Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Chevrolet Team Show Never-Give-Up Attitude at Bristol Motor Speedway Despite Early Misfortune

“I thought we did a good job with the balance of our Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 so I’m not sure why we cut a tire. The balance of the race car was better than anything else we’ve had. It was early in Stage 1 and I didn’t really have much warning. We started to get tight off of the corners but the right-front tire went down really suddenly at the start finish line and I just tried to hold on. We might have been able to save it if the No. 48 car didn’t hit my rear but he just had so much momentum going and it was all over at that point. We scraped the wall with the right-side of our Chevy pretty bad and spent the rest of Stage 1 and the majority of Stage 2 in the garage making repairs to the suspension. That basically ruined our day but this Richard Childress Racing team never gives up so we went back out and finished the race, albeit multiple laps down. I hate that we couldn’t be more in contention today for Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Off Road and our friend Johnny Morris.”

-Austin Dillon

Daniel Hemric Battles to 12th-Place Finish with Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol

“We worked hard during practice on Friday and made a few changes to the initial setup of our Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet that Luke Lambert and the guys had success with in the past at Bristol Motor Speedway. I feel like that effort on Friday really helped us on Saturday during the race when the top of the racetrack came in, especially in Turns 3 and 4. At the start of the race, we rolled by a couple of cars and thought we’d be okay but as soon as we got in clean air our Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet was way too loose, which made it hard to make speed on the bottom. We worked all night to get our Chevy tightened up and the handling would come to me if we could get a heat cycle on the tires. The race pace was so fast that it was a challenge to stay on the lead lap, but we had some things fall our way from time to time to get the free pass. If I had another corner or two, I think I could have passed the No. 6 car for 11th, but I’m just proud of everyone on the Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet team for never giving up and bringing home the finish that we did.”

-Daniel Hemric

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
BASS PRO SHOPS NRA NIGHT RACE
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
AUGUST 17, 2019

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
5th Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hooters Spirits Camaro ZL1
6th Kyle Larson, No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1
9th Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1
12th Daniel Hemric, No. 8 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Camaro ZL1
14th Bubba Wallace, No. 43 United States Air Force Camaro ZL1

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st Denny Hamlin (Toyota)
2nd Matt Dibenedetto (Toyota)
3rd Brad Keselowski (Ford)
4th Kyle Busch (Toyota)
5th Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series takes a break next weekend and resumes on Sunday, September 1 at 6 p.m. ET with the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Live coverage can be found on NBCSN, the NBC Sports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Bristol–Post Race →

BRITTANY FORCE GOES NO. 1 AND CLINCHES SPOT IN
NHRA COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP
BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 17, 2019) — Brittany Force and the Carquest Filters dragster team earned the No. 1 qualifying spot and a guaranteed spot in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship Saturday at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway. Her legendary father, John Force, moved into the No. 3 spot with the PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil / Lighting Chevy Camaro SS team, Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California team are starting race day from the No. 4 position, and rookie Austin Prock is ninth with his Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster. Continue reading BRITTANY FORCE GOES NO. 1 AND CLINCHES SPOT IN NHRA COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP →

Jeg Coughlin Jr.’s consistent Camaro cruises into Brainerd eliminations in fifth slot
BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 17) — Five-time Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. survived another night in Brainerd International Raceway’s infamous Zoo campground, as well as four rounds of professional qualifying, and managed to lock up the fifth rung on the elimination ladder of this weekend’s 32nd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Continue reading Jeg Coughlin Jr.’s consistent Camaro cruises into Brainerd eliminations in fifth slot →

Pocono Qualifying Cancelled Due to Weather
• Rain, low ceiling result in cancellation of IndyCar Series qualifying
• ABC Supply 500 field set by team-owner points
• Championship contenders Alexander Rossi to start second, Scott Dixon fourth

LONG POND, Penn. (August 17, 2019) – Low cloud cover, followed by rain showers, forced race officials to cancel qualifying Saturday at Pocono Raceway for Sunday’s ABC Supply Co., Inc. 500.

A scheduled one-hour morning practice session was scrubbed when overcast skies and a low ceiling prevented the required medical helicopter from flying to Pocono. A brief but heavy rain shower then soaked the 2.5-mile Pocono tri-oval, leading to the cancellation of qualifying.

As a result, the starting order for the 22-car NTT IndyCar Series field will be set by owner points, with last year’s race winner, Alexander Rossi, starting second to points leader Josef Newgarden. Defending series champion Scott Dixon will start fourth.

Later in the afternoon, the track dried sufficiently for the series to run a two-hour practice session, with Honda drivers claiming three of the top four positions, led by Dixon in second at 215.761 mph, with rookie Santino Ferrucci third at 215.377 mph and Rossi fourth at 215.373 mph.

Television coverage of Sunday’s 200-lap race, the second and final 500-mile race of the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series season, starts at 2 p.m. EDT on the NBC Sports Network.

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES
ABC SUPPLY 500
POCONO RACEWAY IN LONG POND PENNSYLVANIA
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFICATIONS RECAP
AUGUST 17, 2019

Points leader Newgarden to start on pole at Pocono
Three Chevy drivers in top five; inclement weather cancels qualifying

LONG POND, Pa. (August 17, 2019) – NTT IndyCar Series championship points leader Josef Newgarden, driving the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, will start from the pole August 18 in the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway.
Continue reading Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Pocono →

Tyler Reddick Wins in the TAME the BEAST Chevrolet Camaro at Bristol Motor Speedway

“We had to overcome adversity all day long, so to cap this off with a win at Bristol Motor Speedway is huge. We started from the back with a pass through penalty, and had a little bit of a hole to dig out of. Luckily, we got a caution pretty fast and got back on the lead lap and we began to push our way through the field. I tried to make good on my promise to my crew chief Randall Burnett and the team to win the first stage, but the car slid out on me. We luckily didn’t receive any damage, just some flat tires and were able to pit to fix that. Unfortunately, we had a slight miscue on pit road and got sent to the back again. I knew with how well our TAME the BEAST Chevrolet was handling, we could make it back up to the front, and we did. We were making some gains on the No. 7 for the lead as the laps wound down, and then all the sudden, it was like the seas parted. Everything came together in those final 10 laps, and we were able to get the win. It felt great to get this No. 2 TAME the BEAST team back in Victory Lane, and I hope we can find ourselves there a few more times before the end of the year.”

-Tyler Reddick

ROBERT HIGHT AND AUTO CLUB SIT NO. 3 FRIDAY AT
BRAINERD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 16, 2019) — Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS team lead John Force Racing from the No. 3 spot Friday night at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway. Funny Car teammate John Force and the PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil / Lighting Camaro SS are currently No. 8 and, in Top Fuel, Austin Prock is seventh with Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist, and Brittany Force and her Carquest Filters dragster are sitting 12th.

Looking to pick up his sixth win of the season and second at the facility, two-time Funny Car world champion Robert Hight ran his Auto Club Chevy Camaro SS to a solid 3.924-second pass at 326.48 mph for the No. 3 position in the second qualifying session. The veteran driver earned one bonus point as he improved from his first run of 4.323-second pass at 213.27 mph after hazing the tires. Continue reading ROBERT HIGHT AND AUTO CLUB SIT NO. 3 FRIDAY AT BRAINERD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY →

Menard Qualifies 25th At Bristol

August 16, 2019

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Knauf Insulation Ford Mustang are set to start Saturday’s Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway from 25th place.

During qualifying on Friday night Menard toured the track at 125.881 miles per hour to earn that position.

Despite a couple of bobbles, his speed in qualifying was fairly consistent with his lap times in two practice sessions earlier in the day. He was 22nd fastest in the opening session with a best lap at 125.88 mph, which he posted on the 21st of 44 laps run in that session. In Happy Hour his best lap, at 125.790 mph, was 21st fastest and came on the 20th of 76 laps run. He also posted the 12th best speed on the 10-consecutive-lap-average chart.

Saturday’s 500-lap, 266.5-mile race will see Stage breaks at Lap 125 and Lap 250, and will be contested on a track in which PJ1 traction compound has been applied to the portions of the lower groove while the top groove has been cleaned of accumulated rubber, much to the dismay of several drivers who expressed concern the top groove would not be usable as is.

Others said overall track conditions are improving as the weekend rolls along.

Eddie Wood said there’s another factor that trumps all the rest.

“The most important thing at Bristol is making it to the checkered flag with the fenders still on the car,” he said.

The Night Race is set to get the green flag just after 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time with TV coverage on NBCSN.

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
BASS PRO SHOPS NRA NIGHT RACE
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
AUGUST 16, 2019

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL QUALIFYING RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
2nd KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1
4th KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1
6th CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS SPIRITS CAMARO ZL1
10th ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CAMARO ZL1
17th DANIEL HEMRIC, NO. 8 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER BOATS CAMARO ZL1

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL QUALIFYING RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st Denny Hamlin (Toyota)
2nd Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)
3rd Martin Truex, Jr. (Toyota)
4th Kurt Busch (Chevrolet)
5th Aric Almirola (Ford)

NBCSN will telecast the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway live at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, August 17. The NBC Sports Gold app will stream the race and live coverage can also be found on PRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY NOTES AND QUOTES:
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1 – Qualified 2nd
ON HIS RUN
“I was just a little too tight. But, I feel like being a little bit too tight was better than being a little bit too free, I think. I saw so many people get loose through (Turns) 3 and 4. But, I was just a little bit too tight to kind of roll through the center like I needed to and get to the gas just a little bit sooner. But, overall, I’m happy with how we qualified and the grip I had in my car. In practice, I was really loose. So hopefully we’ll have a good race tomorrow and try and get my first Bristol Cup win.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Bristol–Qualifying →

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
BASS PRO SHOPS NRA NIGHT RACE
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 16, 2019

BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 UNITED STATES AIR FORCE CAMARO ZL1 Media Breakout Session Highlights:

WITH DARLINGTON COMING UP, IS IT STILL A BIG EVENT ON THE SCHEDULE FOR YOU?
“I think the older guys kind of see it as a highlight. Before I was even a part of the sport, I didn’t even watch it. I’m not knocking it at all, it’s a special place and it’s the Southern 500. For me to sit here and say this a huge event for me personally, not really. Any race is good for me to go out and win.”

TALK ABOUT THE BACKGROUND ON YOUR THROWBACK THEME.
“I’m excited about the theme we’re running, having Adam Petty’s throwback paint scheme. Seeing what Victory Junction meant to him and his vision of it coming to life is really special. I’m excited about that. It looks good on our Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. It’s such a fun weekend for not just the drivers, but for the crew members and the fans. They get into it with the outfits. So, it’s a lot of fun and I’m excited to see the other themes other drivers have, what teams are going to take it to the next level. The 3 team usually does a pretty good job of that.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Bristol–Bubba Wallace →

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
BASS PRO SHOPS NRA NIGHT RACE
TEAM CHEVY BREAKOUT HIGHLIGHTS
AUGUST 16, 2019

RYAN PREECE, NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 Media Breakout Session Highlights:

HOW ARE YOU PREPARING FOR DARLINGTON, ONE OF THE BIGGEST RACES OF THE SEASON?
“I’m excited about it. Obviously having a Modified driver as our ‘throwback’ scheme with Ron (Bouchard) is pretty cool. So, I’m excited about that. Darlington is definitely a really worn out race track, so it’s not going to be your typical 1.5-mile, where you’re kind of just commit to finding speed or trimming the car out. It’s going to be a combination of balance and speed. So, I’m looking forward to it. As far as preparation, it can’t be any hotter than Charlotte was earlier this year.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Bristol–Ryan Preece →

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
BASS PRO SHOPS NRA NIGHT RACE
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 16, 2019

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 Media Breakout Session Highlights:

GOING INTO ONE OF THE BIGGEST RACES OF THE SEASON AT DARLINGTON, HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
“I feel good. We did some simulator work for Darlington this past week. I don’t think you’re going to be wide open there. I think in Turns 1 and 2, we will be lifting a bit and in Turns 3 and 4, it’s going to be pretty normal. It hasn’t really changed that much there, just the shape of the corner. Just same old Darlington stuff; try to keep it off the wall, try to make sure that you are getting in a rhythm by the fence because that is where it’s fast. It’s just a fun place to go to. I really enjoy that race and having a t Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Bristol–William Byron →

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
BASS PRO SHOPS NRA NIGHT RACE
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 16, 2019

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1, met with media to discuss the challenges of the current Playoff format, what it takes to be successful at Bristol Motor Speedway, the expectations of the traction compound, and more. Full Transcript:

WHEN IT COMES TO THIS CURRENT ELIMINATION-STYLE FORMAT OF THE PLAYOFFS, HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE IT?
“The current format makes it to where you have to earn bonus points in the regular season and then those bonus points carry with you through the Playoffs. So, it actually hurts the effort of the Playoff atmosphere, in my mind. Whereas, when we had a system of ten weeks straight, that was basically a clean slate for everybody and then you start earning points from there and showcase your skills over a ten-week run. Now, you have those bonus points and they get lumped together with a three-race stretch. In a three-race run, you could have an O-ring go bad on a rear end seal and you are knocked out for the year. So those are the tougher consequences that come up with this system. It use to be just ten guys and ten weeks, and that was the who’s who of it all. There are 16 guys that make it. We need more teams to feel like they are part of the Playoff atmosphere than just the 10, so I think the numbers are right on that side of it. But it’s tough. I feel like three races in one little lump is too short and the consequences are too high. Things can be adjusted possibly in the future, where a Playoff run in NASCAR might just be five-weeks straight and it could be a challenge of five different style tracks.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Bristol–Kurt Busch →

DI DRIVER BLOG PRESENTED BY WELD RACING: Megan Meyer
By Drag Illustrated | August 15, 2019

“You can be a victim, or you can be a badass. The choice is yours.” – Judi Holler

Between my time spent at the Tulsa and Brainerd racetracks, I flew to Detroit for a quick couple of days with my beloved ladies at the Women in Auto Care Conference. I’ve talked about this amazing group of women who come from all sides of the automotive industry, such as shop owners, technicians, aftermarket dealers, OEM marketing, etc. and they leave their hats at the door and come together to empower one another and strategize how we can grow and improve our voice in the male-dominated industry. I always leave this event feeling motivated and inspired to make a difference and help pave the way for future females in racing and in automotive. For past conference notes, click here to read about what I’ve learned in the past and how it could apply to you and your business. Continue reading DI DRIVER BLOG PRESENTED BY WELD RACING: Megan Meyer →

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
BASS PRO SHOPS NRA NIGHT RACE
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
BRISTOL, TENNESSEE
AUGUST 17, 2019

BOWTIE BULLETS:
STRING OF STRONG STARTS FOR ELLIOTT:
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hooters Spirits Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, set the Bristol Motor Speedway qualifying record at 131.713 mph in winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pole for the April 7 race. Elliott has three front-row starts in the past four races at the .533-mile racetrack and leads active drivers with a minimum of five starts at the track with an average start of 7.1 and average finish of 12.4 in seven races. William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1, has an average start of 6.0 in three races, including second and fifth the past two outings at the track. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1, has three front row starts, including two poles, in the past five races at the track. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Bristol Bowtie Bullets →

CHEVROLET AT BRAINERD

What: Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
When: Friday, Aug. 16-Sunday, Aug. 18
Where: Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minnesota
TV: FS1 will telecast eliminations and finals live at 2 p.m. ET August 18

Chevrolet drivers aim to secure Countdown spot in penultimate race
Team Chevy holds No. 1 positions in Funny Car, Pro Stock standings

DETROIT (August 15, 2019) – Austin Prock checked off the first of many career milestones with his maiden National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) victory August 4 at Seattle, which temporarily satiated his appetite.
Like any competitor, the Top Fuel first-year driver is looking forward to the next win. As he said, it’s one down and at least 149 more to match NHRA record-holder and teammate John Force. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NHRA–Brainerd →

Chevrolet seeks another superspeedway win

Chevrolet looks to add to Pocono Raceway success
Chevrolet drivers have three wins, three poles at track
Team Chevy drivers are first and third in championship standings
Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud seek to increase points
Familiar names behind the wheel of Chevy-powered cars
Ed Carpenter, Conor Daly, Charlie Kimball back on track

DETROIT (August 14, 2019) – The ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway kicks off a critical three-week stretch of racing for NTT IndyCar Series teams and drivers, and Will Power couldn’t be more pleased the Tricky Triangle is part of the championship mix.

Power is fifth in the championship standings, and to make hay in the final four races will require the 2014 driver titleholder to continue his success at the 2.5-mile tri-oval on August 18. Continue reading Chevrolet seeks another superspeedway win →

WITH 150 IN THE BOOKS JOHN FORCE AND PEAK LIGHTING READY TO FOCUS ON CHASE FOR CHAMPIONSHIP
BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 14, 2019) — Having etched his name on a couple more pieces of drag racing history with a victory two weeks ago at the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Kent, Wash., John Force turns his attention to another milestone this week when he drives the PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil / Lighting Chevrolet Camaro SS in pursuit of the Funny Car championship at the 38th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.

With tour win number 150 in the books, the sport’s most decorated driver can focus on the next item on his competitive “to do“ list and that is winning the NHRA Funny Car championship for an unprecedented 17th time in the last 33 years.

When racing begins Friday at Brainerd International Raceway, a track on which he has won a record 11 times, Force will trail only teammate and protégé Robert Hight, driver of the Auto Club of Southern California Chevy Camaro, in points. Continue reading WITH 150 IN THE BOOKS JOHN FORCE AND PEAK LIGHTING READY TO FOCUS ON CHASE FOR CHAMPIONSHIP →

Northeast Shootout the next prize up for grabs for Troy Coughlin Jr. and his sister Paige
RISING SUN, Md. (Aug. 14) — Reigning North Central Region Top Alcohol champion Troy Coughlin Jr. and his top-ranked sister Paige Coughlin will be vying for a couple of the Wally trophies available at this weekend’s Northeast Shootout at Cecil County Dragway. Continue reading Northeast Shootout the next prize up for grabs for Troy Coughlin Jr. and his sister Paige →