John Force Racing

ROBERT HIGHT WINS FOURTH NHRA WINTERNATIONALS MONDAY AT AUTO CLUB RACEWAY

ROBERT HIGHT WINS FOURTH NHRA WINTERNATIONALS MONDAY AT
AUTO CLUB RACEWAY

POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 11, 2019) — Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California team raced way to their victory at a weather delayed Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, the opening event of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. On the way to their fourth win, Hight, the John Force Racing president, handed team owner John Force a loss in the semifinals and watched Top Fuel teammates Brittany Force and Austin Prock face-off in a first round duel that earned Prock the first-round win of his career. Continue reading ROBERT HIGHT WINS FOURTH NHRA WINTERNATIONALS MONDAY AT AUTO CLUB RACEWAY →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NHRA–Pomona Recap

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
LUCAS OIL NHRA WINTERNATIONALS PRESENTED BY PROTECTTHEHARVEST.COM
AUTO CLUB RACEWAY AT POMONA, CALIFORNIA
POST-RACE RECAP AND DRIVER QUOTES
MONDAY, FEB. 11, 2019

Chevrolet gets off to strong start with two Winternationals wins

• Robert Hight earns 46th career Funny Car victory
• Bo Butner repeats as Pro Stock winner in rematch with teammate
• Austin Prock secures elimination-round victory in Top Fuel debut
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 11, 2019) – Robert Hight and Bo Butner wrapped up their 2017 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) championships in the season finale at Auto Club Raceway.

Both started the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season with victories in the weather-delayed Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com at the historic racetrack. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NHRA–Pomona Recap →

Wood Brothers

After Record-Setting Clash Performance, Menard Collected In Late Crash

After Record-Setting Clash Performance, Menard Collected In Late Crash

February 10, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 New Ford Tech Mustang were the dominant team in Sunday’s Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona. But after starting from the pole and leading 51 of the race’s first 55 laps, Menard lost the top spot and a potential victory after contact with eventual winner Jimmie Johnson. Continue reading After Record-Setting Clash Performance, Menard Collected In Late Crash →

Richard Childress Racing

RCR Post Race Report – The Clash

Austin Dillon and The Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Team Kick Off Speedweeks with Sixth-Place Finish in the Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway

“Our Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 ran really well today in the Clash, and I’m happy with a sixth-place finish, but I was really hoping for more side-by-side racing. The top lane was very dominant. I felt like my car was faster than some of the guys I was around, but you can’t really do anything with it unless you get really aggressive. I tried to get aggressive and no one was wanting to work. Everybody got to the top and it was really about track position. It was definitely hard to make a move. At the end of the race, we were involved in the big wreck but, luckily, the Bass Pro Shops Chevy was still drive-able even though it had damage on all sides. When the wreck happened in front of me, I just tried to hold the wheel straight and punch a hole. I tried to slow down, but you can’t stop when you’re going 200 mph. It’s a hard thing to do. For the Daytona 500, I think the racing will be better with 40 cars in the field. It will be good to have a car that handles well because so many things happen during a 500-mile race. You can get track position other ways than just racing, so we will do our job. I’m proud of RCR today. All of our cars had speed.”

-Austin Dillon

John Force Racing

AUSTIN PROCK EARNS FIRST ROUND WIN AT POSTPONED WINTERNATIONALS

AUSTIN PROCK EARNS FIRST ROUND WIN AT POSTPONED WINTERNATIONALS
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 10, 2019) — Austin Prock earned his first career round win under gloomy conditions Sunday at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals. Prock defeated Brittany Force in the first round before weather suspended competition at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Racing is set to continue Monday, Feb. 11 at 10 a.m. with the conclusion of Top Fuel first round.

Before the weather interfered with the day’s racing activity, six pairs of Top Fuel dragsters lined-up, including Austin Prock in his Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster against Brittany Force in her Advance Auto Parts dragster. It was a pedal fest for the John Force Racing teammates with Prock getting the better of the track. Prock would cross the finish line with a 4.029-second pass at 312.21 mph to top Force’s 5.851 at 112.72 to record his first professional NHRA career round win.

“I’m still speechless. I can’t believe how well this weekend has gone so far. My team is doing a great job and I’m really happy that Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist came on board to help make this dream of mine come true,” Prock said. “We did it in style this morning. That was the first time I’d ever pedaled a race car. It just seemed like instinct for me. I watched Billy (Torrence) do it two pair in front of me so I knew I had to be ready for it. I was and we got the job done. The chutes didn’t come out. I hit the lever and the cable was about a 16th of an inch from getting the chutes out. I got it stopped so that was good. Kept her out of the kitty litter.”

Prock is on the verge of having the most successful debut of any John Force Racing team in history if he can manage a second-round win tomorrow morning. Only Courtney Force debuted with a first round win at the Winternationals in 2012 against Bob Tasca III but ended her day in the second round against Mike Neff.

Prock and Force were the final pair of nitro cars to hit the track before NHRA officials made the decision to suspend racing. Prock will face the winner of the final Top Fuel pair of Mike Salinas and Clay Millican.

For those who subscribe to NHRA.TV, the remaining race coverage will be available.

Mopar Racing

Beckman Drives Dodge//SRT and Mopar to No. 2 Spot in Funny Car Qualifying at NHRA Winternationals

Beckman Drives Dodge//SRT and Mopar to No. 2 Spot in Funny Car Qualifying at NHRA Winternationals

· Jack Beckman qualifies Infinite Hero Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car second at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California
· Four Don Schumacher Racing teammates Beckman, Tommy Johnson Jr., Matt Hagan and Ron Capps place their Mopar-powered Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car machines in top five
· Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car driver Hagan chasing third consecutive season-opening Winternationals triumph
· Leah Pritchett looking to win second Winternationals in three years aboard her Mopar Dodge NHRA Top Fuel Dragster
· For information on Dodge//SRT and Mopar in NHRA, visit www.DodgeGarage.com

February 9, 2019, Pomona, California – Jack Beckman led a four-car parade of Mopar-powered Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car machines in qualifying to start the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series campaign, taking the No. 2 qualifying position at the season-opening 59th annual NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, California.

Beckman closed qualifying with a powerful 3.900-second elapsed time (ET) during the final qualifying session on Saturday at Auto Club Raceway to earn the second spot heading into Sunday eliminations and was joined in the top-five by fellow Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) and Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers Tommy Johnson, Jr. (third), Matt Hagan (fourth) and Ron Capps (fifth).

Following a morning rain shower, cooler temperatures and a cloud-cluttered sky provided competitive conditions and the results showed it for the Mopar-powered Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat contingent.

Beckman’s run moved him from the 11th position up to second overall and became even more impressive as the final session proceeded. He will face Phil Burkart in the first round of Sunday’s elimination rounds.

Johnson improved from fourth to second in qualifying session three with his pass of 3.904 ET behind the wheel of the Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. He will face Tim Wilkerson in Sunday’s first round.

Two-time NHRA Funny Car champion and two-time defending Winternationals winner Hagan followed Johnson’s lead and posted his best pass of the weekend in Q3. The Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat stopped the clock at 3.909 ET and Hagan will face John Force in round one Sunday.

Capps, the 2016 Winternationals champion, holds down the fifth spot with his Mopar-powered NAPA Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. The 2017 Funny Car champion held the provisional top position after Friday’s first qualifying session and will take on Gary Densham Sunday.

In Top Fuel, Leah Pritchett improved her times Saturday but failed to make it cleanly to the finish line. Pritchett looked to be on a stout pass early Saturday afternoon, but couldn’t complete her run under full power and posted a mark of 3.963 ET. She closed qualifying with a lap of 4.011 ET and holds the 12th position on the qualifying ladder. Pritchett will begin her quest for a second Winternationals triumph in the last three seasons by facing her DSR teammate Antron Brown in Sunday’s first round of eliminations.

To follow Dodge//SRT and Mopar during the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, visit Dodge Garage, a digital content hub for muscle car and race enthusiasts.

Mopar Dodge//SRT Notes & Quotes

(best elapsed time in bold)

Jack Beckman, Infinite Hero Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car

Qualified No. 2, will face No. 15 Phil Burkart 

Friday: (5.014 seconds at 168.58 mph – Q1); (4.044/253.37– Q2)

Saturday: (8.296/82.73 – Q3); (3.900/330.23 – Q4)

“I’m totally satisfied. We went three-for-four, and when you’ve ran as good as we’ve ran, you can afford to take a shot on the hero runs. We probably just put in a little bit too much on that run and that’s fine. We know where the limit is. Each day has gotten cooler and better out here, so bring it on. There’s a whole lot of bad Funny Cars ready to run tomorrow.”

Tommy Johnson Jr., Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car

Qualified No. 3, will face No. 14 Tim Wilkerson. 

Friday: (8.010 seconds at 79.35 mph – Q1); (3.929/314.61 – Q2)

Saturday: (3.904/327.03 – Q3); (8.695/80.93 – Q4)

“We started the 2018 NHRA World Finals from No. 3 and made it to the final round. It’s basically the same race car that we brought back out this weekend here at the Winternationals and it’s running just as good. I’ve got all of the confidence in the world that we’ll go out there and lay down some good runs tomorrow, but it’s going to be tough as cold as it’s going to be so we’ll have to learn from that first session.”

Matt Hagan, Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car

Qualified No. 4, will face No. 13 John Force

Friday: (3.971 seconds at 323.19 mph – Q1); (3.981/321.81 – Q2)

Saturday: (3.909/326.79– Q3); (7.679/86.58– Q4)



“We had three good laps in qualifying. It’ll be a good race (in round one against John Force). I’m looking forward to it. Any time you race John, you always have to come for it.”

Ron Capps, NAPA Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car

Qualified No. 5, will face No. 12 Gary Densham
Friday: (3.915 seconds at 304.87 mph – Q1); (7.198/89.83 – Q2)

Saturday: (7.717/86.88– Q3); (8.497/82.85 – Q4)



“We came in here without any pre-season testing and with a brand-new Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat body. A lot of new things. It was kind of interesting and fun because that first session, (crew chief Rahn) Tobler wanted to make sure everything was okay and told me to run it down there and shut it off at the 800-foot mark. I shut it off at about 840 feet and it ran 3.91 and put us No. 1 qualifier at that point, so that made it fun. It doesn’t matter who you run on race day. Gary Densham is one of the guys I fear the most out here because he’s cagey, he knows how to get down the track. I’ve raced him a lot. I think tomorrow will bring completely different conditions than what we’ve seen already.”

Leah Pritchett, Mopar Dodge/Sparkling Ice Top Fuel Dragster

Qualified No. 12, will face No. 3 Antron Brown
Friday: (7.912 seconds at 85.25 mph – Q1); (6.406/96.46 – Q2)

Saturday: (3.963/214.59 – Q3); (4.011/212.86 – Q4)

“The silver lining in our qualifying results is that we feel really confident in our tune-up window. There is definitely a difference between a mechanical malfunction and tune-ups. Today, we were right there to be in line with the low qualifiers before two totally different isolated incidents caused some pretty colorful damage. Fortunately, this Mopar team is built to succeed and we’ll be ready to go into race day with a solid car.

“Right out of the gate, 2019 isn’t starting with smooth sailing, but we knew the competition was going to make it tougher than ever. You never want to face your teammate unless it’s the final and we have Antron Brown in round one. It’s like they say in NHRA racing, you can’t tip toe into anything. You have to come out swinging. We know that’s what Antron and his guys are going to do and we’ve got confidence in our car to come out and do the same.”

John Force Racing

ROBERT HIGHT LANDS AUTO CLUB CHEVY IN NO. 1 QUALIFYING POSITION AT NHRA WINTERNATIONALS

ROBERT HIGHT LANDS AUTO CLUB CHEVY IN NO. 1 QUALIFYING POSITION AT NHRA WINTERNATIONALS
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 9, 2019) — Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Funny Car team secured their 61st career No. 1 qualifying position Saturday at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season opening event at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Pomona, Calif. Team namesake John Force is in the show at the No. 13 spot in his PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS. In Top Fuel Brittany Force improved to the No. 4 qualifying position with Austin Prock landing in the No. 11 spot for his first professional start. Continue reading ROBERT HIGHT LANDS AUTO CLUB CHEVY IN NO. 1 QUALIFYING POSITION AT NHRA WINTERNATIONALS →

Jegs Racing

JEGS.com pro Jeg Coughlin Jr. to start race day from mid-pack after weight issue

JEGS.com pro Jeg Coughlin Jr. to start
race day from mid-pack after weight issue
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 9) — Jeg Coughlin Jr. has a fast racecar and he’s ready to show the world his 2019 Pro Stock title aspirations are for real when eliminations begin Sunday at the 59th annual Lucas Oil Winternationals.

Coughlin qualified No. 9 with a 6.558 at 210.50 mph in his JEGS.com Elite Performance Chevrolet Camaro, but that wasn’t his best pass of time trials. He actually went 6.544 at 211.46 mph in Friday’s first qualifying session but the run was disallowed because his car was a tick under the minimum weight.

“All in all, I’ve got a great race car and I know I have a great team behind me and we are looking to get out tomorrow and showcase our efforts,” Coughlin said. “We had a little misfortune following our Q1 run, which was disallowed because we were light on the scale. That’s the first time in 20 years for something like that to happen. I guess we were just too close so it didn’t pass.

“The next three sessions were good. We were fighting the car like a lot of the teams were through the middle of the race track just to keep it accelerating forward instead of spinning and we were getting a little better at it each run. We were seventh in the second session, fourth in the third session and probably in the top three or four of the last session, so we have a good, consistent thing going.”

In Sunday’s opening session, slated for noon PT, Coughlin will yield lane choice to Elite Motorsports teammate Alex Laughlin, who posted a best of 6.555 at 211.03 mph in qualifying eighth overall. Both Coughlin and Laughlin will have access to the data of fellow Elite Motorsports drivers Rodger Brogdon (6.522) and Erica Enders (6.528), who qualified first and second, respectively, on
the grid.

“We’ve got five cars here and that yields a good bit of data for our collection of crew chiefs to look over after each session. Rodger’s No. 1, Erica’s No. 2, Alex is eighth and (Matt) Hartford is right behind us at No. 10.

“You’d rather not face a teammate in the early rounds but with five cars out of the 16 in the field running Elite Performance power, it’s inevitable we are going to be packed in there and have to run one another from time to time. Either way, I look forward to our first game day of the year.”

The big question mark is the weather as local forecasts call for overnight rain continuing through to the afternoon. It’s also supposed to stay very cold.

“It’s definitely been unseasonably cold here,” Coughlin said. “They call it the Winternationals for a reason. Southern California typically doesn’t dole out 30- and 40-degree temperatures like we’ve had each morning but it’s also been beautiful blue skies to race under. Hopefully we can more of that tomorrow. They are calling for some rain, at least preliminarily, so we will wait and see.”

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona–Jimmie Johnson

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA SPEEDWEEKS
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
FEBRUARY 10, 2019

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 – RACE WINNER
THIRD TIME WINNING THE CLASH:
“Yeah this is great to have all four Hendrick cars qualify 1-4, us in third with the Ally Chevy and then to have a very competitive race here today. I wish we could get in the full distance, but obviously the weather isn’t cooperating.”

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE BACK STRAIGHTAWAY WITH YOU AND PAUL MENARD?
“Yeah, I knew the rain was coming, so I was trying to set-up my move and make my run on the No. 21 car. I had it kind of set-up down the backstretch a few laps prior to that and then my opportunity came along, I made that move to the inside and then we kind of got together. I’m not sure if just the air breaking his bumper plane pulled his car over or if he was late to block, but it was just really a racing thing honestly. So, I made my move and unfortunately he got sideway and it collected a bunch of cars.”

DID THE IMPENDING WEATHER IMPACT WHEN YOU DECIDED TO MAKE YOUR MOVE?
“Without a doubt. I was going down into Turn 1 looking out into the distance and I could see it getting darker and darker and closer and closer. I knew within that lap or the next lap if I had a run, I had to take it.”

ANYTHING YOU LEARNED THAT YOU CAN TAKE TO THURSDAY OR SUNDAY FOR THE 500?
“Yeah, there is a lot to learn. These restarts are so important which lane you are in really makes a big difference and that is really what led to my success today.”

CONGRATULATIONS. YOU WON THE CLASH. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE BACK IN VICTORY LANE?
“It feels good. I’m just really happy about honestly, a great day for Hendrick Motorsports, for Chevrolet, for Ally coming on board and qualifying third for the Daytona 500 and then to win the Clash. Kevin Meendering, leading this team; there have been a lot of things going on. I’m extremely excited to win. It’s not a points race, but it’s a good start.”

THERE HAS BEEN TALK ABOUT THE SPLIT BETWEEN YOU AND CHAD KNAUS. THE IRONY OF CHAD WINNING THE POLE WITH WILLIAM BYRON TODAY AND YOU WINNING THE RACE WITH YOUR NEW CREW CHIEF, KEVIN MEENDERING, MAYBE THE TWO OF YOU MIGHT BE OKAY WITHOUT ONE ANOTHER
“Yeah, you’re right. I hadn’t thought about that, exactly. But I did mention to Chad that he was able to win me my first pole here for the 500, and did the same for William. I’m really happy for those guys. With this group of Ally team members I have behind me, these guys have been working so hard and we’re off to a great start this year.”

COMMENT ON LAP 55 MULTI-CAR CRASH:
WHAT HAPPENED THERE WITH PAUL MENARD?
“Just knowing the rain was coming. We could see it coming. I knew that was probably my lap to make the move and I had a great run down the back. I got below him before he blocked it, and then I think he came down a little bit to defend and block. I got that move inside of him and was hopeful that the No. 1 (Kurt Busch) was going to be following me through. But I certainly hate to see all these cars torn up. I’m here, I’m making my move; I’m there. And then it just starts coming over. I think it was more of a racing thing than anything. I feel sorry for Paul. I feel sorry for all the teams that lost race cars, but I’m here to win races and this Ally car is fast.”

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 2nd
YOU FINISHED SECOND, BUT THAT WASN’T REALLY THE WHOLE STORY IN THE RACE. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THIS RACE?
“It was a pretty crazy day with the rain and just the yellows and the line-up and it was just kind of everybody getting back in the groove, but man, there was a lot to digest especially with me on a new team. I love all the guys at Ganassi, Matt McCall (crew chief), I didn’t know we were quite pitting under green at lap 25, but those are just those little things that we will learn to iron out. Today was a great day for us to finish second, get some bugs worked out and to jump into next week’s qualifiers.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 5th
TALK ABOUT THE END OF THAT ONE:
“We were running almost last and just got through the crash okay. It is a really frustrating day. We kind of lucked our way into the top groove up there, we could be okay, but just didn’t have any speed. The car drove really good, probably drove too good. We probably have to make it drive bad again and then we will go fast again.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER BOATS CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 6th
YOU GOT A LITTLE DAMAGE IN THAT LAST WRECK, BUT HOW DID YOU END UP GETTING THROUGH IT SO YOU COULD FINISH?
“Just tried to hold the wheel straight and punch a hole really. I tried to slow down, but you can’t stop from going 200 mph it’s a hard thing to do. You know we made it back around so I’m happy with that. The car drove well. I was really disappointed in the drafting. Everybody got to the top and it was really about track position, hard to make a move. We were just kind of where we were. I felt like my car was faster than some of the guys I was around, but you can’t really do anything with it unless you get really aggressive. I tried to get aggressive and no one was wanting to work. I think it is good for the (Daytona) 500 to have a handling car because so many things happen. You can get track position other ways than just racing. So, we will do our job.”

JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 40 ADVENTHEALTH CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 11th
WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE?
“I wasn’t as torn up as those other guys, but we were still pretty torn up and I don’t know what happened. I kind of saw a replay but I still know what really happened.”

ARE YOU SURPRISED EVERYONE STAYED IN LINE?
“When we get 40 cars out there it will be way better. It’s hard at plate races when you don’t have enough cars on the track, but I was shocked by that too. I was shocked by that too. I thought that race people usually don’t care if they have to go to the back so they will make it two-wide and it certainly got racier towards the end. The 150’s might be similar, but the (Daytona) 500 will be totally different and hopefully it gets hot. If it gets hot and the track gets slick it will be way different.”

Chevrolet Racing

CHEVROLET CAPTURES SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE DAYTONA 500 POLE

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA SPEEDWEEKS
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPTS
FEBRUARY 10, 2019

CHEVROLET CAPTURES SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE DAYTONA 500 POLE
Hendrick Motorsports Teammates William Byron and Alex Bowman on Front Row
Feat Marks 700th Cup Series Pole for Chevrolet

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 10, 2019) – For the seventh consecutive season, a Chevrolet will lead the field to the green flag for the 2019 season-opening Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race, the Daytona 500. William Byron, behind the wheel of the No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1, ran a fast lap of 46.319 seconds/194.305 mph around the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway to earn his first MENCS career pole, and fifth straight for Hendrick Motorsports. Continue reading CHEVROLET CAPTURES SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE DAYTONA 500 POLE →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona–Rick Hendrick

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA SPEEDWEEKS
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
FEBRUARY 10, 2019

RICK HENDRICK, OWNER OF HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS
YOU JUST KEPT SAYING, ‘I CAN’T BELIEVE IT, I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’.
“You know, you work all these years coming down here and you want all the cars to run well. And if you have one up front and a couple in the back, in the middle; but this is a tribute to our organization, the engine shop, the chassis, body shop, and the teams, to come down here and run with four cars running that good. So, I can’t believe it. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona–Rick Hendrick →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona–William Byron

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA SPEEDWEEKS
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
FEBRUARY 10, 2019

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 – POLE WINNER
THIS IS YOUR FIRST CAREER CUP POLE AND ALSO THE 700TH CUP POLE FOR CHEVROLET. CONGRATULATIONS.
“Yeah, it’s awesome for Chevrolet. The Axalta Chevy was really fast. Credit to (crew chief) Chad (Knaus) and all the guys. It’s been a great off-season. We’re prepared. We’re ready. This is kind of the first step of our process together, so hopefully it goes well next Sunday. We can kind of chill out throughout the Duel races and learn a little bit. I’m looking forward to it. This is awesome.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona–William Byron →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NHRA–ECOPO Camaro Breaks Nine Second Mark in Second Exhibition Run

CHEVROLET AT POMONA ONE
NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING
Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com
February 9,2019
Auto Club Raceway
Pomona, California

ECOPO Camaro Breaks Nine Second Mark in Second Exhibition Run

POMONA, CALIF (February 9, 2019) – A little more history was made Saturday at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona as the Hancock and Lane electric-powered ECOPO Camaro raced into the nine-second zone piloted by Patrick McCue.

It was the second exhibition run of the weekend by the innovative Camaro developed in a collaborative effort by the team with McCue and Chevrolet.

The Lane and McCue pairing, who posted a 10.02 Friday, accomplished their stated goal of a nine-second e.t. with a 9.837 at 134.07 mph with McCue at the wheel.

The team is expected to make one more exhibition run on Sunday during the finals of the Series’ opening event.

Chevrolet is marking the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the COPO Camaro.

FS1 will telecast live eliminations and finals February 10 starting at 5 p.m. ET.

Richard Childress Racing

RCR Event Preview – The Clash

Richard Childress Racing’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series history at Daytona International Speedway … Dating back to 1976, Richard Childress Racing has won 11 poles and collected six points-paying victories at the most-storied race track on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series circuit. RCR owns three Daytona 500 wins (Dale Earnhardt – 1998, Kevin Harvick – 2007, Austin Dillon – 2018), three Coke Zero 400 trophies (Earnhardt – 1990, 1993 and Harvick – 2010) and 14 qualifying races, including a record 10-consecutive victories with Earnhardt (1990 – 1999). In addition, RCR has won the Advance Auto Parts Clash a total of eight times, with drivers Harvick (2009, 2010, 2013) and Earnhardt (1986, ’88, ’91, ’93, and ’95).

#RCR50 … Richard Childress Racing celebrates it’s 50th Anniversary in 2019. For up-to-date news and exclusive content, visit RCR’s corporate Twitter page – @RCRracing – along with the RCR Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team Twitter page – @RCRCup, and driver Twitter pages @austindillon3 and @DanielHemric. Information about the 15-time championship winning organization can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardChildressRacing and at www.RCRracing.com.

Catch the Action … The Advance Auto Parts Clash will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1 beginning at 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 10.

This Week’s Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway … Austin Dillon is one of 20 drivers scheduled to compete in the pre-season event recognizing 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pole winners, past winners of the Advance Auto Parts Clash, drivers who earned a berth in the 2018 playoffs and Daytona 500 pole winners who competed in the Series full time last year. The 75-lap race is split into two segments, with a competition caution at lap 25 serving as the breaking point.

The Starting Position … Dillon’s crew chief, Danny Stockman, will draw for the team’s starting position for the Clash from the main stage of the UNOH Fanzone on Saturday, February 9 at 6:30 p.m. ET with assistance from young USAC .25 Midget fans.

Past History … This will be Dillon’s fifth start in the Advance Auto Parts Clash. He finished fifth last year.

About 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/.

Meet Dillon … Dillon is scheduled to join other drivers competing in this year’s Advance Auto Parts Clash in a fan event in the UNOH Fanzone at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 10. The interactive event brings families and drivers together to kick off the 2019 NASCAR season, with Dillon scheduled to take selfies with fans.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What are your thoughts heading into your fifth Clash?
“It’s a fan’s race. It’s a race that’s fun for the fans to watch and fun for the drivers to race in. I’m thankful that I have a chance to compete in it. Our expectations are to go out and try to win it. It’s a really cool race with a lot of prestige and to win it would help set the tone for the rest of Speedweeks. Our entire organization has worked really hard during the off season to make gains and this will be the first opportunity to showcase that.”

You have Daniel Hemric joining RCR in the Cup Series. What will it be like having him as a teammate this year?
“I think it’s cool being teammates in the Cup Series. We started together in Bandoleros running the quarter mile at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He started Go Kart racing. When we were growing up, I always thought that Daniel was so talented. I felt like if he ever got the shot he was going to do a really good job in the racecar, and he has. He’s done a good job and now we’re racing together. That experience that we’ve gained from different motorsports should help us this year and we’ll know how to communicate. He’s fired up. He’ll push me and that’s what you need. You need people around you that push you to be better.”

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona–Ryan Preece

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA SPEEDWEEKS
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 9, 2019

RYAN PREECE, DRIVER, & TAD GESCHICKTER, TEAM OWNER, NO. 47 KROGER.COM CAMARO ZL1 met with media and discussed the new package, new rules, running in the Daytona 500, and more. Full Transcript:

THIS MARKS THE 25th ANNIVERSARY FOR JTG DAUGHERTY RACING. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE TEAM? YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY SINCE YOUR FIRST RACE IN ’95 WITH JEFF FULLER IN THAT NO. 47? Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona–Ryan Preece →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona–Alex Bowman

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA SPEEDWEEKS
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 9, 2019

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CAMARO ZL1 met with media and discussed winning the Daytona 500 pole and the importance of that, the 2018 season, the hard work at Hendrick Motorsports, and more. Full Transcript:
Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona–Alex Bowman →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona–Chase Elliott

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS CLASH
FEBRUARY 9, 2019

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 MOUNTAIN DEW CAMARO ZL1, involved in an on-track incident in Clash practice:

WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE?
“From what I could tell it looks like I crowded Ryan (Newman) and caused a crash, so I apologize to all involved and all the men and women who work on these cars that have to fix another one.”

WHAT LED TO THE INCIDENT?
“It looks like I just messed up. It happens.”

FRUSTRATED AT THIS POINT IN THE GAME THINKING ABOUT THE REST OF THE DAY?
“I mean more than anything I don’t really think it affects tomorrow a whole lot, I just hate that you tear up race cars and race cars cost money and I just costs some people a lot of money. I don’t like doing that if I can help it.”

DENNY HAMLIN SAID YOU GUYS SORT OF HAVE TO DO THAT SORT OF STUFF TO SEE HOW YOUR CAR HANDLES IN SITUATIONS LIKE THAT OTHERWISE YOU WON’T KNOW WHAT IT WILL DO IN THE RACE?
“I mean true. I was really excited to see that there was actually a pack formed. Typically, guys ride around here practice and don’t ever do anything, so I was glad to see there was a good pack lined up. We were making an effort to try to get in it before it was over and Aric (Almirola) and I were coming up to speed together, he got to the bottom and kind of got in line, so I thought I would just hop in line too and it didn’t work out. Ended up kind of being in the middle and I was going to ride out the middle until the back and I don’t know came off (Turn) 2 there and it looked like I crowded Ryan (Newman) a little bit. When you get close to guys it kind of brings you together. So, yeah, like I said, just messed up.”

John Force Racing

ROBERT HIGHT AND AUTO CLUB SIT NO. 1 FRIDAY AT NHRA WINTERNATIONALS

ROBERT HIGHT AND AUTO CLUB SIT NO. 1 FRIDAY AT NHRA WINTERNATIONALS
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 8, 2019) — Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California team ended day one of the season opening Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at the top of the Funny Car field Friday at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Austin Prock held his own in his Top Fuel debut with his Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team ending the evening in the eighth spot. The father daughter duo of 2017 Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force and 16-time Funny Car champion John Force are in 10th and 11th respectively in their categories. Continue reading ROBERT HIGHT AND AUTO CLUB SIT NO. 1 FRIDAY AT NHRA WINTERNATIONALS →

Megan Meyer

Megan Meyer– Why am I not in Pomona??

Why am I not in Pomona??

Ever since the beginning of the year, I’ve received this question. Whether it’s from new fans or old ones, it never fails that I get asked why I don’t attend every race. I hope this blog helps those who don’t fully understand how the Sportsman points system works in NHRA, and why racers don’t visit every race on the NHRA schedules.

According to the NHRA rulebook in Section 3 page 2-4: Continue reading Megan Meyer– Why am I not in Pomona?? →

Wood Brothers

Menard Hoping To Ride His Mustang To The Front At Daytona

Menard Hoping To Ride His Mustang To The Front At Daytona

February 7, 2019

The season-opening Daytona 500 always brings an air of optimism to the NASCAR race teams who have spent a big portion of the off season preparing for the event that has come to be known as the “Great American Race.”

Adding to the positive vibes for Paul Menard and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team is the upcoming competitive debut of the Ford Mustang, which will be making its first appearance in a points-paying Monster Energy Cup Series race. Continue reading Menard Hoping To Ride His Mustang To The Front At Daytona →

Racer News and Results