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HighPoint.com Racing: Chase Briscoe New Hampshire Advance

CHASE BRISCOE
New Hampshire Advance
No. 14 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview
● Event: Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 (Round 22 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 18
● Location: New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon
● Layout: 1.058-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 301 laps / 318.46 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 75 laps / Stage 2: 110 laps / Final Stage: 116 laps
● TV/Radio: NBCSN / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● After securing their fifth top-15 finish of the season last Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Chase Briscoe and the No. 14 HighPoint.com team for Stewart-Haas Racing set off for the 22nd points-paying race of the year at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.

● Sunday’s 301-lap event will be a test of the rookie-driver’s patience as he figures out a track he hasn’t visited in nearly two years. Briscoe’s last race at New Hampshire was the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series event in which he started fifth and finished sixth. He also has one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the 1.058-mile oval, which resulted in an 11th-place finish.

● Crew chief Johnny Klausmeier earned a third-place finish at New Hampshire with Aric Almirola in 2018, his best result in three races there atop the pit box.

● With 21 races complete on the Cup Series schedule, Briscoe sits 23rd in the driver championship with five events remaining before the playoffs begin Labor Day weekend at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. Additionally, he leads the Rookie of the Year standings by 150 points over Anthony Alfredo.

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

It’s been almost two years since your last visit to New Hampshire. How do you feel about Sunday’s race?

“It honestly just feels like I haven’t really raced there before. I’ve only been to New Hampshire once in trucks and once in Xfinity. Neither went great and I just don’t have a lot of laps there. I’m interested to see how this weekend goes. I feel like a lot of the tracks this year that I haven’t enjoyed in the past, like Phoenix, I’ve seemed to like more in the Cup car. I think it’s probably because we have more horsepower, and you can slip and slide around a lot more and manage it. So, I’m excited to get to New Hampshire this week. I don’t really know what I need in the car since I don’t have a lot of track time there, but we’ve got 301 laps to figure it out.”

You’ll have a two-week break after this race, and then we return with back-to-back road-course races. Is that something you’re looking forward to?

“For sure. I wouldn’t say the road courses are my favorite but, from a results side, it’s certainly been our best chance to go run up front. The road-course deal is a place where I feel like I can make a difference. Some of these low-downforce tracks and the road courses are places where I feel like I can do more on my end to get position on track and make a difference in how we’re running, not relying solely on the team to make adjustments and figure it out for me. With five races left to make the playoffs, with the road courses and Daytona, it’s kind of open for anybody, so we’ll try to take one of those spots.”

This far into your rookie season, do you notice a difference in how far you’ve come as a driver and how the team has progressed?

“As a driver, it’s a night-and-day difference. Results aren’t where I’d like them to be, just because I think anyone would love to say they won every race and that’s not realistic. It’s going to take some time to run up front, especially in the Cup Series. It’s not a secret that, as a company, we’re not where other teams are and, as a rookie, that’s just the cards we’re dealt and I have to work with that the best I can. But I feel like I’ve done a much better job over the last four to six weeks of being a more complete racecar driver and putting things together. As a team, we’re really hitting our stride. A 15th-place finish is certainly not where we want to finish at Atlanta, but in those last few laps we were battling with Kevin Harvick. He’s the person I try to judge myself against. We’re in the same equipment and obviously Kevin is going to be a Hall of Famer, so if I can run with him, I’m doing my job, especially at a place like Atlanta, where he has had so much success.”

Do you feel you’ve had to shift your goals for this year?

“My goals have definitely changed throughout the year. When the season started, I wanted to be Rookie of the Year and make the playoffs. As the season has gone on, we’re now in a must-win situation to make the playoffs and my goals have shifted as I’ve had more time in the car to figure out what is realistic. Now, when I look at what I’d like to accomplish in my first Cup Series season, I’d like to be top-20 in points and to consistently be the second-best SHR car. I don’t think anyone is expecting us to outrun Kevin, so if we can be second, I feel like that’s a good way to judge where we are. I’d rather compare myself to teammates to judge where I’m at. That just makes it easier to keep realistic expectations. I would also like to get a couple more top-10s, mainly on an oval. I feel like we’re really close to doing that and just need to close it out. I’m OK with my goals shifting as time goes on. I don’t think it’s reasonable to set something in February without ever having been in a Cup car and stick to that for an entire season.”

No. 14 HighPoint.com Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Chase Briscoe
Hometown: Mitchell, Indiana

Crew Chief: John Klausmeier
Hometown: Perry Hall, Maryland

Car Chief: Chad Haney
Hometown: Fairmont, West Virginia

Engineer: Mike Cook
Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland

Engineer: Marc Hendricksen
Hometown: Clinton, New Jersey

Spotter: Joe White
Hometown: Windsor, Virginia

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Daniel Coffey
Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Chris Jackson
Hometown: Rock Hill, South Carolina

Tire Carrier: Jon Bernal
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Jack Man: Brett Morrell

Hometown: Windham, Maine

Fuel Man: Justin Wilson
Hometown: Wise, Virginia

Road Crew Members

Underneath Mechanic: Stephen Gonzalez
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Front End Mechanic: J.D. Frey
Hometown: Ferndale, California

Interior Mechanic: Trevor Adams
Hometown: Naples, Florida

Tire Specialist: Keith Eads
Hometown: Arlington, Virginia

Engine Tuner: Jon Phillips
Hometown: Jefferson City, Missouri

Transporter Co-Driver: Todd Cable
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Glenn Funderburk
Hometown: Mint Hill, North Carolina

Toyota Racing – Weekly Preview – 07.14.21

This Week in Motorsports: July 12-18, 2021

· NCS/NXS: New Hampshire Motor Speedway – July 17-18
· ARCA: Berlin Speedway – July 17

PLANO, Texas (July 14, 2021) – The NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series head to the ‘Magic Mile’ – New Hampshire Motor Speedway – for their final race before the two-week Olympic break in the NASCAR schedule. The ARCA Menards Series also continues its championship battle at Berlin Speedway on Saturday.

NASCAR National Series – NCS| NXS

Busch on top-five streak… Since scoring his first win of the season at Kansas Speedway in early May, Kyle Busch is on a streak of eight top-five finishes in 11 races. That run of success has moved the two-time Cup Series champion from 10th in points all the way up to third overall. Busch has three victories at New Hampshire (July 2006, July 2015 and September 2017).

Hamlin looking for fourth Loudon win… Series points leader Denny Hamlin has a series of strong runs at the ‘Magic Mile’, scoring three-career wins in New Hampshire. Hamlin helped Toyota sweep the season in 2017 with a victory in the July race. He also scored wins in July 2007 prior to driving a Camry and September 2012.

Bell back in Xfinity Series… For the first time since the end of the 2019 season, Christopher Bell will be back aboard a Toyota Supra this weekend at New Hampshire in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at a track he has seen incredible success. In 2018, Bell led the final 19 laps and scored the win, while in 2019, he was incredibly dominant, leading 186 of the 200 laps before driving back to victory lane.

Toyota Supra drivers look to continue streak… Since the debut weekend at Circuit of the Americas in May, Toyota drivers have been on a winning streak – scoring victories in six of the last eight events. Toyota looks to continue the streak with five Supras in the field this weekend – Bell and Joe Gibbs Racing’s teammates Daniel Hemric, Brandon Jones and Harrison Burton, along with Sam Hunt Racing’s Brandon Gdovic – who is back in the No. 26 for the first time since Texas.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA

Heim and Gibbs continue championship battle… With a late-race bump and run, Corey Heim took the win at Elko Speedway and grew his championship points lead over Ty Gibbs to seven points. The two drivers have combined to win all nine ARCA Menards Series races this season.

Love and Trotter plan to backup career best results…Although both are winners in the ARCA Menards Series West, both Jesse Love (second) and Gracie Trotter (third) earned career-best results in national ARCA Menards Series action at Elko Speedway. Both drivers return behind the wheel this weekend at Berlin Speedway.

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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.

Mike Bugarewicz to call 200th Cup race as crew chief at New Hampshire

Photo by Justin Mcfarland for SpeedwayMedia.com.

A significant milestone start is in the making for Mike “Buga” Bugarewicz, crew chief for Aric Almirola and the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang team in the NASCAR Cup Series. By participating in this weekend’s event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Bugarewicz will call his 200th Cup career race as a crew chief.

A native of Lehighton, Pennsylvania, Bugarewicz earned a B.S. and a M.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Penn State before joining Roush Fenway Racing as an engineer in December 2005, which marked the beginning of his racing career. From 2006 to 2013, Bugarewicz worked as an engineer within the Roush organization, where he also worked with names like Danny O’Quinn, David Ragan, Paul Menard, Matt Kenseth and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

In 2014, Bugarewicz became a lead race engineer for veteran driver Kevin Harvick, crew chief Rodney Childers and the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet team. The season was one to remember for Bugarewicz as Harvick, who was in his first season with SHR, captured five victories, eight poles, 14 top-five results, 20 top-10 results and the season’s Cup championship.

Following a productive 2015 season with Harvick, where Harvick won three races before settling in second place in the final standings, Bugarewicz was named a Cup Series crew chief for three-time champion Tony Stewart and the No. 14 SHR Chevrolet team for the 2016 season, which marked Stewart’s final full-time season as a NASCAR competitor. A month prior to the season, however, Stewart suffered a back injury after being involved in a sand buggy accident outside of San Diego. With Stewart hospitalized and forced to miss the early portion of the upcoming season, Bugarewicz spent the first eight Cup events of the season and of his career with Brian Vickers and Ty Dillon. During this span, Vickers, who made five starts, finished as high as seventh at Martinsville Speedway in April while Dillon, who competed in the other three events, finished as high as 15th at Phoenix Raceway in March.

At Richmond Raceway in April, Stewart was medically cleared to return to racing. In his first race with Bugarewicz, Stewart finished 19th. The following race at Talladega Superspeedway, Stewart, with relief help from Ty Dillon, was credited with a sixth-place result before he competed the following six races through the entire distance.

Then at Sonoma Raceway in June, Bugarewicz achieved his first NASCAR victory as a crew chief when Stewart prevailed over a late battle with former teammate Denny Hamlin to snap an 84-race winless drought and collect his 49th Cup career win, a victory that also placed the No. 14 team in a guaranteed spot to make the Playoffs. After winning at Sonoma, Bugarewicz and Stewart earned four top-five results and recorded enough points through the final 10 regular-season events to secure their spot in the 2016 Cup Playoffs. Their run in the Playoffs, however, came to an end following the Playoff’s Round of 16, where Stewart finished 16th, 23rd and 13th in a three-race postseason stretch and missed the cutline to the Round of 12. Bugarewicz and Stewart went on to finish in 15th place in the final standings.

Bugarewicz remained as crew chief for SHR’s No. 14 team in 2017 with the organization swapping manufacturers from Chevrolet to Ford. With Stewart retired, Bugarewicz was paired with veteran Clint Bowyer, who was named Stewart’s successor of the No. 14 car. Participating in all but two of the 36-race schedule, Bugarewicz and Bowyer achieved six top-five results, 13 top-10 results and an average result of 15.0. They, however, did not make the Playoffs as Bowyer settled in 18th place in the final standings.

Following the first five events of the 2018 Cup season, Bugarewicz returned to Victory Lane when Bowyer scored a dominating win at Martinsville Speedway, the sixth event of the schedule, in March and snapped a 190-race winless drought. Ten races later, they won for the second time of the season at Michigan International Speedway in June, which was a rain-shortened event. Making the 2018 Cup Playoffs, Bugarewicz and Bowyer remained in title contention through the Round of 8, where they fell short of making the Championship Round and contending for the title at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November. Nonetheless, Bugarewicz and Bowyer achieved two victories, nine top-five results and 16 top-10 results before finishing in 12th place in the final standings.

Remaining as crew chief for Bowyer and SHR’s No. 14 Ford team in 2019, Bugarewicz guided the driver and team to a pole, seven top-five results, 18 top-10 results and through the first two rounds of the Playoffs before finishing in ninth place in the final standings. By then, Bugarewicz had called more than 100 Cup races as a crew chief.

For the 2020 season, Stewart-Haas Racing reshuffled most of its crew chief lineup, placing Bugarewicz as crew chief for Aric Almirola and the No. 10 SHR Ford Mustang team for the upcoming season. Bugarewicz achieved a second consecutive consistent season as he led Almirola to six top-five results, 18 top-10 results and through the first two rounds of the Playoffs before settling in 15th place in the final standings.

Thus far, Bugarewicz and Almirola have recorded a pole, one top-five result and two top-10 results through the first 21 Cup races of the 2021 season. They also achieved a victory in the first Bluegreen Vacations Duel event at Daytona International Speedway in February and the NASCAR All-Star Open at Texas Motor Speedway in June. They are currently ranked in 27th place in the regular-season standings.

Through 199 previous Cup appearances, Bugarewicz has achieved three victories, two poles, 34 top-five results and 76 top-10 results while working with five different competitors. 

Bugarewicz is set to call his 200th Cup race as a crew chief at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 18, with the race scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Richard Boswell to call 100th Xfinity race as crew chief at New Hampshire

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images.

A significant milestone start is in the making for Richard Boswell, crew chief for Riley Herbst and the No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang team in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. By participating in this weekend’s Xfinity event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Boswell will call his 100th Xfinity race as a crew chief.

A native of Friendship, Maryland, Boswell, whose father, Dickie, was a successful late model competitor, grew up competing in racing, where he won multiple World Karting Association national titles in 1998 before competing in late models in 2001. In 2006, Boswell joined JR Motorsports and competed in the Hooters Pro Cup Series. As part of JRM’s racing program, Boswell made his lone NASCAR national touring series start at Memphis International Raceway in the Xfinity Series in October 2009. Driving the No. 5 JRM Chevrolet, Boswell started third and finished 23rd.

Due to sponsorship issues, Boswell’s racing career as a driver came to an early close. Boswell, though, worked on becoming a crew chief in NASCAR by earning his mechanical engineering degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He continued to work for JR Motorsports and eventually joined Hendrick Motorsports, where he was a part of the No. 48 Chevrolet team piloted by Jimmie Johnson, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion.

In 2016, Boswell made his debut as a NASCAR crew chief in November 2016 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the final Xfinity Series event of the season, for Cole Custer and the No. 5 JR Motorsports Chevrolet team. During the event, Custer started 18th and finished 17th.

The following season, Boswell was selected to crew chief one of Stewart-Haas Racing’s two newly formed Xfinity Series entries, which competed in six events while being piloted by Kevin Harvick, the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion. During the six-race schedule, Boswell and Harvick finished in the top 10 in all of their appearances, with their best result being a runner-up finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.

Boswell returned as crew chief for Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 98 Ford Mustang for 12 Xfinity Series events in 2018, where the ride was shared between Harvick, veteran Aric Almirola and rookie Chase Briscoe. By then, SHR formed a partnership with Biagi-DenBeste Racing. Throughout the part-time season, Boswell earned his first two career victories as a crew chief, the first with Harvick at Atlanta Motor Speedway in February and the second with Briscoe at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval in October. The team also earned four top-five results and five top-10 results between Almirola, Briscoe and Harvick.

Following two part-time seasons, Boswell was named crew chief for Briscoe and the No. 98 SHR Ford Mustang team for the entire 33-race Xfinity Series schedule in 2019. Throughout the season, Boswell and Briscoe achieved a win at Iowa Speedway in July. They also achieved two poles, 13 top-five results, 26 top-10 results, an average-finishing result of 8.2 and a spot in the 2019 Xfinity Playoffs, where Briscoe remained in title contention before being eliminated prior to the Championship Round. Despite finishing in fifth place in the final standings, Briscoe locked up the 2019 Xfinity Rookie-of-the-Year title.

Remaining as an Xfinity crew chief for Briscoe and SHR in 2020, it only took two races into the season for Boswell and Briscoe to earn their first victory of the season, which occurred at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in February. At Darlington Raceway in May, Boswell and Briscoe achieved their second victory of the season when Briscoe fended off Kyle Busch in a thrilling finish.

Following the first of a Homestead-Miami Speedway doubleheader weekend feature in June, Boswell was suspended from the following four Xfinity races due to a safety violation involving dropped ballast from Briscoe’s car prior to the event. Also suspended with Boswell were car chief Nick Hutchins and engineer DJ Vanderley. With Boswell suspended, Greg Zipadelli, competition director at Stewart-Haas Racing and a former championship-winning crew chief, filled in as Briscoe’s interim crew chief, where they won in three out of four races.

Returning at Kentucky Speedway in July, the momentum for Boswell, Briscoe and the No. 98 SHR Ford team continued as Briscoe went on to win at Dover International Speedway in August and at Bristol Motor Speedway in September. 

When the 2020 Xfinity Playoffs commenced, Boswell and Briscoe notched a dominating victory at Las Vegas in September. They went on to win at Kansas Speedway in October, a victory that secured the driver, crew chief and the team a spot in the Championship Round at Phoenix Raceway in November. During the finale, however, Briscoe ended up in ninth place on the track and behind his three fellow title contenders in the final standings. Overall, Boswell achieved six victories, 13 top-five results and 19 top-10 results in 29 races with Briscoe.

For the 2021 season, Boswell remained in the Xfinity Series and as crew chief for SHR’s No. 98 Ford team. While Briscoe moved up to the Cup Series with SHR, however, Riley Herbst joined the team to pilot the No. 98 car as a full-time Xfinity driver. Through the first 18 Xfinity events of this season, Boswell and Herbst have achieved a pole, two top-five results, five top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 18.7. They are ranked in 13th place in the regular-season standings.

Through 99 previous Xfinity events, Boswell has achieved nine victories, three poles, 37 top-five results and 61 top-10 results with five different competitors. 

Boswell is set to call his 100th Xfinity Series career race as a crew chief at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, July 17, with the event scheduled to occur at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

HENDRICKCARS.COM BECOMES 35-RACE MAJORITY SPONSOR OF NASCAR WINS LEADER KYLE LARSON

TEAM EXTENDS DRIVER’S CONTRACT THROUGH 2023

CONCORD, N.C. (July 14, 2021) – Hendrick Automotive Group, via its HendrickCars.com brand, will become the 35-race majority sponsor of Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team in both the 2022 and 2023 NASCAR Cup Series seasons. In addition, Hendrick Motorsports has extended the driver’s contract for one year through 2023.

As part of the agreement, HendrickCars.com will also sponsor Larson in all non-NASCAR events in which he competes, including branding on the driver’s helmets, gloves and firesuits. The 28-year-old native of Elk Grove, California, is a prolific dirt racer who has won 56 times since January 2020 in a variety of cars and series outside of NASCAR. In addition to Larson, HendrickCars.com is the primary sponsor of four-time NHRA champion Greg Anderson.

“When we perform on the track on Sunday, we can feel the impact on Monday,” said Rick Hendrick, chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group and owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “With the chance to plan for the next two years, the program is only going to help Hendrick Automotive Group sell more cars, book more service appointments and ultimately do more business. It will also allow our company to recruit talented people and support our internal recognition and incentive programs. The more we followed the data, the easier the decision became. We are seeing clear results.”

Five of HendrickCars.com’s six highest-traffic days of the year have been attributed to its sponsorship of the No. 5 team, including four Cup Series race days when Larson led the most laps or won. In February, the reveal of the HendrickCars.com paint scheme drove the site’s highest one-day visitor count in more than 12 months. Since then, it has seen significant increases in overall traffic (up 27%), vehicle sales leads (up 18%), digital retail leads (up 37%) and trade evaluations (up 61%).

“More website traffic generates more sales leads, which ultimately help us sell more cars,” said Darryl Jackson, vice president of financial services for Hendrick Automotive Group. “Kyle’s performance on the track has delivered a measurable business return for us. The company is on pace for a record year in 2021, and we certainly see our motor sports programs contributing to that success. Racing is in our DNA, and tapping into the passionate fanbases of NASCAR, the NHRA and now Kyle’s grassroots program is both very effective and a perfect fit for who we are.”

HendrickCars.com, which will also be Larson’s primary sponsor in 10 of the 15 remaining Cup Series races of 2021, is the easiest way to shop thousands of new and pre-owned cars, trucks and SUVs. Customers can use the site to locate the nearest Hendrick Automotive Group dealership, schedule maintenance and learn about Hendrick Autoguard, the company’s industry-leading vehicle protection program. Visitors can also learn about career opportunities at Hendrick Automotive Group, which is currently in need of more than 300 service technicians.

“The chance to extend my contract with Hendrick Motorsports and have such an awesome sponsor in HendrickCars.com are things I don’t take for granted,” Larson said. “I feel like I’m driving for the best team and the best sponsors in the sport. To know that our on-track performance is having positive business influence off the track is very important because I want to return the incredible support they’ve given me. Everyone at Hendrick Automotive Group has made me feel like part of their team, and it’s exciting to be able to represent a company that loves racing like I do. I feel like we’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible.”

In his first season with Hendrick Motorsports, Larson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins (four) and is currently the projected No. 1 seed for the 2021 playoffs. After just 21 of 36 races, the driver has already set personal single-season records for laps led (1,441) and stage wins (12). He won the June 13 NASCAR All-Star Race and has finished first or second in nine points races this year. In addition, the driver launched the non-profit Kyle Larson Foundation in March while keeping a busy racing schedule at short tracks across the country with 10 non-NASCAR victories.

“It’s been a big year for Kyle,” Hendrick said. “His talent inside the race car has been on full display, and he’s doing amazing things through his foundation and with our partners. I’m proud of his hard work and look forward to having him on our team for many years to come.”

HendrickCars.com joins Valvoline, which has three primary sponsorship races with the No. 5 team, to fill out Larson’s full 38-event NASCAR Cup Series schedule in 2022. Valvoline is the Official Lubricants Partner of Hendrick Motorsports.

ABOUT HENDRICK AUTOMOTIVE GROUP:
Representing 130 franchises and 25 manufacturer nameplates from the Carolinas to California, Hendrick Automotive Group is the largest privately held automotive retail organization in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the company employs more than 10,000 people in its 93 dealership locations, 21 collision centers and four accessories distributor installers in 13 states. Visit HendrickCars.com.

ABOUT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS:
Founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports is the winningest team in NASCAR Cup Series history. At the sport’s premier level, the organization holds the all-time records in every major statistical category, including championships (13), points-paying race victories (273) and laps led (more than 72,000). It has earned at least one race win in a record 37 different seasons, including an active streak of 36 in a row (1986-2021). The team fields four full-time Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE entries in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Alex Bowman, William Byron, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson. Headquartered on more than 100 acres in Concord, North Carolina, Hendrick Motorsports employs approximately 600 people. For more information, please visit HendrickMotorsports.com or interact on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | New Hampshire

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Loudon

Roush Fenway heads north to New Hampshire for a semi-short track race Sunday afternoon where Jack Roush has nine wins all-time, including seven in the Cup Series.

Foxwoods Resort Casino 301
Sunday, July 18 at 3 p.m. ET

NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

· Ryan Newman, No. 6 Guaranteed Rate Ford Mustang
· Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang

Atlanta Recap, Loudon Preview

· Buescher finished 16th in Sunday’s race at Atlanta.
· Newman ran 28th in the 400-mile race in Georgia.
· Fastenal returns to Buescher’s Ford for Sunday’s action from Loudon.
· Guaranteed Rate is back on board Newman’s machine, the site where they made their debut a season ago.

Patriot’s Day
This weekend’s NCS event at New Hampshire is in the home territory of Roush Fenway Racing’s co-owners the Fenway Sports Group. FSG is based out of Boston, Massachusetts and is located just 82 miles from New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Niner Niner
Roush Fenway has won in all three of NASCAR’s major touring series at New Hampshire, including seven times in the NCS and once each in Xfinity and the Truck Series. Jeff Burton drove the No. 99 to RFR’s first NCS win at Loudon back in 1997, while Greg Biffle earned the most recent win in 2008. Kurt Busch went to victory lane in 2000 in the trucks while Carl Edwards picked up the win in 2006 in Xfinity series action.

Four in a Row

Roush Fenway won at least one NCS race at New Hampshire in four consecutive seasons from 1997-2000, with former driver Burton taking the checkered flag on each occasion. In addition, Roush Fenway swept both races at New Hampshire in 2004 with former driver Busch.

Wicked Good Domination

Former Roush Fenway driver Burton posted one of the most dominating wins in NASCAR history at New Hampshire on Sept. 17, 2000, with Burton qualifying on the front row (second) and leading all 300 laps of the event en route to his fourth victory at the New England track. Roush Fenway has led over 100 laps in NCS action at New Hampshire on six different occasions, including leading over 150 laps four times and over 190 laps three times. All-in-all, Roush Fenway has led 1,557 laps at New Hampshire in the NCS.

Xfinity in ‘The Granite State’

Roush Fenway has started 45 NASCAR Xfinity Series races at New Hampshire, earning one win, nine top-fives and 19 top-10s. Roush Fenway’s lone victory came with former driver Edwards in the July 2006 event after starting ninth and leading 58 laps en route to the win.

Roush Fenway Loudon Wins
1997-1 Burton Cup
1998-1 Burton Cup
1999-1 Burton Cup
2000-2 Burton Cup
2004-1 Busch Cup
2004-2 Busch Cup
2008-2 Biffle Cup
2006 Edwards NXS
2000 Busch Truck

Atlanta Speedwerks Heads To Lime Rock With Momentum From Back to Back IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Wins

Shalen's 120 at The Glen - IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge - Watkins Glen International - Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civic TCR - Photo credit Daylon Barr Photography

Brian Henderson and Robert Noaker in the No. 84 Pagid/Sabelt Honda Civic TCR and Ryan Eversley and Scott Smithson in the No. 94 Qelo/Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Honda Civic TCR Try To Keep Two Race Win Streak Alive

LAKEVILLE, Connecticut (July 14, 2021) – Atlanta Speedwerks’ two-car IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR effort brings a two-race winning streak to Lime Rock Park this week, July 16 – 17, for the Lime Rock Park 120. The two-hour race is round six of the 10-race championship.

Saturday’s race, which begins at 11:05 a.m. EDT, can be seen live via TrackPass on the NBC Sports app. The race will be re-aired on Tuesday, August 10 at 1 p.m. EDT on NBCSN.

The team won back-to-back races at Watkins Glen International, with the No. 94 Qelo/Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Honda Civic TCR driven by Ryan Eversley and Todd Lamb capturing the four-hour win, and the No. 84 Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR driven by Brian Henderson and Robert Noaker capturing the second of the back-to-back races in upstate New York.

Scott Smithson, who co-drove with Ryan Eversley in the second Watkins Glen round, returns for Lime Rock Park with Eversley, while Henderson and Noaker continue their season-long run. Smithson and Eversley crossed the finish line second behind the sister car in the Watkins Glen finale before a weight issue in post-race technical inspection saw that result demoted.

Eversley and the No. 94 car enter the Lime Rock Park race second in the Drivers’ and Team championship race, respectively. Henderson and Noaker share sixth-place in the Drivers’ championship and the Team championship, while the two cars have combined to boost Honda to the lead in the Manufacturers’ championship standings.

The Honda Civic TCRs will be dramatically different at Lime Rock Park than they were going into back-to-back weeks at Watkins Glen, due to IMSA Balance of Performance adjustments. The cars will carry an additional 60 kg of weight (approximately 132 pounds) as compared to the weight of Eversley and Lamb’s win, and three-liter reduction in fuel capacity.

The last visit to Lime Rock for the Michelin Pilot Challenge came in 2019, where Henderson and Lamb teamed for a fourth-place finish. Though not driving for Atlanta Speedwerks, Eversley finished fifth in the same race in a Honda Civic TCR. This will be the first IMSA race at Lime Rock for Noaker, and the first visit to the track for Smithson.

Two-day event begins on Friday, July 16 with a pair of one-hour practice sessions at 10:05 a.m. and 1:25 p.m. EDT, followed by qualifying at 4:20 p.m. EDT. That qualifying session sets the grid for Saturday’s race, which takes the green flag at 11:05 a.m. EDT. The two-hour race can be seen live on the NBC Sports app.

Todd Lamb, Team Owner: “Lime Rock is situated in a picturesque area. It’s a very physically demanding track because of the high g-loads and constant turning. There’s very little opportunity to rest on the very short straightaway. You lose a lap putting under green so the crew has to be spot on, and any time saved in the pit usually leads to positions being gained which is critical since it can be hard to pass on the track. The TCR cars aren’t much slower than the GS cars so managing faster and slower traffic is very much a key to success in the race.”

Ryan Everlsey, Driver, No. 94 Honda Civic TCR: “We’re headed to Lime Rock looking for a little redemption after a disappointing result at Watkins Glen. It’ll be nice to return to Lakeville after missing a year due to the pandemic, but it’s another first-time track for Scott so we have our work cut out for us. Fortunately he was very fast at Watkins Glen, which was also new to him so I’m confident we will be strong come race time.”

Robert Noaker, Driver, No. 84 Honda Civic TCR: “This will be my second time visiting Lime Rock, the first time being in a Mazda MX-5. On paper this track doesn’t seem too difficult, but that’s far from the truth. This track is very unique with the elevation changes, difficulty to pass, and just how short the track is. The speed difference between TCR and GS are going to be a lot closer here with the TCR cars being so quick in the turns. With Lime Rock consisting of mostly turns, GS traffic will definitely be a factor.

Brian Henderson, Driver, No. 84 Honda Civic TCR: “I am excited to get back to Lime Rock because I do not get to race there often! It is such a fast-paced track, so there is always a lot of action. GS traffic will definitely come into play later in the race. I know we will have a fast Honda Civic Type R thanks to the guys at Atlanta Speedwerks. Coming off our first win just two weeks ago I am more pumped than ever going into this one!”

About Atlanta Speedwerks
Atlanta Speedwerks is a professional road racing team and prep shop, providing road racing services, car builds, roll cages, arrive and drive programs, and performance parts. Headquartered near Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the company runs winning arrive & drive programs in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Mazda MX-5 Cup, Porsche Club of America and SCCA Spec Miata, among others. Professional coaching and driver development round out the company’s offerings.

Rebel Rock Racing Looking to Rebound in Return to Lime Rock Park

LAKEVILLE, Conn. (14 July 2021) – Rebel Rock Racing will be looking to bounce back from two disappointing weekends at Watkins Glen International when the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge visits scenic Lime Rock Park during the annual Northeast Grand Prix Weekend.

Frank DePew and Robin Liddell will co-drive the No. 71 Urban Grid Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R in the two-hour Lime Rock 120, set to take the green flag at 11:05 a.m. on Saturday.

This will be DePew’s first race at the seven-turn, 1.478-mile classic circuit. He missed the event two years ago due to a schedule conflict, when Liddell set the fastest lap and joined Andrew Davis in a fifth-place finish. Last year’s race was cancelled due to the pandemic.

“We’re heading to Lime Rock on Wednesday to get ready to get going again,” Liddell said. “Watkins Glen was very unfortunate – end of story. We have to move forward and we’re looking forward to Lime Rock. I think we’ll fare better there.”

Liddell has enjoyed success at Lime Rock in all the different variations of the Camaro that has competed in IMSA and Grand-Am, with his most recent victory in 2017 with Stevenson Motorsports with the GT4.R, in addition to a pair of Grand-Am Rolex Series GT triumphs in 2011 and 2012.

“I personally enjoy Lime Rock,” Liddell said. “I like that part of the world. It’s a very nice place and the track’s good fun. We’ve done quite well there in the past, and we’ve had great success with all of the Camaros I’ve driven – the GT4 car and the Z-28. The car’s always done quite well there.”

Also a rules adjustment to the Balance of Performance should help the team this weekend.

“We’ve had a slight BOP break for this event,” he explained. “They took 20 kilos off the car for this weekend, so we will have a slight improvement in performance. I think that will definitely help us. I’m excited for this weekend.”

Since DePew has yet to race at the circuit, he joined Liddell for a recent Lime Rock track day.

“Lime Rock is definitely a flowing track, and you have to get into a rhythm,” DePew said. “I’m happy to have had the opportunity with the track day to understand it a little bit better before I get there with the race car for the first time in the race car. It’s critical to get up to speed there and get on pace as quickly as possible. With a really short lap from a time perspective – running laps in the high 40-second range – that’s going to be a lot of laps in a short period of time.”

The Michelin Pilot Challenge recently raced on back-to-back weekends at Watkins Glen, with the move necessitated by the cancellation of the event at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The car was badly damaged in an accident very early in the June 26 event, when DePew swerved to avoid a misplaced sponsor sign in Turn 8 on the seventh lap.

That incident requiring a massive rebuild at the circuit for the second race on Friday, July 2. However, the steering rack failed in the early laps of the event, sending the car for a lengthy trip to the paddock. Fortunately for the team, no major repairs were required following the second race.

“The only thing we needed after the second race at the Glen to do was to replace the steering components,” Liddell said. “We believe we picked up some debris in one of the lines in the first accident, and that was what compromised the steering rack. We put a replacement steering rack and steering pump on the car after the accident, but we think there must have been some contamination in one of the lines. But other than that, the car was good to go.”

The Lime Rock round opens the second half of the 10-race Michelin Pilot Challenge season, and DePew is looking forward to getting back on the podium.

“It’s pretty important for us to bounce back from Watkins Glen,” DePew said. “I hate to follow Watkins Glen with a track like Lime Rock, where I have never raced before. I was really confident at Watkins Glen, and I felt really good about the car and our overall chances. It didn’t work out, though, but hopefully we can turn it around this weekend.”

Lime Rock will host a pair of practice sessions on Friday at 10:05 a.m. and 1:25 p.m. (all times ET), followed by GS qualifying at 4:40 p.m.

JR Motorsports — NXS New Hampshire Preview

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
RACE: Ambetter Get Vaccinated 200 (200 laps / 200 miles)
DATE: Saturday, July 17, 2021

Broadcast Information – TV: 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN / Radio: 2:30 p.m. ET on PRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Josh Berry
No. 1 Pilot Flying J Spicy Chicken Sandwich Chevrolet
• Josh Berry will drive the No. 1 Chevrolet at New Hampshire, filling in for the injured Michael Annett, who is expected to return for the Aug. 7 race at Watkins Glen.
• This is Berry’s first appearance on the 1.058-mile oval.
• In six starts on tracks measuring 1 mile or less in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Berry has earned one victory (at Martinsville Speedway), a second-place finish (Dover International Speedway) and two more top-10 results at Richmond Raceway in 2015 and Iowa Speedway in 2016.
• In 15 starts this season, Berry has the victory at Martinsville, four top-five and eight top-10 finishes and has led a total of 151 laps.

Sam Mayer
No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
• Sam Mayer will make his first NXS start at New Hampshire this weekend in the No. 8 Chevrolet.
• Mayer has competed at tracks measuring 1-mile in length in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series a combined five times with one win coming at Dover in 2020.
• The 18-year-old Franklin, Wis. native comes into New Hampshire after earning his best finish of ninth at Atlanta in only his third NXS start.
• To date in the 2021 season, the No. 8 team has earned one win (Martinsville Speedway), four top fives and eight top 10s while pacing the field for 151 laps.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet
• With his third-place run at Atlanta last weekend, Noah Gragson earned his second top-five finish in the last three races and his fifth straight top 10.
• In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Gragson won the pole and led 40 laps at New Hampshire in 2017 before an accident derailed his bid for victory. He finished 15th in that event.
• In 12 starts on 1-mile tracks over his NXS career, Gragson has a second-place run in the 2020 season finale at Phoenix as his best finish, along with another top five at Dover and eight top-10 results.
• Gragson will celebrate his 23rd birthday on July 15th.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Justin Allgaier will be making his 10th career NXS start at New Hampshire this weekend.
• In nine previous starts in Loudon, Allgaier has scored one top five, six top 10s and a best finish of third in 2019.
• Overall, Allgaier has recorded four victories on tracks 1-mile in length in the NXS, with two victories coming at both Phoenix Raceway and Dover International Speedway.
• Allgaier currently sits third in the NXS Playoff Grid with eight races remaining in the regular season by virtue of victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Darlington Raceway.

Driver Quotes

“I can’t thank this Pilot Flying J team for giving me the opportunity to fill in while Michael heals. I hope everything goes as planned and Michael recovers quickly. Going to another track I’ve never seen isn’t that big of a deal anymore to me. I’ve had some good runs at places I’ve never raced on this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing what New Hampshire is like. I know that JR Motorsports and Mike Bumgarner prepare excellent Chevrolets every week, and I am eager to see how fast this Pilot Flying J Chevrolet will be.” – Josh Berry

“Loudon should be interesting this weekend. It’s the last race before we hit the two-week Olympic break and hopefully we can enter this break with a lot of momentum on our side. We had a strong run the last time we got to race here back in 2019 and I feel confident that we can take what we learned in that race and apply it to Saturday to have another solid day and be in contention for the win when it counts with our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet.” – Justin Allgaier

“It felt good to put a complete race together last week and get our first top-10 finish together. This will be my first time at New Hampshire but I know Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and this entire No. 8 team will unload a fast Chevrolet for me this weekend. It will take a few laps to figure out how it drives, but once we figure that out I think we will have another shot at a great finish this weekend.” – Sam Mayer

“I’ve only run New Hampshire once since we didn’t get a chance to come up here last season during the pandemic, but we finished 10th and had a fast car that weekend. We’ve had a fast Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Camaro as of late and I know this weekend will be no different. We’re going to go out and try to lock ourselves into the playoffs and earn a couple playoff points to help us out.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates:
• JR Motorsports at New Hampshire: JR Motorsports has competed at New Hampshire a combined 34 times in the NXS. Over the course of these 34 starts at the 1-mile oval, JRM has tallied five top fives and 19 top 10s. JRM has a best finish of third – on four different occasions – with the most recent being Justin Allgaier’s third-place effort during the 2019 season.
• Pilot Flying J Chicken Sandwich: The No. 1 Chevrolet will carry a special paint scheme for the debut of two delicious new chicken sandwiches at more than 300 Pilot and Flying J travel centers across the country. As race fans continue to hit the road to follow their favorite sport, they can visit Pilot Flying J to refuel and fill up with a satisfyingly Spicy or classic Southern chicken sandwich.
• Ride with Dale Jr: Are you ready for the ride of your life? We have the perfect bucket-list item that we know won’t disappoint! Get ready to buckle up and ride shotgun with Dale Jr. for three full-speed laps around Bristol Motor Speedway in the No. 8 Good Humor car. This once-in-a-lifetime experience also includes two tickets to the Xfinity race at Bristol Motor Speedway, a private tour of JR Motorsports and private lunch hosted by Kelley Earnhardt Miller, a five-night hotel stay, two tickets to the NASCAR Hall of Fame and more! Join us in helping fulfill our mission to give back and spread hope to children all across the country. Get your $10 raffle ticket today before this opportunity speeds by you!

Ford Performance NASCAR: Ford Seeking Fourth Straight Cup Win at New Hampshire on Sunday

FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: NEW HAMPSHIRE ADVANCE

The NASCAR Cup and NASCAR XFINITY Series will each take to the track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend. Ford has won the last three Cup events at the Magic Mile while the NXS drivers return for the first time after last year’s scheduled event was moved to Kentucky Speedway.

This Week’s Schedule:
Saturday, July 17 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 3 p.m. (NBCSN)
Sunday, July 18 – NASCAR Cup Series, 3 p.m. (NBCSN)

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT NEW HAMPSHIRE

· Ford has 16 all-time series wins at New Hampshire
· Ford is going for its fourth straight series win at New Hampshire
· Ford’s all-time winningest NCS driver at New Hampshire is Jeff Burton (4 wins)

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT NEW HAMPSHIRE

· Ford has 8 series wins by 8 different drivers at New Hampshire.
· The last Ford winner was Brad Keselowski in 2014.
· Ford has 3 MENCS/NXS season sweeps at NHMS (1994, 2004 and 2014).

BLUE OVAL GOING FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT CUP WIN AT NHMS

Ford comes into this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway looking to run its win streak to four after Brad Keselowski went to victory lane last season. Keselowski led a race-high 184 laps and won the last two stages as he and Denny Hamlin waged a one-on-one battle for most of the afternoon. Keselowski’s win came on the heels of back-to-back wins by Kevin Harvick in 2018-19.

HARVICK HANGS ON

Kevin Harvick survived a last-lap bump from behind by Denny Hamlin to win last year’s Foxwoods Resort Casino 301, giving him his first NASCAR Cup Series win of the season and second straight at the Magic Mile. Harvick played the track position game all day long and when Kyle Larson brought out the caution on lap 266 of the 301-lap event, crew chief Rodney Childers’ decision to keep Harvick on the track made all the difference as the top three of Hamlin, Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski pitted. When the race restarted with 39 laps to go, Harvick had to contend with Hamlin, who led 113 laps on the afternoon and reached his bumper on the final lap. The resulting nudge made Harvick wiggle, but he was able to keep his foot in the gas and retain the lead for what became his 46th career victory.

BUMP-AND-RUN PROPELS HARVICK IN 2018

Kevin Harvick used the bump-and-run on Kyle Busch, passing him with seven laps to go, to take the checkered flag and register his series-leading sixth win of the season in last year’s NASCAR Cup Series event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Harvick broke a tie with Busch for the most individual wins as the race came down to the final laps following a restart with 40 laps to go. Harvick steadily gained ground on Busch and made his move in the middle of turns one and two. He led a group of five Fords that finished in the top 10 as Aric Almirola was third, Ryan Blaney seventh, Kurt Busch eighth and Joey Logano ninth.

FOUR OVER TWO

A pit call by crew chief Todd Gordon with 53 laps to go proved to be the key decision in helping Joey Logano win the playoff race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2014. With Logano running inside the top-five for most of the race, Gordon called for four tires while most of the other teams opted for two. That put Logano 16th on the ensuing restart, but he quickly moved up to sixth 10 laps later when another caution slowed the field. Logano endured three more cautions, including a green-white-checker restart, over the final 30 laps to post the seventh win of his NASCAR Cup Series career.

WEEKEND SWEEP

Brad Keselowski had a weekend to remember as he became the first driver to sweep a NASCAR XFINITY and NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, achieving the feat on July 12-13, 2014. Keselowski led 138 of 305 laps, including the final two under a green-white-checkered finish, to beat Kyle Busch to the finish line. The win was Ford’s fourth straight series win, marking the first time that had happened since 2001.

300-FOR-300

Jeff Burton is the last driver to lead every lap of a NASCAR Cup Series race when he did it on Sept. 17, 2000 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Bobby Labonte started from the pole, but Burton grabbed the lead after starting on the outside of the front row. Even though Labonte and Dale Earnhardt challenged him throughout the day, Burton never gave up the lead, becoming the first driver to lead every lap of a series race since Cale Yarborough did it in the Music City USA 420 at Nashville Speedway on June 3, 1978. The race, which was run with the use of restrictor plates, ended under caution after Sterling Marlin was involved in an accident with three laps remaining. It was Burton’s fourth win at the speedway and concluded a stretch that saw him win four consecutive seasons at the Magic Mile.

OWNER/DRIVER FIRST

Ford’s first NASCAR Cup Series win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway came in the track’s second year of hosting events in 1994. That’s when Ricky Rudd outdueled Dale Earnhardt in the closing laps to post his 15th career win. Rudd led 55 laps on the day, but won it after a memorable side-by-side battle with seven laps to go in which he passed Earnhardt on the inside, only to see the black No. 3 crossover and pull alongside for the next lap. Rudd eventually pulled in front and held on to take the Slick 50 300 on July 10, 1994. Rudd went on to post 23 NSCS wins in his career and had at least one victory in 16 consecutive seasons (1983-98), but none may have been as satisfying as this one because it marked his first triumph as an owner/driver.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT NHMS
1994 – Ricky Rudd
1996 – Ernie Irvan
1997 – Jeff Burton (1)
1998 – Jeff Burton (1)
1999 – Jeff Burton (1)
2000 – Jeff Burton (2)
2001 – Dale Jarrett (1)
2002 – Ryan Newman (2)
2004 – Kurt Busch (Sweep)
2008 – Greg Biffle (2)
2014 – Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano
2018 – Kevin Harvick
2019 – Kevin Harvick
2020 – Brad Keselowski

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT NHMS
1994 – Derrike Cope
1995 – Chad Little
1999 – Elton Sawyer
2001 – Jason Keller
2002 – Bobby Hamilton Jr.
2004 – Matt Kenseth
2006 – Carl Edwards
2014 – Brad Keselowski