Martin Truex Jr.
Atlanta Advance
No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Quaker State 400 (Round 26 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 8
● Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway
● Layout: 1.54-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 260 laps/400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 100 laps / Final Stage: 100 laps
● TV/Radio: USA Network / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Playoff Reset: Despite a disappointing result in the final race of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season last weekend at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, where he saw his day end after an accident on lap two, Truex was able to lock himself into the 2024 edition of the 10-race, 16-driver playoffs. Truex will start the playoffs this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway sitting 16th on the playoff grid with 2,004 points, 36 points behind No. 1 seed Kyle Larson.

● The Final Countdown: Truex announced earlier this summer that this will be his last year of fulltime racing in the NASCAR’s top series. In his final year, Truex made the playoffs for the 11th and final time when he clinched a spot in the regular-season finale last weekend at Darlington. He’ll hope to go on a magical run and add one more piece of championship hardware to his trophy case, where he already has a Cup Series championship from 2017, when he ran for Furniture Row Racing. Truex made his first playoff appearance in 2007 while driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. He then returned to the playoffs in 2012 driving for Michael Waltrip Racing. After moving to Furniture Row Racing in 2014, Truex returned to the playoffs in 2015, when he made his first Championship 4 appearance in just the second year of the elimination format. In all, Truex has made five Championship 4 appearances, which ties him with two-time champions Joey Logano and Kyle Busch and 2014 champion Kevin Harvick.

● Atlanta Motor Speedway is a much different track today than what Truex had grown accustomed to racing on earlier in his career. The 1.54-mile oval was reconfigured after the final race of the 2021 season, and this weekend’s race will be just the sixth on the latest configuration. The banking was increased from 24 degrees to 28 degrees and the track was narrowed from 55 feet wide to 40 feet wide, and it was covered with fresh asphalt. The goal of the reconstruction was to recreate the kind of pack-style racing seen at the behemoth, 2.5-mile Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and the even bigger 2.66-mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. The New Jersey native’s best finish on the current configuration is a eighth-place run in the first race on it in the spring of 2022. Truex has two other top-12 finishes on the current configuration – an 11th-place finish in the second race there in 2022 and a 12th-place finish there earlier this year.

● Truex has three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Atlanta, all of which came prior to the reconfiguration. Truex finished no worse than 11th in those three starts, and his most recent outing there in the spring of 2021 netted him a second-place finish.

● Looking for 35: Truex’s win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon in July 2023 was his most recent Cup Series win, the 34th of his career, tying him with 2004 champion Kurt Busch for 25th on the all-time Cup Series win list.

● Ahead at this Stage: Truex has accumulated 63 stage wins since the beginning of the stage era in 2017. He is the only driver with 10 or more stage sweeps, with his latest sweep coming at Michigan last August. Truex scored his third stage win of the season in July at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, leading the field across the line at the end of Stage 1.

Martin Truex Jr., Driver of the No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota Camry XSE

What are your expectations as you kick off the playoffs this weekend at Atlanta?

“In general, we’ve been consistently fast, which is good. If we can just put everything else together, we’re going to be in much better shape. It’s been frustrating the last couple of months and it’s not just been one thing. I made mistakes at both Michigan and Darlington that cost us a lot, we’ve had some issues on pit road at times, and there have been times where we just flat out had some bad luck, like cautions coming out at Richmond in the spring and then Kansas, where we looked like we had a shot at the win and those cautions hurt us. We know that this team is capable of getting the job done and we hope that we can get our Auto-Owners Insurance Camry up front this weekend and give us a chance and we can start the playoffs out on the right foot.”

What is the potential for your team as you head into the playoffs?

“I think we have the potential to finish off the year on a high note. We’ve got tons of speed, which we show a lot of weeks. We’re right there, we’ve been knocking on the door and it would be nice to win a couple before it’s all over.”

How difficult is it to win in the Cup Series with how competitive things are, especially when you are trying to get one in your final year?

“I try to always enjoy them all like they were the last because you never know. I think when we won our last race of the year last year, we probably thought we were going to win a couple more, at least, before I decided on retirement, it’s just been tough. We certainly have performed at the level we need to get it done, but just haven’t been able to finish the deal. It’s a tough sport and it’s tough to win these things because it takes a lot more than just a fast car, so we’ll just keep giving it all we’ve got.”

What has been the challenge at Atlanta since the repave and the superspeedway-style racing it now produces?

“Certainly, the challenge is being in the right position at the end and not getting caught up in a wreck, which takes some good fortune sometimes. We’ve had some fast cars there the last couple of years but seem to find our way into a wreck almost every time. Sort of what happens at those types of places – you can be in the best spot possible, but you have to count on other guys to help you and sometimes it just doesn’t work out. All I can do is hope we are in the same position this weekend with our Auto-Owners Insurance Camry XSE and maybe things will work out a little bit better in our favor and we can bring home the win.”

Has superspeedway racing changed in recent years?

“I think superspeedways probably haven’t changed much as opposed to some of the other types of tracks. Just the way you can bump draft with this car is totally different than the previous-generation cars. I think right now there are a lot more options as far as what lanes work. It used to be that you never wanted anyone on the outside, and now you can pass guys on the bottom a bit easier and that sets up some other opportunities. I feel like the racing has been fun on superspeedways, but you have to be really aggressive, as well.”

No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Martin Truex Jr.

Hometown: Mayetta, New Jersey

Crew Chief: James Small

Hometown: Melbourne, Australia

Car Chief: Chris Jones

Hometown: Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia

Race Engineer: Jaik Halpainy

Hometown: Blockville, New York

Spotter: Drew Herring

Hometown: Benson, North Carolina

Road Crew Members

Underneath Mechanic: Ryan Martin

Hometown: Mechanicsburg, Virgina

Mechanic: Todd Carmichael

Hometown: Redding, California

Interior/Tire Specialist: Tommy DiBlasi

Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland

Engine Tuner: Beau Morton

Hometown: Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Transporter Driver: Kyle Bazzell

Hometown: Fairbury, Illinois

Transporter Driver: Eddie DeGroot

Hometown: Baldwinsville, New York

Over-The-Wall Crew Members

Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Jackman: Caleb Dirks

Hometown: Riverside, California

Tire Carrier: CJ Bailey

Hometown: Outer Banks, North Carolina

Front Tire Changer: Thomas Hatcher

Hometown: Middleburg, Florida

Rear Tire Changer: Lee Cunningham

Hometown: Leaf River, Illinois

Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway Competition Notes

 MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 3, 2024) – The NASCAR Cup Series makes their return to the Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway for the first race of the 2024 playoffs.

For Todd Gilliland and the No. 38 team, Atlanta shows much promise to capture their first win in the NASCAR Cup Series. Gilliland led a race-high 58 laps at the 1.5-mile, Hampton, Georgia venue in February’s race. Gilliland has proven that he has what it takes to be a trusted drafting partner at tracks like Daytona, Atlanta, and Talladega.

CITGARD will partner with Gilliland for the event and will bring along a valued partner of theirs, Shipton’s Big R. Locally owned and operated farm and ranch retail stores since 1949, Shipton’s Big R brings exceptional customer service, proven and reputable products, and everyday low prices to Montana, Wyoming, and many other states.

Track activity for the NASCAR Cup Series will start with qualifying at 12:30 pm ET on Saturday, September 7th. The 260-lap event is scheduled for Sunday, September 8th at 3:00 pm ET. Fans can watch the action live on the USA Network or listen in from the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM channel 90.

No. 38 CITGARD Ford Mustang Dark Horse:

DRIVER TODD GILLILAND:

“The result doesn’t tell the whole story from our night in Darlington. We had a fast Ford Mustang Dark Horse, and the crew executed. I am proud of the effort we have put in all year, and we still have 10 races left where we can get ourselves a win. I think we can do it at Atlanta if we execute and stay out of trouble.

“It’s cool to see CITGARD return, and with Shipton’s Big R too. Their paint scheme brings a sort of nostalgic look to it. I really like it. They bring so much energy to the track and are really involved with our race program. Hopefully I can make them proud.”

CREW CHIEF RYAN BERGENTY:

“Missing the playoffs is disappointing, but I am not going to let that write our season’s story. We started the season with almost a completely new team, and I am proud of the progress we have made since February. We still have 10 races left to continue to improve and compete for wins. I’m feeling confident heading to Atlanta. Todd (Gilliland) controlled the first race there, and that is the standard for this weekend.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

DARLINGTON, SC – September 3, 2024 – Chase Briscoe won Sunday’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, clinching the final spot in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Ford will enter the playoffs with six drivers and four different organizations in the 16-driver playoffs, the most of any manufacturer.

“Congratulations to Tony, Gene, Richard, Chase, and everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing on the race win at Darlington,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Richard and Chase were fast in qualifying and maintained that speed throughout the race. Chase and everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing earned this one, what an incredible final restart for the #14 car.”

“Man, everybody knows I’m a diehard Tony Stewart fan and to get this 14 car back in Victory Lane and for all 320-something employees, to be able to race for a championship in their final year, it’s unbelievable. God is just so good. It’s like deja vu again with Kyle with the Xfinity race here in 2020. Obviously, I didn’t know if I was gonna be able to do it, but I just can’t thank HighPoint.com enough, Mahindra Tractors, Rush Truck Centers, Renai, everybody that makes this deal go around. We’ll go to Atlanta and try to steal another one,” commented Briscoe.

Three Ford Performance drivers started Sunday night’s race from the top-10: Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe in P3, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney in P7, and Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing’s Chris Buescher in P10. After an accident on lap 2, the race remained caution-free until the end of Stage 1. Chase Briscoe held onto his third-place position to finish the first stage and finished Stage 2 in 2nd. The end of the race came down to a battle between Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Larson. A multi-car wreck on lap 344 brought out the final caution of the race. On the restart, Chase Briscoe was first on the outside, Kyle Larson was second inside, and Kyle Busch was the first car with new tires inside on the fourth row. After a strong restart, Chase Briscoe pulled away from the field with Kyle Busch behind him. Briscoe held off Kyle Busch on the final lap, finishing .361-seconds in front of second place.

Two Ford Performance drivers finished in the top 10 along with Briscoe: RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher in P6 and Team Penske’s Joey Logano in P8.

Chase Briscoe advances to the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs with this weekend’s win along with five other Ford drivers: RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski (Darlington 1), Team Penske’s Austin Cindric (WWTR), Team Penske’s Joey Logano (Nashville), Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney (Iowa and Pocono), and Wood Brothers Racing’s Harrison Burton (Daytona 2).

The NASCAR Xfinity Series also raced at Darlington on Saturday. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer finished in P2.

The NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series both compete this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, GA. This weekend marks three races remaining in the regular Xfinity Series season and the start of the Cup Series playoffs.
39 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 468 WINS – 434 POLES

About Roush Yates Engines
Roush Yates Engines is a leading-edge engine development company based in Mooresville, NC consisting of two state-of-the-art facilities – Roush Yates Engines and Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions, a world class AS9100 Rev D/ISO 13485 certified CNC manufacturing facility. The company’s core business includes designing, building and testing purpose-built race engines.

Ford Performance in partnership with Roush Yates Engines is the exclusive engine builder of the NASCAR FR9 Ford V8 engine.

With an unparalleled culture of winning and steeped in rich racing history, Roush Yates Engines continues to follow the company’s vision to lead performance engine innovation and staying true to the company’s mission, provide race winning engines through demonstrated power and performance.

JOSH BERRY
Atlanta Advance
No. 4 Decisely Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview
● Event: Atlanta 400 (Round 27 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 8
● Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia
● Layout: 1.54-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 260 laps/400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 100 laps / Final Stage: 100 laps
● TV/Radio: USA / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Atlanta Motor Speedway this Sunday to kick off the 2024 playoffs. But for Josh Berry, this 1.54-mile superspeedway-like oval is grounds for redemption. In his second points-paying race in his rookie campaign earlier this spring, the 33-year-old driver qualified 14th for the Ambetter Health 400. Berry, who at the time had limited seat time in the NextGen car, maneuvered to eighth place by lap 250, eyeing a top-10 finish to kick off the season when he was collected in an on-track incident that ended his day early. He finished 29th. Berry also has cut laps in the Next Gen car at Atlanta in March 2023 when he filled in for an injured Chase Elliott. In that race – his second time ever in the NextGen car – he started 21st and managed to gain three spots before the checkered flag waved. While most would not consider this a significant gain, it does show that Berry has experience drafting and racing the new car on the new layout.

● While Berry is not in the running for the 2024 playoff race, he is still eligible to win the Sunoco Rookie of the Year title and the race for the crown is as close as ever. Berry is currently 11 points behind rookie points leader Carson Hocevar. Berry’s ninth-place finish in the first stage and seventh-place result in the second stage last Sunday at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway helped him narrow the gap to Hocevar.

● Berry made six NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Atlanta with JR Motorsports prior to earning a promotion to the NASCAR Cup Series with Stewart-Haas Racing. In that stepping-stone division to the elite Cup Series, Berry tallied one top-five finish (runner up in July 2022 after starting second in that race) and two top-10s. Additionally, Berry earned an average starting position of 11.2.

● Rodney Childers will dive deep into his notebook for Atlanta, preparing for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race. Childers has tallied two wins, five top-five finishes, nine top-10s, and 1,123 laps led. In fact, in Childers’ first race with former No. 4 driver Kevin Harvick, the duo won the pole position. That pairing found victory lane in 2018 after leading 181 circuits at the old layout. Just two year later, Childers and Harvick found their winning combination again and led 151 laps in that event.

● This weekend, the No. 4 team brings aboard a new partner – Decisely – with a unique twist on what it means to be a teammate. Kevin Dunn, CEO of Decisely and Robert “Cheddar” Smith, car chief of the No. 4 team, met after a bass fishing event with Decisely Chairman Wally Smith, and quickly bonded. Decisely sponsors Bassmaster Elite rookie Bryant Smith, and their friendship eventually led to a partnership with Berry. Dunn appreciated the parallels between racing and bass fishing, where, with the crucial support of a team, it falls on an individual’s shoulders to claim victory. This resonated deeply with Dunn, as it mirrors the independent spirit of the business owners served at Decisely – driven individuals who, much like racers and anglers, are committed to achieving success through their own determination and grit.

● Decisely is a technology-based employee benefits and HR services platform focused on helping small businesses and entrepreneurs succeed. By providing comprehensive benefits solutions, HR management tools, and expert advisory services, Decisely enables businesses to attract and retain top talent while driving growth and success. Decisely proudly serves franchise and association businesses from NAPA, FedEx, The Society of Collision Repair Specialists, Tire Pros, Amazon and more. For more information about Decisely and its services, visit www.decisely.com.

Josh Berry, Driver of the No. 4 Decisely Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Atlanta is a track where you have had speed in the NextGen car, but the results don’t reflect that. What have you been able to learn in a short amount of time to get you comfortable there?

“I think it has a lot to do with Rodney (Childers) and this No. 4 team helping me with good Ford Mustang Dark Horse racecars, the experience they have as a team, and just getting seat time. Obviously, heading to Atlanta for the first time, I didn’t have a ton of experience, but coming off of the Daytona 500 and racing in a similar style with the draft, it wasn’t as hard of a transition as it might have been if we had a road course or short track the week prior. I can’t say it enough, this team is just really strong from top to bottom and I am super proud of all of them and how hard they work each and every week to get me ready to compete on Sundays”

Decisely is on the car this weekend, a local company with a close tie to the No. 4 team and Robert “Cheddar” Smith. What does that mean to you?

“It’s a really cool opportunity to see one of Cheddar’s friends get involved and want to support myself and the whole team. It’s not very often that you get to have a relationship that is so close to the team like this one is, so to be able to get to meet the great folks at Decisely, see their colors and branding on the No. 4 car, and try to get them to victory lane is really neat. I am excited to vie for a win this weekend and I would love to celebrate with friends of the No. 4 team.”

What are your expectations heading to Atlanta this weekend?

“Honestly, I just want to put together a complete race. It feels like recently, we have been clean on pit road, had good strategy, and worked well as a team and then something has taken us out of contention. So, for me, I want to just continue to maximize our effort, stay true to our process, and put together a clean and complete race. If we do that, I think we can be competitive for a lot of the last 10 races this season.”

No. 4 Decisely Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Josh Berry

Hometown: Hendersonville, Tennessee

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith

Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engineer: Dax Gerringer

Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina

Engineer: Billy Kuebler

Hometown: Saline, Michigan

Spotter: Eddie D’Hondt

Hometown: Levittown, New York

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Daniel Coffey

Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith

Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Mason Flynt

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Jack Man: Brandon Banks

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Evan Marchal

Hometown: Westfield, Indiana

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Tyler Trosper

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Mechanic: Chris Capaldi

Hometown: Armada, Michigan

Tire Specialist: Zac Lupien

Hometown: Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Engine Tuner: Robert Brandt

Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Transporter Co-Driver: Jake Zierhoffer

Hometown: Billerica, Massachusetts

Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen Mitchell

Hometown: Woodville, Ohio

Atlanta II Event Info:
Date: Sunday, Sept. 8
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Hampton, Georgia
Format: 260 Laps, 400.4 Miles, Stages: 60-100-100
TV: USA
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)

Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 12:30 p.m. ET, Qualifying (USA, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 3 p.m. ET, Race (USA, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Pace Laps:

• The NASCAR Playoffs get underway this weekend as Atlanta Motor Speedway hosts race No. 1 in the 10-race schedule.
• RFK has led a combined 113 laps in the last three Atlanta races as Keselowski average a 4.0 finish in last season’s events in Georgia.
• Jack Roush has six Cup wins all-time at Atlanta, and 13 overall.

6 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Partner: King’s Hawaiian Pretzel Bites

17 Team Info:
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: Fastenal

Keselowski at Atlanta
Starts: 19
Wins: 2 (2017, 2019)
Top-10s: 11
Poles: —

• Keselowski makes his 20th Cup start at Atlanta this weekend where he is a two-time winner with an average finish of 14.9.
• Keselowski won at the now Superspeedway first in 2017 after starting fifth and again in 2019.
• Most recently, he finished 33rd in the spring after crashing at lap 218. Last season, he led a combined 66 laps in the two races and finished second (spring) and sixth (fall).
• Overall he’s led laps in 11 different Atlanta races and finished top-10 11 times.
• He carries an average starting position of 15.4 into the weekend with a career-best effort of P2 in 2014. Overall he has six top-10 starts, including a P4 starting spot last spring.
• He also made eight Xfinity Series starts with six top-10s including two P2 finishes. He also made four Truck starts.

Buescher at Atlanta
Starts: 12
Wins: —
Top-10s: 4
Poles: —

• Buescher makes his 13th Cup start in Atlanta where he has four top-10s and a best finish of seventh (twice – 2021, 2022). He finished ninth in 2019, and ninth in the most recent race there this spring.
• Buescher has an average qualifying position of 17.9 with a career-best effort of seventh, which he matched this spring.
• He also finish fourth in the Xfinity Series in 2015.

RFK Historically at Atlanta
Cup Wins: 6 (Mark Martin, 1991, 1994; Kurt Busch, 2002; Carl Edwards, 2005, 2005, 2008)

• RFK at Atlanta: RFK has 279 starts at AMS in NASCAR’s three major touring series totaling 13 wins, 60 top fives, 115 top-10s and nine poles while leading 3,267 laps and turning over 109,000 miles.
• AMS/RFK History: RFK competed in its first NASCAR event at AMS on March 20, 1988, finishing 31st after getting involved in an early crash. Just three years later the organization claimed its first win there in the fall of ‘91 with the No. 6 Ford. RFK won its first of seven NXS races at the track in the spring of ’97. The team’s top outing at AMS came in the fall of 2005, when the organization placed four cars inside the top seven, with three cars finishing in the top five including race winner Carl Edwards. Altogether, in the two races at AMS in 2005, RFK posted six top-five finishes and two wins.
• Spring Forward: All but one of RFK’s Cup wins at AMS came in the fall, with the only spring win coming in 2005. Three of RFK’s seven NXS wins came in the fall.

RFK Atlanta Wins

1991-2 Martin Cup

1994-2 Martin Cup

1997-1 Martin NXS

1998-2 Martin NXS

2000-1 Martin NXS

2002-2 Busch Cup

2005-1 Edwards Cup

2005-1 Edwards NXS

2005-2 Edwards Cup

2008-1 Kenseth NXS

2008-2 Edwards Cup

2011 Edwards NXS

2012 Stenhouse NXS

Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Darlington: Chris Buescher did everything needed to put himself into the playoffs, but another new winner negated that as Buescher finished sixth and ultimately did not qualify for the playoffs. Keselowski finished 14th.

Points Standings (6: 8th, 17: 17th): Keselowski is re-seeded to eighth entering the playoffs.