Roush Fenway Keselowski Weekly Advance | Darlington

The annual NASCAR Throwback weekend is on tap this weekend at Darlington Raceway as the Cup Series battles the track Too Tough to Tame Sunday afternoon for its first of two race events in 2022. Jack Roush has 20 wins all-time at Darlington including five in the Cup Series.

NASCAR Cup Series Race at Darlington
Sunday, May 8 | 3:30 p.m. ET
FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
· Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Socios Ford Mustang
· Chris Buescher, No. 17 Socios Ford Mustang

Throwin’ it Back to 2004

Both of RFK’s Ford Mustangs this weekend will match that of 2004 schemes from the Roush Racing days. Keselowski’s No. 6 machine will be similar to Mark Martin’s iconic blue and white scheme from the 2004 season, while Chris Buescher will recognize the popular No. 17 scheme Matt Kenseth made famous in 2004.

Darlington Two-Step

RFK has twice won consecutive NCS races at Darlington, including a season sweep in 1999 with former driver and current NBC commentator Jeff Burton. RFK also earned victories in consecutive seasons at the egg-shaped oval in 2005 and 2006 with Biffle.

Tale of the Tape

In 254 all-time NASCAR starts at ‘The Lady in Black,’ Jack Roush’s Fords have 20 wins, 69 top-five and 119 top-10 finishes, along with 20 poles. Over the years RFR has led 4,500+ laps across the Cup, Xfinity and Truck series, with more than 89,000 miles logged at the 1.366-mile track. In NCS action alone, RFK has finished top-10 in 43 percent (72-of-168) of the races with 35 top-five results and five wins.

Kickin’ It Old School

Legendary RFK drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Burton and Greg Biffle are responsible for the five Cup wins for Jack Roush at Darlington. Martin earned Roush’s first Cup win back in 1993 after leading 178 laps. Burton swept the 1999 events as the dominant car, and Biffle earned the two most recent victories in 2005 and 2006.

Most All-Time

It’s no secret that when Roush has dominated in the Xfinity Series at Darlington. In 79 starts, the organization has 15 wins, 33 top-five and 44 top-10s. Mark Martin is responsible for eight of the victories, second-most for him among any track, after winning five of the first seven races at the track for Roush from 1993-96. He also went on to win in 1999 and swept again in 2000. Jeff Burton got in on the fun with wins in 1997, 2001 and 2002, while Biffle earned a win in 2004. Most recently, Kenseth drove to victory lane in 2005 and 2009.

RFK Darlington Wins

1993-2 Martin Cup

1999-1 Burton Cup

1999-2 Burton Cup

2005 Biffle Cup

2006 Biffle Cup

1993-2 Martin NXS

1994-1 Martin NXS

1994-2 Martin NXS

1995-2 Martin NXS

1996-1 Martin NXS

1997-2 Burton NXS

1999-2 Martin NXS

2000-1 Martin NXS

2000-2 Martin NXS

2001-2 Burton NXS

2002-1 Burton NXS

2002-2 Burton NXS

2004-1 Biffle NXS

2005 Kenseth NXS

2009 Kenseth NXS

This Week in Motorsports: May 2-8, 2022

· NCS/NXS/NCWTS: Darlington Raceway – May 6-8
· ARCA EAST: Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway – May 7

PLANO, Texas (May 4, 2022) – It’s officially throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway, as team’s showcase paint schemes of the past. The ARCA Menards Series East also hits its halfway point of the season in Nashville.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS | NCWTS

Toyota Racing celebrates a milestone… Toyota is set to mark a significant milestone this weekend when the green flag waves in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race. The race will mark the 1,500th NASCAR event for Toyota since joining the Camping World Truck Series in 2004. To celebrate that moment two of Toyota’s Cup drivers – Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell will showcase schemes that led to milestone moments for Toyota. Hamlin will campaign his 2016 Daytona 500 winning scheme, while Bell will run his 2017 SiriusXM Truck Series championship title scheme. In the Truck Series, Tyler Ankrum and Chase Purdy will honor founding members of Team Toyota. Ankrum will honor Mike Skinner, one of Toyota’s first drivers in 2004 who won 12 races and earned 35 pole positions in a Tundra, and Purdy will honor Darrell Waltrip, one of Toyota’s first team owners in the Truck Series.

Truex looks to repeat… Martin Truex Jr. is looking for his first win of the season and Darlington Raceway seems like a perfect spot. Truex is the reigning winner of this race – an event that he dominated by leading 248 of 293 laps and winning both stages. It was Truex’s second victory at the track. He also won the Southern 500 in 2016.

Hamlin wins at Darlington… Denny Hamlin simply wins at Darlington Raceway. The Virginia-native earned his first win at the track ‘Too Tough to Tame’ in 2010 and has since added three additional victories – including a win last fall.

Bell continues to move forward… Christopher Bell is on a very impressive run as the third-year driver has scored four top-10 finishes in the last six races, including a fourth place run on Monday in Dover. Bell has moved from 29th in the point standings to 10th with the solid performance.

Jones returns to Darlington with momentum… Brandon Jones continues to hold momentum coming into Darlington after his Martinsville Raceway victory and pole at Dover Motor Speedway last weekend. Jones is a former winner at Darlington, winning the fall 2020 race in a Toyota throwback livery honoring Toyota’s first stock car champion, Robert Huffman.

Nemechek back in the 26… John Hunter Nemechek is back for a second consecutive week in the Xfinity Series, but this time he is back aboard the Sam Hunt Racing (SHR) No. 26 Toyota GR Supra. In two starts this season, Nemechek is averaging a top-10 finish and led the team’s first laps in Phoenix. Nemechek has several more Xfinity starts scheduled with both SHR and Joe Gibbs Racing this season. He will also be continuing the championship hunt in the Truck Series as he looks to finish one spot higher on Friday night than he did in Darlington last fall where he finished runner-up.

Heim looks for redemption… Corey Heim is back aboard the No. 51 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro this weekend, one season removed from making his series debut at the track. Heim was impressive as he drove through the field to the lead, before being involved in an accident.

Rhodes leads… Ben Rhodes continues to lead the Camping World Truck Series point standings as he looks to join his teammate Matt Crafton as a back-to-back champion in the series. Rhodes won the series’ most recent event in Bristol and has finished inside the top-five in five of the six races this season.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA East

Smith returns to Nashville as the leader … Reigning ARCA East champion Sammy Smith is back at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway looking for another victory. Smith led over half of the laps on his way to his second career ARCA East win. A victory would also help grow his championship lead, which currently sits at two points.

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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.

South Carolina Based Auto Service Company to Pack the Track on Sunday

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 4, 2022) – NASCAR Cup Series Rookie Todd Gilliland will have the biggest cheering section in the grandstands this Sunday thanks to Black’s Tire. The Whiteville, N.C.- based company is expecting over 800 family and friends at the company at the track to cheer the No. 38 Black’s Tire Ford Mustang team and Gilliland. Gilliland will be making his first NASCAR Cup Series start at the track.

“It’s just so cool to know that I’m going to have all this support this weekend from Black’s Tire,” said Gilliland. “It just shows how dedicated they are to the Carolinas and to NASCAR. They are big race fans and have been involved in the sport and with our family for a long time. I just want to do them proud.”

Gilliland is also eager to make his first Cup Series start at the Darlington (S.C.) Raceway- one of NASCAR’s most difficult tracks. Luckily for Gilliland, he comes back to the track with experience.

He accumulated a Top-five and a Top-10 in his time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He is now ready to come back in the Black’s Tire Mustang.

“Darlington is a big rhythm track,” Gilliland said. “I like those types of races where you can just run your race and hopefully have a pretty good day. The track itself is tricky, you are running extremely high, and it is very easy to get that famed ‘Darlington stripe’ if you get into the wall. We just need to be patient and let the track and race come to us.”

Black’s Tire will return their new 2022 scheme that debuted at the Richmond (Va.) International Raceway earlier this year. They are excited for the weekend.

“This is a big weekend for everyone involved with our company,” said Ricky Benton, Owner, Black’s Tire. “We have hundreds of people attending the race and we are going to make a big presence. We want everyone cheering for Todd and the Black’s Tire Ford Mustang and we are going to be the leaders. We are proud to represent all the fans in the Carolinas where we live and do business this Sunday in Darlington.”

Gilliland and the Black’s Tire team will take the green flag from Darlington this Sunday at 3:30 pm ET on FS1.

About Black’s Tire

Black’s Tire was formed as Black’s Service Station by W. Crowell Black in Whiteville, N.C. in 1929. Now, with 63 locations in the Carolinas. Black’s operates 54 tire & automotive service locations, 6 warehouse/distribution centers, three satellite wholesale DCs, BTS Tire & Wheel Distributors, a commercial sales division and a tire-retreading business, Carolina Retreads. The Black’s Tire family includes more than 930 family members.

To learn more about Black’s Tire or to find a location, visit www.blackstire.com. Follow Black’s Tire and Auto Service on social media: Twitter at @BlacksTire, Instagram at @BlacksTire and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/blackstire.

About Front Row Motorsports

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

Navage Nasal Care Ford Driver Has Top-10 Speed

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 4, 2022) – Michael McDowell and his No. 34 Navage Nasal Care Ford Mustang team will tackle the always challenging, egg-shaped, Darlington (S.C.) Raceway this weekend.

McDowell, has had three consecutive weeks of top-10 speed, taking home two top-10 finishes in the last three events. Darlington has always been a challenging track for all drivers, but he is poised for another great finish ahead.

“It wouldn’t be too far to say that this season has been our strongest yet. While we don’t have a win like we did last year though this point, the consistency and performances have been there. It’s always great to finish top-15 with the competition we have in the Cup Series this year. To already have three top-10’s this early in the season with our Navage Nasal Care Ford is great. It really shows the dedication and work that Blake and all the guys have been putting into this car each week.” says McDowell.

He continues, “We were pretty nervous last weekend about how the new car would take to the abrasive surface and bumps in Dover, but after the run we had, I’m confident that we can replicate that this weekend as well. Darlington is tricky with how you dial the car in with it’s different profiles of corners, but the key to success is finding that perfect balance between the two. If we can do that like we did last week, we will have another competitive result in our Navage Nasal Care Ford.”

McDowell and the No. 34 Navage Nasal Care Ford Mustang team will race again this Sunday, May 8th, at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

ABOUT RHINOSYSTEMS, INC

RSI is the creator of Naväge Nasal Care, a ground-breaking product developed to improve people’s lives through daily nasal hygiene. Naväge is the world’s only nasal irrigator with powered suction. Naväge products are available online at navage.com and at CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Bed Bath, Target, and Walmart.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

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

STATESVILLE, N.C. (May 4, 2022) – As the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) embarks on its traditional Throwback Weekend at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Petty GMS will pay tribute to Lee and Richard Petty by throwing back to the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959. Ty Dillon will honor the patriarch of the Petty family, Lee, by sporting the No. 42 design that captured the victory in the maiden event, while Erik Jones will showcase Richard’s iconic Petty blue scheme on the No. 43 entry.

While stock cars have been racing on the Daytona Beach shores since the 1930s, NASCAR’s first 500-mile race at the closed oval, now known as Daytona International Speedway, was held on Sunday, February 22, 1959. The event featured entries from both the Grand National (today known as the Cup Series) and Convertible Division. The Petty father-son duo would sport one of each, with Lee driving the No. 42 hardtop and Richard piloting the No. 43 convertible.

Lee Petty, who began his driving career at the age of 35, battled with John Beauchamp in the closing 30 laps. Coming side-by-side at the white flag as the only two cars on the lead lap, both caught Joe Weatherly on the backstretch, creating a three-wide spectacle. After a close finish, Lee and Beauchamp together drove to Victory Lane before NASCAR named Beauchamp the winner. Lee immediately protested the result and after three days of review and photo evidence, the No. 42 was declared the official victor.

A member of the 2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame class, Lee Petty won a total of 54 races, including 11 in 1959, and three championships. The inaugural Daytona 500 win marked Lee’s only victory in “The Great American Race.”

“It’s such an honor to not only drive the No. 42 each week but run Lee’s inaugural Daytona 500 victory scheme this weekend at Darlington,” said Dillon. “I don’t know if people realize the No. 42 was originally made famous by Lee, Richard’s father. He was the originator of the Petty name and very successful from day one in NASCAR as we know it. I hope to bring honor to his name and number with a modern twist and bring it back to Victory Lane.”

Despite being one of 20 qualifiers who entered in a convertible, Richard Petty qualified in the sixth position. Driving the No. 43 for the first time in competition, the 21-year-old experienced an engine failure just eight laps into the race, cutting his Daytona debut short. During the 1959 season, Richard went on to earn NASCAR Rookie of the Year honors after garnering six top-five and nine top-10 finishes.

Richard Petty, named “The King” for good reason, captured a record-setting total of seven Daytona 500 victories between 1964 and 1981. Throughout his legendary driving career, the inaugural member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame racked up the most wins (200), most poles (123), tied for most championships (seven), most wins in a season (27), most consecutive wins (10), and most starts (1,185).

“When you look at the history of NASCAR and the No. 43, everybody knows who Richard Petty is whether they are a race fan or not,” said Jones. “Having a chance to spend time with him is pretty cool, just talking to him and hearing the stories that he and Dale (Inman) share. I’m a really big fan of the history of our sport and to hear some of the stories first-hand is a neat experience. The ultimate goal for this year is get a win though and return the No. 43 back in Victory Lane. To share that moment with “The King” would be a pretty cool moment for me.”

The Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway will be broadcast live on FS1 on Sunday, May 8 at 3:30 p.m. (ET). It will also broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

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.

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