CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES iDIANAPOLIS 500 INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEEDWAY INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA TEAM CHEVY ZOOM CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT AUGUST 3, 2020
Conor Daly, driver of the No. 47 U.S. Air Force Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet and team engineer for the Indianapolis 500 Cole Pearn met with media via Zoom. Full transcript:
THE MODERATOR: Welcome, everybody. On behalf of Team Chevy, we have Conor Daly and Cole Pearn from Ed Carpenter Racing. Conor the driver of the No. 47 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet in the Indy 500. Cole will be his engineer for the race.Conor, how excited are you for the Indy 500 in your hometown? Secondly, can you talk about being with Ed Carpenter Racing, one of the fastest teams in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, how excited are you to be with ECR?CONOR DALY: I used to get this question a lot when I signed the deal. I was very excited then and I’m very excited now still many months later (smiling).This team is so good at Indy. We know it. Everyone knows it. Just can’t wait to get in and get in the car just for the first time, literally to do one lap. Like, when I got in the car at Texas this year, I knew the first lap, This is going to be a good weekend.I just want to get out there, get some time under my belt, get Cole in the game here and see what happens. It will be a lot of fun. We have a great looking car to do it in with the U.S. Air Force, that No. 47 Chevrolet, as well.
THE MODERATOR: Cole, welcome to INDYCAR. I know you had a successful career in NASCAR, then decided to step away from racing. What was so tempting about coming to work the Indy 500 with Ed Carpenter Racing and Conor?COLE PEARN: Obviously Indy 500 is a huge deal, so definitely a bucket list item for sure. To get a chance to do it with a great driver and a great team as well, a team I kind of felt comfortable with, was kind of a perfect opportunity.Definitely didn’t want to go back racing full-time, so to get a chance to do one race, have it be in a competitive situation, is pretty ideal. Yeah, it all worked out.
THE MODERATOR: We’ll throw it open to questions from the media.Q. You’re very established in NASCAR, got a good career there. INDYCARS are not the same as stockcars. What are the biggest hurdles for you? What are the things you need to learn to get prepared for this venture?COLE PEARN: I think just getting more familiar with everything. Obviously when everything’s kind of first nature, it comes quicker, you’re able to make decisions better and quicker. I think getting more and more comfortable with everything.Everything seems fine. Again, it’s getting more familiar with it all. I think just getting through a couple days will feel a lot more comfortable. Definitely you kind of know where your feet are at that point. I think fortunately enough the Indy schedule is long enough that will hopefully help in that.Never know weather forecasts and all that. Like Conor said, just looking forward to get on track, kind of get in the motion of it all.
Q. Is the language or terminology different? Things that are the same or different?COLE PEARN: Yeah, I mean, honestly, a lot of things are super similar. Obviously the values that you’re looking at are way different, way more downforce, a lot lighter car, all those things. You’re still looking for the same things in terms of handling and all those type of metrics you kind of study are the same. It’s just the values are slightly different.I think, yeah, it’s been good. Have had some time to at least prep on that side of things, get more comfortable with it all.
Q. How long have you been in Indy with the team?COLE PEARN: Two nights. They were nice enough to send me a computer so I’ve been prepping for a while. That was at least good from that standpoint.
Q. Conor, an Indianapolis 500 guy, Indiana guy, the announcement there’s not going to be fans, will that feel weird to you? Make it a different 500?CONOR DALY: When you think about it, we spend, like, a lot of days at the track when there’s no one there because we’re out there working, doing whatever. Even practice, there’s a few people there obviously. Only one day a year where we have the massive crowd. We so look forward to that.That is part of the reason why I love the Indy 500 is the crowd, the people, the sheer magnitude of the event. Yeah, I mean, it is very sad. It sucks. It’s a terrible situation all across the board no matter what. But we’re going to do the best with the situation we’ve got.These teams are still working hours on end to prepare these cars for the Indianapolis 500, which is our biggest event, at the greatest racetrack in the world, I think. We’re going to give it our best shot. We have a great partner with NBC to give us a great TV broadcast.We just got to make sure that every single person in the entire universe will be watching the race, that will be awesome.
Q. Will it feel different on race day, take away not having all the pomp and circumstance?CONOR DALY: Funny, because at Texas this year there were no fans obviously. Was it weird? Yeah. Realistically when you’re lining up against all your fellow compadres up there, it’s like, All right, I still got to beat all those guys. No matter what, you want to be the best on that day no matter if there’s a million people there or no people there.Racing is so competitive, you could be at the rental go-kart track and you still want to beat everyone. It’s the same thing. Obviously it’s much larger at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but we’re going to get out there and want to beat each other. They still, as far as I know, give you a glass of milk and a trophy, your face goes down in history forever. That’s what we’re going for.
Q. Cole, how many T-shirts did they issue you? Can you wear one on the pit box or do you have to wear a fire suit?COLE PEARN: I don’t know. Maybe you can ask for me (laughter). They gave me four, a bunch of crew shirts. I don’t know if I’m going to take those out of the bag yet. We’ll see.Hopefully it goes well and maybe you can get away with that, I don’t know.
Q. Is there something that you missed in NASCAR that you feel will be fulfilled doing the Indy 500?COLE PEARN: Yeah, I think just the competition side of it. Something that NASCAR is lacking or something I missed being away?
Q. Something that you missed being away.COLE PEARN: Oh, yeah, for sure, just the competition side. Having a chance to line up your competitors and do better than them is definitely the goal.I think obviously it will be a fully different experience. But racing is still racing, throw a green and checkered. So looking forward to getting to that side of it and getting into the action.
Q. Cole, in the NASCAR world, everybody is so encompassed into it week after week. It’s kind of relentless. How much were you able to follow INDYCAR with the drivers, the cars, the teams?COLE PEARN: Yeah, definitely. I always followed it. I grew up a big fan of INDYCAR, so followed it from that standpoint. Over time grew to meet and know a lot of people that were in the sport. Definitely wanted to stay paying attention to it. It’s not like going into something totally foreign. You at least know the players, you know what’s going on from that standpoint.This season, obviously a little bit weird, but I’ve been able to watch it in more detail, watch races a lot closer than what I’ve done in the past.
Q. INDYCAR generally has a fairly attractive schedule in terms of number of races, length of schedule. Is it something you would like to be part of full-time?COLE PEARN: I don’t think so at this point. Definitely just focused on this race. Maybe this race, see how it goes. I don’t know if a full-time schedule is back in my future any time soon.
Q. How much fun do you have on planning with Conor? A fun-loving guy. Following you on social media, so are you at times. This is going to be a fun experience in addition to being a lot of work.COLE PEARN: Yeah, my experience with racing, it’s way more fun when you do well. Hopefully we’ll do well and we’ll have a lot more fun.
Q. Cole, we can tell from your tweeting you’re watching a lot of these races, NASCAR and INDYCAR. What has been your observation as you step back and watch it from a fan standpoint, observer? What do you see that’s good or bad about that sort of experience the people are getting at home?COLE PEARN: Yeah, it’s been eye opening a little bit. I haven’t watched a race at home in a long time. I can understand why when I call my dad during the week, he had no idea what actually went on (laughter).Yeah, I don’t know. I think there’s so much that goes on behind the scenes, I don’t think viewers at home get to see or get exposure to. I think that was a little bit eye opening. I thought there was a little bit more disconnect than what I was kind of expecting.I don’t know. Now I’m getting more used to it so I’m not sure. Yeah, I know one thing, it’s nice to be able to follow the race, close your computer, turn the TV off, go do something else. You don’t have to go through the cleanup and go home afterwards.
Q. You said you don’t want to go back full-time for the foreseeable future. Do you expect you’ll be closing the computer and going back to your life forever or would you like to recharge and come back or is it too early to say?COLE PEARN: Too early to say. Definitely not the A plan. Never say never to anything. Got to have a job and be able to pay for things and stuff like that.Yeah, who knows. This experience I’m really looking forward to. I think it’s fun to be able to go and try something different. I don’t know what my view of it will be once it’s over. Anxious for the new experience.
Q. Cole, we’ve done a lot of talking about how different it is for experienced drivers to adapt to the Aeroscreen, for engineers to adapt to the new demands of the Aeroscreen on the tires and that kind of thing, new weight distribution. The rookies are not having to learn anything new. Do you feel the same way as not a rookie engineer, but a rookie INDYCAR engineer? Do you feel like there’s less to unlearn and you can just soak up everything that the other engineers at ECR are going to throw your way?COLE PEARN: Yeah, a little bit. I think with reviewing past notes, you’re always relying on last year’s data to kind of do your prep work. For me, it’s still having to learn what the differences are and understand that. When you’re looking at stuff from last year, trying to correlate that to this year, you got to have that. Obviously, the aero changes, the weight distribution changes. Yeah, I feel like kind of in the same boat with the other guys as far as what they’re having to adapt to.
Q. When you signed the deal with Ed, was it a time when you realized how compressed the schedule was going to be and how quickly you were going to have to learn?COLE PEARN: Yeah, got a little bit more compressed after that. But still it was fine. I mean, I was kind of hoping to go to Mid-Ohio this weekend and at least get to hang out with Conor and the team, stuff like that, view it from that standpoint. That didn’t happen.In a way it’s okay. It’s been nice to have more time to prep with the singular focus on Indy. Everybody at the shop is kind of focused on that now because they’re not worrying about Mid-Ohio. That’s been nice. It’s in everybody’s frame of mind. That I feel is a lot better learning experience, better opportunity for me to get comfortable.
Q. Cole, what was the reaction to Labonte family selling its NASCAR team, the complicated dynamics with being a Joe Gibbs Racing affiliate?COLE PEARN: Yeah, that sucks obviously to see a team go away for sure. I think it’s bad luck on the JGR side. I don’t think there’s any correlation there. From my standpoint, obviously having gone through it, it sucks.Yeah, I mean, again, I think it was a business deal on both sides of it. Sucks to see another team go away. I know they were in a tight spot for a long time. I think finally with the pandemic and everything, it just kind of fell apart. Sorry to see that. Know a lot of people there, great people. Hopefully they can all find jobs.It’s going to continue to be a tougher job market in that sport, for sure.
Q. Cole, the genesis of how all this came together. Was Pete working on you for a while and convinced you to come over?COLE PEARN: No. We talked about it way back maybe that would be something. I think when the schedule all got changed, the guy that was originally doing the third car couldn’t do it any more, so they were in a spot where they needed somebody. Yeah, they asked. It was like, Yeah, why not? That’s kind of how it came together. It was pretty simple from that standpoint really.
Q. It wasn’t Pete’s influence so much?COLE PEARN: Yeah, he called and asked, just said, Would you want to do this? I was like, Yeah, sure. Then we talked to the higher powers, I guess, went from there.
Q. Are you looking forward to bringing some of the culture that you built on the NASCAR side, Furniture Row Racing?COLE PEARN: Seems very similar. Obviously the shops are a lot smaller, less people, stuff like that. I think it’s got a lot of that kind of scene going on. This is a huge race for them, they typically do really well here. Being part of that is going to be good.It’s been great being in the shop, getting to meet all the guys working on the team. Seems like a great group already. Yeah, it’s been pretty easy so far. I’m the new guy. Just trying to find my place at this point.
Q. Conor, obviously you have worked with a couple different engineers this year, kind of used to moving around. Does that make working with a different engineer this weekend different from what you’ve done in the past?CONOR DALY: I’ve learned to just try to get along with everyone. I have enjoyed working with a variety of people because everyone has a bit of a different way they like to do things, a bit of a different way that they like to tune the setup. I think I’ve learned from that, as well.There are a few things that I know that I like in the car, and there are a few things that a lot of engineers really want to make work because that’s what they like. There’s a lot of different things I can learn from that.I’m a very, like, trusting individual. I’m going to be like, Hey, I know that you are a very smart man and have done more school than me probably, have been in this racing world for a long time. Obviously Cole has an incredible amount of experience in the racing world. Was a driver himself, as well. He knows what’s going on.Is there a lot to learn in the INDYCAR world? Absolutely, I think for sure. There is for anyone, for all of us. We’re still learning every day, even me. It will be cool to see how that progresses.But, yeah, I mean, I look forward to getting into something new. This is an exciting time to get into the Indy 500 because it’s been a bit of a crazy year. I mean, I just can’t wait. It will be cool to see what his type of experience kind of brings to the table.You’re always looking for something else that 32 other people don’t have, something small. All you need is something small on race day to help you just do a little bit better of a job than anyone else. You never know, maybe a fresh opinion to the situation might give us that little advantage.
Q. Cole, have you talked to any of the fellow University of Waterloo guys that are in open-wheel right now?COLE PEARN: I haven’t, not yet, no. I’m sure I will. Definitely I had a few people hit me up and stuff like that. Yeah, it will be another thing. There’s definitely going to be a lot more Canucks around than there was in past life.
Q. Conor, what is your understanding of NASCAR? Do you feel that will help the communication with Cole? Maybe it’s happened already, something you noticed already, or something you maybe anticipate is going to help. Is your understanding of that side of things going to make the conversations between you easier?CONOR DALY: I mean, I think so. I obviously follow NASCAR really closely. I love NASCAR. I’ve done one NASCAR race, so I guess a little bit (laughter).But, yeah, I mean, I think no matter what, you’re still going to have a communication that he’s going to learn. It comes down to when I come into the pits, I say, Look, the car is understeering one out of five. He has to learn how much that actually means. We have to get used to how that’s communicated. That will be different.A guy like Cole who has had so much success in racing, he knows what the goal is, and that’s to be the best we can be. It’s just basically going to be an interesting road on how to get there because we’re going to be learning a little bit more as we go kind of each session.
Q. We’ve seen a lot of changes to the 500. At the minute the practice looks pretty much the same. Is it really important that you’ve managed to keep the practice, get ready with Cole for the race?CONOR DALY: We always want more practice, I can tell you that. With Indiana weather, you never know. That’s the thing we’re a little bit nervous about now. Indiana, it can be raining like a hurricane for 10 minutes, then it’s sunny for the next hour.We’ll be ready for anything. Even if we have two days in a row of a rainout, we get to Fast Friday, here is more horsepower, your first time ever on the track, let’s go. We still got to do that.I think this team as a group already has such a great handle on this event and how they like to run the cars, that is a great thing to not fall back on but just to have as an asset. All right, they know what they’re doing. So that will be really nice.
Q. Conor, you’re on Twitter. I don’t know if you follow Cole. Do you have a favorite Cole Pearn tweet? Are you aware of his persona on social media?CONOR DALY: Look, I did not follow Cole, to be honest. I seen Cole retweeted many times. Big Internet guy. As an Internet man myself, I have a passion for Internet humor, content, creation.I got texts from so many people, messages. It’s as if, like, we had hired the alpha of all racing. It’s as if Mario Andretti has come to our team and blessed us with his experience and career, some alpha wizard of engineering. That’s great. It’s going to be a lot of fun to see what happens.I mean, we’re going to get along, I can tell already. That’s the best part.
THE MODERATOR: Again, on behalf of Team Chevy we thank all the media for joining us today. We’ll thank Cole and Conor for their time today, wrap-up the call.

Richard Childress Racing at Michigan International Speedway …  In 175 NASCAR Cup Series starts at the two-mile speedway,Richard Childress Racing has recorded three wins with drivers Dale Earnhardt (1987 & 1990) and Kevin Harvick (2010). The Welcome, N.C. organization has also secured 25 top-five and 58 top-10 finishes.  Richard Childress Racing at Road America … In 29 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Elkhart Lake, Richard Childress Racing scored three victories in a row with drivers Brendan Gaughan (2014), Paul Menard (2015), and Michael McDowell (2016). The Welcome, N.C. organization has also captured 11 top-five and 13 top-10 finishes.  COVID-19 Relief … Own a piece of history by participating in an auction and sale of Richard Childress’ personal collection of memorabilia. All proceeds will assist COVID-19 relief efforts. Thousands of rare, hard-to-find and exclusive items from Richard Childress’ 50+ years in NASCAR are up for bid or sale. Visit https://www.ebay.com/str/RichardChildresscollection.Catch the Action … The NASCAR Xfinity Series Henry 180 at Road America will be televised live Saturday, August 8, beginning at 12 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  The NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway will be televised live Saturday August 8, beginning at 4 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  The NASCAR Cup Series Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway will be televised live Sunday August 9, beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Austin Dillon at Michigan International Speedway…In 15 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan International Speedway, Dillon boasts two top-five and four top-10 finishes. He is a former winner at the track in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Welcome, Dow MobilityScience … Dow’s MobilityScience™ platform is designed to enhance the customer experience by tailoring technologies, products, and services from across Dow businesses to the transportation industry. The platform is pursuing accelerated growth by addressing Mobility mega-trends – where lighter weight, longer range, greater comfort, enhanced safety, and lower carbon footprint are the ultimate objectives. That is where Dow science, innovation, and people step in – working closely with customers to create the materials that bring the possibilities to life. Tracker Off Road … Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE prominently features TRACKER ATVs, a game-changing new line of all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides offering breakthrough performance, service and value in the off-road industry. TRACKER OFF ROAD was born out of a powerhouse partnership formed between Bass Pro Shops and TRACKER founder Johnny Morris and Textron Specialized Vehicles, bringing together the undisputed world leader in boating with a global leader in innovation and technology. Bass Pro Shops … Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit http://www.basspro.com/. E-Z-GO … E-Z-GO is an iconic, world-renowned brand in golf cars and personal transportation vehicles. Products sold under the E-Z-GO brand include RXV® and TXT® fleet golf cars, Freedom® RXV and Freedom TXT personal golf cars, E-Z-GO Express™ personal utility vehicles, and the 2Five® street-legal low-speed vehicle. Known for innovation in electric-vehicle technology, E-Z-GO’s newest offerings include the ELiTE series of lithium-ion powered golf cars and PTVs, and the company’s exclusive 72-volt AC electric powertrain found in its latest Express series vehicles. Founded in 1954 in Augusta, Ga., E-Z-GO became part of Textron Inc. in 1960, and today operates as part of the company’s Textron Specialized Vehicles division. Playoffs Bound … Dillon survived three late-race restarts at Texas Motor Speedway to earn the win in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/E-Z-GO/Tracker Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, securing a spot in the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs. His teammate, Tyler Reddick, finished a strong second to create a 1-2 finish for Richard Childress Racing. AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:What are your thoughts on Michigan International Speedway?“We had a strong Chevy at Michigan International Speedway last year, and I expect the same this year. I’m really looking forward to the race. Michigan is a place we’ve run well at in the past, and I think it will provide a great opportunity to gather up some points before the NASCAR Playoffs begin.”

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Michigan International Speedway … This weekend, Tyler Reddick will be making his first NASCAR Cup Series start at Michigan International Speedway. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender won last year’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the two-mile speedway with crew chief Randall Burnett. Reddick also has one additional top-10 finish in the Xfinity Series, as well as one top-10 finish in the NASCAR Truck Series at the track. Welcome, Chevy Accessories … Chevrolet has a complete line of accessories to enhance the appearance, performance and capability of your vehicle – available at your dealer or online at chevroletaccessories.com. Genuine Chevrolet Accessories are designed, engineered and tested by the same team that developed the vehicle, and are the only accessories backed by GM. When installed by an authorized GM dealer, genuine Chevrolet Accessories are covered for the balance of the new vehicle’s warranty or 12 months / 12,000 miles, whichever is longer. Watch the Race with Cheddar’s… Don’t miss out! Cheddar’s is offering 15% off all To Go orders with the offer code RACEDAY placed on 8/8 and every Cup Series race day for the remainder of the 2020 season! Whether you’re watching the race on a Sunday afternoon or on a weekday under the lights, watch with all your Cheddar’s favorites for 15% off. Terms & conditions apply, visit cheddars.com/offer/race-day for full offer details. TYLER REDDICK QUOTE: Does winning in the NASCAR Xfinity Series last year with Randall Burnett give you any extra confidence headed into this weekend’s doubleheader event?“It’s nice to be able to head to a track where you’ve won at before, but the packages between Xfinity and the Cup Series are so different that there really isn’t much crossover. I actually think the Xfinity package we ran at Michigan two years ago was more similar to our current Cup package, which was when RCR and Austin Dillon won the race in the rain-shortened event. So I’ve run a race there with a similar package, but at the same time I’ve learned no matter how similar they sound on paper, there really is nothing too similar in person between them. But there are other areas I can lean on heading into the weekend. The tire is very similar to what we ran at Texas and Kentucky, so I expect similar strategy calls for people trying to get track position. Then again, it is a two-mile track. It’s big and has a lot of grip normally. We’re going during the middle of summer though, so I’m interested to see what that means for tire fall-off and if there will be any. It’s going to be an exciting doubleheader weekend for our No. 8 Chevy Accessories team.”

This Week’s No. 21 Ruedebusch Development & Construction Chevrolet Camaro at Road America … Kaz Grala will return to the seat of the No. 21 Ruedebusch Development & Construction Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing this weekend at Road America. Saturday will mark his second start of the season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Grala made his 2020 debut a few weeks ago at Kansas Speedway, where he finished in the 13th position. Success at Road America … Richard Childress Racing has achieved success in recent years at the 14 turn, 4.048-mile road course, which includes three victories in a row from 2014-2016. Last year, Kaz Grala added a top-five finish to the team’s impressive stats at Road America with a fifth-place finish. About Ruedebusch Development & Construction … At Ruedebusch, we have the ability to combine commercial real estate development, design-build construction, commercial real estate brokerage, and commercial real estate consulting services or contract them individually. Ruedebusch has knowledge and experience in all aspects of the commercial real estate field. From locating new rental space for your business, to finding the perfect piece of land for your new corporate headquarters; from the turn-key facility, to the architectural and interior design that will best reflect your company’s culture, Ruedebusch is with you every step of the way. Let Ruedebusch assist you with your project; we handle the details so you can concentrate on your business. For more information visit ruedebusch.com. KAZ GRALA QUOTES:What makes Road America such a challenging road course?“Road America is a tough place, and without any practice, the field is going to be in for a challenge on lap one. There are a lot of heavy braking zones and blind corners over a long four miles. It will be tricky to execute perfectly right from the drop of the green flag, and it will be crucial to stay out of the fray of others.” Last year you finished fifth at Road America. What do you need to do this weekend to put yourself in contention to score your first win?“Last year’s top-five finish with RCR was exciting, but we’re hungry for even more. I think we had the speed last year to contend for the win, but we got behind with track position midway through the race. I’m confident that Andy Street and the whole No. 21 Ruedebusch.com team will bring a fast Chevrolet to the track like last year. If we have a smooth day, I think we’ll have something to say about who wins this race.”

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE MICHIGAN DOUBLE HEADER MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY BROOKLYN, MI AUGUST 8-9, 2020
RACE #21 & 22: MICHIGAN For the first time this season, NASCAR’s premier series returns to Michigan International Speedway for an action-packed doubleheader race weekend. Just the second time in NASCAR history, the weekend schedule will feature four races across three different series, including two NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) events on back-to-back days: the postponed FireKeepers Casino 400 on Saturday, August 8th, and the originally scheduled Consumers Energy 400 on Sunday, August 9th. The NCS doubleheader around the 2-mile, D-shaped speedway in the Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan will mark the 21st and 22nd races on the revised NCS schedule. 
Accompanying the NASCAR Cup Series, the three-day race weekend will also consist of an appearance by the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series on Friday, August 7th, and the ARCA Menards Series VizCom 200 that was postponed and rescheduled for Sunday, August 9th. In compliance with the pandemic guidelines, all events during the doubleheader weekend will be run without spectators. 
BOWTIE BULLETS·       Since the NASCAR Cup Series first race at Michigan International Speedway in 1969, Chevrolet has made its way to victory lane 26 times. GM brands Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac have combined for an additional 10 wins. Of the NCS’s 101 races at the speedway, Chevrolet has recorded 180 top-fives, 367 top-10’s and 7,180 laps led. 
·       Chevrolet drivers that have recorded wins at Michigan International Speedway include:Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE, with three wins (2003, 2007, 2015)Matt Kenseth, No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1 1LE, with three wins (2002, 2006, 2015)Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Fueling Futures Camaro ZL1 1LE, with one win (2014)
·       Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth’s three career wins each at Michigan International Speedway are the most of active drivers in NASCAR’s premier series. 
·       Chevrolet has led the field to the green from the pole position 27 times. Career Chevrolet driver, Jeff Gordon, holds the current track qualifying record of 206.558 mph, 34.857 seconds, set on August 17, 2014. 
·       Of active series drivers, Matt Kenseth, No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1 1LE, leads the way with top-five finishes at Michigan with 14 and top-10’s with 20. 
·       Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Fueling Futures Camaro ZL1 1LE, leads all active drivers in laps led at the 2-mile speedway with 700 laps led in his 36 career starts. 
·       Since the electronic scoring system was implemented into the Series, the closest margin of victory was recorded at the June 2001 event, when NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon captured the win over Ricky Rudd by 0.085 seconds.  ·       In eight career starts at the 2-mile Michigan track, Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE, has recorded an average finish of 7.625, the most among active drivers.  HERITAGE TROPHY UP FOR GRABSThe Michigan Heritage Trophy is a recognition and celebration of the history cars and manufacturers bring to the race track and NASCAR competition. Each year, the track recognizes the sport’s manufacturers by presenting the prestigious award to the winning manufacturer at Michigan International Speedway. Since the debut of the trophy at the August 2013 event, Chevrolet has brought the title home six times, tying for the top spot on the Series leaderboard. 
PLAYOFF OUTLOOKWith 20 races in the books and just six left in the regular season, the chase to making the Playoff cutline is on. The top-16 in the standings at the end of the regular season will have a chance to compete for the title of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. As the points stand entering into the Michigan race weekend, six of the top-16 drivers in the standings are occupied by Team Chevy drivers. Here are a look at where the Team Chevy top-16 currently sit:             5th      Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE           11th    Alex Bowman, No. 88 ChevyGoods.com / Adam’s Polishes Camaro ZL1 1LE           14th    William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 1LE           15th    Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Chevy Accessories Camaro ZL1 1LE           16th    Austin Dillon, No. 3 Dow Mobility Science Camaro ZL1 1LE
Three Team Chevy Camaro ZL1 1LE drivers have secured their spots in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with wins captured thus season so far: Alex Bowman’s win at Auto Club Speedway, Chase Elliott’s victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Austin Dillon’s recent trip to victory lane at Texas Motor Speedway.  TAKING THE GREENFor the remainder of the 2020 NCS season, the race weekend format will consist of no practice or qualifying. The starting lineup for Saturday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 will be set by virtue of owners points and a random draw. Here are Team Chevy’s top-20 starters:            6th      Alex Bowman, No. 88 ChevyGoods.com / Adam’s Polishes Camaro ZL1 1LE           8th      Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE           10th    Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE           14th    Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Chevy Accessories Camaro ZL1 1LE           17th    Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Fueling Futures Camaro ZL1 1LE           18th    Austin Dillon, No. 3 Dow Mobility Sciences Camaro ZL1 1LE           19th    William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 1LE           20th    Matt Kenseth, No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1 1LE The starting lineup for Sunday’s Consumers Energy 400 will be set by the finishing order of Saturday’s event, with an inversion of the top-20 finishers.  TUNE-INNBCSN will telecast the 156-lap, 312-mile FireKeepers Casino 400 live at 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 8th. Returning on Sunday, August 9th, NBCSN will telecast the 156-lap, 312-mile Consumers Energy 400 live at 4:30 p.m. Live coverage can also be found on the NBC Sports Gold app, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.  QUOTABLE QUOTES:CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 5th IN STANDINGS“To me, shorter races just mean that track position is just going to be that much more important, especially positioning yourself for that last stint. It seems like a lot of these races over the past couple of months have really been determined by your position during that final strategy call when you pit to get to the end of the race, ultimately, and how you want to play that card. All of that starts at the beginning of the day, how you start your strategy then eventually will stretch out and sometimes dictate what you do for the last pit stop. In a short race I think all those things are really going to matter, making the right decisions and hopefully having the cautions fall your way.” ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 CHEVYGOODS.COM / ADAM’S POLISHES CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 11th IN STANDINGSBOWMAN ON HIS FEELINGS ABOUT MICHIGAN:“I enjoy going to Michigan each year. I feel like we have had some strong finishes at the track and we really need to have a good weekend. We finished inside the top-10 in both events last year and had some solid runs. Michigan is a fun track and I think that this No. 88 team has really figured something out there. If we could bring home the Michigan Heritage Trophy to Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet, that would be big. We are in the backyard of so many manufacturers, so being able to capture that for Chevy would definitely be special.” GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 88 CHEVYGOODS.COM / ADAM’S POLISHES CAMARO ZL1 1LEIVES ON THE IMPORTANCE OF WINNING AT MICHIGAN:“We race to win trophies every week, but the Irish Hills of Michigan International Speedway pose the battleground for the manufacturers. Michigan was the first NASCAR track I went to as a kid and with this being my home track, I look forward to capturing the Michigan Heritage Trophy not only for the No. 88 team and Hendrick Motorsports, but also for our partner in Chevrolet.”
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 14th IN STANDINGSBYRON ON DOUBLEHEADER AT MICHIGAN:“What’s good with two races this weekend in Michigan, and doubleheader weekends in general, is that you can make big changes and get big results on the second day of racing. I really like that about the doubleheader aspect. You don’t have to wait until we go back to the same track later in the year. You can make changes to your car and strategy overnight if you need to and try it all again the next day. It’s a great opportunity to improve before you move your mindset on to the next track.” BYRON ON THE SPEED DRIVERS EXPERIENCE AT MICHIGAN:“You definitely do feel the high speeds at Michigan. The straightaways are long and you’re right up against the wall. It’s got the shape of Daytona but Michigan is a lot flatter of a track. I think the flatness makes it feel like you’re going fast on corner entry, especially with the lateral load and being right on the edge on entry to the corner. I feel like that’s what creates the sensation of so much speed at Michigan.” TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CHEVY ACCESSORIES CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 15th IN STANDINGSDOES WINNING IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES LAST YEAR WITH RANDALL BURNETT GIVE YOU ANY EXTRA CONFIDENCE HEADING INTO THIS WEEKEND’S DOUBLEHEADER EVENT?“It’s nice to be able to head to a track where you’ve won at before, but the packages between Xfinity and the Cup Series are so different that there really isn’t much crossover. I actually think the Xfinity package we ran at Michigan two years ago was more similar to our current Cup package, which was when RCR and Austin Dillon won the race in the rain-shortened event. So, I’ve run a race there with a similar package, but at the same time I’ve learned no matter how similar they sound on paper, there really is nothing too similar in person between them. But there are other areas I can lean on heading into the weekend. The tire is very similar to what we ran at Texas and Kentucky, so I expect similar strategy calls for people trying to get track position. Then again, it is a two-mile track. It’s big and has a lot of grip normally. We’re going during the middle of summer though, so I’m interested to see what means for tire fall-off and if there will be any. It’s going to be an exciting doubleheader weekend for our No. 8 Chevy Accessories team.” AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW MOBILITY SCIENCE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 16th IN STANDINGSWHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY?“We had a strong Chevy at Michigan International Speedway last year, and I expect the same this year. I’m really looking forward to the race. Michigan is a place we’ve run well at in the past, and I think it will provide a great opportunity to gather up some points before the NASCAR Playoffs begin.” BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 VICTORY JUNCTION CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 22nd IN STANDINGS“The doubleheader at the Michigan International Speedway is going to be a lot of fun. We’ve always had some success there – I feel like we have had some decent speed in our Chevrolets. I know Jerry (Baxter, crew chief) and the guys will have the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Victory Junction Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE tuned-up. We’ve got a lot of racing under our belt this year to, hopefully, come up with a good baseline to have a decent race on Saturday and then regroup for Sunday to make that even better. We’re continuing to look for some improvement – we had a little bit of a setback this past weekend, but nothing we can’t come back from. We’ve got our work cut out for us and we’ll get the job done.”
RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 24th IN STANDINGS“We finally have a little bit of luck on our side heading to Michigan International Speedway this weekend. The doubleheader weekends are really unique with the opportunity to make changes between Saturday and Sunday’s race. I’ve been really happy with the speed that we’ve had on the big tracks this season, and Brian Pattie makes such great strategy calls to get us to the front during these races. The choose cone rule that’s now in play will really help on restarts, which can get crazy at Michigan. I’m looking forward to another two solid races this weekend in the No. 47 Kroger Chevrolet.” TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 27th IN STANDINGSWHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS HEADING INTO THE DOUBLE AT MICHIGAN?“Personally, I think having two opportunities back to back at the same track on the same weekend is nice. Michigan was a good race for us last year in the fall and I think our Germain Racing program has learned enough this year to go have two strong runs this weekend. Our GEICO team just needs to keep capitalizing on the good runs we’ve been having, carry the momentum forward and continue to build points.”
MATT KENSETH, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 28th IN STANDINGS“I’m looking forward to going to Michigan and having two chances at the same track. I think with this 500 (hp) package Michigan will be the closest we’ll get to racing like we do at a superspeedway of any of the other tracks we race at. It’s a fun race track. You have to have a fast race car by yourself but you’re also going to have to be good in traffic. Starting mid-pack again, so we’re going to have to figure out how to navigate traffic and hopefully get to the front. Strategy will be difficult to come into play with the way that the stage lengths work out. You don’t even have to pit in stage 1 or stage 2 if you pit at the stage breaks. There’s probably not going to be a lot of help from strategy to get you the track position you need. So, you’re going to have to have a fast race car and fast pit stops to be able to get there. I’m looking forward to seeing how Saturday goes. Hoping for a good result and hopefully we make it better for Sunday.”
RYAN PREECE, NO. 37 HONEY NUT CHEERIOS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 30th IN STANDINGS“New Hampshire Motor Speedway was exactly what we needed to get our luck turned around heading to Michigan International Speedway. We had a really strong run in the second Michigan race last season, and I think our cars we are bringing to the track are the best they’ve been. It’s been a learning year for Trent and I with this being our first season together, but the last couple of weeks he and the team have worked really hard to get our balance the best I’ve had this season right off the truck, and being able to adjust after Saturday’s race will be a big help for Sunday. Our No. 37 Honey Nut Cheerios Chevrolet looks fast and I’m ready to have a strong Michigan weekend.” 

BATAVIA, OH (August 6, 2020) – The 22nd Annual Super Clean Grassy Smith Memorial – presented by Dixie Chopper, from Cherokee Speedway, is live tonight on MAVTV Motorsports Network at 10 PM EDT, with a re-airing at 1 AM EDT. During the first event back with fans, since February, two regional hot shots swapped the lead multiple times during the 50 lap event in Gaffney, SC. 

Entering the event, one driver was looking for his third straight Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win, before mechanical failure crushed those hopes. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane, the eventual victor was breathless as he talked to the fans.  “Man, this is unbelievable. We have been through a lot this year. I am so excited to win this in front of my home crowd. I mean it can’t get any better than that.” The broadcast will include driver interviews, in-car cameras, and various technical segments. Owned and operated by Lucas Oil Products, MAVTV Motorsports Network is a television network deeply rooted in the automotive world. MAVTV is available to over 35 million homes on U-verse, DIRECTV (channel 214), Fios by Verizon, Vidgo, TIKILIVE, fuboTV, Spectrum, and other nationwide providers. MAVTV will broadcast 5 live events and 34 original tape-delayed airings. To find a full list of providers, visit: mavtv.com/get-mavtv/providers.

The entire 2020 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series TV schedule can be found on the series website at: www.lucasdirt.com/schedule/tv-schedule/.
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CHEVROLET AT INDIANAPOLIS What: Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals presented by PennzoilWhen: Saturday, August 8th – Sunday, August 9thWhere: Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, IndianaTV:    FS1 will telecast qualifying from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET Sunday with final eliminations broadcast on FOX starting at 1:00 pm ET                                                                                       Chevrolet looks for second straight Indy victory in Pro StockCoughlin, Line, Enders all with wins separated by 15 points for overall lead
DETROIT (August 6, 2020) – After a few week break, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) resumes its 2020 restart with the third straight race at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, and second in a row for the Pro Stock division.  Chevrolet Pro Stock drivers Jeg Coughlin Jr., Jason Line and Erica Enders, who have all visited victory land and sit 1-2-3 atop the standings, look to continue to separate themselves from the rest of the pack in this return trip to Indy. 
Jeg Coughlin Jr, driver of the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro has one win and two finals appearances to put himself out front after three races in Pro Stock. “I think we’re all coming to the realization of how quickly things can change during this pandemic,” Coughlin Jr., said. “We’ve seen races being rescheduled, postponed or even cancelled outright this year so we’re just going to treat every single one we go to like it’s the final race of the Countdown to the Championship, and the title is on the line. We finished strong last year and we’re off to an incredible start this year, so there’s no reason to change our tactics.”
The driver of the Summit Chevrolet Camaro for KB Racing, Jason Line, also has two finals appearances so far – including the latest Pro Stock victory with his win at Indy on July 12^th. Coughlin, a six-time Pro Stock champion and Line a three-time champ, have faced each other in two of the three finals so far, with each taking a victory. Both drivers are set to retire from full time driving duties at the end of the 2020 season. 
Coughlin’s Elite Motorsports teammate and three-time and defending Pro Stock champion, Erica Enders, started off the season with a win at the NHRA Arizona Nationals in her Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro. She also posted two semi-final finishes in the other two events to place her third in the point standings, just 15 out of Coughlin’s lead of 297 points. 
FS1 will telecast eliminations and finals live at 1:00 p.m. ET Sunday, August 9th.
CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPITPRO STOCK:
ERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE/ELITE MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “We are looking forward to being part of the NHRA Indy Nationals this weekend. It wasn’t originally a part of the Pro Stock schedule, so we are thrilled to be added to the program. Personally, I’m looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of my Melling Performance, Chevy Camaro. Although Jeg, Jason and I are separated by less than one round in the points standings, I feel like I have some ground to make up this weekend. With the uncertainty of everything right now, my goal is to climb back to the top and stay there. I feel like I have a great car underneath me and I know my guys and I will be ready for battle this weekend.”
JEG COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM/ELITEMOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “I think we’re all coming to the realization of how quickly things can change during this pandemic. We’ve seen races being rescheduled, postponed or even cancelled outright this year so we’re just going to treat every single one we go to like it’s the final race of the Countdown to the Championship and the title is on the line. Really, dating back to last year’s championship chase, Rickie (Jones, crew chief) has been very aggressive with the tune-up and the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro has really responded well. We finished strong last year and we’re off to an incredible start this year so there’s no reason to change our tactics. We’ve had one helluva start to the championship run this year and we need to keep it in high gear. We’re going back to the same track we competed at a three weeks ago where we qualified No. 2 and ended up second on race day, so our expectations remain very high. “Considering the unique situation we’re in this year, I know everyone at Elite is completely focused on limiting our errors, checking and double-checking every function we perform, and staying on the front foot. That goes for me as well.  I want to be as fluid and consistent as a driver can be.” 
JASON LINE, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “The silver Summit Racing Chevy Camaro was pretty good the last time we were there, and I think we have a decent chance of having another positive race for KB Racing. We’ve been working hard, but we know everyone else has been, too. This is an interesting time, and it’s definitely a season we’ll never forget. You hope it’s unforgettable for the right reasons, when it’s all said and done, so every time we get to go racing, we’re grateful for the opportunity.”
GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “We’re just really happy to be back in our Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaros this weekend for this Indy race. We’ve been working hard to have everything ready, and KB Racing had a good event the last time we were there, so we expect to build on that. All of the KB Racing Chevys showed promise, and if things go as we hope, we’ll all perform even better than we did the last time we were there. We just want to race as much as we can because that’s what we love. We can’t wait to get out there and put on a good show for the fans, and we’re all very happy that NHRA is continuing to do everything they can to make sure the fans can be there in person. That’s what makes this sport special.”

August 6, 2020

Matt DiBenedetto and the Wood Brothers team are headed to Michigan International Speedway with a black No. 21 Mustang adorned with a paint scheme honoring Ford’s auto technicians.

The NewFordTech.com paint scheme will be used in both ends of a double-header that kicks off Saturday afternoon and concludes Sunday afternoon.

The No. 21 Mustang has been used to honor technicians in the past at Michigan, but this year’s theme carries an extra significance given the efforts the company’s technicians have put in during the ongoing pandemic.

Demand for vehicle work has remained strong in the months since COVID-19 has swept across the country, which only emphasizes the deficit of automotive technicians needed vs. how many are in the field. Those interested in starting a new career in this field can go to NewFordTech.com, where Ford will help guide visitors find a starting point that matches their needs.  

High school students interested in becoming Ford or Lincoln automotive technicians have opportunities to continue their education at over 75 post-secondary training locations throughout the country, including the Ford Automotive Student Service Educational Training (ASSET) program and Ford Accelerated Credentials Training (FACT) program.
  
NASCAR and its race teams also have had to adjust to pandemic times, thus the double-header at Michigan, which is part of a schedule shuffle intended to get all of the 36 scheduled Cup Series races run this season.

DiBenedetto said he’s looking forward to driving the black No. 21 NewFordTech.com Mustang in the twin 312-mile races, which will be the second time this season that the Cup Series has run back-to-back races at the same track. The first was at Pocono Raceway on June 27-28.

“I like the double-headers,” he said. “Pocono was pretty fun. You learn a lot the first day that you can apply to the second.”
 
It’s more fun for DiBenedetto because the No. 21 Mustang has been fast in recent weeks.
 
“I’m looking forward to continuing to have fast cars,” he said. “Michigan requires a different style of racing. You’re in the throttle a lot, almost wide open all the way around the track.”
  
One aspect that isn’t different, he said, is the importance of track position and of making the most of the opportunities presented by restarts, an area in which he and his spotter Doug Campbell have excelled this year.

“Restarts are really important,” DiBenedetto said. “If you get stuck in the wrong lane on a restart you can lose eight spots.
 
DiBenedetto said races at Michigan take on an added importance for him and the Wood Brothers because of the team’s decades-long association with Ford.

“It’s a really special race for us,” he said. “The Wood Brothers have always had a close relationship with Ford.”
 
DiBenedetto said he’s confident the weekend will be a good one for him, his team and his sponsor.
 
“There are lot of good things to look forward to,” he said. “I feel like we’re really hitting our stride.”
 
Saturday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 is set to get the green flag just after 4 p.m. Eastern Time, and Sunday’s Consumers Energy 400 is set for a 4:30 p.m. start. Both races will be televised on NBCSN. 

BATAVIA, OHIO (August 3, 2020) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series teams will return to racing for three huge weekends, at three tracks, in three states during the month of August. Florence Speedway in Union, Kentucky; Batesville Motor Speedway in Batesville, Arkansas; and Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, Pennsylvania will each be host to the Lucas Oil Series for a total of over $575,000 in prize money. 
The first stop for the stars of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be Florence Speedway, competing in three separate events over four days. On Wednesday, August 12th teams will vie for a $12,000 top prize in the 34th Annual Ralph Latham Memorial. The Sunoco North/South Shootout will take place on Thursday, August 13th, paying $10,000-to-win as a prelude to the 38th Annual Sunoco North/South 100 – presented by Lucas Oil. August 14th-15th, series drivers along with local and regional standouts will compete in two rounds of heats on Friday. Passing points being awarded for the heats and will set the stage for Saturday’s B-Mains and $50,000-to-win North/South 100. The 30-lap, $2,000 to win non-qualifiers race will cap off the weekend. Open Wheel Modifieds will also be in contention all four days. Advanced tickets for the Ralph Latham Memorial, North/South Shootout, and/or the North/South 100, are available at: http://florence.getmytix.net/tickets
Teams will leave Florence Speedway and head to Batesville Motor Speedway for three days of the 28th Annual COMP Cams Topless 100 – presented by Nutrien Ag Solutions. The Topless 100, which is co-sanctioned with the COMP Cams Super Dirt Series, will feature a complete program of Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains and a $5,000-to-win main event on Thursday, August 20th and on Friday, August 21st. Drivers will earn points in each of the two preliminary nights that will determine the lineups for Saturday night’s finale, paying $40,000-to-win. Joining the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be the Open Wheel Modifieds. To order advanced tickets call or text 870-613-1337. 
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series stars will travel over one thousand miles back North for three days of complete shows at Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, Pennsylvania for the Rumble by the River.  Thursday, August 27th will pay $10,000-to-win for 30 laps; Friday, August 28th is $12,000-to-win for 40 laps; and 50 laps on Saturday, August 29th that will pay $15,000-to-win. Tickets will be available for purchase on-site only, no pre-event ticket sales. The Lucas Dirt series will be joined by Limited Late Models on Thursday, while the Modifieds will be the support division on both Friday and Saturday. 
Jimmy Owens leads the Lucas Oil Championship Standings heading into August. Jonathan Davenport currently trails Owens by 300 points. Rounding out the top five are: Josh Richards in third, Tyler Erb in fourth, and Tim McCreadie in fifth.
For fans unable to make it out in person, each night of racing in August will be live on LucasOilRacing.tv.  

Track and Event Information: Florence SpeedwayPhone Number: 859-485-7591Location: 12234 US Hwy 42, Walton, KY 41094Directions: I-75 to exit 180, then 9.2 miles SW on US 42Website: www.florencespeedway.comWednesday, August 12th – 34th Annual Ralph Latham Memorial (50 Laps)Thursday, August 13th – Sunoco North/South Shootout (50 Laps)Friday, August 14th & Saturday, August 15th – 38th Annual Sunoco North/South 100 – presented by Lucas Oil (100 Laps)

Florence Speedway August 12th Tire RuleLeft Rear/Fronts – Hoosier Rib (28.5) 1350Right Rear – Hoosier (29.0) 1350 NRM, (29.0) 1350 NRMW, (92) LM40*Must use the same set of 4 tires for Time Trials, Heat Races, and B-Main.*For the A-Main, competitors may use 2 new rear tires.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position. Florence Speedway August 13th Tire RuleLeft Rear/Fronts – Hoosier Rib (28.5) 1350Right Rear – Hoosier (29.0) 1350 NRM, (29.0) 1350 NRMW, (92) LM40*Must use the same set of 4 tires for Time Trials, Heat Races, and B-Main.*For the A-Main, competitors may use 2 new rear tires.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position. Florence Speedway August 14th Tire RuleLeft Rear/Fronts – Hoosier Rib (28.5) 1350Right Rear – Hoosier (29.0) 1350 NRM, (29.0) 1350 NRMW*Must use the same set of 4 tires for both Heat Races.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position. Florence Speedway August 15th Tire RuleLeft Rear/Fronts – Hoosier Rib (28.5) 1350Right Rear – Hoosier (29.0) 1350 NRM, (29.0) 1350 NRMW, (92) LM40*For the B-Main, competitors may use 4 new tires.*For the Non-Qualifiers Race, competitors may use 4 new tires.*For the A-Main, competitors may use 4 new tires.

• Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals Presented by Pennzoil to take place Aug. 6-9
• Mopar Dodge//SRT Funny Car of Matt Hagan and Mopar Dodge//SRT Top Fuel Dragster of Leah Pruett from Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) will continue to sport new sinister, “Demon-possessed” SRT Hellcat Redeye paint schemes
• Fierce-looking red, black and chrome paint schemes promote the recent reveal of the 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world
• Mopar and Dodge//SRT will have Dodge signage and vehicle display in midway to showcase brand offerings to fans
• Matt Hagan heads into race weekend with a win and a final elimination round appearance so far this season
• Leah Pruett sits second in Top Fuel points standings

August 4, 2020, Auburn Hills, Mich. – Mopar and Dodge//SRT brands continue to show their support of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) by adding the Dodge name as title sponsor to the upcoming Mello Yello Drag Racing Series national event at Lucas Oil Raceway. This is the third consecutive Indianapolis-based race weekend since the return to racing action after a four-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the fifth race of the 2020 season.

The Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals Presented by Pennzoil will take place Aug. 6-9, an event with limited fans in attendance in accordance with Indiana state and health guidelines. Mopar and Dodge//SRT will have signage and a display in the midway to showcase production vehicle offerings to fans.

Dodge’s sponsorship of the event, the most recent addition to the reworked 2020 schedule in response to the ever-changing challenges presented by the ongoing pandemic, is a complement to other title sponsorship commitments planned for this NHRA season:

Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals (Denver, Colorado): Postponed/rescheduled for later this fall
Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals (Reading, Pennsylvania): Sept. 11-13
Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals Presented By Pennzoil (Houston, Texas): Oct. 23-25
Dodge NHRA Nationals (Las Vegas, Nevada): Oct. 30-Nov. 1

“I just can’t say enough about Dodge stepping up and sponsoring this race,” says Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) driver Matt Hagan, who earned a race win and advanced to the final elimination round leading up to this weekend’s event in his Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car. “It’s pretty cool to see Dodge and Mopar show their support and really stand behind what we’re out here trying to do, which is put fans in the stands and race cars on the racetrack.”

DSR Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett, who sits in second place atop the Top Fuel championship points standings after solid gains at the two previous Indianapolis races, echoes her teammate’s sentiments and is also pleased to be back at Lucas Oil Raceway with title sponsorship backing from Dodge.

“I don’t care if you run at Indianapolis 100 times a year or just once during Labor Day weekend, racing at Indy carries a certain weight and prestige,” says Pruett. “To see Dodge step up (as title sponsor), makes my heart even happier than it already is when it’s pounding hard from nitro and 11,000 horsepower. It just reinforces what a great company it is and where their values lay; with their fan base and their customers.

“Given the circumstances, knowing the importance it has to fans attending a race in person or watching on TV, and helping getting the series back on track, it’s great to see Dodge bring this extra level of support to the series,” she added. “They had their dedicated number of races, but when times got tough, they showed what a true partner is.”

Hagan and Pruett both premiered new sinister “Demon-possessed” Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye-themed race cars at the previous event. The fierce-looking red, black and chrome paint schemes for the two DSR entries come on the heels of the early July public unveiling of the new 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world.

With a top speed of 203 mph and quarter-mile elapsed time of 10.6 seconds at 129 mph, the 2021 Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye is designed and engineered to appeal to muscle car enthusiasts who want even more — more power, more performance and more bragging rights at the drag strip.

Carrying the SRT Hellcat Redeye livery, Pruett feels even more motivated to continue to build on her most recent strong performances.

“It’s one thing to look good and it’s another to perform well while looking that good; those are two attributes that Dodge has cornered all of the time,” says Pruett. “I’m very happy with how we debuted our SRT Hellcat Redeye-themed dragster (at Lucas Oil NHRA SummerNationals) with a No. 2 qualifying spot and a semifinal finish. We’re looking to continue that momentum and take that a step further this weekend at the Dodge Indy Nationals Presented by Pennzoil. This is our second shot to put the Top Fuel dragster in the Winner’s Circle. It looks good in the shop, it looks good in the pit and on the track, but it won’t look any better than in the Winner’s Circle and that’s where our focus is at.”

Qualifying highlights will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 on Sunday, Aug. 9, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET, while television coverage of the elimination rounds, including LIVE finals at the Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals, will air starting at 1 p.m. ET on the FOX national broadcast network.
 

Inside Line Promotions – BRANDON, S.D. (Aug. 4, 2020) – Dominic Scelzi posted a pair of top-five finishes last weekend during two of the biggest-paying races of the season under the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 banner.

Scelzi finished fourth on Thursday at Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, Wis., during the $26,000-to-win Rayce Rudeen Foundation Race and he placed second on Sunday at Huset’s Speedway during the $20,000-to-win C & B Operations Grand Reopening presented by Folkens Brothers Trucking. Both nights were his debut at each track and he now has seven top fives with the All Stars this year, which is more than the combined number of top-10 results in his career with the All Stars entering this year.

“It was an extremely good weekend,” he said. “I feel like since we’ve switched cars we’ve been on the right track and that showed this weekend. We qualified good every night and made the heat race inversion every night. We raced really good three of the four nights. It was just a really good four-day stretch.”

Scelzi qualified third quickest out of the 41 drivers on Thursday at Plymouth Dirt Track. He then placed third in a heat race and second in a dash to garner the third starting position in the main event.

“We were really good,” he said. “I think we could have run second through fourth, which is where we ultimately finished. We had good speed and it was awesome to get another top five with the All Stars.”

Scelzi ventured to 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa, on Friday. He qualified fourth quickest out of 27 drivers. A third-place outing in a heat race locked him into the dash. He placed seventh in the race before ending the night with an eighth-place run in the A Main.

“It was pretty hard to pass all night,” he said. “The track was really wet. It widened up a bit in the feature, but was still hard to pass. I ran sixth for a lot of the race and made a mistake on a restart, which dropped me to seventh. Then I got caught in traffic trying to get to sixth and we placed eighth.”

Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, hosted an All Star show on Saturday. Scelzi timed in 21^st quickest overall, finished second in a heat race and capped the night with a 14^th-place showing in the main event.

“When we went out in qualifying I felt like we had a decent lap,” he said. “The inside row was taking off really well in the heats. We lost the start and that cost us a lot of positions in the feature. I do think if we started up front we could have run there. We ran around 10^th to 12^th for the majority of the feature, but we had a car spin in front of us going into turn three. We made contact and I half spun and went through the infield and that moved us back to 14^th.”

The weekend concluded on Sunday at Huset’s Speedway, where Scelzi made the most of his debut. He qualified 14^thquickest out of 30-plus racers. A heat race win and runner-up result in a dash lined Scelzi up third for the feature.

“In the dash we had a good dog fight with Kerry Madsen,” he said. “That gave me a lot of confidence going into the feature. We were right there in the top three all race long. Once we got back by Kerry for second the final time Cory (Eliason) was out there by a straightway. We were able to reel him in, but traffic didn’t fall my way so we finished second. It was a fun race and a great track.”

Scelzi will take his momentum into a busy weekend. He will compete on Thursday and Saturday at Knoxville Raceway during the 30^th annual My Place Hotels 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank. On Sunday the team heads to Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa, for the Sage Fruit Ultimate Challenge presented by Searsboro Telephone Co. with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour. The Sage Fruit Front Row Challenge presented by Musco Lighting is Monday at Southern Iowa Speedway.

The 2020 Scheid Diesel Extravaganza  August 28-29 NEW VENUE Wagler Motorsports Park in Lyons, INSCHEDULE OF EVENTS Wagler Motorsports Park 4425 W 300 S Lyons, Indiana  Click here for Directions COVID19 Update:  Currently the venue is open with recommendation of wearing a mask and social distancing but no capacity limitations being an outdoor venue.   For more information on accommodations or to make your hotel or camping reservations today click on any of these links: On Site Camping  Camping at Daviess County Fairgrounds  Nearby Hotel & AccommodationsIf you are looking to rent a camper for the weekend check out www.rvshare.com or  www.outdoorsy.comWe are excited to offer some new ticket options this year!Weekend Pass $75 online only ($80 at the gate)Friday $40 All Day Pass (online or at gate)Friday after 6pm only $25 (gate only)Saturday $40 All Day Pass (online or at gate)Saturday after 6pm only $25 (gate only)Kids 12 and under are FREE

August 4, 2020

In choosing a paint scheme based on the Wood Brothers’ 1963 Ford Galaxie for the throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 6, the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team is honoring some of the team’s well-known accomplishments and one of its least-known – a Cup Series owners championship. And that fits perfectly with Darlington’s theme this year which is honoring series champions, past, present and future.

The original ’63 Galaxie, painted white on the top and red on the bottom, was the one driven to victory by Tiny Lund in the 1963 Daytona 500, one of NASCAR’s most memorable races. It also was driven by the late team founder Glenn Wood in his last win as a Cup driver, at Bowman Gray Stadium on July 13, 1963. Marvin Panch, who returned to the ’63 Galaxie after being severely burned in a sports car crash prior to the Daytona 500, also won in it, at North Wilkesboro on Sept. 29, 1963.

The rugged and versatile Ford, which was run on Superspeedways, road courses and quarter-mile short tracks, was the workhorse as the Wood Brothers won the 1963 car owner’s championship, the only Cup Series title in the Wood Brothers’ 70-year history in the sport.

In 1963, the driver’s title was won by Joe Weatherly, who ran 53 races driving for nine different owners, none of whom earned enough points to take the owners title. He won three races, scored 20 top-five and 35 top-10 finishes.

The Wood Brothers, who did not run a full schedule in that era, took the owners championship with 23 starts, scoring three wins, 16 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes. They used five different drivers – Wood, Lund, Panch, Dave MacDonald and Fred Lorenzen.

Lorenzen rolled the car in practice for its first race, at Riverside, Calif. After some at-track repairs, he drove it to a 22^nd-place finish, leading eight laps before the engine expired. MacDonald drove it in the fall race at Riverside, leading a race-high 92 laps before finishing second to Darel Dieringer.

The championship trophy bears the name of the late Ray Lee Wood, brother of the team founder and a long-time crew member on the No 21 Ford.

Glenn Wood explained in a 2017 interview that his brother’s name on the trophy is an example of the team’s legendary frugal ways.

“You had to buy a different license for the driver and the car owner,” he said. “So instead of buying two in my name I put one in Ray Lee’s. I saved ten dollars by doing it, but ten dollars was a good bit of money back then.

 “It was my car, but it’s his name on the trophy.”
 
The original car was turned back in to Holman-Moody at the end of the 1963 season and exchanged for a new model, but the team has recreated the original car and has the replica on display at its museum in Stuart, Va.
 
Matt DiBenedetto, who would like to win the Woods their second Cup title and his first, said that like many in the sport he was unaware of the Woods’ 1963 championship before he heard about it during a recent visit to the museum in Stuart.
 
“It’s a pretty cool story,” DiBenedetto said. “Panch got hurt in a big crash then Tiny drove the car and won the Daytona 500. It’s a cool car with a lot of history that people either don’t know or don’t remember.”
 

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 4) — Pro Stock points leader Jeg Coughlin Jr. is used to keeping his foot on the gas, something the six-time world champion promises to continue when drag racing returns to Lucas Oil Raceway for this weekend’s Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals, the third straight national event at the historic quarter-mile strip. “I think we’re all coming to the realization of how quickly things can change during this pandemic,” Coughlin Jr. said. “We’ve seen races being rescheduled, postponed or even cancelled outright this year so we’re just going to treat every single one we go to like it’s the final race of the Countdown to the Championship and the title is on the line. Jeg Coughlin Jr.“Really, dating back to last year’s championship chase, Rickie (Jones, crew chief) has been very aggressive with the tune-up and the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro has really responded well. We finished strong last year and we’re off to an incredible start this year so there’s no reason to change our tactics.” Coughlin powered from eighth to second place in the six races of last year’s championship charge, racing to a win and two runner-up results in the final three events. This year, he’s got a win and a runner-up in the three national events contested so far. “We’ve had one helluva start to the championship run this year and we need to keep it in high gear,” Coughlin said. “We’re going back to the same track we competed at a three weeks ago where we qualified No. 2 and ended up second on race day, so our expectations remain very high. “Considering the unique situation we’re in this year I know everyone at Elite is completely focused on limiting our errors, checking and double-checking every function we perform, and staying on the front foot. That goes for me as well: I want to be as fluid and consistent as a driver can be.”  Heading into the weekend, Coughlin leads second-ranked Jason Line by just eight points, with Elite teammate and reigning champion Erica Enders 15 points off the pace. The next driver in the standings, Kenny Delco, trails a distant 132 points back. Joining Coughlin in the Elite Motorsports pit for the second time ever is his nephew Troy Coughlin Jr., whose switched to the factory hot rod class after winning two Top Alcohol Dragster regional championships the past two seasons. Troy Jr. will also be racing in Super Comp at this event. Reigning Division 3 Top Dragster champion Mike Coughlin, Jeg Jr.’s brother, also will be on hand, looking for points in his home division as he tries to defend his third title. Furthermore, Troy Jr.’s sister Paige Coughlin will contest the Super Comp category. Just as he did at the first Indy national event the second weekend in July, Troy Jr. will be driving the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Ford Mustang in Pro Stock, while sticking with his trusty JEGS.comdragster in Super Comp. “I feel like I learned a lot after actually competing in Pro Stock a few weeks back,” Troy Jr. said. “Although I know I have so much more to learn. I do know I couldn’t have a better group behind me. The guys at Elite Motorsports — Rick Jones and Mark Ingersoll, who are tuning the car, along with car chief Eric Luzinski, clutch specialist Mike DePalma, and our rear-end mechanic Tyler Harron, are the best at what they do. It’s been a dream scenario for me. Troy Coughlin Jr. in the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Ford Mustang “I’ve been going over all the processes and procedures in my head. I’m working on listening to the car and determining what feedback I can give to help the guys. I’m also trying to be patient with everything. I have a very strong desire to do well and show everyone how much I appreciate this opportunity.” Drag racers would give anything to have a hot rod as consistent as Mike’s JEGS.com Top Dragster has been, dating all the way back to last year’s championship run. His recent runner-up finish at the JEGS SPORTSnationals proves his success isn’t a fluke. “I keep saying it but there is absolutely nothing to change on the car,” Mike said. “It’s just been about as perfect as something mechanical can be. It’s a real credit to Greg Cody, Tony Collier, Dave Raurk and Ryan Micke for taking so much pride in their jobs and refusing to be anything but the very best. “I love racing at Indy. It’s another one of our ‘home tracks.’ We’ve won a bunch of times there in the past and we’d love to do it again this weekend. It’s also exciting to be racing with my brother, my nephew and my niece. We’ve always been a racing family and we love nothing better than competing together and rooting each other on.” Mike Coughlin’s JEGS.com Top Dragster Paige will resume college soon as she works towards a degree at the Miami University of Ohio, where she is studying public relations and marketing. In the meantime, she’d love to rack-up a win in Super Comp, a class she’s been contesting for a few years now. “Indy is a fabulous racetrack and I’ve already made some great memories there,” the 20-year-old Paige said. “I went with Uncle Mike last year and he won the event, while we managed to go a bunch of rounds in our car. It was a great weekend for us; one we’d like to duplicate. “My crew chief, Justin Beaver, has my car back together since the Columbus race, where we had some issues, and we’ll be working hard to get it dialed in as quickly as possible. Thanks to everyone at JEGS.com for helping us get back to the races this soon.

NARC NEWSLINE – August 2, 2020, By Jim Allen …  Let’s face it, motorsports in general has been pretty lucky over the past 120-days or so.  While just about every sport on the planet was completely shut down due to the COVID-19 panic, racing was the first to get its game face back and actually put on some events.  True, it’s been a little like the Twilight Zone without spectators in the main grandstands, but it’s better than nothing.  The best way to describe “fan-less” events would be to say it’s sort of like showing up to a family reunion and then finding out you got the date wrong.  At that point you just make the best of the situation.  Then again, many race fans have told me that they really haven’t sacrificing much (if anything) as they sprawl out on their leather couch, watching Floracing.com on a giant flat screen, drinking hard alcohol, with fresh food served hot off the BBQ.  And let’s not forget there is never a line for the bathroom.  I guess if you ever had to compromise without a mask on, that’s not a bad way to go!

Now don’t get me wrong, this coronavirus deal really sucks ass – whether you buy into the big picture or not.  Yes, we are all upset that racing events play in front of  full grandstands in the Midwest, but four family members going to church on Sunday or not wearing masks at a Costco in California is a punishable crime.  Throw in all of the other drama in the United States and it gets even worse as the human race starves for anything resembling normalcy.  For race promoters, normalcy has been trying to find a way to struggle through some racing shows as their livelihood gets threatened forever.  Placerville, Petaluma, Ocean, Keller Auto, and Marysville have managed to squeeze in some weekly shows and generate some grocery money.  On the other side, Calistoga, Tulare, Santa Maria, Kern County and Stockton are laying on the mat like a bloodied UFC fighter with a crumpled financial statement in their hands.  It’s not pretty and you would be able to see that distress on every race promoters face if it weren’t for the fact they are hiding it behind a mask.  Now top it off with no Knoxville Nationals, no Trophy Cup and the medical profession is wondering why prescriptions for anti-depressants are going through the roof.  Which brings me to my next question:  Has anybody got COVID-19 at a race track?  I didn’t think so!

KELLER AUTO SPEEDWAY (Season Opener – 6/20/20) …  A NARC season opener in June?  Are you kidding me?  What’s next, Thanksgiving in July?  But seriously, thank you to Keller Auto Speedway promoter Peter Murphy for working with us to generate enough sponsorship money and back gate proceeds to sport a full paying purse on June 20th.  Twenty-nine cars towed down to Hanford to race in 103-degree heat with a full set of COVID-19 health guidelines to follow.  Also making the call was 20 RaceSavers and 14 Kings of Thunder non-wing machines.  The pit gate was backed up bumper-to-bumper like Los Angeles rush hour as releases were signed and body temperatures were scanned.  And wearing a mask in 100 degree plus weather was about as comfortable as telling your mother-in-law you have an illegitimate kid with a stripper in Kansas.  But we all survived to watch Spencer Bayston represent the Hoosier state with an impressive fast time-heat race win-dash win-and feature win domination on the 3/8 mile oval.  Tarlton Motorsports crew chief Paul Baines had Bayston dialed in and on a wire with a perfect race car after a previous series of weekly show” off-nights.”  Seventh starter Bud Kaeding kept the Indiana driver honest in the late going, but Bayston answered the call to become the 84th winner in series history.  My compliments to Bayston who is very well spoken and professional with a microphone in his face.

… Roseville’s Jodie Robinson was excited like a kid on Christmas morning making her first ever 410 start.  She logged a 16th place finish in the feature.  Running a 410 at Hanford for the first time clarifies the statement of getting “thrown to the wolves.” … Michael Faccinto impressed driving a 360 for Harley Van Dyke.  Starting 23rd and staying out of trouble, Faccinto methodically picked his way to a ninth place finish.  The team earned $150 from Swift Metal Finishing and another $300 from super fan Rick Freund. …  It was also Trent Canales first ever race driving a 410 sprint car.  He finished fifth in the semi. …  Brendan Warmerdam took a wild ride in the main.  He jammed a rut in turn one and catapulted deep into the shadows of downtown Hanford.  He exited the car with a smile on his face and smirked, “that was a wild ride.”  We totally agree. … Tim Kaeding, driving the Bates-Hamilton Maxim started 10th and finished the night on the podium with a third. …  With absolutely no racing going on in the COVID-19 hotbed of Southern California, AJ Bender made the tow to Hanford from San Diego.  The non-wing ace qualified for the feature, but finished 21st. … Kurt Nelson was the first car to qualify during the 2020 season. … Tucker Worth:  Semi-winner. … Four-time NARC King of the West champ Kyle Hirst made his first appearance aboard the Katie Williams Motorsports “0” car.  Started seventh, finished sixth. …

… Thank you to Roth Motorsport, Tarlton Motorsports, Dalton’s, Speedshift and Fujitsu General USA for their tremendous support of this show. …  The King of the West feature ran first and finished around 10:45 p.m.  The winged cars didn’t finish their race until about midnight. ….  Yes that was Dominic Scelzi who has spent most of 2020 zigging and zagging between California events and shows in the Midwest.  Problem is, he lost track of his racing gear and returned to the Golden State without a uniform or helmet.  He improvised with an old helmet and a uniform that belonged to his dad Gary from his drag racing days. He finished seventh in the Roth Motorsports KPC. … If you needed proof that hair salons and barbers have been closed for a while in California, a quick trip through the pit area would have proved it.  …  Nobody died from COVID-19.

OCEAN SPEEDWAY (Howard Kaeding Classic – 7/18/20) … Usually when you read the box score and you see something like: “Kyle Hirst 1-30,” you kind of figure it was a cake walk and as exciting as watching paint dry.  However, never judge a book by it’s cover and if you need proof, all you had to do was to take a look at Mr. Hirst when he excited the Williams Motorsports Maxim in victory lane.  He was happy and smiling, but sweating up a storm and admitting he was winded.  That’s because Justin Sanders pushed, challenged and attacked him the entire distance in a classic Ocean Speedway battle that theoretically would have had a packed grandstands buzzing with excitement.  It was a great race with both drivers getting completely out of shape at times, but bouncing off the mat to continue the open wheel skirmish. … Spencer Bayston charged from 15th to third in the Tarlton Motorsports KPC.  However, it was Sanders who pocketed the $500 Spire Sport & Entertainment HK Classic weekend bonus without passing a car on Saturday.  Sanders roared past 14 cars on the Friday night show (20th-6th) to score the money.  Ironically, Sanders and his crew had built a brand new car in the wee hours of the Friday morning for Saturday’s show.  According to Sanders the car wasn’t quite right after sustaining damage in an ASCoC race a month prior.  I think he got his monies worth. …

The Keller Motorsports 2 car driven by James Ringo sported a 410 motor on loan from Larry Antaya. …  Joey Ancona was a happy camper after pocketing $250 from Johnstone Supply for his semi-win. …  Kyle Offill was a no show on Saturday after destroying his car in an ugly heat race crash at Friday’s Taco Bravo show. …  DJ Netto, the winner on Friday night, appeared headed towards a weekend sweep when he started with fast time.  He pocketed $500 from Norm Martin and ARP for his 12.041 seconds worth of work.  Good work if you can get it!  Unfortunately, his 88N developed a few battle scars in the feature and dropped out after 15-laps. … Blake Carrick scored his second NARC top ten of the season at Ocean.  He scored sixth. … The hired gun for the HK Classic in the Roth Motorsports ride was Ryan Bernal.  He was ninth. …  While some drivers were enjoying just their second or third outing of the year, Shane Golobic has already toured all around the country and logged over 35 shows.  He finished second on Friday and seventh on this night. …  You can pretty much count on the Howard Kaeding Classic being a 40-lap main next year.  … There was a scaled-down HK Classic Luncheon in the pits with proceeds benefiting the NARC Benevolent Fund.  A $20 donation got you some of the best food that Myles McAtee and his crew could serve up.  It was worth every finger-licking cent. …  There was a 35+ temperature swing between the Hanford event at the Watsonville show.  A great way to spend a summer night.  … Nobody died from COVID-19.

… And finally, a special thank you to Bud Kaeding for all of his hard work that make the 10th Annual event a possibility, and then a reality. It wasn’t a mistake that this show paid $5000 to win and $800 to start.  He worked the phones and relationships to generate a stout $36,000 in prize money.  Just think of what it would’ve been with spectators in the grandstands?  Of course all of this would have not be possible without the tremendous support of all of the sponsors who contributed.  Thank you very much!

NARC NOTES:  With his HK win, Hirst passed Steve Kent into fourth place on the NARC-King of the West all-time winners list with 29 victories. … There is a remote possibility of a NARC King of the West Fujitsu Sprint Car Series race on Saturday, September 5th.  Nothing has been finalized and a whole lot of planets need to align to make it a reality.  That’s all we are saying at this point.  Stay tuned!  …  Just in case you missed it, the NARC King of the West series is not crowning a championship team or rookie of the year this season (for obvious reasons.) … After watching several races on PPV, it’s my opinion that it’s imperative to speed up shows – and that is with a nice refreshing adult beverage in my hands while sitting on my couch eating barbecued ribs.  The down time between races is grueling.  … The more I learn about driver McKenna Haase, the more impressed I am.  This girl has a huge heart and has it going on. …  Kyle Larson is in the midst of one of the greatest seasons in sprint car history.  “Yung Money” is a generational talent.  Enjoy it while you have the opportunity.

: Another Wild 1-2 Finish for Corvette C8.RGarcia, Taylor take second GTLM win of season; Gavin, Milner finish as runners-up

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Aug. 2, 2020) – Corvette Racing took its second consecutive 1-2 finish in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GT Le Mans (GTLM class) following a chaotic finish Sunday at Road America. Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor won for the second time in their No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R following a late-race pass in torrential rain. Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner placed second in the sister No. 4 Corvette C8.R. It was the eighth victory at Road America for Corvette Racing, and the team’s first there since 2016. Garcia and Taylor both won for the first time in their IMSA career at Road America and extended their points lead to 10 in the class. Gavin and Milner unofficially moved to third in the standings. Chevrolet also grew its lead in the GTLM Manufacturer’s Championship to eight points. Corvette Racing has now won three consecutive races in the category. Things weren’t looking positive for the first half of the race. Taylor, who qualified second, led early but the expected tire degradation reduced the pace for the GTLM cars. Adding to the problems for the team were electronics issues on the No. 4 Corvette that left both Gavin and Milner without traction control. The predicted rain for the race came with just under an hour to go. Garcia, who took over with two hours left in the race, was the first GTLM runner to pit for rain tires and stopped from sixth place. Two other GTLM cars followed suit but three others stayed out, including the then-leading Porsche which skidded off-track during a downpour at Turn One. Milner remained on slick tires during the first deluge as officials halted the race with 43 minutes left. The rain let up initially before cars returned to the track with about 25 minutes to go once the red flag was lifted. Following the final pit stops for wet tires, racing resumed with seven minutes left and Garcia in second place.  An even more intense rain began to fall with just minutes left in the two-hour, 40-minute race. Garcia was locked in a back-and-forth duel with Porsche’s Nick Tandy just before the GTLM leader and the third-place Porsche went off-track late in the lap. Both Garcia and Milner, who did a masterful job on a wet track with no traction control, were able to get through the chaos and took the checkered flag under a race-ending, full-course caution period. Corvette Racing’s next event is the GT-only Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia International Raceway on Saturday, Aug. 22.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM RACE-WINNER: “It was super tough. Because of the wave-by, we were at the back of all the GTD cars. So the spray we had back there was amazing. It was impossible to see anything. The first thing was to go by a couple of LMP2 cars while fighting (Nick) Tandy to catch up to the 24 BMW. It was a very intense three laps. I knew from Sebring practice that the Corvette C8.R was really good in the wet, even if today was beyond wet! I had Nick all over me, and we had many times when we were together… almost just sailing together instead of racing together. I knew the Carousel and the Kink were going to be really bad, and the line I took on the previous lap seemed to work. Luckily enough for me it was the same and I was one of the few cars to make it through. It’s another 1-2 finish for Corvette Racing, which is amazing. It’s finally my first victory at Road America, so it’s been a very good weekend.” WHAT DID YOU SEE OF THE BMW AHEAD OF YOU? DID HE SPIN ON HIS OWN?“The Carousel and the Kink were almost impossible to go through that part of the track. There is really nothing you can do there. It depends on the depth of the water. The Corvette C8.R survived it better than the rest. I don’t know if it was due to the race line I took. I was following the car behind me and saw the BMW lose control. The race still wasn’t done because I had to do another lap through there. It’s a credit to how good the C8.R is in the wet. Thanks to everyone at Team Chevy because this car seems to be working in all conditions.” HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS WIN TO EXTEND YOUR POINTS LEAD?“We didn’t know starting the season how the C8.R would be. With the fourth at Daytona, we saw the potential of the car. Our team did a great job during the shutdown with fixing things that needed to be corrected. We’ve had a chance to win the last three races, and we’ve converted those. We need to keep putting pressure on everyone and make the rest of the field make mistakes. On our own, we need to be their in the end and maximize our points opportunities. The next one is VIR, where we have tested with the new Corvette. We will do what we can to keep this momentum and carrying on winning.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM RACE-WINNER: “It was a wild day…very unexpected. The race started off strong for us. We took a different strategy to go with three stops from the beginning. Thankfully it worked out well with the timing the rain and track position. Antonio never gave up. It was a tough fight in tough conditions, but he did a great job of surviving for our second win of the year and third of the year for Corvette Racing.” THIS RACE WAS ON THE NATIONAL NBC NETWORK. WAS THIS THE KIND OF EXCITEMENT THAT WAS GOOD FOR NETWORK TV? “It had a bit of everything. The start for me was exciting, and the battles were all good. I could see on the big screen across the frontstretch that the prototype battle was often exciting and had a little bit of everything with the strategies. The weather was a bit different for those who probably turn into NBC for NASCAR where they wouldn’t run in the rain. There were probably too many crashes for everyone’s liking, but the show was very exciting with the battle for the win at the end. You like to see that between the manufacturers.” TALK ABOUT WINNING ON THE SAME DAY AS YOUR BROTHER (RICKY TAYLOR):“It’s definitely cool. I think this is the first time we’ve won on the same weekend. I know we’ve gotten a pole on the same weekend, but in all the years a win has never gone both our ways. It was cool to watch their battle at the end with the 10 car. I know my dad’s team hasn’t won here either, and we tried hard for many years.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTLM: “I take my hat off to the team every time for never giving up. It didn’t look like we were going to be finishing that high up  in the dry. But as we all know, there was a chance of rain all around. In this part of the world when the rain comes, it comes big. You just have to take you chances and make the right calls at the right time. We got a little lucky with a few things, and ultimately the No. 3 Corvette made the right choice on the right tires at the right time. We didn’t quite get that break or make that decision at that time. But then as all the pit stops cycled through for that last restart, we knew we just had to flat-out race.  Our car was compromised a little as we didn’t have any traction control as part of an electrical issue throughout the entire race that we couldn’t really get on top of it. I fought it all during my stints. I honestly don’t know how Tommy kept the car on the track when he driving around on slick tires behind the safety car. I mean… water that was three or four inches deep on slick tires with no TC was amazing. For us to come away, even with all the stuff that happened, with a one-two finish is pretty spectacular. Hats off to the team and the crew and also to the C8.R. It seems like it is a car that can live through some crazy circumstances and conditions on track and deals with it. It’s a very fine car.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTLM: “That was absolutely wild. We had kind of a tough day to start with, but it came back pretty well for us there at the end.  Credit to the guys with their never-give-up attitude that Corvette Racing is famous for definitely paid off today. The conditions were unbelievably difficult. The call to stay out there on slicks just before the full-course yellow was just as much mine as it was the engineers. I thought it was the right thing to do to run one more lap to see how bad the rain was going to be. And it ended up being almost biblical in the amount of rain that came. In all the races I’ve done, this has been the most rain I’ve ever seen come down at one time. It was hard enough just keeping it on the track under yellow with slicks, and it was bad enough when it was still green just trying to survive. Then it went red flag so we had the opportunity to come in and change it to rain tires. That in itself was difficult. For me I knew I just needed to get to pitlane and survive. That was the name of the game there and see what happened at the end. Once we went green, it was the most difficult conditions I have ever driven in my life with the amount of spray and with traffic and having so many cars around. At times it felt like I was driving blind. I could have closed my eyes and would have had the same amount of visibility at that point. I just tried to use very bit of muscle memory and track knowledge I could as to where the track goes at certain points. In the end, luckily we just survived with a first and second for the team. The day didn’t start out well, but it ended as well as it could.”(Not having traction control) “Because I didn’t have it from the time I got in the car, I had to manage it from the start. In the dry, it’s definitely difficult because you are trying to not use the rear tires too much. I felt like I did a decent job in that first run but driving in the wet without it makes it that much more difficult. To be honest, the Corvette felt really good in the wet. Even though we don’t have a lot of time in the wet, the guys made the right call with tire pressure. When the Michelin wet tires are new, they’re really good. That gave me the confidence early on to really push, get through traffic, and trust in the car and tire to find the fastest way around.”

Honda claims fastest lap, top-ten finish at Road America
Mat Pombo and Mike LaMarra finish eighth in the Road America 120
Pombo claims fastest lap for Honda in the closing minutes of competition

ELKHART LAKE, WI (August 1, 2020) –The LA Honda World Racing team notched another top-ten finish at the famed Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin with the #73 Honda Civic Type R TCR drivers Mat Pombo and Mike LaMarra scoring eighth in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Road America 120.

Starting fifth, the duo persevered through a tricky race that saw many series veterans finding trouble. LaMarra took control of the #73 Civic for the first 56 minutes of the race before handing it over to Pombo for the final one hour and four minutes.

During his stint, fuel strategy forced Pombo to pit an additional time compared to his competitors’ single stops, pushing them down the order. However, he did manage the fastest TCR lap of the race, a 2:20.971, set on lap 47 of 49, just before the yellow caution flag came out to end the race, following a late-race crash involving a GS class car.

The #37 LA Honda World Racing machine shone in qualifying, with Chris Miller putting his and Shelby Blackstock’s Honda Civic Type R TCR third on the grid. Miller got a fantastic start and even got into the lead on the first lap of the race. Unfortunately, a mechanical issue soon sent Miller off the course in Turn Five, ending the #37’s day.

Taylor Hagler made her return to the series after contracting, and recovering from, a COVID-19 that forced her out of the previous round at Sebring International Raceway. She and co-driver Ryan Eversley started 12th in the #77 Civic. A wiring loom issue forced Hagler into the pits early and, once that was fixed, a subsequent broken hood pin ended their day.

HPD has three ready-to-race Civic models for touring car competition. The line starts with the affordable and reliable Civic Si TCA race car, then leads to the Civic Type R TC racer that puts legendary Type R performance on track, and culminates with the no-compromise, championship-winning Civic Type R TCR race car. Our unparalleled trackside support at every level from HPD engineers is a unique benefit that no other manufacturer can offer. Find out more about these cars and our touring programs at: https://hpd.honda.com/Motorsports/Touring

Honda Racing social media content and videos from Road America are available on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD) and on Twitter at (https://twitter.com/HondaRacing_HPD).  Produced by CoForce Digital Media, YouTube video packages can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV.  

Next
The MICHELIN Pilot Challenge travels to VIRginia International Raceway for the August 23rd Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix. The race can be streamed live on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.

Quotes
Mat Pombo (#73 LA Honda World Honda Civic Type R TCR), finished eighth, TCR fastest lap: “Road America this weekend was so fun to be at. We had a fast car all weekend in practice — top 2 in every session and then a solid top 5 qualifying from Mike. Our #73 LA Honda World Civic Type R TCR car was looking great for the race. Unfortunately, Lady Luck wasn’t on our side and the competition found a lot of speed going into the race. Our fuel strategy caught us off guard there at the end, as we needed two stops to our competition’s single stop. However, that let me get a new set of tires right at the end and lay down a fast lap to show what these Honda’s are capable of. Looking forward to VIR for redemption in a couple weeks”

Acura Team Penske’s Ricky Taylor and Dane Cameron top qualifying at Road America
Acura Team Penske also qualified 1-2 at Road America in 2019
Matt McMurry heads Acura NSX GT3 effort, qualifying seventh in GTD

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Aug. 1, 2020) – For the second year in a row, Acura Team Penske swept qualifying for Sunday’s IMSA WeatherTech Championship race at Road America, with Ricky Taylor claiming the pole, and teammate Dane Cameron qualifying second. In GTD, Meyer Shank Racing’s Matt McMurry posted the seventh-quickest GTD qualifying run in his Acura NSX GT3 Evo.

Acura Team Penske
Taylor hustled his #7 Acura ARX-05 to a time of 1:49.061 around the 4.0-mile Road America circuit, with teammate and defending series champion Cameron slotting in second, three-tenths of a second behind. This is Taylor’s 20th career pole in IMSA competition, and his second for Acura Team Penske, with the first recorded last year at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

The front-row sweep repeated Acura Team Penske’s qualifying performance from last year, when Cameron claimed the pole driving the #6 ARX-05, and Helio Castroneves completed the front row in the #7 Acura. Cameron and Juan Pablo Montoya went on to finish second in last year’s race en route to the IMSA Manufacturer, Driver and Team championships.

Taylor will start the #7 for Sunday’s two-hour, 40-minute contest, once again co-driving with Castroneves, while Montoya will continue to share the driving duties aboard the #6 with Cameron.

Acura NSX GT3 Evo Teams
Matt McMurry led the way for Meyer Shank Racing team in the ultra-competitive GT Daytona category qualifying session, and will start his #86 Acura NSX GT3 seventh in class, sharing the driving duties with defending series champion Mario Farnbacher.

In the #57 Heinricher Racing with MSR Acura, Misha Goikhberg qualified just over a tenth of a second slower in eighth, and will share with co-driver Alvaro Parente. Till Bechtolscheimer rounded out the Acura GTD contingent in qualifying, and will start his Gradient Racing NSX GT3 Evo from 10th before handing off to co-driver Marc Miller in tomorrow’s race.

Live US network television coverage from Road America begins at 1 p.m. EDT on Sunday, August 2, on NBC. Complete, flag-to-flag race coverage also will be available on the NBC Sports App and NBC Gold with NBCSN Trackpass authentication.

Acura Motorsports social media content and video links from Road America will be available on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/HondaRacing_HPD).  Produced by the CoForce Digital Media, the YouTube videos can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV.  

Quotes
Ricky Taylor (#7 Acura Team Penske ARX-05) pole qualifier, first pole of 2020, 20th career IMSA pole: “It’s been a great weekend for Acura Team Penske and it’s nice to cement the strength of our ARX-05 prototypes in winning the pole position, and doing it in a 1-2 fashion. Both cars have been really fast this weekend. We kept swapping the top spot on the charts. Road America is a track that fits these cars so well, so we were hoping to come out of the box strong to get our season back on track a bit. We’ve done that to this point, but we need to continue to execute in the race the way we have so far this weekend.”

Matt McMurry (#86 Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo) qualified seventh in GTD: “Qualifying went pretty well today, but we had pace to be further ahead than we ended up, Unfortunately I ran into traffic on what would have been my fast lap. We’re trying to strategize for tomorrow. There’s a strong chance of rain [tomorrow] and Mario [Farnbacher, co-driver] and I are both excited for that!”

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: Second, Third in GTLM QualifyingTaylor, Gavin put in strong showings behind wheel of mid-engine Corvette C8.R

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Aug. 1, 2020) – Corvette Racing will roll off second and third in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) category of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Sunday’s fourth round of the series at Road America. Jordan Taylor and Oliver Gavin were the fastest qualifiers in the pair of mid-engine Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.Rs in Saturday’s 15-minute qualifying session. Taylor set a lap of 2:00.854 (120.581 mph) in the No. 3 Corvette followed closely by Gavin in the No. 4 C8.R with a lap of 2:00.904 (120.531 mph). Both were slightly behind pole-winner Laurens Vanthoor but very much on pace around the 4.048-mile, 14-turn road course. Corvette Racing is on a two-race winning streak in the class. Championship leaders Taylor and Antonio Garcia won a month ago at Daytona following a lengthy break due to the COVD-19 pandemic, followed by a victory for Gavin and Tommy Milner two weeks ago at Sebring. The team has seven victories at Road America, and Corvette Racing held its first on-track test of the C8.R at the circuit in 2018. The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will serve as Official Pace Car for the IMSA rounds of the WeatherTech Championship and Michelin Pilot Challenge at Road America. Named by MotorTrend as 2020 Car of the Year, the 2020 Stingray is Chevrolet’s first mid-engine production Corvette. It features a 6.2-liter V8 engine with an output of 495hp, goes from 0-60 mph in less than three seconds and achieves a top speed of 194 mph. Both the Corvette Stingray and Corvette C8.R were developed simultaneously with a deeper level of technology transfer between the race car and a production Corvette than ever before, which helps contribute to many of its advancements. As a result, the C8.R shares the highest percentage of parts between the production and race car than any previous generation. The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Road America is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. ET on Sunday with live network coverage on NBC plus streaming options on the NBC Sports App. IMSA Radio will broadcast the race on XM 202, SiriusXM Online 972 and at IMSA.com, which also will host live timing and scoring.

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – QUALIFIED SECOND IN GTLM: “It was a good day. It wasn’t the smoothest that we’ve had all year but we got good direction on the car this morning with what we wanted to do for changes ahead of qualifying. Those showed really well, and the Corvette was really nice to drive. We’re still using this as a little bit of a test session as we haven’t tested here before with these cars. There are a few more areas where we can make some improvements and gains for the race. But to be second and third today is a good start. We’re not sure where everyone is on tire strategy, and once again it looks like it could rain again. It’ll be good and it’s good to start up front. This is a tough place to race with all the traffic and how narrow it is, but that’s what makes it exciting.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – QUALIFIED THIRD IN GTLM: “It was a tight session. Certainly we were looking to maximize everything that we had taken from the final practice with our Corvette. We knew we needed to improve a little bit in some spots. We worked away on it and did make some improvements, but also the track conditions had changed a little so we were chasing that somewhat as well as some of the changes we made. The qualifying session was very close. Tomorrow’s race will very much be a story of tires. That will all unfold in those first few laps to see where we stack up with our competition. Plus most likely there will be some rain at some point. Whether it comes during the race or not, we will see. Everyone at Corvette Racing is quietly confident. The Corvette has been competitive the last couple of races. This race tomorrow will be hard, but we have the best team on the pitlane a great car in the C8.R. We will be ready.”

Linus Lundqvist looks to build on early season success at Barber

LEEDS, ALABAMA (July 31, 2020)- After a set of strong events, the Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered by Honda heads further South, returning to Barber Motorsports Park July 31-August 2 for another triple-header event weekend. (Entry List)

FR Americas debuted its 2019 season on the picturesque circuit, supporting the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. This year, FR Americas will headline the event weekend with three 35-minute rounds staged between Saturday and Sunday. (Stream FanRacing.Live)

Sweeping the first five rounds, Swedish driver Linus Lundqvist enters the weekend leading the championship. Perfect in points (125 points) Lundqvist is making an early bid on the season championship prize, a full season scholarship for with a Honda-supported IndyLights team in 2021. (Championship Standings)

Further underlining his grip on the early parts of the season, Lundqvist clinched all pole positions at stake and set the fastest lap in four out of the five races. On his way to victory, Lundqvist also erased previous lap records at both Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and VIRginia International Raceway. 

With only racing at one American circuit before entering the FR Americas season, Barber will be another new track for Lundqvist.

“I’ve got a good feeling, we know we’re strong and clearly we have the pace to win races, but I’d be foolish to take anything for granted,” said Lundqvist. “It’s really much the same heading into this weekend as in previous races. It’s another brand new track for me, possibly slightly more challenging this time than at VIR because we don’t have a day of testing on Thursday.

“It was the same at Mid-Ohio, though, and it went pretty well there, so it’s not really something I worry about. I’m happy to be racing again and can’t wait to try out Barber, which looks like a lot of fun!”

While Lundqvist is a force of dominance on the track, reigning F4 U.S. champion and FR Americas scholarship winner Joshua Car, kept Lundqvist honest at VIR with a trio of second-place finishes. The pair also set a new closest margin of victorytrack record in Virginia, taking the checkered just 0.256-seconds apart.

Carrying his momentum into Barber, the Crosslink Competition rookie looks to claim his first visit to the top podium step and upset Lundqvist’s winning streak.

“It’s really important for us to have good points scoring weekend before the month-long break between Barber and Sebring,” said Car. “We had an amazing weekend at VIR and the pace to win. While Barber is a new track for me, the team and I have been reviewing data from last season, I’ve been on the sim trying to learn the track and keeping up my training routine on the road to prepare for this weekend. We are hungry for a win, and I believe we will take a victory at Barber.”

HMD Motorsports shook up its roster ahead of Barber, returning to the gird as a two-car effort with. Joining HMD Motorsports for the remainder of the 2020 season is Canadian Logan Cusson. With his best finish of the season so far being eighth, the 20-year-old decided to switch teams after VIR.

Rookie David Malukas, who is second in the championship point standings, joins Cusson as HMD’s second driver. Malukas finished on the podium in four of the five races this season. Learning the car more each weekend and nicely settling into the new series after IndyLights postponed its 2020 season, Malukas expects good results at Barber.

One of the few drivers in the field with competition experience at Barber is Newman Wachs Racing pilot Victor Franzoni. The Brazilian star has significant experience at the track, competing on the 17-turn, 2.38-mile circuit successfully through his years in the Road to Indy program. Franzoni finished third at Mid-Ohio, but missed out on a podium finish at VIR. Franzoni hopes that his vast experience at Barber provides him with enough fuel for a breakthrough weekend and maiden FR Americas victory.

“I am extremely excited for the race in Barber, it’s one of my favorite tracks,” said Franzoni. “The NWR crew are doing an amazing job so I’m sure we going to be very competitive there. We’re working a lot for the win and I really hope it comes this weekend.”

Abel Motorsports pilot Jacob Abel is the only driver in the field this weekend who graced the FR Americas podium last season at Barber, finishing third. Abel has faced several challenges that have plagued the start of his first full FR Americas season. Overcoming mechanical issues and unfortunate incidents, Abel’s best results in the opening five rounds were a trio of sixth-place finishes at Mid-Ohio. His goal for this weekend is to pierce into the top-five and make a return to the podium. 

“Our preseason test at Barber was really good, so I’m optimistic,” Abel said. “We had that podium there last season and I really like the track a lot.  It’s similar to Mid-Ohio for me.  It’s a tough place to pass, so qualifying will be crucial.  I’m in great shape so I’m ready for another hot weather race weekend.”  

The official F4 U.S. Championship weekend kicks off on Friday with a pair of practices. Qualifying opens Saturday’s track events at 8:40 a.m. with the first of three races starting at 12:55 p.m. The weekend culminates Sunday with two additional 35-minute races (8:00 a.m. and noon). The three-race FR Americas event will be open to fans. Tickets are only available at the gate, $20 per day or $35 for the weekend, the event is cashless, only debit and credit cards will be accepted.

All feature races will be live streamed world-wide on FanRacing.Live. Fans can follow practice and qualifying times on the Race Monitor App or on FRAmericas.com  

NHRA^® Team Report

Dodge^® NHRA Summernationals – Indianapolis

Pre-Race Report

After a quick trip to St. Louis for NHRA sanctioned testing, Cruz Pedregon and team are looking forward to putting what they learned earlier in the week to work for them in qualifying Saturday. 

“It was good to put the Snap-on Dodge^® through the rigors of some test runs. Since Dodge is a race sponsor this weekend, we want to make sure the car and team are performing at their best,” says Cruz. “Before leaving the shop, we invited my good friend Dr. Jason Winkle to talk to the team about being high performers. He’s written the book ‘The High Performance Athlete’ that’s based on what he’s learned in his years as director of Combatives at the United States Military Academy at West Point and from special ops, SWAT teams and athletes who’ve achieved excellence in high pressure situations. And, there’s nothing quite like the pressure you feel when you’ve got to make sure a high-powered machine like an NHRA Funny Car runs at its peak with limited runs and only a few seconds to prove what it can do.”

The team also spent time in the shop servicing and maintaining a good inventory of parts…critical to the rest of the season. Even with the racing schedule changing to meet state and local coronavirus-related mandates, the team is committed to making strong runs and putting on a good show for fans in the stands and watching on FOX or online.

Cruz’s Dodge^® will again pay tribute to the Snap-on 100^th with its paint scheme and logo. Fans are encouraged throughout the season to post pictures of the car with the hashtag #Snapon100. 

FORD PERFORMANCE and KESELOWSKI WIN AT LOUDON    LOUDON, NH – August 3, 2020 – Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines won their third straight race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with Brad Keselowski during the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 (Kevin Harvick 2018 and 2019).  Keselowski’s win was his third for the NASCAR Cup Series 2020 season. This marked Team Penske’s 50th NCS series win with Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines since 2013.

“Congratulations to Roger, Brad, Jeremy, and everyone at Team Penske,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “The Ford Mustangs ran strong at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and it was great to see the teams of Team Penske, Stewart-Haas Racing, and Wood Brother Racing finish in the top 10. I’m looking forward to racing at Michigan International Speedway this upcoming weekend and thankful for the leadership and commitment from Ford Motor Company.”

Keselowski led the final 81 laps to finish 1.647 seconds ahead of Denny Hamlin in the 318 mile race. In total, Keselowski’s No. 2 Ford Mustang led a total of 184 out of 301 laps and won Stage 2. Six Fords finished in the top-10, with Team Penske teammate Joey Logano in P4, Stewart- Haas Racing Kevin Harvick in P5, Wood Brothers Racing Matt DiBenedetto in P6, Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Aric Almirola in P7, and rookie Cole Custer in P8.

“We’ve had a lot of great races this year with the 2 car, but we just haven’t really went out and kind of dominated a race,” said Keselowski. “Talking to Jeremy Bullins and like, ‘Man, what do we need to get to the next level? We’re right there. We need to go out and just dominate a race,’ and that’s what today was for us with the Western Star/Alliance parts Ford Mustang. I’m really proud of my team and the effort that they gave today. A great race car and to all the Team Penske, thank you. It’s so great to be racing back in front of fans again. It feels like forever, so welcome back, guys.”   Ford leads all manufacturers with 11 Mustang race wins while Stewart-Haas and Kevin Harvick lead the owner and driver points standings in NCS.

The NASCAR Cup Series travels to Michigan International Speedway for a double header on Saturday, August 8th and Sunday August 9th while the NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Road America.

In the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series at Road America on Saturday afternoon, Multimatic finished P8 while PF Racing finished P13 with the 5.2L V8 Ford Engine. These Ford Mustangs will race again on August 22 – 23 at Virginia International Raceway.

27 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 398 WINS – 357 POLES!