Honda Racing

Podium Finishes for Hunter-Reay, Hinchcliffe at Rain-Impacted Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama

Podium Finishes for Hunter-Reay, Hinchcliffe at Rain-Impacted
Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
• Ryan Hunter-Reay leads Honda effort at Barber Motorsports Park
• James Hinchcliffe runs third as Honda drivers finish second through eighth
• Tire gamble fails to pay off for Sebastien Bourdais, Scott Dixon

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (April 22, 2018) – The Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama resumed Monday at Barber Motorsports Park, with Ryan Hunter-Reay and James Hinchcliffe scoring their best results of 2018 – second and third, respectively – to lead the Honda effort.

Heavy rains and low visibility forced Verizon IndyCar Series officials to postpone the race on Sunday after 26 laps, with the event resuming today, running to a two-hour time limit. Sebastien Bourdais and Hunter-Reay led the initial challenge to eventual race winner Josef Newgarden, but as the race progressed and additional rain showers returned to the circuit, strategies changed to adjust to the new conditions. Continue reading Podium Finishes for Hunter-Reay, Hinchcliffe at Rain-Impacted Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Josef Newgarden

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
HONDA INDY GRAND PRIX OF ALABAMA
BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER POST RACE QUOTES
APRIL 23, 2018

DRIVER QUOTES:
JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 1 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, RACE WINNER:
HOW EVENTFUL DID THAT RAIN MAKE IT AT THE END?
“More eventful than I would have liked. But, everyone did a great job. How about Team Chevy today? They gave us a great engine, good fuel mileage, and good reliability; that’s what we needed to win this race. It’s great having Hitachi. We had Verizon and we got them a victory, and now we got Hitachi a victory. So, thank you guys. Everyone at Team Penske did a great job. But like you said, that was more eventful than I would have wanted it. It seemed like smooth sailing for the most part. We weren’t having any yellows, which we were hoping no yellows today. But then that rain crept in and I couldn’t believe how long everyone stayed out. It was really risky what they were doing, but I understand why they were doing it, and I’m glad we made the call to come in so soon.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Josef Newgarden →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Barber–Post Race

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
HONDA INDY GRAND PRIX OF ALABAMA
BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK
TEAM CHEVY POST RACE QUOTES
APRIL 23, 2018

JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 1 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – Race Winner
HOW EVENTFUL DID THAT RAIN MAKE IT AT THE END?
“More eventful than I would have liked. But, everyone did a great job. How about Team Chevy today? They gave us a great engine, good fuel mileage, and good reliability; that’s what we needed to win this race. It’s great having Hitachi. We had Verizon and we got them a victory, and now we got Hitachi a victory. So, thank you guys. Everyone at Team Penske did a great job. But like you said, that was more eventful than I would have wanted it. It seemed like smooth sailing for the most part. We weren’t having any yellows, which we were hoping no yellows today. But then that rain crept in and I couldn’t believe how long everyone stayed out. It was really risky what they were doing, but I understand why they were doing it, and I’m glad we made the call to come in so soon.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Barber–Post Race →

Mopar Racing

Mopar Dodge//SRT Drivers Pritchett, Beckman and Schumacher

Mopar Dodge//SRT Drivers Pritchett, Beckman and Schumacher
Advance to Semifinals at Houston

Three Mopar Dodge//SRT Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) drivers advance to semifinals at NHRA SpringNationals
Mopar Dodge Top Fuel Dragster driver Leah Pritchett reaches semis, as does teammate and co-points leader Tony Schumacher
Defending Top Fuel event champion Pritchett started race day as No.1 Qualifier
Mopar-powered Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car driver Jack Beckman races to semifinals at SpringNationals
Mopar Express Lane/Pennzoil Dodge Charger R/T driver Matt Hagan advances to quarterfinals at Houston, moves to second in Funny Car standings
Jacob Pitt of Mansfield, Texas earns Dodge Top Finisher award in both Stock Eliminator and Super Stock
More info on Mopar in NHRA available at http://blog.mopar.com
New Dodge Garage (http://www.dodgegarage.com/), a digital content hub for muscle car and race enthusiasts launches; will include highlights from NHRA season
April 22, 2018, Auburn Hills, Mich. – A trio of Mopar Dodge//SRT drivers went rounds in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Race Series during the NHRA SpringNationals at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas, near Houston. Leah Pritchett, Jack Beckman and Tony Schumacher took their Nitro machines to the semifinals in the ultra-competitive weekend, with Beckman leaving the event atop the NHRA Funny Car standings and Schumacher now tied for first in Top Fuel points. Continue reading Mopar Dodge//SRT Drivers Pritchett, Beckman and Schumacher →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevrolet Registers Two Wins, Runner-up Finish at Houston

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
NHRA SPRIGNATIONALS
ROYAL PURPLE RACEWAY IN BAYTOWN, TEXAS
SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2018

Chevrolet Registers Two Wins, Runner-up Finish at Houston

• Reigning Top Fuel champion Brittany Force secures eighth career win
• Matt Hartford claims first career Pro Stock victory in 80th race
• Defending Funny Car champion Robert Hight finishes second
• Greg Anderson resets racetrack Pro Stock elapsed time, speed records

BAYTOWN, Texas (April 22, 2018) – Strong qualifying efforts at Royal Purple Raceway transferred to a stellar race day for Chevrolet teams and drivers in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) SpringNationals. Continue reading Chevrolet Registers Two Wins, Runner-up Finish at Houston →

John Force Racing

BRITTANY FORCE WINS NHRA SPRINGNATIONALS

BRITTANY FORCE WINS NHRA SPRINGNATIONALS
BAYTOWN, Texas (April 22, 2018) — Just four races after being involved in a serious crash, Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force piloted her Monster Energy dragster to the winner’s circle at the NHRA SpringNationals on Sunday. Robert Hight powered to the Funny Car finals and Courtney Force had a first round finish at Royal Purple Raceway just outside of Houston.

Brittany Force picked up her eighth career win, first of the season and first at Royal Purple Raceway when she raced to a 3.762-second pass at 299.46 mph to defeat Terry McMillen’s 3.818 at 311.56. The result comes after months of recovery for Force. As a result of her devastating crash at the season opening NHRA Winternationals, Force had an overnight hospital stay and has continued to go to physical therapy. Continue reading BRITTANY FORCE WINS NHRA SPRINGNATIONALS →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NHRA–Texas

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
NHRA SPRINGNATIONALS
ROYAL PURPLE RACEWAY IN BAYTOWN, TEXAS
POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES
SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2018

An interview with Top Fuel winner BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 2 qualifier; eighth career victory in 125th Top Fuel race; last win was at Pomona, California, in November 2017 when she wrapped up the Top Fuel title):

YOU REALLY LIKE THAT NEW CAR?
“This is our third car that I’ve run in this season. That’s a lot going on for me as a driver and the whole team. But we seem to like it. We pulled it out this weekend and didn’t test. Testing was qualifying for us. We went No. 1 Friday and went to No. 2 and won the thing, so I think we all like the car. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NHRA–Texas →

NHRA

NHRA–Houston Results

Top Fuel — Brittany Force, 3.762 seconds, 299.46 mph def. Terry McMillen, 3.818 seconds, 311.56 mph.

Funny Car — J.R. Todd, Toyota Camry, 3.955, 313.29 def. Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 3.993, 308.14.

Pro Stock — Matt Hartford, Chevy Camaro, 6.522, 211.36 def. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.570, 210.50.

Pro Modified — Jim Whiteley, Chevy Camaro, 5.834, 239.14 def. Rick Hord, Chevy Corvette, 5.818, 252.43.

Top Fuel Harley — Doug Vancil, Weekend, 6.300, 230.76 def. Randal Andras, JTR, 12.128, 80.94.

Super Stock — Brenda Grubbs, Chevy Camaro, 9.284, 138.47 def. Craig Gualtiere, Chevy Nova, 9.691, 132.43.

Stock Eliminator — Tim Snively, Chevy Camaro, 11.745, 110.84 def. Brandon Bakies, Olds Cutlass, 11.091, 114.30.

Super Comp — Lyndon Rutland, Dragster, 8.901, 180.07 def. Austin Williams, Dragster, 8.902, 156.99.

Super Gas — Koy Collier, Chevy Camaro, 9.902, 156.75 def. Steve Collier, Chevy Vega, 9.890, 163.06.

Chevrolet Racing

Josef Newgarden Wins Pole at Barber Motorsports Park

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

Josef Newgarden Wins Pole at Barber Motorsports Park
Will Power Makes It All-Chevy Front Row

BIRMINGHAM (April 21, 2018) – Josef Newgarden makes no secret of the fact that he considers Barber Motorsports Park is his home track, as well as, one of his favorites; and his performance on the 2.38-mile, 17-turn natural terrain road course confirms his statement. In six starts, the driver of the No. 1 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet has two wins, three podiums, and five top-10 finishes. Continue reading Josef Newgarden Wins Pole at Barber Motorsports Park →

Jegs Racing

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 →

Chevrolet Racing

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 →

Wood Brothers

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

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

Chevrolet Racing

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 →

Chevrolet Racing

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 →

John Force Racing

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 →

Honda Racing

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 →

Chevrolet Racing

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 →

Chevrolet Racing

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.”

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