with Fourth Consecutive Victory at EldoraWells Motorsports & Co. bags $273,000 in total prize money over four-day stretch ROSSBURG, OH – June 12, 2021 – When the week began, the thought of one driver coming into Eldora Speedway and leaving with over a quarter million dollars was just a dream. But it’s not a dream anymore. It’s reality. Brandon Overton completed one of the greatest achievements in dirt track racing history Saturday night with his fourth consecutive Feature win in four days, sweeping both the 27th and 26th runnings of the Dirt Late Model Dream for an incredible $273,000 in total prize money. The Evans, GA-driver is now only the second driver in history to win back-to-back Dreams, joining eight-time event winner Scott Bloomquist with that achievement, which he conquered in 2017 and 2018. “To grow up as a kid, watching all these guys here at Eldora… this place is so special to the Dirt Late Model world and the racing world, period. To get it done, I don’t know that I’ll ever top this,” Overton said. His Feature wins on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night involved a pass for the lead before he cruised to the finish line unchallenged. But Saturday night was different – Overton lost the lead for 10 laps and was forced to take it back in his quest for the $126,000 winner’s check. A second-place finish in Heat Race #1 to Kyle Larson earlier in the night seeded Overton seventh on the starting grid, which forced him to make his way up through the top-10 in the opening stages. He said that Heat Race loss was actually the kick in the pants that he needed. “Probably the best thing that happened to me was [Kyle] Larson beating me in that Heat Race,” Overton said. “I wasn’t pissed, but I was like ‘alright, don’t worry about it, just shake it off.’ I told myself ­– he got me then, now I gotta go get him.” When the green dropped, Overton went and got them all. Including the polesitter, Darrell Lanigan. Lanigan, the 2003 Dream winner from Union, KY, led the first 52 circuits before Overton hunted him down on a restart just before halfway and made the pass with a big move to Lanigan’s outside in Turns 1-2. Back in command at the head of the field, it seemed like Overton would just cruise to another big payday. Enter Chris Madden. Madden, of Gray Court, SC, started his climb from 10th on the grid and gradually made his way through the field in the first half of the race. By Lap 70, he was staring down Overton’s bumper. A caution four laps later put Madden right on Overton’s outside for the restart, where he sailed around him with ease to grab the lead on Lap 75. At that point, Overton knew the battle was far from over. “We had that restart, and I spun my tires a little bit, and Madden got to running through that middle. He got me, but I knew if I could just keep pace with him and keep pressuring him… he’d have to chop me off or run me in the wall if he was going to get down,” Overton said. “I knew I had a good car, but I’ve come here and watched these things… it ain’t over until it’s over. So, I knew all I had to do was just stay right there in contention and I’d have my shot again.” Madden led the next six circuits before Overton challenged him back. The two traded the lead back-and-forth three laps in-a-row before Overton took it back permanently on Lap 86. “The rubber started coming, and I couldn’t stay in the rubber,” Madden said. “[Overton] was a lot better in that stage of the race, and I couldn’t fend him off.” From that point on, nobody was catching the Wells Motorsports #76. Overton found his groove right in the middle of the track and pulled away by over two seconds at the checkers to win his second career Eldora crown jewel. Madden came home second and bagged $20,000 in his best career finish at the Dream. Chris Ferguson charged from 13th to finish third – a new event-best for the driver out of Mt. Holly, NC. Jonathan Davenport, a prelim Feature winner on Wednesday night, crossed in fourth, ahead of Lanigan. Reflecting back on his incredible accomplishment, Overton was reminded of an earlier exchange with a former Dream winner, putting his winning attitude into full perspective. “I sat with Jimmy Owens earlier and I asked him how old he was when he won. He said, ‘I think I was like 37.’ It made me feel good. I was like, ‘well dang, Jimmy Owens kicks everybody’s ass and he’s been kicking everybody’s ass for a long time now.’ So, it keeps me hungry and makes me want to keep digging.” A-Feature (100 Laps) – 1. 76-Brandon Overton[7]; 2. 44-Chris Madden[10]; 3. 22-Chris Ferguson[13]; 4. 49-Jonathan Davenport[4]; 5. 29-Darrell Lanigan[1]; 6. 6-Kyle Larson[6]; 7. 25-Shane Clanton[18]; 8. 39-Tim McCreadie[12]; 9. 22S-Gregg Satterlee[14]; 10. 17M-Dale McDowell[22]; 11. 16-Tyler Bruening[27]; 12. 20-Jimmy Owens[19]; 13. 9-Devin Moran[2]; 14. 40B-Kyle Bronson[3]; 15. 32-Bobby Pierce[15]; 16. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[24]; 17. 157-Mike Marlar[21]; 18. 0-Scott Bloomquist[16]; 19. 1P-Earl Pearson, Jr.[23]; 20. 8-Kyle Strickler[11]; 21. 20RT-Ricky Thornton, Jr.[5]; 22. 1-Brandon Sheppard[9]; 23. 17-Zack Dohm[25]; 24. 7-Ricky Weiss[8]; 25. 19R-Ryan Gustin[17]; 26. 6H-Nick Hoffman[26]; 27. 11H-Spencer Hughes[28]; 28. 18B-Shannon Babb[20]

DIRTcar Racing is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel), Chevy Performance Parts, iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, and NAPA Auto Parts (SDS). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), ASI Race Wear (SDS), Bassett Racing Wheel, Bell Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, Bicknell Racing Products (SDS), Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux (SDS), Cometic Gasket (SDS), COMP Cams, Drydene, Fast Shafts, Fox Factory, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, K1 Race Gear, KSE Racing Products, MSD, Mulit FireX, Quarter Master, Schoenfeld Headers, Summit Racing Equipment, Velocita USA, Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum), and Xceldyne. Along with manufacturer sponsors, including: FireAde, Intercomp, and Racing Electronics.

For Second-Straight Night, Macedo Steals World of Outlaws Glory from Kerry Madsen

KNOXVILLE, IA – June 12, 2021 – It’s safe to say that Carson Macedo is ready for August.

After a weekend sweep of the Brownells Big Guns Bash, the Jason Johnson Racing driver will enter the 60th running of the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals pres. by Casey’s General Stores with all of the momentum on his side.

The Lemoore, CA native looked like he was out of it on Saturday night, losing the lead to Kerry Madsen on Lap six and eventually falling to third, but the resilience was undeniable as he rallied through lap traffic and offered up a last-lap pass for the win that brought the Knoxville Raceway crowd to their feet.

It was a game-changing weekend for the 25-year-old, who tacked off several accomplishments. He finally got his first 410 win at Knoxville, won back-to-back with the Outlaws for the first time ever, soared to 11 career Outlaw wins, and hit his fifth Outlaw win of the season, already the winningest year of his career.

“My car was good the whole main event,” Macedo mentioned. “I just didn’t know where to be at times. When I was leading I thought I was plugging nice laps on the bottom, but then Kerry got a lane move me. In traffic, he was so superb. When Sheldon got by me, I realized how much better the bottom was if I was patient. I realized Kerry was making the same mistake like fading off from the corner exit. I was trying to set him up for the last corner, but it worked out down the backstretch.”

After scoring the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash win, Macedo was set up nicely to score two in-a-row. He led the opening five circuits aboard his #41 ride, but Madsen went one lane higher through turns one and two and zoomed right by him, placing the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanin Racing #14 in the top spot.

Madsen looked dominant at times, especially in lap traffic as he zigged and zagged by the back markers and pulled away from Macedo.

It seemed as if it was over in the closing stages when Macedo slipped to third as Haudenschild rose to the occasion and drove his NOS Energy Drink #17 to second. However, a fire got lit under the #41 and he came roaring back.

Macedo got Haudenschild back on Lap 19 and quickly tracked Madsen down as he figured out the black zook clay on the 1/2-mile. As the white flag waved, Macedo perfected the bottom of turns one and two and capitalized as Madsen’s #14 drifted high and left the door open.

In turn, Macedo walked right through the door and ran away to a 1.120-second advantage to officially sweep the weekend.

“Two in a row is pretty cool, man,” Macedo admitted. “You’re seeing the fruit from everything that Jason [Johnson] built here. I’m looking forward to the future with Philip Dietz. It’s no secret Knoxville is a chess game and I’m feeling better about this place every time.

For the second-straight night, Kerry Madsen of St. Mary’s, NSW, AUS was forced to settle for a podium bid after leading laps. The 25-time World of Outlaws winner was obviously frustrated with letting a win slip away, but the success in his short time at Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing isn’t lost on him.

“I just got tight and screwed it up,” Madsen acknowledged. “I have to apologize to this team. I should’ve brought that home. This thing is so fast, and so fun to drive. It’s all a testament to TSR as an organization.”

Settling for the final podium position in third was Sheldon Haudenschild.

“My guys have got me feeling good at this place,” he said. “We were there at the end and there’s not much more you can ask for. We’re learning and we’ll keep ripping.”

Rounding out the top-five in the finale of the Brownells Big Guns Bash was Giovanni Scelzi in fourth-place aboard the KCP Racing #18 and Logan Schuchart in fifth-place aboard the Shark Racing #1S.

Closing out the top-10 on Saturday night was Aaron Reutzel in sixth, Brent Marks in seventh, James McFadden in eighth, Parker Price-Miller in ninth, and Brian Brown in tenth.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series now turns its attention to a triple-header next weekend. The Greatest Show on Dirt will race at 34 (IA) Raceway on Thursday, June 17, Dubuque (IA) Fairgrounds Speedway on Friday, June 18, and Beaver Dam (WI) Raceway on Saturday, June 19.

NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps): 1. 41-Carson Macedo [1][$10,000]; 2. 14-Kerry Madsen [2][$6,000]; 3. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [5][$3,500]; 4. 18-Giovanni Scelzi [4][$2,800]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [8][$2,500]; 6. 83-Aaron Reutzel [3][$2,300]; 7. 19-Brent Marks [9][$2,200]; 8. 9-James McFadden [12][$2,100]; 9. 5-Parker Price-Miller [6][$2,050]; 10. 21-Brian Brown [11][$2,000]; 11. 2-David Gravel [15][$1,600]; 12. 15-Donny Schatz [19][$1,400]; 13. 2KS-Matt Juhl [7][$1,200]; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser [17][$1,100]; 15. 56N-Davey Heskin [16][$1,050]; 16. 49-Brad Sweet [22][$1,000]; 17. 2C-Wayne Johnson [10][$1,000]; 18. 9T-Kasey Kahne [24][$1,000]; 19. 3-Ayrton Gennetten [23][$1,000]; 20. 7-Justin Henderson [18][$1,000]; 21. 44-Chris Martin [20][$1,000]; 22. 15H-Sam Hafertepe [13][$1,000]; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen [25][$]; 24. 25-Scott Bogucki [21][$1,000]; 25. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [14][$1,000]. Lap Leaders:Carson Macedo 1-5, 25; Kerry Madsen 6-24. KSE Hard Charger Award: 15-Donny Schatz[+7]

The Gray Court, SC driver started 10th in the 100-lap Feature

ROSSBURG,OH – JUNE 12, 2021 – A $126,000 prize was in Chris Madden’s grasp. He just took the lead from Brandon Overton and looked to have Saturday’s Dirt Late Model Dream win in his sight at Eldora Speedway.  

But the Gray Court, SC driver was battling “Big Sexy”, the man searching for his second “Dream” win in 36 hours. 

Madden tried to hold on to the lead on the outside, but Overton was too strong on the bottom, thundering past Madden with 15 Laps to go. 

Overton held on to win his second DIRTcar sanctioned Dirt Late Model Dream this week, collecting $273,000 in winnings. 

Madden had to settle for second and knew Overton was better in the closing stages. 

“The rubber started coming, and I couldn’t stay in the rubber,” Madden said. “He was a lot better in that stage of the race, and I couldn’t fend him off. We tried and gave it all we had but we were a second-place car [Saturday].”

Despite finishing second, Madden was still smiling after the Feature. He feels a win at Eldora Speedway is coming sooner rather than later, especially with how well he ran. 

“We definitely found some things in [Friday’s] Feature and worked on it [Saturday], but I still need a little bit more,” Madden said. “I just can’t get that W at [Eldora], but I’m going to get it one day.” 

“Smokey” isn’t the only one getting credit for his finish on Saturday. Madden is happy with how hard his team worked to put him in this position.

“My guys never quit, and they keep a great attitude, they just keep telling me to hang in there,” Madden said. “We just got a good chemistry going, they’re good with me and I’m good with them so we’ll just keep building.” 

Madden was one of five World of Outlaws drivers to qualify for the race. 

Tyler Bruening started last in his B-Feature and qualified through the B-Scramble. The Decorah, IA driver finished 11th in his first “Dream” start. 

Brandon Sheppard, Ryan Gustin, and Ricky Weiss all had trouble that ended their night early. 

Madden hopes to keep his momentum rolling next weekend when The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet kick off a Northeast swing with a tripleheader through New York and Pennsylvania. 

The Series visits Stateline Speedway in Busti, NY on Thursday, June 17, Thunder Mountain Speedway, in Knox Dale PA on Friday, June 18, and Selinsgrove Speedway in Selinsgrove, PA on Saturday, June 19. 

Madden will continue chasing his first Series championship. He’s currently in second place—46 points behind Sheppard, who’s the reigning champion. 

Another race to keep an eye on is the exciting battle for Rookie of the Year, as Bruening leads Gustin by 135 points. 

DETROIT (June 12, 2021) – Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy won an all-Chevrolet Corvette C8.R battle in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) category of the Detroit Sports Car Challenge on Saturday at Belle Isle Park. The duo in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R beat their Corvette Racing teammates Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor by 0.226 seconds in a non-points GTLM round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The two Corvettes made their lone pit stops of the race three laps apart, with Taylor pitting first after 42 minutes. Tandy then stopped with a 55-second lead, and the gap shrank back to a little more than a second with 25 minutes to go with Garcia trying to run down Milner to the end before and after a late-race caution period. Despite no points being available in GTLM, having Corvette Racing back on Belle Isle was of huge benefit on multiple fronts. For one, the Belle Isle appearance provided an opportunity for the hundreds of Chevrolet production team members who contributed in some way to the C8.R – and the road-going Corvette Stingray – to see Corvette Racing in-person. The reveal of the C8.R nearly 18 months ago was culmination of almost six years of work between all facets of engineers and designers from the Corvette production side and Corvette Racing. Second, it was Corvette Racing’s first IMSA event since March. With a busy stretch coming up in the IMSA championship over the next six weeks – plus the 24 Hours of Le Mans in mid-August – Belle Isle offered up a nice refresher on operations and procedures for the four drivers plus the crews and engineers. Saturday’s race also was the first street race for the Corvette C8.R, and the team also collected valuable data ahead of the Long Beach street circuit in September. Corvette Racing’s next event is the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on Sunday, June 27 from Watkins Glen International.

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM RACE WINNER: “The goal coming here was to keep the cars off the wall and learn as much as we possibly could about the C8.R on a street track. We did that. We did treat this as competition within our team to remain sharp and working through our processes. We did that with no mistakes in the race. We knew having Nick stay out longer than Jordan would help, and it did. There was a little traffic and then the yellow near the end to bunch us up. That gave us a little battle for sure. It was good for us to shake off the cobwebs and get ready for the long haul toward the end of the season.”Both cars are close as it is, no matter what. We expected a nice little race with the 3 car, which we got there at the start. Our pit strategy put us a little farther ahead and Antonio kind of made it back toward me for a nice little run to the end. I had no radio, which was not the plan! That’s about the only thing that went wrong for us this weekend. The crew could give me gaps (on a signboard). But I could see the gap to Antonio and could see he was getting closer. We had the yellow and I knew there were about six of seven laps to go. For us to learn a lot about the car and the tires in those situations is a benefit. It puts us back in a groove again. We’ve been off for so many weeks. It’s good for us as a team to shake the rust off and get our minds back into racing mode again. In some ways, it was a practice race for us before we push on for the last races.”That was mission No. 1, but the whole point of coming here was to showcase these Corvettes. We haven’t been here since 2008, so it’s a great opportunity for Corvette Racing to showcase these C8.Rs to the engineers and a lot of the people who work for Corvette Racing and Chevrolet. Their families were able to be here and see these cars. It wasn’t just about us driving on the racetrack. It’s about giving back to a lot of the people who make this race program what it is. It was an opportunity for them to see the cars up close and experience what these Corvettes are capable of and what they are working toward. Both cars are in one piece. From our perspective, job well done.The reception of Corvette on Belle Isle: “It’s a great opportunity for us as drivers and a team to interact with the many, many people who in some way helped to make these race cars or street cars, or someone else who works for Chevrolet or GM who has a hand in a different model than Corvette. The Corvette is a halo car and America’s supercar. It’s the pinnacle of what Chevrolet offers. It’s a chance to build excitement within those programs and for those engineers to get excited about what they produce. Fundamentally, this was high on the priority list for coming here and doing this race. We wanted to give them a good experience to see what they’re working on and had a hand in some ways so they can show their friends and families what they do. That’s what racing for a long time has been about – to showcase the latest and greatest in technologies. They can see the track-to-street correlation to see how close the race cars look compared to the street cars. They can see production parts that they helped build or design that are on the race cars. It’s a unique opportunity for GM and Chevrolet, and it’s a no-brainer for us to come to this race.”

NICK TANDY, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM RACE WINNER: “Not only did we complete the race and show off this awesome Corvette to everyone in the stands and around the track, but we also got a load of relevant information for the next time we are on a street track. This was the first time we’ve been on this type of track with the C8.R. What also was pleasing was how the whole weekend went operationally. The whole team was able to get back in the swing of things again before a busy summer. So yes, mission accomplished.”We had a good race between our cars. The start was interesting. We were three-wide in the kink before the start-finish line, and I was surprised to see this. But it all worked itself out. We learned a lot about what we need out of the car from a street track point of view. This is good. We had a restart with cold tires and it’s always fun when you have someone to play with and compete against, so this was good. Between the pair of us, we split strategies a bit; one car pitted early to avoid traffic, and we stayed out in the hope we could build a gap. We could see the differences in these kinds of strategic decisions. This is something that goes into a notebook. Fortunately for me and Tommy and everyone on the 4 Corvette, we get to celebrate in Victory Circle. We’ll take it as a victory, and I’m happy to be here.”

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – SECOND IN GTLM: “Every time you race, you find things. It’s great to now have laps on the C8.R around a street circuit. It’s good to do a race for the first time here because there is a lot of data to be collected. We raced hard and tried to get the most out of the Corvette while racing against each other. We proved that we were running fairly quick. I think I left my right-side mirror somewhere on the track! It was cool. It’s always to race around a street circuit. Maybe we were missing some competition like we are used to, but it was great to be here in Detroit with all the people who work on and appreciate the Corvette. This has been a highlight weekend for everyone.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – SECOND IN GTLM: “It was a good experience. We had some new crew members over the wall for pit stops. We tried some new things on the car to help with reliability. There may to have been points but we learned a lot to take to Long Beach for another street course and of course Le Mans, which is the big one we are preparing for. So yes, a very good day for Corvette Racing.”

EPPING, NH (June 13, 2021) — The veteran driver from Springfield, Illinois, rolled into the TascaParts.com NHRA New England Nationals presented by Bandero Premium Brand Tequila with momentum from a semifinal finish two weeks ago. Over two days of qualifying  veteran driver and crew chief Tim Wilkerson continually improved the performance of the Levi, Ray & Shoup Summit Racing Shelby Mustang. The team rolled into the first round sitting No. 8 in qualifying and facing another first round match-up with Blake Alexander.

Two weeks ago Wilkerson drew Alexander in the first round and the veteran was able to get the win. Today Wilkerson was once again able to turn on the win light against the up and coming driver. When both cars leapt off the line Wilkerson’s race car moved out into the lead and Alexander’s car went into immediate tire smoke. Down-track Wilkerson’s Levi, Ray & Shoup Summit Racing Mustang began hugging the centerline but he was able to get it to the finish line for the win.

In the quarterfinals Wilkerson pulled up beside No. 1 qualifier Matt Hagan, who had won the previous three Funny Car titles at the New England Nationals. When the tree flashed, Wilkerson took off first and never trailed for the win. His winning time of 3.956 seconds was his quickest pass of the weekend and gave him lane choice headed into the semifinals.

“That run in the second round was just about perfect. You can’t give me that many shots at the track because I will figure it out,” said Wilkerson, a 20-time Funny Car national event winner. “We got off the line first and this Mustang just made a great smooth run. Racing against Hagan is tough but that was a great win for this team. We have another tough customer in Robert Hight in the semifinals. I think we have a shot at winning this race.”

The Levi, Ray & Shoup Summit Racing Shelby Mustang and driver Wilkerson were racing in their third semifinal race of the season. In an unfortunate turn Wilkerson jumped the start, lighting up the Christmas Tree with a premature red-light and handing the win to Hight. Wilkerson’s race car lit up the scoreboard with a 4.367 seconds just behind Hight’s 4.022 seconds but it was all for naught after the misstep on the starting line.

“That is not how we wanted that round to go,” said Wilkerson. “I just messed up but I will put that behind me and head on to Norwalk. I am really happy with how this race car reacted to the changes I was making. We made some great runs on a warm race track and that will pay dividends for us as we head into summer.”

Qualifying Results

Q1: 7.863 sec, 82.65 mph; Qual. 9

Q2: 4.076 sec, 268.71 mph; Qual. 8

Q3: 3.974 sec, 320.89 mph; Qual. 8

Bonus Points:  0

Race Results

First Round
Driver                          Qual    R/T      ET        MPH 
Tim Wilkerson                  8              .080        4.492     206.10 (W)

Blake Alexander                               7              .054        10.409   73.61     

Second Round
Driver                          Qual    R/T      ET        MPH 
Tim Wilkerson                  8              .058        3.956     324.44 (W)

Matt Hagan                        1              .067        3.983     328.06

Semifinals
Driver                          Qual    R/T      ET        MPH 
Tim Wilkerson                  8              -.090      4.367     205.07

Robert Hight                     10           .097        4.022     322.27 (W)

Camping World Funny Car Top Ten

1.           Bob Tasca III, 495

2.          John Force, 480

3.         J.R. Todd, 450

4.           Robert Hight, 423

5.           Matt Hagan, 375

6.           Ron Capps, 372

7.           Tim Wilkerson, 364

8.           Alexis DeJoria, 325

9.           Cruz Pedregon, 305

10.         Terry Haddock, 226

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX STREETS OF BELLE ISLE TEAM CHEVY RACE RECAP – O’WARD WINS JUNE 13, 2021
DETROIT – Hard-charging Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, rocketed from fifth place to the lead in a four-lap span late in Sunday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES Dual 2 of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear to become the series’ first repeat winner of 2021.
It marked Chevrolet’s seventh victory at Belle Isle since 2012 and its first 1-2 finish at the event since 2016.
O’Ward previously put his name in the win column this season at Texas Motor Speedway Race 2 in early May. In fifth place Sunday following a restart on Lap 64, O’Ward quickly moved up to third within one lap, then caught and passed Josef Newgarden with three laps remaining.
O’Ward, who started 16^th, now leads the standings by one point. And after three very hot and muggy days on Belle Isle, O’Ward and his team enjoyed the now-traditional dip in the Scott Fountain.
“Congratulations to Pato O’Ward and the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP team on their victory in IndyCar Dual 2 at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president Performance and Motorsports. “The temporary street course on Belle Isle is very challenging and Pato showed tremendous skill to make multiple exciting passes to get to the front for the win.
“It was great to have a 1-2 Chevrolet finish with Pato along with Josef Newgarden in the No. 2 IndyCar Chevrolet.” Two-time series champion Newgarden, No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, won the pole for Sunday’s race and led the first 67 laps of the 70-lap event on the temporary street course on the way to his second runner-up finish of 2021.
Today’s strong runs by Team Chevy drivers also moved Chevrolet to the lead in the battle for the Manufacturers’ Championship.
Other Team Chevy Drivers finishers for Race Two as follows:Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet – 2^ndWill Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Chevrolet – 6thSimon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards Chevrolet – 8thConor Daly, No. 20 US Army Ed Carpenter Racing – 20thSebastien Bourdais, No.14 ROKIT Chevrolet – 14^thRinus Veekay, No. 21 Sonax/Autoeek Ed Carpenter Racing – 18^thScott McLaughlin, No. 3 PPG Chevrolet – 20thMax Chilton, No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet – 22^ndDalton Kellet, No. 4 K-Line Chevrolet – 23rdOliver Askew, No, 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet – 25th Alex Palou completed the podium. Next on the schedule is June 20 at Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.  DRIVER QUOTESPATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET – Race WinnerTELL US ABOUT THOSE TWO RESTARTS. YOU STARTED 6th OR 5th ON THE FIRST ONE, FROM ALL THE WAY BACK THERE TO VICTORY LANE. HOW DID YOU GET IT DONE?“The two guys I’m fighting were in front of me, so I said from behind, there is no good! So, pass them, I guess? It’s tough to pass around this place. These cars are the best of the best, so it’s not like they’re going to make it easy on you. I knew that I’m strong on cold tires. So, I had to take advantage of it.” HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO MAKE IT WORK WITH JOSEF NEWGARDEN AND WERE YOU SENSING THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY THERE, KNOWING HE WAS ON THOSE RED TIRES?“I had such a great car all weekend. Today was my fault that we made it a little extra hard on us starting from the back. But I had a great car under me. I’ve got to thank Arrow Electronics and Team Chevy, man. This is Team Chevy territory. I’m so excited and so pumped to get them this. And, I talked to Felix (Rosenqvist) this morning and the important thing is that he’s okay. But I told him I’m going to win it for you. So, this is for him. “I told him I was going to get it done. I like to be a man of my word, so I got it done.” YOU ARE NOW THE CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER“Yes, I should be. There is still a long way to go. We need to continue doing this and we’re in the fight, man. We’re in the fight. We’re leading it. And we just need to keep our head in it.” AND YOU DID IT COMING FROM 16th.“Yeah, I screwed up in qualifyijng. I owe this to these guys because they gave me a great car all weekend. The plan all along was to get in the fountain and go swimming at the end of the day.” JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – Finished 2ndYOU HAVE TO RUN THE SOFTER FIRESTONES AT SOME POINT. YOU HAD TO MAKE THEM HANG ON. AND YOU HELD ON FOR A LITTLE WHILE. WHAT WERE THOSE LAST FEW LAPS LIKE?“Sad. Pretty sad. It’s hard not to be disappointed. I think we had the car to beat. It’s just cautions when we didn’t need them and the wrong tires when we didn’t need them. It was a fun strategy. I think we were doing well. It’s just the caution that killed us. My rears were shot. And we didn’t really need that. So, it is what it is. We tried. We went for what we went for. I don’t want to second guess too much. It just didn’t fall our way there at the end, so that’s pretty sad. “Obviously Team Chevy won still. So, I’m very happy for all our partners. Team Chevy does a lot for us, so to get a one-two is a big thing here in Detroit. I’m super happy about that. And, I’m happy to represent the Penske Corporation here in this town and our great partner in Hitachi. I’m just disappointed. Obviously, we wanted to win, and we had the car to do it.” THE YELLOWS CAME AT THE WRONG TIME. YOU WANTED TO GO LONGER ON THE FIRST STINT TO MAKE THE LAST STINT A LITTLE BIT SHORTER. BUT TOWARD THE END, THE RACING WITH PATO O’WARD (RACE WINNER) IN THE END, WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU COULD HAVE DONE?“He was coming like a freight train. What are you going to do? I just couldn’t do anything (with) him and (Alex) Palou (finished third). Alex was right behind me and about to pass me, too. I was just trying to hold on to him. I had so much wheel spin. My rear tires were shot to death with the last 10 laps. And you know, just trying to be aggressive with the re-sets on the restarts doesn’t help you. None of it played into our favor; and especially the first caution. We had to pit because we weren’t sure if they were going to go full course caution. If we don’t pit, we get completely hosed. So, we had to put an extra seven or eight or 10 laps on the tires we didn’t want to. It would have been a lot easier if we could have kept them cleaner, and that was our plan. But look, it just work our way.”

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX STEETS OF BELLE ISLE TEAM CHEVY POLE QUOTE JUNE 13, 2021 JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET WINS P1 AWARD FOR RACE TWO ON BELLE ISLE RACE ONE RUNNER-UP RINUS VEEKAY ROLLS OFF FOURTH
DETROIT (JUNE 13,2021) Two-time NTT INDAYCAR Series champion Josef Newgarden collected the NTT P1 Award for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on the Streets of Belle Isle.
As a result of an accident in Race One, Arrow McLaren SP driver Felix Rosenqvist will have a substitute driver. Oliver Askew will wheel the No. 7 Chevrolet.
NBC will telecast both rounds of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix live at noon ET Sunday, June 13. The 70-lap 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. Practice and live qualifications will stream on Peacock Premium.
Other Team Chevy Drivers qualified for Race Two as follows:Rinus Veekay, No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek Ed Carpenter Racing – 4thConor Daly, No. 20 US Army Ed Carpenter Racing – 8thSimon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards Chevrolet – 10thSebastien Bourdais, No.14 ROKIT Chevrolet – 13thMax Chilton, No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet – 15hPato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, 16thWill Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Chevrolet – 20thScott McLaughlin, No. 3 PPG Chevrolet – 21stOliver Askew, No, 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet – 14thDalton Kellet, No. 4 K-Line Chevrolet – 24th

Honda drivers have now won five of seven races in 2021
Second race of doubleheader weekend runs on Sunday

DETROIT, Mich. (June 12, 2021) – Taking advantage of a late-race mechanical problem for Will Power, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Marcus Ericsson leapt to the front of the field following the second of two red flag race stoppages to win the opening round of the Detroit Grand Prix NTT INDYCAR SERIES weekend. The victory is the first for Ericsson, now in his third season of Indy car competition, the third for Chip Ganassi Racing this season and the fifth for Honda.

The 70-lap contest was stopped twice, first on Lap 24 for a single-car crash that sent Felix Rosenqvist hard into the Turn 6 retaining wall. Rosenqvist was alert and conscious following the impact, but was transported to a local hospital for additional evaluation.

Running a close second to race leader Power in the closing laps, a second red flag – for Romain Grojean’s single-car crash – stopped the race with just seven laps remaining. A mechanical issue for Power prevented him from taking the restart, and Ericsson led the rest of the way to take the checkers by 1.7 seconds over Rinus VeeKay.

Following Ericsson, the Rahal Letterman Lanigan trio of Takuma Sato, Graham Rahal and Santino Ferrucci finished fourth through sixth, respectively.

Detroit Grand Prix Race 1 Honda Results
1st Marcus Ericsson Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
4th Takuma Sato Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
5th Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
6th Santino Ferrucci Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
7th Alexander Rossi Andretti Autosport Honda
8th Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
9th Ed Jones Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan Honda
14th Colton Herta Andretti Autosport Honda
15th Alex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
16th Jack Harvey Meyer Shank Racing Honda
17th James Hinchcliffe Andretti Autosport Honda
23rd Romain Grosjean-R Dale Coyne Racing with RWR Honda
21st Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda
24th Jimmie Johnson-R Chip Ganassi Racing Honda

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturers’ Championship (unofficial, after 7 rounds)
Honda 576 pts
Chevrolet 556
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Drivers’ Championship (unofficial, after 7 rounds)

1. Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 263 [1 race win]
2. Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren SP 248 [1 race win]
3. Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 237 points [1 win]

Quotes
Marcus Ericsson (Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) Started 15th, finished first, first career INDYCAR win in his third season with the series: “The team’s done such a great job, the Husky’s Chocolate crew and Honda, everyone on the [timing] stand and in the pits. It’s a team effort. Obviously, I feel bad for Will [Power, who was unable to take the final restart due to a mechanical issue], but it was my day today. For once, the luck was on my side and I have to say it was about time!”

Piers Phillips (President, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing) On placing three cars in the top six today: “Well, what a day. We definitely had some challenges in qualifying, so to bring all three cars home fourth, fifth and sixth is a credit to the team. I think it’s a credit to the guys that drove them [Graham Rahal, Takuma Sato and Santino Ferrucci], particularly in the difficult conditions we had today. But now the focus is on tomorrow [and the second race] and the goal is to finish one-two-three rather than four-five-six.”

Kelvin Fu (Program Director, Honda Performance Development) on today’s Honda win in Detroit: “I guess you can say ‘the red flag giveth, and the red flag taketh away’. First, and most important, it appears that [Arrow McLaren SP driver] Felix Rosenqvist escaped serious injury in his massive crash. The first red flag [for the Rosenqvist crash] effectively ended the victory chances for several of our drivers, including Scott Dixon and Alexander Rossi. But the late race stoppage, and Will Power’s subsequent mechanical problem, opened the door for Marcus Ericsson to score an overdue first victory, a great result for Marcus and the #8 Chip Ganassi Racing team. It also is the first victory for HPD’s Nicole Rotondo, trackside engineer for Marcus.”

Fast Facts
With Ericsson’s win today, seven different drivers – from seven different countries – have won the first seven races of 2021, tying the post-war record for different INDYCAR SERIES winners to start a season.

In addition to Brazilian Helio Castroneves’ historic win last month at the Indianapolis 500, other Honda race winners this year include current championship points leader, Spaniard Alex Palou (Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama); defending and six-time champion Scott Dixon (Texas Race 1) from New Zealand; and American Colton Herta (Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg).

Honda continues to hold the mid-season lead in the 2021 INDYCAR Manufacturers’ Championship, with five victories in the first seven races. Honda has a 20-point advantage (576-556) over rival Chevrolet. The company is seeking its fourth consecutive NTT INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturers’ Championship in 2021.

Honda-powered drivers have now won six of the last seven Indy car events run on the Belle Isle Park street circuit.

Next
NTT INDYCAR SERIES racing activities on Belle Isle Park continue tomorrow with the second round of the doubleheader weekend. Sunday’s 70-lap closer starts at 12 p.m. EDT with live television coverage again on NBC.

Honda Racing social media content and video links from Detroit 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).

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX STREETS OF BELLE ISLE TEAM CHEVY PODIUM PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT JUNE 12,2021
RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 SONAS/AUTOGEEK ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET (FINISHED 2^ND)  AND PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET (FINISHED 3^RD) POST RACE PODIUM PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:
THE MODERATOR: Welcome, everyone, to the post race press conference for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. We are joined by our third-place finisher, Pato O’Ward, driver of the No. 5 AMSP Chevy. This is his best finish at Belle Isle, his third podium finish of 2020.Pato, tell us about today’s race. It was crazy.PATO O’WARD: Yeah, it was good. The main point for me today is Felix is okay. That was a nasty crash. Nothing he could have done there. He was just a passenger, it was out of his control. I’m really happy that he’s okay. He’s getting evaluated further. But he’s good from what we’re seeing.Yeah, I mean, we started on pole. We’ve never won from pole. We went backwards. I guess that’s a disappointment. If you go back into the first red, we got hosed by that really bad. Everybody in our strategy I don’t even think finished within the top — I can’t remember who was in our strategy. We really had to fight for this podium. Bummer for Will. I feel for him, not starting up the last few laps.But, yeah, I mean, I think we salvaged a lot of points from where we, like, could have finished, which was further back just considering how hard it was to pass. But the guys did a great job in the pits. I did my job on the track. Made it through. I think we passed like eight people on track, seven people on track, in three or two in the pits. That was fantastic.We just get to come do it all over again tomorrow. Hopefully we get another pole. Hopefully we actually win it then.THE MODERATOR: Tell us about the battle with Rinus at the end.PATO O’WARD: I was nursing a front left flat spot. I have a lot more to lose than they do. I could just tell, whenever they race you and stuff, not that it’s wrong, they’re being smart with their own racing. They know if I’m stupid about it, then I’m the one coming out losing out of it.I had to give in quite a few times there just battling Sato, Rinus, McLaughlin. I had to be cautious because it’s so tight around here, it just takes one little bump, you go straight into the wall. I didn’t want to do that because the guys I’m fighting for the championship with were behind me. I think it was a job well done today.THE MODERATOR: We can take questions.Q.You looked like you were mad at Sato. What was wrong with him?PATO O’WARD: Well, the guy basically just left his front wing there. If I took the corner, I go into the wall and I spin, and he’s fine, or I let him by. I had to let him by. I know him. He won’t back out of that, so…Q.How did you handle the heat today? Will was dying in the car.PATO O’WARD: Was he? I was fine. Honestly we had a lot of breaks today. If it would have been a full green flag race, I think a lot more of us would have been destroyed after it.Honestly today was kind of easy in terms of what it could have been. Tomorrow is going to be a heavy one.Q.Did you need a fan in that second restart, second red flag?PATO O’WARD: Oh, yes. Just imagine like a sauna at maybe 125, 130 degrees inside. And nothing gets in there, only sand and dirt. So, yeah, I needed a fan.Q.Fun sauna.PATO O’WARD: Hot Yoga.Q.What about the long red flag, what did you do then to hydrate and stay cool?PATO O’WARD: I went to my bus and had avocado toast, get some food in me. I didn’t have a chance to eat a lot before the race because of stuff we were doing. I had to get some more fuel into me. Just drank some water, hydrated a little bit more rather than the hot tea we have inside the car (smiling).Q.Do you have any idea what happened on Felix’s crash?PATO O’WARD: Yeah, he popped off the brake. I mean, if you see the replays, you hear it out, the engine just goes flat out. I know him. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t him doing that with his own throttle.Man, I feel for him. It sucks. If you think about it, I mean, if it could have been in like a turn seven, turn three, that’s ugly. I really hope they find what caused it because that can be really bad. It was really ugly.I’m really happy he’s okay. We’re like brothers. I was definitely asking for updates.Q.When that happens did you start to have any concern that maybe something happens to your car?PATO O’WARD: No. You have to block that out. We’re in a business where you just, I mean, see accidents and accidents will happen, they can happen to you at any time. You just hope that they don’t. But if they do, you just try and do everything possible to recover.These INDYCARS are very safe. The monocoque was intact. The front end of the car was destroyed, but it’s a survivor cell. They’re meant to withstand hits of 230 plus miles an hour. This situation more now is more of the G that your body, like, compresses through when the car just launches up.But, yeah, I mean, I think the cars are really, really safe.Q.You talked about your thoughts on restarting the Formula 1 race. Do you think today was okay?PATO O’WARD: I understand they want to end on green. I bet you if I was Will, I’d be telling you no. I feel for him, man. The guy, I’m pretty sure he was the one leading. I think he would have walked away with it if it didn’t go red. It really sucks.Yeah, I mean, I wasn’t the one winning the race or anything, so I don’t really care if it was one or the other. For me it was good because I got a couple more (indiscernible).THE MODERATOR: We’ve been joined by our second-place finisher, Rinus VeeKay, driver of the No. 21 SONAX Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing. This is Rinus’ second podium finish in seven starts.Tell us about your day.RINUS VEEKAY: It was very nice day. Pretty crazy race. I think we made a good call on the strategy. I always trust the team with that. Yeah, best Chevy. Two Chevys on the podium. Very happy with that. I think engines are flying. Yeah, everything felt great. The team gave me the material to win.Yeah, made some pretty cool moves to secure second place. Also got a bit lucky with Will. Of course, I prefer to pass him just on track instead of with him being unlucky.Anyway, P2, very happy with it. Yeah, it was just a crazy, crazy Detroit race. Definitely a really good start for the first race.THE MODERATOR: You and Pato had a good battle at the end. We heard his side of it. How about you?PATO O’WARD: I didn’t think we had a battle. We did? I was waiting for him to make a mistake, but he didn’t make one. I was just chilling.RINUS VEEKAY: In one part from turn seven till turn 11, you cannot really make a pass.PATO O’WARD: I do remember now (smiling).RINUS VEEKAY: I pushed my tires quite hard at the beginning of my stint. At the end for the restart my tires were a little cooked. Yeah, I knew Pato was going to be fast. He’s always aggressive. But so am I. That was good.Yeah, I made a good move on Takuma, which I was pretty happy about. That felt pretty good. Pato came with me. Yeah, I just had quite a lot of ‘push to pass’. Luckily I could get a little bit of a gap in the last lap.From turn seven to turn 11, kind of took it a little bit easy. Didn’t want to tap a wall or break anything. I knew he wasn’t going to be able to pass me there. Still it got pretty close.No, I think it’s quite a cool podium, quite a young one, too.THE MODERATOR: This is also our seventh different winner in seven races.PATO O’WARD: Crazy, yeah.THE MODERATOR: We’ll continue with questions.Q.Trying to figure out the points, but once again it’s scrambled. I’m sure you guys have moved up since Alex didn’t have the greatest race in the world.PATO O’WARD: I might be like within five points, I think. I thought I got 35. How far was I back? Palou gets some for 15th.I should be in the fight. It was a good points day for me.Q.Both you and Rinus probably gained a lot today. Talk about how it seems like this points race is going to be a dogfight.PATO O’WARD: Everyone keeps asking me, Would you risk it? I mean, obviously it’s not like it’s one race, double points. There’s two races in two days. You need to maximize those two races. You’re better off having two top fives rather than a win and a DNF.THE MODERATOR: You got 37 points for the day, and you have 248 currently.PATO O’WARD: I’m where Palou was. I should be a few points back.RINUS VEEKAY: I think title fight is pretty good on our side. But I just treat every race the same. Like last year I was 14th. Now I’m probably somewhere in the top five. But, yeah, the season is still like nine more races. We’re not even halfway. So many can still happen. I just treat every race at a time and just, yeah, try to get the best possible result every race, see where I end up.Q.You two are young. There’s a quick turnaround. It’s 6:00 here, you have to be out there qualifying at 9 a.m.PATO O’WARD: What time is it now?THE MODERATOR: 6.PATO O’WARD: Dinner now at 6? That means I’m off the hook (laughter)?Q.Quick turnaround, 9 qualifying, 12 race. How do you get as much rest as you can?PATO O’WARD: I want to get in my ice bath. You have one?RINUS VEEKAY: I don’t have one. I have a massage. I’m going to be massaged, a full spa treatment (laughter).PATO O’WARD: Okay, I don’t have my personal spa (smiling).Q.Rinus, you were one of seven guys who never raced here before. How did you adapt to the track so quickly?RINUS VEEKAY: Well, I think it’s kind of a track that suits me. You got to be a little bit crazy. If you don’t know the risks, you can’t give it all.I think for me, I like street courses. I think we also have a great car which helps me get up to speed. We also had a sim day last Wednesday on a sim.PATO O’WARD: Those don’t do anything to prepare you for Detroit. What are you talking about? Not a chance.RINUS VEEKAY: No, I felt like it really happened. I did a pace lap with Conor.Q.He taught you everything?RINUS VEEKAY: Everything (smiling).Q.Do you feel since your win you’re driving a lot more confident? Or has that not changed, you’re driving the same way?RINUS VEEKAY: I actually forgot about my win. I just give it all. I enjoy. I think that’s most important. I enjoy. I’m still pretty bouncy and happy in the team. Like all the spirits are very high, everyone is very motivated. I think that helps.I think just the whole team, like everyone together, just has made a huge step compared to last year. We have a consistently good-performing car.Q.Pato, I saw you throw your fist up in frustration at Sato maybe. Rinus, did you have an issue with Sato? Both had problems with the same guy today?RINUS VEEKAY: I had no real problems. It was just racing hard. I was aware if he made a move and reaction, he would make a block. Yeah, just his mistake. No, Takuma, he’s not an easy guy to race. No attack, no chance is his motto. He’s a little crazy.But, yeah, I finished in front of him. No attack, no chance today, so it’s been a good race.PATO O’WARD: I finished in front of him, so I have no complaints (smiling).Q.On the flipside, the guy who won today, he seems to be a driver that you don’t ever hear anybody complain about the way he drives. How do you feel about seeing him crack into Victory Lane?PATO O’WARD: I’m happy for him. He was telling me it’s been 10 years since he won. Like for me it was three years and it felt like forever. I can’t imagine 10 years. I’m really, really happy for him.He’s a great guy to race. He races you hard, but he’s very clean. Yeah, good guy.RINUS VEEKAY: Yeah, I’m also very happy for him. Of course, the first victory is always the most special. I think his first and only podium was here in 2019. Very good track for him. He’s putting a lot of work in just like us. Definitely a great driver. Great that he gets his first win here. Pretty cool way to jump in the fountain and sit on the lion.Q.You got your first wins this year. We saw another first-time winner. When was the last time we had four first-time winners in seven races? I don’t think that’s happened before.PATO O’WARD: I got to say, I don’t think the field has ever been this stacked in decades. Like I’m really proud to be part of it, proud to be one of the guys that’s mixing it up in the front. I’m sure Rinus feels the same.RINUS VEEKAY: I’m proud of it. We of course are the new generation coming up. It’s pretty cool to battle it out. I think, yeah, it’s just great how the young guys kind of take over. Really proud to be a part of it.Q.Rinus, how was this place? You’re one of seven drivers who came in this place for the very first time. What was it like?RINUS VEEKAY: It’s definitely crazy. Once you give it 99% one lap, you’re a second off. You got to be on it every lap and push hard.Yeah, you will touch the wall a few times in the race, which I did. No damage. Definitely very cool. It gives you a lot of adrenaline. Finishing on the podium here is really satisfying.Q.Pato, back to talking about a championship. Were there any moments today where you were thinking championship first? If so, what were those moments?PATO O’WARD: Yes, many times. When Sato stuck it inside, when Rossi stuck it in the inside, when I was fighting I think it was McLaughlin. I ended up getting him, so that was good.Yeah, I mean, there were multiple times in the race where I made the right call backing off. If I didn’t, I’m pretty sure my race would have been ended before the first red flag.Q.Is it full send tomorrow from the green flag or back to thinking championship?PATO O’WARD: I need to qualify as high up as I can. We did a good job of that today. Tomorrow we try to do the same. Hopefully no yellows fall down to hose us.Q.Rinus, your pass on Takuma on the last restart, how aggressive were you on that move?RINUS VEEKAY: I was quite aggressive. I had a pretty good run from the restart. I knew they didn’t sweep turn one. It was very marble-y off the line. I got a taste of what being off the line is like yesterday in practice. It’s very slick.I thought once I get my wing there, you know, I can stick it. He’s not going to be able to follow me on the outside. I put my front wheels on his inside. Yeah, then I knew the move was done.Very happy. Definitely paid off.

Myatt Snider and the TaxSlayer Chevrolet Team’s Strong Run Ends Early After Late-Race Wreck

33rd

17th

13th

“It was definitely a long, hot afternoon at Texas Motor Speedway in the No. 2 TaxSlayer Chevrolet. We started 17th and struggled with a loose-handling condition during the early stages of the race. It was a chore today to find the exact right line around the track but my spotter, Derek Kneeland, did a great job of evaluating where other cars were running compared to the PJ1 and giving me feedback. By Stage 3, we really figured something out and were running solidly in the top-10 before we were wrecked on the backstretch. It was a pretty hard hit, and I wish we could have finished the race. I want to thank everyone at RCR and ECR for all of their hard work. We’re headed to Nashville Superspeedway next week and I’ll look for some redemption there.” -Myatt Snider

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX STREETS OF BELLE ISLE TEAM CHEVY POST RACE ONE RECAP JUNE 12,2021
Chevrolet picks up two spots on podium in Detroit Dual 1Rinus VeeKay places second, pole winner Pato O’Ward finishes third DETROIT (June 12, 2021) – Rinus VeeKay, who earned his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory in May on a road course, and Pato O’Ward, who claimed his initial win in May on an oval, led the Chevrolet contingent with podium finishes on a temporary street circuit in Dual 1 of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear. VeeKay, driving the No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing, finished 1.7 seconds behind race winner Marcus Ericsson in his Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. O’Ward, who earlier in the day recorded his second NTT P1 Award of the season, placed third in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet to move into second in the driver standings. “It’s an awesome result. I have to thank the team and Chevy power,” said VeeKay, 20, who followed his victory May 15 in the GMR Grand Prix by becoming the youngest front-row starter in Indianapolis 500 history. “Very excited for tomorrow because we were fast.” VeeKay, O’Ward and nine other drivers powered by Chevrolet’s 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 engine return Sunday, June 13, to the 2.35-mile, 13-turn temporary street circuit on Belle Isle for Dual 2. Two rounds of knockout qualifying will precede another physically demanding and technically challenging 70-lap race. O’Ward delivered the 101st pole in 156 races for Chevrolet since it returned to NTT INDYCAR SERIES manufacturer competition in 2012. Will Power, who led a field-high 37 laps in the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet, appeared to be in the driver’s seat with five laps left to register his 40th career victory. But the second caution of the race brought out the red flag and brought the cars in running order to pit lane. After the incident was cleared, Power’s car failed to restart and INDYCAR officials waived the field around the two-time Detroit winner. The team eventually restarted the car and Power rejoined the race from the rear of the field. Josef Newgarden added a 10th-place finish in the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, while two-time Belle Isle winner Sebastien Bourdais finished 11th in the No. 14 ROKiT Chevrolet for A.J. Foyt Racing, Simon Pagenaud placed 12th in the No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet, and Conor Daly was 13th in the No. 20 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing. The first caution involved the No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren Chevrolet driven by Felix Rosenqvist that made heavy contact with the Turn 6 tire barrier on Lap 25. He was awake and alert and transported by ground to a local hospital for evaluation. Marcus Ericsson (Honda) was the race winner. Dual 2 qualifications will be telecast live on NBCSN and stream on Peacock Premium at 9 a.m. ET Sunday, June 13, followed by NBC’s telecast of the 70-lap race at noon. The 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. 
TEAM CHEVY FINISHERS with starting position in parentheses:2.  Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek Ed Carpenter Racing (12)3.  Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP (1)10. Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske (5)11. Sebastien Bourdais, No. 14 ROKiT/AJ Foyt Racing (10)12. Simon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards Team Penske (9)13. Conor Daly, No. 20 U.S. Air Force Ed Carpenter Racing (17)18. Dalton Kellett, No. 4 K-Line Insulators/AJ Foyt Racing (24)19. Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 PPG Team Penske (23)20. Will Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske (7)22. Max Chilton, No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet (20)25. Felix Rosenqvist, No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP (14)DRIVER QUOTES:RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 SONAX/AUTOGEEK CHEVROLET – Finished 2^nd:YOU STARTED 12^TH AND WORKED YOUR WAY ALL THE WAY UP TO SECOND. YOU ARE DRENCHED IN SWEAT. THIS WAS A PHYSICAL TEST EVEN GREATER THAN YOU EXPECTED.“Yeah, it’s an awesome result. I’m very happy. I have to thank the team, of course, and Chevy power, the best Chevy. So, I’m very happy with that. It’s an awesome track. I enjoy it here. And I like the street courses being a little crazy. That was definitely very awesome and yeah, heat-wise, it was pretty warm. Actually, like physically, it was fine. But I’ve just got a lot of sweat dripping on my face. That was the only thing bothering me. But very good results and good for the points. I’m very excited for tomorrow because we were fast.” IT TURNED OUT TO BE A STRANGE RACE WITH A COUPLE OF RED FLAGS. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT TOMORROW? DO YOU THINK YOU CAN PUT THE CAR UP FRONT LIKE THIS AGAIN, EVEN IF IT GOES GREEN TO THE END?“I think we can do better on qualifying. We took a little bit of a risky strategy, so 12th was all we could do. But anyway, we were very fast, and qualifying isn’t that important because it’s a crazy track. We’ve seen what happens. So, definitely good qualifying will help but that’ll come tomorrow.” PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET – Finished 3^rd:“We started on the pole and went backward which I guess is a disappointment. We really had to fight for this podium. I think we really salvaged a lot of points from where we could have finished, just considering how hard it was to pass. The guys did a great job in the pits and I did my job on the track, passed seven on the track and two or three in the pits so that was fantastic.
“I feel for Will. I think he would have walked away with it if we didn’t go red.” WILL POWER, NO.12 VERIZON 5G TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, Finished 20^th:“I’m mad at INDYCAR. Because, I’m the first car in and they wait until the last car to come to get a fan on that car and it roasted the ECU (Electronic Control Unit).  “Just going red flag for starters. The guys up there in race control never listen to any drivers. They never listen; they don’t care. We’ve given them so many suggestions and they don’t care.  “I drove my butt off today, to have this to happen!  “I was screaming on the radio, ‘get a fan, get a fan.” (from Lee, it wasn’t for you, it war for the car?). Yeah, because the ECU always overheats. They wait for everyone. These guys (behind me) still had air coming in the car. “You work your butt off in this sport. So much money goes into it and doesn’t and it has dumb things like that.  “If it’s not a yellow they throw, it’s some stupid idea like this – a red flag. Gah.” 

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX STEETS OF BELLE ISLE TEAM CHEVY POLE QUOTE JUNE 12,2021 PATO O’WARD PUTS CHEVY ON THE POLE FOR RACE ONE ON STREETS OF BELLE ISLEDRIVER OF NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET WINS 2ND NTT P1 AWARD OF HIS YOUNG CAREER DETROIT (JUNE 12,2021) – Pato O’Ward put his No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet on the pole for Race One of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. Today’s pole is the second NTT P1 Award for the second-year driver.PATO O’WARD POLE QUOTE: YOU CAUGHT SOME TRAFFIC THERE, BUT STILL PUT IT ON THE POLE. HOW DID YOU GET IT DONE?“Yeah, I did. But I wasn’t going to be passed I don’t think. You need to put so much faith into this place. You have to put faith in the car, that it’s going to stick. But when you hit it right, how can I say it? When you nail a lap, you can tell you’ve nailed it.” TALK ABOUT THE RISK VERSUS REWARD. IT TAKES RISK, BUT THE REWARD IS BIG“I was actually talking about this with Felix (Rosenqvist, teammate) that even compared to like a St. Pete, the faster you go here and the more you attack, the more grip you have. But when you’re not attacking, and you don’t feel the grip, it’s like well, is it going to give it to me? So, you kind of just have to go, stick please! (laughs). You just have to go for it. Honestly, I’m a little surprised, because I think I nailed a pretty good lap in the first group, and I was way off. But we nailed it the second time.” Other Team Chevy Drivers qualified for Race One as follows:Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Hitachi Chevrolet – 5thWill Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Chevrolet – 7thSimon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards Chevrolet – 9thSebastien Bourdais, No.14 ROKIT Chevrolet – 10thRinus Veekay, No, 21 Sonax Chevrolet – 12thFelix Rosenqvist, No, 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet – 14thConor Daly, No. 20 US Airforce Chevrolet – 17thMax Chilton, No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet – 18thScott McLaughlin, No. 3 PPG Chevrolet – 24thDalton Kellet, No. 4 K-Line Chevrolet – 25th NBC will telecast both rounds of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix live at 2 p.m. ET Saturday, June 12, and noon ET Sunday, June 13. The 70-lap races 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. Practice and live qualifications will stream on Peacock Premium. About ChevroletFounded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Zero invert for Heat Races leading up to $126,000-to-win finale on Saturday

ROSSBURG, OH – June 11, 2021 – The stars always find a way to shine in the big moments at Eldora Speedway. Brandon Overton and Gregg Satterlee found some star power of their own on Friday night and traded it in for two $10,000 checks in the preliminary night of action at the 26th Dirt Late Model Dream.

Unlike the previous two nights of action in the 27th Dream, the rain stayed away completely and helped the track crew to present the drivers with a smooth, slicker surface to race on. This played right into the hands of Overton and Satterlee, as they took advantage of its multi-lane characteristics and made passing for the lead look easy on their way to Victory Lane.

A zero was spun on the Wheel of Misfortune after both Features had concluded, which means there will be no inversion of any Heat Race starters for Saturday’s $126,000-to-win finale.

Group A Twin-25 Preliminary Feature – Brandon Overton

He’s now won a total of $147,000 in just three nights at Eldora. Not too shabby for the newly crowned 27th Dream champion, Brandon Overton.

The Evans, GA-driver made quick work of his competition in Friday’s Feature, compared to the lap-after-lap fight for the lead he had with Stormy Scott just two nights prior. Overton stared fourth on the grid and was up to second by Lap 3, putting 2003 Dream winner Darrell Lanigan in his rearview with a move to the inside heading into Turn 3.

Polesitter Ryan Gustin, of Marshalltown, IA, had jumped out to a sizable lead in clean air, but it didn’t last long. Overton was dangerously fast down low as Gustin clung to the high line, which ended up hurting him in the end as he slightly jumped the cushion in turn 4, swinging the door wide open for a lurking Overton down low.

Now in the lead as he crossed the stripe to complete Lap 9, Overton’s mission was to run away and hide. Which, he did, leading the remaining 17 laps to score his sixth career Eldora Feature victory and third in three days.

“This thing – I feel like anybody can get in it and drive it. It feels really good,” Overton said of his car in Victory Lane.

Gustin was able to hold on for a runner-up finish, nearly four seconds behind Overton at race’s end. He had only one explanation for how Overton got around him when all was said and done.

“Overton’s just fast. That’s all there is to it,” he said.

A-Feature (25 Laps) – 1. 76-Brandon Overton[4]; 2. 19R-Ryan Gustin[1]; 3. 29-Darrell Lanigan[2]; 4. 0-Scott Bloomquist[3]; 5. 6-Kyle Larson[9]; 6. 9-Devin Moran[8]; 7. 20RT-Ricky Thornton, Jr.[7]; 8. 99JR-Frank Heckenast, Jr.[11]; 9. 6H-Nick Hoffman[6]; 10. 25-Shane Clanton[15]; 11. 3S-Brian Shirley[12]; 12. 39-Tim McCreadie[18]; 13. 79-Ross Bailes[5]; 14. 28-Dennis Erb, Jr.[17]; 15. 1S-Chad Simpson[19]; 16. 8-Kyle Strickler[20]; 17. 11H-Spencer Hughes[16]; 18. 4-Travis Stemler[13]; 19. 23-John Blankenship[24]; 20. 111-Steven Roberts[22]; 21. 24D-Michael Brown[23]; 22. 7R-Kent Robinson[21]; 23. 7-Ricky Weiss[10]; 24. 83-Scott James[14]

Group B Twin-25 Preliminary Feature – Greg Satterlee

While he’d come close several times on some of the biggest stages, Gregg Satterlee had never won a Feature of any kind at Eldora Speedway. Until Friday night.

The Indiana, PA-driver capitalized on a mistake by polesitter Shannon Babb after a late restart to make the pass which led him to the $10,000 victory and those ultra-important Every Lap Matters points to get him in a good Heat Race starting spot on Saturday.

“It’s good to get a win,” Satterlee said. “It’s not one of the big ones, but I’ll take it.”

Babb, of Moweaqua, IL, crept out to a nice lead in traffic while Satterlee chased him down as they got down under 10-to-go. But a caution flag was displayed on Lap 18, which restacked the field and led to a restart which Babb would love to take back.

“I knew on that start that I had to get in the lead, and into Turn 1 I ran a little bit hard. [Satterlee] stayed with me at the flag stand, and I got in a little hard and kinda overshot Turn 2. I got a little push and got the angle wrong, and Gregg was able to take advantage of that,” Babb said.

Indeed, Satterlee walked through the open door that Babb left him down low, dove hard into Turn 3 and slid up in front of him to take the lead away out of Turn 4. From there, it was nothing but The Truth out front to the checkers.

“I saw it happening and I was able to adjust and get back underneath [Babb] and get a run on him,” Satterlee said of the pass for the lead.

While he was closing in on Babb before the yellow was displayed, Satterlee said the restacking of the field was actually something he needed.

“The lapped cars were kinda everywhere, the track was really dirty and dusty, so it was just able to get me reset and get back get back in clean racetrack,” Satterlee said. “Had [the caution] not come out, I don’t know that I would have passed him, but I was right there with him.”

A-Feature (25 Laps) – 1. 22S-Gregg Satterlee[3]; 2. 18B-Shannon Babb[1]; 3. 40B-Kyle Bronson[7]; 4. 49-Jonathan Davenport[4]; 5. 22-Chris Ferguson[6]; 6. 83F-Jensen Ford[5]; 7. 20-Jimmy Owens[9]; 8. 1-Brandon Sheppard[8]; 9. 44-Chris Madden[14]; 10. 32-Bobby Pierce[2]; 11. 16-Tyler Bruening[18]; 12. 11-Josh Rice[11]; 13. 17M-Dale McDowell[16]; 14. 111V-Max Blair[12]; 15. 21-Billy Moyer[21]; 16. 17-Zack Dohm[17]; 17. 37-Jacob Hawkins[19]; 18. 4G-Kody Evans[24]; 19. 25F-Jason Feger[13]; 20. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[23]; 21. 1ST-Johnny Scott[15]; 22. 157-Mike Marlar[10]; 23. 2S-Stormy Scott[22]; 24. 18-Chase Junghans[20]

UP NEXT

The 26th Dirt Late Model Dream comes to an epic conclusion Saturday night at Eldora Speedway with the 100-lap, $126,000-to-win Feature event to cap off a night of Heat racing, B-Features and B-Scrambles. Hot Laps are scheduled for 6:30pm – follow DIRTcar Racing on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all the updates.

Kerry Madsen Led Opening 21 Laps Aboard Tony Stewart Racing #14

KNOXVILLE, IA – June 11, 2021 – From Jason Johnson to David Gravel, there’s always been something special about the JJR #41 at Knoxville Raceway.

On Friday night, Carson Macedo became the newest to trust Philip Dietz on the wrenches and soar to glory on the black zook clay in World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series competition. The Lemoore, CA native aced the final restart of the race and roared by Kerry Madsen’s #14 to take the lead with three laps left.

The win not only marked the 10th of Macedo’s World of Outlaws  career, but it was his first-ever 410 Sprint Car triumph at The Sprint Car Capital of the World.

Better yet, it only proves just how lethal Macedo, Dietz, and the rest of the JJR boys are when it comes the Iowa 1/2-mile. In six total appearances at Knoxville in the #41, Macedo has never finished outside of the top-10 and four times he’s put it on the podium.

His late-race steal gave him the $10,000 check from the Brownells Big Guns Bash, and it allowed him to gain more crucial points on Brad Sweet and David Gravel in the championship chase.

“I’m a little out of breath from yelling, I’m so damn happy,” an ecstatic Macedo mentioned. “You know I sat in Jason’s [Johnson] parents motorhome earlier and watched video after video of this place with Craig and Debra. I feel like there’s a common theme on winning at this place and I thought if  I don’t do it right, at least I’ll get better at it. Winning at Knoxville in the #41 is pretty special.”

More than anything else, Macedo is oozing with swagger. He’s ready for August, and the potential to become Jason Johnson Racing’s third different driver to win the Knoxville Nationals.

“My confidence is extremely high right now,” Macedo offered. “Leading into tomorrow, leading into the Nationals, I 100% believe we’re going to be a threat.”

Before Macedo parked the JJR #41 in victory lane, another pair of superstar teams stole attention to begin the night.

Kasey Kahne made his return to the seat for the first time since March, and quickly drove a third KKR #9T around Knoxville in 15.176 seconds in an effort worthy of the Slick Woodys Cornhole Company QuickTime Award.

The attention then shifted to Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, who completed a front row lockout by placing Kerry Madsne’s #14 on the pole and Donny Schatz’s #15 to his outside in the 25-lap NOS Energy Drink Feature.

Madsen jetted to the initial lead and Schatz slipped to third as Macedo rose to the occasion down the backstretch on the opening circuit. The duo offered a high-speed chess match through lap traffic, but it never got really close (outside of a Lap 11 bobble) until the only caution of the race flew on Lap 20 of 25.

Creating a single-file restart, Madsen brought the field back to green with five laps remaining and Macedo hot on his heels.

“Kerry was maneuvering in and out of lap traffic so well,” Macedo applauded. “There were a couple of times I thought I would have runs on him, but the lappers zigged and zagged the wrong ways. I saw the caution and thought I would be tough to get such a good start, but somehow we made it happen.”

Make it happen, indeed. As Madsen stuck the bottom, Macedo carried his speed through the corners and built a run off turn four and down there front stretch. He peaked under Madsen’s #14 and drove it hard into turn one to secure the lead and officially lead the 22nd Lap.

From there, he pulled away and saw the checkered flag to earn his fourth win of the 2021 World of Outlaws campaign.

“This is one of the toughest tracks in the country,” Macedo praised Knoxville. “It’s so technical, but I’m lucky to have this crew behind me. My car was so good that when even I as the driver made mistakes, it felt like the car could make the recovery for me.”

Falling short of Macedo’s #41 by 0.748-seconds at the checkered flag, Logan Schuchart crossed the stripe in second-place. A momentum building run for his Shark Racing, Drydene Performance Products #1S, which has time and time again proven lethal at Knoxville’s 1/2-mile.

“It’s always fun racing at this place against the best in the business,” Schuchart mentioned. You’re doing something right when you’re passing Knoxville Nationals champions like Donny [Schatz] and Brad [Sweet]. I could tell he didn’t feel comfortable on the bottom in turns three and four, and that’s where I felt like I was making tons of ground, but we just ran out of time.”

After leading the opening 21 laps from pole position, Kerry Madsen ended up with a third-place finish aboard the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, Advanced Auto Parts, Rush Truck Centers #14. It’s the first podium effort of 2021 for the St. Mary’s, NSW, AUS driver.

“We were looking good for a bit man,” Madsen said. “What a team to be involved. I was feeling comfortable all race long, but I just didn’t make the right adjustments under caution. I let the boys down. Hopefully we come back better tomorrow.”

Rounding out the top-five on night one of the Brownells Big Guns Bash was outside pole sitter Donny Schatz in fourth aboard the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15 and then Giovanni Scelzi in the fifth spot in his KCP Racing #18.

Closing out the top-10 on Friday was championship leader Brad Sweet in sixth, reigning Knoxville Nationals champion David Gravel in seventh, weekly hero Brian Brown in eighth, Knoxville resident Aaron Reutzel in ninth, and Missouri’s Ayrton Gennetten with his first-career World of Outlaws top-10.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will be back at Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway tomorrow, Saturday, June 12 to conclude the Brownells Big Guns Bash.

NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps): 1. 41-Carson Macedo [3][$10,000]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5][$5,500]; 3. 14-Kerry Madsen [1][$3,200]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [2][$2,600]; 5. 18-Giovanni Scelzi [10][$2,350]; 6. 49-Brad Sweet [4][$2,150]; 7. 2-David Gravel [7][$2,100]; 8. 21-Brian Brown [6][$1,950]; 9. 83-Aaron Reutzel [14][$1,900]; 10. 3-Ayrton Gennetten [8][$1,850]; 11. 19-Brent Marks [13][$1,400]; 12. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [16][$1,200]; 13. 11K-Kraig Kinser [20][$1,000]; 14. 5-Parker Price-Miller [12][$950]; 15. 9-James McFadden [23][$900]; 16. 15H-Sam Hafertepe [15][$900]; 17. 9T-Kasey Kahne [9][$900]; 18. 25-Scott Bogucki [17][$900]; 19. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [18][$900]; 20. 24-Terry McCarl [11][$900]; 21. 2KS-Matt Juhl [21][$900]; 22. 83X-Lynton Jeffrey [19][$900]; 23. 55-McKenna Haase [22][$900]; 24. 2C-Wayne Johnson [24][$900]. Lap Leaders: Kerry Madsen 1-21, Carson Macedo 22-25. KSE Hard Charger Award: 9-James McFadden[+8]

NEW Championship Standings (29/82 Races): 1. Brad Sweet (4,070); 2. David Gravel (-58); 3. Carson Macedo (-92); 4. Donny Schatz (-142); 5. Sheldon Haudenschild (-164); 6. Logan Schuchart (-188); 7. Aaron Reutzel (-228); 8. Kraig Kinser (-490); 9. James McFadden (-580); 10. Brock Zearfoss (-650)

Gustin grabs podium at Eldora Sheppard and Madden score top-10’s in preliminary Feature ROSSBURG, OH – JUNE 11, 2021 – “We can be like they are.” That’s a lyric you’ll find in Blue Oyster Cult’s famous song “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” Ryan Gustin, aka “The Reaper,” proved he can be like the prime contenders at Eldora Speedway Friday night, finishing second in his preliminary Feature at the DIRTcar sanctioned 26th annual Dirt Late Model Dream.  Gustin started on the pole of his 25-lap Feature and led the first nine circuits. That’s when Feature winner Brandon Overton made the pass for the win on the bottom of Turn 3.  Even though he had to settle for second, Gustin was excited about grabbing his first Eldora podium.  “It feels awesome just to lead some laps in front of this crowd,” Gustin said. “It’s the biggest race of the year and as long as we get through the Heat Race, and don’t crash or anything I think we’ll be alright [Saturday.]” Gustin knows he proved something Friday night, especially after finishing behind Overton, who won Thursday’s $127,000-to-win Dream and hasn’t lost a Feature this week at the famed half-mile.  “Overton is just the class of the field here, that’s all there is to it,” Gustin said. “But we’re gaining on it step by step, and we’re definitely getting there that’s for sure.” Ricky Weiss and Dennis Erb Jr. were also in the first preliminary Feature. Erb finished 14th, while Weiss finished 23rd.  In the second Feature, the top two drivers in Series points Brandon Sheppard and Chris Madden both scored top-10 finishes.  The Three-time and defending Series champion finished eighth while trying to dial in a setup for [Saturday’s] race.  “We tried a few things tonight to see if we can get better for the race tomorrow and it didn’t help us any,” Sheppard said. “We just have to be a little bit better, early in the night our program is pretty good, and we can qualify in the Heat Race really good. We’re just going to work on this thing and get a little better for [Saturday.]  Chris Madden finished right behind Sheppard in ninth. The Gray Court, SC driver bounced back, after crashing during his B-Feature Thursday night.  “Smokey” felt he had a good car, and wished the race was longer than 25-laps.  “I kind of wish we had the 100-lapper tonight, because I felt really good,” Madden said. “We were a little bit slow on restarts, but we seem to have a pretty good car right now to run long distance.” Tyler Bruening was also in the second Feature and finished 11th.   The World of Outlaws drivers return to Eldora Speedway Saturday, for the final night of the 26th Dirt Late Model Dream. One of the tour regulars could win $126,000 if they reach Eldora’s illustrious Victory Lane.  TWIN FEATURE #1 RESULTSRyan Gustin-2ndDennis Erb Jr.-14thRicky Weiss-23rdBrent Larson-DNQ TWIN FEATURE #2 RESULTSBrandon Sheppard-8thChris Madden-9thTyler Bruening-11th Boom Briggs-DNQ

Ricky Taylor puts Wayne Taylor Racing Acura on the second row at Belle Isle
Meyer Shank Racing ARX-05 will start on the third row
Jeff Kingsley to start seventh in Acura NSX GT3 Evo for Compass Racing

DETROIT (June 11, 2021) – Ricky Taylor had a quick lap in his sights as time was running down in IMSA DPi qualifying for Saturday’s IMSA Sports Car Classic at Belle Isle, but a red flag brought out by a competitor’s spin forced the Rolex 24-winning Konica Minolta Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-05 to settle for fourth place on tomorrow’s starting grid.

Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque will start on the outside of the second row in their #10 Acura while the #60 Sirius XM Meyer Shank Racing Acura prototype of Olivier Pla and Dane Cameron will grid directly behind them for tomorrow’s 100-minute WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race.

In the production-based GTD category, Jeff Kingsley qualified the #76 Compass Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo seventh, while his teammate Mario Farnbacher led the separate session for Pro drivers to score maximum championship points. In the #66 Gradient Racing Acura, Till Bechtolscheimer will start 8th before handing off to co-driver Marc Miller.

IMSA Sports Car Classic At Belle Isle Acura Qualifying Results
4th overall – #10 Ricky Taylor & Filipe Albuquerque, Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-05 DPi
6th overall – #60 Olivier Pla & Dane Cameron, Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-05 DPi
7th GTD – #76 Mario Farnbacher & Jeff Kingsley, Compass Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo
8th GTD – #66 Mark Miller & Till Bechtolscheimer, Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo

Quotes
Ricky Taylor (#10 Wayne Taylor Racing ARX-05) qualified 4th: “Our guys have done a really good job evolving the car throughout the weekend. We did a good job at closing the gap for qualifying, but we need to take another step for the race. Who knows what can happen tomorrow, with the IndyCar rubber on the track from their race, which is right before ours. That could throw a whole other curveball at us. We’ll just go with a flow, and hopefully we can adapt [to Saturday’s track conditions] better. We have the first pit stall, so that’s a positive as far as how we race. This year is all about execution and that’s where we have all the faith in our Konica Minolta guys.”

Mario Farnbacher (#76 Compass Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo) led Pro GTD qualifying: “I love this track ever since I started coming here in 2014. I have a great history here. Acura gave us a great car today, it felt really good all the way around the track. The Compass Racing guys did a very good job getting it ready and I am looking forward to tomorrow. I am very happy to see the fans back, especially after running alone a lot last year, so thanks to everyone that came out.”

Fast Facts
Acura Motorsports has recorded four previous victories on the streets of Belle Isle Park, including the 2019 event, won by Dane Cameron and Juan Pablo Montoya aboard their Acura ARX-05 prototype; consecutive GTD triumphs for the Acura NSX GT3 in 2017-18; and another overall win for the Acura ARX-01b prototype in 2008.

In the most recent IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race in Detroit, Cameron and Montoya won from the pole en route to a 2019 series championship sweep for Acura, the drivers, and Acura Team Penske. The race was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based in Austin, Texas, Gradient Racing returns for a second year of IMSA Sprint Cup competition with the #66 Unit Nutrition Acura NSX GT3 Evo for drivers Marc Miller and Till Bechtolscheimer. The duo finished eighth in their 2021 debut last month at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Already a successful Acura team in SRO World Challenge America competition, Compass Racing now also fields an NSX GT3 Evo in IMSA for drivers Jeff Kingsley and two-time defending series champion Mario Farnbacher. The pair combined for a fifth-place result at their Mid-Ohio debut last month.

Acura and Honda Performance Development – the North America racing arm of Honda Racing and Acura Motorsports – come to the Detroit Grand Prix seeking to continue a run of major race wins. Acura has won two of the first three IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship events of 2021, including the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January and the Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio in May.

Where to Watch
Race day television coverage from Detroit begins at 5 p.m. EDT Saturday on the NBC Sports Network. Complete, flag-to-flag race coverage also will be available on the NBC Gold Track Pass and the NBC Sports App.

Fans can listen to audio commentary via IMSA.com, RadioLeMans.com and XM Radio channel 392; and follow the race live via in-car cameras, IMSA Radio and timing & scoring available worldwide on IMSA.com and the IMSA mobile device App.

Acura Motorsports social media content and video links from the Detroit Grand Prix 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).

DETROIT (June 11, 2021) – Nick Tandy set the fastest time for Corvette Racing ahead of the Chevrolet Sport Car Classic on Friday, just beating out Jordan Taylor in a battle of mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette C8.Rs. Tandy set a time of 1:27.283 (96.926 mph) in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C8.R to edge out his No. 3 teammate by 0.323 seconds. Saturday’s 100-minute race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is the first time Corvette Racing has competed on Belle Isle since 2008. Corvette Racing’s home event became possible with the move of the 24 Hours of Le Mans from mid-June to mid-August. It’s the team’s first IMSA race since the Mobil 1Twelve Hours of Sebring in March and is a nice warmup ahead of a busy stretch of four races in six weeks, plus the return to Le Mans. Belle Isle also provides an opportunity for the hundreds of Chevrolet team members – both within the Corvette team and others outside the main program, all of whom contributed in some way to the C8.R and the road-going Corvette Stingray – to see Corvette Racing in-person for the only time in 2021. The reveal of the C8.R nearly 18 months ago was culmination of almost six years of work between engineers and designers from the Corvette production group and Corvette Racing. What resulted was a racecar that won six times during its 2020 debut season and swept the full-season IMSA GTLM championships for Manufacturers, Drivers and Teams. The Corvette C8.R also won the Rolex 24 At Daytona to start the 2021 season. The Chevrolet Sports Car Classic is scheduled for 5:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 12. The race will air live on NBCSN and stream on TrackPass via NBC Sports Gold and the NBC Sports App. IMSA Radio will air full qualifying and race coverage at IMSA.com along with Sirius 219, XM 202 and SiriusXM Online 992.

NICK TANDY, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM POLE-WINNER: “It wasn’t easy. Driving around any street circuit is pretty challenging. We had a tough practice this morning but we managed to make some changes for qualifying. This Corvette was on rails. We took it easy at the start and brought in the tires nicely. To grab the pole is a great thing for our team on our side of the garage. In a home race and in front of the whole General Motors and Chevrolet, it’s awesome to do.“The thing to do in order to improve for the rest of the season is to treat this as a full race event. OK, there are only two cars in our class but we will execute as a normal race. There will be inter-team competition. We want to put on a show for the fans and show them what the Corvette C8.R can do on the racetrack.”It’s great for the team and Corvette Racing to be here and show this car off to people who perhaps wouldn’t have been able to see it at a different track. There are a lot of people from Chevrolet and across the company who have been working on the street car and the race car. Hopefully there will be some of them who will get to see the car in action that wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. It’s a huge event for us, and we are thankful the schedule and IMSA allowed us to show off this great race car.”We are treating this as a bonafide race event. We’ve been way for quite awhile since Sebring and we didn’t race Mid-Ohio. The schedule is going to get very busy coming up looking at the doubleheader at Watkins Glen and then a few additional races in a short time. Operationally, we wanted to get back in the swing of things. The briefing in qualifying was to make the car as fast as we possibly could and drive it as fast as we possibly could because we will go to another street circuit later this year. It was good fun driving on this street circuit for the first time this morning. Putting sticker tires and low fuel this afternoon made it that much more enjoyable.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – QUALIFIED SECOND IN GTLM:“It’s been very helpful being on track today. It’s the first time we’ve run this Corvette on a street circuit, so before we go to Long Beach it’s good to get some testing done here. Things like the car over the bumps and small little details like launch controls, throttle positions and engine mapping. There is work going for reliability also. The more miles we can put on the C8.R the better ahead of Le Mans.”

DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series stars ready to storm Weedsport SpeedwayPrestigious $2,500-to-win Sportsman Classic 75 kicks off DIRTcar Sportsman Series: Central Region at Weedsport on Sunday, June 13WEEDSPORT, NY – Scores of DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series drivers are set to test themselves at one of the most storied and cutting edge race tracks in the Northeast: Weedsport Speedway. Over the last seven years the Sportsman Classic 75 at the Weedsport, NY track has cemented itself as a must-win, must-race, and must-see DIRTcar Sportsman event of the year. Zach Sobotka took his Stirling Lubricants, Champion Oil DIRTcar Sportsman Modified to third in the Central Region standings last year. His run of success has continued in 2021 with three wins, nine top-fives and 13 top-10s in 16 DIRTcar sanctioned races. The #38 is second in Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship points on the back of a stellar start. “We’ve had a pretty good start to the season so far running Land of Legends Raceway and Brewerton Speedway mainly,” Sobotka said. “I got a win at Outlaw Speedway before everything opened up too. We’ve been finishing in the top-five at Brewerton.”Sobotka has built a reputation for his smooth driving, overall pace, and racecraft. These are important attributes for any race car driver and especially one who may move on into the Super DIRTcar Series one day. Following the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series is an excellent way to cut your teeth running a tour. “The plan is to run the whole Series races but that can always change if the first few races don’t go well,” Sobotka noted. The Sportsman Classic 75 is the first race for the Central Region in 2021. Last year, the Central Region was the only one to complete their schedule due to COVID-19 restrictions. Weedsport is a perfect venue to launch the Series once again. “I look forward to going to Weedsport every time we go there,” Sobotka said. “It’s a nice track and a great facility. It’s normally pretty racy. It’s actually kind of shaped like Brewerton so it’s nice to have my setup work. When we were there a couple of weeks ago it was a little slicker than it normally is. It could go tackier this time. It’s all a part of it.”Not only is DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series racing for $2,500-to-win, but their big brothers, the DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, are also racing for $2,500 in a 35-lap shootout. DIRTcar 358 Modifieds are welcome to join the Big Blocks as well. Tickets are already on sale for June 13 with reserved seating set at $30 and general admission seating available to those 18 and older for $25.  Youth general admission will be set at $10 with kids 10 and under free. Visit WeedsportSpeedway.com for more. Follow DIRTcar on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Also bookmark DIRTcar.com for features, news, and the Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship newsletter. PHOTO: Action at the 2019 Sportsman Classic at Weedsport Speedway. Credit: Joe Grabianowski

DIRTcar Racing is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel), Chevy Performance Parts, iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, and NAPA Auto Parts (SDS). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), ASI Race Wear (SDS), Bassett, Bicknell Racing Products, Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux (SDS), Cometic Gasket (SDS), COMP Cams, Drydene, Fast Shafts, Fox Factory (SDS), Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, KSE Racing Products, MSD, Quarter Master, Schoenfeld Headers, Summit Racing Equipment, and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum) (SDS); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Beyea Headers, FireAde, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics and Velocita USA.

Richard Childress Racing in the All-Star Race… Richard Childress Racing has won four NASCAR Cup Series All-Star races with drivers Kevin Harvick (2017) and Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990 and 1993). Earnhardt’s 1987 All-Star victory included the legendary “Pass in the Grass.” Richard Childress Racing at Texas Motor Speedway… Richard Childress Racing has a storied history at Texas Motor Speedway that includes two NASCAR Cup Series wins with Jeff Burton (1997) and most recently with Austin Dillon (2020). The Welcome, NC organization has earned five NASCAR Xfinity Series wins with Kevin Harvick (2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012) and two NASCAR Truck Series wins with Jay Sauter (1999) and Ty Dillon (2013).  Battle in the Lone Star State… For the first time in history, the Cup Series stars will battle for one million dollars deep in the heart of the Lone Star State at Texas Motor Speedway. With his win at the Fort Worth track last season, Austin Dillon is locked into the All-Star Race. Tyler Reddick will need to race his way in by winning a stage in the All-Star Open in order to secure a spot in the feature event.  Catch the Action… The NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Alsco Uniforms 250 Powered by Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen at Texas Motor Speedway will be televised live Saturday, June 12, beginning at 4 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  The NASCAR Cup Series’ All-Star Open at Texas Motor Speedway will be televised live Sunday, June 13, beginning at 6 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  The NASCAR Cup Series’ All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway will be televised live Sunday, June 13, beginning at 8 p.m. ET on FS1 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 Andy’s Frozen Custard Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Texas Motor Speedway… Austin Dillon, who has made two previous All-Star race starts, punched a ticket to the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs with a win at Texas Motor Speedway last year, crossing the finish line first over his teammate, Tyler Reddick, to produce a 1-2 finish for Richard Childress Racing. Overall, Dillon is an accomplished driver at Texas Motor Speedway with 32 starts spread out across NASCAR’s Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series. He has even competed virtually at the track on iRacing. The Welcome, North Carolina driver has earned pole awards in all three of NASCAR’s national touring series while competing at Texas Motor Speedway and has led laps in four of his 15 Cup races there. About Andy’s Frozen Custard… Founded in 1986 in Osage Beach, MO by Andy’s parents John and Carol Kuntz, Andy’s Frozen Custard has been providing the freshest frozen custard in the business for 35 years, giving ice cream the “cold shoulder” by scooping, mixing and presenting handcrafted frozen custard treats with speed and a smile. Since the beginning, the family has had one dream: to share what makes them happiest with everyone else, and to warm hearts, one scoop of frozen custard at a time. With a focus on product quality, customer service and community involvement, Andy’s has grown into the nation’s largest frozen custard-only business, with more than 2,000 employees and 94 company-owned and franchised stores across 14 states proudly serving the World’s Finest Frozen Custard. Andy’s also offers the ‘Yum Squad Loyalty Club,’ designed to say “thank you” to loyal customers by earning points to redeem towards a free treat for every dollar spent. For more information or for details about franchising opportunities, visit www.eatandys.com. AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:The All-Star race takes place at Texas Motor Speedway this year. You have to be excited about that…“I can’t wait. We’re definitely looking forward to getting the chance to run for a million dollars. After winning at Texas Motor Speedway last year, I feel pretty good about having the All-Star race there. It gives us a legitimate shot at locking ourselves into the All-Star race for a long time if we win the race. It’s a crazy format. It’s going to be tough with all of the different stuff we have to do and go through, but man ONE MILLION DOLLARS! Somebody’s going to get it, why not us?” Do you know the rules for the All-Star race? Are you going to try and learn the rules, or are you just going to tell your crew chief to tell you what to do?“I haven’t even looked into the rules. I went through my sim session today, just trying to make the car drives as good as possible on the simulator. The one thing I did work on that was different from my normal simulator time is practicing pit road. I know there’s a $100,000 reward for the fastest pit stop, and that includes yellow line to yellow line. So, I have to do my part to help our pit crew have that opportunity, as well.” “As far as the inversion and all the different starting positions, I think I’ll just leave that up to my crew chief, Justin Alexander, and the guys to help me out with that. I know we’re starting fifth and we’ll just take it from there. I think it’s a 100-lap race and a couple different cautions and resets throughout. So, I guess the most average finishes play into it and speed. We’ll just make it work.” What did the simulator tell you on how the 510 horsepower will be different than 550?“I didn’t feel a huge difference. I think everybody’s going to try and run wide-open. It’s going to be hot. It’s 90 degrees and you’re trying to run wide-open. Teams will be trying to trim their car out. I still think we’ll get them where they’re edgy for the speed purpose of things. Turns one and two are not the most ideal corners, so you’re going to be balancing – do you want to be able to easily run wide-open or have more speed trimmed-out and make turns one and two more difficult? Turns three and four are pretty self-explanatory, but one and two can get difficult. I still think there’s going to be handling involved. We’ll be able to adjust that too, I think, with the way the stops are built. The only one you can really lose on is the one at the end, I think.” “We’ll be able to adjust a little bit. If you start aggressive and you don’t feel like that’s the right direction, you might be able to tighten your car up or do something to make the car drive a little better. Sometimes we don’t want to adjust the car because it slows the pit stops down. We’ll have a little more time to adjust and make the car drive a little different if you’re struggling with the something.”

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 iCashautos / I Am Second Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Texas Motor Speedway… Tyler Reddick is looking to make his debut appearance in the NASCAR All-Star Race this weekend, having finished 10th in the All-Star Open last year at Bristol Motor Speedway. Reddick has two NASCAR Cup Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway, including a Cup Series career-best finish of second (July 2020). He also has five NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 1.5-mile speedway, with his best finish of second coming in both October 2018 and March 2019. The driver also has six starts, one pole award and four top-five finishes at the 1.5-mile speedway in the NASCAR Truck Series.  Vote for Tyler… It’s not too late to vote Reddick into the All-Star race as the 2021 Fan Vote! Fans can vote on NASCAR.com/FanVote once a day through Friday, June 11, at 12 p.m. ET for Reddick as their pick for the All-Star race.  Welcome iCashautos.com… The concept for iCashautos formed from a 40+ year friendship between Tim Faith (Owner/operator of multiple new vehicle franchises for over 20 years) and Dale Cardwell (Investigative/consumer reporter for 30+ years and owner of TrustDale.com). The two lifelong friends have created a process where iCashautos gives customers a direct and FREE path to some of the nation’s Best-Automotive dealers, providing those customers with an excellent purchase experience. Allow those dealers to be part of the iCashautos marketing family, which is far less expensive than traditional advertising and marketing for auto dealers. Allowing iCashautos to share the savings with their customers. “Better-Than the Best Price™” ALWAYS saves you money. iCashautos allows you to purchase from one of our approved dealers and save, or use any other online service and simply take their so called lowest or best price to your iCashautos dealer. If the iCashautos dealer can beat or at least match their best price, you get a check from iCashautos, it’s that simple. At iCashautos you get a great buying experience and always: “Better – Than the Best Price”™ About I Am Second… I Am Second is a non-profit that ignites hope and inspires people to live for something greater than themselves. Launched in 2008, the iamsecond.com website features more than 100 powerful short films of athletes, actors, models, musicians, cultural influencers and everyday people who have found hope through a relationship with Jesus. Watch their stories and find out more at iamsecond.com. TYLER REDDICK QUOTE:What are your thoughts on Texas Motor Speedway hosting the All-Star race for the first time this weekend?“I hope it’s a good race at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend, with them hosting the All-Star Race event for the first time. I’ve come close to winning at Texas Motor Speedway a lot in my career, even finishing second behind my teammate Austin Dillon last July, so I’m excited at having another shot there. Getting into the All-Star Race either by racing my way in or with the Fan vote is the first goal, and then from there I know my iCashautos / I Am Second team will do everything we can to win the million-dollar prize. It’s going to be tough though, especially with the horsepower change. It’s already hard to pass in these Cup cars, and this creates another challenge for us. Everyone has learned how to work the air with this package, so you’re going to have to be really smart on how to get up front. It’s a little bit of an unknown going into the weekend with the change in horsepower, but I know my team and I will make the most of it and try to put on a good show for the fans.”

Myatt Snider and the No. 2 TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro at Texas Motor Speedway… Myatt Snider has two career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway, both of which came one season ago in 2020. The 26-year-old has also competed in four NASCAR Truck Series event at the 1.5-mile speedway. About TaxSlayer… TaxSlayer makes online tax filing accessible for millions of Americans, with an easy-to-use platform and unlimited support at a fraction of the cost of the competition. Trusted for over 50 years, the Augusta-based tech company successfully completed more than 10 million federal and state e-filed tax returns in 2020 and processed $15 billion in refunds. TaxSlayer achieved a 4.5/5 TrustScore on consumer review site Trustpilot, with 87% of its customers rating the tax filing platform Great or Excellent. For more information, visit www.TaxSlayer.com. MYATT SNIDER QUOTE:Texas Motor Speedway is an intermediate track that you’ve raced on a handful of times. What do you expect from Saturday? “The good thing about Texas Motor Speedway is that I have raced there twice in the Xfinity Series and four times in the Truck Series. Sometimes just having laps under your belt makes you more comfortable on one day shows when we don’t have practice and qualifying. This will be my first race at Texas with my Richard Childress Racing team, but we are looking to get this monkey off our backs and have a solid race from start to finish. The bad luck seems to be following us right now, but I know our TaxSlayer team can turn it around and compete up front on any given weekend. I’m looking forward to the Alsco Uniforms 250 Powered by Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen and hopefully we are the ones wearing cowboy hats at the end of the race.”

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX STEETS OF BELLE ISLE TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE JUNE 11,2021 RACES 7-8 OF 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES SEASON:DETROIT (June 9, 2021) – With the challenges of the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval in their rear-view mirror, Chevrolet drivers turn their attention to a 2.35-mile, 13-turn temporary street circuit for the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix presented by Lear. Different configurations and styles of racing. Similar challenges. Eleven entries powered by Chevrolet’s 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged, direct-injected V6 engine will compete in the 70-lap Duals on Saturday, June 12, and Sunday, June 13. Both races will have same-day qualifications. Twin races on the bumpy street circuit, which features hard braking zones and short, speedy straights prime for overtaking, present tests of durability for both drivers and their race cars.“There’s not a weekend that resembles the other,” said four-time INDYCAR champion Sebastien Bourdais, who will drive the No. 14 ROKiT Chevrolet for A.J. Foyt Racing in the doubleheader. “There are some very, very key moments in the weekend that make it a great or good or a bad or terrible one. I think you just have to be open-minded; you have to get a look at optimizing everything. You know if you don’t execute, then it’s not going to be a fun experience.“We were lucky enough to put two on the board for Chevy back in ’15 and ’16. Yeah, love to do it again. For us it’s kind of another race, but we know it means a lot more if we get it done.”Chevrolet has won six of the races on scenic Belle Isle since taking over as title sponsor of the event in 2012 – the same year it returned to NTT INDYCAR SERIES manufacturer competition. The event was not held in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.In 2019, Josef Newgarden secured his 12th career Series victory in Dual 1 in his Team Penske Chevrolet. Teammate Will Power is a two-time winner, and four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves completed a Team Chevy sweep with Power in 2014.Belle Isle has hosted NTT INDYCAR SERIES doubleheader race weekends dating to 2013.“We got two races, which is fantastic, at one of my favorite tracks. I think it’s a great chance to get points and a great chance to load up the old Chevy Tahoe with trophies and drive it back to Indianapolis,” said Conor Daly, who returns to the No. 20 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing. NBC will telecast both rounds of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix live at 2 p.m. ET Saturday, June 12, and noon ET Sunday, June 13. The 70-lap races 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. Practice and live qualifications will stream on Peacock Premium.Chevrolet on display at Belle IsleIn addition to action on the racetrack, the Chevrolet Motorsports Display will be full of Chevrolet vehicles that spectators can learn more about throughout the weekend.Highlights of the Chevrolet Motorsports Display, which opens at 7:30 a.m. each day in the Fan Zone, include:• A Corvette Racing C8.R show car and the No. 16 Paretta Autsport Chevrolet that Simona De Silvestro drove in the Indianapolis 500 on May 30.• A Camaro ZL1, Silverado and Blazer Redline edition.• An opportunity to receive a 2021 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix special edition T-shirt.The 2021 Arctic White  mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will lead the field to the green flag on both Saturday and Sunday.Team Chevy will be represented by:A.J. Foyt EnterprisesDalton Kellett, No. 4 K-Line Insulators AJ Foyt RacingSebastien Bourdais, No. 14 ROKiT AJ Foyt RacingArrow McLaren SPPato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SPFelix Rosenqvist, No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SPCarlinMax Chilton, No. 59 Gallagher CarlinEd Carpenter RacingConor Daly, No. 20 U.S. Air ForceRinus VeeKay, No. 21 Sonax/AutogeekTeam PenskeJosef Newgarden, No. 2 Hitachi Team PenskeScott McLaughlin, No. 3 PPG Team PenskeWill Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Team PenskeSimon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards Team PenskeChevrolet IndyCar V6 Year-By-Year Results since 2012 2021 ­– 2 wins, 1 pole in 6 racesWins – Pato O’Ward (Texas2); Rinus VeeKay (Indy RC1). Pole – Pato O’Ward (Barber Motorsports Park).2020 – 7 wins, 11 poles in 14 racesWins – Simon Pagenaud (Iowa1); Josef Newgarden (Iowa2, St. Louis2, Indy RC2, St. Petersburg); Will Power (Mid-Ohio1, Indy RC3, St. Petersburg). Poles – Josef Newgarden (Texas, Road America1, Iowa2), Will Power (Indianapolis road course, St. Louis1, Mid-Ohio1, Indy RC3; St. Petersburg), Pato O’Ward (Road America2), Conor Daly (Iowa1), Rinus VeeKay (Indy road course October)2019 – 9 wins, 9 poles in 17 racesDriver/owner championship (Josef Newgarden/Roger Penske); Indianapolis 500 win (Simon Pagenaud)2018 – 6 wins, 9 poles in 17 racesIndianapolis 500 win (Will Power)2017 – 10 wins, 11 poles in 17 racesEngine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Josef Newgarden/Roger Penske)2016 – 14 wins, 13 poles in 16 racesEngine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Simon Pagenaud/Roger Penske)2015 – 10 wins, 16 poles in 16 racesEngine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Scott Dixon/Chip Ganassi);Indianapolis 500 win (Juan Pablo Montoya). First manufacturer to capture all titles since Chevrolet returned to INDYCAR in 20122014 – 12 wins, 14 poles in 18 racesEngine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Will Power/Roger Penske)2013 – 10 wins, 11 poles in 19 racesEngine Manufacturer Championship; Indianapolis 500 win (Tony Kanaan)2012 – 11 wins, 10 poles in 15 racesEngine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Ryan Hunter-Reay/Michael Andretti)Total – 91 wins, 100 earned poles in 155 races