All posts by ARP Trish

Tire Issues Spoil Strong Run For Menard at Auto Club Speedway

Tire Issues Spoil Strong Run For Menard at Auto Club Speedway

March 19, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/FVP team overcame one cut tire in Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., but couldn’t completely overcome two and wound up with a 19th-place finish.

Menard started 14th but soon raced his way into the top 10 and ran around 10th for most of the first 30 laps of the race. Soon after that, some damage to the right-rear of the No. 21 Fusion put Menard and the team in catch-up mode. But it wound up being a problem with the other side of the car with 11 laps remaining in Stage Two that presented the bigger challenge. Continue reading Tire Issues Spoil Strong Run For Menard at Auto Club Speedway

LOGANO & TEAM PENSKE WIN AT FONTANA

LOGANO & TEAM PENSKE WIN AT FONTANA

FONTANA, CA, March 19, 2018 – Joey Logano raced to the front of the field, in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Roseanne 300, leading 139 of the 150 lap race. Powered by the Ford FR9 Carb V8 engine, Logano drove the Ford Mustang across the finish line to record his 29th career NXS win and Roger Penske’s first win in the Xfinity series at Fontana.

“Congratulations to Joey and Roger,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “The team was well prepared and the car was fast from the first practice. Joey showcased the talent of Team Penske and drove up 15 positions within two laps to put himself in position to win.”
Continue reading LOGANO & TEAM PENSKE WIN AT FONTANA

NRHA–Gainesville Results

Top Fuel — Richie Crampton, 3.854 seconds, 314.90 mph def. Shawn Reed, Broke.

Funny Car — Jack Beckman, Dodge Charger, 4.035, 323.58 def. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.034, 322.04.

Pro Stock — Tanner Gray, Chevy Camaro, 6.588, 210.18 def. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.605, 210.34.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.824, 198.44 def. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.853, 197.19.

Top Alcohol Dragster — Chris Demke, 5.305, 273.33 def. Josh Hart, 5.313, 270.70.

Top Alcohol Funny Car — Sean Bellemeur, Chevy Camaro, 5.460, 268.28 def. Annie Whiteley, Camaro, 5.483, 270.43.

Pro Modified — Rickie Smith, Chevy Camaro, 5.794, 249.76 def. Mike Janis, Camaro, 6.597, 159.91.

Top Fuel Harley — Tii Tharpe, Dixie, 6.313, 230.29 def. Bob Malloy, Buell, 6.546, 172.89.

Competition Eliminator — Frank Aragona, Dragster, 7.332, 181.52 def. Greg Kamplain, Dragster, 6.829, 194.02.

Super Stock — Kevin Riner, Chevy Camaro, 11.014, 101.01 def. Pat Clifford, Chevy Cavalier, 10.009, 119.96.

Stock Eliminator — Jeff Taylor, Chevy Camaro, 9.816, 129.40 def. Kenneth Miele, Ford Mustang, 8.864, 150.33.

Super Comp — Greg Slack, Dragster, 8.911, 170.75 def. Ray Miller Jr., Dragster, 8.910, 185.87.

Super Gas — Jim Perry, Chevy S-10, 9.912, 158.69 def. Michelle Furr, Chevy Corvette, 9.933, 154.95.

Top Sportsman presented by RacingRVs.com — Ronnie Proctor, Ford Mustang, 8.583, 123.64 def. Lester Johnson, Chevy Bel Air, Foul – Red Light.

Top Dragster presented by RacingRVs.com — Alan Kenny, Dragster, 6.291, 188.75 def. Steve Cohen, Dragster, Broke.

Factory Stock Showdown — Stephen Bell, Chevy Camaro, 8.176, 167.47 def. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 14.967, 77.46.

Mopar-powered Driver Beckman Wins All-Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car Final at NHRA Gatornationals

Mopar-powered Driver Beckman Wins All-Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car Final at NHRA Gatornationals

Mopar-powered Dodge Charger R/T driver Jack Beckman outruns Matt Hagan to win from pole at Gainesville Raceway
Victory is 27th of Beckman’s career and second this season for a Mopar Dodge//SRT driver
Points leader Hagan wraps up wild weekend with runner-up showing in Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T in his 500th round of racing
Trio of Mopar-powered Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car drivers advance to semifinals at Gainesville Raceway
Papa John’s/Mopar Dodge Top Fuel Dragster driver Leah Pritchett’s day ends in quarterfinals
Pritchett takes Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak to second round in Factory Stock Showdown to cap solid weekend
Nichols, Kay earn Dodge Top Finisher awards at Gainesville
More info on Mopar in NHRA available at http://blog.mopar.com
New Dodge Garage (http://www.dodgegarage.com/), a digital content hub for muscle car and race enthusiasts launches; will include highlights from NHRA season Continue reading Mopar-powered Driver Beckman Wins All-Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car Final at NHRA Gatornationals

Chevy Racing–NHRA–Gainesville–Post Race Quotes

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE RACEWAY AT GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA
POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES
SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2018

An interview with Pro Stock winner TANNER GRAY, GRAY MOTORSPORTS, VALVOLINE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 11 qualifier; earned sixth Pro Stock victory in 27th pro race; picked up 50th round victory; father and grandfather also have won the Gatornationals):

AT THE END OF QUALIFYING, WERE YOU THINKING NOBODY CAN TOUCH MY CAR?
“I was actually thinking about how the traffic would be about 1 ‘o clock to go home. We’ve been struggling pretty bad with this car. (Crew chief) Dave (Connolly) has been beating his head against the wall trying to figure it out. It seems like it’s finally coming around. My grandpa came in yesterday and said you have four rounds to get this car right or we’re going to park it and bring out the back-up car. I really like this car and was hoping it would get going and it did. The crew gave me a solid race car all day long and gave me the opportunity to be consistent and go out there and get round wins.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NHRA–Gainesville–Post Race Quotes

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Auto Club Speedway–Post Race

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES & QUOTES
MARCH 18, 2018

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 DC SOLAR CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 2nd:
YOU ENDED UP BRINGING IT HOME SECOND BUT YOU HEARD KEVIN HARVICK SAY HE TOOK THE BLAME FOR THE INCIDENT, HOW DID THE TWO OF YOU COME TOGETHER EARLIER IN THE RACE?
“We were racing really hard and I was better than him in three and four and he was better than me in one and two. I would side draft him down the front stretch and he would side draft me down the back stretch and I don’t know if he was just coming down to side draft me or what but we made contact and it spun his car to the right. So, you never want to make contact with anybody but all in all it was a good day for our DC Solar Chevrolet team. We had a lot of weird issues like vibrations and stuff that made us have to restart in the back and we would have to go back forward. It always seemed like we would get to third or fourth and kind of stall out there. But it was still a very good day. The 78 was really good and I think the 4 was probably the best car again although he didn’t get to race a whole lot. We are right there and we just have to continue to work hard. Hats off to everybody at our race shop because they have done a great job of getting our Camaros up to speed quickly. So I am having fun, but I would like to be one spot better though.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Auto Club Speedway–Post Race

Chevy Racing–NHRA–Gainesville Post Race

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE RACEWAY AT GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA
POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES
SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2018

An interview with Pro Stock winner TANNER GRAY, GRAY MOTORSPORTS, VALVOLINE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 11 qualifier; earned sixth Pro Stock victory in 27th pro race; picked up 50th round victory; father and grandfather also have won the Gatornationals):

AT THE END OF QUALIFYING, WERE YOU THINKING NOBODY CAN TOUCH MY CAR?
“I was actually thinking about how the traffic would be about 1 ‘o clock to go home. We’ve been struggling pretty bad with this car. (Crew chief) Dave (Connolly) has been beating his head against the wall trying to figure it out. It seems like it’s finally coming around. My grandpa came in yesterday and said you have four rounds to get this car right or we’re going to park it and bring out the back-up car. I really like this car and was hoping it would get going and it did. The crew gave me a solid race car all day long and gave me the opportunity to be consistent and go out there and get round wins.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NHRA–Gainesville Post Race

This time, Butner survives yet another big challenge from Jeg Coughlin Jr.

This time, Butner survives yet another
big challenge from Jeg Coughlin Jr.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 18) — For the second race in a row, five-time Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. squared off against reigning titlist Bo Butner in the first round of eliminations. But unlike a few weeks ago when Coughlin used a holeshot to beat the higher-qualified Butner, on this occasion Coughlin’s better start wasn’t quite enough to advance the JEGS.com/Elite Performance
Chevrolet Camaro. Continue reading This time, Butner survives yet another big challenge from Jeg Coughlin Jr.

Acura Shows Speed at Sebring

Acura Shows Speed at Sebring
• Mechanical issues end strong Team Penske Acura prototype effort
• Michael Shank Racing leads Acura NSX GT3 performance
• HART recovers from late-race damage; CJ Wilson Racing makes NSX GT3 debut

SEBRING, Fla. (March 17, 2018) – Fielding a six-car effort in two separate IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship classes – the largest for any manufacturer in the 42-car starting field – Acura Motorsports contended for victory in both the headline Prototype and supporting GTD divisions during Saturday’s 66th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, second round of the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Michael Shank Racing led the way for Acura Motorsports, with both of the team’s NSX GT3s contending for the GTD class victory and leading through the first nine hours of the endurance racing classic. Acura Team Penske gave the new ARX-05 prototype another strong outing, leading several times, but separate mechanical failures ended the run for both machines just past the halfway mark in the 12-hour contest. The Honda of America Racing Team also frequently ran in the top five of GTD and the CJ Wilson Racing team made its NSX GT3 debut at Sebring.

Acura Team Penske
Both Ricky Taylor, starting driver for the #7 Penske Acura ARX-05 prototype, and co-driver Helio Castroneves led during the early hours. Along with third driver Graham Rahal, the Acura remained in the top three until the car suddenly lost oil pressure just as the race reached its six-hour midpoint. Continue reading Acura Shows Speed at Sebring

CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Valiant Effort in Chase for Four Straight

CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Valiant Effort in Chase for Four Straight
Gavin, Milner, Fässler lead team with fifth-place GTLM finish at 12 Hours

SEBRING, Fla. (March 17, 2018) – Corvette Racing put forth another strong effort in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on Saturday with Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Marcel Fässler leading the team’s efforts at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Advance Auto Parts.

The trio in their No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R placed sixth in GT Le Mans (GTLM) after a trouble-free run that saw the Corvette go from ninth at the start to the lead of the race at the four-hour mark.

As was the case at the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, the No. 4 Corvette team didn’t make any missteps, didn’t lose any time in the pitlane and kept the C7.R running all day and into the night. The pace from the rest of the front-running cars, however, proved to be more than a spotless race could overcome. Continue reading CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Valiant Effort in Chase for Four Straight

Beckman Powers Mopar and Dodge//SRT to Funny Car Pole at NHRA Gatornationals

Beckman Powers Mopar and Dodge//SRT to Funny Car Pole at NHRA Gatornationals
Jack Beckman captures third No. 1 spot in three events for a Mopar Dodge//SRT driver
Pole is the 24th of Beckman’s career and second at Gainesville Raceway
Five Mopar-powered Dodge Charger R/T drivers make Funny Car field at NHRA Gatornationals
Mopar-powered Top Fuel drivers Tony Schumacher and Leah Pritchett to start from No. 4 and No. 6 spots, respectively
Pritchett puts Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak in second day of Factory Stock Showdown eliminations, keeps quest alive for two Wally trophies

March 17, 2018, Gainesville, Florida – Jack Beckman collected the third No. 1 spot in three events for a Mopar Dodge//SRT driver this season, claiming the pole in his Mopar-powered Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car before a sellout crowd at the 49th annual NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida. Continue reading Beckman Powers Mopar and Dodge//SRT to Funny Car Pole at NHRA Gatornationals

JOHN FORCE RACING USES FULL TEAM EFFORT TO GET READY FOR GATORNATIONALS RACE DAY

JOHN FORCE RACING USES FULL TEAM EFFORT TO GET READY FOR GATORNATIONALS RACE DAY
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The three Funny Car teams of John Force Racing used Saturday qualifying at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway as a test session in hopes of solving a problem that has plagued team namesake John Force for the first three races of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season.

Force has blown the body off of his PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro at each of the first three events. Planned early shutoffs were the theme for the Camaro Funny Cars as the brain trust of John Force Racing worked together to find the problem.

“I am banking on the experience of the people around me,” said John Force, the eight-time Gatornationals Funny Car winner. “I am the kind of guy that, when it is qualifying day, I run it to the edge. I run it even if I know it will hurt itself. I am rethinking all that. What I am looking is the long haul. To go out here and say I have to win this race or I have to qualify low after as much stuff as we have put on the ground in Pomona and Phoenix and then to come here and do it again is bad. Jimmy (Prock) was up all night and so was (Brian) Corradi. (Jon) Schaffer and (Jason) McCulloch were up all night too. We want to fix this problem and move on.” Continue reading JOHN FORCE RACING USES FULL TEAM EFFORT TO GET READY FOR GATORNATIONALS RACE DAY

Chevy Racing–NHRA–Gainesville Qualification Recap

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE RACEWAY AT GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA
QUALIFICATIONS RECAP
SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 2018

Chevrolet strikes green and gold on St. Patrick’s Day qualifications

• Greg Anderson records fifth Gatornationals pole, 94th of Pro Stock career
• Courtney Force follows up No. 1 spot at Phoenix with No. 2 in Funny Car
• Robert Hight posts top speed of qualifying in claiming No. 3 Funny Car spot

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 17, 2018) – Greg Anderson says he “felt bad not wearing anything green” in recognition of St. Patrick’s Day during qualifications for the 49th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at sold-out Gainesville Raceway.

He rectified that later in the day by donning the green ballcap signifying the No. 1 Pro Stock qualifier. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NHRA–Gainesville Qualification Recap

Jeg Coughlin Jr. to face reigning champ Butner in Round 1 of Gatornationals

Jeg Coughlin Jr. to face reigning champ Butner in Round 1 of Gatornationals
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 17) — For the second national event in a row, Jeg Coughlin Jr. will face reigning Pro Stock champion Bo Butner in the opening round of sudden-death eliminations. Without question, he’ll be hoping for the same result as last time, when he upset Butner on a holeshot
in Phoenix.

The scene here in Florida is nearly the same. In Arizona, Coughlin was the No. 11 qualifier. This time Coughlin is the No. 12 qualifier. Once again, Coughlin could likely benefit from a great start as his best run of 6.581 at 209.75 mph is slightly behind Butner’s best run of 6.534 at 212.53 mph. Continue reading Jeg Coughlin Jr. to face reigning champ Butner in Round 1 of Gatornationals

CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Halfway Report

CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Halfway Report
Team going for 12th class victory since 1999 at 12 Hours

SEBRING, Fla. (March 17, 2018) – Corvette Racing entered the second half of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Advance Auto Parts well positioned for a shot at its fourth consecutive class victory in America’s oldest sports car race.

The No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R of Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Marcel Fässler took the GT Le Mans (GTLM) lead right at the four-hour mark after starting ninth in the category, and the 2016 Sebring class winners remained among the front-runners past the halfway mark.

Corvette Racing has 11 victories at Sebring in 19 attempts with this year’s running the 20th start for the program at the 12 Hours. Continue reading CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Halfway Report

Menard Qualifies 14th At Fontana

Menard Qualifies 14th At Fontana
March 16, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/FVP team had a strong run going in Friday’s Monster Energy Cup Series qualifying session at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.

He was fourth fastest in the first of three rounds of knockout qualifying, but hit a little bump – literally – in Round Two, which puts him starting 14th . Continue reading Menard Qualifies 14th At Fontana

Chevy Racing–NHRA–Gainesville Friday

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE RACEWAY AT GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA
FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2018

Chevrolet Drivers, Teams Start Strong in 49th Gatornationals

• Greg Anderson is provisional No. 1 qualifier in Pro Stock
• Courtney Force is No. 2, teammate Robert Hight is No. 3 in Funny Car
• David Barton is provisional Showdown No. 1 qualifier in COPO Camaro

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 16, 2018) – Chevrolet drivers and teams are looking strong through two of the four rounds of qualifications for the 49th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

Greg Anderson, a four-time Gatornationals winner, is the provisional No. 1 Pro Stock qualifier in the third race of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. Two rounds of qualifying are scheduled to be contested Saturday. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NHRA–Gainesville Friday

C. FORCE CONTINUES SUCCESS SITTING SECOND AFTER FRIDAY QUALIFYING AT THE GATORNATIONALS

C. FORCE CONTINUES SUCCESS SITTING SECOND AFTER FRIDAY QUALIFYING AT THE GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Currently in the No. 2 spot, Courtney Force leads John Force Racing with teammate and reigning Funny Car champion Robert Hight in the No. 3 position. Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force is 10th and 16-time champion John Force is 14th at the 49th annual running of the famed NHRA Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals in Gainesville.

Courtney Force and her Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS laid down a 3.914-second pass at 327.66 mph in the second session of qualifying to land her in the second position. Coming off a win and a No. 1 qualifier at the most recent NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event, the NHRA Arizona Nationals, Force is competing for her first No. 1 and win at legendary Gainesville Raceway. Continue reading C. FORCE CONTINUES SUCCESS SITTING SECOND AFTER FRIDAY QUALIFYING AT THE GATORNATIONALS

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Auto Club Speedway Qualifying

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
MARCH 16, 2018

TOP TEAM CHEVY QUALIFIERS:
POS. DRIVER
3RD KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 DC SOLAR CAMARO ZL1
5TH AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW COATINGS CAMARO ZL1
9TH RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 31 CHEVROLET ACCESSORIES CAMARO ZL1
12TH CHRIS BUESCHER, NO. 37 HEALTHY CHOICE POWER BOWLS CAMARO ZL1

TOP FIVE QUALIFIERS:
POS. DRIVER
1ST Martin Truex, Jr. (Toyota)
2nd Kyle Busch (Toyota)
3rd Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)
4th Erik Jones (Toyota)
5TH Austin Dillon (Chevrolet)

The Auto Club 400 is scheduled to begin on Sunday March 18th at 3:30 pm, EDT. Live coverage can be found on FOX, MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Auto Club Speedway Qualifying

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Auto Club Speedway–Kasey Kahne

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 16, 2018

KASEY KAHNE, NO. 95 WRL GENERAL CONTRACTORS CAMARO ZL1 met with media and discussed the Lefty’s Kids Club, the season thus far with Leavine Family Racing, his start as a kid in racing, how he is looking forward to racing at Martinsville soon, and more. Full Transcript:

AS OUR NEW AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY KIDS CLUB PRESIDENT, TALK ABOUT BEING HERE AND YOUR ASSOCIATION WITH THE KIDS
“It’s good to be here in California and get to race at this race track. It’s always a track that I’ve really enjoyed over the years. The first practice (today) didn’t go very well for us, but we have a lot of time to hopefully get better as the weekend goes here. I’ve seen Lefty before, but I met him a little bit two weeks ago when I was out here and we did a deal close to the track with some kids and actually got to learn how to play the guitar, which was really cool. Lefty was there. It was a great band and they’re coming as well. To be part of this and see the kids here and the 135,000 people it touches this year is really neat and unbelievable. It’s great to see that and to see kids being into racing and also into education in general. To be part of that feels good.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Auto Club Speedway–Kasey Kahne