NASCAR CUP SERIES
NASCAR ALL-STAR RACE
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
JUNE 9, 2021

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER/BUSH’S BEANS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Teleconference Transcript:

REGARDING NASCAR CHANGING THE PACKAGE FOR THE UPCOMING DAYTONA RACE IN AUGUST
“No, I think it’s the same for everybody as far as if it makes it more challenging or not. You know, I am interested to see what the racing is like. It seems like every time we slow the cars down we continue to push harder, so, it just seems to be a product of being a little more comfortable. If the speeds are that far down, I feel like bumping in the corners becomes more continuous and I don’t know how that will affect people kind of locking up like the Fords did. When the speeds were slower, I felt like the Fords were kind of able to lock together and push a little bit more. So, it will be a little more interesting, but they have to try something because obviously we are flipping cars. And that’s something no one wants to do. But if you look at the history of racing and all race cars, that is a product of racing, and it happens. That is a tough ask, but it is cool that they are trying.”

I ASSUME FLIPPING IN A SPRINT CAR VERSUS A STOCK CAR WOULD BE A BIT DIFFERENT
“Yeah, no doubt, its definitely different. Flipping at the speedway is, I would say, one of the worst situations because being one of the front cars in a pack flipping, then you have everyone else coming through the crash scene at a high rate of speed. Definitely not safe, but like I said, it happens in every form of racing, and I am glad they are trying to make it less likely to happen.”

LOOKING AHEAD TO NASHVILLE, ANY RACING MEMORIES FROM YEARS BACK OR EXPERIENCES THAT STAND OUT FROM YOUR TIME THERE AT NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY?
“Like you said, I spent a lot of time testing there and quite a few races as well. I remember the racetrack is difficult, its concrete, and one of the bigger concrete tracks that we have. It races different than a lot of racetracks do, with that concrete…..flat in areas. The racetrack is really wide, but I feel like we all want to fight for one area of the racetrack which is the bottom and bottom groove. It will be interesting to see since we haven’t had Cup cars on it and obviously the package that we have is totally different than anything that we tested at Nashville, back in the day as far as the Cup cars that we had. So, I am looking forward to it and I think its going to be a lot of unknowns. I know we all have a lot of notes because we tested there, and I hope that it lays down rubber. I hope the tire that Goodyear brings will lay down a decent amount of rubber so that we can start moving around and using different grooves.”

YOU WILL START FOURTH IN THE ALL-STAR OPEN, HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR CHANCES GIVEN THAT STARTING SPOT?
“Yeah, we struggled last year at Bristol which was odd for us as much as we like Bristol. But we have raced our way into the All-Star Race before and obviously having a good starting spot helps. You have to be one of three to win, so starting in the top four is definitely a bonus. This package with less horsepower, kind of anxious to see. I think the center of the corner speed might be a little higher, but your entry speed is going to be a little bit slower. I am not sure what that is going to do for racing, but I do know that track position is going to be key, especially with that short amount of laps. It will be about maintaining position, and putting ourselves in position to win one of the three segments. Hopefully we can get it done, we feel good about it.”

WHAT PERCENTAGE DO YOU RAMP UP YOUR AGGRESSIVENESS FOR AN EVENT LIKE THIS?
“You don’t have anything to lose, but you don’t want to crash a bunch of race cars just to crash them or tear up somebody else’s race car. So, we will all race hard, and Texas is a very fast race track, and I am hoping with the Truck race and the Xfinity race, I am hoping the PJ1 will be activated so we can run a few different grooves. I think that will be beneficial for us and I think it will be exciting. I think the thought process is that if we have less horsepower then maybe we can all run a little bit closer together. It hasn’t seemed to work anytime we have done that, but that is the thought process. So, we will see how it works out.”

REGARDING NEXTGEN, WHAT WILL YOU DO TO TRY TO PREPARE FOR THAT CAR AND DO YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE YOU GET ON TRACK WITH IT?
“I think that is a really good question. Right now, for myself, I haven’t really worried about it and haven’t gone and looked at it. I haven’t sat in it and I have been kind of focused on what we have in front of us this year. I think a lot of the preparation is going to be from the team side and then obviously from the few tests that we will have, I am kind of hoping we can kind of get a handle on the race car and then really kind of prepare from there as far as what it drives likes, what you feel like you need in the race car to go fast, and then to be able to race around people and make passes. For me, I think a lot of that because I haven’t driven it yet, I can only go off of what other people say about that. I look forward to eventually getting behind the wheel of one and testing it and kind of making my decisions of what I need to do in the race car off of that.”

DO YOU THINK ITS IMPORTANT FOR DRIVERS TO DO THEIR HOMEWORK BEFORE RACING THIS CAR?
“Well, we all get in and show up and drive now and I don’t think its any different. Obviously, I do believe that the teams and drivers that have driven it, probably have definitely a leg up on everyone. Us at JTG,
we haven’t run the car and we haven’t had anybody at a test session, so you don’t know exactly how its going to be and there is only so much you can do outside a race cars. Obviously, simulators and things like that, but we don’t have access to that, so I will be using iRacing I reckon and go from there.”

10 RACES LEFT AFTER WE GET OUT OF TEXAS FOR THE REGULAR SEASON. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR CHANCES TO GET IN THE PLAYOFFS?
“Yeah, our chances are still there. We don’t like exactly the position that we are in, but the opportunity is still there. We just have to go execute and perform. We were really consistent at the beginning of the year where we ran 11th to 15th to 17th range and we have to get back to that. If we can get back to that, and it all works out, then that is great. If not, we set off to be consistent at the beginning of the year, every week, and when you have a bad week like this past week, its all about trying to rebound. Its not a points race at Texas this weekend, but we can carry some good momentum from Texas to these last 10. So, we are looking to have a good All-Star performance in the Open and hopefully in the All-Star Race and carry that momentum to those last 10 races.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT DONNY SCHATZ MAKING HIS NASCAR DEBUT AFTER ALL THESE YEARS?
“Yeah, he definitely should do it at Knoxville even though racing these types of cars or trucks on dirt, they really drive nothing like Donny has driven. But I know he will adapt really well and obviously he has got so many laps around Knoxville, and I believe they will really pay off. I think he is with a good team, and they have some good notes as far as dirt racing goes. So, I think he will do well, and I think he is just a great race car driver all around. I know he has driven some Silver Crown cars on pavement and things like that back in the day, so I know he is ready to adapt and its cool to finally see him jump in one.”

HOW DO YOU VIEW WHAT THE TEMPERAMENT OF THE FIELD IS AFTER SEVERAL ROAD COURSES, SHORT TRACKS AND DIRT TRACKS?
“Yeah, I think there is a lot better equipment throughout the entire field and like you said, everyone is a lot tighter and they are getting better. We all know that we have a job to do, and that is to perform. When people take those opportunities away from you, you get kind of frustrated with it. In road course races, I feel like people move each other out of the way and if you move someone, you better expect to get moved back. And that is part of it. The ones that just lay over and let it happen, it’s going to continue to happen. I think it is good to remind people who pays back and who doesn’t. It definitely is aggressive racing week in and week out. There are a lot of people who are tough to pass and put up a lot of fight for nothing, and those guys are the ones that end up getting moved more regularly. I do think us being in some slower corners on the road courses, the short tracks, and the dirt racing, you definitely have a better opportunity. None of us want to go crash somebody on, but in those slower corners you can move people out of the way without crashing and that is why you see more of it.”

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
NASCAR ALL-STAR RACE
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
JUNE 9, 2021

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 ANDY’S FROZEN CUSTARD CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Teleconference Highlights Transcript:

LOOKING AHEAD TO NASHVILLE – YOU’VE WON THERE IN A TRUCK AND YOU’VE RAN THERE A FEW TIMES. WHAT KIND OF MEMORIES STAND OUT, WHETHER IT’S TRUCK OR XFINITY, OR I’M GUESSING YOU DID A GOOD NUMBER OF TEST SESSIONS THERE? WHEN YOU THINK OF NASHVILLE, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MEMORIES AND EXPERIENCES THAT COME BACK TO YOU?
“Nashville (Superspeedway) kind of kicked off my Cup career. One of my first, full-blown Cup tests was Nashville, leading into that season. We got to go test with the team; had a good time. We went there with the Trucks and finished third there with KHI. We had fun at Nashville. It was a good track for me. We kind of found something in the last session of practice in Trucks and it carried me through the weekend. We were able to be fast and competitive.”

“I’m looking forward to going back. I always felt like if we got a shot in the Cup car that it would be a good track for us. I can’t wait. I haven’t done much sim work on it yet, but leading into next week, we’ll definitely be grinding it out and see what we can learn.”

YOU SAID ONE OF YOUR FIRST CUP TESTS WAS AT NASHVILLE? WHAT DID THAT MEAN FOR YOU AT THAT POINT IN YOUR CAREER?
“It was exciting, getting to go have my time to be in the Cup Series and getting the time with the team. Obviously, they were Kevin Harvick’s team and then we kind of jumped into that season. I was the new guy, so getting to hang out with the guys and just be a part of it. It was a fun time, obviously starting off my Cup career. I just remember going there, testing, and just trying things. We didn’t get to race there, but it was cool just to go through and kind of get ready for a practice session. But it was also like a team-building, fun time because after the test, I think we went out downtown Nashville and had a really good time. The next day was not as productive as the first day.”

DO YOU KNOW THE RULES FOR THE ALL-STAR RACE? ARE YOU GOING TO TRY AND LEARN THE RULES, OR ARE YOU JUST GOING TO TELL YOUR CREW CHIEF TO TELL YOU WHAT TO DO?
“Yeah, I haven’t even looked into it. I went through my sim session today, just trying to make the car drives as good as possible on the simulator. The one thing I did work on that was kind of different – I know there’s a $100,000 reward for the fastest pit stop, and that includes yellow line to yellow line. So, I have to do my part to help our pit crew have that opportunity, as well.”

“As far as the inversion and all the different starting positions, I think I’ll just leave that up to Justin (Alexander, crew chief) and the guys to help me out with that. I know we’re starting fifth and we’ll just take it from there. I think it’s a 100-lap race and a couple different cautions and resets throughout. So, I guess the most average finishes play into it and speed. We’ll just make it work.”

WHAT DID THE SIMULATOR TELL YOU ON HOW THE 510 HORSEPOWER WILL BE DIFFERENT THAN 550?
“I didn’t feel a huge difference. I think everybody’s going to try and run wide-open. It’s going to be hot; it’s 90 degrees and you’re trying to run wide-open. So, people will be trying to trim their car out. I still think we’ll get them where they’re edgy for the speed purpose of things. Turns one and two are not the most ideal corners, so you’re going to be balancing – do you want to be able to easily run wide-open or have more speed trimmed-out and make turns one and two more difficult? Turns three and four are pretty self-explanatory, but one and two can get difficult. I still think there’s going to be handling involved. We’ll be able to adjust that too, I think, with the way the stops are built. The only one you can really lose on is the one at the end, I think.”

“We’ll be able to adjust a little bit. If you start aggressive and you don’t feel like that’s the right direction, you might be able to tighten your car up or do something to make the car drive a little better. Sometimes we don’t want to adjust the car because it slows the pit stops down. We’ll have a little more time to adjust and make the car drive a little different if you’re struggling with the something.”

THE FACT YOU GUYS HAVE TO HIT THE ROAD FOR THE ALL-STAR RACE, AS OPPOSED TO BEING HOME FOR THE TRADITIONAL TWO WEEKS IT USED TO BE, DO YOU PREFER THE OLD TWO WEEKS AT HOME OPTION AND RUN TWO RACES AT CHARLOTTE?
“It’s definitely nice being at home; you can’t knock being at home. I like that the All-Star race moves around. Maybe we can move the All-Star race around in North Carolina. We’ve got some other short tracks around here; Rockingham, North Wilkesboro, a lot of those places could get cleaned up and go for a fun All-Star weekend. Some of these old short tracks – I think NASCAR needs to go to more short tracks. I see that we’re going to more road course races. I’m OK with that, but I think we could do probably three to four road course races and add three short tracks, instead of adding road course races. That’s just my opinion. I think it’s more fun to watch, personally.”

YOUR THROUGHTS ABOUT GOING TO TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY FOR THIS RACE.
“We won Texas (Motor Speedway) last year, so going to Texas for the All-Star race, we’re pretty confident. We feel like we have it setup that if we get in the right place on the track, that we can win with. The confidence is high and the chance to win a million dollars, you don’t get that very often. We’re locked in the race and we’re headed down there, we might as well take some money home after the trip. I’m looking forward to it. We’re going down there for one reason and that’s to win a million dollars. That’s pretty cool. You don’t get those opportunities very often and it’s a track that we’ve won at.”

REGARDING NASHVILLE, IT’S INTERSTING THERE HASN’T BEEN A CUP RACE, BUT CUP TEAMS HAVE TESTED AND WORE THAT PLACE OUT, AND THERE’S A FEW PEOPLE WITH A NOTEBOOK. WHAT KIND OF RACE DO YOU ANTICIPATE AT NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY?
“I talked to Kurt (Busch) because I think he did the NASCAR test for Chevrolet. He was a bit concerned about tires; being able to last just because the concrete had some edges that it had created over the years from just not being raced on. The edges weren’t really knocked down, kind of like when we got to Dover and Bristol.. (inaudible). Where Nashville seemed to be tough on tires when they were testing. Looking forward to seeing when we all get out there and all that rubber gets laid down. I’m assuming it’s going to lay a ton of rubber down after the practice sessions, so it could change. But I think what’s cool and what I enjoyed about Nashville is people fought for that bottom line and you really had to be disciplined and not miss your exit leaving the corner at Nashville. The car that rotated the most was pretty good.”

“I’m looking forward to it. It’s a good track, like I said, for us in the past. I did get to test there a long time ago. We’ll look at some of the notes. I’ve already looked at my Truck stuff. I think we have the Xfinity notes, as well.”

SEEING THE POWER THAT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS HAS PICKED UP, HAS IT BEEN A MUTUAL SITUATION WHERE YOU’VE BOTH BEEN BENEFITTING FROM THE ADVANCES THAT THEY’RE MAKING RIGHT NOW?
“Yeah, I think Chevrolet as a whole is working better together than they ever have in the past. Obviously, it’s good to see Hendrick (Motorsports) running well.”

“As far as from an engine standpoint, I know it’s good to see the ECR power running well each and every weekend. The group that Chevrolet has created and Rick (Hendrick), himself, has been really adamant in helping us with whatever we need. So, it’s been nice working with all the teams, especially Rick and all the guys at Hendrick. I think it’s only going to make us better in the future working together and especially with the Next Gen car. We’re just doing everything we can to keep Chevrolet out front.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A LEG UP SINCE ERIC WARREN HAS TAKEN OVER THE PROGRAM?
“No – Eric (Warren) is fair, you know what I mean. He doesn’t do that. Eric is like my second dad; yes, we have a great relationship. But he’s just trying to make Chevrolet, as a whole, the best that he can. He’s doing a good job of it. I think you’ve obviously seen it. He won’t take credit for it, but I think he has done a lot already to get Chevy moving in the right direction and really building towards the future. I think the stuff that he has planned for Chevrolet will really shine the further we go as a group. He really wants us working together as much as we can. So, I’m pumped about that. He pushes us all, so it’s nice.”

YOU’RE THOUGHTS ON HOW YOUR TEAM IS PERFORMING? YOU’RE 12TH IN THE STANDINGS AND LOOK PRETTY SOLID. THE SPEED IS THERE. JUST ASSESS WHERE THIS TEAM IS AT AS WE GO INTO THE ALL-STAR RACE AND JUST 10 RACES TO GO IN THE REGULAR SEASON?
“I’m very excited about where we’re at. Obviously, points-wise, it’s a good position. You always want more. One win changes how you feel about things; one win for you or someone else. I feel like we’ve competed well; we’ve got speed. The last two weeks, we’ve overcome adversity that over the past couple years, if we had some of the things happen that we’ve had the last two weeks happen to us, we would not have recovered like we were able to. Charlotte was really a high-point. I feel like we had a car capable of running inside the top-three. I know that Kyle (Larson), Chase (Elliott) and all the Hendrick Motorsports guys were really good, but we showed really good lap times. If you go back and look at that, we were making a lot of passes. We lost a pit crew member early in the week and had gone with some fresh faces on the team, and they did a good job to get us through it. We were able to have a car fast enough to overcome losing track position.”

“Then we went to Sonoma – it actually wasn’t an alternator problem; it was just a wire that was left loose. We had to keep changing batteries because we were losing voltage. On a road course, where typically I haven’t been that great, but we’ve really developed this year a lot. I think the 24-hour race and just getting more road course experience has been good for me, and I’ve got some confidence now going to these road course races that I compete and putting a lot of effort in. So, to come back and finish 13th at Sonoma from the tail that last restart: we started dead last in the last stage – to get back to 13th, I thought that was pretty special. I’m pumped about what we have going on right now as a group and we’ll just keep plugging along. I think that some of these things, stuff that doesn’t happen very often, like the alternator stuff and we have our full pit crew back this weekend, I think we can really go out there and light it up the next couple of weeks.”

A LOT HAS BEEN MADE THIS YEAR ABOUT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS HAVING ALL FOUR CARS BEING CONTENDERS. YOU GUYS AT RCR ARE THE SAME; YOU AND TYLER (REDDICK) ARE NOT FAR OFF FROM EACH OTHER. HOW GOOD HAS THAT BEEN FOR THE COMPANY TO HAVE TWO CONSISTENT PLAYOFF-CONTENDING CARS?
“I think it’s good. Tyler (Reddick) and I both push each other. We’re both competitive and we both bring something I think a little different to the table, so it’s a good match, as far as teammates go. We’ll just keep pushing. The teams are working well together. Daniel Suarez and the No. 43 (Erik Jones) – I think all those guys are showing speed at different times in the year and it’s been good to see that out of our camp.”

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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.

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | All-Star

NASCAR hosts its annual All-Star event this weekend in Fort Worth, Texas, as the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway hosts it for the first time in history. Jack Roush has four All-Star wins all-time, with Ryan Newman locked into Sunday night’s field, and Chris Buescher set to try and race his way in to the main event.

NASCAR All-Star Open
Sunday, June 13 | 6 p.m. ET
FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

• Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang

NASCAR All-Star Race
Sunday, June 13 | 8 p.m. ET
FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

• Ryan Newman, No. 6 Wyndham Rewards Ford Mustang

Sonoma Recap, All-Star Preview

• Buescher had an up and down day at Sonoma last weekend, ultimately finishing 16th in a race that went into NASCAR Overtime.
• Newman was on the wrong end of a last-lap scuffle, putting him 33rd at the checkered flag.
• Fastenal returns to Buescher’s machine for the All-Star Open Sunday evening as he tries to race his way in to the All-Star Race.
• Newman will make his 20th start in the star-studded event, and will have Wyndham Rewards riding on board.

Another Historic, New-Look All-Star Race on Deck

• After holding the NASCAR All-Star Race in Charlotte for many years prior to 2020, the annual invitational event moves to its third track in as many seasons with the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway set to host the 2021 event.
• Outside of the 1986 event in Atlanta, the race had been held in Charlotte every season. Due to implications from COVID-19 a season ago, NASCAR officials moved the event from Charlotte to Bristol. And this season it moves again, this time to TMS.
• Also new to this season’s version of the ASR is a six-round, 100-lap bout that will see the winner collect $1 million, and an additional $100,000 will be presented to the fastest pit crew in a mandatory pit stop near the end of the race.
• Newman will make his 20th start in the All-Star Race come Sunday, an event he won back in 2002. He has two additional top fives in the ASR, including second in 2004 and fifth in 2006. He most recently finished 19th in last season’s non-points race at Bristol.
• Buescher will compete in the NASCAR Open qualifying race and attempt to race his way into the All-Star field. He’s competed in one ASR all-time in 2017 and finished 17th. His best finish in The Open otherwise is fourth, which came last season at Bristol. The Open will be run in three segments – 20 laps, 20 laps and a 10-lap shootout – with segment winners and the overall winner advancing into the main event. Fan balloting will determine the final driver in the field who is otherwise ineligible.
• For the All-Star Race itself, the format and procedures are below:
  • Round 1: 15 laps. After this round, the field will be inverted starting anywhere from the eighth through 12th positions, to be selected by a random draw.
  • Round 2: 15 laps, with entire field inverted after this segment.
  • Round 3: 15 laps, again the field will be inverted starting anywhere from the eighth through 12th positions, to be selected by a random draw after this round.
  • Round 4: 15 laps.
  • Round 5: 30 laps. The lineup for this round will be determined by cumulative finish from the first four rounds, with the best cumulative finisher starting from the pole. All cars must enter pit road for a mandatory four-tire pit stop during this round. The crew with the fastest stop will pocket $100,000.
  • Round 6: 10 laps. Cars will line up according to their finishing position from the previous round for the final segment.

All-Star Victories

Roush Fenway has earned four victories in NASCAR’s All-Star Main Event with drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards. Martin, who is a two-time All-Star race winner, first went to Victory Lane in 1998 for Roush Fenway before taking the checkered flag again in 2005. Kenseth earned the victory in the 2004 running of the event and Edwards visited the winner’s circle in 2011.

Racing in to the Show

Overall Roush Fenway has four victories in The Open – the preliminary qualifying races prior to the main event – two by Greg Biffle and one each by Jeff Burton and Trevor Bayne. Burton earned the win in the 2003 running of the Open after starting 18th. Biffle won his qualifying race in 2015 to earn a spot in the event, and the following year he and teammate Trevor Bayne swept the qualifying races to put their name in the hat for a shot at the $1 million payout.

Starting Lineup Set for Sunday
Based off a random draw, Buescher will roll second in Sunday’s All-Star Open. Newman will fire off 14th in the main event after a random draw for that lineup.

Roush Fenway All-Star Wins
1998 Martin
2004 Kenseth
2005 Martin
2011 Edwards

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is preparing for NASCAR’s All-Star weekend at the Texas Motor Speedway.

“This weekend is all for our fans,” says Daytona 500 Champion Michael McDowell who will be making his All-Star debut on Sunday in the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops/Luber-finer Ford Mustang. The annual All-Star race pits race winners and champions in a series of sprints with the winner receiving a check for one million dollars. The race heads to the Texas Motor Speedway for its first time.

Making his first All-Star weekend appearance, Anthony Alfredo will compete in the NASCAR All-Star Open featuring a field of drivers and teams who are not currently qualified into the All-Star race. Alfredo is hoping to take his SpeedyCash.com Ford Mustang into the Speedy Cash victory lane at Texas.

Before Sunday’s activities, SpeedyCash.com will host the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Todd Gilliland will debut the No. 38 SpeedyCash.com Ford F-150 as he looks for his second win of the season.

Saturday’s SpeedyCash.com 220 starts at 1:00 p.m. ET and will be televised live on FS1.

Sunday’s All-Star festivities begin at 6:00 p.m. ET with the live broadcast on FS1.

“This is such a big weekend for our sport and for FRM,” said Gilliland. “There is the excitement of the All-Star race for the first time at Texas on Sunday and we’re just as pumped up for Saturday’s race as we’re carrying the Speedy Cash colors in their truck race. And, victory lane at Texas is sponsored by Speedy Cash, too. It makes for a fun weekend because we’re going to have a huge crowd cheering for us. I love it.”

Gilliland comes into Saturday’s race with four top-five and six top-10 finishes, including one win. The goal this season was to win and secure a Playoff position. Now, the focus is getting the team in it’s best position when the Playoffs begin.

“We want to keeping winning races and this weekend get into Speedy Cash victory lane,” continued Gilliland. “The more races and stages we can win, the more points we can accumulate for the Playoffs. We are in the top-five now, but I think we’re capable of even more. I really believe in our team at Front Row Motorsports.”

Gilliland will start fourth in Saturday’s race.

Alfredo and his No. 38 Speedy Cash Ford Mustang team are looking to be All-Stars on Sunday. Alfredo will compete in the Open and have the opportunity to win one of the first two stages consisting of 20 laps each, or win the race, a final 10 lap sprint to qualify for the All-Star race.

“We are going into Sunday trying to join Michael in the All-Star race,” said Alfredo. “We’re going to have a lot of support from Speedy Cash at the race this weekend and we’re going to give it our best shot.

“As a team, we’re gaining confidence and gaining momentum each weekend. Although this is an exhibition race, it’s still another chance for us to continue to build. I think at Sonoma, we broke through and raced in the top-10 against all drivers who are in the All-Star race. So, now, we just need to have that same confidence and deliver a great run because we know that we’re capable of being up front.”

Alfredo will start 12th in the Open.

After winning the Daytona 500, Michael McDowell will now make his debut in the NASCAR All-Star race to cap off Sunday evening. The All-Star race will be a total of 100 laps consisting of six different rounds of various laps and formulas. It will be as entertaining for the drivers as it will be for the fans.

“Texas Motor Speedway has gone all out for their first All-Star race,” said McDowell. “There is going to be entertainment in every round and something different, too. I don’t know if you can explain it all, but it’s set up to be fun for the fans and challenging for us.

“I’d like to say it will be fun for us too, but we’re trying to win one million dollars. When you compete for a purse like that, fun kinda goes out the window. You’re just there to compete like any other race and you want to win.

“But, I think we also look at the big picture, too. FRM has been in the All-Star race in the past and we just want to continue to be in this race. That means winning races each year. So, it’s just a part of us continuing to build and be better.

“It’s also cool for our partners. When Love’s Travel Stops and Luber-finer come to the All-Star race on Sunday, and they’ll have a lot of people there, it’s cool for them to watch us as an All-Star team and the chance for us to win it all.”

McDowell will start 11th in the All-Star race.

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.