This Week in Motorsports: May 24-30, 2021

· NCS/NXS/NCWTS: Charlotte Motor Speedway – May 28-30

· ARCA: Charlotte Motor Speedway – May 29

PLANO, Texas (May 26, 2021) – NASCAR and ARCA teams return home as they compete in the annual Memorial Day weekend racing action at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which includes NASCAR’s longest event of the season – the Coca-Cola 600.

NASCAR National Series – NCS| NXS| NCWTS

Truex plans to score another 600 crown… 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. has been stellar at recent 600-mile events in Charlotte. Truex scored his first Charlotte win in dominating fashion – leading 392 of 400 laps in 2016. He added another 600-mile victory in 2019 after leading over 100 laps.

Hamlin continues to show the way… After 14 events in 2021, Denny Hamlin continues to lead the overall point standings by 98 points. Hamlin’s nine top-five finishes are two more than any other driver. Hamlin has three runner-up finishes at Charlotte, including last season and is looking for his first Charlotte victory.

Hemric looks to be one spot better… Daniel Hemric finished second at his home track last season and looks to be one spot better this weekend. The North Carolina-native has eight top-10 finishes this year – which is just one behind the series lead.

Gdovic, Gibbs back behind the wheel… Two drivers return in the No. 26 and 51 Supras in the Xfinity Series this weekend. Brandon Gdovic will make his fourth start of the season at Charlotte for Sam Hunt Racing in the No. 26 Supra. He will return to the car in Texas, while Ty Gibbs is back aboard the No. 51 Supra for two straight events.

Six races left in the regular season… The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) teams have just six races left in the regular season to clinch Playoff berths. Toyota drivers hold six spots currently in the top-10 of the NCWTS championship standings. Points leader John Hunter Nemechek and Ben Rhodes both have clinched their spots on the strength of two wins each. Austin Hill, Matt Crafton, Stewart Friesen and Johnny Sauter currently hold spots based on their point positions.

Crafton looks for another big Charlotte victory… Matt Crafton has scored three Truck Series championships, but Charlotte is where it started for him. In 2008, Crafton led the final nine laps to score his first career NCWTS victory. Crafton added a second win at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2016 behind the wheel of a Tundra.

Dollar Returns… For the first time since scoring a top-10 finish in his Truck Series debut in Daytona, Drew Dollar is back in the No. 51 Tundra this weekend. This is the first of three consecutive Truck Series events for Dollar, who will be back behind the wheel at both Texas Motor Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway. Dollar will also compete for Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA event on Saturday.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA MENARDS SERIES

Gibbs, Heim swept first five events… Toyota drivers Ty Gibbs and Corey Heim are both off to strong starts as the two have swept the first five events of the ARCA season. Gibbs won the most recent event at Toledo Speedway on Saturday. That win was his third victory of the season – adding to previous victories at Phoenix Raceway and Kansas Speedway. Heim continues to lead the overall point standings with victories at Daytona and Talladega.

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About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands plus our 1,800 dealerships.

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

Through its Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: CHARLOTTE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND ADVANCE

The annual Memorial Day Weekend is upon us and NASCAR will celebrate by having all three of its top national touring series compete at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Ford’s Brad Keselowski is the defending champion of Sunday’s marquee event – the Coca-Cola 600 — which Ford has won 13 times by 11 drivers. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series kicks off the weekend on Friday night, where Ford’s Todd Gilliland will go for his second straight victory, while the NASCAR XFINITY Series competes on Saturday afternoon.

This Week’s Schedule:

Friday, May 28 – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, 8:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
Saturday, May 29 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 1 p.m. ET (FS1)
Sunday, May 30 – NASCAR Cup Series, 6 p.m. ET (FOX)

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT CMS

· Ford has 32 all-time series wins at CMS.

· Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski have oval wins at CMS with Ford while Ryan Blaney won the inaugural Roval event in 2018.

· Keselowski is the defending winner of the Coca-Cola 600.

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT CMS

· Ford has 22 series wins at CMS.

· Austin Cindric has three starts on the CMS oval and two top-10 finishes.

· Riley Herbst made his CMS debut last spring and finished 12th.

FORD IN THE NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES AT CMS

· Ford is still looking for its first series win at CMS.

· Todd Gilliland has three starts at CMS and two top-10 finishes.

· Hailie Deegan will be making her first start at CMS.

KESELOWSKI GOING FOR SECOND STRAIGHT 600 WIN

Brad Keselowski became the first Ford driver since Mark Martin in 2002 to win the Coca-Cola 600 when he held off Jimmie Johnson in an overtime finish to take the checkered flag. The race ended up going five laps past the advertised distance and ended with Keselowski adding another crown jewel victory with Ford to go with his wins in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis (2018) and Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway (2018).

FOUR FORDS IN CUP TOP 10

Ford leads the way with four drivers in the top 10 of the NASCAR Cup Series standings. Joey Logano is the highest among the group as he stands in fourth place while the threesome of Ryan Blaney, Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski are seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively. Blaney (Atlanta), Logano (Bristol Dirt) and Keselowski (Talladega) are all in the playoffs after winning earlier this season while Harvick has the second-highest point total among those still looking for their first victory of the season.

CINDRIC EXTENDS TOP FIVE RUN

Austin Cindric’s fifth-place finish in Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Circuit of the Americas continued his impressive streak of consistency to start the 2021 season. Cindric now has eight top-five performances in 11 starts and nine top-10 efforts overall. His finishing average of 6.4 is the best on the circuit and includes victories at Daytona, Phoenix and Dover. Cindric leads the series point standings by 77 over second-place Harrison Burton.

COCA-COLA 600 HIGHLIGHTS

HOLMAN & MOODY CONQUER THE WORLD

Ford won the Coca-Cola 600 for the first time on May 27, 1962 when the race was still referred to as the World 600. This marked the third running of NASCAR’s longest race and in the end it was Nelson Stacy, behind the wheel of a 1962 Holman & Moody Ford, that ended up in victory lane. Stacy passed David Pearson, who developed engine trouble with eight laps to go, and went on to beat Joe Weatherly to the finish line by 32 seconds in posting the third of his four career victories. Fellow Holman & Moody teammate Fred Lorenzen finished third. The win was Stacy’s second straight after he took the checkered flag two weeks earlier in Darlington.

THREE JEWELS FOR DJ

Dale Jarrett won his share of major races during a sterling career in the NASCAR Cup Series, but no season may have been better than his first year driving at Robert Yates Racing in 1996. After winning the season-opening Daytona 500, his second of three triumphs in that event, Jarrett came to Charlotte in search of winning the Coca-Cola 600 for the first time. Jarrett, who qualified 15th, wasn’t much of a factor when the race started, but when the sun went down his No. 88 Quality Care Service/Ford Credit Ford Taurus came to life. He took the lead for the first time on lap 175 and ended up leading 199 of the final 226 laps for RYR to win going away. Jarrett eventually went on to win the Brickyard 400 a couple of months later to give him three of the sports biggest victories in one season.

FIRST-TIME WINNER

Matt Kenseth joined an exclusive club when he made the Coca-Cola 600 his first NASCAR Cup Series victory in 2000. Kenseth, who was in his rookie season driving for car owner Jack Roush, joined David Pearson (1961), Jeff Gordon (1994) and Bobby Labonte (1995) as drivers who made the marquee event their first series win. Kenseth, who nearly won in Fontana (CA) a couple weeks earlier before settling for third, left no doubt on this night as he led the final 26 laps and beat Bobby Labonte to the finish line by half-a-second.

FORD COCA-COLA 600 WINNERS
1962 – Nelson Stacy
1963 – Fred Lorenzen
1965 – Fred Lorenzen
1970 – Donnie Allison
1982 – Neil Bonnett
1987 – Kyle Petty
1991 – Davey Allison
1996 – Dale Jarrett
1999 – Jeff Burton
2000 – Matt Kenseth
2001 – Jeff Burton
2002 – Mark Martin
2020 – Brad Keselowski

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT CHARLOTTE
1992 – Jeff Gordon (Sweep)
1993 – Mark Martin (2)
1995 – Chad Little (1) and Mark Martin (2)
1996 – Mark Martin (Sweep)
1998 – Mark Martin (1)
1999 – Mark Martin (1)
2000 – Jeff Burton (1)
2001 – Jeff Green (1) and Greg Biffle (2)
2002 – Jeff Burton (2)
2003 – Matt Kenseth (1)
2006 – Carl Edwards (1)
2011 – Matt Kenseth (1) and Carl Edwards (2)
2014 – Brad Keselowski (2)
2016 – Joey Logano (2)
2017 – Ryan Blaney (1)
2018 – Brad Keselowski and Chase Briscoe (Roval)

NASCAR CUP SERIES
CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
COCA-COLA 600
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MAY 25, 2021

CHAD KNAUS, HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS VICE PRESIDENT OF COMPETITION ~ Teleconference Transcript Highlights:

IT WAS A MONUMENTAL MOMENT FOR HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT COTA. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU AND TO THE COMPANY?
“Oh, it was so many levels of coolness. Obviously, the inaugural event at COTA. Having that 268 kind of circled on my board now for about a year and a half as we’ve been approaching it. And to be able to get that 800th victory for Chevrolet was just awesome. The guys and gals that work here at Hendrick Motorsports over the years have all contributed on many levels to get these wins. To be able to tie Richard Petty Motorsports is just awesome. As I grew up as a young man, the king was the king, right? And everybody wanted to be like Richard Petty. I know the amount of respect that Mr. Hendrick and everybody here at Hendrick Motorsports has for Richard and his whole organization; it’s pretty awesome to be able to tie those guys.”

WHAT WINS STAND OUT THE MOST THAT PERSONIFY HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS THAT SHOW WHY THEY TIED THE PETTY RECORD?
“Oh, there are so many. I think back on the ones that I think were challenging that maybe we were able to pull off as an organization that maybe we shouldn’t have. The million-dollar win at Darlington with Jeff; we weren’t as fast as we needed to be that year. We made a bunch of changes to the race car throughout the course of the race and were able to come back and win that race. That’s a big one. There was a 600-mile race at Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600 that we won that we had an alternator issue. We had to change batteries toward the latter stages of the race. We were all the way back in the pack and were able to charge up past Bobby Labonte, I think it was, coming to the checkered. Those types of races and the tenacity I feel like we’ve had with our drivers, our teams, and our crew chiefs at Hendrick Motorsports is what really makes where we are today possible. There were a ton of races that were won prior to me ever getting here; for being a part of it. But I can tell you this. The reason I’m here is because I wanted to be a part of Hendrick Motorsports and a winning organization when I was a young man. There are a lot of pretty critical ones out there.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE 2004 WIN IN ATLANTA THE WEEK AFTER THE MARTINSVILLE TRAGEDY? WHAT DID THAT DO FOR THE ORGANIZATION?
“Obviously, in 2004 we won at Martinsville. That day was tragic. I’ll never forget that day. It was tough. But the thing that I remember the most is going to Mr. Hendrick’s house that night and the strength that we had saying we’re going to keep going. We’re going to keep doing this and showing up at Hendrick Motorsports and saying we’re going to go to Atlanta. We’re going to race. And for us to be able to go there and race that next event as an organization in the manner of which we did, which was tough; it was really hard to get through the weekend. But what was really amazing is once we dropped the green flag, everybody knew what we were there to do. We were there to try to win that race. And we battled Mark Martin at the very end and were able to beat him. That was one that really set this organization up for a can’t lose, never die situation.”

CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY STOCK CARS ARE JUST NOT GOOD IN THE RAIN? IS THERE AN ANSWER TO THAT?
“I don’t know that any car is quote unquote good in the rain, right? Street cars that are designed to be driven in inclement weather, if it’s raining out, it’s hard to see. You slow down, right? That’s kind of what it is. Quite honestly, I felt like our cars performed extremely well in the rain situations. The drivers were able to steer, turn, accelerate, race; I think they performed really well. The issue was the spray. So, the visibility is difficult. That’s like that in any form of racing or on the street. You’re going to deal with that. So, I don’t think that our car is bad in wet conditions per se. I think it actually performed really well. So, I’m not trying to twist you up on that. I’m just saying I don’t think there’s any car that’s really good in the rain when you’re behind somebody else. That’s a tough position to be in.”

SO, IS IT A MATTER OF KNOWING HOW WATER IS TOO MUCH WATER TO COMPETE IN AND NOT NECESSARILY THE CAR BEING THE ISSUE?
“There’s probably an element to that, for sure. I think the only way to learn is to do. And could some decisions have been made? NASCAR has admitted it. Could single file restarts at little bit sooner helped? Yeah, I don’t disagree. But you know that. Just like racing on the dirt. You don’t know that until you do it. And you learn from your mistakes. So, it’s an environmental thing where you’ve just got to get yourself immersed in there. You’ve got to do it. You’ve got to get in the environment; understand the situations, and then make decisions as you go. That’s unfortunately what we have to do. I think NASCAR did the best job they could under the circumstances, and I feel like they learned a lot. And we’ll just grow from it.”

WHAT IMPACT ARE YOU MAKING IN YOUR NEW ROLE AT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AND WHEN MIGHT YOU HAVE EVEN MORE INPUT IN THAT ROLE?
“Look, it’s hard for me to know exactly my contribution. You would have to ask people that are probably working with me and alongside me that question. We’ve been working really hard since the middle of last year as an organization to get flipped and to get our performance where we needed it because we weren’t where we needed to be. And that wasn’t a happy place for anybody at Hendrick Motorsports. We decided at that point, as a company, that we were going to put our heads down and get to work and right the ship. By the end of the season, we were fortunate enough to get out there and win a couple of races in a row and pull off the championship in pretty dominating fashion with the No. 9 car. I think we’ve been going down this path for a while, right? Have I helped? I hope so. If I’m not contributing, I’m probably not going to keep this job for very long (laughs).

“We’ve really put our heads down. We’ve really focused on performance and teamwork and working with one another (by) bringing in an amazing crew chief, like Rudy Fugle, to be able to work alongside Cliff (Daniels) and Alan (Gustafson) and Greg (Ives) I think was a huge asset and a huge boost to our company. And then you bring in a guy like Kyle Larson, who is an amazing driver; and put him alongside the other drivers that we’ve had and been growing here at the company, and you’ve got a pretty good army of folks to go to the race track with, right? I think that’s what you’re seeing is a lot of the fruit from the labor and the effort and the work that these guys and our teams and everybody at Hendrick Motorsports has been putting out there. The pit crews are knocking off really good pit stops consistently, which is great. So, there are a lot of things that are going right that are months in the works. Hopefully we have more to come.”

CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH THE CURRENTLY TECHNOLOGY THE TEAMS USE TO MONITOR WEATHER?
“If you’re talking directly to the rain, when we made our decisions on wets versus dries and all of that at the beginning of the race, clearly nobody had it right. Every race team had a couple going in each direction. We, unfortunately just like a weatherman on TV. You’re lucky if you get it about 75 percent. And that’s kind of it. We have our weather apps and programs. We do all the things most people do. But weather is weather, and it changes quickly. At a track as large as COTA, it’s really difficult to manage that. You can have a band of showers that goes across one portion of the track and on the other side, it’s not that bad. One thing that was really interesting last weekend was the way that the pit road is, with a tower of suites behind there, three of our teams were kind of where the suites were and the No. 5 car, on the first pit box, was outside of that. I’m sitting on the No. 48 pit box and man it’s not raining that bad. You could see sprinkles coming down. I hopped down and walked down to the No. 5 pit box and those guys were soaked to the bone. You just don’t know that if you’re not in the environment. Still, the best weather app is just taking your hat off and seeing if it’s raining or not and then you can stick it back on.”

ARE YOU GETTING PARTS AND PIECES FOR THE NEXT GET CAR? WHEN DO YOU THINK YOU’LL HAVE A CAR READY TO GO FOR A SESSION?
“We have tests scheduled at Bristol in August. That’ll be a first on-track with that. We are starting to slowly get some parts and components in. It’s going to be quite a transition and quite a process, but it’s an exciting one for sure, and it’s the future of our sport. I’m glad to be a part of it and a part of the transition because it’s going to be unique how we pivot, how we change, how we test this car, how we race this car, how we inspect this car. It’s all going to be brand new and we’re going to be learning together as an industry.”

ANOTHER BIG NUMBER FOR YOU IS GOING TO BE 269. IT’S NOT A MATTER OF IF, BUT WHEN. HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THAT AND WHAT IT WILL MEAN TO THE ORGANIZATION AND HOW MUCH RICK HENDRICK HAS PLAYED A PART IN THIS SPORT?
“We’ve had 268 circled for so long, I don’t even know what 269 is going to be like yet. We’re really excited to be right there, close to being able to get that. The 600 would be an awesome time for us to get it right here in Hendrick Motorsports’ back yard. It would be great to get that before the season is out. That’s definitely the goal. What Mr. Hendrick has done for this industry and the racing community is nothing short of great. He has contributed in so many manners and touched so many people’s lives. Whether you’ve worked with him or raced against him; surely, he’s done something for you in some capacity. To have that presence in our sport is just fantastic. It’s going to be an honor to celebrate that with him. I’m a huge Rick Hendrick fan. He has been a metric to me since I was 21 years old and has really helped me along with my career. I’m just happy to be a part of it. I can’t wait to give him a big hug after we get it and we can go and hopefully get more.”
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.

Team: No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Luke Lambert
Twitter: @17RoushTeam, @RoushFenway and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 600 miles, 400 laps, Stage Lengths: 100-100-100-100

NASCAR Cup Series Practice – Friday, May 28 at 7 p.m. ET on FS1
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – Saturday, May 29 at 11:05 a.m. ET on FS1, PRN
Coca-Cola 600 – Sunday, May 30 at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Buescher at Charlotte Motor Speedway

• Buescher makes his ninth Cup start at Charlotte on Sunday and sixth in the Coca-Cola 600. Overall he carries an average 19.8 finish at the 1.5-mile track.
• Buescher has a best finish of sixth in the Coke 600, which came in 2019 after starting 22nd. He backed that up with a 10th-place finish in last season’s marquee event.
• Buescher also made five start at CMS in the NXS for Roush Fenway from 2013-15, earning three top-10s with a best finish of sixth in 2014.

Luke Lambert at Charlotte Motor Speedway

• Lambert will call his 15th Cup event at CMS Sunday and eighth Coke 600. Overall he has an average finish of 17.1 in 14 starts.
• His best Coke 600 came in 2017 with Ryan Newman with a ninth-place result. He and Newman put together a sixth-place qualifying effort just two years ago and has an average starting spot of 17.6.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Charlotte:
“This weekend is more than a race, it’s a time to remember and honor those that we’ve lost that give us the great freedoms we have in this country. I got a chance to spend some time with friends of Tristian Southworth, whose name will be on our windshield this weekend, and it’s even more special to talk with those who knew him and others who we’ve lost at such a personal level. We’re honored to have him riding along with us this weekend.

Last year we had a pretty decent run in the Coke 600, one that requires a lot of patience but obviously a lot of endurance in a long evening. Our goal is to keep this momentum rolling and put our Fifth Third Ford near the front Sunday night.”

600 Miles of Remembrance
To align with the nation’s spirit of Memorial Day, the NASCAR industry will come together to honor and remember the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our freedom. Each car in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 will display a fallen service member name on the windshield header of the car.

Buescher will carry Sergeant Tristian Southworth aboard his Fifth Third Ford this weekend. Southworth, a native of Walden, Vermont, was born Oct. 19, 1988, in Denville, N.J. He died Aug. 22, 2010, as part of Operation Enduring Freedom with the Alpha Company 172nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Rowqean Village, Paktya Province Afghanistan.

He went to Walden Elementary School and graduated from Hazen Union High School in 2007. He played soccer, basketball and baseball throughout high school. He joined the Vermont Army National Guard during his junior year. Upon graduation, he spent one year at the University of Colorado at Boulder. In 2009, he was activated for deployment to Afghanistan.

Tristan enjoyed all aspects of life. He loved to be around family and friends. He was always willing to help anyone in need. He loved children and German shepherds. He had a special love for the game of baseball and a strong need to serve his country.

Last Time Out
Buescher earned stage points at the end of the opening stage in Sunday’s inaugural race at COTA, before going on to finish 13th in the AutoTempest Ford, his eighth top-15 of the season.

Where They Rank
Buescher advanced one position in the points standings following COTA and is 13th through the 14 events.

On the Car
Fifth Third Bank makes its third 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.

Fifth Third will also carry the well-known Duke’s Mayo brand on the decklid of its Ford Mustang this weekend.

• Over the past 100 years, Duke’s has cultivated and celebrated its commitment to family recipes and bold, southern flavors.
• Duke’s Mayo is made using the same recipe since 1917 – and always naturally sugar-free.
• Duke’s has a growing line of products inspired by the brand’s southern heritage – made with only quality ingredients, and no high fructose corn syrup.
• Duke’s is a passion brand – our consumers have an emotional connection to us and express is in their daily lives.
• Twang is that little Southern-something that makes good things even better.

o Southern tradition + bold, tangy taste

· Duke’s Mayonnaise is the title sponsor of the Duke’s Mayo Classic to open the 2021 college football season and Duke’s Mayo Bowl postseason game played in Charlotte, N.C.

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 Kohler Generators Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman
Race Format: 600 miles, 400 laps, Stage Lengths: 100-100-100-100

NASCAR Cup Series Practice – Friday, May 28 at 7 p.m. ET on FS1
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – Saturday, May 29 at 11:05 a.m. ET on FS1, PRN
Coca-Cola 600 – Sunday, May 30 at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Newman at Charlotte Motor Speedway

• Sunday marks Newman’s 39th start at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and 21st in the Coca-Cola 600. He has an average finish of 18.4 with a best Coke 600 finish of second in 2009.
• Newman has 15 career top-10s at CMS, including eight in the 600-mile event. He most recently finished top-10 in two of the last five spring events, including ninth in 2017 and 10th in 2016.
• Newman has nine poles at CMS dating back to 2001, most of any active driver and tied for second-most of any driver in NASCAR history. Only David Pearson has more with 14, while Newman and Jeff Gordon are tied for second. He swept the pole awards in 2003 and 2007, and also secured the top spot in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2009 and 2010.
• Newman has five Xfinity Series starts at CMS with one win (2005) and finished top-10 in each race. He also made one start in the truck series there in 2009 finishing fourth in a Kevin Harvick-owned truck.

Scott Graves at Charlotte Motor Speedway

• Graves will call his 10th race at CMS on Sunday, and sixth Coke 600. In nine prior starts he has an average finish of 17.1 with one top-10 (sixth – 2017).
• He also has six starts in the NXS atop the pit box, earning four top-10s and one top five. He finished third with Suarez in 2016, and also earned three top-10s with Chris Buescher in 2014 and 2015.

QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on racing at Charlotte:
“The Coke 600 each year is no doubt one of the biggest events on our schedule, both from a competition side as well as the Memorial Day aspect side. This sport has always done a great job in recognizing those that have unfortunately lost their lives, and we’re honored to again do that this weekend. Very special to have a former employee of Kohler on our windshield and we’re honored to carry his name with us this weekend. Sunday will for sure be a long race, but we’re excited and look forward to a good run in the Kohler Generators Ford.”

600 Miles of Remembrance
To align with the nation’s spirit of Memorial Day, the NASCAR industry will come together to honor and remember the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our freedom. Each car in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 will display a fallen service member name on the windshield header of the car.

Newman will carry the name of Cpl. Brian R. Prening, a member of the U.S. Marines who lost his life in 2004. Prening, a native of Plymouth, Wisconsin, was killed while conducting combat operations with the U.S. Marines Fox Co., 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines, at Yusufiyah Iraq. He was 24 years old.

Brian was born July 22, 1980 in West Allis, to Bill and Deborah Prening, and graduated from Plymouth High School in 1998. He then attended Lakeshore Technical College and received his associates degree in Tool and Die Making. Brian had joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1999 and then joined the Reserve Corps, and was called up to serve in Iraq in June of 2004. Brian was awarded the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for valor.

Brian was married to Amy Urner in August 2004. Amy was pregnant with the couple’s first child when Brian was killed, and on May 3, 2005, Brian, Jr was born. He also had a twin brother Bill Prening, Jr and sister Ann. Like his Father, Mother and Brother, Brian had been employed at the Kohler Co. as a set-up man and was a member of the local UAW Union 833 at Kohler. Brian was very involved in the outdoors. He loved duck, deer, turkey and bear hunting, as well as fishing. He also enjoyed snowmobiling and working on cars and trucks. Most of all, Brian’s family was most important to him, along with the time he spent with them. Brian was a member of the Ambelang-Ebelt-Lau American Legion Post #386 in Cascade, Wisconsin, and was a member of Between Lake Ducks Unlimited chapter and the Northern Kettles Wild Turkey Federation chapter.

Last Time Out
Newman finished 24th last Sunday at COTA in a rain-shortened 54-lap race.

Where They Rank
Newman is 21st in points through 14 events.

On the Car

Kohler Generators makes its fourth appearance aboard Newman’s No. 6 Ford this weekend. They will sport a revamped patriotic scheme in celebration of Memorial Day in the annual marquee Coke 600.

In addition to the windshield header with Prening’s name on board, Newman will also carry a special decal along his name rail, recognizing the Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). Newman recently visited with the Marine Raiders as part of his Mission 600 visit at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and during the visit was presented the sticker as well as a flag that will both be showcased throughout the weekend.

The Commandant of the Marine Corps approved the adoption of the Marine Special Operator Insignia for wear by Critical Skills Operators and Special Operations Officers upon their graduation from the Individual Training Course. The design consists of the bald eagle, representing the United States, with outstretched wings to symbolize the global reach of the U.S. Marine Corps. A dagger clutched by the eagle reflects the emblem of the Marine Raider Battalions and the Marine Raider Training Center. The Southern Cross constellation superimposed on the dagger represents the historic achievements of the Marines serving during the Pacific campaign of WWII and specifically Guadalcanal. The Latin phrase “Spiritus Invictus” is inscribed on the scroll above the eagle’s head, translating to “Unconquerable Spirit”, the mantra of Critical Skills Operators and Special Operations Officers.

About KOHLER Generators
KOHLER Generators is a leading manufacturer of automatic standby generators, which connect to the electrical system of a home or a business and quickly restore power following an outage to provide security and peace of mind for everyday life. KOHLER whole home generators are permanently installed outside a home, similar to a central air conditioning (AC) unit. The generator operates on natural gas or liquid propane (LP) and is wired into a home’s electrical system. When power is lost from unexpected events such as severe weather storms, the standby generator automatically kicks in – generally within seconds – and can power hard-wired systems and appliances including air conditioning, heat, medical equipment, Internet and Wi-Fi, security systems and lighting. KOHLER Generators is part of privately held Kohler Co., headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin. The company provides complete power systems including portable, residential, industrial, and marine generators; automatic transfer switches; switchgear; monitoring controls; and accessories for emergency, prime power and energy-management applications. Kohler Power Systems has delivered energy solutions for markets worldwide since 1920. Visit KOHLERGenerators.com, facebook.com/KOHLERPower, or Twitter at @KOHLERPower. or more information.

About Kohler Co.
Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin, Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies comprised of nearly 35,000 associates. Kohler is a global leader in the manufacturing of kitchen and bath products; engines and power systems; premier cabinetry, tile and lighting; and owner/operator of two of the world’s finest five-star hospitality and golf resort destinations in Kohler, Wisconsin, and St. Andrews, Scotland.