Love’s Travel Stops & Luber-finer Join as Primary and Associate Partners

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (October 28, 2021) – Michael McDowell and his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops / Luber-finer Ford Mustang are headed to the Martinsville Speedway this Sunday as the NASCAR Cup Series enters its second to last race weekend of the 2021 season.

McDowell rolls into the race weekend feeling optimistic as the No. 34 team has continued to make positive improvements to their short track program since McDowell’s move to Front Row Motorsports (FRM) in 2018.

Martinsville specifically, is a race track that McDowell has proven to be very competitive at over the last few years. Unfortunately, the finishes have not always been there to show for it as the No. 34 Ford Mustang has been involved in on-track incidences in three of the last five races at Martinsville.

“Martinsville has been a pretty good race track for us,” said McDowell. “Unfortunately, we’ve had a little bit of bad luck the last few times that we’ve been there, but we’ve shown a lot of speed and I’m really excited to be back racing on a short track this Sunday.”

With a career-best finish of 14th at the Martinsville Speedway, McDowell hopes to improve on his stats and looks to give his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops / Luber-finer Ford Mustang a Top-10 run this weekend.

“Everybody at Front Row Motorsports has worked their tails off this season to build us the most competitive race cars that we’ve ever had,” McDowell explained. “Likewise, a big part of our success is thanks to great partners like Love’s Travel Stops as their partnership has helped to provide us with the tools that we need to become more successful – so, I’d love nothing more than to deliver another Top-10 run for everyone this weekend.”

Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at the Martinsville Speedway will air live at 2 p.m. ET on NBC.

ABOUT LOVE’S TRAVEL STOPS
Love’s Travel Stops is the nation’s leading travel stop network with more than 560 locations in 41 states. Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Oklahoma City, the company remains family-owned and operated and employs more than 33,000 people. Love’s provides professional truck drivers and motorists with 24-hour access to clean and safe places to purchase gasoline, diesel fuel, fresh coffee, restaurant offerings and more. Love’s has over 415 truck service centers, which include Speedco and Love’s Truck Care. Love’s and Speedco combined is the largest oil change, preventive maintenance and total truck care nationwide network with over 1,500 maintenance bays and 1,200 emergency roadside vehicles. Love’s is committed to providing customers with “Clean Places, Friendly Faces” at every stop. To learn more, visit loves.com or follow the company on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter.

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.

Martinsville Speedway
Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021
.526-Mile Oval
2:00 PM ET
Location: Martinsville, Virginia
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (35 of 36)
Radio: SiriusXM logo PRN logo

5 KYLE LARSON

Age: 29 (July 31, 1992)

Hometown: Elk Grove, California

Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels

Standings: 1st

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE: At Kansas Speedway on Sunday, Kyle Larson led 130 of 267 laps en route to his ninth victory of 2021. The win marked his third consecutive victory – the second time he has won three races in a row this season. This is the first time a driver has earned three consecutive wins on two separate occasions in one season since Dale Earnhardt accomplished the feat in 1987.

HOT DOG: Prior to his victory at the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, Larson had scored NASCAR nine runner-up finishes – the most all-time without a Cup Series victory – in 71 career starts on 1.5-mile tracks. Following his win at Kansas on Sunday, the 29-year-old driver now has four victories in the last eight races held on tracks of that length.

PEN-ULTIMATE: Entering the penultimate race of the season, Larson leads the series in wins (nine), top-five finishes (19), top-10s (25), stage wins (17), laps led (2,397) and average start (6.4) – all career-bests. His laps led total is 998 more than the closest competitor.

WITHIN REACH: Larson’s laps led total of 2,397 is the most ever during a 36-race season and is the most since former Hendrick Motorsports driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon paced the field for 2,610 circuits in 1995. If Larson leads at least 214 of the remaining 812 laps in the final two races, he will set the record for most laps led by a Hendrick Motorsports driver during a season in just his first year with the championship organization.

TO THE NINES: Along with nine wins, Larson has also posted runner-up finishes in six races. The driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has finished in the top two in 44% of the Cup Series races held in 2021.

APRIL SHOWERS: In April at Martinsville Speedway, Larson started 19th and finished fifth in the rain-delayed event. Overall, he has two top-five finishes and three top-10s in 13 starts at the .526-mile Virginia short track.

UPPING THEIR GAME: At 13.63 seconds, the No. 5 pit crew owns the quickest average time for four-tire pit stops in 2021. During the playoffs, their average time is even quicker at a series-best 13.27 seconds. The over-the-wall crew is comprised of gasman Brandon Harder, jackman Brandon Johnson, tire carrier R.J. Barnette and tire changers Donnie Tasser (front) and Calvin Teague (rear).

YOUR CAR NEEDS: This weekend, Larson will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. From the convenience of home, customers can select the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HendrickCars.com. The website also makes it easy for customers to find one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 93 dealership locations nationwide.

WE’RE HIRING: Hendrick Automotive Group is hiring more than 300 technicians at its dealerships throughout the country. Positions are open for all skill levels and offer tuition and training reimbursement. Interested people can apply at HendrickCars.com.

OVER $200K: In March, Larson announced the launch of the Kyle Larson Foundation, which was established to better serve today’s youth, families and communities in need through hands-on support. The Sanneh Foundation and the Urban Youth Racing School are the primary beneficiaries of the foundation, which will also work closely with Hendrick Cares, the corporate social responsibility program of Hendrick Automotive Group. To kickstart the “Drive for 5,” Larson pledged a personal donation of $5 for every Cup Series lap he completes this season and will contribute another $5,000 for every top-five finish he earns. Through 34 races, he has already pledged more than $140,000 and raised more than $200,000. To learn more, please visit KyleLarsonFoundation.org.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT

Age: 25 (Nov. 28, 1995)

Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia

Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia

Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson

Standings: 2nd

No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

FINAL TWO: This Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway marks the final race of the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, currently sits second in the playoff standings, 34 points above the cutline. In the eight playoff races, Elliott has garnered three top-five finishes, led 232 laps and picked up 269 points.

SEASON SUMMARY: With only two races remaining in the 2021 Cup Series season, Elliott’s nine top-two finishes are the most he has collected in a single year. The driver of the No. 9’s 14 top-five finishes are his most at the 34-race mark. In those 34 races, Elliott has also picked up two wins, 20 top-10s and 569 laps led.

PAPERCLIP PERFORMANCE: Elliott is set to make his 13th Martinsville Speedway start in the Cup Series on Sunday. The 25-year-old driver made his Cup Series debut at the track for Hendrick Motorsports on March 29, 2015, and has since led a total of 429 laps there – his second-most laps led at any track (Bristol Motor Speedway – 439).

CLOCKING IN: During last season’s Round of 8 finale at Martinsville, Elliott turned in a stellar performance. He overcame several obstacles and led a career-high 236 laps – most laps led by Elliott in a single NCS event – en route to his first Cup Series win at the track. The victory secured Elliott’s first-ever berth in the Championship 4. He joined teammate Jimmie Johnson and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon as Hendrick Motorsports drivers who secured a spot in the championship race by winning at Martinsville.

MARTINSVILLE MASH: In the last five races at Martinsville, Elliott has finished inside the top five in four of those events. He is the only driver with an active top-five streak of at least two races at the .526-mile track.

SHORT-TRACK STATS: On Sunday, Elliott will make his 37th short-track start in the Cup Series. In those races, he has garnered 12 top-five finishes, 18 top-10s and led 962 laps. Since the start of 2020, Elliott leads all drivers with the most points (363) collected on short tracks

GUSTAFSON’S PAPERCLIP PAST: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson is set to call his 34th Martinsville Speedway race from atop the pit box this weekend. In his previous 33 Cup Series starts at the track, he has three wins – most recently with Elliott in November 2020 to solidify the No. 9 team’s spot in the Championship 4. Gustafson also has 15 top-five finishes and 24 top-10s at the venue. His other two wins at the paperclip-shaped track came with Gordon in 2013 and 2015.

PIT POWER: The No. 9 team owns the third-best average time for four-tire pit stops at 13.37 seconds during the playoffs. The NAPA pit crew is comprised of jackman T.J. Semke, gasman John Gianninoto, tire carrier Jared Erspamer and tire changers Chad Avrit and Nick O’Dell.

NAPA KNOW HOW: The familiar blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS paint scheme will be on track this weekend at Martinsville. The Atlanta-based company is serving as majority sponsor for Elliott and the No. 9 team for 25 Cup Series races this season.

24 WILLIAM BYRON

Age: 23 (Nov. 29, 1997)

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle

Standings: 10th

No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

CONTINUING THE TREND: Down to the last two races in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, William Byron continues to post career-best stats this year at the highest level of competition in the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. So far, Byron has collected one win (Homestead-Miami Speedway), two pole awards (Road America and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course – most by a driver this season), four top-two finishes, 11 top-five finishes and 19 top-10s all while leading 425 laps and collecting three stage wins. In his Cup career, these are the most top-two finishes, top-fives, top-10s, laps led and stage wins the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has earned in a single season.

MARTINSVILLE MINUTES: Despite his young age, Byron’s time at Martinsville Speedway goes back to when he attended his first Cup Series race at the paperclip-shaped track in 2006 as a fan. Since then, the 23-year-old driver has moved through the NASCAR ranks and is now poised to make his 10th overall start at the half-mile track, his eighth in the Cup Series. Of those seven Cup Series starts at the 0.526-mile venue, Byron has a track-best finish of second in the fall of 2019 where he came within car lengths of scoring the win. Aside from his Cup Series starts, he has two other Martinsville starts from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2016, where he qualified seventh for both events and raced to one top-five finish and two top-10s.

THE FUGLE FILES: This Sunday’s race will mark crew chief Rudy Fugle’s second trip to Martinsville Speedway in the Cup Series. Earlier this season, Fugle and the No. 24 team started third at the Virginia-based track and raced to a fourth-place result. Aside from that Cup start, the Livonia, New York, native has 14 starts at the paperclip-shaped track already under his belt, all in the Truck Series. In those 14 races, Fugle accumulated one win (May 2019), six top-five finishes and 12 top-10s. Two of those previous starts were with Byron, both in 2016, where the duo started seventh in both races and raced to a third-place result in the spring and an eighth-place finish in the fall.

LIBERTY U ONBOARD: For the final time in the 2021 season, Byron will pilot the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway. Liberty University has a long history with Byron starting back in 2014 in the late model ranks. Liberty University has been Training Champions for Christ since it was founded in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offers more than 600 degree programs from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in strategic communication, Byron is in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program. For a better look at Byron’s Liberty University paint scheme, click here.

48 Alex Bowman

Age: 28 (April 25, 1993)

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona

Resides: Concord, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Greg Ives

Standings: 12th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

IT’S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN: With two races remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series season, Alex Bowman has had a career year through 34 events. The 28-year-old driver has three wins (career season high), seven top-five results (tied for a season high) and 15 top-10s (tied for a season high). Bowman has led 152 laps this season at eight different venues. Since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2016 as a replacement driver for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bowman has five wins, 23 top-five results, 56 top-10s, 1,066 laps led and three pole awards, including two in the DAYTONA 500.

BOWMAN AT MARTINSVILLE: Bowman impressed at Martinsville Speedway last season when he earned sixth-place finishes in both races. He has three top-10 finishes in 11 career starts at the Virginia track in the Cup Series. Earlier this year, Bowman finished 34th when he was caught up in an incident on lap 384 after pitting for a loose wheel. Prior to the pit stop, the No. 48 team raced up to second place before making a second stop on pit road.

SHORT-TRACK STATS: The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has made 33 paved short-track starts in his seven-year Cup Series career. Bowman has one win (Richmond Raceway), three top-five finishes and seven top-10s at Richmond, Martinsville and Bristol Motor Speedway. So far this season, Bowman captured his first short-track victory at Richmond after leading 98 laps and posted two top-five results on these tracks. Bowman earned the 10th-most points (123) on short tracks in 2021 and the ninth-most (270) since the start of 2020.

IVES IN VIRGINIA: Crew chief Greg Ives will call the shots for the 14th time at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday afternoon. The Bark River, Michigan, native has one top-five finish and five top-10s at the short track with a best finish of fourth coming in 2015 with Earnhardt. Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team from 2006-2012 when he was a part of six wins, three pole awards and 12 top-10 finishes at Martinsville with Jimmie Johnson behind the wheel.

2X WINNING OWNER AT MILLBRIDGE: Monday evening, Alex Bowman Racing’s No. 55 midget entry driven by CJ Leary competed in the Walkapedia Carolina Midget Showdown at Millbridge Speedway in Salisbury, North Carolina. The brand-new chassis battled inside the top two for most of the 30-lap feature before claiming Bowman’s second-career win as a team owner. The team came back on Tuesday evening to dominate the 40-lap event and sweep the showdown for ABR’s third victory. Earlier this year, Josh Wise piloted the ABR entry to victory lane at IRP in Indianapolis.

PIT ROAD TIMES: The No. 48 pit crew sits sixth on the charts for the fastest average four-tire stop time of 13.88. The team includes fueler Jacob Conley, tire carrier Allen Stallings, jackman Dustin Lineback and tire changers Scott Brzozowski and Devin DelRicco.

CLOSE TO HOME: No. 48 engine tuner Stephen Raynor calls Martinsville Speedway his home track. The 35-year-old team member grew up and currently resides in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, which is approximately 50 miles from the Virginia venue. He has been with the Hendrick Motorsports engine department for nine years.

TICK-TOCK STARS: Hendrick Motorsports has 25 points-paying wins at Martinsville Speedway, which are the most victories by any team at any track in NASCAR Cup Series history. In addition to its 25 iconic grandfather clock trophies, the organization holds the Martinsville records for pole positions (17), top-five finishes (85), top-10s (136) and laps led (9,607). A track record six different Hendrick Motorsports drivers have won there.

WINS-VILLE: Hendrick Motorsports has won 11 Cup Series playoff races at Martinsville. With four post-season victories at the half-mile venue, Joe Gibbs Racing is the only other team with more than one playoff win there.

SHORT-TRACK SUCCESS: With 53 all-time wins on short tracks, Hendrick Motorsports leads all active Cup Series teams. It has 10 more than next-best JGR (43) and 20 more than third-place Team Penske (33). A total of 13 different drivers have won at least one short-track race for Hendrick Motorsports.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PILLOW: Dating back to 2020, Hendrick Motorsports has won five consecutive Cup Series playoff elimination races. It has won 10 of 30 playoff elimination events overall and at least one elimination race in each of the last four seasons.

BANNER YEAR: Including Kyle Larson’s performance Sunday at Kansas Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports now has 15 Cup Series points-paying victories in 2021, which represents its second-best single-season win total since Rick Hendrick founded the organization in 1984. In 2007, Hendrick Motorsports posted a team record 18 points wins and earned 14 combined victories in 1998.

TWOFER: With 15 victories and 16 second-place results, Hendrick Motorsports has posted 31 top-two finishes during the 2021 Cup Series season – one away from tying the modern-era record for a team. From 1972 through 2021, the mark for top-two finishes in a single season is 32 by Joe Gibbs Racing in 2019. In that span, Hendrick Motorsports’ 29 in 2009 ranks third and its 27 in 2007 is fourth.

PLAYOFF PERFORMANCE: At Kansas, Hendrick Motorsports recorded its 51st all-time win during the Cup Series playoffs – 18 more than next-best JGR (33) and more than double third-place Penske Racing (24). In eight playoff events this year, the team has four victories – all courtesy of Larson. Dating back to last season, Hendrick Motorsports has won seven of the last 13 playoff races.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on April race at Martinsville: “Martinsville has been a really tough track for me in the past. Earlier this year, we were really good there in Hendrick (Motorsports) equipment and I was able to run top five. That run helped my confidence a lot. I think if we can go there and have another good run and, heck, if we can get a win there, yes – I’ll be feeling great going to Phoenix.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on something to prove at Martinsville: “We definitely want to have a good run this weekend in Martinsville. We have had that one circled for a while because we, as a team, feel like we have something to prove. Hopefully, we can do that. Martinsville is an amazing track for the (No.) 9 team. So, I would imagine they’re going to be the favorite to win Martinsville, and hopefully both teams can go into Phoenix with some good momentum.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on heading into Martinsville 34 points above cutline: “I don’t know if it allows you to do much of anything now. After what we saw in Kansas, I am not really sure that any amount of points is safe. I really think anyone in this round can win this weekend. So, we are really going to have to be on it, but I’m looking forward to the opportunity and excited for the challenge.”

Elliott on Martinsville being an elimination race: “As a group, we’ve done a better job at just enjoying those moments and I feel like I’ve done a better job of enjoying them and performing in those situations. It’s really become exciting for me and our team, which is a great thing. Hopefully, we can lock in one of the first two weeks or at least have some really good runs as far as points. If it comes down to it, we’ll embrace it and enjoy that moment and try to move on.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the challenges of racing at Martinsville: “I look forward to going to Martinsville this weekend. Ever since the second half of the 2019 season, I’ve looked forward to racing there even more. I feel like I’ve really found a good balance when going there now. It’s a fun track but it is always a challenge to race at, no matter how many times you have. You want to make the best lap times every lap because it’s so easy to get behind early and even harder to make up lost time. At the same time, you have to manage your brakes so they last the whole race. 500 laps around Martinsville are always tough. It’s about surviving and being there at the end.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on keeping momentum through the end of the season: “We may not be in the playoffs anymore but I think the (No.) 24 team is still making a statement each and every week. That’s what we want to accomplish. We aren’t letting off the gas or waiting around for next season to start. Preparation for next season has already begun and we don’t want to lose the momentum that we have worked so hard to gain. I think this weekend at Martinsville will be another weekend where we can show how much we have elevated this team throughout the season. When we went there in the spring we had a good, solid race overall. This time, we’re looking to improve on that. William has really hit his stride at Martinsville the last couple years, and we have such great notes already from our teammates. This is a long, grueling race but as long as we take care of our car, we will have a shot at a win in the end. I’m confident in that.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on returning to Martinsville: “I’m looking forward to Martinsville. We were actually really strong there in the spring (but) didn’t get to show it. We had a loose wheel and had to pit under green and then they all crashed on the next restart – we got run over like we did in Texas. I think we had a car capable of winning. We went to Richmond the week after that and won. I think our short-track stuff is pretty solid right now, and I’m looking forward to getting there.”

KEVIN HARVICK
Martinsville Advance
No. 4 Unibet Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview
● Event: Xfinity 500 (Round 35 of 36)
● Time/Date: 2 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 31
● Location: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
● Layout: .526-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 500 laps/263 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 130 laps / Stage 2: 130 laps / Final Stage: 240 laps
● TV/Radio: NBC / MRN Radio / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Unibet is the primary sponsor for driver Kevin Harvick and the No. 4 team of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) in the Xfinity 500 Sunday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Unibet is a part of the Kindred Group, one of the top online gambling operators with business across Europe, the U.S. and Australia. The Unibet brand is building on its years of European experience in the responsible gambling and player sustainability field and extending that mindset to its U.S. operations, with motorsports being a key platform.

● Harvick is out of the NASCAR Playoffs, but he’s still competing at a playoff-caliber level. The 45-year-old racer from Bakersfield, California, comes into Martinsville fresh off a strong third-place finish last Sunday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. It was his 10th top-five and his 23rd top-10 of the season. There are only two other drivers who have more top-10s this year than Harvick – championship leader Kyle Larson (25 top-10s) and Denny Hamlin (24 top-10s).

● When it comes to finishing among the top-10 in NASCAR Cup Series races at Martinsville, Harvick is batting .500. The driver of the No. 4 Unibet Ford Mustang has made 40 career starts at the .526-mile oval and recorded 20 top-10s, the second-highest tally among all active Cup Series drivers. Only Hamlin has more top-10s (22).

● Among those 20 top-10s earned by Harvick is a win in April 2011. He defeated Dale Earnhardt Jr., by .727 of a second to win the Goody’s Fast Relief 500. It was Harvick’s 20th NASCAR Cup Series start at the track and his 16th career Cup Series victory. Harvick now has 58 career Cup Series wins and is alone at 10th on the all-time win list.

● Harvick’s next best finish outside of that lone Martinsville win in April 2011 was a third-place drive in the series’ prior visit to the track in October 2010. It was the start of a three-race run of top-fives at Martinsville, as Harvick followed his win with a fourth-place effort in the series’ return to the facility in October.

● Harvick’s best Martinsville finish since joining SHR in 2014 is a pair of fifth-place results – Oct. 29, 2017 and March 20, 2018. He finished ninth in his most recent visit to the track in April.

● Martinsville is the shortest track on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, and its tight corners with only 12 degrees of banking means that beating and banging – be it door-to-door or bumper-to-bumper – is commonplace. But that also means accidents are prevalent, and being able to keep one’s car running from start to finish is easier said than done. In Harvick’s 40 career Cup Series starts at Martinsville, he has an impressive lap completion rate of 98.3 percent. That means that of the 20,039 laps available to him, he has failed to complete just 344 of those laps. Among active drivers, only Kurt Busch has completed more laps at Martinsville (20,381), but with two more starts than Harvick (42).

● Harvick has tasted success in every type of car he has raced at Martinsville. In addition to his NASCAR Cup Series win, he has a NASCAR Xfinity Series triumph and three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victories.

● Harvick is undefeated in the Xfinity Series at Martinsville. He earned the equivalent of a walk-off homer on July 22, 2006 when in his only Xfinity Series start at the track, he led three times for a race-high 149 laps to take the win by .271 of a second over runner-up Clint Bowyer.

● Harvick’s three Truck Series wins at Martinsville came in 17 starts. He won on March 30, 2009 (defeated Ron Hornaday Jr.), March 27, 2010 (defeated Hornaday again) and March 31, 2012 (defeated Ty Dillon).

● The Truck Series is where Harvick made his first start of any kind at Martinsville – Sept. 26, 1998 when he finished 25th. Harvick earned his first top-10 at Martinsville on April 17, 1999 in a Ford F-150 for team owner Jim Herrick.

● DYK? Harvick tested a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour car at Martinsville on Jan. 21, 2020. The Modified Tour is NASCAR’s oldest division and it is the only open-wheel series sanctioned by NASCAR. Compared to a NASCAR Cup Series car, a Tour car is 11 inches shorter in height and a little more than 23 inches wider. It also weighs nearly 800 pounds less. Harvick’s test came via Ryan Preece’s No. 6NY Tour car. Preece was the 2013 series champion and he earned the first of his 25 career Modified Tour victories at Martinsville on Sept. 20, 2008, leading 265 of the race’s 300 laps. Harvick and his company, KHI Management, represent Preece, who is now in his third full season competing in the Cup Series.

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 Unibet Ford Mustang

How are you approaching this Sunday’s race at Martinsville, where you’re racing the track and those eight drivers still in the playoffs? More specifically, do you approach this race differently than you did when you raced at Martinsville back in April?

“It’s pretty much the same. You have to be on the offensive a lot of the time, but you also have to put yourself in good positions defensively, as well, to make sure you don’t get your car torn up, or get it torn up as little as possible as you go through the day. It’s definitely a little bit different at the end of the year just because of the fact that everybody’s agenda is different. You have eight guys who are left racing for a championship. You’ve got guys that want to win races and you’ve got guys who just want to have a good finish. So, there are a number of different agendas that, really, we’re dealing with all the way through the playoffs.”

If you make a mistake at Martinsville and it impacts someone else, how and when do you deal with it?

“You only have so much time, so you just have to deal with it after the race. The repercussions of doing something on purpose are usually pretty noticeable. You have to balance that, especially with guys who have been doing this for a long time.”

Where’s the best place to be at Martinsville to help avoid trouble on the racetrack?

“The best position to be in at any racetrack is in the lead. You want to be in control of the race and try to get yourself in a position to where you can have a good, clean restart and have as much clear track, especially at Martinsville. There is so much pushing and shoving on the restarts to get to the bottom lane that I want to have our Unibet Ford Mustang as far forward as possible.”

Martinsville is a place known for beating and banging, but there’s a discussion of late about how younger drivers are racing and where the line is between being aggressive and over-aggressive. What’s your take on all of this?

“You race hard, it’s kind of an eye for an eye, but it’s also kind of self-policing. Somebody pulls you in the corner, puts their arm around you where you have to take a look at how you do things. But it is different now, and that’s one of the side effects of not having any Cup drivers in the Trucks and Xfinity Series as much because you don’t really learn the proper way to do it until you get here to Cup, and it’s kind of trial and error and it teaches you through the years. When I started, there were 20 to 25 Cup drivers that would show up for the Xfinity Series races and you kind of learned those lessons before you got here. Same thing for the Truck deal. We have a lot of really great young drivers here in the Cup Series, but it takes really two or three years for them to really get their feet on the ground, to show their potential, how to take care of their car. I think Ross Chastain is a great example of learning how to race the proper way. He’s just done it faster than most. I think his progression has been fun to watch just because that’s how you’re supposed to do it. It’s about maximizing that potential. Here, you have to finish races.”

In addition to there being a new era of drivers, we’re embarking on a new era of racecars with the debut of the NextGen car in 2022. You were able to test the NextGen car earlier this month at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval. What’s it like?

“The current car has been a great car for us as far as safety and competition and different rules packages and body styles. The teams have designed their own chassis and their own parts and their own pieces. The NextGen car is definitely different but, in the end, it’s still a racecar. I don’t think we’re going to have really any advantage just because of the fact that everybody was there at the test and everybody was focused on the NextGen car and trying to figure out exactly what you need to do and where you need to do it. It was interesting to see all the crewmembers and engineers and everybody back in the garage. It’s been a long time since we had a test like that. From the NASCAR standpoint, they obviously put everybody in a position to be able to test at the same racetracks and have the same opportunities. It’s interesting, because it is drastically different. Teams have a lot less control over what they can make and how they can get parts – you’re at the mercy of vendors. As you go through these tests, there are a number of things that need to be worked on. They’ve done a good job of addressing the heat inside the racecars and coming up with something that we can fix there, but the only way to really go about finding all those problems is to have cars at the racetrack, like we did at the Roval. You’re seeing real-life problems that you have to solve quickly, before the season starts next year. But you have a lot of really smart people with all those engineers and all those team members, and that’s when all those problems start getting solved. It’ll be fun to watch the progression. It’ll be quick, now, because of the fact everybody is in the car and in the garage and working on the NextGen car.”

No. 4 Unibet Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Kevin Harvick
Hometown: Bakersfield, California

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith
Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engineer: Dax Gerringer
Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina

Engineer: Stephen Doran
Hometown: Butler, Pennsylvania

Spotter: Tim Fedewa
Hometown: Holt, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Shayne Pipala
Hometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith
Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Jeremy Howard
Hometown: Delhart, Texas

Jack Man: Stan Doolittle
Hometown: Ninety Six, South Carolina

Fuel Man: Evan Marchal
Hometown: Westfield, Indiana

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Richie Bean
Hometown: Bradford, Vermont

Tire Specialist: Jamie Turski
Hometown: Trumbull, Connecticut

Engine Tuner: Robert Brandt
Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Transporter Co-Driver: Rick Hodges
Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen Mitchell
Hometown: Woodville, Ohio

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Martinsville II

Roush Fenway heads to Virginia for the second-to-last race of the 2021 season on Sunday, a Halloween special that will close out the round of 8 in the NASCAR Playoffs. Jack Roush has six wins all-time at ‘The Paperclip’ including four in the Cup Series.

Xfinity 500
Sunday, Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. ET
NBC, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
· Ryan Newman, No. 6 Kohler Generators Ford Mustang
· Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang

Kansas Recap, Martinsville Preview

• Buescher was one of only 15 cars to finish on the lead lap in Sunday’s 400-mile race from Kansas Speedway, earning a 12th-place run in the Fastenal Ford. Newman finished 27th.
• Fifth Third Bank is back on Buescher’s No. 17 machine this weekend at Martinsville for its final primary of 2021. They will carry the standard Fifth Third scheme with a pink number in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and also feature Colony Tire on the decklid as part of the Fueled by Fifth Third pass-through program.
• Kohler Generators will ride on Newman’s Ford for its final primary of the season, and carry a different look with a nod to Halloween on Sunday.

For Whom The Bell Tolls

Roush Fenway has earned four Grandfather Clocks at Martinsville with former drivers Mark Martin (two), Jeff Burton and Kurt Busch. Roush Fenway most recently went to victory lane with Busch in Oct. 2002.

Rock Around the Clock

Roush Fenway had its overall most-successful outing at Martinsville in the spring of 2002 when it placed all four of its cars inside the top 10 with drivers Martin, Burton, Busch and Matt Kenseth.

Closing Time

Roush Fenway earned a one-two finish in the April 9, 2000 event at Martinsville with former drivers Martin and Burton. Martin paced the field for 64 laps en route to the victory.

Short-Track Prowess

Roush Fenway has started a total of 682 NCS races on short tracks, recording a total of 22 wins, 122 top-five finishes, 243 top-10 finishes and 7,584 laps led.

Tale of the Tape

Roush Fenway has started 218 NCS races at Martinsville, recording four victories, 26 top-five finishes, 68 top-10 finishes, an average finish of 17.7 and has led 1,378 laps. Roush Fenway also boasts two NASCAR Truck Series wins in 46 starts at Martinsville (fall of ’03 and ’05).

Roush Fenway Martinsville Wins

1992-1 Martin Cup

1997-2 Burton Cup

2000-1 Martin Cup

2002-2 Busch Cup

2003-2 Wood Truck

2005-2 Craven Truck

As the NASCAR Cup Series season comes down to the final two races, Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are hoping to end their season with a couple of strong finishes.

The first chance comes this weekend at Martinsville Speedway, the Wood Brothers’ home track, in the 73rd running of the race now known as the Xfinity 500.

The Woods have competed at Martinsville 120 times, beginning with in 1953 when the team’s late founder Glenn Wood drove a Lincoln on the half-mile paper-clip-shaped oval just east of the Woods’ hometown of Stuart, Va.

Since then they’ve won two times at Martinsville, along with posting 28 top-five and 45 top-10 finishes. Two of those top-10s came in 2020, DiBenedetto’s first year with the No. 21 team.

Back in April, DiBenedetto came close to adding a third straight top-10 at Martinsville but wound up 12th.

He’s excited about returning to Martinsville for his 14th career start there and his fourth aboard the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang.

“It’s one of my favorite tracks of the year,” he said. “Our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustangs are strong there.”

If DiBenedetto can score top-10 finishes in the next two races, including the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, he’ll tie his career-best season for top-10s, set last year with 11.

He’s vowing to do just that.

“We are going to make the most of it as the end of the season approaches,” he said.

There will be no practice or qualifying prior to the start of Sunday’s 500-lapper. DiBenedetto is set to start 21st, as the line-up was determined using performance metrics from last Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway.

The green flag is set to fly at 2 p.m. Eastern Time, with Stage breaks at Laps 130 and 260. NBC will carry the live TV broadcast.

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 vehicle maintenance including tire repair and replacement with a Low Tire Price Guarantee and a full menu of automotive services including oil and filter, brakes, alignments, batteries, and shocks and struts on all vehicle makes and models. Service is performed by certified technicians at more than 1,000 locations worldwide while you wait, and no appointment is necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company 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, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 200,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen 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. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Matt DiBenedetto in the famous No. 21 racer.