Why it’s good Pro Stock champ Jeg Coughlin Jr. is mad about his best race of the year

Why it’s good Pro Stock champ Jeg Coughlin Jr. is mad about his best race of the year
HOUSTON (April 22) — Only time will tell but it could very well come to pass that five-time pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. eventually points to this weekend’s 31st annual NHRA SpringNationals as the place where his 2018 campaign was truly launched.

After struggling through the first four races of the year, winning just one round and failing to qualify in the top half of any elimination ladder, Coughlin came to life Sunday in the Lone Star State, qualifying a lofty second overall and speeding through to the semifinals before shaking his tires and losing to part-timer racer Matt Hartford, who uses Elite Performance motors. Continue reading Why it’s good Pro Stock champ Jeg Coughlin Jr. is mad about his best race of the year

Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Barber–Driver Quotes

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
HONDA INDY GRAND PRIX OF ALABAMA
BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER RACE QUOTES
APRIL 22, 2018

CHARLIE KIMBALL, NO. 23 TRESIBA CARLIN CHEVROLET, sidelined by off-track contact with the wall on lap 10: WE EVENTUALLY DID SEE THAT CONTACT BETWEEN YOU AND ED JONES, WHAT DID YOU FEEL?
“I was just going through the corner and he ran into the back of me. Apparently the stewards reviewed it and no action taken and I vehemently disagree with that because when you are driving your race, especially in the wet, you have to be conscious of where the cars are. Yeah, its hard to see, but at the same time its just a dumb move. He is not a rookie anymore and he needs to not be making rookie mistakes like that.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Barber–Driver Quotes

Menard Finishes 24thAt Richmond

Menard Finishes 24thAt Richmond

April 22, 2018

The good news for Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Quaker State team on an otherwise disappointing night at Richmond Raceway was the team’s ability to fix an ill-handling car and turn it into a fast one.

The bad news is that due to the way the caution flags fell – or didn’t fall – the team wasn’t able to capitalize on the chassis changes dictated by crew chief Greg Erwin or his late-race tactics.

Menard did go from being three laps behind the leaders to just one, but an uncontrolled tire on the team’s final stop negated Erwin’s last move, and Menard wound up 24that the finish. The result dropped him from 16thin the Monster Energy Cup standings to 18thheading into next Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway. Continue reading Menard Finishes 24thAt Richmond

Richard Childress Racing–Richmond 400

Austin Dillon and the AAA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Team Earn Top-15 Finish Following Strong Performance at Richmond Raceway

“Richmond Raceway has always been what I consider the hardest track on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series circuit, so I was really proud of our efforts in Stage 1. Our AAA Camaro ZL1 was really good. We were the fastest car on the track for most of the run and were able to race our way from 23rd to eighth and earn a few stage points. Once the race transitioned to night we lost some of the magic. We just weren’t as strong. I put us in a bit of a hole by earning a commitment line violation coming to pit road, but we worked hard and had a good shot at the end. It was just hard to find a line that made moves.”
-Austin Dillon

Daniel Hemric Finishes 32nd in Cup Series Debut in Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

“First off, I have to thank Richard Childress and Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff for giving me the opportunity to make my first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start this weekend. This is something that was 22 years in the making and truly a dream come true. The No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 fired off so tight during that first stage that I really struggled and we fell multiple laps down with no cautions to help us. My crew chief, Brandon Thomas, made a really good adjustment on that first stop. That gave us a fighting chance. We kept adjusting on it and it kept getting better. I wish we could go back and run that first stage over again, but we learned a lot and these guys never gave up. Everyone on this crew volunteered to build this car and come here this week and that means a lot. I just wish we could have had a better result tonight.”
-Daniel Hemric
Late-Race Mishap Costs Ryan Newman and the No. 31 Childress Vineyards Chevrolet ZL1 Team Top-10 Finish

“Richmond Raceway is one of my favorite tracks and to run just outside the top five, get assessed a pit-road penalty and then battle back onto the lead lap says a lot about this No. 31 Childress Vineyards Camaro ZL1 team. It’s unfortunate on the restart with 30 to go that we got into the back of a car. Everyone started checking up and I just hit him square in the back. I did all I could but the damage cost us our race. I’m just so disappointed right now. We had a good car and a finish that doesn’t reflect it.”
-Ryan Newman

CHASE ELLIOTT PILOTS CAMARO ZL1 TO RUNNER-UP FINISH AT RICHMOND

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
TOYOTA OWNERS 400
RICHMOND RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST RACE DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 21, 2018

CHASE ELLIOTT PILOTS CAMARO ZL1 TO RUNNER-UP FINISH AT RICHMOND
Three Camaro ZL1 Drivers Earn Top 10’s

RICHMOND, Va. (April 21, 2018) – Multiple late race restarts and short runs allowed Chase Elliott to drive his No. 9 Napa Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 to a runner-up finish at Richmond Raceway, the ninth race of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. The run is the eighth second-place finish of Elliott’s career as he continues his quest to capture his first Cup Series victory. The effort marked the 22-year-old driver’s second top 10 finish in six races at Richmond, and fourth top 10 finish thus far this season. Continue reading CHASE ELLIOTT PILOTS CAMARO ZL1 TO RUNNER-UP FINISH AT RICHMOND

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Richmond–Post Race

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
TOYOTA OWNERS 400
RICHMOND RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES & QUOTES
APRIL 21, 2018

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 2nd
YOU SURVIVED A NIGHT WITH A BUNCH OF CRAZY RESTARTS:
“Yeah, it wasn’t pretty for sure. We had a big fight from our Napa Auto Parts and Napa Brakes team tonight. Just we have a lot of work to do I still feel like to get to have the speed that we need and the car driving like we want it to or like I want it to at least. But our restarts fell into our hands there at the end having short runs kind of played into our favor and was able to move forward because of that. So, circumstances were on our side tonight, which is not normal, so I’m happy about that.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Richmond–Post Race

ROBERT HIGHT TAKES AAA TEXAS CHEVY TO NO. 1 QUALIFIER AT NHRA SPRINGNATIONALS

ROBERT HIGHT TAKES AAA TEXAS CHEVY TO NO. 1 QUALIFIER AT NHRA SPRINGNATIONALS
BAYTOWN, Texas (April 21, 2018) — Reigning Funny Car world champion Robert Hight powered his AAA Texas Chevrolet Camaro Funny Car to the No. 1 qualifier Saturday at the 21st annual NHRA SpringNationals at Royal Purple Raceway outside of Houston. Hight took the top spot from teammate Courtney Force who is No. 2, Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force also claimed the No. 2 spot and John Force, for the first time since 2008, failed to qualify for eliminations.

Hight laid down a 3.894-second pass at 317.27 mph in the final qualifying session to earn the 58th No. 1 of his career, first of the season and second at Royal Purple Raceway. Hight’s first No. 1 at the facility came in 2005 which led to his first pro victory in only his fourth professional race. Continue reading ROBERT HIGHT TAKES AAA TEXAS CHEVY TO NO. 1 QUALIFIER AT NHRA SPRINGNATIONALS

Bourdais Qualifies Third for Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama

Bourdais Qualifies Third for Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
• Sebastien Bourdais to start third, Ryan Hunter-Reay fourth on Sunday
• James Hinchcliffe, Scott Dixon also advance to Firestone Fast Six final qualifying
• Nine Honda drivers qualify in the top 12

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (April 21, 2018) – Sebastien Bourdais, winner of the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, led the way for Honda today in Verizon IndyCar Series qualifying, and will start Sunday’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama from the inside of the second row, third. Continue reading Bourdais Qualifies Third for Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama

Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Barber–Post Qualifying

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
HONDA INDY GRAND PRIX OF ALABAMA
BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER POST QUALIFYING QUOTES
APRIL 21, 2018

DRIVER QUOTES:
JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 1 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, POLE WINNER:
DID YOU KNOW IT WAS THAT TIGHT BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR TEAMMATE AND HOW HARD WERE YOU PUSHING ON THAT FINAL LAP?
“Yeah, Tim (Cindric) was telling me when I came in what the lap time was. I didn’t know if that was going to be enough. It was a good lap. Actually, I like this set of tires a little bit better than the others. You almost have a favorite sometimes with the Firestones, but they held up well. I think he had a slight advantage because he didn’t have to do a hot lap on his, but I knew our car was quick. After I saw the time we did on this set of tires I knew we had a shot at it. Really proud of everybody, Hitachi being on the car with us, it’s good to get them a first pole and just everyone else. Team Chevy has done a really good job. They have really given us the good power this weekend, good drivability. We are going to need some fuel mileage tomorrow which I think we will have, but it’s going to get mixed up with the rain. So, I think the first part of this weekend is done. We just need to focus on tomorrow now and see how we are going to get through the weather.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Barber–Post Qualifying

Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Barber Pole

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
HONDA INDY GRAND PRIX OF ALABAMA
BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER POLE WINNER QUICK QUOTE
APRIL 21, 2018

JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 1 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, POLE WINNER

DID YOU KNOW IT WAS THAT TIGHT BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR TEAMMATE AND HOW HARD WERE YOU PUSHING ON THAT FINAL LAP?
“Yeah, Tim (Cindric) was telling me when I came in what the lap time was. I didn’t know if that was going to be enough. It was a good lap. Actually, I like this set of tires a little bit better than the others. You almost have a favorite sometimes with the Firestones, but they held up well. I think he had a slight advantage because he didn’t have to do a hot lap on his, but I knew our car was quick. After I saw the time we did on this set of tires I knew we had a shot at it. Really proud of everybody, Hitachi being on the car with us, it’s good to get them a first pole and just everyone else. Team Chevy has done a really good job. They have really given us the good power this weekend, good drivability. We are going to need some fuel mileage tomorrow which I think we will have, but it’s going to get mixed up with the rain. So, I think the first part of this weekend is done. We just need to focus on tomorrow now and see how we are going to get through the weather.”

ON THE INCIDENT WITH JAMES HINCHCLIFFE:
“I mean, I apologize to Hinch. I wasn’t looking, so when I got going, I think I got going a little too slow and I didn’t realize he was actually there. So, it’s my fault, just not looking. I will apologize to him, but yeah, I’m glad it didn’t turn out worse and we got to at least do our lap and show what this car was capable of.”

HOW IMPORTANT IS A POLE HERE?
“Yeah, it’s important. I think whenever you get the pole it’s a good day. It shows the speed of the car, it shows the work that everyone at Team Penske has put in, but when you have weather it’s even better. You want to start up front with the spray. So hopefully, that brings us a little good luck tomorrow and we will try and finish this thing off right.”

BRITTANY FORCE HOLDS PROVISIONAL NO. 1 QUALIFIER FRIDAY AT NHRA SPRINGNATIONALS

BRITTANY FORCE HOLDS PROVISIONAL NO. 1 QUALIFIER FRIDAY AT NHRA SPRINGNATIONALS
BAYTOWN, Texas (April 20, 2018) — Brittany Force piloted her Monster Energy dragster to the provisional No. 1 qualifier Friday night at the NHRA SpringNationals. In Funny Car, Robert Hight is narrowly in the second position, Courtney Force is 11th and John Force is 12th at the end of day one at Royal Purple Raceway just outside Houston in Baytown, Texas. Continue reading BRITTANY FORCE HOLDS PROVISIONAL NO. 1 QUALIFIER FRIDAY AT NHRA SPRINGNATIONALS

Richard Childress Racing–Richard 250

Matt Tifft Earns First Top-Five Finish of Season, Qualifies for
Xfinity Dash 4 Cash

“It feels great to put together a weekend from start to finish like this and finally get the result we deserve to go along with it. Our No. 2 National Brain Tumor Society Chevrolet Camaro was fast all day long. I felt like we managed the changing track conditions really well, whether we were practicing at 8 a.m. or racing at 7 p.m. Everyone was on it this weekend from the road crew to the pit crew. We were consistent the whole time and made the most of every opportunity, which lead to our first top-five finish of the year. That’s huge for us. To qualify for Xfinity’s Dash 4 Cash next weekend at Talladega Superspeedway on top of that is an honor. It’s my first time qualifying for that, so I’m excited to be in it. We’ll be looking to win the $100,000 and make the cut for the final weekend of the program at Dover, one of my favorite tracks on the circuit.”
-Matt Tifft Continue reading Richard Childress Racing–Richard 250

Menard To Start 20th At Richmond

Menard To Start 20th At Richmond

April 20, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Quaker State Ford will start 20thin Saturday night’s 400-lapper at Richmond Raceway.

Menard earned that spot by advancing through the first round of qualifying with a lap at 123.164 miles per hour. In the second round, he ran a lap at 122.510 mph, securing his spot on the outside of the 10throw.

Team co-owner Eddie Wood pointed out that the Menards team focused on a set up for racing conditions during Friday’s practice sessions, and didn’t make a mock qualifying run.

Menard was 14thfastest in the opening practice session with a best lap at 119.893 mph. He was 24thin Happy Hour with a best lap at 119.011 mph.

“We won’t be back on track until the race starts Saturday night, so the priority on a weekend like this is getting the car tuned for the race,” Wood said.”

Team Chevy Drivers Top Practice Charts at Barber

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
HONDA INDY GRAND PRIX OF ALABAMA
BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER POST FRIDAY PRACTICE QUOTES
APRIL 20, 2018

Team Chevy Drivers Top Practice Charts at Barber

BIRMINGHAM (April 20, 2018) – Three Chevrolet 2.2 liter twin turbocharged V6 drivers topped the time and speed charts after two round of practice for Sunday’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park.

Defending Verizon IndyCar Series (VICS) champion and Barber defending race winner Josef Newgarden posted the best time of the combined results for the morning and afternoon sessions. His best lap behind the wheel of the No. 1 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet was one minute, 07.4345 seconds/122.786 mph. Continue reading Team Chevy Drivers Top Practice Charts at Barber

CHASE ELLIOTT PUTS CAMARO ZL1 ON OUTSIDE FRONT ROW AT RICHMOND FIVE TEAM CHEVY DRIVERS QUALIFY IN TOP 12

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
TOYOTA OWNERS 400
RICHMOND RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 20, 2018

CHASE ELLIOTT PUTS CAMARO ZL1 ON OUTSIDE FRONT ROW AT RICHMOND
FIVE TEAM CHEVY DRIVERS QUALIFY IN TOP 12

RICHMOND, Va. (April 20, 2018) – Chase Elliott drove his No. 9 Napa Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 to a front row starting spot in today’s knockout-style qualifying session for tomorrow night’s Toyota Owners 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway. Elliott turned a lap of 136.643 mph, 26.346 seconds to capture his fourth top-10 start of the season and his second in six races at Richmond.

“A much better Friday than we have been having,” Chase Elliott said after qualifying concluded. “This has been a ridiculous stretch of races for me and the No. 9 Napa Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 team. We have just been struggling and kind of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. We have had fast cars at times, just hasn’t seemed to work out. I typically don’t qualify very good, so I’m happy we could have a good qualifying effort and hopefully, our car in race trim is one spot better.” Continue reading CHASE ELLIOTT PUTS CAMARO ZL1 ON OUTSIDE FRONT ROW AT RICHMOND FIVE TEAM CHEVY DRIVERS QUALIFY IN TOP 12

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Richmond–Qualifying Notes

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
TOYOTA OWNERS 400
RICHMOND RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES & QUOTES
APRIL 20, 2018

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 – Qualified 2nd
HOW WAS YOUR CAR IN PRACTICE THROUGH RACE RUNS?
“Yeah, I thought it was much improved from where we have been. You’ve got to take the small victories every now and then in life and especially in the racing world. We are just trying to take those right now. A much better Friday than we have been having. This has been a ridiculous stretch of races for me and our team. We have just been struggling and kind of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. We have had fast cars at times, just hasn’t seemed to work out. I typically don’t qualify very good, so I’m happy we could have a good qualifying effort and hopefully, our car in race trim is one spot better.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Richmond–Qualifying Notes

Bourdais, Rossi Lead the Way for Honda in Alabama IndyCar Series Practice

Bourdais, Rossi Lead the Way for Honda in Alabama IndyCar Series Practice
• Sebastien Bourdais runs fourth, Alexander Rossi fifth at Barber Motorsports Park
• Seven Honda drivers post top-10 times in practice

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (April 20, 2018) – Honda’s pair of 2018 early-season Indy car race winners – Sebastien Bourdais and Alexander Rossi – led the way for the manufacturer Friday at Barber Motorsports Park, in preparation for Sunday’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. Continue reading Bourdais, Rossi Lead the Way for Honda in Alabama IndyCar Series Practice

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Richmond–Kyle Larson

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
TOYOTA OWNERS 400
RICHMOND RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 20, 2018

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1 met with media and discussed the race at Bristol last week and finishing second to Kyle Busch, the upcoming race next week in Talladega, his expectations for this weekend at Richmond, the championship picture at this point in the season, the newly-announced package for the All-Star race, intermediate track racking, and more. Full Transcript: Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Richmond–Kyle Larson

F4 U.S. CHAMPIONSHIP BREAKS ENTRY RECORD WITH 37 CARS FOR SEASON OPENER

F4 U.S. CHAMPIONSHIP BREAKS ENTRY RECORD WITH 37 CARS FOR SEASON OPENER

More than 35 F4 U.S. cars are slated to compete in the Andy Scriven Memorial Race weekend at VIR April 27-29

INDIANAPOLIS (April 20, 2018)- History will be made as the Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda returns to Virginia International Raceway April 27-29 with a record-breaking 37 entries for the Andy Scriven Memorial Race weekend, shattering the previous 34-car record set in 2017. Last year during its 20-race season, the F4 U.S. field averaged 32 cars.

The 37-car grid is more diverse than ever before, comprised of 22 rookies and 15 returning F4 U.S. drivers, representing 12 states and 10 countries. Continue reading F4 U.S. CHAMPIONSHIP BREAKS ENTRY RECORD WITH 37 CARS FOR SEASON OPENER

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Richmond–Daniel Hemric

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
TOYOTA OWNERS 400
RICHMOND RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 20, 2018

DANIEL HEMRIC, NO. 8 SMOKEY MOUNTAIN HERBAL SNUFF CAMARO ZL1 met with media and discussed doing double duty his weekend for the first time with his Cup debut at Richmond Raceway coupled with his regular participation in the Xfinity Series, his challenges and expectations, support from his fans and family, and more. Full Transcript: Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Richmond–Daniel Hemric

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