Monthly Archives: May 2016

World of Outlaws

Gravel Defeats Non-Outlaws in Barn Burner at Tri-State Speedway

Gravel Defeats Non-Outlaws in Barn Burner at Tri-State Speedway
Holds off challenges from Brady Bacon and Parker Price-Miller for second win of the season

HAUBSTADT, Ind. – May 14, 2016 – David Gravel utilized his speed, and a touch of luck, Saturday night as he clawed his way around pole-sitter Kerry Madsen on the opening lap of the feature, then held off another non-Outlaw, Brady Bacon, in the closing laps to score his second World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series victory of the season at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind. Continue reading Gravel Defeats Non-Outlaws in Barn Burner at Tri-State Speedway →

Mopar Racing

Track Record by Beckman Takes Mopar-powered Dodge Charger R/T NHRA Funny Car to No. 1 Spot at Atlanta

Track Record by Beckman Takes Mopar-powered Dodge Charger R/T NHRA Funny Car to No. 1 Spot at Atlanta

· Jack Beckman earns fourth pole of season with track record 3.939-second run at 326.32 mph in his Mopar Dodge Funny Car at 36th annual NHRA Southern Nationals
· Rocky Boots/Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T driver Matt Hagan puts Mopar 1-2 on charts, earns second spot in Funny Car qualifying at Atlanta Dragway
· All four Mopar-powered Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car drivers qualify in top half of field at Atlanta
· Mopar-powered veteran Allen Johnson to start No. 6, lead Mopar Dodge Dart NHRA Pro Stock contingent into race day
· Jeg Coughlin Jr. qualifies “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Jegs.com Dodge Dart in top half of Pro Stock field at No. 8
· Erica Enders No. 10 in Mopar Performance Dodge Dart Pro Stock car Continue reading Track Record by Beckman Takes Mopar-powered Dodge Charger R/T NHRA Funny Car to No. 1 Spot at Atlanta →

Chevrolet Racing

CHEVROLET RACING – NHRA AT ATLANTA

CHEVROLET RACING – NHRA AT ATLANTA
36TH SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NHRA SOUTHERN NATIONALS
ATLANTA DRAGWAY
COMMERCE, GEORGIA
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING RECAP
MAY 14, 2016

Solid Day for Chevrolet Drivers in NHRA Southern Nationals
Greg Anderson leads Chevy top-five sweep of Pro Stock qualifications at Atlanta Dragway

COMMERCE, Ga. (May 14, 2016) – Greg Anderson led a top-five Chevrolet sweep of Pro Stock qualifications for the 36th Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals with his fourth No. 1 qualifier honor of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. Continue reading CHEVROLET RACING – NHRA AT ATLANTA →

Allen Johnson Racing

Marathon Petroleum’s Allen Johnson No. 6 Headed into Raceday at NHRA Southern Nationals

Marathon Petroleum’s Allen Johnson No. 6 Headed into Raceday at NHRA Southern Nationals

COMMERCE, Ga. (May 14, 2016) – Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson qualified No. 6 at the 36th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals. Johnson will have lane choice over Vincent Nobile in the first round of eliminations on Sunday morning.

On Friday’s first session, Johnson started the weekend off with a solid 6.670-second pass at 207.11 mph. Johnson returned for Friday’s night session and improved his qualifying effort with a 6.649, 208.46, putting him in the No. 6 spot and the top half of the field.

Saturday’s hot weather made track conditions tricky but Johnson and the Marathon team were able to get down Atlanta Dragway with a conservative 6.725, 205.76. He came back for the final round of qualifying and crossed the finish line with a 6.687, 207.30.

“You know, we started out good,” said Johnson. “The track got a little challenging today and we didn’t make a good run in Q3 at all. Then, I made some mistakes in my driving in Q4 but we’ve got a good car for tomorrow.”

Johnson will enter into raceday with his choice of lane over Vincent Nobile in the first round. Johnson knows how important lane choice will be on his path to the winner circle this weekend in his Dodge Dart.

“If the track remains how it has been all weekend, lane choice is going to be very important,” he stated. “The lanes look pretty even but tomorrow is supposed to be a lot cooler with cloud cover so anytime you get lane choice tomorrow, it has the potential to be very significant.”

Honda Racing

Honda Drivers Make Their Mark at Grand Prix of Indianapolis

• James Hinchcliffe produces podium finish with third-place run
• Graham Rahal’s charge from the back of the field nets fourth-place finish
• Conor Daly leads 14 laps, finishes sixth, takes rookie lead

James Hinchcliffe continued his rise in the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series Saturday at the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis, taking his Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda to a third-place finish for his first podium result of the season. Continue reading Honda Drivers Make Their Mark at Grand Prix of Indianapolis →

Erica Enders

Two-time champ Erica Enders carries momentum into Atlanta race day

Two-time champ Erica Enders carries momentum into Atlanta race day
ATLANTA (May 14) — Two-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders heads into race day for the 36th annual NHRA Southern Nationals on Sunday at Atlanta Dragway fresh off her best run of the weekend.

Enders, the No. 10 qualifier, made a pass of 6.701 seconds at 206.16 mph in the final qualifying session, giving her and her Elite Motorsports/Mopar Dodge team some momentum heading into final eliminations. Continue reading Two-time champ Erica Enders carries momentum into Atlanta race day →

Jegs Racing

Troy Coughlin Sr. hits a bump in the road in first-round loss in Atlanta

Troy Coughlin Sr. hits a bump in the
road in first-round loss in Atlanta
ATLANTA (May 14) — JEGS.com driver Troy Coughlin Sr. hit a bump in the road — literally — that derailed his shot at winning the NHRA Southern Nationals on Saturday at Atlanta Dragway.

After qualifying No. 2 for the J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series race presented by Pro Line Racing and FuelTech, Coughlin was confident heading into eliminations, but after a fast start in his first-round race with Kevin Fiscus, Coughlin hit a bump on the track that his JEGS.com Corvette didn’t like. Coughlin had to pedal the car, but Fiscus was already past him and heading to the win light. Continue reading Troy Coughlin Sr. hits a bump in the road in first-round loss in Atlanta →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Post Race Quotes

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
HONDA INDY GRAND PRIX OF ALABAMA
BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK (ALABAMA)
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER POST RACE QUOTES
MAY 14, 2016

CHEVY DRIVER POST RACE QUOTES:

SIMON PAGENAUD, NO. 22 MENARDS TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, RACE WINNER: TALK ABOUT THE IN-LAP AND THE OUT-LAP AROUND THE LAST STOP. HOW FAST WAS THAT? “I went faster than any other lap on the in-lap. Kyle Moyer (team manager and car strategist) told me that I had to go. I knew it was going to be the chance to get back in the lead. The pit sequence was so important. With the temperature being so low, it was very difficult on the out-lap to get the tires going. I knew this was my chance so I drove as hard as I could. I drove into pitlane like a rally car so it but worked out! The pit crew did a fantastic job on that stop. That was an easy last stint. Thank you so much! I’m so glad for Menards. They just joined Team Penske. Obviously, Team Penske is the best in the business but having this livery and being the driver of that livery is very special. Thanks to everyone for coming with this weather.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Post Race Quotes →

Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress Racing–Ollies Bargain Outlet 200

Strong, Top-Five Run Derailed at Dover International Speedway for the No. 2 Richmond/Menards Team

“I have to thank my guys for their hard work this weekend in Dover. We had to roll out the backup car after an issue during practice on Friday, and they worked nonstop to get the car ready for final practice. For a backup car, we had a lot of speed during qualifying, and I knew we’d have a shot at a top-five finish. The car was loose, but manageable during the first half of the race and the guys made a track bar adjustment that set us up well for the remaining laps. Not long after pit stops, I felt something break in the right front and had to come down pit road so the guys could determine what happened. Once we got back on track, I think we were nine laps down without many laps left, so we just survived to the end. I know Danny (Stockman, crew chief) and the guys will go back and try to figure out what happened. I’m looking forward to my next race with this Richmond/Menards team in Pocono.”

– Paul Menard Continue reading Richard Childress Racing–Ollies Bargain Outlet 200 →

Jegs Racing

Five-time Pro Stock champ Jeg Coughlin Jr. says progress being made in Elite/Mopar camp

Five-time Pro Stock champ
Jeg Coughlin Jr. says progress
being made in Elite/Mopar camp
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ATLANTA (May 14) — Five-time Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. locked up the
No. 8 qualifying position at this weekend’s 36th annual NHRA Southern Nationals
with a solid Friday night pass of 6.686 seconds at 206.86 mph at Atlanta Dragway.
It’s the fourth time in seven races that Coughlin qualified eighth or better in
the eliminations field.
“The team tested again in Oklahoma before heading this way as we continue to try
and clean up some of the things that have been nagging on us, and I think we’ve
seen a little tick of improvement here,” Coughlin said. “We missed a chance in
Q1 when a ground wire shook loose on the burnout and we couldn’t make a pass, but
we came right back in the evening session and posted that 6.686, which ended up
being our best run.
“Looking at the data we felt we could massage at least three- or four-hundreds out
of the tune-up, but we came out here today to just a completely different racetrack
with increased temperatures that just negated any chance of improving on that 6.68.
In hindsight, we’d love to have the Q1 run back because for sure Q2 would’ve been
better but that didn’t happen.”
Despite Saturday’s heat, Coughlin’s Magneti Marelli offered by Mopar/JEGS.com Dodge
Dart posted runs of 6.723 at 206.39 mph and 6.705 at 205.88 mph, pleasing the 76-time
national event winner.
“Today turned out to be what we expect tomorrow will look like, so you can look
at this as two chances to make race day-type runs,” Coughlin said. “The Mopar felt
pretty good both times with consistent times, and the second run today was even
a bit of a handful that probably could have been even quicker, so we like our chances
at turning on win lights tomorrow.”
Normally, a No. 8 qualifying effort would afford Coughlin the luxury of lane choice
in Round 1, providing NHRA was using the traditional 16-car ladder. This weekend,
however, only 14 Pro Stock cars qualified for the race, so Coughlin is now slated
to run Elite Motorsports teammate Drew Skillman, who qualified seventh with a 6.666
at 207.37 mph.
“I’m not sure lane choice is as big an issue at this track,” Coughlin said. “We
did well in both lanes today, so we’ll just line ’em up and do our best in whatever
lane we end up in tomorrow morning. Skillman is a skillful driver, so we’ll have
a test right from the start.”
FOX Sports 1 will air Saturday qualifying from 10 to 11 p.m. ET and Sunday’s elimination
action from 4:40 to 7:30 p.m. ET.

Five-time Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. locked up the No. 8 qualifying position
at this weekend’s 36th annual NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta with a 6.686 at
206.86 mph.

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–ANGIE’S LIST GRAND PRIX OF INDIANAPOLIS–Simon Pagenaud Winner

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
ANGIE’S LIST GRAND PRIX OF INDIANAPOLIS
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
RACE-WINNER QUICK QUOTE
MAY 14, 2016

Simon Pagenaud in the No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet won his third straight race in the Verizon IndyCar Series by winning the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis for the second time in three years. Pagenaud, who won from pole position and leads the Verizon Indy Car Driver’s Championship, led a Team Chevy 1-2 finish with Helio Castroneves second in the No. 3 Hum by Verizon Chevrolet. Continue reading Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–ANGIE’S LIST GRAND PRIX OF INDIANAPOLIS–Simon Pagenaud Winner →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Dover–Six Questions–Eric Warren

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AAA 400 DRIVE FOR AUTISM
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
SATURDAY SIX QUESTIONS
MAY 14, 2016

SIX QUESTIONS WITH DR. ERIC WARREN, DIRECTOR OF COMPETITION AT RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING
Aerodynamicist Helps Chevrolet Organization Progress in Modern Day NASCAR

TALK ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND PRIOR TO JOINING RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING:
“Going way back I grew up in Mt. Airy, North Carolina which was Mayberry, home of Andy Griffith so those kind of people. I went to North Carolina State University studied aerospace engineering. I really focused on computational fluid dynamics (CFD). I worked with NASA they funded my way through grad school and really I had not really seen much racing until I got out of grad school. I came to visit a friend that worked at a NASCAR team in 1996 and walking out the door to go to lunch I ran into the owner of that team, which was Michael Kranefuss at the time. Long story short he basically said I need somebody like you, when you get ready to get out of school give me a call. Six month, seven months later when I finished up defending my PHD I called him out of the blue thinking it was somewhat of a courtesy call and here I am. It started with Kranefuss/Haas which six months later became Penske/Kranefuss. After six month being in the sport I got to be the lead engineer of Rusty Wallace and Penske/Kranefuss and so I was doing aerodynamics and was the lead engineer there for a couple of years. I kept doing the aero work. I left there and became technical director with Evernham Motorsports. I was there about six years. I did a little F1 for a little while and then came back to RPM (Richard Petty Motorsports) which was the old Evernham team. Then Richard (Childress) talked me into coming over to RCR in 2012. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Dover–Six Questions–Eric Warren →

Red Horse Racing

Red Horse Racing–Jacob Companies 200

RACE REPORT
JACOB Companies 200
Dover International Speedway
May 13, 2016
Newsletter – Dance Drop Shadow Image
Red Horse Racing at Dover International Speedway

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams made the journey to Dover, Delaware for the JACOB Companies 200 at Dover International Speedway. On Thursday, teams unloaded and participated in two practice sessions. Matt Tifft in the No. 11 Toyota Tundra was third and fourth fastest, while Timothy Peters was 13th and 11th fastest on the board in the No. 17. On Friday, teams returned to the one-mile facility to do battle with rainy weather. Qualifying was rained out, so the field was set per the NASCAR rule book and Tifft started third, while Peters rolled off from 17th. After battling a changing track and handling issues, Tifft finished 12th and Peters 14th. Continue reading Red Horse Racing–Jacob Companies 200 →

Allen Johnson Racing

Pro Stock Champion Allen Johnson Partners with Wilson Manifolds

Pro Stock Champion Allen Johnson Partners with Wilson Manifolds

COMMERCE, Ga. (May 13, 2016) – NHRA Pro Stock Champion Allen Johnson announced today that Wilson Manifolds will join as a team partner on his Marathon Petroleum Co./J&J Racing Dodge Dart GT. Wilson Manifolds will be on board with the team and provide manifolds throughout the remainder of the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season. Continue reading Pro Stock Champion Allen Johnson Partners with Wilson Manifolds →

World of Outlaws

Sweet Surges for Inaugural Plymouth Speedway Win

Sweet Surges for Inaugural Plymouth Speedway Win
Picks up series-leading sixth World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series victory of the season

PLYMOUTH, Ind. – May 13, 2016 – Brad Sweet captured the lead from pole-sitter Joey Saldana early, then held off a challenge from teammate Daryn Pittman late in the race to claim the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series inaugural race at Plymouth (Ind.) Speedway Friday night. Continue reading Sweet Surges for Inaugural Plymouth Speedway Win →

John Force Racing

COURTNEY FORCE CONTINUES TO HAVE FAST START AT ATLANTA

COURTNEY FORCE CONTINUES TO HAVE FAST START AT ATLANTA

COMMERCE, GA – Courtney Force broke the Funny Car points lead tie and took over the lead today after picking up four bonus points and grabbing the provisional No. 3 spot on the first day of qualifying. She opened up with an impressive 3.971 ET at 305.01 mph in the first session. It was the first official three-second run at Atlanta Dragway and was a track record for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals. Continue reading COURTNEY FORCE CONTINUES TO HAVE FAST START AT ATLANTA →

Chevrolet Racing

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES ANGIE’S LIST GRAND PRIX OF INDY

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
ANGIE’S LIST GRAND PRIX OF INDY
THE ROAD COURSE AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING RECAP
MAY 13, 2016

Simon Pagenaud Wins Verizon P1 Award for GP of Indy to Give Chevy Fifth Pole of Season
Chevrolet IndyCar Drivers Capture Three of Top-Five and Seven of Top-10 Qualifiers

INDIANAPOLIS (May 13, 2016) – Simon Pagenaud-the most recent Verizon IndyCar Series race winner with victories on the Streets of Long Beach and Barber Motorsports Park-won the Verizon P1 Award for the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis. With a lap of 1 minute, 08.6868 seconds/127.832 mph, Pagenaud, piloting the No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet, captured his second pole of the 2016 season, and the fourth of his career.
Continue reading CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES ANGIE’S LIST GRAND PRIX OF INDY →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis

SIMON PAGENAUD, NO. 22 MENARDS TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, won the Verizon P1 Award for the second consecutive week and earned the right to lead the Verizon IndyCar Series field to the green flag for Saturday’s Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is his fourth career pole, and the fifth pole of the season for Chevrolet.
“It’s fantastic. It’s not that simple, it’s a lot of work in the background. I just want to take my hat off to my engineer, Ben Bretzman, for giving me a monster car every time. As soon as I put those Firestone red (alternate) tires on the car, she became magical, as we imagined. It’s a lot of fun for me right now, the whole team is functioning so well. The decision process from (strategist) Kyle Moyer to do one lap each segment was all him. It’s really a team sport.
“It’s the most fun I’ve ever had in racing. I’m driving the best I’ve driven ever. Little by little, you get confidence with success. Team Penske, they give me the best car. If I drive it well, you should expect to be up there. To be up there so often is certainly the best feeling in the world.”

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Dover–Qualifying

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AAA 400 DRIVE FOR AUTISM
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING TRANSCRIPT
MAY 13, 2016

TEAM CHEVY DRIVERS ON FRONT ROW AT ‘MONSTER MILE’
Qualifying for AAA 400 Cancelled Due to Rain; Harvick, Earnhardt, Jr. to start 1-2

DOVER, Del. – May 13, 2016 – Qualifying for Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway has been cancelled due to inclement weather. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Dover–Qualifying →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis–Press Conference

Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course
Friday, May 13, 2016
Press Conference with Roger Penske and Mark Reuss
2016 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car – Camaro SS 50th Anniversary Edition
DOUG BOLES: Thank you for coming this morning as we get ready for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. I’m Doug Boles with the Speedway. We’re going to twist this press conference up a little bit. On the front end, I’m going to throw up some fun rules. We’re not going to do some Q&As today, because we’re going to let some important people in the room ask some questions. The questions will come from the dignitaries in the front row. Helio is already trying to figure out what he’s going to ask. Our questions will come from the drivers instead of the rest of us who are normally asking. Continue reading Chevy Racing–Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis–Press Conference →