Historic team to feature PPG sponsorship at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

STUART, Va. (February 3, 2025) – Wood Brothers Racing today announced a new partnership with PPG that will see the global leader in paints, coatings and specialty products featured as the primary partner on the No. 21 Ford Mustang driven by Josh Berry for the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27.

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, PPG operates in more than 70 countries, providing innovative solutions for customers in the construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets, and aftermarkets.

“It’s an honor to have the PPG livery on the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Mustang at the Brickyard as they celebrate their 75th anniversary,” said Bill Shaw, PPG global business director, strategic initiatives, Automotive Refinish. “They’re a historic team with close ties to our long-time partners at Team Penske and we can’t wait to see what Josh does behind the wheel of the PPG car.”

In addition to serving as the entitlement partner for the NASCAR Cup Series race at this historic venue, PPG is also the track’s Official Paint and Finishing Supplier. PPG’s products protect and beautify critical areas of the facility.

“PPG has a long history in motorsports, and we’re excited to become a part of that this year at one of the most special venues in all of racing,” said Jon Wood, president, Wood Brothers Racing. “PPG’s colors have been a fixture on the track for years, and we’re proud to showcase them on the No. 21 Ford Mustang at Indianapolis. It’s always fun to work with a company that shares such a passion for racing, and we’re looking forward to a great weekend together.”

The partnership comes as Berry, a native of Hendersonville, Tennessee, embarks on his first season behind the wheel of the famed No. 21 car and second full-time season in the Cup Series where he aims to score his first premier series win with the Wood Brothers.

“I’m looking forward to driving the No. 21 PPG Ford Mustang at ‘The Brickyard’ in July,” said Berry. “PPG’s commitment to motorsports is evident, and I’m proud to be a part of it for one of our sports crown jewel events.”

The livery for the No. 21 PPG Ford Mustang will be revealed at a later date but will coincide with fellow PPG-sponsored driver Josef Newgarden’s distinctive blue-and-white scheme.

The 2025 Cup Series season officially kicks off with the 67th running of the prestigious DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, February 16.

About PPG
PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD®
At PPG (NYSE:PPG), we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and specialty materials that our customers have trusted for more than 140 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers’ biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 70 countries and reported net sales of $15.8 billion in 2024. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com.

About Wood Brothers Racing
Founded in 1950 by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood in Stuart, Virginia, Wood Brothers Racing holds a special place in NASCAR history as the sport’s longest-running team. Over eight decades, the team has earned 100 victories in the NASCAR Cup Series, along with 120 poles, and remains proud of its longstanding relationship with Ford Motor Company, fielding only Ford products since its inception. Glenn’s brother, Leonard Wood, played a key role in shaping modern racing by developing the techniques behind today’s pit stops. With a rich legacy rooted in innovation and tradition, Wood Brothers Racing continues to honor its heritage while adapting for the future as it competes in NASCAR’s premier series with Josh Berry.

Josh Berry and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team did themselves and their car owners proud in Sunday’s Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.

Racing at the legendary track that is so special to the Wood Brothers, Berry put on a spirited, aggressive performance in the 75-lap Last Chance Qualifier to finish second and put the No. 21 Mustang in the 200-lap Main event. Berry then started 22nd in the main and raced his way to 13th despite some damage from his hard drive to second place in the Last Chance race.

Berry said after the non-points-paying exhibition that he considered his first drive in the No. 21 Mustang a success, and an enjoyable experience on the tight quarter-mile track where the late team owner Glenn Wood counted four points-paying Cup races among his 29 overall victories there.

“It was a lot of fun,” Berry said. “I thought the guys did a really good job of making the car better and adjusting on it from practice and the heat race to give me a really good car for the feature.”

He said he was a bit disappointed he didn’t finish a bit higher.

“I felt like we definitely had more potential there,” he said. “I wish things would have gone different in the feature, but overall I’m really happy with it. Our goal was to come here and make the race, and we did that and got a decent finish. For the first time out it was a lot of fun.”

Berry’s performance in the Last Chance Qualifier was a big part of the story of that race.

After starting 13th, he initially dropped back one spot before working his way into the top 10 on Lap 21. He steadily worked his way forward and cracked the top five for the first time on Lap 59. Berry, finding success in both the inside and outside lanes, took the lead on Lap 66 as Erik Jones and Kyle Larson, Berry’s chief rivals at that point, collided and brought out the race’s seventh caution. Berry held the top spot for six laps but lost the top spot to Larson with four laps remaining. Berry held the runner-up spot to the checkered flag, and the race’s last lead change wasn’t a big factor as both the first- and second-place finishers advanced to the 200-lap main event.

After the qualifier, he told reporters at the track that he was very pleased to get the Wood Brothers car in the main event at Bowman Gray.

“This is a really special place for them,” he said. “They gave me a great opportunity, and they deserve to be in this race. They are great people and have been in the sport for 75 years, and I’m going to go out there and do my best week-in and week-out. If that means I have to knock some people around to get in the Clash I’m going to do it.”

Berry and the No. 21 Wood Brothers team will be back on the track in two weeks for the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

About Motorcraft®
Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to under hood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers, independent distributors and automotive-parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty* of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.

About Quick Lane® Tire & Auto Center
Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine maintenance, serving all vehicle makes and models. Quick Lane provides a full menu of automotive services, including tires, oil change and maintenance, brakes, batteries, alternator and electrical system, air conditioning system, cooling system, transmission service, suspension and steering, wheel alignment, belts and hoses, lamps and bulbs and wiper blades plus a thorough vehicle checkup report. Service is performed by expert technicians while you wait at any of nearly 800 locations in the U.S., with evening and weekend hours available and no appointment necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.”

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. The company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for customers and deepen their loyalty. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, along with connected services. The company does that through three customer-centered business segments: Ford Blue, engineering iconic gas-powered and hybrid vehicles; Ford Model e, inventing breakthrough EVs along with embedded software that defines exceptional digital experiences for all customers; and Ford Pro, helping commercial customers transform and expand their businesses with vehicles and services tailored to their needs. Additionally, Ford is pursuing mobility solutions through Ford Next, and provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs about 177,000 people worldwide. More information about the company and its products and services is available at corporate.ford.com.

About Ford Performance
Ford Performance is based in Dearborn, Mich. It is responsible for Ford’s performance vehicle development and major racing operations globally, including NASCAR, IMSA, SRO British GT, FIA World Rally Championship, Supercars Championship, World of Outlaws, Ultra4, SCORE-International, FIA Rally-Raid, Formula Drift, NHRA, Rebelle Rally, Thailand Super Series and our latest commitment in Formula 1 with RedBull Ford Powertrains. Ford Performance also maintains a constantly evolving fleet of electric performance demonstrators to showcase the limits of electrification technology. In addition, the organization also oversees the development of Ford’s racing engines, as well as the outreach programs with all Ford Clubs and Ford enthusiasts. For more information regarding Ford racing’s activities, please visit Performance.Ford.com or follow @FordPerformance on Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube.

About Wood Brothers Racing
Founded in 1950 by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood in Stuart, Virginia, Wood Brothers Racing holds a special place in NASCAR history as the sport’s longest-running team. Over eight decades, the team has earned 100 victories in the NASCAR Cup Series, along with 120 poles, and remains proud of its longstanding relationship with Ford Motor Company, fielding only Ford products since its inception. Glenn’s brother, Leonard Wood, played a key role in shaping modern racing by developing the techniques behind today’s pit stops. With a rich legacy rooted in innovation and tradition, Wood Brothers Racing continues to honor its heritage while adapting for the future as it competes in NASCAR’s premier series with Josh Berry.

Preece Finishes 11th, Keselowski Rounds Out RFK Fords in 21st after late-race accident

WINSTON-SALEM (Feb. 2, 2025) – Highlighted by Chris Buescher’s top-10 finish, all three RFK Racing Fords showed flashes throughout the 200-lap NASCAR Clash. Buescher, who was dominate in Saturday’s heat race, started from the front row and ran with the leaders much of the night, finishing 10th with new teammate Ryan Preece finishing on his bumper in 11th. Brad Keselowski ran inside the top-5 much of the night before being relegated to 21st after a late-race incident.

6 Recap

Amidst an electric atmosphere at the historic Bowman Gray Stadium Sunday night Keselowski rolled off 5th. The Build Submarines Ford ran with the leaders for more than half the race. Close quarters racing though led to contact with Bubba Wallace on lap 120 that dropped him to the back of the field. The No. 6 team ended the night 21st.

“We showed a lot of potential early on, but we got spun there with 75 to go and really never had a chance to recover,” said Keselowski. “We were solid. Just a 5th to 10th place car the whole day. We tried to get a little bit more but overall, a good debut outing for a team that’s had a lot of changes.”

Keselowski began the race with a disciplined veteran approach, remaining glued to the inside line. Chase Briscoe challenged for position to no avail as the Build Submarines Ford held the spot. Keselowski patiently worked the bottom groove the entire first half, maintaining the 5th position until half-time where crew chief Jeremy Bullins called only for minor adjustments.

Keselowski earned his way into Sunday’s feature with a strong qualifying effort. After the posting the fifth overall fastest time in final practice, he started on the outside pole for the first heat race. Determined he worked the outside groove early, eventually rooting his way to the bottom to a finishing second in his heat race.

17 Recap

Chris Buescher finished 10th in Sunday night’s NASCAR season-opening Clash. Buescher started the race second – after dominating his Saturday-night heat race – and ran the bulk of the 200-lap event inside the top four; where the No. 17 Tree Top Ford was running at the race’s halfway point.

“We put ourselves in a good position there at the start of the race by winning our heat yesterday, and overall, I thought the car was solid,” Buescher said. “I’m really proud of our guys and their effort, and we’ll look to carry this momentum into Daytona weekend.”

After a caution on lap 120, Buescher started on the outside and made a strong move for the lead, before getting shuffled back to third on lap 122. Stuck on the outside, his Tree Top Ford continued to lose grip as the race progressed. Unable to carry enough speed through the corner, Buescher would eventually settle for the top-10 finish.

60 Recap

Making his RFK Racing debut this weekend, Ryan Preece started 12th and made a solid first impression. The short-track ace battled through traffic and adversity to post a solid 11th-place finish. This, after recovering from grazing the wall in the race’s first half. Though mostly cosmetic, the incident dropped him to 19th. Determined, Preece drove back through the field and nearly cracked the top-10.

Preece started the race with an aggressive surge to the front, passing two cars on the outside to move into the top-10. The outside was his preferred line much of the first half before being bitten by the safer barrier on lap 28. After scraping the wall, Preece fell to 19th before the mid-race break. Although battle scarred, the Fastenal Ford escaped without any major damage and the team was able to make adjustments to salvage an 11th-place result.

“We definitely made a lot of good adjustments on the stop. We headed in the right direction. We didn’t get it all but certainly made it better,” Preece said.

During Saturday’s practice and qualifying, Preece showed early speed. He posted the second fastest lap-time during the weekend’s first practice. He followed that with a strong run in his heat race, starting sixth and working his way to a solid third place finish.

Up Next
The Daytona 500 officially kicks off the 2025 season on Sunday, Feb. 16, at Daytona International Speedway. Track action begins that Wednesday night (Feb. 12) with a practice session set for 10 a.m. ET, and qualifying later that night at 8 p.m. ET. The duels are set for Thursday night at 7 p.m. ET, along with a pair of practice sessions on Friday and Saturday.

About RFK Racing
RFK Racing, in its 38th season in 2025, features an ownership lineup pairing one of the sport’s most iconic names, Jack Roush, along with NASCAR Champion, Brad Keselowski, and Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry. Roush initially founded the team in 1988 and it has since become one of the most successful racing operations in the world, propelling him to be the first NASCAR owner to amass three hundred wins and capturing eight championships, including back-to-back NASCAR Cup titles in 2003 and 2004. Keselowski, a former owner in the NASCAR Truck Series, is the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. In 2007, Roush partnered with Henry, who also owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C., and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, to form Roush Fenway Racing. Off the track, RFK is a leader and proven winner in NASCAR marketing solutions, having produced multiple award-winning social media, digital content and experiential marketing campaigns. Visit rfkracing.com, and follow the team on all social platforms @rfkracing.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet Team Fight Hard in LCQ; Come Up One Spot Short of Advancing at Bowman Gray Stadium

“What a wild last chance qualifier race tonight at Bowman Gray Stadium. I felt like we had to be as aggressive as possible to get our Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet into the Clash. We put ourselves in a good position with running third at the end, and I thought our only shot to make a move was when the No. 5 started to run down the No. 21. I managed the tires throughout the run, but we lacked forward drive and needed a little more overall. I wish we would have been in the main feature for a lot of reasons. My grandfather and everyone at RCR work so hard, and this place is special to our family. It sucks to be the first one out, but we learned a lot that can be applied in the future.” -Austin Dillon

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 zone Chevrolet Team Earn Top-15 Finish in the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium

“The overall event at Bowman Gray Stadium was a good one, but it wasn’t the result we wanted for our zone Chevrolet team. At the start of the feature, the car was plowing tight and wouldn’t turn. We got spun around and ended up going two laps down before the halfway break. Randall (Burnett) and the No. 8 guys made adjustments during the break, and when we went back green, it was the best the car had felt. It was doing what it needed to do. With the help of a couple cautions, we got back on the lead lap and worked our way up to 15th at the checkered.” -Kyle Busch

Cook Out Clash – Bowman Gray Stadium
Winston-Salem, NC – February 2, 2025

AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 FREIGHTLINER FORD MUSTANG

START: 16TH FINISH: 7TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric and the No. 2 Freightliner Ford Mustang team opened the year with a solid seventh-place finish in the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, NASCAR’s pre-season exhibition event leading into the season-opening DAYTONA 500. Cindric secured his place in the 23-car field with a top-five result in his heat race on Saturday, rolling off 16th for the 200-lap feature at the historic quarter-mile short track. From the start, the field wrestled with the tight confines of Bowman Gray, and Cindric reported that his car was tight on the initial run when the first caution flew on Lap 20. As the race progressed, the handling remained a challenge, and Cindric noted he was losing the right rear. A scheduled halfway break at Lap 100 allowed the team to make adjustments, with crew chief Brian Wilson calling for wedge and air pressure changes to free up the car for the second half. Restarting 13th, Cindric steadily gained positions in the closing stages, working his way into the top 10 and ultimately crossing the finish line in the seventh position.

CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “I thought we did a good job of making our Freightliner Ford Mustang Dark Horse better from Saturday night and even from the first 100 laps to the second 100 laps. I can’t really complain. I thought we had speed to race in the top five. We made a lot of passes under green on that long run and felt like we had a reasonable car and kept the tires under it. These quarter mile events have been a struggle for me the last four years, so it’s really good progress and a solid showing to start the season for the 2 car.”

RYAN BLANEY No. 12 MENARDS/GREAT LAKES FLOORING FORD MUSTANG

START: 23RD FINISH: 2ND

RACE RUNDOWN: After starting at the rear of the 23-car field for Sunday night’s Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, Ryan Blaney wheeled the No. 12 Menards/Great Lakes Ford Mustang to a runner-up finish in the 200-lap, season-opening exhibition. Blaney navigated his way through traffic to make up 11 spots in the first 79 laps before cracking into the top-10 by the time of the scheduled halfway caution at lap 100. The 12 team made a few adjustments during the eight-minute break to help Blaney’s ability to rotate the corners prior to the final run before a handful of cautions allowed him to gain ground on the restarts. After making his way into the top-five just 20 laps into the run, Blaney worked his way past the No. 11 for second in the running order with 52 laps to go as he chased down the No. 9 for the top spot. As the two battled through lapped traffic in the closing laps, Blaney was unable to overtake the top spot and settled for the runner-up result.

BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “I got to 10th before the break and I kind of got to the top-five relatively quick – a couple of restarts went my way – and by the time I got to second I saved a pretty good bit even to get to second because I knew it might go the whole way, and then it was just kind of like a game between [Chase Elliott] and myself like who can save more right-rear tire. I just didn’t quite have enough to lean on there at the end. I started pushing like with 25 to go and I just didn’t have enough. I needed some help by lappers and I just never really could get there. I kind of just didn’t have enough to lean on, but it was fun coming from the back and just not quite having enough, but it’s always fun when you can move forward like that.”

JOEY LOGANO No. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD MUSTANG

START: 7TH FINISH: 4TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano returned behind the wheel of the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang Sunday night in the inaugural Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, turning in a fourth-place effort in the 200-lap exhibition race. After taking the green flag from seventh, Logano suffered contact to the right front in the opening laps that resulted in a tight-handling condition for the duration of the first run. Logano managed to hold his standing in the top-10 before the scheduled caution on lap 100 when the No. 22 team addressed an issue with the right front toe link prior to the final run of the night. The Shell-Pennzoil Ford responded by working its way into the top-five with 44 laps to go before Logano battled the No. 23 for several laps, eventually taking over the fourth spot with 19 laps remaining where eventually took the checkered flag from.

LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “I got damage early in the race, like lap three. That puts you an adjustment behind because in the 100 lap break you’re sitting there saying, ‘OK, I was really tight but was that because my toe was out a lot, or am I really that tight?’ So that makes it a challenging adjustment and really just kind of put us one adjustment behind. I think I could have maybe been in contention there. We had decent track position. I was trying to manage where I was before the 100 lap break so I could still be in the hunt. We just had a couple of mediocre restarts where I couldn’t launch as good and let a couple cars down in front of me, and then the long haul there I was able to get a couple cars there at the end of the race. I was trying to position myself to where I was in the second row and you never know what happens on a late race restart at a track like this, so it was just trying to say semi close and hope for a caution, which there never was, but, overall, I would say the race was pretty interesting.”

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Daytona International Speedway for Speedweeks and the 67th running of the prestigious DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, February 16. All the action kicks off with Practice 1 and Pole Qualifying on Wednesday, February 12.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Clash at Bowman Gray | Sunday, February 2, 2025

Ford Finishing Results:

2nd – Ryan Blaney
4th – Joey Logano
7th – Austin Cindric
10th – Chris Buescher
11th – Ryan Preece
13th – Josh Berry
14th – Todd Gilliland
20th – Noah Gragson
21st – Brad Keselowski

JOEY LOGANO AND RYAN BLANEY POST-RACE PRESS CONFERENCE

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT WERE YOU MISSING TONIGHT? “I got damage early in the race, like lap three. Briscoe tried to get in and we wheel-hopped and it kind of jumped the front of my car up and ripped the steering wheel right out of my hands and knocked the toe out about half-an-inch and then it just plowed the whole first run of the race. That puts you an adjustment behind because in the 100 lap break you’re sitting there saying, ‘OK, I was really tight but was that because my toe was out a lot, or am I really that tight?’ So that makes it a challenging adjustment and really just kind of put us one adjustment behind. I wish I didn’t get that damage. I think I could have maybe been in contention there. We had decent track position. I was trying to manage where I was before the 100 lap break so I could still be in the hunt. We just had a couple of mediocre restarts where I couldn’t launch as good and let a couple cars down in front of me, and then the long haul there I was able to get a couple cars there at the end of the race. I was trying to position myself to where I was in the second row and you never know what happens on a late race restart at a track like this, so it was just trying to say semi close and hope for a caution, which there never was, but, overall, I would say the race was pretty interesting.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Great Lakes Flooring Ford Mustang Dark Horse – DID YOU USE UP TOO MUCH TO GET TO SECOND BECAUSE YOU SEEMED TO FADE AT THE END? “No. I got to 10th before the break and I kind of got to the top five relatively quick – a couple of restarts went my way – and by the time I got to second I saved a pretty good bit even to get to second because I knew it might go the whole way, and then it was just kind of like a game between the 9 and myself like who can save more right-rear tire. I just didn’t quite have enough to lean on there at the end. I started pushing like with 25 to go and I just didn’t have enough. I was like, ‘Uh oh.’ I needed some help by lappers and I just never really could get there. I kind of just didn’t have enough to lean on, but it was fun coming from the back and just not quite having enough, but it’s always fun when you can move forward like that.”

JOEY LOGANO CONTINUED – WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THE ATMOSPHERE TONIGHT? “It was really, really good. I thought the pre-race ceremony was pretty cool. The fans being right there. It’s what Bowman Gray is, right? You’ve got the fans heckling you and saying whatever they want and saying your number one in two different ways, so that’s what Bowman Gray was built off of. I don’t know if you got the boos I got, but, overall, I would say it was successful. You look at when fans are cheering and screaming and those type of things, drivers brands are being exposed to everybody, which is great. Everyone has a favorite or not and they’re passionate about it and when you get everyone this close, I mean, you look at yesterday. People hung out for the modified race all the way until practice and the heat races. It was packed yesterday and tonight was standing room only, so, from that standpoint, the atmosphere was successful.”

RYAN BLANEY CONTINUED – “I agree with Joey. From the crowd yesterday that hung out for three hours from the modifieds to when we first got out on the track is a lot of commitment, and there was a lot of energy on the frontstretch before we got going there and that’s what it’s all about. It was really, really cool to be here and I’m happy that it was a good show for everybody. I’m looking forward to hopefully coming back next year. I don’t see why you wouldn’t come back, so I hope everyone had a good time.”

JOEY LOGANO CONTINUED – HOW FUN WAS THIS WEEKEND? “I didn’t win, so I didn’t have that much fun. I don’t really do it for fun at this point in my career, but it went better than I thought it could possibly go. You look at what the modified race was and they’re wrecking the crap out of each other, and you saw some heat races were very aggressive, but I think you got a little bit of everything here. You had the restarts where everyone was bottled up and I’d say bulldogging around. That’s kind of what it looked like for a while – a lot of contact and it’s very entertaining. I sat there and watched the LCQ and I was like, ‘This is an entertaining race. It’s pretty good.’ I’d say as the race went on you seen the top lane kind of come in a little bit and you could start to work some crossovers and stuff. Tire wear was real. I mean, at the end there I don’t think anyone was getting wide-open, not even close probably so that was fun. I can’t remember the last time I went around a racetrack and I didn’t get wide-open. It reminded me a little bit of the old days with the old car, which was a lot of fun to have that tire wear and that fall off to where you really have to manage your car and be a smart racer. We don’t have that everywhere, so it was nice to see that Goodyear could bring that tire here.”

RYAN BLANEY CONTINUED – DID YOUR TIRES JUST LOSE GRIP OR WAS CHASE WAS ABLE TO SAVE HIS TO BE FASTER AT THE END? “Yeah, I think he just had better drive off than me that whole last run. I turned better and he had better drive off, so it was kind of a trade off, I feel like. Honestly, I felt like our cars were kind of evenly matched. My car was better in one area and he car was better in another, but I felt like if you just swapped our two cars, I don’t think we would have passed each other. If I was in front of him or if he was in front of me, I think we were pretty evenly matched, but when I started to go I just didn’t have enough right rear. I was not gonna make that pass and couldn’t just bulldog into him and get chased out of here with pitchforks, so when it was time to go I just didn’t quite have enough. I could turn really good, but I paid the penalty on exit to where he could just keep the power down a little bit longer and the right rears seemed to wear out more than right fronts, so it just helped him out a little bit more at the end.”

AREN’T YOU SUPPOSED TO GET RUN OUT OF HERE WITH PITCHFORKS? “I don’t know what you like, but that’s not something I want to do (laughing).”

DO YOU FEEL IT’S IMPERATIVE TO COME BACK HERE AGAIN, OR DO YOU WAIT A FEW YEARS AND THEN COME BACK? “There’s gonna be just as many people here next year if you come back as there was tonight. I don’t think it would lose any of its luster.”

JOEY LOGANO CONTINUED – “From what I hear, they pack this place out every weekend without the star power of Cup guys. The people who come here are just race fans. They just like racing, and the other thing too is remember it’s not a huge stadium, so you pack it out and it looks good and the energy is real and it’s not like you have this ginormous stadium and you get half or three quarters of it full. This is like standing room only is a special feel. It’s hard to get the ticket, which people want what they can’t have. A lot of people probably watched this on TV and weren’t able to get the ticket here because there’s a limited quantity. Maybe next year they get the opportunity to get tickets. Maybe they’ll say, ‘Hey, I need to get on it and when they start selling them I need to be on it and get them.’ There’s a little bit to be said about that as well, but on the same breath I would say it’s very important for us to move things around. We’ve seen the success of our sport moving to new racetracks and I’m a big fan of going to new places and bringing the racetrack to the fans that don’t typically get to see us because it’s so hard for a lot of people to travel a long ways to see our races, so going to new places is huge for our sport and we’ve done that over the last five, six years. We’ve added new racetracks quite often, so I think that’s successful. Doing the same thing eventually gets stale, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen here anytime soon.”

RYAN BLANEY CONTINUED – CAN YOU TALK AGAIN ABOUT THE ATMOSPHERE TONIGHT? DID YOU FEEL THAT HARDCORE VIBE TONIGHT? “Yeah, definitely. It was neat when you do intros on the frontstretch and you park your car the fans are right there. It was neat to hear them cheering and supporting you. There aren’t a lot of places we go where they’re that close and that passionate, maybe a lot of them for whatever reason everyone wants to have their opinion heard here that’s in the stands, and that’s awesome to me, whether good or bad, it’s awesome that they’re there and they’re wanting to interact and that is a hardcore race fan. I didn’t see any birds tonight by the fans, luckily. My eyesight isn’t as good, so I might have been shot some, but I just think it was cool and it was cool for the fans to stick around for a good bit when we were doing interviews on the frontstretch after the race. You could tell they were excited to be here and they were excited for us to come and put on a heck of a show and they appreciated the race and things like that, so they’re hardcore race fans and you can’t beat that anywhere else. They’ve been like that here for 90 years, so you’ll have that, which is good.”

JOEY LOGANO CONTINUED – “Like I said earlier, it was great. I think you look at whether it was yesterday, whether it was here in person, which was great, or watching it on TV was great. There’s not a bad seat in the house, which is awesome, and I think the fans build off of each other. As they sit next to each other in that tight of quarters, I’m sure they started jawing back and forth about who their favorite driver is and everyone starts cheering louder and louder. We have such a unique sport because when you go to a basketball game, there’s a home team and the majority roots for one team. In our sport, there are 40 of us out there, so it’s pretty wild to see the differences and all that is displayed in driver intros. As long as they’re making noise. They make noise for me, so that’s good. It goes both ways, but it’s noise and that’s always good.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Freightliner Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I thought we did a good job of making our Freightliner Ford Mustang Dark Horse better from Saturday night and even from the first 100 laps to the second 100 laps. I can’t really complain. I thought we had speed to race in the top five. We made a lot of passes under green on that long run and felt like we had a reasonable car and kept the tires under it. These quarter mile events have been a struggle for me the last four years, so it’s really good progress and a solid showing to start the season for the 2 car.”

JOSH BERRY, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It was a lot of fun. I thought the guys did a really good job making the car better and adjusting on it from practice and the heat races to give me a really good car for the feature. Honestly, I felt like we had some more potential there if things would have went a little different, but, overall, I’m really happy with it. Obviously, the goal is to come here and make the race, so to do that and get a decent finish in our first time out it was a lot of fun.”

RYAN PREECE, No. 60 Fastenall Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We made gains on the break. I think we were running 20th and struggling to be there, and made good adjustments and got ourselves back to 11th. We didn’t really have any other opportunities to go forward, so at the end of the day I’m happy with positive changes and just ready to move forward to the Duels and the big show.”

WAS THIS EVENT A SUCCESS? “I was really shocked that the racing wasn’t chaos, which is great. It speaks volumes. I think NASCAR, the event at Bowman Gray and this city, that was unreal. Driver intros and the enthusiasm and everything about this place. I’m disappointed a Ford didn’t win, but, at the same time I’m happy to be part of this event.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES
BOWMAN GRAY STADIUM
COOK OUT CLASH AT BOWMAN GRAY
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT
FEBRUARY 2, 2025

 Elliott Earns First Career Clash Victory in NASCAR’s Return to Bowman Gray Stadium

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10:
POS. DRIVER
1st Chase Elliott
6th Ross Chastain
9th Shane van Gisbergen

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season officially kicks off at Daytona International Speedway with the 67th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 16, at 2:30 P.M. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

•  Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet team capped off a near dominate weekend by picking up the checkered flag in the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray. The victory marked Elliott’s first career victory in the series’ annual preseason race as the 29-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia, native kicks off his 10th full-time season in NASCAR’s top division.
• The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion delivered Chevrolet its 23rd all-time Clash victory, further extending the Bowtie brand’s series-leading record in the event.
• The victory marks Hendrick Motorsports’ eighth all-time Clash victory, with the Chevrolet organization now tying Richard Childress Racing for the second-most in the event’s history.
• Already topping the leaderboard in both qualifying and his respective heat race to earn the pole position for the main event, Elliott went on to pace the 23-driver field for nearly all of the first-half of the race– ultimately tallying 171 laps led in the 200-main event en route to the triumph.

 
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:

Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet

Finished: 1st

That race for you, you start on pole – how did you navigate it so well with all the lap traffic?

“First off, just thanks, everybody, for coming out. Y’all made for a really fun environment for us. We don’t race in stadiums like this, so it’s just really cool. Appreciate y’all making that moment special for me and my team. This is awesome.

I know it’s not a points race, but it is nice to win, for sure. Just really proud of our team for just continuing to keep our heads down and push forward, for sure.

It was a tough race. Ryan (Blaney) kept me honest there at the end. Denny (Hamlin) was really good at the second-half of that break. I just felt like he was kind of riding, and I was afraid to lose control of the race and not be able to get it back.

Yeah, fortunately it worked out. Great way to start the season. Huge thanks to everybody at Hendrick Motorsports; a lot of hard work over the off-season. NAPA Auto Parts, Chevrolet, some great partners. Excited to get to Daytona. It’s a great way to start the season.”

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 6th

You were towards the back in the first-half of the race. How did you keep your car clean and find yourself up front at the end?

“I have no idea.. I don’t know. We had every chance to get torn up and get spun out. We were in the middle of a lot of stuff, but we survived.”

“I had fun. A strong second-half of the race makes it more fun, when you finish the best that we’ve ran all weekend.”

Getting all three Trackhouse cars in the main event was pretty impressive. Does that give you guys confidence for the season?

“Well we were in the race, but we weren’t up front. For us to lead the way with a sixth-place finish was our strongest showing of the weekend and we ended the best that we were all weekend, so that’s promising. But we need more speed. We were proud last night driving home that we locked-in all three cars, but we want to do it up front.”

What did you think about the racing?

“It’s Bowman Gray, man. We had some history to live up to. So many legends have raced here; have put on great shows and crashed a bunch, which our cars did a fair share of tonight. But yeah, I think the asphalt being definitely a lot older than the L.A. Coliseum was, with pouring new asphalt, made it where we were grip limited.”

The concept of using the clash to renovate a short-track and extend its life for a period of time, do you think that’s an idea that can be used elsewhere in the future?

“I think we have a pretty good one here with Bowman Gray. I think when you look at the history of it and what the France family has done here, this is where the very first race was ran. This is where Jim France came here as a kid on summer vacations and with the family up here promoting races. Just hearing that history and hearing him talk about when they were paying out drivers at the end of the night and he was trying to go to sleep on the football benches in the clubhouse over there – that’s the kind of stuff that I want to hear and learn about because I’m new to the sport. My family wasn’t here and in it, so to hear a legend like Jim France talk about remembering sleeping on the bench as his family was paying the racers, that’s the kind of cool stuff I think the Clash at Bowman Gray is all about.”

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 9th

Was it as fun as it looked?

“Yeah, it was a lot of fun. I think I still put myself in bad spots and got moved out of the way. And then, I didn’t know how to get back down without making people mad. But yeah, I had a lot of fun.”

You just feel like you left the door open too much, and then once you got moved up, you were just stuck up there?

“Yeah, I felt like I could come down, but you’d just get shipped the next corner. That’s part of it, I guess.”

You looked so natural out there all weekend. What was it about this race track that suited you?

“I’m not sure. I felt comfortable in the car right from the start of practice. We had really good preparation with Stephen (Doran, crew chief) and Josh (Williams, spotter). I just felt good from the start and pushed on with it. It was pretty fun. It’s like Martinsville.. I’m good there because there’s a little bit of a road course technique, I guess. It just seems to suit me.”

How much fun did you have, overall, this weekend?

“Yeah, it was awesome. It was a good, low stress way to come back. Most of the guys on the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevy team are new people at Trackhouse, so it was a good way for us to all settle in and have a little team bonding. Running well helps, as well.”

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet

Finished: 22nd

It was a little tricky tonight for the No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevy team. I thought we were going to have a little more speed. We were decent in the short run, but not too good in the long run, which was the opposite of how I thought we were going to be. Overall, it was a good event.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

THREE TOYOTA TOP-10s AT THE CLASH AT BOWMAN GRAY
Hamlin Leads Toyota in Exhibition Race to Kick Off 2025 Season

WINSTON-SALEM, NC (February 2, 2025) – Three Toyota Camry XSE drivers finished in the top 10 in Sunday night’s Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. Denny Hamlin was the top-finishing Toyota with a third-place result after leading 28 laps (of 200) in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Camry. 23XI Racing drivers Bubba Wallace (fifth) and Tyler Reddick (eighth) also had strong runs in the annual season-opening exhibition race.

TheNASCAR Cup Series competes in the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 16.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Bowman Gray Stadium
The Clash – 200 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Chase Elliott*
2nd, Ryan Blaney*
3rd, DENNY HAMLIN
4th, Joey Logano*
5th, BUBBA WALLACE
8th, TYLER REDDICK
12th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
23rd, CHASE BRISCOE

FAILED TO ADVANCE TO THE MAIN EVENT

TY GIBBS
RILEY HERBST
ERIK JONES
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

What was the difference in the second half with your race car?

“I just didn’t do very well on that restart there, and kind of lost the bottom and Chase (Elliott) took advantage of it. Once you get the lead, it is a lot easier to hang on to it. I thought that they were just a little better that second half than we were, along with the 12 (Ryan Blaney) was as well. We just have to get a little bit better, but overall, a good day for our Sport Clips Toyota.”

BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 Leidos Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

With a top-five finish, you had to work for that one. How does this one feel?

“I hate that I got into the 6 (Brad Keselowski). I didn’t want to get a top-five finish that way. He was doing everything he could to get down – and I got greedy and wanted to fill the hole. I really didn’t think I hit him that hard, but obviously I did, so apologize for that. A good day – I wish I had the hard charger award. This – the 12 (Ryan Blaney) beat me for that. I looked in the mirror, before the break, and he is two back and I’m like, he’s fast. But all-in-all, a good day for our Leidos Toyota Camry. We start off the season with a top-five. Does that count? We will count it. All-in-all, a good day – we were still missing it on something. This tire was also from Martinsville in the fall. I didn’t like the car then. I don’t like the car now, but you have to fight for it. I need to look back on what I need to do better with this tire. I think it is more me than the car – just getting the potential, but all-in-all, it was a fun night. Crowd was loud and proud, and it was a good time.”

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

Finishing Position: Failed to Make Main Event

Can you tell us about your experience this weekend?

“After getting wrecked last night, all of the men and women at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB rallied and brought a bunch of parts from the shop. All of the team guys, all of the guys on the 42 and the 43, and the shop guys were able to fix everything. Huge thank you to them for getting this Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE looking the way that it did. It drove good in the LCQ race. We still had a little bit to do but had to go to the back because we had to change body parts and everything else. I think we started like second to the last row, and we were able to drive up to fourth there, so solid effort, sucks to come up a little bit short and not transferring, but this group has shown me a lot over the offseason. We brought over a really fast race car for practice off the truck yesterday, and it just didn’t work out as far as being in the race, but looking forward to getting the real points season started and see what we can continue to do as far as the 42 team.”

ERIK JONES, No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

Finishing Position: Failed to Make Main Event

Can you tell us what happened on that restart from your perspective?

“I haven’t seen it, but it looked like the 21 (Josh Berry) kind of cleaned us out, and then we ended up three-wide and then we got wrecked after that. It’s too bad. I thought that our Family Dollar Camry was pretty good. We were obviously racing for the lead – disappointing way to end. It’s tough being in the last chance – knowing that it is going to be rough. I got into a few guys, a few guys got into me and ended up on the wrong side. Unfortunate, I wish that we were going to race later tonight, but we will go on to Daytona.”

Can you tell us about the on-track incident?

“We were leading the race, and it looked like the 21 (Josh Berry) got in there and was going to shove us out of the way. That is frustrating. I’m not innocent either. There were a couple of guys that I knocked out of the way – it is part of the game, but it is definitely frustrating. Unfortunately, we kind of got cleaned out there once we got three wide. It is tough. You want to start out the year good. You want to make the main, and I thought the Family Dollar Camry was pretty good racing for the lead. It is frustrating, but part of the game here.”

Was there anything you felt like you could have done differently?

“Yeah, I mean it is tough. We got a good restart there, and I wish that I would have managed my gap a little bit better to not let the 21 (Josh Berry) get that position behind me and knock me out of the way. I guess you don’t really expect to get knocked out of the way in the first corner, so I wasn’t really thinking about that. So, yeah, I wish I could have kept him a little better guarded, but it didn’t work out.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 31 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.