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Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report – Darlington

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Official Release
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Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report
Track: Darlington Raceway

Race: Sports Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200
Date: August 4, 2021
No. 22 Snap-on Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric
Start: 24th
Stage 1: 7th
Stage 2: 3rd
Finish: 3rd
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 152/152
Laps Led: 1
Driver Point Standings (behind second): 2nd (-1)

Notes:

  • Consistency was key for Austin Cindric and the No. 22 Snap-on Ford team Saturday afternoon at Darlington Raceway. Cindric was rewarded with a third-place finish, his best in six previous starts at the historic, egg-shaped oval. He closed within just one point of championship leader AJ Allmendinger with just two races left in the battle for the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season championship.
  • The starting lineup was once again set per the NASCAR rule book, which gave Cindric the 24th-place starting position. The driver of the Snap-on Ford showed speed early, steadily working his way through traffic. Cindric was up to 10th position by the competition caution on lap 20. The balance on the No. 22 Mustang was a little tight for Cindric over the remaining laps of the segment and he was credited with a seventh-place finish when Stage 1 concluded on lap 45. During the stage caution, crew chief Brian Wilson called for an air pressure adjustment plus four tires and fuel and Cindric restarted sixth on lap 53.
  • He gained three positions on the restart following the fourth caution on lap 64, moving up to third. Cindric held firm to the position despite the close, side-by-side racing during the remainder of the stage – including a three-wide scramble on the final lap – to finish third in Stage 2. Wilson once again called his driver to pit road during the stage caution for four tires, fuel, plus tape and restarted fourth on lap 97.
  • The sixth caution on lap 110 set up a round of pit stops among the leaders. The Snap-on Mustang received four fresh tires, and fuel and Cindric restarted seventh when the race went green on lap 115. He appeared destined to finish sixth until the seventh yellow in lap 139 changed his fortune. Cindric pitted for four tires and an air pressure adjustment to help his car turn better. He lined up seventh for the restart on lap 142 two laps later was running second behind race leader Noah Gragson.
  • The eighth caution on lap 146 pushed the race in NASCAR Overtime and gave Cindric a chance to win the race. He restarted outside race leader Gragson but was shuffled back to third at the drop of the green flag. Cindric collected his best finish at Darlington and his 15th top-five finish in 24 starts this season.

Quote: “I feel like the bottom was definitely the place to be for just the launch, especially for the front row. I knew the outside was the safe play. From there, I thought we had a really good long run car. I’m proud of what we gained today with the Snap-on Ford Mustang. It’s definitely the best race I feel like I’ve had at Darlington, just having the strength, and not having too many weaknesses. As a team, that takes a lot of conversations throughout the week to try to get that right, so we righted a lot of wrongs for me at this racetrack today. I feel good about that.”

Monster Energy Racing: Riley Herbst Darlington NXS Race Report

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Official Release
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Herbst Finishes 38th at Darlington
Accident Ends Monster Energy Ford Team’s Day Early

Date: Sept. 4, 2021
Event: Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 (Round 24 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.366-mile oval)
Format: 147 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/57 laps)
Start/Finish: 7th / 38th (Accident, completed 107 of 152 laps)
Point Standing: 11th (555 points, 400 out of first)
Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 147-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Race Winner: Noah Gragson of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Daniel Hemric of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Noah Gragson of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Overview:

Trouble found Riley Herbst and the No. 98 Monster Energy team again in Saturday’s Sports Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway after an accident ended the team’s day early and led to a 38th-place finish. The Las Vegas native was on a mission for a good finish from the drop of the green flag. He started seventh and, despite reporting an ill-handling racecar, Herbst continued to hold his position in the opening laps. The No. 98 Monster Energy driver ran in the top-10 for a majority of Stage 1 until his loose Ford Mustang caused him to fall back to 12th, where he ended the stage. When the caution came out on lap 45, crew chief Richard Boswell brought his driver down pit road for four tires, fuel and a major air-pressure adjustment to combat the balance issues. The Monster Energy team gained him three spots on pit road to restart seventh for Stage 2 on lap 53. On the restart, Herbst fought to stay in the top-10 but reported that his Ford Mustang needed more front turn. He fell back to 12th but surged forward in the final six laps of the stage as the front end of the car started to come back to him. Ultimately, he would end up 11th in the second stage. During the stage break, Herbst came down pit road for four fresh tires, fuel and another air-pressure adjustment. Unfortunately, Herbst was forced to come down pit road a second time to work on his Ford Mustang. He restarted the final stage 29th and didn’t waste time in his drive back to the front. He broke into the top-20 on lap 106, just eight laps after the start of the final stage. On lap 107, Herbst was continuing his race to the front when the No. 44 of Tommy Joe Martins slowed on the track in front of him. With nowhere to go, the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang collided with the back of the slow car. The team would have to end its day 40 laps short of the scheduled race distance.

Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“I’m fine. I really wanted to see the replay before I comment any further, but I didn’t know why they were stopping in the center of the straightaway at Darlington. That’s kind of crazy, but I think we’re still good on points and hopefully we can go to Richmond with that cushion. Hopefully, we can gain a few more points there and then we’ll be a little bit more comfortable for Bristol. It was up-and-down, for sure. We definitely got better there at the end and we had decent pace. It’s just frustrating why somebody is stopping on the back straightaway.”

Notes:

● Noah Gragson won the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 to score his third career Xfinity Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Darlington. His margin over second-place Harrison Burton was .219 of a second.
● There were eight caution periods for a total of 41 laps.
● Twenty-seven of the 40 drivers in the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 finished on the lead lap.
● AJ Allmendinger remains the championship leader after Darlington with a one-point advantage over second-place Austin Cindric

Next Up:

The next event on the Xfinity Series schedule is the Go Bowling 250 on Saturday, Sept. 11 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. The race starts at 2:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION: INDIANAPOLIS – QUALIFYING RECAP AND & QUOTES

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Official Release
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CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
DODGE/SRT NHRA U.S. NATIONALS
LUCAS OIL RACEWAY AT INDIANAPOLIS, BROWNSBURG, INDIANA
SEPT. 4, 2021

Chevrolet sweeps No. 1 qualifiers at U.S. Nationals
Brittany Force (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car), Kyle Koretsky (Pro Stock) lead way

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 4, 2021) – Big performances by Team Chevy drivers on a clear Friday night at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis were crucial as the two remaining rounds of qualifications for the 67th U.S. Nationals were canceled Saturday, Sept. 4, because of persistent rain.

Chevrolet drivers earned No. 1 qualifier honors in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock for the third time in 11 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series events this season.

Brittany and John Force, who shared the winner’s stage for the first time three weeks ago, roared to the top of qualifying for the second time this season in their respective professional classes.

Brittany Force raced to her seventh consecutive No. 1 Top Fuel qualifier honor – and eighth in 13 races – with a 3.684-second pass at 334.57 mph in the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster.

Tony Schumacher in 2005 was the last Top Fuel racer to earn six top qualifiers in a row and he owns the record for most No. 1s in a season with 13. Force will aim for her second victory of the season, which would give her 200 career round wins, and secure the second seed for the seven-race Countdown to the Championship that begins next week.

“Eight No. 1 qualifiers, that says a lot about this team, ” said Force, who was the top qualifier in the 2019 U.S. Nationals. “We want No. 1 qualifiers, but we also want to win on race day. I’ve been chasing the Indy win. It’s the big one and we want to come out here and do it this week. We haven’t had luck here in the past but hoping to turn things around.

“I think we’re in a really good place. We’re No. 2 in points and our goal coming into this season was to be top three for the Countdown, where everything resets. It’s been a long season and we’ve put a lot of hard work into getting that No. 2 spot.”

Her father, John, has five Funny Car wins at the U.S. Nationals – tied for the most with Ed McCulloch – and took a step toward his sixth victory and the top seed for the Countdown by securing his second top qualifier of the season.
Force, driving the PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS, turned in a 3.871-second pass. He last won the U.S. Nationals in 2019 for his 150th career victory, and all John Force Racing drivers did not compete in the 2020 event because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’ve always loved this. Go out here in Indy at night, go down that racetrack, header fire on both sides, driving around weaving,” said Force, who claimed the 162nd top qualifier of his career. “Our teams are doing well. This PEAK Chevy, that Monster Energy dragster and Auto Club Camaro, we’re all running well, I’m proud of us.”

Teammate Robert Hight, a three-time winner of the event, qualified third with a pass of 3.889 seconds in the Automobile Club of Southern California Camaro SS.

“This was a good start to the weekend,” Hight said. “This Auto Club team put in some extra work after Brainerd, figured some things out and left testing really excited for what we think we can do. We’ll go some rounds on Sunday and make up a couple of spots in the points to start the NHRA Countdown in a prime position for another championship.”

Koretsky, runner-up at the most recent Pro Stock race at Topeka, Kansas, three weeks ago, picked up his initial No. 1 qualifier with a 6.572-second pass in the Lucas Oil/NitroFish Camaro SS.

“It’s huge for my self-confidence. It felt good when I made the run, and to come back and find out I’m No. 1 is great,” he said. “KB Racing supplies me with the best power out here. Who doesn’t want to be No. 1 at the U.S. Nationals? Our goal is to leave Indy top five and I’m confident we can do it.”

Elite Motorsports teammates Troy Coughlin Jr. and Erica Enders were Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, in the Camaro SS. KB Racing’s Greg Anderson, driver of the HendrickCars.com Camaro SS, qualified seventh as he seeks to tie Warren Johnson’s class record of 97 career wins. Koretsky’s father, Kenny, was runner-up to Anderson at the 2004 U.S. Nationals.

FOX will telecast eliminations from the U.S. Nationals live at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 5.

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.

Noah Gragson captures first Xfinity Series win of the year in overtime at Darlington

By
Angie Campbell
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Photo by Ted Seminara for SpeedwayMedia.com.

It all came down to two laps and Noah Gragson never looked back as he held on to score his first Xfinity Series win of the season in overtime at Darlington Raceway.

“A lot of frustration this year,” Gragson said, “and things haven‘t gone our way, but we‘re getting some momentum when we need to, and I just can‘t thank everybody enough on this No. 9 team.

“This is Darlington, I can’t believe it.”

Gragson now has five top 10s in five starts at the Darlington and earned his third victory in 93 Xfinity Series starts. Coming off the announcement by JR Motorsports only a few days ago that his contract was renewed through 2022, Gragson can advance to the Playoffs with confidence.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Harrison Burton finished second, his third top-10 finish in four races at Darlington. Defending series champion Austin Cindric placed third for Team Penske, his third top-10 finish in four starts at the 1.366-mile track. Kaulig Racing drivers, Justin Haley and Jeb Burton rounded out the top five.

Allgaier, Tyler Reddick, Jeremy Clements, Snider and Alex Labbe finished sixth through 10th, respectively.

Stage 1 Highlights

Power issues that resulted from a faulty plug wire during the opening laps forced Daniel Hemric to pit twice but he was able to move up through the field and rebound to win Stage 1. 

Noah Gragson finished second followed by AJ Allmendinger in third and Justin Haley in fourth. Denny Hamlin had the dominant car during the first stage but spun as Stage 1 was ending and finished fifth. Harrison Burton, Austin Cindric, Brandon Jones, Myatt Snider and Justin Allgaier finished sixth – 10th in the first stage.

Stage 2 Highlights

Noah Gragson won Stage 2 in a three and four-wide race to the finish. Hamlin, Cindric, Allgaier, Hemric, AJ Allmendinger, Harrison Burton, Austin Dillon, Haley and Snider rounded out the top 10.

During the stage break, the leaders chose to pit and Gragson was able to retain the lead after pit stops were completed.

Stage 3 Highlights

On Lap 108 Riley Herbst was involved in an accident when Tommy Joe Martins suddenly slowed in Turn 3. Herbst was unable to stop and ran into the back of Martins. As he took his car to pit road, Herbst’s car caught on fire but he was able to get out of the car quickly. The incident brought out the sixth caution of the race.

During the caution, most of the leaders again decided to pit and Hamlin was first off pit road to take the lead. As the race neared its finish, Brandon Jones spun on Lap 138 leaving debris on the track and bringing out the eighth and final caution on Lap 146 to send the race into overtime. 

Gragson held off Harrison Burton and led the final two laps to capture the victory. 

There were eight cautions for 41 laps and 19 lead changes among eight drivers. Hamlin led a race-high 43 laps followed by Gragson who led 40 laps during the race.

There were no issues in the post-race inspection.

The Xfinity Series’ next race is at Richmond Raceway, Saturday, Sept. 11 at 2:30 p.m. ET. There are only two races remaining in the regular season.

Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 results:

1Noah Gragson
2Harrison Burton
3Austin Cindric
4Justin Haley
5Jeb Burton
6Justin Allgaier
7Tyler Reddick
8Jeremy Clements
9Myatt Snider
10Alex Labbe
11Ryan Sieg
12Denny Hamlin
13Ty Dillon
14Michael Annett
15Josh Williams
16Landon Cassill
17Colin Garrett
18Mason Massey
19Joe Graf Jr.
20AJ Allmendinger
21Jade Buford
22BJ McLeod
23Matt Mills
24Daniel Hemric
25Ryan Vargas
26Jeffrey Earnhardt
27Colby Howard
28Brandon Brown
29Austin Dillon
30David Starr
31Carson Ware
32Jesse Little
33Brandon Jones
34Kyle Weatherman
35Ryan Ellis
36Timmy Hill
37Tommy Joe Martins
38Riley Herbst
39Sam Mayer
40Gray Gaulding

RCR Post Race Report – Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200

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Official Release
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Myatt Snider and the No. 2 Crosley Brands Team Earn Solid Top-10 Finish at Darlington Raceway

Finish: 9th
Start: 9th
Points: 12th

“Today was a solid ninth-place finish for our Crosley Brands Chevrolet team. I thought our Camaro had really good speed, but I lacked the stability in the center of the corners to keep the momentum going. We consistently ran inside the top-10 and if the last cautions would have fallen a little differently, I think we would have had a shot at a top-five. A consistent finish like this is exactly what our Richard Childress Racing team needs to keep doing leading up to the Playoffs. I’m proud of this group for battling all day, in the heat, and we will continue to chip away at building a solid foundation over the next two weeks.”

-Myatt Snider

Toyota Racing NXS Post-Race Recap — Darlington 9.4.21

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Official Release
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BURTON OH SO CLOSE AT DARLINGTON WITH RUNNER-UP RESULT
Harrison Burton Claims Second-Place Finish in Overtime Finish

DARLINGTON, SC. (September 4, 2021) – Harrison Burton (second) was the top Toyota in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina. Burton battled race winner, Noah Gragson, in the final laps, but came up just shy of the victory when the checkered flag waved. Fellow Toyota driver Denny Hamlin led 43 laps (of 147), but a late race pit road penalty forced him to start at the rear with three laps remaining.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Darlington Raceway
Race 24 of 33 – 200.1 miles, 147 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Noah Gragson*
2nd, HARRISON BURTON
3rd, Austin Cindric*
4th, Justin Haley*
5th, Jeb Burton*
12th, DENNY HAMLIN
17th, COLIN GARRETT
24th, DANIEL HEMRIC
30th, DAVID STARR
33rd, BRANDON JONES
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

HARRISON BURTON, No. 20 DEX Imaging Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

Can you describe how the race unfolded for you?

“I’m just upset. I really wanted to win here. This place means a lot to me. It’s fun to run well here, but it sucks to not win here. We’ll keep digging at it. This is a really resiliant race team. We were without our crew chief, Jason Ratcliff who was at home today. Everyone stepped up on the race team and prepared the car well. Obviously, we were really fast today. Good job everybody at the shop and we’ll keep plugging away at it. These next few races are really good for us. This was one that I thought would be good for us as well. Our DEX Imaging Supra was good and just needed a better launch there at the end to stay close. Just frustrated.”

What did you need on the final restart to get the win?

“I don’t know. I did a bad job the launch beforehand, which I guess didn’t really affect us on the last one. If I couldn’t be leading, I wanted to be second row inside and we got that. Gosh, I don’t know. We needed some more speed in one and two. I don’t really know how to get it. Three and four was phenomenal all day, that was our strong suit. Just fought really hard today. Our crew chief, Jason Ratcliff is at home and we wanted to win for him at home. Our engineer normally was our crew chief today and did a great job. Our whole team really rallied together. Good result, but sad. I just love this place and I wanted to win here really bad.”

When you’re that close, does it make it worse to finish second?

“Oh yeah, definitely. I was trying to do Texas part two with Noah (Gragson) and try to get him on the last corner and just fell short. Hats off to them, they’ve been fast here all year really. They were fast earlier and now they’ve won. Just wanted this one really bad and frustrated to not get it, but our DEX Imaging Supra team will keep digging.”

Have you noticed changes in your team leading to the consistent runs in recent weeks?

“We’re a team with a bunch of winners. Everyone on this team has either won together or won some other place at different levels. A lot of guys have Cup experience. I feel like we just have that experience when it comes time to get to The Playoffs, we’re going to be really dangerous and run more like we have recently. Mentally, I’ve been treating these last few races as if they’re the first round of the Playoffs because the situation we’ve kind of put ourselves in without winning throughout the season has kind of made it to where it’s going to be a long road and I have to be perfect. Matching that intensity now is the whole deal and trying to continue that.”

What did you think of the new ‘grip strip’ pavement in turn two?

“It was really fun to drive. It presented some challenges because normally your whole corner through there is setup to make that part of the race track where you can just get through it more or less. It’s such an awkward angle and now it’s like, ‘Oh, I just need to get through this and get to the grip strip and I’m good.’ It sorts you out. It shifted the focus from the place where they paved it to now through the center of that corner. This place entering the center through one and two has always been wild. That was kind of my weak spot today balance-wise in the car, but I think it’s going to be fun to watch tomorrow and I’m excited to stay and watch the Cup race tomorrow. Watch those guys get through it, it will be a good show.”

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.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Cindric Finishes Third To Lead Ford at Darlington

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series — Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200
Darlington Raceway | Saturday, September 4, 2021

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
3rd — Austin Cindric
11th — Ryan Sieg
38th — Riley Herbst

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 Snap-On Ford Mustang — WHAT HAPPENED ON THE LAST RESTART? “I feel like the bottom was definitely the place to be for just the launch, especially for the front row. I feel like Noah went two or three car lengths too early. I’d have to watch the replay to be 100 percent certain, but perhaps I could have seen that coming and then the other side of me is like, ‘I don’t want to get a penalty because that’s spots in points.’ I knew the outside was the safe play. From there, I thought we had a really good long run car. We struggled to gain track position all day. We did a solid job all day trying to execute but we weren’t perfect. I’m proud of what we gained today with the Snap-On Ford Mustang. It’s definitely the best race I feel like I”ve had at Darlington, just having the strength and not having too many weaknesses. As a team, that takes a lot of conversations throughout the week to try to get that right, so we righted a lot of wrongs for me at this racetrack today. I feel good about that.”

YOU FINISHED 3RD WHILE AJ HAD SOME ISSUES WITH A LOOSE WHEEL. HOW BIG IS THAT AS YOU GUYS BATTLE FOR THE REGULAR SEASON TITLE? “It’s gonna be a fun two weeks.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE NEW GRIP STRIP IN TURN TWO AND IF IT WAS WHAT YOU EXPECTED? “Today when we showed up it was a construction site and now it’s a racetrack. That’s the way I see it. It’s dirty. It’s new asphalt. We’re the first cars to run on it. It gained grip throughout the day. It got cleaned throughout the day. It got more raceable throughout the day. I don’t think it will be much of a story line tomorrow. You can make the argument that it can make it harder to pass, but you can also make the argument that it helps the bottom lane hang in on restarts off of two. There are pros and cons, but it seems like something the track needed to do and I see no problem with it.”

WHAT ABOUT THE TRANSITION FROM THAT NEW ASPHALT TO THE OLD? “There was a little bit of bump on transition and exit, but I think they did a good job of making that transition smooth. We’ll see how that plays out over time as the asphalt settles, but they did a good job for the weekend.”

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE REGULAR SEASON TITLE FOR YOU AND TEAM PENSKE? “It’s the equivalent of three wins. I see those playoff points invaluable.”

RILEY HERBST, No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang — “I’m fine. I really want to see the replay before I comment any further, but I don’t know why they were stopping in the center of the straightaway at Darlington. That’s kind of crazy, but I think we’re 443points or so and hopefully we can go to Richmond with that cushion. Hopefully, we can gain a few more points there and then we’ll be a little bit more comfortable for Bristol.”

HOW WAS YOUR DAY TO THAT POINT? “It was up-and-down, for sure. We definitely got it better there at the end and we had decent pace. It’s just frustrating why somebody is stopping on the back straightaway.”

Trade The Chain and SENT Join Brandon Brown as Primary Partners for Darlington Raceway

By
Official Release
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Track: Darlington Raceway | 1.36 Mile Oval
Race: 23 of 33
Event: Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200
Race: Saturday, September 4 | 3:30 p.m. ET | NBCSN & MRN
Stages: 45 / 90 / 147 = 200.1 Miles

Brandon Brown | Xfinity Series Stats | Darlington Raceway
Starts: 6
Best Start: 6
Best Finish: 13
Brown on Darlington:

“Darlington Raceway is one of my favorite race tracks on the NASCAR circuit. It’s such a driver’s track where skill and experience really come into play. You want to race hard every lap, but you also need to know when to save your equipment and try not to use up your tires too early in a run. I get really excited every time we come here.

“What makes this weekend even more special is the fact that we have a brand new partner coming on board our No. 68 Chevrolet Camaro. Today, you’ll see the green, white and black colors of TradeTheChain.com and SENT on our race car. The crypto market has been steadily growing within the racing industry and I’m extremely proud to welcome Alex, Ryan and the entire TradeTheChain.com and SENT organizations to the team.

“This week, I’ve done a lot of reflecting over the past few races where things haven’t quite gone our way. It’s certainly been a difficult month and I’ve had to try and accept that the struggles in racing will come and go, so hopefully today we can turn our luck around and find success; especially for TradeTheChain.com and SENT. I’m ready to get to work.”

About TradeTheChain.com
Trade The Chain is a market agnostic, global community of traders and crypto enthusiasts that enables anyone, regardless of skill level, background, location, or experience, to learn from each other and share strategies for success.

In addition to the interactive community, Trade The Chain also provides access to actionable sentiment indicators, real time significant development alerts, and a price prediction algorithm — data that up until now was only used by hedge funds and other financial institutions to help them make more informed trading decisions.

Trade The Chain members are able to leverage tools that give them the same advantage that more sophisticated players have, at a fraction of the cost.

Facebook: @TradeTheChain
Instagram: @tradethechain
Twitter: @tradethechain

About Brandonbilt Motorsports
Brandonbilt Motorsports is a family-owned, professional stock car team competing full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS). Owned and operated by Woodbridge, Virginia native, Jerry Brown, Brandonbilt Motorsports has quickly become a household name in the NASCAR Xfinity Series through hard work and determination. As a smaller team in the NXS, Brandonbilt Motorsports’ goal has always been to do the most with less, while also becoming a contending organization in every race that it enters. Brandonbilt Motorsports shocked the racing world in 2020 as driver, Brandon Brown, secured the team’s first playoff berth in only its second, full-time season in the NXS, before going on to finish the year 11th in the overall points standings. On the horizon in 2021, Brandonbilt Motorsports looks to pick up where it left off as a playoff-caliber team at each event it enters. To learn more, visit bmsraceteam.com.

AdventHealth Joins Martin Truex Jr. Foundation, The NASCAR Foundation to Honor Cancer Heroes

By
Official Release
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Bidding Begins to Help Raise Awareness for Childhood and Ovarian Cancer Initiatives

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 3, 2021) – AdventHealth joins The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation (MTJF) and The NASCAR Foundation as the presenting sponsor of the Honor a Cancer Hero online auction. Bidding launches today featuring teams competing in NASCAR’s four national series. It signifies the most extensive participation with more than 100 opportunities available for the second-annual event raising awareness for childhood and ovarian cancers.

During the auction, NASCAR fans can bid to have their cancer hero’s name placed on the signature panel of their favorite driver’s car during the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, and ARCA Menards Series races at Kansas Speedway or during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Martinsville Speedway. The auction concludes on September 13.

“As many as one in three people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime according to the American Cancer Society. It is up to all of us to fund research to help find cures and improve treatments. AdventHealth is honored to be part of this fundraising effort, to celebrate cancer heroes and to provide cancer care that helps patients beat or manage cancer through groundbreaking research, innovative treatments, and whole-person care,” said David Banks, senior executive vice president and chief strategy officer for AdventHealth.

Proceeds from the online auction will benefit MTJF and The NASCAR Foundation, two organizations recognized as champions for the health and well-being of others.

“We are honored to provide NASCAR fans this opportunity to celebrate those involved in the fight against cancer,” said Nichole Krieger, executive director of The NASCAR Foundation.  “Whether honoring someone who has personally battled cancer, a medical provider, nurse, caregiver or other member of the all-important support system, what a remarkable way to recognize these heroes. And to partner with the NASCAR community, AdventHealth and MTJF makes this effort even more special.”

With September designated as childhood and ovarian cancer awareness month, the two foundations are teaming up to celebrate and support those champions who have overcome  battles with cancer. 

“We are so excited to launch this fundraising initiative for a second year,” said Sherry Pollex, founder of the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation. “There was an outpouring of support from NASCAR, drivers, teams, and fans from across the country last year. September is a special month for the MTJ Foundation in creating cancer awareness and we are hoping to raise the fundraising bar even higher this month. We are proud to partner with The NASCAR Foundation and AdventHealth to honor these cancer heroes.”

To learn more and to see a complete list of participating drivers, please visit NASCARfoundation.org/cancerhero


About MTJ Foundation

NASCAR champion, Martin Truex Jr., and partner, Sherry Pollex founded the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation in 2007. Currently, the foundation’s mission is to raise awareness and funds for families affected by childhood and ovarian cancers. The MTJ Foundation utilizes its websites and social media platforms to educate cancer patients on a holistic approach to their disease. This approach combines the use of integrative therapies and healthy lifestyle practices with modern medicine. The MTJ Foundation has raised over $5 million to fund community projects and oncology programs for women and children. For more information, visit martintruexjrfoundation.org and follow the MTJFoundation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

About The NASCAR Foundation

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Inc. (NASCAR) established The NASCAR Foundation in January 2006 to support initiatives that positively affect the lives of children throughout the United States. The 501(c) (3) non-profit entity partners with medical experts and other charitable organizations to fund children’s health care programs. The NASCAR Foundation has cumulatively donated nearly $40 million to reach more than 1.4 million children. For more information on The NASCAR Foundation, visit NASCARfoundation.org. Follow The NASCAR Foundation on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/NASCARFoundation or on Twitter at @NASCAR_FDN.

AdventHealth

With a sacred mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ, AdventHealth is a connected system of care for every stage of life and health. More than 80,000 skilled and compassionate caregivers in physician practices, hospitals, outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies and hospice centers provide individualized, wholistic care. A shared vision, common values, focus on whole-person health and commitment to making communities healthier unify the system’s 50 hospital campuses and hundreds of care sites in diverse markets throughout almost a dozen states. For more information about AdventHealth, visit AdventHealth.com, or Facebook.com/AdventHealth.

CHEVY NCS AT DARLINGTON: Alan Gustafson Teleconference Transcript

By
Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
COOK OUT SOUTHERN 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
SEPTEMBER 3, 2021

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA/CHILDREN’S CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media via teleconference in advance of this weekend’s Cook Out Southern 500 Darlington Raceway, where Gustafson will be calling his 600th career NASCAR Cup Series race. Press Conference Transcript:

MODERATOR: IN ADVANCE OF THIS WEEKEND’S RACE AT DARLINGTON, IT WILL BE YOUR 600TH START ATOP THE BOX. AS A CREW CHIEF, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES IN THAT ROLE THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER?
“Yeah, I think you remember the wins, obviously. But I think for me, when I reflect back, it’s the different drivers, situations with the different drivers and the personalities, pit crew members. All those different things. I guess some of my favorites – obviously, the first win with Kyle (Busch) was a big one. The Chicago win with Mark (Martin) really stands out to me. The Brickyard with Jeff (Gordon). And then certainly Phoenix with Chase (Elliott). Those are, if I had to say the ones that I reflect on the most, probably stand out the most.”

WHEN YOU HAD START NUMBER ONE, DID YOU EVER THINK YOU’D EVER GET TO 600?
“No (laughs). I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t know I was even approaching 600 and then Morgan said something to me a couple months ago – ‘yeah, Darlington will be your 600th start’. I’m like, wow that’s crazy. I think when you start at one, you’re just hoping to get to two. And then you’re maybe kind of hoping to get to get to 30 and then you’re trying to make it two years. As you go, you’re just really trying to survive. This sport is obviously super competitive and a lot of times it’s more bad news than good news. So, you’re trying to do the best you can to prosper and survive.”

I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT DARLINGTON AND THE UNCERTAINTY OF THIS REPAVE IN TURN TWO. WITH THE XFINITY RACE BEFORE YOUR GARAGE EVEN OPENS, WILL YOU ALL BE IN A PARKING LOT SOMEWHERE MAKING ANY ADJUSTMENTS OR WILL YOU MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AT THE SHOP AND THE HAULER NOT EVEN LEAVE UNTIL SATURDAY NIGHT?
“No – I don’t think we can make any significant adjustments based on the Xfinity race. I think we can make some minor adjustments. I don’t really feel like even if they run something way outside of what we expect – which I certainly don’t think that’s going to happen – it’s a difficult correlation. There’s not a direct correlation between the Xfinity cars are starting with this and we need to do that. It’s still a bit different. I think just in generalities, you’ll learn some things from the Xfinity race. That is a big unknown over there, but I don’t know that we can fix it based on their experience.”

GOING BACK TO YOUR 600TH START THIS WEEKEND, WHAT’S CHANGED FROM START ONE TO START 600 FROM ATOP THE PIT BOX?
“It’s changed a lot in 600 starts. I was kind of reflecting on this the other day; just thinking about it. It’s something I usually haven’t thought about. When I first started, it was really the crew chief and the team, and man, you did everything. You did everything – spec the chassis builds; where you wanted your front clips; where you wanted your rear clips; where you wanted your frame rails; where you wanted to install the engine; what this car was going to run and the body specification when we just had the templates; how far you wanted to offset your tail; and what do you want to do with your roof. Not only did you have a vast amount of options, you had very little information to make those decisions with. I just remember back then, there was a lot of freedom and room to run; and certainly, a lot of uncertainty that came with that. Now, it’s much more granular. It’s very small stuff and we do it collaboratively.”

“What I’ve kind of seen transition through my career is racing was very team-oriented to start. Then, it became very organization-oriented. And now it’s kind of becoming very manufacturer-oriented. So, it’s just moving that direction to where it’s a much bigger concerted effort.”

I WANTED TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHERE THIS TEAM IS GOING INTO THE PLAYOFFS AS THE DEFENDING CHAMPIONS. CHASE (ELLIOTT) SAID THIS WEEK THAT NOTHING IS REALLY DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF MINDSET. HE SAID HE FEELS YOU ALL ARE IN A GOOD PLACE AND READY TO GO. YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?
“Yeah, I agree. We’re ready to go; we’re ready to race. This is our favorite time of year and this is when you have to make it happen. I think we’re in a good position to do that. I’m excited to get going and execute. If we do that, we certainly all feel like it’s under our control. We’ve got the ingredients in place and the opportunity there to do it. We’re certainly excited to go do that and feel good about it. I think we’ve got a great opportunity to win races and be there at Phoenix.”

THERE’S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS COULD AND OBVIOUSLY SHOOT TO HAVE ALL FOUR CARS IN AT PHOENIX. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT GETS TALKED ABOUT AMONGST YOU ALL OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT JUST DOESN’T NEED TO BE SPOKEN ABOUT? IT’S OBVIOUSLY A GOAL FOR EVERYBODY.
“Yeah, I think it’s just the goal for everybody. We’re certainly all going to do everything we can to make that happen. That’s just kind of a given. It’s what we try to do every year. It’s certainly never been done and it would be extremely, extremely difficult. But that’s our goal.”

BACK WHEN THE PLAYOFFS WOULD START AT LAS VEGAS OR CHICAGO, SOMEBODY WOULD DO REALLY WELL AND OF COURSE WE’D ALL BE LIKE ‘THAT’S THE CHAMPIONSHIP FAVORITE’ BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF 1.5-MILE TRACKS AND HOMESTEAD IS 1.5-MILE. NOW, THE FIRST THREE RACES ARE ALL 750 RACES. HOW MUCH SHOULD I READ INTO DARLINGTON AND/OR RICHMOND ON TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO’S GOING TO WIN THE TITLE.
“That’s a great question. That is interesting because that’s another huge thing that’s changed throughout my career is the Playoffs. It used to be 10 cars. I can remember when it was 10, that was tough. It wasn’t 10 and a win. It was 10 on points and everything had to.. (inaudible).”

“Yeah, it’s changed. The first rounds are maybe not the greatest indicator on who’s going to win. I think you have to be competitive at those rounds; certainly, you have to be really good. But the guy that’s strongest in the first round, I wouldn’t say would necessarily be the odds-on favorite to win the Championship, in my opinion. So, it’s hard to say. Richmond certainly configures like Phoenix, but races way different. So, I don’t know that you can draw a correlation there. You look at the Kansas, Texas, Martinsville round – you really can’t draw a whole lot of conclusions based on what we’re going to do in this first round. I would say more than the first round, probably just the whole body of work of the season would be a better indicator than the first round.”

YOU KNOW THE MEDIA; WE WANT TO PICK A FAVORITE RIGHT AFTER THE FIRST ROUND. DO YOU DO THAT IN-HOUSE OR DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ‘THAT’S JUST ONE RACE’ OR ‘THAT’S JUST THE FIRST TWO RACES – WE’VE GOT EIGHT TO GO’.
“Yeah, 10 races is a long time. To me, every race brings an opportunity. Every race brings an opportunity to score stage points, win points and bonus points. Throughout these 10 weeks, you’re going to position yourself at every race to either improve your position, decrease your position or hold neutral. That’s the way I look at it. So, every race you’re trying to better position yourself throughout the standings and throughout the playoffs. It’s very individualistic. We go to win.. (inaudible). If we go win at Darlington, the only thing I’m going to take away is A) we have more bonus points and a better position for the next round. But past that, when we go and reset at Vegas, it doesn’t really matter. All that’s going to matter about Darlington is what bonus points we scored there. I mean there are lessons learned, but that’s every day. But I think in general, when you’re talking about the playoffs, it’s very individual per race.”

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.

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