New Hampshire 101: ‘Magic Mile’ momentum, odds, track info and more

Posted on July 16, 2021 by Zach Sturniolo

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 on Sunday (3 p.m ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

So yes, get your lobster rolls and Sam Adams ready to rock as we settle into the Magic Mile for the sport’s annual voyage up to New England.

UP FRONT

On the heels of a runner-up performance last time out at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch will start from the pole Sunday, his first pole position since Phoenix Raceway in November 2019. Starting next to him on the front row will be his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Martin Truex Jr.

Chase Elliott will take the green flag from the third spot while last week’s winner Kurt Busch starts next to him in Row 2. Check out the full starting lineup here.

FAN ATTENDANCE

After being limited to just 12,000 fans in 2020, New Hampshire Motor Speedway will operate at full bore for its 2021 race weekend. Race-goers will have a new section to visit in Turn 4 called “Rock Point,” a bar and viewing area just outside the corner where nearly 10,000 seats were removed. There will also be more space in the main grandstands as spectators will have bar tops and cup holders in front of them at their seats.

Each guest is allowed to bring one soft-sided cooler with a maximum size of 14” x 14” x 14”. At the track, select stands will sell $3 Dasani waters and $5 Busch Lights. For more information, check out NHMS’s website.

NEW HAMPSHIRE’S NASCAR HISTORY

— New Hampshire Motor Speedway took shape at the former site of the Bryar Motorsports Park when Bob Bahre purchased the complex in 1989.

— The NASCAR Xfinity Series visited the track for the first time in 1990 before the Cup Series ventured north in 1993.

— NHMS is the largest sporting venue in New England at over 1,100 acres and seating capacity for 92,000 people.

— Speedway Motorsports purchased NHMS for $340 million in 2008, leading to numerous improvements including a 400% increase in usable infield space, enhanced safety fencing and an electronic scoreboard.

— Sunday’s race marks the 50th Cup Series contest at New Hampshire.

— Chevrolet has one win in the last 14 races at New Hampshire (Kevin Harvick, 2016).

Source: Racing Insights

RULES PACKAGE

New Hampshire Motor Speedway is 1.058 miles in length, so Cup teams will bring their high-horsepower, lower-downforce package to the Magic Mile this weekend.

With 750 HP under the hood, teams will also have shorter spoilers and front splitters to minimize the effects of downforce on the vehicles.

GOODYEAR TIRES

Goodyear will bring the same tire to New Hampshire as was used in last year’s events at the 1.058-mile asphalt oval. What’s important to note, though, is that this is the same tire used at Phoenix Raceway, where the Cup Series championship will be decided in November. Teams have also used these tires at Phoenix since the beginning of 2020.

“For Cup teams, they come back to Loudon on the same tire setup they’ve run there and at Phoenix for the past two seasons,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “That gives teams a chance to build a notebook on this setup and understand what works and where the edge of the envelope is.”

Because the track is so flat, teams utilize extremely low air pressures in their left-side tires to maximize grip and cornering. Goodyear warns teams heed the low minimum recommendation of 12 psi in those tires to avoid damaging the sidewalls and deflating a tire.

“Left-side pressures are important at Loudon as teams search for grip,” Stucker said. “Especially without practice, having raced on this setup before will help teams know that they need to respect our minimum recommended pressures.”

STORYLINES FROM THE GRANITE STATE

— Ford has won each of the last three races at New Hampshire, including Brad Keselowski’s 2020 victory.

— Kevin Harvick has won three of the last six races at the Magic Mile, and his crew chief Rodney Childers has four New Hampshire wins, leading all crew chiefs.

— Eleven of the last 12 race winners at New Hampshire are Cup Series champions, the lone exception being Denny Hamlin, who won in 2017.

— Toyota has dominated in laps led over the past seven races, leading 1,614 laps in the span opposed to 425 laps by Ford and 66 by Chevrolet.

— Martin Truex Jr. holds the record for most laps led at New Hampshire without a win, having led 744 circuits.

— Joe Gibbs Racing has finished first or second in 14 of the last 15 races at the Magic Mile, a stat that features seven wins and two 1-2 finishes.

— Hendrick Motorsports’ last win in New England was earned by Kasey Kahne, who went to Victory Lane in September 2012.

Source: Racing Insights

BET ON IT

Even though he’s yet to claim a victory here, Martin Truex Jr. is BetMGM’s favorite to win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, listing the driver of the No. 19 Toyota at 5-1 odds. Each of Truex’s three wins this season have come at tracks utilizing the high-horsepower, low-downforce package: Phoenix Raceway, Martinsville Speedway and Darlington Raceway.

Others are listed right there with Truex though, with Kyle Larson posted at 21-4 (+525) and Denny Hamlin at 11-2 (+550).

Kevin Harvick may not be in the midst of his most successful season, still sitting winless in mid-July after notching nine wins last year. But consider him a reasonable play at 12-1 odds this weekend, especially considering his track record in New England.

One more sleeper? Christopher Bell. At 20-1 odds, Bell may be an attractive play. He was running sixth in 2020 for Levine Family Racing when he suffered a tire failure that took him out of contention, plus he has two Xfinity Series victories and a Camping World Truck Series triumph at the “Magic Mile” as well.

FANTASY LIVE

Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out NASCAR Fantasy Live. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts. It’s not too late to join in on the competition.

The 2021 Fantasy Live points leaders are Denny Hamlin (832), Kyle Larson (812), William Byron and Kyle Busch (724).

ALSO ON NASCAR.COM

Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available — as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.

New for this season, NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement in the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more — and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.

Posted on July 15, 2021 by Terrin Waack

Austin Cindric has known for nine months he will move up to the Cup Series come 2022. He thought he’d be driving the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing. That was true until Thursday, when Team Penske revealed Cindric will instead pilot its No. 2 Ford next season.

No harm, no foul thanks to the two teams’ alliance.

The change is a rather big deal, though, considering the No. 2 just happens to be Team Penske’s first-ever championship car and its winningest number.

“There’s never been a rookie to drive the 2 car in the Cup Series,” Cindric said Wednesday during a Zoom teleconference. “I wouldn’t say there’s pressure with that, but I think there’s definitely an expectation within the shop, and I’m excited to embrace that role and be able to go out there and obviously try to win races for Team Penske.”

Meanwhile, Harrison Burton has been chosen to take over the No. 21 entry, Wood Brothers Racing announced in sync with Team Penske. He comes from Joe Gibbs Racing’s Xfinity Series program.

Cindric’s move is internal. He already races for Team Penske in the Xfinity Series. So, when team owner Roger Penske confirmed Brad Keselowski, the current No. 2 driver, will not return to the organization after this season, there was no debate whether Cindric would fill the void.

“I couldn’t be prouder to say that he’s gonna be the driver of the No. 2 car, and I think he’s earned the respect,” Penske said. “You come in as the son of the guy who is the president of Team Penske, you’d probably come in with a little bit of weight on your shoulders, but I can tell you one thing, as far as I’m concerned, all that’s off. He’s proven to be the driver he is, the individual he is today.”

The 22-year-old joined Team Penske full time in 2019, won two races and finished sixth in the final standings. In 2020, he boosted his win total to six and captured the championship. He’s on pace to have an even better season this year with four wins already and 15 races remaining on the 2021 schedule.

In preparation for 2022, Cindric made his Cup Series debut this season. He has competed in six events with Team Penske’s No. 33 Ford. His best finish was 15th from the Daytona 500, despite a last-lap crash, and he even led laps in two road-course races.

“He’s had some good rides, running well at Daytona before the accident, and we were not expecting, quite honestly, we would not be able to put a deal together with Brad, but we can talk about that later probably,” Penske said. “This gave us a chance to step back and then you have the discussion with your key sponsor. Discount Tire has been a major player with us for a number of years. With the team and Discount Tire, we felt that was a very easy move for us. Brad really opened that up for Austin, and I think with that move we wanted to announce it today.

“There’s been lots of speculation, really, with Brad moving on and I think this helps him take on his next stage in his career and then we can bring Austin up into the 2 car.”

Rumors have not-so quietly circulated that Keselowski is going to join Roush Fenway Racing in an owner-driver role, but there has been no official announcement. With how Team Penske is structured, Penske didn’t see an opportunity to keep Keselowski around in the additional ownership way he wanted. It was discussed, because Penske really didn’t want to lose Keselowski as a driver.

Keselowski has been with Team Penske for his entire full-time career, which began in 2010. He started in the No. 12 car and switched to the No. 2 in 2011. Since then, 34 of his 35 wins have come in the Deuce — the other was with James Finch’s Phoenix Racing in a 2009 part-time role. He has one victory this year, which means he’s locked into the 2021 NASCAR Playoffs with one final shot at a second title with Team Penske.

“Did I ever sit here and think, one day I could be the driver of the 2 car? Probably not,” Cindric said. “I didn’t think that was something that was obtainable or reachable maybe at this stage in life. In my bedroom at my parents’ house, I still have a picture of Brad doing a burnout at Bristol signed by Brad Keselowski sitting on my bed. As a kid, you just grow up rooting for those guys and you don’t really picture yourself being one of them.”

Posted on July 15, 2021July 15, 2021 by Staff Report

Sam Belnavis, the former Chief Diversity Officer and Owner-Designate for Roush Fenway Racing and a motorsports pioneer, died Wednesday.

Belnavis was a trailblazer as a Black general manager and team owner in NASCAR. He introduced the National Guard as a sponsor of his team, BelCar Racing, with crew chief Travis Carter and driver Todd Bodine.

Prior to that, Belnavis had joined the Miller Brewing Company in the late 1970s and managed the sports marketing department. He broke into NASCAR when he signed driver Bobby Allison to a Miller Brewing Company sponsorship contract. Two years later, Allison won the NASCAR Cup Series championship in the No. 22 Miller High Life Ford.

Upon news of Belnavis’ passing, NASCAR released this statement: “We are saddened by the passing of Sam Belnavis, a true pioneer in motorsports whose tireless work helped foster an inclusive environment throughout NASCAR. For more than 30 years, his efforts as a team owner and executive, as well as his work to support the launch of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program, helped introduce career opportunities in NASCAR to people of color. NASCAR offers its deepest condolences to Sam’s friends and family.”

The Belnavis Collective, NASCAR’s Black Employee Resource Group, is named after Mr. Belnavis and will continue to honor him through its mission and goals.

Posted on July 15, 2021 by Pat DeCola

Six years ago, Hendrick Motorsports sported a driver lineup of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne for the 2015 NASCAR Cup Series season.

The team fared admirably, with nine wins (five of which belonged to a certain eventual seven-time champion), one of the most memorable victories in the gold-standard organization’s history (“We’re goin’ to Homestead!”) and with it a Championship 4 appearance.

The writing, however, was very much on the wall. The youth movement was coming — and in a hurry.

All four drivers were in their age-35 season or later, teenage phenom Chase Elliott was fresh off the 2014 Xfinity Series title and while the wins were there, Joe Gibbs Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing and Team Penske were putting some serious pressure on the most victorious franchise in the sport’s history.

Team owner Rick Hendrick spent the next half-decade re-tooling his team roster, with Elliott taking over Gordon’s No. 24 (now in the No. 9), Alex Bowman making his way into the No. 88 (now the No. 48), Byron hopping in the 24 after Elliott slid over to claim his father Bill’s old number and Kyle Larson joining the fray this year after Johnson stepped away from his full-time NASCAR duties.

Average Hendrick driver age in 2015: 39.25.

Average Hendrick driver age in 2021: 26.0.

Unquestionably the team to beat in 2021 having won 10 of the season’s 21 races, the reshuffling has worked. So why bring this up now?

Well, Hendrick isn’t the only organization susceptible to its drivers eventually aging out of competitiveness, and it might’ve provided the blueprint for how to make the transition to younger talent with a lineup potentially penciled in for the next decade.

The Ford-aligned Team Penske and Wood Brothers Racing shook up NASCAR Silly Season in a big way Thursday morning, announcing that 22-year-old Austin Cindric and 20-year-old Harrison Burton would be making the move up to Cup to pilot the Nos. 2 and 21 Mustangs, effectively replacing Brad Keselowski (37 years old) and Matt DiBenedetto (will be 30 on July 27), respectively. The pair will join team veterans in 2017 champ Joey Logano (31) and a winner for both organizations in Ryan Blaney (27).

NEWS: Austin Cindric, Harrison Burton to Cup in 2022 | Harrison Burton teams with Wood Bros.

“I don’t know whether we necessarily looked at Hendrick and said, ‘oh, let’s copy that,’ but certainly, yes, that is in some ways what they did, two, three, four years ago where they reset a driver lineup with a younger lineup and brought them up together,” said Mark Rushbrook, Global Director at Ford Performance. “It’s clearly, with other things, worked well for them. I definitely like the model with teamwork potential between Harrison and Austin to be able to lean on Joey and Ryan and that combination to have great performance across all four cars.”

Penske/Wood Brothers had their collective hands forced, to a degree, with Keselowski angling for an ownership stake at his current home.

“He wanted to have ownership and the way we’re structured, that wasn’t available,” said Penske after Thursday’s news broke. The two sides were unable to come to an agreement for beyond 2021, making the 2012 champ a free agent at the end of the year and clearing the path for a possible move to Roush Fenway Racing in a driver/ownership role.

Last fall, the teams announced Cindric would replace DiBenedetto in the No. 21. With Keselowski’s departure, the door remained open for the team to potentially retain DiBenedetto, but it chose to notify him roughly two weeks before his Aug. 1 contract deadline that it would be going in a different, younger direction with Burton. The No. 21 team is winless since 2017 and, while he’s hit his marks a few times this year, DiBenedetto is averaging a finish of 18.2 after a career-best 14.8 last year.

In addition to underwhelming performance out of the 21 car, NASCAR itself is about to enter a new frontier. As a new era of stock car auto racing is ushered in next season with the dawn of the Next Gen vehicle, the Wood Brothers saw that as a clean slate for all drivers in the series, regardless of tenure.

Thus, the perfect time to start anew and build for the future.

“Keep in mind, the Next Gen car is coming. That’s a white sheet of paper so far as drivers. White sheet of paper for everybody, but drivers in particular,” said team president and co-owner Eddie Wood. “So we felt that that’s a good time to bring in a young rookie. So, we made this decision to try to figure out what we wanted to do. We could bring a young rookie in to team up with Austin, obviously now going into the 2, and those two guys could work together and develop themselves into great race car drivers. Being rookies, they’re both on the same level and this new car, like I said, it’s a white sheet of paper that even if you’re a 20-year-veteran, you’re really not going to have a lot on a rookie. Everybody is kind of starting in the same place.”

With plenty of Silly Season shoes to drop before the end of the year and the ’22 Next Gen debut, it’s clear the Penske coalition is forward-focused and has a four-driver lineup (Wood Brothers has a technical alliance with Penske) set to contend for a decade-plus. One has to wonder if other organizations will follow suit at some point — Joe Gibbs Racing’s four drivers hold an average age of 35.75, for what it’s worth — or if premier-series experience still holds the value it once did.

One thing we do know?

The future isn’t coming. It’s already here.

MORE: Key players in Silly Season | Silly Season tracker

Posted on July 15, 2021July 15, 2021 by Terrin Waack

The main, and he claims only, reason Rick Hendrick has a history of resistance toward his drivers competing in any race car outside of the NASCAR Cup Series is because of safety concerns. He didn’t, and really still doesn’t, want them to risk getting hurt.

Then he signed Kyle Larson, an avid dirt racer, and Larson became Hendrick Motorsports’ winningest driver in the Cup ranks this season with a series-best four points-paying victories through 21 events.

“I’ve changed my mind on the whole process,” Hendrick said. “I think driving big horsepower cars out of control has helped him a tremendous amount in the Cup racing. His car control is steel. So, you’ve got to be willing to change. I guess these guys have worked me over enough. I’ve done it.”

Hendrick loosened the reins.

Larson hits the dirt as he pleases, though he agreed to dial back when the NASCAR Playoffs begin. Reigning Cup Series champion Chase Elliott is starting to dabble in multiple leagues, plural. Teammates Alex Bowman (sprint car) and William Byron (iRacing, albeit simulation) are also involved in different forms of racing.

The argument is it helps drivers hone their craft. It also — a newer realization — gives sponsors further exposure.

On Wednesday, Larson not only signed a contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports through 2023, but Hendrick Automotive Group also announced it’ll back Larson for the two full years, including his non-NASCAR racing schedule.

“When you look at a driver and their brand, you often think of them and the car that they drove and the sponsor that was on it,” Larson said. “Jeff Gordon and DuPont. Jimmie (Johnson) and Lowe’s. I hope it’s me with Hendrick Cars on my car for my whole career.”

At 28 years old, Larson has time to build that type of driver-sponsor relationship. Gordon retired from full-time racing at 44. Johnson left NASCAR at 45.

Larson is in just his first full-time season with Hendrick Motorsports, too. He has the four regular-season wins, which already matches his career-high mark with 15 races remaining in 2021, and an additional exhibition victory from the All-Star Race. Larson then boasts 10 wins beyond NASCAR this year, giving him 56 dirt triumphs since January 2020.

“For us, it’s from a marketing perspective, it’s a brand extension,” said Brian Johnson, Hendrick Automotive Group’s vice president of marketing. “Kyle talked about brands being associated with drivers throughout history. We want to have the same effect with him. So, whenever he’s in a late model, a sprint car, whatever — whatever he’s in — we want that HendrickCars.com brand associated with him because it touches a different audience.”

Different audiences lead to a bigger overall audience.

The proof is in the pudding there. HendrickCars.com has an existing presence in the NHRA drag-racing world as the primary sponsor for Greg Anderson, who’s one win away from holding the all-time Pro Stock record.

“I couldn’t believe when I went over to the drag race how many T-shirts and Hendrick Cars stuff was there,” Hendrick said. “I think we’re going to look at every opportunity there is.”

It has been a rather eye-opening experience. Because the benefits of racing go even beyond the competition and publicity bonuses. Hendrick has had grassroots fans apply to be mechanics for his Cup Series teams, and he is able to tell them about the opportunities at the dealerships instead.

There are positives to a driver racing in non-NASCAR fields, though the threat of injury impacting their NASCAR careers does remain.

“I want to say I don’t encourage it,” Hendrick said. “But I’m all for it if it’s something they want to do and they feel really motivated to do it.”

Posted on July 15, 2021July 15, 2021 by Staff Report

In a nearly nine-minute video posted to Facebook, Matt DiBenedetto did not hold back his emotions about losing his seat for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season with the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford.

DiBenedetto revealed that he learned of the news yesterday that Harrison Burton would pilot the famed No. 21 in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season and said rather bluntly, “it does suck.”

NEWS: Austin Cindric, Harrison Burton to Cup in 2022 | Harrison Burton teams with Wood Bros.

“I’m going to be super honest. I’m not going to try and hide how I feel and what I feel,” DiBenedetto said. “You guys know what you see is what you get. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Found out yesterday. When I found out, I tried to be like OK, been through this before. How do I handle this? God has a plan for me. There’s a greater plan. …

“But you know what? I didn’t really sleep last night and I thought about it and it’s OK to have human emotion and I’m not going to lie to you, it’s OK to be pissed off, angry and bitter and all of the above. It just is what it is. We’re humans. We’re not perfect.”

MORE: Key players in Silly Season | Silly Season tracker

DiBenedetto reflected a bit on his time with the Wood Brothers — a tenure that will last two seasons (2020-21) and saw him nearly win at Talladega Superspeedway this spring. He called the Woods “family to me” and that he wants “to get that 100th win for them bad.”

The 29-year-old expressed frustration with his season to date as he sits outside the playoff picture in 18th in points heading to New Hampshire especially after he made the NASCAR Playoffs in 2020. He referred to the 21 team as “broken for a while” and how it “took too long” to shake things up. The Wood Brothers made a crew chief change before the All-Star Race with Jonathan Hassler taking over for Greg Erwin and the driver indicated that the change gave his team a jump-start with back-to-back top 10s at Road America and Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“Our team is clicking,” DiBenedetto said of his July runs thus far. “Finally. But guess what? It’s too late. I know it’s going to work out like it’s supposed to, but I’m just expressing my frustration with the way it is. I’m getting the (expletive) end of the deal. I’m not angry at any one in particular. It doesn’t make the situation not suck.”

RELATED: Wood Brothers through the years

Now, DiBenedetto finds himself in a position he has been in before. A pending free agent — looking for a new ride. It worked out for him when he bet on himself to leave Go Fas Racing in 2018 for Leavine Family Racing in 2019. And it worked out again when there was no seat for him at Leavine but he was able to land with the Wood Brothers and replace the retiring Paul Menard for the 2020 season.

Despite the bad news, the driver remains as optimistic as ever that his time in Victory Lane is coming.

“There’s still a lot of season left,” DiBenedetto said. “The positives are we do have our team on track so we can go kick ass. That’s the great thing that’s already shown. And I’m appreciative and I want to desperately get the 100th win for the Wood Brothers because like I said, they are and always will be family to me. And I am super appreciative of the opportunity.

“I’m here to win in the Cup Series. I am going to. Through all the heartache, all the frustration, all the obstacles, all the craziness … I am going to overcome all that and we are going to win. I feel confident that we are in the best position to go out there and do that finally and my future is going to be full of that and we’re going to have success.”

Posted on July 15, 2021July 15, 2021 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR and Ruoff Mortgage, a full-service residential mortgage company with 70-plus brick and mortar retail locations and a national online consumer direct division, announced today a multiyear partnership that will designate the company as the “Official Mortgage Partner of NASCAR.”

The wide-ranging agreement includes branding of the most coveted real estate in all of motorsports, Victory Lane. Beginning at Watkins Glen International, Ruoff Mortgage will be the presenting sponsor of Victory Lane for the Cup Series, Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series across all NASCAR-owned tracks. This is the first time in 20 years that this prominent branding asset has become available. NASCAR fans will enjoy Victory Lane’s fresh look that incorporates Ruoff’s signature corporate color palette of teal, navy, and orange, as well as a visual nod to their residential mortgage services, including their stepping stone avatar and a pitched roof design. Winning drivers will receive a warm “Welcome Home” message as they enter into the newly redesigned space.

“The best drivers in the world compete to park their car in Victory Lane and we are excited to have Ruoff Mortgage be a part of that celebratory moment each weekend,” said Jeff Wohlschlaeger, Vice President, Chief Sales Officer, NASCAR. “Victory Lane offers Ruoff Mortgage a highly visible position at the track and will deliver tremendous exposure to the most brand loyal fan base in sports.”

Ruoff Mortgage, a family-owned and operated business based out of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was founded in 1984. Over the past several years, Ruoff Mortgage has experienced tremendous growth in loan volume and sales, landing them a spot on the prestigious Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in America List for 8 years in a row. With this multi-faceted partnership, Ruoff Mortgage will broaden its exposure in sports and entertainment venues on a national level. The agreement with NASCAR joins their extensive list of more than 50 partnerships, including the Indianapolis Colts, Andretti Autosport, Cincinnati Reds and Columbus Blue Jackets, to name a few.

“Today’s announcement strategically aligns with our company’s brand. In order to be ‘Welcome(d) Home’ to Victory Lane, drivers must be the fastest on the track, leading the way. Similarly, Ruoff’s goal is to continue to find innovative ways to improve the mortgage process for our homebuyers, giving them the fastest, most efficient route to the finish line at the closing table,” said Mark Music, Ruoff President & CEO. “We are proud to be a leader in the mortgage industry and are excited to introduce drivers and their teams and race fans to Ruoff in Victory Lane.”

As part of the Official Partnership, Ruoff Mortgage will engage an exclusive group of Official NASCAR Partners that comprise the NASCAR Fuel For Business. The business-to-business environment offers unique opportunities for many companies to bypass the time and layers of corporate coordination to construct customized deals that help address specific business needs.

To learn more about Ruoff Mortgage, click here.

Posted on July 15, 2021July 15, 2021 by Team Release

STUART, VA (July 15, 2021) – Harrison Burton, a second-generation driver and four-time NASCAR Xfinity Series race winner, will pilot the famed No. 21 Ford Mustang for Wood Brothers Racing beginning in 2022, the team announced today. Burton will become the latest driver in a long list of legendary names that have piloted the No. 21 Ford for the Woods when he takes over the seat beginning at the 2022 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Austin Cindric, who had previously been announced as the driver for the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford Mustang in 2022, will now move over to Team Penske to drive the team’s No. 2 Mustang, opening the door for Burton to make a jump to the NASCAR Cup Series full-time.

Burton, the son of former NASCAR Cup Series driver and current NBC race analyst Jeff Burton, has been a mainstay in NASCAR’s lower divisions since arriving on the scene in the Truck Series at just 18 years of age in 2019. In 2020, Burton won four races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (Fontana, Homestead, Texas and Martinsville) en route to a seventh-place finish in the final point standings and series Rookie of the Year honors.

This season, the 20-year-old Burton has five top-fives and 11 top-10 finishes in 18 races and sits fifth in the Xfinity Series point standings.

“Since I began racing quarter midgets, the hope and goal was always to become a full-time driver in the NASCAR Cup Series,” said Burton. “Now, I get to do this with one of the most storied teams in NASCAR history in the Wood Brothers and with an association with Ford Motor Company and Ford Performance. I don’t think I could have dreamt of a better situation to put myself in when it comes to the start of my NASCAR Cup Series career. Add to that the technical alliance with Team Penske and the knowledge I’ll gain from working with their drivers and I’m really excited for 2022 and the future. This is a great opportunity for me and I can’t thank Eddie and Len Wood enough for giving me this chance.”

Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active NASCAR team and one of the winningest teams in series history. The team currently has 99 victories at NASCAR’s top level, with the likes of David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Neil Bonnett, Dan Gurney, AJ Foyt and Buddy Baker all visiting Victory Lane with the team. The organization also currently enjoys a technical relationship with Team Penske, which will continue into 2022, along with major support from Ford Performance.

Sponsorship for the No. 21 will be announced at a later date, but will once again include support from Ford Quick Lane and Motorcraft.

“As a team owner, you always want to keep an eye for the future and what’s best for your organization in hopes to set yourself up for success long-term,” said team President and Co-Owner Eddie Wood. “As things have progressed and changed over the last few months, we had the chance to look at what our options are and when we determined that Harrison would be available for our team, we wanted to jump at the opportunity to work with him. Harrison is young, but comes from a family full of successful race car drivers. The advice and support they can offer to Harrison as he makes this transition will be very important to his success. What a lot of us forget is that he is not even 21 years old yet and has only been racing in both the Truck Series and Xfinity Series for a couple of years. So when we looked at the future and finding someone to build our program around, Harrison seemed like a great option.”

“We are quite excited to begin working with Harrison and 2022 is perfect timing,” said team co-owner Len Wood. “With the introduction of the new Next Gen car next year, we have the ability to grow with him and build our program around what he wants. We don’t want to say it puts him on a level playing field, because there are a lot of great drivers in the Cup Series, but having a rookie come in at the same time a new car is introduced will help build us a solid foundation and hopefully get us off to a strong start.”

Additional details surrounding the 2022 season, including partners, will be announced at a later date.

Posted on July 15, 2021July 15, 2021 by Staff Report

The NASCAR garage awakened to the news of a major driver lineup shuffle among the Ford Performance group on Thursday morning, seeing a title winner slated to vacate his championship ride, the reigning Xfinity Series champ set to take hold of it and another Xfinity standout making the move up to the Cup Series for the 2022 season.

Team Penske confirmed 2012 premier series champion Brad Keselowski would depart the No. 2 Ford after the season “to pursue other opportunities within the sport.” Austin Cindric is set to make the full-time move up to Cup to pilot the entry starting next season. Cindric had previously been announced as the next driver to pilot the famed No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford in 2022 — instead that distinction will go to Harrison Burton, currently the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in Xfinity.

“Austin is a champion and has proven his abilities both on and off the track,” said Roger Penske in the team’s release. “The Cup Series is a big step for any rookie but making this move now, in conjunction with the introduction of the new Next Gen car, makes sense. He has gained valuable experience this year competing in a handful of races at the Cup level and he has shown that he belongs out there.”

Cindric rode a six-win, 19 top-five season to last year’s middle division title, his first at the national series level. He’s on pace to repeat, with four wins in 2021 and a firm hold at the top of the points standings over former Penske driver AJ Allmendinger.

The move is somewhat full circle for Cindric and Keselowski. The former began his national series career in 2015 driving for Brad Keselowski Racing in the Truck Series. All of Cindric’s 29 starts in that series came with BKR.

“Throughout my NASCAR career, I’ve grown a lot as a driver and an individual,” Cindric said in a team release. “There are so many individuals within the walls of Team Penske that have elevated me to a level that matches this opportunity. The support towards my development from Roger, Team Penske, and all of our partners has been the leading factor towards race wins and a championship.

“The No. 2 car is iconic to this sport and is a number that represents the foundation of this team. It is a great honor and a great responsibility to continue that role. As 2022 gets closer, I am excited to embrace that. Until then, my focus remains on winning another Xfinity Series Championship.”

At Wood Brothers, Burton will replace Matt DiBenedetto, who has piloted the No. 21 Ford the past two seasons. Meanwhile, Keselowski has been rumored to be making a move to Roush Fenway Racing’s Fords in a driver/owner role.

pic.twitter.com/XO32CqJvzS

— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) July 15, 2021

“Since I began racing quarter midgets, the hope and goal was always to become a full-time driver in the NASCAR Cup Series,” Burton said in a Wood Brothers release. “Now, I get to do this with one of the most storied teams in NASCAR history in the Wood Brothers and with an association with Ford Motor Company and Ford Performance. I don’t think I could have dreamt of a better situation to put myself in when it comes to the start of my NASCAR Cup Series career. Add to that the technical alliance with Team Penske and the knowledge I’ll gain from working with their drivers and I’m really excited for 2022 and the future. This is a great opportunity for me and I can’t thank Eddie and Len Wood enough for giving me this chance.”

Burton has five top fives and 11 top-10 finishes in 18 races this season, sitting fifth in the standings. The son of former NASCAR Cup Series driver and current NBC race analyst Jeff Burton, the 20-year-old Burton has participated full-time in NASCAR’s Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series since 2019. He won four Xfinity races last year en route to an eighth-place finish in the final point standings and series Rookie of the Year honors.

“As a team owner, you always want to keep an eye for the future and what’s best for your organization in hopes to set yourself up for success long-term,” said team president and co-owner Eddie Wood in a team release. “As things have progressed and changed over the last few months, we had the chance to look at what our options are and when we determined that Harrison would be available for our team, we wanted to jump at the opportunity to work with him. Harrison is young, but comes from a family full of successful race car drivers. The advice and support they can offer to Harrison as he makes this transition will be very important to his success. What a lot of us forget is that he is not even 21 years old yet and has only been racing in both the Truck Series and Xfinity Series for a couple of years. So when we looked at the future and finding someone to build our program around, Harrison seemed like a great option.”

Additionally, Team Penske announced that Discount Tire will remain a key sponsor moving forward on both the No. 2 of Cindric and the No. 12 of Ryan Blaney in 2022. The remainder of Cindric’s partner lineup will be announced at a later date.

Posted on July 14, 2021July 14, 2021 by Zack Albert

Rick Hendrick has his four NASCAR Cup Series drivers locked up through the 2022 season, with two of them signed to contract extensions through 2023 in a four-week span. The ink might not be quite dry on the recent agreements for Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman, but Hendrick has designs on long-term deals all around.

Larson signed Wednesday to a one-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports, a deal that includes nearly full-time backing from HendrickCars.com on his No. 5 Chevrolet for the next two seasons. That comes on the heels of a June 18 contract agreement with Bowman, whose deal is now concurrent with primary sponsor Ally through 2023.

That leaves defending Cup Series champion Chase Elliott and teammate William Byron with contracts set to expire after the 2022 season. Hendrick said Wednesday those negotiations have been a constant focus, but making the driver-sponsorship components final with Larson and the No. 5 team required extra work in the short term. That hasn’t deterred Hendrick from keeping his four-driver lineup intact for the long haul.

“Absolutely, my plan is for Chase and William to retire with us, so that’s an ongoing situation with me,” Hendrick said. “I love the lineup right now, and I want to keep the band together.”

All four Hendrick Motorsports drivers have scored Cup Series wins this season. Larson leads the group with four victories, and Bowman has a career-best three. Elliott has won twice, and Byron has once.

Elliott’s most recent contract development was a four-year extension through 2022 that he signed in June 2017. At the time, Elliott was in his second year driving the No. 24 Chevrolet and fresh from taking Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in 2016. He took over the No. 9 car in 2018.

Byron, now the driver of Hendrick’s No. 24 Chevy, was last signed to an extension in September 2020. That deal — which also runs until the end of the 2022 season — was announced just three days after Byron clinched his first Cup Series win at Daytona International Speedway.