WHEN YOU GUYS WERE THINKING ABOUT WHEN YOU MIGHT COME BACK, DID THE EXTRA MILEAGE OF THIS RACE COME INTO PLAY AT ALL?

“Yeah, I think so. I think it got talked a lot, for sure. But at the same time, I feel like I’m ready. I feel like kind of the little bit of pain that I’m going to be stuck with, I’m probably going to be stuck with it for quite a while. So this week, versus next week, versus the following week – it kind of is what it is. Yeah, I think we talked about it, but I was able to run a lot of laps at North Wilkesboro (Speedway) on Tuesday. I felt OK about things, so yeah I’m pretty confident that I’ll be just fine.”

YOU’RE IN AN UNIQUE SITUATION COMING BACK WITH THE POINTS AND STILL BEING AROUND THE PLAYOFF CUTLINE. WHAT DOES THAT DO FOR YOU COMING BACK – DOES THAT PUT YOU AT EASE KNOWING YOU CAN STILL GET IN ON POINTS, OR DOES THAT STILL HURT YOU A LITTLE BIT?

“I don’t think it puts us at ease with the situation we’re in, points-wise, by any means. A lot can happen – you can have a lot of winners and that can change really quickly. But I think what it does do is talks about the season we’ve had so far. Missed three points races, had a 60-point penalty and still be on the playoff cutline – it says how good of a season we were having before I did get hurt. Excited to be back and hopefully we can pickup where we left and be strong right out of the gate.”

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS HAS HAD THE WHOLE CAMP TOGETHER SINCE AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE THE WHOLE CAMP BACK TOGETHER GIVEN THE SECOND-HALF OF THE SEASON STARTS ON SUNDAY?

“Yeah, I don’t know that they were missing much without me around (laughs). But it’s good to be back, for sure. It’s been an interesting year for all of us – whether it’s the crew chief deal, Chase (Elliott) getting hurt and me getting hurt. Glad to have us all back and hopefully we can keep it that way for the rest of the year.”

YOU WOULDN’T BE CLIMBING INTO THE CAR THIS WEEKEND IF YOU WEREN’T CLEARED. WHAT ARE YOU STILL DEALING WITH PHYSICALLY?

“Yeah, I mean I broke my back a month ago, so there’s definitely things that are going to come along with that for a long time. Shoot from everybody I’ve talked to, probably forever. There’s some discomfort here and there, and things that I do that don’t feel good. But that’s just part of it and stuff I’m going to have to deal with. It’s not too bad. For the most part, I’m back to normal. Kind of easing back to getting back into the gym and training hard. I didn’t want to kill myself training all week this week trying to be ready for the 600, and then show up tomorrow super sore and worn out already. Just trying to be smart with things. But yeah, twist the wrong way, sometimes it hurts or do different things and it hurts a little bit. In the racecar, at the end of a six hour race, I’m probably not going to feel the best. But as far as the 200 laps that I did at North Wilkesboro, I felt OK.”

INAUDIBLE..

“Yeah, I think so. Once I’m in the seat, it’s not too bad. There really hasn’t been anything that they could do at all, the whole time. As high as T3 is, it’s not like I had a brace or anything like that. Yeah, just been trying to do the best I can with it.”

BLAKE’S (HARRIS) FOCUS COMING INTO THIS SEASON WAS JUST OVERALL CONSISTENCY, WHICH YOU GUYS ACHIEVED EARLY. NOW THAT YOU’VE HAD A PROLONGED BREAK, HOW DO YOU KICKSTART THAT AGAIN?

“That’s a good question.. it would have been really nice to kickstart that again with some practice today. Really just try to understand where we’re going to pick up. Like I ran some laps myself at North Wilkesboro, but I haven’t raced. I haven’t competitively driven a racecar in a month, so just trying to understand where my rusty areas are going to be and where I’m still good. Lap time-wise, we were plenty competitive in our test, but that’s by yourself. Obviously North Wilkesboro is significantly different than Charlotte.. about as different as they get. So just trying to see where we stack up whenever I do get back into the car and kind of go from there.”

DEFINE ‘PAIN’.. THERE’S PAIN AND THERE’S PAIN THAT COMES AND GOES. WHAT’S YOUR TOLERANCE FOR PAIN AND HOW MUCH DOES IT HURT?

“Yeah, until I do it, I don’t know. That’s the biggest thing and that’s really the whole reason in testing. The doctor was like it’s healing and you can do it based on pain tolerance, but you can’t simulate what it’s going to be like without getting in a racecar. And even that, you can’t simulate Charlotte at North Wilkesboro, so I don’t have a clue. It’s going to hurt. I don’t know how much it’s going to hurt. Hopefully it doesn’t hurt very much because at North Wilkesboro it didn’t. All we did was make long runs there to try and simulate being here and how long the 600 is. But we had two sets of tires, two hours and a flat race track that is really slick and doesn’t give you any G-forces. We have five-and-a-half hours tomorrow night with a ton of G-forces and a ton of grip, so it’s about as different as it could possibly get. But yeah, I think I’ll be alright.”

IN THE PAST, HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR TOLERANCE FOR PAIN ON A SCALE OF ONE TO 10 PRIOR TO THIS?

“I don’t know, I think I’m a bit of a wimp, if we’re being honest. But no, I’ve raced through some things before and I feel like I’ll be OK. Honestly, it’s not that bad. I feel like a lot of people have had similar injuries that were so much worse. Obviously I got out of the car and walked away. It’s not too bad. It’s a bit uncomfortable, but I’ll be fine.”

WITH NO PRACTICE, WAS IT STILL NICE TO BE ABLE TO GET IN THE CAR THIS WEEK AT NORTH WILKSBORO INSTEAD OF GOING INTO TOMORROW WITH NOTHING?

“Yeah, for sure. And honestly, as much as it was for me to get my head wrapped around what it was actually going to feel like, I feel like that was a part of getting cleared – having a doctor there and kind of going through that. Glad we were able to do that. Obviously would have liked track time today to kind of know what I signed myself up for tomorrow, but yeah I think it was definitely good to be able to do that. Ran a lot of laps in the simulator, which doesn’t really do a whole lot, but hopefully that gives me an idea of what my racecar is going to be like. I think it was really good for me, mentally. Obviously it was a requirement to get cleared, but just mentally to know what to expect, feels good.”

WHAT DID THEY EXACTLY DO TO YOUR BACK – WAS IT A REST THING OR DID THEY PUT PINS IN IT? SECONDLY, ARE YOU GOING TO STICK TO JUST NASCAR RACING OR WILL YOU STILL GO BACK TO SOME OTHER STUFF LIKE YOU WERE DOING?

“Yeah, they walked in and said you broke your back.. come back and see us again in three weeks (laughs). Honestly there just wasn’t anything that they could do. It wasn’t something that required surgery or anything like that. It was too high to brace. So honestly, it was a lot of rest at first. I tried to keep myself busy. I felt like after a week or two, kind of the less I moved, the more I hurt. So I’d go to my shop and walk around, or go to HMS and walk around, and then I slowly worked my way into getting back to the gym. I walked a lot. Just trying to keep it loose and let it heal. Thankfully, it is healing. It was stable. I didn’t have any big complications. Obviously that similar crash and similar injury hurt a lot of others much worse, so just thankful it wasn’t worse for me.

As far as racing other stuff – someday, for sure. I want to get back into a sprint car and a midget. For me, I felt like we were just kind of getting rolling a little bit in a sprint car, and getting more and more competitive. That night, we were pretty fast. Definitely a bummer there.. that’s something I really want to conquer and at least be able to be competitive with like the World of Outlaws or at High Limit races. It would mean a lot to me. So someday I’ll get back to that, but as a guy that’s sat on the couch more in the last eight months than not, probably smart if I give my day job a little alone time for a bit.”

WHAT MAKES YOU SO CONFIDENT IN BEING ABLE TO RACE THIS WEEKEND?

“Well I’m not very smart, so that might be part of it (laughs). But no, just running laps in the car on Tuesday, it didn’t hurt. Like the physical act of driving the racecar, I was fine. It’s going to be a long night and I’m going to be pretty sore by the end of it, but yeah I’m confident. I wish we had practice. That would probably make me a little more confident. But I wouldn’t be back here if I wasn’t confident that I could run the whole race.”

DID YOU PRACTICE THEM DROPPING THE JACK AND HAVING THAT FEELING?

“Yeah, that was my biggest fear, by far. Obviously these cars are very stiff. We’ve seen with the Next Gen car how much stiffer it is and how much more it kind of shocks the driver’s body. Yeah, I was terrified to drop the jack. We did it and it didn’t hurt at all. The thing that I thought was going to hurt the most didn’t hurt at all, so that makes me feel good. I don’t think I would get away with 600 miles on one set of tires, so dropping the jack is going to be a requirement tomorrow night or Monday.”

DO YOU THINK SONOMA RACEWAY WILL REALLY BE THE NEXT CHALLENGE AFTER JUST GETTING THROUGH THIS 600 MILES BECAUSE YOU’RE GOING LEFT AND RIGHT?

“Yeah, for sure. I think I have a lot of challenges ahead of me, for sure. Sonoma (Raceway) isn’t going to feel good with how tall the curbs are and how stiff the racecars are. That race is physical, in general.

My challenges are going to be that. My challenges are going to be the fact that I sat on the couch for the last month and wasn’t able to train. There’s a lot of things that are going to be difficult to catch back up on. But yeah, I’m confident I’ll be fine. It may not be the most fun, but I’ll be fine.”

DO YOU GUYS HAVE A STRATEGY HOW TO ADVANCE TO THE PLAYOFFS?

“Yeah, I think for us, we just have to do what we were doing. We had the best average finish out of anybody at the time I got hurt. We had a massive points penalty, missed three points races and we’re still on the cutoff line. So if we can just go back to how we were running, I know we can do it. Obviously we want to go win races and I think that comes with how we were performing. But yeah, just have to go kick some butt.”

BOWMAN ON STARTING 31ST IN A 600-MILE RACE:

“I have one of the best crew chiefs on pit road, best race team on pit road, top-five best pit crew on pit road – there’s no reason why we can’t accomplish it. Honestly, if I can drive the racecar at the level that I think I’m capable of doing and we have a good car when we take off, there’s no reason we can’t win from 31st. I think for me, I want to make all the laps and I want to have a good, solid top-10 day coming back from breaking my back. But yeah, there’s no reason that with our race team and our capabilities that we can’t win from anywhere we start every week.”

GM PR

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

What did winning the Coke 600 mean to you and the experience you had honoring our fallen soldiers?

“It really is special for sure. I thanked Marcus (Smith) and his whole team for allowing me to go and experience it. It was a great experience and obviously, a very humbling experience to see the cemetery. It was an honor to see the changing of the guard there. Our sport does so much for the military, week-in and week-out. When we get to the Coke 600, the Department of the Defense thinks that this is their biggest event to honor their military. Certainly, very humbling for us to go out and put on a show for them.”

What is like for you to see cars that you own run not as well as you would expect?

“I think it is a little bit easier to assess when my team struggles because I know I have all the information on what our team is running and what we are doing, and so my first question is how far off the reservation are you guys when it comes to that. So, it is a little bit easier to assess when you have an alliance with a team like Joe Gibbs Racing that usually strong, week-in and week-out. It forces you to look in the mirror when you’re not performing, but if you do it on your own, there is a lot of questions and speculation about what could, or could not be wrong.”

Is there anything you can do with the radio to prevent what happened over Bubba Wallace’s radio last weekend?

“I know the team internally talked about it – about what they wanted to do to prevent it. We are working on stuff on our end to prevent it. I haven’t heard what the exact fix is for that.”

How did the strong runs for both 23XI Racing cars last weekend make you feel?

“It makes me feel good. It means our team is a high-level, elite team, and one that kind of carried the Toyota banner last week. It makes me feel good about it that they are taking the information and fitting it to their drivers, and the drivers are doing a good job. Bubba (Wallace), especially, in this past year has taken huge strides, and Tyler (Reddick) has been a proven winner. He has continued to work on his craft to get better as well. It really says a lot about that whole team, and what they have been doing on the competition side to get better, working on the small details that make a difference each week.”

Was there a fire at your parent’s house this week?

“A little attic fire, but everyone is okay. Just have some repairs to do.”

What does it mean to you have a fallen soldier on your car this weekend?

“Kevin (J. Smith) from Georgia was a victim in Baghdad back during the Iraqi Freedom Operation. I like listening to their parents or relatives to hear their story. You can read about them as much as you can, and you hear their stories through words on paper, but hearing from their relatives touches you in a bigger manner, especially for me. I will get to spend some time with his dad and stepmom this weekend and really understand his story and what he has done for our country and say thank you to them for making that sacrifice.”

When you pull the cars down pit road for the moment of silence, what is it for you as a driver?

“It’s definitely different. We’ve done moment of silences before for some stuff. It just seems like during that 600, we are all pumped full of adrenaline and then we are thinking about all of these things, but no matter how busy our minds are and what the crew chief is maybe thinking about, on which direction he needs to make the car better when we come down here and pit, everyone just stops. Myself personally, I stop everything. I stop my brain and sit there in silence and reflect. Hopefully, all the competitors, I’m sure, do as well. It is a moment where we need to stop the game for a moment and just say thank you.”

Are there any future plans to expand on Bubba Wallace’s documentary on Netflix?

“We would like to for sure. Obviously, that was really well put together. I’m proud for Bubba (Wallace) and the whole 23XI team, and the guys that helped put that whole deal together. They just did a phenomenal job with it. Certainly, I think it was a very good inside baseball type of thing where we get to educate fans beyond what you see with us going around in circles each and every weekend. It shows the work that goes on for the drivers and the teams do to make that show go on every weekend. I would love to see it expand and have another season or another version of it in NASCAR, we just have to keep working on it.”

Has anything internally changed with Bubba Wallace recently to allow him to seem more relaxed?

“I think the results, honestly. There was a turning point during the summer of last year where he started getting some really good runs and he started to believe in himself. I think he’s a guy that can definitely question his own abilities at times, but I think that he’s had enough sustained good runs that he now knows in his ability, and he knows when he puts in the work – he sees the results from it. I think this is the new Bubba Wallace that you are probably going to see as an upfront contender, week-in and week-out, more times than not.”

TRD PR

THIS IS A HOME RACE FOR YOU. OBVIOUSLY YOU GREW UP IN CHARLOTTE AND VERY FEW DRIVERS CAN SAY THAT THEY ARE CONSIDERED A TRUE HOMETOWN FAVORITE, SO TO SPEAK, HERE WHEN WE ARE AT CHARLOTTE. TALK ABOUT THE COCA-COLA 600, CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY AND WHAT THIS TRACK MEANS TO YOU, BEING ABLE TO CELEBRATE THIS WEEKEND EVERY MAY?

“Yeah, it’s always good getting to May. I feel like it’s a time period that I look forward to, just coming to the Coca-Cola 600 and getting ready for the Charlotte (Motor Speedway) race. But also, just being back home and being able to see a lot of family. It’s a busy time, for sure, but I just always have great memories of Charlotte Motor Speedway and going to the 600-mile race and just being up in the stands. Every time I come back, it gives me a lot of excitement and I think my team thrives off of that. With Hendrick Motorsports being right across the street, certainly we look forward to Charlotte every year and that’s no different this year. I think honestly this year, this is probably the most we’ve looked forward to the 600. Looking forward to it.”

WHAT TYPE OF ADVANTAGE IS IT STARTING ON THE POLE?

“Yeah, I mean I try not to get too excited, one way or another, on the weekend. I think that we’ve done a lot of good work this week just in the simulator and talking about the race. Really, it started before Kansas (Speedway). When Kyle (Larson) tested here, we talked a lot about what we felt like we needed. We’ve carried some of that to the other 1.5-mile tracks. Darlington (Raceway) isn’t really a 1.5-mile track, but there’s similar traits in the car there. I thought we were really strong there from the beginning to the end of the run, and that’s what you’ll need at Charlotte. The runs are pretty long.. usually probably going to be 50 laps on tires, at least.

It's certainly nice to get the pit selection. I think really the track position is not that big of a deal for a long race like this, but the pit stall selection is huge going into the race.”

YOU SAID 50 LAP RUNS ON TIRES. DO YOU EXPECT WITH CONSTRUCTION CHANGE THAT’S DIFFERENT FROM A YEAR AGO THAT YOU WON’T SEE DRIVERS JUST SPINNING OUT LIKE THEY DID LAST YEAR IN THIS RACE?

“Yeah, I think a lot of the issues that we saw last year – obviously the cars were a handful, but there was also just a lot of attrition for some reason and I think that guys were making contact. We weren’t used to the track changes. They might have been different than the old car. It was really hot outside. So I think the car just being kind of unpredictable and guys having more issues with kind of bottoming out and losing grip that way. I don’t think there was a ton of tire failures.. at least there wasn’t for us. But certainly we didn’t understand the tire fully to be able to maximize the whole run, so there was a lot of uncharacteristic kind of fall-off throughout the run. Hopefully we’ve worked on that a lot and we can run 40 or 50 laps on tires and still hold on well.”

I THINK IT’S BEEN SINCE WEEK TWO AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY THAT THE ENTIRE HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CAMP HAS BEEN TOGETHER. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE EVERYONE TOGETHER GOING INTO THE SECOND-HALF OF THE REGULAR-SEASON?

“It’s really important for the morale of the shop and us be able to kind of pull the rope in the same direction. I think having Josh (Berry) in was great. He really did a good job subbing. But obviously we have notes from four or five years, or more, from working together as a group of four. I feel like we understand each other’s driving styles and that just really helps grow the group, in general, and grow the setups forward. I think having all of our feedback back together, it would be nice to see that kind of payoff with practice. But I think Monday, we’ll really be able to dissect what we all had in the race and it will be nice to have everyone back to do that.”

WITH THE CHANGE IN THE SHORT-TRACK PACKAGE, WHAT DID YOU NOTICE AT SONOMA (RACEWAY) LAST YEAR THAT WAS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER RACES AT SONOMA IN THE PAST?

“Yeah, I mean I don’t really remember Sonoma (Raceway) that well last year, but I do feel like as a group, we kind of struggled more than we thought we would. INAUDIBLE…. The No. 99 (Daniel Suarez) was really strong. I feel like those notes will still apply, but we’ve come a long way with our road course program and I think that will payoff at Sonoma. It’s such low grip. You really have to manage the tire falloff. I feel like COTA was that way and we were pretty strong there. Still some work to do to get to where the No. 45 (Tyler Reddick) was, but hopefully at Sonoma we’ll make a lot more progress.”

THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, A LOT OF THE TALKING HEADS HAVE KIND OF CONSIDERED THE CHAMPIONSHIP WILL LIKELY COME DOWN BETWEEN HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AND JOE GIBBS RACING. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE, OTHER THAN YOUR TEAMMATES, THAT YOU SEE AS DIRECT COMPETITION FOR YOU IN GETTING THAT FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP?

“Well I think honestly, our goal is to make that final race and the Championship Four. I think as I see more talk about one guy or two guys or whatever – I think really you have to realize that it’s really just about getting to that final race with a chance. That’s been our goal all along.. every year it is, but I think realistically, the last two years that’s been the realistic goal.

I do think that teams are starting to emerge as strong players - the No. 19 (Martin Truex Jr.), the No. 11 (Denny Hamlin), the No. 5 (Kyle Larson), the No. 1 (Ross Chastain). I think there’s quite a few guys out there. I think you’ll see an evolution throughout the summer and some other guys will come on really strong, as well. I try not to set too much on one guy or one team, but I certainly think our team is in that mix. We just have to keep doing what we’re doing to stay on top of that order.”

ARE YOU PROUD OF THE GAINS THAT YOU AND RUDY (FUGLE) HAVE MADE?

“Yeah, I think it’s really been a steady improvement. I think a lot of people look to us to make big waves and things like that. But we’ve really just kept gaining on it each year. I feel like now we’re in a place where the foundation of our team is strong and it’s going to continue this way. We didn’t make any major steps really quick. We just kind of continued to win one or two races a year, and now we’re at three races a year. Hopefully that just continues.”

YOU TALK ABOUT THE INCENTIVE OF GETTING THE POLE AND THE PIT BOX SELECTION, BUT THAT OBVIOUSLY MEANS YOU DON’T GET THE PRACTICE TIME. ARE YOU A GUY THAT’S OK WITH GETTING THAT POLE POSITION AND FIRST BOX AND IS COMFORTABLE ABOUT WHAT YOU HIT THE TRACK WITH WHEN IT COMES OFF THE TRUCK?

“Yeah, I think one of our strong suits is practice. So I think for us, we enjoy going out there – cutting some laps, getting ready for qualifying, adjusting the balance. We have really good notes on what to do for practice and qualifying, so I feel like anywhere we go, we’re a threat for a pole in that sense. But yeah, we’ll take it any way we can get it. I also do trust that they’re going to unload something that’s close. We have good tools with Chevrolet and our simulator program, so I feel confident about that. We also had a test with Kyle (Larson) here. I feel good that we can unload strong.

I guess I’m kind of impartial. I feel like we can excel either way. Obviously the easier way would be to have qualifying canceled, but yeah I think either way trying to get a strong pit stall and go to work from there.”

HOW MUCH DOES THE PIT STALL EFFECT YOUR STRATEGY FOR THE RACE, AND DOES CLEAN AIR SORT OF NEGATE ALL OF THE UNCERTAINTIES IF YOU SHOULD GET THE POLE WITH NOT KNOW WHAT YOUR CAR REALLY HAS OR DOESN’T HAVE?

“Yeah, I think the pit stall has a lot to do with your performance throughout the race, honestly. We talk a lot about qualifying each week and really that’s what I try to do – try to get into the top seven or eight, or seven to 10, to get yourself either an opening in or opening out of the pit box. Those are really the important things.. just not being boxed in all day throughout the race. I feel like for us, that’s why we focus so hard on qualifying – not really for the track position, but more so for pit road. Try to do a good job of that each week and see where we end up.”

GM PR

Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 2 Menards/Duracell Ford Mustang, stopped by the infield media center at Charlotte Motor Speedway to answer questions about this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 and other issues.

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Menards/Duracell Ford Mustang – WHAT’S IT LIKE TO FILL ON TV VERSUS BEING A DRIVER? “Honestly, I had a lot more fun rain-filling as a TV person than I usually do as a driver. As a driver, you cool off and you almost don’t want to do it anymore. You’re kind of over it. You’ve hyped yourself up and now I don’t get to do my job, so that’s what all those drivers are experiencing right now, especially for the entirety of today, but I tried to make the most of it.”

DO YOU APPROACH THIS RACE ANY DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE OF THE 600 MILES? “I don’t think so, to be honest. I think the biggest difference is having the extra stage. It’s an extra opportunity to earn points and the fact that all stages are the same length, 100 laps for all four stages, I think really, for me, that’s how I mentally separate the races as they go anyway. Even on my dash and with the feedback my team gives me it’s like, ‘OK, how many laps am I doing before we have a caution.’ Or, ‘How many laps am I doing before I get off these tires.’ So, for me, it’s actually a pretty simple race, other than the fact that it’s longer than the ones we do throughout the rest of the year. From that standpoint, it’s still the same intensity that we would see on a normal 400-mile race on a mile-and-a-half.”

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR CHICAGO? “I think the biggest challenge, just like any street course, is going to be track conditions and the ability to not necessarily pass, but it’s narrow quarters. A racetrack like Circuit of the Americas, the last road course we ran on, I could screw up and go 100-feet into the runoff and keep going. That was a race that went primarily all green until it didn’t, whereas Chicago or any street courses there’s zero room for error. We’ve seen how strong and robust these cars are, but at the same time that’s why I love street course racing, but whether it’s track blockages or guys making mistakes having cautions throughout the race, all types of those things, I think will be different and come into play differently than what they would on most of our road courses because a mistake is damage, it’s not lost time.”

WHAT WAS KEVIN’S REACTION TO THE TOILET PAPER IN HIS MOTORCOACH AND WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO THE INDY-CLT DOUBLE ONE YEAR? “As far as Kevin goes, I was very anti-tepeeing Kevin’s bus when they asked about it over the second intercom because I have to race against him 28 more times before he retires. It’s all funny for everybody else, but Tyler and I were like, ‘This probably is not a good idea,’ but I guess that ask came from above on doing that, so they were all in on the joke. Kevin has a really nice bus. I could spend some days in there. That was nice. I didn’t really want to leave, honestly, because we sat on pit road and got rained on the entire time, but from that standpoint it was fun. I don’t think it was too rough. I was more worried about the guy that was actually gonna have to clean it up. I don’t know Kevin’s coach driver’s name, but I asked him three times before we started like, ‘You’re good with this, right, because I know you’re gonna be the one cleaning it up.’ I don’t think Kevin’s gonna be the one cleaning it up. Let’s be honest, he pays the guy, so from that standpoint I wanted to make sure he was cool with it and he knew what we were doing. The fact it was raining outside, I thought it was gonna be a really bad idea if we did the outside of it because I don’t know if any of you all have teepeed anything, but water makes some stickage and creates a much more complicated clean-up process. As far as your Indy 500 question, there’s a lot when it comes to the Indy 500 of why that race is special to me, special to my family. I just came from up there yesterday. It’s certainly a race that I would want to do. I don’t really see a racing career complete for me without having an opportunity to do that race. Obviously, I’m 24 years old and hopefully the completion of my racing career doesn’t come any time soon, but I’m also very focused on what I’m doing in the Cup Series garage. I certainly want to get as good as I can and contend for championships and wins in this garage area. That’s where my focus is right now, but somewhere later down the road it’s something I would want to do, for sure.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT GATEWAY? “It was an interesting race last year with different strategy calls, whether it’s track position, two tires, no tires, four tires. We were one of the cars that ran up front most of the day and took four tires at the end and probably weren’t able to really utilize it, but it’s a fun racetrack. I think the racetrack itself has done an incredible job promoting the NASCAR events and the IndyCar events. Every time you see it, they’ve got a full crowd and the fan response was awesome last year. I look forward to coming back and seeing that and being a part of that. Something that probably makes that place really unique is how much shifting we’re doing throughout the lap, just because you have two completely different corners with the really long sweeping turn three and four, and a pretty tight turn one and two, but the restarts were crazy because track position was so important, whether that was for the lead of the race. Coming at the end I thought Joey and Kyle’s battle was a really classic finish to a NASCAR race, but even throughout the pack it’s pretty wild.”

WHERE IS THIS 2 TEAM AT NOW? “The last two months have been extremely frustrating. I think anything that could have gone wrong has gone wrong in our control or out of our control. Certainly, 20th in points is not where I want to be. My best finish in the last two months was on dirt. I don’t think anybody would have guessed that, so, for me, I don’t put the panic button down by any means. We’re certainly within a points range of contending for the playoffs and a win changes everything. I drive for a race team. I’m a driver that’s capable of winning races in the Cup Series, so, from that standpoint, I feel like there’s been a lot of off-track things that have really progressed nicely over the last two months for our team that you necessarily can’t see. Getting our pit crew back for this weekend, the longest race of the year, is very important. Obviously, we had a slip-up at Kansas and had a wheel come off. I feel really good about the guys over-the-wall on my car and a lot of things that haven’t quite gone right recently, but I trust the process and certainly driving for an incredible team. I’ve got a really strong group of guys, so that’s where we’re fortunate to have a long season. I talk about two months, we race every week and it’s easy to have all that compound and really weigh on you, but if look at the other side and the other forms of racing, that’s the majority of a season – that amount of races – so we’re fortunate we get to go to the racetrack every week and learn and continue to improve because it is an extremely long season. We are at the halfway point, I believe, but it still feels like we’ve got a long way to go and certainly a long enough time to let things average out.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO BE WINNING RACES EVERY YEAR REGARDLESS OF HOW LONG YOU’VE RACED? “I can promise you wholeheartedly that I plan on showing up at the racetrack every week with the capability of winning races. I drive the 2 car for Roger Penske. I feel like that’s somewhat of the expectation. Obviously, I haven’t been in the series for a very long time. I’m racing against guys that are the best at what they do and they’ve been the best at what they do for a long time, but that’s what makes this enjoyable for me is to be out and be able to compete with the best and on certain days to be the best.”

IS THE 600 ONE OF THE MORE IMPORTANT REGULAR SEASON RACES NOW? “Yeah, it’s certainly 10 more points that you wouldn't be able to get on any other week, so being able to emphasize a good race is important. Just from a numbers side, yeah, I would say it could be one of the most important regular season races as far as an opportunity to get points or separate yourself or being able to maximize having a good day, a good car, good execution. That pays off 25 percent more than any other race we have.”

WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWING HABITS FOR THE INDY 500 TOMORROW? “I was very lucky last week that our garage opening schedule was so long between our on-track schedule last week that I have not missed a single lap that they have done this month in May up in Indy. I got to go there yesterday for Carb Day. I had the first time in my life to be at the Coke 600 last year and I basically just got to the track as early as possible so I could watch the entire race and not be disturbed. The team knows me well enough to know to not schedule any appearances until the race is over, so they were good about that last year. Hopefully, the same this year. I love that race and it’s such a classic event and the fact that you get to have those three races – Monaco, Indy and Charlotte all on the same day, hopefully, weather permitting – but it’s been really cool to see how this side of the racing world views it. When I’ve been at Indy all my years as a kid, the Coke 600 is the after party. You’ve finished watching the 500 and you’re sunburned and you sit down and watch the Coke 600 and watch the sunset, but it’s kind of interesting being on the other side for the second time in my life.”

DO YOU WATCH MONACO AND FOR THE INDY 500 ARE YOU IN YOUR COACH OR WITH YOUR ENGINEERS WATCHING? “I think our NASCAR team, at least our core group, has benefitted from my presence with their IndyCar knowledge has definitely grown. Even last week, just having it on in the Penske bus or whatever else and talking to guys about the qualifying format and how practice has gone and this and that. Certainly, those guys are interesting, whether it’s Joey or Ryan or Harrison or some of the other crew chiefs and mechanics. They’ve started to come to me as far as asking questions, but it’s fun because we do have all of that under the same roof at Team Penske, but sometimes there isn’t enough crossover to really fully understand or appreciate what is so different, but so similar about what we get to do. It’s certainly something I’m passionate about and looking forward to watching the races Sunday.”

ARE YOU UP FOR MONACO? “If I’m up, I’m up. When I was a kid, we got in Roger’s police escort from downtown, which if we’re supposed to leave at 6:30 in the morning, we have to be there at 5:30 because if RP walks out at 6:15, you’re getting left. So, we were very early and all crammed in my dad’s car and so I would get to the track with plenty enough time, so Monaco is gonna be in all the garages and everything, so usually we would watch Monaco from inside the garage area because we’d be there way before the traffic would start. Those are really my only traditions watching Monaco. I’m not a diehard Formula 1 fan by any means, but I certainly enjoy watching it, so if it’s on, it’s on. If it’s not, I’m not gonna lose any sleep over it.”

WHAT IS THE GAME PLAN FOR YOU TOMORROW WITH RAIN A POSSIBILITY AGAIN? “The difficult part, and we’ve had it a number of times this year, is that we’re going on track for the first time. If practice gets rained out today, which it’s kind of looking likely, we’ll be on track for the first time and for a 600-mile race you’re kind of stuck with it, so that kind of looms over you. I try to be somewhat of a logical person in the sense that worrying about it isn’t gonna change anything. You’ve had all week to think about it. You’ve had all week to prepare, so why are you trying to study for a test that’s happening in five minutes or an hour. I’ve done all my prep work. My team has done all of our prep work and tried to show up with the best Duracell/Menards Ford Mustang as we possibly can and whenever the race happens it happens. I think actually having practice might add more stress for me because when you have practice you have the opportunity to go backwards as much as you do to go forwards, if not more of an opportunity to go backwards than you do to go forward, so you have more stress about ‘did I screw this up or not?’ It’s kind of easy going into it blind because you don’t know anything. You haven’t screwed anything up because you haven’t even started, so it is what it is and I just hope we can get it in tomorrow or at least in a time that everybody can enjoy it.”

Ford Performance PR

Kody Swanson’s quest for a fifth victory in the Hoosier Hundred will have to wait until 2024, but he led 115 laps of the 146-lap USAC Silver Crown race Friday night at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in Doran Binks Racing’s Mission Foods No. 77.

After qualifying second, just 0.269 of a second off Bobby Santos III’s pole-winning effort, Swanson took the lead from Santos in Turn 2 on the initial lap and then led the first 115 laps of the race. At one point he had built up over a 3-second margin over Santos with the No. 77, which is also sponsored by Glenn Farms and is powered by a Lanci Ford V8.

However, working lap 116 the car rolled to a stop with mechanical difficulties, which later proved to be a broken cam drive that turns the fuel pump.

Swanson ended up 19th in the unofficial rundown for the race, which attracted the largest car count for a pavement USAC Silver Crown race in 18 years with 35 entries.

Swanson posted a two-lap qualifying time of 41.995 seconds on the 0.686-mile oval to Santos’s 41.726. Swanson set the fastest lap of anyone in the race when he took only 21.772 seconds to circle the track on lap 50.

He was able to march away from Santos not only at the start but also during four restarts, and he picked his way carefully through lapped traffic.

He had a 1.019-second lead by lap 39 before a yellow waved to erase his advantage, but he had built it up to over a second again by lap 60. By lap 70 he was nearly 2 seconds ahead of Santos, and by lap 77 he had a 2.259-second lead. He stretched that to 3.024 seconds on lap 79 and 3.792 seconds by lap 81. His advantage was 3.651 seconds when C.J. Leary brought out a yellow on lap 89 when he stopped in Turn 3.

Santos drew right behind Swanson for the restart on lap 102, but three laps later Swanson already had a 0.976-second lead. His advantage was 1.840 seconds on lap 114 until he slowed to a stop to bring out the fifth caution on lap 116.

Santos went on to win over Logan Seavey, Tyler Roahrig, Derek Bischak and Taylor Ferns.

“There was no warning; the power steering went out and then it shut off,” Swanson said afterwards. “I was being careful and the car was working well; we were just trying to be there at the end. I was trying to save my tires because I knew Bobby would have a big challenge near the end of the race. It’s a bummer we didn’t get to race it out at the finish for the fans, but we’ll try again next time.”

Next time is tomorrow night, Saturday, May 27 when Swanson will start on the pole for the Lucas Oil Little 500 Presented by UAW at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway. It is the biggest asphalt sprint car race in the world, and a non-points special event sanctioned by the 500 Sprint Car Tour.

The Hoosier Hundred was streamed live by Flo Racing. The Little 500 will be streamed live by MAVTV for Flo Racing.

For more information see DoranRacing.com.

Doran Racing PR

Due to prolonged inclement weather in the forecast, NASCAR has announced that Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway will now start at Noon ET on Monday. Spectator gates will open at 10 a.m.

The broadcast networks for the Alsco Uniforms 300 remain unchanged – FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

NASCAR canceled tonight’s NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying. The starting lineup for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 will be set per the rule book. William Byron will start from the pole.

The Speedway Motorsports Weather Guarantee will be in effect for Alsco Uniforms 300 ticketholders unable to attend the rescheduled race on Monday. Fans with Alsco Uniforms 300 unscanned tickets may exchange them ticket-for-ticket for equal or lesser value toward any other Speedway Motorsports NASCAR or NTT IndyCar race during the next calendar year. Details can be found at www.CharlotteMotorSpeedway.com.

Sunday’s schedule for the 64^th running of the Coca-Cola 600 remains as follows:

• 10 a.m. Circle K Speed Street opens
• 2:30 p.m. Spectator gates open
• 6 p.m. Coca-Cola 600

Further details regarding Sunday driver appearances and concerts can be found at www.CharlotteMotorSpeedway.com

TICKETS:

Fans can purchase tickets for the Alsco Uniforms 300 either at the gates, online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling the ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267).

Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 is sold out for admission but will be broadcast on FOX, PRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

KEEP TRACK:

Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway by following on Twitter and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app or online at CharlotteMotorSpeedway.com.

CMS PR

TELL ME YOUR EVALUATION OF LEGACY MOTOR CLUB SO FAR AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MAKE THINGS BETTER?

“We’d be on here for an hour trying to answer the question (laughs). We have a massive effort on our hands to grow in many ways as a club. I think we’ve had some high spots with performance during the season. I think Erik’s (Jones) run last weekend in the All-Star Race would be an example of that. I think there have been some other highlights, as well, through the season. But certainly some areas that we know that we need to improve and we’re working hard to do so. A lot has changed in the course of a year on the competition front from this car being introduced last year. The big teams really capitalizing on the assets they have to become stronger. I think there’s a bit of a gap separating through the field that we’re now starting to see. I mention that just trying to paint a picture of the everchanging environment that we’re chasing. With all the changes we’ve had as a team through the off-season and changes that are out in front of us, especially through this coming off-season, there’s just a lot of work and a lot going on. I’m certainly proud of everybody at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB; their tireless work effort and the hours they’re putting in. I wish that we had some stronger performances and maybe a little more consistent with results than where we are, if I was to wish for something. But I can’t ask for anything more from the effort and energy put into the program. Everybody is doing an incredible job.”

AS FAR AS YOUR TEAM, ARE YOU INVIGORATED WITH THE CHALLENGE? WHAT’S YOUR MENTALITY AT THE MOMENT?

“Man, I’m excited, invigorated, exhausted.. all of it. It has been a really exciting adventure that I’ve embarked on here - to learn from Maury Gallagher, to be a part of this great team and learn from everyone that I’m surrounded by. I’m in a whole new element here and it’s very exciting to be in a new element. At the same time, there are some foundational pieces coming together, decisions that we’re making, that will really help the team grow in the future. And then we have our job at hand – the situation and environment that we have at hand to deal with in the 2023 season. Depends on the hat that I’m wearing, in some respects. There’s been a lot of work, but a lot of excitement and a lot of fun. I truly feel like I’m a part of something that’s really going to be a force in the future of NASCAR.”

YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE FOR FRANCE ON MONDAY. WHAT DO YOU DO IF THIS RACE GETS PUSHED TO MONDAY?

“Yeah, we’ve been talking to the ACO. The reason I need to arrive early is to run in their simulator and learn their procedures and protocols. It’s much different than anything else I’ve done before. We’ve notified the ACO. They’re aware of the potential rain delay and the fact that I might arrive to Paris later than my scheduled session on Wednesday morning. It appears that they’re willing to work with us and try to figure out how to get me some simulator time on Thursday or Friday, or even Wednesday evening if my flight just gets in late and has me behind schedule. So we’re actively working on that and feel really good about our options.”

BEING BACK HERE RACING AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY AND A PLACE WHERE YOU’VE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS, WHAT WENT INTO THAT DECISION AND WHAT HAVE YOUR EMOTIONS BEEN HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND IF WE DO GET TO GO RACING?

“For me, it’s really been about identifying marquee races around the world and trying to figure out how to run in them. Le Mans is a great example of that. Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600.. these are the marquee events. I’m very thankful for the opportunity I have to race this weekend. I feel about as ill-prepared for a race than I ever have in my life, though, with the threat of rain and not getting any seat time in a Next Gen car at this particular track. I ran a couple of hours out in Phoenix before the season started to get a feel for things and that’s about the only oval experience, comparable oval experience, although it’s still pretty different. I was hopeful to get some laps today. The way that sim time works out and what’s available to the team – I think I made 30 or 40 laps a couple of weeks ago and was very hopeful that today I could be on track and develop a feel for the car and an idea of what to expect. I don’t think that’s going to happen and it appears that I’ll go in green. Thankfully it’s a 600-mile race and I’ll be able to get some reps – get through that first stage, regroup, get to the second stage and work my way forward.”

HOW HAS THE DYNAMIC CHANGED WITH CHEVROLET SINCE THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB WILL BE GOING TO TOYOTA NEXT SEASON?

“Yeah, we’ve had a lot of conversations on both sides. Working very hard to close out 2023 as strong as we can. We have a relationship with Chevrolet, and then also a relationship with Richard Childress Racing. LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and those other two entities, there’s a lot going on, but everybody is truly putting their best foot forward and trying to provide what is to be expected for the contracts and for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB in 2023. It’s not ideal by any means, but we really felt like it would be important to announce early. Rumors were starting to circulate about our potential involvement with Toyota in the future. The way that Maury (Gallagher) likes to handle things, as for myself – let’s just pull the cover off this and address things head on. That’s what we’ve really done and I’m really proud of our group, and also everyone at RCR and Chevrolet.”

AM I CORRECT THAT JOE GIBBS RACING PROVIDES YOUR PIT CREWS, OR YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF AGREEMENT WITH JGR FOR YOUR PIT CREWS CURRENTLY?

“Yes, we did not elect to have our own pit stop program for the 2023 season. We went out, shopped and found what fit us better from an over-the-wall standpoint at Joe Gibbs Racing. I guess that decision was probably made really before my time last year coming onboard. So that was a decision made toward the end of 2022, and now as it turns out, we’ll essentially be in the same camp next year.”

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT ERIK (JONES) AND NOAH (GRAGSON) SINCE COMING ONBOARD AT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB?

“I think Erik (Jones) continues to show me just how good he is. He’s been in some challenging circumstances this year and keeps his head on; focuses, executes and gets the job done. I’ve really been impressed with his ability to stay calm and execute and just how good he is.

With Noah (Gragson), from watching him before, I wasn’t sure how serious he took his job in the sport. I knew that he was fast and I knew that he liked to have fun. I can say in the short time that I’ve really worked with him closely, he still has those two elements, but his desire to be as good as he can in this sport has really impressed me. So I guess ultimately, his commitment to his craft is what’s impressed me the most.”

YOU WERE TALKING EARLIER ABOUT BEING ILL-PREPARED FOR THIS RACE. AFTER TWO YEARS AWAY AND YOU COME BACK, IT’S A NEW CAR AND JUST THE TIME AWAY – WHEN YOU COME BACK AND RUN THESE RACES, THE FEW THAT YOU’VE DONE SO FAR, DO YOU FEEL LIKE JIMMIE JOHNSON – THE SEVEN-TIME CHAMPION – DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE A ROOKIE AGAIN AND WAY BEHIND EVERYONE ELSE?

“Well Daytona was nice where we had a bit of practice and had a qualifying race to work through and feel things out. I got into the rhythm and I started to feel much like myself. The package for plate racing, even with the Gen 6 car versus the Next Gen Car, is pretty darn close. A lot is the same, so that wasn’t all that different. I rolled into COTA thinking – alright, it’s going to be like Daytona – and I was mistaken for that. These cars really do drive much differently – the mechanical grip level versus the aero-grip is much different. The shocks and the way the internal bump stops work, in addition to the external bump stops on the car. None of that was taking place when I was in the car last and the car drives so much different as a result. So I’m really under-prepared, or ill-prepared, for this weekend’s race. It is sad to me that in today’s world, we can’t go test to get ready for a race. And then a practice and qualifying session rains out and you get zero track time, you have to depend on the simulator. We’re very low on the totem pole with resources and sim time – I get 30 laps of sim time to get ready for a race. It’s a 600-mile race and we’ll make the best of it. But just logically, as I think through how big our sport is, how big this race is, how big the opportunity is – it’s just crazy that I can’t get properly prepared for this race.”

YOU’VE SPOKEN BEFORE THAT YOU’RE TRYING TO RACES AT EITHER TRACKS YOU ENJOY OR BUCKET LIST ITEMS. IS THERE A BALANCE BETWEEN YOUR COMPETITIVE NATURE AND ALSO JUST TRYING TO HAVE FUN AND MAYBE LEARN SOMETHING TO HELP THE ORGANIZATION?

“Yeah, I really do find that I’m thinking more about what’s best for the company than what’s best for me as the racer, especially coming back to NASCAR. My last two years in INDYCAR and sportscars, I was much more selfish and much more in that traditional headspace as a driver – ultimate speed, ultimate fun, how can I do all of those aspects. Where now, when we take the No. 84 car to the track, is it hurting our program or is it helping our program? And if so, in which ways. When you think about crew personnel, inventory of parts and pieces, that’s one conversation. Notoriety, popularity, sponsorship dollars, all of those other aspects are another conversation. We’re always weighing the pros and cons out, and here before long we’ll start thinking about 2024 and what races make sense for me.

And then I honestly feel like getting through this weekend is going to be a big step in me deciding – we choose a lot of road course races for me in 2023, trying to help LEGACY MOTOR CLUB get better on road courses. We feel like we’ve seen some gains from that, especially the time I’ve been able to spend with Noah (Gragson) and Erik (Jones) – going to the sim, going to a driving school, driving some other cars and really just spending time together and honing that craft. This will be my first proper oval and depending on how that experience goes, I think it will give us a better place to decide from looking at 2024.”

HOW DIFFERENT IS THAT TO BE THINKING ‘BIG PICTURE’ THAN YOUR COMPETITVENESS? WHEN YOU WERE HERE FOR SO LONG, IT WAS ALL ABOUT WINNING RACES AND CHAMPIONSHIPS.

“Yeah, it’s different. I’m evolving mentally, maybe a little quicker than I give myself credit for I guess in probably six months since stepping into this new role. In six months’ time, I’ve been able to really transition into the thought process that I’m in now versus that selfish driver.”

NOW THAT LE MANS IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, ARE YOU STARTING TO GET ANY BUTTERFLIES YET?

“Yeah, I’m excited. I’ve been busy packing my suitcase before we jumped on this call. It’s feeling very real. It’s here and I’m very excited for the opportunity. I honestly don’t know what to expect. I know once I get to the race track and pick up the energy and the vibe of the race weekend, the butterflies will kick-in. But right now, there’s just great excitement and curiosity with what’s ahead.”

WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE YOU AT THIS POINT.. TO BE A MENTOR TO SOMEBODY AND GIVE YOUR KNOWLEDGE TO OTHER DRIVERS AND OTHER MEMBERS OF NASCAR?

“It’s surreal, but it’s hard for me right now because I don’t have a lot of time in the Next Gen car, so I don’t know how relatable my advice is. I’ve been careful to not overdue it and I’ve kind of spoken to Erik (Jones) and Noah (Gragson) around more of the track – how I’ve seen a track evolve and how I would attack certain corners. And of course, preface with – hey, I don’t have a lot of time in these cars, but this is what I look for.. these are the trends that helped me at this particular track. And then not only at the track, but away from the track and knowing what their roles and responsibilities are – what their work load is during the course of a week and trying to offer advice that helped me deal with a long, long career in NASCAR. To that effect, I’m very thankful that Amy Stock is involved, John Lewensten, people that worked so close to me through my 20 years in this sport. We can all mentor and help. Noah, probably a little bit more. Erik is certainly a veteran at this point. But we are able to mentor as a group and I can as an individual on a much broader spectrum than really just in the car at the track.”

WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST WORRY GOING INTO LE MANS? WHAT’S KEEPING YOU UP AT NIGHT, IF ANYTHING?

“For me, I am concerned about the top division surprising me in the car somewhere in one of these corners. All the sportscar racing I’ve done to date; I have been in the fastest car. I’ve only had to worry about looking out the windshield and really not, on a consistent basis, being passed in the GT category. Plus you look at us in our Garage 56 category, our car is going to create a lot of its lap time on the straightaways; we lack in the corners. So I’m nervous about traffic, in general. I’m nervous about one of these prototypes going up unexpectedly as I’m committing to a corner.. I’m not sure they’re going to be there and they’re shooting for a gap that’s closing. My fears really are about awareness in mirrors and getting a true understanding of how quickly these cars approach. And then you add the night element and from what I understand, the prototype headlights are so bright and really all the cars have such bright lights because there’s very little track light. So you don’t have a great sense of depth of when a car is approaching because the lights are so bright. So it’s all kind of in that traffic phase, certainly at night in traffic. I’m eager to get there and get a sense of it. And then they have some night running, and within that, I can get a much better idea, as well, and work through that.”

WHERE DOES IT COMPARE TO GOING INTO THE DAYTONA 500 OR THE INDIANAPOLIS 500?

“It feels really special. My thoughts have really been on this weekend and the 600-mile race here in Charlotte (Motor Speedway) with Club Wyndham onboard. I’m extremely excited about that relationship and hopeful to have a good run – run a top-10, top-15, would be an awesome goal for us in the 600. So I’ve largely been focused there. There’s this great excitement in the back of my mind that I know I’m going to jump on a plane Monday or Tuesday and fly across the pond and get into it. But it’s just really exciting, but with so many unknowns. It’s hard to really quantify what I’m going to go embark on.”

GM PR

Celebrating their 10^th year of involvement in motorsport, Caymus Vineyards has renewed their partnership with NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver, Felix Rosenqvist, expanding their relationship to now include the entire 17 race season.

Caymus Vineyards made its foray into INDYCAR a year ago when it partnered with Rosenqvist for the 106^th Running of the Indianapolis 500. After the crafty veteran took them on a fast ride that nearly saw the iconic vineyard trade wine for the legendary bottle of milk in the winner’s circle, the pair continued to align for much of the season. The result was success on the track and elevated visibility and engagement among the motorsport fanbase.

The Wagner family – who founded Caymus Vineyards – is celebrating a decade of sponsorship in auto racing. In the NASCAR Cup Series, the vineyard is partnered with championship-winning team, Stewart-Haas Racing, and race-winning driver, Aric Almirola, and their 2023 motorsport celebration was kicked off with a partnership with Haas F1 driver, Pietro Fittipaldi, in the esteemed Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The partnership with Rosenqvist complements the portfolio of championship and iconic drivers with which Caymus Vineyards has partnered over the years. Fan engagement and enthusiasm for their iconic offerings have resulted in a successful partnership with the sport.

“We’ve enjoyed our relationship with Felix over the last year and it’s great to see race fans embrace our wines and celebrate our involvement in INDYCAR,” said Karen Perry, executive vice president of Caymus Vineyards. “Felix has been a terrific ambassador for Caymus Vineyards and we are excited to continue the partnership, as well as our engagement with the passionate INDYCAR fanbase.”

On Sunday, Rosenqvist will be making his fifth Indianapolis 500 start. When he takes to the starting grid, the Arrow McLaren driver will have clear vision, operating from the front row after qualifying third among the fastest field in Indianapolis 500 history. After an exciting fourth-place finish in 2022, Caymus Vineyards will again be along for the ride.

“I’m happy to extend the partnership with Caymus Vineyards for the 2023 INDYCAR SERIES season,” said Rosenqvist as he stood in the shadows of the famed Pagoda at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “Caymus Cabernet has become iconic, so I’m honored to work with them and appreciate our relationship. I enjoy helping promote their elite wines in INDYCAR and beyond. I’ve always admired their passion for winemaking, which aligns with my commitment to excellence on the race track.”

The Wagners have a history in Napa Valley dating back to the 1850’s. Through the years, they have embraced a hands-on work ethic and are constantly trying out new ideas in pursuit of making exceptional wines. Whether it’s venturing to different regions to find diverse sources of top-quality grapes or experimenting with new farming techniques, the result is a pairing of tradition with innovation, a respect for the old with the promise of the new.

Chuck Wagner and his late parents, Lorna and Charlie, started Caymus Vineyards in 1972. They were a family of farmers who worked together for decades to create a signature style of Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, the family’s two Cabernets – Caymus Napa Valley and Caymus Special Selection – are among the region's most celebrated wines. Chuck now works alongside two of his children, Charlie and Jenny, and the family produces diverse wines from Napa Valley, other parts of California and beyond. Continually pursuing new ideas, they feel extremely fortunate to spend their days farming grapes and making wine. For more information, please visit wagnerfamilyofwine.com.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CaymusVineyards | www.facebook.com/FelixRosenqvistOfficial

Twitter: @CaymusCab | @FRosenqvist

Instagram: @CaymusCab | @FRosenqvist

YouTube: www.youtube.com/wagnerfamilyofwine /

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Jimmie Johnson admits he’s bringing a different mentality to the track now than earlier in his career.

Now 47, and a rookie team owner with Legacy Motor Club, his focus has shifted to what’s best for his organization, and not necessarily what will benefit him the most behind the wheel.

Still, it was easy for Johnson to identify Charlotte Motor Speedway as one of his targets when making his limited driving schedule in the winter.

“For me it’s about the marquee races around the world,” Johnson said. “Daytona 500, Coke 600 – those are the marquee events.”

Charlotte’s all-time leader in NASCAR Cup Series wins with eight, Johnson can add another piece to his legendary resume with a victory Sunday in the Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m., Fox, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Only Darrell Waltrip with five has more Coca-Cola 600 triumphs than Johnson’s four. Johnson won three consecutive Coca-Cola 600s from 2003-05, then added another in 2014.

In two starts this season with Legacy Motor Club (formerly Petty GMS Motorsports) in the No. 84 Chevrolet, he has finished 31st at Daytona in February and 38th at COTA in March.

“I feel about as ill prepared for [Sunday’s] race as I’ve ever have,” Johnson said. “A couple hours [testing] in Phoenix is the only comparable oval experience I’ve had. We had 30 to 40 laps in a simulator and that’s been it. I want to survive the first stage [Sunday] and go from there.

“We are hopeful to have a good running. A top-10 or top-15 would be an awesome finish for us.”

Johnson’s primary concerns are improving the results of Legacy’s two full-time drivers, Erik Jones and Noah Gragson. The best performance this year from that duo is Jones’ sixth-place finish at Talladega in April. Jones is 25th in the Cup Series point standings while Gragson is 32nd.

“Erik continues to show just how good he is,” Johnson said. “He’s had challenging circumstances this year and he just stays focused and gets the job done. Noah, from afar, I wasn’t sure how seriously he took things. His desire and commitment to his craft is what has impressed me the most.

“We have a massive effort on our hands to figure out many ways to improve. I’m proud of everything going on. I can’t ask for more effort from everyone involved. We just need more consistency.”

Coca-Cola 600 practice and qualifying is scheduled to begin Saturday at 7 p.m.

After his Charlotte visit, Johnson doesn’t have much time to rest as he is scheduled to depart next week for France to participate in next month’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, another of his coveted global marquee events.

“It’s feeling very real,” Johnson said. “I’m very excited for the opportunity. I honestly don’t know what to expect. Right now, it’s great excitement and curiosity.” 

Still, after his overseas adventure, it’s back to building Legacy’s foundation – with maybe some top finishes behind the wheel still in the future.

“It’s been an exciting adventure that I’ve embarked on here,” Johnson said. “It’s exciting to be in this new element. I truly feel like that I’m part of something that’s going to be a force in the future of NASCAR.”

KEEP TRACK:
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