so the mudflaps were pretty irrelevant at this point. I’m overheating already. We don’t even have mud on it and I’m already hot.”

Is the new car handling differently than last year’s car did on dirt?

“More grip. I’m surprised about the amount of grip this car has. More drive off of the corners. I think most of that has to do with the tire. The tires are really wide. It has really good footprint on it based on looking at its tread pattern versus an open wheel tread pattern. It matches pretty well versus the truck tire, which is very rounded and crowned. I would say the tires a benefit, but the car everywhere we have been with this thing so far has had added grip. Plus, we are a 100 less horsepower than we were last year, so that’s going to help with the throttle on time as well.”

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About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

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

NASCAR CUP SERIES
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
FOOD CITY DIRT RACE
TEAM CHEVY POST-PRACTICE
APRIL 15, 2022

TEAM CHEVY: TOP-20 IN NASCAR CUP SERIES FIRST PRACTICE
1st TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1
4th JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1
6th RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER / IRISH SPRING CAMARO ZL1
7th ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 ADVENT HEALTH CAMARO ZL1
9th TY DILLON, NO. 42 FOOD CITY / GAIN CAMARO ZL1
11th CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 KELLEY BLUE BOOK CAMARO ZL1
12th AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS / TRACKER OFF ROAD CAMARO ZL1
16th KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1
18th ERIK JONES, NO. 43 FOOD CITY / TIDE CAMARO ZL1
20th DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 TOOTSIES ORCHID LOUNGE CAMARO ZL1

· The NASCAR Cup Series is participating in two (2) 50-minute practice sessions, where Tyler Reddick, No. 8 3CHI Camaro ZL1, was the fastest overall in first practice.

· Tyler Reddick’s fastest lap was 20.017 seconds, at a speed of 89.924 mph.

· Four, 15-lap qualifying heat races will determine the starting lineup for the main event. The lineup for the heat races are determined by random draw, performed in the order of team owner points.

· FOX will telecast the NASCAR Cup Series 250-lap Food City Dirt Race live at 7 p.m. ET Sunday, April 17. Live coverage can also be found on PRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1, met with the media after the NASCAR Cup Series first practice as the fastest driver in today’s first practice session. Press Conference Transcript:

YOU WERE THIRD IN THE 10-LAP AVERAGE. DOES THAT MEAN ANYTHING OR IS THE TRACK GOING TO BE SO DIFFERENT ON SUNDAY THAT WHATEVER WE LOOK AT TODAY, WE SHOULDN’T READ TOO MUCH INTO IT?
“It’s going to be different, like the way it was different last year for this race. From practice to the race was a huge difference. But we’re going to be running this race at night on Sunday. This track holds moisture better. There are just a lot of factors that will play into that.

The track is going to be different, but I can’t really foresee what it’s going to be like. We kind of have to wait and see how the track is prepped. Certainly, it’s just going to take a lot longer to get to where it did at the end of our practice there when we’re racing under nighttime conditions and the sun isn’t really beating down on the racetrack.”

WHAT WOULD YOUR RECOMMENDATION BE TO MAKE THE TRACK BETTER; AND REALISTICALLY, HOW MANY GROOVES DO YOU THINK YOU’LL HAVE TO RACE ON SUNDAY?
“Well, with this car, from what I saw as it transitioned and as it changed – in dirt racing, the line is going to be different just about every single lap as the track changes. I think there is going to be a point in time, in the beginning of the race certainly, where one lane is going to be more dominant than the other. We saw it in Truck practice a little bit – you’re going to have options as the track really starts to widen out; as the middle wears away and the tacky dirt kind of burns off.

I think there is going to be a lot of lane choices, based off of just where this tires’ grip is and where the power in this car is, horsepower-wise. But a lot of these things just depend on what the weather does Saturday and how much that really dictates what we can and can’t do to this track Sunday getting ready for our race.”

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
Bristol Dirt Media Availability | Friday, April 15, 2022

Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang, posted the second-fastest practice speed in today’s first session at Bristol Motor Speedway. He gave his impressions of the track and his car between practices to members of the media.

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 14 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang – WHAT WAS THE VISIBILITY LIKE? “At the beginning it wasn’t ideal. It wasn’t perfect, but it was definitely raceable. Then there at the end it definitely got where it was pretty dusty. You couldn’t really see much in one and two, but that’s typical for dirt racing when the sun is out. When you start with the track that dry, that’s gonna happen. I don’t think the visibility will be as bad Sunday night. It’s still gonna be dusty if they start off that dry, but the sunlight is what really amplifies the dust.”

THE CHANGES TO THE TRACK. YOUR THOUGHTS ON THOSE? “I couldn’t personally tell a huge difference sitting in there, but I thought it was interesting how we were running the top versus last year we were always on the bottom. Hopefully, we can race where it’s like that and you can kind of move around and it’s not just stuck on the bottom. We’ll see.”

DO YOU KNOW WHAT CAUSED YOUR FLAT TIRE? “I don’t know. I think I just cut it truthfully. I was going fine. I didn’t feel like I was losing any grip and then i was going into the middle of three and four and next thing I knew I was almost spinning out. There were no warning signs. I know I got a little too high the corner before. I think I just cut something.”

IS THE DUST GOING TO BE A PROBLEM AND WHAT CAN BE DONE TO FIX IT? “When it’s that dry starting off, it’s gonna be an issue. The top has never really got a lot of water and that’s what you saw. When they first rolled out there for our practice they very lightly tilled it and they watered and it was pretty good. We could rip around there on the top, but as we started running that top glaze off it just gets to the dust because it’s so hard and so dry underneath. I think they could water a ton up top. If they wate it a ton, the visibility, we’re never gonna get sprayed in the corner unless we’re running the bottom. If we’re running the top, you’re just going to the fence anyway, so I think you could water it a lot more up top and that would fix a lot of the dust problem underneath, but then also put on probably a little better product from a racetrack standpoint.”

HOW MANY GROOVES DO YOU EXPECT TO RACE ON SUNDAY? “it depends on what the guy with the keys to the water truck and tiller do, truthfully. Hopefully, we have multiple groove. It was fun the first 5-10 minutes of practice. They could definitely get way more aggressive and till it deeper and water it more. Walking in here three hours before, it was already dry and dusty. When you go to a dirt track if you’re there three hours before you walk up to the racetrack and you think it’s gonna rain out and it could be 75 and sunny out. Obviously, with the windshields we can’t get that heavy, but we can definitely be way more aggressive, I think, than what it is right now. Overheating is not a problem and just how this dirt is versus the dirt that we have at a place like Eldora, it doesn’t clump up as much, so I think we could get a lot more water on it and till it deeper and be fine.”

HOW QUICKLY CAN YOU LEARN DURING PRACTICE WHEN THE TRACK IS CHANGING SO MUCH? “It’s tough because the track is constantly changing. Your visibility is constantly changing, but I will say it have more grip than I thought it was going to – like from a forward drive standpoint it definitely had way more grip and we carried way more throttle than I thought we would. I was kind of surprised by that. I’ve never driven a dirt car with this kind of suspension, so that part was interesting. I think all of us are gonna say the same thing. We’d love for them to put more water on it, till it deeper to see what it would do. I was surprised, truthfully, how well it drove on the dirt.”

DOES ANYONE FROM TRACK PREP ASK YOU WHAT WOULD MAKE A GOOD SHOW? “They haven’t asked me. I know Kyle Larson and Stenhouse, I think they knew about the banking. I didn’t know about that until a couple weeks ago, so I think they’re talking to those guys. They’re a little more prominent in the dirt world than probably I am, so I would love to give them what I think is right, but just what I think is right doesn’t make it right. I think we would all agree that we want more water and things, but I can see where they’re scared to do that too from a visibility and overheating standpoint. It’s a tough situation, but until you try and over-water it, you never really know.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
FOOD CITY DIRT RACE
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 15, 2022

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER / IRISH SPRING CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Bristol Motor Speedway. Press Conference Transcript:

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR OVERALL THOUGHTS HEADED INTO THIS WEEKEND?
“I think everybody’s looking forward to it. We learned a lot last year, which obviously probably went into everybody’s preparation for this year. I think Goodyear learned a lot. SMI and the track learned a lot, and NASCAR as well just trying to make a good show even better. Switching it to night should be beneficial for some of those things. Looking forward to this practice session and getting some long runs in with these tires. Obviously, last year we had to cut our segments down to 50 laps with having too soft of a tire for the track conditions and our cars. Now, we feel the tire is hard enough that it won’t just burn it off, but I think you could maybe get too much wheel spin and get some blistering. We’ll have to pay attention to that in this practice session. Always looking forward to coming to a racetrack when you don’t really know the conditions. I feel like coming to Bristol or going to any asphalt track you know exactly what you are going to get for the most part. Here, we’re all starting this practice session with the unknown of what track conditions are going to be like and that’s fun for me.”

CAN YOU TELL ANYTHING FROM JUST WHAT YOU’VE SEEN ON THE TRACK NOW AND DOES IT LOOK ANY DIFFERENT THAN LAST YEAR?
“I mean the turtles are a little bit smaller, which obviously kind of killed left fronts last year and body panels. I think those being a little bit smaller will definitely help. A little less banking at the bottom is something that I am hoping will kind of bring the middle portion of the racetrack in. I don’t feel like the very top of the racetrack will ever come in, but if the bottom does get slow enough and we’re capable of running the middle where there is a little bit more banking. Watching some of the late model races from the last couple weeks, toward the end of their 30 or 35 lap races, the middle portion of the racetrack was definitely the faster way around. There was a handful of guys that found it and made up a lot of spots. It gives us hope that maybe that can happen for us. Watching the video of Friesen running around here, I feel like he ran the middle really fast. You’ll have to see once the track conditions start changing if that line goes away or not. All in all, again watching from the previous two weeks everything that they’ve done it looks like they’ve got the racetrack really smooth. I don’t know if you’ll see as many holes in the racetrack, which on one hand I’m kind of bummed about because I thought the holes were a lot of fun last year and challenging and kind of tricky the way you hit them. Also, that created more dust as well, so the smoother the racetrack the less dusty it will be as well.”

WITH THIS WEEKEND AND NEXT WEEKEND TALLADEGA, IS THERE A SENSE OF URGENCY OR MORE OF A SENSE OF OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU GUYS WITH THE WAY THINGS HAVE STARTED THIS YEAR?
“Yeah, let’s say a little bit of both. Definitely looking forward to these two weeks, knowing that I feel like we’ve got a really good shot to win here or next weekend. We’ve really struggled on the short track races so far this year and I feel like we’ve learned a lot over the Phoenix, Richmond, and Martinsville, but you never know until you go back to another short track. So, for us, we’re trying to gather as much data as we can as a single-car team and I’m trying to give as much feedback as I can to kind of speed our process up of learning. I feel like we’ve done a good job of that, it’s just obviously the bigger teams are still quicker to get that information figured out. Been a bummer on the short tracks, but then again on the mile and a half and superspeedways I’ve been really confident in the racecars my guys have been bringing me. we’re going to continue to work on that, but definitely a sense of urgency and excitement in the next two weeks.”

IS IT FRUSTRATING THAT YOU UNDERSTAND DIRT AND YET DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY GOOD AT DIRT WILL HAVE AN ADVANTAGE OR DO YOU FEEL LIKE STILL BECAUSE OF THE NEW CAR AND THIS TRACK, THAT IT’S A WHOLE DIFFERENT ANIMAL?
“I think for me if the track stayed prepped with moisture in it and you had a cushion to run on and things like that, that yeah maybe your dirt experience could help you a little bit. I think as you saw last year, really the cars with the most grip kind of like any track you go to still have the advantage and still had the best shot at winning. We’re going to try and get our car handling as best we can in this practice session, because whether you have a ton of dirt experience or not you know the car’s still going to play a massive role in who wins this race.”

AT THE START OF SEASON, YOU GOT PAIRED UP WITH TAB BOYD AS YOUR SPOTTER AND YOU’VE GOTTEN A FEW RACES UNDER OUR BELT, WHAT KIND OF THINGS CAN TAB BRING? OBVIOUSLY, HE’S WORKED WITH A LOT OF DRIVERS IN THE PAST.
“Yeah, he’s got a lot of success on all different racetracks and championships and wins. I think for me, man right off the bat we really hit it off. Both southern guys, which is nice. He puts a lot of effort in. he comes to the shop for our meetings, takes notes and we talk throughout the week to kind of go over game plans for that weekend. Like you said, he’s got a lot of experience from other drivers and kind of knows what to look for. I felt like this year some of the biggest things is just trying to keep me pumped up and trying to keep my head in the game. If we’re struggling or even if we’re running good, making sure he’s giving me all that information, been a huge asset for us for sure.”

WITH THE NEXT GEN CAR THIS YEAR, WHAT BENEFITS DO YOU SEE THAT IT HAS HERE ON THIS DIRT TRACK THAT YOU DIDN’T HAVE WITH LAST YEAR’S CAR?
“I guess I’ll probably have to wait and see when I get out there, but I definitely think a wider tire is more suitable for this car on a dirt track compared to what we had last year. Other than that, I’m not 100% sure. Obviously, a lot of the short tracks we’ve been down shifting and things like that. I don’t really know or think that’ll come into play, but I guess you never know. We really haven’t expected it at some of the racetracks we’ve done it in. I think some of the steering components could be a little bit more beneficial for how quick we’re going to have to be turning the wheel left and right. Definitely some cool things about this racecar that’s been a benefit at other places, and I feel like it’s been putting on really good shows for the most part. I think the body that we have on this car will definitely help some of the racing. Last year, I felt like if we banged fenders a little bit here people would get tire rubs and cut tires and I don’t think you’ll see that as much this year which could make the race even better.”

YOU REFERENCED EARLIER JUST ABOUT BEING A SINGLE-CAR TEAM, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN YOUR CUP CAREER YOU’VE BEEN A SINGLE-CAR TEAM. I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT IN THE OFF SEASON YOU THOUGHT IT WAS AN ADVANTAGE WITH THE TESTING, BECAUSE YOU GOT ALL OF THE TRACK TIME, BUT WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES NOW WITH NOT HAVING THAT INFORMATION TEAMMATE TO RELY UPON AND SOMETHING YOU HAVEN’T EXPERIENCED IN YOUR CUP CAREER?
“I think on one hand I still think there’s a few advantages of being able to get parts and pieces and be prepared to come to the racetrack and focusing on our car. Then I think on the flip side of that, we’re kind of finding out on the fly is we can only run really one setup throughout the weekend. We do have a little short practice session, but it’s tough to get massive changes in in that period of time or after qualifying going into the race. That’s been, for us, when you have other teams with four cars and can run four different setups you just learn at a quicker pace. So, you know I thought coming into the season it was going to be a hey well everybody kind on start on a similar playing field, but I think maybe now you’ll see that towards the end of the year once all the teams have more data because their not making new parts and pieces for our car. That was kind of always a struggle with I feel like some of the bigger teams is you would never really be able to catch up, because they were always developing new parts and pieces. Now we have the same parts and pieces, which is encouraging knowing that hey their making their car go that fast with these same tools. We’re just trying to gather as much data as we can, and you know my guys are doing a really good job of giving me something different to work with. I’m excited to continue that.”
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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Will Serve as Associate Partner on the No. 42 Chevrolet for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Season

STATESVILLE, N.C. (April 15, 2022) – With nearly a decade of involvement in NASCAR to their credit, Caymus Vineyards and the Wagner family will continue their longtime support of Cup Series driver, Ty Dillon, as they announce a partnership with Petty GMS. Beginning this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, one of Napa Valley’s most celebrated wines, Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, along with the family’s Bonanza Cabernet Sauvignon, will adorn the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 as an associate sponsor for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season.

The Wagners have a history in Napa Valley dating back to the 1850’s. Through the years, they have embraced a hands-on work ethic and are constantly trying out new ideas in pursuit of making exceptional wines. Whether it’s venturing to different regions to find diverse sources of top-quality grapes or experimenting with new farming techniques, the result is a pairing of tradition with innovation, a respect for the old with the promise of the new.

Caymus Vineyards is excited to partner with Dillon and Petty GMS, a team that carries a storied tradition of its own. Team owner Maury Gallagher has collected five NASCAR championships, along with 65 wins and over 235 top-five finishes, across six series. Team chairman Richard Petty, affectionally known as ‘The King’, is a member of the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2010 and accumulated 200 wins as a driver. Petty was the first of three drivers to win seven championships in the Cup Series.

The Wagner family’s commitment to innovation and excellence aligns well with the philosophy and goals of Dillon and the Petty GMS race team.

“We’ve been involved in NASCAR for many years and appreciate the support of the NASCAR fanbase, and we share with Ty and the Petty GMS organization the desire to evolve and chase success,” said Karen Perry, Executive Vice President of Caymus Vineyards. “Ty has always been a terrific ambassador for our brands, and we look forward to continuing that partnership to inspire race fans.”

“I’m thrilled to be reunited with Caymus Vineyards,” Dillon said. “They have been a terrific partner throughout my Cup Series career, and I look forward to highlighting their brands throughout the season. Chuck Wagner and his family have built an elite brand through hard work and dedication, which is something that I respect and relate to. Not only are their wines delicious and crafted with top-quality grapes, but visiting their vineyard is a highlight of our trip to Sonoma County.”

Chuck Wagner and his late parents, Lorna and Charlie, started Caymus Vineyards in 1972. They were a family of farmers with roots in Napa Valley dating back to the 1850s. Today, the family’s two Cabernet Sauvignons – Caymus Napa Valley and Caymus Special Selection – are among the region’s most celebrated wines. Chuck now works alongside two of his children, Charlie and Jenny, and the family produces diverse wines from Napa Valley, other parts of California and beyond. Continually pursuing new ideas, they feel extremely fortunate to spend their days farming grapes and making wine. For more information, please visit wagnerfamilyofwine.com.

ABOUT PETTY GMS:

Petty GMS competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, operating the No. 42 Chevrolet for Ty Dillon and the No. 43 Chevrolet for Erik Jones. The newly formed team brought together two storied organizations in December 2021. Over the last decade, owner Maury Gallagher built a victorious team, capturing two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championships, one ARCA Menards Series title, and two ARCA Menards Series East championships, as well as 65 wins and 235 top-five finishes across six series. Richard Petty, a member of the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2010, serves as Chairman of Petty GMS. Petty, known as “The King,” accumulated over 200 wins and was the first of three drivers to win seven championships in the Cup Series. For more information, visit www.pettygms.com.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow Petty GMS on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Richard Childress Racing at Bristol Motor Speedway … In 181 NASCAR Cup Series starts at the concrete Bristol Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has scored nine wins, 35 top-five, and 71 top-10 finishes. 2021 marked the first year that RCR competed on the track’s dirt configuration.

Follow Sunday’s Action in Bristol … The Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway will be televised live on Sunday, April 17 beginning at 7 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 Camaro ZL1 at Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt … Dillon has one previous NASCAR Cup Series start on the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt track configuration, finishing 21st in the inaugural event last season.

Winner, Winner … Dillon has won at Bristol Motor Speedway on both the paved and dirt configurations. In addition to winning a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the track in August 2016 (paved), Dillon was among the first drivers to compete on the track’s dirt surface in 2021. He won two features and a heat race in dominating fashion in a 604 Crate Late Model for Corey Hedgecock Racing.

An Ace on Dirt … Dillon first began racing dirt late models in 2006 as the natural progression in his career after starting out in legend cars and bandoleros. Under the tutelage of Shane and Dale McDowell, notable dirt racing victories include the All-Star Shootout at the Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 2009 and May 2007).

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/.

Double-Duty … In addition to competing in this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Dillon is scheduled to race in the NASCAR Truck Series for Young’s Motorsports on Saturday, which airs live on Saturday, April 16 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1. Dillon is the 2011 NASCAR Truck Series Champion and a seven-time winner in the series.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:

Do you circle the dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway on your calendar as one of the most anticipated races of the season for your team?

“I’m excited to get the new Next Gen Chevy to Bristol Motor Speedway to see how it runs on the dirt, especially with the independent rear suspension. It’ll be fun to have something a little bit different. There was a test last week and it looked pretty fun. I was hoping they would take the windshields out of the cars, but it was a little late in the game to make that decision. Maybe they will be able to do it the next time around, because then we could have a little bit of a happier track. It won’t be so dry.”

What are you doing to prepare for the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt race?

“I talked to my good buddy Dale McDowell. He was influential in my dirt racing career growing up and helped teach me how to race on dirt. Dale won a $50,000 to win late model race at Bristol a couple of weeks back, so I’ve been picking his brain on what he thought about the track and what we need to be good. A lot of what Dale has told me aligns with the asphalt track that we run at Bristol. He mentioned that it gets tight off Turn 2 and that it’s a different radius than Turns 3 and 4. When you look at an overview photo of Bristol, it looks the same on each side, but that’s not the case. In Turns 3 and 4 you have a lot more exit room, and it’s always been that way. Turns 1 and 2 are rough and it’s a little bit tighter on exit to Turn 2. You need a car that is able to rotate off of Turn 2. The track characteristics are similar to what you see when you’re running the asphalt track, but it’s going to be a different compound on the track. I love the dirt stuff, so it will be fun. I’m running the NASCAR Truck Series race, too, so it will be good to get a little bit more experience with the track and the transitions it takes. I’m looking forward to seeing how it turns out.”

Did you learn anything in the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt race last year that you can carry over to this year’s race?

“I had a blast doing it last year, even though we really weren’t that good. I probably took too much on myself as a dirt racer trying to crew chief the car. I think this time we’re just going to let the crew chief do his job and crew chief and I’ll stick to driving the car to see how that turns out.”

Is the Bristol dirt race especially fun for the teams ?

“Bristol Dirt is a fun race for the mechanics, crew chiefs and engineers because it’s just a fun way to race to bring everything back to your short track roots and have the chance to work on the cars during the breaks. Everyone is slinging stuff and trying to find some speed and exploring ways to improve the car in ways that you wouldn’t normally get to go about it when you’re at a normal NASCAR race. I’ve always enjoyed this event because it feels more like an exhibition, but we get points and the chance to make the NASCAR Playoffs so we want to run well and try to keep this streak of top-10 finishes going, and maybe even come home with a W.”

Is there anything you do differently to prepare for racing on dirt?

“You start sealing up your helmet a little bit more than you would any other weekend because it’s pretty dusty with it staying as dry as it does on the dirt. Anything you can do to clean the windshield off. Some people change their steering wheel. Mine is going to stay the same. I started off the race last year with a smaller steering wheel in practice but ended up going back to my regular wheel that I use every weekend. The rack should help the steering. With this car being as quick with the steering, It should help. I’ve always thought having quick steering on dirt is a good thing so that you can catch it and drive it a little bit differently.”

This Week’s 3CHI Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt … The NASCAR Cup Series returns to the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt this weekend for the second time in history. The inaugural dirt race at the Bristol, Tennessee 0.533-mile dirt track had 10 cautions for 39 laps and a five lead changes. Reddick finished seventh in the race after starting 27th. Reddick grew up dirt racing and has an extensive background on dirt. He’s raced mini sprints, midgets, dirt late models and sprint cars. He became the youngest person to qualify on the pole for the World 100 at Eldora Speedway and became the youngest winner at the East Bay Winter Nationals and in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. Although it’s a completely different race on dirt, Reddick has three Cup Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway. He has a best finish of fourth from 2020.

Visit the 3CHI Display at Bristol Motor Speedway … 3CHI invites everyone to come visit their display this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway for samples, swag and the opportunity to win prizes. Tyler Reddick is also scheduled to visit the 3CHI display on Sunday at 2:50 p.m. ET. Come join the fun and get an autograph from the driver of the No. 8 3CHI Chevrolet!

3CHI Blazes the Trail for Another Industry First … 3CHI and Richard Childress Racing created another first with their partnership for the 2022 NASCAR season. 3CHI began with roots as a CBD producer and quickly became a pioneer in science-based hemp and cannabis innovation. The company was the first to commercially develop and market Delta 8 THC, and today, 3CHI is an industry leader with unsurpassed product quality and purity as verified by top independent labs and benchmark organizations. 3CHI products are sold in a majority of the United States, and the company produces and markets a variety of gummies, tinctures, lotions, edibles and vape products. All 3CHI products meet federal requirements for full legal compliance, with a commitment to promoting responsible adult use. See 3CHI.com for more information.

TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:

How does a driver prepare for a Cup Series race on dirt?

“I come from a dirt background, so this race really brings me back to my roots. It’s a cool race because the teams get the chance to work on the cars during the breaks. You’ve got teams trying all kinds of things to improve the car in ways that we don’t get to on a typical race weekend. It’s going to be really dusty so we will be focused on visibility and the steering. We’ve been brainstorming what setup will be the best for us. Some guys change their steering wheel and some don’t. This race feels so different than our usual race weekends, but points matter and your finish matters so I’m excited to get out there and get us points and a W on dirt.

As a driver, what are your thoughts heading back to the Bristol Dirt event for the second year?

“We want an entertaining race. We want to make dirt racing look good. We don’t want to make dirt racing look bad; we don’t want to make ourselves in the sport look bad either. Eldora was able to put on some really great races. As a dirt racer myself growing up, just the thought of having dirt back at Bristol and having other dirt cars out there in itself is really a huge deal for me. That’s something I never thought I’d see in my lifetime, just only able to hear stories about it from the drivers that got to do it. So being a part of it is really cool. It is really, really important for it to be a good race from my perspective being more of the dirt background. We don’t want to make dirt racing look bad. It’s always been really good.”

What does having a good race at Bristol Dirt mean to you?

“Well, it could mean a number of things but certainly you’ve seen with asphalt races and dirt races, I’ve seen a lot of good dirt races where the leader has been checked out by half a lap and he’s just running his tail off, bouncing off the fence, doing absurd things in the race car that should not be possible. And when you see guys being able to do stuff like that on dirt or on asphalt, in my opinion, watching somebody be able to physically see them driving their tail off, I think that’s what makes a good race or having a good battle for the lead. Having the cars being hard to drive on dirt, which I’m sure they will be, or getting into each other and having accidents and all that sort of stuff, I think it is important because the cars are going to be hard to drive. I hope they will be. It’s important to see us in the car driving our tails off, wheeling the steering wheel and really having to work for it lap after lap.”