NASCAR CUP SERIES FIREKEEPERS CASINO 400 MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES & QUOTES AUGUST 8, 2020
TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL FINISHING RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER7th       Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE9th       Bubba Wallace, No. 43 Victory Junction Camaro ZL1 1LE10th     Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE12th     Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Fueling Futures Camaro ZL1 1LE14th     William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 1LE     TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL FINISHING RESULTS:POS.  DRIVER                                                                     1st       Kevin Harvick (Ford)2nd      Brad Keselowski (Ford)3rd       Martin Truex, Jr. (Toyota)4th       Ryan Blaney (Ford)5th      Kyle Busch (Toyota)
TUNE-IN:The NASCAR Cup Series season continues on Sunday, August 9th at Michigan International Speedway with the Consumers Energy 400 at 4:00 p.m. ET. Live coverage will air on NBCSN, MRN, and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
TEAM CHEVY NOTES & QUOTES:
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 7th“We had a strong restart there at the end of the race from the inside lane. When that next caution came out, I just didn’t see it playing out the same way twice, so I chose to go to outside lane. Our NAPA Chevrolet was just tight all day and the team worked hard to try and get it dialed in – they had a solid day on pit road. I think we learned a few things today that we can hopefully use tomorrow.”
BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 VICTORY JUNCTION CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 9thON A COUPLE OF THOSE FINAL RESTARTS, I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A POTENTIAL WIN. WERE YOU THINKING WHEN YOU HAD THAT SHOT ON THE SECOND ROW, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PULL THIS OFF BECAUSE YOU MADE A BOLD MOVE TO THE MIDDLE?“A solid day for us and our Victory Junction Chevrolet. I appreciate everybody back at the shop. I know this whole COVID-19 deal has been tough. I haven’t been able to go to the shop and show my appreciation and how much they really work and make our cars better week in, and week out. So, it’s been fun. We’re in the middle of ‘silly season’ right now, so my mind is there, it’s here. So, to come out with a solid top-10 finish is positive. We’ve got a lot of work to do. I was not happy with the car, but I think that’s the racer mentality. I don’t know if (Kevin) Harvick, (race winner) was happy about his car, either. We always strive to be better, but all in all, it was a solid day. The choose rule. Good job, NASCAR. That was fun. That was cool. It brought be back to the shootout days. I didn’t tick as many people off as I did at the shootout today, so it was all good.” 
THESE RUNS ARE GREAT, RIGHT? ARE THEY EVEN BETTER WHEN HEY, YOU GET TO TURN AROUND AND DO THIS AGAIN IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS TOMORROW?“Absolutely. The race distance is a lot of fun. It’s something to look at, too, for sure. But man, say a prayer for us. Everybody say a prayer for us. There’s a big deal on the line right now and this could only help so much. I have yet to check my phone to see the status of it, but this will send us over the top if we can get it done. So, it’s been a lot of hard work off the race track for my team and everybody involved, to make things better. And that’s what we’re trying to do. So, putting solid runs together and having awesome restarts all thing, this is only going to help the effort. So, I’m definitely smiling.”
KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 10th“With a shorter race we had a bunch of variables today, including a lot of restarts. When the spotter says, four and five-wide, and we didn’t get damage, I will take that any day. Our Monster Energy Camaro was really reliant on clean air, once we got back in traffic it was really a struggle for us, but we were able score points in the first two stages and battle back for another top-10 finish at the end. We know that we can do better, and we’ll get a chance to do that tomorrow”.
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY FUELING FUTURES CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 12th“We had a fast Ally Chevy all day, but restarts hurt us. It was up and down all day fighting traffic and weird things happening on the restarts. We are going to talk tonight and get a better plan for tomorrow. It’s a long day for these team guys but we will be ready.”
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 14th“It was a tough day for our No. 24 Axalta team. We worked hard to improve the handling of our Axalta Chevy as the day went on. Luckily we’ll get another chance at it tomorrow and we’ll hopefully get a better result and stay in the playoff hunt.”
TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CHEVY ACCESSORIES CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 18th“We had some good speed in our No. 8 Chevrolet Accessories Camaro today at Michigan International Speedway, but we just seemed to get caught up in other people’s messes today. I was able to move up into the top 10 early in the race, but the No. 19 made contact with us when he had a tire go down, which gave our Chevrolet some left rear damage. It felt like we had a tire going down shortly after that, so we were forced to pit under green for fresh left-side tires. We had to fight hard to get our lap back and did, but then our right-rear tire went down and we had to pit to repair that under green as well. Somewhat luckily for us, that tire issue happened close to the end of Stage 2, so we were able to get our lap back with the wave around, stay mostly on sequence with the leaders and really get back in the game. We were making some progress after that and were up inside the top 20 when we got some additional right front damage from another on-track incident, so we had to hit pit road one more time for slight repairs but didn’t lose a lap. We were able to avoid a couple late-race accidents to pick up a few more spots but didn’t quite get to where we wanted to be today. Good news is that we get another shot at it with our No. 8 Chevrolet Accessories Camaro tomorrow.”

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES INDIANAPOLIS 500 INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEEDWAY INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA TEAM CHEVY DRIVER ZOOM CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT ED CARPENTER, NO. 20 U.S. SPACE FORCE CHEVROLET AUGUST 7, 2020
THE MODERATOR: We’re joined today by the driver of the No. 20 U.S. Space Force Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing, Ed Carpenter.Ed, thanks for taking the time to join us.ED CARPENTER: Thank you.
THE MODERATOR: Big announcement for the team today with the United States Space Force coming on. How did it come about and how excited are you to have their colors on your car?ED CARPENTER: First off, it’s very exciting. Real honor to be able to represent the U.S. Space Force, the newest branch of our armed forces.It came together pretty quickly. It’s a result of having a relationship with the Air Force already with Conor’s car for the road and street courses, Indianapolis. We’ve been working with that group.At this point there’s a lot of overlap between the two branches. They announced the Space Force December 20th of 2019, and kind of over the next year and a half they’re going to be standing up their operations from there.Albeit in COVID time, they were looking for a unique way to spread the word about everything that they’re doing. Things fell into place pretty quickly.
THE MODERATOR: It is August, although it kind of feels like May. How excited are you to get a chance to race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway?ED CARPENTER: Always excited to get to the Speedway. It’s definitely going to be a different feel this time around for a number of reasons. It’s August, even though like you said it feels like May. It’s going to be pretty quiet. We’ve gotten some experience with that.It will be more drastic of a change at Indy. We’re bummed that we’re not going to have our friends and fans, everyone that supports us all the time, to be able to be there with us. Grateful at the same time that we still get a chance to go out and race in the greatest race in the world.
THE MODERATOR: I know you mentioned the tie-in with the Air Force, the Space Force. Conor gets pretty competitive about things. Is there going to be some sort of in-team rivalry between the Space Force and Air Force?ED CARPENTER: I think a little friendly rivalry is healthy. At the end of the day we’re on the same team just as the Air Force and Space Force are on the same team. We’re all here for the same reason.I’m sure it’s going to be a lot of fun.
THE MODERATOR: We’ll take questions from the media.Q.It’s often been said that INDYCAR drivers and test pilots and astronauts kind of share the same traits character-wise. When you’ve been on your pole runs at Indy, did you almost feel like you were in a lot of ways driving a rocket ship?ED CARPENTER: I don’t know that I’ve ever thought about it exactly that way. I can see where we probably have some similarities in our makeup and how we’re wired. I think not everyone’s willing to go out and put themselves in uncertain situations, willing to risk everything to go out and do your job. Similar in that regards.But you could say that for a lot of professions, whether it’s firefighters, police officers. A lot of people put themselves in compromised situations to do what they love to do.
Q.Do you think this is also a great way to raise awareness for what the Space Force really is? When you think of all the satellites for communications, weather satellites, stuff on the computer, if any of those satellites were compromised in any way, think of all the havoc that would cause, that this is something to help create awareness to explain why there’s a need for such a force?ED CARPENTER: Yeah, 100%. It’s obviously the newest branch. A big part of what we’re doing is to raise awareness and I think to educate everyone of what the purpose of the Space Force is.What you said is right. All of our daily lives we’re relying on things that are happening in space from satellites, to GPS, to this Zoom call. It’s a competitive environment up there. For the safety of our nation and our allies and our prosperity as a country, what’s happening up there is important. It’s important for people to understand that.They’ve have a force within the Air Force that’s looked after this. One of the biggest tie-ins between what they’re doing with Space Force and our racing program, why they went the route of standing up the new branch was really to make a more lean, agile, fast solution to make sure we withhold our advantage in space and carry that forward into the future. I think that’s a great tie-in to INDYCAR and what we’re all about, as well.
Q.As an Indianapolis guy, as someone who loves this event, this race, I’m wondering what you think it will be like without fans and if you think it will change the atmosphere either leading into the race or actually on race day?ED CARPENTER: Yeah, I mean, this will be my 17th attempt at the 500. You meet new people every year. You see the same people every year. Over that time you develop relationships that are centered around standing outside of your garage in Gasoline Alley.It stinks, it sucks that we don’t get to share that passion we all have that is the Indianapolis 500. Unfortunately it’s the reality we’re in right now.I think this is the best that we can do unfortunately. Without a doubt it’s going to be a different environment. I was at the Speedway this morning when we were doing our announcement. Most of us in this call have been out there when it’s essentially empty, whether it’s early in the morning or late at night. That’s what it’s going to be like for the most part on race day. You’re going to be missing the sounds and a lot of the sights and colors.For sure I’ve thought about it. It’s going to be a different morning, different lead-in to the race. After 16 of them, you have a cadence and anticipation for the buildup. That’s all going to be different this year.But one thing I have learned for me personally from Texas, having no fans, Iowa being very limited, even from previous 500s, you take all that in, it’s a lot of the buildup, excitement, it makes it special, creates a lot of anxiety. When we strap in the cars and put our helmets on and start racing, for me anyway, whether it’s a full house or empty house, you’re so focused on what’s in front of you, doing your job, everything else disappears anyway.I’m confident it’s not going to affect the type of show we put on or the excitement and how aggressive we are fighting for an Indy 500 win. It’s still going to mean the same thing. We’re just not going to have our fans to celebrate with after the fact.But it’s going to be historic.
Q.Cole Pearn, how did you get to him? How did you get him to come back to the U.S.? What can he bring to the organization?ED CARPENTER: It was pretty simple really. We’d had a relationship with Justin Taylor in the past. He engineered JR’s car full-time when he was with us. He was with us with Ed Jones for our partial last year. We kind of were planning on him coming back to help us.With the ever-fluid situation from COVID, plans were constantly evolving and he couldn’t commit due to other sports car stuff in Europe. We were just sitting around the shop brainstorming some new options just to try to make sure we were bringing in somebody that we felt like would bring something to our team, to our engineering room. We were just kicking the tires.Peter Craik, who is my engineer, worked with Cole at Furniture Row. I texted Pete, Hey, do you think there’s any chance Cole would be interested in coming and being a part of Indy? He was like, I don’t know, text him. He texted him. Cole was like, Yeah, I’m interested in talking about that. That’s pretty much how it happened.
Q.Even though stockcars and INDYCARS are completely different, do you think it will be a smooth adjustment for him?ED CARPENTER: I’m confident that it will be. I believe when you bring in smart and talented people that have a work ethic, they’re going to figure it out. We don’t have a lot of time when we get to Indy. Still a lot more time than we have elsewhere.He’s been working hard to get integrated before he was here. Now that he’s here, there’s a lot that’s different but a lot of the processes are the same. Some of the language is different.I think we’ve all seen from Cole that he’s definitely putting in the work to do it, getting prepared. I feel like Conor is getting excited about it the more time they spend together. He has a lot of support around him with the rest of our group, how we shuffle people around in support roles for Indy with our third car.He’s a smart guy. I think you saw Penske have success bringing Brian Kampe over for a long time in their INDYCAR program. When you have smart people, they’re going to figure it out and adapt quickly.A lot of what we’re doing at Indy is making decisions in the moment, having a good process. I think we all feel like Cole has all of those traits.
Q.With no fans at the Indy 500, there seems to be this contingent of the old guard that says you shouldn’t have an Indy 500 with no fans. Graham Rahal addressed that and said he was once in that camp, but the long-term viability of INDYCAR teams, the choice between no fans and no race, you have to have a race. Can you address that from a team owner perspective.ED CARPENTER: It’s an awful situation to be in. I talked to someone about this back when Roger made the comments that we just won’t run the race without fans. I was asked a question if I would be open to doing it without fans. It’s something that I don’t want to have happen. I would love for our fan base to be there.But it absolutely is critical to run the race. Far and away it’s what makes and breaks our season as teams. It’s the most important event to our partners. It 100% sucks not having fans there and not even being able to have the experience with our partners in full being there. But it’s necessary.We’ve got to look at all the hard decisions now of what we have to do to be in a position to have fans in 2021. It’s critical for the health of the teams that we have this race to make sure we have teams back here next year.That sounds a little dramatic, but that’s the reality. We live in not only a very volatile world right now, but our industry and motorsport in general, it’s not an easy business to operate. When you lose your marquee event, it’s a lot different than looking at losing Portland on the schedule or Barber. They’re in totally different atmospheres as far as the importance to us and our partners.It sucks that we had to be in this position. I feel terrible for Roger Penske right now. But he’s doing an outstanding job leading our series and doing his best to help our teams through this difficult situation we’re in.
Q.The economic realities, Mid-Ohio kind of postponed in terms of when it comes back. There’s been some discussion about how many races do teams need to satisfy sponsors. Is that something you’re concerned with at all? Do you need a certain number of races to keep all the payments coming in?ED CARPENTER: It’s a moving target. I think we’ve been pretty blessed as a team with the level of commitment of our partners and their understanding of COVID-19 and the impact on our schedule, our contracts.It’s a situation where there’s so — all of it is out of our control, out of the series’ control, the promoter’s control. At the end of the day is there a firm number I can give? No. But definitely every one that we lose, it does make it harder to continue having those conversations.I think everyone’s as confident as you can be right now with what we have in front of us with what’s remaining on the schedule. Things are so fluid, it changes day-to-day, let alone week-to-week. We just have to take it as it comes.Right now the focus is on the 500 and maximizing this month to the best we possibly can given the situation, take it from there.
Q.You’ve had this relationship and been close with Sarah Fisher in the past. Given that relationship, the fact this will likely be the first 500 since 1999 that we haven’t had a female driver in the series, what your emotions or general feelings are of losing the momentum we’ve had in getting more women involved in the sport in general from a driver’s perspective?ED CARPENTER: Yeah, I hadn’t actually thought about that streak being broken. I won my first race driving for Sarah. Her team provided me a really good opportunity kind of at a crossroads in my career. I’m forever thankful for that. We were partners for a season or two.Yeah, it’s kind of crazy. I fully expected Pippa to be a part of this year’s race with the support and base that she’s built up. She’s definitely a popular driver in the series. It’s an unfortunate situation that there won’t be a female starting. I think we’ve had a lot of success and seen a lot of talented women racing in INDYCAR, specifically the Indy 500.I think it’s less of a situation of not having a woman. It’s tough for a lot of people to make it happen right now regardless of your gender. It’s a disappointment. I’m sure that we’ll see Pippa or someone new coming back in the future.
Q.You’ve obviously started the season at the 500 in the past. This year you got to do a few ovals. Will that make things a little bit easier, especially with the condensed schedule?ED CARPENTER: It doesn’t hurt. I think at the end of the day with the way with the flow and cadence of your typical month of May, I’ve never felt disadvantaged at any moment in the years that that’s been my first race of the season.Indy is so unique, has its own challenges, comes with its own pressures and stresses. The amount of practice time even in a condensed format, there’s still plenty of time for drivers that it’s their first race to get plenty of pit stop practice in, to prepare for all the things you need to be prepared for.I’m happy that I’ve been able to start my season, come in feeling like you’re slightly more up to speed with the team. Indy is so different at this point with these cars relative to Texas and Iowa that it’s not like there’s a ton of carryover from those events.Indy, it’s its own beast. When you do have to start there, I don’t think it makes it that big of a deal.
Q.We go to Indy each year expecting for you guys to contend for front row at the very least, generally pole. With the changes in the car specification this year, the Aeroscreen, do you feel Ed Carpenter Racing is at that level to again be contending with Penske, from your observations compared with previous years?ED CARPENTER: I hope so. All my guys would tell you, like, sitting here on a Friday less than a week out from being in the car, I’m always a bit paranoid about what our speed is going to be, what our performance handling is going to be. I’m definitely more of a pessimistic person than an optimist. I’m always a little paranoid at this stage in the game that my nightmares are going to come true and we have a terribly slow racecar.Outside of my paranoia, I feel really strong about the work the team has put in in the off-season. I feel like we’ve made some gains within our own building to improve ourselves. I always have confidence in what Chevrolet is going to bring to the table for Indianapolis.Hopefully we’ve done a good job and we’ll be in position to compete and have a fast car on both weekends of August, as I’m calling it.
Q.Obviously you have Rinus in the team this year, a rookie driver in there. You were quite outspoken about Texas, the advice you’d given him there, him not following it. From a general perspective, you have so much experience at Indy, you’ve had a lot of success there, what are the key things you try to drill into Rinus ahead of the event in terms of driving?ED CARPENTER: To be honest, I was definitely hard on him in Texas. We’ve made a lot of progress since then. He’s had a rough season. Haven’t had things fall our way. He had a good race going at Iowa when he had his incident with Colton, which was just one of those things that’s unfortunate. He didn’t do anything wrong.I feel like he’s really made a lot of progress in Texas. We have spent a lot of time talking about Indy, done quite a lot of work in the simulator, preparing him as much as we can from everything he’s going to experience from weather, to what ROP is going to look and feel like.I haven’t worked with a rookie in a long time, but I give him the same type of advice that I’ve given other drivers that haven’t been there before or in a while. In a lot of ways I just take them through my process, things that I focus on, things that they need to be careful of, how we need to approach different situations whether it comes to looking forward to qualifying and trimming out or working with traffic with race setup stuff, what he needs to be thinking about, how he eases himself into that.We’ve put a lot of effort into it. I’m optimistic, even though I told you I’m a pessimist, that he’s prepared. I’m confident in our group and the people that are behind him and that will be on his stand that they’ll manage him in an efficient manner.
Q.What are your expectations of Rinus? What do you think he’s done well enough in line with your expectations in the Indy 500?ED CARPENTER: I think it’s really hard to put huge expectations on him. It’s been a pretty terrible year to come into this sport as a rookie. We’ve seen them all shine at moments, but we’ve seen rookies all make mistakes as well. With how limited testing has been, the schedule changes, how that affects your preparation, it’s been hard on us old guys. It definitely I think is harder for the younger guys to be mentally prepared to adapt to all that.As I’ve been telling Rinus, my number one goal for him everywhere we go, it will be no different at Indy, is to complete every lap that he can, run every lap of the race, then incrementally step his goals up from there.One thing that we also believe is he’s an extremely talented driver. His natural ability is way up there with some of the best guys I’ve been around. So really it’s more just helping him not try to get there too fast, make good decisions with his progression. If he’s able to do that, if we’re able to do that together, there’s no reason why he can’t be a factor come August 23rd.We’ve got to take it one day at a time and maximize each day, limit mistakes to build momentum over the course of our time there.
Q.How beneficial is it to you to have Conor Daly in the car when you have a rookie at the 500?ED CARPENTER: Yeah, I mean, it’s been great having Conor on the team. I would say one of the bright spots of quarantine and COVID was the amount of time that Conor and I have been able to spend together. We’ve trained together this entire time through quarantine. We kind of committed to keeping each other safe through this whole time. We’ve spent a ton of time together, really gotten to know each other well. He’s definitely an asset to the team.Although he’s been a journeyman, he’s got a lot of great experience. He had a great month of May last year with Andretti. I think we’re all excited to have him in one of our cars, have another experienced voice in the room to help make us all better, myself included. Definitely Rinus has two experienced guys, so hopefully at the end of the month we’ll all feel like each of us has helped the other. That’s the intent.
Q.Helio Castroneves has expressed an interest in coming back full-time next season. Is he someone you might consider next year?ED CARPENTER: I would never rule it out. I think Helio is an amazing talent. I’m not going to knock a guy for his age, being old myself. We’re similar in age, although I think he’s a couple years older than me.I know that the passion is still there for him. It wasn’t his decision fully, I don’t think, to be a full-time sports car driver at this point. His heart has been in INDYCAR the whole time. I’ve had friendly discussions with him just as a friend over his time in sports cars.If there’s an opportunity, I would 100% be in interested in working with a guy like Helio. I know he wants to add his name to the list of four-time winners. He’s going to be motivated for that for a while.
THE MODERATOR: That will wrap up our video conference with Ed Carpenter. We’ll thank him for his time today and wish him the best of luck next week at the oval.ED CARPENTER: Thanks, everyone, for joining today. Hope we get to at least see some of you from a distance out there.

NASCAR CUP SERIES MICHIGAN DOUBLE HEADER MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT AUGUST 7, 2020
TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CHEVY ACCESSORIES CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media via teleconference and discussed his outlook for this weekend’s Michigan races, the new Choose Rule, the importance of preparing for the upcoming race at Daytona for both the new road course and the heat and more, making it into the Playoffs and more. Full Transcript:
YOU ARE STARTING 14th FOR THE FIRST RACE AT MICHIGAN. CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH ABOUT HOW YOU ARE PREPARING FOR THE WEEKEND RACES AT MICHIGAN AND YOUR MINDSET HEADING INTO THEM?“For us, for these next six before the Playoffs start, it’s very important that we manage everything to the best of our ability. So, we’ve got to run good and we can’t afford to make costly mistakes to take us out of the race. So, we just have to be very thoughtful with everything on the race track and every strategy call has to be with a purpose because every single matters immensely right now and will continue to matter as these races wind down to the cutoff.”
DOES THE CHOOSE RULE BENEFIT YOU MAYBE MORE THAN OTHERS SINCE YOU LIKE THE HIGH SIDE AND MIGHT BE ONE TO TRY IT MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE AT CERTAIN TRACKS?“I don’t know if it actually does benefit me because the people that will want to start on the top lane will start up there. So, we’ll be able to take advantage of it at times as somebody isn’t necessarily going to push the issue at some of these race tracks that line up on the outside. I know you can take advantage of that so. I don’t know how much it really changes it. It might make the restarts a little bit more difficult for me to gain positions that I’ve been able to gain before. But you know, maybe not. We’ll see. It’s a rule that everyone was kind of on board for and really kind of pushing for with how the racing has kind of been with these low-horsepower cars. The top is so dominant on restarts and getting in somebody’s right rear quarter panel is pretty much end game for the car on the inside. I’m glad we’re changing it. It’ll probably be a little confusing a few times as first, especially the further you are back within the field. It gets more and more challenging to count the cars of who is going where. But it’ll be a fun new challenge. Me and my spotter had fun with it at Bristol even though we didn’t have a good run there. But I think it’s going to be good for our racing and it’ll make it more interesting too.”
DO YOU HAVE MUCH EXPERIENCE WITH IT IN LATE MODELS?“We didn’t really have any of that in Dirt Late Model racing. We had a very similar restart setting, or restarts would be set a very similar to how the Cup series is except the lead car has his own lane to himself. So you can kind of use both lanes to get a better launch than the rest of the field. So, I’ve never really done anything like this before that I can remember. But we’re still going around the same race tracks. Once they’re set it’ll be very similar to what they already are, but you’ve got to make one more decision in the race car as a driver and as a team. So, it will be a new challenge.”
WITH SILLY SEASON UPON US, CAN YOU STAY WHAT YOUR STATUS IS AT THIS POINT WITH RCR IN REGARD TO 2021 AND ALSO WHAT DOES THE LANDSCAPE LOOK LIKE FOR A YOUNG DRIVER LIKE YOURSELF?“Well it’s definitely always concerning regardless of age when you’re 24 years old and you’re getting replaced in the Cup series or in any kind of racing. But, it’s part of it. It’s unfortunate. But that’s the world we live in. There are comers and goers and there’s always somebody coming up through the ranks that is going to have a shot at something. So, I’m glad I know where I’m going to be next year. I’m going to be with RCR. So, I’m not necessarily allowing the pressure to come off by any means. We still want to make the Playoffs. We still want to run really good this year. We want to beat the other drivers that are competing for Rookie of the Year. So, it’s not going to take away my aggression any, knowing that for the first time in a while I guess, in my racing career, knowing that I’m going to be in the same place is nice.”
IN PREPARATION FOR THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE RACE, PERHAPS WITH IRACING, HAVE YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ANY LAPS THERE YET AHEAD OF TIME?‘Yeah, it’s pretty much all you’re really going to have to go off of is iRacing or simulation. For me, it’s through Chevrolet. We’ve been able to use the simulators that they have and for a guy like me who has never made a lap around the Daytona road course, I have no idea what I’m getting into for the most part. Even with how the Cup cars brake and race on a road course themselves, it is tough because I have no background in a Cup car on a road course. From my understanding the brakes are a little bit better. Some things are a little bit different and are better for the drivers. You can be more aggressive, I think. I’ve got nothing to go off really other than help from A.J. Allmendinger, who helped me a lot last year in the Xfinity stuff. He’s worked with Randall Burnett (crew chief) in the past and helped me get up to speed, especially when he was running the Kaulig cars for them. I have other good friends (like) Austin Cindric and other drivers who have run this course in the past that I know well too, that I’ve been able to bounce some ideas off of, too.”
COMING TO DAYTONA, HOW ARE YOU PREPARING FOR THE HEAT IN AUGUST? IT’S 100 PERCENT HUMIDITY AND 100 DEGREES AND YOU CAN’T ESCAPE FROM IT“Yeah, I think this year and the way we’ve gone about making up these races has kind of been, in a way, conditioning us for that. But, at the same time it could be wearing us down in that one last extremely hot race that we have this year. So, none of us really know what to expect. It’s going to be extremely hot and you don’t want to spare any expense or time putting into hydration. That’s going to be extremely important for that race. You just don’t know how taxing it’s going to be on you, on your car, or on anything; and you have to be on your toes at all times, especially on a road course. You can’t afford to make mistakes. You wheel-hop once and your day could be done, or you significantly damage your car. Like I mentioned earlier, every point matters and every spot matters. Going into that race we’ve just really got to be on our game and make sure that we don’t have too many adult beverages at dinner with the lady throughout the week, or whatever it is, and just really focus on hydrating and cutting out the fun beverages that you normally have at dinner.”
WHEN YOU STARTED THIS YEAR, DID YOU EVER THINK THAT YOU WOULD BE COMPETING FOR A PLACE IN THE CHASE AGAINST JIMMIE JOHNSON?“I thought we had the capability of making the Playoffs, but I didn’t really foresee Jimmie having the bad luck and struggles that he’s had. The speed has definitely been there. We’ve seen it at times. But unfortunately, you have to capitalize when you do have it and unfortunately for him and his team, he hasn’t. And then he missed the race at Indy. So, he’s had the deck stacked against him for sure this year. I thought we would be battling to get into the Playoffs, but I didn’t think it would be against him, for sure.”

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES iDIANAPOLIS 500 INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEEDWAY INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA TEAM CHEVY ZOOM CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT AUGUST 3, 2020
Conor Daly, driver of the No. 47 U.S. Air Force Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet and team engineer for the Indianapolis 500 Cole Pearn met with media via Zoom. Full transcript:
THE MODERATOR: Welcome, everybody. On behalf of Team Chevy, we have Conor Daly and Cole Pearn from Ed Carpenter Racing. Conor the driver of the No. 47 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet in the Indy 500. Cole will be his engineer for the race.Conor, how excited are you for the Indy 500 in your hometown? Secondly, can you talk about being with Ed Carpenter Racing, one of the fastest teams in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, how excited are you to be with ECR?CONOR DALY: I used to get this question a lot when I signed the deal. I was very excited then and I’m very excited now still many months later (smiling).This team is so good at Indy. We know it. Everyone knows it. Just can’t wait to get in and get in the car just for the first time, literally to do one lap. Like, when I got in the car at Texas this year, I knew the first lap, This is going to be a good weekend.I just want to get out there, get some time under my belt, get Cole in the game here and see what happens. It will be a lot of fun. We have a great looking car to do it in with the U.S. Air Force, that No. 47 Chevrolet, as well.
THE MODERATOR: Cole, welcome to INDYCAR. I know you had a successful career in NASCAR, then decided to step away from racing. What was so tempting about coming to work the Indy 500 with Ed Carpenter Racing and Conor?COLE PEARN: Obviously Indy 500 is a huge deal, so definitely a bucket list item for sure. To get a chance to do it with a great driver and a great team as well, a team I kind of felt comfortable with, was kind of a perfect opportunity.Definitely didn’t want to go back racing full-time, so to get a chance to do one race, have it be in a competitive situation, is pretty ideal. Yeah, it all worked out.
THE MODERATOR: We’ll throw it open to questions from the media.Q. You’re very established in NASCAR, got a good career there. INDYCARS are not the same as stockcars. What are the biggest hurdles for you? What are the things you need to learn to get prepared for this venture?COLE PEARN: I think just getting more familiar with everything. Obviously when everything’s kind of first nature, it comes quicker, you’re able to make decisions better and quicker. I think getting more and more comfortable with everything.Everything seems fine. Again, it’s getting more familiar with it all. I think just getting through a couple days will feel a lot more comfortable. Definitely you kind of know where your feet are at that point. I think fortunately enough the Indy schedule is long enough that will hopefully help in that.Never know weather forecasts and all that. Like Conor said, just looking forward to get on track, kind of get in the motion of it all.
Q. Is the language or terminology different? Things that are the same or different?COLE PEARN: Yeah, I mean, honestly, a lot of things are super similar. Obviously the values that you’re looking at are way different, way more downforce, a lot lighter car, all those things. You’re still looking for the same things in terms of handling and all those type of metrics you kind of study are the same. It’s just the values are slightly different.I think, yeah, it’s been good. Have had some time to at least prep on that side of things, get more comfortable with it all.
Q. How long have you been in Indy with the team?COLE PEARN: Two nights. They were nice enough to send me a computer so I’ve been prepping for a while. That was at least good from that standpoint.
Q. Conor, an Indianapolis 500 guy, Indiana guy, the announcement there’s not going to be fans, will that feel weird to you? Make it a different 500?CONOR DALY: When you think about it, we spend, like, a lot of days at the track when there’s no one there because we’re out there working, doing whatever. Even practice, there’s a few people there obviously. Only one day a year where we have the massive crowd. We so look forward to that.That is part of the reason why I love the Indy 500 is the crowd, the people, the sheer magnitude of the event. Yeah, I mean, it is very sad. It sucks. It’s a terrible situation all across the board no matter what. But we’re going to do the best with the situation we’ve got.These teams are still working hours on end to prepare these cars for the Indianapolis 500, which is our biggest event, at the greatest racetrack in the world, I think. We’re going to give it our best shot. We have a great partner with NBC to give us a great TV broadcast.We just got to make sure that every single person in the entire universe will be watching the race, that will be awesome.
Q. Will it feel different on race day, take away not having all the pomp and circumstance?CONOR DALY: Funny, because at Texas this year there were no fans obviously. Was it weird? Yeah. Realistically when you’re lining up against all your fellow compadres up there, it’s like, All right, I still got to beat all those guys. No matter what, you want to be the best on that day no matter if there’s a million people there or no people there.Racing is so competitive, you could be at the rental go-kart track and you still want to beat everyone. It’s the same thing. Obviously it’s much larger at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but we’re going to get out there and want to beat each other. They still, as far as I know, give you a glass of milk and a trophy, your face goes down in history forever. That’s what we’re going for.
Q. Cole, how many T-shirts did they issue you? Can you wear one on the pit box or do you have to wear a fire suit?COLE PEARN: I don’t know. Maybe you can ask for me (laughter). They gave me four, a bunch of crew shirts. I don’t know if I’m going to take those out of the bag yet. We’ll see.Hopefully it goes well and maybe you can get away with that, I don’t know.
Q. Is there something that you missed in NASCAR that you feel will be fulfilled doing the Indy 500?COLE PEARN: Yeah, I think just the competition side of it. Something that NASCAR is lacking or something I missed being away?
Q. Something that you missed being away.COLE PEARN: Oh, yeah, for sure, just the competition side. Having a chance to line up your competitors and do better than them is definitely the goal.I think obviously it will be a fully different experience. But racing is still racing, throw a green and checkered. So looking forward to getting to that side of it and getting into the action.
Q. Cole, in the NASCAR world, everybody is so encompassed into it week after week. It’s kind of relentless. How much were you able to follow INDYCAR with the drivers, the cars, the teams?COLE PEARN: Yeah, definitely. I always followed it. I grew up a big fan of INDYCAR, so followed it from that standpoint. Over time grew to meet and know a lot of people that were in the sport. Definitely wanted to stay paying attention to it. It’s not like going into something totally foreign. You at least know the players, you know what’s going on from that standpoint.This season, obviously a little bit weird, but I’ve been able to watch it in more detail, watch races a lot closer than what I’ve done in the past.
Q. INDYCAR generally has a fairly attractive schedule in terms of number of races, length of schedule. Is it something you would like to be part of full-time?COLE PEARN: I don’t think so at this point. Definitely just focused on this race. Maybe this race, see how it goes. I don’t know if a full-time schedule is back in my future any time soon.
Q. How much fun do you have on planning with Conor? A fun-loving guy. Following you on social media, so are you at times. This is going to be a fun experience in addition to being a lot of work.COLE PEARN: Yeah, my experience with racing, it’s way more fun when you do well. Hopefully we’ll do well and we’ll have a lot more fun.
Q. Cole, we can tell from your tweeting you’re watching a lot of these races, NASCAR and INDYCAR. What has been your observation as you step back and watch it from a fan standpoint, observer? What do you see that’s good or bad about that sort of experience the people are getting at home?COLE PEARN: Yeah, it’s been eye opening a little bit. I haven’t watched a race at home in a long time. I can understand why when I call my dad during the week, he had no idea what actually went on (laughter).Yeah, I don’t know. I think there’s so much that goes on behind the scenes, I don’t think viewers at home get to see or get exposure to. I think that was a little bit eye opening. I thought there was a little bit more disconnect than what I was kind of expecting.I don’t know. Now I’m getting more used to it so I’m not sure. Yeah, I know one thing, it’s nice to be able to follow the race, close your computer, turn the TV off, go do something else. You don’t have to go through the cleanup and go home afterwards.
Q. You said you don’t want to go back full-time for the foreseeable future. Do you expect you’ll be closing the computer and going back to your life forever or would you like to recharge and come back or is it too early to say?COLE PEARN: Too early to say. Definitely not the A plan. Never say never to anything. Got to have a job and be able to pay for things and stuff like that.Yeah, who knows. This experience I’m really looking forward to. I think it’s fun to be able to go and try something different. I don’t know what my view of it will be once it’s over. Anxious for the new experience.
Q. Cole, we’ve done a lot of talking about how different it is for experienced drivers to adapt to the Aeroscreen, for engineers to adapt to the new demands of the Aeroscreen on the tires and that kind of thing, new weight distribution. The rookies are not having to learn anything new. Do you feel the same way as not a rookie engineer, but a rookie INDYCAR engineer? Do you feel like there’s less to unlearn and you can just soak up everything that the other engineers at ECR are going to throw your way?COLE PEARN: Yeah, a little bit. I think with reviewing past notes, you’re always relying on last year’s data to kind of do your prep work. For me, it’s still having to learn what the differences are and understand that. When you’re looking at stuff from last year, trying to correlate that to this year, you got to have that. Obviously, the aero changes, the weight distribution changes. Yeah, I feel like kind of in the same boat with the other guys as far as what they’re having to adapt to.
Q. When you signed the deal with Ed, was it a time when you realized how compressed the schedule was going to be and how quickly you were going to have to learn?COLE PEARN: Yeah, got a little bit more compressed after that. But still it was fine. I mean, I was kind of hoping to go to Mid-Ohio this weekend and at least get to hang out with Conor and the team, stuff like that, view it from that standpoint. That didn’t happen.In a way it’s okay. It’s been nice to have more time to prep with the singular focus on Indy. Everybody at the shop is kind of focused on that now because they’re not worrying about Mid-Ohio. That’s been nice. It’s in everybody’s frame of mind. That I feel is a lot better learning experience, better opportunity for me to get comfortable.
Q. Cole, what was the reaction to Labonte family selling its NASCAR team, the complicated dynamics with being a Joe Gibbs Racing affiliate?COLE PEARN: Yeah, that sucks obviously to see a team go away for sure. I think it’s bad luck on the JGR side. I don’t think there’s any correlation there. From my standpoint, obviously having gone through it, it sucks.Yeah, I mean, again, I think it was a business deal on both sides of it. Sucks to see another team go away. I know they were in a tight spot for a long time. I think finally with the pandemic and everything, it just kind of fell apart. Sorry to see that. Know a lot of people there, great people. Hopefully they can all find jobs.It’s going to continue to be a tougher job market in that sport, for sure.
Q. Cole, the genesis of how all this came together. Was Pete working on you for a while and convinced you to come over?COLE PEARN: No. We talked about it way back maybe that would be something. I think when the schedule all got changed, the guy that was originally doing the third car couldn’t do it any more, so they were in a spot where they needed somebody. Yeah, they asked. It was like, Yeah, why not? That’s kind of how it came together. It was pretty simple from that standpoint really.
Q. It wasn’t Pete’s influence so much?COLE PEARN: Yeah, he called and asked, just said, Would you want to do this? I was like, Yeah, sure. Then we talked to the higher powers, I guess, went from there.
Q. Are you looking forward to bringing some of the culture that you built on the NASCAR side, Furniture Row Racing?COLE PEARN: Seems very similar. Obviously the shops are a lot smaller, less people, stuff like that. I think it’s got a lot of that kind of scene going on. This is a huge race for them, they typically do really well here. Being part of that is going to be good.It’s been great being in the shop, getting to meet all the guys working on the team. Seems like a great group already. Yeah, it’s been pretty easy so far. I’m the new guy. Just trying to find my place at this point.
Q. Conor, obviously you have worked with a couple different engineers this year, kind of used to moving around. Does that make working with a different engineer this weekend different from what you’ve done in the past?CONOR DALY: I’ve learned to just try to get along with everyone. I have enjoyed working with a variety of people because everyone has a bit of a different way they like to do things, a bit of a different way that they like to tune the setup. I think I’ve learned from that, as well.There are a few things that I know that I like in the car, and there are a few things that a lot of engineers really want to make work because that’s what they like. There’s a lot of different things I can learn from that.I’m a very, like, trusting individual. I’m going to be like, Hey, I know that you are a very smart man and have done more school than me probably, have been in this racing world for a long time. Obviously Cole has an incredible amount of experience in the racing world. Was a driver himself, as well. He knows what’s going on.Is there a lot to learn in the INDYCAR world? Absolutely, I think for sure. There is for anyone, for all of us. We’re still learning every day, even me. It will be cool to see how that progresses.But, yeah, I mean, I look forward to getting into something new. This is an exciting time to get into the Indy 500 because it’s been a bit of a crazy year. I mean, I just can’t wait. It will be cool to see what his type of experience kind of brings to the table.You’re always looking for something else that 32 other people don’t have, something small. All you need is something small on race day to help you just do a little bit better of a job than anyone else. You never know, maybe a fresh opinion to the situation might give us that little advantage.
Q. Cole, have you talked to any of the fellow University of Waterloo guys that are in open-wheel right now?COLE PEARN: I haven’t, not yet, no. I’m sure I will. Definitely I had a few people hit me up and stuff like that. Yeah, it will be another thing. There’s definitely going to be a lot more Canucks around than there was in past life.
Q. Conor, what is your understanding of NASCAR? Do you feel that will help the communication with Cole? Maybe it’s happened already, something you noticed already, or something you maybe anticipate is going to help. Is your understanding of that side of things going to make the conversations between you easier?CONOR DALY: I mean, I think so. I obviously follow NASCAR really closely. I love NASCAR. I’ve done one NASCAR race, so I guess a little bit (laughter).But, yeah, I mean, I think no matter what, you’re still going to have a communication that he’s going to learn. It comes down to when I come into the pits, I say, Look, the car is understeering one out of five. He has to learn how much that actually means. We have to get used to how that’s communicated. That will be different.A guy like Cole who has had so much success in racing, he knows what the goal is, and that’s to be the best we can be. It’s just basically going to be an interesting road on how to get there because we’re going to be learning a little bit more as we go kind of each session.
Q. We’ve seen a lot of changes to the 500. At the minute the practice looks pretty much the same. Is it really important that you’ve managed to keep the practice, get ready with Cole for the race?CONOR DALY: We always want more practice, I can tell you that. With Indiana weather, you never know. That’s the thing we’re a little bit nervous about now. Indiana, it can be raining like a hurricane for 10 minutes, then it’s sunny for the next hour.We’ll be ready for anything. Even if we have two days in a row of a rainout, we get to Fast Friday, here is more horsepower, your first time ever on the track, let’s go. We still got to do that.I think this team as a group already has such a great handle on this event and how they like to run the cars, that is a great thing to not fall back on but just to have as an asset. All right, they know what they’re doing. So that will be really nice.
Q. Conor, you’re on Twitter. I don’t know if you follow Cole. Do you have a favorite Cole Pearn tweet? Are you aware of his persona on social media?CONOR DALY: Look, I did not follow Cole, to be honest. I seen Cole retweeted many times. Big Internet guy. As an Internet man myself, I have a passion for Internet humor, content, creation.I got texts from so many people, messages. It’s as if, like, we had hired the alpha of all racing. It’s as if Mario Andretti has come to our team and blessed us with his experience and career, some alpha wizard of engineering. That’s great. It’s going to be a lot of fun to see what happens.I mean, we’re going to get along, I can tell already. That’s the best part.
THE MODERATOR: Again, on behalf of Team Chevy we thank all the media for joining us today. We’ll thank Cole and Conor for their time today, wrap-up the call.

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE MICHIGAN DOUBLE HEADER MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY BROOKLYN, MI AUGUST 8-9, 2020
RACE #21 & 22: MICHIGAN For the first time this season, NASCAR’s premier series returns to Michigan International Speedway for an action-packed doubleheader race weekend. Just the second time in NASCAR history, the weekend schedule will feature four races across three different series, including two NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) events on back-to-back days: the postponed FireKeepers Casino 400 on Saturday, August 8th, and the originally scheduled Consumers Energy 400 on Sunday, August 9th. The NCS doubleheader around the 2-mile, D-shaped speedway in the Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan will mark the 21st and 22nd races on the revised NCS schedule. 
Accompanying the NASCAR Cup Series, the three-day race weekend will also consist of an appearance by the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series on Friday, August 7th, and the ARCA Menards Series VizCom 200 that was postponed and rescheduled for Sunday, August 9th. In compliance with the pandemic guidelines, all events during the doubleheader weekend will be run without spectators. 
BOWTIE BULLETS·       Since the NASCAR Cup Series first race at Michigan International Speedway in 1969, Chevrolet has made its way to victory lane 26 times. GM brands Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac have combined for an additional 10 wins. Of the NCS’s 101 races at the speedway, Chevrolet has recorded 180 top-fives, 367 top-10’s and 7,180 laps led. 
·       Chevrolet drivers that have recorded wins at Michigan International Speedway include:Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE, with three wins (2003, 2007, 2015)Matt Kenseth, No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1 1LE, with three wins (2002, 2006, 2015)Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Fueling Futures Camaro ZL1 1LE, with one win (2014)
·       Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth’s three career wins each at Michigan International Speedway are the most of active drivers in NASCAR’s premier series. 
·       Chevrolet has led the field to the green from the pole position 27 times. Career Chevrolet driver, Jeff Gordon, holds the current track qualifying record of 206.558 mph, 34.857 seconds, set on August 17, 2014. 
·       Of active series drivers, Matt Kenseth, No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1 1LE, leads the way with top-five finishes at Michigan with 14 and top-10’s with 20. 
·       Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Fueling Futures Camaro ZL1 1LE, leads all active drivers in laps led at the 2-mile speedway with 700 laps led in his 36 career starts. 
·       Since the electronic scoring system was implemented into the Series, the closest margin of victory was recorded at the June 2001 event, when NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon captured the win over Ricky Rudd by 0.085 seconds.  ·       In eight career starts at the 2-mile Michigan track, Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE, has recorded an average finish of 7.625, the most among active drivers.  HERITAGE TROPHY UP FOR GRABSThe Michigan Heritage Trophy is a recognition and celebration of the history cars and manufacturers bring to the race track and NASCAR competition. Each year, the track recognizes the sport’s manufacturers by presenting the prestigious award to the winning manufacturer at Michigan International Speedway. Since the debut of the trophy at the August 2013 event, Chevrolet has brought the title home six times, tying for the top spot on the Series leaderboard. 
PLAYOFF OUTLOOKWith 20 races in the books and just six left in the regular season, the chase to making the Playoff cutline is on. The top-16 in the standings at the end of the regular season will have a chance to compete for the title of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. As the points stand entering into the Michigan race weekend, six of the top-16 drivers in the standings are occupied by Team Chevy drivers. Here are a look at where the Team Chevy top-16 currently sit:             5th      Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE           11th    Alex Bowman, No. 88 ChevyGoods.com / Adam’s Polishes Camaro ZL1 1LE           14th    William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 1LE           15th    Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Chevy Accessories Camaro ZL1 1LE           16th    Austin Dillon, No. 3 Dow Mobility Science Camaro ZL1 1LE
Three Team Chevy Camaro ZL1 1LE drivers have secured their spots in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with wins captured thus season so far: Alex Bowman’s win at Auto Club Speedway, Chase Elliott’s victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Austin Dillon’s recent trip to victory lane at Texas Motor Speedway.  TAKING THE GREENFor the remainder of the 2020 NCS season, the race weekend format will consist of no practice or qualifying. The starting lineup for Saturday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 will be set by virtue of owners points and a random draw. Here are Team Chevy’s top-20 starters:            6th      Alex Bowman, No. 88 ChevyGoods.com / Adam’s Polishes Camaro ZL1 1LE           8th      Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE           10th    Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE           14th    Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Chevy Accessories Camaro ZL1 1LE           17th    Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Fueling Futures Camaro ZL1 1LE           18th    Austin Dillon, No. 3 Dow Mobility Sciences Camaro ZL1 1LE           19th    William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 1LE           20th    Matt Kenseth, No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1 1LE The starting lineup for Sunday’s Consumers Energy 400 will be set by the finishing order of Saturday’s event, with an inversion of the top-20 finishers.  TUNE-INNBCSN will telecast the 156-lap, 312-mile FireKeepers Casino 400 live at 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 8th. Returning on Sunday, August 9th, NBCSN will telecast the 156-lap, 312-mile Consumers Energy 400 live at 4:30 p.m. Live coverage can also be found on the NBC Sports Gold app, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.  QUOTABLE QUOTES:CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 5th IN STANDINGS“To me, shorter races just mean that track position is just going to be that much more important, especially positioning yourself for that last stint. It seems like a lot of these races over the past couple of months have really been determined by your position during that final strategy call when you pit to get to the end of the race, ultimately, and how you want to play that card. All of that starts at the beginning of the day, how you start your strategy then eventually will stretch out and sometimes dictate what you do for the last pit stop. In a short race I think all those things are really going to matter, making the right decisions and hopefully having the cautions fall your way.” ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 CHEVYGOODS.COM / ADAM’S POLISHES CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 11th IN STANDINGSBOWMAN ON HIS FEELINGS ABOUT MICHIGAN:“I enjoy going to Michigan each year. I feel like we have had some strong finishes at the track and we really need to have a good weekend. We finished inside the top-10 in both events last year and had some solid runs. Michigan is a fun track and I think that this No. 88 team has really figured something out there. If we could bring home the Michigan Heritage Trophy to Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet, that would be big. We are in the backyard of so many manufacturers, so being able to capture that for Chevy would definitely be special.” GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 88 CHEVYGOODS.COM / ADAM’S POLISHES CAMARO ZL1 1LEIVES ON THE IMPORTANCE OF WINNING AT MICHIGAN:“We race to win trophies every week, but the Irish Hills of Michigan International Speedway pose the battleground for the manufacturers. Michigan was the first NASCAR track I went to as a kid and with this being my home track, I look forward to capturing the Michigan Heritage Trophy not only for the No. 88 team and Hendrick Motorsports, but also for our partner in Chevrolet.”
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 14th IN STANDINGSBYRON ON DOUBLEHEADER AT MICHIGAN:“What’s good with two races this weekend in Michigan, and doubleheader weekends in general, is that you can make big changes and get big results on the second day of racing. I really like that about the doubleheader aspect. You don’t have to wait until we go back to the same track later in the year. You can make changes to your car and strategy overnight if you need to and try it all again the next day. It’s a great opportunity to improve before you move your mindset on to the next track.” BYRON ON THE SPEED DRIVERS EXPERIENCE AT MICHIGAN:“You definitely do feel the high speeds at Michigan. The straightaways are long and you’re right up against the wall. It’s got the shape of Daytona but Michigan is a lot flatter of a track. I think the flatness makes it feel like you’re going fast on corner entry, especially with the lateral load and being right on the edge on entry to the corner. I feel like that’s what creates the sensation of so much speed at Michigan.” TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CHEVY ACCESSORIES CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 15th IN STANDINGSDOES WINNING IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES LAST YEAR WITH RANDALL BURNETT GIVE YOU ANY EXTRA CONFIDENCE HEADING INTO THIS WEEKEND’S DOUBLEHEADER EVENT?“It’s nice to be able to head to a track where you’ve won at before, but the packages between Xfinity and the Cup Series are so different that there really isn’t much crossover. I actually think the Xfinity package we ran at Michigan two years ago was more similar to our current Cup package, which was when RCR and Austin Dillon won the race in the rain-shortened event. So, I’ve run a race there with a similar package, but at the same time I’ve learned no matter how similar they sound on paper, there really is nothing too similar in person between them. But there are other areas I can lean on heading into the weekend. The tire is very similar to what we ran at Texas and Kentucky, so I expect similar strategy calls for people trying to get track position. Then again, it is a two-mile track. It’s big and has a lot of grip normally. We’re going during the middle of summer though, so I’m interested to see what means for tire fall-off and if there will be any. It’s going to be an exciting doubleheader weekend for our No. 8 Chevy Accessories team.” AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW MOBILITY SCIENCE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 16th IN STANDINGSWHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY?“We had a strong Chevy at Michigan International Speedway last year, and I expect the same this year. I’m really looking forward to the race. Michigan is a place we’ve run well at in the past, and I think it will provide a great opportunity to gather up some points before the NASCAR Playoffs begin.” BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 VICTORY JUNCTION CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 22nd IN STANDINGS“The doubleheader at the Michigan International Speedway is going to be a lot of fun. We’ve always had some success there – I feel like we have had some decent speed in our Chevrolets. I know Jerry (Baxter, crew chief) and the guys will have the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Victory Junction Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE tuned-up. We’ve got a lot of racing under our belt this year to, hopefully, come up with a good baseline to have a decent race on Saturday and then regroup for Sunday to make that even better. We’re continuing to look for some improvement – we had a little bit of a setback this past weekend, but nothing we can’t come back from. We’ve got our work cut out for us and we’ll get the job done.”
RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 24th IN STANDINGS“We finally have a little bit of luck on our side heading to Michigan International Speedway this weekend. The doubleheader weekends are really unique with the opportunity to make changes between Saturday and Sunday’s race. I’ve been really happy with the speed that we’ve had on the big tracks this season, and Brian Pattie makes such great strategy calls to get us to the front during these races. The choose cone rule that’s now in play will really help on restarts, which can get crazy at Michigan. I’m looking forward to another two solid races this weekend in the No. 47 Kroger Chevrolet.” TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 27th IN STANDINGSWHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS HEADING INTO THE DOUBLE AT MICHIGAN?“Personally, I think having two opportunities back to back at the same track on the same weekend is nice. Michigan was a good race for us last year in the fall and I think our Germain Racing program has learned enough this year to go have two strong runs this weekend. Our GEICO team just needs to keep capitalizing on the good runs we’ve been having, carry the momentum forward and continue to build points.”
MATT KENSETH, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 28th IN STANDINGS“I’m looking forward to going to Michigan and having two chances at the same track. I think with this 500 (hp) package Michigan will be the closest we’ll get to racing like we do at a superspeedway of any of the other tracks we race at. It’s a fun race track. You have to have a fast race car by yourself but you’re also going to have to be good in traffic. Starting mid-pack again, so we’re going to have to figure out how to navigate traffic and hopefully get to the front. Strategy will be difficult to come into play with the way that the stage lengths work out. You don’t even have to pit in stage 1 or stage 2 if you pit at the stage breaks. There’s probably not going to be a lot of help from strategy to get you the track position you need. So, you’re going to have to have a fast race car and fast pit stops to be able to get there. I’m looking forward to seeing how Saturday goes. Hoping for a good result and hopefully we make it better for Sunday.”
RYAN PREECE, NO. 37 HONEY NUT CHEERIOS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 30th IN STANDINGS“New Hampshire Motor Speedway was exactly what we needed to get our luck turned around heading to Michigan International Speedway. We had a really strong run in the second Michigan race last season, and I think our cars we are bringing to the track are the best they’ve been. It’s been a learning year for Trent and I with this being our first season together, but the last couple of weeks he and the team have worked really hard to get our balance the best I’ve had this season right off the truck, and being able to adjust after Saturday’s race will be a big help for Sunday. Our No. 37 Honey Nut Cheerios Chevrolet looks fast and I’m ready to have a strong Michigan weekend.” 

BATAVIA, OH (August 6, 2020) – The 22nd Annual Super Clean Grassy Smith Memorial – presented by Dixie Chopper, from Cherokee Speedway, is live tonight on MAVTV Motorsports Network at 10 PM EDT, with a re-airing at 1 AM EDT. During the first event back with fans, since February, two regional hot shots swapped the lead multiple times during the 50 lap event in Gaffney, SC. 

Entering the event, one driver was looking for his third straight Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win, before mechanical failure crushed those hopes. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane, the eventual victor was breathless as he talked to the fans.  “Man, this is unbelievable. We have been through a lot this year. I am so excited to win this in front of my home crowd. I mean it can’t get any better than that.” The broadcast will include driver interviews, in-car cameras, and various technical segments. Owned and operated by Lucas Oil Products, MAVTV Motorsports Network is a television network deeply rooted in the automotive world. MAVTV is available to over 35 million homes on U-verse, DIRECTV (channel 214), Fios by Verizon, Vidgo, TIKILIVE, fuboTV, Spectrum, and other nationwide providers. MAVTV will broadcast 5 live events and 34 original tape-delayed airings. To find a full list of providers, visit: mavtv.com/get-mavtv/providers.

The entire 2020 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series TV schedule can be found on the series website at: www.lucasdirt.com/schedule/tv-schedule/.
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CHEVROLET AT INDIANAPOLIS What: Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals presented by PennzoilWhen: Saturday, August 8th – Sunday, August 9thWhere: Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, IndianaTV:    FS1 will telecast qualifying from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET Sunday with final eliminations broadcast on FOX starting at 1:00 pm ET                                                                                       Chevrolet looks for second straight Indy victory in Pro StockCoughlin, Line, Enders all with wins separated by 15 points for overall lead
DETROIT (August 6, 2020) – After a few week break, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) resumes its 2020 restart with the third straight race at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, and second in a row for the Pro Stock division.  Chevrolet Pro Stock drivers Jeg Coughlin Jr., Jason Line and Erica Enders, who have all visited victory land and sit 1-2-3 atop the standings, look to continue to separate themselves from the rest of the pack in this return trip to Indy. 
Jeg Coughlin Jr, driver of the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro has one win and two finals appearances to put himself out front after three races in Pro Stock. “I think we’re all coming to the realization of how quickly things can change during this pandemic,” Coughlin Jr., said. “We’ve seen races being rescheduled, postponed or even cancelled outright this year so we’re just going to treat every single one we go to like it’s the final race of the Countdown to the Championship, and the title is on the line. We finished strong last year and we’re off to an incredible start this year, so there’s no reason to change our tactics.”
The driver of the Summit Chevrolet Camaro for KB Racing, Jason Line, also has two finals appearances so far – including the latest Pro Stock victory with his win at Indy on July 12^th. Coughlin, a six-time Pro Stock champion and Line a three-time champ, have faced each other in two of the three finals so far, with each taking a victory. Both drivers are set to retire from full time driving duties at the end of the 2020 season. 
Coughlin’s Elite Motorsports teammate and three-time and defending Pro Stock champion, Erica Enders, started off the season with a win at the NHRA Arizona Nationals in her Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro. She also posted two semi-final finishes in the other two events to place her third in the point standings, just 15 out of Coughlin’s lead of 297 points. 
FS1 will telecast eliminations and finals live at 1:00 p.m. ET Sunday, August 9th.
CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPITPRO STOCK:
ERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE/ELITE MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “We are looking forward to being part of the NHRA Indy Nationals this weekend. It wasn’t originally a part of the Pro Stock schedule, so we are thrilled to be added to the program. Personally, I’m looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of my Melling Performance, Chevy Camaro. Although Jeg, Jason and I are separated by less than one round in the points standings, I feel like I have some ground to make up this weekend. With the uncertainty of everything right now, my goal is to climb back to the top and stay there. I feel like I have a great car underneath me and I know my guys and I will be ready for battle this weekend.”
JEG COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM/ELITEMOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “I think we’re all coming to the realization of how quickly things can change during this pandemic. We’ve seen races being rescheduled, postponed or even cancelled outright this year so we’re just going to treat every single one we go to like it’s the final race of the Countdown to the Championship and the title is on the line. Really, dating back to last year’s championship chase, Rickie (Jones, crew chief) has been very aggressive with the tune-up and the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro has really responded well. We finished strong last year and we’re off to an incredible start this year so there’s no reason to change our tactics. We’ve had one helluva start to the championship run this year and we need to keep it in high gear. We’re going back to the same track we competed at a three weeks ago where we qualified No. 2 and ended up second on race day, so our expectations remain very high. “Considering the unique situation we’re in this year, I know everyone at Elite is completely focused on limiting our errors, checking and double-checking every function we perform, and staying on the front foot. That goes for me as well.  I want to be as fluid and consistent as a driver can be.” 
JASON LINE, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “The silver Summit Racing Chevy Camaro was pretty good the last time we were there, and I think we have a decent chance of having another positive race for KB Racing. We’ve been working hard, but we know everyone else has been, too. This is an interesting time, and it’s definitely a season we’ll never forget. You hope it’s unforgettable for the right reasons, when it’s all said and done, so every time we get to go racing, we’re grateful for the opportunity.”
GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “We’re just really happy to be back in our Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaros this weekend for this Indy race. We’ve been working hard to have everything ready, and KB Racing had a good event the last time we were there, so we expect to build on that. All of the KB Racing Chevys showed promise, and if things go as we hope, we’ll all perform even better than we did the last time we were there. We just want to race as much as we can because that’s what we love. We can’t wait to get out there and put on a good show for the fans, and we’re all very happy that NHRA is continuing to do everything they can to make sure the fans can be there in person. That’s what makes this sport special.”

August 6, 2020

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

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

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

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

High school students interested in becoming Ford or Lincoln automotive technicians have opportunities to continue their education at over 75 post-secondary training locations throughout the country, including the Ford Automotive Student Service Educational Training (ASSET) program and Ford Accelerated Credentials Training (FACT) program.
  
NASCAR and its race teams also have had to adjust to pandemic times, thus the double-header at Michigan, which is part of a schedule shuffle intended to get all of the 36 scheduled Cup Series races run this season.

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

“I like the double-headers,” he said. “Pocono was pretty fun. You learn a lot the first day that you can apply to the second.”
 
It’s more fun for DiBenedetto because the No. 21 Mustang has been fast in recent weeks.
 
“I’m looking forward to continuing to have fast cars,” he said. “Michigan requires a different style of racing. You’re in the throttle a lot, almost wide open all the way around the track.”
  
One aspect that isn’t different, he said, is the importance of track position and of making the most of the opportunities presented by restarts, an area in which he and his spotter Doug Campbell have excelled this year.

“Restarts are really important,” DiBenedetto said. “If you get stuck in the wrong lane on a restart you can lose eight spots.
 
DiBenedetto said races at Michigan take on an added importance for him and the Wood Brothers because of the team’s decades-long association with Ford.

“It’s a really special race for us,” he said. “The Wood Brothers have always had a close relationship with Ford.”
 
DiBenedetto said he’s confident the weekend will be a good one for him, his team and his sponsor.
 
“There are lot of good things to look forward to,” he said. “I feel like we’re really hitting our stride.”
 
Saturday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 is set to get the green flag just after 4 p.m. Eastern Time, and Sunday’s Consumers Energy 400 is set for a 4:30 p.m. start. Both races will be televised on NBCSN. 

BATAVIA, OHIO (August 3, 2020) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series teams will return to racing for three huge weekends, at three tracks, in three states during the month of August. Florence Speedway in Union, Kentucky; Batesville Motor Speedway in Batesville, Arkansas; and Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, Pennsylvania will each be host to the Lucas Oil Series for a total of over $575,000 in prize money. 
The first stop for the stars of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be Florence Speedway, competing in three separate events over four days. On Wednesday, August 12th teams will vie for a $12,000 top prize in the 34th Annual Ralph Latham Memorial. The Sunoco North/South Shootout will take place on Thursday, August 13th, paying $10,000-to-win as a prelude to the 38th Annual Sunoco North/South 100 – presented by Lucas Oil. August 14th-15th, series drivers along with local and regional standouts will compete in two rounds of heats on Friday. Passing points being awarded for the heats and will set the stage for Saturday’s B-Mains and $50,000-to-win North/South 100. The 30-lap, $2,000 to win non-qualifiers race will cap off the weekend. Open Wheel Modifieds will also be in contention all four days. Advanced tickets for the Ralph Latham Memorial, North/South Shootout, and/or the North/South 100, are available at: http://florence.getmytix.net/tickets
Teams will leave Florence Speedway and head to Batesville Motor Speedway for three days of the 28th Annual COMP Cams Topless 100 – presented by Nutrien Ag Solutions. The Topless 100, which is co-sanctioned with the COMP Cams Super Dirt Series, will feature a complete program of Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains and a $5,000-to-win main event on Thursday, August 20th and on Friday, August 21st. Drivers will earn points in each of the two preliminary nights that will determine the lineups for Saturday night’s finale, paying $40,000-to-win. Joining the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be the Open Wheel Modifieds. To order advanced tickets call or text 870-613-1337. 
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series stars will travel over one thousand miles back North for three days of complete shows at Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, Pennsylvania for the Rumble by the River.  Thursday, August 27th will pay $10,000-to-win for 30 laps; Friday, August 28th is $12,000-to-win for 40 laps; and 50 laps on Saturday, August 29th that will pay $15,000-to-win. Tickets will be available for purchase on-site only, no pre-event ticket sales. The Lucas Dirt series will be joined by Limited Late Models on Thursday, while the Modifieds will be the support division on both Friday and Saturday. 
Jimmy Owens leads the Lucas Oil Championship Standings heading into August. Jonathan Davenport currently trails Owens by 300 points. Rounding out the top five are: Josh Richards in third, Tyler Erb in fourth, and Tim McCreadie in fifth.
For fans unable to make it out in person, each night of racing in August will be live on LucasOilRacing.tv.  

Track and Event Information: Florence SpeedwayPhone Number: 859-485-7591Location: 12234 US Hwy 42, Walton, KY 41094Directions: I-75 to exit 180, then 9.2 miles SW on US 42Website: www.florencespeedway.comWednesday, August 12th – 34th Annual Ralph Latham Memorial (50 Laps)Thursday, August 13th – Sunoco North/South Shootout (50 Laps)Friday, August 14th & Saturday, August 15th – 38th Annual Sunoco North/South 100 – presented by Lucas Oil (100 Laps)

Florence Speedway August 12th Tire RuleLeft Rear/Fronts – Hoosier Rib (28.5) 1350Right Rear – Hoosier (29.0) 1350 NRM, (29.0) 1350 NRMW, (92) LM40*Must use the same set of 4 tires for Time Trials, Heat Races, and B-Main.*For the A-Main, competitors may use 2 new rear tires.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position. Florence Speedway August 13th Tire RuleLeft Rear/Fronts – Hoosier Rib (28.5) 1350Right Rear – Hoosier (29.0) 1350 NRM, (29.0) 1350 NRMW, (92) LM40*Must use the same set of 4 tires for Time Trials, Heat Races, and B-Main.*For the A-Main, competitors may use 2 new rear tires.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position. Florence Speedway August 14th Tire RuleLeft Rear/Fronts – Hoosier Rib (28.5) 1350Right Rear – Hoosier (29.0) 1350 NRM, (29.0) 1350 NRMW*Must use the same set of 4 tires for both Heat Races.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position. Florence Speedway August 15th Tire RuleLeft Rear/Fronts – Hoosier Rib (28.5) 1350Right Rear – Hoosier (29.0) 1350 NRM, (29.0) 1350 NRMW, (92) LM40*For the B-Main, competitors may use 4 new tires.*For the Non-Qualifiers Race, competitors may use 4 new tires.*For the A-Main, competitors may use 4 new tires.

• Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals Presented by Pennzoil to take place Aug. 6-9
• Mopar Dodge//SRT Funny Car of Matt Hagan and Mopar Dodge//SRT Top Fuel Dragster of Leah Pruett from Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) will continue to sport new sinister, “Demon-possessed” SRT Hellcat Redeye paint schemes
• Fierce-looking red, black and chrome paint schemes promote the recent reveal of the 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world
• Mopar and Dodge//SRT will have Dodge signage and vehicle display in midway to showcase brand offerings to fans
• Matt Hagan heads into race weekend with a win and a final elimination round appearance so far this season
• Leah Pruett sits second in Top Fuel points standings

August 4, 2020, Auburn Hills, Mich. – Mopar and Dodge//SRT brands continue to show their support of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) by adding the Dodge name as title sponsor to the upcoming Mello Yello Drag Racing Series national event at Lucas Oil Raceway. This is the third consecutive Indianapolis-based race weekend since the return to racing action after a four-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the fifth race of the 2020 season.

The Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals Presented by Pennzoil will take place Aug. 6-9, an event with limited fans in attendance in accordance with Indiana state and health guidelines. Mopar and Dodge//SRT will have signage and a display in the midway to showcase production vehicle offerings to fans.

Dodge’s sponsorship of the event, the most recent addition to the reworked 2020 schedule in response to the ever-changing challenges presented by the ongoing pandemic, is a complement to other title sponsorship commitments planned for this NHRA season:

Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals (Denver, Colorado): Postponed/rescheduled for later this fall
Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals (Reading, Pennsylvania): Sept. 11-13
Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals Presented By Pennzoil (Houston, Texas): Oct. 23-25
Dodge NHRA Nationals (Las Vegas, Nevada): Oct. 30-Nov. 1

“I just can’t say enough about Dodge stepping up and sponsoring this race,” says Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) driver Matt Hagan, who earned a race win and advanced to the final elimination round leading up to this weekend’s event in his Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car. “It’s pretty cool to see Dodge and Mopar show their support and really stand behind what we’re out here trying to do, which is put fans in the stands and race cars on the racetrack.”

DSR Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett, who sits in second place atop the Top Fuel championship points standings after solid gains at the two previous Indianapolis races, echoes her teammate’s sentiments and is also pleased to be back at Lucas Oil Raceway with title sponsorship backing from Dodge.

“I don’t care if you run at Indianapolis 100 times a year or just once during Labor Day weekend, racing at Indy carries a certain weight and prestige,” says Pruett. “To see Dodge step up (as title sponsor), makes my heart even happier than it already is when it’s pounding hard from nitro and 11,000 horsepower. It just reinforces what a great company it is and where their values lay; with their fan base and their customers.

“Given the circumstances, knowing the importance it has to fans attending a race in person or watching on TV, and helping getting the series back on track, it’s great to see Dodge bring this extra level of support to the series,” she added. “They had their dedicated number of races, but when times got tough, they showed what a true partner is.”

Hagan and Pruett both premiered new sinister “Demon-possessed” Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye-themed race cars at the previous event. The fierce-looking red, black and chrome paint schemes for the two DSR entries come on the heels of the early July public unveiling of the new 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world.

With a top speed of 203 mph and quarter-mile elapsed time of 10.6 seconds at 129 mph, the 2021 Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye is designed and engineered to appeal to muscle car enthusiasts who want even more — more power, more performance and more bragging rights at the drag strip.

Carrying the SRT Hellcat Redeye livery, Pruett feels even more motivated to continue to build on her most recent strong performances.

“It’s one thing to look good and it’s another to perform well while looking that good; those are two attributes that Dodge has cornered all of the time,” says Pruett. “I’m very happy with how we debuted our SRT Hellcat Redeye-themed dragster (at Lucas Oil NHRA SummerNationals) with a No. 2 qualifying spot and a semifinal finish. We’re looking to continue that momentum and take that a step further this weekend at the Dodge Indy Nationals Presented by Pennzoil. This is our second shot to put the Top Fuel dragster in the Winner’s Circle. It looks good in the shop, it looks good in the pit and on the track, but it won’t look any better than in the Winner’s Circle and that’s where our focus is at.”

Qualifying highlights will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 on Sunday, Aug. 9, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET, while television coverage of the elimination rounds, including LIVE finals at the Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals, will air starting at 1 p.m. ET on the FOX national broadcast network.
 

Inside Line Promotions – BRANDON, S.D. (Aug. 4, 2020) – Dominic Scelzi posted a pair of top-five finishes last weekend during two of the biggest-paying races of the season under the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 banner.

Scelzi finished fourth on Thursday at Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, Wis., during the $26,000-to-win Rayce Rudeen Foundation Race and he placed second on Sunday at Huset’s Speedway during the $20,000-to-win C & B Operations Grand Reopening presented by Folkens Brothers Trucking. Both nights were his debut at each track and he now has seven top fives with the All Stars this year, which is more than the combined number of top-10 results in his career with the All Stars entering this year.

“It was an extremely good weekend,” he said. “I feel like since we’ve switched cars we’ve been on the right track and that showed this weekend. We qualified good every night and made the heat race inversion every night. We raced really good three of the four nights. It was just a really good four-day stretch.”

Scelzi qualified third quickest out of the 41 drivers on Thursday at Plymouth Dirt Track. He then placed third in a heat race and second in a dash to garner the third starting position in the main event.

“We were really good,” he said. “I think we could have run second through fourth, which is where we ultimately finished. We had good speed and it was awesome to get another top five with the All Stars.”

Scelzi ventured to 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa, on Friday. He qualified fourth quickest out of 27 drivers. A third-place outing in a heat race locked him into the dash. He placed seventh in the race before ending the night with an eighth-place run in the A Main.

“It was pretty hard to pass all night,” he said. “The track was really wet. It widened up a bit in the feature, but was still hard to pass. I ran sixth for a lot of the race and made a mistake on a restart, which dropped me to seventh. Then I got caught in traffic trying to get to sixth and we placed eighth.”

Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, hosted an All Star show on Saturday. Scelzi timed in 21^st quickest overall, finished second in a heat race and capped the night with a 14^th-place showing in the main event.

“When we went out in qualifying I felt like we had a decent lap,” he said. “The inside row was taking off really well in the heats. We lost the start and that cost us a lot of positions in the feature. I do think if we started up front we could have run there. We ran around 10^th to 12^th for the majority of the feature, but we had a car spin in front of us going into turn three. We made contact and I half spun and went through the infield and that moved us back to 14^th.”

The weekend concluded on Sunday at Huset’s Speedway, where Scelzi made the most of his debut. He qualified 14^thquickest out of 30-plus racers. A heat race win and runner-up result in a dash lined Scelzi up third for the feature.

“In the dash we had a good dog fight with Kerry Madsen,” he said. “That gave me a lot of confidence going into the feature. We were right there in the top three all race long. Once we got back by Kerry for second the final time Cory (Eliason) was out there by a straightway. We were able to reel him in, but traffic didn’t fall my way so we finished second. It was a fun race and a great track.”

Scelzi will take his momentum into a busy weekend. He will compete on Thursday and Saturday at Knoxville Raceway during the 30^th annual My Place Hotels 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank. On Sunday the team heads to Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa, for the Sage Fruit Ultimate Challenge presented by Searsboro Telephone Co. with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour. The Sage Fruit Front Row Challenge presented by Musco Lighting is Monday at Southern Iowa Speedway.

August 4, 2020

In choosing a paint scheme based on the Wood Brothers’ 1963 Ford Galaxie for the throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 6, the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team is honoring some of the team’s well-known accomplishments and one of its least-known – a Cup Series owners championship. And that fits perfectly with Darlington’s theme this year which is honoring series champions, past, present and future.

The original ’63 Galaxie, painted white on the top and red on the bottom, was the one driven to victory by Tiny Lund in the 1963 Daytona 500, one of NASCAR’s most memorable races. It also was driven by the late team founder Glenn Wood in his last win as a Cup driver, at Bowman Gray Stadium on July 13, 1963. Marvin Panch, who returned to the ’63 Galaxie after being severely burned in a sports car crash prior to the Daytona 500, also won in it, at North Wilkesboro on Sept. 29, 1963.

The rugged and versatile Ford, which was run on Superspeedways, road courses and quarter-mile short tracks, was the workhorse as the Wood Brothers won the 1963 car owner’s championship, the only Cup Series title in the Wood Brothers’ 70-year history in the sport.

In 1963, the driver’s title was won by Joe Weatherly, who ran 53 races driving for nine different owners, none of whom earned enough points to take the owners title. He won three races, scored 20 top-five and 35 top-10 finishes.

The Wood Brothers, who did not run a full schedule in that era, took the owners championship with 23 starts, scoring three wins, 16 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes. They used five different drivers – Wood, Lund, Panch, Dave MacDonald and Fred Lorenzen.

Lorenzen rolled the car in practice for its first race, at Riverside, Calif. After some at-track repairs, he drove it to a 22^nd-place finish, leading eight laps before the engine expired. MacDonald drove it in the fall race at Riverside, leading a race-high 92 laps before finishing second to Darel Dieringer.

The championship trophy bears the name of the late Ray Lee Wood, brother of the team founder and a long-time crew member on the No 21 Ford.

Glenn Wood explained in a 2017 interview that his brother’s name on the trophy is an example of the team’s legendary frugal ways.

“You had to buy a different license for the driver and the car owner,” he said. “So instead of buying two in my name I put one in Ray Lee’s. I saved ten dollars by doing it, but ten dollars was a good bit of money back then.

 “It was my car, but it’s his name on the trophy.”
 
The original car was turned back in to Holman-Moody at the end of the 1963 season and exchanged for a new model, but the team has recreated the original car and has the replica on display at its museum in Stuart, Va.
 
Matt DiBenedetto, who would like to win the Woods their second Cup title and his first, said that like many in the sport he was unaware of the Woods’ 1963 championship before he heard about it during a recent visit to the museum in Stuart.
 
“It’s a pretty cool story,” DiBenedetto said. “Panch got hurt in a big crash then Tiny drove the car and won the Daytona 500. It’s a cool car with a lot of history that people either don’t know or don’t remember.”
 

NARC NEWSLINE – August 2, 2020, By Jim Allen …  Let’s face it, motorsports in general has been pretty lucky over the past 120-days or so.  While just about every sport on the planet was completely shut down due to the COVID-19 panic, racing was the first to get its game face back and actually put on some events.  True, it’s been a little like the Twilight Zone without spectators in the main grandstands, but it’s better than nothing.  The best way to describe “fan-less” events would be to say it’s sort of like showing up to a family reunion and then finding out you got the date wrong.  At that point you just make the best of the situation.  Then again, many race fans have told me that they really haven’t sacrificing much (if anything) as they sprawl out on their leather couch, watching Floracing.com on a giant flat screen, drinking hard alcohol, with fresh food served hot off the BBQ.  And let’s not forget there is never a line for the bathroom.  I guess if you ever had to compromise without a mask on, that’s not a bad way to go!

Now don’t get me wrong, this coronavirus deal really sucks ass – whether you buy into the big picture or not.  Yes, we are all upset that racing events play in front of  full grandstands in the Midwest, but four family members going to church on Sunday or not wearing masks at a Costco in California is a punishable crime.  Throw in all of the other drama in the United States and it gets even worse as the human race starves for anything resembling normalcy.  For race promoters, normalcy has been trying to find a way to struggle through some racing shows as their livelihood gets threatened forever.  Placerville, Petaluma, Ocean, Keller Auto, and Marysville have managed to squeeze in some weekly shows and generate some grocery money.  On the other side, Calistoga, Tulare, Santa Maria, Kern County and Stockton are laying on the mat like a bloodied UFC fighter with a crumpled financial statement in their hands.  It’s not pretty and you would be able to see that distress on every race promoters face if it weren’t for the fact they are hiding it behind a mask.  Now top it off with no Knoxville Nationals, no Trophy Cup and the medical profession is wondering why prescriptions for anti-depressants are going through the roof.  Which brings me to my next question:  Has anybody got COVID-19 at a race track?  I didn’t think so!

KELLER AUTO SPEEDWAY (Season Opener – 6/20/20) …  A NARC season opener in June?  Are you kidding me?  What’s next, Thanksgiving in July?  But seriously, thank you to Keller Auto Speedway promoter Peter Murphy for working with us to generate enough sponsorship money and back gate proceeds to sport a full paying purse on June 20th.  Twenty-nine cars towed down to Hanford to race in 103-degree heat with a full set of COVID-19 health guidelines to follow.  Also making the call was 20 RaceSavers and 14 Kings of Thunder non-wing machines.  The pit gate was backed up bumper-to-bumper like Los Angeles rush hour as releases were signed and body temperatures were scanned.  And wearing a mask in 100 degree plus weather was about as comfortable as telling your mother-in-law you have an illegitimate kid with a stripper in Kansas.  But we all survived to watch Spencer Bayston represent the Hoosier state with an impressive fast time-heat race win-dash win-and feature win domination on the 3/8 mile oval.  Tarlton Motorsports crew chief Paul Baines had Bayston dialed in and on a wire with a perfect race car after a previous series of weekly show” off-nights.”  Seventh starter Bud Kaeding kept the Indiana driver honest in the late going, but Bayston answered the call to become the 84th winner in series history.  My compliments to Bayston who is very well spoken and professional with a microphone in his face.

… Roseville’s Jodie Robinson was excited like a kid on Christmas morning making her first ever 410 start.  She logged a 16th place finish in the feature.  Running a 410 at Hanford for the first time clarifies the statement of getting “thrown to the wolves.” … Michael Faccinto impressed driving a 360 for Harley Van Dyke.  Starting 23rd and staying out of trouble, Faccinto methodically picked his way to a ninth place finish.  The team earned $150 from Swift Metal Finishing and another $300 from super fan Rick Freund. …  It was also Trent Canales first ever race driving a 410 sprint car.  He finished fifth in the semi. …  Brendan Warmerdam took a wild ride in the main.  He jammed a rut in turn one and catapulted deep into the shadows of downtown Hanford.  He exited the car with a smile on his face and smirked, “that was a wild ride.”  We totally agree. … Tim Kaeding, driving the Bates-Hamilton Maxim started 10th and finished the night on the podium with a third. …  With absolutely no racing going on in the COVID-19 hotbed of Southern California, AJ Bender made the tow to Hanford from San Diego.  The non-wing ace qualified for the feature, but finished 21st. … Kurt Nelson was the first car to qualify during the 2020 season. … Tucker Worth:  Semi-winner. … Four-time NARC King of the West champ Kyle Hirst made his first appearance aboard the Katie Williams Motorsports “0” car.  Started seventh, finished sixth. …

… Thank you to Roth Motorsport, Tarlton Motorsports, Dalton’s, Speedshift and Fujitsu General USA for their tremendous support of this show. …  The King of the West feature ran first and finished around 10:45 p.m.  The winged cars didn’t finish their race until about midnight. ….  Yes that was Dominic Scelzi who has spent most of 2020 zigging and zagging between California events and shows in the Midwest.  Problem is, he lost track of his racing gear and returned to the Golden State without a uniform or helmet.  He improvised with an old helmet and a uniform that belonged to his dad Gary from his drag racing days. He finished seventh in the Roth Motorsports KPC. … If you needed proof that hair salons and barbers have been closed for a while in California, a quick trip through the pit area would have proved it.  …  Nobody died from COVID-19.

OCEAN SPEEDWAY (Howard Kaeding Classic – 7/18/20) … Usually when you read the box score and you see something like: “Kyle Hirst 1-30,” you kind of figure it was a cake walk and as exciting as watching paint dry.  However, never judge a book by it’s cover and if you need proof, all you had to do was to take a look at Mr. Hirst when he excited the Williams Motorsports Maxim in victory lane.  He was happy and smiling, but sweating up a storm and admitting he was winded.  That’s because Justin Sanders pushed, challenged and attacked him the entire distance in a classic Ocean Speedway battle that theoretically would have had a packed grandstands buzzing with excitement.  It was a great race with both drivers getting completely out of shape at times, but bouncing off the mat to continue the open wheel skirmish. … Spencer Bayston charged from 15th to third in the Tarlton Motorsports KPC.  However, it was Sanders who pocketed the $500 Spire Sport & Entertainment HK Classic weekend bonus without passing a car on Saturday.  Sanders roared past 14 cars on the Friday night show (20th-6th) to score the money.  Ironically, Sanders and his crew had built a brand new car in the wee hours of the Friday morning for Saturday’s show.  According to Sanders the car wasn’t quite right after sustaining damage in an ASCoC race a month prior.  I think he got his monies worth. …

The Keller Motorsports 2 car driven by James Ringo sported a 410 motor on loan from Larry Antaya. …  Joey Ancona was a happy camper after pocketing $250 from Johnstone Supply for his semi-win. …  Kyle Offill was a no show on Saturday after destroying his car in an ugly heat race crash at Friday’s Taco Bravo show. …  DJ Netto, the winner on Friday night, appeared headed towards a weekend sweep when he started with fast time.  He pocketed $500 from Norm Martin and ARP for his 12.041 seconds worth of work.  Good work if you can get it!  Unfortunately, his 88N developed a few battle scars in the feature and dropped out after 15-laps. … Blake Carrick scored his second NARC top ten of the season at Ocean.  He scored sixth. … The hired gun for the HK Classic in the Roth Motorsports ride was Ryan Bernal.  He was ninth. …  While some drivers were enjoying just their second or third outing of the year, Shane Golobic has already toured all around the country and logged over 35 shows.  He finished second on Friday and seventh on this night. …  You can pretty much count on the Howard Kaeding Classic being a 40-lap main next year.  … There was a scaled-down HK Classic Luncheon in the pits with proceeds benefiting the NARC Benevolent Fund.  A $20 donation got you some of the best food that Myles McAtee and his crew could serve up.  It was worth every finger-licking cent. …  There was a 35+ temperature swing between the Hanford event at the Watsonville show.  A great way to spend a summer night.  … Nobody died from COVID-19.

… And finally, a special thank you to Bud Kaeding for all of his hard work that make the 10th Annual event a possibility, and then a reality. It wasn’t a mistake that this show paid $5000 to win and $800 to start.  He worked the phones and relationships to generate a stout $36,000 in prize money.  Just think of what it would’ve been with spectators in the grandstands?  Of course all of this would have not be possible without the tremendous support of all of the sponsors who contributed.  Thank you very much!

NARC NOTES:  With his HK win, Hirst passed Steve Kent into fourth place on the NARC-King of the West all-time winners list with 29 victories. … There is a remote possibility of a NARC King of the West Fujitsu Sprint Car Series race on Saturday, September 5th.  Nothing has been finalized and a whole lot of planets need to align to make it a reality.  That’s all we are saying at this point.  Stay tuned!  …  Just in case you missed it, the NARC King of the West series is not crowning a championship team or rookie of the year this season (for obvious reasons.) … After watching several races on PPV, it’s my opinion that it’s imperative to speed up shows – and that is with a nice refreshing adult beverage in my hands while sitting on my couch eating barbecued ribs.  The down time between races is grueling.  … The more I learn about driver McKenna Haase, the more impressed I am.  This girl has a huge heart and has it going on. …  Kyle Larson is in the midst of one of the greatest seasons in sprint car history.  “Yung Money” is a generational talent.  Enjoy it while you have the opportunity.

Honda claims fastest lap, top-ten finish at Road America
Mat Pombo and Mike LaMarra finish eighth in the Road America 120
Pombo claims fastest lap for Honda in the closing minutes of competition

ELKHART LAKE, WI (August 1, 2020) –The LA Honda World Racing team notched another top-ten finish at the famed Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin with the #73 Honda Civic Type R TCR drivers Mat Pombo and Mike LaMarra scoring eighth in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Road America 120.

Starting fifth, the duo persevered through a tricky race that saw many series veterans finding trouble. LaMarra took control of the #73 Civic for the first 56 minutes of the race before handing it over to Pombo for the final one hour and four minutes.

During his stint, fuel strategy forced Pombo to pit an additional time compared to his competitors’ single stops, pushing them down the order. However, he did manage the fastest TCR lap of the race, a 2:20.971, set on lap 47 of 49, just before the yellow caution flag came out to end the race, following a late-race crash involving a GS class car.

The #37 LA Honda World Racing machine shone in qualifying, with Chris Miller putting his and Shelby Blackstock’s Honda Civic Type R TCR third on the grid. Miller got a fantastic start and even got into the lead on the first lap of the race. Unfortunately, a mechanical issue soon sent Miller off the course in Turn Five, ending the #37’s day.

Taylor Hagler made her return to the series after contracting, and recovering from, a COVID-19 that forced her out of the previous round at Sebring International Raceway. She and co-driver Ryan Eversley started 12th in the #77 Civic. A wiring loom issue forced Hagler into the pits early and, once that was fixed, a subsequent broken hood pin ended their day.

HPD has three ready-to-race Civic models for touring car competition. The line starts with the affordable and reliable Civic Si TCA race car, then leads to the Civic Type R TC racer that puts legendary Type R performance on track, and culminates with the no-compromise, championship-winning Civic Type R TCR race car. Our unparalleled trackside support at every level from HPD engineers is a unique benefit that no other manufacturer can offer. Find out more about these cars and our touring programs at: https://hpd.honda.com/Motorsports/Touring

Honda Racing social media content and videos from Road America are available on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD) and on Twitter at (https://twitter.com/HondaRacing_HPD).  Produced by CoForce Digital Media, YouTube video packages can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV.  

Next
The MICHELIN Pilot Challenge travels to VIRginia International Raceway for the August 23rd Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix. The race can be streamed live on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.

Quotes
Mat Pombo (#73 LA Honda World Honda Civic Type R TCR), finished eighth, TCR fastest lap: “Road America this weekend was so fun to be at. We had a fast car all weekend in practice — top 2 in every session and then a solid top 5 qualifying from Mike. Our #73 LA Honda World Civic Type R TCR car was looking great for the race. Unfortunately, Lady Luck wasn’t on our side and the competition found a lot of speed going into the race. Our fuel strategy caught us off guard there at the end, as we needed two stops to our competition’s single stop. However, that let me get a new set of tires right at the end and lay down a fast lap to show what these Honda’s are capable of. Looking forward to VIR for redemption in a couple weeks”