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Brett Moffitt Fights for an Eighth Place Finish After a Busy Day for the No.02 Chevy

Brett Moffitt and the No.02 Our Motorsports Chevrolet started from the 6th position Saturday in the Contender Boats 250 at Homestead Miami Speedway and brought home an eighth-place finish after leading laps and having top-3 speed all race. The day overall was an up and down day for the team, but the common theme throughout the day was the speed of the Our Motorsports Chevy before misfortune hit with less than ten laps to go.

In the first stage of the race, Moffitt once again flexed the strength of the 2021 Our Motorsports program, picking up several spots right after the drop of the green flag. Moffitt fought off several NASCAR Xfinity Series championship contenders, running second most of the stage. A late-stage caution showed mixed pit strategies, with the No.02 Chevy team deciding to stay out, neglecting to take tires, saving them for later in the race. Unfortunately, although the strategy was a long play, the No.02 team lost spots in the closing laps of the stage, finishing the stage in 16th. The team pit for a small adjustment, four tires, and fuel at the end of the stage.

Stage two saw Moffit working his way up after restarting 15th. A caution about halfway through the stage shuffled up pit strategies once again, and the No.02 team again decided to save tires for late-race scenarios. Moffitt was fighting a loose condition on his No.02 Chevy, and finished the stage in 12th, before pitting for adjustments, tires, and fuel.

Final stage: Moffitt and the No.02 team started 15th and drove up into the top-10 in just two laps. A caution came out with 58 laps to go and the Our team bolted on four fresh Goodyear Racing tires and took fuel. They were one of the only teams to pit under that caution. With 52 laps left, the green came back out, and Moffit restarted 19th and it only took Brett and the No.02 Chevy two laps to pick up eleven spots. With just less than 40 laps to go, Moffitt took the lead. The No.02 eventually fell back to second but pulled back within just a second of the leader with 10 to go. Unfortunately, lap traffic created an obstacle for Brett and contact with the wall forced the Our Motorsports team to pit with a right-rear tire flat. The team found themselves back in 20th with six to go, and two green, white, checkered finishes allowed the team to pit for tires and fuel and fight back for an eighth-place result.

Driver Brett Moffit

“Once again, the Our Motorsports team gave us a piece to contend for the win. We had a really strong day with pace, and we did all we could with a loose racecar. I’m really thankful as always for this opportunity with Chris Our and the opportunity to work with Joe Williams and all of the great people that work here. If we keep bringing cars like this to the racetrack, I know we’ll get a win very soon and I can’t wait for that moment.”

Tune in: 

The NASCAR Xfinity Series and the Our Motorsports team are headed west next week to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Alsco Uniforms 300. Fans can catch the action on FS1, MRN/Sirius XM NASCAR, and other local radio affiliates at 4:30pm and by following Our Motorsports on social media. 

RCR Post Race Report – Xfinity 250

Myatt Snider and the No. 2 TaxSlayer Chevrolet Team Slay It with Thrilling Victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Finish: 1st
Start: 10th
Points: 2nd

“Wow! What a win! I guess I learned my lesson on that first restart. I spun the wheels, and then I saw Tyler Reddick spin the wheels on the second restart and I knew I might have a chance. One thing I’ve always noticed about myself is that I’m always better when I have a rabbit to chase. I knew that if I could just get as much power as I could and lay out ahead of everyone else I would have a pretty good chance, and with Tyler restarting the race he had a better chance of spinning the tires himself. Tyler is tough to beat because he has a lot of experience as a NASCAR Cup Series driver. But luckily, we did it. We slayed it! I have to thank all of these RCR guys, TaxSlayer and everyone who has helped me my entire career. It’s been a rough journey but we’re leaving here with a win and I can’t complain. The first thing I am going to do is celebrate with my team. These guys have such experience and they have guided me so much. This win puts us in a really good position for the rest of the year.” – Myatt Snider

Toyota Racing NXS Post-Race Recap — Homestead 2.27.21

TWO SUPRAS IN THE TOP-FIVE AT HOMESTEAD
Brandon Jones, Daniel Hemric earn back-to-back top-five finishes

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (February 27, 2021) – Brandon Jones (third) and Daniel Hemric (fourth) drove their Toyota Supras to top-five finishes in the Contender Boats 250 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday evening.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Race 3 of 33 – 300 miles, 200 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Myatt Snider*
2nd, Tyler Reddick*
3rd, BRANDON JONES
4th, DANIEL HEMRIC
5th, Jeb Burton*
17th, TIMMY HILL
22nd, DAVID STARR
24th, CHAD FINCHUM
30th, MATT MILLS
31st, SANTINO FERRUCCI
32nd, STEFAN PARSONS
33rd, JESSE LITTLE
38th, TY DILLON
40th, HARRISON BURTON
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

BRANDON JONES, No. 19 Toyota Racing Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 3rd

You battled all night and ended up with a third-place finish. How was your run?

“Compared to last year, I think this is already a way better start to our year. I know we’ve had some ups and downs, but our performance is really close. For everyone at Toyota, they did a lot for us today to get our Supra up front. Menards, WileyX, they do a lot for us. I’m looking forward to the next couple of races that we have coming up because this was a pretty big adjustment I felt like today of what we could put together. Just fought a couple of things there at the end and not getting where we thought we were going to be on the restart. All-in-all, pretty solid day. Third is good. We will take the points and try to push for a win.”

Can you describe how the race played out for you?

“Back in the heat for sure. I’m sure these guys are probably struggling a bit, but all in all this was a really good day for Toyota. Our Supra maybe wasn’t the best to win the race. It was probably the best-case scenario at the end there to have what we did – to have that lane choice. Maybe I should have gone to the top in (turns) one and two, but it came down to the last two races almost having a shot to win it and it came down to just one more lap. Proud of my guys. We have a championship quality team this year and looking forward to the rest.”

DANIEL HEMRIC, No. 18 Poppy Bank Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 4th

Can you describe the end of that race from your vantage point and what were the restarts like during the race?

“It was a saving grace for everyone on this Poppy Bank Toyota Supra. We had a really good short run car, but not a very good car after 12 to 15 laps. We thought that with experience and such that we could overcome it to be better than we were, but we just struggled. I was happy to see those short runs. I felt like our first launch on the first green-white-checkered was better. I think we were going to lineup to have a run for the lead down the backstretch and the caution flew and I just got boxed in on the second one. Thought we had the top rolling, but it didn’t work out. Proud of everybody on this Toyota Supra team. I felt like a moron there hitting the pit crew guys. I’ve come to pit road many times now and turned in, first time with these cars, turned into the box and had so much front brake that I couldn’t even think about stoppping. At that point you’re just hoping that you minimize the damage. Glad to see those guys are okay. They sat one stop out and jumped right back in and never missed a beat. Thanks to those guys, hats off the them. Have to do better, have to be better.”

You a lot happening, from your pit crew member getting hurt. How do you rebound from that to bring it home fourth?

“You just have to stay resiliant. First off, I’m so sorry. Those are Denny’s (Hamlin) guys for tomorrow and I could hear Chris Gabehart their crew chief for tomorrow saying take care of his guys. I did not do that today. It was my first time coming down pit road in these cars and I fully underestimated how much front brake I had. Completely on me. I’ve got to be better than that. Thanks you so much to these guys. Everyone on this Poppy Bank Toyota Supra. They did a great job of keeping me in it. I kept asking how everybody was doing and if everybody was fine and they were just on me to keep my head in the game and keep after it. We had a really good short run car, not very good after 10 laps. We’ve got to go to work. Now we have a baseline for a package, but proud of what we able to come back and do. Again, so sorry to those guys. I look forward to being better myself and making this race team better.”

# # #

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: Three Mustangs Finish Top-12 at Homestead

Ford Performance Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series – Contender Boats 250
Homestead Miami Speedway | Saturday, February 27, 2021

FORD FINISHING RESULTS:
6th – Austin Cindric
9th – Ryan Sieg
12th – Riley Herbst

FORD PERFORMANCE QUOTES

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 PPG Ford Mustang (Finished 6th)

“I feel like we probably deserved to be a top-five car and maybe if we made some different decisions there on the choose, who knows, we maybe would have given ourselves a better shot to win the race in our PPG Ford Mustang. At the same time, I think we did a pretty good job on strategy. All in all, it was an okay day. We definitely learned a lot and we tried to make a short-run car into a long-run car and we probably just hurt ourselves for when the sun went down. Lesson learned there and definitely some good info there moving forward in the season.”

WERE YOU MISSING SOMETHING ON THE LONG RUN? “Yeah, we weren’t great up until about lap 40 and then I could maintain running the wall. It was just something we have fought here in the past and we were unable to find the right knob to turn for it.”

RILEY HERBST, No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang (Finished 12th)

“For sure, I think the first two stages we were just biding time because we had to start so deep in the field. Then at the start of Stage 3, we had good track position but the 7 just came across our nose and we got damage and had to go all the way back in the field again. We made our way back up to 12th. It kind of sucks but we will go to Vegas now.”

NASCAR Accident Insurance 101: 3 Things To Know

Auto insurance exists to protect you from financial ruin if you ever get involved in an accident. Some people who never get into accidents tend to feel like they’re not getting anything out of the high premiums they’re paying. If you’re one of those people, consider yourself lucky. On average, car accidents around the world lead to 1.3 million fatalities each year. And we’re just talking about the general data here. What more if you belong in an inherently high-risk environment? Take, for example, NASCAR racers.

What Is NASCAR?

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the top motorsports sanctioning company in the United States. You might wonder how auto insurance works in NASCAR, especially since crashes and wrecks are a common occurrence on the racing track.

On public roads, negligence is the most common cause of accidents. Oklahoma City law firm Hasbrook & Hasbrook describes it as failure to take safety precautions to avoid an otherwise preventable event. However, ‘negligence’ and ‘preventable’ are both difficult to qualify within the bounds of competitive racing. In fact, racer safety and security have been long-standing topics of controversy in this industry. 

To hash out NASCAR insurance policies, here are three salient points you need to know:

  1. Racers Pay For Their Own Coverage

This might sound as a surprise considering how big NASCAR is, but it’s true. Unlike pit crews that are directly hired by the company, race car drivers are signed as independent contractors. Therefore, they are responsible for buying their own life and auto insurance policies like the average person.

One of the factors that determine auto insurance rates is a person’s driving history. Traditionally, high-risk drivers get higher premiums because they have greater chances of causing an accident. However, it’s the opposite for professional racers because they’re held at high athletic health standards. The more races they’ve competed in and finished successfully, the lower their premium gets.

  1. Stock Cars Need Specialized Insurance

Needless to say, NASCAR race cars are in a league of their own. They have custom-built engines, performance tires, specially-designed bodies, and high-end safety features. All these elements raise their value and make them too expensive to insure. Regular insurance companies refuse to cover race cars, so you have to find a specialized insurance carrier.

One example of specialized insurance policies is the ‘track day insurance,’ which covers a race car only on the day of the racing event. If you’re not a NASCAR driver but own a stock car that you want to take to the tracks for a day, this policy is also applicable for you. If you crash, this policy will cover the total costs of damages. Even if your car gets totaled, you will get reimbursed for the actual cash value of your car.

  1. Some Crashes Are Intentional

It’s common knowledge in the racing community that some drivers deliberately cause crashes as a strategy to win. Some of the most dangerous NASCAR drivers have crash frequencies of well over 50%. Now, bear in mind that a regular race car can go as fast as 200 miles per hour. Such numbers spell unimaginable danger on the track, which makes it all the more crucial to get liability and personal coverage.

High Speed, High Stakes

Auto racing is one of the most exciting yet most fatal sports in the world. Every thrilling turn on the track comes with a great amount of danger. Because of this, racers and their cars need more protection than the average insurance holder. 

Brett Moffitt And the No.02 Our Motorsports Chevy Look To Continue Strong Start to Season at Homestead-Miami

Brett Moffitt and the No.02 Our Motorsports Chevy will roll off from the sixth starting position this Saturday in the Contender Boats 250 at Homestead Miami Speedway. This will mark Moffitt’s second start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Homestead-Miami. The team heads into the week in sixth in the NASCAR Xfinity owners’ points standings.

Looking back at last week: 

Last Saturday, Brett Moffitt and the Quartz Hill Records / Nate Barnes-sponsored team started from the pole at the Daytona International Speedway road course. Moffitt held strong during stage one, contending in the top-3 for most of the stage, but several left-front lockups eventually caught up with the No.02 team, causing damage to the sway bar arm during the final stage. Moffitt was still able to fight for a top-10 with his wounded racecar, finishing just short of it, in 11th place.

In his words: 

Driver Brett Moffit

“I really enjoy racing at Homestead. We had a decent car there last year and got caught up in a wreck early-on so I’m really looking forward to going back and our first mile and a half of the season to see where we stand. The last few weeks at Daytona on the oval and road course have been wildcard races and we’ve come out of them in a great position. Hopefully we can continue that success into this weekend.” 

Past Results at the Daytona Road Course for Our Motorsports: 

Last year, Moffit piloted the No.02 at Homestead Miami Speedway. The team earned a 13th, place starting position, but was ultimately caught up in an incident while passing a lap car early into the race and finished 35th.

Tune in: 

The NASCAR Xfinity Series and Our Motorsports are headed back to Florida this weekend for the Contender Boats 250 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Fans can catch the action on FS1, MRN/Sirius XM NASCAR, and other local radio affiliates at 4:30pm and by following Our Motorsports on social media. 

Joe Graf Jr. and Antonio Williams welcome Z Grills to NASCAR

MOORESVILLE, N.C.: Z Grills, one of the most respected names in pellet grills, will partner with NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Joe Graf Jr. for several races this season beginning with the Call 811 Before You Dig 200 at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway on Mar. 13, 2021.

As an industry-leading manufacture for more than 30 years, Z Grills manufactured grills, kitchen equipment and outdoor products for several top brands in the industry.

Five years ago, Z Grills launched its own brand. With more than 500% yearly sales growth, Z Grills has quickly become the best pellet grills in the market and received tons of great reviews among mass media sites, BBQ influencers and Z Grills customers.

Now, Z Grills has grew into one of the most respected brands in the pellet grill industry.

Z Grills 8 in 1 pellet grills can grill, smoke, bake, roast, sear, braise, barbecue or char-grill.

“I am thrilled to welcome Z Grills to NASCAR and to our SS GreenLight Racing team,” said Graf Jr. “Grilling at race tracks has always been a staple of the environment whether you are up close and personal with the race team or race fans bonding in the infield talking about their race track experience.

“I’m excited about all the levels we can make the partnership grow throughout the season.”

Z Grills spokesperson Zeke Zhou said the partnership with Graf will help showcase their products to a much wider audience.

“This is an amazing opportunity for Z Grills,” said Zhou. “The amount of enthusiasm, professionalism and skill that Joe Graf demonstrates is the type of spokesperson we want carrying the Z Grills logo both on and off the track.

“Z Grills offers high-quality pellet grills at a fair price so everyone can infuse their food with delicious wood-fired flavor. We’re excited to see our Z Grills Chevrolet Camaro on the track throughout the season and seeing him turn up the heat on the competition.”

Buffalo Bills running back Antonio Williams has been instrumental of Graf’s partnership with Z Grills. Prior to the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Williams was announced as an investor in Graf’s racing career.

“I’m stoked about Z Grills coming to NASCAR,” added Williams. “I have been incredibly involved in the day-to-day process of putting this relationship together.

“There are a lot of synchronicities between Joe (Graf Jr.) and Z Grills and I cannot wait to see how this partnership accelerates.”

To celebrate the partnership, Z Grills is offering a 10 percent discount on every item online, using the code JoeGraf07 at checkout.

The Call 811 Before You Dig 200 is the fifth installment on the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule and will take the green flag on Sat., Mar. 13, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. (Eastern) on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90.

About Z Grills:

As industry-leading manufacture for more than 30 years, Z Grills manufactured grills, kitchen equipment and outdoor products for several top brands in the industry.

Five years ago, Z Grills launched its own brand. With more than 500% yearly sales growth, Z Grills has quickly become the best pellet grills and received tons of great reviews among media sites, BBQ influencers and Z Grills customers.

Now Z Grills has grown into one of the most respected brands in the pellet grill industry.

We are winning the market by delivering pellet grills that pack the same top brand quality in the new trademarked identity while selling directly to customers with factory-direct pricing.

No other brand of pellet grill has been able to gain such huge popularity even after coming from nowhere.

About SS Green Light Racing:

As one of the most tenured teams in all of NASCAR, SS GreenLight Racing has been a developmental hub for drivers looking to climb the ranks. Led by owner and former driver Bobby Dotter, the team has fielded entries in either the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series or the Xfinity Series competition since 2001.

SS GreenLight Racing will continue with a two-car program in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2021.

CHEVY NCS AT HOMESTEAD: Tyler Reddick Teleconference Transcript

NASCAR CUP SERIES
HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY
DIXIE VODKA 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 26, 2021

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CHEDDAR’S SCRATCH KITCHEN CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Media Teleconference Transcript:

HOW IMPORTANT IS HOMESTEAD THIS WEEKEND GIVEN IT’S ONE OF YOUR BETTER TRACKS?
“Extremely. But unfortunately, because of how bad of a start we’ve had like we really can’t go for broke. We can’t be aggressive because the first two races I think we’ve pretty much gotten like two points or something like that. So, me and Matt DiBenedetto and Ross Chastain are all in a really bad spot right now in points. And we just can’t let this slide continue because if it goes on much further, we’re going to be in a deeper hole three races in than it was at my worst right at the end of the regular season stretch before the Playoffs started. And that’s no way to start what’s supposed to be an improvement on my rough year.”

MENTALLY, HOW IS RUNNING DOUBLE DUTY FOR YOU THIS WEEKEND AT HOMESTEAD?
“For me, I don’t know how much I translate what I learn inside the car from Saturday to Sunday. But what I know is going to happen, regardless of where I’m running on Saturday, is I’m going to have a lot of fun and I’m going to understand the changes the track has had since last June when we ran there. It really did change a lot from November 2019 to June 2020. I expect a very similar, another big step in progression of the track surface kind of shifting and changing and aging as it continues to get older and older. I don’t know if it’s necessarily going to be more abrasive than it has been just as the weather has changed and it’s gone through seasons, the track just kind of changes. New bumps form. Certain seams split apart a little bit more. Some of that stuff changes. So, I’ll have that and understand that going into Sunday. But above all else, I’ll have a lot of fun racing the Xfinity car on Saturday. I’m not really trying to get anything crazy out of it to help me on Sunday other than just having a lot of fun and enjoying one of my favorite race tracks.”

WITH ROAD COURSES AND DIRT THIS YEAR, HAS SIMULATOR OVER THE YEARS FOR YOU BECOME SOMETHING MORE TO REALLY USE AS A TOOL?
“Well, with practice and qualifying and the multi-day shows disappearing for the most part, aside from a couple of weekends this year that we haven’t really experienced before, yeah you have to tap into your notebook You have to rely more on simulation to really get any kind of preparation as a driver and as a team going into a race. Without that you really don’t have any on-track time of any kind. And truly, it’s still not on-track time. It’s all through simulation. I really enjoy being able to do that work. It’s very important to treat it as realistic as possible; understanding we go to a place like Atlanta. You can’t arc it in every single lap and do all these crazy things next to the bottom and be able to have any good speed, really, in your car after 10 or 15 laps. So, you’ve really got to just make it as realistic as possible when you work on it. When you do unrealistic things, you’re going to have unrealistic expectations when you get to the race track.”

YOU SAID ON SOCIAL MEDIA YOU DIDN’T WANT TO BE REMINDED OF THAT LAST LAP AT HOMESTEAD. WHAT WAS IT LIKE AFTER THAT FOR YOU? HOW DID YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN YOURSELF? I ASSUME YOU FELT EMBARRASSED.
“Yeah, it kind of stinks. We got very fortunate though that it didn’t cost me any spots, potentially. But definitely the move that I set-up on Blaney in what I thought was the final lap in (Turns) 3 and 4, I would have waited one more lap and got a little bit closer and maybe I could have gotten third out of it. Maybe I could have taken advantage of him and Chase racing and pass them both, who knows? But I didn’t lose any spots but yeah, it kind of was an unfortunate misunderstanding. It’s happened a few times. So that’s, I think, what bothers me more about it than anything. I think back to Bristol when I was racing with RCR on the Xfinity side, I thought the Stage ended a lap early and I let Justin Allgaier get by me and it cost me a Stage win. Eventually, it’s kind of in my mind what shifted our race and kept us from keeping and getting back to the lead. So yeah, it’s embarrassing when you do stuff like that, but fortunately I didn’t lose a spot and it could have been a lot worse. I could have pulled down pit road and finished last on the lead lap.”

SINCE IT HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES, DO YOU HAVE TO DO ANYTHING MENTALLY TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING OR FOCUS ON IT?
“I think I’ve just gotten more and more comfortable and done more of this asphalt and this NASCAR racing that the potential for is I’ve let my guard down a little bit. Running short tracks growing up you’d almost just run an extra half a lap, or you’d run even after you think you’ve taken the checkered flag until you hear race control come over and start calling cars that need to go to scales and whatnot. Sometimes I think I hear things I don’t and that was the case. Derek was just saying it was one heck of a night and everyone did a good job and bring it back in one piece. So, I thought okay, the race is over; but obviously that was not the case. And then when I keyed up, I talked so long that everyone was trying to scream at me to go-go-go. I wouldn’t shut up. I didn’t hear him until I let go of the button on the steering wheel there.”

ON GETTING COMFORTABLE TRANSITIONING TO THE NASCAR CUP CARS
“The length of the race was actually a benefit for me because a lot of Xfinity races I always felt like one more stop and I’d get where I wanted to be. Obviously if you go back and look at it though, we had a lot of races where mid-way through the race it just kind of became unhinged and we would like of almost go the wrong way. I didn’t feel like that was due to just not being acclimated to the longer races, we would just make simple mistakes trying to make our car better and we already had it really close to where it needed to be. But those longer races, that can creep in. You may be at the best of what you’re capable of that day but we’re always wanting more. And sometimes we go too far, or we go the wrong way just trying to get more out of what’s not really there. So, you’ve just got to understand that and then just try to be as efficient as you can on pit road to either maintain or gain spots on pit road that way. But the length of the races and understanding how important pit road is, I feel like you could be 80 percent in the Xfinity Series and with the great pit crew like I had when I ran that series, you could really maintain on pit road and still gain spots. So, those would be the learning curves, I say.

“But mentioning the bodies on these Cup cars, I really wasn’t really too worried about that at Homestead. Granted I absolutely killed the fence when Christopher passed me a couple of years ago and it was able to hold together. But aside from running into the fence down the straightaway for whatever reason I did when I was right behind Cole before we had that battle there at the end of that race, one and a half years ago, I never really hit the fence in the Xfinity car that year. And in the Cup car I think I only maybe minorly scraped it once and I think it was when I jumped up in front of Chase and I got a pretty aggressive push. Other than that, the fence at Homestead hasn’t really been a problem for me. I’ve gotten real comfortable in understanding what my limits are and knowing where the right rear quarter panel is. But definitely, I heard all about it. You hit the fence in these Cup cars you day is over. You’ll keep cutting tires and whatnot. I think like what consider hitting the fence, and when I like scrape the fence, there’s a difference there because I’ve found there have been a few times I’ve hit the fence and thought oh, our day is done. And we just pull it back out. Yeah, we lose spots on pit road, but the problem never really re-occurs unless you absolutely just destroy the fence and hit it a bunch and knock the right front and right rears off. Then you see the tire issues.”

WITH MORE GUYS COMING FROM DIRT, DO YOU EXPECT THEM TO FAVOR THAT HIGH LINE GOING AROUND AT HOMESTEAD?
“Well, I think a lot of people after watching the championship race that year and a half ago on the Cup side, not a lot of guys really could make the fence work. Kyle Larson was really the only one that had a lot of speed up there. I think people were just saying, well it’s just Kyle. He can find speed doing it. And last year when we went back in June it was pretty obvious right away that a lot more guys were comfortable running right up against the fence; you know Chase and Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin didn’t have to but if he needed to, then he can, obviously. He’s showed that at Darlington and some of these other tracks. Kyle Busch knows how to run the fence, it’s no secret. So, I think these guys with this race that isn’t the Championship finale race, you’ll see guys being more aggressive and willing to take more risks. They definitely saw in this race we had six or seven months ago how much speed there is up there. So, more and more guys are going to be up there. But that’s going to open up the bottom and the middle and I’m all right with that too. We had a pretty good car pretty much all over the race track here six or seven months ago.”

YOU ARE STARTING IN THE BACK FOR BOTH RACES. HOW DIFFERENT IS YOUR APPROACH CONSIDERING THE DIFFERENT BODIES OF THE CARS AND THE WAY THEY DRIVE?
“Not much different. I think clean air is very important in these cars. And in the Xfinity cars you can run much closer to someone’s rear bumper, especially on the fence, than you can in a Cup car. It’s something that, you can run the fence by yourself, but you definitely have to be careful in dirty air. The car is just so much more unpredictable and has a lot less air pushing on the front of it to keep it stuck to the race track. So, obviously I think you can get away with a couple of scrapes, you know, light contact. With the Xfinity cars, you really see it. They’re really hung out a lot more. And when I do get in the fence, the right rear kind of sucks them in and then the right front gets stuck on the wall and people tell you it’s stuck and that’s because cars are so hung out going around the race track. The Cup cars are a lot more straight in light and so you can make slight contact with the wall and not get stuck on it, but you don’t want to hit it too much because when you take off on sticker tires or you have short runs and you need to run off the wall, any damage you do to the right side is going to take away from that 10 or 15-lap run speed that you have. So, you’ve really just got to keep it in one piece. There’s a lot of speed up there but you can hit it, but you don’t want to. It’ll hurt you in the beginning of the run, which could be the way the race ends, or it could be a caution at the end. You may get stuck behind and lose too much ground on a restart setting up for a green flag run if you do too much damage to your car over the course of a longer run.”

YOU ARE RIGHT NOW THE LAST OF THE BIG THREE TO NOT HAVE SCORED A VICTORY WITH CHRISTOPHER BELL GETTING HIS WIN LAST WEEK. DOES THAT PUT EXTRA PRESSURE ON YOU MOVING FORWARD?
“No, I don’t think it does. I knew that they were going to be very capable of winning races. We’ve had our opportunities last year. And, you know, so far this year if we ran cleaner races and made smarter decisions who’s to say? But you know, it’s a process. Yeah, you want to do as good as the other two that were a part of that. But everyone’s learning curve is different. They have different strengths and weaknesses. We’re all different and that’s kind of what shaped up our great battle going into Homestead. Christopher was really good at short tracks and road courses and Cole was outstanding on the 1.5-mile and the high-banked tracks. It was a good little mix and seeing them win is not a surprise, for sure. They’re all very good drivers. They’re in the right equipment to go out there and win and I believe that I’m in the right equipment to go out and win too. It’s just it’s very important to execute. There are three or four things that I should have done differently that were mistakes, in my opinion, last year in this race at Homestead. One spot on one re-start or one choice, one decision, and really shake-up how the whole race goes. So, you’ve just got to make the right decisions in those very critical times in a race and that could be the difference between finishing fourth or being up there and battling for the win. So, I’m just trying to learn that and understand that and keep learning from these new lessons that pop up and try not to make the same mistakes going forward. Through that learning process we’ll find ourselves in more opportunities to capitalize hopefully and go for those wins.”
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 75 countries with nearly 4 million cars and trucks sold in 2019. 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 www.chevrolet.com.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Chase Briscoe Homestead Media Availability

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Homestead Media Availability | Friday, February 26, 2021

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 14 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang — YOU WON AT HOMESTEAD LAST YEAR IN NXS.  WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT RACING THERE?  “To me, Homestead is just the perfect racetrack.  There’s a lot of tire falloff.  There are multiple grooves.  You obviously run on the fence.  You can run the dead bottom.  You can run the middle.  It has a lot of options.  It also changes a lot.  It reminds me a lot of dirt racing because I feel like every 5-10 laps it’s constantly changing — what groove is a little bit better.  If your car is a little too tight or a little too loose you as a driver can do a lot at Homestead to change the balance.  You can try different lines and do different things with the car.  It’s just a really, really well-built racetrack.  I wish we went there more than one time.  It’s a great facility.  Like I said, it’s a great racetrack.  It’s really the perfect racetrack, in my opinion.”

WHAT HAVE THESE FIRST TWO WEEKS BEEN LIKE FOR YOU?  “I think, for me, the biggest thing is just how many guys are competitive.  The Truck Series and the XFINITY Series it seems like there are almost three or four different races within the race, just on the equipment side of things.  In the Cup Series, it’s just very eye-opening how good everybody is and just from a driver’s standpoint everybody that’s there, I would say 90 percent of the field has all won their entire career.  They’re just good race car drivers, so that’s been the biggest thing is just how hard you race for 20th versus racing for the win in past series and things like that.  I got a little bit of experience in the Cup Series.  This past week getting to start up on the front row and kind of running up near the top five on those last couple restarts and, honestly, it felt like it was easier to race up there than it was for 20th or 25th.  So I think that’s been the biggest thing is just how many guys are just really, really good.  How many cars are really good and everybody that’s there is there for a reason and that’s been pretty eye-opening to me is just how tough it is to gain track position.  The XFINITY stuff you could start in the back and you were gonna be able to be up front fairly quickly.  The Cup Series there’s still guys that can do that, but it’s a lot tougher, so that’s been the biggest thing I would say has been most eye-opening to me.”

WHAT HAS JOHNNY TRIED TO DO TO KEEP YOUR SPIRITS UP?  “I think the 500 to finish 19th wasn’t obviously what we were wanting, but for the day that we had I think we were lucky to get out of there with a 19th with how our day went.  And then the road course, truthfully, for how much damage we had I felt like at the end if I didn’t get into the back of Denny I could have probably ran seventh or eighth, so I know from a speed standpoint we’ve been really strong.  The road course is really the only time we’ve been able to even kind of see where we stack up, but I felt like we were able to drive from the back to the front a couple times or at least the tail end of the top 10.  I feel like Johnny has still been super pumped up.  He’s been kind of keeping me in the game as far as telling me — for the amount of damage we had we were still really, really good last week.  We were still up in the mix there at the end and I felt like last week was really our first attempt for me and Johnny to work together and actually make adjustments and do all these things.  I felt like he did a really, really good job of making our car better throughout the race even with the damage we had.  I felt like it drove really, really good and I think we’re both excited for this week.  We’re just trying to stay focused on continuing to try and learn as much as we can about each other and build that notebook.  This is gonna be our first real test all year long of what we’re gonna do for the majority of the year, so I think Johnny has done a good job of keeping me motivated and just telling me that it’s gonna be hard at the beginning and we understand there’s gonna be challenges at the beginning and just learning curves to get over.  I think not only Johnny but my entire team has done a really good job of understanding that it’s gonna take a little bit of time to be consistently running up front and it’s gonna take time of probably tearing up race cars and just making mistakes to learn not to do those anymore and that’s been the big thing for me in the Cup Series just in these first two weeks is learning that you really have to take care of your race car because with this body that’s something I haven’t had the last two years.  With the XFINITY car we’d kind of beat it around a little bit and still be OK, where on the Cup side it really kills you and this week is gonna be another example of that.  I think we’ll be good this week.  We’re starting 30th, so we need to just run the race in segments, that’s what Johnny and the engineers told me all week leading up to this is, ‘We’re starting 30th, let’s try to be by lap 20 in the top 20.’  Every pit stop, every restart we just need to try and gain two or three spots and by the end of the race we’re gonna be up in the front hopefully.   That’s what we kind of have in our gameplan going into this week.  It’s just a matter of executing it.”

KEVIN HARVICK HAS BEEN A MENTOR WHILE YOU WERE IN XFINITY.  HAS THAT CONTINUED?  “I feel like Kevin has still been nothing but great to me and all of the SHR teammates, whether it’s Cole, Kevin or Aric have all been great.  At Daytona I was using all of them quite a bit.  Last week, I didn’t use them as much just because I felt like that it was gonna be pretty similar to the XFINITY car.  I still talked to Cole a little bit, but Kevin has always been absolutely great to me.  Anytime I have a question or a concern or just anything he’s been a wide-open door and a wide-open book for me to be able to use.  It’s been great to be able to have a resource like that and I feel bad, I kind of wait until the race weekend to even go talk to him just because I’m sure he’s really busy in the week.  I don’t want to bother him.  That’s a big thing for me is I don’t want to wear him out, so I’ve been kind of waiting until the racetrack, which is pretty late to go get answers, but he’s just such a busy guy and I don’t want to wear him out during the middle of the week.  But he’s been great so far through these first two weeks and I’m sure as the year goes on he’s gonna continue to be.”

HOW MUCH COULD YOU SEEN WHEN THE HOOD CAME UP ONTO YOUR WINDSHIELD?  “I actually had that similar experience before.  In 2018, the XFINITY race at Bristol, my dash came up — the flat panel above where our dash lays, but the flat part flew up and I drove around Bristol for probably 20-25 laps just by looking at the catchfence.  That’s all I could see, so I had a little bit of experience with it.  But the hood deal, it was hard.  It was easier than the dash, I felt like, but it was hard because all of the power-steering fluid, when I hit Denny, sprayed up on the windshield, so that was the hardest part of the whole thing was I just couldn’t see through the windshield itself, and then with the hood flying up, plus no power-steering, it was kind of chaotic.  Once the hood flew up I knew our day was pretty much over.  I ran one lap trying to see kind of where I could stack up and then it got to where it was almost impossible to see and then just the steering was getting so stiff that it was hard for me to do anything, but it was tough.  I was just trying to look out the left side and the right side.  The biggest thing is I was ducking my head so I could see below the hood a little bit, so definitely wasn’t easy and it wasn’t ideal, but it was still doable.  I think if I would have had power-steering I felt like I could have hung on quite a bit better, but that was the biggest thing is just no power-steering.  It was really hard for me to do all those chicanes and what-not.”

YOUR ODDS ARE 80:1 TO WIN THIS RACE.  DOES THAT GIVE YOU EXTRA MOTIVATION?  “I don’t know.  I think no matter what the odds are, if they were 3:1 or 100:1 I’m trying just as hard to win the race, but I do feel like Homestead is a great racetrack for me.  Statistically, it’s my best racetrack, so I’m hoping this week we can go and have a good run.  I think winning the race is gonna be tough, obviously, still being pretty early in this deal, but I do feel like this is a place where out of any racetrack on the schedule I feel like this is the one place I really know what to look for in the car.  I feel like no matter what I have I can make up for a little bit, and I feel like Homestead is one of those places where it seems like the guys that run good there typically always run good there.  You look at Reddick, he was always really good there and then in the Cup Series it was no different — Kyle Larson and all those guys.  I’m confident going into this week just because I do feel like I understand how to get around the racetrack well.  It would be a nice look for somebody if I did end up winning at 80:1, but it doesn’t matter what the odds are I’m gonna try to win and do my best no matter what.”

ARE THERE CERTAIN CONCEPTS IN THESE CUP CARS YOU’RE STILL TRYING TO GRASP?  “I think the biggest thing is, like I was saying earlier, the XFINITY car — a perfect example this weekend at Homestead.  You could hit the fence a couple times and there’s gonna be no issues.  The body just bounces right back.  The Cup Series it seems like if you just literally scrape the thing you’re gonna have a tire going down and it just kills your aero platform and everything else.  So, for me, looking back at Daytona last weekend I felt like in the XFINITY car I would have early in the race dove in under Bubba like that and once I realized he was not gonna give me the room, if I would have spun out it would have been no problem.  It wouldn’t have even really torn up the car, but then with this body it just kills you and I think just knowing that risk vs. reward early in the race is something to definitely keep in mind and something that in the past I haven’t really worried about.  And it’s gonna be the exact same this weekend.  Going back and watching video from the last couple Homestead races, the wall is gonna be faster, but none of the Cup guys really run the wall until the last 30-40 laps just because it’s not worth it up until that point.  Reddick was able to run up front for a large majority of the race because he was willing to risk that.  You see guys in the past, they’ll be the fastest car all day long and then they get in the wall one time and their day is kind of over.  I think that’s the biggest thing that’s been a challenge for me is just learning that risk vs. reward and not that you can ride around, it’s just knowing when to try to push a little bit harder and maybe run closer to the wall or dive in under somebody with a chance of potentially damaging your car.  That’s been something that’s been hard for me because in the past if there’s a hole, go for it, where in the Cup Series you kind of have to keep in mind you need your car for the end of the race.  Every little dent or ding on it is really gonna affect you from a balance standpoint and a speed standpoint.”

IS PANDA EXPRESS SPONSORING YOU YET?  “No, not that I’m aware of.  They haven’t reached out to do a gift card or anything, so I think my Panda days might be over for a little while.  Nothing yet, and, truthfully, the last two weeks I’ve gone to Panda I’ve had terrible luck in the race, so I better take a break for a little while.”

HOW WAS THAT EXPERIENCE GETTING BACK IN THE CAR AFTER EATING THAT?  “I was all good on that side.  I just feel like my luck has been terrible.  Both times I went I’ve crashed out of the race, so better take a break from Panda for a while.”

NASCAR Announces Multiyear Partnership With DoorDash

DoorDash Accelerates Presence in Sport with Wide-Ranging Official Partnership and Commitment to Supporting Local Businesses

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 26, 2021) – NASCAR announced today a multiyear partnership with DoorDash, the nation’s leading last-mile logistics platform, that will designate it as the “Official On-Demand Delivery Platform of NASCAR.” The wide-ranging agreement will span across the sanctioning body and 11 NASCAR-owned facilities.

Over the course of their partnership, DoorDash and NASCAR, two of the fastest-growing brands with Gen Z consumers*, will collaborate meaningfully to empower local communities. Additionally, DoorDash will look to deepen its connection with race fans by bringing the DoorDash experience to NASCAR tracks over the coming years through highlighting local restaurants within racing communities.

“DoorDash is a category leader and one of the fastest growing brands in the country, their expanded presence in NASCAR underscores the incredible momentum being generated around this historic season,” said Frank Kelleher, senior vice president and chief sales officer, NASCAR. “Together, NASCAR and DoorDash are committed to giving back to the communities in which we race while drastically improving the fan experience at our facilities.”

DoorDash entered the sport in 2020 by announcing a partnership with NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace and a founding partnership of 23XI Racing. The DoorDash logo is prominently featured on the hood of the No. 23 DoorDash Toyota Camry for 23XI Racing, seen during the first two points races of the season at Daytona International Speedway.

“This partnership enables us to expand our engagement and build a further connection with the racing community, while activating against our values of diversity and empowering local communities,” said Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, DoorDash’s VP, Marketing. “We are committed to leveraging our platform and resources to create a more inclusive environment for racing fans in the coming years and look forward to working with NASCAR to create unique and authentic experiences for fans and food-lovers alike.”

As part of the relationship, DoorDash will also activate across NASCAR’s rapidly growing social and digital platforms. Additionally, eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series broadcasts will integrate DoorDash branding throughout the remainder of its season. DoorDash also joins the NASCAR Fuel for Business Council, bringing together an exclusive group of Official NASCAR Partners to construct business-to-business opportunities and co-marketing programs.

*Source: Morning Consult, 2020

Tune-in to the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and MRN.

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series™), three regional series, one local grassroots series, three international series and the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on FacebookTwitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

About DoorDash

DoorDash is a technology company that connects consumers with their favorite local and national businesses in more than 4,000 cities and all 50 states across the United States, Canada, and Australia. Founded in 2013, DoorDash enables local businesses to address consumers’ expectations of ease and immediacy and thrive in today’s convenience economy. By building the last-mile logistics infrastructure for local commerce, DoorDash is bringing communities closer, one doorstep at a time. Read more on the DoorDash blog or at www.doordash.com.