POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 17, 2022) – The wait is finally over for Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist Top Fuel dragster team. Prock heads to the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona more experienced, more confident and eager to put his mark on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Fuel category. Making his return with new crew chief duo Joe Barlam and Rahn Tobler, Prock heads to the season opening Winternationals after a successful test session at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park just outside of Phoenix. The 2019 rookie of the year had an impressive final day of testing with a 3.73-second pass at 327 mph in the heat followed by a stout 3.685 at 333.66 mph in the afternoon under slightly cooler conditions. “We had some bugs to work out in testing with new crew chiefs, new crew and obviously I sat out almost two years,” said Prock. “After Saturday’s runs, I’m looking forward to Pomona. We made two really solid passes, everyone did a really great job. Huge thanks to Joe Barlam and Rahn Tobler for working hard and all my crew guys; they’ve busted their ass for about four weeks working every day with long nights.” Auto Club Raceway at Pomona is one of the few tracks Prock has more experience at. He made his professional drag racing career debut and picked up his first-round win at the facility in 2019 and then in 2020, before the pandemic hit, Prock raced his way to the final round. “Headed into Pomona, I’m really looking forward to it. This is probably my favorite track on the circuit just because of all the history there and that’s where I got my start as well,” said Prock. “I’m definitely rolling in there with a lot more laps under my belt and good passes. I’m really looking forward to rolling in there and seeing what we can do. I think we’ve got a great shot at going for a win in Pomona and all year long. We put a great team together and have excellent crew chiefs, and as long as I can drive good, I think we’ll be going for some Wallys quite often.” Qualifying at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona begins Friday with a session at 4:30 p.m. before continuing Saturday with sessions at 12:30 and 4:30 p.m. Eliminations are slated to start Sunday at 11 a.m. Television coverage of the season opening event will be aired on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and begin with two qualifying shows, Friday at 10 p.m. ET and Sunday at 7 a.m. ET, while eliminations will be on Sunday at 10 p.m. ET.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 17, 2022) – Progressive American Flat Trackannounced today a year-over-year increase of more than $800,000 in available contingency awards to set a new record total for the 2022 season. Combined, riders in all three Progressive AFT classes are eligible for more than $3,100,000 in contingency awards.

The Progressive American Flat Track Contingency Award Program is designed to reward teams and riders based on results in events and the championship with cash awards from companies with approved products.

The total funds available for each class are as follows:

• $1,752,850 for Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle
• $657,200 for Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines
• $742,650 for Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER

“With more than $3,000,000 on the line in 2022, there is no doubt that the drama and excitement will be at an all-time high at every step of the 69th season of America’s Original Extreme Sport,” said Gene Crouch, COO of Progressive American Flat Track. “We’d like to thank all of the partners that have pledged their support for the paddock this year. Their support amounts to a direct investment in the teams and riders that put on the incredible racing each weekend, and for that we are truly thankful.”

The grand total of $3,152,700 is $810,050 more than was offered in 2021. This increase was achieved with class-by-class increases of more than $200,000 each, with riders in the premier Mission SuperTwins class enjoying a boost of over $300,000 alone.

OEMs participating in the 2022 Progressive American Flat Track Contingency Award Program include Harley-Davidson, Honda, Husqvarna, Indian Motorcycle, Kawasaki, KTM, and Yamaha.

Other participating brands include Arai Helmet, Dunlop Motorcycle Tires, S&S Cycle, Vance & Hines, Mission Foods, Parts Unlimited, Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda and Mobile View.

The contingency payout for the 2022 Progressive American Flat Track season can be viewed at https://members.amaproracing.com/xml/ft/AMAP-FT-25-ContingencyList.pdf. In addition to the payouts listed on the competitor page, riders are eligible for event and year-end bonuses for the Mission Production Twins Challenge, Mission #2Fast2Tasy Challenge, Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Dash for Cash and Mobile View Rookie of the Year, totaling a combined $200,300.

To help riders take home as many contingency dollars as possible, Progressive AFT has created online Contingency Guidelines, which are available in the Competitor Information section on AFT’s website and can be accessed via the following links:

• Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Contingency Guidelines
• Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines Contingency Guidelines
• Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Contingency Guidelines

Progressive AFT will kick off the 2022 season with the Mission Volusia Half-Mile I & II doubleheader during Daytona Bike Week on Thursday, March 10 and Friday, March 11 at Volusia Speedway Park. Secure your tickets to the season opener now at https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3666.

Catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities free via Facebook up until Opening Ceremonies. Fans can then purchase access to watch Opening Ceremonies, Semis, Main Events and podium celebrations via Facebook Paid Online Events for $3.99 if purchased 24 hours or more in advance, or $4.99 if purchased on the day of the event. The Mission Volusia Half-Mile I & II will premiere back-to-back on FS1 on Sunday, March 20, starting at 11:00 a.m. ET/8:00 a.m. PT.

For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com. To score the latest gear for the Progressive American Flat Track fan, visit our official merchandise store at https://store.americanflattrack.com.

How to Watch:

FOX Sports and Facebook are the official homes for coverage of Progressive American Flat Track. For the 2022 season, all 18 races will premiere in one-hour telecasts on FS1 during highly desirable weekend time slots. The complete schedule can be viewed at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. Viewers can watch livestream coverage of every round in the Facebook mobile app, Facebook desktop site or on the Facebook Watch mobile app. To watch the livestream on TV, fans can download the Facebook Watch TV app, or cast to a TV from the Facebook mobile app. Facebook Watch is available through Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and Xbox One.

February 17, 2022

In his first qualifying attempt since taking the wheel of the No. 21 Motorcraft/DEX Imaging Mustang, rookie Harrison Burton advanced to the second round of qualifying for the Daytona 500 and wound up with the 10^th best time. He also was the fastest rookie in qualifying.

Burton’s lap at 179.508 miles per hour in the second round means he’ll start fifth in the second of two Duel qualifying races Thursday night. (In Daytona 500 qualifying only the top two drivers secure their starting spots for Sunday’s race.)

In the opening round Burton was one of two Ford drivers to advance to the second round. His lap at 179.501 mph was eighth best on the speed chart in that session.

Eddie Wood said Burton’s strong start to Speedweeks should help the youngster as he heads into the rest of the week.
 
“I think it will take a load off his mind,” Wood said.
 
The 60-lap, 150-mile Duel qualifying races, which will set the starting lineup for the 500, kick off with the first race at 7 p.m. Thursday. The second Duel, Burton’s race, is set to start at 8:45 p.m., with TV coverage on FOX Sports 1.
 
The Daytona 500 is scheduled to start just after 2:30 p.m. on Sunday with TV coverage on FOX.

CHEVROLET AT POMONA What: Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.comWhen: Friday, Feb. 18-Sunday, Feb. 20Where: Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, CaliforniaTV: FS1 will telecast taped eliminations at 10 p.m. ET Sunday, Feb.20                                                                       Team Chevy enters season ready to challenge for titlesNHRA Winternationals returns to its traditional place in the schedule DETROIT (Feb. 17, 2022) – Chevrolet teams and drivers in three professional categories and two Sportsman classes are looking forward to the 2022 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) season beginning with the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com.

The Feb. 18-20 event marks the return of Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (California) as the traditional season-opening venue. Chevrolet begins pursuit of its 27th Manufacturer Cup – and sixth in a row – while reigning and five-time Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson seeks his 100th career victory in the 900th race in the class. The Chevrolet contingent in Pro Stock welcomes first-year driver Camrie Caruso to the competition and the return of Rodger Brogdon and 2017 champion Bo Butner to a full-season schedule. Austin Prock, the 2019 NHRA Rookie of the Year, returns to John Force Racing for a full season of Top Fuel competition. Many Chevrolet drivers tested last week in Arizona to prepare for season. Sixteen-time Funny Car champion John Force made an early statement that he’ll be a title contender with a run of 3.836 seconds at 335.4 mph in the BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SS. “Four runs in the 3.8s for this PEAK Chevy, that’s really something, that makes you feel good going into the season opener,” he said. “I feel good being out here, I want to race, that’s why I’m here. I’m ready to get going.” CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPITTOP FUELBRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY/FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (12-time No. 1 qualifier in 2021; runner-up points; won at Topeka and advanced to four other final rounds): “(After testing last week) It’s good to be back with my Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team. We made nine runs throughout the three days. It was a little bit of a struggle, but we are testing a lot of different things. Our early numbers were great and we’re happy overall with how our testing went and we’re ready to get to Pomona.” AUSTIN PROCK, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONTANA BRAND/ROCKY MOUNTAIN TWIST CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (2019 Rookie of the Year returns to full-time competition): “(After testing last week) We had some bugs to work out the first two days; we have new crew chiefs, new crew and obviously I sat out almost two years. I’m really looking forward to Pomona. I’m getting more comfortable every lap and starting to become myself again. Everyone did a really great job. Huge thanks to Joe Barlam and Rahn Tobler and all my guys for really working hard these past four weeks.” FUNNY CARJOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, BLUEDEF PLATINUM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (three-time winner and three-time No. 1 qualifier in 2021; placed fifth in points; seven-time winner of event): “(After testing last week) It’s great to back out here, back in the seat, back with my team, Danny Hood, Tim Fabrisi, all these young kids, it was a good couple of days. I’m feeling like everything is falling back into place. The problems, they’re figuring themselves out. feel good being out here, I want to race, that’s why I’m here. I’m ready to get going.” ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (three-time Funny Car champion; won two races in 2021; placed seventh in standings): “(After testing last week) It was great being back out in the Auto Club Chevy, back with my team, Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham. We had to put in some hard work but ultimately we’re ready to get this season started. We don’t want a repeat of last year and we’re all on the same page. I think it’s going to be a good year. Jimmy coming out right away with a full pass, that’s how you know, he’s confident. We had some good runs, learned some things and now it’s time to get things going. I’m excited.” PRO STOCKGREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (2021 class champion; class all-time wins leader; seeking to become fifth driver with 100 wins): “Every year when you go into Pomona, at least me, I’m very apprehensive and ask myself, ‘What have the other teams found?’ We’ve had almost three months to find some gains – and we’ve worked awfully hard – but you have no idea until you get to the first race what the other teams have done. You can only control what you’ve done to prepare. I know we’re going to be every bit as good or better than last year, and I have my hands full trying to beat my own team cars. The competition out there is incredible; the talent level is incredible. I’ll be looking forward to seeing how we stack up.” DALLAS GLENN, KB RACING, RAD TORQUE SYSTEMS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (2021 NHRA Rookie of the Year; recorded xx wins; placed third in points): “We’re about to hit the road to Pomona after a very successful test session in Phoenix. We made 13 runs in the RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro in two days, and we got some really good data for the first race of the season.” KYLE KORETSKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (collected first Pro Stock win at Charlotte2 in 2021; advanced to four final rounds; placed fourth in points): “We had a great outing testing in Phoenix. The car was pretty much the same as we left off. It was fast and everyone was happy. The guys at the shop worked hard in the offseason and found more power like they always seem to find. I think for Q1 at Pomona we’re going right to the top. We’re ready for the new season. I’m excited.” MATT HARTFORD, TOTAL SEAL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “We didn’t end the season the way we wanted, so we knew we needed to test (at Wild Horse Pass) and be ready for Pomona, because it’s going to be a grueling season with all these new people coming in. (Arizona, second race of season) Is our hometown race and we’ll have a lot of friends and family and a lot of the employees come down, so it’s really important that we get to have a race in our hometown.” TROY COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (placed sixth in 2021 points; advanced to one final round): “We want to set a routine, starting right now at this weekend’s race, where we create a winning attitude with a winning car. As a driver, I need to be as competitive as I can be without being too emotional. There’s a long season ahead and there will be lots of twists and turns. It’s up to me to find the right path and try to be at my best at all times.” CAMRIE CARUSO, CARUSO FAMILY RACING, POWERBUILT TOOLS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (making Pro Stock debut at Pomona): “I am excited to enter a class that has so many amazing competitors, no matter who I line up against in the first round it will be such a huge memory for me. (Testing last week in Arizona) It was good to get used to running beside other Pro Stock competitors before the Winternationals. You don’t want that completely new experience at your first race.” BO BUTNER, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JOHNSON’S HORSEPOWERED GARAGE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (2017 Pro Stock champion; returns full time after two-year hiatus): “Back from retirement again. Can’t wait. I was at the point where I was one of the younger to middle guys. Now, (at 47) I’m one of the older guys. I can’t wait to get back out and go head-to-head with Greg (Anderson) and that (KB Racing) team and go head-to-head with some of these young people. I wish them all success, but I can tell you it’s the hardest thing they’ve ever tried to do on a consistent basis and to try to turn on win lights. I was told that before and I laughed, but I believe it now.”

McDowell regroups to finish second, Madden claims third BARBERVILLE, FL – Feb 16, 2022 – Ashton Winger and his new crew at Gambler Transport Motorsports set out on the Florida-Georgia Speedweeks trail this past month with a goal in mind of winning races. Their new team bond shined bright Wednesday night at Volusia Speedway Park, as they dominated the postponed DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals Feature from January to close out the opening night for the World of Outlaws CASE Late Model Series at the 51st DIRTcar Nationals. Winger grabbed the lead on the opening lap and ran for the hills, opening a gap to the rest of the field behind him. A few quick caution flags slowed his momentum and forced him to play defense on restarts, which cost him the lead at one point. Chris Madden, of Gray Court, SC, got a great jump on a Lap 6 restart and made a move for the lead to Winger’s inside down the backstretch, holding the advantage through Turns 3-4 and officially taking control at the stripe. But Winger was brilliant on the top, zooming right back by the 2018 Big Gator champion to regain the lead. “I had to aim for them holes for traction,” Winger, of Hampton, GA, said. “When I tried to back my corner up, I’d push, and I’d have to use the brake pedal to turn and go hopping down here.” The green stayed out until just after halfway, when a spinning Daulton Wilson brought out the caution and restacked the field, putting Madden and Dale McDowell right on Winger’s tail for the restart. McDowell, the winner on Friday afternoon of the Sunshine Nationals in January, got a better run through Turns 1-2 on the restart and took second from Madden as they began the second half of the 40-lap event. The veteran from Chickamauga, GA, held the spot all the way through the checkers, rebounding from a spin in the regularly scheduled DIRTcar Nationals Feature earlier in the program. He and Madden were battling for second when they came together in Turn 2, leaving McDowell in a loop right in front of the field. He retired the #17m immediately after, giving him a 21st-place finish, but regrouped over the break and bagged the runner-up. “I got turned around there, and I wasn’t overly thrilled about that,” McDowell said of the incident in the previous Feature. “But for us to have a top-three in this event, it definitely helps.” Madden held-off Devin Moran in the final laps to claim third. He’s said before that caution flags don’t usually help him, and losing the runner-up spot to McDowell on the restart showed he’s still got some work to do if he wants to contend for a Gator trophy later this week. Still, a solid podium finish showed he’s not far off. “We’ve gotta get to the lead, that way we won’t have these situations we’re in with these cautions,” Madden said. “We just need to get the corner fixed. I know we can race on it a little better than what we’ve been doing.” Back out front, Winger was on cruise control in traffic, driving across the line with a gap of just over two seconds on the field to claim the $10,000 Sunshine Nationals check and fourth World of Outlaws Feature win of his career. “I felt that I got in a pretty good rhythm there with about 15 or so to go,” Winger said. “With about seven-to-go, I felt that I killed my tires, and I couldn’t get by them lapped cars like I wanted to.” UP NEXT Late Model Week at the 51st DIRTcar Nationals continues with more World of Outlaws CASE Late Model Series action on Thursday, Feb. 17, at Volusia Speedway Park. Buy a ticket online, at the gate, or stream all the Late Model action alongside the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds live on DIRTVision. RESULTS (view full results) Feature (40 Laps): 1. 89-Ashton Winger[1]; 2. 17M-Dale McDowell[2]; 3. 44-Chris Madden[4]; 4. 9-Devin Moran[6]; 5. 71-Hudson O’Neal[7]; 6. 7-Ross Robinson[3]; 7. 40B-Kyle Bronson[16]; 8. 1-Brandon Sheppard[8]; 9. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[20]; 10. 1R-Josh Richards[11]; 11. 81E-Tanner English[26]; 12. 111V-Max Blair[18]; 13. 16-Tyler Bruening[21]; 14. 36-Logan Martin[17]; 15. 45-Kyle Hammer[28]; 16. 14M-Morgan Bagley[22]; 17. B1-Brent Larson[25]; 18. 11-Gordy Gundaker[27]; 19. 99B-Boom Briggs[24]; 20. 8-Kyle Strickler[12]; 21. 18D-Daulton Wilson[15]; 22. 97-Cade Dillard[19]; 23. 29-Darrell Lanigan[5]; 24. 3S-Brian Shirley[9]; 25. 32-Chris Simpson[29]; 26. 25-Shane Clanton[13]; 27. 19R-Ryan Gustin[23]; 28. (DNS) 6-Kyle Larson; 29. (DNS) 20-Jimmy Owens; FOX Factory Hard Charger – 81E-Tanner English (+15)

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

The Evans, GA driver passed Dale McDowell on a restart en route to his 19th career World of Outlaws winBARBERVILLE, FL – February 16, 2022 – Brandon Overton’s clock was ticking Wednesday night. As the laps wound down at Volusia Speedway Park, so did the life of the engine inside his Longhorn Chassis. Luckily for “Big Sexy,” his clock didn’t strike midnight. The engine held up long enough to take the checkered flag for his second career DIRTcar Nationals win.  Overton wasn’t sure he’d make it to the end in the last few laps—holding his breath and hoping the engine stayed together. All of this while Devin Moran lurked behind him.    “I was looking, and I could see it smoking, and I knew it’s got to be over pretty soon,” Overton said. “I was just getting it so tight down there I was just holding it to the floor. I could tell it was dying; it was just muffling out.  “Hell, there ain’t nothing you can do; it’s already done its damage.” Before the engine started to blow, Overton’s car came to life in the second half of the race. The Evans, GA driver, took advantage of a caution for then race-leader Kyle Strickler and powered around Dale McDowell for the top spot.  Overton put the car anywhere he wanted to, thanks to wholesale changes made to his Late Model throughout the week. “We’ve changed everything on this thing every single night, every single Feature we’ve ran,” Overton said. “The new body rules and stuff kind of has us in a little box, and we just got to figure it out. “I had a pretty good package with the way everything was, and it changed a little bit. We just have to keep working; that’s what makes this fun.” The DIRTcar Nationals win is Overton’s 19th World of Outlaws CASE Construction Late Model Series triumph—tying him with Jimmy Owens. It’s a win that may not have happened without Kyle Strickler’s lousy luck.  The Mooresville, NC driver dropped out while leading with 25 laps to go. He stated it was a problem his team found on Tuesday—one they hoped to fix before the Feature.   “We had drivetrain issues [Tuesday],” Strickler said. “The yoke pulled off the rear end, but everything felt good today. I thought we had a really good car and broke a lower jackshaft in the rear-end. “I’m not sure if it had to do with last night or not, but the car was good and it’s just part of it.” Devin Moran continued his hot streak to start the season, scoring his third trip to the DIRTcar Nationals podium with a second-place finish.  The Dresden, OH driver stated he thought he had a shot at winning before he saw Overton’s engine start to expire. “I felt like I was catching him before that,” Moran said. “I don’t know if it’s because his engine was getting worse and worse. “I wasn’t going to slide him in Turns 3 and 4 because I knew I was too far back. But I wanted to at least run a different line if he did blow up.”  Moran’s consistency puts him on a path toward his second straight “Big Gator” trophy—as he leads the week-long standings on the strength of three podiums.  Reigning Series Champion Brandon Sheppard passed more cars than anyone Wednesday, earning the Fox Factory Hard Charger award. “The Rocket Shepp” crossed the line third after switching to a backup car and starting 25th.   After he didn’t qualify through his Heat Race, the Rocket1 Racing team decided to switch cars—one that paid off. “My team just comes thru in tough times like we had today,” Sheppard said. “It was really just a mutual agreement to switch cars, and it worked out. All of our cars are good. We were just missing something on that other one.” Hudson O’Neal finished fourth, his second top-five finish of the season. Three-time Series champion Darrell Lanigan rounded out the top five.   Brandon Overton didn’t only win a “Gator,” but a race against time. It shows the clock hasn’t struck midnight on Overton’s success against the best Dirt Late Model racing has to offer.   UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series returns to Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17 for their second night of DIRTcar Nationals, along with the Super DIRTcar Series. For tickets to the event: CLICK HERE. If you can’t make it to the track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision – either online on with the DIRTVision App. CASE Construction Feature (40 Laps): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[8]; 2. 9-Devin Moran[9]; 3. 1-Brandon Sheppard[25]; 4. 71-Hudson O’Neal[7]; 5. 29-Darrell Lanigan[4]; 6. 44-Chris Madden[2]; 7. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[13]; 8. 1R-Josh Richards[27]; 9. 81E-Tanner English[18]; 10. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[6]; 11. 1T-Tyler Erb[23]; 12. 44B-Colten Burdette[15]; 13. 111V-Max Blair[20]; 14. 16-Tyler Bruening[21]; 15. B1-Brent Larson[12]; 16. 6S-Blake Spencer[22]; 17. 11-Gordy Gundaker[14]; 18. 99B-Boom Briggs[28]; 19. 14M-Morgan Bagley[29]; 20. 39-Tim McCreadie[11]; 21. 17M-Dale McDowell[5]; 22. 10-Garrett Smith[10]; 23. 45-Kyle Hammer[30]; 24. 89-Ashton Winger[16]; 25. 3S-Brian Shirley[17]; 26. 8-Kyle Strickler[1]; 27. 25-Shane Clanton[24]; 28. 157-Mike Marlar[3]; 29. 97-Cade Dillard[19]; 30. 19R-Ryan Gustin[26] Fox Factory Hard Charger Award: Brandon Sheppard [+22}.

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

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 FEBRUARY 16, 2022

CHEVROLET CAPTURES TENTH CONSECUTIVE DAYTONA 500 POLEKyle Larson, Alex Bowman on the Front RowDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 16, 2022) – Reigning NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Champion Kyle Larson picked up where he left off: at the top of the leaderboard. The Team Chevy driver laid down a lap of 49.68 seconds, at a speed of 181.859 mph, in his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 to mark Larson’s first-career Daytona 500 pole. In the Next Gen Camaro ZL1’s points-paying debut in the NCS competition, Chevrolet has topped the qualifying leaderboard for the tenth-consecutive year to secure the pole position and lead the field to the green in the 64th running of the Daytona 500. 
“Anytime you are really proud of your team to get a pole here because this is the littlest it has to do with us drivers; qualifying at superspeedways,” said Larson. “Just a huge thank you to the engine shop at Hendrick Motorsports. Everybody who’s had a part in touching these vehicles; whether it be on the computer, engineering, or just hands on. It’s really neat; just awesome the speed in our HendrickCars.com Chevy. Hopefully this is the beginning of a really good weekend.”
Joining his Hendrick Motorsports teammate on the front row of the Daytona 500 will be Alex Bowman, who was second quick in his No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1. The front row feat puts Bowman’s name in the NASCAR history books as the only driver in the series’ history to sit on the Daytona 500 front row for five consecutive seasons (2018-2022). The Bowtie Brand has now swept the Daytona 500 front row 20 times in the event’s history, including 10 of the past 12 years.
“It just says so much about Hendrick Motorsports and all these guys,” said Bowman. “Congrats to the 5 on getting the pole. It’s cool to have the record, but I feel like Greg Ives (Crew Chief) and my race team should be the ones that get the credit for that record. The driver doesn’t really have much to do with it, but glad I didn’t mess it up for them and really happy for Ally and Chevrolet. Cool to be a part of it.”
Larson’s pole win gives Chevrolet its 30th pole award for “The Great American Race”; its 52nd pole win at Daytona International Speedway; and the manufacturer’s 724th pole in NASCAR’s premier series. The ten-year pole-winning streak extends Chevrolet’s record of the most of any manufacturer at Daytona. The 29-year-old California native’s pole win gives Hendrick Motorsports its 15th Daytona 500 pole, the most of all teams in the NASCAR Cup Series. 
The top-10 in the first round of qualifying moved onto the second and final round in the race for the front row starting spots, with six of those top-10 being Camaro ZL1’s. William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1, was third fastest; and Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 was fifth, to give Hendrick Motorsports four of the top-five in the qualifying results. Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain, No. 1 Advent Health Camaro ZL1, was seventh; and Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Tootsies Orchid Lounge Camaro ZL1 was ninth to round out the Team Chevy top-10 on the qualifying speed chart. 
Noah Gragson will make his NASCAR Cup Series points-paying debut after locking his No. 62 Beard Oil/South Point Camaro ZL1 into Sunday’s 40-car field by speed. The 23-year-old Team Chevy driver’s impressive lap gives Beard Motorsports its fifth start in the Daytona 500 and the team’s 18th-career NCS start. 
With the front row set, all eyes turn to tomorrow’s two 60-lap, 150-mile Bluegreen Vacation Duels at Daytona to determine the remaining starting lineup of the Daytona 500. FS1 will telecast the Duels on Thursday, February 17, kicking off under the lights at 7 p.m. ET. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. 

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 TEAM CHEVY POLE WINNER QUOTE FEBRUARY 16, 2022

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HendrickCars.com CAMARO ZL1 – Pole Winner Quick Quote
KYLE LARSON HAS NEVER STARTED ON THE FRONT ROW OF THE DAYTONA 500. TONIGHT, A POLE. WHAT DOES THIS ONE MEAN TO YOU KYLE KNOWING EVERYTHING WITH THIS NEXT GEN CAR, TO BE THE FIRST TO DO IT?
“Yeah, it’s really neat. It makes me just, I mean anytime you are really proud of your team to get a pole here cause this is the littlest it has to do with us drivers, qualifying at superspeedways. Just a huge thank you to the engine shop at Hendrick Motorsports. Everybody who’s had a part in touching these vehicles, whether it be on the computer, engineering, or just hands on. It’s really neat, just awesome the speed in our HendrickCars.com Chevy. Hopefully this is the beginning of a really good weekend.”
MR. H, RICK HENDRICK, BELIEVED IN YOU. BROUGHT YOU OVER HERE A YEAR AGO. HE JUST CALLED YOU, WHAT DID HE SAY?
“He said he loves seeing that HendrickCars.com Chevy on the pole. That paint scheme means a lot to him and Linda and means a lot to the whole Hendrick Motorsports family, so to have it on the pole at the Daytona 500 is really special. I think it would be even more special if we could win the Duels tomorrow and go on Sunday and win the 500.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT FEBRUARY 16, 2022 TY DILLON, NO. 42 PETTY GMS MOTORSPORTS CAMARO ZL1, Daytona 500 Media Availability Transcript:  TY, ERIK JONES WAS IN HERE THIS MORNING AND SAID THAT THEY QUOTE REALLY NEED TO SAVE THE CAR FOR SUNDAY SO THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE IT EASY DURING THE DUEL. ARE YOU DOING THAT AS WELL AND WHAT HAVE THE LEADERS AT PETTY GMS TOLD YOU? “I’m not going to take care of it. I am just going to go, I think. Just kidding. It’s a balance right. I think if we make it through the Duels, we are in a good situation car wise for the west coast swing. I think that is where everybody is kind of playing that game. Man, I can’t help it. I’m a racecar driver. I am going to go. Sometimes it turns out and you don’t tear the car up, but I think you are not a racecar driver if you don’t get in a race and try to win it. So, that’s a tough balance. I’ll be maybe a little more cautious, but I would really love to get that 42 into victory lane again. I’ve been given a great opportunity second go around and it’s hard to be conservative. I know we have a lot of great guys back at our shop and I’ll do my best to take care of our equipment. I know what that means going down as far as the amount of work that our team would have to do if we don’t. But also, I am here to win, and I have been given an opportunity to drive racecars and that opportunity entitles me to win.” AFTER SITTING OUT MOST OF LAST YEAR OUT OF A CUP CAR, YOU LOOKED REALLY STRONG OUT IN LA. IS THIS GOING TO BE THE NEW APPROACH FOR TY THIS YEAR? ARE YOU GOING TO BE REALLY AGGRESSIVE AND HAS THE TEAM ESSENTIALLY GIVEN YOU WHAT YOU THINK IS MAYBE THE BEST CHANCE TO WIN IN THE SERIES? “This might be a little long winded but being out of the sport helped me in a sense of going into last year not knowing if I was even going to have the chance to race again. It really put things into perspective for me of what I love about doing this. Why I originally did it when I was 13 years old and why I ran 70 to 100 races a year and was fine with that. It’s literally just the genuine work that I get to put into it, whether it is mentally or physically or working with our guys to just try to get our car a little bit better. It might not always go the best, but you really enjoy that and when it is gone you miss it. It’s really getting me back to my genuine passion for why I race. So, I am very grateful to have this second chance. So, my mindset this year is you don’t get many second chances in life and I don’t want to leave, whether the next race is my last or the next year is my last one or if it is 10 or 15 years, I don’t want to stop and say I wish I would have done more. I guess I kind of set the tone for myself in LA. Yes, I was very aggressive, but I had a car that was probably to the standard of the field one of the best ones I have ever had. If you look back in my career, whether it is ARCA, trucks or Xfinity, when I have had chances to win races I have been on the aggressive side. I’ve been in my share of bumps and dust ups off the track. I think that is a little bit of who I am as a driver. The LA situation is a little bit different. There were no points on the line. It’s a quarter-mile track. I grew up going to Bowman Gray Stadium. I know what it takes to get to the front of one of those races, when you have a good car. You know there is a combination that led to some of that aggressiveness, but a lot of that is who I am and I felt very satisfied even though I didn’t make it into the feature that race about my effort level and so I felt peace about that. So, this is all about the second chance and making the most of it and not feeling like I left anything on the table and enjoy the heck out of it with my family.” DO YOU FEEL THAT THE CAR THAT YOU ARE IN THIS YEAR, THE TEAM YOU ARE WITH, GIVES YOU THE BEST CHANCE TO GET TO VICTORY LANE THAT YOU HAVE HAD DURING YOUR CAREER? “Yeah, I don’t want it to seem ill-spoken of my time at Germain Racing. Learned a lot there and had good opportunities, especially at speedways. Even stepping into before we were Petty GMS, but just GMS speaking with Maury Gallagher, his focus towards NASCAR, the sport and racing in general he has a deep passion for that. He is also extremely successful businessman and a good person too. He is easy to talk to as a leader and he’s put great people at his company led by Mike Beam to be the most successful and a winning culture doesn’t go away just because you go from the Truck Series to the Cup Series. They have a very strong winning culture at GMS with the trucks. The championships and the wins that they have there and that is in the building already. And now we’ve brought in the Petty name, the most historic, winning, famous name in the sport. Infusing that in and building that into this Cup team we have all of the ingredients that it takes. So, absolutely I feel like this is my greatest opportunity that I have gotten yet. We’ve shown really good speed, more speed than I have ever been able to show. I’m building a new confidence with this new car that I don’t know if I had it compared to others and I don’t know if it is the situations of just what has transpired in my life and my career over the last couple of years, but I am really excited for this next chapter and I hope everybody gets to see the driver that I have always believed I am and the capability that I have.” LAST YEAR YOU HAD AN INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE IN THE DUEL, UNFORTUNATELY IT DIDN’T WORK OUT FOR THE 500. WHAT WERE SOME OF THE LESSONS THAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY FROM THAT RACE AND APPLY IT TO HERE OR IS IT COMPLETLEY OUT THE WINDOW WITH THIS GEN 7 CAR? “I think just another race around here is definitely helpful, experience wise. (INAUDIBLE) Going into this next chapter, I finished sixth. I think I lapped Cindric, who ended up getting into the race. I was very disappointed, very upset. I had been in the Daytona 500, I had been coming to the Daytona 500 my whole entire life, I ran it for eight years and had been a part of it and this is such a cool event to be a part of and to walk out that night just devastated that I wasn’t going to be a part of it. I cried with my wife til about midnight that night. It was very tough and it just changed me. It set the trajectory of that year, last year. Like I said it was well needed for perspective and gratitude. I feel like even in that race I did really well and I couldn’t have done anything really different coming to the line. I finished sixth. I feel like I should have been in the race, but I was very satisfied with the effort. That led into a year that was very up and down with different opportunities. I don’t know how many different race teams and how many different series. All three series and I learned so much and it’s definitely helped me. So to walk back in this racetrack that you love so much and have so much history with your family here, but to know you are locked in is a pretty good feeling and its led off the gratitude of being here and having this second opportunity is a special thing. You don’t realize it until, whether you are on a team that is not locked in or you don’t have an opportunity. You don’t realize how special it is to have it and I’m extremely grateful and I’m going to make the most of it. I promise you.” IN ALL THE DRIVERS TALKING ABOUT THE ADAPTATION OF THE NEW CAR AND DRIVING IT DIFFERENTLY FROM LAST YEAR DO YOU FEEL THAT DRIVERS LIKE YOURSELF AND LARSON WHO HAVE HOPPED BACK AND FORTH FROM MODIFIEDS, LATE MODELS, SPRINT CARS AND CUP CARS DURING THE SAME SEASON THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREERS MAYBE HAVE AN EDGE IN ADAPTING TO SOMETHING DIFFERENT COMPARED TO SOMEONE THAT HAS COMPETED IN ONLY CUP? “Yeah, you know I think so. You know I haven’t done as much dirt racing during my Cup career, but my career was almost set up for this. As I was developing, I ran, like you said, modifieds, super late models, all kinds of different cars in different series and what that taught me the most was to adapt. Always be adaptable, always be thinking what you can do. I’m a very, I wouldn’t say a pre-calculated driver as much as a feel driver in the moment because of that upbringing. When you have something so new and a new car that is changing all of the time, I do think it leads into somebody who is more open minded who doesn’t get hung up on it has to be a certain way and if it is not this certain way I can’t drive this car? The person who can adapt and who can kind of hit that refresh button over and over and over again and not lose it mentally is going to be successful. I think that does fit my style pretty good.”

Richard Childress Racing’s history at Daytona International Speedway … Dating back to 1976, Richard Childress Racing has won 11 poles and collected six points-paying victories at the most-storied racetrack on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit. RCR owns three DAYTONA 500 wins (Dale Earnhardt – 1998, Kevin Harvick – 2007, Austin Dillon – 2018), three Coke Zero 400 trophies (Earnhardt – 1990, 1993 and Harvick – 2010) and 15 qualifying races, including Austin Dillon’s victory in 2021 plus a record 10-consecutive victories with Earnhardt (1990 – 1999). In addition to RCR’s NASCAR Cup Series success at Daytona International Speedway, the organization has four NASCAR Xfinity Series victories with NASCAR Hall of Fame members Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2002) and Tony Stewart (2013) plus Kevin Harvick (2007) and Austin Dillon (2015 fall race). The 2022 Lineup … Both Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick return to RCR’s NASCAR Cup Series lineup in 2022, with Dillon driving the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and Reddick driving the No. 8 3CHI Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Daytona. RCR has expanded to two full-time entries for the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season with drivers Sheldon Creed and Austin Hill, who are both competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. Creed will pilot the No. 2 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Camaro SS in the season opening race at Daytona, while Hill will be behind the wheel of the No. 21 Bennett/United Rentals Chevrolet Camaro SS.   Keeping the Streak Alive … RCR has won the pole position in each of the last six consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series February races on the Daytona oval where time trials were held. The impressive streak began with Ty Dillon’s pole-winning run in 2016. Other drivers who have kept the streak alive: Brandon Jones (2017), Daniel Hemric (2018), Tyler Reddick (2019), and Myatt Snider (2020).     Introducing the Next Gen … NASCAR’s Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, which officially debuts in 2022, is a collaboration of the brightest engineering minds in racing. With technology at the forefront, Richard Childress Racing has played a unique and critical role in helping to bring this new on-track identity to life, working closely with OEMs, other teams and NASCAR to build and test the initial prototype.  Time to Duel … The Bluegreen Vacations Duels at Daytona feature two 150-mile races under the lights and will help decide the majority of the final starting grid for Sunday’s DAYTONA 500. Dillon and Reddick will find out which Duel their Camaros will compete in after Wednesday night’s single-car time trials. The qualifying session begins at 8:05 p.m. ET on FS1.  Catch the Action … The Bluegreen Vacations Duels at Daytona, two 60-lap qualifying races, will be televised live Thursday, Feb. 17 beginning at 7 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  The NASCAR Xfinity Series Beef. It’s What for Dinner. 300 at Daytona will be televised live Saturday, Feb. 19 beginning at 5 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  The 64th running of the DAY 500 will be televised live Sunday, Feb. 20 beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

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This Week’s Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Daytona International Speedway … Dillon, the 2018 DAYTONA 500 Champion, has 15 previous starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway, acquiring one pole award, two top-five and seven top-10 finishes. The Welcome, North Carolina, driver, who grew up attending races at Daytona International Speedway with his family, has 10 starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with one win, seven top-five and seven top-10 finishes plus two starts in the NASCAR Truck Series. Former Pole Winner … Dillon earned his first-career NASCAR Cup Series pole award with a lap of 196.019 mph (45.914 seconds) in the 2014 edition of the DAYTONA 500. It marked the fourth time the No. 3 has won the pole for the Daytona 500, and its 67th Cup Series pole. He also started on the front row for the Coke Zero 400 in July 2015 at Daytona. His starting position for this year’s DAYTONA 500 will be determined by his finishing position in the Bluegreen Vacations Duels on Thursday (live on FOX Sports 1 beginning at 7 p.m. ET). TRACKER Off Road … Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 prominently features TRACKER ATVs, a game-changing new line of all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides offering breakthrough performance, service and value in the off-road industry. TRACKER OFF ROAD was born out of a powerhouse partnership formed between Bass Pro Shops and TRACKER founder Johnny Morris and Textron Specialized Vehicles, bringing together the undisputed world leader in boating with a global leader in innovation and technology.  Bass Pro Shops … Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri. Today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit http://www.basspro.com/. AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:Looking back now, what stands out to you about your DAYTONA 500 win?“A lot stands out about my DAYTONA 500 win. Mostly, how special it was to our entire organization. All of the people at RCR that have put so much into my career. Going to Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway is an epic feeling. It’s a dream come true. Nothing compares to that feeling of racing to the start-finish line when no one is in front of you nd everyone is behind you.” You’ve had success at Daytona International Speedway. How do you negotiate staying out of the wrecks throughout the race so that you can be in contention at the end?“It’s tough. It’s a game of putting yourself in position. I call it high-speed chess because you know at some point in time you’re going to be vulnerable. You hope that someone doesn’t take advantage of that too much and cause a big wreck. It’s one of those things where you are constantly moving and trying to guess the flow of the pack. I think the best place to be is in the front most of the time, but it’s impossible now with the way we race to keep yourself up there for the entire race. You see guys do it for long periods of time. Denny Hamlin has been pretty amazing at putting himself in the right position as of late. I’m going to do my best this time around to put ourselves in position for another shot at the DAYTONA 500.” Do you feel the “Big One” coming, or does it happen so fast that you’re just in it?“Sometimes you’re in it, and there is nothing you can do about it because you know time is running out and you’re in it either way. It’s an odd feeling knowing your putting yourself out there and something is about to happen. It’s an issue of timing. You’re hoping you just get through it. I’ve been fortunate to sneak through some of them, or be in front of some of them. You usually know when the intensity is rising and the pack is starting to get a little bit out of control. You try to do your best to give yourself an out or be in front of it.”

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 3CHI Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Daytona International Speedway … Sunday’s sold-out DAYTONA 500 will be Tyler Reddick’s fourth attempt at a win in the season-opener and sixth NASCAR Cup Series start at the superspeedway. Last season, Reddick started 29th and finished 27th in The Great American Race and is looking to improve that number in the Next Gen Chevrolet. In the August race last season at Daytona International Speedway, Reddick started 17th and finished fifth, ultimately punching his ticket to the NASCAR Playoffs for the first time in his career.  3CHI Blazes the Trail for Another Industry First … 3CHI and Richard Childress Racing created another first with their partnership for the 2022 NASCAR season. 3CHI began with roots as a CBD producer and quickly became a pioneer in science-based hemp and cannabis innovation. The company was the first to commercially develop and market Delta 8 THC, and today, 3CHI is an industry leader with unsurpassed product quality and purity as verified by top independent labs and benchmark organizations. 3CHI products are sold in a majority of the United States, and the company produces and markets a variety of gummies, tinctures, lotions, edibles and vape products. All 3CHI products meet federal requirements for full legal compliance, with a commitment to promoting responsible adult use. See 3CHI.com for more information.  TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:When you think of the DAYTONA 500 and all of the unknowns, like “The Big One,” how do you approach such a long race with many challenges?“When it comes to running the DAYTONA 500, it’s always a very interesting challenge. Every single lap of the entire race, you have to wager risk versus reward. Any moment on the racetrack, your race can end. You can make a decision that takes you from the lead to last. You can make a decision that wrecks your racecar. You can make a decision that leads to you being in a wreck. When it comes to this race, there are so many decisions you have to make from Lap 1 to Lap 200 that have to be absolutely perfect. One decision throughout that entire race, a race filled with thousands of decisions that are made in split-second moments, can dictate whether you win, lose or crash. Because of that, it makes it one of the most challenging races of the year. And it makes it one of the most exciting, too.” The DAYTONA 500 always produces exciting racing but with the new Next Gen car, what are you anticipating heading into the Great American Race?“Kicking off the season with the DAYTONA 500 is something special every single year. As a racecar driver, this race is one of the biggest, exciting, and highly anticipated races. With the new car, all of the teams are on a level playing field. We all had the same opportunities to test the car and work with our teams and manufacturers to prepare for the season. I’m excited to see all the hard work that RCR and Chevrolet have put into this car be on display on the track.” You’ve talked about never really slowing down during the offseason or stopping to take a break. What does that do for you and your preparation heading into a new season?“I’ve never really been one to slow down during the offseason because I want to keep improving and working during that time to get better for the next season. I spent a lot of my time working out and getting stronger all while learning more about the Next Gen car, participating in the tests and preparing for 2022. The goals are the same for me week in and week out, and that is to go out on the track, contend for wins, be up front and in the mix and leave with positive results. I feel like this is our year and couldn’t be more excited to get to Daytona for the 500.” The partnership with RCR and 3CHI is one that is very new and very different in the NASCAR industry. How excited are you to represent them in the No. 8 Chevrolet?“The partnership with 3CHI is one that RCR is very proud of. A lot of hard work went into making it happen and I can’t thank NASCAR, 3CHI and my colleagues at RCR enough for all the time and effort they put into making this partnership come to life. 3CHI wanted to be a part of NASCAR throughout all of last year and we made it our goal to make it happen in 2022. I can’t wait to get that awesome paint scheme on track in a few days.”

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett / United Rentals Chevrolet Camaro SS at Daytona International Speedway … Hill will be making his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Daytona on Saturday. Hill competed in the Xfinity Series season-opener at Daytona in 2020. He scored his first Truck Series victory at Daytona in 2019, winning the race in NASCAR Overtime and going on to compete in the NASCAR Playoffs. About Bennett Family of Companies … McDonough-Ga. based Bennett Family of Companies is a woman-owned, Women’s Enterprise Business Council (WBENC) certified, diversified transportation and logistics company. Through its nine affiliated operating companies, the Bennett Family of Companies delivers integrated transportation and supply chain management solutions worldwide. The company will use race experiences to recruit and retain hundreds of truck drivers for their organization in 2022. For more information, visit www.Drive4Bennett.com.com. About United Rentals … United Rentals, Inc. is the largest equipment rental company in the world. The company has an integrated network of 1,278 rental locations in North America, 11 in Europe, 28 in Australia and 18 in New Zealand. In North America, the company operates in 49 states and every Canadian province. The company’s approximately 20,100 employees serve construction and industrial customers, utilities, municipalities, homeowners, and others. The company offers approximately 4,300 classes of equipment for rent with a total original cost of $15.72 billion. United Rentals is a member of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, the Barron’s 400 Index and the Russell 3000 Index® and is headquartered in Stamford, Conn. Additional information about United Rentals is available at unitedrentals.com. AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:What are your thoughts on racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Richard Childress Racing at Daytona International Speedway?“Richard Childress Racing has felt like family from the get-go and these last few months have been great, just getting to know my crew chief Andy Street and all the guys in the shop. It feels very family-based which is what I like. I think the chemistry is there and we haven’t even been to the racetrack yet. RCR has some really fast Chevrolet Camaros on the superspeedways. They have an impressive streak of sitting on the pole at Daytona so I’ve got to go out there and put a good lap down when we qualify.”

Sheldon Creed and The No. 2 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Camaro SS at Daytona International Speedway … Creed has one previous NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Daytona International Speedway that came in 2019. He has three starts on the 2.5-oval in the Truck Series where he led a lap in all three events and scored two top-10 finishes. Creed won the race in 2020 and finished second last season in two Truck Series races on the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. About Whelen … Whelen Engineering is a family-owned company with a pioneering spirit and a passion to protect the lives of those who protect and serve others. The company mission is to provide industry-defining safety solutions around the world, while creating a community of problem-solvers who are inspired to push boundaries and continue our legacy of delivering ground-breaking innovation. As a global leader in the emergency warning industry, Whelen has been trusted to perform since 1952, when George Whelen III invented the first rotating aviation beacon. Whelen now encompasses two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Connecticut and New Hampshire with over 750,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing space and the largest design staff in the industry. Every part of every Whelen product is proudly designed and manufactured in America. We embrace quality as our foundation, we celebrate innovative engineering in every product we produce. SHELDON CREED QUOTE:What are your thoughts on racing at Daytona International Speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with RCR?“I’m super-excited about this new opportunity with Richard Childress Racing and Whelen. It’s awesome join RCR and I can’t wait to work with everyone at Whelen this season. I’m really looking forward to hitting the track this week in Daytona. I know things are going to be a lot different with the Xfinity car than what I experienced in the Truck Series, but I have a great team behind me and that will definitely shorten up the learning curve. There’s a lot to learn early on but I’m eager to get to this week at Daytona.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT FEBRUARY 16, 2022

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 TRACKHOUSE RACING CAMARO ZL1; AND DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 TRACKHOUSE RACING CAMARO ZL1 – Daytona 500 Media Availability Transcript:  THE MODERATOR: Joining us next is Daniel Suárez and Ross Chastain from Trackhouse Racing. 
Q.     Ross, you had a chance to test at Atlanta. Chris Buescher was in here a while ago, thought we might see a hybrid kind of speedway/handling race. Do you think it’s going to be a hybrid, or is it going to lend itself to this type of speedway racing that we’ve heard about? ROSS CHASTAIN: Yeah, it definitely is going to be a new Atlanta. It’s not going to be like anything we’ve ever seen before there. 
I think this Next‑Gen car after practice last night, it’s going to be a different mentality for the 500 here even, because I can speak from our car, we are here to qualify tonight, and it’s not going to drive good in the Duel because it’s an impound race for that and then we have time to work on it Friday and Saturday ahead of the 500.  I think we’re going to have to dial some handling in on our No. 1 Advent Health Chevrolet for the 500 this weekend, and it’ll be the same way for Atlanta. You can make them drive pretty bad if you want them to go really fast.  Yeah, Atlanta just with the three cars in the draft was pretty challenging, so we’re going to be lifting some, but you’ll still have ‑‑ the leader will probably be wide open and you’ll be lifting farther back in the pack trying to keep up.  Q.     Just your reaction and what it felt like racing at COTA last year with that amount of moisture, that amount of rain. DANIEL SUÁREZ: I thought it was great. Nobody could see anything. You know, there is a few things that we can’t control, and one of them is obviously Mother Nature. I think that things were a little bit probably too crazy at one point. I love racing in the rain. I raced a lot in the rain growing up, and I love it. I think it’s a lot of fun.  But there is a point where it’s not fun anymore, and then it’s a little bit too crazy, like okay, what are we doing here, we can’t even see. Probably we got to that point at one point.  But overall, I think the event itself, it was huge, and I’m looking forward to coming back, and I’m sure a lot of people are, as well.  ROSS CHASTAIN: I just want to say, I agree. We got to a point in that race where it was too ‑‑ we just couldn’t see anything, and I’ve raced Xfinity races where ‑‑ same thing, but we kept racing. Then looking back on it, if we really want to make a better judgment call next time, like the time of us probably stopping the race was like 10 laps before we did, but by the time they stopped the race everything was okay in my opinion. Like we got through the worst part of that storm and the heavy rain band that came through, and we should have ran it out at that point. It just seemed odd that we waited that long. But that’s Monday morning quarterbacking, and selfishly we would have been better off if we’d have ran the race out. But it was 10 laps before they called the race, like I was going down the backstretch, and even Xfinity qualifying, I jumped in Bobby Dotter’s car when Joe hurt his knee, and I went down the backstretch completely blind just following the tracks in front of me and we were okay to do that, but then we called the Cup race early. 
I hope looking forward to the future, we make a better call.  Q.     If that race had not ended early, do you think you had a chance to win? It seemed like you guys had put yourself in a spot ‑‑ ROSS CHASTAIN: Oh, yeah. I didn’t execute good on the pit stop. I didn’t get on and off pit road very good, but yeah, we were competitive, so I just wanted to run the race out, one, just for the cool factor of racing at COTA. Making laps there is really awesome. 
Q.     Ross, being a native Floridian, what does this place mean to you, and if you would kind of speak on your upbringing and the Florida racing culture, as well. ROSS CHASTAIN: Well, look no further than that wall in the back. Looking at that is what it looks like at driver intros walking out on the stage; the smoke comes out, you walk down that long platform. You have to walk by the trophy, and that’s what we see, we see Daytona Rising, we see the grandstands. 
I grew up watching the July races. This was our family vacation in the summer, and we would camp off Turn 1 before the camping out there was nice. It was like a mud pit out there, and the motor homes would be stuck. I remember that, those summer races were tough because it rained every day and the races were always delayed.  But that’s what we loved. Like we rode our bikes around and I got in trouble for ‑‑ I can say this now. I think my Statute of Limitations has ran out. I got in trouble for riding my bike on the track. That security guard was not happy with me.  Those memories, man, just my friends and family and other motor homes, that’s what I remember, and then the cool factor of now racing in the Daytona 500. I remember every part of my first 500, every moment and how nervous I was, and we finished ninth because we stayed out of trouble.  Q.     For Ross, your 2020 Daytona 500, you were in position late there to have a chance to win that race before getting caught up in a crash there. I’m curious what that race has done for you for last year’s Daytona 500 as well as entering this year’s race, being as close as you were and at least being able to sniff it and coming up short that time around. ROSS CHASTAIN: Yeah, well, it comes full circle to right now. Advent Health is on my suit. They just announced entitlement at Kansas Speedway coming up later in the year on top of what all they do here at Daytona, with those being their two big areas of their hospitals and their healthcare workers where they’re on the front lines right through the whole pandemic. But they’ve been saving lives for a lot longer than the pandemic, and now they’re taking care of us as humans throughout a worldwide pandemic in those two especially geographic areas. 
Back to 2020, though, that was my first time driving with Advent Health on my car, and let’s be honest, I’ll tell the story, they wanted Kyle Larson in the 42. They wanted to be on the 42, and just the business side didn’t work out, so we did a third car with the 77 and Spire Motorsports through Chip Ganassi racing to do me, and they had to ‑‑ Doug Duchardt, CGR and the sales team had to sell Advent Health on Ross Chastain, like who was Ross.  We come here and we’d met obviously before we got here to the track, and then we go and compete and we have a chance to win, and we fell in love with each other. We realized like we’re two Florida‑based ‑‑ based out of Florida and where they started, and I am, too, right, I grew up four hours from here, and just that commonality of the love of the sport grew and we realized how aligned we were on a lot of things, both on and off the track with our beliefs and with how they just want people to feel wheel and really take care of themselves before they ever get to the hospital before they ever have to see a doctor, how much stuff we can do as people to just take care of ourselves aligns with me and Daniel, as well. Take care of our bodies and put the right stuff in, you’re going to get the results you want. You’re going to get the right stuff out.  It’s just something that really lines up with me like agriculture does where I can just talk about it and I don’t have to think about it, I don’t have to look at key messaging points before I come up on stage. Like I can just talk about my friends at Advent Health and our values and our mission for them to save lives and make the world a better place. Then you transfer that over now to Trackhouse, we want to be the culture, we want to be the team that industry people want to come work for, but we also want to broaden ourselves beyond NASCAR.  I know this is the NASCAR media center, but we had the opportunity with the Clash a few weeks ago and now the 500 to really amplify this sport, and Trackhouse wants to be on the leading edge of that and make a difference, and it all comes back to Advent Health supporting me, supporting me in the 42 and then moving with me to Trackhouse.  They didn’t have to. They were a CGR partner. They could have went anywhere, and when we talked, whenever the sale happened and the merger was going to happen from CGR to Trackhouse, I said, Guys, I want to stay at Trackhouse, I want you to stay with me and they were all in and they never batted an eye. They’re our primary partner, and going to see a lot of them at the track this year.  Q.     Ross, what have you seen of this organization as you’ve come in and they’re expanding, and Daniel, you’ve been there for a year now, what have you seen as they’ve prepared to go to two full‑time cars? ROSS CHASTAIN: Well, all the driver handbook stuff was in Spanish to start. No, I kid. 
Yeah, so Trackhouse in 2021 to Trackhouse in 2022 is totally different. Watching them last year, they were up at RCR, their first year in the sport, learning a lot of things, and they really relied on the RCR campus. Now we are totally self reliant in Concord, 8500 Westmoreland Drive.  The foundation that was built by CGR, there’s a lot of familiar boys and girls there, men and women older than me and smarter than me building these cars, and that is what Trackhouse is now. It’s its own identity. It’s a key partner with Chevrolet.  We have the building blocks of 20 years of CGR and Chevrolet supporting us now to do what we want to do.  You bring in Daniel, Ty, Justin, Armando, Pitbull ‑‑ am I supposed to call him Armando or Pitbull ‑‑ are you asleep?  DANIEL SUÁREZ: I was about to ask her to repeat the question. 
ROSS CHASTAIN: Yeah, so the upper management is different but a lot of the on‑the‑floor people are the same, so a lot of familiar faces for me. 
DANIEL SUÁREZ: What was the question again? 
Q.     What have you seen from the company as it’s expanded from just focusing on you to now going to two full‑time cars? DANIEL SUÁREZ: Well, the change was much bigger than that. I still remember a year and a half ago sitting with Ty and then sitting with Justin and Ty and talking about this project called Trackhouse and taking a leap of faith on this, and Justin telling me to trust him on this, that he had big plans for this. 
I knew we were going to grow and what we were going good, we were going to be strong. He had that vision. But I didn’t know how fast it was going to happen, and it definitely happened fast, quite fast.  It’s been quite a big change, not just going from one car to two cars, but going to the change of our organization, just like Ross mentioned, from being pretty much ‑‑ getting a lot of help and support from RCR, which we are going to be forever thankful because without them probably we wouldn’t be here today, and then being able to have the transition to everything that is Trackhouse today. We have over 100 people working in Trackhouse Racing right now, and we have two full‑time operations there for two cars. It’s just so ‑‑ it’s such a big change, so much bigger than just adding one more car because there are so many things that changed in the process.  There’s only a few people that actually lived that process. One of them has been myself, Ty Norris, Justin, Drew has been with us in the very beginning, but it’s been quite a process going from a handful of people to over 100.  It’s a process, and overall just very excited to be here. It’s always exciting to be here in February because there is a lot of energy, there is a lot of new things, but this year is extra exciting with the unknowns about how the new car is going to play out, how aggressive can you be and things like that.  Yeah, looking forward to getting rolling tonight and tomorrow night.  Q.     Is it realistic to expect the two of you to contend for the playoffs? DANIEL SUÁREZ: Yes. 
ROSS CHASTAIN: Yes. 
Q.     Daniel, how is Ross different from other teammates that you have had, and Ross, how is Daniel different from others you’ve had? DANIEL SUÁREZ: Well, I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been part of some teams that have a lot of teammates and some of them with a lot of experience, some of them with not so much experience, and everyone is different. Every team is different. Something that I mentioned to Justin and to Ty since the very beginning about Ross is that I like ‑‑ at the time I just didn’t know Ross to the point where I know him today, but I knew that he was hungry, and for me and for our team, I think that’s extremely important, having somebody that wants to do something, somebody that is hungry. 
There is a lot of drivers that are talented out there, and not all of them put actually the work to be better. I feel that it’s always good to have a good teammate because you start pushing each other. You start trying to find out what he’s doing better than me and what am I doing better than him and then trying to push each other and in that way be able to bring Trackhouse to the next level.  Right now we have a lot of good things coming our way in Trackhouse Racing, but the reality is that the plan is to do all our talking on the track, and that is going to be with trophies.  The better the work together, the better that journey is going to be.  ROSS CHASTAIN: No, Daniel came into the sport after I was already here and I was in the Xfinity Series and 10th place was a good day and he came in and was instantly successful at winning races, a championship, and I was jealous. I was like, man, if I had that opportunity, I’d be good. 
When I got that opportunity, I realized how hard it must have been for him to come into the sport and just be expected to be the great race car driver that his teammates were that had all the years of racing in America and racing these type of stock cars.  Getting to know him now and talking about both of us kind of like our paths through the sport, we’ve been humbled a few times, and so I make the joke about being Spanish, but we speak the same language in a lot of ways because we’ve been humbled by some failed adventures with race teams, and it didn’t work.  I know for me, really six or seven years out of my 11 I would say were failures, and I’m okay with that. I don’t want to speak for Daniel, but I think we understand the opportunity we have in front of us and the work we’re putting in is to make sure that this effort with Trackhouse is not a failure.  Q.     Daniel, unfortunately the 500 has not been your race. 32.9 average finish, a bunch of DNFs. What’s it going to take this year to finally get over the hump and get this car at least to the checkered flag in one piece? DANIEL SUÁREZ: That’s a good question. I don’t know.  Definitely have to do something different than what I’ve been doing the last five years. 
You know, this race is very unpredictable. I have learned that you have to ‑‑ sometimes if you just try to cruise and ride in the back, that’s not fun for anyone.  I don’t enjoy that. Sometimes you can get a good finish out of it, but probably a lot of people can’t do that.  Sometimes when you race, you can get in trouble, but you can also have a shot to win. I feel like one of the keys is to actually learn to read the race, learn to know when trouble is coming, and when things are about to happen and things like that. It’s impossible to predict it 100 percent, but that’s what we do as a race car driver, trying to see what is about to happen.  I think things are going to happen quite different with this new car. In my opinion, the racing is going to be so much better because the runs we get are so much bigger, but we’re going to find out tomorrow night. I’m excited for the challenge. I know that I don’t have a great stat, great stats when it comes to the Daytona 500, but I’m ready to change that.  ROSS CHASTAIN: I think he said you stink here. 
DANIEL SUÁREZ: I do, yeah. He’s right.   

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT FEBRUARY 16, 2022 KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CAMARO ZL1, Daytona 500 Media Availability Transcript:  KYLE, NOW HAVING THE ENTIRE OFF SEASON TO PROCESS BEING THE CHAMPION, HEADING INTO THIS SEASON NOW WHAT ARE THE EMOTIONS? DOES IT FEEL ANY DIFFERENT HEADING INTO THIS SEASON BASED ON WHAT YOU WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH A YEAR AGO?  “No. I think it’s really easy for us to kind of move on and forget about the success that you had only a couple months ago. So, I think it is because, for me, I think you know I race so often just trying to get focused on winning the next race or winning again the next season. So, you kind of have to, you can’t really soak up what you did last year I feel like until you are done with your career someday. Just focused on this year and trying to have another solid season all around and hopefully win another championship.” KYLE, DOING A STORY ON LAST YEAR’S ATLANTA RACE. WAS THAT AN OCCASION WHERE YOU LOSE A RACE TO WIN SOMETHING ELSE DOWN THE ROAD? A LESSON LEARNED YOU KNOW YOU WILL BE ABLE TO PROCESS AND USE TO GO TO VICTORY LANE? “Not really. No, I mean I think you know that race in particular you know we had dominated all race long. Like dominated, dominated all race long. I think when you do that you don’t want to mess anything up. I think we probably yes, we didn’t work on our car enough throughout the race and then when I finally did have somebody in my mirror, well I wasn’t used to that. So, I’m trying to drive harder and get away from (Ryan) Blaney and just abused my tires too much. Then yeah, the flip side of things, his team was watching somebody else dominate all race long and probably continued to work on their car and got it better. Then he could probably tell he was better than me and managed better than I did, so yeah, I mean I definitely think we learned from that moving forward. I don’t know if we ever utilized that later on down the road, but that’s definitely something I think that we learned or noticed.” YOU BEING FROM CALIFORNIA, DO YOU THINK THE LA CLASH IS GOING TO CREATE SOME MOMENTUM FOR FONTANA OR EVEN FOR THAT MATTER SONOMA? DO YOU THINK IT WILL CREATE SOME ENERGY IN THAT STATE THAT WILL PROVE BENEFICIAL FOR OTHER RACETRACKS? “I don’t know. I hope so. I thought it was a great event and I thought there were a lot of fans there. There was, from what I heard, a lot of new fans. Well, new people going to their first ever race. Hopefully now they are fans and will go to Fontana or whatever it may be. Go to Sonoma later on in the year. I feel like the west coast races already have a lot of fans. Whenever we have ran Fontana in the past, I feel like the infield is slammed packed. It’s the best infield in my opinion that we have in our sport. The grandstands on Sunday always have a lot of people. Even Sonoma I feel like it may not look like it because it is so spread out for the road course but there’s always a lot of fans there and merchandise sales are always really good there. I don’t think the west coast needs a whole lot of help, but obviously you want it to get even bigger than it already is. Yeah, the CLASH was good. I thought it went well and hopefully there’s a lot of momentum from it now.” I AM CURIOUS WHAT YOUR RELATIONSHIP IS WITH THE DAYTONA 500. WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU GET HERE AND YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT? “Well, I mean it’s the biggest race in our sport. So, I want to win it and I get excited to come down here. Spend the week, get to go to Disney, get to run sprint cars and run a lot of dirt stuff nearby. Then yeah, compete in the biggest race of our year. I haven’t had much success here, so that part of it doesn’t get me too excited to show up. I was close to winning in 2017. I crossed the line coming to the white as the leader and then ran out of fuel so, that was really cool. I remember the emotions of that while I was running, like wow I could really win the 500 and then not winning it fuels me to want to win it in my future because before that race and every race since then I have been not even close. I would love to do it and hopefully I can continue to learn more about this race. I mean you could luck into winning here for sure, but I feel like I have a lot more to learn, to gain experience, to compete at the front all race long and really have a true shot of winning.” (INAUDIBLE) “No, I don’t think so. For me I have chased races more than championships, so to me the priority of winning big races hasn’t changed at all. It’s more in front of you than the championship is, so yeah it doesn’t change where it ranks on my list. I still want to win this. I want to win the Southern 500 really bad. I want to win Indy. I have won the Bristol Night Race which was cool. I won the Coke 600 last year, which was cool. There’s definitely a few that I still want to win really bad.” GOING OFF OF HOLLY’S QUESTION, EVEN IN THE LAST YEAR YOU HAVE WON (INAUDIBLE), KNOXVILLE NATIONALS, KINGS ROYAL, CHILI BOWL A HANDFUL OF TIMES AS WELL, IF YOU WERE TO ADD DAYTONA 500 TO YOUR RESUME WHERE DO YOU THINK THIS WIN WOULD RANK AMONGST THE OTHERS? “I don’t know. I hate trying to rank races because I feel like I will always get picked apart, so I’m not going to rank it right now. Ask me where it ranks after I win it someday.” JUST KIND OF CURIOUS YOU WERE IN A POSTIION AT GANASSI WHERE YOU RAN OK, BUT CERTAINLY DIDN’T HAVE A YEAR LIKE LAST YEAR. IS THERE A DRIVER OUT THERE WHO MAY NOT BE AT YOUR TALENT LEVEL BUT HAS POTENTIAL THAT MIGHT STAND OUT TO YOU THAT THNK IF THEY GOT IN THE RIGHT POSITION COULD ENJOY THE KIND OF SUCCESS THAT YOU’RE HAVING NOW? “I don’t know. I think Tyler Reddick is going to have an amazing season. I think he’s been the best car at all the tests. I think he showed last week at the CLASH that he is really good. I feel when I watch him, I am watching myself just because we are both really aggressive and he seems to be even a little more aggressive and kind of keep things in control better than I could back when I was running really hard in Ganassi equipment trying to run up front. He’s the guy that I look at this year that I feel like is going to have the breakout season and win a lot of races.” AND BOWMAN GOING AND RUNNING A 410 SPRINT CAR, JUST THE FACT THAT HE WAS ABLE TO GO TO THE WORLD OF OUTLAWS FIRST WEEKEND OUT AND QUALIFY FOR ALL THREE FEATURES PRETTY IMPRESSIVE ON HIS PART. I KNOW HE LEANED ON YOU A LITTLE BIT, BUT CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT? “I mean I have told him a lot of times that I thought he did an amazing job. He did better than I think any of us thought he was going to do, so that was really awesome to see. He outqualified me at Volusia on the first night. Yeah, he did a good job. Quick time in the all-star race at East Bay, so with under 10 starts in a sprint car and really doesn’t have hardly any dirt racing experience in his career, he was mainly a pavement racer before he got to ARCA, he did an awesome job. You know he’s got Joe Gaerte as his crew chief, so I am familiar with Joe and his time at KLR. It was neat to see them run really good, and I am glad that he did because now he is going to be fired up to race even more and gaining experience in that.” KYLE, WHAT IS YOUR CEILING AS A DRIVER AND HOW DO YOU THINK YOU CAN GET BETTER TO REACH THAT CEILING? “I don’t know. I’m not sure, just I don’t want to know what my ceiling is. I don’t think any of us do. You just always continue to try, even when you get to your celling, you try to work hard to surpass it. So, I don’t know just keep trying to evolve as a racecar driver, keep racing a lot and trying to win races and just fine tuning different areas of your craft.” KYLE, THERE HAS BEEN MORE DISCUSSION THIS WEEK ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF YOU RUNNING THE INDY 500. I REALIZE THERE ARE A LOT OF BRIDGES THAT HAVE TO BE CROSSED FOR THAT TO EVENTUALLY HAPPEN. JUST LOOKING AT THAT POSSIBILITY, WOULD YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE SORT OF PARACHUTING IN AND RUNNING THAT RACE AS YOUR FIRST INDYCAR EXPERIENCE OR WOULD YOU WANT TO PLAY AROUND IN THE CARS ELSEWHERE? “Yeah, no I mean I think it’s too late in the game for this year. If I ever run the Indy 500, I want to be prepared. I want to show up with the feeling that I have a shot to win. I don’t want to just show up and be like oh I get to compete in the Indy 500, that is really cool. Like I want to go there and be confident and know that I have a shot to run up front. With that takes a lot of preparation, a lot of work and I don’t think that’s something you can fully get done in a few months. I mean down the road, I’d like to do it, but I want to do it when the time is right and right now in February 2022 is not the right time. I think it is something more so down the road, but I definitely want to do it someday. It was cool to read Jeff’s (Gordon) article or whatever that said they were open to it and yeah we will see.”  IN THE THREE MONTHS SINCE YOU HAVE WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP, WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU HAVE GOTTEN TO EXPERIENCE THAT MAYBE YOU WOULDN’T HAVE GOTTEN TO EXPERIENCE IF YOU HADN’T WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND SPECIFIALLY LIKE ON THE MARKETING SIDE? WHAT KIND OF MARKETING STUFF HAVE YOU MAYBE BEEN PART OF THAT YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN PART OF BEFORE? “I didn’t really do a whole lot. We had the media day a couple of days after the championship, did a lot of interviews and stuff. Those are all so quick that you don’t really like fully pay attention to who you are doing them with. I don’t know. Honestly probably the coolest thing that I wouldn’t have ever gotten done without winning the championship was just the thing that Elk Grove did for me, my hometown, and the parade the did for me. Other than that it hasn’t been too wild. I feel like I have talked to a lot of the same people before the championship and after. Nothing was like wow that was neat.” CAN YOU EXPLAIN, GOING BACK TO THE CLASH, THE INCIDENT WITH THE 31 BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THAT WAS MORE OF AN INTENTIONAL MOVE OR SOMETHING TO PUT THE 31 IN THE WALL? JUST KIND OF HOW THAT WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND AND HOW THAT PLYAED OUT AND IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE AFTERWARDS AFTER REVIEWING TAPE OR ANYTHING? “Yeah so, I will start off by saying I overreacted. So, I will play it out in my mind. I went down the backstretch and I knew he was on my outside. I got clear like late in the straightaway and the next thing I know he was running the left side of me, so you just see red really quick. Like dangit. So yeah, I was like well now I am stuck on the outside and I am about to get shuffled really far back and I am mad at you so yes, I hung a left on him. I did not want to crash him, but I wanted that inside lane for the next corner. So, I felt really bad. Instantly I felt bad that I crashed him, and he came over and talked to me after the race and I told him that I was sorry that I wrecked you. But yes, I wish I would have you know understood the racetrack that we were at and that somebody probably else shoved him into me and you know maybe I wouldn’t have overreacted as bad as I did. Yeah, definitely felt bad about that but you know it is what it is at this point, and I just have to learn from those moments. I feel like I do a really good job normally staying calm, but I think you know in that instance I didn’t, and I think probably with no points on the line probably played factor in my overreaction but yeah, I just hate that I tore up their car because of the lack of equipment that teams have right now. Nobody can really afford to be tearing stuff up at this point.  I BELIEVE IT WAS DENNY HAMLIN WHEN I ASKED EARLIER TODAY IF THE NEW CAR MIGHT SHOW US SOME SURPRISE WINNERS IN THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON AND HE SAYS GOOD TEAMS WILL ALWAYS HAVE AN ADVANTAGE. DO YOU FEEL THAT WAY AND IF SO, WHY? “Yeah, (INAUDIBLE), I thought that yes, maybe a Spire Motorsports could go win a race early in the year because you know we all read what the media writes, and everyone seems to say it is equal but it’s not. Your best teams are still going to be, they just have more people and smarter people with more resources to figure out quicker so yeah, being a part of that Phoenix test on the speed charts it was all the same teams up front to back like it would have been before. I think there’s teams that are a little better than they were, I think there’s teams that are a little worse than they were but for the most part it’s so far doesn’t seem too different.” INAUDIBLE “I don’t get too involved in like, I don’t even know what they can do as far as engineering and simulation but yeah I just know that we have got hundreds of people where a lot of these race teams don’t and you know we will be able to figure out things quicker than they will.” THIS YEAR YOU GUYS ARE LOOKING PRETTY FAST IN THE INDIVIDUAL QUALIFYING TIMES, HOW SIGNIFICANT WOULD IT BE FOR YOU TO GET YOURSELF LOCKED ON THE FRONT ROW TOINGHT AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A CAR READY TO GO FOR SUNDAY IF YOU DO SO? “Yeah, I think that would be huge. I don’t think that I will be the team to compete for the front row. It sounds like our team’s more focused on getting a good handle for the race and stuff like that. Who knows? We could get a wind gust or something and get the pole and go wow, but it sounds like we are not putting all of our eggs in that basket to try to go get on the front row. I think our focus is on the race and with that I don’t think we will have the speed, single-car wise, to be on the front row.” IN REFERENCE TO YOUR WORDS ABOUT INDY, HAVE YOU TALKED TO SAY KURT BUSCH OR TONY STEWART ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR THEM TO DO THE DOUBLE AND HAVE THEIR INFORMATION AFFECTED YOUR DECISION AT ALL? “No, I have never talked to Tony about it and I don’t, honestly, remember if I have talked to Kurt about it. I am sure I have at some point while he was my teammate at Ganassi, but no I haven’t talked to anybody really about it. I’m sure once it becomes more of a reality that I could do it, I will probably talk to as many people as I can. For right now, I haven’t done my due diligence I guess and talked to other drivers who have done it.” YOU WENT OVER TO WATCH SOME FORMULA 1. GENERAL MOTORS IS NOW ADDING FORMULA 1, THEY RUN ALL YEAR NOW. WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR YOU TO GET A TEST IN F1? “I don’t know. I am guessing millions of dollars and a lot of luck. It was a big realization when I went there that I feel like the rest of the world doesn’t care a whole lot about American auto racing. That was pretty eye opening. I would love the opportunity for sure. I think those are amazing racecars and the lifestyle they get to live is really cool, so yeah I would love to do it. I would love to have a test someday. It’s just not viewed, what we do is not viewed as big as the rest of the world what I think is cool.”

Uncle Mike Coughlin steps up to Top Alcohol Dragster

POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 15) — After finishing a career-best sixth in the Pro Stock championship points last season, Troy Coughlin Jr. arrives at this weekend’s season-opening 62nd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals with a clear and simple plan to challenge for the 2022 title. “There’s no real secret to it,” the third-generation professional said. “We have to run at the top level, every member of the team needs to stay focused, and we need to be persistent and consistent every race weekend. That’s all. You want to put yourself in the best position possible to have a chance at the end of the season. “We want to set a routine, starting right now at this weekend’s race, where we create a winning attitude with a winning car. As a driver, I need to be as competitive as I can be without being too emotional. There’s a long season ahead and there will be lots of twists and turns. It’s up to me to find the right path and try to be at my best at all times.”

Troy Jr. had some magical moments in 2021 in the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. He raced to the final round in Gainesville, Fla., was one of the finalists at the 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, qualified No. 1 in Topeka, Kan., and pro-longed the championship chase to the last race with a late-season, Round 1 upset of Greg Anderson at the penultimate race in Las Vegas. “We can write our own story, just like last year,” Troy Jr. said. “With crew chief Mark Ingersoll leading us, Kyle Bates (car chief/co-engine builder) at his side, Ricky Calloway on the clutch, and Kelly Murphy working the back-half, I have a ton of confidence in our capabilities. We’re ready to get it all started and have some fun.”

Like his nephew Troy Jr., Mike Coughlin is always ready to go fast and that will never be clearer than this season with the three-time divisional champion embarking on his first season in Top Alcohol Dragster. Behind only the nitro-powered categories of Top Fuel and Funny Car, Top Alcohol entries are capable of posting runs of 5.090 seconds at 285.83 mph. “We’ll be going quicker and faster than ever before,” Mike said. “I’m as excited as I’ve ever been at the start of a season. To be kicking it all off in Pomona at the Winternationals makes it all the better. I’m ready to get started.” Mike will be piloting the championship-contending JEGS.com Top Alcohol Dragster of McPhillips Racing, a group which helped Troy Jr. win back-to-back regional championships and 10 wins in 2018 and 2019. Mike made just one start in the nitro-injected rail towards the end of last season but it provided enough of a thrill to convince him to go for the world title this year.

“I had the chance to try it out at the second Vegas race and then the team came to Pomona and won the NHRA Finals with Rich (McPhillips) Jr. in the driver’s seat, which really helped seal the deal. These guys know what they’re doing and we’re starting 2022 with a good bit of confidence. “Without question, this is a top-notch team. I don’t know if I’ve seen a more professional group at any level of racing. (Car owner and crew chief) Rich McPhillips, his son Rich Jr., and the rest of the crew are incredible to watch in action. It’s no wonder they win so much. Hopefully I won’t slow us down too much.” A full slate of regional and national events are on tap for the team, with Mike claiming Division 3, the same place where he captured the 2007 and 2009 Top Sportsman crowns, as well as the 2019 Top Dragster title.

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT FEBRUARY 16, 2022

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CAMARO ZL1; AND WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CAMARO ZL1 – Daytona 500 Media Availability Transcript:  THE MODERATOR: Next up we have William Byron and Alex Bowman from Hendrick Motorsports. Alex, we’ve heard you’re bringing back the Best Friends donation program for this season. Would you mind telling us a little bit more about that? ALEX BOWMAN: Yeah, so obviously last year was really cool, learning more about Best Friends. I think we raised like $120,000 to try to save animals, so that was really cool to be a part of, and big thanks to Ally for helping bring it back and doing it again. This year we’re going to donate $4,800 every week to a local shelter through Best Friends, so looking forward to that. If we win, it goes to 10,000 again, so hopefully we can raise a bunch of money to save some animals. 
Q.     Alex, just a while ago Kyle Busch was in here and he told all of us to watch out for the 48 car tonight in qualifying when it comes to getting on that front row. You have a history with being on the front row here; how are you guys feeling about what you guys need to do tonight? ALEX BOWMAN: I feel pretty good from my side of things. All I can do is floor it and hold the wheel as straight as I can, try to hit my shifts. Yeah, I think we have a shot at it. I think Greg Ives and Hendrick Motorsports really put a lot into speedway qualifying.  Obviously we focused on it a lot yesterday in practice. 
Hopefully we can make it happen. I think if there was a year you wanted to be kind of on the front row and not have to worry about the Duel as much, this year would be that year, so hopefully we can make it happen.  Q.     William, I’m curious how you approach this race being a past winner here at Daytona. You know how to get to Victory Lane here. How do you approach the rest of this week leading into Sunday? WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, I think that honestly it’s one of the more nerve‑racking Duels just because of the car situation, but for us just to see how qualifying goes tonight and hopefully it goes well and we can lock in with Alex, I hope, like last year, and then hopefully I don’t have as bad a Duel as I had last year. 
Other than that, Sunday is its own deal.  Q.     A question about Fontana. William, looking at your stats for Fontana, 15th three times in a row is your record ‑‑ WILLIAM BYRON: That’s not a great stat. 
Q.     Can you not finish 15th this time? WILLIAM BYRON: I hope not. I hope I can do like him. He’s finished first there and top 5 I feel like. Yeah, I don’t know. I think it’s been kind of a tough track for me, but hopefully this year it changes. 
Q.     Alex, it’ll be two years and some change since when you won at Fontana. Does it feel that long, and do you feel like even with the new car you can pick up where you left off? ALEX BOWMAN: Yeah, feels like forever. You know, no, I don’t think we can pick up exactly where we left off with the new car. I think the new car is going to be so different. You can’t drive the car nearly as sideways as you could with the old car, and that day we were really loose all day but super fast. 
I don’t think you’ll be able to be as aggressive on being loose and kind of leaning on the right side of the car, so just figuring out how to get it snugged up and still be fast around that place is going to be key.  Q.     I’ve been asking drivers all day about qualifying. Kyle said zero attention put on it from his camp, and you guys put a lot on it. Is that mostly team and you understand the reason why mainly because of sponsors, you feel like you’ve got a good piece underneath you for qualifying, but is that mainly the team effort and you don’t do anything different or emphasis on it compared to what they do to get you ready for it? ALEX BOWMAN: Yeah, I think it’s definitely mostly team from my point of view. I’m going to come down here and do whatever they tell me, right, so just trying to know how to hit my shifts right and kind of maximize each and every little thing is really all I can do. From there it’s up to the team. 
It means a lot to Mr. Hendrick and to each and every individual at Hendrick Motorsports, so doing all we can to get them another pole.  Q.     William, your contract with Hendrick Motorsports is up at the end of the year. I’m wondering if you can update us where negotiations are at, and do you anticipate signing an extension with them? WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, just I feel like we’re in a good place and just focused on this weekend. I love racing for Hendrick Motorsports. I think we all do. Love the culture that we have. Just focused on kind of this year and having a great start to the year because I feel like last year finished off strong for all of us, and looking forward to it. 
Q.     Hendrick Motorsports has won six of the past seven poles for the Daytona 500 but has failed to win in all six of their pole winnings. How do you translate it now to the 500 and making sure your car is getting to Victory Lane on Sunday when it matters? WILLIAM BYRON: Well, I think just knowing that Sunday is kind of a marathon and you’ve got to get to the end of the race, which is ‑‑ looking at the stats, it looks like not many guys get to the end, so hopefully we can be one of those guys, and I think if any of our cars are there at the end, we’ll have a shot to win. Chase last year finished second, so I think we’ll have a shot to win. 
Q.     When Kyle was in here, he didn’t think the Next Gen was going to be a better car at Phoenix. I had some drivers talk about it being a little more nimble on road courses or short tracks. Do you think it’ll play out that way? What kind of car do you think you’ll have for Phoenix, or what kind of race do you anticipate there? ALEX BOWMAN: Yeah, I think like anything, when you change things, it’s going to have racetracks that it’s better and racetracks that it’s worse. I think if we had the Gen‑6 car at the Clash, it wouldn’t have been nearly as good as it was. I think the Next‑Gen car was really suited to a small place like that. 
I think it’s going to be really awesome on road courses. Phoenix, the test was pretty interesting. It’s just difficult, you can’t lean on the car as hard as you could with the old car, so trying to find that balance of not spinning the thing out every couple laps is tough.  So much has changed throughout all the tests and everything, it’s really hard to say what it’s going to be like when we go there to race. But it’s definitely going to have places that it’s better than the old car and places that drivers felt like the old car drove better, but I don’t think that necessarily means it’s better or worse.  Q.     William, as far as maybe the brakes, the braking package, do you think it’s better suited for Phoenix or short tracks? WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, they’re definitely very powerful. I feel like they lock up easier, so it’s kind of ‑‑ we all seem to kind of have that at the clash like where the brakes seemed to lock up, and we never really had that with the old car. Typically with the old car you’d lose the brakes before you had any other issues. 
I think it’s going to be different. You’re going to have a lot of ability like on the road courses like Alex said to brake deep and all those things.  Q.     You both touched on it earlier about the Duels, but it seems like everybody that you ask, the agenda is different. Some people want nothing to do with it, Joey probably to no surprise says he’s going to race because it’s a race. Have you two thought about what you want to do if you don’t get the front row for tonight? ALEX BOWMAN: Yeah, I mean, I think kind of with our agenda, obviously we’re all in on qualifying, and I think that translates ‑‑ that typically translates to a car that’s not going to drive amazing in the Duels. Just trying to protect the race car the best we can and put ourselves in the best position we can be for the 500. Obviously it is a race and it does pay points, but trying to protect the race car and be as smart as we can be. 
WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, I know my crew chief was very sad last year after the Duels, so try not to be quite so sad this year. Whatever that means. 
ALEX BOWMAN: Less sad, more better. 
WILLIAM BYRON: Yes, more better. 
Q.     Of the drafting you have done with this car, how differently does it feel from the Gen‑6 when it comes to what it’s doing here in the draft and some of the Penske guys were pointing out that drafting and especially bump drafting is going to be something to watch because the bumpers don’t line up as normal anymore because the bumper has more of a curve to it. ALEX BOWMAN: I mean, when I tested here I felt like the bump drafting was great. I think that the car does seem to move around some, but at the same time you can drive it when it’s moving around. We’ll see how all that goes. I mean, probably Sunday. 
Q.     William, we’ve talked a lot of sprint car backgrounds in here today, but for your background the former NASCAR K&N Series, ARCA series, kicked off last night. When you transitioned from the previous Cup car to this year’s Cup car, can you look back on your career at how you transitioned and compare that transition from the K&N car to an Xfinity car to a truck to the Cup Series? WILLIAM BYRON: I mean, not really. I think that it’s just ‑‑ still has similar horsepower that we had last year. I think the tire grip is just something to get used to. Yeah, all the ‑‑ going up through the ranks, like the K&N car, it has different suspension than ‑‑ it has ride height rules and things like that, so that’s the biggest difference. 
Q.     Alex, can you describe what the last few years have been like for you integrating yourself with Ally as a sponsor and what it’s been like figuring out how you two best work together and growing each other’s brands? All the programs involving pets and stuff has been very on brand for you and very on board with that. Has there ever been anything you guys have come into conflict over where you don’t like something they want you to do? ALEX BOWMAN: Yeah, not really. I think the best part about working with Ally is they came to me and they’re like, hey, what do you want to do, and obviously pets are a passion of mine, so being able to help animals has been really cool. They’re all in on anything that they do. They don’t go halfway in on anything. Anything that they do, they are 100 percent of the way in. Whether it’s the program with Best Friends or the sprint car stuff with AVR, doing Chili Bowl, they’re all in on all of it, and it’s just been really cool to have that support. Everybody over there, J.B. and Andrea, from the top down, they’re awesome people. J.B. is a CEO of a company that I can text every day and talk to. 
It’s really cool to have that relationship with those guys, and it’s just been a lot of fun. I didn’t know how it was going to work, obviously, going from Jimmie Johnson to me is like ‑‑ it’s a big jump. We’re not the same person, and I don’t have nearly the stats or anything that Jimmie has.  Just appreciative that they’ve supported me as much as they have and that they’ve allowed me to be myself and to do my own thing and kind of steer the ship because I’ve had a lot of fun, and definitely has made doing my day job a little easier, and I’ve really enjoyed it.  Q.     Alex, what kind of grade would you give yourself with the World of Outlaws, and what was the biggest eye opener of racing with that caliber of open wheel? ALEX BOWMAN: Yeah, I don’t know what to grade myself. I guess like a C or a B. I feel like I exceeded expectations on making the show every night. Can definitely qualify. I felt like we had a lot of speed. 
Volusia was really tough to race in the dirty air, just trying to figure out how that works. Our stuff, the dirty air is more like center off the corner is where we really fight it, and Volusia it’s kind of the opposite. The straightaway is really difficult, and then corner entry is really tough. Just trying to learn.  The last night I felt really comfortable. Sensation of speed is insane. I felt like I was going 7 million miles an hour.  Then going to East Bay, I felt really, really good. I was really comfortable all night. I think we just kind of missed it in the feature a little bit, but felt like we were a top‑5 car all night other than that, set fast time and were really fast. I had a ton of fun, and I’m excited to continue doing that this year.  Q.     William, you feel like after four years with Hendrick that this needs to be a breakout year for you because you’ve won races the last couple years, but you’re sitting next to a guy that won four. The champion won 10. Do you feel like now that you and Rudy have had a year to get reacclimated that this might be the year?  WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, for sure. I think that internally we’re definitely very motivated, so just trying to continue to kind of build on what we did last year. I think I said a couple times last year was tough in a lot of ways because I felt like we didn’t get the results that we wanted to get. Going into this year that kind of fuels us, and I felt like we made some good adjustments on our team to make ourselves better.  Q.     William, earlier this week it was announced that NASCAR would be doing an iRacing collegiate series where they would be providing opportunities to collegiate drivers on iRacing. Your thoughts overall coming from a guy in iRacing? WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, I think it’s great what iRacing is doing with continuing to broaden their base of people. When I started doing iRacing it was a couple thousand people on there, and now it’s like 100,000. Pretty insane how far it’s come. 
I think the more that they can continue to scan new tracks and like doing the LA Coliseum like they did was pretty impressive.   

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT FEBRUARY 16, 2022

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 JTG DAUGHERTY CAMARO ZL1, Daytona 500 Media Availability Transcript:  YOU KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO WIN THE POLE. DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THAT DONE?“In 2020, we got done with practice and I felt like we had a really good shot at it. After practice last night, it was kind of hard to tell who was legit by themselves – single car. I don’t think we have a shot at the pole. But if we could be 15th, somewhere around there, we’d be happy with that. I’m pretty comfortable with how my car drives in the drafting that we have done, so I’ll feel good for Thursday.”
YOU GOT THE WIN HERE IN 2017. WHAT DO YOU THINK IT WILL TAKE TO WIN THIS RACE SUNDAY? AND IT LOOKED LIKE YOU WERE WORKING WITH KEVIN HARVICK IN PRACTICE. WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THAT?“I don’t think it was something that was planned to go out there and work with him; we made an adjustment and just wanted to get the car closer to pack speed and feel that difference that we had at the test. We made another adjustment to go from your qualifying to your race setup – more simulating Thursday night. So, went out there and made some runs; wanted to run at the top of the racetrack, knowing that when it does single-file out that’s where you’re going to be. The track is a little bit rough up there, so just wanted to gauge on some of that and pulling down to pass. I don’t know what to expect or know a lot until Sunday comes. I felt like I had a really good test here where we basically simulated a race and were actually side-by-side drafting and I felt like I learned a lot there – probably more there until Sunday comes.”
WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING THE DUALS TO BE LIKE?“Obviously, the ones that have to race their way in got to do what they got to do. I think a lot of them aren’t worried about going to the next few races, so they have one agenda, which is part of what makes the Duals cool. You have people with different agendas. You have the people who qualified on the front row; not trying to tear their car up. You have the ones trying to make it. And I feel like you have a lot of us who don’t want to go to a backup car, but you still want to learn and get as many points as you can. I feel like we’re in a good position as a race team. As soon as allotments were able to be filled, we feel like we’re in a good position as a race team with parts and pieces relative to some of the other teams. You don’t want to put yourself in a bind either. I feel like it’s always exciting for a little bit and it kind of fizzles out and gets more exciting again at the end when the checkered flag is coming out.”
WHAT’S THE OFFSEASON BEEN LIKE FOR JTG MAKING THE TRANSITION FROM TWO CARS TO ONE?“It’s been a good offseason for us. If there was a time to do it, it was now. I feel like we have more resources for our one car than we had for our two. I feel like we were running at a little disadvantage; maybe a little thin when we had two. I feel really good about where we’re at as a race team. We have the parts and pieces and a good assembly line of how we’re building our cars and how the process is going. We have a good schedule laid out for upcoming races and which cars we plan on taking to where. Obviously, it was good to get out of the Clash with no major issues to our car so we can put that one right into the rotation. Some cars weren’t as lucky do to that. I was able to be at every test, which was beneficial, giving my feedback every single test and every single Chevy simulator test. This is the first year we’ve had access to that, and I think we’ve seen a benefit already. We’re looking forward to using that more often.”
FONTANA, BEING A WORNOUT RACETRACK, HOW DO YOU THINK THESE CARS ARE GOING TO BE?“I think it’s going to be fun. Obviously, the higher horsepower, lower downforce package that we landed on at the Charlotte test I felt like it made racing better there and I think it’s going to be a lot of fun for a driver when you get to Fontana. We’ll carry a lot of speed down the straightaway, you’ll have to lift and maybe use a little bit of brake when the tires get old, and I feel like many lanes are open for options. Definitely we miss going there. I think we were all kind of bummed when we heard it was going to be reconfigured. We’re looking forward to going back to the big track.”
WE’VE HEARD ABOUT THE PARTS SHORTAGE. AS A SHORT TRACK TEAM OWNER, CAN YOU COME WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF SPRINT CAR RACING IN ANY WAY WITH WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THIS LEVEL?“We kind of went through a period last year where we were nervous about tires on the spring car side. Parts and pieces as far as the chassis and suspension on the sprint car side ahs been really good. We actually ran into a few issues last year where we had to run a backup engine that we didn’t want to run based off of not being able to get parts to freshen up our engines throughout the season. We had an engine that we placed on order in November and we’re hoping to get it in April. They’re not leaving things on the shelf anymore. It’s almost like you order and they make to your order, so that’s been a little bit tricky. Some of the tire issues that we had, we had a shortage on tires and now you get a little inconsistency on tires.”
WILL YOU RUN SOME SPRINT CAR RACES THIS SEASON?“I’ll run some sprint car races, probably Talladega weekend. Dad and I are looking to build a 410, so that will be fun.” 

BEAVERTON, Ore. (February 16, 2022) – Coming off a spectacular 2021 Progressive American Flat Track season finale, in which Davis Fisher earned his maiden win in the premier Mission SuperTwins class, BMC/Sixty-Seven Racing is ready for the 2022 season.

Beaverton Motor Cycle Racing will once again be the title sponsor. With BMC Racing behind him in 2021, Fisher finished sixth in the Grand National Championship on the strength of four top fives, including the epic victory that saw him become the 163rd rider to ever win a premier-class race in the long history of America’s Original Extreme Sport.

Before the ‘21 season was even complete, Bob Lanphere Jr., owner of Beaverton Motorcycles and Oregon’s Best Wine, was already planning improvements for the team ahead for the 2022 season, both underlining his passion for the sport and his deep belief in the extremely talented and dedicated Fisher.

Lanphere said, “Working with Davis and the entire Fisher family has been a sponsor’s dream over the years. The ups and downs of racing isn’t always easy, but watching Davis and his family live the journey has been remarkable.

“I’ve been delighted to sponsor Davis and watch the growth he has made over the years, especially the 2021 racing season with the Grand National win. I’m excited to see the success that 2022 racing brings to Davis, and I’m looking forward to working with Davis and the Fisher family in order to achieve his dream.”

Along with BMC Racing, a number of additional sponsors have signed on to play a critical role in supporting Fisher’s 2022 efforts. 

Dan Wall of Wall 60 has been a long-time major supporter of Fisher’s career, just as he was of his father’s (Rex Fisher) racing career. New to the team his year is support from Mission Foods and Elkhart Indian Motorcycle. Both had previously established significant presences in the Progressive AFT paddock, which put them in a position to observe Fisher’s work ethic and determination and want to get involved with his program for ‘22. 

Davis will again be traveling the country in his GMC Savana Van with his trailer in tow. He’ll maintain his Indian FTR750s between the races, while his dad, Rex, will fly in on the weekends to spin the wrenches.

Fisher said, “I am really looking forward to getting the 2022 season started with more support backing me this upcoming season. It is a lot of work between driving, racing, training, and doing all the bike work. However, I feel being involved in every aspect has made me stronger as a racer. And I believe we moved in the right direction towards the end of the season and will carry that momentum into the new season.”

Progressive AFT will kick off the 2022 season with the Mission Volusia Half-Mile I & II doubleheader during Daytona Bike Week on Thursday, March 10 and Friday, March 11 at Volusia Speedway Park. Be sure to look for the #67 on track and cheer Davis on.

Special thanks to BMC Racing, Oregon’s Best Wine, Mission Foods, Elkhart Indian Motorcycle, Wall 60, Celorie Bros. Trucking, Allied Motors, and Arai Helmets.

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT FEBRUARY 16, 2022
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING CAMARO ZL1; and TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING CAMARO ZL1 – Daytona 500 Media Availability Transcript:  BEFORE WE BEGIN, AUSTIN, WE KNOW YOU HAVE TEAMED UP WITH GM AND MARCUS BY GOLDMAN SACHS TO LAUNCH THE ALL-NEW GM MY REWARDS CARD.  CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT?
“Really pumped to be working with Marcus by Goldman Sachs and the GM My Rewards Card and I am a big Chevrolet fan and GM in general and to be able to be partnered with them this year is very cool and I am excited to push the card.”
AUSTIN, IT’S BEEN TWO YEARS AND CHANGE SINCE YOU WERE ONE OF THE FIRST DRIVERS TO TAKE THE NEXT GEN CAR ON TRACK AT RICHMOND. TWO YEARS AND CHANGE LATER, HOW FAR HAS THIS CAR COME FROM WHAT YOU EXPERIENCED AND WHAT IS YOUR OVERALL SENSE OF WHAT IT CAN DO AS A CAR AT THIS POINT?
“Well, I think since two years ago the car has really developed to something that you guys have been seeing this weekend. I think it’s a good piece and we are still developing it as we go. These guys in the garage are so good at what they do as far as the engineers and the mechanics, it’s hard to build things and take it to the track like we have been able to and not find big things wrong, and I feel like we are finding little things and making those better each and every week.  NASCAR has done a good job of working with the teams and I feel like the ability that this car has that the old car didn’t are a lot different. I can turn in a circle a lot faster I feel like.  (It has) the ability to take away the wheel hop and the things an independent rear suspension can do that we couldn’t get away with in the old car. It’s got a lot more ability than the old car.”
TYLER, I AM DOING A FEATURE ON THE RACE AT COTA AND YOU FINISHED EIGHTH IN THE COLD AND THE RAIN. HOW CRAZY WAS IT TO GET THROUGH THAT RACE AND DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU WERE LUCKY OR GRATEFUL TO SURVIVE IT?
“Yeah, there were some pretty wild moments in that race certainly. For me it kind of falls in line with a number of races we had last year where we were kind of defeating ourselves.  In that particular race multiple times getting to the top ten and making mistakes, spinning out and going back to the mid-20s and then do it all over again. That was just one of those type of days. But certainly some of the chaos that was developing between turn 11 and turn 12 on that long back straightaway was some of the scariest stuff I have ever done in my life. I remember being wide open and seeing a car crash, stop and getting out and before I realized what had happened, I had already passed him. And I was like, ‘he was getting out of his race car’. And I am wide open and I can’t even see where I am going. So, it was a bit chaotic.  We were in control of our cars for the most part, but the big issue was just seeing where we were going. Mostly with how the air came out from under the Gen 6 car, but hopefully with the diffuser on this car it’s a lot better, but we don’t know yet.”
TYLER, ANY LEFTOVER CONCERNS FROM THE CLASH? DO YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE CAR GOING INTO THIS WEEK?
“Yeah, it’s definitely something that when we get to bigger tracks, like speedways, where we run on harder tires. Just that alone is enough to really kind of ward off some of the concerns that were from the Clash. But NASCAR did a really good job right away from taking information from my car, (Chase) Briscoe’s car, and some of the other cars that had issues and going to work right away and kind of recreating the loads and situations in general. And then coming up with an updated part to beef it up a little bit. It seems like they were able to make it a lot better, so I was really happy to see how quick they were in getting something out there and getting something back to the teams. Us, I saw a cars and teams putting in the pieces here at the track before we got underway for practice. They did a really good job of tackling that issue and having it what they think is resolved and hopefully it is.”
WAS THERE ANY CONVERSATION BETWEEN YOU GUYS IN THE CAR SHORTAGE AND HOW YOU WANTED TO HANDLE PUTTING YOURSELVES IN PRECARIOUS SITUATIONS AND HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION ON HOW YOU ARE GOING TO APPROACH THE DUELS?
TYLER “Yeah, we have, right? (laughs)”
AUSTIN “We have had some pretty extensive conversations between our teams and for myself and Tyler, we were talking last night. It’s very hard because you want to pick and approach and attack that approach, but for the situation we are in, what is right? You know what I mean? So when it comes to when the green flag drops, it’s a feel thing, but you are still going to have this mentality built into your head that, ‘okay, you really would like to get this car to the 500’. Because if you don’t, it definitely sets you back for the next three races after this and going to the west coast.  I think it will be interesting to see how the Duels play out because I think there are definitely some guys that are going to go for it and there are some that aren’t. Then there are going to be some guys in the middle, and does the middle get you in trouble. It’s one of those things and our goal is to take these cars to the 500 and try and get there.”
AUSTIN, RCR HAS MADE SOME GREAT PERFORMANCE PROGRESS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. AS MUCH AS YOU LIKE THE NEW CAR, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE CAR BEING RE-SET?
“Well, I think it’s good. I think change is good and everyone is on the same playing field right now and we are learning as fast as we can. I like the situation that RCR is in as a whole and truthfully, I think Tyler and I work really well together, and our teammate growth is growing. I think that is a great position to be in. He drives a certain way and I drive a certain way and we can kind of build off of that to elevate our team fast. So, I think it’s been, since I have been here, in the best position RCR has been in from our standpoint.”
AUSTIN, YOU AS MUCH AS ANYONE HAS EXPERIENCED THE HIGHS AND THE LOWS OF THE DAYTONA 500.  WITH THAT SAID, WHAT HAS YOUR MINDSET COMING INTO THE RACE THIS WEEK?
“I try to take advantage of every Daytona 500 that you get to drive in. I have approached them a couple of different ways throughout my career and kind of feel like I have found a happy place that I feel after practice, qualifying, and going into the Duels, that if I have this car, then the ability is this and I know what my approach is going to be in the race. Obviously, there are a lot of things that happen during that timeframe, but I just try to control what I can control going into it. Then hopefully that leads to a solid finish and like you said we have had some solid ones and had some wild ones too. Its Daytona man, you just have to kind of live in it this week and take it all in because there is a different atmosphere when you get here for the 500.” AUSTIN, WHY ARE YOU PART OF THE DRIVER’S ADVISORY COUNCIL?
“Well, I think Jeff Burton kind of reached out to me and felt that they could use me on the board, and I felt like I would be doing a disservice if I didn’t. I feel like the driver’s opinion is very important in this sport and trying to establish a relationship with NASCAR and the owners and connect it altogether. You know what I mean?  You have seen what the owners have been able to do with the RTA and seeing other players associations around the different leagues, I think it could build into something great that all the drivers that put their lives on the line each and every weekend, that their voices should be heard as much as anyone’s. I think Jeff is the perfect person for that I feel. And he has built a good board around that in trying to get the drivers together as much as we can. There are small things that we have opinions on, and they don’t get expressed because we are all doing our own things throughout the week. I think that Jeff Burton is a great person for that, and he has already proven it with his ability to talk with TV, with NASCAR, and having a great relationship with a lot of people. He comes across well and I think it is a good start for the driver advisory board.” 
TYLER, BASED OFF OF BEING ABLE TO DO THE TEST, DOES THAT FACTOR IN TO WHAT YOU MIGHT DO IN THE DUELS?  OR IS THAT LIKE IT WAS A MONTH AGO AND YOU HAVE TO LEARN AS YOU GO?
“Well, unfortunately I didn’t get to do any drafting while we were here. So, it’s really kind of opposite and I really want to learn what the car is capable of. I had Randall (Burnett, Crew Chief) all pissed off last night because I was dragging the brake and laying back into (Kevin) Harvick so he could push me around the racetrack. So, I am already being a little bit more aggressive than I should be, but what’s new. But kind of the same as Austin, we really want to get this car into the 500.  I would really like to get this car through the whole 500 and maybe just replace a body panel or two and then go race on the west coast.  So, it’s a weird spot to be in for our biggest race of the year but I am trying to navigate it as smart as possible.”
AUSTIN, GOING BACK TO THE DRIVER’S COUNCIL, DO YOU FEEL YOU ALSO BRING A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE YOU ARE ONE OF THE THIRD GENERATION DRIVERS IN THE SPORT AND YOU HAVE SEEN IT FROM EVERY SIDE?
“Yeah, I think so. I think that is why Jeff talked to me from racing different, multiple ways around time. I have been around him when he was a teammate at RCR when I was in the Truck and Xfinity Series. I think he sees my perspective from driver, owner, and just being around the sport since I was a kid. So, hopefully I bring just and unbiased opinion to the group and hopefully try to bring some information to them that as drivers sometimes we don’t always see.”
AUSTIN, HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THE MULTIPLE SATELLITE TEAMS ON YOUR CAMPUS? DO YOU SEE THEM AS HELPING, OR CUSTOMERS, AND HOW DO THEY EFFECT RCR AS A WHOLE?
“Well, I think there are multiple ways to look at it.  From a driving standpoint, I think that we get to bring in more minds to think about this new car.  With Kaulig Racing and Petty GMS, I think it does elevate us as a whole. We are just bigger and better together, I think.  I think that is the approach we have to take, especially with the new car and trying to learn as much as we can, as fast as we can. But Chevrolet as a whole is doing a lot right now.  I think Chevrolet is where a lot of the focus should be, they are putting a huge campus together near Hendrick Motorsports and the ability to bring a lot of simulators in there and get us more time on the simulators. I know that Tyler and I are constantly fighting for time to get on the simulators and learn. And I feel like they are doing a really good job with that. That is an advantage where Chevrolet is taking the next step and I feel like in investing in our teams.”
NASCAR HAS PARTNERED WITH SEVERAL SPORTS BOOKS AND NOW THERE ARE ODDS AND SEVERAL THINGS BEING PLAYED OUT. AUSTIN YOU ARE 18 TO 1 ODDS AND TYLER YOU HAVE DROPPED FROM A 40 TO 1 TO 30 TO 1 ODDS TO WIN THE DAYTONA 500. HOW DO YOU GUYS LOOK AT THOSE AND HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT WHEN YOU HAVE FANS OUT THERE THAT ARE TAKING SOME OF THESE NEW SPORTS BETTING OPTIONS?
AUSTIN “I am not allowed to look at those odds. No, I mean if you see them its cool to see and you want to see that you are the favorite going into these races like some guys have been able to accomplish in their career. I feel like in other sports, I know how good Vegas is, so when your line gets lower, they must think pretty good of you.  And that is cool and all, but I do wonder how in NASCAR that there are more ways that betting should be used in NASCAR than other sports positions. I feel like there is only certain bets you can make in NASCAR, and I feel like Vegas needs to open that up to more competitive bets.”
TYLER “It is pretty cool.  You will see it on your Twitter feed. Like, ‘hey, I got my money on Tyler, or I got my money on Austin’. It is kind of fun to see pick you for certain things. I have been the underdog or the dark horse or whatever for that race. So, it is kind of cool to see it, but it doesn’t really change anything for me. I am already going into the race wanting to do everything I can anyways.  But it is fun to see fans engaging in it and taking part in it in a lot of different ways.”
YOU WILL HAVE SOME TEAMMATES POTENTIALLY THAT WILL BE TRYING TO GET INTO THE FIELD. ARE YOU MINDFUL OF THAT WITH SOME OF THE ECR ENGINES THAT ARE OUT THERE AND DO YOU GUYS TRY TO GET THOSE GUYS INTO THE FIELD FOR SUNDAY?
TYLER “Absolutely, but like what we were just talking about, at what cost to ourselves. That is where it gets challenging. We’d love for every car that has an ECR engine under the hood to make it, but again, it becomes a very difficult situation. Do we want to risk tearing our car up in going back there and helping or they may not be battling at the back, they may be one of the cars up near the front. So, it’s just a risk reward situation, but anything we can do to get more of our engines in the field is going to be a great thing for us. But again, helping get someone in and wrecking one of our own cars does us no good. So, just got to manage it.”
AUSTIN “I would say one of the best positions to be in is one of those guys trying to make it in for the Duel. They have the best Duel position as far as aggression goes. Because they have one speed. So they have less to think about than us, but it’s still not great, and I like that we are locked in. But as far as just the Duel, their mind is already set as far as what they have got to do.”                                                 

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT FEBRUARY 16, 2022

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CAMARO ZL1, Daytona 500 Media Availability Transcript:  WINNING THE POLE AT DAYTONA IS SORT OF A HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS TRADITION AND EVEN MORE SO FOR CHEVROLET, WHICH I THINK GOES BACK TO 2013 AND DANICA PATRICK’S POLE. IT LOOKED LIKE YOU GUYS HAD REALLY GOOD SINGLE-CAR SPEED YESTERDAY, AS WELL. IS THAT A REALLY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF YOUR TRIP TO DAYTONA – THE EMPHASIS ON THE POLE? “I would much rather win on Sunday, personally. I think anybody on our team would tell you the same. I feel like we’ve always had fast cars down here. Speedway racing has never been overlooked at HMS; and Alan (Gustafson, Crew Chief) does a really good job of massaging and really paying attention to all the details that I feel like it takes to be good here. I feel like that’s shown over the course of my time with him and even going back before me. There’s been a lot of success there. I do think it’s an area where they put a lot of emphasis and put a lot of work into the cars, but we all want to win on Sunday more than anything.”
TOMORROW NIGHT IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST REAL, HIGH-SPEED COMPETITION FOR THIS CAR. HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT IT IN THAT CONTEXT AND WHAT DO YOU EXPECT THAT WE HAVEN’T SEEN YET, IF ANYTHING? “Yeah to me, that’s probably the question that hasn’t really been answered and until we get into that environment, it probably won’t be. The little bit of drafting that has gone on, there’s just not really been enough – at least of what I’ve been a part of – there hasn’t been enough cars to really create the energy, the things that are real and that you’re going to see on Sunday. I have even often – in my experience – have noticed that in the Duels, there’s really not enough cars in that event and enough sense of urgency in the runs that happen on Thursday night as they do on Sunday. Until we get in that environment, it’s really honestly hard to say.”
I ASKED SOMEBODY EARLIER IF THE NEW CAR – I DON’T WANT TO SAY LEVEL THE FIELD – BUT MAYBE BRINGS THE GAP CLOSER TOGETHER. OR DO YOU SEE THAT IT’S STILL THE GOOD TEAMS ARE STILL GOING TO BE THE GOOD TEAMS AND WILL ALWAYS HAVE AN EDGE.“That’s my opinion. I think that’s going to be tough to ever debunk that, in my opinion. Hopefully it opens the opportunity for people to come in and get up to speed a little quicker. But I definitely think that the teams that have the experience and have the resources to study, R&D and do all the things that you need to do are likely going to have the edge.”
YOU WON THE RACE AT COTA LAST YEAR. HOW GRATEFUL WERE YOU THAT IT WAS OVER AND YOU HAD WON? JUST TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU HAD TO DO TO SURVIVE THAT RACE. “Yeah, that was a crazy race. Definitely the hardest rain that I’ve ever raced in. I actually thought it was kind of fun. You couldn’t see much. That back straightaway, it was pretty crazy how little you could see. But I thought it was good. It was different. Why not? I enjoyed it.”
“Obviously, we got fortunate with them calling the race early. We were in a situation where we probably weren’t going to make it on fuel. We had plenty enough pace, I feel like, to compete with those guys. But just the way our strategy worked out; we were probably going to be in trouble. So, kind of just took a gamble at staying out as long as we could. Fortunately, it went in our favor. I can’t complain.”
ANY CLOSE CALLS? ONE OF THE DRIVERS THAT WERE IN HERE EARLIER SAID HE BLEW BY A GUY THAT WAS LITERALLY GETTING OUT OF HIS CAR. HE HAD WRECKED AND NEVER EVEN SAW HIM. DID YOU HAVE ANY SCENARIOS WHERE YOU FLASHED BY SOMETHING AND DIDN’T SEE IT? “That’s scary. Fortunately, I didn’t have one like that.”
A LOT OF TIMES, QUALIFYING ISN’T A BIG DEAL HERE. WE WERE TALKING TO CHRISTOPHER BELL AND HE SAID A LOT OF THE TIMES, IT DOESN’T MEAN A WHOLE LOT, BUT TEAMS LIKE HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS PUT A LOT OF ATTENTION INTO QUALIFYING. YOU’VE DONE REALLY WELL AT QUALIFYING HERE. WITH THE NEW CAR, IS THERE THE SAME AMOUNT OF ATTENTION ON QUALIFYING? HOW DO YOU LOOK AT QUALIFYING? HOW WILL IT BE DIFFERENT WITH THE NEW CAR?“I don’t think qualifying will likely be a ton different. And it probably doesn’t matter any more this week than it does typically. I don’t think you have to qualify well to be really good on Sunday or even to have a shot to win. But like I said earlier, HMS has always done a really nice job on putting emphasis on qualifying.”
“I think it’s easy to kind of overlook the speedways, just because there’s so few of them. I think across the garage, that probably does happen some amongst some of the other teams. But I think for us, it’s been a great opportunity to give our sponsors some great exposure and to me, that’s probably the biggest piece of value of qualifying well here. For NAPA, they’ve had the chance twice now to be on the front page of the paper down here and kind of be the headline leading into the Daytona 500, which I think has value and I don’t see how they couldn’t see that as value, too. So our team does a good job of putting themselves in a position where our partners can take advantage of the start of our year.”
DO YOU FEEL LIKE WITH THIS BEING A NEW CAR AND EVERYBODY SO FOCUSED ON THE ATTENTION THAT TAKES, THE PARTS, ETC. – SAME AMOUNT OF ENERY AND EMPHASIS ON QUALIFYING HERE FOR YOU GUYS AT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS?“Yeah, I feel like a lot of emphasis has been put into our speedway cars for this race and we want to race the car that we unloaded with on Sunday, too. We’re excited and prepared. I feel like we’ve put as much effort and energy into it as we always have.”
WE’VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT DRIVERS LOOKING OUTSIDE THEIR COMFORT ZONE. WHAT MIGHT BE NEXT ON YOUR ‘WISH LIST’?“Yeah, I enjoyed all the stuff I did over the winter. I enjoyed the rally cross thing. I enjoyed the Chili Bowl. I know it didn’t go well, but enjoyed the Chili Bowl. I feel like I made gains on that stuff through the winter, which I was excited about. I don’t know what I’m going to do this year just yet. We’ll see how it kind of unfolds, but I don’t really have anything locked down right now to go and run. Just currently focused on this deal – wanting to get into a good place here and try to have a really strong season. We’ll see – I’m certainly not ruling anything out. If something comes along that I like and feel like is a good opportunity, I’ll likely take it.”
JEFF GORDON HAD SOME QUOTES THIS WEEK ABOUT PUSHING YOU TO GET OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?“I think Jeff (Gordon) wants us to broaden our horizons. And, like I said a second ago about getting sponsors exposure and things, I think that’s really the root of what he was probably getting at. And he wants us to grow – grow not only ourselves individually, but our sport as a whole. If the drivers are growing their following, then likely the sport is benefiting from it too. I think he’s just trying to help everybody win. At the end of the day, if we’re all gaining a following or popularity in a different area that we typically wouldn’t be in, you’re likely going to benefit. And likely, we’re all going to benefit.”
DO YOU HAVE A COMFORT ZONE? DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S OUTSIDE OF IT? “Yeah, I mean we all have a comfort zone, for sure. I think for me, I don’t mind stepping outside my comfort zone. Where I sometimes struggle with wanting to go do things is I want to feel like those people want me there too. You want to feel like somebody cares about having you as a part of their show or whatever it may be; not just to check a box for them. When I feel appreciated and respect, I’m all in and I’ll go as far outside of my comfort zone as they want to get.”
WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT THE DUELS AS A PLACEMENT RACE OF THE DAYTONA 500 AND WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT PROTECTING THAT CAR BECAUSE YOU CAN’T WRECK YOUR CAR IN THE DUELS. BUT THE FANS ALSO WANT TO SEE A RACE. HAS THERE BEEN A LOT OF TALK AMONG THE DRIVERS ON HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF, BUT ALSO GIVE THE FANS A RACE? “Yeah, well that is the race. That’s part of racing somedays and you either like that or you don’t. I hate to be that way; but at the end of the day, we’re going to do what we feel like is going to give us the best shot to win at the end of the day on Sunday. What that looks like sometimes might not be what people want to see all the time. But that’s just the way it unfolds. Would I love to mix it up for 500 miles? Absolutely I would love to put on the most exciting thing ever for four hours. But I also want to win; I want to win worse than I want to just make sure it’s super entertaining. That keeps integrity in our sport and as long as we have integrity in what we do and we all want to win, then I think the fans and the people are going to appreciate it. I think that’s an important piece; just keeping the integrity in what we have going on and making sure everybody still wants to win and make all of those right decisions to put themselves in the right position to do that.”
THE LAST TIME A HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS DRIVER MADE IT TO VICTORY LANE DURING THE DAYTONA 500 WAS DALE EARNHARDT JR. BACK IN 2014. YOU GUYS HAVE WON EVERY SINGLE POLE SINCE THEN, EXCEPT FOR 2020. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YU GUYS ARE FOCUSING TOO MUCH ON QUALIFYING DAY AND NOT SO MUCH ON RACE DAY? HOW DO YOU GUYS GO ABOUT TRYING TO FIX THAT FOR THIS YEAR’S DAYTONA 500? “No – I don’t think we’ve put too much emphasis on that. Qualifying day is really just kind of a testament of how much speed your car has. I would rather have that than not. I feel like we have – on more than one occasion down here – I’ve probably crashed one of the fastest cars during the Daytona 500 and I was driving it. I think we’ve had plenty of opportunities, we just have to be smart about our decisions and do better jobs behind the wheel.”
BEFORE THIS EVENT TWO YEARS, THERE WASN’T A DIRT RACE ON THE SCHEDULE. THERE WEREN’T SOME OF THE ROAD COURSES ON THE SCHEDULE. WE’VE SEEN CHANGES TO THE SCHEDULE, THE CAR AND THINGS LIKE THAT. CAN YOU GIVE ME A SENSE FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE HOW MUCH YOU’VE SEEN THE SPORT EVOLVE JUST IN THE LAST TWO YEARS? BUT ALSO WITH ALL THESE BIG CHANGES, HOW MUCH MORE CAN THINGS HANDLE? IS IT GOOD TO STILL CONTINUE TO BE AGGRESSIVE OR WHERE IS THAT LINE FROM WHAT YOU’VE EXPERIENCED?“Yeah, that’s tough. I don’t make those decisions, so I don’t have to worry about it too much. I’ve been supportive of the leadership group at NASCAR here currently. I feel like they’ve changed more in the past two or three years than they’ve changed in the prior 25 the way it feels; just kind of looking back at history. But I don’t know where that line is. We have a sold out crowd on Sunday for the Daytona 500 and this place is expected to be packed in the infield and out there. So, I guess they’re doing it right. It seemed like everyone liked the Clash, which was definitely outside the norm. It seems fine to me from my end, but it’s hard to know where that line is. I’m not sure. That’s a great question.”
WHEN IT COMES TO SPONSORS AND STUFF, HAS THERE BEEN ANYTHING IN THE LAST FEW YEARS IN YOUR CUP CAREER WHERE A SPONSOR CAME TO YOU WITH AN IDEA FOR HOW TO UTILIZE YOU THAT MAYBE YOU SAID ‘NO’ TO BECAUSE IT CLASHED WITH YOUR PERSONALITY OR WHAT YOU WANT. ARE THERE ANY BOXES YOU CHECK OFF BEFORE YOU SAY ‘YES’ TO SOMETHING?“Yeah, I’m sure there have been things I’ve said ‘no’ to at some point. But it doesn’t just mean it doesn’t happen; there might just be a little different way of getting there or achieving what the partner wanted. I feel like we typically try to make it work. If they have an idea of something that’s going to give you some exposure or whatever it may be, I feel like nine times out of ten, I find a way to make that happen. I don’t know how to answer that, but we pretty much do what we can to please our partners. And also too, it is sometimes super useful on our end too. When a partner activates with you, it’s not just them that’s benefiting. If you’re being activated on a national level, you’re benefiting too just by being there. It goes both ways. Also, I’m appreciative of the opportunities that I’ve had – to get on that stage and be able to do that; and that’s all because of a partner likely.”
WE’VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT MERCHANDISING AND MARKETING TODAY. DO YOU HAVE ANY MEMORIES AS A CHILD, OR HAVE YOU DISCUSSED WITH YOUR DAD, HOW DIFFERENT A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A NASCAR DRIVER IS NOW COMPARED TO HIS DAYS OF MORE HANDS-ON IN THE SHOP?“Yeah, a little bit. His days of racing in the 80’s was much different than his days of racing were in the early-2000’s. 2002 was 20 years ago, right? So, that’s still a long time ago, if you think about it. And at that point, I feel like the model of how things work is really similar from jobs being more individualized at the shop. Guys starting to be hired to do specific things and then the drivers being hired to do their specific things too; as it pertains to driving, taking care of partners and making sure we’re doing the things we need to be doing. I feel like the model has been pretty similar for a number of years now. I think people will think about the heyday; what they think is the heyday. And yeah, it was different in the 80’s and 90’s. But I feel like when we got to the early to mid-2000’s, I feel like we were well on the path to what we have now and not far from it.”                                                                

Maidstone, Kent, UK — Geoff Stilwell, owner/driver of the record-holding 7707 Land Speed Racecar announced two awards garnered at the recent Grand National Roadster Show.
 
“It has been a tough couple of years for land speed racing,” said Geoff, CEO and MD of Beech Underwriting Agencies, “we were only able to attend one event last year at El Mirage where we successfully made licensing passes. It was therefore great fun to get the car out and be a part of the Mick’s Paint display at this year’s Grand National Roadster Show held in Pomona, California.
 
“Showing is not like racing, the winner is subjective, nevertheless, we managed to get first place in the Unlimited class and received the award for Outstanding Engineering. The latter accolade is a huge testament to the crew at Mick’s who built and maintain the car including engine builder John Beck, Donny Cummins, Steve Davies, Mickey Larson, Pauly Rivera, Robin ‘Silky’ Silk, Tony Thacker and team leader Mick Jenkins. 
 
7707 is also supported by our UK crew Nick Davies, Rob Loaring and Scott Barnes of ICE Automotive, Ron Hope’s Rat Trap Racing and CARS Recon Inc., and Mick’s Paint the builder/painter of the car.
 
“Our current plans are to attend the May 14-15 event at El Mirage in preparation for the August 6-12 Bonneville Speed Week.” Concluded Geoff.

About 7707
Based on a highly modified 1927 Ford Roadster, 7707 is a purpose-built land speed racer that currently holds the A/Blown Fuel Rear-engine Modified Roadster record at 258.569 mph. 7707 was built entirely at Mick’s Paint, Pomona, CA, and features a 496 ci Brad Anderson-based engine built by John Beck of Vintage Hot Rod Design & Fabrication, Chico, CA. The 5,000 hp engine features Bill Miller pistons and rods, a Blower Shop 14-71 supercharger and Enderle injector with MSD ignition and Racepak data acquisition. The transmission is a B&J 2-speed and the rear end a Winters quick-change.

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT FEBRUARY 16, 2022

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 PETTY GMS MOTORSPORTS CAMARO ZL1, Daytona 500 Media Availability Transcript:  AFTER WHAT HAPPENED AT THE CLASH, HAS RYAN BLANEY REACHED OUT TO YOU?“No, he hasn’t reached out to me. So I guess it’s resolved. I don’t know… if I had a problem with someone I would talk to them. So I guess it’s over.”
WHAT WAS IT LIKE LAST YEAR NOT HAVING A TEAMMATE AND HOW HAS THAT CHANGED THIS YEAR?“It’s good. Last year was a totally different year for me, going from a four-car team to a single-car team; plus with a new organization, a new manufacturer and everything. We kind of worked through that and learned every side of it. Working through the year on our own was a good experience. I felt like we learned a lot. We had some good runs, but we just didn’t have the consistency. We went to Las Vegas early in the year and ran ninth or 10th; then we went back to Vegas later in the year and ran 20th or whatever. We just struggled with that consistency and keeping things where they needed to be.”
“GMS coming on board is going to be good for us. So far it’s been good; merging with them. Ty (Dillon) coming on board on that side, it’s nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of. For me, it’s nice in some ways being a single-car team. You can kind of do what you want and lead your own direction, but there’s no one there to have a stop-check for you. You can go down the wrong path pretty easily. Having someone there, especially with a new car, to try different stuff and see what works and what doesn’t work – and maybe you can go in a different direction – is pretty helpful. Hopefully it pays off.”
LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD TO PHOENIX WITH THE NEXT GEN CAR, SOME DRIVERS SAID THE CAR IS MORE NIMBLE AND MORE SHORT-TRACK FRIENDLY. DO YOU SEE THAT, AND WILL IT CHANGE THE RACE AT PHOENIX?“I see it, for sure. I look at the Coliseum specifically – and obviously that is the shortest of short tracks we’ve been to – and I think about what the old car would have been like there. I don’t think the race would have been nearly as entertaining as what it was. Number one, it wouldn’t have raced very well in general around that track. Number two, the durability and body and stuff, it wouldn’t have held up nearly as well through that track. I think the short-track stuff is going to change a lot. You’re going to be able to push the car way harder. Drivers are going to be able to drive a lot harder and get there around a lot quicker. I watched the Phoenix test – I didn’t get out there to run it but watched it from afar – and I was encouraged. I think it’s fun. I enjoyed the way the car drove the way at the Coliseum. If it drives anything at Phoenix like it did there, it’s going to be a fun race.”
YOU AND TY HAD GOOD RUNS AT L.A. IS THAT A RESULT OF A LITTLE MORE FREEDOM WITH A NEW OWNERSHIP GROUP, AND ARE YOU ABLE TO APPROACH THINGS A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVELY?“I don’t think so. There was nothing last year that was holding me back or saying I couldn’t be aggressive. I think it was the nature of the track – the quarter-mile Coliseum and the way the track was laid out. Tempers were high, guys were getting frustrated and things were happening quick. It reminded me a lot of growing up racing. I did a lot of Super Late Model racing growing up, and a lot of those were quarter-miles or three-eighths miles. The racing we saw at the Clash at the Coliseum, I immediately thought of all those nights of that racing… jack handles flying after the race and angry people. That’s what I thought of. I thought it was great. When I think of short-track racing, that’s what I think of and that’s how I remember it growing up. I think that’s kind of what it was.”
HOW DO YOU ANTICIPATING THE DUELS BEING? YOU’RE BALANCING KEEPING THE CAR IN ONE PIECE BUT GETTING A GOOD STARTING SPOT. DO YOU EXPECT THINGS TO BE A LITTLE MORE CHILL THAN PAST YEARS?“I hope so. I feel like we’re in a spot where we need to race this car in the 500. I think most people are in that spot, but I think we’re a little more than some with the parts and pieces and the cars we have lined up going forward from here onto Fontana and on from there. We’ll have to race a little bit in the (Duels). From what we’ve talked about, we’re not too concerned where we start in the 500. You can race your way to the front in the 500 if you need to, especially with seeing how these cars draft, the way you can move through the field and things you can do to pick up a lot of speed. I honestly don’t know totally what my approach is going to be yet. It’s going to depend on where we start and where we qualify. There are some pretty fast guys in single-car runs that are going to have a shot for the pole. I don’t know if we’re quite in that mix. We’ll see where we stack up. I think we’re going to be timid for sure.”
YOU’VE RACED WITH TY A LOT OVER THE YEARS AS A COMPETITOR. AS A TEAMMATE, WHAT’S THAT RELATIONSHIP LIKE?“I didn’t really know Ty. I knew Ty as a competitor but I never talked to him too much or worked with him obviously on the competition side of things. We came up at a similar time and raced together a lot. We just never worked together. I’m kind of learning him right now… going into the simulator and seeing what his driving style is like and him going in and vice-versa. That’s a big thing as teammates – seeing what each guy needs out of the car, respectful of each other and working through that. That helps too with feedback and the comments on the racecar of what you’re looking for. If the driving styles are a bit different, guys are going to want different stuff. So that helps working through the competition side of things. That’s a big thing now that I’m trying to learn. I’ve been talking with him a lot about what he’s looking for in his racecar and how he’s looking to approach the year.”
DOES HAVING PARTNERSHIPS WITH TEAMS ON THE RCR CAMPUS GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT TEAMS RATHER THAN BEING OUT ON ISLAND?“It does. This year, we’ve actually moved off campus. We’re in the GMS shop now but we still have our alliance with RCR. That communication always helps, right? We just don’t have the engineering power that a team like that does. We don’t have the people working consistently on one piece of the car at a time to try and develop it to make it better. That’s where the alliance with RCR is just huge for us. It’s important. I don’t think without it that we could do nearly the things we could do so far with the racecar and learn about the Next Gen car as much as we have. We have great people at GMS. Dave (Elenz) our new crew chief and Danny (Efland) our engineer do a really good job, but they still need the information to put the pieces together. Having that to go back on and look at is pretty big for us.”
WERE YOU SURPRISED THAT RYAN BLANEY GOT TICKED OFF ENOUGH TO THROW HIS HANS DEVICE AT YOU?“I don’t know. The way I look at it, if I’m racing somebody and I brake-checked them then I guess I’d expect to get wrecked. It’s not like I meant to take the guy out of the race. I didn’t just intentionally right-rear him into the wall. Moving up the track, he got into the wall and broke a piece unfortunately that took him further out of the race. He was probably upset about that, for sure. He was having a solid run and we were moving forward together. I wasn’t shocked to see it at all. I knew he’d probably be mad about it. I was just kind of waiting on it.”
YOU’VE GONE FROM HAVING MULTIPLE TEAMMATES TO NO TEAMMATES AND NOW TO ONE TEAMMATE. HOW DOES THAT ROUTINE PREPARING FOR A RACE CHANGE?“It changes it. Last year, we kind of had our own program. It was just us so I’d go into the shop Mondays or Tuesdays and meet with the guys, then go up and run the simulator and go through our week-long preparation with what we were looking for on the racecar. We’d run through our setup and run through some changes and figure it out. It’s changed a bit now. Ty and I both have to split the sim time and get on there to run different packages and different stuff. It’s like I said earlier about learning each other’s styles and what we want from the racecar. Eventually it would be great to get to the points where we could run setups for each other and know either he’s going to like that or he’s not going to like that change. That’s the goal to get to. It’s nice having two people working out what we need from a racecar. Every driver wants something different, right? Even something that I don’t think I need in a racecar that Ty is calling for could probably help me at the end of the day. That’s the nice part about it. You can work through a lot of different stuff and probably end up with a stronger racecar than you would have with one person working on it or developing it while asking for changes. I’m excited about it. Ty’s a good driver. He’s shown that and he’s worked through a lot of different organizations through his career. I think this is one of the better opportunities he’s had at the Cup level.”
WHAT’S BEEN THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE RCR DRIVERS AND THE ENGINES YOU HAVE WITH THIS ALLIANCE?“We’ve talked about and what our plan is for the 500… not so much the Duels or just practice. I think you’ll see us probably trying to work together in the 500. It’s always tough. I’ve done it with two different manufacturers trying to work together in the race and what you do there and what the plan is. It’s hard. It’s never easy to actually work together once you get in the heat of the battle, trying to stay connected and stay with each other and work your way to the front. If it does work, then it works great. I’ve seen it work great and been part of it working great. It’s just hard to get everyone together. We have talked about it and what we want to do for the 500.”
HAVE YOU TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE OPEN TEAMS IN THE RCR ALLIANCE AND HELPING THEM MAKE THEIR WAY INTO THE 500 ON THURSDAY NIGHT?“We haven’t specifically talked about that in our group. For us, we’re just really focusing on racing this car in the 500. Unfortunately we’re in a spot where we cannot wreck this car before the 500. We have to get it into the race and start it. As much as it would be nice to help those guys out and get some more help in the 500 from those guys – because obviously they would be on our side – I don’t think we’re going to be able to do much for them.”
WITH ALL THAT SAID FOR THE DUELS, DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO RIDE IN THE BACK? WHERE’S THE LINE BETWEEN BEING SAFE BUT PICKING UP AND LEARNING THINGS FOR SUNDAY?“It’s a fine balance. From what we’ve talked about, you obviously have to race in the Duels a bit. You like to learn, like you said. We just haven’t been in a big enough pack even at the test to know what these cars are going to do and how they’re going to drive in the draft. There is going to be some point where we have to race in the Duel, learn about the car and go from there. It’ll be an eyes-wide-open type of deal. If anything gets really dicey or out of hand, we’re going to have to be extra cautious. I don’t think us riding around by ourselves is going to be an option just because we do have to learn a little bit. But we definitely are going to err on the heavy side of caution.”
YOU HAVE SOMETHING LIKE HALF THE FIELD IN CHEVROLETS THAT YOU COULD WORK WITH. HOW DOES THAT AFFECT YOU AS A DRIVER KNOWING THAT YOU HAVE MORE POSSIBILITIES WHEN IT COMES TO LATE IN THE RACE?“When it was only a few cars, we’d always complain that we didn’t have enough people. That was always the issue of pitting by ourselves or doing that kind of thing where we don’t have enough cars and we couldn’t maintain the speed we need to. Now over here it’s almost the opposite issue. You’ve got so many cars, how is everyone going to work together? It’s just not possible. It’s a struggle either way. You have to find the right balance and settle in with the group you’re going to really work with and what you’re going to do to make that work. There’s just no way you can have that many cars working together. You have to keep your eyes open. If there’s a time where you can help a guy out that’s with your manufacturer, you kind of have to do that depending on the point in the race. It just goes both ways. It’s funny when you’re on both sides of it that there is such a different mentality each way. You have to do what you can do help out.”
SEVERAL DRIVERS HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE LACK OF PARTS FOR THE CAR. IF THERE ARE A COUPLE THAT ARE WRECKED, CAN YOU SEE A TEAM LENDING PARTS OVER TO ANOTHER OPERATION TO HELP GET THEM PUT BACK TOGETHER?“Depending on what it is, yes. Some parts and pieces are harder to get than others right now. I’d say we have a good chunk of parts and pieces here to put a bit of a car back together. If we were to completely destroy a car, it’s not possible. We’d have to go back home, get a car and bring it back down, which would be very unfortunate. I could probably see that in an alliance situation depending on the part and piece. I don’t think the chassis is necessarily the struggle as much. It’s the parts and pieces to put it together. Depending on what it is, you could probably see that happen.”