TEAM CHEVY ADVANCEGEICO 500TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAYTALLADEGA, ALABAMAJUNE 21, 2020
RACE #13: TALLADEGAOriginally postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) will make its first appearance of the 2020 season at Talladega Superspeedway with the GEICO 500 on Sunday, June 21st. The 188-lap, 500-mile race around NASCAR’s longest oval will be the 13th race on the revised NCS schedule.  NASCAR’s June 9th announcement of gradually introducing fans back to events will include this weekend’s visit to the 2.66-mile superspeedway. Up to 5,000 fans will be on hand to watch the drop of the green flag from the track’s front stretch seating. Previous eligible ticketholders were given the first opportunity to purchase tickets, followed by a limited number available on a first come, first served basis to those who reside within 150-miles from the track.  BOWTIE BULLETS·       Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 41 all-time wins and 37 poles in 101 NCS races at the superspeedway, more than any other brand. Other statistics of note include 191 top-five’s, 366 top-10’s, and 7,903 laps led.  ·       Victories by active Team Chevy drivers include:Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE has two wins (May 2006, April 2001)  Chase Elliott, No. 9 Mountain Dew-Little Caesars Camaro ZL1 1LE has one win (April 2019)Matt Kenseth, No. 42 McDonald’s Camaro ZL1 1LE has one win (October 2012)Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 NOS Energy Drink Camaro ZL1 1LE has one win (May 2017)  ·       The most recent Chevy pole winner is Chase Elliott, No. 9 Mountain Dew-Little Caesars Camaro ZL1 1LE, (October ’19). Elliott leads all active drivers in Busch Pole Awards at Talladega with two and, in eight career starts, has an average starting position of 4.6. His first pole in 2016 makes him the youngest pole winner at the superspeedway to-date (20 years, 5 months, 3 days).   ·       Hendrick Motorsports has the most victories at Talladega of any team with 13, all celebrated with the Bowtie brand. ·       Longtime Chevrolet ambassador Dale Earnhardt holds Talladega Superspeedway records for wins (10), top-five finishes (23), top-10s (27) and laps led (1,377) in 44 starts. Career Chevrolet drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon are next on list with six wins at the track. LEADING THE STAGESWith 12 races in the books, Chase Elliott leads the field with 141 stage points, which includes five stage wins, 13 top-5’s and 22 top-10’s in stages. Fellow Hendrick Motorsports teammate and Team Chevy driver Alex Bowman currently sits second on the list with four stage wins, including 12 top-five and 18 top-10 stage finishes for 126 points. William Byron (1) and Jimmie Johnson (1) have also contributed to stage wins thus far this season.  With Chase Elliott’s recent victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Alex Bowman’s win at Auto Club Speedway earlier this season, two Team Chevy Camaro ZL1 1LE drivers have secured their spots in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. The Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Elliott and Bowman, are currently ranked second and eighth, respectively, in the point standings. AT THE DROP OF THE GREENThe race weekend format continues on as a one-day show with no practice or qualifying. The starting lineup will be set by virtue of owners points and a random draw. Here are Team Chevy’s top-20 starters: 4th      Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE7th      Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE8th      Alex Bowman, No. 88 Valvoline Camaro ZL1 1LE11th    Chase Elliott, No. 9 Mountain Dew/Little Caesars Camaro ZL1 1LE13th    Matt Kenseth, No. 42 McDonald’s Camaro ZL1 1LE16th    Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Realtree Camaro ZL1 1LE17th    Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Camaro ZL1 1LE19th    William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 1LE20th    Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 NOS Energy Drink Camaro ZL1 1LE TUNE-INFOX will telecast the 188-lap, 500-mile race live at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 21st. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. QUOTABLE QUOTES:CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 MOUNTAIN DEW/LITTLE CAESARS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 2nd IN STANDINGSELLIOTT ON RACING AT TALLADEGA“Last year worked out really well for us. It was kind of one of those races where things just kind of just fell in our lap there towards the end of the race. We were super patient and just very disciplined as a group. I’m looking forward to getting back to Talladega this weekend with the Mountain Dew/Little Caesars Chevy and trying to do it all again.” ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 8th IN STANDINGS“Talladega is a track where we have been pretty good at in the past. I feel like anytime Hendrick Motorsports goes to a superspeedway, we are solid. Last year in the spring we were really fast and had a great car. We came up short by one spot to Chase (Elliott), but that just shows how great these Hendrick cars are at Talladega.” “I don’t think I can apply anything from my virtual win at Talladega earlier this year to this weekend’s race. It is a completely different style of racing, but we typically bring fast cars to Dega. It does not hurt to crash at the virtual Talladega and I definitely used a reset in that race. So that is not going to work on Sunday.” WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 15th IN STANDINGS“I’m excited to get to Talladega. We always have fast cars as an organization. Talladega last year was really good for us as a team. We were leading and got pushed sideways which ended our day. I think though that this weekend will be a good opportunity for us to do well. It is unpredictable but you have to do what you can to try stay in contention and be there at the end. You really look past your windshield during the race so to speak. You mainly watch the car running two spots ahead of you more than anything. This weekend will be no different. You have to watch the cars ahead to try spot potential wrecks before they happen to give yourself more reaction time. If we can do that and keep our nose clean, we’ll be in a really good spot to grab the win.” AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER OFF ROAD CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 16th IN STANDINGSLOOKING AHEAD TO TALLADEGA, HOW DO YOU THINK THE CHANGES IN HORSEPOWER AND NO AIR DUCTS WILL IMPACT THE RACE?“I don’t really know how the air ducts will do. We’ve obviously raced in the past without aero ducts, so that’s one thing I just don’t really know. I’d have to really go back in time and look at what our cars did differently, but there was probably somewhere you could match them up to. I don’t know what the closest year that we ran a package like this would be, but we feel like the racing is going to be different from the way it was at Daytona. It’s always different from Daytona to Talladega, so I’d say the first stage of the race will definitely be a learning curve for just about all of us. Set-up wise should not be a problem – I hope not. But just the way we race and the runs you get, we’ll be learning that first stage. You want to be aggressive because every point matters throughout the year.” “Just trying to play the chess match that’s ahead of us this weekend is going to be the key. Just knowing when to go. I’ve done a lot of different strategies when it comes to speedway racing, but my favorite is just going out there, racing and kind of throwing caution to the wind. I feel like that usually plays out better for us. I won the Daytona 500 being a little more cautious, but it’s just more fun that way when you go out there and race. So, we’ll see. We’ll make a decision quite early in the race to kind of figure out how everything is going. Hopefully all of our Chevys will run up-front together and work hard together to do what we need to do to bring home the win for Chevrolet.” TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 REALTREE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 17th IN STANDINGS“It’ll be interesting to see how this weekend goes at Talladega Superspeedway. They’ve made some changes to the cars since we raced our last restrictor-plate race at Daytona International Speedway earlier this year. We were at one point going to have practice this weekend, and now we’re not. I’m really not sure if we would have utilized the practice session or not because we don’t want to be in a situation where we would damage our No. 8 Realtree Chevy before the race. Regardless, we’re now going to be on track for the race with no real feel for these cars or how this new rules package will run, so it’s going to be intense. Talladega is a wider track than Daytona though, and it’s going to be a lot warmer. I’m excited. I really like racing at Talladega, and I hope we put on a good race. Normally it does, there are just a lot of unknowns entering this weekend. As a team, we need to survive the race and continue to capitalize on as many points as we can. We’re now two points out of a Playoff spot, so I know we can get there.” BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 VICTORY JUNCTION CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 20th IN STANDINGSTALLADEGA IS CONSIDERED A WILD CARD WHEN IT COMES TO FINISHES. WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO BRING HOME A WIN?“Surviving; that’s the name of the game for speedway races. Talladega Superspeedway is a lot of fun. We were so fast there last year. Our Richard Petty Motorsports team didn’t qualify well, but we were inside the top-five and then we were involved in an incident. That one stung; it still does. “Richard Petty Motorsports always has good speedway packages. Our Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE was fast at the DAYONTA 500 this year. We have to bring back that same package and be a little bit better. We have to show other teams that we are fast and I am capable of hanging one if we are getting pushed. A lot of speedway races, we just get left-out hanging. We could be leading a line and get shuffled out of the lead. We just have to build trust into the other guys. If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen and that’s fine. But we just have to figure out how to manage our own race and be there at the end at the last ten laps really is what’s important.” JERRY BAXTER, CREW CHIEF FOR THE NO. 43 VICTORY JUNCTION CAMARO ZL1 1LE “This weekend is the GEICO 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway. We are taking the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Victory Junction Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. Bubba (Wallace) does a pretty good job of drafting on the superspeedway tracks, so we are all definitely looking forward to that. It is the same car that we ran at the Daytona International Speedway – we redid it with a fresh body. The car seems to draft really well. It appeared we were going to get a solid top-10 finish until the last lap incident that moved us to 15^th-place in the finishing order. Hopefully, we will be better this week.” RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 NOS ENERGY DRINK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 21st IN STANDINGS“Talladega Superspeedway is always a track that I have circled on my list. Obviously getting my first win there was really special, but I always enjoy racing at the big tracks like Daytona and Talladega. We had really good speed in the DAYTONA 500 earlier this season and were able to get the pole and lead laps. We won’t have the opportunity for the pole this week, but Brian Pattie and the team at the shop have worked really hard to keep that same speed and more in our No. 47 NOS Energy Drink Chevrolet for this weekend. We struggled a little bit the last two races at Martinsville Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway, but if there’s a track that can turn that around for us, it’s Talladega.” RYAN PREECE, NO. 37 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 29th IN STANDINGS“I think racing at Talladega Superspeedway with no practice and qualifying this weekend will be awesome. Right now, everyone is super close in the field with no practice because that’s what you have. I think the racing has been better and created opportunities for teams like ours to go out and contend for top-five and top-10 runs consistently. The random draw has been a little more difficult for us, but at Talladega, anything can happen no matter where you start. The package we have now allows you to get better runs and the leader doesn’t have quite the advantage they once did in clean air. My approach is to just keep our No. 37 Kroger Chevrolet clean and make it to the end. It’ll be nice to have fans back, and there’s no place better than Talladega.” MATT KENSETH, NO. 42 MCDONALD’S CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 30th IN STANDINGS“Racing at Talladega and Daytona is different than any racing we do all year. With restrictor plates, handling doesn’t really come into play very much. It’s all about positioning and drafting and being in the right place at the right time, and not being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You feel like it’s a ticking time bomb and you don’t want to get caught up in it when it blows. There’s always a lot of strategy to try to make sure you’re around at the end. But also, you have to be careful about hanging back waiting for the wreck, because there’s always a possibility of not having the wreck, and then you aren’t close enough to the front to have a chance to win. It’s a balancing act of surviving all day and being in position to capitalize for a good finish or even a win at the end.”

COLUMBUS, MS (June 18, 2020) – Bobby Pierce dominated the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series opening night of the 2020 General Tire Clash at the Mag – presented by Big River Steel on Thursday Night at Magnolia Motor Speedway. Piece led wire-to-wire in the 25 lap feature to kick off the weekend. For the Illinois native, it was his first win of the season as he became the 11th different winner in 16 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events this year. Pierce had a healthy lead throughout the race and cruised to the victory. His win came ahead of a torrid battle for second on back that saw current series point leader Jimmy Owens finish in second followed by Ross Bailes, Shane Clanton, and Tyler Erb. Pierce got to the lead at the start of the race while the race for second raged on behind him. Owens and Bailes went back-and-forth several times in the race for second. Owens was finally able to wrestle second-place from Bailes on the 23rd lap. The 23-year-old Pierce went to Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Victory Lane for the 11th time in his career. “The way the night started; I was not happy. We were bad in qualifying. All-in-all it was a great ending to the night, this is our first win of 2020. This Pierce car with Advanced Shocks has been working well. I want to thank my crew and my family.” “It feels great to get that first win, but it’s 100 laps here on Saturday, it’s going to be a little different.  We had just got to get a little better. I feel like when I got to those lapped cars I was struggling a little bit. I saw my dad giving me signals and the sticks were getting closer together at the end. I messed up a couple of times and with this type of field of cars, you cannot do that too many times. It feels to get that monkey off our back.” Owens finished in second, and was happy with another podium finish, “After they worked the track there were crumbs on the bottom and I didn’t get off to a good start. It did not pack in as good as the top. Me and Ross had a good race. We just raced around the top and really couldn’t move around like we wanted to.  We will come back tomorrow night and try to pick up one more spot.”
Bailes took home the third spot in the Lamm Autosports/Rocket. “Thanks to Kemp Lamm for letting me drive his car. I thought we had something for him [Pierce] in the beginning. Congrats to Bobby on the win and thank you to Jimmy for racing me clean.” The winner’s Pierce Platinum Chassis is sponsored by Hoker Trucking, Premier Waste Services, Allgayer Inc., Mesilla Valley Transportation, Viper Risk Management, First Spear, and Advanced Racing Suspensions. Completing the top ten were Billy Moyer, Tim McCreadie, Timothy Culp, Hudson O’Neal, and Josh Richards.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 
Race Summary 
General Tire Clash at the Mag – presented by Big River Steel
Thursday, June 18th, 2020
Magnolia Motor Speedway – Columbus, MS

Lucas Oil Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Jimmy Owens / 13.23 seconds (overall)
Fast Time Group B: Frank Heckenast Jr. / 13.532 seconds 

Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer):  1. 20-Jimmy Owens[1]; 2. 40B-Kyle Bronson[3]; 3. 9-Devin Moran[2]; 4. 49-Jonathan Davenport[4]; 5. 86B-Brian Rickman[5]; 6. R5-Hunter Rasdon[7]; 7. 84-Austin Smith[6]; 8. 1BJ-BJ Robinson[8]; 9. 3-Luke Bennett[9]; 10. (DNS) Z6-Zach Combs

FK Rod Ends Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer):  1. 1T-Tyler Erb[2]; 2. 10J-Joseph Joiner[3]; 3. 4M-Michael Arnold[1]; 4. 1ST-Johnny Scott[4]; 5. 1C-Chad Thrash[5]; 6. 14M-Morgan Bagley[6]; 7. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[7]; 8. 92M-Chad Mallett[9]; 9. 31-Nick Thrash[8]

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 25-Shane Clanton[2]; 2. 21M-Billy Moyer Sr[4]; 3. 39-Tim McCreadie[5]; 4. 86R-Rick Rickman[1]; 5. 1G-Devin Gilpin[7]; 6. 00-Jesse Stovall[8]; 7. 34-Doug Sanchagrin[6]; 8. 86-Kyle Beard[3]; 9. 6R-Robbie Stuart[9]

Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[3]; 2. 90-Neil Baggett[4]; 3. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[2]; 4. 14-Josh Richards[8]; 5. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[1]; 6. 16-Tyler Bruening[5]; 7. 36-Logan Martin[6]; 8. 111-Steven Roberts[7]; 9. G4-Shelby Sheedy[9]

General Tire Heat Race #5 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1B-Ross Bailes[1]; 2. C8-Timothy Culp[2]; 3. 71-Hudson O’Neal[3]; 4. 81E-Tanner English[5]; 5. 33-Scott Dedwylder[7]; 6. 54-David Breazeale[6]; 7. 21B-Chris Brown[4]; 8. 14G-Joe Godsey[8]; 9. 48-Jamie Elam[9]

Big River Steel Heat Race #6 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 11J-Drew Armstrong[1]; 2. 11H-Spencer Hughes[2]; 3. 50-Shanon Buckingham[6]; 4. 18X-Michael Page[7]; 5. 2S-Stormy Scott[4]; 6. 212-Josh Putnam[5]; 7. 33C-Eric Cooley[3]; 8. 7D-David Payne[9]; 9. 25M-Justin Mcree[8]

Tiger Rear Ends B-Main #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer):  1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 1ST-Johnny Scott[2]; 3. R5-Hunter Rasdon[5]; 4. 1C-Chad Thrash[4]; 5. 84-Austin Smith[7]; 6. 14M-Morgan Bagley[6]; 7. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[8]; 8. 86B-Brian Rickman[3]; 9. 31-Nick Thrash[12]; 10. 92M-Chad Mallett[10]; 11. 1BJ-BJ Robinson[9]; 12. (DNS) 3-Luke Bennett; 13. (DNS) Z6-Zach Combs

FAST Shafts B-Main #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 14-Josh Richards[2]; 2. 86R-Rick Rickman[1]; 3. 16-Tyler Bruening[6]; 4. 00-Jesse Stovall[5]; 5. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[4]; 6. 1G-Devin Gilpin[3]; 7. 36-Logan Martin[8]; 8. 86-Kyle Beard[9]; 9. 111-Steven Roberts[10]; 10. G4-Shelby Sheedy[12]; 11. 34-Doug Sanchagrin[7]; 12. 6R-Robbie Stuart[11]

Arizona Sport Shirts B-Main #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 33-Scott Dedwylder[3]; 2. 18X-Michael Page[2]; 3. 81E-Tanner English[1]; 4. 212-Josh Putnam[6]; 5. 54-David Breazeale[5]; 6. 2S-Stormy Scott[4]; 7. 21B-Chris Brown[7]; 8. 33C-Eric Cooley[8]; 9. 14G-Joe Godsey[9]; 10. 7D-David Payne[10]; 11. 48-Jamie Elam[11]; 12. (DNS) 25M-Justin Mcree

Corvette Racing Chassis History: 2005-2009Reviewing history and successes of Corvette C6.R GT1 era

DETROIT (June 18, 2020) – Corvette Racing’s championship-winning legacy has been well-documented. Following on the success of the Chevrolet Corvette C5-R from 1999-2004, the program’s next GT challenger more than lived up to its predecessor with 40 victories to go along with four consecutive Manufacturer, Driver and Team championships in IMSA competition.  We’ll look back today at each individual Corvette C6.R GT1 chassis to count down to the return of Corvette Racing to the racetrack July 3-4 at Daytona International Speedway.

CORVETTE CHASSIS C6R-001

A new era in Corvette history began with the debut of the C6.R in 2005. Chassis C6R-001 was driven by Ron Fellows and Johnny O’Connell, who scored the first win for the sixth-generation Corvette at Road Atlanta with additional victories at Mid-Ohio and Sonoma. After the 2005 American Le Mans Series season, it won in FIA GT at hands of Marcel Fässler, among others.

CORVETTE CHASSIS C6R-002

Corvette C6R-002 is perhaps the most honored Corvette chassis in modern history. It 15 wins in 76 races with seven coming from the trio of Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen/Olivier Beretta including the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2005. It also won the 2005 ALMS GT1 Championship before winning in FFSA and FIA GT series as late as 2009.

CORVETTE CHASSIS C6R-003

Corvette chassis C6R-003 raced 13 times with the factory squad in a high-profile GT1 battle in the 2006 American Le Mans Series. It claimed victory at Road America that year and was a third Corvette entered for the Mosport round in 2007 for Ron Fellows and Andy Pilgrim. This chassis also won twice in 2008 Le Mans Series competition.

CORVETTE CHASSIS C6R-004

Another Corvette chassis that raced with distinction, C6R-004 won five of its 11 races in 2006 with the factory program including four straight in the American Le Mans Series to start: Sebring, Houston, Mid-Ohio and Le Mans. It also won at Portland and gave Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta a second straight ALMS GT1 title.

CORVETTE CHASSIS C6R-005

Corvette chassis C6R-005 featured Jan Magnussen’s addition to full-time duty. Magnussen and Johnny O’Connell won three times in the 2007 American Le Mans Series’ GT1 class. Chassis 005 went on to take multiple FIA GT wins in private hands.

CORVETTE CHASSIS C6R-006

Corvette chassis C6R-006 was another dominant force in the hand of Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta in the 2007 ALMS. They claimed nine wins in 12 events including the 12 Hours of Sebring with Max Papis. Unsurprisingly, those results led to another ALMS GT1 Championship. After the car was sold to SRT, Marcel Fässler drove it to a victory in the FFSA French GT Championship.

CORVETTE CHASSIS C6R-007

One of the final Corvette GT1 chassis went out in a big way! Corvette C6R-007 won 10 times in 15 races between 2008-09. Johnny O’Connell and Jan Magnussen won the 2008 ALMS GT1 title with eight wins in the category’s final full season. They won the Sebring 12 Hours back-to-back and went out a winner at Le Mans in 2009 with Antonio Garcia.

CORVETTE CHASSIS C6R-008

The end of the ALMS GT1 era saw four wins in 15 events for Corvette chassis C6R-008 and the Oliver Gavin/Olivier Beretta duo. Among them was a win at home in Detroit in 2008. Its final win for Corvette Racing came at Long Beach in 2009 – the final GT1 race in ALMS.

NASCAR CUP SERIESTALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAYGEICO 500TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPTJUNE 18, 2020
TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 REALTREE CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media via teleconference and discussed the Homestead race, his expectations for this Sunday’s race at Talladega, the progress he’s made thus far, his view of the point standings mid-way through the regular season, and more. Full Transcript: TELL US ABOUT LAST WEEK’S RACE IN HOMESTEAD“We had a fairly uneventful day at Homestead. Going into that race that was a track that a lot of people on our team knew that if we got it pretty close, we’d have a pretty good shot at having a good day there. It’s just something about that race track that just clicks with me. I thought I used to need a little bit of practice just to get the high-side working, but apparently I really don’t even need that to get comfortable. It’s just a testament to the team and the effort they’ve been putting forth. This was a race we had circled and unfortunately we couldn’t really totally take advantage of this race track at this event and get a little more out of it. But, still we got a good finish. We got stages points. And, we had a good, solid night of not really making any major mistakes. That’s something we need to build on, and hopefully we do.”
COME SUNDAY, WE’RE HALFWAY THROUGH THE REGULAR SEASON. SINCE NASCAR’S RETURN, YOU’VE HOVERED BETWEEN 15th AND 20th IN POINTS. HOW MUCH ARE YOU LOOKING AT THE POINTS RIGHT NOW?“I would say Charlotte was going to kind of show the trend of where the points were kind of going to start heading, and after the 600 I was pretty happy with where things were going. We were tied for 15th with Jimmie (Johnson) and then Jimmie came to life and a couple of these other guys did, too. Unfortunately, we had two not-so-good races and lost some ground. We weren’t far from being in the top 12, which was what I was trying to strive for just to try and get in that first through 12th draw at these races where sometimes, a little bit of track position can help you if you don’t exactly have the car you need. Honestly, at Martinsville we weren’t terrible at the beginning of that race, but if we start 24th, I don’t know if we don’t go a lap down there at the beginning of that race. So, drawing as best you can is important. And all you can really do to control that is to try and be in that first to 12th draw for starting position. I was trying to get there. After the 600, it was within reach. We were only like 20 points out of it, or something. That’s what I told myself, anyway. But now, it’s obviously a lot different. So, I’m trying to pay attention to it just because it determines our starting position.”
AFTER THAT FABULOUS RUN YOU HAD AT HOMESTEAD, WHAT HAPPENED ON THE LAST LAP?“I don’t know (laughs). I guess I for some reason, going into Turn 1 with two to go, I thought it was the final lap. I must have seen an imaginary white flag waving above my head because I was just convinced that was my last shot to pass Ryan Blaney coming to the line. I just hoped he was going to make a mistake. As it turned out, we were coming to the one to go. Yeah, I wish I could blame somebody. I wish I could say something, but I don’t know. I just missed it. I thought it was the end of the race. I really don’t have an explanation. I’m just very thankful that all the men and women at RCR make really fast race cars. We were about six or seven, or whatever seconds it was, ahead of Aric Almirola so we didn’t lose a spot.”
AS SOLID AS AUSTIN DILLON HAS BEEN ON THE RESTRICTOR PLATE TRACKS, WHAT KIND OF ONE-TWO PUNCH DO YOU THINK YOU’LL HAVE THIS WEEKEND AT TALLADEGA?“It’s hard to say. I like the direction that our cars seem to have started to trend. They had good speed at the superspeedway at Daytona. We’re going to rely on, we’re taking more power away again, with the bigger tapered spacer, smaller holes; so that’s going to change things. The air ducts. How the air comes through the nose and comes up the sides, that’ll kind of change the approach that we’ve had at the superspeedways a little bit, too. So, I don’t know. Obviously whoever can survive, I think is still going to be there at the end. But, it’s nice to know our cars have had speed. We can get a little bit of damage in certain areas and still be able to stay up in it. It’s just going to come down to decisions and just avoiding the big wrecks as they take place and just trying to make sure we’re in the correct position to do so. If me and Austin can get together at the end of that race, within 10 to go, and not have damage, that’s going to be really good for us.”
WHEN DID YOU REALIZE IT WASN’T THE LAST LAP AT HOMESTEAD? HAS IT BEEN A SOURCE OF COMEDY AROUND THE SHOP OR IN TEAM MEETINGS?“Oh, yeah. I’ve been getting picked on quite a bit. But, it’s all good. Every time it gets posted on another page in social media or (other) media puts it out, I’m good with it. I’m fine with it. It’s funny. It was just good that we were running that high and something like that happens and it can be talked about.
“It was about the time I let off the button. I was thanking my crew for a great day. I was apologizing for not getting one or two more spots. And as soon as I let off the button, I think my eardrums almost blew out. It was just so loud. Yelling and then it clicked. And then I look up and I see the No. 10 (Almirola) coming up and I’m like oh my gosh, this is not happening. Fortunately I didn’t like drive it into the fence and wreck coming to the checkered flag. That would have made matters worse. But, we avoided that, for sure. It was pretty funny.”
YOU ARE USED TO THE NOTION OF NO PRACTICE. HOW IMPACTFUL IS THAT ON A SUPERSPEEDWAY SINCE YOU USUALLY HAVE DRAFTING PRACTICE. HOW IS THAT DIFFERENT THIS WEEK THAN FOR A REGULAR RACE?“Everyone has an idea of what a good speedway car for them has been. But, the different amount of power we’re going to have, no air ducts, is kind of a shift with no practice. We just are going off of simulated numbers and data points off of a car that was set up in a cooler condition and obviously, different circumstances. So, it’s going to be quite interesting. But, I think a lot of people will just bring what they know works. And normally you see people bring a good piece and they’ll try some things in practice, whether that’s drafting or a single car run; obviously, none of that. So, I think we’ve been pretty good at getting the cars on the money, but it just adds an extra layer of what-if’s. What if someone’s too loose that first run? It just opens the box for even more uncertainty. And I think it’s made the races interesting. It’s made all the folks at RCR work really, really hard to bring a really good starting point for our cars, which I think, we’ve had more times than not.”
WOULD YOU PREFER, AT A TRACK LIKE TALLADEGA, TO HAVE A PRACTICE?“I’ve done a bit of plate racing throughout my career, but nothing compared to the veterans of our sport. But, everyone knows when it’s time to go and when they need to pull back, even though it doesn’t appear that way sometimes on our end, in the driver’s seat. But, I mean, it was originally planned, and when there’s one track just like that, they’re really doing everything they can to discourage using a back-up car. You’re probably not going to go out there an experiment in a practice session. Yeah, we’ve had all these rules changes, but honestly, we’ve been doing just fine without practicing everywhere else. That adds a little layer to it, like I said. So, I’m okay without having the practice. When you go to a place like Martinsville, and the first time you hit the brake, you don’t know if your brake vibe is set where it need to. You either know it’s your front tires that lock-up or if you have wheel-hop. So, it’s the same kind of level of uncertainty in a way.”
YOUR TEAMMATE (AUSTIN DILLON) BECAME A DAD OVER THE WEEKEND. HAS HE BEEN HITTING YOU UP FOR PARENTING ADVICE OR HAVE YOU HAD ANYTHING TO SHARE WITH HIM?“We talked about it a little bit as it’s gotten closer and he’s asked me about just certain things that I would have thought to think about before Alexa and I had (a baby). I knew he was going to have his hands full with the whole day on Sunday with having Ace come into the world and then leaving the hospital and flying to the race track and racing; and then going home and getting thrown right back into daddy duty. So, we did our debrief over Zoom, like we are here on Monday. He was holding Ace for a little bit, and at the hospital, and jumping in and out of trying to help when needed with the nurses or whatever was going on. I texted him once or twice. I can’t remember exactly what I said, but I knew how I felt a couple days in. I asked him how he was doing and I think he used the word I’m just absolutely delirious. And, I’m like, I get it. I was the same way. You’re used to sleeping normal hours. Every two hours, the baby is up or needs something or the doctor is coming in and out. It’s chaos. But they’re home. That for me, was one thing when I kind of calmed back down. You’re in your own home and can get back in your own routine. But for him, we’re going racing Sunday. So, it’s going to continue to be interesting.”
YOU ALLUDED TO THE RULES PACKAGE BEING DIFFERENT ON THE SUPERSPEEDWAYS NOW, AND OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF THAT WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE ACCIDENT AT THE END OF THE DAYTONA 500. DO YOU ANTICIPATE DRIVERS BEING A LITTLE MORE CAUTIOUS THAN THEY WERE AT THE DAYTONA 500 AND OTHERS IN THE PAST?“No. I don’t think so. For possibly the worst-case scenario to happen to someone like Ryan Newman, and for him to be okay, just goes to show how safe these cars are and just how crazy we’re able to get into them and get away with it. But, granted, that was a scary situation. There was a lot of uncertainty around it. But, the car held up. He’s still with us. He’s still racing like the old fashioned Ryan Newman. So, I don’t know. I don’t think it’s going to change much. The cars themselves are going to be a little bit slower. I honestly think as crazy as this sounds, I think there’s going to be more aggression now that we have less power and the drag ducts are out. It’s going to change how the cars drive. I think the aggression is going to be even higher, actually.”
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE COMING INTO YOUR OWN IN THE CUP SERIES?“I would like to say yes. But, I know how quickly you can fall out of that groove and how easy it is to get down. We had a couple races where we weren’t bad, but we wanted to run better than we were. And a lot of these races, since we’ve been back, we’ve been going to tracks that have been really good for me over the course of time that have been really good for me. And, we’re getting ready to go to tracks that I’ve had trouble with at times. The real test is coming, I think, in the second half of the regular season for us. But, I like what we saw at Homestead. It’s just going to drive our team to work that much harder. Hopefully we can continue to keep overcoming these challenges. But, it’s going to definitely be tougher the second half.”

XENIA, Ohio (June 17) — A pair of powerful JEGS.com dragsters are headed to Kil-Kare Raceway for this weekend’s 15th annual Ultimate 64 Shootout. The yellow-and-black attack will be led by confirmed JEGS Allstars racer Paige Coughlin and her cousin Makenna Brown, who is stepping up from the Junior Dragster ranks this year. While waiting out COVID-19 restrictions, Paige has been getting herself back up to speed with a pair of races in the last two weeks, the ACE Super Slam at Dragway 42 in West Salem, Ohio, and the K&N Spring Fling GALOT presented by Optima Batteries at GALOT Motorsports Park in Dunn, N.C. Paige Coughlin “Just like it was last season, my JEGS.com dragster is running really well,” Paige said. “The main thing is it’s repeating, which is what you want out of your car more than anything. My guys, Justin Beaver and Tony Collier, always make sure I’m 100% ready to go and I thank them for all their hard work during this extra-long off-season.  “I’m so thankful to finally be able to race again. It was a long time out of the seat but once we got started again it felt like I’d never left. We are trying to stay as busy as possible and I know the schedule will be packed from here on out but we’ll be ready.” In less than a month, Paige will begin her quest to win the Division 3 Super Comp championship during JEGS Speedweek, July 16-19 at National Trail Raceway. She came up just one position short of title in 2019, finishing second to decorated veteran and friend Luke Bogacki. Paige Coughlin in her JEGS.com dragster The newest addition to the Team JEGS sportsman ranks is Brown. The Florida native had a very successful Junior Dragster career representing JEGS.com and has now decided to continue her racing endeavors in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. She collected Super Comp points at the few Division 2 races that were completed before racing was suspended and is now using these summertime bracket races to restart the learning process. “I’ve jumped right in with some of the best bracket racers in the country and these drivers are tough,” Brown said. “It shows me how much practice and work goes into winning. I am so excited to get as many runs in as I can. The Ultimate 64 Shootout will be another weekend to learn and get a little better every round. Makenna Brown “I have amazing people like Justin Beaver and Dave Raurk helping on my car. We have it dialed in and running great. My grandpa, Jeg Sr., my uncle Jeg Jr., and T.J. have all helped me to understand how to dial the car, how to race to the finish, and how to find a spot on the tree. I have talked to all three of them extensively and they have all given me such valuable guidance. I’m also so thankful for everyone at JEGS.  “I just love being at the track. Every run down the track assures me this is where I belong. It is so much different than racing juniors but the love and passion is the same. These racers are tough and I know that going up against some of the best racers in the country in my first couple races is only going to make me better.”

NASCAR CUP SERIESTALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAYGEICO 500TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPTJUNE 17, 2020
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER OFF ROAD CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media via teleconference and discussed his newborn son, Ace, the progress of the RCR teams, the upcoming Talladega race and new package, the All-Star race being moved to Bristol, and more. Full Transcript: TALK US THROUGH WHAT THESE LAST FEW DAYS HAVE BEEN LIKE WITH ALL THE EXCITEMENT‘Yeah, I’ll first start off by saying I’m tired. But, it’s been an amazing experience. And, mom has absolutely crushed it. Dad is doing everything he can. He’s hanging on by a thread. But today is awesome. I was late but was just playing with him. He is an amazing little guy and I’m just pumped to have him in this world and ready to show him everything about life. It’s pretty cool.”
CONGRATULATIONS. WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT HOW WELL THE ENTIRE TEAM IS DOING, BOTH YOU AND TYLER REDDICK. YOU’RE GETTING TOP-TENS, AND REALLY ACCELERATING EARLY IN THE SEASON, WHICH IS A HIGH FOR THE TEAM IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. WHAT IS IT LIKE? WHAT’S YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH TYLER? WHAT’S YOUR SENSE OF THE TEAM AS A WHOLE REALLY BEING ON IT THIS YEAR?“It’s been an awesome year so far. I always want more. But, I mean, compared to years past, I’m very optimistic of where we are; especially last year to this year, a big jump. Those jumps are hard to come by. Tyler, coming in the off-season with an Xfinity championship, brought some momentum. I think it fired-up everybody. It fired-up myself to compete. He’s a good wheelman. It builds both teams to kind of compete within and that comes with these good finishes we’re having. The competition is great at RCR. And you’ve got to have that. I feel like that’s a big part of it. And, Chevrolet stepped-up their game in the off-season and really gave us something else to work with as far as the car goes. And, our whole entire shop is working really hard. Obviously, it’s been tough on everybody with the quarantine and whatnot, but I feel like we did a good job of keeping up with the work that we had ahead of us. It’s been a really good break for our team, if anything. And, the way we go to the race track now if a little bit different. Less people go to the track and I think that’s a good thing for our guys. The core group on each team is strong, and that’s nice to see.”
I’M NOT SURE WHEN ACE WAS BORN, BUT WAS THERE A POINT LATE SATURDAY NIGHT OR EARLY SUNDAY MORNING WHERE YOU THOUGHT YOU MIGHT MISS THE RACE?“He was born at 6:30 in the morning. So, there was definitely a time period where you’re going to the hospital and mom is getting checked-in and you’re just hoping that everything is going to go smoothly. And, it did. The good Lord blessed us with an amazing pregnancy. Mom just walked in and crushed it. Ace came out with flying colors. Everything went well. But if any small thing goes wrong during that timeframe, I’m not racing. So, everything went good. The doctors were great. We used Wake Forest and they did such a great job with Ace and mom and that’s what allowed us to get to the race track and had just a really memorable day.”
LOOKING AHEAD TO TALLADEGA, HOW DO YOU THINK THE CHANGES IN HORSEPOWER AND NO AIR DUCTS WILL IMPACT THE RACE?“I don’t really know how the air ducts will do. We’ve obviously raced in the past without aero ducts, so that’s one thing I just don’t really ….  I’d have to really go back in time and look at what our cars did differently. But, there was probably somewhere you could match them up to. I don’t know what the closest year that we ran a package like this would be. But, we feel like the racing is going to be different from the way it was at Daytona. It always is different from Daytona to Talladega. So, I’d say the first stage of the race, will definitely be a learning curve for just about all of us. Set-up wise should not be a problem. I hope not. But, just the way we race and the runs you get, we’ll be learning that first stage. And, you want to be aggressive because every point matters throughout the year.
“So, just trying to play the chess match that’s ahead of us this weekend is going to be the key. Just knowing when to go. I’ve done a lot of different strategies when it comes to speedway racing, but my favorite is just going out there and racing and kind of throwing caution to the wind. I feel like that usually plays out better for us. I won the Daytona 500 being a little more cautious, but it’s just more fun that way when you go out there and race. So, we’ll see. We’ll make a decision quite early in the race to kind of figure out how everything is going. Hopefully all of our Chevys will run up-front together and work hard together to do what we need to do to bring home the win for Chevrolet.”
WHEN NASCAR RESUMED THE SEASON WITH ALL THE PRECAUTIONS THAT WERE TAKEN FROM A SAFETY AND TRAVEL STANDPOINT, IT WAS A SMALL GROUP OF GUYS WHO COULD JUST DRIVE TO DARLINGTON AND OF COURSE, CHARLOTTE AFTER THAT. BUT, WITH COVID-19 STILL VERY MUCH A THREAT, ARE THE PRECAUTIONS THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE NOW AS YOU TRAVEL AND EXPAND YOUR FOOTPRINT BY GOING TO PLACES LIKE MIAMI AND TALLADEGA, WHAT PRECAUTIONS ARE YOU TAKING TO KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE?“I think we’ve done a good job. RCR is making our teams…..when they go to the track, they can only take two in a car at a time.  And then drivers, as far as getting to the track, we’ve been pretty much with ourselves. Tyler and I flew together to the track to Atlanta. Everybody has been kind of keeping their distance and wearing masks and doing everything that they’ve asked us to do throughout the process, and it’s worked well. We take our temperatures and report back to RCR and NASCAR with those; and then just trying to stay away from big groups of people. The Zoom meetings, so just talking to my guys, so I think it’s really drawn my team a bit closer, I think, because you get to look at each other on the phone. And, I guess my mind doesn’t wander as much when I’m just talking to my guys at my house. It’s kind of nice to really have the time to sit down and talk about our cars and go through the whole thing and go through the race. It gives you more time to just kind of focus on what’s going on and what went on. So, I think it’s been really good for my team.”
WHEN YOU ARE FLYING, IS IT SMALLER GROUPS THAN IT WAS IN THE PAST?“Yes. I think the teams are flying on a different path than what the drivers are and just trying to stay as separated as possible, of going at certain times to be able to check the car. The road crew and then the shop crew are going in and out at different times also, so they’re not really connecting, either.”
YOU MENTIONED POINTS, AND YOU’VE BEEN BOUNCING AROUND THE 13th, 16th, 17th SPOT IN THE POINTS. HOW MUCH DO YOU PAY ATTENTION TO IT AT THIS POINT AS TALLADEGA MARKS THE HALFWAY POINT OF THE REGULAR SEASON? HOW MUCH DOES THAT DICTATE WHAT YOUR TEAM MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT DO IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS?“I don’t think we can change what we’ve been doing as far as strategy goes. I think we’ve been aggressive when it comes to strategy and that’s worked out for us. Some short-pittings that have gained us spots at the end of these races. I trust Justin (Alexander, crew chief) and I think obviously, to be where we want to be, we want to win races. And we feel like our cars are very close and capable of doing that right now. The more we run in the top 5 and top ten’s, that’s when you get those opportunities to win. We’ve had two cars that are capable of running speeds to win this past weekend at Homestead. I would have loved to see what our car did if we would have been able to not have the problem we had with the tire getting away. And then, Martinsville, another really fast race car that we had that flat tire pretty much before the race started.
“The opportunities are coming and we need to capitalize on them, and I think the only way to do that is if you see guys…..like, Brad Keselowski is a great example. I don’t feel like he’s had the fastest car in most of the races he’s won, but he’s hung around and his team has given him that opportunity to get clean air and win those races. So, the aggression has to come and then, it just makes it a lot easier when you get a win under your belt. And in years past, I feel like we could circle and kind of thing about the small amount of opportunities we had to win a race in our group. And this year, I feel like we’ve definitely got a bigger shot at winning with more opportunities available with the speed in our race cars.”
WHAT DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE BETTER AT IN SPEEDWAY RACING AT DAYTONA AND TALLADEGA IN THE LAST YEAR? WHERE TO YOU FEEL LIKE AS A DRIVER, YOU’VE GOTTEN BETTER OVER TIME?“Maybe just the choices I make. I feel like the choices, the lines, drafting closer to people, making the right calls just from history and being in these races. I don’t know. I think it comes in spurts. You get in a rhythm with speedway racing sometimes and it really works out for you. And then you think you’ve got it figured out and then you have a streak of bad finishes and you’re like, what’s going on here? But the one thing that’s kind of resonated a long time with me is the moment you start hating speedway racing, it’s just not going to be good for you. So, you’ve got to learn to love it and enjoy the craziness of it all. And, I think that kind of breeds more good finishes for you. You start seeing kind of against it, and it’ll bite you.”
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE ALL-STAR RACING MOVING FROM CHARLOTTE TO BRISTOL?“It’s definitely a big change. I think it’s good for the All-Star to move around. I feel like Marcus (Smith) and all the people at NASCAR did a good job choosing Bristol because you’re going to get a lot of action there. It’s very easy to get to someone’s back bumper and move people. It’s a chaotic track. And, for the All-Star racing, I think it’s a beautiful setting for it. Some of the drivers aren’t going to like it because they know what’s coming. It’s going to be a bit of a mess at times, but then it’s going to hopefully just put on a great show for our fans. That’s what we’re here to do. And, I’m lobbying for the ‘Choose Rule’, and I think there’s a shot at it for the All-Star race. I’m hoping that goes into effect. I think that track is perfect for it.”

BATAVIA, OHIO (June 17, 2020) – With over $110,000 in prize money on the line for the General Tire Clash at the Mag – presented by Big River Steel, Magnolia Motor Speedway is set to host a three-day weekend that is one of the biggest in Mississippi. Set for June18th – June 20th, the Clash at the Mag will have full racing programs on Thursday and Friday, capping off the weekend with a 100-lap main event on Saturday, paying $15,000-to-win. A complete program of Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and a $5,000-to-win main event on Thursday and Friday nights. Each night, the pit gates will open at 2:00pm, followed by general admission at 4:00pm. A driver’s meeting will take place at 7:00 pm, followed by hot laps at 7:30pm. Drivers will earn valuable points in each of the two preliminary nights that will determine the lineups for Saturday night’s finale. The top 18 in points will be locked into the A-Main, while the rest of the field will line up in B-Main events, with hopes of finishing in a transfer spot to race for $15,000.   On Saturday, the pit gates will open at 2:00pm, followed by general admission at 4:00pm. Saturday’s festivities will kick off with a Dirt Racing Outreach service from 4:30pm through 5:15pm. A driver’s autograph session will follow, starting at 5:30pm and ending at 6:15pm. On-track action is slated for 7:00pm, beginning with hot laps, followed by consolation events for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. The $15,000-to-win, 100 lap main event will top off the series action for the weekend. In 2019, Mike Marlar became the first three-time winner of the annual Clash at the Mag during a caution free event. Josh Richards and Jonathan Davenport took home wins on the prelim nights. The stars of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event will be joined by a strong showing of local and regional standouts. All three nights will be LIVE on LucasOilRacing.tv. Thursday and Friday night’s shows will be available to monthly and/or yearly subscribers, and tape delayed for air on MAVTV Motorsports Network. Saturday night’s finale at Magnolia Motor Speedway will be available for yearly subscribers only, but tape delayed to air on both MAVTV Motorsports Network and NBC Sports. 

SAVE THE DATE: 12th Annual Lucas Oil Eric Medlen Memorial Golf Tournament Set For September 3, 2020Katie and Morgan Lucas Will Host the Annual Memorial  Golf Tournament at Eagle Creek Golf CourseINDIANAPOLIS (June 16, 2020) – Lucas Oil Products is pleased to announce the 12th Annual Lucas Oil Eric Medlen Memorial Golf Tournament will be held on Thursday, September 3, 2020 at Eagle Creek Golf Course in Indianapolis. The annual charity golf tournament honors the late NHRA Funny Car driver Eric Medlen, who passed away due to complications after suffering a traumatic brain injury during a practice crash, by raising money for Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital (PMCH) and Ascension St. Vincent Hospital.  “During these extraordinary times, we have paused to reflect on past tournaments and are truly humbled by the generous support and dedication to honoring Eric and helping the children at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital,” stated Katie and Morgan Lucas. “Our incredible golfers, sponsors and corporate partners have raised over $650,000 for PMCH and helped fund the St. Vincent House, a pediatric MRI Suite, a teaching classroom and so much more. Our 2020 Tournament may look a little different than tournaments of the past, but rest assured our mission remains the same – celebrating Eric’s life and helping those in need at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital and Ascension St. Vincent.”  Since opening its doors in 2003, Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital has operated as a full-service pediatric care network, inside Ascension St. Vincent Hospital, specializing in the unique needs of children and their families. Today, the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital includes 48 private inpatient beds, 23 Pediatric Intensive Care Unit beds, 17-bed dedicated Pediatric Emergency Departments and the largest Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the state of Indiana. More details about the event:8 – 9:30 am Registration and Breakfast9:30 am Shotgun Start2 pm Lunch, Program and AwardsIn accordance with state and CDC guidelines, this year’s tournament will host both lunch and the awards ceremony outdoors and will include additional safety measures to ensure social distancing.  For golf and sponsorship information, please visit www.EricMedlenMemorial.com or contact Jessica at Jessica@LucasOil.com and 317-858-1333.

(June 16, 2020) Jim Allen, Sacramento, CA … The high powered NARC King of the West Fujitsu Sprint Car Series will kick off their 2020 racing campaign at Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford, this Saturday, June 20th, in an event that will showcased in front of an empty grandstand due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.  However, the race will be available exclusively by Pay-per-View on Speedshift TV.

As the world continues to adapt to ever changing guidelines and restrictions, this event received an approval from local government and health officials as long as specific rules were followed.  The most radical of those guidelines is racing in front of an completely empty grandstand.  In addition, race teams entering the pit area are limited to five people per team (including driver) and must follow a full set of COVID-19 safety rules.  This includes getting their temperatures taken at the pit gate.

To date, the global pandemic has wreaked havoc on the traveling 410 sprint car series originally scheduled 19-races, with seven events being cancelled or postponed.  This pretty much mirrors the racing scene throughout California.  The delayed season opener, which was not on the original schedule, was the result of painstaking hard work by former driver and Hanford track promoter Peter Murphy.

“We had to run a gauntlet of government and local officials to make this show happen,” said Murphy.  “It required their cooperation to approve our efforts before we were allowed to proceed.  That was not as easy process, and I hope it leads to racing in front of fans again in the near future.”

Leading a full field of NARC sprint cars will be local driver DJ Netto.  The Hanford driver is the defending NARC King of the West champion after claiming his first title in an epic points battle last season.  Netto has spent the past few weeks racing throughout the Midwest where coronavirus restrictions eased much earlier.

“It’s nice to finally get going here in California!” said Netto.  “I think all this was blown way out of hand so we went and raced in the Midwest.  You wouldn’t even know there was something called COVID-19 back there, racing front of full crowds.  Racing without fans will have a little different feel.  It’s almost like we are testing.”

Fresno’s Dominic Scelzi, who won an All Star Circuit of Champions main event in Louisiana Sunday, has also traveled around the country – racing with and without fans in the grandstands.

“It’s amazing how different racing without fans actually feels,” said Scelzi, who will be competing in Hanford on Saturday.  “Once you’re off the track, there is an eerie quietness to it all.  And as you roll around the track to line up, the stands look brighter because they reflect more light. It’s a very odd experience for us drivers.”

Either way, most race tracks in California have a green light to move forward, but with limitations.  The racing community takes that as a positive move in the right direction.

“We hope this is the start of something good.” said NARC GM Jim Allen, “Everybody is eager to get back to normal, even if it’s a ‘new normal.’  We had a great season lined-up and were ready to go back in March, but the pandemic sidelined those efforts.  As a result, a lot of our teams have not strapped on a helmet in more than seven months and all would prefer to do it in front of a packed grandstand.  However, they also realize that we have to ease back into this activity because it’s a spectator-driven event.”

Several past champions will be represented in a stacked field of competitors at the 3/8 mile dirt oval.  Among those registered are four-time series champ Kyle Hirst of Paradise; two-time series winner Tim Kaeding of San Jose (2002 & 2011), 2018 titlist Bud Kaeding of Campbell; and Sean Becker of Roseville, the 2005 series champion.  Collectively, they have laid claim to 127 King of the West feature event victories.

Other top contenders will be Roseville’s Willie Croft, Colby Copeland and Jodie Robinson; Sean Watts from Clovis; Tracy’s Kyle Offill; Indiana’s Spencer Bayston; Mitchell Faccinto of Hanford; Auburn’s Richard Brace Jr; Craig Stidham of Fresno, and many more.

Also on the racing card will be the Kings of Thunder non-wing 360 Bandit sprint cars and the 305 Racesavers sprint cars.  

The NARC King of the West portion of the program will consist of individual qualifying, four 8-lap heat races, a six-lap trophy dash, a 12-lap last chance qualifier and a 30-lap Fujitsu-sponsored headliner which pays $3000 to the winner.

Pit gates open at 1:00 p.m. The drivers meeting starts at 4:30 p.m., with the first session of hot laps taking place around 5:30 p.m.

Keller Auto Speedway is located at the Kings Fairgrounds in Hanford.  The address is 801 S 10th Ave, Hanford, CA 93230.  The track can be reached at 559-584-7223.

For more information, call Jim Allen at 714-397-7417.

Inside Line Promotions – CHATHAM, La. (June 15, 2020) – Dominic Scelzi capitalized on a busy two-week stretch with the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1.

Scelzi earned five top fives, won the finale and finished fifth in the Cometic Gasket Thunder Through the Plains presented by Hercules Tires standings after participating in eight races during that span.

“To be honest I think the speedweek was the perfect thing we needed,” he said. “We needed to race a lot in a short amount of time at a lot of tracks. At the beginning of the week we weren’t there. We’d click off a lap in hot laps and then wouldn’t time in well. The last half of the week I feel like we were the best car.”

That showed on Sunday at Chatham Speedway during the Thunder Through the Plains finale. Scelzi qualified third quickest, placed fourth in a heat race, charged from sixth to second place in the dash and then led 32 of the 40-lap main event for his first career win with the series.

“It’s right up there with winning the World Challenge for me,” he said. “It’s something I didn’t think would be possible. To win with the All Stars, it’s an elite group of guys. I feel like it’s harder now than it’s ever been to win an All Star race. The level of competition is tremendous. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

The victory capped four straight nights of top-five runs for Scelzi beginning last Thursday at Southern Oklahoma Speedway in Ardmore, Okla.

“I felt pretty good, but I couldn’t tell where we were at in qualifying,” he said. “I felt like we were going to be all right though. We won the heat and were pretty good in the dash. In the main event I think I gave the race away by not getting to the top fast enough. I got flustered, but got my head back down and kept fighting. It’s a good feeling when you roll around well like that.”

Scelzi led his first career All Star laps before finishing third.

The team posted a fifth-place result on Friday at Monarch Motor Speedway in Wichita Falls, Texas, and a third-place run on Saturday at LoneStar Speedway in Kilgore, Texas, prior to the big win. Additionally, Scelzi finished 16^th at Red Dirt Raceway in Meeker, Okla., on June 5; recorded a fourth-place outing at 81 Speedway in Park City, Kan., on June 7; placed 14^th at Lawton Speedway in Lawton, Okla., on June 8; and earned the Hard Charger Award for passing the most cars after driving from 20^th to 13^th at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas, last Wednesday.

“I think you can always get better,” he said. “I think the biggest thing is cutting down on mistakes. I’ve done that this week. If we want to get to that next level of winning a World of Outlaws race, those mistakes can’t happen. I think we’re pretty close.”

Scelzi plans on heading back to his home state of California this week to drive for Roth Motorsports on Saturday at Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford during the King of the West-NARC Fujitsu Series season opener.

BATAVIA, OHIO (June 15, 2020) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is excited to have a new young gun taking on the grueling demands of the nation’s premier dirt late model tour in 2020. This driver’s website lists his career racing goal as, “To win a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship.” There is no better way to get the experience to win championships than to set sights on Rookie of the Year.  Tanner English will look to take advantage of his regional success in recent years as he chases the Eibach Springs Rookie of the Year title in 2020. The 27-year-old, second generation racer is from Benton, KY and pilots the Riggs Motorsports #81E Rocket XR-1 – powered by a Pro Power Racing Engine. English receives sponsorship from: Riggs Drilling Solutions, Allstar Performance, Integra Racing Shocks, Base Race Fuels, Schaeffer’s Racing Oil, Budda Bert Transmission, Best One Tire and Auto Care, Hoosier Racing Tires, Wiles Racing Driveshafts, Slicker Graphics, Afco, and Swift Springs. “Myself and Riggs Motorsports are extremely excited to have the opportunity to run for the Eibach Springs Rookie of the Year title. To be put on the list of champions would be an honor and dream I’ve had since beginning my career. Since the formation of the Lucas Oil tour, it has been a dream of mine to be able to travel with such a professionally ran series and to be a part of the show week in and week out.” English has a slight advantage as a second-generation driver whose father ,Terry English competed on the series tour in 2007. “I know it will be a challenge but I feel I am as prepared as I can be for such a tough feat. I look forward to seeing a lot of new places and gaining some valuable experience and knowledge along the way.” In 2020, the Eibach Springs Rookie of the Year will receive the following at the year-end banquet, along with $100 cash per race: a check for $10,000, $500 product certificate from Earnhardt Technologies, one (1) Carbon Driveshaft from Fastshafts $750 value, $500 product certificate from Keyser Manufacturing, product certificate for new nose and graphics from Performance Bodies, one (1) free car wrap from Slicker Graphics, product certificate from Tiger Rear Ends, product certificate from Thermo-tech Cool-it, and ten (10) sheets of aluminum from Wrisco Industries, Inc. Eibach’s production technology is recognized worldwide as leading its field, from their high-strength spring-steel alloys, advanced CNC winding process, high-quality corrosion protection and the legendary longevity of all of their springs and components. To learn more about Eibach, visit their website at www.eibach.com.

June 15, 2020

Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team battled back from damage on an early pit stop to score a 14^th-place finish in Sunday’s Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

It was DiBenedetto’s best Homestead finish in six career starts, but he was hoping for more after a strong showing in the early going.

DiBenedetto started 23^rd and had moved up to 14^th place when the competition caution flag was displayed at Lap 22.

During the ensuing pit stop the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang incurred damage to the left-front fender in a chain-reaction incident on pit road.

After repairs to the No. 21 Mustang, DiBenedetto restarted 38^th and was facing a tall order to the remain on the lead lap.

But he soon began turning laps as fast as the lead pack and worked his way up to 26^th place at the end of the first 80-lap Stage, easily remaining on the lead lap.
 
In Stage Two, he continued to work his way through the field, and was up to 17^th place by Lap 117, and was inside the top 15 after a mid-stage green-flag pit stop. He wound up 13^th at the end of the second Stage.
 
The opening laps of the final Stage saw DiBenedetto move up into the top 10 briefly with 90 laps remaining, but he slipped back a bit as the laps wound down, and his 14^th-place finish dropped him one spot in the Cup Series points standings to 14^th place.
 
Eddie Wood said that overall it was a solid performance by the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team.
 
“They were pretty good through most of the race, and did a good job of gaining back the positions they lost because of the damage on pit road,” Wood said. “They turned some fast laps and stayed on the lead lap. 
 
“The car was a little tight, so they loosened it up at the end, and kind of lost the handle. 
 
“We’ll take it and move on to Talladega.”
 
The No. 21 Mustang will carry the colors of Quick Lane for next Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
 

BRISCOE WINS AT HOMESTEAD  Homestead, FL – June 15, 2020 – Chase Briscoe persevered to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series Contender Boats 250 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, recording his third win of the 2020 season, and marking Doug Yates’ 450th career race win as an engine builder.

“Congratulations to Chase, Greg, Tony, Gene, and the No. 98 crew,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Chase showed his maturity and skill as a driver. His patience and persistence paid off at the end of the race. It’s great to see these young drivers competing for race wins.”

After finishing in seventh place on Saturday, in the Hooters 250, Briscoe had something to prove on Sunday afternoon. Briscoe and substitute crew chief Greg Zipadelli kept refining their strategy throughout the race, putting themselves in position to win during the last few laps of the race, as the No. 98 cut into race leader Noah Gragson’s lead.   With just a few laps to go, a late race caution came out and Briscoe followed Gragson into the pits for fresh tires. The No. 98 crew made a ‘money stop’ to give Briscoe the lead out of the pits, over Gragson. Briscoe controlled the restart, but a crash on the first lap caused a second caution and the race went into double over-time. The No. 98 had a killer second restart to take the lead and defend a hard-charging Brandon Jones to the checkered flag, crossing the finish-line .072-seconds in front of Jones.

“It is a testament to all the guys at Stewart-Haas Racing” Briscoe commented. “Happy to get Ford Performance Racing School back in victory lane. HighPoint.com all of our partners. We have a good run going so far and we are looking to win a bunch more.”

Ford Performance teammate, Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang also had a great weekend, finishing P2 on Saturday and P10 at the conclusion of Sunday’s race.

The NASCAR Cup Series Dixie Vodka 400 was delayed multiple times for weather on Sunday afternoon. The Ford Mustangs led a total of 98 laps. Ryan Blaney led the Fords with a total of 70-laps and finished P3, Ford Performance teammate Aric Almirola finished P5, and Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski finished P10.

NASCAR heads to Talladega SuperSpeedway for Father’s Day weekend. The Xfinity series will race Saturday night, June 20th and the Cup series will take to the track Sunday afternoon, June 21st.  For a complete race schedule head to roushyates.com.  27 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 388 WINS – 357 POLES!    *Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images

About Roush Yates Engines   Roush Yates Engines is a leading-edge engine development company based in Mooresville, NC consisting of two state-of-the-art facilities – Roush Yates Engines and Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions, a world class ISO 9001 / AS9100 certified CNC manufacturing facility. The company’s core business includes designing, building and testing purpose-built race engines.   Ford Performance in partnership with Roush Yates Engines is the exclusive engine builder of the NASCAR FR9 Ford V8 engine and Ford Mustang 5.2L V8 engine, used in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series.   With an unparalleled culture of winning and steeped in rich racing history, Roush Yates Engines continues to follow the company’s vision to lead performance engine innovation and staying true to the company’s mission, provide race winning engines through demonstrated power and performance.   3 Series – 22 Teams – 81 Races

NASCAR CUP SERIESHOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAYDIXIE VODKA 400TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTESJUNE 14, 2020 
TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER2nd     CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE 4th      TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CHEVY CARES CAMARO ZL1 1LE 7th      AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW/BEHR ULTRA SCRUFF DEFENSE CAMARO ZL1 1LE 9th      WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE 13th    BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY CAMARO ZL1 1LETOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS: POS.  DRIVER1st      Denny Hamlin (Toyota)2nd    Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)3rd     Ryan Blaney (Ford)4th     Tyler Reddick (Chevrolet)5th     Aric Almirola (Ford) The NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Talladega Superspeedway with the GEICO 500 on Sunday, June 21, at 3:00 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
TEAM CHEVY NOTES AND QUOTES:CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 2nd YOU GUYS HAVE HAD A LOT OF SPEED, WEEK IN AND WEEK OUT, SINCE WE’VE COME BACK. BUT WAS THE ISSUE WITH THE NO. 22 OF JOEY LOGANO HOLDING YOU UP? WAS THAT THE DIFFERENCE TONIGHT FOR YOU?Just needed to get through lap traffic better. I thought our Hooters Camaro was plenty good enough to win. I thought we executed a really nice race. I kept it out of the wall almost the whole race – got it there at the end. I’m proud of the effort. We’re bringing fast cars right now and everybody at HMS is working really hard to do that. So, we’ll keep putting ourselves in good position, do a little better job of getting through lap traffic, and maybe we’ll have another sticker. We’ll just try to put ourselves in more spots to win and see where it goes from there.” DURING THE RED FLAG, SECOND ONE, AFTER YOU HAD ABOUT 30 LAPS, IN A RACE WHERE YOU DON’T HAVE PRACTICE, IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL DEBRIEFING THAT GOES ON? MORE THAT YOU WOULD TALK ABOUT COMPARED TO A RACE WHERE YOU HAVE PRACTICE? “Not really. I mean, I feel like at that point you kind of have what you have. You might talk through some changes here or there if you feel like you’re way off, want to make a big swing at it.” “We just basically ran back over the things I already said on the radio. That pretty much confirmed the changes we wanted to make and we went from there.”  DID YOU GET MANY SUGGESTIONS FROM THE TRUCK RACE OR NOTHING APPLICABLE?           “We really struggled last night. It was really hard to apply, to be honest with you, for me personally.” OBVIOUSLY, YOUR FANS ARE UPSET ABOUT THE LOGANO MOVE WHEN YOU’RE TRYING TO LAP HIM THERE. IN THE DRIVER CODE OF ETHICS, IS THAT CONSIDERED FAIR GAME? HOW DID YOU VIEW WHAT HE DID THERE?           “I just need to get through lap traffic better.” WHAT WAS IT LIKE THE WAY THIS RACE STARTED AND STOPPED? HOW DO YOU STAY IN THE GAME?“Just really odd. I’ve never experienced anything like that. But, yeah, it was all good, normal. Just hated we started and stopped for everybody watching.” TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CHEVY CARES CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 4th“I’m really proud of my Chevy Cares Chevrolet team and the effort we showed today. We had really good speed today and were able to run up front pretty much all night long. The men and women of RCR and ECR did a great job preparing us with a fast racecar to bring down to my favorite track on the circuit. We were able to use that speed to our advantage and race into the top 10 within the first 30 laps, and were able maintain that track position. We fined tuned our car from then on out for the rest of the race and tried to make it better to run the fence. It was tough though because sometimes the top seam worked better instead of the fence, so figuring out which lane was the best to use at what time was tricky. We got a little too tight by the end of the night to really make the fence work like I wanted, but all in all, it was a solid effort tonight. I’ve won the past two times I’ve come here, granted in the Xfinity Series, but it was so fun to be ripping the fence with three of the best tonight in the NASCAR Cup Series. It was a hard-fought battle and one we can build momentum off of.” AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW/BEHR ULTRA SCUFF DEFENSE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 7th “We took our No. 3 Dow / Behr Ultra Scuff Defense Chevy to a top-ten. That was a fun race for the Dow Coatings team. We were not good to start – we started from the back a couple of times. Made big adjustments – Justin (Alexander, Crew Chief) made a good adjustment about halfway through the race to allow us to get some stage points. Things started turning for us and we got a good restart. And then a caution came out, pitted and we had a tire that got away. Unfortunate, but we kept our heads down and dug hard. We were able to come all the way back to P-7. Strong run for our team.” WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 9th“We had a good and solid night and honestly it was nice to be able to run in the top five. We continued to adjust on the car as the race went along there. Hopefully we can continue to string runs together like we had tonight and be able make the right adjustments at the right point in the race to be in contention in the end. We’re getting close to that first win we just need to continue working on a couple things to get faster. On to Talladega.” KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 GEARWRENCH CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 17th “I’m not sure really where things unraveled for us tonight. We did have one pit penalty, but it just seems like with each new set of tires that we put on the car, at some of these low-grip race tracks, the car is just really inconsistent and we are having to battle with the setup. We just have to get better at this type of race track as the season goes on, unfortunately it was just a real struggle with the GEARWRENCH Chevy tonight.” ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 LLUMAR CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 18th “We really struggled today. We fought some tough handling conditions all night. The guys worked hard on pit road making adjustments and we had some quick stops. This LLumar Chevy was just off tonight. We will go back to the notebook this week and come back strong in Talladega next weekend.” TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO FOR YOUR BOAT CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 28th“Tonight, our GEICO For Your Boat Chevrolet just didn’t have the grip needed. We as a team have to go to work. Somehow over the break, we lost an immense amount of speed in our intermediate program. I believe in this GEICO team and know that we can build fast Chevrolets. We proved that earlier this season at Las Vegas. We will keep battling and buckle down to find ways to get speed out of these cars.” 

Strong Showing for Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Dow Coatings Chevrolet Team at Homestead-Miami Speedway

7th    16th   16th

“It feels great to be able to capture a top-10 finish for my first race as a new dad, and to bring home a solid result for everyone on the Dow Coatings and Behr teams. The No. 3 Dow Coatings Chevrolet was much stronger at the end of the race than it was at the beginning of the race, so I am proud of everyone for sticking in there until the end. We started off way too loose, but adjustments on pit road helped us improve handling. By the end of Stage 2, the handling transitioned to tight, but we were really fast, especially in clean air. We worked our way up to seventh when we were issued a penalty for an uncontrolled tire during a pit stop and had to battle through the field to earn our seventh-place finish. We had a fast Chevy at the end of the race, and I’m proud of everyone at Richard Childress Racing. It was a solid effort all around for our organization this weekend.” -Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick Impresses with First Career Top-Five Finish in Chevy Cares Chevrolet at Homestead-Miami Speedway

4th     24th    17th

“I’m really proud of my Chevy Cares Chevrolet team and the effort we showed today. We had really good speed and were able to run up front pretty much all night long. The men and women of RCR and ECR did a great job preparing us with a fast racecar to bring down to my favorite track on the circuit. We were able to use that speed to our advantage and race into the top 10 within the first 30 laps, and we were able maintain that track position. We fined tuned our car from then on out for the rest of the race and tried to make it better to run the fence. It was tough, though, because sometimes the top seam worked better instead of the fence, so figuring out which lane was the best to use at what time was tricky. We got a little too tight by the end of the night to really make the fence work like I wanted, but all in all, it was a solid effort. I’ve won the past two times I’ve come here, granted in the Xfinity Series, but it was so fun to be ripping the fence with three of the best tonight in the NASCAR Cup Series. It was a hard-fought battle and one we can build momentum off of.” –

MARYVILLE, TN (June 13, 2020) – Brandon Overton held off several challenges in a furious finish to win the Mountain Moonshine Classic on Saturday Night at Smoky Mountain Speedway. He earned the $15,000 payday for his third Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season in front of a record-setting crowd. Overton also became the sixth different winner in the six appearances by the series at Smoky Mountain Speedway.   Overton had to hold off Brandon Sheppard, Jimmy Owens, and Josh Richards in the closing laps to win the 60-lap event. Earl Pearson Jr. completed the top five drivers. Sheppard took the early lead of the race and held the point until Overton was able to mount a charge and catch him. Overton briefly cleared Sheppard heading down the backstretch, but Sheppard was able to get by Overton at the start-finish line. Overton was not finished, he squeezed by on the bottom to take the lead on lap 27. Meanwhile, Owens caught up to Sheppard and the two drivers ran side-by-side for the second spot. The last 30 laps were spectacular as Richards started making up distance on the top three. Overton began battling heavy traffic and things got interesting for the top position late in the race. As the laps wound down, Owens yielded the second spot to Sheppard who cut dramatically into Overton’s lead with five laps to go. Overton was able to work enough distance between himself, Sheppard, and Owens to come home with the win. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the third time in four races, Overton was happy the race was over. “I just wanted the race to be done. I didn’t know where they were at. I saw so many people on that backstretch some were saying go high or go low and I did not know where to go. I could see him [Sheppard] on the bottom, but I am just fortunate to drive for an awesome group of people. We have had a lot of bad luck, and we have got a fast race car. Thank you to all the fans for coming out tonight. I was excited to see all these people here especially on the backstretch, it’s awesome to come here and see all of these fans. If I am going to win one it’s great do this in front this crowd. If the fans don’t come see us then we don’t have a job.”  Sheppard was in the hunt the entire distance at Smoky Mountain and came home in second. “That was a lot of fun out there. It was a good race between Brandon and Jimmy and me. Overton came out on top tonight. He [Overton] did a really good job and Jimmy did too. I hate leading that early in a race. We were really good on the bottom and then I caught lapped traffic and at some point I knew they would move up the track. The track got to be pretty even across the surface, and it made for some great racing.” Owens completed the weekend with another podium finish and maintains the top spot in the championship point standings, “That was a heck of show! I enjoyed being a part of it.  I wish we had been like a car length up further. Everybody got to swapping the lead back-and-forth a little bit. These guys will race you clean and that’s the way it should be.” The winner’s Wells Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and is sponsored by Allstar Concrete, Crossfit Overton, Big Dog Stump and Tree, Penske Shocks,  Dirt Mafia, E-Z Go, R.W. Powell Construction, Sunoco Race Fuels, Convenient Lube, and Top Notch Graphics. The rest of the top ten finishers were Dale McDowell, Rick Weiss, Cory Hedgecock, Tyler Erb, and Kyle Hardy.

Anthony Alfredo and the iRacing Chevrolet Team Score Top-Five Finish in Homestead-Miami Speedway Debut

4th    21st  11th

“We had a very solid day in our No. 21 iRacing Chevrolet Camaro. Our Richard Childress Racing team stayed on top of it. We got a little behind early and needed a more of an adjustment for the long run. Once we got up on the fence, it was so much fun. I had never done that before since it was my first time racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Not only is it fun to run up there, but it’s cool to make speed out of it as well. We raced really hard to put ourselves in position for the free pass late and thankfully we got it. After we got the free pass, we were able to pit for some fresh tires and restart in the seventh position for the green-white-checkered. On the last restart, we got right up on the very top by the fence, which created a lot of momentum for us to go three-wide and pass some of those guys to finish fourth. It was just a great day. I feel like I learned a lot that I will be able to apply tomorrow to have a shot at the win.”-Anthony Alfred

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCEDIXIE VODKA 400HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAYHOMESTEAD, FLORIDAJUNE 14, 2020
HOMESTEAD FOR RACE #12The revised NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) schedule continues on Sunday, June 14th with the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. For the past 18 years (2002-’19), the Florida venue hosted the annual season-ending championship event in November, but it was re-positioned on the 2020 calendar to be a Spring Break affair on March 22. However, it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 267-lap, 400-mile contest now marks the 12th race on the tour.
NASCAR has taken initial steps in introducing the return of guests to its events, and Homestead-Miami Speedway is the first part of this process. Up to 1,000 South Florida service members, representing the Homestead Air Reserve Base and U.S. Southern Command in Doral, will be on hand as honorary guests to view the race from the grandstands.
STARTING LINEUPThe NCS race will be a one-day show with no practice and no qualifying. Owner points and a random draw have again set the starting lineup. Here are Team Chevy’s top-20 starters:
 5th     Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hooters Camaro ZL1 1LE 8th     Alex Bowman, No. 88 Llumar Camaro ZL1 1LE 9th     Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE10th     Kurt Busch, No. 1 GEARWRENCH Camaro ZL1 1LE16th     Austin Dillon, No. 3 DOW/BEHR Ultra Scuff Defense Camaro ZL1 1LE17th     Bubba Wallace, No. 43 World Wide Technology Camaro ZL1 1LE19th     Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., No. 47 Kroger Camaro ZL1 1LE20th     Matt Kenseth, No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1 1LE
BOWTIE BULLETS·      Jimmie Johnson is Chevrolet’s most recent winner at Homestead-Miami Speedway – Nov. ’16. In 19 starts, the career-Chevrolet driver has 2 pole positions, five (5) top-five’s, and 11 top-10 finishes·      Victories by current Chevrolet drivers also include:                        Kurt Busch, No. 1 GEARWRENCH Camaro ZL1 1LE has one win (2002)
HOMESTEAD HISTORY·      Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE, is looking for one more highlight in his final career race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he has already made history. Johnson has clinched each of his seven championships there, including an unprecedented five consecutive (2006-’10). In 2016, he won at Homestead and clinched his historic seventh title, which tied Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty for the all-time record.
MIAMI MAKES 50·      Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hooters Camaro ZL1 1LE will make his 50th NCS career start on a 1.5-mile track on Sunday, June 14th. In his previous 49 races (on 1.5-mile venues), he has led 590 laps. Most recently, Elliott scored his second career 1.5-mile track win at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 28.
TYLER REDDICK’S NO. 8 CAMARO ZL1 1LE TO RUN CHEVY CARES PAINT SCHEMEChevrolet is Committed to Helping in Uncertain and Challenging Times:·      Chevy Clean Dealers use enhanced vehicle cleaning measures with CDC-approved cleaners·      OnStar® Crisis Assist emergency services available to current Chevrolet owners·      A helping hand to heroes with the Chevrolet First Responder Discount·      The fight to save lives with medical equipment by converting GM plants in Kokomo Indiana to build ventilators, and Warren, Michigan to make thousands of surgical masks each day.·      Chevrolet is a company that cares. Visit ChevyCares.com to learn more.
TUNE-INFOX will telecast the 267-lap race live at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 14th. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 3rd IN STANDINGS“I am looking forward to getting down to Homestead this weekend. It will be interesting to see how different the handling of our cars is at the track in the summertime. This will be our first race of the season with Hooters so hope we can put on a good show for them and be in contention throughout the day.” ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 LLUMAR CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 7th IN STANDINGS“Getting back to an intermediate track should be good for this No. 88 team. We have a really strong intermediate program and it has been providing good results so far this season. Miami is a track where you can typically run the wall. It will be a quick turnaround from Martinsville, but everyone back at Hendrick Motorsports has been working hard to get these Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE’s set up and ready to go before the next event.”
KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 GEARWRENCH CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 10th IN STANDINGS“Going to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the first time, not being Championship weekend in almost two decades. It will be a much quieter type weekend, but the intensity of the track, the speed and the tire drop-off, all that will be the same; just a little bit different environment not being Championship Weekend. We didn’t run all that well there last year but our teammates with the No. 42 Camaro was hooked-up in that upper groove and that’s the setup that we’re going to emulate. We just need to get there and execute as a team, on pit road, short- run and long-run speed; the spotter has been doing a great job, we need to continue to find the right holes, because you’ve got to be aggressive in order to keep or improve your position right now.” WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 16th IN STANDINGS“It’s going to be different to be running at Homestead in the summer verse the last race of the year for sure. I think the top groove is going to be even more dominant probably than it usually is. It’s a racetrack that the preferred line usually migrates up towards the wall where there’s more banking up there. Plus, the wall helps you turn some. I plan on running right against the wall. I’m interested to see if that’s the case though when we get racing.” “I think I move around and search less for a line at Homestead than a lot of other race tracks we race at. You still have to move around though to find that line that works best for your car’s handling and find grip. I just think it’s a track that no matter what, as a driver you know you need to make speed against the wall. I think with when we’re racing, finding that line early on is going to be critical for this year’s race though.” AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW/BEHR ULTRA SCUFF DEFENSE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 17th IN STANDINGSWHAT’S IT LIKE RACING AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY?“It’s one of the best tracks. I think it’s the most driver-friendly track. It’s fun. Actually, it’s not really friendly because you can get into the wall pretty easily, but it’s so much fun to run right up against the fence. You have to be disciplined in how you drive that track and save your tires. It’s an epic race. It’s always intense.” TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CHEVROLET CARES CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 18th IN STANDINGSYOU’VE WON YOUR LAST TWO RACES AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY, GRANTED IN A DIFFERENT SERIES. DOES THAT PROVIDE ANY EXTRA CONFIDENCE HEADING INTO THIS WEEKEND?“It’s tough to know if that experience will help me this weekend. These Cup cars are just so difficult to drive, especially in the dirty air like we saw at Atlanta and Fontana. Once the tires start to go away, it’s really easy to prohibit any progress on someone who is catching you on the track by moving into the lane they’re using. I even had that happen to me at Darlington last month. Being fast against the fence will be important to our long run speed this weekend, but how much we’ll be able to capitalize on that will depend on where we start a run because tires will start to fall off, and other drivers will start to move up and take your line away. It’s hard to maintain and close on other cars when they start doing that. It’s just a new challenge that comes with the Cup Series for me. We’ll need to have some versatility built into our No. 8 Chevy Cares Chevrolet this weekend, and all that depends on outright speed, what balance we bring to the track and the rest of the little things we need to have a fast car.”
BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 20th IN STANDINGSHOW DOES HOMESTEAD COMPARE TO OTHER 1.5-MILE TRACKS WE GO TO?“I don’t think Homestead-Miami Speedway compares to other tracks – it’s the true oval. It does not have a have a dog-leg or a kink in the straightaway. I think you can compare grip levels to Fontana (Auto Club Speedway), Atlanta (Motor Speedway) or Darlington (Raceway) – it is just so unique. It is one of a kind; it’s really fun. Homestead is one of those races where, now that we moved it from the last race of the year, we should go there five or six times because it is that fun. Homestead is a race within itself. You have to manage your tires and manage your stuff. But you also have to have a good balance underneath you and not just stuck in a certain part of the track going nowhere. You still have to make good time. I have struggled there with our Cup car, but it’s another race we’ll go and figure out.” JERRY BAXTER, CREW CHIEF FOR THE NO. 43 WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE“On Sunday, we’re heading down to the Homestead-Miami Speedway with the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 World Wide Technology (WWT) Camaro ZL1 1LE. It’s the car that we ran at the second Darlington (S.C.) Raceway event – it’s a pretty good piece. Bubba won at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2014 in the NASCAR Truck Series – so, his confidence is strong.” “We start in the 17th-place on Sunday, which is a better draw than what we have had in quite some time, so that’s good. It’s going to be very hot. It definitely seems like we have some momentum building after the Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. We had a good run, moved-up two more spots in the points, so we’ll see what happens.” TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO FOR YOUR BOAT CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 28th IN STANDINGS“Going to Homestead in June is going to be a different curveball, since it will be more of a day race and hotter than what we’ve dealt with in years past. I think it’s going to be a little more unique. It’s obviously a track that tire wear, fall off and lap time speed is pretty high, so it’s going to fall into a similar category as Darlington and Atlanta, which we as a team have had polar opposite results at. Matt (Borland) and I have done a lot of work in communicating about where to hit the happy medium of improving on Darlington and fix the issues from Atlanta. I’m looking forward to Homestead though. Matt and I actually ran our first race together there as driver and crew chief, and had a really strong finish that day. Hopefully we can recoger some of that magic in our GEICO For Your Boat Camaro ZL1 1LE.” MATT KENSETH, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 31st IN STANDINGS“Homestead is a very unique mile-and-a-half track. Turns 1 and 2 have more banking than turns 3 and 4 because the back stretch is elevated, so you kind of drive uphill off Turn 2 and that corner has much more grip. Then you drive downhill off of Turn 4 and that’s a real tricky corner. Both ends are a lot different. Seems the good guys can run the bottom-middle early in the run and make some moves, and then the grove kind of migrates towards the top. Then there’s those few guys, though maybe not quite so much last year, that can make the very top work well. Depending on your car’s balance, you can usually move around the track and find something that works well for you. It’s usually November when we go there, so it’s going to be totally different conditions during the day and being super-hot down there in June. Should be an interesting race.”

Jeg Coughlin Jr. has big love for NHRA series sponsor Coca-ColaDELAWARE, Ohio (June 12) — From his first season racing, and winning, under Coca-Cola’s POWERade brand in 2002 to the modern-day NHRA Mello Yello Championship Drag Racing Series, six-time world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. has immensely enjoyed his relationship with the iconic beverage company. “The Coca-Cola Company has meant so much to NHRA drag racing,” Coughlin said. “The things that those of us in our sport have been able to accomplish and share with them has been absolutely amazing and it continues to be very special two decades later. It’s certainly something I’ve never taken for granted.” Replacing a longtime multi-motorsports sponsor like Winston was a tall order when Coca-Cola came on the scene in the early 2000s but racers and fans alike quickly realized how special this generation of corporate support was going to be. “With the power of a global giant like Coca-Cola, I know we’ve been able to successfully reach a worldwide audience that has expanded our fanbase exponentially through these years,” Coughlin said. “And in turn I’d like to think NHRA and all of us racers have helped them promote some great brands like POWERade, Full Throttle and now Mello Yello, which have all been series sponsors, as well as all of their other products. It’s been a win-win deal, for sure.  “I felt really honored to win the 2002 title because that was their first year with the sport in a title sponsorship capacity. There is only one chance to be the first at something and we can always say we were the first champions of the Coca-Cola era. That’s pretty neat in my book.” Part of winning that first title with POWERade afforded Coughlin the ongoing opportunity to attend the annual Coca-Cola “Night of Champions” gala, which honors each champion in NHRA’s four professional categories.   “It’s always a really special occasion and that very first one really said everything about the way the relationship between the NHRA and Coca-Cola was going to be,” Coughlin said. “Of course that first year there were just four champions and I brought my father, his wife, my wife and my son Jeg III along for the festivities at Coke headquarters.  “Before dinner was served, the chef came out and explained each course we were going to enjoy and how he and his staff would prepare the items. When he was done he came right over to little Jeggie and said, ‘How about we forget about all that other food and I make you some chicken fingers and French fries?’ Well, little Jeggie’s eyes lit up and he said, ‘Yes, please.’ That kind gesture epitomizes the lengths the company has gone to for all of us. We are so fortunate to have them.”  Through the years, Coca-Cola’s massive marketing arm has helped bring drag racing into the mainstream and Coughlin was asked to help by taking part in an advertising campaign that also features Larry Dixon, John Force and Angelle Drago. “That was a fun deal,” Coughlin said. “It was a bit surreal to be treated like a Hollywood movie star for a day as we filmed the commercial and it was cool to see how all that stuff works and how much effort is required to get 30 seconds of film in the can. That was another big show of support for NHRA.”  More recently, Coughlin attended the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race as a VIP guest of the company. “One of the best parts of that day was spending time with all the friends we’ve made in Coca-Cola’s management team through the years,” Coughlin said. “Of course, seeing a NASCAR race at a stadium as huge as Charlotte Motor Speedway is very impressive as well. We even had a chance to visit a bunch of the drivers and crew guys we’ve met and hosted at our events. “Without question, Coca-Cola has had a huge influence on our sport and my career. I don’t know that we could have found a better partner when they arrived on the scene.”

Tickets On Sale Now for Reno and All 10 Rounds of Rescheduled Championship

CORONA, Calif. (June 12, 2020) – With an action-packed 10 round schedule and a field of competitors eager to make their return to the track, the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Presented by GEICO is set for an exciting return of the world’s premier short course off road championship. Racing for the rescheduled 2020 season will kick off on July 24 & 25 with the OPTIMA Batteries Silver State Showdown Presented by K&N Filters, featuring a doubleheader from Reno-Sparks, Nevada’s high speed Wild West Motorsports Park. Eight classes of the most talented off road drivers in the country will duke it out for victory under the lights over the course of back-to-back nights in “The Biggest Little City in the World,” setting the tone for what is destined to be one of the most competitive seasons of racing in series history. “Given the extended layoff from the coronavirus pandemic, every single driver in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is chomping at the bit, waiting for their chance to once again zip up a fire suit, pull on a helmet, and buckle up behind the wheel. The amount of anticipation surrounding the start of the 2020 season is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before,” said Ritchie Lewis, Director of Race Operations. “That kind of excitement from our competitors means we are in store for a truly memorable season. Everyone is going to come into Wild West Motorsports Park knowing that they have an opportunity to win. It’s as clean a slate as we’ve ever seen since virtually everyone has been forced to sit idle for the past few months. While it has certainly been challenging for all of us to be away from the track, it’s going to ultimately work towards the benefit of the competition this season, as everyone is just grateful that racing is back.”

Eight different classes will duke it out at Wild West Motorsports Park for the season-opening round of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. Photo: Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series

Tickets for the Wild West rounds, and each of the 10 rounds on the 2020 calendar, are now available for purchase online. This season, fans will be treated to more value for their purchase than ever before with lower pricing on all ticket levels. A one day, general admission ticket to any one of the 10 rounds will now cost just $20 for adults (ages 16+), while single day kids tickets will cost just $10 (ages 6-15). For those interested in taking advantage of a full weekend of action, two days will cost $35 for adults and $15 for kids. To top it all off, kids ages five and under always receive FREE admission.  Headlining the action at Wild West Motorsports Park, and all rounds of the 2020 season, are eight classes of competition, anchored by a trio of youth divisions in RZR 170, JR2 Kart, and Mod Kart as well as a trio of open wheel classes in Production 1000 UTV, Turbo UTV, and Pro Buggy. At the top of the heap are the showcase truck classes, where the up-and-comers of the sport put their talents on display in Pro Lite and the series’ biggest names put on a high-flying spectacle in Pro 2. In addition to being one of the most unique fan experiences in all of motorsports, the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series also boasts a series of exceptional broadcast partnerships with CBS, CBS Sports Network, and MAVTV. The 2020 season will feature a truckload of broadcasts across each network, including special broadcasts of the truck classes on CBS, where millions of viewers across the country will witness the competitive fire of short course off road. Also, for the first time ever, all 10 rounds of the championship will be streamed live on Lucas Oil Racing TV. Calling all the action for 2020 is a talented and experienced broadcast team led by longtime play-by-play man Ken Stout and analyst Rob Klepper, and featuring trackside reporter Jack Korpela. Additionally, Brent Smith will handle the call for the Lucas Oil Racing TV live stream.

For information about the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series please visit LucasOilOffRoad.com