Oliver Jarvis and Tom Blomqvist combine to make a single pit stop strategy pay dividends for Acura and Meyer Shank Racing with a second-place result at the Detroit Grand Prix.
Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque bring their Wayne Taylor Racing Acura home fifth on the Belle Isle Park temporary street circuit
Ryan Eversley and Aidan Read finish 9th in GTD in their Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 

DETROIT, Mich. (June 4, 2022) – One of only three teams to successfully complete a one-stop pit strategy on the Belle Isle Park temporary street circuit, the Meyer Shank Racing duo of Oliver Jarvis and Tom Blomqvist led the way for Acura in Saturday’s IMSA Grand Prix of Detroit, finishing second overall in the caution-free, one-hour, 40-minute contest.

The result moves MSR, Jarvis and Blomqvist to the top of the IMSA driver and team championship standings ahead of fellow Acura drivers Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque, who made two stops in today’s race to finish fifth in their Wayne Taylor Racing ARX-05 prototype.

After six of 10 races, Meyer Shank Racing, Blomqvist and Jarvis move to the top of the teams and drivers’ championships, respectively, with an unofficial total of 2,027 points; with Wayne Taylor racing and drivers Albuquerque and Taylor in second, 10-points back in second.

Acura NSX GT3 Evo22
In the production-based GTD class, the #51 Rick Ware Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 driven by Aidan Read and Ryan Eversley started fifth and ran there in the hands of starting driver Read through the only round of scheduled pit stops. But a refueling issue cost the team time in pit lane, dropping Eversley to seventh, until the final lap, when a fuel pressure issue dropped the #51 Acura to 9th in GTD.

IMSA Detroit Grand Prix Acura Race Results
2nd overall – #60 Tom Blomqvist and Oliver Jarvis, Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-05 DPi
5th overall – #10 Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque, Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-05 DPi
9th GTD – #51 Aidan Read and Ryan Eversely, Rick Ware Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo22

DPi Drivers’ Championship (unofficial, after 6 of 10 rounds)

1. Tom Blomqvist, Oliver Jarvis; Meyer Shank Racing 2027
2. Filipe Albuquerque, Ricky Taylor; Wayne Taylor Racing 2017
3. Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn; Chip Ganassi Racing 1931
4. Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande, Chip Ganassi Racing 1884
5. Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook; JDC Miller Motorsports 1868

Quotes
Oliver Jarvis (#60 Meyer Shank Racing ARX-05) Finished second: “To come away with a second-place finish on a street course is great for us. Huge thanks to Acura, HPD and Meyer Shank Racing. My co-driver Tom [Blomqvist] did a pretty savvy job in the opening stint. This was a tough race, but we made our [single pit stop] strategy pay off and scored some important championship points today. We have some good tracks for us [Watkins Glen and Road America] coming up and we’re really looking forward to them.”

Tom Blomqvist (#60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-05) Finished second: “It was a good day. I was really happy with the car, Acura and the team did an awesome job. I managed to maintain my [second-place] position at the start. It got super stressful at times with traffic and the walls, but Olly [Jarvis, co-driver] did a fantastic job holding off those guys [competitors on a two-stop strategy] and I’m just super happy, and confident going ahead to the next couple of rounds.”

Kelvin Fu (Vice President, Honda Performance Development) on today’s second-place finish for Acura in Detroit: “It was an incredibly tight race, and I think Tom [Blomqvist] and Olly [Jarvis] did a fantastic job, especially Ollie who had to deal with a lot of pressure from competitors in the final laps in addition to hitting his fuel number and making the one-stop strategy used by Meyer Shank Racing work. All in all, it was a good result for Acura today; and we’re hopeful for even better results on our Honda Indy car side on Sunday.”

Fast Facts
In 2021, HPD became the first engine firm to win both the Rolex 24 at Daytona overall and the Indianapolis 500 in same calendar year. The company repeated that feat in 2022, with Meyer Shank Racing leading a 1-2 finish for Acura at Daytona and Marcus Ericsson scoring Honda’s third consecutive victory – and 15th win – at the Indianapolis 500 last weekend.

In January’s season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona, Acura dominated the twice-around-the-clock contest, with Meyer Shank Racing and defending race winner Wayne Taylor Racing scoring a 1-2 finish in their Acura ARX-05 prototypes.

The win was the second consecutive Rolex 24 victory for Acura and the ARX-05 prototype, and the first 1-2 finish at Daytona for the manufacturer. For the Meyer Shank team, the win was their second Rolex 24 triumph, and 10 years to the weekend after their first Rolex win at the 50th running of the event in 2012.

Acura scored another pair of 1-2 results in May, with Wayne Taylor Racing taking the victory with drivers Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course; with Blomqvist and Jarvis finishing second for MSR at both events.

Next
The fabled road course in Watkins Glen, New York is the next stop in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen, the third of four endurance races on the 2022 schedule.

Bourdais, van der Zande earn second win of season; Bamber, Lynn battle for third place

DETROIT (June 4, 2022) – A soak in the James Scott Memorial Fountain was a refreshing reward after a grueling, fast-paced 100-minute race for Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande, who co-drove the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R to victory in the final IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race on Belle Isle.

It was the second consecutive victory for the No. 01 Cadillac on the 2.3-mile, 14-turn street circuit, and the fourth in five races in the DPi era for Cadillac. Bourdais and van der Zande also won on the Long Beach street circuit in April. “It was definitely not the easiest race we have ever won, but I am super proud of everyone on the 01 Cadillac team,” said Bourdais, who set the track qualifying lap record a day earlier in earning his fourth pole of the season. “Renger brought it home. It was a hard fight, but it is that much sweeter when you win it.” The No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R, co-driven by Alex Lynn and Earl Bamber, claimed third place, while the hard-charging No. 31 Whelen Engineering DPi-V.R driven by Olivier Pla and Pipo Derani finished fourth. In post-race inspection, the Action Express Racing entry was penalized for being underweight and was relegated to sixth in the order. Tristan Vautier and Richard Westbrook drove the No. 5 Mustang Sampling DPi-V.R to a fifth-place finish, and took the No. 31 entry’s fourth place following inspection.

“A very spirited race. Congratulations to all the Cadillac teams today. It’s awesome to be back on the podium and to be taking two places including the top spot,” said Rory Harvey, Cadillac Global Vice President. A Cadillac led all 73 laps in the first caution-free race at Belle Isle. The No. 01 V-Performance Academy DPi-V.R made up 65 points in the championship race this weekend and sits fourth through six rounds. “We got it done. We’ve had some trouble this year. It is good to get it behind us so we can look forward and win some more races hopefully,” added van der Zande, who recorded his 17th IMSA race victory. Going off-strategy, Derani took the wheel from Pla on a Lap 10 service stop and proceeded to go on a tear, re-setting the race lap record four times between Laps 21 and 27. He pitted on Lap 40 with 44 minutes left and continued his march to the front, recovering 29 seconds and lowering the race lap record to 1 minute, 18.877 seconds. A spirited battle with the No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R through the final 18 minutes added more drama to podium speculation. “The car was on rails,” said Derani, the reigning DPi champion. “We were pushing, pushing and the Cadillac was running really well. Thanks to the team.” The Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen on the 3.4-mile, 11-turn is up next for Cadillac teams on June 26.

An interview with the race winners: TALK ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THIS WIN IS FOR YOU IN DETROIT.Bourdais: “After the pole, winning on Cadillac’s home ground was the expectation. The team worked really hard to fix all my mishaps from yesterday. Hats off to them to get us a great car and a reliable one. I couldn’t be happier for everyone and especially for Cadillac. It was a tough race. The 60 was really quick. They managed to save at least as much fuel as we did and then pressured both of us the whole time. It was definitely not easy but makes it that much more rewarding.” TALK ABOUT YOUR STINT AND KEEPING THOSE CARS IN YOUR MIRRORS THE WHOLE TIME.Van der Zande: “It’s a beautiful day. At the end I had to make it a bit more exciting with all the fuel saving and they bunched up behind me and had a go at it. But super happy for a dual podium as well. Seb did a fantastic job in qualifying; that’s what made the difference in this race. We could manage it from the beginning to the end and that’s what I did when I got in the car. He gave me a little bit of a gap, so I didn’t have to fight anyone coming out of the pits and took it home from there. I’ll take the honor of jumping in the fountain, but I think Seb definitely made it easy for me. It’s a good points day. It’s never over till it’s over. The only thing we need to do is keep winning races and see where we end up in the championship.” YOU TOOK 65 POINTS OFF IN ONE WEEKEND AND A LONG WAY TO GO.Van der Zande: “Like I said, let’s keep winning races and see where we end up. We had a tough beginning of the year. Not only for us drivers but the whole team. It’s kind of hard to get past mechanicals and at Mid-Ohio I had a bit of a an off-course because of touching with the 10 car. You need to be a bit lucky, but the only luck you can make is by winning races.”

Cadillac Racing from the cockpit No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.RSebastien Bourdais: “It was definitely not the easiest race we have ever won, but I am super proud of everyone on the 01 Cadillac team. Renger brought it home. It was a hard fight, but it is that much sweeter when you win it.” Renger van der Zande: “For sure I was a little worried about fuel. It was a bit of a gamble for everybody. That’s why some pitted, but we didn’t. We have great strategy on the pit wall. We have a guy who can save a lot of fuel so I could go a little longer. When there was a gap, I was lifting massively. And then when there was traffic, give it a little bit more. We got it done. We had some trouble this year. It is good to get it behind us so we can look forward and win some more races hopefully.” No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.RAlex Lynn: “Very intense race with a lot of fuel saving in both stints. I really tried to maximize how much fuel capacity we have in the car and it was a game of playing with it all day. I think P3 was a good result.” Earl Bamber: “To be honest, both the 01 and 02 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillacs this weekend were phenomenal. We were in fourth and came through and caught the car in third – the 31. He did a big move in Turn 1 and later on he got checked up and we were able to get by. Podium finish and good for championship points, and good to get a Cadillac 1-3. Awesome for the 01. They’ve had such a tough time this season it is well deserved.” No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.ROlivier Pla: “I was trying to make position at the start and overtake the 02 in the outside of Turn 3, but it didn’t pay off so I got stuck behind the 5 car. So we decided to change the strategy and the team did an amazing job to give Pipo some good laps with little traffic. He pushed really hard and was able to make up a lot of time. He drove a fantastic race. It’s the first time for me; starting in Detroit wasn’t easy. The team did a fantastic job this weekend. We know we have the car and we have good expectations for the next one. Pipo Derani: “We didn’t have track position, so we went to a different strategy to go flat out to the end. We did, but it’s hard when you don’t have track position and you have to race so much. I sure was risking it a lot. I got myself up to third. Tried a gap to get past the 60 but had a bad exit and unfortunately lost third position again. The car was on rails. We were pushing, pushing and the Cadillac was running really well. Thanks to the team. It’s unfortunate that we pushed that much but come home fourth. But we showed why we are here. Hopefully, we can push ourselves up higher in qualifying, which would help us, especially on a racetrack like this one where it’s nearly impossible to pass.” No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.RRichard Westbrook: “We’re disappointed. It’s been below our standard this year. It’s been difficult to get a good feel for the car. But in the race I think we made a big step forward. We’re much closer to the pack and improved the car, and I think we have lots to think about for the next race and lots of good things to take away.” Tristan Vautier: “A difficult weekend for us. It seems in the race we made some progress, but it wasn’t quite enough to get us up there. We’re pushing and working hard to find what’s missing. We’ll continue to work hard to take steps forward and being strong at Watkins Glen. We have two test days there with Loic Duval because Richard and I will be at Le Mans. We’ll hopefully be back to the form that we were earlier in the season.”

EPPING, N.H. (June 04, 2022) – Defending event champion John Force and the PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car made strides Saturday at New England Dragway to secure the No. 2 qualifying spot at the NHRA New England Nationals. Brittany Force and the Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team set the track speed record and will also start race day from No. 2. Robert Hight and the AAA New England jumped to No. 3 and Austin Prock with the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster settled into No. 7. Saturday was all about improvement for John Force and his BlueDEF Chevy team. Despite hazing the tires and shutting off early during their first run of the day, Force and the PEAK team would better their performance recording a 4.296-second pass at 209.56 mph. The Danny Hood and Tim Fabrisi tuned Chevy Camaro really picked things up in the final session blasting to the No. 2 spot with a 3.881-second pass at 330.31 mph. Force will open eliminations facing-off with Terry Haddock. “I joked with my crew chiefs they should let me get in there, but they know I don’t what I’d be doing. No, but you know, you just have to trust them, sit back and trust them and that’s what I did, that’s what I always do, and it worked, it usually works,” said Force who picked up three bonus points for being quickest of the last session. “Danny Hood and Tim Fabrisi, I know they know what they’re doing, I knew we’d pick it up and we’d be just fine for race day. Now we just have to take it one run at a time and get this PEAK / BlueDEF Chevrolet in the winners circle tomorrow.” Brittany Force and the Monster Energy team stayed consistent throughout qualifying at the NHRA New England Nationals. They started Saturday off going quickest of the second qualifying session with a 3.712-second pass at a track record 334.32 mph to earn three bonus points. To close out qualifying, the 2017 event winner had a 3.763-second run at 327.11 mph. She will start race day at New England Dragway from the No. 2 qualifying spot thanks to her Friday evening run of 3.687 at 329.50. “This Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team ended up No. 2 after qualifying here in Epping on that 3.68 run in the first session but, the impressive run was earlier today in the heat, on a hot race track we ran a 3.71, which was a great run,” said Force who will race against Clay Millican first round. “We’re hoping to repeat that performance. Our plan is not even to step it up or push much harder but stay low 3.70s all day tomorrow.” After missing out on a run due to a mechanical failure on Friday, Robert Hight and the AAA Chevy would start Saturday losing traction early to crawl to 11.317-seconds at 75.34 mph. The three-time championship team led by standout crew chiefs Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham turned things around in the final session rocketing to a 3.889-second run at 329.34 mph to shoot from No. 14 to No. 3. “It gives you a lot of confidence going into race day with a great run like that, even though in Richmond this AAA team didn’t have a good run in qualifying and we went into race day still confident and got the win. But a run like that in the final qualifying session is amazing,” said Hight, who will face Cory Lee in the first round. “Honestly, I think we can make runs like that all day tomorrow so I’m excited.” Saturday would be a mixed bag for Austin Prock and the Montana Brand dragster. They would have to shut off early to coast to a 5.437-second pass at 125.05 mph before improving to run 3.793 at 306.19 mph but suffered an engine explosion down track. They wouldn’t better their Friday evening pass of 3.749 at 293.22 and settle for the No. 7 position to face Antron Brown in the first round. “It was a frustrating end to the day for this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team. We ended up blowing up another engine so we’re a little frustrated about that. But we’ve got Antron in the morning and we’re going to be the marquee matchup in the first round. Those big first rounds are what I live for. I’m looking forward to going into Sunday morning. Sunday is a new day so we should be fine.” Race action at New England Dragway for the NHRA New England Nationals continues with eliminations Sunday at 11 a.m. Television coverage of the event will continue on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) starting with a qualifying Saturday at 7 p.m. and eliminations airing Sunday at 7 p.m.

First Top Qualifier for Torrence with Toyota

EPPING, N.H. (June 4, 2022) – Steve Torrence posted the fastest time of the first qualifying session in Epping, New Hampshire on Friday night and that time held through two additional session to earn the Capco team their first top-qualifier since joining Toyota for the 2022 season.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series

New England Dragway

Race 8 of 22

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
Steve Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	1st(3.664)	S. Farley (8.089)
Doug Kalitta	Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	4th(3.728)	C. Ferre(3.931)
Justin Ashley	Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	8th(3.768)	D. Mercier (3.775)
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	10th(3.777)	A. Prock(3.749)
Shawn Langdon	DHL Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	12th(3.783)	J. Hart(3.731)

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
Matt Hagan	Smithfield Dodge*	1st(3.878)	D. Creasy Jr.(9.791)
Ron Capps	NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra	7th(3.929)	J. Campbell(3.950)
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	9th(3.970)	T. Wilkersobn(3.923)
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	10th(4.288)	B. Alexander(3.911)

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA QUOTES

STEVE TORRENCE, Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Torrence Racing

TF Qualifying Result: 1st

How important was it for you to post the fast time?

“Fastest run of the year and so much emotion behind that run just because we’ve been working so hard and diligently to really make this car do that. Couldn’t be happier for every one of these guys on the team because it’s so much hard work and this is like seven or eight races now without us winning one and it’s all a sacrifice you have to make. You have to tear stuff down to build it back up stronger and that’s where we’re at. I’m not going to say that we’re there yet, but we’re definitely a step in the right direction. That’s a confidence booster for myself and for every one of the guys. That’s what we needed to do and it came at the perfect time.”

What does it mean to earn the top-qualifier here in Epping?

“This means that we have our mojo back and this Capco Contractors Toyota is running the way it’s supposed to. This gives us a lot of confidence and it just feels good with what we’ve got going on over there is pretty awesome. I think we have and have had a great race car and now we’re heading in the right direction for getting better and you can’t just contain that. We haven’t won a race, but we’re looking to change that tomorrow.”

DOUG KALITTA, Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports

TF Qualifying Result: 4th

How does your race car feel this weekend?

“The thing is just pulling good. The car was nice and straight and the car is just running good. Just really happy to have the president of Mac Tools here with us this weekend. A lot of exciting stuff going on. Really proud of my guys. We’re just going to get ready for tomorrow.”

JUSTIN ASHLEY, Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Davis Motorsports

TF Qualifying Result: 8th

How do you feel about the Q3 run today?

“That was a good run, that was an important run for us. Obviously, we didn’t make it down the first two sessions this weekend. You never really want that to be the feeling going into Sunday. So just being able to go down the race track in our Toyota dragster is really important to us to be able to get that data and information going into tomorrow. That’s why you have three sessions is right there for that reason. We look forward to putting our best foot forward tomorrow.”

ANTRON BROWN, Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, AB Motorsports

TF Qualifying Result: 10th

How did you feel about that final qualifying pass?

“It was better. We’re just trying to get better and better with each run there. It left the starting line decent and got to half track. It felt good. We’re just building. We got all the gremlins out, but now we have to keep working to get better.”

SHAWN LANGDON, DHL Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports

TF Qualifying Result: 12th

How do you feel about the two qualifying runs this afternoon?

“Two good runs in the heat today for the two qualifying sessions. Not as fast as we would like to be, but we have a good DHL Toyota dragster for tomorrow and I think we’re making improvements.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.  

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants.  By 2025, Toyota’s 14^th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.  With the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES

WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY RACEWAY

ENJOY ILLINOIS 300

TEAM CHEVY POST-QUALIFYING NOTES

JUNE 4, 2022

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL QUALIFYING RESULTS:

POS.   DRIVER

4th      TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1 

10th    ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 MOOSE FRATERNITY CAMARO ZL1

15th    KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1 

16th    CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1 

19th    COREY LAJOIE, NO. 7 BUILT.COM CAMARO ZL1

21st    ERIK JONES, NO. 43 BOMMARITO AUTOMOTIVE GROUP CAMARO ZL1 

23rd    DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 TOOTSIE’S ORCHID LOUNGE CAMARO ZL1 

24th    WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1 

25th    ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 

26th    TY DILLON, NO. 42 CHEVROLET MILITARY APPRECIATION CAMARO ZL1

27th    RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 SUNNYD CAMARO ZL1

28th    JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1 

29th    AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 GET BIOETHANOL CAMARO ZL1 

33rd   JOSH BILICKI, NO. 77 ZEIGLER AUTO GROUP CAMARO ZL1 

35th    AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 GOLD FISH CASINO SLOTS CAMARO ZL1

TOP-FIVE UNOFFICIAL QUALIFYING RESULTS: 

POS.  DRIVER

1st      Chase Briscoe (Ford)

2nd     Austin Cindric (Ford)

3rd     Christopher Bell (Toyota)

4th     Tyler Reddick (Chevrolet)

5th      Ryan Blaney (Ford)

·       Group A Qualifying – Round One: Ross Chastain led Chevrolet as the fifth-fastest car in Group A, Round One of qualifying, advancing his No. 1 Moose Fraternity Camaro ZL1 to the final round of qualifying. 

·       Group B Qualifying – Round One: Tyler Reddick advanced to the final round of qualifying after posting the second-fastest lap in Group B, Round One of qualifying in his No. 8 3CHI Camaro ZL1. 

·       The top-10 lineup of the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway was set after a final single-car, single-lap run. Tyler Reddick qualified in fourth, with Ross Chastain rounding out the Team Chevy top-10 in tenth.

·       FS1 will broadcast the NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 Presented by TicketSmarter at 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday, June 5. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX PRESENTED BY LEAR

RACEWAY ON BELLE ISLE

DETROIT, MICHIGAN

TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING RECAP

JUNE 4, 2022

JOSEF NEWGARDEN PUTS CHEVROLET ON POLE AT DETROIT GP

NEWGARDEN AND PATO O’WARD EARN STARTING POSITIONS THROUGH FIRESTONE FAST SIX

DETROIT – Josef Newgarden laid down an on-the-edge lap of one minute 15.2153 seconds, 112.477 mph to grab the NTT P1 Award for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on the Raceway on Belle Isle.

It is Newgarden’s 16th career pole, his third on Belle Isle and his first of the season. He has two podium finishes in Detroit – a win in 2019, and a runner-up in 2021.

It is the fifth pole for Team Chevy in 2022.

Giving Team Chevy two drivers in the Firestone Fast Six was the 2021 Race 2 winner, Pato O’Ward, 70-lap race/164.5-mile around the 2.35-mile 14-turn track. 

Takuma Sato, Simon Pagenaud, Helio Castroneves and David Malukas completed the Firestone Fast Six qualifiers.

The remaining Team Chevrolet drivers qualified as follows:

10^th                     Scott McLaughlin

13^th                     Conor Daly

14^th                     Rinus VeeKay

15^th                     Kirk Kirkwood

16^th                     Will Power

17^th                     Santino Ferrucci

24^th                     Tatiana Calderon

25^th                     Dalton Kellett

26^th                     Felix Rosenqvist

Chevrolet and the NTT INDYCAR Series continue the 2022 season with the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 5 from the Raceway at Belle Isle Park. The race will air live on USA, the Peacock streaming service and SiriusXM IndyCar Nation (Channel 160) beginning at 3 p.m. ET. Live timing and scoring will be available at racecontrol.indycar.com.

TEAM CHEVY QUOTES

JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI CHEVROLET, TEAM PENSKE – POLE WINNER: 

YOU SAID IT WAS LOOSE, HOW ON THE EDGE WAS IT?

“It was loose and I was about hitting the wall every lap. Not every lap, but every corner I should say. I think we needed two laps to get temperature and this set was a little better than the first set that I ran. Just struggling to build temp, but it was so loose and I was like, ‘I just got to stay in it’.  I knew the track was grippier and that was a good pole. Sometimes the car is just so good that its just hooked up. I was loose today and we put it together. I am really proud of the team and thank you to Team Chevy and Hitachi. In their backyard with Team Penske here. It’s a good spot to start tomorrow, but I have been here before. We did this last year and fell short so we have to be really focused on the race and how we are going to get to the end and finish it off.”

WHERE DO YOU NEED TO BE TO FINISH IT OFF THE RIGHT WAY THIS YEAR?

“Its going to be really difficult. I think this field is so deep nowadays and everyone is good. You just have to be on it all the way from start to finish and understanding the strategy and not having a misstep. Hope we can get it right tomorrow, but I have got always the best of the best behind me with Team Penske.”

YOU MAKE IT LOOK SO EASY

“It was by no means easy. I was almost on the wall in three or four spots just trying to hang on. But this crew is incredible. I love driving for Team Penske and to have Hitachi and Team Chevy right in their back year. It’s good to get a pole, but the win is what we really need, so we are focused on that.”

HOW ARE TIRES GOING TO PLAY OUT TOMORROW?

“I think its going to be a similar case to last year where we learned it was difficult to understand whether you should take your medicine early or late. Seems like the red tires are more fragile. So, it makes it interesting. Do you want durability, or do you want a little speed to start the race? I think we will get that equation in a better spot than last year. We got pipped at the very end of the race, but we can do the job.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WIN HERE AT THE HOME OF CHEVROET AND A RACE THAT MEANS SO MUCH TO PENSKE?

“We’ve done it before. I definitely believe we can do it again.”

PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 McLAREN CHEVROLET, ARROW McLAREN SP, QUALIFIED 2^ND :

“We had a really solid day. The car was really good on one lap, but we slightly missed the window. I don’t think we made the right call on the tire choice and which red to take for Q3, so we hit a cliff and the tires never really went into the peak. Fifth is good around here, we can work a lot from there. The car is good so tomorrow will be important to see what we can do on a long stint for us to basically help ourselves during the race.

 “I love this place. It’s a long race, it’s a physical race. A lot can happen because there’s usually a lot of people making mistakes, so I think the first priority is ‘don’t make a mistake’ and second priority is just ‘try to make your way forward as you can and get a good solid points day.’ “

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 GALLAGHER INSURANCE CHEVROLET, TEAM PENSKE, QUALIFIED 10^TH: 

“It was not to be, but we will push hard tomorrow.”

WE ARE HEARING UP AND DOWN PIT LANE THAT THERE IS NOT MUCH EXPECTATION FOR THE RED TIRES TO HOLD UP LONG. IS THAT YOUR EXPERIENCE TOO?

“It is going to be an exciting Belle Isle, the final Belle Isle. But yes, the red tires don’t hold on for much and its going to be all about looking after them. And even the black tires don’t hold on that much either. So, we will see. Same for everyone, same tires and we will just get on it.”

CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE CHEVROLET, ED CARPENTER RACING, QUALIFIED 13^TH:

HOW DO YOU PROCESS THE SPEED IN THIS SESSION?

“Well, I even decided to go to the bathroom before this session and not eat lunch and I would have thought that would have counted for the last one-hundredth. So, clearly it didn’t but we picked up three seconds from our previous best lap in three laps.  We knew this morning’s session was a crock of absolute craziness and we didn’t even get to finish one lap. Thankfully we got a few laps in now and it proves that our car really had the pace that we thought we had in it. I also think Rinus (VeeKay) will be fast here as well, which is great. Thankful for the guys for having the faith in me and just to start 13^th here is great.  It’s a great position to take advantage of what happens up front and we will go from there.”

TURNING LEFT AND RIGHT AT INDY, IT WAS A GREAT MONTH FOR YOU.  HAS THIS TEAM FOUND CONFIDENCE OR SOMETHING?

“Well, if you look at the road course qualifying so far other than the Indy GP, its been a struggle for us. To come out here, a street course, and to get our best street course qualifying of the year, certainly for my side, is good. It definitely means we are doing the right things. Its been an interesting last 24 hours and tough start to the weekend but we know we can race well. So, I am excited for tomorrow.”

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 BITCOIN RACING TEAM WITH BITNILE CHEVROLET, ED CARPENTER RACING, QUALIFIED 14^TH:

“I think there was a lot more in it that we didn’t show this morning because there were so many reds and yellows and everything.  Yesterday the car felt really good, and so did this morning. But right now, I think the balance is really good on the lap that I did it. We are seven tenths off, so that is way too much.”

SO IF THAT IS THE CASE, HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THIS MORNING AND HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT YESTERDAY?  DO YOU THINK THE RACE PACE IN THIS CAR IS GOOD?

“I don’t know because I haven’t done a long run yet, so we have to see about that in the warm up. I know we can do stuff. with strategy here, but really it is disappointing to qualify in fourteenth place.”

 KYLE KIRKWOOD, NO. 14 ROKIT CHEVROLET, AJ FOYT RACING QUALIFIED 15^TH:

“You know, my hand is not ideal. I injured it somehow when I hit the wall and didn’t get my hands off the wheel, but it is good enough to drive. Definitely lost some strength in my right hand which hurts us through the left-handers, which there aren’t many here, there is just turn two, turn five and turns nine and ten. So I will just fight through those ones, primarily with my left hand. Its not ideal, but we are digging through it.”

ARE YOU DIGGING THROUGH ANYTHING WITH THE CAR AND ARE YOU WHERE YOU EXPECT TO BE?

“Well, that is one thing in INDYCAR.  You lose track time, you usually lose position. So, I am not too wary about it because we are really good on black tires. The red Firestone alternate tires have not been good for us in the qualifying session right now. This race is notoriously a black tire race so hopefully we are strong in the race due to that. We know we can be up front, at least on those tires. Like I said, losing track time doesn’t help anything.”

WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON CHEVROLET, TEAM PENSKE. QUALIFIED 16^TH:

CALLUM ILOTT, NO. 77 DYNAMIC EDGE CHEVROLET, JUNCOS HOLLINGER RACING—NOT DRIVING DUE TO HAND INJURY FROM CRASH DURING INDIANAPOLIS 500

“I was a bit stiff from the crash, but the hand is getting less sore each day, but obviously having a broken hand is not the nicest thing because it limits you a little bit. But recovering from that and feeling good. Tuesday, I went to see the specialist because obviously Monday was a holiday for Indiana.  But after speaking to the specialist, it was a close one and I think there was a little bit that they weren’t so happy about and the vibrations here wouldn’t have been good. I took their advice and a long-term career is better than a short term glory run. So, the target is to be in the car next week. I will have a review early next week and we will see.”

SANTINO FERRUCCI, SUBSTITUTING FOR ILOTT, QUALIFIED 17^TH: “Day two done and in the books.  Should have advanced in qualifying, it was a bit of my mistake as I lost the wheel a little bit in the last corner and clipped the wall.  But overall we are 17^th and I am very confident we can get the car in the top-10 in the race on Sunday and go from there.”

TATIANA CALDERON, NO. 11 ROKIT CHEVROLET, AJ FOYT RACING, QUALIFIED 24^TH :

DALTON KELLETT, NO. 4 K-LINE INSULATORS CHEVROLET, AJ FOYT RACING QUALIFIED 25^TH:

FELIX ROSENQVIST, NO. 7 VUSE McLAREN CHEVROLET, ARROW McLAREN RACING SP, QUALIFIED 26^TH:

NOT THE QUALIFYING SESSION YOU WERE HOPING FOR, WE UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE A QUALIFYING INTERFERANCE PENALTY AS WELL. LET US KNOW HOW THAT PLAYED OUT

“It was our mistake, and we had a little communication error between me and the pit wall. I didn’t know Jimmie was there, so sorry to those guys if I ruined their lap. Obviously, we got a penalty for it. I don’t think we would have made it past 12 anyway. We were just outside, and we went for it on the first lap and maybe not the right strategy there. But anyway, we will find a way to get through the field tomorrow.”

HOW BIG OF A SETBACK HAS THE PRACTICE ONE CRASH PROVEN TO BE?

“For sure a little bit. I think I was pretty on it and felt comfortable. But if you lose the whole session, you will always kind of be on the back foot. Anyways, like last year, we will look forward and move through the field here.”

IS IT UP TO YOU AND THE CAR TO DRIVE YOUR WAY FORWARD?

“It depends on what we think about the reds to be honest. We will have to see in warm up.  If you can do a good stint on them, it will change a lot for what you can do in the race. But still, its going to be hard to make it a two stop race.”

Josef Newgarden

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Driving the Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, his 16th career NTT INDYCAR SERIES pole position, Josef Newgarden. This is the seventh different pole winner we’ve had this season in 2022.

Congratulations, Josef Newgarden. Saving the best for last there at the end, a little drama.

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: And it was not easy. This championship is incredible. These guys are on it this weekend, as you can see. They were very difficult to beat. I thought both of them did a great job, especially David there in the early parts of qualifying. It was very impressive.

I didn’t think we were going to have enough, to be honest. It’s taking us a little too long to build temperature so I really needed two laps. We went for a one to one strategy.

On the second set of tires, I was actually up in 1-2 by a 10th. I thought I’m going to go as hard as possible, I’m either wrecking or I’m putting it on pole.

Fortunately the car was very, very good. It was a little too loose. A couple corners I thought I was actually going to hit the fence. We hung on. Now we get to work toward tomorrow and hopefully have a clean day with Team Chevy and Hitachi.

THE MODERATOR: Tim was fine with that?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I said we need to conjure something today because these guys were so fast. I thought it was going to be a tall order to beat these two. We saved the best tire for last, we just had enough.

I mean, our car was very, very good. I thought the team did an incredible job. It’s just a little bit too loose. I think everybody is dealing with that this weekend. It seems the grip level is not coming up quite as quickly as you would anticipate around here. Normally this place builds, builds, builds, gets easier to drive. I find you’re pretty on the edge this weekend. Track grip is lower than I would anticipate.

You just had to hold on. We were all doing it.

Q. Josef, it’s important to get pole anywhere, but especially here in Detroit. Chevy’s backyard. Does that add any more significance to this pole?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Certainly special for us. We want to perform well here with all our partners, being Team Chevy’s backyard, to your point. Hitachi, their U.S. headquarters is out of Detroit here. Team Penske, as well, this is our home base.

Our competitor in Honda is always fantastic, very difficult to beat. So it’s never a gimme, it really isn’t. We have to work for every inch on the track.

Yeah, I’m hoping tomorrow we can repeat the performance. Pole is one thing, and it’s great, but the race is a whole different ballgame. Last year we fell just a little bit short. I think that’s where our sights are on, is that race win.

We’ll continue with questions for Josef.

Q. Josef, the last lap you looked like you were sawing away at the wheel. Really looked like you were evading the police actually. How hairy of a lap was that?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, that’s a good description, Bruce.

That was one of the most satisfying pole laps I’ve ever had because of the difficulty of it. It was on the edge. It was not easy at all.

Some laps you put together, the car is so hooked up and so good you’re kind of just steering it. Makes it sound a little bit too basic and simple. It feels that way at times.

Today was not that case. It felt like you really had to go and attack and work for it. Like I said earlier, the way I started the lap was so promising. I was up already from the Q2 lap. I said if I can just really push this thing in the middle section of the track, I’m going to try to go for it. If I hit the fence, that’s what it’s going to be today. Fortunately we had just enough to not do that, had plenty of speed to put it on pole.

It was on the edge. Four, five and six, I thought those three corners I was going to hit the wall, and we stayed off.

Q. If I remember correctly, this is your third pole here at Detroit. Obviously the last year we’re at Belle Isle. Is there something about this track that makes you so quick? Is there a reason you love it? What is one thing you’re always going to remember about this track?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I mean, I like everywhere we go. There’s not really a track… Whether I’ve had more poles or not at a certain place, I don’t prefer one place necessarily over the other.

I do like this track on the calendar. I’m going to miss it. I think it was a fantastic track to drive. It’s very challenging. It’s predominantly concrete.

With that it takes a lot of rubber to build grip. Before that point happens, it’s very slippery. It’s hard to keep it off the fence here. You’ve seen a lot of wrecks here this weekend because of that.

That challenge is something I think all of us enjoy. You’re able as a driver to get more out of it maybe than your competitor. It gives you an area to separate yourself. So I’m going to miss that aspect of going to downtown.

I’m also just equally as excited to see what the downtown track is going to bring. I think from an event standpoint it will be a big plus and I think the track itself will race really well. That’s looking forward.

Yeah, here, we’ve always had good cars here. But I wouldn’t put it above anywhere else. I feel like we can do this performance anywhere we go. It’s not like it’s one place or another that seems to shine for us, at least in my opinion.

Q. Are the bumps in the same place they’ve always been here or is there always a new bump that pops up?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, I mean, over the years more bumps have developed from the wintertime here, the cycles of the weather, the heating and thawing. You definitely get movement within the concrete, which is more stable than, say, an asphalt track.

It’s not dramatically different than last year. I would say the track is pretty similar. You get little movement here or there, but it’s always been bumpy. It’s still bumpy today.

Q. (No microphone.)

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Wow, I mean, if you can’t distinguish them, then you probably need to find a new line of work. You typically know what’s going on. There’s times where a bump offsets a loose moment, and there’s times where it’s the balance of the car, there’s times where it’s a combined effort, where the bump is interacting with a loose balance, just tipping it over.

It’s all encompassing, in my opinion. You’re constantly analyzing is it heave stiffness that we need to change to improve the bump quality, just a balance problem. We were talking about that yesterday and today. It’s not necessarily, The bumps are upsetting the car. Why are the bumps upsetting the car?

Physical aspect of the car, physically bottoming, the mechanical stiffness. There’s a lot of reasons it can be. Sometimes the car is just loose. Sometimes you hit a bump and it gets loose. But it’s both of them.

Q. Is this one of the toughest places that you guys deal with in terms of tire deg, really having to work to get into windows to get to the number of stops you need?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I think last year this was the outlier as far as the disparity between reds and blacks. I mean, it was a cliff that you’d hit at times on red tires. I think you saw everybody trying to get off of them as quickly as possible.

We obviously took the opposite route. We tried to take our medicine last. It almost worked, you know. I want to point that out. It did almost work. It didn’t, but it almost did.

I was obviously disappointed that we weren’t able to close the deal, but it was a heck of a challenge to try to hold onto that thing at the end of the race. We were going 24, 25 laps on a set of red tires, and they were used reds.

In hindsight maybe we would have done that differently. Also if the race was green all the way throughout, we didn’t have the potential yellow where we stopped early on the first stint, all those things could have maybe changed the outcome. The race happened the way it did, we took maybe a riskier approach.

I think you’ll see a similar race this weekend. It’s hard to say, no one has run the reds for a long stint yet. It certainly seems like the characteristics last year are pretty similar this year.

Q. I think we’ve got 110 days left in the season. It seems like we have a new points leader after every race. How wide open do you see these last 110 days, the fact that you have the experience to be able to close in a points championship?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: INDYCAR is an interesting championship at the moment because it seems like every weekend there’s a new superstar in the. It’s comical at this point to me.

The reason I think that’s happening is because it’s so competitive. You don’t have one team clearly dominating all sessions. You’re always getting new winners.

So what I mean by that is you get new winners, all of a sudden they are going to be the championship winner, they’re the greatest new thing to come to INDYCAR. It’s just unpredictable. It’s all over the place.

So, yeah, to answer your question, I think it’s pretty wide open. Probably more so this year than last year just the way the points have been jumbled. Indy really tightened everything not just for the top five, but the top 10 is very tight, probably more tight than we’ve seen it in the last couple years.

You’re always going to see that six or seven drivers that tend to bunch up towards the end, that’s your real group for the championship. Right now I think it’s within 10 or 12 drivers, so it’s very open at the moment.

Q. (No microphone.)

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Gosh, I hope so. We would love to do it again. You got to think we’ve got a little bit of an edge having done this for a while. You can’t predict these things. Every year takes its own shape. It’s hard to draw too many parallels between other seasons just because every championship seems to be a little different.

But I have full confidence that we can be there at the end and seal the deal. It’s just a matter if that’s going to come to fruition or not.

Q. How did the car go today? You’ve been in this position before. Talk about wanting a different result tomorrow.

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, today was hard. It was harder than last year I would say to get the pole. Sunday last year when we put the car on pole, it was a lot simpler. The car was hooked up, was not loose, just fast. It was easier to guide it to that position.

Today was a real fight. I mean, we really had to work. We almost got knocked out of the Fast Six. In actuality we probably got saved in Q2. I think Dixon probably would have bumped us out if that red didn’t come into play. We just snuck into the Fast Six, then had to really work to get the pole today. I was very, very proud of that.

What that means for tomorrow, I don’t know yet. I think we’ve got a fast car, quick enough to win. It’s just a matter of getting the strategy right, not having any missteps. This field, it’s too difficult to keep everybody behind you nowadays even when you have a fast car. You just can’t make any mistakes. I feel confident we can do the job.

But feeling confident is not enough these days. You got to really go and really make it happen.

Q. (No microphone.)

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Not really. It doesn’t feel that different, to be honest. Obviously we’ve typically run a race today as well, like you just alluded to. This feels more like a standard INDYCAR weekend. It doesn’t feel like a big departure to us. Just feels like any other race, for the most part.

THE MODERATOR: Chevrolet has been a long time partner with the team. They’ve been sitting on win 99 since their return in 2012. Any thoughts on giving them 100 in their backyard tomorrow?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: They’ve been sitting on 99?

THE MODERATOR: Since 2012, wins, victories.

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Chevrolet?

THE MODERATOR: You can give them 100.

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I’m confused. We’re on 99 right now?

THE MODERATOR: Yes.

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: We’ve been sitting it on it for a month.

THE MODERATOR: Yes.

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I thought you said we were sitting on it since 2012.

THE MODERATOR: No.

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: That would be great. I’m not a big numbers guy with that stuff. I mean, 99, 100, they’re both fantastic numbers. I don’t know that we’re moving the needle. We’re talking 1% here. Obviously it is a special race for Chevrolet and we’d like to do a great job for them.

I think they’ve done tremendous for us already. If you look at the performance we’ve had across the board, it’s hard to ask for much more. We need to keep that up not just for this weekend but for the rest of the year.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations.

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX PRESENTED BY LEAR

RACEWAY ON BELLE ISLE

DETROIT, MICHIGAN

TEAM CHEVY POLE WINNER QUOTE 

JUNE 4, 2022

JOSEF NEWGARDEN PUTS CHEVROLET ON POLE IN DETROIT

THIRD NTT P1 AWARD FOR TWO-TIME CHAMPION ON BELLE ISLE

DETROIT – Josef Newgarden laid down an on-the-edge lap of one minute 15.2153 seconds, 112.477 mph to grab the NTT P1 Award for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on the Raceway on Belle Isle.

It is Newgarden’s 16th career pole, his third on Belle Isle and his first of the season. He has two podium finishes in Detroit-a win in 2019, and a runner-up in 2021.

It is the fifth pole for Team Chevy in 2022.

POLE WINNER QUOTE:

JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI CHEVROLET, TEAM PENSKE:

YOU SAID IT WAS LOOSE, HOW ON THE EDGE WAS IT?

“It was loose and I was about hitting the wall every lap. Not every lap, but every corner I should say. I think we needed two laps to get temperature and this set was a little better than the first set that I ran. Just struggling to build temp, but it was so loose and I was like, ‘I just got to stay in it’.  I knew the track was grippier and that was a good pole. Sometimes the car is just so good that its just hooked up. I was loose today and we put it together. I am really proud of the team and thank you to Team Chevy and Hitachi. In their backyard with Team Penske here. It’s a good spot to start tomorrow, but I have been here before. We did this last year and fell short so we have to be really focused on the race and how we are going to get to the end and finish it off.”

WHERE DO YOU NEED TO BE TO FINISH IT OFF THE RIGHT WAY THIS YEAR?

“Its going to be really difficult. I think this field is so deep nowadays and everyone is good. You just have to be on it all the way from start to finish and understanding the strategy and not having a misstep. Hope we can get it right tomorrow but I have got always the best of the best behind me with Team Penske.”

YOU MAKE IT LOOK SO EASY.

“It was by no means easy. I was almost on the wall in three or four spots just trying to hang on. But this crew is incredible. I love driving for Team Penske and to have Hitachi and Team Chevy right in their back year. It’s good to get a pole, but the win is what we really need, so we are focused on that.”

HOW ARE TIRES GOING TO PLAY OUT TOMORROW?

“I think its going to be a similar case to last year where we learned it was difficult to understand whether you should take your medicine early or late. Seems like the red tires are more fragile. So it makes it interesting. Do you want durability or do you want a little speed to start the race? I think we will get that equation in a better spot than last year. We got pipped at the very end of the race, but we can do the job.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WIN HERE AT THE HOME OF CHEVROET AND A RACE THAT MEANS SO MUCH TO PENSKE?

“We’ve done it before. I definitely believe we can do it again.”

June 04, 2022

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Ford/DAV team turned in their best qualifying effort of the season on Saturday at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. They earned the ninth starting spot for Sunday’s inaugural Enjoy Illinois 300 at the 1.25-mile track on the outskirts of St. Louis.

Burton turned a lap at 137.078 miles per hour in his first advancement to the second round of qualifying. He was fourth best in his group in the first round with a speed of 136.874 mph.

The Ford/Disabled American Veterans team has been fast from the start of the weekend at Gateway. Burton was 12^th on the speed chart after Friday’s practice session and 16^th in 10-consecutive-lap speeds. His best lap of practice came on the 14^th of 28 laps run, with a speed of 135.478 mph. He averaged 134.318 mph on his last 10 laps of practice.
 
Sunday’s 240-lap, 300-mile race is set to start just after 2:30 p.m. (3:30 Eastern Time) with TV coverage on FOX Sports 1.
 
Stage breaks are set for Laps 45 and 140.  

Announcer Johnny Gibson, Owners Tony Stewart & Dennis Roth Headline 12-Man Group of LegendsKNOXVILLE, IA – June 4, 2022 – In the world of Sprint Car racing, there is no greater achievement when honoring the life work of an individual than to be inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. Today, the next 12 men in line receive that ultimate honor of forever being enshrined as an impactful member of the sport.Founded in 1986 and spearheaded by visionaries Ralph Capitani, Don Lamberti & C.K. Spurlock, the Hall of Fame has been recognizing the dedication and passion of drivers, owners, manufacturers, promoters, and more for 35+ years. The museum, an iconic fixture outside of turn two at Knoxville Raceway, has been educating fans and honoring legends since it broke ground in 1991.As the class of 2022 heads to the hall today at The Sprint Car Capital of the World, many inductees make their way into the history books with a significant impact on the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.John Gibson has dedicated his life to the World of Outlaws, that’s no exaggeration. The Pennsylvania native parlayed a program-selling business and a chance opportunity to take the mic with Bobby Gerould into a career as what he calls “the luckiest race fan in the world” back in 1995. Proof of his passion for the sport is the fact that Gibson has called more than 2,000+ consecutive World of Outlaws races since he made his first call 27 years ago. From his iconic Often Imitated, Never Duplicated four-abreast tagline to his signature shouting of QuickTiiimeee, “Gibby” has created a niche of loyal fans with his knack for painting a picture with words and his otherworldly knowledge of the sport. His induction wasn’t a matter of if, but when, and that time finally comes today for a well-deserved man.Tony Stewart has earned his induction into the Hall of Fame in every category imaginable – driver, owner, promoter, you name it. The driving portion of his career is covered by a historic USAC Triple Crown in 1995 and three World of Outlaws wins on a part-time basis. As a car owner, he’s one of the greatest in World of Outlaws history with 300+ victories and nine championships provided by the likes of Donny Schatz, Danny Lasoski, Steve Kinser, and more in 20 years of operation. As a promoter, he’s kept the legacy of Eldora Speedway alive and well in the post-Earl Baltes era and he’s resurrected the All Star Circuit of Champions into the best shape in Series history. Everything “Smoke” has touched, he’s done with 100% passion in hopes of elevating the sport to the next level. On his induction into the Sprint Car Hall of Fame, he said “it means more than all of the other ones, because I’ve poured my heart and soul into this sport for the last 20-30 years.”Dennis Roth is one of the longest tenured car owners in World of Outlaws history, and he’s got the credentials to go along with it. The man behind the Beef Packers mobile has seen his #83 entry reach victory lane with The Greatest Show on Dirt on 98 occasions, two shy of becoming only the sixth man in 45 years to send his car on 100 winning ways. He’s offered his seat to countless men over the years, owning the record for most World of Outlaws wins with different drivers (15). The California businessman now supplies the ride for James McFadden and continues to be one of Sprint Car Racing’s biggest supporters. He’s enjoyed glory at Knoxville before with multiple Nationals titles, but this induction to the Hall of Fame may be his sweetest triumph in Iowa as we acknowledge his contributions as world-class car owner.Tim Green of San Jose, CA is a 12-time World of Outlaws winner, still ranking 39th on the All-Time Win List. In less than 20 full seasons behind the wheel, Green left a lasting mark as one of the most impressive stars to come from California’s west coast throughout the 1970’s and 80’s. He was a multi-time champion with NARC 410, topped specials at Manzanita’s Western World, Skagit’s Dirt Cup, and twice sat on the pole of the Knoxville Nationals before finishing fourth.Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN claimed his lone World of Outlaws win at the young age of 22 years old at one of his home tracks, Riverside (AR), in 1980. It would be his only win with the Series in 200+ starts, but that was only the beginning of his Hall of Fame career. The Tennessee native went on to become a legend in the ASCS and USCS ranks, winning championship after championship, and becoming an acclaimed mentor for the next generation.Jack Kromer also heads for the Hall of Fame this year, a distinguished dirt track photographer, who has been crafting imagery longer than the World of Outlaws have been around. He’s joined in the media category with Gibson and the late, great Robin Miller, who’s passion for dirt track racing never wavered amid his transition to cover the world of IndyCar racing.Also included in this year’s National Sprint Car Hall of Fame class is drivers Eric Gordon and Bob Frey, mechanic Ralph Heintzelman Sr., owner Walter T. Ross, and Melvin “Slim” Rutherford in the pre-1945 category.

World of Outlaws Champions Brad Sweet & Donny Schatz Round Out PodiumGRAND FORKS, ND – June 3, 2022 – On Monday, Sheldon Haudenschild & Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing made their mark as the first five-time winner in 2022 with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series. On Friday night, Carson Macedo and Jason Johnson Racing quickly backed them up and followed suit with a fifth win to match.Capitalizing amid heavy lap traffic on an even heavier race track, Macedo snookered Logan Schuchart on Lap 11 at River Cities Speedway and never looked back. The Lemoore, CA native set a torrid pace at the Grand Forks, ND bullring, lapping up to ninth-place within five minutes and 17 laps, and going unchallenged over the final three restarts with Schuchart, Donny Schatz, and Brad Sweet lining up behind him.It was a much-needed confidence boost for a team that was still reeling from a stunning disqualification (weight requirement) at Williams Grove three weeks ago. They should’ve left Mechanicsburg with the championship lead, but instead began down a rough five-race stretch with an 13.2 average finish and fell to fourth in the standings.By Friday, all that was in the rear view mirror and out of focus for the Rocky Mount, MO-based team. The Albaugh #41 was stout all night long at the North Dakota 1/4-mile, winning his NOS Energy Drink Heat Race, the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash, and then the 35-lap Feature for his first triumph at River Cities.”I think we’ve just had a bit of bad luck on top of being a little bit off lately,” Macedo said on their struggles lately. “I’m just happy to put these guys back in victory lane and pick up everyone’s confidence. We can go to Huset’s with our heads held high and hopefully contend for another win.Phil [Dietz], Clyde [Knipp], and Nate [Repetz] have been working so hard. The character in the track really made it interesting tonight. It honestly felt like the more the race went on, the worse I got. My car just got heavier and tighter as the track was chunking out, and that was all while dealing with lap traffic. Luckily, I chose that right lane and snuck by Logan, that was a big move.”That move around Schuchart on Lap 11 is what ultimately won Macedo his 22nd career World of Outlaws win. The first 22 laps of the race ran caution-free before the first restart allowed the Shark Racing, DuraMAX Oil, Drydene Performance Products #1S to line up alongside Macedo’s #41.Knowing this was arguably his best shot yet with a double-file restart, Schuchart went full send into turn one with hopes of whipping around Macedo to re-claim the lead after pacing the first 10 laps. However, the track had different plans, reaching out and grabbing Schuchart as he started to hop, skip, and jump before flipping it over and landing upside down in turn two. Luckily, in a move that could pay dividends in the championship battle, the Shark crew made repairs in the work area and sent Schuchart back out to finish sixth.Prepared for surfaces of all kinds, Macedo credited his training as an essential tool in claiming Friday’s win on a rough and tough race track.”I spend as many days in the gym as I can to be ready for situations like tonight,” Macedo said on the surface. “We see everything with the World of Outlaws and sometimes you’re gonna get a cowboy up track for 35 laps. I was a bit fatigued by the end, so it’s all about having enough muscle left in you when you most need it.”Ending an eight-race absence from the podium, championship leader Brad Sweet finally returned to the top-three for the first time since Tai-State (IN) in late April. A runner-up result for the Kasey Kahne Racing #49 extended The Big Cat’s points advantage as we approach the 25% mark of the 2022 season.”It’s always nice to be on the front stretch,” a relieved Sweet said. “That was tricky, though. There was so much going on with the rappers, plus it felt like the track was only gaining grip as we went on. It was honestly pretty fun in lap traffic, though. I’ll take a second after this recent stretch we’ve been on. The results haven’t showed how hard these NAPA Auto Parts guys are working.”Donny Schatz of Fargo, ND made the hour-long drive north to Grand Forks and continued his remarkable run of success at the track with a third-place effort. The 10-time World of Outlaws champion earned his fifth podium of the year, extending his record to 26 top-five finishes in 28 Series starts at River Cities Speedway. It was another solid effort with car owner Tony Stewart in attendance ahead of his induction into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame tomorrow in Knoxville.”I don’t know if I’ve ever been on two wheels that many times in my life,” Schatz joked on the unique characteristics of the track. “There’s no denying this place had a lot of character tonight, I think Larry [Hillerud] would’ve been smiling down on that one. That’s the nature of the beast, though, not much surprises me on the road anymore. This team keeps digging and we keep putting the results together. The more we show up on this podium, we’ll eventually get back into victory lane.”Closing out the top-five on Friday night was James McFadden in fourth-place aboard the Roth Motorsports #83, and David Gravel in fifth-place in the Big Game Motorsports #2.Rounding out the top-10 at River Cities was the #1S of Logan Schuchart in sixth, the #3Z of Brock Zearfoss in seventh, the #9 of Kasey Kahne in eighth, the #13 of Mark Dobmeier in ninth, and the #20G of Noah Gass in tenth.NOS NOTEBOOK (River Cities Speedway, 6/3/22)Carson Macedo’s fifth win of the season brings him and the Jason Johnson Racing #41 into a tie with Sheldon Haudenschild and the Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing #17 for most wins with the Series in 2022. By pacing 25 laps on Friday, Macedo also becomes the first driver through 24 races to lead 100+ laps this season.Macedo’s 22nd career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series victory moves him beyond Rick Ferkel and Tim Kaeding into sole possession of 28th on the All-Time Win List. Next up is Ron Shuman of Tempe, AZ at 24 career wins.Of the 11 drivers to break into the nine-second bracket during My Place Hotels Qualifying, Sheldon Haudenschild led them all with a lap of 9.693 seconds around River Cities Speedway. He’s the sixth driver to earn multiple Slick Woody’s Cornhole Company QuickTime Awards this season.A trio of NOS Energy Drink Heat Race wins went to Carson Macedo (67th career), Kasey Kahne (15th career), and Kraig Kinser (123rd career). Macedo followed that with his second DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash win of the season to earn the pole position. Austin Pierce of Grand Forks, ND topped the MicroLite Last Chance Showdown. He was one of 11 local drivers to qualify for their first NOS Energy Drink Feature of the 2022 season.18-year-old Noah Gass of Mounds, OK earned Friday’s KSE Hard Charger Award with a 17th-t0-10th victory. It marked the first-career World of Outlaws top-10 finish for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contender.UP NEXT (Sun) – The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will be off tomorrow night, but the racing resumes on Sunday, June 5 with the first of four stops at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, SD. The Sunday night showdown is a precursor for the upcoming $100,000-to-win High Bank Nationals at the track on June 23-25. Fans can BUY TICKETS HERE, or watch every lap LIVE on DIRTVision.NOS Energy Drink Feature Results (35 Laps) – 1. 41-Carson Macedo [1][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [7][$6,000]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [4][$3,500]; 4. 83-James McFadden [8][$2,800]; 5. 2-David Gravel [11][$2,500]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2][$2,300]; 7. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [9][$2,200]; 8. 9-Kasey Kahne [3][$2,100]; 9. 13-Mark Dobmeier [13][$2,050]; 10. 20G-Noah Gass [17][$2,000]; 11. 5-Spencer Bayston [12][$1,600]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [6][$1,400]; 13. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [5][$1,200]; 14. 2A-Austin Pierce [19][$1,100]; 15. 11M-Brendan Mullen [14][$1,050]; 16. 1A-Jacob Allen [10][$1,000]; 17. 8H-Jade Hastings [15][$1,000]; 18. 6N-Greg Nikitenko [21][$1,000]; 19. 99-Jordan Graham [20][$1,000]; 20. 17K-Zach Omdahl [18][$1,000]; 21. O-Nick Omdahl [24][$1,000]; 22. 26-Blake Egeland [22][$1,000]; 23. 55-Nick Ranten [23][$1,000]; 24. 9N-Wade Nygaard [16][$1,000]. Lap Leaders: Logan Schuchart 1-10, Carson Macedo 11-35. KSE Hard Charger Award: 20G-Noah Gass[+7]NEW Championship Standings (After 24/77 Races): 1. Brad Sweet (3,328); 2. David Gravel (-52); 3. Sheldon Haudenschild (-56); 4. Carson Macedo (-62); 5. Logan Schuchart (-88); 6. Donny Schatz (-148); 7. James McFadden (-172); 8. Spencer Bayston (-184); 9. Jacob Allen (-250); 10. Brock Zearfoss (-384).Photo – Trent Gower

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink® Sprint Car Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: NOS Energy Drink (Official Energy Product), Case Construction Equipment (Official Construction Equipment), DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); contingency sponsors include ACME Trading, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, KSE Racing Products (Hard Charger Award), Micro-Lite LLC, MSD, My Place Hotels and Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award); manufacturer sponsors include Dirt Car Lift, FIREBULL, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics, and Sea Foam.Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, NC, is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts all World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws.

This email was sent to trishyunick@me.com 

Oakwood, IL Driver Holds Off Kyle Bronson for Fourth Career Series Win

GRANITE CITY, IL – June 3, 2022– Bobby Pierce had one thing on his mind before the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Feature Friday at Tri-City Speedway. Win the race off Turn 2. 

The “Smooth Operator” accomplished that feat, thundering past Ryan Unzicker and leading all 40 laps for his second Series victory of 2022. 

Pierce, who started on the pole, realized the importance of that position before the race began.  

“I noticed [the track] wasn’t all that tacky,” Pierce said. “I was glad that I drew the pole and had a good start and had really good restarts. 

“It was the perfect night for us. We needed it after all the bad luck we’ve been having and how hard the crew worked the past few days.”

While the Oakwood, IL driver dominated the race, he had concerns toward the end. Pierce was worried about stepping to the outside as the laps wound down. 

“I was getting loose off Turn 2, and the crumbs on the bottom were throwing up,” Pierce said. “I figured I might have a good enough gap from second place that if I made a bobble, I could get back down and protect. But I was worried.

“I just had to not make mistakes, and it was my race to lose.”

Pierce’s $10,000 triumph is his fourth career World of Outlaws Victory and second in his home state. 

Kyle Bronson crossed the line second, his third top-five of the season with the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models.

The Brandon, FL driver took advantage of his third starting spot to grab second on the first lap. 

“It was bottom dominant there for most of the race, but they did everything they can; there were a lot of race cars,” Bronson said. “I kind of slowed down in the middle of the race and took care of my tires. We just gotta be one spot better and gotta learn how to redraw a little better, I guess.”

Ryan Gustin finished third, his second straight Series podium. The “Reaper” fell back a few spots early in the race before a Lap 11 restart when he passed three cars in six laps. 

Gustin felt he had the best car in the Feature but couldn’t get by Bronson and Pierce. 

“It kind of circled up around the bottom, but that’s part of it,” Gustin said. “It was smooth and slick for the start; it’s just kind of one of them deals. I think we had the best car. We just weren’t able to do anything there.”

From El Paso, IL, Ryan Unzicker finished fourth, his first top-five of the season with the World of Outlaws.

While he felt starting on the outside didn’t help his chances of winning, he’s still happy to walk away with a top-five.

“I told myself driving down here [Friday] that if I ran top-five, I’d be happy as heck,” Unzicker said. “I’m a little bummed, honestly. Anytime you start on the front row and back up a couple of spots, you know it’s still a great run for our team, but it’s obviously, you know, going backward. 

“A couple of spots kind of hurt, but it’s great momentum.”

Kyle Hammer, the Rookie of the Race, rounded out the top-five, the second of his World of Outlaws career. He took advantage of his fifth starting spot to hold on to the top-five run.

“We got lucky we started on the bottom,” Hammer said. “They reworked it, and it gave us good traction for the first couple of laps. Honestly, I didn’t expect Gustin to be coming around on the top with everyone running the bottom in front of us, so that was kind of a surprise. 

“To be able to settle in and at least get a top-five is a pretty good night for us here.”

Max Blair finished 9th, cutting his points deficit on Series leader Dennis Erb Jr. to 98 points. The Carpentersville, IL driver crossed the line 12th.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models travel to Missouri on June 24-25 for the inaugural St. Louis Firecracker Faceoff. 

Oakwood, IL Driver Holds Off Kyle Bronson for Fourth Career Series Win

GRANITE CITY, IL – June 3, 2022– Bobby Pierce had one thing on his mind before the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Feature Friday at Tri-City Speedway. Win the race off Turn 2. 

The “Smooth Operator” accomplished that feat, thundering past Ryan Unzicker and leading all 40 laps for his second Series victory of 2022. 

Pierce, who started on the pole, realized the importance of that position before the race began.  

“I noticed [the track] wasn’t all that tacky,” Pierce said. “I was glad that I drew the pole and had a good start and had really good restarts. 

“It was the perfect night for us. We needed it after all the bad luck we’ve been having and how hard the crew worked the past few days.”

While the Oakwood, IL driver dominated the race, he had concerns toward the end. Pierce was worried about stepping to the outside as the laps wound down. 

“I was getting loose off Turn 2, and the crumbs on the bottom were throwing up,” Pierce said. “I figured I might have a good enough gap from second place that if I made a bobble, I could get back down and protect. But I was worried.

“I just had to not make mistakes, and it was my race to lose.”

Pierce’s $10,000 triumph is his fourth career World of Outlaws Victory and second in his home state. 

Kyle Bronson crossed the line second, his third top-five of the season with the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models.

The Brandon, FL driver took advantage of his third starting spot to grab second on the first lap. 

“It was bottom dominant there for most of the race, but they did everything they can; there were a lot of race cars,” Bronson said. “I kind of slowed down in the middle of the race and took care of my tires. We just gotta be one spot better and gotta learn how to redraw a little better, I guess.”

Ryan Gustin finished third, his second straight Series podium. The “Reaper” fell back a few spots early in the race before a Lap 11 restart when he passed three cars in six laps. 

Gustin felt he had the best car in the Feature but couldn’t get by Bronson and Pierce. 

“It kind of circled up around the bottom, but that’s part of it,” Gustin said. “It was smooth and slick for the start; it’s just kind of one of them deals. I think we had the best car. We just weren’t able to do anything there.”

From El Paso, IL, Ryan Unzicker finished fourth, his first top-five of the season with the World of Outlaws.

While he felt starting on the outside didn’t help his chances of winning, he’s still happy to walk away with a top-five.

“I told myself driving down here [Friday] that if I ran top-five, I’d be happy as heck,” Unzicker said. “I’m a little bummed, honestly. Anytime you start on the front row and back up a couple of spots, you know it’s still a great run for our team, but it’s obviously, you know, going backward. 

“A couple of spots kind of hurt, but it’s great momentum.”

Kyle Hammer, the Rookie of the Race, rounded out the top-five, the second of his World of Outlaws career. He took advantage of his fifth starting spot to hold on to the top-five run.

“We got lucky we started on the bottom,” Hammer said. “They reworked it, and it gave us good traction for the first couple of laps. Honestly, I didn’t expect Gustin to be coming around on the top with everyone running the bottom in front of us, so that was kind of a surprise. 

“To be able to settle in and at least get a top-five is a pretty good night for us here.”

Max Blair finished 9th, cutting his points deficit on Series leader Dennis Erb Jr. to 98 points. The Carpentersville, IL driver crossed the line 12th.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models travel to Missouri on June 24-25 for the inaugural St. Louis Firecracker Faceoff. 

Mineral Wells, WV (June 3, 2022) – Devin Moran regained the lead from Jonathan Davenport on lap 24 to score the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win on Friday night at the West Virginia Motor Speedway; the first appearance by the series since 2013 at the 5/8-mile facility promoted by Cody Watson. Both Moran and Davenport each led 15 laps during the 30-lap, caution free main event. Gregg Satterlee came home in third followed by Ricky Thornton Jr. and Earl Pearson Jr. Moran bolted to the lead at the start of the race with Davenport in tow. Moran led until Davenport passed him on lap ten for the race lead. Davenport extended his lead and looked to be on his way to his fourth straight win at WVMS, but Moran caught the three-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion in heavy traffic passing him on the inside on lap 24. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the fourth time this season and the sixth time in his career, Moran made the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series return to WVMS a memorable one for the packed hillside. “Obviously, JD’s got his stuff rolling. His car is really good. I’ve got a lot of work to do to beat him tomorrow. Wylie (Moran) said before the race that lapped traffic was going to be important; I was hoping we would be leading at that point. He was trying to make a move around those guys and just messed up. I was able to slide underneath of him.” The 27-year-old Ohio native’s key to victory was not to get too close to lapped traffic. “That was definitely the biggest key to us winning. I didn’t want to get too close to those lapped cars when they got bunched up, I didn’t want to do what he did. The track was a little tricky tonight, but it was really smooth. I am sure Cody (Watson) will have it awesome for tomorrow.” Davenport, who entered the event looking for his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season came home with another second-place run. “It is sort of getting to be like Groundhog Day, every time we make the right move to get the lead then I lose it in lapped traffic. I was really trying to separate myself from lapped traffic. I was making some moves I really didn’t want to make there. It was really hard to get to the outside of a lapped car. Congratulations to Devin on the win and thanks to my guys for giving me another good hot-rod.” Satterlee was in the thick of things at the end as he rounded out the podium in third. “It was a good night for us. A top three, we can’t complain about that. We learned a couple of things on the car tonight. We need to be a little bit more maneuverable in the feature. The lapped traffic was pretty tough to get by.” The winner’s Tye Twarog Racing Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by C&W Trucking, CarSourceAuto.com, Bilstein Shocks, Tri-Valley Equipment Sales, Accuforce Dynos and Testers, McHugh Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Fiat, Igimage.com, Eibach Springs, Red Oak Pub, Tommy Pope Construction, J.R. Hall Properties LLC, and Haulin’ Haskell’s.  Completing the top ten were Kyle Strickler, Brandon Sheppard, Tyler Erb, Tim McCreadie, and Hudson O’Neal. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Jan Dils Attorneys at Law “Historic 100” Presented by Arizona Sport ShirtsFriday, June 3rd, 2022West Virginia Motor Speedway – Mineral Wells, WV Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Devin Moran / 20.627 seconds (overall)Fast Time Group B: Jonathan Davenport / 20.764 seconds Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4Transfer): 1. 9-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 157-Mike Marlar[2]; 3. 8-Kyle Strickler[3]; 4. 0K-Freddie Carpenter[4]; 5. 18D-Daulton Wilson[6]; 6. 11-Spencer Hughes[5]; 7. 34C-Pete Crum[7]; 8. K11-George Klintworth[8] Summit Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4Transfer): 1. 22-Gregg Satterlee[1]; 2. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[2]; 3. 39-Tim McCreadie[4]; 4. 58-Garrett Alberson[3]; 5. 12-Ryan Montgomery[5]; 6. 0-Edward Shuman[6]; 7. 16-Josh Tonkin[7] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[2]; 3. 76-Brandon Overton[4]; 4. 89-Ashton Winger[5]; 5. 71R-Rod Conley[7]; 6. 119-Bryan Bernheisel[3]; 7. 15-Justin Duty[8]; 8. 113-Brandon Francis[6] Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 1T-Tyler Erb[2]; 3. 71-Hudson O’Neal[3]; 4. 7-Ross Robinson[4]; 5. 12D-Doug Drown[5]; 6. 22*-GR Smith[6]; 7. 37F-Wayne Francis[8]; 8. 2A-Matt Altiers[7] FAST Shafts B-Main #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): 1. 71R-Rod Conley[2]; 2. 18D-Daulton Wilson[1]; 3. 11-Spencer Hughes[5]; 4. 12-Ryan Montgomery[3]; 5. 12D-Doug Drown[4]; 6. 119-Bryan Bernheisel[6]; 7. 15-Justin Duty[10]; 8. 113-Brandon Francis[14]; 9. 22*-GR Smith[8]; 10. 34C-Pete Crum[9]; 11. 37F-Wayne Francis[12]; 12. 16-Josh Tonkin[11]; 13. 2A-Matt Altiers[15]; 14. 0-Edward Shuman[7]; 15. K11-George Klintworth[13]

Richard Childress Racing at World Wide Technology Raceway … The NASCAR Cup Series will make its debut at World Wide Technology Raceway this weekend. Richard Childress Racing has tasted success at the 1.25-mile speedway located near Madison, Ill., racking up two wins with Kevin Harvick in consecutive races in 2000 and 2001. Harvick led 221 of 400 possible laps 55.25 percent) in those races. Harvick gave Childress his first Xfinity Series title as a owner in 2001.    

NASCAR Xfinity Series at Portland … This will be the first NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Portland International Raceway. NASCAR has held events in the area at Portland Speedway. The NASCAR Cup Series competed at the half-mile speedway in 1956 and 1957 while the Truck Series held four races at the facility from 1995-1998. Mike Skinner, driving an RCR truck, won the inaugural event in impressive fashion, winning the pole and leading all 200 laps. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West and Northwest Series competed at Portland Speedway until 2000. 

Tom Blomqvist puts the Meyer Shank Racing on the front row in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship qualifying for Saturday’s Detroit Grand Prix

10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-05 lines up third in the hands of Ricky Taylor

Aidan Read qualifies #51 Rick Ware Racing Acura NSX GT3 fifth in GTD

DETROIT, Mich. (June 3, 2022) – Meyer Shank Racing’s Tom Blomqvist led the charge for Acura in today’s qualifying today on the Belle Isle Park circuit, and will start his #60 Acura ARX-05 on the outside of the front row, second, for Sunday’s one-hour, 40-minute IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race in Detroit.

The #60 Acura will line up just ahead of the Wayne Taylor Racing #10 ARX-05, which qualified third in the hands of Ricky Taylor and will be co-driven by Filipe Albuquerque. Blomqvist will partner Oliver Jarvis in MSR’s effort to claim their second victory of the year, following a win at the Rolex 24 at Daytona to kick off the season in January.

In the production-based GTD class, the #51 Rick Ware Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 qualified fifth in the hands of Aidan Read, who will share driving duties tomorrow with IMSA veteran and former Touring Car champion Ryan Eversley.

IMSA Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio Acura Qualifying Results
2nd overall – #60 Tom Blomqvist, Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-05 DPi
3rd overall – #10 Ricky Taylor, Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-05 DPi
5th GTD – #51 Aidan Read, Rick Ware Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo22

Quotes
Tom Blomqvist (#60 Meyer Shank Racing ARX-05) Qualified 2nd: “I think that was a great effort from the team, really. We made good steps with the car throughout today, and this was my first time here so I think I was getting better and better with every lap. So we’ve got to be happy with the job we’ve done, because I think we’ve made such huge improvements with the car, not only today, but throughout the last few events. And it’s really starting to show. So now the focus is on [the race] tomorrow.”

Ricky Taylor (#10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-05) Qualified 3rd: “Decent is a good word to describe it. I’m not very happy with myself after the qualifying, I think I made a little mistake on my best lap—the only lap we had the pace for the pole. It’s definitely a shame. Track position is really important here, so I think the opening lap is going to be critical. There’s only 16 total cars on track, so you won’t have the same amount of opportunities in traffic and a lower potential for yellows, so we’re going to have to make the most of the moments on track and in the pits with the strategy. So I think the first opportunity, the first lap, is going to be exciting because everyone is going to be looking to make up as many spots as they can. And, we’re on the right side of the start at least to hopefully make our way up!” 


Aidan Read (#51 Rick Ware Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo22) Qualified 5th in GTD: “That was definitely our best qualifying of the year, so I’m really proud of this team. I’m glad that we’ve been able to put together a good car this week. We’ve been bouncing around the top five for most of the day and ended up in the top five. I think our car is strong here—and we’ve shown glimpses of top-three speed. It was a bit of a tough day, we tagged the fence early in practice, and the walls are so tight here it felt like we were kissing the wall every other lap from them on. It’s been hard on the car and hard on the guys, and they’ve worked really hard to make sure we have a good car. I gave it everything out there and we ended up with our best qualifying of the year. Now, to rest up, to come back, and race tomorrow. We start in the top five, so now we just have to finish there. That’s the goal.”

Fast Facts
Acura Motorsports has recorded four previous victories on the streets of Belle Isle Park, including the 2019 event, won by Dane Cameron and Juan Pablo Montoya aboard their Acura ARX-05 prototype; consecutive GTD triumphs for the Acura NSX GT3 in 2017-18; and another overall win for the Acura ARX-01b prototype in 2008.

Acura and Honda Performance Development – the North America racing arm of Honda Racing and Acura Motorsports – come to the Detroit Grand Prix seeking to continue a run of major race wins. Acura has won the two most recent IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship events of 2022, and opened the season with a second consecutive win at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January.

In 2021, HPD became the first engine build firm to win both the Rolex 24 at Daytona overall and the Indianapolis 500 in the same calendar year. The company repeated that feat in 2022, with Meyer Shank Racing leading a 1-2 finish for Acura at Daytona and Marcus Ericsson scoring Honda’s third consecutive victory – and 15th win – at the Indianapolis 500.

Sebastien Bourdais sets fourth track record in No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac

DETROIT (June 3, 2022) – Sebastien Bourdais put the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R on the pole for the fourth time in the past five IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races – setting the track qualifying lap record each time – and will lead the field to the green flag June 4 for the 100-minute Chevrolet Sports Car Classic.

Bourdais got around the tricky 2.35-mile, 14-turn temporary street circuit on Belle Isle in 1 minute, 18.818 seconds on his final lap in the 15-minute qualifying session to steal the lap record from Juan Pablo Montoya (1:19.373) in 2019. The No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac previously started from the pole at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the Long Beach street circuit and Sebring International Raceway. Bourdais and co-driver Renger van der Zande won at Long Beach. Van der Zande co-drove the No. 01 Cadillac entry to victory at Belle Isle in 2021. Cadillac has won three of the four races at Belle Isle in the DPi era.

Bourdais’ best lap came after a gusty tailwind caught him off-guard in Turn 2 and pushed the No. 01 Cadillac into the unforgiving barrier. “At that point, I thought I cost myself a shot at the pole,” he said. “I still had some Michelin tires potential left and it all came together. That last lap was mega. It was a messy qualifying, but like I said you have to commit so much around here that you expose yourself.”

Save the date: The Project GTP Hypercar that previews the third-generation Cadillac prototype race car is coming June 9.

The No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R, co-driven by Alex Lynn and Earl Bamber, will start fourth. Olivier Pla, making his debut in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R, qualified fifth and will share driving duties in the race with reigning IMSA DPi champion Pipo Derani. The No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R, co-driven by Tristan Vautier and Richard Westbrook, qualified sixth.

The USA Network will telecast the race live at 3 p.m., while IMSA Radio will broadcast all sessions at IMSA.com along with XM 207 and SiriusXM Online 992. Rory Harvey, Cadillac Global Vice President, will deliver opening remarks and is the honorary starter. A Corvette C8 Stingray will lead the field to the green flag. An interview with pole winner Sebastien Bourdais (No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R): TALK ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THIS ONE WAS.“I couldn’t leave the track record to Juan Pablo. It’s really sweet. Obviously, a couple of really big laps, a really big hit and super happy that the Cadillac is so strong because any other car, I think, that was the end of the session halfway through. I took off and ended in the wall pretty square in Turn 2. That was unexpected. There was a strong tailwind in (Turns) 1 and 2, and it caught me off-guard. Really happy for Cadillac at its home race. Big commitment around here; really rewarding. It’s really the first time I put everything together in qualifying in Detroit. I’ve been fast here, but never in qualifying. Hoping for a good day tomorrow. The 01 won last year so the expectations are high.” DID YOUR FASTEST LAP COME AFTER YOU HIT THE WALL?“Yes. I hit really hard, regrouped for two or three laps. I wasn’t really sure everything was right; I was checking tire pressures for a couple of laps. As bad a hit as it was, I didn’t want to keep pushing through but make sure everything was right. At that point, I thought I cost myself a shot at the pole. I still had some Michelin tires potential left and it all came together. That last lap was mega. It was a messy qualifying, but like I said you have to commit so much around here that you expose yourself. I think that’s why you see so many mistakes; it’s a really unforgiving place. A good, traditional street track with walls right on the edges. Very sharp curbs on the entry and exit. Big reward when you put it together but high intensity behind the wheel.” AN UP AND DOWN YEAR FOR YOU. DO YOU WISH IT WAS MORE CONSISTENT?“For sure. I’ve had a fairly uneventful season. Mostly, it’s been running out of luck. We’ve had electrical issues that really never happens. It’s not so much on the guys. I don’t think I’ve hit the wall that many times in succession in a long time – since I was 16 or 17 when I was dumb and stupid. I guess I’m not getting any wiser. You have to hustle the car around so much and push that you expose yourself. The BoP is tough for us on a track that is historically strong for us. I think it proves that we have to dig that deep. Track position is key. We haven’t had the season we’ve wanted so far as far as results. We’ve been really fast and have had a bunch of poles, but opportunity doesn’t reward the points you need to win the championship. We’re hoping to kickstart our season in the second half and put some points on the board. Hopefully, it starts tomorrow.” MAXIMIZING THE POINTS IN QUALIFYING HELPS A LITTLE?“It’s a small consolation prize. We’re 200 points behind in the championship. We have to start getting things to come our way and our opponents to have some issues if we want to get back in that fight. We have to keep our heads down, push as hard as we can and minimize mistakes and hope we get a little luck at some point.”

Cadillac Racing from the cockpit No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V. (Cadillac Racing)Renger van der Zande, Sebastien BourdaisBourdais drove in the qualifying session (start first, 1:18.818). Van der Zande and Bourdais co-drove the No. 01 Cadillac DPi-V.R to the victory on the streets of Long Beach on April 9 after starting from the pole. … It was the 16th IMSA victory for van der Zande and eighth for Bourdais. … Bourdais set the qualifying lap record time in the event. He set the lap record time in earning the pole for the March 19 Twelve Hours of Sebring. … Bourdais earned the pole for the May 15 Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio. … van der Zande, in addition to claiming the 2021 overall victory at Detroit, co-drove to IMSA Prototype Challenge class wins in 2015 and ’16 at Belle Isle. … Bourdais is a four-time INDYCAR champion and two-time winner at Belle Isle in INDYCAR competition. … Bourdais and van der Zande are on the entry list for the 24 Hours of Le Mans this month.Car chief-Phil BinksLead engineer-John HennekRace strategist-Peter Baron No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R (Cadillac Racing)Earl Bamber, Alex LynnLynn drove in the qualifying session (start fourth, 1:19.334). “I think the car deserved better, to be honest. I was quick enough to deliver something better, but long race tomorrow and we’ll make it better.” First-year entry in expanded Cadillac Racing DPi program. … Bamber and Lynn co-drove to a runner-up finish on the streets of Long Beach on April 9 after starting second. … They, along with Neel Jani, co-drove to victory March 19 in the Twelve Hours of Sebring. … Bamber salutes his home country with a silver fern design on the sides of his helmet — a quasi-national emblem used for various official New Zealand symbols. … Lynn is on the entry list for the 24 Hours of Le Mans this month.Car chief-Jamie CoatesLead engineer-Danielle ShephardRace strategist-Michael Harvey No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R (Action Express Racing)Pipo Derani, Olivier PlaPla drove in the qualifying session (fifth, 1:20.298): “First time in the car and with the team. Coming to this place, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I tried every lap learn from the car and get more confidence. We’re going to continue to push and see what I can improve on for the race and give the car to Pipo in position to win the race.” Pla is making his debut in the No. 31 Cadillac at Detroit. … Derani and Felipe Nasr were runners-up in 2021 and 2019 at Detroit. … Derani and Tristan Nunez co-drove to third place on the Laguna Seca road course after starting sixth. They followed with a third-place finish May 15 at Mid-Ohio. … Derani and Nunez, joined by Mike Conway, started second and finished third in the March 19 Twelve Hours of Sebring. … The three-driver team started seventh and finished fourth in the Rolex 24 At Daytona to open the season. … Derani and Felipe Nasr were the 2021 IMSA DPi Driver Champions and Whelen Engineering/Action Express Racing was the Team Champion. … Derani and Pla are teammates for the second consecutive year for the 24 Hours of Le Mans this month.Car chief-Bill KeulerTechnical director/lead engineer-Iain WattRace strategist-Tim Keene No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R (JDC-Miller MotorSports)Tristan Vautier, Richard WestbrookVautier drove in the qualifying session (start sixth, 1:20.331): “Today was challenging. We were hoping to have a little more after being strong here last year. The top Cadillacs have made a step up and we have to find what we’re missing. We’re hard at it. We have the warmup to try a few things and hopefully have a solid race.” Vautier and Westbrook co-drove to third place on the streets of Long Beach on April 9 after starting fifth. Vautier and Westbrook, joined by Loic Duval, drove to second place in the March 19 Twelve Hours of Sebring and opened the ’22 season by starting second and finishing third at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. … Westbrook is a London-trained chef. … Vautier and Westbrook are on the entry list for the 24 Hours of Le Mans this month.Car chief-Josh KerriganLead engineer-Rick CameronRace strategist-John Church

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WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY RACEWAY

ENJOY ILLINOIS 300

TEAM CHEVY POST-PRACTICE NOTES & QUOTES

JUNE 3, 2022

TEAM CHEVY: TOP-20 IN NASCAR CUP SERIES PRACTICE

5th      ERIK JONES, NO. 43 BOMMARITO AUTOMOTIVE GROUP CAMARO ZL1 

6th      TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1 

8th      KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1 

9th      ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 MOOSE FRATERNITY CAMARO ZL1

14th    CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1 

16th    WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1 

18th    TY DILLON, NO. 42 CHEVROLET MILITARY APPRECIATION CAMARO ZL1 

20th    AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 GET BIOETHANOL CAMARO ZL1 

·       The NASCAR Cup Series participated in a 50-minute practice session to kick-off the series’ inaugural race at World Wide Technology Raceway. 

·       At the end of the practice session, four Camaro ZL1’s placed in the top-10 of the speed charts, with Erik Jones leading the way for Chevrolet as the fifth-fastest car overall.  

·       Tyler Reddick (6th), Kyle Larson (8th) and Ross Chastain (9th) rounded out the Team Chevy top-10. 

·       Qualifying to set the lineup for the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series event at World Wide Technology Raceway will take place tomorrow (Saturday) at 10:00 a.m. CT.

·       FS1 will telecast the NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 Presented by TicketSmarter at World Wide Technology Raceway live at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 5. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1; ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 MOOSE FRATERNITY CAMARO ZL1; AND WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1, met with media after the NASCAR Cup Series practice. Media session highlights:

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1

HOW DID YOU FEEL AFTER THE PRACTICE AT GATEWAY – ABOUT HOW THE SIMULATOR TOLD YOU IT WAS GOING TO BE LIKE OR WAS IT DIFFERENT? 

“Yeah, it’s about like everything I’ve watched here before. It’s kind of like a big Martinsville, honestly. It reminds me a little bit of that, just on a larger scale. I think the racing is going to be a lot like Martinsville was this year, too, so it should be good.”

WILL IT BE AS TOUGH TO PASS BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS TO SHIFT ? 

“I’m not sure it has as much to do with the shifting as it is just the proximity of the guy in front of you. The entry is pretty narrow, so for you to get some fresh air is pretty difficult to do. So, you’re always kind of following that guy in front of you on entry. It’s hard to position yourself in a different spot to gain some comfort via clean air; therefore, you kind of get to a certain point in disturbed air and it’s going to be difficult to feel as comfortable as you would if you weren’t.”

QUALIFYING TOMORROW IS VITAL? 

“Pit stops and restarts will be vital on who wins.”

HAVE YOU SEEN ANY MORE FALLOFF WITH THE TIRE BECAUSE YOU COMPARED IT TO MARTINSVILLE; AND PART OF THE PROBLEM AT MARTINSVILLE WAS THE FALLOFF OF THE TIRE.

“I don’t think the falloff and the shifting was the issue at Martinsville. I really don’t. I feel like it was just the lack of ability of being able to be close to someone on entry. It was very difficult to be right behind a guy without missing your center. I think you have to be in position in the center to pass a guy on exit. You’re not going to pass them unless you’re in a position to do so.

The tire falloff has been minimal at Martinsville for a while, especially when the temperatures are as cold as they were. That wasn’t the first time we’ve seen that. So, I don’t agree with that narrative.” 

JUST THE FEELING ABOUT COMING HERE TO ST. LOUIS AND THE INAUGURAL RACE AND THE ENERGY SURROUNDING THIS. I’M SURE YOU’VE HEARD THAT SUNDAY IS SOLD OUT, SO WHAT IS THAT LIKE FOR YOU AS A DRIVER?

“It’s great to come to a new market like this and a market that seems like they want us to be here. It’s always exciting. I did a NAPA event in Litchfield, Illinois, this morning and there were a lot of people there and there was a lot of excitement about the race this weekend. I would say 80 percent of the people that were there are coming to the race and were excited about all the things that were going on here. 

I think there’s a lot of traction, so now, we need to make sure we put on a good show number one. And then, we’ve seen this before, where the track gets an influx of people for the first time like they’re going to have this weekend; and the roadways aren’t prepared and we have a lot of traffic. If I was a spectator, I wouldn’t want to sit in four hours of traffic leaving this thing or be late getting in. We had that issue in Nashville and we had that issue in Kentucky years ago. So, I hope we’re prepared this weekend and we’ve learned our lesson there.”

DID YOU FIND ANY QUIRKS ABOUT THIS PLACE THAT YOU DIDN’T EXPECT?

“No – honestly, don’t take this the wrong way, I don’t have it figured out by any means – but nothing really surprised me.”

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 MOOSE FRATERNITY CAMARO ZL1

HOW WERE THINGS OUT THERE DURING PRACTICE?

“Good. The track is different than what I remember it from the truck races I did in 2018 and 2019. By myself out there, it was fun. The ends are so different and tire falloff is just enough that I was starting to lose grip. I wasn’t really slowing down as much, but I was starting to get loose and get tight. It’s like a new challenge; it’s like a new race track.”

WHEN YOU WALKED IN THIS MORNING AND THE TRACKHOUSE RACING HAULERS WERE ALL THE WAY UP TOWARDS THE FRONT, WAS THERE ANY SPECIAL PRIDE IN THAT OR DO YOU NOT CARE?

“I do care. I accidently walked in from the other end of the garage, so I got to walk down the whole lane and it’s wild. I kept looking around – I mean I knew it, but I was like ‘holy cow’. Just to think that we’re second in points, I feel like we’ve out kicked our coverage a little bit. Week in and week out, we’ve had speed and raking in the points.”

THAT FEELING OF WALKING INTO THE GARAGE, WHERE THE HAULERS ARE AND BEING SECOND IN POINTS – IS THAT A FEELING THAT YOU WANT TO STAY; OR DO YOU THINK EVENTUALLY IT SHOULD BE A NORMAL FEELING FOR YOU GUYS?

“I think it’s human nature to get more comfortable in your surroundings once you’ve done it awhile. Everybody tells me I should expect to be fast. I should expect to be here; I should expect to race with my heroes. But until that day, I don’t really know how that’s going to happen. I mean it is getting more normal, but I still have the same feeling. 

Yes, I think I should find some middle ground. I think looking back on this year, I’ll hopefully come back next year and have a different mindset of some things. I hope to evolve; I hope to be better. But I hope that it’s still special to walk into the garage for a long time. I hope that feeling never goes away.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1

BYRON ON THE FLAT TIRE IN PRACTICE: 

“I think it was just not knowing what our travels were going to be and putting ourselves in a little bit of a bad spot there. We definitely kind of had some ride quality issues down the straightaway. I started bouncing and I was a little bit nervous about it. I’ve had a couple of them, so as soon as it went, I knew. Luckily, it was on the straightaway.”

IS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU’RE CONFIDENT THAT IT WILL BE FIXED TOMORROW?

“Yeah, it was fine the next two runs. I think we ran 15 laps the next run and we were fine. The base of the car seemed decent, we just made kind of a testing change that last run and tried to learn some stuff. It wasn’t what we needed for right now.”

YOU HAVE 13 PLAYOFF POINTS; YOU AND ROSS (CHASTAIN) HAVE THE MOST. THERE ARE AROUND EIGHT DRIVERS WITHIN SEVEN POINTS. TYPICALLY IN SOME YEARS, WE’VE SEEN BIG GAPS. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE REST OF THE SUMMER AND INTO THE PLAYOFFS?

“Yeah, it’s going to be a dog fight this year. We’ve had speed, but then we’ve had some weeks where we just miss it. We’re just learning this car. I feel like the times that we’ve missed it, it’s definitely tough to overcome. I feel like we’re still trying to find our footing; but when we nail the setup, we’re great and we can win. And when we miss the setup, we’re like 15th. So, we’ve got to figure out how to put our window closer together so we’re not a first-place car or a 15th-place car. It’s just a matter of figuring out those little things; me doing a good job communicating; and just bringing us together so we learn this car even better.”

EPPING, N.H. (June 03, 2022) – It was business as usual for Brittany Force and the Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac Chevy dragster team as they opened the NHRA New England Nationals with a provisional No. 2 qualifier at New England Dragway. Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team currently sit No. 4 while in Funny Car, John Force and the PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SS are No. 5 and Robert Hight has the AAA New England Chevy No. 12. Leading the Camping World Drag Racing Series points, Brittany Force handled her Monster Energy dragster to a stout 3.687-second pass at 329.50 mph. Force would have to drive through a bit of tire shake but held on to settle into No. 2. “Back here in Epping, ended up running a 3.68 to currently sit number two. It’s a good position, we’re happy with it. We’re always aiming for top three, and we were right in our range. We were looking for a high 60, low 70 so we hit our mark. We get two more tomorrow to see if we can push this Monster Energy dragster and get it down the track a little bit quicker to set us up for a good race day.” Austin Prock and the Montana Brand dragster would have a bit of a wild ride with cylinders going in and out before a flash of flames on their way to a 3.749-second pass at 293.22 mph. They’ll get day two of qualifying started from the No. 4 spot. “It was definitely an exciting start to the weekend for the race fans. We put on a little bit of a fireworks show there. We had a rear oil line crack due to a parts fire that started an oil fire at about 300 feet but still made a competitive run,” Prock said. “We shut off about 200 feet early so we went 3.74 at 293.50 mph that puts us 6th so not a terrible start but definitely a little bit of work for the guys but we’ll be ready to go for tomorrow.” John Force and the PEAK / BlueDEF Chevy were off to a good run before driving into tire smoke and shutting off for only a 5.835-second pass at 123.14 mph that puts them in the No. 6 spot. “Not the start we wanted but Danny Hood and Tim Fabrisi, they’ll get it figured out,” Force said. “This PEAK / BlueDEF Chevy will be ready tomorrow. We get two more and now that we have one under our belt, we take what we learned and give it another go.” Robert Hight, in his AAA Chevy livery, ran into trouble immediately. The Camaro Funny Car shut off right at the hit and didn’t make it off the starting line. The three-time championship team would record no-time but end up No. 12. “Definitely not the way this AAA Chevy team wanted to start the weekend. We had a mechanical failure. It was basically a wire that shot the parachutes out and closed the throttle – just a safety system. The system thought that it had the burst panels out of the manifold, so it shut it off. It’s kind of a bummer because those were our best conditions to try and get the top spot. Let’s hope the clouds stick around tomorrow and we can get another shot at trying to go to the top.” Race action at New England Dragway for the NHRA New England Nationals continues Saturday with qualifying sessions at 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eliminations will take place Sunday at 11 a.m. Television coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) starting with qualifying shows Friday at 9 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m. Eliminations will air Sunday at 7 p.m. -30-

AUSTIN PROCK, 26, Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist DragsterQualifying:4th; 3.749-seconds; 293.22 mphBonus Qualifying Points:0BRITTANY FORCE, 35, Monster Energy DragsterQualifying:2nd; 3.687-seconds; 329.50 mphBonus Qualifying Points: +2 (2nd quickest Q1)JOHN FORCE, 73, PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SSQualifying:6th; 5.835-seconds; 123.14 mphBonus Qualifying Points: 0ROBERT HIGHT, 52, Auto Club of Southern California Chevy Camaro SSQualifying:12th; no-timeBonus Qualifying Points:0

Toyota Driver Steve Torrence Posted the Quickest Time in Q1 at the New England Nationals in Epping, NH on Friday afternoon. The run was the fastest that Torrence has posted since joining Team Toyota at the beginning of the 2022 season. A quote from Torrence following today’s session is below. Of note, there are two additional qualifying sessions scheduled for Saturday to determine qualifying positions.

STEVE TORRENCE, Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Torrence Racing

Q1 TF Qualifying: 3.664 seconds, 329.50 mph

How important was it for you to post the fast time in Q1 tonight?

“Fastest run of the year and so much emotion behind that run just because we’ve been working so hard and diligently to really make this car do that. Couldn’t be happier for every one of these guys on the team because it’s so much hard work and this is like seven or eight races now without us winning one and it’s all a sacrifice you have to make. You have to tear stuff down to build it back up stronger and that’s where we’re at. I’m not going to say that we’re there yet, but we’re definitely a step in the right direction. That’s a confidence booster for myself and for every one of the guys. That’s what we needed to do and it came at the perfect time.”

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WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY RACEWAY

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TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT

JUNE 3, 2022

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice session at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. Press Conference Transcript: 

KYLE, YOU HAVEN’T RACED HERE HAVE YOU? YOU’VE RACED CLOSE BY, BUT NOT AT WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY RACEWAY. CAN YOU TELL US HOW YOU’VE PREPARED FOR THIS? ARE YOU EXCITED AND WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO?

“Yeah, I haven’t raced here. I’ve raced at Tri-City (Speedway), which is 15 minutes from here. Pevely (Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55), which is probably 35 minutes; and then at the Dome. So, I’ve raced all around it, but never here. 

I’m excited. I haven’t had too much time at all to prepare. I hadn’t gotten to run any laps here to test or nothing on a simulator. So, we’ll get the hang of it hopefully quickly here later on today. I’m excited about the opportunity. I’ve always wanted to race here, so it’s nice that we have Cup weekend here now.”

DID YOU WANT TO DO THE SIM AND JUST COULDN’T GET IN; OR DID YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE JUST SO USED TO COMING TO TRACKS AND LEARNING THEM THAT YOU DIDN’T NEED TO? 

“No – my schedule is just pretty busy and by the time I realized it was Gateway week, I realized I was racing every day this week. So, just didn’t have time. I wasn’t at home at all. But I think it will be fine. I go to more new race tracks than anybody does on our circuit, so I feel like I adapt pretty quickly. Usually we have a really good track record at tracks we go to the first time and hopefully this weekend is no different.”

WHAT IS THE KEY TO GETTING UP TO SPEED AT A NEW TRACK? CAN YOU GO ALL-OUT THE FIRST COUPLE OF LAPS? DO YOU HAVE TO WORK UP TO IT?

“Usually I think you work up to it just a little bit. All of us have a lot of experience in racing stock cars and going to new tracks that I feel like you’re kind of close to those limits even right off the bat and then you can find them pretty quickly. I don’t think you’re going to see anybody struggling or anybody way better than the next person. I think we’re all really good drivers and we will all figure it out quickly. I’ll definitely probably try and brake sooner than what I think is the potential and then kind of creep up to it.”

SHIFTING ON OVALS HAS OBVIOUSLY HAPPENED MORE THIS YEAR THAN EVER BEFORE. DRIVERS HAVE SAID IT MAKES IT HARDER TO PASS AND IT DOESN’T MAKE THE RACING GOOD ON OVALS. WHERE DO YOU STAND ON THAT? DOES IT MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT?

“Yes – I think it makes it tougher to pass because it keeps your pace up it seems. If the lap times start to slow down, you start downshifting to go faster. I think we’ve all learned that you need pace falloff to pass. Now with shifting, the pace doesn’t fall off quite as much, so it makes things a little tougher. These cars and the aerodynamics makes things a little tougher, as well. 

We’ll see. I don’t know how this place will be this weekend. I definitely think it will be hard to pass, whether we would be shifting or not. I think it’s just a pretty flat, looks like high grip, style race track. Those are typically hard to pass on, so with shifting, who knows. Regardless, I think it will be difficult to pass anyways.”

TWO WEEKS AGO, WE RAN THE ALL-STAR RACE AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY AFTER SO MANY YEARS OF RUNNING IT AT CHARLOTTE; AND THEN AT BRISTOL AND TEXAS AGAIN. AFTER THE SUCCESS OF THE BUSCH CLASH, WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE ALL-STAR RACE NOW? 

“I don’t know – It’s kind of, I feel like, in Marcus Smith’s hands. Whatever they want to do, I think we’re all OK with. Maybe not OK with, but we’re going to be there. 

I’m not really sure. I don’t think Texas (Motor Speedway) – I hate to be another one of the guys to bash it – but it’s not a good track at all. It just doesn’t produce good racing and it’s tough to have an exhibition-style race there when the track isn’t very racy at all. 

I think we’d all like to see it move around probably. You look at other sports, all-star games and stuff – they move from city to city each year. I think maybe the cities and the arenas are taking bids on it, I’m not sure. But I think that would be a fun thing to do; move the All-Star Race around. I think it would add some excitement to the event.”

I’M CURIOUS ABOUT ADDING THE CHUTE AT SONOMA (RACEWAY). SINCE YOU WON THERE LAST YEAR, HOW DO YOU THINK IT WILL CHANGE THE DYNAMIC?

“I don’t know. They raced there forever with I think the layout they were going to now. I’m sure it will be a lot like those races, I would guess.”

DO YOU THINK HAVING THE DIRT TRACK GOING FULL BLOWN RIGHT NOW DURING GATEWAY WEEK THAT IT IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO BRING PEOPLE BACK AND FORTH FROM ONE TRACK TO THE OTHER AND BUILD THE FAN BASE BETWEEN THE TWO SERIES?

“Yeah, I hope so. The crowd was really big last night. I wish it would have been a day later and I wish we could have raced there tomorrow night at Tri-City (Speedway) because I think Saturday night would be extremely big. But I think tonight with the World of Outlaws Late Models and sprint cars with myself running a late model; I think (Alex) Bowman and (Chase) Briscoe are running sprint cars. I’m not sure if (Christopher) Bell is running or not. But yeah, it should be an even bigger crowd I would imagine. 

It’s exciting. The crossover is always good.”

IT WAS ANNOUCED THIS WEEK THAT PHOENIX (RACEWAY) WILL HOST THE CHAMPIONSHIP RACE AGAIN NEXT SEASON. WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT A FOURTH YEAR OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP RACE BEING HELD AT PHOENIX?

“I think Phoenix is a great area to host the championship weekend. It’s got a great amount of grandstands that always seem to sell out, which is good. It adds to the atmosphere. And two, again like going to the All-Star Race, I would say ‘oh it should move from city to city’. But November in some states is difficult to put a race on, so you have to think about that. There are only a handful of tracks that could really host the championship weekend and not be concerned with the weather forecast. I think that’s why it was in Florida for a long time and then they moved it to Arizona. Phoenix (Raceway) is a difficult track to pass on, but I feel like there are moments where it can be more exciting than an intermediate-style track if you get a late race caution and things like that. 

I’m not sure if that answers your question, but I think it’s OK. In the future, yeah I would like to see it move around, as well. But I think there is just a small group of tracks that it could really move to.”

THERE HAS BEEN SOME BETTER RACING AT INTERMEDIATE TRACKS. THIS CAR SEEMS TO WORK AT BIGGER TRACKS. INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY IS A BEAST IN ITSELF, BUT WITH SOME OF THE SUCCESS ON INTERMEDIATE TRACKS, DOES THAT GIVE YOU ANY HOPE THAT THESE CARS COULD RUN BETTER ON THE OVAL THAN WHAT THEY HAVE? 

“Well, I think Indy (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) is just a difficult track. You can look at even the IndyCar race this year – it wasn’t that exciting and those cars build really big runs. So, I still think it would be not very good racing for us. And it seems like with these cars and the way the air runs off the back, I think it could have the potential of being even worse than normal, just because it’s a flat track. 

As a driver, I would love to win on the oval there. But the road course is, to me, more exciting racing. I’m not sure if more people tune into the race because it’s on the road course or more people show up because it’s on the road course. But I know, excitement-wise, it’s probably a little bit better on the road course. Prestige-wise, I think we would all love it on the oval.”

ARE YOU PLANNING TO RUN THE KNOXVILLE TRUCK RACE? 

“No – Never running a dirt truck race again (laughs).”

WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON THE OFF WEEK? 

“Nothing – just taking it off.”

I KNOW YOU HAVEN’T BEEN HERE, BUT ARE YOU ANTICIPATING IT TO BE SORT OF LIKE NEW HAMPSHIRE OR PHOENIX? HOW WILL THIS TRACK RACE COMPARED TO OTHERS?

“I watched a little bit of onboard from somebody who was here testing in the Chevy – I think it was (Justin) Allgaier). It kind of reminded me of a blend of New Hampshire (Motor Speedway) and Phoenix (Raceway). I don’t know until I get out there, but that’s kind of where my brain is at right now. I don’t think there’s another race track that we run that you could compare it to. I think those two are good comparisons. I feel like the pavement grip level would probably be similar to Phoenix. I think that end kind of looks more like (turns) one and two of Phoenix; and then I think this end is probably a tighter New Hampshire maybe.”