CHASE BRISCOE
Nashville Advance
No. 14 HighPoint.com/Thorlabs Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

• Event: Inaugural Ally 400 (Round 17 of 36)
• Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 20
• Location: Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway
• Layout: 1.333-mile, concrete oval
• Laps/Miles: 300 laps/399.9 miles
• Stage Lengths: Stages 1: 90 laps / Stage 2: 95 laps / Final Stage: 115 laps
• TV/Radio: NBCSN / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Following a much-needed break from points racing and a fourth-place result in last weekend’s NASCAR All-Star Open, Chase Briscoe and the No. 14 HighPoint.com/Thorlabs Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) head to Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway with a plan to follow HighPoint Fundamental No. 33 – Keep Things Fun.Fundamental No. 33 states: “While our passion for excellence is real, remember that the world has bigger problems than the daily challenges that make up our work. Stuff happens. Keep perspective. Don’t take things personally or take yourself too seriously. Laugh every day.”

● Music City might be the perfect place for the No. 14 team to showcase its passion for excellence and ability to keep things fun, especially since it has a leg up on the competition. Though NASCAR hasn’t competed at Nashville Superspeedway since the Xfinity Series last raced on the 1.333-mile, concrete oval on July 23, 2011, and the Cup Series has never competed at the facility, Briscoe has already visited there twice this year as the designated Ford participant in Goodyear tire tests. The time on track has given the No. 14 team a head start on preparation heading into Sunday’s inaugural Ally 400.

● Joining in on this weekend’s fun is HighPoint.com customer Thorlabs, a vertically integrated photonics products manufacturer. Thorlabs was founded to serve the laser and electro-optics research market and has extended its core competencies to play an ever-increasing role serving the photonics industry at the research end, as well as the industrial, life science, medical, and defense segments. With both companies headquartered less than 10 miles from each other in New Jersey, HighPoint helps Thorlabs to create business value and solve challenges with technology solutions, services, and partnership. Over their 30-plus-year history, Thorlabs has grown from a Newton, New Jersey-based business to a global operation conducting business in nine countries.

● After 16 Cup Series races this season, Briscoe sits 26th in the driver championship and leads the Rookie of the Year standings by 100 points over Anthony Alfredo.

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

What does it mean to be going to a place like Nashville that hasn’t hosted a Cup Series race in 37 years?

“It’s special. For me, in my rookie season, every track I go to in the Cup Series is special, but to be a part of the first one is going to be cool. There’s only a first race at a racetrack one time – and then the second time, not that it’s not special, but it’s not as special as the first time – so to be able to experience that as a rookie is going to be super cool. There’s a lot of great racing history and heritage in the Nashville area. I remember running ARCA in Nashville at the fairgrounds and just how many people come out and how special it is to get a run in that area, so I’m excited. It’s one of the relatively closer racetracks to my hometown, so I know I’ve got a lot of people from Southern Indiana driving down to watch this race, and it’s just going to be special to be a part of it, and to have a sold-out crowd. That’s something that on the Cup side a lot of the guys are used to, but a sold-out crowd is something I’ve never gotten to experience because of COVID and everything else, so I’m excited to experience that this weekend, for sure.”

How prepared do you feel going into the weekend after those two tire tests?

“I feel like I at least have an understanding of what the racetrack is and the things I need to do to make speed, so I’m excited to get there this week. This is going to be one of the few tracks I have a little bit of experience compared to a lot of the field, so we’re just trying to take advantage of that. It’ll be nice to understand what my car needs. We have a limited practice at 50 minutes, but I already know what my limit as far as how far I can drive into a corner and just things like that. I’ve already done 30- to 40-lap runs, short runs, so I know where the car builds and what direction it’s going to go. Obviously, that could be different with more cars and the temperature and things like that, but I at least feel like I know what I need my car to feel like. We were able to try some things in the tire test and some changes didn’t work as good as others from just the speed standpoint, so just knowing those beforehand while for other guys it’ll probably take them a run or two to get adjusted and learn the racetrack. So, I think just having that advantage will be good, especially on a short practice weekend.”

What were your impressions of the track after the test compared to what you knew before you got there?

“I didn’t know much. It was hard for me to even find video on the place from Xfinity races in the past, so I was kind of going there with an open mind. I knew that they had done a lot of testing there in the past with the Cup cars and things like that, but I was surprised, honestly, with how much brake we were using and just how much speed we carried. That kind of caught me off guard. I think passing is going to be a little challenging, but the good cars are definitely going to rise to the front at a place like this just because handling is going to be quite a bit of an issue, I think. I’m very curious to see what the resin is going to do versus having traction compound there and where they placed it. When I was testing, there were only three cars total and it was pretty cool out, so I’m curious as to what more cars will do to the racetrack, and the heat, as well.”

What are some of the advantages or disadvantages of a concrete track and trying to figure that out?

“I’m just a dirt guy, so, to me, it doesn’t matter. Concrete, pavement, blacktop, whatever the surface is, to me it’s all the same if it’s not dirt, so I don’t necessarily get too tied up in the differences. For me, they all drive relatively the same. They look different and how the rubber gets picked up under caution and things like that is different but, from a feel standpoint, I don’t know that I notice a difference from a concrete track to an asphalt track or whatever. I’m probably not the best guy to ask that just because I’ve never really been able to tell a huge difference in grip level or how it drives.”

For the first time in over a decade, NASCAR’s premier series are returning to the Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. Action kicks off Friday night at the concrete track measured just over one mile with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series hosting a 150-lap race.

FRM then returns to racing at the track on Sunday for the NASCAR Cup Series competing in a 300-lap event.

Friday’s NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series race begins at 8:00 p.m ET on FS1.

Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race begins at 3:30 p.m. ET with the live broadcast on NBCSN.

Todd Gilliland is coming into Nashville with a familiar partner. Crosley Brands, a winner at the Circuit of the Americas in late May returns to the No. 38 truck with it’s special Arie Luyendyk tribute scheme. Crosley knows you don’t change a winning scheme and Gilliland agrees.

“You keep the good luck going,” said Gilliland. “Winning with Crosley Brands on our truck in Austin was really cool and we all thought it made sense to just keep the ‘mojo’ going. I have to thank Bo LeMastus for all his support. We can’t do this without all our partners.”

Gilliland goes into Friday night’s race having one of his best season’s in his career. With one win, the goal is to keep competing for wins. Gilliland knows he’ll be on equal footing at the Nashville Superspeedway.

“This is a new track for most of the guys,” said Gilliland. “Some of the guys have raced on this track, but not too many. It looks like a lot of fun and I know there are going to be a lot of fans there, too. It’s going to be a great race.”

Anthony Alfredo comes into the Nashville Superspeedway racing the Speedco scheme on his No. 38 Ford Mustang. Alfredo is looking for a great day with the company that has supported FRM for years.

“I’m proud to carry the Speedco and Love’s Travel Stops logo this weekend,” said Alfredo. “They are a staple at FRM and now I get my chance to run their colors. There is a lot of excitement building for this weekend and I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. I really can’t wait.”

Alfredo talks about his expectations this weekend.

“There are a lot of unknowns for so many people heading into Nashville. It’s been such a long time that cars or trucks have raced there. For me, it’s not too much different than a lot of the tracks that I’ve been too this year. There are races where my first lap on the track is the first lap of the race. So, I’m used to it.

“I just really think that the atmosphere of being near Nashville and NASCAR coming back to the track, we’re going to have a great event. I can’t wait.”

Michael McDowell again returns with the Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang this weekend. McDowell is coming off an impressive 12th-place finish in the NASCAR All-Star race and is now ready to get back into the championship chase.

“We’re ready to get back into the battle of the championship and continue to build our notebook throughout the summer,” said McDowell. “We’re totally focused on improving, gathering data and getting ourselves set for the fall. So, every lap is important to us right now.”

McDowell also knows that Nashville Superspeedway brings a unique opportunity to the team.

“This is a new track on the schedule. We are equal to a lot of the other guys. So, we have to see this an opportunity to get points. We have practice and qualifying, we’re back to what we know is a regular schedule. I think we have to be ready to make changes. That’s what we have worked on this week. We have shocks and springs ready and we’re going to work hard this weekend to have a good car on Sunday.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

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

COLE CUSTER
Nashville Advance
No. 41 Dixie Vodka Tony’s Tea Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

• Event: Inaugural Ally 400
• Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 20
• Location: Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway
• Layout: 1.333-mile concrete oval
• Laps/Miles: 300 laps/ 399.9 miles
• Format: Stage 1: 90 laps / Stage 2: 95 laps / Final Stage: 115 laps
• TV/Radio: NBCSN / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Cole Custer and the No. 41 Ford Mustang team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) welcome back Dixie Vodka and introduce an exciting new product offering as the NASCAR Cup Series visits Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway for the first time for Sunday’s inaugural Ally 400. Dixie Vodka, the largest premium craft vodka produced in the Southeast, has created a new, ready-to-drink canned cocktail called “Tony’s Tea” alongside a series of three other canned cocktails from the brand. Tony’s Tea, named for NASCAR Hall of Famer and SHR co-owner Tony Stewart, features a combination of iced tea and lemonade spiked with Dixie Vodka’s award-winning flagship Southern Vodka.

● Custer and the No. 41 Dixie Vodka Tony’s Tea Ford for SHR join their Cup Series counterparts for Sunday’s historic debut at the 1.333-mile concrete oval that hosted NASCAR’s Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series events from 2001 through 2011. For only the fifth time in 16 races this season, the Cup Series will practice and qualify prior to Sunday’s main event. A 50-minute practice session is set for 2:05 p.m. EDT Saturday with qualifying set for 11:05 a.m. Sunday.

● Sunday’s race marks the 56th career start for the 23-year-old Custer, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year, and his 29th on an intermediate racetrack. He has one win – last July at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta – and six top-10 finishes in his previous 28 starts on intermediate tracks.

● Custer arrives at Nashville 27th in the Cup Series standings, 102 points behind the top-16 cutoff for the NASCAR playoffs, after his 20th-place finish in the most recent points-paying race two weekends ago at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway.

● Launched in 2014 and based in Charleston, South Carolina, Dixie Vodka was established with the simple mission of creating an all-American premium craft vodka that represents the best of Southern flavor, craftsmanship and hospitality. With six signature flavors – including its flagship Southern Original, Black Pepper, Citrus, Mint, Peach and Wildflower Honey – Dixie Vodka partners with local farmers across the South to infuse regionally cherished ingredients into its award-winning products, each of which is six-times distilled from American corn. In 2020, Dixie Vodka was ranked the ninth-fastest growing spirits brand in the United States by the Beverage Information Group and remains the largest premium craft vodka produced in the Southeast. In partnership with the Southern-raised sport that transcends regional boundaries, Dixie Vodka is proud to serve as the Official Vodka of NASCAR and the Official Vodka of Stewart-Haas Racing. Dixie Vodka donates at least 1% of all profits through its 1% for the Planet program, a commitment to supporting non-profits that work to protect the future of the planet. A core brand within the Grain & Barrel Spirits portfolio – an innovation-driven beverage platform that develops and scales craft spirits brands led by founder Matti Anttila – Dixie Vodka can be found on Facebook and Instagram, and on shelves in more than 30 states. Tony’s Tea will be available soon.

● SHR revealed last month that Code 3 Associates returns to the No. 41 Ford Mustang for the July 11 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Code 3 Associates has been a hero to animals for more than 30 years. If disaster strikes, Code 3 will deploy its Animal Rescue Team to help in emergencies like hurricanes, fires and floods. Fans have the opportunity to have their name featured on the No. 41 SHR Ford and help Code 3 continue its rescue efforts by simply visiting Code3.cc/Cole41 and making a $41 donation.

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 41 Dixie Vodka Tony’s Tea Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

What’s on your mind as the Cup Series heads to Nashville for the first time?

“I’m looking forward to it. I think the biggest thing is just going back to a town that really fits our roots, going to a country (music) town. I think it should be a great race. And being able to go back to that town and helping revitalize the racing atmosphere there, I think, is going to be awesome. I’ve never spent time in Nashville before, so I’m looking forward to actually seeing the city and going back there.”

Only a small handful of current Cup Series drivers have ever raced there. Do you have any experience on that track, and what do you expect?

“I’ve never raced there, I’ve only tested there. It was a little bit before my time when they raced there. It was so long ago, it’s really hard to remember. I think one thing you’ll see is a lot of changes in the track through the course of the weekend with all three series there, and the fact we get to practice and qualify. Being a concrete track, the rubber is going to build up and you’ll be able to maybe move your line around a little bit. I think that’s going to be one of the biggest things. It’s an interesting track with how both the frontstretch and backstretch are curved, how you kind of raise up and go into a hill in turn one. It’s an interesting racetrack and I think it’ll be cool to go there.”

Can you compare the layout to any other track you’ve raced on?

“I’d compare it to Kentucky, that’s probably the biggest one I’d compare it to. Kentucky happens to be where I got my first win, so hopefully it compares in a lot of ways. You look at the shape of them, and probably the banking relates some. You might be able to compare it to Dover a little bit, being a concrete track, so there might be some similarities there. But I would say it lends itself more to a bigger, mile-and-a-half track.”

What’s the excitement level among the drivers about racing at Nashville for the first time?

“I think everybody’s looking forward to it, to be honest. It’s a new track for the Cup Series, so it could shake things up a lot. The teams that are doing well right now, you might see a surprise winner when we go there because it is a new track that we haven’t been to. Also, I think people are also just looking forward to going to that city because it goes back to our roots a lot and everybody can relate to that city a lot.”

How would you assess where you are as a team with the season’s halfway point a week away?

“We definitely wanted to have a better year than we’ve had so far. After coming off a win last year and having a pretty solid season for a rookie year, we were expecting some bigger things this year and it just hasn’t been there. We’ve had some rule changes this year, and things haven’t really clicked, yet, the way they did last year. It’s just a matter of grinding it out. Everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing is working extremely hard to figure out how we can get some more speed. You’ve got to take it one week at a time and you’ve got to take advantage of every single one.”

(June 16th, 2021) – Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) and The Lonely Entrepreneur (TLE), a New York-based non-profit that empowers individuals with entrepreneurial skills and support, are honoring Juneteenth by providing Black entrepreneurs free access to the knowledge, tools and the ongoing support they need to succeed through its Black Entrepreneur Initiative (BEI). Juneteenth, on Saturday, June 19, is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States. In honor of Juneteenth, Richard Petty Motorsports and TLE are making a difference in the lives of Black Americans.

“Talent is everywhere in the Black community,” Michael Dermer, Founder of The Lonely Entrepreneur, said. “We will unlock that talent by providing Black entrepreneurs the tools they need to succeed as entrepreneurs. We want to thank Richard Petty Motorsports for its vision in bringing these tools to Black men and women to unlock those talents.”

Through this partnership, TLE and its Black Entrepreneur Initiative will make its entrepreneurial platform available to Black entrepreneurs from the Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce.

“The mission of the Commerce is to empower and encourage prosperity for Nashville’s African American businesses by connecting businesses and business professionals with worthwhile partnerships that lead to economic advancement; developing businesses that are successful, sustainable, and scalable; providing businesses with economic opportunities that allow them to create jobs and wealth; and leading on policy initiatives that cultivate an economic environment for businesses to thrive.”

TLE will provide 100 free signups for one year of its entrepreneurial platform to members of the Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce. This offer is part of the goal of TLE’s Black Entrepreneur Initiative to empower 100,000 current and aspiring Black entrepreneurs across the country.

“We are proud to partner with The Lonely Entrepreneur and their Black Entrepreneur Initiative as we collectively celebrate Juneteenth,” Brian Moffitt, chief executive officer for Richard Petty Motorsports, said. “Entrepreneurism can be a lonely path, so the resources and support structure provided by the Black Entrepreneur Initiative will provide the tools to assist Nashville Black entrepreneurs in their quest to be successful business leaders. To provide these business tools at no expense is a tremendous opportunity to the entrepreneur. We are humbled to play our part in strengthening the Black business community in Nashville.”

TLE and the Black Entrepreneur Initiative (501c3) (BEI) will be the primary partner of the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, piloted by Erik Jones, in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) at the Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway on June 20.

The Ally 400 at the Nashville Superspeedway will be broadcast live on NBCSN on Sunday, June 20 at 3:30 p.m. (ET). It will also broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

About the Black Entrepreneur Initiative 501(c)(3)
Founded by a multi-racial coalition of community and business leaders, the Black Entrepreneur Initiative is a nationwide program dedicated to empowering 100,000 Black entrepreneurs with access to the knowledge, tools and support they need to start or grow a business. The Black Entrepreneur Initiative is provided free to Black entrepreneurs through the generous donations of corporate, philanthropic and community partners. For more, please visit https://lonelyentrepreneur.com/bei.

About The Lonely Entrepreneur
The Lonely Entrepreneur seeks to unlock the potential of one million entrepreneurs worldwide. The Lonely Entrepreneur empowers entrepreneurs and provides corporate, non-profit, social responsibility and community efforts with the opportunity to empower entrepreneurs with entrepreneurial skills and have a better chance of bringing their visions to life. For more, please visit https://lonelyentrepreneur.com/nonprofit.

About Richard Petty Motorsports
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM), co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. Petty Enterprisesrecorded 268 victories, and Richard Petty Motorsports has recorded five victories, for a total of 273, respectively. Richard Petty Motorsports has business partnerships with national and global leaders. Today the race operation fields the famed No. 43 in the NASCAR Cup Series with driver Erik Jones. The team is headquartered in Welcome, N.C.

For additional information, news and the latest updates, please visit www.richardpettymotorsports.com or connect with RPM on Facebook (Richard Petty Motorsports), Twitter (@RPMotorsports) or Instagram (@richardpettymotorsports).

Team: No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Luke Lambert
Twitter: @17RoushTeam, @RoushFenway and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 399 miles, 300 laps, Stages: 90-95-115

NASCAR Cup Series Race at Nashville Superspeedway – Sunday, June 20 at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Halfway Point in 2021 Season

• This weekend marks week 18 of the NASCAR Cup Series season, the halfway point of the 36-race schedule, and with it comes a new facility in Nashville, Tennessee, along with TV coverage switching from the FOX networks to NBC.
• Nashville Superspeedway, a 1.33-mile oval in Lebanon, Tennessee, will host the NCS for the first time in its history. The facility – about a 40-minute drive from Nashville – once hosted NASCAR, ARCA and IndyCar events during its operation from 2001-11. The new event is one of many changes on the revamped 2021 schedule, and one of three tracks the series will visit for the first time.
• NBC’s portion of the schedule gets underway with this weekend’s action on NBCSN. In total, 12 races are planned on that network, with eight slated for the network NBC channel.

Buescher in Nashville

• Buescher will turn his first competitive laps at Nashville Superspeedway this weekend. His time in the Xfinity Series came after the track’s stretch of events. Buescher will get his first look Saturday afternoon for the lone practice session at 2:05 p.m. ET (NBCSN, MRN), with qualifying set for 11:05 a.m. ET Sunday morning (NBCSN, MRN).
• With Dover a close comparison to Nashville Superspeedway, Buescher has 15 combined starts at the concrete 1-mile track, with one win in the NXS (2015).

Luke Lambert in Nashville

• Lambert will also be new to the action this weekend as he, too, missed the 1.33-mile facility in his lone Xfinity season with Elliott Sadler in 2012.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Nashville:
“We’re excited for yet another new track in Nashville Superspeedway this weekend, a place not too many people in the sport are familiar with. This is right in the heat of our summer stretch, and we know what we have to do to continue improving our points standing and get ourselves in even better position for the playoffs. Saturday’s practice session will be huge, and we’re looking forward to a good day come Sunday in the Fifth Third Bank Ford.”

Last Time Out
Buescher came up just short in advancing to Sunday’s All-Star Race at Texas, ultimately finishing third in the final segment.

Where They Rank
Buescher maintains his 14th spot in the point standings through 16 points events.

On the Car
Fifth Third Bank makes its fourth appearance on board Buescher’s Ford Mustang this season. The company is celebrating its 10th season as a partner with Roush Fenway in 2021, as the partnership began back in 2012 with Matt Kenseth at the time.

The car will feature Fifth Third Momentum Banking this weekend, the everyday banking solution is a first of its kind. Fifth Third Momentum Banking is the industry-leading solution to help customers avoid and manage cash shortfalls, get paid and pay others, and reach savings goals, all while knowing their bank helps to protect their identity and finances.

Fifth Third Momentum customers will have one of the broadest range of options among all banks to get fast access to their money and address liquidity issues through:

• Early Pay – Free access to payroll up to two days early with direct deposit, rolling out across our retail footprint this summer.
• MyAdvance – Ability to advance funds of $50 or more against future qualified direct deposits, available now, starting the month after direct deposit is established.
• Immediate Funds – Ability to receive instant availability for check deposits.
• Extra Time – Additional time to make a deposit and avoid overdraft fees, available in certain markets today and coming soon to our entire retail footprint.

About Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio and the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank, National Association, a federally chartered institution. As of June 30, 2020, Fifth Third had $203 billion in assets and operated 1,122 full-service banking centers and 2,456 ATMs with Fifth Third branding in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia and North Carolina. In total, Fifth Third provides its customers with access to approximately 53,000 fee-free ATMs across the United States. Fifth Third operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending and Wealth & Asset Management. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of June 30, 2020, had $405 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $49 billion for individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations through its Trust and Registered Investment Advisory businesses. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Fifth Third’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.” Fifth Third Bank was established in 1858. Deposit and Credit products are offered by Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Member FDIC.

Team: No. 6 Planters Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman
Race Format: 399 miles, 300 laps, Stages: 90-95-115
NASCAR Cup Series Race at Nashville Superspeedway – Sunday, June 20 at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Halfway Point in 2021 Season

• This weekend marks week 18 of the NASCAR Cup Series season, the halfway point of the 36-race schedule, and with it comes a new facility in Nashville, Tennessee, along with TV coverage switching from the FOX networks to NBC.
• Nashville Superspeedway, a 1.33-mile oval in Lebanon, Tennessee, will host the NCS for the first time in its history. The facility – about a 40-minute drive from Nashville – once hosted NASCAR, ARCA and IndyCar events during its operation from 2001-11. The new event is one of many changes on the revamped 2021 schedule, and one of three tracks the series will visit for the first time.
• NBC’s portion of the schedule gets underway with this weekend’s action on NBCSN. In total, 12 races are planned on that network, with eight slated for the network NBC channel.

Newman in Nashville

• Newman will be one of many to make his first competitive laps at Nashville this weekend. The series will have one practice session, which is set for 2:05 p.m. ET Saturday. Teams will qualify Sunday morning prior to the race (11:05 a.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN).
• A close companion to the concrete Nashville Superspeedway, Newman has 39 starts at Dover with three wins. Dover Motorsports owns and operates Nashville Superspeedway.

Scott Graves in Nashville

• Graves will also get his first glimpse of the 1.33-mile track this weekend.
• Despite calling many events in the NXS in his early career, Nashville was not on the schedule during his tenure from 2012-17.

QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on racing at Nashville:
“I think we’ve found, and I’ve always thought, that Nashville is a great market for our sport, and we’re looking forward to taking our product there this weekend. Despite many of us having never run on that track before, it’s exciting to again have something new and will certainly be a challenge for us. Practice on Saturday will be crucial to just getting the smallest of data, so that hopefully by Sunday morning we have enough of an idea to put our Planters Ford in good position for qualifying and give it our best shot for 400 miles that afternoon.”

Last Time Out
Newman ran 20th in Sunday’s All-Star Race at Texas.

Where They Rank
Newman is 23rd in points through 16 events.

On the Car

Newman will carry a familiar brand on his Ford Mustang in Nashville, as Planters – the 115-year old snack brand – and the iconic Mr. Peanut, will ride along this weekend. Planters has served as an associate on the four races leading up to Nashville (COTA, Charlotte, Sonoma, Texas).