NASCAR CUP SERIES
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DRYDENE 311
TEAM CHEVY PRESS POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
AUGUST 23, 2020

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
3rd JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
4th WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE
5th ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 ACRONIS CAMARO ZL1 1LE
9th AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW / BEHR ULTRA SCUFF DEFENSE CAMARO ZL1 1LE
13th KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 GEARWRENCH CAMARO ZL1 1LE

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st Kevin Harvick (Ford)
2nd Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota)
3rd Jimmie Johnson (Chevrolet)
4th William Byron (Chevrolet)
5th Alex Bowman (Chevrolet)

The NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Daytona International Speedway with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday, August 29, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on NBC, NBC Sports Gold app, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY NOTES AND QUOTES (INCLUDING JIMMIE JOHNSON’S THIRD-PLACE PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT):

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 3rd
YOU GUYS DROVE FROM THE BACK THROUGH THE FIELD, TOOK TWO TIRES, GOT TO THE LEAD, BUT WASN’T ABLE TO HOLD ON. DID YOU AGREE WITH THAT CALL?
“Yeah, I totally did. And I actually had a little bit of hope thinking that it would work thinking clean air would be so important and we were so fast the run before. There were a lot of laps on those left-side tires and it just didn’t pan out. But I really appreciate Cliff’s (Daniels, crew chief) courage to bet on me and give me a shot. We certainly improved our finish from where we were running at the time. So, all-in-all, a great call. Very proud of this Ally Chevrolet, everybody on this Ally team and all the hard work they’re putting in.”

THE PLAYOFFS, IT GOT REALLY TIGHT AFTER THIS. YOU’RE HEADING TO DAYTONA – A SUPERSPEEDWAY. WHAT’S THE STRATEGY – HOW DO YOU GET INTO THE PLAYOFFS AT A SUPERSPEEDWAY?
“I’m going to do my best to forget about it. There really isn’t any worrying that I can do this week to help me on a plate track. Studying, worrying – any of that isn’t going to make a difference. So, go down there, say a few prayers, maybe say a prayer per lap and see how that plays out I guess. We’ll race hard and if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”

WITH ALL THE SUCCESS YOU’VE HAD HERE, ARE YOU PROUD OF THIS LAST RACE AT DOVER?
“I’m good with it. I want more – I absolutely want more. I know I’m capable of more and I know this team is. That’s our mission. I’m not gone forever – I’m just trying to slow down a little bit. I’ll be holding a steering wheel for years to come and it’s all about trying to win races.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 4th
“It was like a completely different race car and completely different race for us today compared to yesterday. We had the Axalta Chevy doing the things we wanted it to do on most runs. It just felt good out there. I knew at the beginning of the race that we were keeping pace with the No. 19 the No. 11. As soon as we got the track position, we were able to stay up there. I think we were a little bit behind though since we really didn’t have a notebook from yesterday. I think if we had another race at it, we would run a bit better. Overall, this is good for our Axalta team. Now we’re going to Daytona where it’s going to be insane. I don’t think you can really points race. It’s going to be a race to be as aggressive as you can and hope things fall your way.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 ACRONIS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 5th
“Man, I am so proud of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. Three cars in the top-five today. For us to pull out a back-up car, the No. 88 team did a great job getting everything together and regrouping after yesterday’s issues. Very appreciative to end up in the top-five and get Acronis a good run. We needed to get things turned around and this is a good step in the right direction. I felt like we were a second-place car on the short run and probably shouldn’t have picked the bottom on that last restart. So appreciative to have a great run and a huge shout out to everyone at Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet. This was great.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW / BEHR ULTRA SCUFF DEFENCE CAMARO ZL1 1LE- Finished 9th
“We had a good day at Dover International Speedway in the Dow Coatings Chevrolet, and that shows just how hard we all work at RCR. It feels good to come out of the Monster Mile with two solid runs. We started the race too free. A pit stop for right-side tires definitely tightened me up, but it went back at the end of the run, and I was just sliding around out there to end Stage 1. Our Chevy definitely had speed today, it was just too loose to do anything with it during portions of the race. Justin Alexander and all of the guys on the team did a good job at making adjustments. Towards the middle of the race we were knocking off some of the fastest lap times of the field. We went four-wide to make a pass and I got a little damage to my right-front, which made our No. 3 Dow Coatings Chevrolet really tight. It was still fast, though. I’m proud of a top-10 finish. We probably could have gotten a few more spots on that last restart, but the No. 2 car did a good job and had a good run. It was fun out there this weekend, and I want to thank everyone at Dow and Behr for their support.”

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 GEARWRENCH CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 13th
“We have been consistent in our hunt for the playoffs all season. With today‘s finish, not what we hoped for, but we locked-in! I’m proud of everybody at Chip Ganassi Racing. Teamwork is what it’s all about. Thanks to GEARWRENCH, Monster Energy, Team Chevy and everyone that makes this team compete.”

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CAT APP CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 17th
“We started off with our No. 8 Cat App Chevrolet a lot better than yesterday. I was able to roll through the turns a lot smoother and just needed a bit more rear security. I thought maybe that issue would be cleared up as the track began to rubber up, but it just never tightened up quite as much as I needed it to. The adjustments that my crew chief, Randall Burnett, and the team made through Stage 1 and 2 helped fight that looseness, but I still needed even more stability to really carry speed into the corner like I needed to. At the end of Stage 2, we took a big swing on our adjustments, which did help solve the rear security issue, but took it almost to the other extreme and made it tight to turn. The day didn’t go how we wanted it to, but I’m proud of our team. No one gave up, and we worked hard all race long. This isn’t over for us yet. We still have one more chance to make the Playoffs at Daytona International Speedway, and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 COLUMBIA PFG CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 21st
“Today was a little bit better day for our Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Columbia PFG Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. It was kind of the same balance as yesterday. Our Chevrolet handled the same, but we had a little bit more speed. Still not where we want to be – just could never get the rear-end underneath us. When we did, it was just way too much. We need to get some more adjustability in our car, but overall a good day for our Columbia PFG team. It was cool to see them on the race track and I’m excited for what’s next with them. We will keep everything going and continue the momentum into Daytona (International Speedway) next week.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE, PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:

THE MODERATOR: We’re now joined by our third‑place finisher, Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet.

       Q. Jimmie, how do you approach this week racing your teammate for the last playoff spot? Not only are you guys teammates and you guys share information, but you're going to a superspeedway where traditionally teammates work together.
        JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, it's going to be a really interesting race in Daytona from that respect. But at the same time, it's still Daytona, and in my opinion, "the big one" or all the wrecks that can happen is really going to determine who makes it into the playoffs.
       We did the best that we could here over these two days, had two respectable results, closed the gap, but now it's kind of in luck's hands or in fate's hands down in Daytona at the plate rate.

       Q. In terms of information sharing, open book between you guys this week?
        JIMMIE JOHNSON: Oh, yeah, always has been. It was that way racing my teammates for championships; it's certainly that way going into a playoff race.

       Q. Jimmie, the last few laps of this race given what's on the line, how much pressure were you feeling? How much on the wheel were you in those laps on two tires?
        JIMMIE JOHNSON: Not much pressure. I was so excited and so happy to have the view I did sitting there up front and have control of the restart. I knew when we hit the gas and the 4 car was able to stay with me, I was going to be in trouble. I needed to clear him into 1 and quickly I realized that my left sides were pretty exhausted and just didn't have the grip we needed in them. We had a really good car and I really credit Cliff for making that brave call for two tires. I think we were one of the fastest cars if not the fastest car over the last two runs, just unfortunately clawing our way back in from losing track position, and we didn't have the best stop two from the end, so we really just had to gamble.
       I really appreciate his courage to do that. It netted a better finish. Certainly wish there was more there, but a great couple days here in Dover.

       Q. Matt DiBenedetto is only +9, so there is a path now for the both of you to make it in, so maybe working together, the both of you can climb in. How do you feel about that?
        JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, it's so hard to know how things will play out down in Daytona. If you get single file and it's the old track with high tire wear, which it won't be, you can work with a teammate and really try to create some opportunity, but if we're all running in a big group, luck is going to play a bigger role in things for the majority of it. I mean, if you have a dominant car and you can lead the race and control the lanes up front, there's an opportunity there, obviously, but I feel like luck and fate is going to kind of control the outcome of this.

       Q. You talked about luck and fate. Does that mean your experience means nothing next Saturday?
        JIMMIE JOHNSON: It's hard to say it would separate me. I look at this weekend and think my experience played into my hand and helped me gain points on the two cars that I needed to. To go to Daytona where you don't really work on your cars, you're in a draft, in a pack, there is some skill needed in the draft to make that work and to create opportunity, but I think it's a smaller window of opportunity than what we have on a traditional race.

       Q. What will your stomach be like this week?
        JIMMIE JOHNSON: I've been doing this too long to worry too much. Championship pressure, thankfully I've been through that a bunch of different times. Maybe that's ‑‑ I guess actually maybe that's where experience will play through for me this weekend and I'll be able to keep my head on straight, think, keep my emotions in check and really race with a clear and open mind.

       Q. With a run like you had this weekend and obviously today especially, I'm curious how much you needed this mentally because obviously we know what's at stake for the playoffs at this point, but to have a solid run back‑to‑back days and to improve on this second day of the double‑header, how much do you feel like you and this team needed this as you approach the next 11 weeks?
        JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, we definitely need it. Momentum really works for you in either direction, and to run good at Daytona, to run decent at Michigan, to take these two races this weekend, top 10 and a top 5, that's all going the right way, and it helps me. It helps every one of us on the team.
       Who I think it helps the most is really Cliff and my guys on this team that have been giving me everything they can week in and week out. I sense that they're probably more concerned about me finishing strong than I am. I mean, they really ‑‑ we have a great relationship and a great bond, and they want to give me every chance to win going out.
       I truly appreciate their point of view and what they're doing for me, and I'll keep willing it as hard as we can, and hopefully we can get it done.

       Q. With as meaningful as this racetrack has been to you in your career, how does it feel to end your time at Dover, at least your full‑time career, with the runs that you had this weekend?
        JIMMIE JOHNSON: It feels good. This place is a blast to drive. I've always enjoyed coming here and making laps, and if the phone ever rings and I can pick the Cup race to come back and run, I would choose this track. We'll see what happens out there in years to come.

       Q. With next week potentially being your last NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona, with the stakes that they are, is this one of the biggest Daytona races that you've had to deal with in your career?
        JIMMIE JOHNSON: Honestly, I haven't thought about it in that respect. I've kind of felt like that race is going to be the pivotal race for us to make the playoffs or not, especially since I missed the Brickyard 400. Maybe someday down the road I'll look back and think of these last trips to tracks and moments, but I'm just wired a certain way, and I think all competitors are. You keep looking forward and you don't spend much time putting a lot of emotional value into things.
       You know, I've been doing that all year long, and I'm running out of races so I guess at some point it'll probably hit me, but right now it's kind of business as usual and just focusing on the job ahead of me.

       Q. Jimmie, you said you were excited on that final restart, but after the speeding penalty, you restarted 30th and then you slowly marched your way up to ninth. What was your mindset going into that second stage after such a costly penalty?
        JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, I felt like we were going to recover and have a decent finish, and I saw we put the 21 a lap down, so I was encouraged for the points situation there. And then I slowly caught the 24 and I could see that orange bumper on his car and felt like we minimized the bleeding to them, and just hoped for cautions. I knew the only way we'd have a shot to win was a couple cautions to bunch the field up, and hopefully a few good restarts to go with that and pit stops to get me the track position. So just praying for those late‑race cautions and we got them.

       Q. How encouraged by the team's fortune turning around, and would you say you attribute that to the 48's new paint scheme?
        JIMMIE JOHNSON: We're not superstitious, but just in case, we changed the color of the car, just in case there was something in that.
       I really feel like it's been here for us, and we've just been kind of affecting ourselves or hurting ourselves throughout the last couple of months and losing opportunities to perform and shine.
       I still think we're missing some pace and we don't have dominant pace, but runs like today, to run in the top 5, to run in the top 10, we should have been doing this all year long and not having to worry about points going into Daytona. I'm pretty bummed about that, but when I look back at the DQ at Charlotte, got a goose egg in points there and then I missed the Brickyard 400. If we just score some points in those races, we're in a much different position right now than we're in.

       Q. You mentioned how experience has served you well with handling the pressures of the playoff battle, but what are some of the ways that you've key pressed, kept calm and avoided the distractions that would otherwise serve as a distraction for you?
        JIMMIE JOHNSON: I feel as you get older and more experienced in anything you do, you learn what to worry about. When you're young you worry about everything because you don't want to overlook something that's important. But I feel experience really buys you that knowledge, and you know where to focus your energy and not just wear yourself out worrying about everything all the time.

       Q. I know even though you've had a year before with Chad on another team's pit box, now that you guys are battling weekly for playoff spot, have you guys exchanged any pleasantries or talked any trash down the stretch?
        JIMMIE JOHNSON: No trash talking, but we did see each other a few times on pit road. Neither of us want to be in this position. I think we both know that here we are with one race left, and it feels like everything is on the line. But we've had 25 races ‑‑ I've had 24 versus their 25, to not put ourselves in this position.
       You know, I think we both reflect back on the year and the moments that got away, and we'll just go see how a restrictor plate race can settle this thing.

       Q. On Friday you said it felt odd to be in this position fighting with your teammate for the final playoff spot. Now that you've finished these races, now that it's come down to just you and William Byron and Chad Knaus who you had so much success with, how do you reflect on this going into Daytona knowing that in order to get to the playoffs you may have to knock out your former crew chief who you won your seven championships with?
        JIMMIE JOHNSON: We've kind of seen it coming, right, the last couple weeks. The thing that is very encouraging is we now have the 21 car there in the mix, so we both can get through, and we'll just have to race smart and see how stages play out and then obviously the finish at the end of the race next weekend.
       You know, at the end of the day for the 24 car, I wish them the best. They're my teammates. That car and that number, Chad Knaus, William Byron, they're friends, they're teammates, and now that I know there's a path in for both of us, maybe I'll stop thinking so many bad thoughts about those guys and maybe we can both get in.

       Q. The No. 48 team has had to go through a lot this season. We had the pause back in the spring, had to go through the driver change back at Indianapolis and of course now there's this playoff push but you guys haven't finished worst than 12th over the past four or five races. My question is how proud are you of the resiliency of this 48 squad?
        JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, the resiliency that you see is what I feel and know and live with day‑to‑day with these guys. They are a great group of guys. They're giving me everything that they have and I'm doing the same, and the bond and connection and energy and vibe on our team is real.
       It's nice to have it rolling the right direction for us. We've had some positive momentum a few times this year, and then something would derail us for a few weeks and we'd get it back going. It's nice to have it going right now. These guys deserve it, and we certainly hope to close out the season strong.

       Q. This past weekend has been basically the story of 2020: Denny Hamlin wins one day, Kevin Harvick wins the next. I know you've had seasons in the past where you've been the one that's been dominant, but when it's the same two guys each and every week, is it almost demoralizing for the rest of the field?
        JIMMIE JOHNSON: I don't know. I've been there. I've been that guy, and I know how hard it is to get there. I know how hard it is to stay there. And I know how awesome it feels to be there.
       My emotions are just jealous it's not me or envious that it's not me. I want to be that team. Those were the greatest moments, to walk into a track at the Cup level and know that there's a pretty good chance you're going to be the guy taking the trophy out. There is nothing that feels like that.
       Those guys deserve it. They've worked really hard to be in this position, and my advice to them would be enjoy it. You just never know how long it's going to last. They're both doing a great job. The 4 has been able to link together a lot of years like this, and I again know how tough that is. So, I have more respect and appreciation for what they're doing because I've been through that and know the challenges that come with it.

        THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Jimmie. We appreciate you taking the time, and good luck next weekend in Daytona.

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Track: Dover International Speedway
Race: 25 of 36
Event: Drydene 311 (311 miles, 311 laps)

Michael McDowell
No. 34 Shield Cleansers | Digital Ally Inc. Ford Mustang

Started: 25th
Finished: 25th

Stage One: 29th
Stage Two: 24th
Stage Three: 25th

The No. 34 Shield Cleansers | Digital Ally Inc. Ford Mustang of Michael McDowell took the green flag from the 25th position in Sunday’s Cup race at Dover International Speedway. To start the race, McDowell noted that his race car was on the loose side. During a mid-stage caution, he would bring his car to pit road for 4 tires, fuel and trackbar adjustment and would go on to finish the stage in 29th. During the Stage 1 caution, the No. 34 Shield Cleansers | Digital Ally Inc. Ford Mustang took 4 tires, fuel and wedge adjustment.

In Stage 2, McDowell told his team that the adjustments made had helped his entry into Turn 3, but the car was still loose. He would pit under caution on Lap 99 for 4 tires, fuel and a trackbar adjustment before going on to take the Stage 2 green- and white-checkered flag from the 24th position. During the Stage Break, McDowell would bring his 34 Shield Cleansers | Digital Ally Inc. Ford Mustang to pit road for 4 tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment.

In the final Stage of Sunday’s 311-mile race, McDowell and the No. 34 Shield Cleansers | Digital Ally Inc. team battled to make adjustments on their race car while trying to keep up with a changing race track as the sun set over Dover International Speedway and track temperatures started to cool. During a mid-stage caution, McDowell radioed to his team to say, “I felt like we were getting better as we ran” and would race his No. 34 Shield Cleansers | Digital Ally Inc. Ford Mustang to a 25th-place finish.

McDowell on Dover:

“Well, it was a busy day for my guys on pit road. Our No. 34 Shield Cleansers, Digital Ally Inc. Ford Mustang started out on the loose side and just seemed to stay that way throughout the course of the race. We threw a lot of wedge and trackbar adjustments at the car to try and help find a bit more speed, but unfortunately we were also battling a changing race track as the sun started to set in Stage 3 and temperatures began to cool off, so it was tough to predict how the car was going to behave as the race went on. I just want to thank Shield Cleansers and Digital Ally Inc. for coming on board our No. 34 Ford Mustang this weekend and hope that they enjoyed the race. We’ll head home and get ready for what should be a wild weekend at Daytona.”

TRUEX JR. DRIVES TO SEVENTH STRAIGHT TOP-THREE FINISH
Martin Truex Jr. finishes second at Dover for the second consecutive day

DOVER, Delaware (August 22, 2020) – Martin Truex Jr. (second) drove to his seventh consecutive top-three finish to lead Toyota in the Drydene 311 at the Dover International Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Dover International Speedway
Race 25 of 36 – 311 miles, 311 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Kevin Harvick*
2nd, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
3rd, Jimmie Johnson*
4th, William Bryon*
5th, Alex Bowman*
11th, KYLE BUSCH
19th, DENNY HAMLIN
22nd, ERIK JONES
27th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
28th, DANIEL SUÁREZ
36th, TIMMY HILL
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Finishing Position: 2nd

How was your race today?

“Second or third, it seems like every week here. On one hand, it’s good obviously and you want to be running up front and having good finishes. On the other hand, we didn’t get any better than we were yesterday, it was actually a little bit worse. I was a little disappointed in that. These things are really, really tricky to figure out to get them right. We just had to battle hard all day long and it took us a long time to get up towards the front in our Bass Pro Shops Camry. We just battled hard with an ill-handling car all day long. Just tried to hang onto what we could and came out with a decent finish.”

Was the team able to make any improvements to the car from yesterday?

“I thought if anything, we were probably a little worse today. We tried some different things overnight and definitely didn’t do what we hoped it would do. Live and learn. It was a tough day. The Bass Pro Camry had good speed; it was just a handful again. Just never could get it to do what we wanted it to do. We fought hard, we battled and we executed well. Came home with a good result. We’ll keep working to try to get a little better.”

What do you hope for at Daytona next week?

“A finish would be fabulous. If not, hopefully we’ll pay it forward with a little luck at Talladega in the Playoffs.”

# # #

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2020
DRYDENE 311 – DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
FORD PERFORMANCE DRIVER – POST RACE QUOTES

KEVIN HARVICK GIVES FORD WIN #700 IN NASCAR CUP SERIES

• Kevin Harvick won his seventh race of the season and 55th of his Cup career by winning today’s race at Dover.
  The win by Harvick marked the 700th all-time NASCAR Cup Series race win for Ford.
• Harvick is now tied for 9th all-time in Cup Series wins.
• All seven of Harvick’s wins have come since NASCAR returned to action on May 17 (14 starts).
• The win is Mustang’s 14th of the season.
• Harvick is now 13th on the all-time Ford Cup win list with 21. What makes that accomplishment so impressive is Harvick has done it in only three-plus seasons.
• This marks the 26th win for Stewart-Haas Racing since joining Ford (Harvick has won 20).

FORD FINISHING RESULTS:
1st – Kevin Harvick
6th – Joey Logano
7th – Aric Almirola
8th – Brad Keselowski
10th – Cole Custer
12th – Ryan Blaney
14th – Chris Buescher
16th – Clint Bowyer
17th – Matt DiBenedetto
20th – John Hunter Nemechek
23rd – Corey LaJoie
24th – Ryan Newman
25th – Michael McDowell
38th – JJ Yeley
40th – Joey Gase

KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang — FINISHED 1st

ALL THE ACCOLADES COMING IN, INCLUDING THE 700TH WIN FOR FORD AND YOU JUST WENT TO 9TH ALL TIME IN THE CUP SERIES WIN LIST: “I have to thank everybody on our Mobil 1 Ford Mustang. Congratulations to Ford on their 700th Cup win. I want to thank everyone on this team. Rodney (Childers) and everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing for overcoming what happened yesterday with the track bar and nailing the balance today. I want to thank all the partners. Jimmy Johns, Hunt Brothers Pizza, Busch Beer. I want to say Happy Birthday to Delana’s mom and Dax, our engineer, same birthday. What a year. What a seven years. I am just really proud of everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing for being able to drive this car. Week after week they just put so much effort into making this thing go fast and it has been a great year.”

YOU ARE SETTING UP TO BE THE OBVIOUS FAVORITE GOING INTO THE PLAYOFFS. HOW DO YOU FEEL GOING IN? “I love the grit of our race team. I think that is what Gene Haas and Tony Stewart have built at Stewart-Haas Racing. A team with a lot of grit. Sometimes we don’t have the fastest car but we have guys willing to suck it up and when we have a weak link that day someone else will carry the team. I am really proud of that and that is what it is all about. You are only as good as the people around you and we have great people.”

YOU ARE THE REGULAR SEASON CHAMPION AS WELL: “With Denny (Hamlin) winning yesterday we needed to win today and we need all the points we can get. I think as you look at these playoffs you never know what to expect but I know that as we go week to week we will give it all we have and I am just really proud. Thank you to Mobil 1. They put a lot into the oils and lubricants in these cars and grinding to find more horsepower and less drag. It is an honor to drive for these guys.”

MATT DIBENEDETTO, No. 21 Menards/Monster Energy Ford Mustang — Finished 17th

“Dover killed us. We were pretty horrendous both days. I just tried to make the most of it that we could and it just wasn’t much. It was the perfect storm of really losing a lot of points and having a rough weekend. Going to Daytona. I hate to be negative but if we were going somewhere else I would feel better about it because we have been pretty strong at most tracks aside from here. I have struggled here. Going to Daytona and the Ford’s are strong but I have ended up at the infield care center the last two years there. We keep getting caught up in everyones mess. I am going to sit and hope and pray all week that we can just come out of there clean and make the playoffs. We shouldn’t be this close to the bubble. It is frustrating. A couple weeks messed us up. Getting wiped out at Texas and Kansas and then really hurt us points wise and then we come here and really hurt ourselves here. It has been a tough go of circumstances and going to Daytona is going to make it quite an uncomfortable week.”

DOES EXPERIENCE MATTER AT ALL NEXT SATURDAY NIGHT? “A little bit. Just to make sure you are not the one to cause any or makes any poor decisions or causes crashes. I have been at the receiving end for the last two years there. I don’t know. Experience might help a little. I have done a lot of superspeedway races and I feel like I race really smart at them but it won’t help the fact that there are just so many variables at those places that you can’t control. It is not the same kind of racing as anywhere else we go. I would say the thing that pays off the most at Daytona is luck.”

SO IS THERE ANY WAY TO CREATE YOUR LUCK THERE? “No, not really. I haven’t figured that out. If you know, please let me know. This would be a good week to figure it out. But yeah, I have crashed in the back, the middle, running second multiple times. On the bottom, the middle, the top. You name it and I have been minding my own business and gotten wiped out. So, sometimes it doesn’t really matter how smart you race and what you do and all the things you do right, even if you are running first or second. It just is a lot that is out of your hands at those places. I am not trying to be negative Nancy about it but I am just frustrated that we are even in this position that we are on the bubble and this close. We have had a lot of speed at most tracks. Erase Dover out of your mind. Aside from that we have been able to drive up to the top-five or top-10 at a bunch of them but just it seems like luck has not gone our way at a lot of places and it has put us in this position that is frustrating. Hopefully I will be in a better move after we get out of Daytona if we can have a little luck on our side.”

IF IT IS ALL ABOUT LUCK, IS THERE LESS PRESSURE ON YOU? “No, I don’t think so. The driver matters as far as making good decisions and things like that and having good teammates. My Penske teammates are encouraging and things that help going in there but there is a lot that is out of control. I would say it makes it more nerve racking. I don’t want to say nerve racking but just frustrating knowing you are going to a place where a lot is out of control. That is the excitement though when you are watching. But your whole season and year falls on for us on Daytona as a cutoff and that is the last situation you want to be in. It is tough. There are some good guys that are battling. Jimmy Johnson, William Byron and some tough competitors and a couple of surprise winners this year and that bumps us back further and that has been a perfect storm of things lining up for us to really fight this next week.”

A COUPLE WEEKS AGO IT SEEMED LIKE YOU WERE GOING TO BE IN THE PLAYOFFS. WHAT KIND OF MOUNTAINTOP IS IT AND MEANINGFUL IS IT FOR YOU TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS. IS IT SCARY IT CAN BE TAKEN AWAY SO QUICKLY? “Yeah, a lot depends on that. That was kind of the goal starting the season and a lot has happened in 2020 and it has been a crazy year with a new group working together and making sure we were executing well weekly and all the thing that we have been doing during this pandemic. There have been a lot of variables and we are competing to make the playoffs which has been good but if we miss it knowing that the tracks the second half of the year that are in the playoffs would be beneficial for us, if we miss them I will be a pretty grumpy individual the rest of the year. It is what it is. We have worked hard to be in that position. I hope we make it. I don’t want to be negative at all but it is hard after coming out of this weekend and getting a huge deficit in points and a ton of points chopped from us because we ran so bad in both races. It is just frustrating and we will have to go to Daytona and do the best job we can and know we have really good teammates and the Fords are fast and try to come out of there clean. I would be very excited the rest of the season.”

A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT HOW THIS RACE AT DAYTONA COULD BE ONE OF DESPERATION BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS A SHOT TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS. IS THAT WHAT YOU ANTICIPATE? “Yeah, for sure. I think the last superspeedway race was — I don’t want to say clean but it was cleaner than normal. We still got crashed but it was a little smoother. This one, I don’t know what to expect actually at these things but if I was a guessing man I would say probably quite a bit more chaotic and a whole to of desperation because this is the last attempt or opportunity for a whole lot of people to make the playoffs. A lot of people can win at Daytona so I would assume it might be quite chaotic.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Wurth Ford Mustang — Finished 8th

IN RESPECT TO THE 4 AND 11 WHAT IS IT LIKE AND HOW TOUGH IS IT TO MAINTAIN THAT WITH EVERYONE ELSE CHASING YOU? YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED THAT BEFORE, WHAT IS THAT LIKE? “Obviously if we knew what was going on there we would copy it the best we could. I agree that the 4 car has been the best car for the last six years and some could argue that the 18 has been with them a couple years. They deserve credit for that success. They deserve credit for being fast and putting all those pieces of the puzzle together. When you have that kind of speed you try to keep the band together and keep them motivated and something you can do as a driver quite honestly it comes down to the team and management in the company that you drive for and the crew chief. Especially in these latest of times, shoot, I haven’t seen my team but for a few minutes here and there every weekend so there isn’t much I am going to do to lead them and guide them because of the environment. Fast cars go fast. When you have a fast car and you are experienced you show up and try not to mess it up. You try to execute your perfect day. Restarts, getting out of the box, trying to give the feedback to make the car better throughout the race, you know. You put a great car with a great driver and you will get dominance like that. Kevin is a great driver and that is a great car.

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang — Finished 6th

IN RESPECT TO THE 4 AND 11 WHAT IS IT LIKE AND HOW TOUGH IS IT TO MAINTAIN THAT WITH EVERYONE ELSE CHASING YOU? YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED THAT BEFORE, WHAT IS THAT LIKE? “If you look at the 4 car, he has been the dominant car for years at this point. It seems like there are a couple other cars that sneak in there for a year here anda year there but it always seems like the 4 car is just the benchmark for whatever reason. If we knew why, we would fix it. The sport and all sports in general, why it is hard to stay on top for long isn’t that you get up there and get comfortable. I don’t think anyone gets lazy about it, I just think whether it is rules changes or just other teams finding something knew that your team wasn’t able to find. The momentum piece that goes into it as well. It seems like it kind of makes teams peak a little bit and then back. You see that a couple times throughout a year where teams are really good for a bit and then fall off. You want to peak at the right team. We want to peak all the time. It seems like you may have a rough 10 weeks now and again. They are a strong race team and Kevin is a great driver and they are able to give him what he needs. Yeah, what is it that does it? I wish I knew. I would do it.”

WHAT HAPPENED EARLY IN THE RACE WITH STENHOUSE? “I screwed up. I don’t know any way better to put it. We raced each other hard and I was trying to make the bottom work and my car was tight. I got a little loose down into three which kind of sent me up the race track and there was a pocket of air that if your front is really close to someone’s left rear tire the nose really takes off. I am not making excuses for the mistake. it is on me. I got in that pocket and then got started really going up the race track and I barely tagged him. I am not sure if I actually tagged him or not but it was enough to spin him around and I needed to be further away to protect the damage to our car and countless others. Like I said, I apologize to him and his race team and the others involved. I got myself in a tight spot and I didn’t do a good job getting out of it.”

WAS THE TRACK DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU EXPECTED IT TO BE? “No, I thought the track was pretty much the same. Once it was rubbered up and after the first race it felt like it was fairly similar to start this one. It didn’t seem to be crazy different.”

Track: Dover International Speedway
Race: 25 of 36
Event: Drydene 311 (311 miles, 311 laps)

John Hunter Nemechek
No. 38 ACME Markets Ford Mustang

Started: 27th
Finished: 20th

Stage One: 27th
Stage Two: 20th
Stage Three: 20th

Following NASCAR’s new formula to determine starting lineup, John Hunter Nemechek took the green flag in the second NASCAR Cup Series race of the weekend at Dover International Speedway from the 27th position. Shortly after the race got underway, Nemechek radioed that he was free to fire off. Thanks to an early caution, he was able to bring his No. 38 ACME Markets Ford Mustang to pit road for a hefty track bar adjustment on Lap 8. Nemechek was still struggling with the handling by the time he took the green- and white-checkered flag to end Stage 1 in 27th place, noting that he had no lateral grip or security and the “front turns good, but it wants to over-rotate.” Crew Chief Seth Barbour called him to pit road at the Stage Break Caution for 4 tires, fuel and track bar and packer adjustments.

Shortly after Stage 2 began, Nemechek radioed that his No. 38 ACME Markets Ford Mustang was bouncing really bad into Turn 3 and he needed to be tightened up. By Lap 125, he noted that he was finally off the splitter. Nemechek would finish Stage 2 in 20th place, relaying that he was “a little tight center off, but better… I’m able to move around and search for grip; just need to free me up a tick.” He would pit at the Stage Break Caution for 4 tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment.

After earning the Lucky Dog spot at the end of Stage 2, Nemechek would start the Final Stage of Sunday’s event at Dover International Speedway on the lead lap in 20th place. When the caution came out on Lap 215, he radioed that his No. 38 ACME Markets Ford Mustang was not bad, “a touch free in the center; splitter was better.” He would pit for 4 tires, fuel and a slight track bar adjustment. Nemechek’s ACME Markets machine tightened up as the race went on and the sun began to set over the Monster Mile. He would go on to take the checkered flag in 20th place.

Nemechek on Dover:

“We made some good improvements from yesterday in our No. 38 ACME Markets Ford Mustang. We started off pretty free today, but Seth and the crew made some good adjustments on pit stops throughout the race. I have to say a big thanks to my crew for sticking with me all day. We were able to improve on yesterday’s finish and that’s something to be proud about. I’m glad we were able to have a better run today for our partners at ACME. We’ll take our notes back with us, regroup and get ready for Daytona next week.”

DOVER, Del. (Aug. 23, 2020) – Chris Buescher and the No. 17 Fastenal Team scored a 14th-place finish in Sunday’s second half of a double header Monster Mile weekend at Dover International Speedway. The finish was Buescher’s career-high Cup Series finish at the 1-mile oval, known as one of the toughest tracks on the NASCAR circuit.

Buescher rolled off the grid fifth, and was running sixth when an early caution came out on lap five. The team elected to stay out on track and restarted seventh. At lap 23, the driver was shuffled back to 15th. When the caution flag waved nine laps later, the team took the opportunity to pit for a track bar adjustment, an air pressure adjustment and fresh tires. Buescher got back on track to restart 16th, but was unable to maintain track position. He took the green-white checkered flag for stage one in 20th.

The team visited pit road at the stage break for fuel, fresh tires and a track bar adjustment. After a quick stop, Buescher got back on track to restart 21st. Before the field took the green, the red flag was displayed and the race was paused to fix an issue with the racing surface. When the green flag waved, Buescher gave it all he had but shuffled back a few spots and was running 22nd when the caution flag waved at lap 99. The team decided to pit for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. The changes seemed to bode well for Buescher as he quickly moved up to 15th. Without enough laps to gain more momentum, the driver finished stage two in 15th.

At the stage break, the team pitted for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment. After restarting 15th, the driver lost three positions by the time the caution flag waved at Lap 215. The team decided to pit for four tires and fuel, but made up some ground on pit road and restarted 15th. By lap 242, the driver was running 16th when he reported that his No. 17 machine was better in clean air.

Buescher worked his way back to 15th and maintained track position all the way up to lap 288 when a caution flag waved. The driver asked for adjustments to tighten up the car and the team pitted for a track bar adjustment, fuel and tires. The team restarted 14th and hit the pavement with 17 laps to go and ultimately took the checkered flag in the same position.

Buescher and the No. 17 team return to track at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, August 29 7:30 p.m. EST on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.