This Week in Motorsports: October 18-24, 2021

· NCS/NXS/ARCA: Kansas Speedway – October 23-24

PLANO, Texas (October 20, 2021) – It’s a big weekend at Kansas Speedway as NASCAR’s top two series battle for Playoff positions, while Ty Gibbs looks to clinch a historic national ARCA title.

NASCAR National Series – NCS| NXS

Last time we were in Kansas… Kyle Busch earned a birthday win at the spring stop at Kansas Speedway. Busch led the final 11 laps to earn his first win of the season and clinch his spots in the Playoffs. In Texas, Busch moved above the Playoff cutline with a top-10 finish.

Hamlin wants to continue winning Kansas ways… Denny Hamlin battled to an 11th-place finish in Kansas despite being involved in two late-race incidents. Hamlin heads to Kansas Speedway above the cutline at a track he has seen much success on. He scored Toyota’s first win at the track in 2012 and he added two more wins in October 2019 and July 2020.

Truex looks to rebound… After a late-race accident in Texas, Martin Truex Jr. is looking for a win in one of the next two races to advance to the Championship 4 and he’s got two great tracks to do it at – starting with Kansas Speedway. The 2017 Cup Series Champion swept the races at the track in his title season.

Bell back at site of personal milestone… Christopher Bell heads to Kansas Speedway with momentum after a third-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday. Bell has fond memories of the track after leading the final four laps to score his first Xfinity Series win at the track in 2017.

Hemric on streak of four straight… Daniel Hemric is on a streak of four straight top-five finishes, improving his position by one in each race – highlighted by a runner-up finish last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Hemric also finished second in this race one year ago.

Jones strong at Kansas… Brandon Jones loves Kansas Speedway. He has won at Kansas Speedway the last two seasons. In 2019, he led the final 10 laps and earned his first career Xfinity Series victory. Last season, he drove through the field on the final restart and led the final lap to score the win.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA

Gibbs looks to clinch title… Ty Gibbs looks to complete a historic season in the ARCA Menards Series at the final race of the season at Kansas Speedway. Due to the amount of cars entered, Gibbs will only have to start the race to claim the championship. His run to the championship has been historic with 10 victories, 18 top-five finishes and 1590 laps led. The 19-year-old racer also won the ARCA Sioux Chief Showdown Championship earlier this season.

Heim back at historic victory for Toyota… Toyota development driver Corey Heim drove to his first ARCA Menards Series victory at Kansas Speedway last fall. For Toyota, it was the 100th victory for Camry on the national ARCA Menards Series tour.

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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 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 47,000 in North America. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama that begins production in 2021.

Through its 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.

Denny Hamlin
11 FedEx Freight Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Sunday Race Info:
Race: Hollywood Casino 400
Date/Time: Sunday, Oct. 24/3:00 p.m. ET
Distance: 267 laps/400.5 miles
Track Length: 1.5 miles
Track Shape: Tri-oval
Banking: Turns: 17-20°; Straights: 5-11°

Express Notes:

Texas Recap: Denny Hamlin came away with an 11th-place finish in Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway despite two wrecks and a less-than-perfect car. Hamlin was running in the top 10 for most of the race while the team continued to work on the handling during each pit stop. During Stage 3, Hamlin’s day took a sharp downturn. First, contact with a competitor caused a flat tire that sent him spinning. A short time later, he incurred damage in a multi-car accident that started in front of him. Despite the damage, Hamlin was able to regain ground and crossed the finish line in 11th.

Kansas Preview: The Cup Series heads next to Kansas Speedway on Sunday for the second race in the Playoffs’ Round of 8. Denny Hamlin and the FedEx Racing team will look to secure their spot to advance to the Championship 4. In his 26 career races at Kansas Speedway, Hamlin has notched three wins and eight top-5 finishes.

Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Kansas Speedway
Races: 26
Wins: 3
Poles: 0
Top-5: 8
Top-10: 9
Laps Led: 349
Avg. Start: 12.5
Avg. Finish: 14.4

Hamlin Conversation – Kansas:

You were able to gain a point over the cut at Texas that now sets you up well for Kansas. What kind of racing do you expect this weekend?

“It was a crazy day. The way these cars race where we are packed up for a couple of laps, you just never know. It’s going to be the same way at Kansas. Hopefully, we bring a fast piece there, and we can go there and compete for a win.”

Do you know why Kansas has been such a good track for you?

“We found a set-up that really works well there for me. I’m not really sure what has clicked, but the last four races have been really good for us. I really like that racetrack. It’s smooth, it’s wide, you can really work the lanes when you need to. It’s a fun racetrack and one that we’ve got circled that we could possibly win and punch our ticket.”

FedEx Freight Along for the Ride at Kansas: For the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, FedEx Freight recognizes the company’s Wichita, Kan., service center by featuring the call letters WTK on the #11 FedEx Freight race car. The Wichita service center, opened in 2010, has approximately 155 team members who are committed to making every FedEx experience outstanding.

FedEx Office – Closest to Kansas Speedway: 13450 W 8th St. Pkwy, Lenexa, KS 66215, (913) 894-2010

COLE CUSTER
Kansas Advance
No. 41 Feeding America®/Wow Wow Classic Waffles Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Hollywood Casino 400 (Round 34 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 24
● Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 267 laps/400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 80 laps / Final Stage: 107 laps
● TV/Radio: NBCSN / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Cole Custer and the No. 41 Feeding America®/Wow Wow Classic Waffles Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) are ready for the season’s final NASCAR Cup Series race on a 1.5-mile intermediate oval, Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. They’ll be sporting the Feeding America®/Wow Wow Classic Waffles paint scheme for the second consecutive weekend and will be honoring a young cancer survivor along the way.

● Riding along on Custer’s Ford Mustang this weekend will be the name of Cedric Brett Legg of Cheyenne, Colorado, located near the Kansas state line on the eastern side of the state. Young Cedric fought and won his battle against lymphoblastic leukemia, which he was diagnosed with three years ago, just one month after his fourth birthday. He is described as young, tough, and ready for more of this wonderful life after enduring multiple blood transfusions, hospital stays, and terrifying port accesses. He has made sure to share his love of life – and his experiences as a first-hand witness to the wonders of God’s grace – with all who will listen. He finished treatment in May of 2020 and is currently cancer free. He’s spending his time learning about dinosaurs, executing new gymnastics tricks, and has dental records that estimate he will one day stand 6 feet, 7 inches tall. Custer is one of more than 100 drivers from NASCAR’s top three series, as well as the ARCA Menards Series, to participate in the second annual Honor a Cancer Hero campaign. Through its online auction, the campaign has raised more than $105,000 to benefit Martin Truex Jr. Foundation and The NASCAR Foundation – two organizations recognized as champions for the health and well-being of others.

● Sunday’s 400-mile race will be Custer’s 73rd Cup Series start and his fourth at Kansas. The 23-year-old from Ladera Ranch, California, had solid runs in both Kansas outings last year, finishing seventh in July and 14th in October. The seventh-place finish in July was his fourth Cup Series top-10 in 19 starts. His bid for a second-consecutive Kansas top-10 last October was thwarted by a late-race speeding penalty on pit road. He finished 24th when the series last visited Kansas the first weekend in May.

● Custer has four Kansas appearances in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition, the most recent three in the No. 00 SHR Ford and the first in the No. 5 entry for JR Motorsports, with a best finish of 11th in the 2019 event after leading a race-high 85 laps.

● In his lone NASCAR Camping World Truck Series outing at Kansas, Custer qualified fourth and finished seventh in the No. 00 JR Motorsports entry in the May 2016 race.

● After recording his 15th top-20 finish of the season last Sunday on the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway oval in Fort Worth, Custer arrives at Kansas 28th in the driver standings.

● SHR, its partner Wow Wow Classic Waffles, and Feeding America®, the largest hunger relief organization in the United States with a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, are collaborating on an online auction late next month with proceeds to benefit Feeding America. Fans will have a chance to bid on items including a 2021 Ford Mustang NASCAR-raced car, a race-worn Wow Wow Classic Waffles firesuit, helmet, shoes and gloves, autographed racecar sheet metal and tires, and a race-day experience to a 2022 NASCAR Cup Series race of the winning bidder’s choice. The auction begins Nov. 26 and will close 10 days thereafter. Information on how to place bids will be announced on the SHR website, as well as all SHR and Cole Custer social media channels.

● SHR, Wow Wow Classic Waffles and Feeding America® are also asking fans to continue to do their part in helping to end hunger in America by texting HUNGER to 50555 to make a $5 donation to Feeding America®, by visiting the Feeding America® donation page on Facebook, or the donation page via the Feeding America® website. Each $1 donated helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America® on behalf of local member food banks.

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 41 Feeding America®/Wow Wow Classic Waffles Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

You’re down to the final three races of the season. What’s your mindset as you head to Kansas this weekend?

“We had an early setback at Texas last week, but we left there feeling good about the way we were able to rebound for another top-20 finish. Hopefully we can build on that and string together three really solid finishes in the races we have left and build some momentum for next year. Kansas is a tough racetrack. You have to move around and work the different lanes. You have to have the speed, as well, obviously. Track position is going to be huge and how you work the strategy is important. It’s a track where you have to put everything together. You have to make sure you can work the lanes good, and work them from the bottom to the top of the track.”

You had a solid seventh-place finish in last year’s first visit to Kansas and almost scored another top-10 your second time there last fall. How was that experience for you?

“The guys fought all race long both times last year and we definitely were able to make something of it in the first race, even though it wasn’t the prettiest day. We were in a good position in the fall race. Right there at the end was the best I had been in the top groove all race long. But the speeding penalty set us back and we still ended up with 14th place, which was disappointing when we considered what might have been. Our spring race this year turned out to be a frustrating day, but hopefully we can take what we learned and show a lot of improvement this weekend”

This will be your final race of the season on a mile-and-a-half tri-oval. What can you carry over from this year’s previous races on the intermediate tracks?

“Every single track is different. You can’t bring the same thing to them. We struggled a little bit at some of those races earlier this year, but I think we have a really good idea on what we need to bring to Kansas this weekend. We’ve been working hard to put in all the preparation we can, but it all still comes down to making our best educated guess because we don’t have practice or anything to work our cars in before the race. You just have to hope you hit it right.”

Off the track, it seems you and your team, along with SHR partner Wow Wow Classic Waffles, have been working hard to support the initiatives of the Feeding America® network. Talk about that.

“We’ve been able to do some really cool things through our partnership with Wow Wow Classic Waffles and Feeding America. It’s been eye-opening to see how many in our area need help and we’ve been able to provide meals for many families through the work we’ve done, but we need help. There are so many ways to help and it doesn’t take much to make a difference for the many families out there who are in need.”

No. 41 Feeding America®/Wow Wow Classic Waffles Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Cole Custer
Hometown: Ladera Ranch, California

Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett
Hometown: Amherst, Ohio

Car Chief: Tony Cardamone
Hometown: Bristol, Virginia

Engineer: Davin Restivo
Hometown: Ashboro, North Carolina

Engineer: Scott Bingham
Hometown: Lawrenceville, Georgia

Spotter: Andy Houston
Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: John Roselli
Hometown: Terre Haute, Indiana

Rear Tire Changer: Coleman Dollarhide
Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Chad Emmons
Hometown: Tyler, Texas

Jack Man: Matthew Schlytter
Hometown: Ponte Vedra, Florida

Fuel Man: Corey Coppola
Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Joe Zanolini
Hometown: Sybertsville, Pennsylvania

Mechanic: Nick McIntosh
Hometown: Havre, Montana

Shock Specialist: Aaron Kuehn
Hometown: Kensington, Connecticut

Tire Specialist: Thomas Gagliano
Hometown: East Hampton, Connecticut

Engine Specialist: Evan Cupples
Hometown: Hudson, Illinois

Transporter Co-Driver: Eddie DeGroot
Hometown: Baldwinsville, New York

Transporter Co-Driver: David Rodrigues
Hometown: Santa Clarita, California

Aric Almirola
Kansas II Advance
No. 10 Farmland/Hy-Vee Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Hollywood Casino 400 (Round 33 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 24
● Location: Kansas Speedway
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 267 laps/400.5 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 80 laps / Final Stage: 107 laps
● TV/Radio: NBCSN / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● History at Kansas: In 19 starts, Almirola has seven top-10 finishes and has led 69 laps.

● 2021: Almirola locked himself into the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs with his July 18 victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. He led 46 laps around the flat, 1.058-mile oval en route to his third career NASCAR Cup Series win. After a year full of adversity and bad luck, the victory put the No. 10 team, which was 27th in the standings and facing a must-win situation if it was going to compete for this year’s championship, in prime position to earn one of the 16 coveted berths in the 10-race playoffs. Almirola’s award-winning YouTube series “Beyond the 10” captured his entire race day here.

● This year marked Almirola’s fifth career playoff appearance and fourth in a row since joining SHR. While he didn’t advance beyond the Round of 16, he has set his sights on a top-10 points position after the checkered flag drops at the season finale Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway. Fans and media can watch the “Beyond the 10” episode of his playoff run on YouTube here.

● Farmland, which has been bringing great tastes to tables since 1959, will adorn the No. 10 Ford Mustang with a special blue, white and green paint scheme. As part of the paint scheme, Farmland launched a huge prize package valued at $4,750. The prize package includes two tickets to the Kansas Cup Series race May 15, 2022, airfare and hotel accommodations, a rental car, BBQ catering for a tailgate, and an extra $400 after the race if Almirola wins. To enter, follow @FarmlandFoods and comment #Sweepstakesentry.

● Hy-Vee returns to the rear quarterpanels, decklid and bumper of the No. 10 Ford this weekend. Hy-Vee is synonymous with quality, variety, convenience, healthy lifestyles, culinary expertise and superior customer service. Its slogan, “A Helpful Smile in Every Aisle,” expresses the foundation of the supermarket chain’s operating philosophy.

● Career Stats: Almirola has career totals of three wins, two poles, 26 top-five finishes, 82 top-10s and 893 laps led in 385 NASCAR Cup Series starts.

● Beyond the 10 YouTube Series: In 2021, Almirola continues to share his life beyond the No. 10 Ford with season three of his award-winning YouTube series. Fans and media can subscribe on YouTube to see Almirola’s personality on and off the track. Episodes have already featured life as a dad, a husband and an athlete, and it gives fans a unique perspective on what goes on in the life of a professional NASCAR driver. Fans can also follow Almirola’s social media channels: @Aric_Almirola on Twitter and Instagram, and @AricAlmirola on Facebook. Almirola’s latest Beyond the 10 episode gives a driver’s perspective of the NASCAR Next Gen car.

● Point standings: Almirola is currently 14th in the driver standings with 2,136 points.

Aric Almirola, Driver of the No. 10 Farmland/Hy-Vee Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

What goals do you have for the remaining three races of the season?

“We’re sitting 14th in the standings right now, so finishing here or a spot better would be better than last year and the year before. Overall, our goal is to have a few more clean races without any issues or bad luck. Last weekend at Texas, we didn’t really get to see what kind of speed we had after all the damage in the first stage. We were lucky to make it through the way we did, but we’re usually really good at Texas and didn’t get to show that. Kansas will provide some good redemption if we can run a clean race.”

What are your thoughts when you head to Kansas?

“I’ve always enjoyed Kansas. I know that I did have a really bad accident there, but in my mind I just view that as a bad accident. It just happened at a place. It just so happened to be at Kansas. It could have happened anywhere. I don’t really put that on Kansas and so, every time I’ve been back since then, it’s never really been a thought that’s crossed my mind. I actually enjoy going to Kansas. I have friends in Kansas City who I enjoy spending time with that makes it even more enjoyable to be there and, on top of that, I love the racetrack. The racetrack is a really fun racetrack to run at for me and I’ve had a lot of success there and had a lot of really good runs there.”

What do you think of this weekend’s Farmland/Hy-Vee paint scheme?

“Everything about it just looks fresh. Love the colors. It should be bright on TV. I’m liking the red Hy-Vee on there, too. Let’s see if we can keep it as clean at the end of the race.”

No. 10 Farmland/Hy-Vee Ford Mustang Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Aric Almirola
Hometown: Tampa, Florida

Crew Chief: Mike Bugarewicz
Hometown: Lehighton, Pennsylvania

Car Chief: Jerry Cook
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio

Engineer: Lee Deese
Hometown: Rockingham, North Carolina

Engineer: James Kimbrough
Hometown: Pensacola, Florida

Spotter: Joel Edmonds
Hometown: Dobson, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Ryan Mulder
Hometown: Sioux Center, Iowa

Rear Tire Changer: Michael Johnson
Hometown: Andover, New York

Tire Carrier: Tyler Bullard
Hometown: King, North Carolina

Jack Man: Sean Cotton
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Fuel Man: James “Ace” Keener
Hometown: Fortuna, California

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Tony Silvestri
Hometown: Sylvania, Ohio

Mechanic: Robbie Fairweather
Hometown: Westbrookville, New York

Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller
Hometown: Monroe, New York

Tire Specialist: Russel Simpson
Hometown: Medford, New York

Transporter Co-Driver: Dale Lackey
Hometown: Taylorsville, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Wayne Smith
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia

Love’s Travel Stops and Speedco Continue Support of No. 34 Program

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (October 19, 2021) – Michael McDowell and the NASCAR Cup Series are heading back to Kansas Speedway this weekend for their second and final appearance of the 2021 season.

McDowell brought home a respectable 13th-place run at Kansas earlier this year and now has his eyes set on capturing a new team and personal-best at the mile-and-a-half speedway by earning a Top-10 finish in his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops / Speedco Ford Mustang.

“Kansas was really good to us in the spring,” explained McDowell. “Our mile-and-a-half program is something that we’ve been trying to make improvements on and I definitely feel like we’re trending in the right direction.”

Throughout his career, McDowell has recorded six Top-20 as well as two Top-15 finishes at Kansas Speedway and looks to break into the Top-10 category this Sunday.

“This past weekend at Texas, another mile-and-a-half race track, our No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops / Speedco Ford Mustang was pretty fast, which is something that our entire team is really proud of because it’s proof that what we’re trying is working,” said McDowell. “Unfortunately, the finish didn’t necessarily show for it as we seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time during most of the on-track incidences on Sunday, which left us with a 17th-place finish.”

McDowell continued by saying, “we definitely felt like we had a Top-10 race car at Texas, which makes me extremely excited about Kansas, because if we can bring that same type of speed this weekend, I’m confident that we can deliver a Top-10 result for our friends at Love’s Travel Stops and Speedco.”

The NASCAR Cup Series race from Kansas Speedway will air live this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

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.