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USAF Thunderbirds To Perform Flyover on Indianapolis 500 Race Day

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Official Release
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INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, Aug. 17, 2020 – The world-renowned U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will perform the pre-race flyover for the 104th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, Aug. 23 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Pre-race coverage for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” starts at 1 p.m. (ET) on NBC, with the green flag scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

“America’s Ambassadors in Blue” – officially known as the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron – will fly in their signature “Delta” formation over IMS in an impressive display of their skill and their precision.

“It’s a great privilege for IMS to welcome the United States Air Force Thunderbirds for the pre-race flyover for the 104th Indianapolis 500,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “The race always has paid tribute to the dedicated service and sacrifice of men and women of America’s Armed Forces and is a celebration of patriotic pride, and the precision and skill of these elite Thunderbirds pilots will be appreciated by the worldwide television audience and also by the residents of Indianapolis and Central Indiana as they look to the skies.”

The Thunderbirds feature six F-16 Fighting Falcons, the Air Force’s premier multi-role fighter aircraft. Assigned to Air Combat Command, the squadron is composed of 12 officers and more than 120 enlisted personnel serving in nearly 30 Air Force job specialties. The Thunderbirds typically perform hour-long aerial demonstrations at air shows across the United States from March to November but most of their performances are canceled this year due to the coronavirus. In lieu of air shows, the team collaborated with the United States Navy Blue Angels to conduct multi-city flyovers as a salute to frontline coronavirus responders in April and May.

“Supporting the Indy 500 is a great honor for the team and Air Force,” said. Lt. Col. John Caldwell, Thunderbirds commander and leader. “This spectacular event provides an amazing opportunity to showcase the pride, precision and professionalism of the 693,000 total force Airmen to race fans viewing from around the world.”

Since the unit’s inception in 1953, more than 350 million people in all 50 states and more than 60 countries have witnessed the distinctive red, white and blue jets in thousands of official aerial demonstrations.

The flight demonstration team is made up of Lieutenant Colonel John Caldwell, Thunderbird No. 1, Thunderbird commander and lead pilot; Major Trevor Aldridge, Thunderbird No. 2, Left Wing pilot; Major Michael Brewer, Thunderbird No. 3, Right Wing pilot; Major Zane Taylor, Thunderbird No. 4, Slot Pilot; Major Michelle Curran, Thunderbird No. 5, Lead Solo; and Major Kyle Oliver, Thunderbird No. 6, Opposing Solo.

SUNNYD launches ‘Chat With Chris’ Contest ahead of Dover Doubleheader

By
Official Release
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SUNNYD Invites Fans to submit questions for Chris Buescher and Luke Lambert for a chance for a private virtual meet and greet.

CONCORD, N.C. (Aug. 17, 2020) – If you could ask Chris Buescher anything, what would it be? SUNNYD is inviting fans to submit questions for a chance to virtually ask the driver and his crew chief their question, in a pre-race VIP experience before Saturday’s race at Dover International Speedway.

From August 17th through the 21st, fans can submit questions using #ChatWithChris for a chance to participate in a private video call on August 22 before the race at Dover. Five winners will enjoy a pre-race VIP experience to pick the brains of Buescher and his crew chief before the green flag waves in Delaware. See official contest rules here.

Buescher will make his ninth Cup series start at Dover on Saturday, a track where he has an average finish of 24.8. The driver scored his second top-five of the season and his first ever at a road course in the Cup series on Sunday at Daytona. The team currently holds five top-10 finishes and two top-five’s this season.

Coverage for Saturday’s race is set for 4 p.m. EST on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.

About Sunny Delight Beverage Company:

The Sunny Delight Beverage Company is a division of Harvest Hill Beverage Company based in Stamford, CT. Harvest Hill is owned by private equity firm Brynwood Partners, who acquired Sunny Delight Beverage Company from J.W. Childs in February 2016. Harvest Hill markets some of America’s most beloved beverage brands, including SUNNYD, JUICY JUICE, LITTLE HUG, and DAILY’S Cocktails. SUNNYD products are widely distributed through leading retailers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. For complete nutrition facts, recipe and activity ideas, and other helpful information, visit SunnyD.com. For more information on Harvest Hill, please visit www.HarvestHill.com.

About Roush Fenway Racing
Roush Fenway Racing is one of the most successful teams in NASCAR history, fielding multiple teams in NASCAR Cup Series. In its 33rd season, Roush Fenway is a leader in driver development, having launched the careers for many of the top drivers in the sport. Off-track, Roush Fenway is a leader in NASCAR marketing solutions, having produced multiple award-winning Social Media, digital content and experiential marketing campaigns. Roush Fenway is co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Jack Roush and Fenway Sports Group, parent company of Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox and English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C. Visit RoushFenway.com, become a fan on Facebook and Instagram, and follow on Twitter at @roushfenway.

Cindric Wins Inaugural Xfinity Daytona Road Course Race

By
Official Release
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DAYTONA BEACH, FL – August 17, 2020 – Austin Cindric won his fifth race of the season in the historic first race on the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. This marked the 10th NASCAR Xfinity Series win of the season for Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines.

“Congratulations to Austin, Brian and the No. 22 crew,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Austin is an accomplished road racer and drove a great race on Saturday. Our team at Roush Yates Engines is proud to partner with and build world-class engines for all the Ford Performance teams.”

The inaugural running of the Daytona Road Course was fast and furious, starting from the first lap. Ford Performance teammates, Cindric and Chase Briscoe, led the Xfinity field to the green flag and it was game on from the first lap. It was Cindric that mastered the course layout and track conditions to take control of the race to win the first Stage and secure 10 additional stage points.

The Ford Performance teammates would continue to battle each other throughout Stage 2, and it was Briscoe that would come out on top, winning Stage 2 and leading 26 laps.

In the final stage, Cindric perfectly managed a chaotic late race restart to stay in contention for the win. He passed leader Brandon Jones with five laps to go and built a sizable lead to take the checkered flag 7.108-second ahead of Jones. This was his fifth win out of the last six races and second road course win in a row.

When asked how he would describe the race, Cindric commented, “I’m not sure anyone was really happy with their race car. Unfortunately, I have a tough perspective of driving really fast high-grip race cars at this track, but great credit to my team, the MoneyLion guys and everyone that puts this together Ford Performance, Roush Yates Engines, obviously everyone at Team Penske for working hard. That’s five wins on the year and back-to-back now. I’m really proud of that. I didn’t feel like I drove my best today, but we executed there at the end where it counts and that’s what makes these races so difficult to win.”

Chris Buescher of Roush Fenway Racing led the Ford Performance teams to a top-5 finish, finishing P5 in the NASCAR Cup Series race in the Go Bowling 235 on Sunday, followed by Stewart-Haas Racing driver Clint Bowyer in P6, Team-Penske’s Joey Logano P9 and Front Row Motorsports driver Michael McDowell in P10.

With the playoffs fast approaching, NASCAR heads to Delaware for a double-header weekend. Both series will run back-to-back races, on Saturday and Sunday at Dover International Speedway.

27 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 402 WINS – 358 POLES!

*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images

About Roush Yates Engines
Roush Yates Engines is a leading-edge engine development company based in Mooresville, NC consisting of two state-of-the-art facilities – Roush Yates Engines and Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions, a world class ISO 9001 / AS9100 certified CNC manufacturing facility. The company’s core business includes designing, building and testing purpose-built race engines.

Ford Performance in partnership with Roush Yates Engines is the exclusive engine builder of the NASCAR FR9 Ford V8 engine and Ford Mustang 5.2L V8 engine, used in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series.

With an unparalleled culture of winning and steeped in rich racing history, Roush Yates Engines continues to follow the company’s vision to lead performance engine innovation and staying true to the company’s mission, provide race winning engines through demonstrated power and performance.

3 Series – 22 Teams – 81 Races

McDowell Claims 3rd Top-10 Finish of 2020 with Chicago Pneumatic Compressors at Daytona

By
Official Release
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Track: Daytona International Speedway Road Course
Race: 23 of 36
Event: Go Bowling 235 (234.65 miles, 65 laps)

Michael McDowell
No. 34 Chicago Pneumatic Compressors Ford Mustang

Started: 30th
Finished: 10th

Stage One: 19th
Stage Two: 13th
Stage Three: 10th

The No. 34 CP (Chicago Pneumatic) Compressors Ford Mustang took the green flag from the 30th position for Sunday’s road course race at Daytona International Speedway after a new formula determined the starting lineup. In the first 4 laps of the race, McDowell would make an early charge through the field and find himself running in the 18th position. With less than 10 laps remaining in Stage 1, McDowell would radio to his team to say that he needed to be able to put more “power down.” Shortly after, Crew Chief Drew Blickensderfer would call the No. 34 Ford Mustang to pit road under green for 4 tires, an air pressure adjustment and fuel, and McDowell would go on to take the Stage 1 green- and white-checkered flag from the 19th position.

The No. 34 CP Compressors Ford Mustang would stay out during the Stage Break Caution and take the Stage 2 green flag from the 9th position. The second stage would run caution-less as Blickensderfer would call McDowell to pit road with only a handful of laps remaining for 4 tires and fuel. Before pitting, McDowell noted that he still needed “more drive” and would go on to finish Stage 2 in 13th place.

Blickensderfer would make the call for the No. 34 to “stay out” during the Stage 2 caution and McDowell would line up 5th to start the final stage of Sunday’s 65-lap NASCAR Cup Series race on the Daytona Road Course. Under green, the No. 34 CP Compressors Ford Mustang would advance to 3rd with less than 30 laps go before lightning within 10 miles of the race track would bring out the caution, followed by the red flag. After returning to green, McDowell would continue his strong run as he raced inside of the top-10 before another caution would occur, this time with less than 5 laps remaining. Blickensderfer called McDowell to pit road for 4 tires and fuel in hopes that fresher tires would prevail in the closing laps and the No. 34 CP Compressors Ford Mustang would cross the finish line in 10th.

McDowell on the Daytona Road Course:

“Well it was an exciting day on the Daytona Road Course. We had a pretty good Chicago Pneumatic Compressors Ford Mustang, but obviously we wanted more. We were running pretty good there at the end and decided to pit under the last caution, which I thought was a good idea to try and get tires on our car and then hope for a couple more cautions, but that didn’t really work out since it stayed green until the end. We made up a lot of spots in the last few laps as I think we restarted around 19th and came home 10th, so an overall great day for everybody on our No. 34 team. I just really want to thank Chicago Pneumatic Compressors for coming on board for their second race; hopefully we got them a lot of TV exposure out there and a few more customers as well. We have a couple of big races coming up and a few more chances to make it into the playoffs, so we’ll see what we can do.”

DiBenedetto Finishes 15th At Daytona

By
Official Release
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A caution flag near the end of Sunday’s Go Bowling 235 on the road course at Daytona International Speedway gave Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy team the break they needed to finish 15th and head to Dover International Speedway with a 44-point cushion in the Playoff standings.

DiBenedetto, who added six points to his total by finishing fifth in the race’s first Stage, remains 15th in the Playoff standings with three races left in the regular season – two at Dover and one on the oval track at Daytona. After that, the top 16 drivers in the Playoff standings will start the 10-race, season-ending run for the Cup Series championship.

On a steamy hot Sunday afternoon at Daytona, DiBenedetto and the Menards/Dutch Boy Mustang lined up ninth for the start of the inaugural Cup race on the 3.6-mile road course.

He moved up to sixth place by Lap Six and to fifth place by Lap 12 and remained there until the end of the first 15-lap Stage.

Because he made his pit stop after at the end of the first Stage, while others gained track position by making their stops before the end of Stage One, DiBenedetto and the Menards/Dutch Boy team were playing catch-up for most of the second Stage and wound up 21st at the finish.

In the third and final segment of the race, DiBenedetto and the team struggled to find the rear grip he needed, and were running 18th when the caution flag flew with five laps remaining for a spin by Kyle Busch.

DiBenedetto and the Menards/Dutch Boy team opted to head to pit road for fresh tires and one final adjustment, which put him 23rd in line for a three-lap dash to the checkered flag.

As he often does on restarts, DiBenedetto made the most of the moment and gained eight spots before he crossed the finish line.

DiBenedetto said the Menards/Dutch Boy Mustang just didn’t have the speed he needed to stay among the leaders.

“We struggled all day and had to play defense the whole race,” he said.

DiBenedetto had no complaints about the race course itself. “It was fun, and I would love to do it again,” he said.

Eddie Wood said that while he and the team had hoped for a better finish at Daytona he’s pleased to have some breathing room headed into the Dover double-header. DiBenedetto and the team were 57 points ahead of the 17th place driver headed into Daytona and saw that margin shrink by 13 points.

“We lost some points to the cutline, but we’re still in a decent spot,” he said. “With two races at Dover and one at Daytona, all of the teams competing for those final Playoff spots won’t feel really safe until the checkered flag flies at Daytona in two weeks.”

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.

How to Choose College Term Paper Writers

By
SM
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As college students, your busy schedule may leave you with little time to complete your term paper assignments. This situation may cause you to feel stressed and overwhelmed. However, you don’t have to feel that way anymore. All you have to do is to hire an expert essay writing service that will give you a top-quality custom term paper. Here are seven tips to follow when choosing college essay writers. 

Cheaper Doesn’t Mean Better

It is understandable that while in college, you may be operating on a tight budget. That is why it is tempting to use the cheapest writing services in the market. However, you may later regret this choice. The reason being some of these websites which promise high-quality term papers at lower rates offer substandard services. So, avoid using lower prices as a basis for selecting the best website for your academic needs. Instead, take your time to choose a reputable site that has professional paper writers. In this way, you can avoid losing your hard-earned money to cons. You wouldn’t want a writer to mess you up just when the deadline is fast approaching. Paying slightly more for your term paper can be the difference between high and low grades. This is because you can receive an original and premium quality essay that will earn you higher grades in your course. Look for term paper writers that offer quality services at reasonable rates.

Search for Customer Reviews

Client reviews offer a reliable way to prove the credibility of an essay writing service. You can check them to see the type of experience customers had on the website. It is recommended to conduct additional research from external sources because certain websites may fake their reviews to attract more clients. Reports from external sources are also unlikely to be biased and will give you genuine client responses. By going through the customer feedback, you can gain insights about the writing service beforehand. Searching for these reviews will also help you avoid scam websites. The client responses, particularly negative ones, will ensure you get a clear picture of the site. Note that a reliable college paper writing service will have a majority of positive client responses with most of them satisfied with the quality of the work. So, it’s up to you to choose the sites with the highest ratings. 

Try Contact with Customer Support

A reliable site has a 24/7 customer support that will respond to your prompt requests. You can get round the clock updates of your assignments and make any necessary adjustments. In this way, you can be sure that your urgent term paper is being done to your expectations. The best college essay writing services have a team of a professionally trained support team that is quick to address your issues. They also value you as a potential client and are keen to ensure you receive the best service possible. Avoid sites that take too long to respond to your needs. In case of any issues or concerns, you can contact the support team using any of the following platforms:

  • Texts
  • Calls
  • Site App
  • WhatsApp
  • Facebook Messenger

Therefore, the best support team is friendly and offers you a seamless connection between you and the research paper writer.

Choose the topic for your paper

You must have a topic ready before identifying the best site for your assignment. Choosing your subject will ensure you get the best writer to tackle the question. Make sure your topic is specific, and you have all the key requirements for the task. Doing this will help the term paper writer to know the scope of the research. It will also ensure the writer covers all the relevant information required in the term paper. Various sites have teams of writers who are proficient in specific topics. So, by having a precise topic in mind, you can get the most qualified writer for your term paper. 

Make sure that Writers are Experts

A reputable site has expert paper writers for college. Look for websites that hire professional writers that have the necessary academic qualifications such as masters or undergraduate degrees. You can check out the writers’ credentials, such as experience levels to determine whether the site will meet your expectations. Experienced and well-qualified writers guarantee that you will receive college-level term papers.  They will ensure that you have a well-researched term paper that meets the acceptable grammatical rules. It is recommended you request samples to gauge the expertise of writers within a particular site. This will also help you know whether the company will deliver its promises.

Further, a trustworthy site has writers who can cover a wide range of subjects or topics. They offer you the opportunity to develop a long-term working relationship with these writers. In this way, you can be sure your preferred site will handle any of your academic needs in the future.

Choose Acceptable Deadline for you

You have to choose a deadline that will give a writer sufficient time to complete. Don’t rush the writer to ensure you avoid ending up with half-baked work. The period you set should give the writer ample time to deliver a well-researched paper that follows the instructions. Also, ensure the deadline gives you enough time later for you to identify any corrections. This will allow you to contact the writer for any revisions or modifications in the paper. In this way, you can deliver a clear and well-written essay. You can always request a writer to provide a draft to track your work progress. This guarantees early class submissions of your term papers. 

Check Their Guarantees

To receive the best services, always look for guarantees in writing sites. The money-back guarantees ensure you get top-notch papers from writers. Your work will also be confidential and won’t be resold for any value. Sites with money-back guarantees prove they are legitimate and customer-oriented.  The site’s refund policy should apply in the following circumstances.

  • Delivery of a poor quality paper
  • Late submission of work
  • Cancellation of an order
  • Double payments
  • High level of Plagiarism 

A company offering a money-back guarantee makes sure the writers will give 100% to your term paper. You will also get value for your money since the company is more concerned about your satisfaction. So, choose a site that offers guarantees to ensure the best writing services for your term paper. 

Therefore, don’t always be deceived by the cheapest writing services. Instead, you can do your research by looking out for customer reviews of any specific site. This feedback will help you know whether the website offers the expected writing services. You should also check that the company has a friendly customer support staff and a pool of professional writers. This will guarantee that you receive a high-quality term paper on time.

Elliott wins the GoBowling 235 at the Daytona Int’l Speedway Road Course

By
SM
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Is Chase Elliott the new road course king? Well, time will tell but he is certainly on his way after collecting his third straight win on a road course this past Sunday in the GoBowling 235 at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course.

“Our guys did a phenomenal job. We just had a phenomenal car. I don’t think I did anything very special today. I think Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and all our guys did a really good job pitting there at the start. We made a couple of really small adjustments, I felt like, there, at that first stop and I was really kind of able to leave it after that.” Elliott said.

This was Elliott’s fourth career road course win, and his second win and the 13th top-10 finish of the 2020 season. The markets have already started to form, with punters already using a host of sign up offers on bookmakers listed on signupoffers.codes. These offer a list of the top firms, which offer prices on the market in question, on top of some of the best bonuses and promotions for both new and returning players. They are again proving popular ahead of the rest of the season, with a guide to upcoming events also available on the site.

Elliott held off Denny Hamlin over a final three-laps. Hamlin got to Elliott’s bumper on the final lap but never got close enough to bump or to make the pass for the win.

“I just would have liked to have stayed closer to him (Chase Elliott) to put a little pressure on entries. My entries were the strong point against him, but I was giving him four car lengths so he could kind of drive the entries the way he wanted to make sure he got a good exit. I wasn’t quite clean enough the last few laps, but I definitely gave myself a chance. Those last couple of corners, I felt like I did as much as I could to get to him and tried to do it the right way.” Hamlin said.

Hamlin, who won stage 2 finished second, Martin Truex Jr. third after a pit road penalty in stage 3.

“Just a strong run for our Bass Pro Toyota. Thought we had a chance to win, no doubt about it. Just got caught speeding on pit road. Had to go to the rear and then got damage so we had to go to the rear again.” Martin Truex Jr. said.

Elliott’s teammate Jimmie Johnson finished fourth after starting 11th. Johnson now sits in the 15th position in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with 552 points.

“Good job to everyone on my No. 48 Ally Chevy team. I just lacked that rear grip at the end there. That was a really fun and a solid day, that’s what we needed and now we go to my favorite track, Dover. So proud of Chase, what a road racer he is.” Johnson said.

Kaz Grala was substituting for Austin Dillion who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week and made his Cup debut finished in the seventh position.

“I never thought my NASCAR Cup Series debut would come in this nature. I first want to say that I’m thankful that Austin’s symptoms are mild and that his wife Whitney and baby Ace are healthy. I hope to see him back in the car next week at Dover International Speedway. It certainly was an honor to get the call from Richard Childress and drive his iconic No. 3 American Ethanol Chevrolet. I honestly had a blast.” Grala said.

The NASCAR Cup Series season continues with a doubleheader race weekend at Dover International Speedway with the Drydene 311 on Saturday, August 22, at 4:00 p.m. ET and the Drydene 311 on Sunday, August 23, at 4:00 p.m. ET.

2020 Cup Playoff outlook after Daytona RC

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images.

Three races and two venues are all that remain in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series regular-season schedule with the Playoffs less than two weeks away from being set and commencing. With the deficit for the final spots to the Playoffs stabilizing and not decreasing, time is running low for many current and future stars to earn themselves and their team a ticket to the 2020 postseason battle for the series championship.

With a win in the inaugural running of the Go Bowling 235 at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, Chase Elliott joins a handful of competitors that have won multiple Cup races this season, a list that includes regular-season leader Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano. All five, along with Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon and rookie Cole Custer, remain guaranteed spots in the Playoffs by virtue of winning one or more regular-season races. Though Austin Dillon did not compete at the Daytona Road Course event due to suffering COVID-19 symptoms, he is expected to be granted a waiver to qualify for the postseason.

Currently, six spots continue to remain vacant for the 2020 Cup Playoffs with three spots set to be occupied by competitors that have not win this season thus far.

The first competitor who continues to emerge as the highest winless competitor in points is Aric Almirola. Despite starting in sixth place, the Floridian struggled with maintaining and gaining track position throughout the race. A 24th-place result marked his lowest result since finishing in 33rd place at Martinsville Speedway in June. The good news for Almirola and his No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang team is the fact that he is 130 points above the top-16 cutline to qualify for this year’s Playoffs.

“We started to gain momentum there at the end and thought we could have put the Go Bowling Ford Mustang inside the top 10,” Almirola said. “Unfortunately, that caution came out and we pitted. I was caught behind some cars on the restart with nowhere to go. That’s road course racing. Not the day we wanted, but we kept the car on the track and in one piece. We’ll regroup and go to Dover where we know we can bring speed.”

For the Busch brothers, it was a tale of mixed results. For Kurt Busch, he started in eighth place and was battling for a spot in the top 10 throughout the race before he settled in 14th place when the checkered flag flew. Kyle, on the other hand, had a roller coaster run that ended up with misfortunes. It all started in the opening laps when he locked up his front tires while running inside the top five and made an unscheduled pit stop for fresh tires, a move that sent him to the rear of the field. He rallied his way back into the top 10 during the second stage, but spun in Turn 6 after locking up his front tires. While he appeared poised for a strong result despite his early struggles, his race went away under 20 laps remaining when he took his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to the garage due to brake rotor failure. Though he returned to the track, he was involved in a single-car incident with five laps remaining and was unable to complete the race. Through the first 23 races of this season, both Busch brothers remain winless, with Kurt above the cutline by 121 points and Kyle by 100 points.

“I really enjoyed the day today, the track was a fun challenge for us,” Kurt Busch said. “[Crew chief] Matt McCall did a nice job making adjustments on the Monster Energy Camaro, but we burned up the tires on the last longer run and just had to play a little defense in the end. It was a really fun track and I had some fun out there today, I just didn’t have enough in the end.”

Compared to Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer had a strong performance at Daytona. Starting 12th, Bowyer earned top-five results in both stages and collected a number of stage points towards the Playoffs. Though Bowyer could not keep pace with eventual winner Chase Elliott, he remained inside the top five in the final laps and was poised for more before he crossed the finish line in sixth place. Bowyer’s sixth-place result was his highest since finishing seventh and eighth during the Pocono Raceway doubleheader races in June and it snapped his recent seven-race stretch of finishing no higher than 11th. With his sixth top-10 result of the season, the Kansas veteran is 66 points above the top-16 cutline.

“We did what we needed to do today,” Bowyer said. “We had a great Mobil 1 Ford. I thought it was going to be even better there at the end, but we must have gotten hot. [William Byron] got me on the restart and then another car got by me. If I didn’t have anything to lose there I might have been able to get a few more back. But that was a good points day. I hope we are on a roll and we continue this at Dover.”

Right behind Bowyer in points continues to be Matt DiBenedetto, who started in ninth place and brought the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford Mustang in 15th place when the race concluded. With his 15th top-15 result of the season, DiBenedetto is 44 points above the cutline and three races away from making his first postseason appearance as a championship contender.

With an eighth-place result at the Daytona Road Course event, William Byron continues to hold sole possession of the 16th and final transfer spot to the Playoffs by 25 points. Starting 13th, the Charlotte native contended inside the top 10 as he earned top-10 results in both stages and collected valuable stage points towards the Playoffs. Restarting in 34th with 26 laps remaining, Byron and his No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE charged his way back towards the front. Following a late pit stop under green and a late caution due to a single-car incident, he was scored in sixth place. During the final three laps, he lost two positions before he crossed the line in eighth place for his seventh top-10 career finish in the Cup Series and to remain in contention for a spot to the 2020 Playoffs.

“It was a good result for us today,” Byron said. “We chose to go for the stage points and had to pass our way through the field a few times because of that strategy. I think we did a nice job of that and getting a lot of those available points. Once we got towards the front top five we kind of stalled out though. Overall, I’m pretty happy with today and getting a good result. We just need to have a couple good weeks with solid races when we go on to Dover for two races and back to Daytona. I’m looking forward to Dover next week for sure though.”

The competitor who trails the top-16 cutline by 25 points is seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, who rallied from his share of on-track struggles throughout the summer to post his highest-finishing result since finishing in third place at Bristol Motor Speedway in May. With three regular-season races remaining, Johnson has three opportunities remaining in keeping his hopes for a record-setting eighth championship alive.

The next two closest competitors behind Byron and Johnson in points are Erik Jones and rookie Tyler Reddick. Starting in 20th, Jones was able to notch a sixth-place result in the first stage. The remainder of the race, however, did not go as planned for the Michigan native as he settled in 16th in the second stage before finishing 11th in the overall race. For Reddick, who started 18th, he finished outside the top 30 in both stages and he could work his way only up to 18th when the race concluded. As a result, Jones trails the cutline by 35 points while Reddick trails by 57 points.

The remaining competitors who trail the top-16 cutline by 146 points or more are rookie Christopher Bell, Bubba Wallace, Chris Buescher, Michael McDowell, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ryan Newman, rookie John Hunter Nemechek, Ty Dillon, Matt Kenseth, Corey LaJoie, Ryan Preece, Daniel Suarez, rookie Brennan Poole and rookie Quin Houff.

The battle for the final spots to the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs will continue next weekend at Dover International Speedway for a series doubleheader weekend. The first Dover race will commence on Saturday, August 22, at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN while the second will occur the following day on Sunday, August 23, at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Johnson and Buescher record strong top-five results at Daytona RC

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images.

While Chase Elliott achieved a historic win in the inaugural Daytona International Speedway Road Course event on Sunday, August 16, teammate Jimmie Johnson and Chris Buescher achieved much-needed runs inside the top five and in their quest to contend for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series championship battle.

For Johnson, who sported a new white and purple primary scheme to his No. 48 Ally/Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, his race started in 11th place. Following the opening lap, the seven-time Cup champion made his way into the top 10. Throughout the first stage spanning 15 laps, he continued to methodically work his way towards the front and was scored in third place when the stage concluded, thus collecting a handful of stage points.

Due to a series of pit strategies made among multiple competitors, Johnson restarted in 20th place for the stage of the second stage and after he made a pit stop for four fresh tires and fuel under the first stage’s break. Throughout the second stage that also spanned 15 laps, he raced and battled within the top 15 to top 20. Despite sustaining a hole to the front nose of his car due to contact on the restart to start the second stage, Johnson was able to settle in 14th place when the second stage concluded.

Restarting in sixth place for the final stage, Johnson was running in fourth place and battling for more when the race was delayed due to weather with less than 30 laps remaining. Nearly half an hour later and when the race restarted, he continued to flex his muscles as he worked his way as high as second place, trailing teammate Chase Elliott, before he fell back to fifth.

With five laps remaining, Johnson was poised for a top-three result behind Elliott and Denny Hamlin when the caution due to a single-car incident flew with five laps remaining. During a final three-lap dash to the finish, Johnson continued to battle for a spot in the top five before he crossed the finish line in fourth place, three spots behind race winner/teammate Elliott.

Johnson’s third-place result in the inaugural Daytona Road Course event marked his best result and first top-five result since finishing third at Bristol Motor Speedway in May. It also marked his 12th career top-five result at Daytona in his penultimate run at the world center of racing. Despite his top-five run, Johnson trails teammate William Byron by 25 points for the 16th and final spot to the 2020 Playoffs with three regular-season races remaining.

“Good job to everyone on my No. 48 Ally Chevy team,” Johnson said. “I just lacked that rear grip at the end there. That was a really fun and a solid day, that’s what we needed and now we go to my favorite track – Dover. So proud of Chase, what a road racer he is.”

For Buescher, who carried a special message on his No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang in celebration of a 10-year partnership between RFR and sponsor Fastenal, his race started back in 21st place. Following the first 10 laps, however, he was back in 24th place. When the first stage concluded on Lap 15, he was scored in 30th due to making a pit stop under green two laps earlier. Restarting in 14th place for the start of the second stage, Buescher spent most of the run inside the top 20 before he made a pit stop under green. When the second stage concluded, he was in 23rd.

Lining up in 13th place for the final stage, Buescher was in ninth place when the race was delayed for nearly half an hour due to weather. When the race resumed with 26 laps remaining, he continued to race inside the top 10 before he pitted under 20 laps remaining. When he returned on the track, he was back in the top 15 and was charging to get back into the top 10. By the time he moved up to ninth place, the caution flew with five laps remaining due to a single-car incident.

During a three-lap dash to the finish, Buescher wasted no time charging his way into the top 10 and for more as he made his first appearance inside the top five. When the checkered flag flew, he was able to cross the finish line in fifth place and as the highest-finishing Ford competitor.

The fifth-place result was Buescher’s sixth of his Cup career and his best since finishing in third place in the Daytona 500 in February. With his result, however, he is 174 points below the top-16 cutline and will likely need a race win to qualify for the 2020 Cup Playoffs with three regular-season races remaining.

“That was just a fun day for our Fastenal Ford Mustang team,” Buescher said. “We needed that after a couple of hard weeks. Some decent runs and some bad luck and that was fun. I was able to mix it up and steadily work our way forward. We kept learning as we went and there at the end we got beat up. All four corners of this Mustang are beat up but we got the finish out of it. That was a good one. A good day.”

Johnson and Buescher, along with their fellow Cup competitors, will return next weekend for a pair of NASCAR Cup Series races at Dover International Speedway. The first Cup Dover event will occur on Saturday, August 22, at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN while the second Dover race will occur on Sunday. August 23, at 4. p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Grala notches top-10 result in Cup debut at Daytona RC

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images.

Perhaps, there was no competitor who left the inaugural Go Bowling 235 at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course beaming more than Kaz Grala. The 21-year-old native from Boston, Massachusetts, received a lifetime opportunity on Sunday, August 16, to pilot the iconic No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Richard Childress Racing as an interim competitor for Austin Dillon, who was absent after testing positive for COVID-19 symptoms a day earlier. Following a consistent run at Daytona, where he started at the rear of the field and was running towards the front in the closing laps, Grala ended his race with a seventh-place result and in his first run in a NASCAR Cup Series car.

The No. 3 American Ethanol/RCR Chevrolet was due to start in 10th place with Dillon behind the wheel. With Dillon absent after being diagnosed with COVID-19 symptoms, however, Grala started the race at the rear of the field due to a driver change. For the first 15 laps and throughout the first stage, he remained within the top 30 before he settled in 32nd place. Throughout the second stage, Grala continued to carve his way towards the front, but he settled in 24th following a late pit stop under green.

Following a rain delay in the early portions of the final stage and a pit stop prior to the restart, the final 26 laps was where Grala started to flex his muscles as he worked his way into the top 15. During a cycle of pit stops under green with approximately 15 laps remaining, Grala found himself as the leader of the race. Ultimately, he led his first three career laps in the Cup circuit before he made his final pit stop under green for fuel to complete the race to its scheduled distance. Following his stop, he continued to battle inside the top 15. Following a late caution and a three-lap dash to the finish, he was able to muscle his way into the top 10 and cross the finish line under the checkered flag in seventh place ahead of names like William Byron, Joey Logano, Michael McDowell, Erik Jones, Alex Bowman, Brad Keselowski and Kurt Busch.

With his first run in the Cup circuit concluding with a first top-10 career result, Grala became the 19th competitor to record a top-10 result in the Cup Series while driving for Richard Childress Racing and the fifth competitor to pilot the iconic No. 3 car in NASCAR’s premier series. Ironically, the Daytona Road Course event marked the 1,000th NASCAR Cup race for the No. 3 car under the Richard Childress Racing banner.

“I can’t believe it,” Grala said on NBC. “It’s surreal to get the call from Richard [Childress] to drive the 3 [car] alone. I was really hoping for a top-30 finish. Man, seventh-place, that’s unbelievable. I couldn’t ask for anything more. My wishes are with Austin [Dillon]. I hope he’s back in the car next weekend [at Dover International Speedway], but it was an honor to get to drive this car and to finish P7, it’s just beyond my wildest dreams.”

“[Today] was tough,” Grala added. “We got up to like 25th and we were racing our butt off like we were racing for the win in any other series. Everybody’s just unbelievable. Our strategy was good. [Crew chief] Justin Alexander called a great race and put ourselves up front where we needed to be. We executed.”

The result came in his 62nd start across NASCAR’s three major national division series (Truck, Xfinity & Cup Series). He has made two starts this season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and in RCR’s No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro, where he finished 13th at Kansas in July and a career-best fourth place last weekend at Road America. His lone NASCAR victory dates back to February 2017, where he won the season opener at Daytona International Speedway while driving for GMS Racing. Since joining RCR last season as a part-time competitor, Grala continues to strive for his goal in returning as a full-time competitor for any organization within NASCAR’s top division series.

Ironically, this did not mark the only occasion where Grala drove a racing car sporting the number 3.

“I drove the 3 car in Bandoleros, Legends Cars, Late Models growing up,” Grala noted. “I never thought I’d make my first Cup start in the 3 car and I certainly never thought I’d get a top 10 [result].”

Announcements regarding Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 Chevrolet team and Austin Dillon’s conditions for next weekend at Dover International Speedway for a series doubleheader weekend will be announced sometime this upcoming week.

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