Racers Edge Acura NSX GT3 Evo finishes third in GT season finale to clinch title
Trent Hindman and Shelby Blackstock claim Silver Class driver’s and team crowns
Team Honda Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo finishes third overall in 8-hour race

INDIANAPOLIS – (October 4, 2020) – The Racers Edge Motorsports #93 Acura NSX GT3 Evo closed the 2020 SRO Motorsports GT World Challenge America campaign in style on a rainy Sunday in Indianapolis, finishing third in the season’s final race to win the series Manufacturers Championship for Acura for the second consecutive year.

The three-hour season finale was actually a race within a race, as the finishing order for the SRO cars was determined by their position after three hours of the inaugural Indianapolis eight-hour SRO Intercontinental GT Challenge event, which included the GT cars from the IGTC as well as the SRO GT World Challenge America cars. The Racers Edge Acura was joined in the field by a similar Acura NSX GT3 Evo campaigned by IGTC series regular Team Honda Racing, featuring Acura IMSA DPi driver Dane Cameron alongside Mario Farnbacher and Renger Van Der Zande.

The endurance contest started with about 30 minutes of panic for teams and drivers ,as rain started falling around the 2.43-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course just about the time the green flag flew. Falling harder each lap, the rain forced teams to pit for wet-weather tires at different intervals, which staggered the running order as teams immediately found themselves on different pit strategies.

The #93 Racers Edge NSX started from fourth, with Trent Hindman, Shelby Blackstock and Robert Megennis behind the wheel, but fell back to ninth early after pitting for rain tires in the opening laps. Things went from bad to worse soon less than an hour later, when the team suffered the first of two cut tires, the first coming just as the car passed the start/finish line, forcing the team to limp all the way around the course before hitting pitting for a replacement.

Meanwhile, the #30 Team Honda Racing Acura played cat-and-mouse with a pair of BMWs at the front of the field, leading when the gap in pit strategy between the team played in Acura’s favor, but the team’s shot at victory evaporated with about two hours to run when an electronics issue during a pit stop caused the team to lose a lap to the leaders. The #30 Acura continued battling, and came home in third, while the #93 ran in the top 10 all day before ending up in seventh place.

The finish in the SRO event, sealed the SRO GT World Challenge America Manufacturers’ Championship for Acura for the second consecutive year, with wins coming from The #93 Racers Edge car and its sister machine, driven early in the year by Martin Barkey and Kyle Marcelli. The finish also sealed the Silver Class Drivers’ and Teams’ titles for Racers Edge, giving the Acura team a second-straight championship. The Acura NSX GT3 Evo, sold and supported by HPD in North America, runs in both Sprint and Endurance racing competition around the world

ST LOUIS (October 4, 2020) — Terry McMillen and the AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil Top Fuel team continued to show off their 2020 season improvement with a dominant performance during the lone qualifying session at the NHRA Midwest Nationals. McMillen blasted to the No. 2 qualifying spot with a 3.715 second run at 319.45 mph on Friday night and took some serious momentum into race day. A long day of rain delays put the pressure on all the pro teams but McMillen’s crew was up to the task.

In the opening round McMillen further showed his Rob Wendland tuned AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster was going to be one of the race cars to beat at World Wide Technology Raceway. The team had a favorable match up against journeyman racer Todd Paton as eliminations began under cool conditions. McMillen got the jump off the starting and never trailed in the race as his 3.777 second at 325.53 mph pass advanced him to the quarterfinals against fellow championship contender Billy Torrence.

The quarterfinal race was one of the best side by side races of the day. McMillen was giving up lane choice but that was not a competitive disadvantage thanks to the excellent effort by the NHRA Safety Safari. Both Top Fuel dragsters launched nearly simultaneously with Torrence getting a slight advantage. That edge would prove to be the difference as the Amalie Motor Oil dragster barreled down the track and crossed the finish line in 3.714 second, a thousandth of a second quicker than his qualifying run. Unfortunately Torrence got the win light by less than two feet and .0046 seconds at over 325 mph.

“I could not be prouder of this Amalie Motor Oil race team,” said McMillen. “My crew chief Rob Wendland has been doing an amazing job with the tune up. We are running in hot conditions and this weekend conditions were the exact opposite of what we had in Florida. This team executed and we made the most of our one qualifying run and we stepped up when we needed to against a tough team. It just didn’t go our way today.”

The team brought out a brand new race car to begin the restarted NHRA season and through seven races McMillen knows he has a championship caliber race operation. Round wins are coming on race day and today under tough conditions McMillen’s Amalie Motor Oil team improved and posted some of the quickest elapsed times. With three races left McMillen in No. 5 in the points has the opportunity to realistically contend for a Top Three finish.

“There is no quit in this team. We will be heading to Dallas and Houston with the goal of winning both of those races and then see where we stack up for a run to the championship. We will have points and half at the last race so anything can happen. I am proud of how this team fought this weekend under tough conditions,” added McMillen.

Midwest Nationals Qualifying Results
Q1: 3.715 sec, 319.45 mph; Qual. 2
Bonus Points: +2 (2^nd quickest of Q1

Race Results

E1: Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster, 3.777, 325.53 mph def. Todd Paton, Rancho Santa Maria, Calif., dragster 13.707, 54.81 mph

E2:  Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster, 3.717, 327.59 mph def. Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster, 3.714, 323.50 mph

NASCAR CUP SERIES TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY YELLAWOOD 500 TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES OCTOBER 4, 2020

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER3rd     TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO FOR YOUR RV CAMARO ZL1 1LE4th      WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 1LE5th      CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE7th      TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CAT NEXT GEN DOZERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE9th      BRENNAN POOLE, NO. 15 GOETTL CAMARO ZL1 1LE10th    RYAN PREECE, NO. 37 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 1LE TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS: POS.  DRIVER1st      Denny Hamlin (Toyota)2nd     Erik Jones (Toyota)3rd     Ty Dillon (Chevrolet)4th      William Byron (Chevrolet)5th      Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)UNOFFICIAL CURRENT PLAYOFF RANK (Following Race 5 of 10)POS.   DRIVER (* = Chevy Contender)                     1st      Denny Hamlin (Toyota): 1 win2nd     * Kurt Busch (Chevrolet): 1 win3rd      Kevin Harvick (Ford): +684th      * Chase Elliott (Chevrolet): +445th      Brad Keselowski (Ford): + 416th      Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota): + 327th      * Alex Bowman (Chevrolet): + 228th      Joey Logano (Ford): + 219th      Kyle Busch (Toyota): – 2110th    * Austin Dillon (Chevrolet): – 2111th    Clint Bowyer (Ford): -3812th    Aric Almirola (Ford): – 48
The NASCAR Cup Series seasons continues at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course with the Bank of America ROVAL 400 on Sunday, October 11th,^, at 2:30 p.m. ET, the elimination race for the Round of 12. Live coverage can be found on NBC, the NBC Sports Gold app, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
TEAM CHEVY NOTES AND QUOTES:TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO FOR YOUR RV CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 3rd“I’m so proud of the effort for Germain Racing and GEICO. We are all fighting for jobs next year, including myself, so that’s the foot you want to put forward at one of these races winding down. It’s been a great run with this team and hopefully we can all work together in the future. I knew it was going to be hard to push anybody in front of me with these noses having a little too much point, but our GEICO For Your RV Chevrolet had enough speed to hang in there. I fell back to sixth in line, but when they all started to get into each other, I knew my outlet was to the bottom to have a chance to win and that’s what we are here for. I stayed on the bottom to hopefully be in position to win low if something were to happen. But to finish third – my personal career-best Cup finish and Germain’s best Cup finish as a team – is something I’m really proud of. It was a fun day and a long day. Thanks to all the fans who came out today too. It was good to have them here with us. I’m just extremely grateful to GEICO and Bob Germain for everything they have done for me the last four years.” WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 4th“It’s tough not to get the win today but to finish fourth is good. It’s just unfortunate. We had a really good run there on the final lap and I got a good push from the 11 in (Turns) one and two that set that up. I was able to get to the 17 and push him and then found some daylight on the bottom to have a run at the 21. Unfortunately, he blocked us there and put us below the yellow line. Fortunately, though we were able to save it and still finish in the top five. Today was a good run for us. We really needed to finish a race after the last couple weeks and it’s good to have a result like today.” TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CAT NEXT GEN DOZERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 7th“That was a crazy race at Talladega Superspeedway, but I’m proud of my No. 8 Cat Next Gen Dozers team for rallying all day long. They worked really hard all race long to keep me in the game when we got into some trouble, and I really appreciate it. We got caught up in a wreck on Lap 1 that changed our game plan a little bit when we got some nose damage from the No. 95, but my team was able to make all the repairs quickly enough to get us back on our normal strategy by the time the competition caution came out. It was a lot about survival today with all the wrecks that were happening. I was able to squeeze through a couple big ones, but also got caught up in a couple others. Luckily, nothing was bad enough to take us out of the race completely. We just stayed focused, fixed what we needed to each time and kept fighting for every spot we could. It was a wild race today, so I’m happy we are able to come home with a seventh- place finish.“ RYAN PREECE, NO. 37 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 10th“What a race today at Talladega Superspeedway. To be able to bring home a top-10 finish in our No. 37 Kroger Chevrolet after the season we have had feels like a win. I wish we didn’t have as much damage there at the end and we could give a little bit of a better push, but ultimately we needed fuel for the final NASCAR Overtime and needed to pit from the front anyway. I’m really proud of our Kroger team to be able to fix the damage that we did have and keep us there at the front at the end. We’ve got five races to continue finishing out this season strong and I’m looking forward to ending the season on a high note.” AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER OFF ROAD CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 12th“This team has a never-give-up-attitude and that is how we were able to finish so solid today in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road/E-Z-GO Chevrolet. Last week was a real bummer, but we kept fighting and only lost eight laps changing a belt. Tonight, we changed an oil cooler behind the wall and only lost two laps, so this RCR team is special. They are true professionals. That was a fun race. We got our stage points in the first stage even with a little bit of damage. In the second stage, we just couldn’t keep up with the damage we had gotten, but to come back to 12^th says a lot. This car is killed. I had a huge run down the backstretch at the end of the race. I pushed Brandon Poole way up there. Once I shoved him, I got to the bottom and then I don’t know what happened. The No. 2 car came across my nose and we lost a couple more spots at the end. It was probably a wild race for the fans to watch. I hope that we can make something happen at the ROVAL. We’re a little too far back in points, but we’ll see what we can do. A lot of things can happen. It’s easy to miss a shift. It’s easy to jump a curb and wreck. We need those guys in front of us to help us out, and see if we can help ourselves out a little bit, too.” ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 CHEVYGOODS.COM/PATRIOT FOUNDATION CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 14th“This group of guys worked their butts off on pit road – very thankful for their hard work. Our Truck Hero Camaro, with Patriot Foundation on the side of it, was not really where we wanted it be to start the race. We made some changes, got it better and then I became a Ford sandwich there getting off turn two. I got pushed into the 10 (Aric Almirola) there – that was a bummer. If that was my fault, apologies to the 10. I felt like I got shoved into him, but it’s one of those deals you never want to be in that situation and crash somebody or cause a crash like that. So, bummed out about that.”
“It was a really long day. A lot of trips down pit road and we crashed like three times after that. Just tried to stay out of the crashes and kept getting caught up in more of them. But, I’m just glad we finished. We have a little bit of a buffer. We’re going into a little bit of a wild card race, but should have a good week ahead of us.”
YOUR CREW CHIEF, GREG IVES, TOLD ME THAT HE THINKS YOU CAN WIN AT ANY OF THE RACES IN THIS ROUND, SO THAT LEAVES YOU WITH THE ROVAL NOW. DO YOU SHARE HIS OPTIMISIM?  “Yeah, for sure. I think you have to go beat Chase Elliott, which is really tough to do at a road course lately. He’s got it so dialed in. They can give me all the same stuff that he has, take identical racecars, and he can still make it go a little faster. So, I’ve got my work cut out for me to try to match that and get as good as Chase is at that place. But I feel like we’re right behind him there and we can do a really good job there, as well.” BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 24thHE WAS RACING FOR THE WIN AND THEN, BUBBA, WHAT HAPPENED ON THE BACKSTRETCH?“I don’t really know – I haven’t seen a replay yet. It was a big learning curve day for me. I think I came down on the No. 37 (Ryan Preece) there and started that whole deal, so that’s on me. It’s just unfortunate. It was a really good day for us in our Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 World Wide Technology Camaro ZL1 1LE. We’ve got a lot to look over and review, which is good. We led some laps and had a really solid car. Hats off to my guys for a really solid effort – getting it fixed there at lap one. It was definitely a hard hit, but all-in-all, we’re good. We’ll try to take what we can from today. I love coming to these plate races. It’s showing, but we didn’t get the finish that we deserved today. All-in-all, we’ll go to the Roval and have some fun.”  KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 GEARWRENCH CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 109; Finished 32ndTHAT WAS A ROUGH RIDE. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT?“Yeah, it was a wild ride. That’s the nature of this sport. You’re on top one week with a win and everything’s fantastic. And then this week here at Talladega, we were hoping for a nice, smooth run and to gain some points. I was just doing my job as a Chevy helper running top-five and next thing you know, I’m going for one of the wildest rides I’ve ever been in.” “Thanks to NASCAR safety. My sponsor GEARWRENCH this weekend, with Monster Energy, with Chevrolet. We were just trying to do the Chevy thing and get some points out of that stage. That’s just Talladega – the wild rides always continue. TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO FOR YOUR RV CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Press Conference Transcript: THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Ty Dillon, our third‑place finisher, driver of the No. 13 Germain Racing Chevrolet. Talk us through the third‑place finish, how it feels.             TY DILLON: It feels great. I’m sure everyone is aware our team announced it’s selling and has been sold. The relationship between myself and GEICO and Germain Racing and all the 47 employees at Germain Racing is coming to an end.           We all promised each other when it was announced we would all give everything we had till the end. This was a statement for our team.           I can’t thank everyone enough at Germain Racing, Bob Germain, Larry Rogers, all the people at GEICO, all the people that worked there over my four years that helped me throughout my four years here. I’m thankful for the opportunity and hopeful for the next opportunity. And hopefully some of us can get to work again, work together again. Hopefully this propelled some of us to get new opportunities next year as we’re all searching.             THE MODERATOR: We’ll take questions from the media.            Q. You talk about your next opportunity. Where are you at in those discussions for next year? Are you looking in the Xfinity Series as well, just Cup? Do you want to continue racing full‑time in NASCAR?TY DILLON: Absolutely. I feel like I am one of the top‑level drivers in the Cup Series. I just need the correct opportunity. I proved in the Xfinity Series, every race I’ve won, if you go back and watch, I beat Kyle Busch, one of the best. He’s finished second to most of my wins. Kevin Harvick. You look at the field that was in the win that I got at the Brickyard. Those guys were the best of the best. I’ve proved that I can do it. Just a matter of opportunity.           I absolutely want to be in the Cup Series. I feel like in the right situation over the right time I can win races, be a championship contender. My time is not up here. I definitely have a lot to prove still. I feel like I’m starting to reach the pinnacle of myself physically and mentally as far as a Cup driver.           As far as the opportunity, I have nothing yet. Hopefully this inspires some more talks and more sponsorship opportunities. It’s getting to a tough place in the sport where you have to bring money with you as far as sponsorship. A little bit goes a long way right now.           If I have to take an opportunity to go down to the Xfinity Series, try to win races there, reprove myself, I’ll absolutely take it.           I’m a hungry driver right now. I want opportunity next year to continue to prove what I can do, start fresh.            Q. You said this was a statement for your team. How is it a statement for you personally?TY DILLON: Yeah, superspeedways are always a place that I’ve succeeded at and been successful at. I wanted to go out and at this point put together good runs. I have some anger built up, a little bit of fire, because I want that opportunity now for next year. I want it now because I believe in myself.           Any time we can take a chance when the field is equalized to prove ourselves, I feel like I want to make the most of it. Today was one of those chances. When you finish these races enough, it’s not just by luck.           We haven’t shown all the capabilities at some of the mile‑and‑a‑half tracks, but we’ve done it at short tracks. We’ve won stages. I think more it was a stamp on our race team and our years together. From here on out I’m going to try to do my best, continue to make statements to the owners out there and sponsors out there that if they take a chance on me, they won’t be sorry.            Q. Most people would think it would be a no‑brainer you would end up doing something at RCR. Has that option been discussed for you?TY DILLON: Yeah, I mean, I speak with my grandfather. He’s involved in trying to make sure I get a ride. The opportunity really isn’t there at RCR for me. They have two drivers who are under contract. It’s not like I can bring enough money to start a race team over there.           Hopefully we can do something to work together with another team. But, yeah, I haven’t really been an RCR driver now for four years. I hope people can understand that I can bring value to a team respectfully, not just because of who I am but because of my talent.           Like I said, I’m really eager to see what’s next for my career.            Q. What is the biggest lesson you’re taking from this 2020 season, one of change but the highest highs and the lowest lows?TY DILLON: It’s been an incredible season of life for myself. I have an incredible wife who just keeps things in perspective. Between her and I, we have a strong faith in Christ. We restore each other daily because the world can really get after you in times, especially with what’s going on with the virus, also with the job. Then we have a little one on the way. Everyone who has children knows what that’s like. We’re so eager to meet our little boy Captain here in a couple weeks. That is going to be beyond anything that racing can bring to our life.           I think what the virus has done for me, as a kid I grew up racing, my family was at the racetrack every weekend, we were hardly in any different places. I was always playing sports.           We were able for the first time in my life to sit down and have dinner with my wife and my daughter for an extended period of time. My wife is a great chef. We got to spend time together. That was a really great experience, something I hope to continue for a long time with my children, make it a really important thing with our family. I think that’s what I learned the most there.           Life can be up and down. Seasons come and go. If you’re not rooted in a faith, in something stronger, you’ll get tossed like the waves.            Q. Tell us how much of the hard work Bob has put on this race team the past couple of years? The run shows high volumes of what he’s contributed.TY DILLON: Yeah, I think Bob Germain has committed so much to this sport over a long period of time. He’s a truck champion owner. He went from a start‑and‑park team to finishing third here today. I’m not sure if that’s his best finish, but sure does feel like it.           I wanted to give him everything. I wanted to give him a win. I thought in my rookie year I’d give him wins and championships. This Cup Series is the real deal when you get up here. We had a lot to battle through.           We really have grown year after year. It is heartbreaking to see this is coming to an end for him and Germain Racing because of the commitment level he has had. It’s a tough climate across the country, in this sport right now. I think we have great hopes for the future of this sport, the new model car and everything that’s coming out, the way it’s going to help financially.           But unfortunately the timing didn’t work out for our race team. We hope for brighter days together in the future. We’ll see what happens.            Q. NASCAR has already stated they’re not looking at changing the yellow line rule. There was some question brought up about it as if this rule needs to change, still value. Are you comfortable with NASCAR saying they don’t feel like they need to change? As a competitor, would you say, Hear me out, here is why I think it could be changed?TY DILLON: The rule doesn’t need to be changed. It’s a product of what’s going on right now. These cars are a bit easier to drive, stuck to the ground harder. The runs are happening twice as fast as they ever have.           Guys going below the yellow line, you got guys going for a win, guys not trying to wreck. It’s not just you’re hitting the ball and it’s okay. It physically impacts you when you do crash.           Guys have a lot of things going on in their mind. Sometimes when you go below the yellow line, it’s not totally your fault, but it is the rules. It comes down to a mental decision, am I going to lift or go below the yellow line.           We know the rules before we get here. I think if you were to open it up and take the yellow line away, you’re going to have guys blocking all the way down to the grass, have twice as big of wrecks.           I don’t think we want to open up that can the worms. We have plenty of racetrack we can go four‑ or five‑wide on. It’s a product of what we do. I don’t see anybody at any fault for any reason. I don’t think anybody tried to bend the rules to get an advantage. I think it’s just a product of what happens here.            Q. You said the runs are coming faster than ever. This package was supposed to keep the runs from being as fast compared to Daytona in February. Are the runs still just as fast?TY DILLON: I think the runs are just as fast. The top speed is slower, which is helpful, especially when it comes to crashes. I think the impact rate, just being a driver inside the car, when things start happening, it is slower. Previously in the year when these crashes happened, it was like a snap and you couldn’t react.           I think just slowing the speed of the car down gives everybody a little bit better chance. Slowing five to 10 miles per hour down when you’re going that fast, hitting a wall, can do a lot for you in safety, too. I think that was the important call there.           Yeah, I mean, the runs are happening so fast, I’d say 20% of the times the spotters can’t physically react in time. The drivers really have to be on it, feeling, knowing how things go. A little bit of patience goes a long way.           You can see guys being really aggressive and it does get you to the front with these cars because they have so much grip, you can push the limits. But there is also a counter strategy to surviving these things.           If you look at what the 11 did, the 4, a lot of guys who finished the race, they were patient all day, didn’t put themselves in aggressive situations too early.            Q. What does it mean to deliver the best team finish with five weeks left?TY DILLON: That feels great. I want to give them everything I have coming down to the end of our run together. I’m not a person that’s built to quit in anything. I want to keep getting stronger every day of my life as a human. That doesn’t change for racing, racing for a team. Really proud of that.           We got, what is it, six or seven more to go. See if we can possibly top that coming to the end. All in all it’s been a great run, not just for the finishes but spending time and making relationships and memories with these guys.            Q. Looking at the stats, for drivers who have made at least five starts at Talladega, you have the best average finish with 12.0. What makes you good at this racetrack?TY DILLON: I think patience. My wife always preaches patience to me when I come to these superspeedways. I had a pretty good run going at Daytona, too. You throw that Daytona 500 out, it’s hard not to get a little anxious, get up in the middle of it.           I was a little mad at myself the last couple races at superspeedways. I was running inside the top 10, inside of two or three laps to go, got in crashes. The average finish would be even better if we would have finished those.           You don’t always want to have to put yourself at the back at certain times. But I feel like I’ve got a sense, I don’t get the hair standing up like Denny does, but I get a sense when things are about to get bad, focus on certain cars in the packs, certain attitudes and feelings I get. I try to navigate myself to a safe spot. Sometimes you’ll find yourself falling back. But it works obviously.            Q. Do you have a shortlist of teams in Xfinity you would consider?TY DILLON: I haven’t really gotten there yet. Obviously I’d want to be in a ride that’s competing for wins. But Xfinity is second on the list. I want to be Cup racing full‑time first. If all the doors shut there, I’ll start knocking on the doors in Xfinity. We’ll see what happens from there. God will bless us with some kind of opportunity whether it’s Cup or Xfinity, who knows what.             THE MODERATOR: Thank you for taking the time to talk with us. Congratulations on the finish. We’ll see you at the Roval.             TY DILLON: Thank you, guys. Appreciate your time.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/ TRACKER Off Road/E-Z-GO Chevrolet Team Survive Wild Talladega Race

12th   12th  9th

“This team has a never-give-up-attitude, and that is how we were able to finish so solid today in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road/E-Z-GO Chevrolet. Last week was a real bummer, but we kept fighting and only lost eight laps changing a belt. Tonight, we changed an oil cooler behind the wall and only lost two laps, so this RCR team is special. They are true professionals. Today was a fun race. We got our stage points in the first stage even with a little bit of damage. In the second stage, we just couldn’t keep up with the damage we had gotten, but to come back to 12th says a lot. This car is killed. I had a huge run down the backstretch at the end of the race. I pushed Brandon Poole way up there. Once I shoved him, I got to the bottom and then I don’t know what happened. The No. 2 car came across my nose and we lost a couple more spots at the end. It was probably a wild race for the fans to watch. I hope that we can make something happen at the ROVAL. We’re a little too far back in points, but we’ll see what we can do. A lot of things can happen. Its easy to miss a shift. Its easy to jump a curb and wreck. We need those guys in front of us to help us out, and see if we can help ourselves out a little bit, too.” -Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick Forges Through Intense Race at Talladega Superspeedway with a Seventh-Place Finish in  Cat Next Gen Dozers Chevy

7th   30th   19th

“That was a crazy race at Talladega Superspeedway, but I’m proud of my No. 8 Cat Next Gen Dozers team for rallying all day long. They worked really hard to keep me in the game when we got into some trouble, and I really appreciate it. We got caught up in a wreck on Lap 1 that changed our game plan a little bit when we got some nose damage from the No. 95, but my team was able to make all the repairs quickly enough to get us back on our normal strategy by the time the competition caution came out. It was a lot about survival today with all the wrecks that were happening. I was able to squeeze through a couple big ones, but also got caught up in a couple others. Luckily, nothing was bad enough to take us out of the race completely. We just stayed focused, fixed what we needed to each time and kept fighting for every spot we could. It was a wild race today, so I’m happy we are able to come home with a seventh-place finish.” -Tyler Reddick

·        Nitro qualifying at Mopar Express Lane NHRA Midwest Nationals Presented by Pennzoil delayed by rain with only one session run under the lights at World Wide Technology Raceway to set the eliminations ladders

·        Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat foursome peddle their way through qualifying as they battle each other for Funny Car championship with just four national events left in the 2020 season

·        DSR’s Jack Beckman and Matt Hagan qualify their Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Cars fifth and sixth respectively

·        Leah Pruett seeks her first Top Fuel win of season to move her DSR Mopar dragster to the top of the standings from third place in points and her ninth place seeded position in eliminations.

·        Mark Pawuk qualified his Mopar Drag Pak No.1 for Factory Stock Showdown with record qualifying run on Friday night

October 3, 2020, St. Louis, Mo. – With just four events left in the 2020 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Drag Racing Series season, Mother Nature made things a little more interesting for qualifying at the Mopar Express Lane Midwest Nationals Presented by Pennzoil.

Intermittent rain throughout the day delayed on track activities at World Wide Technology Raceway for seven hours and limited Funny Car and Top Fuel classes to just one qualifying session in cool 58-degree Fahrenheit temperatures on Saturday night under the lights.

Challenging track conditions and the resulting shake-up to the nitro elimination ladders heading into race day will almost certainly further enliven battles for world championship titles for the Mopar Dodge SRT entries in both Funny Car and Top Fuel.

Funny Car qualifying saw just two of 16 entries make clean runs in cool conditions, with all four Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat pilots finding it difficult to get the traction needed to make it down the lane. 

Points leader Jack Beckman, who has won twice at St. Louis (2012 and 2016), was the highest seeded of the HEMI®-powered DSR teammates with a fifth place position on the eliminations ladder with a 4.750 seconds pass at 185.03 mph aboard his Infinite Hero Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. He will be paired with Blake Alexander for the opening round.

Matt Hagan, returning to the track in the familiar blue and white Mopar paint scheme this weekend after five events with the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye, qualified right behind Beckman in the sixth spot with a 5.105 second/148.15 mph pass and remains just a handful of points behind him in the points battle as well. He will have Bob Bode as his first round opponent.

Tommy Johnson Jr., who sits third in points with his MD Anderson Dodge, qualified eighth with a 7.220 sec./118.97 mph pass for a first round match against Terry Haddock.

A four-time winner at St. Louis (1997, 2005, 2007, 2017), Ron Capps remains in the championship hunt after his win last weekend at the Gatornationals to put him fourth overall, but will have to battle from a 14^th place on the eliminations ladder on Sunday starting his day against No.3 seed Cruz Pedregon.

In Top Fuel, Leah Pruett was looking for traction both on the track for her blue and white DSR Mopar dragster in qualifying as well as in the championship. Seeking her first win of the season and a chance to move up from third place in the points standings to challenge leader Steve Torrence and second-place contender Doug Kalitta, Pruett peddled her way to a ninth place seeding with a 4.310 sec./249.07 mph drive to stage next to Pat Dakin for the first round of action on Sunday.

While Factory Stock Showdown didn’t get to take to the track on Saturday as a casualty of weather delays, the Sportsman class did previously get a qualifying session in on Friday evening in which the Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak duo of Mark Pawuk and Leah Pruett made the best of the cool and quick racing conditions.

Coming into the weekend second in the FSS championship rankings, Pawuk took his Empaco Equipment Dodge Challenger Drag Pak on a stellar run down the track for a 7.814-second pass at 175.48 mph, setting track records for both elapsed time and speed to earn a provisional No. 1 qualifier position which, without a second session on Saturday, secured his position atop the eliminations ladder. Pawuk reset his own track records from 2019 and garnered his second top qualifier position at St. Louis after earning the first of his FSS career in 2018. 

After a trio of runner-up finishes, Pawuk is hoping to finally break through into the win column with his Mopar Drag Pak by making his way through eliminations starting with first round match-up on Sunday against Arthur Kohn.

“It’s been since 2001 since I won an NHRA national event, and I’d love nothing more than to get my first win in my Empaco Equipment Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak at our sponsors’ event,” said Pawuk. “It’s great that we qualified No. 1, but I would have loved to have gotten a second shot down the race track just to back up our other run and get more confidence for Sunday. It is what it is. Unfortunately, the weather seems to be against us this year. It looked like it would clear and NHRA did their best to dry the track but it kept spritzing and with it being so cool out today we’re going to have to go into race day with just one run. We’ll do the best we can and hopefully go some rounds tomorrow.

“Mopar recently debuted the new Drag Pak, and it sold out in 18 minutes,” added Pawuk. “I’m really looking forward to getting into the new 2021 car, but I tell you what, I’ll take my old baby right now because she’s running awfully good”

Joining her Mopar Drag Pak teammate in the top-half of the FSS elimination ladder is Pruett who posted her own sub-eight second run to put her in the seventh seeded position. Her solid 7.955-second pass at 172.32 mph will see her line up next to Lee Hartman for her first round match-up on race day.

Elimination rounds for the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Midwest Nationals Presented by Pennzoil are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Sun., Oct. 4, with the television broadcast on FS1 beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET featuring live coverage of the final rounds.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES: 

Jack Beckman, Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
(No. 5 Qualifier – 4.750 seconds at 185.03 mph)

“Wow! I have no idea what to expect for race day tomorrow. This race track was colder than anything we’ve run on in a year-and-a-half and nearly everybody missed it. You’ll have some highly favored cars in the bottom half of the car and it makes no difference. Tomorrow the track should have a little more temperature in it and it should come back into the tuner’s wheelhouse. I have no idea what to expect, but I’m going to get up early and I can’t wait to get out here to Gateway.”

Matt Hagan, Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Funny Car  
(No.6  Qualifier – 5.105 seconds at 148.15 mph)

“It was a long day out there. We finally got a run in late and it put us in the No. 6 spot. That’s not the run we were looking for, but it gives us some data to run off of. It’s a great facility with a really good race track and this Mopar Hellcat Funny Car with Pennzoil and Express Lane here this weekend; it’s race day tomorrow. This rain and cold doesn’t matter. We have to go rounds and win this thing. There’s only a few races left and we have to perform.”

Tommy Johnson Jr., MD Anderson Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
(No. 8 Qualifier – 7.220 seconds at 118.97 mph) 

“It was an interesting qualifying session. The conditions we had were tricky. We don’t run fuel (nitro) cars in these conditions often and probably for good reason. We’ll go out tomorrow and have a better track and more normal conditions. It will still be cool, but it will be a very interesting day. There will be some great runs and some pedal fests. It will be great for the fans. We’re in the top half and have lane choice and we’ll do our best.”

Ron Capps, NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
(No. 14 Qualifier – 12.851 seconds at 71.93 mph)

“What a long day. To get here and know the conditions were going to be cool and unfortunately the rains came and we got to run at night it was so cold. When you have 11,000 horsepower, you won’t see those conditions again. It’s the same for everybody and when it smoked the tires I just idled down the track instead of hurting itself or crossing the center line or doing something stupid. It’s gonna be like NASCAR where they just show up and race. I constantly brag about adapting like (Rahn) Tobler can, the NAPA Know How, and changing with the conditions. It’s going to be fast. This track is great. Anyone we race will be tough. With only three races left we have to step on it. Wake up and step on the gas.”

Leah Pruett, Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Top Fuel Dragster  
(No. 9 Qualifier – 4.310 seconds at 249.07 mph)   

“So we won’t have choice in the first round, but what’s most important is that we have a lane to race in. There’s a certain amount of pressure when it comes down to one run to get in the show. The first run of any race is about getting your car setup. All systems go. We had some bellhousing issues in the burnout, which compounded some problems. We were set up to run a high .60 or low .70. It ended up shaking early and we had to pedal it just like the majority of cars in that round. We know what happened and how to fix it. We practiced a long day today with a lot of waiting around and tomorrow is going to be a lot with Factory Stock eliminations also. That seems to be the norm for me and I’m looking forward to high paced, high energy, high intensity, high Mopar horsepower day.”

Mark Pawuk, Empaco Equipment Mopar Drag Pak– Factory Stock Shootout
(No. 1 Qualifier – 7.814 seconds at 175.48 mph)

“It’s great that we qualified No. 1, but I would have loved to have gotten a second shot down the race track just to back up our other run and get more confidence for Sunday. It is what it is. Unfortunately, the weather seems to be against us this year. It looked like it would clear and NHRA did their best to dry the track but it kept spritzing and with it being so cool out today we’re going to have to go into race day with just one run. We’ll do the best we can and hopefully go some rounds tomorrow.”

Leah Pruett, Mopar Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak – Factory Stock Shootout 
(No. 7  Qualifier – 7.955 seconds at 172.32 mph)

“I’m super proud of Mark Pawuk carrying the weight of our Dodge Mopar Factory Stock (Showdown) team lately. His car seems to be typically seven or eight or nine hundredths of-a-second quicker than El Bandito right now. What we’re focused on is trying to finish this year as strong as possible with the two DSR Drag Paks. I’m consistently running in front of Mark to make sure the car gets down the track and that’s the great product of having a team car. You can help each other. We’re trying to get down the track and when you only have one qualifier, that’s tricky. We know what the track can take and Mark’s out there paving the way, he got the pole this weekend, and we’re going to try and get a win in any class or both of them tomorrow. We’re digging for gold.”

IMPERIAL, PA (October 3, 2020) – Ricky Thornton Jr. picked a great time to get his first career win in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series as he captured the 32nd Annual Pittsburgher 100 on Saturday Night at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway.   Moran led the first 16 laps of the race until Richards took over the point. Richards held the lead until Moran regained the lead on lap 36. The first caution of the race waved with 40 laps complete as the previously announced fuel stop would take place. Under the red flag Richards, who was running second, had a tire going down. Richards and several other competitors headed to the hot pit to change tires before the green would come back out again.

Thornton, who celebrated his 30th birthday on September 28, inherited the top spot on lap 82 when the top two drivers in the race, Devin Moran and Tim McCreadie, both headed to the hot pit to change flat tires. Moran had brought out the caution for his flat while leading. McCreadie picked up the race lead but his right front tire was going down forcing him to pit as well before a race restart commenced. Thornton took advantage of several restarts in the final 18 laps to stretch his lead over the field as he went unchallenged to score the $20,000 victory. With the win Thornton became the 20th different winner this year on the LOLMDS tour. The all-time series record is 22 different winners in one season. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane, Thornton celebrated his huge victory. “I think we were the only ones going hard on tires. We flipped a coin to determine what we were going to run. During that fuel break Taylon [Center] was looking at everyone else’s tires and he said there is no way they were going to make it all 100 laps without having some problems. It all worked out for us.” Richards was seeking his third win in the famed event and came up just short. “Congrats to Ricky on the win. He was so good on the restarts. I’d like to thank my team, the fans, and the sponsors for supporting this Clint Bowyer Racing Team.” Pearson came through the field to take third. “We had a shot on that last restart. It looked like Clanton was having a tire go down. We have been in the top five for the last three races, so that’s big for us.” The winner’s Todd and Vickie Burns-owned SSI Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and is sponsored by Dyno One, Excel Floor Covering, Sub-Surface of Indiana, Certified Inspection Service Company Inc., West Side Tractor Sales, Swift Springs, Penske Racing Shocks, Slicker Graphics, and Hoker Trucking. Completing the top ten were Jonathan Davenport, Chris Ferguson, Shane Clanton, Devin Moran, and Tanner English.

13th    6th  8th

“We had a fast No. 21 Ceco Building Systems Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway today. Early on in the race I was a little tight on exit and then loose once the car unloaded, but once we made a slight adjustment on our first pit stop, we had a really good balance for the race. Unfortunately, I had some contact with another car coming to pit road during our green flag stops in the final stage, and that caused some damage to our nose, but my team did a great repairing what we could and getting me back out on the track. We still had a lot of speed after that since the damage really didn’t affect me in the draft, and I was able to drive my way back up through the field and race in the top 10 for the majority of the final 20 laps. Things got a little hectic during the final laps when we got shuffled back a little bit and weren’t able to get up front when we needed to, but that’s superspeedway racing. It’s crazy how fast things change at these tracks, but I learned a bunch today. We came here to win, so I can’t say that I’m not a little disappointed, but you can only do whatever is in your control at these races. We were able to still end the day with a top-15 finish, so I’m still really proud of our effort today. We’ll keep building during my final two races later this year in the No. 21 Chevrolet.” -Anthony Alfredo

Late-race charge from Colton Herta comes up just short as he finishes second
Alexander Rossi scores fourth consecutive podium result with third-place run
Honda takes Manufacturers’ Championship lead to season finale in St. Petersburg

SPEEDWAY, Ind. (Oct. 3, 2020) – A late-race charge from Mid-Ohio race winner Colton Herta came up just short in today’s second race of the Harvest Grand Prix race weekend, as he finished less than a second behind race winner Will Power, on the road course of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Fellow Andretti Autosport teammate Alexander Rossi finished third, for his fourth consecutive podium finish in the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

The second-place finish for Herta helped Honda to maintain a 54-point lead over Chevrolet in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturers’ Championship [1057-1003] with a single race remaining in the 2020 season. Dixon, who finished eighth in the caution-free race in his Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, goes to the St. Petersburg season finale later this month with a 32-point lead over rival Josef Newgarden.

Honda drivers claimed six of the top 10 positions in today’s 75-lap race, with Jack Harvey finishing a season-high sixth for Meyer Shank Racing, while Graham Rahal held off Dixon to finish seventh. Alex Palou rounded out the top nine today in his Team Goh with Dale Coyne Racing Honda.

Next
After the fifth doubleheader race weekend of 2020, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES now takes the next two weekends off before concluding the season in Florida with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on October 23-25.

Honda Racing social media content and videos from the Harvest Grand Prix weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are available on Instagram (www.instagram.com/hondaracing_hpd), Facebook (www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/HondaRacing_HPD).  

Quotes
Colton Herta (Andretti Autosport Honda) Started second, finished second: “The Capstone Honda was really good and I’m happy to be powered by HPD. I think I kind of left everything out there [on track]. I used up a lot of my tires trying to catch back up to those guys. We just didn’t really have it at the end, I think I burned up the rears a little bit too much to the point where Will could hold me back. I do think we were a little bit faster than him, but, unfortunately, we just didn’t put it together in the first stint until too far back and that kind of hurt us going into the next two stints.”

Alexander Rossi (Andretti Autosport Honda) Started third, finished third, fourth consecutive podium finish in 2020: “Ultimately, another good day. It was the best qualifying we’ve had all year, so it’s good to be able to finally start up front. I think our pace through the first two stints was good. I think myself, Will [Power] and Colton [Herta] were kind of in our own league and it was whoever could make the best, last stint happen. We went with [Firestone Primary] ‘Blacks’ because we thought it was a good option. We were the only car that did Blacks on the last stint. Ultimately, we tried something different – I’m not mad about it – but it was the wrong tire choice. Did it cost us the win? Maybe not. Did it cost us second? Probably. But, ultimately, four races [at Mid-Ohio and Indianapolis] and four podiums, we’re pretty happy.”

Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) Started 15th, finished eighth; leads drivers’ championship by 32 points with one race remaining: “It’s definitely been a trying last few race weekends. I’m still mad at myself for making that mistake at Mid-Ohio, and letting those [championship] points get away. As always, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES points title will come down to the last race. I’m just really proud of this PNC Bank team and everyone who works so hard to win. Honda has been pushing hard, and we’re always proud to be powered by them along with HPD. Congrats to Will [Power] and Josef [Newgarden] on the wins this weekend – that’s what we’ll be trying to do in St. Petersburg.”

David Salters (Technical Director, Honda Performance Development) on today’s closing race of the Harvest GP weekend and Honda’s continuation in Indy car racing: “The closing laps of today’s race were exciting, as Colton [Herta] gave everything he had in search of the victory. Now the championship fights – both manufacturers’ and driver – will once again go on to the final race of the season, and our team at HPD are ready to take the fight on to St. Petersburg. We were excited to be part of today’s announcement securing the future of our participation in this great sport, and we’re already looking forward to the start of the new, hybrid era of Indy car racing.”

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES INDYCAR HARVEST GP INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROAD COURSE RACE 2 RECAP AND QUOTES OCT. 3, 2020 Power, Chevrolet complete INDYCAR Harvest GP sweep Race 1 winner Newgarden within 32 points of title lead; Chevy scores 199th win

INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 3, 2020) – Will Power led all 75 laps of Race 2 of the INDYCAR Harvest GP on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course to claim his second victory of the season in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet and 39th of his NTT INDYCAR SERIES career. Chevrolet swept the doubleheader as reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Josef Newgarden, driving the No. 1 Team Penske Chevrolet, won the 85-lap Race 1 on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course on Oct. 2. Chevrolet has registered 88 victories in 148 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races since returning to manufacturer competition in 2012. Overall, Chevrolet has 199 wins in Indy car racing (under AAA, USAC, CART, Champ Car, IRL and INDYCAR sanction): Chevrolet 2.2-liter V6 twin turbocharged direct-injected engine supplier –88: INDYCAR (2012-present) Chevrolet V8 engine supplier — 104: CART (1987-1993) and Indy Racing League (2002-05) Miscellaneous victories credited to Chevrolet — 7: USAC and CART (1965-81) “Just so happy to have Verizon, Chevy in Victory Lane again,” said Power, who won by .8932 of a second over Colton Herta in the caution-free race. “We had two Hondas trying to attack us (toward the end of the race), but the Chevy had very good power and drivability, so I’m over the moon to get another win.” It is the ninth time in his career that Power has won from the pole, including four times on the IMS road course (2015, 2017, 2018 and 2020). The win tied Al Unser for fifth on the all-time Indy car victory list. Earlier in the day, Power claimed his fourth NTT P1 Award of the season and 61st pole of his career. Power, who has earned 37 of his career poles since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, is six behind leader Mario Andretti on the all-time Indy car list. Chevrolet has amassed 98 earned poles (102 counting poles based on entrant points when qualifications were canceled because of inclement weather) in the 148 races. Newgarden finished fourth and Pato O’Ward, driving the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, placed fifth. Simon Pagenaud rounded out the Team Chevy top 10 with a 10th-place finish in the DXC Technology Team Penske Chevrolet.Newgarden closed to 32 points of front-runner Scott Dixon in the chase for the driver championship heading into the heading into the season finale Oct. 25 on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary street circuit in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Firestone GP of St. Petersburg will be telecast by NBC at 2:30 p.m. ET. Newgarden won the 2019 race, which was the season opener. CHEVROLET UNOFFICIAL FINISHING RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER1          Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet4          Josef Newgarden, No. 1 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet5          Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet10       Simon Pagenaud, No. 22 DXC Technology Team Penske Chevrolet17       Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Sonax Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet18       Sebastien Bourdais, No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet19       Max Chilton, No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet20       Conor Daly, No. 20 U.S. Air Force Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet21       Helio Castroneves, No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet23       Charlie Kimball, No. 4 Tresiba AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet24       Sage Karam, No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Oil2Soil Chevrolet25       Dalton Kellett, No. 41 K-Line AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL FINISHING RESULTS: POS.  DRIVER1         Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet2         Colton Herta, No. 88 Capstone Andretti Autosport Honda3         Alexander Rossi, No. 27 AutoNation Andretti Autosport Honda4         Josef Newgarden, No. 1 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet5         Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet

TEAM CHEVY NOTES AND QUOTES WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – RACE WINNER: “The tires had gone away and it was a tough battle and I had to work very hard to keep him behind. I am just so happy to have Verizon and Chevy in Victory Lane again. We had two Hondas trying to attack us there but my Chevy had very good power and drive-ability, so just over the moon to get another win, especially at this place.” JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 1 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – FINISHED 4TH “We were a little shy of where we needed to be. If we had a phenomenal day like we had yesterday, we would be in really good shape. We were just mediocre today. I think we had a car to compete with Will and Herta and Rossi up there but we just didn’t start up there high enough. With the start, I got kind of buried on the inside and I tried to get as much as I could on the outside but then Santino came in running tight – but he was fine. It just got tight and I got pushed back a little too far. The key for us was being up higher earlier today. I just had to work for a lot just like Scott did. If we had a cleaner qualifying run, I think we really would have had a better day. I’m really thankful to Team Chevy. There were two wins for Team Chevy here this weekend. They did a phenomenal job, and obviously having Hitachi support is always big for us. Look, we’re in it with a shot. We’re going to go to St. Pete and try and win this championship. I just wish we were in a little closer position.” RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 SONAX ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET – FINISHED 17TH: “Way different race than yesterday! I wish there had been some kind of yellow so we could have done something! Two stints on blacks, that was tough. We were not quick on the blacks yesterday and that did not change for today. The last stint on reds was pretty okay, we just had some unfortunate things happen today. I wasn’t completely happy with the handling of the car, but we didn’t get the set up quite right – it happens! Everyone gave 100%, including me, and that just wasn’t enough today. Let’s head to St. Pete and send it!” MAX CHILTON, NO. 59 GALLAGHER CARLIN CHEVROLET – FINISHED 19TH:  “It was a really tough day out there today. We had an issue on the start where we got blocked and lost quite a few spots, but thankfully we were able to make them up throughout the race. We just really struggled on blacks. The reds were manageable, but the blacks had zero grip. I just didn’t feel like I could be as aggressive today as I was yesterday, so unfortunately we weren’t as competitive as we were in Race 1. Even with the fuel saving, we were still able to make up positions throughout the race especially when we were on the reds. Obviously I wish we could’ve improved today and gotten a top 10, but it just wasn’t in the cards for us.”  CHARLIE KIMBALL, NO. 4 TRESIBA CHEVROLET – FINISHED 23RD: “Honestly kind of a frustrating day. We made the decision strategically to do something different than the 14 and something different than the 41. We started on used alternate Firestones. The pace just wasn’t great. The second stint on our first set of primes (tires) we just really struggled to find lap time, so from yesterday to today we seemed to have gotten a little outside the window. I don’t know if it was weather conditions, track conditions or just the tires we had left after using a little more on yesterday’s race but going for the three stop we had to make really good lap time and we struggled with a little bit during the second stint of the race. But at the end the lap times weren’t bad on the third and fourth stints. We just need to figure out how to make the car better in qualifying so we don’t have to throw Hail Mary’s.” DALTON KELLETT, NO. 41 K LINE USA CHEVROLET – FINISHED 25TH: “Definitely not the way we wanted to end the season for the No. 41 K Line Insulators USA crew. We thought we were looking pretty good going into the race with the two new sets of Firestone alternates (tires). When we went to sticker reds, we didn’t quite have the pace and it just seemed like the car couldn’t quite take the extra little bit of aggression to try to get that next few tenths out of it. Had a couple mistakes in (turn) 1 trying to push the brakes out a little bit deeper but getting front lock up, so that really hurt us having to take the run off road there. At the end of the day we didn’t quite have the pace or the consistency to pull off the strategy that we were trying to go for which was a bummer for the team. I think we’ve worked really hard all season and we’ve definitely made improvements but obviously today showed there’s some work that we have to do. We have to sit down and think really hard over what’s been good about the changes that we’ve made so far and what hasn’t worked and come up with a plan from there. ” SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS, NO. 14 AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET – FINISHED 18TH  “It was a pretty trying weekend, not where we want to be but it’s just the beginning of the relationship. We’re hoping to build something and prepare as best as possible for next year. In some respects we achieved that. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us but if it was easy I may not be here. We have a lot to think about, a lot to go through and analyze and see what may explain what we’ve experienced this weekend. Starting from where we started today makes things very difficult but we were on the right strategy with the two-stopper because everyone who had a halfway decent day was on the two stop strategy. Passing was once again extremely difficult. Just a shame we got caught up in some guys’ messes when they tangled and got back on track like Ericsson running off the track and making us lose a couple of positions. We never could recover from that because passing was so difficult. At the end of the day, live and learn. Everybody tried real hard, the mechanics did a great job throwing all the changes that we wanted to try at the car and that was quite a bit all weekend long. We’ll keep working at it and move forward CONOR DALY, NO. 20 U.S. AIR FORCE CHEVROLET – FINISHED 20TH: “As made a move into Turn 1 on Lap 2, we had a glitch and lost the throttle for a couple of seconds. I had to fall back to last, but honestly from then on, we had really good pace. Our second stint on new reds was great, we got up to 14th from dead last. We were making great progress but couldn’t maintain the speed on the last set of used reds. The 41 car blocked us pretty aggressively and was not very sportsmanlike, which was a shame. We just had to hang on to the finish.” HELIO CASTRONEVES, NO. 7 ARROW MCLAREN CHEVROLET – FINISHED 21ST  “The result doesn’t show how much work everyone from Arrow McLaren SP put into this weekend to make sure I was comfortable. We tried a different strategy, and even if the strategy wasn’t right, it was right for me because I could push and understand more of the car on reds. I wish we could have another qualifying and race tomorrow. I can’t thank Sam, Ric, Zak and Arrow McLaren SP enough for an amazing job. The car is in one piece which is great. Great experience. Hopefully Oliver continues to look after his health.” PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET – FINISHED FIFTH  “We ended up where we started, we didn’t go backwards, we didn’t go forwards. I think we maximized absolutely everything we could out of the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet. Our black tire pace was where we really lost our chance at a podium. We have some work to do, but there’s one more race to go. We are going to try and get a win before the year ends. We are going to give it hell in St. Pete.” SIMON PAGENAUD, NO. 22 DXC TECHNOLOGY TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – FINISHED 10TH: “It was a big weekend for Team Penske. Will did a great job today and congratulations to him for the win. We worked hard today for a top-10 finish with the DXC Technology Chevrolet and it was a good way for us to end the weekend. With another good finish today by Josef, Team Penske has a chance to race for the championship at St. Pete so we’re all looking forward to the finale and a good result there..”  SAGE KARAM, NO. 24 DREYER & REINBOLD RACING OIL2SOIL CHEVROLET – FINISHED 24th: “While the results didn’t show it today, our Oil2Soil Chevy was much better in qualifying and the race from Thursday and Friday. We made some changes overnight that helped the race car. It’s tough out there. We ran P3 in qualifying today and, I pulled into the pits and looked at the time sheet, and I’m 11th. Wow, this series is very difficult. In the race, we tried the Firestone red tires and the car wasn’t as good as on the Firestone blacks. Later in the race, I was running very competitive laps but we lost a lot early. Our pit stops were very good today. The big thing for the DRR team, who is just getting back into road racing after a seven-year layoff, is that we learned quite a bit with the doubleheader race weekend. We lost some valuable time on Thursday in practice when we had a fuel pressure issue. But we will take the info and study it for the future races.”

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES INDYCAR HARVEST GP INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROAD COURSE RACE 2 WINNER QUICK QUOTES OCT. 3, 2020
Power, Chevrolet complete INDYCAR Harvest GP sweepDriver of No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet leads all 75 laps
INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 3, 2020) – Will Power led all 75 laps of Race 2 of the INDYCAR Harvest GP on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course to claim his second victory of the season in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet and 39th of his NTT INDYCAR SERIES career.
“I am just so happy to have Verizon and Chevy in Victory Lane again. We had two Hondas trying to attack us there but my Chevy had very good power and drive-ability, so just over the moon to get another win, especially at this place,” said Power, who won by .8932 of a second over Honda driver Colton Herta the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course.
Earlier in the day, Power claimed his fourth NTT P1 Award of the season and 61st pole of his career. Power, who has earned 37 of his career poles since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, is six behind leader Mario Andretti on the all-time Indy car list.
It is the ninth time in his career that Power has won from the pole, including four times on the IMS road course (2015, 2017, 2018 and 2020).
Reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Josef Newgarden, who won Race 1 on Oct. 2, finished fourth in the No. 1 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet. Pato O’Ward, driving the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, placed fifth.
Newgarden closed to 32 points of front-runner Scott Dixon in the chase for the driver championship heading into the heading into the season finale Oct. 25 on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary street circuit in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Firestone GP of St. Petersburg will be telecast by NBC at 2:30 p.m. ET. Newgarden won the 2019 race, which was the season opener.
WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – RACE WINNER
REGARDING THE BATTLE WITH HERTA AT THE END
“Yeah, the tires had gone away and it was a tough battle and I had to work very hard to keep him behind. I am just so happy to have Verizon and Chevy in Victory Lane again. We had two Hondas trying to attack us there but my Chevy had very good power and drive-ability, so just over the moon to get another win, especially at this place.”
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO HAVE CLEAN AIR AND JUST NEED TO HOLD OFF COLTON AT THE END?
“It was good to not get caught by a yellow or something strange like that. The boys had great stops and we had a great car. We definitely improved from yesterday. Man, I just pushed so hard the whole race. Obviously we had to save fuel, but you are still pushing while lifting earlier in the corners. Just a fantastic day.”
THIS WIN TIES YOU WITH AL UNSER FOR WINS ON THE INDYCAR CIRCUIT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?
“When you talk about the names I am around, its just amazing to be with these people, legends of the sport. I could never had imagined having my name among such unbelievable, historic drivers. All these drivers…..I was a huge fan of them as a kid and they were my heroes, so its really cool to have my name up there.”

INDIANAPOLIS — Chevrolet and INDYCAR have agreed to a new, multi-year extension of their existing engine partnership that will extend well into the end of the decade, providing stability and innovation for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. 
“To be able to announce a long-term, multi-year extension with our great partners at Chevrolet is phenomenal,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “It’s an exciting time in INDYCAR with the innovations in the car, the new 2.4-liter engine, and hybrid technology.” 
Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the introduction of the 2.4-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 with hybrid technology will be delayed to the year 2023. Working in partnership with Chevrolet and Honda, the new engine will give the most exciting and competitive racing series in the world an additional 100 horsepower, ultimately producing over 900.
“Chevrolet has enjoyed great success since joining the NTT INDYCAR Series in 2012 with our 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged, direct-injected V6 engine,” said Mark Reuss, president of General Motors. “We are thrilled to be moving forward with INDYCAR because it’s the perfect showcase for our engine technology, in the only open-wheel racing series in America, a high-tech, growing series that Roger Penske and his team are absolutely taking to the next level.”
The newly designed powertrain system also will provide a departure from the traditional, manual handheld starters and will let drivers restart the car quickly should it stall on the track. This will benefit the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team as it reduces exposure time on track and adds to the fan experience by potentially reducing the number of caution flags on track, leading to better flow and time of races.
CHEVROLET INDYCAR SERIES STATISTICS – 2012 TO PRESENT

• Chevrolet has recorded 6 NTT IndyCar Series Manufacturer Championships since returning to manufacturer competition in 2012
• Chevrolet has recorded 6 driver championships since returning to INDYCAR competition in 2012 with the2.2 liter V6 twin turbocharged direct injected engine
• Ryan Hunter-Reay, 2012; Will Power, 2014; Scott Dixon, 2015; Simon Pagenaud, 2016; Josef Newgarden, 2017 & 2019
• Chevrolet has 86 wins in 146 (59%) in IndyCar Series races since returning to manufacturer competition in 2012
• Chevrolet drivers have earned 96 poles and started in the No. 1 position five other times due to entrant points when qualifying canceled 
• Chevrolet has won the Indianapolis four times since returning in 2012:
• Tony Kanaan, 2013; Juan Pablo Montoya, 2015; Will Power, 2018; 

Simon Pagenaud, 2019

Honda agrees to multi-year extension to continue INDYCAR competition
INDYCAR announces manufacturer agreement for 2.4-liter hybrid power unit formula
Honda hybrid power units to compete in NTT INDYCAR SERIES starting in 2023

TORRANCE, Calif., October 3, 2020 – Honda supports INDYCAR’s announcement of a new hybrid power unit formula, to take effect with the start of the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. Honda Performance Development (HPD) is readying a 2.4-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 hybrid power unit capable of producing more than 900 horsepower as INDYCAR moves toward an exciting new generation of pinnacle North American motorsport.
“Honda welcomes this step to the future by INDYCAR, action that mirrors Honda’s efforts to develop and manufacture high performance, electrified products that will meet industry challenges and delight our customers,” said Ted Klaus, president of Honda Performance Development.
“At Honda, we race to develop our people, to innovate technologies and to engage fans. We are proud of our uninterrupted, 27-year leadership in INDYCAR, and look forward to delivering a next-generation Honda 2.4-liter hybrid power unit with more than 900 horsepower.”
The hybrid formula is part of a multi-year extension INDYCAR has reached with Honda and Chevrolet, which promises a continuation of manufacturer competition in North America’s pinnacle open-wheel racing series well into the next decade. The commitment also provides opportunities for additional manufacturers to join the series, which Honda strongly supports.
The INDYCAR announcement aligns Honda’s North American racing programs with the company’s product development activities. Globally, Honda expects two-thirds of its new vehicles sales to be electrified by 2030.
“American Honda and HPD are proud of our continuous, mutually beneficial relationship with INDYCAR in North America,” said Dave Gardner, executive vice president of National Operations for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Motorsports and competition help define who we are as a company. INDYCAR’s transition to an electrified formula aligns with our business direction in this region. We look forward to the thrilling new era ahead in North American motorsports.”
Racing is ingrained in Honda’s culture and supports the company’s challenging spirit. A racer himself, company founder Soichiro Honda believed in competition – at the highest levels – as a means of improving Honda’s people and products. In North America, American Honda and Honda Performance Development have been leaders in Indy car racing since the formation of HPD in 1993.
Honda and HPD entered Indy car competition in 1994, winning its first manufacturers’ and drivers’ championships in 1996. No other manufacturer has matched Honda’s success in Indy car, which includes 252 victories from 457 races, 16 drivers’ titles, eight manufacturers’ championships and 13 Indianapolis 500 victories
In 2020, Takuma Sato recorded Honda’s 13th Indianapolis 500 victory; Scott Dixon has posted four race wins and is the current NTT INDYCAR SERIES points leader; and Honda leads the Manufacturers’ Championship with seven wins from 11 races this season.

Alexander Rossi fights his way forward for career-best result on IMS road course
Colton Herta leads 29 laps, finishes fourth; Honda drivers claim seven of the top 10 finishing positions
Honda maintains solid Manufacturers’ Championship lead

SPEEDWAY, Ind. (Oct. 2, 2020) – Alexander Rossi and his Andretti Autosport team found a chassis setup that worked well in today’s cool conditions on the road course of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, then overcame a track limits penalty and a series of wheel-to-wheel battles to finish second in today’s opening race of the Harvest Grand Prix doubleheader weekend.

From the second row of the starting grid, Colton Herta slashed his way into the lead at the start of today’s 85-lap race, and went on to lead 29 laps before fading late in the race with handling issues to a fourth-place finish. Following the final round of pit stops, several multi-car battles kept fans entertained, including a fight for second involving Rossi, Felix Rosenqvist and Herta; and a scrap for sixth place that included Will Power, along with Honda drivers Graham Rahal, championship leader Scott Dixon, Jack Harvey and Marcus Ericsson.

The second-place finish for Rossi helped Honda to maintain a 67-point lead over Chevrolet in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturers’ Championship [982-915] with two races remaining in the 2020 season. Dixon, one of several drivers to struggle with tire wear on long runs in the caution-free race, nevertheless held on for a ninth-place finish in his Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Dixon now has a 40-point lead over today’s race winner, Josef Newgarden [478-438], heading into tomorrow’s second race of the weekend.

Next
Today’s race was the opening round of a doubleheader Harvest Grand Prix weekend on the road course of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Tomorrow’s 75-lap finale starts at 2:30 p.m. EDT, with live coverage on NBC.

Honda Racing social media content and videos from the Harvest Grand Prix weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are available on Instagram (www.instagram.com/hondaracing_hpd), Facebook (www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/HondaRacing_HPD).  

Quotes
Alexander Rossi (Andretti Autosport Honda) Started eighth, finished second: “The car was great, hats off to the #27 AutoNation Honda boys. We’ve never been good here [on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course] previously, so to finish on the podium is fantastic. It’s a great testament to Honda, I’m proud to be powered by them. It’s been a huge effort by the team to find some sort of pace here, and I’m extremely grateful for all their hard work to get us on the podium today.”

Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) Started 12th, finished ninth; leads drivers’ championship by 40 points with two races remaining: “We just really struggled on the primary tires with the PNC Bank Honda today. We had a really bad start where Rahal just moved us out of the way. Once that got us out of line, we started to fall back and that really hurt. The other stint on blacks [Firestone primary tires] just really hurt us again for some reason. We must have lost 15-20 seconds [to the leaders]. But that’s the way it goes some days I guess. It was just really weird, and we need to get it figured out fast before Race Two here tomorrow.”

Ted Klaus (President, Honda Performance Development) on today’s opening race of the Harvest GP weekend: “It was great to have fans back at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and they were treated to some great racing action today. Unfortunately, we didn’t quite get the results we were hoping for today, but Alexander Rossi and the #27 Honda team did a great job coming home second after some great racing with Colton Herta, Felix Rosenqvist and Graham Rahal as well. We’ll learn all we can from today’s race and refocus for the 75-lap run tomorrow.”

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES INDYCAR HARVEST GP INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROAD COURSE RACE 1 FULL QUOTES PACKAGE OCT. 2, 2020 Newgarden, Chevrolet win Race 1 of INDYCAR Harvest GP Reigning series champion slices 32 points off championship deficit

INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 2, 2020) — Josef Newgarden’s victory in Race 1 of the Harvest GP doubleheader could be a bellwether in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Drivers Championship. The reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion, who started on the outside of the front row in the No. 1 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, led 34 of the 85 laps on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and won the caution-free sprint by 14.2940 seconds. Newgarden entered the 12th race of the season 72 points behind front-runner Scott Dixon and heads into the penultimate race of the season 40 points arrears. NBC will telecast Race 2 of the INDYCAR Harvest GP at 2:30 p.m. ET Oct. 3. “Awesome day. We had a rocket ship. Team Chevy did an amazing job, and you can’t ask for more as a driver,” said Newgarden, who registered his third win of the season and first on the road course. “It’s still a bit of a hill but we made a little smaller today, which is really good news. We needed three perfect races to finish. This is one of them down. Two to go.” Chevrolet has won six of the eight races on the IMS road course.  Series rookie Rinus VeeKay, who provided Chevrolet with its ninth pole of the season and seventh in the eight races on the road course, finished a season-high third in the No. 21 Sonax Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet. The 20-year-old from The Netherlands led 15 laps. Will Power, a three-time winner on the IMS road course, placed sixth in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. Qualifications for the 75-lap (182.925 miles) Race 2 will be conducted in two groups of 12 cars for 12 minutes each at 10:20 a.m. ET Oct. 3. CHEVROLET UNOFFICIAL FINISHING RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER1           Josef Newgarden, No. 1 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet3           Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Sonax Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet6           Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet11         Max Chilton, No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet12         Conor Daly, No. 20 U.S. Air Force Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet13         Charlie Kimball, No. 4 Tresiba AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet16         Simon Pagenaud, No. 22 DXC Technology Team Penske Chevrolet20         Helio Castroneves, No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet21         Sebastien Bourdais, No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet22         Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet23         Sage Karam, No.. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Oil2Soil Chevrolet24         Dalton Kellett, No. 41 K-Line USA AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL FINISHING RESULTS: POS.  DRIVER1           Josef Newgarden, No. 1 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet2           Alexander Rossi, No. 27 NAPA Andretti Autosport Honda3           Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Sonax Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet4           Colton Herta, No. 88 Gleaners Andretti Autosport Honda5           Felix Rosenqvist, No. 10 NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Honda NBC will telecast Race Two of the INDYCAR Harvest GP at 2:30 p.m.ET Oct. 3. Live coverage can also be found on Pennzoil INDYCAR Radio Network affiliates, Sirius 211, XM 205, IndyCar.com and on the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA.

TEAM CHEVY NOTES AND QUOTES JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 1 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – RACE WINNER: “I don’t know if I can think about the race… I’m so excited to be up on this platform! I wish I could have been up here in August with The Captain (Roger Penske). He’s done such an amazing job with this facility. To see people back here socially distanced in the stands at least getting to watch the race, I’m sure he’s really happy today and I’m happy to be here today representing him, Team Penske, everyone at IndyCar and IMS. Thanks to everyone who came out in cool conditions.“We had a rocket ship. I knew we did yesterday in qualifying. I was so surprised with how quick the car was. It was a great fight today. It was all about strategy, close combat and everything you want in an IndyCar race. I was happy I had the quickest car. Team Chevy did an amazing job, having Hitachi on has been good luck for us this year. I’m pumped to be up here. I’ve always wanted to get up here. I want to get up here during the 500 but this is almost just as cool.”TALK ABOUT WHEN COLTON HERTA WENT OFF AT TURN ONE. “It was a total gift. I was being patient, to be honest. I felt like we were in the cat bird’s seat and knew what we had speed-wise on him, and it was a matter of getting to that pit cycle. I didn’t want to get into another dogfight. We had one earlier in the race and he had the advantage with red tires at that point. So I was being patient and lo and behold I didn’t have to wait for the pitstop. He just gave me the gift and all I needed.”ON THE POINTS SITUATION. “If you would have given us a couple of those races where we caught those bad yellows, we’d really be in this fight. It’s almost a shame what kind of deficit we’ve had in the points, but this team has been unbelievable. They’ve been the quickest in pitlane all year. They’ve done a great job. They deserve to be in this championship fight. It’s still a bit of a hill but we made a little smaller today, which is really good news. But we needed three perfect races to finish. This is one of them down. Two to go.” RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 SONAX ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET – FINISHED THIRD: “It’s definitely a dream (to score his first podium); I’ve waited about 20 years for this. I am very happy. It was a tough race. I fought hard and I drove as hard as I could. I think I did pretty well with passing and I think I’m always next to Colton (Herta) fighting for position. But it’s fun – the two youngest guys in the series battling it out. Everyone is on top of their game and it’s a real reward to pass those guys.” WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – FINISHED SIXTH: “Man, that was a tough race. We had some great pace at different points but we just didn’t have enough to fight for the win at the end. Congrats to Josef. That was a big win for the team and big for the championship. I think we learned a lot on the Verizon Chevy that we can apply in tomorrow race and hopefully fight for the win.” MAX CHILTON, NO. 59 GALLAGHER CARLIN CHEVROLET – FINISHED 11TH: “It was a long day out there – 85 laps of hard racing. I had a pretty good start, but then we had a situation on the first lap where I had to avoid an accident and take a shortcut which then resulted in a penalty where I had to let a car past. Unfortunately they made me give up the position in a place where more than one car got past. So that hurt us at the start, but after that we really had pretty good pace all day. I’d say I definitely did some of the best and most overtakes I’ve done in a race all year if not in a really long time. We were racy out there and we were able to work our way up from 15th after the unfortunate start to 11th just missing out on a top-10 finish. It’s a little gutting to not get that top 10, but we’ve shown that the No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet is quick and luckily we get to do it all again tomorrow.” SIMON PAGENAUD, NO. 22 DXC TECHNOLOGY TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – FINISHED 16TH: “Congratulations to Josef on the win today. It was a great race out there today. We still have some work to do on the DXC Technology Chevrolet for tomorrow’s race but we will get there. While things didn’t go our way today, it’s a great result for the team and good for the championship. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s race and hopefully we can end the weekend with another win for Team Penske.” HELIO CASTRONEVES, NO. 7 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET – FINISHED 20TH: “It’s great to be back in a race car in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Arrow McLaren SP and Chevrolet did a phenomenal job by giving me the tools that I needed. Obviously a little off pace, however it was great to understand what we need to do to learn about the car. We will make some adjustments for tomorrow. That’s the good news… we have another day to do it all over again.” PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET – FINISHED 22ND: “There is not much to say, it’s probably the worst day we’ve had all year. We just have to regroup tomorrow and try to go win the race. There’s nothing that we can do right now, honestly. For the rest of the year, we have to try to win as many races we can. There’s two more to chase. We will be going for it tomorrow.” SAGE KARAM, NO. 24 DREYER & REINBOLD RACING OIL2SOIL CHEVROLET – FINISHED 23RD: “Actually, we got a good start and made up a few positions early. Then Charlie (Kimball) hit me off the track around lap four. He came over after the race and apologized. I was surprised by it that early in the race. Then we had a couple of weird issues on a few pit stops that hurt us. Our strategy for the race was pretty good when we pitted early (lap 9). We got off the black Firestones and onto the reds. The Oil2Soil Chevy then ran some pretty solid laps. In the last stint, we put on sticker black tires and the car really ran well. But we were too far back with the early problems. Now, we’ll concentrate on Saturday’s qualifying and the race. The fuel pressure issue on Thursday kept us back from a full practice. That cost us some precious track time. We need all the track time we can get right now as a part time team.”

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES INDYCAR HARVEST GP INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROAD COURSE RACE 1 WINNER QUICK QUOTE SOCT. 2, 2020 Newgarden wins Race 1 of INDYCAR Harvest GPReigning series champion slices 32 points off title deficit
INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 2, 2020) – Reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Josef Newgarden won Race 1 of the INDYCAR Harvest GP doubleheader to close the gap in the driver points race.
Newgarden, who started on the outside of the front row next to Chevrolet pole-winner Rinus VeeKay, took lead for good following his final pit stop in the 85-lap race and went on to win by 14.2940 seconds in the No. 1 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet.
Newgarden registered his third victory of the season and first on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. He sliced 32 points off the lead of front-runner Scott Dixon in the championship chase and trails by 40 points heading into Saturday’s penultimate race of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.
Pole-sitter Rinus VeeKay placed third in the No. 21 Sonax Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet.
JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 1 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – RACE WINNERTALK ABOUT THIS DRIVE AND CHASING COLTON HERTA BEFORE THE FINAL STOP.“I don’t know if I can think about the race… I’m so excited to be up on this platform! I wish I could have been up here in August with The Captain (Roger Penske). He’s done such an amazing job with this facility. To see people back here socially distanced in the stands at least getting to watch the race, I’m sure he’s really happy today and I’m happy to be here today representing him, Team Penske, everyone at IndyCar and IMS. Thanks to everyone who came out in cool conditions.“We had a rocket ship. I knew we did yesterday in qualifying. I was so surprised with how quick the car was. It was a great fight today. It was all about strategy, close combat and everything you want in an IndyCar race. I was happy I had the quickest car. Team Chevy did an amazing job, having Hitachi on has been good luck for us this year. I’m pumped to be up here. I’ve always wanted to get up here. I want to get up here during the 500 but this is almost just as cool.”TALK ABOUT WHEN COLTON HERTA WENT OFF AT TURN ONE. “It was a total gift. I was being patient, to be honest. I felt like we were in the cat bird’s seat and knew what we had speed-wise on him, and it was a matter of getting to that pit cycle. I didn’t want to get into another dogfight. We had one earlier in the race and he had the advantage with red tires at that point. So I was being patient and lo and behold I didn’t have to wait for the pitstop. He just gave me the gift and all I needed.”ON THE POINTS SITUATION. “If you would have given us a couple of those races where we caught those bad yellows, we’d really be in this fight. It’s almost a shame what kind of deficit we’ve had in the points, but this team has been unbelievable. They’ve been the quickest in pitlane all year. They’ve done a great job. They deserve to be in this championship fight. It’s still a bit of a hill but we made a little smaller today, which is really good news. But we needed three perfect races to finish. This is one of them down. Two to go.”

Enjoy Coverage of the World’s Premier Automotive and Off-Road Racing Series  Exclusively on Lucas Oil Racing TV

With the fall season starting up, many of the world’s premier automotive and off-road racing series are entering the home stretch of their seasons; Lucas Oil Racing Television(LORTV) is here to provide race fans with exclusive coverage of the best off-road, late-model and sprint car drivers around the world battling for the chance at becoming the series champion.   The month’s first LIVE broadcast airs Saturday, October 3, for the Lucas Late Model Dirt Series (LMDS) 32nd Annual Pittsburgher 100. Race coverage from Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway is available exclusively for yearly LORTV subscribers. In addition to the October 3 race, annual subscribers will have exclusive access to telecasts on Friday, October 16, and Saturday, October 17, for the 40th Dirt Track World Championship. Coverage for the Late Model races on Friday and Saturday comes directly from Portsmouth Raceway Park, a three-eighths dirt mile track that sits just one mile west of Portsmouth, Ohio. Round nine of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) broadcasts Friday, October 16, with round 10 airing the next day, Saturday, October 17. Both races will be streamed live for monthly and yearly subscribers on the LORTV channel from the famous Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California.  Finally, to close out the October broadcast schedule, LORTV features back-to-back telecasts of the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Dirt Series (ASCS) on Friday, October 16, and Saturday, October 17. Coverage of the ASCS 47th Annual Winter Nationals Lanny Edwards Memorial comes from Devil Bowl’s Speedway in Mesquite, Texas. Saturday’s broadcast is available for yearly subscribers only.

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TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE YELLAWOOD 500 TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY LINCOLN, ALABAMA OCTOBER 4, 2020

TALLADEGA: RACE #31The pressure builds and intensity ramps up as NASCAR’s three national series head to NASCAR’s longest oval, Talladega Superspeedway, for a Playoff tripleheader. For the second time this season, the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) will pay a visit to the 2.66-mile Alabama track for the 500-mile, 188-lap YellaWood 500, marking the second of three races in the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff battle. The famed superspeedway has been a staple stop on the NCS schedule since its first event in 1969, with this weekend’s event making it the 103rd NCS race at the venue. 
The first event of the tripleheader weekend will be an appearance by the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series with the Chevrolet Silverado 250 on Saturday, October 3rd, at 1:00 p.m. ET. The 250-mile event will be a Playoff elimination race for the series, cutting the championship contenders from 10 to eight drivers. In addition, the NASCAR Xfinity Series will be on tap for the Ag-Pro on Saturday, October 3rd, at 4:30 p.m. ET, marking the second race of the Round of 12 for the series. Rounding out the action-packed weekend will be the NASCAR Cup Series’ YellaWood 500 on Sunday, October 4th, at 2:00 p.m. ET. 
In compliance with the Covid-19 restrictions, a limited number of fans will be in attendance for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event. 
ROUND OF 12 – RACE TWO OF THREE:Going into the race weekend, Talladega Superspeedway will enter its fourth consecutive year of hosting the fifth race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Since the launch of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs into the series in 2004, the 2.66-mile superspeedway has been the host of a Playoff event every year thus far.
Four Team Chevy drivers remain in the 12-driver field that are left vying for the title of the NASCAR Cup Series Champion. Coming off his recent victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Chip Ganassi Racing and Chevrolet driver Kurt Busch, No. 1 GEARWRENCH Camaro ZL1 1LE, has punched his ticket to secure a spot in the Round of 8. Entering into the second of three races for the Round of 12, here are where the Team Chevy drivers currently sit in the Playoff standings: 
Kurt Busch, No. 1 GEARWRENCH Camaro ZL1 1LE – Round of 12 win (3,041 points)Victories: 1 (Las Vegas Motor Speedway)Top-Fives: 5; Top-10’s: 16; Laps Led: 140; Average Finish: 12.9Stage Wins: 1 At Talladega: Wins: 0; Top-Five’s: 8; Top-10’s: 21; Average Finish: 15.935
Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE – 6th in Standings (3,053 points)Victories: 2 (Charlotte Motor Speedway and Daytona Road Course)Top-Fives: 11; Top-10’s: 17; Laps Led: 742; Average Finish: 12.9Stage Wins: 8At Talladega: Wins: 1; Top-Five’s: 3; Top-10’s: 4; Average Finish: 16.000 Alex Bowman, No. 88 ChevyGoods.com/Patriot Foundation Camaro ZL1 1LE – 7th in Standings (3,052 points)Victories: 1 (Auto Club Speedway)Top-Fives: 4; Top-10’s: 11; Laps Led: 394; Average Finish: 15.9Stage Wins: 4 At Talladega: Top-Five’s: 1; Top-10’s: 3; Average Finish: 24.300 Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Camaro ZL1 1LE – 12th in Standings (3,020 points)Victories: 1 (Texas Motor Speedway) Top-Fives: 4; Top-10’s 9; Laps Led: 135; Average Finish: 16.3Stage Wins: 0 At Talladega: Top-Five’s: 1; Top-10’s: 3; Average Finish: 20.786
BOWTIE BULLETS:·       Victories by active Team Chevy drivers at Talladega Superspeedway include:Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE has two wins (May 2006, April 2001) Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE has one win (April 2019)Matt Kenseth, No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1 1LE has one win (October 2012)Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hungry Jack Camaro ZL1 1LE has one win (May 2017) 
·       Of the 102 NASCAR Cup Series events held at Talladega Superspeedway, Chevrolet has recorded 41 victories at the 2.66-mile superspeedway, more than any other manufacturer. Other statistics of note include 192 top-five’s, 369 top-10’s and 7,959 laps led in NCS history at the track. 
·       Eight different manufacturers have sat on the pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega, with Chevrolet leading the way capturing 37 poles. Chevrolet’s most recent pole winner was Chase Elliott, who led the field to the green in the 2019 Talladega Playoff event. Elliott also leads all active series drivers in poles at Talladega with two (2016, 2019). In his 9-career starts at the superspeedway, he leads all active NCS drivers in average starting position with 5.333. 
·       Chevrolet team Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Talladega with 13 victories among seven different drivers: Ken Schrader (1988), Jeff Gordon (1996, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2007 sweep), Terry Labonte (1997), Jimmie Johnson (2006, 2011), Brian Vickers (2006), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2015) and Chase Elliott (2019).  
·       Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hungry Jack Camaro ZL1 1LE, is known for his superspeedway success. His first career victory in NASCAR’s premier series came in May 2017 at Talladega Superspeedway, making him one of just 11 drivers who have scored their first career win at the superspeedway. In his 15 career starts at the venue, he leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series with an average finishing position of 10.9. 
20-YEAR ANNIVERSARY MARKThis year’s NASCAR Cup Series fall trip to Talladega Superspeedway holds a significant milestone in the history books: the 20th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s 76th and final win of his NASCAR career. During the 2000 Winston 500, longtime Chevrolet ambassador Dale Earnhardt piloted his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo to victory lane in dramatic fashion, edging out Kenny Wallace by a margin of .119-seconds. Earnhardt’s lasting legacy at Talladega Superspeedway includes a record for wins (10), top-five finishes (23), top-10’s (27) and laps led (1,377) in his 44-career starts at the venue, records that still stand today. 
STARTING LINE-UP:For the remainder of the 2020 NCS season, the starting lineups will be determined by a competition-based formula, combining the following metrics from the previous race event: 15% of a fastest lap time position, 25% of the driver’s final race finish position, 25% of the owner’s final race position and 35% of the Owner points position.  Here are Team Chevy’s top-20 starters for Sunday’s YellaWood 500:  2nd     Kurt Busch, No. 1 GEARWRENCH Camaro ZL1 1LE4th      Alex Bowman, No. 88 ChevyGoods.com/Patriot Foundation Camaro ZL1 1LE10th    Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE12th    Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Camaro ZL1 1LE17th    Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE20th    Matt Kenseth, No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1 1LE TUNE-IN:NBC will telecast the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, October 4th, at 2:00 p.m. ET. Live coverage of the 500-mile, 188-lap event for race two of three for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 12 can also be found on the NBC Sports Gold app, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. 
QUOTABLE QUOTES:CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 6th IN STANDINGS“This is an interesting round, no doubt. We are trying not to get too far ahead of ourselves and are taking it one race at a time. Talladega is going to be what we normally see at Talladega. We just have to do our best to avoid the trouble. Hendrick Motorsports always brings really fast Chevys, so I have a lot of confidence that the car is going to be capable of running up front. We just have to put ourselves in the right position throughout the race and see what happens.” ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 CHEVYGOODS.COM/PATRIOT FOUNDATION CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 7th IN STANDINGS“Going to Talladega this weekend, we know that we need to have strong stage finishes and a clean, solid finish. We have to be smart about things and have a good day. Hendrick Motorsports always builds strong superspeedway cars and we have been pretty good at Talladega in the past.” GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 88 CHEVYGOODS.COM/PATRIOT FOUNDATION CAMARO ZL1 1LE“Hopefully the Patriot Foundation being on the car this weekend brings us some luck. We just have to go to Talladega and execute. Finding our teammates and working together is going to be a big portion of our race. I think we can come out of Talladega, maybe without a win, but definitely in a position to point ourselves in the next round. We can’t create our own bad luck, so we just have to be smart about it and ultimately want to put ourselves in a position to win and gain a large number of points.” AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER OFF ROAD CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 12th IN STANDINGSWHAT WILL IT TAKE TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEWAY? “Anything can happen at Talladega Superspeedway. It’s a little bit of a coin flip, but my No. 3 team will be doing everything we can to try and win and earn maximum stage points. We really need that right now after having some misfortune at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend. We’re still in this NASCAR Playoffs battle and we’re not giving up. In order to succeed at Talladega, you have to have a little bit of luck, and use momentum at the very end to take advantage of positions. Its speedway racing. Its drafting. And its chaos, but we’re up for the challenge.”
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 16th IN STANDINGSBYRON ON PAST SUPERSPEEDWAY SUCCESS:“The last few superspeedway races have been really good for us. I feel like we’ve done what we need to do at those type of races, such as winning and advancing into the playoffs at Daytona. Talladega is a whole different place though. I feel like we can have a really great run there though and try build off of what we did at Daytona in terms of the speed and competitiveness that we had.”
BYRON ON THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DAYTONA AND TALLADEGA: “I think in terms of comparing Daytona and Talladega that Daytona relies a little bit more on the handling of the car. Talladega is just so wide and there’s so much room to run that guys don’t really run as tight in terms of lane to lane. I feel like Talladega you can use a lot more bump drafting too. Your car doesn’t have to handle well to do that. It’s just a much different animal for sure.”  TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CAT NEXT GEN DOZERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 19th IN STANDINGS“We definitely are looking to bounce back as an organization this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway after a tough run at Las Vegas. RCR and ECR always put together some great superspeedway cars, so I expect our No. 8 Cat Next Gen Dozers Chevrolet Camaro to be really strong on Sunday. We had a good race earlier in the year at Talladega, where I was able to get my first Stage Win in the NASCAR Cup Series and lead a handful of laps. The strategy just didn’t play out for us that weekend, but we have a good set of notes to head into this race with. I’d obviously love to win this weekend, but it’ll be important to work well together with Austin Dillon and the No. 3 team as well. Luckily, Talladega is a place where it’s important to have people work with you, so the two of us will be sticking together a lot. Hopefully, we’ll be able to put ourselves into a position where one of us be there at the end to win.”

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES INDYCAR HARVEST GP INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROAD COURSE RACE 1 POST-QUALIFYING REPORT OCT. 1, 2020 Chevrolet sweeps front row for inaugural INDYCAR Harvest GPRookie VeeKay earns first NTT P1 Award; reigning champ Newgarden starts P2

INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 1, 2020) – NTT INDYCAR SERIES rookie Rinus VeeKay recorded his first NTT P1 Award to lead a Chevrolet sweep of the front row for Race 1 of the inaugural INDYCAR Harvest GP doubleheader on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. VeeKay, 20, set a best lap of 1 minute, 9.6903 seconds (125.992 mph) on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn course in the 12-minute session.  “Once I got out of the pits and got temperature in my tires, I was like ‘Wow … this is the car I need.’ I drove a good lap and made no mistakes,” said VeeKay, driver of the No. 21 Sonax Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet. “I think there was even more in it. We can go for the win tomorrow.” It is the 97th earned pole (101st overall, including poles by entrant points when qualifying was rained out) for Chevrolet in 147 races since returning to manufacturer competition in 2012. A Chevrolet driver has started from the pole in seven of the eight NTT INDYCAR SERIES races on the IMS road course. Four Chevrolet drivers have won on the road course from the pole: Will Power in 2015, 2017 and 2018, and Simon Pagenaud in 2016. Reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Josef Newgarden, driving the No. 1 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, posted a lap of 1:10.4706 seconds to pace drivers in the first 12-minute session and will start on the outside of the front row. He was denied an opportunity to put in a lap on the quicker alternate tires because time ran out in the session after Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato’s car ran off course to bring out a red flag. “The car was fast on black tires with everybody else,” said Newgarden, who is second in the driver standings with three races left. “We’re in a good spot with the Hitachi car so I feel confident. It’s a good start for us and we’ll try to convert tomorrow.” TOP CHEVROLET UNOFFICIAL QUALIFYING RESULTS:1. Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Sonax Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet2. Josef Newgarden, No. 1 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet4. Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet9. Max Chilton, No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet10. Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet The 85-lap (207.35 miles) race Oct. 2 will be telecast on the USA Network at 3:30 p.m. ET. Race 2 will be telecast on NBC at 2:30 p.m. ET Oct. 3. Both races will be broadcast live on Pennzoil INDYCAR Radio Network affiliates, Sirius 211, XM 205, IndyCar.com, and on the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA.

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RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 SONAX ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET – RACE ONE POLE-WINNER“Once I got out of the pits and got temperature in my tires, I was like ‘Wow…this is the car I need.’ I drove a good lap and made no mistakes. I think there was more in it, to be honest. I just used all the grip I had. It had great balance. It was a lot different than this morning, so I think the cold track suits us. We can go for the win tomorrow.”HOW MUCH DID YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE ROAD TO INDY HELP YOUR ADJUSTMENT TO THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES?“It really helped. I’ve had a few tests here in Indy Lights and the Road to Indy. It’s the same temperature here and same time of year. I know what to expect when the track is cold here. I’ve driven quite a few laps now on this track, so it definitely helps me.”WILL STARTING NEXT TO CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDER JOSEF NEWGARDEN BE ON YOUR MIND AT THE START?“It doesn’t matter who starts next to me. I’m going to give it all I have. Josef is a good driver and has a lot of experience. I’m a young guy and don’t know what to expect. I think that’s a good thing. I’m just going to go flat-out into Turn One.” JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 1 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – QUALIFIED SECOND FOR RACE 1: “It was a good day. Pretty happy with qualifying. Got a little bit lucky with the yellow. But I felt like we were quick on merit. We were quickest in that first group of attempts so I felt really positive about that. I think we would have had a really good shot if it didn’t go yellow to get the pole too. But a front row start for tomorrow is going to be great. The Hitachi Chevy honestly felt fantastic right from the start which was a good turnaround from practice. Team Chevy has done a great job. Our straight line speed looks fantastic so I feel very confident for the race tomorrow that we can make it count.”WAS YOUR TIME ON BLACK TIRES?“I didn’t even put on red (tires). I would say that’s the luckiest we’ve been this year with the yellow flag. I just wish we could get it in a race. It’s obviously beneficial to help in a qualifying session. The car was fast on black tires. With everybody else, I felt like the car was where it needed to be. We’ll probably drop to second because we didn’t run a red lap, and the red tires are quite a bit quicker. We’re in a good spot for tomorrow in the Hitachi Chevrolet so I feel confident.”DO YOU PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE SCOTT DIXON QUALIFIED?“It’s just qualifying so not really. But it’s a good start for us obviously. We’ll try to convert for tomorrow now.” WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – QUALIFIED FOURTH: “It was a good qualifying session. We were looking for more speed on the reds but unfortunately the yellow came out when our group was on track and ended qualifying early. I think we could have found more speed had we had more time on track but that’s how racing goes sometimes. I feel really good about my Verizon Chevy for tomorrow’s race. We’re starting up near the front which is great. We’re racing for wins so we’re going to give the race tomorrow everything we got and will see what happens.” MAX CHILTON, NO. 59 GALLAGHER CARLIN CHEVROLET – QUALIFIED NINTH: “It was a super positive qualifying for the Gallagher Chevrolet that could’ve been exceptional. It was unbelievably close out there. I knew it was going to be close because the group before us didn’t get a red run in and they all were within half a second of each other. I made a slight mistake at turn four, but in general I was fairly happy with my lap. I need to look at it on the overlay to see if that mistake cost us compared to the next lap. Regardless I extracted a lot out of the car and we worked really well as a team today considering we only have one car and one practice session before qualifying and the races. Overall we had a really strong day today and I think starting ninth tomorrow puts us in a good position to move forward for a solid result.” PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET – QUALIFIED 10TH: “Honestly, the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet improved quite a bit from practice to the little time we got in that qualifying session. That was definitely a positive but it was unlucky to get caught out by that red flag and we didn’t get any running on the red alternate tires. I think the car would have been strong on the reds. We will have to see what we can do tomorrow. We will have an extra set of reds since we didn’t really use them in qualifying. It should shake up pretty interestingly in the race.” HELIO CASTRONEVES, NO. 7 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET – QUALIFIED 19TH: “I have to thank everyone from Arrow McLaren SP; they did such a great job to accommodate all the little bits that a new driver needs to make everything okay, which is difficult. Everyone, including Robert Wickens and Oliver Askew, were working together to try to maximize the time we had the best we can because of the way the schedule is so compact. For me it was great. It’s not fun to start in the back, but to this point, it is great to be back. Let’s go for the race, we are going to learn a lot for sure.” SAGE KARAM, NO. 24 DREYER & REINBOLD RACING OIL2SOIL CHEVROLET – QUALIFIED 21ST: “Qualifying was better than in July. I would love to be better. I thought we might be better but we had a fuel pressure issue in practice.  That cost us almost 3/4 of the session. We never got to run on the Firestone Red tires, so it was a blind shot going into qualifying. The car felt good in qualifying but I was a little frustrated. I would try too hard and miss a bit of a corner. I’d say, ‘Rats, it cost me a tenth here and a tenth there.’ Unfortunately with the Red tires, you get one shot for a good lap. Not having the ability to run in the full practice session really hurt us. It’s a doubleheader weekend luckily and we learned from this qualifying. We’ll be ready for Saturday qualifying now. Friday’s race is longer than Saturday and it gives us a different strategy.  In July, our race car was good and we had some bad luck with the yellow flag session. I think we have a pretty good race car after our runs during the July race. We hope we get a few breaks for Friday’s race too.” SIMON PAGENAUD, NO. 22 DXC TECHNOLOGY TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – QUALIFIED 22ND: “It was a real shame that the session was truncated. Definitely not where I want to start. I’m not happy at all. The DXC Technology Chevy was ok. Just need to get on the red tires and put a good lap together. We’ll start in the back but we’ll go forward. No question about that. These weekends are just too short. It’s been very difficult to adjust. It was a big disappointment today.”

NTT INDYCAR SERIES HARVEST GRAND PRIX INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROAD COURSE INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA TEAM CHEVY FRONT-ROW QUOTES – RACE 1OCTOBER 1, 2020 VEEKAY TAKES POLE POSITION FOR INDYCAR HARVEST GRAND PRIX
INDIANAPOLIS (October 1, 2020) – Rinus VeeKay scored his first career pole position in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES on Thursday with the fastest time in qualifying for Race 1 of the INDYCAR Harvest GP at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
VeeKay, just 20 years old and in his rookie season of NTT INDYCAR SERIES competition, set a best lap of 1:09.6903 (125.992 mph) in the No. 21 Sonax Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet. It’s the 97th earned pole position for Chevrolet in 147 races since the manufacturer returned to the series in 2012.
Josef Newgarden, defending NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and second in driver points, will start Friday’s 85-lap race alongside VeeKay in the No. 1 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet. The USA Network will televise the race at 3:30 p.m. ET.
RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 SONAX ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET – RACE ONE POLE-WINNER“Once I got out of the pits and got temperature in my tires, I was like ‘Wow…this is the car I need.’ I drove a good lap and made no mistakes. I think there was more in it, to be honest. I just used all the grip I had. It had great balance. It was a lot different than this morning, so I think the cold track suits us. We can go for the win tomorrow.”
HOW MUCH DID YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE ROAD TO INDY HELP YOUR ADJUSTMENT TO THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES?“It really helped. I’ve had a few Chris Griffis tests here in Indy Lights and the Road to Indy. It’s the same temperature here and same time of year. I know what to expect when the track is cold here. I’ve driven quite a few laps now on this track, so it definitely helps me.”
WILL STARTING NEXT TO CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDER JOSEF NEWGARDEN BE ON YOUR MIND AT THE START?“It doesn’t matter who starts next to me. I’m going to give it all I have. Josef is a good driver and has a lot of experience. I’m a young guy and don’t know what to expect. I think that’s a good thing. I’m just going to go flat-out into Turn One.”
JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 1 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – QUALIFIED SECOND FOR RACE 1WAS YOUR TIME ON BLACK TIRES?“I didn’t even put on red (tires). I would say that’s the luckiest we’ve been this year with the yellow flag. I just wish we could get it in a race. It’s obviously beneficial to help in a qualifying session. The car was fast on black tires. With everybody else, I felt like the car was where it needed to be. We’ll probably drop to second because we didn’t run a red lap, and the red tires are quite a bit quicker. We’re in a good spot for tomorrow in the Hitachi Chevrolet so I feel confident.”
DO YOU PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE SCOTT DIXON QUALIFIED?“It’s just qualifying so not really. But it’s a good start for us obviously. We’ll try to convert for tomorrow now.”

New series records recorded at Sebring

Sebring, Florida (September 29, 2020)- Drives of the season were achieved during the Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda triple-header at Sebring International Raceway September 25-27.

Hunter Yeany swept the weekend, the first hat trick of the season, extending his championship lead by 90 points and earning the Omologato Watch Perfectly Timed Move of the Race for such a precise weekend of competition.  The victory marked Yeany’s fourth consecutive win, his seventh of the season.

“The VRD crew gave me a fast car and the competition was great this weekend,” said Yeany. “We are on a roll with wins and hope to carry that streak on at Homestead. It feels great to have swept the weekend.”

But, Yeany’s ascension to triumph did not come easy, as drivers throughout the field turned up the pressure on the Velocity Racing Development rookie throughout the weekend, setting season records for closest race finishes on the very bumpy Sebring circuit.

Photo Finish Video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTwrNqXs71w

Saturday- Drive of the weekend, driver sets two records

In the final laps of qualifying on Saturday, Jose Blanco set a new Sebring track record laying down a flyer of 2:13.153-seconds. Blanco held the original F4 U.S. record set in 2019 (2:13.641-seconds). 

The feat earned the No. 32 Art-Draft Authority/ LVP Paint Crosslink Competition driver pole position for the opening round. However, complications surfaced with Blanco’s steering wheel during the parade lap, forcing him to the pits for inspection. He made the green but was required to start from pit lane.

Qualifying Video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_l1ns9wmsw

Blanco’s teammate Dylan Tavella defended the front row alone. DC Autosport rookie Josh Sarchet started from Row 2 with series newcomer Race Liberante lining up in fourth.

Liberante joins F4 after decades of racing on short tracks, in sports cars and a long career in karting on the newest team in the paddock, RJ Racing. His day would be cut short in the final lap after the Sebring bumps got the best of his car.

Yeany laid down the sixth fastest time in qualifying, but a post-qualifying penalty demoted him to ninth. 

On the opening lap, Tavella slid off the track collecting Sarchet in his wake. The incident brought out the red flag to stop the clock for cleanup.

This was the opportunity that Blanco needed to get grouped back up. Rocketing through the field on the restart, by Lap 6, Blanco made up 13 positions, by Lap 9 he banked another three, now sitting in fifth.

A two-lap shootout allowed Yeany to slot himself into first after catching second-place Erik Evans and first-place driver Spike Kohlbecker sleeping following the restart.

Blanco also got a good jump on the restart, making up another three positions. On the final lap, Blanco was glued to Yeany’s gearbox, with Evans in hot pursuit. Trying to use the draft Blanco shot out wide, but it was too late, Yeany took the checkered just .042-seconds ahead of second-place Blanco and only .194-seconds over third place Evans, a new series record podium finish.

From first, to 21st, to second, it was a dramatic drive for the Puerto Rican pilot.

“That was the greatest drive of my career,” said Blanco. “It was gutting to lose pole, but I have to thank Crosslink/Kiwi for getting the car fixed and it back on track before we went green. I really thought I had Hunter (Yeany) at the end, we needed just a few more feet!”

The third-place result was the first podium visit for VRD rookie Evans.

“I am very pleased with the car that VRD gave me today,” said Evans. “It took a lot of work for us to get here. It was a good weekend and the results continue to come with all the hard work that we are putting into the program.”

Jeremy Fairbairn made up four positions to finish fourth, his best placement of the season, with Kohlbecker, Cade McKee, Hayden Bowlsbey, William Myers, Varun Choksey and Vincent Khristov rounding out the top 10.

Sunday-Déjà vu

Sunday was filled with more great racing from the stout F4 U.S. field. Blanco’s speed from Saturday set pole position for Sunday’s opener.

Bowlsbey was slated to start off pole, his best starting position of his F4 career, however a mechanical issue on the pregrid followed by an incident on the reconnaissance lap, ended his race before it began.

Evans and Liberante lined up in Row 2 with Yeany and Fairbairn in Row 3.

Blanco controlled the point for the entire race, until a very dramatic last two laps shook up the final podium standings.

With more than a second lead over the rest of the field, Blanco defended the point from Yeany most of the race. On the penultimate circuit, after dominating the entire 30-minute race, Blanco and Yeany entered Turn 1 wheel-to-wheel. Yeany went deep on the outside for a pass. Blanco caught off guard by the move, shot off course, losing position, and the chance not only for victory but also for a podium. Yeany crossed the stripe uncontested, taking the checkered more than 12 seconds ahead of second place.

Another amazing drive of the weekend was from second-place finisher Tavella.

Tavella started last in Race 2 after failing to clock any times in Race 1 following an incident that ended his day prematurely. Working through the night to get his car prepared for the early morning race, the Crosslink/Kiwi driver made grid, lining up in 21st. With only one full course caution that lasted one lap, Tavella drove flat out, chipping away positions and by Lap 7, Tavella was contending for a podium position.

Blanco’s misfortune turned into Tavella’s fortuity as he took second with McKee rounding out the podium.

“We had several good battles going to the front,” said Tavella. “It was an exciting drive and I am really happy to have made podium. Thank you to Crosslink/Kiwi for putting together a fast and reliable car.”

Evans, Fairbairn, Nico Christodoulou, Nicholas Rivers, William Myers, Ronan Murphy and Khristov rounded out the points-paying position.

The podium for Race 3 was a repeat of Race 2 with Yeany closing out a perfect weekend in first, Tavella taking second and McKee claiming third, his third podium finish of his rookie season.

“It’s been a good weekend for the Iron Rock Motorsports team,” said McKee. “Sebring is a rough and bumpy track so it can be quite tricky.”

Fairbairn, Blanco and Sarchet finished in the top six. Liberante started 22nd to finish the race in seventh, followed by Murphy, Will Holtz and Rodrigo Gutierrez in the top 10.

The F4 U.S. Championship Powered by Honda drivers have a quick turn around with another triple-header weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway October 2-4, the first visit Roval configuration for the series. The weekend will be live streamed at FanRacing.Live

Full Results: https://www.f4uschampionship.com/pages/sebring-international-raceway-results