Crafton Steers Through Talladega Mayhem To Finish 16th

October 14, 2019

Matt Crafton, a 20-year veteran of the Gander Outdoors Truck Series, turned in a solid performance on Monday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway in a rare appearance in a Cup car.

Crafton, who has just one official career start in NASCAR’s elite series, took over the No. 21 Menards/Tarkett Flooring Ford Mustang from Paul Menard, who got out Sunday afternoon after the race’s first stage due to concerns about issues with his neck.

Crafton rejoined the 1000Bulbs.com 500 at the rear of the pack when racing resumed after a one-day delay due to rain. He ran in the back of the pack until a round of green-flag pit stops midway through the race’s second stage. Continue reading Crafton Steers Through Talladega Mayhem To Finish 16th →

Newly-crowned East Region champ Troy Coughlin Jr. races to 11th final of season
CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 14) — The hits just keep coming for Troy Coughlin Jr. and his JEGS.com McPhillips Racing Top Alcohol Dragster team as the group raced to its 11th final round of the season Sunday at the 12th annual NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals. Just a week removed from securing the East Region championship, the team’s second regional title in a row, Coughlin wasn’t bettered until Round 4 when Megan Meyer squeezed out the win. Continue reading Newly-crowned East Region champ Troy Coughlin Jr. races to 11th final of season →

Jack Beckman Continues NHRA Countdown Momentum, Takes Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car to Final of NHRA Carolina Nationals

· Jack Beckman drives Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car to sixth final of 2019 and second of the Countdown at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte

· Matt Hagan qualifies Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Funny Car No. 3, reaches seventh semifinal of 2019

· Ron Capps powers NAPA Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car to semifinals, ranks fourth in Countdown standings

· Leah Pritchett qualifies second, climbs to fourth in Countdown standings

· Steve Comella and Larry Hill earn Dodge Top Finisher honors in Sportsman classes

· Dodge Garage, a digital content hub for muscle car and race enthusiasts, features highlights from NHRA season

· New @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel features Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers in NHRA action Continue reading Jack Beckman Continues NHRA Countdown Momentum, Takes Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car to Final of NHRA Carolina Nationals →

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 American Ethanol / RCR 50th Team Survive Wild Race to Finish Sixth at Talladega Superspeedway

“I’m so glad we were able to bring home a solid finish with our No. 3 American Ethanol / RCR 50th Chevrolet today. We needed that. We were able to avoid all the big wrecks today and managed to be in contention at the end. On that final run, I just needed the No. 17 (Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.) to pick me up for us to really have a shot at the win. He had a heck of a run coming, so that would have been really nice and propelled us even more forward. We did everything we could with what we had and came close. It was a good weekend for us. The racing was close, and we were close to the front.”
-Austin Dillon

Damage to Liberty National/RCR 50th Chevrolet Results in 21st-Place Finish at Talladega Superspeedway for Daniel Hemric

“We had a strong No. 8 Liberty National / RCR 50th Chevrolet here at Talladega Superspeedway, and that showed when we were able to drive to the lead on Sunday before the rain hit. We came back today and remained a contender throughout the day in the pack. We took damage to the right rear quarter panel early in the race when I was hit from behind coming to pit road under green, but the guys did a good job of fixing that at the stage break. I felt like we were a serious contender for the win, but when that Big One happened into Turn 3, my left front tire hooked on the No. 4 car and we drove right into another car. That damaged the right side nose, hood and fender, and unfortunately we lost a lap on pit road making repairs. We should have had a better finish than 21st, but that’s Talladega Superspeedway for you.”

-Daniel Hemric

ROBERT HIGHT AND AUTO CLUB WIN 500TH ROUND WHILE EARNING CAREER BEST SIXTH VICTORY OF THE SEASON AT NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS

CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 14, 2019) — Robert Hight became just the 20th pro driver to win 500 racing rounds in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Monday and he did so in style, driving his Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS to a Funny Car victory at the 12th annual NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway.

Hight is the seventh driver to reach 500 wins in the Funny Car class, joining teammate and mentor John Force whose 1,348 career round wins is 474 more than anyone else in the sport. Hight is the second driver to join the exclusive club this year along with PSM standout Andrew Hines. Continue reading ROBERT HIGHT AND AUTO CLUB WIN 500TH ROUND WHILE EARNING CAREER BEST SIXTH VICTORY OF THE SEASON AT NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS →

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWDAY
1000BULBS.COM 500
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
OCTOBER 14, 2019

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL FINISHING RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER (* = Playoff Contender)
6th AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 AMERICAN ETHANOL/RCR 50TH CAMARO ZL1
8th *CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA NIGHT VISION CAMARO ZL1
10th TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO CAMARO ZL1
18th RYAN PREECE, NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1
20th CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 LOUISIANA HOT SAUCE CAMARO ZL1 Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Talladega Post Race →

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
NTK NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS
ZMAX DRAGWAY IN CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA
RACE RECAP AND DRIVER QUOTES

OCTOBER 14, 2019

Chevrolet drivers record two wins at Charlotte

Robert Hight earns 51st career Funny Car victory
Deric Kramer registers second Pro Stock win of season
Erica Enders moves to top of Pro Stock standings

CONCORD, N.C. (October 14, 2019) – Robert Hight had a firm grip on the Wally in the winner’s circle after prevailing in the Funny Car final of the NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway. The John Force Racing driver also has a firm grip on the class championship points lead. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NHRA–Charlotte–Post Race →

FORD MUSTANG WINS SEASON FINALE AT ROAD ATLANTA

BRASELTON, GA – October 14, 2019 – Austin Cindric and Seb Priaulx won the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season finale (GS class) at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. This dynamic duo, brought together by Multimatic Motorsports, drove the No. 15 Ford Mustang GT4 to victory lane with a stellar performance.

“Congratulations to Austin, Seb, and all the Ford Performance teams,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “It was great to see Austin and Seb win their first race for Ford to complete the 2019 season and see the Ford GTs run strong, to bring home the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup titles as this successful four-year program comes to an end. I’m so proud of these teams and the achievements they accomplished together including the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans, 2017 & 2018 Rolex 24 at Daytona to name a few. We have been blessed to provide the Ford EcoBoost and Ford 5.2L engines in partnership with Ford Performance for the 2016 – 2019 seasons for these elite program.” Continue reading FORD MUSTANG WINS SEASON FINALE AT ROAD ATLANTA →

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
NTK NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS
ZMAX DRAGWAY IN CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA
OCTOBER 13, 2019

Chevrolet drivers well-positioned for wins at Charlotte
Persistent rain postpones race day at zMAX Dragway to October 14

CONCORD, N.C. (October 13, 2019) – Inclement weather forced postponement of all elimination rounds of the NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals until October 14 at zMAX Dragway.

On-track activity will resume at 10 a.m. ET, weather permitting. The weather forecast is for sun with a high of 80 degrees. Continue reading Chevrolet drivers well-positioned for wins at Charlotte →

Acura Completes Championship Season at Petit Le Mans
• Acura Claims Daytona Prototype International Manufacturers’ Championship
• Acura Team Penske’s Dane Cameron and Juan Pablo Montoya win DPi Drivers’ title
• Meyer Shank Racing’s Mario Farnbacher and Trent Hindman take GTD Drivers’ crown

BRASELTON, GA (Oct. 12, 2019) – Acura, its teams and drivers completed its championship-winning IMSA season in Saturday’s season-ending Petit Le Mans, putting the finishing touches on the Driver, Manufacturer and Team titles in the featured Daytona Prototype International division at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Meanwhile, in the GTD division, Meyer Shank Racing claimed the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships with the Acura NSX GT-3 Evo.

For a video link highlighting Acura’s 2019 championship-winning season in IMSA sports car competition, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4rGLh28BJM&feature=youtu.be
or download the video at: https://app.box.com/s/k3k0h8tooy2zmzcpdup6k7xynsssnkt7 Continue reading Acura Completes Championship Season at Petit Le Mans →

CORVETTE RACING AT PETIT LE MANS: Tough Fight to Close C7.R Era

BRASELTON, Ga. (Oct. 12, 2019) – Corvette Racing ended its run with the Chevrolet Corvette C7.R on Saturday with fourth- and seventh-place class finishes in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship’s Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

The No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C7.R of Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Mike Rockenfeller led Corvette Racing’s effort in the final race of the season. Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Marcel Fässler took the finish shortly thereafter in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette.

Petit Le Mans closed the Corvette Racing program’s 21st season of racing and the six-year campaign of the Corvette C7.R. In that span, it won 17 times around the world and helped Corvette Racing claim three Drivers’ Championships and two Manufacturer titles for Chevrolet. The new-for-2020 Corvette C8.R will make its competition debut at the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January. Continue reading CORVETTE RACING AT PETIT LE MANS: Tough Fight to Close C7.R Era →

Menard Qualifies 14th At Talladega; Crafton On Standby

October 12, 2019

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Tarkett Flooring Ford Mustang secured the 14th starting spot for Sunday’s 1000Bulbs.com 50 at Talladega Superspeedway with a lap at 190.514 miles per hour during qualifying on Saturday afternoon.

It was the 15th time in 30 qualifying sessions this season that Menard has been 14th or better in the starting line-up.

The No. 21 Menards/Tarkett Mustang has been among the fastest cars in practice at Talladega. It was 11th fastest in Friday’s opening practice with a best lap at 202.795 mph and was third fastest in Happy Hour with a best lap at 200.814 mph.

Menard shared driving duties in practice with Matt Crafton, who will be standing by on Sunday for Menard, who has been battling soreness and pain in his neck.

“I’m getting old,” Menard said when asked about his neck issues. “It’s all part of what you sign up for when you’re born, I guess.

“My neck has some disc issues and things that if I were to get upside-down it would be pretty bad.

“Normal hits aren’t bad, it’s upside-down things that are bad.”

Menard said he plans to see how things are going in Sunday’s race before he decides if and when to turn the No. 21 Mustang over to Crafton.

“We’re going to kind of see how we feel,” he said. “We have a good back-up plan with Matt and tried to get him as much drafting as we could yesterday because more than likely, honestly, I’m probably going to get out.”

Sunday’s 1000Bulbs.com 500 is set to get the green flag on Sunday just after 1 p.m. (2 p.m. Eastern Time) with TV coverage on NBC.

BRITTANY FORCE AND ADVANCE AUTO PARTS JUMP SIX SPOTS IN
FINAL DAY OF QUALIFYING AT NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS
CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 12, 2019) — Brittany Force and the Advance Auto Parts Top Fuel dragster team propelled themselves up six spots to secure the No. 3 qualifying position Saturday at the NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway. In Funny Car, Robert Hight locked in the No. 2 qualifier with his Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS and John Force with the PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil / BlueDEF Chevy team will enter eliminations in fifth. Rookie teammate Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team improved their performance and will start race day from the No. 13 spot.

Beginning day two of qualifying in the No. 9 spot, Brittany Force and the Advance Auto Parts team made drastic improvement in the third qualifying round running a stellar 3.738-second pass at 328.14 mph. In addition to temporarily putting Force in the No. 2 spot, the pass was also quickest of the session and earned her three bonus points. Continue reading BRITTANY FORCE AND ADVANCE AUTO PARTS JUMP SIX SPOTS IN FINAL DAY OF QUALIFYING AT NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS →

Jack Beckman Earns No. 1 Qualifier in NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals Aboard Mopar-powered Dodge//SRT Charger Hellcat Funny Car

· Jack Beckman tops Funny Car field to earn second No. 1 qualifier of 2019 and first at zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C.
· Matt Hagan qualifies his Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Funny Car third
· Three Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers earn top-five starting positions in NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals Funny Car field
· Leah Pritchett races Mopar Dodge//SRT Top Fuel Dragster to No. 2 position in Top Fuel ladder
· NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals is third of six races in NHRA Countdown to the Championship
· DodgeGarage.com, a digital content hub for muscle car and race enthusiasts, features highlights from NHRA season
· New @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel features Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers in NHRA action

October 12, 2019, Concord, North Carolina – Dodge//SRT Mopar driver Jack Beckman drove the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car of Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) to the top spot in Sunday’s elimination ladder for the 12th annual NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals with his qualifying run Friday night at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina.

Beckman earned his 26th career No. 1 qualifier position and first at zMAX Dragway with his run of 3.873 seconds at a track-record speed of 334.07 mph, marking the second time in the last four races the 2012 Funny Car champion has set the pace in qualifying. Beckman looks to become the first two-time 2019 Countdown winner after scoring the victory at the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals to open the six-race championship playoffs last month. He begins his chase for career win number 30 facing off against No. 16 Dale Creasy. Continue reading Jack Beckman Earns No. 1 Qualifier in NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals Aboard Mopar-powered Dodge//SRT Charger Hellcat Funny Car →

For second straight race, Jeg Coughlin
Jr. starts race day in second position
CHARLOTTE (Oct. 12) — Jeg Coughlin Jr. has earned the No. 2 qualifying position for the second playoff race in a row and once again he finds himself just behind his Elite Motorsports teammate Erica Enders. The multi-time world champions are racing at the 12th annual NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway.

Coughlin posted a 6.524 at 210.37 mph under the lights Friday night when conditions were the best. He also was second quickest in the heat of Saturday’s final round. Enders also posted her best pass Friday night. Continue reading For second straight race, Jeg Coughlin Jr. starts race day in second position →

CHASE ELLIOTT PUTS CAMARO ZL1 ON POLE AT TALLADEGA
Hendrick Team Chevy Drivers Sweep 1-2-3-4

LINCOLN, AL (October 12, 2019) – Chase Elliott led a Hendrick Motorsports sweep of the top four spots in qualifying for Sunday’s 1000Bulbs.com Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race at Talladega Superspeedway in his No. 9 NAPA Night Vision Camaro ZL1 to capture his fourth pole of the 2019 season. Elliott’s speed of 192.707 mph around the 2.66-mile oval was plenty fast enough to collect his eighth career MENSC career pole and second at Talladega.

The feat also marked the 14th MENSC pole of the year thus far for the Camaro ZL1, the 37th for Chevrolet at Talladega, and the 713th for the brand in NASCAR’s premier racing division.

Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammates were close behind in the qualifying runs with Alex Bowman, No. 88 Nationwide/Amazon Echo Auto Camaro ZL1 second quick, William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 in third, and Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 qualifying third.

Kyle Larson, fresh off a win at Dover last weekend, was the fifth fastest Chevrolet in his No. 42 McDonald’s Camaro ZL1.

Rounding out the Top 5 in the order was Aric Almirola in a Ford.

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWDAY
1000BULBS.COM 500
TEAM CHEVY POST-QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
OCTOBER 12, 2019

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL QUALIFYING RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA NIGHT VISION CAMARO ZL1
2nd ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 NATIONWIDE/AMAZON ECHO AUTO CAMARO ZL1
3rd WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1
4th JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1
12th KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 MCDONALD’S CAMARO ZL1

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL QUALIFYING RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st CHASE ELLIOTT (Chevrolet)
2nd ALEX BOWMAN (Chevrolet)
3rd WILLIAM BYRON, (Chevrolet)
4th JIMMIE JOHNSON (Chevrolet)
5th ARIC ALMIROLA (Ford) Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Talladega–Post Qualifying →

ROBERT HIGHT AND AUTO CLUB POWER TO NO. 2 SPOT FRIDAY AT THE NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS
CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 11, 2019) — Two-time Funny Car world champion Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS team handled their way to the provisional No. 2 qualifying spot Friday night at the NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway. Teammate and mentor, John Force is in the No. 4 position with the PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil / BlueDEF team, and in Top Fuel, Brittany Force and Advance Auto Parts are ninth and Austin Prock with his Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster are 14th. Continue reading ROBERT HIGHT AND AUTO CLUB POWER TO NO. 2 SPOT FRIDAY AT THE NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS →

CORVETTE RACING AT PETIT LE MANS: Full Speed Ahead in Final C7.R Race
BRASELTON, Ga. (Oct. 11, 2019) – Corvette Racing will try to race its way through the field Saturday and close the Chevrolet Corvette C7.R era with a GT Le Mans (GTLM) victory in the 10-hour Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Antonio Garcia qualified the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R second Friday in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s top production based class Friday. He set a time of 1:15.702 (120.789 mph) in the car that he shares with full-season teammate Jan Magnussen and Mike Rockenfeller. However, the No. 3 Corvette was found to be out of compliance in post-qualifying inspection and will be moved to the back of the GTLM field.

Teammate Oliver Gavin, in the No. 4 Corvette C7.R, set a time of 1:16.048 (120.239 mph) Friday and will start seventh in GTLM. In a display of the competitiveness of GTLM, Gavin was only 0.409 seconds from pole and less than two-tenths from the second row. He will drive with Tommy Milner and Marcel Fässler – the trio having placed second at Road Atlanta in GTLM a year ago. Continue reading CORVETTE RACING AT PETIT LE MANS: Full Speed Ahead in Final C7.R Race →

Acura Team Penske Takes Front Row Spot in Petit Le Mans Qualifying
• Ricky Taylor qualifies second for Saturday’s season-ending race
• Dane Cameron qualifies fourth as Acura Team Penske closes in on championship
• Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evos will start fourth and fifth in their GTD title chase

BRASELTON, GA (Oct. 11, 2019) – Closing in on the three major 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship titles, Acura Team Penske will start its pair of ARX-05 prototypes from second and fourth in Saturday’s season-ending Petit Le Mans, following qualifying action today at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Chasing the GTD Drivers’, Team and Manufacturers’ championships, the Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evos will start fourth and fifth in tomorrow’s 10-hour endurance contest.

Acura Team Penske ARX-05
Ricky Taylor, partnered with co-drivers Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud, will start from the outside of the front row, second, and by taking the green flag will secure Acura’s first Manufacturers’ Championship since entering DPi competition last year. Continue reading Acura Team Penske Takes Front Row Spot in Petit Le Mans Qualifying →