All posts by ARP Trish

Chevy Racing–Corvette Racing–Upcoming Le Mans

CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Oliver Gavin Q&A
Ahead of 12th Le Mans start with Corvette Racing
 
LE MANS, France (June 16, 2013) – Oliver Gavin’s Le Mans career with Corvette Racing reaches the “dandy dozen” level this year when the Englishman makes his 12th start at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 22. The four-time winner – who drives the No. 74 Compuware Corvette C6.R with Tommy Milner and Richard Westbrook – discusses the challenge of Le Mans.
 
Question: How important was the victory at the Sebring 12 Hours in March, and can you take anything from that to Le Mans?
Oliver Gavin: The momentum we gained at Sebring can put us in good stead for Le Mans. I think it’s something that will give us a certain amount of confidence, especially coming off the battles of winning the ALMS championship last year. Tommy and I have really established a very good partnership. We seem to work really well together. Some races, we are right together in terms of lap time and that’s fantastic; it’s happening more and more now. It’s great to see that this partnership is working so well.
 
Q: What is the secret to Corvette Racing’s success?
OG: It starts with the people at the top – those who are running the program whether it is people like Doug Fehan (program manager), Gary Pratt (team manager) and Doug Louth (engineering manager). They do the basics very, very well. They aren’t trying to overcomplicate things. They know they don’t have to re-engineer the wheel. They aren’t trying to find a silver bullet. They know that to win the 24 Hours, you have to have good pit stops, cars that are strong and reliable, and drivers who can drive them. You have to have momentum going into it where everyone is confident and comfortable with their jobs. That’s the reason Corvette has been so successful. It’s nothing secret.
 
Q: With all the depth in the GTE Pro class, do you think the strongest competitor may come from within your own team with the No. 73 car?
OG: They have two of the most experienced drivers in the whole field in Antonio (Garcia) and Jan (Magnussen). I’ve never driven with Antonio but I’ve driven with Jan for four years off and on so I know how strong a competitor he is. It’s a huge amount of fun racing with and against him. Antonio is much the same. Whereas Jan can be a bit bullish, feisty and will hound you throughout, Antonio operates a bit under stealth. He is an assassin who creeps up on you, bangs you over the head and passes you. He’s a very clever guy in the car and is calculating all the time in the car. That’s a great thing to have in a 24-hour race – thinking constantly about the long game and not necessarily what’s happening right in front of him at that point. And then Jordan (Taylor) is going from strength to strength. Sure, he’s lacking experience at Le Mans but he’s gaining confidence all the time. He is having great success in GRAND-AM and hopefully he comes to Le Mans full of confidence and ready to go. Jordan is learning all the time and is maturing. He is willing to listen and is great to have on board.
 
Q: So who do you think presents the biggest challenge at Le Mans?
OG: If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on Aston Martin (being the biggest threat). They’ve loaded everything up into this one year. It’s their 100th anniversary and it’s their opportunity to nail it for a victory at Le Mans. They have great lineups and experience. They were exceptionally fast at Sebring, Silverstone and Spa. For the first couple hours (at Le Mans) in 2012, I was racing against (Stefan) Mucke as I remember racing the Aston Martins in 2005-08. Porsche also have been very smart approaching this year. They aren’t to be underestimated and never show up just to bolster numbers. The real unknown is SRT and Viper. They have been fast in a lot of races. We don’t know whether that big 8-liter motor is going to make a difference. You can’t get away from the fact that Le Mans is all about horsepower. It’s all very new for them. Whether their car is right for 24 hours is the biggest question. Then there is Ferrari who always is right there. The class is incredibly strong. I can’t remember it being as strong as it is right now.”

Chevy Racing–Michigan–Kasey Kahne

 
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
QUICKEN LOANS 400
MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
JUNE 16, 2013
 
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE CHEVROLET SS – Sidelined on lap 105
DID YOU HAVE ANY VIBRATION OR INDICATION AT ALL?
“No, I had no indication. We were just cruising. We had a really good Farmers Insurance Chevrolet. I knew it was going to be a battle with Jimmie (Johnson) today. He’s fast and I thought we were really good. We were on the loose side but I think we could have tightened it up a little bit more and gotten a little bit better. But I felt really good about it. We’ll see what happens here through the rest of this race.
 
“But I know it’s been a tough week for a lot of people. Jason Leffler was a good buddy of mine and it’s neat to see how the racing world and the fans and his friends and everybody has supported him for the last four or five days. That showed the person and the racer that he was. I’m just glad I could say he was one of my good friends.”
 
WHAT HAPPENED?
“Something broke.  I don’t really know. I would say it was a tire that went down, but I don’t know for sure.  I just was going into the corner and then it ‘boom’ and turned right went straight into the wall.  It was a hard hit.  We had a great Farmers Insurance Chevy.  Things were working out.  I thought it was going to be between myself and Jimmie (Johnson).  We both had two really fast cars.”
 
HOW SLICK IS IT OUT THERE?
“It was slick at the start.  It’s still slick.  We were still on the loose side so I thought as the race went we still had an opportunity to tighten up and hopefully get a little better.  My car would move around some on exit, but I felt really good.  I felt like our Farmers Insurance Chevy was fast and Jimmie (Johnson) is going to be tough to beat. I thought it was going to be between me and him.  It would have been a shootout.”
 
DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD ‘MAN OF STEEL’ CHEVROLET SS – Sidelined with engine failure on Lap 132
HOW DISAPPOINTING IS IT TO BE RUNNING UP FRONT WHEN AN ENGINE LET’S GO?
“Yeah, that is worse than if it happens when you’re running in the back. I’m real proud of the car. We were really struggling in practice and I’m just real proud of (crew chief) Steve (Letarte) and the whole team. They made a lot of great changes. And that car was just flying at the end there. I don’t know if we had as good a car as Jimmie (Johnson), but we had certainly made some gains on it, even in the last stop. So, I’m just real proud of my team. I hate to run into trouble. They’ll figure it out and we’ll get it sorted and we’ll be able to come back here and expect to run strong again. I just hate it. Hendrick Motorsports, they work harder than anyone in the business. They’re the best company in the business and we ought to be out there running up front still, but we’ll get it eventually.”
 
WAS THERE ANY WARNING WHEN THE ENGINE LET GO?
“No there was no warning at all even after I think we lost a cylinder.  The gauges all looked really good.  Flipped all the switches I could flip and nothing was really making a difference.  We just had something come apart in the motor.  Really happy though with the engine.  Happy with the way the car performed.  Weren’t really happy with the National Guard Chevrolet yesterday.  Made a lot of changes last night. Steve Letarte (crew chief) and the whole crew made some great changes last night.  We had such an awesome car.  Look forward to coming back here and try to get a win.”
 
YOU TALKED QUITE AWHILE WITH YOUR CREW CHIEF ONCE YOU CLIMBED OUT OF THE CAR.  WHAT WERE YOU DISCUSSING?
“I was just telling him how proud I was of him and the team because we were really frustrated yesterday after practice.  Really frustrated with how the car was driving and where our speed was.  Just telling them guys to hold their head up they did a great job overnight getting the car competitive.  We had a first or second-place car right there.”

Line Ready to Rise to the Challenge on Raceday at Bristol Dragway

Line Ready to Rise to the Challenge on Raceday at Bristol Dragway
 
Event:  13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Location: Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tenn.
Day/Date: Saturday, June 15, 2013
 
Pro Stock driver Jason Line has seen bright moments this weekend in his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro and is looking forward to raceday at the 13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. Line, the No. 5 qualifier, will take on Vincent Nobile in the first round of eliminations.
 
The Mooresville, N.C., resident put a 6.700 on the scoreboard in the first session and then bounded from ninth to third in the qualifying order with a 6.661 at 206.73 mph in the second session. The powerful run was the third quickest of the session and allowed Line to bank one of the coveted bonus qualifying points.
 
Day two at Bristol Dragway brought about warmer conditions that required teams to delve deeper into their data banks, and Team Summit rose to the occasion to hang onto a top-half position on a hot and greasy track. Line slowed somewhat in the heat of the day and recorded a 6.720 at 206.95, but his Summit Racing Camaro came back around in the final session with a respectable 6.693, 206.39.
 
Line, the 2006 winner in Bristol, will square off with young Nobile in the first round of eliminations. The two most recently met during eliminations in the first round in Atlanta, when Line earned the win light.
 
“We haven’t mastered this track yet, so tomorrow will be a challenge,” said Line. “But it’s a challenge KB Racing is looking forward to. We might need a little bit of luck, but we have a lot in our favor in terms of determination and just how hard we’re willing to work to get these Summit Racing Camaros faster and going rounds.”
 
Line, who was victorious in Houston earlier this season, is certainly hoping for a very special winner’s circle celebration on Sunday – which happens to be Father’s Day – with his wife and two young children in attendance. However, the compassionate driver is also heading into raceday with a broadening perspective and a heavy heart with the knowledge that a member of the drag racing family is headed home to be with a loved one courageously battling a cruel disease.
 
“Right now I’m thinking a lot about our friend and his family, and our hearts go out to them,” said Line. “Times like this make you think about what’s really important. We have great folks on this team, and we believe we’re going to win more races – tomorrow or down the road. But I think we’re all going to be hugging our families a little tighter tomorrow, no matter the outcome of the race.”
 

Richard Childress Racing–Alliance Truck Parts 250 Post Race

Alliance Truck Parts 250
Michigan International Speedway
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Alliance Truck Parts 250
Michigan International Speedway
June 15, 2013
 
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished third (Paul Menard), 10th (Brian Scott) and 20th (Austin Dillon).
Dillon is fourth in the Nationwide Series driver championship point standings, trailing leader Regan Smith by 67 markers, while Scott is sixth in the standings, 80 points behind Smith.
The No. 3 Chevrolet team ranks sixth in the Nationwide Series owner championship point standings, with the No. 2 team eighth in the standings and the No. 33 team ninth.
According to NASCAR’s Post Race Loop Data Statistics, Menard led the field in Green Flag Speed (185.914 mph), had the second-highest Driver Rating (119.0), was the second-Fastest Driver Early in a Run (186.156), second-Fastest Driver Late in a Run (185.699) and ranked fourth in the Closers category, gaining three positions in the last 10 percent of the race.
Scott ranked second in Green Flag Passes (67) and was the third-Fastest Driver on Restarts (179.708 mph).
Dillon led the field in Laps Led with 61 (48.8 percent of the race), maintained the best Driver Rating (120.2) and posted the Fastest Lap for 18 circuits (second-most among the field).
Regan Smith earned his second victory of the 2013 Nationwide Series season and was followed to the finish line by Kyle Larson, Menard, Kyle Busch and Trevor Bayne.
The next Nationwide Series race is the Johnsonville 200 presented by Menards at Road America on Saturday, June 22. The 14th race of the 2013 season is scheduled to be televised live on ESPN beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Satellite Radio.

   
Brian Scott Finishes 10th at Michigan International Speedway
 
Brian Scott and the No. 2 crew battled from two left-rear flat tires in the Alliance Truck Parts 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Michigan International Speedway to earn their seventh top-10 finish of 2013. Scott started in the third spot, with Richard Childress Racing sweeping the top three spots in qualifying. Action immediately got interesting for the Boise, Idaho native as Scott suffered left-rear damage when he was involved in a multi-car incident on lap two. He brought his Chevrolet Camaro to the attention of the crew, who fixed the damage and added four fresh tires. As the field set up for a lengthy green-flag run, Scott turned lap times as fast as the leaders and climbed through the field to the 11th spot. Crew chief Phil Gould called Scott to pit road for routine service and once green-flag stops cycled through, he was shown 10th. Laps continued to tick away and Scott was solidly inside the top-10 until the left-rear tire went down for the second time of the day, causing damage to the left-rear quarter panel. The No. 2 team made several stops under the caution period to fix damage. When green-flag waved for the restart, Scott posted competitive lap times and battled just outside the top-10, ultimately finishing in the 10th spot. With his seventh top-10 of 2013, Scott moved up to the sixth position in Nationwide Series driver championship standings.  
 
Start – 3                       Finish – 10                   Laps Led – 0                       Points – 6th
 
BRIAN SCOTT QUOTE:
“It was a tough race, the No. 99 got into us on the first lap and caused damage to our Shore Lodge Camaro. We didn’t get it fixed the way we needed and the fender continued to rub causing another flat tire, which caused more damage. We just fought all day trying to repair the car and to get it to run fast, even with damage we felt we had a top five car. But, we still got a top-10 after what was a pretty terrible day as far as luck goes. We’ll take it and move on to our first road course of the season.”
 
 

Austin Dillon Sets NASCAR Nationwide Series Pole Award Record, Leads Laps at Michigan International Speedway Before Late-Race Issue Causes 20th-Place Finish
 
Austin Dillon earned his fourth-consecutive Pole Award in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, setting an all-time series record, but ultimately posted a 20th-place finish in the No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet at Michigan International Speedway after cutting a tire in the closing laps of the Alliance Truck Parts 250. Dillon led the 39-car starting field to the green flag and showed the way for the first half of the race until the caution flag was displayed for a debris on lap 65. Several teams pitted under the yellow flag, but the No. 3 team followed a different pit strategy and stayed out during the caution period. Leading the field to the restart on lap 68, Dillon immediately dropped to seventh in the running order and reported that a left-rear tire was flat on the black No. 3 Chevrolet, forcing an unscheduled green-flag pit stop for four tires and fuel. The pit stop caused Dillon to fall one lap down to the race leader, in the 16th position. Dillon raced his way into position to earn the “Lucky Dog” when the caution flag was displayed on lap 99 and rejoined the lead lap in 14th. He pitted for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment before green-flag racing resumed with 23 laps of competition remaining. During the closing laps, Dillon posted the fastest lap times of the field and raced his way up to ninth before contact with another car caused him to cut a right-front tire, necessitating a second unscheduled green-flag pit stop. The No. 3 AdvoCare pit crew changed four tires under green flag conditions and Dillon rejoined the field to post a 20th-place finish.
 
Start – 1                  Finish – 20                 Laps Led – 61                  Points – 4th                
          
 
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
“Wow. It was a frustrating day. I’m very proud of my guys on the No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet team. They did a great job. There’s nothing you can do about a flat tire. Hopefully our luck will change soon enough.”
 
 
     
 Menard Captures Third-Place Finish in NASCAR Nationwide Series Race at Michigan International Speedway
 
Making his first NASCAR Nationwide Series start of the season, Paul Menard had one of the fastest cars on the track all day, driving the No. 33 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet to a third-place finish at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday. Qualifying on the outside pole earlier in the day, Menard slipped back several positions during two early caution periods on laps two and eight while he battled with a tight-handling car. Although he was tight in traffic, Menard posted lap times faster than the leader and worked his way up to second at lap 58. After a lap 65 caution period, Menard made slight contact with another competitor on the ensuing restart, causing damage to the right-rear quarter panel of the No. 33 machine. A lap 81 caution flag allowed crew chief Ernie Cope to call his driver down pit road for repairs to the quarter panel, four fresh tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment. After a lengthy pit stop, Menard restarted in 10th with 40 laps to go. It didn’t take long for Menard to make his way back toward the front of the field, as the Eau Claire, Wis., native was scored in fourth at lap 107. Just two laps later, Menard was tagged from behind while making a pass for third, causi
ng him to fall to seventh with 15 laps remaining in the 125-lap event. Driving the fastest car on the track, Menard worked his way to third before the checkered flag flew at Michigan International Speedway.
 
Start – 2                Finish – 3                 Laps Led – 0                Owners Points – 9th
 
PAUL MENARD QUOTE:
“We had an awesome Rheem/Menards Chevrolet Camaro at Michigan International Speedway. We passed a lot of cars today. We seemed to fall back a little on the restarts, but it didn’t take long for us to make up ground on the leaders with how fast our car ran all day. I felt like we had the car to beat and if we had a few more laps, I think we would have been in contention for the win. I enjoyed getting back in the Nationwide car and we’ll take a third-place finish. I can’t thank Ernie (Cope, crew chief) and the whole team enough for all of their hard work today. I had a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to our next Nationwide (Series) race later in the season.”
 

Summit Racing–Anderson Inspired for Long Day on Father’s Day in Bristol

Anderson Inspired for Long Day on Father’s Day in Bristol
 
Event:  13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Location: Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tenn.
Day/Date: Saturday, June 15, 2013
 
Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson is set and ready for eliminations as the final round of qualifying is in the books at the 13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. For Anderson, raceday will bring a fresh opportunity to hit the nail on the head and battle for the 75th title of his career with strong supporters in the house.
 
Qualifying was a strenuous task for the field as drivers and support crews tackled warm conditions and a tricky racing surface. With a 6.698 clocking followed by an improved 6.671 on the first day of the event, Anderson found himself fifth at the conclusion of day one, and the warmer conditions of the second day in Bristol brought about even more challenges.
 
In the first session on Saturday, the team was perhaps a bit too aggressive in the setup with their new, white Summit Racing Camaro and Anderson shook the tires early in the run, amounting to a slowing 6.756 at 204.94 mph. Later in the day, the second session saw them rapping on another door as they leaned in an overly conservative direction for a better, yet still not quite on target, 6.699 at 206.29 as their last offering before the ladder was set.
 
“We’ve run up against both sides of the fence,” said Anderson. “We know where each side is, we’ve set the sidelines, so tomorrow will be about keeping our Summit Racing Camaros in the middle of the course.”
 
Anderson, the No. 7 qualifier, will meet Greg Stanfield in the first round of eliminations. The most recent meeting between the two was at the Summit Racing Southern Nationals in Atlanta, when Anderson got the nod over his opponent in the second round.
 
“I think we can run decent and that we can have a repeatable car tomorrow,” said Anderson. “We just have to make the right decisions and get it done. I’m going to have to drive really well, and with all of that coming together, we’re going to have a chance to go rounds.
 
“You never know what can happen on Father’s Day. It’s a special day to me, and I’ve got a lot of support here with my dad Rod, who celebrated his 80th birthday this weekend, my mom Joan, and the rest of the family. I have a lot of reasons, a lot of incentive, to do really well tomorrow in the Summit Racing Camaro. Let’s see what we can do.”
 

Line Ready to Rise to the Challenge on Raceday at Bristol Dragway

Line Ready to Rise to the Challenge on Raceday at Bristol Dragway
 
Event:  13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Location: Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tenn.
Day/Date: Saturday, June 15, 2013
 
Pro Stock driver Jason Line has seen bright moments this weekend in his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro and is looking forward to raceday at the 13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. Line, the No. 5 qualifier, will take on Vincent Nobile in the first round of eliminations.
 
The Mooresville, N.C., resident put a 6.700 on the scoreboard in the first session and then bounded from ninth to third in the qualifying order with a 6.661 at 206.73 mph in the second session. The powerful run was the third quickest of the session and allowed Line to bank one of the coveted bonus qualifying points.
 
Day two at Bristol Dragway brought about warmer conditions that required teams to delve deeper into their data banks, and Team Summit rose to the occasion to hang onto a top-half position on a hot and greasy track. Line slowed somewhat in the heat of the day and recorded a 6.720 at 206.95, but his Summit Racing Camaro came back around in the final session with a respectable 6.693, 206.39.
 
Line, the 2006 winner in Bristol, will square off with young Nobile in the first round of eliminations. The two most recently met during eliminations in the first round in Atlanta, when Line earned the win light.
 
“We haven’t mastered this track yet, so tomorrow will be a challenge,” said Line. “But it’s a challenge KB Racing is looking forward to. We might need a little bit of luck, but we have a lot in our favor in terms of determination and just how hard we’re willing to work to get these Summit Racing Camaros faster and going rounds.”
 
Line, who was victorious in Houston earlier this season, is certainly hoping for a very special winner’s circle celebration on Sunday – which happens to be Father’s Day – with his wife and two young children in attendance. However, the compassionate driver is also heading into raceday with a broadening perspective and a heavy heart with the knowledge that a member of the drag racing family is headed home to be with a loved one courageously battling a cruel disease.
 
“Right now I’m thinking a lot about our friend and his family, and our hearts go out to them,” said Line. “Times like this make you think about what’s really important. We have great folks on this team, and we believe we’re going to win more races – tomorrow or down the road. But I think we’re all going to be hugging our families a little tighter tomorrow, no matter the outcome of the race.”
 

Honda Racing–Sato Shines Mid-Race at Milwaukee

Takuma Sato played a starring role Saturday at the Milwaukee IndyFest, leading a race-high total of 109laps in search of his second IZOD IndyCar Series victory of 2013.  But a yellow flag late in the race – just after his final pit stop of the day – dropped Sato to an unrepresentative seventh-place finish as Ryan Hunter-Reay was able to pit during the final caution and race on to his second consecutive victory at The Milwaukee Mile.

Sato took the lead for the first time on Lap 75 of the 250-lap contest, and was in clear command of the field in the middle stages of the race, extending his lead to as much as five seconds when running in the clear.  But struggles with lapped traffic late in his third run led Sato’s A.J. Foyt Racing team to call him in for his final pit stop early in his pit “window” on Lap 200.  Just 12 laps later, a spin by Ana Beatriz brought out the fourth and final yellow flag of the day and resulted in Sato falling to seventh place as other lead-lap cars were able to make their final stop during the caution and rejoin the field without losing track position.

Scott Dixon was one of those benefiting from pitting during the final yellow flag, and finished sixth for Honda and Target Chip Ganassi Racing.  He briefly ran fourth following the last restart on Lap 220, but was forced out of the racing line and lost two positions as a result.  Teammate Dario Franchitti made gains in the race after a troubled qualifying to finish eighth; while Justin Wilson also made up ground in the final 50 laps to finish ninth for Dale Coyne Racing.

Mopar Racing–Johnson Qualifies Second in Pro Stock at Home Track

Johnson Qualifies Second in Pro Stock at Home Track;
Beckman, Hagan Second and Third in Funny Car at Bristol
 
·         Johnson second in Pro Stock qualifying at Bristol Dragway in front of hometown fans at 13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
·         Beckman and Hagan qualify second and third for Mopar in Funny Car
·         Beckman sets track record at Bristol with a speed of 317.05 mph and his best run of the year
·         Last year at Bristol, Johnson finished runner-up in the closest finish in NHRA history, decided by less than .0000-second
·         Johnson hoping to celebrate Father’s Day with the gift of a win for his father and engine builder Roy Johnson
·         Johnson and Coughlin Jr. tied for second in points heading into final eliminations on Sunday

 

Bristol, Tenn. (Saturday, June 15, 2013) – Following four rounds of qualifying, the field is set for the Father’s Day edition of the 13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway on Sunday. Hometown favorite Allen Johnson qualified his Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger second on the strength of his best elapsed time on Friday night of 6.645 seconds and a top speed of 207.85 mph while his nemesis Mike Edwards earned his ninth No.1 qualifier position of the season with a 6.632-second e.t. (208.23 mph). In Funny Car, Don Schumacher Racing teammates Jack Beckman and Matt Hagan were the top Mopar Funny Car qualifiers in second and third place respectively.

 

While Johnson would have liked to have posted a No.1 qualifying position for a fourth year in a row at his home track, he’s keeping things in perspective.

 

“We were trying to go for it that last run and sort of over powered the track but for the weekend we have to feel good about it as we closed the gap on Mike [Edwards] still a little more and I think we have a great car for race day,” said Johnson who will face Lewis Worden in the first round of eliminations.

 

A title win at Bristol has eluded Johnson and after finishing runner-up to Edwards last year by less than .0000 of a second in the closest finish in NHRA history, he would love a rematch. Gifting a national title to his dad and engine builder Roy Johnson on Father’s Day on the quarter-mile strip in front of hometown fans, family and friends is definitely the goal.

“It’s Father’s Day (on Sunday) and I’m going to have extra motivation because I have my dad here by my side, but I think we have a great hot rod, we know this track, and the team is doing such a great job so we have high hopes.”

While Johnson would like to put his competitor’s streak of four consecutive wins at Thunder Valley to an end himself, maximum points would also help the defending NHRA Pro Stock World Champion gain some ground in the points battle which is currently at the half way point of the regular season. Following qualifying, Johnson finds himself tied for second place with his Mopar teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr., trailing Edwards in the lead by 164 points.

Coughlin for his part qualified sixth with a best run of 6.661-seconds at 206.73 mph in the third round, putting him up against Rickie Jones for a first round match-up.  

 

“We had three great runs and one good run out of the four sessions,” said Coughlin, who showed consistency with consecutive runs of 6.664 seconds (206.67 mph), 6.670 (206.32 mph), 6.661 (206.73 mph) and 6.689 (206.92 mph) . “The fastest session last night, for some reason we were scratching our heads after that run. We couldn’t really put a finger on why we didn’t perform like we wanted to, but that’s the sport of drag racing. You’ve just got to analyze your data and get to work.”

 

The HEMI®-powered Dodge of Vincent Nobile was 12th on the qualifying sheets and will face Jason Line in the opening round of eliminations while V. Gaines qualified ninth and matches up with Rodger Brogdon.

 

In Funny Car, defending NHRA World Champ Beckman earned the No. 2 qualifier position for the Don Schumacher Racing team with a 4.012-second pass on Friday night to post his best run of the year in his Mopar and set a Bristol track record with a speed of 317.05 mph. He’ll face Blake Alexander as his first round opponent.

 

Hagan, who is coming off the his second title win of the season with a victory at the preceding event in Englishtown aboard the “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Dodge Charger R/T and is the current Funny Car championship points leader, secured the third spot in qualifying on Friday evening with a 4.049-second pass at 317 mph to face off against Tony Pedregon. His fellow DSR teammate Ron Capps was fifth quickest for a match-up against Chad Head, while Johnny Gray, second in points, qualified his Mopar tenth and will see Bob Tasca in the opening round of eliminations.

 

Chevy Racing–CHEVROLET CORVETTE GRABS TOP-TWO SPOTS ON THE PODIUM AT MID-OHIO

CHEVROLET CORVETTE GRABS TOP-TWO SPOTS ON THE PODIUM AT MID-OHIO
Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittapaldi earn first victory of the season for Action Express Racing
 
LEXINGTON, Ohio (June 15, 2013) – Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi teamed to win the Diamond Cellar Classic on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in the No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette Daytona Protype (DP), giving the team its first victory of the season.  The victory is Barbosa’s 11th career GRAND-AM series win and Fittipaldi’s third.

Close behind in second place, giving Team Chevy the top-two positions on the podium, was defending race winner Michael Valiante in the No. 3 8Star Motorsports Corvette DP started by Enzo Potolicchio.
 
“After an intense battle throughout the race, it was exciting to see the No. 5 Action Express Corvette DP capture their first win of the season, and the No. 3 8Star Motorsports Corvette DP score their first podium since joining Team Chevy,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series.  “Mid-Ohio is very technical, but our teams were up to the challenge today and added another win to boost Chevrolet’s lead in the important Manufacturers’ Championship battle. Congratulations to both organizations on their tremendous runs today. Now we head to Watkins Glen for the Six Hour Endurance race.”

Max Angelelli and Jordan Taylor finished sixth in the No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP, managed to retain a one-point lead over Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty, No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP, who finished fifth.  Action Express Racing’s No. 5 Corvette DP piloted by Brian and Burt Frisselle ended the day in seventh followed by the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP driven by Richard Westbrook and Ricky Taylor in ninth, to give the Bowtie Brigade six of the top-10 finishing positions.
 
In the Grand Touring (GT) class, Eric Curran driver the No. 31 Marsh Racing Corvette, passed the leader in the closing minutes. However, unavoidable contact was made resulting in a penalty which relegated Curran and co-driver Boris Said to a fourth-place finish.   John Edwards and Robin Liddell brought the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R to the finish in 10th place.
 
The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge pair of Matt Bell and John Edwards carried the banner for Team Chevy, bringing home a strong third-place podium finish in their No. 9 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GS.R  to round out the weekend.
 
Next on the GRAND-AM schedule will be June 28-30 at Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, New York featuring both the Rolex Sports Car Series and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.
 
POST RACE DRIVER QUOTES:
JOAO BARBOSA, NO. 9 ACTION EXPRESS RACING CORVETTE DAYTONA PROTOTYPE:
WITH ABOUT 35 MINUTES TO GO YOU AND RICHARD WESTBROOK WERE HAVING A GREAT BATTLE.  YOU WERE SO PATIENT BECAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE EVERY TIME YOU MADE A MOVE HE WOULD SHUT THE DOOR. WAS IT DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO USE THAT PATIENCE AND NOT JUST MOVE HIM OUT OF THE WAY?
“Obviously GRAND-AM has always been like this really tight competition and really intense.  Just I knew I was faster I just had to be careful with the guys that were behind me so I wouldn’t get caught off guard.  I was able to manage traffic really well during the whole race.  I was able to get the move for the lead.  Westbrook made it really difficult, but it was hard, clean racing.  I’m really proud the way he drove and I just hope we can continue racing like this in GRAND-AM.  It should be awesome to see in the next future races.”
 
CHRISTIAN FITTIPALDI, NO. 9 ACTION EXPRESS RACING CORVETTE DAYTONA PROTOTYPE:
HOW GOOD WAS THIS RACE CAR TODAY?
“Well it was definitely good, but it was good the whole weekend actually.  It didn’t turn out to be good only during the race.  We knew we had a strong car in the race.  We qualified pretty decent.  We were in the top-three.  We thought we had a shot at the pole, but unfortunately it didn’t go that way.  The race it all connected.  As you mention I had a very strong first sting.  Joao (Barbosa) just kept it on from there. He did an awesome job and he drove unbelievably well.  That is it. We ended up P1. The team really did a great job.  The Corvette was awesome the whole day.”
IT’S BEEN AWHILE SINCE YOU’VE BEEN TO VICTORY LANE HERE IN THE ROLEX GRAND-AM SERIES IS IT AS SWEET AS IT ALWAYS WAS?
“Victory Lane is always sweet it doesn’t matter where you are racing, how much time you have been out of Victory Lane.  Victory Lane is always Victory Lane.”
 
MICHAEL VALIANTE, NO. 3 8 STAR MOTORSPORTS CORVETTE DAYTONA PROTOTYPE:
WE KNEW YOU GUYS HAD A TON OF SPEED IN YOU.  WE SAW IT IN DETROIT IN THIS CAR, BUT I GUESS WE ARE A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT YOU WERE AS DOMINANT AS YOU WERE TODAY.  HOW GOOD WAS THIS RACE CAR THIS AFTERNOON?
“Well first off I have to thank the team. It’s a brand-new car.  Enzo (Potolicchio) has done a great job putting this whole program together.  It’s just getting better and better each race.  We have so much to learn.  We hit it just right in the race.  Enzo did a great job in his first stint.  For me I was able to get a good jump on that middle stint and pull away from the field.  We lost a little bit of time on that last stop not sure why and kind of shuffled us back, but we had the pace to win today.  I think second right now is like winning for this team because we have been pushing so hard to get on the podium.”
 
ENZO POTOLICCHIO, NO. 3 8 STAR MOTORSPORTS CORVETTE DAYTONA PROTOTYPE:
YOU HAVE DONE SO MUCH WITH THIS CAR.  IN FACT YOU GOT OUT OF THE RACE CAR AND LET SOME OTHER PEOPLE GET IN, GET THE PROGRAM GOING.  YOU WERE WORKING ON A TWO CAR TEAM AND THEN THE CAR GOT WRECKED AT DETROIT YOU HAD TO USE THIS BRAND-NEW CAR THIS WEEK.  IT’S BEEN A STRESSFUL TIME FOR YOU AS AN OWNER HOW SWEET IS IT TO BE ON THE PODIUM HERE AT MID-OHIO?
“It’s unbelievable what the team did in six days after the big crash we had in Detroit.  We hired the right guy (Michael) Valiante for the team.  We knew he is quality and the engineer loves him.  The feedback is excellent.  So we knew he was going to do well here.  The car, it’s just a team effort.  It’s unbelievable what these guys are doing.  We are a new team.  We were born in November last year. We promised we were going to be a contender by the end of the season and here we are.  This is a show of what these people can do and it’s just a team effort all around.  It’s unbelievable.  I have to thank Valiante for his podium.  It gives everybody more will to go forward and keep on pushing because we want to be one of the top teams and today we showed that we can be one of those.”
 
ERIC CURRAN, NO. 31 MARSH RACING CORVETTE GT:
TALK ABOUT THE CONTACT AT THE END OF THE RACE:
“Yeah, it was pretty wild.  It’s great running with Billy (Auberlen) he does a good job.  The Turner guys, Will Turner is a good friend of mine, all those guys are great friends.  It’s awesome to battle with those guys.  It was just good hard racing and I was better in some place with this Whelen/Team Fox Corvette, but he was better in others.  I thought it was all done after those two DP’s (Daytona Prototypes) hit each other in the key hole and I had nowhere to go but to touch the back of them and tore up the nose a little bit.  This Whelen/Team Fox Corvette was just awesome all the way through.  I love racing hard and I love racing with Billy he is a clean guy.  It was my bad for getting into him and spinning him.  That is not the way I want to win a race.  Feel bad about that, but real happy for Marsh Racing and Teddy (Marsh) and all the
guys.  That was a good run.  I wish it ended a little bit differently.  Just happy to be up on the podium, too bad about the penalty.”

Chevy Racing–Ryan Hunter-Reay Wins Milwaukee for Second Consecutive Year

Ryan Hunter-Reay Wins Milwaukee for Second Consecutive Year
Chevrolet IndyCar V6 Drivers Sweep Top-Five Finishing Positions on Famed One-Mile Oval
 
WEST ALLIS, Wisc (June 15, 2013) – Ryan Hunter-Reay is not a stranger to Victory Lane at the famed Milwaukee Mile.  For the second consecutive year, and the third time in his career, the defending IZOD IndyCar Series Champion won at the storied track.
 
Driving the No. 1 DHL Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, Hunter-Reay was credited with leading three times for a total of 65 laps in the 250-lap/250-mile race.  He took the lead for the final time on lap 198 and never looked back on the way to his second victory of 2013 and the 11th of his career.
 
The victory was sixth for the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 Twin Turbocharged engine in 2013 and extended Chevrolet’s lead in the IndyCar Series Manufacturers’ Championship Standings.
 
It was an all-Chevrolet podium as well as an all-Chevrolet top-five.  Filling out the podium were the two Team Penske Chevrolet drivers.  Points leader Helio Castroneves finished second in the No. 3 PPG Automotive Finishes Chevrolet and Will Power brought the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet to the checkered flag in third position.  Castroneves now leads Hunter-Reay in the championship standings by 16 points.
 
Hunter-Reay’s Andretti Autosport teammates E.J. Viso and James Hinchcliffe completed the top-five finishers in the ninth race of the 2013 season.
 
“Following a strong command of qualifying, Team Chevy added another win to the season tally,” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, IZOD IndyCar Series.  “Ryan Hunter-Reay drove a solid race starting 4th to take the win for the second year in a row here at the Milwaukee Mile.  Congratulations to Ryan and Andretti Autosport, as well as Team Penske for Helio and Will completing the all-Chevy podium!  Team Chevy is working well together and this second consecutive sweep of the podium moves Chevrolet to a 9 point lead in the manufacturers’ battle.  We shift our focus now to Iowa for the unique qualifying format and short oval excitement.”
 
Pole winner and points leader coming into today’s race, Marco Andretti, suffered an electrical problem that sent him to the paddock for repairs. He returned to competition 74 laps down to the leader, but gained three spots in the finishing order to be scored 20th at the checkered flag.  He now sits third in the standings.
 
Next on the IZOD IndyCar Series Schedule is the Iowa Corn Indy 250 set for Sunday, June 23, 2013.  The 250-lap race is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m. ET with live TV coverage on ABC TV.
 
Live radio coverage will be on IMS Radio Network XM 211/Sirius 211 as well as in conjunction with live timing and scoring on

Chevy Racing–IndyCar–Milwaukee Post Race

RYAN HUNTER REAY, NO. 1 DHL ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT CHEVROLET – RACE WINNER: “The team did just awesome today.  We had varying levels of grip through the whole race, different levels of balance, and we just stuck with it.  In the end, we knew what we had to do to win.   What a race it was.  It was a lot of fun.”
 
A FANTASTIC PERFORMANCE ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST THIRD OF THE RACE:
“Yeah, thanks it was something else.  The other guys had such a great car, Helio (Castroneves) and Takuma (Sato).  I thought we might not of had a good enough car to win it.  Just pushed through and in the end we had the balance we needed.  Thank you to all the fans for coming out today and making this another Milwaukee Mile race that is very special.  I appreciate it.”
 
WERE YOU AWARE OF THE STRATEGY HELIO (CASTRONEVES) AND TAKUMA (SATO) WERE ON?
“Yeah, we had the pace of the race there in the beginning.  Then we had a yellow come out at the wrong time.  That put Helio (Castroneves) and Takuma (Sato) on a different strategy up front so we had to fight through it the whole race to get back up.  We were leading when we needed to and we were able to open a gap.  I just can’t say enough about these guys on this No. 1 car.  They did such a great job in the pits as they always do.  Getting me out in front of traffic, in front of other guys and just did an excellent job.  I’m so proud of this race team.”
 
HOW COOL IS IT TO GET TO CELEBRATE IN VICTORY LANE WITH THE LITTLE GUY?
“It’s the best.  Those last two laps I was thinking ‘man I got to do this for him.’ Here it is.  It’s so special six months old having my son in Victory Lane on Father’s Day.”
 
ON HIS RACE:
“Man, I did it for that little guy, my son. He’s six months old and I couldn’t be happier. Happy Father’s Day again; we did this again last year. It’s the best day on earth and I appreciate it. Man, it’s so great to win for DHL and Chevy and look at this. We’ve got this little guy here!
 
“The team just was awesome all day. We had varying levels of grip the whole race and different levels of balance and man, we just stuck with it. And in the end, we knew what we had to do to win. And what a race it was. I’m going to drink a lot of SunDrop tonight, I’ll tell you that.”
 
WE ARE SHOWING VIDEO OF YOU AND MARCO. YOU WERE HESITANT AT FIRST, BUT THEN YOU WENT BY YOUR TEAMMATE:
“Well, it’s my teammate. I wanted to not go by to aggressively. You can’t risk a teammate’s race at all. So we had to make sure it was close. But, thanks to my teammates. Thanks to my whole Andretti team. They just did an excellent job and I’m really happy to be back in the Winner’s Circle at Milwaukee. This place has been so special to me and I have this little guy in Victory Lane. It’s just magic. It’s awesome.”
 
HELIO CASTRONEVES, NO. 3 PPG AUTOMOTIVE FINISHES TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – FINISHED 2ND: YOU ARE STILL THE POINTS LEADER HECK OF A DAY FOR YOU.  TAKE US THROUGH WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF NOW IN SITUATIONS WHERE YOU KNOW YOU HAVE POINTS TO CONSIDER DOES IT BACK YOU UP A LITTLE BIT IN TERMS OF YOUR AGGRESSION AND GOING FOR A WIN?
“Good question.  I am still thinking about it.  I have to say, wow what a race.  First of all let me breathe a little bit.  I want to thank obviously the PPG guys.  What a great job to come on board this race finish second.  You are right we started 18th we couldn’t do anything else though.  We just have to do a little bit different strategy.  RP, Roger Penske, what a guy, he is the man.  It was great to again another race with him because we are able to communicate well.  The car was on rails too.  The car was well set-up same as Texas.  The day before was crap. Then I’m like ‘oh we are going to be in trouble.”
 
THERE WAS ONE CHANGE FROM THE SET-UP AT TEXAS LET’S BE HONEST:
“We changed everything I tell you.  You talking about that I will talk to you later right there okay? Top for Chevy as well I’m really proud of Team Penske again; extremely excited for the championship and now we have to keep going.  It wasn’t the result.  We weren’t the fastest car.  We were very consistent again and I will take second place and go very happy home.”
 
ON HIS RACE:
“It was a great day for us. Starting from the back was tough. I was talking to Jonathan and our engineers and all we had to do with the car. Man, it was tough. But it definitely paid off. We were a little conservative and had to be patient and in the end it was a great job. I’m very, very, happy. It’s not a win. But you know what? I’m very happy for Father’s Day including mine.”
 
WHAT WERE YOU THINKING LATE IN THE RACE WHEN WILL POWER CAME UP ON YOU? DID YOU KNOW HE WAS COMING AND HOW CLOSE WAS THAT?
“You know, I was a little upset with traffic because we’re talking about 10 laps to go and I’m like come on guys. It’s not necessary to stay there, or just let’s move a little bit, or crack the throttle. When I saw him there I’m like whoa!. Then my spotter said he said ‘Inside, inside’’; sorry Rick, but I’m already moving. But at the end of the day it was a great day for Team Penske for second and third. Good job, Will, and now we’ve got to keep moving on.”
 
WE ARE ABOUT AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE SEASON NOW. HOW FOCUSED ARE YOU ON WINNING A CHAMPIONSHIP AS WE MOVE FORWARD?
“We’ve got to keep doing what we’re doing. That’s the only thing I can say. I can’t think about a championship because right now we have a lot of races to go. But right now, we will take it step-by-step. You can’t count from one to 10 without going from two-three-four. And that’s what we’re doing. I thank everyone again from Team Penske. Man, I’m so happy today!”
 
WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – FINISHED 3RD: TAKE ME THROUGH YOUR RUN TODAY:
“I think by the end there we had our car sorted.  It was definitely fast.  I think it was fast enough to challenge Ryan (Hunter-Reay), I don’t know I think Hunter-Reay just took off.  You see we could really challenge Helio (Castroneves) at the end there.  Just happy to get a podium with the sort of year we have had.  This is a fantastic result for the Verizon car.  Helio got good points so it’s good for the team.”
 
HELIO CASTRONEVES SAYS YOU ARE AN OFF-ROAD KIND OF GUY AND THAT YOU CAN HANDLE THAT KIND OF STUFF. YOU HAD TO HANDLE IT, DIDN’T YOU?
“I was close. I wanted to race him very cleanly because he’s leading the championship, but if it’s an easy pass, I’ll go for it. But that was like man, I don’t want to take you out! Don’t just squeeze me that tight! But it was still a good result for Penske. Helio continues to get good points and it’s cool to get the Verizon 12 car up on the podium. But we’re just going to keep chipping away. In the meantime, am trying to help Helio as much as I can; but if I can beat him, I will, and make some headway on the championship.”
 
THERE’S A LONG WAY TO GO IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP. YOU DON’T WANT TO HELP HIM OUT TOO MUCH, DO YOU?
“Well yeah. In situations like that obviously if I was right there with him in the points, I could be a lot more aggressive. But hey man, at Team Penske it’s all about the team and we’ve got to keep that in mind.”
 
YOU JUST RAN 250 LAPS AND YOU LOOK FRESH AS A DAISY. TALK TO THE FANS.  WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO GET ON THE PODIUM AFTER A HUGELY PHYSICAL RACE?
“I’m stoked to get on the podium. That’s huge. It seems like on the ovals we’re getting our best results right now. But man, that was physical.  A lot of g-force; we have maximum downforce here. So the cornering speeds are really high. And you’ve got to remain very focused because it’s always such a short lap
. You’re always in a corner and you’re always in traffic, lapped traffic. So, I’m very happy for the Verizon car to get that result.”
 
FOR YOU PERSONALLY FINDING YOURSELF NOW JUST OUTSIDE THE TOP-10 IN POINTS IT’S UNUSUAL TERRITORY FOR YOU.  WHAT IS YOUR MINDSET NOW AS WE HEAD TOWARDS IOWA AND YOU PERHAPS TRY TO SPRING BOARD OFF OF THIS?
“It’s the same as what we’ve had.  We just have to keep chipping away every weekend.  Keep getting solid results.  I’m sure at some point we are going to be presented with a chance to win a race.  We just have to make sure we are always there to take that.”
 
EJ VISO, NO. 5 TEAM VENEZUELA PDVSA CITGO ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT CHEVROLET – FINISHED 4TH: “It was my best finish here, and a top four is pretty impressive. We know we’ve had the speed because we’ve seen it at almost every event this year, but I think we hadn’t quite been able to close the deal. We have been struggling a bit thus far, and I think we’re due for some podiums and wins. Hopefully this is just the start. It’s a good result for the whole crew and the whole team – I’m just looking forward to the next race. I hope we can keep building this momentum and that more strong results are ahead. I’m happy for Ryan (Hunter-Reay) – he did a good job. I like Milwaukee, I like Iowa and the short ovals. These places are fun; they’re basically super fast corners on a road course. It’s a nice combination of factors, and we have a good package… We’ve qualified in the top five six races in a row.  We’re very close, we’ll keep fighting, and we’ll look forward to Iowa”
 
YOUR BEST FINISH HERE AT THE MILWAUKEE MILE.  YOU ARE PUTTING TOGETHER A GREAT SEASON:
“I think we had a pretty strong car as a team.  We just missed I think the podium big chance of winning the race the second to last stop we had an issue with one of the guns.  Anyways, I take a top-four.  We are recovering after a tough beginning of the season even if we had the results.  There is plenty of championship to go and we are ready.  We are just very close.”
 
A LOT OF BATTLING ON THAT FINAL RESTART WALK US THROUGH IT:
“Yeah, it was fun having cars all around and fighting for the lead.  This is proper racing it’s super fun.  Ryan (Hunter-Reay), my teammate, you know, one of us was going to be the winner. And of course he’s the winner now but I think that little mistake in the pits put me behind.”
 
BUT YOU HAVE TO BE ENCOURAGED BY THAT. WHEN YOU COME IN FOR A PIT STOP AND THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH A WHEEL GUN, YOU STILL HAVE TO BE ENCOURAGED WITH HOW FAST YOU WERE AND HOW FAST THE CAR WAS
“No, definitely. I’m very grateful of the cars that the team keeps giving me and I feel that we are very close to winning a race. We’ve shown it at every race this year. The performance that we have and putting fast laps together and qualifying already six times in a row in the Top 5. We’re just very close. I keep fighting and am just looking on to Iowa right now.”
 
JAMES HINCHCLIFFE, NO. 27 GODADDY ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT CHEVROLET – FINISHED 5TH:  “Any time you get a top five in a series so competitive, it’s a good day. To have three of our cars in the top five is incredible; the team’s done a great job. I’m just a little upset we weren’t a tiny bit better in traffic today in the No. 27 GoDaddy car, because I think that would have helped us get around the lapped cars and we could have challenged the guys we were actually racing for position with. This track is the ultimate test of patience. It’s so easy to over-do it and get in the marbles and end up in the wall – and I had a couple close calls for sure – but you’ve got to be aggressive. You also have to have respect to this place…  it was a lot of fun out there either way. We always love coming here – I think it’s one of the best race tracks in the country. Hopefully we put on a good show for the fans. So, I want to wish a Happy Father’s Day to everyone. We wish the GoDaddy car was a little bit higher, but really happy for Ryan (Hunter-Reay), and having three Andretti Autosport cars in the top five is incredible.”
 
IF I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU YESTERDAY THAT YOU WERE GOING TO FINISH IN THE TOP-FIVE YOU WOULD HAVE TOLD ME I WAS CRAZY:
“Yeah, I would have said we would take it.  Then starting on the front row and being the third of the Andretti (Autosport) cars that finished that leaves a little bit to be desired.  The guys did a great job.  The car was such an improvement from practice. Our big thing we were just a tiny bit off in traffic today.  We spent a lot of time behind lap cars.  That kills you here.  It’s too bad we couldn’t get around some of those guys and be spending more laps actually racing the guys we were going for position with.”
 
DO YOU HAVE TO BALANCE BEING AGGRESSIVE AT A TRACK LIKE THIS KNOWING THAT YOU HAVE A BETTER CAR, BUT LAP TRAFFIC IS SO DIFFICULT TO GET AROUND?
“Absolutely, this track is one of the ultimate tests in patience.  It’s so easy to overdo it and get in the marbles and end up in the wall.  I had a couple of close calls for sure, but you have got to be aggressive at the same time you have to be respectful of this place.  There is a lot of fun out there either way.  We always love coming here.  It’s one of the best little race tracks in the country.  Hopefully, we put on a good show for the fans and you guys all enjoyed it we appreciate you coming out.  Happy Father’s Day to everybody and just wish we could have had the GoDaddy car a bit higher, but really happy for Ryan (Hunter-Reay).  Three Andretti cars in the top-five is incredible.”
 
YOU FINISHED TOP 5 HERE IN MILWAUKEE. IT IS A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT?
“Yeah, I think anytime you’re in the Top 5 in a series, as competitive as the IndyCar Series is right now, it’s a good day. For us, starting on the front row, you always want a bit more. But after where we were in practice, we’ve got to be happy with this in getting the GoDaddy car in the Top 5. I feel like we had the single car pace to do it, but we were a little bit off in traffic. I feel like I spent 200 of those 250 laps behind some lapped car and you waste time, you waste tires, you lose positions; it was definitely a lot of work out there today. Congrats to Ryan. I’m obviously happy for him and putting the three finishing Andretti cars in the Top 5, we’re obviously doing something right.”
 
HOW DIFFICULT IS IT, ON A SHORT-COURSE OVAL, TO DEAL WITH LAPPED TRAFFIC? AND HOW GOOD ARE SOME OF THE GUYS AND HOW BAD ARE SOME OF THE GUYS? THERE WAS CLEARLY A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE THAT DID HELP AND THOSE WHO DIDN’T
“Yeah, it’s a great point. There are some guys who are laps down who are driving like it’s the last lap of the race for the win. And they’re using every inch of the race track, from top to bottom, just making it absolutely impossible. And then you get other guys who are super respectful, who if you can’t get by, he’ll let you by. It’s a respect-thing. The thing is, it’s going to be the same guys next week. And the same guys the week after that. If you keep ticking people off, it’s going to come back and bite you. I know there are some guys frustrated; I’ve certainly frustrated a couple of people. But it’s the nature of short track racing.”
 
TONY KANAAN, NO. 11 HYDROXYCUT KV RACING TECHNOLOGY – SH RACING CHEVROLET –  FINISHED 10TH: “It was a very difficult race for us,  We had to battle all day long, but just didn’t have the pace.  We finished in the top-10 so I will take those points.  Now we move on to Iowa where hopefully we can have a better finish.”
 
SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA, NO. 6 TRUE CAR DRAGON RACING CHEVROLET – FINISHED 13TH: “It was a very strong race in the beginning for us. The No. 6 TrueCar Dragon Racing car was keeping a s
olid pace with the front runners. The crew did an amazing job on the pit stops but unfortunately we had a mistake calling me into pit and that costs us positions and we couldn’t recover from that. I a bit disappointed with the position but it’s a good position for us after a rough start to the season. I defiantly want more and I will not settle for 13th position. Iowa we will be looking a lot stronger and carrying a lot of momentum, so we will stay focused and go for a strong race.”
 
ED CARPENTER, NO. 20 FUZZY’S ULTRA PREMIUM VODKA ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET – FINISHED 14TH:  “That was a long day for us.  I thought we were going to be good after the early stages.  We were able to work our way pretty far up the charts ( to fifth from 20th starting position).  I slid a little on our second stop and I missed my marks.  So we lost a couple of spots then.  I got loose on a restart and lost a few more spots.  We were just loose that entire stint after being good early.  Then I got in the marbles and hit the wall in turn four.  And it just got away from us from there.  It’s so disappointing because it looked like we were going to have such a good day.  At the end, it feels like a missed opportunity today.  We’ll regroup and be ready for Iowa next week.  Hope for a strong run there.”

RYAN BRISCOE, NO. 4 NATIONAL GUARD PANTHER RACING CHEVROLET – FINISHED 15TH: “The National Guard Chevy was handling pretty good for us, but the gears were a bit long, so that was hurting us as we tried to race people off the corner. But the Panther Racing crew did a great job in the pits all day. We’re continuing to build on our continuity, and we’ll continue to get better working together. The plan is to race as many events in IndyCar as we can this year with Panther, so we’ll get them next time.”
 
MARCO ANDRETTI, NO. 25 RC COLA ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT CHEVROLET –  FINISHED 20TH: “It’s unfortunate… We came here for a win and had a car to do it. We fell back after a delay in the pits and then had an electrical issue – I didn’t have any idea of what happened at the time. The voltage went straight down and I lost all kinds of power; I couldn’t shift, the clutch didn’t work. We came back for all the points we could. We’ve been strong at Iowa in the past so we will move on and try to get points back next weekend.”
 
SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS, NO. 7 MCAFEE DRAGON RACING CHEVROLET –  FINISHED 22ND: “It was a disappointing day for the No. 7 McAfee Dragon Racing car. We had a pretty good race going with a very strong start and I was passing a lot of cars making it up to ninth position. Then we had a fuel pump issue running out of fuel with still four gallons in the tank. During the first pit stop the wheel gun was not retrieved properly and ended up damaging the suspension and after that the car was never the same. We were two laps down and our day was heading south, I was trying to hang onto the car and after our final pit stop with new tires the car was loose for no reason. At that point I knew this day was not going to end well, so we brought the car in and parked it.”
 
SIMONA DE SILVESTRO, NO. 78 NUCLEAR ENTERGY AREVA KV RACING TECHNOLOGY CHEVROLET – FINISHED 24TH:  “The car was loose from the start and then it just took off. We made contact with the wall. The guys changed the rear wing and we went back out, but I don’t know if it was damage from the crash or what, but it really wasn’t driveable after that. I feel bad for my Nuclear Clean Air Energy sponsors that we had such a short race, but we just weren’t ever able to get the car fixed right.”
 

FORCES FACE-OFF ON FATHER’S DAY AT FORD THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS

FORCES FACE-OFF ON FATHER’S DAY AT FORD THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS

 

BRISTOL, TN – As the final qualifying session of the 13th annual Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals wound down both John Force and Courtney Force each had a chance to shake up the ladder and avoid an awkward Father’s Day. Courtney Force and her Traxxas Ford Mustang came the closest improving her qualifying position from Friday just missing a move up the ladder by .002 of a second. The youngest Force will race her father by virtue of her No. 11 qualifying position and his No. 6 qualifying spot.

 

Courtney Force however was the quickest of both sessions today and racked up six total bonus points to inch her way further up the ladder in the NHRA Funny Car Mello Yello point standings.

In Saturday’s first session, Force posted a 4.161 ET at 305.98 mph and followed that with a 4.129 ET at 306.95 mph.

“In the heat of the day, it felt really great to get this Traxxas Ford Mustang down there and making good runs. We were the quickest car of both sessions. I think it was very important to make a couple of good passes in the conditions we experienced today because they’re more comparable to race day conditions that we are expecting for tomorrow. I’m excited,” said Force, the 2012 Auto Club Road to the Future Award winner.

“Unfortunately I have to run my dad first round tomorrow, on Father’s Day, but we’re going to have fun with it. I guess it’s going to go either way and I’m really hoping I can take home that win. I see it as a good Father’s Day present for him if I win. My dad has taught me everything I know and a win tomorrow will just show him I’ve been listening.”

John Force was solid on Saturday getting down the track both sessions and showing that his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang will be a tough car to beat on race day. In the first session he posted a 4.170 and then in the final session beside Matt Hagan Force improved to 4.153 seconds at 306.33 mph. His Friday night time of 4.071 secured the No. 6 qualifying spot for the three-time Ford Thunder Valley Nationals champion.

 

“We have a good hot rod right now. We’re fighting to keep that Ford in the Top Ten, but I’m up against Courtney tomorrow. My daughter is a great driver; her car is running right there with me,” said Force.

 

“Bottom line, we teach them to win. I’m driven to win myself. For Castrol, Auto Club, Ford, BrandSource, Mac Tools and Traxxas, we’re going to go out there and we’re going to give the fans what they buy that ticket for and that’s a great show. Whoever wins, will win for the day, but we’ll see who wins the championship,” said Force.

 

Force will race his daughter for the second time this season. Courtney outran the 15-time champion in the first round of the Gatornationals in March and she is 3-1 against him for her career.

 

Robert Hight, the 2011 Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals champion, continued his two day battle with Bristol Dragway. The Auto Club Ford Mustang driver will go into Sunday as the No. 16 qualifier. This is the third time Hight has qualified 16th this season. Ironically he has advanced to the second round in his previous two races as the No. 16 driver, Phoenix and Charlotte at the Four-Wide Nationals.

 

“You can’t win a lot of races qualifying 16th. You also have to be qualified to have a chance at winning. We have a chance. This Auto Club Ford Mustang has just not been reacting to (crew chief) Jimmy’s (Prock) tuning adjustments. We are not going to give up. Del Worsham (No. 1 qualifier) is a tough racer and a good friend. It will be a tough race for both of us tomorrow,” said Hight.

 

Brittany Force and the Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster achieved a number of firsts today at the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. For the first time in her young career she earned qualifying bonus points, posting the second quickest ET in the third qualifying session and she will have lane choice on Sunday for the first time. As the No. 8 qualifier Force will be able to choose her lane against No. 9 qualifier J.R. Todd.

 

“I’m happy to be qualified No. 8. That’s the highest we’ve qualified for an event so far. I’m glad we’re starting to work our way up in the field. I’ll be running J.R. Todd tomorrow in the first round and I’ve never run him before so I’m excited to be running him. I’m hoping we can make some improvements and just have a good race car for tomorrow.”

 

Force is trying to muscle her way into the Top Fuel Mello Yello Top Ten but in one of the toughest groups of Top Fuel drivers that will take a Herculean effort. This weekend eleven different drivers earned qualifying bonus points. Seven-time Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher is the only driver to get qualifying bonus points in two different sessions. Drivers earn bonus points by posting one of the three quickest ETs in the qualifying session.

 

She will race J.R. Todd who has stepped in to fill the seat for Brandon Bernstein who is recovering from back surgery.

 

“We’ll take any points, not matter what. We earned two qualifying points and that’ll help us move up and get into the top ten hopefully,” said Force, who sits 77 points behind No. 10 Clay Millican.

 

“That’s really exciting getting that lane choice over J.R. Todd because that way my team can pick the lane that we really need to hopefully get our car down the track. I have never had it (lane choice) before, so I’m happy to have that for the first time.”

 

While Force is focused on improving with every run her confidence has grown with every race. Being able to talk with her father on a daily basis at the track has given the rookie driver a solid baseline for success.

 

“It’s fun to be able to be out here and celebrate Father’s Day with my dad and most of my family is out here so it’s exciting. Hopefully we can get a win for my dad and bring that home for him.”

 

Summit Racing–Line No. 3 on First Day of Qualifying in Thunder Valley

Line No. 3 on First Day of Qualifying in Thunder Valley
 
Event:  13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Location: Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tenn.
Day/Date: Friday, June 14, 2013
 
Summit Racing Pro Stock pilot Jason Line had his hands full on the first day of qualifying at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, but he and the KB Racing crew applied necessary changes and moved up the ladder to settle into the provisional No. 3 spot by the end of the evening.
 
Line, the 2006 winner in Bristol, was among those in the first session who found the characteristics of the racing surface to be a challenge. His 6.700 at 206.42 mph was decent, but not quick enough to break into the top half of the field.
 
Paused momentarily at ninth after the first session, Line and his team scrutinized the situation, made careful adjustments, and rebounded with a strong 6.661 at 206.73 mph in the later session that was good for the No. 3 position and a bonus qualifying point for the blue Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro.
 
“I knew we had some work to do after that first run, but we came back for the second session and made a run that was certainly better,” said Line. “I think we still have a ways to go, but that was progress. We just have to figure out how to negotiate the bumps as well as we should, and the Summit Racing team is fortunate because we have a great group of guys. I know they’ll figure it out, and we’ll be better tomorrow.”
 

JOHN FORCE TOPS JFR AT BRISTOL DRAGWAY

JOHN FORCE TOPS JFR AT BRISTOL DRAGWAY

 

BRISTOL, TN – John Force and the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang took control on the first day of the 13th annual Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Tri-Cities Ford Dealers. The 15-time Funny Car champion and three-time Thunder Valley Nationals champion was the quickest Funny Car of the first session and wound up No. 6 at the end of Friday.

 

“I am gunning for a win on Father’s Day. Courtney (Force) and I are in right now. Robert (Hight) will be OK tomorrow. Those were pretty good numbers and it will be warmer tomorrow. I have no complaints. I watched Brittany (Force) run right down to the end with that 3.82. She stayed in the top half. We went up on the hill together and we were counting cars to see where she would wind up. We went across the tunnel and the fans mobbed us. It was awesome and she loved it. She stays in the top half I think she has a good shot at winning,” said Force.

 

“I have always had confidence in my Castrol GTX Mustang. (Crew chief) Mike Neff has a good handle on this car. He nearly won this race a few years ago and he was in the championship hunt that last two years. We are going to be there.”

 

Force could have been joined by Courtney in the top half of the provisional qualifying field but during his daughter’s second run Johnny Gray crossed the center line and stopped the youngest Force’s timing system. She was left with just her first qualifying time. She ended the first day of qualifying in the No. 11 position. Force ran a 4.134 ET at 309.56 mph in the first qualifying session and had the top speed of the round.

 

“We went out and ran a decent pass, running a 4.13 and going to the top half of the field. We had top speed on our first run and my dad had low ET,” said Force.

 

“We were really hoping to get around my dad to take that No. 1 spot from him. It was really awesome coming out and launching off the starting line and seeing header fire out my window. It’s always so exciting to have a night session, especially here in Bristol. This track has the name Thunder Valley for a reason, so it’s really nice to come here and put on a show for the fans while we’re doing what we love.”

 

“We were trying to make a low 4.0 pass on that final qualifying run, but unfortunately it spun the tires a little down track so we couldn’t get a good run out of it. We still stayed in the top twelve, which is important for us going into tomorrow. We’re going to try to move up the ladder tomorrow and get in the top half of the field, if not the No. 1 spot. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and seeing what out Traxxas Ford Mustang can do here in Bristol,” said Force.

 

The Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang driven by Robert Hight was on one of the quickest runs of the second session when it overpowered the track at the top end. Hight’s 1/8 mile ET of 3.303 would have easily been a low 4.0 second run.

 

“It was hauling on that last run. The conditions were great and (crew chief) Jimmy (Prock) put a strong tune up in this Auto Club Mustang. It just couldn’t hold on at the top end. We’ll make some good race day runs tomorrow and be ready to win this thing again,” said Hight, the 2011 Thunder Valley Nationals winner.

 

Hight will have to post a qualifying time tomorrow when qualifying resumes at 1 p.m. with Top Fuel and then Funny Car.

 

It was a banner day for the Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster tuned by Dean “Guido” Antonelli and Eric Lane. Brittany Force was racing at Bristol Dragway for the first time and she loved the feeling of being in the middle of Thunder Valley.

 

“First run we didn’t quite get down the track like we had hoped. The second run we definitely improved and stepped it up. We ended up running a 3.828 and that leaves us in the top half of the field, so I’m hoping we can hold that until tomorrow and through the weekend going into Sunday. I’d love to end up qualifying way up there. We haven’t quite made that yet, so I’m really going for that this weekend. I have a great team behind me and I know the guys can do it, so I’m really looking forward to tomorrow,” said Force.

 

In the second session Force blasted to the No. 3 position at the time of her run with a 3.828 second elapsed time. This was her second quickest time of the season behind her 3.822 at the season opening Winternationals.

 

“It’s great to come out here and run that 3.82, that was one of the best runs I’ve made so far competing this year. That’s exactly where we want to be and just have to keep moving in the right direction.”

Summit Racing–Anderson Takes New Camaro Right up to the Top Half on Day One in Bristol

Anderson Takes New Camaro Right up to the Top Half on Day One in Bristol
 
Event:  13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Location: Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tenn.
Day/Date: Friday, June 14, 2013
 
The first day of qualifying at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at picturesque Bristol Dragway proved to be a positive beginning for Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson as he debuted a new Chevrolet Camaro and grabbed the provisional No. 5 spot in the qualifying line-up.
 
In the warmer first session of the day, two-time Bristol winner Anderson wheeled his brand new sleek white Summit Racing Camaro down the 1/4 mile dragstrip for the first time in competition and clocked a 6.698 to move into the No. 7 position. Anderson’s time was solid, but the speed was way down – the 198.17 mph on the scoreboard was a shock for the driver who came into the event in possession of the track record for speed.
 
“The racetrack is rough and it just bounced over the speed clocks,” explained Anderson. “I didn’t lift early, I didn’t do anything goofy, it simply mis-tripped the speed clocks because of the way the front end was bouncing. But we made some adjustments to the shocks and a few other things before the second run, and it got a little bit better.”
 
In the second session, the track had cooled significantly, and with a firmer grasp of the racing surface, Anderson drove the Summit Racing Camaro to an improved 6.671 at a much more reasonable 206.57 mph.
 
“It’s still bouncing really bad, but that will be our project for tomorrow,” said Anderson. “The number one goal will be to try to make smoother runs on the racetrack. There are bumps out there that we didn’t handle very well today, so we have a little bit more work there. But the good news is that we definitely think we can run better.
 
“Overall, this wasn’t a first day out with this new Summit Racing Chevy Camaro. This is a better position than I’ve been in the last few weeks, and hopefully, there is plenty of room to grow. I think we’ll be happy campers.”

Wood Brothers Racing–Bayne, Motorcraft/Quick Lane To Start 25th at Michigan

Bayne, Motorcraft/Quick Lane To Start 25th at Michigan
June 14, 2013

Trevor Bayne and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion took the conservative route in qualifying and will start 25th in Sunday’s Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

Bayne improved on his top practice speed of 197.466 miles per hour when he took his turn at qualifying. Once he posted a speed of 198.429 mph on his first lap, assuring him of a starting spot, he coasted back to the garage, saving his car for when he needs it most – after the green flag drops on Sunday.

“We only ran one lap because we didn’t want to get the engine too hot,” team co-owner Len Wood said. “We were being careful because we knew we were in the race at that point.”

With 44 drivers entered for 43 starting spots, Bayne and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew had to outrun only one in qualifying to be assured of a starting spot. With the No. 44 car running just 184.393 mph before Bayne made his qualifying run, the pressure was off, as long as there were no issues on the qualifying lap.

“We know we have a good car for Sunday, so we wanted to be conservative,” Wood said.

Bayne and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew were thinking race strategy even as they prepared for Friday’s qualifying session. They spent a significant portion of Friday’s practice session scuffing tires for Sunday’s race, as scuffed tires are an advantage on relatively new, fast asphalt like that at Michigan.

Wood also pointed out that the Wood Brothers Motorcraft/Quick Lane team, which will make its 86th career start at Michigan on Sunday, should be able to capitalize on the track time and experience gained in a recent test session at the home track of the team’s long-time backer, Ford Motor Company.

“We spent the whole test working on race set-ups,” he said, adding that the team is looking for a strong run from the 2013 Ford Fusion it brought to Michigan, a chassis that will be run for the first time this season. “With these new Gen-6 cars, the speeds are up, and the Michigan asphalt is starting to get a little abrasive, so it ought to be a good race.”

The Quicken Loans 400 is set to get the green flag just after 1 p.m. on Sunday with TV coverage on TNT.

Honda Racing–Newgarden Leads Honda Qualifying in Milwaukee

Despite a slight gearing problem that cost him speed on the second of his two timed laps, Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing’s Josef Newgarden led the Honda IZOD IndyCar Series qualifying effort Friday at The Milwaukee Mile and will start from the eighth position in Saturday’s Milwaukee IndyFest.

Other Honda-powered drivers had various issues that hindered their qualifying efforts.  Takuma Sato’s first lap was quick enough to contend for the pole, but he slid wide in Turn Three on his second lap and was fortunate not to brush the wall, dropping him down the order.  He will start the ABC Building Supply A.J. Foyt Racing Honda Dallara from 15th.  James Jakes was another driver to have a “moment” early in his qualifying run, but recovered to qualify 12th. 

Sam Schmidt Motorsports teammates Simon Pagenaud and Tristan Vautier also had gearing issues that saw them hitting the rev limiter during their runs, but qualified 9th and 10th, respectively.  Several drivers battled poor handling during their runs, including Dario Franchitti and Graham Rahal. 

Saturday’s 250-lap race, the third oval race of 2013, starts at 3:30 p.m. with live network television coverage on the NBC Sports Network.

Josef Newgarden (#67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda Dallara) qualified 8th, his second consecutive top-eight qualifying result of 2013:  “I think we could’ve run a little bit better.  We hit the ‘hard limiter’ [limiting maximum engine rpms] in Turn One and that really drags you down.  But we’ve got a really good handling car for tomorrow, and that’s when it counts.  We tuned it and made it better from our starting package, which was already good.  So we should be really strong for the race.”

Chevy Racing–Milwaukee–Qualifying

Marco Andretti Wins the Pole at Milwaukee to Lead Seven Chevrolet IndyCar V6 Drivers in Top-10 Qualifying Results
 
WEST ALLIS, Wisc (June 14, 2013) – Marco Andretti won the Verizon P1 Award for Saturday’s Milwaukee IndyFest, race nine of the IZOD IndyCar season.  It is the third career pole for the third generation driver, and his second at the historic Milwaukee Mile.
 
The driver of the No. 25 RC Cola Andretti Autosport Chevrolet led a group of six additional Chevrolet IndyCar V6 drivers to secure the top-seven fastest in the final qualifying order.  
 
James Hinchcliffe, No. 27 GoDaddy Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, was second fastest of the 24 drivers making qualifying attempts for the ninth race of the IZOD IndyCar Series season. Will Power posted the third quickest time in his No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.
 
Posting the fourth and fifth fastest times, respectively, were Andretti Autosport Chevrolet drivers defending series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay followed by E.J. Viso.
 
“Congratulations to Marco Andretti for winning the pole in qualifying today at The Milwaukee Mile!” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, IZOD IndyCar Series. “We are so proud of Team Chevy for securing the top seven positions at this storied venue in West Allis, Wisconsin.  The unique challenges of this short oval with flat corners requires a key setup and a dose of bravery from the drivers to get the most out of a lap.  We look forward to the race tomorrow and know a win powered by the Chevrolet IndyCar twin turbo V6 will have to be earned over the course of 250 grueling laps. “
 
The sixth and seventh fastest times were run by Team Chevy drivers Sebastian Saavedra and Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan.
 
The Milwaukee IndyFest  is set to start on Saturday, June 15, 2013 at 4:30 p.m. ET. Live television coverage is slated to begin at 4:00 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.
 
Live radio coverage will be on IMS Radio Network XM 211/Sirius 211 as well as in conjunction with live timing and scoring on

Chevy Racing–Corvette Racing–Mid-Ohio

The Taylor Brothers Make is an All-Corvette Daytona Prototype Front Row at Mid-Ohio
 
 
LEXINGTON, OHIO (June 14, 2013) – Jordan Taylor led a pack of Corvette Daytona Prototypes (DP) that held swept the top five qualifying positions Friday for the Diamond Cellar Classic at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. But it is not only an all-Corvette DP front row; it is also an all-Taylor front row.
 
J. Taylor posted a final-lap best time of 1:16.947 (105.642 mph) in the No. 10 Velocity Worldwide/Toshiba Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP for his second straight pole position in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. It also put him 0.054 seconds in front of his brother Ricky Taylor in the Spirit of Daytona’s No. 90 visitflorida.com/GoPro Corvette DP for Saturday’s two-hour, 45-minute race.
 
“Today was another terrific day for our Corvette DP teams, and what a fantastic battle between Jordan and Ricky,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager for GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series.  “There are so many dynamic elements that come into play at Mid-Ohio, and finding balance over the lap is critical. This certainly bodes well for our chances at scoring another victory and extending Team Chevy’s championship lead in Daytona Prototype.”
 
Jordan Taylor and Max Angelelli entered the weekend leading the Daytona Prototype championship off their victory at Detroit two weeks ago. The five fastest Corvette DPs were separated by just 0.434 seconds after Friday’s qualifying. Christian Fittipaldi was third in the No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP at 1:17.200 (105.295 mph).
 
“That was a proud moment,” said Wayne Taylor, team owner of the No. 10 Corvette DP. “One lap, Ricky was on the pole, and then the next lap, Jordan was on the pole. I’m obviously happy to have both of my kids on the front row – this is the first time that’s happened.”
 
Filling the fourth and fifth starting spots respectively are the No. 99 GAINSCO Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP followed by the No. 9 Action Express Racing Corvette DP.
 
John Edwards, going for a fourth straight GT victory with Robin Liddell, put the No. 57 Steven Motorsports Camaro GT.R on the class pole position with a lap of 1:22.957 (97.988 mph). The 22-year-old went 0.288 seconds quicker than Boris Said in No. 31 Marsh Racing’s Corvette.
 
Edwards and Liddell have gone two months without losing a race with their first victory coming in early April at Barber Motorsports Park. Wins at Road Atlanta and Detroit followed.
 
The top five GT cars in Friday’s qualifying were within one second of each other.
 
In qualifying for the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, CKS Autosport’s No. 01 Camaro GS.R driven by Lawson Aschenbach set the second-fastest time in the GS class at 1:30.520 (89.801 mph).

Chevy Racing–Michigan–Post Qualifying

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
QUICKEN LOANS 400
MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES
JUNE 14, 2013
 
KURT BUSCH, NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW/SEALY CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED SECOND
VERY FAST LAP TELL US ABOUT IT:
“It was a great lap it’s amazing how close it comes down after a two mile run.  Carl (Edwards) posted a fast lap early on.  I just wanted to go after it.  We just came up a tenth shy.  The good news is we keep unloading fast.  We are right there in the mix.  All the guys back at the shop that are working on the pull down rig and all the simulation they are doing their job to the best that I have seen in this garage area.  We just have to keep it up.”
 
12 RACES TO GO IN THE REGULAR SEASON WE ARE INTO THE SUMMER STRETCH WHAT DOES THIS TEAM HAVE TO DO TO MAKE THE CHASE?
“We just have to finish races stronger.  When it gets down to the final 50 miles or the final segment of the race on the last couple of pit stops that is where we haven’t been our best so  that is where we have to get stronger.”
 
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED THIRD
TALK ABOUT YOUR QUALIFYING LAP:
“We picked up a little bit from where we were in practice.  I was happy about that.  I knew Carl (Edwards) had a really good lap and we weren’t able to get there.  We still had a good lap with our Farmers Insurance Chevy.  We should end up in the top maybe three or four somewhere in there.  It’s a great spot for Sunday.  Looking forward to the race, I don’t know the track is really nice and it seems like it will move around some so it should be good.”
 
ONE LAP IS ONE THING 200 IS ANOTHER WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO TO WIN THIS RACE?
“Well there is a lot that goes on to win it.  We worked on some things in practice already, put about 40 minutes into kind of our race deal.  Felt pretty good with that so we have a good amount of time tomorrow to hopefully fine tune it more, but I think we are in a really good spot right now.”
 
PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 MENARDS/CERTAINTEED CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED FOURTH
WE HAVE SOME CLOUD COVER NOW DID THAT HELP THAT LAP?
“It always helps when you have a little shade for sure.  We had a really good car in practice; we just could never really get a clean lap to show it.  Just proud of my guys.  We have had a rough couple of weeks.  Trying to get things turned around here in a good qualifying will go a long ways.”
 
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 33 AMERICAN ETHANOL CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED SEVENTH
HOW WAS YOUR QUALIFYING LAP?
“It was pretty exciting.  I felt like there was a little bit more out there, but I drove it and it got a little tight on me.  I had to check up off of (turn) two, but really proud of that lap.  The American Ethanol Chevy is fast so just now focused on race trim from here on out.  We got a solid lap in.  I think that will hold up possibly for a top-10 we were about ninth in practice.  So it should be right in there.  Man, I’m excited; I’m shaking that was a fast lap.  We will go on and keep working on it for tomorrow.”
 
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 10TH
ON HIS QUALIFYING LAP:
“I’m happy with where the Target Chevy qualified for the race on Sunday. We had a pretty early draw but the weather stayed the same so no one really had an advantage as qualifying continued. The car was loose when I was getting up to speed and I was a little nervous going into turn one but it ended up being a good lap and a top-10 starting position for us.”

DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD “MAN OF STEEL” CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED 12TH
YOU DON’T SEEM SO HAPPY WITH YOUR LAP WHY?
“I just I thought it was slow.  Everybody has been picking up.  We didn’t pick up, got on the splitter real bad down in (turns) one and two and just couldn’t get in the gas.  It shoved up out of the groove.  I don’t know that it ran that great in (turns) three and four either, but that really costs us a lot of time down in (turns) one and two.  We had a real good car in practice, felt real competitive and felt like we could put up a good enough lap for a top-10.  That is probably going to end up right around 19th or so we will see.”