Monthly Archives: July 2016

Wood Brothers

Blaney Dodges Disaster At Daytona To Remain In Contention For A Chase Berth

Blaney Dodges Disaster At Daytona To Remain In Contention For A Chase Berth

July 3, 2016

On a night at Daytona International Speedway in which Ford Fusions were the dominant cars, Ryan Blaney and his No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Fusion showed speed and skill en route to a 14th-place finish in the Coke Zero 400.

The rookie Blaney started 12th and ran as high as third in the early going, and in the top 10 for most of the race. He dodged two major crashes and a couple of minor ones, and his finish allowed him to move up two spots in the driver points standings to 15th place. Continue reading Blaney Dodges Disaster At Daytona To Remain In Contention For A Chase Berth →

Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress Racing–Coke Zero 400

Austin Dillon Avoids Melee at Daytona International Speedway to Finish Seventh

“Andy (Houston, spotter) worked really hard there at the end of the race to gain us track position. We made up four or five spots in a lap and put ourselves in the top 10 for the final restart of the night. We got to the outside lane and had a heck of a run coming to the white flag. I just couldn’t get back to the bumper of our drafting partner before the checkered flag came out. All-in-all it was a good night for the Bass Pro Shops/NRA Museum team. It was a good night for us in the standings, too. Man, it feels much better to finish seventh on all four tires. I’m proud of this Richard Childress Racing team. I wanted to win tonight, but I know we have one coming.”

– Austin Dillon

Promising Night Ends Early for the No. 27 Duracell/Menards Chevrolet Team at Daytona International Speedway

“It was hard to see. I saw the No. 1 car get squirrelly a couple hundred yards down the tri-oval. I’m not sure if Jamie (McMurray) had a problem, he said there may have been a tire issue but wasn’t really sure. Typical plate racing. We had a fast Duracell/Menards Chevy tonight and could’ve contended for the win. We got up to second and took a stab at the lead. We were just waiting for that next pit stop to work on the car a little after that last run. These guys built a great Chevy SS for the weekend. It’s just unfortunate that our night ended the way it did.”
– Paul Menard

Ryan Newman Rebounds From The “Big One” to Finish 18th at Daytona International Speedway

“We chose the wrong line there after the final restart. For as banged up as our Florida Lottery Chevrolet was, it was still fast. I want to commend my team for working their tails off when we got caught up in the “Big One”. Luke (Lambert, crew chief) had a good plan in place to make the necessary repairs. It cost us a lap but fortunately we were able to benefit from the lucky dog and got back on the lead lap. On that final restart in overtime, we just raced in the line that wouldn’t go when we needed it to.”

– Ryan Newman

World of Outlaws

Brad Sweet Has a Good Night at Badlands Motor Speedway

Brad Sweet Has a Good Night at Badlands Motor Speedway
Chips away at Donny Schatz’s points lead

BRANDON, S.D. – July 2, 2016 – Brad Sweet led early and led often at Badlands Motor Speedway on Saturday night as he found luck and persevered to score his seventh World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series victory of the season.

Sweet, who took the checkered flag at the track for the first time in his career, lost the lead to Rico Abreu on lap 10. When Abreu got too low on the track and caught a tire barrier sending him flipping on to the front straight, Sweet regained the lead. Through a couple of close calls, it was smooth sailing to the end.

Sweet’s win is his first since May 13 at Plymouth Speedway. Continue reading Brad Sweet Has a Good Night at Badlands Motor Speedway →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona Post Race

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
COKE ZERO 400
DAYTONA BEACH INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES & QUOTES
JULY 2, 2016

KYLE LARSON LEADS FOUR TEAM CHEVY DRIVERS TO TOP-10 FINISHES
IN WILD NIGHT AT DAYTONA

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (July 2, 2016) – Once again, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series July night race at Daytona International Speedway provided fireworks for the fans both on and off the track.

Kyle Larson, No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS, survived ‘The Big One’ on lap 89 of the 160-lap race that eliminated or damaged 19 of the 40 starters of the Coke Zero 400, and brought home a sixth-place finish to lead four Chevrolet SS drivers in the Top 10.

Austin Dillon scored his eighth Top 10 finish of the season with a seventh place run in his No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/NRA Museum Chevrolet SS. Clint Bowyer finished ninth in his No. 15 AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet SS, which marked his third Top 10 finish of 2016; and Michael McDowell was tenth in his No. 95 KLOVE Radio Chevrolet SS, which was his best finish of the season thus to date. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona Post Race →

F4

KONRAD CZACZYK CLAIMS INAUGURAL F4 U.S. CHAMPIONSHIP RACE

KONRAD CZACZYK CLAIMS INAUGURAL F4 U.S. CHAMPIONSHIP RACE
Late drama helps Czaczyk move past Kirkwood to take victory

LEXINGTON, OHIO (July 2, 2016) – Konrad Czaczyk of Loxahatchee, Florida, made history Saturday as he emerged as the winner of the inaugural race of the Formula 4 United States Championship powered by Honda at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

Czaczyk, piloting the 47 Leading Edge Grand Prix car, started fifth on the grid and drove his way to the victory in a dramatic move with two laps left in the race. Kyle Kirkwood of Jupiter, Florida, lost momentum going through the keyhole, allowing Czaczyk to move into the lead. Continue reading KONRAD CZACZYK CLAIMS INAUGURAL F4 U.S. CHAMPIONSHIP RACE →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona Post Race

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
COKE ZERO 400
DAYTONA BEACH INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES & QUOTES
JULY 2, 2016

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S PATRIOTIC CHEVROLET SS
WHAT WAS GOING ON AS YOU WERE FOLLOWING THE NO. ONE?
“I was in the middle and something happened to the No. 1 (Jamie McMurray) and he went to the right and then he chased it…and was in a slide and came back down in front of me, hit the No. 42 (Kyle Larson) door-to-door – kind of light contact. I thought we were fine, but I eventually turned him sideways and the whole thing happened. I don’t know what happened to the No. 1 to change lanes as fast as he did from the outside, but we are all dealing with a matter of inches and once that started, it just collected everybody.”
Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona Post Race →

Chevrolet Racing

CORVETTE RACING AT WATKINS GLEN: Full Focus on Sunday’s Six Hours

CORVETTE RACING AT WATKINS GLEN: Full Focus on Sunday’s Six Hours
GTLM Championship co-leader Milner leads Corvette C7.R attack in GTLM qualifying

Corvette Racing a 2014 class-winner at Watkins Glen
Ricky Taylor second overall in Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP
Chevrolet leads Prototype and GTLM Manufacturer championships

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (July 2, 2016) – Corvette Racing will take its experience and success in endurance racing into Sunday’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen with the two Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs on the third and fourth rows in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Tommy Milner qualified the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R in the sixth position Saturday after a lap of 1:42.794 (119.0 mph) at the 3.4-mile, 11-turn road course. This weekend is the first race for the IMSA series on the freshly repaved surface, which combined with improved aero and downforce on the 2016-spec Corvette meant that Milner qualified 1.5 seconds faster than the team’s best effort in time trials two years ago. Last year’s qualifying was rained out. Continue reading CORVETTE RACING AT WATKINS GLEN: Full Focus on Sunday’s Six Hours →

Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress Racing–Subway Firecracker 250

Austin Dillon Leads Laps before Collection in an Early Incident Forces him to a 28th-Place Finish

“This Rheem Camaro team never gives up. We got caught up in the incident in the beginning of the race. I told myself on the restart I needed to get down to the bottom lane. I guess I just didn’t get there fast enough. It’s a product of guys racing too hard too early. We only had six or seven laps until the competition caution. We got back to the garage and every Rheem crew member had a hand in getting this car back on track. We weren’t going to get a DNF. You’ll have these nights. It’s racing. We had a fast car, led laps and almost had us another pole award.” Continue reading Richard Childress Racing–Subway Firecracker 250 →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona–Austin Dillon

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
COKE ZERO 400
DAYTONA BEACH INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUALIFYING NOTES & QUOTES
JULY 1, 2016

AUSTIN DILLON LEADS TEAM CHEVY AT DAYTONA
A Total of Three Chevrolet Drivers Will Start in the Top Ten

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (July 1, 2016) – Austin Dillon notched his seventh top 10 starting spot of the season after qualifying sixth for the Coke Zero 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway in his No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/NRA Museum Chevrolet SS.


Jimmie Johnson, the 2013 Coke Zero 400 winner, posted the eighth fastest time in his No. 48 Lowe’s Patriotic Chevrolet SS. Johnson also has two other NSCS victories at the 2.5-mile speedway in the Daytona 500 (2008 & 2013). Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona–Austin Dillon →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona Beach–Dale Earnhardt Jr.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
COKE ZERO 400
DAYTONA BEACH INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JUNE 30, 2016

DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CHEVROLET SS met with media and discussed his approach to restrictor plate racing, the pre-race pit road crowd, Austin Dillon’s accident at Daytona one year ago, and more. Full Transcript:

WHAT IS THE SECRET TO NAVIGATING THIS TRACK?
“Well, the first thing is you’ve got to have a fast car and that starts with the fabrication department, the engine shop; the crew chief has got to be sharp knowing every little part of the car that can influence the speed of the car. You’ve got to just have everything in a row there. The car needs to be as good as it possibly can be. That really makes the driver’s job a lot easier when the car is a dominant car. I’ve had plenty of dominant race cars down here. And when you’re out on the race track and you have such a good car, you gain more and more confidence as the weekend goes and your confidence really starts to create more opportunities. When you’re confident about your car, you’re trying more passes and trying to do more things. If you don’t feel confident in your car, you might second-guess a decision or not do something. Every little move you make out there sort of puts you in position to win. I don’t think it’s just one thing that you do at the end of the race. It think it’s from the very beginning of the race and what you’re doing lap after lap is going to determine where you are at the end of the race and what position you’re in and how confident you are about your situation. It just keeps going throughout the weekend. The car really kicks it off. If you get in there and you’re car is not where it needs to be or doing the things that you want it to do, it’s very hard to have the confidence in it to put it where it needs to go.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona Beach–Dale Earnhardt Jr. →