NASCAR TRUCK SERIES LUCAS OIL 150 PHOENIX RACEWAY TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES & QUOTES NOVEMBER 6, 2020
SILVERADO POWERS SHELDON CREED TO CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORYWins First Truck Series Title  AVONDALE, Ariz. (November 6, 2020) – Sheldon Creed, driver of the No. 2 Chevy Accessories Silverado, claimed the 2020 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (NGROTS) championship with a victory in the season-finale Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway. The title is the first NGROTS career title for Creed, and second in the division for GMS Racing. It also marks Chevrolet’s 14th Driver’s Championship, and 252nd Chevy Silverado win since the inception of the series in 1995. “Congratulations to Sheldon Creed, Jeff Stankiewicz, and the entire No. 2 Silverado team for winning the NASCAR Truck Series championship,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President of Performance and Motorsports. “Sheldon had an incredible final restart and drove to the front on four-fresh tires to bring home his first championship. What a spectacular season!” Creed joins Johnny Sauter, who won the NGROTS championship in 2016, as the second GMS driver to win in the division.
“Also, congratulations to Maury Gallagher Jr., Spencer Gallagher and Mike Beam on earning a second NASCAR Truck Series championship,” added Campbell. “GMS Racing is recognized as one of the leading organizations in the division, and we are proud to be associated with them.” During the 2020 NGROTS season of 23 races, the 23-year old Alpine, CA native piloted his Chevy Accessories Silverado to five victories.
“I thought my teammate was going to win the championship and we were going to run third,” Creed said as he exited his title-winning No. 2 Silverado. “We were just too loose there as we went on. The caution came out and Jeff (Stankiewicz, crew chief) and I were talking, and we had nothing to lose. The worst we’re going to run is fourth, here. Let’s put tires on it. I pride myself on my re-starts week-in and week-out, and just nailed that restart right there. They were racing really hard. I was driving as hard as I could. I want this so bad. I was just driving as hard as I could and I knew if I did, I’d have a shot. My guys and Chevy Accessories and everyone who helps us; and my grandfather is the one that makes this deal happen.”
Creed is now the eighth Team Chevy driver to record this achievement. In addition to Sauter (2016), those include: James Buescher (2012), Austin Dillon (2011) Ron Hornaday, Jr. (1996, 1998, ‘07, & ‘09), Travis Kvapil (2003), Mike Bliss (2002), Jack Sprague (1997, ’99, & ‘01), and Mike Skinner (1995). Chevrolet returns to competition in the NASCAR Truck Series with the NextEra Energy 250 season-opener at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, February 12, 2021.

NASCAR CUP SERIES PHOENIX RACEWAY SEASON FINALE 500 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT NOVEMBER 5, 2020 
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media via teleconference and discussed his preparation for his first Championship Four race at Phoenix, his mindset, the other competitors, his odds to win the title, and more. Full Transcript:
THE MODERATOR: Chase, thanks for taking the time today.           Four wins on the season, including the must‑win race a week ago at Martinsville. For the first time in your career you are through to the Championship 4. What does it mean to break through to the next level and be one race away from a championship?            CHASE ELLIOTT: For sure, great opportunity for us, much like you mentioned, I think you might have said this before, just an area that we haven’t been to yet. The Round of 8 had kind of been that stopping point for us over the last few years. It feels really nice to move on, go and perform at the level I really feel confident we can do consistently this past weekend at Martinsville.           Great, great weekend, great team win, a big win and a timely win. It’s a great opportunity ahead. Just trying to do all the right things this week to be as prepared as possible for Sunday.
THE MODERATOR: We’ll start with questions.           Q. With this being your first time in the four, have you talked to anybody? If so, who, for any advice?CHASE ELLIOTT: For me, I’m very lucky. My dad obviously has had great success over the years, has been around this deal for a long time. Obviously Jimmie is a great one to lean on, too.           For me, the big thing from talking to dad that I feel like he’s kind of mentioned is just enjoy these moments because these aren’t things you can take for granted. You don’t know when your last race win is. You don’t what tomorrow brings. Nothing’s guaranteed, right?           I think just enjoying these moments, trying to embrace them, especially after a race like Sunday, you wish you could just slow down time and enjoy that moment and make it last a little longer, but you can’t. You just have to enjoy ’em as much as you can, put emphasis on that.           I feel like that’s where I’m at right now, is not taking the situation for granted, knowing it’s not an easy thing, knowing it’s not something that comes every day, try to make the most of a great opportunity.            Q. If you look back on this year from a competition lens, not necessarily your own, would you look back on it and say, Man, it was an abnormal year with nine weeks off, no practice, no qualifying, or normal enough that you say, Man, that was a year that Kevin Harvick won nine races and didn’t make the Final 4?CHASE ELLIOTT: It kind of goes to show you nothing’s guaranteed in this deal. Just the way the points format and things are, it lends opportunity for winning races at the right time. Fortunate for us, we were able to do that.           I think the big one I take away is, especially after a year like Kevin had, nothing’s guaranteed. You really have to put emphasis on trying to perform at the right time and hoping that you can put all the pieces together.           I’m certainly not taking it for granted. It’s a big deal, a great opportunity for us. To have won four races this season I think is something we’ve never done before. That’s also a great achievement for us. Hopefully we can try to get one more before it’s over with.
           Q. Let me ask you, Joey Logano said I’m going to race for many more years, there will be many opportunities. He had a perspective similar to you about enjoy the moment, but this is definitely not your last race, not your last shot at a championship. Does that take the pressure off of you because you are so young, even though you drive yourself really hard?CHASE ELLIOTT: Well, I mean, we like to think those things, right? But you don’t know. Hell, I don’t know what tomorrow is. I don’t think anybody does.           To sit here and promise myself things that I can’t promise myself, I don’t know. I don’t have a crystal ball, right? I do know this is a moment you have to enjoy because you don’t know with your last race win is, you don’t know when your last day is, when the last Championship 4 is for you, all of the above.           I’m just trying to enjoy the whole moment and make the most of whatever Sunday brings, put all the emphasis and preparation in the things that are going to give us the best chance on Sunday. To me that’s my preparation for certain situations and probably most importantly the right decisions on the car to get our car balance as close as we can to start the race. All my emphasis is there, and just trying to enjoy and embrace this time, make the most of it.
           Q. I know you’ve talked about what last week’s win meant. How does it change who you are or what you do a week later? You’ve had success, you’ve done great things. Just because you won last week at Martinsville, how does that change what you might or might not do at Phoenix this weekend in this situation?CHASE ELLIOTT: Well, I don’t think it changes our approach any, for sure. I think we’d be foolish to change how we do things now as we go into the last race of the year. Martinsville was a great win, great team win, timely win. Couldn’t have asked for a better time to go out there and perform really well.           I don’t think we change anything as far as how we get ready for the race weekend. I think that our prep and our process that we go through as the 9 team is good enough to compete when we do all the right things and make all the right decisions. I don’t think there’s any reason for us to go about anything differently this week than we have in the past.
           Q. I understand every experience can be a learning experience. Because this is a little more of a short track, potential mentality, your experience at Bristol earlier this year late in the race, it not working out, what kind of a learning experience is that in case you’re put in a similar situation late in the race at Phoenix this weekend?CHASE ELLIOTT: I mean, I don’t know. You get in situations, and you don’t have weeks to sit there and think about what the decision is. You have to make a decision, go with it and live with it.           For me, I feel like when you get put in situations, you have to make a decision, go on down the road whether it works out or doesn’t work out.           It’s so hard to prepare for all of them because you don’t know what’s going to be thrown at you. What point in the race are you going to have a challenge, something not go your way, whatever. It’s so hard to simulate some of that because you don’t know till you get faced with it.           Just try to rely on past situations, past experience, use those little pieces of learning experiences to make a better decision next time. That’s all we can do.           You have to make them very fast. Sometimes they’re going to work out, sometimes they’re not. You’re going to try to make the one that’s going to better your result. 
           Q. Are you glad that Harvick is not in the final or are you able to have any sympathy for him not making it?CHASE ELLIOTT: I don’t know. I don’t really think that’s for me to say. Certainly I commend them for winning nine races. I mean, that’s a major feat, for sure. So I think you have to respect that. But I’m not sure it’s for me to say or comment really past that.           I think for us to sit here and talk about others or the other three guys in it or who’s not in it, who somebody thinks the favorite is or isn’t, whatever, is just very unproductive in my eyes.           I’m just really thinking about us, being selfish in a lot of ways this week, trying to put emphasis on the things that are going to make us go fast. Me ranking Kevin’s season is not one of them. 
           Q. You’re the first Hendrick and Chevy guy in there since 2016. Jeff Andrews said Mr. H was texting him at 2 in the morning. Did you feel any pressure internally from Chevy or Mr. H to get into this finale?CHASE ELLIOTT: Certainly we all want to do good, right? I would be lying if I said that there was any outside emphasis or pressure that made us want to be a part of this Championship 4 any more than we already did as a team, any more than I did personally.           As much as I know that our partners, Mr. Hendrick, everybody wants us to do really well, I want to do good. I want to do good anyway. Our team wants to do good. We want to perform, we want to win, too. I’m talking about just the guys that are on track and fighting the fight. There’s nothing outside of that that is going to make us want to go and perform any more than we already do.            Q. First Championship 4 appearance. You mentioned people you’ve talked to, tried to lean on. Is it going to be an advantage or disadvantage that you won’t have to go through a weekend full of nerves in terms of each practice and qualifying, but instead you get to show up and race?CHASE ELLIOTT: It certainly takes a bunch, I guess, I don’t want to say complications out of it, but I guess just that time on track. It takes a lot of pieces away from the puzzle, right?           I don’t know that it’s good or bad. I mean, if you start the race on Sunday and your car’s off, Dang, I wish we had some practice. I wish we could have fixed this on Friday or Saturday. If you start the race on Sunday, your car is driving good, then no, you’re probably not happy with not having any.           I think it comes down to whether or not you hit your balance close to the race. If you do, you’re happy about it. If you don’t, you wish you had some more time.           Everybody is faced with the same rules and the same weekend schedule. We all kind of have the same opportunity, in my opinion. Kind of all depends on how you start the race.            Q. Do you know what car you’ll have this weekend? Will it have any significance? Has it run before or not?CHASE ELLIOTT: I have no idea. I have no idea what car we’re taking this weekend. They all look the exact same from where I sit unless I look over and see which number is says on the roll bar. I couldn’t tell you. Whatever car Alan chooses, is the best choice, I’ll have confidence in that decision and I’ll live with it either way.
           Q. After kind of breaking through the Round of 8 barrier, how did you celebrate?CHASE ELLIOTT: To be real honest, I came home and went to bed, just to be real clear on that. I would have loved to come home, had a few beers, whatever, hung out. Just kind of the way it worked out.           We had meetings Monday morning, obviously a big week of prep going into this last event. Really just kind of after the race tried to enjoy the moment, embrace it, recognize that situations and moments like that don’t happen every day. Really enjoy that. At the same time just get ready and think about Monday and what we’re going to talk about in our meetings looking ahead to Phoenix. 
           Q. I don’t know at your young age if you think much about legacy building. Toward that, how important do you think winning a championship is?CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, I mean, it’s a popular question, right? I don’t know because I’ve never done it. I hate to say that, but I just don’t. I think it’s one of those things where you don’t know. I don’t know what it feels like or the emotions of it or what it would bring or wouldn’t bring or whatever because I’ve never achieved that before.           I just think to be thinking about those things and not the things that are going to make our car go fast on Sunday is just the wrong, in my opinion, my approach right now, is the wrong thing.           I’m just all eyes. My mindset and focus is what is going to make you go fast. That is what matters on Sunday. That is going to be the thing that either gives you a chance or doesn’t. The rest of it right now just doesn’t matter. That’s where I’m at.
           Q. Certainly, you’ve raced before in these finales not being part of it. You’ve had to race the championship drivers with respect, give them room. Are you expecting to get that back now? Are you anticipating that other drivers who aren’t in the championship will give you some more room than they might usually?CHASE ELLIOTT: That’s a great question. I feel like the ones I’ve been a part of, I feel like I’ve really tried to let those guys fight it out, especially if those cars are good, which it seems like they have been in the fast, up front battling. I’ve tried to do that for sure.           I will say that I do feel like as the years have gone on, seems like the first year of this Final 4 thing, at least the first year I was a part of it, they didn’t want anything to do with those guys. Then it seems like as the years have gone on, people are just kind of running their race a little more.           I do think the respect is still there, but I do think there is a little bit more of a sense of those guys, the people that are not a part of the Final 4, running their event still.           You hope you get some respect. You hope those guys will give you that. Whether they will or won’t, I don’t know. Never done it. But we’ll find out. I do think the dynamic has changed a little bit as time has gone on. Hopefully we’re fast enough where it doesn’t matter.
           Q. You mentioned you weren’t interested in thinking about the favorites for this race. With where you stack up, some could argue you’re an underdog coming into this without a Championship 4 appearance before. Do you feel like that or not really coming off the momentum of your most recent win?CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, I mean, like I said, I just think it’s unproductive, right? What good does it do anybody to sit down and rank who they think… I guess if you’re in Vegas, it does those people some good, right? For me, I’m not betting this week in Vegas. I’m not laying any money down on trying to win or not.           I don’t care who the favorite is or who the underdog is. I just want to go, have a good run, try to win, achieve our goals.
           Q. Why do you think you could be this year’s champion?CHASE ELLIOTT: Well, I mean, I think for us, I feel like when we’ve been at our best, I feel like we’ve competed with the best in the series. I think if we do the right things, make the right calls throughout the week, the right adjustments and tweaks on the car from that first race, there’s no reason why I don’t think we can go and have a shot.
           Q. What sort of advice, if any, has Jimmie Johnson provided to you about this weekend? What will the time you spent together at Hendrick Motorsport mean to you?CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, Jimmie has been such a great friend for me, a great role model I think for just not me. The guy I feel like is a great example in a lot of different ways.           I think his message throughout the week is just do the things that kind of make you you. Now is not the time to try to reinvent the wheel or do things different, change who you are. Just go about your thing has you always have. That’s the kind of process that has led us to this point. There’s no need in changing who you are now. It’s one of those things that probably aren’t going to do you any good.
           Q. What has your time with Jimmie meant?CHASE ELLIOTT: Jimmie, like I said, such a great individual, person. But he’s a great guy. He’s a champion on the track and off the track. I think he’s made that very apparent over the years.           I’ve been very lucky and fortunate to call him a friend, have him to lean on in certain times. Yeah, I’m certainly going to miss him being around, being a part of our team all the time.
           Q. Last year there was some conversation regarding Championship 4 appearances being weighted as potentially more valuable in this specific era than championships themselves. Where do you stand on that in how valuable the appearances are versus the titles themselves?CHASE ELLIOTT: I mean, I’m not sure on that. I haven’t really thought about that a ton. One thing I know for sure is you can’t win a championship unless you’re part of the Final 4. That’s my response to that.           I don’t know what the correct answer is on the weight of it. I know with the way the rules are, the way this deal is, you’re not going to win one unless you’re part of the Final 4. That I know for a fact. 
           Q. Would you consider your season a success in making the Championship 4 or is it title or bust?CHASE ELLIOTT: Our season is not over, so we’ll find out Sunday.
           Q. What do you think is holding you back at Phoenix? What is it going to take for you to finally get over the hump there and claim the title on Sunday?CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, I think for us, that was a great win at Martinsville, a very timely win as I mentioned. It was a big deal, for sure. I think we all recognize that as a team.           Looking to Phoenix, I think what is going to make the difference out there is a good week of preparation, a good week of making the right decisions on the car, taking what we had there in the spring and tweaking on it, making it better. You’re not going to go back there with what we had in the spring and be good. Everybody is always getting better, always improving.           We want to do some of that and hopefully we can improve and be better than the rest.
           Q. Pit crew, talk about their performance all year, especially in the crucial moment at Martinsville, jackman comes out, avoided the penalty. How crucial was that?CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, I mean, T.J… Obviously, you want to eliminate those mistakes in general. That’s number one, right? Nobody wants to make any mistakes. If you do make a mistake, to have the awareness, to be able to do it that quick to be able to say, okay, hey, if I go reset myself, we’re going to avoid this penalty, that was huge. I’m not sure what clicked in his head to go do that.           I’m coming to the pit box. He’s trying to make his mind up whether he wants to go back. I’m about to run him over. He had to make that pretty quick and he had to execute it quick because I was coming in there not slow. Just one of those things to have to really commend his preparation and the coaches for teaching that, knowing what to do in that situation.
           Q. Back to a posting on Instagram where you said you were taking a break from social media. Do you think that played a role in getting over the hump in advancing to the Championship 4?CHASE ELLIOTT: I’m not sure that it played a role in advancing to the Final 4 or not. It was just really one of those things where I think I, like a lot of the world nowadays, we spend any split second of downtime looking at our phones, scrolling, seeing what Twitter has to offer, what Joe Blow and John Smith are doing in the middle of their day.           At the end of the day I just kind of felt like it might be good to give that a rest, just not care as much about what everybody else is doing, just be more productive and focus on more things that matter in your present life more so than on the phone. That’s kind of really where that came from.           It really didn’t have as much to do with the on‑track stuff as it did just me personally thinking that it would be a good change for a little while.
           Q. Dawsonville has been a good part of your life since your dad was racing. I want to be a little lighter here and talk about your memories there. Were you ever there and got to hear the siren when your dad won? What would it be like to have them sounding that siren, trying to break the thing Sunday night if you win?CHASE ELLIOTT: I’ve never been around for it. I’ve seen videos and stuff. It’s a really cool tradition. Gordon Pirkle is the guy that has owned the poolroom. That’s kind of been his thing. I think it’s cool of him to carry that tradition on, be able to still do that. I’m grateful for that. I think it’s a cool thing.           I would love for it to go off on Sunday. I certainly hope that’s the case. But, yeah, it’s a cool tradition. Fortunate that I’ve been lucky enough that they wanted to carry it on and want to keep doing it.
           Q. I’ve noticed some irony here going back to 1988 where the teams in baseball and basketball, the Dodgers and Lakers, have won titles in 2020. Back in 1988, I believe your dad Bill won a championship then. How cool would it be to be back in his footprints and go for a championship this year?CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, that’s a cool thing. I didn’t know that, for sure.           People ask that a lot, right? I feel like it’s so hard. I just remember getting the question of, What is it going to feel like when you win that first race? What is that going to be like? How cool is that going to be to you?           I always had a really hard time answering that because I’d never done it before. So I don’t know. I think that’s the same answer now. Until you achieve a moment like that, that obviously is very meaningful to you, I think it’s really hard to put a stamp of what it means or how it feels or the emotions that come with it. I think I’d be speaking out of turn to really give you an answer because I don’t know. I don’t know.           I hope that one day I can figure it out, but right now I don’t know. We’ll give it our best shot to find out.            THE MODERATOR: That’s all the time we have for Chase. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer question. Good luck this weekend.            CHASE ELLIOTT: Cool, yeah. Thanks. 

NASCAR CUP SERIES PHOENIX RACEWAY SEASON FINALE 500 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT NOVEMBER 2, 2020 
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media via teleconference and discussed his preparation for his first Championship Four race at Phoenix, his mindset, the other competitors, his odds to win the title, and more. Full Transcript:
THE MODERATOR: Chase, thanks for taking the time today.           Four wins on the season, including the must‑win race a week ago at Martinsville. For the first time in your career you are through to the Championship 4. What does it mean to break through to the next level and be one race away from a championship?            CHASE ELLIOTT: For sure, great opportunity for us, much like you mentioned, I think you might have said this before, just an area that we haven’t been to yet. The Round of 8 had kind of been that stopping point for us over the last few years. It feels really nice to move on, go and perform at the level I really feel confident we can do consistently this past weekend at Martinsville.           Great, great weekend, great team win, a big win and a timely win. It’s a great opportunity ahead. Just trying to do all the right things this week to be as prepared as possible for Sunday.
THE MODERATOR: We’ll start with questions.           Q. With this being your first time in the four, have you talked to anybody? If so, who, for any advice?CHASE ELLIOTT: For me, I’m very lucky. My dad obviously has had great success over the years, has been around this deal for a long time. Obviously Jimmie is a great one to lean on, too.           For me, the big thing from talking to dad that I feel like he’s kind of mentioned is just enjoy these moments because these aren’t things you can take for granted. You don’t know when your last race win is. You don’t what tomorrow brings. Nothing’s guaranteed, right?           I think just enjoying these moments, trying to embrace them, especially after a race like Sunday, you wish you could just slow down time and enjoy that moment and make it last a little longer, but you can’t. You just have to enjoy ’em as much as you can, put emphasis on that.           I feel like that’s where I’m at right now, is not taking the situation for granted, knowing it’s not an easy thing, knowing it’s not something that comes every day, try to make the most of a great opportunity.            Q. If you look back on this year from a competition lens, not necessarily your own, would you look back on it and say, Man, it was an abnormal year with nine weeks off, no practice, no qualifying, or normal enough that you say, Man, that was a year that Kevin Harvick won nine races and didn’t make the Final 4?CHASE ELLIOTT: It kind of goes to show you nothing’s guaranteed in this deal. Just the way the points format and things are, it lends opportunity for winning races at the right time. Fortunate for us, we were able to do that.           I think the big one I take away is, especially after a year like Kevin had, nothing’s guaranteed. You really have to put emphasis on trying to perform at the right time and hoping that you can put all the pieces together.           I’m certainly not taking it for granted. It’s a big deal, a great opportunity for us. To have won four races this season I think is something we’ve never done before. That’s also a great achievement for us. Hopefully we can try to get one more before it’s over with.
           Q. Let me ask you, Joey Logano said I’m going to race for many more years, there will be many opportunities. He had a perspective similar to you about enjoy the moment, but this is definitely not your last race, not your last shot at a championship. Does that take the pressure off of you because you are so young, even though you drive yourself really hard?CHASE ELLIOTT: Well, I mean, we like to think those things, right? But you don’t know. Hell, I don’t know what tomorrow is. I don’t think anybody does.           To sit here and promise myself things that I can’t promise myself, I don’t know. I don’t have a crystal ball, right? I do know this is a moment you have to enjoy because you don’t know with your last race win is, you don’t know when your last day is, when the last Championship 4 is for you, all of the above.           I’m just trying to enjoy the whole moment and make the most of whatever Sunday brings, put all the emphasis and preparation in the things that are going to give us the best chance on Sunday. To me that’s my preparation for certain situations and probably most importantly the right decisions on the car to get our car balance as close as we can to start the race. All my emphasis is there, and just trying to enjoy and embrace this time, make the most of it.
           Q. I know you’ve talked about what last week’s win meant. How does it change who you are or what you do a week later? You’ve had success, you’ve done great things. Just because you won last week at Martinsville, how does that change what you might or might not do at Phoenix this weekend in this situation?CHASE ELLIOTT: Well, I don’t think it changes our approach any, for sure. I think we’d be foolish to change how we do things now as we go into the last race of the year. Martinsville was a great win, great team win, timely win. Couldn’t have asked for a better time to go out there and perform really well.           I don’t think we change anything as far as how we get ready for the race weekend. I think that our prep and our process that we go through as the 9 team is good enough to compete when we do all the right things and make all the right decisions. I don’t think there’s any reason for us to go about anything differently this week than we have in the past.
           Q. I understand every experience can be a learning experience. Because this is a little more of a short track, potential mentality, your experience at Bristol earlier this year late in the race, it not working out, what kind of a learning experience is that in case you’re put in a similar situation late in the race at Phoenix this weekend?CHASE ELLIOTT: I mean, I don’t know. You get in situations, and you don’t have weeks to sit there and think about what the decision is. You have to make a decision, go with it and live with it.           For me, I feel like when you get put in situations, you have to make a decision, go on down the road whether it works out or doesn’t work out.           It’s so hard to prepare for all of them because you don’t know what’s going to be thrown at you. What point in the race are you going to have a challenge, something not go your way, whatever. It’s so hard to simulate some of that because you don’t know till you get faced with it.           Just try to rely on past situations, past experience, use those little pieces of learning experiences to make a better decision next time. That’s all we can do.           You have to make them very fast. Sometimes they’re going to work out, sometimes they’re not. You’re going to try to make the one that’s going to better your result. 
           Q. Are you glad that Harvick is not in the final or are you able to have any sympathy for him not making it?CHASE ELLIOTT: I don’t know. I don’t really think that’s for me to say. Certainly I commend them for winning nine races. I mean, that’s a major feat, for sure. So I think you have to respect that. But I’m not sure it’s for me to say or comment really past that.           I think for us to sit here and talk about others or the other three guys in it or who’s not in it, who somebody thinks the favorite is or isn’t, whatever, is just very unproductive in my eyes.           I’m just really thinking about us, being selfish in a lot of ways this week, trying to put emphasis on the things that are going to make us go fast. Me ranking Kevin’s season is not one of them. 
           Q. You’re the first Hendrick and Chevy guy in there since 2016. Jeff Andrews said Mr. H was texting him at 2 in the morning. Did you feel any pressure internally from Chevy or Mr. H to get into this finale?CHASE ELLIOTT: Certainly we all want to do good, right? I would be lying if I said that there was any outside emphasis or pressure that made us want to be a part of this Championship 4 any more than we already did as a team, any more than I did personally.           As much as I know that our partners, Mr. Hendrick, everybody wants us to do really well, I want to do good. I want to do good anyway. Our team wants to do good. We want to perform, we want to win, too. I’m talking about just the guys that are on track and fighting the fight. There’s nothing outside of that that is going to make us want to go and perform any more than we already do.            Q. First Championship 4 appearance. You mentioned people you’ve talked to, tried to lean on. Is it going to be an advantage or disadvantage that you won’t have to go through a weekend full of nerves in terms of each practice and qualifying, but instead you get to show up and race?CHASE ELLIOTT: It certainly takes a bunch, I guess, I don’t want to say complications out of it, but I guess just that time on track. It takes a lot of pieces away from the puzzle, right?           I don’t know that it’s good or bad. I mean, if you start the race on Sunday and your car’s off, Dang, I wish we had some practice. I wish we could have fixed this on Friday or Saturday. If you start the race on Sunday, your car is driving good, then no, you’re probably not happy with not having any.           I think it comes down to whether or not you hit your balance close to the race. If you do, you’re happy about it. If you don’t, you wish you had some more time.           Everybody is faced with the same rules and the same weekend schedule. We all kind of have the same opportunity, in my opinion. Kind of all depends on how you start the race.            Q. Do you know what car you’ll have this weekend? Will it have any significance? Has it run before or not?CHASE ELLIOTT: I have no idea. I have no idea what car we’re taking this weekend. They all look the exact same from where I sit unless I look over and see which number is says on the roll bar. I couldn’t tell you. Whatever car Alan chooses, is the best choice, I’ll have confidence in that decision and I’ll live with it either way.
           Q. After kind of breaking through the Round of 8 barrier, how did you celebrate?CHASE ELLIOTT: To be real honest, I came home and went to bed, just to be real clear on that. I would have loved to come home, had a few beers, whatever, hung out. Just kind of the way it worked out.           We had meetings Monday morning, obviously a big week of prep going into this last event. Really just kind of after the race tried to enjoy the moment, embrace it, recognize that situations and moments like that don’t happen every day. Really enjoy that. At the same time just get ready and think about Monday and what we’re going to talk about in our meetings looking ahead to Phoenix. 
           Q. I don’t know at your young age if you think much about legacy building. Toward that, how important do you think winning a championship is?CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, I mean, it’s a popular question, right? I don’t know because I’ve never done it. I hate to say that, but I just don’t. I think it’s one of those things where you don’t know. I don’t know what it feels like or the emotions of it or what it would bring or wouldn’t bring or whatever because I’ve never achieved that before.           I just think to be thinking about those things and not the things that are going to make our car go fast on Sunday is just the wrong, in my opinion, my approach right now, is the wrong thing.           I’m just all eyes. My mindset and focus is what is going to make you go fast. That is what matters on Sunday. That is going to be the thing that either gives you a chance or doesn’t. The rest of it right now just doesn’t matter. That’s where I’m at.
           Q. Certainly, you’ve raced before in these finales not being part of it. You’ve had to race the championship drivers with respect, give them room. Are you expecting to get that back now? Are you anticipating that other drivers who aren’t in the championship will give you some more room than they might usually?CHASE ELLIOTT: That’s a great question. I feel like the ones I’ve been a part of, I feel like I’ve really tried to let those guys fight it out, especially if those cars are good, which it seems like they have been in the fast, up front battling. I’ve tried to do that for sure.           I will say that I do feel like as the years have gone on, seems like the first year of this Final 4 thing, at least the first year I was a part of it, they didn’t want anything to do with those guys. Then it seems like as the years have gone on, people are just kind of running their race a little more.           I do think the respect is still there, but I do think there is a little bit more of a sense of those guys, the people that are not a part of the Final 4, running their event still.           You hope you get some respect. You hope those guys will give you that. Whether they will or won’t, I don’t know. Never done it. But we’ll find out. I do think the dynamic has changed a little bit as time has gone on. Hopefully we’re fast enough where it doesn’t matter.
           Q. You mentioned you weren’t interested in thinking about the favorites for this race. With where you stack up, some could argue you’re an underdog coming into this without a Championship 4 appearance before. Do you feel like that or not really coming off the momentum of your most recent win?CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, I mean, like I said, I just think it’s unproductive, right? What good does it do anybody to sit down and rank who they think… I guess if you’re in Vegas, it does those people some good, right? For me, I’m not betting this week in Vegas. I’m not laying any money down on trying to win or not.           I don’t care who the favorite is or who the underdog is. I just want to go, have a good run, try to win, achieve our goals.
           Q. Why do you think you could be this year’s champion?CHASE ELLIOTT: Well, I mean, I think for us, I feel like when we’ve been at our best, I feel like we’ve competed with the best in the series. I think if we do the right things, make the right calls throughout the week, the right adjustments and tweaks on the car from that first race, there’s no reason why I don’t think we can go and have a shot.
           Q. What sort of advice, if any, has Jimmie Johnson provided to you about this weekend? What will the time you spent together at Hendrick Motorsport mean to you?CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, Jimmie has been such a great friend for me, a great role model I think for just not me. The guy I feel like is a great example in a lot of different ways.           I think his message throughout the week is just do the things that kind of make you you. Now is not the time to try to reinvent the wheel or do things different, change who you are. Just go about your thing has you always have. That’s the kind of process that has led us to this point. There’s no need in changing who you are now. It’s one of those things that probably aren’t going to do you any good.
           Q. What has your time with Jimmie meant?CHASE ELLIOTT: Jimmie, like I said, such a great individual, person. But he’s a great guy. He’s a champion on the track and off the track. I think he’s made that very apparent over the years.           I’ve been very lucky and fortunate to call him a friend, have him to lean on in certain times. Yeah, I’m certainly going to miss him being around, being a part of our team all the time.
           Q. Last year there was some conversation regarding Championship 4 appearances being weighted as potentially more valuable in this specific era than championships themselves. Where do you stand on that in how valuable the appearances are versus the titles themselves?CHASE ELLIOTT: I mean, I’m not sure on that. I haven’t really thought about that a ton. One thing I know for sure is you can’t win a championship unless you’re part of the Final 4. That’s my response to that.           I don’t know what the correct answer is on the weight of it. I know with the way the rules are, the way this deal is, you’re not going to win one unless you’re part of the Final 4. That I know for a fact. 
           Q. Would you consider your season a success in making the Championship 4 or is it title or bust?CHASE ELLIOTT: Our season is not over, so we’ll find out Sunday.
           Q. What do you think is holding you back at Phoenix? What is it going to take for you to finally get over the hump there and claim the title on Sunday?CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, I think for us, that was a great win at Martinsville, a very timely win as I mentioned. It was a big deal, for sure. I think we all recognize that as a team.           Looking to Phoenix, I think what is going to make the difference out there is a good week of preparation, a good week of making the right decisions on the car, taking what we had there in the spring and tweaking on it, making it better. You’re not going to go back there with what we had in the spring and be good. Everybody is always getting better, always improving.           We want to do some of that and hopefully we can improve and be better than the rest.
           Q. Pit crew, talk about their performance all year, especially in the crucial moment at Martinsville, jackman comes out, avoided the penalty. How crucial was that?CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, I mean, T.J… Obviously, you want to eliminate those mistakes in general. That’s number one, right? Nobody wants to make any mistakes. If you do make a mistake, to have the awareness, to be able to do it that quick to be able to say, okay, hey, if I go reset myself, we’re going to avoid this penalty, that was huge. I’m not sure what clicked in his head to go do that.           I’m coming to the pit box. He’s trying to make his mind up whether he wants to go back. I’m about to run him over. He had to make that pretty quick and he had to execute it quick because I was coming in there not slow. Just one of those things to have to really commend his preparation and the coaches for teaching that, knowing what to do in that situation.
           Q. Back to a posting on Instagram where you said you were taking a break from social media. Do you think that played a role in getting over the hump in advancing to the Championship 4?CHASE ELLIOTT: I’m not sure that it played a role in advancing to the Final 4 or not. It was just really one of those things where I think I, like a lot of the world nowadays, we spend any split second of downtime looking at our phones, scrolling, seeing what Twitter has to offer, what Joe Blow and John Smith are doing in the middle of their day.           At the end of the day I just kind of felt like it might be good to give that a rest, just not care as much about what everybody else is doing, just be more productive and focus on more things that matter in your present life more so than on the phone. That’s kind of really where that came from.           It really didn’t have as much to do with the on‑track stuff as it did just me personally thinking that it would be a good change for a little while.
           Q. Dawsonville has been a good part of your life since your dad was racing. I want to be a little lighter here and talk about your memories there. Were you ever there and got to hear the siren when your dad won? What would it be like to have them sounding that siren, trying to break the thing Sunday night if you win?CHASE ELLIOTT: I’ve never been around for it. I’ve seen videos and stuff. It’s a really cool tradition. Gordon Pirkle is the guy that has owned the poolroom. That’s kind of been his thing. I think it’s cool of him to carry that tradition on, be able to still do that. I’m grateful for that. I think it’s a cool thing.           I would love for it to go off on Sunday. I certainly hope that’s the case. But, yeah, it’s a cool tradition. Fortunate that I’ve been lucky enough that they wanted to carry it on and want to keep doing it.
           Q. I’ve noticed some irony here going back to 1988 where the teams in baseball and basketball, the Dodgers and Lakers, have won titles in 2020. Back in 1988, I believe your dad Bill won a championship then. How cool would it be to be back in his footprints and go for a championship this year?CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, that’s a cool thing. I didn’t know that, for sure.           People ask that a lot, right? I feel like it’s so hard. I just remember getting the question of, What is it going to feel like when you win that first race? What is that going to be like? How cool is that going to be to you?           I always had a really hard time answering that because I’d never done it before. So I don’t know. I think that’s the same answer now. Until you achieve a moment like that, that obviously is very meaningful to you, I think it’s really hard to put a stamp of what it means or how it feels or the emotions that come with it. I think I’d be speaking out of turn to really give you an answer because I don’t know. I don’t know.           I hope that one day I can figure it out, but right now I don’t know. We’ll give it our best shot to find out.            THE MODERATOR: That’s all the time we have for Chase. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer question. Good luck this weekend.            CHASE ELLIOTT: Cool, yeah. Thanks. 

BATAVIA, Ohio (November 5, 2020) – The 2020 Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup – Presented by DirtonDirt.com goes to Tim McCreadie of Watertown, NY, after it slipped from him in 2019 by way of a tie breaker. The mini-series within the full Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series schedule consisted of events that paid a minimum of $15,000 to the winner.  “This is really cool to win, especially with the new Paylor Motorsports team, owned by Donald and Gena Bradsher. Crown Jewel events are important to our sport and it’s special to know we are able to ‘show up’ when money is on the line. I also want to thank Arizona Sport Shirts and DirtonDirt.com for giving us this opportunity for additional money,” McCreadie stated. He also wanted to thank Longhorn Chassis, Cornett Racing Engine, Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas, Bilstein Shocks, VP Fuels, Sweeteners Plus, D&E Marine, and Racing for Heroes. The Crown Jewel Cup program awarded points to drivers with perfect attendance throughout the season, at the eleven crown jewel events within the series schedule. With three wins in Crown Jewel Cup events; the 38th Annual Sunoco North South 100 at Florence Speedway, Al Belt Custom Homes I-80 Nationals at I-80 Speedway, and the 41st Annual Jackson 100 at Brownstown Speedway, McCreadie will receive a bonus check for $10,000 from Arizona Sport Shirts and DirtonDirt.com. McCreadie also had seven top five finishes and eight top ten finishes in crown jewel events.  Last year’s Crown Jewel Cup Winner, Jimmy Owens, finished out the year with five top five finishes and seven top ten finishes. Owens finished second in the Crown Jewel Cup standings and will take home $5,000. Third through fifth, also receiving cash prizes – Josh Richards $3,000, Earl Pearson Jr $2,000, and Tyler Erb $1,000.

Richard Childress Racing at Phoenix Raceway … In 125 starts at Phoenix Raceway, Richard Childress Racing has scored six victories with drivers Ryan Newman (2017), Kevin Harvick (2013, 2012, Mar. 2006, Nov. 2006) and Dale Earnhardt (1990). The Welcome, N.C. organization has also found success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with three wins by drivers Elliott Sadler (2012), Clint Bowyer (2007) and Kevin Harvick (2006).  Catch the Action … The NASCAR Xfinity Series Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200 at Phoenix Raceway will be televised live Saturday, November 7, beginning at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  The NASCAR Cup Series Finale 500 at Phoenix Raceway will be televised live Sunday, November 8, beginning at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

This Week’s Dow Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Phoenix Raceway … Dillon has 13 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Phoenix Raceway to his credit, earning two top-10 finishes. He earned his best finish of eighth at the track in November 2018.Dow brings a science and engineering crew who is driven by limitless curiosity to the RCR Team …Austin Dillon and the RCR team are again supported by Dow’s materials science expertise and technologies this season. Backed by the power of data analysis and virtual modeling, Dow develops and manufactures high-performance components and materials custom-made for the No. 3 car. Dow and RCR’s partnership has expedited innovation and shortened testing time in the automotive industry by recreating in the lab one of the most extreme environments – the racetrack. After 7 years of collaboration, Dow scientists and RCR engineers are continuing to work together to make the No. 3 car faster, safer and more precise. Stay up to date with Dow’s exciting developments at www.dow.com/sports and follow us on Twitter @DowSports & @DowNewsroom. AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:Phoenix Raceway serves as the Championship race this season, taking over that finale from Homestead-Miami Speedway. What are your thoughts on that?“It’s hard to recreate what Homestead-Miami Speedway has been able to do for our championship race the last couple of years so Phoenix Raceway has a lot to live up to, but I feel like it being a short track and a place where guys can get to each other, it should be a good race and I’m excited to see what it can deliver. Martinsville definitely did not disappoint from a fan perspective, so I feel like everyone tuning in will be able to experience a good race. I personally like racing at Phoenix Raceway. We had a really fast car at Phoenix in the spring but ended up crashing out early with a cut tire. Still, we were able to gather a little bit of a notebook and I think we will be fast this weekend so that we can finish our season off strong.”

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 I Am Second Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Phoenix Raceway … This weekend marks Tyler Reddick’s second NASCAR Cup Series start at Phoenix Raceway. Reddick was on track for a strong finish during this year’s spring event at Phoenix, racing as high as second and mainly in the top-five before a tire issue took him out of the race early during the final stage. Reddick also has five previous NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the milelong track, finishing third in both races last year and collecting two top-10 finishes in 2018. He also has three NASCAR Truck Series starts and two top-10 finishes at Phoenix Raceway. About I Am Second … I Am Second is a non-profit that ignites hope and inspires people to live for something greater than themselves. Launched in 2008, the iamsecond.com website features more than 100 powerful short films of athletes, actors, models, musicians, cultural influencers and everyday people who have found hope through a relationship with Jesus. Watch their stories and find out more at  iamsecond.com.TYLER REDDICK QUOTE: You had a fast No. 8 I Am Second Chevrolet the last time we were at Phoenix Raceway before tire issues took you out of the race early. What are your expectations for this weekend’s return to the track?“Phoenix Raceway was a bit of a surprise for me this year. It’s a track I still find really tricky to figure out, but my team worked hard all throughout that weekend to really dial in the handling of our No. 8 I Am Second Chevrolet, and it paid off for the race. The traction compound that weekend worked really well to open up another groove on the track surface, so I’m hoping that has the same effect this time around. We’re going back there with the same set-up since it ran so well, so I’m optimistic that we can have another really good run this weekend. It would be great to put together a solid race to close out our season on a high note.”

This Week’s No. 21 TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro at Phoenix Raceway… Myatt Snider will strap into the No. 21 TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro for the final time of the 2020 season this weekend at Phoenix Raceway. Snider made his first Phoenix Raceway start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series earlier this season. The Charlotte native also has two career NASCAR Truck Series starts at the one-mile raceway in 2016 and 2018. 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 QUOTEYou made your first Phoenix Raceway start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series earlier this season. Is there anything you can take away from that race and apply it to be better this weekend? “Yeah, absolutely. Any previous experience is important at the racetrack, especially this year since we don’t have any practice or qualifying to lean on. My crew chief, Andy Street, and my entire Richard Childress Racing team have spent a lot of time preparing for this week. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do as a team this time around. I feel like I’ve learned and matured a lot as a driver this year, so I’m looking forward to finishing out the season strong this weeke

November 5, 2020

On Sunday afternoon at Phoenix Raceway, the NASCAR Cup Series season, dramatically altered by a once-in-a-century pandemic, will come to an end with the running of the Season Finale 500.

For Matt DiBenedetto and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team, it’s been a year of learning each other and overcoming obstacles.
 
After racing resumed following a break due to the coronavirus, new NASCAR rules cut out practice and qualifying for all but one race – at Charlotte Motor Speedway. That made it tough for DiBenedetto and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team as they navigated their first season together.
 
“We had a lot thrown at us, and it was especially hard on us being a new group,” DiBenedetto said. “There are a lot of things we would have learned in practice and been able to apply to the car in a normal year. Instead, we had to learn during the race.
 
“We still made the Playoffs, had a lot of success, especially in the latter part of the season.”
 
DiBenedetto and the No. 21 team have turned in some strong numbers over the course of the season. They scored three top-three finishes and 10 top-10s. They scored 107 Stage points, and enter this weekend’s season finale 14^th in the points standings, just 11 markers behind 12^th place. DiBenedetto’s previous best finish in the final points standings was 22^nd, before he joined the Wood Brothers team.
 
He said this season’s performance has him already looking forward to 2021.
 
“As a team we’re just now getting on the same page,” he said. “We’re meshing better, and now we are able to turn bad days into good solid runs. That’s what strong teams do.
 
“We’ll be way, way further ahead when we start next season.”
 
The 2020 season also saw DiBenedetto sign up to drive the No. 21 Mustang for 2021, and he said he has one main goal in mind for the upcoming year.
 
“I want to get the Wood Brothers their 100^th win and some more as well,” he said. “I want that 100^th win more than anything. The Woods are a great family, and it’s a great honor to drive for them – a dream come true.

 “I will remember this time for the rest of my life.”
 
But before DiBenedetto and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team turn their attention to 2021, there’s still Sunday’s 312-miler at Phoenix to run.
 
“Phoenix is one of my favorite tracks,” said DiBenedetto, who will start 12th. “It’s kind of a short track. We’ll run the low-downforce, high-horsepower package, and I enjoy those races the most.”
 
He said he’s heartened by the speed the No. 21 Mustang had at Phoenix back in March, when he finished 13^th.
 
“We had a fast car, but we didn’t quite keep up with the adjustments,” he said. “We have lots to build on from the spring. It’s a good place for us.”
 
Sunday’s 500-kilometer race is set to get the green flag just after 3 p.m. Eastern Time with TV coverage on NBC.
 

Nov 4, 2020 | Featured, Julie Nataas, Megan Meyer, Race Results

When it was all said and done at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Randy Meyer Racing showed up and showed out in the national points with Megan Meyer claiming her second Top Alcohol Dragster championship and Julie Nataas coming in third in the national point standings. 

Going into raceday, Megan Meyer lead the Randy Meyer Racing team with a No. 1 qualifying spot with a 5.203-second pass at 271.79 for her first time competing in Las Vegas; Nataas was qualified No. 8 with a 5.360, 268.17.

First round, Meyer had a first-time eliminations matchup against Johnny Ahten. When the tree dropped, Ahten’s dragster did not break the beams and Meyer went straight down the track with a 5.153, 280.02 for the win. Nataas had a first round matchup against Steve Griboski and like Meyer’s pair, this was the first time this duo raced each other in eliminations. Nataas took the win with a 5.367, 260.56 to Griboski’s troubled 9161, 120.34. 

Second round, Nataas and Meyer were set to face-off in the quarterfinals but in the previous round, Nataas’ engine broke and with no spare motor to put in, Meyer was given the competition bye. Meyer clicked it off early and coasted to the finish line with a 5.490, 199.85.

In the semifinals, Meyer and competitor Jackie Fricke left almost identical on the tree and with .002-seconds advantage on the tree over Fricke, Meyer never trailed for the win as she clocked in with a 5.201, 278.00 to Fricke’s 5.278, 273.16.

In probably the biggest race of her career, it was a winner-take-all scenario for Megan Meyer as she lined up against Joey Severance. To win the national championship, she needed to win the 20th annual Dodge NHRA Finals presented by Pennzoil or Shawn Cowie would be crowned the new champion. 

Coming into the final round with a 5 – 2 advantage over Severance in prior events and tied with two wins each in final rounds, the Randy Meyer-tuned team turned up the wick for all the glory and the championship. 

Severance had the starting line advantage over Meyer but when his dragster went silent down track, she turned on the win light and solidified her second world championship all in one go. Meyer clocked in with a 5.200, 281.07 to Severance’s 7.126, 128.70.

This final round victory was Meyer’s third national event win in 2020 and 13th in her career, she is still the winningest female driver in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

“This Championship is all for my parents, JJ, and Roy who have done so much work to get this NGK Spark Plugs car to be the best it’s ever been!!” said Megan. “These guys do all the work they are the champions they deserve this so much. I’m going to miss the people and the competition the most, the fact that Shawn helped out Joey to get to the finals proves how much we are one big family here. We may fight tooth and nail on the track, but in the pits and after the races are over, we are in this together.

“It was a full circle moment for me getting to race Joey in my final run of my career, being able to race against the guy that has been the Champ almost the entire time I have been racing in Top Alcohol Dragster just goes to show how much progress my team has made over the past couple of years, all the hard work and time and money that they’ve put into this car. I just have so much gratitude for every single person on here, I’m grateful for all the supporters and the people that have become some of my closest friends through racing, and I am especially grateful for my haters, thank you for making me step up my game, thank you for making me better, stronger, faster.

“And for one last time I want to thank NGK Spark Plugs, Lucas Oil Products, Technician.Academy Gunk, Jiffy-Tite Connectors, ARP Bolts, Aeromotive & Waterman fuel pumps, Weld Wheels, and so many more for helping me out along the way. Some have been with me ever since I started racing Junior Dragster 17 years ago. Without their parts and funding it would not be possible at all for us to be the record holder and 2x World Champs. And of course thank you to NHRA and the Safety Safari team for putting on such a great sport for us to compete in, I am very excited about my next season of life and I am grateful for ending it on top. I just want everyone to remember that I am stepping away for my own reasons. I want to give 100% of my time and effort to my marriage and to my future children. I’m just so thankful for all of the opportunities that I’ve had over the years representing the Randy Meyer Racing Team.”

Dominic Scelzi Produces Top-Five Performance During Tom Tarlton Classic

Inside Line Promotions – HANFORD, Calif. (Nov. 4, 2020) – Dominic Scelzi posted his 18^th top-five outing of the season last Friday during the inaugural Tom Tarlton Classic.

Scelzi piloted his family owned car during the event at Keller Auto Speedway, where he opened the night by qualifying eighth quickest out of the 30 competitors. The heat race inversion put him on the outside of the front row, side by side with Kyle Larson.

“It was greasy for qualifying and when I qualified I was second quickest, but the track got faster and we weren’t able to keep that time,” Scelzi said. “We ended eighth quickest, which put us on the front row in the heat. I had a good start. Kyle slid me into turn one and I was able to turn underneath him. We won the heat race, which was great.”

Scelzi’s heat race triumph earned a spot into the dash. He then gained a position to finish second, which lined him up on the front row for the A Main. Dash winner Carson Macedo got lane choice and chose the outside lane for the initial start of the main event.

The top lane prevailed throughout the race. Scelzi rode in second early before he began searching the track in an effort to find a way to pass for the lead.

“I was getting really good restarts, but Macedo was way faster than everyone else,” he said. “I tried to slide him into turn one and he drove around me. I got tight against the cushion, which allowed Kyle and Brad (Sweet) to get by me.”

Scelzi finished fourth.

The season concludes this Friday and Saturday at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, N.C., during the World of Outlaws Last Call with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series. Scelzi will drive for Roth Motorsports at the event. It marks his first time racing at The Dirt Track at Charlotte since May 2019 and only his third visit to the oval.

“I’m excited to head to North Carolina and get more laps at The Dirt Track at Charlotte,” he said. “Hopefully we can put together a strong weekend to wrap up the season on a positive note.”

ZOOM TRANSCRIPTComments from Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor

Corvette Racing drivers Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor (No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R) met with members of the media during a Zoom conference call Tuesday to discuss clinching the GT Le Mans (GTLM) Drivers title in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the development of the first-year C8.R and next week’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, among other topics. FULL TRANSCRIPT: ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.RON WINNING THE GTLM TITLE:“It wasn’t very easy. First of all, we started with the toughest race of the year in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. We obviously didn’t run a perfect race and didn’t win it. We came out with fourth place, which was good points for the C8.R in its first race. After that was when the COVID situation hit, right before Sebring. Up to that point, we had tested at Sebring in February in order to improve our car from Daytona. When the lockdown happened, we still improved a lot and didn’t lose any time waiting for the next race. We as a team kept preparing our cars and developing new things that needed to be done. All the work that the mechanics, the engineers and everyone did worked out because the first race after lockdown, we started winning. I don’t know if it helped us not running a normal season – the Sebring 12 Hours, Long Beach and so on. Maybe in a normal situation we wouldn’t have had the same amount of time to prep the cars toward the rest of the season. It’s been a very difficult and unique season. After the restart, the team didn’t have any time to really do anything else; we went race to race and couldn’t develop anything else… just some simulator work. Corvette Racing did an outstanding job at that. We kept the momentum going. I don’t know if the other manufacturers had time to react, but for us it has been close to a perfect season. Winning five races already with one to go is very, very remarkable – probably my best ever season. Let’s see where we end up, but hopefully we can win one more at Sebring.” DOES CLINCHING THE CHAMPIONSHIP CHANGE THE OUTLOOK FOR SEBRING:“We knew we had locked down the championship after Petit Le Mans. But Jordan and I were very careful with that because we knew all we had to do was start the last two races. Before this year, it would have been a no-brainer and easy to do. But in this COVID period, it’s risky to think that. You can get unlucky, become sick and then you’re not able to compete. I was very, very stressed about that. These are the new things you need to consider. But now it’s a relief that we are champions. When we hit the track at Sebring, that will be out of our heads because the championship is locked up. So I’m glad the championship is decided before Sebring.“Knowing that we only needed to start the race, maybe the approach to Sebring would have been different. But now that we are champions, we can go back to a normal Sebring mindset. It’s usually the second race of the year, and no one would think about the championship that early. So we are back to that normal preparation. This race is later in the year, so the night period will be longer and temperatures are going to be lower. Those will be things we need to react to. Considering most of this year has been that way, it’s back to a normal race mindset and less question marks as we go into the race.” COMPARING THE CORVETTE C8.R VS. THE PREVIOUS C7.R, AND AT WHAT POINT WAS A CHAMPIONSHIP POSSIBLE?“I probably thought about it at the Rolex 24. In every single aspect, this car is better than the C7.R. That car was very old and we couldn’t really develop anything new. So while we saw the newer competition get better and better, we were kind of stuck. At the Rolex, I saw the potential of the C8.R and knew that once we fixed some issues from that race, the car would be very strong. Right after the lockdown, the step forward at Daytona and Sebring was huge – on tire degradation and the way the car reacts to every single thing we do. It’s better everywhere. We are still kind of early with this car, so we need to run every single racetrack so when we come back next year we can improve on what we have done this year. Obviously the starting point we had with the C8.R was already a big step forward.” ON PERSONNEL CHANGES WITHIN THE TEAM:“It was very different. After the lockdown, the 3 car side went upside-down on many team members. Our regular engineer Kyle (Millay) moved to a different position (chief engineer). Our new race engineer John (Lankes) stepped in, so there was a shift on the engineering side. It was the same on the car side where Dan Binks wasn’t there but we had Dave (Marin) come over from the 4 car as our car chief. There weren’t new members because they were already on the team, but there were a lot of people reassigned within the team as part of the preparation done during the lockdown. Initially it was very hard because the combination we previously had on the 3 car between Kyle and I was very strong. The work system was way easier because he knew me and I knew him. So we had to develop new relationships between engineers and us as drivers, and it was the same with the mechanics. As everyone saw, we seem to work really, really well. Race by race, we kept improving. There were little things we needed to address, and so far it’s all been very good. So the 3 car was completely new with Jordan joining but also a big shift in personnel and in a good direction. I’m very happy and grateful for these changes. Now we see the end result.” JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.RON THE MOVE FROM PROTOTYPES TO GTLM AND WINNING A CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE FIRST YEAR:“It means a lot. When I made the move from GT to prototype in 2013, I was disappointed to move away from GT racing and not win a championship. We finished second in 2011 in the GRAND-AM GT points and one point off a championship. I always loved GT racing, so it was a missing point in my career on the championship side of things. It definitely was on my radar to get back to GT racing, and having the relationship with Corvette Racing all those years as a third driver… to have that come full-circle and be a full-time driver was a huge honor to get that ask last year. Coming in with a new car in the C8.R, there were a lot of question marks and it was a big unknown jumping in. Having seen what Corvette Racing has done in the past with C6.R, C7.R and now C8.R, they always come out strong. This is the most unique car where a lot of it was designed in the simulation process on computers, proven in the Chevrolet simulator and developed that way before it hit the track. A fourth-place at Daytona may not have looked fantastic, but for a brand new car to come out and be that strong and competitive out of the box was huge. It gave a lot of people some confidence heading into the rest of the year. The pandemic shutdown gave us extra time to do our homework and some extra time for the crew to work on the car when they were allowed to, and for us as drivers to do more time in the simulator to develop it. That time and the preparation from all the guys really is what made our year so successful with the limited track time we had. Big thanks to everyone. Obviously it was great to drive with Antonio all year. He’s someone I’ve always wanted to be with for a full season and learn from. I definitely learned a lot, and thankfully everything worked out. Definitely, the Sebring 12 Hours is still high on the list for us to try and win.” WOULD THE OUTCOME HAVE BEEN THE SAME WITHOUT THE COVID SHUTDOWN:“It’s hard to say. The shutdown definitely didn’t hurt us in having that extra time, plus going back to Daytona after having a 24-hour race there. We did a two-day test at Sebring right after the Rolex 24, so I think we would have been ready for the 12 Hours but it still would have been an unknown. When we did go there for the sprint race, we were competitive. It’s hard to say what in the season would have been different having tracks like Watkins Glen and (Canadian Tire Motorsport Park) on the calendar, which we missed out on plus Long Beach. Those were tracks the C8.R hadn’t been to, but looking at how we ran at Charlotte and some places we didn’t expect to go to and how strong we were, I’d like to say we would have had a similar outcome. But I’m glad things have gone the way they have.” WHO TO PULL FOR IN THE PROTOTYPE CHAMPIONSHIP: BROTHER OR DAD:“I’d better be careful what I say! I haven’t finished the past two races so I was able to watch both finishes. Watching our car is stressful, and watching them is stressful. It’s not really fun watching them race, especially going to Sebring where they are separated by a couple of points. It’ll be good and it’s be great for the fans. If I were watching as a fan, this is exactly what I’d want. You want the championship to come down to the wire. It should be a good fight. They’re both strong at Sebring. We (Wayne Taylor Racing) won there in 2017, and the Penske cars are always strong there. It will be a good fight. I don’t think I could pick one over the other, otherwise I’ll get in pretty big trouble, especially that it’s my brother in an Acura and my dad with a Cadillac! So maybe I’ll be politically correct and pull for the Cadillac.”

NASCAR CUP SERIESnPHOENIX RACEWAY SEASON FINALE 500 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT NOVEMBER 2, 2020 

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF FOR THE NO. 9 HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, AND JEFF ANDREWS, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER FOR HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS, met with media via teleconference to discuss the anticipation leading into the Championship Four race weekend at Phoenix Raceway, what it takes to prepare for Chase Elliott’s first appearance in the Championship Four, and more. Full Transcript:  THE MODERATOR: We are now going to be joined by Alan Gustafson and Jeff Andrews.           We will go ahead and start questions.            Q. Alan, this is Jimmie’s last race. I’m curious if there’s anything that he did or that the team did that you tried to emulate, especially in this kind of championship run?ALAN GUSTAFSON: Wow, that’s a great question.           Yeah, I try to be like Jimmie Johnson every day. He’s a really amazing individual, competitor. To think about one thing, it’s hard to say. But I think his tenacity, his never‑say‑die attitude is probably the biggest thing.           I can remember he told me a story one time. We were at Kansas Speedway. He was in the middle of his runs of the championships. I can’t remember what circumstance we were. We were racing. He said one of the biggest lessons he learned in his career, he started the Chase off really bad, I don’t know if they had crashes or DNF’s, thought they were out of it. He started racing with reckless abandon and ultimately won that championship. He was just describing the fact that you’re never out of it and you’ve got to race every race like it’s your last.           That stuck with me for a long time. It was a great lesson. That’s something that I’ll remember. I think his tenacity, just never‑say‑die attitude, his willingness to just cut loose and race as hard as he can race.            Q. Alan, how important was it to get a Hendrick and a Chevrolet into the finals? It had been a long drought since Jimmie’s last title?ALAN GUSTAFSON: To me, yeah, I think it’s important. It’s always important. It’s what we do, right? I don’t know, this year specifically, I can’t say for Jeff, but for me, I just felt like we’ve been right on the cusp for so many years the last three years or so, we needed to get over the edge. You keep swinging at ’em, keep swinging at ’em, finally hit one.           Yeah, I think it was time. Certainly, there was some urgency from Mr. Hendrick, from Chevrolet, that we needed to be represented in the championship. I would say every year’s important, but certainly the one you’re in is the most.            JEFF ANDREWS: I think Alan answered the question well. Certainly, for Chevrolet we’ve consistently gotten to that Round of 8. Getting past that point into the Round of 4 has been very important for Mr. Royce and Jim Campbell and everybody at Chevrolet to get a car to Phoenix, compete for a championship. We were excited to do that, be a part of that for them.           Certainly, part of a greater effort in general from Chevrolet here in the last two years to get these teams together, specifically the Childress and Hendrick and Ganassi groups, get everybody working together on different initiatives, different projects, talking to each other.           I think what’s happened here in the last eight or nine weeks have been a culmination of that. There’s been a lot of working together to accomplish this goal of getting a car to Phoenix, so…            Q. Did you feel that sense of urgency from Mr. H that Alan mentioned?JEFF ANDREWS: Absolutely. We left last year all very disappointed, and Mr. Hendrick let us know that he was disappointed. It was essentially one of our worst years in quite some time from a points position.           I don’t want to say there’s nothing worse, but in the past we’d go down to Homestead, to go down there and not be part of that, it’s just a totally different feeling after having been a part of it for so many years. To go down there, just kind of not be a part of that, go down there to run a race and be competitive, but for Mr. Hendrick as well, to put him back in the middle of that, we’re awful proud.           He’s been on the phone all night long. I was getting texts, I’m sure Alan was, at 1:30, 10 minutes to 2 last night. He’s excited. He’s pumped up. We’re happy to go down there, go to Phoenix and fight for him for that.            Q. Jeff, how evenly matched are the four that are competing for the championship, would you say?JEFF ANDREWS: I think it’s an interesting question. I mean, certainly the Penske Fords have been good at that track, talking specifically about Phoenix. No doubt they will be good.           I think from our perspective, when we saw the schedule change, saw we were going to end up at Phoenix for the finale, I think we felt all along obviously we wanted to get a car there, but certainly knowing how Chase runs there, how good he and Alan are there, have been there in the past, that was one that came up on our radar pretty quick.           If we could get to Phoenix, I don’t even want to say we’ve got a shot, we are legitimate contenders. Alan and Chase run very well there. We’re excited to get out there.           Obviously I think the 11 car’s record speaks for itself through the years here. Personally, I’m excited we’re in it, of course. I think we’ve got a great Final 4 going into the Phoenix weekend. I think it’s going to be a great show.            Q. Jeff, you wanted all the Hendrick cars in. Is there any advantage to not being like Logano and Keselowski where you have to race a teammate when there’s only four running for a championship?JEFF ANDREWS: I don’t know that there’s an advantage. Obviously our shop and Alan and the 9 team and those racecars, engines and things, are going to get a lot of attention here in the next three to four days. Not that we would have treated it differently. Given everything that’s on the line, sure there is going to be an extra effort here and long nights before we send haulers out the door on Thursday evening.           Yeah, I think certainly having a multitude of cars in obviously helps your chances when you’re there at the racetrack. Having one car in, certainly we have a lot of focus now, a lot of resources to put towards that one car here.            Q. Jeff, obviously after this weekend this will be Knaus’ final race before he steps into his new role. What legacy does he leave behind as a crew chief?JEFF ANDREWS: Well, I think he leaves behind probably one of the greatest that will ever sit on top a pit box from his wins and accomplishments. I think for us, the people that work day in and day out with Chad, I mean, he’s an extremely strong leader. He has thrived at putting a young group of guys together, young drivers, putting a goal in front of them, building a true team environment. That’s something that Chad is really, really good at, in motivating his guys.           From our perspective, we hate to lose that depth on top of the pit box, kind of that strength in building a team. But certainly, that’s a trait that he’s going to bring to us out in the shops, putting groups together, making our group in the shop and making our competition group stronger, getting them focused, getting better racecars at the end of the day to Alan and the teams to go race with.            Q. Alan, this is your first appearance in the Championship 4. What do you think this week is going to be like, this weekend for you going into the race, maybe not knowing how this has worked before, what the experience is going to be like?ALAN GUSTAFSON: Yeah, it’s not my first actually. It’s my second.            Q. My bad. My notes are wrong. First with Chase then. What can your experience bring to Chase as he now shifts from an emotional race at Martinsville going into his first championship contention?ALAN GUSTAFSON: Yeah, I don’t think you can really be prepared for it until you go through it. It’s certainly a different situation. He’s raced to transfer into the Final 8. He’s been in the Round of 8 now I guess, I don’t know, for the last three years or four years. He knows what it’s like to be in kind of that must‑win situation.           This is really no different. There’s a lot of focus on the four cars. That’s the majority of the focus from the press and the media and the TV and everybody around. Ultimately you’ve got to win. You don’t have to win, but most likely you’re going to have to win to be the champion.           There’s a lot of pressure that went through that. Going through this weekend, we can help prepare him for it. Yeah, it’s a unique experience. I think you have to go through it to really understand it and learn how to manage it.            Q. Alan, with all the years you’ve served as crew chief, you’ve competed against these other crew chiefs, maybe not Gabehart, but as you study yourself, any competitor studies their competition, is there anything that you’ve seen out of those three guys through the years of competing with them that you picked anything up or pushed you a little bit more to help you become even more successful?ALAN GUSTAFSON: Yeah, I think all of them are very talented guys. Off the top of my head, I’ve probably had the most battles or many situations with Paul. Paul is obviously very successful, has done a great job.           I think each one of the crew chiefs have their strengths, each one of the teams have their strengths, and they’re all different. Each competitor has a different area that they excel at. It’s going to be all about who can optimize their strengths the most, shield their weaknesses the most. It’s going to be an interesting part of the dynamic.           I think everybody kind of has tendencies, they have strengths and weaknesses. I think we all know what those are. We’ll do the best we can to compete and take advantage of them.           Yeah, I have a lot of respect for all those guys. Certainly, it’s extremely difficult to get here. You can’t do it unless you’re at the top of your game. Certainly, going to be great competition and looking forward to it.             THE MODERATOR: Alan, Jeff, thank you guys for joining us. We wish you the best of luck this weekend.             JEFF ANDREWS: Thank you.             ALAN GUSTAFSON: Thank you. 

Houston native sets mark for most championships by a female driverLAS VEGAS (Nov. 2, 2020) – First female with four championships has a nice ring, but it wasn’t top of mind for Erica Enders entering what appeared to be a normal National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series season.
But because of COVID-19, nothing has been normal. Two races were in the books when racing was halted until July because of the novel coronavirus. Now, nearly nine months and only 10 Pro Stock races later, Enders can wrap her mind around earning the distinction.
The Houston native, driving the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS, added to her 2019, 2015 and 2014 Pro Stock championships in the Dodge NHRA Finals presented by Pennzoil at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Enders overtook Shirley Muldowney, who won Top Fuel titles in 1977, ’80 and ’82, and Angelle Sampey with Pro Stock Motorcycle championships in 2000, 2001 and ’02. A year earlier at Las Vegas, Enders earned the 150th professional category victory for a female driver. In 298 career races, she has 29 wins and 349 elimination-round victories.
“Shirley Muldowney and Angelle Sampey mean a lot to me and I’m in good company with them,” said Enders, who picked up her first Pro Stock Wally in 2012 at Chicago.
Enders also joined Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), Don Prudhomme (Funny Car), Gary Scelzi (Top Fuel/Funny Car), Lee Shepherd (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) with four titles on the all-time list.
No one was as dominant in the 2014 and ’15 seasons as Enders, who won 15 races on the way to back-to-back Pro Stock world championships. In 24 races in 2015, Enders qualified No. 1 six times and started from the top half of the field 22 times in her Camaro. Two wins in the six-event Countdown to the Championship spurred Enders to the 2019 championship.
This season, Enders won the second race (Phoenix). Victories at Indianapolis and St. Louis followed the long layoff. She entered the finale with a 55-point lead over Jason Line and Jeg Coughlin Jr., who promptly lost their first-round matchups that handed Enders the championship. She raced to the final, defeating Kyle Koretsky’s Chevrolet Camaro for her series-high fourth victory.
“What an unbelievable day,” said Enders, who won for the sixth time at The Strip. “This place has been so good to me but I couldn’t do it without my team. I’ve not had the best year, but this is a lesson that you dig deep, you fight and pray with all the heart you have every single chase you get because you never know when it’s your last. 
“Richard Freeman gave me this opportunity and I’m a blessed girl.” 

November 2, 2020

After running in mid-pack for most of Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team worked on their Mustang, hit on some speed and surged forward to finish 10^th. It was their second-straight top-10 and their 10^th of 2020.

DiBenedetto started the 500-lapper at the Wood Brothers’ home track from 12^th place, and ran mostly inside the top 15 for the first Stage before ending that run in 16^th place.
 
In Stage Two, it was more of the same as he once again finished 16^th. 
 
Then, as the third segment of the race began to unfold, the situation began to improve. With 135 laps to go, DiBenedetto moved into 14^th place. Three laps later he was 13^th, and with 70 laps to go he was 12^th.

With 47 laps remaining, he moved into the top 10 and except for a couple of exchanges, ran there until the checkered flag fell.

“We kind of missed it on the set-up,” DiBenedetto said. “There were some things we would have changed if we had practice, so we were kind of stuck with what we had.
 
“But, in what I’d call a “blue-collar day’ we worked on the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang, got it the best it could be and got a top-10 out of it.”
 
DiBenedetto said that’s what a good race team needs to do.

 “When you can have what looks like it’s going to be a bad day and make a top-10 out of it, it shows the progress we’re making with this team,” he said. “We’re getting better.”
 
With Sunday’s race setting the field for the Championship Round of the Playoffs, DiBenedetto said he had to be careful racing around drivers trying to advance in the playoffs.

“I tried to be really aware of their situations,” he said, adding that there are risks to his team in racing around drivers in desperate circumstances. “I didn’t want to do something that would mess up our day, and I also didn’t want to interfere with the outcome of the playoff battle.”
 
The No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang did have some close calls, including one at the finish line when Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch spun as Harvick made a last-ditch attempt to secure a spot in the final four. DiBenedetto moved high, then low, to motor by Harvick and preserve his top-10 finish.
 
“There was a lot of smoke when I came off Turn Four, but I was able to get by him,” he said.
 
DiBenedetto and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team remain 14^th in the Cup Series points standings, one point behind William Byron in 13^th place and 11 points behind 12^th-place Clint Bowyer.
 
The finish at Martinsville, specifically the runner-up run by Ryan Blaney, clinched the 2020 Manufacturers’ Championship for Ford Motor Company. It was Ford’s second crown in three years, and it’s the first for the Mustang since it joined the Cup Series last year. Mustang drivers have 18 wins so far this season and have one more chance in next Sunday’s season finale at Phoenix Raceway.
 
Eddie Wood said he salutes all the drivers and teams that were a part of the championship effort. 
 
“It’s a great accomplishment, and with two Team Penske Mustang drivers in the Final Four at Phoenix, hopefully there will be another big trophy in the Ford camp a week from now,” he said.
 

• Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) driver Matt Hagan earns 2020 Funny Car World Championship aboard his “demon-possessed” Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye and wraps up the 2020 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Drag Racing Series season with a win at the Dodge NHRA Finals
• Hagan won his third career Funny Car world championship and took home his third Wally trophy of the season
• DSR drivers Hagan, Tommy Johnson Jr., Jack Beckman and Ron Capps dominated the Funny Car class to finish 1-2-3-4 and combined for a NHRA season sweep by winning all 11 national events
• A DSR Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car won every race of the 2020 NHRA season and extended the team’s undefeated streak to a record 14 consecutive victories since October 2019
• Hagan earned his 35th career win against No. 1 qualifier Ron Capps in the seventh head-to-head Dodge final round battle of the year
• Leah Pruett drives Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Top Fuel dragster across the 2020 season finish line to a fourth place finish in championship for a third straight year
• Mark Pawuk wheels his Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak to a third-place result in the 2020 Factory Stock Showdown championship
  

November 1, 2020, Las Vegas, Nevada – Matt Hagan and his “demon-possessed” Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye have earned the 2020 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Drag Racing Series Funny Car World Championship title and the national event win at the season-ending Dodge NHRA Finals Presented by Pennzoil in Las Vegas. It is Hagan’s third championship crown after title wins in 2011 and 2014 and the sixth Funny Car class victory for the Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) team in 18 years.

From the No. 2 position on the eliminations ladder, Hagan earned his third Wally trophy of the year in a season dominated by the DSR stable of HEMI®-powered Funny Cars. The DSR foursome of Hagan, Tommy Johnson Jr., Jack Beckman and Ron Capps finished 1-2-3-4 atop the Funny Car standings and combined for a NHRA season “sweep” in which a Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat won every national event to extend the team’s undefeated streak to a record 14 consecutive victories since October 2019.

“It’s been just an unbelievable season,” said Hagan. “My guys have put an unbelievable car behind me with Pennzoil, Dodge SRT and Mopar. Everybody who supports us. It’s great to win for Camping World and their first championship. My guys have worked so hard all season long. I can’t say enough about them and thank them. Three wins, a championship, it’s just special. I can’t wait for next season.”

“To have Matt Hagan win the championship at the Dodge NHRA Finals and cap off it off with an undefeated season and record 14th straight victory is a testament to the team’s hard work and the pure performance of the Charger SRT Hellcat,” said Tim Kuniskis, Head of Global Head of Alfa Romeo and Head of Passenger Cars – Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA – North America. “It is really satisfying to watch our quickest, fastest and most powerful production vehicles represented so well on the race track.”

“On behalf of all of us at Mopar, congratulations to Matt Hagan on a well-deserved third NHRA World Championship and a dominating performance in Funny Car competition this season,” said Mark Bosanac, Head of Mopar Service, Parts and Customer Care for FCA – North America. “Reflecting on Mopar’s long-standing involvement in the NHRA, including 18 successful years in partnership with Don Schumacher, we take great pride in this title win.”  

With a two-round lead over his closest championship challengers, teammates Johnson and Beckman, Hagan clinched the crown after wins over Cruz Pedregon and Paul Lee in the first two rounds and just prior to staging his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye for his semifinal match-up against Alexis DeJoria. The deal was sealed after Beckman was upset in the opening round against Paul Lee and No. 1 qualifier Capps defeated Johnson as the first semifinal pair to take the track.

With the 2020 Funny Car championship secured, all that was left to determine was who would take home the Dodge NHRA Finals Wally trophy as Hagan and Capps lined up for the seventh head-to-head Hellcat final round battle of the year. 

While Capps had the early lead his efforts went up in smoke at half-track as Hagan took his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat for a solid 3.914-second final lap to earn his 36th career victory and defend his 2019 win at The Strip at Las Vegas Speedway and tie the NHRA reco

“Dodge and the DSR fab shop, they’ve put a great race car underneath us,” said Hagan. “My crew chief Dickie Venables, I can’t say enough about the guy. He’s won me two world championships (2014, 2020) and we’ve runnered-up a few times. There’s a handful of guys on this team who haven’t won a championship before. I’m just so proud to give them that opportunity and I know how bad everybody wanted it. 

“For us to have won three world championships now in this sport, it’s incredible,” added Hagan. “It all comes back down to my guys and the car they put under me. It’s not just me. I try not to mess it up. This is one of the most humbling sports I’ve been involved in and it always seems to come down to the last race and that certainly doesn’t make me look any younger. Thank you to everyone who supports what we do and we hope we made you proud to be a part of this.”

The Top Fuel season wrapped up with Leah Pruett racing her Mopar Dodge//SRT dragster to semifinal finishes in three of the first five races, a runner-up finish at the U.S. Nationals, and another semifinal finish at the Gatornationals, making her a top-three championship contender for most of the year. Pruett remained in the hunt until the penultimate race of the year when eventual title winner Steve Torrence’s points lead was insurmountable. Pruett turned her focus to finishing strong by taking her fierce-looking Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye dragster to the quarterfinals in the season finale to match her career-best fourth place finish in the Top Fuel standings for the third consecutive year.

Pruett also spent time behind the wheel of her Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak alongside teammate Mark Pawuk in Factory Stock Showdown (FSS) competition in 2020. Winner of the 2018 class title in her rookie year, Pruett took on the challenge of battling against a competitive  field of 30 entries by scoring two round wins, but is now looking forward to making a return to competition next season aboard a new 2021 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak.

Pawuk made positive gains aboard his Empaco Equipment Mopar Drag Pak throughout the six-race season as he battled atop the Factory Stock Showdown standings with a runner-up finish at U.S. Nationals and back-to-back semifinal results at the Dallas FallNationals and Houston’s Mopar Express Lane SpringNationals (rescheduled to the Fall). Pawuk’s solid performances garnered him a third place finish in the Factory Stock Showdown championship won by Aaron Stanfield.

The Mopar Dodge//SRT contingent will return to competition in the spring for the NHRA’s 70^th anniversary season. The 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season with feature a 22-race schedule that will kick-off on March 12-14 at the 52nd annual Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES: 

Jack Beckman, Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
(No. 10 Qualifier – 3.996 seconds at 309.70 mph)
Round 1: (0.072-second reaction time, 3.975 seconds at 317.05 mph) lost to No. 7 Paul Lee (0.079/3.933/327.82)

“We lost the war, but I’m going to have to be comforted by the fact that we won a lot of battles this year. We won the Winternationals, we won the U.S. Nationals, we won at Dallas, those are all huge races. We had a fantastic year. We had a car that contended up to the last day. I can’t put a positive spin on losing the championship. I truly thought we were going to do this. I thought it would be the most fitting way as a tribute to the Chandler family going out and perhaps the end of my career. I’m just going to have to step back and get my perspective and remain an adult about this. As disappointing as it is, it’s been a fantastic year. It’s been a fantastic ride with the Infinite Hero Foundation and the Chandler’s and if its ended it’s been a fantastic career.”

Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Funny Car  
(No. 2 Qualifier – 3.911 seconds at 327.82 mph)
Round 1: (0.067-second reaction time, 3.901 seconds at 328.38 mph) defeated No. 15 Cruz Pedregon (0.066/4.034/312.35)

Round 2: (0.092/3.934/321.81) defeated No. 7 Paul Lee (0.081/4.181/258.57)

Round 3: (0.064/3.915/326.48) defeated No. 3 Alexis DeJoria (0.105/4.053/261.02)

Round 4: (0.110/3.914/326.40) defeated No. 1 Ron Capps (0.067/4.463/173.70)

“It’s been a fight all year long. With Covid, not know when we’ll start racing again, where the season will end, it’s just been very challenging mentally, for my guys, our sponsors, but thank you to everyone at Dodge SRT, Mopar and Pennzoil and everyone for sticking by us. Dodge and the DSR fab shop, they’ve put a great race car underneath us. Dickie Venables, I can’t say enough about the guy. He’s won me two world championships and we’ve runnered-up a few times. There’s a handful of guys on this team who haven’t won a championship before. I’m just so proud to give them that opportunity and I know how bad somebody wants it, especially the first time. 

“For us to have won three world championships now in this sport, it’s incredible. It all comes back down to my guys and the car they put under me. It’s not just me. I try not to mess it up. This is one of the most humbling sports I’ve been involved in and it always seems to come down to the last race and that certainly doesn’t make me look any younger. Thank you to everyone who supports what we do and we hope we made you proud to be a part of this.”

Tommy Johnson Jr., MD Anderson Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
(No. 4 Qualifier –  3.915 seconds at 319.14 mph)

Round 1: (0.090-second reaction time, 3.942 seconds at 323.74 mph) defeated No. 13 Jim Campbell (0.096/5.047/153.56)

Round 2: (0.074/3.939/323.81) defeated No. 5 Bob Tasca III (0.066/3.960/324.12)

Round 3: (0.090/3.943/324.20) lost to No. 1 Ron Capps (0.068/3.906/329.8)

“It was a great season, we came close. Matt (Hagan) and his team did a great job this season. I’m just so proud of my guys on this MD Anderson team. It was a very difficult 2020 year and to come down to the last few rounds of the year and to have a shot of winning the championship is nothing to hang our heads about being second. It’s disappointing to get so close and not get it, but at the same time it was a great season to finish second. Hopefully something comes around and we can have a shot again next year. All-and-all a great season. Very happy for the Chandlers and to have their cars finish second and third is pretty outstanding.”

Ron Capps, Pennzoil NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
(No. 1 Qualifier – 3.902 seconds at 327.98 mph)
Round 1: (0.097-second reaction time, 6.031 seconds at 109.69mph) defeated No. 16 Chris Morel (No Time)

Round 2: (0.082/3.953/325.45) defeated No. 9 J.R. Todd (0.078/4.075/297.94)

Round 3: (0.068/3.906/329.83) defeated No.  4 Tommy Johnson Jr. (0.090/3.943/324.20)

Round 4: (0.067/4.463/173.70) lost to No. 2 Matt Hagan (0.110/3.914/326.40)

“What a weekend. It all came to plan. Especially getting the No. 1 qualifying spot and that Camping World hat. We did get a lucky break first round, but Rahn Tobler and the NAPA/Pennzoil guys, what a job they did. It went almost to plan until the final round. It was running great and I’m not sure what happened, but another one of those pretty big explosions. Thanks to Impact for great safety gear and everyone at the DSR fab shop for mounting a great Dodge body. Two wins this year, some finals, a pole, not a bad ’20 season for this NAPA team.”

Leah Pruett, Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Top Fuel Dragster  
(No. 6 Qualifier – 3.791  seconds at 322.04 mph)

Round 1: (0.116-second reaction time, 3.753 seconds at 317.64mph) defeated No. 9 Chris Karamesines (0.447 /4.260/203.00)

Round 2: (0.091/3.810/321.65) lost to No. 12 Justin Ashley (0.061/3.777/320.36)

“Our fourth place finish on the season is a direct reflection of our overall performance. It’s very respectable of course not the best on the track and we truly feel like we were completely in stride and making progress as a championship contender and once our St. Louis incident happened we lost our consistency. It’s like we had a broken link in our system that we’re working to get back. A scuffed piston on our round two lap put us behind and we’re trying to find the confidence we once had to get back our complete performance package and we know that’s possible. I think overall the beauty of the 2020 season for us is that we had shown glimpses of a championship caliber performance and we’ll be working to get it back. We made it the entire season and didn’t lose first round and next year we have to make it to at least the semis at every race.”

Mark Pawuk, Empaco Equipment Mopar Drag Pak– Factory Stock Shootout
(No. 15 Qualifier – 9.346 seconds at 168.22 mph)

Round 1: (0.048-second reaction time, 8.003 seconds at 170.90 mph) lost to No. 2 Aaron Stanfield (0.027/7.929/172.50)

“It ended up a great season for this Empaco Equipment Dodge Drag Pak. We struggled in (Las) Vegas at the last race unfortunately not being able to get down the track in qualifying which had us running the series champ in the first round and going out. We had a shot to finish second in points which would have been my best ever finish in NHRA competition, but just got bumped down to third today. Still a great season. We were down on power early, but Kevin Helms, Terry Snyder, Kyle Pawuk did a tremendous job to get us competitive. The driver did ok and finishing third ain’t bad. We’re really looking forward to bringing out the 2021 Drag Pak next year and hopefully Leah and I can go out and do some damage.”

Leah Pruett, Mopar Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak – Factory Stock Shootout 
(No. 3 Qualifier – 7.976 seconds at 170 mph)
Round 1: (0.046-second reaction time, 7.940 seconds at 171.27 mph) defeated No. 14 Kevin Skinner (0.054/8.104/168.03)

Round 2: (0.036/8.056/168.05) lost to No. 6 John Cerbone (0.004/8.064/169.21)

“What a table-turn of events this weekend. We had a very competitive car all weekend at Vegas with very tight racing. Of course, if we would have raced anyone else that second round we probably would have won. When your competitor has a .004 light against you, sometimes it makes it difficult to put on your win light. It was a proper finish for El Bandito. He finished off strong and the new Drag Pak is very exciting and we’re ready to show off some new Mopar-muscle.”

2020 NHRA FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:

FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)

1. Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 1020 (3)

2. Tommy Johnson Jr. (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 915 (3)

3. Jack Beckman (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 848 (3)

4. Ron Capps (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 828 (2)

5. Bob Tasca III – 679

6. J.R. Todd – 663

7. Tim Wilkerson – 615 

8. Alexis DeJoria – 605

9. Paul Lee – 464 

10. Cruz Pedregon – 436

TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)

1. Steve Torrance – 1015 (4)

2. Doug Kalitta – 822 (1)

3. Billy Torrence – 793 (1)

4. Leah Pruett (Mopar Dodge//SRT) – 754 

5. Antron Brown – 709 (1) 

6. Shawn Langdon – 595 (1)

7. Justin Ashley – 594 (1)

8. Clay Millican – 493 

9. Tony Schumacher – 464 (1)

10. Terry McMillen – 436

DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News Fans can follow all the NHRA’s action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads, and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com.  @DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and  NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.

Another Runner-Up for GTLM Champions Garcia, Taylor · Garcia, Taylor take second consecutive runner-up finish· Chevrolet on verge of clinching GTLM Manufacturers championship· Technical infraction spoils run for Gavin, Milner

MONTEREY, Calif. (Nov. 1, 2020) – Corvette Racing’s Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor recorded their eighth podium finish of the season Sunday as the pairing finished second in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class of the Monterey Sports Car Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Garcia and Taylor placed second in the category with their No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R for the second race in a row. The result also sealed the GTLM Drivers and Team titles in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. In addition, Chevrolet moved into position to clinch the GTLM Manufacturers title as long as either of Corvette Racing’s two mid-engine Corvettes starts the final race of the year – the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in two weeks. It would be the third time since 2014 that the program has swept the full-season GTLM championships in the same year. Corvette Racing’s second C8.R – the No. 4 of Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner – finished a hard-fought third in class Sunday. Unfortunately, the car was found to be out of technical compliance in post-race inspection and was relegated to sixth place. Sunday’s race featured a myriad of tire strategies on the dusty and slippery Laguna Seca circuit. After starting on pole position, Taylor led for the first 16 laps before making the first of three pit stops in the No. 3 Corvette. He cycled back through to second place, which is where he and Garcia stayed most of the day. Gavin and Milner finished on track in the same position the No. 4 Corvette started. With the team deciding to run a slightly longer opening stint, Gavin pitted from the lead five laps after Taylor as the No. 4 team eyed a potential two-stop strategy. Those plans went by the wayside just past the halfway point. Garcia took over the second-place No. 3 Corvette with 86 minutes left in the two-hour, 40-minute event and attempted to regain the lead from Earl Bamber’s Porsche 40 minutes later by going a lap longer before making the final stop. Traffic stymied Garcia’s progress before he took his last service. Milner, who got in the No. 4 Corvette with 82 minutes left, came in a lap later and cycled back to fourth. A full-course caution with 25 minutes remaining brought the top four GTLM cars – both Corvettes and both Porsches – together for a late-race dash. Milner came out the biggest winner, moving from fourth to third with a nifty move inside the final 15 minutes, and he set the fastest GTLM lap of the race shortly after the pass. Meanwhile, Garcia got as close as a half-second to the leader but settled for second and ultimately the class championship. The final round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring from Nov. 12-14 at Sebring International Raceway.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTLM: “Today was a good race, and we maximized everything we had. We lost track position to the 912 at the start, and it was tough to get that back. The safety car mixed things up a little bit and it gave me a chance to get closer, but they were able to open up the gap a little bit. The pace was very fast, and I couldn’t use the traffic in my favor. I pressured as much as I could, but they didn’t make any mistakes. Maybe I had one or two chances where I could have gone for it, but it wasn’t the right time or place to try something crazy. In that situation there is nothing you can do. It wasn’t easy to pass on this track. There was a ton of pressure on the crew guys to do three separate tire changes when we were relying on tires to be finished instead of fuel. I think we ran a perfect race. Unfortunately for us the 912 did, too. There was nothing I could do, and that’s why I congratulate them.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTLM: “It was a difficult race today with the tire wear and traffic that we expected. We can be happy with the result, especially not having been on this track before with the C8.R It continues to show the value of the simulator work we do. We will take this good momentum on to Sebring and hopefully close out the season with another strong run there.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SIXTH IN GTLM: “We were a little up and down with pace during the day. At the end, Tommy drove his last stint really well and was strong. My first stint was about managing the tire and looking after everything in thinking about how far we needed to go in the stint. But things were constantly developing and changing throughout, so we had to be flexible with the strategy. We hit a bit of a rough patch at that first stop. I had to go through some GTD traffic before the first stop, and that lost us some time. We didn’t necessarily get the rub with the traffic today, but as things turned out we got into that final 25 minutes in good position. Tommy drove well after the caution, and the cooler track temperatures seemed to suit our car.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SIXTH IN GTLM: “This race and this track always provide some tricky conditions with tire degradation for everyone. Trying understand the best strategy is always a head-scratcher early in the weekend. As the race plays out, it becomes more and more obvious what the right decision was. We had a good day going, for sure. We called an audible on our original plan and ended up going to a three-stop strategy, which I ultimately think was the right thing to do. More importantly, we were keying off what the BMWs were doing since they are the ones closest to us in the championship. All in all, we covered them and had a good strategy for the race anyway. I was super happy with the balance of the Corvette, and the pace in the car at the end was really strong. Olly drove more than he was expecting to, and he did an awesome job in those two stints.”

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION DODGE NHRA FINALS PRESENTED BY PENNZOIL THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY NOV. 1, 2020                                                                                                Chevrolet powers Enders to record fourth Pro Stock titleFirst female to win four championships closes season with victory
LAS VEGAS (Nov. 1, 2020) – A social media post by Erica Enders leading up to the Dodge NHRA Finals presented by Pennzoil was self-motivational and prophetic.
“I can and I will. Watch me.”
Enders became the first female in National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing history to win four championships as the Houston native wrapped up the Pro Stock title at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Enders, driving the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS, brought a 55-point lead into the finale of the 10-race season abbreviated because of effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. After Enders won her first-round elimination race, elation quickly and surprisingly replaced anxiousness when closest challengers Jason Line and Jeg Coughlin Jr. both lost their opening-round matches.
“On behalf of Chevrolet, congratulations to Erica Enders, Richard Freeman and everyone at Elite Motorsports for winning the 2020 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Pro Stock championship for the second consecutive year and record fourth time overall for a female driver,” said Roger Allen, NHRA program manager, Chevrolet. “It was a challenging year for all teams and drivers in all professional categories.
“Not only is Erica a standout driver, she is a tireless champion for the sport, her team sponsors and for Chevrolet. We’re proud that all four of Erica’s Pro Stock championships have been won in a Chevrolet Camaro.”
Enders surpassed Shirley Muldowney, who won Top Fuel titles in 1977, ’80 and ’82, and Angelle Sampey with Pro Stock Motorcycle championships in 2000, 2001 and ’02. 
“It’s a goal I set,” said Enders, who previously won the Pro Stock championship in 2019, 2015 and 2014. “Shirley Muldowney and Angelle Sampey mean a lot to me and I’m in good company with them.”
Enders also joined Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), Don Prudhomme (Funny Car), Gary Scelzi (Top Fuel/Funny Car), Lee Shepherd (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) with four titles on the all-time list.
“It’s no secret that I’ve struggled this year, the last couple of years honestly,” said Enders, who won her initial Pro Stock race at Chicago in 2012. “It’s been an uphill battle. I speak so highly of my team from the bottom of my heart. (Team owner) Richard Freeman organized the most amazing group of people. All of these guys, they give their lives to this. I could not be more proud. I’m so happy. I’ve never been in a situation like that where I’ve depended on other people to handle it for us.”
Enders recorded four victories, including the season finale when Kyle Koretsky (NitroFish Chevrolet Camaro SS) tripped the red light in his first Pro Stock final, and a 25-6 round record during the season shortened by eight races. She has 29 career wins in 55 finals.
“This is a lesson that you dig deep, you fight and pray with all the heart you have every single chase you get because you never know when it’s your last. I’m a blessed girl,” Enders said. 
Coughlin and Line were completing their final season of full-time Pro Stock competition. They have combined for eight championships, 106 victories, 1,328 round wins and 92 top qualifier honors in Pro Stock competition alone.
“On behalf of Chevrolet, thank you Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Jason Line for many years of exciting Pro Stock competition in your Chevrolet Camaros, your engagement with fans and your support of Chevrolet Racing. Congratulations on championships you’ve won and treasure the memories and positive impact you’ve had on the sport you love,” Allen said.
Aaron Stanfield, driving a Janac Bros. Chevrolet COPO Camaro, earned his fifth consecutive victory in the SAM Tech.edu NHRA Factory Stock Showdown series. A week earlier at Houston, the 25-year-old from Bossier City, Louisiana, wrapped up the championship.
Justin Lamb of Henderson, Nevada, drove his 2019 Chevrolet COPO Camaro to victory in Stock Eliminator.
CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPITPRO STOCK:

ERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE/ELITE MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS:WHAT WILL BE YOUR LEADING MEMORY OF TODAY?“Being able to lock up our fourth world championship and becoming the winningest of all time for females. Shirley Muldowney and Angelle Sampey mean a lot to me and I’m in good company with them. I’ve not had the best year, but this is a lesson that you dig deep, you fight and pray with all the heart you have every single chase you get because you never know when it’s your last. Richard Freeman gave me this opportunity and I’m a blessed girl.” 
WHERE DO YOU DRAW YOUR STRENGTH FROM?“The good Lord, honestly. It’s no secret that I’ve struggled this year, the last couple of years honestly. It’s been an uphill battle for me. I have to give a lot of credit to my sister. She stands beside me; she stands behind me. She’s the best friend I could ever ask for, as well as my father who gave me the mental strength to get through any of this. I speak so highly of my team from the bottom of my heart. (Team owner) Richard Freeman organized the most amazing group of people. All of these guys, they give their lives to this. I could not be more proud. I’m so happy. I’ve never been in a situation like that where I’ve depended on other people to handle it for us. I’m so blessed.”
JEG COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM/ELITE PERFORMANCE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “We’ve had one heck of a good time out here racing NHRA – Pro Stock in particular. I’ve always enjoyed the challenges of the day, of the event and of the year, and to do as well as we’ve had, to win the races and championships we have has been nothing short of phenomenal. We’ll step away with pride. I’m sure we’ll tip toe in and out back here.”
JASON LINE, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “I have no regrets, no complaints. I’ve gotten to do more, see more, and be with some really good people. It’s been a good ride. It’s been an interesting season, without a doubt, and I’m thankful to have had my family with me so much this year. The circumstances that made that possible weren’t great, but having them with me out here was special.”

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 1) — Third-generation driver Troy Coughlin Jr. concluded his first year in the Pro Stock class Sunday with a quarterfinal finish at the 20th annual Dodge NHRA Finals. Coughlin trounced Chris McGaha in the opening round of action at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway before dropping a nail-biter to newly re-crowned world champion Erica Enders in Round 2.  “I’m very grateful for the incredible opportunity I’ve had to race with Elite Motorsports this year,” Coughlin said. “This is such a class organization with the best crewmen in the sport and it’s no surprise to me to see the team win another Pro Stock championship. Congrats to everyone, especially Erica Enders and her guys, and thank you for letting me be a part of it all.”

After winning back-to-back Top Alcohol Dragster regional championships in the last two seasons, Coughlin moved to Pro Stock this year to race alongside his uncle Jeg Coughlin Jr., who retired from full-time competition at the conclusion of Sunday’s race. Prior to his successful stint in Top Alcohol Dragster, Coughlin raced in Top Fuel, Pro Mod, Top Dragster and Junior Dragster. Even while racing Pro Stock this year, he continues to compete in Super Comp and Super Gas and at various E.T. Bracket events.  “I’ve said since the beginning I’m the luckiest kid in the pits and I still feel that way,” said Troy Jr., who drove the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Ford Mustang this season. “Having had the opportunity to drive so many different cars in a bunch of different classes, and to have had the crews I’ve worked with through the years, is just incredible.  “This year was probably the pinnacle because, without question, Pro Stock is the most challenging category of all. It’s the most cognitive workout you can have in a racecar between executing good burnouts, working the clutch and hitting the shift points just right, to keeping the car straight all the way down the track. It’s such a challenge to try to make a perfect lap every time knowing a perfect lap doesn’t really exist.”

The highlight of the 2020 season for Troy Jr. was reaching the final round of the third Indy race, where he lost to his uncle Jeg Jr. That big day helped him finish 13th overall, despite missing the first two of 10 nationals events.  “Special thanks to (crew chief) Rick Jones, Mike DePalma, Eric Luzinski and Robert Freeman for their help on my car,” Troy Jr. said. “They had it hopped up today and I got past Chris McGaha with a nice, smooth pass. We were set for the second round also against Erica but my left leg (clutch) was a few thousandths of a second slower than it needed to be and she beat us on a holeshot by .002 of a second.  “It’s been emotional today seeing Uncle Jeg roll down that return road for the last time. I shed a few tears watching that and thinking about all the things he’s taught me. He’s always been a hero to me and he definitely earned ‘The Natural’ nickname because he’s the best we’ve ever seen. I still have plenty to learn from him and I know he’ll always be there for me. “I’m not sure what’s next for me but whatever it is, it can’t come soon enough.”

ChampionshipsBanner season in first year for mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette C8.R

MONTEREY, Calif. (Nov. 1, 2020) – Corvette Racing’s Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor clinched the GT Le Mans (GTLM) Drivers title Sunday in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – the 13th for Corvette Racing and with one event still to go in the season. The two finished the Monterey Sports Car Championship second in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R. Garcia and Taylor have teamed to win five races in the No. 3 Corvette Racing C8.R entry – which also landed the GTLM Team Championship for Corvette Racing. It is the 14th time the program has claimed that honor since 2001 and comes near the end of the first year for the new, mid-engine Corvette race car. Garcia is now a four-time IMSA Drivers’ champion – all coming with Corvette Racing – while Taylor added his first in GT competition to a pair from the prototype ranks. Following the return of racing in July due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the pair won at Daytona to give the Corvette C8.R its first victory as well as the 100th in IMSA competition for Corvette Racing. Garcia and Taylor went on to win races at Road America, Virginia International Raceway, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and the Charlotte Roval. Taylor captured pole position at Sebring, Mid-Ohio, Charlotte and Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, as did Garcia in the previous IMSA event at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for Petit Le Mans. Garcia also set fastest GTLM race laps at Daytona, Road America and Mid-Ohio. Chevrolet can complete a sweep of the full-season GTLM championships and wrap up the Manufacturers title by having one of the two Corvettes start the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday, Nov. 14.

Acura Team Penske scores fourth IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship victory of 2020 with 1-2 finish, claims Drivers’ Championship lead
Meyer Shank Racing completes winning day for Acura and returns to the top of the championship points table with 1-3 result in GTD
Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ championships to be decided at Sebring season finale

MONTEREY, Calif. (Nov. 1, 2020) – Acura resumed its race-winning ways in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, scoring its second sweep of the 2020 season with a 1-2 finish overall and in DPi for Acura Team Penske, and a 1-3 result in GTD for the Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evos.

As a result of today’s wins – the best combined finish for Acura in the three years the company has been contesting both DPi and GTD – Acura goes to the season finale at Sebring International Raceway leading the IMSA Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ championships GTD; and the Drivers’ Championship in DPi; while trails in the DPi Manufactuers’ Championship by just a single point.

Acura Team Penske
Pole qualifier Juan Pablo Montoya and co-driver Dane Cameron dominated today’s two-hour, 40-minute contest, leading 104 laps before allowing teammate Ricky Taylor to move to the front for the final minutes, as Taylor and co-driver Helio Castroneves are better placed in the overall championship battle.

The late-race swap enabled Castroneves and Taylor to score their fourth win from eight races this season, moving the pair to the top of the championship with 242 points to 240 for Wayne Taylor Racing drivers Renger van der Zande and Ryan Briscoe, who finished sixth today.

Montoya took charge of the two-hour, 40-minute contest in the #6 Acura ARX-05 right from the green flag, while outside front-row starter Castroneves slotted into second as the pair of Acuras led the 29-car starting field. Montoya soon established a comfortable, eight-second lead before handing off the driving duties to Cameron at the first scheduled pit stop. Cameron maintained the advantage for the #6 Acura ARX-05 throughout the next two stints, building a lead of as much as 12 seconds.

Meanwhile, Castroneves survived an early scare when contact with the GTLM Corvette of Jordan Taylor resulted in the Acura losing a front aerodynamic “dive plane” in Turn 11. Despite the resulting understeer, Castroneves and co-driver Ricky Taylor were able to fend off the frequent advances from the #31 Cadillac of third-running Pipo Derani and Felipe Nasr until the first and only caution flag of the race – for debris on track – waved with just over 20 minutes remaining.

However, when green flag racing resumed, both Cameron and Taylor were able to gap the field, enabling Cameron to let his teammate into the lead in the #7 Acura for the final two laps. The 1-2 finish for Acura Team Penske move Castroneves and Taylor into the Drivers’ Championship lead with 242 points to 240 for van der Zande and Briscoe; and takes Acura to within one point of Cadillac [263-262] with just the season finale at Sebring remaining.

Acura NSX GT3 Evo Teams
Matt McMurry and Mario Farnbacher scored their second victory of 2020 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in the #86 Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo to complete a double-win, quadruple-podium day for Acura in IMSA competition.

Leading the GTD field from the class pole, McMurry held off a challenging BMW in the hands of Robby Foley at the start, and established a commanding lead through the first stint of the race before handing over to teammate Farnbacher with under two hours to go.

Farnbacher continued to hold the advantage in his Acura, despite traffic that allowed the BMW, now with Bill Auberlen driving, to close the gap through the middle stages of the race. But once in clear air, Farnbacher was able to extend the lead until a late-race caution bunched the field up again. When the green waved once more in the final 15 minutes of the race, Farnbacher again stretched the lead to more than 10 seconds at the checkers.

The #57 Heinricher Racing with MSR Curb-Agajanian Acura of Misha Goikhberg and Alvaro Parente had their best result of 2020 with a third-place result. Goikhberg had a stellar start from fourth, getting around the #63 Ferrari for third. He and co-driver Parente would maintain their rapid pace throughout the day, finishing third to give Acura four podium-finishing cars today.

The Sprint Championship-contesting Gradient Racing #22 Acura NSX GT3 Evo ran their final IMSA race of the season, highlighted by a season-best eighth in qualifying by starting driver Till Bechtolsheimer. Although co-driver Marc Miller was shuffled back to a 12th-place finish late in the contest, their NSX showed strong pace in the race, with Miller setting a best race lap of 1:25.922, a time eclipsed by only two other GTD entries.

Today’s class victory by McMurry and Farnbacher catapulted them back to the lead of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD Drivers’ standings by seven points, and gives Acura a two-point advantage in the Manufacturers’ title heading into Sebring.

Next
The 2020 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship now takes a weekend off before resuming November 12-14 for the season-ending Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at the famed Sebring International Raceway in central Florida.

Acura Motorsports Social media content and video links from this weekend’s Acura Sports Car Challenge are available on Instagram (www.instagram.com/hondaracing_hpd), Twitter (www.twitter.com/HondaRacing_HPD) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD).

Quotes
Ricky Taylor (#7 Acura Team Penske ARX-05) race winner, Fourth IMSA victory of 2020, moves into the DPi Drivers’ Championship lead with co-driver Helio Castroneves: “It was them [teammates Juan Pablo Montoya and Dane Cameron] being nice guys for us. We were strong all the day, but the No. 6 [Acura] was super, super strong. At the end of the race, we weren’t specifically asking [for a pass around], but when you work for such a strong team like Acura Team Penske, all eyes are on the big goal, the championship. They really were the class of the field this weekend, they really earned the win, but they thought about us and our championship situation.”

Mario Farnbacher (#86 Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo) Second GTD win of 2020, returns to the lead of GTD Drivers’ Championship with co-driver Matt McMurry: “That’s exactly what we needed. Last year, we had such a hard race here [finishing eighth] and in a million years I wouldn’t have thought our Acura would perform as well as it did today. I really have to thank Matt [McMurry], because being on the pole here is at least 80% of the job, since [the race here is] all about track position. Our engineer [Ryan McCarthy], he made a ‘masterpiece’ out of the car. He did a [setup] change overnight and it improved everything – tire wear, pace, overall pace. I’m so incredibly happy that we’re back in the lead of the championship because that’s the important part going into the last race. Bringing home the championship, especially in the last year of the car, means everything.” 
David Salters (Technical Director, Honda Performance Development) on today’s double victory for Acura: “Laguna Seca is one of the world’s most iconic race tracks, it’s great to show Acura’s world-class ‘Precision Crafted Performance’, and to take the fight to our very skilled competitors here today in both DPi and GTD. Our drivers and teams had a superb weekend, with pole positions and victories in both classes; and our best combined result since we returned to DPi competition, along with GTD, in 2018. Massive thanks to the team of committed associates at HPD who engineer and support these projects. We race to grow our people and technology at HPD, and weekends like this really reward everyone’s efforts and competence. Coming into this weekend, our goal was to put ourselves in position to take the championship fight to the last race. So lets go race and entertain the fans at Sebring.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1 1LE SCORES VICTORY AT MARTINSVILLETeam Chevy Heads to the Championship Four
RIDGEWAY, VA (November 1, 2020) – It was a weekend of ‘firsts’ for Chase Elliott when he powered his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE to victory lane in the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, the elimination race for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs’ Round of Eight. Elliott not only scored his first-career victory at the .526-mile oval of Martinsville Speedway, but also punched his ticket to his first-career appearance in the Championship Four to battle for the title of the NASCAR Cup Series Champion. The win was his 10th victory in 185-starts in the NASCAR Cup Series. 
With the stage two win and 236-laps led, Elliott’s victory during the 500-lap, 263-mile event marked his fourth points-paying win of the season, the most in one season during his career in NASCAR’s premier series. The triumph at the Martinsville, Virginia, circuit is Chevrolet’s eighth victory of the 2020 season and the manufacturer’s 794th all-time win in the NASCAR Cup Series. Elliott’s win gives the Bowtie brand its 57th victory at Martinsville Speedway, continuing Chevrolet’s lead in Martinsville victories of all manufacturers. 
The win is the 262nd all-time NASCAR Cup Series triumph and 25th win at Martinsville Speedway for Hendrick Motorsports, leading all teams in the series at the track. Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Alex Bowman, concluded his first-career Playoffs’ Round of Eight run with a sixth-place finish in his No. 88 Planters Camaro ZL1 1LE, his ninth top-10 finish in the last 11 races. Fellow Chevrolet driver, Kurt Busch, brought his No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE across the line in the fifth position to give Team Chevy three of the top-10 spots in the final running order.  Ryan Blaney (Ford) was second, Joey Logano (Ford) was third, and Brad Keselowski (Ford) was fourth to round out the top-five finishers.  The NASCAR Cup Series season concludes next weekend at Phoenix Raceway with the Season Finale 500 on Sunday, November 8, at 3:00 p.m. ET, the first time in NASCAR history that the 1-mile Arizona venue will host the Championship event. Live coverage of the 312-lap, 312-mile race can be found on NBC, NBC Sports Gold, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.  CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:  THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Chase. Thank you for taking the time to join us. We will get right into questions for our race winner, Chase Elliott.            Q. With the Championship 4 set, is there one team you see as the biggest threat? If so, why?CHASE ELLIOTT: I think the worst thing we can do is worry about everybody else all week. But for right now, I’m just enjoying the night. This is a big moment for us, having to perform in a tough spot. We had to, didn’t have a choice. I think that’s something we’ve been missing as a team, something we haven’t been able to achieve over the last handful of years.           To be in the position tonight to have to perform, to go perform, to win the race, lock ourselves into Phoenix, have a shot for a championship, these are all moments that I’ve never experienced, moments we haven’t done yet as a team.           I’m just enjoying that right now. I know the week is short. I’m going to enjoy that for sure for a little while. We’ll go to work on Phoenix starting tomorrow.            Q. Is this the biggest win of your career?CHASE ELLIOTT: Hands down, I think, absolutely.            Q. What do you think it means kind of getting over the hump of getting into the Final 4, doing it this way, doesn’t just mean for the next six days but for years to come?CHASE ELLIOTT: I think you hit it. I think it’s huge. I think it’s huge for me personally. I think it’s huge for our team as a whole, each and every person that puts in time and effort to try to make our program work.           I think when you’re able to be in a position that we were in, like we were tonight, have to go to perform, go and do that, I think everybody gains a lot of confidence from it.           We proved to ourselves that we can do it. I think we have always believed we can do it. But to go out there and achieve it certainly is something we haven’t experienced yet as a group.           To win a championship in this series, you have to make the Final 4. We’ve seen the same crowd make the Final 4 since this deal has been implemented. We want to assert ourselves amongst the people who can make it consistently.           I feel like we’re very capable of doing that. We just have to seize the moment, enjoy it. This is a huge week. I’m just excited to get out there and try to have the best race we can.            Q. In a massive moment like this that you’ve never been in before, is there any extra composure that you have to have in the final laps, when you’re making the pass to lead, to calm yourself down? How do you stay focused, keep your lunch from not coming up, things like that?CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, good question. I think for me and kind of the experiences that I’ve kind of had handed to me over the past number of years, since I’ve been in Cup, have taught me a lot of lessons that the race is not over. I think we’ve all kind of seen that, different positions we’ve been in, races we lost.           For me, I don’t have to think back into my head very far to realize that the race isn’t over till it’s over. Just to be prepared for another caution, another restart, whatever it takes to try to get the job done.           I knew everybody had their last set of tires on. We were going to be riding that set to the end. If we had a caution there with just a couple laps to go, everybody was going to be restarting on old tires. Certainly challenging.           I was trying to think about that, tried to be prepared for what was going to come. I felt like the odds of a caution coming out were better than not to have one, to be honest. I was surprised to see it go green.            Q. Not only is this a big day for you, but it will be the first time Chevrolet has had a driver competing in the Championship 4 since 2016, who happened to also be the last Hendrick driver, which is Jimmie Johnson. It’s probably a pretty big deal for manufacturers not to have a chance to win the championship. What are your thoughts on being able to do that?CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, absolutely, man. It’s a huge deal for everybody involved. Obviously me personally, it’s a huge deal. Never been in this position before. That’s exciting. But for everybody that is a part of our organization, obviously NAPA is a huge partner, super pumped to have them on the car tonight, a big moment. They’ve been a big piece of my career. Hendrick Motorsport, everyone that lays a hand on our cars. It’s a big deal for everyone to have a chance to win a championship.           For Chevrolet to have a shot again this year I think is important for them, for sure. I’m excited for everybody. I’m excited for myself. I’m going to enjoy it, then we’ll go to work tomorrow and get ready for the big day.            Q. Your thoughts on Phoenix being the decider? When you look at your competition, do you think you’ll stack up pretty good?CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, I mean, I think the worst thing we can do is to sit back and worry and watch everybody else. I just think we need to focus on ourselves this week and really think about what we struggled with there at the first race this year, what we might need to do to be better, put our best guess on that, go run the race.           I think if we sit back, start worrying about who is favorite, who is not, who is the underdog, getting everybody running their mouths deal, I’m just not about that. I think it’s unproductive.           We’re going to worry about ourselves, try to give it our best shot to win.            Q. Normally championship contenders have the whole weekend to run through and get themselves in championship mode. You got to take the green on Sunday with no practice. What do you think this week is going to be like in terms of anxious, being excited, especially moments before the green flag?CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, I mean, I think just excited, looking forward to the opportunity. I think the more that you can enjoy that moment, enjoy being backed up against a wall, having to perform, the more you can enjoy that, the better off you’re going to be.           That’s something we put a lot of emphasis on, something I personally put emphasis on to try to get better in those moments. That’s what we had to do today.           I think moments like tonight prepares you for moments like what we’re going to see next week and I’m excited about it.            Q. Is Sunday going to be a backs‑against‑the‑wall moment for you again?CHASE ELLIOTT: Well, you got to win to win the championship, so I would say so.            Q. Given that a driver like Kevin Harvick, who had nine wins this season, completely missed out on the Playoffs, he would have won the championship a few days ago at Texas if the points went the full season, what does it say about the integrity or legitimacy of the championship?CHASE ELLIOTT: I mean, the rules are the rules. I don’t get a vote in that. I don’t want a vote in that. I know they’re the same for everybody when you start the year. Whether you might agree or not agree with it, that’s just what it is.           I’m focused on ourselves and enjoying tonight. Had to come out here and perform, and we did. I think worrying about other competitors is just not going to get us anywhere. I’m just excited for us, looking forward to a great opportunity next week.            Q. What was your message to the team once you got to greet them at the end of the race? You proved tonight that NASCAR is a team sport, good pit stops, appealing the penalty. What did you say to your team?CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, just a lot of yelling and screaming and happy people. This is a moment that we haven’t experienced together. I said that a few times tonight. You just don’t know those emotions until you go through it, are able to experience it. We obviously all put a lot of effort in to try to do our jobs to the best of our ability.           T.J. made a mistake. He was heads up enough to go back and fix it, not to have to go to the back of the field. If he hadn’t have done that, I don’t think we’d have been able to win. There just wasn’t enough time left. That’s super heads up.           It absolutely is a team sport. We can’t do it on our own. I can’t do it by myself. No one on our team can do it alone. We recognize that. Feel like we have a great group, a group that’s capable of winning. I thought we showed that and proved that tonight. I think we can have a great shot next week.            Q. Have you had any chance to check in with your father and get reaction? If not, what do you suppose the reaction is going to be back home?CHASE ELLIOTT: Yeah, I’m excited. I don’t have my phone on me. He’s not here. My family isn’t here. I wish they were. So hard, right, to come to these races by yourself some weeks, not have that support group around you.           But I certainly wish they were here, wish we could have shared this moment together. Looking forward to seeing them tonight. Yeah, be headed home here just in a little while.             THE MODERATOR: Chase, congratulations. Thank you so much for taking the time. We’ll see you at Phoenix.             CHASE ELLIOTT: Thanks, guys. ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT: 
THE MODERATOR: We are now joined by our race winning crew chief, Alan Gustafson. Congratulations on heading to the Championship 4.           We’ll get right into questions.            Q. On the pit stop when your jackman came back to the wall, you were aware of that? Is that something you drilled into those guys?ALAN GUSTAFSON: Yeah, I mean, we were certainly aware of it. I can’t take the credit for coaching that into those guys. I think that credit goes to Chris, our pit department. They did a good job of instructing those guys, T.J., what to do.           It’s a new rule. Man, I want to say it’s new this year or last year. It’s certainly an adjustment that NASCAR has made to give those guys a little bit of forgiveness if that was to happen.           Yeah, they did a great job. It was a huge moment in the race. Certainly we didn’t need the mistake. For T.J. to have the wherewithal to go back to the wall and reset was great.            Q. How much stress was there tonight with the way it was going up and down?ALAN GUSTAFSON: Yeah, I mean, it’s an intense race. It’s a lot of fun. This is a great track. It’s a good place to do this.           For us, I had my mind made up we were going to have to win. I didn’t really see any way to get in on points. Especially when the 2 and the 11 and some of those guys did a fairly decent the first stage, it was going to be all about winning the race.           We were able to do that fortunately. That was our focus. We didn’t get too caught up in the back and forth of it.            Q. The rule said you have to reestablish yourself to the wall. Did you know you just need to touch the wall? Is that an interpretation that NASCAR described to you or your pit coaches?ALAN GUSTAFSON: Basically, yeah, yes. I don’t know the exact language they described it to us. Yeah, you just got to get back on the wall, your foot back on the wall.           I don’t think it’s a judgment call in my opinion. I think it’s pretty straightforward. He did what he was supposed to do, took the time to reset. It’s the way the rule is stated.            Q. What do you think this win means not for next week but for Chase and your team in the years going forward?ALAN GUSTAFSON: We’ve been trying to take this step now for the last two or three years. I feel like we’ve been really ready to do it, able to do it. We just have not done it when it mattered. Today we were able to.           We were able to overcome some pretty tough circumstances at Texas, come here really in a must‑win situation. Being able to do it was great. It’s great for the team. Super proud of those guys. Everybody at HMS essentially delivered. Brand‑new car, great car. Tons of speed obviously. Great engine. Pit crew did what we had to do. Yeah, it’s a good day.            Q. I heard you get pretty hot about guys running in to you purposely to try to cut the tire using the fender. That’s always been a practice in short‑track racing. Is there any way to police it?ALAN GUSTAFSON: I think it’s self‑policing, in my opinion. There’s a couple guys that consistently do it, at least to us. You just get tired of getting raced that way.           Yeah, I was pretty upset about it. If that ultimately was a tire rub, would have cut our tire down, it was going to get ugly in a hurry.           It happens, right? I get it, you’re racing. I think you see guys when you’re racing them, things happen. You might get into each other. When it happens consistently from the same person, you’re just over it.            Q. What do you believe sets the No. 9 team apart from the other three championship contenders?ALAN GUSTAFSON: Well, our objective is to have the fastest car. That’s going to be the key. That’s certainly what we’re going to try to do. I think the person with the fastest car has a significant advantage in the race. That’s what we’ll focus on trying to do. That’s going to be our objective.            Q. Chase mentioned the importance of he called it to be able to perform when you have no choice. Would you agree with that assessment as an accomplishment tonight?ALAN GUSTAFSON: Yeah, it’s a tough thing to describe. I’m trying to think of the best way.           You have one shot. I mean, that’s it, right? I never played in the Major Leagues or whatever, but you think about the World Series, you’re up to bat, this is it, right? Bottom of the ninth, two outs. It’s up to you to make it happen.           Those pressure situations in sport are great. I think that’s what draws so many fans and gets everybody so excited. It’s such a special moment. That’s what you have to do. You have to be able to deliver. That’s it, it’s your last shot. It’s time to go, time to do it. There’s no tomorrow.           To be able to do it, like I said earlier, I felt confident we had to win. All week I didn’t have any designs of anything but winning. We knew that was what it was going to take. The competition is too good to make up 25 points in a race. That’s just not going to happen. We knew we had to win. Everybody did.           It’s a huge effort. You see what goes on here at the track. What you don’t see is everybody in the shop midnight Friday getting the car ready to go, making sure every single circumstance in the car is as good as it can be, putting their hearts and souls into it.           That’s a huge thing for us to be able to pull it off.             THE MODERATOR: Alan, thank you so much for taking the time to join us today.

NASCAR CUP SERIES XFINITY 500 MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES & QUOTES NOVEMBER 1, 2020
 TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER1st      CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE 5th      KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE 6th      ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 PLANTERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE14th    MATT KENSETH, NO. 42 CLOVER CAMARO ZL1 1LE16th    TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICOWEEN CAMARO ZL1 1LE  TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS: POS.  DRIVER1st      Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)2nd     Ryan Blaney (Ford)3rd      Joey Logano (Ford)4th      Brad Keselowski (Ford)5th      Kurt Busch (Chevrolet)UNOFFICIAL CURRENT PLAYOFF RANK (Following Race 9 of 10 / Entering into the Championship Four)POS.   DRIVER (* = Chevy Contender)        1st      Joey Logano (Ford)2nd     * Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)3rd      Brad Keselowski (Ford)4th      Denny Hamlin (Toyota)
The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series seasons concludes at Phoenix Raceway with the Season Finale 500 on Sunday, November 8,^, at 3:00 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on NBC, the NBC Sports Gold app, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
TEAM CHEVY NOTES AND QUOTES:CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Race WinnerAT THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME, YOU SEE YOUR FIRST VICTORY AT MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY. YOUR CREW IS A LITTLE EXCITED, AS YOU ARE TOO, RIGHT CHASE?“Oh, my gosh. This is the biggest win ever for us. I’m just so proud to be able to be backed into a corner like that and have to win tonight. I feel like that’s what we’ve been missing these past four or five years and perform when we don’t have a choice. And, to do that tonight; we couldn’t ask for a better night. This is unreal. Thanks to the fans for coming out. They’re here and I love to see it! I’ve just got to catch my breath. This is just unbelievable. We’re going to Phoenix with a shot to win a championship and have a beautiful blue NAPA Camaro headed out there with a shot to win a title. What more could you ask for? WHEN YOU HAD YOUR CAR BACK IN THE PACK A LITTLE BIT AND A COUPLE OF MISCUES ON PIT ROAD, WHAT CONCERNS DID YOU HAVE?“Yeah, I didn’t think our car was driving as good there at the end as it was at the beginning of the race. But those last couple of pit stops made some really good changes and had a good pit stop on that last one and a good last restart. And that was the difference. Everybody makes this possible. This is unbelievable. I’m just at a bit of a loss for words. Like I said, this is the piece we’ve been missing. I feel like we’ve had the group to do this. We just have to go make it happen and we did tonight.” KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 5thKURT BUSCH FINISHES FIFTH, BUT THAT DOESN’T FULLY EXPLAIN THE DAY YOU HAD. YOU GUYS PUT A VALIANT EFFORT TO PUT YOURSELF IN POSITION TO WIN THIS RACE. WHAT MORE DID YOU NEED? “We gave it all we had. I’m really proud of my guys. Chip Ganassi Racing put up a really good fight this year to get this far, to win and to post top-five’s through the Playoffs. We crossed over our threshold. Last week, we finished seventh at Texas, fifth tonight and we’re walking around kind of kicking the ground – like that wasn’t our best effort or we could have done this or could of done that. When I started here two years ago, we finished in the top-five and were celebrating. We’ve come that far in this short amount of time and I’m really proud of everybody back at the shop, Chevrolet, thankful for Monster Energy, GEARWRENCH and all of our partners at Chip Ganassi Racing. To come here with a shot at it, we knew we had to win. It takes a team all the way through. The driver has to make good decision – spotter, pit crew, crew chief and adjustments. We just came up a little shy. Our weakest area was pit road and we know that we need to work on that. But all-in-all, I can’t thank everybody enough. It’s cool to see the evolution of where we’ve come in two years.” YOU’VE HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY YOU GUYS ARE AN UNDERDOG COMING INTO THIS ROUND OF EIGHT. I KNOW YOU GUYS MAYBE HAD A LITTLE MORE CONFIDENCE THAN THAT. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU SHOWED THAT WITH THOSE TOP-FIVES AND THE SPEED YOU HAD HERE IN THE ROUND OF EIGHT?“You’re an underdog when you go in ranked eighth out of eight. We had an engine problem at Kansas and that just kicked us straight in the shin. From there, we had to win. Texas, we just didn’t get the job done – we got seventh. Today, we got fifth. Those are great quality finishes, but you can’t rely on those in the Playoffs against the best of the best. Right now, (Kevin) Harvick’s not in. That just shows you how tough this competition is.  ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 PLANTERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 6th“I drive this place so wrong. I try to roll the center really fast and then I am like oh we don’t have any drive off. You would think I would figure it out, but I kind of know what I need to do. All in all, a good day for our Planters Chevrolet. Mr. Peanut looked pretty cool. Really proud of Chase (Elliott) and making the final four there. Bummed we aren’t a part of it, but I think we have a solid shot at getting fifth in points. The progress this team has made over the past two months has been incredible. This is something they really deserve.”
TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICOWEEN CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 16th “Today was a good day for our Germain Racing team. Our GEICOween Chevrolet Camaro would build tight over the run, but Matt (Borland) and the guys continued to make it better with every adjustment. Our team never gives up and I had a lot of fun behind the wheel today. To finish 16th is a great way to end our final Martinsville start together as a team. We are going to head to Phoenix next week and give it everything we have to make the last race for Germain Racing a memorable one.” TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 MOTORTREND CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 24th “This was only my second time at Martinsville Speedway in four years, and I definitely learned a lot today in the No. 8 MotorTrend Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. We fought pretty much the same problem all day, just too tight in the turns from about two-thirds of the way in through the exit. My team did everything they could today, and we tried every adjustment we could think of to loosen our car up but nothing seemed to stick. Our changes would help for a handful of laps on each restart, but then the track would rubber up and the tightness would return every time. Not our day, but I’m thankful for my team for sticking with it all race long and continuing to fight. We’ll look to finish out the season strong at Phoenix Raceway next weekend.”