Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Thursday, August 6, 2020

Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Cup Series and Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 98 Ford Performance Racing School Mustang in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, both participated in a NASCAR Zoom call this afternoon to talk about this weekend’s action at Michigan International Speedway and Road America. Here is a transcript of both sessions:

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang – WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO GO TO MICHIGAN WITH TWO RACES IN ONE WEEKEND? “Yeah, it’s definitely a big weekend for Michigan. I’m excited about heading up there. I’m actually going up there tomorrow morning to do something for Ford and the new Mach-E, so I’m really excited about heading up there and doing that with Vaugh (Gittin Jr.), but also for the races. It’s been a great racetrack for us in the past, a track that seems to kind of fit my style and what I look to do on a racetrack. I’m looking forward to seeing what setups Paul can come up with and what we’ll have here for these two races. When I look at the Team Penske cars there, we were all pretty good there last year. The Fords in general were really good. You look at what the Stewart-Haas cars were able to do at the end of the race, so I feel pretty confident in it. I feel like we’ve been making some good progress here over the last few weeks in getting some speed back in our cars to where we can run in the top five again consistently. We’re just looking for smooth races at this point and those points will start coming again. It seems like we’re getting back on track right at the right time to head into the playoffs, so I’m looking for a strong weekend here with a couple races and hopefully we can come out of there with a couple of trophies and keep that Heritage Trophy. That’s also a cool one that goes with the manufacturer. I know Edsel has brought this one up to me quite a few times about how much he wants that in the old headquarters in Dearborn, so I want to make sure we bring that back.”

A LOT OF CHATTER ABOUT USING THE CHOOSE RULE THE REST OF THE YEAR AT MOST RACES. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ABOUT THAT? “Finally. That would be my answer to that. I’ve been looking for this for years. I’ve brought it up in meetings for years and to see it kind of come into action at Bristol is something that I thought went really smooth. It was kind of exciting and interesting to see the decisions that drivers made and it was different every time. If you do that at Bristol, what’s it look like at Michigan? What’s it look like at a road course? There’s one we really don’t know. There’s a lot of questions that kind of come along with that on what it is and there might be some races where it looks identical to what it is right now where third is on the inside and fourth is on the outside. That can happen. It might be every other, but I think every now and again there might be two or three cars lined up in one row and you have the opportunity to move up two or three rows. It definitely adds another piece to the strategy and even more importantly it has everyone not doing the whole stopping at the end of pit road and letting a car go by because, for one, it’s not safe to stop at the end of pit road for anyone jumping over the wall and having cars swerve like that. But, two, that’s not racing. The goal should be in front of whatever car is in front of you, not let one go at the end of pit road so you can have the outside lane or the inside lane. That’s backwards. You don’t want to do that, so we can get past that. Every time we’d try to count cars like that someone would have a penalty anyway, so it never worked for me. You’d always let one go and then the car in front of you has an uncontrolled or a speeding penalty and you’re like,’ C’mon!’ So, it gets rid of all that. That’s nice.”

THERE IS SOME TALK TOO ABOUT NOT DRAWING FOR STARTING LINEUP GOING FORWARD. IT WILL BE A MIX OF POINTS AND FINISH AND FASTEST LAPS. ARE YOU GOOD WITH THAT? “I am. It makes sense. It’s maybe a little bit more confusing than what I would have gone with. If they end up going with the process that has been talked about here, just for the race fans I feel like it’s confusing, but, outside of that, so it’s fair and I guess that’s all that matters. It’s fair and I’m sure that’s probably what the fans care about the most. If all of us competitors can agree that it’s a fair way to set the lineup, I don’t think any fan is really gonna care how it happened as long as we all feel like you earned your starting position, just like we used to. You used to earn your starting position by qualifying. Well, now you’re going to earn your starting position by three different ways, whether it’s lap time or finishing points position – those type of things. You’ve earned every one of those spots, so although it’s confusing it’s fair.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHT NOW ON MIDWEEK RACES AFTER GOING THROUGH SOME OF THEM THIS YEAR? “I’m still a fan of midweek races. I think it’s actually been great and the midweek race isn’t just the midweek race. There’s a lot of things that go along with it because of the timing of whether you’re racing that weekend. Is it a Sunday coming off another Sunday? Or coming off a Saturday night race that gives you more time to prepare for a Wednesday race. Those kind of things really seem to come into play and that being a one-day show kind of like we have everywhere now. Just going into the future looking at it, if practice is added back to other ones, maybe Wednesday races don’t have practice. Maybe this is what we’ve learned out of this, that we can do things like that and the Wednesday races are no back-up car, no practice, no qualifying and race. That can be how it works and we’ve proven it does work. We’ve done this enough since we’ve gone back in Darlington to prove that we can still put on a pretty good race. It’s really not that much different in a lot of different ways, so this has been really good and just like every other industry right now we’re all learning of ways that we can still do what we do and just doing it differently. We’ve learned a lot from it.”

HOW HAS YOUR TEAM ADJUSTED TO IT? “It’s been hard. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t hard. Probably harder this year than it would have been if we made the whole crew chief swap last year and we had practice and time to build a notebook and the communication was to where it is at this point of the season. I look at the first three races of the season earlier before COVID with practice and being able to tune on our car, Paul and I were able to put a really fast car on the racetrack, and then COVID hit and it’s showing up and racing and it’s like, ‘Okay, well, what do we need?’ And it’s like, ‘Well, I don’t know. I had this last year.’ A lot of times Paul and Todd’s setups aren’t even close, so what I was used to and what he used to put in the car isn’t even in the ballpark, so we’re trying to figure out what is the right direction to go and you only learn when the race starts. I don’t know if you guys know, but when the race starts your hands are pretty much tied. You can do some wedge and trackbar and air, but you’re not making the big changes to the car, so that’s been quite the learning experience. We’ve kind of gone down one road and backed up on another road back up, and I think we’re going down a road now that seems to be making sense in bringing speed back in our car. I feel confident in that, so we’ll keep moving down the road we’re on right now and developing that, but it’s just harder to develop. It’s harder to get clear answers because even when you feel like you’ve learned something from the previous race, you’re going to a different racetrack the next week, so how do you prove a new theory?”

HOW EXCITED ARE YOU FOR A DOUBLEHEADER THIS WEEKEND AND CAN YOU TAKE ANYTHING FROM POCONO? “I don’t know that there’s a whole bunch from Pocono that you take from it, at least from a driver’s perspective. It’s pretty simple. You go up there and you try to win each one of them. That’s the strategy. There may be some drivers that are a little bit more conservative the first one to make sure that you finish in the top 20. We kind of had a double-negative in Pocono, where you had shorter races. We were running good and blow a left-front tire with five to go and you finish 30-something. Well, shoot, now I’ve got to start 30-something the next day with a backup car. That’s a double shot in the foot, so there might be a little bit more to just making sure you have at least a solid day the first one, so you can use your car again, you can tune on it. You’re not scrambling trying to put another car together. You can actually finish the race, take what you’ve learned and apply it to the same car and have a decent starting spot the next time. I think that might be one of the learnings, but some things you just can’t control and ways too that, if the win is sitting in front of you, you’ve got to take it. You’ve got to take that risk and if it hurts both races, I still think it’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

BRAD WON LAST WEEK ON YOUR HOME TRACK AND YOU’VE DONE WELL ON HIS. HE WAS JOKING EARLIER THAT MAYBE YOU COULD GIVE HIM ONE THIS WEEKEND. “I can’t give him one because he didn’t give me one last week. That wouldn’t be fair. I’ve got to teach him the rules of how this works. My racetrack was first, but it’s funny, we actually texted back and forth after he won last week and I’m like, ‘Geez, can’t we just switch home tracks?’ Loudon is probably his best racetrack and Michigan by stats is probably my best racetrack, so it’s kind of funny how that has worked out, but the good news is both of us can win races at racetracks. I’ve been able to get a couple wins at Loudon, but I would trade quite a few wins at any other racetracks to win at Loudon. That track just means a lot to me personally and I would love to win there much more frequently, but I do feel a little bit more confident going back there now because our car was really good last week. I’d like to kind of re-run that one, but we’ve got to wait a year to do it, but, yeah, it’s funny how that kind of works out.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF MICHIGAN? “It’s kind of been the same at every track we’ve gone to, you just kind of fire off and go down into the corner and you hope she sticks, hope it doesn’t bottom out and you kind of feel it out from there. All these race teams have done a pretty good job to where you don’t see many cars going down in the first corner going, ‘Oh, no,’ and sliding up the racetrack and being a complete disaster. These race teams are all pretty good at this point being able to consistently build the same type of race car to where they’re not searching to get the splitter height right. All the cars are built the same now across the whole field, where everyone knows how to set up their splitter heights. Everyone knows how to get their ride heights right, the overall balance it can go off of maybe some sim stuff. We have a lot of just notes and it’s just where this sport is at as people have evolved and they’ve been able to build consistency. That’s why you don’t see cars that are just out of control out there for the most part, so that gives drivers more confidence to not have to have warm-up laps, if you want to call them that, of just going easy the first couple. Everyone has gone pretty hard. Everyone was nervous about this at Darlington and everyone took a couple of easy laps, but now it’s balls to the wall as soon as we go. We are going and that’s gonna be what it is at Michigan as you barrel off. Turn one is not that bad because you don’t have the speed built up, but turn three is usually where you’re gonna have to figure it all out because you’ve got all the momentum rolling down into there, and I don’t expect anyone to be cautious at that point.”

HOW IS IT FOR YOU KNOWING BRAD’S DEAL IS DONE? “It’s a distraction. Any time you don’t have a deal in place, and that’s one of the main reasons why I signed a deal as long as I did is that I don’t want to be distracted by this over and over again every year or every two years or three years. I want to have some security, know that I’m in a place for a long time, and I can focus in on my race team and not be worried about, ‘Am I racing here next year? Do I need to start searching around? Do I need to start talking to other teams?’ Well, now your effort is from focusing on building a fast race car and getting yourself ready to prepare to race, you’re taking that focus away to go think about and be nervous about what am I doing next year? Where am I going? What’s gonna happen? That’s not good to have. It might drive some people. It might make them better in ways. I don’t know, For me, I know it doesn’t For me, I know that it’s an awful distraction and it gets me way out of the mental mindset that I need to be in to perform, so that’s why I’ve done what I did. I can’t speak on Brad’s behalf, but I’m glad that they got it done. Brad and I have been great teammates over the last seven years and I always say one of the main reasons I drive for Team Penske and Shell is because of Brad. So, I’m glad to see the relationship continue with Roger and Team Penske and Brad and myself. I think it’s gonna be great.”

WHY DO YOU THING PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT HOW HARD IT IS TO PASS CERTAIN DRIVERS DURING A RACE. ISN’T IT CALLED RACING FOR A REASON? DO YOU WANT TO SEE THAT SIDE-BY-SIDE RACING HARD MENTALITY? “Yes. I can’t add more to it than what you just said than yes. I’ve never understood it. There’s a difference between racing hard and trying to maintain, whether you’re trying to stay on the lead lap or trying to hold off a certain position towards the end of a stage. It’s one thing if the guy catches you from a straightaway back. That’s gonna be a little bit different when you’re 100 laps into the race. Alright, well maybe we don’t make that guy’s life awful at that point, and that will come back to you, but there are other cases that it’s a race – like, what do you want? It’s not the highway. We’re not letting people go. It’s not like somebody is coming from behind you in the left lane and you get out of their way for them. No. No. No. I don’t know if you guys ever watched a highway go by, it’s pretty boring. So the racing part is what we all love to do and fans love to watch. Like I said on the radio the other day, fans are gonna have a biased opinion for their favorite driver, so when your favorite driver is being held up by somebody they’re gonna look at it and say, ‘Oh, that’s not okay. It shouldn’t be that way.’ But when you put the shoe on the other foot it’s okay because everyone kind of has a biased opinion, which is fine. I don’t have a problem with that, but it just is what it is. I’m a hard racer. I’m fine with it. I’m fine with people who race me hard. I’m not okay if someone crashes somebody. That’s a different story, but a little bumping and banging, a little racing hard door-to-door, that’s life. It doesn’t mean it puts a smile on your face. You get aggravated a little bit, but I’d be a hypocrite if I complained about it, I know that. So, you race and you accept it.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 98 Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang – HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT ROAD AMERICA? “I’m super-excited to go to Road America, first off with the Henry Rifles 180. We’re gonna be in the Henry Repeating Arms car, so a lot of pressure there. I’m looking forward to it. I feel like Road America is one of the best racetracks as far as road courses go for putting on action. It’s kind of got a little bit of everything between high-speed, low-speed, tight corners, fast corners, elevation, tire fall off, so it’s a really good racetrack. It’s a beautiful part of the country. It’s like you’re at a state park when you’re there. It’s an awesome facility. I was there last week with the IMSA car, so I got a little bit of practice as far as just seeing the racetrack again and getting back to that mindset of going road racing, so hopefully that will correlate over to this weekend.”

WHAT DID YOU PICK UP FROM THE IMSA RACE THAT YOU CAN CARRY OVER TO THIS WEEK? “The IMSA car and the NASCAR car stuff is quite a bit different as far as how they drive, but I feel like I learned some stuff on the racetrack, just things about how I hit certain curbs or where to hit certain curbs. I tried some different line stuff just to see because sometimes it feels faster in the race car, but you don’t necessarily know, especially at a place where your lap time is over two minutes. It’s hard to say if that really gained you anything. For me, the fortunate thing is in IMSA we have data, so I could go back and I can look to see, ‘Okay, when I tried this in this corner it was a little bit worse or a little bit better.’ So I feel just trying different things on the racetrack, hopefully those will correlate over in the XFINITY stuff, but as far as how the cars drive they’re so different. A perfect example is into turn five. I can go just past the 300 for my braking marker and in the XFINITY stuff we’re before the 500 until you can start braking, so the braking zones are so much different, but hopefully those little tricks I felt like I maybe learned in the IMSA car this past weekend will correlate over to some speed this week. And then also just seeing the racetrack. With no practice and no qualifying everybody is seeing it for the first time, where I ran almost two hours of track time just last weekend, so hopefully that will help.”

THIS SEASON CAME TOGETHER LATE FOR YOU. DID YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME ANYTHING TO GET THIS SUCCESS AND WHAT DOES YOUR FUTURE LOOK LIKE AT THIS STAGE? “Yeah, it definitely came together late. I’m super-fortunate that it all came together because I felt like after last year, really the last half of the year, I felt like we were really good. I felt like we outran the big three a lot. We didn’t necessarily finish the race there. We’d have a lot of weird stuff happen, but from a speed standpoint I felt like we could have run with those guys pretty much week in and week out, so I knew if we had the opportunity again I felt like we could go and win a lot of races and compete for a lot of wins and we’ve been able to do that so far. Truthfully, I would love to move up to the Cup Series next year. I feel like I’ve proved that I can win at this level, and I want to move on to the Cup Series. I’m one of the older guys in the XFINITY Series in general. Not that I feel like my time is running out, but I just feel like it’s almost time to, if I’m gonna make it to the Cup Series, I feel like I need to do it fairly quickly just from an age standpoint, so I can really maximize out my Cup career. But if I move up, I want to do it in something competitive. I want to move up and learn good habits in good race cars. I don’t want to go and run something that’s gonna be a mid-pack car. I want something that’s capable of winning races and a championship right away, just so I can learn good habits right out of the box and just try to learn the best I can. I feel like if you’re in not the best race cars, sometimes you can learn bad habits in those. I think the big thing that’s kind of tricky if you do move up next year is the following year you’re gonna have a brand new race car where everybody is on an equal playing field. There’s a lot of stuff that’s moving and shaking, I feel like, just in the Cup Series in general with a lot of open seats. I feel like there are a lot of dominos yet to fall just to even figure out if there’s a spot available for me, but I would love to move up in the Cup Series as long as it’s something that’s able to go win races right out of the box. I think as a rookie it’s gonna be really hard to win races in general, so you need to have the best equipment possible to try to help that curve. Right now, I’m still trying to focus on the XFINITY Series, but I would definitely love to kind of have a better idea of what I’m doing next year sooner rather than later, just because it gets to the point where it’s so late in the year if something does fall apart, it’s hard to find anything to fall back on.”

ARE YOU HAVING ANY PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS YET ON NEXT YEAR? “No, not yet, honestly. All my stuff, like you were saying earlier, normally comes pretty late in the year in general. I think a lot of that is just to try to figure out what’s even available. If I come back to the XFINITY Series, if I’m able to move up to Cup. There are so many variables that have to go one way or the other to even have an opening, so I think just waiting on those. Hopefully, at least when the playoffs start is typically when, I feel like, a lot of those negotiations even start – at least in my past experiences – so I’m just waiting to get to the playoffs and trying to focus on winning this regular season championship first and then try to win as many races as I can. I feel like if I can do all my talking on the racetrack, hopefully that will just accelerate all of those off the track negotiations.”

REGARDLESS OF WHAT SERIES YOU’RE IN NEXT YEAR WILL YOU BE IN A FORD? “Yeah, as far as I know that’s the plan. Whenever I came to Ford that was a five-year deal, so we’re coming up on year five now. Yeah, that’s the plan as far as I know. We want to keep winning races and I want to stay with Ford. They’ve been loyal to me. Without them, I wouldn’t be doing any of this stuff. I for sure want to stay with a Ford and that’s the plan as far as I know.”

ARE YOU ON THE BRONCO LIST? “I haven’t been on the list. I looked up the price and everything and I was gonna try to build one and then I thought better of it. I figured I’d better hold off. You never know if you win a championship what they’ll give you, so that’s my goal. I’m trying to win the championship and maybe they’ll give me a car. I know last year they gave Crafton a Raptor, so if we can win that, hopefully, I don’t even have to pay for anything. That’s kind of what I’m shooting for, but the Bronco looks super-cool. I’m excited to see them in person. I’ve seen a couple pictures online and they look awesome. I know Cindric got one and a couple other people I know have already ordered one, so I’m looking forward to seeing them in person, for sure.”

SO NEXT YEAR WILL BE YEAR FIVE OF YOUR FORD DEAL? “Yes.”

IS THERE SOME EXCITEMENT ABOUT GOING BACK TO TALLADEGA OR IS THE FEELING THE OPPOSITE? “I think it’s terrifying, truthfully. I feel like there are so many unknown variables when you go to those places. Typically, on a mile-and-a-half or any other racetrack if you have a bad day, you’re still gonna run 20th to 25th area, but you can realistically go to Talladega and not score any stage points whatsoever and run 30th on back. If you do that, that’s a 50 to 60-point swing right away, so that’s the scary thing to me about going to Talladega. In the playoffs there are so many things that can go wrong and, truthfully, in the Truck Series it cost me a championship. We went to Talladega and I got knocked out and then I ended up winning Homestead, so the Talladega thing is definitely scary. Anytime you go to a superspeedway there are just so many things out of your control, and then, like I said, the stage points – at least on a mile-and-a-half if you’re in one of the better cars you’re gonna score stage points, where Talladega you could not score any, so it’s definitely super-intense to go there in the playoffs. I definitely wish we weren’t going there, but, fortunately, we’ve got a pretty good points buffer right now. We need to continue to work on that, but the big thing is you go straight from Talladega and you go to the Roval, where there are just as many things that are out of your control there. So the first round of the playoffs is gonna be super-tricky, especially with the addition of Talladega.”

WHAT KIND OF CHALLENGE DOES A ROAD COURSE LIKE ROAD AMERICA POSE FOR YOU WITHOUT ANY PRACTICE? “I think it definitely makes it tough. I think it’s harder on the guys farther back in the pack, guys like Allmendinger who, because of points, has to start back there. At least the guys, for the most part, up front all have experience. There are a couple rookies that have never been to Road America, but they at least have stock car experience. There are some guys that are gonna be starting back there with Allmendinger that haven’t raced a stock car in a while and this may only be their second or third race, so that’s a little bit tougher back there. In our situation, when you draw on the back half of those first 12 guys you’re starting behind a lot of the guys that are the rookies that have never been there and just naturally they’re gonna be three or four seconds off the pace those first couple laps trying to learn the racetrack. So, it’s definitely hard to navigate through those guys, and then also just to know what your car’s got because you can burn your stuff up so fast and tear it up, and with our new pit stop stuff for this week, you do not want to have to come down pit road under a green flag situation, so you don’t want to flat spot the tires, you don’t want to get any damage, you don’t want to pop a tire or whatever, so it’s gonna definitely be a lot more crucial this time around. At Indy we at least had some practice. We still had the random draw, but guys knew the racetrack and knew what their cars were gonna do, where this week and next week we have no idea if our car is gonna be tight, loose, whatever. So it’s definitely gonna be an exciting thing to watch for the fans. I think it will be a little nerve-wracking on our end just knowing that anything can happen those first couple of laps.”

WHAT HAS 2020 TAUGHT YOU WITH THE HIGHS AND LOWS YOU’VE EXPERIENCED? “I think 2020 in general just expect the unexpected. I think for everybody it’s been a crazy year. On our end, truthfully, everybody’s year, I feel like, has been super up-and-down with everything going on in the world with the virus and everything else. It’s been a crazy year to say the least. On our end, it’s definitely been a lot of really low points and high points, and I don’t think you can compare the high points on the racetrack to how low the low points are with the miscarriage stuff, but it certainly helps raise your spirits a little bit. I’m glad that we are able to go back racing and the miscarriage thing, a perfect example, that was the first weekend back into racing and I couldn’t imagine experiencing that and then sitting out another two months from the race car. It just would have been really hard for my mind to be straight, truthfully. So, it’s definitely been a crazy year. Just trying to persevere on and off the racetrack has been the biggest thing because even on the racetrack, a perfect example is Indy. I practically threw the race away with three or four to go and wheel-hopped and let Cindric and Allmendinger get by, and just tried to stay focused and persevere through it and the obviously ended up winning the race. So, just a lot of lessons to be learned on and off the racetrack, for sure.”

Matt DiBenedetto and the Wood Brothers team are headed to Michigan International Speedway with a black No. 21 Mustang adorned with a paint scheme honoring Ford’s auto technicians.

The NewFordTech.com paint scheme will be used in both ends of a double-header that kicks off Saturday afternoon and concludes Sunday afternoon.

The No. 21 Mustang has been used to honor technicians in the past at Michigan, but this year’s theme carries an extra significance given the efforts the company’s technicians have put in during the ongoing pandemic.

Demand for vehicle work has remained strong in the months since COVID-19 has swept across the country, which only emphasizes the deficit of automotive technicians needed vs. how many are in the field. Those interested in starting a new career in this field can go to NewFordTech.com, where Ford will help guide visitors find a starting point that matches their needs.

High school students interested in becoming Ford or Lincoln automotive technicians have opportunities to continue their education at over 75 post-secondary training locations throughout the country, including the Ford Automotive Student Service Educational Training (ASSET) program and Ford Accelerated Credentials Training (FACT) program.

NASCAR and its race teams also have had to adjust to pandemic times, thus the double-header at Michigan, which is part of a schedule shuffle intended to get all of the 36 scheduled Cup Series races run this season.

DiBenedetto said he’s looking forward to driving the black No. 21 NewFordTech.com Mustang in the twin 312-mile races, which will be the second time this season that the Cup Series has run back-to-back races at the same track. The first was at Pocono Raceway on June 27-28.

“I like the double-headers,” he said. “Pocono was pretty fun. You learn a lot the first day that you can apply to the second.”

It’s more fun for DiBenedetto because the No. 21 Mustang has been fast in recent weeks.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to have fast cars,” he said. “Michigan requires a different style of racing. You’re in the throttle a lot, almost wide open all the way around the track.”

One aspect that isn’t different, he said, is the importance of track position and of making the most of the opportunities presented by restarts, an area in which he and his spotter Doug Campbell have excelled this year.

“Restarts are really important,” DiBenedetto said. “If you get stuck in the wrong lane on a restart you can lose eight spots.

DiBenedetto said races at Michigan take on an added importance for him and the Wood Brothers because of the team’s decades-long association with Ford.

“It’s a really special race for us,” he said. “The Wood Brothers have always had a close relationship with Ford.”

DiBenedetto said he’s confident the weekend will be a good one for him, his team and his sponsor.

“There are lot of good things to look forward to,” he said. “I feel like we’re really hitting our stride.”

Saturday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 is set to get the green flag just after 4 p.m. Eastern Time, and Sunday’s Consumers Energy 400 is set for a 4:30 p.m. start. Both races will be televised on NBCSN.

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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 200,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

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.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Thursday, August 6, 2020

Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang, is coming off his third win of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season after taking the checkered flag Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He heads to his home state of Michigan for this weekend’s doubleheader still seeking his first series win at the two-mile track.

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang – CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR EMOTIONS OF GETTING THE DEAL DONE? “The emotions are obviously very positive. It’s nice to be able to really focus on running for a championship in 2020 and not have to be worried about your job as much. Of course, you’re always worried about your job, but not over-the-top worried about your job as I think was becoming the case. And that, I think, hopefully will pay dividends as we make this run for a championship. I’m really hungry to win a second championship at the Cup level. I feel like we’ve been in this position a number of times and haven’t been able to bring it home. Hopefully this is the chance to do just that, so a lot of thoughts about that and the ability to focus on it and not have to worry about the extra curriculars, I think, is very valuable to us as we get to this final stretch.”

A LOT OF CHATTER THAT THE CHOOSE CONE COULD BE COMING AND A DIFFERENT WAY TO SETTING THE LINEUP. WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS? “There are parts I really like about it. There are parts I don’t so much like about it. I really would like to get some reps on it and then take it from there. I was probably a little more hopeful that it would go to a lower series first and they could work the bugs out, but that’s okay. I don’t know what I don’t know and that’s what makes me most nervous.”

CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH MICHIGAN AND THE FEELINGS YOU HAVE ABOUT THAT PLACE? “It’s a love-hate relationship in a lot of ways because I really hated leaving there the last few times knowing how close we’ve been to winning and not being able to win. But obviously it’s a love relationship. I love going there and feeling like I’m back where I grew up. There’s a lot of nostalgia that comes up in doing that and seeing family members and friends, but I just want to win there so bad and I know we’ve been so close. I know it’s right there at the tip of my fingertips and I haven’t been able to reach it. Every time I go there I’m just hopeful that this is the time and this is the year, and I think there’s a good chance that might be this year, so we’ll see.”

YOU WANT TO BE GREAT. HOW HARD IS IT TO BE GREAT? “Great is tough to define in general. What’s the difference between good and great? I think you could probably poll 100 different people and get 100 different answers. I know what great means to me. I know that great means winning multiple races a year, it means dominating races, it means being in contention for a championship year over year over year and not just making the playoffs. In NASCAR, that means being in the final four. That means going to the final race with a chance to win the championship. There have been years we’ve done that. There’s been years we haven’t. I think that’s probably the final definition of great is your ability to consistently do that, at least in my eyes. There have been years we’ve done it and years we haven’t and I want to be more consistent in doing just that. Hopefully, we can do it. We can run all the way through the final four and win the championship. That’s what great means to me.”

HOW HARD IS IT TO DO THAT AMONG THE GREATS IN THE FIELD? “There are a lot of great drivers and a lot of great teams. I think that realistically you probably have eight great drivers and eight great teams right now in Cup I think it would be pretty fair to say and those guys are really tough. A number of things can factor in, whether it be luck or timing of when your season comes together that can propel you or, quite honestly, deter you. So our goal is to be propelled when it counts in this final stretch and we’re in that. We’re in the final 40 percent of the season and it’s our opportunity to strike.”

HOW BIG WOULD IT BE TO WIN THE HERITAGE TROPHY AT MIS FOR FORD THIS WEEKEND? “I don’t get to keep it. It goes to the manufacturer, but I would like to hold it and one day walk it over to the Ford factory for them to enjoy together. I don’t know where they keep it. I can’t remember if Edsel keeps it when Ford wins it, or if it stays at Ford Performance, but I know I would like to be a part of helping it get back to Ford. It was there last year when Harvick won it and no reason not to be able to bring it back. It’s a cool little trophy. It’s a good idea by the track to embrace its roots as the home of the Big Three, and I commend them for thinking that way.”

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN THIS TYPE OF ZONE BEFORE? “I think I told somebody a few weeks ago that this is, in a lot of ways, the best year I’ve ever had and there are a number of metrics that you can look at to say something like that or to justify that kind of response. And average finish is one of the best, in my opinion, so the cars have been – knock on wood here – very reliable. That’s a big part of it. Other than Daytona, we’ve been able to avoid the wrecks. That’s a big part of it. Being in good places at the right time, having the speed to dictate where you’re at on the racetrack, so a lot of things are really clicking and I’m proud of that. We’ll see if we can keep that up. That’s one of those stats that I think defines great is average finish over the course of a season, and I think we’re at 8-point something and the best I’ve had before that was a 12-point something, so we’re not just a little better than my career average, we’re significantly better and that means a lot to me.”

BOB LEAVINE HAD TO PULL OUT OF THE SPORT. CAN YOU RELATE TO SOME OF THE EMOTIONS HE’S LIKELY GOING THROUGH? “Racing is tough. It’ll make you bitter. There ain’t no way around it. It’s competition in all forms. It’s competition from the driver level, the owner level, the crew chief level and it’s tough. There’s no way around it. I’ve heard a lot of talk lately about the ownership model being broken. I’m not so sure I believe that. Sometimes I think it is. Sometimes I think it isn’t. There’s a lot to be said for the very pure and true competitive and capitalist model that NASCAR team ownership has, so it’s got its positives and its negatives. I don’t enjoy seeing guys like Bob Leavine or anyone else for that matter leave the sport in ownership. I take no pleasure in their pain, but then on the other side I do recognize that in competition there must always be winners and losers, and maybe some people lose that don’t deserve to lose. That probably happens from time to time, but it’s part of the story of our sport is that there are winners and losers. We don’t have to like who the winner is and we certainly don’t have to wish for someone to lose. We might not like who it is that loses. I think in this case, Bob seemed like a really great gentleman who has brought a lot to this sport in a very short period of time, but it’s a tough sport. It really is, and this is part of that unfortunate cycle of life for our sport as well.”

HOW IS YOUR OWN MANUFACTURING COMPANY DOING DURING THE PANDEMIC? “So for really well. The early days of the pandemic were really not good would probably be the easiest way to put it. We went from having our best month ever to having zero work at all and zero revenues, which was a really scary time. What I’m seeing in the marketplace is a lot of companies are going back to work and they’re saying, ‘Hey, we have to get back to normal. There’s no choice.’ And as it stands today my company is doing the best that it’s ever done and has built a backlog of work that we’re very, very proud of that will serve a number of industries in different ways. I’m very excited about that. I’m very bullish about where the company is going and what it can do for certain companies. Unfortunately, a lot of the work we do is extremely proprietary and extremely confidential and/or classified, but it’s been an interesting period of time.”

DO YOU THINK THERE’S MORE AGGRESSION GOING INTO THIS WEEKEND WITH THIS BEING YOUR HOME TRACK? “The home track means a lot to me. There’s no doubt about that. Coming off winning in Loudon there’s a lot of confidence I have going there. The Team Penske cars were really strong last year. We probably deserved to run top five in both races. We ran out of gas in the second one last year, but the Michigan racetrack has been a lot of fun for me in the middle of the race. I like the different lanes that have opened up. I like the way they treated the track last year. I thought the racing was pretty good, but we’ll just have to play it by ear on what we can actually do. I know I’m gonna give it my all. I can’t control the result, but I can control the effort and I’m gonna give it my best effort.”

NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: FireKeepers Casino 400
The Place: Michigan International Speedway
The Date: Saturday, August 8
The Time: 4 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 3:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 312 miles (156 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 40),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 85), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 156)
2019 Race Winner: Joey Logano

NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: Consumers Energy 400
The Place: Michigan International Speedway
The Date: Sunday, August 9
The Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 4 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 312 miles (156 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 40),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 85), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 156)
2019 Race Winner: Kevin Harvick

NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: Henry 180
The Place: Road America
The Date: Saturday, August 8
The Time: 12 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 11:30 a.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 182.16 miles (45 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 14),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 29), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 45)
2019 Race Winner: Christopher Bell

NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series
Next Race: Henry Ford Health System 200
The Place: Michigan International Speedway
The Date: Friday, August 7
The Time: 6 p.m. ET
TV: FS1, 5:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 200 miles (100 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 40), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 100)
2019 Race Winner: Austin Hill

NASCAR Cup Series

On Deck: A doubleheader Cup extravaganza at Michigan International Speedway
This weekend Michigan International Speedway will become just the second track in NASCAR Cup Series history to run a doubleheader at the same facility in consecutive days, joining Pocono Raceway (June 27-28, 2020). First up, is Saturday’s Firekeepers Casino 400 at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, followed by Sunday’s Consumer Energy 400 at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

The two Cup events this weekend at Michigan International Speedway will be mirror images of each other. Both races are 156 laps each (312 miles / 400 kilometers) and each race is broken up into three stages. The first stage for both races is 40 laps, the second stage is 45 laps and the final stage is 71 laps.

Michigan International Speedway has hosted 101 NASCAR Cup Series races dating back to inaugural event held on June 15, 1969. The first Cup event at Michigan was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough driving the famous Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 (Mercury).

In total the 101 NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway have produced 50 different poles winners and 38 different race winners. NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson holds the record for the most poles at Michigan International Speedway with 10 poles (1969, 1974 sweep, 1975, 1976, 1977 sweep, 1978 sweep and 1979). Joey Logano, the defending pole winner of the June Michigan race last season, leads all active drivers in poles at Michigan with four (2013, 2016 sweep and 2019); followed by Kurt Busch (2010, 2011 and 2018) with three.

NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the series in wins at Michigan as well with nine victories (1969, 1972 sweep, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 sweep, 1978). Kurt Busch (2003, 2007, 2015), Matt Kenseth (2002, 2006, 2015), Joey Logano (2013, 2016, 2019) and Kevin Harvick (2010, 2018, 2019) lead all active series drivers in wins at Michigan with three victories each. Only two drivers in series history have recorded their first NASCAR Cup Series career win at Michigan International Speedway – NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett (August 18, 1991) and Kyle Larson (August 28, 2016).

A total of 21 different organizations have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan; eight of the 21 are active this weekend.

Roush Fenway Racing leads the series in wins at Michigan with 13 victories: Mark Martin (four), Greg Biffle (four), Carl Edwards (two), Matt Kenseth (two) and Kurt Busch (one). The Wood Brothers Racing organization has the second-most series wins at Michigan with 11 victories, including the inaugural race in 1969 – David Pearson (eight wins), Cale Yarborough (two) and Dale Jarrett (one).

The first starting position in the NASCAR Cup Serie races at Michigan is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (22) than any other starting position at Michigan International Speedway – 21 from the pole and one from the first starting position due to qualifying being cancelled – 1985 (Bill Elliott). The most recent win from the pole at Michigan was June 2019 (Joey Logano). The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Michigan is 32nd, by NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin in the spring of 2009. The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started at Michigan is 24th, by Kurt Busch in the June of 2015.

Manufacturers will compete for Michigan Heritage Trophy
The competition has always been fierce in the NASCAR Cup Series and when that stage shifts to the OEMs (Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota) backyard, the stakes become even greater. This weekend at Michigan International Speedway the top-finishing OEM from the weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series events will be presented with the Michigan Heritage Trophy, which has been awarded to the winning manufacturer by the speedway since 2013.

In an effort to bring even greater awareness to the significance of the Heritage Trophy, this year the NASCAR Cup teams will be saluting their respective manufacturers during the course of both races, with each car featuring the decal of their manufacturer in the “contingency space,” which is located on left front-quarter panel of the car. In addition, the hashtag #HeritageTrophy will be included on each car as well.

OEM Cup Winners at Michigan Since 2013
Winning Manufacturer Date of Michigan Win
Ford Sunday, June 16, 2013
Ford Sunday, August 18, 2013
Chevrolet Sunday, June 15, 2014
Chevrolet Sunday, August 17, 2014
Chevrolet Sunday, June 14, 2015
Toyota Sunday, August 16, 2015
Chevrolet Sunday, August 28, 2016
Ford Sunday, June 12, 2016
Chevrolet Sunday, June 18, 2017
Chevrolet Sunday, August 13, 2017
Ford Sunday, June 10, 2018
Ford Sunday, August 12, 2018
Ford Monday, June 10, 2019
Ford Sunday, August 11, 2019
The Heritage Trophy gives well-deserved bragging rights to the winning manufacturer of the Michigan race weekend. For the 2020 historic doubleheader, an OEM must win one or both NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway. If one OEM sweeps both races, that OEM will be declared the winner of the Heritage Trophy. If different OEMs win on August 8 and 9, then the award will go to the OEM with the most points earned by top 10 finishers of both races. If there is a tie in the points totals, then the tie breaker would fall to a total of most laps led by OEM in both races.

“The Michigan Heritage Trophy is one of the more unique and coveted prizes in NASCAR,” said Michigan International Speedway President Rick Brenner. “The competitive spirit at any race, especially at MIS, isn’t just confined to the drivers, and this trophy allows the winning manufacturer to boast about their accomplishment. We are thrilled that the race teams have joined us this year in recognizing the prominence of this trophy to our sport and in the state of Michigan, and look forward to an amazing doubleheader of racing in the Cup Series this weekend.”

Since 2013, Ford has won at Michigan seven times, Chevrolet has won six times and Toyota has won once. In addition, Ford has won the last four consecutive races at Michigan International Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Playoff Bubble: Six spots left with six races to go
Time is dwindling for the NASCAR Cup Series competitors not locked into the Playoffs. Just six races remain in the regular season and with 10 winners this year, six spots are left to make the postseason.

New Hampshire was good to Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola, who extended his points lead over the Playoff cutline by 11 markers, and is now 145 up, heading into the doubleheader weekend at Michigan. Almirola is the highest ranked driver without a win this season but has put up five top fives and 12 top 10s. This weekend could be an uphill battle for the Tampa, Florida native, Almirola has struggled at Michigan in the NASCAR Cup Series only posting one top-10 finish in 15 starts. He finished 17th in the June race and the 33rd in the August race last season.

Two drivers looking to rebound after losing ground in the points at New Hampshire are brothers Kyle and Kurt Busch. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch crashed early at New Hampshire, and that relegated him to a last-place finish – his third DNF of the season. As a result, he dropped a spot in driver standings and is now 94 points up on the Playoff cutoff. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch also finished outside the top 10 last week at New Hampshire (17th) and his points cushion shrank by eight points, now 112 up on the postseason cutline. Both Busch brothers will be eager to get to Michigan this weekend as both are former winners at the 2-mile speedway. Kyle has made 30 series starts at Michigan posting one win (2011), seven top fives and 12 top 10s; including a streak of top 10s in the last six consecutive races at the track. And if you think that is impressive, Kurt has made 38 series starts at Michigan collecting three wins (2003, 2007, 2015), seven top fives and 14 top 10s. He finished runner up in the June Michigan race last season.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Clint Bowyer increased his points cushion over 17th place Tyler Reddick by one point at New Hampshire and is now 43 points above the cutline. Bowyer’s 2020 season has produced two top fives and five top 10s. Heading into this weekend, Bowyer is probably cautiously optimistic. The Kansas native won at Michigan in 2018 and in 28 starts has 12 top-10 finishes, but last season was caught in multi-car incidents in both races resulting in back-to-back DNFs on the 2-mile track.

Wood Brothers Racing’s Matt DiBenedetto collected himself following his first DNF of the season at Kansas
2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Outlook
Rank Driver Wins Points Pts from Cutoff
1 Denny Hamlin 5 688 In On Wins
2 Kevin Harvick 4 803
3 Brad Keselowski 3 722
4 Joey Logano 2 653
5 Ryan Blaney 1 685
6 Chase Elliott 1 660
7 Martin Truex Jr. 1 648
8 Alex Bowman 1 561
9 Austin Dillon 1 466
10 Cole Custer 1 381
11 Aric Almirola 0 614 145
12 Kurt Busch 0 581 112
13 Kyle Busch 0 563 94
14 Clint Bowyer 0 512 43
15 Matt DiBenedetto 0 509 40
16 William Byron 0 484 15
17 Tyler Reddick 0 469 -15
18 Jimmie Johnson 0 459 -25
19 Erik Jones 0 453 -31
20 Michael McDowell 0 359 -125
21 Chris Buescher 0 357 -127
22 Bubba Wallace 0 356 -128
23 Christopher Bell 0 355 -129
24 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 0 345 -139
25 John H. Nemechek 0 326 -158
26 Ryan Newman 0 325 -159
27 Ty Dillon 0 292 -192
28 Matt Kenseth 0 274 -210
29 Corey LaJoie 0 251 -233
30 Ryan Preece 0 216 -268
two weeks ago, to rally to his sixth top-10 finish of the season last weekend at New Hampshire. The Californian continues to hold the 15th spot in the Playoff outlook, but the solid result at New Hampshire added five points to his points cushion total (+40) over the Playoff cutoff with six races remaining in the regular season. Looking to the 2-mile track nestled in the Irish Hills, DiBenedetto has made 10 series starts at Michigan posting his career-best finish at the track (20th) last August. He finished 21st in the June race as well.

And for the second straight week, Hendrick Motorsport’s driver William Byron has clung to the 16th position in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff outlook – the final Playoff transfer spot on points. Byron’s six top 10s this year have him up 15 points on 17th place Tyler Reddick, but a winning driver over these next six races from outside the postseason cutline would bounce Byron out of the Playoffs. The young talent from North Carolina, Byron, has made four series starts at Michigan posting a track-best finish of eighth last August.

Of the drivers outside the Playoff cutoff, this weekend’s doubleheader at Michigan is an ample opportunity to capitalize on the contenders ahead of them in the standings.

Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick in 17th in the driver standings, the first spot outside the Playoffs, will be making his series track debut this weekend at Michigan. But the two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion did grab the checkered flag in the Xfinity Series at the 2-mile speedway in 2019.

Hendrick Motorsport’s driver and seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson is 18th in the driver standings 25 points behind his Hendrick teammate William Byron in 16th – the final Playoff transfer spot. In his final season of fulltime Cup competition, Johnson has been bleak in comparison to previous championship winning seasons, only putting up two top five and six top 10s thus far. But Johnson could turn his season around this weekend at Michigan, the veteran driver from California has made 36 series starts at Michigan posting one win (2014), five top fives and 13 top 10s.

Byron, Michigan native and Joe Gibbs Racing’s driver Erik Jones is still in the thick of the Playoff hunt just 31 points back from the postseason cutline with six races to go in the regular season. Jones has put up comparable numbers this season to his competitors posting five top fives and eight top 10s. But Jones has made six series starts at his home track posting just one top-five finish (third in 2017).

Front Row Motorsport’s Michael McDowell is more than 100 points outside the Playoffs (-125) with six races remaining, which doesn’t make it impossible to get in to eh Playoffs on points, but it will be tough with the level of competition in the series. McDowell has posted two top 10s and a career-best average finish of 19.4 through 20 races this season to get to this spot in the standings. McDowell has made 12 series starts at Michigan in the NASCAR Cup Series posting a career-best finish of 22nd in the August race last season

Of the rest of the Playoff eligible drivers that are more than 100 points behind the Playoff cutline, two are former winners at Michigan International Speedway – Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth.

Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Newman is currently 26th in the driver standings 159 points behind William Byron in the 16th and final Playoff transfer spot. Newman has only made 17 starts this season due to being sidelined for three races from his accident in the season opening Daytona 500. Newman has made 37 series starts at Michigan posting two wins (2003, 2004), six top fives and 10 top 10s.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Matt Kenseth replaced driver Kyle Larson in the No. 1 Chevrolet following the fourth race of the season, and since has posted one top five and two top 10s. Now Kenseth sits 28th in driver standings 210 points back from the Playoff cutoff. Though 210 points is not mathematically out of it, the mountain of points to make up is very steep in six races. But a win could solve all that and Michigan is one of Kenseth’s best tracks. In 38 starts at Michigan he has posted three wins (2002, 2006, 2015) 14 top fives and 20 top 10s.

NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.
Detroit’s 12-time Grammy winning artist Cece Winans to sing virtual National Anthem – The best-selling and most-awarded female gospel artist of all time, CeCe Winans, will sing the virtual National Anthem prior to the running of the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 on Saturday, August 8 at 4:00 p.m. (NBCSN).

“I am so honored to perform the national anthem for the upcoming NASCAR race in my home state of Michigan,” Winans said. “I wish I could be there in person but be sure to tune-in, it’s going to be a great event!”

2019 American Idol winner Lain Hardy to also sing virtual National Anthem – The winner of the 17th season of American Idol in 2019, Laine Hardy will be performing the virtual National Anthem prior to the running of the NASCAR Cup Series Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, August 9. The race will start at 4:30 pm and will be televised nationally on NBCSN.

“I can’t believe I’m getting to sing the National Anthem before a NASCAR race,” Hardy said. “Although I can’t be there in person during this time, I’m definitely looking forward to future races and watching the Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway. It’s going to be a great race!”

Playoff Points Adding Up Quickly – Brad Keselowski became the third driver this season to accumulate over 20 Playoff points with his win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Denny Hamlin leads the series in Playoff points this season with 29; followed by Kevin Harvick (22) and Brad Keselowski (21). What is interesting is Hamlin and Harvick reached their 20+ Playoff points through a majority of wins – Hamlin (five wins = 25 Playoff points) and Harvick (four wins = 20 Playoff points), but Keselowski’s have come at the hands of green & white checkered flags i.e. stage wins – Keselowski (three win = 15 Playoff points + 6 stage wins = 21 Playoff points). Keselowski leads the series in stage wins this season with six.

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Road Course Racing in Wisconsin
The NASCAR Xfinity Series is back in action after a weekend off and heads to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, for some exciting road course racing at Road America for the Henry 180 (12 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Brandon Jones won in overtime at Kansas Speedway to go back-to-back at the track and steal the victory from Austin Cindric on the final lap.

The series will take on Road America, the 4.048-mile road course with 14 turns and 171 feet of elevation changes in one lap.

Road America has been home to 10 different winners in as many starts. Michael McDowell holds the qualifying record at the track at 110.377 mph from August 16, 2016.

Chevrolet holds the record for the most wins by a manufacturer with seven and Brendan Gaughan holds the record for the most top fives at the track (four). Elliott Sadler and Justin Allgaier have the most top 10s (five) and the most lead changes in a race at the track came in 2011 with 12. The most laps led by a race winner was 35 in 2010 and the fewest laps led by a race winner was one in 2011.

Saturday’s Henry 180 will be 182.16 miles and 45 laps. Stage 1 will end on Stage 14 and Stage 2 will end on Lap 29. Christopher Bell won last year’s race at the track, leading 10 laps and starting from the 12th position.

Last year, road course ace Cindric finished second followed by the 2019 Xfinity Series champion Tyler Reddick in third, Noah Gragson in fourth and Kaz Grala rounding out the top five.

Cindric is the highest-finishing driver entered this weekend, looking to add on his fourth win of the season.

Eyes on the Cutline: Playoff outlook heading to Road America
After a weekend break for the Xfinity Series, they’re back on track this weekend at a 4.048-mile road course.

With six drivers locked into the Playoffs with a win, spots seven through 12 are still up for grabs and the competition is getting crazier each week.

Ross Chastain holds the seventh spot in the driver Playoff standings as the first driver without a win. Justin Allgaier is right behind Chastain in eighth and Michael Annett is in ninth. Riley Herbst, a Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender, is hanging on to the 10th spot while Ryan Sieg is sitting in 11th. Brandon Brown is holding onto the final Playoff spot.

Rank Driver Points Race Wins Stage Wins Pts from Cutoff
1 Chase Briscoe 718 5 3 In On Wins
2 Austin Cindric 722 3 7
3 Noah Gragson 666 2 8
4 Harrison Burton # 587 2 0
5 Brandon Jones 500 2 2
6 Justin Haley 592 1 1
7 Ross Chastain 662 0 0 320
8 Justin Allgaier 586 0 7 244
9 Michael Annett 510 0 0 168
10 Riley Herbst # 410 0 0 68
11 Ryan Sieg 408 0 2 66
12 Brandon Brown 374 0 0 32
13 Jeremy Clements 342 0 0 -32
14 Myatt Snider # 325 0 0 -49
15 Alex Labbe 301 0 0 -73

Jeremy Clements has seen a lot of success in recent weeks, bumping himself up right below the cutline in 13th.
Myatt Snider, another rookie, is in 14th, 49 points back from the cutline and Alex Labbe is in 15th.

Noah Gragson has the most stage wins of any driver in the series with eight and his JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier and Team Penske’s Austin Cindric are tied with seven.

Hey, Rookies!
Sunoco Rookie of the Year
Rookies Points
Harrison Burton 587
Riley Herbst 410
Jesse Little 301
Joe Graf Jr. 227
Myatt Snider 173
Kody Vanderwal 105
Harrison Burton finished third two weekends ago at Kansas Speedway, making him the highest-finishing rookie and awarding him the Rookie of the Race award. Burton has 12 rookie awards this season.

Riley Herbst was the second-highest finishing rookie at Kansas in ninth.

Luckily for Herbst, he is still holding onto his second-place ranking in the rookie standings.

Looking ahead to Road America, all of the rookies will be making their track debut. In comparing the results from the Indianapolis Road Course for the rookies, Snider was the highest finisher in 16th followed by Jesse Little in 18th.

Burton doesn’t have to worry about making his way into the Playoffs since he’s already won this season, but Herbst and Snider, who are still fighting for their spots, need a clean weekend at the road course.

Pit-road procedure update
This weekend’s stand-alone even for the Xfinity Series at Road America will have a modified version of pit-road procedures that were announced in January.

The new rules include that the field will be frozen at the time of caution. When pit road opens, all cars may pit and teams may add fuel OR change up to four tires.

Four tires and fuel would require two pit stops to complete a full pit cycle. Stage breaks will consist of a full pit cycle, which means two opportunities to pit to add fuel or change tires will pit road is open.

NASCAR is allowed to call a quickie yellow flag during non-stage breaks, giving drivers one opportunity to pit to add fuel OR change tires.

Fuel only may be added during green-flag stops, with pit stops for tire changes on green-flag stops only permitted by NASCAR as a result of a flat tire or damage.

There’s a minimum 60-second time limit for teams making green-flag stops and an 80-second maximum time for teams making yellow-flag stops. (The time is measured from yellow line to yellow line.)

If there is bad weather, teams will be permitted to change from dry-weather tires to wet tires under yellow- or green-flag conditions.

Various road course ringers, newbies set to run Road America
It’s not something new for a NASCAR Xfinity Series team to field specialists for road course races. This weekend’s race is no different.

IndyCar driver RC Enerson is set to make his Xfinity Series debut in the No. 7 SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet. Enerson has four career IndyCar starts, all at road course races and at his latest race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, he finished 17th. His career-best finish was at Watkins Glen International in 2016.

Jesse Iwuji, a NAVY officer and veteran of the ARCA Menards Series West, has made a handful of starts in the Gander Trucks but will make his Xfinity Series debut this weekend for MBM Motorsports in the No. 13. Iwuji’s Gander Trucks debut was also on a road course, finishing 25th at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2018.

NASCAR veteran Mike Wallace will return to the No. 0 JD Motorsports Chevrolet for the second time this season. He ran the Indianapolis Road Course, finishing 24th for the team and he will also run the Daytona Road Course the following weekend.

Andy Lally will pilot the No. 2 Our Motorsports Chevrolet at Road America and the Daytona Road Course, too. Lally, who is the 2011 Cup Series Rookie of the Year, has competed on various road course in the Xfinity Series. He has five top 10s in 11 starts and had best finish of fifth at Mid-Ohio in 2017. This weekend will be his first start since 2018.

Jade Buford will be in the No. 6 for JD Motorsports. Buford, an IMSA racer, finished 14th in his NASCAR debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. B.J. McLeod has been the main driver in the No. 6 this season.

Preston Pardus will join DGM Racing in the No. 36 Chevrolet this weekend. Pardus was the 2017 SCCA Spec Miata National Champion. He has made three Xfinity Series starts, all at road course races. At Indianapolis, he finished in the top 10 for the first time.

Scott Heckert will replace Vinnie Miller in the No. 78 B.J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet at Road America. Heckert has three ARCA East wins at road courses and six of his eight Xfinity Series tarts were on road courses. He got a career-best finish of 13th at Watkins Glen International last season.

AJ Allmendinger will also be back this weekend for Kaulig Racing. He has run a part-time schedule for the organization in 2020 and scored his first NASCAR oval win at Atlanta Motor Speedway in June. He also finished fourth at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.
Iwuji to make Xfinity debut: LCDR Jesse Iwuji will make his Xfinity Series debut this weekend at Road America in the No. 13 MileMarker10 MBM Motorsports Chevrolet. Iwuji is the only current driver at the national level of NASCAR to have served his country. In July, he also earned a promotion in the US Navy moving from Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy Reserves. Iwuji has made nine starts in the Gander Trucks over three years with a best finish of 17th in 2019 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Earl Bamber making debut: Two-time Le Mans 24 race winner Earl Bamber will be making his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut for Richard Childress Racing at the Daytona Road Course in the No. 21 Chevrolet. The team has partnered with KCMG for the event. Bamber has experience at the road course having scored four podiums in the Rolex 24 at the track. “I’ve dreamed about competing in NASCAR my entire life, so I am so thankful to Richard Childress, KCMG and everyone who has played a role in creating this opportunity for me,” Bamber said in a press release.

NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series

On the road to Michigan for Gander Trucks
The NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series had a weekend break last weekend after a historic weekend at Kansas Speedway.

The Gander Trucks competed in their first ever doubleheader weekend at Kansas, where Matt Crafton snapped his winless streak and Austin Hill got his long-awaited first win of the season.

The series will head to Michigan International Speedway for a Friday evening race, the Henry Ford Health System 200 (6 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Austin Hill won last season’s Gander Trucks race at Michigan starting from sixth-place.

Michigan International Speedway is a 2-mile track with 18 degrees of banking in corners, 12 degrees of banking on the frontstretch and five degrees of banking on the backstretch. The frontstretch is 3,600 feet long and the backstretch is 2,242 feet long.

Johnny Sauter holds the race record in a Toyota at 161.110 mph from August 18, 2014.

Greg Biffle, Travis Kvapil and Brett Moffitt have the most Gander Trucks wins at Michigan with two, Crafton has the most poles (three) and Kyle Busch has the most top fives (eight). Busch and Crafton are tied for the most top 10s (nine). Only one race has been won from the pole position and it was in 2007 by Kvapil.

Toyota has the most wins by a manufacturer at the track with eight. Jack Roush is the winningest truck owner with five.

Friday night’s race will be 200 miles and 100 laps. Stage 1 will end on Lap 20 and Stage 2 will end on Lap 40.

Triple Truck Challenge is back!
The Triple Truck Challenge is returning his year after a successful debut last season. This year, the program will start at the Daytona International Speedway road course at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 16.

The second race will take place at Dover International Speedway and the third race of the challenge will be at World Wide Technology Raceway at gateway on August 30.

This year’s rules will copy last season. The drivers will compete for cash prizes:
• $50,000 bonus for the race winner of any of the three events
• If a driver wins two of the three events, they’re awarded an extra $50,000, totaling $150,000
• Win all three events and take home an additional $300,000 for a total of $500,000 in prize money.

Greg Biffle came out of retirement in 2019 to win the first Triple Truck Challenge event at Texas Motor Speedway for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Brett Moffitt won at Iowa Speedway and Ross Chastain won at Gateway.

“The Trip” was originally supposed to take place beginning April 18 at Richmond Raceway and continuing into May at Dover and Charlotte Motor Speedway, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic it was rescheduled.

Playoff picture after Kansas doubleheader
The doubleheader weekend at Kansas Speedway for the Gander Trucks put the Playoff picture into perspective for the series.

There were two new winners at Kansas in Matt Crafton and Austin Hill, claiming their spot in the Playoffs. Prior to that, there were only two drivers locked in – Grant Enfinger and Sheldon Creed. Now, there are only six spots left up for grabs.

Rank Driver Points Race Wins Playoff Pts Pts from Cutoff
1 Grant Enfinger 320 2 11 In On Wins
2 Austin Hill 394 1 6
3 Matt Crafton 321 1 5
4 Sheldon Creed 319 1 8
5 Ben Rhodes 351 0 0 84
6 Christian Eckes # 344 0 0 77
7 Zane Smith # 344 0 3 77
8 Brett Moffitt 325 0 2 58
9 Derek Kraus # 294 0 0 27
10 Todd Gilliland 289 0 0 22
11 Tyler Ankrum 267 0 0 -22
12 Johnny Sauter 236 0 0 -53
13 Tanner Gray # 230 0 0 -59
14 Stewart Friesen 218 0 0 -71
15 Raphael Lessard # 217 0 0 -72

With 18 races in the books, former series champion Johnny Sauter is below the Playoff cutline after a tough few weekends. He currently sits in 12th, 53 points back from the final Playoff spot. Tyler Ankrum dropped below the cutline after Crafton and Hill secured their Playoff spots at Kansas and is now sitting in 11th.

GMS Racing adds Kris Wright to ARCA, Gander Trucks roster
GMS Racing announced this week that Kris Wright will run a partial schedule for the team in 2020, piloting the No. 21 Chevrolet in the ARCA Menards Series and the No. 24 Chevrolet in the Gander Trucks.

He will make his ARCA Menards Series debut with the team this weekend at Michigan International Speedway and will make his Gander Trucks debut on August 16 at the Daytona Road Course.

Wright made his ARCA West debut in June at the Utah Motorsports Campus doubleheader, finishing second and third in the two events. He also finished second in the LMP2 class in the 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Wright, who is 26 years old, won the IMSA Prototype Challenge Championship in 2018 and was the IMSA Prototype Challenge Rookie of the Year in 2017.

The ARCA Menards Series race at Michigan, the VizCom 200, will be on Sunday, August 9 at 1 p.m. ET on MAVTV and NBC Sports Gold TrackPass.

In a press release, Wright said, “I’m really excited to be making my first ARCA and NASCAR starts with GMS and Chevrolet. You always want to be doing it with the best team. I’m a Chevy guy from birth so it’s a dream come true.”

David Gravel making Gander Trucks debut
David Gravel made his stock car racing debut in the ARCA Menards Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway in February and is set to make his Gander Trucks debut this Friday at Michigan International Speedway.

He was originally scheduled to make his debut at Eldora Speedway until the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the race for the year. He will now make the switch from dirt to asphalt in the No. 24 GMS Racing Chevrolet.

Gravel has 54 career World of Outlaw wins to his name and he was the 2019 Knoxville Nationals champion. The 28-year-old was the first driver since 1992 to collect a perfect 500 score at the Knoxville Nationals.

Gravel finished 12th at Daytona in the season-opener for the ARCA Menards Series after starting ninth.

ChevyGoods.com will be on board the No. 24 with Gravel.