Matt DiBenedetto and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team will be back at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday for the second points race of the 2021 Cup Series season and the team’s second race this year on the Speedway’s 3.61-mile, 14-turn road course.

Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 takes the spot on the schedule normally held by Auto Club Speedway in California, where concerns about the ongoing pandemic led to the race being moved to Daytona.

DiBenedetto and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team raced on the road course on Feb. 9 in the non-points Busch Clash and finished 10th.

DiBenedetto said he was glad to get in 35 laps in race conditions on the Daytona course as he and the team prepare for the seven points-paying road-course races this season.

“Road courses are where we’re working the hardest to improve,” he said. “Our team is very well rounded between superspeedways, intermediates and short tracks, but we just haven’t been able to get the exact feel I’m looking for on road courses.

“I’m glad we got to run the Clash. That helps us evaluate what we need to improve our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang. We’re hoping to have a solid outcome on Sunday and get a good finish to build on.”

DiBenedetto said that while he was disappointed to be knocked out of the Daytona 500 before having a chance to show the speed of the No. 21 Mustang, he’s still very bullish on 2021.

“It was definitely not the way we want to start the season, but it’s early, and this weekend gives us a chance to go out there and redeem ourselves,” he said. “We’ve got a string of really, really good tracks coming up. We need to take advantage of that and continue to build on the momentum we had at the end of last season.”

There will be no practice or qualifying for Sunday’s 70-lap race, which will have Stage breaks at 16 and 34 laps.

FOX will carry the TV broadcast, and the green flag is set to fly just after 3 p.m. Eastern Time.

About Motorcraft:

Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln Dealers, independent distributors and automotive parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Omnicraft:

Omnicraft is part of the Ford lineup of parts brands: Ford Parts, Motorcraft and Omnicraft. Omnicraft is the exclusive non-Ford/Lincoln parts brand of premium aftermarket parts. With over a century of parts heritage to build upon, Omnicraft provides excellent quality and fit and is a preferred choice of professional automotive technicians. To find out more about Omnicraft, visit www.omnicraftautoparts.com or contact your local Ford or Lincoln Dealership.

About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center

Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine vehicle maintenance including tire repair and replacement with a Low Tire Price Guarantee and a full menu of automotive services including oil and filter, brakes, alignments, batteries, and shocks and struts on all vehicle makes and models. Service is performed by certified technicians at more than 1,000 locations worldwide while you wait, and no appointment is necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 200,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Matt DiBenedetto in the famous No. 21 racer.

This Week in Motorsports: February 15-21, 2021
· NCS/NXS/NCWTS: Daytona International Speedway Road Course – February 19-21

PLANO, Texas (February 17, 2021) – Its back to Daytona for NASCAR’s top three series, but this time they are going right and left on the Daytona Road Course.

NASCAR National Series – NCS| NXS| NCWTS

Hamlin strong at Daytona… Denny Hamlin has proven to be the driver to beat on the high banks of Daytona’s speedway layout, but is no slouch on the road course layout as well. In the first race on the track in August, Hamlin led 16 of 65 laps and finished second. Last week, Hamlin added an additional 21 laps leading the field during the Clash on Tuesday evening.

Busch looking for second Daytona Road Course victory in two weeks… Kyle Busch started Daytona Speedweeks with a victory in the non-points Clash event last Tuesday that was held on the Daytona Road Course with a last-lap pass. Busch owns four road course victories in his career, including two each at Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen International.

Truex knows his way around the road courses… Martin Truex Jr. always seems to find the front at road course events. Truex finished third in the first Daytona road course event last August and led laps in the Clash last week. The New Jersey-native owns four road course victories during his career.

Jones plans to be one spot better… Brandon Jones had many great moments as part of a career 2020 season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, including a runner-up finish at the Daytona Road Course where he led two laps and scored his career-best road course result.

Rhodes wins early… Ben Rhodes began the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season in the best way possible as he drove his new Tundra to victory lane. It was Rhodes first win in Daytona and the fourth of his career. It was a perfect homecoming for Rhodes and ThorSport Racing as they scored the win in the team’s first race back with Toyota.

Toyota looking for 200… After Rhodes’ victory at Daytona, Toyota is sitting at 199 Truck Series victories. Toyota scored the first victory in the manufacturer’s debut Truck Series season when former Toyota driver Travis Kvapil won at Michigan International Speedway on July 31, 2004. Since the debut season, Toyota has a series-record 11 manufacturer’s titles and eight driver championships.

Hill looks to bounce back… Truck Series championship contender Austin Hill will debut a new scheme on his Toyota Tundra this weekend and looks for another solid Daytona Road Course event. Hill was in front of the field for one lap and scored a top-five finish last August.

Stay Connected

https://www.toyota.com/racing @ToyotaRacing.com @ToyotaRacing

facebook.com/ToyotaRacing Camera With Flash on Apple iOS 11.3 ToyotaRacingMedia.com

# # #

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.

Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Express Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Race Info:
Race: O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 At Daytona
Date/Time: Feb. 21/3:00 p.m. ET
Distance: 70 laps/253 miles
Track Length: 3.61 miles (14 Turns)
Track Shape: Road Course-Oval Hybrid
Banking: 31 degrees
2020 Winner: Chase Elliot

Express Notes:

Press Kit: Download the 2021 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Chris Gabehart and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights and statistics.

Daytona 500 Recap: Hamlin and his FedEx “Where Now Meets Next” Toyota won Stages 1 and 2, while leading 98 of the event’s 200 laps. When he wasn’t out front, he was actively weaving his way back up there, and it appeared he could be on his way to earning his fourth career – and third straight – Harley J. Earl trophy. With one last green-flag pit stop needed, Hamlin and the other Toyota drivers ducked down pit road together on Lap 173. But Hamlin and his teammates were too detached exiting pit road to blend back into traffic in the lead. Hamlin found himself in 13th with about 20 laps remaining, with the field staying single file until the white flag. The lead-lap group of cars then spread out for a dash to the finish, and contact between a pair of Team Penske cars triggered a last-lap wreck. Michael McDowell squeaked through for the win, while Hamlin crossed the line in fifth.

Daytona Road Course Outlook: The 2021 NASCAR series moves on, but is not going anywhere as the teams stay in Daytona Beach this week with the running of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 at the Daytona Road Course. Hamlin will look to secure his first career win in the 253-mile, 14-turn road course race. Hamlin and the FedEx Racing team are coming off a strong performance in the Daytona 500 and will look to use this momentum in order to end up in Victory Lane.

Hamlin Statistics:

Track: Daytona International Speedway – Road Course
Races: 1
Wins: 0
Top-5: 1
Top-10: 1
Laps Led: 16
Avg. Start: 2
Avg. Finish: 2

Hamlin Conversation – Daytona Road Course:

The rain delay during the Daytona 500 didn’t seem to affect your performance on the track. In Florida, do you almost have to expect weather to play a part in the race weekend?

“That was quite a long delay we had, but our team just maintained focus. You never have control over the weather or if a race will be delayed so you always have to stay ready. You never know when you’re going to hear, OK it’s race time.”

You led a solid amount of the laps in the Clash on the Daytona Road Course. How will you use that to your advantage?

“Yeah, we had a fast car during the Clash, and I’m sure this weekend won’t be any different. We’ll take that data and learn from it, and it will certainly help us as we return to the same course. It’s going to be a tough race like all road courses are, but I’m confident in our team to put us in a position to win.”

FedEx Express Along for the Ride at Daytona Road Course: FedEx Express recognizes the employees at the MLBA station in Melbourne, Fla., for their dedication to People Service Profit and commitment to the Purple Promise by featuring the letters MLBA on the B-post of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota at the O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 at Daytona. The MLBA team prides itself on operational excellence and is dedicated to making every FedEx experience outstanding.

SPIRE MOTORSPORTS PARTNERS WITH NETFLIX TO PROMOTE “THE CREW” FOR O’REILLY AUTO PARTS 253

CONCORD, N.C. (February 17, 2021) – A new season breaths new life into the spirit of any sports fan. Major League Baseball fans live for Opening Day. Alumni and die hards alike, bask in the glory of the first kick signaling a new season of college football. For National Hockey League fans, the drop of the first puck is a long-awaited moment that began immediately after the previous season’s champion hoisted the Stanley Cup.

In NASCAR circles, the Daytona 500 is the Super Bowl of stock car racing. The countdown to the Great American Race begins immediately following the final checkered flag the November before. But what about the lull that’s sure trail the biggest race of the season? Thirty five points races dot the calendar for the next 10 months. Get ready for the grind.

Cue Netflix’ latest sitcom “The Crew,” and NASCAR fans can beat their day-after-the-500 blues with the hilarity that is bound to follow Kevin James in his newest role as the veteran crew chief for Bobby Spencer Racing.

Spire Motorsports and Netflix have partnered to showcase “The Crew” aboard the team’s No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro with driver Corey LaJoie in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 from Daytona International Speedway’s road course.

“The Crew,” streaming now on Netflix, stars James along with fellow cast members Jillian Mueller, Freddie Stroma, Sarah Stiles, Gary Anthony Williams, Dan Ahdoot, Paris Berelc and Bruce McGill. The NASCAR-themed Netflix comedy follows James when the team owner steps down and passes the torch to his daughter (Mueller). James keeps the laughs coming as he protects himself and his crew from her attempts to modernize the team.

“We’re excited to see ‘The Crew’ on the No. 7 this weekend,” said Spire Motorsports co-owner T.J. Puchyr. “We were fortunate enough to work with Netflix last year at the Michigan double-header so we’ve been looking forward to it. Our whole organization has had a lot of fun collaborating with Netflix on this project. Seeing the show drop this week is the icing on the cake.”

LaJoie steered the No. 7 entry to a ninth-place finish last Sunday in the 63rd running of the Daytona 500 at the track’s legendary 2.5-mile superspeedway. The solid effort marked LaJoie’s third top-10 finish in NASCAR Cup Series competition at the World Center of Racing. The 29-year-old Concord, N.C., native logged a 32nd-place finish last season in his lone start at the facility’s daunting 3.61-mile road course.

“We had a great start to the season at the Daytona 500,” said LaJoie. “Obviously, you always want to be in position to race for the win but to start off the year by finishing ninth in the biggest race of the season is pretty gratifying. We’re going to do our best to build on that momentum as we get ready for the Daytona road course race. It’s going to be a lot of fun to have ‘The Crew’ on our car this weekend. Kevin James is always a lot of laughs and ‘The Crew’ is a great reminder not to take ourselves too seriously.”

The O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 will be televised live on FOX Sunday, February 21 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). The second of 36 races on the 2021 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports was established in 2018 and is co-owned by longtime NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. Spire Motorsports earned an upset victory for the ages in its first full season when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. The team will field the Nos. 7 and 77 Chevrolet Camaros in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2021.

About The Crew …
“The Crew” stars Kevin James as a crew chief for the fictional Bobby Spencer Racing team. When the owner steps down and passes the team off to his daughter (Jillian Mueller), James has to protect himself and his crew from her attempts to modernize the team. Freddie Stroma portrays Jake Martin, charismatic driver of the team’s No. 74 Fake Steak-sponsored car. Sarah Stiles, Gary Anthony Williams, Dan Ahdoot, Paris Berelc and Bruce McGill also star. Jeff Lowell (The Ranch, Two and a Half Men, Spin City) will serve as writer, showrunner and executive producer. Andy Fickman (Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, Playing With Fire) directed all episodes and serves as an executive producer. James, Jeff Sussman (The King of Queens, Paul Blart) and Todd Garner (Tag, Isn’t It Romantic, Mortal Kombat) will also serve as executive producers. Matt Summers and Tim Clark will executive produce for NASCAR.

SPIRE MOTORSPORTS PARTNERS WITH AIRMEDCARE NETWORK FOR O’REILLY AUTO PARTS 253

CONCORD, N.C. (February 16, 2021) – Spire Motorsports will showcase AirMedCare Network aboard the team’s No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro with driver Justin Haley in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 at the Daytona International Speedway road course.

The 70-lap event will mark Haley’s first race in the seat of the No. 77 machine this season after Jamie McMurray steered the entry to an eighth-place finish last Sunday in the 63rd running of the Daytona 500.

The AirMedCare Network (AMCN) is a Global Medical Response solution and is America’s largest air ambulance membership network, deploying from 320 locations across 38 states. ACMN’s bases are operated by in-network providers, located regionally in 38 states across the country.

AMCN strives to protect patients and their families from the overwhelming financial burden that could arise from unexpected medical emergencies requiring air transportation. For as little as $85 per year ($65 a year if someone in the household is over 60-years-old), AMCN provides members with an affordable plan to insulate them from the high deductibles and co-pays that often accompany life-saving air medical transportation.

“AirMedCare Network is excited to partner with NASCAR, Spire Motorsports, and Justin Haley, driver of car No. 77,” said Keith Hovey, Vice President of Membership and Marketing for AirMedCare Network. “Together we are a great team, and all of us at AirMedCare Network will be cheering Justin on to Victory Lane on race day.”

Haley, a 21-year-old driver from Winimac, Ind., has five previous NCS starts to his credit, including a surprise win in the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Daytona’s famed 2.5-mile superspeedway. The victory marked both Haley’s and Spire Motorsports’ first win in NASCAR’s premiere division. He’s spent the last two seasons as the full-time driver of the No. 11 NASCAR Xfinity Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing where the three-time winner on NASCAR’s junior circuit returns in 2021 to pursue the series’ title.

After leading seven laps and running near the front of the field for much of last Saturday’s 300-mile Xfinity Series season opener at DIS, Haley was collected in a late-race, multi-car incident, leaving him 29th in the final rundown.

“We’re thrilled to pair Justin Haley and our No. 77 team with the AirMedCare Network,” said Spire Motorsports co-owner T.J. Puchyr. “Justin is obviously a very talented young driver, so there’s always a little bit of extra excitement in our camp when he’s in that car. We’re coming off the biggest race of the season and now it’s time to settle in and get ready for the bulk of the schedule.”

The O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 will be televised live on FOX Sunday, February 21 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). The second of 36 races on the 2021 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports was established in 2018 and is co-owned by longtime NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. Spire Motorsports earned an upset victory for the ages in its first full season when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. The team will field the Nos. 7 and 77 Chevrolet Camaros in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2021.

About AirMedCare Network …
AirMedCare Network is an alliance among Air Evac Lifeteam, Guardian Flight, Med-Trans Corporation and REACH Air Medical Services, creating America’s largest air ambulance membership network. Since 1985, we’ve been selling our memberships, and have over 3 million members today. Our affiliate providers operate over 350 aircraft (fixed wing and rotor) in over 325 locations in 38 States across the country. Our providers transported over 125,000 patients in 2020.

Team: No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Luke Lambert
Twitter: @17RoushTeam, @RoushFenway and @Chris_Buescher

O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 at Daytona – Sunday, Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Buescher at the Daytona RC

· Buescher makes his second points start on the Daytona Road Course this weekend where last summer he utilized his road-racing experience to deliver a top-five result.

· In the Cup Series’ first-ever event on the 3.57-mile road course last summer, Buescher was in the hunt and showed speed in his Fastenal Ford to weave through the field and finish fifth. It marked his first-ever top five on a road course in the NCS, and Jack Roush’s first top five on a road course since 2014.

· Most recently, Buescher ran the 35-lap Clash exhibition race last week in Daytona, and was inside the top-5 late before getting spun in the final laps to ultimately finish 16th.

· Buescher had an impressive average finish of 10.7 in six road course events in the Xfinity Series with one win and four top-10s.

Luke Lambert at the Daytona RC

· Lambert was atop the box for last summer’s inaugural event on the Daytona Road Course, calling an impressive race that saw Buescher drive to the fifth-place result.

· Lambert has 18 starts atop the box at road course events in the NCS, with three top-10s and the best result being the most recent last summer.

· Lambert also has three NXS starts at road courses with a best finish of fourth coming with Elliott Sadler in 2012 at Montreal.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing on the road course:
“Going right back to Daytona is definitely unique, but I’m excited to head back to the road course where we seem to have had decent speed last week, as well as last summer. Unfortunately last week, we got caught up in someone else’s mess coming down to the final few laps, but last year I think we showed what our road course program is capable of. Sunday is an opportunity to steal some big points right out of the gate, and we look forward to doing that in the Fastenal Ford Mustang.”

Last Time Out
Buescher was caught up in the multi-car incident on lap 14 of the Daytona 500, which ultimately caused damage too severe to return to the track following a lengthy weather delay. He finished 31st.

On the Car
Fastenal returns to the fold at Roush Fenway for its 11th season in 2021. They spent three years on the No. 99 before jumping to the No. 17 Cup Series entry, and were the primary partner on the No. 60 Xfinity team that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.

Fastenal will feature top suppliers MCR, KCP, Walter Tool, Krylon and Louisville on Buescher’s Mustang as he competes this weekend. For more information on these suppliers, visit Fastenal.com, and stay up-do-date on social @FastenalRacing, @Fastenal.

About Fastenal
Fastenal [Nasdaq: FAST] is North America’s largest fastener distributor and a ‘one-stop’ source for hundreds of thousands of OEM, MRO and Construction products. With more than 2,600 stores worldwide, the company supports B2B customers with tailored local inventory and dedicated personnel, who visit regularly, quickly respond to emergency needs, and provide efficient inventory management solutions. Fastenal’s service-oriented business network includes the world’s largest industrial vending program, 14 regional distribution centers, 8 custom manufacturing facilities, thousands of delivery vehicles, and industry-leading sourcing, quality and engineering resources.