Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Get Bioethanol Chevrolet Team Survive Long, Hot Day at Nashville Superspeedway with Stage Points and Top-15 Finish

12th

28th

11th

“What a race! We knew we would have our work cut out for us today in the No. 3 Get Bioethanol Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE after qualifying didn’t go as well as we planned. This Richard Childress Racing team never gave up though, and I am so proud of them for that. Early in Stage 1 we earned some track position but fell back a bit with an ill-timed caution after a green-flag stop. We then rallied to race our way to sixth position at the end of Stage 1. We finished Stage 2 second to earn additional points, which is really good for our NASCAR Playoffs battle. Overall, I’m really proud of this team and we will take this 12th-place finish and move on to Pocono Raceway for a double-header next weekend.”  -Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Joe Nichols / Quartz Hill Records Team Power Through Chaotic Race at Nashville Superspeedway

19th

26th

13th

“Today was all about survival at Nashville Superspeedway. Our No. 8 Joe Nichols / Quartz Hill Records Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE had a lot of speed in it, but we had to overcome a lot of obstacles today. After our first pit stop of the day, there was no grip on the pit access road while exiting, and I clipped the grass and spun around. Luckily, I didn’t hit anything and other than some dirt on the windshield, we were able to keep going after pitting for fresh tires. Shortly after that, someone on the track dropped some debris that went through the nose of my car but didn’t hit anything bad enough to end our day. From then on, we just raced really smart to get our laps back, which we were able to do after a couple of quick cautions. Our car was a bit on the tight side today and needed to be looser, but our adjustments really didn’t seem to help on the short runs like we needed them too. Our long run balance wasn’t bad, but I had a really bad vibration in the final 12 laps and had to slow my pace to make sure a tire or brake rotor didn’t blow. We were able to pick up a few extra spots since other guys ran out of fuel at the end, but we’ll definitely have to study this race and figure out how to be better next time.” -Tyler Reddick

Format Unveiled for AGCO Jackson Nationals on June 24-26Accumulative Points Set Stage for Saturday’s $50,000-To-Win FinaleJACKSON, MN – June 20, 2021 – The format has been finalized for this week’s 43rd annual AGCO Jackson Nationals.Set for Thursday-Saturday, June 24-26, the crown jewel event at Jackson Motorplex will offer up a $50,000 grand prize to the champion; an additional $100,000 bonus is available if the winner also tops Tuesday’s $30,000-to-win Huset’s 50 as part of THE SHOWDOWN.Similar to last year’s The One & Only at Knoxville Raceway, this year’s Jackson Nationals will utilize a format centered around accumulative points from preliminary action on Thursday and Friday.All drivers will compete in the two preliminary shows with Slick Woody’s Qualifying, 4 Team Drydene Heats, a DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash, C-Main, Last Chance Showdown, and NOS Energy Drink Feature on the card.Instead of a straight-up standard format per usual with the World of Outlaws, these preliminary nights include an eight-car inversion in Heat Races, a Dash arranged by points not finish, and automatic Feature bids to Heat winners, among other differences.More importantly, drivers will be competing for valuable points every single time they hit the racing surface. Qualifying, Heat Races, and the Features all offer up crucial points which will carry over to Saturday’s finale.The top four in accumulative points from Thursday and Friday will lock-in to the King of the Hill with all others splitting into four Qualifiers based off points. The Qualifier winners will join the lock-ins in the King of the Hill, a unique race against the clock.A time-trial like battle, the King of the Hill puts four cars on the track with the fastest two times moving on. The four Qualifier winners will face each other first, then the top-two face 3rd & 4th in points, then the fastest two move on to face 1st & 2nd in points. The third and final round is a battle for the pole position of the $50,000-to-win Feature.The fully detailed format, including the point table, can be found below…THURSDAY & FRIDAY:Qualifying will be one flightTop 32 in Qualifying will be inverted into 4 Heats. The balance of Heats will line up behind the invert.Top 8 in accumulated points following Heats will transfer to the Dash.Drivers will draw for Dash starting spots, and finish will set first four rows of Feature.All Heat winners automatically transfer to the Feature.Top 8 in points AFTER the Dash cars that were not a Heat winner also make the Feature.If a Heat winner is a Dash car, then 9th in points will make Feature and so on if needed.The 4 Heat winners and top 8 in points will line up in Feature by points behind Dash cars.LCS and C-Main will be lined straight up by accumulated points. 16 to LCS, balance to C-Main. Top 4 to next race.Fastest car that did not transfer will start on pole of the LCS, which may cause a 21-car LCS.Heats are 10 laps, Dash is 6 laps, C-Main is 10 laps, LCS is 12 laps, Feature is 25 laps.SATURDAY:Top 4 in accumulative points from Thur-Fri will lock-in to the King of the Hill.Balance of the field will be split into 4 Qualifiers based off points.Winner of Qualifiers join King of the Hill, then 2nd-3rd-4th transfer to Feature by position.2nd in Qualifier One starts 9th, 2nd in Qualifiter Two starts 10th, etc.Positions 5th-6th-7th-8th in Qualifier transfer to LCS by finishing position.Top 2 in points that did not transfer to Feature will start front row of LCS. Top 4 go to Feature.Positions 9th and back in Qualifier go to C-Main lined up by finish. Top 4 go to LCS.KING OF THE HILL:Top 4 in points + 4 Qualifier winners will make up the King of the HillAll cars go to the infield (NO adjustments once you reach infield)4 cars on the clock at a time, two-lap segmentsHeat winners will go first. All four at same timeTop 2 fastest times move on to face 3rd & 4th in pointsTop 2 from that group will move on to face 1st & 2nd in pointsFinal session determines the front two rows, i.e. fastest earns pole positionPOINTS BREAKDOWN:Qualifying (1-point drop): 100, 99, 98, 97, 95, etc.. Heat Races (5-point drop): 100, 95, 90, 85, 80, etc.. Last Chance Showdown (3-point drop): 171, 168, 165, etc.. Feature (3-point drop): 250, 247, 244, 241, 238, etc..*First non-transfer in C-Main receives three less points than last in LCS, then three-point drop-off to the end. *Ties in pointed are broken by 1) higher AVG Feature finish; 2) Higher AVG Qualifying spot *Any driver/car using a Feature provisional will receive points for position finished in C-Main or LCS

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink® Sprint Car Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Drydene (Official Motor Oil), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Morton Buildings (Official Building), NOS Energy (Official Energy Product), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); contingency sponsors include ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, KSE Racing Products (Hard Charger Award), MSD and Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award); manufacturer sponsors include FireAde, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, and Racing Electronics.Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, NC, is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts all World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws.

Palou Leads Honda 1-2 at Road America
Alex Palou reclaims the championship points lead with Road America victory
Andretti Autosport’s Colton Herta takes second place
Honda powers seven of top eight finishers, leads Manufacturers’ Title chase

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (June 20, 2021) – Honda’s Alex Palou claimed his second victory of the year today in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ visit to the National Park of Speed, Road America.

Palou, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, started on the outside of the front row and led the final two laps en route to victory. The win puts Palou back in command of the Drivers’ Championship standings, with an 28-point lead over Pato O’Ward, and 53 points over teammate Scott Dixon.

Andretti Autosport’s Colton Herta finished second, giving Honda their second 1-2 finish of 2021 and an unofficial 29-point lead in the manufacturers’ standings.

Palou’s teammates Dixon and Marcus Ericsson, Dale Coyne Racing with RWR’s Romain Grosjean, Andretti Autosport’s Alexander Rossi and Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s Takuma Sato also all finished in the top eight with Honda power.

REV Group Grand Prix of Road America Honda Results
1st Alex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
2nd Colton Herta Andretti Autosport Honda
4th Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
5th Romain Grosjean-R Dale Coyne Racing with RWR Honda
6th Marcus Ericsson Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
7th Alexander Rossi Andretti Autosport Honda
8th Takuma Sato Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
11th Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
13th Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda
15th James Hinchcliffe Andretti Autosport Honda
17th Jack Harvey Meyer Shank Racing Honda
19th Cody Ware-R Dale Coyne Racing with RWR Honda
22nd Jimmie Johnson-R Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
23rd Ed Jones Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan Honda

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturers’ Championship (unofficial, after 9 rounds)
Honda 738 points
Chevrolet 709

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Drivers’ Championship (unofficial, after 9 rounds)

1. Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 349 points [2 race wins]
2. Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren SP 321 [2 wins]
3. Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 296 [1 win]

Quotes
Alex Palou (#10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) Winner REV Group Grand Prix of Road America, Championship leader: “Oh man, I don’t know what to say. Thank you to all the #10 car crew and team.  It was amazing.  We had a really good car all through the race, right from the start.  Honda and HPD did an amazing job, because we were able to overtake where we needed.  Super happy, and super proud of this Chip Ganassi Racing Team.  I can’t believe it.  Mid-Ohio’s next, right? Let’s get a win there as well!”

Colton Herta (#26 Andretti Autosport Honda) Finished Second: “We were just lacking a little bit of everything today, and that kept us from challenging for the win.  We were going to finish where we deserved.  I think we had third-place pace today, but caught a break with Josef’s [Newgarden] problem.  But the podium is nice, and happy for Gainbridge, and always happy to be powered by Honda.  Big ‘thank you’ to them, and a Honda 1-2, so that’s awesome.”

Romain Grosjean (#51 Dale Coyne Racing with RWR Honda) Finished Fifth: “I think we gained more positions on track [17 passes for position] than anyone else.  We lost some positions on our pit stops, but the car was great.  We found something from yesterday and it was just ‘go for it, right, left, center’ all day long.  It was so cool. I had great fun and enjoyed it a lot, it was a good weekend for us.”

Rebecca Johnson (Director of Production, Honda Performance Development) on today’s
Honda win at Road America: “Alex [Palou, race winner] was strong all day long, and was in a
position to capitalize at the end when opportunity presented itself, so it was great to see him
score a second win this year. It looks like he could have a great future with us in INDYCAR
racing. Colton [Herta] had another strong run today, and fully earned his podium finish, while
Romain Grojean also featured today, with three Honda teams – Chip Ganassi Racing, Andretti
Autosport and Dale Coyne Racing – all getting top-five results here. Now it’s on to Mid-Ohio
and hopefully another win on our ‘home ground’.”

Fast Facts
Four of the five Honda partner teams in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES finished in the top eight at today’s REV Group Grand Prix of Road America.

After sweeping the double header weekend in 2020, Palou’s victory today marks the third consecutive win for Chip Ganssi Racing at Road America and fourth consecutive for Honda at the track.

Honda has scored victories in six of the nine races so far in the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Palou previously scored at the season-opening Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park. Scott Dixon, Colton Herta, Marcus Ericsson, Helio Castroneves have also won for Honda in 2021.

Honda drivers led in on-track passes today, with Ericsson, Grosjean, Sato, Dixon and Graham Rahal combining for passes for position.

Next
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is back racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course July 2-4 for the Honda Indy 200, Presented by The HPD Ridgeline.

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES REV GROUP GRAND PRIX ROAD AMERICA ELKHART LAKE, WISCONSIN TEAM CHEVY POST RACE RECAP JUNE 20, 2021
ELKHART LAKE, WISC (JUNE 20, 2021) – Former NTT INDYCAR Series champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Will Power led the charge for Team Chevy in the REV Group Grand Prix Road America. Piloting his familiar black No. 12 VERIZON 5G Team Penske Chevrolet, Power wrestled his way through a very competitive field to grab the final step on the podium in Wisconsin.  Last week’s winner in Detroit Race 2, Pato O’Ward, brought his No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet to the checkers in ninth place. A fierce points battle is raging as O’Ward sits second just behind today’s race winner Alex Palou. Max Chilton, No.59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet, finished 10^th as a result of great strategy that got him to the front to lead seven laps late in the race before getting a solid top-10 finish.  Oliver Askew subbing for Rinus VeeKay in the No. 21 Direct Supply Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, took the checkered in a very respectable 12^th position. VeeKay suffered a collarbone injury from a bicycle accident. This is his second super-sub assignment in two weeks as he jumped into the No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet for Felix Rosenqvist in Race Two at Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix.  Pole winner Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, took the green after the final caution period of the race leading with two laps to go. As the two-time Series’ champion headed toward turn one, he slowed dramatically with mechanical issues possibly related to his gear box. Newgarden limped his way to the finish and claimed the 21^st finishing position.  Kevin Magnussen made his career-first NTT INDYCAR Series start subbing for Felix Rosenqvist in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet. After a rush trip back to the U.S. from his home in Denmark, the former F1 driver and full-time driver of the Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac Dpi-V.R in IMSA competition, Magnussen maximized all the practice and qualifying laps he could get prior to the start of the race. He had worked to get close to the top-15 when mechanical issues sidelined him after 33 laps of the 55-lap race.  Team Chevy Drivers finishers at Road America as follows:Will Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Chevrolet – 3^rdPato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet -9^thMax Chilton, No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet – 10^thOliver Askew, No. 21 Direct Supply Ed Carpenter Racing – 12^thScott McLaughlin, No. 3 PPG Chevrolet – 14thSebastien Bourdais, No.14 ROKIT Chevrolet – 16^thSimon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards Chevrolet – 18thConor Daly, No. 20 US Army Ed Carpenter Racing – 20thJosef Newgarden, No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet – 21stKevin Magnussen, No, 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet – 24thDalton Kellet, No. 4 K-Line Chevrolet – 25^th Alex Palou was race winner with Colton Herta finishing second. Next on the schedule is July 4 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio.  DRIVER QUOTESWILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON 5G TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – Finished 3rdWHAT DOES A PERFORMANCE LIKE THIS DO TO RESTORE YOUR CONFIDENCE AND THE CONFIDENCE IN YOUR TEAM?“Certainly, just qualifying well this weekend has got my bit of confidence back. I struggled this year, funnily enough. It’s usually my forte. But I’m really, really happy. I thought this morning if I can get a podium, I’ll be really stoked and I ended up getting one. So, keep trucking away here. Man, I would love to get a win here soon. I know we’ve got the team to do it. We have a really good strategists, engineer, and group of guys on the car. Let’s see if we can get that Verizon 5G Chevy in Victory Lane here in the next few races.” YOU WERE PUTTING UP SOME GOOD TIMES IN THOSE FINAL LAPS. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE CLOSE AS WE GET TO MID-OHIO?“Yeah, I do. I do. I think Firestone has changed the tire a bit and it’s taken a while to get used to. It’s really quite different. Although they say they haven’t, it’s significantly different set-ups everywhere. So, I’ve just got to get my head around that and I feel like I did this weekend. It was a lot of fun out there, actually.”
JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – FINISHED 21^ST: AFTER LEADING 32 LAPS FROM THE POLE, NEWGARDEN SUFFERED MECHANICAL ISSUES DURING FINAL RESTART WITH JUST TWO LAPS REMAINING:ON WHAT HAPPENED: “I couldn’t get it to shift into sixth gear. And then I got it stuck in fifth in turn one and finally got it to go down, but just could not get it to upshift after that. So I got it down to first essentially. So just trying to stay out of the way after that because I couldn’t get it to upshift after that. I’m not sure what happened. Obviously its disappointing for all of us. I know we had a great car. We had a good car all day and were doing everything we had to do. We were surviving the yellows. Surviving the fuel game. We had a rocket ship. Team Chevy did a good job for us. We had such amazing fuel mileage and good power. Super pleased about that. Proud of our teams. Proud of our partners. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be again. I think we have fast cars, its just not working out right now. But now we will claw. We will claw our way back. This is not what I was planning for this day. I would have liked for us to be a little closer. But, what are we 88 (points back)? Just a bigger challenge when we go to next race. We’ll get after it.”
WILL POWER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:THE MODERATOR: The driver of the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, Will Power, also joins again, the second podium this year after a second place at Barber Motorsports Park. Big bounce back in Detroit. You guys needed this.WILL POWER: Yeah, we did. I just think about Indy and Detroit, like two massive results of points there. Those two results have put us right back in the championship. Stoked to be third. Pretty fun race, to be honest. It had a bit of everything and good racing and a bit of roughing up.THE MODERATOR: Was there more beating and banging going on out there than you can remember?WILL POWER: There was a little bit. Drivers have good memories — no, just joking.But yeah, solid day, fun racing and restarts, and dealing with deg, big tire deg and different levels of downforce, made for probably a pretty good race for the fans.Q.Shocked about what happened to Josef?WILL POWER: Man, you just don’t know what it is about our team right now. We almost have a win in the bag and something just ridiculous happens, like just something that — I don’t know what it was, but things that you couldn’t prep for, something that you couldn’t avoid. It’s like my thing was just a switch, just a weird glitch in the system in Detroit, and I don’t know what his was this time. But yeah, unbelievable. And maybe it wouldn’t have happened if there wasn’t a restart, but you don’t know.Q.(No microphone.)WILL POWER: No, no, no problems today. Pretty solid. Everything was good. Thank God we didn’t have the red flag. We had to restart the car, but…Q.(No microphone.)WILL POWER: They were all things that are not things that have been repeated, know what I mean? Like they’re not constantly the same things, so it’s really hard to — I’ve seen this through the years. It’s just one — you hate to be the pioneer of things that go wrong and then they fix it, which that was me in Detroit. Had a glitch in the system. It hadn’t happened to anyone else, but you being the one to find it really sucks.Q.(No microphone.)WILL POWER: Well, yeah, the same thing, you’re not doing a very good job. This team, again, a problem we fixed immediately and it won’t happen again. But I just can’t believe the luck that we’re having as a team right now. It blows my mind.Q.(No microphone.) REGARDING TIRES:WILL POWER: I think so, actually.WILL POWER: They went on, but yesterday when it was hot they went off ridiculously.Q.Will, do you feel this result will give you some good momentum heading into the second half of the season?WILL POWER: Yes, I do. Even Detroit last week, sixth I was really happy with coming from 21st or 20th or whatever it was. And yeah, I was really happy to get my Fast Six this weekend, and I thought this morning if I can get a podium, I’ll be really happy. So finished on the podium and start heading in the right direction.Q.What was Josef Newgarden’s advantage this weekend? Did you adopt his setup at all?WILL POWER: I actually adapted his driving style and setup, yeah. I started perfecting it during the race but certainly got halfway there in qualifying.Q.You’re being serious? You changed what you did, doing what he did and that sort of thing?WILL POWER: Yep, I changed the way I drive, yep.THE MODERATOR: Congratulations.

Babb Scores Career Win 99 With Low-Side Speed at FairburyBabb’s $10,000 victory comes on night of daughter’s birthday FAIRBURY, IL – June 19, 2021 – The quest for 100 DIRTcar Summer Nationals wins just got one race closer for Shannon Babb. Babb, of Moweaqua, IL, found a sudden burst of speed late in the race around the bottom lane of Fairbury Speedway Saturday night and blew by his opponents for a $10,000 grand prize and his 99th career DIRTcar Summer Nationals Feature win. “It’s special right here at Fairbury. $10,000-to-win Summer Nationals always meant a lot to us. Growing up, it was everything. These are big races,” Babb said. While it was a big win at a big race, it was also special to Babb on a personal note. Six years ago, he came into Fairbury after the birth of his daughter Finnlee and captured his 90th career Hell Tour victory. His 99th victory Friday night came six years to that date, at the very same track. Babb’s second appearance of the season with the tour put him in a similar situation to the previous night at Tri-City Speedway – starting the 50-lap Feature from the third row. But it didn’t all play out in exactly the same way. Babb quickly made his way up to third from sixth but decided to switch lanes en route to catch the leaders, which ended up sending him all the way back to eighth. He rode there several laps, just before the halfway mark, when his car came to life. “I was the first one to hit the bottom, and when I hit the bottom, I ran back about eighth or ninth… But it came in for us,” Babb said. Indeed, his Team Zero Race Cars chassis #18 did come in. It only took 11 laps for the four-time Summer Nationals champion to pass every car ahead of him. Like his nicknamesake, The Moweaqua Missile launched off the bottom lane of the quarter-mile and made the move underneath Tanner English for the lead on Lap 35. Within 10 laps, Babb had opened up a gap of over two seconds and pushed it to over three seconds by the time he took the checkered. English held off Devin Moran for second while Frank Heckenast Jr. and Bobby Pierce completed the top-five. Defending Summer Nationals champion Brian Shirley started on the pole but slipped back to seventh by the race’s end. Local favorite Mike Spatola arrived late to the track and was forced to start at the tail of a Heat Race, but made good on the night by transferring in through the Last Chance Showdown to finish ninth. Now with $10,000 in his pocket, Babb’s already looking forward to Fairbury’s biggest event of the season – the Prairie Dirt Classic. “This is the highlight of our season coming here. We can’t wait to get here at the end of July, they’re really coughing up some money for that race,” Babb said. UP NEXT Round #6 of the 2021 DIRTcar Summer Nationals campaign hits Indiana’s Plymouth Speedway Sunday night, June 20. Catch all the action live on DIRTVision. ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results) Feature (50 Laps) 1. 18B-Shannon Babb[6]; 2. 81E-Tanner English[3]; 3. 9M-Devin Moran[2]; 4. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[4]; 5. 32-Bobby Pierce[9]; 6. 42-Mckay Wenger[11]; 7. 3S-Brian Shirley[1]; 8. 6M-Dona Marcoullier[16]; 9. 89-Mike Spatola[17]; 10. 12W- Ashton Winger[5]; 11. 32S-Chris Simpson[18]; 12. 48-Tim Lance[10]; 13. 9-Eric Smith[12]; 14. B12-Kevin Weaver[8]; 15. 25-Jason Feger[13]; 16. 21JR-Billy Moyer Jr[7]; 17. 14G-Joe Godsey[22]; 18. 4G-Bob Gardner[20]; 19. 84-Myles Moos[14]; 20. 2-Mike Chasteen Jr[15]; 21. 18-Jeffrey Ledford[21]; 22. 24-Ryan Unzicker[19] HIGH FIVE: Hoffman Wins at Fairbury for Fifth Consecutive Feature WinSix-time champion Harrison challenges Hoffman early, retires after contact with wall Five nights, five races, five wins. Nick Hoffman is on one of the most dominant winning streaks in DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals history. Through those five races, there’s been 130 total Feature laps contested. Hoffman has led every single one. Even with the tough competition on the roster for Saturday night’s race at Fairbury Speedway, nothing could shake his concentration. “I had a memory pop up on my Facebook today of two years ago [during] Summer Nationals, and it was a quote that I was off to a rough start to Summer Nationals, and man, this is the total opposite,” Hoffman said in Victory Lane. The one and only six-time Summit Modified champion Mike Harrison, of Highland, IL, made the trip to Fairbury and initially looked to be a serious threat to Hoffman’s win streak, winning his Heat Race and lining up fourth for the start of the Feature. Harrison jumped right into second on Lap 3 of the 30-lap event, pounding the cushion very aggressively, engine wound-up as he went in hot pursuit of leader Hoffman. But it didn’t last him the whole race. With 11 laps remaining, having already scraped the outside wall several times, Harrison’s right-front tire gave out and sent him into the Turn 1 wall, ending his night early. “He gets away with it a lot of times running up there, and sometimes it’ll bite ya,” Hoffman said of the incident. “Right before that happened, I found a ton of grip about a lane off the cushion. I felt like it would’ve been a pretty good race there because I picked up a bunch of pace.” Curt Spalding inherited the runner-up spot for the restart but did not have anything for the three-time and defending champ Hoffman, who drove away with the $2,000 winner’s check. Nick Allen, Tommy Sheppard Jr. and Allen Weisser completed the top-five. UP NEXT Round #6 of the 2021 DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals campaign hits Indiana’s Plymouth Speedway on Sunday night, June 20. Catch all the action live on DIRTVision. ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results) Feature (30 Laps) 1. 2-Nick Hoffman[1]; 2. 5CS-Curt Spalding[6]; 3. 21A-Nick Allen[2]; 4. T6-Tommy Sheppard Jr[3]; 5. 25W-Allen Weisser[11]; 6. 1W-Bob Pohlman[14]; 7. 9H-John Demoss[7]; 8. 0-Travis Kohler[22]; 9. 24Z-Zeke McKenzie[16]; 10. 45-Kyle Hammer[19]; 11. 64-Dawson Cook[18]; 12. 35-Ethan Weber[17]; 13. 36-Eric Vaughan[21]; 14. 11S-Nick Seplak[5]; 15. 22C-Nick Clubb[10]; 16. 5-Steven Brooks[13]; 17. 24H-Mike Harrison[4]; 18. 8K-Levi Kissinger[8]; 19. 37-Michael Ledford[9]; 20. 22- Wade Wenthe[12]; 21. 88S-Alan Stipp[15]; 22. 17-Mike Mosier[20]

DIRTcar Summer Nationals is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, Chevy Performance, DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), FireAde, Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), Indiana Decal Company, Intercomp, iRacing, Racing Electronics, SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), Summit Racing Equipment, and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Beyea Custom Headers, COMP Cams, Drydene, Fox Factory, Hoosier Racing Tire, MSD, Quarter Master, Summit Racing Equipment, VP Racing Fuels, and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum).Summit Modified Nationals is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including : Summit Racing Equipment, Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, Chevy Performance, DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), FireAde, Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), Indiana Decal Company, Intercomp, iRacing, Racing Electronics, SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Bassett Racing Wheel, Bell Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, COMP Cams, Drydene, Fast Shafts, Fox Factory, Hoosier Racing Tire, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, K1 Race Gear, KSE Racing Products, MSD, Mulit FireX, Schoenfeld Headers, Summit Racing Equipment, Velocita USA, VP Racing Fuels, Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum), and Xceldyne.

Haudenschild Wins Fourth of 2021 at Beaver DamNOS Energy Drink #17 Takes Control at Halfway and Dominates 40-LapperBEAVER DAM, WI – June 19, 2021 – Beaver Dam Raceway packed the place and Sheldon Haudenschild delivered a show on Saturday night.The always-exciting pilot of the NOS Energy Drink, Stenhouse Jr. Marshall Racing #17 brought fans to the edge of their seats with a thrilling, non-stop 40-lap run through lap traffic on the Wisconsin 1/3-mile oval.Overtaking pole sitter Giovanni Scelzi on the 20th lap, Haudenschild sliced and diced his way through the back markers and ran off to a 2.109-second victory when it was all said and done.It was his fourth victory of the 2021 season and the 18th of his World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series career, tying him with fellow Ohioan Brad Doty for 30th on the All-Time Wins List.”That was so much fun,” an elated Haudenschild said with a smile.”A green-to-checkered run is just what we needed. I think a restart would’ve changed the whole course of this one. Getting through lap traffic is the most fun aspect of Sprint Car racing. We had a great track tonight and I could really make some moves.”Saturday’s score at Beaver Dam was the perfect conclusion to a weekend that had otherwise been trying for the #17 crew. They had podium positions locked up at both 34 Raceway and Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway, but late-race trouble took them away from the front stretch and stole points from them on each occasion.However, there was no stopping Lil Haud on this night. The Wooster, OH native was bound and determined to take NOS Energy Drink back to victory lane with The Greatest Show on Dirt. After all, his most recent win with the Series was May 1 at Eldora Speedway, which was 12 races ago.With his win, the Haudenschild’s officially tied the Smith’s as the third winningest father-son duo in World of Outlaws history at 90 combined wins. Sheldon’s 18th plus his father Jac’s 72 triumphs equals Steve Smith’s six scores along with son Stevie Smith’s 84 career victories.The selling point for Haudenschild’s trip to victory lane at the 11th annual Jim “JB” Boyd Memorial was lap traffic.He zoomed by Giovanni Scelzi on the 20th circuit and ensued to lap all the way up to 11th place. The Wooster, OH native felt fast from the drop of the green flag, but timing was everything.”It pays off running second, third, fourth and watching what those guys are doing,” Haudenschild enlightened the crowd. “I was staying patient behind Gio and Carson [Macedo] just waiting for the right time. I felt like we were quicker, but I just had to wait on traffic to make my move.”After winning the DIRTvision Fast Pass Dash and leading the opening 19 laps, Giovanni Scelzi of Fresno, CA matched his season-best effort of second-place in his KCP Racing #18.”The better driver won this race for sure,” Scelzi admitted. “Sheldon just runs so hard the entire time. I tried to run it as hard as I could, but the lappers were everywhere and I got too top dependent. Those laps clicked by so quick, I didn’t realize how far along we actually were. All in all, not too bad for my first ever race here.”Taking the final podium position in third-place was David Gravel in the Big Game Motorsports #2, who now prepares for a huge week of racing at THE SHOWDOWN.”I wish this deal was 50-60 laps honestly,” Gravel joked. “We’ll take a podium and hopefully start racking up some wins this week. We’re hitting on something consistently, we just need to fine-tune it. We’ve got a big week coming up at Huset’s and Jackson. Hopefully you fans can come out and support it or watch on DIRTVision.”Closing out the top-five on Saturday night was championship contenders Brad Sweet in fourth aboard the Kasey Kahne Racing #49 and Carson Macedo in fifth driving the Jason Johnson Racing #41.Rounding out the top-10 at Beaver Dam was James McFadden in the Kasey Kahne Racing #9, Aaron Reutzel in the Roth Motorsports #83, Donny Schatz in the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15, Logan Schuchart in the Shark Racing #1S, and Brock Zearfoss in the Zearfoss Racing #3Z.UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will kick off the “Summer of Money” this week. One quick day of rest before THE SHOWDOWN offers up the largest payday in 2021 to date. A five-race, six-night schedule takes the Outlaws to Huset’s Speedway on Monday and Tuesday followed by Jackson Motorplex from Thursday-Saturday.NOS Energy Drink Feature (40 Laps): 1. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [3][$10,000]; 2. 18-Giovanni Scelzi [1][$6,000]; 3. 2-David Gravel [5][$3,500]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [7][$2,800]; 5. 41-Carson Macedo [2][$2,500]; 6. 9-James McFadden [6][$2,300]; 7. 83-Aaron Reutzel [9][$2,200]; 8. 15-Donny Schatz [8][$2,100]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [11][$2,050]; 10. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [4][$2,000]; 11. 19-Brent Marks [13][$1,600]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [10][$1,400]; 13. 39-Jake Blackhurst [18][$1,200]; 14. 49J-Josh Schneiderman [15][$1,100]; 15. 1A-Jacob Allen [16][$1,050]; 16. 23-Russel Borland [21][$1,000]; 17. 2W-Scotty Neitzel [22][$1,000]; 18. 7S-Jason Sides [19][$1,000]; 19. 14R-Sean Rayhall [20][$1,000]; 20. 2C-Wayne Johnson [12][$1,000]; 21. 5J-Jeremy Schultz [17][$1,000]; 22. 12W-Josh Walter [14][$1,000]; 23. 4K-Kris Spitz [23][$1,000]; 24. 65-Jordan Goldesberry [24][$1,000]. Lap Leaders: Giovanni Scelzi 1-19, Sheldon Haudenschild 20-40. KSE Hard Charger Award: 39-Jake Blackhurst[+5]NEW Championship Standings (33/81 Races): 1. Brad Sweet (4,612); 2. David Gravel (-50); 3. Carson Macedo (-78); 4. Sheldon Haudenschild (-136); 5. Donny Schatz (-142); 6. Logan Schuchart (-190); 7. Aaron Reutzel (-222); 8. Kraig Kinser (-540); 9. James McFadden (-568); 10. Brock Zearfoss (-720).Photo – Trent Gower

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink® Sprint Car Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Drydene (Official Motor Oil), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Morton Buildings (Official Building), NOS Energy (Official Energy Product), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); contingency sponsors include ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, KSE Racing Products (Hard Charger Award), MSD and Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award); manufacturer sponsors include FireAde, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, and Racing Electronics.Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, NC, is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts all World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws.

Myatt Snider and the Crosley Furniture Chevrolet Team Showcase Never-Give-Up Attitude at Nashville Superspeedway

31st

8th

14th

“My Richard Childress Racing team continues to bring strong Chevrolets to the track each and every week, but we have a monkey on our back right now. Our bad luck has to end at some point. Our Crosley Furniture Camaro had so much speed throughout practice, qualifying and the early stages of the race. We definitely had a top-10 car, without question. Unfortunately, our car lost power under the caution during the first stage break. I tried resetting everything inside the car, we changed the battery on pit road and it still didn’t fix the issue. We had to take our No. 2 machine to the garage and all the guys at ECR Engines and RCR worked hard to get us back out there. The cautions didn’t fall our way once we returned, but Andy Street took the opportunity to try some things to help us in future weeks. I wouldn’t want to battle with any other group of guys and sooner or later our finishes will show the results we deserve.”  -Myatt Snider

NASCAR CUP SERIES NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY ALLY 400 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT JUNE 19, 2021
TRACKHOUSE RACING FOUNDER & OWNER, JUSTIN MARKS, AND CO-OWNER, ARMANDO CHRISTIAN PEREZ, ‘PITBULL’, Press Conference Highlights: MODERATOR: “WE HAVE HERE OUR FOUNDER, JUSTIN MARKS, AND THE CO-OWNER, ARMANDO CHRISTIAN PEREZ. YOU KNOW HIM AS PITBULL. IT’S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE WEEK ALREADY FOR US. JUSTIN SET UP CAMP HERE IN NASHVILLE. WE’VE DRIVEN A STAKE PRETTY DEEP INTO THE GROUND HERE, AND WE’RE VERY PROUD OF IT. WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS GIVING US THE TIME TO LET JUSTIN AND ARMANDO TALK ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON AT TRACKHOUSE. JUSTIN, IF YOU WANT TO GET STARTED AND TELL US WHY YOU CHOSE NASHVILLE, AND WHY THIS AREA, AND YOUR ASSESSMENT SO FAR THIS YEAR”.
JUSTIN MARKS:“Thanks to everybody for being here. It’s really nice to see a packed Media Center, that’s for sure. First of all, I want to thank Erik Moses (President, Nashville Superspeedway) and all his staff. My first real stock car race was here at Nashville in 2006, the ARCA Re/Max Series, and to see Cup come back here and to see this place get reborn is special to me. I know it’s special to a lot of people in the industry.
“I’m here, Trackhouse is here, Armando is here because NASCAR has this new car coming and the new car represents a new era in this sport because we’re breaking down barriers for new ownership and we’re providing opportunities for people to re-think the business model of what a race team is. That’s exactly what Trackhouse is all about. And that’s why we’ve set up shop here in Nashville. Our goal is to have a race shop here one day and to be kind of the professional racing sports here in Nashville. What we’re trying to do is to bring something different and bring something unique to tell a story, to transcend the sport; take NASCAR and use the platform but to tell a bigger story. To see things come together like they have this year have been great. Armando has been wonderful and a great partner. We’ve got a lot of big things ahead of us. So, it’s just a very exciting time.”
MODERATOR:ARMANDO, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOUR ASSESSMENT IS SO FAR THESE FEW MONTHS WE’VE BEEN TOGETHER, AND WHY NASCAR, AND WHY US? ARMANDO CHRISTIAN PEREZ:“I want to say thank you to everybody. We appreciate the opportunity. Congratulations Erik on the new spot. It’s why NASCAR, why Trackhouse, because it all came together at the right time. I’m a big believer in the law of attraction and when I say that I mean it. With that said is when we sat down. We had a meeting. And the meeting was all about a greater initiative, the same way we’ve done with music to unify people. And I say it all the time. There’s only one race and one race only and that’s the human race. And when we figure that out, that’s what it’s all about is unifying people. So, when I saw the initiative is all about that is why I got involved with Justin, Ty (Norris) and Daniel Suarez. The funny thing is that somebody spoke to me about Daniel Suarez about 10 years ago and his name is Carlos Slim Junior, and he said hey, keep your eye out for Daniel. He’s going to do some big things in racing and he’s going to represent for all of us in Mexico. And sure enough, how amazing is it that 10 years later, now I’m a part of the team with amazing partners, stand up and solid, which is hard to find in any industry, much more than in industry, in life (laughs). So, to be able to be here right now is an honor. I see the opportunity. It’s just the same way we did in music. We’re bringing everybody together and using music as a universal language is the same way we’re going to do with Trackhouse, with race cars, and with NASCAR. That’s why it’s very exciting and that’s why I’m here. And to Nashville, congratulations. The city is booming (laughs).”
MODERATOR:WE GOT TOGETHER LAST NIGHT FOR DINNER AND WERE ABLE TO LOOK OVER THE CITY AND JUST GIVE US YOUR ASSESSMENT OF WHAT YOU SAW AND WHAT WAS GOING ON ARMANDO CHRISTIAN PEREZ:“A lot of bachelorette parties (laughter). A lot of people were having a lot of fun in Nashville. I think Las Vegas is going to have to catch-up now.”
MODERATOR:THEY WERE PLAYING A LOT OF PITBULL MUSIC ARMANDO CHRISTIAN PEREZ:‘Yeah, that was a good thing. I don’t know if that’s going to work out after, but hey. At least it was a memorable night. Or maybe not.”
MEDIA Q&A’S: ARE YOU GOING TO RE-WRITE ANY OF YOUR MUSIC TO PUT A NASCAR THEME INTO IT? ARMANDO CRISTIAN PEREZ:“What was crazy enough we were actually going to do something right before everything happened with the Pandemic and with NASCAR and with the record that I have with Blake Shelton called ‘Get Ready’. That was lined up to be basically the anthem. Everything happened and obviously things changed. Things happen for a reason though because this year we’re actually talking about putting an anthem together with a crew of different folks so therefore, everybody gets represented one way or another. And I think it’s one of the most genius things Fast and Furious has done with their franchise. That’s why they’re on Fast & Furious 9. The represent everybody in the movie and that’s what everybody loves to see. The cars bring it together, the speed brings it together, the action is what brings it together. But with everybody being represented is why everybody feels a part of invested of it. So to have the next anthem for NASCAR is the same one we’re going to do it where everybody is vested and well-represented.”
YOU ARE ACTIVE IN THE CHARTER GAME. TWO WENT YESTERDAY. HOW IS IT THAT YOU DIDN’T GET ONE OF THE SPIRE CHARTERS? JUSTIN MARKS:“That’s a good question, actually. I mean, look. They’re running a business. That’s the way they need to run it. We’re focused on Trackhouse. The charter journey has been that. I mean, it’s been a journey. It’s an interesting time in the history of the sport with this charter economy. We’re working very hard every day to secure our future, and I feel confident about our future. There’s nobody here that knows everything that’s happening all the time. And there’s a lot of things happening behind the scenes. We can’t know everything. Two came off the board yesterday but there are still a lot out there. So, I’m confident we’re going to get something done.”
IS THE MARKET EIGHT FIGURES? JUSTIN MARKS:“I don’t know. I don’t know what they paid for it. I mean I don’t know what the market is. The thing is the addressable market is so small that the value of a charter is what someone is willing to pay for it. I don’t know what they paid for it, so who knows?”
YOU HAD A COMMENT ABOUT CHARTERS EARLIER ARMANDO CHRISTIAN PEREZ“Well, my comment is Ty kind of explained to me what was going on and obviously this is a new world to me; and I said hey, Justin deals with the charter and NASCAR and I just deal with the charter schools. That’s it.”
NOW THAT YOU’VE BEEN IN THIS FOR A FEW MONTHS, WHAT IS ONE THING THAT MAYBE HAS BEEN A PLEASANT SURPRISE ABOUT BEING A NASCAR OWNER AND ACTIVATING IT? AND WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST FRUSTRATION? ARMANDO CHRISTIAN PEREZ:“Frustration, I don’t have any because I look at life as no problems, just solutions. As far as what’s been great about it, let me tell you. The fans. To see the passion, to see the loyalty, to see the willingness to just run through a wall for the team that they love. And I has a great experience down at the Daytona 500 where I happened to cross the street and go to a restaurant and I got a little corner off; and then at PF Chang’s one of the guys comes up to me and he said hey, you sure don’t dress like a NASCAR owner. You’re messing with me. And I said yeah, you’re right. I bought him a couple of shots and we started drinking and I said yeah, but I do drink like a NASCAR owner, don’t I (laughter).” We had a great time and kept drinking and they took a couple of pictures and by the time they left, they had paid for my bill. And that just showed a lot to me. Not too many people do those kinds of things, especially in today’s day and age where it’s all about instant gratification; grab your photo, grab your video, do this for me, do that for me. Just that sense of gratitude showed me a very pleasant experience and it’s been amazing. On top of that, basketball is one of the first things that kept me out of a lot of trouble. I always say I’ve never been a trouble maker, just always been about trouble. I don’t know how that worked out. But basketball was the first thing. Michael Jordan was somebody I looked up to and I still apply his mentality not only when I play ball, but in life. So, to be able to be in a suite next to Michael Jordan and be partners in a team; Trackhouse and Daniel Suarez and knowing his story, Ty has an amazing story, and it’s just all coming together and I’m excited.”
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO BRING NASCAR AWARENESS TO YOUR OTHER ENDEAVORS LIKE THE ENTERTAINMENT WORLD, TO MAKE SURE THEY KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING HERE? ARMANDO CHRISTIAN PEREZ:For one, I’ve done it in so many worlds. When I say I, I mean we and us. I don’t do anything by myself. When we opened our first charter school in Miami, little Havana, one of my old neighborhoods, that was eight years ago. We put a NASCAR in front of it. A friend of mine happened to be connected with NASCAR, and just parked it outside. When the kids, that come from all different neighborhoods with Miami being a melting pot, they saw that NASCAR and it’s like they saw a spaceship. So right there, I saw the disconnect on wow, there’s a community and there’s a culture that really has no clue what this world is about, but yet it’s an amazing opportunity. Our school is called SLAM, which stands for sports, leadership, arts, and management. And that’s about teaching these kids how there’s another world in any world they may be in love with. All kids want to become a pro athlete. All kids love sports. But we teach them if you love sports, you might be a physical therapist. You might be an agent. You might be an attorney. It’s the same thing with NASCAR. You might not be the driver, but you might end up in the crew or as an owner or as an engineer. You might end up being the one styling the car. There are so many ways to bridge that.
“In the entertainment business, how does it happen? Well, nobody was looking at NASCAR like that. And that’s been one of my, I would say, assets in life. I’m always looking at things that people are not looking at. Therefore, that to me, is we’re living in a world of followers and likes. I like to be a leader, unique, and make a difference. So, look the other way and find a way to make a difference. And clearly through music, we’ll find ways to either put it in video or records. I have a song right now that coming out the 25^thwith Trace Adkins and Luke Bryan. That verse is all based on my experience at the Daytona 500. That gives you a sneak peek on the kind of ways that we can continue to create awareness of not only the team Trackhouse, not only NASCAR, but the most important part which is the initiative of bringing everybody together and creating opportunity for those that need it the most.”
THERE IS GOING TO BE A SMALLER SQUARE FOOTPRINT FOR RACE SHOPS WITH THE NEXTGEN CAR. YOU ARE TRYING TO LEVERAGE A PUBLIC FACING AND MOTORSPORTS ATTRACTION SLASH RACE SHOP HERE IN NASHVILLE. GIVEN THAT MOST OF THE RACE SHOPS ARE IN CHARLOTTE, HOW DO YOU VIEW RACE SHOPS IN THE FUTURE?
JUSTIN MARKS:“I think there are two elements. One is new business creation and new teams coming out of the box and building a company and infrastructure around this new car from scratch. I think there’s the business of these existing teams that have to find a way to monetize all this infrastructure that they’ve built over decades in the sport. I think for everybody it’s a little bit of a different story. But I think we’re in a great spot because we’re starting from scratch and building this company and value-engineering this company around the new car and the future of this sport. So, it makes us very mobile and modular and allows us to pivot and think very creatively about how we’re going to exist once we sort of start separating ourselves from RCR and becoming more automatous as a business. And it’s one of the reasons why we’re here in Nashville because there’s a lot of opportunity in this town. It’s an entertainment town. And there’s a lot of opportunity to really rethink that. I think some of these existing teams that have a lot of history in this sport don’t necessarily have that luxury because they’re committed to big campuses, and they’re committed to the supply chain as it exists and Charlotte. But for us, we’re starting from scratch. We’re trying to build something special around this new car and around the business model of NASCAR and that puts is in a really good spot.”
ON YOUR VISION TO BRING A TEAM TO NASHVILLE WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THAT AND HOW SOON DO YOU SEE THAT HAPPENING? DOES WHAT FURNITURE ROW ACCOMPLISHED IN DENVER GIVE YOU THE CONFIDENCE THAT YOU CAN DO SOMETHING SIMILAR? JUSTIN MARKS:“Furniture Row is a different time in the sport and is a different business model. We’re not that far from Charlotte, so we’re not really on so much of an island. We can still do weekly business with our partners and suppliers in Charlotte. This new car, I believe, represents an opportunity to rethink you’re race shop and what it is. And that’s something that Ty and I talk about a lot. And we talked about it early in the days of Trackhouse, asking ourselves what is a race team? Why is a race team in 140,000 square feet in an industrial park? Well, for a lot of years it had to be because of engineering and manufacturing. But a lot of that stuff is going away. So, as we sort of wipe the slate clean and start thinking what a race shop and team of the future look like, I think it should be a public business. We’ve got these amazing race cars and amazing people that work on these race cars. Race shops are really an incredible thing to see, as you know. I think people should have access to that and to take that content and put it out there in the world is something that’s very important to the future trajectory of Trackhouse. And Nashville is a quickly growing community. It’s an entertainment and event city. That’s the business that we’re in. Entertainment and events. And it represents an opportunity for us to carve a niche out for ourselves in a market where we can really get the community support behind us and be one of the professional sports teams in this market. Timing-wise, it’s a little TBD just because we all have to learn this new car together and we have to understand how business can be built around this new car. But I don’t think it’s outside of the realm of possibility that in 24 months from now we’re racing out of Nashville. But it’s a lot of TBD because we have a lot of learning we have to do.”
WHAT GRADE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR TEAM SO FAR THIS SEASON? JUSTIN MARKS:“I’m very proud of all the work that our guys have done. They’ve all earned A’s so far. This is a very difficult industry and a very difficult racing series, the most competitive form of racing in North America. For a group of young guys, our guys are young, we have very young race team and they’re very hungry. And they all come from forms of racing where they’ve won, and so they don’t know how to lose. They’re not thinking like we’re a new team and maybe we should be running 20th. No, they’re coming to the race track to figure out how to win the race. But they’re great at managing their expectations, too. We all know that this is a big fight. I’m really proud of those guys. We’ve been bringing great race cars to the race track this year. Daniel has been doing a great job. We’ve been very careful to make sure that our expectations and definition of success the first year is not in finishing positions first and foremost. It’s about getting better every week. It’s about working together and powering each other and lifting each other up and working very hard to try to make big things happen. And they’ve been doing that every week. That’s the most important thing for use this year because we’re all dealing with new equipment next year. This year is about the process and dialing in the process so we as a team, cohesively can enter the future together. I’m really proud of all of them.”
YOU TALKED ABOUT MUSIC UNITING PEOPLE. WON’T GIVING PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY TECHNOLOGY AND MATH AND SCIENCE ALSO ELEVATE THEM SO THEY CAN FEEL PART OF THE WHOLE AS WELL? ARMANDO CHRISTIAN PEREZ:‘Oh yes. Absolutely. And we see where the future is going. We see that the youth love technology and loves to be involved with it. The only message that I always say to the youth and to the public and to the world is (to) utilize technology and don’t it use you. So, this is also a way of creating awareness for wellness for technology, which are things we do in the schools and that’s why I can speak so openly about it. But yes, to be able to utilize the car, the music, and technology is clearly going to create a melting pot for everybody to be involved. And it gives access to everybody.”

Colton Herta to start on the outside of the front row at REV Group Grand Prix
Jack Harvey qualifies on the inside of the second row
Alex Palou looks to reclaim championship lead from fifth on the grid

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (June 19, 2021) – Colton Herta set the pace for Honda in qualifying for the REV Group Grand Prix of Road America, qualifying on the outside of the front row for Sunday’s race in the #26 Andretti Autosport Honda.

A race winner already this year on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, Herta hopes to add to his win total for the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season around the four-mile Road America circuit. Lining up just behind in the third position will be Meyer Shank Racing’s Jack Harvey, looking for his first career victory in INDYCAR competition. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou, winner at the season-opening race at Barber Motorsports Park, will start fifth. Palou currently sits second in the championship points standings, just one point back from Pato O’Ward.

Honda also placed four additional drivers in the top-12, giving HPD an edge seven-to-five in the top 12 spots, with ex-F1 driver Romain Grosjean seventh, Ryan Hunter-Reay eighth, Alexander Rossi ninth and Ed Jones in twelfth.

REV Group Grand Prix of Road America Qualifying Results
2nd Colton Herta Andretti Autosport Honda
3rd Jack Harvey Meyer Shank Racing Honda
5th Alex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
7th Romain Grosjean-R Dale Coyne Racing with RWR Honda
8th Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda
9th Alexander Rossi Andretti Autosport Honda
12th Ed Jones Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan Honda
13th Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
14th Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
18th Marcus Ericsson Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
19th James Hinchcliffe Andretti Autosport Honda
20th Takuma Sato Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
23rd Jimmie Johnson-R Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
25th Cody Ware-R Dale Coyne Racing with RWR Honda

R – Rookie

Quotes
Colton Herta (Andretti Autosport Honda) Qualified Second: “I think it’s difficult either way [red or black tires]. As we saw, I think today Josef made the right call with the new blacks, and that was the better play. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a new set—we thought about saving a set from practice but we didn’t end up doing that. But still, good car, and starting second it’s going to be an interesting one for sure. I have to thank Gainbridge and I’m happy to be powered by Honda around here.

“It is going to be a difficult race. What we are going to have to see during the warm up is how much [tire] deg we get and if we get enough to turn this into a four-stop race. We’ll have to wait and see and go through all of our options, it was a really good qualifying car, but we’ll have to really nail this thing down at the rear end to get it ready for the race.”

Jack Harvey (Meyer Shank Racing Honda) Qualified Third: “That was a pretty good run and our black [Firestone primary tire] pace was really strong. I think we left a bunch [of speed] ‘on the table’ during Practice, so we kind of hoped that if we put everything together that we would transfer into the Fast Six. To start third here is pretty awesome. I could have done a few things better here and there in the Fast Six [final qualifying] to maybe get a little bit closer to Josef [Newgarden, pole qualifier]. But everyone at Meyer Shank Racing has been working really hard. I know we’ve has some unfortunate results, but the mental discipline on the team has kept us going. I think we have the makings of a great car for the race, so we’ll go and get it.” 

Fast Facts
Honda Indy car drivers have scored seven victories at Road America, including a clean sweep of both rounds in 2020’s doubleheader race weekend. Eventual series champion Scott Dixon won Saturday’s opening race; with his then-Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Felix Rosenqvist claiming victory in Sunday’s event.

In 2019, Alexander Rossi dominated at Road America leading 54 of the 55 laps for a crushing, 28-second margin of victory in his Andretti Autosport Honda.

Where to Watch Sunday’s REV Group Grand Prix of Road America
Live NBC Network race coverage of the REV Group Grand Prix of Road America begins at 12 p.m. EDT Sunday, June 20. Additional coverage can be found on the INDYCAR Radio Network and on Sirius/XM satellite radio.

Honda Racing social media content and video links from Road America can be found on Instagram (www.instagram.com/hondaracing_hpd), Twitter (twitter.com/HondaRacing_HPD) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD). Additional features and long-form videos can be found on the Honda Racing/HPD YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV).

Sheppard, Dillard, Overton, and more chase potential $42K payday

SARVER, PA – June 21, 2021 – A big payday awaits the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models as they gear up for the illustrious Firecracker 100 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, PA.

Drivers could collect $42,000 over three nights of jam-packed action.

On Thursday and Friday, June 24-25, the Series will run full shows, including a 30-lap Morton Buildings Feature paying $6,000-to-win both nights. An “Every lap matters” format will be used for the weekend, meaning drivers will score points based on Qualifying, Heat Races and Features.

The first two nights set the Drydene Heat Race lineups for Saturday’s $30,000-to-win, 100-lap Firecracker 100 finale.

If drivers don’t make the field through Heat Races or the Last Chance Showdown, they’ll have one more chance to get in through the Uncle Sam 30. Whoever wins the 30-lap race can either collect $2,000 or start the Firecracker 100.

Drivers will be limited on tires throughout the weekend. On all three nights, they must Qualify, Heat Race and run their Last Chance Showdowns on the same tires.

Competitors may change one right rear tire for the Feature on Thursday and Friday.

On Saturday, drivers may change a right rear tire for the Uncle Sam 30, and all four tires for the Firecracker 100 main event.

The RUSH Late Models will also be on the card, competing in the $10,000-to-win Bill Emig Memorial.

Tickets: https://bit.ly/34nZOC8

If you can’t make it to the track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision with the annual Platinum FAST PASS subscription for $299/year or the monthly FAST PASS subscription for $39/month.

Competitor Notes: https://bit.ly/3gKp8cy

FIRECRACKER FUN

Fans who attend the event at Lernerville Speedway will be treated to more than just racing throughout the weekend.

Items like tickets, driver apparel, and other prizes will be raffled off on the midway all three days.

Fans can also take part in the inaugural Slick Woody’s Cornhole Co. cornhole tournament on Saturday, June 26 at noon. They’ll have the chance to win a cornhole set and even play with one of their favorite drivers.

All the money will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

REGISTER HERE: https://bit.ly/3gwob7N

They can also meet their favorite drivers during an autograph session, starting at 4pm on Saturday.

Anyone who’s camping this weekend has the chance to win a trophy, as well. World of Outlaws officials will be walking around on Friday, June 25, judging who has the best campsite.

The entertainment doesn’t stop inside the speedway, as fans can enjoy live post-race concerts at the stage in the speedway’s parking lot on Thursday and Friday.

Here’s a look at some of the storylines heading into this weekend:

Repeat Thriller: Only two drivers have won the Firecracker 100 more than once – 2004 Series champion Scott Bloomquist and Late Model veteran Jimmy Mars. However, neither of them won the event in back-to-back seasons.

2020 Firecracker 100 champion Cade Dillard hopes to be the first driver to accomplish that feat this weekend.  “The Thriller’s” exciting win last season was the biggest of his Late Model career, so far.

Dillard already has one win in 2021, when he outdueled Brandon Sheppard at Boone Speedway earlier this season. The Robeline, LA driver enters this weekend 5th in the standings—266 points behind Sheppard.

Cracking the Code: Three-time and defending Series Champion Brandon Sheppard has accomplished many feats during his World of Outlaws career. But one race the reigning champion hasn’t won is the Firecracker 100.

He’s reached Lernerville’s illustrious Victory Lane twice during the event, but both were preliminary Feature wins.

“The Rocket Shepp” enters the Firecracker 100 at the top of the standings—52 points ahead of Chris Madden.

A Firecracker 100 win would be another step up the ladder of World of Outlaws history for Sheppard in several ways. The New Berlin, IL driver is chasing Josh Richards for the most wins all-time (78), and most Series championships with (4).

Beware of Big Sexy: Two weeks ago, every Late Model driver in the country was put on notice when Brandon Overton won both “Dirt Late Model Dreams” at Eldora Speedway.

“Big Sexy” collected $273,000 and wants to add more money to his bank account this weekend.

Overton won the Firecracker 100 in 2017 and hopes to be the third driver to win the event for a second time. A win this weekend would be his 15th World of Outlaws victory, putting him in 13th on the all-time wins list.

PA is Coming to Play: The Firecracker 100 attracts some of the top Late Model drivers in the country, but it also brings in a stout number of regional competitors.

Three big names expected to attend this weekend’s event are Rick Eckert, Gregg Satterlee and Mike Norris.

Eckert, the 2011 Series champion, is thriving in World of Outlaws competition in 2021, scoring a victory at Plymouth Speedway a couple of weeks ago.

In 13 starts with the Series, “Scrub” has seven top-fives and 10 top-10s.

Gregg Satterlee is riding a wave of momentum heading into this weekend’s Firecracker. “The Truth” won a preliminary Feature at Eldora Speedway during the “Dirt Late Model Dream,” and finished in the top-10 during the 100-lap event. Satterlee has six Feature wins in 2021, so far.

Another driver to look out for is two-time Lernerville track champion and two-time World of Outlaws winner at Lernerville Mike Norris. “The Crusher Kid” won a 30-lap Feature at Lernerville Speedway last weekend and hopes to pull the upset when the World of Outlaws come to town.

When and Where

June 24-26: Lernerville Speedway, Sarver, PA

About the track

Lernerville Speedway is a 4/10-mile oval

Previous Firecracker 100 Winners
2020-Cade Dillard on June 26
2019- Tim McCreadie on June 22
2018- Chris Madden on June 23
2017- Brandon Overton on June 24
2016- Scott Bloomquist on June 26
2015- Rick Eckert on Sept. 5
2014- Darrell Lanigan on June 28
2013- Josh Richards on June 29
2012- Scott Bloomquist on June 30
2011- Jimmy Mars on June 27
2010- Shane Clanton on June 26
2009- Jimmy Mars on June 27
2008- Brian Birkhofer on July 29
2007- Scott Bloomquist on June 30

Online

Lernerville Speedway: https://lernerville.com

Track Record

14.812 seconds set by Mike Marlar on June 22nd, 2018

On the Internet
World of Outlaws Morton Buildings 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 World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models head to Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, MN for a doubleheader on July 9-10.

Feature Winners: (15 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

1. Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-4
2. Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC-2
   Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-2
   Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-2
3. Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-1
   Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
   Mike Spatola, Manhattan, IL-1
   Josh Richards, Shinnston, WV-1
   Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY-1
   Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-1
   Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, IL-1
   Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-1
   Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-1
   Rick Eckert, York, PA-1
   Dave Hess, Waterford, PA-1

DRYDENE HEAT RACE WINNERS (39 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

1. Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-8
2. Rick Eckert, York, PA-5
   Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-5
   Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-5
3. Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY-4
   Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-4
   Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-4
   Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC-4
4. Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-3
   Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-3
   Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-3
5. Devin Moran, Dresden, OH- 2
   Ross Bailes, Clover, SC- 2
   Ricky Weiss, Headingly, MB-2
   Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, IL- 2
   Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA-2
6. Dale Mcdowell, Chickamauga, GA- 1
   Darell Lanigan, Union, KY-1
   Parker Martin, Milledgeville, GA-1
   Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-1
   Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-1
   Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-1
   Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, AZ-1
   Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-1
   Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg, TN-1
   Brian Shirley, Chatham, IL-1
   Ryan Unzicker, El Paso, IL-1
   Taylor Scheffler, Waukesha, WI- 1
   Mike Spatola, Manhattan, IL-1
   Kevin Weaver, Gibson City, IL-1
   Josh Richards, Shinnston, WV-1
   Jimmy Owens, Newport, TN-1
   Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-1
   Dan Stone, Thompson, PA-1
   Billy Moyer, Batesville, AR-1
   Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-1
   Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, IL-1
   Dave Hess, Waterford, PA-1
   Chris Hackett, Erie, PA-1

Last Chance Showdown Winners (24 drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

1. Ricky Weiss, Headingly, MB-4
2. Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-3
3. Dale Mcdowell, Chickamauga, GA-2
   Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-2
   Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA-2
4. Ross Robinson, Georgetown, DE- 1
   Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg, TN-1
   Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS-1
   Brandon Overton, Evans, GA- 1
   Dennis Erb, Jr., Carpentersville, IL-1
   Mike Norris, Sarver, PA- 1
   Stacy Boles, Clinton, TN-1
   Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC-1
   Rick Eckert, York, PA-1
   Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-1
   Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-1
   Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-1
   Chris Simpson, Oxford, IA-1
   Jake Timm, Winona, MN-1
   Taylor Scheffler, Waukesha, WI- 1
   Gordy Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-1
   Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-1
   Tyler Bare, Rockbridge Baths, VA-1
   Trevor Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-1
   Greg Oakes, Franklinville, NY-1

PODIUM FINISHES (34 drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Podiums

1. Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-9
2. Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-6
3. Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-4
4. Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC – 3
   Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-3
   Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA – 3
5. Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL – 2
   Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, IL-2
   Brandon Overton, Evans, GA – 2
   Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-2
   Rick Eckert, York, PA-2
   Frank Heckenast Jr.- Frankfort, IL-2
   Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-2
6. Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg, TN – 1
   Darrell Lanigan, Union, KY – 1
   Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN – 1
   Ricky Thornton, Jr., Chandler, AZ – 1
   Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA – 1
   Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-1
   Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-1
   Ryan Unzicker, El Paso, IL-1
   Mike Spatola, Manhattan, IL-1
   Josh Richards, Shinnston, WV-1
   Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY-1
   Ross Bailes, Clover, SC-1
   Ricky Weiss, Headingly, MB-1
   Scott James, Bright, IN-1
   Billy Moyer, Batesville, AR-1
   Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-1
   Jimmy Mars, Menomonie, WI-1
   Dan Stone, Thompson, PA-1
   Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-1
   Dave Hess, Waterford, PA-1
   Max Blair, Titusville, PA-1

HARD CHARGER (12 drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – H.C.

1. Ricky Weiss, Headingly, MB – 4
2. Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL – 3
3. Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS – 2
   Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-2
   Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-2
4. Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA – 1
   Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
   Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, AZ-1
   Jason Jameson, Lawrenceburg, IN-1
   Logan Martin, West Plains, MO-1
   Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-1
   Dan Stone, Thompson, PA-1
   Ross Robinson, Georgetown, DE-1

SLICK WOODY’S QUICK TIME Award (14 drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – QTs

1. Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-3
2. Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC – 2
   Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-2
   Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL – 2
3. Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL – 1
   Devin Moran, Dresden, OH – 1
   Donald McIntosh, Dawsonville, GA- 1
   Taylor Scheffler, Waukesha, WI- 1
   Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-1
   Billy Moyer, Batesville, AR-1
   Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-1
   Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA-1
   Rick Eckert, York, PA-1
   Dave Hess, Waterford, PA-1

2021 World of Outlaws Late Model Schedule & Winners

No./ Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)
1. Thursday, Jan. 14 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Kyle Bronson (1)
2. Saturday, Jan. 16 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Kyle Strickler (1)
3. Wednesday, Feb. 10 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Kyle Strickler (2)
4. Thursday, Feb. 11 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Devin Moran (1)
5. Friday, Feb. 12 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Brandon Overton (1)
6. Saturday, March 6/ Smoky Mountain Speedway/ Maryville, TN/ Chris Madden (1).
7. Friday, March 26 / Cherokee Speedway / Gaffney, SC / Jimmy Owens/Brandon Sheppard
8.Friday, April 2/Farmer City Raceway/Farmer City, IL/ Mike Spatola(1)
9. Saturday, April 3/ Farmer City Raceway/Farmer City, IL/Bobby Pierce(1)
10. Friday, April 9/Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN/Josh Richards(1)
11. Sunday, April 11/Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN/Devin Moran(2)
12. Friday, April 23/Richmond Raceway, Richmond, KY/Tim McCreadie(1)
13. Friday, April 30/Boone Speedway, Boone IA/Cade Dillard(1)/Shannon Babb(1)
14. Saturday, May 1/Boone Speedway, Boone IA/Bobby Pierce(2)
15.Friday, May 7/Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, WI/Brandon Sheppard(1)
16.Saturday May 8/Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, WI/Chris Madden(2)
17. Friday May 21/ Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, PA/Chris Madden(3)
18. Saturday May 22/Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, PA/Chris Madden (4)
19. Friday June 4/Circle City Raceway, Indianapolis, IN/Dennis Erb Jr. (1)
20. Saturday June 5/Plymouth Raceway, Plymouth, IN/Rick Eckert (1)
21. Thursday June 17/Stateline Speedway, Busti, NY/Dave Hess(1)

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES REV GROUP GRAND PRIX ROAD AMERICA ELKHART LAKE, WISCONSIN TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING RECAP JUNE 19, 2021
JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET WINS SECOND CONSECUTIVE NTT P1 AWARD, THIRD AT ROAD AMERICA, 13TH OF CAREERTEAM PENSKE TEAMMATES WILL POWER AND SIMON PAGENAUD ALSO ADVANCE TO FIRESTONE FAST SIX; WILL START 4TH AND 6TH RESPECTIVELY
ELKART LAKE, WISCONSIN (JUNE 19,2021) Josef Newgarden captured his second consecutive NTT P1 of the season, but determined to turn this one into a W. After leading the majority of Race Two on the Streets of Belle Isle, two-time NTT INDAYCAR Series champion fought for the win, but couldn’t hang on and had to settle for the runner-up finishing position behind the wheel of his familiar No. 2 Hitachi Chevrolet.
“We knew this morning this was what we were going to do,” Newgarden said. “I didn’t know where everyone else was at, but this was my plan in the morning. Everybody was on board with it. Just happy to see it work out. I’m a little surprised more didn’t do that. You need to mix it up. It was going to be hard to make used tires work.”
Joining Newgarden in the Firestone Fast Six were Team Penske teammates Will Power and Simon Pagenaud. After a virtual chess match through out the session, Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Chevrolet, secured the fourth starting position, and Pagenaud will roll off his No. 22 Menards Chevrolet in sixth. The most recent winner on the NTT INDYCAR Series circuit, Pato O’Ward. No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, will have to start from 10th on the grid after wrestling with balance during Round 1 and Round 2.
Oliver Askew, subbing for Rinus VeeKay in the No. 21 Direct Supply Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet after VeeKay injured his collarbone in a bicycle training accident, turned in a very respectable 16th place qualifying effort for tomorrow’s race.
Kevin Magnussen, also a super-sub in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet for Felix Rosenqvist as he works to be cleared to drive following a hard hit in Detroit Race No. 1, got a total of 18 laps, his first in an INDY car, before qualifying. His learn-as-you-go program netted him the 21st starting position and valuable experience on how to improve his career-first drive in the AMSP Chevrolet.
NBCSN will telecast the REV Group Grand Prix live at noon ET Sunday, June 20. The 55-lap/220.5-mile race will also be broadcast live on INDYCAR Radio Network affiliates, Sirius 211, XM 205, Indycar.com, and on the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA. 
Other Team Chevy Drivers qualified for Road America as follows:Will Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet – 4thSimon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet – 6thPato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, 10thSebastien Bourdais, No.14 ROKIT AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet – 11thConor Daly, No. 20 US Army Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet – 15thOliver Askew, No. 21 Direct Supply Ed Carpenter Racing – 16th Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet – 17th Kevin Magnussen, No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet – 21stMax Chilton, No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet – 22ndDalton Kellet, No. 4 K-Line AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet – 24th

NASCAR CUP SERIES NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY ALLY 400 TEAM CHEVY POST-PRACTICE NOTES & QUOTES JUNE 19, 2021

NASCAR CUP SERIES PRACTICE AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY: TEAM CHEVY TOP-101st      WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 1LE 2nd     KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1 1LE3rd     CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE4th      RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER/NATURE VALLEY CAMARO ZL1 1LE5th      TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 QUARTZ HILL RECORDS CAMARO ZL1 1LE 6th      KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE 7th      ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 42 CLOVER CAMARO ZL1 1LE 10th    ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY NEON LIGHTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE 
NASCAR CUP SERIES: TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 IN DRIVER STANDINGS POST-PRACTICE MEDIA AVAILABILITY HIGHLIGHTS:  WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Fastest in NCS PracticeTHOUGHTS AFTER PRACTICE:“We were OK. I think, honestly, just trying to figure out the entry and exit. It’s so flat. It’s honestly similar to how Pocono was when I went there my first year in 2018. Just have to continue and progress. I think everyone is going to get better, especially with that being the first time that we had all been on the racetrack in these cars.”
WHEN DOES IT START FEELING EASIER FOR YOU AND WHEN IS IT LIKE, ‘I KNOW HOW TO MAKE THESE LAPS’?“It felt easy for me lap one just because I was in the truck race last night. So, I had some experience around cars; had some track time. Obviously, things didn’t finish the way we wanted to with the engine issue. But I felt like we were running pretty well and learned some things there. We’re just trying to get better. I feel like the truck was just a little bit different, just because you don’t use as much brake. But you also have to get into the throttle more than the Cup car. Just having to get in the gas more in the truck was different. This thing has a lot more power and you can kind of be a little bit more patient on exit.”
YOU AND DENNY (HAMLIN), IS THAT WHAT IT’S GOING TO TAKE TO WIN TOMORROW?“Yeah, I guess. I feel like you’re going to see a similar race to Chicago a couple of years ago with the low downforce, just because this place is low on grip. It’s hot, the rubber is really laying down, which I think has a lot to do with the resin. I personally feel like they should lay down the resin everywhere with how black as this place is right now. I feel like it’s closer to a few years ago when the track would lay rubber. The tires are sticky, the track is sticky and it’s making you have to move around a lot.”
KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 2nd fastest in NCS PracticeINAUDIBLE“I don’t have much experience here in the past; still trying to figure it out. It’s really easy to overdrive your corner. The shape of it seems like a 1.5-mile track and it’s almost a 1.5-mile; but once you get to the corners, they’re pretty tight. Like I said, it’s really easy to overdrive and you have to be way more patient than you think.”
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON JUST HAVING A WIN STREAK LIKE THIS?“It’s been a good streak. It’s been fun to win these last few weeks and win on the dirt track stuff, too. Still have a lot of racing left this year and hopefully we can rack up a lot more wins.”
YOU SAID ON THE RADIO THE TYPE OF CONFIDENCE YOU HAVE IS WHEN YOU STRAP INTO THE RACE CAR AND EVERY WEEKEND, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN WIN. IS THAT THE FIRST TIME YOU’VE REALLY HAD THAT SENSATION IN YOUR CUP CAREER?“No, I mean 2017 I think I felt probably the same then, too. We were up front almost every weekend in Cup and I was having a good season in sprint cars and midgets, too. I would say this year feels close to that year; probably a little bit better on the Cup side and probably a little bit better on the dirt side, as well. But I wouldn’t say this is the first time.”
THOUGHTS ON POCONO NEXT WEEKEND:“It will be fun to do a doubleheader; get to do two Cup races in one weekend will be new for me. I like Pocono (Raceway) a lot, too. It’s a different style race track and it takes a rhythm to get around there, even though it’s such a big place. I feel like I’ve done well there in the past. It would be good to go there and get a couple wins.” 
WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY?“It’s a cool track. You go out there and, on the straightaways, you think you can just rifle it off into the corner because it seems like a 1.5-mile track. But then you get to the corners and they’re a lot shorter than normal and it’s really easy to overdrive your entry. Just getting used to the patience I think it takes to get around here is tough, but I feel like our car was pretty decent there in practice. We’ll keep inching up on it and hope to be good on Sunday.”
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE ROLL YOU’VE BEEN ON THE LAST MONTH?“Yeah, it’s just been good. It’s fun to be competitive and I hope I can continue to run up front. Our team has been doing a great job; our pit crew has been doing awesome. We just have to keep working hard. This sport is tough, so we have to keep our heads down and keep digging.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 3rd fastest in NCS PracticeWHAT WERE YOUR FIRST REACTIONS TO THE TRACK? “Really similar to what I remember from testing here. I did a number of tests here back probably five or six years ago. But it’s kind of what I remember; really similar, standard concrete racetrack for the most part.”
INAUDIBLE“I don’t know what it would have been like without it, so that’s tough to say. But the track has taken a lot of rubber. Even at the start of the truck race last night I thought it was really dark and it had already taken a lot. That’s the best way to get the groove to move up, if it does darken up and it seems like it’s done that. How much higher we can go, I’m not sure. But the groove is wider than I thought it would be, so that’s good.”
IS IT GOOD TO HAVE EDDIE (D’HONDT) BACK?“Yeah, it’s good to have Eddie (D’Hondt, spotter) back; the familiar voice. For him and his family to be through all of that is good for him.”
“It felt like we never missed a beat, really. So, it was good.”
DOES THINGS EVEN OUT WITH THE REST OF THE FIELD HAVING A SHOT AT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS BECAUSE NOBODY HAS RACED HERE BEFORE?“Yeah, I would say so. There are unknowns and there are things that I think we all guessed on coming here. I think it has probably been a while for everybody since we all tested here. I know this was a facility that everyone used, but things have changed since then, for sure.”
THOUGHTS ON THE TRACK AFTER GOING OUT IN PRACTICE?“Standard, concrete oval, really for the most part. I feel like it was just how I remembered here the last time I tested; aside from the groove is a little wider and I think that’s just because there’s a lot more traffic on the track than what was ever here than when we were testing. Usually when you’re testing, there’s usually only one, two or three cars, so you never really get a lot of rubber laid down. There’s already been a race last night and there’s a lot of guys kind of moving around to try and find different parts on the track to run. Really about exactly what I thought it would be, aside from the groove being slightly wider. Everyone always migrates to the fast lane, wherever that may be.”
IS IT NICE TO HAVE THE DRIVER DYNAMIC THAT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS SEEMS TO HAVE RIGHT NOW?“Yeah, everything has been good. I feel like, just in general, like I’ve been saying over the past couple of months – Hendrick Motorsports is just in a good place. We’re all open and honest; just trying to get better. I think we’re all pushing each other to be better, which is a good thing, and we’ll continue to try to move forward.”

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES REV GROUP GRAND PRIX ROAD AMERICA ELKHART LAKE, WISCONSIN TEAM CHEVY POLE QUOTE JUNE 19, 2021 JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET WINS SECOND CONSECUTIVE NTT P1 AWARD. POLE WINNER QUICK QUOTE:
WHAT DID YOU AND YOUR TEAM KNOW THAT OTHERS DIDN’T KNOW TO GO OUT ON PRIMARY BLACK TIRES?“We knew it this morning that this was what we were going to do. I didn’t know where everyone else was at, but I knew this was my plan this morning and everyone was onboard with it. Gavin was inline, and Tim was as well. Just happy it worked out. I’m a little surprised more didn’t do that. The degradation has been the talk of the weekend. The tires are wearing out. So we needed to mix it up I think. It was going to be hard to make used tires work. It was a huge drop off on second runs. Doesn’t matter what tires you are using. I was really happy with that. Car has been phenomenal. Gavin did a great job. Boys did a great job. Super happy for Hitachi. Second pole in a row. We’ve got to get them a win though. But this is a great day. Team Chevy has done such a good job for us, I would like to get them a win. Obviously we were good last weekend, we just didn’t close the deal. So we are going to work on that tonight and hopefully we can finish it off tomorrow.”
DID YOU AND TIME TALK ABOUT LAST WEEK. OBVIOUSLY THAT IS HIS DEPARTMENT? “I back our decisions every time. I’m always pleased with what we do. I think I have the best of best as far as what we are doing strategy-wise. Tim is aces and I have a great crew behind me. I never question it. It didn’t work out. People have been asking me constantly what do we need to do. Do we need to change our approach? I’m going to maintain that we are doing just fine. We’ve had speed all year. It hasn’t worked out 100% on some of these weekends, and that is INDYCAR racing. It’s very difficult to get every thing to line up. But that’s what makes the series so exciting. But it can be a little infuriating because every thing has to go perfect for you. I think we are doing the right thing. We will try and conjure up the right plan for tomorrow. I think we keep doing what we’ve been doing.”
WHAT IS IT ABOUT YOU AND THIS PLACE? THIS IS YOUR THIRD POLE HERE.“I definitely love Road America. This is one of the best tracks in the world. Not just North America. As far as racing a car, you can’t beat this place. The crowd is always big here. I just think the support for INDYCAR racing is massive in this part of the country. This is one of my favorite tracks. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world. This is one of the best places to drive and INDYCAR.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY ALLY 400 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT JUNE 19, 2021

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY NEON LIGHTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media to discuss the recent announcement of his two-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports, his anticipation going into the NASCAR Cup Series debut at Nashville Superspeedway and more. Press Conference Highlights: 
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS HAS BEEN STEALING A LOT OF HEADLINES LATELY; FOUR-STRAIGHT WINS COMING INTO HERE THIS WEEKEND. THAT STREAK STARTED WITH ALEX (BOWMAN)’S WIN AT DOVER WHEN HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS WENT 1-2-3-4. CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE OVERVIEW OF WHAT LIFE IS LIKE OVER AT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AND THE NO. 48 TEAM RIGHT NOW?“It’s been a great time to be a part of Hendrick Motorsports. We’ve come so far the last couple of years. Obviously, a couple of years, we struggled more than we would have liked. Nobody gave up – everybody in the entire organization, from top to bottom, has continued to improve each and every week. This year has been phenomenal. We started the year strong and we’ve continued to up our game and build really fast racecars each and every week. To have two wins already on the 48 side, a bunch of wins overall and to take the lead on the all-time wins list – it’s been a phenomenal year and a lot of fun.”
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO WORK WITH A GREAT PARTNER LIKE ALLY?“It’s been great. Honestly, when you get the phone call from the boss that you’re going to go drive the No. 48 car and work with Ally, there’s a little bit of nervousness. It’s big pressure working with a company like Ally. I didn’t know anybody yet. I hadn’t met people and it was so relieving to start working with Ally and to meet everybody there. It’s been so much fun – the things we’ve done with Best Friends, the stuff we did for the paint scheme here. All the sponsor requirements that you have as a driver are things that have been really fun, natural and enjoyable. That’s been really cool and something that I’ve really enjoyed, and I look forward to continuing doing for at least the next couple of years.”
FROM A DRIVER’S PERSPECTIVE, ARE THERE ANY NERVES FOR YOU THIS WEEKEND RACING ON A NEW TRACK? “Yeah, definitely. To expand on your first question, I walked in and was shocked. I had tested here, I think in 2014, a little bit. To see where this place is at now is amazing. Hats off to everybody that was a part of that. Coming into a place you haven’t been to, haven’t ever been to with the Cup cars for racing, I’ve only tested here twice, and it’s such an interesting race track – there are a lot of unknowns. It kind of looks like a 1.5-mile track, but doesn’t really race like a 1.5-mile. It’s concrete. There are so many variables. It’s not as simple as going to the simulator and plugging it in because you can’t correlate from your past notes. You can’t dial the simulator into what’s real because you don’t know what is real yet. There’s a lot of question marks until we get on-track for practice later today, but I’m looking forward to it. Little extra pressure being the Ally 400, but going to do all we can to park the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet into victory lane.”
RICK (HENDRICK) HAD SAID THIS WAS GOING TO BE A FORMALITY, BUT WAS THERE ANY EMOTION IN ACTUALLY SIGNING THE DEAL? WERE YOU HOPEFUL FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS, BUT AS A DRIVER RIGHT NOW, IS TWO YEARS ABOUT THE MAX YOU CAN GET?“It’s still twice the length of anything else I’ve ever had, so I can’t complain too much (laughs). It’s really cool to know that Ally has faith in me and Mr. H has faith in me. I think matching the length of my contract up to Ally’s was kind of the goal all around, and what was kind of expected and normal.”“The way the industry is today, there aren’t five-year contracts out there like there used to be. I’m not going to complain too much. I’m driving the 48 for Hendrick Motorsports – it’s not so bad.”
FOLLOWING UP ON THE LENGTH OF THE CONTRACT – LAST YEAR, YOU SIGNED AN ONE-YEAR EXTENSION AND NOW THIS YEAR, IT’S TWO. WHY WAS IT ONE LAST YEAR AND WHY WAS IT TWO THIS YEAR? IS IT A VALIDATION OF YOUR PERFORMANCE TO GIVE YOU THE EXTRA YEAR?“Yeah, I don’t know. I feel like somebody way smarter than me has the answer to that. Yeah, I think definitely a validation of how we’ve run this year. I feel like as a team owner with Mr. Hendrick – if I got into the car, things weren’t going well and Ally didn’t like me and all that, they would have needed a change. So, that’s probably why it was one year, if I had to put my team owner hat on.”“It’s just an honor to get to keep driving for Hendrick Motorsports. It’s a dream come true for me everyday that I walk into that place, especially from where I started. It’s just really cool to get to keep doing it.”
HAVING THE SECURITY OF A MULTI-YEAR DEAL IN CUP FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A CHAMPIONSHIP-CALIBER RIDE LIKE THIS ONE, HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL ABOUT NEXT YEAR WITH THE NEXT GEN CAR AND ALL THE CHANGES THAT YOU HAVE THAT SECURITY THROUGH 2023?“I think you’re still going to have to do all you can to figure that Next Gen car out. It’s nice to know that I do have that security, but still doing all I can to be as ready as I can be when that car comes along. I’ve driven it once and its vastly different than what we have now. It’s going to be really interesting to see how everybody adapts; but I love new challenges, new things and new race tracks like this weekend. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
WHEN WE SPOKE TO YOU GUYS BACK AT THE 2019 BANQUET, IT WAS JUST THE BUZZ OF GETTING A RACE BACK HERE WOULD BE SO EXCITING. TWO YEARS LATER, IT’S HERE. IS IT KIND OF HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THEY MADE IT HAPPEN THAT FAST AND WHAT ARE THE EMOTIONS AND EXCITEMENT FROM ALL OF YOU GUYS GETTING A RACE BACK TO NASHVILLE?“Yeah, it’s really cool. That banquet was a blast. All of us probably had quite a bit too much fun. But definitely enjoyed it and to get to come back here – we’re probably going to have a different type of fun than we had at the banquet, but it’s cool to be back. To see the transformation this place has gone through is so cool and I think we’re all excited to be here in a new market and at a new race track. Hopefully it puts on a great show for the fans and hopefully we’re up front of the show.”
AS A GUY WHO NOT TOO MANY YEARS AGO, WHO’S CLAIM TO FAME WAS BEING THE OFFICIAL SIMULATOR DRIVER FOR HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS, ADMIST ALL THE COMPETITION AND NEXT WEEK’S RACE BEING THE MOST IMPORTANT RACE IN THE WORLD –  DO YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AROUND AND SMELL THE ROSES AND SEE WHERE YOU’VE COME FROM IN A FAIRLY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME? “Yeah, absolutely. It’s been amazing to go from where 2016 started to ending up here has been pretty incredible. I joke about the Twitter thing, but getting fired on Twitter and taking a job driving a simulator was shocking for me. I think it’s really cool to end up here and to have the support of Ally, driving for a team that I never thought I’d get a chance driving for. It’s really cool. I think I definitely get chances to appreciate everything. I think the things that I went through probably make me appreciate this situation way more than I would have if it would have been easy the whole way.”
“It’s been really cool. Hendrick Motorsports is a great place right now. They are letting us race whatever we want to race pretty much; have all kinds of fun. Like this week, I was in Indianapolis at (Indianapolis) Raceway Park. I was the crew chief for Josh Wise, who was driving a midget for me, which is a childhood hero driving a race car for me. So, I get to do all kinds of cool stuff. My day job kind of allows me to do that and it’s really cool.”

Kentuckian wins second career tour Feature, first since July 2018 PONTOON BEACH, IL – June 18, 2021 – When Tanner English and the Riggs Motorsports team set out on the trail of chasing their first DIRTcar Late Model national points title this year, they knew following the DIRTcar Summer Nationals would be the perfect way to get as many good points finishes as possible. Friday night at Tri-City Speedway, they got the best finish they could have hoped for in the most exciting way seen so far – denying Bobby Pierce’s last-lap, last-corner attempt for the win in front of several of their friends and family. English, of Benton, KY, started outside pole of the 40-lap Feature and led every lap to collect the first $10,000 check handed out this season. But after the caution was thrown with three laps remaining, it was almost taken away from him. Tour champions Brian Shirley and Pierce lined up on his bumper for the restart and both got great jumps as the green was thrown. Pierce took to the high side, got around Shirley for second and gunned it for leader English out of Turn 4 as they came to the white flag. Pierce appeared to have a good run off of Turn 2 but nearly hit the wall on exit and was forced to lift as English led the charge into Turn 3 with the lead. English rolled it through the middle while Pierce went back up high, riding the cushion for the top-side speed. Pierce tried to wedge his car between English and the outside Turn 4 wall but was unsuccessful. The two made contact just before the flag stand, slowing English only slightly as he crossed the line ahead of Pierce for his second career Summer Nationals Feature win. “I knew Bobby was coming, I knew Shirley was there. I had to make my car real wide on the last lap. I didn’t want to, but it’s ten grand, and I led the whole thing. I wanted that one pretty bad,” English said. In Victory Lane, English was relieved to get the win but would have rather done without the late restart. “That always kills me – that late caution. I saved my tires, and they weren’t real hot, so they don’t take off on restarts,” he said. Having been on the other side of last-lap passing situations before, English was happy to see it fall his way for some big money. “It seems like I gotta do that all the time – I tend to lose them pretty late. Seems like I’ve done that my whole career. I get them wrapped up and lose them at the end. It’s pretty cool to win this one,” English said. UP NEXT The Summer Nationals action continues Saturday night with Round #5 at the Fairbury Speedway. Catch all the action live on DIRTVision. Feature (40 Laps) 1. 81E-Tanner English[2]; 2. 32-Bobby Pierce[3]; 3. 3S-Brian Shirley[4]; 4. 25-Jason Feger[6]; 5. 18-Shannon Babb[5]; 6. 21JR-Billy Moyer Jr[1]; 7. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[7]; 8. 9-Devin Moran[9]; 9. 32S-Chris Simpson[23]; 10. 15-Kolby Vandenbergh[12]; 11. 48-Tim Lance[15]; 12. 14G-Joe Godsey[19]; 13. 82-Billy Laycock[21]; 14. 4G-Bob Gardner[20]; 15. 0-Dewayne Kiefer[14]; 16. 12-Ashton Winger[17]; 17. 248-Brandon Lance[22]; 18. 2-Allen Murray[8]; 19. 24-Ryan Unzicker[13]; 20. 74-Mitch McGrath[16]; 21. 26M-Brent McKinnon[11]; 22. 14-Paul Kuper[18]; 23. 11-Gordy Gundaker[10] FOUR-PACK: Hoffman Wins at Tri-City for Fourth-Straight Summit Modified Triumph  Even with the extreme heat and the big names in the house, nothing was able to shake the momentum of three-time and defending Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals champion Nick Hoffman Friday night. For the fourth night in-a-row, Hoffman reached Victory Lane, leading flag-to-flag in the 25-lap Feature at Tri-City Speedway. Hoffman, of Mooresville, NC, took on the 100-degree-plus heat and his best competition thus far with six-time tour champion Mike Harrison making his first Summit Modified appearance of the season. “Especially today with the heat index of over 110, and then ripping the nose off in qualifying, it’s pretty brutal. This one today took a toll on us,” Hoffman said. Harrison, already with five UMP Modified Feature wins at Tri-City this season, challenged Hoffman’s streak right off the bat by setting quick time in Qualifying. The rest of the event, however, was Hoffman’s strong suit. Hoffman won his Heat Race, putting him into the redraw for a top-three starting spot in the Feature, but Harrison did not. He slipped back to third before the checkered fell in his Heat, forcing him to come from seventh in the Feature. In the end, Harrison did not have enough to catch the defending tour champion, advancing three spots in 25 laps to finish fourth while Hoffman led every lap en route to his fourth-straight win. “Any time Mike’s here, he’s pretty good on that ledge up there. Tonight, it just kinda worked out in our favor – it was middle-to-the bottom dominant and I was able to roll-on. “ UP NEXT The Summit Modified action continues Saturday night with Round #5 at the Fairbury Speedway. Catch all the action live on DIRTVision. Feature (25 Laps) 1. 2-Nick Hoffman[2]; 2. 25-Tyler Nicely[1]; 3. 05-Dave Wietholder[4]; 4. 24H-Mike Harrison[7]; 5. 99-Hunt Gossum[10]; 6. 14C-Rick Conoyer[3]; 7. 36-Kenny Wallace[8]; 8. 12L-Lucas Lee[6]; 9. 1D-Dean Hoffman[17]; 10. T6-Tommy Sheppard Jr[11]; 11. 59R-Jacob Rexing[12]; 12. 13-Charlie Mefford[14]; 13. 87Z-Zeb Moake[13]; 14. 7N-Tim Nash[15]; 15. 8-Kyle Steffens[9]; 16. 45-Kyle Hammer[19]; 17. 44R-Anthony Reams[22]; 18. 7-Blake Thompson[21]; 19. 82Q-Cole Queathem[20]; 20. 18L-Michael Long[18]; 21. 66-Cole Falloway[5]; 22. 54-Shaun Horstmann[16]

DIRTcar Summer Nationals is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, Chevy Performance, DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), FireAde, Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), Indiana Decal Company, Intercomp, iRacing, Racing Electronics, SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), Summit Racing Equipment, and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Beyea Custom Headers, COMP Cams, Drydene, Fox Factory, Hoosier Racing Tire, MSD, Quarter Master, Summit Racing Equipment, VP Racing Fuels, and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum).Summit Modified Nationals is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including : Summit Racing Equipment, Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, Chevy Performance, DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), FireAde, Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), Indiana Decal Company, Intercomp, iRacing, Racing Electronics, SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Bassett Racing Wheel, Bell Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, COMP Cams, Drydene, Fast Shafts, Fox Factory, Hoosier Racing Tire, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, K1 Race Gear, KSE Racing Products, MSD, Mulit FireX, Schoenfeld Headers, Summit Racing Equipment, Velocita USA, VP Racing Fuels, Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum), and Xceldyne.

Columbus, MS (June 18, 2021) – Jonathan Davenport became the first four-time winner this season on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series tour. The three-time series champion led flag-to-flag to win the Optima Batteries Clash at the Mag Presented by Big River Steel on Friday Night at Magnolia Motor Speedway. The event was co-sanctioned with the COMP Cams Super Dirt Series. Mississippi racer Michael Arnold turned in his best career run in the LOLMDS as he finished second to the winner. Jimmy Owens was third followed by Kyle Bronson and Mike Marlar. With forecast models calling for up to an inch of rain on Saturday, track and series officials made the decision to alter the weekend schedule with the event finale being moved to tonight.  Davenport and Owens ran one-two for the first 35 laps of the race until Arnold moved into second, breaking up the duel. A caution with six laps to go gave Arnold one last shot at Davenport, but Davenport pulled away to win by 1.8 seconds. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 54th time in his career, Davenport is now two-for-two with his brand-new Longhorn Chassis. “Once we got to lapped traffic, I was okay with the yellows. These guys are so good behind me I was afraid somebody as going to burn in another groove.  I spun my tires on the next to last restart and I screwed Jimmy [Owens] up a little. I may have cost him a second-place finish. I might be kind of picky where we run this car at the rest of the season, it’s a good piece.” Arnold was elated with his podium finish. “It feels really good, I really didn’t expect a second place finish tonight! I was hoping for a top-five, but this is just awesome.” Owens was happy with finishing third after a rough night on Thursday. “The crew busted their tails getting the back-up car ready for tonight and it was pretty good. We qualified well; we were just a little short in the feature. I felt like if we got into traffic I was pretty good, especially if it stayed green for a while. I thought I could run Jonathan down if the race had stayed green, but it just didn’t go our way.” The winner’s Lance Landers/Double L Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions, ASC Warranty, Spartan Mowers, Bilstein Shocks, VP Fuels, Lucas Oil Products, Fatheadz Eyewear, and Midwest Sheet Metal. Completing the top ten were Earl Pearson Jr., Michael Page, Tim McCreadie, Hudson O’Neal, and Shane Clanton. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Clash at the MagFriday, June 18th, 2021Magnolia Motor Speedway – Columbus, MS Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Jonathan Davenport / 14.039 seconds (overall)Fast Time Group B: Brian Rickman / 14.335 seconds Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 4A-Michael Arnold[3]; 3. 25-Shane Clanton[2]; 4. 2S-Stormy Scott[4]; 5. 66C-Matt Cosner[5]; 6. 33K-Ray Kulhanek[9]; 7. 10B-David Breazeale[6]; 8. 99F-Clay Fisher[7]; 9. 7P-David Payne[10]; 10. G4-Shelby Sheedy[8]; 11. (DNS) 7C-Dillon Crim Summit Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20-Jimmy Owens[2]; 2. 40B-Kyle Bronson[1]; 3. 18X-Michael Page[4]; 4. 1T-Tyler Erb[3]; 5. 36-Logan Martin[5]; 6. 1C-Chad Thrash[8]; 7. 33S-Scott Dedwylder[6]; 8. 86-Kyle Beard[7]; 9. 33W-Terry Wilson[9]; 10. 48M-Mike Myers[10] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[2]; 2. 90-Brian Rickman[1]; 3. 11H-Spencer Hughes[3]; 4. 39-Tim McCreadie[7]; 5. 212-Josh Putnam[4]; 6. 71-Hudson O’Neal[9]; 7. R5-Hunter Rasdon[8]; 8. 12J-Jamie Elam[6]; 9. 86R-Rick Rickman[10]; 10. 6R-Robbie Stuart[5]; 11. (DNS) 3B-Luke Bennett Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 157-Mike Marlar[2]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 3. 44D-Dalton Cook[4]; 4. 1BJ-BJ Robinson[6]; 5. 14M-Morgan Bagley[5]; 6. 14-Josh Richards[7]; 7. 16S-Sam Seawright[8]; 8. 54D-Dane Dacus[9]; 9. 12C-Scott Crigler[3]; 10. (DNS) 18P-Brayden Proctor LINE-X B-Main #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 36-Logan Martin[2]; 2. 1C-Chad Thrash[4]; 3. 33K-Ray Kulhanek[3]; 4. 66C-Matt Cosner[1]; 5. 86-Kyle Beard[8]; 6. 33S-Scott Dedwylder[6]; 7. 10B-David Breazeale[5]; 8. 99F-Clay Fisher[7]; 9. 33W-Terry Wilson[10]; 10. 7P-David Payne[9]; 11. G4-Shelby Sheedy[11]; 12. 48M-Mike Myers[12]; 13. (DNS) 7C-Dillon Crim UNOH B-Main #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal[3]; 2. 14M-Morgan Bagley[2]; 3. 14-Josh Richards[4]; 4. 212-Josh Putnam[1]; 5. 54D-Dane Dacus[8]; 6. R5-Hunter Rasdon[5]; 7. 86R-Rick Rickman[9]; 8. 12C-Scott Crigler[10]; 9. 16S-Sam Seawright[6]; 10. 12J-Jamie Elam[7]; 11. 6R-Robbie Stuart[11]; 12. 18P-Brayden Proctor[12]; 13. (DNS) 3B-Luke Bennett

Schatz Celebrates Milestone Victory with Family and Tony Stewart Racing Crew

DUBUQUE, IA – June 18, 2021 – It’s not often that a 10-time World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series champion gets choked up.

However, on Friday night at Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway, Donny Schatz was, and rightfully so.

After a trying four-month stretch to open the 2021 season, a span that was perhaps more adversity-filled than any other throughout his iconic 25-year career, Schatz finally broke through into the win column with a historic blow.

The Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing driver controlled the final 18 laps in Dubuque’s debut with The Greatest Show on Dirt, giving him his long-awaited milestone 300th career victory.

A 43-year-old native of Fargo, ND, Schatz admitted the victory was extra special with parents Danny and Diane in attendance to celebrate with him.

“It hasn’t sunk in,” an emotional Schatz told Dave Rieff in victory lane. “I thought this was gonna happen about 15 times already this year. That’s the way racing is, though. Sometimes the best things come to those who wait. It seems to be that way in life, and that way on the race track.”

“I’m really glad my father was here for this one,” Schatz said as he teared up. “He doesn’t get to go to all of them anymore, but he was here tonight.”

Proof of how trying this stretch was: Schatz’s first victory of the year came in the 32nd race – the longest he’s waited in two decades – and the win snapped a 38-race drought since his 299th victory at Williams Grove (PA) Speedway last October – his longest dry spell in two decades as well.

“I’m finally over the hump,” Schatz exclaimed. “We needed that win, we needed it anywhere. The first one is always the hardest. One year we wad to wait eight races until Las Vegas and that felt like eternity, but let me tell you 32 races is really eternity. It’s not from lack of effort, or lack of anything, it’s just the way things go..

From the outset on Friday, Schatz was feeling good. His Ford Performance, Carquest, Sage Fruit #15 never missed a beat on the track, either.

He timed sixth-quick in Slick Woody’s Qualifying, won his Dryden Heat Race, and ran third in the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash to earn a second row starting spot in the 30-lap NOS Energy Drink Feature.

“There was something about the atmosphere here that made me feel like tonight was gonna be the night,” Schatz recalled. “It’s just a really awesome setting on the fairgrounds here. Something about this part of the country is unique to a kid that grew up in North Dakota.”

The night didn’t truly fall into Schatz’s grasp until Lap 12 of the Feature, when a wild turn of events sent both leader Aaron Reutzel and second-running David Gravel to the work area with flat tires. That handed the #15 command of the race, and he never relinquished control.

“I was playing cool back there and I could see Aaron setting a torrid pace around the top and then I saw how David cut his tire, so I went into conserve mode,” Schatz noted on his driving. “I got nervous during the red, because of tires sitting that long. I bounced into turn one on that restart, so I had to get my elbows up. I wasn’t letting this one get away, though.”

A caution on the white flag lap for top-five running Carson Macedo took the air out of the crowd before Schatz could cross the checkered flag. A green-white-checkered finish allowed James McFadden and Sheldon Haudenschild to take him three-wide for the win, but there was no stopping Donny on this night.

He blasted around the top and held on to take the win ahead of McFadden by 0.973-seconds. His monumental 300th career win puts him in elite company alongside Steve Kinser and Sammy Swindell, as the only three drivers in 40+ years of the World of Outlaws to ever achieve such a feat.

• 1st career win in Cottage Grove, OR on August 24, 1998
• 100th career win in Mandan, ND on August 22, 2009
• 200th career win in Elma, WA on September 7, 2015
• 300th career win in Dubuque, IA on June 18, 2021

Closing out the podium behind Schatz was James McFadden aboard the Kasey Kahne Racing #9 and Kerry Madsen in the second Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #14 entry.

Finishing out the top-five on Friday night was Sheldon Haudenschild in fourth driving the NOS Energy Drink #17 and Logan Schuchart with a hard-charging 15th-to-fifth run for the Drydene Performance Products #1S.

Rounding out the top-10 at Dubuque was Brent Marks in sixth, Aaron Reutzel in seventh, David Gravel in eighth, Brad Sweet in ninth, and Giovanni Scelzi in tenth.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series wraps up this weekend’s triple-header on Saturday, June 19 with a night at Wisconsin’s Beaver Dam Raceway. Next week, THE SHOWDOWN offers more than $600,000 in total purse money with the $30,000/Win Huset’s 50 on Monday-Tuesday, June 21-22 and the $50,000/Win Jackson Nationals on Thursday-Saturday, June 24-26.

NOS Energy Drink Feature (31 Laps due to green-white-checkered finish) – 1. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$10,000]; 2. 9-James McFadden [6][$6,000]; 3. 14-Kerry Madsen [7][$3,500]; 4. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [5][$2,800]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [15][$2,500]; 6. 19-Brent Marks [8][$2,300]; 7. 83-Aaron Reutzel [2][$2,200]; 8. 2-David Gravel [1][$2,100]; 9. 49-Brad Sweet [10][$2,050]; 10. 18-Giovanni Scelzi [9][$2,000]; 11. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [11][$1,600]; 12. 7S-Jason Sides [21][$1,400]; 13. 3-Ayrton Gennetten [12][$1,200]; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser [14][$1,100]; 15. 41-Carson Macedo [4][$1,050]; 16. 23-Russel Borland [19][$1,000]; 17. 1A-Jacob Allen [13][$1,000]; 18. 2C-Wayne Johnson [18][$1,000]; 19. 65-Jordan Goldesberry [17][$1,000]; 20. 49J-Josh Schneiderman [16][$1,000]; 21. 20G-Noah Gass [20][$1,000]. Lap Leaders: David Gravel 1-9, Aaron Reutzel 10-12, Donny Schatz 13-31. KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart[+10]

NEW Championship Standings (32/81 Races): 1. Brad Sweet (4,470); 2. David Gravel (-52); 3. Carson Macedo (-76); 4. Donny Schatz (-134); 5. Sheldon Haudenschild (-144); 6. Logan Schuchart (-180); 7. Aaron Reutzel (-216); 8. Kraig Kinser (-524); 9. James McFadden (-564); 10. Brock Zearfoss (-708).

Richard Childress Racing at Nashville Superspeedway… While Sunday marks the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series event at Nashville Superspeedway, Richard Childress Racing has a storied history in Music City in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In a total of 37 starts, the Welcome, N.C. organization has earned three wins (Kevin Harvick in 2001, Clint Bowyer in 2005, Scott Wimmer in 2008), 16 top-five, 22 top-10 finishes, and two poles. In addition, RCR posted one win in the NASCAR Truck Series with Austin Dillon in 2011, when the Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet started from the pole and captured the checkered flag.  Catch the Action… The NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville Superspeedway will be televised live Saturday, June 19, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  The NASCAR Cup Series’ Nashville 400 at Nashville Superspeedway will be televised live Sunday, June 20, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

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Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Get Bioethanol Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Nashville Superspeedway… Although Nashville Superspeedway is a new track on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit, Austin Dillon has plenty of experience and a winning history at the 1.33-mile D-shaped concrete oval. He made two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts for Kevin Harvick, Inc. at the track in 2011, earning a third-place finish among two top-10 finishes. In four NASCAR Truck Series starts at Nashville, Dillon has earned one win and one pole award. He has also taken part in NASCAR Cup Series testing at the track.  Delivering Performance on the Track and for the Planet… The new “Get Bioethanol” car showcases the performance benefits of racing with engine smart and earth kind bioethanol blended fuel, Sunoco Green E15. Whether it’s delivering cleaner and cooler high octane on the racetrack or on your drive to the grocery store, plant-based bioethanol makes a lasting positive impact on our planet and for future generations. Learn more about what fueling up with bioethanol means for your engine and your environment at GetBioethanol.com. AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:When you think of Nashville Superspeedway, what are some of the memories and experiences that come to mind for you?“Nashville Superspeedway kicked off my NASCAR Cup Series career. One of my first Cup tests was at Nashville. I remember going there to test with the team leading into the season and having a really good time. We won there in the NASCAR Truck Series and finished third there in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with KHI. We had fun at Nashville. It was a good track for me.”  “I’m looking forward to going back. I always felt like if we got a shot in the NASCAR Cup Series car at Nashville Superspeedway that it would be a good track for us. I can’t wait. We’ll definitely be grinding it out on the SIM this week to see what we can learn.” One of your first NASCAR Cup Series tests was at Nashville Superspeedway. What did that mean for you at that point in your career?“It was exciting, getting to go have my time to be in the NASCAR Cup Series and getting the time with the team. Obviously, they were Kevin Harvick’s team and then we kind of jumped into that season. I was the new guy, so getting to hang out with the guys and just be a part of it was important. It was a fun time, obviously starting off my Cup career. I remember going there, testing, and just trying things. We didn’t get to race there, but it was cool to go through and get ready for a practice session. It was also team building. After the test, we went out to downtown Nashville and had a really good time. The second day of the test was not as productive as the first day.”  Nashville Superspeedway is interesting because even though there hasn’t been a NASCAR Cup Series race, the Cup teams have a long history of testing there so there’s a few teams with a pretty thick notebook. What kind of race do you anticipate?“I talked to Kurt Busch because he did the NASCAR test for Chevrolet. He was a bit concerned about tires and being able to last because the concrete had some edges that were created over the years from not being raced on. The edges weren’t really knocked down, kind of like when we got to Dover and Bristol. Nashville seemed to be tough on tires when they were testing. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens when we all get out there and all that rubber gets laid down. I’m assuming it’s going to lay a ton of rubber down after the practice sessions, so it could change. But I think what’s cool and what I enjoyed about Nashville is people fought for that bottom line and you really had to be disciplined and not miss your exit leaving the corner at Nashville. The car that rotated the most was pretty good. I’m looking forward to racing there this weekend. It’s been a good track for us in the past. I did get to test there a long time ago, so we’ll look at some of the notes. I’ve already looked at all of the notes from my NASCAR Truck Series races there. I think we have the NASCAR Xfinity Series notes, as well.”

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Joe Nichols / Quartz Hill Records Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Nashville Superspeedway… Tyler Reddick will be making his debut start in any NASCAR national touring series at Nashville Superspeedway this weekend. Reddick participated in one rookie test at Nashville Superspeedway in the NASCAR Truck Series with Brad Keselowski Racing, but an unfortunate tire issue cut the test short. About Joe Nichols… Multi-platinum Quartz Hill Records’ Joe Nichols is one of country music’s most-lauded recording artists. A 21st century traditionalist, Nichols is an artist who is both timely and timeless – one who has racked up a half-dozen Number 1 singles and ten Top 10 hits with a sound that blurs the boundaries between country music’s past and present. It’s an approach that has earned Nichols three Grammy nominations, a CMA award, an ACM trophy, a CMT “Breakthrough Video of the Year” Award as well as multiple gold and platinum-certified records. Nichols’ additional honors include awards from Billboard, Radio & Records and Music Row Magazine as well as a New York Times “Best-Albums-of-the-Year” nod. The celebrated star has appeared on national media programs ranging from the ACM Presents: Superstar Duets on CBS to The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The View, Entertainment Tonight and Austin City Limits. Nichols new single, “Home Run,” is at radio now and available digitally worldwide. For the latest news on Nichols visit: www.JoeNichols.com and follow him (@JoeNichols) on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. About Quartz Hill Records… Quartz Hill Records is a full-service country music label led by Benny Brown, Paul Brown and award-winning songwriter Jason Sellers. In addition to multi-platinum star Joe Nichols, Quartz Hill’s roster includes triple threat singer/songwriter/ guitarist Ben Gallaher as well as up-and-coming country stylist Nate Barnes whose first single, “You Ain’t Pretty,” was a Top 10 Most Added Song 4 out of its first 5 weeks at Country Radio.” (Mediabase) TYLER REDDICK QUOTE:This is your first time racing at Nashville Superspeedway. How have you been preparing for this weekend, and have you found any similarities between Nashville and other tracks you’ve race at?“The size itself is not that common and only somewhat similar to Darlington, but the shape and surface is totally different. I actually have a small handful of laps at Nashville from my very first outing with Brad Keselowski Racing when I was just getting into the Truck Series. We did a rookie test there, but I unfortunately had a tire cord and completely come apart on me, causing the truck to receive some day-ending damage to it. So, it was a short test for me, and it has been such a long time that I had even forgotten it is a concrete surface there. That’s how green I was when I originally tested there; I didn’t even know the difference in track surfaces. Obviously, I’ve learned a lot since then and have a lot more experience, but there is still a lot for me to figure out at Nashville this weekend. I’ll be running double-duty and competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race to help give me some extra on-track time, which should hopefully help us out a lot on the Cup side with our No. 8 Joe Nichols / Quartz Hill Records Chevrolet on Sunday.”

Myatt Snider and the No. 2 Crosley Furniture Chevrolet Camaro at Nashville Superspeedway… Myatt Snider will make his inaugural start at Nashville Superspeedway this weekend. The 26-year-old has never raced at the 1.33-mile D-shaped oval and will record his first laps during Friday afternoon’s practice session.  About Crosley Brands… For over 30 years, Crosley Brands has been a leader in the nostalgic electronics category. From their beginning in the premium incentive industry, Crosley Brands developed their own exclusive product lines and built solid relationships with some of the most well-known catalogers and retailers in the business. Today, Crosley Brands is known for two brands – Crosley Radio and Crosley Furniture. At the front lines of the Vinyl Revolution, Crosley Radio seeks to bring new life to a classic medium, with its revolutionary line of turntables to its new series of high-fidelity units. Building on a legacy of entrepreneurship, Crosley Furniture delivers quality products at competitive prices, without sacrificing style. From the patio to the kitchen, bath, entryway and beyond, Crosley Furniture offers over 1,800 indoor and outdoor furniture items in a variety of categories and designs. For more information, please visit www.crosleybrands.com.  MYATT SNIDER QUOTE:What are your thoughts heading into Nashville Superspeedway, a track you have never raced on before? “I’m excited to get to Nashville Superspeedway and finally make actual laps there. I’ve heard great things about the track itself, been practicing on the simulator and watching film from past races. Richard Childress Racing and the No. 2 car found success at Nashville previously and hopefully we are continuing that record this weekend. I’m very thankful for Bo LeMastus and Crosley Brands joining our team for not only this race but three additional ones. Crosley is synonymous with excellence and our RCR team looks to do that every time we hit the track. I can’t wait to represent the Crosley colors for the first time in my first race at Nashville.”

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES REV GROUP GRAND PRIX ROAD AMERICA IN ELKHART LAKE, WISCONSIN TEAM CHEVY DRIVER ZOOM CONFERENCE – ARROW MCLAREN SP JUNE 18, 2021
PATO O’WARD, KEVIN MAGNUSSEN AND TAYLOR KIEL FROM ARROW MCLAREN SP MET WITH MEDIA AT ROAD AMERICA PRIOR TO START OF ON-TRACK ACTIVITIES. MAGNUSSEN IS FILLING IN FOR AMSP FULL-TIME DRIVER FELIX ROSENQVIST WHO HAS NOT BEEN CLEARED TO DRIVE AFTER AN ACCIDENT IN RACE ONE OF THE CHEVROLET DUAL IN DETROIT. FULL TRANSCRIPT:
THE MODERATOR: Hello, everybody, and welcome to Arrow McLaren SP press conference. Today we have Kevin Magnussen, who’s joining us for the first time to make his INDYCAR debut in the No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet; we have Taylor Kiel, president of Arrow McLaren SP; and we have Pato O’Ward, driving the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet and the current NTT INDYCAR Series championship leader.Before we get into it too far, Pato, we’ll start with you. You took a very close championship lead in Detroit after winning the second race. How does that change your perspective for the rest of the season?PATO O’WARD: Yeah, thanks. Yeah, I think we’ve had a strong year so far. There’s still so many races to go, so we can’t get really focused on where the championship is right now. We’re definitely on the right path. But we need to continue doing what we have been doing.We need to be consistent, and we know the Ganassi cars are always going to be there, the Penskes, the Andrettis. I feel like in the next few races, I think the championship is going to get even tighter than what it is now, especially in the top five positions. Yeah, we just need to continue pushing, and I tell the team all the time, right now is the time where we really need to push and we need to stay on track and just make sure we make no mistakes, and the results will come.
THE MODERATOR: Kevin, fresh off a win in a Cadillac at Detroit last week. Were you expecting to make your INDYCAR debut the following weekend, and how excited are you to be here?KEVIN MAGNUSSEN: No, I wasn’t expecting that. It’s quite a kickass prize, not being able to (indiscernible) accident. He seems to be getting better (indiscernible).
Q.Taylor, a lot going on with Arrow McLaren SP the past couple weeks between the accident with Felix and now a new driver heading into Road America. How have things been going with the team over the past couple weeks and how confident are you this weekend going into Road America?TAYLOR KIEL: Well, yeah, it’s been a crazy week to say the least. Certainly a lot of emotion in Detroit with the highs of the race win and the lows of Felix’s incident, but the team has continued to remain focused, which is something that we certainly place an emphasis on. We know our goals. We know why we’re here and we stay focused. It’s been good to see the team certainly react to adversity and overcome it, but we’re totally focused on certainly pursuing a championship with Pato and giving Kevin the best shot that we can to try out an INDYCAR.I’m very excited. I think he’s going to come on board and help push our program forward. It’s a big reason why we went after a guy like Kevin. So I’m excited. I’m excited to see how this weekend turns out.
Q.You worked pretty hard on the championship last year with Pato. How much better prepared do you believe you are this year?TAYLOR KIEL: Much more. I would say last year we were kind of just living in the moment, and by the end of the season we found ourselves in a pretty good spot. We were still putting pieces of the puzzle together. We’re racing against teams that have decades of championship-winning experience. Those are the teams we’re trying to beat, so it’s no tall task — or it is a tall task, excuse me.What I feel this year is we’ve experienced it, we’ve been in the fight, and we know what it takes now, so it’s more of a methodical focus of winning the championship.
Q.Pato, from your point of view, you are in the championship race but how much better prepared do you think you are this year?PATO O’WARD: Yeah, I think I just can add on to what Taylor said. I feel more prepared just knowledge-wise in what I know of INDYCAR racing in a way. Like I just know what more to expect in certain scenarios, certain situations. But honestly last year we were more in the fight maybe for third or second. I think Dixie was quite far away leading into the end of the championship, but we’re in a great position right now where we’re in it.We’re in the fight to win this championship, so I think that’s quite ahead of where we were last year. And like I said, we kind of know what to expect a little bit more, so I feel like everybody is just a little more prepared. Yeah, every race is different; not one single one will ever be the same. But I think we’re ready for the challenge ahead.
Q.Taylor, getting why did you pursue a guy like Kevin?TAYLOR KIEL: Well, Kevin is a world-class driver. I think he’s shown that last week. He’s shown that his whole career. It also helps he’s got a bit of a McLaren relationship from the past, but what was important for us was putting somebody in the car that can continue to push the program forward and feed back into the team.How the car is, those types of things, we need to have somebody that can help our priority, which is winning the championship. That’s a big piece of it. I think giving Kevin an opportunity to drive one of these cars is cool. I think he’s going to show well and show that he’s a top-shelf driver. We’re in a position now where that’s what we need.
Q.Is it beneficial in some ways for you guys to be able to put someone brand new in a car, either get someone’s brand new perspective and also quasi test a driver out?TAYLOR KIEL: Something good out of a bad situation, that’s what we’ve done. I think the two points you mentioned are fair. I think any time you’re faced with some adversity like this, having somebody in the car that can help you move forward is important, so you try not to take away from anything else that we’re doing, and I think this does the opposite. This is enhancing what we’re trying to do.
Q.Kevin, kind of take us through the emotions of this week and how it compares if at all to any other race week preparation?KEVIN MAGNUSSEN: It doesn’t really compare to any experience I’ve had. This is certainly the very least prepared I’ve ever been to step into a race. But at the end of the day, as I said at the beginning, it’s not the greatest circumstances when you’ve got a driver out who got hurt in a crash. As I said, I think he’s recovering very well. But yeah, when you get an opportunity like this, I’m a racing driver, a passionate one, and when an opportunity comes to go and drive an awesome race car like an INDYCAR, I had to take it.
Q.In what ways have you tried to either use Pato or someone that you raced alongside like Romain to try and prepare for this race on Sunday?KEVIN MAGNUSSEN: I mean, the priority was to first get fit in the car and get the seat going and steering wheel, all that, to make sure I can drive it today. I went to see Romain yesterday just to hang out a bit and of course we were talking about this weekend and driving an INDYCAR, and he was actually very helpful and giving advice and just kind of letting me know the obvious and most biggest differences from INDYCAR to F1.But you know, I’m going to have a great team behind me this weekend to guide me through this crazy challenge, and I’m really here to just experience and enjoy and hopefully have a good result on Sunday. But most of all learn and enjoy.
Q.At the end of last season was there part of you that wanted to open-wheel car again? Was this something that you were working towards at some point?KEVIN MAGNUSSEN: I don’t know. I mean, after leaving Formula 1 it’s like a whole new world of opportunity has opened up. It feels very good to be able to look at all sorts of different things and just go and have fun with what I’m doing. As I said, I’m a racing driver and a very passionate one. I love driving race cars, and I love competing. Being able to do all these different things and experience all these different cars and tracks around the world is really a privilege, and this weekend is going to be another big privilege.
Q.Taylor, is there an update on Felix? And for Kevin, Scott Dixon said earlier this week that Kevin came to the U.S. to race INDYCAR; is that correct, and ultimately where you want to be?KEVIN MAGNUSSEN: Thanks, Scott, speaking on my behalf. It’s never been a secret that INDYCAR is something that I am pretty passionate about. It’s nothing new. I’ve been — my dad raced INDYCARs in the mid-’90s when I was only a small little kid, and I can remember back then that I was thinking, I’ve got to do that one day. So it’s nothing new. I’ve never hidden the fact that I had a massive interest in INDYCAR.But I’ve also never hidden the fact that I just am a passionate racing driver that loves driving cars and competing, and as I said, I’m fortunate and privileged to be able to go around and drive all these different cars. Last week I drove at an awesome track in Detroit and won. We had a lot of fun, and that’s the real privilege of being me at the moment is being able to just have this much fun with what I do.
Q.Taylor, is there an update on Felix and are you expecting him to be cleared for Road America?TAYLOR KIEL: Yeah, as far as Felix goes, I think certainly our statements as they’ve come out have updated everybody as best we can. He was released. He’s gone through a lot of the medical protocols that INDYCAR have in place to protect the drivers and to make sure that they’re fit mentally and physically to get back in the car, and unfortunately we’re just not quite there yet with Felix. We felt as a team and with Felix that the best thing for us to do was to forego Road America for him, allow him to focus more on his recovery so that we can take advantage of the break on the backside and make sure that he’s 100 percent to close this season out.It’s a short-term setback certainly for Felix and us as a team, but again, we’ll always be very cautious in these situations to make sure that the driver is protected and that they can recover and that they have all the support that they need to recover, and we’ll see Felix back soon.
Q.Pato, you are actually the first Mexican driver to lead the INDYCAR championship in 18 years; what does that mean to you? And also, is there something special that you do as a team to prepare for the restarts?PATO O’WARD: In terms of the restarts, it’s not anything that people don’t know. I mean, I enjoy having the car in the limit. I don’t get bothered by being sideways in certain situations. I was very surprised to see all the comments by everybody because it’s not the first restart where we’ve been strong. But yeah, it’s just I don’t really know what’s the answer. I just think we did a good job in the restarts.And in terms of leading the championship, I mean, honestly it doesn’t really mean anything right now. It will mean something to us whenever we win the championship. I think as much as it means right now is that we’re in the fight and we need to continue pushing and doing a good job.
Q.McLaren Racing is a brand that you have a long history with. What are your emotions about reuniting with McLaren, and is it something you ever expected after racing with them in Formula 1?KEVIN MAGNUSSEN: I mean, it’s great to be back with the McLaren brand. It’s been home for me for many years. Quite long ago now, it was 2014, but I spent my whole kind of junior career being a young driver for McLaren in their F1 program and I have a lot of good memories of that. They gave me my first Formula 1 race and season, my podium in F1, my first race and lots of good memories in that regards. So nice to be back with that brand.
Q.Pato, you posted that it’s the year of the Mexican. How has your Mexican pride felt this year, and seeing the success of some other Mexican athletes seems huge for you?PATO O’WARD: Yeah, I feel very proud to be part of the group that is getting recognized. Yeah, I mean, I think it’s been great that we’ve seen very different athletes doing really well in their certain sport, whether it is UFC, boxing, Checo in Formula 1, me in INDYCAR, the lady that won the Miss Universe, Miss Mexico. Yeah, I think it’s really cool.
Q.You got a lot thrown at you this weekend, not the least of which is the track. I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to test or anything before, but what have you done and who do you take suggestions from or whatever to prepare yourself specifically for Road America?KEVIN MAGNUSSEN: Well, I had a test day here in the DPi earlier in the year, so I’ve seen the track and seen how cool it is. It’s a very fun track to drive. Lots of history here, as well, so it’s a great place to go racing.You know, the team has quite a bit of experience, and the engineers have been very good in giving me all the information that they could, and I’ve been watching videos — I watched the race from previous years and just tried to get an idea of how it’s done.You know, I’m as prepared as I can be with the limits of time, but it will be a steep learning curve for sure when I get in the car for the first time this afternoon.
Q.Was there any sort of advice that you offered specific to this place?PATO O’WARD: Yes, we did the track work yesterday, and yeah, I’ll help in any way I can, but he’s a top driver, so I’m sure he’s going to get around to it very naturally. But yeah, as I told the team and told him, I’m an open book, so anything you may need or anything you need, I’m here to help. I want both cars to be at the front this weekend.
Q.Kevin, this is a legitimate FIA type road course. A lot of Formula 1 drivers compare it favorably to the courses they run on. When you find out your first INDYCAR race is going to be here at Road America, what were your thoughts, and what is it about the track that really excites you being able to get to drive on it for the first time?KEVIN MAGNUSSEN: I think it’s very lucky that I have this opportunity at this track because it’s a very cool track. It’s one of those that has a lot of history, as well. They used to race through the city, and it’s kind to comparable to Spa-Francorchamps and Watkins Glen and those kind of places that has that kind of history from way back. So it’s always special to go to those places that have a different atmosphere and special feeling. So yeah, another part to be very happy about is the location of this race.
Q.Kevin, you’ve gone from Formula 1 car to the DPi to the INDYCAR. What’s the process been like learning all the different tips and tricks of how to drive these different cars?KEVIN MAGNUSSEN: Well, I think you continue to find little bits and pieces with experience. When I got into the car the first time, there’s a lot of new things, and you need — you can keep learning and it just helps you be consistent and strong in different situations.One thing is doing a quick lap time at a given track in a given set of conditions, but being able to go through a championship and different tracks and different sessions like qualifying, race and be good in every aspect, that requires a little bit of experience.When you go into new stuff, you just learn a lot. It’s a process, obviously, of information and try and use it to your advantage.
Q.You said last month, Kevin, that you wanted to do the INDYCAR 500 because it was a little bit nuts. Do you feel this as a step towards that goal? Is this race kind of its own reward?KEVIN MAGNUSSEN: I think more the second. It’s more just a bonus of this year, that I get to do this race. Yeah, the INDYCAR 500 is definitely something that I want to do one day. I’m not really actively working towards it at the moment, just kind of taking one day at a time. I have my season with Chip Ganassi Racing and Cadillac in DPi and that’s my main part to this year and my main focus, and then what happens in the future and will happen, I’ve said that INDYCAR and especially the Indy 500 is a dream to do it, and we’ll see if it happens from there.
Q.You almost won here last year, finishing second to your teammate Felix Rosenqvist. What did you learn from last year’s race that you can apply to this weekend?PATO O’WARD: I mean, every race is going to be different, so I feel like it’s really hard to plan what is going to happen this weekend, but I think something that we have learned, not just for this race but any race is the further up you qualify, the easier you make your life, yourself and the team’s. Yeah, being behind someone with old tires really kills them.
Q.Kevin, how did it feel sitting in the INDYCAR for the first time yesterday and how does that get you excited for this weekend?KEVIN MAGNUSSEN: Yeah, it felt very tight. There’s not a lot of room in those cars. Kind of used to that, I guess, from Formula 1, but already being in a DPi for a couple of races I kind of got used to that extra space. So it’s something that will feel different, I’m sure, when I get out today.But other than that, the position that you’re sitting in is pretty familiar. Typical single-seater position, very low, and almost lying down. I’m sure it’s going to be fun.
Q.Your father subbed in for an injured Emerson Fittipaldi 25 years ago at Road America. The race didn’t last long for him, but did he give you any pointers going into this weekend?KEVIN MAGNUSSEN: No, I mean, we’ve been talking about it. It’s kind of funny, there’s been some things in my career that kind of resembles the things that happened in his career quite a bit during both our first races with McLaren and now stepping in for an injured driver at Road America and other things like that throughout. There’s been some pretty funny coincidences.
Q.Daniel Suárez says he’s good friends with both you and Checo. He says he’s happy that you’re winning but he’s kind of frustrated that he hasn’t been able to get his win for México. Is there a friendly rivalry between the three of you being in three different forms of motorsport?PATO O’WARD: I think we all really want to strive where we’re all. We’re all competitors. We’re all racers. We all support each other. We want all of us to do well in our specific series.I was actually talking to him a few days ago. I think he’s going to be doing a race in Nashville — not in INDYCAR, but he’s going to be there. I haven’t seen him in quite some time, so I’m excited to see him and just catch up.
Q.Taylor, are you ready to lay claim that your team is the best Chevy team out there right now? If not the best INDYCAR team out there right now?TAYLOR KIEL: Well, no, I wouldn’t say that yet. I think the one thing that we’ve — look, we’ve got goals and ambitions to be the best team. There’s no doubt about that. Until we win every race on the calendar, I can’t say that we are.It’s just inherent in what we do. We’re always working towards more. We’re trying to push the limits, and we’re trying to be the best that we can be today, and that’s really what the focus is.

NASCAR CUP SERIES NASHVILLE SUPER SPEEDWAY ALLY 400TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT JUNE 18, 2021

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Press Conference Highlights Transcript: DURING THE GOODYEAR TIRE TEST BACK IN MARCH, WE SAW TIRES CORDING AFTER 20-25 LAPS. WHAT EXACTLY CAUSES TIRES TO CORD LIKE WE SAW DURING THE TEST? “I think just the concrete. We don’t normally run on concrete and concrete is pretty abrasive to tires, especially at like Dover or Bristol. You usually have tire issues there. I feel like that’s just what it is. It seems like it’s a lot better through practice. The track rubbered in pretty quickly. I feel like it’s gotten a lot better. I think the biggest thing for us was just trying to get it to turn. It’s a really flat place and it feels like of like Pocono (Raceway) in that aspect; the straightaways are pretty long. Yeah, it was cool.”
WAS THIS A TRUCK RACE THAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR A RIDE BECAUSE YOU HAD NEVER BEEN HERE OR WAS THIS SOMETHING THE TEAM CAME TO YOU? “Yeah, Rudy (Fugle) and Willie Allen came to me with this opportunity back in March, I think. It wasn’t on my radar. I haven’t run anything other than Cup for a few years. I was kind of nervous, but it worked out and they were willing to have me in their truck and that’s awesome. I’m really appreciative of the opportunity and feel like it’s one that’s going to help me in the Cup Series. But really, it’s just a chance to have fun with my guys. I get a chance to have Josh Graham here, who works on the 24, and meet a lot of the new guys at Rackley and their team. It’s been fun. We started off practice a little bit off, but we got a lot better and obviously got really good there by the end. Just have to keep working on it, but it’s awesome to have the opportunity.”
THEY PUT RESIN DOWN, WHICH THEOREDICALLY ISN’T TRACTION COMPOUND. DID YOU FEEL MORE GRIP UP THERE OR COULD YOU TELL ANY SORT OF DIFFERENCE?“Yeah, I thought the track rubbered in pretty quickly. I thought the rubber laid down quicker than I’m used to in a practice session, so that was interesting. I was nervous firing off there, just not knowing the truck and seeing that a lot of guys usually have issues with the traction compound. I was kind of nervous there, so I kind of stayed pretty low for the first couple of runs. As I worked into it, it seemed like it was normal grip level. It wasn’t a huge deal. I don’t think we’re going super-fast in the center of the corner, so it’s not like you’re super on-edge getting to the resin compound.”
ON THE CUP SIDE OF THINGS, I WAS ASKING AROUND ABOUT THE CURRENT STREAK THAT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS HAVE BEEN ON. I HEARD THAT REALLY THE ADVANTAGE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE IS WITH MASTERING THE BODY OF THE CURRENT CUP CAR. WITHOUT GIVING ME TOO MANY TRADE SECRETS, CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY HENDRICK HAS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP THE CURRENT CUP BODY, EVEN THOUGH THIS CURRENT CUP CAR IS GOING TO BE OBSOLETE THIS TIME NEXT YEAR?“I don’t think it’s really one thing. I think we’ve gone to work on a lot of different areas. It’s taken us two or three years, maybe four, since I’ve been here to kind of get to where we are. So, I don’t think it’s really one thing. Downforce always helps, but a lot of other things help. I feel like we’re just trending in the right direction and I give credit to our sim program; to everything that gets us close because we don’t have practice. So, to show up with the splitter being close, all those things being close, is really tough. So, I don’t think that’s really just downforce – I think it’s really just a lot of hard work from engineers, fabrication guys, everything.”
DO YOU KIND OF FEEL LIKE YOU’RE IN A DEFICIT COMING INTO THE SPORT, IN AN ERA WHERE THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO TESTING? THE SIMULATOR IS REALLY ABOUT ALL YOU’VE HAD TO RELY ON. “Yeah, it is. I think that’s why opportunities like this are so awesome. I think that’s why chances to run something else is really good for me, like I’m having this weekend. I feel like it’s a great opportunity for me to learn. I do feel like now in the Cup cars, I feel pretty up to speed. I don’t feel like I’m at a deficit by any means. It’s just figuring out the little details of each track that maybe I haven’t had a car at that track to be competitive with to know what I need to feel. We’re getting there though. I think we’ve been to a lot of tracks that I wasn’t competitive before in Cup and now, this year, we were really good. I think Texas (Motor Speedway) is an example of that. I’m excited for the summer months and see what we can do.”
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE BACK IN THE TRUCK SERIES HERE AT NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY?“Yeah, it’s awesome. I obviously watch the Truck races every weekend, but you don’t really know how it’s going to drive until you get out there. So, I was really nervous going into the first corner, just to know what it was going to feel like, understand the side force and the feel. We aren’t going as fast as a 1.5-mile track, so I’m sure it would feel a little different there. But it kind of brings you back to a few years ago.”“The other thing is how much room you have above your head. I’m not used to that either. The engine has changed since I’ve been in the Trucks. At the time, it was just open engines, so that’s a little different too. So, I’m getting used to the shifting and all that. Restarts I think will be a challenge for me, just to get up to speed and remember to shift. I’m going to have to be looking down at my tach and looking up. It’s going to be a challenge.”