DAWN OF DEVIN: Moran finds redemption with DIRTcar Nationals win The Ohio-native currently leads the Big Gator Championship with two races remainingBARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 12, 2021 – Victory flirted with Devin Moran throughout the week, only to keep him wondering if love was ever really there.The biggest tease was on Wednesday night – during the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model’s DIRTcar Nationals opener at Volusia Speedway Park – when Moran made a charge to the front and saw his date with Victory Lane laps away. Then, his driveshaft broke.On Thursday night – into Friday morning – after a rain shower halted racing action for a couple of hours, Moran was no longer for playing games. He was confident. He was taking his shot.From the fifth starting position, Moran charged his way to the front past the likes of Chris Madden and Dale McDowell to finally secure his date with Victory Lane during the 50th DIRTcar Nationals – his fifth World of Outlaws victory, tying him for 25th on the all-time wins list with his dad, Donnie Moran.“This is awesome,” an out of breath Moran said in Victory Lane. “We’ve had just a fast race car all week and we haven’t been able to quite get there. I was bummed when I got that pill draw (to start fifth) but congrats to the track crew. They did an awesome job. We got rain and I honestly didn’t think we were going to race. Everyone back there was complaining, not wanting to race, but we’re here to race. So, that’s what we were going to do. They did an awesome job, and this is probably the raciest it’s been all week.“It’s awesome to finally get a gator (trophy). We didn’t think we were going to come here, but it’s all happening and it’s pretty cool.”At the start of the 40-lap Feature, on Friday morning, McDowell launched ahead of the field to lead the first lap with Madden following his tire tracks in second. By Lap 3 Madden sucked the right-side stickers off McDowell’s car as he rocketed past him off Turn 4 to claim the lead. McDowell fought back and the two raced side by side for a lap before Madden got into a rhythm and pulled away.The second caution of the night came out with 31 laps to go and allowed Moran, in third, to line up next to McDowell on the restart. The young Dresden, OH native showed the night before that he’s not afraid to throw the holiest of Hail Mary slide jobs into the corner for a pass, too. However, he didn’t need it.Moran bested McDowell on the restart and secured the runner-up spot by the first corner. He then began his pursuit of Madden.With 19 laps to go and a run down the backstretch, he threw his #9 machine to the bottom of Turn 3, underneath Madden, and allowed the momentum to send his car up the track in front of his new rival. Madden was ready for the move, though, and cranked his steering wheel to the left by the center of the corner to turn underneath Moran. They went side by side down the front stretch before Madden cleared him for the lead by the flag stand.Moran wasn’t done, yet. This was the time to shoot his shot. He pulled even with Madden down the backstretch and tried another slide job attempt into Turn 3. This time to perfection. Madden didn’t have the grip to hang with Moran off the corner and had to watch the 26-year-old drive away.While Moran was on his way to holding hands with victory, a new challenger emerged in the late stage of the race. From the ninth starting position, Bobby Pierce navigated his way to second with nine laps to go.He put the pressure on Moran in the closing laps, but it wasn’t enough to hinder his confidence. Moran held a steady wheel to win his first-ever DIRTcar Nationals win – and increased his points lead over Pierce for the Big Gator championship with two races remaining.Pierce was only supposed to run the first two DIRTcar Late Model races of Late Model week during the DIRTcar Nationals, but after a win on Tuesday, he decided to stay. The decision has paid off, so far, with him still in contention for the Big Gator.“Last night (when he blew a tire) was a heartbreaker,” Pierce said. “We’d have so many good finishes if it wasn’t for that. Congrats to Devin on the win there. I think he snookered us on tires. That explains why he was pulling away there pretty good. The car is really good. I was driving my butt off to catch him. I guess we needed so green flag runs to catch him.”McDowell worked his way back by Madden with five laps to go to round out the podium.“We’ve been working and been right there,” McDowell said. “Just have to drive harder in these conditions. Just out of my wheelhouse.”Three-time defending champion Brandon Sheppard earned the hard charger award with his run from 23rd to sixth. That helped move him from ninth to third in the championship standings. He’s currently 70 points behind points leader and rookie contender, Kyle Strickler – who earned his fourth top-four finish in a row with the Series.For Moran, he’s already thinking of beating his dad’s win record when the Series returns to action Friday night at Volusia.“I want to say thank you to him so much. He was supposed to come out tonight but with all of the rain tonight he stayed at the hotel,” Moran said. “I texted him and said, ‘Hey, we’re racing.’ He said, ‘Oh, I’m not coming out tonight but go win that bitch. So, we did.”UP NEXTThe World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series, on Friday, Feb. 12, returns to Volusia Speedway Park during the 50th DIRTcar Nationals for round three of four. Get tickets by clicking HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVisionRESULTSMorton Buildings Feature (40 Laps) – 1. 9-Devin Moran [5][$10,000]; 2. 32-Bobby Pierce [9][$6,000]; 3. 17M-Dale McDowell [1][$3,500]; 4. 8-Kyle Strickler [7][$2,800]; 5. 28-Dennis Erb [21][$2,500]; 6. 1-Brandon Sheppard [23][$2,300]; 7. 7-Ricky Weiss [17][$2,200]; 8. 44-Chris Madden [4][$2,100]; 9. 16-Tyler Bruening [2][$2,050]; 10. 25-Shane Clanton [18][$2,000]; 11. 54-David Breazeale [15][$1,600]; 12. 58-Ross Bailes [28][$400]; 13. O-Scott Bloomquist [13][$1,200]; 14. 33-Jeff Mathews [22][$1,100]; 15. B1-Brent Larson [8][$1,050]; 16. 18-Chase Junghans [19][$1,000]; 17. 56-Tony Jackson [24][$1,000]; 18. 99B-Boom Briggs [27][$1,000]; 19. 40B-Kyle Bronson [3][$1,000]; 20. OE-Rick Eckert [25][$1,000]; 21. 20-Jimmy Owens [11][$1,000]; 22. 6JR-Parker Martin [30][$110]; 23. OS-Ryan Scott [31][$110]; 24. 6-Blake Spencer [29][$110]; 25. 97-Cade Dillard [6][$1,000]; 26. 20RT-Ricky Thornton [10][$1,000]; 27. 29V-Darrell Lanigan [12][$1,000]; 28. 14-Josh Richards [14][$1,000]; 29. 42-Chad Finley [16][$1,000]; 30. 76-Brandon Overton [20][$1,000]; Hard Charger Award: 1-Brandon Sheppard[+17]Qualifying Flight-A – 1. 9-Devin Moran, 16.054; 2. 32-Bobby Pierce, 16.089; 3. 20-Jimmy Owens, 16.158; 4. 8-Kyle Strickler, 16.199; 5. 39-Tim McCreadie, 16.287; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson, 16.318; 7. O-Scott Bloomquist, 16.368; 8. 44-Chris Madden, 16.401; 9. 7-Ricky Weiss, 16.426; 10. 71-Hudson O’Neal, 16.453; 11. 54-David Breazeale, 16.501; 12. 6JR-Parker Martin, 16.577; 13. 19R-Ryan Gustin, 16.607; 14. 31-Tyler Millwood, 16.639; 15. 1-Brandon Sheppard, 16.651; 16. 89-G.R. Smith, 16.721; 17. 18-Chase Junghans, 16.778; 18. 99B-Boom Briggs, 16.837; 19. 33-Jeff Mathews, 16.902; 20. 6-Blake Spencer, 17.166; 21. 3-Mike Collins, 17.331; 22. 7F-Jason Fitzgerald, 17.431; 23. OE-Rick Eckert, 17.805; 24. 2-Dan Stone, NT; 25. 12-Ashton Winger, NTQualifying Flight-B – 1. 76-Brandon Overton, 16.146; 2. 16-Tyler Bruening, 16.332; 3. 14G-Joe Godsey, 16.339; 4. B1-Brent Larson, 16.34; 5. 42-Chad Finley, 16.406; 6. 17M-Dale McDowell, 16.427; 7. 97-Cade Dillard, 16.483; 8. 20RT-Ricky Thornton, 16.483; 9. 29V-Darrell Lanigan, 16.506; 10. 21-Billy Moyer, 16.515; 11. 72-Mike Norris, 16.52; 12. 25-Shane Clanton, 16.543; 13. 3S-Brian Shirley, 16.549; 14. 28-Dennis Erb, 16.57; 15. 56-Tony Jackson, 16.628; 16. 14-Josh Richards, 16.633; 17. 76N-Blair Nothdurft, 16.699; 18. 385-Mark Whitener, 16.706; 19. 14M-Trevor Gundaker, 16.719; 20. 7R-Ross Robinson, 16.724; 21. 58-Ross Bailes, 16.869; 22. 14B-John Baker, 16.923; 23. 1st-Johnny Scott, 16.998; 24. 3W-Brennon Willard, 17.011; 25. OS-Ryan Scott, 17.622

The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings® Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Drydene (Official Motor Oil), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Morton Buildings (Official Building), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors, including: Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, ARP (automotive Racing products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, MSD, Penske Racing Shocks, Quarter Master, Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award), and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Capital Race Cars, FireAde, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics, Reliable Painting, and Rocket Chassis.Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, NC, is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws NOS® Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings® Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws.

HALF-SECOND HERO: McLaughlin Edges Decker for First Career DIRTcar Nationals Win 

Sweetener’s Plus racer wins by a half-second for first Gator trophy at Volusia

BARBERVILLE, FL – Max McLaughlin raced home to his second Super DIRTcar Series win and his first trip to Volusia Speedway Park’s confetti-filled Victory Lane on Thursday night during the 50th DIRTcar Nationals.

The 20-year-old pilot of the #32C Sweetener’s Plus Big Block Modified was just barely able to box out future Hall of Famer Billy Decker in a wild finish where the two swapped lines on the track trying to block and slide each other at the same time. Hard charger Michael Maresca in the #7MM car cruised from 19th to third in an amazing run through the field.

After a lengthy rain delay, drama built quickly in the 30-lap Feature as McLaughlin made contact with seven-time Series champion Matt Sheppard on the first lap, sending Sheppard’s #9S up the race track and into Peter Britten’s #21A. Sheppard made his displeasure with McLaughlin known during the caution flag, but was able to recover for a fifth-place finish. 

“I got into the water there on lap one,” said McLaughlin, of Mooresville, NC. “It was a bonehead move, I guess. They checked up and he [Matt Sheppard] started pushing and I figured I’d go right below him. The left front hit the water and pushed up and I got into Matt. I hate that. That’s kind of what I was thinking about the whole race.”

When the race returned to green flag action, McLaughlin had to contend with some heavy hitters. “Mad Max” found a way around defending Series champion Mat Williamson as well as “The Baldwinsville Bandit” Jimmy Phelps, who started on the outside pole. 

However, once McLaughlin took the lead on Lap 15 there was no time to relax. Decker had his Gypsum Wholesalers #91 at full song around the top side of the speedway in pursuit during the closing stages.

“I didn’t really know where he was but I knew he was coming around the top,” McLaughlin said. “I knew I had to change something and I saw the [signal] sticks get smaller and smaller. I had to do something different.”

With an adjustment of his line, McLaughlin was able to hold Decker’s crimson #91 at bay. 

Decker did all he could to try and pass for the lead.

“We had to go where he wasn’t,” said Decker,  of Unadilla, NY. “I think we were as good as he was on the bottom, but he fired a little better on the restarts than we did. After a few laps, I think we got it rolling so it was one of those deals where he had to stick to his lane. I started hazing the outside and closing the gap. He obviously got the signal from the infield to move. If he didn’t, he was going to finish where I did. He had to move and I didn’t get him soon enough.”

Decker will look to improve just one more position tomorrow night for a coveted 50th Anniversary DIRTcar Nationals win.

Michael Maresca, from Pierrepont, NY, advanced 16 positions to capture his second consecutive third-place finish. The #7MM started the night behind the eight-ball.

“We buried ourselves in a hole in qualifying,” Maresca said. “We had a really good car all night. I think with it being a little bit wetter, I think it threw me off on my gear selection. We were able to capitalize on good restarts.”

A fast, widening race track gave him what he needed to work through two-thirds of the field in 30 laps. Unfortunately, for the pilot of the St. Lawrence Radiology Big Block Modified, Decker and McLaughlin were just a click faster. 

“Congrats to Max and Billy,” Maresca said. “I couldn’t keep up with them. I think I was just a little bit under-geared for that. But I know our car is good so we are just going to keep trucking and hopefully contend for a win tomorrow.”

Catch all the action in person or on DIRTVision on Friday, February 12 at Volusia Speedway Park as the Super DIRTcar Series take on The World’s Fastest Half-Mile for the fourth night in a row alongside the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models. 

Keep up with the Super DIRTcar Series at SuperDIRTcarSeries.com and on social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

Full results available here. 

Feature (30 Laps) — 1. 32C-Max McLaughlin [5][$4,000]; 2. 91-Billy Decker [11][$2,000]; 3. 7MM-Michael Maresca [19][$1,000]; 4. 88-Mat Williamson [4][$800]; 5. 9S-Matt Sheppard [3][$700]; 6. 25-Erick Rudolph [15][$650]; 7. 98H-Jimmy Phelps [2][$600]; 8. 23-Kyle Coffey [21][$550]; 9. 21A-Peter Britten [6][$500]; 10. 1D-Tyler Dippel [10][$450]; 11. 8-Rich Scagliotta [14][$400]; 12. 7F-Tim Fuller [12][$375]; 13. 4-Billy VanInwegen [23][$350]; 14. 16X-Dan Creeden [26][$325]; 15. 118-Jim Britt [9][$300]; 16. 19M-Jessey Mueller [13][$300]; 17. 17D-Marcus Dinkins [25][$300]; 18. 1-Darwin Greene [22][$300]; 19. 20-Brett Hearn [16][$300]; 20. 14-CG Morey [29][$300]; 21. 88T-Tyler Jashembowski [17][$300]; 22. 30-Ryan Godown [8][$300]; 23. 6-Matt Stangle [1][$300]; 24. 2-Jack Lehner [7][$300]; 25. 33T-Cass Bennett [27][$300]; 26. 01W-Justin Wright [24][$300]; 27. 17-Rob Pitcher [20][$300]; 28. B52-Brandon Hightower [28][$300]; 29. 26-Derrick McGrew [18][$300]. Hard Charger Award: 7MM-Michael Maresca[+16].

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Team Win Duel in Dramatic Last-Lap Fashion

1st   4th N/A

“What a way to capitalize on our Duel and show what our No. 3 Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE can do! I was talking to my spotter, Brandon Benesch, about having the No. 4 car behind us on the final restart since he had been pushing well all night. I knew he had another Ford behind him though, so it was going to be tough. I made a decent block down the backstretch and got a big push after that. I knew the No. 23 was going to try to block me as we came to the line but I just whipped the wheel, and it all worked out. It’s going to be a great feeling rolling off Sunday up near the front row, and I’m hopeful we can have a similar result that evening for Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Off Road, Dow, Coca-Cola, Get Biofuel, BetMGM, Breztri (budesonide/glycopyrrolate/formoterol fumarate), WorkRise, Huk, Chevrolet, and all of our partners.” -Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Lenovo Team Secures Top-15 Finish in Duels

15th   16th N/A

“Tonight was all about giving my team and I the opportunity feel out the handling of our No. 8 Lenovo Chevrolet ZL1 1LE. We only did single-car runs during practice yesterday, so we went into our Duel tonight not knowing how the car would run in the draft. Overall, I’m happy with the handling we have for Sunday. I was a touch free on exit of both Turns 2 and 4, but other than that, the No. 8 Lenovo Chevrolet was solid. It seemed to drive a lot better than the cars around me. My team and I will have a couple final chances to dial in our car during the two practice sessions on Saturday, but I think we’ll be in good shape for the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday.” -Tyler Reddick

The DIRTcar UMP Modified driver is back in a Longhorn Chassis and signed with the World of Outlaws Late Models after two consecutive wins 

BARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 11, 2021 – In his turn from UMP Modifieds to Late Models, performance is the key to the path Kyle Strickler takes. With two consecutive World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model wins and the current points lead, that path couldn’t have been more clear.

Strickler, 37, from Mooresville, NC, has signed up to run the full World of Outlaws tour in 2021 behind the wheel of his #8 Longhorn Chassis for PPC Motorsports.

Initially, he and the team were going to run a Rocket Chassis on the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model tour but the performance wasn’t there. Strickler was uncomfortable in the Rocket, proven by his best finish of 21st in the first nine races with Lucas – three of which he didn’t transfer to the Feature.

The idea of a change came during the World of Outlaws Late Models’ Sunshine Nationals season opener at Volusia Speedway Park in January. Strickler, behind the wheel of his familiar Longhorn Chassis, finished third in the first race and then won the second – his first Series win in just his 11th start. He also left the Sunshine Nationals as the Series points leader.

Before the start of the 50th DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia, Strickler and the team decided to make the switch. They traded their Rocket Chassis for Longhorns and signed on the dotted line to try and run the entire World of Outlaws Late Model tour.

“It’s a performance-based industry,” Strickler said. “So yeah, we signed up for the deal… We leave this week running top-five in points or leading points, we’d be stupid not to follow the whole tour. The Outlaws have been absolutely awesome to us and have treated us great. It’s a performance-based deal. It’s a business decision. Craig (Sims, owner of PPC Motorsports) and I will talk it over, but yeah, we’re hopefully going to stick on this deal and see how things go.”

The Pennsylvania-born driver backed up his decision Wednesday night, during the World of Outlaws’ first DIRTcar Nationals race of the week. Strickler fell from fourth to eighth on the initial start but fought his way back up through the field to claim his second consecutive win and extend his points lead. He’s currently 34 points ahead of 2019 Rookie of the Year winner Ricky Weiss.

“This is probably one of the most favorite wins of my career right now,” Strickler said in Victory Lane.

While he picked up the win, that race also reminded him that the transition from Modifieds – which he’s raced for the past several years and won numerous races in – to Late Models still holds a challenge. He spent all of last week behind the wheel of a DIRTcar UMP Modified. It wasn’t until Tuesday that he climbed back behind the wheel of a Late Model.

“It’s tough,” he said about the transition. “I wish I would’ve ran that first day (with the DIRTcar Late Models on Monday) because I would’ve been able to transition into it. But then our stuff was still fresh yesterday and ready to go for the first Outlaw race. It’s really tough. You drive them completely different. I got in this thing the first day and drove down into the corner and tried to slow up and keep traction in it and guys went by me on both sides. I went from second to fifth in the first Heat. I wasn’t going to do that again.”

Running for a championship is another new transition for him, too. He’d never done it before. Now, he’ll have to learn how to points race and practice consistency each week if he’s to keep his points lead.

“I’ve come a long way as far as my mindset going into the night,” Strickler said. “Podiums, wins, win you championships and gives you good points finishes. We’ve got to make sure we’re there at the end. And we’re not a little Modified team. We’ve got a great owner that can provide us everything we need for going down the road. We’re going to need all the spares and parts it takes to do this. The tours are a lot of long races. You’ve got to be prepared to do it.”

Along with running for the championship, Strickler will also run for the Rookie of the Year title against an already stacked rookie class. He joins Ross Bailes, Ryan Gustin, Tony Jackson, Jr., Parker Martin and Ryan Scott in the battle. Currently, Gustin is his closest competition, sitting eighth in points.

There are three more chances this week for Strickler to keep his winning streak going and further his points lead. Then, when the DIRTcar Nationals concludes, he’ll run the final three Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series events at the end of February. He currently sits second in points in that Series – 17 points behind Chris Madden. Soon after, the World of Outlaws season will continue on March 5 at Duck River Raceway Park.

So far, two wins and the points lead with the World of Outlaws have made him happy with his decision.

“That definitely makes it good,” he said. “Makes it really good.”

Strickler plans to join World of Outlaws tour full-time after two straight wins and continues to hold the Series points leadBARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 10, 2021 – We fall to learn how to pick ourselves back up.When the trap opened on Kyle Strickler at the start of the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series DIRTcar Nationals opener Wednesday night at Volusia Speedway Park, he did just that.He fell from fourth to eighth in a lap, but with an injured finger, found a ledge to grab before his descent continued. On the next lap, he began his rise.By Lap 5 he was seventh. By Lap 20, sixth. By Lap 23, fifth. By Lap 34 he found himself back inside the top-four and challenging for a podium finish. Then, with three laps to go, as the leader slowed to the wall, he reached the peak. Minutes later, the win was his – his second World of Outlaws victory (in 12 starts), his second in a row, and second in a row at Volusia.“We took that green, I went straight backward,” Strickler said with a chuckle. “I was like, ‘Man, we messed up and picked the wrong tire or made the wrong adjustment or something. Got to lap traffic there and all the leaders went to the top and the car really came to us. I said, ‘I’m not going to let a Modified guy beat me, I’m going to the front.’”What ensued during his climb back to the top created one of the best shows during the 50th DIRTcar Nationals, so far.Bobby Pierce and Tim McCreadie – who each won a DIRTcar Late Model event to kick off Late Model week during the DIRTcar Nationals – started on the front row of the 40-lap Feature. While Strickler fell on the opening lap, Pierce catapulted ahead of the 33-car field. McCreadie kept a tight hold on the runner-up position until a suspension failure took him out of the race four laps in.The next 29 laps went caution-free and were 29 laps of pure dirt track ecstasy. Pearce led, with Ricky Thornton and Devin Moran close enough to be annoying the entire time. Thornton tortured Pierce’s heart lap after lap, showing his nose multiple times through Turns 3 and 4. But Pierce put his #32 machine through a workout, sending it into each corner as hard as he can around the top, lifting the left side of his car off the ground at times to get the better momentum off the corner.That lasted until Lap 12 when Thornton’s patient work paid off as he got the advantage on Pierce off Turn 2. Pierce battled back but soon found himself having to fend off Moran for second.Their war came to a halt when Kyle Bronson suffered a flat tire and brought out a caution with seven laps to go. When it resumed, Moran tried a Tom Brady-level Hail Mary pass into Turn 1, going from third to first by the middle of the corner. His slide job made him look like a hero until the exit of Turn 2 when Thornton split the middle between Moran – up top – and Pierce – on the bottom – to reclaimed the lead.And at this point, Strickler had fought his way to fifth, slowly digging his fingers in the dirt and crawling back to the front.Then, jaws dropped when Moran had a driveshaft issue going down the front stretch and got rear-ended by Brandon Overton, ending both of their nights.On the restart, the trap door that plagued Strickler found Thornton as he fell from first to fourth in a lap. Pierce reclaimed the lead while Strickler and Hudson O’Neal found themselves inside the podium, battling for second. With three laps to go, Strickler passed O’Neal for second, just in time to watch Pierce slow with a flat tire.Strickler’s rise was complete. It wasn’t an easy climb, reminding himself how to drive a Late Model versus a UMP Modified – which he drove last week. But his exuberant celebration showed it was worth the effort.“Man, I never would’ve thought I’d fall back to eighth and then charge to the front,” said Strickler, of Sinking Spring, PA. “Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. This is awesome.“This is one right now, of course, this is probably my favorite race of my career. That’s so much fun to go back and forth like that.”Strickler, a rookie, maintains the Series points lead – 34 points ahead of Ricky Weiss – as he’s decided to join the World of Outlaws 2021 tour full-time with the PPC Motorsports team.O’Neal finished second with his own rise to the front from eighth.“We were just a little too free there from the git-go,” O’Neal said. “I didn’t think I had a second-place race car. Just took advantage of some of the bad situations for the other guys.”Thronton, after leading 23 laps, had to swallow a third-place finish.“We were good. I wish that yellow didn’t come out,” Thornton said. “I don’t really have enough experience here to know what to do on the restart and let Bobby get by that one time… We’ll take a third and move on tomorrow.”Defending Series champion Brandon Sheppard was on track to have his best showing of the year, so far, with a potential podium run, but had an incident with Mike Norris and suffered a flat tire with two laps to go. He fell to 20th – now currently sitting ninth in points.But what applied to Strickler, could also apply to Sheppard in the three remaining days of the DIRTcar Nationals.We fall to learn how to pick ourselves back up.UP NEXT The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series, on Thursday, Feb. 12, returns to Volusia Speedway Park during the 50th DIRTcar Nationals. Get tickets by clicking HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision.RESULTS Morton Buildings Feature (40 Laps) – 1. 8-Kyle Strickler [4][$10,000]; 2. 71-Hudson O’Neal [8][$6,000]; 3. 20RT-Ricky Thornton [3][$3,500]; 4. 20-Jimmy Owens [15][$2,800]; 5. 3S-Brian Shirley [12][$2,500]; 6. 16-Tyler Bruening [5][$2,300]; 7. 58-Ross Bailes [10][$2,200]; 8. 19R-Ryan Gustin [18][$2,100]; 9. 7-Ricky Weiss [20][$2,050]; 10. 14-Josh Richards [16][$2,000]; 11. O-Scott Bloomquist [19][$1,600]; 12. 56-Tony Jackson [23][$1,400]; 13. OE-Rick Eckert [22][$1,200]; 14. 99B-Boom Briggs [27][$110]; 15. 40B-Kyle Bronson [13][$1,050]; 16. 7R-Ross Robinson [17][$1,000]; 17. 2-Dan Stone [24][$1,000]; 18. 97-Cade Dillard [25][$1,000]; 19. 29V-Darrell Lanigan [21][$1,000]; 20. 1-Brandon Sheppard [11][$1,000]; 21. 28-Dennis Erb [14][$1,000]; 22. 14B-John Baker [26][$1,000]; 23. 72-Mike Norris [9][$1,000]; 24. 18-Chase Junghans [30][$110]; 25. 25-Shane Clanton [33][$110]; 26. 6-Blake Spencer [32][$110]; 27. 12-Ashton Winger [29][$110]; 28. 54-David Breazeale [28][$110]; 29. OS-Ryan Scott [34][$110]; 30. 32-Bobby Pierce [1][$1,000]; 31. 9-Devin Moran [6][$1,000]; 32. 76-Brandon Overton [7][$1,000]; 33. 39-Tim McCreadie [2][$1,000]; Hard Charger Award: 99B-Boom Briggs[+13]Qualifying Flight-A – 1. 76-Brandon Overton, 15.956; 2. 20-Jimmy Owens, 16.131; 3. 39-Tim McCreadie, 16.241; 4. 32-Bobby Pierce, 16.252; 5. O-Scott Bloomquist, 16.369; 6. 1-Brandon Sheppard, 16.374; 7. 40B-Kyle Bronson, 16.394; 8. 72-Mike Norris, 16.452; 9. 7R-Ross Robinson, 16.493; 10. OE-Rick Eckert, 16.536; 11. 31-Tyler Millwood, 16.611; 12. B1-Brent Larson, 16.656; 13. 25-Shane Clanton, 16.671; 14. 16-Tyler Bruening, 16.673; 15. 11-Josh Rice, 16.679; 16. 54-David Breazeale, 16.711; 17. 25C-Donnie Chappell, 16.737; 18. 5-Mark Whitener, 16.789; 19. 44-Chris Madden, 16.814; 20. 76N-Blair Nothdurft, 16.92; 21. 33-Jeff Mathews, 16.977; 22. 18-Chase Junghans, 16.995; 23. 89-G.R. Smith, 17.092; 24. 6-Blake Spencer, 17.113; 25. 11H-Spencer Hughes, 17.161; 26. 3-Mike Collins, 17.872Qualifying Flight-B – 1. 8-Kyle Strickler, 16.185; 2. 9-Devin Moran, 16.238; 3. 20RT-Ricky Thornton, 16.317; 4. 7-Ricky Weiss, 16.344; 5. 58-Ross Bailes, 16.365; 6. 3S-Brian Shirley, 16.391; 7. 97-Cade Dillard, 16.416; 8. 14G-Joe Godsey, 16.447; 9. 21-Billy Moyer, 16.503; 10. 28-Dennis Erb, 16.522; 11. 29V-Darrell Lanigan, 16.56; 12. 19R-Ryan Gustin, 16.575; 13. 71-Hudson O’Neal, 16.588; 14. 14-Josh Richards, 16.591; 15. 14B-John Baker, 16.686; 16. 12-Ashton Winger, 16.708; 17. 99B-Boom Briggs, 16.713; 18. 6JR-Parker Martin, 16.8; 19. 56-Tony Jackson, 16.892; 20. 14M-Trevor Gundaker, 16.977; 21. 42-Chad Finley, 16.997; 22. 3W-Brennon Willard, 17.049; 23. 2-Dan Stone, 17.275; 24. 6H-Clay Harris, 17.476; 25. OS-Ryan Scott, 17.615

The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings® Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Drydene (Official Motor Oil), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Morton Buildings (Official Building), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors, including: Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, ARP (automotive Racing products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, MSD, Penske Racing Shocks, Quarter Master, Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award), and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Capital Race Cars, FireAde, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics, Reliable Painting, and Rocket Chassis.

OH MAN! Friesen Charges to Second Gator in Wide Open DIRTcar Nationals FeatureHalmar Racing driver reins in Rudolph for back-to-back checkered flags at Volusia BARBERVILLE, FL — For the second consecutive night, Stewart Friesen charged to victory with the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds at Volusia Speedway Park’s 50th DIRTcar Nationals, sweeping to the lead past Erick Rudolph with 10 to go and holding on to the checkered flag.A field of 32 roaring Big Block Modifieds took the green flag Wednesday night to start the second Series Feature of 2021, and after picking up his second Billy Whittaker Cars Fast-Time Award in two days and convincingly winning his Heat Race, Friesen redrew sixth to start the Feature. With Mat Williamson, Jack Lehner, Erick Rudolph, Billy Decker, Matt Sheppard and more in his midst, Friesen had his work cut out for him in the 30-lap Feature. “We had a plan coming into this,” said Friesen, of Sprakers, NY. “If you want the plan to work you gotta work the plan and it’s paid off.”The hard work and wins have paid off indeed as Friesen collected his second $4,000 check at the DIRTcar Nationals. The Volusia Speedway Park surface produced phenomenal Feature racing for the Big Blocks as well as the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models. The fastest racing lines went high to low, low to high, and everywhere in between. Drivers had their choices to make passes happen. “This is a very technical and challenging race track right now,” noted Friesen. “It’s kind of like mogul skiing on ice. You gotta try to get the car loaded up right. If you miss it, it shoves, but if you get it loaded up this thing was on the money.”In the first half of the race, Friesen and his #44 Halmar Racing Big Block were forced to watch the top 5 battle door-to-door. Then lapped traffic came into play and remained a factor as there was only a single caution flag for the Big Blocks all evening. “I was just trying to see which way those guys [lapped cars] were going,” said Friesen. “It’s super slick in spots and in other spots you think it’s slick, but it turns out to be gripped up. Watching Max [McLaughlin] and Erick [Rudoloph] dice there and I got passed and lost a bunch of spots. Jack [Lehner] and Maresca got back by me. It was an awesome race track. I was just trying to find different lines and move around.”Rudolph, from Ransomville, NY, started third behind the formidable front row of Williamson, from St. Catharines, ON, and Lehner. Rudolph had an excellent initial start and immediately took the fight to the front row starters. After dispatching Lehner, he got alongside the defending Series champion Williamson.Williamson and Rudolph drove cleanly side-by-side for several laps before Rudolph took over the top spot only to be assailed by Max McLaughlin in the #32C. McLaughlin and Rudolph went toe-to-toe but the #25R built a lead in lapped traffic. “We started third and were able to wrestle away the lead from Williamson,” said Rudolph. “It seemed like we were able to work lapped traffic pretty good and I really didn’t want to see the caution come out, but it made a race out of it. Friesen got by me and we were about the same speed but the race played into his favor tonight.” After a caution flag came out for a stalled out #19 of Tim Fuller, Friesen pounced and worked the middle of the track and the outside to make the pass on Rudolph. Maresca, from Pierrepont, NY, struggled in the first night of Series action. However, his #7MM came back on Wednesday with some important shock changes that helped the balance of the car. Maresca drove up from the sixth-place starting position, passing Lehner, Mclaughlin, and Williamson in the process and proved the St. Lawrence Radiology #7MM is likely a threat for more podiums throughout the rest of the DIRTcar Nationals. Danny Creeden, from Wurtsboro, NY, started deep in the field: 27th place. But the driver of the #16C used the long green flag runs to his advantage and managed to pass 11 cars for the hard charger award. He finished 16th.In Tuesday’s opener, the #26 ended the Feature on its roof, but hard work overnight and through the day allowed Derrick McGrew Jr. to finish the Feature in 19th. Thursday is Night 10 of the 50th DIRTcar Nationals and race three for the Super DIRTcar Series. If you are unable to make it to Volusia Speedway Park, be sure to watch live on DIRTVision and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for full coverage of the DIRTcar Nationals. Full results available here. Feature (30 Laps)1. 44-Stewart Friesen [6][$4,000]; 2. 25-Erick Rudolph [3][$2,000]; 3. 7MM-Michael Maresca [7][$1,000]; 4. 32C-Max McLaughlin [4][$800]; 5. 91-Billy Decker [5][$700]; 6. 21A-Peter Britten [12][$650]; 7. 2-Jack Lehner [2][$600]; 8. 20-Brett Hearn [9][$550]; 9. 9S-Matt Sheppard [8][$500]; 10. 1D-Tyler Dippel [13][$450]; 11. 88-Mat Williamson [1][$400]; 12. 4-Billy VanInwegen [15][$375]; 13. 30-Ryan Godown [11][$350]; 14. 6-Matt Stangle [19][$325]; 15. 19M-Jessey Mueller [22][$300]; 16. 16X-Dan Creeden [27][$300]; 17. 118-Jim Britt [16][$300]; 18. 14-CG Morey [23][$300]; 19. 26-Derrick McGrew [21][$300]; 20. 88T-Tyler Jashembowski [24][$300]; 21. 46-Jeremy Smith [18][$300]; 22. 8-Rich Scagliotta [26][$300]; 23. 17D-Marcus Dinkins [30][$300]; 24. 23-Kyle Coffey [28][$300]; 25. 48T-Dave Rauscher [20][$300]; 26. 1-Darwin Greene [31][$300]; 27. 98H-Jimmy Phelps [10][$300]; 28. 17-Rob Pitcher [14][$300]; 29. 19-Tim Fuller [17][$300]; 30. B52-Brandon Hightower [25][$300]; 31. 33T-Cass Bennett [29][$300]; 32. 01W-Justin Wright [32][$300]Hard Charger Award: 16X-Dan Creeden[+11]PHOTO CREDIT: Jacy Norgaard

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.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Team Show Speed and Tenacity in Busch Clash Exhibition Race

11th   19th N/A

“We learned some things tonight in the No.3 Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. We used the beginning of the race to work on picking up overall speed. We got into our groove and it was good to race up front and battle in the top-five. It was wild out there tonight. The whole exit to the chicane was filled with dirt from cars going off course and sliding around the track. On that last restart we all went three-wide and I got punted and shut out. We ended up finishing 11th, but we definitely learned a lot that we can use next week when we race on the road course again. We’ve come a long way from where we were a year ago.” -Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 I Am Second Team Lead Laps and Finish Fourth in First Clash Start

4th   6th N/A

“Tonight was all about shaking the rust off and learning as much as we could in our No. 8 I Am Second Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for next week’s race at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. We had a fast car tonight, and I learned a lot about what I need. It was great to lead laps and be up front, but there is definitely still work to be done. Pit road was one of the most challenging parts of the NASCAR Cup Series last year, and I’m still working hard to be better at it this year. We were also a touch tight all around, but we’ll regroup and see what we can change before we return. Overall, it was a good night for us. I had fun, and I think we learned some valuable things for the points-paying Daytona Road Course race in a week.”

Canadian native kicks off Super DIRTcar Series action at Volusia Speedway Park’s 50th DIRTcar Nationals with $4,000 victory

BARBERVILLE, FL — “Daddy, do we get an alligator?”

Yes, Parker Friesen, you do after your Dad, Stewart Friesen, held off a hard-charging Peter Britten to win the 30-lap DIRTcar Nationals Super DIRTcar Series opener Tuesday night at Volusia Speedway Park.

Britten, from Brisbane, Australia, in a brand new Ryder Racing-sponsored Bicknell chassis Big Block Modified, threw everything he had at Friesen in a mad duel through lapped traffic. Friesen held off the #21A machine for the checkered flag with an aggressive line around the top side of The World’s Fastest Half-Mile, and delivered that Gator Trophy to his young son in Victory Lane.

“It was a very technical race track,” said Friesen, now of Sprakers, NY. “That’s the closest I’ve ever driven a Big Block Modified to a wingless sprint car, I just backed it in. There’s not much grip on the right front.”

Britten and Friesen battled hard throughout the first half of the race. After a long green-flag run during the midpoint of the 30-lapper, Friesen caught the rear of the field. What ensued was a memorable duel where both drivers crisscrossed from top to bottom trying to find the fastest way around the lapped cars and each other.

“I was trying to get through the lapped cars as quick as I could, but it was tough because it was so slick,” Friesen noted. “I kept losing the right front. I felt Peter [Britten] give me a shot out of four one time but the Halmar team prevailed.”

With 19 laps to go, Britten got under Friesen on restart and drove by the #44 in Turn 1, but a caution flag flew for a hard crash involving multiple cars including Jim Britt, Tyler Jashembowski, and Dave Rauscher. Unfortunately for Britten, the pass was nullified as the lap was incomplete. 

“If I hadn’t gotten that caution and gone out ahead, Friesen was fast but we were right there with him,” Britten said. “It would have been interesting to see if we could have held him off. But I’m just tickled to be there.”

Expectations are high for Britten as he moved to a Bicknell-built chassis for the first time in his career. With an all-new all-black paint scheme, it’s hard to avoid the Batmobile comparisons given his nickname “Batman.” But it hasn’t all been good luck for Britten in Florida this year.

“We wrecked a car and it’s been a thrash since then,” Britten said. “A lot of people helped me to get to where I am even to just make it back to the race track. Me and Dylan [Zacharias] thrashed on this thing day and night basically to get it ready. It’s a good feeling to be up here for sure.”

Friesen, who also competes in the NASCAR Truck Series, is now an eight-time DIRTcar Nationals Feature winner after the $4,000 victory. But the native of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, was racing with a heavy heart following news coming out of his native province. 

“I’m thinking about my friends in St. Catharines, Ontario, Doug and Todd Gordon at Concept 1 Fabrication,” Friesen said. “They had a big fire. They lost a lot, if not everything. They are diehard racers who I grew up with. When I first started racing I could go and see “Flash” and he’d fix me up. We’re going to work hard to get him fixed up again.”

Rounding out the podium was the Gypsum Racing #91 of Billy Decker. The “Franklin Flyer” passed Max McLaughlin for third on the last lap. Decker and McLaughlin traded sliders in the closing stages of the Feature, but the veteran came out on top. 

“The Gypsum Wholesaler car was really good,” Decker said. “It was a tough track tonight. We were blazing around the top. I got to third on a restart and hit lapped traffic and Max [McLaughlin] got by us. Then we hit more lapped traffic we got back by him on the last lap. I’m happy to come out of here with a top-three tonight and we’ll see what we can scrounge up tomorrow.”

CG Morey, of Rutland, VT, advanced 13 positions for the hard charger award. After starting 28th, Morey survived to finish 14th. 

Heat Race winners were Friesen, Britten, Jimmy Phelps, and McLaughlin. 

All 32 Big Block Modifieds on the property started the Feature. 

Derrick Mcgrew Jr. found himself on his roof in Turn 1 after a short wall ride. The young driver got out of the stricken #26 under his own power looking no worse than disappointed. 

Friesen picked up the first Billy Whittaker Cars Fast-Time Award with a 17.463 lap around The World’s Fastest Half-Mile. 

The action continues on Wednesday night with another 30-lap, $4,000-to-win Super DIRTcar Series Feature plus the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models. 

Follow the Super DIRTcar Series on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram plus bookmark SuperDIRTcarSeries.com for race reports, features, and more. 

If you can’t make it to the race track be sure to watch live with DIRTVision.

Full race results are available here. 

Feature (30 Laps)

1. 44-Stewart Friesen [2][$4,000]; 2. 21A-Peter Britten [3][$2,000]; 3. 91-Billy Decker [6][$1,000]; 4. 32C-Max McLaughlin [4][$800]; 5. 88-Mat Williamson [7][$700]; 6. 9S-Matt Sheppard [8][$650]; 7. 25-Erick Rudolph [18][$600]; 8. 1D-Tyler Dippel [11][$550]; 9. 4-Billy VanInwegen [9][$500]; 10. 16X-Dan Creeden [5][$450]; 11. 98H-Jimmy Phelps [1][$400]; 12. 19-Tim Fuller [15][$375]; 13. 7MM-Michael Maresca [16][$350]; 14. 23-Kyle Coffey [19][$325]; 15. 14-CG Morey [28][$300]; 16. 8-Rich Scagliotta [21][$300]; 17. 17-Rob Pitcher [22][$300]; 18. 1-Darwin Greene [17][$300]; 19. 46-Jeremy Smith [23][$300]; 20. 17D-Marcus Dinkins [32][$300]; 21. 30-Ryan Godown [10][$300]; 22. 20-Brett Hearn [14][$300]; 23. 48T-Dave Rauscher [20][$300]; 24. 19M-Jessey Mueller [24][$300]; 25. 26-Derrick McGrew [25][$300]; 26. B52-Brandon Hightower [30][$300]; 27. 88T-Tyler Jashembowski [29][$300]; 28. 2-Jack Lehner [12][$300]; 29. 6-Matt Stangle [13][$300]; 30. 118-Jim Britt [26][$300]; 31. 33T-Cass Bennett [31][$300]; 32. 01W-Justin Wright [27][$300]

Hard Charger: 14-CG Morey[+13]

Richard Childress Racing’s NASCAR Cup Series history at Daytona International Speedway… Dating back to 1976, Richard Childress Racing has won 11 poles and collected six points-paying victories at the most-storied racetrack on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit. RCR owns three Daytona 500 wins (Dale Earnhardt – 1998, Kevin Harvick – 2007, Austin Dillon – 2018), three Coke Zero 400 trophies (Earnhardt – 1990, 1993 and Harvick – 2010) and 14 qualifying races, including a record 10-consecutive victories with Earnhardt (1990 – 1999). In addition, RCR has earned the Busch Clash victory a total of eight times, with drivers Harvick (2009, 2010, 2013) and Earnhardt (1986, ’88, ’91, ’93, and ’95). The Clash… For the first time in 43 years, the Busch Clash will run on the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, a 14-turn, 3.61-mile course that was introduced to the top three national series last August. The annual exhibition race will consist of 35 laps with one scheduled caution at Lap 15. The exclusive field of 21 drivers is limited to 2020 Busch Pole Award winners, past Busch Clash champions who competed full-time in 2020, former Daytona 500 champions who competed full-time in 2020, former Daytona 500 pole winners who competed full-time in 2020, 2020 Cup Series Playoff drivers, 2020 Cup Series race winners and 2020 Cup Series stage winners. Both RCR Cup Series drivers – Dillon and Tyler Reddick – will compete in the invitation-only event. Time to Duel… The Bluegreen Vacations Duels at Daytona feature two 150-mile races from which the majority of the final starting grid for the Daytona 500 will be set. Dillon and Reddick will find out which Duel their Camaros will compete in, after Wednesday night’s single-car time trials. Catch the Action… The Busch Clash at Daytona will be televised live Tuesday, Feb. 9 beginning at 7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. The Bluegreen Vacations Duels at Daytona, two 60-lap qualifying races, will be televised live Thursday, Feb. 11 beginning at 7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  The NASCAR Xfinity Series Beef. It’s What for Dinner. 300 at Daytona will be televised live Saturday, Feb. 13 beginning at 5 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  The 63rd running of the Daytona 500 will be televised live Sunday, Feb. 14 beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Daytona International Speedway… Dillon, the 2018 Daytona 500 Champion, has 15 previous starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway, acquiring one pole award, two top-five and seven top-10 finishes. The Welcome, North Carolina, driver, who grew up attending races at Daytona International Speedway with his family, has 10 starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with one win, seven top-five and seven top-10 finishes. He has two starts at the track in the NASCAR Truck Series. Former Pole Winner… Dillon earned his career-first NASCAR Cup Series pole award with a lap of 196.019 mph (45.914 seconds) in the 2014 edition of the Daytona 500. It marked the fourth time the No. 3 has won the pole for the Daytona 500, and its 67th Cup Series pole, overall. Dillon also started on the front row for the July 2015 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. Dillon’s starting position for this year’s Daytona 500 will be determined by his finishing position in the Bluegreen Vacations Duels on Thursday (live on FOX Sports 1 beginning at 7 p.m. ET). But First, We Clash… Dillon is one of 21 drivers scheduled to compete in the pre-season event. This will be Dillon’s seventh start in the Busch Clash. He finished second in last year’s exhibition event. Dillon starts 19th in the race via a random draw. About Tracker Off Road… Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE prominently features TRACKER ATVs, a game-changing new line of all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides offering breakthrough performance, service and value in the off-road industry. TRACKER OFF ROAD was born out of a powerhouse partnership formed between Bass Pro Shops and TRACKER founder Johnny Morris and Textron Specialized Vehicles, bringing together the undisputed world leader in boating with a global leader in innovation and technology. About Bass Pro Shops… Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit http://www.basspro.com/. AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:You’ve had success at Daytona International Speedway. How do you negotiate staying out of the wrecks throughout the race so that you can be in contention at the end?“It’s tough. It’s a game of putting yourself in position. I call it high-speed chess because you know at some point in time you’re going to be vulnerable. You hope that someone doesn’t take advantage of that too much and cause a big wreck. It’s one of those things where you are constantly moving and trying to guess the flow of the pack. I think the best place to be is in the front most of the time, but it’s impossible now with the way we race to keep yourself up there for the entire race. You see guys do it for long periods of time. Denny Hamlin has been pretty amazing at putting himself in the right position as of late. I’m going to do my best this time around to put ourselves in position for another shot at the Daytona 500.” Do you feel the “big one” coming, or does it happen so fast that you’re just in it?“Sometimes you’re in it, and there is nothing you can do about it because you know time is running out and you’re in it either way. It’s an odd feeling knowing your putting yourself out there and something is about to happen. It’s an issue of timing. You’re hoping you just get through it. I’ve been fortunate to sneak through some of them, or be in front of some of them. You usually know when the intensity is rising and the pack is starting to get a little bit out of control. You try to do your best to give yourself an out or be in front of it.” You were able to get some experience on the Daytona Road Course by competing in the Rolex 24 this year. Did anything jump out at you about the track that you can use for the Busch Clash this year?“It’s not so much of a technical track like some of the tracks that we go to that are road courses. It’s pretty self-explanatory. I like the fact that the tires seem to wear quite a bit at the track. I haven’t gotten to run the new chicane coming off Turn Four, so I need to make sure I try to stop when I get over there this time around from the Rolex to this race. I enjoyed it and I think the experience I got in the 24 was great. We’ll see how it all plays out in the end.”

Reddick and the No. 8 I Am Second Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in the Clash at Daytona… This week’s Clash at Daytona will be Tyler Reddick’s first start in the exhibition race. Reddick does have one Daytona International Speedway Road Course start, finishing in the top 20 during last year’s NASCAR Cup Series’ debut on the configuration. Reddick and the No. 8 Lenovo Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in the Daytona 500… Reddick will be making his third start in the Daytona 500 and fourth overall Cup Series start on the oval configuration with this year’s season-opening event. Reddick also has six starts at the 2.5-mile speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, collecting one win, two pole awards and two top-10 finishes. Reddick also found victory lane at Daytona during his NASCAR Truck Series days, winning in 2015. About I Am Second… I Am Second is a non-profit that ignites hope and inspires people to live for something greater than themselves. Launched in 2008, the iamsecond.com website features more than 100 powerful short films of athletes, actors, models, musicians, cultural influencers and everyday people who have found hope through a relationship with Jesus. Watch their stories and find out more at iamsecond.com. About Lenovo… Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a US$50 billion Fortune Global 500 company, with 63,000 employees and operating in 180 markets around the world. Focused on a bold vision to deliver smarter technology for all, we are developing world-changing technologies that create a more inclusive, trustworthy and sustainable digital society. By designing, engineering and building the world’s most complete portfolio of smart devices and infrastructure, we are also leading an Intelligent Transformation – to create better experiences and opportunities for millions of customers around the world. To find out more visit lenovo.com, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Weibo and read about the latest news via our StoryHub. TYLER REDDICK QUOTES: This will be your debut start in the Clash at Daytona. How are you and the I Am Second team approaching the race?“I’m looking forward to being part of the Clash at Daytona this year. It has been fun in the past watching the drivers and teams go out there every year and kick off the season with an exhibition race, but I’m excited to be part of the action this year. With NASCAR making the change to have the Clash on the road course, it also helps serve as a bit of a test session for our Daytona Road Course race next week. Having no practice that weekend makes the Clash race this week even more valuable as far as on-track time.” You’re kicking off your sophomore year in the Cup Series this weekend with your third Daytona 500. What are your expectations?“It’s hard to predict what will happen in the Daytona 500 just because of the nature of that race, but I’m excited to have another shot at it. I feel like I learn more during each superspeedway race I have in the Cup Series. My team and I worked really hard during the off-season to identify where we struggled last year and how we were going to be better in 2021. Sunday will be the first major test for us, but I’m confident in my No. 8 Lenovo team and our plan for the year.”

Snider and the No. 2 TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro at Daytona… After competing on a part-time basis for Richard Childress Racing one year ago, Myatt Snider now takes over the reins of the No. 2 TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro full-time and will chase after the championship title in 2021. Snider has two previous NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 2.5-mile superspeedway tri-oval, leading a total of 22 laps and earning the pole position last February. The 26-year-old also has three starts in the NASCAR Truck Series, recording a 10th-place finish in 2017. Going for Seven… RCR’s Xfinity Series program is going for their seventh consecutive pole in the prestigious season opening race at Daytona. The team has achieved this feat with six different drivers in six seasons. Snider captured the pole position one year ago, when the then rookie driver started from the front row to keep the streak alive. About TaxSlayer… TaxSlayer makes online tax filing accessible for millions of Americans, with an easy-to-use platform and unlimited support at a fraction of the cost of the competition. Trusted for over 50 years, the Augusta-based tech company successfully completed more than 10 million federal and state e-filed tax returns in 2020 and processed $15 billion in refunds. TaxSlayer achieved a 4.5/5 TrustScore on consumer review site Trustpilot, with 87% of its customers rating the tax filing platform Great or Excellent. For more information, visit www.TaxSlayer.com. MYATT SNIDER QUOTE: What are your expectations for Saturday’s race at Daytona? “One of my goals right away is to get the seventh consecutive pole in the season opener at Daytona for RCR. Obviously, I got it last year and I am hoping to continue the streak again. I think we are going to have a faster Chevrolet Camaro this year, so it may be even that much easier. This streak says a lot about this team and how they have succeeded season after season. We have a great group behind us with TaxSlayer on board and my crew chief Andy Street leading the guys. I could not be happier with where we are currently and where we are starting from to kick off this season. I feel like it is going to be a good weekend for us. Hopefully, we will go out and get some stage points and win the race.”

February 8, 2021

Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are headed to Daytona International Speedway, where they will kick off their 2021 Cup Series campaign with Tuesday night’s Busch Clash on the track’s infield road course. Once that checkered flag falls the action shifts to the 2.5-mile superspeedway for the Daytona 500 festivities that culminate with the Great American Race on Feb. 14. 

Then DiBenedetto and his Cup Series peers will make an encore run on the road course on Feb. 21 for the second points-paying event of the season. That race was moved to Daytona from Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., due to challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Running on a course other than the superspeedway during Speedweeks may seem unique for some, but DiBenedetto’s Wood Brothers team competed on the old 4.1-mile beach-road course in the 1950s, before the “big track” opened in 1959.

Team founder Glenn Wood was one of the stars of the beach-road course. He swept the pole and the class win in the Sportsman division for its final three races on the beach, and in the 1958 finale set the overall fast time in his Sportsman car, outrunning the Modifieds that had an advantage rules-wise.

News reports from the time described Wood’s 139.679 miles per hour pole run as the biggest shocker of Speedweeks time trials. Mr. Wood considered his pole win that day the highlight of his driving career.

DiBenedetto, speaking during a Zoom call with reporters, said he’s hoping to carry forward the momentum he and the No. 21 team enjoyed during the closing weeks of the 2020 season, when they posted four top-10 finishes in the final seven races, three of those coming in the final three races.

He said the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team was able to work through the challenges brought about by COVID, which were especially tough on a new team with its members trying to learn each other.

“It felt like the last half of the season – especially the last third of the season – is where all of a sudden it really clicked for us as a team,” DiBenedetto said. “That’s why you saw us clicking off top 10s consistently, running up front, competing for wins.

“That momentum, I feel confident, is going to carry directly over into the season just because we have all that time together, we have all those notes together and that’s where it’s really coming together.”

DiBenedetto, who earned a starting spot in the non-point Busch Clash due to making the Playoffs last season, said he’s hoping the extra laps on the road course will help him, crew chief Greg Erwin and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team prepare for a 2021 schedule that features seven points-paying Cup races on road courses. In addition to the Feb. 21 race on the 14-turn, 3.61-mile track at Daytona, the Cup Series will compete on the familiar tracks at Sonoma, Watkins Glen and the Charlotte ROVAL. New to the schedule are the Circuit of the Americas in Texas, Road America in Wisconsin and the infield course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“I look at [the Clash] as a great opportunity, because I felt like our road-course program last year was where we needed the most improvement,” DiBenedetto said. “Not that it was terrible, it just needed some work.

“We know the things that we need to work on, so I still feel very good about our chances [on Tuesday]. We basically have a race to evaluate what gains we’ve made and how to continue to get better at those places because our speed on the short tracks, on the intermediates, on those places were excellent, especially the last bit of the year. 
 
“We were really flying at those places, so glad we get an extra opportunity at the Clash to go out there and try and see what we’ve gained on and go try and win.”
 
The starting line-up for the Clash will be determined by a draw on Monday night, and the 35-lap race is set to start Tuesday at 7 p.m. Eastern Time with TV coverage on Fox Sports 1.
 

OCALA, FL  (February 2, 2021) – Shane Clanton won his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event since September of 2019 on Tuesday Night at Bubba Raceway Park. He wrapped up the win in the finale of the K&N Filters Winter Nationals – Presented by OPTIMA Batteries. The event also marked the conclusion of the 2021 Florida Speedweeks for the series. Clanton took the lead on lap 22 of the 40-lap main event from Bobby Pierce and went on for his fifth career series victory. Pierce finished in second followed by Tanner English, Tim McCreadie, and Jimmy Owens. The race saw three different leaders as Owens, the reigning National Champion, bolted from his pole starting spot to lead the first seven laps of the race. Pierce caught Owens in heavy traffic, passing him for the lead on the eighth circuit. Owens tried to get back by Pierce but made contact with the backstretch wall. Clanton started to use the outside line as he passed Owens for second on lap 21. A lap later he got by Pierce for the lead, which he held the rest of the way. The win for Clanton made him the eighth different winner in the first nine series races of 2021. “Our hats are off to Bubba and his guys, they gave us two grooves and a great track tonight. The top took a while to get run in. It was a little greasy up there, but at the end it came alive. We worked hard to get by Bobby. I  just made the right move at the right time I think.” Pierce’s best LOLMDS finish of the season was just .568 seconds behind Clanton at the finish. “To run second at this track is great. This is just the third time I have ever raced on this track, it’s pretty good. I probably needed to move up there. It is hard to see your guys here in the corner, on where they’re telling you to run. I think overall Shane was just a little bit better. He’s always good racing these kinds of race tracks.” English took his best finish of 2021 with a third-place showing. “You have just got to be up front at end of the race. Last year I ran the series for the first-time, and I learned that these guys don’t mess up. You have to be smooth and you have to take advantage of situations when you can. I passed a few cars that slipped up in turn two, but not enough to get the win. We will take this finish happily after the speedweeks we’ve had.” The winner’s Greg Bruening-owned Skyline Motorsports Capital Race Cars is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and is sponsored by Skyline Materials, Bennett Explosives, Truck Country, Freeman Plumbing, Super K Express, and Olson Explosives. Completing the top ten were Jonathan Davenport, Stewart Friesen, Tyler Erb, Brandon Sheppard, and Ricky Thornton Jr.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 
Race Summary 
K&N Filters Winter Nationals – Presented by OPTIMA Batteries
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2021
Bubba Raceway Park – Ocala, FL
Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Jimmy Owens / 13.951 seconds (overall)
Fast Time Group B: Shane Clanton / 14.127 seconds 

Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer):  1. 20-Jimmy Owens[1]; 2. 81E-Tanner English[3]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[5]; 4. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 5. 14-Josh Richards[4]; 6. 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[8]; 7. 6H-Clay Harris[11]; 8. 14G-Joe Godsey[12]; 9. 6S-Blake Spencer[10]; 10. 71-Hudson O’Neal[6]; 11. 26JR-Jimmy Sharpe Jr[7]; 12. (DNS) 14B-John Baker

Summit Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[1]; 2. 39-Tim McCreadie[2]; 3. 27X-Jadon Frame[3]; 4. 157-Mike Marlar[4]; 5. 49-Jonathan Davenport[5]; 6. 76-Brandon Overton[8]; 7. 1ST-Johnny Scott[7]; 8. 2D-Dan Stone[9]; 9. 4S-Danny Snyder[10]; 10. 48-Colton Flinner[6]; 11. 14R-Jeff Roth[11]

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 25-Shane Clanton[1]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley[2]; 3. 8-Kyle Strickler[4]; 4. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[3]; 5. 0E-Rick Eckert[6]; 6. 2X-Devin Dixon[7]; 7. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[8]; 8. 2S-Stormy Scott[5]; 9. 385-Mark Whitener[10]; 10. 20B-Todd Brennan[11]; 11. 27J-Joe Denby[12]; 12. 33-Jeff Mathews[9]

Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 44-Stewart Friesen[1]; 2. 28E-Dennis Erb Jr[2]; 3. 9-Devin Moran[4]; 4. 66C-Matt Cosner[3]; 5. 7R-Ross Robinson[5]; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson[6]; 7. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[8]; 8. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[7]; 9. 1G-Ryan King[9]; 10. 16-Tyler Bruening[10]; 11. 76B-Blair Nothdurft[11]

LINE-X B-Main #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[2]; 2. 14-Josh Richards[1]; 3. 76-Brandon Overton[4]; 4. 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[3]; 5. 6H-Clay Harris[5]; 6. 2D-Dan Stone[8]; 7. 1ST-Johnny Scott[6]; 8. 14G-Joe Godsey[7]; 9. 48-Colton Flinner[12]; 10. 6S-Blake Spencer[9]; 11. 14R-Jeff Roth[14]; 12. 4S-Danny Snyder[10]; 13. 71-Hudson O’Neal[11]; 14. (DNS) 26JR-Jimmy Sharpe Jr; 15. (DNS) 14B-John Baker

UNOH B-Main #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 0E-Rick Eckert[1]; 2. 2X-Devin Dixon[3]; 3. 7R-Ross Robinson[2]; 4. 40B-Kyle Bronson[4]; 5. 2S-Stormy Scott[7]; 6. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[6]; 7. 16-Tyler Bruening[12]; 8. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[5]; 9. 385-Mark Whitener[9]; 10. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[8]; 11. 1G-Ryan King[10]; 12. 27J-Joe Denby[13]; 13. 76B-Blair Nothdurft[14]; 14. 33-Jeff Mathews[15]; 15. 20B-Todd Brennan[11]

BATAVIA, OH (February 2, 2022) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 2022 Georgia/Florida Speedweeks will run from January 27th through February 12th, with visits to four tracks over 17 days, with 14 nights of racing action. The series will once again return to Golden Isles Speedway, Bubba Raceway Park, All-Tech Raceway, and East Bay Raceway Park.  Action will get underway on Wednesday, January 26th, with an open practice at Golden Isles Speedway, in Brunswick, GA. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series teams will be competing on January 27th for $10,000-to-win, January 28th for $12,000-to-win, and January 29th for $15,000-to-win. 
Teams will take Sunday, January 30th off to regroup before spending Monday, January 31st and Tuesday, February 1st at Bubba Raceway Park, in Ocala, FL for a pair of $10,000-to-win events. 
The series will then take the action back North, approximately one hour, to Lake City, FL. All-Tech Raceway will host three nights of racing, starting on Thursday, February 3rd paying $10,000-to-win. Friday, February 4th will pay $12,000-to-win, while Saturday, February 5th will show a top prize of $15,000.  From there, speedweeks will wrap up at the famed “Clay by the Bay”, East Bay Raceway Park, in Tampa, FL with an open practice on Sunday, February 6th, followed by six nights of racing. Monday and Tuesday, February 7th and 8th, teams will compete for $5,000-to-win. Wednesday, February 9th and Thursday, February 10th will see drivers gunning for $7,000 in top prize money. Friday, February 11th, the stakes get higher with teams competing for the $12,000 paycheck. As an end to the week, on Saturday, February 12th, teams will be competing for $15,000-to-win.  Wrisco Industries, Inc. has, once again, agreed to generously sponsor $4,000 for the Wrisco Industries, Inc. Speedweeks Points Fund, allowing teams a chance to earn bonus money at the end of the 13 nights of racing. For more information on Wrisco Industries, Inc. visit: www.wrisco.com 

OCALA, FL (February 1, 2021) – Ricky Thornton Jr. came from the 10th starting spot to take the lead on a lap 14 restart on his way to victory in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned K&N Filters Winter Nationals presented by OPTIMA Batteries. The event was held on Monday Night at Bubba Raceway Park. Thornton Jr. recorded his second career victory in the LOLMDS and he became the seventh different winner in the first eight races of 2021. Mike Marlar had his best series finish of the season. He took second, with Hudson O’Neal crossing the line in third. Devin Moran was fourth and current series point leader Brandon Overton rounded out the top five. Brian Shirley grabbed the lead and held it for the first 11 laps of the race until Jonathan Davenport passed him on lap 12. Davenport’s lead was short-lived as he had trouble on a lap 13 restart when his engine stalled heading into turn one. Thornton Jr. took over the lead with O’Neal and Marlar behind him on the Delaware double-file restart. Thornton Jr. carried his momentum to the checkers to take the win by 1.1 seconds over Marlar. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the second time in his career, Thornton was elated with how well his first year was going, attempting the 2021 LOLMDS National Tour. “The cautions helped quite a bit and cleared out traffic for us. We struggled at All-Tech and the first part of East Bay, though it was probably more me than the car. The ending at East Bay was a confidence booster and to come here and run as good as we did tonight definitely feels great and says a lot about our team.” Marlar, like Thornton Jr. is competing in his first season with the series and came home in second. “That last caution pretty well did me in as far as a chance to win the race. Ricky was good. Congratulations to him, and thank you to my team and everyone that helps us out. We couldn’t do this without all of them.” O’Neal recorded his fourth top 5 finish of the season with a third. “We’ve had success early and it’s great being up front and competing for wins. Thanks to Roger Sellers for giving me this opportunity and my team for giving me such as great race car.” The winner’s Todd and Vickie Burns-Owned SSI Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engines and sponsored by Hoker Trucking, Sub-Surface of Indiana, Dyno One, Inc., West Side Tractor Sales, Excel, Floor Covering, Certified Inspection Service Company, Inc., D&E Outside Services, and Shelby Materials. Completing the top ten were Mark Whitener, Kyle Bronson, Bobby Pierce, Tanner English, and Tim McCreadie.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 
Race Summary 
K&N Filters Winter Nationals Presented by OPTIMA Batteries
Monday, February 1, 2021
Bubba Raceway Park – Ocala, FL
Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Brian Shirley / 13.588 seconds
Fast Time Group B: Kyle Bronson / 13.587 seconds (overall)

Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer):  1. 3S-Brian Shirley[1]; 2. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[3]; 3. 20-Jimmy Owens[2]; 4. 28E-Dennis Erb Jr[4]; 5. 1T-Tyler Erb[7]; 6. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[6]; 7. 2D-Dan Stone[5]; 8. 8-Kyle Strickler[9]; 9. 14B-John Baker[8]; 10. 12-Doug Drown[11]; 11. 6H-Clay Harris[12]; 12. 14R-Jeff Roth[13]; 13. 14G-Joe Godsey[10]

Summit Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 157-Mike Marlar[1]; 2. 81E-Tanner English[2]; 3. 32-Bobby Pierce[4]; 4. 385-Mark Whitener[3]; 5. 39-Tim McCreadie[5]; 6. 25-Shane Clanton[7]; 7. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[6]; 8. 11H-Spencer Hughes[9]; 9. 76B-Blair Nothdurft[11]; 10. 44-Stewart Friesen[8]; 11. J8-Jadon Frame[10]; 12. 4S-Danny Snyder[12]

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson[1]; 2. 14-Josh Richards[3]; 3. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[2]; 4. 9-Devin Moran[6]; 5. 7R-Ross Robinson[5]; 6. 16-Tyler Bruening[7]; 7. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[11]; 8. 2X-Devin Dixon[4]; 9. 20B-Todd Brennan[9]; 10. 48-Colton Flinner[8]; 11. 1ST-Johnny Scott[10]; 12. 26JR-Jimmy Sharpe Jr[12]

Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 71-Hudson O’Neal[2]; 3. 76-Brandon Overton[3]; 4. 33-Jeff Mathews[4]; 5. 0E-Rick Eckert[6]; 6. 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[5]; 7. 6S-Blake Spencer[7]; 8. 66C-Matt Cosner[9]; 9. 1G-Ryan King[11]; 10. 2S-Stormy Scott[8]; 11. 27J-Joe Denby[10]; 12. 354-Chris Nash[12]

LINE-X B-Main #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1T-Tyler Erb[1]; 2. 39-Tim McCreadie[2]; 3. 25-Shane Clanton[4]; 4. 8-Kyle Strickler[7]; 5. 2D-Dan Stone[5]; 6. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[3]; 7. 11H-Spencer Hughes[8]; 8. 76B-Blair Nothdurft[10]; 9. 44-Stewart Friesen[12]; 10. 6H-Clay Harris[13]; 11. 12-Doug Drown[11]; 12. 14G-Joe Godsey[17]; 13. 14B-John Baker[9]; 14. 4S-Danny Snyder[16]; 15. 14R-Jeff Roth[15]; 16. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[6]; 17. J8-Jadon Frame[14]

UNOH B-Main #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 0E-Rick Eckert[2]; 2. 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[4]; 3. 7R-Ross Robinson[1]; 4. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[5]; 5. 16-Tyler Bruening[3]; 6. 2X-Devin Dixon[7]; 7. 1ST-Johnny Scott[13]; 8. 66C-Matt Cosner[8]; 9. 6S-Blake Spencer[6]; 10. 2S-Stormy Scott[12]; 11. 1G-Ryan King[10]; 12. 27J-Joe Denby[14]; 13. 20B-Todd Brennan[9]; 14. 48-Colton Flinner[11]; 15. 354-Chris Nash[16]; 16. (DNS) 26JR-Jimmy Sharpe Jr

CORVETTE RACING AT DAYTONA: Rolex 24 GTLM Victory for No. 3 Corvette C8.R Garcia, Taylor, Catsburg team for Corvette Racing’s fourth Rolex 24 winMilner, Tandy, Sims finish second in landmark Corvette 1-2 resultTwo Corvettes combine to lead 716 of 770 laps

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 31 2021) – For the fourth time in its history, Corvette Racing stood on the top step of the podium in the Rolex 24 At Daytona as Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg won the GT Le Mans (GTLM) category in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R. The No. 3 Corvette trio led a 1-2 finish for the mid-engine C8.R, which scored its first endurance victory. Tommy Milner, Nick Tandy and Alexander Sims placed a hard-fought second in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette in the biggest race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The two Corvettes combined to lead 716 of 770 laps during Saturday and Sunday around the 3.56-mile road course at Daytona International Speedway. Sunday’s result came 20 years after the Corvette Racing’s first Rolex 24 win in 2001 and five years after another 1-2 team finish. Garcia and Taylor each won their third career Rolex 24, and Catsburg claimed his first. The trio also provisionally lead the GTLM Drivers Championship with the victory. A year ago, Garcia and Taylor won five times, claimed the Drivers’ Championship, and helped Chevrolet score its 13th GT Manufacturers title and Corvette Racing its 14thTeam Championship. The two Corvettes were the class of GTLM and ran 1-2 for much of the race. Milner, Tandy and Sims combined to lead 478 laps and ran out front with 45 minutes left in the race before the two Corvettes made their final pit stops. Taylor and Milner waged a close but clean battle that reminded many of the 0.034-second margin of victory for the No. 4 Corvette team at the 2016 Rolex 24. The two cars swapped spots three times in four laps as they jockeyed for position to capitalize on the then-class leading Ferrari’s final stop with 20 minutes left. This time, things went the way of the No. 3 Corvette as Taylor led the final 13 laps. Unfortunately, he and Catsburg could not celebrate their victory with Garcia, who was informed of a positive COVID-19 test following a double-stint with about six hours to go. Per IMSA Event Operations protocols, Garcia was removed from competition for the remainder of the event. Upon consultation with IMSA, the series determined Corvette Racing met all conditions under the IMSA event protocols, which allowed the team to compete in a safe and responsible manner. Corvette Racing’s next event is the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring from Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway on Saturday, March 20. JIM CAMPBELL, CHEVROLET U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, PERFORMANCE AND MOTORSPORTS: “Winning the opening race in the 2021 IMSA season keeps momentum going from the end of last season,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president Performance & Motorsports. “What a difference a year makes! I am so proud of the progress Corvette Racing team has made since last year’s race to win the 2021 Roles 24 At Daytona with the Corvette C8.R. It so special to win this endurance race at Daytona for the fourth time in our class.” LAURA KLAUSER, CHEVROLET SPORTS CAR PROGRAM MANAGER: “What an amazing team effort by everyone at Corvette Racing to get the Corvette C8.R to Victory Lane with a one-two finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. It was a hard-fought battle for this incredible result. The months of work and preparation by everyone associated with this program were evident today on both sides of the Corvette garage. This truly is One Team. I’m proud and pleased for the teams, our Corvette owners and our fans. This is the best possible way to start a new season, and we are going to work hard to capitalize on this momentum.”

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM RACE WINNER: “This is both one of the best days of my career but also one of the most frustrating and disappointing. I did have COVID in late December with some symptoms. I isolated until I fully recovered, and followed all Spanish and CDC protocols to be cleared for traveling. It’s frustrating but there are protocols that are in place for this. It’s painful not to be able to celebrate with Jordan, Nicky and the rest of the team. We worked so hard over the past months and weeks to achieve an endurance win like the Rolex 24. We didn’t make mistakes, we had good pace with the Corvette. After winning the championship a year ago, this was the type or result we all wanted for the start of a new season.”Ever since we started at Daytona with this new car, we knew it would be fast and competitive. Obviously, the preparation we had last year wasn’t enough to win this race. But after the lockdown, that gave us an opportunity to develop the C8.R and we went on to win six races as a team and the championship. Last year, we didn’t manage to win a long race so it was still in our minds to get this, and now we’ve started with a big one like the Rolex. We proved today that Corvette Racing was the strongest team.”I have to say this was a flashback to the 2016 race (a runner-up finish in a Corvette 1-2). It was pretty nerve-wracking when it looked like it could happen again but I’m glad we came out on top this time.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM RACE WINNER: “It was an amazing day. All 24 hours in this class are always intense. I think every year you kind of forget how intense it is until it starts again. All the cars were within 10 seconds all race long. No one could make a mistake; any little mistake would put you on the back foot. For us, we had a flawless day at Corvette Racing. The No. 3 I don’t think missed a beat the whole race. All the drivers did a perfect job, the team did a perfect job, and it’s great for Corvette Racing to get its first endurance win with the Corvette C8.R. Last year, we won six sprint races and the championship but one thing that was missing was an endurance win. To start off 2021 with the Rolex 24 win is amazing. To do it with Antonio and Nicky… it’s our first win as a trio so that was definitely special and makes us want to be a little more hungry to win the Sebring 12 Hours on our next time out.”ONCE YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT ANTONIO, WERE YOU CONCERNED YOU WOULDN’T BE ALLOWED TO FINISH: “No, I wasn’t too concerned. Corvette Racing takes safety and health very seriously. The protocols we have are super serious. The drivers don’t really interact. I didn’t see Nicky all race long. We pretty much just pass the car off to the next guy and then we see each other after the race. For me and Antonio, I saw him before the race and that was the last time. We’re always social distancing. We’re always observing the correct protocols. Surface-to-surface, we’re wearing gloves, we’re wearing balaclavas and helmets in the cars. So nothing in the car could be at risk for us. We didn’t have too much concern. We took the lead from IMSA and NASCAR to trust ourselves. We’re here to compete. They gave us this platform to race and to be here, so the last thing we want to do is break their protocols and do something unsafe and unhealthy. We stick to what they say. It’s definitely disappointing and sad that Antonio wasn’t there for the end. He was a huge part of our victory today. He leads this 3 car and has been here for years. He started the race off so well for us. It was sad he couldn’t share it with us at the podium, but we’ll definitely see him in a couple of weeks when he’s clear and we can go celebrate.”WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO NOW: “I’m fine to go sit in my house by myself for as long as it takes and caress my Rolex for awhile! I’ll get tested and make sure I’m safe. I just live with my dog we’ll be alright.”WILL YOU QUARENTINE? IF YOU WANTED TO DO GO KNOCK ON YOUR DAD’S DOOR AND CELEBRATE WITH THEM, WOULD YOU? “Tonight I probably won’t. Every year after the Rolex, the tradition is our family gets pizza together. I think that one will be broken this year, which is unfortunate since we both won. But it’s better to be safe than sorry. I’ll go home and celebrate in the quiet, make sure I’m healthy and safe, and then I’ll go knock on my parents’ next door and congratulate them when I’m all clear.”MORE DETAILS ON TEAM PROTOCOLS: “We’re in the same room part of the time, but not for an extended period of time. We wear our masks. Everyone sanitizes when then enter and exit the trailers. Safety is a huge concern. When we meet with the engineers, it’s super brief. It’s actually kind of odd how little interaction there has been in the past year with our engineers. A lot of it is via text, email and exchanges like that. We try to get in a couple of quick meetings throughout the weekend in-person. Even those are quick with masks, and we stay as safe as possible.” WINNING IN THE NO. 3 CAR ON 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EARNHARDTS DRIVING FOR CORVETTE RACING: “It is amazing. I think everyone is a fan of Dale Sr., and Dale Jr. When I joined Corvette Racing in 2012, I was in the No. 3 car and obviously the No. 3 is so symbolic and historic, especially here at Daytona. Doing it in a Chevrolet it is super special. Dale Sr. had unbelievable success here at Daytona. Today we were making our passes on the high banks so maybe we had a little bit of Dale Sr. in the car with us this weekend.”GETTING A ROLEX WIN THE SAME WEEKEND YOUR BROTHER DOES, AS WELL AS COMING 25 YEARS AFTER YOUR DAD’S FIRST WIN: “I didn’t realize it was 25 years. For me and Corvette Racing, it’s awesome to get a win. From a family point of view, it is amazing that my Dad and my brother won overall. I don’t know what that is…like three out of four years they’ve won or four out of five. It is amazing what my Dad has built over there at Wayne Taylor Racing and the success they’ve had, especially at this event. They are so strong in at Daytona and in endurance races. They’ve only had those cars for a month or two to prepare them with no testing except for the Roar last week. I think that speaks volume to the personnel there – the engineers, the mechanics, the crew, and all the drivers obviously did a great job. I don’t think they had the ultimate pace in the race, but it came down to strategy and execution. That is what that team is known for. So it’s an amazing day for the Taylor family. These days are so rare that it’s hard to imagine them; it could easily be the last time it happens that we both win on the same weekend. You have to savor these moments.”IMPACT ON DRIVER ROTATION WHEN ANTONIO GARCIA COULDN’T CONTINUE: “It wasn’t great news, to be honest. I had finished my triple stint in the morning or whenever it was. I got out and was supposed to be done, go have a massage, relax and watch Nicky and Antonio go race. I was so excited to go just relax and then they said Antonio can’t get back in the car. To be honest, I was in shock. I was like, there is no way. Antonio is our guy and our finisher. That’s who we want in the car at the end. I was so disappointed for Antonio because I know how much this races means to him, how much he wanted to win it and finish the race. It was sad, but thankfully we train well. We have good support from the doctors here and keep us healthy and keep us fit. The physicality of it wasn’t too bad. It was more the mental strain that was difficult.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM RACE WINNER: “It means a lot to win this race, to be honest. Last year I joined Corvette, and they won the championship and races, but every time I was there we didn’t win! So I’m really happy to get this out of the way. I have my win so we can continue doing that! In all seriousness and like Jordan said, the team did an amazing job. The drivers did well, the strategy was nice, the C8.R was great. So it was a great day for us and I’m really proud of winning this great event.”WINNING IN THE NO. 3 CAR ON 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EARNHARDTS DRIVING FOR CORVETTE RACING: “To be very honest, obviously I know about Dale Earnhardt and Junior, as well. I didn’t know so much about the history of the No. 3 car. I do now, and it is definitely a special feeling. I am very proud to be part of this. I always dreamed about racing in America. Now I’m here with a big race under my belt now and just looking forward to getting more.”WINNING AT DAYTONA COMPARED TO 24-HOUR RACES AT SPA AND NÜRBURGRING: “I think it fits right in line with the other big events. It’s a race which is part of this lineup of big races: Le Mans, Spa, Daytona, Sebring, and now I have a couple of them. So hopefully we will do Sebring as well, then Le Mans later in the year. So I am just happy to write this one off the list.”FINDING OUT ABOUT ANTONIO GARCIA: “I think it was after the 17th hour in the race. I’m not exactly sure, but I think it was the 17th hour. Me and Jordan did the rest of the race. For me, I also tested on Saturday and I tested negative. I will do another test tomorrow before I can go back to Europe. For me, I feel safe and I never felt any threat from his positive result.”IMPACT ON DRIVER ROTATION WHEN ANTONIO GARCIA COULDN’T CONTINUE: “I fully agree with Jordan. To be honest, I was kind of tired from the triple stints. I also think we are one of the only crews that drives with three drivers, and then all of a sudden we were two. So it is definitely heavy. I must say, in the last bit of the race, I asked if I needed to do another stint and they said, ‘Yes, you need to do another stint.’ I thought,  ‘Oh no, here we go again.’ But obviously it was it super nice and we made it happen. We had some support from a physio here. I feel fit actually.”IT WAS VERY CLOSE WITH THE 4 CORVETTE BEFORE THE BALANCE CHANGED SUNDAY. DO YOU KNOW THE REASONS? “I think the 4 car was better suited to the softer compound tire. I think their car balance was a little bit different compared to ours, and that kind of has to do with what drivers like and what they prefer. Our car really came alive on the medium tire in the warmer conditions. Obviously that is when it needs to be done. I guess we got lucky there. It was super cool to fight our teammates the whole race. I remember in one of my stints during the night fighting Alexander Sims, who I also know from other places than Corvette Racing. I had a good fight with Philipp Eng as well, and it was just super cool to be so close for the whole race. That’s what GTLM is about – close racing and the best race drivers in the world. It’s so much fun to be part of it. It’s such a shame that we are going to have to say goodbye to it.”ISSUE WITH A SLOW STOP LATE: “The car didn’t want to rev up. It’s almost like we had an engine issue and we weren’t really sure how to solve it. I just kept trying to start it up and eventually it worked. I think we got quite lucky there. A 24-hour race is always a big stress on your equipment and material. Corvette Racing builds great race cars, and this one survived and we won the race.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTLM: “The race for us in the No. 4 Corvette and for us as a team really couldn’t have been better. Maybe on our side it could have been a little bit better in the last two hours… but we had a really, really fast car. We probably we had the car to beat for the first 20 hours of the race. Then the last four hours of the race, for whatever reason, we lost some of that pace in the car. We still did everything right. We had good pit strategy. Alexander and Nick both drove fantastic races. In the end when a yellow bunched us all back up again, the No. 3 car once the sun was beating down on the racetrack, it seemed like they were just a little bit better than us and everybody else. They had a great car at the end and definitely executed in the end. Congratulations to Jordan, Antonio, Nicky and all the No. 3 car guys. They did an awesome job.“Certainly it stings a little bit to be that good for that long and not come away with first place. For us, we’ve at times spent time a little bit behind the eight-ball in certain situations. Today we were at the front for pretty much the whole race, so we can be proud of that and all the work and the effort that goes into trying to find what we were missing in the past. We’re just making sure we are doing everything right from every angle. Obviously we have new teammates, but it’s not just that. They are obviously did a great job today. I’ve had fantastic teammates in the past with Olly (Gavin) and Marcel (Fässler) and you go down the list… Simon Pagenaud…  we’ve had phenomenal guys in the Corvette here. It was good to see the hard work from the crew guys and our engineers… to see the fruits of that labor with the car up front for so long. We can absolutely be proud about that. We can take that, go to Sebring and get a win there.”

NICK TANDY, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTLM: “There are a whole loads of positives to take out. After one weekend, I already feel fully part of the team. Not that I didn’t expect to, but I feel part of the team and part of the Corvette Racing family. Of course everyone wants their car to win or their side of the garage to be victorious. We worked with the other drivers and the other crew  on the No. 3 Corvette as much as our guys on the No. 4 car. To be part of a winning weekend, it’s been an awesome start. I’m happy to say my first weekend with Corvette Racing has been super successful – first and second in qualifying and first and second in the Rolex 24. It doesn’t get much better than that.”BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM DAYTONA: “I’m pleasantly surprised  how well we gelled and worked together so quickly. From getting an understanding on how the car works and getting an understanding from the engineers of what we like out of a race weekend and a race car. Everything has gelled so smoothly that it makes me excited about the future and what this relationship can build on between us all as part of the team and lead to future successes. As I said, being new to the team but having sampled a faultless weekend with the results over the course of two weeks, I hope it’s a good omen of things to come. It’s obviously awesome to get the first away our endurance victory for the C8.R, and to have a 1-2 and double victory is pretty awesome, and it vindicates all the work that has gone on behind the scenes since last year.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTLM: “I think it is just massive for the whole team. Yes, from a sportsman’s point of view, there is obviously disappointment it couldn’t be us on the top step. But looking at the bigger picture, it is 1-2o for Corvette and that is what we came here to achieve. I’m just really, really proud of the whole team’s efforts. Having only coming into this team as a newbie as such and to be a part of the operation and to be part of the effort here at Daytona was a real privilege. Everyone worked their absolute socks off. I’m really pleased to be a part of it. We come here to win, all of us, but in the end there is only one winner. So if it can’t be you, then you want it to be your teammates so that the team does well.  So, it’s a good day.”

IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA CORVETTE RACING 18-HOUR REPORT ANUARY 31, 2021

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 31, 2021) – Corvette Racing found itself locked in a fierce five-car GT Le Mans (GTLM) battle and continued to run 1-2 in the category as the Rolex 24 At Daytona entered the final six hours. Nick Tandy held a five-second lead in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R that he took over from teammate Tommy Milner inside seven hours to go. Milner, Tandy and Alexander Sims combined to lead 407 of the 574 laps at the 18-hour mark of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s biggest race. Their biggest challengers so far have been No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette teammates Jordan Taylor – who ran second behind Tandy – Antonio Garcia,  and Nicky Catsburg, who have combined to lead 133 laps heading into the final six hours. The result is far from over as the top four GTLM cars were within 14 seconds of each other entering the final stretch run.  A victory this afternoon would be Corvette Racing’s fourth at the Rolex 24 and first since 2016.

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It’s really tough out there, and it’s not going to be easy to the end. You can tell BMW and the Ferrari are coming fast. I expect a pretty close fight all the way to the end.”INTER-TEAM BATTLE: “No question that just as good as our Corvette has been, they (the No. 3 C8.R) has the same package that we do. They are certainly quick and we’ve been basically nose to tail in one form or another for the entire race. That will be a big fight at the end, there’s no question about that. As we saw in 2016, the team is OK with some racing at the end. With an hour or two to go, they’ll let the guys race a little bit than we have been. At the moment, the pace of the two cars seems to be almost dead-on. There hasn’t been a point in the race where I’ve had to maintain by them or the 3 car has to maintain behind us. It’s been really good racing. It’s easy in these situations when you have guys that are so close to you all the time to keep your focus. It’s been a 24-hour race that has gone by pretty quickly.”MORE ON THE 2016 FINISH: “It’s looking that way right now, for sure. There is still quite a ways to go so there’s a lot that can still happen. There’s a lot going on the track and a lot that can go wrong on the track, through traffic, on pitlane, with some car gremlins. It looks like the 25 is having some issues. We’re definitely not counting our chickens. We have a long way to go to get to 3:40. It would be fun if we could have two Corvettes up front at the end racing hard. It wouldn’t surprise me if there was a red or black car up there, too.”ANY FURTHER SHIFTING PROBLEMS: “We haven’t had the same problem as at the start of the race where I lost drive for a moment. It’s just a function of us knowing what to do if it does get to that point. It is a concern for us, but it seems like for the last 10 hours or so that the three of us have been able to manage the problem a little bit. It doesn’t really hurt us on pace and laptime. If the problem does occur, then it costs us some time but we all know what to do quickly to get the car back in gear. As long as it stays like it is, I don’t think it will be any problem for us. But in a 24-hour race, you’re always concerned about these little issues that could potentially get worse. We’re all that we can as drivers to minimize the problem area. Let’s see what happens.”PACE OF BMW IN THE FINAL HOURS: “It’s definitely in the back of my mind. On one of the restarts recently, they certainly had quite a bit of horsepower and were able to drive right past me. We’ll see how it goes. It seems like our long-run pace is a little bit better than the BMWs and possibly the Ferrari as well. I think they’re both a little quicker at the beginning of the stint. It’d be nice if it would go green all the way to the end because I think that would benefit us. But I’d be very surprised if there weren’t a couple more cautions.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “We had some hard racing last year between the Corvettes. Mid-Ohio was one in particular that I remember well. This is the staple and style of racing that we see from Corvette Racing, like 2016 when Oliver (Gavin) and Antonio (Garcia) battled over the last hour nose to tail just like this. I think it’s going to come down to the wire again. It’s nice to see Corvettes battling 1-2 but everyone else is still fast. It will be tough to the end.“Last year was an amazing race for Corvette Racing as a whole coming out with the C8.R in its first year and being so dominant. It was great to win the championship but coming in 2021, it’s like a full reset for the team. Last year was great but now it’s all starting again, and everyone wants to win a Rolex. A win last year would have been a tough order in the car’s debut race. We came back strong and won here in July. We won six races but they were all sprint races. We definitely want to get one on the endurance side.”

IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIPnDAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA CORVETTE RACING HALFWAY REPORT JANUARY 31, 2021

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 31, 2021) – Corvette Racing continued its strong showing past the halfway point of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The pair of mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette C8.Rs ran first and second in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with Nick Tandy ahead of Jordan Taylor entering the race’s second half. The GTLM field was in the midst of a nearly 90-minute, green-flag run as the Rolex 24 moved into the final 12 hours. Tandy, in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, led by a little more than five seconds over Taylor and the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette. The pair of Corvettes led all but two laps in the first 12 hours, a testament to the development and execution by the group of six drivers, the engineering team and crew members. Tandy took over in the No. 4 Corvette after a triple-stint from Tommy Milner. The No. 4 Corvette moved into the lead on pit strategy near the nine-and-a-half-hour mark as Tandy was able to get out of the pitlane and up to speed before Taylor could come around at speed. He had taken over two laps earlier from Garcia, who finished a triple-stint of his own. Both Tandy and Taylor were in the middle of their own triples at the halfway mark before handing over to Alexander Sims and Nicky Catsburg, respectively.

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It’s going fairly well so far, I would say. I had my first two stints in the Corvette at Daytona, and I feel like I’m learning a lot still. Those were the first two full stints I’ve done, and I learned a lot about the evolution of the car over that stint. So we’re at the front of the field. It may look like it’s all under control, but we’re pushing hard and not leaving much on the table. We’re in the right position at the moment.”STAYING OUT FRONT: “Minimizing mistakes is the first crucial point that we need to execute properly. Beyond that, the class is so incredibly competitive despite there only being five cars on the lead lap – all five are absolutely in the hunt. It’s going to be about that… making sure we don’t make any major mistakes and keeping the car in one piece for the end.”BALANCE OF THE CAR FROM DAY TO NIGHT: “I didn’t drive in the day yet, but from the laps we did in practice I wouldn’t say things change a huge amount. The track temperature dictates what tire spec we can run. But no the car seems be reacting well to the temperatures in the night and I think the other guys were pretty happy with the Corvette in the day at the start of the race.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Things are going OK at the moment. We are fighting hard with our teammates as well as with the Ferrari and two BMWs not far behind. The cautions bunch us all up again so it will stay close all the way to the end. We are struggling with a gearbox gremlin which hasn’t become more than a nuisance yet, but it’s something we need to keep an eye on. The crew are making great pit stops, and Alexander and Nick have hardly missed a beat. We have a really good Corvette. I hope we can keep up this fight all the way to the end.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “We’re doing OK. We are 1-2 in class, which is always good. And I feel like I am learning still. The first stint I did wasn’t the best one. I was struggling with car balance, but we made some changes and the second one was better. So we are still working on the car even during the race. I feel like we are making improvements. It was fun to be following Alexander for almost two hours. We did OK but we need to keep our heads cool and focus on the last couple hours of the race. For that, we need to make it there.”ON THE RACE START: “As far as I can judge, if you’re the leader then you are deciding the pace. So whatever happens behind you is not your fault. Obviously you should not slow down, but I don’t think we did. The BMW was going a bit too soon and touching the Porsche. It was very unfortunate. I don’t think it was no one’s intent to hit anyone there before the actual green flag, but these things happen in motorsport. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. I don’t think the two Corvettes were over-slowing, and I think the BMW meant to hit anyone there. It happened, so let’s focus on the race ahead of us.”STAYING OUT FRONT: “We really need to focus now on keeping our heads cool. It’s nice to be ahead now but it really doesn’t mean anything. There are going to be so many yellows and more incidents. We need to stay out of trouble and make sure we have a Corvette to be fast at the end of the race.”BALANCE OF THE CAR FROM DAY TO NIGHT: “I do feel a slight change when the temperature drops. It’s nothing huge and nothing we don’t know. We can make some small adjustments to the car to help that, so no big surprises for us.”

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “We just keep running and changing the car. The track conditions have been changing quite a bit… the temperature, especially. We are trying to react to that. There were a few stints where the car felt good and some others where it wasn’t as good. We are still up there, which is the main thing. It’s difficult not to push and wanting to be up front, but there is a long way to go. We’ll see, but so far I think we can continue this. I don’t know what our competitors have for us in the end. They may be good, too. We’ll continue to be as clean as possible.”FUTURE CHANGES TO THE CAR: “The guys will carry on making their changes. The track will continue to develop. I don’t think it’s going to be any colder the rest of the way. We’ll continue to follow the track. I don’t know what to expect yet. I’ll probably get the sunrise stint depending on the schedule. We will see where we are then.”

Feb 1, 2021 | Featured, Rachel Meyer, Special Announcements

Randy Meyer Racing didn’t have to look far to find a new primary driver when Megan Meyer announced her retirement last year, as her sister, Rachel, has been named Megan’s replacement. Rachel will drive the newly rebranded NTK Sensors A/Fuel dragster tuned and owned by her father, Randy Meyer. 

“This is something I have always dreamt of doing with my family and I’m excited I finally get the chance,” said Rachel Meyer, a product design engineer. “I’m lucky to have bosses who will work with my work schedule and allow me to take off to go racing, as well as NGK and Lucas Oil for helping me out this upcoming season.”

NTK Sensors, the world’s largest OE oxygen sensor manufacturer, is the sister brand to NGK Spark Plugs, which served as Megan’s primary sponsor from 2018 through the end of her second NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster world championship season in 2020. 

“NGK is pleased to sponsor the Randy Meyer Racing team for the 2021 season,” said Beth Skove, General Manager-Marketing, Aftermarket Division, NGK Spark Plugs (U.S.A.) Inc. “It has been an honor to help support Randy’s team over the years, and last year was especially exciting with Megan Meyer breaking two (elapsed) time records and holding the world champion title for the second year in a row. We know Randy has a talented race team and crew, and we’re looking forward to another winning year with Randy Meyer Racing and Rachel Meyer.”

Racing on a part-time basis, Rachel won the 2020 NHRA Central Region championship on the strength of two wins and a runner-up finish. She also reached the semifinals in her second JEGS Allstars appearance. 

“Winning your first championship is something everyone dreams of and I can’t believe I finally got it done,” Meyer said. “I knew it would be hard to win one, especially with only racing part time, but thanks to my dad and crew for giving me a great, competitive car I got it done. I’m hoping one day I can win a world championship, then maybe try for a championship in other classes.”

Meyer’s 2021 schedule will be her most ambitious season yet, with 10 national events and six regional races on the itinerary. She’s chasing her first national event victory and her fifth win on the Lucas Oil Series regional level while trying to improve on a No. 11 finish in the national points standings. 

“My biggest goal is to finally get that national event win,” Meyer said. “I came close in my first-ever national event and made it to the finals, but I have never been able to get that Wally. Another goal would be placing top 10 in the national points. I came close a few times, but since I was limited to just a few national events each year it made it hard to place top 10.”

On top of racing the NTK Sensors A/Fuel dragster, Meyer also plans to continue bracket racing at local tracks like Mo-Kan Dragway, where she started the 2020 season with a win. 

“It’s going to be a hectic year working and racing full-time, as well as finishing my truck and racing it on the weekends I’m not racing the alcohol car, but I’m very excited,” Meyer said. 

Meyer, who services the clutch in addition to a number of other driver duties between rounds, will work alongside her dad and the team he’s assembled to work on Randy Meyer Racing’s A/Fuel cars. Megan will also join the team at a few races to handle media duties, while the sisters’ mom, Mary, helps out as well. 

“I would like to thank my mom, dad, and sister Megan for everything they do for me on and off the track,” Meyer said. “I couldn’t do this without any of them. I also want to thank all the crew guys who have helped me in the past – Ted, Howard, Craig, Kevin, Kris, Roy, JJ, Rob, Jeff, and Rich – for helping me at the races.”

Meyer will begin her 2021 season in the NTK Sensors dragster at the NHRA South Central division’s season opener, Feb. 26-27, at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, La.

TAMPA, FL (January 30, 2021) – Tyler Erb became the first repeat winner this season on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series tour as he won the Saturday Night finale at East Bay Raceway Park before a packed house. The 24-year-old Texas native stormed to the lead after a lap 32 caution and held off Jonathan Davenport for the win. Davenport finished .322 seconds behind Erb at the finish line. Brandon Sheppard was third, followed by Tim McCreadie, and Hudson O’Neal in the Wrisco Industries Winternationals. Sheppard led the first 13 laps of the race until Erb was able to get by him on lap 14. Erb held the point until a lap 19 restart when McCreadie took over the lead. McCreadie started to pull away from the field when a caution appeared with 32 laps scored. On the restart Erb went from third in the running order to the lead. A caution for debris on lap 35 halted the action one final time. Erb stretched his lead out over Davenport, but Davenport made it close at the end, coming to within one car length of the winner at the checkers. Erb made his way to Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 11th time in his career after starting fourth on the grid. “The top was pretty hard to run and I gave up the lead on a restart by running up there. I was like man, that could have been the race! McCreadie drove off and he was good. I really didn’t have much traction on the restarts, and I picked the top. I had a really good run on those guys, but needed a little luck. He [McCreadie] just kind of missed the bottom getting into one and I was able to get by him.” “Randall [Edwards] was showing me that my lead was getting a little close at the end, so I just tried to hit my marks. I got real wide on that last corner and hoped for the best. I just tried not to burn my stuff up.  This is the first time we ever put a different tire on here and it worked out. I am just super excited to win.”  Davenport recorded his best LOLMDS finish so far during Florida Speedweeks with his runner-up placing.  “He [Erb] was pretty good. We were reeling him in at the end and I should have moved around a little bit earlier. I thought we could get by him on the last lap. I just tried to throw a Hail Mary at him, but I came up short. We’ve got something wrong with the other car, so I didn’t want to tear this one up.” Sheppard, who ran most of the race up top came home in third. “We had a good car at the beginning of the week and then we struggled in the middle of the week. We finally got it going again here at the end. I am proud of my guys for sticking with me and working their tails off to give a fast race car. We had fun out there tonight. We got into heavy traffic when I was leading and then Terbo and McCreadie passed me. Congratulations to Terbo, he did a great job. We never got in to lapped traffic again so we could dice it up, but the cautions kept coming out.” The winner’s Eric and Kelly Brock-owned Best Performance Motorsports Rocket Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and is sponsored by Industrial Resourcing Group, Roberts Bee Company, First Class Septic, Go Lithium, Bazell Race Fuels, Sunoco, Keyser, Lucas Oil Products, Franklin Enterprises, KBC Graphics, Boxo, and Corey Frazier State Farm Insurance. Completing the top ten were Bobby Pierce, Boom Briggs, Brandon Overton, Josh Richards, and Ricky Thornton, Jr.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 
Race Summary 
Wrisco Industries 45th Annual Winter Nationals – Presented by Lucas Oil
Saturday, January 30, 2021
East Bay Raceway Park – Tampa, FL
Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Brandon Overton / 14.544 seconds (overall)
Fast Time Group B: Brandon Sheppard / 14.644 seconds 

Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson[2]; 2. 9-Devin Moran[3]; 3. 71-Hudson O’Neal[4]; 4. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 5. 12D-Doug Drown[11]; 6. 111-Steven Roberts[6]; 7. 2D-Dan Stone[5]; 8. 6B-Adam Boyd[12]; 9. 51B-Brandon Carpenter[8]; 10. 311-Ken Monahan[9]; 11. 1G-Ryan King[7]; 12. 18J-Chase Junghans[10]

Summit Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 39-Tim McCreadie[1]; 2. 99B-Boom Briggs[4]; 3. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[2]; 4. 6S-Blake Spencer[11]; 5. 2S-Stormy Scott[3]; 6. 11H-Spencer Hughes[9]; 7. 20B-Todd Brennan[8]; 8. 81-Jason Riggs[10]; 9. 27J-Joe Denby[12]; 10. 2X-Devin Dixon[5]; 11. 0G-Deshawn Gingerich[7]; 12. 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[6]

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 385-Mark Whitener[2]; 2. 14B-John Baker[3]; 3. 76B-Blair Nothdurft[4]; 4. 22-Gregg Satterlee[9]; 5. 94M-Jason Miller[7]; 6. 6T-Zack Dohm[6]; 7. 58-Ross Bailes[10]; 8. 14G-Joe Godsey[5]; 9. 4S-Danny Snyder[11]; 10. 00H-Wil Herrington[8]; 11. 00R-Richie Stephens[12]; 12. 20-Jimmy Owens[1]

Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 28E-Dennis Erb Jr[5]; 3. 14-Josh Richards[3]; 4. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[4]; 5. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[6]; 6. 51-Dean Carpenter[12]; 7. 3S-Brian Shirley[2]; 8. 36-Matt Irey[7]; 9. 8A-Rob Anderzack[9]; 10. 111M-Matthew Lux[10]; 11. 3W-Brennon Willard[11]; 12. 24D-Michael Brown[8]
MyRacePass Heat Race #5 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1T-Tyler Erb[1]; 2. 81E-Tanner English[2]; 3. 32-Bobby Pierce[4]; 4. 16-Tyler Bruening[5]; 5. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[9]; 6. 1ST-Johnny Scott[7]; 7. 25-Shane Clanton[3]; 8. 66C-Matt Cosner[6]; 9. 14R-Jeff Roth[11]; 10. 995-Manny Falcon[10]; 11. 33-Jeff Mathews[8]; 12. (DNS) 7R-Ross Robinson
Fast Shafts Heat Race #6 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[2]; 2. 157-Mike Marlar[1]; 3. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[3]; 4. 48-Colton Flinner[4]; 5. 0E-Rick Eckert[7]; 6. 212-Josh Putnam[6]; 7. 8-Kyle Strickler[5]; 8. J8-Jadon Frame[8]; 9. C4-Freddie Carpenter[9]; 10. KB0-Kerry King[10]; 11. 29-Larry Grube[11]

LINE-X B-Main #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 2. 6S-Blake Spencer[2]; 3. 81-Jason Riggs[10]; 4. 12D-Doug Drown[3]; 5. 2S-Stormy Scott[4]; 6. 2X-Devin Dixon[14]; 7. 20B-Todd Brennan[8]; 8. 2D-Dan Stone[7]; 9. 6B-Adam Boyd[9]; 10. 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[18]; 11. 311-Ken Monahan[13]; 12. 27J-Joe Denby[12]; 13. 111-Steven Roberts[5]; 14. 0G-Deshawn Gingerich[16]; 15. 51B-Brandon Carpenter[11]; 16. 11H-Spencer Hughes[6]; 17. (DNS) 1G-Ryan King; 18. (DNS) 18J-Chase Junghans

UNOH B-Main #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 22-Gregg Satterlee[1]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[4]; 3. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[2]; 4. 6T-Zack Dohm[5]; 5. 00H-Wil Herrington[13]; 6. 58-Ross Bailes[7]; 7. 94M-Jason Miller[3]; 8. 14G-Joe Godsey[9]; 9. 111M-Matthew Lux[14]; 10. 36-Matt Irey[10]; 11. 3W-Brennon Willard[16]; 12. 4S-Danny Snyder[11]; 13. 3S-Brian Shirley[8]; 14. 51-Dean Carpenter[6]; 15. (DNS) 8A-Rob Anderzack; 16. (DNS) 24D-Michael Brown; 17. (DNS) 20-Jimmy Owens; 18. (DNS) 00R-Richie Stephens

Wrisco Industries B-Main #3 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 1ST-Johnny Scott[5]; 2. 48-Colton Flinner[2]; 3. 25-Shane Clanton[7]; 4. 16-Tyler Bruening[1]; 5. 0E-Rick Eckert[4]; 6. 8-Kyle Strickler[8]; 7. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[3]; 8. 212-Josh Putnam[6]; 9. 14R-Jeff Roth[11]; 10. C4-Freddie Carpenter[12]; 11. KB0-Kerry King[14]; 12. 29-Larry Grube[16]; 13. 66C-Matt Cosner[9]; 14. J8-Jadon Frame[10]; 15. 33-Jeff Mathews[15]; 16. (DNS) 995-Manny Falcon; 17. (DNS) 7R-Ross Robinson

IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA CORVETTE RACING SIX-HOUR REPORT JANUARY 30, 2021 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 30, 2021) – Corvette Racing ended the first quarter of the Rolex 24 At Daytona just as it started: first and second place in its class. Alexander Sims led Nicky Catsburg by less than two seconds as the pair of Chevrolet Corvette C8.Rs flexed their muscle in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) category of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Both Corvettes swapped the lead in the first six hours as they avoided much of the same trouble that befell other cars in the opening portion of the race. A total of 46 cars took the green flag, which saw Tommy Milner hold the lead from the GTLM pole in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette for the first 20 minutes before Antonio Garcia moved ahead in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM C8.R for the bulk of his stint.  Both Milner and Garcia drove three stints before handing over respectively to Nick Tandy and Jordan Taylor. The two Corvette teammates took turns in the lead before Tandy regained the advantage for the No. 4 Corvette team just past the four-hour mark. The two C8.Rs ran in that position through the six-hour mark.

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It was a pretty eventful start for some of the cars behind us, and we had some good racing for two or three stints. There is a long way to go, but so far the Corvette C8.R is fast and comfortable. Our guys are doing a great job in the pits so far. We need to keep all this up and see where we are in 18 hours or so.”ANY SURPRISES IN THE OPENING STINT: “I think with the P3 cars we maybe expected a little bit more trouble with them in some sense. But so far on the restarts when we’ve been close to them, it’s been hectic for sure but everyone is driving within their limits it seems like. We haven’t had too many problems. Hopefully it stays that way.”ON THE UPSHIFT GLITCH EARLY IN THE RACE: “Coming out of Turn 6 we had a false neutral with the gearbox. We had changed some procedures in the car where if that did happen to make it faster for us to get it back in gear. We’re still struggling with that so it took me a little bit longer to figure out how to get the car back in gear. Once I was able to do that, I didn’t lose too much time and I was able to close the gap again with traffic. All in all, it wasn’t too bad. It could have been worse but for sure it’s something we’ll have to keep an eye on.”

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “My stint was pretty much the same as Tommy. We went through every single position, I think – leading, second, third and fourth. Everything has been decent so far… no big deals. There is still quite a long way to go, and as we have seen there will be lots of mistakes out there with a lot of traffic. We need to be fast and keep track position, but we also need to be very smart, too.”ANY SURPRISES IN THE OPENING STINT: “Not really. Everything is running as we expected. GTLM is pretty close. We didn’t know how the contraction would be with LMP3. We seem to be a little bit faster. So far it hasn’t been too super difficult with them. Once the good guys in the P3s get to drive, maybe the pace will be a little bit closer. Other than that, it’s a close battle as always in GTLM and it will probably stay that way all the way through.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Generally that stint was OK. I was just sort of seeing how things were in the first stint. Definitely we are having to be careful on traffic this year with some of the new drivers and cars out there. I think we’re in a good spot right now, taking minimal risk and trying to take care of the C8.R to make sure we’re in for the fight at the end.”

NICK TANDY, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “The Corvette is great. This is the first time we really put a full stint on a set of tires in race conditions. We didn’t really know what to expect. The car is good and the tire is good. The day is a very different thing as we look ahead to tomorrow. It’s a new toy for me and it’s fun.”ON TRAFFIC: “The trouble comes when you get a certain class that comes around on a pit sequence. So you might get two or three GTDs that come out on cold tires or a couple of P3s out on cold tires, and that’s when it gets really nerve-wracking. You can kind of get stuck in there in a big group with eight or 10 cars together. So that’s something new and something to look out for. But so far it’s been pretty good.”IMPROVEMENTS FOR NEXT STINT: “We need to work a bit on how the car is over the course of a stint. So we might have one type of balance in the chassis in the beginning when the tire is fresh and then an evolution of that as the tire gets older through a stint. We can work with the engineers and try to trim the car to be more consistent over a longer run. This is something we can look for.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 31, 2021) – Corvette Racing’s No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R of Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg won the GT Le Mans (GTLM) category of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Sunday for the first long-distance victory for the mid-engine Corvette race car. Taylor led a 1-2 Corvette C8.R finish to the checkered flag ahead of Tommy Milner’s No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C8.R that he drove with Nick Tandy and Alexander Sims. This is the fourth Rolex 24 victory for Corvette Racing and first since 2016.  JIM CAMPBELL, CHEVROLET U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, PERFORMANCE AND MOTORSPORTS: “Winning the opening race in the 2021 IMSA season keeps momentum going from the end of last season,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president Performance & Motorsports. “What a difference a year makes! I am so proud of the progress Corvette Racing team has made since last year’s race to win the 2021 Roles 24 At Daytona with the Corvette C8.R. It so special to win this endurance race at Daytona for the fourth time in our class.” LAURA KLAUSER, CHEVROLET SPORTS CAR PROGRAM MANAGER: “What an amazing team effort by everyone at Corvette Racing to get the Corvette C8.R to Victory Lane with a one-two finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. It was a hard-fought battle for this incredible result. The months of work and preparation by everyone associated with this program were evident today on both sides of the Corvette garage. This truly is One Team. I’m proud and pleased for the teams, our Corvette owners and our fans. This is the best possible way to start a new season, and we are going to work hard to capitalize on this momentum.”

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM RACE WINNER: “This is both one of the best days of my career but also one of the most frustrating and disappointing. I did have COVID in late December with some symptoms. I isolated until I fully recovered, and followed all Spanish and CDC protocols to be cleared for traveling. It’s frustrating but there are protocols that are in place for this. It’s painful not to be able to celebrate with Jordan, Nicky and the rest of the team. We worked so hard over the past months and weeks to achieve an endurance win like the Rolex 24. We didn’t make mistakes, we had good pace with the Corvette. After winning the championship a year ago, this was the type or result we all wanted for the start of a new season.”Ever since we started at Daytona with this new car, we knew it would be fast and competitive. Obviously, the preparation we had last year wasn’t enough to win this race. But after the lockdown, that gave us an opportunity to develop the C8.R and we went on to win six races as a team and the championship. Last year, we didn’t manage to win a long race so it was still in our minds to get this, and now we’ve started with a big one like the Rolex. We proved today that Corvette Racing was the strongest team.”I have to say this was a flashback to the 2016 race (a runner-up finish in a Corvette 1-2). It was pretty nerve-wracking when it looked like it could happen again but I’m glad we came out on top this time.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It is definitely different. My two previous ones were in prototype with my Dad’s team. I never had a chance to finish the race when we won, so I think that part of it was definitely daunting and intimidating. I was extremely nervous the hour leading up to my last stint, just knowing what was at stake and how big of a deal this race is for Corvette Racing and to Chevrolet. To have everyone here and seeing the history of the team at this event… the success is kinda down to your hands in that last couple of hours when you are in the car. I wanted to do my job well and hit my marks and not make mistakes. I had an amazing battle with Tommy (Milner)… super respectful. I thought it was a great race. I’m just so happy. It’s my first class win at Daytona and third Rolex. So unbelievable and I never could have dreamed it any better to be honest.“It is just a testament to Corvette Racing. It just speaks volumes about the team and proof of what they’ve done in the past and how well they execute these big events. The Corvette C8.R has only done one 24-hour race, and that was last year. So to come back in their second year and finish one-two with no issues is just unbelievable. We had perfect strategy, perfect pit stops and none of the drivers made mistakes. It’s all down to the team and execution and teaching the drivers what they need to do to win these events. It’s an honor to be a part of it. The driver is just a small piece of the whole puzzle. We get to stand on the podium but all the people on the team deserve it. They are the ones that put in the hard work in the offseason to make it all possible. “It was bittersweet to end the day like we did with Antonio having to leave the track after the test. I was super upset and disappointed for him when I got out of the car after what I thought was my last stint and was told he couldn’t get back in the car. He lives for these events, especially this one.  He really wanted to finish this race to capitalize on when they finished second in 2016 to kind of make up for that. So I felt bad for him in that respect, but he should be unbelievably proud of this whole team. He is the leader of this No. 3 car. He’s the one that drives the setup of it which is why we were so quick at the end of the race. He’s taught me so much as a driver, understanding the tires, how to do drive the car and understanding this new GT world that I’m in. If it wasn’t for Antonio, there’s no way I would have driven that last stint the way I did. Huge thanks to him. I know I’ll see him in a couple weeks when he can come back into the country and we can hang out and celebrate in person. I know he will hold this Rolex proud. I’m so honored and happy to be a part of this with him. We’ve never won an endurance race as teammates so this is the first one and very special.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “This feels amazing. The Rolex 24 is a race I always wanted to win, and now we did it. It’s a little weird with what has happened with Antonio, but we still did it together and it is an awesome victory. It’s the first endurance win with the Corvette C8.R so yes, this is amazing!”DID THIS COME AS A SURPRISE: “It doesn’t come as a surprise but you still need to make it happen, drive for 24 hours and make no mistakes. The C8.R showed it could do it. It won the championship last year. After a year of development and coming back to Daytona, I always knew we were going to have a shot at this one. The team, the car, the drivers… everything needed to work perfectly and it did.”