Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Loudon

Roush Fenway heads north to New Hampshire for a short-track battle on Sunday afternoon, where Jack Roush has nine wins including seven in the Cup Series. Just a year ago, Ryan Newman finished seventh at Loudon after starting from the rear, and was poised for more as the laps wound down. Chris Buescher is also coming off his best career finish at Loudon of 15th last season.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Foxwoods Resort Casino 301
Sunday, Aug. 2 | 3 p.m. ET
NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

· Ryan Newman, No. 6 Guaranteed Rate Ford Mustang
· Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang

Loudon Next Stop for NASCAR Cup Series

· With a longer gap than usual since the last NASCAR Cup Series event, the series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for a standalone race Sunday afternoon. By the time Sunday rolls around, nine days will have passed since the race at Kansas Speedway, the 19th points event of 2020.

· Kansas capped a stretch in NASCAR’s return to racing that included 16 Cup Series events in a span of 82 days, with the remaining races through August setting up for the series’ scheduled 10-race playoff run beginning Labor Day weekend.

· With no practice or qualifying session on the books due to restrictions from COVID-19, starting lineups will continue to be set by a random draw within the teams’ order in owners’ points. Both Buescher and Newman will draw for a spot in the 13-24 group.

· Four weeks of NASCAR action were initially completed prior to the COVID-19 hiatus with races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville postponed before the schedule later picked back up in mid-May.

Kansas Recap, Loudon Preview

· After working his way up to 13th in the final stage of the last event in Kansas, Buescher’s night ended early after getting caught up in a multicar late-race incident, to finish 33rd.

· Newman was caught up in the same incident, causing damage too severe to remain on the lead lap before finishing 28th.

· Fastenal returns to Buescher’s No. 17 Ford this weekend, and will highlight the New England Region that won the national Go Blue sales contest. Each employee’s name in the region will be displayed on the hood of the Fastenal Ford on Sunday.

· Guaranteed Rate joined the Roush Fenway family as a primary partner on Newman’s No. 6 Ford Mustang, and will make their debut into the sport this weekend with its grey, red and white scheme.

Patriot’s Day
This weekend’s NCS event at New Hampshire is in the home territory of Roush Fenway Racing’s co-owners the Fenway Sports Group. Fenway Sports Group is based out of Boston, Massachusetts and is located just 82 miles from New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Niner Niner
Roush Fenway has won in all three of NASCAR’s major touring series at New Hampshire, including seven times in the NCS and once each in Xfinity and the NGROTS. Jeff Burton drove the No. 99 to RFR’s first NCS win at Loudon back in 1997, while Greg Biffle earned the most recent win in 2008. Kurt Busch went to victory lane in 2000 in the NGROTS while Carl Edwards picked up the win in 2006 in Xfinity series action.

Four in a Row

Roush Fenway won at least one NCS race at New Hampshire in four consecutive seasons from 1997-2000, with former driver Burton taking the checkered flag on each occasion. In addition, Roush Fenway swept both races at New Hampshire in 2004 with former driver Busch.

Wickahd Good Domination

Former Roush Fenway driver Burton posted one of the most dominating wins in NASCAR history at New Hampshire on Sept. 17, 2000, with Burton qualifying on the front row (second) and leading all 300 laps of the event en route to his fourth victory at the New England track. Roush Fenway has led over 100 laps in NCS action at New Hampshire on six different occasions, including leading over 150 laps four times and over 190 laps three times. All-in-all, Roush Fenway has led 1,557 laps at New Hampshire in the NCS.

Xfinity in ‘The Granite State’

Roush Fenway has started 45 NASCAR Xfinity Series races at New Hampshire, earning one win, nine top-fives and 19 top-10s. Roush Fenway’s lone victory came with former driver Edwards in the July 2006 event after starting ninth and leading 58 laps en route to the win.

Roush Fenway Loudon Wins
1997-1 Burton Cup
1998-1 Burton Cup
1999-1 Burton Cup
2000-2 Burton Cup
2004-1 Busch Cup
2004-2 Busch Cup
2008-2 Biffle Cup
2006 Edwards NXS
2000 Busch Truck

NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY (1.058-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACE 20 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 3 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, AUG. 2 (NBCSN/PRN/SIRIUSXM)

Chase Elliott
No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Chase Elliott Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 24 Resides Dawsonville, Georgia

2020 Season
5th in standings
19 starts
1 win
1 pole position
7 top-five finishes
9 top-10 finishes
451 laps led

Career
168 starts
7 wins
9 pole positions
51 top-five finishes
83 top-10 finishes
2,295 laps led

Track Career
6 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
1 top-five finish
1 top-10 finish
24 laps led

STATISTICAL STANDOUT: Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, has seven top-five finishes – the most he has collected through 19 races in a season – and nine top-10s. He is tied with Brad Keselowski with the most stage wins (five) and his 451 laps led are a career high at this point in the year. Elliott has garnered the third-most stage points (180) and is currently fifth in the driver standings, 133 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.

GRANITE STATE STATS: Elliott is set to make his seventh NASCAR Cup Series start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday. In 2018 at the 1.058-mile oval, he had one of the top three best running averages (4.03) and led for 23 laps en route to a career track-best finish of fifth. Elliott also has two starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the track, where he collected a pair of top-10 finishes.

GUSTAFSON AT NEW HAMPSHIRE: No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson will be atop the pit box for his 28th Cup Series race at New Hampshire this weekend. In his previous 27 races calling the shots for five different drivers at the venue, Gustafson collected two wins – in 2006 with Kyle Busch and 2009 with Mark Martin. The crew chief also accumulated one pole award, seven top-five finishes, 12 top-10s and 488 laps led.

NAPA KNOW HOW: On Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the No. 9 Chevrolet will don the familiar blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS paint scheme. The Atlanta-based company is serving as majority sponsor for Elliott and the No. 9 team for a total of 26 NASCAR Cup Series races this season.

PIT STOP POWER: The No. 9 team owns the second-best average time for four-tire stops at 13.93 seconds through 19 races in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. The team is comprised of jackman T.J. Semke, gasman John Gianninoto, tire carrier Jared Erspamer and tire changers Chad Avrit and Nick O’Dell.

HOME SWEET HOME: Two members of the No. 9 team consider New Hampshire Motor Speedway their home track. Engine tuner Tony Bove hails from Burlington, Vermont, 167 miles northwest of the venue, and interior mechanic Scott Honan is from Norwalk, Connecticut, approximately 200 miles southwest of the oval.

BEHIND THE 9: Gustafson is trying his hand as a host in a new Hendrick Motorsports video series called “Behind the 9” in which he interviews each member of the No. 9 crew. Fans are able to learn about where they came from and the role they serve on the team, with each bringing a unique personality and skillset. Episodes are released every Tuesday on the Hendrick Motorsports Facebook page and YouTube channel. The most recent episode features car chief Matt Barndt.

​
​ ​ ​
​

William Byron
No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver William Byron Hometown Charlotte, North Carolina
Age 22 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

2020 Season
14th in standings
19 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
72 laps led

Career
91 starts
0 wins
5 pole positions
5 top-five finishes
23 top-10 finishes
366 laps led

Track Career
2 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led

LOVING LOUDON: Of all the tracks on the NASCAR circuit, New Hampshire Motor Speedway has always been a good one for William Byron. Making his third start at the 1.058-mile oval on Sunday in the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, Byron’s two previous Cup Series starts both resulted in top-15 finishes. In fact, with an average finish of 13th, NHMS is Byron’s second-best track based on average finish.

DOMINATING FASHION: While he has always run well at NHMS, Byron got off to an unbeatable start at the “Magic Mile” early on. Making his debut at the 1.058-mile oval in 2015 in the K&N Pro Series East, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native qualified on the pole, led 68 of 70 laps before taking home the checkered flag. He followed up that performance the next year by dominating the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race. He started from the pole and led 161 of 175 laps en route to his sixth of seven victories in 2016. Moving up to the Xfinity Series in 2017, Byron earned a top-five finish after starting seventh and finishing third.

KNAUS PUTS THE MAGIC IN ‘MAGIC MILE’: Byron isn’t the only member of the No. 24 team who enjoys racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. With 36 starts in the Cup Series, crew chief Chad Knaus leads active Hendrick Motorsports crew chiefs with three wins and one pole at the “Magic Mile,” along with 10 top-five finishes and 22 top-10s. In fact, Knaus’ three wins rank him second all-time among crew chiefs for wins at New Hampshire. A win on Sunday for Knaus would put him in a tie for first overall with four wins with fellow Cup Series crew chief Rodney Childers.

WELCOME BACK, LIBERTY U: Last appearing on the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE earlier this month at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Byron once again will carry the traditional red and white flames of Liberty University on board his car for Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Liberty University is in its sixth season of sponsoring the 22-year-old driver dating back to his time in the late model ranks. Liberty has been Training Champions for Christ since it was founded in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offers more than 600 degree programs from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in business communications, Byron is in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program.

HEADING HOME: Traveling to New England for this Sunday’s Cup Series race, one crew member of the No. 24 team calls New Hampshire Motor Speedway his home track. Joining the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports crew last year, car chief Tyler Jones hails from South Royalton, Vermont, less than 100 miles northwest of the “Magic Mile.”

WE’RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE: Starting 15th for Thursday night’s race at Kansas Speedway, Byron utilized pit strategy to gain track position throughout the race. With just over 50 laps to go, the driver of the No. 24 took over the lead. However, a couple late-race cautions changed the complexion of the event, leaving Byron with a 10th-place finish, his sixth top-10 result of the season.

SIGHTS ON THE NEXT SEVEN: Looking to lock himself into the playoffs for the second time in his three-year NASCAR Cup Series career, Byron currently is 16th in the playoff standings with two playoff points and seven races left in the regular season. While a win in one of the upcoming points-paying races would automatically secure his position in the fight for the championship, Byron currently is sitting 10 points above the playoff cutline heading into the New Hampshire weekend.

​
​ ​ ​
​

Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 44 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

2020 Season
18th in standings
18 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
99 laps led

Career
669 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
229 top-five finishes
370 top-10 finishes
18,933 laps led

Track Career
34 starts
3 wins
1 pole position
10 top-five finishes
22 top-10 finishes
323 laps led

‘LOBSTAH’ TROPHIES: In his storied career, Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, has found victory lane at New Hampshire Motor Speedway three times, including a sweep of the 2003 events when the NASCAR Cup Series raced there twice in a season. The seven-time Cup Series champion also has one pole position at the venue, which he scored in 2016. His three victories tie him with eight other drivers for the second-most at the Loudon, New Hampshire, track, behind only Kevin Harvick and former driver Jeff Burton, who have four wins each.

TOP 10S: Of the 34 starts Johnson has made at New Hampshire, he has finished in the top 10 an impressive 22 times. That total marks the second-most all-time at the “Magic Mile” behind only NASCAR Hall of Famer and former teammate Jeff Gordon, who has 24. There are currently six tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit where Johnson has at least 22 top-10 finishes. Aside from New Hampshire, has earned 22 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway. Additionally, Johnson has 25 top-10 finishes at Dover and Martinsville.

BUSY IN THE PITS: The No. 48 crew ranks ninth in the NASCAR Cup Series with an average four-tire stop time of 14.23 seconds. The team is coached by Jon Carvin and consists of veteran gasman Brandon Harder, tire carrier Allan Stallings, jackman Kyle Tudor and tire changers Calvin Teague and Donnie Tasser.

HOMECOMING KINGS: New Hampshire Motor Speedway is the home track claimed by two members of the No. 48 team. Engine tuner Steven Legendre hails from Danville, Vermont, and is a second-generation driver who used to frequent White Mountain Motorsports Park’s quarter-mile racetrack while racing late models at the local short tracks in the northeast. As Legendre got older, he advanced to the Pro All-Star Series North and then the PASS South series before moving to North Carolina to attend school at Rowan Cabarrus Community College. Additionally, No. 48 team engineer Ben Lynch is from Derry, New Hampshire. He played ice hockey in high school in at Pinkerton Academy and went to college at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to study mechanical engineering.

WHERE’S THE LUCK: Johnson and the No. 48 Ally Racing team are running better than they are finishing in 2020. Johnson’s average running position of 13.46 is 4.21 positions better than his average finish of 17.67.

​
​ ​ ​
​

Alex Bowman
No. 88 ChevyGoods.com/Adam’s Polishes Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE ​
Driver Alex Bowman Hometown Tucson, Arizona
Age 27 Resides Concord, North Carolina

2020 Season
11th in standings
19 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
387 laps led

Career
172 starts
2 wins
2 pole positions
12 top-five finishes
32 top-10 finishes
861 laps led

Track Career
8 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led

LOOKING TO LOUDON: Making his ninth Cup Series start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend in the No. 88 ChevyGoods.com/Adam’s Polishes Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, Alex Bowman has a track-best start of eighth and a best finish of 11th at the 1.058-mile venue, both coming in the 2018 race. The Tucson, Arizona, native also has two Xfinity Series starts and two NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts at NHMS, holding an average finish of ninth across both series.

TAKING THE REINS: Bowman made his debut with Hendrick Motorsports at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2016 behind the wheel of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE after he took over for Dale Earnhardt Jr. for 10 races. Since then, Bowman has made 101 starts with the organization, collecting two poles, two wins, 12 top-five finishes, 32 top-10s and pacing the field for 858 laps.

NO. 88 OUT FRONT: Bowman has led for 861 laps in his six-year career in the NASCAR Cup Series. So far this season, the driver of the No. 88 machine has been out front during seven events at six different tracks, totaling 387 circuits. He led his most laps ever during a single race in 2016 when he paced the field for 194 laps at Phoenix Raceway before finishing sixth.

RACKING UP THE STAGE WINS: Bowman has won four stages this season, which is tied with Joey Logano for the third-most in the NASCAR Cup Series. The No. 88 team has captured 156 stage points in 19 events in 2020, ranking him sixth overall for most stage points collected.

NEW HAMPSHIRE NOTES: No. 88 team crew chief Greg Ives will call the shots for the eighth time at the New England track this weekend. The Bark River, Michigan, native’s résumé includes one top-five finish, one top-10 and four top-15s with 10 laps led. In 2013 and 2014, Ives was a crew chief at JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. His drivers earned an average start of fifth and an average finish of eighth at the Loudon, New Hampshire, track. From 2006-2012, Ives was a race engineer on the No. 48 team with Jimmie Johnson. During that time, the team had one win (2010), six top-five finishes and 11 top-10s at the 1.058-mile oval.

MAKING MAGIC WITH CHEVYGOODS.COM: When the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE is unloaded at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for Sunday’s race, the team is hoping the black and yellow ChevyGoods.com paint scheme featuring Adam’s Polishes will bring them some added magic to the “Magic Mile.” Adam’s Polishes produces high quality products for auto detailing enthusiasts. In January, Hendrick Motorsports announced its partnership with ChevyGoods.com, which includes primary sponsorship of Bowman for 26 events. Associate brands that will be featured throughout 2020 are Adam’s Polishes, NOCO and Truck Hero.

LAST CALL FOR GOOD DISCOUNTS: During the month of July, No. 88 team sponsor ChevyGoods.com is providing discounts on all accessories, including Adam’s Polishes, NOCO and Truck Hero. Customers can receive 10% off MSRP with purchases of $100-$249 (offer code “GET10”), 15% off with purchases of $250-$499 (code “GET15”), and 20% off with purchases of more than $500 (code “GET20”).

​
​ ​ ​
​

Hendrick Motorsports

WICKED GOOD: At New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has posted nine NASCAR Cup Series wins, seven pole positions, seven runner-up finishes, 43 top-fives and a track record 77 top-10s. The team’s 2,561 laps led in the Granite State are the second-most in history.

WIN 10: If a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet earns a win on Sunday, New Hampshire will become the 14th track where the organization has posted a double-digit NASCAR Cup Series victory total. The team’s nine NHMS wins have come via five different drivers: Jeff Gordon (three), Jimmie Johnson (three), Kyle Busch, Mark Martin and Kasey Kahne.

FACTS AND FIGURES: Since its inception in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 258 race victories and holds the all-time records for championships (12), pole positions (226), top-five finishes (1,082), top-10s (1,866) and laps led (69,898) in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. Including 2020, the organization has won at least one race in 35 consecutive seasons, the longest-ever streak. Hendrick Motorsports is 10 wins away from tying Petty Enterprises’ all-time Cup record of 268.

​
​ ​ ​
​

QUOTABLE /
Driver Chase 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.”

Driver William Byron on racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:
“It’s a challenging track and has 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 NHMS’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 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.”

Driver Jimmie Johnson on the difficulty of New Hampshire:
“New Hampshire is one of those trickier tracks. It’s a ‘scrappy’ track with long straightaway with tight turns. I’ve had some great success there and some hard races, but I am so fond of the memories. I’ve enjoyed riding around the track on my bike and exploring that area of the country the past few years. The track itself is one of the best we race on, the fans in the New England area can’t get enough of motor sports and I’m looking forward to my last race there.”

Driver Alex 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.”

NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: Foxwoods Resort Casino 301
The Place: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
The Date: Sunday, August 2
The Time: 3 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 2:30 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 318.46 miles (301 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 75),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 185), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 301)
2019 Race Winner: Kevin Harvick

NASCAR Cup Series

Hamlin & Harvick: The class of the field in 2020; heads to New Hampshire

Despite having 10 different NASCAR Cup Series winners in 19 races this season, the dominance of Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin (five victories) and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick (four wins) combining to win nine of the 19 events – a winning percentage of 47.3% – can’t be understated.

What is even more interesting is these two winning juggernauts, Hamlin and Harvick, went head-to-head in a stellar battle to the finish in last season’s NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. It was Harvick’s first win of the 2019 season and his fourth career win at the famous short track (2006, 2016, 2018, 2019). This season, Harvick heads to New Hampshire with a bit more early-season success. The Californian currently leads the series standings and has posted four wins (Darlington, Atlanta, Pocono, Indianapolis), 12 top fives, 16 top 10s and a notable average finish of 6.5 this season.

Even though Hamlin finished runner-up last season to Harvick at New Hampshire, he is currently riding a wave of momentum coming off his series-leading fifth victory of 2020 (Daytona 500, Darlington, Homestead-Miami, Pocono, Kansas). The Virginian is currently fourth in the driver standings but leads the series in Playoff points with 28. Hamlin also has accumulated 10 top fives, 11 top 10s and an average finish of 10.3 through 19 races this season.

Looking at the stats for this weekend’s Foxwoods Resorts Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, August 2, at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, expect to see the dynamic duo of Harvick and Hamlin battling it out upfront again.

Harvick leads all active drivers in wins at New Hampshire with four, Hamlin is right behind him with three. Hamlin leads the series in runner-up finishes at New Hampshire with five second-place results; including last year. Harvick is tied with Matt Kenseth for series-most top fives among active drivers with 12 each; Hamlin is right behind them with 10.

And while Hamlin leads the series in average finish at New Hampshire with a 9.8; Harvick is not far behind with a 12.8. Harvick has led the second-most laps among active drivers at New Hampshire with 759; Hamlin has led the fourth-most at 662.

Even the pre-race loop data points to Hamlin and Harvick as the favorites this weekend. Hamlin leads the series in average running position (10.6) and driver rating (103.6) and Harvick is right there with him in second in average running position (10.8) and fourth in driver rating (98.5).

Bowyer, DiBenedetto, Byron on Playoff bubble at New Hampshire

As the NASCAR Cup Series prepares for the 20th event of the 2020 season, time is running out for drivers to solidify their positions in the Playoffs. With 10 drivers already locked in on wins – Denny Hamlin (five wins), Kevin Harvick (four wins), Brad Keselowski (two), Joey Logano (two), Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, and Cole Custer (each have one win) – there are still six spots up for grabs as the series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

As we head to the Magic Mile on Sunday, Aric Almirola (+134 points up), defending series champion Kyle Busch (+120) and his brother Kurt Busch (+119) all have comfortable point leads over 17th place Tyler Reddick – in the first spot outside the Playoff cutoff. But the drivers right below them in the standings – Clint Bowyer (+42) in 14th, Matt DiBenedetto (+35) in 15th, and William Byron (+10) in the 16th and final transfer spot are all feeling the pressure of clinging to their postseason contention chances by such small point margins.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Clint Bowyer, who jumped up one position after last week at Kansas and is now sitting in 14th in the Playoff outlook is 42 points up on the postseason cutline. This season, Bowyer has amassed two top fives and five top 10s. He finished 14th at Kansas Speedway last weekend and finished 20th last season at New Hampshire. In 26 series starts at New Hampshire, he has posted two wins (including his NCS career-first victory), four top fives and nine top 10s.

Wood Brothers Racing’s Matt DiBenedetto is next in the driver standings and is having a career year, currently 15th in the Playoff outlook with just a 35-point cushion up on 17th place Reddick – the first spot outside the Playoff cutoff. This season DiBenedetto has collected two top fives and five top 10s in 19 starts. DiBenedetto has recorded one top five and one top 10 in eight starts at New Hampshire. Last season, he finished fifth for Leavine Family Racing, one of his best career finishes to date.

Hendrick Motorsport’s driver William Byron is sitting in 16th – the final Playoff transfer spot – just 10 points up on Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick in 17th. Byron will be making his third Cup Series start at New Hampshire on Sunday. Last season he posted his career-best New Hampshire finish (12th) in this event.

Of the five drivers outside the Playoffs but within 100 points of the cutoff, Johnson has the best average finish (11.8) at New Hampshire ,followed by Erik Jones (16.0).

Keeping tabs on the Sunoco Rookie Class

With the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series regular season in full swing, let’s take a look at the current Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings.

Sunoco Rookie of the Year

Tyler Reddick is leading the rookies currently with 442 points and eight Sunoco Rookie of the Race awards to his name. Reddick’s best finish of the season came at Texas, where he crossed the line runner-up to his Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon. He is also ranked 17th in the series Playoff outlook and is only 10 points behind William Byron in the final Playoff transfer spot. In 19 starts this season Reddick has posted two top fives and six top 10s.

Cole Custer is in second in the rookie standings with 352 points and five Sunoco Rookie of the Race awards. Custer became the first rookie to win in the NASCAR Cup Series (Kentucky Speedway) since Chris Buescher accomplished the feat in 2016 at Pocono. Custer is locked into the Playoffs with his win – the only rookie locked in so far. In addition to his win, Custer has also put up two top fives and four top 10s this season.

Christopher Bell is in third in the rookie standings with 339 points and three Sunoco Rookie of the Race awards. In 19 starts this season he is 23rd in the driver standings after posting one top five and five top 10s.

John Hunter Nemechek is in fourth in the rookie standings with 325 points and three Sunoco Rookie of the Race awards. In 19 starts this season, he has posted two top 10s.

Brennan Poole is sitting in fifth in the rookie standings with 136 points. In 19 starts this season, Pool has put up an average finish of 30.1; with a best finish of 16th at Daytona.

Quin Houff is in sixth in the rookie standings with 101 points. In 19 starts this season he posted an average finish of 32.1; with a best finish of 23rd at Indianapolis.

Five of the six rookies in the 2020 class will be making their series track debut this weekend at New Hampshire. Houff is the lone rookie that has a previous start at the northeastern short track – he made his series debut in 2019, starting 34th and finishing 31st.

NASCAR is producing top notch competition

Despite the changes to schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic, plus the lack of practice and qualifying, the NASCAR Cup Series competition is putting up some solid passing stats this season.

Since 2007 through 19 races of a season – the 2020 season ranks first in total green flag passes and second in green flag passes to the lead.

In a year-over-year comparison (2019 vs. 2020) we are up 32.7% in green flag passes and up 24.1% in green flag passes for the lead through 19 races

Average number of leader through 19 races in 2020 is 10.41 – the most since 2014 (11.05). The average number of leaders through 19 races in 2019 was 9.58.

Average number of lead changes (19.63) per race through the first 19 events of the 2020 season are the most since 2014 (24.1) during that same time frame.

Average margin of victory over the first 19 races of the 2020 season is 1.809 seconds, with 10 of the 19 races (52.6%) this season finishing with a margin of victory of less than a second.

NEWS RELEASE

This Week in Motorsports: July 27- August 2, 2020

· NCS: New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Loudon, New Hampshire) – August 2
· ARCA: Toledo Speedway (Toledo, Ohio) – July 31-August 1

PLANO, Texas (July 29, 2020) – The NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) has a standalone race in New Hampshire on Sunday, while the ARCA Menards Series completes its first doubleheader in Ohio this weekend.

NASCAR National Series – NCS

Hamlin Leads the Pack… Denny Hamlin scored his series-leading fifth win of the season last Thursday at Kansas Speedway. Hamlin took the lead with 13 laps to go and drove to the victory. Hamlin now heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway – a track where he already owns three wins, including two victories in a Camry, with the most recent occurring in 2017.

Jones Running Strong… Erik Jones rolls into New Hampshire following back-to-back top-six finishes. After a sixth-place run in Texas, Jones earned a top-five finish in Kansas, inching closer to a spot in the Playoff field. Jones looks to have another good run this weekend in Loudon, after driving to a third-place finish at the track one year ago.

Rookie Bell Knows How to Win at New Hampshire… Christopher Bell may be a Cup Series rookie, but he knows how to get around New Hampshire Motor Speedway. In his last three starts in Loudon, Bell has driven to victory each time: earning a Truck Series win in 2017 and following that up with back-to-back triumphs in the NASCAR Xfinity Series the last two years.

NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA

Two Races, Two Standings… The ARCA Menards Series competes in their first doubleheader at Toledo Speedway this weekend. The two races count for both the national ARCA Menards Series standings and the Sioux Chief Showdown. After a sixth-place finish on Friday in Kansas, Michael Self continues to lead the overall point standings with his Venturini Motorsports teammate Drew Dollar sitting in third. On the Sioux Chief Showdown side, Chandler Smith leads Self by 10 points on the strength of two victories in three events.

Gibbs Returns… After not competing in the race at Kansas Speedway last weekend due to age restrictions, 17-year-old Ty Gibbs returns behind the wheel of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry in Toledo. Gibbs has won three of his last four starts, including leading 140 of 150 laps at Iowa Speedway earlier this month.

Stay Connected

https://www.toyota.com/racing @ToyotaRacing.com @ToyotaRacing

facebook.com/ToyotaRacing Camera With Flash on Apple iOS 11.3 ToyotaRacingMedia.com

# # #

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Team: No. 6 Guaranteed Rate Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman
Race Format: 318.46 miles, 301 laps, Stage Lengths: 75/110/116
Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 – Sunday, Aug. 2 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Loudon Next Stop for NASCAR Cup Series

· With a longer gap than usual since the last NASCAR Cup Series event, the series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for a standalone race Sunday afternoon. By the time Sunday rolls around, nine days will have passed since the race at Kansas Speedway, the 19th points event of 2020.

· Kansas capped a stretch in NASCAR’s return to racing that included 16 Cup events in a span of 82 days, with the schedule through August setting up for the series’ scheduled 10-race playoff run beginning Labor Day weekend.

· With no practice or qualifying session on the books due to restrictions from COVID-19, starting lineups will continue to be set by a random draw within the teams’ order in owners’ points. Newman will draw for a spot in the 13-24 group.

· Four weeks of NASCAR action were initially completed prior to the COVID-19 hiatus with races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville postponed before the schedule later picked back up in mid-May.

Newman Historically at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

· Newman – a three-time winner at NHMS – will make his 35th Cup start on Sunday. In 34 prior events, Newman has 20 top-10s and seven finishes inside the top five. His overall average finish is 13.5, one of his best on the circuit, with 722 laps led, second-most of any active track.

· Newman earned wins in 2002, 2005 and 2011 at the 1.058-mile track. He led a combined 328 laps in the three victories and started from the pole in two (2002, 2011). Dating back 10 events, Newman has five top fives, including a strong seventh-place run a season ago.

· Newman has an average starting spot of 11th in Loudon with seven poles. He started from the point in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, swept both poles in 2011, and again in 2013.

· Newman has a wealth of experience in other series’ at NHMS, including one Xfinity Series start (2001) and 20 starts in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series.

· The modified event at NHMS has become an annual tradition for Newman, who has two wins (both 2010), nine top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. He has sat on the pole for seven of the events and led 231 laps overall. Unfortunately, this season’s NWMT race at Loudon was postponed due to COVID-19.

Scott Graves at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

· Graves will be atop the box for his seventh Cup race at NHMS on Sunday. In six prior starts, Graves has three top-10 finishes with a best finish of sixth (2017). Most recently, he led Newman to a seventh-place run in 2019 after starting 26th.

· Graves also called three Xfinity Series events in Loudon, earning two top-five results. He led Chris Buescher to fifth back in 2014, and most recently finished fourth with Suarez in 2016.

QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on racing at NHMS:
“I’m excited to get up to New Hampshire, the site of my first win and a place I’ve been fortunate enough to have a lot of success at. Last year we battled in a tough race and finished seventh, and arguably had a winning car, which does a lot for our confidence heading into the weekend. We’re proud to welcome Guaranteed Rate to our Ford Mustang and look forward to putting on a good show for them in their debut into the sport.”

Last Time Out
Newman was caught up in a multi-car incident in the last race at Kansas Speedway, where despite the team’s effort to keep him going, ultimately finished 28th.

Where They Rank
Newman is 26th in driver points after 16 points races in his 2020 campaign. In owners’ points, the No. 6 is 20th.

On the Car
Guaranteed Rate makes its NASCAR debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway aboard Newman’s machine. It was announced last week that the retail mortgage lender would join the No. 6 team as the primary partner in Loudon, with Newman sporting a grey, red and white scheme at one of his favorite tracks.

About Guaranteed Rate

Guaranteed Rate is one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, the Company has more than 5,000 employees in nearly 350 offices across the U.S., and is licensed in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Since its founding in 2000, Guaranteed Rate has helped hundreds of thousands of homeowners with home purchase loans and refinances and funded more than $30 billion in loans in 2019 alone. The Company has cemented itself as Positively Different by introducing innovative technology, such as the world’s first Digital Mortgage, by offering low rates and by delivering unparalleled customer service. Honors and awards include: Top Lender for Online Service for 2018 by U.S. News & World Report; No. 3 ranking in Scotsman Guide’s Top Retail Mortgage Lenders 2019; Top Lender 2016, 2017 and 2018 by Chicago Agent magazine; Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces list for seven consecutive years; and Best Online Mortgage Lender, Best Mortgage Lender for VA loans and Best Conventional Mortgage Lender by NerdWallet in 2019. Visit rate.com for more information.