California Has Been Good To The Woods

California Has Been Good To The Woods

March 21, 2017

As Ryan Blaney and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team prepare to race in this weekend’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., there are several reasons for them to be optimistic.

For starters, Blaney is solidly in the top 10 in Cup points after the first four races of the season, and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Fusion has shown good speed each week this season with third- and second-place starts in the past two races. Continue reading California Has Been Good To The Woods

NHRA- Gatornationals

Top Fuel — Tony Schumacher, 3.703 seconds, 329.26 mph def. Antron Brown, 3.764 seconds, 322.65 mph.

Funny Car — John Force, Chevy Camaro, 3.928, 328.14 def. Jonnie Lindberg, Toyota Camry, 3.971, 314.83.

Pro Stock — Shane Gray, Chevy Camaro, 6.535, 212.96 def. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.560, 213.43.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.763, 199.76 def. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.802, 197.10.

Pro Modified — Steven Whiteley, Cadillac CTS-V, 5.791, 253.52 def. Mike Castellana, Chevy Camaro, 10.192, 87.94.

Top Alcohol Dragster — Justin Ashley, 5.232, 275.96 def. Rich McPhillips, 5.258, 277.20.

Top Alcohol Funny Car — Annie Whiteley, Chevy Camaro, 5.412, 273.22 def. Dan Pomponio, Chevy Monte Carlo, Broke – No Show.

Competition Eliminator — David Rampy, Bantam Roadster, 8.099, 118.68 def. Wes Leopold, Dodge, Foul – Red Light.

Top Sportsman presented by RacingRVs.com — Jeffrey Barker, Chevy Cobalt, 6.554, 211.59 def. Casey Spradlin, Chevy, 6.789, 206.86.

Factory Stock Showdown — David Barton, Chevy Camaro, 8.131, 168.47 def. Chuck Watson, Ford Mustang, 8.227, 167.76.

Super Stock — Fred Allen, Chevy S-10, 9.295, 112.21 def. Michael Volkman, Plymouth Sebring, Foul – Red Light.

Stock Eliminator — Terry Nagel, Chevy Camaro, 11.067, 113.72 def. Richard Mace, Pontiac, 11.989, 110.40.

Super Comp — Jacob Elrod, Dragster, 8.917, 179.42 def. Troy Williams Jr., Dragster, 8.931, 174.23.

Super Gas — Sherman Adcock, Pontiac Trans Am, 9.908, 155.24 def. David Tatum, Chevy, 9.900, 166.42.

FORD MUSTANG GT4 POWERS TO SEBRING POLE & CHECKERED FLAG

FORD MUSTANG GT4 POWERS TO SEBRING POLE
& CHECKERED FLAG

Sebring, Fla. March 20, 2017 – The No. 60 Ford Mustang GT4 won its first checkered flag for KohR Motorsport in only its second race in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Series at Sebring International Raceway.

The KohR Motorsports car started from the pole position, after Jade Buford recorded a lap time of 2:11.610 to take the pole on Friday. The No. 59 sister-car of Jack Roush Jr.* and Dean Martin earned a third place qualifying position.
Continue reading FORD MUSTANG GT4 POWERS TO SEBRING POLE & CHECKERED FLAG

Richard Childress Racing–NASCAR–Phoenix– Post Race

Austin Dillon Hungry for More Following 18th-Place Finish in the Dow World Water Day Chevrolet

“Today was a long, hot, day in the desert. Slugger Labbe and the team worked hard to tighten up the chassis of our Dow World Water Day Chevrolet throughout the race. We had a really good rhythm going and lap times to prove it, we just didn’t get there at the end. The pit crew produced fast stops the entire race. I’m really proud of them. I’m really happy for Richard Childress Racing. Congrats to Ryan Newman and the entire No. 31 team on their win today. It makes me and our entire organization hungry for more.”
– Austin Dillon Continue reading Richard Childress Racing–NASCAR–Phoenix– Post Race

Blaney Finishes A Disappointing 23rd at Phoenix

Blaney Finishes A Disappointing 23rd at Phoenix

March 19, 2017

For the first 250 laps of Sunday’s Camping World 500k at Phoenix International Raceway, Ryan Blaney and his No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford were among the race leaders.

Blaney started a Cup-career-best second and ran in the top 10 through the first two 75-lap stages of the race, earning seven championship points between the two stages. Continue reading Blaney Finishes A Disappointing 23rd at Phoenix

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Phoenix Post Race

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
CAMPING WORLD 500
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 19, 2017

RYAN NEWMAN EARNS VICTORY FOR CHEVROLET AT PHOENIX
Chevy SS Driver Kyle Larson Takes Point Lead with Runner-Up Finish

AVONDALE, ARIZ. (March 19, 2017) – When Ryan Newman and the No. 31 Grainger Chevrolet SS team made a gutsy call to stay out on old tires while the leaders pitted during the final caution in the Camping World 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENSC) race at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR), it netted winning results.

The pit strategy call yielded the team’s first victory of the season, Newman’s second career victory at PIR and snapped a 127-race winless streak for the 39-year-old veteran driver. The victory is the first for the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) organization in 112 events. Newman and the No. 31 Chevy SS team are now qualified for the end of the year playoffs. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Phoenix Post Race

Auto Club driver Robert Hight records career-best time, speed in Sunday’s NHRA Gatornationals

Auto Club driver Robert Hight records career-best time, speed in Sunday’s NHRA Gatornationals

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 19) – Defending NHRA Gatornationals Funny Car winner Robert Hight set a career-best time and speed in Sunday’s 48th annual NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, which he believes are good takeaways from the third round of this year’s NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

Hight won his first-round matchup against Bob Tasca with his 3.828-second, 334.82-mph pass, both career bests and the fourth quickest elapsed time in series history. That run followed up a string of solid runs during qualifications that netted him the No. 2 position (3.844 at 331.61 mph). Both elimination first-round time and speed were also quickest and fastest of the weekend. Continue reading Auto Club driver Robert Hight records career-best time, speed in Sunday’s NHRA Gatornationals

Monster Energy driver Brittany Force can’t repeat 2016 Gatornationals glory

Monster Energy driver Brittany Force can’t repeat
2016 Gatornationals glory
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 19) – Monster Energy driver Brittany Force couldn’t repeat her blockbuster victory in the NHRA Gatornationals, falling in the second-round Sunday at Gainesville Raceway.

Force scored her first professional victory here in 2016, sharing the winner’s circle with John Force Racing teammate Robert Hight, who won in Funny Car.

“It was a tough weekend,” Force said. “We went out early in the second round, and that’s obviously not what we wanted. We wanted to come back here and win this race because we did it last year.” Continue reading Monster Energy driver Brittany Force can’t repeat 2016 Gatornationals glory

Courtney Force, Advance Auto Parts Chevy team looking for consistency after Gatornationals defeat

Courtney Force, Advance Auto Parts Chevy team looking
for consistency after Gatornationals defeat
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 19) – Courtney Force and her Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car team are determined to learn from their first-round exit at the NHRA Gatornationals on Sunday at Gainesville Raceway and then quickly put it in the rear-view mirror.

After qualifying No. 4 with a career-best speed, Force stumbled in the first round of eliminations, falling again to Jim Campbell. Continue reading Courtney Force, Advance Auto Parts Chevy team looking for consistency after Gatornationals defeat

Mopar Racing–Gainesville Wrap-Up

Schumacher Gives Mopar
Third Consecutive Top Fuel Victory
to Start 2017 at NHRA Gatornationals

Mopar-powered Tony Schumacher wins 83rd career Top Fuel event, fifth at Gatornationals
Mopar and Dodge continue early season success with third consecutive Top Fuel win and No. 1 spot to start 2017 season
Matt Hagan in Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, Make-A-Wish Mopar Dodge driver Tommy Johnson Jr. run to semifinals
Mopar and Dodge hold three of top four positions in Funny Car points, top two in Top Fuel
Mike Volkman advances to Super Stock final round with 2000 Chrysler Sebring, claims Dodge Top Finisher honors
Geoffrey Turk qualifies for first Factory Stock Showdown of the year in 2015 Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak
March 19, 2017, (Gainesville, Fla.) – The streak continues. A Mopar-powered Top Fuel dragster raced to the winner’s circle for the third consecutive NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event to start 2017, as eight-time champion Tony Schumacher won the prestigious NHRA Gatornationals for the fifth time in his career. Continue reading Mopar Racing–Gainesville Wrap-Up

PEAK Chevy driver John Force takes Gatornationals, gives John Force Racing 2,500th Funny Car round win

PEAK Chevy driver John Force takes Gatornationals, gives John Force Racing 2,500th Funny Car round win
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 19) – He may have been serenading the tune “Singin’ in the Rain,” but John Force was winning under the Florida sunshine Sunday in a perfectly-tuned PEAK Motor Oil and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car.

The 16-time NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series champion earned his record-extending 148th career victory and eighth in the NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. Force defeated rookie Jonnie Lindberg – competing in his first Funny Car race – in a solid final-round matchup, giving John Force Racing its first victory of 2017 and first since last year’s fall race at Las Vegas. Continue reading PEAK Chevy driver John Force takes Gatornationals, gives John Force Racing 2,500th Funny Car round win

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Phoenix Post Race

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
CAMPING WORLD 500
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER RACE NOTES & QUOTES
MARCH 19, 2017

RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 GRAINGER CHEVROLET SS – Race Winner:
IN THE DESERT, THE DROUGHT COMES TO AN END FOR RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING AND RYAN NEWMAN. HOW GOOD DOES IT FEEL TO BE BACK HERE IN VICTORY LANE?
“I’ve lost count; that’s how long it’s been. I’ve got to thank Grainger, Caterpillar, Coca-Cola, Monster Energy, for supporting our series, and Chevrolet. The list goes on and on. What a gutsy call by (crew chief) Luke (Lambert). I called for two tires and he called for none. I’ve won more races no tires than I have with four. I’m just proud of these guys. We had a good car all day. We kept it out of trouble and collected in the end.”

A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO YOU USED UP KYLE LARSON TO MAKE THE CHASE. WERE YOU THINKING ABOUT THAT AT ALL AS HE WAS CHASING YOU DOWN?
“Trust me, I went into (Turn) 3 looking at my mirror. I knew he was down there; but it took my car forever to get going. I’m spent, man. I had the chills on lap 150. I’m done.”

Chevy Racing–NHRA–Gainesville Post Race Wrapup

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE RACEWAY AT GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA
SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2017

Chevrolet Records Funny Car, Pro Stock, Factory Showdown Wins

• John Force adds to illustrious career with 148th Funny Car victory
• The No. 1 qualifier provides 2,500th round win for John Force Racing
• Shane Gray continues Chevrolet mastery of Pro Stock with victory
• David Barton earns SAM Tech Factory Showdown win in COPO Camaro

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 19, 2017) – It was a big day for Chevrolet Camaro drivers and teams at the sun-drenched 48th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NHRA–Gainesville Post Race Wrapup

Chevy Racing–NHRA–Gainesville Post Race Quotes

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE RACEWAY AT GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA
POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES
SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2017

JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK COOLANT & MOTOR OIL/REPUBLIC SERVICES CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier; 148th career Funny Car win; eighth Gatornationals victory and first since 2001):

Q: WHAT DOES THE SONG OF VICTORY SOUND LIKE?

JOHN FORCE: “(Teammate) Robert Hight fixed my old hotrod; he fixed me on the throttle. I should have listened to him earlier. “We’re going to do some damage this year. We have the heart.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NHRA–Gainesville Post Race Quotes

After super-fast start, two-time series champ Erica Enders exits Gatornat’ls in Round 2

After super-fast start, two-time series champ Erica Enders exits Gatornat’ls in Round 2
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 19) — Erica Enders flashed the form that made her a two-time Pro Stock champion this weekend at the 48th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, qualifying a lofty third in the field and zooming to a convincing first-round win Sunday morning. But the fun stopped there as her Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro over-powered the racetrack in Round 2, sending
her packing.

“You never want to lose a single round,” she said. “That’s just how racers are wired. But I think when we take a step back and look at the progress we’ve made in the first three races of the year, especially compared to last season, we’ll see we are miles ahead. Continue reading After super-fast start, two-time series champ Erica Enders exits Gatornat’ls in Round 2

John Force Wins Gatornationals!

QUICK FACTS: John Force wins NHRA Gatornationals
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 19) – Quick facts following PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car driver John Force’s victory at the NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway:

Force has an NHRA-record 148 victories in his career
The Gainesville win came in Force’s 248th career final round
Force scored his 1,269th career round victory in the final round
The victory was the 248th Funny Car win for John Force Racing
The victory was the 251st overall win for John Force Racing (248 Funny Car, three Top Fuel)
Force’s final-round win was the 2,500th Funny Car round win for John Force Racing
Force has advanced to the final round of the NHRA Gatornationals 13 times, winning eight times (1992-1996, 1999, 2001, 2017)
Force’s record in elimination rounds for the NHRA Gatornationals is 62-31
Force has been the No. 1 qualifier for the NHRA Gatornationals seven times
Force has won the NHRA Gatornationals four times from the No. 1 qualifying spot (1992, 1995, 2001, 2017)

RCR- Phoenix Post Race

Late-Race Incident Spoils Strong Run for Austin Dillon and the Rheem Team at Phoenix Raceway

“The No. 00 car just overdrove the corner, missed the corner and took me out with him. It sucks. It was a hard hit. The Rheem Chevy was pretty solid all day. We decided to take two tires on the last pit stop and we probably weren’t as fast as we had been all day, but when you’re taken out of a race at the end under those circumstances it just makes your day worse. Our pit crew had a great day. They did an awesome job and I am proud of their effort. It will be a good year. I was asked to the NASCAR trailer after the race because they believe I retaliated against the 00 car. I don’t think it will be that bad, though. We’ll probably just enjoy an ice cold Coca-Cola together and discuss things.”
– Austin Dillon

Ty Dillon and the Bass Pro Shops Team Rally to Top-10 Finish After Battling with a Tight-Handling Chevrolet Camaro

“Today was a trying day for our No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet team. We were way too loose in qualifying and ended up over-adjusting the car to start the race. I took off really tight from the drop of the green flag, and we didn’t have an opportunity to make changes until the end of the first stage. Crew chief Matt Swiderski made good chassis and air pressure adjustments to loosen me up, but we still struggled with takeoff on every restart. With so many cautions there at the end, it was hard to make any advances through the field. We really needed some longer green-flag runs. But, my team rallied and we were able to finish in the top 10. We’ll take what we learned here and turn our focus to next week.”

– Ty Dillon

Daniel Hemric Battles Through Adversity to Earn Top-10 Finish at Phoenix Raceway

“I’m really proud of all of these guys on this No. 21 Blue Gate Bank Chevrolet Camaro team. We just battled. We faced some circumstances we didn’t foresee in qualifying and never got to make a lap. We started in the back, but the car was really good on that first long green-flag run and we got ourselves some track position. We just struggled on pit road today and lost a good bit of spots. We’ll have days like that. We’ll go back, learn from it and regroup. Crew chief Danny Stockman made a great call to take no fuel on our final stop of the day. That allowed us to be aggressive on the restarts, and that’s what the race came down to in the end. I’m proud of the fight. I’m proud of how hard we’ve come all weekend, and now it’s on to Fontana.”

– Daniel Hemric

Brandon Jones Finishes 15th After Driving From the Back at Phoenix Raceway

“The team worked really hard all weekend long on our No. 33 Chevy Truck Month Chevrolet Camaro and we got a decent finish out of it. The handling improved a lot during the race from where it was during practice, but unfortunately our short run was not as strong as we needed it to be. We did well at the drop of the green flag and I was able to climb up from the back since we didn’t get a chance to qualify. Those cautions at the end of the race just sent us a little too far backward. It wasn’t the finish we deserved, but it was an improvement. I’m proud of the support from Chevrolet and all my guys on the No. 33 team.”

– Brandon Jones

Early Racing Incident Results in 27th-Place Finish at Phoenix Raceway for Brendan Gaughan

“Not the day we wanted for our South Point Hotel and Casino Chevrolet. I’m one of those eternal optimists. The way I look at things is that we battled back from three laps down, and we were in sight of the lucky dog at the end. That’s hard racing and great work by the boys on pit road. I learned the hard way today that you have to know who you can race around. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have messed with the No. 19 car like that. He has seen some things on TV and doesn’t know how to do it yet. He has a lot to learn. I’m proud of what our team accomplished and we will lick our wounds and move on to Auto Club Speedway.”

– Brendan Gaughan

Two-time Pro Mod champ Troy Coughlin off to a great start at historic Gatornationals

Two-time Pro Mod champ Troy Coughlin off
to a great start at historic Gatornationals
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 18) — The 2017 J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series is off to a perfect start for Troy Coughlin. The two-time world champion already has an elimination-round win under his belt and is braced to put even more distance between himself and longtime friendly rival “Tricky Rickie” Smith, who lost in Saturday’s opening round of eliminations.

“It’s always nice to get that first elimination-round win of the season,” Coughlin said. “We go a long time between the Las Vegas race at the start of November to the Gatornationals in mid-March without racing so it feels good to get back in the car and win the first match-up of the new season.” Continue reading Two-time Pro Mod champ Troy Coughlin off to a great start at historic Gatornationals

Gatornationals success: Auto Club driver Robert Hight reaches season-best No. 2 qualifying spot

Gatornationals success: Auto Club driver Robert Hight reaches season-best No. 2 qualifying spot
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 18) – Defending NHRA Gatornationals Funny Car winner Robert Hight is in a terrific spot to retain his race title and return to winner’s circle in the 48th edition of one of NHRA’s most prestigious races.

Hight set a mark of 3.844 seconds at 331.61 mph in his Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS, strong enough for the No. 2 spot in Sunday’s race. He also had passes of 3.885 and 3.868 seconds, and all three of those passes reached speeds in excess of 330 mph. Continue reading Gatornationals success: Auto Club driver Robert Hight reaches season-best No. 2 qualifying spot

Career-best speed propels Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force to No. 4 spot in Gainesville

Career-best speed propels Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force to No. 4 spot in Gainesville

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 18) – Even with John Force Racing teammates qualifying 1-2 in Funny Car, Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS driver Courtney Force was able to make her mark on qualifying for the NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

Force snared the No. 4 qualifying spot with a pass of 3.860 seconds at 333.25 mph. The speed was a Gainesville Raceway record and a career-best for the 28-year-old from Yorba Linda, Calif. Continue reading Career-best speed propels Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force to No. 4 spot in Gainesville

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