Kyle Busch’s Fan Day on Friday saw one special guest line up for an autograph: Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Noah Gragson approached Busch hunched over and wearing a yellow No. 18 jacket, hat and sunglasses.
For a moment, “Rowdy” thought he was just another fan, as he signed the No. 51 die cast. One gesture after that, though, may have blown his cover.
For five races in 2018, Kevin Harvick and the No. 4 team’s race day has ended with hat dances and Busch Beer, the team plane carrying five winner’s trophies (plus one $1 million check) back to the Stewart-Haas Racing shop.
Once that plane lands back in North Carolina, however, it’s time to toss the beer – and pick up a wrench.
“As hard as it is to do, when you get off the plane Sunday night, you’ve got to be over what happened on the weekend, whether you’ve won or lost and I believe that’s the key to pushing yourself forward and pushing your team forward to make sure that the goal is to always get better,” Kevin Harvick told NASCAR.com on a recent visit to the Mobil 1 research and engineering facility. “If you’re coming home and going to dwell on the fact that you won the race over the weekend or you lost the race over the weekend, you’re not accomplishing anything in preparation for the next week.
“Monday is all about preparation for the next week and nothing to do with last week.”
Winning has become the standard for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2018. As a group, the team has won exactly half of the first 12 points races of 2018, with Harvick & Co. earning five and Clint Bowyer’s No. 14 team breaking through for a Martinsville victory in March. All four drivers rank in the top 10 in points.
But what exactly has caused this improvement in performance as a group?
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The answers vary: No. 10 crew chief Johnny Klausmeier said the team has worked out some of its “growing pains” from 2017, its first season with Ford. Kurt Busch referenced the team’s newfound “synergy” and the notion that each driver is “pushing each other” harder. No. 4 crew chief Rodney Childers pointed out everyone is “working together” and “communicating.”
SHR Competition Director Greg Zipadelli said the team spent the winter “really looking at the details.”
“Last year, we did everything we could to just make it to the race track, to prepare cars. This winter, we made a lot of changes in-house and how we do things and I think we’re kind of seeing the benefits of it …,” he said. “A lot of the things that we did with the Chevrolets didn’t work with the Fords; these noses are so different, airflow and a lot of those types of things. So we had to stop, kind of relook at things … So, from all our engineers on a weekly basis to people in the aero group to everybody in our engineering group has been able to give their input, refine things at every level.”
They just seem to have all the pieces of the puzzle now, Harvick summarized.
“When you add all those pieces to the puzzle up and you look the experience of the team, you look at the partnerships that we have with Ford and Mobil 1 and all the support that we have from our ownership group to let us go out and explore and do the things and take the chance of switching to a different manufacturer … and controlling more of our own parts and pieces and things,” he said. “Those things all added up and in my opinion, the light at the tunnel is very bright still because I feel like we have a long ways to go to achieve and really get a full understanding and the most out of all the resources and things that we have. I feel like we can get a lot more out of them.”
One of those resources is SHR partner Mobil 1, whose impact was witnessed firsthand when Harvick, Busch, Aric Almirola and their respective crew chiefs flew to Paulsboro, New Jersey, to tour its research and engineering facility on May 15. Donning lab coats and safety glasses, the drivers and crew chiefs peered into Mobil 1’s laboratories and went behind the scenes with chemists to learn what goes into their race cars each week.
Jessica Ruffin | NASCAR Digital Media
The team’s newest driver, Almirola seemed particularly fascinated in his first trip to the state-of-the-art facility, asking several questions during the tour.
“We … had our minds blown,” he said afterward. “It’s just an information overload. To see how much detail, all the way down to microscopic detail, is amazing and to know that they put a lot of that technology and resources and development into our race engines before it ever sees a passenger car. And that’s really neat to be able to be the proving grounds because we operate under such extreme conditions and require and demand so much out of the engine oil.”
Kevin Harvick recalled his first year at Stewart-Haas and how he was impressed during qualifying that they’d pick up a “tenth-and-a-half or two-tenths of a second and it literally came down to the oil in the engine.” From his crew chief’s perspective, every little bit makes a big difference.
“Any advantage you can get right now is an advantage in the Cup Series,” Childers said. “You just have everybody so close together, their lap times are so close together, so you have a lot different products where you can go about getting more speed, whether it’s engine oil or greases in the rear housing or the hubs. All that stuff makes a huge difference. So, (Mobil 1 is) constantly working on that stuff to make it better and get a little bit more advantage on people.”
Competitive advantage, through all the team’s facets, is what a race team strives for each week. The No. 4 team in particular has been in a different league than many of the competitors at the race track this year; Harvick is the first driver since Jeff Gordon in 1997 to win five of the first 12 races. While Harvick doesn’t liken himself to the newly tapped Hall of Famer, he does see the parallels with his group and the Rainbow Warriors.
“You have such a cohesiveness in the team that everybody believes in each other and an organization that believes in what they’re doing and what they can accomplish,” he said. “I look at what Tony Stewart did when he won the championship back in 2011. What that organization did is what it does every day now. I think one of the things that’s changed the most is as a company we can race at a championship-weekend level on a weekly basis now. And that’s really a lot of fun to be a part of.”
Childers smiled when asked about the atmosphere back at the race shop, calling it “crazy good.”
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“Winning is addicting and you just want to keep doing it more and more,” he said. “It makes everybody work harder every week. You want to just continue that and see how many races you can win. It’s just something that we may never get to do again in our careers, so we’re trying to work really hard to keep all that going.”
Being a part of a winning group is exciting; the No. 4 team has its sights set on more Victory Lane trophies and eventually, its second championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway. But after the confetti’s cleared, the celebration has simmered down and the lights go out at the race track, what’s left to keep them inspired isn’t so flashy: It’s the people at the shop who work hard together every week to keep the team going — no matter the race outcome.
“You’re going to have good weekends and you’re going to have bad weekends and right now it seems to be going good,” Childers said. “So, the next time we have a really bad one, it’s probably not going to be good. It’s just hard — you get used to winning, just like in any sport you want to continue that. The more you strive for that, the more disappointed you are when you do have a bad day.
“We’ve got a good group of people, we have each other’s backs and I think that that group of people is what keeps us all grounded and motivated at the same time.”
Trackside Live is bringing fans at Charlotte Motor Speedway a patriotic weekend with shows on Saturday, May 26 (post-NASCAR Xfinity Series race) AND Sunday, May 27 (2:30 p.m. ET).
The Saturday show was scheduled for 4:15 p.m. ET but wet weather and a delay in the Xfinity Series race pushed that show to be approximately 15 minutes after the Xfinity race ends.
Don’t miss your chance to meet your favorite drivers and have some fun along the way. Watch the video above and get excited for the historic Coca-Cola 600!
Editor’s note: Fantasy Fastlane will look at each race from a fantasy perspective, examining the top plays as well as several under-the-radar options and a play to avoid for NASCAR Fantasy Live. See the full analysis here.
CONCORD, N.C. – Running his fastest lap in the final round of Thursday’s knockout qualifying session at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch earned the top starting spot for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR’s longest race (6 p.m. Sunday on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Streaking around the 1.5-mile oval in 28.149 seconds (191.836 mph), Busch claimed his third Busch Pole Award of the year, his third at Charlotte and the 30th of his career. Already a three-time winner this season, Busch will have the additional advantage of first pit stall selection for the 13th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event of the season.
Busch’s No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was .091 seconds faster that the No. 22 Team Penske Ford of Joey Logano (191.218 mph). Denny Hamlin, Busch’s JGR teammate, qualified third at 191.049 mph.
Charlotte is the only active Cup track where Busch has not recorded a victory in a points race, though he has 11 top fives and 16 top 10s in 28 starts. The 2015 series champion’s only win at CMS came in last year’s Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race.
“It’s important to me, but I’m not sure it’s important in the grand scheme of things,” Busch said of his desire to knock the final track off his checklist. “It’s certainly important to me, and I would love to get that knocked out of the way and to be finished with it until another new track comes up on the circuit.
“Certainly, it’s been a trying time here over the course of my career and to have it come to fruition in a points race, (but) the last I checked, I have a trophy at home that says, ‘Winner at Charlotte Motor Speedway,’ so I’ll take that to my grave with me if I do never get a points win here. That will be my saving grace, I guess.”
Logano was 19th fastest in opening practice but improved dramatically in qualifying.
“We made some good adjustments,” said Logano, who is second in the series standings through 12 races, 12 points behind Busch. “It’s hard for me to say what was the changes and what was the race track. The Xfinity cars ran on the PJ1 (traction compound in the center lane) and definitely activated it and got the grip definitely up there.
“It’s hard to say what was what, but the car got faster, and that’s all I really care about.”
The No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing of Kevin Harvick, winner of the last two Cup points events as well as last Saturday’s exhibition Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race, failed pre-qualifying inspection three times and will start from the rear in Sunday’s race.
In addition, Harvick’s car chief, Robert Smith, was ejected from the race track for the weekend. Harvick also will lose 30 minutes of practice time in Happy Hour on Saturday. Harvick is attempting to win three straight points races for the second time this season, but Logano is just as glad “The Closer” is starting from the rear.
“Are we taking bets on how long it takes to him to get up there?” Logano quipped.
JGR driver Erik Jones earned the fourth spot on the grid, and with Daniel Suarez qualifying 10th — having eked into the final round by .004 seconds over Ricky Stenhouse Jr. — all four Gibbs drivers will start from top-10 positions.
Brad Keselowski qualified fifth, followed by Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Blaney, Aric Almirola and Suarez.
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The No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford of Kevin Harvick failed inspection three times ahead of Thursday evening’s Busch Pole Award qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway. As a result, he did not make a qualifying lap and will start Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) from the 39th position.
Per the rule book, car chief Robert “Cheddar” Smith will be ejected for the remainder of the weekend, including Sunday night’s 600-mile event. Crew chief Rodney Childers stayed in the garage following qualifying, working with the rest of the No. 4 team as the sun dipped in the sky and the grandstands cleared for approaching severe weather.
“The loss of Cheddar just means I have to work a hell of a lot harder,” he said lightheartedly. “But I was a car chief for many years and I can do it as good as anybody can. So, we’ll get through it. We’ll miss him on Sunday though.”
The issue with the No. 4 car involved the right-rear section of the car in the Optical Scanning Station (OSS) machine. Smith, prior to his ejection, and Childers sanded down the section multiple times, and Childers eventually rewrapped the car with Busch Beer branding.
“We worked on this thing for 12 hours Monday trying to get all of it how they wanted,” Childers said. “We felt good about it when we unloaded it … everything was good and then we went back in to qualify and it was red and we sanded on it and it was more red and we sanded on it again and it was more red. So, that part I don’t understand and that part’s disappointing, but it’s not their fault.
“Everybody’s going to push things as much as they can and I think everybody knows the 4 team is going to push things as much as we can and win races. It’s disappointing to start in the back, it’s disappointing to not have Cheddar here, but we’ll get through it as a race team and we’ll have a good car on Sunday.”
The team will also serve a 30-minute practice hold in Saturday’s final session.
Perhaps no single individual in motorsports has achieved the panoply of accomplishments that has typified Roger Penske’s career.
For his contributions to NASCAR racing, “The Captain” was elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Wednesday, but driver Brad Keselowski, who delivered Team Penske’s sole Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2012, thinks his owner’s resume is too broad to be readily pigeon-holed.
“He has a legacy that’s harder to define than most everyone else in the Hall of Fame because of his background – not just as a team owner, but he has a background as owning the tracks, his background of owning businesses that can help sponsor the sport, and beyond that,” Keselowski said on Thursday during an announcement of his Checkered Flag Foundation’s support of a jobs initiative through the Paralyzed Veterans of America.
“So he has such a diverse background and there’s really not a part of this sport that I can think of that he hasn’t touched. I think he deserves a lot of credit for that, and it’s great to see him get the recognition of the Hall of Fame.”
Starting with Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Keselowski’s foundation will donate $1,000 to the Paving Access for Veterans Employment (PAVE) program for every Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series stage win Keselowski collects through the July 7 event at Daytona International Speedway.
When Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers take the track for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), their cars will look a bit different.
Each driver will carry the name of a fallen serviceman on their windshield as part of the “600 Miles of Remembrance” initiative in the NASCAR Salutes program. It’s a program that is meaningful for both the families of the fallen servicemen and the drivers, who will do their best to honor the memories of those lost.
“As you look at our sport in general, it’s the most patriotic sport that is in this country,” said Kevin Harvick, whose No. 4 will feature U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal Patrick Adle, who was killed in Iraq in 2004. “For me as a driver and person, to see the support that our sport gives the military and the things that we do to try to show them the appreciation that we have for them will never be enough, but I feel like we do a great job as a sport in trying to involve the military on a weekly basis and it makes me proud to be a part of NASCAR.”
For drivers, the chance to bring an American hero to Victory Lane makes the thought of victory that much sweeter — and personal experiences with military members and their families add to that motivation. Kurt Busch had such an experience with his recent visit to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina. This weekend, his No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford will feature U.S. Army Sergeant Jeremiah “Jay” Holmes, who was killed in 2004 in Iraq.
“To have a service member riding along with me on my windshield banner, it’s an amount of pride,” Busch said. “It’s tough to describe. Sometimes you meet the families that come out to the races of those soldiers and that’s when it really hits you in your heart and you want to go out there and win for them, for that individual.”
The military especially hits close to home for Busch’s SHR teammate Aric Almirola, who was born on the Eglin Air Force Base in Florida during his father’s service. That personal connection makes this weekend “huge” for him.
“I greatly appreciate and understand the sacrifices that the men and women make,” Almirola said. “It means a lot to me personally to be able to represent the men and women that go out and fight for our freedom. It’s easy to take for granted that we wake up in the morning and walk out the doors of our house and go about our day. But there’s men and women all over the world fighting for us to make that a possibility.
“I’m grateful for that and the people that have made the ultimate sacrifice and have laid their (lives) down to make sure we have that freedom. It’s a great way to kind of pay tribute to them and their families by flying their name on the race car.”
Denny Hamlin topped the leaderboard in Thursday’s opening Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, circling the track at Charlotte Motor Speedway at 190.134 mph.
Team Penske’s Fords showed speed in following close behind Hamlin as teammates Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski were second- and third-fastest in the practice session in preparation for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Blaney circled the track in his No. 12 Ford in 189.673 mph; Keselowski followed close behind in his No. 2 Ford at 189.434 mph.
Defending Coca-Cola 600 winner Austin Dillon was fourth-fastest in his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet at 189.414 mph.
Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Erik Jones rounded out the top five in the No. 20 Toyota at 189.261 mph.
Several cars served 15-minute practice holds during Thursday’s opening practice. Among those penalized for twice failing pre-race inspection at Kansas (penalties deferred until Thursday) were: No. 17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 32 of Matt DiBenedetto, No. 47 of AJ Allmendinger and No. 95 of Kasey Kahne. Cars serving 15-minute holds for twice failing inspection at the All-Star Race/Monster Energy Open were: No. 3 of Austin Dillon, No. 4 of Kevin Harvick, No. 19 of Daniel Suarez, No. 38 of David Ragan and No. 48 of Jimmie Johnson. Finally, the No. 15 of Ross Chastain served a 15-minute hold for missing the rookie meeting.
The Monster Energy Series returns to the track at 7:15 p.m. ET for Busch Pole Qualifying (FS1).
NASCAR announced this offseason that it will standardize at-track team rosters across all three national series in 2018, providing a structure for the number of personnel working on each vehicle during the course of a race weekend.
Official team rosters for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) have been released. Click the print icon above, or the link below.
