Post-Race Report
Event 09: NHRA New England Nationals
New England Dragway
Epping, NH
June 2-4
Langdon advances to first semi-final since joining Team Kalitta
Race Recap: With four races together, Langdon and the Global Electronic Technology team were coming together and the progress was further shown in Epping for the New England Nationals. Continue reading Kalitta Motorsports Epping Post Race
CHEVY FAST FACTS
AAA DRIVE FOR AUTISM 400
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
June 4, 2017
A total of 18 Team Chevy drivers will start the AAA Drive for Autism Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race at Dover International Speedway. The 400-lap/400-mile contest around the Monster Mile is scheduled to begin at 1p.m., ET. Live coverage will be available on FoxSports1, MRN Radio, Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 90 and NASCAR.com. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Dover Fast Facts
Robert Hight becomes only 13th NHRA driver
to record 50 No. 1 qualifiers
EPPING, N.H. (June 4) – Robert Hight’s pass of 3.822 seconds at 334.65 mph in the third round of qualifying Saturday at New England Dragway put him in elite company, as only the 13th driver to record at least 50 No. 1 qualifiers in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
Hight had been in a tie for 13th overall with Angelle Sampey, having most recently setting the quickest qualifying time last year at Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas. Now, nearly eight months later, Hight reached the half-century mark. Continue reading Robert Hight becomes only 13th NHRA driver to record 50 No. 1 qualifiers
Pritchett Qualifies Mopar Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Top Fuel Dragster No. 1 at NHRA New England Nationals
Leah Pritchett takes third Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier position of 2017 and fourth of career with track-record pass of 3.673 seconds at 328.86 mph at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire
No. 1 qualifier is the sixth for Mopar HEMI® power in the Top Fuel category out of nine events this season
Pritchett is running a special Mopar Dodge Challenger SRT Demon paint scheme for fifth annual New England Nationals
Tony Schumacher qualifies Mopar-powered U.S. Army dragster No. 3 in Top Fuel
Ron Capps leads Mopar in Funny Car category with No. 3 qualifying effort in Dodge Charger R/T, all four Mopar-backed Don Schumacher Racing Funny Cars qualify in top nine
Five Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Cars to compete in 16-car field
June 3, 2017, Epping, N.H. – Leah Pritchett qualified her Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Top Fuel dragster No. 1 for this weekend’s NHRA New England Nationals, further adding to the Demon’s dominance on the drag strip. Continue reading Pritchett Qualifies Mopar Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Top Fuel Dragster No. 1 at NHRA New England Nationals
16-time Funny Car champion John Force
looks for speed out of his PEAK Chevrolet
EPPING, N.H. (June 3) – If anyone can find a way, it’s 16-time Funny Car champion John Force.
Force is looking for speed from his PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS after qualifying No. 13 for the NHRA New England Nationals on Saturday at New England Dragway.
Force knows the speed is there, as a test at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis confirmed some setup changers worked. But the team has yet to transfer that speed here.
“It’s a combination we ran .82 with at Indy in testing after Topeka,” Force said. “It was fast, and somewhere, we haven’t found it yet here.
“The dragster (of Brittany Force) is No. 2, Robert (Hight) was low ET and Courtney (Force) is fast,” Force said. “I’m not where I want to be. I’ve got a brand-new combination, tested at Indianapolis, and it was fast. It’s not on here, but we found some issues, and had to make some changes. We just got behind.” Continue reading 16-time Funny Car champion John Force looks for speed out of his PEAK Chevrolet
AAA Chevrolet driver Robert Hight earns 50th career
No. 1 qualifier, looks for victory in Epping
EPPING, N.H. (June 3) – Robert Hight took his AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car to new heights Saturday, setting the New England Dragway track records for elapsed time and speed to earn the 50th No. 1 qualifier of his stellar career.
Hight will start from the No. 1 spot for Sunday’s NHRA New England Nationals, marking the 13th season – all consecutively – he’s earned at least one No. 1.
Hight’s 50th No. 1 qualifiers ties with him with the legendary Don Prudhomme in the Funny Car category.
“That’s pretty cool,” Hight said. “Fifteen years ago, I never would’ve thought my name would’ve even come in the same sentence as Don Prudhomme’s. He’s one of the greatest of all time. He dominated in his day. Fifty No. 1s – that’s pretty awesome. To have my name in the record books with Don Prudhomme is pretty surreal. It’s harder and harder to get these No. 1 qualifiers.” Continue reading AAA Chevrolet driver Robert Hight earns 50th career No. 1 qualifier, looks for victory in Epping
Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force secures No. 2 qualifying spot for NHRA New England Nationals
EPPING, N.H. (June 3) – Courtney Force earned the No. 2 qualifying position for the second consecutive NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series race in the Funny Car class, standing on Friday’s qualifying efforts for Sunday’s New England Nationals at New England Dragway.
Force, driving the Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS, ran a pass of 3.842 seconds at 331.53 mph in Friday’s initial session. But that car was destroyed moments after crossing the finish line, the engine exploding due to a leak in the fuel line. She exited the car unscathed.
Force’s Advance Auto Parts crew prepared a spare car for her, which she drove for her other qualifying effort Friday and both sessions Saturday. But she was unable to put together a full pass in those three attempts. The right-front brake locked up in Friday’s second attempt following her burnout, and she did not make the pass.
She broke loose in Saturday’s first session, and tire shake forced her to shut the car off early in the final attempt. Teammate Robert Hight, in the AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS, took the top spot, a career-best 3.822-second pass at 336.74 mph. Continue reading Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force secures No. 2 qualifying spot for NHRA New England Nationals
Monster Energy driver Brittany Force records season-best No. 2 qualifying effort for Sunday’s New England Nationals
Photo Credit: Gary Nastase and Auto Imagery
EPPING, N.H. (June 3) – Brittany Force secured a season-best No. 2 qualifying effort in the Top Fuel class for Sunday’s NHRA New England Nationals, the ninth round of the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.
Force, driving the Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster, made a pass of 3.686 seconds at 331.36 mph in Friday’s second qualifying round, which was the quickest run in the five-year history of the track. But she was shuffled back after Saturday’s efforts, falling to the No. 2 position.
Force made a solid pass of 3.694 seconds at 328.86 mph in the fourth and final round – the quickest of the session for all 15 Top Fuel cars – but fell just short of reclaiming the top position. Still, No. 2 shows what the vast improvement the team has made, recovering from three consecutive first-round losses in late April and early May. Continue reading Monster Energy driver Brittany Force records season-best No. 2 qualifying effort for Sunday’s New England Nationals
Allen Johnson Posts Season High No. 8 Qualifying Spot Heading into Raceday at New England Nationals
EPPING, N.H. (June 3, 2017) – The Marathon Petroleum Corporation/J&J Racing team has really begun to hit their stride as of late. The red, white, and blue group is showing their true talent with a No. 8 qualifying spot at the Fifth annual NHRA New England Nationals.
Allen Johnson began his quest to his highest qualifying spot of the season on Friday at New England Dragway with a solid 6.562-second pass at 211.10 mph placing him in the No. 5 spot. Johnson bettered his performance in the second session on Friday evening with a 6.551, 211.43.
Saturday, Johnson remained consistent when he drove his Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart to a 6.552, 210.77 and with a .975-second 60-foot time, he was second fastest to the 60-foot mark. Where starting line advantages and quick 60-foot times are crucial, the performance was a definite confidence booster. Continue reading Allen Johnson Posts Season High No. 8 Qualifying Spot Heading into Raceday at New England Nationals
Honda Sweeps Opening Race in Detroit
• Graham Rahal dominates first race of weekend double header
• Scott Dixon, James Hinchcliffe complete Honda podium sweep
• Honda drivers claim seven of the top nine finishing positions
DETROIT, Mich. (June 3, 2017) – Starting from the pole, Graham Rahal dominated Saturday’s opening Verizon IndyCar Series race of a double header weekend in Detroit, leading virtually from flag-to-flag and spearheading a 1-2-3 Honda sweep at the Belle Isle Park temporary street circuit.
Rahal drove a flawless race – leading 55 of 70 laps, making his Rahal Letterman Lanigan team’s two-stop pit strategy work perfectly and beating fellow Honda driver Scott Dixon to the checkered flag by six seconds in the first of the annual doubleheader at Belle Isle. Continue reading Honda Sweeps Opening Race in Detroit
Battle with Elite Motorsports teammate awaits
five-time Pro Stock champ Jeg Coughlin Jr.
EPPING, N.H. (June 3) — It’s inevitable when your team fields three full-time and one part-time car in one professional category of NHRA drag racing that you will race your teammates on occasion. Such is the case for five-time Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr., who will face stablemate Vincent Nobile in Sunday’s opening round of elimination action at the fifth annual NHRA New England Nationals.
“It’s always tough when you run your teammates because we want all our cars to advance,” Coughlin said. “It’s especially hard when you get them in the first round but nevertheless it happens so all we can do is go up there and try our best. It’s already happened a few times this year for me and I know Vincent and Erica (Enders, teammate) have squared off a number of times as well. Continue reading Battle with Elite Motorsports teammate awaits five-time Pro Stock champ Jeg Coughlin Jr.
CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
CHEVROLET DETROIT BELLE ISLE GRAND PRIX
STREETS OF BELLE ISLE
TEAM CHEVY DUAL NO. 1 RACE REPORT WITH DRIVER QUOTES
JUNE 3, 2017
Newgarden Paces Team Chevy in opening Dual in Detroit
DETROIT (June 3, 2017) – Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden led the Team Chevy contingent Saturday with a fourth-place finish in the first of two Dual in Detroit rounds for the Verizon IndyCar Series on Belle Isle.
Newgarden, in the No. 2 hum by Verizon Chevrolet IndyCar, rebounded from a ninth-place starting position in the 70-lap race – part of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear event weekend. The second Dual in Detroit race is scheduled for 3:50 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Chevrolet IndyCar drivers capture three top-10 positions Saturday. Helio Castroneves in the Team Penske No. 3 Hitachi Chevrolet IndyCar led 11 of the 70 laps and finished seventh. Ed Carpenter Racing’s JR Hildebrand finished 10th in the No. 21 Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevy IndyCar.
Acura Wins in the Motor City
• Andy Lally and Katherine Legge score first win for Acura NSX GT3
• Michael Shank Racing pair dominates Detroit Grand Prix sprint run
• Jeff Segal and Ozz Negri challenge for podium, finish fifth
DETROIT, Mich. (June 3, 2017) – A strong qualifying performance and fast opening stint from Katherine Legge, followed by a quick pit stop by the Michael Shank Racing team and successful closing run by co-driver Andy Lally, netted the first victory for the Acura NSX GT3 in international sports car racing Saturday on the Belle Isle Park temporary street circuit in Detroit, Michigan.
Starting second in the GTD category after posting the best qualifying performance of the season for the NSX GT3, Legge completed a strong opening drive in the #93 Acura, pulling away from the rest of the field between encounters with slower traffic.
A caution just past the 30-minute mark resulted in most teams heading to pit lane for their single stop and driver change in the 100-minute contest. When Legge pitted the #93 Acura, her Michael Shank Racing team elected to change only two tires during the stop, enabling co-driver Lally to resume in the lead.
When the green flag waved with just over an hour remaining, Lally held off a challenge from the Ferrari of Alesandro Balzan, then pulled away in the closing laps to take the checkers just over two and a half seconds clear of the GTD field.
Acura and the MSR team came close to a double-podium result in Detroit. The #86 Acura NSX GT3 of Jeff Segal and Oswaldo “Ozz” Negri ran as high as third before late-race contact from a following GTD car sent Segal briefly off-line, costing him two positions.
Starting at the rear of the 15-car GTD field after a crash in practice on Friday, Negri moved the #86 car up to 12th prior to pitting and handing off to co-driver Segal. In another dramatic strategy call, the MSR team elected to make the stop for driver and fuel only, saving time in pit lane by keeping the same tires on the #86 NSX and gaining six positions in the process.
Segal then moved up three more positions early in his run, and attempted to hold on to third place in the closing laps. But, with just over two laps remaining, contact from the following Lamborghini of Madison Snow briefly sent Segal off-line, and he fell back to fifth at the checkers. Still, the 1/5 finish for Acura and the Michael Shank Racing team today is the best combined result for the NSX GT-3 since it debuted in the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway in January.
Competing in the GTD class of the sports car racing championship, the NSX GT3s race against premium automotive brands including Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.
Developed from the production Acura NSX, the NSX GT3 utilizes the production NSX’s ultra-rigid and lightweight multi-material body with aluminum-intensive space frame, which is produced at the Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio, exclusive worldwide manufacturing facility for the NSX. The 3.5-liter racing engine uses the same design specifications as the production Acura NSX, including the block, heads, valve train, crankshaft, pistons and dry-sump lubrication system. A six-speed, sequential-shift racing gearbox delivers power to the rear wheels.
Video recaps from this weekend’s activities at Detroit, including today’s Acura victory and two Verizon IndyCar Series races, are being posted on the “Honda Racing/HPD” YouTube channel. Produced by the Carolinas Production Group, the video packages can be found in the HPD Trackside Video Playlist at: https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV.
After the second of two, temporary street circuit sprint races on the 2017 schedule, the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship returns to endurance events on classic road courses for the remainder of the season. The series resumes July 3 with the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen at Watkins Glen International Raceway in upstate New York, the third round of the series-within-a-series Tequila Patron North American Endurance Championship.
Andy Lally (Driver, Michael Shank Racing #93 Acura NSX GT3) GTD race winner at Detroit: “I’m pretty happy. Acura did an amazing job. Michael Shank Racing has done a great job all year. Everyone from HPD have been full-tilt on this program. We’ve had quite an up-and-down year. We’ve had some things go wrong at bad times, but today, everything went right. I’m so happy for these guys. Katherine [Legge] did an amazing job. She helped me get faster this weekend. I was junk [at the start of the weekend], but I found some things she was doing and applied it to what I was doing. Our engineers did a great job, we just put our heads down and drove the car. Hats off to Katherine for putting us in the right position to come out in front. She did an amazing job. I told the guys, ‘we have a really well-balanced car.’ You’re going to [abuse] the back tires here. But you can balance the car with the throttle, so having a neutral car is huge. That was what was critical for us here. Remember, this is [just] the fifth race for Acura in IMSA, so to come in first shows how critical the development of the car is, and how far we’ve progressed in a short time.”
Katherine Legge (Driver, Michael Shank Racing #93 Acura NSX GT3) GTD race winner at Detroit: “It’s a testament to the team, to everyone at Michael Shank Racing, Acura and HPD. They gave us a car that was capable of winning. This is a brand-new car, and the program has come so far in six months. The team has really been working hard to improve the car between each race. We’ve been strong, [finishing in the] points [in previous races], but today, we put it all together. Today was the longest hour of my life, watching Andy [Lally] drive. I was telepathically talking to him. It was harder to watch [him] than actually drive. ‘Thank you’ to everyone who has given us a chance to put together this car and this ride. In 2013, I drove with HPD in the Indy 500, and it started our relationship. I wanted to be part of their program. So it is really special [to have] everything working out. The [#86 team car] was running third, and we were going to be first and third until they got pushed out by another car. I felt so bad for Ozz [Negri] and Jeff [Segal]. We felt crushed for them. We were really hoping to be on the podium with them today. We were so looking forward for their finish.”
Michael Shank (Owner, Michael Shank Racing) on today’s victory: “I’m just so grateful that our team gets the win for the Acura brand today. You could almost feel it around this place, everyone was really, really calm before the race, it was almost too quiet! We are really making advancements on the car and I am just so thrilled for the team. Everyone from the drivers, to the crew guys, to the engineers, everyone did what they needed to today.”
Art St. Cyr (President, Honda Performance Development) on today’s first victory for the Acura NSX GT3: “They always say the first win is the hardest, and this one was no exception. Thinking back to all the hard work of Honda Performance Development, Honda R&D Japan, Honda R&D in Ohio and the Performance Manufacturing Center [where the NSX is built], this is truly a group win. Congratulations to Mike Shank and everyone at Michael Shank Racing, including Katherine and Andy, our winning drivers. This is one to enjoy, and the hopefully the first of many to come.”
Current Elite Motorsports Camaro reminds Erica Enders of her two championship cars
EPPING, N.H. (June 3) — Erica Enders matched her provisional No. 1 qualifying effort from Friday night in Saturday’s first session at New England Dragway, running an identical 6.513-second elapsed time at a slight faster 213.16 mph to end up second in the elimination field of the fifth annual NHRA New England Nationals.
The impressive run, followed by a 6.518 at 212.69 mph in the final session, proves Enders’ Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro is a very consistent racecar. In fact, she says the reliability of her Rick Jones-built chassis reminds her a lot of the two cars she and her Elite crew used to win 15 nationals events and back-to-back Pro Stock world titles in 2014 and 2015.0 Continue reading Current Elite Motorsports Camaro reminds Erica Enders of her two championship cars
Up-And-Down Day for Austin Dillon and the Rheem Team Concludes with 28th-Place Finish at The Monster Mile
“It was definitely an up-and-down day in the Rheem Chevrolet today. We were running towards the front when we got sideways and made contact with the outside wall. That brought out the caution and created quite a bit of damage to the right side of the Rheem Chevy. It turned into a strategy race the rest of the day because we were short one set of tires for a while. We ended up getting caught back up and we were looking okay but the power steering line broke loose with less than 20 laps to go and we were unable to finish the race. I hate to leave Dover with a DNF but it’s not for a lack of effort. Everyone at RCR puts their all into this XFINITY program every single week.”
– Austin Dillon Continue reading Richard Childress Racing–Dover 200
MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
AAA 400 DRIVE FOR AUTISM
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY FINAL PRACTICE NOTES AND QUOTES
JUNE 3, 2017
PAIR OF CHEVROLET SS DRIVERS LEAD FINAL PRACTICE AT DOVER
DOVER, Del. (June 3, 2017) – Kyle Larson, No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS and Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS lead the final practice session in anticipation for Sunday’s AAA Drive for Autism 400 at Dover International Speedway. On the heels of winning the pole for today’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race in his Chevrolet Camaro, Larson put up a top speed of 157.411 mph to lead the field in his Chevrolet SS. Second in the current point standings rankings, Larson put up more laps than any other driver (60) in the final hour of practice at the Monster Mile.
Ten-time Dover winner, Jimmie Johnson, put up the second quickest time in his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS. The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion completed 48 laps during the final hour session ahead of tomorrow’s 400-mile contest.
FINAL PRACTICE QUOTES:
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – Quickest in the final practice session
HOW GOOD WAS THE RACE CAR? ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH IT?
“Yeah, I was struggling a little bit the last practice, so we made a good adjustment there on the last run and I feel like we got some good grip in our Target Chevy. And then this practice I felt good. I just made two really long runs and our beginning of the run speed is good and our fall off is not that bad either. So, I’m happy with it. The race is always a little different here. The track gets really slick. So, I hope we make the right adjustments overnight and throughout the race tomorrow to have a shot to win and just be perfect. It’s tough to win Cup races, so can’t make any mistakes. I made a couple here recently the last couple of weeks in racing, so got to clean that up and maybe get back to Victory Lane.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS – Second fastest on the final practice board
ON HIS FINAL PRACTICE SESSION:
“It was honestly a really good day. I’m a little bummed how yesterday went. But today, we have had what we need, the feeling in the car and the drivability. Yesterday, we lacked some stability and today it’s all there. I’m been very pleased with both practice sessions.”
Fast females: Brittany Force, Courtney Force snare provisional No. 1 spots at New England Nationals
Brittany Force (Photo credit: Gary Nastase and Auto Imagery)
EPPING, N.H. (June 2) – It has only happened once before – two sisters earning No. 1 qualifying positions for an NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series race on the same weekend. Now, Courtney and Brittany Force of John Force Racing are less than 24 hours away from achieving that mark again after setting track records Friday at New England Dragway. Continue reading Fast females: Brittany Force, Courtney Force snare provisional No. 1 spots at New England Nationals
MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
AAA 400 DRIVE FOR AUTISM
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
JUNE 2, 2017
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 AAA CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Dover International Speedway and discussed last weekend’s victory in the Coca-Cola 600, the difficulties of getting refocused after earning his first career victory and tackling the Monster Mile, plus many other topics. Full Transcript:
HOW HAS THIS WEEK OF CELEBRATION BEEN FOR YOU AND ARE YOU STILL CELEBRATING AT THIS POINT IN TIME?
“No, I’m pretty focused on our task in front of us right now and that is the Monster Mile. We just have been working on our car in both series. It’s been a pretty busy day and it was a wonderful weekend that I will never forget, or a week.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Dover–Austin Dillon
MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
AAA 400 DRIVE FOR AUTISM
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
JUNE 2, 2017
KYLE LARSON POSTS TOP FIVE QUALIFYING EFFORT FOR CHEVROLET AT DOVER
Three Team Chevy Drivers in Final Round
DOVER, Del. (June 2, 2017) – Kyle Larson made a strong showing at Dover International Speedway today by qualifying his No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS in fifth place for Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race. Larson ran a fast speed of 158.179 mph around the famed Monster Mile track.
High on the heels of his Coca-Cola 600 victory at Charlotte last weekend, Austin Dillon qualified his No. 3 AAA Chevy SS ninth in the challenging knockout-style format. Dale Earnhardt Jr. also transferred to the final round in his No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS with an 11th place effort, giving Team Chevy three starting positions in the Top 12. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Dover–Kyle Larson
Castroneves Quickest for Team Chevy, Penske on Belle Isle
DETROIT (June 2, 2017) – Helio Castroneves set the fastest lap on Team Chevy’s home turf during the opening practice day for the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit – part of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix weekend. Castroneves, the championship leader in the Verizon IndyCar Series, posted a lap of 1:15.1511 (112.573 mph) in the No. 3 Hitachi Chevrolet IndyCar for Team Penske.
Castroneves is a three-time winner on Belle Isle, the site of his first career IndyCar victory in 2000. He led a group of four Chevrolet 2.2-liter, twin-turbo, V6-powered entries in the top-10 Friday.
“The Hitachi Chevy IndyCar looks really strong here,” said Castroneves, who set his quick time in the second of Friday’s two official practice sessions. “We had a good, solid car out of the truck. Along with my teammates, we’re working together so tomorrow we can repeat what we did this morning. I have a very special feeling for this place. Plus my boss (Roger Penske)… his home is here and his work is here. It’s great. This is my 18th year with Team Penske, and I’ve become good friends with a lot of his people. It’s great to have a family in Detroit cheering for you. Plus Detroit has always been nice to me.””
Simon Pagenaud, second in Verizon IndyCar Series points, was fourth-quickest Friday in the No. 1 DXC Technology Chevrolet IndyCar at 1:15.4577 (112.116 mph). Josef Newgarden in the No. 2 hum by Verizon Chevrolet for Team Penske was sixth-fastest with Team Penske’s Will Power eighth in the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet.
Of the four quickest Team Chevy drivers, Castroneves and Pagenaud set their best times Friday afternoon with Newgarden and Power quicker in the morning session.
Qualifying for the first race of the Dual in Detroit is set for 10:05 a.m. ET on Saturday with the race scheduled for 3:50 p.m. ET.
DRIVER POST PRACTICE QUOTES:
Helio Castroneves, No. 3 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet: “The Hitachi Chevy IndyCar looks really strong here. We had a good, solid car out of the truck. Along with my teammates, we’re working together so tomorrow we can repeat what we did this morning. I have a very special feeling for this place. Plus my boss (Roger Penske)… his home is here and his work is here. It’s great. This is my 18th year with Team Penske, and I’ve become good friends with a lot of his people. It’s great to have a family in Detroit cheering for you. Plus Detroit has always been nice to me.”
JR Hildebrand, No. 21 Fuzzy’s Vodka Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet: “My last run here was in 2012, I’ve been here a few times since then watching the race but it’s nice to be back on track! We were able to hit the ground running today. We have plenty to work on overnight, but to be in the Top 10 in the second practice, we’re definitely making improvements. I’ve got a lot of things to work on here this weekend, but I feel pretty good about everything so far. We’re just try to continue to make progress as the weekend goes along and stay out of trouble while we’re doing it.”
Conor Daly, No. 4 ABC Supply AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet: “We made some good progress in the second session. The tires are certainly interesting this weekend on how the reds and blacks work or vice versa. I think we learned some good things today. We’re almost on the verge of being in the top 10 which is nice. We just have to continue to chip away at it.”
Spencer Pigot, No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet: “It’s nice to be back with ECR this weekend in Detroit. We had a decent first session and a bit of a messy second session on my part, so I’ll be trying to improve that for tomorrow. We also need to work on the balance but we have a good idea of what to do and I’m looking forward to qualifying tomorrow morning.”
AN INTERVIEW WITH HELIO CASTRONEVES, NO. 3 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET:
“We are going to make it happen. The Hitachi Chevy IndyCar looks really strong here. We had a good, solid car out of the truck. Along with my teammates, we’re working together so tomorrow we can repeat what we did this morning. The good news is that we lead the championship, and that’s something I’m working very hard on. We have to continue executing and never look back.”
YOU SAID YOU LOVE IT HERE. WHY? “It started when I won my first race ever. I have a very special feeling for this place. Plus my boss (Roger Penske)… his place is here, his home is here and his work is here. It’s great. This is my 18th year with Team Penske, and I’ve become good friends with a lot of his people. It’s great to have a family in Detroit cheering for you. Plus Detroit has always been nice to me.”
WHAT WAS THE TAKEAWAY FOR YOUR DEBRIEF WITH JOSEF NEWGARDEN? “We were exchanging information. He went in another direction, and we also went in another one. All the drivers are doing something different. Tomorrow is the big day with qualifying right in the morning and the race not long after. We wanted to make sure we were feeling the same thing. So far, I believe we will have four fast machines out there.”
IN 2014, YOU WERE SECOND AT INDIANAPOLIS, CAME HERE AND WON A RACE. YOU WERE SECOND AGAIN SUNDAY, AND IF THE TREND CONTINUES YOU WILL WIN A RACE HERE. “What gives me confidence is that every time I come back here, I have the best car and best group of guys who give their best. And that’s not only here but at every place. For several reasons, this place for me brings the best out of me just like Indianapolis.”
HOW DIFFICULT IS THIS WEEKEND FROM A STRATEGIC STANDPOINT? IT SEEMS LIKE IF YOU QUALIFY WELL YOU ARE HURT BY YELLOW FLAG TIME, AND IF YOU ARE IN THE BACK YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD. HOW DO YOU PLAN FOR THE UNEXPECTED? “We definitely are looking at all the possibilities. You can only do what you think is best. Last year, we unfortunately got penalized by a yellow when we went a lap longer instead of pitting while we were in the lead. It’s difficult but we can only control things in our control. Hopefully we will be as prepared we will be as prepared as possible to put ourselves in the best possible position.”
HOW SMOOTHER DOES THE TRACK SEEM THIS YEAR. “They did a nice job sanding out the back straight. It’s completely different. I liked the way it was! But it’s great. From the airport and coming over here, you see a lot of people. That’s exactly what we need everywhere. I’m really glad to see so many people here. Belle Isle looks phenomenal.
IT MAY RAIN SUNDAY. HOW DO YOU LIKE RACING IN THE RAIN? “I don’t have a problem with it. As long as you in front, you can see! Yes there is a possibility Sunday, but I’m thinking one day a time. Tomorrow sounds like it will be pretty clear. We will do everything we can do to keep doing what we are doing and collect as many points as possible.”
YOU LOOKED LIKE YOU WERE REALLY WORKING WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. DO YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT BLISTERS ON YOUR HANDS? “No, right now there are no problems. In the past, I don’t recall having any issues with blisters. It is physical here because of the twists and turns at this place.”
WITH QUALIFYING ONLY A 12-MINUTE SESSION FOR BOTH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, HOW MANY RUNS DO YOU THINK YOU CAN GET? “Good question. This place changes so much because of the concrete. I was looking at the temperatures, and we were about 100 degrees and when clouds came over it dropped about seven degrees in 30 seconds. So it shows that the track changes temperatures quickly. Our cars are so sensitive to that, so it’s extremely important to be out at the right time and to come out of the truck with the car well setup. I’m glad we’ve done that again this year. It sounds like between the red tires and black tires, there is some difference. It will be a real treat tomorrow for sure. There will be interesting strategy for qualifying and obviously for the race, too.”