JANUARY 18, 2022 ED CARPENTER RACING DRIVERS ED CARPENTER, RINUS VEEKAY AND CONOR DALY met with members of the media during 2022 NTT INDYCAR Series Media Content Days. Full transcripts: ED CARPENTER, ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET:THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Ed Carpenter. Welcome back. Another year. You got a busy plate of drivers, races, goals are probably still the same. Rinus VeeKay. You signed Conor Daly. You’re in a driver suit still yourself.ED CARPENTER: Still got it on somehow (smiling).
THE MODERATOR: What are your thoughts coming into this one?ED CARPENTER: I’m excited. It’s nice to have some continuity, expand the continuity a little bit. For me obviously still chasing Indianapolis and as many other races and wins as I can compete in.With Rinus, looking forward to year three. He had a lot of success over his first two seasons, had a breakthrough win last year. Also had some inconsistency last year which you can see at times in year two.I think he’s entering the phase of his career where he’s starting to mature as a driver and also a person, becoming more independent. At the end of the day he’s still a kid, he’s so young. So I think you’re just going to see him come into his own skin and talent even more so this year.I know Conor, having worked with him, I think he’ll benefit from being able to focus a little better on one team, one home, not bouncing around, looking for his next opportunity. Looking forward to that continuity.The two of them did work well together over the past two years. Having a good understanding of each other to be able to carry that forward I think will be a good thing for the team.
THE MODERATOR: You’ll run two cars at all the races except Indianapolis?ED CARPENTER: That’s what we’re confirmed for today. That could change.
THE MODERATOR: Is it difficult to say or you’re really pursuing yourself in some oval races?ED CARPENTER: No, we’re definitely working towards me doing some more, but just not to a point we’re going to lock it in yet. I have a desire to race more. This opportunity came about that kind of steered us that direction as a team and business. When you get those, to me it was very similar to the process of me not running full-time in 2014.This is a great opportunity for our business with a new partner coming in to transition the 20 car to one full-time driver. I know I’ll be at Indy. Maybe you’ll see me at some or all of the other ovals.
THE MODERATOR: That means a different car number for you?ED CARPENTER: Yeah, I think so.
THE MODERATOR: Do we know?ED CARPENTER: There’s a couple candidates. We haven’t fully come to agreement yet, but…
THE MODERATOR: Questions.Q.Was the decision to make the 20 car full-time based purely on financials or were there other reasons behind it?ED CARPENTER: The 20’s been full-time. Moving it to one driver versus a split role I think is what you’re alluding to.Yeah, I mean, everything we do at some level is partnership related. We had the fortune to bring on BitNile as a partner. They were looking for one driver to go behind for the season. I’m definitely not going to go back to running road courses outside of an emergency sub situation if required.Definitely sponsor, business driven for sure.
Q.Obviously Rinus has already been discussed as a future champion, multiple race wins across a season. How do you feel about keeping hold of him in the long-term? If he has a good season, it’s great for the team, but means he’s more talked about as well.ED CARPENTER: Yeah, that’s natural. I think some years there’s more movement than others. Every team’s after talent, whether it’s behind the wheel or on the car, the engineering office. I don’t remember an off-season that’s gone by where I haven’t had to defend myself from within from someone wanting to get a driver, engineer, mechanic.It’s the nature of the beast, what we do. You can’t prevent it. You just have to try to provide an environment and opportunity from within that makes them want to stay with Ed Carpenter Racing.I know Rinus enjoys his environment right now. It’s our job to make sure we’re providing him with opportunity to meet his goals that he has personally and professionally, give him a place where he can accomplish those.We both want the same thing. If we have a successful year, I think we’ll be positioned well to carry on. If he feels like he needs something else, he’ll be able to pursue that when he can. The goal is for him to be with Ed Carpenter Racing for a long time.
Q.You mentioned a couple minutes ago putting Conor in a car with one team. He tweeted this was a multi-year deal. You said maybe the comfort that might bring him. What do you hope to see more of from Conor this year knowing he’s going to have a full season in the car, planning and scheming for what his future in 2023 is going to look like?ED CARPENTER: Yeah, I think we have a good feel for each other. Conor knows where we’ve struggled and what our emphasis has been as a team to improve. We’ve been working with him long enough that we know what his strengths are and areas for improvement on his end as well.For sure Conor, he’s fast, he’s been able to produce good qualifying results and have some good runs. I think the goal for him this season is to maintain that pace that he’s shown throughout the rest of a weekend. That’s not pointing the finger at him and saying he needs to do that, it’s a group effort. That will be the collective focus, to finish off weekends a little better than we were able to last year.
Q.You’ve seen INDYCAR on this upward swing, growth arc. We have 14 races on network TV, some added momentum in some other areas. What would you like to see the series do to continue on this upward swing and take advantage of some of these opportunities you have this year?ED CARPENTER: I think we need to do everything in our power, which I believe that everyone is, to make sure the product we’re putting out there with this opportunity that we have, with the growing number of network races, to be putting the right product out to market to continue the growth, not only cater to the great fans that we have but to draw in more fans and grow the base.At the end of the day that’s going to be the thing that continues to drive us forward. We have a great product, but it can always be better. That needs to be the goal.
Q.With regards to the upcoming year, you came close to getting a podium at Indianapolis. What would it mean to get back to the podium this season?ED CARPENTER: That’s the plan. Indy was a tough one last year. We had a great car. We were right where we wanted to be the first stint, had a pit lane stall for some reason. I thought I made a mistake, but there was a bit of an anomaly that caused that. Spent the rest of the 450 miles catching up just to get to the lead pack for the race to end.I still feel really good about the cars that we have for there. Just need to be able to get through with a clean execution the whole way, be in position for it.We just got back to the front too late last year.
Q.What impressed you about Rinus as a driver?ED CARPENTER: I mean, he’s just one of those rare guys that comes along that is an exceptionally talented, naturally gifted driving a car, maximizing the car. He never gives up. He’s pretty strong at all types of circuits that we go to, whether it’s short oval, speedway, road course, street course, he’s pretty versatile.He definitely has all the tools to develop into a champion. That’s the goal with him, is to get a championship.
THE MODERATOR: Rinus VeeKay had an injury last year mid-season after Indianapolis. Never really found his stride afterwards. Do you have some commonalities that help explain that?ED CARPENTER: That’s been a big topic of conversation internally and a lot of other people have asked that, as well.Certainly I think it was a setback in preparation training, et cetera. The other thing that I think factored in a little bit late in the year, he went to a couple venues that he hadn’t been to or raced at in the past with the way the previous season was. I think there’s a combination of factors that took place. In some instances we just didn’t do a good enough job executing through an event.At the end of the day it’s not something that’s making me lose sleep at night. I’m pretty confident that as a group we’ll get back on track.
THE MODERATOR: You talked about your problems early in the Indy 500 last year. The second half of the race was one of your best segments. Is that as good as it’s been except for the year maybe you finished second?ED CARPENTER: In its entirety, yeah. I think we had a really good car, we were fast, not quite good enough in traffic. Had we not had that issue, could have just been in the top five all day, I think it would have given us an opportunity to finish higher than what we did.Yeah, I think the team collectively, we had really good cars. Conor led the most laps, Rinus was up there leading as well. We had what we needed. We just didn’t put together a complete race with any of the three cars.
THE MODERATOR: Back to the Zoom for more questions.
Q.For 2023 there’s quite a radical difference coming both with the power unit, other parts of the car. How much time can you focus on the 2022 car when you’re also having to have people off to the side investigating all your possibilities for the ’23 machine?ED CARPENTER: I would say for the most part right now with the information that we currently have access to, we’re really focused on the now and this coming season. There’s going to be a point in time probably after we get through the month of May where we’ll start getting more information and getting more involved directly with the next season’s changes.But as we sit here today, the ball’s not really in our court, so to speak, on that side of things, on the preparation. It’s going to come before the season’s over. I feel like we’re prepared as a group to manage that. But right now everyone’s focus is on 2022.
Q.As a part-time driver, you’re eligible to be Chevrolet’s test driver for the 2023 spec engines.ED CARPENTER: Yeah, I don’t know how all that’s going to shake out yet. I’ll definitely do whatever I’m asked to do.
Q.Conor had a really good run at the 500 last year. Obviously you want to win it as a driver. What would it mean to you to win it as a team owner? Was there a point when you looked up and said, Oh, crap, I have a good chance to win this with one of my other cars?ED CARPENTER: First off, I’ll be happy, for sure be happy, if any of our team cars can win. Everything we do is as a group and a unit. That doesn’t mean that I would not want to win it myself if I got to pick.We definitely go there with the same intention on every one of our cars and every one of our drivers. It’s hard to say what my emotions would be like as far as happy meter personally and professionally. Either way it’s an accomplishment.I know from seeing how Bryan Herta, for example, reacted with winning it as an owner, it’s equally as impactful for what we’re doing, which is on a different level.As far as it goes in the race, I don’t really pay attention to that so much or think about that. Obviously I’ll see and know when they’re up there, but really just focus on my own race and cockpit at that point, not thinking about scenarios like that, just staying focused on my job at that moment.
Q.There’s a lot of popular drivers that have been in this race, but you’ll always go down as the hometown boy, hometown hero. You get great cheers from the fans in qualifying and in the race. How important is that to you?ED CARPENTER: I mean, it makes it fun. At the end of the day what we’re doing is fun. We’re all extremely lucky to be able to drive race cars for a living, to be able to drive INDYCARS for a living, compete in the Indy 500, the greatest race in the world. It definitely makes it more fun.The year there was no one there, it was awful. It wasn’t the same. I think it was an eye opener for everybody. Once we got going, you move past it. The energy level and the excitement just wasn’t the same with no one there.Yeah, it’s gratifying. When you’re around a long time, people eventually like you, so… Thankful for that (smiling).
Q.What is your approach to training during that time and staying in shape? What kind of guidance do you give to the other guys to be able to put up with the season?ED CARPENTER: I’ve worked with the same trainer for quite a while. We have our routine kind of that’s evolved over the years as my schedule has changed and I have to balance my driver schedule and owner schedule. Conor and I actually work with the same trainer so we train together I would say 75% of the time, schedule permitting.Rinus himself, he’s had someone that he’s worked with in the past. He just made a change in working with the same trainer as me somewhat now as well.I don’t question any of our guys’ preparation.
THE MODERATOR: Thought your training was chasing children.ED CARPENTER: That’s what I do from 4:30 to whenever I go to sleep.
THE MODERATOR: Asher, you’re on, brother.Q.Is there still any contact with Ryan Hunter-Reay on getting in?ED CARPENTER: I talk to Ryan still because we’re friends. We have been for a long time. I’m not sure that there’s really an opportunity at the here and now, which Ryan and I have talked about. But I will always continue to talk to Ryan because he’s a good guy. I’m sure he’ll end up being around at some point, whether it’s with us or someone else because he definitely still has a desire to be here.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 SONAX ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET:THE MODERATOR: Rinus VeeKay, good afternoon.RINUS VEEKAY: Good afternoon.
THE MODERATOR: Quite disappointed you moved out of Speedway, Indiana, where we are receiving the slightest bit of snow.RINUS VEEKAY: I’m sorry. I’m not good with the cold. I enjoy sunshine a lot more.
THE MODERATOR: Second season with Ed Carpenter Racing is about to begin. Your thoughts? Optimism, I assume?RINUS VEEKAY: Yeah, I’m very optimistic. I think this off-season we have not just waited around for the season to come around, but we have definitely taken all of our time to improve compared to last season.We definitely knew what we had to improve, so we spent a lot of time going over it, tried some different stuff. I’m curious to see how much we will improve this next season.
THE MODERATOR: Your boss was asked earlier about the second half of your season after the collarbone injury. Was that a factor in the second half of the season or did you think it was going to some new tracks?RINUS VEEKAY: There was one race — actually two races. I missed Road America. Mid-Ohio, I wasn’t 100%. I was happy to be back in the car, but I wasn’t 100% yet. The rest of the races I had no problems with the collarbone.I think the biggest problem was, yeah, I think as a team we were just struggling a little bit getting up to pace, showing up fast. Instead of tweaking the car a little to get the last few 10ths out, we were just trying to determine the whole setup.I think we just struggled a little bit, which can happen. It only showed the whole team what we had to improve for the coming season.
THE MODERATOR: What is new on your car this year?RINUS VEEKAY: A lot. I think the thought about the whole car setup is different. I have spent a lot of time with my engineer, even staying at his house on weekends, doing fun stuff, but still making sure my feedback will be translated in a different way so he can take everything, like every little thing I say, translated into the setup.Right now he has a better view of what I need in the car than before this off-season. So I think we definitely improved. I think everyone’s really at the same level of we know what everyone needs on the car.
THE MODERATOR: Was that Woody?RINUS VEEKAY: Brent is the strategist. Matt Barnes. Actually right now while I’m in Indy I’m staying at his apartment. I’ve been here already for five days. I’ve been at the team, yeah, tried to show my face as much as possible, even when it’s off-season, be part of the team.
THE MODERATOR: Are you going to give out the address, a pizza party tonight?RINUS VEEKAY: No pizza for me. I’ve been eating out too much this week.
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q.You obviously came through the Road to Indy. New crop coming in this year. What advice do you have for them?RINUS VEEKAY: First of all, very proud of the Road to Indy of producing such talents, making sure they get to INDYCAR. That’s also quite something. Getting the talent to win in your series is one thing, but really making them have a career in INDYCAR is special.I hope they will do very well. I think for them it’s hard to see. In the Road to Indy, you’re winning a lot if you do well. David Malukas. You’re racing for wins every weekend. In INDYCAR, they will probably not come close to a win in like the first 10 races because they’re learning, everything is new. It’s a lot different than you’re used to. It’s a lot more stuff.If you think you got everything, there’s so much more you can learn. I think just being patient, focused on your weekend’s execution. Whenever you do well enough to win a race, it will come your way.
Q.How beneficial is it to you this season going into the year with not having the consistency of having Conor with you but also having him as a full-time teammate this year?RINUS VEEKAY: Yeah, I’m very happy for Conor that he’s back again. It’s always been a lot of fun. I think it will definitely help Conor, too, to have a full season with one team, one team only. It will not only help Conor but also his crew, if they’re just working with one guy.I’m very happy with it. I think it was definitely very good. I’m looking forward. He was on an upward curve throughout the last part of the season last season. If he can pull that through, I can get back to what I was like the beginning of last season, we can both go for many top 10s and good results.
Q.I wanted to ask if one of the targets for you guys is specifically consistency? Obviously we saw you driving like a bat out of hell in GP of Indy. We come back to the Indy road course, you’re kind of relatively nowhere. We’re seeing Penske, like Will Power did the opposite of that. Is that something that you feel you have a handle on as a team?RINUS VEEKAY: Yeah, we definitely have put a lot of focus on it because it’s not something — yeah, it’s not something that you forget so quickly. If you look at Romain Grosjean, he had two consistent Indy GPs, which is very good for him.I think what was basically the big factor between those two weekends was NASCAR running in the second one. The more they started running, the worse my car started to feel. I think we were not proactive enough on making setup changes towards, yeah, like fighting that NASCAR rubber.
Q.Obviously you led quite a few laps at Indy, as did Conor. Do you feel you are ready to fight? Say you got involved with the same kind of fight with a veteran as Helio like Palou did last year, do you feel like you’ll be ready to take that fight to any veteran INDYCAR driver?RINUS VEEKAY: I definitely think so, yeah. I have a lot of experience now in Indy actually, running in the front, passing cars and everything. I know with Ed Carpenter Racing I have a great car.Yeah, I just cannot wait for the Indy 500 this year. I think really I feel like a veteran now going to my third Indy 500. Just, yeah, I might have an advantage being a little younger and not knowing the dangers compared to Helio.
Q.Ed was in before talking about you. You’re young, but it’s your third year, you came through the Road to Indy. You’re growing up. He talked about your finding some independence. What do you think he meant by that?RINUS VEEKAY: Can you repeat the question? Sorry.
Q.Ed was saying that you’re growing up, becoming more independent. What does that entail?RINUS VEEKAY: Well, I was always having a lot of fun. I still have a lot of fun, as long as when that goes away there’s a serious problem.At the beginning of last season, like everything was fine. I was joking a lot. Sometimes a little too joke-y. We got some hard weekends in a row. It really made me think. I think it really opened my eyes to always keep looking for that little bit of extra speed that’s hidden for the weekend.Now I know that I’ve won my first INDYCAR race, I want to win more. Yeah, in the future I want to win an Indy 500 and also become an INDYCAR champion. To be able to do that, yeah, I need to get every — find every little speed I can from wherever I can.I think last half of the season really opened my eyes in a good way. I think it really matured me, too.
Q.When you were talking about the car setup for this year, you said there’s some different thinking behind it. What have you been trying to do there, what the new thinking of the setup of the car is?RINUS VEEKAY: Yeah, so what I said, I have spent a lot of time with my engineer. We’re always in a very serious setting where we’re always talking about racing, thinking very deeply.But now because I was staying at my engineer’s house for so much time, actually we’re just laid back talking, very chill. If you don’t dig so deep, you say very normal things that actually you never think about saying.We talked about some stuff about setups. He really knows what I need from a car right now. I said a few things in the off-season which kind of opened his eyes, gave him a direction of thinking which way we have to go on which tracks.I think that definitely helped. I think team atmosphere has never been better than it is at the moment.
Q.You’ve been connected to someone who is going to be sought after in the driver market if you have a good season. Is that something you’ve taken with you on your journey in 2022? Is it something you think about that essentially there’s going to be some big teams looking at you in the future?RINUS VEEKAY: Yeah, I know that’s the case at this moment. I’m not really thinking about it. For now I’m just focusing on every weekend producing the best possible result what we can do. Yeah, actually for me actually I want to show myself and show the team that we can actually stay competitive throughout the whole season. I will see whatever happens after that. I think as long as you show the best driver you are, the best part of yourself, you will always have a future in INDYCAR.
Q.Ed mentioned with growth and maturing, he said you either changed up your workout routine or switched trainers altogether. Can you talk about how as a driver you go about deciding to switch things up from a physical standpoint.RINUS VEEKAY: Yeah, so this off season I’ve been focused on being physically fit a lot, especially after what happened to my collarbone. I didn’t really have any complications, but I just wanted to be stronger. I felt like the stronger I am, the more work I put in, you will definitely feel the difference on track.I actually did a lot of strength training. Then I got into the simulator. I was complaining to the guys, There’s no force in the steering wheel. It’s so light.They’re like, No, Rinus, it’s about the same strength as it was before.I’m like, Okay, that was a good sign.That was funny. But actually, yeah, I was always (indiscernible) around with my personal trainer. We actually stopped working together after four years. Yeah, it was time for me for some change, trying something else.I think for me not being 24/7 with a personal trainer also makes me just go head first in some other things that normally I would let him do. If there were, like, things with the team, if I’m in Indianapolis, right now I’m staying at my engineer’s place, trying to be doing a lot of stuff with the team, where with him I would always take off, go work out. I still do that but then on my own or with a trainer in Indianapolis.
Q.I wanted to get your thoughts on your countryman Max Verstappen had an exciting finale. Your thoughts on how that went down?RINUS VEEKAY: Yeah, it was a crazy season finale. Probably the craziest in history with Hamilton leading the championship every lap until the last one almost.Yeah, it was a lot of controversy about FIA, how they handled stuff. Well, Max definitely got — definitely was the better one. How do you say that?
THE MODERATOR: It worked out better for him.RINUS VEEKAY: It worked out better for him this time. But Hamilton had a lot of luck. It worked out for Hamilton several times earlier in the season.If you look at the stats, Max was the better driver last season. Definitely a deserved championship for him.
Q.When you think about the upcoming wins for yourself, would you rather they be that exciting or a straightforward victory?RINUS VEEKAY: Really depends. Really depends, yeah. I like a good straightforward victory where you’re just faster than everyone else, you sweep the floor with them. I think that’s pretty cool.But any kind of win, a win is a win. I would take any kind of win as long as it’s fair.
THE MODERATOR: Apologize for saying this is your second year. 2020 kind of got away from me.RINUS VEEKAY: It did to everyone, right?
THE MODERATOR: Thank you for being here. Enjoy your day.RINUS VEEKAY: Thank you very much.FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET:THE MODERATOR: Conor Daly has joined us.CONOR DALY: How’s it going?
THE MODERATOR: Doing well. The season begins February 27th so you’re right on time.CONOR DALY: Yeah. I mean, it’s kind of par for the course really. I’ve done late deals before, I’ve done no deals before, and I’ve done I guess somewhat early deals before.Yeah, doesn’t matter, as long as we got it done (laughter).
THE MODERATOR: How did the process come together? It was a juggling act as it usually is.CONOR DALY: Well, I’m willing to tell you a great story about it. This truly is a very Conor Daly-type story, how this all came about.Everything kind of seemed to be going the wrong way, all of our deals we were working on were kind of pitter pattering out. I planned a 30th birthday trip to Las Vegas, obviously. At the time I had talked to a long-time friend of ours, both me and Doug knew him as well, Doug Boles. He had this idea for this meeting with this guy that was interested in racing, INDYCAR racing. I was like, You know what, happy to do it.Are you going to be in Vegas by chance like December 17, 18?I said, Funny you ask. Yes, I will be there for my birthday.I went out there with me, Alex Rossi and two of my other friends from Indy here, and Travis Pastrana met us out there as well.Had this meeting on Saturday. I was like, This is it, this is what I got. I have this meeting or I have nothing.We woke up Saturday. My friends, they were still celebrating. I was not. I was locked in. I was sweating. I was like we tried to have lunch. I ate food. Travis got in. He’s very exciting. It’s very tempting to start doing what Travis wants to do, which is like jump off of buildings, cool stuff like that.I said, Hey, I can’t. I got a meeting.I go to this meeting at like 6:00 in the afternoon, to do whatever they’re going to do with Travis and Alex.By the next hour and a half we shook on a deal what it was announced at. I was like, Wow, that was the craziest thing.After that I went back and shouted at Travis and Alex, my friends, I think I’m employed. We had an incredible next two days.Ed, I texted Ed that night. It was obviously — he’s on east coast time. It was very late for me by the time the meeting was done. Ed called me at like 5 a.m. Vegas time. I think I just did this deal. I was obviously still awake because we were celebrating.I said, Hey, man, how is it going?He was like, Is that legit?I said, I think so.He said obviously, Call me when you wake up.I obviously went to sleep for a while and called him. Yeah, incredible story. It was a wild. People always say, Conor, you spend too much time in Vegas.I was like, Guess what, got me a job this time, you losers.It was great. Worked out well.
THE MODERATOR: Multi-year?CONOR DALY: Yeah. It was an incredible deal. Todd at BitNile, the holding company, they want to do an incredible amount in INDYCAR. They love INDYCAR. Todd has been an INDYCAR fan for a long time, which is really, really cool.Obviously we love the people that support our sport, right, which is really cool. Now he wants to get directly involved. He’s big on undervalued assets. He thought I was an undervalued asset, which I appreciate. That’s great.We’re going to try to really blow this program up, have an incredible time with it, make sure we do the business that we can do for him, give the support that he’s given us for him and his companies.
THE MODERATOR: Somehow I’m not surprised.CONOR DALY: Yeah, me either. Travis, I tell you what, the look on his face when I told him.He’s like, Man, that’s awesome.It was great people to celebrate with. Alex Rossi, Travis Pastrana. Mount that on a wall somewhere.
THE MODERATOR: You’re going to be in the 20 car all year, which means Ed is not.CONOR DALY: Yeah. Since the announcement people every day are asking, Are you doing Indy?I’m like, What part of the full season is not the Indy 500?It’s really funny to see. It’s just hard for people to disassociate Ed. Even me, Yes, I think I’m doing the full season.What is Ed doing?I haven’t asked him yet, to be honest.Actually I have to thank Ed in a very large way because, I mean, he did step aside for me to drive the 20, which is really cool.He’s always been a great owner. He loves the team. He does a great job with who works with us. This was obviously a very business-driven move. It’s hard to jump out of the seat. I mean, I’m a race car driver. Ed is a race car driver. You know what I mean?Yeah, it will still be great to work with him at Indy. He’s the boss so he can do whatever races he wants, I’m sure. Who knows. All I know is I’m in for the season, which is great.
THE MODERATOR: Amazing stuff.We’ll go to questions.
Q.Had this deal not worked out, what were you going to do?CONOR DALY: Great question. I considered a lot of things. But I really don’t know. Anything that I had planned in the background, like a B plan, still obviously had to have some sponsorship, whether that was NASCAR truck racing or whatever it was. All of those deals were kind of not falling away but being subtracted from the numbers that we needed.I really don’t know. Doesn’t matter now, I guess (smiling).
Q.A full season with the same team. How good will that continuity be for you?CONOR DALY: Well, honestly it’s awesome. I have not had that since 2017. That’s a long time ago. I feel like I was a child back then. Didn’t even have a mullet, didn’t even have a beard. That was my second year in INDYCAR at the time. A lot has changed since then.I was speaking to my engineer Pete yesterday. He’s like, I’m really pumped to do the whole season with you. That’s going to be great.Yeah, it will be nice just to kind of have that relationship.It is awkward going from team to team. There’s no doubt about that. It’s just an odd thing. In racing you’re very much in-house, you know what I mean? You don’t want to share information with anybody else because you got to keep it in-house, keep your stuff going on. Everybody is a little bit like, Great to see you, where you going now? Someone else that we want to beat?Kind of an awkward situation. It will be something that I’ve craved for a long time just to get back to. It will be nice not taking stuff from one locker to another.
Q.We’ve only got a real direct front view of you. How is that mullet doing?CONOR DALY: We went a little bit more less. I don’t know what someone called it today.Josef said, That’s hot.I said if Josef is saying that, that’s good. Josef is a beautiful man. It’s important that he respects it right out the gate. That’s good. I’m going to write that down in my notebook later, my journal.
Q.As one of the most popular drivers in the series, what do you think INDYCAR could do in order to grow the fan base?CONOR DALY: Great question. Wow.I mean, every sport is looking to grow their fan base, right? It’s a power play all across the board. The more people that support it, the more your sport as you said, the people in the sport are succeeding.There’s a lot that people are doing all across the board. You’re seeing different entities with television programs, with different social strategies.I don’t have the answer for that. Everyone has their own opinion on that. I mean, I think for us as drivers, we have to do a lot more. I think it takes more work than it used to.Our goal as a kid, you were to be the best driver you could be. I think a lot of what we have to do now is be the best brand that you can be. The driving is obviously the most important part. If you’re winning races, doing things, that’s great. If there’s no one watching those races, that’s also a problem because then you need to be able to race more and win more. There’s also a lot of work you have to do to make sure there are races to win.I think there’s a lot that we have to do as personalities. I think there’s a lot of drivers in this series that are awesome, awesome talents, but also awesome personalities. I just think we have to work harder to do that. It’s not necessarily one person or the other. A lot of it comes from us, too.Would I love to see us have a Netflix show? Yeah, for sure. But I’d also like to go to the moon. I don’t know which one of those things is going to come first but it’s hard to do both of those things.There’s a lot of people that want to see our drivers and the series go to a very, very high level. Everyone is working to do that. It’s not like everyone is here sitting around hoping that it’s going to happen. Everyone is working towards that goal of seeing INDYCAR grow and succeed and have people get there. I have faith in those people that are working there.Hope is not a strategy. As long as we’re doing things, eventually that goal will be reached where our fans are continuing to grow. Hopefully see us all do cool things on the racetrack.
Q.Do you think, talking about the Netflix stuff, will be cool that you have some camera behind you? How do you think will be the dynamic if you have someone looking for you in every place that you go?CONOR DALY: I think it’s awesome. I think that’s the way to really bring people into what we are doing. I think there’s so much that we do that is not — when you watch the TV broadcast, we put on our helmet, we get in the car and we try to do things that not many other human beings can do on the planet, which is really cool. There’s also a lot that goes on to get there.I think that’s a massive step that could be discovered and will be shown for sure, so… There it is.
Q.On the media side, we’ve lost some really big names, full-time driver-wise, in the series from Hinchcliffe to Ryan Hunter-Reay, Sebastien Bourdais. We’re seeing a lot of maybe unfamiliar faces to a lot of INDYCAR fans. I know part of growing this fan base is getting the 14 races on network TV. Another part has to be having drivers build brands to make a lot of these young drivers be more familiar faces to a casual INDYCAR fan. What do you feel either drivers as individuals or the series can do to help build some bigger brands, bigger names?CONOR DALY: Well, I mean, the guys that you said that we lost, I could immediately tell you guys that we just gained. You know what I mean? There’s guys like Kyle Kirkwood. We know Jimmie Johnson and Romain Grosjean are full-time. They’re superstars, take a lot of attention. Kyle Kirkwood is an electric personality. I’ve hung out with him. I like that guy. He’s very, very talented.But as the previous question, we got to make sure that we make sure that people know that those guys are there, you know what I mean?I think there’s always a changing of the guard. There’s always people I’ve seen in the sport, out of the sport. It’s weird to think I’ve seen that, you know what I mean? Devlin deFrancesco that was coached when I was in INDYCAR. It’s wild. Devlin’s dad used to sponsor me when I was in F3. It’s crazy. It’s an awesome position to be in, see all these young guys like Callum, the rookie class is really cool, strong, you know what I mean?There’s a lot that is going on but there’s always going to be new people in and some people out, some people that come back, some people that go away. It’s kind of part of the game, right?I’m excited about the talent that we have. Obviously the full-time drivers right now, I mean, it’s probably the most full-time drivers we’ve had for a long time. It’s very, very exciting. Everything about it is really cool.You have Patricio O’Ward testing in Formula 1. People are saying, Is he going to Formula 1? Is he going to Formula 1? He’s in INDYCAR right now. That’s really cool. You know what I mean?
THE MODERATOR: With the rookie class, Tatiana, you have worked with.CONOR DALY: Yeah.
THE MODERATOR: In Star Mazda?CONOR DALY: Tatiana was my teammate in 2010. It’s crazy to see. She’s been awesome. Her family is great, great people all across the board. I’ve obviously followed her journey since we were teammates. I keep up with her every now and then, talk to her every now and then. It’s cool to see what’s going on. It’s great. Have another female in the series, awesome. Great stuff.
Q.You seem like no matter what interviews, being on track, on Twitter, you seem like you’re a person who is always just yourself. You don’t ever seem like you have a façade or anything like that. I don’t know that you agree with this, but I know some fans feel maybe it’s because so many of these driver deals run year to year, sponsors are so important, some drivers maybe hold back or don’t show their true selves in front of the camera. Is that something you feel like would go a long way helping build some of these driver brands or get fans to know more about a driver? I as a person who follows the series know all those drivers, but maybe the casual fan might not know who Kyle Kirkwood is off the track, something like that. Is that something you feel would be important?CONOR DALY: I mean, I think a lot of people agree with how I do things. A lot don’t obviously.I think I would love for everyone to be able to see these guys how I see them sometimes. You know what I mean? That’s never going to happen. We’re never going to see certain people in the lights. They don’t want them to see theirselves, right? Everyone is going to do what they want to do.Teams are going to have certain policies as well, right? There’s a team effort that goes around with their drivers.I mean, I can only say what I can say, right? We have incredible people here. We have incredible people that want to see this series succeed. I think in general who doesn’t in this paddock want us to grow, right?Again, the common goal for everyone is to, like, be better, be more successful. Everyone wants to win races. Everyone wants to succeed. Everyone wants to make more money. By doing that all together, we can all hopefully attain that common goal.I would love to see a lot of us work together to do that I think better. There’s a little bit more we probably can all do together.Do I have the answers? No. I’m not the INDYCAR wizard of success obviously. I think there’s a lot of cool people that we have in the series that are working to make that happen and I trust those people.
Q.What does the continuity of the deal with ECR do for your confidence?CONOR DALY: I think it takes confidence to be at a very, very high level. I’ve been a guy that’s there to do a certain amount of races. Now I’m the guy that’s doing all the races, which is really cool.I know that us as a team, we have done so much together already. I think from year to year we’ve shown that we’ve improved for sure in a lot of different areas. I’m excited for what’s ahead. I think when I listen to my engineer say, Hey, we’re going to test here, here, here and here.I’m like, That’s a lot of places, which is great. If I get to Texas, wow, haven’t done that in a long time. If I get to test at Iowa, haven’t done that in a long time. That will be really, really cool. I can’t wait for those types of things. It builds the confidence.Confidence right now is at an absolute massively high level. I can’t wait.
THE MODERATOR: Appreciate your time. Congratulations on your Vegas trip.CONOR DALY: Thank you. Yeah, Vegas, you always hope is successful for many, many different reasons. This one was extremely successful.
CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES 2022 MEDIA CONTENT DAYS INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
JANUARY 18,2022 ARROW MCLAREN RACING SP DRIVERS PATO O’WARD AND FELIX ROSENQVIST met with members of the media during 2022 NTT INDYCAR Series Media Content Days. Full transcripts: PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN RACING SP CHEVROLET:
THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Pato O’Ward, driver of the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet. Felix just came in here and said there isn’t anything we don’t know about you because you give us everything you have. So let it roll.PATO O’WARD: I’ll let it roll.
THE MODERATOR: Talk about your excitement for this season; you’ve got the McLaren organization that seems to be riding a big wave of momentum. Just talk about the excitement.PATO O’WARD: It’s cool, man. It’s really cool to be a part of this new McLaren acquisition with the team, and we’re all one team, Extreme E, Formula 1, INDYCAR. It’s really, really cool to see, great to be a part of it. There’s been a lot of hard work in the off-season, a lot, a lot of hard work. I know we say that every year, but I sure hope that all these long hours and long days are going to be for something, and yeah, we’re ready to get rolling.
THE MODERATOR: What is your routine? You talk about long days. I assume that’s all in meetings and sim work and so forth?PATO O’WARD: Thankfully I haven’t been in the sim yet. But specifically the engineers, I’m not taking all the credit on this because all I’ve had to do is just maintain myself in shape and as ready as I can mentally and physically, but in terms of actually having really long days and hours, trying to find little bits and pieces of time here and there. It’s all the engineers.Hopefully the end of our championship last year lit a fire under their butts that hopefully pushes throughout this year.
Q.What has to change or improve this year for you to win the championship?PATO O’WARD: I mean, in short, I just don’t think we’ve had a very consistent car. Where we’ve been strong, we’ve been very strong, but where we haven’t been strong, we’ve been very weak, and that’s where we’ve lost a lot of points. I feel like there’s no sugar coating it. It’s just not good enough.I have to try and maximize what I can control, and I know the engineers are going to do their part. We’re not up to where Penske, Andretti and Ganassi are. We sure as hell are trying to and working hard for that, but they are Penske, Ganassi and Andretti for a reason.Yeah, I think we’re definitely on the way. It’s been a path, but I think we keep getting better and we keep putting the bar higher and higher every year. This year we’ve got it pretty much as high as you want it to be. We were close to the 500 win. We were very close to the championship win. Yeah, there’s just — the big cookies are left.
Q.We’ve seen you do a lot of stuff this off-season with the McLaren Formula 1 team. It almost felt like you were a part of that crew already. Does it kind of feel the same to you?PATO O’WARD: I mean, they’ve been so welcoming. Man, it was such a cool experience in Abu Dhabi and just all the preparation that I had before then, it was definitely just something very new. But I think it’s just going to make me better in every way, and definitely trying to learn as much as I can from that side and try and bring stuff over here to try and just boost everything up because I feel like the little bits and pieces we can get from here and there are just going to help our performance and make us all better.
Q.Is that an end goal for you to be able to drive those crazy fast cars around the world?PATO O’WARD: For sure, yeah. That is definitely — I mean, my dream to be a race car driver started with that, so I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t.
Q.The fact that you got to drive that, does it almost kind of — it’s like here’s a new toy for you to try out, but now you’ve got to kind of focus on what your job at hand is. Is it almost like, do you see yourself sometimes sitting there thinking, man, I’d like to be back in that McLaren?PATO O’WARD: Oh, man, it was so cool. You can tell that those cars are literally designed to go as fast as possible, within regulations, but it’s designed to be as quick as possible.I think last year’s car was pretty much the fastest Formula 1 spec ever for a very long time. That was pretty cool that I got to test that and drive that. I can assure you it was ridiculously fast. Yeah, really cool feeling inside of the car.
Q.But for a driver who’s in a series where you basically have a chance to win almost any race that you’re entered in, how do you manage the expectation level that if you were in F1 you could be driving top of your game and maybe not winning?PATO O’WARD: Yeah, I mean, I feel like honestly the motto that anyone can win in INDYCAR is — if you take the safety cars out of the equation, then that is not possible at all.When you get safety cars that end up basically throwing away a leader’s race or many of the leaders’ race, then yeah, it turns into people from the back being able to win, but from outright pace, there is still a difference from top teams to smaller teams to medium teams. There is still significant differences. Maybe not so much in qualifying sometimes, but in terms of just so many things that are factors that play into the race, pit stop, in laps, out laps, strategy. There’s so many things that aren’t car pace that go into the race, which a lot of the times in F1 there’s just I think a lot less of that because the races are not as fast — sorry, not as long. There’s usually let pit stops, which makes the overcut and undercut windows less opportunity just because there’s less pit stops.But there is obviously a lot bigger differences from teams to teams. Yeah, in F1 we’ve seen that if a strategy call that a yellow flag or a safety car really gets into the place where it really would send the leaders to the back, we’ve seen that that can happen and people that you would never expect to win will win in a car that people will never bet on because strategy — that’s what safety cars do. They mix everything up.But we have a lot more of that in INDYCAR for sure.
Q.Also, this team is more McLaren than it’s ever been since they’ve taken more ownership stake into the team. You as a driver, it’s going to be the same guys you worked with when it was McLaren SP. They’re still there, but do you feel that sense of expectation level that basically it’s mostly McLaren now that owns the team?PATO O’WARD: Yeah, for sure you can see the push and you can see the objectives that McLaren is trying to achieve. I think what we’ve been able to achieve already is pretty stellar in terms of how much true development that has been going into it. But you can see the push that everybody wants to do what I want to do. We want to win. We want to win championships. We want to win 500s. That’s why we do this. We wouldn’t be doing this if it were for something else because it’s too much sacrifice and too much time away and too many hours for this to just be, oh, I just want to be on the podium. No, we want to win.
Q.I’m wondering how your neck is doing; was that what you worked on most since Abu Dhabi?PATO O’WARD: Yeah, this big boy is ready. I’ve been working on it since the day that I got back home. Yeah, for sure.
Q.Have you worked on everything else or was that your priority?PATO O’WARD: No, everything else. I mean, I’ve stayed very active, just trying to stay as active as I can because weirdly that’s how I recharge, just being very busy and active, having fun with my cousins and family. Just staying home and doing nothing at home maybe is good for one or two days maximum, then I stir myself crazy.Yeah, I’ve been working on everything. I’ve just bumped up the amount of hours that I’m training just because I have to sneak in quite a bit of that of neck, but I’m not taking away from anything else.
Q.I’m curious where you stand with the super license and what do you have to do to get one?PATO O’WARD: I have no idea. That’s a great question. I mean, to me it’s ridiculous that someone that’s been fourth and third in the INDYCAR championship can’t get 40 points in the super license. To me that’s — yeah, I think many drivers agree with me.But from what I understand, fourth would give you 10 points, third gives you 20, so I’m assuming I’m at 30 points of the super license. Yeah, I haven’t really stressed on that side because as much as I say, oh, maybe you can get a few points here, points there, at the end of the day you have to leave it to the people that want to give it to you. If they don’t want to give it to you, then sorry, bud, you’ve got to have another year and get 10 more points, I guess.
Q.You talked about the consistency that you felt like the No. 5 team is really needing to fight for that championship; is that something that in any testing or work in the shop this off-season, something you feel like you guys have pinpointed a couple items that you can come into 2022 a little better or are you guys still needing some races to either confirm anything or find any more data that you’re searching for?PATO O’WARD: I mean, it’s hard to tell right now. I haven’t jumped in the car. I haven’t done any testing because testing is very limited. We’re going to have one day before St. Pete. It’s going to be in Sebring, which I mean, is not really enough time to fix all our issues, but it’s definitely at least one day to be able to test things out.Yeah, I really don’t know. You look and analyze things here and there and you’re like, oh, this is going to help us and this is going to help us, but I think that’s just you being positive and trying to find what was going on, but until we actually test them on track and I get to feel them, I think that’s when we’ll truly know if all our work in the off-season is going to pay off or not.It’s not going to be just from one race to another. It’s going to take all year to keep getting better and better and better. I sure hope we can roll off the trucks better than what we had last year at certain tracks.I think that’s the biggest thing. If you roll off well, you’re in a pretty good position to have a good race.Like I mentioned, there’s other times where you qualify on pole and you always get burned by yellow. There’s so many other factors that you can’t control, but what we can control is our car performance, what I do in the car and how we go about things and how we deal-with-them.We’re trying to really maximize all of that, but it’s really hard to pinpoint and see what’s going to help us or not because we weren’t very far off.I mean, we were whenever we didn’t have pace at all, but yeah, it’s really hard to tell if we found it or not. Just really have been testing different things here and there and hopefully two or three of those things give us what we need.
Q.I know Felix is really hopeful that this can be kind of a breakthrough season for him with this team in year two. With still kind of waiting to see what he can be for you as far as a teammate and this team already looking at adding a third full-time car for 2023, do you have any concern as someone who I know wants to be in this championship hunt just about the progression of the building of this team when you guys are still trying to hone in on that second car to be as competitive as you were last year?PATO O’WARD: Yeah, I mean, I think he’s going to have a good season this year. I sure hope he does because we both need each other out there. We both want to be in the championship hunt. We both want to be winning races.I really hope that it happens for both of us. I really want to — I’d really like to share a couple podiums with him. I feel like that would be really cool for all of us as a team.
Q.I know you’re someone who’s really aware of media and the global perception of INDYCAR moving forward. We’ve lost some big faces this off-season as far as guys that won’t be returning in full-time capacities, have a lot of young new guys that maybe a lot of casual fans don’t know. What do you feel like INDYCAR needs to do to take advantage of these 14 races they have on network TV to try and build some of these younger names and younger brands in this sport to start to rival a NASCAR, Formula 1 in the American racing series for fans?PATO O’WARD: Man, it’s a tough one because with all these things that you can be doing marketing-wise, it all comes at a cost. It all comes at a price. The budgets are different. The budget that Formula 1 has is going to be stratospheric compared to what INDYCAR can do. Same with NASCAR. Every series has its own things.But I think first off, we need to hop on the train of having a show because racing itself is not going to do enough. People need to see what’s behind that in order for them to get interested because it’s like any sport. Like for example, I didn’t watch golf at all. I didn’t watch NFL. But I met someone that plays in the NFL, and I met someone that plays in the PGA, and now I am interested in watching from time to time because I have a friend there and I have someone to cheer for.I think that’s the biggest thing. People need to meet the faces behind the helmet, and for me that’s the biggest thing. Whatever the cost may be, that is, I think, the biggest return that they’ll ever get.You’ve seen it in Formula 1. Formula 1 is growing insane, and it’s all because of the Netflix series. I think an important thing is that it has to be done in a platform that people have and people watch, not just spend it and have it somewhere where it’s not really reachable by many people.There’s so many different factors, but to me that is the biggest thing. I have heard that it’s definitely in the plans of doing it. I haven’t heard any updates.I feel like that would be a game changer for our series, and not just doing it, but it has — the bar has been set high where I think everybody within the series has to be willing to work together. Everybody has to be real and show the emotion, and it can’t be fake. It can’t be fake engineering meetings. Whatever you’re going to be showing, it has to be real.Apart from INDYCAR doing their job, which is going to be getting the show, but I think us as teams and drivers, we need to be on board with just agreeing with the fact that this is going to pretty much be a reality show. There has to be some drama. There has to be something for people to watch.Everybody has to try and be real, because if it’s not, it’s not going to be good enough, and people won’t watch. It has to be like it is, like just real.But I know sometimes — not that teams want to make it fake, but teams don’t want to show certain aspects of the team. There’s many different factors that I feel like play into making this very successful, but in general just having a real show of real people, real emotions and just giving something to the people to just watch, and to entertain, I think that’s going to skyrocket the series.The racing product is already there. I don’t think we need to focus a lot on the racing product. I think it’s what’s outside of it to bring people into the sport.
Q.Last year we saw you having a great year. This year what do you have in mind? We saw you in Formula 1 at Abu Dhabi, but do you like to go to that series or keep yourself in INDYCAR?PATO O’WARD: Do I like to what?
Q.To stay in Indy, or do you prefer to go to Formula 1 in the future?PATO O’WARD: I mean, right now I have one focus, and that one focus is in INDYCAR. I want to give these guys their first championship. I’d love to give them their first 500. This is what my focus is right now.Who knows if F1 will be an option or won’t be an option. Obviously if it comes about, I will 100 percent take it and every single driver in my position would do it because it’s Formula 1. That’s what I grew up watching and that’s what I grew up dreaming of. That same dream that you have as a kid will never go away.Right now, like I said, I have a challenge here, and I want people to enjoy. I want people to enjoy me in INDYCAR. I want them to know what INDYCAR has to offer, I want them to enjoy me in INDYCAR, the racing. There’s so many cool things about it that so many people — oh, Pato went to Formula 1. Well, I will tell you whenever I go to Formula 1 if I ever going to Formula 1, but for now enjoy me in INDYCAR.It’s just cool. I’m just really enjoying myself, really enjoying with the team and enjoying that everything is pretty close by. It’s different, but yeah, the same mentality I’m going into it, I want everybody to have the same. Just enjoy it.
THE MODERATOR: Remind us, the football player, Kenny Moore. The golfer is…PATO O’WARD: Abraham Ancer.FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
FELIX ROSENQVIST, NO. 7 ARROW MCLAREN RACING SP CHEVROLET:
THE MODERATOR: Driver of the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Felix, a new season. I know it was not the season you wanted last year, but the team has upgraded the engineering staff. It’s a new year for you.FELIX ROSENQVIST: It is. It’s nice to have a clean start. Obviously learned a lot last year. It was a tough one to go through. I’m not going to lie about that. I think those seasons are what — they make you stronger. When you’re winning, things are easy, but I think those really define you, if that makes sense. Yeah, it’s good to have a new start.I think plenty of things have changed, but mainly everything is the same in the team. I mean, we’re growing as a team. We have some new people on board on my car and in the team in general, but the foundation is the same, which I think is good, because I got to know everyone really well over the last year.It’s also good to keep doing what you’re doing because I think end of the year we definitely picked up the pace, and not exactly where we wanted to be, but it’s good to keep building on that where we ended last year.
THE MODERATOR: Talk about the optimism in the team.FELIX ROSENQVIST: (Audio interruption.) There are going to be a lot of players in the mix in the front. So yeah, I’m excited to see what it’s going to be when we hit Sebring.
Q.Now the team is more McLaren than it’s ever been. Even though it’s the same guys at the shop putting everything together, it’s just kind of living up to the McLaren brand. How much do you feel that inside as a competitor?FELIX ROSENQVIST: I think you definitely feel it, especially after the announcement was made last year that they’re acquiring a bigger stake of the team. I think there’s a change in how we think and how we operate, but I think the good thing, what they’ve done well, is to keep what we had before, as well. It’s not like we’re just a completely new team. We kept our philosophies, which has worked. We’re a very competitive team. We’re a successful team.I think McLaren has led us to just keep doing what we’re doing with added support both on the engineering side or financial backing. I think in every area there’s a lot of stones to be unturned during the off-season, and we’re just trying to improve a little bit everywhere.I think that’s where INDYCAR is at this stage. You can’t just find a massive gain anywhere. You have to keep working at the little details. I think that’s what McLaren has allowed us to do.
Q.Because of what happened in Detroit, it really set you back to what you were hired at that team to do in the first place. How important is it for you to get off to a really fast start in 2022?FELIX ROSENQVIST: It’s for sure important to start the year not in the way that I did last year. I think it’s also important to not try to overcomplicate and overachieve. I think we just need a solid start to the season to kind of get it going in a smooth way. That’s the way you want to do it in INDYCAR. You don’t want to risk it all in St. Pete and then have a lot of catch-up to do.For sure we can’t have a season like we had last year. I don’t have to explain all the things that happened. I think Detroit was only a little part to be honest in everything that was going down.We’re excited and we have no reason to think that’s going to happen again. As I say, if we can get off to a smooth start that’s going to help a lot, as well.
Q.With your new engineer Craig Hampson, does it give you a bigger confidence level than you had before this?FELIX ROSENQVIST: I’ve known Craig for quite some time now, and I think personally we get along. I think that’s what makes me most excited to work with him.He was on my radio already last year. He was calling my races for the last bit of the season.But I like to talk with him about the car, and in general we spend quite a lot of time just discussing different things about setups and life in general, which I think is good. You kind of need that almost like father-and-son relationship with your engineer, and we spend a lot of time together. I feel like we really get along on a personal level, so I’m excited about that.His record speaks for itself. He’s been in this business for a long time, and INDYCAR is a category where you need that kind of hands-on experience. You can’t just win by being let’s say the most clever engineer. You have to kind of feel the sport and you know what’s going on and see it with your own eyes. I think that’s what Craig really has.
THE MODERATOR: To clarify, Craig was your strategist last year or he was just on the radio?FELIX ROSENQVIST: Whatever you want to call it. He was in my ear. I don’t know the official term for it. It’s so different from what you see in Europe. In Europe you would say he was my engineer but here I guess you would say he was my strategist or calling the race.
Q.I wanted to know if you could explain in simple terms how different your car felt at the start of the year compared with how different it felt at the end of the year, and was it just a feel thing and a confidence building thing or was it simply actually making it faster?FELIX ROSENQVIST: I think a bit of both. I think it was never an easy car to drive for me or Pato for that matter. It was definitely something to get used to in the beginning, and somewhere along — we had a Portland test in the middle of the year and I think that’s where I actually found — we make some big grounds in the setup for my liking, and I think that gave me some confidence with the car, and it all kind of spiraled in the right direction, let’s say.As I said before, it’s just details. It’s not — you’ll never find something that is like, oh, now we’re winning every race. It’s always the small things.But I think that’s actually the time we found something that worked, and the results went a lot better from that point, so just that little added confidence just took me to another level really.Those are the kind of things you want to find, and now we had an off-season to really look at things, and you sit back and go through all the data, go through all the races, and I’ve had some time to really work on myself and feel prepared in a different way compared to what it was at this time last year.
Q.Is it safe to say that your car is now set up so that you and Pato have diverged a lot more for 2022 in terms of car setups?FELIX ROSENQVIST: I mean, that’s a target at least, but with the amount of driving we get these days, nothing is for sure. I mean, we have one day of testing before we hit St. Pete, and there’s a lot of expectation and a lot of things we’re going to have to get done in that day at Sebring.I’m not going to make any promises about what’s been done or what’s going to be done, but let’s say we’re pretty confident that we made some big grounds when it comes to drivability, which was the main issue for me last year.
Q.Just wanted to ask about Craig again. Wanted to ask how much of an initial impact you think he can have because obviously it’s been a big topic of conversation about him joining you and I wonder if people can overestimate the impact on what you’re going to be doing this year really.FELIX ROSENQVIST: (Audio interruption.) Focus over the off-season. I’d say I have great hopes and expectations working with Craig, but I don’t think — that change alone is not going to change the world, but there’s much more in the background going on let’s say.
THE MODERATOR: What has been your off-season? Any big accomplishments or boxes checked or vacations taken?FELIX ROSENQVIST: No vacations actually. There was quite a lot of time spent with family that I didn’t really get to do last year, so that was nice. That felt needed after a tough year.I’ve been spending quite a lot of time on the simulator doing some virtual championships over the winter, so that’s been fun. It’s not really for nothing more than fun really, but that’s been eating up quite a lot of time.Just kind of had some time to reflect on things and get some good old energy back into the system.
Q.Can you tell us something about Pato that people don’t know.FELIX ROSENQVIST: I think everyone knows everything about him because he’s not really a closed person, is he.
Q.What is he like to have as a teammate?FELIX ROSENQVIST: Great fun, man. I mean, you can see I’m smiling right now just thinking about it. I think we have a perfect combo because both of us are pretty open with each other. We’re not really hiding stuff. In general we have a good time. Like it makes the day go quicker when you have days like this or long days with filming or media or whatever. It just makes time pass quickly when you have fun with each other.I guess that’s more than you can expect sometimes in racing. You can’t pick your teammates. Most of them are fast, but many of them are not maybe the guy you want to spend the day with.No, it’s good fun. We spend quite a lot of time outside of our professional hours, as well, and dinners and just hanging out. It’s really good fun.
THE MODERATOR: Were you suggesting that today is a long day?FELIX ROSENQVIST: Let’s see. Let’s see. It started early, that’s for sure.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Pro Late Models Set to Tackle Third Annual Sunshine Nationals at Volusia
Whitener, Hedgecock, McCarter and more set to battle for $10,000 grand prize on Saturday
BARBERVILLE, FL – Jan. 18, 2022 – The first two editions of the DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals saw the Pro Late Models with the highest car count of any division on the card. That trend looks to continue this weekend as the best Crate-engine drivers in the nation gather at Volusia Speedway Park in search of one $10,000 grand prize.
A night of practice starts the on-track activity on Wednesday, Jan. 19, followed by two nights of preliminary racing action before the finale on Saturday night. The Pro (604) Late Models race for $1,500 on Thursday, $2,000 on Friday and the $10,000 check on Saturday, making this one of the most lucrative Crate Late Model races on the winter racing calendar.
All three nights of racing will be broadcast live on DIRTVision. Sign up for a FAST PASS subscription today and be on the lookout for the following drivers to make some noise this weekend.
Here are the drivers to watch and storylines to follow this weekend…
MAGIC SHOW – Mark Whitener, of Middleburg, FL, comes into the Sunshine Nationals as one of the most accomplished 604 Crate Late Model racers in the field. Last season, he won two Crate Racin’ USA Challenge Series events en route to the Series title, plus a $10,000 marquee victory in the RUSH-sanctioned Bill Emig Memorial event last summer.
Magic Man was a threat to win on both nights of Sunshine Nationals Pro Late Model competition last year, coming in third behind Michael Page and Mack McCarter in the Thursday night prelim before a sixth-place run in Saturday’s finale to cap off the weekend.
ON A MISSION – If there’s any driver coming to Volusia this weekend with a strong sense of vengeance, it’s Super Late Model veteran Michael Page.
Page, of Douglasville, GA, is one of only two Pro Late Model Feature winners in event history, breaking inaugural champion Kyle Bronson’s event win streak with a victory in the opening night last year. After a wash-out on Friday, Page took to the track for the Saturday finale and dominated to win the 30-lap event, or so it seemed at first. Upon a failed post-race engine inspection, Page was disqualified, handing the win over to runner-up Bronson.
This weekend, Page is projected to be in the Pro Late Model field once again, aiming to win the big show and avenge his lost championship from 2021.
MACK IS BACK – Mack McCarter, the 2021 Sunshine Nationals Pro Late Model champion from Gatlinburg, TN, returns to Volusia this weekend to defend his title just one year after denying Bronson of a repeat.
McCarter had an impressive showing against a 64-car field last year, finishing runner-up on both nights of competition. Over 55 total Feature laps, McCarter advanced 35 spots of position, going 19th-second on Thursday and 20th-second on Saturday. For his efforts, a shiny trophy for his cabinet after edging out Bronson for the title by five points.
CRATE MASTER – Two-time Crate Racin’ USA champion Cory Hedgecock joins the Pro Late Model field this weekend, looking for his first trip to Sunshine Nationals Victory Lane after winning big two weekends ago in Alabama.
Hedgecock, of Loudon, TN, has the early season momentum rolling with a win in the Crate Late Model portion of the annual Ice Bowl event at Talladega Short Track, defeating several Crate touring regulars he’ll encounter again this weekend.
Hedgecock’s Sunshine Nationals track record has been strong as well, coming home 8th in the 2020 finale, followed by a third-place to McCarter and Bronson last year.
TRIPLE THREAT – The cousin-trio of Jody, Jake and Dylan Knowles are all projected to be in attendance this weekend, chasing their first Sunshine Nationals victories.
Dylan was crowned champion of Crate Racin’ USA’s Winter Shootout Series in 2021. Jake finished third in Crate Racin’ points last year and ran second to Hedgecock at Talladega two weeks ago, while Jody ran two spots behind in fourth.
Jake and Jody have both made the Sunshine Nationals big show on Saturday night in both years they’ve competed. All three drivers made the finale last year as well; Jake topped the clan with a ninth-place finish.
CORVETTE RACING AT DAYTONA: New Year, New Challenge
| First weekend for team, Chevrolet and Corvette C8.R in GTD PRO category · Three-day test ahead of Corvette Racing’s quest for repeat Rolex 24 wins· 100-minute race Sunday to set grid for 2022 IMSA opener· Pair of Corvette C8.Rs part of 13-car GTD PRO field |
| MARCO SORENSEN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: Honestly, I can’t wait to meet and work with the full Corvette Racing team and get things going. To go racing with a team like this is going to be a real pleasure. I met some of the team at the race shop and got my first real look at the C8.R and spent some time in the simulator last week. It’s a really good setup and very useful to help me get ready for Daytona. The Roar and the qualifying event are obviously good opportunities to get some laps in the car and get comfortable with everything so we can get the job done in the real race.” |  |
| Corvette Racing at Daytona1999No. 2 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel/John Paul Jr. – 3rd in GTSNo. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Scott Sharp/John Heinricy – 12th in GTS 2000No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel/Justin Bell – 2nd in GTSNo. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 10th in GTS 2001No. 2 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Chris Kneifel/Franck Freon – 1st in GTS (overall win)No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Dale Earnhardt/Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 2nd in GTS 2014No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ryan Briscoe – 10th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Robin Liddell – 5th in GTLM 2015No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ryan Briscoe – 1st in GTLM (Magnussen fastest race lap)No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Simon Pagenaud – 3rd in GTLM (Gavin pole) 2016No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 2nd in GTLM (Garcia fastest race lap)No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 1st in GTLM (Winner by 0.034 second) 2017No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 4th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 9th in GTLM 2018No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 3rd in GTLM (Magnussen pole)No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 4th in GTLM 2019No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 6th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 8th in GTLM 2020 (Rolex 24 – January)No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 4th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 7th in GTLM 2020 (WeatherTech 240 – July)No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM 2021No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 1st in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy/Alexander Sims – 2nd in GTLM |
CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES 2022 MEDIA CONTENT DAYS INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
JANUARY 17,2022 AJ FOYT RACING DRIVERS DALTON KELLETT, KYLE KIRKWOOD AND TATIANA CALDERON met with members of the media during 2022 NTT INDYCAR Series Media Content Days. Full transcripts: DALTON KELLETT, NO. 4 K-LINE AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET:THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Dalton Kellett. Welcome.DALTON KELLETT: How’s it going?
THE MODERATOR: We spoke to you the other day, you had one teammate. Now you have two.DALTON KELLETT: As of this morning, two. It’s exciting.
THE MODERATOR: Let’s talk about your role in this. Probably going to do a little bit of advising and coaching and leading as the senior member of this organization. Seems strange to believe 24 races in, a senior member. How does that role suit you?DALTON KELLETT: I mean, I would put some air quotes on that. The team and I have talked. Realistically I’m not Seb with four championships and all the wins under his belt. The relationship between myself and Kyle and Tatiana won’t be the same. I think it will be a communal engineering. The experience I do have, haven’t had a chance to have yet in INDYCAR, I’m sure when those moments come up, there will be questions. I’m more than happy to lend whatever experience I can to help them along.
THE MODERATOR: Better to have experience than no experience.DALTON KELLETT: 100%.
THE MODERATOR: You must have some empathy for what they’re about to go through. It’s a challenging road.DALTON KELLETT: It’s a big undertaking even for the most prepared drivers. Kyle certainly is one of the most successful drivers to come out of the Road to Indy in a while. It will still be an adjustment for him I’m sure. When you get into INDYCAR, there’s a lot that you have to learn as far as the feedback you need, Firestone reds, the schedule, the cadence is different than it is in Lights. There’s a lot more going on as far as the engine, dampers, feedback, all that.That will be certainly an adjustment. It’s exciting to see how the team gets on.
THE MODERATOR: You referenced Bourdais, maybe not specifically things he did for you, but what a difference having a real veteran in an organization does for a young driver.DALTON KELLETT: I think for me it was great to have sort of — whether his way of doing things is the right way or not, it still gives you a direction that you and as the rookie can kind of riff off of. It took some of the decision making out of my hands, sort of put it in his. I was able to focus on driving technique, the bits of feedback I was giving to the engineer.For me coming into it green as far as INDYCAR is concerned, that was a good thing. Then specifically just looking at, like, sort of Seb’s braking technique. Things I caught onto that we talked about that were helpful.
THE MODERATOR: How much undertaking is that going to be for the new drivers going to a new venue?DALTON KELLETT: It’s always an adjustment when you haven’t been somewhere. Thinking back to Detroit, Nashville, I think those were the only two new ones for me last year. To be honest, I felt like those two events were actually strong for us, for our program.I think a big part of that is doing the preparation on the simulator and the team looking at video. I think as long as they’re the type where they can get something out of the sims, I think that will be a good preparation tool for them. Obviously that’s kind of like specific to each person, whether you like simulators or not. For me I thought that was a good tool preparing for those races.
THE MODERATOR: They say in sports the jump from year one to two is the biggest jump. Did you see that jump in your improvement? I assume you would expect that to carry over into year three.DALTON KELLETT: As far as what I felt personally, I felt there was a tangible, sizable jump there. The results weren’t what we always wanted, but we had some highlights at Gateway, some races that were going well. We had some consistency issues that I feel like we’ve dealt with from the mechanical side that shouldn’t hamper us.Coming back at it with the experience of sort of that year and a half is going to be really helpful.
THE MODERATOR: Your oval program, obviously that’s where your biggest strength had been previously. I was going to note Gateway, you finished 12th. You must feel Indianapolis, maybe Texas, good places for you?DALTON KELLETT: I think so. I think the ovals were sort of less of a question mark for us last year. I think still kind of the theme of last year was that qualifying was a bit of a struggle. Track position is just so important in these races, if you don’t get that good starting position, it can be really difficult to make the positions up. It’s really to work on the qualifying side. That puts you in the position to have sort of a place that you can kind of strike from, not just — when you’re starting towards the back, you’re already in a bad spot as far as the first pit cycle with the leaders coming up close. Being up the field at the start is goal one, no matter what track you’re on.
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.Q.You mentioned ovals, last season being a bit of your strong suit. Qualifying something you need to focus on. What in particular with qualifying do you need to focus on? On the back end of that, what have you been working on the most during the off-season?DALTON KELLETT: I think with qualifying, really it’s getting the most out of that. You really have one or two laps to kind of get it done, ensuring that the first lap you’re up to speed enough where you have a lap in the bang. Once you already have that safe lap, really just going to 100% and maximizing everything you can to get every last hundredth out of the car and yourself on that last lap that counts. I think that’s really the focus.It’s really to the point where it’s more of a mental game than a technique, all that. You know what you need to do, it’s kind of executing it without making mistakes, or if you make a small mistake just moving on and not being too affected by it. It’s really getting that mental approach down where you can attack qualifying like you need to.
Q.You mentioned your two other teammates, which makes A.J. Foyt now a three-car operation. Do you think this will help your development process? Will there be too many cooks in the kitchen?DALTON KELLETT: That’s a good question. Obviously anytime you add another entry to an existing program, there’s going to be a learning period and a time where we’re all getting used to how the work flows together.The good thing is that there’s two fresh faces, so it’s kind of like a fresh start. Not like you’re throwing something into an existing program. The team has done a great job as far as putting the necessary personnel together. I’m confident from that standpoint in my limited time with Kyle and Tatiana it seems they’ll be great to work with. We’ll have to see how things work out.
Q.Tatiana tested with A.J. Foyt last season. She obviously knows her stuff within the team. How beneficial is that going to be to you with her bringing in a fresh perspective, also with Kyle as well?DALTON KELLETT: Certainly. I think they’ll both bring some fresh aspects to what we’re thinking from a setup standpoint. That is kind of the good thing about rookies, I felt it in the last couple years, there was a time with Seb where he had a preconceived notion of what the car should be and what it could be before the aeroscreen. You add in the aeroscreen, it totally affects, changes what the car can even do. Sometimes it’s beneficial to have that blank slate. I think that will be a good thing.Obviously Tatiana is coming with a pretty wide background as far as her experience in different formulas, different cars. Same with Kyle. He’s racing Daytona in a couple weeks. He’s obviously been doing pretty well in the Road to Indy. They’re both coming in with a lot of great experience. It will be exciting to see what they bring to it as far as the setup and technical standpoint.
Q.What would be a strong, solid season for you? Top 10s or further up?DALTON KELLETT: I think given where we were last year, we want to be incremental, right? You want to focus on breaking the top 15, do that consistently, then kind of go from there.I think for the first quarter of the year, definitely the main goals are improving in qualifying and consistently finishing ahead of where we were last year. If we can be getting towards that 15 to 12 mark where we finished up at Gateway for our best finish last year, if we can best that at this point this year and be a little more consistent around that range, that would be a very strong step up for the team and myself.
Q.Last year you were the teammate of Sebastien Bourdais. What have you learned from him?DALTON KELLETT: To give you a really specific example, I think something that we see in junior formula, sort of the way you attack the brakes is prescribed in a very specific way. Seb without going into specifics was maybe doing things a little bit differently, just the way he was ramping up the brakes, kind of leading into it, was a bit different to what I’d done previously. I thought that was a good — it wasn’t like I applied it everywhere because sometimes what works for one person doesn’t always work for the other. It sort of made me think about rechecking what I was doing, think about the technique that I hadn’t really considered.When you see someone doing it a bit differently, you kind of think back and sort of reevaluate what you’re doing, see what works and what doesn’t. Moments during the year he was doing things differently, we talked through it. That was a good learning opportunity for me.
Q.If Paul Tracy and Greg Moore were racing now, you be just an INDYCAR fan from Canada, who would you be looking for more?DALTON KELLETT: I would probably be Team Greg. I love P.T. He’s certainly a Canadian legend in the INDYCAR world. I think Greg was definitely a fan favorite as well. I would be Team Red Gloves. Sorry, Paul.
Q.Now that you’re taking a leadership role, which advice would you give Tatiana and Kyle? Which advice would you give to each of them?DALTON KELLETT: I think the best thing you can do as a rookie really is to take things step by step, whether you’re experienced or not. Coming into an INDYCAR is going to be a big adjustment, there’s a lot going on. Focusing on what you’re doing, trying to excel at one thing, maybe not getting too lost in the big picture, really focus on what you can control at that moment.Then just making sure you’re staying on top of preparation, being kind of ready when you get to the track. These weekends go a lot quicker and are a lot busier than you might have been in, say, Indy Lights or different series. Where you thought before you might have had the time to do some prep, video or data, you’re probably not going to have the time to do as much of that stuff as you did before. Making sure you’re kind of ready when you get to the track is a good way to start every event.
THE MODERATOR: It changes from teammate to teammate, but how quickly do you establish a bond?DALTON KELLETT: Depends on personalities. Some you click with right away. Some it grows a little bit. Seb and I weren’t best buddies right off the bat. After the year we spent together, that relationship got better and better. Might be an age thing, too. When you’re younger, have more common interests, you might click right away.As far as working together, I think we’re all professionals. As far as the engineering room goes, I think that’s going to come together certainly by the end of the first event or so I’d say. The initial sort of gelling, then from that you’re getting more and more in tune with each other.
THE MODERATOR: You’ll be with Tatiana and Kyle at Wednesday’s test. Will you spend more time thinking about the changes that are made, how that applies to your program, or more attentive to their needs?DALTON KELLETT: My engineer asked me to bring a camera, take some video and stuff, so I have some assignments as far as stuff they want to get. The focus is obviously on the two cars that are there at the test. That’s the objective for that day.From my perspective, I’m certainly going to be also spending time just hearing how they talk with the engineers, seeing what the changes are, what the effects are. It will be an interesting exercise to kind of see the other side of it, see how the team is working together. I’d say a little bit of both.
Q.Your third season, now you’re the seasoned veteran. How strange is that, the longest tenured driver out of this group of three?DALTON KELLETT: It’s a unique position to be in. It’s certainly exciting. I think we talked about it a bit earlier, but it’s important to emphasize. I think the relationship is different when you have a rookie like myself the last year and Seb, a seasoned veteran, a known quantity, versus what we’re going into this year, which is a semi veteran and then two rookies. I think it will be maybe a bit more of a communal aspect.On the flipside there’s definitely experience I have had doing a year and a half in INDYCAR that the other two won’t. Certainly in any situation that I can help and offer my experience, I’ll be certainly doing that.
Q.Last week fellow Canadian announced he’ll be running an entire IMSA season, Robby Wickens. How proud are you of being able to see him be able to get to the point in his rehab to return to racing?DALTON KELLETT: Yeah, I’m confident to say there were a lot of tears shed that day by a lot of people in the racing industry. An inspiring story. I train at Pit.Fit, where Robby does a lot of his rehab. To see him work that hard in the last few years is inspiring. I know Robby back from the karting days. To see Brian seem give him a chance to get back in it, it’s an amazing thing.FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
KYLE KIRKWOOD, NO. 14 ROKIT AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET:THE MODERATOR: Welcome Kyle Kirkwood. You’ve had some time in the car. Will you have more before St. Petersburg? Excitement so far?KYLE KIRKWOOD: I’m ecstatic. Finally starting now. Got through the holidays. Seems surreal for me. I thought there would be a moment where I’d be able to take a break, look back at my career over the junior formulas. Now I’m ready to get into it, start racing. Yeah, there hasn’t been time to relax. We’re all gas right now trying to get ready for the start of the season here in February.
THE MODERATOR: We learned the other day that Kyle is big on spear fishing and spending a lot of time around the ocean. We’re sorry for your luck this morning being in Indianapolis.KYLE KIRKWOOD: Yeah, it’s definitely colder here. You don’t want to get into the water here. Most of the lakes are frozen, that’s what I’ve found out. I’ve only seen snow like 10 times. Flew up here Saturday, there was snow. Making snowballs out in front of Chris Wheeler’s house.The water stays warm in Florida, spend a lot of time in the water surfing, spear fishing, diving. That’s kind of how I grew up.
THE MODERATOR: 10 times of seeing snow?KYLE KIRKWOOD: I rarely ever see snow.
THE MODERATOR: Where would your experience have been?KYLE KIRKWOOD: In the snow? I’ve seen it once in Canada, once when I went to France for the FIA award banquet, started snowing, which I thought was incredible, right before I went to the awards ceremony. Saw snow a couple days ago. I’m kind of forgetting where else I’ve seen it. Not many times.
THE MODERATOR: Second time here this season. Pretty lucky.KYLE KIRKWOOD: Oh, really?
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.Q.You came up through Road to Indy. Had quite a bit of success in each level. Are you tempering your expectations at all or are you expecting to be right up at the front?KYLE KIRKWOOD: Of course it’s going to be a tougher crowd racing in INDYCAR. I fully expect that. That’s what I’ve known coming up through all the ranks. Most of the drivers in Road to Indy are rookies. I’m coming into INDYCAR as a rookie where there are veteran drivers that have been here for 15 years I think some of them have been.It’s all new to me. Of course, I have to take a step back, know I need to learn some things. Most of the time, most of the categories, I came into it knowing I probably had the most knowledge. Now I’ve got probably the least.
Q.Another advantage of the Road to Indy is you race on a lot of the same tracks as INDYCAR. There are a few you haven’t been on. Any you’re looking forward to?KYLE KIRKWOOD: I would make it easy and say the Indy 500. I’ve never driven on a superspeedway. Never driven a car with speedway trim on it. Did a test with Andretti. I have a feeling for how fast the car is going to be, but I’m really looking forward to getting on some ovals.
THE MODERATOR: Tony Kanaan mentioned this is his 24th INDYCAR season, 24 in INDYCAR.KYLE KIRKWOOD: That’s incredible. That’s incredible. It shows I’m a rookie coming into it. He’s been racing it longer than I’ve been alive.Q.You have a veteran driver starting his third season in INDYCAR, two rookies. When you think about A.J. Foyt, the dynamics of that team, it’s pretty interesting, especially when you put A.J. in the middle of it all. Almost like you’re learning from the man who created it.
KYLE KIRKWOOD: That is very true. I have not had the honor of meeting A.J. yet or being able to speak with him. I’m hoping to very soon. That guy is a world of knowledge, right? He’s been around this sport for so many years, seen everything. Hopefully I can hone in on him and get as much as I can from him.Being around A.J. Foyt Racing has been phenomenal. They’ve been super open, brought me in as their family, been awesome with sharing data with me, making sure I’m super up to speed with their tests.
Q.Can you talk a bit about your off-season. I know there were heavy rumors about possibly getting into Andretti, then it became Foyt. Talk about that process.KYLE KIRKWOOD: I have to jog my memory how much I can talk about it.I know Michael did come out at a press conference speaking about the F1 deal, whatnot. Just bounced off of him. They did have the option for a period of time. Once they found out they couldn’t fill me into a seat, they opened up that option. We made some calls. A.J. Foyt Racing was the best fit for us.
Q.You get one track in the world to race on, what would it be? What are you driving?KYLE KIRKWOOD: That’s a good question.There’s two races that I’ve always loved. I’m going to name two off. It’s going to be the 500 in INDYCAR, something I’ve watched ever since I was super young. Then Monaco in F1. Two pretty easy go-tos there.
Q.Slightly awkward question. Obviously we’ve seen Foyt struggling over the last couple of years. Does that take any pressure off you in your learning season, that less is expected of you than if you had been thrown into a Ganassi or Penske car?KYLE KIRKWOOD: It does. It does take pressure off of me. At the same time I think it’s beneficial for me because, like I’ve said, the team has been super open with me. They want to learn, too. I’ve been able to bring some kind of experience over from my history, try and hone in and try and get something out of our car here.I think we’re going to grow together as a team. I think the chemistry has been working out perfectly.
Q.Obviously Dalton has some experience. He’s made the same transition as you. Obviously Tatiana has no experience. Is that also difficult to have one relatively inexperienced and one totally inexperienced?KYLE KIRKWOOD: That’s kind of been my entire history in junior formulas. I’ve never really had somebody to base stuff off of. It’s nothing new to me. I wish I did have a mentor coming up through Road to Indy, F4, F3. I really didn’t. It’s nothing special. I’ve kind of been in this position my entire life.
Q.A.J. should be useful there.KYLE KIRKWOOD: Very much so.
Q.You can’t hit the motor with a hammer. Didn’t work for him.KYLE KIRKWOOD: Right (laughter).
Q.Other than the Indy 500, what track are you most looking forward to?KYLE KIRKWOOD: I’m going to say Mid-Ohio. Mid-Ohio has been a track I’ve had the most success at. Actually I would say Mid-Ohio and St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg is like a home race for me, somewhere we always start off the season. I really enjoy that place, a lot of good memories there. But Mid-Ohio is a place that I’ve driven so much at over every single one of the categories I’ve been in. I’ve won it in every single category I’ve driven in. That’s somewhere that I always look forward to going back to and racing at. Like I said, it’s a place I have the most experience at.
Q.I know you said you haven’t talked to A.J. yet. You probably do most of your dealings with Larry. Eventually you will cross paths with A.J. What do you hope to learn from him or experience?KYLE KIRKWOOD: Yeah, the biggest thing I want to ask him is stuff about ovals because that guy is a legend around ovals, right? Even though it’s something so far back in history or in the past, it definitely translates over to today.As much information as I can get out of him for ovals. In the Road to Indy, we only did a few ovals, we ran at St. Louis, then Lucas Oil Raceway. My oval experience isn’t that vast. I think having him on my side is definitely going to help that.
Q.You’re one of many INDYCAR drivers that are going to be in the Rolex, not a new event for you, but a new class. I know Lexus wants to win it very badly. How much could a big weekend in Daytona sort of launch your year?KYLE KIRKWOOD: That’s a good question because every single one of my seasons have all been based off of kind of momentum it seems like. Usually my worst race is the first race of the year, then I build on top of that, I start getting strings of wins by the end of the year. Obviously it’s going to be a lot harder in INDYCAR. That’s my tendency.Starting it off early with the 24 hour, trying to get into that race mode, is super important. I did it last year. It was a huge help. Being with the Lexus guys, Vasser Sullivan, has been a blessing in my career because I’ve learned so much with them in sports cars that actually translates over to INDYCAR.
Q.This team has been up and down the last couple years. As a rookie joining a team where you don’t have a ton of experienced teammates on a team that has been still working hard to get a podium or a win these last several years, what will you use to gauge what you would deem a successful season?KYLE KIRKWOOD: I think that kind of comes with us in the team, how we perceive us doing well. I think that is just capitalizing on what we can do, right?If we come into a weekend, we know we can do well, we don’t do well, that’s not a good weekend for us, we haven’t maximized what we can do.Our goal is to progress the car as much as possible. I need to learn myself as a new INDYCAR driver, as a rookie. Like I’ve said, I think we can build off of each other and maybe grow something great. There’s some big things happening with the team, a lot of new people onboard, some new development going on.I think we have the good chance of turning some heads this year.
Q.You would say maybe more of a subjective thing or feeling, internal way to grade your season rather than off of podiums and wins?KYLE KIRKWOOD: That’s correct, yeah. You can only do as well as you can, as well as the equipment is, how well I’m driving, whatever it might be, what the conditions are. It all comes from within. I don’t think you can look from the outside, you can’t be in third person trying to figure out how you’re doing. That just comes from within. How you feel as a team is more important.
Q.Three Road to Indy championships. What has that program meant to your career? Would you be here without it?KYLE KIRKWOOD: 100% no. Not 100%. It’s made it so much easier for me because as everyone knows finding sponsorships, funding, junior categories, is nearly impossible. The return on investment for sponsors is pretty much non-existent because there’s none of this broadcasting, being able to put things out. A lot of sponsorships aren’t visible.Having those scholarships from the Road to Indy has been absolutely crucial for my career. That all started from 2012, my first scholarship was with AJ Allmendinger, a couple years later Team USA scholarship. After I would be the P4 scholarship, Honda had a scholarship to go to F3. All the Road to Indys, leading up now to what is INDYCAR, a 1.25 million dollars scholarship into INDYCAR. I don’t think I would have made it here this quick.I think there’s a possibility I would have still made it to INDYCAR without the scholarships, but this has obviously made it a much easier transition.
Q.At the beginning of your career, maybe you were aiming for Formula 1. Do you think getting into INDYCAR is a step towards Formula 1 or do you think INDYCAR will be it in your progress?KYLE KIRKWOOD: That all depends on kind of what happens, doesn’t it?I think every young karting driver when you’re five, six, seven years old, you look at Formula 1 as the pinnacle. But there is kind of a transition in my mind when I was probably 10 or 11 years old where I started watching the Indy 500s. This is what I want to do.I think INDYCAR is very enjoyable. I think there’s been some past F1 drivers that have come over here and said if you have the chance, come do this 100%.I kind of look at it as where I want to be in my life. I like to stay over in the States, to be honest. That keeps me over here. I love INDYCAR racing. This is the ultimate goal for me at the moment. I don’t foresee anything happening where I change my plans and move to Formula 1.
THE MODERATOR: Today is often a day of rookie trouble from the veterans. Any pranking going on?KYLE KIRKWOOD: Nothing yet. Nothing that I’ve noticed.
THE MODERATOR: Keep your head on a swivel.KYLE KIRKWOOD: I was actually thinking that this morning in the hotel. This is Content Day. There’s definitely going to be some rookie pranks going on.
THE MODERATOR: You arrive on a day without Rossi, without Herta, without Conor.KYLE KIRKWOOD: Without Conor especially, yes (laughter).
THE MODERATOR: You figured out the pecking order. Kanaan you might want to watch on.KYLE KIRKWOOD: My head is on a swivel around him always.FastScripts Transcript by ASAP SportsTATIANA CALDERON, NO. 11 ROKIT AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET:THE MODERATOR: Welcome Tatiana Calderon. Tatiana, this was announced this morning, your ride with AJ Foyt Racing and Rocket as the sponsorship. I know this has been in discussion. Give us some background on how long the process has been.TATIANA CALDERON: Yeah, it’s been an amazing time that I have spent with Rocket for the last two years in Super Formula in Japan, but obviously when the chance came to test an INDYCAR last July and I felt really great with the team in the car, of course. We’ve been in discussions really since then, but good things take time, and we finally managed to put everything together last week.I’m very excited, very thankful to both Rocket and AJ Foyt for this amazing opportunity and to really start this thing quite soon and get acclimatized with the car and the team around me.
Q.You’ve had the one test; what has been your other INDYCAR experience in terms of attending races? How many have you been to?TATIANA CALDERON: Well, I started my career here in U.S. in Star Mazda 10 years ago. It’s been a while. So I know some of the tracks that I tried to remember everything. Of course a lot of things have changed. But I’ve always been kind of following INDYCAR because also I come from Colombia, Juan Pablo Montoya has been racing here in America for many years. He’s been kind of my idol, as well.But in the garage it was only Mid-Ohio that I had the chance to really see an INDYCAR team from the inside. Yeah, a lot of things to learn for me this year.
Q.The Japan transition has been very good for — we saw last year with Alex Palou. Do you expect to be prepared for this endeavor?TATIANA CALDERON: Yeah, I think Super Formula is a great preparation for any single seater series. I think it’s a super quick car, very tricky. Also I had to learn how to communicate differently. The culture was very different, as well. But I think that has prepared me more for this opportunity.Of course I don’t expect anything to be very easy, particularly at the beginning, because I’ve only done one test day in INDYCAR. I think we’ll have probably three days before the first race.A lot of things to take in, but I think it was a great preparation with Super Formula and sports cars that I have been racing the last couple of years, as well, to help with fuel save, with tire save and pit stops and all that. I think it’s been quite good for my career.
Q.Have you been to the team shop down in Texas yet?TATIANA CALDERON: Not in Texas, but their one here. We spent last week doing some seat fit and getting back into rhythm with everybody. Yeah, I’m excited to actually drive for the first time here in 2022.
Q.You have such an extensive resume behind you; what is it about INDYCAR that caught your attention, and also, do you believe that INDYCAR does a good job with female representation in motorsports?TATIANA CALDERON: I think INDYCAR has always been in my radar. I think I’ve always been very competitive, and I want to be where the best drivers are at, and I think INDYCAR is pretty high up there on the single seater ladder. I’ve always enjoyed single seaters quite a lot, as well.It’s an honor to be racing in INDYCAR after I started my career 10 years ago, and I was just watching those races. Yeah, huge privilege in that sense, and I think here in America, in INDYCAR, there has been many female drivers coming through, so I think there is more opportunity at the moment for us here.I will obviously make the most out of this opportunity, and I’m really hoping that I can do well and inspire even more girls to join in in karting, in single seaters, and that they know this is also a great opportunity to showcase that.Yeah, can’t wait to get started and see where we end up in the first race, but obviously build up to it step by step, and I think as long as we improve every time we’re on track, then I’ll be happy.
Q.Have you had a chance to meet AJ yet?TATIANA CALDERON: Sadly, no. We were supposed to meet very soon, but with all this COVID situation, with the weather, it’s been — it has not been easy. He had a birthday yesterday, as well.Yeah, hopefully very soon.
Q.Do you have any idea what to expect?TATIANA CALDERON: No, I think obviously I’ve read a lot of what he’s done, about the Indy 500, as well, everything that has won. I think it will be a privilege to be able to share some experiences with him, to look at him in the eyes. I think that’s one of the biggest things I would say sometimes when you have that connection, that feeling with somebody. Hopefully it will be very soon.
Q.Did you give any consideration to the ovals?TATIANA CALDERON: Yeah, definitely. Obviously I’ve only tested the car one day back in July, so we thought to take things easy to start off with, the road courses, build up to hopefully test in an oval, see how I feel, see how my confidence with the car comes.But of course who wouldn’t love to do Indy 500 one day. Yeah, we’re just taking it step by step.
Q.Are you still going to be a reserve driver, or has that come to an end?TATIANA CALDERON: I’m not sure at the moment, but my full focus is obviously here in INDYCAR. I want to do the best job I can, and I think in order to do that, I need to be focused on one thing. We’ll figure out the next bit in the future, but I’m just super excited with this opportunity and to be present and focused on one thing.
Q.We’ve had a lot of successful drivers from Formula 2 and Super Formula recently coming to INDYCAR. You’ve done both. What do you think your experiences, how can they help you getting into grips with INDYCAR this year?TATIANA CALDERON: Well, I think they will be very useful, all those experiences, particularly because there’s not much time that we have in the car in preseason, so only a couple of days of testing, so I’m kind of used to that. But yeah, all the tracks sort of will be quite new, especially with an INDYCAR. It’s quite a heavy, big car, just with the tires to get a feel for the degradation, as well, here.Because I’ve been changing continents and cars and tire manufacturers, I think that’s definitely going to help me to speed up the process, but I still want to take step by step this steep learning curve.Yeah, I don’t expect it to be any easier, but I definitely feel more ready than I was a couple of years back if I had the opportunity. Yeah, looking forward to making the most out of it and to learn as quick as possible.
Q.As I recall, now that I think more about it, weren’t you involved with Derek Daly and his driving academy years ago, so therefore you must have quite a relationship with the daily family and Conor even?TATIANA CALDERON: Yeah, we were teammates with Conor when we were driving with Juncos Racing in Star Mazda, and I worked with Derek, as well, the first couple of years that I was here in single seaters.Yeah, I’ve always felt really, really confident here. Everybody has been very open to help, as well, and yeah, I have a lot of relationship with many of the drivers that are here in INDYCAR. Yeah, it will be fun to see them back on track again after so many years.
Q.Who else in this paddock have you raced with?TATIANA CALDERON: Well, I raced against Alex, a little bit against Pato in Formula 2 where he did only one race. I’ve raced with Montoya, as well, in the World Endurance Championship. Yeah, I need to think, but there are many others for sure. Lundgaard, Callum Ilott, as well.
Q.Quite a few.TATIANA CALDERON: Yeah, I’m pretty sure I have more, but — Felix Rosenqvist, as well, in Formula 3. Yeah, a lot of familiar faces.
2022 Winternationals Bonus Money and Added Starting Positions
| Batavia, OH (January 17, 2022) – Wrisco Industries Inc., a long-time partner with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series continues their title sponsorship of the Wrisco Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park in 2022. Additional starting positions have been added to the feature each night at East Bay Raceway Park, compliments of Wrisco Industries and DirtonDirt.com. Wrisco Industries Inc. will give racers the opportunity at an additional starting spot in the feature event each night at East Bay Raceway Park based on the fastest qualifying driver that doesn’t transfer into the main event through a heat race or B-main. The additional starting spot will be titled the Wrisco Fast Time Provisional and will start 25th in each night’s feature event. In addition to the Wrisco Fast Time Provisional starting spot in the feature event, drivers will have another opportunity to transfer into the feature by competing in the Strawberry Dash-presented by DirtonDirt.com each night. Drivers that fail to transfer into the feature event through a heat race or B-main each can earn the 26th starting position by winning the Strawberry Dash-presented by DirtonDirt.com each night at East Bay Raceway Park. The winner of the Strawberry Dash-presented by DirtonDirt.com also collects a flat of Florida strawberries for their win in the dash. Racers that enter all fourteen (14) Lucas Oil Series speedweeks events starting with the Super Bowl of Racing at Golden Isles Speedway on January 27th will be eligible to earn extra cash awards from the Wrisco Speedweeks points fund. The top eight (8) drivers in the speedweeks point standings after the final event at East Bay Raceway Park and maintained perfect attendance through all fourteen (14) speedweeks events will receive additional cash awards, compliments of Wrisco Industries. “We want to thank Jim Monastra at Wrisco Industries and Michael Rigsby from DirtonDirt.com for the added incentives they are providing the racers during the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Speedweeks in 2022. Having partners that are willing to give additional incentives and cash to the racers during speedweeks shows their dedication and passion for our sport and allows us to continue with the most exciting events in Georgia and Florida during speedweeks. We look forward to another great year,” stated Wayne Castleberry, Corporate Sales and Marketing for Lucas Oil Motorsports. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 2022 GA/FL Speedweeks |
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| About Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt SeriesFounded in 2005, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series showcases the talents of the top dirt late model drivers from across the country. In 2022, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will sanction 65 events across 18 states, including some of the biggest marquee events in the industry, providing dirt slinging, sideways, door-to-door racing action lap after lap. The series receives national exposure through a television package filmed, produced and edited by Lucas Oil Production Studios. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events will be streamed live on MAVTV Plus, with broadcasts on MAVTV Motorsports Network. The in your face excitement of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is second to none in motorsports. For more information, including the latest news, tour schedule, driver information, and more, visit the official website at: www.LucasDirt.com. |
| 2022 Official Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Marketing Partners |
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| 2022 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Partners Include:Advanced Powder Coating, Ag Protect 1, Allstar Performance, Arizona Sport Shirts, Armslist.com, Automotive Racing Products, Big River Steel, Bilstein, Black Diamond Chassis, Boyd Bilt Fabrication, Brandon Ford, Brodix, Capital Race Cars, Cornett Racing Engines, CP Carrillo Pistons, DirtonDirt.com, DirtCarLift.com, Dirt Draft, Dirty Girl Racewear, Dixie Chopper, E3 Spark Plugs, Earnhardt Technologies Group, eBay Motors, Etchberger Trucking, Fast Shafts, General Tire, Heath Lawson Photography, Holmatro, Hoosier Tire, Hot Rod Processing, Keyser Manufacturing, K&N Engineering, LINE-X, Longhorn Chassis, Lucas Oil Products, MAVTV Motorsports Network, Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas, Midwest Sheet Metal, Miller Welders, MSD Performance, MyRacePass, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Öhlins Shocks, OPTIMA Batteries, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Outerwears, Penske Racing Shocks, Performance Bodies, Pit Stop USA, Pro Power Racing Engines, ProtectTheHarvest.com, Rocket Chassis, Rugged Radios, Schoenfeld Headers, Simpson Race Products, Slicker Graphics, Stop Tech Brakes, Sunoco Race Fuels, Super Clean, Swift Springs, Summit Racing Equipment, Thermo-Tec Automotive Products, UNOH – University of Northwestern Ohio, Vahlco Wheels, Vic Hill Race Engines, Whelen Engineering Company Inc, Wrisco Aluminum, 5150 Race Trailers |
NHRA TEAMS HEAD TO PHOENIX FOR 2022 PRESEASON TESTING
PHOENIX, AZ (January 17, 2022) — The stars of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series will begin preparing for their pursuits of Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock world championships from Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park outside of Phoenix, Arizona, during the PRO Nitro Spring Training test session slated for February 10-12. The testing sessions hosted by the Professional Racing Organization will be closed to the public except for Saturday, February 12, when fans who have purchased tickets to the NHRA Arizona Nationals will have the opportunity to purchase tickets for the on-track testing action. Fans may add on test session tickets to their Arizona Nationals ticket order online or they may call the NHRA Ticket Sales Center at 800-884-6472 if Nationals tickets have been previously purchased.
Almost 30 drivers from more than a dozen of the top professional NHRA teams, including nine current or former world champions, will be testing many with brand new race cars and new sponsors.
“We are glad to bring the Nitro Spring Training event to Phoenix and Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park,” said Alan Johnson, the president of PRO. “This is an exciting time of the year when teams are getting ready for a new season. There were a lot of changes to many teams this off-season so getting drivers and cars as many passes as possible will be critical. We are looking forward to a great 2022 NHRA season and this pre-season testing session is the first chance for us to show off for our fans.”
Among those heading to Arizona are reigning Funny Car champion Ron Capps as well as the entire contingent of Kalitta Motorsports including Doug Kalitta and Shawn Langdon in Top Fuel and J.R. Todd in his brand-new Toyota GR Supra Funny Car. John Force Racing will be represented by 16-time champion John Force, three-time champion Robert Hight and 2017 Top Fuel champion Brittany Force. Tony Stewart Racing drivers Matt Hagan and Top Fuel teammate Leah Pruett will be getting geared up for 2022.
Additionally, Top Fuel drivers three-time champ Antron Brown, Tony Schumacher, Mike Salinas, Doug Foley, Jim Maroney and Justin Ashley along with Funny Car pilots Paul Lee, two-time Funny Car champion Cruz Pedregon, Tim Wilkerson, and Bob Tasca III will be at the track. 2021 Rookie of the Year Dallas Glenn and Deric Kramer lead a diverse group of Pro Stock drivers who will be testing including Aaron Stanfield, Rodger Brogdon, Greg Anderson, Bo Butner, Troy Coughlin Jr, Fernando Cuarda Jr, Fernando Cuarda Sr, and Cristian Cuadra from Elite Performance.
Gates will open at 8:00 a.m. and teams will make runs throughout the day. There will not be a set schedule for runs and the last runs of the day will begin at approximately 5:00 p.m. Most drivers are planning on making at least one run on Saturday, however due to the nature of testing there are no guarantees on driver participation. For additional information visit https://racewildhorse.com/.
The 2022 NHRA season officially begins February 18 in Pomona, California with the historic NHRA Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com. The Camping World Drag Racing Series kicks off Friday with one qualifying session for Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock, followed by two more passes Saturday and final eliminations on Sunday, February 20.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: World of Outlaws Late Models open 2022 Season at Sunshine Nationals
Sheppard, Richards, Strickler, and a stout Rookie class get ready to square off at Volusia Speedway Park
BARBERVILLE, FL – January 17, 2022 – The wait is finally over.
The World of Outlaws Late Models kick off their 2022 campaign in Florida, Jan. 20-22, as part of the Sunshine Nationals Late-Model-Palooza at Volusia Speedway Park.
Three nights of high-octane action will see The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet battle for a $10,000 top prize each Feature, giving one driver the chance to walk away with $30,000.
This year marks the Series’ second appearance during the massive Late Model weekend. Home state hero Kyle Bronson, of Brandon, FL, picked up the inaugural Sunshine Nationals win with the World of Outlaws.
Joining the Series at The World’s Fastest Half-Mile are the DIRTcar Pro Late Models and 602 Late Models.
If you can’t make it to the track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision – either online on with the DIRTVision App.
Here are top storylines to what for this weekend:
The Drive for 5: The Sunshine Nationals mark the start of a potential historic journey for Brandon Sheppard, of New Berlin, IL. He’s two wins away from taking the top spot on the all-time wins list and a championship at the end of the season would make him the first driver in the history of the Series to reach five titles.
Sheppard won his third consecutive title in November – fourth overall – tying Josh Richards for the most Series championships all-time.
He’s had a ton of success as The World’s Fastest Half-Mile racking up six victories, including a clean sweep of DIRTcar Nationals in 2019. Sheppard was consistent on tracks a half-mile or larger in 2021 — scoring one win, five top-fives, and nine top-10s.
“The Rocket Shepp” is also coming in hot. He scored two wins in New Mexico earlier this month in his family-owned car.
Back with a Boom: Brandon Sheppard won’t be alone in the quest to claim the most World of Outlaws Late Model championships all-time. Josh Richards returns to the World of Outlaws Late Models full-time in 2022 behind the wheel of a car owned by fan-favorite Boom Briggs.
Like Sheppard, the Shinnston, WV driver has also found success at Volusia Speedway Park, winning five times at the Florida venue.
While “The Rocket Man” hasn’t been full-time with the Series since 2016, that hasn’t kept him out of Victory Lane. His last Series win came at the high-speed Bristol Motor Speedway half-mile last year.
Freshman Orientation: The 2022 World of Outlaws Late Models’ rookie class is one to keep an eye on this season with impressive resumes among them.
Six drivers have announced their plan to run for Rookie of the Year honors in 2022, all from different parts of the country.
Max Blair, from Centerville, PA, has the most World of Outlaws success out of the group, having already claimed three Series wins. However, Tanner English, from Benton, KY, is the only driver with an entire season of a national tour under his belt.
Joining them in the rookie battle will be Gary Dillon, from Wilson, NC, Gordy Gundaker, from St. Charles, MO, Jacob Ulrich, from Sand Springs, OK, and Kyle Hammer, from Clinton, IL.
As proven by last year’s Rookie of the Year, Tyler Bruening, a strong start to the season at Sunshine Nationals will go a long way to ending the season as the top rookie. While he didn’t pick up a win, his consistency catapulted him to third in points.
Volusia Tickler: No driver had more success at Volusia Speedway Park in 2021 than Kyle Strickler.
The Mooresville, NC driver won twice last season—the only driver to score multiple victories at The World’s Fastest Half-Mile.
In January 2021, the “Highside Tickler” held off Late Model legend Scott Bloomquist to score his first career win at Sunshine Nationals and backed it up with a win to open DIRTcar Nationals last February.
In five races on the half-mile oval, Strickler only finished out of the top-five once—a sixth on the final night of DIRTcar Nationals.
WHEN AND WHERE
Jan. 20-22 – Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, FL
ABOUT THE TRACKS
Volusia Speedway Park is a 1/2-mile oval
Online – https://volusiaspeedwaypark.com
Previous Volusia Speedway Park Winners
2021 – Kyle Bronson on Jan. 14, Kyle Strickler on Jan. 16, Kyle Strickler on Feb. 10, Devin Moran on Feb. 11, Brandon Overton on Feb. 12
2020 – Brandon Sheppard on Feb. 12, Jimmy Owens on Feb. 13, Feb. 14 & Feb. 15
2019 – Brandon Sheppard on Feb. 13, Feb. 14, Feb. 15 and Feb. 16
2018 – Tim McCreadie – Feb. 14; Dale McDowell – Feb. 15; Scott Bloomquist – Feb. 16; Brandon Sheppard – Feb. 17
2017- Shane Clanton on Feb. 24; Don O’Neal on Feb. 25
2016 – Josh Richards on Feb. 18, 19; Shane Clanton on Feb. 20
2015 – Shane Clanton on Feb. 19, 20, 21
2014 – Casey Roberts on Feb. 20; Kyle Bronson on Feb. 22
2013 – Scott Bloomquist on Feb. 21; Billy Moyer on Feb. 22; Darrell Lanigan on Feb. 23
2012 – Dennis Erb Jr. on Feb. 23; Billy Moyer on Feb. 25
2011 – Scott Bloomquist on Feb. 17; Scott Bloomquist on Feb. 19
2010 – Josh Richards on Feb. 11; Brady Smith on Feb. 13
2009 – Josh Richards on Feb. 12; Steve Francis on Feb. 14
2008 – Josh Richards on Feb. 14; Billy Moyer on Feb. 16
2007 – Josh Richards on Feb. 17
2006 – Earl Pearson Jr. on Feb. 16; Steve Francis on Feb. 18; Chris Madden on Oct. 14
2005 – Billy Moyer on Feb. 17; Tim McCreadie on Feb. 19; Scott Bloomquist on Oct. 29
2004 – Steve Francis on Feb. 3; Bart Hartman on Feb. 4; Shannon Babb on Feb. 6; Scott Bloomquist on Feb. 8
$250,000 Potential Bonus with the New Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Quest for Cash
| Batavia, OH (January 14, 2022) – Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series officials are excited to announce the Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Quest for Cash bonus in 2022. As part of the Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup, the Quest for Cash includes a potential bonus of $50,000, another bonus at $100,000 and a top bonus of $250,000. These bonuses are available to drivers that maintain perfect attendance with the series for the entire season and are based on a driver’s performance at the fourteen (14) Crown Jewel Cup Events in 2022. If a driver wins six (6) of the fourteen (14) Crown Jewel Cup events in 2022, that driver will receive a $50,000 bonus. A driver that wins eight (8) of fourteen (14) Crown Jewel Cup events will earn a $100,000 bonus and if a driver can win eleven (11) of the fourteen (14) Crown Jewel Cup events, that driver will earn a whopping $250,000 bonus.** The Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup is a fourteen (14) race mini-series within the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series schedule. First place winnings for the fourteen (14) Arizona Crown Jewel Cup events in 2022 comes to an extraordinary $718,000. The Arizona Sport Shirts Quest for Cash rewards series drivers that compete in the Crown Jewel Cup events in 2022. The first Crown Jewel Cup event in 2022 will be the 53rd Annual Hillbilly 100 at Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, WV on Friday April 8th paying $30,000 to win. “With the added bonus possibilities, these fourteen (14) Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup events on the 2022 schedule will be even more rewarding and lucrative for the drivers that follow the series in 2022,” stated Wayne Castleberry, Marketing and Sales for Lucas Oil Motorsports. “We are very proud to be a part of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and continue our support to all racers, tracks, and great fans. We are very excited to add the Quest for Cash bonus to the Crown Jewel Cup mini series and offer some big bucks as bonus to the racers that follow the Lucas Oil Series, ” Gerald Newton, Arizona Sport Shirts. Arizona Sport Shirts will continue to have a presence at each and every Lucas Oil Series event in 2022 with the Official Merchandise Trailer of the series onsite at all series events. You can also purchase the Official Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series merchandise at their extensive online store at: https://www.gottarace.com/collections/lucas-oil-late-model-dirt-series Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Event Schedule:April 8, 2022- Tyler County Speedway- 53rd Annual Hillbilly 100- $30,000 to winMay 28, 2022- Lucas Oil Speedway- Show-Me 100- $50,000 to winJune 4, 2022- West Virginia Motor Speedway- Historic 100- $50,000 to winJune 18, 2022- Smoky Mountain Speedway- Mountain Moonshine Classic- $50,000 to winJune 25, 2022- Lernerville Speedway- Firecracker 100- $50,000 to winJuly 3, 2022- Muskingum County Speedway- 21st Annual July 3rd Race- $30,000 to winJuly 9, 2022- Deer Creek Speedway- Gopher 50- $50,000 to winJuly 23, 2022- I-80 Speedway- Silver Dollar Nationals- $53,000 to winAugust 13, 2022- Florence Speedway- North/South 100- $75,000 to winAugust 20, 2022- Batesville Motor Speedway- Topless 100- $50,000 to winAugust 27, 2022- Port Royal Speedway- Rumble by the River- $50,000 to winSeptember 4, 2022- Tyler County Speedway- 54th Annual Hillbilly 100- $30,000 to winSeptember 17, 2022- Knoxville Raceway- Late Model Nationals- $50,000 to winOctober 15, 2022- Portsmouth Raceway Park- Dirt Track World Championship- $100,000 to win **A minimum of 11 of the scheduled 14 Crown Jewel Cup races must be completed during the 2022 season with a minimum of 24 cars entered at each of those events. To be eligible, the driver must have perfect attendance in all Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series races in 2022. About Arizona Sports Shirts:Founded more than four decades ago, Arizona Sport Shirts has provided bold, unique, and effective apparel for race teams, businesses, and special events. Today, Arizona Sport Shirts continues its commitment to providing cutting edge apparel and merchandise found nowhere else. More information on Arizona Sport Shirts, including online ordering details, is available at: www.ArizonaSportShirts.com. |
| About Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt SeriesFounded in 2005, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series showcases the talents of the top dirt late model drivers from across the country. In 2022, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will sanction 65 events across 18 states, including some of the biggest marquee events in the industry, providing dirt slinging, sideways, door-to-door racing action lap after lap. The series receives national exposure through a television package filmed, produced and edited by Lucas Oil Production Studios. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events will be streamed live on MAVTV Plus, with broadcasts on MAVTV Motorsports Network. |
Dodge//SRT and Mopar Partner With Tony Stewart Racing to Compete in NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
- Dodge//SRT and Mopar are partnering with Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) for the team’s inaugural season in the 2022 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series
- Nine-time Top Fuel national event winner Leah Pruett will drive a TSR Top Fuel dragster with Dodge Power Brokers and Direct Connection livery throughout the season, continuing a partnership with Dodge//SRT and Mopar that started in 2016
- Three-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion (2011, 2014, 2020) Matt Hagan continues his partnership with Dodge//SRT and Mopar that began in 2009
- Hagan will carry the Dodge Power Brokers and Direct Connection colors on his Tony Stewart Racing Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
- Hagan has driven a Dodge Charger Funny Car in 293 races, earning 39 career wins, 32 runner-up finishes and 43 No. 1 qualifier positions
- Announcement opens sixth “garage door” of the Dodge Never Lift campaign, which provides a two-year road map to the brand’s electrified performance future
- Visit Dodgegarage.com/never-lift to view the 24 Months of Muscle calendar
January 14, 2022, Auburn Hills, Michigan – Dodge//SRT and Mopar announce their support of the newest team in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series, Tony Stewart Racing (TSR). Dodge//SRT and Mopar will be primary sponsors for Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett and three-time Funny Car World Champion Matt Hagan in TSR’s inaugural 2022 NHRA season.
Today’s announcement opens the sixth “garage door” of the Dodge Never Lift campaign, a 24-month road map to the brand’s electrified performance future. The Dodge 24 Months of Muscle calendar can be viewed at Dodgegarage.com/never-lift.
“The Dodge brand has a long history of competing in and supporting motorsports.” says Tim Kuniskis, Dodge Brand Chief Executive Officer – Stellantis. “For nearly a decade, NHRA drag racing has been our primary motorsports focus, helping deliver products like the Dodge Demon, 1320 and Super Stock; cars that resonate with the Brotherhood of Muscle. These vehicles will hold a place in muscle-car history for years to come. The Dodge brand embodies the philosophy of the ‘last tenth,’ and we are not done pushing the performance envelope. So, we are extremely excited to partner with Tony Stewart and his drag racing team to help take Dodge to the next level. Tony is a racing legend with an attitude, personality and competitive drive that aligns perfectly with our goals.”
“I’m really pleased to have Dodge//SRT and Mopar as partners with our new NHRA venture as manufacturer and sponsor for our two entries in Top Fuel and Funny Car with Leah and Matt,” says Tony Stewart, TSR team owner. “It shows confidence in your program when an OEM wants to be on your team and for you to help support their program as well. They have obviously had a great relationship with both drivers for the last few years and to be able to continue that association is key to this team’s success and a huge benefit to the continuity for everyone involved. Having that kind of history definitely helps flatten the learning curve while raising expectations for our inaugural NHRA season. It’ll be nice to work with Dodge and Mopar again after sharing success together in USAC and the World of Outlaws nearly two decades ago. We are certainly setting the bar high and look forward to being competitive from the start.”
TSR was formed in November 2000. Since its inaugural season in 2001, TSR has earned 27 owner championships – 14 in USAC, nine in the World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series, and four in the All Star Circuit of Champions TQ Midgets. TSR will embark upon its first NHRA campaign in 2022 while simultaneously running its sprint car program for a 22nd straight season. TSR’s NHRA and sprint car entries will operate out of its existing 25,000-square-foot facility in Brownsburg, Indiana.
Pruett’s and Hagan’s nitro-fueled drag cars will have primary branding throughout the season that spotlights the recently announced Dodge Power Brokers and Direct Connection programs.
The Dodge Power Brokers dealership program is the exclusive source for all new Direct Connection performance parts, including tuner, stage and performance kits for the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and race-ready kits for the Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak. Dodge Power Brokers dealership staff will be trained to deliver a performance-focused customer service experience.
Pruett first joined forces with Dodge//SRT and Mopar in 2016 and has consistently competed among the top contenders in each of the last five seasons. The 33-year-old Redlands, California, native has nine Top Fuel national event victories, nine runner-up finishes, 12 No. 1 qualifier honors in 172 races, a career best elapsed time run of 3.631 seconds and a best speed of 334.15 miles per hour. She will drive the Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel dragster this year.
“It was very important to me to continue the close relationship I’ve had with Dodge//SRT and Mopar in this new journey with Tony Stewart Racing,” says Pruett. “I’m appreciative of the support that Dodge and Mopar, and all their fans, have shown me these past few years and I’m proud to fly their colors as we move forward together and work to bring home wins and a championship in 2022. Having Direct Connection branding on my dragster this season is really exciting because it has such a rich history of success at the drag strip with racers like Don Garlits, and it’s amazing to help continue to build on that legacy and introduce it to a new generation of Dodge enthusiasts.”
In addition to carrying on the legacy of drag-racing innovator and multi-time champion Garlits, representing Direct Connection has personal meaning to Pruett.
“While Dodge//SRT was developing the new Drag Pak, we were also testing and developing some of the stage kits,” Pruett said. “It seemed almost unbelievable that an OEM would make available various stage kits capable of adding so much additional power, all while maintaining the car’s warranty. To be on the presenting side of a massive program that I contributed to, while watching it progress in pure secrecy, makes me incredibly proud to run Direct Connection and Power Brokers on my Top Fuel dragster.”
Dodge//SRT and Mopar continue their long relationship with three-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion Hagan with primary sponsorship of his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car. The brands have supported Hagan since his rookie year in 2009.
With Dodge//SRT and Mopar on board, Hagan has vied for the Funny Car crown as either championship points leader or challenger heading into a season finale on seven occasions, including the 2021 season. Together, they have competed in 293 races, earning 39 Wally trophies, 32 runner-up finishes, and 43 No. 1 qualifier positions with a career best elapsed time run of 3.799 seconds and his best speed is 338.85 mph.
The 38-year-old from Christiansburg, Virginia, will drive his TSR HEMI®-powered machine dressed with Dodge Power Brokers and Direct Connection branding throughout the 2022 season.
“I’m so grateful to have represented and shared so many successes with Dodge//SRT and Mopar for most of my career and to say I’m excited to continue our relationship in this next chapter with Tony Stewart Racing is an understatement,” says Hagan. “I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead and introducing our passionate fans to a new-look livery featuring Dodge Power Brokers and Direct Connection.
“My family has been a Dodge dealer since 1979 and we’re really proud of that. We’re also ready to celebrate Mopar’s 85th anniversary this year as we battle for a championship with a few wins along the way.”
The 2022 NHRA Camping World Series season kicks off February 17-20 with the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, California, the first of 22 events on the schedule and broadcast on FOX and FS1.
DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News
Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com.
@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram
The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.
Dodge//SRT
For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with muscle cars and SUVs that deliver unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.
Dodge drives forward as a pure performance brand, offering SRT versions of every model across the lineup. For the 2022 model year, Dodge delivers the drag-strip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock, the 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world, and the Dodge Durango SRT 392, America’s fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV. Combined, these three muscle cars make Dodge the industry’s most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.
In 2020, Dodge was named the “#1 Brand in Initial Quality,” making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). In 2021, Dodge brand ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market) — making it the only domestic brand ever to do so two years in a row.
Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.
Follow Dodge and company news and video on:
Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Dodge brand: www.dodge.com
DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dodgeofficial
Twitter: @Dodge and @StellantisNA
YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA
Mopar
This year marks the 85th anniversary of Mopar.
A simple combination of the words MOtor and PARts, Mopar offers exceptional service, parts and customer-care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, Mopar has evolved over nearly 85 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.
Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, Mopar expanded to include technical service and customer support, and today integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.
Complete information on Mopar is available at www.mopar.com. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.
Follow Mopar and company news and video on:
Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Mopar brand: www.mopar.com/
Mopar blog: blog.mopar.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mopar
Instagram: www.instagram.com/officialmopar
Twitter: twitter.com/OfficialMOPAR
Pat Caporali
Mopar Dodge//SRT Motorsports Media Relations Manager
Indianapolis – United States
Mobile: +1 248.421.9427
pat.caporali@external.stellantis.com
media.stellantisnorthamerica.com
IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIPDAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAYROLEX 24 AT DAYTONANO. 3 CORVETTE C8.R MEDIA AVAILABILITY TRANSCRIPT
| ANUARY 11, 2022 Corvette Racing drivers Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg – teammates in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R – met with members of the media during a Zoom conference call Tuesday to discuss the team’s entry into the new GTD PRO class for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the transitions to a new spec of the Corvette C8.R, the outlook for the 2022 Rolex 24 At Daytona and other topics. FULL TRANSCRIPT: ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.RHOW BIG OF AN ADJUSTMENT TRANSITIONING TO GTD PRO?“Adding ABS is the biggest change for us. IMSA and Corvette Racing are doing a good job of adjusting a GTLM car into a GTD car. There has been a lot of work together to put together all the data and get our Corvette to the GT3 spec. The biggest difference is the tire for this year. We will have to adapt to that. A lot of the speed differences in previous years were due to the confidential tire to the customer tire, basically.” WHAT’S MOST APPEALING ABOUT THE NEW CLASS AFTER BASICALLY RACING YOURSELVES LAST YEAR?“It’s obviously good race against another 12 or 13 cars. When there are so few cars, strategy can go away a little bit. But now you have to pay attention to those who may not be in contention but can gamble big on strategy to come up to the front toward the end of the race. There are a lot of strategies to play there, and that’s where our engineers will be a really good tool to have. We’re very good at that. Who knows… with two Corvettes, we can split strategies like we did last year. It’s going to be tougher but it’s not the first time we have competed against a lot of cars.” THERE ARE NOW TWO CLASSES – GTD PRO AND GTD – THAT RUN WITH IDENTICAL EQUIPMENT ON IDENTICAL TIRES. HOW WILL THAT DYNAMIC PLAY OUT?“It will be interesting, for sure. I’m not used to that, and knowing we aren’t racing for the same result will be different. There could be a point where a GTD car is leading the GT field and end up winning the race. It will be strange for most of us. I don’t know if they are planning to split the classes in the pit stops or something. For sure, there will be a lot of play out. If you are leading, you’re going to want to have a ton of GTDs between you and the next PRO car. It’s going to be difficult to play out, especially on strategy. If you decide to stop at the same time and you end up all the way at the back of the GTD field, it will make things even tougher. We don’t know how it will play out.” REVIEWING LAST YEAR’S FINISH AND POSITIVE COVID TEST. IS THERE A RISK OF RUNNING JUST A THREE-DRIVER LINEUP?“It’s going to be tough for sure. The good thing about it being that late in the race, Nicky and Jordan could finish with no problem. I suspect that is what everyone is thinking. We definitely need to stay COVID-free for the next two or three weeks.” WERE YOU SURPRISED TO LEARN NICK TANDY WAS JOINING THE TEAM FOR LAST YEAR? WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT HIM WHILE HE WAS WITH PORSCHE AND ALSO SO FAR WITH HIM BEING WITH THE TEAM?“I raced against Nick for many years in different cars which at times made things a little bit not easy, but easier. There would be races when he would be more competitive than us or the other way around. But we kind of always found ourselves together many, many times fighting for the win. But now with Nick being in the same car makes things a little bit different in that all the advantages you had in the past, now he has them too. So it was the difference between us would be even smaller and it is trickier to find a weak point to be ahead. The addition of him on the team was great because it just gave us a ton more information and feedback. That brought the whole Corvette team further up. It also made us – Jordan, Nicky and myself – have to be even stronger if we wanted to beat them. I think overall it made Corvette Racing stronger which is the main thing.” JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.RON THE SIZE OF GTD PRO FIELD FOR ROLEX 24.“It’s super exciting. The last couple of years, the field was getting smaller and smaller in GTLM. Now with IMSA moving to GTD PRO, we’re very excited. In moving to a new class, there is going to be a lot to learn for us with our car and converting it over to the spec. But if anyone is up to the task, it’s Corvette Racing. We did a couple of days testing last year after Petit Le Mans with the car to get a better understanding of the tire, ABS and what we have to run this year. We’re also spending lots of time in the simulator as well. We’re all looking forward to it. It’s going to have the competition with lots of manufacturers in the class. Thirteen cars in the class… every one of those cars I’ve seen so far can win the race. It definitely will be a big battle. At the end of the day it’s still a 24-hour race. I’m sure with a lot of those drivers and teams, they’re going to want to lead a lot and throughout the night. We just need to rely on our history and experience and knowing that we need to be there at the end just like last year. The fight comes down to the last couple of hours. We need to get through the night with a strong, safe car and go for the win at the end.” WHAT’S MOST APPEALING ABOUT THE NEW CLASS AFTER BASICALLY RACING YOURSELVES LAST YEAR?“We’re looking forward to the competition. The last couple of years, we were mainly racing our teammates. BMW and Porsche were there, but when you get down to racing just your teammate, those are the toughest guys to race. They have similar equipment and the same tools as you, plus they’re great drivers. You know they’re going to get the most out of it. You also don’t want to make any mistakes rub them. I’m looking forward to having 13 cars to battle. I’ve missed battling on starts and restarts, the strategy wars… that’s my biggest thing. I missed the actual racing side of what we had in the past.” IN BASIC TERMS, WHAT ARE THE CHANGES YOU’VE MADE TO THE CAR TO BRING IT INTO THE GT3 WINDOW?“The biggest things are the ABS and customer tires. There are a lot of little details that IMSA is making us do to get the C8.R closer. The car wasn’t designed for the class so they’re trying to make it as even as possible. The biggest aspect is understanding the way the tire works. The team has spent so many years with Michelin to develop the confidential tire to work properly for our car. Now we’re moving to a tire that will work for a front-engine, mid-engine and rear-engine car. Understanding how the way that works and maximizing it for not just one lap but for over a stint will be a huge thing to learn. ABS is another thing to understand the brake wear with that system. It’s good to have someone like Nicky who has so much GT3 experience who can lend a hand for Antonio and I who don’t have as much experience as he does in this type of car to understand what it’s supposed to feel like and how we make the most of that. There will be a lot of learning. Antonio and I spent two days in the car at VIR after Petit Le Mans last year to get a feel for things. I’m sure the Corvette Racing guys went back, studied all the data and made their developments. There have been other drivers in the sim developing those items that we were working on since then. I think we’ll have a good package for Daytona.” HOW DID IT FEEL TO DRIVE?“It still felt just like a Corvette, which is nice. The C8.R has been really successful since it came out with the mid-engine layout. The biggest thing was understanding how the way the tire worked, the window that it works in, how you use it, how much you can slide it, the temperature window that it works in. Those little details are good to understand. The tire degradation is going to be a different aspect for us. The ABS was different – just maximizing it in how much pressure to use, how consistent you can be if you’re pushing the brake pedal too hard. Little details like that were good to get a feel for last year before we go to the Roar where most of the work is for the Rolex and not really for car development or driver development.” CORVETTE RACING EXPERIMENTED WITH ABS AT DETROIT LAST YEAR. HOW IS THAT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU HAVE NOW?“It’s the same system but there have been more development since then. Detroit was an experiment for Antonio and me to get a feel for it, plus Nick (Tandy) and Tommy (Milner). That was a unique event for us where we didn’t have any competition and were free to do it. So we chose to get some miles on the car with it, see how we felt and see what kind of feedback we could give the team to develop it. We took that to the simulator and the VIR test, where we did some more developments to increase the capability of the system. It helped to get a little bit of a head start during the season last year, and I think we’ll still be learning and developing it through the Roar and Rolex.” HOW MUCH HAS THE SIM HELPED WITH DEVELOPMENT OF THE ABS AND LEARNING THE NEW MICHELIN CUSTOMER TIRE?“The drivers were probably spoiled with how good the GTLM tires could be! But at the same time it created a lot of stress during a weekend on what tire to use, when to use it, what the other car is going to do and what the other teams were going to do. Now everyone is on the same playing field. I have a big trust in the team that we are going to maximize the tire’s capability. We have a lot of smart people that can do that. I have a lot of confidence going to that spec tire that our team will do a great job with it. We work with Michelin a lot with our simulator to get a better understanding of it.” HOW MUCH TIME ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND SORTING OUT WHO IS WHO? WHAT CARS ARE GTD PRO, AND WHAT CARS ARE GTD AM?“We know Andy Lally won’t be letting anyone by. Other than that, we all keep track of what races are going on where and we know drivers pretty well… who to look out for, who we can trust on track and who we have to be more careful around. But there are a lot of different color cars coming and a lot of different manufacturers. I’ll definitely be studying before and during the weekend to see who’s who. Our guys usually make notes on drivers on-track of who to look out for so when we do get in the race, they will say to us we are coming up on the 18 car with this driver, be careful of them. They do a good job of helping us with that. They keep us out of trouble as much as possible. It’s the same thing with Prototypes when they are going by with who is in what car so we know who to leave a little more of a gap to than other guys.” WERE YOU SURPRISED TO LEARN NICK TANDY WAS JOINING THE TEAM FOR LAST YEAR? WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT HIM WHILE HE WAS WITH PORSCHE AND ALSO SO FAR WITH HIM BEING WITH THE TEAM?“I didn’t so a whole lot of racing against him over the years. We were always in a different class. But obviously I knew a lot about him before he came in and knew he would be a huge asset to the team and a huge competitor to Antonio and I for the championship, especially when it was mostly down to our two cars to win the championship. But it is always interesting to have someone new come in to the team especially with that much experience and success to see how they operate when you are so close to them and see how they work. He is definitely a hard worker. You always hear rumors about different drivers, but seeing him in person you understand why he is as strong as he is. He is always working… looking at data, looking at video trying to find every little bit which made us do the same thing last year. Like Antonio said, we had the same equipment and we were trying to find an advantage on everyone else. I looked at more data and video last year than I probably ever had trying to find little advantages in qualifying and the races to see where we could make it up. I think having guys like that elevates everyone’s game.” IS IT MORE FUN TO HAVE A BIGGER FIELD, MORE CARS OUT THERE?“I think it is more fun to have a high grid count with quality cars. I think it becomes more difficult when you get some filler cars with lesser drivers and teams. It makes it difficult when you have some drivers who aren’t as experienced on the track in such a high-profile event, especially when we are going to have such a competitive field in our class. Say we come through in the middle of the night with 13 GTD PRO cars and you come up on someone with lesser experience who doesn’t know how to get out of the way. It can cause a lot of confusion on-track and incidents. We do have a big, quality field with all the GTD Pro cars. They all have amazing lineups and teams. I haven’t looked too hard into the Pro-Am categories. But as Nicky said earlier, we are here to put on a show for fans as well and that creates entertainment. Sometimes you need that in a race. Sometimes you need someone slower to hold up another guy to make a pass. That creates a little more opportunity. We’re all looking forward to it. The offseason has been pretty short but at the same time it seems too long. We are all excited to get back to the track and back to racing.” NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.RHOW IS IT COMING BACK TO DAYTONA AS DEFENDING RACE WINNER?“It’s not going to be easy, it seems. Like it has been said, the field is so big. There are lots more cars and not just in GTD PRO but also all the other GTDs creating one big class so we’re all driving against each other with similar speed. It will be very exciting and way more difficult to win it than last year. So let’s see. I’m excited to go again. It feels super good to already have one watch on my wrist, but let’s try to add a second one.” WHAT’S MOST APPEALING ABOUT THE NEW CLASS AFTER BASICALLY RACING YOURSELVES LAST YEAR?“It’s nice to have a bigger class just to have more actual racing and overtaking. In Europe, we have a couple of very big GT3 races, and I think this one is heading in that direction in terms of very big GT3 fields. It’s also a very nice thing to see for the spectators. It should be a very cool race.” THERE ARE NOW TWO CLASSES – GTD PRO AND GTD – THAT RUN WITH IDENTICAL EQUIPMENT ON IDENTICAL TIRES. HOW WILL THAT DYNAMIC PLAY OUT?“For me, it reminds me of what we have in Europe where you have a Pro-Am class. That makes it quite difficult because it’s hard to always know who is in the car at that time. It always feels like it is one big class together. Everyone will fight each other, so I think that is what we will see in the race. I wish that some of the Pro-Am cars in Europe sometimes would just let you pass since we are racing our own race anyway. But unfortunately it doesn’t work like that there and I don’t think it will work like that in Daytona. So I think it’s going to be a big mess but also an amazing show.” LOOKING AT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS CAR INTO THE GT3 PLATFORM, YOU ARE THE ONE WITH EXPERIENCE WITH ABS AND THE OTHER DIFFERENT ELEMENTS, DO YOU FEEL MORE PRESSURE THIS YEAR?“No. Not really. I did some driving after Petit Le Mans with the car already with ABS and honestly it felt quite good straightaway. Of course, we have to do some work, but I think some of these packages in terms of hardware have been tested so much over in Europe already. I don’t think it will take so long to get so competitive. I think some of that kind of stress is already away. Of course, there are some details that need to be tweaked. But I don’t feel too much more pressure. Maybe I can give a little bit more input than before and that feels nice. But other than that, the team is full of really smart guys so they don’t really have to depend on me for that.” YOU’VE MENTIONED THAT THE COMPETITION BETWEEN THE GTD PRO AND THE GTD AM IS GOING TO BE MUCH TIGHTER. HOW DO YOU SEE THAT PANNING OUT DURING THE COURSE OF THE RACE WITH THE DPI CARS COMING THROUGH? WILL IT BE MORE DISTRACTING AND WILL YOU BE IN RACES AROUND YOU AND THEY WILL HAVE A SLIGHTLY HARDER TIME GETTING AROUND YOU?“Yes, I definitely think so. There are simply more cars to get around. For us to get around the GTDs – which are effectively in a different class but a similar speed – it is going to make for a lot of fighting on-track and we are going to side-by-side with DPis also wanting to pass. In the past with GTLM, the differences were bigger so it was easier to pass or to just say I’m going to wait on this opportunity and I’ll take the next one. Now I think it is going to be more do-or-die sometimes, and I think it is really important for us to contain ourselves and wait until the end of the race. But I think it is going to make for a lot of fights on-track and a lot of action on TV.” |
DIRTVision set to broadcast Australia’s prestigious Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic
Australia’s “Knoxville Nationals” level event will feature World of Outlaws stars, Jan. 21-23
Warrnambool, VIC, Australia – Jan. 11, 2022 – Say Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic to any Sprint Car driver and you’ll see the same level of joy and excitement in their expressions as if mentioning the Knoxville Nationals. To them, it’s equally special… just down under.
DIRTVision, the premier source for dirt racing broadcasts, will live stream Australia’s biggest Sprint Car event from Premier Speedway in Warrnambool, VIC, featuring stars from the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series tour to fans across North America, Jan. 21-23.
“It’s a big deal,” 2019 Knoxville Nationals champion David Gravel said. “I did it early in my career before I made a name for myself. The people are so welcoming in Australia. The Classic is a huge party. It’s a lot of fun. They pack the place completely full. Had a lot of good memories there. A lot of fun. It was a good getaway.”
The Grand Annual Classic first ran in 1973 and has grown into the most prestigious Sprint Car event in Australia, regularly featuring more than 100 of the best Sprint Car drivers across the world. Among those on that list is several World of Outlaws stars who found glory during the Classic:
Jac Haudenschild (1981-82)
Danny Smith (1983, 1985, 1987-89, 1996)
Jack Hewitt (1991)
Brooke Tatnell (1995, 1999, 2009)
Danny Lasoski (2000)
Donny Schatz (2001-02)
Joey Saldana (2003)
Kerry Madsen (2005, 2007-08)
Shane Stewart (2010)
Tim Kaeding (2014)
Kyle Hirst (2015)
James McFadden (2017, 2020)
“It’s Australia’s version of the Knoxville Nationals,” Schatz said. “Going there you hear all about it, all the hype. The venue, the fan interaction, it’s the closest thing for us to Knoxville Nationals. It’s also a lot of fun. There’s a lot of cars, they split the nights up, run one night, and then come Saturday you have the alphabet soup.
“Very fortunate to have won it a couple of times. I’ve always enjoyed going. It’s always been a great event. [Premier Speedway] has always been a fun racetrack. It’s definitely a destination.”
Last year’s World of Outla
BONUS BUCKS: World of Outlaws Drivers Excited about Bonus Program, Points Fund
BARBERVILLE, FL – January 10, 2022 – More money than ever will be on the line for World of Outlaws Late Model teams in 2022.
On top of an increase 2022 points fund, a nearly million-dollar bonus program was announced in December for both World of Outlaws series, giving the top-12 full-time Late Model drivers in each Feature extra cash. This money adds to nightly payouts and the year-end points fund.
The bonus will be paid monthly, and all full-time drivers are eligible in exchange for increased fan interaction and promotion of the Series.
Excitement for the new program has spread throughout the field of 2022 competitors, including with four-time Series champion Josh Richards – returning to the Series for the first time since 2017.
“I think it’s great; I’m glad the Outlaws stepped up,” Richards said. “I think with all the races next year, I’ll be anxious to see 365 days from now how everything shook out, but that’s really big because the purses really haven’t changed a lot since I started way back in ’04.
“To see that bonus program and loyalty program help for the Platinum guys is always a big help and being a Series regular and supporting a series helping the drivers and teams out is all we can ask for.”
Since all full-time drivers are eligible for the bonus program, it’s enticing both Series veterans and rookies.
Benton, KY’s Tanner English, stated it’s a big incentive for him to run the tour in 2022.
“When you look at these points deals, the show-up money sounds good and all, but realistically you only get that every time you move,” English said. “If you’re getting a bonus every time you race, that’s big.
“Instead of just getting that show-up money one time for that race at a weekend at Volusia, if we get that bonus money every night and its performance-based, that’s even better.”
One of the incentives with the program is how it helps on the road. Gordy Gundaker, another Rookie of the Year contender, stated how the program will benefit him during the grueling 10-month schedule.
“It’s a huge deal for us just because of the expense that goes into traveling up and down the road,” Gundaker said. “But this being our first year, it just entices us, even more, to get on the road and do the whole thing.”
Second-year World of Outlaws full-time driver Ryan Gustin has already seen the amount of travel the Series will do in 2022 and believes the money helps with the cost of getting the cars on the track.
“Anytime you can have more money coming in is huge,” Gustin said. “These cars are really expensive to run; they’re not cheap.”
The incentives of the new program have drivers ready to push toward the front at every race in 2022. If they can maximize their performance throughout the season, they could cash-in on a record $125,000 payout for winning the championship.
Along with the monthly bonus money, the top-12 drivers in points will see more than a half-million dollars between them—with each position getting at least a $5,000 increase.
That increase shows how valuable each position will be during the 50-plus race season.
The World of Outlaws Late Models kickoff their 2022 season Jan 20-22 at Volusia Speedway Park as part of the Late-Model-Palooza known as Sunshine Nationals.
TROPHY TIME: 36th DIRTcar Banquet Recognizes Champions, Special Award Winners
Farmer City wins Track of the Year, Track Enterprises claims Promoter of the Year
SPRINGFIELD, IL – Jan. 8, 2022 – The year-end championship banquet for the 2021 DIRTcar Racing season is in the books, and the stars came out to help celebrate.
An evening of good friends, family, food and fun culminated with the recognition of each of the national champions and some very special award winners. Emcee Rick Eshelman led in procession of the ceremony, first calling regional and national points fund check winners to the stage before diving into the champions and special awards.
2021 DIRTcar National Champions
Late Model – Bobby Pierce
UMP Modified – Nick Hoffman
Pro Late Model – Jose Parga
Pro Modified – Owen Steinkoenig
UMP Sportsman – Wes McClara
Stock Car – Nick Macklin
Factory Stock – Trevor Isaak
Sport Compact – Joshua Hawkins
Each year, two of the most prestigious awards are presented to both a DIRTcar-sanctioned track and promoter that demonstrate outstanding abilities to provide top-quality racing entertainment, elevate competitor participation and host special events that bring out the best in fan attendance.
In a year that needed the support of DIRTcar tracks, their staff and officials more than ever, two of DIRTcar’s most recognizable entities were successful in each of those areas last season and came to the stage to have their achievements honored.
For their efforts in operating Lincoln Speedway on Friday nights and Macon Speedway every Saturday night throughout the season, Track Enterprises, Inc. was presented with the 2021 DIRTcar Promoter of the Year Award. The group, headed by well-known racing promoter Bob Sargeant, also hosted several UMP Modified shows last season at the famed half-mile Terre Haute Action Track.
Adam Mackey came to the stage and accepted the award on Track Enterprises’ behalf and was thrilled to receive the news of the company’s achievement.
“Hosting in upwards of 60 DIRTcar events, it’s a privilege to be able to do that,” Mackey said. “Joining the likes of each of the previous Promoter of the Year Award winners means a lot with all of the events that we do and all the successes that we’ve had.”
Next, the staff of Farmer City Raceway was called to the stage to receive their trophy as 2021 DIRTcar Track of the Year. Noted for the exciting, multi-groove, multi-division racing in their Friday Night Lightsweekly program, the quarter-mile bullring hosted several special DIRTcar events last season and provided fans with some memorable finishes.
Track announcer Tyson Graves spoke about what it meant to the FCR management and staff to have the success that they did in 2021, and shared in the surprise with the rest of the team when they were called onstage.
“The guys here at Farmer City put their heart and soul into this place, week-in and week-out,” he said. “From track prep, to mowing the grass and dealing with the weather they get dealt, Farmer City had spectacular racing week-in and week-out and it is awesome to be noticed and awarded for the efforts.”
The entire DIRTcar Racing family would like to thank each of the drivers, tracks, promoters, sponsors, officials and crews that contributed to making the 2021 season another great success. Here’s to an even greater 2022!
REUNITED: FACCINTO AND WARNER TEAM AT TARLTON MOTORSPORTS WITH SIGHTS ON NARC CROWN
1/9/2022 – Alex Nieten) … Silly season delivered an early Christmas present last month when Tarlton Motorsports announced Mitchell Faccinto would be the team’s primary driver in 2022 with Drew Warner filling the role of crew chief, and the duo have prioritized chasing the NARC Fujitsu General Sprint Car championship.
Faccinto makes the move after an eight-year run aboard Stan Greenberg’s No. 37, the ride he wheeled to his three career NARC feature victories and many others in the 360 ranks of the West Coast.
Warner will add another team to his already impressive resumé. The bright mechanical mind has enjoyed positions with other pillars of the California racing scene such as Roth Motorsports, Rico Abreu Racing and most recently Netto Family Motorsports. From 2016 to early 2018, Warner also worked for the aforementioned Stan Greenberg where he was teamed with Faccinto.
The two now head to the team originally formed by Tom Tarlton and now overseen by his son, Tommy, whose all-black sprint car has become as iconic as any on the West Coast.
While the two were happy in their previous homes, certain factors led to their current opportunity with one of California’s most successful sprint car teams. An uncertain future of the No. 37 machine and a can’t-miss shot to drive the No. 21 helped prompt Faccinto’s move.
“At the end of last year, I was unsure of what was going to happen,” Faccinto explained. “The Tarltons, they had a couple different drivers in their car. I talked to Tommy about what their plans were for 2022, and he really wasn’t sure, either. So, we kind of put our heads together on who we should try to get for crew chief if we were going to put a whole thing together.
“Obviously, with Drew, I think he was really good with Netto’s deal, so being as close as we are I thought that was the best option,” Faccinto continued. “It happened really quick. It kind of started as just an idea because the season was still going. They (Tarlton) still had Carson (Macedo) racing here, so everything was really up in the air. I had a couple options open but mostly for 360 rides. Before I committed to any of those, I wanted to make sure I had a 410 ride set because that was my main priority. Obviously the Tarlton ride is top tier for California. I think it’s going to be good. I think we should be able to compete every night, and I appreciate Tom and Tommy giving me the opportunity.”
With D.J. Netto’s elevated role in his family business, the Netto Ag team made plans to scale back in 2022, but Warner wanted his racing calendar to grow to benefit his development.
“D.J. is becoming really busy. He’s taking over all of Netto Ag, taking over the family business,” Warner said of his motivation. “He’s just maybe having to slow down a little bit on racing. He still wants to race and still plans on racing as much as he can, but it’s just not quite the schedule that I was looking to do to help myself grow. I talked to the Netto’s for a long time about it and kind of got their blessing.
“Long term, Tommy, he expects Tarlton Racing to be around many, many years to come,” Warner continued. “It’s something that he really enjoys. He wants this program that his father created to keep growing… He just has a lot of potential in his program, and it’s something that I really take on the challenge of helping. They are about as top tier as it comes in California, and I look forward to the challenge of putting my name on that and helping it keep growing.”
For Faccinto, 2022 will mark his first complete attempt at a NARC crown. The Hanford native has contested roughly 65% of the series races over the last eight years, topping out at 15 of 19 (79%) events in 2019. This year’s NARC campaign showcases 27 nights of racing.
Warner is fresh off helping guide Netto to a runner-up finish in NARC points, marking the 2019 champ’s second consecutive top-two result in the standings. Other noteworthy achievements of Warner and Netto’s 2021 include a win in the Dave Helm Classic and a podium in the Trophy Cup standings.
Back when Faccinto and Warner worked together at Greenberg’s operation, Faccinto produced arguably his best stretch with NARC. They amassed 17 top-10s in 23 starts with the West Coast’s premier series, and Faccinto picked up his first win in October of 2017 at the Cotton Classic.
“At that time, my dad was still crew chief on the 37 as he has been the whole eight years I’ve been there,” Faccinto said of when he and Warner first partnered. “Drew came in. He had never been a crew chief yet, so my dad kind of let him do his own thing, and they basically worked together the whole time and bounced ideas off each other which really seemed to help.
“I think the thing with me and Drew is we’re obviously really close friends, but we’re able to separate what happens at the track compared to what happens away from the track,” Faccinto added. “If he sees something I’m doing wrong or I’m doing different than other drivers, he’s not afraid to tell me. And if I feel something that’s wrong with the car that I don’t like then I’m not afraid to tell him. We both want to win.”
The two briefly joined forces again near the end of this past year when Netto’s team fielded a second car for Faccinto at the Trophy Cup and a couple other races. To nobody’s surprise, they found speed as Faccinto led many laps during prelim night two of the Trophy Cup before settling for third. They capped the three-night event with a top-10 in the standings.
“Mitchell, he’s really grown into his own out here in California,” Warner said of his driver’s progress. “He’s become one of the most consistent drivers I think you could say. He finishes races, and that’s what you got to do to win a championship like we’re going to try to do with NARC.”
On top of his familiarity with Faccinto, Tarlton Motorsports has added another piece who has given Warner a hand during previous roles.
“I’m excited that we were able to get Shane Watts on board with us as well,” Warner said. “I’ve worked with him in the past at Rico’s, and he helped out a little with me at Netto’s. He brings a lot to the table and makes my life easier.”
Faccinto and Warner will have some big shoes to fill and lofty expectations entering the year with Tarlton Motorsports. The team is one of the most successful in California, claiming two NARC titles in the last six years with drivers, Carson Macedo and Kyle Hirst, and narrowly missing a third in 2018 with Shane Golobic. On the mechanical side, Warner will fill the void left by longtime Tarlton crew chief, Paul Baines, who joined Roth Motorsports for 2022.
Even though the new opportunity comes with high expectation, the pair of Hanford residents are feeling much more excitement than pressure. And they aren’t shy about stating their goal of putting the Tarlton car back atop NARC with plenty of checkered flags and a title.
“The number one goal is to go out and win the NARC championship,” Faccinto said. “And number two would be to go be competitive every night. I know how Tommy wants his car to get around the track. He wants you to be on the hammer every race, every time around the track to be out there and give it 100-percent… He wants to see his cars win, and that’s what me and Drew want to do. We want to be able to go out and win right away.
ROOKIE VS. VETERAN: Ferguson, Bailes Take Championship Battle to South Carolina Next Weekend
Lake View, Cherokee on deck next weekend for Xtreme Series stars
NICHOLS, SC – Jan. 8, 2022 – With four races remaining on the schedule, the chase for the 2021-22 Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series championship has come alive, and it’s a classic battle of rookie-versus-veteran.
In one week’s time, the winter Super Late Model tour heads to South Carolina for a pair of races on Sat-Sun, Jan. 15-16. Lake View Motor Speedway and Cherokee Speedway will see the return of points leader Ross Bailes, who has Xtreme Series wins at both venues, as well as Super Late Model rookie Carson Ferguson.
Bailes leads Ferguson by only eight points in the standings after the first three races, which amounts to a small handful of Feature positions. Third-place Ben Watkins is 13 points out of the lead and has also shown his championship potential with two top-five finishes in three starts.
After a runner-up finish to inaugural champion Chris Madden in the 2019-20 season, Bailes knew this would, one year, be his championship trophy to hoist. This season might just be the one.
“I feel like we’re deserving of it,” Bailes, of Clover, SC, said. “It’s our time to get one under our belt. But it’s not going to be an easy task; those guys are loaded for bear just like we are.”
He and the team started out strong, leading all 50 laps of the Palmetto State 50 to taste victory in the season opener at Lancaster Motor Speedway. Though he did finish seventh the following day in the Blue Gray 100 at Cherokee and a strong runner-up at I-75 Raceway in December, he feels he left valuable championship points on the table in those races.
“That was big,” Bailes said of the importance of his win at Lancaster. “It would have been really big to get the other two, and I feel like I had a legit shot at both of them. At Cherokee, we led 70-something laps, and at I-75 we led all but the last two. That was a hard pill to swallow, not getting those wins.”
In his career, Bailes has piloted a few of the Southeast’s best Super Late Model rides – most notably the Cowpens, SC-based Barry Wright Race Cars house chassis in two separate stints. At intermittent intervals over the past three seasons, Bailes has piloted the familiar blue-black #79 Longhorn Chassis, backed by former racer Billy Hicks. Together, they’ve won many races around the Southeast, and are now eyeing their first championship.
“He knows that I’m gonna give it 100 percent every time I go to the track,” Bailes said of driving for Hicks. “If we don’t win, he gets it. He’s not like, ‘why didn’t you win?’ He takes it on the chin, and we work to try and figure out how we can improve ourselves.”
With all the rising Super Late Model talent in the Southeast, none have made a bigger splash on the scene over the past few months than 21-year-old Carson Ferguson. The former full-time Crate racer from Lincolnton, NC, turned the heads of everyone in the pit area in the season opener, when he drove all the way from 15th on the starting grid to a fourth-place finish on the big, half-mile of Lancaster in his Super Late Model debut.
Backed by the resources of national championship-winning Late Model team owners Donald and Gena Bradsher and expertise of shock builder Wesley Page, Ferguson went on to another fourth-place run in the Blue Gray 100 at Cherokee before bagging a third-place from ninth at I-75 last month.
He has only three Super Late Model starts under his belt, boasting an average finish of 3.7. That’s an outstanding statistic, considering the talent and experience of his opponents over those races, but he’s not letting that go to his head.
“Trying to find Victory Lane and be as consistent as we can is our main goal right now,” Ferguson said. “Being able to finish top-three… we’re just trying to finish races, really.”
And finish races he has. Among the 22 that started, Ferguson was one of two drivers to finish all 100 laps of the Blue Gray on a single set of tires, showing he and the team’s ability to conserve and strategize.
“At Cherokee, just being able to make all 100 laps, and being the only one to do it [on one set of tires] with Chris Madden was a big confidence booster for me and the team,” Ferguson said.
As a former Crate Late Model racer, there’s been a learning curve in moving up to the Super ranks. You wouldn’t know it by watching him, but Ferguson said he’s certainly noticed it in the seat and has been using it to his advantage.
“There’s the Crate side of things; it’s so hard to pass in a Crate car,” he said. “I used to watch [Brandon] Overton all year before I was able to get in a Super, and I didn’t understand how he could be so patient.
“Just having the extra horsepower to [use] whenever you hit the moisture on the track, it’s a lot easier to get around somebody whenever they miss it.”
Winning the Xtreme Series championship in his first attempt could be the giant spark Ferguson needs to jumpstart his Super Late Model career. Though he knows the stiff competition he’s up against has the experience, he also knows he and his team are up to the challenge.
“Ross [Bailes] has got a lot of experience, and he and [Billy] Hicks are really good paired-up together,” Ferguson said. “I definitely won’t be sad for second in points, but we’re always going to go into it looking for the win. We’re not going to run second; we’re going to win.”
Bailes’ only Super Late Model championship came at the regional level in 2018 when he clinched his first Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series title. He’s been hungry for more ever since, and if any Feature wins over the next four races don’t fulfill his appetite, his second career regional championship will.
“You’ve got to go to win every single race,” Bailes said. “We’re gonna try to win Lake View, we’re gonna try to win Cherokee. If we win both of those, that’s gonna be the deciding factor.”
Don’t miss the two points leaders in action with the rest of the Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series regulars next weekend, at the track or streaming live on DIRTVision.
All-Star Lineup to Drive Twin Cadillac DPi-V.R for Chip Ganassi Racing
DETROIT (Jan. 7, 2022) – An all-star lineup of drivers will campaign the twin Cadillac DPi-V.R race cars for Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) in its second season of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Daytona Prototype international (DPi) competition. Renger van der Zande will co-drive the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R with Sebastien Bourdais for the full season. They will be joined by six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon and 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou for the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona to comprise a “Champions Cadillac” lineup. Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn will be the full-time co-drivers of the No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R and will be joined by Kevin Magnussen and Marcus Ericsson for the Rolex 24 At Daytona.“Our Cadillac drivers lead by example,” Chip Ganassi Racing Managing Director Mike Hull said. “Each have already won on the world stage. They unselfishly mirror each other’s performance on and off track. Their equal experience combined with skill set is driven through zero agenda. “In today’s world of equal performance standards, the driver’s contribution is the ultimate separator. Our roster has eight of the very best in equal Cadillacs. Bamber, Bourdais, Ericsson, Dixon, Lynn, Magnussen and van der Zande — this group drives as one.” Van der Zande, entering his second season with the team, has accumulated 15 wins and the 2016 Prototype Challenge (PC) championship in an IMSA career dating to 2013. He co-drove a Cadillac DPi to victory in the 2019 and 2020 Rolex 24 At Daytona and in the 2018 and 2020 Motul Petit Le Mans. In 2021, van de Zande co-drove the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R with Magnussen to victory in the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic at The Raceway on Belle Isle. Bourdais, a four-time INDYCAR champion, returns to the Ganassi team where he drove in its GT Le Mans (GTLM) program from 2016-19 – including a historic class win at the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans. Bourdais has driven a Cadillac DPi-V.R the past two seasons for JDC-Miller MotorSports, earning a victory at Sebring. Lynn is also a Twelve Hours of Sebring winner in a Cadillac DPi, picking up the trophy in 2017. The versatile driver was the GP3 Series champion in 2014 and the British Formula Renault champion in 2010 and 2011 among notable accomplishments. Bamber, who co-drove the No. 1 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R in the 2021 season finale, is a two-time winner at Le Mans as part of the Porsche LMP1 program. He drove to the 2019 WeatherTech Championship GTLM title. Chip Ganassi Racing full-time Cadillac DPi lineupNo. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R – Renger van der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais· Dixon, in his ninth season of part-time IMSA competition, is a four-time winner of the Rolex 24 At Daytona (2006, 2015, 2018 and 2020). The 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner is in his 22nd season driving for CGR – the longest tenure for a driver in team history (1990-present)· Magnussen’s experience driving the Cadillac DPi-V.R will be an asset to the No. 02 team as he co-drove the No. 1 No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R in 2021, scoring one victory No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R – Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn· Palou recently tested in the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R in advance of his inaugural IMSA race. In 2021, Palou became the first Spaniard to win an INDYCAR title· Ericsson will be making his IMSA WeatherTeach Sports Car Championship debut in the Cadillac DPi-V.R. The native of Sweden earned two victories in 16 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in 2021 with Chip Ganassi Racing On-track activity begins Jan. 21 at Daytona International Speedway with the Roar Before the Rolex 24 in preparation for the 60th anniversary of the 24-hour race Jan. 29-30. |
| Cadillac Racing high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use. About CadillacA leading luxury auto brand since 1902, Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio that features distinctive design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com. Cadillac’s media website with information, images and video can be found at media.cadillac.com. About Chip Ganassi RacingChip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 30 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include four cars in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, two cars in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series and one entry in Extreme E. Overall, his teams have 21 championships and over 230 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400, eight Rolex 24 At Daytonas, the Twelve Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ganassi boasts a state-of-the-art race shop facility in Indianapolis with a corporate office in Pittsburgh. |
ON THE GASS: Oklahoma Teenager Noah Gass is a Full-Time Outlaw in 2022
Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Battle Begins at Volusia on February 10-12
CONCORD, NC – January 6, 2022 – With the season-opening DIRTcar Nationals still over a month away, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series roster is continuing to take shape.
Today, Noah Gass of Mounds, OK announced his intention to hit the road and go full-time with The Greatest Show on Dirt in 2022. The teenager will pilot his family-owned Arrowhead Electric, Big G Transport, Triple-X/Claxton #20G across the near 90-race slate this season.
He’ll be waging war with Kasey Kahne (KKR #9) and Spencer Bayston (CJB #5) in the chase for Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year honors.
“Being only 18-years-old, this is about as cool as it gets,” Gass said. “Being able to run with the best of the best every weekend all over the country, I mean how badass is that to say. It’s The Greatest Show on Dirt for a reason, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
Less than a year removed from his World of Outlaws debut in March of 2021, Gass has shown signs of improvement all throughout his first 25 events with the Series. Things started slowly by only making three Features in his first 13 attempts, but quickly improved with 10 starts over his last 12 races, including a career-best 12th-place finish at River Cities (ND) in August.
A fellow “Sooner State” native along with Oklahoma City’s Wayne Johnson, Gass rose through the ranks with experience in Micro Sprints, Midgets, and Sprint Cars of the wingless and winged variety. Last year alone he scored a pair of Interstate Racing Association (IRA) victories in Wisconsin and earned several top-fives with the Midwest Open Wheel Association (MOWA) in Illinois.
“It’s definitely not going to be easy going on the road full-time, but if it was then everyone would do it,” Gass mentioned. “We are going to have our challenges, so it will be important to stay positive and keep our team morale and attitude up. We have a lot of goals going into the 2022 season and we’re ready to get it going at Volusia.”
“I have complete confidence in Cody [Cordell] and Robert [McQuinn] that they’re going to work hard to make sure I have a great car every night,” he continued. “We are not as big as most of the teams on the road and we know that, but we’re not going to let it hold us back at all.”
The 2022 season begins in just over a month on Thursday-Saturday, February 10-12 at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, FL as part of the 51st DIRTcar Nationals. Fans can BUY TICKETS HERE or watch Every Lap LIVE on DIRTVision.
Gass, along with Johnson, will both enjoy their lone homecoming of the upcoming campaign on April 1 at Lawton Speedway. Tickets for the only World of Outlaws showcase in Oklahoma this year are available HERE.
NARC NEWSLINE – January 6, 2022
NARC NEWSLINE, January 6, 2022, By Jim Allen … It’s been a busy off-season for the Northern Auto Racing Club (NARC) and many of this organizations New Year’s resolutions are about to become reality in 2022. That means more races with one of the most aggressive and big-show laden schedules in recent memory. The 27-event campaign is set to roll into 15 different facilities, including five which are not even in California. No, that is not a misprint. Yes, the NARC sprint cars will be headed to Oregon and Washingtona couple of times this year.
The game plan was to maximize the 410-sprint car racing footprint on the West Coast. This can be best interpreted as streamlining rules with other national touring groups and competing for big-purses with a schedule that is not as choppy as it has been in recent years. All we need for total success is for this pandemic to fade away, weather to cooperate, and fans to come out and support us with big numbers. That’s not much to ask.
The Stockton Dirt Track bookends of this annual crusade are the April 2nd $6,000 to win “Duel at the Dirt Track” and the November 5th 39th Annual Tribute to Gary Patterson. And like an Oreo cookie, there is a whole lot of good stuff in between. Whether it’s the Peter Murphy Classic and Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial or the Morrie Williams Twin-20’s and the Howard Kaeding Classic, it’s all got star power. Another overdue and very welcome addition to the schedule is the creation of the October 15th $8,300 to win Dennis Roth Classic. Few, if any, can match the contributions this man has made to open wheel racing, and it is an honor to put him on the pedestal. The David Tarter Memorial in Chico is also back as a 410 race on April 30th and the second-annual winged & non-wing Anthony Simone Classic will cash out at $10,000 to the winger winner. Here is a collection of other schedule highlights:
FASTEST FOUR DAYS IN MOTORSPORTS – PACIFIC NORTHWEST EDITION: This four-day blast was three-years in the making. It was originally planned for 2020, but somebody ate a raw bat in Wuhan and coughed and we all had to stay home. And 2021 was too soon to take any chances. So here we are in 2022 with the Fastest Four Days in Motorsports headed to the Pacific Northwest over the Memorial Day weekend (May 26-29.) And let me tell you, the promoters up there view us as a breath of fresh air and are more excited to see us than Cousin Eddie was to see the Griswold’s visit in National Lampoons Vacation.
This adventure features $5,000 to win shows at Southern Oregon Speedway (May 26 – Central Point, OR), Willamette Speedway (May 27 – Lebanon, OR); and a pair at Bert Johnson’s Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Washington (May 28-29). That’s a Thursday through Sunday for those of you taking notes. Monday is a rain date if needed. Tickets can be purchased online shortly, and camping is going to be available across the board. With that in mind, it’s time to expand your horizons by marking your calendar for a trip to some new places.
There are tentative plans for a point fund and a special bonus for a four-race sweep by a single team. Also, a special BBQ/luncheon by the Elma Auto Racing Hall of Fame is being worked into the two-day show at Grays Harbor. More on that later.
As far as race teams go, the first 15 NARC teams from California to officially commit to the FFDM will EACH be paid $1000 in travel money and have a guaranteed (minimum) winnings of $2,500 for the four-day road trip. A commitment is an email (info@NARC410.com) and a 2022 membership. So far, and this is the first “official” announcement outside of our December 14th Zoom general meeting, DJ Netto (Netto 88N), Willie Croft (Croft 29), Bud Kaeding (Kaeding 69), Mitchell Faccinto (Tarlton 21), Billy Aton (Aton26), Joel Myers Jr. (Vertullo 83V) and Mike Phulps 56 car (Driver TBA) are among those committed. The next eight will come just as quick. Membership forms can be found at NARC410.com
50TH ANNUAL JIM RAPER DIRT CUP: What is happening up at Skagit Speedway in Burlington, WA these days is simply amazing. As we all know, once businessman and car owner Kevin Rudeen gets involved with a project, it reaches a whole new level. Rudeen and car owner Mike Anderson purchased the place from Steve Beitler and added Hanford’s Peter Murphy to the promotional team. Now they are figuratively – “off to the races.” Their company is appropriately named “Fifty-five Promotions,” tying the three together via car numbers. Rudeen is best-known for his number 26 car; Anderson owns the Shaylen Raye 18, and Murphy and the number 11 go together like peanut butter and jelly. Add it all up and there is a plan to totally transform Skagit into a West Coast version of Knoxville or Eldora. Or to clarify even further, a West Coast 410 version of Knoxville or Eldora. Think about that for a second! That’s pretty cool!
What’s even better than that is the NARC sprint cars are involved. The June 23-25th Dirt Cup are King of the West championship points races. Although the total purse amounts haven’t been published, the three-day show is expected to pay close to a quarter of a million dollars, including a $50,000 payday to the 50th Anniversary Jim Raper Dirt Cup winner. Those both would be NARC records. And once again, the Dirt Cup is back as a 410 event.
To help support the Dirt Cup process, the new Brad Sweet-Kyle Larson-Colby Copeland venture at Silver Dollar Speedway booked a Friday night (June 17th) “Road to the Dirt Cup” Chico event. Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon follows that up with a “Battle at the Bullring” Saturday show on the 18th. Those two are also NARC events. And just to make sure nobody gets bored hanging out during the week, Fifty-Five Promotions has added a non-sanctioned Monday night show at Skagit.
When you start working together the pieces, you can see there are wonderful things on tap for 410 sprint car racing on the West Coast. You’ve got NARC’s efforts, promoters stepping up to make 410 racing more lucrative, plus Skagit’s efforts, and Brad Sweet’s plan to rebuild the Gold Cup to its three-days of Outlaws glory days. Those are all WINS and we are just getting started.
OTHER SCHEDULE NOTES: When not dodging rainstorms this winter, Rick Faeth has been busy with improvements at Petaluma Speedway. This includes reshaping the 3/8-mile oval and making changes that will improve competitor safety. … The Louie Vermeil Classic is still looking for a “temporary” place to call home. According to the official NARC calendar, the two-day NARC/USAC-CRA extravaganza is slated for September 3-4th but still shows as “location TBA.” There are no plans for a LVC sequel in Chico. In a true test of our patience, and the challenging work of Tommy Hunt, Calistoga Speedway and the Napa County Fairgrounds are still stuck in non-operational bureaucracy limbo. (It’s California, try to act surprised!) In the meantime, the popular event is homeless. Keep your fingers crossed and hope HMC Promotions makes an announcement soon.
Not that anyone wants it, but in my opinion, the longer the city of Calistoga doesn’t hear the sounds of motors, the greater the chance it has of listening to a construction site building over-priced condominium’s on what was once the greatest half-mile track in the Golden State. While we wait, someone needs to secure the future use of corn harvester. If the half-mile does get an eventual greenlight, it will take a significant amount of work to mow down the cornstalk-tall weeds on what was once the racing surface. … Schedules can be downloaded on the NARC410.com website. Speaking of which, our website is in the process of getting a facelift. It’s going to be even easier to get the information you need.
RULE CHANGES: NARC has changed the existing tire rule to the Hoosier “H-series” tire package. This is a move that had been on the Hoosier table for a few years, but the timing wasn’t right. However, tire shortages made it an easy transition away from the HTW tires. Team will have until June 1st to burn off any existing HTW inventory, before the H15 and H12 tire package becomes mandatory. This will allow for an easy tire and wheel conversion for local teams when the Outlaws come to town. Teams can begin running these tires at the season opener if they desire. All the other winged sprint car sanctioning bodies and tracks in California have adopted the same rule. … There is also a strong push to only allow “flat-top” wings and make “dish-top” wings obsolete. A handful of tracks will require the flat wings at their tracks (similar to a specific muffler rule), after June 1st. NARC will make flat-top wings mandatory in 2023, since wearing out wings is harder than burning off tires. (“Hey buddy, you need to flip at least once before June 1st!”) … Fire suppression systems are highly recommended this season and will be required next year. Competitor safety is key to our success.
MUSICAL CHAIRS: If you didn’t pick it off earlier in this column, we have some new faces in new places. David Vertullo, who has a great reputation for providing top young talent (aka – Kyle Larson & others) a shot in the big show, has partnered up with 15-year Joel Myers Jr. in 2022. It should be an interesting pairing with a nightly shot at victory lane. … Mitchell Faccinto is now the man in black in the Tarlton Motorsports 21. With longtime Tarlton crew chief Paul Baines moving up the road to the Roth Motorsports team, Mitchell will have brother-in-law Drew Warner turning the wrenches. An early season prediction for this team will see Mitchell doubling his three career NARC-KWS victories this season. … That means DJ Netto is looking for a crew chief. … Sean Becker and Chase Johnson are looking for 410 rides. … Stan Greenberg has an open seat in his #37 car. …
NARC NOTES: Open wheel racing lost two of its icons in December with the passing of promoter John Padjen and car owner Clyde Lamar. Their exploits were legendary and helped shape sprint car racing in California. May we continue to build on the foundation they helped lay. … MyRacePass.com will be the official scoring software for NARC this season. Drivers need to go online and claim their profile, if they haven’t already done so. … Tire prices are going up, but then again, what isn’t going up? … Here’s a trivia question we hope we never want to hear in our lifetime: “Who won the last race ever run at Calistoga?” … All of our races will be on Floracing.com.
And finally …, as part of our five-year business plan, NARC (Northern Auto Racing Club) is going to play more prominently in our marketing from this point forward. Yes, we are still going to crown a “King of the West,” but this is now officially the NARC Fujitsu General Sprint Car Series. For 410 sprint car racing to continue to thrive in the future, we need to continue to build on the club environment. This encourages the support and input of its members with the continuing goal of putting on the best show in California. There is power in numbers. Help us do that!
Coming to you live from Auburn, CA. See ya!
OUTLAW ORIENTATION: Five Drivers To Battle For Rookie of The Year in 2022
BARBERVILLE, FL – January 5th, 2022 – Attempting a journey for the first time will have its ups and downs, especially if that journey lasts eleven months.
Five drivers, each with different levels of experience, take their first step toward World of Outlaws Late Models glory when the Series opens its season Jan. 20-22 at Volusia Speedway Park, as part of the Late-Model-Palooza known as Sunshine Nationals.
Gary Dillon, Kyle Hammer, Max Blair, Gordy Gundaker, and Tanner English have all thrown their hat in the ring to compete for Rookie of the Year in 2022.
Gundaker, who made a name for himself racing in Illinois, knows it’ll be a fun uphill climb.
“Across the board, it’s obviously going to be tough,” Gundaker said. “Running this deal isn’t supposed to be easy, but running with guys like Max and Tanner, and Hammer and Dillon is going to be a lot of fun.”
All five drivers will travel to new venues throughout the season. But each will have a home region advantage at some point throughout the season, adding another level of difficulty to the battle.
“They are definitely good competitors in their area, no doubt,” English said. “Max can hardly be beat in his area it seems like, and Gordy’s good around home, and they are tough for sure. They’ll be right there with us, and I feel like we’ll have a real good battle between all of us.”
Despite the strengths of each Rookie of the Year contender racing at home; veterans and former champions will try to keep them out of Victory Lane.
Western Pennsylvania’s Max Blair, who has three Series wins to his credit knows while he may have an advantage at home, that’s not the case for most of the schedule.
“There’s a lot more nights that everyone else has a bigger advantage than I do,” Blair said. “There’s a lot of the racetracks that I’ve never even seen before.
“I’m hopeful. But you have to be real about it at the same time with what we’re getting ready to go do here.”
North Carolina’s Gary Dillon is taking a different approach to the season. He only has a few Super Late Model races under his belt, including a World Finals appearance and with the Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series over the winter.
This year, he’s looking for a change of pace. A faster pace.
“I want to just try to get away from the drama of Limited Late Model racing and try to accomplish something,” Dillon said. “Maybe try to go full-time and get Rookie of the Year possibly and run for that. Just a different change of scenery; I’m not getting any younger.
“It’s definitely a challenge, but I mean, any of this stuff is a challenge. “You’re not running against Mom and Pop anymore; it’s a serious thing.”
Illinois driver Kyle Hammer is going all-in on the 2022 season, including a new Longhorn by Wells in his stable. He’s optimistic about getting a good start at Sunshine Nationals because of his experience in a Modified.
“I’m looking forward to it, really,” Hammer said. “Last year, we went there for the first time in a modified, and had a couple of good runs, made all but one of the A-mains, and actually locked into the big Modified show from our qualifier.
“We were running good there before we had a mechanical failure, but I think we’ll be alright there and especially having seven nights being able to fine-tune it by the end of the last night.”
Hammer and the four other Rookie hopefuls kick off their journey of ups and downs January 20-22 as the main Late Model attraction of Sunshine Nationals at Volu