Wood Brothers

Menard Overcomes Early Setback To Finish Ninth At Talladega

Menard Overcomes Early Setback To Finish Ninth At Talladega

October 14, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy team battled back from two laps down to finish ninth in Sunday’s 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

It was Menard’s seventh top-10 finish of the season and his third in the past six races.

Menard lined up 30th to start Sunday’s race and had worked his way up to 16th place when a flat tire sent him to pit road under the green flag. Continue reading Menard Overcomes Early Setback To Finish Ninth At Talladega →

Mopar Racing

Mopar Dodge Driver Capps Captures Funny Car

Win by Ron Capps at NHRA Carolina Nationals is 225th overall for a Mopar-powered Dodge driver in NHRA Funny Car competition
Victory is third of 2018 for Capps, eighth of season for a Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Mopar Dodge Funny Car driver
With 60th career Funny Car Wally, Capps moves up three spots to third in NHRA playoff standings
Tony Schumacher races Mopar HEMI-powered U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster to semifinals at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina, near Charlotte
Mark Howes, Keith Lynch take Dodge Top Finisher Awards in NHRA Sportsman classes at Charlotte
Dodge Garage (http://www.dodgegarage.com/), a digital content hub for muscle car and race enthusiasts, features highlights from NHRA season

October 14, 2018, Auburn Hills, Michigan – Ron Capps raced to victory in his Mopar-powered Dodge Charger R/T at the NHRA Carolina Nationals near Charlotte on October 14, 2018, capturing his third victory of the season and the 225th overall for a Mopar Dodge driver in NHRA Funny Car competition.

The win by Capps is also the eighth of the year for a Mopar-powered Dodge//SRT Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Funny Car driver. His 60th career Funny Car win moved Capps up three spots to third in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoff standings, injecting new life into his bid for a second career Funny Car World Championship.

The Mopar HEMI-engine fueled NAPA Dodge Charger Funny Car star claimed 121 points over the course of the weekend. Along his way to the zMAX Dragway winner’s circle, Capps, the 2016 Funny Car Champion, defeated Dale Creasy Jr. and three of the top-ranked 2018 Funny Car championship contenders – Robert Hight, Tim Wilkerson and J.R. Todd – in crucial matchups with major Countdown implications.

The milestone victory and 61st overall triumph (including one Top Fuel win) came after two disappointing consecutive first-round losses, but Capps and his Rahn Tobler-led team were determined to not let their early Countdown stumbles deter their hopes for the 2018 title.

With 321 points up for grabs in the final two events, Capps enters the next stop on the NHRA tour sitting 109 points out of first. The remaining events on the NHRA schedule are contested in Las Vegas and Pomona, California, two historically cooler-weather events, and Capps has confidence in crew chief Tobler’s cool weather tuning capabilities.

Two-time NHRA Carolina Nationals Top Fuel champion (2014, 2008) Tony Schumacher, driver of the Mopar-backed U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster, qualified No. 6 and faced teammate Antron Brown for the 70th time in the first round. “The Sarge” recorded the low ET of the event with a hot 3.699/329.91 pass to take out Brown. In the second round, Schumacher knocked out Clay Millican with a solid 3.712/330.55 effort.

That victory set up a run against current Top Fuel points leader and No. 2 qualifier Steve Torrence in the semifinals. Schumacher’s 3.718/329.42 was quicker and faster than Torrence’s 3.728/328.38 run, but Torrence left the starting line first and was able to ride that advantage to a close holeshot win by approximately four feet.

Leah Pritchett raced her Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak to the 2018 NHRA Factory Stock Showdown championship in dramatic fashion last week at the NHRA’s Dallas stop and was looking to keep her chances alive to become the first woman in NHRA history to claim crowns in two different categories in the same season with a strong Charlotte performance.

Pritchett qualified in the top half of the field, claiming the No. 7 starting position in her Mopar Dodge Top Fuel dragster. The DSR driver trailed early in her first-round match against Richie Crampton but staged a comeback and was able to run him down with her quickest pass of the weekend, a winning 3.707/324.67. Next up was a critical quarterfinals battle against points leader Torrence. Unfortunately, Pritchett encountered all kinds of trouble, hazing the tires early and dropping cylinders as Torrence drove away for the round win and Pritchett watched a golden opportunity to improve her Top Fuel title hopes slip away.

Two-time NHRA Carolina Nationals event champion Matt Hagan, the No. 6 qualifier, drew No. 11 Shawn Langdon in round one. Hagan flexed his Mopar muscle by powering his DSR Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car straight down the groove in 3.891 seconds to take the win over Langdon, who smoked the tires. In the quarterfinals, the Mopar Express Lane driver posted another solid effort, but he gave up the win on an uncharacteristic holeshot loss, allowing opponent Tim Wilkerson to take the victory with a slower 3.910 ET versus Hagan’s quicker 3.903.

After securing his second consecutive Funny Car No. 1 qualifier spot, Tommy Johnson Jr. and his Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T team drew part-time racer Dave Richards in the opening round. Johnson was first to hit the throttle but was up in smoke right at the step and Richards was able to claim the upset win. Johnson’s DSR teammate, Infinite Hero Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat pilot Jack Beckman, was faced with a huge matchup against points leader Robert Hight in the opening round. “Fast” Jack and his Dean Antonelli/John Medlen/Neal Strausbaugh-led team mustered up a solid 3.906-second pass, but it wasn’t enough to take down Hight’s 3.877 E.T.

Mopar Dodge//SRT NHRA Sportsman Spotlight
Mark Howes of Rothesay, New Brunswick, Canada, raced his 1970 D/SA Plymouth Duster to a fourth-round finish in Stock Eliminator at the NHRA Carolina Nationals. With a high-winding Mopar 340 cubic-inch small-block V8 engine under the hood, Howes was looking strong all weekend until a red-light foul for leaving the starting line too early ended his chances of advancing deeper in eliminations. With his performance, Howes earned the Dodge Top Finisher award in Stock.

In Super Stock, Keith Lynch of New Hudson, Ohio, also drove his 2010 FGT/I Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak to a fourth-round finish. Powered by a Mopar 5.7-Liter HEMI V8, Lynch’s Drag Pak looked to be a tenacious contender during race day but was sidelined during eliminations. Lynch, who was the Dodge Top Finisher recipient last month during the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals, repeated as the award winner at Charlotte.

The Dodge Top Finisher award, now in its second year, awards $500 to Stock Eliminator and Super Stock drivers who advance the furthest behind the wheel of a Mopar-powered Dodge, Chrysler, or Plymouth race car at all 24 NHRA national events.

Mopar Dodge//SRT NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series: Notes & Quotes

Steve Beahm, Head of Passenger Cars, Dodge//SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA North America; Head of Parts & Service (Mopar), FCA – North America

“It’s great to see Ron Capps and his team capture the win today for Mopar and Dodge//SRT in the fourth event of the six-race NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs. We hope this momentum will carry on for the entire Don Schumacher Racing organization as our drivers continue to battle for championships this year.”

Ron Capps, NAPA Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car
(No. 2 Qualifier – 3.875 ET)

Rd.1: (.080-second reaction time, 3.926 seconds at 328.86 mph) beat No. 15 Dale Creasy Jr. (.090/4.041/316.67)
Rd.2: (.053/3.889/332.43) beat No. 7 Robert Hight (.075/3.953/285.23)
Rd.3: (.0460/3.903/320.97) beat No. 3 Tim Wilkinson (.040/3.978/323.97)
Rd.4: (.074/3.890/331.20) beat No. 4 J.R. Todd (.048/4.311/214.96)

“In St. Louis we lost on a holeshot first round and I’m sick to my stomach when that happens. I go home, I don’t sleep. I’m up in the middle of the night, watching frame-by-frame of when my blades open compared to the person I lost to on a holeshot, and it’s not fun. I live it, I breathe it. I just could not wait to get to the next race after St. Louis. We really had a great car there and we really had the opportunity to make a lot of points up and we didn’t, and I wore that. I probably aged a year in that week. Then we got to Dallas, had a great car, and just got outran by John Force first round.

“(Crew chief Rahn) Tobler and I left Dallas, shook hands, gave each other a little hug like we always do when we leave the track and he said ‘Let’s just go win the last three. If we win, they can’t,’ and I’m just so glad we came here and did what we talked about doing. To make over 330-mph runs two times in the middle of the day today is big for Rahn Tobler. We always talk about race day and hot, adverse conditions, and that’s where he shines, but to throw down those speeds and E.T.s in the cooler weather today when we needed it was huge.”

“We have a lot of business left to do. It’s not over. Points-and-a-half in Pomona. Anything can happen and we’re going to go down fighting. I can’t wait to celebrate with my race team, get to the next race and finish the year strong.”

Tony Schumacher, U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster
(No. 6 Qualifier – 3.732 ET)

Rd.1: (.065-second reaction time, 3.699 seconds at 329.91 mph) beat No. 11 Anton Brown (.049/3.736/328.14)
Rd.2: (.066/3.712/330.55) beat No. 3 Clay Millican (.087/3.729/328.86)
Rd.3: (.066/3.718/329.42) lost to No. 2 Steve Torrence (.049/3.728/328.38)

“That was a rough one, man. We had a better package than Steve (Torrence) did, but .049-second lights are hard to come by. I don’t know. Ouch. The worst run we made all weekend was a 3.74. I can tell you this is a great team. It was really impressive what these U.S. Army Racing guys did here in Charlotte. I give a lot of credit to (crew chief) Mike Neff and (assistant crew chief) Phil (Shuler). They came in here with a package and just made it better all weekend. We talked about it being a bracket car in qualifying and then we came out in first round and put up fastest pass of the weekend. They were on their game and I know I was too. I’m just still wondering how those .040-lights keep happening against me. We need to beat Steve to have a legitimate chance in the championship, but that didn’t happen today. We’ve got two great tracks for us left and all we can do is go out with a bang carrying the U.S. Army colors.”

Leah Pritchett, Mopar Dodge Top Fuel Dragster
(No. 7 Qualifier – 3.755 ET)

Rd.1: (.080-second reaction time, 3.707 seconds at 324.67 mph) beat No. 10 Richie Crampton (.068/3.750/317.79)
Rd.2: (.087/4.222/219.76) lost to No. 2 Steve Torrence (.047/3.716/330.96)

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t slow down Steve today. We feel like that was the result of some self-inflicted issues. We found the power, but what it really probably came down to was that we should have picked the left lane (in the second round). We were going in the right lane. We had done well in it, but by the time Tony (Schumacher) got done in front of us the lane didn’t have the rubber down that we thought it would. So we had to back it down a little bit at the starting line. Once we did that we were behind. When we did put the power to it, we smoked the tires and it was all over from there. The bright side is that we always learn from these experiences. We learned a lot about being in tune with our car and the conditions. We’re a bit down about the championship situation, but we are making progress and we’ll come out in Las Vegas even stronger than we did coming in here.”

Matt Hagan, Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
(No. 6 Qualifier – 3.903 ET)

Rd.1: (.064-second reaction time, 3.891 seconds at 328.62 mph) beat No.11 Shawn Langdon (.054/9.638/78.22)
Rd.2: (.072/3.903/323.58) lost to No. 3 Tim Wilkerson (.052/3.910/328.46)

“We definitely got a car that’s going down the race track now. We found a king pin that was seized up in the front A arm, fixed that and the thing is driving like a dream now so that’s a huge thing as far as confidence and everything else goes. At the end of the day, I’m just glad we’ve got our race car back, our tune-up is working out, it’s going down the track again. We’re getting more laps and feeling more confident in what we’re doing. We’re turning a corner, it’s just at the end of the season.”

Tommy Johnson Jr., Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car
(No. 1 Qualifier – 3.873 ET)

Rd.1: (.074-second reaction time, 7.265 seconds at 112.70 mph) lost to No. 16 Dave Richards (.092/4.283/279.27)

“It’s certainly disappointing and frustrating. You’re right in the middle of a championship chase, and to have a first round loss like that puts a huge dent in that chance. We’ll just keep swinging. Our Make-A-Wish Dodge is running so well. Didn’t expect that by any means. It’s frustrating but we’ll keep coming at them.”

Jack Beckman, Infinite Hero Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
(No. 10 Qualifier – 3.929 ET)

Rd.1: (.073-second reaction time, 3.906 seconds at 329.26 mph) lost to No. 7 Robert Hight (.062/3.877/330.96)

“We were on the wrong end of a phenomenal drag race, and that’s frustrating because our E.T. would have won most of the matchups first round, and that’s the problem with drag racing. We desperately want to salvage a top five finish and maybe the only way for us to do that is to get both (Las Vegas II and Pomona II) trophies. I think we did a pretty darn good job on that as witnessed by our first-round time. We just came up against a car that’s gotten more runs than anybody in the last three weekends. So, Vegas here we come.”

Up Next: NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
The penultimate round of the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship will take place in two weekends, Oct. 25-28, at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Last year Mopar Dodge//SRT Funny Car driver Matt Hagan broke through for his first Vegas victory.

F4

GLOBAL RACING GROUP SWEEPS F3 AMERICAS OPENING ROUND AT NOLA MOTORSPORTS PARK

GLOBAL RACING GROUP SWEEPS F3 AMERICAS OPENING ROUND AT NOLA MOTORSPORTS PARK

Baltazar Leguizamon fights to the finish for second win of the season

AVONDALE, LOUISIANA (Oct. 14, 2018)- Global Racing Group proved that a race isn’t over until the checkered flag drops, sweeping the podium in the final moments of the first F3 Americas Championship Powered by Honda round at NOLA Motorsports Park on Saturday. In what would be a storybook finish for Global Racing Group, the Seattle-based squad is the first team in F3 Americas’ short history to have drivers represented on each podium step in a single race.
Continue reading GLOBAL RACING GROUP SWEEPS F3 AMERICAS OPENING ROUND AT NOLA MOTORSPORTS PARK →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevrolet Scores 300th Victory in Pro Stock Category

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS
ZMAX DRAGWAY IN CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA
SUNDAY, OCT. 14, 2018

Chevrolet Scores 300th Victory in Pro Stock Category

• Jason Line’s 50th career win supplies Chevy milestone
• No. 1 qualifier Brittany Force is runner-up in Top Fuel
• Robert Hight retains Funny Car points lead

CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 14, 2018) – A personal milepost for Jason Line supplied Chevrolet with a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) milestone in the NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway. Continue reading Chevrolet Scores 300th Victory in Pro Stock Category →

Richard Childress Racing

RCR Post Race Report – 1000Bulbs.com 500

Austin Dillon and the American Ethanol Team Avoid Melee, Earn Top-20 Finish at Talladega Superspeedway

“To he honest, I was worried at the start of the race because the American Ethanol Camaro ZL1 was not handling very well. My crew chief, Justin Alexander, and the team worked hard to fine-tune our Chevy throughout the race and we were able to earn some Stage points at the end of Stage 2. We opted to hang back in Stage 3 in anticipation of ‘The Big One.’ We knew that if we could avoid that, we would have a solid shot at the end. It didn’t work out quite the way we hoped with a relatively calm race and not enough laps to get to the front at the end. You win some, you lose some.”
-Austin Dillon Continue reading RCR Post Race Report – 1000Bulbs.com 500 →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Talladega Post Race

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
1000BULBS.COM 500
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER POST RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
OCTOBER 14, 2018

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER (* =Playoff Contender)
6TH AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 KROGER CLICKLIST CAMARO ZL1
7TH JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S FOR PROS CAMARO ZL1
10TH REGAN SMITH, NO. 95 PROCORE CAMARO ZL1
11TH *KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1
12TH BRENDAN GAUGHAN, NO. 62 BEARD OIL DIST./SOUTH POINT HOTEL AND CASINO CAMARO ZL1 Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Talladega Post Race →

John Force Racing

BRITTANY FORCE HAS DOMINATING PERFORMANCE AT NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS

BRITTANY FORCE HAS DOMINATING PERFORMANCE AT
NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS
CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 14, 2018) — Reigning Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force powered her Advance Auto Parts Monster Energy dragster to her second final round of the season and 19th of her career Sunday at the NHRA Carolina Nationals Sunday at zMAX Dragway outside Charlotte, N.C.

Force and her team turned a corner at this weekend’s race. With eight clean, solid and impressive runs down what is considered the Bellagio of racetracks, the Advance Auto Parts Monster Energy team has moved up to sixth in the Mello Yello points standings, just 10 points out of fifth, and added a new level energy to a team that has been struggling since their last victory in Houston at the Spring Nationals. Continue reading BRITTANY FORCE HAS DOMINATING PERFORMANCE AT NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS →

Chevrolet Racing

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS
ZMAX DRAGWAY IN CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA
POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES
SUNDAY, OCT. 14, 2018

An interview with Pro Stock winner JASON LINE, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No.  5 qualifier; 48th career Pro Stock win and 50th overall; competed in 99th career Pro Stock final and 895 career rounds; has won a race in 15 Pro Stock seasons in a row; 149th win for KB Racing; 10th different winner in class for Chevrolet this season; ties Andrew Hines for 13th on all-time pro win list): Continue reading CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS →

Chevrolet Racing

Acura, Legge, MSR Take GTD Title Fight To the Finish

Acura, Legge, MSR Take GTD Title Fight To the Finish

  • Second-place GTD finish for Katherine Legge and Alvaro Parente in season finale
  • Effort leaves Legge and Meyer Shank Racing four points short of championship
  • Acura Team Penske recovers for fifth-place Prototype result following mid-race penalty
  • 2019 Acura NSX GT3 Evo unveiled at Road Atlanta

 

BRASELTON, GA (October 13, 2018) –Katherine Legge and her Meyer Shank Racing team fought all the way to the checkers Saturday at Road Atlanta, with a second-place finish in their #86 Acura NSX GT3, leaving them second in the GTD championship following the season-ending Petit Le Mans endurance contest. Continue reading Acura, Legge, MSR Take GTD Title Fight To the Finish →

Chevrolet Racing

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD ATLANTA: GTLM Title for Garcia, Magnussen Gavin, Milner, Fässler second in Petit Le Mans on drama-filled day

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD ATLANTA: GTLM Title for Garcia, Magnussen
Gavin, Milner, Fässler second in Petit Le Mans on drama-filled day

BRASELTON, Ga. (Oct. 13, 2018) – Corvette Racing’s Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen won their second straight IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Le Mans (GTLM) Driver title Saturday, and in true Corvette Racing fashion it was a team effort. Continue reading CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD ATLANTA: GTLM Title for Garcia, Magnussen Gavin, Milner, Fässler second in Petit Le Mans on drama-filled day →

John Force Racing

BRITTANY FORCE CAPTURES NO. 1 QUALIFYING POSITION AT NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS

BRITTANY FORCE CAPTURES NO. 1 QUALIFYING POSITION AT
NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS
CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 13, 2018) — Brittany Force and the Advance Auto Parts Monster Energy Top Fuel team rocketed to the No. 1 spot Saturday at the NHRA Carolina Nationals. After four consistent qualifying passes, Force picked up her second No. 1 qualifier of the season 10th of her career off the efforts of her Saturday evening run.   Continue reading BRITTANY FORCE CAPTURES NO. 1 QUALIFYING POSITION AT NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Talladega–Qualifying

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
1000BULBS.COM 500
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
OCTOBER 13, 2018

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL QUALIFYING RESULTS:
POS.   DRIVER (* = Playoff Contender)
5TH       *CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA NIGHTVISION LAMPS CAMARO ZL1
6TH        JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S FOR PROS CAMARO ZL1
7TH       *ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CAMARO ZL1
8TH       WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 HERTZ CAMARO ZL1
17TH     DARRELL WALLACE, JR., NO. 43 MEDALLION BANK/PETTY’S GARAGE CAMARO ZL1
21ST     *AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 AMERICAN ETHANOL E15 CAMARO ZL1

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL QUALIFYING RESULTS:
POS.   DRIVER
1st        Kurt Busch (Ford)
2nd       Clint Bowyer (Ford)
3rd        Kevin Harvick (Ford)
4th        Aric Almirola (Ford)
5th        Chase Elliott (Chevy) Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Talladega–Qualifying →

Chevrolet Racing

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD ATLANTA: Halfway Update

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD ATLANTA: Halfway Update

BRASELTON, Ga. (Oct. 13, 2018) – Corvette Racing found itself in prime position halfway to challenge for a race victory and championship through the 10-hour Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in the final race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. The No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R – the GT Le Mans (GTLM) Championship leader – ran fourth following a restart at the five-hour mark, just ahead the No. 4 sister Corvette. Continue reading CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD ATLANTA: Halfway Update →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevrolet “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” Content Available from Talladega Superspeedway Survivor Event

Chevrolet “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” Content Available from Talladega Superspeedway Survivor Event

Chevrolet has made available for media use, high-definition video interviews with Team Chevy drivers Austin Dillon and Ryan Newman, as well as, interviews with breast cancer survivor, Cathy Robbins and the American Cancer Society’s Senior Manager of Community Development, Libba Hardwick. Also included is an interview with male survivor, Kurt DeAngelis, and his wife, Vickie of Alabaster, AL. Continue reading Chevrolet “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” Content Available from Talladega Superspeedway Survivor Event →

Honda Racing

Acura Teams Ready for Season-Ending Petit Le Mans

Acura Teams Ready for Season-Ending Petit Le Mans

  • Ricky Taylor leads Acura Team Penske to fifth in prototype qualifying
  • Mario Farnbacher pilots his Acura NSX GT3 to sixth in GTD
  • Katherine Legge continues chase for GTD championship
  • Acura NSX GT3 Evo unveiled, on display, at Road Atlanta

 

BRASELTON, GA (October 12, 2018) – Acura Team Penske’s Ricky Taylor will start fifth in Saturday’s season-ending Petit Le Mans, while Katherine Legge’s #86 Acura NSX GT3 will start from sixth in the GTD class, as she and her Meyer Shank Racing team chase the GTD championship in the final round of the 2018 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

 

In addition to the overall GTD title fight, Acura contends for both the Prototype and GTD manufacturers’ crowns in the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Championship. All will be decided in Saturday’s 10-hour race at Road Atlanta.

 

Earlier today, Acura unveiled an enhanced NSX GT3, designated the NSX GT3 Evo, which will compete on racetracks throughout the world in 2019, including the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The Acura NSX GT3 Evo is on display in the Road Atlanta infield “Fan Zone” through this weekend’s Petit Le Mans.

 

Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3

Legge and the MSR team will start their Acura sixth, alongside their championship rivals, Lamborghini drivers Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow, who qualified fifth today. Legge trails Sellers and Snow by six points, with up to 35 points on offer in the race. After qualifying sixth today, Alvaro Parente will start the #86 NSX GT3 in the car he shares with Legge and Trent Hindman.

 

In the #93 MSR Acura, Mario Farnbacher will start fourth in the car he shares with regular-season drivers Lawson Aschenbach and Justin Marks, as the trio seek to finish its 2018 season on a high note and support the championship efforts of their teammates.

 

Acura Team Penske Prototype

Acura Team Penske’s Taylor will start on the inside of the third row, fifth, in the #7 ARX-05 he shares with Helio Castroneves and Graham Rahal in search of the team’s second victory of 2018. Taylor and Castroneves led an Acura Team Penske 1-2 finish at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in May.

 

Driving the #6 Acura ARX-05, Juan Pablo Montoya will start eighth before handing over to regular co-driver Dane Cameron and endurance driver Simon Pagenaud.

 

Quotes

Alvaro Parente (driver, #86 Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3) qualified sixth in GTD: “We weren’t able to extract the same segment time in sector three [the final third of the lap] during qualifying as we did in practice. The car was fine everywhere else. But that little bit cost us grid positions. It’s a long race where anything can happen, so we just need to be smart. My goal is have a clean start and hand over a good car to [co-drivers] Katherine [Legge] and Trent [Hindman], so we are in the best spot possible for the championship. We’ll see what we can do tomorrow!”

 

 

Ricky Taylor (driver, #7 Acura Team Penske ARX-05) qualified fifth: “I mean, it’s good when you’re disappointed with a fifth-place [qualifying run]. We probably didn’t put together the perfect lap. If we had, then maybe we would’ve been fighting for a top three or so. Our Acura has been quick, especially at night. So, the goal for tomorrow is to get through the daylight hours without problems. Then, by about seven or eight o’clock, we should be in really good shape for the closing hours.”

 

Where to watch the Petit Le Mans

The 2018 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season finale Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta starts at 11 a.m. EDT Saturday, October 13. Live television coverage begins on Fox Sports 1 at 10:30 a.m. EDT; then moves to Fox Sports 2 from 12-9:30 p.m.

 

Fans can listen to audio commentary via IMSA.com, RadioLeMans.com and Sirius XM Radio; and follow the race live via in-car cameras, IMSA Radio and timing & scoring available worldwide on IMSA.com and the IMSA mobile device App.

 

Social media content and video links from this weekend’s Acura IMSA prototype and GTD racing action are available on HPD’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD) and on Twitter at (https://twitter.com/HondaRacing_HPD).

 

John Force Racing

BRITTANY FORCE LEADS JOHN FORCE RACING FRIDAY AT NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS

BRITTANY FORCE LEADS JOHN FORCE RACING FRIDAY AT
NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS
CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 12, 2018) — Brittany Force and her Advance Auto Parts Monster Energy Top Fuel team continued their late season improvement with two solid qualifying sessions Friday at the NHRA Carolina Nationals landing them in the No. 3 position. In Funny Car, John Force Racing currently owns the middle of the field with Robert Hight in seventh, John Force in eighth and Courtney Force in ninth.

After front-halving their TrueTimber pink camo schemed dragster during the off weekend, Force and her team had seen consistent improvements with performance. That improvement continued right off the trailer Friday when they ran 3.841-seconds at 317.19 mph on a clean run down the track. In the second session, the eight-time event winner had an impressive 3.724-second pass at 328.14 mph that earned her a bonus point and the current No. 3 position.

“Overall a great start to our weekend. Friday qualifying two good passes down the race track. That 3.72 on the second run put us No. 3 and we earned a bonus point. I feel good going into tomorrow. This was a really good first day of qualifying,” Force said. “We were good on-track and it was great to spend time with the fans in the pits. The fans love this Sassy B pink True Timber Advance Auto Parts dragster. It is a beautiful race car and I am proud to be running and representing Brakes for Breasts and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We are looking to make two more good runs tomorrow and really put ourselves in position to win this race on Sunday. We are looking for a long weekend and we are ready to get this Advance Auto Parts Monster Energy team back into that winner’s circle.”

Coming off back-to-back wins, Robert Hight and the Auto Club of Southern California Chevy Camaro continued to be consistent through Friday’s two qualifying sessions. In the first session, Hight earned two bonus qualifying points with his 3.918-second pass at 327.66 mph that originally had him second. While he was bumped down to the No. 7 position in the second session, Hight improved to a 3.911 at a top speed of 330.31 mph.

“It is hard to be upset with a 3.91 and we ran 3.91 twice today. (Crew chief) Jimmy (Prock) said we just didn’t do enough in Q2. The track was better and we made some changes but we just kept up with the race track basically and we needed more. Still top speed at 330 mph and that shows it has a lot of potential and power. We just have to pick it up early,” Hight explained. “I am not at all bummed when it goes down the track like that. We could have gone up there and swung for the fences and smoked the tires. That would not have helped us any. We went down the race track twice and we have something to tune off of. Conditions are going to be great tomorrow. We have to run some 3.80s and nobody knows how to do that better than Jimmy Prock. Tomorrow we gain points, I promise you.”

John Force began the chase for his second NHRA Carolina Nationals title with two solid runs on Friday in his Republic Services PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro. In the opening session Force blasted down the all-concrete race track with at 3.978 seconds and 327.19 mph pass which stood as the second quickest run of the session before finally settling the 149-time Funny Car winner in the provisional No. 6 spot.

“I was happy we went out there and put up a good number,” said Force. “(Crew chiefs) Jon (Schaffer) and Ronnie (Thompson) were able to tune from that and we made another good run. We are running Republic Services on this Chevy for PEAK so we had some of their people out today. They are a lot of fun. I love racing here in Charlotte and I feel good we can run even quicker tomorrow.”

Also, during the first session, Force was receiving a healthy amount of support from a NASCAR superstar on the starting line.

“We had Clint Bowyer and his family out at the races today. We have done some sponsor appearances together in the past. It was great to show off for him and his family. This is NASCAR country for sure and we just want to entertain the fans,” added Force.

In the second session, Force stepped up to a 3.932 second run at 329.26 mph with improved conditions. The run sets up Force as the provisional No. 8 qualifier at the end of the day and gives the championship contender some added motivation going into Saturday.

“We are not out of this championship,” Force said. “We need to make some quick runs tomorrow in this hot rod. If we get some round wins on Sunday we could be right back in this championship. Robert and Courtney will be tough to catch but my race car is coming around. I like my chances to improves tomorrow.”

Still battling a mechanical issue in her Advance Auto Parts Chevy Camaro Funny Car, Courtney Force raced to 3.977 seconds at 288.15 mph after shutting off early during the first qualifying session, good enough for the No. 7 spot. Despite some issues, Force improved in the second session to 3.945-seconds at 308.50 mph but was moved down to ninth.

“We made two great passes down the track unfortunately right at the top end our race car keeps shutting off. We have to get this problem fixed before tomorrow. We are going to tear this thing apart tonight to figure out what the gremlin is,” Force explained. “Those two runs got us qualified No. 9 but we are definitely looking to improve tomorrow. We should have really good conditions and we will be looking to lay down two great runs. We are looking for improvement and some of those qualifying bonus points. I am looking forward to this weekend especially since it will be the last time we are running the True Timber Sassy B pink camo Advance Auto Parts Camaro in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Young Survival Coalition. I am hoping it is a long weekend and we can get this car in the winner’s circle for them.”

Qualifying at the NHRA Carolina Nationals continues Saturday with sessions at 2:30 and 5 p.m. Eliminations at zMAX Dragway will start Sunday at noon.

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Talladega–Alex Bowman

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
1000BLUBS.COM 500
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
OCTOBER 13, 2018

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CAMARO ZL1, met with members of the media at Talladega Superspeedway and discussed what the changes at Hendrick Motorsports will mean for the No. 88 team in 2019, what he has learned about the Playoffs his first time through the system and many other topics. Full Transcript: Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Talladega–Alex Bowman →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Talladega–Chase Elliott

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
1000BLUBS.COM 500
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
OCTOBER 13, 2018

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA NIGHTVISION LAMPS CAMARO ZL1, met with members of the media at Talladega Superspeedway and discussed the relief of being locked into the Round of 8 heading into the unknown of Talladega, how the Hendrick Motorsports cars will work together at Talladega, the impact Darian Grubb will have in his new position at Hendrick Motorsports in 2019 and many other topics.  Full Transcript: Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Talladega–Chase Elliott →

Chevrolet Racing

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD ATLANTA: No. 3 Corvette Qualifies on GTLM Front Row

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD ATLANTA: No. 3 Corvette Qualifies on GTLM Front Row
Garcia to start points-leading car second in class; Milner eighth in tight GTLM fight

BRASELTON, Ga. (Oct. 12, 2018) – Corvette Racing’s Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen will start their race toward a second straight IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship title from the front row of their category following qualifying for Saturday’s 10-hour Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.

Garcia qualified second in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class with a lap of 1:17.030 (18.706 mph in his No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R on Friday afternoon – missing out on pole position by just 0.024 seconds. He and Magnussen, who will drive with Marcel Fässler, can repeat as champions with a fourth-place finish or better. But make no mistake: the goal is “better.”

A victory Saturday would be the first for the Garcia/Magnussen pairing this season. However, the No. 3 Corvette has finished on the GTLM podium in seven consecutive races and eight of 10 events.

Tommy Milner qualified eight in class with the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R that he will share with Oliver Gavin and Fässler, who is pulling double duty Saturday. Milner, who qualified with a lap of 1:17.451 (118.061 mph), had been fastest in class during Thursday’s night practice and Friday’s final practice session. The closeness of the GTLM class was evident as he was just 0.445 seconds off pole position.

Corvette Racing hasn’t missed a Petit Le Mans since the program began in 1999. It has eight class victories – the most of any team in race history – and two additional Road Atlanta wins that came in American Le Mans Series sprint events.

The green flag for the Petit Le Mans is set for 11:05 a.m. ET on Saturday with live television coverage on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. Streaming in-car footage along with live audio coverage of practice, qualifying and the race from IMSA Radio is available on IMSA.com.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SIRIUS XM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R — QUALIFIED SECOND IN GTLM: “It’s not bad. Coming into this race, the first thing you want to be is competitive, so we are. That’s a good starting point to defend and go for the championship. If you don’t have the pace is when everybody panics. The way it is now, we feel like we could have had pole but we are up there. It’s a 10-hour race and anything can happen as we proved and we saw the previous years. We don’t need to get crazy about winning the race; we need to win this championship. We need to be smart.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – QUALIFIED EIGHTH IN GTLM: “That was frustrating after having a fast car in practice. But we just missed it a little bit in qualifying. We are tweaking on it in each session and trying to find a little bit of performance. For the track temperature and the conditions, we had a window to try and get a good lap time but we were just off on balance during those crucial laps. I went for it again toward the end, and had lost enough of the newness of the tire that that was basically it. It’s unfortunate. It would have been fun to go for pole; we have a car that is capable of running up front like that. But it’s a 10-hour race, as a lot of people say who qualify at the back! But I’m really excited for this race. We’ve had a great Corvette so far. I’m not worried about missing it for two laps during qualifying.”

Racer News and Results