CHEVROLET AT INDIANAPOLIS What: Denso Spark Plugs NHRA U.S. Nationals at IndyWhen: Saturday, September 5th – Sunday, September 6thWhere: Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, IndianaTV:    FS1 will telecast qualifying from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm ET Saturday with final eliminations on Sunday broadcast on FS1 at 11:00 am ET to 1:00 pm and on FOX starting at 1:00 pm ET                                                                                       Chevrolet looks to make it three wins in a row at Indy in Pro Stock
Coughlin, Line, Enders all with victories, separated by 77 points for overall lead
DETROIT (September 4, 2020) – As the Pro Stock division descends upon Indianapolis for its third straight event at Lucas Oil Raceway, that doesn’t diminish the fact that the U.S. Nationals is still the most prestigious weekend in the NHRA Mello Yello Series. The traditional Labor Day Weekend event also nicknamed the “Big Go”, may be a bit shorter in on-track activity, but still a momentous victory for teams and drivers. 
Chevrolet Pro Stock drivers Jeg Coughlin Jr., Jason Line and Erica Enders, have all visited victory lane at least once this season and sit 1-2-3 atop the standings.  Coughlin Jr., who took his JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro to victory circle for the second time of the year at the most recent Indy event, leads Line by 44 points. Line, driver of the Summit Chevrolet Camaro for KB Racing, and Coughlin Jr. both will retire from full time competition at the end of the season. 
We’ve certainly had a wonderful run of late, including here in Indy,” said Jeg Jr., “It would be wonderful to close things out with another U.S. Nationals victory. I know everyone working on the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro has that same opinion. It’s been an unusual year to say the least but it has allowed us to race a few extra times at Indy, which is a track my family has enjoyed for decades, dating all the way back to when my father raced here. We were fortunate enough to win the last race here three weeks ago, so we feel very optimistic about our chances going into the event. We’re taking every round as if it’s our last.”
Reigning Pro Stock Champion, Erica Enders, scored her first and only victory of 2020 at Phoenix in her Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro earlier this year.  Enders, a 26-time winner on the Pro Stock circuit also earned a win in the U.S. Nationals in 2015. She currently sits 77 points back of teammate Coughlin Jr.
FOX will telecast eliminations and finals live at 1:00 p.m. ET Sunday, September 6th.
CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPITPRO STOCK:BO BUTNER, JIM BUTNER AUTO GROUP, STRUTMASTERS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “I’m really looking forward to this weekend. It’s a home race for us, and we’ve got a lot happening in our pit area and on the track. It’s going to be a really fun weekend, but of course you always go to a race to win. I’ve never won the U.S. Nationals in any class, and it’s time to change that.” 
JASON LINE, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “This should be an interesting race, and it’s certainly one I’ve been looking forward to. The U.S. Nationals are special for a lot of reasons – we’ve had a lot of fun there in the past, both with KB Racing and with my Stocker. But since this is my last season as a Pro Stock driver, it’s also my final opportunity to win a U.S. Nationals trophy in the class. I’d like to be able to do that this weekend with my Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro, and I think we’re in good shape to do it.”
GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “This has always been a very special race for us. I love racing at Indy, it’s my favorite racetrack. None of the magic of the U.S. Nationals has been lost for me; it’s still a big one. It’s always been a race I look forward to, and that certainly hasn’t changed this year. To do well there means everything.” 

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE COOK OUT SOUTHERN 500 DARLINGTON RACEWAY DARLINGTON, SC SEPTEMBER 6, 2020
DARLINGTON: RACE #27With the end of the regular season in the books, the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) makes their Labor Day weekend visit to Darlington Raceway for the 71st running of the Cook Out Southern 500 on Sunday, September 6, at 6:00 p.m. ET. This will be the third appearance at the 1.366-mile venue dubbed the track “Too Tough to Tame” and “The Lady in Black” for NASCAR’s premier this series as the track previously hosted NASCAR’s ‘return to racing’ after the halt in season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The holiday weekend event marks the 27th race on the NCS schedule and the first of the 10-race Playoff stretch as drivers compete to be crowned the title of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. This is the first time in history that the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs has started at Darlington Raceway. 
Joining the NASCAR Cup Series in the popular ‘throwback theme’ race weekend, Darlington Raceway will also host the NASCAR Xfinity Series Sports Clips Haircuts VFW 200 on Saturday September 5, at 12:30 P.M ET and the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series South Carolina Education Lottery 200 on Sunday, September 6, at 2:00 p.m. ET. A limited number of fans will be in attendance for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event, complying to all safety measures and protocols in place. 
BOWTIE BULLETS·       Of the 118 appearances made by NASCAR’s premier series at Darlington Raceway, a Chevrolet has sat on the pole 22 times. The most recent Chevrolet pole winner was William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE, who led the field to the green at the 2019 Southern 500, also making him the youngest polesitter at the track to-date (09/01/2019 – 21 years, 9 months, 3 days). 
·       Other Chevrolet statistics of note at the 1.366-mile track includes 188 top-five finishes, 395 top-10’s and 13,581 laps led.  ·       Current Chevrolet drivers that have recorded wins at Darlington Raceway include:Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE, with 3 wins (2004 sweep, 2012)Matt Kenseth, No. 42 McDelivery Camaro ZL1 1LE, with 1 win (May 2013)
·       Hendrick Motorsports leads all organizations in NASCAR Cup Series wins at Darlington Raceway with 14 victories among six drivers: Tim Richmond (1986), Ricky Rudd (1991), Jeff Gordon (1995, ’96 sweep, ’97, ’98, ’02, ’07), Terry Labonte (2003), Jimmie Johnson (2004 sweep and 2012) and Mark Martin (2009).
·       Prior to the 2020 season, Darlington Raceway has held only one race during the Playoffs, which dates back to the start of Playoffs in 2004. The event was won by Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson. 
BACK IN TIMEThe famed “Too Tough to Tame” racetrack has been staple event on the NCS schedule since its inaugural race on September 5, 1955, in which Herb Thomas, piloting a Chevrolet Bel Air, took the Bowtie Brand to victory lane. Of the 118 races held at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped racetrack, Chevrolet has scored 41 wins, more than any other manufacturer. Twenty different Chevrolet drivers and teams have added their names to the win history book. Career Chevrolet driver Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE, leads all active drivers at “The Lady in Black” with three (2004 sweep, 2012), making him only one of three active drivers to be a multiple race winner at the track. 
PLAYOFF FIELD IS SETFollowing the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, round 26 of 36 races in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, 16 drivers have now qualified to compete in the 10-race NCS Playoffs that will ultimately determine the 2020 NCS champion. Five of the 16 Playoff contenders are Team Chevy Drivers. 
There are three rounds of Playoffs (3 races per round) in the 2020 format, plus one final championship-crowning season finale. Four drivers will be eliminated following each round of three.

• Sept. 6 at Darlington, Sept. 12 at Richmond, and Sept. 19 at Bristol – 16 drivers
• Sept. 27 at Las Vegas, Oct. 4 at Talladega, and Oct. 11 at Charlotte Road Course – 12 drivers
• Oct. 18 at Kansas, Oct. 25 at Texas, and Nov. 1 at Martinsville – 8 drivers
• Nov. 8 Championship race at Phoenix – 4 drivers

 Heading into the Darlington race weekend, here are where the Team Chevy drivers rank to kick off the 2020 NCS Playoffs:  Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE – 5th in Standings (2,020 points)Victories: 2 (Charlotte Motor Speedway and Daytona Road Course)Top-Fives: 10; Top-10’s: 15; Laps Led: 530; Average Finish: 12.8Stage Wins: 6; Stage Top-Five’s: 18; Stage Top-10’s: 35 Alex Bowman, No. 88 ChevyGoods.com/Truck Hero Camaro ZL1 1LE – 8th in Standings (2,009 points)Victories: 1 (Auto Club Speedway)Top-Fives: 3; Top-10’s: 8; Laps Led: 388; Average Finish: 17.0Stage Wins: 4; Stage Top-Five’s: 13; Stage Top-10’s: 28 William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE – 9th in Standings (2,007 points)Victories: 1 (Daytona International Speedway)Top-Fives: 2; Top-10’s: 9; Laps Led: 97; Average Finish: 16.1Stage Wins: 2; Stage Top-Five’s 8; Stage Top-10’s: 23 Austin Dillon, No. 3 American Ethanol Camaro ZL1 1LE – 10th in Standings (2,005 points)Victories: 1 (Texas Motor Speedway) Top-Fives: 2; Top-10’s 7; Laps Led: 80; Average Finish: 16.9Stage Top-Five’s: 3; Stage Top-10’s: 13 Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE – 15th in Standings (2,001 points)Top-Fives: 4; Top-10’s: 14; Laps Led: 91; Average Finish: 13.4Stage Wins: 1; Stage Top-Five’s: 5; Stage Top-10’s: 21 STARTING LINEUPFor the remainder of the 2020 NCS season, the race weekend format will consist of no practice or qualifying. The starting lineup for Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 will be set by a combination of the following metrics from the previous event: 15% of a fastest lap time position, 25% of the driver’s final race finish position, 25% of the owner’s final race position and 35% of the owner points position. Chase Elliott will lead the field to the green from the pole position in his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE.  Here are Team Chevy’s top-20 starters:           1st      Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE           3rd      William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Throwback Camaro ZL1 1LE           4th      Alex Bowman, No. 88 ChevyGoods.com/Truck Hero Camaro ZL1 1LE          12th    Austin Dillon, No. 3 American Ethanol Camaro ZL1 1LE          16th    Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE          17th    Bubba Wallace, No. 43 Cash App Camaro ZL1 1LE TUNE-INNBCSN will telecast the 367-lap, 501.3-mile Cook Out Southern 500 live at 6:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 6th. Live coverage can also be found on the NBC Sports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.  QUOTABLE QUOTES:CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 5th IN STANDINGS“I am looking forward to the playoffs. I think these last 10 races are going to be super interesting and I look forward to the challenges myself and the NAPA team have ahead of us. It’s going to be a tough 10 for sure. We will have to bring our best to compete and I think we can do that. We just have to be consistent and be up front every week.” ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 CHEVYGOODS.COM/TRUCK HERO CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 8th IN STANDINGSBOWMAN ON THE 2020 PLAYOFFS:“Everything resets this weekend. As a team, we have to regroup and use the momentum from the last two races to start the playoffs strong. We have shown that we are capable of wins and we have shown we can move on in the playoffs. This No. 88 team and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports has been preparing for the playoffs since our win in California, so I am ready to get underway this weekend in Darlington.” BOWMAN ON CAPITALIZING AT DARLINGTON: “Earlier this year we had some good runs at Darlington. The first race back from the brief pause, was really good for us as a team. We finished second and really capitalized on stage points. Our goal for Sunday is to do the same thing. We need to have a solid race, earn stage points and get a good finish at the end of the night to start these playoffs off right.”
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 9th IN STANDINGSBRYON ON RACING AT DARLINGTON: “Hopefully, we can have a good race and execute really well. Darlington is a really tough racetrack but luckily we’ve been there twice already this year. I have a pretty good idea of what the track is going to feel like and how it’s going to drive and handle. It definitely is a very temperature-sensitive track and it’s going to be warmer than when we were there in May. It rubbers up a lot, especially up by the wall. You have to move your line around and try to avoid the rubber at times until it covers the full track. Once it does, you can run wherever your car handles the best. It’s a balancing act of trying to chase clean track and trying to find good racetrack to run on.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 AMERICAN ETHANOL CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 10th IN STANDINGSWHAT WILL IT TAKE TO ADVANCE TO EACH ROUND OF THE NASCAR PLAYOFFS AND VIE FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP THIS YEAR?“Over the years, running in the NASCAR Playoffs I’ve figured out that every point does matter, so I think you have to attack from the opening green flag. Stage points are important. In 2016, I missed advancing to the Round of 8 by one point over Denny Hamlin. That really makes you realize how important every single point is. It does help that the Playoff drivers will all be starting the races towards the front of the field together, but as a team we need to do a good job of starting up front and keeping that track position. Throughout the season so far, we have done a good job of adjusting our car throughout the race and finishing well but we need to start our races with our Chevys just a little better so that we can put ourselves in the next round.” HOW DOES DARLINGTON SUIT YOUR RACING STYLE?“I think long races in the past have fit my racing style. There is plenty of time to make the car better during a long race, and all of our wins have come in races 500 miles or more. So, I think that bodes well for Darlington. We like the long-distance races and it’s a place that falls off. RCR has always been known for a long run speed. Short run speed is something that we’ve struggled with, but we’re trying to change. It’s nice that we’re going to place that long run speed matters a bit.” TALK ABOUT HOW SPECIAL IT IS TO RUN A JUNIOR JOHNSON TRIBUTE SCHEME THIS WEEKEND AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY.  “This Junior Johnson car means so much to me and I’m grateful to American Ethanol to be able to work with them to honor a NASCAR Hall of Famer this weekend. It’s a beautiful car. I grew up going to school with Junior’s kids and Junior came to our school and spoke to us when I was in middle school. He was a hero to me and when he came and spoke to us, he took me aside and talked to me because he knew my grandfather, obviously. He was nice and always a great person to be around. My mom and Lisa Johnson are very close friends. They talk all the time, so to do this throwback for Junior is very special. My grandfather is pumped about it, too. Darlington Raceway would be a great place to grab a win to honor Junior, solidify our place in the NASCAR Playoffs and earn our third Crown Jewel race. It would be special.”
KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 15th IN STANDINGS“The first race in the Playoffs! I love the excitement and the focus from all of our team members. The car that we are bringing to Darlington went to the wind tunnel an extra time and our setup will be what we had from last year’s race. That car ran up front and led a bunch of laps, that is what we’ll have underneath the Monster Energy Camaro again this Sunday. it’s just a matter of executing as a team and having smooth day on pit road. Pit stops are a huge part of Darlington with all the tire wear and the abrasive surface of that track. Each pit stop is that important towards the end of the race; if we have that, a good set-up and make smart decisions we should be in good shape. The racetrack it just old school Darlington, which means we just have to race the track as much as the other cars. Darlington is a great place to kick-off the Playoffs!” TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CAT POWER CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 19th IN STANDINGSWE’RE HEADED BACK TO DARLINGTON RACEWAY THIS WEEK, BUT IT’LL BE A MUCH LONGER RACE FOR YOU THIS TIME AROUND. HOW ARE YOU PREPARING FOR THAT?“Well, based on the two races we had at Darlington earlier this year, I need to avoid hitting both the wall and things that come off the wall. That sponsor banner that came off the wall and got stuck on the grill of my Caterpillar Chevrolet during the first race there back in May completely messed up the handling of it. The handling got so bad that I got into the wall too, and that didn’t help things either. So, I need to avoid both those things. 360-plus laps at Darlington is a long time with lots of opportunity to have success, but also a lot of opportunities to receive a Darlington stripe. Everything will be important on Sunday, and we’ll need to run a perfect race. Adapting to the changing track conditions as the rubber comes in throughout the night will be key to being successful.” CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR THROWBACK SCHEME YOU’LL BE RUNNING THIS WEEKEND? “We’re running a scheme on our No. 8 Cat Power Chevrolet that honors longtime Caterpillar driver, Jeff Burton, and his rookie season. Jeff also ran the No. 8 during his rookie year and captured Rookie of the Year honors, so our scheme highlights the Raybestos scheme that he accepted the trophy with. I love participating in NASCAR’s Throwback weekend and really appreciate all the history in our sport, so I’m looking forward to having a good run with our scheme on Sunday.” 

NOT The European Finals presented by STPSanta Pod RacewayFri.11 – Sun.13 September 2020 The crackle and bark of blown fuel drag racing ricochets once more around Santa Pod Raceway next weekend. Fans starved of nitro’s sensory spectator experience will have their patience rewarded as Top Fuel Dragsters and Funny Cars return to action for the first time in a year. The weekend was scheduled to host the European Finals, the biggest drag race on the calendar, when racers would pour in from across the continent to decide the season’s FIA/FIM European championships. Covid-19 put an end to that, forcing the cancellation of all national and international competitions and series. In its place, Santa Pod unveils NOT The European Finals presented by STP, a socially-distanced version of the big race in miniature – yet not so miniature: the current entry list stands at a respectable 181 cars and motorcycles, with entrants from no fewer than six continental countries (down from the usual 16 or 17) praying that quarantine regulations will work in their favour. Making the big noise at the head of the programme are a pair of nitro-burning Top Fuel Dragsters, three nitro Funny Cars and a trio of historic-style Nostalgia Funnies. It will be exactly a year since fuel cars last pounded the Santa Pod track. Starring in match-race action, the weekend’s Top Fuel stars are Susanne Callin, representing the UK, and Finland’s Antti Horto. Callin, who holds the unique distinction of world’s first 300mph teenager, returned to the track last year after a 14-year family-life break. Like her, Horto cut his racing teeth in the Junior Dragster class and makes his first Santa Pod appearance since finishing second in 2018’s European Top Fuel championship. Friday’s traditional evening twilight session, which sees fuel cars visually and audibly at their most spectacular, will feature a novel match-race pitting the Nostalgia Funny Cars against their modern-day counterparts, an old-versus-new contest with David-and-Goliath overtones. The supporting programme includes a full range of Sportsman classes on two and four wheels, including Top Fuel Bikes, plus exhibition Jet Cars, a Monster Truck and stunt driving and riding displays. For a few quiet – but no less quick – seconds, Denmark’s Hans-Henrick Thomsen will attempt a quarter-mile world record on an electric drag bike. Santa Pod began hosting behind-closed-doors events in early July, and ventured into “covid-compliant venue” territory with paying spectators admitted from the end of that month, all under the strictest local authority scrutiny. Immense efforts have been made to ensure that social-distancing, hygiene and safety measures are maintained, with the local authority reviewing risk assessments in detail every week. Accordingly, spectator numbers are limited and all tickets must be booked in advance, online at santapodtickets.com or by telephone at 01234 782828. There will be no ticket sales on the gate. As usual, under-16s are admitted free (up to three per paying adult) and socially-distanced overnight camping is also free. NOT The European Finals takes place at Santa Pod Raceway, near Wellingborough (NN29 7XA) from Friday 11^th to Sunday 13^th September. Full event information is available online at santapod.co.uk/nottheeurofinals.php. Sunday’s fuel car runs will finish by 4pm, allowing families to head home in time for a school start next day. Fingers in ears, please, and hold on to your hats. It’s getting fast, furious and loud again at Santa Pod. 

Inside Line Promotions – GREENWOOD, Neb. (Sept. 3, 2020) – Dominic Scelzi is looking forward to a big weekend at Huset’s Speedway.

Scelzi captured a runner-up result at the high-banked oval in Brandon, S.D., approximately a month ago. He returns this weekend for a $20,000-to-win World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series doubleheader that runs Saturday and Sunday.

“I’m really excited to head back to Huset’s Speedway this weekend,” he said. “We had a great run there during our debut a few weeks ago. We were coming on strong at the end of the race so hopefully we can start this weekend where we ended that night and be a contender right out of the box.”

Scelzi won a heat race and finished second in both a dash and the main event during an Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions race at Huset’s Speedway on Aug. 2. This weekend his sights are set on topping his season-best World of Outlaws result of ninth, which he earned a little more than one week ago.

Scelzi is also eager to get back to the track following a frustrating weekend with the World of Outlaws. He qualified 21^st quickest before advancing from seventh to sixth place in a heat race and from 18 ^th to 14^th in the main event last Saturday at U.S. 36 Raceway in Osborn, Mo. Unfortunately, Sunday’s show at I-80 Speedway was a rough one for the team.

“We had mechanical problems and blew a tire so it was just a tough night,” Scelzi said. “We weren’t able to finish either the heat race or B Main despite being in a transfer position in both races. We’re looking forward to rebounding this weekend a

NASCAR CUP SERIES COOK OUT SOUTHERN 500 DARLINGTON RACEWAY TEAM CHEVY PLAYOFFS MEDIA DAY SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
 ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 CHEVYGOODS.COM/TRUCK HERO CAMARO ZL1 1LE – ROTATION TRANSCRIPT:
ASIDE FROM YOURSELF, WHO DO YOU THINK IS SORT OF A ‘DARK HORSE’ OR A SURPRISE DRIVER THAT CAN MAKE A RUN IN THESE PLAYOFFS?“That’s a good question – I wish you would have left out the ‘aside from myself’ (laughs). Honestly, I think William Byron, just coming off of a win, could be really strong. I feel like as a team, everybody at HMS has picked up lately – been faster, been having some goods runs. So, I think any of the HMS cars can be really strong. I don’t think anybody really considers Chase Elliott a ‘dark horse’. I can’t pick myself, so I’ll go with William.”
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE CHALLENGE OF MAXIMIZING TIME ON PIT ROAD AND DO IT WITHOUT A PIT ROAD SPEEDING PENALTY? I DON’T THINK YOU’VE HAD A SPEEDING PENALTY THIS YEAR AND JUST HOW YOU’VE BEEN ABLE TO MANAGE THAT. IS THERE A TRUE SKILL THERE OR IS IT JUST RUDIMENTARY IN JUST LOOKING AT WHAT THE LIGHTS TELL YOU TO DO? “Yeah, it’s pretty rudimentary, as far as being able to look at what lights tell you to do. There’s a lot of different settings that you can do with your dash and how you choose to react to what the lights are saying. A Cup car doesn’t drive smoothly at those speeds and the pit roads aren’t perfectly smooth. The lights jump around a lot, basically. If you want the lights accurate, they jump around a lot. If you make them not jump around, they aren’t very accurate. So, just finding what works for you as a driver in that sense is really important. But also, curved pit roads throw another element in. Segments throw another element in. It’s all really based off of time, it’s not really based off mph. So, sometimes tracks will have one fast segment that you’re not really speeding up – the segment’s technically just wrong, but everybody has to deal with it. There’s a lot of factors to it. It’s really tough on a busy pit road trying not to run into people, trying to hit your pit box well. It’s definitely important, but it’s a big risk versus reward. Like if you have a green flag speeding penalty, it’s a huge, huge deficit for the rest of your day, especially at a speedway race. So, there are times to push and times not to push, for sure.”
THE SUMMER MONTHS WEREN’T VERY GOOD TO YOU, BUT YOU’RE COMING OFF A TOP-FIVE AND A TOP-10 AT DAYTONA AND DOVER. WHERE DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE 88 TEAM STANDS RIGHT NOW? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON DARLINGTON CONSIDERING YOU FINISHED SECOND THERE IN THE FIRST RACE THIS YEAR?“Yeah, you’re right – the summer was pretty rough on us. We started the season really strong. Coming back from the COVID-19 (break), we were still really strong and it fell off really hard for the summer. Trying to identify why that happened, what we did wrong and getting better over the last couple of weeks, especially. So, I think we’re in a good place going into the Playoffs.”“Darlington, for us, we were really fast there the first two races this year. The first race we finished second. The second race we had a way better race car. I started racing my competitors instead of the race track and hit the fence, so that’s on me to not do this time. But I think we can be really strong and have a really good day. I think each and every week during the Playoffs we’re going to be really good, but Darlington is one that we had circled that we can be really strong at, for sure.”
LOOKING AT THE THREE OF YOU BEING IN AND JIMMIE (JOHNSON) NOT BEING IN, IS JIMMIE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK HIS JOB AS A DRIVER COACH TO TRY TO GET YOU GUYS THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR ONE OF THE HENDRICK CARS TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP?“Yeah, I think so. Jimmie (Johnson) is an open book. We all know the type of person that he is and how much of a help he is to really anybody that asks him – he’s willing to help. I’m very appreciative to have him to lean on and to be able to learn from him. There’s nobody that has gone through probably this Playoff situation and succeeded in it as much as him. Hopefully, we can learn for him. We all want to see him go out on top and win races. I don’t think there’s a driver in the field that doesn’t want to see him win races before he completes his last full-time season. It’s really cool to be able to lean on him and to learn from him, regardless of the Playoff situation. I’m just really thankful to have him as a teammate.”
EACH ONE OF THESE ROUNDS HAS A REALLY TOUGH CUTOFF RACE – A WILD CARD. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE ROUND ONE CUTOFF AT BRISTOL?“I think Bristol is pretty unique, just with how much the racetrack changes, the VHT and how that effects it, and how hard it is to pass. I mean you can be way faster than a guy and still not be able to pull off a pass. With the way the bumpers line up these days and the way the race cars drive in traffic, it’s just as hard to move somebody else out of the way as it is to pass. Just trying to have a good race car there – obviously our day got cut really short there in the spring. Not really knowing how the race is going to go and not having great notes to lean on, but our teammates were really strong. So, being able to lean on their notes will be good. But it’s definitely a wild card, for sure.”
YOU’RE STARTING UP FRONT IN THE SECOND ROW NEXT TO WILLIAM (BYRON) AND BEHIND CHASE (ELLIOTT). I KNOW IT’S A LONGER RACE, BUT HOW CRITICAL IS IT TO GET TO THE FRONT TO THAT CLEAN AIR SINCE YOUR CAR IS SUITED TO LONG RUNS?“Yeah, it’s hard to say. We don’t really know if our car is going to be suited to long runs or not until we get there. I feel like each week is a little bit different. The end of some of the long runs at Darlington in May, we were definitely falling off harder than we wanted to be. But we were really fast on the short runs. I think that’s a racetrack that you really just have to race the track. Kind of like I said before, the second race, I got caught up racing somebody else, drove it right into the fence and did a really bad job. So, we just need to race the racetrack and be there at the end. It’s such a long day – it’s a really long 500 miles. Being there at the end with a clean race car is super crucial.”
AS AN ARIZONA BOY, WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU HEARD THE CHAMPIONSHIP WAS GOING TO BE HELD AT PHOENIX AND WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU TO MAKE THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR AT YOUR HOME TRACK?“It would mean the world to me to make the Championship Four and try to win a championship in Arizona. That would be really special. That racetrack has kind of a love-hate relationship with me. Obviously, we’ve had some strong runs there in the past, but the last couple of years have been pretty awful there. We haven’t had a good day there period really since 2016. So, we’ve got our work cut out for us. We’ve improved that program of ours and try to go be stronger there. But I think it’s really cool. It’s a cool atmosphere. The fans there are awesome – the campground there is awesome. I feel like it’s kind of an underrated atmosphere, as far as the racetracks go. Just excited to get there and happy for them to be hosting the final four.”
THERE’S SPECULATION OUT THERE THAT MAYBE YOU’RE A CANDIDATE TO TAKE OVER THE NO. 48 FOR JIMMIE JOHNSON. WONDERING IF YOU’VE HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND THAT SPECULTAION IS ACCURATE?“Man, I don’t know. I have no clue – nobody has talked to me. I’m just here to drive the race car. I’m focused on Darlington and going to Darlington to go try and win. As far as I know, I’m driving the 88 car and that’s what I’m focused on doing.”
IN THIS TIME PERIOD WITH NO PRACTICE AND, OF COURSE, DEALING WITH THE PANDEMIC, HOW HAVE YOU KEPT YOURSELF UPBEAT IN THIS TIME PERIOD? WITH THE PLAYOFFS STARTING AT DARLINGTON, YOU GUYS ARE GOING THERE FOR THE THIRD TIME. WHAT KEY WILL IT TAKE TO GET THAT WIN? I KNOW YOU WERE BATTLING WITH (KEVIN) HARVICK BACK IN MAY.“I think everybody that’s been around me kind of knows that staying upbeat, for me, is a little tough when things aren’t going well. The summer was rough on us, for sure, but good runs for me cures that – running up front and contending for wins. So, just trying to run the best that we can and we’ve had some good runs here lately. When things are going well, it’s pretty easy for me to stay upbeat. We definitely miss the fans and the pandemic has changed a lot of things for us, but it’s pretty awesome that we’re kind of back on schedule with where the season is.”
“Going to Darlington, just being there at the end with a clean race car is going to be crucial to try and win that race. The first race there in May, we really weren’t very happy with our race car and we were still really fast. The second race, we were much better. Had to start in the back and drove to the front way quicker than the other people that started as far back as we did. Just got greedy and hit the wall. So, you can’t be greedy, you’ve got to race the racetrack and be there at the end.”
YOU KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE SUMMER MONTHS AND THINGS KIND OF GOT OFF TRACK. WAS IT JUST SOMETHING WHERE THE SPEED JUST DISAPPEARED? WERE YOU GUYS TRYING ANYTHING? HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN BASICALLY COMING OUT OF THE GATE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR LIKE GANGBUSTERS AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT JUST SLOWLY STARTED TO GO AWAY? “I think, for us, the tracks we went to, the tire we were on and the weather really affected us more than we anticipated. Our race car was just really unhappy when it got hot and slick through the summer months, and the speed was gone. We went to the racetracks that we thought we were going to go and dominate at – like Homestead, Kansas, places that we thought we would be awesome at, especially with how we started the year at Vegas, Fontana, Charlotte and Darlington. We were terrible, struggled. Kansas, I think we finished eighth or something, but we ran 25th all day and it was all I could do not to crash for the majority of the race – we were so loose. I don’t think we were trying anything. If we were, they didn’t tell me. I wish we were, I wish we could just point it out and be like ‘yeah, we were trying stuff. It’s all good, we’ll be fine’. But we definitely kind of missed it there for two months or so. I’m really thankful that we were able to not lose our heads. The team was able to continue to work together really well, keep a level-head and turn it around. The last couple of weeks have been much better to us. Dover, we got damage the first race. But the second race, we had a really great race car and it was a backup car. So, to be that strong with a backup car was really good. I think we’re pointed in the right direction to start the Playoffs, for sure.”
LAST YEAR, WE SAW YOU WITH A LOT OF POTENTIAL AT THE 1.5-MILE TRACKS. DO YOU THINK THIS WILL BE YOUR STRENGTH ONCE WE GET TO THOSE TRACKS IN THE ROUND OF 12?“Yeah, I feel like as a company, the 1.5-mile tracks have been our strong suit as long as I’ve been driving for HMS. Especially last year, we went on a run there and were really strong at all of the 1.5-mile tracks and this year, we continued to be strong at the intermediate tracks. We were definitely off a little bit through the summer at those racetracks, but I think those are probably our strong suits going into the Playoffs, for sure.”
WE TALKED TO THE FORD AND PENSKE TEAMMATES YESTERDAY. DOES HMS HAVE A POLICY IN HOW THEY’RE GOING TO HANDLE TRACKS LIKE TALLADEGA GOING INTO THE PLAYOFFS?“I don’t really think we have a policy. I think we’ve all seen the manufacturers work together over the last couple of years at those racetracks. I feel like Ford kind of did it first and we did a really good job of it with Chevrolet. Now it’s interesting to see how everybody tries to kind of one-up each other with how they can play the race out and work together. You can’t not work together as a team at this point, as well as everybody is working together and as much communication as there is. We’re going to do all that we can to go there and win as a team. We’ve had success at it, obviously William (Byron) just won at Daytona. Just trying to go there and get all of our cars up front. That’s the goal and we’ve got to work together to do that.”
WITH NO QUALIFYING AND HOW NASCAR IS SETTING UP THESE PLAYOFFS WHERE THE TOP-16 IN THE FIRST ROUND GET SET TOGETHER. THAT WAY, IT DOESN’T REALLY MESS YOU UP GOING FORWARD. AND THEN THE CHOOSE RULE, WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS WITH THAT AND AS FAR AS NOT BEING TAKEN OUT BY A NON-PLAYOFF DRIVER LIKE WE’VE SEEN IN THE PAST?“To start with qualifying, I’m all good with the format and the way everything goes. We’re starting pretty close to the front this weekend, so it’s hard for me to complain. I think they have a good way of doing it. The random draw – I started in the same spot like five weeks in a row, four weeks in a row or something. So, it was funny how that all worked out because it was a random draw – it was interesting. I’m a fan of the formula that they’re using. I think it’s working really good.”
“The choose deal, it’s simple when you’re up front. The farther back you get, the harder it gets and the more confusing it gets – trying to count cars gets pretty complicated. It’s really hard to see from the race car. The box is hard to see and it’s hard to count. So, staying on top of that is critical. Making the right decisions in that is critical. My spotter is terrible at math, so I can’t lean on him because he always gets the count wrong (laughs). It’s definitely added a new element to it. Everybody is there to race and win races, so it’s easy to get into it with a non-Playoff guy, but hopefully we avoid that and have a good, clean Playoffs.”
GIVEN THE PLAYOFFS IN THE COVID-19 WORLD THAT WE’RE IN THIS YEAR, YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO BE COMING THE FURTHEST WEST WHEN YOU COME TO LAS VEGAS AND PHOENIX. IS THERE ANY SPECIAL OR ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONS YOU’RE GOING TO TAKE, GIVEN THE FACT THAT YOU’RE COMING SO FAR WEST?“I don’t know – I’m sure there will be, I just don’t know what they are at the moment. Hendrick Motorsports has done a really good job of laying out things for us and trying to help us, as well as NASCAR. NASCAR has done an awesome job at having recommendations, laying out guidelines for everybody. I would kind of assume that there will be differences. I feel like every week is a little bit different with how regulations are working depending on where we’re going in the country. So, I’m sure it will be a little different, but that’s kind of normal. Each and every week has been different.” 

BATAVIA, Ohio (September 3, 2020) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will spend Labor Day weekend at Ponderosa Speedway and Portsmouth Raceway Park with two $12,000-to-win events.  Ponderosa Speedway, a unique D-shaped 3/8th mile oval, known as “Kentucky’s Baddest Bullring”, will host the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series for the 16th Annual John Bradshaw Memorial on Friday, September 4th. The event will include a complete program of: Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and a 50-lap, $12,000-to-win main event. Also in competition on Friday night will be the Crate Late Models, Modifieds, and Super Stocks. The John Bradshaw Memorial was added to the Ponderosa Speedway schedule in 2003, as a tribute to the late John Bradshaw. Bradshaw had taken over the promotional helm at “The Pond” to begin the 2003 season, but tragically lost his life after promoting only a handful of events that season. The action will continue on Saturday, September 5th, when the tour ventures to Portsmouth Raceway Park for the Bob Miller Memorial River Days Rumble 50 – Presented by Pepsi. There will be a complete show of: Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and a 50-lap, $12,000-to-win main event. Saturday’s racing action at Portsmouth Raceway Park will also include Modifieds and Sport Modifieds.
Bob Miller was a long-time and storied sponsor in dirt track racing. Miller had a passion for racing, unlike anyone else. Bob passed away in November 2014 at age 73, following a long-term illness. Track and Event Information:Ponderosa SpeedwayPhone Number: (859) 854-6808Location: 365 Phillips Lane, Junction City, KY 40440Directions: US 127 to Junction City, turn on 300/W Shelby St (stop light), then .7 mile turn left on SR-37/White Oak Road, then 1.2 miles turn left on Phillips Lane, track is 0.4 mile on Left.Website: www.ponderosaspeedway.net Tire Rule for Ponderosa Speedway:Left Rear/Fronts – Hoosier Rib 28.5 1350Right Rear – Hoosier (29.0) 1350 NRM, (29.0) 1350 NRMW, (92) LM40 *Must use the same set of 4 tires for Time Trials, Heat Races, and B-Mains.*For the A-Main, competitors may use 2 new rear tires.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position.  Portsmouth Raceway ParkPhone Number: 740-354-3278Location: 25648 State Route 73, West Portsmouth, OH 45663Directions: 0.5 mile south of US 52 on SR 73, then right just before bridgeWebsite: www.portsraceway.com Tire Rule for Portsmouth Raceway Park:Left Rear/Fronts – Hoosier Rib 28.5 1350Right Rear – Hoosier (29.0) 1300 NRM, (29.0) 1300 NRMW, (29.0) 1425 NRM, (29.0) 1425 NRMW *Must use the same set of 4 tires for Time Trials, Heat Races, and B-Mains.*For the A-Main, competitors may use 2 new rear tires.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position

NASCAR CUP SERIES COOK OUT SOUTHERN 500 DARLINGTON RACEWAY TEAM CHEVY PLAYOFFS MEDIA DAY SEPTEMBER 2, 2020
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 AMERICAN ETHANOL CAMARO ZL1 1LE – ROTATION TRANSCRIPT:
YOU COULD BE CONSIDERED AS AN UNDERDOG IN THE PLAYOFFS, WHO ELSE WOULD YOU CONSIDER TO BE LABELED AN DARK HORSE?:“That’s a good question. You have the usual suspects that have been solid all year. Kurt Busch is one of those guys that can get streaky also. As far as starting with no bonus points and making a run. I also believe that all of the Stewart Haas cave had speed at certain tracks, (Clint) Bower is good at short tracks so I think that is another one who could. The first round is obviously the first one you want to get through.There’s some good competition out there. So any of those guys in the Stewart-Haas that or possibly Kurt? I feel like another good one. It’s an experience. Cool. Thank you.
I AM JUST CURIOUS IF I WAS A DRIVER THAT TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19, AND NOT BEING ALLOWED ANY POINTS IN PLAYOFFS IS GOING TO CONTINUE INTO PLAYLISTS AND I’M WONDERING HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT. DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT’S A FAIR PRACTICES AS SOMEONE WHO HAS ALREADY TESTED POSITIVE?:““Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I’m kind of glad it happened in the regular season and we had to win some of these guys. I feel like our It’s definitely gonna have to be very careful on the moves. They make over the next couple weeks. You don’t want to get it and be taken out of the points because of that.”
SO OBVIOUSLY YOU GETTING THE WINNER CIRCLE IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL AND I’LL HELP YOU STAY ALIVE IN A PLAYOFF HUNT. BUT HOW MUCH WOULD IT MEAN TO GET IT DONE JUNIOR JOHNSON THROWBACKS TEAM?“Oh man literally just made me smile because this Junior Johnson car means so much to me. It’s it’s a beautiful car. I grew up going to school with Junior’s kids and Junior actually came to our school and spoke to us when I was like in middle school and he was just a hero to me and when he came and spoke to us he kind of talked to me and because he knew my grandfather obviously and it was really nice and always just great people to be around. My mom and Lisa Johnson are very close friends. They talk all the time and to do this throwback for junior is very special. My grandfather’s pumped about. It’s a beautiful car Darlington could be a great place, you know, that would be third Crown Jewel too so that would be special.”
AUSTIN, OBVIOUSLY WHEN PEOPLE TURNED A SIGNIFICANT AGE 30 IN THIS CASE FOR YOU. THERE CAN BE THE POINT OF REFLECTION LOOKING BACK AT WHAT THEY’VE DONE. OBVIOUSLY. YOU’RE STILL A YOUNG GUY BUT YOU’RE NOT A KID IN THE SPORT COMPARED TO A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE AND CERTAINLY WHAT YOU HAD AS YOU NOTED. YOU HAD YOUR TO CROWN JEWEL WINS. BUT AS YOU REACH THIS AGE AND LOOK AT YOUR POINT IN THE CAREER, DOES THERE GET TO BE I DON’T KNOW IF THERE’S MORE”“Oh, yeah. I think it’s more about season every opportunity you get you know, you don’t know what could be your last everybody is fighting for their job every day. It doesn’t matter how many wins you got something becausecome up and change sponsorship wise or ownership wise. You just never know these days. So you just want to seize these opportunities and were in the playoffs again, and there’s another opportunity to become the first to win all three championships that we’ve got in our 16 guys that have this opportunity and we’re one of them so you want to take advantage of those opportunities and go out there and perform, you know, you can and you want to do it consistently. So yeah just doing everything you can to take advantage of the moment is big. Live in the moment and have fun doing it. And I do feel like I think the prime age and my dirt crew chie is always said this the prime age for a sin is like 35 Plus and you see it from Harvick and Denny Hamlin. So I feel like you start you gain so much knowledge during that time frame and I feel like I’m still gaining knowledge and your family situation changes, you know, I’ve got my first kid now and momentum has been good. And I just feel like I’m in a good spot and I think it can just keep going that way with the direction. I’m headed.”
HOW DO YOU ANSWER THE FOLKS THAT YOU’VE GOT HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR THE PLAYOFFS? THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE KIND OF DISMISSING YOUR TEAM. WHAT DO YOU TELL THOSE PEOPLE?:
“I love being dismissed. I think it’s a great. It’s all I’ve just kind of always been that way. I feel like maybe not that way in the trucks are Xfinity at the end of those runs, but in the Cup series, it’s been a little bit of that. So and I feel like that’s what kind of propels us, and then we sneak up on people. I was very close to making it to the third round a couple years back in the playoffs and missed it by one point to Denny Hamlin not want to transfer this on and we missed at Talladega by one so I know from that experience at every Point matters, and we just need to go out there and do our job these first three races is good good races for us, but the stage is the way they play out. You got to get points. So we’re going to be very aggressive in getting those points and hopefully messed up a lot of brackets. Thank you.  GERMAIN RACING PUT OUT A STATEMENT ON MONDAYI BELIEVE IT WAS THAT BOB GERMAIN IS EXPLORING CONVERSATIONS FOR POTENTIAL SALE. HAVE YOU TALKED TO TY YET ABOUT THAT. AND IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT RCR COULD EXPAND AND INCLUDE YOUR BROTHER IN THE FOLD?“I actually haven’t talked to my brother about it. Did to my grandfather little bit about it, you know, I think all kinds of opportunities are out there right now. There’s a lot going on in the sport as you can tell it’s silly season. So but I’ve tried to keep up with what’s going on out there, but right now I’m really focused on the playoffs and and because that’s my job is to go out there. So we’ve been on the simulator Monday. I’m going back this afternoon. But as far as everything else going on, I’m just happy we have the #3 team and all of our sponsors, you know in a good place right now. So we’re we’re pumped about next season but focused on this season with the playoffs that that are up front.”
HOW DOES DARLINGTON FIT YOUR DRIVING STYLE?“Well, I think long races in the past have fit my race in the style plenty of time to make the car better being a long race and all of our wins have come in races 500 miles or more. So it’s a good one for us. We like the long-distance races and and it’s a place that falls off. RCR has always been known for a long run speed.
“Short run speed as something that we struggled with but we’re trying to change but it’s nice that we’re going to place that long run speed matters a bit.”
ARE YOU FEELING OKAY? WE HAD ANY EFFECT SINCE TESTING POSITIVE FOR COVID AND IN A CRAZY WAY. DO YOU ALMOST FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE AN ADVANTAGE BECAUSE YOU’VE ALREADY TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE DISEASE AND MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET IT AGAIN. “Yeah, you know, I mean who knows truthfully I still got to be safe and practice all everything that we’ve been practicing all year safe social distancing and wearing a mask. You know, I stayed it does feel good to had it and know what it’s like and hopefully never experienced again. It’s feels like its done and antibodies, obviously in me.Yes it feels a little better than some of those guys in the payoffs that you know have to worry about it more I think than I do. But yeah, no, I’m not experiencing any kind of I feel great and I’ve been riding a road bike working out. I had a massive pickleball game with my dad and I beat him. That was pretty nice. If you get went went pretty deep there. I sweated a lot right for the Daytona race. Oh and it was hot down there. So yeah, you know if I’m a I’m an active person love to get out and play sports. So I feel good and prepared for what’s ahead.”
IS IT AN ADVANTAGE ONLY TO HAVE ONE IN THE PLAYOFFS AND ALL THE RESOURCES BEHIND YOU?” Yeah, you know, you definitely want both cars in. It is just good for the company when you have both cars and ready and very fast. But yeah, you know, I feel like in past. I’ve been on both sides of this this deal where you’re in or you’re out and the focus flips to whoever’s in and it feels good to have all the focus here at RCR. We’ve got some great teammates and great employees here that can do all they can to put effort into each car we take in the playoffs and I’m sure Tyler and Randall. I’ve already asked Tyler for his notes after Darlington, you know, we work together all year pretty great. So I think it’s it’s a good thing for us, but we’d love to have both in the playoffs”
AUSTIN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. YOU’VE BEEN TO THE PLAYOFFS TWICE. IS AS FAR AS FEAR THIRD TRIP, WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE BETTER a THIS TIME AROUND AND WHAT’S GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST FACTOR IN FINALLY BREAKING THAT ROUND OF 16 THRESHOLD?“Third, I believe I feel like it’s my fourth because I won Daytona nd I made it. I pointed of my way in and then won the 600. This should be my fourth. Okay? You’re right. The biggest thing is making it a couple rounds further. So yeah, you know want to survive in advance take the experiences from the ones past that they the biggest thing I’ve learned is, you know the points matter.When your are witting at the end of these stages are at the end of the race when you have a point right in front of you you got to do what it takes to get that point. You can’t ride you got to use the front bumper to get it. I mean, however, you got to get it strategy is also another key and you know, you try and lean on the strategy. We’ve been very good on strategy this year to be able to score points. So we’ll use some of that and also I think you got to be defensive at times when you’re struggling because there’s going to be times when the car is not handling right? You got to hold up the guys out back and be good in the mirror. I mean, there’s guys that are professionals at it Joey and Brad are very good at holding track position when their car is struggling and that puts them in a better spot when the caution comes out if they’ve held a couple more spots and then their pit crew comes and picks them up a position with one adjustment their car is able to win, you know what I mean or a little cleaner air and so knowing that there’s going to be times when you’re struggling how you handle those and taking every position you can take when a point is on the line.”
AUSTIN WHEN YOU DID WIN YOUR CROWN JEWELS AND MAKE THE PLAYOFFS IN 2017 AND 18. JUSTIN ALEXANDER WAS YOUR CREW CHIEF. OBVIOUSLY LAST SEASON, YOU’LL RCR TOOK A CHANCE AND DANNY STOCKMAN THE MAN WHO LED YOU TO YOUR XFINITY AND TRUCK SERIES TITLES AS YOUR CREW CHIEF ON UNFORTUNATELY DIDN’T YIELD THE SAME RESULTS NOW JUSTIN ALEXANDER RESPECT WE DO THIS TIME AROUND SO I JUST WONDERED HOW MUCH DOES HIS RETURN TO THE PIT BOX HAVE ON YOUR EFFECT AND MAKING THE PLAYOFFS AGAIN THIS SEASON.“Well, it’s just been good for the entire organization the team Justin, you know to go through what he had to go through last year being switched off our team and the way he handled it was just so professional and I think also when you came back, you know, I just committed to him, you know, my full attention each and every week and he is he is delivered that back and more and and I think I’ve done the same reach other and we have a different respect for each each other this time around and he’s always been able to talk to me in a different way that challenges me to be better over the radio. It doesn’t get me frustrated or fired up and I don’t lose my focus. He’s all about the focus and maximizing our day and I also feel like the spotter that we’ve got this year. Brandon Benesh has been a big help also at those three my mom and she’s following us all the time and she listens to the radio and she said to me you are very fortunate because these guys are on a different level right now. The way they communicate on channel 2 said she never heard anything like it to my Cup career, and that’s good. You know, they’re on a good wave lengths together and really focused on what we’re doing and how how to make our cars better and how to make me better and to get the best out of the No.3 car.” ALSO YOU TOUCHED ON YOUR MINDSET HOW YOU KIND OF LIKE PEOPLE COUNT YOU OUT BEING THE UNDERDOG WITH THAT BEING SAID THOUGH. WHAT ARE YOU YOUR GUYS IS REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS FOR THESE PLAYOFFS IN PARTICULAR KNOWING HOW DOMINANT THE FOUR, THE 11 AND SOME OF THE OTHER BIG GUYS HAVE BEEN THE SEASON.“Well, you know the 4 and 11 are the two guys that everyone has circled and I feel like they’re pretty much in the final four at Homestead at this point with their points position and now granted anything can happen.Some of these lineups that NASCAR’s created in the schedule for the playoffs. There are some places that a lot of Destruction chaos goes on but I would say those two spots of the four locked up when it comes to Denny and Harvick. Now there are two others to other spots out there that we have circled that we need to go take one. That’s that’s what I’m focused on is knowing that there’s two spots available. I feel like for the championship and we have to chip away at it each and every week. Treat it one race at a time kind of the Bill Belichick attitude of maximize each week and then survive and advance survive and advance and and try and win a race, you know, win a race when it counts when you get down to the end and there’s guys that more bonus points. The only thing to do is when we were able to win this year. I made a good call at the right time and we had the speed to be able to maintain it in years past. I would say we probably wouldn’t have had the speed to be able to maintain at a mile and a half but this year we do and that’s what’s exciting is anything can happen with the eight moves, mate.”
MEDIA MEMBER: Thanks, and just so you know, I don’t want you to end up in Miami for the championship. It’s a phoenix this year. I mess up to that’s right. DILLON: Hey, I had a good run at Miami. So I kind of wish it was there, but we’ll go to Phoenix anyways time for thank you. Our next question will come from Peter strata. Go ahead with the question Peter.
WE SAW THAT OUR SEE OUR COMMAND CENTER IN DETAIL AFTER YOUR BIG WIN IN TEXAS. THEY GAVE YOU THE WINNING CALL. WHAT’S THE BALANCE AND MAKING THOSE PIVOTAL CALLS BETWEEN JUSTIN ON THE PIT BOX VERSUS THE TEAM BACK AT WELCOME. “Yeah, you know, I think Justin truthfully makes the call and I would give him credit for the win at Texas. I think the what the the War Room has done has just give us another option and more of an eye in the sky torelay more information that Justin might not be able to process fast enough the ability to process information faster is key to success and those guys in the War Room can be focused on other information that Justin can’t see so they can relay that to him and him trusting him is another part of that, but I do feel like a Texas myself and am kind of made the call and then with with help from our data showing that this was available and it’s the smartest route to go as far as keeping track position. It was it was the right decision to make so we’ll definitely use our wardrobe will definitely use our strategy tools to help us gain as many points as possible and hopefully put us in a situation where we can win again.
SPEAKING FROM THE TEAM ASPECT YOU GUYS HAVE EIGHT OF THE TEN PLAYOFF TRACKS THIS YEAR. YOU’VE ALREADY BEEN TO COMING INTO THE PLAYOFFS AND WITHOUT PRACTICE, HOW MUCH DO YOU RELY ON YOUR NOTES FROM THOSE OTHER RACES AND YOU THINK THAT’S AN ADVANTAGE FOR A TEAM LIKE RCR THAT SOME OF THESE BIGGER TEAMS DON’T HAVE THE PRACTICE ADVANTAGE.“I’ve I think it’s been good for us not having to practice I think it’s good for me. I don’t overthink things and talk about it all night. But myself I just go. You know, I we make a decision after we run our simulation and we go from there where it’s a little less stressful when you got practice and all kinds of adjustments to worry about it kind of simplifies things and makes you go with what you know works and then you adjust it throughout the race. So I don’t know if it’s an advantage. I mean, I feel like are this year’s been good for us, but I feel like it’s also been good because we’ve had faster race cars than in years past so. Maybe maybe it’s been good. I don’t know. Sometimes you want practice. Sometimes you don’t but I feel confident with the way we’re doing it right now. 
AUSTIN CONGRATULATIONS ON MAKING THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR KIND OF FOLLOWING UP ON AN EARLIER QUESTION. YOU KNOW, I KNOW TYLER REDICK, HE’S A ROOKIE AND HE’S HAD A GREAT BUT HE’S HAD A GREAT YEAR. IT’S A KIND OFSURPRISING THEY DIDN’T MAKE THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR VIA POINTS, “I’m not surprising I think you know for him he’s always wants as much as he can’t he’s a champion. He’s done a great job this year found a lot of speed at different tracks. But as a rookie man, this is tough. I mean if you don’t get a win like Cole or myself that it’s tough to point your way in and just a couple places that he probably can go back and look at that would change something he would have done nor things that happen here at Pocono. He had something go wrong with power steering. That’s a lot of points right there could have put him in a different situation. But you know, I think he did and does has done an amazing job all year as a rookie and I think it’ll be in the playoffs for years to come. So it’s it’s one of those things that he’s probably disappointed that but I think everybody knows that he’s got the speed and the pace to win races and ba in the playoffs in a real Contender for years to come.”
IS IT MORE IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO WIN A RACE IN THESE LAST TEN RACES OR ADVANCE THROUGH TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP?“I would say I mean, I would love to win and advance to the championship. So I mean come on getting a win at the right time to advance in the championship would be I think the goal, you know, you get to the surviving advance and then you come down to rehab the wind and you make it happen. I think that’s what some of the great guys have done. You know, Kevin Harvick has shown an uncanny ability to be able to win when he needs one. That’s where you want to get to is where you’re confident enough where you can go and take a victory but atrophy is always good. I’d love to win another trophy in the last 10. So let’s just go with trophy.”
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE TRACK THAT YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IN THE CHASE? I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DARLINGTON’S CARS AND ONE OF YOUR FAVORITES WITH THE HISTORY, BUT YOU HAVE A FAVORITE TRACK THAT YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO. “Yes. The Richmond is circled right now. Richmond is a place I had to six Place finishes a year ago, I believe or something like that. We’ve had some good runs there and we’ve had a something that just hits her. That’s good. I feel like we had speed to finish better than six things just in play on our way. What strategy so Richmond is circled right now my list and that’s as far as I really would go Vegas is another one. So those are the in the first Six Vegas. Well heck I’ll just say all the ones that I feel like we could win at Richmond Vegas, Martinsville, Texas, obviously and then yeah, those are my favorite tracks Circle right now that I feel like I’m being honest about speed and where our setups have been in the past that those are good places for us.
AUSTIN COMING OFF ENTERING YOUR ROOKIE SEASON BY THE 2014 GED. I BELIEVE YOU WERE COMING OFF THAT CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE XFINITY SERIES AND YOU’RE A DOMINANT THAT SEASON DESPITE NOT WINNING A RACE AND YOU’RE A ROOKIE SEASON. YOU KIND OF FELL FLAT THEN LIKEWISE. TYLER REDDICK WAS COMING OFF BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE XFINITY SERIES AND WASN’T THE ONE WHO MADE THE PLAYOFFS WHILE COLE CUSTER WAS A ROOKIE.THIS CLASS YOU DID AND THAT WAS JUST A CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE PIECES FELL INTO PLACE FOR HIM. SO WHAT KIND OF CORNY CURVE IS THEIR DRIVERS GOING FROM EITHER XFINITY OR TRUCK SERIES TO THE CUP SERIES?“Well, it’s it’s number one Automotive racing series in the world in my opinion is the hardest one to win in you got multiple winners that are great at what they do, you know, everybody has gotten this point has one and done something that has gotten them to here. I think every level in the sport you go to from trucks toXfinity to Cup there is a another level you have to reach as a driver to step up your game and I felt like for me the formula was rookie of the year and the Truck Series and won a championship in the Truck Series and it was Rookie of the Year and XFinity Series and won a championship and Xfinity series, I get to the Cup series and I was hoping it would be the same way, you know, when a rookie of the year and go win a championship the next but it’s a different level and I’ve learned that over the last couple years. We made the playoffs in the playoffs are a huge feet when you’re in the Cup series. I mean you look at the Xfinity Series in my opinion. If you don’t finish the top ten you’re struggling every week and I would even go up to eight past that it’s not what the Cup series is where you’re fighting all the way back to what 22nd 23rd with guys that have won in the Xfinity series 24th, maybe but they’re just a different level of competition and that’s what it is and it takes a lot. I mean you could have a good crew good team good car good pit crew and still not win. You have a fastest car still not win. Every week is just a challenge so learning I think the learning process from a rookie to the next year is it’s big. That’s why we get so excited about rookies that come in and finish well early on in their career because you hope that the only way forward is up because they’re not getting some great finishes out their first year. They’re probably going to be fine.”

• Starting today, Sept. 2, 2020, dealers and customers can now contact the Dodge//SRT Concierge at (800) 998-1110 to register for the opportunity to order the new 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak 
• Order reservations for the new 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak officially open on Sept. 9, 2020, and will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis
• Quickest, fastest and most powerful Drag Pak ever is powered by a supercharged 354-cubic-inch HEMI V-8 engine
• Dodge//SRT and Mopar give sportsman racers a new, turnkey package, loaded with suspension and chassis upgrades and built for NHRA and NMCA competition
• Safety enhancements include all-new NHRA-certified roll cage for elapsed times as low as 7.50 seconds in the quarter-mile
• The 50-unit serialized 2021 Drag Pak has a starting U.S. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $143,485
• Customers can head to dodgegarage.com/drag-pak to find complete vehicle configuration and ordering information
• Production of the 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2021

September 2, 2020 , Auburn Hills, Mich. – Dodge//SRT and Mopar are now taking reservations for the 50 limited-production, serialized, non-VIN units of the new 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak.
 
To register for the opportunity to place an order for the 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak, all interested customers and dealers must contact the Dodge//SRT Concierge at (800) 998-1110. Registration opens today, Sept. 2, 2020. Order reservations officially open on Sept. 9, 2020, and will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
  

“Our new Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak is produced specifically for sportsman racers to secure and own bragging rights at the drag strip,” said Mark Bosanac, Head of Mopar Service, Parts & Customer Care, FCA – North America. “From the supercharged HEMI® V-8 power under the hood to the advanced suspension, chassis technologies and an all-new NHRA-certified roll cage, we can’t wait to give our loyal performance enthusiasts another purpose-built muscle car to carry the Mopar flag across the finish line first.”
 
The Drag Pak is engineered for grassroots drag racers who compete in sportsman classes in events sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and National Muscle Car Association (NMCA).
 
“This is the quickest, fastest and most powerful Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak we’ve ever built,” said Tim Kuniskis, Global Head of Alfa Romeo and Head of Passenger Cars – Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA – North America. “And, 50 members of the Brotherhood of Muscle are going to be able to buy this 7-second turnkey race car right from their local Dodge dealer.”
 
The starting U.S Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak is $143,485. Customers can head to dodgegarage.com/drag-pak to find complete vehicle configuration and ordering information. Production of the 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2021.
 
Improved performance from upgraded supercharged HEMI V-8
At the heart of the new Drag Pak is the latest evolution of the supercharged 354-cubic-inch Gen-III HEMI V-8 engine, based on the same power plant that won the 2018 NHRA Factory Stock Showdown (FSS) and NMCA Factory Supercar championships.
 
Numerous enhancements include an all-new 3.0-liter Whipple twin-screw supercharger, upgraded forged internals, new front accessory drive and a new fabricated aluminum ice tank with a clear lid that cools the supercharger intercooler. The engine combination has been fully validated by Mopar engineers on the dyno, as well as the drag strip, and is approved for the NHRA FSS and NMCA classes.
 
A unique, serialized, red and chrome Drag Pak badge sits atop the machined aluminum supercharger cover. Also under the aluminum hood, enthusiasts will see a nod to past 1970-1974 ‘Cuda and Challenger heritage models, with a special red and chrome radiator support “fender tag” adorned with the silhouette of the Challenger, stating the series number, the vehicle code, axle ratio and engine designation – all unique to the Drag Pak.
 
Newly designed suspension provides a leg up on the competition
The all-new, four-link rear suspension is engineered to launch hard, quickly decimate the 60-foot elapsed times and stay planted all the way down the quarter-mile. A new geometry setup with longer control arms increases the length of the rear swing arm, allowing better anti-squat control and increasing stability. It also incorporates a wishbone link for lateral control (replacing a Panhard bar in prior models) and a larger-diameter anti-roll bar (250 percent stiffer than prior models).
 
Up front, a unique Mopar K-member underpins the front suspension, featuring integrated solid engine mounts and a cutout for easy oil pan removal. New for 2021 are exclusive double-adjustable Drag Pak-specific tuned Bilstein coilover shock absorbers supporting all four corners of the car. The new shocks improve weight transfer and body attitude for hard launches, as well as soak up track bumps and undulations at high speeds down the track. The shocks feature 10 settings (front and rear) for easy tuning of compression and rebound damping, allowing racers to adjust for diverse track conditions by simply turning the color-coded knobs.
 
Strange Engineering Pro Series II racing brakes on the front and rear provide ample stopping power after the finish line, with minimal losses due to brake drag on the way there.

Two wheel and tire combinations are available for the Drag Pak:

• Bogart wheels with Mickey Thompson tires:
  • Rear: Bogart D-10 15-by-10-inch (non-beadlock) wheels riding on Mickey Thompson ET Drag® Pro Drag Radial 30.0 x 9.0 R15 tires
  • Front: Bogart D-10 17-by-4.5-inch wheels riding on Mickey Thompson 27.5 x 4.0-17 ET Front™ tires
• Weld Racing wheels with Mickey Thompson tires:
  • Rear: Weld Racing Alpha-1 15-by-10-inch (double beadlock with Drag Pak engraved lock rings) wheels riding on Mickey Thompson ET Drag Pro Drag Radial 30.0 x 9.0 R15 tires
  • Front: Weld Racing V-Series 17-by-4.5-inch (with Drag Pak engraving) wheels riding on Mickey Thompson 27.5 x 4.0-17 ET Front tires

Improved performance and safety with certified roll cage
The new Drag Pak features an all-new roll cage fabricated to SFI Specification 25.5C (NHRA-certified 7.50-second ET) to not only handle the rigorous safety requirements of factory stock racing, but also improve performance.
 
The NHRA-certified roll cage is constructed from 4130 chromoly tubing and is fully TIG-welded, ensuring greater safety and integrity. The cage is fully integrated with the factory unibody through attachment points at the front and rear shock towers, B-pillars, vehicle floor and rocker panels. This integrated chassis approach is a result of Mopar’s involvement in different classes of drag racing over the years, as well as the stringent approach to safety mandated by the NHRA. The chassis is designed to work in combination with the rear suspension, channeling the forces from the control arms and coilover shocks directly into the roll cage, versus the body panels. The increased stiffness allows the new Drag Pak to be more responsive to tuning changes, enabling racers to extract more performance in the quarter-mile.
 
Out back, a trunk-mounted, SFI-certified three-gallon drag race fuel cell feeds a brushless racing fuel pump with dual inline filters. Axle-mounted wheelie bars are standard, as is a 10-foot parachute mounted rigidly to the frame rails via a unique tubular mount.
 
Improved interior features advanced, race-ready technology
The interior balances race car function with factory comfort and technology. The instrument panel features a carbon-fiber bezel with three primary gauges – rpm, brake pressure and oil pressure. The driver bezel also features a Holley EFI Digital Dash with a 7-inch, low-glare, full-color touchscreen display so drivers can tune and manage vehicle performance.
 
On the passenger side, a custom red and chrome Drag Pak serialized badge signifies the one-of-50 build sequence numbers. Driver comfort is achieved with the adjustable mounts that are included for the seats and racing pedals. Driver control is delivered through a mechanical floor shifter and lightweight steering column with quick-release steering wheel.
 
An all-new motorsport electrical architecture setup includes the “brains” of the supercharged HEMI powertrain in the programmable Holley Dominator Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) vehicle-management system. In addition, a programmable Racepak Smartwire Power Distribution Module controls all electrical components using solid-state electronics, which eliminates the need for fuses and relays. These electronic modules are conveniently mounted to the body using bespoke mounts that allow for easy service with factory fit-and-finish.
 
A choice of lightweight Racetech composite seats and Racetech HANS-ready cam-lock harnesses are FIA- and SFI-compliant. Both driver and passenger seats feature the Drag Pak logo embroidered on the seat back, while the optional Head Restraint Seat Package features a winged driver seat.
 
Rounding out the Factory Stock racing class feel on the interior are custom-cut lightweight carpeting, carbon fiber tube protectors and SFI-compliant roll bar padding.
 
High-impact exterior colors and heritage-inspired graphics choices signal performance
The new Drag Pak comes standard in White Knuckle and is available in five optional high-impact exterior colors: Hellraisin, Pitch Black, Smoke Show, TorRed and Frostbite. Full-color or monochromatic graphics packages are anchored by the Mopar logo and additional “drag pak” or “direct connection” billboard graphics on the quarter panels above the rear wheels. The graphic band wraps around the rear of the car, visually connecting both sides of the vehicle. 
 
A wide center stripe, with tracers on each side, runs from the edge of the front fascia, over the roof and through to the rear edge of the decklid. The graphics highlight the width of the Drag Pak and complements the variety of stripe packages that Mopar offers for the Dodge Challenger. The graphic band runs along the lower quarter of each side of the Drag Pak, accented by a tracer line.

NASCAR CUP SERIES COOK OUT SOUTHERN 500 DARLINGTON RACEWAY TEAM CHEVY PLAYOFFS MEDIA DAY SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – ROTATION TRANSCRIPT:
OTHER THAN YOURSELF, WHO DO YOU THINK IS A DARK HORSE TEAM OR A SUPRRISE TO MAKE A RUN THAT PEOPLE SHOULD WATCH IN THE PLAYOFFS?“That’s a good question. I think honestly, I’d say Aric Almirola. I just think they’re consistent, they’ve been consistently fast at a lot of these tracks. The only thing with that is I feel like a lot of the tracks are going to be much different in the Playoffs than the ones we ran in the summertime. Typically, summertime is a lot of 2-mile tracks and big, fast, open racetracks, and that’s not really the case in the playoffs. But I’d say they perform pretty well throughout.”
CONGRATS ON LAST WEEKEND – I KNOW THAT WAS BIG FOR YOU. YOU JUST DEALT WITH A STRESSFUL, PRESSURE-PACKED SITUATION IN TRYING TO ADVANCE INTO THE PLAYOFFS. TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MINDSET NOW FOR YOUR TEAM GOING FORWARD. YOU’VE GOT THESE NEXT THREE WEEKS. OBVIOUSLY, YOU’D LOVE TO GET ANOTHER CHECKERED FLAG, BUT TAKE ME THROUGH THE MINDSET RIGHT NOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING THROUGH.“Honestly, for us, I think that now having that first win of the season and first win for me and this team, I feel like we’re more focused on just executing the details of each race. Obviously, our goal going into this year was to make it further than we did last year in the playoffs, which was the Round of 12 last year. So, if we can make it to the Round of 8 this year, it would be a success, for sure. We just have to take it one race at a time. A lot of these tracks are good for us. I think the first round is probably the weakest of the tracks for us, so we just have to try to focus on that, try to just compete in every race and hopefully get out of this first round with a great race at Darlington. Richmond is definitely our toughest of the three, so we’re going to have to really work hard at that race to have a good run.”
CONGRATS ON THE WIN AND THE NEW CONTRACT. HOW DID ALL OF THAT COME INTO PLAY AND WERE YOU ALREADY NEGOTIATING PRIOR TO THE WIN?“Honestly for us, we were already kind of negotiating that. I had one year left after this one, so it wasn’t super urgent to get it done or anything. But when Hendrick came to me and wanted to sign for a couple more years, I was thrilled and I think it’s worked out well for both of us. The fact that they have confidence in me is a great thing and I can just go out there and race as hard as I can and try to do the best that I can for them. They’ve made that known that they just want to focus on the race track and I’m going to try to do that throughout the playoffs, for sure.”
AS YOU LOOK AHEAD AT THIS FIRST ROUND, BRISTOL BEING THE CUTOFF RACE – DAYTONA WAS AN UNPREDICTABLE RACE, IT’S A SUPERSPEEDWAY. IS BRISTOL GOING TO BE THE SAME TYPE OF WILD CARD, WHERE JUST ABOUT ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN AND A SURPRISE COULD POP UP OUT OF NOWHERE AS WELL?“I think the surprise will just be some of the guys that maybe have issues with their cars or get caught up in a wreck. But I think you’re going to have to run well and perform well to win that race. There’s really not a fluke, per say. For us, we’re just going to focus on running well at Bristol. It’s a track where things happen really fast. You can’t have mistakes on pit road and you can’t have mistakes on the track. So, that’s our focus – to just have a mistake-free race there. We had a fast car there in the first race of the year back in June. The All-Star race was OK for us – I think we finished somewhere in the top-10. We just have to try to improve and see what we can do.”
HOW IMPORTANT IS HAVING THAT STABILITY THROUGH 2022, ESPECIALLY WHENEVER A COMPANY CHANGES LEADERSHIP, THERE’S ALWAYS QUESTIONS ABOUT STABILITY OF THE SPONSORSHIPS. TO KNOW THAT YOU’RE GOING TO BE THERE FOR A COUPLE MORE YEARS, HOW MUCH DOES THAT IMPACT YOU?“Well, it’s huge. I think for me, the confidence comes from knowing that Mr. Hendrick and Jeff (Gordon) have confidence in me no matter what sponsor or whoever is on my car. They’ve made that known since I’ve been there, is that my deal is separate from anything like that and I can go out there and compete hard, drive their car and they’re going to make sure that I can be on the race track each and every week. So, I think that’s where my confidence comes from – just knowing that I’m going to be in that car. Definitely with this deal, I can focus on the playoffs and focus on trying to win more races.”
YOU’RE IN A GREAT STARTING SPOT FOR THE UPCOMING RACE AT DARLINGTON. YOU’RE LINED UP RIGHT NEXT TO ALEX (BOWMAN). IS THERE ANY TALK ABOUT YOU GUYS MAYBE KIND OF GETTING A STRATEGY TOGETHER TO RACE TO THE FRONT OF THE PACK OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT?“I mean not really, just because Darlington is not like a speedway race or somewhere where you can really work together. But I think that for us all starting up towards the front, the three of us, I think that’s going to be great. It’s going to be an advantage to have three cars up there competing for stage wins and things of that nature. I think it’s all going to elevate our game and just gives us that advantage. Starting up front is just huge at any race track. Darlington is luckily a long race, so even if you start towards the back, you’ve got plenty of time to get towards the front. It’s going to help having a great pit stall selection – that’s what really comes to mind for me is having that great pit stall.”
YOU’RE ONLY THE SECOND DRIVER TO WIN BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THE NO. 24 CAR – THE OTHER OF COURSE BEING JEFF GORDON. YOUR WIN LAST SATURDAY, YOU ACCOMPLISHED YOUR FIRST VICTORY AT A YOUNGER AGE THAN JEFF GORDON. I JUST WONDERED, WHAT WERE YOUR EMOTIONS FOLLOWING THE RACE TAKING THAT CHECKERED FLAG AND DID JEFF GORDON REACH OUT TO YOU AFTERWARDS?“Definitely. It was cool to talk to Jeff (Gordon) on Sunday, just get his thoughts on it and just the excitement there between the two of us. We’ve really worked well together in the past of just trying to understand how to get better and improve. He’s given me some nuggets and some things that I can improve on. It’s been great to talk to him about the team aspect and things that we can do to just continue to elevate our performance. It’s just been a great couple of days. I was super excited when we finished that race like we did – it was really fun.”
YOU AND YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHAD KNAUS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WAS BROADCASTED OVER THE AIR WAVES – YOU KIND OF HAD A STRUGGLE THERE. BUT SINCE THEN, YOU GUYS HAVE REBOUNDED. HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT GOING TO BE GOING INTO THE FIRST ROUND, WHERE YOU SAY YOU’VE STRUGGLED AT THE THREE RACE TRACKS COMING UP? HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH JIMMIE (JOHNSON) AND WINNING THE SEVEN CHAMPIONSHIPS, HOW DOES THAT HELP YOU GOING INTO THIS FIRST ROUND?“I think it helps a lot. I mean obviously, a couple weeks ago, we were struggling there at Dover. But we really turned it around. Since that second race, we’ve really been on it. I think honestly for us, we’ve gotten past those hurdles and we’ve been able to handle the pressure really well. So, just knowing that the two of us together can handle the pressure, go out there and do what we need to do – I have confidence in him and we know that we have the same goals. We both want to win and we’ll do whatever it takes to do that.”
WHAT IS IT ABOUT DARLINGTON THAT MAKES IT A CHALLENGING TRACK?“Gosh, everything. I think just the fact that it’s two lanes wide. The fact that you have to run against the wall to make speed. These cars are super sensitive to hitting the wall to begin with – you can’t even really touch the wall nowadays and get away with it. So, you have to factor all that stuff in when you go to race at Darlington. It’s a tough track. Restarts are tough there because there’s definitely a dominant lane on the outside. Having the choose cone in effect is going to make that a challenge, as well. You can kind of name everything – the playoffs, it’s not going to be easy.”
THIS IS YOUR SECOND-CONSECUTIVE YEAR IN THE PLAYOFFS. YOU’RE A YEAR OLDER, YOU’VE GOT A WIN UNDER YOUR BELT. HOW DOES YOUR APPROACH TO THE 2020 PLAYOFFS DIFFER FROM YEARS PAST?“I think honestly for me, just having that comfort in knowing what the playoffs are like. The first race last year in the playoffs was kind of action-packed and intense for me. I learned a lot through that and you have to handle adversity well. I feel like we’ve been through a lot of adversity this year. We’ve had a lot of tire issues, we’ve had some issues with just random things that have happened. So, now we’ve been through that stuff so we can go into the playoffs and know that we are able to handle that adversity well.” 
YOU MENTIONED RICHMOND AS BEING A CHALLENGING TRACK. ONE THING THAT’S INTERESTING ABOUT THIS YEAR IS THAT THE SPRING RICHMOND RACE WASN’T HELD, SO THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME AT RICHMOND THIS YEAR. OBVIOUSLY, THERE ARE SOME OTHER TRACKS THAT CAN MAYBE CORRELATE. WHAT WILL THE CHALLENGE BE, ESPECIALLY WITH IT BEING A PLAYOFF RACE, FIRST TIME THIS SEASON FOR YOU AND EVERYBODY ELSE?“That’s a good point – we haven’t raced there this year. It’s not one of my favorite tracks, but I think that for us, we’ll lean on our notes and information from New Hampshire. I think we had a good run there. We also finished OK at Phoenix, as well. I think we finished 11th at New Hampshire and 10th at Phoenix. So, right around the top-10, which is kind of our goal going into Richmond. I think if we can finish in the top-10, it’ll give us an opportunity to try and win at a couple other tracks. I think it’s one of those tracks where you kind of lower your expectations a little bit for us and try to just get out of there with a solid finish. One that we can kind of gather the points we need to going into the next couple.”
WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CHAD KNAUS – WE SAW THE TURNAROUND AT DOVER AND WHAT LED TO AT DAYTONA. CHAD’S BEEN VERY VOCAL IN SAYING THAT HE WANTED TO WIN WITH THE NO. 24 CAR. HAVE YOU GUYS TALKED AT ALL OR CAN YOU GIVE US ANY INSIGHT ON WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS, IF YOU AND CHAD HAVE TALKED ABOUT NEXT YEAR OR WHAT HE’S DOING?“I don’t really handle all those talks and stuff with what’s going on there. But I love working with Chad (Knaus, crew chief). I think he’s been great for my career. He’s elevated me from where I was in my rookie year – where this team was in my rookie year, which was not something we were proud of – and elevated us into a playoff-contending team. A lot of that is thanks to him. It’s not just be as a driver – it’s our engineers, it’s our team, pit crew, mechanics, it’s everybody that he’s elevated their game for us to get into the playoffs two years in a row. I think it’s been a great thing for me and I look forward to what’s ahead in these next ten races with him.”
I KNOW JIMMIE JOHNSON HAS MEANT A LOT TO YOU EVER SINCE YOU JOINED THE HENDRICK SQUAD BACK IN 2017 I THINK IT WAS. THIS WEEKEND, WHAT’S IT GOING TO MEAN TO HONOR HIM THROWBACK STYLE IN HIS 2013 ALL-STAR SCHEME FOR THE 24?“It’s going to be really cool. Honestly for me, I’m excited about running that scheme and I feel like looking at his car on the race track, as well, is going to be really cool. I’m excited to see all those throwback schemes, particularly Jimmie’s and just look forward to seeing what that’s like. I think Darlington has a great tradition going there.”  

• Dodge HEMI^® Challenge set to take place during the 2020 NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis Sept 3-4 
• Super Stock 1968 Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas battle head-to-head for an iconic custom-made Dodge HEMI Challenge trophy and $15,000 winner’s prize 
• Legendary Mopar racer Herb “Mr. 4 Speed” McCandless will be the Dodge HEMI Challenge guest of honor and lead the parade of iconic muscle cars 
• Defending winner Jimmy Daniels looking to extend 18-0 round win streak while vying for a record fifth consecutive title 

Wednesday, September 2, 2020, Auburn Hills, Mich. – The 2020 edition of the upcoming Dodge HEMI^® Challenge looks to be a memorable one for all the right reasons; a special guest of honor and some record-setting achievements are revving up National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Sportsman class fans. 

More than 50 years after the iconic 1968 HEMI Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas first appeared on the drag strip, loyal racers and fans will once again be able to see the legendary cars race head-to-head in the ever-popular Dodge HEMI Challenge at the 66th annual NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway near Indianapolis, Indiana, on Labor Day weekend. 

The popular Sportsman class event, dedicated to showcasing Super Stock/A-HEMI (SSAH) competitors powered by the iconic 426 HEMI engine, was first launched in 2001 at “The Big GO” in Indy with support from FCA brands Mopar and Dodge. The 20th edition of the annual Dodge HEMI Challenge returns with qualifying scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 3, and four rounds of eliminations competition to be contested on Friday, Sept. 4. 

The final shootout will take place Friday evening with the participants vying for the custom-built 42.6 lbs. Dodge HEMI Challenge trophy crafted with a 426 HEMI cylinder head, a $15,000 prize to the winner, $1,500 to the runner-up, and cash payouts for semifinal and quarterfinal finishers. All competitors will also receive the coveted Dodge HEMI Challenge participant decal and event hats. 

Acclaimed Mopar Super Stock and Pro Stock racer Herb “Mr. 4 Speed” McCandless will be the guest of honor for the 2020 edition of the Dodge HEMI Challenge. Prior to the first round of eliminations, McCandless will lead the parade of participating Darts and Barracudas down Indy’s fabled return road aboard his own original 1968 Super Stock HEMI Dart in celebration of the classic muscle cars that contributed to Mopar and Dodge brands’ legendary reputation and success at the drag strip.

The 77-year-old fan favorite was the recipient of the Mopar President’s Award in 2017, honoring him for his racing excellence, his service as a Mopar ambassador and his unwavering commitment to FCA brand and Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth vehicles. 

McCandless secured his place in drag racing history by driving his Sox & Martin HEMI-powered Plymouth Duster to a win against a field of 90 entries vying for 32 spots in the first Pro Stock competition held in 1970 at the prestigious U.S. Nationals. As part of this year’s 50th anniversary celebration of the NHRA Pro Stock category, an exact replica of McCandless’ 1970 Pro Stock HEMI Duster will be on display at the Mopar Road Show in the manufacturer’s midway throughout the race weekend. 

A strong field of “package” Mopar vehicles are expected to compete in the specialty event while showing off beautiful and vibrant paint schemes and wheelstands. Originally commissioned by Chrysler in 1968, a limited number of Super Stock HEMI Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas were built solely to compete on the drag strip just as the modern-day Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak is now. The Dodge HEMI Challenge is a tribute to those original muscle cars, now too valuable to race, and provides an opportunity to showcase today’s Super Stock versions as throwback clones of those historic vehicles. 

Among this year’s expected frontrunners is defending winner, 24-year old Jimmy Daniels, who has not lost a single round since first taking the wheel of his father Jim Daniels Sr.’s 1968 Dodge Dart in 2016. The younger Daniels comes into this year’s event looking to extend two unprecedented win streaks; an incredible 18-0 round win record and an unprecedented four consecutive Dodge HEMI Challenge title victories. 

The 2001 inaugural edition of the then Mopar HEMI Challenge was won by driver Bucky Hess. Other previous winners include Richard Beshore (2002), Jerry Jenkins (2003), and five-time NHRA Pro Stock champ, Jeg Coughlin Jr. (2004), Charlie Westcott Sr. (2009), Jim Daniels Sr. (2010) and Rick Houser (2007 and 2013). Charlie Westcott Jr. is the winningest HEMI Challenge driver with six titles (2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2014) to his credit. 

Fans who can’t make it to the 2020 Denso Spark Plugs NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway to watch the Dodge HEMI Challenge in person can catch all the action online via NHRA.TV and its subscription-based, video-on-demand coverage of live racing action throughout the weekend. 

The final elimination round of the Dodge HEMI Challenge, as well as highlights from the parade of participating Darts and ‘Cudas, will air on FS1 during the qualifying broadcast on Saturday, September 5 at 2:00 p.m. EDT, with a repeat broadcast on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. on FS1. Fans can also look for HEMI Challenge highlights during the NHRA coverage on the FOX national broadcast network on Sunday, September 6 from 1 – 4 p.m. EDT. 

September 2, 2020

Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team head to Darlington Raceway this weekend to begin their quest for the Cup Series championship and are recognizing the occasion with a most appropriate throwback paint scheme.

As part of Darlington’s throwback weekend theme, DiBenedetto’s Mustang will carry a paint scheme based on the 1963 Ford Galaxie that delivered the Wood Brothers the 1963 car owners championship. So far, it’s the only Cup title in the team’s 70-year history.

In 1963, Tiny Lund drove the car to victory in the Daytona 500.

The late team founder Glenn Wood wheeled it to his last win as a Cup driver, at Bowman Gray Stadium on July 13, 1963. Marvin Panch, who returned to the ’63 Galaxie after being severely burned in a sports car crash prior to the Daytona 500, also won in it, at North Wilkesboro on Sept. 29, 1963.

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

Joe Weatherly, who drove for nine different owners, took the driving championship.

DiBenedetto said he excited to have his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang looking like a championship car. 

“The throwback to the championship-winning Wood Brothers car will be an honor to drive at Darlington,” he said. “I can’t wait to get it on track especially in the Playoffs!”
 
DiBenedetto, who already has raced twice at Darlington this year in the No. 21 Mustang, said he’s optimistic about the third – and biggest – Darlington start of 2020.
 
“I think we made some improvements in the second race,” he said, pointing out that he and crew chief Greg Erwin finished 14^th in the first Darlington race then upped that to ninth-place in the second. He said there’s room for more improvement in the Cook Out Southern 500, the first race of the 2020 Playoffs.
 
“There’s still a lot we can work on to be better this week,” he said.
 
While some drivers don’t particularly like racing on the tricky Lady in Black, DiBenedetto said he’s not among them.
 
“I love the slick, worn-out race tracks,” he said. “So that will be fun.”
  
There will be no practice or qualifying before the start of the Cook Out Southern 500, which is set for just after 6 p.m. on Sunday, with TV coverage on NBCSN.