| River Cities (Fri), Red River Valley (Sat), Huset’s (Sun) Up NextGRAND FORKS, ND – August 17, 2021 – The only way to cure the Knoxville Nationals hangover is to start racing more, and that’s exactly what the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is doing this weekend.With the historic 60th Granddaddy of ‘Em All in the rearview mirror, The Greatest Show on Dirt returns focus to the 2021 championship battle as a triple-header through the Dakotas is next.On Friday, August 20, the weekend begins in Grand Forks, ND at River Cities Speedway for the 2nd Leg of the Northern Tour. Before June’s rainout at the bullring, the Outlaws’ last appearance at the track was last August when recently crowned Knoxville Nationals champion Kyle Larson stunned Logan Schuchart and the whole world with his spectacular finish.On Saturday, August 21, the Series moves to Donny Schatz’s hometown of West Fargo, ND for a date at Red River Valley Speedway. The 3/8th-mile oval is the eighth-most visited track in Series history with 65 previous Outlaw races at the facility. Fresh off a second-place run at Knoxville, Schatz and his TSR squad look to carry that momentum to home turf and build a second-half run.On Sunday, August 22, Huset’s Speedway will host the NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars for the 50th time in history at the Pioneer Bin Buster Bash. It’ll be all eyes on David Gravel, who attempts to put the Huset’s Speedway #2 in Huset’s Speedway victory lane for the third time in 2021.RIVER CITIES TICKETS (Fri) RED RIVER VALLEY TICKETS (Sat) HUSET’S TICKETS (Sun)Some of the top storylines to follow include:HOME TURF: After a season of struggling with consistency, or lack thereof, Donny Schatz and the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15 team could not have chosen a better time to peak if that’s what they’re indeed doing. The Fargo, ND native will head to home territory this weekend fresh off a huge $89,000 second-place payday after nearly stealing his 11th Knoxville Nationals title from Kyle Larson on the final lap.Sitting fourth in World of Outlaws points, the Carquest, Ford Performance powered entry has one win, 27 top-fives, and 39 top-10s through 53 Features this year. The 10-time NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series champion has ruled his home state over the years, particularly River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND.On Friday, The Greatest Show on Dirt visits the River Cities bullring for the 27th time in Series history. In 26 previous appearances, Schatz has found victory lane a staggering 12 times for a jaw-dropping winning percentage of 46%. He’s no stranger to success at Red River Valley either, a track where he’s topped three times under Outlaw sanction.FINISH THE JOB: All but one Crown Jewel ($75,000/Win National Open at Williams Grove on October 2) are complete, so the task at hand returns to the World of Outlaws championship for many drivers, specifically Brad Sweet. With less than three months remaining, only 24 point races are available for drivers to make their moves down the homestretch.In pursuit of a third consecutive NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series championship, The Big Cat is attempting to join rarified air with Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz as the only drivers in 44 years to accomplish the three-peat. Heading into this last stretch, the Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts #49 owns a 140-point advantage with a series-best 14 wins, 35 top-fives, and 44 top-10s.Giving chase to Sweet and KKR is most notably Carson Macedo (-140) in the Jason Johnson Racing #41 and David Gravel (-144) in the Big Game Motorsports #2. Also in the mix inside the top-five is Donny Schatz (-256) and Sheldon Haudenschild (-266) in the Stenhouse Jr. Marshall Racing #17.CONFIDENCE BOOST: The Knoxville Nationals is the annual measuring stick for teams and drivers to better understand where they rank amongst the best sprint car competitors in the world. Some years you leave Knoxville with your tail tucked between your legs, and other years you walk away with your head held high and a new sense of confidence. For Brock Zearfoss, he’s heading to North Dakota as the latter.The first half of Zearfoss’ rookie campaign was a tough one. The numbers don’t back up the progress as he has led laps and been in contention for wins only for untimely incidents to strike. The 14 top-10s are not indicative of his season, especially as he sits ninth in points, even after missing two weeks due to a concussion this spring.Qualifying for his second Knoxville Nationals A-Main, though, has Zearfoss feeling as good as he has all season long. The Jonestown Jet started 24th in the toughest Feature of the year and drove his family-owned #3Z to a career-best run of 14th, which resulted in an $11,000 payday. Plenty of on-track, monetary, and personal momentum to potentially propel Zearfoss to the results he’s capable of in the second half.HUNGRY FOR W’S: For Carson Macedo (7 wins), Logan Schuchart (3 wins), Donny Schatz (1 win), and James McFadden (1 win), it’s been too long since that last trip to victory lane. All four drivers produced strong showings at the Knoxville Nationals with all four placing inside the top-1o of Saturdays’ 50-lap finale to build some momentum. Now they just want back in victory lane.Although second in points and a model of consistency, Macedo hasn’t won since July 17 at Eldora Speedway, which is nearly his longest drought of the year. Schuchart has been missing victory lane ever since he banked $50,000 at Jackson Nationals on June 27. Schatz has been chasing win #301 since his 300th breakthrough at Dubuque, Iowa on June 18, and McFadden’s lone win came back in April at Indiana’s Tri-State Speedway.Those four drivers will have three chances this weekend to return to the win column and build some second-half steam.WHO’S GOT NEXT: Since Aaron Reutzel’s suspension, Roth Motorsports has welcomed Parker Price-Miller to drive at I-55 and Kasey Kahne to wheel the Beef Packers throwback at Knoxville. Both substitutes recorded excellent results with PPM earning two QuickTimes, a hard-charging top-ten, and leading laps at the Ironman 55, while Kahne was QuickTime at the Nationals and earned an eighth-place finish in the 50-lap finale.The Roth #83, which is in a battle for eighth in the World of Outlaws owner championship, will compete in all three races through the Dakota’s this weekend. The only question is who will fill the seat next. An official announcement from the team is expected to come in the next few days.This Week at a Glance – When and WhereFriday, August 20 at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND Saturday, August 21 at Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, ND Sunday, August 22 at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, SDOn the Internet World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series Twitter – @WorldofOutlaws Instagram – @WoOSprint Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsSprintCarSeries YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/monthAround the Turn: Following this weekend, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will remain in Mid-America with a stop at Nebraska’s I-80 Speedway on Friday, August 27 and a return to South Dakota’s Black Hills Speedway on Sunday, August 29.NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (14 Drivers): 14 wins – Brad Sweet, Kasey Kahne Racing w/ Mike Curb #49 7 wins – Carson Macedo, Jason Johnson Racing #41 7 wins – David Gravel, Big Game Motorsports #2 7 wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Stenhouse Jr. Marshall Racing #17 4 wins – Aaron Reutzel, Roth Motorsports #83 3 wins – Kyle Larson, Silva Motorsports #57 3 wins – Logan Schuchart, Shark Racing #1S 2 wins – Kerry Madsen, Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #14 2 wins – Brent Marks, Brent Marks Racing #19 1 win – James McFadden, Kasey Kahne Racing w/ Mike Curb #9 1 win – Dave Blaney, Dave Blaney #10 1 win – Donny Schatz, Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15 1 win – Spencer Bayston, Sam McGhee Motorsports #11 1 win – Tyler Courtney, Clauson-Marshall Racing #7BCFEATURE LAPS LED (25 Drivers): 296 laps – Brad Sweet 256 laps – Sheldon Haudenschild 188 laps – Aaron Reutzel 185 laps – Carson Macedo 175 laps – David Gravel 172 laps – Donny Schatz 154 laps – Logan Schuchart 72 laps – Kyle Larson 63 laps – Kerry Madsen 57 laps – Tyler Courtney 36 laps – James McFadden 33 laps – Spencer Bayston 29 laps – Giovanni Scelzi 27 laps – Brent Marks, Sam Hafertepe Jr. 11 laps – Sye Lynch 10 laps – Jacob Allen, Brock Zearfoss, Parker Price-Miller 3 laps – Ian Madsen 1 lap – Kasey Kahne, Kraig Kinser, Brandon Spithaler, Dave Blaney, Brian BrownSLICK WOODY’S QUICKTIME AWARDS (20 Drivers): 10 QuickTimes – David Gravel 7 QuickTimes – Sheldon Haudenschild 5 QuickTimes – Brad Sweet, Logan Schuchart 4 QuickTimes – Kerry Madsen 3 QuickTimes – Aaron Reutzel 2 QuickTimes – James McFadden, Cory Eliason, Giovanni Scelzi, Parker Price-Miller, Sam Hafertepe Jr. 1 QuickTime – Carson Macedo, Kraig Kinser, Danny Dietrich, Anthony Macri, Kasey Kahne, Brian Brown, Brock Zearfoss, Rico Abreu, Sye LynchDRYDENE HEAT RACE WINNERS (39 Drivers) 24 Heat Wins – David Gravel 19 Heat Wins – Carson Macedo 16 Heat Wins – Aaron Reutzel 15 Heat Wins – Donny Schatz 13 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild 12Heat Wins – Brad Sweet 11 Heat Wins – Logan Schuchart 9 Heat Wins – James McFadden 6 Heat Wins – Brian Brown 5 Heat Wins – Kerry Madsen 4 Heat Wins – Giovanni Scelzi, Tyler Courtney 3 Heat Wins – Brock Zearfoss, Jason Sides, Kraig Kinser, Ian Madsen, Anthony Macri, Sam Hafertepe Jr. 2 Heat Wins – Jacob Allen, Wayne Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Larson, DJ Netto, Parker Price-Miller 1 Heat Win – Danny Dietrich, Hunter Schuerenberg, Lance Dewease, Brandon Spithaler, Tim Kaeding, Jack Dover, Scotty Thiel, Paul McMahan, Daryn Pittman, Justin Peck, Jac Haudenschild, Sye Lynch, Chad Trout, TJ Stutts, Brent MarksPODIUM FINISHES (25 Drivers): 27 Podiums – Brad Sweet 18 Podiums – Carson Macedo 16 Podiums – Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz 15 Podiums – David Gravel 12 Podiums – Logan Schuchart 10 Podiums – Aaron Reutzel 6 Podiums – James McFadden, Kerry Madsen, Brent Marks 5 Podiums – Giovanni Scelzi 3 Podiums – Brian Brown, Lance Dewease, Kyle Larson 2 Podiums – Kraig Kinser, Cory Eliason, Anthony Macri, Danny Dietrich, Tyler Courtney 1 Podium – Justin Peck, Brian Brown, Anthony Macri, Dave Blaney, Spencer Bayston, Daryn Pittman, Paulie Colagiovanni, Sam Hafertepe Jr.2021 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Schedule & WinnersNo. / Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins) 1. Fri, Feb. 5 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Brad Sweet (1) 2. Sun, Feb. 7 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Logan Schuchart (1) 3. Fri, March 5 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Carson Macedo (1) 4. Sat, March 6 / East Bay Raceway Park / Tampa, FL / Aaron Reutzel (1) 5. Fri, March 12 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS / Sheldon Haudenschild (1) 6. Sat, March 13 / The Rev / Monroe, LA / David Gravel (1) 7. Fri, March 19 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / Sheldon Haudenschild (2) 8. Sat, March 20 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / Brad Sweet (2) 9. Sat, March 27 / Lake Ozark Speedway / Eldon, MO / Brad Sweet (3) 10. Fri, April 2 / I-55 Raceway / Pevely, MO / Brad Sweet (4) 11. Sat, April 3 / I-55 Raceway / Pevely, MO / Brad Sweet (5) 12. Fri, April 9 / Kokomo Speedway / Kokomo, IN / James McFadden (1) 13. Sat, April 10 / Tri-State Speedway / Haubstadt, IN / Carson Macedo (2) 14. Fri, April 22 / Bristol Motor Speedway / Bristol, TN / David Gravel (2) 15. Sun, April 24 / Bristol Motor Speedway / Bristol, TN / David Gravel (3) 16. Thur, April 29 / Jacksonville Speedway / Jacksonville, IL / Brad Sweet (6) 17. Fri, April 30 / I-70 Motorsports Park / Odessa, MO / Brad Sweet (7) 18. Sat, May 1 / I-70 Motorsports Park / Odessa, MO / Brad Sweet (8) 19. Sat, May 8 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Brent Marks (1) 20. Sat, May 8 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Sheldon Haudenschild (3) 21. Wed, May 12 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / Brad Sweet (9) 22. Fri, May 14 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Carson Macedo (3) 23. Sat, May 15 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Aaron Reutzel (2) 24. Tues, May 18 / Bridgeport Speedway / Swedesboro, NJ / Logan Schuchart (2) 25. Fri, May 21 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / David Gravel (4) 26. Sat, May 22 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH / Dave Blaney (1) 27. Mon, May 31 / Lawrenceburg Speedway / Lawrenceburg, IN / Kyle Larson (1) 28. Sat, June 5 / Granite City Speedway /Sauk Rapids, MN / David Gravel (5) 29. Fri, June 11 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Carson Macedo (4) 30. Sat, June 12 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Carson Macedo (5) 31. Thur, June 17 / 34 Raceway / West Burlington, IA / Brad Sweet (10) 32. Fri, June 18 / Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway / Dubuque, IA / Donny Schatz (1) 33. Sat, June 19 / Beaver Dam Raceway / Beaver Dam, WI / Sheldon Haudenschild (4) 34. Mon, June 21 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / David Gravel (6) 35. Tues, June 22 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / Aaron Reutzel (3) 36. Thur, June 24 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN / Kerry Madsen (1) 37. Fri, June 25 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN / Kerry Madsen (2) 38. Sat, June 27 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN / Logan Schuchart (3) 39. Fri, July 2 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI / Brad Sweet (11) 40. Sat, July 3 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI / Brad Sweet (12) 41. Sat, July 10 / Wilmot Raceway / Wilmot, WI / Brad Sweet (13) 42. Tues, July 13 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / Spencer Bayston (1) 43. Wed, July 14 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Carson Macedo (6) 44. Sat, July 17 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Tyler Courtney (1) 45. Sat, July 17 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Kyle Larson (2) 46. Sun, July 18 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Carson Macedo (7) 47. Tues, July 20 / Lernerville Speedway / Sarver, PA / Brad Sweet (14) 48. Fri, July 23 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Sheldon Haudenschild (5) 49. Sat, July 24 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Brent Marks (2) 50. Fri, July 30 / Ransomville Speedway / Ransomville, NY / Aaron Reutzel (4) 51. Sat, July 31 / Weedsport Speedway / Weedsport, NY / David Gravel (7) 52. Fri, August 6 / I-55 Raceway / Pevely, MO / Sheldon Haudenschild (6) 53. Sat, August 7 / I-55 Raceway / Pevely, MO / Sheldon Haudenschild (7) 54. Sat, August 14 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Kyle Larson (3) |
Three Days of Topless 100 Action at Batesville Motor Speedway
| Batavia, OH (August 17, 2021) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is up next with the COMP Cams Topless 100 – Presented by Nutrien Ag Solutions. The Crown Jewel event takes place this weekend with a $40,000 top prize on the line Saturday in Batesville, Arkansas. One of the most highly anticipated events of the season, the 29th Annual COMP Cams Topless 100 – Presented by Nutrien Ag Solutions is slated for Thursday – Saturday, August 19th – 21st, at Batesville Motor Speedway. The crown jewel event is co-sanctioned by the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and the COMP Cams Super Dirt Series. The Topless 100 prelim nights will feature a complete program of Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains and a 30 lap, $5,000-to-win main event on Thursday and Friday nights. Drivers will earn points in each of the two preliminary nights that combined, will determine the lineups for Saturday night’s finale. The top 16 in combined points will be locked into the A-Main, while everyone else will go to a B-Main. Modifieds will also compete in a full program on Thursday and Friday nights. Both days, the pit gate will open at 3:00 PM CT, main gate at 4:00 PM CT, with a driver’s meeting slated for 7:00 PM CT and hot laps to begin 30 minutes later. Saturday’s festivities will kick off with hot laps at 8:00 PM CT, followed by consolation events for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. The 100-lap, $40,000-to-win Topless 100 will cap off the weekend action. The Modifieds will once again compete in a full program on Saturday night. The pit gate will open at 3:00 PM CT, main gate at 4:00 PM CT. There will be a driver’s meeting at 7:30 PM CT. In 2020, Jimmy Owens held off a furious charge from Hall-of-Famer Billy Moyer on the final lap for the $40,000 victory. Moyer charged from 18th to briefly edge in front of Owens as the two exited turn number two on the final lap, but Moyer drifted out too high and hit the outside retaining wall. Owens pulled away for his third win in the event’s history. Moyer fell from second to fourth at the finish as both Earl Pearson Jr. and Tim McCreadie slipped by him. This event is unique in the fact that the dirt late models are without a roof. The topless aspect gives spectators an up-close look, as drivers wrestle their 800+ horsepower machines around the lightning-fast, 3/8-mile oval. For more information on the COMP Cams Topless 100 – Presented by Nutrien Ag Solutions, visit: www.batesvillemotorspeedway.com or call the Speedway Office at (870) 251-0011. Tim McCreadie continues to carry the Midwest Sheet Metal orange spoiler, indicative of the point leader. Jonathan Davenport is 175 points out of the lead, with a close battle for the second spot with Hudson O’Neal and Kyle Bronson. Jimmy Owens holds the fifth spot, ten points ahead of Tyler Erb. Ricky Thornton Jr, Josh Richards, Shane Clanton, and Mike Marlar round out the top ten in Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship point standings. Track Information:Batesville Motor SpeedwayPhone Number: 870-251-0011Location: 5090 Heber Springs Road, Locust Grove, AR 72550Directions: Eight miles west of Batesville, at the junction of SR 14 & SR 25, located on Heber Springs Rd.Website: www.batesvillemotorspeedway.com Tire Rule for Thursday-Friday, August 19th – 20th:Left Rear/Fronts – Hoosier Rib (28.5) 1350Right Rear – Hoosier (29.0) White Dot 1600 NRM, (29.0) White Dot 1600 NRMW*Must use the same set of 4 tires for Time Trials, Heat Races, and B-Mains.*For the A-Main, competitors may use 2 new rear tires.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position. Tire Rule for Saturday, August 21st:Left Front – Hoosier Rib (28.5) 1350Left Rear/Right Front – Hoosier Rib (28.5) 1350, (28.5) White Dot 1600Right Rear – Hoosier (29.0) White Dot 1600 NRM, (29.0) White Dot 1600 NRMW*For the B-Mains, competitors may use 4 new tires.*For the A-Main, competitors may use 4 new tires. Thursday-Friday Event Purse: 1. $5,000, 2. $3,000, 3. $2,000, 4. $1,500, 5. $1,250, 6. $1,000, 7. $950, 8. $900, 9. $850, 10. $800, 11. $700, 12. $600, 13. $600, 14. $600, 15. $600, 16. $600, 17. $550, 18. $500, 19. $500, 20. $500, 21. $500, 22. $500, 23. $500, 24. $500 = $25,000 29th Annual COMP Cams Topless 100 – Presented by Nutrien Ag Solutions Purse: 1. $40,000, 2. $20,000, 3. $10,000, 4. $5,000, 5. $4,000, 6. $3,750, 7. $3,500, 8. $3,000, 9. $2,800, 10. $2,700, 11. $2,500, 12. $2,400, 13. $2,350, 14. $2,300, 15. $2,250, 16. $2,200, 17. $2,150, 18. $2,125, 19. $2,100, 20. $2,075, 21. $2,050, 22. $2,025, 23. $2,000, 24. $2,000, 25. $2,000, 26. $2,000 = $129,275 Previous Topless 100 Winners:1993 – Tony Cardin1994 – Freddy Smith1995 – Billy Moyer1996 – Bill Frye1997 – Billy Moyer1998 – Wendell Wallace1999 – Scott Bloomquist2000 – Jimmy Mars2001 – Scott Bloomquist2002 – Billy Moyer2003 – Shannon Babb2004 – Dale McDowell2005 – Billy Moyer2006 – Scott Bloomquist2007 – Jimmy Mars2008 – Tim McCreadie2009 – Jimmy Owens2010 – Jared Landers2011 – Scott Bloomquist2012 – Steve Francis2013 – Terry Phillips2014 – Jimmy Owens2015 – Shannon Babb2016 – Rained Out2017 – Scott Bloomquist2018 – Rained Out2019 – Chris Madden2020 – Jimmy Owens About COMP Cams:For more than 35 years, the COMP Cams mission has never changed: to produce the highest-performing products possible, provide customers with superior service, and to lead the industry in technological development. While the COMP Performance Group has grown to multiple companies and hundreds of employees, we still retain the competitive spirit and desire to be the very best that has positioned COMP Cams as the absolute leader in valve train components. To learn more about COMP Cams, visit: www.compcams.com. About Nutrien Ag Solutions:As the largest producer of potash by capacity and one of the world’s largest producers of nitrogen and phosphate, Nutrien provides the three key nutrients growers need to produce healthier, more abundant crops. Their Ag-Retail operations supply key products and services directly to growers – including crop nutrients, crop protection, and seed, as well as agronomic and application services – to help meet the world’s ever growing-demand for food and fiber. To learn more about Nutrien Ag Solutions, visit: www.nutrien.com or www.nutrienagsolutions.com. |
cruz pedregon–brainerd preview
NHRA® Team Report
NHRA Nationals – Brainerd, MN
Pre-Race Report
Cruz Pedregon says he’s in a “good position” to capitalize on the momentum of going rounds and getting to the semifinals once again this season as he and the team prepare for the upcoming weekend at Brainerd International Raceway.
“The track at Brainerd is a really good one with a nice surface, and the fans always turn out there to experience great drag racing. We appreciate our NHRA fans so much and the ones we get to see and interact with in Minnesota are always engaged” Cruz says. “The team re-directed after Kansas to head back to the shop on the way to Brainerd to pick up some parts and repair and rebuild some that were damaged last weekend. We had one of those unfortunate racing things happen when we got tangled-up with Tim’s (Wilkerson’s) car. Thankfully neither of us were hurt and we can both get our cars fixed. He’s a great racer and gentleman, so there’s no issue there. I’m sure he wished he could have that one back, I’ve been there myself.”
The SnaponFranchise.com paint scheme is sidelined for now, so Cruz will be racing the primary Snap-on® “Makers and Fixers” Dodge® SRT® Hellcat® Funny Car body through Indy. The team is also reviewing a clutch issue that thwarted a better outcome after a solid start in the semis. He enters the race in eighth place in the Funny Car standings as he and the team keep their eye on the prize of a strong Countdown spot.
Follow Cruz and Snap-on on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
To see the latest Cruz news, like his Facebook page, where you can also check out his Vlog “Kickin’ It With The Cruzer.” Follow Cruz on Twitter and Instagram. Be sure to follow @MakersandFixers on Instagram and share your stories at makersandfixers.com.
Demon 100 at Brewerton Speedway added to NAPA Super DIRT Week
| BREWERTON, NY – An extra dose of Super DIRTcar Series action will now help set the stage for the 49th NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week.Widespread thunderstorms and overnight rain showers that extended into Tuesday forced Series and Brewerton Speedway officials to reschedule the Demon 100 for Tuesday, Oct. 5 – giving race fans an added chance to see the Beast of the Northeast during the biggest week of dirt racing in the northeast.Those who purchased tickets in advance to the Demon 100 will be able to use those tickets for the new Oct. 5 date. If you’re unable to attend and would like a refund, you’ll need to mail your ticket(s) to the World Racing Group office – 7575 West Winds Blvd. Concord, NC 28027 – by Sept. 17, 2021. The Demon 100 will now be the final chance for a Super DIRTcar Series driver to secure a guaranteed starting spot for the prestigious 200-lap, $50,000-to-win, Billy Whittaker Cars 200 on Sunday, Oct. 10.Joining the Big Blocks at Brewerton will be the DIRTcar Pro Stocks. Along with running for a $1,000 top prize, the winner of the Pro Stock race will also secure a guaranteed starting spot for the DIRTcar Pro Stocks 50 on Sunday.Tech options will be available for Super DIRT Week competitors at Brewerton Speedway and Oswego Speedway on Tuesday, Oct. 5.The open practice originally scheduled for Oct. 5 at Oswego Speedway is now canceled.This event will not only give fans an early preview of the roster of superstar drivers planning to compete in NAPA Super DIRT Week this year, it will send a thunderous echo throughout the region, ringing the bell that the biggest motorsports event in the state is here. Make sure to claim your spot early for the Demon 100 by purchasing tickets in advance at SuperDIRTcarSeries.com.PHOTO: Matt Sullivan |
| The Super DIRTcar Series is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel), Chevy Performance Parts, iRacing (Official Online Racing Game) and NAPA Auto Parts. Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), ASI Race Wear, Bicknell Racing Products, Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux, Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, Drydene, Fox Factory, MSD, and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: FireAde, Intercomp, and Racing Electronics. |
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Eight Winning Retrospectives
LE MANS, France (Aug. 17, 2021) – Corvette Racing is back at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this week with its eye toward a ninth class victory in one of the world’s greatest endurance races. Debuting at Le Mans in 2000, the program quickly established itself as an annual contender in the production-based GT categories. This year should be no different with the mid-engine Corvette C8.R. Ahead of this week’s track action, let’s visit with current and past Corvette Racing drivers to recap each victory from 2001 to 2015: |
| Corvette Racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (wins in bold)2000No. 63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel/Justin Bell – 4th in GTSNo. 64 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 3rd in GTS 2001No. 63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Scott Pruett – 1st in GTSNo. 64 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 2nd in GTS 2002No. 63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GTSNo. 64 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 2nd in GTS 2003No. 53 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Franck Freon – 3rd in GTSNo. 50 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin/Kelly Collins/Andy Pilgrim – 2nd in GTS 2004No. 63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Max Papis – 2nd in GTSNo. 64 Corvette C5-R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GTS 2005No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Max Papis – 2nd in GT1No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1 2006No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Max Papis – 7th in GT1No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1 2007No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GT1No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Max Papis – 14th in GT1 2008No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GT1No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Max Papis – 3rd in GT1 2009No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GT1No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Marcel Fässler – 4th in GT1 2010No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell/Antonio Garcia – 12th in GT2 (DNF)No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Emmanuel Collard – 10th in GT2 (DNF) 2011No. 73 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Tommy Milner/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GTE ProNo. 74 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen/Richard Westbrook – 14th in GTE Pro (DNF) 2012No. 73 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 5th in GTE ProNo. 74 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook – 6th in GTE Pro 2013No. 73 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 4th in GTE ProNo. 74 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook – 7th in GTE Pro 2014No. 73 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTE ProNo. 74 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook – 4th in GTE Pro 2015No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ryan Briscoe – DNS (Qualifying crash)No. 64 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTE Pro 2016No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ricky Taylor – 7th in GTE ProNo. 64 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Jordan Taylor – 10th in GTE Pro (DNF) 2017No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 3rd in GTE ProNo. 64 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 8th in GTLM 2018No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 4th in GTE ProNo. 64 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 15th in GTE Pro (DNF) 2019No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 8th in GTE ProNo. 64 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 16th in GTE Pro (DNF) |
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Super DIRTcar Series stars set to battle the ‘Demon’ at Brewerton Aug. 17
BREWERTON, NY – The Super DIRTcar Series goes full throttle, Tuesday, Aug. 17, at Brewerton Speedway for the $10,000-to-win Demon 100.
Series superstars like Billy Decker, Mat Williamon, Larry Wight, Matt Sheppard, Peter Britten, Jimmy Phelps and Tim Sears, Jr., along with an elite field of local talent, will tackle one of the most driver-demanding, elbows-up, fan-favorite tracks around: Brewerton Speedway – The D-Shaped Dirt Demon.
They’ll be competing for the $10,000 top prize and an illustrious 49th NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week (Oct. 6-10) guaranteed starting spot in the Series’ 11th visit to the ⅓-mile Central New York track.
Here are the top storylines to follow:
STOMPING GROUNDS: A strong cadre of Super DIRTcar Series stars race weekly at Brewerton Speedway on Friday nights. Gypsum Racing drivers Larry Wight, Billy Decker, and recent Northeast Dirt Hall of Fame inductee Pat Ward will all have their Big Blocks ready to defend home territory.
Chris Hile, Jimmy Phelps, and Tim Sears Jr. are all running in the top five in Brewerton points. Hile is coming off of a second-place run at Orange County Fair Speedway in the Centennial 102. The last time the Super DIRTcar Series stormed through Brewerton, The Hile Driver came just short of hunting down race-winner Mat Williamson. Hile could find himself one step higher on the podium for the first time against the Series.
TURNING POINT: Mat Williamson, from St. Catharines, ON, won the last Series race at Brewerton Speedway. He then went back-to-back by winning at Mohawk International Raceway the next day. Those wins helped propel the Buzz Chew Racing #88 into the championship in 2019. A win tomorrow could potentially mark another turning point for Williamson. He’s currently fourth in points with one win on the season.
NAPA Super DIRT Week Qualifier: The winner of the Demon 100 will receive the guaranteed starter status for the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 on Sunday, Oct. 10. If the winner already has that status, the guaranteed start will be awarded to the next highest finishing driver without one. For example, Chris Hile took second place at Orange County behind Stewart Friesen but because Friesen had already won (six times), Hile picked up the award.
That creates a scenario for a driver like hometown hero Tyler Trump to shock the field and pick up the NAPA Super DIRT Week guaranteed start for himself, which pays a minimum $1,500.
INVADERS FROM THE NORTH: Two warriors from the North Country have made it known that they will attempt to slay The D-Shaped Dirt Demon on the backs of their own Beasts of the Northeast. The St. Lawrence Radiology cars of Tim Fuller, from Watertown, NY, and Michael Maresca, driver of the #7mm, will go the $10,000 prize.
Fuller has one win and four top-10s in six starts so far in 2021. Maresca has one top-10 in three starts but Brewerton is his home track and the #7mm is sure to turn up the heat for The Demon 100.
TICKETS AND STREAMING: Race fans can save on their ticket price by preordering their Demon 100 tickets HERE. Pit passes are not available in advance. Pit gates open at 4pm EST and grandstand gates open at 5 pm EST, Tuesday, Aug. 17. Kids 10 and under are free.
If you can’t make it to the race track, fans can subscribe to DIRTVision’s FAST PASS to catch all the action live on your device of choice.
PREVIOUS BREWERTON SPEEDWAY SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES WINNERS
2019 – Mat Williamson
2018 – Matt Sheppard/Matt Sheppard
2017 – Matt Sheppard
2016 – Matt Sheppard
2015 – Billy Decker
2010 – Matt Sheppard
2009 – Matt Sheppard
2008 – Billy Decker
2007 – Dale Planck
On the Internet
Twitter – @SuperDIRTcar
Instagram – @SuperDIRTcar
Facebook – Facebook.com/SuperDIRTcarSeries
YouTube – Youtube.com/DIRTCarRacing
DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month
NORTH COUNTRY ALL-STARS
| DIRTcar 358 Modified Series begins at Mohawk Int’l Raceway Thursday, August 19Seventy-five laps and $4,000 up for grabs for 358 Series, plus DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series North Region gets underwayAKWESASNE, NY – Mohawk Int’l Raceway has been a staple of the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series circuit since 1993 when Kenny Tremont Jr. took the first Series win. Since then, Mohawk has hosted 33 Series races. Names like Alan Johnson, Billy Decker, Chris Raabe, Billy Dunn, and Pat O’Brien fill the North Country’s record books. Another name will be added on Thursday, Aug. 19, at St. Lawrence Radiology night at Mohawk Int’l Raceway.The night of racing includes the 75-lap DIRTcar 358 Modified Series tour kick-off, the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified North Region opener, and DIRTcar Pro Stocks racing for Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship points. “It’s been real tough to get the 358 Series off the ground in 2020 and also this year with COVID and border restrictions. While there still many hurdles to have teams to cross the border we needed to have the Series this year with most tracks running under normal circumstances,” said NE Competition Director, “It’s still very tough for the 358 teams in Canada but with the bulk of the schedule in the US we needed to get it started as it’s getting late in the racing season.”The overall DIRTcar 358 Modified Series champion will still include home track bonus points obtained after the Labor Day Weekend and along with Series event points added to the totals. A full point fund will be paid with the champion claiming a $6,000 top prize at the year-end awards banquet.The point fund totals over $25,000 and will award a cash prize to the top 15 in points. Michael Maresca, in the fan-favorite #7mm, has made his intentions to take the $4,000 payday known. Both the night of racing and Maresca’s car are sponsored by St. Lawrence Radiology. Tim Fuller will pilot another St. Lawrence Radiology-sponsored car as well. The driver of the #19 has reached Victory Lane at Mohawk in 358 Series competition three times in his career. He’s been on a hot streak at Can-Am Speedway in his 358 so race fans will need to take note of his starting position for the 75-lap Feature. A pair of full-time Super DIRTcar Series stars are planning to tackle Mohawk. Erick Rudolph, from Ransomville, NY, will pilot his #25R against the rest of the best DIRTcar 358 Modified drivers. Rudolph does not have a Series win at Mohawk but he is a three-time and defending 358 Modified Series champion. Mike Mahaney has turned into a top line Super DIRTcar Series Big Block driver. He’ll put that experience to the #35 Adirondack Auto 358 to take on the North Country’s best for the $4,000 check. Lance Willix has been battling at the top of the DIRTcar 358 Modified Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship standings. Willix is hungry for more wins to push him over the top in those standings where he is battling Erick Rudolph, Mat Williamson, Billy Dunn, and more. Another top driver set for Mohawk is Jordan McCreadie. A rookie on the Super DIRTcar Series this year, the second generation driver is near the top of the points at both Can-Am and Thunder Mountain. He will be a favorite at the first clash in Akwesasne, NY. Also on the card is the first race of the season for the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series North Region. With successful starts to the East, Central, and West regions already underway, the North Region is sure to bring the excitement to the North Country. DIRTcar 358 Modified Series 2021 ScheduleThursday, August 19 – Mohawk Int’l Raceway – Akwesasne, NYFriday, September 10 – Can-Am Speedway – LaFargeville, NYFriday, September 17 – Mohawk Int’l Raceway – Akwesasne, NYWednesday, October 6 – Weedsport Speedway – Weedsport, NYThursday, October 7 – Brewerton Speedway – Brewerton, NYSaturday, October 9 – Oswego Speedway – Oswego, NYSaturday, October 16 – Brockville Ontario Speedway – Brockville, ONPHOTO: Joe Grabianowski |
| DIRTcar Racing is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel), Chevy Performance Parts, iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, and NAPA Auto Parts (SDS). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), ASI Race Wear (SDS), Bassett, Bicknell Racing Products, Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux (SDS), Cometic Gasket (SDS), COMP Cams, Drydene, Fast Shafts, Fox Factory (SDS), Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, KSE Racing Products, MSD, Quarter Master, Schoenfeld Headers, Summit Racing Equipment, and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum) (SDS); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Beyea Headers, FireAde, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics and Velocita USA. |
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Northeast swing on tap for World of Outlaws
| Sheppard, Madden, Bruening, and more get ready for a four-race weekendMIDDLETOWN, NY – AUG. 16, 2021 – Four races. Four tracks. Three States. That’s what awaits the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models as they prepare for the final Northeast swing of the season. The Series will run four 40-lap Features, each paying $10,000-to-win. The grueling stretch starts with a return to the Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, NY, on Thursday, Aug 19. It’s the first time the Series has raced at the “House of Power” since 2004. Tickets: https://bit.ly/3xHwNOj Then, the Series moves west to the famed Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA, on Friday, Aug. 20. Tickets: https://bit.ly/3scMWKc On Saturday, Aug. 21, The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet visit the Buckeye State for the first time in 2021, with a stop at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, OH. The weekend finishes with one more trip to the Keystone State and a trek to Eriez Speedway in Erie, PA. If you can’t make it to the track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision with the annual Platinum FAST PASS subscription for $299/year or the monthly FAST PASS subscription for $39/month. Here are the top storylines to watch for this week: Keystone Contingent: When the World of Outlaws Late Models head to the Northeast, they know stout regional competitors aim to keep them out of Victory Lane. Rick Eckert, the 2011 Series champion, and Max Blair are two drivers to keep an eye on this weekend as the Series returns to the area. From York, PA, Rick Eckert won the last time the Series raced at Orange County Fair Speedway in 2004. “Scrub” already has a win in 2021, besting the World of Outlaws in June at Plymouth Speedway in Indiana. Max Blair is coming into the weekend with momentum, finishing sixth at the USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway. The Centerville, PA driver is looking forward to Sunday’s event at Eriez Speedway, where the Viper Motorsports team has already won three times in 2021. Freeze Warning: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driverStewart Friesen will make his second appearance of the season with the World of Outlaws Late Models Thursday at Orange County Fair Speedway. He has more laps around the track than any other driver in the field and won a Super DIRTcar Series race last week at the “House of Power.” The Sprakers, NY driver, will make history if he can win Thursday’s race. He’d be the first driver to win a Super DIRTcar Series, World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint Cars, and World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models Feature. Friesen tested his Longhorn Chassis at Orange County last week, hoping to gain some knowledge before Thursday’s return to the speedway. Rocketing to History: As the season moves toward Labor Day weekend, Brandon Sheppard continues his climb to the peak of World of Outlaws Late Models history. And this weekend he might have an edge over the field, having won at three of this weekend’s four tracks – Williams Grove, Sharon and Eriez. A win this weekend would give the New Berlin, IL driver 74 career Victories, tying him with fellow three-time Series Champion Darrell Lanigan for second on the all-time wins list. But the driver he’s trying to track down is Josh Richards—who’s at the top of the mountain with 78 Morton Buildings Feature wins. The three-time and defending champion is also trying to match Richards for the most Series Championships. He has a comfortable advantage entering the Orange County Fair Speedway—102 points ahead of Chris Madden. Chasing the “1”: Chris Madden has been consistent throughout the season but is still trying to gain ground on the Rocket1 racing team. The good news for Madden is he’s found success in the Northeast in 2021 and on tracks a half-mile or bigger – like Orange County and Williams Grove. “Smokey” won twice at Port Royal Speedway and hasn’t finished outside the top-10 at tracks in New York or Pennsylvania. He’s also found success on 3/8-mile tracks – the size of Sharon and Eriez, winning at Mississippi Thunder Speedway and finishing on the podium at Gondik Law Speedway and Red Cedar Speedway last month. Madden has 20 top-fives and 28 top-10s this season. He’s also tied with Sheppard for the most wins (4). Hawkeye State Rookie Battle: Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 will go to a driver from Iowa. The question is, will it be Tyler Bruening or Ryan Gustin. Bruening, from Decorah, IA, leads the battle by 132 points entering this weekend. He extended his advantage over Gustin after engine troubles sidelined the Marshalltown, IA driver during Thursday’s portion of the USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway. The two “Hawkeye State” standouts are each looking for their first career Series win, which could give either one of them momentum toward being the Top Rookie when the season ends. “The Reaper” has one more podium finish in 2021 than Bruening, but the Skyline Motorsports team has been more consistent. When and WhereAug. 19: Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, NY Aug. 20: Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA Aug. 21: Sharon Speedway in Hartford, OH Aug. 22: Eriez Speedway in Erie, PAAbout the TracksOrange County Fair Speedway is a .625-mile oval Williams Grove Speedway is a 1/2-mile semi-banked oval Sharon Speedway is a 3/8-mile oval Eriez Speedway is a 3/8-mile semi-banked ovalPrevious Orange County Fair Speedway winners 2004- Rick Eckert on June 20 Previous Williams Grove Speedway Winners 2020 – Brandon Sheppard on Aug. 21 2019 – Brandon Sheppard on Aug. 16 1988 – Larry Phillips on April 22 Previous Sharon Speedway Winners2019- Brandon Sheppard on Aug. 30 Previous Eriez Speedway Winners 2020- Dennis Erb Jr. on Aug. 222018- Chase Junghans on Aug. 19 2017- Brandon Sheppard on Aug. 20 2016- Josh Richards on Aug. 14 2015- Josh Richards on Aug. 23 OnlineOrange County Fair Speedway: https://orangecountyfairspeedway.net Williams Grove Speedway: http://www.williamsgrove.com Sharon Speedway: http://www.sharonspeedway.com Eriez Speedway: https://www.myracepass.com/tracks/1501 Track RecordOrange County Fair Speedway: Not Registered Williams Grove Speedway: 19.500 by Jason Covert Sharon Speedway: 14.842 by Brandon Sheppard Eriez Speedway: 14.522 by Josh RichardsOn the Internet World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models Series Twitter – Twitter.com/WoOLateModels – @WoOLateModels Instagram – Instagram.com/WoOLateModels – @woolatemodels Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsLateModelSeries YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month Around the turn: The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet head to Davenport Speedway in Davenport, IA for the Quad Cities 150 presented by Hoker Trucking on Aug. 26-28. Feature Winners: (19 Drivers) Rank- Driver- Hometown-WinsChris Madden, Gray Court, SC-4 Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-4Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-3 Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-3Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC-2 Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-2 Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-2 Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, IL-2 Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-2Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-1 Mike Spatola, Manhattan, IL-1 Josh Richards, Shinnston, WV-1 Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY-1 Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, IL-1 Rick Eckert, York, PA-1 Dave Hess, Waterford, PA-1 Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA-1 Ashton Winger, Senoia, GA-1 Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-1 DRYDENE HEAT RACE WINNERS (50 Drivers) Rank- Driver- Hometown-WinsBrandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-14Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-12Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-8Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-7 Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-7Rick Eckert, York, PA-5 Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-5 Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-5Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY-4 Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC-4 Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-4 Jimmy Mars, Menomonie, WI-4Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-3 Ricky Weiss, Headingley, MB-3 Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA-3 Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, IL- 3 Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-3 Devin Moran, Dresden, OH- 2 Ross Bailes, Clover, SC- 2 Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg, TN-2 Mason Zeigler, Chalk Hill, PA-2 Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-2 Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-2 Chad Simpson, Mt. Vernon, IA-2 Ashton Winger, Senoia, GA-2 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS-2 Jimmy Owens, Newport, TN-2Dale Mcdowell, Chickamauga, GA- 1 Darell Lanigan, Union, KY-1 Parker Martin, Milledgeville, GA-1 Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-1 Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-1 Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, AZ-1 Brian Shirley, Chatham, IL-1 Ryan Unzicker, El Paso, IL-1 Taylor Scheffler, Waukesha, WI- 1 Mike Spatola, Manhattan, IL-1 Kevin Weaver, Gibson City, IL-1 Josh Richards, Shinnston, WV-1 Dan Stone, Thompson, PA-1 Billy Moyer, Batesville, AR-1 Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, IL-1 Dave Hess, Waterford, PA-1 Chris Hackett, Erie, PA-1 Spencer Hughes, Meridian, MS-1 Mike Norris, Sarver, PA-1 Mark Whitener, Middleburg, FL-1 Chub Frank, Bear Lake, PA-1 Max Blair, Titusville, PA-1 Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, NM-1 Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, NC-1 Last Chance Showdown Winners (39 drivers) Rank- Driver- Hometown-WinsRicky Weiss, Headingly, MB-4Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-3 Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-3 Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-3Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-2 Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA-2 Rick Eckert, York, PA-2 Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-2 Dennis Erb, Jr., Carpentersville, IL-2 Chad Simpson, Mount Vernon, IA-2Ross Robinson, Georgetown, DE- 1 Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg, TN-1 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS-1 Brandon Overton, Evans, GA- 1 Mike Norris, Sarver, PA- 1 Stacy Boles, Clinton, TN-1 Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC-1 Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-1 Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-1 Chris Simpson, Oxford, IA-1 Jake Timm, Winona, MN-1 Taylor Scheffler, Waukesha, WI- 1 Gordy Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-1 Tyler Bare, Rockbridge Baths, VA-1 Trevor Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-1 Greg Oakes, Franklinville, NY-1 Mark Whitener, Middleburg, FL-1 Jared Miley, Pittsburgh, PA-1 Mike Benedum, Salem, WV-1 Darrell Lanigan, Union, KY-1 Gregg Satterlee, Indiana, PA-1 Chad Mahder, Eau Claire, WI-1 Cole Schill, West Fargo, ND-1 James Giossi, New Richmond, WI-1 Kevin Eder, Ashland, WI-1 Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, IL-1 Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, NC-1 Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-1 Lukas Postl, Shawano, WI-1 Jason Feger, Bloomington, IL-1 PODIUM FINISHES (39 drivers) Rank – Driver, Hometown – PodiumsBrandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-17Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-11Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-5 Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, IL- 5 Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-5 Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA – 5 Brandon Overton, Evans, GA – 5Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-4Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC – 3 Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-3 Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-3 Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, IL-3Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL – 2 Rick Eckert, York, PA-2 Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg, TN – 2 Jimmy Mars, Menomonie, WI-2 Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-2 Ashton Winger, Senoia, GA-2Darrell Lanigan, Union, KY – 1 Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN – 1 Ricky Thornton, Jr., Chandler, AZ – 1 Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA – 1 Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-1 Ryan Unzicker, El Paso, IL-1 Mike Spatola, Manhattan, IL-1 Josh Richards, Shinnston, WV-1 Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY-1 Ross Bailes, Clover, SC-1 Ricky Weiss, Headingly, MB-1 Scott James, Bright, IN-1 Billy Moyer, Batesville, AR-1 Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-1 Dan Stone, Thompson, PA-1 Dave Hess, Waterford, PA-1 Max Blair, Titusville, PA-1 Mike Norris, Sarver, PA-1 Mark Whitener, Middleburg, FL-1 Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA-1 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS-1HARD CHARGER (21 drivers) Rank – Driver, Hometown – H.C.Ricky Weiss, Headingly, MB – 4Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL – 3Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS – 2 Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-2 Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-2 Darrell Lanigan, Union, KY-2 Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-2 Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA – 2 Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-2Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1 Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, AZ-1 Jason Jameson, Lawrenceburg, IN-1 Logan Martin, West Plains, MO-1 Dan Stone, Thompson, PA-1 Ross Robinson, Georgetown, DE-1 Gregg Satterlee, Rochester Mills, PA-1 Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, IL-1 Pat Doar, New Richmond, WI-1 Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-1 Ron Berna, Green Bay, WI-1 Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-1 Jason Feger, Bloomington, IL-1 SLICK WOODY’S QUICK TIME Award (18 drivers) Rank – Driver, Hometown – QTsBrandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-4Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-3Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC – 2 Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-2 Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL – 2 Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-2 Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-2 Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-2Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL – 1 Devin Moran, Dresden, OH – 1 Donald McIntosh, Dawsonville, GA- 1 Taylor Scheffler, Waukesha, WI- 1 Billy Moyer, Batesville, AR-1 Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA-1 Rick Eckert, York, PA-1 Dave Hess, Waterford, PA-1 Mike Norris, Sarver, PA-1 Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-1 Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-12021 World of Outlaws Late Model Schedule & WinnersNo./ Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins) 1. Thursday, Jan. 14 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Kyle Bronson (1) 2. Saturday, Jan. 16 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Kyle Strickler (1) 3. Wednesday, Feb. 10 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Kyle Strickler (2) 4. Thursday, Feb. 11 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Devin Moran (1) 5. Friday, Feb. 12 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Brandon Overton (1) 6. Saturday, March 6/ Smoky Mountain Speedway/ Maryville, TN/ Chris Madden (1). 7. Friday, March 26 / Cherokee Speedway / Gaffney, SC / Jimmy Owens/Brandon Sheppard 8.Friday, April 2/Farmer City Raceway/Farmer City, IL/ Mike Spatola(1) 9. Saturday, April 3/ Farmer City Raceway/Farmer City, IL/Bobby Pierce(1) 10. Friday, April 9/Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN/Josh Richards(1) 11. Sunday, April 11/Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN/Devin Moran(2) 12. Friday, April 23/Richmond Raceway, Richmond, KY/Tim McCreadie(1) 13. Friday, April 30/Boone Speedway, Boone IA/Cade Dillard(1)/Shannon Babb(1) 14. Saturday, May 1/Boone Speedway, Boone IA/Bobby Pierce(2) 15.Friday, May 7/Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, WI/Brandon Sheppard(1) 16.Saturday, May 8/Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, WI/Chris Madden(2) 17. Friday, May 21/ Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, PA/Chris Madden(3) 18. Saturday, May 22/Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, PA/Chris Madden (4) 19. Friday, June 4/Circle City Raceway, Indianapolis, IN/Dennis Erb Jr. (1) 20. Saturday, June 5/Plymouth Raceway, Plymouth, IN/Rick Eckert (1) 21. Thursday, June 17/Stateline Speedway, Busti, NY/Dave Hess(1) 22. Thursday, June 24/Lernerville Speedway, Sarver, PA/Brandon Sheppard(2) 23. Friday, June 25/Lernerville Speedway, Sarver, PA/Brandon Overton(2) 24. Saturday, June 26/Lernerville Speedway, Sarver, PA/Brandon Overton(3) 25. Friday, July 9/Jackson Motorplex, Jackson, MN/Frank Heckenast Jr. (1) 26. Saturday, July 10/Jackson Motorplex, Jackson, MN/Dennis Erb Jr.(2) 27. Tuesday July 13/Gondik Law Speedway, Superior, WI/Brandon Sheppard (3) 28. Friday, July 16/River Cities Speedway, Grand Forks, ND/Dennis Erb Jr. (3) 29. Saturday, July 17/I-94 Sure Step Speedway, Fergus Falls, MN/Frank Heckenast Jr. (2) 30. Sunday, July 18/Red Cedar Speedway, Menomonie, WI/Brandon Sheppard (4) 31. Saturday, July 31/Fairbury Speedway, Fairbury, IL/Kyle Larson(1) 32. Tuesday, August 3/Outagamie Speedway, Seymour, WI/Cade Dillard (2) 33. Friday, August 6/ Cedar Lake Speedway, New Richmond, WI/Ashton Winger (1) 34. Saturday, August 7/ Cedar Lake Speedway, New Richmond, WI/Jonathan Davenport (1) |
| The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings® Late Model Series is brought to fans a |
CINDRIC WINS AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROAD COURSE
| INDIANAPOLIS, IN – August 16, 2021 – Austin Cindric won in his home state of Indiana, marking his fifth win and first road course win of the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. |
| “Congratulations to Austin, Brian, Roger, and the entire No. 22 crew,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “The road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a new and unique track with its own set of challenges. I am proud of Brian and Austin for a well-executed race and a monumental win for Roger Penske, Team Penske, and the Cindric family.” |
| Cindric started the race in 2nd position and was able to maintain his spot at the front of the field avoiding a multiple car incident at the turtle in Turn 6 early in the race. After taking the lead in Stage 3, Cindric pulled away from the rest of the field and led a race high 29 out of 62 laps, winning the race by 2.108 seconds. |
| “I am so proud to be a part of this Penske family with PPG and Ford and everyone that has put so much into my career. This racetrack is so much deeper than just that with my family history and what this place means to me. I can’t even put into words what it means to win at Indianapolis,” commented Cindric. |
| Ford Performance teammate Riley Herbst with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P8. |
| The NASCAR Cup Series raced on Sunday where Cindric also took home a 9th place finish. Ford teammates Ryan Blaney with Team Penske finished P2, Matt DiBenedetto with Wood Brothers Racing finished P5, and Ryan Newman with Roush Fenway Racing finished P10. |
| The NASCAR Cup & Xfinity Series is headed to Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan this weekend. The NACAR Cup Series has two remaining races left before the 2021 playoffs stage is set. 33 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 422 WINS – 383 POLES! |
NHRA–topeka results
Top Fuel — Brittany Force, 3.783 seconds, 324.75 mph def. Clay Millican, 3.830 seconds, 288.58 mph.
Funny Car — John Force, Chevy Camaro, 4.019, 321.04 def. J.R. Todd, Toyota Camry, 4.453, 199.29.
Pro Stock — Dallas Glenn, Chevy Camaro, 6.681, 205.01 def. Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 6.651, 206.13.
Top Alcohol Dragster — Rachel Meyer, 5.258, 276.58 ARP car def. Jasmine Salinas, Foul – Red Light.
Top Alcohol Funny Car — Sean Bellemeur, Chevy Camaro, 5.511, 265.64 def. Kris Hool, Camaro, Foul – Red Light.
Competition Eliminator — Greg Kamplain, Dragster, 6.955, 188.10 def. Travis Gusso, Pontic Sunfire, 8.262, 163.69.
Factory Stock Showdown — John Cerbone, Chevy Camaro, 7.912, 174.32 def. Leah Pruett, Dodge Challenger, 8.808, 169.76.
Super Stock — Wyatt Wagner, Chevy Camaro, 9.843, 131.96 def. Justin Lamb, Camaro, 8.418, 144.98.
Stock Eliminator — Chris Knudsen, Chevy Camaro, 10.910, 105.31 def. Randi Lyn Shipp, Pontiac Firebird, Foul – Red Light.
Super Comp — Austin Williams, Dragster, 8.944, 164.19 def. Christopher Dodd, Dragster, 8.947, 169.23.
Super Gas — Collin Becker, Chevy Camaro, 9.901, 163.41 def. Jaron Miller, Chevy Corvette, Foul – Red Light.
Top Sportsman presented by Vortech Superchargers — Dusty Meyer, Chevy S-10, 7.055, 189.68 def. Kyle Firestone, Chevy Bel Air, 6.955, 196.64.
Top Dragster presented by Vortech Superchargers — Danny Nelson, Dragster, 6.124, 213.30 def. Prescott Dean, Dragster, 6.351, 215.55.
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: By the Numbers
• 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 20 appearances at Le Mans: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette.• 3: Generations of Corvette Racing entries since 2000 – Corvette C5-R (2000-04), Corvette C6.R (2005-13) and Corvette C7.R (2014-2019). The Corvette C8.R makes its Le Mans debut this year.• 3: Number of wins for the Corvette C5-R – 2001, 2002, 2004.• 4: Number of wins for the Corvette C6.R – 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011.• 7: Number of Le Mans victories for Corvette Racing’s lineup.Antonio Garcia: 3 Tommy Milner: 2 Jordan Taylor: 1 Nick Tandy: 1• 8: Class victories for Corvette Racing at Le Mans – all since 2001.• 9: Number of drivers who have won races at Le Mans for Corvette Racing – Olivier Beretta, Ron Fellows, Antonio Garcia, Oliver Gavin, Jan Magnussen, Tommy Milner, Johnny O’Connell, Scott Pruett and Jordan Taylor.• 13: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001.• 20: Number of drivers to compete for Corvette Racing at Le Mans. That number grows in 2021 with Nick Tandy, Nicky Catsburg and Alexander Sims joining the lineup.• 25: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen.• 26: Number of GT Le Mans wins in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing since the start of 2014.• 117: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 109 in North America and eight at Le Mans.• 245: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999.• 98,770.18: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 20 previous trips to Le Mans. That represents 11,718 laps… or nearly four full trips around the Earth at its equator. The two Corvettes need to complete 1,229.82 miles to reach the 100,000-mile mark at Le Mans.• 132,000: Approximate freight weight in pounds (60,000 kgs!!!) sent by Corvette Racing to Le Mans by air and by sea! The first shipment left Detroit in mid-February and the last left Sunday just after the Road America IMSA race.• 324,915.91: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history – covered “just” 248,655 miles. Simply put, the program has raced to the moon and back… and then some. |
| Corvette Racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (wins in bold)2000No. 63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel/Justin Bell – 4th in GTSNo. 64 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 3rd in GTS 2001No. 63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Scott Pruett – 1st in GTSNo. 64 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 2nd in GTS 2002No. 63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GTSNo. 64 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 2nd in GTS 2003No. 53 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Franck Freon – 3rd in GTSNo. 50 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin/Kelly Collins/Andy Pilgrim – 2nd in GTS 2004No. 63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Max Papis – 2nd in GTSNo. 64 Corvette C5-R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GTS 2005No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Max Papis – 2nd in GT1No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1 2006No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Max Papis – 7th in GT1No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1 2007No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GT1No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Max Papis – 14th in GT1 2008No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GT1No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Max Papis – 3rd in GT1 2009No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GT1No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Marcel Fässler – 4th in GT1 2010No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell/Antonio Garcia – 12th in GT2 (DNF)No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Emmanuel Collard – 10th in GT2 (DNF) 2011No. 73 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Tommy Milner/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GTE ProNo. 74 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen/Richard Westbrook – 14th in GTE Pro (DNF) 2012No. 73 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 5th in GTE ProNo. 74 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook – 6th in GTE Pro 2013No. 73 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 4th in GTE ProNo. 74 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook – 7th in GTE Pro 2014No. 73 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTE ProNo. 74 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook – 4th in GTE Pro 2015No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ryan Briscoe – DNS (Qualifying crash)No. 64 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTE Pro 2016No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ricky Taylor – 7th in GTE ProNo. 64 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Jordan Taylor – 10th in GTE Pro (DNF) 2017No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 3rd in GTE ProNo. 64 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 8th in GTLM 2018No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 4th in GTE ProNo. 64 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 15th in GTE Pro (DNF) 2019No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 8th in GTE ProNo. 64 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 16th in GTE Pro (DNF) |
Wilkerson Battles to Make Strong Run at Topeka Nationals
TOPEKA, KS (August 15, 2021) — Tim Wilkerson and the Levi, Ray & Shoup Summit Racing Ford Mustang Funny Car team escaped the Menard’s NHRA Nationals presented by Pet Armor and will focus on the final two regular season races and the Countdown to the Championship. Wilkerson suffered one of the most bizarre incidents of his storied career during the second round of qualifying when his Funny Car lost cylinders and moved across the center line, eventually making contact with his qualifying partner Cruz Pedregon as the race cars slowed down at the top end. Both drivers avoided physical injury but each race car suffered significant damage.
Wilkerson’s team immediately pulled out the back-up car and set about refreshing it for the final qualifying session and eventually race day. The team along with assistance from Del Worsham, John Force Racing and a handful of other teams prepared their back-up car and began evaluating the damaged Funny Car.
“I can’t thank Del and the guys at John Force Racing for their help,” said Wilkerson. “We have to figure some things out and we are going to send this chassis back to Murf McKinney and see what we can do so we can avoid these kinds of incidents.”
The third qualifying session gave the team information and the confidence to head into race day and a match-up against Pedregon. Both teams had worked well into the night to prepare back-up race cars and compete in the first round. Wilkerson was down to his last carbon fiber body.
Pedregon and Wilkerson were the next to last pair of Funny Cars in the first round and their side by side race was one of the closest of the session. Unfortunately, even with the shakedown run on Saturday Wilkerson’s back-up car still had some issues. Both Funny Car launched together and he was pulling away but three seconds into the run his Funny Car lost power. He coasted across the finish line as Pedregon drove past him for the win 4.014 to 4.044 seconds.
“We will get the back-up car ready for Brainerd and Indy,” said Wilkerson. “I love the NHRA community. In Sonoma Ron Capps’ guys and Doug Stringer’s Parts Plus guys helped us out between rounds and this weekend Del and Force’s guys are offering help. We help guys out whenever we can too. We will get this sorted out and I have to thank Richard and the guys on this team for all their hard work too.”
Qualifying Results
Q1: 3.969 sec, 301,67 mph; Qual. 8
Q2: No Time; Qual. 9
Q3: 6.715 sec, 97.45 mph; Qual. 10
Bonus Points: 0
Race Results
First Round
Driver Qual R/T ET MPH
Tim Wilkerson 10 .091 4.044 286.68
Cruz Pedregon 7 .089 4.014 316.01 (W)
Camping World Funny Car Top Ten
1. John Force 816
2. Ron Capps 787
3. J.R. Todd 778
4. Bob Tasca III 766
5. Robert Hight 748
5. Matt Hagan 748
7. Alexis DeJoria 691
8. Cruz Pedregon 610
9. Tim Wilkerson 584
10. Blake Alexander 417
Pruett Powers 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak to Second Consecutive Runner-Up Finish in Factory Stock Showdown At Topeka
- Don Schumacher Racing’s (DSR) Leah Pruett earned her second consecutive runner-up finish aboard her 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak in the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown competition at the Menards National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Nationals in Topeka, Kansas
- Cruz Pedregon powered his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car to a semifinal appearance at Heartland Motorsports Park
- Ron Capps and his DSR Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat remain second in Funny Car championship standings and clinch a berth in 2021 NHRA “Countdown to the Championship” after a close quarterfinal battle
- No. 4 qualifier Matt Hagan drove his DSR Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Funny Car to the quarterfinal appearance, set low elapsed time of the day and stays in the top-five in Funny Car points with two events remaining before the playoffs begin
Aug. 15, 2021, Topeka, Kansas – Don Schumacher Racing’s (DSR) Leah Pruett powered her 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak to her second consecutive runner-up finish in Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown (FSS) competition this weekend at the 32nd annual Menards National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Nationals Presented by PetArmor in Topeka, Kansas.
Following up her FSS runner-up performance at the Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals in Denver last month, Pruett began her charge from the tenth place on the eliminations ladder at Heartland Motorsports Park against No. 7 seed Doug Hamp, immediately moving on to the quarterfinals due to her opponent’s red-light start. Her Mopar Drag Pak then turned on the win lights against No. 15 seed Daniel Condon with a 7.987-second run at 174.35 mph to beat his 7.993 sec./172.85 mph pass to advance to the semifinals.
Once again, Pruett was ready to challenge for a round win and hit the throttle with a 0.011-second reaction time, clocking a 7.929 sec./174.77 mph run to earn a solid holeshot victory over No. 3 seed David Barton’s 0.069-second start and 7.883 sec./175.66 mph pass to move on to her second final round battle of the year.
The final showdown pitted her against No. 1 qualifier John Cerbone but this time, even after posting another quick reaction time, an immediate loss of traction derailed the run and gave her opponent the lead and eventual win. Despite the loss, Pruett’s runner-up finish moved her up in the FSS championship battle into third place with three events remaining.
Also in FSS action, Pruett’s FSS teammate Mark Pawuk qualified 13th aboard his 2015 Empaco Equipment Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag to pair him with the points leader, defending FSS champion and No. 4 qualifier Aaron Stanfield for his opening round match-up. Wheeling his Mopar Drag Pak to its best run of the weekend with an 8.020-second pass wasn’t quite enough to catch Stanfield, who posted a 7.974 elapsed time run to move on.
Pruett and Pawuk were joined this weekend by a third DSR-prepared FSS entry with the addition of David Davies and his 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak. Davies, whose company Constant Aviation signed on to sponsor the FSS series in May, made his NHRA debut with the new generation Mopar Drag Pak at the Norwalk national event in June before joining the DSR roster. While Davies did not qualify for this weekend’s elimination rounds, he will return with the DSR team at the next FSS event next month at the Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals.
In Funny Car action, hard work by the Cruz Pedregon Racing team throughout the weekend at Heartland Motorsports Park gave driver Cruz Pedregon the opportunity to go rounds on Sunday aboard his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. They overcame the challenge presented by a top-end incident in the second qualifying session when lane mate Tim Wilkerson’s race car crossed the center line and collided with Pedregon’s before both hit the wall. While both drivers emerged unhurt, both teams took out their back up vehicles for the balance of the weekend.
Despite the setback, Pedregon, a four-time winner at the Kansas event, was able to qualify seventh and was once again paired with No. 13 qualifier Wilkerson for the opening round. Pedregon earned the first round win by posting a 4.014-second run at 316.01 mph to beat his opponent’s 4.044 sec./286.68 mph pass and advance to a quarterfinal battle against No. 2 qualifier Alexis DeJoria. Pedregon’s HEMI®-powered machine sped to a holeshot win thanks to his 0.091-second reaction time and an identical 4.006-second run to beat DeJoria’s 0.111-second start and send him into the next round to face No. 6 seed John Force. The semifinal battle was close and hard fought with Pedregon’s Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat clocking another solid 4.063 sec./303.91 mph run in a losing effort to Force’s 4.005/321.35 winning pass. With the result, Pedregon moves up a spot into eighth place in the Funny Car championship standings.
Coming into Topeka as the Funny Car points leader, Ron Capps was looking to continue his season-long string of qualifying his DSR Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat in the top-five and perhaps extend his No. 1 qualifier streak to three, while making every effort to once again advance to the semifinals or beyond like he had at four previous events. While things didn’t go quite as planned in qualifying with a seventh place seeding, Capps advanced to the quarterfinals with his best pass of the weekend, a 3.955-second run and round win over Chad Green. The DSR veteran driver lined up against J.R. Todd, against whom he laid down another respectable 3.994-second lap. Unfortunately, Todd’s quicker start gave him the edge at the stripe despite running a slower 3.996-second lap to take the holeshot win and bring an end to Capps’ run through the eliminations. However, with the result, Capps becomes the first Funny Car driver to clinch a berth into the 2021 “Countdown to the Championship” playoffs and he heads to the next event second in points.
Defending Funny Car champ Matt Hagan qualified fourth and got right down to business in the opening round by taking his DSR Performance Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat for a quickest elapsed time lap of the day at 3.920 seconds at 323.89 mph and turn the win lights on against No. 13 seed Jack Wyatt.
Hagan, who won this event in 2016, had a more eventful run in the quarterfinals against fifth seed Blake Alexander. Hagan was once again quickest on the start but both drivers had to pedal their way out of trouble en route to the finish line. Hagan hung on to cross the stripe with a 4.193-second lap but it wasn’t quite enough to catch Alexander’s 4.126-second run. While it brought his day to a premature end, Hagan remains in the top-five, tied for fifth (with Robert Hight) in the points standings with two events left before the points reset for the playoffs.
Top Fuel pilot Leah Pruett brought her DSR Cookie and Candy Pop Mopar Dodge//SRT dragster into Topeka riding the momentum of two consecutive final round appearances in California. Her runner-up finish at Sonoma and the Wally Trophy in Pomona also moved her up from an eighth place position in the championship standings to the fourth spot behind points leader Steve Torrance.
In Top Fuel action on Sunday, Pruett found herself matched up with No. 4 qualifier Torrence for the opening round of eliminations after qualifying 11th with a 3.897 sec./314.31 mph run set on a hot track on Saturday, after not getting in a good lap on a cooler track in the prior evening’s session. Pruett’s HEMI-powered dragster made the first move and posted a 3.776-second elapsed time run at 319.75 mph in a good, close race that saw Torrence edge her at the line with a 3.736 sec./325.61 mph pass. While that brought a quick end to her day and any opportunity to pack a few more points, Pruett remains fourth in the Top Fuel standings
Mopar and Dodge supported entries will be back on track next weekend in Brainerd, Minnesota, for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, the 12th of 20 NHRA national events this season.
ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES
FUNNY CAR:
Matt Hagan, DSR Performance Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye
(No. 4 Qualifier – 3.911 seconds at 325.14 mph)
Round 1: (0.071-second reaction time, 3.920 seconds at 323.89 mph) defeats to No. 13 Jack Wyatt (0.203/4.263/243.28)
Round 2: (0.081/4.193/276.13) loss to No. 5 Blake Alexander (0.096/4.126/252.95)
“It’s the middle of the summer, it’s hot and tricky out here and the race tracks are changing. We had a really good qualifying session and had a great last run and we had a lot of confidence, but it gets hotter and hotter out there and the track is more marginal when you try to apply all that power that we make with these DSR performance parts and this Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye. It bit us today, but we’re back in less than a week at Brainerd (Minn.) with the Mopar colors and we’ll put on a show and get back to winning rounds.”
Ron Capps, DSR NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
(No. 9 Qualifier – 3.968 seconds at 324.36 mph)
Round 1: (0.071-second reaction time, 3.955 seconds at 325.92 mph) defeats No. 8 Chad Green (No time)
Round 2: (0.076/3.994/317.49) loss to No. 1 J.R. Todd (0.059/3.996/318.99)
“You wait until all the hurt goes away, and my team and the whole DSR organization, we put so much into what we do and winning races. It’s tough to lose those close ones. As good as our car and this NAPA team is, that’s tough to go up there with a .76 light and run a great lap and lose, but we’re going to see a lot of that going into the playoffs with teams as good as J.R.’s (Todd). Like I always brag about with ‘Guido’ (Dean Antonelli) and John Medlen, and their NAPA Know How, again we went down the race track at a very good pace. When you do as well as we have this season and rank high in the standings, it puts a bullseye on your back because the teams know they have to show up and perform and give it their best, and we’ll continue to see more of that as this season continues. It hurts a little bit right now, but it didn’t hurt us too badly in the Camping World points. We’re going to another great track at Brainerd that will have great conditions with great people and a great bunch from NAPA, and it’s one we enjoy so much. It’s nice to have a back-to-back races before we get to Indy and the U.S. Nationals, and then the Countdown.”
Cruz Pedregon, Cruz Pedregon Racing Snap-on® Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
(No. 7 Qualifier – 3.962 seconds at 322.19 mph)
Round 1: (0.089-second reaction time, 4.014 seconds at 316.01 mph) defeats No. 13 Tim Wilkerson (0.091/4.044/286.68)
Round 2: (0.091/4.006/311.20) defeats No. 2 Alexis DeJoria (0.111/4.006/319.52)
Round 3: (0.063/4.063/303.91) loss to No. 6 John Force (0.059/4.005/321.35)
“Let me just say this about Topeka; There was great fan engagement and a lot of fans here. Topeka was a good race for us. We qualified seventh and went to the semifinals by beating some really good cars which was a good result for us. We had the lead against John Force in the semifinals but had a clutch issue that was completely on us as we didn’t execute the adjustments properly but overall it was a really good event for us. It was a key race for us in terms of points and taking our Snap-On Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat for round wins over Tim Wilkerson and Alexis DeJoria. Obviously we had the issue in qualifying with Tim (Wilkerson) on Saturday, but you know, it was one of those racing things that happens and luckily neither one of us were hurt. Brainerd is up next and we’re going to go back to the shop to regroup, get some things replaced that we damaged body-wise and get everything ironed out before we head up on Wednesday.”
TOP FUEL:
Leah Pruett, DSR Cookie and Candy Pop Dodge//SRT Dragster
(No. 11 Qualifier – 3.897 seconds at 314.31 mph)
Round 1: (0.067-second reaction time, 3.776 seconds at 319.75 mph) loss to No. 4 Steve Torrence (0.074/3.736/325.61)
“Man, what a drag race that was. Not the result we wanted with this Candy and Cookie Pop car. We really felt like we had a race car to go rounds today, and we did. We would’ve beaten many other cars if you look at the ladder, except for Steve Torrence. There’s a reason that team is leading the points and he is a three-time champion. We overcame our challenges in qualifying and this isn’t going to get us down. We ran a great .77 and the team did their job. We left first and made a clean lap. It’s a great, friendly rivalry, but we were on the wrong end of that drag race. Brainerd (Minn.) is just around the corner and we found that we were down on power a little bit this week. We just need to give it a little more going into Brainerd next weekend. We’ll put all the nitro to it.”
FACTORY STOCK SHOOTOUT:
Leah Pruett, 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak
(No. 10 Qualifier – 8.011 seconds at 175.64 mph)
Round 1: (0.057-second reaction time, 8.986 seconds at 113.00 mph) defeats No. 7 Doug Hamp (-0.056/8.093/172.19)
Round 2: (0.056/7.987/174.35) defeats No. 15 Daniel Condon (0.052/7.993/172.85)
Round 3: (0.011/7.929/174.77) defeats No. 3 David Barton (0.069/7.883/175.66)
Round 4: (0.052/8.808/169.76) loss to No. 1 John Cerbone (0.016/7.912/174.32)
“What an outstanding performance by this Dodge Factory Stock Drag Pak team all day long here at Topeka, adapting to challenging track conditions, being aggressive as the day got longer and hotter, and working on our performance window of this Mopar Drag Pak. I’m so proud of Kevin (Helms), A.J. (Berge), Mark Pawuk and this entire team here at DSR for sticking together. For me, it’s the fourth final in two different classes in the last four races, and two straight Factory Stock finals. We’re building momentum and we have plans to test and get better before the Indy U.S. Nationals. We’re back in the hunt and No. 3 in the points, and it’s very reminiscent of our 2018 season where we came on strong in the last half of the season and that was by no accident then or now. There’s been a lot of hard work by this DSR team and crew. I’ve had a smile on my face all day. I’m having a lot of fun driving this Drag Pak and we’re so looking forward to Indy.”
Mark Pawuk, Empaco Equipment 2015 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak
(No. 13 Qualifier – 8.102 seconds at 173.07 mph)
Round 1: (0.054-second reaction time, 8.020 seconds at 172.78 mph) loss to No. 4 Aaron Stanfield (0.043/7.974/171.34)
“Certainly not the weekend we were hoping for here at Topeka (Kan.) with this Empaco Equipment Dodge Drag Pak. Unfortunately, we didn’t qualify as well as we’d hoped and we got stuck running Aaron Stanfield again and it seems like we get him at every race. He’s about 40 years younger than me and a very tough competitor doing very well in two classes, Factory Stock and Pro Stock. We’re going to keep working on this Dodge. We did make some headway last night and this morning and we’re really looking forward to bringing our new 2021 Drag Pak out at Indy in a few weeks. It’s going to be busy testing and getting ready for the U.S. Nationals.”
David Davies, D H Davies Racing 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak
(Did Not Qualify – 10.492 seconds at 139.60 mph)
“It was very exciting to have our first event with DSR this weekend at Topeka. The crew did a fantastic job. We learned a lot and made progress on every hit. I’m looking forward to going to Indy in a few weeks and making more progress with the new 2021 Mopar Drag Pak and getting this thing dialed-in so that it’s faster and faster.”
NHRA Championship Points Standings:
Following the Menards NHRA Nationals Presented by PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports Park
FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)
1. John Force – 816 (3)
2. Ron Capps (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 787 (1)
3. J.R. Todd – 778 (1)
4. Bob Tasca III – 766 (2)
5. Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 748 (1)
5. Robert Hight – 748 (2)
7. Alexis DeJoria – 691
8. Cruz Pedregon (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 610 (1)
9. Tim Wilkerson– 584
10. Blake Alexander– 417
TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)
1. Steve Torrance – 1090 (6)
2. Brittany Force – 748 (1)
3. Antron Brown – 736 (1)
4. Leah Pruett (Mopar Dodge//SRT) – 611 (1)
5. Shawn Langdon – 587
6. Mike Salinas – 571
7. Justin Ashley – 523
8. Billy Torrence – 510 (1)
9. Clay Millican – 482
10. Doug Kalitta – 471
Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Series:
1. Aaron Stanfield – 420
2. David Barton – 359
3. Leah Pruett (Mopar Drag Pak)– 280
4. John Cerbone – 270
5. Stephen Bell – 255
6. David Janac – 243
7. Jesse Alexandra – 236
8. Doug Hamp – 200
9. Arthur Kohn – 200
10. Mark Pawuk (Mopar Drag Pak)– 197
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.
Mopar
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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, the brand expanded to include technical service and customer support. Today, Mopar integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.
Mopar 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.
Chevrolet sweeps pro races in the Heartland
CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION MENARDS NHRA NATIONALS PRESENTED BY PET ARMOR HEARTLAND MOTORSPORTS PARK IN TOPEKA, KANSAS AUG. 15, 2021 • John Force wins for 154th time, takes Funny Car points lead• No. 1 qualifier Brittany Force claims first Top Fuel victory of season• Dallas Glenn earns second Pro Stock win in all-KB Racing final• John Cerbone wins Factory Stock Showdown in COPO Camaro TOPEKA, Kan. (Aug. 15, 2021) – John Force, gripping the Funny Car Wally he won minutes earlier, was the first to greet Top Fuel winner Brittany Force at the top end of Heartland Motorsports Park.
“Way to go girl,” the patriarch of John Force Racing exclaimed.For the first time, the 16-time champion shared the winner’s platform with his daughter.
“This is something I’ll never forget. Doubling up with my dad has been on my bucket list since 2013 and we finally did it,” said Brittany, who recorded her first victory of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) season in the Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster and 11th of her career by defeating Clay Millican in the final.
John, driving the PEAK/BlueDEF Platinum Chevrolet Camaro SS, claimed his third win of the season and 154th of his illustrious career by getting past No. 1 qualifier JR Todd in the final.
Dallas Glenn completed the Chevrolet sweep of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series races in the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor as the first-year Pro Stock driver used a perfection reaction time to score a holeshot victory over KB Racing teammate Kyle Koretsky.
“It’s amazing,” said Glenn, the No. 4 qualifier who picked up his second victory in 10 Pro Stock races. “To get this race win, against your teammate Kyle, I know he was really wanting it. Everybody at KB Racing has been supporting me for so long. This feels real good.”
Brittany Force’s race day started as the No. 1 qualifier for the fourth consecutive Top Fuel event – a streak last accomplished by Larry Dixon in 2009. She moved to second in points with two races left in the regular season and secured a spot in the Countdown to the Championship.
“We’ve been chasing this first win of the season since the beginning,” said Force, who has been the No. 1 qualifier in six of the 11 events. “It’s been a tough road. When you get those No. 1 qualifiers and you come up short on Sunday, there’s nothing tougher than that. Today we were pushing and we got the job done.”
John Force, competing in his 800th NHRA Funny Car event and 260th final, picked up his 1,9966th elimination round win in the final. He rose to the top of the standings.
“I want to thank all my sponsors for giving me a chance. I want to thank my team, Daniel Hood who runs my car, and all of my teams. I love what we do. I got to double up with Brittany, so that’s really special,” said Force, who also shared the winner’s stage with daughter Ashley in 2007 when she won in the Sportsman Top Alcohol category.
In the quarterfinals, Force defeated teammate Robert Hight, who was the last Funny Car winner at Heartland Motorsports Park in 2019. Hight was the No. 14 qualifier in the Automobile Club of Southern California Camaro SS.Glenn, the No. 4 qualifier in the Rad Torque Systems Camaro SS, earned his second Pro Stock win of the season in 10 career races. He eliminated No. 1 qualifier Troy Coughlin Jr., driving the JEGS.com Camaro SS, and Koretsky defeated reigning champion Erica Enders in the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro SS in the semifinals.
Koretsky, driver of the Lucas Oil Camaro SS, stopped No. 2 qualifier and KB Racing teammate Greg Anderson, driving the HendrickCars.com Camaro SS, from advancing to the semifinals by one-thousandth of a second. Anderson, the No. 1 or 2 qualifier in every race this season, is seeking to tie Warren Johnson’s class record of 97 career wins.
John Cerbone, the No. 1 qualifier in his Chevrolet COPO Camaro, won the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown. It was Cerbone’s first national event victory and the fourth in five Factory Stock Showdown events this season for drivers of the COPO Camaro.
Five-time national champion Justin Lamb, driving the Larry Stone Chevrolet COPO Camaro, was runner-up in Super Stock.
Chevrolet Top Fuel and Funny Car drivers will compete in the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals on Aug. 18-19 at Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minnesota. The event was not contested in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2019, Brittany Force was the No. 1 qualifier in Top Fuel and Jason Line won the Pro Stock race in his KB Racing Camaro SS. The U.S. Nationals on Sept. 3-5 will be the next event for Pro Stock racers.
An interview with Top Fuel winner BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY/ FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 1 qualifier):WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DOUBLE UP WITH YOUR DAD?“This is something I’ll never forget. This has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember and there have been so many close calls where we thought, ‘Hey, this could be our day that we could double up,’ and just to get a race win is hard enough. Then you want to do it with your teammate, it’s almost impossible. So, you almost put it on the back burner; it’s too much to double up with your dad. You both run well all weekend long and you double up, it almost seems impossible. Today, we pulled off the impossible. It’s pretty cool that we’ll always share this. It’s a special racetrack for us and it’s pretty cool to have that with him.”HOW DOES IT FEEL?“It feels great. We came out strong, we’ve had a good season. We’ve had a bunch of No. 1 qualifiers; we just keep getting stuck on race day. That’s hard for a driver, a crew chief, our entire team. That’s where you really want to excel, when you really want to do well. We have a closet full of No. 1 hats, but we don’t have those race day hats. I know it was right around the corner for us. Over the last few races, it’s been driver error, it’s been team error. Little things kept getting us. We knew eventually our luck was going to turn around.”WHEN HE LIT THE SCOREBOARD, YOU KNEW IT WAS ON YOU. TAKE ME TO THAT MOMENT.“I don’t really see it that way. When I’m in that car, I knew he was in the lane in front of me but it’s no different from before when I sat behind him or any other run when there’s somebody in front of me my focus is not there. Yes, I could see the excitement. I could see what was going on. But in that moment, I was on the radio talking to (David) Grubnic about what our plan was, where they wanted me to point the car, what are we doing at the starting line.”WAS THERE A POINT TODAY THAT FELT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER RACES?“Definitely that run against Steve (Torrence) was a huge one for us. He’s the guy that we’re chasing down, and we knew that was going to be a tough one for us to get past. But we had a consistent race car all weekend long. The only run we didn’t make was Q2. Just solid passes down the racetrack. That Q3 run in the heat was big for us, to set us up for today. That’s where we’ve struggled.”HOW GRATIFYING IS IT THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TO ANSWER ANY MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT RACE DAY?“It was starting to get a little old. No. 1 qualifiers is exciting, but the big excitement is on race day. For a while, I thought the No. 1 qualifiers were jinxing us. I didn’t want them anymore. Today we turned it around and we got the win.”HOW MUCH IS IT A BOOST TO GET THE NO. 1 QUALIFIER ON THE LAST RUN?“It’s all David Grubnic. Every run we make he never wants to play it safe. He always wants top push and he wants to see how far he can push this car, this team and see what we’re capable of. He’s afraid of backing down; that’s what it really is. He wants to push all the way and he excels.”DO YOU FEEL LIKE NOW THE TEAM IS HITTING ITS STRIDE AS YOU ARE GETTING READY FOR THE COUNTDOWN?“I feel like we’ve been hitting our stride all year long. We stepped out for an entire season. Every single guy returned with me – top to bottom – this season and we’ve had a number of No. 1 qualifiers, we’ve run well, we just keep missing out on race day somehow. Sometimes it’s simple mistakes and sometimes it’s driver errors. Today we were pushing and we got the job done.”YOU AND STEVE TORRENCE HAVE A BIG RIVALRY AND I KNOW HOW BIG THAT IS WHEN YOU BEAT HIM.“Absolutely. That was a big round win for us that semifinal. We knew it was going to be tough; he’s been running good all weekend and he’s bene running good all year. We knew it was going to be a tough one but we got around him and then (Clay) Millican in the final.”THIS PLACE IS SPECIAL TO YOUR FAMILY. TO GET THE JOB DONE MUST BE EXTRA SPECIAL.“Absolutely. Also, I found out that my crew chief, David Grubnic, his first win as a driver was here. It’s a very special track. Courtney (Force) has done well here, my dad and now for us to double up is pretty outstanding.”An interview with Funny Car winner JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK/BLUEDEF PLATINUM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 6 qualifier): NO EASY RUNS IN YOUR DAY.“I had a good day. Robert (Hight, second round) was probably my toughest race because it’s hard to beat Robert. I just had a car that was pretty fast. Got the win. What was special was I finally got that double up with Brittany. It means a lot for a family of racers. It was a great day with all the people I raced.”HOW COOL IS THAT TO LEAD IN POINTS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2014?“I don’t even want to look at the points. They told me in the semis that I had taken the lead. That will jump around; it is what it is.”WHAT’S GOT YOU FIRED UP AGAIN?“I just do what I do. I want to race. I’ll be crying tonight (after doubling up with daughter Brittany). A statement was made to me, are you trying to fool somebody? Not really. I’ve got my own self confused. But if you really think about it, why does a quarterback fake a handoff? To fake you out.”TALK BIG PICTURE.“I’m going after wins. I don’t talk about it because when you do you get lost why you came and you start focusing on that. No, what you do is you drive your car. You love life and I fight. My race car keeps me alive and the cheer of the crowd. So, if it’s in the cards, we’ll win a championship. And if we don’t, I’ll be the first over there to congratulate who does. Because that is what it really is all about. The competition makes you better. Every time they beat me, they make me better.”YOU WON HERE IN 2008 AFTER THAT BIG ACCIDENT. HOW DOES THIS COMPARE?“Just because they told me I was finished. I was looking at my daughters coming up, dad, you can’t be finished. I wanted to be around to teach them. Now, they’re teaching me. Love it here. Glad to be here. Let’s pack the stands everywhere we go. That is what brings us alive.”IN THIS SEASON, WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS?“I want to thank all my sponsors for giving me a chance. All the people who make this possible. People ask me every week, what do I really want? I want to see Indy packed again from the hood of my car on race day. Because that’s what we live for the crowds. It ain’t just winning because if you win and nobody’s there it doesn’t matter.” THIS PLACE IS AWFUL SPECIAL TO YOU. (HEARTLAND MOTORSPORTS PARK OWNER) CHRIS PAYNE CAME IN AND BROUGHT US ALL BACK.“That’s what it’s all about because without the fans we don’t exist. Without the tracks, we don’t exist. I just want to personally thank Chris Payne for putting all this together and giving us a great facility. What’s awesome is our crowds are starting to come back and I’m exciting about that. I want to thank my team, Daniel Hood who runs my car, and all of my teams. I love what we do. I got to double up with Brittany, so that’s really special. They keep asking me, what do you want most in life – another win, another championship? No, I want to see crowds. You people keep me alive. I want to see Indy packed this year because it’s not just to make me and my drivers feel good, it’s to make all the teams – we will work for you, we will entertain you. Let’s fill ‘em at Brainerd, let’s fill ‘em at Indy. That’s what I want.”An interview with Pro Stock winner DALLAS GLENN, KB RACING, RAD TORQUE SYSTEMS CAMARO SS (No. 6 qualifier):WALK US THROUGH YOUR RACE DAY.“I feel like I just raced teammates all day with the exception of Troy (Coughlin). The car was excellent all day. It wasn’t the two greatest runs in the semis and final, but as long as it was good enough to get the win light that’s all that matters. I felt like I did my job really well and the car is just working well right now. I’m really excited for the Countdown coming up here because we have a really fast car.”CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW TO KEEP YOUR MINDSET, YOUR FOCUS?“When we went into Q3 and stuck that other motor in and they told me I went to No. 1, I went back and saw that it really wasn’t that good of a run. That got me excited because I know there’s a lot left in it and I’m going to come and surprise them. And I think that’s what we did. All the KB cars are running really good right now and I think it’s a good time to start getting your stride.”WHAT HAS THIS SEASON BEEN LIKE FOR YOU WITH TWO WINS IN THREE FINALS?“It’s hard to put into words. I got to experience it with Jason (Line) and KB for years. I’m still working the same as I did last year. This is like a dream come true. This season has taught me a lot. I’ve had some highs and I’ve had some lows where I’ve been struggling. We’ve gotten a little taste of everything this year.”DID YOU KNOW YOU HAD TO PULL OFF SOMETHING GOOD IN THE FINAL ROUND?“I knew that Kyle had lane choice and I was going to the right lane and my car was not as happy over there, and I didn’t make a really good run in the semis. I knew that Kyle was really good and had a fast car and he was going to be really on it because I know how bad he wants that first win.”CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPITFUNNY CAR:ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 14 qualifier, fell in second round to teammate John Force): “We had some things figured out in that first round. Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham turned this car around. Just wasn’t our race this weekend. Luckily, We get to redeem ourselves right away and head to Brainerd next weekend. Leaving here lower in the points that we want but we’re in the Countdown and we have two races to make up some points. I’m not worried. This Auto Club team always comes through.”PRO STOCK:GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 2 qualifier, fell in second round, clinched Countdown spot, points leader): “It’s always a good feeling to know you get to race for the championship, and I’ve been fortunate in my career to have been in this position a few times before. As long as you’re in the Countdown, you have a chance at winning it all, but with this format, the higher your position, the greater your advantage. You want that advantage.”
ERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE/ELITE MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 3 qualifier, fell in semifinals, clinched Countdown spot): “(Grading performance) I’d say a C minus. We’ve had two wins and it’s been great for Melling and Gallagher and all the people who make it possible, but I’ve not been driving really trick and we’ve bene fighting this race car. We have big smoke under the hood with Elite horsepower.”
MATT HARTFORD, HARTFORD RACING, TOTAL SEAL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 5 qualifier, fell in second round): “This Total Seal Camaro, we have a lot of support from a lot of people. The road to get to the next round is always hard.”
BRITTANY AND JOHN FORCE SWEEP NITRO WINS FORFIRST TIME AT HEARTLAND MOTORSPORTS PARK
| TOPEKA, Kan. (Aug. 15, 2021) – It was a historic winners circle at Heartland Motorsports Park for the Menards NHRA Nationals. For the first time in their careers Brittany Force, in her Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster, and her father, John Force, in his PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, won in their respective categories. Along with the wins, Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevy had a quarterfinal finish. It is the fourth time John Force Racing has had a Funny Car / Top Fuel double-up. Brittany first did it with Hight in Dallas 2017 and again in Houston 2019 before John Force and Austin Prock won together for John’s 150th in Seattle 2019. John and daughter Ashley Force-Hood, who married his now crew chief Danny Hood, doubled up at the Auto Club Finals in Pomona when she raced Top Alcohol in 2004. “This is something I’ll never forget. This has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember and there have been so many close calls where we thought, ‘Hey, this could be our day that we could double up,’ and just to get a race win is hard enough. Then you want to do it with your teammate, it’s almost impossible,” Brittany Force said. “So, you almost put it on the back burner; it’s too much to double up with your dad. You both run well all weekend long and you double up, it almost seems impossible. Today, we pulled off the impossible. It’s pretty cool that we’ll always share this. It’s a special racetrack for us and it’s pretty cool to have that with him.” Starting race day from the No. 1 spot for the sixth time this season, Brittany Force and the Monster Energy team laid down a 3.774-second run at 328.86 mph to end Scott Palmer’s day, he ran a 3.892 at 299.06. Her first-round win put her in position for a bye in the quarterfinals where she managed a 3.747 pass at 329.02 to earn lane choice heading into the semifinals. Force would take the Monster Energy dragster to a 3.769-second pass at 326.24 mph to take out points leader and three-time champion Steve Torrence and his 3.814 at 317.87. Entering into her third final round of the season, 26th of her career, Force would have lane choice over Clay Millican. Force would even her record against Millican to 9-9 with a 3.783-second pass at 324.75 mph. She would beat Millican on the starting line and never trail with his dragster going 3.830 at 288.58. The victory is Force’s first of the season, 11th of her career and first at Heartland Motorsports Park. The last time Force picked up a win was in the fall race in Las Vegas 2019. “It feels great. We came out strong, we’ve had a good season. We’ve had a bunch of No. 1 qualifiers, we just keep getting stuck on race day,” said Force who is now second in the points standings. “That’s hard for a driver, a crew chief, our entire team. That’s where you really want to excel, when you really want to do well. We have a closet full of No. 1 hats, but we don’t have those race day hats. I know it was right around the corner for us. Over the last few races, it’s been driver error, it’s been team error. Little things kept getting us. We knew eventually our luck was going to turn around.” John Force and the PEAK Camaro kept up their consistency from qualifying with a first round win over Paul Lee. Force would go 3.975-seconds at 326.08 mph to better Lee’s 4.163 at 267.16. The win would set him up for a second-round match-up with teammate and president of John Force Racing, Robert Hight. The 16-time champion would handle his PEAK Chevy to a 3.959-second pass at 324.56 mph to better Hight’s 4.007 at 312.86. In the semifinals, Force was matched with long-time rival Cruz Pedregon. Force would extend his winning record against Pedregon to 76-36 when he powered the PEAK Camaro to a 4.005-second run at 321.35 mph. Pedregon would go 4.063 at 303.91. The win gave Force lane choice over J.R. Todd in the finals. It would be Force’s fourth final round of the year and 260th of his career. Lining up with 2018 Funny Car World Champion J.R. Todd in the final, Force would maneuver the PEAK Chevy to a 4.019-second pass at 321.04 mph that better’s Todd’s 4.453 at 199.29 after he smokes the tires mid-track. This is Force’s 10th win at Heartland Park Topeka, 154th of his career and third this season. The last time Force won at this facility it was 2008 and his first victory after his devastating crash in Dallas 2007. The victory gave Force the points lead for the first time since October, 5, 2014, 135 races ago. Force has now led the points in 22 different seasons. “I had a good day. Robert (Hight, second round) was probably my toughest race because it’s hard to beat Robert. I just had a car that was pretty fast. Got the win. What was special was I finally got that double up with Brittany. It means a lot for a family of racers. It was a great day with all the people I raced. “I’m going after wins. I don’t talk about it because when you do you get lost why you came and you start focusing on that,” Force continued. “No, what you do is you drive your car. You love life and I fight. My race car keeps me alive and the cheer of the crowd. So, if it’s in the cards, we’ll win a championship. And if we don’t, I’ll be the first over there to congratulate who does. Because that is what it really is all about. The competition makes you better. Every time they beat me, they make me better.” Coming into the No. 14 spot, Robert Hight and the Auto Club Chevy turned things around in a hurry powering to a 3.936-second pass at 323.58 mph for the first-round win over Bob Tasca III’s 3.970 at 322.04. In the second round, Hight found himself line up with team owner John Force where he would come up short with a 4.007 at 312.86 to Force’s 3.959. “We had some things figured out in that first round. Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham turned this car around. Just wasn’t our race this weekend. Luckily, we get to redeem ourselves right away and head to Brainerd next weekend,” said Hight who leaves Heartland Park Topeka tied for fifth in points. “Leaving here lower in the points that we want but we’re in the Countdown and we have two races to make-up some points. I’m not worried, this Auto Club team always comes through.” The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series continues August 18-22 with the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minn. |
Team JEGS pro Troy Coughlin Jr. makes a little history on another semifinal weekend
| TOPEKA, Kan. (Aug. 15) – Troy Coughlin Jr. became the fourth member of his legendary family to earn the No. 1 qualifier designation, highlighting a steady race weekend that ended with a third-place finish in the Pro Stock category. Coughlin coaxed a 6.600-second pass at 205.07 mph out of his JEGS.comElite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro Saturday to edge points leader Greg Anderson out of the top qualifying position. That placed the 31-year-old, third generation pro alongside his six-time champion uncle Jeg Coughlin Jr., his three-time champion father Troy Coughlin and his three-time divisional champion uncle Mike Coughlin as family members who have topped a pro field at an NHRA national event. “All the credit in the world goes to this team,” Troy Jr. said. “Our crew chief Mark Ingersoll, along with Steven Hurley, Kelly Murphy, Kyle Bates and Eric Luzinski earned that No. 1 qualifier, for sure. Their relentless pursuit of perfection yielded the results they deserve. I just wish I could have carried that momentum all the way through race day.” |
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| Even though Troy Jr. didn’t hoist the trophy Sunday at the conclusion of the 32nd annual Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor, his semifinal finish at Heartland Park Topeka validated his qualifying performance and kept confidence levels high in the JEGS pit. “One of the hardest things in this sport is matching the race car and the horsepower to the conditions on the racetrack, but I’d say my guys are the best at doing that,” Troy Jr. said. “It was steamy hot out there and that calls for a special blend of aggressiveness where you have to keep your mind on maximum traction at the same time. “You also have to factor in how the track changes each session, between the temperature changes and the track surface changing its consistency. It’s probably the toughest thing to figure out yet my JEGS Camaro was ready every time. Once I tighten up my race day driving routine we’ll be complete.” |
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| As top qualifier, Troy Jr. opened eliminations against 16th-ranked Cristian Cuadra, who tried too hard to overcome his performance deficit and jumped the green light by -.113 seconds, drawing an immediate disqualification. Regardless of the start, Troy Jr. probably had too much horsepower for Cuadra anyways as he went on to post a 6.607 at 205.22 mph against Cuadra’s 6.692 at 205.41 mph. By the rarest of circumstances, Troy Jr. had a bye run in Round 2 due to the fact the two opponents on the opposite side of the ladder decided to have a lengthy staging duel in Round 1. Even when the NHRA starter ordered them to fully stage and race, neither driver would budge, forcing officials to DQ them both. “That was one of those deals where the competitive juices get flowing and both drivers obviously decided they weren’t going to stage first,” Troy Jr. said. “I was behind them in the lanes when it happened and my first thought was, ‘Well, if I can win my first-round race I’m automatically in the semis.'” |
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| That’s exactly how it turned out, so after posting a solo run of 6.649 at 205.04 mph in the quarterfinals, Troy Jr. drew red-hot Dallas Glenn in the semis, who ended Coughlin’s day with a 6.659 at 206.92 mph to Troy Jr.’s 6.683 at 204.54 mph. Up next over Labor Day weekend is the biggest drag race of them all, the U.S. Nationals, where Troy Jr. hopes to pick up his third trophy from the sport’s most prestigious and longest-running event. “We have everything here and Indy has been great to us in the past so we will continue to build on what we have and try to win ‘the Big Go’ in a Pro Stock car,” Troy Jr. said. “That would be the ultimate.” |
AJ ALLMENDINGER TAKES CHEVROLET TO VICTORY LANE AT INDY INDIANAPOLIS
(Aug.15, 2021) – AJ Allmendinger is no stranger to road course racing. But heading into this weekend’s Verizon 200 at the Brickyard for the NASCAR Cup Series, Allmendinger and his No. 16 Hyperice Camaro ZL1 1LE team were not sure how the cars and the competitors were going to adapt to tackling the Road Course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Allmendinger qualified well, starting eighth, but suffered a speeding on pit road penalty and had to come back up through the field. After surviving six cautions for 25 laps involving multiple cars in each incident, the veteran driver found a way to weave his way through one melee after another to lead one lap, the final one, and capture his second career NASCAR Cup Series victory. The win is the13th of the season for the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in 24 races, and the 808th for the Bowtie Brand in NASCAR’s premier series. Team Chevy drivers claimed six of the top-eight finishers. Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 1LE, finished third and was credited for leading twice for 26 of the 95-lap race. He continues to lead the point standings for the regular season championship. Chase Elliot, No. 9 Hooters Camaro ZL1 1LE finished fourth. Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE, Erik Jones, No. 43 Petty’s Garage Camaro ZL1 1LE and Justin Haley, No. 77 Fraternal Order of the Eagles Camaro ZL1 1LE finished sixth, seventh and eighth respectively. Next on the schedule on August 22, 2021 at Michigan International Speedway.
POST RACE PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:AJ Allmendinger, Matt Kaulig, Chris RiceTHE MODERATOR: We’re going to start with our post-race presser here this afternoon for today’s Verizon 200 at the Brickyard for the NASCAR Cup Series. We’ve now been joined by our race winning team, including driver AJ Allmendinger, team owner Matt Kaulig and president of Kaulig Racing, Chris Rice.First of all, AJ, you’ve made several comments in your interviews before that you’re only going to keep doing this as long as it’s fun, so my question is, was that fun?AJ ALLMENDINGER: That was fun. Yeah, I mean, it was — that was chaotic. Honestly we didn’t really have a race-winning car on outright speed, probably about seventh to tenth. I sped on pit road, so I just kind of carried on for how I felt yesterday, so put us in the back there, and we were just fighting hard.I thought we probably maybe would get in the edge of the top 10 and have a solid day. For a makeshift really pit crew — I shouldn’t say makeshift, but a crew that we don’t work with all the time, they did a fantastic job, great pit stops.But yeah, once that chaos started happening and we started getting close to the front, I had a really good restart on the front. I think we were restarting 17th with eight to go and was able to get to seventh through all that mess and thought, all right, now we’re at least in shouting distance of it.Knew a couple of the cars had older tires, and that second restart, got to third, and it’s like, okay, now we’ve got a shot at this.The best part is when you’ve got Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice on the radio just going, Hey, we’re not here for friends, we’re not here for points, we’re here to win this race, so win it or basically bring it back on the hook. That kind of frees up a race car driver to go after it.I just can’t believe the way it played out. I had a great restart. I thought I might take the lead off Turn 2, and Denny kind of leaned on me, which he should; I would have done the same thing.I saw Chase come back on the racetrack. Well, at that point they were just telling me that he had a penalty, so I thought, all right, maybe I can kind of make a run for the last lap and a half here with Denny, and then had contact, and all of a sudden the seas parted and then from there it was just run like hell because I knew Kyle and Chase and Ryan were back there and they were pretty good all day. I put in about as good of a lap and a half as I could. THE MODERATOR: Matt, congratulations on this NASCAR Cup Series victory. You guys had so much fun kissing the bricks and enjoying the celebration. Just give us a quick recap of what it feels like.MATT KAULIG: Well, it’s a really surreal situation. I’ve been coming here since I was a little kid. I lived in Cincinnati, grew up in Cincinnati and then lived in Chicagoland, so we’d come down to the Indy 500 every year, and just to be — and I was at the very first — the Brickyard 400, that inaugural race, I think, back in ’94. So I’ve been to several of those.To actually be the team that gets to do that is just — it’s actually surreal. Even just sitting in front of you guys right now and looking at the empty track and knowing that we were just out there and have this trophy now is just — I’m really excited for these guys that have been doing this.These guys have been doing this their whole life. I’ve been doing it for six years. Just really proud of you guys and all of our teammates that have made racing their life and NASCAR their life.So the fact that we were able to deliver this is really cool. THE MODERATOR: Chris, give us your thoughts. I was afraid there for a minute you might fall off the pit box when AJ crossed the finish line. Tell us what it means to bring home today’s victory.CHRIS RICE: It’s unbelievable. I thought I was going to throw up walking down pit road.The day AJ walked in I didn’t know who he was. I knew I liked AJ and I liked his fire, and I knew we needed somebody to help us grow our program with Justin Haley, Jeb Burton and all those guys, and I knew AJ if he came and had fun would win races for us. He made us so much better at these right-hand turns and left-hand turns and he’s made us great.To win a Cup race and to sit in an amazing venue like this and think about it, I don’t even know what to say.I told somebody down there just a minute ago, they said, just soak it all in, and I said, I can’t; I don’t even know what to do. I still have cold chills.I love these guys. AJ knows how much I love him. He was at my house the other day. And yeah, to win a race here, I still want to cry, but I can’t — everybody at Kaulig racing, my wife that’s here and put up with me when we didn’t even have nothing. When Matt Kaulig said, Hey, you want to start a race team? I’m like, You’re crazy; it’s October 31st. He said, No, let’s do it. To win it at Indy five and a half years later, I love it. Thank you. Q.Dinger, how special is it to get your first win here the same year that your good friend Mike Shank won his first INDYCAR race, the Indy 500?AJ ALLMENDINGER: Yeah, Memorial Day weekend there I sat in my house bawling, like watching — when Helio won, just knowing everything that Mike had been through, I like literally just couldn’t stop crying during the day because I was so happy for him. I just remember thinking, God, I wish I could just share that with him.Like to show who Mike Shank is, he came to our race at Mid-Ohio the next week. He had better things to do, but came and supported us, and we won there.I mean, it’s just unbelievable to be able to like now have this rich history and be able to share that with him and do it in the same year, it’s like both of these — I drive for Mike and it’s the same thing with Matt and Chris. Like I drive for them, but I’m not the driver and they’re my bosses. Like they’re — we’re all brothers and close friends, and you want success for that, and you want to be able to share that.Like to be able to do this now on the same year, it’s like — I’m sure me and him are going to — we actually have his golf tournament tomorrow so that’s going to be fun. Like I don’t know what to do. Like it’s going to be insane. We’re going to be sitting there like, really? Like the same year we just did this?It’s so — special is not even — like the biggest understatement in the world. Q.Also you drove for Roger Penske in NASCAR. You led laps here in the 2013 Indy 500 and now you were able to basically get the trophy from him in Victory Lane. How cool is that?AJ ALLMENDINGER: Well, I saw him right before the race. As I was getting in the car, he hugged me, and I said, Roger, I love you because everything that Roger has always done for me. At that time I was like, I’m not a big fan of yours right now because you beat me yesterday in the Xfinity race, so I wasn’t a big fan of that.But no, I mean, it’s — what Roger has always done for my life and my career and what he’s done for this place, it’s always been so beautiful, but now you look at it with all of his staff and the IMS staff that have really upgraded this place, it’s so cool looking.CHRIS RICE: The bathrooms are really nice. I’m going to give him that.AJ ALLMENDINGER: It’s quite amazing. 2013 happened and it’s always in the back of your mind, was that my real chance to win at Indy. I was so disappointed yesterday because I thought, man, maybe that was my closest chance to win at Indy and we didn’t make it happen.Even after at Watkins Glen, all the ups and downs through the next couple years, kind of like, I’d like to win another Cup race but it’s freaking hard. It’s hard to win a Cup race, and we did here at Indy. Q.AJ, the emotions you’re feeling right now, how do they compare to what you experienced in Watkins Glen seven years ago now?AJ ALLMENDINGER: Well, I think Watkins Glen was something that — I mean, it was amazing to go through all the ups and downs and win that race and for Tad and Jodi and Brad. But in a way it was kind of almost like a relief, as well, like I don’t ever have to be asked about will you ever win a Cup race.So you enjoy it, but at the same point you’re kind of like, okay, thank goodness now, the relief is gone, I don’t have that hanging over me anymore. So it kind of takes a little bit of the enjoyment away.This is, I’m like, I don’t even know — we know showing up at the road course races we have fast race cars, but like at Indy, the way that played out, I mean, this is just pure enjoyment that I don’t — I’m going to tell them I’m retiring now. Sorry, guys. I’m done, I’m out. I’m not going to Michigan next week.I’m kidding, by the way. I’m going to Michigan. We’ve got a championship to win.Q.Matt, this team is basically eight months away, whatever, from starting its first full-time campaign in the series. Does this feel like you announcing your arrival moment? Is this like a shot across everyone’s bow? What does this mean in that sense?MATT KAULIG: No, I’m really proud of the team. We went into this season knowing that we were going to run a handful of Cup races, maybe eight or ten. We’re running the road courses, we’re running the superspeedways.One of the reasons that Chris and I talked about doing that is just to get — just almost to get familiar with the Cup Series. It’s a little bit different than the Xfinity Series, and the garage is different and people — we wanted people to know who we were and what we’re all about.We knew putting AJ in the car every week at these road courses would actually give us a chance to run really well, and so I don’t think it’s — it’s not an announcement to the sport or to other teams that we’re here. I mean, we’ve been here — we feel like we’ve been here and growing towards winning this championship in the Xfinity Series and then being able to compete in the Cup Series.But you know, what it does allow us to do is it more legitimizes us as a successful race team so that you get — it’s better for your employees, it’s better for your drivers, it’s better for your crew chiefs and engineers. It allows you to get more and better people. It allows sponsors to trust that you’re going to show up and be great.So for me, it shows that more than anything, and that’s what I’m really happy about. All the success that we’re having on the track, I get happy for all of our teammates, but I’m really — it’s growing our business as Kaulig Racing. So that’s really exciting. Q.AJ, you kind of had a front row seat for a lot of that late race chaos that went down. I was kind of curious to hear your opinion on this. You won at Watkins Glen and throughout all of NASCAR they tend to allow drivers to use as much and as all of the track as they possibly can. After what you saw today, do you think that NASCAR should continue to allow for you to use any part of the track, or would you like to see them maybe police track limits a little bit more?AJ ALLMENDINGER: No, I mean, I think it’s tough with these cars. I get it in the sense that we’ve all got to race within the limits of the racetrack, too, but these cars are so big, and it’s not — and haven’t driven an INDYCAR. When these things get out of control, like you’re along for the ride at times. In INDYCAR you can kind of correct and save sometimes and it’s a little easier. These things, when you get side by side, they’re wide, you’re beating on each other. Like you need room to be able to maneuver, to make a mistake and get away with it.I mean, I thought today with the curbing out like from the Xfinity race yesterday, that was a good call, and I thought the track limits were fine. The biggest problem obviously was the curbing that was coming up.I was shocked where they were having to fix it because you get shoved over there sometimes or you start using more of it, and that’s when it becomes a problem because I felt like I was hitting the curbing, like I never had an issue with it. Where they were having to fix it was almost like way before where cars were kind of jumping over the top of it.But the thing is with those curbs you pay a price anyway, and we saw it. When you hit them wrong, you pay the price.Now, unfortunately today it was a huge price for a lot of cars, and we don’t need that. We don’t need to be tearing up race cars that much. I mean, that’s a lot of money that these team owners have to go through. I was sitting under red like watching it, like holy moley, we’re going through a lot of money right now.But at the same point, it’s our own job to not run over it that way. So there’s a fine line. Like you can’t just drive wherever you want to.But this racetrack doesn’t allow that because it has grass. You get off in the grass, it tears stuff up.I thought the racetrack has the right limitations. It’s just unfortunately the curbing was starting to come up in the wrong spot when he hit it. Q.AJ, your progress through the field after the caution for the second stage break, how were you able to manage your way through the field like that the way you did before everything went crazy?AJ ALLMENDINGER: Chris going, Hey, don’t tear off the front of this car. Still need the front of it.That was actually a pretty good impression right there. Feel good about that one.You know, like it’s — at the end of the day it’s still important to get the best finish possible. Even if you don’t — like at that point I didn’t really feel like we had a shot to win. It’s still big for the team to run inside the top 10 so that’s always my goal is to try to get the most out of the race car and get the highest finish possible, whether that’s 20th that day, 10th or whatever.So it was just trying to be smart, get up through the field. I thought we were going to get to maybe 12th, 11th and thought, okay, I cost us some track position. I thought we were like a seventh- to tenth-place car. So I’m like, all right.And then once the restarts happened, when you’re restarting 17th, winning was not even in my mind, but after that first restart with all the chaos that happened, getting up to seventh at that point, there was only about three cars that were ahead of us that were on good tires, and at that point it was game on.But that’s always the way I feel. Like for these guys and for all the men and women at Kaulig Racing, no matter how it’s going, I still want to get the best finish possible. That’s how I look at it, no matter what’s going on, whether it’s a chance to win or you’re running 15th and you have a chance to finish 13th. That’s the goal is finish as high as you can. Q.You have a long relationship with Michael Shank. You’ve seen him build up his INDYCAR program from a part-time program to a one-car full-time, now two cars next year. Do you believe that this is the right way that your team owner is doing it now? How well do you think he’s doing it the right way?MATT KAULIG: How am I doing?AJ ALLMENDINGER: It’s going all right. I think it’s okay.No, like all joking aside, I didn’t know Matt, I didn’t know Chris. When they called me at the beginning of 2019 and said, Hey, will you run some races for us, I said, Sure.Now, I had watched the program for three years. They were a single-car team, and I liked that because I thought, okay, they’re at least building it the right way because you can start trying to just add cars to it and make it better, and that becomes worse.In 2019 we ran one full-time car, as a part two cars, and obviously at Daytona it was three cars when Ross won, and then the next year it was kind of starting to add more and then this year the right people in place, and you have the right resources to run three full-time Xfinity cars, and then you start the Cup program.So I’ve always thought the way Matt and Chris go about it are the right ways because you’re not trying to get too big too early because that can really kill a program, and that’s part of the attraction to the team, as well. Q.AJ, you talked about when Shank won that you cried. Why didn’t you cry for yourself today?CHRIS RICE: He will. Just give him a minute and a couple more beers.AJ ALLMENDINGER: Because Matt would make fun of me if I started crying is the biggest thing. Yeah, that’s true.MATT KAULIG: You’re a race car driver.AJ ALLMENDINGER: Because it means — like I’m going to really enjoy this; don’t get me wrong when I say this. But it means more to me to watch my close friends, my brothers have success than it does for me because I’m okay in life. Like life is good. I’ve got a great wife. My parents have been fantastic. I love driving for them. Like life is good.Seeing especially like Mike and me and him having our ups and downs together where there was times he had to pull me up, like Dude, come drive for me, and there was times where he was like, I can’t pay you, and I’m like, I don’t care, I’ll drive for you, like whatever you need.That means more to me than anything is to see my friends and my close brothers have success, especially at the Indianapolis 500, you can argue the biggest race in the world so that’s what meant so much to me, and that’s why I was just lost for emotion there because it’s huge for him.I love what we’re sitting here being able to do right now, but for me I’m like, this is awesome for me, but for them, I’m like, they deserve it because he puts so much of his own money into it. He puts every — you can ask Tammy — every dying moment into this race team and all the men and women.I love it for myself, but I always say I drive really for a couple of people. I drive for myself because it’s pure enjoyment, challenging myself, and it’s really pushing myself for all the men and women at that race team because they’re the ones putting their heart and soul and really my life in their hands.That’s why I enjoy it so much really. Q.AJ and Matt, you’ve talked about for next year AJ would be in a partial Cup ride at this point. Obviously things can change. Does this give you consideration to change, and AJ, would you even want to –AJ ALLMENDINGER: I’ve retired. I’m done.MATT KAULIG: He’s done.AJ ALLMENDINGER: Before Matt answers, I will do whatever they want me to do. I’ve told them that from day one. Whatever they feel like I can help raise the organization and help push it, I’ll do that, whatever that may be. Whatever program we’re on, like I’m enjoying it.MATT KAULIG: Yeah, and we’re working on it, and he does say that, and he has said that, and he truly will. We’d have to make sure whatever the situation is — we would like to run two full-time Cup cars next year, and we’re working out the details as far as drivers and sponsors and just how all of that looks.CHRIS RICE: You opened up a can of worms, by the way.MATT KAULIG: You think?CHRIS RICE: He’s done talking right now.MATT KAULIG: All right, I’m done talking. (Laughter.)AJ ALLMENDINGER: Hey, good luck tomorrow.Q.You had a great view of the 14 getting into the 11 –CHRIS RICE: Did they fight, by the way? Q.No, they didn’t. We were trying to egg them on but it didn’t happen. You had a great view of that; what went through your mind when you saw that?AJ ALLMENDINGER: I honestly didn’t — I saw that as it happened.I was kind of more worried about — I think Blaney at that point was right behind me because they were telling me that the 14 had a penalty, and I knew Denny was on old tires, so in my mind I was like, I made a run at Denny on the restart and he used me up, and I’m like, okay, that’s fair, I would do the same thing.I was trying to hold Ryan back, and I thought, okay, if I can just get through these couple of corners, maybe I can make a run, like a last-lap run at this and go for it. Well, when I saw the 14 hook the 11, I was like, well, okay, that’s easier.At that point I knew the 14 they were still saying had a penalty. In my mind I figured he wasn’t going to stop, he was going to run it out, and if I caught him that was going to cause a problem with Ryan behind me or whoever was going to be behind me.I didn’t really see how it happened. I just saw the aftermath of it. And then thank goodness Chase went down in the next corner and overshot it, so at that point it was just trying to put in like the best last lap of my life and try to get away, because here at the Brickyard I think all bets are off. Anybody behind you is going to come send it and move you out of the way, so I was just trying to make sure I got out of that area of that happening. Q.And when they dropped the green flag to restart, was there a lot of blocking and tackling between you and Chase and –AJ ALLMENDINGER: Actually, no, not really. Denny had a good restart. I had a good launch with him, and I kind of went low and he defended it, and Ryan kind of stuck to my bumper. I think we were all trying to get the inside row to go, and I shot the middle and got in there, and Denny got in wide and I got to the outside of him, and that’s when he kind of used me up, which, like I said, I’d have drove myself straight into the field if I had to. But it was fair.You know on the restarts anything goes, especially here because it’s a long straightaway into a hairpin corner. I was just happy to get through the first couple of corners clean and then from there see what was really going to happen. Q.Matt, you have three cars probably in the Xfinity playoffs. I assume you came into the season looking for an Xfinity championship, but does this win no matter what else happens this year does this win make this a successful season math?MATT KAULIG: Yeah, it’s been a very successful season. We’ve got three wins. AJ has got two in the Xfinity Series and now this. This is like — we wouldn’t have dreamed this — literally wouldn’t have dreamt that even this could happen this year. It wasn’t even part of the plans. You’re trying to run well.But no, so it’s — again, a surreal experience to be — we’ve got a bunch of races left. We feel like we’re, what, halfway — we’re more than halfway through the season, but no, we’re completely focused on the Xfinity Series. We’re completely focused on winning a championship in the Xfinity Series.We’ll run a couple more Cup races. Obviously we’ll go out there and try to win those, but believe me, the focus is 100 percent on getting these guys, whoever it is, if it’s AJ or Jeb or Justin, an Xfinity championship, and that’s what we’re doing. That’s what we want. That’s what we want for us. Q.Chris, was there any thought, did you think that NASCAR might just stop the race with the issues with the curbs, and if they did would you have been okay with it?CHRIS RICE: I would have been fine with it, but I didn’t think they would. It was the first race here on the road course, the inaugural race. I felt like they wanted to finish it.You don’t know what the challenges are that they’re going to have with these cars that are low. We ran here for two races and had no issues with that. Our cars don’t have — well, the Xfinity cars are not low-ride cars.They did a great job. I mean, I applaud NASCAR for even coming here to try something different, so I would have been fine with it, but I applaud them for letting us race it out obviously because we won, but I was happy sitting there seventh to be honest with you. No, I never had a thought in my mind that they would quit it.Q.Matt, you mentioned you’ve been coming here since you were a kid. Could you share what is your absolute earliest memory attached to this facility or the first time you ever stepped foot on the property?MATT KAULIG: Let’s see. The race that I remember most was when Danny Sullivan won. What was that, ’85? So I think that’s my earliest recollection of actually — we’d come to the track. It’s huge and fun. But I don’t think I was a giant fan of all the racers.But I remember — and I actually got to have dinner with Danny a couple of years ago and met him. We were sitting at a reception in New York City, and he and I just started talking about racing, and it was just really cool because I didn’t know it was Danny Sullivan. He looks different than he looked in 1985.So I’m talking to him, and I said, Hey, what’s your name? He said, Danny. I said, Well, what kind of work do you do? And he said, Well, I was a race car driver. I’m like, Well, that’s cool, like what kind. He’s like, like INDYCAR. I’m like, what’s your name? He said, Danny Sullivan. I’m like, What? Why didn’t you say you were Danny Sullivan?I still talk back and forth. I’m sure he’ll text me tonight congratulating us on the win. But that’s my earliest memory. AJ ALLMENDINGER: Yeah, for me, I grew up watching the Indy 500, and I think the one that always stood out to me as a kid was little Al and Emo going through Turn 3 there and having the contact and just the battle.And I was always such a huge Jeff Gordon fan growing up. That was my guy was Jeff Gordon. Through sprint cars, I just loved watching him in sprint car racing and then when he got in NASCAR and obviously the inaugural race here watching him win that on TV as a kid I was really excited.First time here honestly for me was like walking into the place was 2007, my rookie year in Cup, and I remember I smashed the wall off of Turn 4 trying to hold it wide open to try to make the show. By the way, that didn’t work out very well; I didn’t make the race.I remember people always telling me like you walk into it but on race day it’s different. I got to experience that in 2008 here, but really what stood out to me was 2013, like walking through Gasoline Alley for the Indy 500 and I had Roger Penske next to me; he was going to call my race.Good or bad, I don’t mean it when I say this, but it was like, I’m like, I’m walking with God right now. Like this is what God feels like. I’m walking with Roger Penske, Indy 500, and he’s calling my race, and I’m driving for Roger Penske.Like that moment will always stand out to me as like I felt like I was an out-of-body — I was watching myself walk with Roger, and it was so special to me.The way the race played out was crazy, and I remember leading, taking the lead, and in the car I kind of lost my mind, and almost like, Oh, my God, I’m leading the Indy 500. There was still 130 to go. I had to calm down. But all of a sudden, I go, Okay, now I get it; this is what it means here with the packed house and running the Indy 500 for Roger Penske.That memory will always be special in my mind.Part of the reason why people ask me if I’ll ever run the Indy 500 again, part of the reason is I don’t ever want to mess that memory up. It’s true because it was so special to me. CHRIS RICE: Mine is probably more NASCAR. Dale Earnhardt, I think it was ’95 he won his first one. Is that right? And deep down inside I’m a huge Darrell Waltrip fan. Y’all know if you watch my social media how mouthy I am, how wide open I am. That’s the way Darrell Waltrip was.But Dale Earnhardt winning here probably meant more to me as a little kid than I can remember. Elliott Sadler and myself won a bunch of races that year and won championships, and I always said, hey, we were the Dale Earnhardts of late model stock car racing then.I remember that race and I remember those cars, and I remember how cool it was to watch all the fans.The first time I came here I think I was working with the Pettys, and I walked in and I think we tested, I told my wife this story this weekend, and I walked in and I go, holy moley, this place is amazing. It was just how — we would go to St. Elmo’s and you do things like that. I had raced at ORP a bunch of times, but walk in here and see all this and think about thousands and thousands of people packing in here.I still sit here and cannot believe we kissed the bricks, and just something, that fame. That’s something that is unbelievable.So probably the Dale Earnhardt win.Richard Childress Racing being a very, very crucial partner of ours, helping us get to the level we’re at and being part of us is probably something that we failed to talk about today. But they’ve been very crucial. Richard is a good friend of ours. Matt now owns about 14 acres down there and owns a couple buildings.But Dale Earnhardt probably, the late Dale Earnhardt is probably my favorite memory. I think he won three races here, and every time he won I kind of got cold chills. THE MODERATOR: Gentlemen, congratulations. We hope you guys enjoy this one, and we appreciate you spending some time with us.FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
DiBenedetto Finishes Fifth in Inaugural Verizon 200
August 15, 2021
Matt DiBenedetto drove a battered No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang to a fifth-place finish in a chaotic Verizon 200 on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was his third top-five finish of the season, his sixth top-10 and his fifth-straight finish of 11th or better.
DiBenedetto started Sunday’s inaugural Cup Series run on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 15th place. His Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang sustained body damage on the start, and he and the team battled to overcome that throughout the race.
Crew chief Jonathan Hassler, who had a stellar day as a race strategist, brought his driver to pit road with three laps remaining in the opening Stage. That set DiBenedetto up to start the second Stage from 14th place.
Just after that restart, DiBenedetto was involved in a fender-banger with Christopher Bell, briefly drove off the track but recovered to rejoin the race in 21st place.
Hassler adopted a different strategy for the end of the second Stage. By staying on track throughout that run, DiBenedetto finished Stage Two in fifth place and earned six Stage points.
As the third and final segment of the race got underway, DiBenedetto, after a pit stop, began working his way forward.
As others ahead of them pitted under the green flag, Hassler left DiBenedetto on the track as long as possible. He took the lead on Lap 63 but yielded to drivers on fresher tires. He was still running seventh when he finally headed to pit road with 11 laps remaining.
As luck would have it – good luck that is – the yellow flag flew with DiBenedetto on pit road. When most of the rest of the field made pit stops under the ensuing caution period, DiBenedetto and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang cycled up to third place for a restart with six scheduled laps remaining.
Despite the damage to his Mustang, DiBenedetto was running fourth when the caution flag – and eventually the red flag – was displayed for a multi-car crash in Turn Six. The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang received more damage, including to the front suspension, but DiBenedetto stayed on track in fourth place for the first attempt at a green-white-checkered-flag run to the finish.
Then came another multi-car crash in Turn Six.
In the second and final attempt at an overtime finish, DiBenedetto held on to finish fifth.
In his post-race comments, DiBenedetto credited Hassler with putting the team in position to capitalize on the late-race chaos.
“All the credit goes to crew chief Jonathan Hassler for knowing the strategy and the spot we were in and throwing a Hail Mary and running all the way until we were about out of fuel and knowing that if any caution came out we could stay out and get all the track position,”
DiBenedetto said. “This is all him. All I had to do was kind of hang on until the end, hang onto the position.
“Obviously, our car was missing some pieces on it, so I just had to hang on for whatever we could get.
“We actually had a shot at [a win] there at the end. I couldn’t believe it. It’s just a testament to this team.”
DiBenedetto added that he hasn’t given up on putting the No. 21 Mustang in Victory Lane before the season ends.
“We need to keep digging,” he said. “We need to win one of these races.”
Next up for DiBenedetto and the Wood Brothers team is the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday Aug. 22.
Topeka Quarterfinal Finish Locks DeJoria Into Countdown
TOPEKA, KS (August 15, 2021) — With a quarterfinal finish today at the NHRA Topeka Nationals Alexis DeJoria secured her fourth career playoff start for the 2021 NHRA Countdown to the Championship. Ten Funny Car drivers will be eligible to race for the championship when the points are restructured following the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Labor Day weekend. Once again DeJoria set herself up for race day success qualifying No. 2 with a blistering 3.894 second pass on Friday night in her Bandero Premium Tequila/ROKiT Toyota Camry Funny Car.
“With everything we’ve accomplished so far this year I knew coming into this race we were going to do something and right out of the box we ran a 3.89,” said DeJoria, who has qualified top three or better seven times this season. ”We weren’t expecting it. We thought we were going to run a 3.92. It’s our sixth number two qualifier of the season. I’ll take that.”
On race day DeJoria drew rookie Chris King who was making his second start on the NHRA tour at this event. DeJoria got the jump off the starting line and was pulling away as her race car was dropping cylinders and started moving towards the centerline. King lost traction immediately and DeJoria was able to keep her Toyota Funny Car in her lane for the win.
“The first round was a crazy one and we got away with it,” said DeJoria, after the wild round win.
In the second round DeJoria paired up with veteran Cruz Pedregon for a shot at her fifth semifinal of the season. In one of the closest races of the day DeJoria did not get the win in a race where both race cars lit up the Topeka Motorsports Park scoreboards with identical 4.006 second elapsed times. The race was decided on the starting line with Pedregon leaving first, .091 to DeJoria’s .111 reaction time.
“It is upsetting because he was there for the taking,” said DeJoria. “If I would have had one of my normal lights from this weekend we would have won on a hole shot. That hurts more than anything.”
For the length of the race track both cars were welded together and it looked like either driver could pull away, but the nose of Pedregon’s Funny Car had just enough to get to the stripe first.
“That four flat was probably the longest run ever,” said DeJoria. “Just seeing the hood of his car out my side window the entire way down was tough. I was hoping I would pass him but I never did. I was upset with myself when I got back to my lounge and my guys said I could have five more minutes to be mad and then I needed to shake it off.”
The five-time Funny Car national event winner knows there are frustrating days at the track. DeJoria is already turning her attention to the next event in five days in Minnesota.
“I am tough,” said DeJoria. “That’s racing. I am mad because I am tired of losing. We all are. We have the team and the car and everything it takes right now to win. Luckily, we have a race in few days in Brainerd, Minnesota.”
Qualifying Results
Q1: 3.894 sec, 329.67 mph; Qual. 2
Q2: 4.635 sec, 178.07 mph; Qual. 2
Q3: 3.975 sec, 322.34 mph; Qual. 2
Bonus Points: +2 (2nd quickest of Q1)
Race Results
First Round
Driver Qual R/T ET MPH
Alexis DeJoria 2 .064 4.811 190.86 (W)
Chris King 15 .086 7.384 88.94
Second Round
Driver Qual R/T ET MPH
Alexis DeJoria 2 .111 4.006 319.52
Cruz Pedregon 7 .091 4.006 311.20 (W)
Camping World Funny Car Top Ten
1. John Force 816
2. Ron Capps 787
3. J.R. Todd 778
4. Bob Tasca III 766
5. Robert Hight 748
5. Matt Hagan 748
7. Alexis DeJoria 691
8. Cruz Pedregon 610
9. Tim Wilkerson 584
10. Blake Alexander 417
chevy racing–nascar–brickyard post race
NASCAR CUP SERIES VERIZON 200 AT THE BRICKYARD INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES & QUOTES AUGUST 15, 2021
TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:POS. DRIVER1st AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 HYPERICE CAMARO ZL1 1LE3rd KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 1LE4th CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE6th KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE7th ERIK JONES, NO. 43 PETTY’S GARAGE CAMARO ZL1 1LE TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:POS. DRIVER1st AJ Allmendinger (Chevrolet)2nd Ryan Blaney (Ford3rd Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)4th Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)5th Matt DiBenedetto (Ford) The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series continues with the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, August 22. NBCSN will telecast the event at 3pm ET. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. TEAM CHEVY NOTES AND QUOTES: AJ ALLMINDINGER, NO. 16 HYPERICE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Race Winner:Q.When you think about what this moment means for AJ Allmendinger, he’s going to take a moment to soak it in. An open wheel driver for much of his career, he came here, almost won the Indy 500 for Roger Penske. That fell short, but today he finally gets his Brickyard win. Probably had no idea it would come in a Cup race on the road course, but he’ll take it. The fans know his history with open wheel at this racetrack, and I would argue knowing AJ there’s no racetrack that means more to him than this one. AJ, could there be a more significant place for you to get a win? A.J. ALLMENDINGER: No. Oh, my gosh, I was so mad yesterday. I wanted to win so bad. I mean, this is unbelievable. In my wildest dreams I could never imagine the way that just played out.Matt Kaulig, I don’t even know what he’s doing right now. He can’t — he’s almost in tears. Chris Rice, the Hyperice Chevy was so good. We had to fight hard. Robin Miller, I saw him this morning, this one is for you, baby. We love you, Robin, everything that you do. In memory of Bob Jenkins. Baby, I love you so much. Mom and Dad, all my friends and family, oh, my God. We just won at Indy.Hey, Shank, I just wanted to be like you, baby. I just wanted to be like you. Q.His good friend Michael Shank won the Indy 500 this year with Helio Castroneves. Is there a way to describe the chaotic race that was today?A.J. ALLMENDINGER: No, I mean, it was survival of the fittest. We probably had like an eighth-, tenth-place car, sped on pit road. I thought we were going to finish 12th to 15th, and then those restarts were just insane. It’s great when you have a car owner that just says, Go get me trophies. He doesn’t care if that thing is torn up. Chevy, ECR horsepower, RCR, everybody that allows us to do that, all of our sponsors on the Xfinity side of it, we just won at Indy. What’s up! Thank you everybody for coming out. Let’s go! KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 3rdQ.How would you begin to describe the racing today, Kyle?KYLE LARSON: It was wild there at the end. My car was extremely good. Really proud of everybody on our Hendrickcars.com team. We had the best car for sure throughout the second and third stage, and then just we had the caution there with like 10 to go or something and then we had to come down, put tires on, and some guys gambled and stayed out, and that kind of just got us in the mess a little bit. Was able to find my way to the front row and then just got shoved around and put in the grass. Kind of ended my shot to win there.But able to salvage a third, so happy about that, and a good points day. Q.How different was the track once they pulled those curbs out of 5 and 6?KYLE LARSON: I don’t know, we didn’t really get enough time. We were kind of all battling there, and the track was really dirty at that point, too.Yeah, the curbs, I feel like we need the curb there, but I don’t know if they can just make it out of concrete or something just because that leading edge of the lip seems to pull up and destroy race cars. I’m sure they’ll figure it out for next time. CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 4thTHAT WAS A CRAZY FINISH. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE DAY?“It was a wild day, but I finished fourth. It could have been worse.” KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 6th“I swear I saw a hole on the outside down the front straightaway to go to the outside of (Kyle) Larson, who blocked us a little bit. We rubbed the fence and got a little hole here but had a shot on the front row with old tires. We did all we could to battle. I put us in a hole by flat-spotting a right front early in the race with the Monster Energy Chevy. But the track has so many slow areas, there’s so much time for trouble. But all in all, we’ll take this. It’s a 6th place finish. We had a couple shots at winning but we were really just trying to navigate the day after we were one set of tires less after I made a mistake early on. But, thanks to my guys, we’ll keep digging and learn from this and find what we need to do better on some of these right-handers.” ERIK JONES, NO. 43 PETTY’S GARAGE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 7th“It was a major day of attrition for us in the Petty’s Garage Chevy. We didn’t really have the car we needed but kind of stuck with it all day and things played out for us, and guys were getting into wrecks and into trouble and making a lot of crazy moves. We just stuck through it and stayed on the straight and narrow and kept our car fairly clean and came home with a 7th. We’ll take a Top 10 any day and hopefully it’ll be a good stretch for us coming up with some good tracks for me and some good tracks for Richard Petty Motorsports and keep this string of good runs going.” TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 BETMGM CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 21st“We had a fast No. 8 BetMGM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE this weekend, just ended up needing a little more luck. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course is a lot of fun, really flat and tricky at first. I really started to get the hang of it during the race and was able to attack more and more during the turns as the race went on. It’s great that we were able to capture two Stage wins during today’s race. That will help with our Playoff situation and hopefully gained us some points to close the gap on the No. 4 car. I’m disappointed we got that damage in the closing laps of the race, since killed the momentum we had after a great pit stop and cost us a shot at a top-10 finish. The positive is that we were one of the teams able to continue on to the end. Every single point matters, and I know this team will continue to fight as the Playoffs approach.” ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 42 CLOVER CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 29th“I have no words. That’s one of the craziest races I’ve been in. It ripped the paint off one of those times the curbs came up and started losing oil at the end, so I pulled off. I don’t know. But we were okay. We were pretty fast. The Clover Chevy was okay. We were probably a 10th place car and yeah, on to Michigan.” WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sidelined in multi-car accident on Lap 77 – Finished 33rd“It was so weird. I’ve never had that experience. Like, I come through that corner the same every single lap. We were running fourth there behind (Kyle) Larson, and he gets over the curb in the same spot and something, like after he hit with his right rear, it like peeled up. And as soon as I got there I hit something and it just threw me completely off line. It tore the front end right off of it. Yeah, I wasn’t offline at all. I was actually safe because I saw what happened to him and it looked like he jumped in the air with his right rear. And so I was like, man, let me try to get a little bit further left and I obviously nailed something that came up off the track. Just a bummer. This Axalta Chevrolet was really fast. We weren’t as fast as the No. 5 car (Kyle Larson), but we were a second-place car and made a couple of mistakes early that cost me some track position that we got back. I think we were poised to finish in the Top 5 there. It’s definitely a bummer.” DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 COMMSCOPE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sidelined in multi-car accident on Lap 77 – Finished 37th“Somebody wrecked the lap before. I didn’t know who it was. But the lap before, I went through fine. I was on my line. I was making sure I was on the right line because I wanted to keep that car on the right side. I was on the regular race track and I hit something almost like the curb was on the race track. I have no idea. I haven’t seen the replay really, I just know that the curb came apart.” So, in your opinion, you were on the safe part of the race track and whatever you hit came apart on the race track? “Yes.”