Cadillac DPi-V.R teams and drivers aiming for second street circuit win of 2022 season

DETROIT (June 1, 2022) – Cadillac Racing teams and drivers will aim to close out the Belle Isle era of motorsports with a victory June 4 in the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic – the sixth round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. Cadillac Racing media resource guide for Belle Isle: Storylines, stats, notes and moreCadillac Racing 2022 media guide: Historical information, technology transfer and moreWhat the 2021 winner has to say: Renger van der Zande’s May 31  Zoom media conference

A Cadillac DPi has won three of the four races at Belle Isle since the inception of the class in 2017. No race was held in 2020 because of the COVD-19 pandemic. Last year, Renger van der Zande teamed with Kevin Magnussen to drive the pole-winning No. 01 Cadillac DPi-V.R to lead 64 of 66 laps and go on to a refreshing splash in the James Scott Memorial Fountain. Van der Zande returns to co-drive the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R with first-year teammate Sebastien Bourdais, who is a two-time INDYCAR winner at Belle Isle. The duo won in April at Long Beach — the other 100-minute race on a street circuit — from the pole. The 100-minute race on the 2.35-mile, 14-turn temporary street circuit presents numerous challenges to drivers — from hard braking zones with concrete barriers on both sides to speedy straights to tire degradation on the bumpy surface. Plus, execution is key during the sprint race. “It’s high intensity and concentration,” said van der Zande, who also has IMSA Prototype Challenge wins in 2015 and ’16 at Belle Isle. “It’s an interesting track – and street tracks are interesting by themselves. Little mistakes are big mistakes. So, it’s a whole different philosophy on how you drive the car around. Driving wall to wall is the way to go fast, and the closer you get to the wall the more lap time comes out, so that’s the tricky part. “That track has a lot of bumps and a lot of tarmac changes, which with the Cadillac it suits it very well. You need to be very creative and adaptive. Street tracks evolve quickly in terms of grips, so every lap of every session the whole field is going over it and it becomes quicker, which again you have to be creative to get that little bit of extra grip and take it. “It is one of those intense street tracks where you don’t have any time to rest. There is a bit of backstraight, but it never stops. I am happy it is a short race there this weekend.”

Added Tristan Vautier, driver of the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R: “It is one of the most challenging tracks of the year. As a driver, I really enjoy racing there because you have to be very precise with your line as well as getting around traffic. The 100-minute format makes it tricky. There is zero opportunity to make up for mistakes on the track or in the pits. You really have to go for it, maybe take some chances. When you have a passing opportunity, you have to take it as it maybe your only one.” The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R, which has finished third the past two races, has been runner-up the past two visits at Belle Isle. Reigning IMSA DPi champion Pipo Derani will share the seat with Olivier Pla, who will be making his debut in the Cadillac. “I’ve been racing against them for many years, and I know how good they are on the track,” said Pla, who will also be a teammate of Derani at Le Mans this month. “What they’ve achieved by winning so many races and championships speaks for itself. It will be a big challenge to arrive mid-season but I’m ready to take on this challenge. The Cadillac DPi-V.R is a fantastic car and I can’t wait to race it. And of course, extremely happy and proud to join such a great driver and friend Pipo Derani.” IMSA has increased the weight of the four Cadillac DPi entries by 15 kg to 960 kg – the heaviest they have been this season – under the Balance of Performance (BoP) table. The two Acura entries remain at 920 kg. Two practice sessions June 3 precede early evening qualifications, with the race scheduled to take the green flag at 3:10 p.m. ET June 4. USA Network will telecast the race live at 3 p.m., while IMSA Radio will broadcast all sessions at IMSA.com along with XM 207 and SiriusXM Online 992. A Corvette C8 Stingray will lead the field to the green flag. See the Cadillac lineup Spectators have the opportunity to view an array of Cadillac vehicles, including the exciting CT5-V Blackwing, CT4-V Blackwing and the 2023 Escalade-V, at the Cadillac display near the main entrance to the racetrack. Hours are 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The 2023 Escalade-V — the industry’s most powerful full-size SUV that goes on sale late this summer – expands the V-Series lineup. Now in its fourth generation, Cadillac’s V-Series represents ultimate performance, the epitome of Cadillac’s engineering capability, with unrivaled sophistication and comfort for everyday driving. In adding Escalade-V to the lineup, the V-Series family continues to expand, while consistently combining power, luxury, thoughtful technology and athletic refinement for the discerning enthusiast. Cadillac DPi roster for Chevrolet Sports Car ClassicNo. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R (Cadillac Racing)Renger van der Zande, Sebastien BourdaisVan der Zande and Bourdais co-drove the No. 01 Cadillac DPi-V.R to the victory on the streets of Long Beach on April 9 after starting from the pole. … It was the 16th IMSA victory for van der Zande and eighth for Bourdais. … Bourdais set the qualifying lap record time in the event. He set the lap record time in earning the pole for the March 19 Twelve Hours of Sebring. … Bourdais earned the pole for the May 15 Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio. … van der Zande, in addition to claiming the 2021 overall victory at Detroit, co-drove to Prototype Challenge class wins in 2015 and ’16 at Belle Isle. … … Bourdais is a four-time INDYCAR champion and two-time winner at Belle Isle in INDYCAR competition. … Bourdais and van der Zande are on the entry list for the 24 Hours of Le Mans this month.Car chief-Phil BinksLead engineer-John HennekRace strategist-Peter BaronNo. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R (Cadillac Racing)Earl Bamber, Alex LynnFirst-year entry in expanded Cadillac Racing DPi program. … Bamber and Lynn co-drove to a runner-up finish on the streets of Long Beach on April 9 after starting second. … They, along with Neel Jani, co-drove to victory March 19 in the Twelve Hours of Sebring. … Bamber salutes his home country with a silver fern design on the sides of his helmet — a quasi-national emblem used for various official New Zealand symbols. … Lynn is on the entry list for the 24 Hours of Le Mans this month.Car chief-Jamie CoatesLead engineer-Danielle ShephardRace strategist-Michael Harvey

No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R (Action Express Racing)Pipo Derani, Olivier PlaPla will make his debut in the No. 31 Cadillac at Detroit. … Derani and Felipe Nasr were runners-up in 2021 and 2019 at Detroit. … Derani and Tristan Nunez co-drove to third place on the Laguna Seca road course after starting sixth. They followed with a third-place finish May 15 at Mid-Ohio. … Derani and Nunez, joined by Mike Conway, started second and finished third in the March 19 Twelve Hours of Sebring. … The three-driver team started seventh and finished fourth in the Rolex 24 At Daytona to open the season. … Derani and Felipe Nasr were the 2021 IMSA DPi Driver Champions and Whelen Engineering/Action Express Racing was the Team Champion. … Derani and Pla are teammates for the second consecutive year for the 24 Hours of Le Mans this month.Car chief-Bill KeulerTechnical director/lead engineer-Iain WattRace strategist-Tim KeeneNo. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R (JDC-Miller MotorSports)Tristan Vautier, Richard WestbrookVautier and Westbrook co-drove to third place on the streets of Long Beach on April 9 after starting fifth. Vautier and Westbrook, joined by Loic Duval, drove to second place in the March 19 Twelve Hours of Sebring and opened the ’22 season by starting second and finishing third at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. … Westbrook is a London-trained chef. … Vautier and Westbrook are on the entry list for the 24 Hours of Le Mans this month.Car chief-Josh KerriganLead engineer-Rick CameronRace strategist-John Church

Cadillac Racing DPi-V.R Belle Isle results 2021-2017 2021: First (No. 01 Cadillac DPi-V.R) start first – Renger van der Zande, Kevin Magnussen         Second (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start third — Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr         Fifth (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fifth – Tristan Vautier, Loic Duval2020: No race2019: Second (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fourth – Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr        Fourth (No. 84 JDC-Miller MotorSports Cadillac DPi-V.R) start eighth – Stephen Simpson, Simon Trummer        Fifth (No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Cadillac DPi-V.R) start 10th – Tristan Vautier, Misha Goikhberg              Sixth (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fifth – Felipe Albuquerque, Joao Barbosa       Eighth (No. 50 Juncos Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start ninth – Kyle Kaiser, Will Owen       Ninth (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R) start sixth – Renger van der Zande, Jordan Taylor2018: First (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start sixth – Felipe Nasr, Eric Curran        Fifth (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R) start seventh – Renger van der Zande, Jordan Taylor        Sixth (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fourth — Felipe Albuquerque, Joao Barbosa2017: First (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R) start 12th – Ricky Taylor, Jordan Taylor        Second (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start second – Dane Cameron, Eric Curran        Fourth (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start first – Christian Fittipladi, Joao Barbosa

EPPING, N.H. (May 31) – Drag racer Troy Coughlin Jr. doesn’t need to look far to find motivation for a big performance at this weekend’s ninth annual NHRA Nationals, where he’ll try to drive his JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro to the winner’s circle of New England Dragway. “Just look at the fans in the pits and up in the stands,” Coughlin said. “That’s all it takes. They are completely out of their minds with excitement that we’re racing there. It’s like they’re stunned all these big-time professional teams have made the trip to this local track in Epping, New Hampshire, to do our thing.  “I feed off of that vibe because I’m still a big fan at heart. I always say I’m the luckiest kid in the pits and I believe that more and more each year. I really want our team to put its best foot forward and perform at the highest level to put on the best show possible for these fans because they deserve it.”

Troy Coughlin Jr.

To that end, Coughlin and the rest of his teammates at Elite Motorsports used the 40-day break since the last Pro Stock race to do some testing in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  “It was a long break but we put it to good use,” Coughlin said. “We switched to this new RJ Race Cars Chevrolet earlier in the season and it just takes time to get all the parts and pieces to work together. These cars are all handmade one at a time and they each have their own personalities. Obviously, the more runs you can make, the more data you gain. “We mostly focused on the clutch system and matching it to the power the guys in the engine shop have been building for us. Pro Stock is so competitive so every thousandth of a second you find is huge. Mark (Ingersoll, crew chief) and the rest of the guys, Kyle Bates, Ricky Calloway and Kelly Murphy, seem very pleased with the progress they’ve made.”

Troy Coughlin Jr.’s JEGS.com Pro Stock Chevrolet

For someone from Ohio, the test days is steamy Oklahoma also served as a preview of what’s soon to become the norm as the NHRA schedule shifts to summertime conditions. “Epping looks like it will probably be the last race with decent weather,” he said. “Once the dog days of summer arrive, it’ll be a completely different story. When you have to start de-tuning the car to get it down the track that’s when the experience of the crew really shows, which I believe works to our favor. But for one more race we’ll get to pour all the power we can into the set-up. As I said, it should be a big weekend in Epping.” Elsewhere on the schedule, Troy Jr.’s uncle Mike Coughlin and Mike’s son Clay will be competing at the Division 3 drag race in Norwalk, Ohio, the always-popular Cavalcade of Stars presented by Budweiser.

Mike Coughlin’s JEGS.com Top Alcohol Dragster

Currently second in the North Central Region points and seventh in the national rankings, Mike brings the JEGS.com Top Alcohol Dragster to the event with a victory already in hand, having won the season-opener in Pomona, Calif. His son Clay is just breaking into the Super Stock class and is hoping for a fast start to a summer full of racing in his home state. Meanwhile, Cody Coughlin will be representing the family business at the $10,000-to- Win CRA Laural Highlands 150 in the ARCA/CRA Super Series powered by JEGS. Cody is the 2016 series champion and enters the fourth event of the year in second place, just 22 points behind leader Eddie Van Meter.

Gundaker, Erb, Blair, Clanton, and more Prepare for First Trip to the Track Since 2004GRANITE CITY, IL – May 31, 2022 – The St. Louis area is calling the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series as they return to Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, IL, for the first time since 2004.Drivers will battle in a 40-lap, $10,000-to-win Feature on Friday, June 3, as the march toward the summer months continues for The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet. It’s the first time the Series will run on the 3/8-mile track—as Darrell Lanigan’s victory came on the half-mile configuration.   MOWA Sprints and DIRTcar UMP Modifieds join the card Friday as part of a monster weekend of racing near the “Gateway to the West.” TICKETS: bit.ly/3LO9JV8 If you can’t make it to the tracks, watch all the action live on DIRTVision – either online on with the DIRTVision App. Here are some of the storylines to keep an eye on this weekend: HOME GAME: World of Outlaws CASE Late Models Rookie of the Year contender Gordy Gundaker gets his chance to race at home with the Series Friday night.  The Gundaker family owns Tri-City Speedway, and the St. Charles, MO driver, can’t think of a better place for a potential first World of Outlaws triumph. Gundaker has two top-fives so far this season—one of them on a track 3/8-mile in length like Tri-City (Atomic).  He enters Friday night’s race eighth in the points standings.  CAPITAL CLUTCH: The only thing missing from Shane Clanton’s resume since his return to World of Outlaws competition in May is a trip to Victory Lane.  The 2015 Series champion has returned strong with three top-fives in four races, including two second-place finishes.  In the past, Clanton has found success on the 3/8-mile track—a fourth in a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event in 2020.A victory for the “Georgia Bulldog” would be his 47th World of Outlaws triumph and first since 2019.  CONSISTENCY IS KEY: Dennis Erb Jr. may only have two World of Outlaws CASE Late Models wins in 2022, but his consistency has been the season’s story.  In 19 starts, Erb has nine top-fives and 15 top-10s, more than any other driver.  The Carpentersville, IL driver returns to his home state with a 106-point lead over Max Blair—and has found success on 3/8-mile tracks already this season. Five of his nine top-fives have come on tracks that size. COMING IN HOT: Both Ryan Gustin and Max Blair enter Tri-City this weekend with momentum after trips to Victory Lane.  Gustin finally scored his first career World of Outlaws victory last weekend at Sharon Speedway—a $20,000 triumph.  The win was Gustin’s second of the season after a DIRTcar Late Model triumph at Volusia Speedway Park during DIRTcar Nationals.  For Blair, a return home sparked a win for the Viper Motorsports Team.  The Centerville, PA driver won the Andy Kania Memorial at Eriez Speedway, his fourth win of 2022.  Gustin and Blair hope to add to their totals on Friday with $10,000 on the line.  WHEN AND WHEREJune 3 at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, ILABOUT THE TRACKTri-City Speedway is a 3/8-mile trackOnline – www.tricityspeedway.net PREVIOUS WINNERS 2004- Darrell Lanigan on August 1  TRACK RECORD 13.904 by Michael Kloos on 8/22/14 On the Internet World of Outlaws CASE Late Models Series Twitter – Twitter.com/WoOLateModels – @WoOLateModels Instagram – Instagram.com/WoOLateModels – @woolatemodels Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsLateModelSeries YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month Around the Turn: The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet head to Missouri for the St. Louis Firecracker Faceoff at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, MO June 24-25, along with a trip to Jacksonville Speedway in Jacksonville, IL June 26.Feature Winners: (15 Drivers) Rank- Driver- Hometown-WinsDale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA- 2 Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-2 Max Blair, Centerville, PA-2 Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-2Ashton Winger, Hampton, GA-1 Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1 Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-1 Michael Brown, Lancaster, SC-1 Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX-1 Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-1 Ricky Weiss, Headingley, MB-1 Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-1 Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-1 Jared Miley, Pittsburgh, PA-1 Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-1HEAT RACE WINNERS (35 Drivers) Rank- Driver- Hometown-WinsChris Madden-Gray Court, SC-7 Brandon Sheppard- New Berlin, IL-7 Max Blair, Centerville, PA-7Dale McDowell-Chickamauga, GA-6Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-5Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-4 Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-4Devin Moran-Dresden, OH-3 Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX-3 Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-3Darrell Lanigan, Union, KY-2 Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-2 Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, AZ-2 Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC-2 Kyle Hammer, Clinton, IL-2 Ricky Weiss, Headlingley, MB-2 Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-2 Rick Eckert, York, PA-2Ashton Winger, Hampton, GA-1 Ross Robinson, Georgetown, DE-1 Mark Whitener, Middleburg, FL-1 Frank Heckenast, Jr., Frankfort, IL-1 Michael Brown, Lancaster, SC-1 Daulton Wilson, Fayetteville, NC-1 Ross Bailes, Clover, SC-1 Josh Rice, Verona, KY-1 Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-1 Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, NM-1 Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-1 Chad Simpson, Mt. Vernon, IA-1 Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-1 Spencer Hughes, Meridian, MS-1 Jeff Rine, Danville, PA-1 Gregg Satterlee, Indiana, PA-1 Rick Eckert, York, PA-1 Josh Richards, Houston, OH-1Last Chance Showdown Winners (32 Drivers) Rank- Driver- Hometown-WinsMax Blair, Centerville, PA-3Cade Dillard-Robeline, LA-2 Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-2 Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA-2 Kyle Hammer, Clinton, IL-2Hudson O’Neal- Martinsville, IN-1 Logan Martin, Plains, MO-1 Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-1 Chris Simpson, Oxford, IA-1 Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-1 Spencer Hughes, Meridian, MS-1 Mike Norris, Sarver, PA-1 Chase Osterhoff, Kankakee, IL-1 Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX-1 Josh Richards, Houston, OH-1 Anthony Sanders, Spartanburg, SC-1 Banjo Duke, Sumter, SC-1 Steve Casebolt, Richmond, IN-1 Austyn Mills, Cincinnati, OH-1 Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, IL-1 Andy Bond, Coolville, OH-1 Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-1 Garrett Alberson, Las Cruces, NM-1 Jake Timm, Winona, MN-1 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS-1 Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, IL-1 Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-1 Shaun Jones, Shermansdale, PA-1 Ryan Montgomery, Fairmont, WV-1 Chad Myers, Hempstead, MD-1 Mason Zeigler, Chalk Hill, PA-1 John Garvin, Sarver, PA-1PODIUM FINISHES (28 Drivers) Rank – Driver, Hometown – PodiumsDennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-5 Max Blair, Centerville, PA-5Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-4 Josh Richards, Houston, OH-4Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-3 Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-3 Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-3 Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX-3Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-2 Darrell Lanigan, Union, KY-2 Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-2 Ricky Weiss, Headingly, MB-2 Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-2 Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-2 Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-2Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA-1 Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1 Ashton Winger, Hampton, GA-1 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS-1 Michael Brown, Lancaster, SC-1 Ross Bailes, Clover, SC-1 Daulton Wilson, Fayetteville, NC-1 Josh Rice, Verona, KY-1 Tanner English, Benton, KY-1 Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-1 Stormy Scott-Las Cruces, NM-1 Jared Miley, Pittsburgh, PA-1 Gregg Satterlee, Indiana, PA-1FOX FACTORY HARD CHARGER (15 Drivers) Rank – Driver, Hometown – H.C.Tanner English, Benton, KY-3Gordy Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-2 Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-2Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-1 Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-1 Max Blair, Centerville, PA-1 Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-1 Carson Ferguson, Concord, NC-1 Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-1 Jimmy Owens, Newport, TN-1 Ross Bailes, Clover, SC-1 Garrett Alberson, Las Cruces, NM-1 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS-1 Josh Richards, Houston, OH-1 Kyle Hammer, Clinton, IL-1SLICK WOODY’S QUICK TIME Award (12 Drivers) Rank – Driver, Hometown – QTsShane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-3Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-2 Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-2 Ricky Weiss, Headingly, MB-2Kyle Hammer, Clinton, IL-1 Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-1 Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1 Trent Ivey, Union, SC-1 Josh Rice, Verona, KY-1 Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-1 Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-1 Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-1 Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-1 Max Blair, Centerville, PA-1CASE Feature Lap Leaders (23 Drivers) Rank – Driver, Hometown – Laps LedMax Blair, Centerville, PA-123Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX-99Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-79Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-65Ricky Weiss, Headingley, MB-49Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-48Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-40Ashton Winger, Hampton, GA-39Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-31Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-26Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-25 Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-25Kyle Hammer, Clinton, IL-24Michael Brown, Lancaster, SC-22Jared Miley, Pittsburgh, PA-20 Rick Eckert, York, PA-20Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-16Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC-15Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-13Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-11Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-10 Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-10Spencer Hughes, Meridian, MS-12022 World of Outlaws Late Model Schedule & WinnersNo./ Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins) 1. Thursday, Jan. 20 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Dale McDowell (1) 2. Friday, Jan. 21/Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville, FL/Ashton Winger (1) 3. Wednesday, Feb. 16/Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL/Brandon Overton (1) 4. Thursday, Feb. 17/Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL/Dale McDowell (2) 5. Friday, Feb. 18/Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL/Dennis Erb Jr. (1) 6. Saturday, Feb. 19/Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL/Chris Madden (1) 7. Friday, March 25/Cherokee Speedway, Gaffney, SC/Michael Brown (1) 8. Saturday, March 26/Cherokee Speedway, Gaffney, SC/Max Blair (1) 9. Friday, April 22/Atomic Speedway, Waverly, OH/Tyler Erb (1) 10. x, April 23/Atomic Speedway, Waverly, OH/ Brandon Sheppard (1) 11. Friday, April 29/ Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN/Jonathan Davenport (1) 12. Saturday, April 30/Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN/Ricky Weiss (1) 13. Thursday, May 5/Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, WI/Bobby Pierce (1) 14. Friday, May 6/Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, WI/Jonathan Davenport (2) 15. Saturday, May 7/Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, WI/Mike Marlar(1) 16. Thursday, May 19/Bloomsburg Fair Raceway/Bloomsburg, PA/Max Blair (2) 17. Friday, May 20/Marion Center Raceway/Marion Center, PA/Dennis Erb Jr. (2) 18. Saturday, May 21/Port Royal Speedway/Port Royal, PA/Jared Miley (1) 19. Saturday, May 29/Sharon Speedway, Hartford, OH/Ryan Gustin (1)

The World of Outlaws Case Construction Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: Case Construction Equipment (Official Construction Equipment), DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); contingency sponsors include Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, Fox Factory (Hard Charger Award), MSD, My Place Hotels, Penske Racing Shocks, Quarter Master, Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award), Swift Springs, and Wrisco–Wieland Metal Services (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including Dirt Car Lift, Capital Race Cars, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, FIREBULL, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics, Reliable Painting, Rocket Chassis, and Sea Foam.

In advance of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race – the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic  June 3-4 on the 2.35-mile, 13-turn temporary street circuit on Belle Isle in Detroit — defending DPi race winner Renger van der Zande (No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R) met with the media May 31 via Zoom conference.  For the media: Cadillac Racing resource guide for the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic Van der Zande and first-year teammate Sebastien Bourdais, a two-time INDYCAR winner at Belle Isle, won the April race on the streets of Long Beach, California, from the pole. Full transcript:

ARE THERE A LOT OF GOOD VIBES COMING INTO THE WEEKEND?“The last street track was in Long Beach and we did very well, especially Sebastien (Bourdais) had a race that was amazing. I think we’re going confident into the second street race of the year. I think the Cadillac has always been doing well at Detroit. We, obviously, have a bit of a BOP hit with 15 kilos. The car is really on edge with the weight, so that 15 kilos might not sound like too much, but it is that little extra that has killed us in the past. That was at tracks like Road America. I don’t know how it’s going to hit us in Detroit. At the end of the day, I love going there. I love the island; I keep winning there both in a DPi and an LMPC car. It’s home for Cadillac and General Motors, so on the backstraight you see the tower and kind of feel like the bosses are watching you and have pressure to win it. Last year that worked out really well, and it’s always nice to be there with INDYCAR. It always a good show.” CAN YOU EXPAND ON HOW THE WEIGHT HAS AFFECTED THE CAR THROUGHOUT THE YEAR?“There is more than car balance when you put weight into play. Tire degradation goes up, you’re losing grip over a stint. I think it doesn’t make sense for me to go into detail of BOP because it’s such a sensitive topic, but at the end of the day I can’t really follow what IMSA’s doing because in Ohio we were not the fastest car and now we’re getting extra weight on the car. We’re getting hit by BOP. If this means that we’re going to get track-independent BOPs, that would be really good. But that would be something they have not announced yet. If it goes into a track-independent BOP, then I’m super happy with it because that’s exactly what we need. You can’t compare a street track with Mosport. We’re going to Watkins Glen, which is all high speed. Mosport is all high speed. But you can’t compare it with Long Beach, where you’re first gear is not short enough for that hairpin. Same with Detroit. Hard to say what the weight will do to our car on a street track, but the braking performance is less, the cornering speed is less, the tire degradation is more, so it’s not only pure lap time. It’s also the wear out of the whole car. I want to have a competitive BOP with the other brand that we race against. I don’t ask for a better BOP, but they should not get a better BOP than us. It should be equal, then everybody should not complain and be happy. IMSA had it right for quite a few races, especially last year. I felt that it was very even. I think this year they mismatched sometimes and it’s because they look at it from event to event and not track independent. That’s my personal feeling. I hope they really start looking at track to track. We race with the same cars for some many years with all the different tracks, so we know what we’re going to get. IMSA should be able to see that as well. I went to Detroit two weeks ago; we did a media trip with Cadillac that was fun. I didn’t like they put me in a rollercoaster; I was kind of scared. Then I saw the new track and we had a lap around the new layout for 2023. They gave me a really fast car (Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing), and the obviously had to replace the tires after that trip. Ganassi comes from an Indy 500 win with Marcus Ericsson, so I assume when I arrive I’ll only see happy faces. It must be a good vibe in the team right now.” FOR THE 01 CAR IT’S BEEN FEAST OR FAMINE. HOW DO YOU PREPARE MENTALLY FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON AND STILL KNOW YOU HAVE A SLIGHT CHANCE AT THE CHAMPIONSHIP?“I don’t know if we still have a slight championship possibility going on, but very simple – we can only win to even have a chance. For me to win every race is the goal. Don’t do stupid things. We had three DNFs because of technical, but last time in Ohio everybody knows that I race hard in IMSA and Ricky (Taylor) races hard as well and this time it didn’t work out for me. Not many times that it doesn’t work out for me, so it was kind of biting the dust I would say for me to deal with that. That’s racing at the same time. I’ll have to get back in the car at Detroit and work it from there. If you look at the championship, to be honest I think we are far away so it’s going to be all in for winning the races. And we’ll race hard again.” THE NARRATIVE IS CADILLAC IS STRONG AT STREET COURSES AND ACURA IS STRONG AT ROAD COURSES, SO DO YOU LOOK AT IT AS CADILLAC SHOULD GET SOME HELP AT ROAD COURSES?“At the end of the day, we want to have an equal BOP. If you look at Sebring, they looked quite equal. Daytona, they kind of popped up at the end of the race, but before that it looked very equal. Then you look at Long Beach and they were nowhere. We don’t like that either. If you see Long Beach that we were at and advantage and you look at Detroit and we might be at an advantage again, they might have made the right call. We’ll see. But if is wrong in Detroit, you can’ go to Watkins Glen and say well, it was wrong in Detroit so let’s change it for Watkins Glen to make it equal. It’s a different animal Watkins Glen and Detroit. That’s what I said about track-independent BOP. It makes more sense to do it that way. Mosport is a road course and Sebring is a road course as well, but with the bumpiness I think the Cadillac is doing very well. But on a smooth track the Acura is doing better. Every track is a little different and I think they should be able to fine-tune it because we’re going there every year with the same car.” DOES THE VIBE OF THE MONTH OF MAY BLEED OVER TO THE IMSA GUYS?“I was in Monaco for the Grand Prix, but after the race I was straight on the phone with the Indy 50 because all my friends are racing there with Scott Dixon and Alex Palou – my teammates for the long-distance races. It’s really cool to see them have so many cars at the front. They know how to make fast cars. They do it with us. They do it with the INDYCAR. That Ganassi group of people is amazing and it’s amazing to be a part of such a winning crew. Seeing Marcus winning the Indy 500 is amazing. To be sure they’ll be all smiles this weekend.” WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT BELLE ISLE AND WILL YOU BE SAD IT’S THE LAST YEAR ON THAT TRACK?“All good things come to an end, I guess. IT was nice to be there. It’s a really different part of town. At the same time, I heard that the park is always full of people in the summertime. I think it’s going to be a classic when we look back at racing in a park. At the same time, if you go to downtown Detroit having so many people looking from the buildings onto the race that’s going to be super exciting. That’s a different vibe again. I was in Monaco and that’s in the downtown, and you see the see the same thing in Long Beach, just off the boulevard. I think Detroit, it doesn’t get more downtown than that, so it’s going to be amazing there as well.” IS THE CHAMPIONSHIP REALISTIC FROM THIS POINT?“I think the biggest difference you can make is at Watkins Glen and Petit Le Mans where there are more cars. If they have a bad weekend then, you have a chance. Any other weekend if you finish last you finish sixth and we’ve had a lot of sixes. Climbing up will be difficult. But who knows? I’m not giving up until the last hour of Petit Le Mans. Winning races is a lot of fun. We have a fast car everywhere we go. I think we have good strategy in the team. I am pessimistic about the championship, but I’m not giving up until it’s over.” IS THERE SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT YOU NEED HERE COMPARED TO LONG BEACH?“It used to be a bit more bumpy at Detroit, but it is still kind of bumpy. It’s not so much at Long Beach, so there is a bit of a different dynamic. If you look at the performance that we had in Long Beach, Sebastien, I don’t know how he did it. There was no way to touch him. He was dominant and the rest of us were doing OK. If you look at the two tracks, I think they’re quite similar. It’s not a big difference; it’s a bit more bumpy in Detroit.” WHO DRIVES THE BUS IN SAYING WE NEED TO KEEP PUSHING FORWARD?“From a drivers’ perspective, me and Sebastien are working really well together. We rally talk about details as teammate should do. He’s a fantastic teammate because of his speed but also the details that he puts into putting the setup right. I think the combination of that and me trying to make the fine tune for the last bit here and there and knowing what he wants in the setup and working toward that, makes a combination that works really nice. It’s a very honest relationship that we have working together and that’s going to be very nice for the future as well. We both feel that same way for the long distance. This year it’s win race and have fun, and if the championship comes with it – I think we need to be a bit lucky – but at the same time we know what to do and win races. That’s how we keep motivated.” ARE YOU ALLOWING YOURSELF TO THINK ABOUT WHAT 2023 IN LE MANS WILL BE LIKE?“It’s a preparation year. I’m racing with Mark Kvamme in the GTE Am series. When he found out that I wasn’t going to Le Mans this year, he asked me and called (Chip Ganassi Racing personnel) if it would make sense for me to go there. They all said the same thing – go there. See what the rules changes are from one year to the next. It’s going to be exciting for me to be in a GT and looking in my mirrors and getting passed. Next year it’s going to be fighting for the overall win and I can’t wait to get started with that new Cadillac. We’ll be developing with it soon on track, which is a super exciting project. Next to the IMSA championship this year, that’s my main focus. That development work with the aim to win Daytona, to win Sebring and Le Mans is a dream come true for me. It’s good to be there this year.” DID CHIP (GANASSI) OR MIKE HULL HAVE ANY SPECIAL REQUESTS FROM THE SCOUTING TRIP?“The preparation is going on full commit from my side and also the team side. They’ve been there with the Ford. They know what it’s like, and how it is different from IMSA. Any information I can get is good. Sebastien is there with an LMP2 car. Alex Lynn is there with an LMP2 car and I’m there with a GT, so there will be enough eyes open to learn for next year when we get with the top class. I use it as my own benefit to get a feel for how it is to overtake the GT cars, those little details and the track changes that might be on the curbs. Sometimes when you drive a different car on different parts of the track suddenly you see a bump or feel a bump that you don’t feel in the other car, and you learn from it when you get there again. It’s always good to jump around in different cars and get a feel for different lines on the track. I see it as a very interesting race weekend and a full prep for when we come back.”

Two Corvette C8.Rs entered in GTE Pro category in search of ninth class win  · Return to June date, open fan events among highlights of French classic· Milner, Tandy welcome back Sims in WEC championship chase· Garcia, Taylor, Catsburg back in GTE-spec Corvette

DETROIT (May 31, 2022) – The Corvette Racing band is back together for the first time in three months with the team channeling all its efforts into another shot at a class victory at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Two of the familiar yellow Corvettes are part of a seven-car entry in the GTE Pro category for factory and factory-supported teams. This will be the second time at Le Mans for the mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette C8.R after a runner-up class finish in its debut last August. The program is going for its ninth class victory at the French endurance classic. This year’s race is back in its traditional June spot with the race set for June 11-12. The biggest change from last year’s event is that all public-facing events are back including scrutineering in downtown Le Mans, pit walks and autograph sessions and the Friday drivers’ parade.

CORVETTE RACING MEDIA INFORMATION Corvette Racing media information is updated and available ahead of this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Materials include: · Race advance and quotes· Comparison between the GTE-spec Corvette C8.R and the GTD PRO Corvette in IMSA· Corvette Racing Le Mans history, stats and figures· Corvette Racing Fast Facts· Driver biographies

Before practice and qualifying gets under way, though, first comes eight hours of track time Sunday during the annual Le Mans Test Day. It’s the one opportunity for the 62 cars entered in the race to get much-needed track time ahead of Wednesday’s first practice and qualifying sessions. Time is critical given the unique nature of the circuit – 8.47 miles of asphalt featuring a mix of permanent racetrack and public roads through the French countryside. The Corvette Racing lineup in each of the two C8.Rs remains the same as a year ago. Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg – primarily competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – will team in the No. 63 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette and hope to improve on their second-place showing from a year ago. Already, the trio has a blue-riband victory together in at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in a GT Daytona (GTD) PRO version of the C8.R.

On the other side of the garage is the No. 64 Mobil 1/SiriusXM C8.R of Tommy Milner, Nick Tandy and Alexander Sims. Their entry is a full-time one in the FIA World Endurance Championship – a first for Corvette Racing. It’s already been a successful run for Milner and Tandy with a runner-up finish in the Sebring 1,000 Miles. The duo stand third in the GTE Drivers World Championship with Le Mans being a double-points race. That makes it even more important for the No. 64 Corvette to show well at Le Mans… and keep the other manufacturers off the top step of the podium as well. The plan of having a Corvette full-time in WEC was focused around optimizing the team’s chances at Le Mans. Corvette Racing’s last win at Le Mans came in 2015, although the team has been agonizingly close to getting its ninth win there since with a second- and third-place showing in the years since. The WEC Corvette has given the entire Corvette Racing team much-needed insight and data on a wide variety of items that will be key at Le Mans. Things like pit stop procedures, tire selection and performance, and racing rules in a variety of scenarios make this the most prepared that Corvette Racing has been for Le Mans in what will be its 22nd appearance in the race. One of the most key benefits is that the No. 64 Corvette can focus more on race setup and development on the Test Day while the three No. 63 drivers can get used to the GTE version of the Corvette, which features more power, no ABS system and Michelin tires specifically designed for the C8.R. In IMSA, the GTD PRO Corvette runs on a common Michelin tire that is available to all teams. Corvette Racing will contest the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 11-12 with the green flag set for 4 p.m. CET and 10 a.m. ET. MotorTrend TV will air the race live with the MotorTrend App adding coverage of official practices and qualifying on June 8-9. Live audio coverage will be available from Radio Le Mans starting with Sunday’s Test Day.

• Ford has donated 247 vehicles to DAV Transportation Network since 1996 to assist with transporting disabled veterans to medical appointments.
• DAV has more than 1 million members across the U.S. to help veterans coordinate benefits and medical care. In a typical year, DAV provides more than 500,000 rides per year to appointments.

 
Dearborn, Mich. (May 31) – The No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang will celebrate the 100-year relationship between Ford and DAV (Disabled American Veterans) with a unique paint scheme at the NASCAR Cup Series race in St. Louis on June 5.

In 1922, Henry Ford provided 50 Model T Ford vehicles to help disabled World War I veterans attend DAV’s second national convention. DAV, which was established following World War I, helps more than a million veterans each year to access the healthcare and benefits they earned through military service.

“All of us at Ford are incredibly proud of our 100-year relationship with DAV,” said Joe Avila, Community Development Manager, Ford Motor Company Fund. “It is an honor to continue growing our relationship, which began by providing vehicles to veterans, and has expanded over the years to ensure that even more veterans have access to reliable transportation to reach their healthcare and medical appointments.”

DAV created its transportation network in 1987. Since 1996, Ford has donated 247 vehicles. DAV members and their families have purchased more than 30,000 Ford vehicles through the Ford X-Plan Partner Recognition Program. Ford Transits and Explorers are among those provided and some include mobility solutions to meet the needs of disabled veterans. Each Ford DAV vehicle has a uniform, exterior graphics package. For the St. Louis race, the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang will have a paint scheme emblematic of those graphics.

“We are thrilled to be highlighting 100 years of cooperation between DAV and Ford in this manner,” said DAV National Adjutant & CEO Marc Burgess. “We provide more than 500,000 rides for veterans each year and that wouldn’t be possible without Ford providing us with vehicles. Of course, we also need drivers for those cars and the volunteers at DAV are amazing. The DAV St. Louis chapter is outstanding, so it’s very meaningful to have this special paint scheme on display in their community.”

Ford’s involvement with the veteran community also extends to the job market. The company employs approximately 6,000 veterans. Since 2019, the Ford-Lincoln Veteran Careers Program has been part of New Ford Tech, which attracts and trains the next generation of Ford service technicians.

“The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Team is very pleased to celebrate Ford’s and DAV’s shared effort to support veterans,” said Gina Scappaticci, Marketing Manager for Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD). “One of our FCSD objectives is to attract new technicians. In just a few years our Veteran Careers Program-enrolled dealerships have hired hundreds of veterans through this 24-month GI Bill-approved apprenticeship. These veterans are highly skilled and experienced, which immediately benefits our service departments.”

May is Military Appreciation Month, which NASCAR and Wood Brothers Racing recognize each season. Among those honored for their service each spring is Leonard Wood, one of the patriarchs of Wood Brothers Racing, who applied his engineering acumen while serving in the Army as a mechanic.

“Our family has had the great fortune of being supported by Ford for more than 70 years, so we’re proud to commemorate this 100th year of Ford and DAV partnering to help veterans,” said Eddie Wood, co-owner of Wood Brothers Racing. “Caring for our service men and women, especially those who suffered injuries, is a duty we all share as Americans.”

The NASCAR Cup Series race in St. Louis on June 5 will be televised on FS1 and begin at 3:30 p.m. ET. 

PLAINVIEW, NY (May 31, 2022) — After a two week break Justin Ashley and the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster team powered by Vita C Energy are ready to roll into New England Dragway for the NHRA New England Nationals. The two-time 2022 finalist and winner of the season-opening Winternationals has high hopes as the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series shifts into high gear for the summer months. This weekend’s national event kicks off a schedule that includes three races in four weeks that Ashley feels will be perfect for his young team to continue to build momentum.

“This will be an active and exciting stretch for our Phillips Connect team to start the summer months,” said Ashley, who has qualified no worse than 6th at any of the first seven races this season. “We have an opportunity to learn, grow and continue to get better in a short period of time with races scheduled so closely together. (Crew chiefs) Mike Green and Tommy DeLago are doing a great job and the rest of the team and I are ready to put our best foot forward on and off the racetrack.”

Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Energy, photo by Ron Lewis

This season Ashley has never been lower than fourth in the Camping World point standings but the 2020 rookie of the year knows that there are a lot of competitors behind him that have strong teams and talented drivers. Through seven races Ashley has faced almost a half dozen former world champions at every event. The caliber of competition in every round of eliminations has never been higher in the Top Fuel ranks. To date Ashley has held his own with a win loss record of 10-6 this season.

“When we won the Winternationals we had to beat two former world champions and Toyota teammates Antron Brown and Steve Torrence just to get to the final,” said Ashley. “There are no easy rounds because every racer out here has the talent and team to win races. The minute you let your guard down your day is going to be over in less than four seconds.”

Last year Ashley made his first Top Fuel appearance at New England Dragway which is the closest track on the current circuit to his home in New York. The second-year driver qualified No.3 but hazed the tires in his first round match-up to end his day much earlier than anticipated. This year Ashley is looking to take some of the knowledge he picked up in 2021 and continue to be one of the leaders in the class.

“Last year we were going to a lot of tracks that were first time experiences for me,” said Ashley. “I think the more times I have the privilege of racing at a particular track the more comfortable it becomes, so I am looking forward to my second race in New England. This Phillips Connect Toyota Vita C Shot team has shown we know how to perform at a high level and turn on win lights. I have a lot of confidence in our team but the competition continues to get better and that is what I love about racing Top Fuel.”

This weekend Ashley and his team will also be debuting a new asset at the track with the unveiling of the Phillips Connect technology trailer. The technology center will highlight how Phillips Connect’s over the road safety and logistics monitoring equipment makes it safer and more efficient to travel cross country in big rigs. The trailer will be used to showcase the variety of sensors and equipment Phillips Connect already has on the road with several logistics and shipping companies.

“I am excited to begin working with Phillips Connect to show off their new technology trailer this weekend,” said Ashley, who spent almost a week at the Phillips Connect headquarters in California before the season started. “This technology trailer is first-class and provides an excellent opportunity for Phillips Connect to showcase their industry leading products. It will be at all NHRA events for customers to see.”

Since Phillips Connect came on board at the beginning of the season they have seamlessly joined a strong group of marketing partners that have supported Justin Ashley Racing and Davis Motorsports for over three seasons. Ashley continues to work with Auto Shocker, KATO Fastening Systems, Lucas Oil and Toyota as well as a host of additional associate sponsors. Ashley continues to build relationships with all his marketing partners to highlight the benefits of the NHRA.

“This sport has so many good things happening right now that directly correlate to the success of our marketing partners,” said Ashley. “In addition to televised racing on FOX the ability to access fans and develop B2B relationships is invaluable. Phillips Connect and many of our partners have done an amazing job of using this NHRA platform and we will have more exciting announcements later this summer.”

The first round of qualifying for the New England Nationals will get underway Friday night with two sessions on Saturday. Final eliminations will start at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday with Top Fuel opening the day. The race will be broadcast on FS1 from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. ET.

The Main EventSanta Pod RacewaySat.28 May 2022
The crowds held their breath at Santa Pod Raceway on Saturday as a 10,000-horsepower racing car crashed and erupted into flames in front of them. The vehicle, known as a Funny Car, ricocheted off both track walls in a fiery conflagration and ended upside down, shorn of its bodywork. Driver Kevin Chapman climbed unscathed from the wreckage and a thorough examination at the racetrack’s medical centre found no harm done. 
Safety standards in drag racing are tightly maintained. The enveloping roll cage in which Chapman was seated and the multi-layered firesuit and crash helmet he wore protected him from the worst of the impact and flames. Video evidence suggests that a loosened body panel may have jammed the vehicle’s fuel injector mechanism and contributed to the crash. 
Drag racers compete in pairs over a short, straight course. The racing machines they use can be fearsomely powerful. Funny Cars were developed in America in the late-1960s. Originating from production models, they soon acquired purpose-built racing chassis and lightweight, composite-material bodies. Their altered appearances made them look ‘kinda funny’, and the description stuck. Their supercharged, nitromethane-burning V8 engines can nowadays propel them to 300mph in just four seconds. 
Kevin Chapman was competing in round two of Santa Pod’s Funny Car Cup series, having won the opening round at Easter. The Bury St. Edmunds racer had won the series title in 2019. His Ford Mustang-bodied Funny Car carried the colours of Thermoreg International, a thermostatic industrial valve manufacturer. 
The race meeting was The Main Event, incorporating the opening round of the FIA/FIM European Drag Racing Championships. 
Video link – Santa Pod TV – ‘All the angles’:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBAqwBMLYaA

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (May 31, 2022) – Chris Dyson and CD Racing substitute driver Matthew Brabham dominated the Memorial Day Trans Am by Pirelli race at Lime Rock Park, lapping the field on their way to a sweep of the top two steps of the podium. For Dyson, who had been victorious in the two most recent races at the historic New England circuit, it was a feel-good win. His dad, Rob, who has a winning history of his own at Lime Rock, was the grand marshal for the race and greeted Chris and Matthew in the Winner’s Circle. “This place has meant so much to me my entire life,” Dyson said as he climbed from his #20 ALTWELL Ford Mustang following the 100-mile sprint race, noting that in 1985, as a seven-year-old, he’d watched his dad Rob’s team score a Memorial Day win in its IMSA Camel GTP debut. “This is my home track. I went to driver’s school here and won my first SCCA national here. Having my dad as grand marshal makes the day all that much more special. Winning at Lime Rock never gets old.” For Brabham it was his first look at the track where his father won the 1988 Camel GTP race. “I’ve been hearing about Lime Rock my whole life,” Brabham said. “Growing up my family would talk about what a great race track it is,” the third-generation racer said as he waited to climb onto the post-race podium. “Now that I’ve done a race here, I can see that for myself. I’m grateful to Humaid (Masaood) and Chris for putting me in the car when Humaid couldn’t make it for the race.” This weekend wasn’t Brabham’s first time in a Trans Am car. He won the 2021 season finale in the CD Racing #20 ALTWELL car while substituting for the series’ champion-elect after a family matter forced Dyson to withdraw from the race at Circuit of the Americas. Taking All the Points Dyson set a Trans Am lap record on his way to winning the pole. That performance, coupled with setting the fastest race lap while leading the event from green flag to checker, leaves Dyson, the reigning Trans Am champion and winner of five of the six races run so far in 2022, with maximum points from the weekend and in a favorable position when the season begins its second half at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in late June.     It was a bit more of an uphill climb for Brabham, who flew in from Indianapolis with Rob Dyson following the Indy 500. Brabham’s first look at the deceptively challenging circuit was through the windshield of the #21 allgram Ford Mustang during the brief race-morning qualifying session. And Brabham didn’t even get the full session after Tomy Drissi, Dyson’s closest rival in the championship battle, crashed heavily but without injury, ending the session after less than 10 minutes. That left Brabham fourth-fastest and still learning the track after fewer than a dozen flying laps. With Drissi forced to withdraw from the race, Brabham lined up for the start third and then for several laps following the green flag increased his knowledge of the track and comfort in the car while trailing the second-place Corvette of former series champion Amy Ruman. Once past Ruman Brabham continued to lower his lap times on his way to the runner-up finish. Trans Am Second Half Starts at Mid-Ohio The sixth race of the 2022 Trans Am by Pirelli season takes place at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, OH, June 23-26. Video Coverage of Lime Rock Park The Lime Rock Trans Am race will be televised on a tape-delay basis on CBS Sports Network and also MavTV, dates TBA. Modern Wellness with ALTWELL ALTWELL provides purposefully curated and flavored products to help improve your overall wellness, sleep, relaxation and balance. We know that can be a different experience for everyone, so we prioritize being able to serve the unique needs of our customers. We’re committed to helping you live each day with comfort and calm. That’s why all ALTWELL products are crafted with product quality and consumer satisfaction in mind. GYM WEED FEEL GOOD.  WORK OUT.  GYM WEED by ALTWELL. The hemp infused sports nutrition products to help take your workouts to a higher level.  Gym Weed is paired with the power of Hemp Extract and additional functional ingredients to enhance performance and support recovery.  GYM WEED products are third party lab tested and THC FREE to ensure safe, high-quality ingredients at the right dose.

Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing, NOS Energy Drink #17 is First to Five World of Outlaws Wins in 2022

LAWRENCEBURG, IN – May 30, 2022 – The traditional Memorial Day Spectacular returned to Lawrenceburg Speedway on Monday night and yet again lived up to the name in spectacular fashion.

With a star-studded field of 43 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars on hand, the Indiana 3/8-mile capped a sensational weekend of racing in a fashion that only The Greatest Show on Dirt can provide.

Becoming the third different leader in a wild 30-lapper, Sheldon Haudenschild drove to the point on Lap 11 and never relinquished his lead. His Series-leading fifth victory was far from easy, however, as the NOS Energy Drink, Stenhouse Jr. Marshall Racing #17 faced steep traffic and relentless challengers in the closing stages.

The path to back-to-back wins for the Wooster, OH native included a series of three-story sliders across the banking against Logan Schuchart, and a green-white-checkered finish when he survived a hard-charging Kyle Larson on the prowl from 16th-to-2nd.

Sheldon’s 27th career World of Outlaws triumph gives the Haudenschild family 99 total wins with the Series, and inches him closer to Brad Sweet and Kasey Kahne Racing as the #17 continues to prove they’re a legit championship contender in 2022.

“I’m just happy we survived and came out with the win,” a relived Haudenschild said. “I had so many close calls through traffic, those lappers were tough to battle. That’s just normal Lawrenceburg, though. I knew there would be some holes, you just have to run the track smart. More than anything, I just want to thank the men and women and the families who have sacrificed so much that allow us to race on this Memorial Day.”

The most anxious moment of the race was without a doubt the final caution on the final lap, which forced a green-white-checkered. Larson had just moved Paul Silva’s #57 into the second spot with a massive slider on Schuchart and was within striking distance of Haudenschild into turn one when the yellow lights flashed for a slowing Parker Price-Miller.

With only two laps left, a nearly sold-out crowd at Lawrenceburg knew anything could happen with Haudenschild, Larson, and Schuchart lining up 1-2-3 as the green flag flew. Ultimately, Larson’s plan to disrupt Haudenschild never had a chance to play out as Schuchart shot a big move at the #57 and stole his momentum allowing the #17 to check out and seal the deal.

“I knew Larson would be coming,” Sheldon said. “I looked at the board and kept seeing the #57 creeping up toward the top. That was a fun little cat and mouse game I had with the #1S. It seemed like however would get the run was going to come out on top, so I knew I couldn’t slide across turns one & two, I needed to carry that speed down the backstretch.”

Although his impressive run fell short, a 16th-to-2nd bid was nothing for Kyle Larson to hang his head about. The reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion and two-time World of Outlaws winner in 2022 completed 620 miles in Charlotte last night and quickly made the trip to Lawrenceburg for one of his favorite races on the Sprint Car schedule.

The Elk Grove, CA native had a plan to attack Haudenschild on the last lap, but the caution flew and ruined all timing. He had one final opportunity on the final restart, but Schuchart’s daring move stopped any shot of stealing it away. His +14 performance is the third-biggest gain for any KSE Hard Charger this season.

“It would’ve been hard to beat Sheldon on a green-white-checkered in clean air anyways,” Larson said on the final restart. “I really didn’t need that last caution, because I was setting him up into turn three at the checkered flag to make my move. It was a fun race, though. I always love coming to Lawrenceburg, it was rough and wavy in the corners. It just has so much character. I needed a better start to the night in qualifying and things might’ve been different.”

Rounding out the podium with another strong performance was Logan Schuchart and Shark Racing. He led Laps 4-11 before ultimately finishing P3 in the DuraMAX Oil, Drydene Performance Products #1S. Although it wasn’t that desired win, it’s another stellar finish in a long line of impressive results for the team.

“I had a chance right before Kyle got by me, but I stuck to the bottom and should’ve slid up,” Schuchart said on his shot to win it. “I’m just proud of this group of people and how fast we’ve been lately. It’s great to be on the podium, but I need to get this thing in victory lane soon. It feels so close, but so far away at the same time.”

Closing out the top-five at Lawrenceburg was David Gravel in the Big Game Motorsports #2 and Spencer Bayston in the CJB Motorsports #5. Finishing out the top-10 on Monday was Giovanni Scelzi, Brad Sweet, Cole Macedo, James McFadden, and Jacob Allen.

Jonestown, PA native Brock Zearfoss controlled the first three laps before he hit the wall and slowed with suspension damage to the Moose’s LZ Bar & Grill. It was a heartbreaker for the World of Outlaws sophomore runner, chasing his second-career win with the Series and first since his inaugural score in 2017.

UP NEXT (Fri) – The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series takes to the Dakotas this weekend with stops at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND on Friday, June 3, and then Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, SD on Sunday, June 5. Fans can BUY TICKETS HERE, or watch every lap LIVE on DIRTVision.

NOS Energy Drink Feature Results (30 Laps) – 1. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [5][$10,000]; 2. 57-Kyle Larson [16][$6,000]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart [4][$3,500]; 4. 2-David Gravel [7][$2,800]; 5. 5-Spencer Bayston [3][$2,500]; 6. 18-Giovanni Scelzi [6][$2,300]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet [9][$2,200]; 8. 18X-Cole Macedo [12][$2,100]; 9. 83-James McFadden [17][$2,050]; 10. 1A-Jacob Allen [14][$2,000]; 11. 15-Donny Schatz [18][$1,600]; 12. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [1][$1,400]; 13. 41-Carson Macedo [2][$1,200]; 14. 20G-Noah Gass [24][$1,100]; 15. 26-Cory Eliason [15][$1,050]; 16. 15J-Justin Peck [23][$1,000]; 17. 9-Kasey Kahne [25][$]; 18. 101-Cale Thomas [13][$1,000]; 19. 11X-Parker Price-Miller [8][$1,000]; 20. 3-Ayrton Gennetten [22][$1,000]; 21. 7BC-Tyler Courtney [10][$1,000]; 22. 9K-Kevin Thomas [19][$1,000]; 23. 39-Christopher Bell [21][$1,000]; 24. A79-Brandon Wimmer [20][$1,000]; 25. 11K-Kraig Kinser [11][$1,000]. Lap Leaders: Brock Zearfoss 1-3, Logan Schuchart 4-10, Sheldon Haudenschild 11-30. KSE Hard Charger Award: 57-Kyle Larson[+14]

NEW Championship Standings (After 23/77 Races): 1. Brad Sweet (3,182); 2. Sheldon Haudenschild (-34); 3. David Gravel (-46); 4. Carson Macedo (-66); 5. Logan Schuchart (-80); 6. Donny Schatz (-146); 7. Spencer Bayston (-166); 8. James McFadden (-168); 9. Jacob Allen (-222); 10. Brock Zearfoss (-374).

Inside Line Promotions – ELMA, Wash. (May 30, 2022) – Dominic Scelzi was on a mission last weekend during his first trip of the season to the Northwest.

Scelzi won the opening round of the miniature version of a speedweek before garnering runner-up results during the final two races to extend his lead in the King of the West-NARC Fujitsu Series championship standings.

“I’m extremely happy,” he said. “It was special to be able to get our first win in the state of Oregon. Now we’ve won along the entire West Coast in California, Oregon and Washington.”

The busy weekend began last Thursday at Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford, Ore., where Scelzi set quick time during qualifying. A third-place result in a heat race preceded a second-place showing in the dash, which gave Scelzi a front row starting spot for the feature.

“We went into Medford and set quick time, which was awesome,” he said. “It’s our second quick time of the year. Then we ran really well in the heat race and the dash. We ran second the first half of the feature before we started pressuring the leader. He got into the cushion the wrong way and it put him into the wall on the backstretch, which gave him a flat. That put us out front and we were able to go untouched the rest of the way.”

Scelzi led the final 11 laps en route to his first victory in the state of Oregon as well as his fourth straight with the series, which is the first time a driver has accomplished that feat since 1999.

“It’s a dream come true to put my name up there with a guy like Brent Kaeding,” he said. “He’s the most successful sprint car driver in California history. To do something he did 20-something years ago is very humbling and special.”

Round 2 of the weekend was Friday at Willamette Speedway in Lebanon, Ore. Scelzi timed in fourth quickest, finished second in a heat race and placed third in the dash. He then gained one position in the feature to earn a runner-up result.

“We were good all night,” he said. “The track was bottom dominant after qualifying, but we moved forward each time we were on the track. In the feature we fell to fourth, got to third, fell to fourth again and then got back to third. We were all over second place. On the last lap he tried to go above a lapped car and we snuck underneath him to end up second.”

Saturday’s event at Grays Harbor Raceway rained out, leaving the Timber Cup doubleheader with only one race held on Sunday.

“With Grays Harbor raining out we really wanted to go to Skagit on Saturday night,” Scelzi said. “By the time we got to Grays Harbor and with the way the weather looked we ran out of time. But we’re looking forward to going there in a month for Dirt Cup.”

Scelzi continued his efficient effort on Sunday, qualifying third quickest, winning a heat race, ending third in the dash and advancing forward a position to place second in the A Main at Grays Harbor Raceway.

“We were really good,” he said. “I felt we had good speed. I got to second and closed on Trey (Starks). I felt we were pretty even the first half of the race. I was able to work the bottom, but I wasn’t close enough to do anything with him. When we had a yellow halfway through I spun my tires and got a really bad restart. That dropped me back to fourth for a second. I got back to third and it took me the rest of the race to get back to second. By that time Trey was in another zip code. It was really cool to see him get the win. He’s extremely talented and one of the best drivers on the West Coast.”

The trio of podiums during the weekend kept Scelzi’s streak alive of recording a podium during each of the eight series races this season.

He plans to take this weekend off before the next series races on June 10 at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, Calif., during the 34^th annual Pombo-Sargent Classic and June 11 at Placerville Speedway in Placerville, Calif., during the 31^st annual Dave Bradway Jr. Race.

QUICK RESULTS –

May 26 – Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford, Ore. – Qualifying: 1; Heat race: 3 (4); Dash: 2 (2); Feature: 1 (2).

May 27 – Willamette Speedway in Lebanon, Ore. – Qualifying: 4; Heat race: 2 (3); Dash: 3 (5); Feature: 2 (3).

May 29 – Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash. – Qualifying: 3; Heat race: 1 (2); Dash: 3 (2); Feature: 2 (3).

SEASON STATS –

23 races, 5 wins, 15 top fives, 17 top 10s, 20 top 15s, 20 top 20s

UP NEXT – 

June 10 at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, Calif., for the 34^th annual Pombo-Sargent Classic and June 11 at Placerville Speedway in Placerville, Calif., for the 31^st annual Dave Bradway Jr. Race with the King of the West-NARC Fujitsu Series

Indianapolis, Indiana, May 30, 2022 — As the 33rd entry for the historic 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500, DragonSpeed Cusick Motorsports and Stefan Wilson overcame adversity in Qualifying, started the race in 33rd position, and moved up seven positions on race day to cross the yard of bricks in the 26th position. The No. 25 DragonSpeed Cusick Motorsports Chevrolet, supported by an esteemed group of partners, will take the outcome in stride and look to build momentum for the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500.

“I felt really decent in the first stint, staying in touch with the main pack,” said Wilson, who completed his fourth Indianapolis 500 this weekend. “It felt like we had a car where we could be in the top 20 by the end of the race. I had a huge loose moment in Turn 4 on the in-lap for our first stop. I was still gathering it as I came into the box and wasn’t able to get it downshifted into neutral. The car stalled and, unfortunately, we went a lap down. We were battling the whole race, trying to make that lap up, but were never in the right place at the right time to capitalize. I’m disappointed to have made the mistake and I feel bad for the team, but I’m glad we were able to bring the car home and see the checkered flag. We ended up 26th and that’s a positive result.   “A lot of our partners are returning partners. They stuck by our side and made this happen for a second year in a row. I’m hugely grateful for their support. Everyone was pumped after the race because they got to see an amazing event. For some of the partners, this was their first Indianapolis 500 and they were blown away. We want to come back next year with a deal done earlier to start the event in a more positive position. It was great to have everyone witness the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at full capacity. You could see how passionate our guests were. They were beaming after this experience and eager to come back next year, which is a great thing to have. I can’t thank Don Cusick enough. His support made this 33rd entry happen by bringing our partners together and I can’t wait to come back next year with a deal done early and have plenty of time to prepare.”

“Great job by Stefan Wilson and the DragonSpeed Cusick Motorsports crew,” said Don Cusick, Founder and CEO of Cusick Motorsports. “We’re already making plans to come back in 2023 and I must extend a big thank you to all of our partners that make this possible. We look forward to them joining us in the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 next year.” Thank you to our 2022 partners, LOHLA SPORT, a new premium women’s golf-lifestyle apparel brand; Sierra Pacific Windows, building the most uncompromising windows and doors possible; GNARLY Premium Cut Jerky, carefully crafted and mouth-watering jerky; Neptune Systems, a market leader in aquarium technology products; ConnectDoc, facilitating communications, complex coordination, and continuity between patients, medical professionals, and health care systems; CarBlip, the Auto Concierge; 181 Fremont, luxury urban living in downtown San Francisco; Rayne Nutrition, taking a scientific approach to pet food; Topping & Legnon Wine, offering a beautiful selection of reds, whites and rosé wines; Mr. and Mrs. James Lowes, long time race fans who are excited about the opportunity to support the effort, along with DragonSpeed partner Rembrandt Charms.   Cusick Motorsports and Stefan Wilson return to action on June 26th with their third IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup entry of the year at the 2022 Six Hours of the Glen. Green flag for the famed endurance race waves at 10:40 a.m. ET on Sunday, June 26th with streaming on Peacock and live coverage on USA Network.

(5/29/2022 – Alex Nieten) Elma, WA… Entering Sunday night, Trey Starks said he could probably count on his hands how many times he’d driven a 410 sprint car at Grays Harbor Raceway, but that didn’t slow him down.

The Puyallup Washington native has countless laps and many wins at the Elma, WA three-eights mile, but many of those laps and all of those wins had been in a 360 sprint car. With the NARC Fujitsu General Sprint Cars visiting for the Fastest Four Days in Motorsports finale on Sunday, Starks added a 410 win to the resumé.

Starks dominated the Fujitsu Feature, leading all 30 laps on his way to his first career NARC win in his 11th series start and first start with the West Coast’s best since 2016. The victory earned him $7,000 as he protected home turf and prevented the California drivers from sweeping the Pacific Northwest trip.

“We like racing the 410s,” Starks said in victory lane. “We like bringing the good guys up from California and seeing if we can run with them and tonight, luckily, we could.”

Bringing the field to green was Justin Sanders with Starks to his outside. Starks wasted no time establishing that he would be a force to be reckoned with by rocketing around Sanders’ outside to lead the opening circuit.

Behind Starks, the defending NARC champion Dominic Scelzi threw a slider on Sanders and cleared him to take over the runner-up spot on the second lap and began to pursue Starks. As the leaders approached traffic Scelzi closed in about 10 laps in but couldn’t quite mount the charge he needed. Starks began to pull away.

“I know you’ve got to be really careful,” Starks said of negotiating traffic. “I started to move down in traffic and realized our car was good enough that we could pretty much go anywhere, so that was good to know, especially when you’re racing around in traffic and having to pass guys.”

The race’s first yellow flew on lap 14 for a slowing Tanner Holmes in turn 4. On the restart, Starks pulled ahead as a wild war began for the second spot. Sanders and Mitchell Faccinto challenged Scelzi as they screamed into turn one three wide. As they exited turn two, Sanders emerged ahead using the bottom.

Sanders wasted no time in giving Starks his toughest challenge. On the next lap, Sanders utilized an excellent run through the bottom of turns one and two to pull even with Starks down the backstretch. Starks fended off the challenge, but Sanders roared back the next lap in the same spot, showing him a nose as they raced toward turn three. Ultimately, Starks’ T&C Concepts/Starks Racing No. 55 proved too strong as Sanders could never gather enough of a run to clear him.

Starks pulled away from Sanders with less than 10 to go. The leaders entered traffic again as the laps dwindled, allowing Sanders to close back in, but the same traffic hindered Sanders and opened the door for Scelzi to swipe second back with just a few circuits remaining.

Meanwhile, ahead of them, Starks drove away in front of a proud home state crowd. Starks took the checkered flag with a 2.254 second advantage to win one for the Pacific Northwest locals.

“We were just fast,” Starks said. “We were decent all night, and we kind of knew what the track does. Obviously, we run here a lot, so we know which direction it moves, and we just made adjustments accordingly, and we were good enough to keep all those guys behind us.”

Scelzi hung on for second in his Red Rose Transportation/Whipple Superchargers No. 41, marking his eight consecutive podium to begin the NARC campaign. Scelzi made sure to plant a big kiss on Starks’ cheek in victory lane as the two are long-time friends.

“I’ve always had a big crush on Trey Starks,” Scelzi joked. “Before that first yellow I felt like we had something for him around the bottom, and I just got a really bad restart. I’m not sure if I spun the tires or what, but he got away, and I had to race really hard to get back to second. He (Starks) just kicked our butt.”

Sanders completed the podium, giving him an all-podium showing during the Pacific Northwest swing as the Farmers Brewing Co./Mittry Construction pilot didn’t miss the top-three all weekend. Despite the consistency, Sanders was left wanting a little more.

“I just couldn’t get a rhythm going,” Sanders said. “Once Trey got out in the lead it was hard for me to follow him. Then Dominic slid me on that second lap. I just got all balled up for about 10 laps and they pulled away. Thankfully I had that restart and was able to get back by Dominic and try to trace down Trey, and I just faded every lap from there.

Behind them, Tyler Thompson, in just his third NARC start, finished a series career-best fourth and Willie Croft completed the top-five.

The balance of the top-10 included Mitchell Faccinto, Austen Wheatley, Logan Forler, Tanner Holmes, and Bud Kaeding.

FUJITSU GENERAL USA FEATURE (30 laps): 1. Trey Starks 55 2. Dominic Scelzi 41 3. Justin Sanders 2X 4. Tyler Thompson 7 5. Willie Croft 29 6. Mitchell Faccinto 21 7. Austen Wheatley 8. Logan Forler 2L 9. Tanner Holmes 18T 10. Bud Kaeding 69 11. Joel Myers Jr. 83V 12. Max Mittry 2XM 13. Billy Aton 26

HOOSIER TIRE LAP LEADERS: Starks 1-30

SWIFT METAL FINISHING HARDCHARGER: Tyler Thompson

ARP FAST QUALIFIER: Austen Wheatley 12.643 seconds

BROWN AND MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS HEAT ONE (8 laps): Scelzi, Wheatley, Faccinto, Croft, Forler, Mittry, Aton

KIMO’s TROPICAL CAR WASH HEAT TWO (8 laps): Sanders, Starks, Thompson, Kaeding, Myers Jr., Holmes

SUNNYVALLEY “POWERED BY BACON” TROPHY DASH (6 laps): Sanders, Starks, Scelzi, Faccinto, Wheatley, Thompson

Late-Race Move Almost Pays Off For Austin Dillon and The No. 3 Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Team

22nd

16th

15th

“The Coca-Cola 600 is the longest race in NASCAR and so much of it is just about who can survive 400 laps. If you can make it to the end of the race on the lead lap, you can put yourself in position to win. We ran our race and gave ourselves a chance. When the caution came out at the end of the race, we pitted and were sixth for the restart, the first car on four tires. The guys gave me a great opportunity there. I was going for it. I just got a little loose trying to make it stick and it didn’t quite work out. Looking back, I wish I would have backed up the corner a little bit. I had to do what I had to do to win the race. A win is going to be important because of where we are in points, so I went for it. Our Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road crew was unbelievable. I can’t thank those guys enough. We had a shot right there.”  -Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick And The No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet Team Earn Top-10 Finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway

6th

8th

12th

“What a day at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It feels good leaving the track with a top-10 finish in the Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet, even though it was an up-and-down day. The ups were that we had a lot of speed. The downs were flat tires. As far as I know, I don’t think there was anything in particular that we did with the left-rear to cause the flat. I’m guessing I just damaged my tire trying to get the most out of our Chevrolet. That was frustrating, but we recovered. We earned a lot of stage points today, especially early in the race when we were running up front and leading laps. Our flat tire could have ruined our night, but this Richard Childress Racing team never gives up. We were patient and with all of the chaos that happened, we were able to get back to a sixth-place finish. At the end of the race, we passed two cars through the turf. There’s no splitter to rip off, so I was able to pass two cars there at the end through the turf coming to the line, which was nice. Overall, I’m proud of the team for never giving up.” -Tyler Reddick

NASCAR CUP SERIES

CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

COCA-COLA 600

TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES & QUOTES

MAY 29, 2022

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:

POS.   DRIVER

6th      TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CHEDDAR’S SCRATCH KITCHEN CAMARO ZL1

7th      RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER/REESE’S CAMARO ZL1

9th      KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

10th    ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1

13th    TY DILLON, NO. 42 BLACK RIFLE COFFEE COMPANY CAMARO ZL1

14th    ERIK JONES, NO. 43 FOCUSFACTOR CAMARO ZL1

15th    ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 ADVENT HEALTH CAMARO ZL1

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS: 

POS.  DRIVER

1st      Denny Hamlin (Toyota)

2nd     Kyle Busch (Toyota)

3rd      Kevin Harvick (Ford)

4th      Chase Briscoe (Ford)

5th      Christopher Bell (Toyota)

The NASCAR Cup Series season continues next Sunday, June 5, at World Wide Technology Raceway with the Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter at 3:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES:

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CHEDDAR’S SCRATCH KITCHEN CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 6th

TALK ABOUT YOUR RACE TONIGHT. 

“To start with, I was worried about it. I’m not really sure what I have going on, but I’m not 100 percent. Can’t really breath that well; all that fun stuff. So trying to battle that in our longest race of the year is not fun. 

Outside of that, it’s tough having a really fast car and having these things keep happening. I don’t know – we may have been in that really big crash, or a couple of them there; so maybe it’s a good thing we had the problem on pit road. 

We had a good No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevy. We’ll just keep moving forward.” 

YOU WERE ABLE TO BATTLE BACK TO A TOP-10 FINISH. 

“The ups is that we had a lot of speed. The downs are flat tires. It’s pretty straightforward. As far as I know, I don’t think there was anything in particular that we did on that one run with the left rear to cause the flat. I just think with having clean air and being able to exit as wide as possible off of turn two every time – you can kind of exit off that bump in turn two and be able to put the car where you want to. A lot of the bumps are in (turns) three and four. I’m guessing I just damaged my tire trying to get the most out of our No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet. 

That was frustrating, but we got a lot of stage points. With all of the chaos that happened, we were able to get back to a sixth-place finish. We were able to pass Ricky (Stenhouse Jr.) and Michael McDowell through the turf. There’s no splitter to rip off, so I was able to pass two cars there at the end through the turf coming to the line, which was nice and we came home sixth.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 9th

KYLE LARSON, WE TALKED ABOUT HIM ALL NIGHT. HE PASSED MORE CARS THAN ANYBODY AND STARTED IN THE BACK, THE PENALTIES, THE FIRE IN THE BACK, GETTING IN THE WALL AGAIN. YOU ALMOST HAD A SHOT THERE AT THE END TO WIN IT. HOW DID YOU GUYS STAY IN IT?

“Yeah, long race thankfully. The first half was a struggle for all of us, but I was especially frustrated with myself. To rebound from that and have a shot to win there late was something to be proud of. Our team fought really hard, so I’m happy with that. (Chase) Briscoe was really good that long run there. Wish we would have been just a little bit better so he never would have got to me to work really hard and ultimately spin. You’re kind of gambling on tire stuff there. I think we took two to try and get ourselves the front row, which we did. I think the four tires was just a little bit better than me and got to my inside there through turns 3 and 4. It’s just really tight racing off of 4. The 3 (Austin Dillon) almost had me cleared and we just made contact there and there was a big wreck. Kind of ended my night there. 

Again, proud of my Hendrick team. Even going back to yesterday and me making a mistake getting into the wall really put ourselves in a bad spot all night. Our pit stall was terrible having to come around the 19 (Martin Truex Jr.) and then the 10 (Aric Almirola) coming around me. The day would have been a lot easier if I just didn’t hit the wall yesterday.”

NOAH GRAGSON, NO. 16 CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 24th

“We had a really good day overall and had some fun driving in the top 10 with our No. 16 Charlotte Knights Camaro ZL1. I got into the wall and had to pit for tires, which put us down a couple laps. We thought we could get back on the lead lap, but we had a parts failure that ultimately ended our day. It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t quite make it to the end, but we had a fast car and I think we made some gains.”

JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 27th

“Our No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1 was difficult to manage all day. We fought the car being extremely tight and having little front direction. Unfortunately, our day ended early due to engine troubles. We will move on to St. Louis!”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 COMMSCOPE CAMARO ZL1, sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 345; Finished 25th

“I just got tight. With these cars, clean air is very important. They were side-by-side in front of me. I was fine in front and eventually I got in the middle of the wake and I got super tight. I put myself in a bad situation there. It was just a tough situation. 

I’m just glad Chris (Buescher) is fine. My team has been building rockets. We had the best car out there. It was a struggle for us on pit road. Not my guys, but the situation where we were in with the 22 (Joey Logano) and the 11 (Denny Hamlin). We have to learn from it and come back stronger.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY PATRIOTIC CAMARO ZL1, sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 191; Finished 32nd

WHAT HAPPENED TONIGHT? 

“I thought we were in the catbird seat there. We were the first team on new tires. Had a good restart through (turn) one and got ahead of the No. 45 (Kurt Busch). We were going to cycle out really well there; and then they just started wrecking on the bottom and came up into us on the top. 

It sucks. It’s chaos out there. You can’t drive the car the slightest bit sideways or you’re wrecked. So, if somebody gets a little bit sideways, then we all wreck. It either takes out other people or they spin to the infield. Just chaos.”

TEAM CHEVY QUICK NOTES

Stage One: 

·       After having to start at the rear of the field for unapproved adjustments from practice damage repairs, Kyle Larson powered his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 through the field to the 11th spot when a caution fell on lap 32. A pit road penalty during a stop under the caution sent Larson back to the tail of the field for the restart. 

·       Chase Elliott took the Stage One win; his first stage win of 2022 and his first on the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval. 

·       There was a strong bowtie showing in the top-10 at the end of the stage, with five Chevrolet drivers scoring stage points. 

·       Elliott led Chevrolet drivers Tyler Reddick (2nd), Ross Chastain (4th), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (7th), and Alex Bowman (9th) to conclude the 100-lap Stage One.

Stage Two: 

·       Following a 22nd to fourth run in Stage One, Ross Chastain powered his No. 1 Advent Health Camaro ZL1 to the lead on lap 111; marking the first time in his NCS career that he’s led in the Coca-Cola 600. 

·       A wreck on lap 191 collected the Camaro ZL1’s of Chase Elliott and William Byron, ending the race for both drivers. 

·       Restarted Stage Two with a four-lap dash to the end of the stage, Daniel Suarez drove his No. 99 CommScope Camaro ZL1 to the stage win; his second stage win of 2022.

·       Suarez led a 1-2 finish for Trackhouse Racing at the end of the stage, with Ross Chastain crossing the line in second-place for his second top-five stage finish of the night. 

·       Other Chevrolet drivers in the Stage Two top-10 included: Erik Jones (3rd), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (5th) and Tyler Reddick (8th).

Stage Three: 

·       Ross Chastain took the green/white checkered flag on the top of the leaderboard to end Stage Three; his third stage win of 2022. 

·       Chastain led Chevrolet to five top-10 results in the Stage Three, including four of the top-five: Kyle Larson (3rd), Tyler Reddick (4th), Daniel Suarez (5th) and Austin Dillon (9th).

Stage Four: 

·       After a Stage Two win and a top-five Stage Three finish, Suarez was involved in a wreck, with extensive damage forcing the No. 99 CommScope Camaro ZL1 to the garage to end the day. Suarez led 36-laps through his duration in the race. 

·       In the first of two overtime attempts, the battle for the lead resulted in an accident that collected Kyle Larson, Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon. 

·       The final overtime start brought the 600-mile race to an end, with Tyler Reddick leading Chevrolet with a sixth-place finish. 

·       Joining Reddick in the top-10 from the Team Chevy camp included: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (6th), Kyle Larson (9th) and Alex Bowman (10th).

Post-Race Notes: 

·       Chevrolet drivers swept the stage wins, with Chase Elliott winning Stage One; Daniel Suarez winning Stage Two; and Ross Chastain winning Stage Three. 

·       Chevrolet drivers also led at each of the 100-mile markers: Chase Elliott (100 mile; 200 mile); Daniel Suarez (300 mile); Ross Chastain (400 mile; 500 mile); and Kyle Larson (600 mile). 

·       Chase Elliott continues to hold the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings lead, 34-points over fellow Chevrolet driver Ross Chastain. 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 29, 2022) – Progressive American Flat Track legend Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) returned to the top of the box in stunning fashion in Sunday night’s Mission Red Mile II presented by Indian Motorcycle of Lexington. 24 hours after being beaten to the stripe at the Red Mile by Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle rookie sensation Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), Mees and Daniels settled into a rematch at the front of the premier-class Main Event. The two threatened to drop the remainder of the pack from the start but were gradually reeled back in by Davis Fisher (No. 67 Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) and Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750). However, just after half-distance Bauman’s charge faded, leaving Fisher as the only pilot with a shot at transforming the battle for the win into a three-rider affair. He made good on that promise with five minutes to go, creating a contest of contrasting strengths and lines. Daniels led to open the last lap but with Mees and Fisher both in close pursuit. As the three exited Turn 2, it still appeared to be anyone’s race until Mees and Fisher both stormed past Daniels with unexpected ease. The rookie’s inopportune bike issues turned the fight back into a two-rider match-up for the final half-lap. Fisher did all he could to draft by the reigning champion at the stripe, but he came up 0.126 seconds short of beating one of history’s best Mile racers at one of his best tracks. The victory was Mees’ 23rd Mile win, tying him with Ricky Graham for fifth all-time in the discipline. It was also his fourth in five attempts in Lexington, Kentucky. The triumphant Mees said, “It was actually beneficial to have the Jumbotron on the front straightaway because I was able to glance at it. The first couple of laps, Dallas and I had a pretty comfortable lead. That was good because I could hold back and pace off of him and see where I was strong and see where I could maybe pull out. I sat there and studied him because I have to ride very precise to make everything count. “It felt good – it really did. I think (Dallas) had a bit of an issue going down the back straightaway, but you’ve got to get to the checkered flag to win these things. It’s unfortunate for him because he was riding so good.” Daniels seemed capable of limping to the podium but instead got zapped at the line by 0.067 seconds by teammate JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT). While Beach’s expected challenge for victory failed to materialize, he did manage to register a late charge to climb back into podium contention. The Kentuckian overhauled eventual fifth-place finisher Bauman and sixth-placed Mission Production Twins Challenge entrant Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), before finally sailing by Daniels at the flag. Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) finished a couple tenths back of Janisch in seventh, with Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R), Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), and Ben Lowe (No. 25 Mission Foods/Roof Systems Yamaha MT-07) rounding out the top ten. Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines The WBR KTM of James Rispoli (No. 43 Wally Brown Racing/Haversack KTM 890 Duke) went from untested to heavy favorite following a debut night of racing that saw it dominate Saturday’s Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines Main Event and then deliver a podium in the Mission SuperTwins Main as an encore. However, any fears that it might prove invincible on its second day were more than balanced out by reality that it’s still in a relatively early state of development. Rather than break free after taking the lead early in Sunday’s race, Rispoli found himself embroiled in an intense battle with Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), as the two raced their way away from the pack. Rispoli and Janisch swapped the lead back and forth repeatedly with Janisch grabbing the lead just as the clock expired. He then put his head down in hopes of corralling his opponent behind him for the final two laps, but the drama of a potential photo finish ended a straightaway early; Rispoli sat up as the two exited Turn 4 for the final time due to a mechanical issue. After scoring his second victory of the ‘22 season, Janisch said, “The bike was getting off the corners a little better tonight. The bike was on rails. I’m stoked. It was a good race.” A couple seconds back of the fight for the lead, Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) waged a similarly back-and-forth battle with Ben Lowe (No. 25 Mission Foods/Roof Systems Yamaha MT-07) for third. The defending champ swept past Lowe late and held on to inherit second position. Ryan Varnes (No. 68 Schaeffer’s Motorsports/Rausch Fuel & Oil KTM 890 Duke) dropped out of podium contention but managed to hold on for fourth. Meanwhile, Michael Rush (No. 15 Hellipower Racing/Las Vegas Harley-Davidson XG750R) charged his way from Row 4 to fifth position as he made his paddock presence felt in a big way in his return weekend. Nick Armstrong (No. 60 Competitive Racing Frames/Lessley Brothers Yamaha MT-07), who came into the night leading in the points, finished 12th. Despite that, Texter continues to sit second in the championship fight as both men were overtaken by race winner Janisch, who now leads Texter by one point (92-91) with Armstrong a further 10 points back in third at 81. Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) took top honors in a barn-burning Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Main Event. The drama to come was teased early on when Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) got into the rear wheel of Saturday winner Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R). Fortunately, both frontrunners escaped the contact unscathed. Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) wouldn’t be as lucky a couple minutes later when Brunner got into him and the Australian was sent off his bike and up into the Airfence. Following the resulting red flag, there was barely a moment to breathe as the lead pack consisted of the entire field up until the two-minute mark. With one minute remaining on the clock, a seven-rider pack emerged – and one that somehow included both Whale and Brunner, who had fought their way together up from back row starting position at the restart. Mischler opened up a slight advantage to open the final lap but was pulled back in by the chasing group as they charged to the flag. Gauthier nipped past his teammate at the last possible moment, edging ahead of Mischler at the flag by just 0.029 seconds to earn his first win of the season. 2019 class champ Gauthier said, “Me and my teammate worked together perfectly in the race. My last corner on the last lap was my best of the entire race. I really focused on that and needed to do it to get the win. I think we’re only going to get better from here. I need to make up some points, so I really needed this win.” Whale got his revenge by securing the final spot on the box, taking third ahead of title leader Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) and Brunner. Rookie ace Chase Saathoff (No. 106 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) finished in sixth with 2017 Red Mile winner Kevin Stollings (No. 99 Roof Systems/Ice Barn Honda CRF450R) ending up in seventh despite finishing just 0.639 seconds back of the win. The Mission Red Mile II will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, June 18, at 11:00 a.m. ET/8:00 a.m, PT, including exclusive features, cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage, and expert commentary. Next Up: Progressive AFT will go from wide-open drafting battles to close-quarters clashes at the Progressive Laconia Short Track presented by MOMS, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, on Saturday, June 11. Gates will open for fans at 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT ahead of the evening’s Main Event program. Visit https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3692/ to reserve your tickets today. You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities on FansChoice.tv. FansChoice.tv provides free-to-view livestreaming of Practice and Qualifying. FansChoice.tvsubscribers will then be able to watch the drama unfold from Opening Ceremonies through the Semis, Main Events, and podium celebrations. FansChoice.tv offers two subscription options, granting unlimited access to premium AFT content. Monthly subscriptions start at just $7.99, while a six-month subscription is available for $44.99. For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.

Marcus Ericsson takes his Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to victory in the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500
Honda’s third consecutive win at Indianapolis, and 15th since 2004
Honda driver David Malukas is top-finishing “500” rookie

SPEEDWAY, Ind. (May 29, 2022) – It was Marcus Ericsson’s day today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with the ‘Sneaky Swede’ storming to victory and scoring Honda’s 15th Indy 500 win. 

Starting from the middle of row two, Ericsson would lead 13 laps in his Chip Ganassi Racing Honda en route to victory. It wasn’t without drama for the driver of the #8 machine, however. Despite pulling a three-second gap on the field with just 10 laps to go, a late-race red flag—the result of a crash by Ericsson’s teammate Jimmie Johnson—would allow the field to catch up and challenge Ericsson for the win a two-lap shootout. 

In addition to Ericsson, the day was largely dominated by the Honda-powered Chip Ganassi Racing organization. He and his CGR teammates would lead a combined 163 of 200 laps, with Scott Dixon leading the pack with 95 laps led and becoming the all-time lap leader in the Indy 500. 

Dixon would unfortunately fall victim to a late-race pit lane speeding violation, while 2021 Champion Alex Palou (47 laps led) would be caught out by an ill-timed yellow on pit strategy. Dixon would ultimately finish 21st and Palou would recover to a ninth-place finish. 

Tony Kanaan would finish third on the day. While 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi would storm from 20th to fifth and four-time ‘500’ champ Helio Castroneves from 27th to seventh. Castroneves’ Meyer Shank Racing teammate and 2019 race winner Simon Pagenaud would finish just behind in eighth. 

Honda also took top honors in the highest-finishing rookie category, with David Malukas crossing the line for Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports in 16th place. 

In addition to forever being an Indianapolis 500 champion, Marcus Ericsson also takes the lead in the 2022 INDYCAR championship points after six of 17 races.

Honda Results from the 2022 Indianapolis 500
1st Marcus Ericsson Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
3rd Tony Kanaan-W Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
5th Alexander Rossi-W Andretti Autosport Honda
7th Helio Castroneves-W Meyer Shank Racing Honda
8th Simon Pagenaud-W Meyer Shank Racing Honda
9th Alex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
14th Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
16th David Malukas-R Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Honda
18th Christian Lundegaard-R Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
20th Devlin DeFrancesco-R Andretti Autosport Honda
21st Scott Dixon-W Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
22nd Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport Honda
24th Jack Harvey Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
25th Takuma Sato-W Dale Coyne Racing with RWR Honda
28th Jimmie Johnson-R Chip Ganassi Racing Honda – Did Not Finish – contact
30th Colton Herta Andretti Autosport Honda – Did Not Finish – mechanical
31st Romain Grosjean-R Andretti Autosport Honda – Did Not Finish – contact

W – Indianapolis 500 race winner
R – Indianapolis 500 rookie

Quotes
Marcus Ericsson (Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) Indianapolis 500 race winner, Honda’s third consecutive win at Indy; moves to the top of the championship points lead after six of 17 races: “You know, it’s the biggest race in the world and to win is just an incredible feeling. The way we had to it – with the pressure [of the late-race restart] at the end – it was a very tough finish. I needed all that Honda power to be able to pull it off! So we’re very, very thankful for that. It’s just an incredible feeling. We’ve been strong all month, both our Ganassi cars and all the Honda cars. We’ve been the ones to beat, to be honest. To end up in Victory Lane, it’s just a dream come true.”

Tony Kanaan (Chip Ganassi Honda) Finished third: “A great win for Honda, a great win for the team. I mean, [team owner] Chip [Ganassi] only asked us to do one thing: ‘don’t hit your teammate’. I was thinking about that when we restarted after the last yellow [caution flag]. Marcus [Ericsson, teammate and race winner] did an awesome job and deserved to win. I’m already looking forward to coming back next year.”

David Malukas (Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Honda) finished 16th, highest-finishing rookie: “It feels really good. I mean, that was such a long race. This track, it chooses its winners for sure. We were in the top 10 the whole way, then a yellow [caution flag] comes out that’s simply bad timing for us, and drops us down to about P20. But then we worked our way back up to 16th so, overall, we finished the race and I’m real happy.”

David Salters (President, Honda Performance Development) on Honda’s 15th Indianapolis 500 win and third consecutive victory: “Racing comes down to a team effort, United groups of talented people pushing themselves, working smart and hard.  That’s three [Indianapolis 500 victories] in a row for the amazingly talented group at HPD – bravo boys and girls!! The amazing team at Chip Ganassi Racing produced rocket ship race cars – again what a team of talented boys and girls.  We are extremely proud to race for Honda and the culture of racing and success in Honda continues to show itself, with Monaco [Formula One] and Indy 500 victories today – nice work everyone!! Cheers!!”

Fast Facts
This is Honda’s third consecutive Indianapolis 500 victory; with Takuma Sato scoring his second “500” triumph in 2020 and Helio Castroneves claiming his record-tying fourth win last year.

Honda has won more Indianapolis 500 races than any major automaker: 15 victories from 22 races – a win ratio of 66% – since the company entered the INDYCAR competition in 1994.

Honda first won the ‘500’ in the manufacturer’s fourth attempt, when Buddy Rice piloted his Rahal Letterman Racing Honda to victory in 2004.

Other Honda-powered Indy winners include Dan Wheldon in 2005 and 2011, Sam Hornish Jr. (2006), Dario Franchitti (2007, 2010 and 2012), Scott Dixon (2008), Helio Castroneves (2009 and 2021), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014), Alexander Rossi (2016), and Takmua Sato in 2017 and 2020.

Honda has had more race starts at the Indianapolis 500 than any other auto manufacturer: 422 starts. Honda drivers also have completed more race laps at the Indianapolis 500 than any other carmaker: 74,160 laps.

Next
After an incredible “Month of May” at Indianapolis, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES continues next weekend with the June 3-5 Detroit Grand Prix race weekend, on the Belle Isle street circuit in Detroit, Michigan.

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

INDIANAPOLIS 500

INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

TEAM CHEVY POST RACE RECAP

MAY 29,2022

O’WARD PUTS CHEVROLET ON PODIUM 

ARROW MCLAREN SP SHINES FOR CHEVROLET IN 106^TH RUNNING OF INDIANAPOLIS 500

INDIANAPOLIS – (MAY 29,2022) Pato O’Ward battled to the very end in search of his first Indianapolis 500 win. The driver of the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet has finished sixth, fourth and now second in his three races on the famed 2.5-mile oval in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

He battled the last 25-laps of the race with eventual race winner Marcus Ericsson, veteran Tony Kanaan  as well as teammate Felix Rosenqvist when the red flag flew for a crash scattering debris across the track. When the track returned to yellow, O’Ward lined up behind the leader, and battled for the lead. It became a five-car shuffle with O’Ward scoring a strong runner-up finish, with Kanaan in third and Rosenqvist in fourth.

In front of a near-record crowd, the Chevy banner flew near the front of the field from the drop of the green. From the outside of the front row, Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Bitcoin Racing Team with Bitnile Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, battled with fellow front row starters until a single-car incident in turn two on lap 38 put the young driver out of the race. 

Callum Ilott, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, started 16^th and methodically was working his way up through the field to be halted on lap 68 by a crash very similar to VeeKay’s. Ilott walked away uninjured, but retired from the race.

Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin suffered a similar fate as VeeKay and Ilott, as the back of his No. 3 Pennzoil Chevrolet, stepped out in Turn Four ending his day as he had worked is way to the top-10 after starting in 26^th position.

Conor Daly, No.20 Bitnile Ed Carpenter Chevrolet, finished sixth, Santino Ferrucci, No.23 Palermo’s Screamin Sicilia Dryer and Reinbold Racing Chevrolet finished 10^th to give Team Chevy four of the top-10 finishers.

OTHER TEAM CHEVY FINISHERS AS FOLLOWS:

11.                Juan Pablo Montoya’

12.                JR Hildebrand

13.                Josef Newgarden

15.                Will Power

17.                Kyle Kirkwood

19.                Ed Carpenter

23.                Sage Karam

26.                Stefan Wilson

27.                Dalton Kellett

29.                Scott McLaughlin

32,                Callum Ilott

33.                Rinus VeeKay

CHEVROLET DRIVERS IN TOP-10 IN POINTS

2^ND               Pato O’Ward

4^th                 Will Power

5^th                 Josef Newgarden

7^th                 Scott McLaughlin

9^th                 Felix Rosenqvist

Next on the calendar is the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on Belle Isle Presented by Lear on June 5, 2022

TEAM CHEVY QUOTES

JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 SHELL CHEVROLET, TEAM PENSKE: 

“It was another heartbreaking day around here. I’m not sure what happened in our pit stop that ultimately did our day in. We had a stall and it looks like somehow I got stuck in second gear instead of first gear. I’m not sure if that’s on me or not and not sure why that happened. WE will have to analyze the data. If that’s on me, I feel terrible. We have a great team and we did a great job all month. I felt like we were fighting for it all day long. I think we could have run in the top five. I am disappointed for our partners Shell and Chevy. We will assess it and come back stronger the next time around.”

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 PENNZOIL CHEVROLET, TEAM PENSKE: 

ARE YOU OKAY?

Yeah, just a bruised ego and the Pennzoil Chevy is a bit dented and stuff. We were having a rip of a run there and had made our way into the top 10 and just caught a big puff of wind and spun out and boom.”

UNBELIEVABLE PROGRESS IN THOSE FIRST TWO STINTS AND YOU JUST CARVED THROUGH THE PACK AND YOU AND HELIO WERE MAKING SOME IMPRESSIVE PASSES THROUGH THE FIELD

“Yeah, it was awesome following him. I had a really good restart in one of them and a bad restart in one, but we really settled into a good rhythm and had a good couple of changes. We ended up being right there in the top 10 or their abouts but unfortunately you get caught up one time. I felt like I was on top of things, but it just caught me up.”

ARE YOU FEELING OKAY, ANYTHING WITH THE HIP, LEGS, NECK?

“Yeah, I am a little sore, but I got checked out and I am good. But you know, its hard to come out straight away after a shunt like that and that is why this place is so scary, and why we love it. I will be back stronger and better next year.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE UNLOCKED A LOT MORE KNOWLEDGE FOR PACE AT THIS PLACE?

“Oh yeah, for sure. I felt like I was making passes today that I had not made before, and I was really confident with things. I was feeling really good, so I am gutted for everyone because they gave me a good car this weekend and I am gutted that I didn’t finish it off.”

DALTON KELLETT, NO. 4 K-LINE INSULATORS CHEVROLET, AJ FOYT RACING:

PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 McLAREN CHEVROLET, ARROW McLAREN SP:“First of all, I’m really proud of the team. They gave me a really good car. I was so happy with the handling and we executed everything perfectly. We hit the fuel perfectly, we made no mistakes, and positioned ourselves perfectly to have a shot at it.

“We got done with that last pit stop, Felix undercut us, I then stopped and started to catch up with him, but Marcus [Ericsson], out of nowhere, came out with some insane speed. He got past me like I was standing still then caught Felix within two laps. I knew when the restart happened I would have one shot, I’d have to go flat and it still wasn’t enough. So sadly, they had the faster car. We need to do a better job to beat them, but I’m really proud of the job we did today, it’s my best result in the Indianapolis 500. It’s a tough pill to swallow after a good race.”

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 6 McLAREN CHEVROLET, ARROW McLAREN SP:

“Today was a good day. I’m a little disappointed, I felt like we should have had a little bit more. We struggled a little bit with the car in the long runs but overall I’m happy. We passed like 19 cars today, had a lot of fun and raced a lot of people. When you start so far back, you just run out of laps. I want to thank everyone at Arrow McLaren SP for the hard work. They have come a long way since last year, which is really exciting.”

FELIX ROSENQVIST, NO. 7 VUSE McLAREN CHEVROLET, ARROW McLAREN RACING SP:

“Like always, there’s mixed feelings at Indy if you don’t win the race, but it was a good day. I think this was a huge statement for us as a team to be able to be up there all race, all month with the GP as well. It’s a totally different energy in the team to previous years, I think we’re gaining confidence, and we saw that in the middle of the race, when we came in to pit in P8 and came out in P4. That got me so pumped. I feel like that was a turning point for us, when we prove that we can make up four places in the pits, in the biggest race in the world, that’s super cool.

“The team, along with our partners Chevy, did a great job all month to give me a great car. I’m really happy for everyone in the team. Obviously I wanted more, but we’ll build on this and try and get some wins over the rest of the season.”

JR HILDEBRAND, NO. 11 HOME FOR OUR TROOPS CHEVROLET, AJ FOYT RACING:

WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON CHEVROLET, TEAM PENSKE:

“When the car doesn’t work on an oval, it’s the worst day you can have. We slowly got it together, I would say the last two stints when the car was a lot better and drivable. But by that time, we had lost so much track position, it was just trying to salvage what we could.”

EARLY ON YOU HAD THE STALL DEPARTING THE PIT LANE AS WELL

“Yeah, that didn’t help but we only lost five with that.  You know, it never helps, and its my bad on that one.  Yeah, that is just one of those days that you white knuckle it for a long time because its pretty intense when a car is loose on an oval. Its very tough. Terrific job by the team and all the guys to just hang in there. We were 15^th with some of the contenders who were back there, so not as big of a loss as it could have been.”

KYLE KIRKWOOD, NO. 14 ROKIT CHEVROLET, AJ FOYT RACING:

CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE CHEVROLET, ED CARPENTER RACING:

“Ed Carpenter Racing did a great job all month. We knew we could run up front in the BitNile Chevrolet and we got there. The strategy is exactly what we wanted. We got a little lucky with the first yellow, but we passed cars when we needed to. Once we got to the front, we could run there, we could stay there, and that was the goal. I really enjoyed racing with Scott (Dixon). The guys up front are smart, respectful, and I just enjoy it. It was just fun to have a shot at it. I’m thankful to be here and have a 6th.”

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 BITCOIN RACING TEAM WITH BITNILE CHEVROLET, ED CARPENTER RACING: WAS INVOLVED IN A SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT ON LAP 38 IN TURN TWO DAMAGING THE CAR SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO WITHDRAW FROM THE RACE:

WHAT HAPPENED? ARE YOU OKAY? “I’m okay, physically. The car just got loose in turn two and I was a passenger from that point on. I really felt like we had a car to fight for the win, or at least get a lot of points.  Big sorry to the team and rveryone who were cheering us on because it could have been a nice day.”

HOW WAS THE TRACK?

“It wasn’t like practice, definitely lacking in grip. We made a change during our pitstop and it was definitely better, but that snap just caught him off guard. It is very unfortunate.”

SANTINO FERRUCCI, NO. 23 PALERMO’S CHEVROLET, DRYER & REINBOLD RACING:

YOU WERE FAST IN THE BEGINNING

“Yeah, our car was phenomenal in the beginning, and we felt great. Our Chevy was fantastic and hats off to the crew. I mean we were the best car on pit lane. We passed so many cars in the pits and these guys did a phenomenal job. I am just upset that we started to lose the car near the end of the race in the final two stints, when we needed it most.  We will go back and check it out but damn, for an Indy-only team I am very proud of these boys.”

SAGE KARAM, NO. 24 AES INDIANA CHEVROLET, DRYER & REINBOLD RACING:

INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AT THE CHECKERED FLAG 

STEFAN WILSON, NO. 25 DRAGONSPEED/CUSICK CHEVROLET, DRAGONSPEED/CUSICK MOTORSPORTS:

ED CARPENTER, NO. 33 ALZAMEND NEURO CHEVROLET, ED CARPENTER RACING:

“It just wasn’t our day. we came in with high hopes and just didn’t quite have enough. Early on we were okay, we were getting good mileage. Those first two yellows, we missed the lottery and lost a little track position because we had still been out on track. The guys did a good job in the pits, but we got shuffled back in line. The balance was tough once you got as far back as we got, and we just couldn’t recover from that lost track position and that was that. We’ll come back again next year and try again.”

CALLUM ILOTT, NO. 77 DYNAMIC EDGE CHEVROLET, JUNCOS HOLLINGER RACING: INVOLVED IN A SINGLE-CAR ACCIDENT ON LAP 68 AND RETIRED FROM THE RACE.

 PATO O’WARD PRESS CONFERENCE

THE MODERATOR: We’ll start with the driver of the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP, Pato O’Ward, coming home a career-best second in the Indianapolis 500.

Pato, I can tell you’re still thinking about the last couple laps. What did you make of the day, coming home second?

PATO O’WARD: Yeah, first, of really proud of the team. They gave me a really, really good car. I was so happy with the handling. We did everything perfectly. We did the fuel perfect. No mistakes were done. We positioned ourselves perfectly to have a shot at it.

When we got done with that last pit stop, Felix undercut us, then when I pitted and started catching up to him, then Marcus out of nowhere just came out with insane speed. Got by me like I was standing still. Got up to Felix I think within two laps, passed him like he was standing still, left him. I got to Felix finally. I passed him. I had nothing for him. I said, I need a yellow to try and have a shot.

Tony was also really quick coming behind me. I know he was catching me faster than what I was catching Marcus. When the restart happened, I said, I have one shot, I have to go flat, and still wasn’t enough.

Sadly, they have the faster car. We need to do a better job. We need to come back next year and give it hell again. I’m proud of the job we did today. It’s my best result in the 500. It’s a bit of a tough pill to swallow after such a long race, doing everything correctly.

Q. Pato, how big of a reward is this for you given the season you’ve had so far this year but also going into Detroit next week?

PATO O’WARD: Yeah, I love Detroit. I think we’ve had a great month. Very, very, very good result for us to get our championship in good position again.

Yeah, Detroit, I love going there. I’m excited to go. Yeah, for the rest of the championship…

Q. Pato, the last two laps were pretty exciting. Ericsson was defending really close down to the pit wall and everything like that. Do you think it was a little too much weaving on the frontstretch?

PATO O’WARD: I’ll leave that to the race directors.

Q. If you had another lap or two, do you think you would have gotten another run on him?

PATO O’WARD: Too fast in the straight. Maybe if I would have timed it a little bit better. I really don’t think I could have done it much better. I did enough to what we had been doing all race.

But, yeah, at the end I was surprised with how much more pace they had in a straight line with quite a bit more downforce. I was just trying to time it as good as possible.

Obviously the weaving helped him. Staying on the inside helped him. I got alongside him, but we all know how that ends up in the last lap. No way he would have backed off.

Q. What did you think about the decision to red flag it and try to give the fans a finish?

PATO O’WARD: I think that’s okay. Obviously I wanted it because there was no way I was going to get caught. Tony was probably going to catch me before I would catch Marcus and get by me pretty easily, just like he did.

I was happy with it (smiling).

Q. Pato, obviously you spoke about it being a little bit bitter this week for you at the end. Can you talk about how difficult the car was to drive in the conditions? How much on the edge were you?

PATO O’WARD: Yeah, especially this last stint, the car was hairy out of a few moments. That was the only way for me to have a shot. That was the only way for me to have a shot because I knew they were going to pull out something from their back pocket. I knew it.

I think we were one of three cars that was really trim. Yeah, like whenever we practiced and we put the wicker on with everybody else, I said, no, this is turtle slow. We need to trim out and we risk it. I will make sure I don’t put the car in the wall.

But it was hairy. At the end it was tough. The red flag really helped me cool down the rear tire.

PATO O’WARD: I was loose. That was the only way. Without that I would not even have had a chance.

Felix wasn’t as trim as I was and you saw how much more he needed. I kind of had the step up, but then we both didn’t have that bigger step that we needed.

These guys had the better car. They did the better job. They had the better package. We need to work. That’s just the only thing we can kind of look at. Come back next year and give it a run again.

Q. You alluded to maybe you were missing something.

PATO O’WARD: Yeah, want to guess (smiling)?

Q. Is that something you can fix?

PATO O’WARD: I sure as hell will do everything in my power to find more. We need to do a better job and just be better.

It’s frustrating because I think they’ve done a great job, the team has done a great job, but not enough, not enough. So, yeah, work to do for next year (smiling).

Q. With two laps to go, restart, the Indy 500 victory is right there in front of you, all you got to do is pass this guy. What is it like in the cockpit, in your head, to have that kind of shot and come up short?

PATO O’WARD: You clinch. You clinch a lot every corner (smiling), yeah (smiling).

Q. That’s it?

PATO O’WARD: You go flat and you hope to God the car doesn’t snap.

Q. Pato, I think everybody knew coming in the Ganassi cars were the strongest. Were they even a little bit better than you were expecting?

PATO O’WARD: No, I don’t think they were better, especially in traffic. I think my car was the best and I was the most comfortable with it. Yeah, like, in a train of three or four cars, five, six, no one stood a chance against me.

Out front, not so much.

Q. It sounded like you’re satisfied with the way your team executed. Everybody talks about this race is so much about not what you do on race day but the prep. Did the team take a step today in how you performed but still need to take another step?

PATO O’WARD: They did a phenomenal job. They gave me such a good car. The way that we worked all month, just getting comfortable with it, knowing that there’s that little part of you has to be a little bit uncomfortable for the thing to do good in traffic, which is what you need. Most of the race usually is in traffic.

But, yeah, I was so happy with it. I was super, super happy with it, better than what I was last year. Yeah, I’m so proud with what the team gave me. I’m sure Felix is, as well.

Q. Pato, you finished sixth in 2020, then fourth last year, second this year. What has been the last couple years, how has that pushed forward? What have you done to keep moving forward?

PATO O’WARD: Every year not really doing much different. Just knowing a little bit more of how this race usually unfolds and how much to give in certain parts of the race.

It’s such a such a long race. We positioned ourselves to really open our strategy windows. Yeah, I think you got to do the race, right, to just keep gaining experience like this guy. He’s got I think 17 more than me or something.

PATO O’WARD: Three.

PATO O’WARD: Okay, 18.

I think every time you do laps around this place you learn. It’s the race where you learn as you go. You don’t go out and go balls to the wall. If you do, you’re going to put it in the wall. It’s a race of a lot of patience, but it’s a race where you have to be really smart and you have to be thinking a lot of different things.

Yeah, it’s definitely a race that’s different to any other. We keep getting better and better, so I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished so far.

Q. Pato, finished second. You’ve had a really nice turnaround the last month or so. Sitting there looking pretty unhappy. Does it suck to be second?

PATO O’WARD: Does it suck to be second? Well, I definitely know we didn’t suck. I think it’s a great result for all of us, a great result for our championship.

Yeah, it’s a tough pill to swallow whenever the team does everything correctly in such a hard month to achieve something like this. We’ve been working for this not just all month but the whole off-season. They gave me a car that was fantastic. Felix had the same. I’m not sure where Juan Pablo was. I don’t know where he was at in terms of happiness.

They gave us all really, really good cars. It’s also up to us to see how much can we be comfortable with in order to make it go as fast as possible.

My car, the 5 group, was the riskiest of them all because I wanted to win this freaking race. We trimmed out like anybody else in the grid, at least like any other top 10 car. It’s just frustrating when not even that is enough.

Q. Juan finished 11th. Only one other Chevy was in there between the Arrow McLaren SP. What does that feel like for the team to come out here and really carry the Chevy banner?

PATO O’WARD: We’ve got work to do. We need to get on with working right now. This is when it starts. We need to come back next year with something that’s better because it’s not good enough.

Q. Pato, on the restart, that was the only restart of the day where the leader wasn’t able to get past. Marcus took some aggressive moves to try to break the draft. Is that about the only way that works? Usually the guy in second has a pretty good head of steam into turn one.

PATO O’WARD: Yeah, I had a really, really good run on him. He was a lot more — the weaving was a lot more aggressive than what it usually is. Last year, I was in Tony’s spot looking at Palou and Helio. They were a lot more gentle with it.

PATO O’WARD: Thanks, man.

Lakeville, CONNECTICUT – May 29, 2022 – Cameron Lawrence reminded everyone why he’s a threat on the Trans Am circuit with a steady drive from P11 on the grid to a podium third place finish. It was a thrilling race made all the more exciting by a sudden downpour partially through the race distance. Cameron was one of the most sure footed drivers on the track and guided the No. 6 Franklin Road Apparel Showtime Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro to the third step of the podium. He was understandably delighted, especially as the 25 points he picked up for his second podium of the season put him provisionally with 115 in the Driver’s Championship; a gain of one place as he leapfrogs Mike Skeen who finished P14. He also gained valuable ground on Championship leader Rafa Matos as the battle for the title tightens up. Cameron qualified for Round 6 of the 2022 Trans Am presented by Pirelli Championship season in P11 with a time of 52.417 and then made relentless progress once the lights went green. He used all his experience to pick his way through the crowded field to claim third spot, only to see young rookie Evan Slater slide by as Cameron gave way to lapped traffic. There was another twist in the tale though as Tyler Kicera, who was running second, slipped back allowing Cameron to claim the prestigious third step on the podium. “The weather made for an exciting race, strategy also came into play, and it played right into our hands! It was mandatory to start on wets, the track was damp and drying quickly,” said Franklin Road Apparel supremo Ken Thwaits after the race. “Rain, however, was coming and we decided to not give up track position and stay out on our wet tires. To make matters worse we lost a cylinder in the engine. Fortunately, Cameron did a great job today and we did our best to keep him informed and motivated! I believe this was a fantastic achievement for him and for the whole team in our first season together. I can’t wait for Mid Ohio now!” In a change to previous schedules, highlights of the racing from the weekend can be seen at 12:00 AM ET (midnight) on Friday, June 3, where it’s billed as the 2022 Trans Am TA2 presented by Big Machine Spiked Coolers: Lime Rock CT. A repeat showing at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. Fans can find the Franklin Road Apparel Trans Am clothing here: https://www.franklinroad.com/search/trans+am/ Visit the team’s website for Showtime Motorsports showtimemotorsports.net. Learn more about the Showtime Motorsports team partner, Road Apparel, at franklinroad.com and keep up to date with the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli at gotransam.com. #GoTransAm Check out and Like Showtime Motorsports’ Facebook page: facebook.com/showtimemotorsp/ and @ShowtimeMotorsp on Instagram. About Showtime Motorsports:The Showtime Motorsports brand includes Ken Thwaits’ racing team and racecars, and an outstanding classic Camaro collection. Showtime Motorsports brings together a dynamic staff who employ diverse talents and share a passion for cars, racing and caring for clients like they are our own family members.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 29, 2022) – It was a night of firsts as Progressive American Flat Track enjoyed an epic evening of racing at the Mission Red Mile I presented by Indian Motorcycle of Lexington in Lexington, Kentucky. Following 14 minutes and two laps of nail-biting action in front of the massive Red Mile crowd, Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle rookie Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) officially added his name to the exclusive list of premier-class Main Event winners. But prior to Daniels’ exhilaration, it was heartbreak for teammate JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT). Beach had established himself the rider to beat in the lead-up to the Main, but he was unlucky to be forced out by mechanical issues a couple minutes into the race. That left reigning champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750), Daniels, and Mission Production Twins Challenge entrant James Rispoli (No. 43 Wally Brown Racing/Haversack KTM 890 Duke) to battle it out in the lead pack. The trend of heartbreak continued a couple of minutes later when the machine of Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) dumped oil on the circuit while running fourth, forcing a red flag stoppage near half-distance. The race resumed with Mees, Daniels, and Rispoli sitting 1-2-3, and Brandon Robinson(No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) joining the lead group in fourth. While Rispoli took a peak on a few occasions, it was Mees and Daniels who traded back first and second for the remainder of the contest. Mees lined up Daniels and made what he hoped would be the race’s decisive maneuver entering Turn 3 for the final time. He pulled it off perfectly and seemed destined to keep his perfect Red Mile streak intact, right up until the final moment when Daniels blasted by at the stripe to steal away the win by 0.008 seconds. The victory was not only Daniels’ first in the premier class, it was also Yamaha’s first on a Mile going all the way back to Kenny Roberts’ legendary victory aboard the TZ750 at the 1975 Indy Mile. Daniels also became the first rookie to win in the premier class since Mikey Rush won at Daytona in 2007 and the first rookie to win on a Mile since Scott Parker did so at Indy in 1979. “I can’t believe I won a Grand National,” Daniels said. “I’ve been dreaming of this my whole life. It’s been a long road for me and the team. Those guys have worked their butts off. It’s been a long road since they started, and I know this is so rewarding for them. “Taking my dad on that victory lap… I’ve been talking about that since I was like eight years old. We did it… It’s awesome!” Rispoli held on for third to become the first Mission Production Twins Challenge rider to land on the Mission SuperTwins podium and add to what was already an incredible debut for the WBR KTM. Robinson came home fourth, followed by another Mission Production Twins Challenge pilot in Ben Lowe (No. 25 Mission Foods/Roof Systems Yamaha MT-07) to complete the top five. Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) was sixth, followed by an uncharacteristically quiet Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750). Davis Fisher (No. 67 Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), and Robert Pearson (No. 27 Rackley Racing/John Franklin Indian FTR750) rounded out the top ten. Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines If anyone forgot just how dominant James Rispoli (No. 43 Wally Brown Racing/Haversack KTM 890 Duke) was at times when he won the 2020 Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines championship, he provided a most compelling reminder on Saturday night. Rispoli made his return to the class at the Red Mile to debut the WBR KTM 890 Duke and did so in style. He not only made the bike a winner, he did so in runaway fashion, leading from start to finish. The only rider who even managed to keep him honest was Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R). Janisch clung on behind him just outside the draft, but he never managed to present a realistic challenge to Rispoli’s position at the front. After claiming the win, Rispoli said, “The Wally Brown Racing team has a wealth of experience. They’re smart guys. We took the common sense route and they built a phenomenal package. KTM built a great platform, but these guys found a way to get that horsepower to the ground. I’m so pumped. I’m stoked to return to Mission Production Twins, and to win? I’m stoked.” While Rispoli may have had a drama-free run to victory, the battle for the final spot on the podium was most entertaining. A tight five-rider pack made up of the returning Michael Rush(No. 15 Hellipower Racing/Las Vegas Harley-Davidson XG750R), Ryan Varnes (No. 68 Schaeffer’s Motorsports/Rausch Fuel & Oil KTM 890 Duke), Ben Lowe (No. 25 Mission Foods/Roof Systems Yamaha MT-07), Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07), and Nick Armstrong (No. 60 Competitive Racing Frames/Lessley Brothers Yamaha MT-07). Among a great deal of shuffling, points leader Armstrong systematically made his way from seventh to third, but went off the groove and dropped right back to seventh, erasing all his hard work. Defending champion Texter did what he does and emerged late as he and Lowe scrapped for third over the final two laps. Ultimately, Texter took the position by 0.122 to further a three-race podium streak. However, he’s still three points back of Armstrong in the championship chase after Armstrong clawed his way back up to fifth at the flag. Varnes finished sixth with Rush taking seventh, a welcome result in his return ride after suffering a serious leg injury in last year’s finale. Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Combining the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER class and a big Mile racetrack is typically the recipe for an ultra-tight pack war. Saturday’s showdown was no exception. As many as eight riders were in with a shot for victory deep into the race before a couple of them went off the groove, leaving a six-rider shootout on the race’s final lap. The on-form Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) did his best to control the chaotic affair from the front and it paid off with a 0.053 seconds margin of victory. While Mischler regularly traded the lead with teammate Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) for much of the contest, the final sprint came down to him, title rival Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE), and Trent Lowe (No. 48 Mission Foods/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda CRF450R). Mischler opened the final lap in the lead and made the most of his Honda’s horsepower to just fend off his challengers. The win was Mischler’s first ever on a Mile as he continues to increasingly prove himself a well-rounded title contender. He said, “The puzzle pieces are fitting, and I see us just getting better with everything the team has been putting into it. For me, it’s just a matter of me doing my job.” Despite just missing out on the win, Kopp continues to lead the championship on the strength of an early season that has seen him finish no worse than second. Kopp’s teammate Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE), finished off the podium for the first time this season with a fourth-place effort. Gauthier, who is dealing with a partially torn ACL and MCL finished fifth, while Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) finished sixth, just 0.420 seconds off the win, despite being forced to start from the back of the pack after using a provisional start to earn a spot in the Main. The Mission Red Mile I will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, June 5, at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT, including exclusive features, cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage, and expert commentary. Next Up: Progressive AFT will be back on track at the Red Mile today to conclude the Mission Red Mile doubleheader. Gates will open for fans at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT ahead of the evening’s Main Event program. Secure your tickets now at https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3723/. You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities on FansChoice.tv. FansChoice.tv provides free-to-view livestreaming of Practice and Qualifying. FansChoice.tvsubscribers will then be able to watch the drama unfold from Opening Ceremonies through the Semis, Main Events, and podium celebrations. FansChoice.tv offers two subscription options, granting unlimited access to premium AFT content. Monthly subscriptions start at just $7.99, while a six-month subscription is available for $44.99.