Team:                   No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief:         Luke Lambert

Twitter:                @17RoushTeam, @RoushFenway and @Chris_Buescher

Busch Clash – Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Buescher in the Clash

·         Buescher makes his second start in the annual Clash event on Tuesday, and first since 2017. The 2021 field is limited to 2020 pole winners, past Clash winners who competed full-time in 2020, Daytona 500 Champions who competed full-time in 2020, former Daytona 500 pole winners who competed full time in 2020 and 2020 NCS Playoff drivers, race winners and stage winners.

·         Newman is coming off a fifth-place run in the exhibition race a season ago after starting on the pole following a random draw. He has four top-five results in the Clash all-time, including second in 2005, third in 2011 and fourth in 2003.

·         The 2021 edition of the Clash moves to the Daytona Road Course, where the NASCAR Cup Series competed at for the first time last summer. Newman ran 19^th in that event.

·         Tuesday’s race serves as a primer for the newly-established second race of the NCS regular season, when the series heads right back to Daytona for a points event on the road course.

·         The random draw to determine Tuesday’s starting lineup will take place Monday night at 7 p.m. ET.

Luke Lambert in the Clash

·         Lambert makes his sixth start in the Clash on Tuesday atop the box, after four prior appearances with Newman and one with Jeff Burton.

·         Lambert has two finishes of eighth – one with Burton in 2011 and again in 2014 with Newman.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing in the Clash:
“Just getting back to the track in general is very exciting, and we’re ready to kick this thing off after a busy offseason. Hitting the road course at Daytona will be quite different for this format, but I’m a fan of road course racing and feel good about where we are, especially coming off the top five there last summer. We’re looking forward to it, and hopefully it gives us a solid plan for week two.”

On the Car
Fastenal returns to the fold at Roush Fenway for its 11^th 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.

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.

Armor All Returns to NASCAR with Erik Jones

WELCOME, N.C. (February 5, 2021)—In anticipation of the 63rd annual DAYTONA 500, Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) announced today a partnership with the Armor All® brand, a leader in car care, providing consumers with innovative products that clean, shine and protect automotive surfaces. Armor All will be the primary partner of the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS), piloted by Erik Jones, at the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on Sunday, February 14.

Armor All, an Energizer Holdings, Inc., brand, will be returning to NASCAR for the first time since 2010, and reigniting its celebrated history in the sport by partnering with Richard Petty Motorsports. Some of the highlights of the brand’s involvement at the Daytona International Speedway includes a fifth-place finish with Neil Bonnett in the 1976 DAYTONA 500. In the 2008 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) season-opener, Armor All collected their first victory for the brand with Tony Stewart.

“We are proud to showcase the Armor All brand on racing’s biggest stage,” Katina Wall, category leader, Americas Auto Care, Energizer Holdings, said. “Our sister brand, STP, has won four DAYTONA 500s on the iconic No. 43. We are looking forward to Armor All getting its first one with Erik Jones and Richard Petty Motorsports.”

The 24-year-old Byron, Michigan, native has eight starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at the 2.5-mile tri-oval in Daytona Beach, Fla. Jones posted a victory at the Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2018, and has collected two top-five finishes and three top-10 finishes, recording 36 laps led. In addition, Jones has six starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and one start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) at the Daytona International Speedway

“It is cool to have the Armor All brand on our No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE,” Jones said. “I am excited to work with them. I grew up using the Armor All brand of products on a lot of the stuff that we worked on and cleaned. I continue to use them today.”

“The Armor All brand paint scheme looks great. I have seen our No. 43 Armor All Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the Richard Petty Motorsports shop. I think the orange and black is going to stand out during the DAYTONA 500, and hopefully we can get them to victory lane.”

A longtime partner of Richard Petty, the STP brand will celebrate 50 years of a storied partnership with the start of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. Together, STP and Petty have collected 64 victories, including four in the DAYTONA 500. Continuing to partner with Richard Petty Motorsports, STP, which delivers products that help engines run better, longer, joins Jones at the ‘Great American Race’ debuting a special 50th anniversary logo commemorating the partnership.

In addition, STP will serve as an associate partner on the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for the entirety of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season with Richard Petty Motorsports.

The DAYTONA 500 at the Daytona International Speedway will be broadcast live on FOX on Sunday, February 14 at 2:30 p.m. (ET). It will also broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

About Energizer Holdings, Inc.

Energizer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ENR), headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and distributors of primary batteries, portable lights, and auto care appearance, performance, refrigerant, and fragrance products. Our portfolio of globally recognized brands include Energizer®, Armor All®, Eveready®, Rayovac®, STP®, Varta®, A/C Pro®, Refresh Your Car! ®, California Scents®, Driven®, Bahama & Co. ®, LEXOL®, Eagle One®, Nu Finish®, Scratch Doctor®, and Tuff Stuff®. As a global branded consumer products company, Energizer’s mission is to lead the charge to deliver value to our customers and consumers better than anyone else.

About Richard Petty Motorsports

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

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

No. 8 Lenovo Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Debuts with driver Tyler Reddick at the Daytona 500

WELCOME, NC (February 5, 2021) – Today Richard Childress Racing and Lenovo announced a strategic technology partnership. Lenovo will collaborate with the iconic NASCAR team to provide innovative technology products designed to transform motorsports. The global technology company will kick off the relationship with primary branding on the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE driven by Tyler Reddick at this year’s Daytona 500.

“We view Lenovo as a vital technology partner that will contribute first-hand to Richard Childress Racing’s on-track and off-track successes through close collaboration and the direct use of innovative technology products,” said Torrey Galida, President of Richard Childress Racing. “RCR welcomes an Intelligent Transformation through Lenovo and we look forward to having Lenovo on board the No. 8 Chevrolet with driver Tyler Reddick at this year’s Daytona 500.”

Reddick, 25, enters his second year of fulltime competition in the NASCAR Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing this season. He is a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion. Although Lenovo has been involved in multiple forms of motorsport over the years, this will mark their first foray into NASCAR team sponsorship.

Lenovo’s Intelligent Devices Group (IDG) leads the PC market with a full portfolio of high-performance ThinkPadTM laptops, ThinkCentreTM desktops and ThinkStationTM desktop PCs and sleek ThinkVisionTM monitors. Lenovo’s technology extends beyond the PC into gaming devices, mobile devices, versatile accessories and ThinkSystemTM servers. This will enable the RCR team to work smarter and have a direct impact on areas of competition.

“This partnership will allow the RCR team to see first-hand Lenovo’s commitment to innovation and solution optimizations that will transform the racing experience for their team, engineers and spectators,” said Thomas Hurlbut, Global General Manager, Lenovo OEM Solutions.

The Daytona 500 airs live on FOX at 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Feb. 14.

For more information, please visit rcrracing.com and Lenovo.com.

About Richard Childress Racing:
Richard Childress Racing (rcrracing.com) is a renowned, performance-driven racing, marketing and manufacturing organization. Incorporated in 1969, RCR has celebrated over 50 years of racing and earned more than 200 victories and 16 championships, including six in the NASCAR Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series and is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 (1998, 2007, 2018). Its 2020 NASCAR Cup Series lineup includes two-time NASCAR champion, 2017 Coca-Cola 600 winner and 2018 Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon (No. 3 Chevrolet), along with two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Tyler Reddick (No. 8 Chevrolet). RCR fields a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series program with Myatt Snider (No. 2 Chevrolet)

About Lenovo:
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a US$50 billion Fortune Global 500 company, with 63,000 employees and operating in 180 markets around the world. Focused on a bold vision to deliver smarter technology for all, we are developing world-changing technologies that create a more inclusive, trustworthy and sustainable digital society. By designing, engineering and building the world’s most complete portfolio of smart devices and infrastructure, we are also leading an Intelligent Transformation – to create better experiences and opportunities for millions of customers around the world. To find out more visit www.lenovo.com, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Weibo and read about the latest news via our StoryHub.

Toyota Racing – Martin Truex Jr.
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DAYTONA BEACH (February 5, 2021) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. was made available to media via videoconference prior to the Daytona 500 this Friday:

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Have you had any conversations with Denny Hamlin? What do you think is the key to his success at superspeedways?

“We definitely talk. We have team meetings about speedway race, pretty much every time during the weekend or right before. I really understand the strategy involved. Now, when it comes to unique things and how you make moves and things like that, Denny is obviously very good at Daytona and Talladega, speedway racing. Those are little things that he doesn’t really share, but we do have access to him a little bit.”

This is the one race that you and Kyle Busch haven’t won. What would it mean to cross it off?

“It would be huge. We’ve been trying for a long time. It’s a tough race to win. We’ve been really close. I think for us, trying how to be better at speedway racing is something in general that we’ve worked on over the last handful of years. I feel like we have made some gains there for sure, but still not getting the results that we want. Still working hard on it, and I think for us, the biggest thing is trying to figure out a way to get to the end of the race, and that’s the biggest thing. I feel like every time we make it to the end of one of these speedway races, we’re in the hunt and we have a chance, but still working on how to be better with technique and moves, understanding the draft and how it works with the car, because it changes each year. See what the rules are like and go from there.”

Joe Gibbs Racing announced an extension with Denny Hamlin. Where are things with you?

“We have had talks and things have moved forward.”

Does it get more frustrating or less frustrating if you get caught up in wrecks at superspeedways?

“It definitely does not get any easier. It’s still just frustrating as you can say. Especially, when you run 450-miles and things are going well, your car is good, you’re in a good position and you feel like this time things may be a little bit different and then boom, here’s the big wreck right in front of you. It doesn’t get any less frustrating that’s for sure, but you understand that it’s a part of it. I just look at every avenue of strategy, and what can I do each race. It just seems like each race is so different. You just have to kind of shift and adjust on the fly and hope you make the right decision as far as where you are running the field and the cars you are around. There’s really no science behind it. It just happens or it doesn’t it seems like.”

What is your mindset and expectations going into this season?

“I’m optimistic that we will have a better season. I think last year that we had a lot of near misses, a lot of tough breaks, a lot of great race cars along the way and obviously, some races that we were off and that we didn’t do the job that we should have or needed too. I think last year there was a lot of unique challenges without having practice and that’s probably one of the biggest things that hurt us, especially the first half of the year, when we came back from the COVID shutdown. I felt like throughout the season, we got better and better at that, and towards the end of the year, we were right where we needed to be, and we really had a strong Playoffs. We just had a couple of near misses there. Obviously, the Darlington crash and the loose wheel at Martinsville while leading, I feel like we were in position to go to the Final Four. There was a lot of opportunities for us last year to have a great season and we came up short on a lot of those little key areas and decisions or little mistakes along the way, and things like that. We’re all looking at trying to get better. I think part of our sport is how do you get better all the time, and that’s really what you are looking at. We understand some things we could have done better. Hopefully, we will find some speed in our race cars this year going into the season and we can put it all together.”

Second race this season is at the Daytona road course. What do you expect with this race this season?

“I expect it to be a good race. It was a really fun track. I felt like it was well suited for our cards, and I think going back with the lower downforce package and a softer tire is going make racing even better. I really enjoyed it. I felt like it was a fun race, and it was pretty unique to go there for the first time really and not have any practice on a road course like that. I thought everybody did a really good job. It was a fun race. Going there for the Clash under the lights with no points on the line, it should be a heck of a show.”

This is the first season without Jimmie Johnson in a long time. Do you feel like you have to take a new role because of that?

“I don’t know that you ever take on a different role in this sport. I think you are who you are, and you just try to be true to yourself and true to your fans and do what’s best for the sport. I think that Jimmie (Johnson) was a great champion, a legend if you look at seven championships. That’s not a guy you just replace. Somebody will probably step up, and maybe be a bigger voice, or a bigger personality for the sport, but you just don’t replace guys like that. With that said, we are going to miss Jimmie for sure out on the racetrack.”

You had some mistakes on pit road last year, so going into this year has there been any changes into your pit crew?

“We definitely had a tough year as far as that went last year. We had a really good group of guys and they really came together late in the season and had an outstanding Playoffs. Unfortunately, the one mistake they made was in the biggest time. It was when we needed to win that race to go to the Final Four. That was unfortunate. They did a good job, really all year. We do have one change. One guy left for a different organization, and we had to make that change. James (Small) feels really confident in what they’ve been able to do in practice. We will see what happens when we get to the racetrack.”

What kind of music are you listening to these days? Is there a song that gets you pumped up before you get in the car?

“I mostly listen to country. I’m a big country music fan, and I’ll be honest with you, I don’t really listen to music before I get into the car. I guess nothing really plays into that.”

What has your communication been with NASCAR on the steering with the Next Gen car?

“Actually, I don’t have any info from the latest test that they did. I haven’t talked to Kurt (Busch) or NASCAR or anyone about it for that matter. I will have a test in that car later this season again. I think I may be going back to the ROVAL again in the fall. Hopefully by then it’s straightened out. The biggest thing on the road course it was pretty good. We made it fairly normal feeling. Where we had our biggest issues was when we ran on the oval. I would be interested to hear what changes they made and how it changed things. As far as talking about it or worrying about it, not a really constructive use of time right now when I really can’t do anything about it.”

What do you think the Next Gen car should be?

“I think the biggest thing that we all want is to be able to make a difference as a driver. Being able to maneuver in traffic specifically behind cars is something that needs to be looked at and addressed. I know it’s something that NASCAR is aware of and wants to happen. We will just have to see. We’ve only ran on track with two cars together so far, and a lot of things are going to change between now and when the teams start building the cars, and we start testing them and figuring out ways to get around the setup. There is so much different about it with the independent rear suspension and the way the rear differential is, the suspension, the shocks, the springs, you name it. It’s a whole different ballgame. It’s really hard to make specific determinations right now on how things are and how they need to be, but overall picture in my eyes, we need something that you can get up behind a guy and at a mile-and-a-half track get near his bumper in the corners. That’s something that needs to happen, and we haven’t been able to do that really in the past few seasons. Hopefully, we can get back to that somehow.”

What do you think you do well at road courses, and do you think it translates to these new stadium road courses?

“I think a general road course set of skills will translate to other road courses. They all have a little bit of unique tendencies when it comes to grip and asphalt, elevation changes, the way the curbs are, things like that, that can play into your strengths or weaknesses. For me, it’s understanding what it takes to make speed on a road course. It’s understanding what it takes to make a heavy stock car, without a lot of grip and a lot of horsepower, how to make the most time on those road courses. Then, it’s really about being able to hold the car on the limit and not make mistakes because you talk about road course having 10, 12, 14 corners, one little mistake – overdrive one corner – you screw up your whole lap. A lot of it is really about discipline and understanding where the limit is and not making mistakes.”

Do you feel that you are particularly suited for COTA or Road America?

“It’s really hard to say. I don’t know much about those tracks yet, so there’s going to be a lot of work going into to get prepared for those. Learning new road courses, it’s something that takes a little time. We will see how those go. I would say in general I don’t know that either one benefits me. I feel like I’m just as good at Watkins Glen as I am at Sonoma, and they are completely different. It’s hard to say, but I look forward to the challenge, and I cannot wait to get to both of them.”

What are your thoughts on returning to Sonoma with just a one-day show?

“I’ve been waiting for a while to go there and try to get the three-peat. I’m ready to go whenever. No practice, no qualifying – it’s all good. Just hopefully, we will get a decent starting spot. Hopefully, we can make it back there. It’s such a fun track, such a great part of the country. It’s beautiful and always great weather. We look forward to it every year.”

How much does last season’s difficulties fuel you up for this season?

“We are always fired up and we are working hard to be better at things. Last year did not go the way that we wanted. We had a lot of close calls and had some races we probably should have won, and things didn’t go the way we needed to, or we screwed them up. That always makes you angry and makes you want to go back and redo it or retry it. I think we are better prepared this year for sure as a unit. The way we are doing things with limited practice or no practice, which was a big change last year. We will see what we can do. I know the guys are working hard on trying to find more speed in our cars and that’s always something that has been a part of this sport and part of being really, really successful or just having minimum success. We have to get our cars better. We have to make better decisions. I have to drive better, make less mistakes, and that’s really what it boils down too. We are looking forward to that challenge.”

Which one of the new tracks are you looking forward to the most?

“All of them really, but I guess I’m really, really curious to see what Bristol is going to be like with dirt. I’m not a dirt guy. I’ve only raced twice on dirt and they were charity races, so they were nothing to write home about as far as competition and things. Bristol has been a tough track for me and for us over the years to try to figure out. I don’t know that it could be any more difficult adding dirt, so I look forward to that one just to see what it’s going to be like more than anything.”

It was announced that you are going to run a Xfinity race this season. How did that come together?

“It just came together. Since 2010, MWR (Michael Waltrip Racing) had a Xfinity program, I hadn’t had a lot of opportunities because the teams that I was with didn’t have Xfinity programs, and now the last two years, being at JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) they have one. There was never really an opportunity or an opening. This year, they had an opening. They had some races that were open, and they had one of our sponsors that wanted more races on the 19 car, but we were sold out. So, we said, hey, why don’t we run a Xfinity Series race, so we are going to do that. I’m excited about it. It should be fun. I know those cars are a lot different than ours these days. I have no idea what it’s going to be like, but it should be a good time and I enjoy racing in Atlanta, so I picked that one. It should be a lot of fun.”

What is it going to be like watching your brother (Ryan Truex) run full-time this season?

“It’s gotten better over the years. When he’s in something full-time, it seems to be not as stressful to watch because I understand in years past, when he’s got a limited schedule – he’s only got a handful of races – and understanding that he really needs to have good showings to make something of it. That’s been tough, but excited for him to get a full-time ride. Hopefully, he’s got a good group of guys around him that they can go to work and figure out how to find some speed, how to find some success. I look forward to watching for sure.”

Have you thought about running some grassroots racing? How important is it for NASCAR drivers to race at the grassroots level?

“I have thought a lot about doing other racing and actually was planning on this past season, going back to my home track, Wall Stadium, and racing in the Turkey Derby in a modified. It got cancelled a few weeks before the event as I was talking to a buddy about running a car. It’s definitely important. I think it was a common occurrence back in the day. Guys were going to local tracks and running things like that, running different kinds of races. For me, I just haven’t had a lot of opportunities to do that over the years. With our schedules the way it has been, it’s been crazy. Now things have settled down as far as schedules go, we’ve had more time to do other things. The hard thing is there is less tracks, there is less cars, there is less opportunities when you really look at the big picture. Having Cup drivers go to those tracks, I think is huge. It’s a great thing. It’s something that I wish I had done more of. Definitely look forward to trying to find some of those things in the future for sure.”

What do you feel like you need to improve on this season versus last year?

“I think looking at last season there is a lot of areas where we are trying to do better, whether that be better prepared or make better decisions. Our sport, it’s ever changing with the rules and the tracks now this year, tires, all of those things. You just have to be prepared to make big decisions and just try to figure out little things to do better there, so we really look at everything, to answer your question, every single piece of our program. That goes back to what I mentioned earlier – trying to find more speed in our cars, that’s always number one. Everybody’s trying to do that. If you make your cars better, everything is a little bit easier. Really, top-to-bottom, we look at it all. Everyone has their things that they are working on. I’ve got a list of things I’ve been working on. I brought in a change in spotter this year to try to be better at speedways, which is now – you look at the 550 package, basically speedway racing on restarts for a few laps. Things like that, we’ve been working on to get better at. It’s everything. It takes all of that to win these races. They are very difficult to win. We look at every avenue.”

What has been the secret to success at the road courses?

“Really no secrets, just having a good understanding of the tracks we’ve been at, years of experience, really working on fine tuning things with the same group of guys over that stretch of time. New road courses last year with the Daytona Road Course went well for us. The ROVAL has been a little bit up-or-down, but we seem to run pretty well there also. I look forward to getting back to Sonoma and Watkins Glen. Last year missing both of those was a bummer. Those are two tracks that I always look forward to going to. Then learning Road America and COTA is going to be a big challenge and it’s going to take a lot of extra work to get prepared for that. They both look like really unique, fun tracks and I always look forward to a road course.”

What do you see in Chase Elliott that makes him lights out at the road courses?

“He does a good job. He understands the tracks. He does a good job at making a lot of speed and not making a lot of mistakes. Really, that is what it boils down too. On road courses, you have to push really hard, but you have to do it with discipline. You have to understand your marks and be able to continuously hit them. If you look back at the last two Watkins Glen races, we finished second to him in both of those, and arguably had the fastest car, but couldn’t make the pass for the win both times. We kind of got passed on strategy, but if you look at what he was able to do – having pressure on the last 10 or 15 laps of the race and not making that mistake, that’s what it takes, lap after lap. They’ve really got a hold on the ROVAL track, where it seems like they are a lot faster than everybody else. They’ve got it going on with their setups. They’ve got their cars figured out to drive the way he likes them, and he does an incredible job of driving them. I’m excited to compete with him again this year on road courses and I know that we will both probably be near the front at some point in time and I look forward to racing with him.”

Do you look at anything that Chase Elliott is doing at the road courses?

“You are always looking. These days with SMT and all of the data we get, you can see exactly how they are they are doing it or what they are doing on the track. You can’t really see how they make it happen, but you can definitely learn from watching it. Anytime you are getting beat you are looking to see what someone is doing. It doesn’t matter if they’ve won 100 races or one race. If you are getting beat these days, you are looking how they did it and how they beat you.”

How are the Playoffs a good method for deciding the champion?

“This is a difficult sport. It’s hard to win a single race, let alone, one out of three in each round. I think we know what we are getting involved with. We know the schedule. We understand ahead of time what it is. It is what it is. We’re not here to make the decision on if it is good or bad. We are here to figure out how to win it all. Certainly, it’s difficult when you have a great season and you win a ton of races and you make the Final Four and don’t win the championship, or if you don’t make the Final Four, it’s difficult to have a great season and not get it done. At the end of the day, this is the challenge we are faced with and you’ve got to make the best of it. At the end of the day, the best team wins, no matter how they get there.”

# # #

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.

Team:                   No. 6 Guaranteed Rate Ford Mustang
Crew Chief:         Scott Graves

Twitter:                @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman

Busch Clash – Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Newman in the Clash

·         Newman makes his 17^th start in the annual Clash event at Daytona International Speedway. The 2021 field is limited to 2020 pole winners, past Clash winners who competed full-time in 2020, Daytona 500 Champions who competed full-time in 2020, former Daytona 500 pole winners who competed full time in 2020 and 2020 NCS Playoff drivers, race winners and stage winners.

·         Newman is coming off a fifth-place run in the exhibition race a season ago after starting on the pole following a random draw. He has four top-five results in the Clash all-time, including second in 2005, third in 2011 and fourth in 2003.

·         The 2021 edition of the Clash moves to the Daytona Road Course, where the NASCAR Cup Series competed at for the first time last summer. Newman ran 19^th in that event.

·         Tuesday’s race serves as a primer for the newly-established second race of the NCS regular season, when the series heads right back to Daytona for a points event on the road course.

·         The random draw to determine Tuesday’s starting lineup will take place Monday night at 7 p.m. ET.

Scott Graves in the Clash

·         Scott Graves will call his third event in the Clash on Tuesday. He finished fifth with Newman in 2020 on the Daytona oval, and ninth a year prior.

·         Graves ran 19^th with Newman on the Daytona Road Course last summer after starting 14^th.

Newman in Daytona 500 Qualifying

·         Newman has an overall average starting spot of 19.9 at DIS. His best Daytona 500 qualifying effort came the same year he won the Great American Race, lining up seventh in 2008.

·         His best finish all-time in a qualifying race (Duel) is third, which also came in 2008. He crossed the line ninth in last season’s Duel before going on to start 14^th in the Daytona 500.

QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on racing in the Clash:
“Getting back in the seat for the first time in any new season is always a thrill, and it will especially be for me this year. That said, the Clash is obviously going to look different with it being on the road course, but should provide us with even more practice since we’re going back there week two, and have added road courses on the schedule this season. Glad to kick off the year with Guaranteed Rate back with us and look forward to Tuesday night in Daytona.”

On the Car
Guaranteed Rate returns to Newman’s Ford Mustang for the first on-track activity of 2021. The brand was on board Newman’s machine for 12 races last season, and is back as an anchor partner again in Newman’s 20^th full-time Cup season.

Newman Featured in Guaranteed Rate Super Bowl Ad
All eyes on Sunday’s Super Bowl will see Ryan Newman featured in a 60-second commercial, as Guaranteed Rate will feature its Believe You Will campaign. The 60-second ad will feature some of the campaign’s ambassadors, including Dustin Poirier, who recently defeated UFC legend Conor McGregor, and Newman, who goes for his second Daytona 500 crown next weekend. The campaign focuses on the power of positivity and believing you will accomplish your goals.

Guaranteed Rate rolled out its Believe You Will campaign after a year of momentous growth for the company as it met record-breaking consumer demand and launched various high-profile sports sponsorships. Well known for its title sponsorship of the Chicago White Sox’s Guaranteed Rate Field, the company sponsored a wide array of sporting events in 2020, from mainstream sports like NASCAR, IndyCar, MLB and NHL, to more niche sports like professional bass fishing, figure skating, bowling and lacrosse.

About Guaranteed Rate
The Guaranteed Rate Companies, which includes Guaranteed Rate, Inc., Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC, and Proper Rate, LLC, has more than 9,000 employees in over 750 offices across the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, Guaranteed Rate Companies is one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the United States, funding over $73 billion in 2020. Founded in 2000 and located in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., Guaranteed Rate Companies has helped homeowners nationwide with home purchase loans and refinances. The company has established itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, offering low rates and delivering unparalleled customer service. 2017 marked the launch of Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC, a mortgage origination joint venture between Guaranteed Rate, Inc. and Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global leader in residential real estate franchising and brokerage. In 2020, the company launched Proper Rate, LLC, a mortgage origination joint venture between Guaranteed Rate, Inc. and @properties, one of the nation’s largest residential brokerage firms. Collectively, the Guaranteed Rate Companies have earned honors and awards including: Top Lender for Online Service for 2018 by U.S. News & World Report; Best Mortgage Lender for Online Loans and Best Mortgage Lender for Refinancing by NerdWallet for 2021; HousingWire’s 2020 Tech100 award for the company’s industry-leading FlashClose^SM technology; No. 3 ranking in Scotsman Guide‘s Top Retail Mortgage Lenders 2019; Chicago Agent Magazine’s Lender of the Year for five consecutive years; Chicago Tribune‘s Top Workplaces list for seven consecutive years. Visit rate.com for more information.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Ford Performance Media Availability | Friday, February 5, 2021

MARK RUSHBROOK, Global Director, Ford Motorsports —

HOW DO YOU FEEL THINGS ARE SETTING UP HERE AS WE HEAD TOWARDS THE 2021 SEASON? “We are excited to go back racing. That is what we do and we are really anxious to get back on track with our trucks, Xfinity cars and Cup cars. In many ways, it does feel like Phoenix was a long time ago but it has also been a quick offseason in terms of turnaround and preparation for the teams and the cars and getting ready to go back into another full season. We are really excited. We are ready to go racing.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE SPRINT CAR PROGRAM YOU GUYS HAVE GOING WITH TONY STEWART RACING AND WHERE YOU SEE THAT CAPABLE OF GETTING TO THIS YEAR? “We have been working on that for many years and continue to make improvements and are learning something every time the car goes out on track and races. We are happy with a lot of the improvements that have been made and some really good success to start out the year with Tony (Stewart) and Donny (Schatz) and we are looking forward to continuing making improvements there. It is important to us to have that program running well and have Tony and Donny capable of competing for wins. We will keep pushing on that front and I look forward to how that season plays out.”

IN TERMS OF MANUFACTURER COMPETITION, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU GUYS TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THE RIVALRY COME OVER FROM THE NASCAR SIDE WITH TOYOTA DEBUTING THEIR MOTOR THIS YEAR? “Yeah, we race to compete and to beat the best in the world, the best in the country and best in the series. We are always happy to have that competition and to push each other to be better and faster and we always look forward to the competition on the track and getting better.”

ALL THE SUCCESS YOU HAD IN THE CUP SERIES A YEAR AGO, WE HAVE A FREEZE NOW ON THE RULES HOLDING OVER TO THIS SEASON, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THIS YEAR COULD BE AS SUCCESSFUL OR EVEN MORESO BECAUSE OF THAT? “2020 was a great year in terms of race wins and the competitiveness of all our different teams doing so well throughout the year. It is hard to tell what is going to happen this year because there is always some area of play and I am sure it is going to be another very competitive season in 2021 and we are looking forward to that competition and seeing our drivers and teams do well. The competition is going to be bringing the best that they have. It is going to be a tough year because we also have to be preparing for 2022 and the NextGen car. So as our teams get their test cars and are trying to race in 2021 to win every single race and to win the championship, they also need to be preparing for 2022. It is really going to push the sport through the manufacturers and teams and different stakeholders to compete and do well this year but also be ready to compete and do well next year because everybody wants to win the Daytona 500 next week and a year from now as well. It is incredible what this sport is capable of. They just need a goal and we go and get it done. It is great to be a part of this sport and be partnering with the teams that we have for that success.”

YOU MENTIONED THE NEXTGEN CAR. HOW MUCH CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT WHAT HAS GONE INTO IT AND HOW OPTIMISTIC YOU ARE ABOUT THIS CAR BEING THE NEXT STEP UP AND THE FANS REALLY WRAPPING THEIR ARMS AROUND IT? “We are excited about what is in the NextGen car in terms of architecture of the car and improving the relevancy with the independent rear end suspension and the steering system. We are futureproofing the car to enable hybrid in the future as well. We think that is important as our road car cycles changes to be able to race hybrid in this car as well. Another important element was the looks of the car. The size of the wheels, aspect ratio of the tires, the proportions on the car with overhang width. That is a big improvement that I think these cars are going to look much closer to the road cars that we sell in the showroom and that was important for us. I think NASCAR has also done a good job of listening to the stakeholders in the sport in terms of what is important for the car in terms of technology, architecture, cost controls that are being put into it while still keeping focused on what is important to all of us at the end of the day; great racing. We have cars that will look really good and I think we will have great racing that comes out of it as well. NASCAR has done a great job with the current package to have great racing through the last several seasons and we look forward to that continuing in 2021 but also in 2022 with the NextGen car. That is what the sport is all about, putting on great races for the fans and customers.”

WHERE DO YOU FEEL YOUR TEAMS ARE WITH NEXTGEN DEVELOPMENT? DO YOU FEEL AS FAR AS DEVELOPMENT AND GETTING THE PARTS AND PIECES FROM VENDORS IS GOING TO BE SUFFICIENT? “It is racing. It is motorsports. We have aggressive timelines when you are racing the same car and the continuous development that goes on and always pushing to get the best you have on the track each and every single weekend. I think the same for NextGen. Whether there was one year for the program or three years or five years, you are going to push to keep advancing it and going fast that entire time. What we have done so far with the body development and the aero program has been really good to get the submission passed and be able to move forward with now optimizing our approved surface and also the opportunity for the installation of the powertrain. A lot of great work has gone on with Doug Yates and Jamie McNaughton and the Roush Yates engine shop to not only have a great engine this weekend for Daytona but next weekend for the NextGen car with the proper installation for that. We have our first manufacturer car with the wheel force transducer being assembled right now and later in the year the teams will get their cars and have some test time on track with those cars. There is never enough time because you are always learning something. But there is also a goal. We know in February of 2022 that we will be racing this NextGen car and we will be ready for it and our teams will be ready for it.”

ARE YOU GETTING TO CHOOSE A BODY SUPPLIER OR ARE YOU STILL ALL USING ONE SUPPLIER FOR ALL THE OEM BODIES? “It is a common supplier across the three different OEMs. We have our own unique surface we have developed with help from our teams but then it will come from a common industry supplier for each component.”

SOME NEWS MADE BY ANOTHER MANUFACTURER AS FAR AS THEIR PLANS WITH ELECTRIC VEHICLES. HOW MUCH OF A PUSH TO HYBRID OR ELECTRIC HAS THERE BEEN OVER THE LAST YEAR? HAS THE URGENCY CHANGED AT ALL? “I think that as our world continues to evolve at a rapid pace, also the automotive world with the road car cycle plan of what we are going to be selling in the dealerships and what our competitors will be selling in the dealerships, that is going to just continue to accelerate. We have all been pushing hard on that front. That was part of the NextGen car, to make the architecture more relevant but also to future proof and have the ability to change powertrains going into the future. Internal Combustion Engines are still important to us today because we continue to sell the far majority of our vehicles today as combustion engines but we have a lot of hybrids that are on the road today and more and more hybrids coming. Hybrid is very relevant and we are still very interested in seeing that coming into the sport very quickly as well as full electric as we are shipping today our Mustang Mach-E’s to our customers. We have a full-electric Transit and full-electric F-150 that will soon be heading to dealerships. Electric is an important part of our company as we look towards the future and what the propulsion systems will be and that is something we need to think about as a sport. Internal combustion engine versus hybrid versus electric and what the right time is not only for hybrid but for electric. It is something we should be talking about and thinking about and planning. We won’t be racing full electric anytime soon in the Daytona 500 but as some point we think it is good for the sport to consider the option of when it does make sense to bring that in.”

WITH THORSPORT GOING BACK TO TOYOTA, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT AS FAR AS DRIVER DEVELOPMENT GOES? “We think we have a good lineup, certainly at the Cup level and we definitely need to keep the driver development pipeline full. I think with David Gilliland Racing and also with the Front Row Motorsports program in Trucks, we have three trucks there now and an opportunity for three drivers, three drivers that we are really happy to have representing us on track in the Truck Series with Tanner Gray, Hailie Deegan and Todd Gilliland. I think that is good for us. Trucks, we are really using to develop drivers and crew chiefs and our own people internal to Ford. At the Xfinity level, we are ecstatic with what Austin Cindric has already shown he is capable of by winning the championship last year and we expect him to continue winning races this year and be in contention for the championship again this year. Ryley Herbst shows a lot of promise and we are excited to have him join the Ford family and go into Stewart-Haas Racing and see what he can do in that equipment. Also Ryan Sieg switching over into a Ford this year. We are excited about what we have in Xfinity and we think we have a good pipeline. The question then will be as those six drivers progress, what comes in behind that. That is what we are continuing to work on and identify the next talent that is ready to come into trucks next year.”

MAYBE KEELAN HARVICK IN A DECADE OR SO? “I have already talked to Kevin about that and we are ready to send a contract (laughing).”

WHAT ARE THE EXPECTATIONS FOR THE UPCOMING NEXTGEN TESTS? “We have already learned a lot about the NextGen car with the aero development program that we have done with the simulation models and using the simulator to have our drivers driving the NextGen car as well. The powertrain development side with Doug Yates and understanding that chassis and what it is. The first test, for us, where each manufacturer has a car will be a WFT, wheel force transducer, test. That will give us more specific wheel load information which will help us further refine our simulation model and ability for our teams to then start preparing for their test beyond that. That will be very important for us, the information that we learn there as well as for our teams, so that they can prepare for their tests coming up later in the year?

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT DRIVERS OR ORGANIZATIONS YOU WANT TO SEE IN THOSE UPCOMING TESTS? “We are still talking through that, even today. We have no firm plans but we are working with our teams to have the right representation in the right cars with the right drivers on track.”

ARE YOU GUYS, THE OEM’S, PRETTY MUCH IN AGREEMENT WITH WHAT YOU WANT THE ENGINE PLATFORM TO BE INITIALLY AND HOW IT IS GOING TO EVOLVE? “With the NextGen architecture with the car we are going to be racing in 2022 we have the ability to add hybrid without changing the internal combustion engine part of it. It allows you to put an electric motor into the system to drive the transaxle in parallel to the internal combustion engine. What is most important for us is being able to learn about hybrid technology in the motorsports environment and we can do that with the NextGen chassis and the current internal combustion engine we are racing today. Beyond that, the changes to the internal combustion engine are not yet defined in terms of timing or even architecture of what it will be. That was an open discussion last year but did not get to any final point or set timeline at this point. So again, what is most important to us is the electrification with hybrid and then we will talk with the sport about what makes sense with any changes to the combustion engine.”

WHAT IS THE DYNAMIC LIKE BETWEEN THE THREE MANUFACTURERS AND YOU, JIM AND DAVID IN THE SENSE THAT YOU GUYS ARE COLLABORATING BECAUSE THIS IS YOUR SHARED PROJECT BUT YOU ARE ALSO COMPETING TOO? “It is actually really good in a lot of ways. We are, as individuals, Jim, David and myself are fierce competitors as well as the companies and teams that we represent and race for us. We want to battle fiercely on the track against each other and have the best manufacturer, best team and best driver winning the races and the championships. We also realize that we need to do this together as a sport and it is even more than Ford, Chevy and Toyota. It is the sport. It is NASCAR, the teams and we all need to work together as stakeholders to keep this sport healthy and make it a place that makes sense for all of us to continue participating. We don’t get everything we want, nor does Chevy, nor does Toyota, nor do any of the other stakeholders. It is working together to get what works for all of us. I think that is how the NextGen car was developed and similar for the discussion on hybrid and combustion engines into the future. We love competing and beating each other but we also collaborate well when we need to keep the sport going in the right direction.”

THIS WILL BE THE NINTH SEASON THAT BRAD KESELOWSKI AND JOEY LOGANO WILL BE TEAMMATES. THAT IS A FAIRLY LONG PERIOD OF TIME IN NASCAR TERMS. FROM WHAT YOU HAVE OBSERVED FROM THE FORD STANDPOINT, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE EFFORT THAT YOU SEE BRAD AND JOEY PUTTING INTO MAKING THEIR MUTUAL RELATIONSHIP WORK FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE TEAM? “We love having Brad and Joey driving for us to represent us on track and to be as successful as they have been. Those were the two that were in the championship race, racing for the championship in a Ford. They are both fantastic individuals and fantastic drivers. They certainly compete against each other on the track but they also work together off the track as part of Team Penske to make their organization even stronger and that is something that we really appreciate with what they bring to the program and they are important for us to have them both in Team Penske, in a Ford, and we look forward to seeing that continue.”

I WATCHED JIM FARLEY’S INTERVIEW ON CNBC THIS MORNING. BY ANY CHANCE WOULD YOU SEE THIS WORLD WIDE SHORTAGE OF SEMICONDUCTOR CHIPS IMPACTING MOTORSPORTS AT ALL IN THE NEAR TERM? “In terms of competition, I do not see anything on our radar at this point that would have a direct impact on us.”

YOU HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE ELECTRIFICATION COMPONENT, JIM FARLEY MENTIONED THIS MORNING THAT FORD IS INVESTING MORE THAN $20 BILLION IN EV RESEARCH AND CAPABILITY BY 2025. YOU SAID WE WON’T BE RACING AN ELECTRIC ENGINE IN THE DAYTONA 500 ANYTIME SOON, BUT BASED ON THE SPEED OF HOW THIS WHOLE ELECTRIFICATION VEHICLES HAS COME THE LAST FEW YEARS AND FARLEY’S COMMENT THIS MORNING, IS THE BOTTOM LINE THAT ULTIMATELY MOTORSPORTS IS GOING TO BE NO LONGER ICE, BUT WILL BE EV RACING? “I think that as we are seeing the world change and the automotive industry change and the push towards electrification with hybrid and full electric, it is definitely moving in that direction much more quickly than any of us though, even a year or two-years ago. For us, we need to be racing something on the track that is relevant and similar to our road car cycle plan with what we are selling in the dealerships and what our customers are driving on the street. We have been looking for the right full electric series to race in, as well as the right hybrid series to race in. We are glad hybrid is in the plan for NASCAR, but there are a very limited number of full electric series that exist today. What we have actually done is use our motorsports resources to go off and develop the two products you saw last year, the Mustang Mach-E 1400 and Mustang Cobra Jet 1400. Both 1400 horsepower, both full electric, both obviously at 1400 horsepower are extreme performance. We have been able to use those as assets for marketing to tell the world about our commitment to electrification but also as a testbed for learning so our motorsports engineers could learn about electric motors at 1400 horsepower, about the battery chemistry and technology to be able to supply that level of horsepower and temperature control required with the current draw at that very high level. We are already getting our motorsports teams smarter about that full electric technology and we have already transferred those learnings back to our road car engineers. They are making our future full electric vehicles even better based on what we have done with just those two demonstrators. When it comes to finding the right series, I don’t know that we need to go to a new series if at some point NASCAR can be full electric. It is just a matter of what series of the existing ones or maybe a different one. Or what the timing is. If that is two, three, five or six-years into the future. For sure electric is coming on the street and there are more and more motorsports series that will be full electric as well. I don’t think ICE is going to go away on the street anytime soon, certainly not completely. That is probably 10-15 years away. So we have a lot of time to be racing internal combustion engines and enjoying that as well as looking for how does the sport become electric with hybrid as well as the potential for full electric.”

WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE WATCHING CHASE BRISCOE ADVANCE THROUGH THE RANKS OF YOUR DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM? “It has been fantastic because when we started or restarted our driver development program, Chase was one of the first into the program. To see him grow as a driver, racing our Mustang GT4 in IMSA and in NASCAR Trucks and NASCAR Xfinity, to see him grow as a driver on the track as well as a person off the track, he is a racer and he gets it done on the track. He also carries himself very well outside of the vehicle and represents our company very well. We are excited to see the success for Chase and we see that as a representation that we are doing the right things with our driver development program. We wish him the best of luck starting his Cup rookie season and also what we have seen with Austin Cindric and his development, same thing. Through Trucks and Xfinity and he also raced in IMSA with our Mustang GT4. He has certainly been on a great growth curve both on and off the track and we are proud having him represent us in both places and we look forward to his Cup debut with a handful of races this year, including the Daytona 500, and looking forward to seeing him in a Cup full season in 2022.”

WHAT DO YOU SEE IN RYLEY HERBST MOVING FORWARD? “He showed great potential with the equipment he was in last year. It is a good benchmark that he is going into the same car that Chase Briscoe was in with basically the same team around him that Chase had. It is a great opportunity to see what he is truly capable of in that equipment and environment. We don’t expect him to go out and win his first race but we look forward to seeing him get a good baseline to start the season and then continue to go through the year. We are really excited to have him join our family and program and look forward to seeing how he develops throughout the year.

DO YOU EXPECT TO EQUAL YOUR SUCCESS FROM LAST YEAR WITH 18 CUP WINS? “We go to every race expecting to win, hoping to win. It is a very competitive sport and that is the attitude you have to have going to the track. Certainly our teams have that attitude and our drivers have that attitude. It is tough competition out there. I know we have made a lot of improvements in the offseason but I am sure the Chevrolet and Toyota teams have as well. It will be interesting to see what we have and what our competitors have throughout the season. We will have to see whether 18 is realistic or not. Certainly that was a great season for us and we would love to repeat it or better it.”

HOW BIG WAS IT FOR FORD TO GET ANOTHER CAR AND ANOTHER TEAM INTO THE XFINITY FOLD WITH SIEG? “We are excited to have Ryan as part of our family and part of our Ford program. It is always good to have more Ford cars in the race, especially in Xfinity. We are looking forward to getting to know them better and they get to know us, to see how they can perform on the track and how we can help make them better.”

HAS MR. PENSKE BEEN PUTTING THE ARM ON YOU TO BADGE AN INDYCAR ENGINE? “We love Mr. Penske and our relationship with him. What we are always looking for in our motorsports cycle plan is where is the best place for us to race, for a lot of different reasons. Some of that is technology and architecture. The future they have in IndyCar with some of the changes they are making are good changes for the sport but we don’t have anything to announce or talk about at this point?”

HAS HE ASKED YOU ABOUT IT? “There are always discussions on topics like that that go on.”

Toyota Racing – Christopher Bell
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DAYTONA BEACH (February 5, 2021) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell was made available to media via videoconference prior to the Daytona 500 this Friday:

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DeWalt Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

What has the transition been like to rejoin Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR)?

“It’s been a lot of fun to transition back to the Cup side of JGR. I’ve spent a little bit of time in the Cup building throughout my Xfinity days, but for the most part it’s all new to me. A lot of the styles are similar to LFR (Leavine Family Racing) to JGR, but it’s just a completely new group of people. It’s fun to be able to work with my car chief Chris Sherwood again. He was my car chief on the Xfinity side, and he’s on this 20 group too, so between him, Adam Stevens, and everyone on this 20 car, just trying to get to know everyone and build those relationships. It’s been quite the offseason, and I’m excited to get going to the racetrack, week-in and week-out.”

This year, we will be making our return to Sonoma. What’s your thoughts of that track?

“I guess that still makes me a rookie for Sonoma. It’s one of the racetracks that I was excited about going to last year. I’ve never been there, but everyone talks about how much they enjoy it. It’s a slick road course, very challenging road course. I’ve grown to like road racing. I was looking to going there last year, but unfortunately, we did not get too. This year, I hope we get to go, and I’m excited to see what it’s all about. Road racing has definitely grown on me over the last couple of years and Sonoma is definitely a marquee road course across the United States, so I’m excited to try to tackle it.”

What about the fact that Sonoma is a one-day show?

“That’s going to be tough for me, just trying to do a lot of simulator time, that’s for sure, but fortunately, nobody has been there in a number of years now, so I guess that kind of equals the playing field a little bit.”

Do you have Bristol high on your list of places you can win this year?

“I would say Bristol is definitely a place where I should have an advantage, just having a dirt background, growing up like I did. It’s going to be interesting though. The Cup Series is full of a lot of talented race car drivers, and these guys are going to figure it out. I think it’s an afternoon race. It’s a long-distance race, so I don’t think it’s going to be a normal dirt surface like I’m accustomed to racing on. Nonetheless, it’s still going to be dirt, and I should have an advantage. Hopefully, it goes smooth, and I just want it to be a good race. I don’t want to go out here and have a bunch of yellows. I’m going to do my part on trying to provide a great show for the fans and hopefully, it’s something that will be a success.”

What are your expectations of Chase Elliott jumping into a midget this weekend?

“I was really curious to watch him there at Millbridge in his first race and I was blown away by how well he did. His car control was really good. He really did a good job figuring out lines and kind of studying the racetrack and figuring out where to be. The Chili Bowl was probably – I expected him to have a better run there, but it’s so tough. He got caught up there in the start of, I think, his prelim night b-feature. If he doesn’t get turned around there, he has a lot better week. I was really impressed, especially on Saturday at the Chili Bowl. I don’t remember what race he was in, but he really started coming on there at the end of his race. I think with more laps he’s going to be a contender right there with us.”

We haven’t seen you as much on the dirt recently. What do you have planned this year?

“I’d love to more dirt races coming up. I feel like everybody knows that I love dirt midget and sprint car racing. Hopefully in the future I get to do more of it. I definitely took some time off after Phoenix. The West Coast deal, I don’t know, with everything going on, I decided not to go out and do the West Coast races. Then, I ran the Shootout and the Chili Bowl this year. As far as going forward, I would love to do some more dirt racing. I’m not just entirely sure what my schedule is going to look like.”

How important do you think it is to connect grassroots racing with NASCAR racing?

“I think that it is really important. I feel like the disconnect – if there was a disconnect – was guys, whenever they got into NASCAR, that was all that they did. Definitely the crossover between any sort of late model racing or sprint car racing and NASCAR racing, and kind of doing both of it, is great because it keeps both fan bases interested. Whenever you have Chase Elliott going to run the Chili Bowl or going to Ocala this weekend, you have NASCAR people watching that style of racing and now Chase (Elliott) is building a fan base on the dirt side too by doing this, so all of the people that are watching him this weekend in Ocala or a couple of weeks ago in Tulsa are going to be cheering for him on the Daytona side of it. I think it’s a great crossover and the more drivers we can get that run all of the above, it just helps unify motorsports. Instead of having a dirt group and a pavement group and a NASCAR group and an IMSA group, you just get motorsports fans that tune into everything.”

What kind of pressure do you feel moving in-house to Joe Gibbs Racing?

“It’s tough. I’m in a difficult position, no doubt about it. Whenever you drive for Joe Gibbs Racing or any top organization, I think that the expectations are to be a championship contender. Coach (Joe Gibbs) provides all of the resources needed to have four championship caliber teams and that is what the goal is. Anything short of that is not good enough. This is my first year here. I don’t think that people are realistically expecting me to compete for a championship this first year, but eventually that needs to be the end goal – to have a championship caliber team, and I hope that I’m a championship caliber driver to lead that group.”

How important do you think it is to start the season on a quick start?

“I do think that there is not a reason out there that I can’t compete for wins at Daytona, Daytona Road Course, Homestead. I think that we have all of the ingredients that we need to compete for wins right out of the gate, but on the flip side, I’m definitely not going to be driving it 100% to win those races. Last year, I got buried in points by not having a good opening stretch of races, and that is our number one goal – to see the checkered flags, get to the end. Whether that is 10th, 15th, fifth – anywhere. Just to see the checkered flags and not make mistakes that cost us finishes. Adam (Stevens) has been really good about pushing that we need to build a foundation before we just go out here and start trying for wins. I think we have all the tools we need to win really early, but on the flipside, I don’t want to make a mistake trying to win too early. I would like to collect some good finishes and build on that, and then compete for wins.”

With Adam Stevens, how well have you got to know him this offseason?

“I’d say we have spent a decent amount of time together. It’s crazy when we started meeting in November and December, it was like what is your family about, how many kids do you have, where did you grow up, and now, all of a sudden, the conversations have transitioned to what is going to happen in Daytona, how do you like your cars, shift lights, and all of these other racing terms. Everything was definitely getting to know him at the end of last year, and now it’s more business stuff. I feel like we have built a decent relationship – from a personal standpoint we’ve built that relationship, but now from a business standpoint, we are going to have to get on track. I’m going to have to hear him over the radio, and he is going to have to listen to my feedback over the radio and see how that goes.”

How tough was it to see Jason Ratcliff go?

“It was difficult. I think we both kind of expected to transition to Gibbs together. We were not expecting the dramatic change up across the JGR lineup. It definitely caught us both off guard, and I wish nothing but the best for Jason and Harrison (Burton). Jason was a huge part of my success, and arguably the reason that I’m here today. Very thankful and grateful to drive for Jason across those years. He’s a great crew chief, and even better person. I love to see his smiling face and wish him and Harrison the best.”

Is the Playoffs a good way to establish a champion?

“I’ve been on both sides of the fence, well, I shouldn’t say that. I definitely have been on the wrong side of the fence for the championship format. You look at my Xfinity seasons between ’18 and ’19, where I was a championship caliber team, week-in and week-out, and I believe it was in ’18, I was on the outside looking in and we went into Phoenix, which was the last race before the championship race, and if I didn’t win Phoenix, I wouldn’t have even made the Championship 4. I feel especially for (Kevin) Harvick, I think he was the guy that got left out in 2020, and I feel for him. I was almost in that same boat in the Xfinity Series. It’s just the name of the game and you have to grade your season a little bit differently now than you would in years past. If you perform all season long and don’t make the Championship 4, then you can’t look at your season as a failure. On the flipside, it gives you time to learn each other and maybe if you don’t perform at the beginning part of the year, then all of a sudden, you start hitting your stride later in the season, you are not out of the championship chase, either. I see both sides of the story.”

What do you think NASCAR has done well and what they could do better with the Bristol dirt race?

“Honestly, I’m not entirely sure. I haven’t been able to keep up with the dirt process, but I think they have a race coming up where we should be able to learn a lot about in March, before we get there. I think NASCAR, this has been a huge undertaking for them, to prepare a concrete or asphalt track and put dirt on it for a Cup Series event. This is a massive undertaking from a NASCAR standpoint, and I applaud them for doing it and taking it on. I’m a little bit concerned about the afternoon starting time and the race length and race distance. It has the possibility to be sunny outside, and dirt racing is primarily held at night just for the reason that the track stays a lot more consistent and raceable in that time condition, so it will be interesting to see how the afternoon race and the race length plays out.”

Is there any bad or weird blood with Erik Jones?

“I’m sure there is definitely some weird blood, but definitely not any bad blood. I have tremendous amount of respect for Erik. It’s unfortunate that my time at Gibbs came at his expense. I definitely didn’t want that. He is a guy that I look up to, and kind of followed in his footsteps, so to speak, through KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) late models and trucks and over to Gibbs. I think Erik is a tremendous race car driver, and I wish nothing but success for him. I have all the respect in the world for him.”

Are you surprised NASCAR chose Bristol to make the dirt race?

“I thought that Bristol dirt was amazing whenever the Outlaws did it back in the early 2000’s. That was a marquee event that was really cool to witness. It’s unfortunate that it came at the expense of such a great venue and event on the NASCAR side of things. Everybody in the industry loved both Bristol races – the night race and the Spring race. I love Bristol concrete, and the dirt race should be good for me because I have dirt experience and I should have an advantage going there, but it’s just a shame it came at the expense of such an awesome short track event. Maybe in the future, we will be able to get back to two Bristol concrete races, and a dirt race in there at the expense of another venue or whatever, but it’s going to be interesting to say the least.”

Where do you want to be to miss the big one at Daytona?

“Definitely if you lose the draft, that’s probably the safest spot, but nobody wants to do that and then you run the risk of getting a lap down. We’ve seen it time and time again that the guys racing for the lead will get together and wreck racing first, second or third, and then you will catch the whole field behind them. I just think you have to go out there and do what you think is best. If you think that your car is handling good, and you are able to drive up to the front, then definitely leading the race is probably the safest spot to be, but like I said, we’ve seen guys wreck from the lead too. It’s just kind of out of your hands and you’ve got to race the cards that are dealt to you.”

How much did your dirt racing background help you in NASCAR?

“I would say dirt racing really made me good at raw speed, and it seems like going fast really hasn’t been my issue, but one thing with my style of dirt racing that I did, it didn’t prepare me for distance races. That’s been the hardest part each step of the way, whether that’s late models, then moving into Trucks, and then moving into Xfinity. The races have just gotten longer, and longer and longer. Now the Cup races are sometimes twice the length of the Xfinity races that I just got done doing. So, the distance part has been the difficult part, making sure you can compete 500-mile races and have a car that’s in one piece. I haven’t done a great job of that through the course of last year and I’ve got to make sure I’m seeing the checkered flags with all of my fenders on the car. That’s something I’m really focused on this year is limiting my mistakes, making sure I have a clean car at the end of the race. As far as the downforce side of things, the Xfinity cars probably fit my driving style or my driving background a little bit more than what the Trucks and the Cup cars did. I would say that the Cup cars are really similar to the Trucks, so they do relate a little bit in that standpoint. It took me a little bit to get adjusted to that.”

Have you talked to Kyle Busch about running the truck?

“I think that definitely running the trucks at the mile-and-a-halves with the high downforce package is really the thing that relates the most, so I would love to do some Truck races in the future. I can’t say that there have been conversations about it, but it’s definitely something that I would love to do, and Toyota knows that I would love to do that as well.”

Do you think making the Playoffs this season is a necessity?

“I would say yeah, it’s a necessity. If I don’t make the Playoffs this year, that is not going to be ideal. That’s for sure. I don’t know what the results of that would be, but I don’t want to find that out. I think we have all of the tools necessary to make the Playoffs, and that’s for sure a big goal. If you make the Playoffs, typically you’ve been running well, you’ve won a race or you’re running exceptional in points to get there, so yeah, making the Playoffs is a big deal for us.”

What did you learn in your first season in the Cup Series?

“I would say the biggest thing that I’ve learned is the experience from distance racing. I mentioned that earlier on the call, but it’s a big deal to go from Xfinity races which are 300-miles at the longest, and short tracks are shorter. Then you go to Cup racing which you have 500-miles, 400-miles all of the time. You have a couple of 500-milee races and then you have the Coke 600. The distance part is a big difference and learning how to run all of those miles without making one mistake and getting into the wall and knocking the fender into the tire, cutting a tire, and getting into somebody – gaining that knowledge and experience. If we are on lap 200 of 325, you don’t need to push extra to get 10th spot or whatever. Just the on-track knowledge and experience of doing it is the biggest thing I’m going to take away from LFR (Leavine Family Racing) to JGR.”

What is your thinking with the growth of the road courses on the schedule?

“I don’t think that I’m where I need to be as a road course racer yet, but I have grown to enjoy it a lot more than I did in the past. It’s quite the challenge and that’s what makes it so enjoyable. Actually, if you look back at the two road course races that we did last year, my finishes weren’t very good, but as far as raw speed, those were two of my better races over the course of the year. I’m especially looking forward to going to Road America. It’s a place where I was able to win a Xfinity Series race. Austin will be kind of a new venue for everybody, nobody will have an advantage going there, so I’m excited to go to Austin. Sonoma is going to be tough because I have never been there, and a lot of guys have a lot of laps there. It’s going to be a fun road course. I look at the road courses as a challenge and I enjoy doing it now, which is a change of pace from a couple of years ago.”

How big does the change in your attitude about road courses help?

“I’d say so. You look at the way races go to, right. You have guys that crash out all of the time in speedway racing, and they don’t like speedway racing. The guys that are more fortunate or better at it, they enjoy it. Definitely as I’ve gotten better at road racing, I enjoy it more. Imagine that. It’s all of the above. The change of attitude, getting better at it and just embracing it.”

What would it mean to you to take the No. 20 to victory lane in Daytona?

“It would be the first one in my life too. It would be really, really special to win the Daytona 500, regardless of car number. It’s a big one. It’s probably p.1 in motorsports, arguably. It’s hard for me to sit here and think about it, because it’s such a big event, but I will have a shot. I’m competing in the Daytona 500, so I’m really thankful for that, and hopefully I can do a good job and have a shot at it coming closing time.”

Is there any driver that you have raced on dirt that you would love to see race at Bristol?

“Yes. Absolutely. He goes by Rico. I would love to see Rico Abreu do it.”

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