Oval Racing Stock car style in Québec, Ontario and New England States: Mar 2, 2020

2020-03-02

King of Dirt Racing Headed for History at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

ATTACHED PHOTOS:

KOD1_AW.jpg: The King of Dirt Racing (KOD) Crate Modified Series will make its debut at The Flat Track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Friday, September 11. (Alan Ward photo)

KOD6_JM.jpg: The King of Dirt Racing (KOD) Crate Modified Series will make its debut at The Flat Track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Friday, September 11. (Jeremy McGaffin photo)

MEDIA NOTE: The KOD logo is also attached to this email. The full schedule will be revealed on the Facebook Live show "Let's Talk Racing!" on the Devil's Bowl Speedway and King of Dirt Racing Series pages tonight (Tuesday, Feb. 25) at 7:00 p.m. EST, with a full press release to follow.

King of Dirt Racing Headed for History at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

First-ever Modified race to be held on NHMS dirt track on September 11, 2020

For Immediate Release KOD-022520-1

LOUDON, N.H. – King of Dirt Racing will make history in the Granite State in 2020. The Flat Track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) will host the King of Dirt Racing (KOD) Crate Modified Series under the lights on Friday, September 11 as part of Full Throttle Dirt, marking the first-ever dirt Modified stock car race on the 0.25-mile flat track.

The two-day Full Throttle Fall Weekend, including Full Throttle Dirt, offers a wide variety of racing on four different track layouts, and the KOD race promises to be one of the most prestigious events in the series' history. The 40-lap feature race will pay $2,000-to-win, $200 to start, and offers a guaranteed $100 in tow money to drivers who do not qualify for the feature. The USAC Dirt Midget Association and the Sprint Cars of New England will also be in action on Friday night at The Flat Track.

The famous 1.058-mile paved "Magic Mile" takes center stage on Saturday, September 12, with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Musket 200 presented by Whelen and championship finales for the all-new ARCA Menards Series East and the American-Canadian Tour Late Models. The Granite State Legend Cars are also racing both days, on the 0.95-mile modified road course on Friday afternoon and the 0.25-mile mini oval on Saturday morning.

The Flat Track is located directly behind the North East Motor Sports Museum on New Hampshire Motor Speedway's 1,200-acre facility in Loudon, N.H. and first opened in June 2019. Exciting improvements are already underway for 2020 which will include added track width, banking in the corners, and 2,000 yards of new natural clay surface trucked in from Devil's Bowl Speedway in West Haven, Vermont.

The addition of KOD to the Full Throttle Weekend has been almost a year in the making.

"We are excited to enhance our Full Throttle Weekend with events at The Flat Track, including King of Dirt Modifieds, to add even more racing action for our fans," said David McGrath, executive vice president and general manager of New Hampshire Motor Speedway. "We can't wait to bring new fans and new racers here from New England, New York, Canada, and beyond, and to give our longtime fans a thrilling new race to be a part of."

King of Dirt Racing officials anticipate a competitive event at NHMS and an influx of Sportsman Modified racers from Vermont, New Hampshire, and elsewhere to join the KOD regulars from New York and Vermont; the event will be KOD's first in the state of New Hampshire and the farthest east that tour will have ever traveled.

"The timing for this race is great in 2020," said King of Dirt Racing promoter Mike Bruno. "KOD has great momentum, and New Hampshire Motor Speedway is the largest racing facility in New England, so The Flat Track is the perfect place to bring our exciting dirt track action to. The new clay from Devil's Bowl will make a great surface at The Flat Track, and we're looking forward to something totally new and different."

The Full Throttle Dirt event is race number three of five on the 2020 King of Dirt Racing Crate Modified Series schedule. Other events will be held in New York State at Albany-Saratoga Speedway and Fonda Speedway, along with two events at Devil's Bowl in Vermont. Bobby Hackel of Rensselaer, N.Y., won his first King of Dirt Racing championship in 2019.

KOD is online at www.KingofDirtRacing.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. For more information, call (802) 265-3112 or email kodracingseries@gmail.com.

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New Schedule, New Events Pump Excitement into King of Dirt Series

ATTACHED PHOTOS:

KOD3_JK.jpg: Tim Hartman Jr. of Niskayuna, N.Y., will try for his fourth career win in the King of Dirt Racing "Northeast Crate Nationals" at Fonda Speedway on Saturday, September 19. (Jeff Karabin photo)

KOD5_AW.jpg: New Hampshire's Walter J. Hammond (#98) and Vermont's Adam Pierson (#15) battle through the turns at Devil's Bowl Speedway; the King of Dirt Racing Crate Modified Series will visit the West Haven, Vt., track twice in 2020. (Alan Ward photo)

KOD7_JM.jpg: Exciting three-wide action is commonplace at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, and the King of Dirt Racing Crate Modified Series will make its highly-anticipated return to the Malta, N.Y., track for the championship season finale on Friday, September 25. (Jeremy McGaffin 2018 file photo)

New Schedule, New Events Pump Excitement into King of Dirt Series

New Hampshire, Albany-Saratoga increase prestige for KOD Crate Modified Series

For Immediate Release KOD-022520-2

RUTLAND, Vt. – The King of Dirt Series is ready for 2020. A new feeling of excitement has been pumped into the tour, and the new, highly anticipated, five-race King of Dirt Racing (KOD) Crate Modified Series schedule will bring the tour to four prestigious tracks in New York and New England.

King of Dirt Racing features the wildly popular Sportsman-type dirt Modified stock car and the economical General Motors "602" crate engine package. KOD events are among the highest-paying Sportsman-level races in the Northeast, and every event on the five-race slate is a highlight. The KOD schedule is kept short by design, offering an affordable touring series alternative for grassroots dirt track racers.

The season opens at the fast, half-mile Devil's Bowl Speedway in West Haven, Vt., for the fourth consecutive year, running the 50-lap "Memorial Day Kickoff" on Sunday night, May 24. Bobby Hackel earned $1,750 for winning the 2019 edition, and drivers received a minimum of $150 to take the green flag. Devil's Bowl also hosts the second KOD event on Sunday, August 9, as the 40-lap "Leon Gonyo Memorial" is again held in conjunction with the "Battle at the Bowl" Big Block/Small Block Modified Challenge.

The month of September will be one of the most memorable runs in King of Dirt Racing history, as a three-week stretch of major events wraps up the calendar.

The Flat Track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., will hold its first-ever dirt Modified race on Friday, September 11, during "Full Throttle Dirt." The new 0.25-mile dirt track will host KOD for a 40-lap, $2,000-to-win race, along with USAC Midgets and the Sprint Cars of New England. Full Throttle Dirt is part of a jam-packed Full Throttle Fall Weekend featuring short-track racing action with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the ARCA Menards Series East, American-Canadian Tour Late Models, and the Granite State Legends Cars.

The prestigious 50-lap "Northeast Crate Nationals" will be held at the legendary Fonda (N.Y.) Speedway on Saturday, September 19, in support of the high-profile "Fonda 200" Modified race. The Nationals race has grown to become King of Dirt Racing's signature event and will be run for the 11^th time in 2020. Tim Hartman Jr. collected $2,000 for his third career Nationals win last fall.

Finally, the 2020 championship will be decided at KOD's momentous return to Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, N.Y., on Friday, September 25. The "Great Race Place" has hosted more King of Dirt events than any other track, and the return to the 0.4-mile oval is a key addition for the tour. The KOD curtain-closer comes during the second annual "Malta Massive Weekend," which also includes the new Street Stock Six Pack Series championship finale on Friday and the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds on Saturday.

King of Dirt Racing promoter Mike Bruno expects the new schedule to fuel a competitive season with big stages for the drivers to compete on. "We are so excited to get the King of Dirt schedule rolling in 2020," Bruno said. "The schedule is manageable for racers, and the races are all part of big, meaningful events. I'm honored that KOD will be making history at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and I'm thrilled to be back at Albany-Saratoga. The events at Fonda and Devil's Bowl in 2019 were outstanding, too. I appreciate the relationships and support that we've built with the track promoters as an independent series, and we're looking forward to giving the race teams a great tour."

King of Dirt Racing is online at www.KingofDirtRacing.com and can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. For more information, call (802) 265-3112 or email kodracingseries@gmail.com.

King of Dirt Racing Crate Modified Series

2020 Schedule

1. Sun., May 24 – Devil's Bowl Speedway – West Haven, Vt.

2. Sun., Aug. 9 – Devil's Bowl Speedway – West Haven, Vt.

3. Fri., Sept. 11 – The Flat Track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway – Loudon, N.H.

4. Sat., Sept. 19 – Fonda Speedway – Fonda, N.Y.

5. Fri., Sept. 25 – Albany-Saratoga Speedway – Malta, N.Y.

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Bowyer Finishes 23rd in Auto Club 400

Bowyer Finishes 23^rd in Auto Club 400

No. 14 Ford Mustang Leads Opening 10 Laps

Date: March 1, 2020

Event: Auto Club 400

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California (2-mile oval)

Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/80 laps)

Start/Finish: 1st/23rd (Running, completed 199 of 200 laps)

Point Standing:16th with 70 points, 52 out of first

Race Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 2 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

● Clint Bowyer started first and finished 16th.

● The No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Haas Automation Ford Mustang led the first 10 laps of the race.

● Bowyer reported his car was tight and began fading back through the field.

● Bowyer pitted from 14th on lap 27.

● Bowyer held that position before falling to 16th to end the stage.

● During the stage break the No. 14 crew made several adjustments to improve the car's handling.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 81-120):

● Started 18th, finished 24th.

● Bowyer drove to 12th in the opening laps of the stage before reporting his car was tight again.

● Bowyer pitted on lap 90 under green for a routine stop.

● Seconds after returning to the track, his left front tire went flat because of a broken inner valve stem.

● Bowyer's shredded tire brought out the caution, but he managed to get the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Haas Automation Ford Mustang back to the pits.

● The crew repaired the damaged bodywork, but Bowyer reported the car was difficult to turn as he raced at the end of the lead lap.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 121-200):

● Started 26th, finished 23rd.

● The No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Haas Automation Ford Mustang made a scheduled green-flag stop on lap 165 of the 200-lap race.

● "She just won't turn," Bowyer told the crew during the final stage.

● Bowyer stayed on the lead lap until 34 laps remained in the race.

Notes:

● Bowyer led once for 10 laps to increase his laps-led total at Fontana to 57.

● Alex Bowman won the Auto Club 400 to score his second career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Fontana. His margin of victory over second-place Kyle Busch was 8.904 seconds.

● There were three caution periods for a total of 13 laps.

● Only 17 of the 38 drivers in the Auto Club 400 finished on the lead lap.

● Ryan Blaney remains the championship leader after Fontana with an 11-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.

Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Haas Automation Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

"That was a lot of fun to be out front at the start of the race, but she got tight and we started to struggle. That tire deal kind of ended our hopes for a good finish. It just wouldn't turn after that."

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the FanShield 500k on Sunday, March 8, at Phoenix Raceway. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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United Effort: Thunder Mountain and Utica-Rome Speedway Team Up to Offer Backroads Battle Series

VERNON, NY – Early in the off-season, Thunder Mountain Speedway made the decision to switch to Hoosier Racing Tires for weekly action as well as agreeing to add DIRTcar sanctioning to their 358-Modified and Sportsman divisions for 2020.

Those changes led to conversations between promotional groups at both Thunder Mountain Speedway and Utica-Rome Speedway. After multiple conversations, the speedways have formed a dual-track championship with the inaugural Backroads Battle Series champion taking home a minimum of $1,500.

The Backroads Battle Series will pay out the top 10 positions in the points standings. It is open to drivers in the DIRTcar 358-Modifieds, DIRTcar Sportsman and the Street Stock division. The three divisions will compete against each other for one title. The champion in the series can come from any one of the three divisions. A driver's eight best finishes at each track will count towards the title. A driver that competes at both tracks on the same weekend will receive a 10-point bonus toward the championship.

In order to be eligible, a driver must have a minimum of eight starts at each facility, unless Mother Nature limits those possibilities. Both tracks are utilizing the weekly 60-point DIRTcar point system to tabulate the standings for the series. Weekly track points at each track will be used, with the eight best at each counting toward the title.

"This is something different we haven't done before," said Utica-Rome owner Bill Shea. "When Thunder Mountain decided to add the DIRTcar 358-Modifieds weekly we started having conversations and things kind of took off from there. I think we've come up with a pretty neat program."

Like Shea, Thunder Mountain promoter Karl Spoonhower is looking forward to working together.

"We went out on a limb to change things up for this season with the DIRTcar and Hoosier program," stated Spoonhower. "We've had a lot of really positive feedback about the change. When we started chatting with everyone at Utica-Rome it just made sense. We have a lot in common. We couldn't think of a better way to help both our tracks and to give back to our drivers by adding some extra incentives to run both tracks."

In addition to the combined points, a $200 bonus will be paid to any driver that can sweep the weekend by winning at both Thunder Mountain Speedway or Utica-Rome Speedway on back-to-back nights. This bonus is also available to drivers in the DIRTcar 358-Modifieds, DIRTcar Sportsman and the Street Stock division. In order for the bonus to be paid, the wins must come on consecutive nights.

Fans can also get in on the action as those fans that attend Thunder Mountain Speedway on a Saturday night can use their ticket to get $2 off at the gate at Utica-Rome Speedway. Fans that come to Utica-Rome Speedway on a Sunday can take their ticket the following week to Thunder Mountain to receive the same $2 discount.

Thunder Mountain Speedway is located in at 91 Hunts Corners Road in Lisle, N.Y. Those looking for information about Thunder Mountain Speedway can visit the website at https://thundermtnspeedway.net/, find them on Facebook at Thunder Mountain Speedway and on twitter @thundermtnspeed.

Utica-Rome Speedway is located at 5591 State Route 5 in Vernon, N.Y. Interested parties can find information about the upcoming season at Utica-Rome Speedway find them on Facebook at Utica-Rome Speedway, on Twitter @UR_Speedway or on the web at www.uticaromespeedway.com.

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Harvick Finishes Ninth in Fontana

Harvick Finishes Ninth in Fontana

Mobil 1 Ford Mustang Driver Remains Third in Points

Date: March 1, 2020

Event: Auto Club 400

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California (2-mile oval)

Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/80 laps

Start/Finish: 5th/9th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)

Point Standing: 3rd (110 points, 12 out of first)

Race Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 2 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

● Kevin Harvick started fifth and finished 14th.

● The No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang was quite loose early on.

● As the race went on, Harvick said the car's handling was not improving.

● On lap 28, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a chassis and tire pressure adjustment.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-120):

● Harvick started eighth and finished 10th, earning one bonus point and one playoff point.

● The No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang pitted on lap 62 for four tires, fuel and a chassis and tire pressure adjustment.

● Saying his car was getting better, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and tire pressure adjustment.

● On lap 91, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 121-200):

● Harvick started eighth and finished ninth.

● The No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang pitted on lap 123 for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment.

● On lap 160, Harvick made his final pit stop for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment. The pit crew's work was flawless, as it had been all day, which kept Harvick in the top-10.

Notes:

● Harvick earned his third top-10 of the season and his 13th top-10 in 27 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Fontana.

● This is Harvick's second straight top-10 at Fontana. He finished fourth in last year's Auto Club 400.

● This is Harvick's third straight top-10. He finished eighth in the series' last race at Las Vegas.

● Harvick finished 10th in Stage 2 to earn one bonus point.

● There were three caution periods for a total of 13 laps.

● Only 17 of the 38 drivers in the Auto Club 400 finished on the lead lap.

● Ryan Blaney remains the championship leader after Fontana with an 11-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

"We just didn't have a very good weekend. This place wasn't very good for us last year, either. I am just having a hard time getting the car to be balanced all the way through the corner. I think, as you look at it, we didn't have a ninth-place car either, we just had a great day on pit road. Those guys did a phenomenal job on pit road, and that kept us in the game."

Next Up: The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the FanShield 500k on Sunday, March 8, at Phoenix Raceway. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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Suárez Finishes 28th at Fontana

Suárez Finishes 28th at Fontana

Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Team Has Clean Run From Start to Finish

Date: March 1, 2020

Event: Auto Club 400

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California (2-mile oval)

Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/80 laps)

Start/Finish: 31st / 28th (Running, completed 198 of 200 laps)

Point Standing: 31st with 16 points, 106 out of first

Race Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 2 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

● Started 31st, finished 29th, one lap down.

● Suárez held position through the entire initial fuel-and-tire run, saying the Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Camry started the run on the loose side and ended on the tight side. He picked up two positions to 29th as the field cycled through the initial green-flag stops.

● He was in 29th and stayed on track through the session break in order to take the wave-around back onto the lead lap.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-120):

● Started 25th, finished 26th.

● Pitted from 25th on lap 69 for tires, fuel and air-pressure adjustments to free up the car a bit.

● At lap 87, Suárez was running 29th, one lap down, when the team asked him to save fuel enough to make it to the end of the segment.

● The caution flag flew shortly thereafter, and Suárez was called into the pits after all on lap 93 to take on four tires and fuel. He resumed 26th and was the beneficiary of the free pass back onto the lead lap.

● Suárez reported the car was getting tighter and tighter through the course of the run but that it was manageable.

● Pitted for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments to both fronts during the stage break.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 121-200):

● Started 24th, finished 28th, two laps down.

● Suárez drove up to 13th as the field cycled through green-flag pit stops. He finally pitted on lap 162 for four tires, fuel and a track-bar adjustment and resumed in 27th, one lap down.

● The No. 96 Toyota Used Vehicles Camry dropped another lap to the leaders in the closing laps and took the checkered flag 28th.

Daniel Suárez, driver of the No. 96 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Camry for Gaunt Brothers Racing:

"It was OK. It was a decent day. We pretty much maximized what we've got. We've got to keep working to get more speed out of the racecar. We're one more race further along as a team, and everything was pretty smooth from beginning to end, no major dramas. We'll go on to Phoenix and try and get that much better there."

Race Notes:

● There were three caution periods for a total of 13 laps.

● Only 17 of the 38 drivers in the Auto Club 400 finished on the lead lap.

● Ryan Blaney remains the championship leader after Fontana with an 11-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.

Next Up:

The next event for Suárez and Gaunt Brothers Racing is the FanShield 500k on Sunday, March 8, at Phoenix Raceway. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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Almirola Scores Top-10 at Fontana

Smithfield Ford Driver Earns Best Finish at Southern California Track

Date: March 1, 2020

Event: Auto Club 400

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California (2-mile oval)

Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/80 laps)

Start/Finish: 6th/8th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)

Point Standing: 10th (84 points, 38 out of first)

Race Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 2 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

● Aric Almirola started sixth and finished fourth, earning seven bonus points

● The No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang started off tight, became neutral as the stage wore, and finished the stage a little loose.

● Almirola made a scheduled, green flag pit stop on lap 28 for four tires and fuel. Only adjustment was to tire pressures.

● Almirola came into the pits in seventh place and returned to the race in seventh place after pit stops cycled through.

● Almirola grabbed sixth on lap 39, fifth on lap 53 and fourth on lap 55.

● Pitted for four tires and fuel at the conclusion of the stage. Added some tape to the grille.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-120):

● Almirola started ninth and finished 13th.

● Dropped to 10th after the green flag, and reported car was tighter on lap 77 as he drove among traffic.

● "I'm just grinding the front tires off," said Almirola on lap 84 as his car remained tight.

● Made scheduled, green flag pit stop on lap 90 for four tires and fuel with a right-rear wedge adjustment.

● During caution period beginning on lap 94, Almirola stayed out on the racetrack and restarted in 10th.

● Fell to 16th after lap-96 restart, but battled back to 13th before the end of the stage.

● Pitted for four tires and fuel at the end of the stage. Added more tape to the grille.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 121-200):

● Almirola started 15th and finished eighth.

● Methodically worked way up to 11th before making a scheduled, green flag pit stop on lap 160 for four tires and fuel.

● Quick pit work earned Almirola track position, as he climbed to ninth after pit stops cycled through.

● Almirola caught teammate Kevin Harvick on lap 169 and passed him for eighth.

● Almirola keyed his mic on lap 187 and said, "It's going so tight," in reference to his Smithfield Ford.

● When Ryan Blaney pitted for a flat tire three laps short of the finish, Almirola rose to seventh.

● But Denny Hamlin caught Almirola on the penultimate lap, claiming seventh and dropping Almirola to eighth.

Notes:

● Almirola earned his first top-10 of the season and his second top-10 in 13 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Fontana.

● Almirola's eighth-place result bettered his previous best finish at Fontana – ninth, earned in the series' previous visit to the track last March.

● Almirola has not finished outside of the top-12 at Fontana since joining SHR in 2018.

● There were three caution periods for a total of 13 laps.

● Only 17 of the 38 drivers in the Auto Club 400 finished on the lead lap.

● Ryan Blaney remains the championship leader after Fontana with an 11-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.

Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

"I have to clean up some things and we have to clean up some things as a team. I thought we had a top-five car and we just kept giving away all of our track position. We have to do better, but we are building and we got a top-10 and we will take that and move on. I think we have a lot of potential. I think Bugga (crew chief Mike Bugarewicz) and all the guys did a great job with our Smithfield Ford Mustang and I felt like we had a top-10 car going into today and we proved that. We ran in the top-10 most of the day, but I feel like with track position and a few other things going a little better, a little smoother, we could've had a lot better result. Overall, it was still a decent day and we will take the points and move on."

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the FanShield 500k on Sunday, March 8 at Phoenix Raceway. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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Custer Finishes 18th at Auto Club 400

Custer Finishes 18th at Auto Club 400

Ford Driver Completes First Cup Start at Home Track

Date: March 1, 2020

Event: Auto Club 400

Series: NASCAR Cup Series

Location: Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California (2-mile oval)

Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/80 laps)

Start/Finish: 18th/18th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)

Point Standing: 26th with 44 points, 78 out of first

Race Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 2 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

● Cole Custer started 18th and ended the stage 21st.

● On lap five, Custer reported his Mustang "fired off a tick loose."

● The California native's first pit stop of the day from 25th was on lap 28 for fuel, four tires and adjustments.

● During the Stage 1 break, the Haas Automation driver reported that his No. 41 machine was too loose at the end of the run to race the line against the wall.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-120):

● Custer started Stage 2 in 21st and completed it 19th.

● On lap 80, the 22-year-old reported his Mustang was too tight in the center while running 21st.

● Custer made a scheduled pit stop on lap 90 for fuel, four tires and adjustments to help with the tight condition.

● The caution was displayed on lap 93, and the Ford driver came down pit road for fuel, four tires and more adjustments. He restarted 20th.

● Custer came down pit road during the Stage 2 break for fuel, four tires and adjustments to help with his tight-handling No. 41 Ford Mustang.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 121-200):

● Custer began the final stage from 17th and ended the race 18th.

● After a long green-flag run, the Ford driver made a scheduled green-flag pit stop from the 20th spot for four tires, fuel and adjustments.

● With 20 laps to go, Custer remained in the 20th position.

● The final stage remained under green, and the Haas Automation/Production Alliance Group driver ended the day in 18th.

Notes:

● This is Custer's second straight top-20. He finished 19th in the series' last race at Las Vegas.

● There were three caution periods for a total of 13 laps.

● Only 17 of the 38 drivers in the Auto Club 400 finished on the lead lap.

● Ryan Blaney remains the championship leader after Fontana with an 11-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation/Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

"My guys did a good job today in the pits. We need to be better, but it was a solid day. We're still very new to working with each other. I wish I could've gotten them a result better than 18th, because the car was better than that, but we'll keep working on it together as a team."

Next Up:

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2020-03-02

King of Dirt Racing Headed for History at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

New Schedule, New Events Pump Excitement into King of Dirt Series

Bowyer Finishes 23rd in Auto Club 400

United Effort: Thunder Mountain and Utica-Rome Speedway Team Up to Offer Backroads Battle Series

Harvick Finishes Ninth in Fontana

Suárez Finishes 28th at Fontana

Almirola Scores Top-10 at Fontana

Custer Finishes 18th at Auto Club 400

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