Petty GMS Event Preview: Charlotte Motor Speedway

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Ty Dillon, No. 42 Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
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– Dillon at Charlotte Motor Speedway: Ty Dillon has competed in six NASCAR Cup Series events, including four Coca-Cola 600 races, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, posting four top-25 results. Running a limited schedule in 2021, the North Carolina native has not raced in a Cup Series vehicle on the 1.5-mile oval since May 2020. However, Dillon did participate in one NASCAR Xfinity Series event at his homestate track last season, earning a seventh-place finish.

Dillon has driven in 10 Xfinity Series races at the intermediate, earning one top-five and six top-10 results. In two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events, Dillon collected one pole, one top-five, and two top-10 finishes.

– Coffee Tyme: Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC) will serve as primary partner on Dillon’s Chevrolet Camaro for Sunday’s 600-mile race. Founded by veterans and operated by principaled men and women who honor those who protect, defend, and support our country, BRCC stands for more than high-quality coffee.

– Honor and Remember: On this Memorial Day weekend, Dillon will carry the name of a fallen soldier on the front windshield of his No. 42 Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet. While serving in the United States Army, Sgt. Maj. Christopher Nelms died from injuries sustained during a military training accident in North Carolina.

Nelms was twice awarded the Silver Star, the military’s third-highest award for valor, during a 28-year Army career that began as an infantryman before moving to the Army National Guard’s 19th Special Forces Group. Nelms returned to active duty in 2008 and was selected for Delta, with whom he deployed six times to Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

This selection was made by Black Rifle Coffee Company Founder and CEO Evan Hafer. Prior to founding BRCC, Hafer served in the United States Army for 20 years, including 15 in special forces, where he was a Green Beret with the 19th Special Forces Group.

– #10,000 Veterans: A large part of Black Rifle Coffee Company’s success is due to the outstanding work ethic and discipline of their veteran employees. The company is committed to hiring 10,000 veterans to provide opportunities to the military community. BRCC strives to help other service-members successfully transition from the military into entrepreneurship, providing assistance to veterans who seek to launch a business of their own.

– About Black Rifle Coffee Company: Black Rifle Coffee Company is a Veteran-founded coffee company serving premium coffee to people who love America. Founded in 2014 by Green Beret Evan Hafer, Black Rifle develops their explosive roast profiles with the same mission focus they learned while serving in the military. BRCC is committed to supporting Veterans, active-duty military, first responders and the American way of life. With every purchase made, they give back.

To learn more about BRCC, visit www.blackriflecoffee.com, follow BRCC on social media, or subscribe to Coffee or Die Magazine’s daily newsletter at https://coffeeordie.com/presscheck-signup.

– From the Drivers Seat: What are your thoughts heading into Charlotte Motor Speedway and this next stretch of upcoming races?

 

“I’m excited for this weekend at Charlotte. We’ve been building momentum the last couple of weeks and having solid runs, so I’m happy with the direction we are moving with our No. 42 team. This next stretch of races are ones that I’m looking forward to – Charlotte, Gateway, and Sonoma. One is our longest race of the season (Charlotte), one I’ve never been too before (Gateway) and the other I haven’t been to in a couple of years (Sonoma). I’m looking forward to those challenges and going into the summer months strong.”

Overall as a team, you are running better compared to others. How does that make you feel as a competitor?

“Our focus as a competitor is to always get better. Our teammate, Erik Jones, has had some really strong runs this year, so our focus is to get our performance to where they are which is extremely good. I’m always pushing to that point, but from a full perspective, we have had a solid start to our year and accomplished a lot of the expectations that we’ve had week in and week out in general. With that said, our nose is very much down to the grindstone of digging to get better.”

What does it mean to race on Memorial Day weekend and to carry the Black Rifle Coffee Company colors?

“It’s always an honor and privilege to represent Black Rifle Coffee Company and all of the veterans they have within their company, but this weekend, to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country is something that I don’t take lightly. Because of the men and women in our armed forces, we are able to race every week and live in a free country. To have Sgt. Maj. Christopher Nelms riding with me this weekend is so cool. He lived a life of service from serving in our military for 28 years to also serving in his local community as a firefighter. Honoring his ultimate sacrifice is the least we can do to say thank you and to allow his family to know that he isn’t forgotten.”
 

Erik Jones, No. 43 FOCUSfactor Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
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– Jones at Charlotte Motor Speedway: Erik Jones will make his eighth-career NASCAR Cup Series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend for the Coca-Cola 600. In his previous seven Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile track, Jones has a career-best finish of seventh in his first Coca-Cola 600 appearance in 2017. 

In addition to his Cup Series starts, Jones has five starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with a best finish of second in the Fall of 2015. In his lone NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start, Jones started the race from the second position and led 88 of 139 laps before narrowly missing the win late in the race, a finish that is still in the record books as one of the closest finishes in Truck Series history. 

– Honoring America’s Heroes: This weekend Jones and the No. 43 FOCUSfactor team will honor Lt Col Kenneth Stonebraker who was a member of the United States Air Force. Lt Col Stonebraker was a member of the 11th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing and was killed in active duty on October 28, 1968. As of today, Lt Col Stonebraker’s remains have not been recovered and he is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Cemetery of the Pacific. 

– Melanoma Awareness Month: With the month of May being Melanoma Awareness month, Jones and the Erik Jones Foundation have been busy spreading information and raising money for Melanoma research and various causes associated with Melanoma. Recently, the Erik Jones Foundation hosted a fundraising event at Birch Run Speedway in Michigan, the Foundation’s first fundraising event, to raise funds and awareness about Melanoma. This weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the Erik Jones Foundation and its partners will hand out more than 20,000 sunscreen samples and materials on Melanoma to race fans in the campgrounds and around the racetrack. 

– Hometown Help: One week ago, on May 20, Crew Chief Dave Elenz’s hometown of Gaylord, Michigan, was hit by a destructive tornado. Gaylord is known for its sense of community, especially when faced with hardships. Together the town is coming together to support their neighbors and businesses.

A fund has been established to focus on immediate relief, short term recovery, and long term rebuilding. Donations can be made here to help ensure the basics are met, gaps are filled, and resources are available to pick up the pieces and rebuild brick by brick.

– Focused on Winning: FOCUSfactor will serve as the primary partner on Jones’s Chevrolet Camaro for Sunday’s All-Star race at Texas Motor Speedway.

– About FOCUSfactor: FOCUSfactor is sold at America’s leading retailers such as Costco, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, CVS, The Vitamin Shoppe and Amazon.com. FOCUSfactor, America’s leading brain health supplement, is a nutritional supplement that includes a proprietary blend of brain supporting vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients. In December 2012, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued US Patent 8,329,227 covering FOCUSfactor’s proprietary formulation “for enhanced mental function”. The issuance of the patent marked one of the few times a patent has been issued for a nationally branded nutritional supplement. FOCUSfactor is clinically tested with results demonstrating improvements in focus, concentration and memory in healthy adults

– From the Driver’s Seat: Talk about racing at Charlotte. 

“Charlotte has been a pretty good track for me in the past. With this weekend being one of our longest races of the year, it’s important to prepare for not only the race, but the endurance of the day. Dave and the team have been working hard all season and bringing great cars to the track and I know this weekend will be no different. This is a special weekend as we honor Lt Col Kenneth Stonebraker on our FOCUSfactor Chevy and recognize all the men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice. We’ve also got the Erik Jones Foundation and some of our partners canvasing the track property handing out sunscreen samples and helping educate race fans on the importance of sun protection. With May being Melanoma Awareness month, this was important for me and to be a part of helping spread the message for fans to protect themselves and get checked. There’s a lot going on this weekend with many great causes. Should be a good weekend all around.” 

Do you have any concerns on the new car and equipment with the 600 being considered one of NASCAR’s endurance races? 

“I’m not too worried about the endurance. As for the parts and pieces wise, these cars have been pretty good. The issues we’ve had have been somewhat self-inflicted by the teams. You know, when the parts and pieces are left alone for the most part, they are happy and haven’t seen issues. I don’t think we will have any issues for the race.”  

Petty GMS PR

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