No. 14 Rinnai Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

●  Event:  Cook Out 400 (Round 23 of 36)

●  Time/Date:  6 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Aug. 11

●  Location:  Richmond (Va.) Raceway

●  Layout:  .75-mile oval

●  Laps/Miles:  400 laps/300 miles

●  Stage Lengths:  Stage 1: 70 laps / Stage 2: 160 laps / Final Stage: 170 laps

●  TV/Radio:  USA / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

●  The Aug. 11 Cook Out 400 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway will mark Briscoe’s eighth career NASCAR Cup Series start at the track. He has three finishes of 12th or better, including a pair of 11th-place drives, the latest of which came last July. Briscoe finished 18th in the Cup Series’ most recent visit to Richmond on March 31.

●  In five career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Richmond between 2018 and 2020, Briscoe finished outside the top-16 only once, with three results of 11th or better. His best run came in September 2019 when he started fifth and finished fifth in his No. 98 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas.

●  Drivers and their crew chiefs will have options when it comes to choosing what kind of tire they want to bolt onto their racecar at Richmond. Goodyear is bringing a “prime” tire, which is a slick racing tire, and an “option” tire that is also a slick but with a softer, faster-wearing compound. The lettering on the prime tires will be yellow and the lettering on the option tires will be red. In theory, the prime tire will last longer but provide less grip, therefore compromising speed. The option tire will provide maximum grip at the beginning of a run, allowing drivers to make significantly more speed, but their high-degradation rate means that speed will be short-lived. These tire combinations were originally trialed during the NASCAR All-Star Race weekend May 18-19 at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway. Richmond marks the debut of the option tire in a regular-season, points-paying race. Here’s how it will work:

    ●  Teams will get two sets of each tire for practice.

    ●  A set of prime tires must be used during qualifying on Saturday. That set will then be transferred to Sunday’s race allotment.

    ●  Teams get eight sets of sticker tires for the race – six prime sets and two option sets.

    ●  For the race, NASCAR will not mandate when teams use their respective sets. However, all four tires must match at all times.

    ●  There will be a single, 45-minute practice session on Saturday for all cars leading into NASCAR Cup Series qualifying.

●  Adorning Briscoe’s No. 14 Ford Mustang Dark Horse at Richmond is Rinnai, a manufacturer of the No. 1 selling brand of tankless gas water heaters in North America. Rinnai is the official tankless water heater of Stewart-Haas Racing, a designation that highlights Rinnai’s brand promise of “Creating a healthier way of living®,” a mantra that is at the forefront of all the company’s efforts. By continuing to offer quality products and services to homeowners and organizations, Rinnai is aiding in providing businesses and homes with energy-efficient hot water options for cleaner and healthier living.

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Wearing the The Fleddermann von Rieste Hanoverian Self-Winding Automatic Watch in Charcoal Grey (left) and the Einheit in Celebration Champagne featuring an automatic movement from Seiko and assembled in America, Photo Credit – Justin Potter

Briscoe Banter

You last raced at Richmond on March 31, which was more than four months ago. How has the competition changed since then?

“I definitely think it’s gotten more cut-throat as the year goes on. Everybody’s stuff gets better, everybody’s tighter at the beginning of the year, then everybody’s a little more spread out and what not. As we get to the tail end of the season, it’s just going to get harder and harder to win just because more and more people are really good. Our stuff definitely has changed a lot since we first raced at Richmond this year, but so has everybody else’s. We’ll just have to try to improve on what we had there the last time.”

Have some of the more recent short tracks, or even flat tracks, like New Hampshire and Iowa, provided some insight as to how you’ll unload at Richmond?

“I think a little bit. Richmond’s a little bit unique just because the tire wear is so significant compared to all those other racetracks that are similar to it in size and banking. It’s hard to say if you really can take a whole lot from any other racetracks just because Richmond is kind of its own unique beast because of its abrasive surface and the tire wear that it has.”

Is there a difference in how Richmond races between the first race in the still comfortable air of spring compared to its second race in the heat of the summer?

“At that place, the grip level definitely changes a lot just based on the temperature. It’s probably one of the more temperature-sensitive racetracks. It’s slick even when it’s 50 degrees outside, and it’s really slick when it’s 85-plus outside. For me, I enjoy when it’s hotter and slicker there because I feel like you have more options and your car’s driving worse and I just enjoy that more. Hopefully when we go there it’s hot and slick and we can move all over the racetrack and have a lot of fun with it. I definitely feel like the tracks I run better at are typically the slicker and worn-out ones. Richmond’s one of those tracks where, when it’s cold outside, you’re married to the bottom of the racetrack, whereas when it’s hot, you can kind of move around and run up by the wall and do a lot more stuff with your racecar. I definitely enjoy it more when it’s hot and slick there.”

You’ll have the prime tire and the option tire at Richmond, just like what you trialed in the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. What was it like at the All-Star Race with the option tire? What kind of strategy went into it, and how do you think it will apply at Richmond?

“There’s never been a points race where we’ve had multiple option tires. It’s going to be a new component of strategy that we’ve never seen before, just trying to understand when to put on the option tire or stick with the prime tire. North Wilkesboro is a little unique in the sense of, with it being newly repaved, it didn’t really chew up tires a whole lot, where Richmond will certainly chew up tires. I think there’s going to be a lot of strategy involved. The new tires, or the option tires, will probably be extremely fast for probably 10 or 15 laps and then get really, really slow. It’ll be interesting, and the crew chiefs will certainly earn their money on that day, for sure.”

Do guys with a dirt background have an advantage at Richmond as they’re used to running different tire compounds?

“I don’t know if the dirt guys have an advantage. If it’s slick, then maybe a little bit, but honestly I think it plays into the pavement late model guys’ hands a lot more just because they’re really good at saving tires and they know how to do that, where sprint car guys typically struggle with that. I think guys like Josh Berry, William Byron, Denny Hamlin, guys who are just really good at understanding where the tire is and the life of it. I feel like sprint car guys kind of struggle with that a lot of the time just because we don’t have a lot of experience doing it.”

Will having an option tire at Richmond make for a better race?

“I think it’s a step. We’ve kind of been trying everything else and nothing’s really seemed to move the needle. I do think this is another thing to throw at it to see if it makes a difference. I also think you’ll see more comers and goers just from having different tires. At North Wilkesboro, there wasn’t a major difference, but also tires didn’t really wear out there, either. I do think it’ll make a difference and I’m curious to see what it’s like. Practice is going to be interesting to see how it plays out, and I think after practice you’ll have a lot better idea of what to expect for the race.”

Wear What Chase Wears

As we see Chase roar into Richmond after the extended Olympic break we will highlight the Fleddermann von Rieste Munchner in his collection. Chase Briscoe can be seen wearing an Indiana Assembled Fleddermann von Rieste Munchner Small Seconds Watch with a Mechanical Swiss Watch Movement. Coming off of the extended break and downtime  as he is set set to harness the horsepower of his Number 14 Rinnai Dark Horse Ford Mustang at America’s premier short track, known as the Action Track, Richmond Raceway. Like Chase, we are proud to be from The Hoosier State, Indiana, and we are even prouder to make our American Made Watches right here in Indiana. We are blessed that Chase chose to partner with us as his office watch provider and can not wait to see our watches on his wrist this weekend. We’re excited to highlight one of his American-made mechanical Swiss watch movement watches, inspired by capital of the German State of Bavaria. This exceptional timepiece features a high-performance hand wind Swiss watch movement, ensuring that Chase Briscoe’s watch is always accurate and he is never late for a green flag.

At Fleddermann von Rieste, we take immense pride in our partnership with Chase and in the fact that our American-made watches, both automatic watches with self-winging watch movements and mechanical watches with hand wind watch movements. All of our are assembled in Indiana. We cherish the Hoosier state and our commitment to American craftsmanship. The Munchner model features a high-beat mechanical hand wind Swiss watch movement from Master of Time. The Master of Time DB-6  ahdn winding Swiss watch movement delivers powerful, reliable precision performance while maintaining a slim profile, enhancing the comfort for anyone who wears it.

Chase selected the Munchner in Charcoal Grey for his personal watch collection. The Munchner comes in four stunning colors, allowing you to build your collection around its versatile design. Explore the Munchner and discover why it’s the perfect addition to any watch enthusiast’s collection.

The Fleddermann von Rieste Hand Wind Watch, the Munchner features a Swiss Watch movement and is available in four colors, photos courtesy of Eye of Isaac Photography 

About Fleddermann von Rieste

At Fleddermann von Rieste, we assemble all of our automatic watches with a deep commitment to quality and American craftsmanship. We believe in the importance of American-made watches and doing things the right way. While many consider luxury watches to be exclusively Swiss-made, we proudly demonstrate that luxury automatic watches can be American-assembled.

As an independent watch company based in Indiana, Fleddermann von Rieste creates legacy American-assembled watches, focusing on the best affordable watches for our customers. Our watches are assembled by an American Watchmaker and Clockmaker Institute (AWCI) certified watchmaker and his apprentice in the Hoosier State. We produce both automatic watches (self-winding watches) and mechanical watches (hand-wind watches) with meticulous care.

Did you know that our watchmakers have taken courses and worked on some of the best Swiss-made watch brands? Adam and his team are trained and capable of servicing brands including, but not limited to, Rolex, Breitling, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Omega, Seiko, Luminox, Swiss Army, and Grand Seiko. The Fleddermann family infuses every watch with inspiration drawn from our deep-rooted Indiana family history and German heritage.

Each American-assembled mechanical or automatic watch is designed to become a family heirloom from the very first wearing. We take great pride in providing attainable legacy timepieces that generations can wear, share, and cherish. Our watches embody our vision for timeless pieces that you can be excited to show your father and proud to give to your son.

No. 14 Mahindra USA 30 Years Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Chase Briscoe
Hometown: Mitchell, Indiana

Crew Chief: Richard Boswell
Hometown: Friendship, Maryland

Car Chief: J.D. Frey
Hometown: Ferndale, California

Engineer: Mike Cook
Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland

Spotter: Joey Campbell
Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Shayne Pipala
Hometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Dakota Ratcliff
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee

Tire Carrier: Jon Bernal
Hometown: Holland, Michigan

Jack Man: Dylan Moser
Hometown: Monroe, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Corey Coppola
Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Road Crew Members

Underneath Mechanic: Stephen Gonzalez
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Interior Mechanic: Trevor Adams
Hometown: Plymouth, Wisconsin

Tire Specialist: Keith Eads
Hometown: Arlington, Virginia

Shock Specialist: Brian Holshouser
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Engine Tuner: Jon Phillips
Hometown: Jefferson City, Missouri

Transporter Co-Driver: Todd Cable
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Dale Lackey
Hometown: Taylorsville, North Carolina

Thank you to Mike Arning, True Speed Communication on behalf of Stewart-Haas Racing