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RCR Event Preview – Darlington Raceway

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Official Release
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Richard Childress Racing at Darlington Raceway … In 129 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington Raceway, Richard Childress Racing has found success at the famous Southern 500 with eights victories, 23 top-five, and 42 top-10 finishes. The Welcome N.C. organization has yet to find victory lane in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the ‘Lady in Black’, but has accumulated 10 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes.

Throwback Weekend at Darlington Raceway … Over the past several years Richard Childress Racing has fully embraced a popular tradition known as ‘throwback weekend’ at Darlington Raceway. Teams and partners use the Southern 500 as an opportunity to honor NASCAR greats from the past and present. This weekend Austin Dillon will pay tribute to Junior Johnson with a special white and red No. 3 American Ethanol Chevrolet scheme. Tyler Reddick will honor Jeff Burton with a colorful Cat Power Chevrolet paint scheme that Burton accepted rookie of the year honors in. Anthony Alfredo and Blue Otter will pay homage to RCR’s winning tradition in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with a throwback to Kevin Harvick’s 2006 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship paint scheme.

Catch the Action … The NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 at Darlington Raceway will be televised live Saturday, September 5, beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

The NASCAR Cup Series’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway will be televised live Sunday, September 6, beginning at 6 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

This Week’s American Ethanol Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Darlington Raceway … Austin Dillon has made eight career starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington Raceway, posting a career-best fourth-place finish in 2017. He has made three appearances at ‘The Lady in Black’ in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, securing his best finish of fifth in 2012. The 2011 NASCAR Truck Series champion has two starts at the track in the Truck Series, earning his best finish of fifth in August 2010.

Delivering Performance on and Off the Racetrack… Austin Dillon races on Sunoco Green E15 fuel made with 15 percent American Ethanol. Ethanol is the most effective and least expensive source of octane available and it also burns cleaner and cooler than gasoline. Al those factors mean that ethanol helps drive peak engine performance whether you’re in a racecar or on your way to the grocery store. And, ethanol helps keep our air cleaner and our environment healthier by reducing toxic and greenhouse gas emissions. Learn more about why ethanol is the smart choice for your engine, your wallet and our environment at americanethanolracing.com.

NASCAR Throwback … Austin Dillon pays tribute to Junior Johnson with his No. 3 American Ethanol Chevy throwback scheme at Darlington Raceway. The Hall of Fame driver, who passed away in December, earned nine wins behind the wheel of the number three during the 1960s.

NASCAR Playoffs …Dillon won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in July to lock himself into the NASCAR Playoffs. He is one of 16 drivers currently competing in the 2020 postseason.
The four-round postseason consists of eliminations after the Round of 16 (Darlington, Richmond, Bristol), the Round of 12 (Las Vegas, Talladega, Charlotte Roval) and the Round of 8 (Kansas, Texas, Martinsville). The Championship 4 will compete for the title at Phoenix. This is Dillon’s fourth time making the NASCAR Playoffs.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What will it take to advance to each round of the NASCAR Playoffs and vie for a championship this year?
“Over the years, running in the NASCAR Playoffs I’ve figured out that every point does matter, so I think you have to attack from the opening green flag. Stage points are important. In 2016, I missed advancing to the Round of 8 by one point over Denny Hamlin. That really makes you realize how important every single point is. It does help that the Playoff drivers will all be starting the races towards the front of the field together, but as a team we need to do a good job of starting up front and keeping that track position. Throughout the season so far, we have done a good job of adjusting our car throughout the race and finishing well but we need to start our races with our Chevys just a little better so that we can put ourselves in the next round.”

How does Darlington suit your racing style?
“I think long races in the past have fit my racing style. There is plenty of time to make the car better during a long race, and all of our wins have come in races 500 miles or more. So, I think that bodes well for Darlington. We like the long-distance races and it’s a place that falls off. RCR has always been known for a long run speed. Short run speed is something that we’ve struggled with, but we’re trying to change. It’s nice that we’re going to a place that long run speed matters a bit.”

Talk about how special it is to run a Junior Johnson tribute scheme this weekend at Darlington Raceway …
“This Junior Johnson car means so much to me and I’m grateful to American Ethanol to be able to work with them to honor a NASCAR Hall of Famer this weekend. It’s a beautiful car. I grew up going to school with Junior’s kids and Junior came to our school and spoke to us when I was in middle school. He was a hero to me and when he came and spoke to us, he took me aside and talked to me because he knew my grandfather, obviously. He was nice and always a great person to be around. My mom and Lisa Johnson are very close friends. They talk all the time, so to do this throwback for Junior is very special. My grandfather is pumped about it, too. Darlington Raceway would be a great place to grab a win to honor Junior, solidify our place in the NASCAR Playoffs and earn our third Crown Jewel race. It would be special.”

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Cat Power Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Darlington Raceway … Tyler Reddick has two NASCAR Cup Series starts, including a seventh-place finish from the first race back for NASCAR following a brief postponement due to COVID-19, at Darlington Raceway. Reddick also has three starts at the ‘Lady in Black’ in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, collecting two top-five finishes and leading 70 laps during last year’s race.

NASCAR Throwback … During the NASCAR Throwback weekend, Reddick and the No. 8 Cat Power team will be honoring former Caterpillar driver, Jeff Burton, with a scheme that highlights his No. 8 Raybestos machine. Burton accepted Rookie of the Year honors with the scheme for his run during the 1994 season.

About Cat® Power Systems… For nearly 90 years, Caterpillar has been powering the industries and businesses that communities rely on. Wherever our customers are, and whatever their business, Cat® power systems meet critical needs of customers in all industries and applications-including Marine, Industrial Power, Electric Power, Oil & Gas, On-Highway Truck Engines, and Rail. Whether it be new power installations, or the expert Product Support and Services Caterpillar and Cat dealers are known for, Cat power keeps the world moving forward. Learn more at www.cat.com/PoweredByCat. #PoweredByCat

About Blanchard Machinery Company … Blanchard Machinery Company has been supplying South Carolina customers with Caterpillar equipment since 1982. The family owned company has established retail and rental stores throughout the state which offer a wide range of Cat and non-Cat brands of equipment, from full-sized bulldozers to small machine parts. We are committed to providing our customers the best products and services available.

Blanchard has multiple locations throughout South Carolina and numerous product lines. Our lines of business include Compact Equipment, Heavy Equipment, Forestry & Recycling, Power Systems, Bus, Truck Centers and Rental Services.

TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:
We’re headed back to Darlington Raceway this week, but it’ll be a much longer race for you this time around. How are you preparing for that?
“Well, based on the two races we had at Darlington earlier this year, I need to avoid hitting both the wall and things that come off the wall. That sponsor banner that came off the wall and got stuck on the grille of my Caterpillar Chevrolet during the first race there back in May completely messed up the handling of it. The handling got so bad that I got into the wall too, and that didn’t help things either. So, I need to avoid both those things. 360-plus laps at Darlington is a long time with lots of opportunity to have success, but also a lot of opportunities to receive a Darlington stripe. Everything will be important on Sunday, and we’ll need to run a perfect race. Adapting to the changing track conditions as the rubber comes in throughout the night will be key to being successful.”

Can you tell us a little bit about your throwback scheme you’ll be running this weekend?
“We’re running a scheme on our No. 8 Cat Power Chevrolet that honors longtime Caterpillar driver, Jeff Burton, and his rookie season. Jeff also ran the No. 8 during his rookie year and captured Rookie of the Year honors, so our scheme highlights the Raybestos scheme that he accepted the trophy with. I love participating in NASCAR’s Throwback weekend and really appreciate all the history in our sport, so I’m looking forward to having a good run with our scheme on Sunday.”

Anthony Alfredo and the No. 21 Blue Otter Polarized Chevrolet Camaro at Darlington Raceway …
Anthony Alfredo will be back behind the wheel of the No. 21 NASCAR Xfinity Series entry for Richard Childress Racing this weekend at Darlington Raceway. Alfredo made his Darlington Raceway debut in May when NASCAR resumed on-track competition after being postponed due to COVID-19.

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NASCAR Throwback … Alfredo will sport a special paint scheme with Blue Otter Polarized this weekend to honor Richard Childress Racing’s 2006 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship-winning paint scheme with Kevin Harvick in the No. 21 Chevrolet. Harvick scored nine victories in the blue and red U.S. Coast Guard colors to claim Richard Childress Racing’s second of five total championships in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Fast Start for Fast Pasta … Running a limited schedule in the No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing, Alfredo has secured six top-10 finishes and has an average finish of 11.9. He also won an eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Saturday Night Thunder Race at Dover International Speedway during NASCAR’s hiatus from on-track competition.

ANTHONY ALFREDO QUOTES:
Do you feel more comfortable returning to Darlington Raceway knowing you have competed there earlier this season in the No. 21?
“It definitely adds some confidence to our whole No. 21 Blue Otter Polarized team, knowing we got to race at Darlington earlier this year. I think Darlington is one of the hardest tracks on the schedule. It’s extremely difficult to get the car perfect, so it’s going to be about who can hustle their car around the track the best. I know my Richard Childress Racing team has been working hard and will bring another fast Chevrolet to the track. I’m looking forward to going back and applying what we learned from our first trip to hopefully be better this weekend.”

Tell us about your Darlington throwback scheme and what this weekend means to you.
“Throwing it back to Kevin Harvick’s No. 21 Coast Guard scheme is truly an honor. It’s pretty incredible to think Kevin and Richard Childress Racing won nine races with this scheme en route to their second Xfinity Series Championship in 2006. RCR has such a storied history in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, so I am really excited I have the opportunity to highlight their success. Not only was Kevin successful during his time at RCR in both the Xfinity Series and the Cup Series, but he has become a household name for NASCAR. Hopefully we can excite the fans by putting this famous scheme back on track. I want to say a special thanks to Blue Otter Polarized for allowing us to rock such a classic scheme this weekend at Darlington Raceway.”

Haley Focused More than Ever as Playoffs Near

By
Official Release
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Justin Haley Notes
Best start at Darlington Raceway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS): 3rd (2020)
Best finish at Darlington Raceway in the NXS: 10th (2020)

Kaulig Racing Notes
Best start Darlington Raceway in the NXS: 3rd (2020)
Best finish at Darlington Raceway in the NXS: 8th (2020)

Race Notes
Saturday, September 5 at 12:30PM ET on NBC
Stages: 45/90/147 Laps

Justin Haley Quote
“We’re heading to Darlington Raceway this weekend – our second trip to Darlington. It’s going to be a fun one. We won last weekend at Daytona International Speedway, so we’re coming off some momentum. We’ve got two wins, and we’re chasing that third win. We’re trying to make this last little kick before the playoffs a good one. I can’t wait to get this No. 11 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet to Darlington and go race for a win. We’re starting on the pole, and we got the number one pit stall selection. Hopefully we can go get a win!”

About Kaulig Racing™
Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016 Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started. Kaulig Racing fields two full-time entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Ross Chastain and the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Justin Haley, as well as, a part-time entry – the No. 16 driven by AJ Allmendinger. Kaulig Racing™ earned two wins in 2019 and have come to be one of the top competitors on track each weekend. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

About LeafFilter Gutter Protection™
Since 2005, LeafFilter Gutter Protection™ has revolutionized the gutter protection industry. The company is proud to have grown from one small office in Hudson, Ohio to the largest direct to customer home products company in the nation and the leading choice in gutter protection systems. Once installed on a homeowner’s existing gutters, LeafFilter Gutter Protection eliminates gutter cleaning for life. With more than 70 million feet of gutter guards installed on homes across the United States and Canada, LeafFilter Gutter Protection has the knowledge and expertise to guarantee that nothing, but water, will get into your gutters. Learn more about LeafFilter Gutter Protection and request a free estimate at www.leaffilter.com.

Don’t miss your chance to win Jimmie’s BRAND NEW 2021 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1!

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Official Release
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With a black exterior and jet black interior with red accents, this car is a beauty! It could be yours, but you need to buy an entry to win!

Jimmie will personally hand over the keys to the winner in Charlotte, NC. Federal taxes will be paid by the Jimmie Johnson Foundation.

Entries are $48 each and only 4,848 will be sold.

Click to purchase

Proceeds benefit the Jimmie Johnson Foundation’s current programs supporting K-12 public education.

Jimmie Johnson Foundation, PO Box 242607, Charlotte, NC 28224

Ag-Pro Joins Talladega Superspeedway’s NASCAR Playoff Weekend as Entitlement Partner for New NASCAR Xfinity Series Race

By
Official Release
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Ag-Pro 300 at TALLADEGA Set for Saturday, Oct. 3 as part of an Anticipated Playoff Doubleheader

TALLADEGA, Ala (Sept. 3, 2020) – Officials from Talladega Superspeedway and Ag-Pro Companies, a regional John Deere dealership across seven states, announced today that the newly scheduled NASCAR Xfinity Series race at NASCAR’s Most Competitive track on Saturday, Oct. 3, will be known as the Ag-Pro 300 at TALLADEGA.

For the first time in history, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, which has been a staple during the track’s springtime weekend for more than 20 years, will compete twice in the same season at NASCAR’s Most Competitive venue. The addition of the Ag-Pro 300 at TALLADEGA comes from a realignment from the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course event, originally set for May 30. The Ag-Pro 300 at TALLADEGA continues a strong partnership between the 2.66-mile track and Ag-Pro Companies, which is also the Official Tractor Dealer of Talladega Superspeedway.

“Ag-Pro is very excited to be the official track partner with the Talladega Superspeedway for the Ag-Pro 300,” said James Groover, CEO of Ag-Pro Companies. “Talladega is a legendary race track that has fans from all over the nation who enjoy some of the world’s most competitive races. Ag-Pro is extremely honored to be the first John Deere dealer in the nation to have a NASCAR race entitlement, and it is at this iconic track!”

Ag-Pro Companies, headquartered in Boston, GA, was founded in 1958. Ag-Pro is the largest privately-owned John Deere dealership in North America offering a complete line of lawn and garden equipment, small tractors, agricultural equipment and construction worksite products. With 71 locations across Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee Ag-Pro serves a diverse customer base and has over 1,500 employees on staff to provide customers with the highest level of service. For more information, visit www.agproco.com.

“Ag-Pro has been an incredible partner since 2018, serving as our ‘Official Tractor Dealer,’” said Talladega Superspeedway President Brian Crichton. “We were excited to learn we would have an Xfinity Series race as part of our NASCAR’s Playoff weekend. To have Ag-Pro, part of the ‘Dega family, be a major part of the historical race means a great deal to our track family and race fans everywhere.”

The Ag-Pro 300 at TALLADEGA will be a part of a double-dose of action on Saturday, Oct. 3 with the Sugarlands Shine 250 for the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series at 12:00 p.m. CDT. The Ag-Pro 300 at TALLADEGA gets the green flag at 3:30 p.m. CDT. Sunday’s anchor event, the YellaWood 500 for the NASCAR Cup Series, is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. CDT start. All three races will play a pivotal role in NASCAR Playoffs with the Ag-Pro 300 at TALLADEGA being the second race (of three) in the Round of 12. Justin Haley won the track’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race earlier this year, originally scheduled for April that was postponed to June.

The full schedule for Oct. 3-4 weekend for Talladega Superspeedway includes:

  • Sat Oct. 3 – Sugarlands Shine 250 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series at 12:00 p.m. CDT (FS1, SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90 & MRN); 94 laps
  • Sat, Oct. 3 – Ag-Pro 300 at TALLADEGA NASCAR Xfinity Series at 3:30 p.m. CDT (NBCSN, SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90 & MRN); 113 laps
  • Sun, Oct. 4 – YellaWood 500 NASCAR Cup Series at 1:00 p.m. CDT (NBC, SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90 & MRN); 188 laps

The Ag-Pro 300 at TALLADEGA, as well as the Sugarlands Shine 250, will not have fans in attendance in in the frontstretch grandstands. In addition, most hospitality areas and the Talladega Garage Experience will be closed for the weekend, however limited camping will be allowed. For further information, visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 1-877-Go2-DEGA. Fans can keep up with all the happenings at the biggest, baddest race track on the planet by following Talladega Superspeedway on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and by downloading the track’s mobile app.

About Ag-Pro Companies
Ag-Pro Companies was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in Boston, GA. Ag-Pro is now the largest privately-owned John Deere dealership in North America offering a complete line of lawn and garden equipment, small tractors, agricultural equipment and construction worksite products. With 71 locations across Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee, Ag-Pro serves a diverse customer base and has over 1,500 employees on staff to provide customers with the highest level of service. For more information, visit www.agproco.com.

About Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway – which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year – is the most competitive race track on the NASCAR schedule (record 88 lead changes in 188 laps), the highest-banked (33 degrees) and the longest (2.66 miles), as well as the most fun and fan-friendly. Three- and four-wide racing at 200 mph are a norm at Talladega Superspeedway, along with nail-biting, photo finishes. For information, visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 1-877-Go2-DEGA.

An optimistic Matt DiBenedetto prepares for his championship run

By
Angie Campbell
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Photo by Tim Jarrold for SpeedwayMedia.com.

NASCAR provided us access to Zoom meetings with several of the drivers who have advanced to the Playoffs, including Matt DiBenedetto. And while it appeared as though he was set up in a professional home office with a NASCAR Cup Series background, he pulled back the curtain on Instagram to reveal that he was actually at home in his bedroom.

Welcome to NASCAR in 2020.

If you’re the curious type, and who isn’t, check out his Instagram account for this unique behind the scenes story.

On a more serious note, DiBenedetto is seeded in 16th place heading into the Playoffs at Darlington Raceway for Wood Brothers Racing in the iconic No. 21 car. While many may consider him a long shot, he is optimistic about his chances. And though winning is always a priority, his main objective is to make the most of each moment.

Determination. Focus. Maximize. These are his goals as he heads into the final races of the season.

“You know, I think the reason that I say I don’t put too much emphasis on winning is that my goal is absolutely that we want to win. That is a given,” DiBenedetto explained. “I know we can win, for sure and we will. That has been my goal my entire career. As far as execution, the reason I say it is that I feel like you can get too caught up in focusing your race on how to win. It isn’t always the best car that wins.

“My focus is on how to make the most of our race car and the most of that day and not get too caught up in guys pulling away or how to get to them but focusing on yourself, your car and your team. Make the most of it. Maximize your day. Hopefully that puts you in position to have a shot at winning at the end of the race. Everyone prepares differently mentally but that is how I prepare to go into a race and I have learned over time, and even this year, to make sure I stay focused on this because it makes us better as a team.”

While he is optimistic, DiBenedetto is also realistic about what he hopes to accomplish over the next 10 races.

“Clicking off a win would be great. That is a great goal. When I say that I don’t focus too much on winning that is more when I am on the track and in the car. From a goal standpoint we would absolutely love to get that 100th win for the Wood Brothers,” he said. “That would be an amazing goal to accomplish. I would say that now that we are in the Playoffs we are focusing on executing and making the most of what we have and make it through a round or a couple rounds.”

Winning the championship may be an elusive goal but success can be achieved on several levels. For DiBenedetto and the Wood Brothers Racing team, the Playoffs will be an opportunity to flourish amid overwhelming odds.

“We are competing for a championship. This is the time to shine and hopefully make it down to the end, DiBenedetto said.

“I would say if I come out of it knowing that we made the most of our race cars and executed well and continue to grow as a team, win a race, that would be an amazing end of the season. To really pick off a lot of positions and points, this is a great opportunity for us to capitalize on now that we are closed in points wise and are the most prepared as a team to go out there and pick off a lot of guys. That is the most exciting thing that I could check off the rest of the season and what we would call a success.”

It’s the opportunity of a lifetime and no one knows better than DiBenedetto how few of those come along.

“I have gone so far and gotten so lucky, to fight and claw from start and parking a car to being in underfunded equipment and trying to show that I can make the most of a race car to fast-forwarding to now and being in way beyond my dream opportunity of driving the 21 car and making the Playoffs driving for the Wood Brothers. It is pretty surreal to have that opportunity to drive. All those things make me and my whole entire family appreciate it on a completely different level that we wouldn’t be able to without those experiences.”

It’s been an emotional and hard-fought journey for DiBenedetto and his family. But each step along the way has led him to this moment and there is no doubt that he intends to make the most of it, with a little humor thrown in along the way. 

Weekend schedule for Darlington

By
Angie Campbell
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Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

All three national series will compete at Darlington Raceway Saturday and Sunday for the annual “Throwback Weekend.” It marks the first race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs as the top 16 drivers begin the competition for the 2020 championship trophy.

The Xfinity Series will take on “The Track Too Tough to Tame” Saturday while the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series is set to race Sunday prior to the Southern 500. It’s the first time the Truck Series has competed at Darlington since 2011.

All times are Eastern.

Saturday, Sept. 5
12:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 race (Stages 45/90/147 Laps = 200.1 Miles) NBC/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
2019 Winner: Cole Custer
Pole: Justin Haley

Sunday, Sept. 6
2 p.m.: Truck Series South Carolina Education Lottery 200 race (Stages 45/90/147 Laps = 200.1 Miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Pole: Brett Moffitt

6 p.m.: Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 race (Stages 115/230/367 Laps = 501.3 Miles) NBCSN/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
2019 Winner: Erik Jones
Pole: Chase Elliott

Notes:

A non-Playoff driver has never won the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

Trevor Bayne (Niece Motorsports), Greg Biffle and David Ragan are scheduled to compete in the Truck Series race at Darlington.

This will be Bayne’s first start in the series and his first time back on the track since the end of the 2018 season when he was released from Roush Fenway Racing. Biffle will pilot the GMS Racing No. 24 Chevrolet while David Ragan will team up with DGR-Crosley for his first start in the series since 2006.

The formula to set the starting lineup has been updated and is based on the following: 15% of fastest lap position in the previous race, 25% of the driver’s finish in the previous race, 25% of the car owners finish in the previous race and 35% of the owner points position.

Cup Series Playoff Contenders:

 

1Kevin Harvick2057
2Denny Hamlin2047
3Brad Keselowski2029
4Joey Logano2022
5Chase Elliott2020
6Martin Truex Jr.2014
7Ryan Blaney2013
8Alex Bowman2009
9William Byron2007
10Austin Dillon2005
11Cole Custer #2005
12Aric Almirola2005
13Clint Bowyer2004
14Kyle Busch2003
15Kurt Busch2001
16Matt DiBenedetto2000

Johnny Klausmeier to reach 100 Cup starts as crew chief at Darlington

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images.

A significant milestone is in the making for Johnny Klausmeier, crew chief of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang driven by Clint Bowyer in the NASCAR Cup Series. When the green flag waves on September 6 at Darlington Raceway for the Cook Out Southern 500, Klausmeier will achieve 100 starts as a Cup crew chief.

A native of Perry Hall, Maryland, who is the son of an auto repairman, Carl Klausmeier, and a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) with a mechanical engineering degree, Johnny Klausmeier was a race engineer for Stewart-Haas Racing when he made his crew chief debut at Pocono Raceway in June 2016 for the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kurt Busch. By then, veteran Tony Gibson, who was crew chief for Busch and the No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Chevrolet team, was serving a one-race suspension due to violating a section of the NASCAR Rule Book related to lug nuts infraction following the previous event, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

During the main event at Pocono and with former championship crew chief Greg Zipadelli alongside Klausmeier atop the No. 41 pit box, Busch took the lead with 32 laps remaining and survived on fuel to beat Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski to win. With Busch picking up his first victory of the 2016 Cup season and guaranteeing himself a spot in the Playoffs, Klausmeier recorded his first Cup victory in his first race as a crew chief. A week later, Gibson returned atop the pit box of Busch’s No. 41 team and for the remainder of the season while Kluasmeier returned to his role as engineer for SHR.

At Watkins Glen International in August 2017, Klausmeier returned as an interim crew chief for Kurt Busch and his No. 41 Ford team in place of Tony Gibson. Starting in 18th place, Busch finished in sixth place in Klausmeier’s one-race stint as a crew chief.

A month after the 2017 season concluded, Stewart-Haas Racing announced its crew chief lineup for the 2018 Cup season, with Klausmeier being promoted as a full-time Cup crew chief for Aric Almirola and the No. 10 Smithfield Ford team.

Klausmeier’s first race as a full-time crew chief with Almirola was the Daytona 500 in February. During the event, Almirola, who was consistent throughout the event, took the lead on the penultimate lap and he started the final lap of the race. He was leading with two turns remaining until Austin Dillon made contact and turned Almirola into the outside wall entering Turn 3. Instead of a possible trip to Victory Lane with a new team and a new full-time crew chief, Almirola concluded the race in 11th place and with a wrecked race car while Dillon went on to win his first Daytona 500 crown.

From Atlanta Motor Speedway in February through Martinsville Speedway in March, Almirola and Klausmeier achieved six consecutive top-15 results, with Almirola ranked in 11th place in the regular-season standings. For the remaining 20 Cup regular-season races, Almirola and Klausmeier achieved went on to achieve eight additional top-10 results and 12 top-15 results. When the regular-season concluded at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in September, Almirola qualified for his second Cup postseason appearance as a title contender as Klausmeier made his first postseason appearance as a crew chief.

During the Round of 16, the first Playoff stretch at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Richmond Raceway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, Almirola achieved results of sixth, fifth and 19th as he transferred to the Round of 12 in a three-way tie along with Kyle Larson, both of whom eliminated Jimmie Johnson from title contention. The following Playoff race at Dover International Speedway in October, which marked the start of the Round of 12, Almirola was leading in the closing laps until a late caution came out due to a single-car incident involving teammate Clint Bowyer. Opting to pit for four fresh tires and restarting back in the top 10, he was involved in a late multi-car accident while trying to fight his way back to the front. Instead of another possible trip to Victory Lane with Klausmeier, Almirola concluded the race in 13th place.

The following Playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway, Stewart-Haas Racing came into the event with a plan involving teamwork. For nearly the entire race, the four SHR competitors led by Kurt Busch ruled the track and all were primed to finish 1-2-3-4 on the track when a late caution fell due to a multi-car wreck. During overtime, teammates Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch ran out of fuel and Almirola was able to take the lead on the final lap and hold off Bowyer to achieve his first elusive victory of the season and first with SHR. The win at Talladega marked the second Cup victory for both Almirola and Klausmeier as both secured a spot to the Round of 8 in the Playoffs.

After winning at Talladega and finishing in 10th place at Kansas Speedway to cap off the Round of 12, Almirola and Klausmeier achieved results of 11th, eighth and fourth in the Round of 8 at Martinsville, Texas and at Phoenix. Despite the results, Almirola fell short in advancing to the Championship Round along with teammates Clint Bowyer and Kurt Busch while Kevin Harvick was the lone Stewart-Haas Racing competitor who contended for the title. Almirola went on to finish in ninth place in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November as he and Klausmeier capped off the season in fifth place in the final standings.

Coming off a productive 2018 season, Klausmeier remained as Almirola’s crew chief for the 2019 Cup season. The combo started off the season with a 32nd-place result at the Daytona 500 in February due to being involved in a late multi-car accident, but they rebounded with six consecutive top-10 results from Atlanta in February to Texas in April. For the remaining 19 Cup regular-season races, Almirola and Klausmeier went on to achieve four additional top-10 results and 11 top-15 results as Almirola and Klausmeier made the Cup Playoffs for the second year in a row.

During the Round of 16 in the Playoffs, Almirola finished 13th, 16th and 14th in the round’s three-race stretch, but he was one of four competitors who failed to transfer to the Round of 12. For the remaining seven races of the season, Almirola and Klausmeier achieved two additional top-five results, including a runner-up result at Texas in November, and they concluded the season in 14th place in the final standings.

Following a two-year run with Almirola, Stewart-Haas Racing made changes to three of its four crew chief lineup for the 2020 Cup season. With that, Klausmeier was named crew chief for Clint Bowyer and the No. 14 Ford Mustang team while Mike Bugarewicz was named crew chief for Almirola and the No. 10 Ford Mustang team.

In Klausmeier’s first race with Bowyer, which occurred at the Daytona 500 in February, the Emporia, Kansas, native rallied from being involved in a late incident to finish in sixth place. Following the first four Cup races with Klausmeier atop the pit box and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bowyer achieved his first top-five result at Phoenix Raceway in March and was ranked in 13th place in the regular-season standings.

When the NASCAR Cup Series returned to on-track racing for a pair of races at Darlington Raceway in May, Bowyer and Klausmeier achieved a 17th-place result in the first Darlington event and both were dominant in the second Darlington event, where Bowyer won the first two stages of the race before he was involved in a late spin and settled in 22nd place. Three races later, Bowyer aand Klausmeier achieved their best result of second place at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch, Bowyer and Klausmeier have achieved one pole, three stage wins, two top-five results, seven top-10 results and 182 laps led. With both making this year’s Playoffs and their third consecutive postseason season, Bowyer will start the Playoffs in 13th place in the standings with 2,004 points as he and Klausmeier pursue their first Cup title.

Catch Klausmeier’s milestone start at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, September 6, at Darlington Raceway, which will occur at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

It’s time to go about crowning a Champion

By
SM Staff
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It has been a frantic season. Three, sometimes four races a week were the norm. Now, we are a little over two months away from crowning champions in NASCAR’s three national series. The old show started out with “they said it couldn’t be done.” Well, it was, thanks to NASCAR paying attention to the scientists and proper safeguards. They are to be applauded for that. They did it right from the beginning.

Saturday night, there was a tremendous elimination race at Daytona. It was a good one, but it saw the retiring Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time Cup champion, be eliminated. Johnson was caught up in a problem, not of his doing, but this is common at what is known as “plate races.” The big question for fans and those in charge amounts to a question about should these plate races, where anyone can win and anyone can crash out, be an elimination race? For many, it is not. Fans love the races at Talladega and Daytona, but this writer does not think it is fair for competitors. Yes, run those tracks, but give them a race to recover. I can only think about the guy who comes in solid in the Playoffs, gets wrecked early in a “Big One” and fails to make the cut, if he had 26 second-place finishes. Yes, that is extreme but possible. Let me know what you think.

The Cup drivers will be negotiating Darlington, Richmond, Bristol, Las Vegas, Talladega, Charlotte, Kansas, Texas, Martinsville, and Phoenix. Eliminations races will be held at Bristol, the ROVAL at Charlotte and Martinsville. The Final Four race for the championship is at Phoenix.

Who will win? I have no idea. Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex, Jr., and Brad Keselowski have dominated, but who knows what will happen?

The biggest surprises for me were wins by Cole Custer and the guy who beat out Johnson for the Playoffs, seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, so you never know. Watching will be fun. My only fear is a Covid-19 outbreak. So far, so good. So, buckle up let’s see what happens.

NHRA releases revised 2020 schedule, additional events canceled

By
Briar Starr
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The NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) announced on Wednesday afternoon the full 2020 schedule, along with cancellations to three events including the NHRA Auto Club Finals originally planned for the Nov. 13-15 weekend.

This week, the NHRA is back on track for the scheduled U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend, taking place from Sept. 3-6. From there, the circuit will travel to Gainesville, Florida for the Gainesville Nationals, scheduled for Sept. 25-27. The Gainesville Nationals was supposed to take place back in March but was previously postponed due to COVID concerns.

Then, the 2020 schedule will include three events for the month of October. From Oct. 2-4, the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Midwest Nationals will be seen in St. Louis, followed up with a trip to the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals in Dallas, Texas slated for Oct. 14-18 and the Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals in Houston on the Oct. 23-25 weekend.

The 2020 season will wrap up early this year by concluding in Las Vegas for the Dodge NHRA Finals, planned for Oct. 30-Nov. 1. The Dodge Nationals will crown this year’s series champions for the Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, as well as Pro Stock Motorcycle.

As a reminder, the Countdown to the Championship (NHRA’s Playoff Style Format) was scrapped earlier this year due to the pandemic.

“We are grateful to the loyal NHRA fans who have stuck with us during these trying times,” said NHRA President Glen Cromwell. “NHRA plans to hold these next six national events to conclude the 2020 season. Thank you to our fans, racers, and partners for your continued support and cooperation.”

Unfortunately, three events were canceled on the 2020 schedule. Those events were the Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals in Denver, the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minnesota and the Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals in Topeka, Kansas. In addition, two other events were removed from the scheduled including the NGK Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, North Carolina and the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tennessee.

As previously mentioned, the NHRA Auto Club Finals, which was scheduled to be the last event of the season is now canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. It will mark the first time since the 1980s the California track will not host an NHRA event.

“We are disappointed that we will not be hosting the Finals here at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona for the first time since the mid-80s,” said Dale Coleman, Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer. “Under the current circumstances, we totally understand. We wish all the folks at NHRA well in Las Vegas and we look forward to the return of the Finals to Pomona in 2021.”

Chastain to reach 350 starts across NASCAR at Darlington

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images.

A significant milestone is in the making for Ross Chastain, a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series competitor for Kaulig Racing and part-time competitor in the NASCAR Cup and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. By the time Chastain completes this weekend’s Xfinity and Cup doubleheader events at Darlington Raceway, he will achieve 350 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series (Truck, Xfinity and Cup Series).

A native of Alva, Florida, who grew up as a watermelon farmer for his family’s farm and started racing after watching his father hobby racing, Chastain started his career by winning in late models and Fastruck Series races. His first start within NASCAR’s three major division series occurred at Lucas Oil Raceway in July 2011, where he drove the No. 66 Chevrolet Silverado for Turn One Racing in the NASCAR Truck Series. Starting 15th, Chastain finished 10th in his series debut. He went on to compete in four additional Truck races with Turn One Racing.

In 2012, Chastain was named a full-time competitor of the No. 08 Toyota Tundra for SS-Green Light Racing as he entered the Truck Series as a Rookie-of-the-Year contender. Throughout the 22-race season, Chastain achieved four top-10 results, a career-best third-place run at Bristol Motor Speedway in August and he concluded the season in 17th place in the final standings. He made one start in the No. 07 Chevrolet Silverado for SS-Green Light Racing at Phoenix, where he finished 33rd.

The following season, Chastain competed in 14 Truck races with Brad Keselowski Racing and in the No. 19 Ford F-150 led by Chad Kendrick. His first start with the team was at Daytona International Speedway in February, where he finished 14th. He went on to finish 20th at Martinsville Speedway in April and ninth at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. He achieved his first top-five result of the season at Pocono Raceway in August. Two races later at Iowa Speedway, Chastain was dominant as he started on pole position and led a race-high 116 of 212 laps, only to be overtaken by James Buescher on a late restart and settle in a career-best second place. He went on to finish third at Talladega Superspeedway in October and second at Phoenix in November following a late battle with eventual winner Erik Jones. He finished in eighth place in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway and capped off his 14-race stint at BKR with four top-five results, seven top-10 results and his first two career poles.

In 2014, Chastain competed in his first seven NASCAR Xfinity Series races along with three Truck Series races. He competed between Viva Motorsports, Hattori Racing Enterprises and TriStar Motorsports in the Xfinity circuit, with his best result being 10th place at Kentucky Speedway in September. He competed between RBR Enterprises and Win-Tron Racing in the Truck Series, with his best result being 11th place at Homestead in November.

For the 2015 season, Chastain was named a full-time competitor for JD Motorsports in the Xfinity Series. Making 31 starts in JDM’s No. 4 Chevrolet Camaro and two in JDM’s No. 01 Chevrolet Camaro, Chastain achieved four top-10 results and a career-best result of ninth place at Daytona in February. He concluded the season in 15th place in the final standings.

Between 2016 and 2017, Chastain continued to drive for JD Motorsports and the No. 4 Chevrolet on a full-time basis in the Xfinity Series. Following the 2016 season, he surpassed 100 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series. He finished 15th in the final standings in 2016 and 16th in 2017. Between June and July 2017, Chastain achieved back-to-back top-10 results, which included a career-best fourth-place result at Iowa Speedway. He also made a total of eight starts in the Truck Series with Bolen Motorsports, where his best result was seventh place at Martinsville Speedway in April. In addition, he made his first two NASCAR Cup Series career starts in both Dover International Speedway races while driving for Premium Motorsports. He finished 20th in his debut at the Monster Mile in June and 38th in his second start in October.

The 2018 season was an eventful season for Chastain, who made 34 starts in the Cup Series, 33 starts in the Xfinity Series and seven starts in the Truck Series. In the Truck circuit, he made a total of seven starts between Beaver Motorsports, Premium Motorsports and Niece Motorsports. His best result was seventh place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September. In the Cup circuit, he competed in 34 of 36 races with Premium Motorsports. His best results were an 18th-place result at Texas Motor Speedway in April and a 20th-place result at Las Vegas in September.

For the first 23 Xfinity Series of the season, Chastain recorded one top-five result and six top-10 results, all while during his fourth season with JD Motorsports. Then, in September, Chastain made his first of three starts in the No. 42 DC Solar Chevrolet Camaro for Chip Ganassi Racing led by crew chief Mike Shiplett at Darlington Raceway. During the main event, Chastain started on pole position for the first time in his career, led a race-high 90 laps and won the first two stages. His strong run, however, was spoiled following a late on-track incident with Kevin Harvick as Chastain ended his race in 25th place. Competing the following race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for JD Motorsports, Chastain returned to the No. 42 team at Las Vegas in September seeking redemption. During the main event, Chastain dominated again as he won the first two stages and led a race-high 180 laps. This time, Chastain sealed the deal after beating Justin Allgaier to achieve his first career win across NASCAR’s three major division series. His first Xfinity career win, which occurred in his 132nd series start and also occurred in the regular-season finale at Vegas, was enough for the Floridian to secure a spot in the 2018 Xfinity Playoffs as he introduced his celebratory trademark by smashing a watermelon.

During his first run in the Xfinity Playoffs, Chastain went on to finish in second place at Richmond in September, which also marked his final start with Chip Ganassi Racing. Returning to JD Motorsports, he finished 12th at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval and 13th at Dover. When the dust settled, Chastain was beaten by Matt Tifft for the final transfer spot to the Round of 8 by three points. He went on to conclude the season in a career-best 10th place in the final standings as he also achieved a career-high three top-five results, eight top-10 results and 272 laps led. Following the 2018 season, he surpassed 200 career starts across NASCAR.

In November 2018, it was announced that Chastain would compete in the No. 42 DC Solar Chevrolet Camaro for Chip Ganassi Racing on a full-time basis for the 2019 Xfinity Series season. The announcement came a month after Chastain revealed plans to compete in the Cup Series for Premium Motorsports. However, the team ceased operations in January when DC Solar was raided by the FBI. Fortunately, Chastain was picked up by Niece Motorsports to compete in the Truck Series on a part-time basis led by crew chief Phil Gould and by JD Motorsports for 30 Xfinity races. In addition, he signed a three-race deal to pilot the No. 10 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing.

Competing in all three series’ openers at Daytona International Speedway, Chastain finished third in the Truck Series with Niece Motorsports, 13th in the Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing after winning the second stage and 10th in his first Daytona 500 start with Premium Motorsports. Through the beginning of June, Chastain competed in the first 12 Xfinity races and recorded a best result of seventh place at Las Vegas in March. He also competed in the first eight Truck races with Niece Motorsports, achieving top-10 results in all of his starts and collecting his first Truck career win at Kansas Speedway in May following a late pass on Stewart Friesen. To cap off his eventful start to this season, he competed in the first 14 Cup races with Premium Motorsports.

On June 4, Chastain declared himself a full-time Truck Series competitor to contend for points and the series title with Niece Motorsports. In order to achieve his goal of making the Playoffs, he would have to win again throughout the regular-season stretch and be scored inside the top 20 in the standings. After finishing in 10th place at Texas Motor Speedway following his announcement, Chastain achieved his second victory of the season at Iowa Speedway following a dominating performance. Following the race, however, Chastain was disqualified due to his truck failing post-race technical inspection and NASCAR awarded the win to runner-up finisher Brett Moffitt. Chastain’s disqualification from winning was a first in NASCAR since Emanuel Zervakis was disqualified from winning at North Carolina’s Wilson Speedway in April 1960 due to an oversized fuel tank.

Chastain rebounded the following race with vengeance after scoring a late win at Gateway’s World Wide Technology Raceway and collecting a $50,000 for winning a Triple Truck Challenge race. This time, Chastain’s win at Gateway was ruled official. After finishing seventh at Chicagoland Speedway and fourth at Kentucky Speedway the following two races, Chastain made himself Playoff eligible after moving into the top 20 in the standings. The following race, he achieved his third victory of his career/season at Pocono Raceway and he entered the postseason as a title favorite. During the Playoffs, Chastain achieved three top-five results and five top-10 results as he made the Championship Round at Homestead-Miami Speedway. During the finale, however, he finished fourth at Homestead and fell short of his first NASCAR championship to Matt Crafton. Despite the final outcome, he logged in a successful season in the Truck circuit, where he recorded three wins, a pole, 10 top-five results, 19 top-10 results, an average result of 8.6 and 591 laps led before concluding the season in a career-best second place. In the end, he was named the 2019 Truck Most Popular Driver.

Chastain’s on-track success in 2019 did not only come from the Truck Series. At Daytona in July, while piloting Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 Ellsworth Advisors Chevrolet Camaro, Chastain led a 1-2-3 finish for the team across the line as he achieved his first victory at Daytona, second of his Xfinity career and the first NASCAR win for Kaulig Racing. Despite teammate A.J. Allmendinger being disqualified from third place for failing post-race technical inspection, Chastain’s victory and teammate Justin Haley’s runner-up result were deemed official by NASCAR. He made a total of seven additional Xfinity starts since June, where he also finished in second place at Texas in November behind Christopher Bell while driving for Kaulig. Overall, he capped off the 2019 Xfinity season with a win, a pole, two top-five results and eight top-10 results between JD Motorsports and Kaulig Racing.

On the Cup side, Chastain made 35 starts in the No. 15 Chevrolet for Premium Motorsports. His best results were a 10th-place result at the Daytona 500 in February and a 12th-place result at Talladega Superspeedway in October.

In total, Chastain made 77 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series in 2019. Early into the season, he broke Kyle Busch’s record in competing in the most consecutive races across all three series to start a season. Following the 2019 season, he surpassed 300 career starts across NASCAR.

Three months after winning at Daytona, Chastain was named a full-time competitor of the No. 10 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing led by crew chief Bruce Schlicker for the 2020 Xfinity Series season. Prior to the 2020 season, he also planned to compete in select Truck Series races with Niece Motorsports and in the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE sponsored by AdventHealth in the Cup Series for the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. His No. 77 ride was under a partnership between Spire Motorsports and Chip Ganassi Racing.

Chastain started the 2020 season by finishing in eighth place in the Truck opener at Daytona with Niece Motorsports. For the Xfinity opener, however, he initially failed to qualify for the event, along with teammate A.J. Allmendinger, due to mechanical issues. Nonetheless, he was able to compete when veteran Jeff Green relinquished his seat at RSS Racing. Chastain went on to finish 22nd in the Xfinity opener. For the Daytona 500, he made a late charge to the front until he was involved in a multi-car accident and settled in 25th place.

Through September 2, Chastain has made eight starts in the Truck Series with Niece Motorsports and has recorded one top-five result and five top-10 results. He has also made seven Cup starts between Spire Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing, where he served as an interim competitor for the injured Ryan Newman. His best results in the series include a 16th-place run at Daytona in August and a pair of 17th-place results at Auto Club Speedway in March and at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July.

Through the first 22 Xfinity Series races of this season and as a full-time competitor, Chastain has recorded one stage win, two Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonuses, nine top-five results and 19 top-10 results. He is currently in third place in the Xfinity regular-season standings and is 420 points above the top-12 cutline to make the Playoffs and with four regular-season races remaining. Thus far, his average result is 8.8.

While Chastain is set to compete in this weekend’s Xfinity and Cup races at Darlington, he will also be sporting a special white, red, blue and gold paint scheme to his No. 77 Spire Motorsports/Dirty Mo Media Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE on the Cup side while paying tribute to the late NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt and his 1976 Hy-Gain Chevy.

Catch Chastain’s milestone start on Sunday, September 6, at Darlington Raceway for the Cook Out Southern 500, which will occur at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

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