McDowell on Charlotte ROVAL:

“This is a big weekend for us. We’re headed to the Charlotte ROVAL on Sunday for one of my favorite races of the year; a tight and twisty road course. We had such a great run there last season with Love’s Travel Stops and I’m excited to welcome them back on board with Speedco for what should be another exciting race weekend. It’s a hometown race for us and a road course; so for me personally, it doesn’t get much better than that. We had a strong run back in August on the Daytona Road Course, so hopefully we can finish our final road race of the season in Victory Lane at the Charlotte ROVAL.”

About Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores

Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores is the nation’s industry-leading travel stop network with 530 locations in 41 states. Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Oklahoma City, the company remains family-owned and operated and employs more than 27,000 people. Love’s provides professional truck drivers and motorists with 24-hour access to clean and safe places to purchase gasoline, diesel fuel, fresh coffee, restaurant offerings and more. Love’s has more than 390 truck service centers, which include on-site and stand-alone Speedco and Love’s Truck Tire Care locations. Love’s and Speedco combined is the largest oil change, preventive maintenance and total truck care nationwide network. Love’s is committed to providing customers with “Clean Places, Friendly Faces” at every stop. To learn more, visit loves.com.

FORD PERFORMANCE MEDIA AVAILABILITY

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2020

Aric Almirola enters the Charlotte Roval race this Sunday in a must-win scenario to advance to the NASCAR Playoffs Round of 8. Almirola spoke about the upcoming weekend and his mindset on the Ford Performance mid-week Zoom media call this afternoon.

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang — TALK ABOUT THIS WEEKEND COMING UP, YOU BASICALLY HAVE TO WIN AT AN ALREADY UNCERTAIN RACE TRACK. WHAT IS THAT LIKE? “Honestly it makes it more straightforward for us. In the past we have gone to the Roval and it has been a cutoff race in the first round and I have had to go through that the last two years but it has been more complex because you are counting points and you are trying to figure out how good you are to the good side or how far you are out. Now, we are in control, kind of, of our own destiny. We have to win. Nothing else really matters at this point. It makes it very clear and very straightforward. We don’t have to really worry about what anybody else does, we just have to focus on trying to call the right strategy for the race. We don’t have to worry about stage points or any of those things. We just have to focus on trying to win the race.”

WHERE DO YOU STAND ON RISK VERSUS REWARD AS FAR AS MAKING THE NEXT ROUND VERSUS COSTING YOURSELF POINTS THAT COULD HAMPER YOUR CHANCE TO BE FIFTH IN POINTS IF YOU DON’T ADVANCE? “Honestly, at this point I think the focus still has to be on trying to advance to the next round. I don’t want to race for fifth. My focus is not to finish fifth, my focus is to try and race for a championship. That is what this platform or layout for the NASCAR Playoffs allows. Obviously we are not good on points right now, so we have to win. If we win we are still in it going into the next round. Some of those racetracks are really good for us in the next round, specifically Texas. We led a bunch of laps at Texas and had a car capable of winning earlier this year. Our focus is to win. I don’t foresee giving up a few stage points here and there in order to put ourselves in position to win the race being overly costly in the grand scheme of things.”

YOU DO HAVE A 10TH PLACE FINISH AT CHARLOTTE, TWO TOP-10 FINISHES ON ROAD COURSES. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU HAVE SEEN THAT GIVES YOU CONFIDENCE THAT YOU CAN WIN ON SUNDAY? “Yeah, I think just being in the right place at the right time. The last couple of years we have gone there the strategy has been different. The strategy has been conservative and has been to not make mistakes. It has been about not losing points and doing everything we need to do to not beat ourselves. Now it is very different. The strategy is go race. There is no reason to be conservative. There is no reason to worry about risk management. I think it plays out a lot differently for us and for me particularly behind the wheel just in the way that I race and the way that the restarts go and the way that I attack the racetrack. Yeah, it is hard to say.”

THE FORECAST IS CALLING FOR POTENTIAL RAIN THIS WEEKEND IN CHARLOTTE. DOES THAT WORRY YOU MORE OR EXCITE YOU OR THE IDEA OF POTENTIALLY RACING IN SOME SORT OF RAIN SUNDAY? “I think for us at this point the more chaos the better. It creates more opportunities and more chances for other people to have bad races and for us to capitalize on that. Where we are at in points, if we have a bad race, so what? We are currently not in a position to make it anyway so we have to win. If there is rain or something else that is going to create more chaos and potential for more wrecks and more attrition, then that could potentially work out in our favor. I would not say that I am a road course expert by any stretch of the imagination and certainly have very, very little experience of racing in the rain. I don’t think it plays into my favor as far as being my expertise but the idea of it creating more chaos and more attrition you never know what could happen in those sort of circumstances.”

A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE YELLOW LINE COMING OUT OF LAST WEEKEND. IS THERE A BETTER SOLUTION? IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED THAT HELPS TAKE THAT POTENTIAL PENALTY OUT OF NASCAR’S HANDS? I HAVE EVEN HEARD A SUGGESTION OF RUMBLE STRIPS DOWN THERE: “Obviously you would have to be mindful of what the rumble strips look like. you wouldn’t want to do anything to promote the car to bounce or get up in the air at that speed, especially if the car is sideways or anything, you would not want the car to bounce and get up in the air. We have seen what happens when that happens at speedway races. We typically take off in flight and end up upside down. I don’t know if that is ideally the best solution. I don’t know what the solution is. I know that the line is intended to detour from going way down there and causing bigger or more wrecks but it seems like we wreck regardless. I don’t know the solution. We are going to wreck. You have 40 cars all on top of each other going close to 200 mph and we are running into each other to try to go faster. We are bump drafting and attaching and pushing and trying to side draft extremely aggressively. All of those things are a recipe for wrecks which is why it is entertaining for the fans and people tune in but for us and from the drivers perspective it just puts you in that position where you know you are going to wreck. If you don’t, you will have a good shot to win.”

ARE WE MISSING WHAT THE TOPIC SHOULD BE? SHOULD IT BE LOOKING AT THE RULES PACKAGE AND ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DONE WITH THE PACKAGE? “Again, I am not the guy that is smart enough to give that answer, but, it is a little bit of a catch-22. If you allow the cars to go faster, then we are approaching speeds that are really dangerous with that heavy of a stock car getting up to 220-plus mph is dangerous. If you slow the cars down and put more drag on them and all of those things, when you put more drag on a car it really affects the lead car and the cars behind will have a bigger advantage when the lead car is punching a bigger hole in the air because of the increased drag. That will make the draft more effective than a streamlined, slicker car that goes through the air better and creates less wake behind and the draft is not as effective. We have seen it both ways. This way with the rules package certainly promotes bigger runs and the draft is more effective and more of an equalizer and the cars stay more packed up on top of each other. All of those things, we see all of those things. I don’t know what the answer is. I don’t know that the rules need to continue to be changed. I honestly think it is just a product of speedway racing. You go back and watch it for years and years and years and ever since we have had restrictor plates or anything to slow the cars down where there is more capability in the car but it is going slower because of more drag induced on the car or restrictor plates slowing the cars down, the draft because extremely effective and the cars all run right on top of each other. When you put 40 of us knuckleheads right on top of each other we are going to beat and bang and we are going to wreck.”

HOW HAS THE LACK OF SOME ROAD COURSE ACTIVITY THIS YEAR AFFECT YOU GUYS AS YOU PREPARE FOR THIS RACE THIS WEEKEND? DOES IT THROW YOU OFF AT ALL? “I don’t think so, not really. That is why we get paid what we are paid to do. We are professional race car drivers and our job is to adapt to whatever track we go to, whether it is a half mile short track and then a two-mile fast speedway race the next week or 2.5 mile superspeedway race or a 1.5 mile. Whatever the situation is. You throw in the road courses as well, that is our job. Our job is to adapt and be prepared and be ready to take on that challenge of whatever your next race track is. From that aspect I don’t think it is any different. The lack of practice certainly can be challenging at times. At the same time, we have already gotten a couple years of experience at the Roval now so we have notes and there are videos to watch and film of previous races. There is a lot more information and data to take in to prep for the race. Where the Daytona road course there was nothing. You could watch film of Rolex cars and stuff going around there for the 24-hour race but besides that, there was really no notebook on the actual race track. It was just everybody’s best guess. Going to the Roval we have that notebook and we have had test days and practice days and all those things to look back at a lot of the things we have done the last couple of years.”

ON THE NOTE OF NO PRACTICE, DO YOU ANTICIPATE THERE BEING MORE CAUTION ON THE START OF THE RACE OR DO YOU JUST GO BACK TO WHAT YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT WITH THE NOTEBOOK? “I don’t anticipate there being more caution. Even at the Daytona road course, a place that was an unknown for everybody, there was quite a bit of aggression right at the start of the race with people trying to get spots right away. Especially road course racing, that is the most opportune time to gain spots. It gets really hard to pass when it gets strung out. The best place to make gains is on restarts. I don’t think you will see a majority of the cars being cautious. I think there will be a select few that will be cautious that have a minor points gap being in on playoff points. They will want to be cautious of not making mistakes but the guys that are out and the guys that are racing to just try to get a win and finish out their year strong, those teams and those guys are not going to be cautious.”

YOUR ATTITUDE GOING INTO THIS RACE CONSIDERING YOUR POINTS POSITION, DO YOU ENTER THIS RACE THAT IF YOU ARE FASTER THAN GUYS AND THEY ARE IN YOUR WAY, THEY ARE GOING TO GET A BUMP BECAUSE YOU GOTTA GO? “For sure. I think that the competitors would expect that. I don’t think anybody would expect anything less. We are certainly in a position of desperation. We have to go there and we have to win. We are going to be aggressive and we are going to race to try to win. You saw that at Talladega. I thought going into Talladega that while we didn’t need to win, we needed to score a lot of points to put ourselves in position going into the Roval. I was aggressive and raced super hard and had ourselves in position to score 10 stage points and win Stage 1 at Talladega. That will be the same mindset here, to be on the offense and do everything we can to go forward and try to win.”

YOU DON’T COME ACROSS AS A GUY THAT DRIVES LIKE A JERK. SO IS IT KIND OF NICE TO PUT ON THAT MASK AND HAVE TO BE THAT GUY THIS WEEKEND WHEN NORMALLY YOU WOULDN’T BE THAT WAY? “Yeah, I certainly am a guy that tends to be respectful and earn the respect of my peers and race how I want to be raced in return. I think everybody is aware of the situation. I don’t think anybody in the sport is naive to the fact that we have to be aggressive. We have to be aggressive and I am going to take chances and if there is a hole, I am going to put my race car in it. We are going to do everything we can to try to win the race. I think that while I don’t get a pass to just run people off the race track and crash people intentionally, nor would I do that, but being aggressive and being on the offense and certainly taking more than I give? Absolutely. I think that is something my competitors would expect.”

HAS THIS RACE BECOME ONE YOU ARE EXCITED TO COME TO OR IS IT STILL A LOT OF HESITATION AND UNCERTAINTY WITH THIS SETUP AND THIS RACE? “I think it is a mixed bag. I think there are a handful of guys that have run really well there the last two years so they look at it optimistically and have a lot of confidence going into the Roval. I would say the majority of the rest of the field goes there with a certain level of uncertainty of just not knowing what to expect and not knowing if the car they are bringing is going to be better than the cars they have had there in the past. If they have figured the course out better after a couple of years of running there. There are a lot of question marks for a lot of the teams still going in there but at the same time, I do feel like when we go to the Roval that it still is that chaos. It is that opportunity for wrecks and big pile-ups getting into turn one and all of those things. All of those things are still there. That presents opportunities both for good and bad. It is just that creates a little bit of anxiety going into the event and not knowing if you might get caught up in a wreck either of your own doing by misjudgment or being overly aggressive or by somebody else missing turn one on a restart and causing a big pileup.”

YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE PLAYOFFS A FEW TIMES. IS IT ANY EASIER ON YOUR NERVES OR AS A COMPETITOR ARE YOU ABLE TO NOT GET WORKED UP OVER IT? “That is a hard question to give you an exact answer to because I think it changes by the day, by the minute, by the circumstances. It really changes. My first year in the playoffs in 2014 when I was with Petty, we had zero expectations. Nobody even expected us to be in the playoffs so that was just fun. It was just pure happiness and fun and excitement to be there. We raced so freely like we had nothing to lose. Then I went to Stewart-Haas and made the playoffs my first year there and it was very intense. I did not get a lot of sleep for those 10 weeks just trying to be perfect and maximize everything and wanting to make it all the way to Homestead. We came close. We almost won Phoenix and we made it to the Round of 8 and almost won Phoenix and finished fifth in points, which was a great year for us. Last year we were off and those playoffs started off intense but at the same time we were off and things weren’t going well and so there were a lot of times that there were low expectations because of our most recent performances but still fighting for everything we could and it just didn’t work out. Then this year, I have gone into the playoffs with as much confidence as I have ever had entering the playoffs because we have run so well this year and performed at such a high level. I felt like round one we made it through kind of easily. There wasn’t a lot of stress in round one and I had a lot of confidence going through that round and we performed well. Then going into this second round, I had so much confidence going to Vegas and we did not perform like we expected and that kind of put us behind the eight-ball. We went to Talladega with a tremendous amount of confidence and to be honest I slept fine. I was perfectly content all week going into Talladega and thought that we were going to have as good of a shot as anybody to go win that race. We got there, had a really fast car and thought that we were going to be in position to score a lot of points and potentially put ourselves in position to win and that didn’t work out. So, now here we find ourselves in kind of a position of nothing to lose. So there is not a lot of anxiety going to the Roval, really. It is one thing and one thing only that matters when we get there and that is to win. It just makes everything else a non-issue. You don’t have to worry about what happens if we have a part failure or what happens if this doesn’t go right or that doesn’t go right. You are already out. So you have to win to get in and so it just makes things so that you worry less about the things that could go wrong that are out of your control.”

Team:                   No. 6 Castrol Ford Mustang
Crew Chief:         Scott Graves

Twitter:                @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman
Race Format:     248.52 miles, 109 laps, Stage Lengths: 25-25-59

Bank of America ROVAL 400 – Sunday, Oct. 11 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Focus Shifts to ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway

·         The ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway hosts just its third NASCAR Cup event ever this weekend, a race that will mark the second (and final) road course race of the 2020 season.

·         This weekend’s 109-lap event is the final race in the round of 12 of the NASCAR Playoffs, with Kansas, Texas, Martinsville and Phoenix remaining on the season slate.

·         The starting lineup will continue to be set by three competition-based metrics, rewarding both season-long and single-race performance. Sunday’s lineup will be announced later this week.

·         Four weeks of NASCAR action were completed prior to the COVID-19 hiatus with races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville postponed before the schedule later picked back up in mid-May.

Newman Historically at the ROVAL

·         Newman will make his third start at the ROVAL on Sunday, where he has an average finish of 21.5, with a best result of 11^th in the track’s debut in 2018. Last season, he finished 32^nd.

·         Overall, Newman has 39 starts at road courses in the Cup Series, with 11 top-10s and three top five results. Newman finished runner-up in one of his first-ever road course starts back in 2002 at Watkins Glen, and followed that with a ninth-place run a season later.

·         He piloted Jack Roush’s No. 6 machine to a seventh-place run last year in Sonoma, one of his eight top-10s at the track. Looking back at the Daytona Road Course in August, Newman finished 19^th after starting 14^th.

·         Newman does have a road course win in the Xfinity Series, which came in 2005 at WGI after starting fourth.

Scott Graves Historically at the ROVAL

·         Graves will call his third race at the ROVAL on Sunday, where he has an average finish of 26.5. He led Daniel Suarez to a 21^st-place run in 2018, and finished 32^nd last season with Newman.

·         Overall on road courses, Graves has 11 starts with three top-10s, two of which were inside the top five.

·         Graves went to victory lane twice in the Xfinity Series at road courses, leading Carl Edwards to a victory in the No. 60 entry in 2012 at WGI, followed by a win with Buescher in the same car two years later at Mid-Ohio.

QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on racing at the ROVAL:
“For whatever reason, we have struggled a bit at the road courses lately, but hope to turn that around this weekend. Like last week, there are going to be many scenarios playing out with a lot of guys desperate for points. We’re looking to keep it clean until the end, and hopefully spoil the afternoon in our Castrol Ford Mustang.”

Last Time Out
Newman was patient throughout Sunday’s chaotic race from Talladega, and put himself in contention late in the Guaranteed Rate Ford. After initially crossing the line seventh, Newman was bumped to a fifth-place run after two cars were penalized, but was later relegated back to sixth after NASCAR rescinded the penalty for one of the two cars.

Where They Rank
Newman is 25^th in driver points after 28 points races in his 2020 campaign. In owners’ points, the No. 6 is 23^rd.

On the Car
Castrol returns to Newman’s No. 6 machine for the weekend at the ROVAL. The high-performance lubricant brand signed as the team’s official oil partner in January, with this race closing out its 2020 slate as the primary partner.

Driven for a Cause
Throughout the month of October, Roush Fenway Racing will show its support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month by running special pink numbers on its Ford Mustangs. In addition, Roush Fenway Fords will sport pink ‘Driven for a Cause’ ribbon decals on its Ford Mustangs.

About Castrol

Castrol, a global leader in lubricant technology, serves customers and consumers in over 140 countries in the automotive, marine, industrial and energy production sectors. Our branded products are recognized globally for innovation and high performance through our commitment to premium quality products, highly responsive services and cutting-edge technology. To find out more about Castrol products and programs, please visit www.castrol.com/us.

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

Twitter:                @17RoushTeam, @RoushFenway and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format:     248.52 miles, 109 laps, Stage Lengths: 25-25-59

Bank of America ROVAL 400 – Sunday, Oct. 11 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Focus Shifts to ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway

·         The ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway hosts just its third NASCAR Cup event ever this weekend, a race that will mark the second (and final) road course race of the 2020 season.

·         This weekend’s 109-lap event is the final race in the round of 12 of the NASCAR Playoffs, with Kansas, Texas, Martinsville and Phoenix remaining on the season slate.

·         The starting lineup will continue to be set by three competition-based metrics, rewarding both season-long and single-race performance. Sunday’s lineup will be announced later this week.

·         Four weeks of NASCAR action were completed prior to the COVID-19 hiatus with races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville postponed before the schedule later picked back up in mid-May.

Buescher Historically at the ROVAL

·         Buescher makes his third start at the ROVAL on Sunday, where he has an average finish of 17.5 with results of 17^th (2018) and 18^th (2019). In those two events, Buescher lined up 10^th and 12, respectively.

·         Looking back at the series’ most-recent road course event, Buescher fared particularly well, putting himself well inside the top five late in the race at the Daytona Road Course, before finishing fifth.

·         Overall on road courses in the NCS, Buescher has 12 starts with an average finish of 19^th.

·         Buescher does have a road course win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, which came back in 2014 at Mid-Ohio when he took Jack Roush’s No. 60 machine to victory lane. He also won an ARCA Menards Series event at Road America back in 2013.

Luke Lambert Historically at the ROVAL

·         Lambert will call his third Cup event at the ROVAL on Sunday, where he has an average finish of 22^nd, and a best result of 11^th with Ryan Newman in 2018. Last season, he and Daniel Hemric finished 33^rd.

·         Overall on road courses in his Cup career, Lambert has three top-10s, including a career-best fifth with Buescher at the Daytona RC in August. He finished ninth with Jeff Burton back in his first-ever race at Watkins Glen in 2011, and also scored a top-10 with Newman at Sonoma in 2016.

·         Lambert called three road course events in his Xfinity tenure, recording a best finish of fourth with Elliott Sadler in Montreal in 2012.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at the ROVAL:
“I, for one, am excited to get back to a road course and see what we can do. What wound up being a really fun day in Talladega last weekend turned sour well after the race, so we’re looking for some redemption in our Fastenal Ford come Sunday. Our car at the Daytona Road Course back in August was sporty, and we finished the day off with a solid top-five. We’re looking for much of the same this weekend in our back yard.”

Last Time Out
Buescher led 15 laps in the SunnyD Ford at Talladega on Sunday, and was in the thick of the action late as a record 13 cautions were displayed. After crossing the line eighth, Buescher was bumped up to sixth following an initial post-race review, but was later penalized by NASCAR, relegating him to a 22^nd-place finish.

Where They Rank
Buescher is 20^th in driver standings through 31 events.

On the Car
Fastenal celebrates its 10^th season with Roush Fenway Racing in 2020. The Minnesota company 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.

Wypall, Loctite, MCR and Krylon will ride aboard the No. 17 as Fastenal Racing’s featured suppliers Sunday in Charlotte.

·         Wypall (KCP), a brand under the Kimberly-Clark umbrella that specializes in task-specific wipes and cloths, will ride on the hood.

·         Loctite, a leader in adhesives, sealants and surface treatments will be on the TV panel.

·         MCR, a leader in the field of personal protective equipment (PPE), will be on the decklid.

·         Krylon, an industry leader in product innovation, package design, project inspiration and color, will ride on the lower rear quarter panel.

Driven for a Cause
Throughout the month of October, Roush Fenway Racing will show its support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month by running special pink numbers on its Ford Mustangs. In addition, Roush Fenway Fords will sport pink ‘Driven for a Cause’ ribbon decals on its Ford Mustangs.

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.

• The award, named for legendary car owner and mechanic Henry ‘Smokey’ Yunick, recognizes individuals who rose from humble beginnings to make a major impact on motorsports
• McReynolds joins a distinguished list of NASCAR greats to receive the award including Cotton Owens, Ralph Moody, Ray Evernham, Dale Inman, Richard Childress, Robert Yates and Waddell Wilson

CHARLOTTE, NC (Oct. 6, 2020) — Larry McReynolds, who won 23 NASCAR Cup Series races as crew chief for drivers such as Hall of Famers Davey Allison, Dale Jarett and Dale Earnhardt, received the prestigious Smokey Yunick Award Monday ahead of the third running of the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Legendary car owner and mechanic Henry “Smokey” Yunick instituted the award in 1997 to annually recognize an individual who rose from humble beginnings to make a major impact on the motorsports industry. Yunick passed away on May 9, 2001, and Charlotte Motor Speedway has continued the award in his memory.

McReynolds was surprised with the award, a golden wrench, during a special presentation by Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith on FOX’s “Race Hub.”

He joins joins a long list of NASCAR greats in receiving the honor, including Cotton Owens, Banjo Mathews, Ralph Moody, Ray Evernham, Dale Inman, Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick and Waddell Wilson, among others.

Click here for a full list of past recipients.

“That list has a lot of great names and I think a lot of creative genius,” said Smith. “The ingenuity and the ideas that drive championship racing are what it takes to get this wrench and I’m so excited to be able to give it to you.”

“You have absolutely swept me off my feet,” McReynolds said. “Just to have my name in the same paragraph as a Dale Inman or Leonard Wood, people like that, is quite overwhelming. It starts with the people that I work with. We all know it’s about people…

“The one thing about looking at that list that makes it so fulfilling is to know that I’m on there with Hall of Famer, my best friend, Robert Yates. Honestly, if it wasn’t for Robert Yates, I probably wouldn’t be here accepting this. He taught me so much.”

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, McReynolds became enthralled with the mechanical side of the local racing scene. He moved to North Carolina in 1980 to begin a NASCAR career and eventually worked his way up to crew chief.

McReynolds’ first full season as a NASCAR Cup Series crew chief was in 1986 when he called the shots for the No. 26 King Racing Buick owned by drag racer Kenny Bernstein and driven by Joe Ruttman. His first victory came at the Watkins Glen International road course in 1988 with Ricky Rudd driving the King Racing entry.

In 1991, McReynolds teamed with Yates and Allison to form one of the sport’s most potent combinations. Together, they won 11 races, including the 1991 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, before Allison died on July 13, 1993, from injuries suffered in a helicopter crash.

Robert Yates Racing and the No. 28 team eventually rebounded from the devastating loss and McReynolds returned to Victory Lane with Ernie Irvan (seven times) and Dale Jarrett (once) before moving to Richard Childress Racing for the 1997 season.

At RCR, McReynolds was on top of the pit box in 1998 when Dale Earnhardt finally won the Daytona 500 and he spent more than two-and-a-half seasons working alongside driver Mike Skinner.

“People ask me, what are my most special wins,” McReynolds said. “Well, all of them. I won 23, but I lost 457 of them, so they’re all really special. Two Daytona 500s, and, you know there’s only one first. To get that very first win at Watkins Glen with Ricky Rudd in 1988. Donnie Allison told me when I left Birmingham; he said, it’s going to be a long time before you see a checkered flag. Well he was right, it took about eight and a half years before I got to see a checkered flag. But, they’re all special because they’re hard to come by.”

Stepping into the FOX broadcast booth in 2001, McReynolds was originally paired with legendary driver Darrell Waltrip and veteran broadcaster Mike Joy, a combination that remained for 15 years. His broadcasting role eventually evolved and today McReynolds offers his unique perspective on everything from rule infractions to pit strategy during each race.

FOLLOW US:

Keep track of all of Charlotte Motor Speedway’s events during its 60th anniversary season by following on Twitter and Instagram or become a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: CHARLOTTE PLAYOFF NOTES

The NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series will run their final races in the Round of 12 this weekend on the Charlotte Roval. Ford has recorded one Roval victory in each series since the course began hosting races in 2018. Here’s a look at where Ford’s playoff drivers stand in their respective series.

This Week’s Schedule:

Saturday, Oct. 10 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 3:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Sunday, Oct. 11 – NASCAR Cup Series, 2:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
ROUND OF 12 NCS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 8 Advance After Charlotte)
2nd – Kevin Harvick (+68 ahead of cutoff)
4th – Brad Keselowski (+41)
7th – Joey Logano (+21)
11th – Clint Bowyer (-38 behind final transfer spot)
12th – Aric Almirola (-48)
FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT CMS

· Ford has 32 all-time series points wins at Charlotte
· Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, and Clint Bowyer all have at least one series win at CMS.
· Blaney won the inaugural Cup Roval race in 2018.

ROUND OF 12 NXS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 8 Advance After Charlotte)
1st – Chase Briscoe (Clinched: Las Vegas winner)
2nd – Austin Cindric (+50)

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT CMS

· Ford has 22 series wins at CMS.
· Chase Briscoe won the first Roval race in 2018.
· Austin Cindric has finished 3rd in the two previous Roval races.

BLANEY WINS INAUGURAL CUP ROVAL RACE

The debut of the Charlotte Roval didn’t disappoint as Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr. wrecked each other in the final chicane heading to the checkered flag, allowing Ryan Blaney to sneak past both and win the inaugural Bank of America Roval 400. Blaney put himself in position to win thanks to some sound strategy that enabled him to stretch his fuel mileage and win Stage 2. He round himself in 25th place with 38 laps to go after a trip to pit road, but cycled his way back up to the front before being in the right place at the right time. That capped a weekend in which Ford won the pole and race in the NASCAR XFINITY and NASCAR Cup Series.

BRISCOE WINS FIRST NXS RACE ON ROVAL

Chase Briscoe led the final 24 laps and became the first driver to win a race on the new Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval course by taking the checkered flag in the Drive for the Cure 200. The win was Briscoe’s first in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and he was able to do it thanks to a good restart with 11 laps to go. Briscoe, who had been locked in a tight battle with Daniel Hemric throughout the final stage, got the jump after the race’s fifth caution and when Hemric missed the frontstrech chicane, it gave Briscoe some extra breathing room to take the checkered flag.

KESELOWSKI GETS FIRST FORD VICTORY

When Brad Keselowski captured the Bank of America 500 five years ago it snapped a 37-race winless drought, and marked his first win with Ford after Team Penske switched from Dodge following the 2012 season. Keselowski won the race after a back-and-forth battle with Kasey Kahne. He took the lead with nine laps remaining and held on for his first NASCAR Cup Series win on the 1.5-mile track.

SPEEDY WINS INAUGURAL FALL RACE

The first time Ford went to victory lane at Charlotte Motor Speedway was on Oct. 16, 1960 when Speedy Thompson won the first NASCAR Cup Series fall race in track history. The race, which was the second event overall at CMS, was called the National 400 and featured Thompson making his first start for the Wood Brothers in the No. 21 Ford. He qualified third behind pole-winner Fireball Roberts, who quickly grabbed the lead and was the dominant car. Roberts led 197 of the first 232 laps, but blew a tire that took him out of the race and handed the lead over to Thompson. That was the break he needed and the result was Thompson winning the race by one lap over second-place Richard Petty. The win was the first on a superspeedway for the Wood Brothers and the first of two straight for Thompson, who also won a week later at Richmond.

LOGANO STARTS PLAYOFF STREAK

After a dominant day that saw him lead 227-of-334 laps, Joey Logano earned an automatic berth into the Round of 8 with a victory in the rain-delayed Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2015. The win was Logano’s first at the speedway and fourth of the season, but also started a streak that saw him win all three races in the segment. It also marked the second straight year Logano won the first race of the second round and while Kevin Harvick threatened, Logano dominated as the final 89 laps went green.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT CHARLOTTE
1960 – Speedy Thompson (2)
1962 – Nelson Stacy (1)
1963 – Fred Lorenzen (1)
1964 – Fred Lorenzen (2)
1965 – Fred Lorenzen (Sweep)
1969 – Donnie Allison (2)
1970 – Donnie Allison (1)
1978 – Bobby Allison (2)
1982 – Neil Bonnett (1)
1984 – Bill Elliott (2)
1985 – Cale Yarborough (2)
1987 – Kyle Petty and Bill Elliott
1990 – Davey Allison (2)
1991 – Davey Allison and Geoffrey Bodine
1992 – Mark Martin (2)
1993 – Ernie Irvan (2)
1995 – Mark Martin (2)
1996 – Dale Jarrett (1)
1997 – Dale Jarrett (2)
1998 – Mark Martin (2)
1999 – Jeff Burton (1)
2000 – Matt Kenseth (1)
2001 – Jeff Burton (1)
2002 – Mark Martin (1)
2011 – Matt Kenseth (2)
2013 – Brad Keselowski (2)
2015 – Joey Logano (2)
2018 – Ryan Blaney (2-Roval)
2020 – Brad Keselowski (1)

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