Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Corvette C7.Rs in the Thick of GTLM Fight

CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Corvette C7.Rs in the Thick of GTLM Fight
Saturday victory would be 10th in class at Sebring for Corvette Racing

Garcia fifth, Milner sixth in ultra-tight GTLM qualifying
Corvette Racing going for fifth consecutive Triple Crown victory
Action Express Racing Corvette DPs fill out second row of Prototype grid

SEBRING, Fla. (March 18, 2016) – Corvette Racing will find itself right in the middle of another victory in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida on Saturday following GT Le Mans qualifying session. After finishing 1-2 in class to open the 2016 season in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the team’s two Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs were part of a tight fight in the class Friday with all 10 cars within 0.768 seconds.

Antonio Garcia, part of last year’s Sebring-winning lineup in the No. 3 Corvette C7.R, qualified fifth with a best lap of 1:58.856 (113.280 mph). Right behind was Tommy Milner with a 1:58.878 (113.259 mph) in the No. 4 Corvette C7.R, which was the class-winning car at the Rolex 24.

Corvette Racing is aiming for its 10th class win at Sebring and third in four seasons. The team also has won four straight events as part of sports car racing’s Triple Crown: the 2015 Rolex 24, Sebring 12 Hours and 24 Hours of Le Mans plus this year at Daytona.

Milner, Oliver Gavin and Marcel Fässler are back together after winning the Rolex 24 by 0.034 seconds in a 1-2 finish for Corvette Racing. Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Mike Rockenfeller are sharing the sister Corvette. Things remain razor-thin between the two Corvettes with only 0.022 seconds separating them on their best qualifying laps.

Between the six Corvette Racing drivers, the group has 13 class victories. Gavin has five wins, Magnussen four, Garcia two, and Milner and Fässler one each; the latter’s was an overall win 2013. Magnussen and Garcia were part of the winning lineup a year ago.

The Corvette brand has long been a force at Sebring since its racing debut 60 years ago. Of Chevrolet’s 27 class victories in America’s oldest sports car race, 22 have been by a production-based Corvette including nine for Corvette Racing since 2001. In all, Corvette Racing has 98 victories worldwide.

Cameron Leads Corvette DP Qualifying Efforts
Action Express Racing paced the Corvette Daytona Prototype contingent in Prototype qualifying Friday as Chevrolet power goes for its second straight overall Sebring victory. Dane Cameron qualified third at 1:51.943 (120.275 mph) in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering/Team Fox Corvette DP that he will drive with Eric Curran and Scott Pruett.

Cameron was 0.262 seconds quicker than reigning Sebring co-champion Christian Fittipaldi in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette DP. He set a lap of 1:52.205 (119.995 mph) in the Corvette DP he will share with Joao Barbosa (with whom he won Sebring in 2015), Felipe Albuquerque and Pruett.

Marc Goossens will start behind Fittipaldi in Visit Florida Racing’s No. 90 VisitFlorida.com Corvette DP after a 1:53.185 (118.956 mph), with Rubens Barrichello lining up behind Goossens in Wayne Taylor Racing’s No. 10 Konica Minolta Corvette DP.

The 64th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is set for 10:40 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 19. It will air on FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Sports Go. Live audio coverage from IMSA Radio is available on IMSA.com.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – QUALIFIED FIFTH IN GTLM: “(The times in qualifying) open up the race for everybody. We are all in six or seven tenths, at least the majority of us. Except for the first two cars, the rest of us are within three tenths. It is a classic, tight GTLM grid. It was difficult to judge what the track would be like in qualifying. It’s way different from this morning definitely. Based on how everything went in practice and how the car was, I think we are in good shape. I wouldn’t say I had a clean run at all, so looking back at how we did in practice and how the car behaved there, we just need to look at how good the car will be in the race. We just need to look and analyze how the car is and see if we can get anything toward the race, but if not, I still think we are pretty good.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – QUALIFIED SIXTH IN GTLM: “That is kind of where we sort of expected to be. From testing here we thought we had good race cars. We made some changes since we’ve been here this week. The conditions are different so we have adjusted to that, and you see that the two cars are within a couple hundredths of each other. We are all pretty equal. I think coming in here we kind of knew we weren’t going to get on pole, but we always have great race cars. This track is really rough. There are lots of new cars in the class. We just need to keep our nose clean and just be there at the end. We will come away with good points no matter what. If it rains, everything else might change.”

DANE CAMERON, ACTION EXPRESS RACING NO. 31 WHELEN ENGINEERING/TEAM FOX CORVETTE DP – QUALFIED THIRD IN PROTOTYPE: “Some days all you do is be the best of what you are. That is what we did today and we are quite happy with that. I think we have a really good race car. Track conditions at Sebring change so fast with the weather and the amount of cars in other series that are running here. After the Continental Tire race the track was really different so I wasn’t quite as happy with the car as I was in the morning…but the car is still very good, and very well-prepared for the race. We are starting in third, up near the front and down on the inside so it will be a good view going into Turn One. It is going to be a long 12 hours tomorrow but the Action Express boys have us well prepared.”

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Auto Club Speedway–Austin Dillon

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 18, 2016

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 AMERICAN ETHANOL CHEVROLET SS met with media and discussed the team’s positive progress this year, the new race package, and more. Full Transcript:

YOU’VE HAD A GOOD START TO THE SEASON WITH THREE TOP 10’S AND AN 11TH PLACE IN THE FIRST FOUR RACES. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS COMING INTO THIS WEEKEND’S RACE IN FONTANA?
‘The biggest thing is to just to keep it rolling. We did that this first practice. I was proud of the guys. We kept getting better every run. I’m excited. We’ve got a really fast car. Hopefully we can back it up this evening in Qualifying.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Auto Club Speedway–Austin Dillon →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Auto Club Speedway–Kyle Larson

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 18, 2016

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Auto Club Speedway and discussed his progress thus far this season, how the new rules package has affected his driving style and many other topics. Full Transcript:

ON PRACTICE AND THE FEEL OF THE CAR:
“All of Cup practice we spent in qualifying trim there. We ended up fifth that was because we were one of the first cars out there in qualifying trim, the track had more grip and all that. I thought we struggled a little bit there in practice to try and get the right feel. Both ends were quite a bit different feel wise for me. (Turns) 1 and 2 would be close and then we would get down to (Turns) 3 and 4 and be terrible. Then we got 1 and 2 better and we were still too tight in 3 and 4. Then finally we got too loose in 1 and 2 and were okay in 3 and 4. So, we tried getting the balance better throughout all of practice. There at the very end I changed up a little bit of what I was doing and thought we gained a little bit more speed, but still we were a couple of tenths off. We will probably still qualify good here in a little bit. In Xfinity practice there obviously Kyle Busch is really fast, but I thought once he fell off we were just as good, if not better than him. It’s a track I like a lot. That run we had in 2014 was really good in both races. Hopefully, we can come here tomorrow and Sunday and do just a little bit better than we did in 2014.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Auto Club Speedway–Kyle Larson →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Auto Club Speedway–Kevin Harvick

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 18, 2016

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 JIMMY JOHN’S CHEVROLET SS met with media and discussed the new downforce package, his approach to the Fontana track this weekend, the upcoming break this week in the schedule, and more. Full Transcript:

TALK ABOUT THE PHOENIX RACE AND HOW THAT PLAYED OUT. HAVE YOU WATCHED IT ON TV SINCE THEN?
“Yeah, I’ve definitely seen it. And obviously, you wonder how things that play out like that actually happen. But now that I know more of the situation and how the guys behind us obviously had tires and we were more of a defensive position than I have asked about or was told. At that point, it really didn’t matter. So, it wound up being a great finish. We had a great car. We had the dominant car for the last 150 laps, or so. And it wound-up being really close with the strategy call. But, I think in the end, that’s really what the soft tires and low downforce and when you pit, you want it to matter and make a decision to see the strategies play out. In the end it was a great day and I’m glad to get the win out of the way.”

CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE OF THE NEW DOWNFORCE PACKAGE SO FAR THIS YEAR, AND TELL US WHAT YOU THINK THE RACING WILL BE LIKE THIS WEEKEND IN FONTANA? HOW HAS THE PACKAGE IMPACTED THE RACING?
“As a driver, especially last week; when you look at myself and Dale (Earnhardt) Jr., and you look at the way you could go through traffic, it seems like the cars were affected a lot less by the aero push and being around each other. They seemed a lot less dependent on where you are in the field. Obviously they are still not going to be as good as they were if you were the lead car, but I think we’ve definitely made some headway. I think there’s obviously a lot of notes that have been gathered and from a driver’s standpoint, I think this is the race we’ve all been looking forward to the most just because of the fact that you have some high speeds and lots of racing lanes and the cars are going to slide all over the place. So, it’s definitely a weekend that we’re all looking forward to. This has probably been one of our better races over the past several years, so it’s going to be a fun weekend.”

THIS TRACK HAS SEAMS THAT AREN’T AT MOST TRACKS. HOW DO YOU ATTACK THE SEAMS? DO YOU TRY TO STAY IN BETWEEN THEM? DO YOU PUT YOUR TIRES IN BETWEEN THEM? AND, WHAT IS THE PENALTY WHEN YOU CROSS ONE ON A RESTART OR IN A RACING SITUATION?
“A lot of it just depends on how this particular package reacts to where the groove is going to go; straight to the wall….the left side is going to lay a lot of rubber. I was watching the race from 2011 and the left sides would actually keep the race track clean. So, right on the seams seemed to be pretty good because the race track was cleaner there. So, you just have to see how the race track rubbers-up. With this particular tire, the hardest part about the seams is just getting hung on one. That’s really what you don’t want to do. You want to have the tires just below or just above it and split it. But, if you have the tire right-on, it just grabs it like glue and it goes in the direction that you don’t really want to go in. So, you definitely have to try to split the seams and be off of it with the tire itself in order to make time.”

AFTER THE END OF THIS WEEKEND WE WILL HAVE FIVE RACES IN THE BOOKS. IS IT GOOD FOR TEAMS TO BE ABLE TO GO AND REGROUP? HOW WILL THAT HELP YOUR TEAM GOING FORWARD TO EVALUATE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE AND CONTINUE WITH THE SEASON?
“I think it’s definitely good for everybody to have a chance to recharge their batteries. The West Coast swing is hard and everybody as I’m sure a lot of you guys know. Just the travel and the way that the schedule is now you either have to stay out here or you are traveling back and forth. So, you are going back and forth in between time zones, but the logistics of the race cars are the hard part because there are six race cars that have to be prepared and ready to go when you take off from Atlanta. These aren’t any of the race cars that you can basically race at Atlanta. I guess you could race them here (at Auto Club Speedway), but you basically have to have 10 race cars ready because you have to go to Daytona. Probably 12 because you’ve got to go to the Shootout (Sprint Unlimited), so you’ve got to go to the Shootout, you’ve got to go to Daytona, you’ve got to go to Atlanta and you have to have everything ready for your West Coast swing. You are looking at 10 or 12 race cars that have to be prepared at the beginning of the year way in advance. Then the logistics of getting everything out and getting hundreds of people back and forth across the country wears on everybody. It will be a much needed break in order to kind of get into the meat of the season to not have to stay out west and do the things that it takes to run this West Coast swing.”

HOW MUCH DIFFERENCE DOES THE SPEED AND THE LAYOUT MAKE AS FAR AS LIFTING GOING INTO THE TURNS OR ARE YOU REALLY NOT GOING TO HAVE TO? HOW IS THAT GOING TO PLAY INTO THIS WHOLE PACKAGE?
“Oh you are going to have to lift a lot. You are probably going to have three seconds of fall off, maybe more, as you go through the run because the tires just fall off so fast. You are going to have a lot of straightaway speed because of the low drag, so yeah, there is definitely going to be a lot of off throttle time. I think the amount of time is going to change dramatically from the first lap to lap 30. It’s going to be a huge pace swing.”

RON HORNADAY WON A CHAMPIONSHIP FOR YOU GUYS WHEN YOU WERE A TEAM OWNER. HE IS ON THE LIST OF 25 NOMINEES FOR THE NASCAR HALL OF FAME THIS YEAR. WHAT DID HE MEAN TO YOUR ORGANIZATION WHEN YOU GUYS HIRED HIM AND BROUGHT HIM IN?
“I’ve known Ron (Hornaday) a long time. For me Ron was kind of one of my racing heroes as I grew up watching him race at Mesa Marin and in the Southwest Tour up and down the state. He has been very successful at what he has done. He did a lot of that on his own to start with. Obviously, he wound up with DEI (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.). I think as you look at where we were as a company he brought a lot of… he made our company legitimate from a racing standpoint. Because you brought in a champion, a winner and he continued to win. We won a couple of championships with Ron there. I think we won 40 or 50 Truck Series races. I think as you look at what he brought, he brought that instant approval of a winner and a proven champion and proven winner in himself. We knew we just had to get our stuff right and we were able to be successful together. I was fun to see him be successful at the end of his career.”

WILL YOU AND YOUR TEAM SET UP THE CLOCK SUNDAY NIGHT TO SEE WHAT YOUR SISTER TEAM IS DOING IN F1 IN AUSTRALIA?
“Man, that time change is so much different. I was watching the Twitter feed and they were out there practicing and doing all the sliding into the gravel pit, I saw one time. We are definitely keeping up with it. It will definitely probably be on the DVR though. I don’t think it will be live. We will definitely be watching.”

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Auto Club Speedway–Brian Vickers

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 18, 2016

BRIAN VICKERS, NO. 14 JANSSEN ARNIE’S ARMY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Auto Club Speedway and discussed his battle with blood clots, driving the No. 14 Chevrolet SS at Martinsville and beyond and many other topics. Full Transcript:

CAN YOU SHARE YOU’RE FEELINGS BEING HERE LAST YEAR AND GETTING OUT OF THE CAR AND HOW YOU FEEL GETTING INTO THE CAR THIS WEEKEND:
“I’m glad I made it to the stage this time in a firesuit. It has been a challenging five or six years for me. As many of you know. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, in a weird way I’m very thankful for those experiences. I’ve grown a lot as a person and a lot of good things have come from it. The opportunity to raise awareness as we discussed up here, on an issue… I was lucky to win my battle with blood clots, many people are not. The first time I went I was misdiagnosed as well. They felt I had pneumonia. I was taking antibiotics. Luckily I stuck around to find out that wasn’t the case because that would have been really bad if I had left the hospital. I understand exactly very much what we are talking about. It’s a serious issue. It’s interesting when it first happened to me I had so many people, fans and crew members and truck drivers that came up to me and said they have had or do have blood clots and they are on this medication or that. It’s interesting that story just kind of keeps coming to me. I didn’t know a single person before I had my first blood clot that has blood clots. Then all of a sudden I had my first blood clot and I knew all these people that had blood clots. They just never told me. No one ever really talked about it. It was so interesting. Now I feel like because of what we have done here and what we have been doing for the last three years, more and more people are talking about it. More and more people are discussing it amongst themselves and with other people and it really does make a difference. I’m really proud of that. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Auto Club Speedway–Brian Vickers →

John Force Racing

John Force Racing–LAURIE FORCE HONORED WITH PAT GARLITS MEMORIAL AWARD

LAURIE FORCE HONORED WITH PAT GARLITS MEMORIAL AWARD

GAINESVILLE, FL (March 17, 2016) — During the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame banquet tonight Laurie Force was honored with the Pat Garlits Memorial Award presented by Mopar. Force, the wife of 16-time Funny Car champion John Force and mother to NHRA standouts Ashley Force Hood, Brittany Force and Courtney Force, has been a fixture on the drag racing scene for over four decades. The award was presented in recognition of Force’s presence behind a drag racing dynasty whose dedication and passion embodies the spirit of Pat Garlits while also being the ever patient wife of 16-time champion John Force.

“In the early days Laurie wrote my first contracts, mixed fuel and backed the race car up. She was with me from the beginning and there is no doubt I would not be where I am today without the support and love of Laurie,” said a proud John Force during the ceremony.

Named in honor of Don “Big Daddy” Garlits’s late wife the Pat Garlits Memorial Award was first presented in 2014 to Barbara Hamilton, the first woman licensed by NHRA to drive supercharged cars in 1964. Joan Gwynn was honored in 2015 for her contributions to the drag racing community as a supportive wife of 57 years to drag racing legend Jerry Gwynn, mother to racer Darrell Gwynn, as well as her charitable work with the Darrell Gwynn Foundation, and especially her involved with the Drag Racing Association of Women (D.R.A.W.) which has helped injured drag racers and their families for more than 30 years.

Pat Garlits passed away in February of 2014. She was beside her husband Don Garlits as he amassed too many awards to count and set more records than any drag racer in history. The legendary racer and innovator claimed that no matter the awards and accolades he received over his career the best day of his life was when he saw Patricia Louise Bieger for the first time in 1952. The couple was married for over 60 years and Garlits was faithfully by her side until the end of her life.

“She loved her man with all her heart, body and soul and never thought of anyone else but him. She was at dad’s side through every win, loss, crash, you name it, she was there,” said daughter Donna in Pat’s moving obituary.

During the ceremony the following tribute video produced by Ashley Force Hood and including interviews with Ashley, Brittany Force, Courtney Force and John Force was shown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbf-RiN5Y8s&feature=youtu.be

World of Outlaws

World of Outlaws–At A Glance: Outlaws Continue Battle with California Crew at Stockton

At A Glance: Outlaws Continue Battle with California Crew at Stockton
The Series takes on the Stockton Dirt Track for the FVP Western Spring Shootout at the Stockton Dirt Track on March 18 and 19
CONCORD, N.C. – March 16, 2016 – The World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series continues its month-long battle with the California crew this weekend as it takes on the Stockton (Calif.) Dirt Track on Friday and Saturday, March 18 and 19. Continue reading World of Outlaws–At A Glance: Outlaws Continue Battle with California Crew at Stockton →

Wood Brothers

Wood Brothers Racing–Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team Head to Auto Club Down One Man

Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team Head to Auto Club Down One Man

March 16, 2016

Ryan Blaney and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team head into Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., without the services of the team’s longest-serving road crew member other than those related to the Wood Brothers.

Michael “Andretti” Smith tore his bicep muscle loose from his shoulder and fifty percent apart from his elbow while trying to hold a full can of gasoline out over the wall during a pit stop at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Smith was able to continue his role on the Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew for the remainder of that race, since the remaining stops that day required only one can of fuel, which he was able to hand over to the gas man despite the injury and the pain. Continue reading Wood Brothers Racing–Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team Head to Auto Club Down One Man →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–Gatornationals

CHEVROLET AT GAINESVILLE

What:
47th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
When:
Friday, March 18-Sunday, March 20
Where:
Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Florida
TV:
FS1: Qualifying – 9 p.m. ET, Friday (taped highlights)
FS1: Qualifying – 6:30 p.m. ET, Saturday (taped highlights)
FS1: Eliminations and finals – 1 p.m. ET, Sunday (live)

Chevrolet Heads to Florida Ready for Competition at Gatornationals
Drivers poised for success in third round of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series at historic Gainesville Raceway

DETROIT (March 16, 2016) – Chevrolet seeks to carry momentum gained from the first two events of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) season to the East Coast this weekend at the 47th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. Continue reading Chevy Racing–Gatornationals →

John Force Racing

JOHN FORCE STILL CHASING DREAM OF GATORNATIONALS GREATNESS

JOHN FORCE STILL CHASING DREAM OF GATORNATIONALS GREATNESS

GAINESVILLE, FL (March 16, 2016) — John Force made his first trip to the historic Gatornationals in 1979. The upstart driver was the No. 17 qualifier and was on the outside looking in but when the No. 14 driver could not make the call Force was able to race on Sunday. There would be no Cinderella story for the SoCal racer as he was quickly dispatched by one of his racing heroes Tom “Mongoose” McEwen in the first round.

“Just to be beat up by Mongoose, the people you dreamed to be like, that was unimaginable. The dream wasn’t winning it was just qualifying. I was lucky if I could make the show. If you got in the show you got picked off in the first round. The dream was there to someday win it. I went to Florida and the only place I had ever seen an alligator was a zoo. I looked out the window at a media event and then there was an alligator walking around outside. It freaked me out,” recalled Force nearly forty year later. Continue reading JOHN FORCE STILL CHASING DREAM OF GATORNATIONALS GREATNESS →

Chevrolet Racing

CORVETTE DPs AT SEBRING: Another Podium Sweep in the Works?

CORVETTE DPs AT SEBRING: Another Podium Sweep in the Works?
1-2-3 finish in 2015 capped Chevrolet’s first overall victory at Sebring in 50 years

· Barbosa, Fittipaldi and Action Express Racing defending race winners

· Wayne Taylor Racing, Visit Florida Racing started 2016 with Rolex 24 podiums

· Thirty victories for Corvette DP program since launch in 2012

DETROIT (March 16, 2016) – Corvette Daytona Prototype teams return to Florida this weekend for another chance at history as part of the 64th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida. Recreating the magic from last year’s race will be top of mind for the four Corvette DP teams entered as they try to put Chevrolet on the top of the podium for the second straight season. Continue reading CORVETTE DPs AT SEBRING: Another Podium Sweep in the Works? →

Erica Enders

Pro Stock champion Erica Enders chases first Gatornationals victory

Pro Stock champion Erica Enders chases first Gatornationals victory
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 15) — Elite Motorsports/Mopar Dodge driver Erica Enders has already amassed an impressive résumé in her illustrious career, from winning back-to-back Pro Stock championships in 2014-15 to going to victory lane 21 times, including at the prestigious U.S. Nationals last season.

A win at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals has eluded her so far, but she gets another chance at victory this weekend at Gainesville Raceway.

“It would be really cool to get a Wally at the Gators,” Enders said. “I’ve been to the finals twice and haven’t won yet, but I really want to win there. It’s a tall order right now, but we’ll certainly go in with a positive attitude and a winning mentality. You never know what could happen.”

Enders raced to the final round in Gainesville early in her Pro Stock career, losing to Tom Martino in 2006. She also reached the Gatornationals final in 2014, her first season with Elite, before falling to Allen Johnson.

Her tenure at Elite has netted two championships and 15 victories, including nine last year (a single-season record for women).

A switch to Dodge, compounded by NHRA-mandated changes to fuel-injected engines, has put Enders and her Elite team in development mode early in 2016, but improvements are coming.

“All of the new changes are a huge challenge,” Enders said. “We haven’t quite gotten a handle on it yet, but our test session was very productive. We feel like we learned a bunch and we have it pointed in the right direction now. Time will tell, but it definitely was encouraging.”

Enders tested this week at Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park — not far from Elite’s headquarters in Wynnewood, Okla. — as crew chiefs Rick and Rickie Jones continue to fine-tune the new Dodge Dart.

“We’ll keep working on our race car, we’ll keep getting better,” Enders said. “It would be awesome to have a Gatornationals trophy. It’s one of the most prestigious races on the tour, and there’s a lot of history there. It’s one of my favorite races. We’ll go do our best and let God do the rest.”

Chevrolet Racing

CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Speeding Toward More History

CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Speeding Toward More History
Corvette Racing with nine Sebring class wins and last four Triple Crown victories

First event for Corvette Racing since dynamic 1-2 finish at Daytona
Garcia, Magnussen part of GT Le Mans-winning Corvette in 2015
This year’s Sebring marks the 60th anniversary race for Corvette brand

DETROIT (March 15, 2016) – Sebring and Corvette. They go together like America and apple pie. In fact, they have for 60 years now – America’s longest-running endurance race and America’s sports car. The relationship continues in 2016 as Corvette Racing returns to Sebring International Raceway for this weekend’s 64th annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida.

Corvette Racing is the defending winner in IMSA’s GT Le Mans class. It was the second leg of a Triple Crown season for the team, which became the first in 15 years to win the world’s three biggest endurance races in the same year: Sebring, the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Continue reading CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Speeding Toward More History →

Casey Currie

Casey Currie Gets a Top 3 Finish at the Mint 400

Casey Currie Gets a Top 3 Finish at the Mint 400
CORONA, California (March 15, 2016) – Last weekend, Casey headed out to Las Vegas for the Great American Off Road Race, the Best in the Desert Mint 400. It was a family affair with Casey running with his uncle, John Currie – and the Currie family showed up strong finishing with a podium finish. They had a fast vehicle all day, but had to overcome some adversity and push hard to the finish, but with great team work and Casey’s talented driving, he was able to bring home a 3rd place in this grueling race.

It all kicked off Thursday night on Fremont street with the Driver Meet & Greet on Fremont Street. As always, Casey had quite a presence with his Jeep and team on full display. The next day was tech and contingency in Las Vegas, then he headed down to Stateline, Primm, Nevada to get setup for an early morning race. He knew that his Hammers Jeep was in great running condition and ready to take on the race at daybreak.

It was 4am when Casey and his team started lining and warming up for the race. At 6 am the green flag dropped and he was off. Casey’s King of the Hammers Jeep stayed up front the whole race until he had a front end mechanical fail that caused him to lose over 45 minutes while he limped the Jeep back to his pit and had his team fix the issue with the spare they had available. Once Casey was back up and running he was determined to make back the front. And he almost did. Casey was able to push hard and reduced the 45-minute deficit to only 5 coming in third after an incredible final drive.

After the race, Casey said, “That was an incredible day of racing – to be up front all day until we had a mechanical issue, then to lose 45 minutes to fix it and race back to finish 3rd only 5 minutes behind the leader was quite an accomplishment. Also, to do this with my dad and uncle always makes this special. But a big thanks to my sponsors, especially BFG for taking care of my main pit, and my on-point team. It was their help that put me back in a position to gain all that time back and take third. This was a team effort and I can’t wait for the Mint 400 2017!”

Casey is back into full race mode now. With King of the Hammers, and the Mint 400 under his belt, he heads to the first rounds of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series in Chandler, Arizona on March 19th and 20th. Then it is a fast turnaround as he heads north from Arizona to beautiful Moab, Utah for the 50th anniversary of Easter Jeep Safari.

Uncategorized

Allen Johnson — Gatornationals Preview

ALLEN JOHNSON
MARATHON PETROLEUM CO./J&J RACING DODGE DART
EVENT PREVIEW: 47th ANNAUL AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE RACEWAY
MARCH 18-20, 2016

Allen Johnson Taking East Coast Race Debut As Clean Slate

GREENEVILLE, T.N. (February 22, 2016) – The debut East Coast race brings Allen Johnson and his Marathon Petroleum Corporation/J&J Racing Dodge Dart GT to Gainesville Raceway this weekend for the 47th annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. With early exits at the first two events of the season, the Marathon team is ready to move forward while learning all they can about the new fuel injection systems and translate it into round wins.

“Gainesville is one of my favorite tracks,” said Johnson. “This race is kind of the coming out race for us on the East Coast and there’s a lot of Pro Stock fans out there.”

Johnson and his team plan to spend several days testing at Brandenton Motorsports Park in Florida before they make the trip to Gainesville.

“We’ve still got a learning curve to go through and get the car a little better with driveability but we’re all working on it as hard as we can. I think three days of testing in Bradenton before Gainesville will be really good.”

Johnson explained that although that he has had many highs at Gainesville Raceway, including wins in 2013 and 2014, his favorite memory would be debuting the Dodge Dart at this event.

“Winning the first race out with the Dart has to be my most favorite memory,” reminisced Johnson. “It was pretty awesome.”

Team Jegs

Team Jegs–NHRA–Gainesville

Team JEGS Pre-race Notes:
Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
Team JEGS Pre-race Notes
Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla. (March 17-20)
Six-time NHRA world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. has returned to the Pro Stock class on a full-time basis in 2016. He is racing a new Rick Jones Race Cars-built Dodge Dart as a member of the Elite Motorsports team.

Jeg Coughlin Jr.
Last season, Coughlin took a breather from the Pro Stock class but returned at midseason for a brief stint with Elite Motorsports. In three events, he raced to a runner-up and a semifinal.
Coughlin is racing as a teammate to two-time NHRA Mello Yello champion Erica Enders. They are both racing Dodge Darts for the Elite team.
The NHRA Pro Stock class has an entirely different look this season thanks to a number of major rules revisions. Electronic fuel injection has replaced carburetors, and as a result the cars will no longer have big hood scoops. Pro Stock engines are now limited to a maximum of 10,500 rpm, and the wheelie-bar length has been shortened.
After the first two events of the season in Pomona, Calif., and Phoenix, Coughlin enters the Gainesville event ranked No. 6 in the NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock points standings.

During his professional career, which began in late 1997, Coughlin has earned 15 top-10 finishes in the NHRA Pro Stock class.
Coughlin is a five-time NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock champion. He earned season titles in 2000, 2002, 2007, 2008, and 2013. As a Sportsman driver, he claimed the NHRA Super Gas championship in 1992.
Coughlin’s best elapsed time in a Pro Stock car is 6.484 seconds and his best speed is 214.62 mph, both recorded in Gainesville in 2014.
During his career, Coughlin has won the Pro Stock title twice in Gainesville. He claimed his first win in 2001 by beating Mark Osborne in the final round and then stopped Jason Line to win his second title in 2008. Coughlin was also a runner-up in Gainesville in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2013.

In 15 career appearances at Gainesville Raceway, Coughlin has a round-win record of 28-12 in Pro Stock competition.

Jeg Coughlin Jr.
In his 15 Gainesville races, Coughlin has qualified in the top half of the Pro Stock field 12 times, including No. 1 at the 1998 event.
Last season, Coughlin accomplished a longtime goal with his first national event double. Racing at the JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals in Columbus, he won the Super Gas and Stock titles. In Stock, he drove a Dodge Challenger Drag Pak to the title.
Including Gainesville Raceway, Coughlin has won at least one NHRA national event at 24 different facilities. The only current venues on the NHRA tour where he has not won are the tracks in Norwalk, Ohio, and Epping, N.H.
Coughlin is one of just 16 professional racers to win 500 elimination rounds in NHRA competition, a feat he accomplished at the 2013 Topeka race. The only other Pro Stock drivers with 500 wins are Warren Johnson, Bob Glidden, and Greg Anderson.
Coughlin is the only driver to win national event titles in seven different categories: Pro Stock, Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Top Dragster.
Coughlin is the only professional racer in history to win a national event title from all 16 starting spots. During his Indy win in 2000, he qualified No. 16.
With 58 career Pro Stock wins, Coughlin ranks fourth all-time among Pro Stock drivers. Only Warren Johnson (97), Bob Glidden (85), and Greg Anderson (79) have won more titles.
In 359 career Pro Stock races, Coughlin has reached the final round 100 times, recording 58 wins. Including his 18 Sportsman victories, he has won a total of 76 times, good for ninth place on NHRA’s all-time wins list. During his career, he has appeared in 124 final rounds, 100 as a professional and 24 as a Sportsman racer.

Troy Coughlin Sr.
During his Pro Stock career, Coughlin has competed in 359 events and recorded 578 round-wins while incurring just 285 losses. He has red-lighted only 20 times and failed to qualify just 16 times.
The Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals will mark the first race in the 10-event 2016 NHRA J&A Services Pro Mod Racing Series. Reigning series champion Troy Coughlin Sr. will begin his title defense behind the wheel of his turbocharged JEGS.com C7 Corvette.

The JEGS.com Pro Mod Corvette is tuned by noted turbocharger expert Steve Petty. With a top speed in excess of 259 mph, Troy is one of the fastest drivers in the Pro Mod class. He has also recorded a personal-best elapsed time of 5.766 seconds.
Last year, Troy won his second NHRA Pro Mod series championship. Although he did not win an event during the season, he managed to come from behind to win the title by 14-points over veteran Mike Janis.

Last season, Troy was one of just three Pro Mod racers, along with Mike Janis and Danny Rowe, who qualified for all 10 events. His best finish was a runner-up in Atlanta.

Troy won his first NHRA national event title at the U.S. Nationals in 1991 when he drove his Pro Stock-style Olds to victory in Super Gas. He defeated Mary Ann Jackson in the final. His first Pro Mod victory came at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in New Jersey in 2005 when he drove his supercharged Mustang to a win over Zach Barklage in the final round.

Troy is one of the few Pro Mod competitors who have raced all three current engine combinations: turbocharged, supercharged, and nitrous-oxide assisted.

Before moving to the Pro Mod class, Troy enjoyed success in the NHRA Pro Stock class, recording two wins in 12 final-round appearances. He also won the $50,000 top prize at the 2000 Winston No Bull Showdown at Bristol Dragway, a special non-points event for Pro Stock competitors.

Troy Coughlin Sr.

All told, Troy has 10 NHRA national event wins in 25 final-round appearances in Pro Mod, Pro Stock, and Super Gas competition.

Troy is a former National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) Pro Street champion. While racing his Pro Street car, he also won the $50,000 Big Dog event at Piedmont Dragway in Greensboro, N.C.
The Coughlin family, including John, Troy, Mike, Jeg Jr., and Troy Jr., has combined for 109 NHRA national event victories since 1990. They have won in 10 different eliminators: Pro Stock, Pro Stock Truck, Pro Mod, Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Top Sportsman, and Top Dragster.

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Reigning world champion Troy Coughlin Sr. ready for his second Pro Mod title defense

Reigning world champion Troy Coughlin Sr. ready for his second Pro Mod title defense
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 14) — For the second time in his wildly successful drag racing career, Troy Coughlin Sr. will defend a hard-earned Pro Mod championship when the NHRA J&A Services Drag Racing Series kicks off at this weekend’s 47th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

Coughlin made a late-season charge to clinch his second Pro Mod title at the final race of the year last October in Las Vegas. The championship matched the one he claimed in 2012, with the two titles bracketing a pair of runner-up finishes. Continue reading Reigning world champion Troy Coughlin Sr. ready for his second Pro Mod title defense →

Honda Racing

Honda Racing– Pirelli World Challenge Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

Pirelli World Challenge Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
1.8-mile temporary street circuit – St. Petersburg, FL
Weather: Sunny, mild, 80 degrees F

Ryan Eversley Paces Acura Results in St. Petersburg with Pair of Top-10 Runs
• Eversley earns third top-10 finish in first four races of 2016 season
• Peter Cunningham earns season-best results with strong late-race efforts
• Sixth-place run on Sunday is best of Pirelli World Challenge Season for Acura TLX-GT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – (March 13, 2016) – The RealTime Racing Team used a pair of powerful Acura TLX-GT machines to overcome some bad luck and post its best results of the young Pirelli World Challenge season Sunday in St. Petersburg, FL.

Ryan Eversley found the key to the race weekend early in qualifying for Saturday’s race. Unfortunately, that key was lodged in his tire, causing a flat that dropped him to 16th on the grid. Driver/owner Peter Cunningham gridded 18th on the tight 1.8-mile St. Petersburg course, but the pair of Acuras was able to take advantage of long green-flag runs to move up to 10th and 13th, respectively, at the finish. More importantly, Eversley posted the sixth-fastest lap time of the race, which enabled him to start Sunday’s race in the top three rows.

“I’m not normally excited to finish 10th in a race, but we started on the second-to-last row and worked our way up through guys that were on the podium at the last event,” said Eversley. “Our car was easy to drive and I didn’t feel like I was abusing the tires or the brakes. I was catching Nissans and Porsches toward the end of the race, and they looked like they were struggling.” Continue reading Honda Racing– Pirelli World Challenge Grand Prix of St. Petersburg →

Gary Scelzi Motorsports

Gary Scelzi Motorsports–Scelzi Earns Career-Best World of Outlaws Result at Thunderbowl

Scelzi Earns Career-Best World of Outlaws Result at Thunderbowl

Inside Line Promotions – TULARE, Calif. (March 14, 2016) – Dominic Scelzi registered his career-best World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series finish at Thunderbowl Raceway last weekend.

Scelzi followed Friday’s rainout by capping the weekend on Saturday with a 13th-place result on the fast oval.

“It wasn’t what we hoped for, but in all reality it was a good night,” he said. “We’re improving every time we hit the track.”

Saturday’s event began with Scelzi qualifying eighth quickest in his group despite going out early on a track that improved throughout time trials.

“The track got faster throughout qualifying,” he said. “We were second quick for a while. As the track got faster we ended up eighth in our group. It was a big confidence boost to lay down a couple of good laps for where we went out.” Continue reading Gary Scelzi Motorsports–Scelzi Earns Career-Best World of Outlaws Result at Thunderbowl →

Wood Brothers

Wood Brothers Racing–Blaney Scores Second-Straight Top-10 With 10th Place Finish At Phoenix

Blaney Scores Second-Straight Top-10 With 10th Place Finish At Phoenix

March 13, 2016

Ryan Blaney and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team backed up their sixth-place finish at Las Vegas a week ago with a 10th place finish in Sunday’s Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

It was the first back-to-back top-10 finish for the Wood Brothers team since Ricky Rudd scored a pair of ninth-place finishes at Kansas and Charlotte in the fall of 2005.

Blaney qualified 12th for the 500-kilometer run at Phoenix, where he’d never before raced a Sprint Cup car.

He stayed inside the top 15 for the majority of the race, and had worked his way into the top 12 when the caution flag flew with six laps remaining.

That set up an overtime finish. The Motorcraft/Quick Lane team opted to pit for fresh right-side tires, and Blaney was able to muscle his way into 10th place at the finish.

“That wasn’t bad,” Blaney said in his post-race comments. “We fought really hard all day. We got a lot better throughout the day.”

“The guys did a great job with two tires at the end. I thought about staying out, but we wouldn’t have been on the first two rows I don’t think so we had to come in and get two. I think it picked us up one spot.

“It was a good day and a good job by everybody on this Motorcraft Quick Lane team and a top-10 car is all I could ask for.”

With his Phoenix finish, Blaney moves from 14th to 12th in the Sprint Cup standings, just 11 points out of the top 10. He also continues to lead what is shaping up to be a tight battle with Chase Elliott for the top spot in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year contest.

For team owner Eddie Wood, watching the rookie Blaney and his rookie crew chief Jeremy Bullins at work is a pleasure.

“I’m just so proud of everyone on this Motorcraft/Quick Lane team,” Wood said. “They backed up their finish from Las Vegas. Ryan did a really good job staying with it all day. I didn’t want to see that last caution come out, but it wound up working out in our favor.”

Wood also is enjoying the rookie contest between the two young drivers.

“I’ve known Ryan and Chase since they were little boys,” he said. “Seeing them race for Sunoco Rookie of the Year is a lot of fun. It looks like it’s going to be a great battle between them from week to week.

“I’m excited to move on to California and do it all again next week.”

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