Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Dover Doubleheader

Another NASCAR Doubleheader is on tap this weekend as the series heads north to ‘The Monster Mile’ for a pair of 311-mile races Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Dover is historically Jack Roush’s third-most productive track on the circuit with 17 wins all-time, including nine in the Cup Series. Additionally, Ryan Newman has three Cup wins of his own at the track, and Chris Buescher visited victory lane once in the Xfinity Series.

Dover International Speedway (1-Mile)
Drydene 311
Saturday, Aug. 22 | 4 p.m. ET
NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
· Ryan Newman, No. 6 Guaranteed Rate Ford Mustang
· Chris Buescher, No. 17 SunnyD Ford Mustang

Dover International Speedway (1-Mile)
Drydene 311
Sunday, Aug. 23 | 4 p.m. ET
NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
· Ryan Newman, No. 6 Guaranteed Rate Ford Mustang
· Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang

Double in Dover This Weekend

· For the second time in three weeks the NASCAR Cup Series will take part in a doubleheader, this time at ‘The Monster Mile’ for a pair of afternoon races on Saturday and Sunday.

· Including this weekend’s action, three races remain in the 2020 regular season with the NASCAR Playoffs set to begin at Darlington Raceway on Labor Day weekend.

· As announced a week ago, starting lineups for the Cup Series will be determined by a competition-based performance metric. NASCAR will reward both season-long and single-race performance to determine the lineup and pit selection using owner points position along with the finish and fastest lap from the most recently completed race. Buescher drew the 12th spot based on the metric, while Newman will roll off 23rd.

· Dover is usually on the NASCAR calendar twice, once in May and again in the fall, but complications from COVID-19 pushed the May race to this weekend’s doubleheader. Four weeks of NASCAR action were initially completed prior to the COVID-19 hiatus with races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville postponed before the schedule later picked back up in mid-May.

Daytona RC Recap, Dover Preview

· Buescher secured his second top-five of the season last weekend with a fifth-place run in the inaugural Cup event at the Daytona Road Course. After rolling off the grid 21st, Buescher and the No. 17 team put themselves on the right end of the strategy as the laps wound down. With a final caution flag with five to go, Buescher ran ninth, and restarted seventh, before powering his way through the field into the top five in the closing laps.

· Newman finished 19th in the Guaranteed Rate Ford on the Daytona Road Course.

· SunnyD returns to Buescher’s machine for Saturday’s first leg of the doubleheader at Dover, and Fastenal will be on the car Sunday for the second 311-mile race.

· Guaranteed Rate returns to Newman’s Ford this weekend for both races, as part of the overall 12-race schedule for the brand to close out the 2020 slate.

The Monster Mash

Roush Fenway’s nine wins in the NCS at Dover ranks third for the organization trailing only Michigan and Bristol with 13 and 11, respectively. Dover also ranks second in top-fives (52) and third in top-10s (84) for the organization.

Get the Broom

Roush Fenway swept the NCS and NASCAR Xfinity Series spring races at Dover in 2004 and 2011 and won both the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (NGROTS) and NCS races at the track in 2006.

First in the First State

Roush Fenway has won in all three major NASCAR series at Dover (9 NCS, 6 NXS and 2 NGROTS). Roush Fenway won its first race at Dover in the NCS from the pole in the fall of 1997 with former driver Mark Martin.

To Xfinity and Beyond

Roush Fenway has recorded six victories at the one-mile oval in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with drivers Chris Buescher, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards. Buescher recorded his victory in June 2015, Biffle earned victories in the spring event in both 2002 and 2004, while Edwards took the checkered flag in the spring of 2007 and swept both races in 2011.

Tale of the Tape

Roush Fenway has started 214 NCS races at Dover with 84 top-10 and 52 top-five finishes along with seven poles. Former drivers Mark Martin (1997, 1998, 1999, 2004), Greg Biffle (2005, 2008), Matt Kenseth (2006, 2011) and Carl Edwards (2007) are responsible for RFR’s combined nine Cup wins at the 1-mile track. Overall, a Jack Roush Ford has led 3892 laps at Dover.

Roush Fenway Dover Wins
1997-2 Martin Cup
1998-2 Martin Cup
1999-2 Martin Cup
2000-1 Busch Truck
2002-1 Biffle NXS
2004-1 Martin Cup
2004-1 Biffle NXS
2005-1 Biffle Cup
2006-1 KensethCup
2006-1 Martin Truck
2007-2 EdwardsCup
2007-1 EdwardsNXS
2008-2 Biffle Cup
2011-1 Kenseth Cup
2011-1 Edwards NXS
2011-2 Edwards NXS
2015-1 Buescher NXS

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (1-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: DOVER, DELAWARE
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACES 24 AND 25 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 4 P.M. ET, SATURDAY, AUG. 22 (NBCSN/MRN/SIRIUSXM)
4 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, AUG. 23 (NBCSN/MRN/SIRIUSXM)

Chase Elliott
No. 9 Mountain Dew/Team Rubicon Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Chase Elliott Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 24 Resides Dawsonville, Georgia

2020 Season
4th in standings
23 starts
2 wins
1 pole position
8 top-five finishes
13 top-10 finishes
503 laps led

Career
172 starts
8 wins
9 pole positions
52 top-five finishes
87 top-10 finishes
2,347 laps led

Track Career
8 starts
1 win
1 pole position
6 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
294 laps led

ROAD COURSE (CH)ACE: Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team were a force to be reckoned with on Sunday afternoon at the NASCAR Cup Series’ first-ever DAYTONA Road Course race. Elliott won the first stage and led a race-high 34 laps en route to his third consecutive road-course victory, matching NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart’s streak in 2004-2005. Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon holds the record for most consecutive road-course wins with six (1997-2000).

HOMETOWN WIN: Sunday’s performance at the inaugural DAYTONA Road Course race was No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson’s first career NASCAR Cup Series win at his home track. He hails from Ormond Beach, Florida, just down the road from Daytona International Speedway. Gustafson is in his 16th full-time season as a crew chief and fifth year with Elliott. He has called the shots for five different drivers (Elliott, Gordon, Mark Martin, Casey Mears and Kyle Busch).

HITTING HIS STRIDE: As the NASCAR Cup Series approaches the 2020 playoffs, Elliott has already stacked up impressive stats. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native’s two wins, two runner-up finishes, eight top-fives and 503 laps led are all career highs through 23 races. Elliott has also garnered personal bests in stage points (199), stage wins (six) and playoff points (16) through this point of the season.

TWO DAYS, TWO SCHEMES: Mountain Dew will serve as Elliott’s primary sponsor for Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway. For Sunday’s 311-lap event at the 1-mile track, the familiar NAPA AUTO PARTS scheme will return to the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE.

NEW DEW: On Monday, the No. 9 Mountain Dew/Team Rubicon Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE that Elliott will pilot on Saturday at Dover was revealed via the Hendrick Motorsports Twitter account. For a full look at the No. 9 Mountain Dew/Team Rubicon Chevy, click here. For the second consecutive year, Mountain Dew has donated to FUEL THE MISSION of Team Rubicon’s disaster response operations for major disasters and the many low-attention disasters that impact communities across the country but don’t make national headlines. Mountain Dew’s donation will also support Team Rubicon’s disaster response training programs – helping Team Rubicon volunteers continue refining their skills so they can more effectively and efficiently help communities impacted by disasters stabilize, recover and rebuild.

‘MONSTER MILE’ STATS: At Dover, Elliott has posted six top-five finishes in eight starts, four of which were top-three results. Among those was his overtime win in October 2018 and a runner-up performance in 2017. Elliott finished in the top three in both of his rookie appearances at Dover in 2016 – something only Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch and Davey Allison accomplished in their rookie seasons. The 24-year-old driver also has four starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and one in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series at the track. He didn’t finish outside the top 10 in either series.

MASTERING THE MONSTER: Elliott’s six top-five finishes at Dover are his most at a single track in his Cup career. The fifth-year driver has also led more laps (294) at the “Monster Mile” than any other track in the series.

NOT AVERAGE: Elliott currently averages a finish of 8.63 at Dover, the best by an active driver at the venue. His average finish (8.63) is also the third-best of all time among drivers with more than two starts there.

DOUBLEHEADER FINISHES: At the four tracks (Darlington, Charlotte, Pocono and Michigan) that have hosted back-to-back races since the return of racing in May, Elliott has collected six top-10 finishes in eight starts. It’s the fourth-most top-10 results behind only Kevin Harvick (eight), Martin Truex Jr. (eight) and Denny Hamlin (seven).

PICKING UP POINTS: In 2020, Elliott is tied with Brad Keselowski for the most stage wins (six), has garnered the fourth-most stage points (199) and is currently fourth in the driver standings, 164 points behind leader Harvick.

PIT CREW POWER: The No. 9 team owns the second-best average time for four-tire pit stops at 13.92 seconds through 23 races in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. The team is comprised of jackman T.J. Semke, gasman John Gianninoto, tire carrier Jared Erspamer and tire changers Chad Avrit and Nick O’Dell.

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

2020 Season
16th in standings
23 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
7 top-10 finishes
72 laps led

Career
95 starts
0 wins
5 pole positions
5 top-five finishes
24 top-10 finishes
366 laps led

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

THREE TO GO: With only three races left in the regular season, and two of them occurring this weekend at Dover International Speedway, William Byron is looking to lock himself into the playoffs for the second time in his three-year NASCAR Cup Series career. Gaining 27 points on the playoff bubble over the last five races, the driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE went from two points below the cutoff line to now 25 points above it in 16th.

CONSISTENCY, CONSISTENCY: One thing that cannot be denied is the No. 24 team’s recent consistency. In the last seven races, Byron has finished inside the top 15 on six occasions – putting him in an eight-way tie for the most in that span. In fact, Byron has finished inside the top 15 in 13 of the last 16 races. He is tied for the third-most top-15 finishes in that time frame behind only Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski, who both have 14 top-15s.

TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE: Since the NASAR Cup Series returned to racing in May, there have been four tracks that have hosted back-to-back races (Darlington, Charlotte, Pocono and Michigan). Of those eight races, Byron has scored six top-15 finishes and is one of six drivers who improved their finish from race one to race two. He is one of five drivers whose average finish from Saturday to Sunday has improved by an average of eight positions.

DOVER DIGEST: With four Cup Series starts under his belt at Dover International Speedway, Byron has a track-best starting position of second and a best finish of eighth at the “Monster Mile,” both coming in May 2019. Across those four starts, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has an average finish of 13.5, which ranks ninth-best among active drivers at Dover. It’s also Byron’s third-best track in his Cup Series career.

KNAUS THE MONSTER SLAYER: Calling the shots for 38 races at Dover, including two with Byron and the No. 24 team, crew chief Chad Knaus has an impressive 11 wins, 17 top-five finishes and 25 top-10s at the 1-mile concrete oval. His 11 “Monster Mile” victories, all coming with Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team, rank him first among active crew chiefs ahead of Matt Borland in second with three wins.

DOUBLE THE AXALTA: On board for the previous two doubleheader race weekends this season (Pocono and Michigan), Axalta will complete the sweep when its iconic flames return to Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for both the Saturday and Sunday races at Dover. This weekend’s events will be close to home with Axalta’s corporate headquarters located less than two hours from the “Monster Mile.” In 2020, Axalta is the 22-race majority partner of the No. 24 team. The company’s relationship with Hendrick Motorsports was recently extended, taking one of the most enduring partnerships in sports through 2027.

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

2020 Season
17th in standings
22 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
3 top-five finishes
7 top-10 finishes
99 laps led

Career
673 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
230 top-five finishes
371 top-10 finishes
18,933 laps led

Track Career
36 starts
11 wins
5 pole positions
17 top-five finishes
25 top-10 finishes
3,110 laps led

JOHNSON’S PLAYGROUND: Jimmie Johnson is just one win shy of matching the record for the most all-time at Dover International Speedway. He currently has 11 wins while NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip has 12. Johnson has led the most laps of any other driver at Dover with 3,110, which is 307 more than second-place Bobby Allison. His 9.92 average finish across 36 Dover starts is the third-best among active drivers, and he has a total of 25 top-10 finishes there. In the five races since his last “Monster Mile” win in June 2017, Johnson has three top-10 results at the track.

MONSTER ALLY: Ally Financial, a leading digital financial-services company and the primary sponsor of 11-time Dover winner and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Johnson, will be the presenting partner of the track’s Monster Monument at Victory Plaza and the Monster Bridge suite complex overlooking Turn 3. Earlier this week, the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE was installed into the waiting hand of the Monster Monument at Victory Plaza, presented by Ally. Click here for more.

DOWNLOADING WITH DALE: This week Johnson joined former Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the popular “Dale Jr. Download” podcast where he unveiled his Darlington Raceway “throwback” paint scheme and talked about his final season of full-time racing. Portions of the podcast will air on Saturday, Aug. 22 on NBC Sports Network before the NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover. Click here for the full podcast, which is available now.

SITE OF LAST WIN: Not only has Johnson shared tremendous success at Dover but it was the site of his most recent points win. On June 4, 2017, he led for seven laps but it was enough to put him in contention to drive the No. 48 to victory lane for the 11th time at the 1-mile concrete oval, tying him for sixth on NASCAR’s all-time wins list.

8-BIT GAME: Ally recently launched an 8-bit web-based video game for fans to enjoy. The free 1980s-style game can be played at www.allyracer.com. Players must steer around obstacles like oil slicks, tire debris and other cars while trying to beat the clock and other race cars to the checkered flag. Hitting financial targets, literally, generates bonus points by driving through Ally Financial “rewards” such as coins and plum-colored dollar bills that pop up on the track. Those rewards are banked for future use, so players can choose when to withdraw the rewards and help boost their score as they reach more challenging levels within the game.

NEW-LOOK 48: Johnson and Ally Financial chief marketing officer Andrea Brimmer felt the No. 48 team would benefit from a championship-caliber reset as it pushes to make the playoffs this season. Revealed last week, the new white-based No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE will serve as his primary paint scheme for the remainder of the 2020 season. Johnson playfully called the new look the “rALLY” car on his social media channels. Click here for photos of the scheme.

PLAYOFF PUSH: After last weekend’s solid fourth-place finish at the DAYTONA Road Course, Johnson is 17th in points, just 25 below the cut line with three races remaining in the push to the playoffs.

HELMET OF HOPE: This weekend, Johnson will wear the Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope, which honors five charities that support K-12 public education. This year, the program was expanded to allow non-profits that provide services to school-age students who have been directly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis to participate. In addition to being featured on Johnson’s helmet, each of the recipients were also awarded a $25,000 grant and a Blue Bunny Ice Cream party. This year’s grant recipients are: DMF Youth Inc. (New York City); Foodbank of Siouxland (Sioux City, Iowa); National Mental Health Association of Georgia (Atlanta); TABLE Inc. (Carrboro, North Carolina) and Working in the Schools (Chicago).

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Alex Bowman
No. 88 Acronis Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE ​
Driver Alex Bowman Hometown Tucson, Arizona
Age 27 Resides Concord, North Carolina

2020 Season
12th in standings
23 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
387 laps led

Career
176 starts
2 wins
2 pole positions
12 top-five finishes
32 top-10 finishes
861 laps led

Track Career
8 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
2 top-10 finishes
42 laps led

WELCOME, ACRONIS: Hendrick Motorsports recently announced a new partnership with Acronis, a global leader in cyber protection. Acronis will be featured as a three-race primary partner on the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in 2020 and will become a major associate partner of the organization’s four-car stable beginning next season. The blue and white No. 88 paint scheme will be on track for its first two races with Hendrick Motorsports during this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader at Dover International Speedway.

TAMING THE MONSTER: Bowman has made eight NASCAR Cup Series starts at Dover. The Tucson, Arizona, native finished second and third in the two events last season at the 1-mile track, marking back-to-back top-three finishes there. The 27-year-old driver also has six Dover starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, earning two top-five finishes with JR Motorsports in 2016. He led 33 laps in the spring Xfinity Series event that year and crossed the finish line third.

STAGE POINT SUCCESS: The No. 88 team has four stage wins this season, which is tied for third overall in the series. Bowman has captured 163 stage points in 2020, the seventh-most of all drivers. He is also running much better than his finishing positions show with an average running position of 12.35 and an average finish of 17.78 – a difference of 5.43.

IVES IN DOVER: Crew chief Greg Ives has 10 starts at Dover in the Cup Series. The Bark River, Michigan, native has three top-five results and five top-10s at the 1-mile venue, with his best finish of second coming the spring of 2019 with Bowman. The crew chief’s résumé includes two top-five finishes and three top-10s there in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Both top-five results came in 2014, when Ives led driver Chase Elliott to two second-place starting positions and 19 laps led before finishing inside the top five. Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 team at Hendrick Motorsports from 2006 until 2012 when he was a part of four wins, four pole awards and 10 top-10 finishes at Dover.

BRAND NEW DEALS: During the month of August, No. 88 team sponsor ChevyGoods.com is providing discounts on all accessories, including Adam’s Polishes, NOCO and Truck Hero. Customers can receive 15% off all accessories on the site through the end of the month by using code CHEVYGOODS.

HOME-TRACK FEELS: No. 88 team rear-tire changer Devin DelRicco grew up 86 miles from Dover International Speedway in Marlboro, Maryland. The 30-year-old athlete visited the “Monster Mile” for the first time back in 2005 for the NASCAR Cup Series event. DelRicco has been with Hendrick Motorsports for five years and has two NASCAR Xfinity Series championships with JR Motorsports.

PIT ROAD PROWESS: The No. 88 pit crew ranks sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series with an average four-tire stop time of 14.11 seconds after 23 events this season. The team includes fueler Jacob Conley, tire carrier Rowdy Harrell, jackman Dustin Lineback and tire changers Scott Brzozowski and DelRicco.

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Hendrick Motorsports

WE’RE STREAKING: Chase Elliott’s performance Sunday at the DAYTONA Road Course extended Hendrick Motorsports’ streak of consecutive seasons with at least three points-paying wins to 27 – the longest ever by a NASCAR Cup Series team. Including 2020, Hendrick Motorsports has scored at least three victories in 33 of its 37 full seasons since owner Rick Hendrick opened the doors in 1984.

TWENTY AND COUNTING: Hendrick Motorsports has won 28% of the races it has entered at Dover International Speedway. Its 20 points-paying Cup victories at the 1-mile oval are tied for the third-most wins by any team at any track in NASCAR history. Hendrick Motorsports has recorded Dover wins with six different drivers: Jimmie Johnson (11), Jeff Gordon (five), Elliott, Ricky Rudd, Ken Schrader and Geoff Bodine.

DOUBLE DOVER: With two NASCAR Cup Series races up for grabs this weekend, Hendrick Motorsports has the chance to push its Dover win total to 22, which would be the second-most victories by any team at any track. The all-time record is the 24 Cup wins Hendrick Motorsports has earned at Martinsville Speedway. With 21 wins at Bristol Motor Speedway, Junior Johnson and Associates is second.

STILL STREAKING: Hendrick Motorsports has the longest active top-10 streak at Dover with at least one car finishing better than 11th in the last 19 NASCAR Cup Series races held there.

DOVERTIME: Four NASCAR Cup Series races at Dover have ended in overtime – and Hendrick Motorsports has won them all. Johnson has visited victory lane in three Dover overtime races – in 2005, 2015 and 2017 – with Elliott winning one in 2018.

FIFTY MORE TO 70K: If Hendrick Motorsports leads 50 laps during this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader at Dover International Speedway, it will reach a major milestone: 70,000 laps led all-time. The team has led a Dover track record 6,846 laps, including a combined 172 in the two races held there last season.

NINE AWAY: Since its inception in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 259 race victories and holds the all-time records for championships (12), pole positions (226), top-five finishes (1,084), top-10s (1,872) and laps led (69,950) in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. Including 2020, the organization has won at least one race in 35 consecutive seasons, the longest-ever streak. Hendrick Motorsports is nine wins away from tying Petty Enterprises’ all-time Cup record of 268.

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QUOTABLE /
Driver Chase Elliott on momentum from his DAYTONA Road Course win:
“There is no replacement for a win and what it can do for your team – everyone’s morale or confidence, or all of the above. There’s just no replacement for winning when it comes to just making everyone feel better, but at the same time we have to keep pushing. A win is great, but it’s not the ultimate fix right now. Sunday’s win doesn’t fix the things that myself and the team need to do better overall. I think that our biggest issue has just been a little inconsistency. When we are at our best, I feel like we are able to run up front with the guys that win a lot. We just have to do a better job of staying in that bracket and staying up front all the time. I really believe if we can do that just a little more consistently we will be up there. There’s no reason why we can’t do that, too.”

Elliott on the importance of the Dover doubleheader:
“To me, doubleheaders mean that there are a lot of points on the line in a short matter of time. Thankfully, for our good run at the DAYTONA Road Course and this new qualifying format, we will get to start up front on Saturday at Dover. Having that first pit box is also a huge thing for us this weekend.”

Crew Chief Alan Gustafson on the toughness of doubleheaders:
“The No. 9 team has been putting a lot of hard work in for all of these doubleheaders. You’ve got to prep the cars, you’ve got to have a good game plan on what you’re going to switch out and how you’re going to switch it out. From the time the Saturday race ends up until the time the garage closes, all the way until it’s time we put the car on the grid – it’s nonstop. We have very few people at the track, you’re trying to debrief, trying to get a game plan for the next race, and it’s just a lot of work.”

Driver William Byron on racing at Dover:
“Even though it’s concrete, Dover’s surface changes a lot during the race. It’s really temperamental and holds a lot of rubber. When it does that, it widens the racetrack out. It’s a tough track to get ahold of for that reason. You have to prepare for when the rubber lays down and have your car handling how it needs to once that happens. You have to stay on top of those things. I feel like our guys have done a good job in preparing and we’ll see what we have when we unload.”

Byron on racing while on the playoff bubble:
“This is going to be a tough weekend, for sure. We need to have good runs on both days. I’m hopeful that we can either get the win or create a good buffer in the point standings so we can go to Daytona and have a bit of a less stressful race. That would be the ideal situation. I would rather be in the position we are, though, ahead in points, instead of trying to play catch up in these final races. It puts things in my hands more, and I like that challenge, especially for a doubleheader weekend.”

Driver Jimmie Johnson on racing at Dover for the final time:
“We are very excited for this weekend at Dover. It’s hands down my favorite track, and from the pictures I have seen, there is a lot of Ally signage all over the place. It’s a homecoming of sorts. Performance-wise, last weekend at the DAYTONA Road Course we had a solid day. We needed that. Because of our fourth-place finish, we will be starting sixth Saturday at Dover, which is really an advantage to where we have been starting lately. With the random draw and the way track position has been working out, I feel like we have had things stacked against us for a while. This will be a good advantage for us, and we just have to go out there and get it done.”

Driver Alex Bowman on the demands of Dover:
“I am excited to get to Dover this weekend and I know our team is, too. We were really strong in Dover last year and I know that these guys have been working hard on our Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LEs for this weekend. This track is physically demanding, not only on the driver, but the car, as well. We have to stay up front and I have to keep the car clean and out of trouble.”

McDowell on Dover Doubleheader:

“I’m really looking forward to this weekend’s doubleheader at Dover International Speedway. Dover is a tough race track, we have a brand new aero package with low downforce and high horsepower, so it’s going to be tricky for teams with no practice, but it’s been another solid month for our No. 34 program, so hopefully we can unload pretty good off of the hauler and keep the momentum rolling.

“We have Shield Cleansers on board for both races, which is a new partner to the No. 34 program. They’re a division of Digital Ally, who you’ve probably seen on my teammate John Hunter Nemechek’s race car in the past. It’s really cool to see a newer partner get involved with our team and support both of our Cup Series programs.

“Shield Cleansers have a wide variety of safe, non-toxic products that range from household cleaning or disinfecting to vet care and first aid; all things that are important to my wife and I as we have 4 young kids at home. Making sure that surfaces stay clean and hands stay sanitized has been something we’ve taken very seriously during the COVID-19 Pandemic and I encourage others to do the same.”

When Matt DiBenedetto fires up the No. 21 Menards/Monster Energy Mustang and takes the green flag on Saturday at Dover International Speedway, it will mark his 200th career start in NASCAR’s elite Cup Series.

His 201st start will come on Sunday at Dover, with Richmond Water Heaters replacing Monster Energy on the hood of the Menards Mustang.

DiBenedetto, who will start 14th at Dover on Saturday, made his Cup debut at Phoenix Raceway in 2015 at the age of 22, driving for the underdog BK Racing team.

After failing to qualify at Atlanta and Las Vegas, DiBenedetto earned the 35th starting spot at Phoenix and finished where he started. Inconspicuous as his debut was, it was the start of an upward career trajectory that five seasons later has him driving the iconic No. 21 Ford for the Wood Brothers and competing for a Playoff berth.

“It’s cool that this weekend is my 200th start,” DiBenedetto said. “That’s crazy to think.

“I remember making my first Cup start at Phoenix and just being appreciative for being there and accomplishing the first part of my dream which was making it to the Cup series.

“Now it’s fast forward to this season having a dream opportunity driving the 21 car and competing up front.”

DiBenedetto said other than the fact that it was his debut, there was nothing really remarkable about his first Cup race. (He did finish ahead of future NASCAR Hall of Famers Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr., both of whom crashed out of that race.)

“It was a crazy time because the team wasn’t planning on running me at that race until last second, so we didn’t have a full crew or anything,” DiBenedetto said. “But it was neat how willing everyone was to work hard and get me out there.

“I think they could sense my passion for wanting to be in the Cup Series and that I would do anything to make it happen and prove myself.”

Despite his first team’s underdog status, DiBenedetto went on to finish 21st at Bristol in his fifth start and 18th at Talladega in his seventh start. He turned heads by finishing sixth at Bristol the following year, then moved to the Fords fielded by Archie St. Hilaire in 2017. He finished ninth in the Daytona 500 for St. Hilaire and eighth at the Brickyard.

After an impressive 2019 season in the No. 95 owned by Bob Leavine he was tapped to replace the retiring Paul Menard in the Menards/Monster Energy Mustang.

Entering his 24th race in the No. 21 this year, DiBenedetto has two top-five and five more top-10 finishes and heads into this weekend’s double-header 44 points ahead of 17th place, with only the following Saturday’s race on the oval track at Daytona International Speedway left to run before the start of the Playoffs.

There will be no practice or qualifying before the start of Saturday’s and Sunday’s races at Dover, both of which are scheduled for 311 miles.

The twin Drydene 311s are set to start at 4 p.m. Eastern Time, with TV coverage on NBCSN.

Menards

A family owned company started in 1958, Menards is headquartered in Eau Claire, WI. Menards has more than 300 retail stores located throughout the Midwest in the states of IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI and WY. Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader. It’s famous slogan “Save Big Money at Menards” is widely known and easy to remember. For more information, visit Menards.com, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.

Wood Brothers Racing

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

This Week in Motorsports: August 17-23, 2020
· NCS/NXS/NGROTS/ARCA EAST: Dover International Speedway – August 21-23
· ARCA WEST: Colorado National Speedway – August 22

PLANO, Texas (August 19, 2020) – It’s a doubleheader weekend for the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) at Dover International Speedway with races on Saturday and Sunday. They are joined in Dover by the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (NGROTS) and the ARCA Menards Series East on Friday. The ARCA Menards Series West is also in action on Saturday in Colorado.

NASCAR National Series – NCS| NXS| NGROTS

Truex Close to Home… Martin Truex Jr. is from nearby Mayetta, New Jersey, and has performed strong for his local fans over the years at Dover International Speedway. Truex earned his first career victory at the Monster Mile in 2007 and has driven to two additional victories there in the last four seasons, including leading 132 laps (of 400) last May on his way to winning by over nine seconds in the No. 19 Camry.

Adding to the Series Lead… Denny Hamlin continues to add to his series lead of top-two finishes with another runner-up result on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway. It was Hamlin’s fourth top-two finish in the last five races, and 10th overall this season. Hamlin has moved to second in the overall point standings with this run of success. His best finish at Dover was a runner-up result in the fall 2018 race at the Monster Mile.

Bell Strong at Dover… Although this weekend marks Christopher Bell’s first NCS starts at Dover, he has plenty to be excited about heading into the Monster Mile. Bell has won two of his last three races at the track, including leading the last 14 laps to win the NXS race there last spring.

Burton Ready for the Monster… NXS rookie Harrison Burton is ready for the doubleheader weekend at Dover International Speedway. Burton had an incredible final restart and drove to the win at the first doubleheader for the NXS this season at Homestead-Miami Speedway in June. Burton also has been solid in previous starts at Dover, including tying his career-best NGROTS finish of third there last spring.

Career-Bests Continue … NGROTS rookie driver Raphaël Lessard has had career-best finishes in back-to-back events. After scoring a seventh-place finish at Michigan International Speedway, Lessard led three laps and drove to a third-place finish at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course on Sunday. Lessard ran the Dover NGROTS race with Kyle Busch Motorsports last season, earning an 11th-place finish.

Hill Looking for Regular Season Crown… With four races to go in the regular season, Austin Hill continues to lead the overall point standings after a fifth-place finish in Daytona. Hill has a 54-point lead heading into Dover. Hill can clinch the regular season championship along with 15 Playoff points if he holds a 60-point advantage leaving Darlington Raceway on Labor Day weekend.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA

ARCA East Makes its Return… After several postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ARCA Menards Series East is back on track on Friday at Dover International Speedway. Ty Gibbs returns on track this weekend just two points out of the championship points lead after winning the most recent ARCA East race at Toledo Speedway in June.

Love Continues to Lead ARCA West… At the halfway point of the ARCA Menards Series West season, 15-year-old rookie Jesse Love continues to lead the overall point standings. After scoring top-five finishes in every race this season, Love’s average finish currently sits at 2.2.

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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.