All posts by ARP Trish

Chevrolet Racing

Fourth-Place Finish for Acura at Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

Fourth-Place Finish for Acura at Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring
• #7 Team Penske Acura ARX-05 recovers from two-lap deficit to finish fourth
• Both Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo’s contend for GTD victory, but are hampered by late-race issues
• GTD pole qualifier Trent Hindman stars in wet weather run

SEBRING, Fla. (March 16, 2019) – Early-race difficulties for Acura Team Penske and late-race issues for Meyer Shank Racing led to a disappointing day for the two Acura teams at Saturday’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Continue reading Fourth-Place Finish for Acura at Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring →

Chevrolet Racing

Valiant Effort Lands No. 3 Corvette on Podium

CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING:
Valiant Effort Lands No. 3 Corvette on Podium

SEBRING, Fla. (March 16, 2019) – Corvette Racing closed its marathon weekend of racing Saturday on the class podium at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, bringing one of the team’s most demanding events to an end.

Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Mike Rockenfeller placed third in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) category of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. It was a remarkable effort for the trio of the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R as they competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s eight-hour race at Sebring International Raceway on Friday. Continue reading Valiant Effort Lands No. 3 Corvette on Podium →

Mopar Racing

Johnson Drives Dodge//SRT and Mopar to No. 3 Position in Funny Car Qualifying at NHRA Gatornationals

Johnson Drives Dodge//SRT and Mopar to No. 3 Position in Funny Car Qualifying at NHRA Gatornationals
Tommy Johnson, Jr. qualifies Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car third at Gainesville (Florida) Raceway
Six Mopar-powered Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat drivers make Funny Car field at NHRA Gatornationals
Mopar-powered Top Fuel driver Leah Pritchett to start from No. 4 spot
Pritchett puts Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak in top half of Factory Stock Showdown field, comes up short in opening round
Dodge Garage (http://www.dodgegarage.com/), a digital content hub for muscle car and race enthusiasts, features highlights from NHRA competition

March 16, 2019, Gainesville, Florida – Tommy Johnson, Jr. is the fastest of six Mopar-powered Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car drivers qualified for Sunday’s elimination rounds at the 50th Annual NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville (Florida) Raceway.

Johnson, who made his first professional run at Gainesville in 1984, earned the provisional No. 1 qualifying position Saturday afternoon with his lap of 3.896 seconds at 324.75 mph in the Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Make-A-Wish machine, earning three bonus points. In the final qualifying session, Johnson was hoping to back up his earlier run and regain the No. 1 position, but an explosion halfway through his run resulted in the body flying off and the racecar slowing to a run of 4.385/182.92.

Johnson walked away from the scene and his DSR team will go to work to rebuild his Funny Car in order to chase history Sunday from the third starting spot. He’ll be joined in Sunday’s field by fellow DSR and Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car drivers Matt Hagan, Jack Beckman and Ron Capps as well as fellow Mopar-powered competitors Cruz Pedregon and Jim Campbell.

Hagan, winner of the NHRA Arizona Nationals three weeks ago, posted his best lap of 3.900/325.85 aboard the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car in his final pass to grab the fifth position. Beckman, the defending Gatornationals champion, registered the same ET (3.900) driving the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat in Q4, but his speed of 323.74 dropped him to sixth. Pedregon also used Q4 to make his best run of the weekend (3.910/325.30) in the Snap-On Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to grab seventh just ahead of Capps in the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, who closed qualifying with a run of 3.933/318.77.

In Top Fuel, Leah Pritchett made an impressive pass to open both qualifying days aboard her Mopar Dodge Top Fuel dragster earning a pair of qualifying points with her Q1 run of 3.818 seconds at 321.88 mph and two more following her run of 3.724/325.22 in Saturday’s Q3 session. Pritchett begins her fifth run for a Gatornationals Wally from the fourth position Sunday facing Pat Dakin in the opening round.

Dodge//SRT Mopar NHRA Sportsman Spotlight
Pritchett opened defense of her 2018 Factory Stock Showdown championship at Gainesville Raceway by qualifying her Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak sixth with a best run of 7.852/173.87 coming in the final session on Saturday afternoon, following a pair of runs Friday with results of 8.007/171.55 in Q1 and 8.018/172.10 in Q2.

In the opening round of eliminations, she lined up her 354-cubic-inch HEMI®-engine-powered Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak against Kevin Skinner. Pritchett left first with a .024 reaction time and posted a lap of 7.891/172.59, but couldn’t hold off the Mustang driver’s winning pass of 7.799/172.59.

Pro Stock World Champion and longtime Mopar Dodge driver Allen Johnson and former Pro Stock racer Mark Pawuk will look to rebound at the next Factory Stock event after failing to qualify for the 16-car ladder. Johnson’s best run was a 8.069/169.69 that placed him on the outside of the competitive Factory Stock field, while Pawuk was also unable to crack the top 16 with his pass of 8.077/170.26..

Pritchett and her fellow Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers in the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown series will resume action in late April at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, the second of eight 2019 FSS events.

Mopar Dodge//SRT Notes & Quotes
(best elapsed time in bold)

Leah Pritchett, Mopar Dodge Top Fuel Dragster
Qualified No. 4, will face No. 13 Pat Dakin
Friday: (3.818 seconds at 321.88 mph – Q1); (6.919/100.84 – Q2)
Saturday: (3.724/325.22 – Q3); (6.434/105.36 – Q4)

“We like to be in the position we’re in where we’re capable of pushing. That’s where you learn, where you grow. No. 4 is a good qualifying spot. Both lanes are great. They’re nice and smooth. I feel good about our chances tomorrow, especially if we get back to where we can throw down those really big numbers. That’s what we get excited about. We learned a lot in Q4 even though the numbers didn’t show it and I think that’s going to set us up for a lot of momentum come race day. Conditions look like they’ll be favorable. We’re here to break records, break hearts and be a part of history. No better time than the 50th anniversary to bring some gold home.”

Tommy Johnson Jr., Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
Qualified No. 3, will face No. 14 John Smith. 

Friday: (5.002 seconds at 152.24.35 mph – Q1); (3.985/322.85 – Q2)

Saturday: (3.896/324.75 – Q3); (8.695/80.93 – Q4)

“That (Q4 explosion) was probably the biggest boomer I’ve ever had. There was no warning whatsoever. The car was running really good and just before the finish line, kaboom! Unexpected for sure. I hate it for the crew guys, all the extra work it’s going to cause. They went through that enough already in Phoenix. I don’t think any of (these explosions) are related, and that’s what’s unfortunate. I don’t think it’s a problem we have, it’s just maybe a run of bad luck. We’ll get it fixed, the car is running really well. We’ll come out here tomorrow, see if we can’t lay down some good runs and keep the body on it.”

Matt Hagan, Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
Qualified No. 5, will face No. 12 Jonnie Lindberg 

Friday: (4.779 seconds at 167.68 mph – Q1); (4.007/317.05 – Q2)

Saturday: (3.946/325.37– Q3); (3.900/325.85– Q4)

“Man, we’ve got a good hot rod. (Crew chief) Dickie Venables is continuing to get more and more comfortable with this race car and the combination we have right now. I’m excited about tomorrow. I’ve never won the Gatornationals. I finished as the runner-up last year and have a great opportunity and a great race car to get it done tomorrow. We won for Sandvik in Phoenix, now we need to win for Mopar.”

Jack Beckman, Infinite Hero Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
Qualified No. 6, will face No. 11 J.R. Todd 

Friday: (5.075 seconds at 147.46 mph – Q1); (7.996/89.17– Q2)

Saturday: (14.702/44.17 – Q3); (3.900/323.74 – Q4)

“I picked up 180 miles an hour for the first time here at Gainesville in that final run and it felt good. We struggled. I screwed up the first run. We were too aggressive on one run. We were too soft on one run. We are the defending event champions. You don’t want to go in with a whimper. We went in with some authority.”

Ron Capps, NAPA Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car

Qualified No. 8, will face No. 9 Bob Tasca III
Friday: (4.017 seconds at 313.00 mph – Q1); (3.965/89.83 – Q2)
Saturday: (7.082/84.76– Q3); (3.933/318.77 – Q4)



“We used Q3 for a little test and those are the conditions you want to do it in. We sacrificed making a run, but we learned a bunch. I’m so proud of this NAPA team. This is sacred territory here with it being the 50th Annual Gatornationals and it’d be pretty cool to get another trophy.”

Tune-in Info 

FOX Sports 1 will broadcast three and a half of eliminations coverage of the 50th Annual NHRA Gatornationals starting at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 17.

About Dodge

Dodge//SRT offers a complete lineup of performance vehicles that stand out in their own segments. Dodge is America’s mainstream performance brand and SRT is positioned as the ultimate performance halo of the Dodge brand, together creating a complete and balanced performance brand with one vision and one voice.

For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge, who founded the brand in 1914. Their influence continues today. New for 2019, the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye is possessed by the Demon. Its 797-horsepower supercharged HEMI® high-output engine makes it the most powerful, quickest and fastest muscle car reaching 0-60 miles per hour (mph) in 3.4 seconds and the fastest GT production car with a ¼-mile elapsed time (ET) of 10.8 seconds at 131 mph. It also reaches a new top speed of 203 mph. Joining the Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye is the 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat with its more powerful 717-horsepower engine, the Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody, which features fender flares from the SRT Hellcat Widebody and adds 3.5 inches of width to Scat Pack’s footprint, as well as and the new Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320. Infused with exclusive drag strip technology from the iconic Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, the Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 is a drag-oriented, street-legal muscle car and a blank canvas for the serious grassroots drag racer. The 2019 Dodge Durango SRT, America’s fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV with a best-in-class tow rating of 8,700 lbs. fills out the brands’ performance lineup. These visceral performance models join a 2019 brand lineup that includes the Durango, Grand Caravan, Journey, Charger and Challenger — a showroom that offers performance at every price point.

Richard Childress Racing

RCR Post Race Report – Production Alliance Group 300

Tyler Reddick Overcomes Mid-Race Flat Tire to Collect Third Top-Five Finish This Year

“We had another really solid No. 2 Hurdl Chevrolet Camaro this weekend at Auto Club Speedway. My team worked so hard on this Camaro, from putting in the work back at the shop to fixing it up after I scraped the wall in practice. I’m really proud of us for completing the weekend sweep for RCR with pole awards in both series. That was a nice ‘thank you’ that I could give them for the effort they’ve put in these past couple of weeks. We had to fight for our third top-five finish of the year today. I started off a little too loose but built tight eventually as the race went on. We had a flat right rear tire midway through the final stage after I brushed the wall, causing us to pit off sequence and go a lap down. We got lucky when a caution came out soon after, which allowed us to take the wave around and get our lap back. We had a great car and were able to get back into the top five, but I hate that we weren’t able to really get back up to the front and fight for the win. This one should have been ours. We were so close. I’m looking forward to Texas and getting back at it still as the points leader.”

-Tyler Reddick

John Force Racing

ROBERT HIGHT AND BRITTANY FORCE ADD TO HISTORY BOOKS SATURDAY AT 50TH NHRA GATORNATIONALS

ROBERT HIGHT AND BRITTANY FORCE ADD TO HISTORY BOOKS SATURDAY AT 50TH NHRA GATORNATIONALS

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 16, 2019) — Both Robert Hight and Brittany Force made history Saturday night when they secured their No. 1 qualifying positions at the Amalie Motor Oil 50th NHRA Gatornationals. Hight became the first racer to collect three consecutive No. 1 qualifiers in the first three races of the season since Kenny Bernstein in 1987. Force set the Gainesville Raceway track elapsed time record and became the first woman since Shirley Muldowney, 40 years ago, to qualify No. 1 at the Gatornationals. Their teammates John Force and Austin Prock, are starting race day from the No. 4 and No. 10 positions, respectively.

Hight started the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season with the same fire he finished 2018 after falling short of a second consecutive championship in the last race day of the year. Coming into the season opening Winternationals, Hight nabbed the No. 1 qualifier and was unstoppable on race day where he collected his 46th career victory. In Phoenix it seemed he would repeat his performance with a No. 1 qualifier but finished the weekend in the semifinals.

“It goes back, for my team, to the last day of the season last year where we had the chance to win a championship. We didn’t get it done and that didn’t set well with my team over the winter. They worked really hard in getting this thing prepared and figuring out what our weaknesses were. So far, we’ve been quick everywhere we’ve been. At testing, in Pomona and Phoenix, and now at Gainesville. It’s pretty impressive but it’s not by a lot though.”

After a two-week break, too long according to the two-time champion, nothing has changed. Hight and his Auto Club of Southern California Chevy Camaro SS Funny Car team are continuing to dominate. They kept it consistent and came into the day in the No. 1 spot. Hight and team had an impressive 3.899-second pass at 330.88 mph enough for the third spot, putting him behind team owner John Force in the third session.

With their final run of qualifying, anyone who knew Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham could predict they’d be running for the No. 1 spot and they did not disappoint. It was 3.868-second pass that landed them at the top of the class once again and in a match-up with Terry Haddock to begin race day.

“It’s pretty impressive but we aren’t up there by a lot though. Tim Wilkerson was close but I think the first two races I had a little bit on the field and they’re starting to catch up to us so that’s what happens when you start running really well. You make the others press hard,” said Hight. “The trick is for us not to let up and keep pressing hard ourselves, and try to stay on top but qualifying’s over and we got a race to win. It’s a big race, the 50th anniversary Gatornationals. That would be one cool trophy that we’d want to put on our mantel.”

Brittany Force and her Advance Auto Parts team seem as if they have overcome the learning curve that was prescribed for them at the beginning of the 2019 NHRA season. Force was faced with making more than just a change to the color of her hot rod to match with new sponsor Advance Auto Parts during the off season. New crew chiefs David Grubnic and Mac Savage came on board at the opening of 2019 and were tasked with making the conversion from Alan Johnson Racing parts to John Force Racing parts.

“We all saw what Grubnic did last season and he’s incredible. I’m proud to be teamed up with him. He’s incredible to work with. I’ve never worked with a crew chief like him. He’s driven one of these things so it’s a whole different world being able to talk to a crew chief who has been behind the wheel. It makes us connect on a different level,” said Force. “Being able to talk to him is key. Again, because he’s been in one of these things, he knows what the pressure is like. He knows what it’s like when you’re up there and staring down the track. He’s been there and done it all so being able to have conversations with him and to get advice from him, I’m really lucky.”

The transition seemed rocky but there were glimpses of what could be, a 3.700-second pass at preseason testing, a 3.696 pass in qualifying at the Winternationals and a 3.768 pass in the first round of eliminations at the Arizona Nationals. Now at the third race of the 2019 campaign, Force made four consecutively improving passes that started with a 3.904-second pass and 3.800-second pass Friday, to a 3.718 run at 328.86 on Saturday afternoon and ended with a beautiful 3.680 pass at 326.32 mph as the last pair down the track on Saturday evening. With the effort, Force has claimed her first No. 1 qualifier of the season, 11th of her career and first at Gainesville Raceway.

“We’ve been struggling the last two races and the plan coming here was to start out playing it safe. Once we picked up that run and got information, we could build on that and that’s what we did. We’ve improved every single run and ran a .90, .80 and .71, and then this last run,” said Force. “I’m very proud of the entire Advance Auto Parts team and my crew chiefs David Grubnic and Mac Savage. They told me they’d give me a race car and that it was going to do that on the last run, and Grubnic pulled me aside and told me that it was going to be fast and to hold on.

“We’re sitting No. 1 and this is the best position possible. We’ve had four solid runs down the race track and learned from every single one of them so we really have the best shot out there. Again, I have to give it up to my entire team,” continued Force. “This place is a special one for me. I had my first win here back in 2016 and I’ve been coming here since I was a kid, so I love this race track and I’d love to do it again.”

Force will begin her battle for the Wally against veteran Chris Karamasines.

John Force and the PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil team put on a strong performance through the final two qualifying rounds. Force opened the day with a 3.897-second pass at 331.94 mph that put him momentarily in the No. 1 position. He entered the final session in the No. 2 position but would move down two spots to No. 4 after spinning the tires and crossing the center-line resulting in no time for the final qualifying run of the weekend.

Heading into Sunday’s race, the winningest driver in NHRA history is no stranger to the winner’s circle at Gainesville Raceway. He’s had eight victories at the historic track, the most by any driver in the nitro classes, and will be chasing his 150th Funny Car victory when he lines up tomorrow against Jim Campbell.

“We had a good weekend of qualifying. Brittany and Advance are the No. 1 qualifier in Top Fuel and so is Robert with Auto Club in Funny Car. The Prock kid did a good job and is No. 10 with the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster. I had some pretty good runs too and am the No. 4 qualifier with PEAK. It was a weekend of qualifying we were looking for and going into tomorrow we’re looking to get some round wins,” said Force. “It’s the 50th anniversary of the Gatornationals and would be a big one for any of us. And you know, I’m chasing 150 so that would be a big one for me too.”

Austin Prock continued to make progress during the final two qualifying sessions of the Gatornationals. A solid 3.758-second run at 330.15 mph in his Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster put the rookie of the year candidate in eighth heading into the fourth qualifying session, two spots up from Friday night.

The son of championship tuner Jimmy Prock, who crew chiefs Robert Hight’s Chevy, didn’t improve in the final qualifying session but stayed consistent running 3.769-seconds at 327.11 mph. With three quality passes under his belt at Gainesville Raceway, Austin is feeling confident heading into eliminations in the 10th position where he’ll line up with Clay Millican in round one.

“We had another good weekend of qualifying. In Q3 we ran another big mile per hour for this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster with that 330,” said Prock. “In the last run we slowed down a bit. It wasn’t what we were looking for but we had another good run down the race track to grab data from. We don’t have very many runs under our belt in this thing so we’re learning every time. We can go A to B and tomorrow we should be able to get some round wins.”

Jegs Racing

Jeg Coughlin Jr. looking for second straight win after quickest and fastest pass of ’19

Jeg Coughlin Jr. looking for second straight win after quickest and fastest pass of ’19
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 16) — Fresh off a thrilling victory at the last NHRA tour stop in Phoenix, Jeg Coughlin Jr. is bullish on his chances to repeat the feat with his brand-new RJ Racecars-built Camaro at this weekend’s 50th anniversary Amalie Oil Gatornationals. Continue reading Jeg Coughlin Jr. looking for second straight win after quickest and fastest pass of ’19 →

Chevrolet Racing

CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Solid Effort in FIA WEC Round

CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Solid Effort in FIA WEC Round
Garcia, Magnussen, Rockenfeller finish eighth in class with No. 63 Corvette C7.R

SEBRING, Fla. (March 15, 2019) – Corvette Racing gave a solid effort during the 1,000 Miles of Sebring on Friday as Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Mike Rockenfeller finished eighth in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s GTE Pro category. Continue reading CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Solid Effort in FIA WEC Round →

Wood Brothers

Menard Qualifies 25th For Auto Club 400

Menard Qualifies 25th For Auto Club 400

March 15, 2019

After an eventful qualifying session at Auto Club Speedway on Friday, Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Moen Mustang are set to start Sunday’s Auto Club 400 from 25th place.

Menard was on the track in Round One of qualifying when the caution flag flew for a spin by Chase Elliott, interrupting that qualifying attempt. Continue reading Menard Qualifies 25th For Auto Club 400 →

John Force Racing

ROBERT HIGHT SITS NO. 1 FRIDAY AT THE 50TH NHRA GATORNATIONALS

ROBERT HIGHT SITS NO. 1 FRIDAY AT THE 50TH NHRA GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 15, 2019) — Opening day of qualifying at the 50th anniversary Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway saw NHRA two-time world champion Robert Hight in a familiar position, at the top of the Funny Car class with the provisional No. 1 spot. Sixteen-time world champion John Force is sitting in the sixth spot and, in Top Fuel, 2017 champ Brittany Force is holding the No. 3 spot with rookie Austin Prock in 11th. Continue reading ROBERT HIGHT SITS NO. 1 FRIDAY AT THE 50TH NHRA GATORNATIONALS →

Chevrolet Racing

AUSTIN DILLON PUTS CAMARO ZL1 ON THE POLE AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY

AUSTIN DILLON PUTS CAMARO ZL1 ON THE POLE AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
Three Team Chevy Drivers Qualify in the top 12

FONTANA, Calif. (March 15, 2019) – Austin Dillon powered his No. 3 DOW Coatings Camaro ZL1 to the pole position for Sunday’s Auto Club 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race at Auto Club Speedway. Dillon recorded the fastest lap in the knockout qualifying session in what became a sprint to the end in each of the three rounds in the format. Drivers waited to take to the track in drafting groups — and resulted in no driver reaching the start-finish line in time for a third-round qualifying lap. The top positions were then set by second-round speeds. Continue reading AUSTIN DILLON PUTS CAMARO ZL1 ON THE POLE AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Fontana–Qualifying

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
AUTO CLUB 400
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES & QUOTES
MARCH 15, 2019

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL QUALIFYING RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW COATINGS CAMARO ZL1
8TH CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1
11TH JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1
14TH CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 KROGER FLAVOR FILL UP CAMARO ZL1
15TH KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL QUALIFYING RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1ST Austin Dillon (Chevrolet)
2nd Kevin Harvick (Ford)
3rd Aric Almirola (Ford)
4th Kyle Busch (Toyota)
5th Joey Logano (Ford)

The Auto Club 400 is scheduled to begin on Sunday March 17th at 3:30 pm, ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
TEAM CHEVY NOTES AND QUOTES:

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW COATINGS CAMARO ZL1 = Pole Winner
“It was good. We had a good car off the trailer. They made some good adjustments going into qualifying. And we kept the speed that we needed. It came down to Round 2 and putting the placement right. Andy Houston (spotter) did a great job. We didn’t panic. And, that ended up putting us in a great position for Round 3. I’m really happy for our guys and everybody back at the shop, who has been working really hard. We’ve been frustrated the last couple of weeks because we’ve had fast cars and not gotten the finishes, so this definitely feels good.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 – Qualified 8th
WHAT WAS THE COMMUNICATION LIKE WHEN YOU GUYS REALIZED THAT YOU WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT BACK? WHAT WERE YOU HEARING?
“Well, I don’t know. Obviously nobody wants to be the first guy so it’s unfortunate. I don’t know what the fix is. I feel like it’s entertaining with us going out there and drafting and trying to set-up that gap to do it right. It’s just tough because nobody wants to be the first one. And obviously you’re not going to go if you’re going to be first.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 – Qualified 11th
“I understand why we’re in this box. Single car qualifying isn’t all that entertaining. So, I guess we’ll just have to see what the opinion is from this and go with the lesser of the two evils in the end.”

CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 KROGER FLAVOR FILL UP CAMARO ZL1 – Qualified 14th
HOW DID THIS QUALIFYING SESSION PLAY OUT? WAS IT BAD OR WORSE THAN YOU THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE?
“Round 1 went better than I thought it would with everybody going and getting it out of the way. The caution almost got us within a second or two. We didn’t finish our lap. So, that was lucky. Round 2 went exactly like I expected the whole thing to go. We have good speed in our Kroger Flavor Fill Up Camaro ZL1. I’m happy with that. We should have been a little bit better based on practice, but I love this race track. And, it’s a fun race. It’s just been a lot of fun to race everywhere this year. I’m glad the qualifying portion is over and we can get into the race and have some fun.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1 – Qualified 15th:
DESCRIBE YOUR RUN HERE
“I was the lead car for that big draft there. We ended up 15th. After last week you don’t want to mess up and not get a lap again. So, just trying to be as patient as you can be but still not be the lead car. But we wanted to leave ourselves some time. So we were just the lead car and were hoping that other people wouldn’t make it to the line in time.”

TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO CAMARO ZL1 – Qualified 16th
ON HIS RUN
“I’m pretty happy with 16th place for our GEICO Camaro. That’s a massive improvement over last year’s results. And we’ve been really succeeding in this style of qualifying. It’s different, for sure, but we also we’re all out there trying to do the same thing and be the fastest car. So, I’m proud of our effort and proud of what we’re doing as a team and we’re definitely embracing this style of qualifying.”

DANIEL HEMRIC, NO. 8 LIBERTY NATIONAL CAMARO ZL1 – Qualified 17th
It was definitely hectic. The whole format it nuts. Our Liberty National Camaro ZL1 was good. We just kind of find ourselves on the back end of a draft that put us side-by-side racing cars and that’s not ideal when you’re trying to run a fast lap. We’ll roll off in 17th and it’s good to see a Bowtie on the front row there with (Richard Childress Racing teammate) Austin Dillon getting the pole and it’s really cool for RCR. Those guys are putting in a lot of effort and Chevrolet and ECR and all our partners are doing a lot of good things to give us speed and it’s good to pay off. We thought we should have had two or three poles by now so it’s good for one of us at RCR to finally get one.)

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Fontana–Pole Qualifying

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
AUTO CLUB 400
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES & QUOTES
MARCH 15, 2019

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW COATINGS CAMARO ZL1 = Pole Winner
“It was good. We had a good car off the trailer. They made some good adjustments going into qualifying. And we kept the speed that we needed. It came down to Round 2 and putting the placement right. Andy Houston (spotter) did a great job. We didn’t panic. And, that ended up putting us in a great position for Round 3. I’m really happy for our guys and everybody back at the shop, who has been working really hard. We’ve been frustrated the last couple of weeks because we’ve had fast cars and not gotten the finishes, so this definitely feels good.”

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Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Fontana–Alex Bowman

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
AUTO CLUB 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 15, 2019

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 NATIONWIDE PET INSURANCE CAMARO ZL1 met with media and discussed the new pit road speed rules for qualifying, the affect of windy weather for practice, looking ahead to Martinsville, and more. Session Highlights: Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Fontana–Alex Bowman →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Fontana–Chris Buescher

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
AUTO CLUB 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 15, 2019

CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 KROGER FLAVOR FILL UP CAMARO ZL1 met with media and discussed his season to date, his qualifying frustration. Session highlights:

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY?
“I ran my first Cup race at this race track back in 2015, I believe. I love this race track. And it’s just a lot of fun. And it’s worn out. It’s got that surface like Atlanta but it’s bigger. It’s got the same lines. You can run the wall, you can run the apron, you can mow the grass. You can hit whatever you want to hit and there’s ways to make it work. This package, with the draft being as important as it is going to be and how dirty air will affect the cars is going to change some of it, but I think we’re going to see a lot of the same old Fontana here. It’s just a fun race track. You’re sliding around and trying to get control of it and trying to figure out how to make speed while sliding around. That’s the hardest thing. You could slide around and have a fun time but to be able to go fast while doing it, that’s the hard part.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Fontana–Chris Buescher →

Honda Racing

Blackstock Go Two for Two in Honda Civic Type R TCR

O’Gorman, Blackstock Go Two for Two in Honda Civic Type R TCR
• Honda Civic Type R claims second MICHELIN Pilot Challenge win of 2019
• Tom O’Gorman and Shelby Blackstock follow Daytona victory with win at Sebring
• Ryan Eversley, Chad Gilsinger finish third for Honda

SEBRING, Fla. (March 15, 2019) – Following up on their season-opening win at Daytona International Speedway in January, Tom O’Gorman and Shelby Blackstock combined to again drive their Honda Civic Type R TCR to another class victory in Saturday’s Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 at Sebring International Raceway. Continue reading Blackstock Go Two for Two in Honda Civic Type R TCR →

Honda Racing

Double Pole for Acura at Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

Double Pole for Acura at Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring
• Dane Cameron snares overall, Prototype pole in Acura ARX-05
• Trent Hindman heads GTD qualifying in Acura NSX GT3 Evo
• Helio Castroneves to start third in prototype, Christina Nielsen sixth in GTD

SEBRING, Fla. (March 15, 2019) – Acura drivers will lead the field in Saturday’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, after claiming the pole positions in both the Prototype and GTD classes today during qualifying for the endurance racing classic. Dane Cameron will start from the overall pole in his Acura Team Penske ARX-05, while Trent Hindman will lead the GTD class to the green in his Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo. Continue reading Double Pole for Acura at Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Fontana–Jimmie Johnson

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
AUTO CLUB 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 15, 2019

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 met with media and discussed recent rule to enforce pit road speed during qualifying, social media, fitness, and more. Full Transcript:

YOUR CREW CHIEF SAID LAST WEEK THAT WE’VE GOT A WAYS TO GO. HOW FAR DO YOU HAVE TO GO? DO YOUR TALENTS AT THIS RACE TRACK STILL OVERCOME ANY WAYS TO GO THAT YOU GUYS HAVE TO ACCOMPLISH YET?
“I think last weekend showed that if we have a mistake-free race that we can run in the top 5 and in the top 10 and how last year went, that’s a step in the right direction. So, we do have some pride in that. Clearly we’re putting a lot of time and work and effort to get better. So, it’s nice to have those better funs. But it’s not where we want to be. It’s not where I want to be, or Mr. Hendrick or Kevin (Meendering) or this whole team. We’re trying to celebrate the small victories but at the same time if you look at the speed that the No. 18 (Kyle Busch) had on the field and his ability to pass, we want that. And we’re not going to stop until we get that.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Fontana–Jimmie Johnson →

Chevrolet Racing

CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Garcia, Milner to Start on Second, Third GTLM Rows

CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING:
Garcia, Milner to Start on Second, Third GTLM Rows
Program going for 12th class victory at Sebring 12 Hours

SEBRING, Fla. (March 15, 2018) – Corvette Racing will go for its 12th victory Saturday in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring from the second and third rows of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GT Le Mans (GTLM) category.

Antonio Garcia qualified the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R third in class during Friday morning’s time trials at Sebring International Raceway. His time of 1:56.158 (114.686 mph) wasn’t far ahead of Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, who set a best lap of 1:56.248 (114.597 mph).

The top eight cars in class were separated by just 0.832 seconds. Continue reading CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Garcia, Milner to Start on Second, Third GTLM Rows →

John Force Racing

ROBERT HIGHT VISITS BRISTOL DRAGWAY TO PREVIEW THE 2019 SEASON

ROBERT HIGHT VISITS BRISTOL DRAGWAY TO PREVIEW THE 2019 SEASON

BRISTOL, Tenn. (March 15, 2019) — With less than a month to go before cars hit the track in East Tennessee, Robert Hight joined drivers from across motorsports at Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway on Wednesday, March 13th, to preview the upcoming season.

Two-time NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series champion Robert Hight, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Corey LaJoie, NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie Justin Haley and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series champion Brett Moffitt were on hand to meet with media, chat with regional business leaders, industry sponsors, Bristol ticket holders and more. The quartet also spent time on the main stage for Q&A sessions with Sirius XM and Performance Racing Network host Brad Gillie. Continue reading ROBERT HIGHT VISITS BRISTOL DRAGWAY TO PREVIEW THE 2019 SEASON →