Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang, has won four of the last five NASCAR XFINITY Series races and leads the point standings going into this weekend’s event at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. He, along with crew chief Brian Wilson, were guests on today’s Ford Zoom call. Here is the full transcript:

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS AS YOU PREPARE FOR THE FIRST ROAD COURSE RACE AT DAYTONA? “Well, it’s funny because it kind of replaces a track that we won at last year, so, obviously there’s some apprehension to that. I wish we were able to go to Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio this year in the XFINITY Series, but obviously a lot of fun things to look forward to on the Daytona Road Course. I wouldn’t say it’s the most difficult track to understand and figure out. It’s got a couple of horseshoes and, not to downplay the weekend because there are definitely a lot of challenges between showing up and racing at a track that no one has any knowledge or data on, but at the same time hot conditions, I think that plays a role. Anytime you race in Florida in the middle of the day in the summertime it’s gonna be hot and humid, but I’m looking forward to it. It’s a fun challenge and hopefully we can rise to the occasion.”

IF A DRIVER YOU DON’T KNOW COMES UP AND ASKS YOU WHAT THEY NEED TO KNOW, WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM WITHOUT GIVING AWAY EVERYTHING? “It’s hard to say because I can’t really give sound advice on a track with a car that I haven’t driven the two on, but as far as the Daytona Road Course goes I think the most time you can lose and gain is into turn one and the bus stop. Traditionally, that’s the case. Those are probably the two hardest sections. Everything else is kind of a horseshoe or a point and squirt type of corner. With the frontstretch chicane, obviously, that’s a different story. No one has done that. That’s never been raced on, so that’s new in general, but, overall, I think it’s pretty easy to out-drive yourself, but, at the same time, you’ve got a lot of margin for error in turn one and not a lot of margin for error in the bus stop, so you’re gonna have to pick-and-choose your battles as far as you’ve got to have the speed, but it’s a fairly straightforward racetrack past that.”

SINCE YOU ARE ON THE POLE DO YOU HAVE ANY EXTRA MARGIN FOR ERROR ON THAT FIRST LAP? “I’ve thought about it just kind of in general as we change our starting lineups, there’s been some times I’ve gotten a good draw and started up front and there have been plenty of times I’ve gotten a bad draw and had to start 12th or near the back of our group. So, it’s been interesting to see what you can learn and pick up. Yeah, you’ve got more risk starting further back and I’ve been fortunate to have some fast race cars, but I feel you can learn quicker the further back you start as far as where you have to pass people, where you can set that up, how your car is in compromised situations. You can learn that very quickly, whereas when you start up front you get a gap and have track position and have a better chance at scoring better stage points, but, overall, for me it’s a clean track in front and hopefully we can get a gap and I can learn as much as I can about my car and how to make ourselves and myself better throughout the first stage.”

WHERE IS YOUR CONFIDENCE LEVEL RIGHT NOW WITH THIS HOT STREAK? “To take a couple steps back, my career has really been about making myself as versative as possible between the different cars I’ve driven, different tracks I’ve driven on, so take a diverse schedule like NASCAR has between superspeedways, short tracks, road courses, mile-and-a-half tracks and to be able to say we have an opportunity to win on those types of racetracks at this point in the year, whatever track it may be, is a lot of fun. That’s what I’ve worked on. That’s what I feel like I’m good at as a driver. That’s where I feel I differentiate myself as a driver is to be able to apply that to NASCAR racing has been great to be able to do that and put numbers on the board while doing it, but it’s fun. It’s great for the team and it’s obviously important to be able to do that at this point in the year, trying to contend for the regular season championship and set ourselves up well for the playoffs.”

WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT YOUR TEAM TO BE ON THIS HOT STREAK WITH NO PRACTICE AND NO QUALIFYING? “It says a lot and I’ll brag about them until I’m blue in the face. I’ve got a great group of people around me. It was really awesome to win at Road America last weekend, not only just for me because I’ve wanted to win at that track for a long time, but for my crew guys. With alternative pitting, that’s my road crew who pit the car and for them to pit the car and win the race and be able to do all that, it was really special for those guys. I’ll brag on them and say that they’re the reason for my success because they are, so hopefully we continue that. Not having practice throughout the rest of the year is definitely a challenge, especially when you look at the final race, so, for us, we have to continue that hard work, whether that’s back at the shop or prep work with me and my crew chief and my engineer. I think that’s what it boils down to as far as being prepared and understanding and having a game plan. We did that before and I think the way things are these days it just highlights that strength.”

WHAT IS YOUR LEVEL OF OPTIMISM WITH THESE NEW ROAD COURSES? “I think the fans love seeing something different every weekend, whether if it’s us going to Talladega or Daytona, or going to a road course or going to a short track or going to a mile-and-a-half. There are a lot of great tracks on the schedule and I think the fans enjoy a variety in what they watch every week. I think NASCAR has picked up on that and I think the more road courses that have been added, I think that adds more to that variety. I think there’s a little bit to it. I think these car, the circle track racing, but at the same time the cars are capable of it and I think we can look forward to the future. It sounds like the cars will be even more capable on those types of tracks, so that’s exciting for me given that that’s probably more of a comfort level for me, but, at this point in my career, I’ve probably done more races on ovals in NASCAR than anything else, so I love all of it. Like I said before, I love the versatility in the schedule because it really highlights the strength in drivers and the strength in teams that are able to adapt and react. Like I said, I think that’s what makes it fun for the fans to watch.”

HOW FOCUSED ARE YOU ON THE REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP? “I think that’s my number one focus. That’s been my number one focus since the start of the year. I’ve entered the playoffs with no playoff points, some playoff points and kind of been there in-between, but I’ve never had a lot of playoff points. Winning the regular season championship gives you the equivalent of three wins in playoff points, and that’s a big deal for me. That’s a big deal for our team to be able to approach the playoffs with a solid approach, so, for me, that’s the first box to be checked. I think we’re gonna have to be on our game from now until when the playoffs start to contend with the 98 for that because those guys have been on it this year as well. That’s exciting. That’s fun to know that you’re gonna have to be on the limit to be able to beat your competitors and that’s’ what makes it fun. There are definitely a lot of challenges still left and a lot of racetracks still left, but definitely that’s the number one goal.”

HOW MUCH DOES THE ADDITION OF THE CHICANE MESS UP YOUR PREVIOUS FLOW WITH THAT TRACK? DO YOU NEED ONE OR TWO LAPS AND THEN GO ABOUT YOUR RACE? “Yeah, I hope I don’t just drive straight through NASCAR four onto the front straightaway. Hopefully I remember there’s a chicane there, but, overall, I do think it eliminates a better passing zone in turn one. Obviously, we did it for speed purposes and whatever purposed NASCAR needed to feel comfortable with going to this track without practice, but I really do feel like it adds the front straightaway more as an acceleration zone, instead of a straightaway. You usually get a lot of drafting opportunities down through NASCAR three and four onto the front straightaway, high-speed braking zone into turn one, you have more options to pass there and that’s probably the most legitimate passing zone. I don’t see the bus stop or the new chicane being much of a passing zone, so I think that makes the infield important as far as racing. At the same point, I feel like that’s an easy place to get into the back of somebody and not even try to, especially in our cars, so it’s gonna be dicey, I think, through there. I think it’s gonna be hard to get away from people, but it adds a new aspect to it. I feel like momentum is a gonna be more important than the Roval at Charlotte. I feel like there’s a lot of geometry similarities to the final complex at Charlotte, and you can kind of just drive it in as hard as you could, hit curbs as hard as you could, whereas it seems like this you’ve still got a pretty decent straightaway afterwards.”

IT SEEMS LIKE THE INN IS FULL ON THE CUP SIDE AT TEAM PENSKE WITH BRAD’S EXTENSION. ANY IDEA ON YOUR PLANS GOING FORWARD? “No, I don’t. My immediate goals are to do the best that I can to position ourselves for a championship run here. That’s what’s important and I’m happy to be part of that conversation right now. As far as my plans for 2021, nothing set. I don’t have a contract past this year, so I’ll continue to work hard on the weekends and work hard during the week to understand what the best pathway is to take me. Obviously, I’ve had a lot of loyalty within the Penske organization. I mean, I wouldn’t be at this point without them and without Ford Performance. Those two relationships have really brought me here as quickly as I’ve kind of come up through the NASCAR ranks, so I would love to be able to stay within that camp, but, at the same time, I’m focused on trying to figure out what the next steps are in my career in NASCAR because it’s where I want to be, it’s where I want to stay, and it’s where I’ve put the most effort in the last couple years, so I’m pretty motivated at that. I feel like I’m just like anyone else between I’ve heard Chase and Noah talk about it pretty vocally early on in the year and I’m not sure I’m any different from them as far as preparing for the future, so I’m working hard towards it and it’s nice to have some success while you’re doing it, but, I’ve definitely been working on that process for the last couple of months.”

BRAD AND RYAN CAME TOGETHER LAST WEEK AND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE ARE NO TEAM ORDERS AT PENSKE. HAS ANYBODY SAT WITH YOU ABOUT WHAT THE RULES ARE WHEN RACING A TEAMMATE? “I’m probably not the best person to ask just because I don’t have a teammate, but whenever the 12 car has run in XFINITY there is somewhat of an understanding that I’m running for points and those guys are obviously the senior drivers. They’ve generally raced me fairly for what I’m racing for, so it’s been different circumstances, but, overall, what you’ve seen over the last couple years those guys are the best at what they do and they race each other incredibly hard and generally incredibly fair. Obviously, it stinks to have two of our own cars take each other out, but that’s just hard racing. That’s the racing Michigan provides. You saw the same move go wrong in the truck race, so I think that’s just the racetrack and hard racing.”

HAVE THE WINS IN THE LAST MONTH INCREASED CONTACT FROM OTHER TEAMS, WHO HAVE SAID, ‘MAYBE HE’S AVAILABLE FOR NEXT YEAR?’ “I think everyone knows this, but we’re in a very interesting climate as far as teams and sponsorship and how the world works. I think we’re all just very happy and motivated to get to the end of the season. The fact that we’re all still racing right now is very important, but for me right now it makes a bigger challenge. At the beginning of this year there was a new car being introduced next season and now that has been postponed, and obviously economically it’s been very difficult for race teams. So, it makes those conversations a lot more difficult and a lot more non-comital, but at the same standpoint I think I’ve always approached it this way and it’s probably the first time in my NASCAR career that I’ve really had to go outside and understand what’s out there, just because I have been fortunate to be within the Penske camp and within the Ford camp. Every year I go try and find a Daytona 24 ride and usually it’s fairly last-minute and I understand that process, and understanding this process is good for me. By the same token, I have a great deal of loyalty to Ford and Penske and if I can do anything to stay within those camps, and I feel like that’s mutual, I think we’re gonna do it, but how difficult it is to work that, especially this day and age is the current challenge and, for me, I’m not doing myself any service if I don’t go out and understand what’s out there. The squeaky wheel gets the oil and that’s the case. You’ve got to pick up the phone and not expect it to ring, but having success while you’re doing that is great. It makes those conversations easier to have and easier to convince people that you’re the guy, but, overall, it’s what I’ve been doing during the week and I’m very focused on doing my job during the weekend first and foremost.”

THERE MAY BE A PERCEPTION THAT PENSKE WILL ALWAYS TAKE CARE OF YOU. IS THAT ACCURATE? “That’s definitely the perception and in some ways I have to fight that perception a little bit, but it’s great to have that backing that I’ve had the last couple years from the Penske group and from Ford Performance, but I know from experience and from observation, I’ve been around this sport for a long time, absolutely nothing is guaranteed, so my hard work is what I put first and foremost when I get up in the morning and I figure out what I need to do to make myself a better race car driver, whether if that’s next year or this year. That’s where my head has been at and I’ve had plenty to do, put it that way.”

BRIAN WILSON, Crew Chief, No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang – WHERE ARE YOU IN TERMS OF PREPARATION FOR THE ROAD COURSE RACE AT DAYTONA THIS WEEKEND? “It’s not gonna feel great until we make a lap on track and know what we’ve got. If I’m doing the math right on the new metrics for the starting position we should be up front, so we get to experience it before everyone else. But I’m gonna be nervous until we get to that point. I feel like we’ve done our homework and a lot of what this season has been about it taking educated guesses and that’s all we’re doing right now is making our best educated guess and being a little bit conservative on things and we’ll see where things stack up.”

ANY DIFFERENCE TRYING TO CALCULATE FUEL MILEAGE AT TRACK YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO COMPARED TO WHAT YOU’VE BEEN DOING THE LAST FEW MONTHS AT TRACKS YOU’VE BEEN TO BEFORE BUT WITHOUT PRACTICE OR QUALIFYING? “Yeah, I think it’s the same as what we’re doing setup-wise is you assume it’s gonna be similar to other road courses that we’ve been at. We look at Watkins Glen because it’s that tire and we assume that the fall off is gonna be similar to that. Fall off can play a lot in what the fuel mileage does over the run, so we’re taking our best educated guess. I’m probably gonna say that a lot, but we really don’t know. (Connection broke up briefly) in a manner to where fuel mileage really isn’t gonna be that big of an issue, but we’ll get a good read in the first stage. Hopefully, we don’t have too many cautions and we can go from there.”

SO, WE WON’T SEE PEOPLE WORK THE RACE BACK BASED ON FUEL MILEAGE? “I don’t feel like we will. We’re in a pretty tight points battle, fortunately with another Ford, but we need to get as many points as we can. We’re focused on getting the 15 regular season bonus points, so, for right now, we’re planning on at least running to the first stage break and try to get as many points as we can and get a good read on the fuel mileage and go from there.”

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A RUN WHERE YOUR DRIVER HAS BEEN THIS HOT? “I don’t feel like we ever, even during this run, we don’t feel like if we don’t get a checkered that it’s a bad day. A couple weeks ago we finished second and that was a really good points day and we contended. I’m disappointed if we don’t feel like we’re contending for the win and I feel like that’s where this program should be. It was kind of expected when we had all of the Cup superstars in the car a few years ago and I was fortunate to do three in a row with those guys a few years ago, but it’s a different situation when you’ve got one of the regulars that’s battling for the championship and it’s a great place to be. I’m proud of it and proud of all the hard work for the past two or three years working with Austin, but I can’t say I’ve had a run like this with one driver consistently. Moving up the points as quickly as we did, I’ve never had a run like this, but I do think it’s what’s expected. That’s what we’re supposed to do with this program.”

WHAT KIND OF CONFIDENCE DOES IT GIVE YOU AND THE TEAM TO HAVE A DRIVER WHO CAN GO FAST TURNING RIGHT AND LEFT? “It gives everybody confidence. He’s able to give us areas to focus on and Austin obviously has a ton of experience, but this company has a lot of experience running races down there, so we can lean on people and we can draw from that wealth of knowledge and understand what we think we’re gonna have to work on. Using the Ford simulator has been huge. We were there last night, to be able to do a lot of laps and run some setups past Austin and having his feedback to know what’s realistic. I know everybody is gonna be working on the simulators, but he’s got that real world feel for, ‘Okay, what areas do I need to work on. What techniques can I use to try to get around some of the compromise?’ Because at a road course you’ve always got compromises in the setup and the driver being able to work around those or knowing what tools he can use to help in certain areas is huge. Having Austin is a huge benefit even if like last week, going to the racetrack where everyone’s got a lot of notes, having Austin who is very good at running road courses is a huge advantage. Now, from the seat that I’m in, that’s a lot of pressure because if you don’t run well and you don’t contend, it looks like I didn’t do my job. So, making sure that we’re dotting I’s and crossing the T’s and the pressure is all on me this weekend to make sure I give him something that he can run well with.”

WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU THE MOST OVER THIS FOUR WINS IN FIVE RACE STRETCH? “I don’t want to sound cocky, but I feel like early on in the year we had the speed to contend for wins, and I felt like once we got one win we would get a couple. I did not expect that it would all be in a row or four out of five, so I think that’s probably the biggest thing is just how quickly they came. But, we had seen this building for a while within our team and it’s one of those things where it’s so subtle that you may not see it from the outside looking in, but we felt like the speed was building and we felt like Austin’s feedback was getting better. I wouldn’t say his feedback was getting better, but I feel like his feedback lined up with the changes that we were making were getting in line and he was starting to get happier with what the car was doing. We felt like if we just started executing some of these races that we would be able to win. We felt like we weren’t that far off from getting wins. Early in the year, we feel like we gave a few up. We were leading laps, so inside the program I don’t think it’s a surprise we’re winning races. I think we knew we could contend for that, it’s just how quickly it’s happened.”

WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN THE CHICANE WAS INTRODUCED? “I think from the car side of things it was a relief just because you know that if we would have ran the full NASCAR three and four, you knew the braking zone was gonna be pretty taxing on all the parts and pieces into turn one. And then when we started to look at it initially we were looking at what the gear ratio was gonna be and we knew that we were gonna have to have such a tall rear gear that it probably wouldn’t be good for the slow infield section, so I feel like just from a racing side of things it’s gonna be a better compromise to have a little bit more gear to get your through the infield. But I know from Austin’s side of thing he would have preferred to run on the track that’s got the most history. They’ve run a ton of races down there in the past and he was looking forward to running the normal track layout, but from the car side of things I think it was more of a relief to me to know that the brakes weren’t gonna be taxed and the gear wasn’t gonna be lugging in the infield. So, from my side of things, I was relieved.”

HOW WOULD YOU SAY AUSTIN HAS PROGRESSED IN NASCAR? “I think everybody has seen it. That’s one of the things about competing in NASCAR is every week you get to check up on where you are and how you compete. Early on, I’d say he would admit that he wasn’t where he wanted to be and it was a challenging year for him, but seeing the progress and seeing the work that he’s putting in behind the scenes has been great and I’m proud to be a part of seeing him get to this point where we’re contending every week. He does a lot of work as far as studying, studying the Cup races, studying our past races. He makes sure he takes notes on what he’s been doing and what he’s tried inside the car. He does a lot of debriefs to give us feedback on what we need to do better in the car, and I think what you’re seeing is just a product of all that homework that he’s done. That’s helped us build a notebook on what he needs to be able to give him the fast race cars that he can feel comfortable making the moves that he needs to to get the wins.”

Team: No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Luke Lambert
Twitter: @17RoushTeam, @RoushFenway and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 231 miles, 65 laps, Stage Lengths: 15-15-35
GoBowling 235 – Sunday, Aug. 16 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Road Course at Daytona on the Horizon for NASCAR This Weekend

· For the first time in the sport’s history, the NASCAR Cup Series will take to the 3.57-mile road course on the infield at Daytona this weekend. The weekend date was originally held for the series’ annual trip to the Watkins Glen International road course, but the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced adjustments to the schedule, meaning the NCS will visit Daytona twice over the next three weeks.

· The race will be held on the same road course as the Rolex 24 at Daytona, North America’s premier race for sports cars. NASCAR also announced several key competition components at the Daytona RC, including the addition of a chicane off Turn 4 at the famed oval. Overall, the course features 14 turns.

· Additionally, as announced last week by NASCAR, the series will now use three competition-based performance metrics to determine the starting lineup and pit selection order for each race, replacing the random draw procedure that has been in place since NASCAR’s return in May.

· NASCAR will reward both season-long and single-race performance to determine the lineup and pit selection, using owner points position, the finish and fastest lap from the most recently completed race. Beginning with the NASCAR Playoffs at Darlington, playoff cars will fill the top starting positions starting from the Round of 16, all the way through to the Championship 4.

· 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.

Buescher Historically on Road Courses

· Buescher will be one of the many drivers taking the green flag at the road course for the first time on Sunday. Overall he has 11 road course starts in the NCS including five at WGI, four at Sonoma Raceway, and two at the newest course on the circuit, the ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

· Buescher does have a road course win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, which came back in 2014 at Mid-Ohio when he took Jack Roush’s No. 60 machine to victory lane. He also won an ARCA Menards Series event at Road America back in 2013.

Luke Lambert Historically on Road Courses

· Lambert has 16 starts in the Cup Series atop the box at road course events, including eight at WGI, six at Sonoma, and two at the ROVAL. Overall he has two top-10s, with a best result of eighth at Sonoma with Ryan Newman back in 2016.

· Lambert also has three Xfinity starts at road courses with a top result of fourth coming in 2012 with Elliott Sadler at Montreal.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at the Daytona RC:
“There’s a little bit of nerves knowing that our first laps on track are going to be side by side 20 rows deep, but definitely something that is going to be interesting. It is unfortunate we are not able to go to The Glen, but NASCAR has done a good job to figure out how to make this schedule work, and I’m excited to give the road course a shot and see what we can do. The programs we have and everything we are able to build out are very dependent on going to a track once before, and being able to have data and something to base everything off of. We don’t have that this time and are flying in blind, so we’re doing our best to collectively be as prepared as possible going in.”

Last Time Out
Buescher finished 20th in both Michigan events last weekend.

Where They Rank
Buescher is 23rd in driver standings through 22 events.

On the Car
Fastenal celebrates its 10th season with Roush Fenway Racing in 2020. The Minnesota company spent three years on the No. 99 before jumping to the No. 17 Cup Series entry, and were the primary partner on the No. 60 Xfinity team that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.

Represented on the decklid will be the Go Blue 500 Sales Event, running now through the end of September, which offers great savings on top brands that partner with Fastenal to support the No. 17 Fastenal Ford. The 10-Year Partnership logo will also be featured on the hood, celebrating Fastenal and Roush Fenway Racing’s 10-year anniversary.

About Fastenal
Fastenal [Nasdaq: FAST] is North America’s largest fastener distributor and a ‘one-stop’ source for hundreds of thousands of OEM, MRO and Construction products. With more than 2,600 stores worldwide, the company supports B2B customers with tailored local inventory and dedicated personnel, who visit regularly, quickly respond to emergency needs, and provide efficient inventory management solutions. Fastenal’s service-oriented business network includes the world’s largest industrial vending program, 14 regional distribution centers, 8 custom manufacturing facilities, thousands of delivery vehicles, and industry-leading sourcing, quality and engineering resources.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Aug. 11, 2020) – BRANDT Professional Agriculture, a cornerstone partner of NASCAR Xfinity Series team JR Motorsports, is continuing its long-time support of the National FFA Organization in a big way through its racing program. During the upcoming doubleheader weekend at Dover International Speedway (Aug. 22-23), Justin Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet will debut a special FFA paint scheme.

The blue and gold livery will feature the official emblem of the national youth agricultural and leadership organization on the hood of the No. 7 Chevrolet. Also highlighted will be the FFA’s Give the Gift of Blue program, which helps provide the official FFA jacket to members who would otherwise be unable to own their own.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to highlight the strength of FFA and the power of donating FFA jackets to deserving young people through Give the Gift of Blue,” said Mark Poeschl, CEO of the National FFA Organization. “When an FFA member receives their own jacket, they gain self-confidence and participate more frequently in FFA. We’re thrilled and thankful that BRANDT is highlighting FFA and Give the Gift of Blue at Dover.”

BRANDT, a primary sponsor of Allgaier since 2011, has included the FFA logo on the decklid of their cars for the past several years and featured FFA on their “Celebrating the Future of Agriculture” paint scheme that Allgaier drove to Victory Lane at Chicagoland Speedway in 2017. The company is a long-time supporter of FFA at the national, state and local levels.

“FFA is such a great organization and produces some very talented and professional youth that often become industry leaders as well,” said Rick Brandt, CEO and President of BRANDT. “I remember the pride I felt when receiving my blue jacket and hope that we can bring energy to the Give the Gift of Blue program so that more kids have that same feeling.”

Allgaier is a previous winner at Dover, leading 104 laps on his way to a victory in 2018. In his past five starts at the track, he’s finished third or better. The JR Motorsports driver will pilot the No. 7 FFA Camaro on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 12:30 p.m. ET and Sunday, Aug. 23 at 1:30 p.m. ET. Both races will be televised live on NBCSN.

For more information on the FFA Give the Gift of Blue program or to make a donation, visit FFA.org/GIVEblue/.

ABOUT NATIONAL FFA ORGANIZATION:

The National FFA Organization is a national youth organization of more than 700,000 student members as part of 8,600 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. For more, visit the National FFA Organization online at FFA.org and on Facebook, Twitter, and the official news page of the National FFA Organization.

ABOUT BRANDT:

A leading agricultural company, BRANDT serves growers and farmers around the globe. Founded in 1953 by Glen Brandt and his sister Evelyn Brandt Thomas to help Illinois farmers adopt new and profitable technologies, the company has experienced aggressive growth under the leadership of President and CEO Rick Brandt. BRANDT’s focus is providing the products and services that give growers the best opportunity for maximum return while building a stronger, healthier and more abundant food supply. For more information, visit BRANDT on the web at www.brandt.co.

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:

JR Motorsports is the management company and racing operation for Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s 15-time Most Popular Driver and winner of 50 NASCAR-sanctioned races. Now in its 19th year of overall competition, JR Motorsports races in multiple divisions, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series where it won championships in 2014, 2017 and 2018. The company also competes in Late Model competition and owns four championships in regional late model divisions. To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com.

Gaming Operator to Offer Live, In-Race Betting Beginning in 2021

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 11, 2020) – NASCAR and BetMGM, a market-leading sports betting and iGaming platform, today announced a multi-year sports betting partnership. As an Authorized Gaming Operator of NASCAR, BetMGM will collaborate with NASCAR to create and promote engaging sports betting experiences, including introducing in-race betting options, for racing fans across the United States.

“Partnering with a best-in-class operator like BetMGM positions NASCAR to build on the positive energy and momentum we’re seeing around gaming and in particular the live in-race experience,” said Scott Warfield, NASCAR Managing Director, Gaming. “We’re excited to have such an iconic brand on board to expand our offerings and deepen our engagement with the most passionate fans in sports.”

As an Authorized Gaming Operator, BetMGM will have rights to NASCAR marks and will promote NASCAR offerings on BetMGM’s mobile app, BetMGM.com, BetMGM’s social media channels, and in BetMGM’s retail sports books. BetMGM is currently licensed for sports betting in seven states and has plans to be in 11 states by the end of 2020. BetMGM and NASCAR will introduce cross-promotional opportunities that may include promotion of BetMGM on NASCAR’s digital platforms, NASCAR.com, the NASCAR Mobile app, and social media channels.

Matt Prevost, BetMGM’s Chief Marketing Officer said, “We’re excited to work with the NASCAR team to build immersive sports betting experiences that 21st-century racing fans crave. BetMGM’s unparalleled betting technology combined with NASCAR’s iconic races will create a superior betting experience for racing fans all over the United States.”

BetMGM will expand the portfolio of bet types offered on its mobile app throughout the NASCAR season, including pre-race and in-play bets. Bet types currently being explored include top-finishing drivers, driver matchups, stage winners and bets tied to the number of the winning car (over/under), among others. Beginning in 2021, BetMGM will offer live, in-play betting through a partnership with Genius Sports and its sports betting division, Betgenius, as the sport continues to strengthen its position around in-play sports betting. NASCAR and BetMGM are also working together to develop a free-to-play NASCAR game.

In celebration of the partnership, BetMGM is offering a special promotion for NASCAR bets placed on the BetMGM app leading up to Sunday’s historic NASCAR Cup Series™ debut of The DAYTONA Road Course at Daytona International Speedway (3 p.m. ET on NBC). The promotion is available for eligible customers on the BetMGM app in New Jersey, West Virginia, Indiana and Colorado. Eligible customers will get a $10 NASCAR Free Bet when they place any wager of $10 or more on the Go Bowling 235 at The DAYTONA Road Course.

NASCAR has experienced across-the-board growth in its sports betting handle thanks in part to the popularity of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series as well as the sport’s successful return to racing in May. BetMGM has seen NASCAR turnover grow by nearly 1,300% in just the first seven months of the year. Last year, NASCAR became the first sports league to join the National Center for Responsible Gaming.

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR® consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour), one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, Americrown Service and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

About BetMGM

BetMGM is a market leading sports betting and gaming platform and joint venture between MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM) and GVC Holdings Plc (LSE: GVC). Based in New Jersey, the company was established in July 2018 to create a world-class sports betting and online gaming platform in the United States, in order to take advantage of the new opportunities created by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the U.S. federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). Utilizing GVC’s US-licensed, state-of-the-art proprietary technology platform, BetMGM offers sports betting and online gaming via market leading brands including BetMGM and partypoker. The company has exclusive access to MGM Resort’s U.S. land-based and online sports betting, major tournament poker, and online gaming businesses. For more information visit www.roardigital.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this release that are not historical facts are “forward-looking” statements and “safe harbor statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and/or uncertainties, including BetMGM’s ability to expand in new or existing jurisdictions. Management has based forward-looking statements on current expectations and assumptions and not on historical facts. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements include the effects of economic and market conditions in the jurisdictions in which BetMGM operates, competition with other iGaming and sports betting platforms, the timing and costs of expanding in new jurisdictions as well as obtaining and maintaining the required permits, licenses, financings, approvals and other contingencies in connection with growth in new or existing jurisdictions. In providing forward-looking statements, BetMGM is not undertaking any duty or obligation to update these statements publicly as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. If BetMGM updates one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those other forward-looking statements.

FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: DAYTONA ROAD COURSE ADVANCE

NASCAR and its top touring series will take on a new challenge this weekend as the Daytona International Speedway Road Course plays host to the ARCA Menards, NASCAR XFINITY, NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoor, and NASCAR Cup competitors Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here’s a look at the schedule and some updated Ford notes.

This Week’s Schedule:

Friday, August 14 – ARCA Menards Series, 5 p.m. (MAVTV)
Saturday, August 15 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 3 p.m. (NBCSN)
Sunday, August 16 – NASCAR RV & Gander Outdoors Truck Series, Noon (FS1)
Sunday, August 16 – NASCAR Cup Series, 3 p.m. (NBC)

FORD SITTING ON 699 CUP WINS

Kevin Harvick’s doubleheader sweep at Michigan last weekend gave Ford 699 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins. Ford’s first victory came on June 25, 1950 when Shirtless Jimmy Florian upset the field at Dayton Speedway, beating the likes of NASCAR Hall of Famers Lee Petty and Curtis Turner. Overall, there have been 85 drivers who have won at least one NASCAR Cup Series race in a Ford with NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett, who won Ford’s first series championship in 1965, being the all-time leader with 43.

FORD’S BEST CUP START SINCE…

Ford leads all manufacturers with 13 NASCAR Cup Series wins in 22 starts this season, which marks the best start since 1997 when the Blue Oval won 14 times in the same number of races. Ford went on to win 19 times that season, a mark that was equaled in 2018 when Joey Logano won the series championship and Ford captured the manufacturers’ title. The most wins Ford has ever amassed in a season during the modern era (1972-present) is 20, which occurred in 1994. Rusty Wallace led Ford that season with eight victories while Ernie Irvan and Geoffrey Bodine were next with three apiece.

FORD 1-2 IN CUP AND NXS STANDINGS

The regular season is winding down and multiple Ford drivers are competing for the championship and 15 playoff bonus points that goes to the winner. Currently, Ford holds down the top two positions in the NASCAR Cup and NASCAR XFINITY Series. Kevin Harvick leads the way and has a commanding 137-point lead over second-place Brad Keselowski in Cup while Austin Cindric has an 11-point NXS lead over Chase Briscoe. Overall, Ford currently has eight drivers in Cup playoff positions with four races remaining before the playoffs start.

DOMINANT RETURN

Since returning to action on May 17 at Darlington Raceway, Ford has dominated in the NASCAR Cup and NASCAR XFINITY Series, winning a combined 19 times in 32 starts. Ford has registered 11 wins in Cup in 18 races, which includes a current three-race winning streak, while the NXS duo of Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric have combined to win eight times in 14 events, including six of the last seven.

HARVICK CLIMBING ALL-TIME WIN LISTS

As noted after his win on Sunday, Kevin Harvick moved into a tie for 10th-place on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series win list as he tied NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace with his 55th victory. Harvick, who leads the series with six wins in 2020, has also made a rapid rise up the Ford list as well, despite the fact he is only in his fourth season with the manufacturer. Harvick has now won 20 Cup races with Ford, which makes him one of only 13 drivers to win 20 or more, and ranks 13th all-time after tying and then passing NASCAR Hall of Famer Davey Allison and Greg Biffle over the weekend.

ROVAL REPLAY?

The last time NASCAR went to a new road course was in 2018 when Charlotte Motor Speedway debuted its ROVAL that fall. On that occasion, Ford won both inaugural events as Chase Briscoe captured the NASCAR XFINITY race and Ryan Blaney took the Cup Series event.