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12 Useful Car Accessories That You Actually Need

By
SM
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Thanks to Adam Stefanca for sharing their work on Unsplash.

Car accessories play an essential part in upgrading and enhancing the looks of your car. Every car accessory plays a different role. Some of the functions include entertainment, beauty, functionality, customization, and comfort.

If you are looking forward to dressing your car with the right car accessories in the market, you can easily get best and quality accessories from totalzparts. 

For those looking for the finest and useful accessories for their car, here are some of them:

  1. Car Vacuum Cleaner

When dust forms in your car interior, you need a tool to clean it. Most of the time, dust will form in the cups and phone holders, which you cannot clean easily using a cloth.

Vacuum cleaners are the best in cleaning car interiors. They are compact, easy to use, and can clean every part of your car interior.

  1.  FM Transmitter

Some cars do not have Bluetooth hookup. If this is the case with your car, you can use the Bluetooth FM transmitter.

This device can is used to play music in your car using a Flash disk or MicroSD card and can also be used to charge your phone via the charging USB port. It also has an inbuilt microphone that will allow you to make hands-free calls. 

  1. Car Battery Jumper

This tool offers the best solutions in case of emergencies as it has a battery that can be used to kick-start your car and charge devices like phones and laptops. It also has an inbuilt rechargeable flashlight that you can use if your car develops a problem at night. 

  1. Car Air Freshener

After using a vacuum cleaner to clean your car, you need an air freshener to ensure no bad smell is coming from your car. This tool will ensure that the smell in your car is pleasant.

  1.  Car Phone Mount

Sometimes you want to use your phone for navigation without permanently adding something to your car. Car phone mounts will be the best choice here.

Car phone mounts, such as the air vent smartphone, are hooked up to air vent. They hold your smartphone firmly using magnets and swivels, enabling you to see your phone screen from all angles.

  1. Car Trash Can 

When driving for long distances, you need a way to manage garbage and waste in your car. A car trash can or bin will appropriately solve this problem.

  1. First Aid Kit

A first aid kit is an essential tool in your car, especially when embarking on long journeys. The best thing about a first aid kit is that it only takes a small space.

  1. Dashboard Grip Pad

The dashboard grip pad does not require any installation. You simply place it on the dashboard and start using it to store your keys, phone, cables, and sunglasses.

  1. Car Console Side Pocket

This is an essential accessory for every car for a guaranteed comfortable drive. It is sleekly designed to fit between the console and the seat. You can use it to hold wallets, cables, phones, and other equipment, especially if you don’t have the dashboard grip pad.

  1. Dashcam

This is a digital camera that is installed on your car dashboard. It is essential in all cars nowadays.

It allows you to record a video of your whole journey and keep you safe on the road. In case of accidents, you can know who is in the wrong using this camera.

  1. Tracking System

A car tracking device is vital in cases where you have misplaced your keys, can’t find your car in the parking lot, or when your car is stolen. 

The tracking device will also help you quickly track down your car or key whenever you can’t find them.

  1. Portable Car Cover

A portable car cover is an essential accessory for every car owner. It is designed to protect your car in all seasons all the year. Be it summer or winter. It is installed on the roof of your car and controlled by remote while opening or closing it.

BRETT TAYLOR SET FOR 2020 PINTY’S SERIES OPENER

By
Official Release
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(August 11, 2020): With the announcement by the NASCAR Pinty’s Series that the 2020 season will get underway August 15th at Sunset Speedway in Innisfil, ON, Brett Taylor and the #33 TCB Trailer Chevrolet Camaro team have a target to focus on. Taylor scored the victory in the season finale for 2019 and would like to hold onto the moniker of “most recent series race winner”.

“We’re pretty comfortable with that reference and the whole #33 TCB Trailer Chevrolet team and everyone at the EHR (Ed Hakonson Racing) group has been using this extra time we’ve had to be ready when we got the green flag to go racing” said Taylor.

The 2020 Pinty’s Series was put on hold due to the Covid pandemic. The team used the time available to prepare their racecars and as restrictions loosened Taylor and the #33 TCB Trailer Chevrolet team were able to conduct test sessions at all three tracks the Pinty’s Series will race at this year.

“I can’t say enough about how well this partnership with EHR has worked” said Taylor. “The car felt great when we unloaded at each track. Sunset Speedway is a fun track, Flamboro is very tight 1/3-mile oval. And of course, Jukasa Speedway where we won last year is a special place. I’m really excited to get going.

EHR Principal Ed Hakonson is equally pleased to see how this group has come together. “We’re so happy to have Brett with us fulltime” stated Hakonson. “He fits with our group so well and throughout the off season we were busy getting our cars ready and testing and now we’re so anxious to finally get going. “I can’t say enough about how much enthusiasm Brett brings to our team. His dedication traveling from Western Canada so frequently to work with us as an eastern based team makes us better” he added.

With his rookie of the year campaign in 2018 and becoming the first western Canadian driver to win in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series Taylor has had a quick rise and garnered plenty of attention. It’s also why he’s attracted a new primary sponsor this season with Calgary based TCB Trailers on his #33 Chevrolet. Owner Martin Janzen has watched Taylor’s career for some time.

“We sponsored Brett previously at Wetaskiwin” said Janzen. “Watching his performance improve last year and then seeing him win at Jukasa Speedway gets your attention. Our business has customers that are from Ontario and so we thought this partnership fit very well with everyone’s needs” he stated.

The 2020 NASCAR Pinty’s schedule consists of three race weekends with twin 125-lap races at each venue, Sunset Speedway, Flamboro Speedway and Jukasa Speedway. Due to social gathering restrictions fans will not be permitted to attend the races.

“The only downside is we won’t have fans in the seats” said Taylor. “They bring such an energy to our events and we’re going to miss them. But we’re also going to do our best to put on a great show they’ll be able to watch on TV” he added.

Each of the 2020 NASCAR Pinty’s Series races will be shown on TSN. Broadcast dates and times will be announced soon.

Fans should follow Brett Taylor on social media for the latest info. Brett Taylor on Twitter @brett_taylor46 & @bretttaylorracing on Instagram

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Michigan

By
Jeffrey Boswell
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Kevin Harvick celebrates after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway on August 09, 2020 in Brooklyn, Michigan. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images.

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick swept the weekend, holding off Brad Keselowski on Saturday and outpointing Denny Hamlin on Sunday. Harvick now has six wins this season and is the points leader by 140.

“How good am I at Michigan?” Harvick said. “So good, I may need to change my nickname to the ‘(Not Even) Close(r).'”

2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin stalked Kevin Harvick over the final 10 laps at Michigan, but couldn’t make the pass. Hamlin settled for second while Harvick completed the weekend sweep at Michigan International Speedway.

“Harvick brought the broom,” Hamlin said, “but he apparently forgot the dustpan this weekend, because he left us all ‘in the dust.'”

3. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski wrecked racing for the lead with Penske Racing teammate Ryan Blaney on Lap 96. Keselowski got loose and clipped Blaney’s rear, sending both into the wall. Keselowski finished 39th.

“It was totally my fault,” Keselowski said. “And since we’re in the state of Michigan, I said to Blaney, ‘MI bad.’

“I still haven’t won at Michigan International Speedway. That’s my home track. It’s both disappointing and ‘MIS-appointing.'”

4. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished ninth in the Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan.

“The championship is shaping up to be a two-man battle,” Elliott said. “Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin appear to be in a class all by themselves. The rest of us? We’re also getting schooled.”

5. Joey Logano: Logano finished fifth at Michigan.

“I feel terrible for Brad Keselowski,” Logano said. “He wrecked Ryan Blaney and himself. I feel like I should do something for Brad, such as take him to dinner. But because of the pandemic, I think ‘take out’ would be a more fitting gesture.”

6. Ryan Blaney: Blaney was KO’d from the race when Penske teammate Brad Keselowski made contact, wrecking both. Blaney finished 38th while Keselowski finished 39th.

“What’s this I hear about a ‘Keselowski extension?” Blaney said. “Oh yeah, Brad extended me an apology.”

7. Aric Almirola: Almirola led nine laps and finished sixth at Michigan, where Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick dominated the weekend, winning both races.

“I feel that no one ‘dominates a weekend’ like Kevin Harvick,” Almirola said. “Now, some NASCAR old-schoolers would disagree, because they insist that no one ‘dominated a weekend’ like Tim Richmond.”

8. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex took third at Michigan as Joe Gibbs Racing cars finished 2-3-4, with Denny Hamlin second and Kyle Busch fourth.

“Where’d that fourth JGR car finish?” Truex said. “Good question. Here’s the answer: Erik Jones finished 27th. Now, his car didn’t lack speed, because he was ‘going, going, gone.'”

9. Kurt Busch: Busch took 10th at Michigan on Sunday, matching his finish from Saturday’s race.

“NASCAR is now using a formula to determine starting order,” Busch said. “The formula takes into account a driver’s most recent finish, his points position, and his rank of the fastest lap in the previous race. So, there’s math in qualifying now, which might get Jeremy Mayfield’s attention, but only if he hears what he wants to hear.”

10. Matt DiBenedetto: DiBenedetto posted a seventh in the Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan.

“I heard Richard Petty offered Bubba Wallace an ownership stake in Richard Petty Motorsports,” DiBenedetto said. “That’s an awesome opportunity. I’d love to see my name associated with Wood Brothers Racing. I could bring a lot to the team, like letters to their name.”

NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Michigan

By
Briar Starr
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Brett Moffitt races Sheldon Creed and Ben Rhodes during the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Henry Ford Health System 200 at Michigan International Speedway on August 07, 2020. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images.

Friday night’s race at Michigan International Speedway marked the 11th race of the 2020 Truck Series season. It wasn’t all that long ago that race fans didn’t know when the next Truck Series race would take place. But the season continues to roll on at a decent pace as NASCAR gives their best effort with the goal of completing the entire season.

The same can be said for rookie Zane Smith, who kept the ball rolling Friday night. He was never really a factor throughout the first two stages, especially after he received a pit penalty, but Smith never lost confidence and continued to work his way back to the front. His winning moment came on the second overtime restart when the leaders collided with each other and Smith broke through the smoke and fended off friend/competitor Christian Eckes for his first career NASCAR victory. The victory was a long time coming for the Californian who has had a strong rookie year and now can focus on the Playoffs and potentially a bid for the championship in his first year.

While Smith enjoyed the ending of Friday’s race, many drivers probably wish they could have another shot at the race, including Stewart Friesen who wrecked out and was credited with a last-place finish. At this point, the Canadian will need to find a way to win if he has any hopes of repeating his 2019 playoff run.

With up and down days across the board for everyone, we’ll take a look where everyone lands on this week’s Power Rankings following the Henry Food Health System 200.

  1. Zane Smith – The short break following the Kansas Truck race did not seem to hurt the No. 21 GMS Racing momentum, as Smith piloted the Bay Mountain Air Chevrolet to victory lane. His stage finishes weren’t too kind, placing ninth in the first stage and 15th for the second stage. While the stage finishes and stage points are important, they didn’t matter too much at the end of the day as Smith got the checkered flag in 12 Truck Series starts. As a matter of fact, the victory was his first victory since two-years ago in ARCA competition at Pocono Raceway. It will be interesting to see if Smith and the team can keep the train rolling through the rest of the season.

    Previous Week Ranking – Third
  2. Christian Eckes – Eckes might be frustrated and tired of finishing second the last few weeks, but the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 18 team earned another top-five finish Friday night, Eckes fourth of the year. Early on, however, it looked liked Eckes was going to have a bad day. He brought out the second caution of the day on Lap 14 when his No. 18 Safelite Tundra spun around on the backstretch. Eckes would spend most of the race trying to get back into contention and what appeared to be no light at the end of the tunnel. However, the late cautions and wrecks put Eckes’ team back upfront and he even tried running down Smith for the win. Ultimately, he fell .318 seconds short of what could have been his first victory. Considering the day Eckes had, the second-place finish was a great rebound from the early spin. Eckes for sure will get a victory one of these days.

    Previous Week Ranking – Second
  3. Derek Kraus – A wild day for Kraus and the No. 19 Bill McAnally team, who ended up finishing eighth in the running order. Friday’s race may have been the wildest ever in his career, as his No. 19 NAPA machine went sliding across the finish line when the checkered flag flew. Kraus, at that point, had no other option but to hang on, hope for the best and that he would not lose any more positions. Fortunately, he didn’t and earned his seventh top 10 of the year. Kraus also earned stage finishes of fifth and 10th.

    Previous Week Ranking – Fifth
  4. Ben Rhodes – It was a rough and forgettable Michigan outing for Rhodes who came home 11th. The ThorSport driver was caught up in retaliation against Chandler Smith, as Rhodes intentionally wrecked him going into Turn 1 on lap 60. Before the incident, Rhodes was having a respectable day where he finished third in Stage 1. But the day would go south after Stage 2, when Rhodes, among others, played track position and hoped the strategy would play in their favor. But, the Kentucky native would have to settle for a finish outside the top 10.

    Previous Week Ranking – Fourth
  5. Grant Enfinger – Enfinger had one of his best races going since his Atlanta win earlier in the season, but was taken out on the second green-white-checkered start while leading. Before that, the Alabaman was having a solid day with stage finishes of seventh and fourth. Depending on how the meeting goes, the postseason could get rocky for Enfinger, as his teammate Johnny Sauter was caught up in a wreck after battling for the lead with 18 to go. Sauter noted on the radio, ‘he would make sure the 98 would not win a championship this year.’ Sure, this comment was likely out of frustration, but here’s hoping cooler heads will prevail and drivers can focus on the bigger picture.

    Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked

Fell Out

  1. Matt Crafton – A tale of two races for the veteran who won at Kansas and then got caught up in someone else’s mess at Michigan, resulting in a 23rd place finish. While the finish was disappointing Crafton was able to score stage points by finishing fourth in Stage 1.

    Previous Week Ranking – Fifth

Automotive engineer resume – 5 key elements in 2020

By
SM
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Thanks to Gabrielle Henderson for sharing their work on Unsplash.

Automotive engineering is an exciting and rewarding career that continues to grow as companies turn to innovation in terms of developing electric and self-driving cars.

So the career opportunities for automotive technicians are immense and they possess the right skills to lead the automobile industry. 

But how do you showcase these skills in a resume? Here are the 5 elements of an automotive engineer resume that will help you make a stellar automotive engineer resume.  

Use keywords

Most candidates will use the same resume for every job post they encounter but it is not ideal as the job requirements will be different for each. 

To increase your chances of getting shortlisted for the job, you not only need to choose an optimized resume format but also modify your resume as per the job you are targeting. 

But how do modify your resume to bring it in line with the target profile?

Go through the description of the job post you are applying for. This will help you understand what the recruiter or the employer is seeking in a potential candidate. You could also hire someone like ARC Resumes, a professional resume company at https://www.arcresumes.com/, who can help you identify these skills, requirements, a cover letter, and keywords that you can include in your resume to make sure it shows you off as best as possible.

Let’s say you found the keyword “vehicle inspection” in the job description. You can modify your resume to include it in the skills or professional experience section. 

As you are modifying your resume as per these incorporated keywords, make sure that you can substantiate this information during the interview process. 

Write one-liner statements

Recruiters do not spend more than 6 seconds on a resume. So if your resume is ill-composed with long paragraphs, you need to change it.

The fact is that you need to add information to your resume in a manner that is readable at a glance because an ill-formatted resume can cost you your dream job. 

We advise that you curate one-liner bullet points in the professional experience section and avoid long paragraphs. When you include long paragraphs on a resume, it ends up looking like an essay. But you curate these statements while keeping the readability of your resume in mind. 

Check this example below to get an idea of what one-liner statements/points should look like: 

“Conducting quality testing of vehicles to inspect faulty components and defect in sub-assemblies” 

Write a resume summary

The aim of your summary should be the expertise that can qualify you as the ideal candidate for the target profile. You need to write a professional summary that addresses all the important aspects of your skills and achievements. 

Further, here are a few points that you should keep in mind while writing your summary: 

  • Begin the summary with the years of experience you possess and your job title. 
  • Avoid mentioning instances of first and second-person pronouns in the summary. 
  • Make sure it is written in paragraph form and not in bullets. 

Here is an example to help you understand how to curate a professional summary: 

“5+ years experienced Automotive Engineer with expertise in designing and modifying products. Adept at tracing engineering problems and deploying troubleshooting measures. Proficient in conducting regular inspections of vehicles to identify defects in components, design, procedures, etc.” 

Showcase your skills

Just possessing important skills is not enough when you are writing a resume. It will help you during the interview process but you need to prepare yourself for the application process as well. 

You can showcase your proficiencies in a separate “key skills” or “areas of expertise” section. In this section, you need to add all your core competencies, transferable skills, and technical expertise. 

Here are a few examples of the skills that you can add to your resume: 

  • Vehicle Inspection
  • Quality Testing
  • Design Drawing & Modification
  • CMM (coordinate measuring machine)
  • Technical Staff Monitoring 

Create an education section

Make an education section for your degrees or educational qualifications. For a lot of organizations, a bachelor’s degree in engineering may be a requirement. So, make sure that you add it to your resume.

Check the example below to write the education section: 

“Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering | Massachusetts institute of learning | Jun ‘16 – Jul ‘20”

Key Takeaways

Here are a few key takeaways from the article: 

  • Use keywords to bring your resume in line with the target profile. 
  • Write one-liner statements to improve the readability of your resume.
  • Compose a resume summary to highlight your relevant expertise and achievements. 
  • Showcase your core competencies in a separate “key skills” section. 

Darlington to feature limited fans for Southern 500

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images.

Darlington Raceway in South Carolina will host limited fans for the 71st annual running of the Southern 500 on Sunday, September 6, with the NASCAR Cup Series set to return for a third race at the track.

The announcement comes as NASCAR prepares to return to Darlington for two days of racing action throughout Labor Day weekend, which also marks the Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR. The action will start on Saturday, September 5, for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 event followed by the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race and the Cup Series Southern 500 race on Sunday, September 6.

“The Southern 500 is a time-honored tradition in motorsports, so we look forward to creating new NASCAR Cup Series Playoff memories with fans returning to Darlington Raceway,” Kerry Tharp, Darlington Raceway President, said. “After successfully hosting the sport’s return to competition in May, the track Too Tough To Tame will be ready to welcome fans back for a safe race experience.”

The attendance of race fans for the Southern 500 will be limited in accordance with public health officials and local, state and federal authorities along with any other safety protocols and procedures. Fans who have purchased tickets ahead of time for the race will be reseated in new locations, while making them as comparable as possible with original seating, with new lower ticket pricing available. All guests who attend the race at the track will be screened prior to entering the facility, required to wear face coverings/masks and distance one another six feet apart.

This year’s Southern 500 marks the first race of the 2020 Cup Playoffs and the first of three events in the Round of 16. Darlington Raceway also marks the site of NASCAR’s return to on-track racing in May 17 amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that was followed by a second Cup race on May 20 and an Xfinity Series event on May 21.

The upcoming Cup race at Darlington does not mark the only occasion where limited fans were allowed to attend a race at the grandstands amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Tracks that include Homestead-Miami Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Road America opened their facilities for select fans to attend the race and experience the live on-track action from the grandstands. Daytona International Speedway is set to have fans in attendance for the upcoming races on August 14-16 and on August 28-29.

The NASCAR triple-header action at Darlington Raceway will commence on September 5 at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC for the Xfinity Series followed by the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series return to Darlington on September 6 at 2 p.m. ET on FS1. The action will cap off with the Southern 500 and the 2020 Playoff opener on September 6 at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN for the Cup Series.

NHRA Cancels Southern Nationals

By
Briar Starr
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Photo Courtesy of NHRA

NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) announced Monday morning, the NHRA Southern Nationals that normally takes place at the Atlanta Dragway has been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns within the community. The event was originally slated for the end of August, Aug 28-30.

“It is with great regret that we announce the cancellation of the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway,” said Kasey Coler, vice president of track management and operations. This tough decision was made following numerous discussions with our stakeholders regarding the ability to host and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the race. Unfortunately, under the current circumstances, we would not be able to provide the event a proper platform to honor and celebrate this historic anniversary.”

Despite the unfortunate news, the 40th anniversary is scheduled to be celebrated in 2021.

Bell to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in the 2021 Cup season

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images.

Christopher Bell has a place to call home for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. That place is Joe Gibbs Racing after the organization named Bell as driver of the No. 20 Toyota Camry and as part of the team’s four-car stable alongside Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr.

Bell, a native from Norman, Oklahoma, is currently competing in his first full-time season in the Cup Series as a rookie candidate and in the No. 95 Toyota Camry for Leavine Family Racing. Bell’s move to JGR comes four days after Erik Jones, who is currently in his third season driving the No. 20 Toyota, announced that he will not be returning to the organization for next season. The move also came six days after Bob Leavine, owner of Leavine Family Racing, announced that he has sold his team and that the organization will be ceasing all operations following the 2020 Cup season.

The move to Joe Gibbs Racing is also a reunion for Bell, who first drove for the team as a part-time competitor in the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series season before racing full time in 2018. From 2017 to 2019, Bell won 16 Xfinity races and made it all the way to the Championship Round in 2018 and 2019, with a best points result of third place in 2019. In addition, Bell will become the fifth competitor to pilot the iconic No. 20 car for Joe Gibbs Racing since its inception in 1999.

“I’m so appreciative of the opportunity I have this year with LFR and I want to finish this season strong for Bob [Leavine] and everyone there,” Bell said. “At the same time, I’m extremely excited to return to Joe Gibbs Racing starting in 2021. It’s an organization I’m very comfortable with and have had a lot of success with.”

“We are excited to bring Christopher into our Cup Series program starting in 2021,” Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, added. “He obviously had tremendous success in the Xfinity Series with us and we look forward to his return to JGR.”

Additional announcements regarding Bell’s crew chief and sponsors for next season will be announced at a later date.

Through the first 22 races of this year’s Cup season, Bell has notched one top-five result and five top-10 results. He is ranked 19th in the regular-season standings and is 122 points below the top-16 cutline to make the 2020 Cup Playoffs with four regular-season races remaining.

The NASCAR Cup Series will return to action on Sunday, August 16, for the inaugural race at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, which will air at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

CHEVY NCS AT DAYTONA RC: Chase Elliott Press Conf. Transcript

By
Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
GO BOWLING 235 AT THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
August 10, 2020

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media via teleconference, and discussed the challenges for the new Daytona Road Course race without any on-track practice, the benefits utilizing iRacing and the Chevrolet simulator to prepare, his opinion of the new Choose Rule, racing at Bristol, and more. Full Transcript:

A LOT OF THE CHATTER IS ‘WHAT’S WRONG WITH CHASE ELLIOTT’, BUT YOU HAVE THREE STRAIGHT TOP-10’S, SO ARE YOU STRUGGLING, OR NOT?
“Well, at least there’s chatter about us. I guess that’s better than not. Yeah, I think we’re struggling a little bit, for sure. I think on one hand, historically the Pocono, Indy, Kentucky, and Texas tracks have been, I would say, historically poor for me, personally. Maybe not from a stat sheet or whatever in some cases, but I think those tracks have been a problem a little bit in the past. So, I’m not as surprised to struggle with those places. But certainly, I thought we would do a little better at Kansas and thought we would be maybe a little better at Michigan. I feel like our success came early there at Michigan. We had some really good runs there in my rookie year and then in that second year. But really, since then I feel like we’ve even struggled there.

“So yes, I do. I feel we’re not performing as we should. Not performing as we expect. Not performing to our full potential, you know? Whether that’s me or whatever it is, I certainly expect more of all of us, myself included. So yes, I think we’re off.”

LOOKING AHEAD TO BRISTOL, THAT’S MORE OF AN EQUALIZER WHEN IT COMES TO RACE TRACKS, BEING A SHORT TRACK, NOT AS MUCH AERO INVOLVED. DO YOU HAVE A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP WHERE YOU’VE LED A LOT OF LAPS BUT HAVEN’T ALWAYS GOTTEN THE FINISH THAT YOU DESERVE; AND YET YOU DID WIN THE ALL-STAR THERE? ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING TO THE NIGHT RACE AT BRISTOL NEXT MONTH?
“Yeah, I’m definitely excited to go to Bristol. Coming off a win there is great. And like you said, I feel like we’ve had some really good runs there in the past; not always the results to show it, but yeah, I look forward to going. I do think that even the short track side of things I think it can exploit all of your struggle spots, whatever that may be. For whatever reason, the All-Star race went really well, and that’s really, I feel like, been the only race that we’ve performed like I know we can; heck, over the past month and a half. So yeah, I’m looking forward to going there although we all know that a good run there in the past does not guarantee you a good run next time. But I’m certainly looking forward to trying again.”

LOOKING AHEAD TO THIS WEEKEND AT THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE, WITH THE 2020 SCHEDULE BEING CRAZY AND THE RESTART AND EVERYTHING ELSE, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO OUT OF THIS PARTICULAR WEEKEND IN A FIRST-TIME RUN ON A ROAD COURSE AT DAYTONA?
“I think this weekend is going to be a big time challenge for everyone. I think the one guy that I look at that really has a leg up is Kyle (Busch), having come off that 24-hour event (Rolex 24) this year. In fact, I think if we all knew that we were going to be doing this road course, you probably would have seen all of us trying to get in that 24-Hour race this year to go and do it. But you never know with things like that. I think it’s going to be a challenge. I think it’s going to be a fun challenge for everyone. I’ve never entered a race like that where you literally just have no idea what to expect. Road racing, in my opinion, is a lot about brake-markers and a lot about visual aids and these nuances around the track that you can see with your eyes to help with your hands and your feet do the right things at the right times. Heck, I have no idea where I need to stop on Turn 1 on Sunday; or (Turn) 2 or (Turn) 3 and all the way back around to the Start/Finish Line.

“So, I think that’s going to be super, super difficult for everybody. And it’s going to be one of those things where you have to creep up on it and it’s a hard guess. You know, we can run in the SIM’s and iRacing and all those things until we’re blue in the face. But ultimately that doesn’t, in my opinion, give you the visual aids that you need to do the right things at the right times. The only way to get that is (with) laps around the race track and 65 laps is not really a ton of time to figure those things out. So, learn and learn fast and try not to make any big time mistakes in doing it.”

YOU ARE ONE OF THE DRIVERS ON SATURDAY DURING THE MICHIGAN RACE THAT USED THE CHOOSE RULE TO YOUR ADVANTAGE. CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH THE PROCESS OF HOW YOU MADE DECISIONS AND WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF EVERYTHING AND ANY TWEAKS THAT NEED TO BE MADE GOING FORWARD?
“I think the rule is good. I thought that it opened up options. To me, the biggest thing about it is the way you come off pit road doesn’t determine your destiny, which I think is the right thing. It eliminates the games leaving pit road. And too, I think in a lot of ways, it almost puts a little more stock in your pit stop because although it doesn’t necessarily determine whether or not you’re going to be odd or even, but it does allow to pick ahead of a car or two if you are able to beat those people off of pit road. So, it doesn’t take any of the importance out of having a fast pit stop because choosing before the next guy is still important, but it does allow you to pick. And, I think if things work out for you, great. And like I’ve said before, if you choose the wrong lane, there’s nobody else to blame it on but yourself. So, I think that’s really the way it should be, and I like that we’re doing that now.

“And, I can’t say that I had some super-smart, genius way, of picking lane, but on a couple of those restarts there, it worked out and I had the right pusher. Brad (Keselowski) gave me a great push there on Saturday. That was why we got the lead. And then out front, obviously Kevin (Harvick) was still very fast. Do I think he was going to be really hard to hold off those last 10 or 11 laps? Absolutely. But it gave us an option that we might not have had otherwise.”

WITH SO MUCH CONTRACT TALK THIS PAST WEEK AND ESPECIALLY THE TALK ABOUT WHO IS GOING TO END UP IN THE NO. 48 CAR, WHO DO YOU PERSONALLY WANT TO SEE REPLACE JIMMIE JOHNSON NEXT YEAR IN THAT CAR?
“I’d love for Jimmie to stay. How about that? I think Jimmie is a great guy and I enjoy having him as my teammate; so, I’m lobbying for him.”

HOW MUCH TIME HAVE YOU GOTTEN ON THE SIMULATOR ON THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE OR HAVE YOU DONE ANY IRACING OR GOTTEN ANY SORT OF PRACTICE WHATSOEVER? AND WHAT CONCERNS YOU ABOUT THE COURSE, GOING IN COLD?
“I think a lot of it I mentioned there at the beginning; so, I don’t want to double-up on the same comments. But, pretty much everything I said there to start. I’ve run some laps on iRacing. When I messed around with it on iRacing, it didn’t have that chicane there on the front straightaway, which they added; or I guess it’s there and will be there for the race weekend. So yeah, I’m planning on going to the Chevy SIM this week and just try to get some laps. I really think you have to be really smart about how you take that information and apply it to real life because although you can make laps, and maybe get yourself familiar with the course, those visual aids on IRacing or the Chevrolet SIM, are never going to be exactly right.

“The sponsor logos change on the wall every time you go. You might have a section of grass that isn’t green, or it is dead, that you might use as a brake point. All those things are just so dynamic that I think it’s hard to take that to a simulator to real life. So, when I go to the SIM, I’m going to just try to take a super step back, like generalized approach, and try to learn the big things about the course and the layout; but I think it’s going to be really hard to fine tune. And I almost think you’re better off not trying to fine tune because I would rather have no information than to gather wrong information going into an event like that cold turkey.”

ON THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE REPLACING WATKINS GLEN THIS YEAR, WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON NOT GOING TO THE GLEN SINCE YOU’VE WON THERE THE PAST TWO YEARS?
“Obviously we’ve had a good couple of years up there so it would have been nice to go back and try again. But ultimately, I get it. And, I’m glad to see that they’ve put a road course on the schedule that was feasible and an option to do. So, I certainly don’t have anything bad to say about it, honestly. I understand the reasoning behind it and I appreciate NASCAR’s flexibility in being able to change things up and get a road course on the schedule in place of a road course. It’s really, honestly, about all we could ask for, I think. And, I think it will be a really big challenge for all the drivers which, I think, is good. We’re supposed to be challenged and we’re supposed to be the top of our sport of stock car racing. So yeah, I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

WILL YOU REACH OUT TO ANY OF THE GUYS WHO HAVE RACED THE ROLEX 24 TO TRY TO GET SOME IDEAS AND SOME HINTS OF WHAT TO DO? THEY ALL SEEM TO SAY THE BIGGEST ISSUES WILL BE IN THE BRAKING ZONES.
“Yeah, I think so. And, I think we need to exploit the Chevrolet-side of things with the Corvette program and the Cadillac programs that they do there on the IMSA-side of things. We have a lot of access to that. So absolutely. I plan on doing that some. Those cars are very different from our cars and they are very high-performance and stop way better and corner faster and all those things, so it is different. But, road course racing, I think, we’ve seen guys come over from that world and come to stock car racing and have a lot of success because I think a lot of the fundamentals of road racing are probably, although I’ve never driven one of those cars, but seeing how they’ve come over and had success, I would have to think they are fundamentally similar in braking and when to be on the brakes and when to be off the brakes and when to do the max braking and when to not, I think are probably all a similar mindset. It’s just going to be your distances and your gaps and things are going to be way different. So just kind of figuring that out, I do think they can offer some good insight to maybe little things around the race track that we can use to our advantage.”

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

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

104th Running Community Hub Encourages Fans To Embrace ‘500’ Spirit this August

By
Official Release
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INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, Aug. 10, 2020 – The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has created the ultimate virtual destination for race fans to stay connected to the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge leading up to NBC’s live Race Day coverage Sunday, Aug. 23 beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

The 104th Running Community Hub, which can be found at IMS.com/Community, encourages race fans to embrace the community-driven spirit of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in a smart, safe and healthy manner. These initiatives will help Hoosiers and Indiana businesses in need during these challenging times, including artists, local restaurants and more. It also includes several features that will get fans excited for 500 miles of racing, with a tune-in guide, the IMS Digital Archive and information on the Official Event Program.

“The Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is an event that defines our city each and every year, and that remains true this year, even through the extraordinary circumstances surrounding this year’s event,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “The 104th Running Community Hub gives race fans many opportunities to embody the spirit of the Indianapolis 500 by supporting those within our community while also celebrating the greatest race in the world.”

One of the many community-related programs fans can participate in is #500Fashion, which features a different look this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic but serves an even stronger purpose. Race fans are encouraged to adapt #500Fashion to their face masks to carry the spirit of the “500” in a smart, safe, healthy and fashionable manner. This is the perfect way for Hoosiers to join the State of Indiana’s #MaskUpHoosiers campaign that encourages everyone to do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Race fans also can continue their participation in a fan-favorite Indy 500 initiative that features a more impactful twist – Welcome Race Fans. Each year, Indianapolis comes alive as Hoosiers celebrate the spirit of the Indy 500 and welcome race fans from around the world. This year’s Welcome Race Fans collaboration with the Arts Council of Indianapolis features five new works of art and several ways fans can support Central Indiana artists who have been severely impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fans can purchase exclusive “giclee” prints from all five years of Welcome Race Fans, as well as posters of this year’s artwork, with the proceeds benefitting local artists and the Indy Arts & Culture COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund.

IMS and Susan Decker Media also are teaming up for an exciting initiative that encourages race fans to support local restaurants leading up to the 104th Indy 500 with a new program called 500 Fan Fuel. This two-week program features more than 80 restaurants in Central Indiana that are offering exclusive deals at some of race fans’ favorite eateries. When headed out of the house to these great local restaurants, individuals are reminded to wear their #500Fashion face masks, maintain proper social distancing and choose outdoor seating where available.

Additionally, race fans are encouraged to help IMS decorate Indianapolis and celebrate the race that has defined our city for over a century by hanging their checkered flags, putting up signs supporting their favorite NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver and anything else that gives their neighborhood the ultimate turbo-boost heading into race week. IMS has set the stage by continuing the fan-favorite street sign takeover that renames major streets and avenues in downtown Indianapolis after the stars of the Indy 500. New this year in collaboration with Downtown Indy, Inc., Shining a Light on Monument Circle will feature a stunning Indy 500-themed presentation that highlights special moments, drivers and traditions that define “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Race fans can visit IMS.com/Community all month long to learn more about this year’s initiatives and how they can exemplify the spirit of the Indianapolis 500.

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