NASCAR CUP SERIES CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY COCA-COLA 600 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT MAY 27, 2023    CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA PATRIOTIC CAMARO ZL1 – Media Availability at Charlotte Motor Speedway:  A FEW WEEKS AGO, YOU SAID YOU HAVEN’T BEEN LOOKING AT POINTS. NOW THAT YOU’RE GETTING A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO THE CUTOFF, I’M CURIOUS IF YOU’VE TAKEN ANY MORE OF A LOOK AT IT IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS?“I haven’t, really. I hear people talking about it.. that we were I guess somewhere closer and within reach of pointing our way in. But no, I haven’t been paying much attention to it. Really just trying to run better and get some stage points. To me, that’s probably been the biggest thing that we haven’t done, aside from winning. But we haven’t been getting a lot of stage points. We got some at Talladega and a pretty big chunk, but that’s really been about it. We’ve had some decent finishes, but not a lot of stage points.  What did you say.. 63 points?” YES, 63 POINTS BEHIND 16TH RIGHT NOW WITH 13 RACES TO GO.“Obviously there’s still some stuff going on there right because you have Alex (Bowman), who’s been out, and opportunities for new winners, too. It sounds like 63 points is attainable in 13 weeks, but I think a lot can happen. My goals don’t really change either way. Your best chance of having a shot at the championship is to go and put yourself in position to win races, and same for gaining the most amount of points you can have. If you’re running up front and in the mix of winning, those are the guys that are getting the most points every week. So to me, it’s all one in the same.” IT’S BEEN SIX RACES, INCLUDING THE ALL-STAR RACE, THAT YOU’VE BEEN BACK BEHIND THE WHEEL. HOW DO YOU FEEL PHYSICALLY GETTING BACK INTO THE SWING OF THINGS? DO YOU FEEL MORE CAUGHT UP TO SPEED, SO TO SPEAK, WITH THE PACK? “Yeah, I do. I don’t feel any different, honestly. I don’t even really feel like I missed any time, just from driving. I think the things that I haven’t done well, I wasn’t doing well before I got hurt, too. I think all that stuff is very much back on pace.  In the car, physically driving, I don’t feel any bit different than I did last season or the beginning of this year. I feel like all of that is very normal. Certainly outside of the car and just getting back to being 100 percent physically, it’s a long recovery. If I was playing a stick-and-ball sport, it would still be months from doing those things. So fortunately we’re in a position in these cars that – and I’ve said this – your leg is in a pretty good spot and it’s pretty secure, too. You could be in a much more compromised situation, for sure. Just lucky that’s the reality for us and in what we do, and I could get back to work.” WHERE IS THE NO. 9 TEAM, IN TERMS OF PERFORMANCE? WHAT’S THE BIGGEST THING YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FOCUS ON? “Well, stage points being one. And I think some of that comes with how you qualify. So yeah, qualifying has been really pour for me for probably six months or more. Unfortunately that trend has continued. I think that’s the big one, for sure. That impacts your pit pick – your pit pick you have to live with throughout the entire race. But yeah, qualifying a little better and stage points. And certainly want to run better in the races, too. I feel like some of the components have been there. Our pit stops have been really good this year. I feel like Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and everybody has called good races. I think it’s really just on me to do a better job and make sure I’m giving those guys the information that they need to make our car better, and then ultimately to go put down a faster lap in qualifying. Just trying to fine tune all of those little pieces. I think the pieces of the puzzle are there and our team has been performing really well in all of the areas that don’t necessarily pertain to me. So I’ve been super pleased with all of that and just trying to push and get a little better on my end to make sure I’m bringing my part to the table.” HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS HAS LED THE MOST LAPS. AT THIS RACE TRACK, HMS IS SO GOOD. IS THERE ANY REASON TO THINK THIS ISN’T A TYPICAL YEAR WHERE ONE OF THE HMS CARS WOULD WIN AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN THE COCA-COLA 600? “Yeah, I certainly would like to think so, right? That betters my chances. Yeah, it’s been a really good track for Hendrick Motorsports over the years, even before I was around. I hope that those trends continue. Obviously I think you have to look at more recent history now to gauge where things are, especially since the Next Gen car has been implemented. And then even more recent than that, looking at this season – I feel like the 1.5-mile program has been solid as a whole for Chevrolet, which is a good thing, and also very solid for Hendrick Motorsports, in particular with William (Byron), Kyle (Larson) and Alex (Bowman), as well, before he got hurt. I think that’s been a strong suit, so would love to capitalize on that. I think it’s a place where we can come and run well at. I know one of our cars did the test here a couple of months ago or whenever they had it, so have some notes and information to look back on from that, so that’s always a help coming into the weekend. Just try to put together 600 miles and be around there for those last 100 to have a shot.” YOU’VE SAID IT’S THE LONGEST RACE OF THE SEASON, BUT IT DOESN’T FEEL THAT WAY TO YOU? IS THAT TRUE WHEN YOU’RE RACING IT.. THAT IT DOESN’T FEEL THAT LONG? “It really doesn’t. It is a long race, for sure. But I don’t know.. from the driver’s seat, I just feel like a lot of times when you’re running this race – which I feel like I’ve crashed out of quite a few of them. I did last year.. I think I was out before halfway last year. I guess it’s been a couple of years since I’ve finished one. But the couple that I have finished, I just feel like – it might seem a little longer, but you’re just so honed in on what’s going on right now, that next pit stop and just focused on that next task, so it makes it go by pretty fast from the driver’s seat, in my experience. Hopefully that’s the case again. Typically if things are going good, it goes by quicker. If you’re really struggling and having a hard time, it can make it go by slower. Hopefully we’re on the good end of that.” HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE THE WHOLE HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS’ CAMP BACK FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY?“Yeah, it’s just nice to be back to normal. I feel like everything at our campus over there has just been a little chaotic in one way or another right – with me getting hurt and just kind of not knowing when I was going to be able to come back and talking through all of that stuff. I feel like everybody over there did a great job handling it and same for Alex’s (Bowman) injury, too. But it’s just extra work, you know, that you don’t want to have to do – more questions to answer and I think a little bit of just a distraction more than anything. But fortunately or unfortunately, we’ve gotten well-versed in this category this year. Hopefully that’s the end of it, at least for this season. The good news is that there’s a lot of racing left. You have the entire summer stretch into early fall before the playoffs start, so plenty of time to get done what you’re going to get done and to figure out how you’re going to run and whether or not you’re going to be a contender or not. Those things don’t just change overnight, so plenty of time to get back on track if that’s what we’re going to do. I certainly feel like we can as a group and as a company and particularly in the No. 9 camp, too.” YOU HAD A REMARKABLE SEASON LAST YEAR WITH FIVE WINS, BUT WE KIND OF EXPECT YOU TO BE THIS ROAD COURSE WARRIOR ONCE WE GET TO THOSE TYPES OF TRACKS JUST GIVEN YOUR SUCCESS THERE IN THE PAST. DID THE NEW CAR HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH NOT GETTING THE WINS ON THE ROAD COURSES LIKE YOU HAD IN THE PAST? “No, we talked about this some last year and I feel like I answered this question then, too. I told y’all when we were winning all those road course races that I didn’t feel like I was doing anything special. We had a good package that worked out and it just suited me at the time. I don’t think I did anything special or spectacular. I tried to make sure everyone understood that. I just think as time goes on, everybody gets better and improves. Certainly coming in with a new car, you kind of have to re-baseline on some of those things – those thoughts and ideas that were working for us. You just can’t copy and paste those things, and all the little small details that I feel like we did a good of exceling at. So yeah, it’s just different. It’s definitely different everywhere, but certainly the road courses are no different in that regard.  I guess to answer your question – yes, I would say the new car and all the changes that came along with that, and then combining that with everyone just getting better in the garage, too.” DID THE CAR FEEL CONSIDERABLY DIFFERENT WHEN YOU WERE AT SONOMA RACEWAY? “Yeah, the car feels pretty different everywhere that I remember last year. To me, it was a complete departure from anything we had driven in the past in the NASCAR world. It’s just a different animal. The thing is just different, for sure, good or bad. It kind of has its own way now.” HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO GET BACK INTO A CONDITION WHERE YOU KIND OF FEEL LIKE YOU’RE AT 100 PERCENT? “Well I think racing is the biggest piece of that puzzle, right? I sat around for six weeks or better there before Martinsville and I was hurting for sure after that. But even when you’re in good shape and you have good weeks of preparation, you can still go through a race weekend and certain events, temperatures or whatever can fatigue you more than others. I think it depends on the weekend. The good news is for Alex (Bowman) and probably me too with still trying to get back in the groove of things – it’s kind of cool here this weekend and obviously the rain coming through can impact that, as well. The summer stretch is going to be tough.. it always is. But Alex is in good shape and he hasn’t really been out that long. It’s only been four weeks, so I think he’s going to be fine. Like I said, he’s in good shape, so I don’t think he’s going to have a problem.”

BATAVIA, Ohio (May 27, 2023) – The Sunoco “Road to Wheatland” bonus program will pay the top fifteen (15) drivers with perfect attendance through the Show-Me 100. The Sunoco “Road to Wheatland” program has been a long-standing cash bonus program paid to drivers that follow the series and maintain perfect attendance. Drivers that have maintained perfect attendance at all Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series sanctioned events through the Show-Me 100 will receive an additional cash bonus based on their position in the championship point standings. The championship point leader following Saturday’s Show-Me 100 main event will receive a $2,500 bonus from a total of $16,000 in bonuses paid out to the top fifteen drivers in the standings. The fifteen (15) drivers that are eligible and will receive bonuses at the Show-Me 100 include: Ricky Thornton Jr., Hudson O’Neal, Brandon Overton, Tim McCreadie, Devin Moran, Jonathan Davenport, Daulton Wilson, Max Blair, Tyler Erb, Earl Pearson Jr., Spencer Hughes, Jimmy Owens, Garrett Alberson, Tyler Bruening, and Ross Robinson. “Sunoco Race Fuels would like to thank the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and their perfect attendance drivers for their continued support of the annual Sunoco Road to Wheatland’, stated Ritchie Lewis, Partnership Sales Manager, Sunoco Race Fuels.  The Sunoco “Road to Wheatland” is the first bonus round under the new Big River Steel Chase for the Championship presented by ARP in 2023 and locks in the top fifteen drivers that will be eligible for the record points fund of over $1,000,000.00. The series champion will receive $200,000, with the top four drivers in the final series point standings earning a minimum of $100,000. “Sunoco Race Fuels has been a great partner for many years with the series and continues to support the Road to Wheatland program. Their partnership is vital to the increased points fund this year and rewarding the drivers that maintain perfect attendance. We are very appreciative to Sunoco for stepping up and giving generously to the racers that support the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series,” stated Wayne Castleberry, Corporate Sales, and Marketing for Lucas Oil Motorsports. Sunoco Road to Wheatland Purse: 1. $2,500, 2. $1,500, 3. $1,500, 4. $1,500, 5. $1,500, 6. $1,000, 7. $1,000, 8. $1,000, 9. $1,000, 10. $1,000, 11. $500, 12. $500, 13. $500, 14. $500, 15. $500 = $16,000 To keep up with the latest news, results, schedule, and other information about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series visit www.lucasdirt.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES

CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

COCA-COLA 600

TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT

MAY 27, 2023

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 – Media Availability at Charlotte Motor Speedway: 

WHEN YOU GUYS WERE THINKING ABOUT WHEN YOU MIGHT COME BACK, DID THE EXTRA MILEAGE OF THIS RACE COME INTO PLAY AT ALL? 

“Yeah, I think so. I think it got talked a lot, for sure. But at the same time, I feel like I’m ready. I feel like kind of the little bit of pain that I’m going to be stuck with, I’m probably going to be stuck with it for quite a while. So this week, versus next week, versus the following week – it kind of is what it is. Yeah, I think we talked about it, but I was able to run a lot of laps at North Wilkesboro (Speedway) on Tuesday. I felt OK about things, so yeah I’m pretty confident that I’ll be just fine.”

YOU’RE IN AN UNIQUE SITUATION COMING BACK WITH THE POINTS AND STILL BEING AROUND THE PLAYOFF CUTLINE. WHAT DOES THAT DO FOR YOU COMING BACK – DOES THAT PUT YOU AT EASE KNOWING YOU CAN STILL GET IN ON POINTS, OR DOES THAT STILL HURT YOU A LITTLE BIT? 

“I don’t think it puts us at ease with the situation we’re in, points-wise, by any means. A lot can happen – you can have a lot of winners and that can change really quickly. But I think what it does do is talks about the season we’ve had so far. Missed three points races, had a 60-point penalty and still be on the playoff cutline – it says how good of a season we were having before I did get hurt. Excited to be back and hopefully we can pickup where we left and be strong right out of the gate.”

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS HAS HAD THE WHOLE CAMP TOGETHER SINCE AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE THE WHOLE CAMP BACK TOGETHER GIVEN THE SECOND-HALF OF THE SEASON STARTS ON SUNDAY? 

“Yeah, I don’t know that they were missing much without me around (laughs). But it’s good to be back, for sure. It’s been an interesting year for all of us – whether it’s the crew chief deal, Chase (Elliott) getting hurt and me getting hurt. Glad to have us all back and hopefully we can keep it that way for the rest of the year.”

YOU WOULDN’T BE CLIMBING INTO THE CAR THIS WEEKEND IF YOU WEREN’T CLEARED. WHAT ARE YOU STILL DEALING WITH PHYSICALLY? 

“Yeah, I mean I broke my back a month ago, so there’s definitely things that are going to come along with that for a long time. Shoot from everybody I’ve talked to, probably forever. There’s some discomfort here and there, and things that I do that don’t feel good. But that’s just part of it and stuff I’m going to have to deal with. It’s not too bad. For the most part, I’m back to normal. Kind of easing back to getting back into the gym and training hard. I didn’t want to kill myself training all week this week trying to be ready for the 600, and then show up tomorrow super sore and worn out already. Just trying to be smart with things. But yeah, twist the wrong way, sometimes it hurts or do different things and it hurts a little bit. In the racecar, at the end of a six hour race, I’m probably not going to feel the best. But as far as the 200 laps that I did at North Wilkesboro, I felt OK.”

INAUDIBLE..

“Yeah, I think so. Once I’m in the seat, it’s not too bad. There really hasn’t been anything that they could do at all, the whole time. As high as T3 is, it’s not like I had a brace or anything like that. Yeah, just been trying to do the best I can with it.”

BLAKE’S (HARRIS) FOCUS COMING INTO THIS SEASON WAS JUST OVERALL CONSISTENCY, WHICH YOU GUYS ACHIEVED EARLY. NOW THAT YOU’VE HAD A PROLONGED BREAK, HOW DO YOU KICKSTART THAT AGAIN? 

“That’s a good question.. it would have been really nice to kickstart that again with some practice today. Really just try to understand where we’re going to pick up. Like I ran some laps myself at North Wilkesboro, but I haven’t raced. I haven’t competitively driven a racecar in a month, so just trying to understand where my rusty areas are going to be and where I’m still good. Lap time-wise, we were plenty competitive in our test, but that’s by yourself. Obviously North Wilkesboro is significantly different than Charlotte.. about as different as they get. So just trying to see where we stack up whenever I do get back into the car and kind of go from there.”

DEFINE ‘PAIN’.. THERE’S PAIN AND THERE’S PAIN THAT COMES AND GOES. WHAT’S YOUR TOLERANCE FOR PAIN AND HOW MUCH DOES IT HURT? 

“Yeah, until I do it, I don’t know. That’s the biggest thing and that’s really the whole reason in testing. The doctor was like it’s healing and you can do it based on pain tolerance, but you can’t simulate what it’s going to be like without getting in a racecar. And even that, you can’t simulate Charlotte at North Wilkesboro, so I don’t have a clue. It’s going to hurt. I don’t know how much it’s going to hurt. Hopefully it doesn’t hurt very much because at North Wilkesboro it didn’t. All we did was make long runs there to try and simulate being here and how long the 600 is. But we had two sets of tires, two hours and a flat race track that is really slick and doesn’t give you any G-forces. We have five-and-a-half hours tomorrow night with a ton of G-forces and a ton of grip, so it’s about as different as it could possibly get. But yeah, I think I’ll be alright.”

IN THE PAST, HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR TOLERANCE FOR PAIN ON A SCALE OF ONE TO 10 PRIOR TO THIS?

“I don’t know, I think I’m a bit of a wimp, if we’re being honest. But no, I’ve raced through some things before and I feel like I’ll be OK. Honestly, it’s not that bad. I feel like a lot of people have had similar injuries that were so much worse. Obviously I got out of the car and walked away. It’s not too bad. It’s a bit uncomfortable, but I’ll be fine.”

WITH NO PRACTICE, WAS IT STILL NICE TO BE ABLE TO GET IN THE CAR THIS WEEK AT NORTH WILKSBORO INSTEAD OF GOING INTO TOMORROW WITH NOTHING?

“Yeah, for sure. And honestly, as much as it was for me to get my head wrapped around what it was actually going to feel like, I feel like that was a part of getting cleared – having a doctor there and kind of going through that. Glad we were able to do that. Obviously would have liked track time today to kind of know what I signed myself up for tomorrow, but yeah I think it was definitely good to be able to do that. Ran a lot of laps in the simulator, which doesn’t really do a whole lot, but hopefully that gives me an idea of what my racecar is going to be like. I think it was really good for me, mentally. Obviously it was a requirement to get cleared, but just mentally to know what to expect, feels good.”

WHAT DID THEY EXACTLY DO TO YOUR BACK – WAS IT A REST THING OR DID THEY PUT PINS IN IT? SECONDLY, ARE YOU GOING TO STICK TO JUST NASCAR RACING OR WILL YOU STILL GO BACK TO SOME OTHER STUFF LIKE YOU WERE DOING? 

“Yeah, they walked in and said you broke your back.. come back and see us again in three weeks (laughs). Honestly there just wasn’t anything that they could do. It wasn’t something that required surgery or anything like that. It was too high to brace. So honestly, it was a lot of rest at first. I tried to keep myself busy. I felt like after a week or two, kind of the less I moved, the more I hurt. So I’d go to my shop and walk around, or go to HMS and walk around, and then I slowly worked my way into getting back to the gym. I walked a lot. Just trying to keep it loose and let it heal. Thankfully, it is healing. It was stable. I didn’t have any big complications. Obviously that similar crash and similar injury hurt a lot of others much worse, so just thankful it wasn’t worse for me. 

As far as racing other stuff – someday, for sure. I want to get back into a sprint car and a midget. For me, I felt like we were just kind of getting rolling a little bit in a sprint car, and getting more and more competitive. That night, we were pretty fast. Definitely a bummer there.. that’s something I really want to conquer and at least be able to be competitive with like the World of Outlaws or at High Limit races. It would mean a lot to me. So someday I’ll get back to that, but as a guy that’s sat on the couch more in the last eight months than not, probably smart if I give my day job a little alone time for a bit.”

WHAT MAKES YOU SO CONFIDENT IN BEING ABLE TO RACE THIS WEEKEND? 

“Well I’m not very smart, so that might be part of it (laughs). But no, just running laps in the car on Tuesday, it didn’t hurt. Like the physical act of driving the racecar, I was fine. It’s going to be a long night and I’m going to be pretty sore by the end of it, but yeah I’m confident. I wish we had practice. That would probably make me a little more confident. But I wouldn’t be back here if I wasn’t confident that I could run the whole race.”

DID YOU PRACTICE THEM DROPPING THE JACK AND HAVING THAT FEELING? 

“Yeah, that was my biggest fear, by far. Obviously these cars are very stiff. We’ve seen with the Next Gen car how much stiffer it is and how much more it kind of shocks the driver’s body. Yeah, I was terrified to drop the jack. We did it and it didn’t hurt at all. The thing that I thought was going to hurt the most didn’t hurt at all, so that makes me feel good. I don’t think I would get away with 600 miles on one set of tires, so dropping the jack is going to be a requirement tomorrow night or Monday.”

DO YOU THINK SONOMA RACEWAY WILL REALLY BE THE NEXT CHALLENGE AFTER JUST GETTING THROUGH THIS 600 MILES BECAUSE YOU’RE GOING LEFT AND RIGHT?

“Yeah, for sure. I think I have a lot of challenges ahead of me, for sure. Sonoma (Raceway) isn’t going to feel good with how tall the curbs are and how stiff the racecars are. That race is physical, in general. 

My challenges are going to be that. My challenges are going to be the fact that I sat on the couch for the last month and wasn’t able to train. There’s a lot of things that are going to be difficult to catch back up on. But yeah, I’m confident I’ll be fine. It may not be the most fun, but I’ll be fine.”

DO YOU GUYS HAVE A STRATEGY HOW TO ADVANCE TO THE PLAYOFFS? 

“Yeah, I think for us, we just have to do what we were doing. We had the best average finish out of anybody at the time I got hurt. We had a massive points penalty, missed three points races and we’re still on the cutoff line. So if we can just go back to how we were running, I know we can do it. Obviously we want to go win races and I think that comes with how we were performing. But yeah, just have to go kick some butt.”

BOWMAN ON STARTING 31ST IN A 600-MILE RACE: 

“I have one of the best crew chiefs on pit road, best race team on pit road, top-five best pit crew on pit road – there’s no reason why we can’t accomplish it. Honestly, if I can drive the racecar at the level that I think I’m capable of doing and we have a good car when we take off, there’s no reason we can’t win from 31st. I think for me, I want to make all the laps and I want to have a good, solid top-10 day coming back from breaking my back. But yeah, there’s no reason that with our race team and our capabilities that we can’t win from anywhere we start every week.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES

CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

COCA-COLA 600

TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT

MAY 27, 2023

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1, media availability at Charlotte Motor Speedway: 

THIS IS A HOME RACE FOR YOU. OBVIOUSLY YOU GREW UP IN CHARLOTTE AND VERY FEW DRIVERS CAN SAY THAT THEY ARE CONSIDERED A TRUE HOMETOWN FAVORITE, SO TO SPEAK, HERE WHEN WE ARE AT CHARLOTTE. TALK ABOUT THE COCA-COLA 600, CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY AND WHAT THIS TRACK MEANS TO YOU, BEING ABLE TO CELEBRATE THIS WEEKEND EVERY MAY?

“Yeah, it’s always good getting to May. I feel like it’s a time period that I look forward to, just coming to the Coca-Cola 600 and getting ready for the Charlotte (Motor Speedway) race. But also, just being back home and being able to see a lot of family. It’s a busy time, for sure, but I just always have great memories of Charlotte Motor Speedway and going to the 600-mile race and just being up in the stands. Every time I come back, it gives me a lot of excitement and I think my team thrives off of that. With Hendrick Motorsports being right across the street, certainly we look forward to Charlotte every year and that’s no different this year. I think honestly this year, this is probably the most we’ve looked forward to the 600. Looking forward to it.”

WHAT TYPE OF ADVANTAGE IS IT STARTING ON THE POLE? 

“Yeah, I mean I try not to get too excited, one way or another, on the weekend. I think that we’ve done a lot of good work this week just in the simulator and talking about the race. Really, it started before Kansas (Speedway). When Kyle (Larson) tested here, we talked a lot about what we felt like we needed. We’ve carried some of that to the other 1.5-mile tracks. Darlington (Raceway) isn’t really a 1.5-mile track, but there’s similar traits in the car there. I thought we were really strong there from the beginning to the end of the run, and that’s what you’ll need at Charlotte. The runs are pretty long.. usually probably going to be 50 laps on tires, at least. 

It’s certainly nice to get the pit selection. I think really the track position is not that big of a deal for a long race like this, but the pit stall selection is huge going into the race.”

YOU SAID 50 LAP RUNS ON TIRES. DO YOU EXPECT WITH CONSTRUCTION CHANGE THAT’S DIFFERENT FROM A YEAR AGO THAT YOU WON’T SEE DRIVERS JUST SPINNING OUT LIKE THEY DID LAST YEAR IN THIS RACE? 

“Yeah, I think a lot of the issues that we saw last year – obviously the cars were a handful, but there was also just a lot of attrition for some reason and I think that guys were making contact. We weren’t used to the track changes. They might have been different than the old car. It was really hot outside. So I think the car just being kind of unpredictable and guys having more issues with kind of bottoming out and losing grip that way. I don’t think there was a ton of tire failures.. at least there wasn’t for us. But certainly we didn’t understand the tire fully to be able to maximize the whole run, so there was a lot of uncharacteristic kind of fall-off throughout the run. Hopefully we’ve worked on that a lot and we can run 40 or 50 laps on tires and still hold on well.”

I THINK IT’S BEEN SINCE WEEK TWO AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY THAT THE ENTIRE HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CAMP HAS BEEN TOGETHER. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE EVERYONE TOGETHER GOING INTO THE SECOND-HALF OF THE REGULAR-SEASON? 

“It’s really important for the morale of the shop and us be able to kind of pull the rope in the same direction. I think having Josh (Berry) in was great. He really did a good job subbing. But obviously we have notes from four or five years, or more, from working together as a group of four. I feel like we understand each other’s driving styles and that just really helps grow the group, in general, and grow the setups forward. I think having all of our feedback back together, it would be nice to see that kind of payoff with practice. But I think Monday, we’ll really be able to dissect what we all had in the race and it will be nice to have everyone back to do that.”

WITH THE CHANGE IN THE SHORT-TRACK PACKAGE, WHAT DID YOU NOTICE AT SONOMA (RACEWAY) LAST YEAR THAT WAS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER RACES AT SONOMA IN THE PAST?

“Yeah, I mean I don’t really remember Sonoma (Raceway) that well last year, but I do feel like as a group, we kind of struggled more than we thought we would. INAUDIBLE…. The No. 99 (Daniel Suarez) was really strong. I feel like those notes will still apply, but we’ve come a long way with our road course program and I think that will payoff at Sonoma. It’s such low grip. You really have to manage the tire falloff. I feel like COTA was that way and we were pretty strong there. Still some work to do to get to where the No. 45 (Tyler Reddick) was, but hopefully at Sonoma we’ll make a lot more progress.”

THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, A LOT OF THE TALKING HEADS HAVE KIND OF CONSIDERED THE CHAMPIONSHIP WILL LIKELY COME DOWN BETWEEN HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AND JOE GIBBS RACING. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE, OTHER THAN YOUR TEAMMATES, THAT YOU SEE AS DIRECT COMPETITION FOR YOU IN GETTING THAT FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP?

“Well I think honestly, our goal is to make that final race and the Championship Four. I think as I see more talk about one guy or two guys or whatever – I think really you have to realize that it’s really just about getting to that final race with a chance. That’s been our goal all along.. every year it is, but I think realistically, the last two years that’s been the realistic goal. 

I do think that teams are starting to emerge as strong players – the No. 19 (Martin Truex Jr.), the No. 11 (Denny Hamlin), the No. 5 (Kyle Larson), the No. 1 (Ross Chastain). I think there’s quite a few guys out there. I think you’ll see an evolution throughout the summer and some other guys will come on really strong, as well. I try not to set too much on one guy or one team, but I certainly think our team is in that mix. We just have to keep doing what we’re doing to stay on top of that order.”

ARE YOU PROUD OF THE GAINS THAT YOU AND RUDY (FUGLE) HAVE MADE? 

“Yeah, I think it’s really been a steady improvement. I think a lot of people look to us to make big waves and things like that. But we’ve really just kept gaining on it each year. I feel like now we’re in a place where the foundation of our team is strong and it’s going to continue this way. We didn’t make any major steps really quick. We just kind of continued to win one or two races a year, and now we’re at three races a year. Hopefully that just continues.”

YOU TALK ABOUT THE INCENTIVE OF GETTING THE POLE AND THE PIT BOX SELECTION, BUT THAT OBVIOUSLY MEANS YOU DON’T GET THE PRACTICE TIME. ARE YOU A GUY THAT’S OK WITH GETTING THAT POLE POSITION AND FIRST BOX AND IS COMFORTABLE ABOUT WHAT YOU HIT THE TRACK WITH WHEN IT COMES OFF THE TRUCK? 

“Yeah, I think one of our strong suits is practice. So I think for us, we enjoy going out there – cutting some laps, getting ready for qualifying, adjusting the balance. We have really good notes on what to do for practice and qualifying, so I feel like anywhere we go, we’re a threat for a pole in that sense. But yeah, we’ll take it any way we can get it. I also do trust that they’re going to unload something that’s close. We have good tools with Chevrolet and our simulator program, so I feel confident about that. We also had a test with Kyle (Larson) here. I feel good that we can unload strong. 

I guess I’m kind of impartial. I feel like we can excel either way. Obviously the easier way would be to have qualifying canceled, but yeah I think either way trying to get a strong pit stall and go to work from there.”

HOW MUCH DOES THE PIT STALL EFFECT YOUR STRATEGY FOR THE RACE, AND DOES CLEAN AIR SORT OF NEGATE ALL OF THE UNCERTAINTIES IF YOU SHOULD GET THE POLE WITH NOT KNOW WHAT YOUR CAR REALLY HAS OR DOESN’T HAVE? 

“Yeah, I think the pit stall has a lot to do with your performance throughout the race, honestly. We talk a lot about qualifying each week and really that’s what I try to do – try to get into the top seven or eight, or seven to 10, to get yourself either an opening in or opening out of the pit box. Those are really the important things.. just not being boxed in all day throughout the race. I feel like for us, that’s why we focus so hard on qualifying – not really for the track position, but more so for pit road. Try to do a good job of that each week and see where we end up.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES

CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

COCA-COLA 600

TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT

MAY 27, 2023

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 84 CLUB WYNDHAM CAMARO ZL1, met with the media prior to the NASCAR Cup Series’ practice and qualifying session at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Press Conference Quotes:  

TELL ME YOUR EVALUATION OF LEGACY MOTOR CLUB SO FAR AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MAKE THINGS BETTER? 

“We’d be on here for an hour trying to answer the question (laughs). We have a massive effort on our hands to grow in many ways as a club. I think we’ve had some high spots with performance during the season. I think Erik’s (Jones) run last weekend in the All-Star Race would be an example of that. I think there have been some other highlights, as well, through the season. But certainly some areas that we know that we need to improve and we’re working hard to do so. A lot has changed in the course of a year on the competition front from this car being introduced last year. The big teams really capitalizing on the assets they have to become stronger. I think there’s a bit of a gap separating through the field that we’re now starting to see. I mention that just trying to paint a picture of the everchanging environment that we’re chasing. With all the changes we’ve had as a team through the off-season and changes that are out in front of us, especially through this coming off-season, there’s just a lot of work and a lot going on. I’m certainly proud of everybody at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB; their tireless work effort and the hours they’re putting in. I wish that we had some stronger performances and maybe a little more consistent with results than where we are, if I was to wish for something. But I can’t ask for anything more from the effort and energy put into the program. Everybody is doing an incredible job.”

AS FAR AS YOUR TEAM, ARE YOU INVIGORATED WITH THE CHALLENGE? WHAT’S YOUR MENTALITY AT THE MOMENT? 

“Man, I’m excited, invigorated, exhausted.. all of it. It has been a really exciting adventure that I’ve embarked on here – to learn from Maury Gallagher, to be a part of this great team and learn from everyone that I’m surrounded by. I’m in a whole new element here and it’s very exciting to be in a new element. At the same time, there are some foundational pieces coming together, decisions that we’re making, that will really help the team grow in the future. And then we have our job at hand – the situation and environment that we have at hand to deal with in the 2023 season. Depends on the hat that I’m wearing, in some respects. There’s been a lot of work, but a lot of excitement and a lot of fun. I truly feel like I’m a part of something that’s really going to be a force in the future of NASCAR.”

YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE FOR FRANCE ON MONDAY. WHAT DO YOU DO IF THIS RACE GETS PUSHED TO MONDAY? 

“Yeah, we’ve been talking to the ACO. The reason I need to arrive early is to run in their simulator and learn their procedures and protocols. It’s much different than anything else I’ve done before. We’ve notified the ACO. They’re aware of the potential rain delay and the fact that I might arrive to Paris later than my scheduled session on Wednesday morning. It appears that they’re willing to work with us and try to figure out how to get me some simulator time on Thursday or Friday, or even Wednesday evening if my flight just gets in late and has me behind schedule. So we’re actively working on that and feel really good about our options.”

BEING BACK HERE RACING AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY AND A PLACE WHERE YOU’VE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS, WHAT WENT INTO THAT DECISION AND WHAT HAVE YOUR EMOTIONS BEEN HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND IF WE DO GET TO GO RACING? 

“For me, it’s really been about identifying marquee races around the world and trying to figure out how to run in them. Le Mans is a great example of that. Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600.. these are the marquee events. I’m very thankful for the opportunity I have to race this weekend. I feel about as ill-prepared for a race than I ever have in my life, though, with the threat of rain and not getting any seat time in a Next Gen car at this particular track. I ran a couple of hours out in Phoenix before the season started to get a feel for things and that’s about the only oval experience, comparable oval experience, although it’s still pretty different. I was hopeful to get some laps today. The way that sim time works out and what’s available to the team – I think I made 30 or 40 laps a couple of weeks ago and was very hopeful that today I could be on track and develop a feel for the car and an idea of what to expect. I don’t think that’s going to happen and it appears that I’ll go in green. Thankfully it’s a 600-mile race and I’ll be able to get some reps – get through that first stage, regroup, get to the second stage and work my way forward.”

HOW HAS THE DYNAMIC CHANGED WITH CHEVROLET SINCE THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB WILL BE GOING TO TOYOTA NEXT SEASON? 

“Yeah, we’ve had a lot of conversations on both sides. Working very hard to close out 2023 as strong as we can. We have a relationship with Chevrolet, and then also a relationship with Richard Childress Racing. LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and those other two entities, there’s a lot going on, but everybody is truly putting their best foot forward and trying to provide what is to be expected for the contracts and for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB in 2023. It’s not ideal by any means, but we really felt like it would be important to announce early. Rumors were starting to circulate about our potential involvement with Toyota in the future. The way that Maury (Gallagher) likes to handle things, as for myself – let’s just pull the cover off this and address things head on. That’s what we’ve really done and I’m really proud of our group, and also everyone at RCR and Chevrolet.”

AM I CORRECT THAT JOE GIBBS RACING PROVIDES YOUR PIT CREWS, OR YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF AGREEMENT WITH JGR FOR YOUR PIT CREWS CURRENTLY? 

“Yes, we did not elect to have our own pit stop program for the 2023 season. We went out, shopped and found what fit us better from an over-the-wall standpoint at Joe Gibbs Racing. I guess that decision was probably made really before my time last year coming onboard. So that was a decision made toward the end of 2022, and now as it turns out, we’ll essentially be in the same camp next year.”

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT ERIK (JONES) AND NOAH (GRAGSON) SINCE COMING ONBOARD AT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB?

“I think Erik (Jones) continues to show me just how good he is. He’s been in some challenging circumstances this year and keeps his head on; focuses, executes and gets the job done. I’ve really been impressed with his ability to stay calm and execute and just how good he is. 

With Noah (Gragson), from watching him before, I wasn’t sure how serious he took his job in the sport. I knew that he was fast and I knew that he liked to have fun. I can say in the short time that I’ve really worked with him closely, he still has those two elements, but his desire to be as good as he can in this sport has really impressed me. So I guess ultimately, his commitment to his craft is what’s impressed me the most.”

YOU WERE TALKING EARLIER ABOUT BEING ILL-PREPARED FOR THIS RACE. AFTER TWO YEARS AWAY AND YOU COME BACK, IT’S A NEW CAR AND JUST THE TIME AWAY – WHEN YOU COME BACK AND RUN THESE RACES, THE FEW THAT YOU’VE DONE SO FAR, DO YOU FEEL LIKE JIMMIE JOHNSON – THE SEVEN-TIME CHAMPION – DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE A ROOKIE AGAIN AND WAY BEHIND EVERYONE ELSE? 

“Well Daytona was nice where we had a bit of practice and had a qualifying race to work through and feel things out. I got into the rhythm and I started to feel much like myself. The package for plate racing, even with the Gen 6 car versus the Next Gen Car, is pretty darn close. A lot is the same, so that wasn’t all that different. I rolled into COTA thinking – alright, it’s going to be like Daytona – and I was mistaken for that. These cars really do drive much differently – the mechanical grip level versus the aero-grip is much different. The shocks and the way the internal bump stops work, in addition to the external bump stops on the car. None of that was taking place when I was in the car last and the car drives so much different as a result. So I’m really under-prepared, or ill-prepared, for this weekend’s race. It is sad to me that in today’s world, we can’t go test to get ready for a race. And then a practice and qualifying session rains out and you get zero track time, you have to depend on the simulator. We’re very low on the totem pole with resources and sim time – I get 30 laps of sim time to get ready for a race. It’s a 600-mile race and we’ll make the best of it. But just logically, as I think through how big our sport is, how big this race is, how big the opportunity is – it’s just crazy that I can’t get properly prepared for this race.”

YOU’VE SPOKEN BEFORE THAT YOU’RE TRYING TO RACES AT EITHER TRACKS YOU ENJOY OR BUCKET LIST ITEMS. IS THERE A BALANCE BETWEEN YOUR COMPETITIVE NATURE AND ALSO JUST TRYING TO HAVE FUN AND MAYBE LEARN SOMETHING TO HELP THE ORGANIZATION? 

“Yeah, I really do find that I’m thinking more about what’s best for the company than what’s best for me as the racer, especially coming back to NASCAR. My last two years in INDYCAR and sportscars, I was much more selfish and much more in that traditional headspace as a driver – ultimate speed, ultimate fun, how can I do all of those aspects. Where now, when we take the No. 84 car to the track, is it hurting our program or is it helping our program? And if so, in which ways. When you think about crew personnel, inventory of parts and pieces, that’s one conversation. Notoriety, popularity, sponsorship dollars, all of those other aspects are another conversation. We’re always weighing the pros and cons out, and here before long we’ll start thinking about 2024 and what races make sense for me. 

And then I honestly feel like getting through this weekend is going to be a big step in me deciding – we choose a lot of road course races for me in 2023, trying to help LEGACY MOTOR CLUB get better on road courses. We feel like we’ve seen some gains from that, especially the time I’ve been able to spend with Noah (Gragson) and Erik (Jones) – going to the sim, going to a driving school, driving some other cars and really just spending time together and honing that craft. This will be my first proper oval and depending on how that experience goes, I think it will give us a better place to decide from looking at 2024.”

HOW DIFFERENT IS THAT TO BE THINKING ‘BIG PICTURE’ THAN YOUR COMPETITVENESS? WHEN YOU WERE HERE FOR SO LONG, IT WAS ALL ABOUT WINNING RACES AND CHAMPIONSHIPS. 

“Yeah, it’s different. I’m evolving mentally, maybe a little quicker than I give myself credit for I guess in probably six months since stepping into this new role. In six months’ time, I’ve been able to really transition into the thought process that I’m in now versus that selfish driver.”

NOW THAT LE MANS IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, ARE YOU STARTING TO GET ANY BUTTERFLIES YET? 

“Yeah, I’m excited. I’ve been busy packing my suitcase before we jumped on this call. It’s feeling very real. It’s here and I’m very excited for the opportunity. I honestly don’t know what to expect. I know once I get to the race track and pick up the energy and the vibe of the race weekend, the butterflies will kick-in. But right now, there’s just great excitement and curiosity with what’s ahead.”

WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE YOU AT THIS POINT.. TO BE A MENTOR TO SOMEBODY AND GIVE YOUR KNOWLEDGE TO OTHER DRIVERS AND OTHER MEMBERS OF NASCAR? 

“It’s surreal, but it’s hard for me right now because I don’t have a lot of time in the Next Gen car, so I don’t know how relatable my advice is. I’ve been careful to not overdue it and I’ve kind of spoken to Erik (Jones) and Noah (Gragson) around more of the track – how I’ve seen a track evolve and how I would attack certain corners. And of course, preface with – hey, I don’t have a lot of time in these cars, but this is what I look for.. these are the trends that helped me at this particular track. And then not only at the track, but away from the track and knowing what their roles and responsibilities are – what their work load is during the course of a week and trying to offer advice that helped me deal with a long, long career in NASCAR. To that effect, I’m very thankful that Amy Stock is involved, John Lewensten, people that worked so close to me through my 20 years in this sport. We can all mentor and help. Noah, probably a little bit more. Erik is certainly a veteran at this point. But we are able to mentor as a group and I can as an individual on a much broader spectrum than really just in the car at the track.”

WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST WORRY GOING INTO LE MANS? WHAT’S KEEPING YOU UP AT NIGHT, IF ANYTHING?

“For me, I am concerned about the top division surprising me in the car somewhere in one of these corners. All the sportscar racing I’ve done to date; I have been in the fastest car. I’ve only had to worry about looking out the windshield and really not, on a consistent basis, being passed in the GT category. Plus you look at us in our Garage 56 category, our car is going to create a lot of its lap time on the straightaways; we lack in the corners. So I’m nervous about traffic, in general. I’m nervous about one of these prototypes going up unexpectedly as I’m committing to a corner.. I’m not sure they’re going to be there and they’re shooting for a gap that’s closing. My fears really are about awareness in mirrors and getting a true understanding of how quickly these cars approach. And then you add the night element and from what I understand, the prototype headlights are so bright and really all the cars have such bright lights because there’s very little track light. So you don’t have a great sense of depth of when a car is approaching because the lights are so bright. So it’s all kind of in that traffic phase, certainly at night in traffic. I’m eager to get there and get a sense of it. And then they have some night running, and within that, I can get a much better idea, as well, and work through that.”

WHERE DOES IT COMPARE TO GOING INTO THE DAYTONA 500 OR THE INDIANAPOLIS 500? 

“It feels really special. My thoughts have really been on this weekend and the 600-mile race here in Charlotte (Motor Speedway) with Club Wyndham onboard. I’m extremely excited about that relationship and hopeful to have a good run – run a top-10, top-15, would be an awesome goal for us in the 600. So I’ve largely been focused there. There’s this great excitement in the back of my mind that I know I’m going to jump on a plane Monday or Tuesday and fly across the pond and get into it. But it’s just really exciting, but with so many unknowns. It’s hard to really quantify what I’m going to go embark on.”

The # 50 ABEL Motorsports Chevrolet of RC Enerson passes leads a train of car in to Turn 1 at Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayPhoto Courtesy Lumen Digital Agency: Geoffrey M. Miller ABEL Motorsports Signs Significant Sponsorship Package Ahead of First 500 Start (May 27, 2023) SPEEDWAY, In- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Newly-minted IndyCar team ABEL Motorsports has impressed everyone in the garage area and along pit road, successfully earning their first-ever starting position in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.Now, ABEL and rookie driver RC Enerson have started to reap the benefits of their stellar performance at the Speedway by landing a significant sponsorship package for Sunday’s 107th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing”. Indianapolis-based companies Rayco Machine, Zickler Associates, EZ Klean and Moontown Brewing Company plus well-known national brand SIMONIZ will all have positioning on the ABEL Motorsports #50 Chevy/Dallara for Sunday’s 500.   Additionally, local and regional entities Clean N Simple, Mockett, Godby, and the Wounded Warriors Project will join ABEL Construction Company, Advance Ready Mix, and the Lucas Oil School of Racing in backing the Indy 500 effort. Team Principal Bill Abel noted the importance of today’s announcement. “We want to welcome all of the partners that have jumped on with us this week, alongside the companies that have been with us from the start.  We’re going to do our best on Sunday to provide those partners and our fans with an outstanding performance in the 500”. While Enerson qualified ABEL Motorsports’ #50 machine 29th last Saturday, he’ll actually start 28th on Race Day, on the inside of row 10 due to a driver change in another qualified car. After successfully completing Friday’s traditional two-hour Carb Day final practice, RC Enerson and the ABEL team are making final preparations for Sunday’s 500 mile battle.   Enerson and the team will take the green flag at 12:45 PM ET in the event, with prerace coverage starting at 9 AM on Peacock TV and the IMS Radio Network.  Event coverage begins at 11 AM ET on Peacock, NBC TV, and the IMS Radio Network.

WHEATLAND, Mo. (May 26, 2023) – Jonathan Davenport has stamped himself as one of the favorites heading into the 31st Annual Lucas Oil Show-Me 100 presented by Missouri Division of Tourism on Saturday night.  The 3-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion withstood last lap challenges from Tim McCreadie and Ricky Thornton Jr. in capturing the Tribute to Don and Billie Gibson on Friday night. For the 39-year-old Blairsville, Georgia native it was his second straight Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win as he also took first place honors on Thursday night’s Cowboy Classic. It was also Davenport’s third straight Lucas Oil MLRA win dating back to his April 1st triumph in the Spring Nationals.  Even though the results will show that Davenport led all 40 laps on Friday night it was far from an easy victory, his 68th in his Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series career. McCreadie finished in second with Thornton placing third at the finish, after starting in 24th. Thornton transferred through his heat race but had to bring out a back-up car after suffering engines issues in the final laps. Thornton who pitted early in the race drove through the field to earn the Todd Steel Buildings Hard Charger of the Race, passing 21 cars on his way to rounding out the Big River Steel Podium. Payton Looney, the 2020 Show-Me 100 champion, and Brandon Overton who both challenged for the lead ended up fourth and fifth in the final rundown. Davenport stormed to the lead in the early going as Jeff Herzog ran in second for the first three laps until Overton got the spot before a caution on lap four. Looney would follow Overton to the front as they started to close over Davenport when a caution came out again with 13 laps scored. When the race resumed Davenport still held the lead despite pressure from Overton and Looney as Looney took over the second position by lap 15 and began cutting into Davenport’s lead. Overton had got back by Looney by lap 29 and held the spot for just four laps until Looney moved past him again. Looney would hold the second spot with five laps remaining and appeared to be headed to a podium finish. Unfortunately, he started to fade in the waning laps falling to fourth at the finish after yielding to both McCreadie and Thornton in the final circuits.  Davenport held on for the win despite both McCreadie and Thornton closing rapidly on the final lap. “I knew I was getting slower and slower around the top. I was just getting looser. I was taking the long way around the top, there wasn’t anything to lean on, so I had to come off of it. I tried to get a good run down the straightaway to keep my momentum up. Eventually I knew something would come around the bottom, so I moved down there.” “I was just too free in the center of the corner to stay down there,” Davenport added. “I saw the white flag so I just kind of floated through one and two and I tried to block the bottom and the top on the last lap. So, I really had no idea where to be there. It’s good to see the 49 and the 39 run first and second. As much as we talk and run up and down the road, you can’t hardly run the same thing because our driving styles are so different. We bounce a lot of ideas off of each other,” said the driver who is seeking his second career Show-Me 100 victory. McCreadie, who is looking for his first career Show-Me 100 triumph came home in the runner-up spot to Davenport in Friday night’s 40 lapper. “I don’t think we ever slow down. We don’t fire very good, so we fell way back in the beginning. I just diamond the racetrack until it gets completely shiny until where I can do it with my foot. When you are flat on the deck for the first 15 laps I am just slipping. I think everybody just came to us. We had a couple of restarts and we got up there and was fighting for it but once JD maneuvered it I kind of got dead in the water. We will take a second and try to find some more speed tomorrow.” Thornton’s drive to the front was electrifying as the current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series point leader completed a trying night with a third-place finish. “We weren’t going anywhere there early on. We pitted under caution and changed a couple of small things to find some traction and after that I really took off. Hats off to my crew they busted their tails, and we had some other teams helping as well. I was able to finish the heat race, but we hurt the motor. We got the back-up out and old “Daisy” still has it,” as Thornton referenced the nickname of his second car the team pulled out of the trailer to start on the tail of the main event. The winner’s Lance and Darla Landers, Double L Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engines and sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions, Dyno Gro Seed, Lucas Oil Products, Bilstein Shocks, VP Fuels, Mark Martin Automotive, ASC Warranty, and Midwest Sheet Metal.  Completing the top ten were Chris Ferguson, Jimmy Owens, Devin Moran, Earl Pearson Jr., and Max Blair. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Tribute to Don & Billie GibsonFriday, May 26, 2023Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Jeff Herzog / 15.611 seconds (overall)Fast Time Group B: Jimmy Owens / 16.104 seconds  Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 11H-Jeff Herzog[1]; 2. 22F-Chris Ferguson[3]; 3. 2-Tyler Stevens[6]; 4. 11-Spencer Hughes[8]; 5. 22H-Dustin Hodges[2]; 6. 96-Dalton Imhoff[5]; 7. 99B-Boom Briggs[7]; 8. 15V-Kolby Vandenbergh[4]; 9. 7W-Ricky Weiss[9]; 10. 1X-Aaron Marrant[10] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 2. 25C-Chad Simpson[2]; 3. 32-Chris Simpson[3]; 4. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[4]; 5. 15-Justin Duty[6]; 6. 93-Mason Oberkramer[5]; 7. 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[9]; 8. 51-Larry Ferris[8]; 9. 7-Ross Robinson[7]; 10. 26-Glen Powell[10] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 15L-Payton Looney[1]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[4]; 3. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[2]; 4. 1H-Hudson O’Neal[6]; 5. 111B-Max Blair[5]; 6. 16-Tyler Bruening[3]; 7. 82-Jace Parmley[7]; 8. 15T-Matt Johnson[9]; 9. 1A-Bryon Allison[8] AP1 Insurance Heat Race #4 (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[3]; 2. 20-Jimmy Owens[1]; 3. 99-Devin Moran[4]; 4. 21XXX-Neil Baggett[2]; 5. 14G-Trevor Gundaker[5]; 6. 49J-Justin Wells[8]; 7. 50-Kaeden Cornell[7]; 8. 1S-Jeremy Shaw[6]; 9. 3-Brennon Willard[9] Lucas Oil Heat Race #5 (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 39-Tim McCreadie[3]; 2. 45-Cole Wells[1]; 3. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[4]; 4. 54-David Breazeale[2]; 5. 94-Austin Rettig[5]; 6. 1T-Tyler Erb[7]; 7. 14R-Jeff Roth[8]; 8. 7D-Dusty Leonard[6]; 9. 19M-Colby Moore[9] Lucas Oil Heat Race #6 (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 8-Dillon McCowan[1]; 2. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[3]; 3. 18D-Daulton Wilson[6]; 4. USA28-Kylan Garner[2]; 5. USA1-Chris Hawkins[4]; 6. 14M-Morgan Bagley[7]; 7. 50C-Kayden Clatt[9]; 8. 14RM-Reid Millard[5]; 9. 11K-Jon Kirby[8] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[2]; 2. 11-Spencer Hughes[1]; 3. 7W-Ricky Weiss[11]; 4. 93-Mason Oberkramer[6]; 5. 22H-Dustin Hodges[3]; 6. 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[8]; 7. 15-Justin Duty[4]; 8. 99B-Boom Briggs[7]; 9. 15V-Kolby Vandenbergh[9]; 10. 96-Dalton Imhoff[5]; 11. 1X-Aaron Marrant[13]; 12. 51-Larry Ferris[10]; 13. 26-Glen Powell[14]; 14. (DNS) 7-Ross Robinson UNOH B-Main Race #2 (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 1H-Hudson O’Neal[1]; 2. 111B-Max Blair[3]; 3. 21XXX-Neil Baggett[2]; 4. 16-Tyler Bruening[5]; 5. 14G-Trevor Gundaker[4]; 6. 50-Kaeden Cornell[8]; 7. 82-Jace Parmley[7]; 8. 49J-Justin Wells[6]; 9. 1S-Jeremy Shaw[10]; 10. 15T-Matt Johnson[9]; 11. 1A-Bryon Allison[11]; 12. 3-Brennon Willard[12] MyRacePass B-Main Race #2 (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 54-David Breazeale[1]; 2. 14M-Morgan Bagley[6]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[5]; 4. USA28-Kylan Garner[2]; 5. 14R-Jeff Roth[7]; 6. 11K-Jon Kirby[12]; 7. 7D-Dusty Leonard[9]; 8. USA1-Chris Hawkins[4]; 9. 50C-Kayden Clatt[8]; 10. 14RM-Reid Millard[10]; 11. 19M-Colby Moore[11]; 12. 94-Austin Rettig[3] Tribute to Don & Billie Gibson Feature Finish (40 Laps):

Race Statistics Entrants: 57Terminal Maintenance & Construction Pole Sitter: Jeff HerzogLap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-40)Wieland Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportArizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: n/aBrandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportMargin of Victory: 0.271 secondsGorsuch Performance Solutions Cautions: Daulton Wilson (Lap 4); Daulton Wilson, Tyler Stevens (Lap 13); Tyler Stevens (Lap 28); Mason Zeigler (Lap 29)Fast Time Provisional: n/aSeries Emergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Tim McCreadie, Ricky Thornton, Jr.Penske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Tim McCreadie, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Payton Looney, Brandon Overton Todd Steel Buildings Hard Charger of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Advanced 21 Positions)Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Jeff HerzogDeatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Devin MoranEarnhardt Technologies Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (40 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Max BlairEtchberger Trucking Fastest Lap of the Race: Jonathan Davenport (Lap 1 – 15.193 seconds)MD3 Tough Break of the Race: Mason ZeiglerOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Cory Fostvedt (Jonathan Davenport)ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Tyler Erb (15.698 seconds)Time of Race: 22 minutes 23 seconds 31st Lucas Oil Show-Me 100 Presented by the Missouri Division of Tourism Line-Up (100 Laps)

Fast Shafts B-Main #1 Line-Up (15 Laps, Top 2 Transfer):

UNOH B-Main #2 Line-Up (15 Laps, Top 2 Transfer):

MyRacePass B-Main #3 Line-Up (15 Laps, Top 2 Transfer):

31st Annual Lucas Oil Show-Me 100 presented by Missouri Division of Tourism Points:

**Ties broken by highest points night first, then by fastest qualifying lap either day**

The defending champion matches his 2022 win total early in 2023

CHILLICOTHE, OH (May 26, 2023) – Brad Sweet continues to make powerful statement after powerful statement on the racetrack.

Last weekend the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car championship point leader opened the door slightly for the competition to close in with a pair of sub-par runs. To start this weekend, he kicked it shut.

Sweet dominated Friday night at Chillicothe, OH’s Atomic Speedway – leading every lap of the NOS Energy Drink Feature on his way to a Series-best fifth win of the 2023 campaign. The Grass Valley, CA native held off charges from Kyle Larson and Carson Macedo to secure the checkered flag. Sweet is well aware that winning with The Greatest Show on Dirt is tough enough as is. But throw in having to beat a NASCAR Cup Series champion who has accomplished so much on dirt and it makes it even more gratifying.

“It’s good to win any race, but you always want to beat the best,” Sweet said. “And this World of Outlaws group is a great group of drivers. Then you bring in Kyle Larson and some of these other guys, too. Kyle is a talent that is so versatile and wins in every car. So, when he’s here and you can beat him, it definitely gives us a little more street credit.”

Sweet’s fifth win of the season marked the 84th of his World of Outlaws career – bringing him into a tie with Stevie Smith for the 10th most all-time. “The Big Cat” has already matched his win total from last season. Atomic is now the 46th different track he’s visited Victory Lane at in World of Outlaws competition.

“It was a fun race tonight,” Sweet said. “It was tricky. I’m just excited to get the first night out of the way and hopefully come back tomorrow stronger.”

After winning the Toyota Racing Dash, Sweet started the main event from the pole position with Larson to his outside. When the green flag flew, Sweet wasted no time jumping ahead of his brother-in-law.

As the lead duo neared the tail of the field, the race’s first yellow flag flew on lap 10 – setting up what would become a theme of the race. Whenever thick traffic was ahead of the leaders, the yellow lights would turn on for another caution nearly without fail.

While these yellows gave Sweet the benefit of clean air, it also lined up Larson alongside him for each restart. Sweet had to stay on top of his game aboard the Kasey Kahne Racing/Napa Auto Parts #49 to hold back Larson each time the green flag flew. And that’s exactly what he did.

Sweet exceled on every restart – gapping Larson by enough to make a move in Turns 1 and 2 impossible. Larson stayed close enough on one attempt to throw a slider but came up short.

“I was trying to trick him,” Sweet said of his strategy on the restarts. “I was trying to pick different spots to take off. The bottom was getting slicker, but I didn’t want to take off up top because I didn’t think it was good enough. You couldn’t put your right-rear in good dirt. It was just kind of a curb against the wall.”

On a late restart, Larson slipped off the track exiting Turn 2, allowing Carson Macedo to take the runner-up spot. As the laps dwindled, Macedo ran down Sweet as he entered traffic. Macedo attempted a slider when the white flag flew but couldn’t clear Sweet. As the two entered the final set of corners, the yellow flew once again – setting up a green-white-checkered finish.

On the restart, Sweet pulled ahead without issue and went on to win by slightly less than nine tenths of a second. 

“I’m just really happy,” Sweet said. “You’ve got to control these races sometimes. I’m not sure if I had the best car or not. It’s hard to say. It was really tricky to see when you got to lapped traffic. You really got a feel off Turn 2, and the cushion kind of went over the turn, so I got a little free trying to keep my tires under me and not get spinning. But I think the key was definitely staying out front.”

After his late mishap that dropped him to fifth, Larson rebounded to reclaim the runner-up spot in only his second Series start of the year. The result marked Larson’s 57th career World of Outlaws podium and it came aboard the Paul Silva #57. Larson found himself wishing that lapped traffic could’ve been more of a factor as he battled for the win.

“I really just needed some long runs,” Larson said. “Everytime we caught traffic a yellow would come out. I just never got the opportunity to race in traffic, but I felt really good. I made a mistake there on whatever restart that was and got over the edge and fell back to fifth. Then I got rolling really good there in (Turns) 3 and 4 got back to their back bumper there at the white (flag). Then I was kind of happy there for that final caution and honestly was hoping they would get racing. I got a good launch off the top and was able to pass Carson there.”

Macedo held onto third to round out the podium – his seventh top-three finish of the season with Jason Johnson Racing. The birthday boy thought he might’ve had a shot to win on the final circuit until the last caution came out, dimming his hopes of a win on his birthday.

“I was bummed to see the caution come out,” Macedo admitted. “I didn’t clear him off of (Turn) 2, but I thought maybe I could throw something at him into Turn 3 and off of Turn 4. But it just didn’t work out that way. The yellow came out, and I thought, ‘Well, maybe I’ll have another shot.’ Brad was kind of chugging up there at the top, and I thought maybe he was going to fire off on the cushion. When he didn’t, I did and I don’t think it really gave me a very good run to that green-white-checkered. Then Kyle starts throwing bombs at me, and I was trying to race him. I knew that was going to be tough to win that battle.”

Completing the top-five was David Gravel and Skyler Gee. Gee made his way into the top-five from 19th – earning him the KSE Hard Charger for the night.

Sweet extended his advantage in the points to 28 markers over Gravel and 36 over Macedo.

David Gravel claimed the Simpson QuickTime Award – his Series-leading sixth of the year and the 103rd of his career.

CASE No.1 Engine Oil Heat One went to David Gravel. NOS Energy Drink Heats Two through Four were claimed by James McFadden, Carson Macedo, and Donny Schatz.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars are back at Atomic Speedway Saturday, May 26 before Monday’s (May 29) Federated Auto Parts Memorial Day Spectacular at Lawrenceburg Speedway. For tickets to Atomic, CLICK HERE. For tickets to Lawrenceburg, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, catch all of the action on DIRTVision. 

RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps): 1. 49-Brad Sweet[1]; 2. 57-Kyle Larson[2]; 3. 41-Carson Macedo[3]; 4. 2-David Gravel[4]; 5. 99-Skylar Gee[19]; 6. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[11]; 7. 5-Spencer Bayston[16]; 8. 83-James McFadden[7]; 9. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[8]; 10. 71-Michael Kofoid[12]; 11. 1S-Logan Schuchart[5]; 12. 9P-Parker Price Miller[10]; 13. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[21]; 14. 22-Cole Duncan[15]; 15. 91-Cale Thomas[9]; 16. 15-Donny Schatz[6]; 17. 1-Nate Dussel[17]; 18. 7S-Robbie Price[14]; 19. A79-Brandon Wimmer[20]; 20. 78-Justin Clark[24]; 21. 101-Cody Maroske[22]; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen[13]; 23. 29-Cole Macedo[18]; 24. 5J-Jake Hesson[23]; 25. 4-Danny Smith[25]

The Marshalltown, IA driver earns his second win at the track and fourth career World of Outlaws triumph

HARTFORD, OH – MAY 26, 2023 – Less than a year after scoring his first career World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series win at Sharon Speedway, Ryan Gustin added another piece of history to his resume.

The Marshalltown, IA driver held off a late charge by Kyle Bronson to win his second Feature at the Ohio facility on Friday, becoming the first driver to win a second World of Outlaws race at the track.

Gustin and Bronson led the field to the green in the 25-lap Feature as “The Reaper” quickly pulled away from the #40B. 

While Gustin continued his torrid pace early in the Feature, two cautions slowed the field. The first was for Stormy Scott’s flat tire on Lap 6, and the second was for Alex Ferree, who stopped in Turn 4 on Lap 15.

On the restart following the caution for Ferree, Bronson took his chance at trying to wrestle the lead from Gustin. 

The Brandon, FL driver thundered to the top side, clearing Sheppard and closing on Gustin’s Rocket XR1.

But just as Bronson was a few car lengths behind, Gustin slid up the track in Turns 1 and 2, taking the lane away.

From there, Gustin held on, leading all 25 laps to earn his second World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models win of the season and fourth overall. 

Gustin alluded to his team’s tire choice as one reason he bounced back from Thursday’s ninth-place finish.

“I had a little bit different tire selection,” Gustin said. “And really, the race car was a fair bit different too. I don’t know, [Taylon Center, his crew chief] just went to work and got us where we needed to be. I’ve been trying to give him the best information I can in the seat, and basically, we hit it tonight.”

Despite making the lane change in the race’s closing laps, Gustin said he didn’t realize Bronson was there. 

However, he was glad he moved to the top as it helped him grab the $6,000 payday.

“It sounded like he was ripping the top,” Gustin said. “I felt really good on the bottom until the tire kind of got hot, and the brown started going away. Once that’s gone, then the top comes in hard for a little while until the bottom kind of cleans up.

“TC was telling me to rip the fence, and I’m glad we went up there when we did because it sounded like he was right there.”

Bronson crossed the line second, his second World of Outlaws podium of the 2023 season. 

The Brandon, FL driver said he made one mistake that cost him the victory.

“I made one wrong move,” Bronson said. “I felt like as soon as [Gustin] moved up to the cushion, the next corner, I felt like he was going to run the top, and he was going to the bottom, and I was already committed down there. That was my chance to slide him there, and I should’ve just blasted the top. I made one mistake, and I felt like it cost me the race.”

Four-time Series champion Brandon Sheppard crossed the line third—his second podium in the last four races. 

The New Berlin, IL driver had a chance to pass Bronson on both restarts but couldn’t make the pass. 

Despite that, Sheppard said he feels good about his weekend heading into Saturday’s finale.

“We had a really maneuverable car,” Sheppard said. “All in all, it’s been a pretty good weekend so far. I probably could’ve went to the top there and made some more speed. Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve. I didn’t.”

“The consistency is there; we just need to be a couple of spots better. I think we have a car capable of doing it. We just have to make it happen.”

Mike Marlar, the 2018 Series champion, finished fourth, and Series points leader Chris Madden rounded out the top five.

Gustin’s victory cut Madden’s points lead to 30 as both drivers battle for their first World of Outlaws championship.

Bronson moved back to third in points—38 points behind Madden.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models return to Sharon Speedway for the final night of the Battle at the Border on Saturday, May 27. Drivers will battle in a 60-lap Feature, with $25,000 on the line. 

Fans can also meet their favorite drivers on Saturday in an autograph session on the track’s midway from 4-5pm. 

NASCAR CUP SERIES

CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

COCA-COLA 600

TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT

MAY 26, 2023

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 ALSCO UNIFORMS CAMARO ZL1, met with the media prior to the NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Press Conference Quotes:  

INAUDIBLE..

“Yeah, it was fun. It was a really good time over at Boat Yard Eats. We had Fast Cars & Guitars with Matt Stell and Dee Jay Silver. It was just a fun night to get everybody together. Had a few industry people, as well as some KBM people and some outsiders that we met for the first time. Had some great sponsors for the event. It was really a great kick-off to the weekend. We had KBM fan day in the morning and then closed it out with the concert last night. So all around, great cause for the Bundle of Joy Fund and raising some money and awareness for the infertility issues, and what we’re able to help with Samantha (Busch) and myself. Samantha did a great job being able to orchestrate all of that and put it all together, so hopefully it was a good fundraiser for us.”

HOW WOULD YOU SAY YOU GUYS ARE STACKING UP RIGHT NOW VERSUS THE HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AND JOE GIBBS RACING CARS? 

“I would say the 1.5-mile stuff, I feel like we’re really close. We’re right there. Kansas (Speedway) was a really good look for us. I felt like we had a good top-five, top-three speed. Anything can happen in the end of these races and you can contend for a win. Obviously our short-track program is a far miss right now and we’re all trying to figure out what exactly is going on there and why. We can look at all of the sheets and see all that stuff, and try to correlate it as close as we possibly can and copy, but it’s not relating to the race track in our cars at all. So there’s a disconnect there somewhere.”

WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE SCHEDULE PREVIOUSLY, ESPECIALLY GOING INTO THE SUMMER, THERE ARE A LOT OF THE SIMILAR-TYPE TRACKS.. 1.5-MILE, INTERMEDIATE-TYPE TRACKS. NOW, IT’S ALL OVER THE BOARD WITH ROAD COURSES, SUPERSPEEDWAYS, ETC. IS IT HARD TO BUILD CONSISTENCY WITHIN A PROGRAM TO STRING TOGETHER GOOD CONSISTENT RESULTS BECAUSE IT’S SO DIFFERENT NOW ON A WEEK-TO-WEEK BASIS?

“Honestly, I kind of feel like it would be harder to build – like out of six weeks and you had four short-tracks, we wouldn’t have time to breathe because we’d be sucking so back. But when you have four out of six weeks with a 1.5-mile track, it would feel pretty good. We’d be excited about that, ready for that. I think it’s a matter of your program and how that’s looking for you in the particular moment. We kind of know our weaknesses and know that we need to get better on those and continue to evolve the whole organization.”

IF YOU DON’T GET ANY PRACTICE AND QUALIFYING, ARE YOU IN MORE OF A DISADVANTAGE IN THE FACT THAT YOU’VE NEVER RACED A RCR CAR HERE AT THIS TRACK? 

“Yeah, certainly that could kind of be a little bit of a stance. I would just hope that the simulator stuff that we did, as well as the sheets that we’re able to see and the notes that we’re able to see from the Hendrick Motorsports’ guys and whatnot – what they’ve done because Kyle (Larson) tested here. He tested here a few months ago or whenever it was for the tire test, so we kind of relied heavily on that and what those guys did, and through our key partner relationship with Chevrolet. If we don’t have any practice or anything like that, that’s what we would base off of.”

GATEWAY LAST YEAR WAS AN INAUGURAL EVENT AND EVERYBODY WAS UP ON THE WHEEL BECAUSE YOU WANT TO WIN THE FIRST ONE. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, WHY DO YOU THINK IT RACED MORE LIKE A SHORT-TRACK, WHERE IT WAS EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE, EVEN FOR A TRACK OF THAT SIZE?

“Yeah, I guess probably more so because of the shifting than anything. You’re able to go into the corner and downshift, and come out of the corner and have the torque, engine and everything else. If you kind of slip up or you bog the center of the corner down a little too much because your car is too tight, you’re going to lose that momentum and you’re not going to have that speed, so you’re just going to be slow. I feel like everybody can kind of bounce right back coming out of the turns in relation to their center of the corner speed. But overall, yeah I thought it was quite an interesting race. I feel like the line really moved around a lot. I could not run the bottom at either end of the race track – I was kind of a top guy. So that was kind of fun to see the place really have some character.”

SINCE YOU’VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH RCR AND THE WINERY, HAVE YOU BEEN DRAWN INTO THAT WORLD? HAS HE TAKEN YOU THERE AND MAYBE DONE SOME MEETING OR EVENTS?

“Well that was actually our first meeting that we had after Austin (Dillon) called me, and when it was time to have a discussion with Richard (Childress), that is where we met. That was pretty cool. It was my second time being there – my first time being there was for Dale Jr.’s wedding, and then that was my second time there. And then we’ve had a couple meetings since. I invited everybody from RCR’s management team and whatnot all out to dinner to do a dinner for them and I wanted to take them somewhere. Richard insisted that we went to the winery, so we ended up going back up there again for that function. It’s a super nice place. It’s really pretty up there. They’re doing some expansion right now, so he’s well-vested in that and it seems to be a really good business form.”

IT’S BEEN A NUMBER OF YEARS NOW SINCE THE ELIGIBILTY RULES CHANGED WITH TRUCK AND XFINITY. YOU’RE BACK IN THE XFINITY CAR THIS WEEKEND. WITH HOW MUCH WE KNOW YOU LOVE TO RACE, THESE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS BEING LIMITED SO MUCH, DO YOU STILL FEEL FULFILLED WITH THE RACING THAT YOU CAN DO, OR HOW MUCH DO YOU MISS NOT BEING ABLE TO RUN AS MUCH AS YOU WANT TO? 

“Yeah, definitely miss being able to run as much as I want to a lot. I would love to have way more Truck races, especially. I thought we started out strong and we were going to have a good year with winning at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) with the KBM Chevrolet’s, but unfortunately we’ve been terrible since. We’re missing something somewhere and we’re trying to figure out why and what. We have an idea, but we haven’t necessarily conquered it yet. That would be one that I would really like to get back into would be the Truck Series and running my own stuff a little bit more.. having some more races to kind of just build the program and make sure that we are where we need to be with our younger drivers. Not necessarily having that experience to be able to dictate and tell exactly what’s wrong with our vehicle dynamic and stuff like that. 

The Xfinity side, I could take it or I could leave it. I enjoy racing anything as much as I can. Maybe because I haven’t done them as much lately, the triple in Vegas was a little bit much. But if you’re back to doing them again more periodically, your body gets used to it. That’s how I was early on when I first starting doing triple’s. It was hard and then I got used to it, and then it was easy. Now you’re kind of back out of it, so it’s no different than a workout regimen. You just have to get back in.”

ON THE FLIPSIDE OF THAT, IT SEEMS LIKE THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, YOU’VE DONE MORE AWAY FROM NASCAR WITH THE DIRT STUFF.

“I have to.. what other choices do I have (laughs).”

HOW MUCH HAS THAT HELPED THAT YOU CAN AT LEAST STAY BUSY SOMEHOW, WHETHER IT’S WITH BREXTON OR TRYING DIFFERENT TYPES OF RACING? 

“Yeah, I mean that’s just kind of it, right? Like (Kyle) Larson, I think he’s going to run 100 shows this year, and that’s just insane. I think I’m only going to be about 20. But the key reason, or the main reason, why I do what I do on the dirt side is just with Brexton. He gets to go run his go-kart stuff or his junior sprint stuff, and I’ll run the micros. We’ll run on the same night, so we’ll be together. We have a big week next week coming up, where we’re going to go to St. Louis and run at Tri-Cities on Thursday, Doe Run on Friday and Wayne County on Saturday – him and me both. It’s going to be a lot of fun to be able to go up there and race those three tracks on three separate nights, and have a good time running, him and I.”

HAVE YOU DONE ANY SIM LAPS FOR THE CHICAGO RACE AT ALL YET? 

“No.. not in sim, but on iRacing. We did some stuff on iRacing.”

WHAT WERE YOUR IMPRESSIONS? 

“Some of the corners were really, really tight. And how they have the walls coming out of the corners – on the sim, it had cones. You’re coming down this straightaway and there’s another straightaway there, but the ground, the road, is separated with a wall in the middle and there’s cones that are blocking off where they don’t want you to go. So I thought that was weird.. I’m like just extend the wall. But maybe they don’t want to extend the wall because they need areas for safety crews to get out. I’m not the scientist on that, but anyways it just seemed weird when you’re coming around a corner and you have to miss the end of a wall.”

JOHN H. NEMECHEK WAS IN HERE EARLIER AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE ASKING HIM WHAT HIS NEXT STEP IS AND IF IT WAS INVALUABLE FOR HIM TO GO BACK TO TRUCKS AND WORK HIS WAY BACK UP. IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT DOES HE NEED TO GET THAT NEXT STEP TO BE A FULL-TIME CUP DRIVER?

“This isn’t to be mean or rude or a bad word.. but he needs six million bucks and he’ll be in a JGR Cup car next year. That’s all he needs.”

INAUDIBLE..

“It’s not a success game anymore.. it’s a money game. So if he can find the cash, then there will be a seat for him I’m pretty sure.”

INAUDIBLE..

“Oh yeah. I mean we wouldn’t be racing the stuff that he’s racing right now, as much as he’s racing right now, if it wasn’t for the Serv-Pro sponsorship that we have on Brexton. There’s no question that you have to have funding behind you because these owners anymore – there’s not enough money in the sport that they’re making money that they’re willing to reinvest it into their talent pool, into their driver pool, and put it out there. I think Rick (Hendrick) is probably the only one with (Kyle) Larson. Everybody else is all sponsorship driven and fortunately for me, I’ve got some great sponsors this year behind me with RCR. Our program has been building and we’ve been continuing to expand forward on the sponsorship side, so that’s good.”

INAUDIBLE..

“Yeah, I mean I felt like he (John H. Nemechek) was really good at KBM. He was engaged. He did a good job. He was always reliable. We could ask him to do sim and he would be there. I feel like on the Xfinity side, he’s been running up front. He’s been fast and he’s been doing a good job. He’s arguably in the series’ best equipment, but when you’re able to excel in that and go out there and win races week in and week out, that gives you that chance or that notoriety to say – hey, I can move up to the next level.. I’m ready for it.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A COCA-COLA 600 WIN ON YOUR RESUME AND WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO ADD ONE MORE? 

“Yeah, I love this race. I remember watching this race as a kid when I was growing up. May or may not have fallen asleep during it, at least at some point.. it’s just really long (laughs). But it’s got the history of 600 miles and man versus machine and all that sort of stuff. Equipment in this day in age is entirely different than what equipment used to be, but it’s a cool chance for us to go out there and run the longest race of the year, and then also kind of feel what that’s like. There’s been a couple times here when you get to mile marker 500 and you’re like – damn, there’s still 100 more miles to go. It will wear on you, for sure, if you’re not made or it or ready for it. But this place is really, really rough over the years and has gotten a lot of character back into it since the repave in I think 2007 maybe, 2008. It’s pretty rough and bumpy, so the 600 miles around here will definitely wear on you.”

WHAT’S YOUR ATTITUDE COMING INTO THIS RACE AFTER COMING SO CLOSE LAST YEAR? ARE YOU STILL FIRED UP ABOUT THAT FINISH, AND WHAT’S YOUR MENTALITY?

“Yeah, we had a really good car early in the race, and then I spun and kind of ruined it. We had a bad race through the middle and we just missed all the wrecks and were in a good spot at the end. We got lucky to actually finish second. It would have been really fun, yet lucky, to win and beat out my teammate Denny (Hamlin) last year. His car was still in good shape and mine was not. Overall, yeah just want to get out on a 1.5-mile track again. Like I said, Kansas was a really good run for us. We got in a bad spot and we crashed, so it would be nice to come back out here and have a good, strong run. Get a top-five and some good points out of this race. There are four stages this week, so that’s going to be a big point reward. Hopefully we can do a good job.”

ABEL Motorsports chief mechanic Greg Senerius celebrates after winning the Clint Brawner Mechanical Excellence AwardPhoto Courtesy Penske Entertainment: Dana Garrett Veteran Chief Mechanic Greg Senerius Keeps May Momentum Rolling for ABEL, Earns Brawner Honor (May 26, 2023) SPEEDWAY, In- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The roller-coaster ride of their first Indy 500 experience continues to reach new highs for upstart IndyCar team ABEL Motorsports of Louisville, KY and Speedway, IN.  Just six days after locking in to their first 500 start courtesy of a great four-lap qualifying run last Saturday by rookie driver RC Enerson of New Port Richey, FL, a key member of the ABEL team has claimed one of the month’s big prizes:   Crew Chief Greg Senerius has won the prestigious Clint Brawner Mechanical Excellence Award as the top Chief Mechanic at this year’s Indy 500. Senerius was selected as this year’s crew person who “best exemplifies the mechanical and scientific creativity, ingenuity, perseverance, dedication, enthusiasm and expertise of Clint Brawner”.   Brawner was chief mechanic for 51 National Championship (IndyCar) race victories including 17 by the legendary Jimmy Bryan and 29 by Mario Andretti, including Mario’s 1969 Indy 500 win. Team Manager John Brunner recruited Senerius two seasons ago to serve as Crew Chief on ABEL Motorsports’ flagship Indy NXT entry.  “This whole Indy effort, we’ve been so blessed.   The support of our team has been tremendous.  Greg was the first person I brought on when I joined ABEL in 2021.    The expression on his face was awesome when we told him he’d won.  He’s so deserving of the honor.   We know what we have in Greg, it’s the reason we brought him here.   He has worked a tremendous amount of IndyCar races, and to win this award with us is just very cool and very well earned.”  Team Principal Bill Abel says the Brawner award is a great honor for  Senerius.“For Greg to win that award, I’m so happy for him.  He’s the most unassuming, laid-back guy.   It’s his 18th Indy 500.  Now, for him to be recognized for all the talents we know he has is such a great honor.  Our car is good evidence of what he’s capable of.  It’s well deserved and we’re super proud of him.” This Sunday, May 28th, Senerius, Brunner and the rest of the ABEL Motorsports crew will roll the #50 Chevy/Dallara entry onto the grid for their first Indy 500 as a team.   Driver RC Enerson qualified the car 29th for the 107th running of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”.   The green flag falls at 12:45 PM ET with live coverage on NBC TV, Peacock, and the IMS Radio Network.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES INDIANAPOLIS 500 INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA TEAM CHEVY PRACTICE REPORT MAY 26, 2023 TEAM CHEVY SHIFTS SIGHTS TO INDIANAPOLIS 500 RACE DAY AFTER FINAL PRACTICE Will Power of Team Penske led the Chevrolet drivers in the final practice session before Sunday’s 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500, finishing third on the charts with his fastest speed of 226.953 MPH and turning a total of 82 laps.INDYCAR Series Rookie and Argentinian phenom Agustin Canapino finished the Carb Day practice session sixth with a fastest speed of 226.532 MPH.Team Chevy occupied four of the top-10 spots on the leaderboard.In the finals of the Carb Day Pit Stop Challenge, Team Penske driver Will Power finished second behind Scott Dixon.Carb Day fans were treated to an Ice Cream Social after practice by Chevrolet drivers, handing out 3,300 ice cream sandwiches provided by the American Dairy Association of Indiana.The 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 will air live on NBC starting at 11 a.m. ET Sunday, May 28, 2023. Coverage can also be found on Peacock, and through both INDYCAR Radio and SiriusXM Channel 160. TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 PRACTICE RESULT:Pos. Driver3rd     Will Power6th     Agustin Canapino9th     Josef Newgarden10th   Scott McLaughlin WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES)Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:”We spent the session just dialing in our race car. We ended pretty happy, so I’m pleased with the changes that we made and with how it’s feeling. Obviously, race day, you never know if it’s going to be identical to this or not, so I think it’s a good start for sure. We’re starting in the middle of the second row, so that’s a definitely a good position.” Felix Rosenqvist, No. 6 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:”I thought it was pretty much where we wanted to end. It was a smooth Carb Day. The car felt good in traffic and it felt good up front. We did a full run and it felt like we had a good car over the stint, so we said let’s not risk it. We parked it and did some pit stops and cut the session short a bit. So it’s a good feeling going into the big one.” Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:“First of all, it’s amazing to see so many people turn out on a Friday morning for practice. The fan turnout the past two weeks has been amazing, so thanks to everyone. From our side, we got through our program. The car feels really nice, and I think we’re all cautiously optimistic about what we can accomplish on Sunday.” Tony Kanaan, No. 66 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:”We went through some pit stops and tried a couple things to fine-tune the car for Sunday. I think we’re happy and ready to go. “The crowd at Carb Day today was unbelievable, this is back to the old days. It’s amazing. We keep saying this, but we fought to grow this series to the way it used to be, and now it’s back.” Gavin Ward, Race Director at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:“Well, that’s practice done. I think everyone finished in a pretty happy place. That’s what you want here. You want to be able to kind of put it away and go racing. We went through our program, tried a few different downforce levels, and got some hot stop practice with the crews for pit stops. So, let’s go.” Callum Ilott, No. 77 Chevrolet at Juncos Hollinger Racing:“It’s our final day of driving before the big race, the big event. Had to work a lot with the car. We it into a much better window, which is nice. It’s just tough we don’t have more running on track to get there. But looking good. Looking forward to it. Should be massive this year. Should be lots of people coming, the biggest since the 100th Running. But yeah, within the team looking good. Agustin (Canapino) is looking good, too. We’ll see.” Agustin Canapino, No. 78 Chevrolet at Juncos Hollinger Racing:“We finished Carb Day P6. Really, really good day for us. Of course, we need to improve a lot our pace. We have some work to do on pit stops. But at the moment, really good. We are continuing our improvement, and we will do our best on Sunday.” JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, and TONY KANAAN, No. 66 ARROW MCLAREN CHEVROLET – End of Day Press Conference:Joined now by Josef Newgarden, driver of the No. 2 Shell Powering Progress Team Penske Chevrolet, who starts 17th on Sunday, finished ninth in today’s two-hour practice. What did you get done today?JOSEF NEWGARDEN: We just tried to sort of practice race, literally. Kind of seems self-explanatory, but I think everyone approaches this last session differently. We just try to do a dress rehearsal from our end and really get into the rhythm of what we’re going to do on Sunday, and I feel good about our car.I think the Shell car is quick. I think it feels comfortable. We got it really good at the end there. We’ve just got to be solid on race day as always. Can be no mistakes here, good execution. That’s what it’s going to take. Q. Since you drive for Team Penske and with you also being sponsored by Shell, between now and race day, what will your week be like in terms of all the personal appearances and everything that you need to do not only for Roger and Tim but for Shell? JOSEF NEWGARDEN: It’s been busy, but I wouldn’t say abnormally busy. It’s just always jam-packed today. Tomorrow is very jam-packed. But I will say one of the greatest things about driving for Team Penske is they don’t request anything from us on race day morning, which is lovely. I just think it’s fantastic. We get everything out of the way on Saturday. It’s a busy day, but then we can wake up for race day and be free and clear, just get ready for the race. That’s our only commitment. Yeah, not a big deal from my end. It’s great to be here with Shell. It’s fun to drive the Shell car because of what they’re doing. This is a big year for the series. Obviously we’re touting it Powering Progress, and the whole field is powered by Shell. We’re all running sustainable fuel, and with INDYCAR and its positioning on sustainability with Firestone and everyone else, I think Shell is doing a tremendous job, so it’s fun to be carrying that flag on race day. THE MODERATOR: Also joined by Tony Kanaan, driver of the No. 66 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, who starts ninth on Sunday. 11th quick today. What did you get done today? Happy with it? TONY KANAAN: Yeah, went through some pit stops and tried a couple different things that we’re just going to guess what we need to do Saturday night and Sunday morning, but yeah, fairly happy. I think it’s been a very smooth month. So time to go now.Q. How do you think you guys will perform on Sunday in traffic? JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I don’t know that it’s going to look tremendously different to last year. I think it is easier to stay close, but in the train, everyone is kind of utilizing the tow. Until you get to the back half of a stint, there’s probably going to be a little bit of sitting, but certainly up front, it’s easy to make moves in that situation.So I think the race for the win will be exciting as always. TONY KANAAN: The same, like he said. THE MODERATOR: Alex Palou is joining us, who happens to start from the pole on Sunday – not to be rude – driver of the No. 10 the American Legion Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, starts from pole, fourth quick today. Your thoughts on that? Q. For any of you but specifically Tony, you said on the radio on coming in, “It’s too crazy out here.” Was today’s session abnormally obnoxious? TONY KANAAN: No, I mean — no. It’s been crazy. We saw what happened the other day. But when I saw three wide into Turn 1, 20 minutes to go, why do you want to do that? So I’m like, I’m out. I don’t need this. Some of us are starting fairly in the front, so I said, all right, I’m not planning to have 20 cars in front of me; hopefully that’s not going to happen, so I’m not going to run out there in the back, and that’s exactly what happened. Somebody is trying to go to the back, and some of these guys are — I don’t know. It’s not a big deal, but I’m like, I don’t want any part of it. Q. Did either of you think today’s practice was aggressive? JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I think there was parts of it, but you always get that on an aggressive end to a session when it’s like a Happy Hour or specifically today. Everyone was really racing today, and like Tony said, there was probably some moments where it was unnecessary. But I think the intensity was up. Everyone was kind of race running today, trying to really practice what it was going to be like, which is good, but there’s probably a couple moments you just don’t want to insert yourself into. Q. I asked Herta this, as well. Ganassi, McLaren, Penske, is there anyone that we’re overlooking that people are not really paying attention to? I can tell you who Herta said. JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Who did he say? Q. Canapino. JOSEF NEWGARDEN: All year, man, Canapino. TONY KANAAN: Yeah, I think Santino can be fast if they all get it right in the pits and stuff. He finished up front here in the past, he ran up front, and he has a really good car, so I think he’s going to be tough. Canapino maybe 20 laps to go, he’s going to get the welcome to Indianapolis.JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I think you put Canapino in position at the end and, ooh, he would go for it. TONY KANAAN: He would go for it. JOSEF NEWGARDEN: He’s got Argentina on his back, the whole country.No, he’s been impressive. I’m not knocking Canapino. He’s very, very impressive this year and people wrote him off before he even started. He’s done tremendously well for no experience. I can’t speak highly enough about it. But to answer your question, I think it’s hard to really single anyone out these days. Obviously you have favorites and reasonably so. You’re mentioning the top teams. But INDYCAR is just so competitive nowadays, and we say it every year, but it is continually getting closer. Anyone can win this race, genuinely. The strategy can flip on its head with 50 to go and all of a sudden the front runners are in the back and vice versa. You just don’t know how it’s going to shape up. It could be a normal day, it could be a crazy day. It’s always a guess when you come into these things. You have a plan, but you’ve got to be able to move from your plan. Q. Josef, Alex was saying the other day that starting on pole, you can’t really control the race here (indiscernible) sort of rush to the front. Starting from 17th what’s your mindset? Is there more urgency to get in the mix and then know that things sort of unfold — JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, no, there’s no rush with 500 miles. I would say that. Certainly not in the first stint. When there’s an opportunity to make passes to start the restart, those are your best opportunities so you’re going to try and maximize that. But there’s not a hurry, I think, starting 17th. I don’t think there would be a hurry if you’re starting 25th. You’ve just got to have a really good consistent day and march your way forward. We started pretty far back last year and had the same trajectory going that I think you need to have and then we had a bad pit stop in the middle of the race and it totally derailed the race for us. No, I don’t think there’s urgency. I’d much prefer to start up front next to my pickleball teammate, but we are where we are, and we’ve got to make the most of it, and I think we’ve got plenty of time to get up there. Q. Everybody has been talking about how tight this race is going to be, but does it have the potential to be a slugfest, lots of wild passing throughout the race? TONY KANAAN: No. I think it’s going to be competitive, and just yeah, you can look at it both ways. You can say this is boring because nobody passes or I was inside or trying to set up a pass, and passes will be happening late if not, but I think it’s going to be tough. It’s not going to be easy. I mean, if you’re not in the top 5 the ending of the race, I don’t think you have a chance. JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, I agree with these guys. I just don’t think it’s going to be that different from last year outside of the very front. The first two cars, it is easier to follow. We have more downforce. But the effect behind the first two cars is sort of similar to where we’ve been, so I don’t think that’s going to be drastically different. Q. Drivers have been saying that at the white flag they want to be second with the opportunity to make the pass on the last lap, but how can you position yourself to make sure you’re second? JOSEF NEWGARDEN: You have to watch to find out. TONY KANAAN: Same. Watch it. Different times. Last year I was third and I couldn’t do anything. Especially with the zigzag new model of racing that we created in the last two laps lately, it’s tough. Q. TK, what’s your experience been now that we’ve got a big crowd today, big crowd tomorrow, big crowd Sunday, parade? We’ve talked to you about your race, we’ve talked to you about your own approach, but now that it’s getting real, what’s this like with the people? TONY KANAAN: It’s awesome. It takes a lot longer for me to go from A to B. Everybody has something nice to say, and I’m just taking it in. It’s really cool. I mean, I don’t think none of us here started racing to be famous or to be recognized by fans. We just race because we love. But then see the impact and how much people appreciate what I’ve done, it actually honestly feels quite nice. I’m enjoying it. I have big moments of happiness and then I cry, and I’m happy again. But I knew that was going to happen from today on, tomorrow the parade, and I don’t know how I’m going to hold myself at drivers’ intro, but after that we’ll just go what we need to do. We’ll leave it all out there for one last time.

MASON CITY, IA – May 26, 2023 – Action is set to pick up for the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series come mid-season with visits to four tracks in five days.

The swing will kick off at Mason City Motor Speedway (Tuesday, June 27) before heading north to Red River Valley Speedway for the Titan Machinery Showdown (Wednesday, June 28). Then, the Series will take a day off on Thursday before returning to River Cities Speedway (Friday, June 30). The World of Outlaws will cap off the swing and bring in July with a trip to I-94 EMR Speedway (Saturday, July 1).

Payouts increase as the week goes on with the events at Mason City and Red River Valley paying $10,000 to win, then River Cities paying $12,000 to win and I-94 paying $15,000 to win.

The Series is making its debut at Mason City, returning to Red River for the first time since 2020, its 15th appearance at River Cities and first return to I-94 since 2021.

What you need to know:

MASON CITY, JUNE 27
Track:
1/3-mile track in Mason City, IA

Times (CT):
TBA

Tickets: Available at the track

RED RIVER VALLEY, JUNE 28 (Titan Machinery Showdown)
Track:
3/8-mile in West Fargo, ND

Times (CT):
TBA

Tickets: Available at the track

Previous winners:
2020- Darrell Lanigan
2019- Brandon Sheppard
2005 – Steve Francis on July 30; Steve Francis on July 29
2004 – Steve Francis on Aug. 7
1989 – Kevin Thompson on June 8

RIVER CITIES, JUNE 30
Track:
1/4-mile in Grand Forks, ND

Times (CT):
2 p.m. Pit Gates open
5 p.m. Grandstand Gates open
6:30 p.m. Hot Laps/Qualifying
-Racing to follow

Tickets: Available at the track

Previous winners:
2021 – Dennis Erb. Jr on July 16
2020 – Brandon Sheppard on July 19
2019 – Brandon Sheppard on July 12
2018 – Mike Marlar on July 13
2017 – Shane Clanton on July 14
2015 – Tim McCreadie on July 10
2014 – Tim Fuller on July 18
2012 – Darrell Lanigan on July 13
2011 – Tim McCreadie on July 15
2010 – Austin Hubbard on July 9
2009 – Josh Richards on 10
2008 – Brady Smith on July 11
2007 – Tim Fuller on June 12
2006 – Darrell Lanigan on May 30

I-94 EMR SPEEDWAY, JULY 1
Track:
3/8-mile in Fergus Fall, MN

Times (CT):
2 p.m. – Pit Gates Open
5 p.m. – Grandstand Gates Open
6:30 p.m. – Hot Laps/Qualifying
-Racing to follow

Tickets: Available HERE

Previous winners:
2021- Frank Heckenast Jr. on July 17

OCALA, FL (May 26, 2023) — NHRA Top Fuel championship contender Josh Hart will be squaring off with two-time NHRA Funny Car champion Cruz Pedregon on Monday, May 29, at Lucas Oil Raceway as part of the grand prize Snap-on Tools Superspeedway contest event. Snap-on Tools will be hosting 24 VIP contest winners and their guests at the Indy 500 on Sunday and then at an all-day fully immersive day of drag racing that will include instruction in the Frank Hawley Drag Racing School culminating with a side-by-side exhibition race between Hart’s R+L Carrier Top Fuel dragster and Pedregon’s Snap-on Tools Funny Car.

Josh Hart and R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“Cruz called and asked me if I would be interested in racing him in front of some of the Snap-on Tools Superspeedway contest winners and franchisees. I jumped at the chance,” said Hart, who has two Top Fuel national event titles to his credit. “I have never made a pass beside a nitro Funny Car and I can’t wait. This is a really cool event Snap-on Tools is hosting giving these winners the chance to check out the Indy 500 and then get a full day of drag racing.” 

The Snap-on Superspeedway event is the final chapter of the contest that has afforded Snap-on customers and franchisees the chance to win prizes ranging from tools to Traxxas radio-controlled cars to the grand prize event. Twelve customer winners plus a guest and twelve franchisee winners and a guest will be treated to an amazing two-day racing experience. On Monday, the winners will enjoy a full day of Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School instruction and racing. There will also be an opportunity for them to take rides on a separate AutoCross course set up at the track. The Pedregon versus Hart side-by-side Funny Car versus Top Fuel dragster exhibition run will take place at 5 p.m. before the group enjoys hospitality at the track.

Cruz Pedregon and the Snap-on Dodge Charger Funny Car, photo by NHRA/National Dragster

“Our race will be a nice 24,000-horsepower appetizer for the Snap-on Tools guests before they end the day with dinner and dessert,” said Hart. “I can’t thank Cruz enough for asking me to participate. He is an amazing competitor and great ambassador for Snap-on Tools. This will be a fun race.”

Hart and Pedregon will head from Indianapolis to Epping, New Hampshire at the end of the week for the NHRA New England Nationals from New England Dragway, June 2-4.

WHEATLAND, Mo. (May 25, 2023) – Jonathan Davenport led all 45 laps of the Cowboy Classic on Thursday night at Lucas Oil Speedway to kick off the 31st Annual Lucas Oil Show-Me 100 presented by Missouri Division of Tourism weekend with the victory. The win was Davenport’s first since he captured the Lucas Oil MLRA Spring Nationals on April 1st. Davenport’s second Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season came as he held off a hard-charging Ricky Thornton Jr. in the final 10 laps to win by .967 seconds over the current Big River Steel Chase for the Championship presented by ARP points leader. Thornton earned the Todd Steel Buildings Hard Charger of the Race with his tenth to second performance.  Tyler Bruening ran in second for the first half of the race until Thornton got by him. Bruening rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third. Tim McCreadie was fourth followed by Spencer Hughes who rounded out the top five drivers at the finish. Davenport was in control to the race from the start, but lapped traffic allowed Thornton to catch up to him after he had passed Bruening for second. Thornton pulled even with Davenport a handful of times and the two made slight contact in turn three racing for the lead. Davenport was able to hold off Thornton to score his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win since January 30th at Bubba Raceway Park.  Davenport in Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 67th time in his career was relieved to be back on top of the podium. “The racetrack was awesome for about the first 30 laps. They caught me before I moved up enough. Hats off to the track crew they did a great job, they don’t need to really overdo it for Saturday night. We have been off a little bit. It’s been a lot leading up this. We’ve learned a lot what not to do. We’ve learned somewhat what to do now to these race cars.” Davenport who won the Show-Me 100 in 2015 and was in contention for the win a year ago until a mishap with a lapped car is set on redemption in Saturday night’s $50,000 to win crown jewel. “I sure hope so it turns out better this year than last year’s race. I have had two or three races circled on my calendar from last year that I let get away that we should have won.” Thornton, who swept the two Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series races last weekend gave Davenport fits a few times in a race that went caution-free. “I thought for sure I was spinning him [Davenport] out down there. He moved off the bottom in three and I was trying to squeeze by him on the outside and I caught him with my left front flopper. I barely caught his quarter-panel, but I didn’t spin him around. We had a good car. I found the bottom there before anyone else and that’s how I got to second.”  Bruening rounded out the podium in third as he picked up some valuable points which set’s the lineup for Saturday night. “The car was really good tonight. We were just a spot or two short there. Jonathan was good, Ricky’s been good all year. Those guys are tough. They are at the top of their game. It’s good to have a Capital up front. You either quit or you keep working and keep trying. We are not going to quit. We are going to keep trying to get better. Eventually we will be a spot, or two better and we will get that first win.” The winner’s Lance and Darla Landers, Double L Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions, Dyna Gro Seed, Lucas Oil Products, Bilstein Shocks, VP Fuels, Mark Martin Automotive, Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas, ASC Warranty, and Midwest Sheet Metal. Completing the top ten were Dillon McCowan, Chis Simpson, Devin Moran, Tyler Erb, and Jimmy Owens. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary 10th Annual Cowboy ClassicThursday, May 25, 2023Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Garrett Alberson / 15.809 seconds (overall)Fast Time Group B: Jonathan Davenport / 16.017 seconds  Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 8-Dillon McCowan[2]; 2. 1T-Tyler Erb[4]; 3. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 4. 1S-Jeremy Shaw[7]; 5. 82-Jace Parmley[8]; 6. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[3]; 7. 7D-Dusty Leonard[6]; 8. 93-Mason Oberkramer[5]; 9. 19M-Colby Moore[9]; 10. 15L-Payton Looney[10] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 32-Chris Simpson[2]; 2. 18D-Daulton Wilson[1]; 3. 99-Devin Moran[7]; 4. 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[6]; 5. 96-Dalton Imhoff[5]; 6. USA1-Chris Hawkins[9]; 7. 99B-Boom Briggs[3]; 8. 11H-Jeff Herzog[4]; 9. 26-Glen Powell[8]; 10. (DNS) 04-Tad Pospisil  Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 11-Spencer Hughes[1]; 2. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[3]; 3. 15-Justin Duty[2]; 4. 14M-Morgan Bagley[6]; 5. USA28-Kylan Garner[4]; 6. 45-Cole Wells[7]; 7. 15V-Kolby Vandenbergh[10]; 8. 15T-Matt Johnson[8]; 9. 1X-Aaron Marrant[5]; 10. 29-Chandler Moenning[9] AP1 Insurance Heat Race #4 (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 39-Tim McCreadie[2]; 3. 20-Jimmy Owens[3]; 4. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[5]; 5. 1H-Hudson O’Neal[7]; 6. 50-Kaeden Cornell[4]; 7. 49J-Justin Wells[8]; 8. 11K-Jon Kirby[6]; 9. 1A-Bryon Allison[9]; 10. 14R-Jeff Roth[10] Lucas Oil Heat Race #5 (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 16-Tyler Bruening[1]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[5]; 3. 51-Larry Ferris[2]; 4. 25C-Chad Simpson[4]; 5. 2-Tyler Stevens[6]; 6. 54-David Breazeale[3]; 7. 22F-Chris Ferguson[8]; 8. 3-Brennon Willard[7]; 9. 78S-Steve Stultz[9]; 10. 50C-Kayden Clatt[10] Lucas Oil Heat Race #6 (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 7W-Ricky Weiss[1]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[3]; 3. 111B-Max Blair[2]; 4. 94-Austin Rettig[4]; 5. 21XXX-Neil Baggett[6]; 6. 14G-Trevor Gundaker[7]; 7. 7-Ross Robinson[8]; 8. 22H-Dustin Hodges[5]; 9. 36-Mark Daye[9] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[2]; 2. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[5]; 3. 82-Jace Parmley[3]; 4. 1S-Jeremy Shaw[1]; 5. 11H-Jeff Herzog[10]; 6. 7D-Dusty Leonard[7]; 7. 93-Mason Oberkramer[9]; 8. 96-Dalton Imhoff[4]; 9. 99B-Boom Briggs[8]; 10. USA1-Chris Hawkins[6]; 11. 19M-Colby Moore[11]; 12. 26-Glen Powell[12]; 13. (DNS) 15L-Payton Looney; 14. (DNS) 04-Tad Pospisil UNOH B-Main Race #2 (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[2]; 2. 1H-Hudson O’Neal[4]; 3. 14M-Morgan Bagley[1]; 4. 45-Cole Wells[5]; 5. 15T-Matt Johnson[9]; 6. USA28-Kylan Garner[3]; 7. 15V-Kolby Vandenbergh[7]; 8. 49J-Justin Wells[8]; 9. 50-Kaeden Cornell[6]; 10. 11K-Jon Kirby[10]; 11. 1A-Bryon Allison[12]; 12. 14R-Jeff Roth[14]; 13. 29-Chandler Moenning[13]; 14. 1X-Aaron Marrant[11] MyRacePass B-Main Race #2 (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 25C-Chad Simpson[1]; 2. 2-Tyler Stevens[3]; 3. 21XXX-Neil Baggett[4]; 4. 14G-Trevor Gundaker[6]; 5. 7-Ross Robinson[8]; 6. 94-Austin Rettig[2]; 7. 22F-Chris Ferguson[7]; 8. 54-David Breazeale[5]; 9. 3-Brennon Willard[9]; 10. 22H-Dustin Hodges[10]; 11. 36-Mark Daye[12]; 12. 78S-Steve Stultz[11]; 13. 50C-Kayden Clatt[13] 10th Annual Cowboy Classic Feature Finish (45 Laps):

Race Statistics Entrants: 59Terminal Maintenance & Construction Pole Sitter: Dillon McCowanLap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-45)Wieland Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportArizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: n/aBrandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportMargin of Victory: 0.967 secondsGorsuch Performance Solutions Cautions: n/aFast Time Provisional: n/aSeries Emergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Tyler BrueningPenske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Tyler Bruening, Tim McCreadie, Spencer HughesTodd Steel Buildings Hard Charger of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Advanced 8 Positions)Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Chris SimpsonDeatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Ricky WeissEarnhardt Technologies Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (45 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Max BlairEtchberger Trucking Fastest Lap of the Race: Chad Simpson (Lap 44 – 16.166 seconds)MD3 Tough Break of the Race: Tad Pospisil Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Cory Fostvedt (Jonathan Davenport)ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Devin Moran (15.229 seconds)Time of Race: 13 minutes 19 second

WHEATLAND, Mo. (May 25, 2023) – Jonathan Davenport led all 45 laps of the Cowboy Classic on Thursday night at Lucas Oil Speedway to kick off the 31st Annual Lucas Oil Show-Me 100 presented by Missouri Division of Tourism weekend with the victory. The win was Davenport’s first since he captured the Lucas Oil MLRA Spring Nationals on April 1st. Davenport’s second Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season came as he held off a hard-charging Ricky Thornton Jr. in the final 10 laps to win by .967 seconds over the current Big River Steel Chase for the Championship presented by ARP points leader. Thornton earned the Todd Steel Buildings Hard Charger of the Race with his tenth to second performance.  Tyler Bruening ran in second for the first half of the race until Thornton got by him. Bruening rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third. Tim McCreadie was fourth followed by Spencer Hughes who rounded out the top five drivers at the finish. Davenport was in control to the race from the start, but lapped traffic allowed Thornton to catch up to him after he had passed Bruening for second. Thornton pulled even with Davenport a handful of times and the two made slight contact in turn three racing for the lead. Davenport was able to hold off Thornton to score his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win since January 30th at Bubba Raceway Park.  Davenport in Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 67th time in his career was relieved to be back on top of the podium. “The racetrack was awesome for about the first 30 laps. They caught me before I moved up enough. Hats off to the track crew they did a great job, they don’t need to really overdo it for Saturday night. We have been off a little bit. It’s been a lot leading up this. We’ve learned a lot what not to do. We’ve learned somewhat what to do now to these race cars.” Davenport who won the Show-Me 100 in 2015 and was in contention for the win a year ago until a mishap with a lapped car is set on redemption in Saturday night’s $50,000 to win crown jewel. “I sure hope so it turns out better this year than last year’s race. I have had two or three races circled on my calendar from last year that I let get away that we should have won.” Thornton, who swept the two Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series races last weekend gave Davenport fits a few times in a race that went caution-free. “I thought for sure I was spinning him [Davenport] out down there. He moved off the bottom in three and I was trying to squeeze by him on the outside and I caught him with my left front flopper. I barely caught his quarter-panel, but I didn’t spin him around. We had a good car. I found the bottom there before anyone else and that’s how I got to second.”  Bruening rounded out the podium in third as he picked up some valuable points which set’s the lineup for Saturday night. “The car was really good tonight. We were just a spot or two short there. Jonathan was good, Ricky’s been good all year. Those guys are tough. They are at the top of their game. It’s good to have a Capital up front. You either quit or you keep working and keep trying. We are not going to quit. We are going to keep trying to get better. Eventually we will be a spot, or two better and we will get that first win.” The winner’s Lance and Darla Landers, Double L Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions, Dyna Gro Seed, Lucas Oil Products, Bilstein Shocks, VP Fuels, Mark Martin Automotive, Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas, ASC Warranty, and Midwest Sheet Metal. Completing the top ten were Dillon McCowan, Chis Simpson, Devin Moran, Tyler Erb, and Jimmy Owens. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary 10th Annual Cowboy ClassicThursday, May 25, 2023Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Garrett Alberson / 15.809 seconds (overall)Fast Time Group B: Jonathan Davenport / 16.017 seconds  Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 8-Dillon McCowan[2]; 2. 1T-Tyler Erb[4]; 3. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 4. 1S-Jeremy Shaw[7]; 5. 82-Jace Parmley[8]; 6. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[3]; 7. 7D-Dusty Leonard[6]; 8. 93-Mason Oberkramer[5]; 9. 19M-Colby Moore[9]; 10. 15L-Payton Looney[10] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 32-Chris Simpson[2]; 2. 18D-Daulton Wilson[1]; 3. 99-Devin Moran[7]; 4. 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[6]; 5. 96-Dalton Imhoff[5]; 6. USA1-Chris Hawkins[9]; 7. 99B-Boom Briggs[3]; 8. 11H-Jeff Herzog[4]; 9. 26-Glen Powell[8]; 10. (DNS) 04-Tad Pospisil  Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 11-Spencer Hughes[1]; 2. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[3]; 3. 15-Justin Duty[2]; 4. 14M-Morgan Bagley[6]; 5. USA28-Kylan Garner[4]; 6. 45-Cole Wells[7]; 7. 15V-Kolby Vandenbergh[10]; 8. 15T-Matt Johnson[8]; 9. 1X-Aaron Marrant[5]; 10. 29-Chandler Moenning[9] AP1 Insurance Heat Race #4 (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 39-Tim McCreadie[2]; 3. 20-Jimmy Owens[3]; 4. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[5]; 5. 1H-Hudson O’Neal[7]; 6. 50-Kaeden Cornell[4]; 7. 49J-Justin Wells[8]; 8. 11K-Jon Kirby[6]; 9. 1A-Bryon Allison[9]; 10. 14R-Jeff Roth[10] Lucas Oil Heat Race #5 (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 16-Tyler Bruening[1]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[5]; 3. 51-Larry Ferris[2]; 4. 25C-Chad Simpson[4]; 5. 2-Tyler Stevens[6]; 6. 54-David Breazeale[3]; 7. 22F-Chris Ferguson[8]; 8. 3-Brennon Willard[7]; 9. 78S-Steve Stultz[9]; 10. 50C-Kayden Clatt[10] Lucas Oil Heat Race #6 (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 7W-Ricky Weiss[1]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[3]; 3. 111B-Max Blair[2]; 4. 94-Austin Rettig[4]; 5. 21XXX-Neil Baggett[6]; 6. 14G-Trevor Gundaker[7]; 7. 7-Ross Robinson[8]; 8. 22H-Dustin Hodges[5]; 9. 36-Mark Daye[9] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[2]; 2. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[5]; 3. 82-Jace Parmley[3]; 4. 1S-Jeremy Shaw[1]; 5. 11H-Jeff Herzog[10]; 6. 7D-Dusty Leonard[7]; 7. 93-Mason Oberkramer[9]; 8. 96-Dalton Imhoff[4]; 9. 99B-Boom Briggs[8]; 10. USA1-Chris Hawkins[6]; 11. 19M-Colby Moore[11]; 12. 26-Glen Powell[12]; 13. (DNS) 15L-Payton Looney; 14. (DNS) 04-Tad Pospisil UNOH B-Main Race #2 (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[2]; 2. 1H-Hudson O’Neal[4]; 3. 14M-Morgan Bagley[1]; 4. 45-Cole Wells[5]; 5. 15T-Matt Johnson[9]; 6. USA28-Kylan Garner[3]; 7. 15V-Kolby Vandenbergh[7]; 8. 49J-Justin Wells[8]; 9. 50-Kaeden Cornell[6]; 10. 11K-Jon Kirby[10]; 11. 1A-Bryon Allison[12]; 12. 14R-Jeff Roth[14]; 13. 29-Chandler Moenning[13]; 14. 1X-Aaron Marrant[11] MyRacePass B-Main Race #2 (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 25C-Chad Simpson[1]; 2. 2-Tyler Stevens[3]; 3. 21XXX-Neil Baggett[4]; 4. 14G-Trevor Gundaker[6]; 5. 7-Ross Robinson[8]; 6. 94-Austin Rettig[2]; 7. 22F-Chris Ferguson[7]; 8. 54-David Breazeale[5]; 9. 3-Brennon Willard[9]; 10. 22H-Dustin Hodges[10]; 11. 36-Mark Daye[12]; 12. 78S-Steve Stultz[11]; 13. 50C-Kayden Clatt[13] 10th Annual Cowboy Classic Feature Finish (45 Laps):

Race Statistics Entrants: 59Terminal Maintenance & Construction Pole Sitter: Dillon McCowanLap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-45)Wieland Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportArizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: n/aBrandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportMargin of Victory: 0.967 secondsGorsuch Performance Solutions Cautions: n/aFast Time Provisional: n/aSeries Emergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Tyler BrueningPenske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Tyler Bruening, Tim McCreadie, Spencer HughesTodd Steel Buildings Hard Charger of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Advanced 8 Positions)Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Chris SimpsonDeatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Ricky WeissEarnhardt Technologies Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (45 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Max BlairEtchberger Trucking Fastest Lap of the Race: Chad Simpson (Lap 44 – 16.166 seconds)MD3 Tough Break of the Race: Tad Pospisil Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Cory Fostvedt (Jonathan Davenport)ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Devin Moran (15.229 seconds)Time of Race: 13 minutes 19 seconds

It’s the Gray Court, SC driver’s first Series win of 2023, and 34th overall

HARTFORD, OH – May 25, 2023 – Chris Madden has been consistent with the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series all season. But in 2023, a victory had eluded the Gray Court, SC driver.

That changed Thursday night at Sharon Speedway as Madden dominated the 25-lap Feature to score his first Series win of the season.

“Smokey” stormed by Drake Troutman on the opening lap, taking the lead in Turn 1 and quickly pulling away.

From there, some lap traffic and the race’s only caution didn’t faze the Series points leader as he cruised to the $6,000 win.

Madden said it was the best his Rocket Chassis had felt all season. 

“It’s the best it’s been all year,” Madden said. “We’ve just haven’t been able to put a finger on it and find it, but we’ve worked extremely hard, changed quite a few things, and I think we’re at least in the ballpark now. We have something we can work with.

“I’m just happy to have a balance I can feel and work off of again.”

The win is Madden’s 34th career World of Outlaws triumph, moving him to seventh on the all-time wins list.

He stated he’s grateful for everyone who’s stuck by him, despite struggling early in the year. 

“I just want to thank my sponsors and my guys for not giving up on me,” Madden said. “This is a tough, humbling sport. Everybody’s got to be tough, and your skin’s got to be thick to do this. You got to have good guys and good sponsors that stick with you through the toughness. We’re just thankful to have those.”

Madden’s win extends his points lead to 40 points over Ryan Gustin, who finished ninth. 

For a complete look at the points standings, CLICK HERE.

Bobby Pierce finished second, his third straight World of Outlaws top five, after electing to go to his backup car shortly before Hot Laps. 

The Oakwood, IL driver set fast time in Group B of Low-E Insulation Qualifying but finished second to Madden in the Heat Race. 

Pierce said he felt it might’ve been a different outcome in the Feature if he had won his heat.

“I think we could’ve possibly got the job done tonight if we would’ve beaten Madden in that Heat Race,” Pierce said. “We had a really good battle in the Heat Race, and for him to be the one who won the race, I guess it’s not too bad. That says we weren’t a bad second place.”

Mike Marlar, the 2018 Series champion, crossed the line third. 

The Winfield, TN driver said his tire choice and the race’s only caution, involving Gregg Satterlee, Breyton Santee, and Troutman, kept Marlar from rising further.

“I was a touch harder on tires than any of the guys around me,” Marlar said. “I got into second, and then when I got into traffic, my tires started working, and I moved out into the middle of the track. I was making some gain on [Madden], and then we had that caution, and it kind of reset everything in a short race.

“I lost two spots, and then after a few laps, my tires came back alive again, and I got one of them back. It’s just one of them deals when everyone is so close in competition. A lot of times, tire choice can make a big difference.”

Four-time Series champion Brandon Sheppard finished fourth, and Germfree Lab Rookie of the Year leader Nick Hoffman rounded out the top five.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models return to Sharon Speedway on Friday, May 26 for night two of the Battle at the Border. Drivers will return for another 25-lap Feature paying $6,000-to-win.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

INDIANAPOLIS 500

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

INDYCAR MEDIA DAY TRANSCRIPT – GROUP 3

May 25, 2023

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 CHEVROLET AT ED CARPENTER RACING, Indy 500 Media Availability Transcript:

WHAT’S YOUR CONFIDENCE LEVEL LIKE COMING INTO THIS WEEKEND? 

“I’m very confident. Of course my best starting position yet for the race. But also the car feels really good in race trim, and I think I have just that bit of extra experience to challenge for a race win at the end tomorrow or on Sunday.”

CONOR (DALY) SAID HE THINKS THAT THE TWO OF YOU ARE IN THE GROUP OF LIKE LOW, (SCOTT) DIXON, PATO (O’WARD) AND FELIX (ROSENQVIST). DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT?

“I feel like that, too, and how Conor charges forward like he always does in the 500, so we can work together like the other guys do. No, I definitely think we have our stuff together for the race. The team knows what they’re doing. I think the atmosphere in the team is also great.”  

DO YOU FEEL LIKE CHEVY HAS AN EDGE OVER THE HONDAS?

“I mean, in race trim, I haven’t really felt it. At least we have — we’ve made a big step in qualifying, so that’s very important. It means a lot to Chevy. In the race, I think it doesn’t really matter. I think it’s more driver based. One driver has a better package than the other does.  

No, I think there’s a few guys that are going to look out for during the race, but it’s not like I feel an advantage or disadvantage with the Chevy.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE AERO CHANGES? I’VE HEARD DRIVERS TAKE OPINIONS IN 360 DEGREES. 

“We get more grip. I think the racing might be a bit closer. Also, so far, we’ve only had one crash on Monday, but so far the whole month has been great.

I think the stability wickers that were put on the car, I think it calmed the car down quite a bit in qual trim. Hopefully that terrible Turn 2 will stop happening this year.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE TIRE WEAR MIGHT BE AN ISSUE FOR SOME PEOPLE? HOW IS YOUR CAR ON THAT?

“I think I’m on the good side of the tire wear. Depends on the track heat, too. I think Sunday, it looks like it’s going to be overcast, not too hot, so I think we’re going to be on the good side of it, but I know some guys, even when I got through tires at the end of a four-lap qual run. I think we have a really good car to save some tires for the end.”

SOME DRIVERS HAVE DIFFERENT APPROACHES ON HOW THEY HANDLE TRACK POSITION. WHERE DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WANT TO BE CLOSE TO THE RACE? DO YOU WANT TO BE THE ONE IN FRONT AND DEFEND, OR DO YOU WANT TO BE THE ONE TO GO FOR IT?

“Tough one. It really depends on what position I get in. For the last 10 laps or five laps of the race, I’d like to be first or second at least, have to attack one car or only have to defend one car. But yeah, for me it doesn’t matter. I’m good at defending and attacking. As long as I’m in that shot to win the race.” 

HOT OFF THE LINE, ARE YOU GOING TO GO STRAIGHT THROUGH OR SAVE FUEL?

“I think I’m in a position to save fuel and stay behind Alex (Rossi). It’s nice to lead the race, but it’s the nicest in one particular lap. That’s what we go for, and I think saving that fuel might give us the opportunity if the race proceeds that way to go for an Alex Rossi 2016 style strategy.”  

INDY 500 FOR YOU HASN’T ALWAYS — YOU’VE HAD SOME TOUGH RESULTS THERE LIKE LAST YEAR, AND YOUR QUALIFYING HASN’T ALWAYS LED YOU UP TO THE TOP. HOW ARE YOU FEELING THIS TIME? DO YOU THINK YOUR BAD LUCK WILL RUN OUT?

“I think so. I feel good this year, and I think I’m more focused than I’ve ever been coming into this race. I’m feeling very confident, so does the team. That will help, and also I think I’m a bit more mature and experienced than last year, and I think that’s what I needed to stay in the race for such a long time and attack at the end.”

THERE USED TO BE THREE 500-MILE RACES IN INDYCAR, BUT THERE’S ONLY ONE 500-MILE RACE, AND YOU HAVE TO WAIT A WHOLE YEAR. I KNOW YOU HAVE THE TEST HERE, BUT HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOU AND THE TEAM WITH ONLY ONE 500-MILE RACE?

“I mean, it’s different than other races. It’s definitely longer. But I mean, I like the challenge. I like what every race has to offer. I like the fast pace of the shorter races, and I like the different way of saving fuel and tires until the last part of the race in 500-mile races now. 

Everything has its up and down sides, but this one only has ups.” 

YOU’RE STARTING UP TOWARDS THE FRONT THERE; HOW DO YOU THINK THE RACE WILL PLAY OUT? DO YOU THINK THERE WILL BE A LOT OF PASSING? DO YOU THINK THERE WON’T BE?

“I think there will be a lot of passing. With the extra downforce we have now, I think that will be the case, but also, yeah, really depends. I think there will be a lot of passing from P5 and back. I think the top 5 are kind of going to be saving fuel, saving tires for the end, and not taking much risk just to stay in contention.”

HAS THERE BEEN A LOT OF TIRE DEG? HAVE YOU NOTICED A LOT OF TIRE DEG?

“Some guys do. There is some tire deg, but I think we are on the good side of the deg. I’m feeling pretty good in that case.” 

MARCO WAS SAYING THAT HE WISHES THERE WAS MORE TIRE DEG. 

“I mean, this place is already tricky enough. More tire deg, I mean, it will give different strategies to different — there’s going to be more excitement, I think, in that way, but also I cannot imagine having tires go off like Iowa on this track because that would be terrifying. I mean, we’re going at such high speeds and we have such little downforce, and if we go sideways once, there’s zero air on the wings.

I’m fine the way it is.”  

SEEING THE CRASH ON MONDAY, DOES THAT GIVE YOU ANY CONCERNS, MAKE YOU MORE SCARED?

“I mean, we are still racing, and there’s been a new head rest that’s introduced to create more safety. A hit like that, there’s a SAFER barrier. Stefan is a tall guy, too. I think that might be one of the problems there.

I think if Takuma (Sato) was in the car, it might have ended differently. 

It’s part of the job. That’s what makes it even cooler to get through the whole race and actually qualify up front, too. I mean, the risk makes it cool, yeah.”

DO YOU HAVE ALREADY A PLAN FOR HOW DO YOU WANT TO GO — DO YOU HAVE A PROCESS THAT YOU WANT? 

“I think I can come up with a thousand different scenarios and they’re not going to happen. That’s how tricky this race is. But I have a plan of just making sure I’m in the top 5, 6 all the way through the race, and whenever the fuel save goes out the window and we go, we turn up that switch, I’m up there with the fast guys.

I want to contend for that win, and to finish first, you’ve first got to finish, so that is for me something very important to stay in that front group.”

ON GETTING THE INDY 500 WIN…

“It’s a dream come true to be in INDYCAR. To already have a win under my belt, a few podiums and now qualifying like this in Indianapolis is just very special, and hopefully we can translate it into something even more crazy, and that’s an Indy 500 win.” 

SANTINO FERRUCCI, NO. 14 CHEVROLET AT AJ FOYT RACING, Indy 500 Media Availability Transcript:

WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU FOUND OUT YOU’D BE WORKING WITH MIKE (CANNON) AGAIN?

“Well, I had actually told Mike, talked to Mike before I made my decision because he’s one of the people that I really trust in the paddock, so I just wanted to talk him through my options and listen to his feedback, and once his contract was up and he could start negotiating because I knew he was on for a year with Ganassi, once he was up I was calling him quite a bit just trying to get a feel for what he was going to do. Yeah, it was nice to convince him to come to Foyt with Larry’s help, of course, and I kind of knew in December that I think all of that was going to go our way.”

YOU’VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IS YOUR BEST START HERE. HOW DO YOU HOLD YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND WISHES AGAINST 200 LAPS OF RACING?

“I don’t really think it changes at all. I think it’s one of those things where it’s nice I get to start a race and not have to pass a ton of cars, but I’m basically in the same spot that I would have liked to have gotten to by like lap 50, let’s say. I’m just starting there.  

So all I have to do is basically just kind of maintain, just run around. It’s just going to be — I’m hoping for a very boring race for myself up until probably the last stint or two.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE BY THE END OF THE DAY YOU’RE GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE GUYS WHO’S MADE THE RIGHT DECISIONS TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE THREE CARS? IT’S ALL DOWN TO ABOUT THREE CARS THAT ARE REALLY READY TO BATTLE IT OUT FOR THE WIN?

“I’d say right now there’s six cars that could probably win this race if everything goes the correct way. Now, the order of which those six finish, if you take a look at last year’s race, you have the man that never makes a mistake made a mistake, the 10 car under what I’ve probably never seen as worse circumstances for a yellow, timely yellow. 

So it’s just anything. I’m kind of expecting something to happen to us, as I am everybody else. That’s what 500 miles does. There’s no way that — you could be the fastest car on track, and I think my boss has proved this the best in the ’70s, he finished second, third, second. You could have this race going all day long and still not win this race. I’ve already sat in that seat once at Gateway.” 

ALL THOSE LITTLE DECISIONS THAT GO INTO MAKING YOUR CAR ONE OF THE TOP CARS AT THE END OF THE DAY, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE TOTALLY PREPARED TO —

“Yeah, we’re definitely one of the best cars. We’re probably one of the best racers. Just assuming that I do my job, we have clean pit stops, I don’t speed, I don’t make any mistakes on track, I keep my nose clean and I keep everything calm, cool and collected like I have done for the last four years, we’ll be there in the end. 

My philosophy of this race is it’s just like any other race. You can always come back from somewhere here. It’s not special. You have to finish this one, and if you’re there, you are there to win it.”

WHO ARE THE SIX? 

“The Fast Six. My opinion, cars that I’ve already been around and practiced with, yeah, those guys look good. Like the Fast 12 was tough and it was tight. The Fast Six, man, I mean, some good cars.”

GOOD IN RACE TRIM, THOUGH? 

“Even in race trim, yeah.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE SEVENTH FASTEST, ROSSI? 

“Fast Six is where it’s at. That’s all I’m going to say. He couldn’t pass us and we were the lead car and we were on pretty old tires, so I felt good about that, knowing it’s a McLaren. Pato ran me down right outside of 2, like right off of 2. We didn’t even hit the grass line yet.  

I think that he’s not quite as comfortable as his teammate. 

But yeah, I do know that, or at least I can see that.” 

IT SEEMS LIKE THE CONSENSUS IS THAT THE FIRST ONE, TWO, MAYBE THREE CARS ARE GOING TO BE SWAPPING POSITIONS PRETTY DARNED OFTEN THROUGHOUT THE RACE BUT THEN FIFTH AND FARTHER ON BACK IT’S GOING TO BE HARDER TO PULL OUT. IS THAT KIND OF WHAT YOU’VE FELT, AS WELL? 

“Well, it’s really hard to say, to be perfectly honest. You don’t really know what people have for fuel and for tires. When I was third in line I was able to pass, but I was also — the way that we were on fuel with tires, I’m not going to say that we were the best, but we were definitely not the worst, and when we put stickers on, I went to the back of the pack and I was passing cars all the way from the tail of the train. 

So I felt good about my car in traffic. I think I can pass from a few back if I get it right. Like I said, I don’t think there’s a lot of people that can do that right now. 

But I do think it’s going to be more racy this year than it has been the last two.” 

YOU LIKE THE AERODYNAMIC CHANGES, THE SETUP PACKAGE? 

“Yeah, I think that the series has actually done a really good job with the new pieces. They’ve done a good job with a little bit more adjustability for everybody because you’re now allowed to remove certain pieces and have certain configurations that are more efficient for downforce and drag.  

So I think the car is the best it’s been in a while. I’d still like to see it better. I think there’s definitely ways that we can make that happen, but they don’t want pack racing, and I guess I’m okay with that because I’ve never raced in pack racing, so I can’t comment.”

HOW DO YOU MANAGE — OKAY, YOU’RE SAYING YOU WANT TO BE THERE AT THE END, THERE’S GOING TO BE OPPORTUNITIES PASSING AND STUFF RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. HOW DO YOU BALANCE THAT EARLY IN THE RACE, LIKE THE RISK TAKING AND WHEN TO BE CONSERVATIVE OR NOT? 

“I think if there’s a pass given to you, say you’re running fifth in the train, fourth makes a mistake and you can pass him easily, you’re going to take that pass. Same thing if you’re second and you’re going back and forth with the leader and you’re leapfrogging in a sense, I think it depends on fuel. There’s definitely going to be a point on Sunday where I probably would like to lead just to get a sense of what we’re like leading. If I get that opportunity, yeah, if I can get into the lead I will gladly lead.  

You just have to be able to watch, your spotters have to watch, but at the end of the day, yeah, you’re kind of playing a game of chess, so not only do you have to run the race when you’re up front but you have to make notes of what everybody can do up front and kind of keep that in the back of your head for when you do get to the end, so you’ve got to be thinking about everything strategic.” 

WHEN YOU’VE WON RACES BEFORE, DO YOU FEEL CONFIDENT (INDISCERNIBLE)?

“I have won a lot of races before, too, so I like that spot a lot. Trust me, I was a little upset to not get pole, and that’s on me. And again, not be on the front row. We’ve got next year. But starting fourth, yeah, I like that a lot. I feel good about it. I feel really good about it.”

YOU MENTIONED LAST WEEK, YOU COULDN’T BE AS AGGRESSIVE AS YOU WOULD HAVE LIKED WITH THE TEAM. HOW DO YOU BALANCE WITH SUCH A GOOD CAR THIS YEAR NOT BEING OVERLY AGGRESSIVE WITH THIS CAR TRYING TO GET TO THAT FINAL STINT?

“Well, last year was a different position because I was kind of fighting for my life and career to survive. This year I’m just not. I’m just not in that position to where I feel really comfortable with where I’m at, feel comfortable with where my career is heading and the direction, especially with this team. 

The pressure is different. It’s not the same type of pressure. It’s one of those that’s fight or flight, so you have to make smart decisions, and you have to finish, versus here, you have to make smart decisions, yet you can actually go for winning this race. If we’re second going into the last lap and I make an attempt for the lead and we don’t make it, I’m going to sleep just fine Sunday night because there’s nothing worse than finishing second not knowing that there was a gap that you didn’t go for. That would crush me, and I think it would crush our team. 

I think that Sunday if we’re in that position — if you’re running third or fourth, yeah, you’re not risk championship, good points, all of the above. The only time that that’s okay to risk is when you’re running second and it’s there for the taking. That’s the only time. That’s the only time it makes sense.” 

WOULD YOU SAY THAT THIS TEAM FEELS MORE LIKE A HOME THAN THE OTHER PLACES YOU’VE BEEN SO FAR IN YOUR CAREER?

“Yeah. This has definitely been — it’s been a very different type of relationship for me and Larry. We were at the Kentucky Derby to start the month off. It was 72 hours of nothing but alcohol and betting. It was so much fun. It was so cool. I’ve never started off a May like that before, and I will tell you that there is no better way to kick off the month of May than the derby. I think that’s going to have to start to become tradition, considering how we’re running.”

I HAVEN’T LOOKED UP YOUR ODDS FOR SUNDAY. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ARE BY CHANCE?

“I do know that they are significantly better now, according to a couple of my friends that did put some money down on me that said, we can cash out now and make a lot of money. I was like, hold on a little bit here, let’s see how we do on Sunday.  

No, I think it’s cool to be the underdog, and for us to be as competitive as we’ve been all week, to know that, I think we’ve opened everybody’s eyes. I think everybody has opened their eyes to the 14 car, that we’re here to win this thing.”

HOW DO YOU THINK THE RACE IS GOING TO GO ON SUNDAY AS FAR AS PASSING?

“I think it’ll be pretty good. I think it’ll be better than most years. Cars are pretty planted this year in my opinion. I don’t know, I think we might have a pretty green race like we did in 21, which will make things interesting.”

RC ENERSON, No. 50 CHEVROLET AT ABEL MOTORSPORTS, Indy 500 Media Availability Transcript:

WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT GIVE YOU CONFIDENCE THIS YEAR?

“The car feels the same as it did before. When you’re by yourself in qualifying trim, it just feels super planted. Every time we trim out more and more it keeps creating speed even though we’re trimming past what other people are running at. I don’t know if it’s a floor thing or a chassis that’s better mechanically, but it’s felt really comfortable. The real speed gain was through uprights, gearbox, all these things that help free the car up on a speedway that we finally had the time to prep for. My lap one of ROP, which I thought was going to be well below 205 just because I was so tense in the car – I had been out of it for a year and a half, so everything feels weird – I crossed the line and I was 211. I didn’t even touch full throttle yet. That’s already a good sign. It was really confidence-inspiring to see the car with that kind of speed. By that point on I knew we had an amazing chance to be locked in on Saturday.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT COMPETING IN THE INDY 500, WHICH HAS BEEN YOUR GOAL?

“It’s still sinking in for me. Every day you wake up in the driver lot and I cannot believe that we’re in the race. Somebody did research and after this 500 there have only been 790-something people that have ever done the race. To be part of that is something special. I’m just excited to get going on Sunday.”

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO PREP FOR SUNDAY IN PRACTICE TOMORROW?

“I think mine is going to be tools in traffic. There are so many tools now at my disposal. There is so much you’re changing lap to lap depending on how far you are from the car in front of you. Friday we’ll just have a chance to work with the tools and get more comfortable in the car. Pit stops, I don’t think we’re too worried. Our goal is to not rush anything. Just nice, steady, no-mistake pit stops. Making sure I’m not locking up any tires going into the pit box. I think Sunday is going to be the biggest learning curve because everybody is going to be on the same set of tires, fuel load instead of the craziness that you see on Monday and Friday where you have people coming out of the pits some on new tires, full tanks of fuel and some are on second-run tires.”

YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD MORE SPEED IF YOU NEEDED IN QUALIFYING?

“I think we had more speed, but we didn’t really want to risk having to go lane two for another run. Our goal is to be in the race and figure things out throughout the race. There is so much that can happen over 500 miles that I don’t think it matters too much where you start. It helps being up front but strategy can play into it so much, fuel mileage, yellows. We’re pretty confident in ourselves.”

CAN YOU GET TOP 15?

“I think for a top 15 we’d need a little luck. And luck comes down to strategy. If we hit the right fuel window with the proper yellow you can get shuffled up. The original plan is start the race, keep everything clean, run at a leaner fuel map and hang out with the pack. It’s a really long race and my longest race. I’m just excited to be doing it.”

BENJAMIN PEDERSEN, NO. 55 CHEVROLET AT AJ FOYT RACING, Indy 500 Media Availability Transcript:

AJ FOYT IS HERE AND THE CROWDS ARE BUILDING UP. ARE YOU GETTING THE REAL SENSE OF WHAT THE FOYT TEAM IS NOW THAT YOU ARE HERE?

“So special. Obviously, I am wearing the AJ Foyt tribute suit from the 80s, which has just been a huge favorite this month. It turned out really cool and the details are tremendous.  The whole month has just been so special to be a part of.  Super-fast, and we were the fastest rookie of all time for one lap speeds and second fastest on four lap average.  And to make it into the Fast 12 for a rookie is a great effort from the whole team. So, yeah, excited to experience Carb Day for the first time ever. Everything this month has been a first for me. Fast Friday was a first, qualifying was a first, so just taking it one day at a time and embracing every tradition. I milked a cow out here.”

YOU BROKE TONY STEWART’S RECORD FOR A ROOKIE FROM 1996. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BREAK RECORDS LIKE THAT AS A ROOKIE?

“It’s been very humbling, and I had no idea that we had achieved it until after I got out of the car and was in a press conference or doing the interviews.  When they told me I was like, ‘holy cow’. That is a massive to have a record here in anything. So, just very humbling and special to be a part of.”

WHEN YOU ARE INTERVIEWED BACK HOME DO YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN OVAL RACING VERSUS F1 AND SPORTS CARS?

“I haven’t had to explain too much because most people throughout the world are very familiar with the Indy 500, and they understand it in most regards. Obviously, the caliber of this event is like no other. Its just a really cool experience in being a rookie and being where I am and doing what we have achieved as a team.  More of it is just driving for a team like AJ Foyt that is so iconic here and to have two cars in the Fast 12. And bring little touches like the suit as a throwback….I tell you, he definitely has woken up a lot this weekend and his eyes started to not water, but he got emotional when he saw the suit. His smiles on pit lane when we made it into the Fast 12 were just really special to be a part of something like that.”

WHAT IS IT ABOUT SUPERSPEEDWAY RACING THAT IS NATURAL TO YOU AND FITS YOUR DRIVING STYLE?

“Yeah, great question. I think there are two sides of it.  On the oval side, my experience from the Indy Lights days, for two years there racing at Gateway and Iowa – definitely helpful.  From a speed perspective, I think its very interesting.  I am the only rookie that feels……when I did my first race at Texas and first time on track, I think it was like 225 (mph). I came in and they were like, ‘how did it feel?’ and I was like ‘it felt good’. And they were like, ‘it was 225’, and I was like, ‘really?’. I was kind of underwhelmed and it is the same thing here.  As soon as we turned the boost up you can feel it on Fast Friday, but I have never had a sensation in this car, and maybe it’s because it makes so much grip, of being like ‘holy cow, its moving’. I haven’t experienced that once. So yes, I just find it very natural and oval racing is very feeling based and I am a very feeling-oriented driver.  More than most people. So, it just makes sense to me.”

CALLUM ILOTT, NO. 77 CHEVROLET AT JUNCOS HOLLINGER RACING, Indy 500 Media Availability Transcript:

DO YOU FEEL LIKE WHILE SOME GUYS ARE GOING TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE AT THE START THAT YOU MIGHT TAKE A MORE CONSERVATIVE APPROACH?

“Obviously starting 27^th there is a rush to get further forward, but you are not going to make ground that quickly. I think there is no reason to take unnecessary risks from that position. But yeah, honestly through the race I will be looking to tune the car with what we can and go from there.”

REGARDING THE DECISION TO NOT CHANGE THE CAR…

“It’s a bit more complicated than that.  We changed a lot of things, but not the chassis.  We changed a lot of things from the previous car in the open test and there were some things that made more sense. What could have been statistically more of a problem, the chassis was brand new and was the stiffest chassis we had. So, on that side, there was no real issue visually and shouldn’t have had a problem. But with these things, it can be anything on that. Then it becomes a little bit too late. Because what we understood is that it was going to take a lot longer to change the chassis. But the guys did such a good job, that wasn’t the case, because it got changed very quickly. But the fact that I was going to miss a bit of the testing to change the chassis, the idea that there were other things to change along the way, that affected the decision. And we all sat there and there were all these reasons, and I agreed to these reasons, but yes, in hindsight we should have changed the chassis before we arrived. Or even the Wednesday night we had the rain days as well. It’s tough because you run out of time and the pressure increases.”

WHAT IS THE BEST SCENARIO FOR WHERE YOU ARE STARTING AT AND FOR THIS CAR LIKE IF IT GETS HOT AND SLICK?

“I cool personally.  Cool would give me the most downforce and confidence in the car. As the setup of the car is much like it was last year, we struggled when it was warmer, and it sent the car a bit outside of the window and we couldn’t really figure out how to get it back into that window. So, I think the cooler side would be better.”

ARE YOU GOING TO BE TESTING SOME NEW THINGS ON CARB DAY FOR SUNDAY?

“Yeah, I think that is normally the goal. Once we get the car in the window, we will be testing some things to make it better and more efficient.”

ARE YOU PREPARING LIKE SOMETHING MIGHT HAPPEN IN FRONT, SOMEONE MIGHT HAVE A PROBLEM?

“Something always happens in this race. You just don’t know how many or how big. Of course you have to, but that is the thing about staying in the race.  Staying in the race and getting something that works and something you can work with is massively important.”

AGUSTIN CANAPINO, NO. 78 CHEVROLET AT JUNCOS HOLLINGER RACING, Indy 500 Media Availability Transcript:

HOW’S YOUR CAR FOR THE RACE?

“At the moment, really good honestly. We had a decent qualifying. Maybe we could do better because our car is good. Maybe further up than 20th. We didn’t have big problems, but it wasn’t perfect. I think we have a car to do a decent race. Of course it’s my first Indy 500. It’s a long race and a difficult race. We will do our best to finish the race in the best position possible.”

ARE THERE STILL PEOPLE IN ARGENTINA WHO STILL TALK ABOUT JUAN MANUEL FANGIO?

“Yes, of course. In Argentina, he is our hero. He is our best driver in history. In my case, it’s a weird situation because I always drove touring cars. Now I have this opportunity and of course there is a huge difference. It is a big step but I am here trying to do my best.”

GRAHAM RAHAL, NO. 24 CHEVROLET AT DREYER & REINBOLD RACING, Indy 500 Media Availability Transcript:

WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT — I REFLECT ON SOME THINGS WITH YOU BECAUSE YOU SAID HAVE BEEN MOST OF MY RACING CAREER WITH MY FATHER, AND I ALSO HAVE THIS SENSE OR THIS QUESTION FOR ME, WHAT WILL BE TO RACING IN ANOTHER TEAM WITH A DIFFERENT PERSON. I RELATE COMPLETELY WITH THAT FEELING. DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT’S — I DON’T KNOW, THE ENERGY, WHAT DO YOU FEEL NOW? 

“You know, it is certainly very different for me, even just doing 10 minutes out there. It’s a different — sitting in the car, seeing new faces. Obviously, the engine is different. The brakes feel different. The way the button — everything feels different. The buttons for your thumbs through the gloves is different. There’s a lot that goes into that. 

Look, as I said, I don’t want to overshadow what I think Stef has done and done very well at the last couple of weeks to get this team and the car to where it’s at. I also know Ryan has done an exceptional job, and having known Dennis for a long time and Don Cusick, who’s obviously put together the package to be here, it just felt right for me to step out. 

When the call first came, I won’t say that there wasn’t a part of me that thought it wasn’t right and that I was just going to accept that I wasn’t racing and I was going to move forward and move into kind of a different phase in my mental process and the way the rest of my week was going to be, but as I said the other day and I still mean it, that this felt like the right opportunity for me to do something, as well. 

So ultimately, I decided to jump back in, and yes, it is exciting to try something different. So we’ll see how the weekend goes. 

But so far, I’ve been very impressed. Not surprised but impressed with Dreyer & Reinbold and everything that they’ve done. I’ve been very impressed with Chase. I think Chase does an excellent job to rally the entire team. Paddy-O is the chief on the car. He and I worked together at Ganassi. So a lot of familiar faces there, two. Obviously the two engineers, Jeff on my car and Todd both worked at Rahal for a long time. Those are familiar faces. 

As I said out there, when you’re around as long as I’ve been around, there’s most of the same guys all the time. But yes, it’s exciting for me to try something different.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE THE FREEDOM TO DO WHATEVER YOU WANT IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE SOMETHING? 

“No, I don’t look at it that way. I’m here to fill a big void for the weekend, and ultimately next week we return right back home and go race at Detroit. My job is to do Stef and to do Care Keepers and all the partners on this car, to do them proud and try to put together a great run and to go forward in the race.

These guys have done a great job. You remember Santino last year in this car was up front with 50 to go, so I feel — I’m excited. I do think it’ll be pretty strong.”

YOU SAID THE CAR, EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT. DO YOU FEEL PERSONALLY A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HONDA AND CHEVY ENGINE —

“With all due respect for the situation, I really don’t want to comment on any of that. Clearly they’re going to be different. They’re different manufacturers and all of that. But as I said before, to respect both manufacturers, I appreciate both of them giving me a chance to be here, and I certainly don’t want to get into much of that.” 

GOING BACK TO THE QUALIFYING SITUATION AND ALL THE PROBLEMS, COULD YOU IDENTIFY TOGETHER WITH YOUR ENGINEER WHAT WAS THE MAIN PROBLEM? 

“You know, we weren’t fast enough, period, all week. As I said –”

BUT THERE MUST BE A REASON.  

“If you can figure it out, let me know. Because if we knew, we would have fixed it. That’s been our problem. It’s not a problem of today. Last year we had two cars in the last row at RLL, so it’s not a problem of today, it’s a problem of the last few years, and even in 2021, Dad keeps saying to me, well, 2021 you should have won the race. Yeah, but I still started 24th. I wasn’t fast.”

A FEW DRIVERS SAID THE CARS ARE VERY WEATHER SENSITIVE —

“The cars are very weather sensitive and the cars are very wind sensitive. The cars are very ride height sensitive. They’re very — John and were talking about this. The cars of 10 years ago were so much easier to drive. These cars are not easy at all. I know it looks that way. It’s not. These cars have become animals to understand because of the mass and so many other things, but to understand what it takes to be good and how to care for the tire and all these things, so they are very sensitive to everything. 

But in lieu of that, you see like in Fast Six or top 12 qualifying, those teams could match their best pace of the morning, right, when they had the top 12 practice. We went out, we were 1.6 miles an hour slower, and I wish we knew.”

YOU HAVE TO WORK TO LOOK FOR A SOLUTION.  

“I think we know. I think on that side we know.”

IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE A DIFFERENT MENTALITY OF HOW YOU APPROACH THE RACE IN THIS CAR THAN YOU WOULD HAVE?

“For sure, yeah. Unfortunately, like Christian, I was of the frame of mind Monday afternoon that — like in that practice session, I bounced between the three cars to give input. I was in the frame of mind that that was now my role is to help, but now my role is to go beat them, so it changed like that. There’s no doubt I feel excited by the opportunity. I know they’ve had very strong cars. 

But the mentality is different. My job is turn from maybe a team leader to a guy that wants to go win this thing again. Not that that ever went away, but clearly I have a chance now whereas I didn’t Monday afternoon, so it is different for sure.”  

HAVE THE LAST TWO DAYS BEEN A SCRAMBLE FOR THE LITTLE DETAILS, EVERYTHING FROM SEAT FIT TO FIRE SUIT DETAILS, ALL THAT STUFF?

“You know, everybody at Dreyer & Reinbold and their partnership with Cusick Motorsports, everything so far has been really good, actually. It is very weird, and they will tell you that. I certainly know as little about my car and the engine as I’ve ever known about anything I’ve driven in my entire life, but it’s a race car, and ultimately you’re going to go out there tomorrow and try to get it better and try to go perform on Sunday. 

I think they did a great job. The steering wheel had a couple suggestions, hey, let’s put — the wheel was never going to be identical to mine, but hey, let’s put this button over here, just to try to stop me from making an error. Like for instance, their pit line speed button was right where my radio button is roughly. I certainly don’t want to hit those inadvertently. We did a few things like that, but the seat fit went really well. I thank the guys at RLL, too, like Josh. I know how hard this time is for them. But Josh and Sean Ford and those guys brought over right away, brought over my pedal faces, brought over my seat, gave them measurements for my steering wheel spacer, did a lot to make the transition a heck of a lot easier.” 

IS IT ENOUGH THAT YOU’RE GOING TO FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THE RACE?

“Yeah, I already felt comfortable there. I don’t foresee — the only thing I can’t do is change the steering wheel. So what I’m used to is going to be different than what I’m going to get. But we’ll make it work.”

I’M SURE IN PRACTICE, THE MONTH THEY HAD THAT CAR READY FOR STEF, HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO DIVE INTO SIMILARITIES BETWEEN WHAT THAT CAR HAD TO WHAT YOU LIKE? I KNOW YOU HAVEN’T BEEN ON TRACK –

“Honestly, I don’t know anything.”

IS THERE ANY INPUT YOU CAN HAVE — 

“I’ve asked some questions, but in respect to the situation, it’s not appropriate for me to push any harder. That’s why that 15 minutes was important. Yeah, I don’t necessarily need to go do a 30-minute session on my own and run around out there, but I did want to feel, how does the car turn into the corner. Some guys like it when you release the steering wheel the car naturally tracks into the corner on its own. I don’t. I’m a road racer at heart from my past, so I’ve never liked that. Some guys like it very right hand down. I remember Dan Wheldon, watching him, his steering wheel down the straight was like this, and when he’d get in the corner it was straight. That visually messed with me a lot, so I never liked that. But maybe Stef did. 

So you’re trying to understand some of that, but that’s why I think that 15 minutes right there was important, and it really all felt very similar, steering weight, caster wise, all that stuff. Very close.” 

IS THERE ANY BENEFIT TO THE FACT THAT IT IS SIMPLE BECAUSE THERE’S LESS INFORMATION AND LESS THINGS, IF THAT MAKES ANY SENSE?

“As I kind of said, in some ways it is nice that my job is to go out there and perform. I don’t have a whole lot else to do than that. Just focus on when I get in, is it comfortable for me, is it not, where is the car, how does it feel. And go race.”  

HOW INTEGRAL IS IT TO HAVE LIKE A SOLID CHASSIS FOR THE 500 BECAUSE FOR A WHILE I GATHER YOU WERE DEALING WITH A MUCH OLDER CHASSIS THAT’S DONE WELL IN THE PAST. 

“Yeah, it has done well. I was joking earlier that I’ve had like 10 drivers come up and tell me they drove this chassis, so she’s been used up a little bit. 

But the truth is, same at RLL, we’ve got chassis 23 running around out here. That thing has been running around — I think I won Mid-Ohio in 2015 in that car, and that thing has been run around for a million years.

Once you get a good one, it’s good.  

It’s a little bit different, I think, from what I’m understanding just on its strength and stuff like that, but there’s no issues at all with it. I think the guys have done an amazing job to prep that thing in a short period of time. 

As I said, tomorrow we’ll go out there and see how it is.” 

THE PIT STOP COMPETITION, DOES THAT GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THIS NEW CREW?

“For sure, and it’s very different the way that they do a lot of stuff is very different, so I’m excited for that. We were talking about it coming over here, but I’ve only ever had the sign board on my nose cone, only, for 16 years. They do it off the left front tire, which a lot of people are doing nowadays. I’ve just never done it. To get more repetition and reps with that is important. 

But it’ll be nice, and those guys have done a great job. You look at historically, I think they were in the finals three years in a row, so they do a good job, and I’m excited. First round I think we got, what, Will Power, so not an ideal pick for round one, but we’ll see how it goes.”  

DO YOU GET TO PRACTICE BEFORE TOMORROW – 

“Just practice at Carb Day. The downside, the pit stop competition for a smaller team, and again, they’ve done great, but for a Dreyer & Reinbold is — most of the other teams will use backup cars, square cambers and set up like a road course car so it’s easier to stop, easier to do stuff. Clearly we’re going to be using the race car. But there’s no problem with that. We’re excited.” 

A FEW YEARS AGO I REMEMBER SEEING YOU AND COURTNEY LEAVING A SOCIAL EVENT OVER AT DALLARA AND SHE WAS DRIVING THE VETTE, YOU WERE DRIVING THE ACURA. WILL YOU BE ABLE TO SIT IN THE SAME CAR THIS YEAR, TAKE HER CAR?

“Yeah, she said — well, my father-in-law called me right away and of course his first comment was about being a part of the Chevy family now. 

My wife is like, oh, now I can wear my Team Chevy hat. I said, look, just pause for a minute. Again, in the spirit of relationship, I’ve had a wonderful relationship with Honda for 16, 17 years. I certainly don’t see that changing.”

A TECHNICAL QUESTION. EVERYBODY HAS GOT A DALLARA. YOU REMEMBER THE YEARS DRIVERS BROUGHT THEIR SEATS WITH THEM —

“Yeah.”

DID THEY HAVE TO EXTEND YOUR WHEEL BASE? 

“No, no. No, pretty much most teams I think run long wheel base here, but we can run any really. Not a whole lot put a seat in. Dr. Trammell, who’s done amazing work, the foam inserts have to be the same in every car, and then the seat basically sits inside of that foam. They’re all very, very close. Move the pedals a little bit, get the steering wheel up and down closer to you, whatever you want, the headrest is the same minus a little pad. It’s nice.”

SO YOU HAD NO PROBLEM SWITCHING? 

“Not that. I think we had one seatbelt adjustment, just to tighten things up a little bit. That’s it.” 

YOU AND STEF BEING TALLER DRIVERS, DOES THAT GIVE YOU ANY PAUSE, THE SAFETY OF THE CAR? 

“No, it doesn’t. But right away, I knew when I saw the accident, I said to the guys on my pit stand that I was worried about his low back because unfortunately being a taller driver, as Justin Wilson once told me, being tall in this sport, you’re never going to be comfortable, and it’s true.  

I knew when I saw what happened, I was worried right away about a compression just because you lack so much support in your low back, and to get low enough or to get to where they want you in the car, you end up rounding your back a lot, pushing yourself forward, and it just creates a very weak point. But look, I don’t know that that’s ever going to change. That’s the reality of it. 

I think the position that we’re in now with the chassis, this chassis hasn’t changed in a long time. I don’t know when it will next. 

When they do another car, it would be nice if they just made our life a little bit easier and made the thing a little bit bigger because there’s no reason they can’t. But we did that back in 2007 with the Panoz. The Panoz is very roomy. Justin was the mold, and it worked well. So I’m hoping the next one, the next time around, they take that into consideration.” 

I SEE YOU’VE GOT SOME OF YOUR SPONSORS ON YOUR SUIT.  

“Yeah, United Rentals and Fifth Third Bank will be with us. I don’t know what deal Dad worked out. I’ll let him speak to that. I don’t think it was any — well, I don’t believe there was any monetary. It was more just hey, do you want Graham, and here’s what we need.

But those guys, Dad and Dennis Reinbold are pros. They’ve been in this a long time, and Don Cusick was a part of it, and it literally happened in like five minutes. I was very, very surprised. 

As I’ve said all along, I’m very grateful. I’m very grateful to Honda and to Chevrolet for making it happen because I didn’t see this — legitimately I almost didn’t answer the phone because I thought it was just going to be wasting Dennis’s time, so to be here is a big surprise.” 

IT’S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO SHINE.  

“You know, it

CONCORD, NC (May 25, 2023) – The DIRTcar Summer Nationals returns for a strong 38th season in 2023 with Summit Racing Equipment extending its sponsorship of the DIRTcar Modified Nationals and several long-term sponsors continuing their support.

The best DIRTcar Late Model drivers in the country will contest 28 races in 33 days, and the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals is set for 27 races – both starting the 2023 season at Peoria Speedway on Wednesday, June 14.

A true exemplary of loyalty, Summit Racing Equipment has been the title sponsor of the Modified Nationals since its inception in 2011 and signed a new deal to keep that partnership going for several more years.

“We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with the DIRTcar Modified Nationals for many years to come as the series is a true testament of commitment, durability and stamina,” said Jim Greenleaf, Motorsports & Events Manager at Summit Racing Equipment. “There is no other tour like it and we’re proud to help elevate it for the fans and drivers.”

Further highlighting the reverence for the DIRTcar Summer Nationals, 15 other partners who were with the Series since its inception will also continue their sponsorship this year.

–Arizona/Gotta Race

–Bassett Racing Wheel

–Beyea

–Chevy Performance

–COMP Cams

–Fast Shafts

–Fox Factory

–Hoosier

–Intercomp

–KSE

–MSD

–Racing Electronics

–Schoenfeld

–VP Racing

–Wieland

Several other partners have jumped on the Hell Tour along the way for multi-year deals, recognizing the value in the partnership. Those returning in 2023 include:

–ARP (Automotive Racing Products)

–BELL Helmets

–Firebull

–iRacing

–Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service

–MULTI Fire X

–Swift Springs

–Velocita

–Wehrs Machine

–Xceldyne

A new group of partners are set to join the DIRTcar Summer Nationals and DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modifieds this year too. CASE No.1 Engine Oil and Lifeline are joining as contingency sponsors, and Simpson Performance Products joins the Modified Nationals as a Preferred Partner.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

INDIANAPOLIS 500

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

INDYCAR MEDIA DAY TRANSCRIPT – GROUP 2

May 25, 2023

JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 CHEVROLET AT TEAM PENSKE, Indy 500 Media Availability Transcript:

“We were definitely just shy on speed. I don’t have an answer for you on why. I think we felt confident that we were going to make another step, and I think we were similar to last year in a lot of ways as far as our gapping to where we needed to be. 

So yeah, I don’t have an answer for you, but yeah, we were shy on speed. Just didn’t have it in the car.”

DID IT FEEL DIFFERENT TO PREVIOUS YEARS FOR THE RACE? 

“For the race? Yeah, I would say so. I think in race trim, the car feels like it has everything it needs to be successful. I think it feels quicker than last year’s car in race trim. That side of it, I feel really good. I think the race car is great.”

DOES IT FEEL TOO DIFFERENT FROM THE SPOT THAT YOU WERE LAST YEAR, STARTING TO WIN RACES AND BUILDING CONFIDENCE? 

“I think I feel confident in what we’re doing right now. I feel like the potential is super high, and our team, we’ve not realized the potential for the last couple events. I feel like if we’ve had five events, three of them were potential winners and we only won one of them, so we didn’t fully realize our potential up to this point, but it’s there, so that gives me a lot of confidence not only just for this weekend but for the rest of the year.”

THE NIGHT BEFORE THE RACE, DOES YOUR APPROACH CHANGE TO KEEP YOU BUSIER OR MAYBE HAVING A KID NOW KEEPS YOUR FOCUS? DOES THAT CHANGE AT ALL?

“Not really, no. Honestly, I don’t have a great answer for it. It’s not that different. My family was in Alabama, as well, and just the whole cadence or the flow up to the race day has not changed much. I feel like having the family is very similar. Very, very similar. Not a lot different.”

ARE YOU MAD (INDISCERNIBLE) DO YOU TAKE IT AS A COMPLIMENT THAT YOUR IDEA HAS BEEN SO CLOSELY FOLLOWED?

“I didn’t understand it. It felt like a layered joke that’s not fully played out is what it felt like. It also felt like a compliment, yeah. Like it was just a big Bus Bros promotion. Like should we just be thankful for that? Like we didn’t pay them to do it, so I didn’t know — I was confused by it more than anything. But maybe we owe them money. Maybe that’s what it is.”

CANAPINO HAS A GOOD PACE, BUT HE HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE PHYSICAL QUALITY, ABOUT THE TRAINING. WHY IS IT SO HARD — EXPLAIN TO THE FANS, WHY IS IT SO HARD TO DRIVE IN INDYCAR?

“They’re very physical cars. I think it’s been so impressive to see Canapino. He’s been one of the most impressive people this year. I think most people sort of wrote him off in the very beginning and said he wasn’t going to be worth anything in INDYCAR, and he’s been the exact opposite. He’s been fantastic. He’s never driven an open-wheel car from what I understand up until this year, so that’s one of the most impressive drivers I’ve ever seen, but physically very different to what he’s used to. He’s used to sort of a touring or a sports car which I’m assuming has power steering, which is very different to an INDYCAR. INDYCAR has no power steering, has a lot more downforce, so the physical loading that you’re susceptible to is probably twice whatever he was used to in the past. Just being able to drive the car at a high level and also physically being able to get used to it is a huge challenge, and for someone like Canapino, I’m so impressed, crazy impressed.”

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THE TRAINING OF YOUR BODY IN THE FIRST THREE OR FOUR MONTHS WHEN YOU ARRIVED TO INDYCAR? YOU RACED IN INDY LIGHTS —

“Yeah, in INDYCAR you have to get used to the amount of physical loading that the car is going to give you because it has so much downforce, it takes multiple races to get used to trusting how much load the car can make and actually using it. It’s one thing to feel the load, but then to keep going and driving through it is a totally different deal. A lot of people normally back off.

I think that’s what you feel when you first drive an INDYCAR, and to be able to get used to it so quickly is impressive.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR PARENTS, HOW THEY HANDLE YOU BEING A DRIVER, AND DO THEY SAY ANYTHING TO YOU BEFORE THE RACE THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH US? 

“I can only imagine that they feel nervous when I race. Not having a son, I would feel the same way if my son was racing. I think if anything they’re just happy that I’m doing what I love, and they encourage me to be happy and content doing my passion.  

So yeah, they just try and — they’re just very supportive, very, very supportive parents. They don’t overstep. They’re not in my way at all. They’re here to enjoy and hope for the best. At the end of the day I think they always have concerns when I’m out there, but that’s racing. There’s always going to be a little risk there.” 

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR TIRES? DID YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEM DURING PRACTICE, AND HOW IS THE RACE GOING TO BE?

“I didn’t have any big problems in practice, but Monday was tougher because the track temp was so high. I think the track temp is going to decide the complexity of the race. If it’s a cooler track temp, I think it’ll be a lot more congested, the field is going to be a lot tighter. If it’s as hot as it was on Monday at 125 degrees, you’re going to have more tire dropoff, and that’s not necessarily one axle or the other. I think it depends on the car. Some people are going to wear out rear tires, some are going to wear out fronts, but it will potentially string the field out a little bit more. 

So we’ll have to see. I haven’t had any big problems. I was pretty happy with my tire degradation on Monday. I wasn’t happy with the balance of the car, but had I degradation was very good. 

So if it’s a hot day or if it’s a cool day, I don’t mind, but it will change the race depending on what you get.”

THAT MAKES EVERYBODY COME INTO THE PITS EARLIER THAN — 

“I don’t think so. I think everyone — if other people were telling you that, that’s a surprise. I didn’t realize it was that bad for some others. Man, maybe it should be hot then because we could go a whole stint no problem.”

IT LEADS TO UNDERCUTTING AND (INDISCERNIBLE) — 

“It normally doesn’t. Typically the overcut is stronger here. I mean, never say never; we’re always ready to change on the fly if something is looking better, but typically the overcut is stronger here. If you can have good degradation on your tires and you can burn the fuel in the car and then run fast at the end — typically that’s what happens. If you have good degradation, once the fuel burns off, the car can run much quicker flat out catching the tow, so you typically want to go as far as you can and get the overcut advantage. That’s been historically better here. I think that’ll still be the same unless something peculiar happens.”

DO YOU THINK THAT PASSING WILL BE HARD IN THE RACE? 

“It depends on the temperature. Yeah. Like if it’s 100 degrees track temp it’s going to be pretty easy to pass. But if it’s 125 like last Monday — it’s not that it’s hard to pass, but it will be tougher. It won’t be as easy as maybe people thought.”

I ONCE ASKED TONY KANAAN, AFTER HIS HEARTBREAKS, DOES THIS PLACE OWE YOU ONE, AND OF COURSE HE HAD A CLASSIC ANSWER: NO, INDY DON’T OWE ANYBODY ANYTHING. DO YOU HAVE THE SAME APPROACH?

“Oh, 100 percent. 100 percent. This place doesn’t owe anybody anything.”

WHAT HAVE YOU FIGURED OUT ABOUT THIS PLACE THAT HAS TO HAPPEN SUNDAY BESIDES FITNESS FIRST? WHAT IS IT THAT’S THE MAGIC?

“I’d like to think I understand the process of it. I know what needs to be done. We were on our way to doing that last year.

It’s sort of the same simple ingredients. You have to have a good consistent car. You’ve got to make good decisions, pit stops got to be excellent, can’t have any mistakes, and then it’s building to be in the conversation on that last stint. You put yourself in position, and then when it comes down to executing, you’ve got to execute if you’ve given yourself an opportunity. That’s sort of how it flows. 

I’ve had that a couple times. I’ve been in that conversation I would say twice, and then there’s a couple other years where we probably could have been in the conversation, but for one reason or the other we just weren’t. 

But it’s the same formula, and you’ve just got to keep trying. You’ve got to keep trying.”

IT FEELS LIKE YOU ARE GETTING SOMETHING ABOUT THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A RACE. DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT’S A THING OF PROCESS, THAT YOU HAVE TO DO THAT IN ORDER TO WIN A RACE, OR IT’S JUST FLOWING IN THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THE TRACK?

“No, I find it very much to be a process. There’s a way that you construct the race that can realize a victory. It’s not always the same thing. Also you can have a plan for what that construction is going to look like, and then maybe it’s got to change midway through the race because things are different than what you maybe proscribed them to be, but for me it’s very much a process, and I love that. I love that it takes putting it all together to realize victory, and that’s not just here at Indy but every race. Every race Sunday you’ve got to put everything together and construct it, and to me that’s the most fun challenge.”

WILL POWER, NO. 12 CHEVROLET AT TEAM PENSKE, Indy 500 Media Availability Transcript:

HOW DO YOU FEEL AROUND YOUR RACECAR FOR SUNDAY AND WILL THERE BE PASSING?

“I think there will be a lot of passing. The aero bits that they’ve allowed teams to have on the floor have made a big difference. They are very efficient bits, so everyone is running them. Provides quite a chunk of downforce, so, for me, the last 20 laps will be just back and forth. That will be the case all race; at the beginning there will be people sitting back and saving fuel, but you can pass a lot easier. The tires do degrade, some do get vibrations so that will play into the fact that some cars will be good, some with be bad, some will come through and some will go back. I think it’s a good package.”

COMPARED TO THE LAST FEW YEARS, DO YOU THINK YOUR ODDS LOOK MORE FAVORABLE?

“The car is good. When I look through the field, there are so many good drivers and cars. You have to spend that first half trying not to make any mistakes, get in a good position with pit stops and see where you stack up. My car in particular, I feel really good about so far.”

DO YOU THINK ABOUT HOW THE RACE MAY GO, ANTICIPATE WHAT TO EXPECT?“

I do. It’s just natural to think about how the race will play out at the end. I just envision it’s going to be a back and forth, back and forth dogfight. It’s hard to envision how is it going to be, how are you going to pass someone coming to the white, how is that going to play out?”

WOULD YOU RATHER BE LEADING GOING INTO THE WHITE FLAG?

“The way I feel, if you’re leading at the white flag, the guy will get you on the backstraight. The question is would you get him back by the line. So where do you place yourself? What do you do? It’s a tough one.”

WILL WINNING HERE ON SUNDAY BE EVEN MORE GRATIFYING WITH THE CHALLENGES YOU’VE HAD PERSONALLY?“

I just think it’s the pressure of this event and the lead-up to it. My wife has certainly had a rough time. I feel like we’re lucky honestly. Some people have had it way worse. Luck that she’s recovered well and I feel fortunate in that respect. I try to switch all that stuff out when I’m in the car anyway. I think it will be emotional for all the reasons this race is. It’s so big and means so much.”

IS THERE ANY INTERNAL COMPETITION BETWEEN YOU THREE TO GIVE THE BOSS HIS FIRST INDY 500 WIN SINCE HE’S HAD THE KEYS TO THIS PLACE?

“You kidding me? We all want to beat each other badly; probably more than anyone else in the field. If the other two say otherwise, they’re lying. I would be happy for Roger (Penske) though to get a win if it wasn’t from me.”

WHY IS IT THAT DRIVERS ALWAYS WANT TO BEAT THEIR TEAMMATES? BRAGGING RIGHTS?

“The reason drivers want to beat their teammate is they have exactly the same equipment that you have and you are judged off that. But it’s probably a bit more than that. Obviously, it’s always hierarchy. Who’s on top in the team. It’s ingrained in us. That’s why we’re competing.”

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET AT TEAM PENSKE, Indy 500 Media Availability Transcript:

WHAT ARE YOUR EMOTIONS LIKE ON RACE MORNING FOR THIS RACE WITH ALL THE FANS HERE?

“It’s exciting.  It is the one race of the year where it’s like….its our Super Bowl and that is the analogy that everybody uses, but that is exactly what it feels like. When you walk out through Gasoline Alley it’s like a stadium and it’s such a cool feel. Driving the car, you can see people, you can’t really hear them.  But Indy is one of those places where you can feel the energy of the crowd, you can hear them before you get in the car, and then you are in the car, and they sing ‘Back Home Again in Indiana’ and its pretty awesome. It’s definitely one of the most emotional pre-race grids. For me, I have said this a number of times, I am a guy that wants to be a U.S. citizen, and my wife a U.S. citizen, and I find it a very patriotic day. It’s quite emotional and I love that. I enjoy that. So, it’s an awesome thing.”

HOW MANY LAPS DOES IT TAKE HERE TO KIND OF SETTLE IN AND SAY TO YOURSELF, OKAY, IT’S JUST ANOTHER RACE?

“Yeah, the first stint takes some time to get used to and learn some stuff, but once you get going and go through the motions, it definitely takes some time for the nerves and anticipation to wear off. Basically, on the first lap you have got to really get a lot of that out of your system or you can find yourself in trouble.”

IS CHEVY A LITTLE CLOSER THIS YEAR THAN IN THE PAST?

“I don’t think we have been far away the last couple of years, I think it’s just been a couple of little things that the teams have done specifically. But I definitely think that Chevy has upped their game, for sure. Especially on the oval side, it has been noticeable for sure.  That definitely makes you feel good to be in a Chevy for sure.”

IS IT TRUE THAT IT TAKES THREE TO FOUR MONTHS TO TRAIN YOUR BODY TO RACE IN INDYCAR?

“Yeah, it’s difficult. I feel like it’s only been this year that I felt like I am fit enough to race in INDYCAR. Your body takes some time to get used to it, your neck exercises, and your shoulders. I definitely feel better than I ever have in INDYCAR, but it does take time.”

WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THE FANS IN NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRAILIA WHEN YOU RACE?

“A lot of Kiwis and New Zealanders are getting up and watching the race. In New Zealand, its early for them. It’s like 5 am and 7 am where they get up and watch on a Monday morning. They love it. Particularly not only with me, but with Scott Dixon and Marcus Armstrong.  For a country that only has 5 to 10 million people, we definitely punch above our weight for sure.”

DO YOU THINK NOW AFTER A COUPLE OF INDY 500S THAT YOU NOW HAVE IT FIGURED OUT AS FAR AS THE MENTAL GAME?

“Yeah, for sure. I understand the cadence of the race a lot more and that is a big deal for me. That’s something that I have had to learn as it’s gone on. I am very grateful, and touch wood so it doesn’t happen again, but I am grateful that I have crashed. Because I think having to feel how the car talks to me before, I didn’t realize how close I was to the limit before I crashed last year. It sounds stupid, but it legitimately is a thing. So, I am in a good spot in that regard.”

YOUR LIVERY IS PROBABLY THE MOST EPIC AT THIS PLACE, RIGHT DOWN TO THE HELMET. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH RICK MEARS HAS INFLUENCED AND IMPACTED YOUR CAREER?

“He has been a huge influence.  Particularly on ovals. But it’s a very proud moment for me to run that livery and it would mean the most in my career if I could bring that scheme, that livery, and that helmet to victory lane.  Again, not only for Rick, but for Roger (Penske) too. And for Rick, although he has been out of the saddle for a long time now, he is still someone that you can talk to about lines and the way the race develops and where I am going with the race car. It’s a lot of fun doing that, and I cherish it because he is a legend and he is a guy that is stuck in the garage because if he moves outside he is swamped because he is a celebrity basically.  To have that guy just a text away or a phone call away is pretty awesome.”

PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 CHEVROLET AT ARROW MCLAREN INDYCAR, Indy 500 Media Availability Transcript:

CAN YOU GO THROUGH WHAT YOUR EXPECTATIONS ARE FOR THE RACE ON SUNDAY?

“I’m looking forward to a dogfight. I think the race is going to be tougher than ever. There’s a lot of very competitive race cars. We hope to be one of them and have a shot in it at the end.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT MAKES YOU GO SO WELL AT OVAL RACING IN GENERAL? IS THERE SOMETHING YOU DO DIFFERENTLY THAN OTHER GUYS? 

“Comfort, I guess. You’ve got to be comfortable in ovals. You’ve just got to work really hard with the engineer and understand each other. They’ve got to know what you like and what you need from the race car to extract everything out of it.”

YOU’VE BEEN KNOCKING AT THE DOOR ALL SEASON TRYING TO GET THAT FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON, OBVIOUSLY FIGHTING FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP. WHAT MAKES YOU DETERMINED OR HUNGRY KNOWING THAT YOU’VE COME CLOSE AND YOU HAVE A GOOD CHANCE AT WINNING THAT 500, THAT WOULD BE NOT JUST BIG FOR YOU BUT FOR THE WHOLE COUNTRY? 

“Oh, it would be one of the proudest moments of my life to be able to give this very special team at Arrow McLaren their first 500 win. I’d love to be the one that gives them that. 

We’ve been on this journey for four years now, and we just keep on building. 

I READ A STORY WHERE YOU WANTED ZAK’S WATCH BUT THEN LOOKED UP THE PRICE —

“Well, why do you think it’s a bet, bro? Yeah, beautiful watch, and he’s just got it. He walked in the engineering office, showed that thing off, and I was like, dude, you shouldn’t have done that.”

I UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU GO TO TEXAS YOU’VE GOT A GROUP OF FANS, BUT EVEN ONE-ON-ONE YOU’RE VERY INTERACTIVE WITH PEOPLE TRYING TO BUILD THAT FAN BASE. WHY DO YOU WANT TO INVEST IN FANS ON THAT LEVEL?

“You know, I just — we’re humans, like everybody else. We’re not freaks of nature. We’re just another human being. When people are around and they might be your fan — like I’m a fan. I’m a fan of many people. 

You definitely leave the situation a lot different if you had like just a couple of exchange of words with your favorite race car driver or rider or whatever it might be versus if you don’t. You might leave kind of like, oh, kinda bummed. You can make someone’s year by two minutes.  

So I just try — I treat people like I’d like to be treated. I can have a bad day just like anybody else. It’s impossible to be on all the time. 

But I try and do so as much as I can.”  

EVERY MONTH OF MAY, EVEN THOUGH THE FIELD IS SO TIGHT, THERE’S ALWAYS ONE DRIVER THAT SEEMS TO SEPARATE A LITTLE BIT AND ALL YOU GUYS KIND OF RECOGNIZE HIM AS THAT’S THE GUY THAT’S IN A SWEET SPOT. ROSSI JUST SAID YOU’RE THAT GUY. 

“Really?”

IF YOU ARE DON’T THINK YOU’RE THAT GUY, WHO DO YOU THINK IS?

“I don’t like to get too ahead of myself. I’m trying to make my race car the best it can be in traffic and be comfortable. Everybody saw what can happen when I’m comfortable in a race car in Texas. That’s the best thing I can do for myself.

On race day, we’ll see what we’ve got.”

WHO WOULD YOU PUT IN THAT SWEET SPOT? 

“I’m focused on my stuff right now. I haven’t really paid attention too much on other people.”

IF YOU’RE IN CONTENTION FOR FIRST LIKE LAST YEAR, ARE YOU JUST GOING TO SEND IT?

“Yeah, we’ve got a sixth, a fourth and a second, so there’s really no other — there’s not another spot to get.”

WHAT IS IT ABOUT ARROW MCLAREN THAT’S MADE YOU GUYS SO CONSISTENT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS? HAVE YOUR CARS JUST BEEN SO GOOD AT SPEEDWAYS?

“Ever since I joined the team, we have a very strong oval package, not just superspeedways but short ovals. Indy is a different beast in itself. The closest to Indy would probably be Texas, but it’s not. They’re two very different animals.  

But we have had a lot of success. I’ve had very strong results at all the ovals. 

I don’t know what it is. I just think the car is good. Like the car, the package that we have has been good ever since I’ve joined, and I just keep molding it a little bit to what I like, and we keep getting stronger and stronger.” 

WHAT’S GOING TO BE THE PRISTINE CONDITION FOR YOU TO KNOW THE CAR IS GOING TO BE UP — SOME PEOPLE PREFER WARMER CONDITIONS AND WARMER GRIP ON THE TRACK?

“I want a good car in traffic. That’s what I want. I don’t care if it’s hot or cold.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL MENTALLY GOING INTO THE RACE? I KNOW THIS YEAR HAS BEEN QUITE — MAYBE DIFFICULT IS NOT THE RIGHT WORD, BUT IT’S BEEN A LONG YEAR, AND MAYBE YOU’VE HAD TO HAVE A THINK ABOUT THIS ONE, AND YOUR MENTAL APPROACH GOING IN?

“We’re flowing, man. I feel so much better now that you’re here. (Laughter).

But there’s so much stuff that leads up to the race, and it’s like, damn, the race is next. Well, Carb Day is next, then it’s the race. But we’re right there. We’re four days away. 

We don’t have to change much of what we’ve done. We just have to run our own race, focus on our things, and have a shot at it in the end. That’s ultimately what we want. That’s the position that you want to put yourself in and have a fast enough race car to get it.” 

FELIX ROSENQVIST, NO. 6 CHEVROLET AT ARROW MCLAREN INDYCAR, Indy 500 Media Availability Transcript:

“Was really exceptional in that regard last year, but it’s also been closer this year, but I think we’re one of the better ones for sure in our team. But I don’t see any outliers out there. 

I feel we all at Arrow McLaren look good, all Ganassis look good, I think the Penskes look really good. There’s some random selected ones on top of that. There’s a lot of good drivers, and getting it right on the day is also the biggest thing. Yeah, we’ll see.”

DOES THIS PUT MORE PRESSURE, MOTIVATION?  

“I mean, I think we know that we have a good shot. We have an awesome starting position. We have a good car, good engine.”

So you know that those chances — if you look at Penske, for example, they’ve had a lot of years that they know pretty much that they can’t win the race. Things can always happen. But they haven’t had the perfect opportunity, and I feel like we have that. Obviously going to grab that opportunity with both hands, and you just have to be 110 percent on race day, and then if the luck and everything is with you, it is, and if it’s not, you have to try again next year.”

WHAT YOU LEARNED ABOUT THAT FINAL STINT LAST YEAR, WHAT WAS THE MAIN LESSON FOR YOU?

“I think it was good experience to be up front because you never really know what that’s like until you’re there, and we spent half the race last year in the top 3 and ultimately leading the final stint after the pit sequence. 

I think the lesson there was if you want to win the race, you need a car that is quick in clean air, not only in traffic because as soon as you’re leading you just get passed again, and that’s kind of what happened to us. You learn also that the further up you go, man, the harder it is to stay — like it’s just more competitive. The drivers are better, the cars are better, and to hang on to that position gets multiplied very quickly like how difficult it is.

But it was an awesome experience for both me and Pato, and I feel like that really gained us more confidence going into this year.”

IS IT SAFE TO SAY THAT LAST YEAR IS WHEN YOU MADE THE MOST GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT ON WHAT IT’S GOING TO TAKE TO GET THE JOB DONE IN THE INDY 500 VERSUS YOUR OTHER STARTS HERE?

“For sure. I think every year you come here you learn so much, but last year was the first time I came here and we executed pretty much a perfect race, good pit stops, mega car. I felt confident. I was right in the window balance where you need to be to pass other cars and to be sporty.

That’s the most important thing to have in the pack, like how did that feel and how can you take it even further.

Yeah, that’s invaluable for sure, that experience.”

THIS IS THE THIRD YEAR WITH MCLAREN. FEELS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE REALLY ON A HIGH RIGHT NOW. IS THIS THE BEST IT’S FELT WITH MCLAREN SO FAR GOING INTO RACE DAY ON SUNDAY, ACROSS THE BOARD FOR THE WHOLE TEAM?

“Yes, I think for sure. I think honestly, we’ve always had a really good race car here. Even the first year I was with the team, we had I’d say probably a top-5 car. 

But yeah, I feel like we just have the whole package in a different way. Obviously we’re starting higher, which makes it easier. We have our pit crews are better. I think Chevy has brought their A game this year, which is awesome. It’s just all the little details working a little bit more in our favor, so I think would be fair to have a bit more confidence going into this one. 

But at the same time, everyone else is just better, as well, because the whole series is going like this. It’s not only our team. Maybe we’ve been growing quicker and we’ve become a bit better more rapidly than some other teams, but man, we’re still fighting against some giants, and they will not be easy to take on race day.”

WHEN YOU CAME HERE IN 2019, FAST FORWARD TO NOW, DID YOU EVER THINK, TELLING YOURSELF IN 2019 THAT YOU WOULD HAVE FELT BITTERSWEET, DISAPPOINTED THAT YOU’D BE ON THE FRONT ROW A FEW YEARS LATER, GOING 233 MILES PER HOUR AROUND THIS PLACE?

“Yes and no. I think we’re all the same. When you have the opportunity, you always feel a bit disappointed if you don’t get it. It doesn’t matter which team, what the circumstances are. If you have the chance to grab the pole or a win, you’re always going to be a bit bummed if you don’t get it.  

But yeah, it’s a good problem to have. It’s awesome. That’s kind of where we’ve gone as a team now, as well, where a couple of years ago we were stoked when we had podiums and top 5, and now it’s like we’re pretty disappointed when we’re not winning or on pole between our teammates.  

I feel also we are one of the teams that always seem to have at least one bullet at the front in every race, so yeah, hopefully will be one of us taking it home.” 

WITH THE ARROW MCLAREN BEING ONE OF THE HOTTEST SEATS IN THE SERIES RIGHT NOW, THERE’S A LOT OF COMPETITION FOR IT. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO CONTINUE TO GET GOOD RESULTS EVERY WEEK JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU STAY IN THE SPOT THAT YOU’RE IN?  

“I mean, you always have to deliver, no matter where you are. I don’t think anyone is sitting coasting and collecting in INDYCAR. You have to fight for it every weekend. 

I don’t really — I feel like a lot of people ask me that, like do you feel like you need to prove yourself. Yes and no, I think. I think I need maybe some good results. We feel like they’re coming. We’ve been on the front row three times this year, on the GP, in Texas and here.  

It’s really coming together well. But yeah, you need the results to back it up. I feel like the rest of the season is looking pretty bright for us. So I’m not really worried about it, I just try to jump in the car and do my thing, and everything else will work itself out.” 

OUTSIDE OF THE FRONT ROW GOING INTO TURN 1, GREEN FLAG WAVES, IT GETS TIGHT IN TURN 1, ARE YOU GOING TO TALK TO ALEX AND RINUS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MANAGE THE START A LITTLE BIT? 

“We’re going to have a meeting tomorrow with Kyle Novak, our race director, and he’ll kind of go through what he expects from us. Obviously, we’re racing, but I think we’ll maybe have a better idea at that point. 

I haven’t really planned out yet what I’m trying to do, but it’s pretty nice to be on the outside because the first lap if it gets swept you can clearly use the outside. It’s almost better to be there than in the middle where you can get pinched between two cars, so I’m pretty happy where I’m at, and if I come out in P1 or P3 or P4, it’s all going to be pretty irrelevant, I think.” 

YEARS PAST YOU KIND OF WANTED TO HIT A FUEL NUMBER, KIND OF RIDE IN, BUT IT’S ALSO EASIER TO PASS UP FRONT. DO YOU PLAY THE CAT-AND-MOUSE GAME OF SWAPPING? DO YOU SETTLE IN? WHAT’S YOUR PHILOSOPHY ON THAT?

“I think you get a feel for it. I think you have to try a little bit what it’s like to lead. You have to feel the car out because that’s a problem if you’re just leading. Eventually you’ll end up lapping cars or be in traffic after a pit sequence, and then you need the car to be sharp when you’re like five or ten cars back. 

I think my plan will probably be to feel — if you can, feel the car out as much as possible, try to get an idea exactly where you want your tools to be, leading and not leading, and you just have to feel it out. You never really know what people have until race day, and for sure there will be some insanely strong cars out there. Yeah, just trying to get an idea how you can get around them.”

DOUG SAID THIS MORNING WE’RE PROBABLY ABOUT 5,000 TICKETS FROM THIS PLACE BEING SOLD OUT. EVERY DAY YOU CAN FEEL THE MOMENTUM BUILDING, MORE AND MORE BIGGER CROWDS. DO YOU FEEL THAT AS A DRIVER? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS GOING INTO ALMOST A SOLD-OUT RACE ON SUNDAY? 

“Yeah, I feel like we’ve felt it everywhere this year, before the 500 even. The GP was really impressive to see. I think that was definitely the highest numbers I’ve seen since I came over here, and also during practice and qualifying, it’s been — yeah, there’s a lot of people around.  

That’s fun to see. It’s on an upward trajectory, the whole series, the race. I think what they’re doing with the whole “100 Days to Indy” is awesome and everything is just pointing in the right direction for the series, so we’re glad to be part of it, and it makes these races way more special. 

CORRECT ME IF I’M WRONG, BUT AFTER THE PARADE ON SATURDAY, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’RE DOING PROMOTION-WISE OR IS THAT IT FOR YOU FOR THE WEEK?

“We have some little stuff like meets-and-greets, partner things, but we try to have a pretty chill race day because if you haven’t noticed, as a team we’re doing quite a lot of activation on the side. So yeah, race day is pretty sacred for us, and we just try to eat, sleep, hang out with the family maybe and just take it easy.”

LIKE SATURDAY NIGHT, DO YOU TRY AND SETTLE DOWN FROM EVERYTHING THAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN THE NEXT DAY, OR WHAT’S THE PROCEDURE OF JUST TRYING TO CHILL OUT A LITTLE BIT?

“Yeah, I mean, I stay here at the track. Normally I go home, but I just try to avoid the traffic, so I’ll stay here on race day, just kind of try to isolate yourself a bit from the race, not think too much about it, watch a movie, eat something good. Yeah, it’s simple really. There’s no magic to it, you just have to sleep, and that’s it.”

ALL DUE RESPECT TO THE PENSKE GUYS, A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THIS IS A MCLAREN-VERSUS-GANASSI SHOWDOWN. IS IT IN YOUR EYES, AND IS THERE A RIVALRY THAT’S STARTING BETWEEN YOU TWO? 

“I think it’s too early to say if there’s a Penske and McLaren battle right now. Penske is Penske, and they won the championship recently, and they’re always strong. We’re getting there. We’re getting closer. I think that’s been consistent. We’re crawling closer and closer to being up there every race, and I think that’s the right trajectory. There’s no magic to it. It’s just hard work, and yeah, step by step, I think we’ll be there.”

ALEXANDER ROSSI, NO. 7 CHEVROLET AT ARROW MCLAREN INDYCAR, Indy 500 Media Availability Transcript:

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR SUNDAY?

“The racecar is great and the team has had an amazing month so far. I’m excited about Sunday. I don’t know if you can predict anything at IMS and the Indy 500, but certainly I think we have an amazing shot with four very good racecars. We’ll just have to go through the process and see if Sunday is our day.”

ARE THERE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT AND ARROW MCLAREN IN APPROACH TO THE SEASON?

“There are probably more similarities than there are differences. I came from a very good team and joined a very good team. The one thing that Arrow McLaren kind of prides itself on is the atmosphere and the people that are there are excited every day to show up and for the opportunity to compete, to win races and fight for pole positions. It is an amazing team dynamic inside the garage, outside the garage and everyone is just pumped to wear papaya and represent the team the best way we can.”

YOU HAVE RECENT EXPERIENCE OF A CHEVY ENGINE VERSUS A HONDA AROUND IMS. ARE THERE DIFFERENCES?

“There are certainly differences and I think that’s been a positive thing that myself and Tony (Kanaan) have been able to bring to the table when talking to Chevy and the team. We can clearly point out strengths and weaknesses of the package and work to improve it to make it better. So, I think that’s been a good asset this month and certainly for the rest of the year.” 

WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE THIS MONTH WORKING WITH TONY KANAAN?

“It’s been great. Tony is an amazing person, a fantastic racecar driver, a wonderful person and great ambassador for the sport. He’s a legend at this place. He and Helio (Castroneves) are the two that command the loudest ovations, so to share in his proverbial last 500 is pretty awesome and we’ve been enjoying it. He’s been ingrained with the team since St. Pete and he has really helped with everyone sort of merging together as a cohesive unit with three full-time cars. So he’s played a big role in that and now he’s on track with us for the past couple of weeks as well. It’s been an honor and he’ll be around for quite some time with the organization. To share his last 500 with him has been an honor.”

IN 2016, DID IT HIT YOU AS YOU WERE LEAVING THE TRACK THAT YOU WON THE INDY 500?

“For me, I think it came when I came back in 2017. When I came in in 2016, no one knew who I was – nor should they known who I was – and I was this invisible person who wound up somehow winning the race. And coming back in 2017 as the defending winner was a very different experience. That’s when it hit me the magnitude of winning this race and what it can do for a driver’s career. Hopefully we can add to that resume.”

WHAT ARE THREE WORDS YOU WOULD USE TO DESCRIBE THE INDIANAPOLIS 500?

“It’s not three words, but it’s the best race in the world and there’s nothing like it.”

TONY KANAAN, NO. 66 CHEVROLET AT ARROW MCLAREN INDYCAR, Indy 500 Media Availability Transcript:

A LOT OF GREAT MEMORIES FROM HIS INDY 500 WIN.

“It’s funny because it was the best experience of my life. The other day, for some reason, I watched the podium. Roger never actually told me but they changed the podium procedure after my win because it was a mess! You guys probably don’t know this, but we had to drink two milks because I spilled the milk before it was time because someone gave it to me! I was impressed with how many people I hugged that I have no idea who they were! And I still don’t! That’s what stands out the most.”

HOW TRICKY WILL IT BE MANAGING YOUR EMOTIONS SUNDAY?

“It’s going to be a mess. It will stop when I put my helmet on but up until then, I’m going to be a wreck, for sure. From the green room to the driver intros… It’s one of the times that I’ve enjoyed the most in the past. I just know… your nerves are up there. Every single driver that is in that green room, we’re ready to go. We’ve done all this, and the emotions are high. Then you’re going to add that this is the last one and everybody is trying to make it feel good. I’m going to have to drink a couple of extra bottles of water. That’s how much crying I’m going to do.”

IT’LL ALSO BE THE LAST TIME SHARING THE TRACK WITH HELIO (CASTRONEVES)…

“In INDYCAR. We have other plans (laughs). It will be the last time we are sharing the track with a lot of these guys. But that is not a sad thing. That was my decision. I’m not leaving because I couldn’t find a job. The most asked question I got… and if you ask (Scott) Dixon and some of those guys, they still say yes I’m coming back. I’m going out on my own terms.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS OF STAYING IN INDYCAR IN SOME CAPACITY AS A DRIVER COACH OR BROADCASTER?

“I don’t think I’d be a good coach, to be honest. I think Dario (Franchitti) has a much better approach. But yes, I’ve been coming to all the races with Arrow McLaren this year. I have the intentions of continuing doing that. We haven’t talked. The deal with Zak and the team, Gavin (Ward, Racing Director) was like, ‘Let’s go try to win this thing. On Monday.’ I said not on Monday. Next Wednesday after we win the race and we do all the media, we’ll talk about the future. But I have no intentions of leaving INDYCAR in any way shape or form. This is where I belong.”

ON PAST COMPETITORS AND THE SUPPORT SYSTEM IN PLACE.

“You talk about every era. I think mine is an end of an era if you put names together of people who I’ve raced. I was part of Bobby Rahal’s last year. When Michael (Andretti) retired, I was the guy he chose to replace him. Look at the teams that I’ve raced for. I’ve raced for Andretti. I’ve raced for Foyt. I raced for Ganassi. Now for Arrow McLaren. Somebody told me that if I lead a lap this weekend, I’ll be the only driver who has led laps for seven different teams here. Back to the drivers, you look at the legacy of those guys. I feel very honored. It wasn’t a very easy era.”

A FAVORITE INDY 500 TRADITION?

“I think the parade is probably one of the things that I enjoy the most. I get yelled at all the time when I get out of the car and jump out of the car and hug people. Every year they tell me I can’t do that. So this year, who cares? What are they going to do? Fire me? (laughs)”

INAUDIBLE.

“I decided it was the final time three years ago. And we came back here and there was nobody in the stands. I’m like, ‘I can’t do that.’ So we worked really hard and Jimmie (Johnson) and I got together and Jimmie is like, ‘I cannot do only one year. Can we do two?’ I said, ‘Jimmie, we are going to do one year, we’re going to share a car, you’re going to come watch the Indy 500 and the next year you’re going to kick me out of the car.’ Sure enough… he didn’t kick me out of the car but we raced together. Chip (Ganassi) made an extra car and I was fine. Last year, I didn’t mention anything. I finished the race and I was convinced it was my last one. I was done. I was not going to announce because I’m tired of Dario, Dixon and all of them making fun of me saying, ‘Hey, do you think you’re Tom Brady?’ And then Zak called. Racing is about performance. A team like this, with the history that they have, they finished second and fourth (in 2022)… I know I still have it. I’m not giving up because I don’t think I have it. I just proved it again. I was like, ‘OK, I’m not going to say no.’ But this will be the last time. Honestly when I announced, I couldn’t celebrate with anyone. You what I think will be fun for me, fun for my kids, fun for my family, I have 70 friends coming from Brazil just to watch this.”

DID ANYONE TRY TO TALK YOU OUT OF IT?

“Everybody including my wife. But it was good enough that we announced Kyle Larson on the car next year. Unless Mr. (Rick) Hendrick tells him he can’t and I need to sub. Then it won’t be my fault!”

DID YOU HAVE ANY SECOND THOUGHTS?

“No. My point is if I’m going to be back here, I wanted to be back here in a competitive car. No disrespect to a bunch of the teams, but some of the teams are not. To be back and just to be a number and suffer through it and go away like that, I didn’t want to. Chip gave me an opportunity. Zak came. If Roger (Penske) called next year, I don’t know what I’d do! But it’s not going to happen. I’ve been around long enough that I know the opportunities are coming less and less.”

YOUR LAST RACE…HOW ARE YOU GOING TO RACE?

“Like it’s the last race of my life! I’m going to leave it all out there. That’s the intention. The start, I don’t know. But if the opportunity is there, we will do a Tony Kanaan start, for sure. I’m going to race like I have no friends. I’ll apologize later.”

ON THE AERO CHANGES FOR THIS YEAR.

“We added more. I’m not sure if it’s going to be a better race. But what are we going to call a better race? It’s a matter of opinion. They call a lot of the races between 2013 and 2015 the best race because you had a lot of passes and this and that. I don’t think that’s going to happen this year. It will be more strategy. But it’s more difficult. It was a lot more unpredictable in the past. But I think those changes are the right changes. The cars are more where we can race closer, but by racing closer doesn’t mean you can pass all the time.”

THE NAME SENNA IS SYNONYMOUS WITH EXCELLENCE. AS A YOUNG MAN GROWING UP IN BRAZIL AND GOING INTO A RACING CAREER OF YOUR OWN…

“Nowadays, Formula One is more popular in America. I came here 25 years ago, and me, Rubens (Barrichello) and (Michael) Schumacher were walking in Orlando and someone stopped the two of them and gave them a camera to take a picture with me because they had no clue! It was the coolest thing that had ever happened to me!

“For me, it’s even more special. I had the history with Senna. When I was in Europe in my last year, I was out of job in Hockenheim and we were racing at the same weekend at Formula One. He went to my boss at the time and basically told my boss that I was better than him and that I should be able to finish the championship. That same guy gave me a job for two more years. It’s not just the history. It’s not just McLaren and Senna – me growing up and seeing him winning three championships in that Marlboro car. It is what he did for me. He was my hero. I had the pleasure to meet my hero, and my hero changed my life.”