TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
FOXWOODS RESORT AND CASINO 301
NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE
AUGUST 2, 2020

RACE #20: NEW HAMPSHIRE:
As part of the revised 2020 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) schedule, the original July 19th date for the Foxwoods Resort and Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) will now happen two weeks later on Sunday, August 2nd. For nearly three decades, the popular venue known as the ‘Magic Mile’ has hosted race fans across the northeast and around the world.

In keeping with social distancing requirements and additional health and safety protocols, the facility will again offer an in-person viewing experience for fans. Although the stands will not be as full as they typically are, the race will be the largest fan event held in New England since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BOWTIE BULLETS:
Chevrolet leads all other manufacturers with 19 wins at the 1.058-mile oval. Other statistics of note for the Bowtie brand at Loudon are 100 top five’s, 190 top 10’s, and 6,037 laps led in its 48-race history.

Chevrolet has sat on the pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway 18 times.

Thirteen different Chevrolet drivers have posted wins at NHMS.

Team Chevy had a six-race winning streak at the track from 2009-‘12.

THREE FOR THREE:
Career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon recorded the brand’s first win in 1995 and collected two additional trophies in ‘97 and ’98.

Three active Team Chevy drivers have three wins apiece to-date at NHMS:
· Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally ZL1 1LE, has collected three trophies (two in ’03, & one in’10).
· Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE was victorious with two wins in ’04, one in ’08.
· Matt Kenseth, No. 42 Clover Camaro ZL1 1LE, also has a trio of wins (2013, ’15, & ’16).

STARTING LINE-UP:
In keeping with the current race format, the one-day show will have no practice and no qualifying. Owner points and a random draw have again set the starting line-up. Here are Chevy’s top-20 starters:

3rd Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE
8th Alex Bowman, No. 88 ChevyGoods.com/Adam’s Polishes Camaro ZL1 1LE
10th Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE
13th Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Feeding America Camaro ZL1 1LE
15th Bubba Wallace, No. 43 Cash App Camaro ZL1 1LE
16th William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 1LE
20th Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE

TUNE-IN:
The Foxwoods Resort and Casino 301 is scheduled to begin on Sunday, August 2nd at 3:00 pm, ET. Live coverage can be found on NBCSN, PRN, and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

QUOTABLE QUOTES:

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 5th IN STANDINGS
ELLIOTT ON IF SUCCESS WITH LOW DOWNFORCE PACKAGE THIS SEASON WILL AFFECT OUTLOOK AT NEW HAMPSHIRE:
“I am not really sure why we have been better at the low downforce races this season. I kind of just think it is more happenstance with the racetrack more than it is the aero package. Loudon has been a really hit or miss place for us, it’s just a different track. It takes a different driving style, I feel like, than some of the other places. I look at London at being more of its own animal. We’ve had a couple solid runs there, but never a dominating performance. It hasn’t been my best place, I don’t feel like personally, but we have some decent ideas and some different approach options that hopefully will lend us a more consistent result.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 CHEVYGOODS.COM / ADAM’S POLISHES CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 11th IN STANDINGS
BOWMAN ON RACING AT NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY:
“I am really hoping that we have a strong weekend in New Hampshire. Last year was just a weekend of not great circumstances, but this team really fought through and finished inside the top 15. We really need to have a good weekend and keep the car clean. New Hampshire is a very unique track we go to, so I know that it will be a challenge, but I’m confident in this team.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 14th IN STANDINGS
BYRON ON NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY:
“It’s a challenging track and has honestly become more of a challenge for me since they’ve put the PJ1 down. It was already a slick track, but with the traction compound it almost has more of a slick feeling. You’re also on the brakes hard at New Hampshire and there’s a lot of bumps under braking. Managing all those bumps and oscillations in the track is important as well. Some guys are really good at that and it shows in their ability to make speed. I think understanding what your car needs to be able to do to run well there is the key.”

BYRON ON NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY’S PROGRESSION THROUGHOUT A RACE:
“New Hampshire is a really line sensitive track already, but the traction compound makes it even more so especially with the way the marbles accumulate outside the preferred groove. I think as a driver you try to keep your car within that line that is really fast but also try to give the best feedback you can on how to adjust. Thankfully you can manage the line more though as the race goes on. Typically, with our race cars, as soon as rubber gets laid down the groove starts to widen out and the room for error becomes greater. You can drive the car a little bit looser at that point. We just have to see how the track progresses and keep up with it.”

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 FEEDING AMERICA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 15th IN STANDINGS
“I love the fans up at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and I love the scenery, but that track is one of the trickiest ones on the circuit for me. Back in my NASCAR Truck and Xfinity days, I relied a lot on practice to get comfortable there each year, so that is going to be a challenge for myself and my team to overcome on Sunday. I’ve started to get a little more comfortable over the years, but I still am not quite where I’d like to be with it. I am leaning a lot on my crew chief, Randall Burnett, to prepare for the race. He always does a great job at these tracks were I’m not as comfortable and setting up our No. 8 Feeding America Chevrolet to be as strong as possible off the truck. I’ll also lean on my teammate, Austin Dillon, a lot too this weekend. He likes going to New Hampshire, so I’m hoping he’ll have some good notes and feedback to share.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 FREIGHTLINER CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 17th IN STANDINGS
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY?
“New Hampshire Motor Speedway has always been a really fun track. I love going there. It’s a flat track. Entry is fun there. It’s different. It’s a different type of feel than what we have anywhere. You slide the left rear into the corner, and you pick up the right front and the first person to get back to the gas is going to be good.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 25th IN STANDINGS
“New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a really fast one-mile track. There’s multiple grooves, and usually with practice you’re able to test those grooves but we obviously won’t have that this weekend. I’ve run decent at New Hampshire in the past, and I think the cars we have this year have been a positive change for my driving style than what I’ve had in my career. July wasn’t the month that we needed, but we’re not out of the fight and August is a new month with plenty of chances to get this No. 47 Kroger team in the Playoffs.”

RYAN PREECE, NO. 37 LOUISIANA HOT SAUCE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 31st IN STANDINGS
“New Hampshire Motor Speedway is such a special place for me. It’s my home track, a track I’ve raced at my entire life in the Modified Series, and I always love coming home to New England. I’ve turned a lot of laps at New Hampshire in my career, so I think that helps with not having any practice during the weekend. If there’s any track that’s going to turn our luck around this year, I feel confident that New Hampshire is that track with our No. 37 Louisiana Hot Sauce Chevrolet.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturers Championships:
Total (1949-2019): 39
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)

Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

Drivers Championships:
Total (1949-2019): 31
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)

Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016

Event Victories:
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)

2020 STATISTICS:
Wins: 3
Poles: 3
Laps Led: 1,254
Top-five finishes: 24
Top-10 finishes: 63

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 789 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 717
Laps led to date: 235,560
Top-five finishes to date: 4,038
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,345

Total NASCAR Cup wins by corporation, 1949 to date

General Motors: 1,123
Chevrolet: 789
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65

Ford: 796
Ford: 696
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 191
Chrysler: 59

Toyota: 149

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.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO 301
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
JULY 30, 2020

RYAN PREECE, NO. 37 LOUISIANA HOT SAUCE CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media via teleconference and discussed the challenges of racing during the COVID-19 pandemic, his aspirations for the rest of the season, the morale of the team, and more. Full Transcript:

HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO GET UP TO NEW HAMPSHIRE THIS WEEK?
“Oh, I’m definitely excited. New Hampshire is home, right? It’s a place that I would consider that I’ve had more laps than probably most that are in the field. And it’s a short track. So, I enjoy going there once a year and I’ve been racing at New Hampshire since 2007 with the Modifieds twice a year. So, it’s a place that I’m very comfortable with.”

THIS YEAR HAS NOT BEEN KIND TO YOU. ARE YOU FRUSTRATED TO THE POINT WHERE YOU JUST WANT TO GO AND RACE MODIFIEDS THE REST OF YOUR LIFE OR DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WANT TO KEEP DOING THIS?
“Ha! No! I want to keep doing this. I don’t think that anybody who gets to this level wants to just pack their bag and go home. You know, that’s interesting. But no. Definitely not. I’m frustrated because….you know, I’ve always been somebody who has been pretty honest or really honest with some things, and a lot of the things, whenever I hear people talk about bad luck or that, I’ve always been a believer of making your own luck. But this has probably been the first time in my career that I really, wrong place wrong time, things that were out of my control happening. I’m not one to make excuses, but it’s been frustrating for sure. The thing that’s even more frustrating is Kansas. I really don’t know what else I could have done. I don’t think there was anything else I could have done. But we had a fast race car right there, at that point in time when it needed to be and that’s kind of been the case. We’ve struggled at the beginning of the races and then gotten our car better as the Stages have gone on. The only thing you can do at this point is really go and gamble on things. I’ve got nothing else to lose. That’s all I have to say.”

DID YOU HAVE ANY SORENESS OVER THE WEEKEND FROM THE KANSAS CRASH AND ARE YOU OKAY NOW?
“I’m good. I was ready to go as soon as I got out of that race car.”

SOME DRIVERS SAY WHEN THEY’VE HAD A ROUGH STRETCH IN THE CUP SERIES THAT RACING IN OTHER SERIES’ AND TO GET THAT WINNING EXPERIENCE JUST WHEN THINGS ARE KIND OF ROUGH. HAVE YOU BEEN DOING ANYTHING LIKE THAT OR PLANNING TO?
“I think it’s hard right now with the way things are to do it and not know if you’re going to be forced into quarantine or whatever it may be. It’s something that I’d like to do. I love racing. I’m used to racing 60 to 80 times a year, but at the same time my focus is on the Cup series. And, as a racer, that winning feeling is what drives us all, right? It’s not something that I’ll ever forget. I wouldn’t say I need to get in a race car to want to remember what that feeling is. A thing that just popped-up in my timeline the other day was actually three years ago when I won Iowa with JGR, and I said that to my wife. You miss that feeling. You miss the feeling of winning because that’s why we do this. That’s why I do this anyway, is to win races.

“So, I feel like this year has been a trying year in the sense of we had four races where we were able to practice. And this is my first year working with Trent (Owens, crew chief) and every race has been a practice sent for us, right? At Darlington we got Stage points. We were fast. At Talladega we were contending for the lead with five (laps) to go and had to pit. We’ve had things that have been out of our control for the most part that just take us out of those runs that we’ve had; where they have been good. But, the thing that I look forward to the rest of the season is whatever we found at Kansas, toward the middle of that race, that balance; that’s a balance that I can go contend for races, we can have speed, we can run up-front. Like I said earlier, I’m not somebody who will sit here and say things just to say things. I mean them. So, if we can show up at Michigan and have that speed that we had right there at Kansas, I feel like we could be a threat for a top 10 and just execute. That’s really it. So, I look forward to the rest of the year. That’s all you can do at this point is be positive and turn things around because sitting here and talking about 2020 and how this season has gone isn’t going to do anything for us.”

YOU TALKED ABOUT WANTING TO RACE BUT DON’T KNOW ABOUT THE QUARANTINE SITUATION. SOME SPORTS HAVE GONE TO THE BUBBLE. NASCAR IS A DIFFERENT SITUATION WITH DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES. WHAT IS THE CHALLENGE LIKE FOR YOU AND HOW DO YOU TRY TO LIVE YOUR LIFE BUT ALSO BE UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU’RE OUT OF THE SEAT IF YOU CATCH THE VIRUS? HOW DO YOU MANAGE THAT AS THIS CONTINUES ON FOR MONTH AFTER MONTH?
“You don’t put yourself in those situations, I guess. That’s really it, I guess, to a certain extent because I want to race. And that’s it.”

IN THESE TIMES WHEN YOU’VE HAD A HARD RUN OF IT, AND YOU ARE NOT THE FIRST RACER TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN. AND THEY COME BACK AROUND. WHO HAS HELPED YOU? WHO TALKS TO YOU AND SAYS YOU’RE GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS?
“Oh, my wife. That’s certainly somebody. She lives with me and so she has to deal with me every day of the week. But it’s funny. There was a point in time, probably four years ago, that I was in a similar rut. It was different but it was the same. And, it’s so easy to become negative and to just constantly get down. And then, I feel like life as you know it, just continues to follow that trend. I feel like I was starting to get into that negative place. I have a book that talks about positive thoughts and positive things and how when you have those positive thoughts, positive things are going to gravitate toward you. And I believe that. I was in that way in 2016 and I said you know what, I’m not going to live like this. I’m going to go home, and things changed in the snap of the fingers. I saw that book a few weeks ago or a month ago and it reminded me you know what? Things can turn around as quick as they can go bad.

“So, you’ve just got to be positive. It’s easier to say than it is to do, but I feel like over the past few weeks of just constantly living that way, things have become easier. My life has become much happier. I’m probably a lot better to be around. And you just put in the hard work, that’s it. Just sitting there hoping things are going to turn around….it doesn’t work like that. Life doesn’t work like that. So, I’m just going to continue fighting and hopefully we can finish 2020 better than we have. Like I said, I am proud of JTG. I’m proud of everything we have done. We’ve had moments of greatness. On our side, we just haven’t been able to finish it. And I feel like the rest of the season, if we can just go and do what we’ve been doing and all the things that we’ve learned, we can be talking two months from now, at the end of October, saying man I wish things went differently early on because the past eight weeks have been fantastic.”

THERE’S A BOOK CALLED ‘FAILING FORWARD’ AND IT SAYS THAT YOUR PARENTS TEACH YOU HOW TO SUCCEED BUT THEY DON’T TEACH YOU HOW TO FAIL. AND EVERY FAMOUS PERSON HAS FAILED BEFORE THEY GOT TO WHERE THEY’RE AT. IN RACING, YOU SAY NOW THAT YOU CAN TAKE CHANCES BUT YOU COULD LOOK AT IT TWO WAYS. YOU COULD TAKE THE CHANCES OR YOU COULD BE PRESSURED INTO HAVING EVEN MORE THINGS HAPPEN JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE FRETTING ABOUT IT. HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT IN THE TIGHT SPOTS OF RACING?
“Well, there are pit calls that we can make. We can choose to stay out when others do. Or, choose to pit. And the way that races have been this year, track position means so much, right? And, between that and just other situations. Myself, putting myself in certain situations or even forcing the issues. And the way I’ve look at it, because week in and week out, I’ve watch races after they’re over and before I go to a track. And I’ve noticed that the aggressor seems to be the one making out in these situations. And you guys (media) sees that, too. The one who usually pushes the issue has been the one that keeps racing. Where the guys that tend to be a little bit more timid or err on the side of hey, I don’t want to wreck my car right now, end up wrecking. So, I think every situation is different, for sure. But at the same time, I told this to Trent a few weeks ago. Back in 2007, I wrecked quite a few race cars early on in my career. And I remember sitting in the infield and watching the race finish. And having to sit there the entire time is the worst feeling in the world for a racer like myself. I don’t want to feel that feeling anymore. I want to finish these races and I want to run good. So, I think New Hampshire would be a great place to start that momentum, and then moving on toward Michigan. I look forward to this 2-mile race track. I look forward to this intermediate because of what we had at Kansas. The only thing you can do is keep moving forward.”

YOU SAY YOU TRY TO REMAIN POSITIVE, BUT IT HASN’T BEEN OBVIOUSLY JUST SOME ROUGH MONTHS FOR YOU, BUT ALSO FOR (TEAMMATE) RICKY STENHOUSE, JR., TOO. WHAT IS THE TEAM MORALE LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW AT JTG?
“I think it’s fine. You know, it is what it is, right? I think everybody is working hard and to sit there and really just talk about July, it’s one of those things where you’ve just got to pick up and move forward. I think at the end of the day, we’re all thinking positive. We’re all working toward the end goal and that’s all you can do. I think the major thing is to just remove any toxic things from your life, and just be happy.”
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.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Thursday, July 30, 2020

Cole Custer, driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang, has posted three top-10 finishes in the last four races, including his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory. He held a media availability session this afternoon with NASCAR to discuss Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

COLE CUSTER, No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang – HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO GO TO NEW HAMPSHIRE? “I’m ready to go. It’s another short track race, so I’m looking forward to that and also it’s a track that I haven’t been before in a Cup car, so it’s obviously gonna be some learning involved and trying to figure out the track and the feel of the car and things like that, but, overall, I’m looking forward to try and keep going with our consistency and try to keep going with another solid run and try and build some momentum going into the playoffs.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE HEAT AND HOW HAS THE TRACK BEEN IN OTHER SERIES YOU’VE RACED? “Like what you said with the heat it’s obviously gonna be brutal for the drivers, just like a lot of races this year. It’s been really hot this summer for whatever reason, so it’ll make it really slipping and sliding a lot and the VHT that they have down there will probably wear out a little bit quicker, I would think. It’s gonna be different than what we usually have. You’re gonna have to change the setup in your car a tick and probably how you drive the track also. There’s gonna be a little bit of learning for all of us there, I think. Overall, the track with the VHT you’re able to move around a lot. A lot of it is gonna be trying to work that top lane good, but you have to be able to work the bottom also to pass and be good on restarts, so having a versatile car is pretty important. Being able to turn the center and be good on the long run also.”

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH MIKE SHIPLETT? “This is our second year together. We started last year in the XFINITY Series and now we’ve moved up together in the Cup Series and it’s been great. Mike has a lot of experience and a lot of success. He’s really level-headed, honestly. He really keeps us guided in the right direction, I think, is one of his biggest strongsuits, and then also we brought out lead engineer, Davin. He was our lead engineer in the XFINITY Series and we brought him up to the Cup Series with us, also.”

DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR TEAM HAS STARTED TO SET ASIDE CARS FOR THE PLAYOFFS? “I’m not too involved in that in picking the cars yet. Honestly, for me, I don’t pay attention too much to the chassis numbers and stuff like that. We have so many different cars that I feel like a lot of them are the same. I don’t know if you have one specific car that’s better than the other now. I think they build them so close now that it’s hard to really pick one favorite car. It’s more about trying to hit the setup right or having everything maxed out as much as you can.”

WHAT IS YOUR PROCESS WHEN YOU GO TO A TRACK YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO BEFORE? “I think I have a good rhythm for going to tracks I haven’t been before. It’s weird going to tracks that I have been before now, like when we went to Bristol for the second time it was strange kind of getting an idea of how I should attack that now. But going there for the first time, I think you just have to work into it that first run to the competition caution, make sure you keep yourself in a good spot, don’t put your car at risk, and then once you get to that first competition caution you pretty much go racing. You try and adapt to it as fast as you can and have as big as open eyes as you can to see what’s working and what’s not, and what you need to work on for after that competition caution because that’s, in my opinion, when the race starts is right after that caution.”

YOUR DAD DESCRIBES YOU AS BEING QUIET, BUT SOMEONE WHO HAS A RAGE INSIDE OF HIM TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND WIN AT THIS SPORT. DO YOU AGREE? “I guess so, a little bit. I am pretty quiet and I think there’s times where you’ve got to kind of be pushed into that situation where you have to have success and it’s a make-or-break kind of moment, so I think at some point you’ve got to make it happen. I think I’ve been lucky enough to have a team around me that has allowed me to do that and I think I’m in a very lucky place for sure, and I think we did show that we can do it at Kentucky and we just have to build that consistency.”

WITH A WIN CAN YOU ALREADY CALL YOUR ROOKIE SEASON A SUCCESS OR ARE THERE MORE GOALS YOU HAVE TO ACHIEVE THAT FEELING? “For a rookie season, if I look back on it I’d say, ‘Yeah, it was a successful rookie season,’ when you win a race and I feel like we’re starting to get to a point where we’re running competitively, but, at the same time, I’m not gonna be satisfied if we go into the playoffs and get knocked out in the first round and don’t run well. I want to be able to go into the playoffs and be competitive and make a run at it and not just be a part of it. I think these next eight or nine races we need to be on our game and be on the gas as hard as we can to try and figure everything out and get in a good rhythm and be able to do something once we get into the playoffs because after the season if you don’t have the end of the season work out, you’re not gonna be satisfied.”

AFTER KANSAS YOU SAID THAT WAS A RACE YOU GUYS NEEDED. DO YOU FEEL YOUR TEAM NOW HAS A SOLID BASELINE FOR YOUR CARS AND SETUPS THAT YOU’RE GETTING MORE CONSISTENT? “I think so, for sure, especially on the 550 racetracks. I feel like we’ve hit a point where we kind of know what we want to bring to the racetrack. Some of the short tracks I feel like are still a little bit different and still trying to figure out exactly what we need because every single one is a little bit different than the other, but I think we’re starting to get better and better with it and figuring out how we should compare to other cars and how we should attack different racetracks. It gets better and better as it goes and the more laps and the more races you get, the more it’s all gonna come together.”

WHAT KIND OF INFLUENCE DID JIMMIE JOHNSON HAVE ON YOU GROWING UP, BEING FROM THE SAME AREA IN CALIFORNIA? “He pretty much set the tone for excellence or whatever you want to call it in NASCAR through the 2000s. For me, we were both from California and he was obviously one of the top ones in NASCAR at a time when I was younger, so seeing him win just week in and week out it was like everybody was to the point where it was like, ‘When is this guy gonna stop winning? He’s stinking up the show almost.’ So it was definitely cool to see that kind of dominance in that era and it’s an honor to get to run with him in his final year and see what that’s like, and all these guys. I’ve been watching them on TV since I was a little kid, so it’s pretty surreal to be able to get to race with those guys and be a part of the group.”

HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANY TIPS FROM HIM OR HELPED YOU OUT AT ALL? “I talked with him a little bit. I actually got to ride in the truck with him on intros in Vegas, and one of the things that was interesting is that I think he said how you fit into everything when you’re a rookie and how you kind of get into the series and feel part of it as a rookie driver, he said he didn’t feel like he was part of it or really one of the guys and felt comfortable in the series until his third championship. So it’s weird how it all kind of evolves and how you feel comfortable at some time in this series.”

YOU HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE ON THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE. HOW MIGHT THAT HELP AND HOW ARE YOU PREPARING? “I’ve already run it in the Ford simulator, so it’s been a lot of figuring out what we’re taking to the racetrack first, just for gearing and stuff like that – what NASCAR is gonna come out with and if there’s a chicane on the frontstretch and stuff like that. I think it’s been a huge help and I think my experience there in some sports car stuff with Ford, they actually let us the last couple years run some Mustangs down there to try to gain some experience with road racing and it’s probably gonna be a huge help going there this year because I have some laps around the place, but, at the same time, it’s a whole different ball game. Obviously, I know where all the corners are and I kind of know what I want to do attacking them, but, at the same time, the brakes are totally different and how the car reacts is totally different, so it’s gonna be a lot of learning. Even though the playing field might be leveled a little bit because nobody has been there, I’ve never run a Cup car on a road course, so those guys might be able to adapt to the track faster than I can just because they have a really good feel for the cars.”

WILL YOU BE AS COMFORTABLE GOING INTO THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE RACE AS THE FIRST TIME YOU RAN THE ROVAL? “I will say I’m not gonna be as worried about this race as much as the first Roval race just because the Roval there’s so much that can go wrong and there’s so little room for error. When you spin out or something at the Roval, I mean, you’re hitting the wall and your day is done. At the Daytona road course, there are walls and there is stuff to hit, but it’s definitely more spread out than what the Roval is, so you can make a little mistake and still not wreck. So, you’re gonna see guys make mistakes and see guys wreck, but it’s not gonna be as dramatic as what the Roval was, but it’s gonna be interesting. Everybody is gonna be trying to figure it out as fast as they can. There are gonna be guys making mistakes, so it’s gonna be an event filled race. As if road course racing already wasn’t event filled enough, there’s gonna be a lot of stuff going on, especially in the early portions with guys trying to figure it out.”

ARE YOU SPENDING ANY TIME WITH YOUR SHR TEAMMATES DURING THIS TIME? HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANY HELP FROM THEM? “Yeah, for sure. I think my teammates have been a huge part of getting me better throughout the year. I try and talk with Kevin about every single weekend and he’s been a huge help. I talked with him a lot in the XFINITY cars also when I was a rookie just trying to get an idea of what to expect going into the weekends and what he looks for and stuff like that. Any questions I’ve had he’s been extremely helpful and really an open notebook with me. And also Aric and Clint have been awesome to try to ask questions to whenever I have something that I don’t know and something I was feeling in the car and just being able to bounce ideas off all those guys has been huge. It’s nice to see how we all work together.”

IS THERE LESS OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT NOW? DO YOU TALK VIA ZOOM OR AT THE TRACK? YOU DON’T REALLY SEE THEM AT THE TRACK MUCH DO YOU? “There is an there isn’t. I think, for the most part, I already was calling Kevin before the races before all the COVID stuff, so I still kind of have the same regiment talking with him. You don’t get to see each other in the garage area and kind of bounce things off each other, so, yeah, there is less time to kind of work through things and any questions you have, but, at the same time, I think we all still have the communication with each other on our Zoom calls or other phone calls. It’s not like we’re not talking to each other enough, I don’t feel like.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES
NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO 301
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
JULY 30, 2020

RANDALL BURNETT, CREW CHIEF OF THE RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING NO. 8 CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media via teleconference to discuss his outlook going into the New Hampshire race weekend, the impact the change in stage lengths for the weekend might affect decision-making within the race, working with Tyler Reddick, and more. Transcript:

HEADING INTO THIS WEEKEND AT NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY, HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO GET THERE?
“I’m excited to getting back to doing some short track racing. We look forward to some of that. We’ve had some good runs this year. We ran really well at Phoenix – had an unfortunate tire failure late in the race. But competed up in the top-five all day long there. So, looking forward to getting to a track similar to that – Loudon, really flat one-mile track. We’ve been working hard on this one and we’ll see what happens.”

OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, WE’VE GOTTEN SOME COOL INSIGHTS INTO THE RCR COMMAND CENTER, WHERE CALLS ARE MADE FOR THOSE STAPLE DECISIONS AT THE END OF THE KENTUCKY RACE. WHAT’S IT BEEN LIKE WORKING WITH THOSE GUYS THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS? CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN THROUGH THE MOST UNUSUAL NASCAR SEASON, IN TERMS OF TEAM COMMUNICATION?
“I do think it’s helped a lot this year, for sure. Now that we have a limited roster and not near as many people at the track – we take less engineers, we take a lot less people to the race track in general – being able to have those guys at the shop, analyzing some of the data that we get from the SMT stuff, to our pit road calculations to help us with that. There’s so much information coming in. Having good guys and having people capable of being able to communicate with us what they’re seeing I feel like has certainly helped us, especially at the track when we’re limited on that and we don’t have as many people at the track looking at data as we’re used to.”

THE STAGE LENGTHS HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE COMPARED TO LAST YEAR – IT’S ANOTHER 35 LAPS IN THAT SECOND STAGE. HOW DOES THAT CHANGE THINGS OR HOW MIGHT THAT IMPACT THE DECISION-MAKING?
“It will definitely make it a little more interesting I think with the longer stage. You have tire wear, you’re going to have fuel mileage stuff to look at. It’s definitely going to change the strategy a little bit, which we’re going to have to stay on top of. You’re going to have a lap-30 competition caution, which should give you a good read on tires, as far as what kind of wear you’re going to be looking at throughout the race and the lap time fall off. So, I think that’s going to kind of dictate what you do in that second stage, for sure.”

ALSO, IT’S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT TIRE AT NEW HAMPSHIRE FROM LAST YEAR. LAST YEAR’S RACE, WE SAW THE WINNER AND TWO OF THE TOP-THREE FINISHERS RUN THE LAST 74 LAPS ON A SET OF TIRES. DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT BEING THE CASE?
“This is the same tire that we ran at Phoenix earlier this year. We kind of saw a little bit of that, as well. The tires don’t wear as much as they have in the past there, especially if you look back at 2018 with the low downforce package that they ran at Loudon. The tires wore out quite a bit. Last year, even with the high downforce stuff, they didn’t wear out as much and now there’s a different tire this year. Looking back at the wear and stuff at Phoenix, I don’t imagine you’re going to see as much wear here as we have in the past. But with that being said, Loudon has always been a huge track position race. It’s really hard to pass here. They put the VHT down, which has seemed to make it racier here the past year or two that they’ve been doing that. But it’s really hard to pass and keep your momentum up, just because you have to slow down so much to get underneath somebody in the corner that they are able to keep the momentum off the corner when they’re on the outside. It’s going to be about timing your passes right, making sure you can get a guy cleared and not give up another spot or two as well while you’re battling with somebody.”

THE RANDOM DRAW FOR STARTING POSITIONS – HOW MUCH HAS THAT IMPACTED HOW YOU AND THE TEAM APPROACH THE FIRST PORTION OF THE RACE, JUST TRYING TO GET SOME TRACK POSITION VERSUS HOW YOU’RE CALLING THE REST OF THE RACE IF AND WHEN YOU GET THAT TRACK POSITION? HOW MUCH HAS THAT RANDOM DRAW REALLY KIND OF HINDERED SOME OF YOUR PERFORMANCES AND FINISHES?
“I don’t know if you guys have noticed or not, but we’re really, really bad at qualifying in those random draws right now (laughs). We’ve been 23rd, 24th, 23rd, 24th. It certainly affects, I think more so the guys from 13th to 24th, when you’re in there and battling for the Playoff spots. We don’t have a win secured yet, so when it comes to getting stage points, that goes a long ways in that. The last couple of weeks, we’ve had to battle from 23rd and 24th place starting spots to even put ourselves in position to get some stage points. So, it certainly makes you call the race a little different. I’ve been a little more aggressive lately with some two-tire calls, staying out or whatever to try to put ourselves into position to get some stage points to help us. Yeah, I would definitely say it has a bigger affect, especially for the guys that are close to that cutoff line and the guys that are 13th to 24th in starting spots there in how they call the race.”

GOING INTO THE PLAYOFFS, NASCAR HAS SAID THAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT CHANGING THE FORMAT ON HOW THE STARTING LINEUPS WILL BE DETERMINED. ANY IDEA WHAT THAT MIGHT BE OR HOW YOU WOULD PREFER IT TO BE DONE?
“There’s been a lot of talk about that. I feel like the guys that are going to be in the top-16 or the top-12 should be up front obviously. How they go about lining those guys up from that aspect, I think there’s a lot of ideas out there, a lot of options to choose from. I know the guys at NASCAR are trying to work all that stuff out. It will be interesting to see what they come up with.”

YOU’VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH TWO OF THE TOP DRIVERS TO COME OFF OF THE DIRT – KYLE LARSON AND TYLER REDDICK. WHAT ARE THE COMPARISONS, AS FAR AS CAR CONTROL AND SUCH, AND WHO’S THE BETTER OF THE TWO DRIVERS?
“Well, it’s hard to tell. I think Tyler (Reddick) has an incredible amount of car control and talent. I think he knows how to push the car to the extreme limit of it and can manage to make speed with it when the car’s not balanced right. I’ve been really impressed with his demeanor on the radio, too, as far as how he approaches the race. We try to keep it light-hearted, we try to work well together. On the flip side, Kyle Larson, he’s obviously an incredible talent. To see what he’s been doing in the dirt races and stuff like that. Even when he first came into running NASCAR, I was his race engineer for a few years and he has an incredible talent too. I don’t know – I like my man Tyler. He’s got me a championship and several race wins. I’ve really enjoyed working with him, for sure.”

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS HIS POTENTIAL? I THINK HE SURPRISED PEOPLE IN THE XFINITY SERIES. HE WENT IN THERE AND WAS NOT THE FAVORITE, NECESSARILY, THE FIRST OR EVEN PERHAPS THE SECOND YEAR AND JUST STOLE THE CHAMPIONSHIP BOTH TIMES.
“I wouldn’t say he necessarily stole it the second time. I feel like him, Christopher (Bell) and Cole (Custer) put on a great race there. Those three battled hard at the end of that race. The first year, I think Tyler – his first full-time year in the Xfinity Series – he’s come a long ways. If you watched the last couple of years, he’s come a long ways from when he first started in the Xfinity cars. He was always really fast, but sometimes he’d overstep his limits, tear up a lot of equipment and things like that. I think in the last year or two, you have kind of seen him grow out of that phase of his racing career and really focused on studying the races, understanding when to push the car and when not to. I think that’s one of the things that’s really helped him in the past year or two and I think you’re kind of seeing that roll over into the Cup Series this season.”

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