Chad Knaus set for 700th Cup race as crew chief at Richmond

By

-

September 9, 2020

12733819-6472-4E11-8FDE-34BD7BA87983 — Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images.

A major milestone is the making for Chad Knaus, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series championship-winning crew chief who is currently calling the shots for 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff contender William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE team. When the green flag waves in the upcoming Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway on Saturday, September 12, Knaus will reach 700 Cup races as a crew chief.

A native of Rockford, Illinois, Knaus worked with his father, John, in races across the Midwest as he was also a crew chief for his father, who competed for the Rockford Speedway title. Together, they won a Great Northern Series championship and finished as the runner-up contender in the NASCAR Winston Racing Series.

In 1991, Knaus relocated to North Carolina to pursue a career in NASCAR. After starting his stock car career working for owner/competitor Stanley Smith, he teamed up with Hendrick Motorsports and worked his way up from being a general fabricator to a chassis and body construction manager for five seasons and while being part of the No. 24 DUPONT/HMS team driven by Jeff Gordon and led by crew chief Ray Evernham. Knaus was also a rear tire changer for Gordon’s No. 24 team and he was a part of the 1995 and 1997 championship seasons with Gordon.

In 1998, Knaus moved to Dale Earnhardt Inc. and worked as a car chief for the team’s No. 1 car driven between Steve Park and Darrell Waltrip. He went on to work for Tyler Jet Motorsports and Melling Racing, where he led the Dodge development team and worked with Stacy Compton before he was promoted to crew chief for three races towards the conclusion of the 2000 season (two with Casey Atwood and one with Stacy Compton). For the 2001 Cup Series season, Knaus remained as a full-time crew chief for Compton. Throughout the 2001 season, Knaus achieved two poles and one top-10 result with Compton. He was also suspended for two races due to a seatbelt violation in March at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Compton failed to qualify for two races throughout the season.

In 2002, Knaus rejoined Hendrick Motorsports to serve as crew chief for El Cajon, California’s Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet team. In their first run together, Johnson won the pole position for the 2002 Daytona 500 with a pole-winning lap at 185.831 mph. After finishing 15th at the Daytona 500 in February and recording six top-10 results in the following eight races, Johnson and Knaus both achieved their first Cup career win at Auto Club Speedway in April. Overall, Johnson and Knaus won three Cup races and four poles as they also achieved six top-five results and 21 top-10 results before they concluded the season in fifth place in the standings, though Johnson was beaten by Ryan Newman for the Rookie-of-the-Year title.

In 2003, Johnson’s sophomore season in the Cup Series, the combo achieved three victories, two poles, 14 top-five results and 20 top-10 results before concluding the season in the runner-up position in the final standings behind the champion Matt Kenseth. Following the 2003 season, Knaus surpassed 100 Cup starts as a crew chief. Throughout the following season, 2004, the combo recorded a season-high eight wins along with a pole, 20 top-five results and 23 top-10 results. Among the victories achieved between the two in 2004 included both Darlington races, both Pocono Raceway events, a second consecutive Coca-Cola 600 win, a win at Martinsville Speedway in October and a feel good victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway the following race and following a Hendrick Motorsports plane accident that claimed the lives of team owner Rick Hendrick’s son, two nieces, brother/president of HMS, lead engine builder, general manager, among others. Despite the victories and a productive junior season, Johnson and Knaus fell eight points shy of the title to Kurt Busch and veteran Jimmy Fennig.

In 2005, Johnson and Knaus achieved four victories, a pole, 13 top-five results and 22 top-10 results as they were the only Hendrick Motorsports team that had an opportunity to win the overall championship. During the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, however, Johnson wrecked just shy of the midway mark and he concluded the season in fifth place in the standings while Tony Stewart went on to win his second Cup title.

Knaus started off the 2006 season on a rough note after he was caught making an illegal adjustment to the rear window of Johnson’s No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, thus being suspended for the first four Cup races of the season while Darian Grubb served as Johnson’s interim crew chief. Following the first four races, where Johnson and Grubb won the Daytona 500 and at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Knaus returned atop the pit box at Bristol in March. They achieved their first victory of the season at Talladega Superspeedway in May followed by the All-Star Race at Charlotte’s Lowe’s Motor Speedway and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in August. Entering the postseason as a championship favorite, Johnson and Knaus, however, struggled during the first four races as they finished no nigher than 13th on track. They rallied at Charlotte in October as Johnson went on a five-race streak of finishing no worse than second place and picking up a win at Martinsville. After finishing in ninth place in the finale at Homestead in November, Johnson and Knaus achieved their first Cup championship by 56 points over Kenseth. With Knaus atop the pit box, Johnson won three races (five overall), one pole, 10 top-five results (13 overall) and 20 top-10 results (24 overall). By then, Knaus surpassed 200 Cup starts as a crew chief.

In 2007, Johnson and Knaus won a season-high 10 races, which included sweeping the pair of season races at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway and at Richmond Raceway. When the checkered flag waved in the finale at Homestead, Johnson finished in seventh place as he and Knaus achieved their second consecutive Cup championship following a season-long battle with teammates Jeff Gordon and crew chief Steve Letarte. Knaus also rallied from being suspended for six races throughout the summer following an inspection issue involving the templates on Johnson’s car at Sonoma Raceway (an issue that was also noted on Gordon’s car and resulted in a six-race suspension for Letarte).

In 2008, Johnson, Knaus and the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet team rallied from a slow start to achieve seven victories, six poles, 15 top-five results and 22 top-10 results throughout the season. When the checkered flag waved in the finale at Homestead, Johnson finished in 15th place and earned his record-tying third consecutive NASCAR Cup Series championship by 69 points over Carl Edwards, who had won nine races throughout the season. While Johnson tied NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough in achieving three consecutive Cup championships and Hendrick Motorsports recorded its eighth overall title, Knaus made history as he became the first Cup crew chief in history to achieve three consecutive titles as he accomplished the feat in his eighth full-time season as a crew chief.

The winning dynasty between Johnson and Knaus, however, did not stop there as both achieved seven victories, four poles, 16 top-five results and 24 top-10 results throughout the 2009 Cup season. Following the finale at Homestead, where Johnson brought his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet to a fifth-place result, he achieved his record-setting fourth consecutive Cup championship by 141 points over teammate/NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin. As a result, HMS achieved its ninth title while Knaus became the first crew chief to win four consecutive Cup titles. In addition, Knaus surpassed 300 starts as a crew chief.

Throughout the 2010 season, Johnson, Knaus and the No. 48 Lowe’s team achieved six victories, two poles, 17 top-five results and 23 top-10 results. Among the season highlights included winning for the first time at Bristol Motor Speedway and at Sonoma Raceway. Entering the finale at Homestead, they were trailing Denny Hamlin and crew chief Mike Ford by 15 points. Following the finale, Johnson finished in second place and achieved his record-setting fifth consecutive Cup championship by 39 points over Hamlin, who finished 14th, and 41 over Kevin Harvick, who finished third. With Johnson’s accomplishment, Hendrick Motorsports achieved its 10th Cup title while Knaus became the first crew chief to win five consecutive Cup titles. In addition, Knaus surpassed Kirk Shelmerdine into second place on the all-time crew chief championship list in just his 10th season as a Cup crew chief.

In 2011, Johnson and Knaus achieved two victories (Talladega and Kansas), 14 top-five results and 21 top-10 results, but the results were not enough for both of them to extend their championship run to six consecutive years as they concluded the season in sixth place in the final standings. At the start of the 2012 season, Knaus was at the center of controversy when Johnson’s No. 48 car failed pre-race inspection prior to the Daytona 500. Initially fined $100,000, suspended for six races and Johnson docked 25 points, Knaus was later spared from the suspension and the points dock, though he was still fined. Despite winning five races throughout the 2012 season, including the All-Star Race at Charlotte, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and at Darlington Raceway while recording the 200th Cup victory for Hendrick Motorsports with Johnson, misfortunes during the final two races prevented Johnson and Knaus from winning their sixth title as Brad Keselowski, crew chief Paul Wolfe and team owner Roger Penske went on to claim their first title. Following the 2012 season, Knaus surpassed 400 starts as a crew chief.

In 2013, which marked the debut of the Generation 6 stock car and the new Chevrolet SS, Johnson and Knaus started the season on a high note by winning the Daytona 500 in February. While Johnson achieved his second Daytona 500 title and Hendrick Motorsports achieved its seventh, Knaus achieved his first 500 title as a crew chief. The dominance between Johnson, Knaus and the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet team did not stop there as they went on to win six races, including the non-point All-Star Race. Among the records Johnson broke in 2013 included becoming the first four-time winner of the All-Star Race, winning his record eighth race at Dover and becoming the first Cup competitor to sweep Daytona since NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison made the last accomplishment in 1982. Johnson and Knaus also went on to achieve three poles, 16 top-five results and 24 top-10 results. When the checkered flag flew in the finale at Homestead, Johnson finished ninth and achieved his sixth Cup championship by 19 points over Kenseth. With Johnson and Knaus each achieving their sixth title and Hendrick Motorsports achieving its 11th overall, the talks about the driver and crew chief of the No. 48 team achieving an unprecedented seventh title began to circulate approaching the 2014 season.

From 2014 to 2015, Johnson and Knaus won a total of nine races (including their fourth Coca-Cola 600 victory and a first win at Michigan International Speedway) and two poles as they also achieved 25 top-five results and 42 top-10 results. During both seasons, however, Johnson was unable to compete for the championship as his best points result was a 10th-place result in 2015. Prior to the conclusion of the 2015 season, Knaus achieved 500 starts as a crew chief.

In 2016, which marked Johnson and Knaus’ 15th season of racing and working together with the No. 48 Lowe’s/HMS team, Johnson started the season by finishing 16th in the Daytona 500 before he won the following race at Atlanta and tied the late NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt on the all-time Cup wins list with 76 wins. Johnson achieved his second victory of the season at Auto Club Speedway in March and was consistent throughout the regular season to make the Playoffs. In October, Johnson won at Charlotte and transferred to the Round of 8 in the Playoffs for the first time in his career. He went on to win at Martinsville for the ninth time in his career and earn one of four spots to the Championship Round at Homestead in November with an opportunity to compete for the title. Throughout the finale, Johnson struggled and was behind his other three opponents (Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and Joey Logano) in the late stages. During the final 10 laps, however, Johnson benefitted on short-run speed, a late multi-car pileup involving Edwards and Logano, two late restarts and a two-lap shootout to win the finale and achieve his record-tying seventh Cup championship. Johnson’s accomplishment made him the third competitor to achieve seven Cup titles alongside Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt while Hendrick Motorsports achieved its 12th title. In addition, Knaus and Johnson tied Richard Petty and Dale Inman in achieving the most Cup championships by a driver-crew chief combo as Knaus moved himself in being one title shy of tying Inman for the most titles at eight.

The following season, 2017, Johnson won three races, including his 11th victory at Dover and his seventh triumph at Texas Motor Speedway, and he recorded four top-five results and 11 top-10 results. Though he and Knaus made the Playoffs, their hopes for a record-setting eighth championship came to an end in the penultimate event of the season at Phoenix after Johnson wrecked and finished 39th. They went on to conclude the season in 10th place in the final standings. By then, Knaus surpassed 600 starts as a Cup crew chief.

In 2018, Johnson and Knaus went winless for the first in their racing careers as Johnson only achieved two top-five results and 11 top-10 results before concluding the season in 14th place in the final standings.

Following a 17-year run with Johnson that included winning seven championships and 81 Cup career wins, Knaus moved over from the No. 48 team to the No. 24 team to serve as crew chief for William Byron, the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion and the reigning Cup Rookie-of-the-Year recipient. In their first race paired together, Byron recorded the pole position for the 2019 Daytona 500 after he and his No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet posted a pole-winning speed at 194.305 mph. The accomplishment made between Byron and Knaus allowed Hendrick Motorsports to achieve its fifth consecutive Daytona 500 pole and the qualifying session was capped off with an HMS front row sweep for the main event as Alex Bowman and crew chief Greg Ives earned the other front row spot. Ironically, Byron’s first career pole at Daytona mirrored Johnson’s first career pole for the 500, both of which came under Knaus’ leadership.

Byron and Knaus started off the Daytona 500 with a 21st-place after Byron was involved in a late accident. After finishing no higher than 15th place the following five races, they achieved their first top-10 result at Texas Motor Speedway in April (sixth place). Their next top-10 result came at Dover in May, where Byron finished eighth. During the Monster Energy Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, Byron edged Bubba Wallace by a nose to transfer to his first All-Star Race appearance. Byron’s accomplishment allowed Knaus to extend his All-Star Race appearance to 18 consecutive seasons while the No. 24 car made its return to the main event following a one-year absence. Byron went on to finish ninth place in the All-Star event. The following two points races (Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and at Pocono Raceway), Byron started on pole position and finished ninth. The combo went on to achieve five additional top-10 results, including a career-best second place at Daytona in July and a fourth-place run at Indianapolis in September, to qualify for the 2019 Cup Playoffs. For the remaining 10 races of this season, Byron, Knaus and the No. 24 team achieved four top-10 results, including another runner-up result at Martinsville in October, before they concluded the season in 11th place in the final standings and after being eliminated from title contention following the second round in the Playoffs. Overall, Byron achieved five poles, five top-five results and 13 top-10 results in his sophomore Cup season.

The combo started this season by winning the second Duel race at Daytona to line in fourth place for the Daytona 500, but they finished in last place of the 40-car field after being involved in a single-car wreck past the one-quarter mark of the race. Through the first 25 regular-season races together and despite being absent at Kansas Speedway while he and his wife Brooke were anticipating the birth of their daughter in July, Byron and Knaus have achieved one top-five result and seven top-10 results.

Entering the regular-season finale at Daytona, they were four points above the top-16 cutline ahead of teammates Jimmie Johnson and Cliff Daniels in their bid to make this year’s Playoffs. When the checkered flag flew, Byron was able to hold off the field and claim his first Cup career win in his 98th series start. While he recorded his first victory, Knaus claimed his 82nd Cup career win and first since June 2017 at Dover. The win at Daytona guaranteed the No. 24 team into the Playoffs as Knaus made his 17th consecutive postseason appearance as a title contender.

Byron and Knaus are coming off a fifth-place result in last Sunday’s Playoff opener at Darlington Raceway. They are ranked in ninth place in the Playoff standings and are nine points above the top-12 cutline in an effort to qualify for the second round in the Cup Playoffs.

Catch crew chief Chad Knaus’ milestone start at Richmond Raceway on Saturday, September 12, which will air at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Richmond

By

Official Release

-

September 9, 2020

RICHMOND RACEWAY (.75-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE 28 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 7:30 P.M. ET, SATURDAY, SEPT. 12 (NBCSN/MRN/SIRIUSXM)

Chase Elliott
No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Chase Elliott Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 24 Resides Dawsonville, Georgia

2020 Season
7th in standings
27 starts
2 wins
1 pole position
10 top-five finishes
15 top-10 finishes
644 laps led

Career
176 starts
8 wins
9 pole positions
54 top-five finishes
89 top-10 finishes
2,488 laps led

Track Career
9 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
3 top-10 finishes
34 laps led

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, will be available to members of the media via video conference on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 1:45 p.m. ET. Visit NASCARmedia.com for details.

ROUND OF 16: Saturday night’s event at Richmond Raceway will mark the second race of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs Round of 16. Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, currently sits seventh in the playoff standings, 61 points behind the leader. The last three seasons, he has advanced to the Round of 8.

RECORD YEAR: In 2020, Elliott continues to amass career bests in laps led (644), runner-up results (three), top-five finishes (10), stage points (208) and stage wins (six) through 27 races. His two wins and 15 top-10s are tied for a personal best at this point in a season.

NAPA KNOW HOW: The primary blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS paint scheme will return to the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE this weekend at Richmond Raceway. The Atlanta-based company will serve as majority sponsor for Elliott and the No. 9 team for a total of 26 NASCAR Cup Series races this year. In February, it was announced that NAPA AUTO PARTS and Hendrick Motorsports will continue their partnership for another two seasons. NAPA will remain a primary sponsor of Elliott and the No. 9 team through 2022. Click here to read the full release.

NIGHT RACE ACE: Elliott continues to come alive during night races in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. On Sunday night at Darlington Raceway, he led 114 laps before finishing 20th after suffering damage while battling for the lead in the closing laps. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native has one win (Charlotte), three runner-up finishes, five top-fives and 236 laps led in the last seven points-paying night races. Elliott’s NASCAR All-Star Race win at Bristol Motor Speedway was also collected under the lights.

SHORT-TRACK PERFORMANCE: Elliott has made 28 short-track starts (Bristol, Martinsville and Richmond) in his NASCAR Cup Series career. In those races, the 24-year-old driver has collected eight top-five finishes, 12 top-10s and 514 laps led. So far in the 2020 campaign, he has earned two stage wins on short tracks, the most of any driver.

RICHMOND RUNDOWN: On Saturday night, Elliott will make his 10th NASCAR Cup Series start at the .75-mile Richmond oval. In his previous nine starts there, he has collected two top-five finishes – one being a runner-up result – and three top-10s. Additionally, he has made four starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Richmond, never finishing outside of the top five and earning a win in 2015.

GUSTAFSON AT RICHMOND: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson is set to call his 30th NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond this weekend. In his previous 29 starts with five different drivers (Kyle Busch, Casey Mears, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon and Elliott), Gustafson has accumulated 12 top-five finishes – five being runner-up results – 16 top-10s and 564 laps led at the track. His five runner-up finishes are tied with Kirk Shelmerdine. The only crew chief with more at the .75-mile oval is Dale Inman, who has 10.

PIT PERFORMANCE: As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Richmond, the No. 9 team owns the third-best average time for four-tire pit stops at 13.93 seconds through 27 races. The team is comprised of jackman T.J. Semke, gasman John Gianninoto, tire carrier Jared Erspamer and tire changers Chad Avrit and Nick O’Dell.

William Byron
No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver William Byron Hometown Charlotte, North Carolina
Age 22 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

2020 Season
9th in standings
27 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
3 top-five finishes
10 top-10 finishes
97 laps led

Career
99 starts
1 win
5 pole positions
8 top-five finishes
27 top-10 finishes
391 laps led

Track Career
4 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led

TRIPLE DIGITS: When driver William Byron climbs behind the wheel of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Saturday night’s race at Richmond Raceway, it will mark his 100th start in the NASCAR Cup Series. In the midst of his second playoff appearance, Byron has one win at stock car racing’s highest level of competition – coming just two weeks ago at Daytona. The 22-year-old driver also has accumulated five pole awards, eight top-five finishes, 27 top-10s and led 391 laps across his first 99 Cup races, as well as claiming the series’ rookie of the year honors in 2018.

7X REACHES 700: Byron isn’t the only member of the No. 24 team marking a milestone at Richmond. In his 20th season atop the pit box, crew chief Chad Knaus will call his 700th NASCAR Cup Series race on Saturday night. In his time as a crew chief, Knaus has worked with four different drivers: Casey Atwood, Stacy Compton, Jimmie Johnson and currently Byron and the No. 24 team. Knaus’ impressive résumé consists of seven NASCAR Cup Series championships – including five in a row – with Johnson and the No. 48 team, the second-most by a crew chief. He is also the only crew chief to make the NASCAR playoffs in all 17 seasons since its inception in 2004 and has collected 29 wins in the playoff format, the most of anyone. Adding to his achievements, Knaus has 82 Cup wins, the third-most of all-time, coming at 20 different tracks. He has recorded a win at all but five tracks on the Cup Series circuit: Chicagoland Speedway, the Charlotte Roval, the DAYTONA Road Course, Kentucky Speedway and Watkins Glen International. Knaus also has 42 pole awards, 227 top-five finishes, 369 top-10s and 18,912 laps led to his name.

GETTIN’ HOT: In the final stretch of the 2020 Cup Series season, Byron and the No. 24 team are picking up momentum when it matters most. In the last three races, Byron has finished fourth at Dover, won at Daytona and secured a fifth-place finish at Darlington. He is the only driver to have finished in the top five in all three races. Byron’s three consecutive top-five finishes is a first in his Cup career. In fact, it is the longest streak by a Hendrick Motorsports driver since Chase Elliott had five in a row from April to June 2019. Byron’s average finish in the last three races is 3.33 – the best of all drivers – and he has accumulated 125 points – second to only Kevin Harvick (126).

ONE DOWN, TWO TO GO: Valuable stage points and a top-five finish in Sunday’s race at Darlington Raceway allowed Byron to maintain the ninth position in the playoff standings. With two races remaining in the first round, Byron sits nine points above the cut line to advance to the Round of 12.

NIGHT MOVES: With his top-five finish Sunday night at Darlington, Byron continued his success racing under the lights. In the last five races run at night, including his win at Daytona, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has finished in the top 10 in all five evening events in 2020.

SHORT-TRACK STYLE: Saturday’s race will be just the third short-track race of the 2020 Cup Series season after the field competed at Bristol Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway over the summer. Byron is just one of four drivers to have placed inside the top 10 for those two events, scoring eighth-place finishes in both. His active three-race streak of top-10 finishes on short tracks is tied for second with Kurt Busch and is behind Brad Keselowski’s record of six consecutive races.

READY FOR RICHMOND: With four Cup Series starts at Richmond Raceway under his belt, Byron looks to keep his momentum going when he gets to Virginia on Saturday. He has a best qualifying effort of ninth and finish of 12th at the track – both coming in April 2018. Aside from his four Cup Series starts, Byron has made two NASCAR Xfinity Series appearances at the short track, both in 2017. He earned a best starting position of sixth and finished seventh in the fall. He also has one NASCAR K&N Pro Series East start from 2015, when he won the pole and finished sixth.

VIRGINIA IS FOR KNAUS: Returning with Byron and the No. 24 team to Richmond Raceway for the third time, Knaus will call his 40th race at the Virginia track. With three previous victories, Knaus leads all active crew chiefs for most wins at Richmond. He also has collected two pole awards, seven top-five finishes and 15 top-10s at the .75-mile oval.

LIBERTY U BRINGING THE LUCK: While Byron and the No. 24 team have been on a string of strong races, there has been one common denominator – Liberty University. On board the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for the previous three races, Liberty will return for Saturday night’s race at Richmond, as well. Liberty University is in its sixth season of sponsoring the 22-year-old driver dating back to his time in the late model ranks. Liberty has been Training Champions for Christ since it was founded in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offers more than 600 degree programs from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in business communications, Byron is in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program.

Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 44 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

2020 Season
17th in standings
26 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
4 top-five finishes
9 top-10 finishes
102 laps led

Career
677 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
231 top-five finishes
373 top-10 finishes
18,936 laps led

Track Career
36 starts
3 wins
2 pole positions
7 top-five finishes
16 top-10 finishes
461 laps led

GRAND DEDICATION: Although a win eluded Jimmie Johnson in his final appearance at Darlington Raceway as a full-time NASCAR driver, there will be a permanent reminder of his legacy for fans to enjoy for years to come at the track. The venue announced it renamed three eight-person suites on top of the Colvin Grandstand the “Jimmie Johnson Champions Club.” Click here for photos and details of the dedication.

TOP-10 RUNNERS: Three of the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers (William Byron, Alex Bowman and Johnson) rank top-seven in laps run in the top 10 over the last three races. Johnson finished second and fifth in the first two stages at Darlington Raceway Sunday night before fading late in the event to an 18th-place finish due to handling issues and body damage.

NIGHT LIFE AND SHORT-TRACK RACING: Johnson’s best finish in a night race this season was eighth at the second of the three events run at Darlington. The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion also has two top-10 finishes at short tracks this season, finishing third at Bristol and 10th at Martinsville. Johnson currently has the fifth-best top-10 finish streak on short tracks of current drivers with two in a row.

SPOILER ALERT: You can never count out Johnson in the closing races of the year. Over 19 seasons, he has posted 41% of his 83 career wins in the final 10 events and has rained on the proverbial playoff parade more than once. Of the last five wins in playoff races won by non-playoff drivers, Johnson owns two trophies from Texas Motor Speedway in November of both 2014 and 2015 after he qualified for the playoffs but had been eliminated from contention.

SMOKE AND MIRRORS: Johnson and the No. 48 Ally Racing crew are running better than the finishing positions show. The Cliff Daniels-led team has an average running position of 12.80 and average finish of 15.46, which is 2.66 positions better than where they have crossed the finish line. The pit crew remains in the top 10 of best crews with a four-tire pit stop average time of 14.35.

DANIELS GOES HOME: Virginia native and No. 48 crew chief Daniels is heading to his home state this weekend. The Smithfield, Virginia, native is a former stock car driver who raced late models in and around Virginia at tracks like Langley, Southside and South Boston. After earning a mechanical engineering degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Daniels was hired by RAB Racing in 2011. He was a race engineer for driver Tony Stewart at Stewart-Haas Racing for two seasons (2013 and 2014) before joining Hendrick Motorsports. Daniels took over the helm of the No. 48 team in July 2019.

Alex Bowman
No. 88 ChevyGoods/Truck Hero Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Alex Bowman Hometown Tucson, Arizona
Age 27 Resides Concord, North Carolina

2020 Season
5th in standings
27 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
3 top-five finishes
9 top-10 finishes
389 laps led

Career
180 starts
2 wins
2 pole positions
13 top-five finishes
35 top-10 finishes
863 laps led

Track Career
8 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
1 lap led

PLAYOFFS ARE UNDERWAY: The 2020 season marks the third time that Alex Bowman has made an appearance in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. The No. 88 team clinched a spot this year following its March win at Auto Club Speedway. After last weekend’s event in Darlington, Bowman currently is in fifth in the playoff standings, just 54 markers from the leader. The 27-year-old driver raced his way into the Round of 12 the last two years, and this is the second season where he clinched a spot based on a victory.

RACING AT RICHMOND: Bowman, a Tucson, Arizona, native, has eight previous Cup starts at Richmond Raceway and will be making his 100th consecutive series start on Saturday night. His best Richmond finish came in the fall 2018 race when the team finished 12th after 400 laps. He also has three starts at the Virginia track in the NASCAR Xfinity Series where he qualified a career-best second and finished ninth in 2016 for JR Motorsports. In 2011, Bowman made one start at the track in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, qualifying fourth and finishing fifth after 100 laps.

TOP-10 STREAK: Bowman, driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet, has three top-10 finishes in the last three events from Dover, Daytona and Darlington. These results are the tied for the longest active top-10 streak in the series with Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron.

UNDER THE LIGHTS: Bowman has finished inside the top 10 in four of the last five night races this season. He finished sixth at Martinsville Speedway on June 10, eighth at Kansas Speedway on July 23, seventh at Daytona International Speedway on Aug. 29 and sixth last weekend at Darlington Raceway.

ALL IN THE NUMBERS: The No. 88 team has four stage wins this season, which is tied for third overall in the NASCAR Cup Series. Bowman has captured 179 stage points in 2020, which includes 12 stage points in Sunday’s event at Darlington. He is also running much better than his finishing positions show with an average of 12.58 and an average finish of 16.60 – a difference of 4.02. The 27-year-old driver has finished in the top 10 in four of the last five night races, including the last three.

IVES IN VIRGINIA: Crew chief Greg Ives is set to call his 10th race at Richmond Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series on Saturday evening. The Bark River, Michigan, native’s best finish at the track came back in 2015 when Dale Earnhardt Jr. brought home a fifth-place finish after 400 laps. Ives’ drivers have completed 99.8% of the total laps at the Virginia-based venue. The fifth-year Cup Series crew chief has four starts in the Xfinity Series as well at Richmond and his drivers finished inside the top five all four times. Chase Elliott finished second in both events in 2014 and Regan Smith finished fifth and third in 2013. Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 team at Hendrick Motorsports from 2006 until 2012. During that time, he was a part of three wins, one pole award and seven top-10 finishes at Richmond.

WELCOME, TRUCK HERO: Saturday night’s event at Richmond Raceway will mark the second race of the 2020 season with Truck Hero featured on the No. 88 ChevyGoods.com machine. Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Truck Hero offers customers a full range of branded automotive accessories for vehicles with market-leading functionality, engineering, quality and design. Hendrick Motorsports announced its partnership with ChevyGoods.com earlier this season, which includes branding on Bowman’s Camaro for 26 events. Associate brands featured are Adam’s Polishes, NOCO and Truck Hero.

NEW MONTH, NEW DEALS: During the month of September, No. 88 team sponsor ChevyGoods.com is providing discounts on various accessories on its website. Customers can receive 10% below MSRP on all Adam’s Polishes, NOCO and Truck Hero accessories purchased online. Use code CHEVYGOODS to receive the discount at ChevyGoods.com.

SPEEDY ON PIT ROAD: The No. 88 pit crew ranks seventh in the NASCAR Cup Series with an average four-tire stop time of 14.12 seconds after 27 events this season. The team includes fueler Jacob Conley, tire carrier Rowdy Harrell, jackman Dustin Lineback and tire changers Scott Brzozowski and Devin DelRicco.

Hendrick Motorsports

DON’T LOOK NOW: Over the last three NASCAR Cup Series races, all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers rank inside the top 10 in both average running position and total laps run inside the top five. In the last five events, Hendrick Motorsports has earned two victories, a series-leading 13 top-10 finishes and an average result of 10.65, best among all Cup-level teams.

SHORT-TRACK RICHES: Going into Saturday night’s playoff race at the .75-mile Richmond Raceway, Hendrick Motorsports has 50 Cup Series wins on short tracks – the most among active teams. Ten different drivers have posted a short-track victory for car owner Rick Hendrick, which is one away from tying the NASCAR record held by Junior Johnson and Associates.

VIRGINIA IS FOR RACERS: Car owner Hendrick was raised in Palmer Springs, Virginia, just 90 minutes from Richmond Raceway. Six of his drivers have posted a combined 10 wins at the track, with the first coming in September 1986 with Tim Richmond. Hendrick Motorsports has earned 110 top-10 finishes and led more than 4,000 laps there.

DID SOMEONE SAY PLAYOFFS?: Since the inception of the format in 2004, Hendrick Motorsports has 44 NASCAR Cup Series playoff wins – 16 more than any other team. The organization has scored at least one playoff victory in a record 15 different seasons, missing only 2017. A series-topping seven different drivers have won a playoff race for Hendrick Motorsports.

SETTING THE STAGE: Hendrick Motorsports’ 13 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins in 2020 are more than its totals in 2018 (four wins) and 2019 (eight wins) combined. Only Team Penske (15) has more this season.

THE NUMBERS: Since its inception in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 260 race victories and holds the all-time records for championships (12), pole positions (226), top-five finishes (1,091), top-10s (1,882) and laps led (70,121) in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. Including 2020, the organization has won at least one race in 35 consecutive seasons, the longest-ever streak. Hendrick Motorsports is eight wins away from tying Petty Enterprises’ all-time Cup record of 268.

QUOTABLE /
Driver Chase Elliott on the pressure of the playoffs:
“I think the pressure of being in the playoffs is a good thing. You just have to embrace it and recognize that you’d much rather be in the position of having a chance than not. It’s a good opportunity and we can turn that into motivation to try to do better.”

Elliott on the Round of 16:
“It is great that we are going to short tracks to kick off the playoffs. I think this first round is three exciting tracks. Darlington didn’t end like we had hoped, but we will move on to Richmond and Bristol. Richmond hasn’t been the best for me and the No. 9 team but hopefully this go around will be a little bit better.”

Crew chief Alan Gustafson on the playoffs:
“Our team is going to focus on doing everything that we can do. In the playoffs, it’s a lot of late hours and you just do everything that you can do to make sure you’re in the best position you can possibly be in. In the playoffs, every race could be your last so you have to treat it that way and that’s how we go about it. Just try to get everything out of the team and the cars. If we do that, I think we will be successful. Ultimately, you can’t be too over-concerned or you can’t let fear paralyze you. You can’t let the pressure get to you or impact your decision-making process of what you are going to do. You still have races to win. You bring your A-game and put as much effort into the 10 races as you can and put yourself in the best position that you can.”

Driver William Byron on the challenges at Richmond:
“Richmond is a difficult track. It’s pretty slow in the middle of the corner and that’s what makes it interesting and a challenge at the same time. You’re fighting for front grip and also rear grip on the exit of the corners. It’s all about getting the car pointed in the right direction and driving straight off the corner. Richmond has very normal characteristics for a short track, but at the same time it’s a lot slicker than a lot of places we go. I think with the race being at night, the biggest thing will be keeping up with the track changes.”

Driver Jimmie Johnson on racing at Richmond:
“I’ve kind of had a love-hate relationship with Richmond over the years. Yes, we have three wins, but I just remember the pressure of that race every year. Richmond was historically the transfer race into the playoffs and I just remember always being super nervous there. It never was one of my better tracks – it’s always been just a scrappy, tough track to figure out. We have shown improvement there lately, so I am looking forward to Saturday night under the lights.”

Driver Alex Bowman on keeping the No. 88 team’s momentum going at Richmond:
“We have struggled at Richmond in the past. The last three weeks have been pretty good to us and we have some momentum going into this weekend’s race. We had as strong run in Darlington last weekend and are sitting in a good spot in the playoff standings. As a team, we have to go into Richmond and capitalize on stage points and keeping the car clean. This ChevyGoods.com/Truck Hero team have been working hard on our short-track program and I know that we are capable of having a strong race on Saturday night.”

Ford Performance NASCAR: Hailie Deegan NASCAR Zoom Press Conference

By

Official Release

-

September 9, 2020

NASCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

HAILIE DEEGAN MEDIA TELECONFERENCE

Ford Performance developmental driver Hailie Deegan joined media members on a NASCAR Zoom call Wednesday afternoon to discuss her season to date and upcoming races in the ARCA Menards Series.

HAILIE DEEGAN, No. 4 Ford Fusion — WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO TODAY? “We were testing, shaking down the car and working on our short track program a little bit at one of the tracks we aren’t racing at this year. That is what kind of sucks is that you don’t get to text at the tracks you race on. We were at some track down past Greensboro. I slept the whole time in the car while my grandpa drove. I am racing the same car I raced this last weekend.”

HOW MUCH DAMAGE DID THE CAR INCUR AFTER I-44? “It wasn’t bad at all. We replaced a few panels on it and they were able to fix the door from when me and Ty got into it. I had a right rear panel damaged and the rear bumper. I ended up taking all the panels home actually, I still have them in the back of my truck. I take the panels home when I wreck. My garage is full of them.”

SO THE TRACK WAS CHALLENGING AND YOU HAD TO GET IN THE WATER TO PASS GUYS, HOW MANY TIMES DID THE CAR GET AWAY FROM YOU BECAUSE OF THAT? “It was honestly kind of stupid that we raced in that condition because people on TV don’t really see it as much and don’t understand it when the track is wet on the bottom and don’t get it when they aren’t a racer. It went a lot better than I thought it was going to go considering how one-lane it was and how you couldn’t use the first two bottom groves so you can’t get a pass done from start to finish in one corner so you would always go on the inside of someone there and it would end bad.”

ANY WORDS EXCHANGED AFTER THE RACE? “I apologized to people and people apologized to me too. I feel like there were a few drivers that were very mature about it and a few that weren’t. But at the end of the day I am not too worried about it. I did my part. Nothing I did was intentional and I did my part apologizing to the people I felt deserved an apology. I am not the type of person to get in a mishap with someone, even if it is an accident, and just ignore them. I will say sorry even if it wasn’t intentional. I don’t think it was as bad as people think. I think a lot of people try to stir up drama about it and it totally wasn’t like that.”

JUMPING AHEAD TO BRISTOL NEXT WEEK, YOUR THOUGHTS HEADING BACK THERE AND WHAT YOUR BIGGEST TAKEAWAY IS GOING TO THAT RACE NEXT THURSDAY? “I am excited. My first race with DGR was at Bristol. I know it was kind of a last minute deal and I was still learning myself, which I am still learning now, but I didn’t know what I needed out of the car yet. We had a good car there and it was really fast for a segment of time but that is when I was still struggling to figure out what changes I wanted to make and learning things I liked about the car. I think we fell off more than we should have there. I think going back this year I have a clear mindset of what I like in the car and it will be better for us. Me and my crew chief and crew guys have been getting along really well and they have been giving me the car I need with what I like with my driving style. That took a little while to figure out with each other but we are doing good with that now.”

WHAT IS IT LIKE WALKING INTO THAT PLACE FOR THE FIRST TIME? “I usually fall down. The thing I hate the most is that your ears ring for like three days after. Other than that, it is amazing. It is so cool and so historic.”

IS THE VIBE OF A RACE AT THE TRACK DIFFERENT WITHOUT FANS? “Completely. I-44 we had quite a few fans there and it is just like the whole vibe is different and I think us not having fans there has made it more like a test day. It feels like a test day when there are no fans. I like race days, I look forward to race days. I even noticed that with I-44 having the fans there and I was leading and had the break and then everyone was cheering and stuff, those little things make it so much more meaningful and special.”

YOU HAVE RACED TOLEDO A FEW TIMES, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE TRACK THERE? “It is a little small. It lacks a lot of grip. It always rains there and that doesn’t help with NASCAR racing. It would be great if it was an off-road track. The biggest thing you are fighting there seems to be the weather. It is so hard to find a good setup when the track is dry one second and the next thing you know it is raining and then downpouring and then seeping. It is always changing which makes it so hard to figure out what you want to have out of the car.”

THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE YEAR TO GET YOUR EXPERIENCE ON BIG TRACKS YOU HAVEN’T BEEN ON

YET. WITH NO PRACTICE, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE GAINED EXPERIENCE OR DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT HAS BEEN ALMOST A LOST YEAR? “I wouldn’t call it a lost year but I haven’t got everything out of it that I was planning on. I think we are making the best of it and have put a lot more time on the simulator and been doing a lot more around stock car racing, not just practicing at the track. I have been doing a lot more dirt circle track racing and sim time and studying footage and focusing on the off-track stuff to get me ready for the on-track stuff to get me ready since we have such a lack of practice.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY TRUCK PLANS AT ALL THIS YEAR? “As of now nothing is really set in stone. Money is still tight. ARCA is expensive. We are still figuring it out. At the beginning of the year I thought we would be in the clear to do a few truck races money wise and budget wise for my racing but what actually happened was with the whole COVID deal and everything, everyone’s budgets that they were going to give extra on top of what I had was cut. We had to start from square one again. We are still trying to figure everything out. Obviously I would love to do truck races this year if it works out. I think it will help me with my plan next year too.”

YOU KNOW SOME FOLKS THAT HAVE TRUCKS IN THE GARAGE: “I know people that have trucks but I am struggling to find people that want to pay for them.”

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A RACECAR DRIVER IN A SEASON LIKE THIS? WHAT HAS THIS BEEN LIKE AND THE CHALLENGES FOR YOU THIS SEASON? “Honestly, just because we weren’t planning on it, I didn’t have this in my plan. This wasn’t in my couple year plan of stock car racing of trying to make it. This is something that no one had in their plan or had been through before. It makes it difficult, especially for a driver like me that doesn’t have as much experience as I want to have and needs more experience. You aren’t getting that. It favors drivers that have been there forever. Those are the ones it doesn’t affect the most. The up and coming drivers are trying to get seat time and experience. These races still cost the same for sponsors to pay for as they would if we got practice and qualifying and all that stuff. I get cut short, I am really the only one that gets cut short in the whole process because I am not getting the most out of it that I am needing to and was planning on from the beginning.”

DOES THIS PUT EVERYTHING BACK A YEAR IN TERMS OF YOUR RACING PLAN? “It doesn’t put it back a year, I think it will just make the development process harder. I think it will be a little harder on me and I am going to have to really buckle down and focus on it even more than I already am and really give it 110% effort every opportunity I get to because I am lacking everything I was planning. I am not lacking, but I am not getting as much as I was planning on. I am going to have to take advantage of every single opportunity I get and learn the most but I don’t think it will put us back a year, no.”

HOW HAS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CREW CHIEF GROWN THROUGH THE YEAR? “It has been pretty good right now. It helps me being in North Carolina so much. I have been in North Carolina ever since racing started back up about 90% of the past couple of months. I rarely go home. I go home for a few days before Bristol and that is it. I have been at the shop at least half the week hanging out and just being around the guys and building relationships with the guys. I think that is really important to have a successful career, bonding with your crew guys and making them feel special and feel like it isn’t just a one person show because it is not. It takes effort from everyone.”

WITH THE ELDORA TRUCK RACE GETTING CANCELED, I IMAGINE YOU HAD TO BE PRETTY UPSET? “Yeah, I am still upset over it. I am not glad Eldora got canceled but if it was going to get canceled I guess at least I don’t have to look for funding for it. It is out of my hands. I don’t have to worry about that. There is always next year. We will figure it out.”

HOW HAS RUNNING IN SO MANY DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES HELPED YOU AS A DRIVER AND HAS ANY OF THAT BEEN ABLE TO TRANSLATE FOR YOU AS FAR AS SKILLS WHEN YOU HAVE COME BACK TO THE ARCA CAR? “I think that I am just trying to do everything I can that is budget friendly that I can get a lot out of for a little cost. Stock car racing is so expensive so I am trying to go to other sources to find where I can learn more about racing and keeps me behind the wheel. I think we have been lacking a lot in the ARCA Series some good racing and I think the last time we saw good racing was Gateway. There were some good battles happening. Most of the time everyone gets so spread out in the ARCA Series that the racing becomes boring. I think what we need back is that good racing back and I was planning on racing like that. Between that and no pit stops and no practice I have to find other places to get experience and learn and develop.”

YOU HAVE DONE A LOT OF THAT WITH THE FACTOR ONE WITH THE MICRO PROGRAM THAT YOU HAVE RUN SOME RACES WITH. WHAT HAS THAT EXPERIENCE BEEN LIKE? HAS ANY OF YOUR OFF-ROAD BACKGROUND HELPED YOU GET ADAPTED TO THE MICRO? “I think it is a very cost effective way for me to get good racing experience. I can do that very often out here. It is close to my house, only like an hour. That is something I have really latched onto and it is fun having all my friends out there. It is a fun, no pressure thing I can do to gain more experience. The guys at Factor One are great and they have a lot of experience with dirt circle track racing. I don’t have a lot of experience with that being an off-road racer but dirt racing is dirt racing. I feel like if you know how to drive on dirt you can drive on it across the board to a certain extent. Obviously you have to learn more and I need to learn more with the micros but it helped me to get to a certain point at first.”

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE BETWEEN DIRT OVAL RACING AND YOUR OFF-ROAD BACKGROUND? “No spotters. None. I don’t like that. I like having someone talking in my ear and I am used to that. Something about the feeling about just clearing yourself is just uneasy with me. I don’t like it.”

IN A STATE LIKE OHIO AND A TRACK LIKE TOLEDO AS A LOCAL TRACK AND THE CUP SERIES DOESN’T GET TO OHIO. HOW IMPORTANT ARE THOSE LOCAL TRACKS TO GROWING THE SPORT? “I think that is where you make your core base of fans and build that fan base of people that buy your merch, support you and support your social media and they come with you and eventually end up at the big series races. I think if every driver can bring their fan base from their local circle track to the NASCAR world and the three main series I think you will just keep building the sport.”

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE THAT DON’T UNDERSTAND THE DRIVING MENTALITY PROCESS LIKE YOU DO? “At the end of the day, ARCA is a development series. It isn’t the Cup series. It is a stepping stone for drivers to move up to higher levels. I think people get so judgemental on it and there are some moments where people make mistakes and it is not Cup racing. People have to understand that. Also, to a certain extent, we were supposed to be getting more out of the ARCA Series than we are. We were supposed to get pit stops. That is something I need to practice before I go to trucks. We were supposed to get practice, qualifying and we usually get a day before practice at the big tracks. All of that is getting cut. We maybe get five laps of practice at some of the bigger tracks like Michigan. All of a sudden you go right into the race and green flag racing and it is a lot different. It has definitely been a lot more difficult and harder on my career.”

YOU HAVE HAD A TOP-10 FINISH IN ALL BUT TWO RACES THIS YEAR. HOW DO YOU EVALUATE YOUR SEASON TO THIS POINT? ARE YOU HAPPY WITH YOUR PERFORMANCE THUS FAR? “If I finished outside of the top-10 without anything happening I would be nervous for myself. I just hold myself to such a high standard and have such high goals for myself to accomplish and I know I am still in my development years and stuff but still, having a lot of eyes on me does add pressure and it does add pressure to do better than I am at any moment. I think I just have to keep my mind that I am in the ARCA Series and developing for the future.”

WHAT ARE THE POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES TO HAVING ALL THOSE EYEBALLS ON YOU? “I think that when it is going good everyone sees it but when it is going bad, everyone sees it. You don’t get to choose when people see it. That is the thing.”

WHAT KIND OF DISCUSSIONS HAVE YOU HAD GOING INTO NEXT SEASON? “That is the thing, it is kind of difficult when you race off sponsorships because you almost have to finish out your year before you get in talks of the next year. With everything happening this year, there is no set plan of what is happening for next year. Are we going to have practice back? Are we going to have qualifying back? Sponsors want to know how much they are getting out of it. I think that is something that is still very unknown and very hard to talk about sponsor deals at the moment.”

YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT YOU COLLECT THE PANELS OFF ALL YOUR CARS. WHY IS THAT AND HOW DID THAT GET STARTED? “Actually, I went inside the shop and I had a nose that was absolutely mangled from Kentucky. We had to put a new front clip on the car. So I asked the guys if they had the nose anywhere. I wanted to take it with me. So I am driving my Raptor and every time I went to the shop, there are races that we didn’t damage anything, but small things like a bumper or something that can’t be fixed. Then all of a sudden I found in the shop that they had a secret cabinet of all my panels from the beginning of the year. So I ended up taking all of them. Every time I go to the shop I am always like, ‘Where did those panels go?’ I want to think about how I can do it the correct way but I want to start selling them and give a big portion of it to charity and stuff. That is something I have been looking to get behind and find a charity that I can support.”

IS YOUR CALIFORNIA HOME IN DANGER OF THE WILDFIRES OUT THAT WAY? “California is always on fire. That is one thing that you have to keep in mind. It is always on fire. I live in a dirt field with weeds everywhere and it is always on fire. I am used to it. That is kind of the normal of California. If there is not a fire in California, usually something is wrong.”

DO YOU HAVE A CART TRACK ON YOUR PROPERTY THAT YOU USE AS WELL? “We got like a makeshift dirt oval and we have off-road, a full off-road truck track and ramps for off-road trucks. My little brother has two supercross tracks and an outdoor track and ramps everywhere. We have an airbag and all kinds of stuff. My uncle built all of our tracks when he was younger. We have tractors and everything and he builds all the tracks for us. Since he is related, it is just easy. There is always stuff happening around our house.”

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO RUNNING THIS WEEKEND AT TOLEDO? “Toledo is just kind of an odd place for us to go back so many times. It is like, is it really necessary for us to race there? There are so many short tracks to race on and it feels like we go to Toledo quite a bit. I have a little negative thought on Toledo because the last time I was there I got food poisoning. I went to Wendy’s the night before because I was starving and nothing was open because it is Toledo and I went to Wendy’s and got chicken nuggets. The next day when we had to go race I woke up in the morning throwing up and got to the racetrack and went to sleep in my hauler in the lounge and my crew chief said he would wake me up before we go out. He came running in and told me to get ready. I got my suit on and didn’t even get my shoes on in time before I had to run out of the hauler and threw up everywhere. I grabbed my helmet, but my helmet on, we did six laps and then it got rained out the rest of the day. So I am not the biggest fan of Toledo.”

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST LOSS FOR YOU NOT HAVING PRACTICES THIS YEAR? “I think the two biggest things that stick out the most in my mind are not having pit stops, like traditional pit stops and not having practice. Those are two things that I really needed and am going to need before I go to trucks.”

HOW MUCH DO YOU FEEL LIKE HAVING THAT TIME WITH A NEW CREW CHIEF PLAYS INTO THE COMMUNICATION AND TRANSLATES TO PERFORMANCE? “I think that is definitely important but I think I have been able to get around that by just hanging out with the guys at the shop all the time. Since they are all in the race shop working on my cars I am able to go there and hang out in a no pressure environment, so that hasn’t been too bad.”

A LOT OF YOUR WEST COAST SUCCESS CAME ON FLAT BULLRING TRACKS. WE DON’T HAVE MUCH OF THOSE: “Yeah, because we are going to Toledo four times.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE A SHOT TO WIN SOME OF THESE UPCOMING RACES? “I think we are definitely close. I think we are just in the fine tuning stages of everything. Our short track program needed a little work at the beginning of the season but I think we made so much improvement and so many big steps that now we are in the small fine tuning area and parts where everything just has to come together. There are so many pieces to the puzzle.”

WHAT DID YOU LEARN ON THAT LAST RESTART AT I-44. WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY? “I don’t think I could have done anything differently. I think how everything played out and there were a lot of gray area things happening on the starts. I don’t think there was anything else I could have done. I went at the line. I can’t help it if someone else goes before me and rolls up next to me.”

THAT HAD TO GIVE YOU A LOT OF CONFIDENCE THOUGH TO PERFORM THE WAY YOU DID? “I think it showed the progress of our team and the progress of me as a driver and everyone on the team, not just myself. It is a whole team effort.”

NASCAR’s Jeb Burton Highlights Sportsman Channel Show: “Crossroads with the Burtons” on His Car in Richmond

By

Official Release

-

September 9, 2020

DENVER (September 9, 2020) – NASCAR rising star driver Jeb Burton pulls double-duty this weekend while driving his NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Richmond Raceway. As a driver, Burton will look to score points in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and promote his Sportsman Channel show Crossroads with the Burtons(Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET).

For Burton, racing is in his blood. But, when the Halifax, Virginia native is not behind the wheel of his NASCAR Xfinity Series stock car, Burton can be found outdoors enjoying a hunting and fishing lifestyle that takes him far away from the fast-paced motor speedways of his “day job.”

Viewers of Sportsman Channel will have a chance to continue to see what happens behind-the-scenes as Burton and team, including his father – former NASCAR driver and 2002 Daytona 500 champion, Ward – and wife Brandi, present an all-access pass to pit road and beyond in Crossroads with the Burtons.

The show, in its second season, focuses on Jeb Burton and his life on-and-off the speedways of NASCAR while also featuring his passion for hunting, conservation and the outdoor lifestyle.

“Crossroads with the Burtons give viewers an inside look at the life of a professional stock car driver, son, husband, friend, outdoorsman and conservationist,” Burton described. “Viewers will get an up-close-and-personal look at the raceway and then watch us ramble the back country for elk and other game. Hopefully, they also come away thinking ‘these folks aren’t so different from me…except they race stock cars for a living!’”

“The Burtons are well-known in both the racing and outdoor lifestyle communities and we are excited to have them appear on Sportsman Channel,” Outdoor Sportsman Group President and CEO, Jim Liberatore said. “We are doubly excited that Jeb, as a rising young star in NASCAR, is willing to share his other passion on camera, as well as help educate the public about conservation.”

Crossroads with the Burtons airs on Tuesday nights beginning at 7 p.m. For more information about the show, visit: www.thesportsmanchannel.com.

About Outdoor Sportsman Group: Outdoor Sportsman Group is comprised of the world’s foremost media and entertainment brands for outdoor adventure enthusiasts. It includes three leading multichannel networks: Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel and World Fishing Network, as well as MOTV, the world’s leading outdoor television content platform. The Group also consists of a number of established publishing assets: 16 outdoor magazines including Guns & Ammo, Petersen’s Bowhunting, Game & Fish and Florida Sportsman, and 20 top websites, including OutdoorChannelPlus.com. Additionally, Outdoor Sportsman Group includes television production operations, Winnercomm. For more information, visit www.outdoorsg.com. #MyOutdoorTV

About Sportsman Channel: Launched in 2003, Sportsman Channel/Sportsman HD is a television and digital media company fully devoted to honoring a lifestyle that is celebrated by millions of Americans. A division of Outdoor Sportsman Group, Sportsman Channel delivers entertaining and informative programming that showcases outdoor adventure, hunting and fishing, and illustrates it through unique and authentic storytelling. Sportsman Channel embraces the attitude of “Red, Wild & Blue America” – where the American Spirit and Great Outdoors are celebrated in equal measure. Stay connected to Sportsman Channel online at thesportsmanchannel.com, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. #IAmSportsman. #MyOutdoorTV

Greg Erwin to make 350th Cup start as crew chief at Richmond

By

Andrew Kim

-

September 9, 2020

A9B2DCA3-903F-4EE1-A7E1-6745EA1DB92D — Photo by Tim Jarrold for SpeedwayMedia.com.

A significant milestone is the making for Greg Erwin, a veteran crew chief who is atop the pit box of the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford Mustang team driven by 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff contender Matt DiBenedetto. When the green flag waves this upcoming race weekend at Richmond Raceway, Erwin will reach 350 Cup races as a crew chief.

A native of Hatboro, Pennsylvania, Erwin graduated from Clemson University in 1992 with an engineering degree and he attained a motorsports engineering scholarship the following year in graduate school while volunteering to work with teams that included TriStar Motorsports. In 1995, his career in NASCAR started with Diamond Ridge Motorsports as an engineer while he worked with names like Jeff Green, Steve Grissom and Elliott Sadler. Following the 1995 season, Erwin transitioned to Team SABCO Racing as an engineer, where the team was eventually purchased and expanded by Chip Ganassi in 2001. In 2003, Erwin joined forces with Richard Childress Racing and worked as the team’s seven-post research and development program.

Entering the 2005 NASCAR Cup Series season, Erwin was promoted to crew chief for Robby Gordon and the No. 7 Robby Gordon Motorsports Chevrolet team. Erwin and Gordon failed to qualify for the 2005 Daytona 500, but they made their first start of the season the following race at Fontana’s California Speedway in February, where Gordon finished 35th due to an engine failure. Erwin and Gordon competed in 23 races throughout the 2005 season, where Gordon achieved one top-five result and two top-10 results before he concluded the season in 37th place in the final standings. The following season, Erwin completed his first full-time season in the Cup Series with Gordon, where he achieved one top-five result and three top-10 results before he finished in 30th place in the final standings.

For the first 12 races of the 2007 Cup season, Erwin remained with Robby Gordon and Gordon’s No. 7 team. Through the one-third segment of the season, Gordon finished no higher than 15th place. Afterwards, Erwin was named crew chief for the No. 16 Ford team owned by car owner Jack Roush and driven by Greg Biffle for the following race at Dover International Speedway in June. From Dover in June through Dover in September, Erwin and Biffle achieved two top-five results and six top-10 results, though Biffle failed to make the 2007 Playoffs. The following race at Kansas Speedway, Biffle was able to survive on fuel and coast across the finish line to achieve his first victory of the season as Erwin achieved his first Cup win as a crew chief. They went on to achieve two additional top-10 results and conclude the season in 14th place in the final standings.

In 2008, Erwin served as Biffle’s crew chief in all but one of the entire 36-race schedule (Auto Club Speedway in February). Following a consistent 26-race regular-season stretch, they achieved their first victory of the season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the first Playoff race of the season. They backed it up the following week by winning at Dover. Overall, Erwin achieved two victories, two poles, 12 top-five results and 17 top-10 results with Biffle, who concluded the season in third place in the final standings. Prior to the conclusion of the 2008 Cup season, Erwin surpassed 100 Cup races as a crew chief.

In 2009, Biffle and Erwin went winless, but they achieved 10 top-five results and 16 top-10 results as Biffle made the Playoffs and concluded the season in seventh place in the final standings. They rebounded the following season by recording two wins, nine top-five results and 19 top-10 results, with Biffle finishing the season in sixth place in the final standings. Following the 2010 season, Erwin surpassed 200 Cup races as a crew chief.

For the first half of the 2011 Cup season, Erwin remained as Biffle’s crew chief in the Cup circuit, but they only achieved one top-five result and five top-10 results. Following Kentucky Speedway in July, Erwin was replaced by Matt Puccia as Biffle’s crew chief for the remainder of the season. Fortunately, Erwin was then named crew chief for the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford team driven by A.J. Allmendinger for the remainder of the season. In Erwin’s first race with the team at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Allmendinger finished 22nd. Erwin and Allmendinger went on to record six top-10 results for the remainder of the season as Allmendinger finished in 15th place in the final standings.

Erwin remained as crew chief for the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford team piloted by Aric Almirola. Following the first nine Cup races with Almirola, where he only achieved one top-10 result, Erwin, however, was replaced by veteran Mike Ford.

For the 2013 season, Erwin was named a full-time crew chief for Penske’s No. 12 Ford Mustang team driven by Sam Hornish Jr. in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as Hornish competed for the series title. Erwin and Hornish made a one-race appearance in the Cup Series at Kansas in April, where Hornish finished 37th due to being involved in a late multi-car accident. Erwin and Hornish went on to finish in second place in the final Xfinity Series standings as they missed the title by three points to Austin Dillon, crew chief Danny Stockton and Richard Childress Racing.

In 2014, Erwin was named competition director for Team Penske’s Xfinity Series program. Throughout the season, he served as a Cup interim crew chief for Brad Keselowski at Phoenix in March and he worked with Juan Pablo Montoya and the No. 12 Ford team in two Cup races. He spent the 2015 season as an Xfinity crew chief for Penske’s No. 22 Ford Mustang team, where he notched seven victories and recorded Penske’s third consecutive owner’s title with Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Alex Tagliani piloting the No. 22 car throughout the season. The following season, he was named Penske’s Xfinity Series team manager while Brian Wilson served as the No. 22 team’s crew chief. He returned as crew chief for Penske’s No. 22 Ford team in the 2017 Xfinity season.

In August 2017, Erwin was named crew chief for the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford team and Paul Menard for the 2018 Cup season. In Erwin’s first race with Menard, the combo finished in sixth place in the 2018 Daytona 500 in February. Ultimately, they achieved one pole, one top-five result and seven top-10 results throughout the 36-race schedule as Menard finished in 19th place in the final standings.

The following season, Erwin and Menard achieved only four top-10 results as Menard concluded his second season with the Wood Brothers Racing in 19th place in the final standings. Earlier in the season, Menard dominated and was in race-winning position in the Clash at Daytona International Speedway in February until contact from eventual winner Jimmie Johnson knocked Menard out of contention as he was involved in a multi-car accident. Following the 2019 season, Erwin surpassed 300 starts as a Cup crew chief.

This season, Erwin remained as a crew chief for the Wood Brothers Racing team and driver Matt DiBenedetto, who joined the team following Menard’s departure from full-time racing. In Erwin’s first race with DiBenedetto, the combo finished 19th in the 2020 Daytona 500. The following race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, DiBenedetto made a late rally to finish in second place behind Joey Logano. Throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch, DiBenedetto achieved two top-five results and seven top-10 results. After finishing in 12th place at Daytona International Speedway in August, DiBenedetto claimed the 16th and final transfer spot to the 2020 Cup Playoffs. DiBenedetto’s accomplishment marked his first Cup postseason appearance as a title contender, Erwin’s third as a title contender and the Wood Brothers Racing’s second as a Playoff team.

Erwin and DiBenedetto are coming off a 21st-place result in the first Playoff race of this season at Darlington Raceway. They are ranked in 15th place in the Playoff standings and are 17 points below the top-12 cutline to advance to the second round of the 2020 Cup Playoffs.

Catch crew chief Greg Erwin’s milestone start at Richmond Raceway on Saturday, September 12, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Unknowns Await DiBenedetto/Quick Lane Team at Richmond

By

Official Release

-

September 9, 2020

Matt DiBenedetto has 10 career Cup starts at Richmond Raceway but none in the Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Mustang that he’ll drive in Saturday night’s 400-lapper on the three-quarter-mile oval.

Richmond normally hosts two Cup races a season, but this year’s April event was run at Darlington due to the coronavirus.

So, in addition to the pressure of trying to advance in the Playoffs after a disappointing result in the Playoff opener at Darlington Raceway, he’ll have to adapt to a first ride at Richmond in the No. 21 Mustang.

“That will be interesting,” DiBenedetto said. “We haven’t been there this year, so we don’t know what to expect.”

Richmond, with its relatively short length and low banking, has similarities to tracks like Phoenix Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where DiBenedetto has driven the Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Mustang.

“The track fits the mold of the ones where we’ve shown strength,” he said. “Short tracks have been good for us, and flat tracks.”

DiBenedetto finished 13th at Phoenix and sixth at New Hampshire, races which were won by drivers from Team Penske, which as an alliance with the No. 21 Wood Brothers team. Joey Logano won at Phoenix and Brad Keselowski at New Hampshire.

“Hopefully we will hit the set-up and be close when the race starts,” DiBenedetto said. “It’s a little bit of a guess, but I think it will fall into our team’s strength.”

There will be no qualifying or practice prior to the start of Saturday’s 400-lap race, which is scheduled to get the green flag just after 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time with TV coverage on NBCSN.

About Motorcraft:

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

About Omnicraft:

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

About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center

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

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

Wood Brothers Racing

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

Codie Rohrbaugh, CR7 Motorsports ready for Richmond Raceway showdown

By

Official Release

-

September 9, 2020

RICHMOND, Va.: Back on the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (NGROTS) scene after a brief sabbatical, Codie Rohrbaugh and his CR7 Motorsports team take their respectable Darlington (S.C.) Raceway finish and look for an impressive outing in Thursday night’s ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway.

It’s no secret that the 2020 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series season has had its ups and downs for the Rohrbaugh and his family-owned team but approaching the final race of the regular season – the team is hoping that hard work over the past month and a relentless effort from Rohrbaugh behind the wheel will showcase with on-track results.

“Darlington went OK,” said Rohrbaugh. “It was good for our team mojo to come back to the race track and have a clean and respectable race.

“Yeah, we would have wanted a little better finish – but we still made some gains from the start to the checkered flag. Now, we just have to keep going in the right direction.”

Thursday night’s race marks the final race of the regular season and while the focus of the race will shined around those that are contending for a Playoff spot, Rohrbaugh hopes his No. 9 CR7 Motorsports team is able to put themselves in position to be in the spotlight.

“Richmond is like a hometown race for us,” he said. “It’s three hours south from home, but its one of those races we had circled on our schedule that we are looking forward too.”

As for the ToyotaCare 250, Rohrbaugh has never tacked the 0.875-mile track, but is looking forward to leaning on the experience of his crew chief Doug George and spotter Tim Fedewa for some Richmond guidance.

“I’ve never been to Richmond but neither has most of the drivers in the series, that helps, I think,” added Rohrbaugh. “There’s a couple of the veterans that have laps at Richmond – but not many. I think Stage 1 is going to be important to get a good read for what our truck is doing – then we can make changes from there.

“I really want to come out of Richmond with a top-20 finish then we go to Bristol next week for one of my favorite races and look to do even better. It’s hard to believe that the season is slowly coming to a close, but these next eight weeks will really go by quick and we need to do everything we can to make sure we’re set to end the season on a high note and prepare for 2021.”

For their ninth consecutive race, CR7 Motorsports and their partner Grant County Mulch has again given up their space this weekend race for Joshua Shirk.

The No. 9 Chevrolet Silverado has been designed with a western-theme scheme, personally selected by Shirk.

The hood carries a special touch with Shirk displaying a message of his own that he wrote before the accident, “I am a child of God. He saves me. I talk to he.”

On May 17, 2020, eight-year-old Joshua Shirk was kayaking with family in rural West Virginia.

While on the water, the kayak capsized and Shirk became trapped under the water in debris.

When the family was finally able to pull him to safety, the young boy had no pulse. Quick work by medical workers at a local hospital was able to revive him but he remained in critical condition.

Shirk was later transported to WVU hospital in Morganton, West Virginia where he has made vast improvements but still needs the love, prayer and support of many.

Over the last two months, Shirk has been able to come off a breathing machine and has started intense physical rehabilitation with a focus on working his muscles and standing up with assistance. His progress lately has been exceptional, as his muscles continue to strengthen – but a long road still remains.

With prayer, love and support working, Rohrbaugh hopes others will now pledge their support alongside his CR7 Motorsports team uniting strength in numbers and the power of prayer.

“Our mission continues to be really important to me,” said Rohrbaugh. “The prayers from everyone are working and I’m so happy that Joshua is making huge strides towards his recovery. I continue to plead when asking the NASCAR community to please support him by offering their thoughts and prayers to Josh and his family. It really means a lot to me.”
After 15 races, Rohrbaugh is 22nd in the championship standings.

CR7 Motorsports has 24 NGOTS starts to their credit with a career-best finish of third at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (February 2020). Additionally, the team owns another top-10 finish at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in October 2019. An 11th place qualifying effort at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 2019) is the team’s best time trials effort to date.

In 20 career ARCA starts, Rohrbaugh has a best finish of seventh twice at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (July 2018 and Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (February 2019). He has qualified a career-best fourth on four different occasions most recently at Kansas Speedway (Oct. 2018).

Marketing partnership(s) opportunities are available for the No. 97 Grant County Mulch Chevrolet and No. 9 Grant County Mulch Chevrolet for the 2020 ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series seasons and beyond. Interested inquiries are encouraged to contact at tonya@gcmulch.com or 304.257.8783.

The ToyotaCare 250 (250 laps| 187.5 miles) is the 16th of 23 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series races on the 2020 schedule. The 35-truck field will take the green flag on Thurs. Sept. 10, 2020, shortly after 8:00 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90). All times are local (Eastern).

Kyle Busch to move into fifth place on all-time combined national series starts in NASCAR at Richmond

By

Andrew Kim

-

September 9, 2020

C975DF37-69FB-4605-B197-336DE7AB1647 — Photo by Ted Seminara for SpeedwayMedia.com.

A significant milestone is in the making for Kyle Busch, a 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff contender and driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry. By the time Busch completes his two scheduled starts this weekend at Richmond Raceway between the NASCAR Xfinity and Cup Series, he will surpass Michael Waltrip and move into fifth place on NASCAR’s all-time combined national series starts with 1,174 starts between the Truck, Xfinity and Cup Series.

A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Kyle Busch made his first appearance within NASCAR’s three major division series in 2001 in the Truck Series, where he drove the No. 99 Ford for car owner Jack Roush at age 16. His first start was at Indianapolis Raceway Park in August, where he started 23rd and finished ninth place. He competed in five additional Truck races with Roush and was set to compete at Fontana’s California Speedway in November when he was prohibited from competing since he was under 18 years of age in racing in events sponsored by Marlboro cigarettes. Shortly after, NASCAR imposed a rule where developing competitors were not allowed to compete within the sport until reaching the minimum age of 18, which began in 2002.

By 2003, Busch was a development driver for Hendrick Motorsports and competing in the ARCA Series, where he won his first two career races. In May, after turning 18 years of age, Busch made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Charlotte’s Lowe’s Motor Speedway while driving the No. 87 ditech.com Chevrolet under an alliance between Hendrick Motorsports and NEMCO Motorsports. In his first run in the series, Busch posted an impressive second-place result behind Matt Kenseth and received congrats from his older brother and current NASCAR star, Kurt. He competed in six additional starts in the Xfinity Series, where he posted another second-place result at Darlington Raceway in August and a seventh-place result at Rockingham’s North Carolina Speedway in November.

The 2004 NASCAR season was an eventful season for Busch, who competed the entire 34 Xfinity Series schedule with Hendrick Motorsports as a rookie candidate, made a one-race return in the Truck Series with team owner Rob Morgan and made his first six Cup career starts with HMS. In the Xfinity circuit, where he drove the No. 5 Lowe’s Chevrolet led by veteran Lance McGrew, Busch achieved five victories, five poles, 16 top-five results and 22 top-10 results before he concluded the season as the Rookie-of-the-Year winner and in second place behind Martin Truex Jr. In the Cup circuit, where he drove the No. 84 Carquest Chevrolet led by crew chief Gary DeHart, Busch’s best result was 24th place at California Speedway in September. In his one-race Truck start at Indianapolis Raceway Park in August, Busch finished 11th.

Busch’s career would skyrocket the following season as he was named a full-time NASCAR Cup Series competitor for Hendrick Motorsports, piloting the No. 5 Kellogg’s Chevrolet as a rookie candidate led by crew chief Alan Gustafson. During the season, he achieved his first two Cup career victories, one pole, seven top-five results and nine top-10 results before he was named the Rookie-of-the-Year recipient. He also won one race in 14 Xfinity Series starts and he claimed his first three Truck career victories in 11 starts throughout the season.

Through September 2020, Busch has made 155 career starts in the NASCAR Truck Series. He is the all-time Truck wins leader with 59 career victories, which he achieved while driving for Billy Ballew Motorsports and Kyle Busch Motorsports, and he is a seven-time Truck owner’s champion with KBM. He has also achieved 22 poles, 102 top-five results, 123 top-10 results and over 7,000 laps led in 18 years in the series. His current average result in the series is 6.8.

In addition, he has made 356 starts in the Xfinity Series and is also the all-time Xfinity wins leader with 97 career victories, which he achieved while driving for Hendrick Motorsports, Braun Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing. He is the 2009 Xfinity Series champion and holds the record for the most victories in a single Xfinity season (13 in 2010). He has achieved 10 or more victories in four Xfinity seasons. He has also achieved 68 poles, 219 top-five results, 257 top-10 results and over 19,000 laps led in 18 years in the series. His current average result in the series is 9.1.

Finally, he has made 561 starts in the Cup Series and has achieved 56 career victories, all while driving for HMS and JGR. He is the reigning two-time Cup Series champion and a two-time Cup regular-season champion who has achieved major victories like the 2018 Coca-Cola 600, the 2017 NASCAR All-Star Race, two Brickyard 400s, the 2012 Clash at Daytona International Speedway and the 2008 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. He has also achieved 32 poles, 211 top-five results, 310 top-10 results and over 17,000 laps led in 18 years in the series. His current average result in the series is 13.7.

To this day, Busch is the lone competitor to achieve a win across NASCAR’s three major division series in one weekend and to achieve a victory at every active NASCAR Cup Series track on the schedule.

This season, Busch has completed the first 27 Cup races and has also made four starts in the Xfinity Series and five starts in the Truck Series. He has achieved three Truck wins and one Xfinity win, but he is winless in the Cup circuit despite recording one stage win, 11 top-five results and 14 top-10 results. He is coming off a seventh-place result in the first Cup Playoff race of this season at Darlington Raceway and is in 10th place in the Playoff standings, seven points above the top-12 cutline to advance to the second round of the Playoffs.

In addition to competing in the Cup Series on a full-time basis with Joe Gibbs Racing, Busch is also scheduled to make his fifth and final Xfinity Series start this season with JGR in the first of a series doubleheader feature at Richmond Raceway.

Prior to this season, Kyle Busch made 1,136 across NASCAR’s three major division series. Once he surpasses Michael Waltrip this weekend at Richmond, Busch will trail Joe Nemechek (1195), Richard Petty (1185), Kevin Harvick (1178) and Mark Martin (1143) for the most starts between NASCAR’s three major division series (Truck, Xfinity and Cup).

Catch Kyle Busch’s milestone start at Richmond Raceway on Friday, September 11, at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN, where he will extend his streak of starts between NASCAR’s three major division series the following day for the Cup Series Playoff race on Saturday, September 12, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Richmond

By

Official Release

-

September 9, 2020

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Richmond

NASCAR heads to the Old Dominion this weekend as the Cup Series tackles Richmond Raceway Saturday night. Jack Roush has 15 wins overall at the .75-mile track, including five in the NCS. Most recently, Ryan Newman earned a pair of top-10 results at the track a year ago, including a fifth-place run in the fall.

Richmond Raceway (.75-Mile)
Federated Auto Parts 400
Saturday, Sept. 12 | 7:30 p.m. ET
NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
· Ryan Newman, No. 6 Guaranteed Rate Ford Mustang
· Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang

Lone Richmond Event Next Stop for Cup Series

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Richmond Raceway on Saturday night for its first and only race of the 2020 season at the ¾-mile track, and the second event of the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs.
Saturday’s race will be the third of five-straight under the lights, and first of two consecutive Saturday night events with Bristol coming up next weekend.
The starting lineup will once again be set by three competition-based performance metrics, rewarding both season-long and single-race performance. Newman will roll off 21st, while Buescher lines up 25th.
Four weeks of NASCAR action were completed before 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.

Darlington Recap, Richmond Preview

· After starting 31st last Sunday in Darlington, Newman rallied for a 15th-place finish at ‘The Lady in Black’ in the Oscar Mayer Ford.
· Buescher finished 26th after making contact with the wall twice at Darlington.
· Guaranteed Rate returns to Newman’s machine this weekend as part of the overall 12-race program to close the 2020 slate.
· Fastenal returns to Buescher’s machine, continuing to celebrate it and Roush Fenway’s 10-Year Anniversary in 2020.

History in the Commonwealth of Virginia

Overall, Roush Fenway has 352 starts at Richmond Raceway, earning a total of 15 wins, 89 top-five and 150 top-10 finishes. RFR Fords have sat on the pole 14 times and led 4,960 laps across NASCAR’s three major touring series.

To Xfinity and Beyond

Roush Fenway has earned nine victories, 43 top-five finishes, 66 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 11.8 at Richmond in the Xfinity Series. All in all, three different drivers are responsible for the nine victories at the Virginia short track (Edwards, Mark Martin and Jeff Burton).

Nine and Counting

Roush Fenway’s nine victories at Richmond rank fourth among all tracks the organization has competed on in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, trailing Darlington Raceway (15), Charlotte Motor Speedway (12) and North Carolina Speedway – formerly known as Rockingham – (11).

Tale of the Tape

Roush Fenway has started 211 NCS races at Richmond with 73 top-10 and 37 top-five finishes along with seven poles. Former drivers Mark Martin (1990), Jeff Burton (1998), Matt Kenseth (2002), Kurt Busch (2005), and Carl Edwards (2013) are responsible for RFR’s five Cup wins, and overall a Jack Roush Ford has led 2,442 laps at the .75-mile track.

Roush Fenway Richmond Wins
1990-1 Martin Cup
1993-1 Martin NXS
1993-2 Martin NXS
1997-1 Martin NXS
1998-1 Burton NXS
1998-2 Burton Cup
1999-1 Martin NXS
1999 Biffle Truck
2000-2 Burton NXS
2002-2 Kenseth Cup
2005-1 Edwards NXS
2005-2 Busch Cup
2008-2 Edwards NXS
2009-2 Edwards NXS
2013-2 Edwards Cup

Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen returns June 24-27, 2021

By

Official Release

-

September 9, 2020

Third round of the Michelin Endurance Challenge features nearly 24 hours of on-track action

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (Sept. 9, 2020) – One of the most prestigious sportscar races in North America, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, will return to Watkins Glen International with the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, June 24-27, 2021, the sanctioning body announced today.

“The Sahlen’s Six Hours always offers plenty of fan-friendly entertainment on and off track for the weekend,” Watkins Glen International President Michael Printup said. “From the accessibility of the drivers, the ability to get right up to the cars on the fan walk, and the overall atmosphere of the weekend, this has become a marquee event on the calendars for both our fans and for fans of sportscar racing around the world.”

The second leg of the Michelin Endurance Challenge features world-class drivers and a diverse range of premier Prototype and GT manufacturers. The weekend of nearly 24 hours of on-track activity also includes the Michelin Pilot Challenge Tioga Downs Casino and Resort 240, Porsche GT3 Cup, and Lamborghini Super Trofeo races.

Sportscar racing has been a staple of Watkins Glen, since the first post-World War II road race in North America was held around the village streets in 1948. Since 1969, The Glen has hosted the six-hour endurance summer classic, formerly one of three American rounds of the World Sportscar Championship from 1968 to 1981. The event has featured motorsports legends and past winners such as Hurley Haywood, Dan Gurney, Scott Pruett, Mario Andretti and Derek Bell.

Ticket information, specific times and networks will be released at a later date.

About Watkins Glen International
Located within five (5) hours (~300 miles) of 25% of the US population, Watkins Glen International is the premier road racing facility in North America, four-times voted “Best NASCAR Track” by readers of USA Today. Keep up with The Glen on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For tickets, camping, and additional information, call 1-866-461-RACE or visit www.TheGlen.com.

SpeedwayMedia.comOnline Resource for Motorsports Information

SpeedwayMedia.comOnline Resource for Motorsports Information

Chad Knaus set for 700th Cup race as crew chief at Richmond

Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Richmond

Ford Performance NASCAR: Hailie Deegan NASCAR Zoom Press Conference

NASCAR’s Jeb Burton Highlights Sportsman Channel Show: “Crossroads with the Burtons” on His Car in Richmond

Greg Erwin to make 350th Cup start as crew chief at Richmond

Unknowns Await DiBenedetto/Quick Lane Team at Richmond

Codie Rohrbaugh, CR7 Motorsports ready for Richmond Raceway showdown

Kyle Busch to move into fifth place on all-time combined national series starts in NASCAR at Richmond

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Richmond

Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen returns June 24-27, 2021

SpeedwayMedia.comOnline Resource for Motorsports Information

Site Map

Archives

Popular Category