Category Archives: Uncategorized

JUSTIN ASHLEY EARNS DELAYED EPPING VICTORY

June 12, 2023 ARP Trish

Torrence, Capps lead Toyota in qualifying

BRISTON, TENN (June 10, 2023) – Justin Ashley’s continued strong performance at the starting line came in clutch as the New York-native delivered a hole-shot victory over Top Fuel legend Tony Schumacher in the rain-delayed New England Nationals. Ashley defeated Canadian Dan Mercier in the first round that was ran on Friday, before besting Brittany Force, Team Toyota teammate Steve Torrence and Schumacher on Saturday. It is Ashley’s third win of the season, and helps Toyota get ever closer to the 200-win mark as Ashley’s victory is Toyota’s 197th NHRA win.

In Bristol qualifying, Torrence, Ashley and Doug Kalitta all will pick their lanes in the first round of eliminations that will now begin at 10am local time.

In Funny Car action, J.R. Todd earned his first semi-final round appearance since advancing to the final round in Gainesville. Todd defeated Cruz Pedregon and points leader Matt Hagan before coming up just short of John Force in the semi-finals. Todd qualified seventh for Sunday’s Bristol eliminations. Ron Capps (second) and Alexis DeJoria (fifth) also will have lane choice in the first round tomorrow.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series

Bristol Dragway

Race 8 of 21

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
Leah Pruett*	Rush Truck Center Top Fuel Dragster	1st (3.745)	S. Massey
Steve Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	3rd (3.753)	S. Langdon
Justin Ashley	Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	4th (3.755)	D. Foley
Doug Kalitta	Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	6th (3.764)	C. Millican
Shawn Langdon	Bounty Hunter Kalitta Air Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	14th (3.842)	S. Torrence
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	15th (3.907)	B. Force

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
Robert Hight*	Cornwell Tools Chevy Camaro Funny Car	1st (3.938)	A. Laughlin
Ron Capps	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	2nd (3.962)	D. Richards
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	5th (3.999)	C. Pedregon
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	7th (4.025)	J. Force

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA QUOTES

JUSTIN ASHLEY, Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Maynard Ashley Racing

Race Winner – Epping

TF Qualifying Result: 4th

What have the past two days been like?

“It has been a long week to get to this race. I feel so grateful. When you come to a race – anything there is an opportunity to win it is special – but when you have the opportunity to win three races in one weekend, especially at a historic facility like Bristol, it just makes it that much more special. It has been a whirlwind of a two days already – a little bit exhausting, a little bit tiring, but it is so, so worth it for our Phillips Connect Toyota team.”

Do you even think about all of the world champions that you beat today?

“Everybody out here is tough. I don’t think about it during the race, but after, I think it is important to reflect and appreciate when you go up against some of the best in the world. Each one of these drivers is fantastic. Each one of these teams is great. It’s an honor just to line up next to them, so to turn on a win light with Mike Green, Tommy DeLago (crew chiefs), and the guys is truly special.”

This was a team win. Can you talk about what that means to you?

“The key word there is team. You are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. I feel more than confident in saying we have the best. Just grateful on everybody on this Maynard Ashley, Phillips Connect, Toyota team. Even going into the third round, it was a little wacky. It was a quick turnaround, and we did some damage, which we never normally do, but thankfully we got the win. I just have to credit the guys for putting everything together in time. The job that they always do is phenomenal, but especially this weekend working in the heat and getting it done on a Saturday, really is just amazing.”

Do you think it is in the cards to sweep this weekend?

“I don’t know. That was our plan. That was our objective coming in – was to win everything, like it is every race, but it is so, so difficult out here. Now our focus is just on the here and now, in the present, enjoying this win because they are so hard to come by, but come tomorrow, it’s in the past. We can only enjoy this for a short period of time, but yeah, I think we have a great opportunity to win tomorrow, but there are 15 other cars that feel the same way. I know we are going to put on a really good show for the fans.”

J.R. TODD, DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Kalitta Motorsports

Epping Result – Semi-Final

FC Qualifying Result: 7th

Did today feel pretty good, being able to get a couple round wins?

“Yeah, it was nice to go some rounds. We’ve definitely been struggling on that end. The car has gone down the track every run, just need to be a tick quicker. We didn’t qualify like we had hoped, but at the end of the day, we’ve gone down the track every run so far. That is something to build off of. You learn every time you go down the track.”

Is it nice to feel some consistency starting to show up?

“For sure. It is something that we’ve been lacking here lately. Going down the track like that, you learn every time. Our DHL Toyota GR Supra has definitely been consistent. That’s a good thing, just hoping we can put some consistent runs together on race day when it matters.”

Are you fired up with your rematch with John Force tomorrow?

“I get fired up whoever I race. It doesn’t matter. It’s race day. I don’t care if it’s John Force or Laurie Force, I want to beat whoever is in the lane next to me.”

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chevy racing–nascar–sonoma–kyle busch

June 12, 2023 ARP Trish

NASCAR CUP SERIES SONOMA RACEWAY TOYOTA / SAVE MART 350 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT JUNE 10, 2023

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 MCLAREN CUSTOM GRILLS CAMARO ZL1, met with the media prior to the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Sonoma Raceway. Press Conference Transcript: THE LACK OF STAGE BREAKS ON ROAD COURSES.. HOW WILL THAT IMPACT WHAT WE SEE HERE AT SONOMA RACEWAY? “Yeah, I mean to hear whether or not it’s a two-stop or a three-stop race, I think is still kind of to be determined based on pace fall-off and things like that. But that’s what the guys are initially looking at and see where that kind of falls. But yeah, you would always jump the stages and then you’d have the cautions, and then you’d have to go back green and all that sort of stuff. So I feel like making it a more traditional road course race lends itself – and we kind of saw it at COTA too – where there was actually still a lot of cautions, where maybe guys kind of knew or felt the pressure that if it gets too strung out, there’s no chance for me to keep it closed up and they’ll run into somebody and create a yellow. So that could certainly sometimes be the case as well here at Sonoma (Raceway). The leader here, until he runs into lap traffic, typically has a good advantage of just having that clean air and everything else to kind of walk away a little bit. So it makes it a lot tougher to try and come from the back without restarts.”
NASCAR ANNOUNCED SOME CHANGES TO THE CARS EFFECTIVE AT ATLANTA (MOTOR SPEEDWAY) BASED ON WHAT THEY SAW FROM THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE NO. 5/NO. 41 ACCIDENT. I’M CURIOUS WHAT YOU THINK OF THOSE AND ANY LINGERING CONCERNS AS FAR AS REAR IMPACTS WITH (NOAH) GRAGSON BEING OUT THIS WEEK?“Yeah, bummer for him. We saw a few big impacts last weekend and his seemed to be the worse, just after the brunt of how it all transpired – not being able to just get up beside the wall and not take a huge hit. The safety advances of the car and things like that – that’s all great, right. We needed to withstand big hits and hits like that and whatnot. I feel like we keep adding material and keep adding material and keep making these things heavier. We used to run 3,400 pound cars and now we’re at 3,600 pound cars, so what’s the limit? What’s the level of how heavy is too heavy?
Just talking to some of the engineers that I’ve spoken to – there are a few areas of the car that are really, really, really stiff and don’t have any sort of crush zone like the old car used to, and that’s why those bars broke. And so we didn’t look at any of that.. we didn’t cut any stuff out to soften up the frame rail, for instance, to let the frame rail flex. All we did was add stiffeners to make it even heavier and stiffer. So again, I’m not a genius, but at some point we all have to reimagine some things.”
YOUR WIN AT WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY RACEWAY WAS YOUR 63RD. NEXT ON THE LIST ABOVE YOU IS DALE EARNHARDT SR. WITH 76 AND JIMMIE (JOHNSON) AND CALE YARBOROUGH WITH 83. DO YOU LOOK AT THAT AS REALISTIC GOALS THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE?“Yeah, I mean I would have said during the 2015 to 2019 timeframe, when I was winning five or six a season, that it was definitely attainable. And then we kind of slowed down the last few years and I would have probably told you I didn’t know if I’d get there. And then this year, we’ve got three and I feel like there’s plenty more. So hopefully we can continue to showcase that at RCR and with the No. 8 Chevy to go out there and win some more. I think anything is possible. I think it would be more fair to talk about it when I at least hit 70, which that could probably happen by the end of next year, so hopefully it does.”
NOW THAT YOU’VE GOT THREE WINS, PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO SAY THAT WE THOUGHT AUSTIN DILLON WOULD LEARN MORE FROM KYLE (BUSCH) OR HE WOULD WIN. IS IT HARD FOR HIM AND THEN HOW DO YOU BOOST HIM AND HELP HIM? “Yeah, I would say Austin (Dillon) is actually – given his finishes and they’re probably not as good as he wants them to be – but where he comes from in a race, starting deep in the field, he’s been in some unfortunate circumstances on Friday’s or Saturday’s to get himself not qualified well. He flat out out-ran us at Bristol (Motorsport Speedway) Dirt, Martinsville (Speedway), North Wilkesboro (Motor Speedway).. the places with the low downforce stuff that us on the No. 8 are struggling with. Like last weekend, for instance, he ran in the teens for a while and he was slated to run probably eighth to tenth. So I don’t think that’s out of the ordinary for him and those guys. They are with a new crew chief with Keith (Rodden) coming over and getting ingrained into the system.. it’s probably a little bit more difficult on that side with those guys. But I still think there’s time and Austin is fine. He’s a competitor. He’s got a lot going on behind the scenes, as well. But I really enjoy working with him. He’s been a great teammate. We say a lot of the same things and talk a lot about how to continue to improve and make our stuff go, so that part of it has been really fun.”
I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE CURVE IS OF YOU BRINGING STUFF UP.. “No.. I mean I would say obviously he looked to me and wanted me to help elevate RCR and also help elevate himself. I feel like I’ve been able to do both of those things. I just don’t know the results are necessarily indicative to Austin’s (Dillon) standards or maybe to our other stands, and I think they’re still a work in progress on that front.”
WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE CHICAGO STREET COURSE RACE? “(laughs).. to hit the walls minimally, where you don’t create too much damage and you can still continue, and hopefully you don’t get pile-driven into a wreck if the track gets blocked.
I don’t know.. it’s going to be tight; it’s going to be narrow. So we’ll just kind of have to see when we get there about what exactly it looks like. Looking at it on the simulator is probably entirely different than what it might feel like or be like when you get out there on the race track.”
AS THE ONLY ACTIVE DRIVE IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES WITH TWO CHAMPIONSHIPS RIGHT NOW, HOW DO YOU APPROACH THE PLAYOFFS? WITH THREE WINS, YOU’RE LOCKED-IN, BUT CAN YOU TAKE EVERYTHING THAT YOU’VE LEARNED FROM THE OTHER TWO, EVEN THOUGH YOUR WITH ANOTHER ORGANIZATION, AND HAVE YOUR STRATEGY MENTALLY GOING IN THERE TO KNOW HOW YOU WANT TO APPROACH IT THIS YEAR? “Yeah, I mean I feel like the consensus of how we’ve done things when I had Adam was always really good. We came up with a good system, good format, that we looked at and kind of followed and it seemed to work really well. I need to talk to Randall (Burnett) about that.. haven’t really gotten that far ahead yet. But it would be a good discussion point to look at some of that stuff; some of the same things we did there.
It’s all about maximizing stage points, whether you’re winning stages and getting those points, which is awesome. Or just maximizing your stage points throughout a race to get the best finish possible all day long to get those all-important points. That’s probably one thing that we really executed well with at World Wide Technology Raceway – going one, two, one. But weeks prior to that, we’ve kind of been on the struggle bus with being able to maximize our stage points through the year. If I could have gone back and recalculated all of the stage points that we’ve probably lost, we’d be the points leader, you know what I mean. So it’s just a matter of hitting it perfect.”
WE’VE GOTTEN TO SEE SOME OF THE PARTS THAT HAVE BEEN CONFISCATED RECENTLY WITH NASCAR DISPLAYING THEM. FROM A DRIVER’S PERSPECTIVE, ARE YOU GUYS INTERESTED IN SEEING WHAT OTHER TEAMS HAVE BEEN DOING, LIKE THE PART FROM THE NO. 14? “(Laughs).. I wish we had a ‘what an idiot’ award. I mean even if you can’t find that part, you know you can call one of the other race teams and say – hey, do you guys have this.. can we buy it from you? That blows my mind.. I don’t get it. For as little as that probably meant, that was a huge fine to the pocket book and points book.
So yeah, anyways – I think it’s kind of cool that they show all of that stuff; show exactly what’s going on and what guys are doing. What’s crazy about it, though, is all the penalties that have come out of the R&D center – I guarantee you that you could take 15 of them after every single race and there would be something wrong with 14 of them, you know? It’s all the tricks and what you’re trying to do and what you can get away with, all of the time.”
DID YOU ENJOY INDUCTING KURT (BUSCH) INTO THE WEST COAST HALL OF FAME THE OTHER NIGHT? “Yeah, thank you for bringing that up. Congratulations to Kurt (Busch) to being inducted into the West Coast Motorsports Hall of Fame. That’s really, really cool. Something special I remember years ago was seeing some of the names that were getting enshrined and inducted in. It’s really neat to have Kurt be a part of that and hopefully one day obviously me be a part of that.
But growing up in Las Vegas as two little punk kids and making it big time with not a lot of money and just a lot of talent – it was certainly really special. He did a great job of kind of paving the way for me through other circumstances also to get to the levels that he was able to get to, and beat the doors down that he was able to beat down and become a champion and a driver with a bunch of success. It’s been fun to see that, although I’m sure he kind of wished he could have ran out the rest of his time in his Cup career like he wanted to, but I think he’s made a lot of the right decisions in all of that. It’s good to see him rewarded for his time spent here in NASCAR.”

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6-hour report: Cadillac leads first-ever laps

June 12, 2023 ARP Trish

Nos. 2 and 3 Cadillac V-Series.Rs in lead pack on changeable Circuit de la Sarthe

LE MANS, France (June 10, 2023) – Cadillac led its first-ever laps in the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Saturday.
Earl Bamber had the distinction of driving the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R, to the front of the 62-car field in the second hour of the endurance classic.
Media resources: Cadillac Racing information, photos, history at Le Mans and much more

What they’re saying
No. 2 Cadillac Racing V-Series.REarl Bamber: “It was great to finally get the big race underway. The whole team at Cadillac Racing has been working toward this since mid-2021 and to be at the front and fight is fantastic. It’s been a long, hard race already. There are a lot of cars that have fallen out. Hopefully we’ll stay clean through the night and can fight for the lead and chase some of our dreams.” (About his stint): “Tough start to the race. We led off and were about P5 or P6. It was difficult with the track as green from the rain earlier, but second and third stint we know our Cadillac is really strong in those stints. So, as we started to get there, we started to move forward and led the first ever laps for Cadillac at Le Mans. Proud of that.” (About the No. 311 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R incident): “It was a real shame for the 311; I think they were going to be a really strong car. The guys did an amazing job repairing it. They are going to stay in the race and help us out with tire compounds and stuff and give us maximum info because the most important thing is one of these Cadillacs wins. It doesn’t matter which one because we’re all here as Cadillac Racing’s three-car effort.”
No. 3 Cadillac Racing V-Series.RSebastien Bourdais: “We have a good car and it’s just a matter of running a clean race, and we did but we can’t control the outside factors. It’s a shame. The right-rear puncture didn’t seem to impact us so much with the slow zone and the tire deg on the first stint is always pretty high, so putting new tires on helped us catch up pretty quickly. And then the real bummer is the GT car that got it all wrong in between the slow zones, drove right through and hit us in the right rear.”
Scott Dixon: “Definitely a tough first stint just with weather and a lot of slow zones. Pretty much the only drive time I had was in slow zones. With that massive downpour, I actually spun the car and was worried I was going to get hit from behind like two or three other cars behind me. Luckily, I just grazed the wall and I had a flat tire. We had to pit that lap anyway. Nothing really lost there, and the next hour or so was just under the Safety Car. Hopefully we get some dry running and show what this Cadillac can do. The car is great.”No. 311 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.RChris Mitchum, No. 311 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R director of operations: “I commend the guys for their composure. We’ll just keep working at it and see what we get. These things happen and we’re regrouping. Unfortunately, heavy suspension damage to the left-front, bodywork also had to be replaced and some things under the car were knocked loose.”Après six heures: Cadillac mène ses tous premiers tours au Mans
LE MANS, France (le 10 juin, 2023) – Cadillac a mené ses tout premiers tours aux 24 Heures du Mans.Earl Bamber a la distinction de conduire la Cadillac V-Series.R n°2 en tête du peloton de 62 voitures dans la deuxième heure de la classique d’endurance.
Après six heures de course dans des conditions changeantes, la Cadillac V-Series.R n°2 occupait la sixième place avec Alex Lynn au volant. La Cadillac V-Series.R n°3 – qui a dû s’arrêter une fois pour changer l’aileron arrière et une seconde fois pour changer l’avant après des incidents et une pénalité d’une minute pour une infraction technique concernant la pression des pneus – est neuvième avec Renger van der Zande au volant.
La Cadillac V-Series.R n°311 de Whelen Engineering a été endommagée lors d’un incident au 1er tour à la sortie de la chicane de Daytona. L’équipe a travaillé rapidement et sans interruption pour remettre la voiture sur la piste. Les réparations et le remplacement des pièces ont duré environ 1 heure et 18 minutes. Avec Alexander Sims aux commandes, l’Hypercar comptait 17 tours de retard.
Earl Bamber, Cadillac V-Series.R n°2: « Cela a été formidable d’entamer enfin la grande course. Toute l’équipe de Cadillac Racing travaille dans ce sens depuis le milieu de l’année 2021 et c’est fantastique d’être aux avant-postes et de se battre. La course a déjà été longue et difficile. Il y a beaucoup de voitures qui sont sorties. J’espère que nous resterons ‘clean’ toute la nuit et que nous pourrons nous battre pour la tête et poursuivre certains de nos rêves. »« Le début de la course a été difficile. Nous avons pris la tête et étions aux alentours de P5 ou P6. C’était difficile avec une piste verte à cause de la pluie, mais dans les deuxième et troisième relais, nous savons que notre Cadillac est vraiment forte dans ces moments-là. Nous avons donc commencé à avancer et avons bouclé les tout premiers tours en tête dans l’histoire de Cadillac au Mans. J’en suis fier. »« C’est vraiment dommage pour la 311, je pense qu’elle allait être une voiture très forte. Les gars ont fait un travail remarquable pour la réparer. Ils vont rester dans la course et nous aider avec les compounds des pneus et nous donner un maximum d’informations parce que le plus important est que l’une de ces Cadillac gagne. Peu importe laquelle, car nous sommes tous ici dans le cadre de l’effort des trois voitures de Cadillac Racing. »
Sebastien Bourdais, Cadillac V-Series.R n°3: « Nous avons une bonne voiture et il s’agit juste de faire une course impeccable, ce que nous avons fait, mais nous ne maîtrisons pas les facteurs extérieurs. C’est dommage. La crevaison à l’arrière droit n’a pas semblé nous affecter outre mesure avec la slow zone et la dégradation des pneus lors du premier relais est toujours assez élevée, donc le fait de chausser des pneus neufs nous a permis de rattraper notre retard assez rapidement. Et puis, ce qui est vraiment dommage, c’est qu’une voiture GT, qui s’est trompée entre les slow zones, a roulé à fond et nous a percuté à l’arrière droit. Nous aurons une vraie Cadillac une fois que nous aurons repris la course. »
Scott Dixon, Cadillac V-Series.R n°3: « Le premier relais a été certainement difficile à cause de la météo et des nombreuses slow zones. C’est à peu près le seul temps de conduite que j’ai eu dans les slow zones. Avec cette pluie diluvienne, j’ai fait un tête-à-queue et je craignais de me faire percuter par deux ou trois autres voitures derrière moi. Heureusement, j’ai juste frôlé le mur et j’ai crevé. De toute façon, nous devions rentrer au stand ce tour. Il n’y a rien de vraiment perdu, et l’heure suivante s’est déroulée sous la safety car. J’espère que nous pourrons rouler sur le sec et montrer ce que cette Cadillac peut faire. La voiture est géniale. »Chris Mitchum, Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R director of operations: « Je félicite les gars pour leur sang-froid. Nous allons continuer à travailler et nous verrons ce que nous obtiendrons. Ce sont des choses qui arrivent et nous nous regroupons. Malheureusement, la suspension de l’avant gauche a été lourdement endommagée, la carrosserie a dû être remplacée et certains éléments sous la voiture se sont détachés. »

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CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Six-Hour Update

June 12, 2023 ARP Trish

No. 33 C8.R driving back through field after early-race mechanical, safety car issues LE MANS, France (June 10, 2023) – Corvette Racing on a mission – attempting to drive back through the field after a couple of issues in the opening quarter of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Ben Keating was back in for his second run the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, which ran 15th in the GTE Am class as the Centenary Le Mans race entered the seventh hour. Keating, Nico Varrone and starting driver Nicky Catsburg rotated through the Corvette as dusk began to fall on the 8.5-mile track.
Catsburg established a strong pace early from the lead before the first of two safety-car periods in the first six hours. The team elected to take fuel early to gain an advantage in the first stint and re-emerged in 12th. Disaster struck not long after as the Corvette crew had to replace the right-front damper after Catsburg radioed in that something didn’t feel right.
The service in the garage was a quick change but it still put the C8.R down two laps. Class pole-winner Keating – who got in the Corvette while the damper was still being fixed – began to claw back time before heavy rain pelted parts of the circuit.
Keating survived the deluge, and Corvette race engineers called him to the pitlane for wet tires. The race’s second safety car period came out moments later, giving the team hope of gaining a lap back because the C8.R would be ahead of the class leader in a train behind one of the three safety cars. For reasons unknown to the team, a group of cars – including the GTE Am leader – were allowed to exit pit lane before the next of the three safety cars came around. The mistake meant that the Corvette was trapped behind the class leader and couldn’t advance around the track to catch back up after all the safety car queues moved.
Undeterred, Varrone drove a speedy triple stint that saw him make up more than a half-lap on the field with times between four and seven seconds quicker than the rest of GTE Am.
The next Corvette Racing update is scheduled for 4 a.m. CT/10 p.m. ET.

CORVETTE RACING MEDIA INFORMATION
Corvette Racing media information in both English and French is updated and available for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Materials include Le Mans race updates and quotes, Corvette Racing stats and figures, Corvette Racing racecar comparisons, Corvette Racing Fast Facts and driver biographies

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It was very strange. Everything was going fine. The car was running great and was all good. Out of nowhere, prototypes passed me and after that I had a weird feeling. Maybe this was because I had to go off-line and had some pickup, but it wouldn’t disappear. The car was moving around a lot and it wouldn’t disappear. The car was moving around a lot under braking and at all speed. So I told the guys that I think we had an issue. When we got it into the pitlane, it was the damper and we lost two laps. The crew still did an awesome job and couldn’t have done it quicker. It’s really tough, though, to come back from this spot. It seems like a disastrous race with the safety cars. But our main competitors in the championship are out of the race, so even with zero points we will still lead the championship. So we need to focus and get as many points as possible. Maybe we can get back on the lead lap. I kind of doubt it, but we will never give. Let’s see. The car is definitely fast, and everything went well. So I know we have a good car.”

BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “We had a great start but also an unexpected mechanical issue on the car. We are racing back. The team decided that I should get some of time out of the way. It was so treacherous. There were cars going off everywhere. Before they said anything about rain, I went into the Porsche Curves and it was a downpour. I just went straight and didn’t want to turn the wheel because I was afraid I’d be afraid. The next time around there, I was tip-toeing around and told the guys that I thought I was giving up too much time. They told me I was going to box and have a driver change, and I was very grateful for that news! The moved looked brilliant at the time. We put wet tires on and everyone else should have had to stop for wet tires. But the long safety car and the officials’ messing up the safety car procedure at pit exit didn’t help us and we didn’t get our lap back. But there’s a lot of time left. We’ll keep going.”

CORVETTE RACING AU MANS: Après six heuresLa C8.R n°33 revient dans la course après des problèmes mécaniques et de sécurité en début de course LE MANS, France (le 10 juin 2023) – Le Corvette Racing a une mission – tenter de revenir dans le peloton après avoir connu quelques problèmes dans le premier quart d’heure des 24 Heures du Mans.Ben Keating était au volant de la Chevrolet Corvette C8.R Mobil 1/SiriusXM n°33 pour son deuxième relais. La Corvette C8.R était 15ème de la catégorie GTE Am à la septième heure de la course. Keating, Nico Varrone et le pilote de départ Nicky Catsburg se sont relayés dans la Corvette alors que le crépuscule commençait à tomber sur le circuit. Catsburg était en tête avant la première des deux périodes de voiture de sécurité au cours des six premières heures de course. Le team choisissait de prendre de l’essence tôt pour prendre l’avantage dans le premier relais et repartit en 12ème position. La catastrophe survient peu après, lorsque l’équipe de la Corvette doit remplacer l’amortisseur avant droit après que Catsburg ait signalé par radio que quelque chose ne tournait pas rond. L’intervention dans le garage a été rapide, mais la C8.R a tout de même perdu deux tours. Le poleman de la catégorie, Keating, qui était monté dans la Corvette alors que l’amortisseur était encore en cours de réparation, commençait à gagner du temps avant qu’une pluie battante ne s’abatte sur certaines parties du circuit. Keating survit au déluge, et les ingénieurs de course de Corvette le font entrer au stand pour chausser des pneus pluie. La deuxième période de voiture de sécurité de la course est apparue quelques instants plus tard, donnant à l’équipe l’espoir de gagner un tour car la C8.R serait devant le leader de la catégorie dans un train derrière l’une des trois safety cars. Pour des raisons inconnues à l’équipe, un groupe de voitures – dont le leader de la catégorie GTE Am – a été autorisé à sortir de la voie des stands avant l’arrivée de la prochaine des trois safety cars. Cette erreur signifiait que la Corvette se retrouvait coincée derrière le leader de la catégorie et qu’elle ne pouvait pas progresser sur la piste pour le rattraper avant la fin de l’intervention des safety cars. Sans se décourager, Varrone a réalisé un triple relais rapide qui lui a permis de gagner plus d’un demi-tour sur le peloton, avec des temps au tour de quatre à sept secondes plus vite que le reste de la catégorie GTE Am. NICKY CATSBURG, MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R n°33: « C’était très bizarre. Tout allait bien. La voiture fonctionnait très bien et tout allait bien. Des prototypes m’ont dépassé et j’ai eu une sensation bizarre. C’est peut-être parce que j’ai dû sortir de la ligne et que j’ai pris un peu de ‘pickup’, mais ça n’a pas disparu. La voiture bougeait beaucoup et ça ne disparaissait pas. La voiture bougeait beaucoup au freinage et à toute vitesse. J’ai donc dit aux gars que je pensais que nous avions un problème. Lorsque je suis arrivé au stand, nous avons constaté qu’il s’agissait de l’amortisseur et nous avons perdu deux tours. L’équipe a tout de même fait un travail formidable et n’aurait pas pu aller plus vite. C’est vraiment difficile de revenir de cette position. La course semble désastreuse avec les safety cars. Mais nos principaux concurrents au championnat sont hors course, donc même avec zéro point, nous restons en tête du championnat. Nous devons donc nous concentrer pour marquer le plus de points possible. Peut-être pourrons-nous revenir dans le tour de tête. J’en doute un peu, mais nous ne renoncerons jamais. Nous verrons bien. La voiture est vraiment rapide et tout s’est bien passé. Je sais donc que nous avons une bonne voiture. » BEN KEATING, MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R n°33: « Nous avions pris un bon départ, mais nous avons eu un problème mécanique inattendu sur la voiture. Nous sommes en train de revenir. L’équipe a décidé que je devais prendre mon temps. C’était tellement dangereux. Il y avait des voitures qui partaient dans tous les sens. Avant qu’ils ne parlent de pluie, je suis entré dans les virages Porsche et il pleuvait des cordes. J’ai continué tout droit et je n’ai pas voulu tourner le volant parce que j’avais peur d’être effrayé. La fois suivante, j’ai avancé sur la pointe des pieds et j’ai dit aux gars que je pensais que je perdais trop de temps. Ils m’ont dit de rentrer au stand pour changer de pilote, et j’ai été très reconnaissant de cette nouvelle ! La manœuvre semblait brillante à ce moment-là. Nous avons mis des pneus pluie et tous les autres auraient dû s’arrêter pour cela. Mais la longue voiture de sécurité et l’erreur des officiels dans la procédure de la voiture de sécurité à la sortie des stands ne nous ont pas aidés et nous n’avons pas récupéré notre tour. Mais il reste beaucoup de temps. Nous allons continuer. »

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chevy Racing–nascar–sonoma–kyle larson

June 12, 2023 ARP Trish

NASCAR CUP SERIES

SONOMA RACEWAY

TOYOTA / SAVE MART 350

TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT

JUNE 10, 2023

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1, met with the media prior to the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Sonoma Raceway. Press Conference Transcript:

YOU WERE FASTEST IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES’ PRACTICE YESTERDAY. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO LEARN TODAY FOR XFINITY AND FOR CUP?

“I don’t know.. I mean obviously I get excited about qualifying here because we’ve done so well in it the last handful of years. And then excited to run the Xfinity race later on, just to try and learn as much as I can. I qualify well here, but I don’t typically race the best. So yeah, there’s still a lot of areas to improve on and get better. I’m excited for the opportunity and hoping for a good weekend.”

I KNOW YOU’RE A HUMBLE GUY, BUT AFTER XFINITY PRACTICE YESTERDAY, A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE SAYING EVERYBODY WAS PICKING KYLE LARSON TO WIN HERE. DID YOU THINK THE EFFORT WAS REALLY GOOD YESTERDAY IN XFINITY, AND ARE YOU FEELING LIKE YOU’RE GOING TO BE REALLY STRONG TODAY?

“Yeah, I know we’ll have a shot, for sure. I don’t get too overly excited because I think I was like 1.2-seconds faster in practice at Road America too, and I wasn’t even the fastest car in the race and got beat.

Yeah, I don’t know. This is the first time for a lot of the guys here (in the Xfinity Series), so I know the spread will get much tighter after they’ve had a night to sleep on it. But yeah, regardless, I know that No. 17 Chevy is fast every time it hits the track, so we’re going to have a good shot to have a good run.”

WITH NO CAUTIONS AT THE STAGE ENDS, DOES THAT MAKE THINGS A LOT SIMPLER FOR YOU, OR DO YOU NOT REALLY GET INTO TIRE STRATEGY AND JUST PIT WHEN CLIFF (DANIELS) TELLS YOU?

“Yeah, I don’t know.. I just go until they say to come in. But I think, yes – it makes it simpler. It makes qualifying even more important I think because hopefully you qualify well and the race could potentially run out.. I know that won’t happen, but yeah you just have a better shot of staying towards the front. Rather than with the stage breaks before – if you stay out, then you’re restarting like 20-something and it’s just hard and you’re in the hornet’s nest. So it should be a little bit more straight forward, hopefully. But depending on when cautions fall, it can still get kind of mixed up.”

NASCAR ANNOUNCED MORE CHANGES TO THE CARS THAT ARE EFFECTIVE FOR ATLANTA (MOTOR SPEEDWAY) BASED ON THE RECONSTRUCTION OF YOUR WRECK WITH RYAN PREECE. HAVE YOU SEEN THE CHANGES AND ANY THOUGHTS ON HOW NASCAR WENT ABOUT FIGURING THOSE OUT?

“Yeah, I mean not an engineer, so I don’t know. I can’t look at it and really give you an opinion on how well they did with the changes or what not. But I am very happy that me being in that wreck at Talladega (Superspeedway) and seeing how close it got to being really bad – seeing them go straight into action, compile data and make quick moves on improving the safety was something I was happy to see.

Yeah, I think it’s a great thing and great for them to move along quickly.”

FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN, IT APPEARS THAT THE DRIVERS HAVE A LITTLE MORE EXCITEMENT ABOUT SONOMA RACEWAY BECAUSE IT DOESN’T HAVE THAT INHERENT CHAOS OF LIKE INDIANAPOLIS. IS THAT TRUE FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, AS WELL?

“Sure.. I mean I think there’s a little bit of that, yeah. I mean there’s no 90 degree corner directly after restarts, so yeah I think this is more of a true road course race than the newer ones on our schedule. But I think everybody looks forward to Sonoma (Raceway) because of the area – the region that we’re in and the stuff to do outside of the race track, as well. But then yeah, the the race track is flowy. It’s got pace fall-off, which is a lot of what we like as drivers. Yeah, it’s just a good track.”

AS SOMEONE WHO HAS WON HERE, DO YOU HAVE A LAYOUT THAT YOU PREFER?

“I like the layout with the carousel, personally. But I think for viewership-wise for the fans, I think this layout is a little bit better maybe. I don’t know.. I like the carousel because you can kind of reshape that corner a few different ways and set people up either for the next braking zone and stuff like that. Where with turn four and how it is now, it’s not really very easy to pass. It’s kind of a fast corner, too. And then that leads into turn seven, which is a passing zone.

I just feel like there’s a little bit more room for mistakes with the carousel with it being really bumpy getting in and you can kind of reshape that corner and setup some passes. But like I said, I think viewership-wise, it sounds like it’s maybe better this way.”

HOW HAVE YOU GROWN AS A ROAD COURSE RACER THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER? OBVIOUSLY YOU GOT THE POLE HERE (SONOMA RACEWAY) A COUPLE OF TIMES AND YOU’VE WON HERE AND AT WATKINS GLEN (INTERNATIONAL). HOW HAVE YOU ADAPTED AS A ROAD COURSE RACER – FROM WHERE YOU STARTED TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?

“Yeah, I don’t know. I’ve always qualified well at road courses. COTA (Circuit of The Americas) is probably the only one that I don’t really qualify that good at, for whatever reason. But I don’t know.. I’ve always qualified well. And when I was at Chip Ganassi Racing, I didn’t race good at all, especially here (at Sonoma Raceway). We would qualify on the pole and then run like 20th in the race. At Watkins Glen (International), I would qualify good and we could race better there.

But since I got to Hendrick Motorsports, I still qualify well and our race car is good. I’m not sure where I’ve developed. I think our race cars are just really good and can kind of handle me being crazy, abusing my tires and stuff.

I don’t know.. I look forward to road courses just because it’s different – it’s fun and it’s something I feel like I’m good at.”

ON THURSDAY, ONE OF THE DRIVERS SAID THAT BECAUSE THIS HAS SO FEW PASSING OPPORTUNITIES, THAT YOU ALMOST HAVE TO BE AGGRESSIVE TO TRY AND CREATE SOME PASSING ZONES SOMEWHERE ON THE TRACK. HOW DO YOU BALANCE BEING AGGRESSIVE ON A RACE TRACK WITH BEING CAUTIOUS ON A TRACK WHERE IT’S PRETTY NARROW AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF TIRE WEAR?

“I don’t know.. every road course is tough to pass on, so I’m not sure. Honestly, I feel like maybe there’s a little more passing zones here (at Sonoma Raceway) than some others. Like Watkins Glen (International), kind of turn one, maybe.. the bus stop is really tough to pass in (turn) two. That’s it, really. Turn one is really the only good passing zone. Where here, you kind of have a little bit in (turn) four. (Turn) seven is obviously really good. (Turn) 11 is obviously really good. Restarts and stuff, you can make some moves. Off of (turn) eight to nine.. and off of (turn) two to three. So I feel like there’s more passing zones here if your car is good. But hell, ovals are tough to pass on, too. It’s just racing.”

THEY KIND OF PATCHED AN AREA IN TURN THREE AND BY THE CURB IN TURN EIGHT. DURING XFINITY PRACTICE, DID YOU NOTICE MUCH DIFFERENCE IN THOSE AREAS?

“I thought that in (turn) three that you would feel it.. feel the new patch. But I didn’t really feel a grip change there, which was kind of nice. And then yeah, (turn) eight is where I think they added it right next to the curb, and again, you don’t really have much weight in your left-front tire right there, so you don’t feel the grip of the patch.

But yeah, I don’t know. Maybe as it rubbers in (turn) three, maybe you’ll feel some grip there, but it didn’t feel any different. So, it was fine.”

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BROWNIE BAKES ‘EM: Flawless Feature Leads Brian Brown to Knoxville World of Outlaws Victory

June 12, 2023 ARP Trish

The Knoxville regular defeats the World of Outlaws for the second straight JuneKNOXVILLE, IA (June 9, 2023) – The Knoxville Raceway résumé continues to grow for Brian Brown.In his more than two decades of driving a Sprint Car, the Grain Valley, MO native has mastered the historic half mile. And that mastery was on full display Friday night at “The Sprint Car Capital of the World” with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars. Brown took the lead from Austin McCarl on lap two of the Premier Chevy Dealers Clash and never looked back on his way to victory.Not only did Brown never look back. He never let off the throttle for all 25 laps of the Feature.“That’s why I go to the gym three or four days a week because I ran my last lap as hard as I did my first lap,” Brown said. The win was the seventh of Brown’s career with The Greatest Show on Dirt. A trio of those triumphs have come at Knoxville including another last June. The 44-year-old now owns 63 overall Knoxville victories, good enough for second all-time as he continues to chip away at his uncle, Danny Lasoski’s, record of 112.But the most important fact from Friday night’s glory had nothing to do with numbers for Brown. It was about pride. It was about being a Knoxville regular beating the best competition in the nation.“I came into this weekend, and I feel like I put a lot of pressure on myself to make you guys (the fans) proud,” Brown admitted while gesturing toward the crowd. “I can come up here and win on the weekends sometimes. Then the Outlaws come and sometimes I lay an egg. I was so proud to see Austin (McCarl) on the pole and me being third. I’ve said all along that in order to have a rivalry, you’ve got to beat these guys. The PA Posse beats them. I feel like we don’t do it enough, but I feel like I did my part tonight.”As Brown said, he began the main event third on the grid. When the green flag flew, he wasted no time roaring by outside pole-sitter – James McFadden – heading into Turn 1. “Blackjack” slid ahead of the Roth Motorsports #83 and quickly got to work chasing down McCarl.McCarl held on to lead the opening circuit, but Brown blasted around his outside coming off Turn 2 on the second circuit. Once he put the Casey’s General Store #21 out front, Brown immediately began to flex his muscle.“Brownie” pulled away from McCarl as he clicked off the early laps, growing his advantage to more than two seconds as he approached traffic. Even lapped cars stood no chance of slowing down Brown. He put his machine anywhere necessary thanks in large part to some fine tuning by crew chief – Chad Morgan – ahead of the Feature.“Chad made some good changes before the A-Main,” Brown said. “He came back this year, and we’re really clicking on all cylinders. Everything we’re doing, we’re doing it good.”With the level of competition on the grounds, Brown knew maneuverability behind the wheel would be key to coming out on top. He’s felt comfortable this season moving wherever he needs to be, and it showed.“I feel like I’ve been known to run the top probably more than I should,” Brown explained. “I think I’ve run the bottom this year just as good as I have in the past. I just felt like when I went down there (the bottom) and passed a lapped car, I felt like, ‘Man, that was pretty good.’ And I knew Brad (Sweet) normally runs the bottom, and he runs it as good as anybody in the whole world. I knew, if nothing else, maybe we’d mess up his timing a little bit.”But Brown didn’t need to worry about messing up anyone’s timing as the battle for second raged on far behind him. Sweet, McCarl, and Rico Abreu all traded blows for the runner-up spot as the laps faded. Brown went on to claim the checkered flag with nearly a five second advantage much to the delight of the Knoxville crowd.“Most importantly, tonight’s about us,” Brown said. “I’m proud of our whole team. Proud to win a World of Outlaws race again. Proud to be a Knoxville regular and come back tomorrow and see if we can do it again.”Rico Abreu came out on top of the scramble for second as he slipped by Sweet late. The St. Helena, CA native continued his recent hot streak with his 14th consecutive top five in overall Sprint Car competition. Abreu is up to seven World of Outlaws podiums this year (most among non-full-time drivers) and the 35th of his career. Abreu continues to be appreciative of how well his team has gelled this season.“The last 10 laps or so I could hit my marks a whole lot better,” Abreu noted. “Thank you to my team. They do an incredible job. Ricky (Warner) and his critical thinking and just the way he adapts to my driving style and my race cars. Hats off to them. They work really good together, and it’s quite a sight to see on my end as a team owner and driver.”Completing the podium was four-time and defending champion, Brad Sweet. The result marked his 12th top three of the season – enough to equal him with David Gravel for the most. The driver of the Kasey Kahne Racing #49 felt comfortable throughout a majority of the race and remained encouraged despite losing the runner-up spot late.“I felt really good in the middle part of the race,” Sweet said. “I kept looking up because I felt like I was making really good time and good laps. I could see Brian was pretty far out front. I just kind of got hung up in lapped cars at the end. I had a really good rhythm and had my lines working and felt like when I had to move off that I wasn’t as good as I needed to be to get by the lapped cars. I struggled the last four or five laps to kind of link it all together. But I think we made progress all night long, and there were parts of that A-Main where I felt like we were probably as good as anybody.”Austin McCarl and Carson Macedo rounded out the top five.Donny Schatz came from 15th to ninth to earn the night’s KSE Hard Charger Award.By finishing two spots ahead of Macedo, Brad Sweet trimmed the points lead down to only six markers. Gravel remains a close third 32 points back.The night’s Simpson Performance Products QuickTime Award went to Carson Macedo for a fifth consecutive race and the 10th time this season.Macedo also topped CASE No.1 Engine Oil Heat One for a milestone 100th career Heat Race victory. NOS Energy Drink Heats Two through Four went to David Gravel (225th of career), Rico Abreu (39th of career), and Brian Brown (77th of career).Aaron Reutzel won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars are back at Knoxville Raceway on Saturday, June 10 for night two of the Premier Chevy Dealers Clash. For tickets, CLICK HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, catch all of the action live on DIRTVision.RESULTS:A Feature (25 Laps): 1. 21-Brian Brown[3]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu[4]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet[5]; 4. 88-Austin McCarl[1]; 5. 41-Carson Macedo[7]; 6. 83-James McFadden[2]; 7. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[9]; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart[11]; 9. 15-Donny Schatz[15]; 10. 2-David Gravel[6]; 11. 11-Cory Eliason[10]; 12. 14-Corey Day[14]; 13. 39M-Anthony Macri[8]; 14. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[12]; 15. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[20]; 16. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[13]; 17. 5-Spencer Bayston[18]; 18. 2M-Davey Heskin[22]; 19. 19-Ayrton Gennetten[19]; 20. 1A-Jacob Allen[23]; 21. 9-Kasey Kahne[24]; 22. 3J-Dusty Zomer[17]; 23. 7S-Robbie Price[25]; 24. 8-Aaron Reutzel[21]; 25. 2J-Lynton Jeffrey[16]

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ROBERT HIGHT AND CORNWELL TOOLS CHEVY HOLD PROVISIONAL NO. 1 AT BRISTOL DRAGWAY

June 12, 2023 ARP Trish

BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 09, 2023) – Robert Hight and the Cornwell Tools / AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS team are the provisional No. 1 qualifiers Friday night at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. Brittany Force has the Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac dragster sitting No. 2 with teammate Austin Prock and the Montanan Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster No. 8 and John Force in the BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SS No. 10. Hight, B. Force and J. Force also picked up first-round wins in the postponed NHRA New England Nationals that began in the second session of qualifying.
Robert Hight, who is running the Thunder Valley Nationals in the Cornwell Tools Chevy Camaro and the completion of the New England Nationals from Epping, N.H. in the AAA Chevy Camaro, kicked off the busy race weekend by running a clean 4.039-second pass at 318.17 mph to be the second quickest of the first session.
In the second qualifying session and also the first round of the New England Nationals, Hight handled the AAA Chevy to a 3.938-second pass at 321.35 mph defeating Alexis DeJoria’s 3.999 at 322.88 mph. The round win also put the Cornwell Tools Chevy into the provisional No. 1 qualifying spot.
“This is all new for all of us, running an entire race within another race. We’ve done a couple of rounds before but never an entire race. It’s a different mindset going up there in qualifying. You have to cut a light, be ready, still try to shallow stage and put up the best elapsed time,” Hight said. “This is exciting for the fans and also exciting to race at night. There’s not a better setting in all of motorsports than Thunder Valley here in the evening as the sun is going down. It’s beautiful. Fans got their money’s worth.
“Good job to the Cornwell Tools / AAA team. Bit of a different situation for us. We felt that AAA didn’t get much coverage last weekend in Epping, N.H. So, we worked with Cornwell Tools. I really want to thank them for letting us run the AAA car during qualifying and giving AAA what they deserve from missing out on all of Sunday racing in Epping,” Hight continued. “We’ll be back in the Cornwell car on Sunday. It’s a little different, feels like I’m changing sponsors almost every weekend, we started the year with four races with Flav-R-Pac. I’ve got to look down, check my hat, see what uniform I’m wearing but we got plenty of bodies. It’s all just different but I’m having fun working with these great companies.”
Brittany Force and the Monster Energy team dropped cylinders in the first run of the weekend. Despite not having all eight candles lit, Force managed to make it down the track without incident for a 3.892-second pass at 318.47 mph to sit fourth. In the combined second qualifying session of the Thunder Valley Nationals and the first round of the New England Nationals, Force laid down a 3.747 pass at a track record-tying 334.48 to defeat Josh Hart’s 4.201 at 202.85. Her round win also put her in the No. 2 spot.
Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / RMT dragster had a wild end to their first qualifying try. Prock was holding on for a decent run as the Montana Brand hot rod put a couple of holes out and eventually blew up at the finish line recording a 3.934-second pass at 298.01 mph. On their second chance at Bristol Dragway, Prock would line up against Steve Torrence for an exciting side-by-side drag race. Prock would come up short for the New England Nationals round one win with a 3.787 at 326.08 to Torrence’s 3.753 at 329.10. Despite not getting the victory, Prock would end the day in the No. 8 qualifying spot.
John Force and the BlueDEF Chevy started off on a good pass in the first qualifying session but spun the tires mid-track before his Camaro made a move to the left and he had to back off the throttle for only a 4.199-second run at 255.73 mph, the eighth quickest of the pack. Lined up against Tim Wilkerson in the first round of the New England Nationals, Force would stage deep for a .006-second reaction time that, combined with his 4.063-second pass at 324.36 mph, gave him the holeshot win over Wilkerson’s 4.004 at 318.99. He ended the night in the No. 10 qualifying spot.
The NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway continues Saturday with qualifying at 2 p.m. that will include the quarterfinals of the NHRA New England Nationals. The New England Nationals semifinals will take place at 4:15 p.m. and the final qualifying session as well as the New England Nationals final round will be at 5:30 p.m. Eliminations for the Thunder Valley Nationals are set to begin at noon on Sunday.
Television coverage on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) continues Saturday with the remaining NHRA New England Nationals coverage at 10:30 p.m. ET. Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET will be a second Thunder Valley Nationals qualifying show and at 7:00 p.m. ET will air the Thunder Valley Nationals eliminations.
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Racers Quickly Turn Focus from Dirt Late Model Dream to Summer Nationals

June 12, 2023 ARP Trish

Former champions detail how Eldora Speedway’s crown jewel prepares drivers to kick off next week’s 28-race Summer Nationals tour

ROSSBURG, OH (June 9, 2023) – For 29 years, drivers have rolled into Eldora Speedway in early June trying to live out a dream — DIRTcar Racing’s Dirt Late Model Dream with a $129,000 payday. Then, when the Dream ends, The Hell Tour begins.

As tradition has it, many will head off to battle in the DIRTcar Summer Nationals — a 28-race journey from June 14 through July 16 broadcast live on DIRTVision and affectionately known as The Hell Tour by those who have both conquered and succumbed to it. Peoria Speedway will be the first to welcome Late Model contenders on Wednesday.

Seven former Summer Nationals champions are chasing the massive payout this weekend at Eldora: Shannon Babb, Dennis Erb Jr., Jason Feger, Billy Moyer, Bobby Pierce, Brian Shirley, and Brandon Sheppard. Plus, five-time DIRTcar Summit Modified Nationals champion and current World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Rookie of the Year contender Nick Hoffman is also chasing his biggest Dirt Late Model victory this weekend.

Each found their own path to Summer Nationals glory, but they all agreed momentum from the Dream weekend can carry over into the rest of the summer.

“This week is a huge telltale of what’s coming for you, it’s probably one of the toughest weeks of the year, but if you can run good that’s huge,” said Hoffman, who earned his first World of Outlaws CASE Late Model Series victory last month. “The Dream definitely kicks off the summer. This is our first crown jewel for Late Model racing, and I’ve been lucky enough to make this race a couple of times. At first you come here with a goal to just make the show, now I come here with a goal to run in the top 10. The biggest thing is this could set up your whole summer. If you run good here it carries you a long way.”

But three-time Summer Nationals champion Erb warned drivers to be prepared before even heading to Eldora in the first place.

“You got to look at this separate,” Erb said. “If you’re going to go out and run the whole Summer Nationals, before you come to Eldora for the Dream you better be prepared for that. I think you have to look at it totally different. If you come here and things don’t go well, you have to forget about it because you have to focus on what you need to do. If you have a good run here, or anywhere, you can get going and get on a roll.

“When I won the Dream we came back and won some Summer Nationals races, but it was just like another race again. The focus is different. This place here, you have to leave everything here. Things can go well, or things can go bad, but you can’t let that get you down when you’ve got five weeks of racing ahead of you.”

Four-time champion Brian Shirley is a believer in momentum, but he also said a bad night at Eldora doesn’t signify a bad road ahead on the Summer Nationals tour.

“Any time you have momentum, if you come here and you run really well and you’re moving on to 28 days of racing, that momentum is going to be a high that keeps the team motivated to get going and could carry on to that deal where it’s night in and night out,” said Shirley, who was riding a wave of momentum into this weekend at Eldora as the most recent World of Outlaws CASE Late Model winner. “Running good here is going to pick you up and keep you wanting to go race three days after the Dream and then continue racing for 28 days. Any time momentum is on your side things are easier, but this place here is such a different animal. We haven’t won a crown jewel race here at Eldora, but we’ve been so successful on the Summer Nationals so it shows that it doesn’t matter how you finish here.

“For me, when we were successful on the Summer Nationals, it was one day at a time, get through one night at a time and don’t overload yourself about racing for 28 nights in five weeks. It’s just not getting overwhelmed. It’s a grind. You have to take it one day, one week at a time and hope you’re more on the easy side of it. We’ve done the deal where it can wear you out in a week and we’ve done it where it seemed like the month went by really fast. When everything’s going good it’s pretty easy, but when you have those tough nights and the odds are against you it forces you to decide whether or not to keep going.”

Adding further proof to his point, Shirley noted how in 2021 Ashton Winger struggled out of the gate on the tour but kept fighting and wound up second in the championship standings.

“He got off to an awful start, that first week I think they destroyed everything they had, but he stuck it out and stuck it out and probably had two of the best weeks of his career finishing it out,” Shirley said. “There is a reward at the end of the day.”

Winger posted a top-five run Thursday night in his opening round of Dream competition, a boost heading into Friday at a track where he’s still looking for success. While Winger has his sights set on the $129,000 prize Saturday night, he knows he’s stocked and loaded to roll into Peoria Speedway on Wednesday for the 2023 Summer Nationals opener. No matter how he finishes Saturday night, he’ll put it out of his mind quick.

“For me, I leave it here,” Winger said. “There’s just so much that goes into putting yourself in position to be at the front, and having a fast race car isn’t everything here. It’s good to come here and run good but if you run bad it kind of makes you want to quit racing for a minute. If you run good it feels like you’re on top of the world. It’s one of those things you got to leave here. It’s kind of its own animal in a sense.

“The Summer Nationals has been our goal the whole time. I’m loaded down with bodies, front suspension parts, rear suspension parts and we’re going to pick up another motor on Monday. I’m really excited about this year because this is the first year I feel like I’m going to do it right. I have the stuff and I’m prepared to do it. In 2021, I just threw a bunch of stuff in the truck and went and did it.”

A new championship points setup that pays drivers each week rather than at the end of the tour is expected to benefit drivers who may struggle once or twice without costing them a chance at the overall title. Jason Feger, who won the 2010 Summer Nationals title, noted that as a positive for Winger.

“With the new points championship, I feel like it’s going to suit a guy like Ashton a lot better,” Feger said. “He’s a pretty aggressive driver and when you points race for a whole month, one bad night can win you the championship or cost you the championship. Now if you have one bad night, it still resets the next week. It’s definitely going to help some guys, but it’s still a lot of work if you’re tearing up equipment. I guess I always have the mentality you have to know when it’s your night and when it’s not your night. You have to know when it’s not your night to just take the best you can and know you’re going to fight tomorrow, but if you think it’s your night and you have a good car then go for it.”

Bobby Pierce, now a World of Outlaws regular, has won five Summer Nationals championships since 2015, including the past two. He noted that while the Dream can be demanding, there’s nothing at Eldora that can prepare a young driver for what they might encounter on — or even off — the track during Summer Nationals competition.

“You get used to racing on those types of tracks,” Pierce said. “You get used to the heat … well, not really. For a first timer, you just have to keep plugging away. Every night is a new night. There’s always going to be something unexpected. I can guarantee you that at some point during the Hell Tour something’s going to throw you for a loop.

“Two years ago, first week of Summer Nationals we hit a deer heading to the next track and it killed the front of the truck. You’ll be faced with stuff like that more than the typical maintenance on the car. You just have to be as prepared as you can but know that it’s going to be hard. If you can get off a win here or there, or even a good solid run it makes it worthwhile. That’s kind of the big reason to do the Hell Tour, to continue getting better.”

The Dream at Eldora concludes on Saturday with the $129,000-to-win main event.

The DIRTcar Summer Nationals begins next week with races Wednesday (June 14) at Peoria Speedway, Thursday at Kankakee County Speedway, Friday at Tri-City Speedway, Saturday at Fairbury Speedway, and Sunday at Sycamore Speedway. Follow the entire five-week tour by watching all the action on DIRTVision. For more info, visit DIRTcarSummerNationals.com.

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GENERAL MOTORS IN SPOTLIGHT AT 24 HOURS OF LE MANS

June 12, 2023 ARP Trish

Entries from Cadillac Racing, Corvette Racing and Garage 56 Camaro ZL1in world’s biggest motorsports endurance race
LE MANS, France (June 9, 2023) – General Motors is a prominent figure at the Centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans with entries in three different categories of the world-famous French sports car classic.

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Chevrolet and Cadillac each are well-represented in this weekend’s twice-around-the-clock race:Three Cadillac V-Series.R prototypes for the top Hypercar class – Nos. 2, 3 and 311 from Cadillac RacingThe No. 33 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R in the GTE Am category as Corvette Racing goes for its ninth Le Mans class victoryThe No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the innovative Garage 56 entry – a partnership between Hendrick Motorsports, NASCAR, Chevrolet and Goodyear. It’s the first time a NASCAR stock car has raced at Le Mans since 1976.
GM is the only manufacturer to have brands and entries in three different categories at Le Mans this year.
“I’m thrilled to have five racecars representing General Motors at the centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans,” said Mark Reuss, president, General Motors. “Cadillac is returning to Le Mans in full force with three V-Series.R prototypes on the grid, Corvette Racing is aiming for its ninth class victory and the Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 – in partnership with NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, IMSA and Goodyear – is something that will live in the memories of all those who see it run, for generations to come. Motorsports is core to us at GM, so I’m thankful for the many people across our company and our partners who have worked so hard to get these cars race-ready.”
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled for 4 p.m. CET / 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 10. MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both live television and streaming coverage. Radio Le Mans will stream audio coverage on radiolemans.com with the race call also on Sirius 136 and XM 202.

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GENERAL MOTORS IN SPOTLIGHT AT 24 HOURS OF LE MANS

June 12, 2023 ARP Trish

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Cadillac at Le Mans: Taking aim at overall victory

June 12, 2023 ARP Trish

Drivers of three Cadillac Racing V-Series.Rs ready for endurance test in centenary race

LE MANS, France (June 9, 2023) – Speed, reliability and consistently quick pit stops are important ingredients — among a myriad of others — to prevailing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Cadillac Racing’s trio of Cadillac V-Series.R hybrid racecars have displayed all three, with the two full-time Grand Touring Prototype cars each winning an IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race and the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R entering the endurance classic a respectable fourth in the standings in its initial FIA World Endurance Championship season.
Media resources: Cadillac Racing information, photos, history at Le Mans and much more
This weekend, man and machine will be tested again in the 91st renewal of competition at Circuit de la Sarthe. Cadillac’s last visit was in 2002, and the last American manufacturer to win the overall title came in 1969.
For a different point of viewCadillac.com/live is the home for on-track action from Circuit de la Sarthe from a different perspective than the MotorTrend (U.S.), Velocity (Canada) and Eurosport (Europe) TV feeds — from the cockpits of the three Cadillac V-Series.R racecars.
Updates hosted by NBC’s Briam Till, special guest interviews and other surprises are part of the programming. Watch starting at 3:45 p.m. CEST/9:45 a.m. ET June 10.

What they’re sayingNo. 2 Cadillac Racing V-Series.R (qualified sixth)Earl Bamber: “It’s fantastic to here at Le Mans racing in the top category and it’s awesome to be here with Cadillac Racing. To return to the top class of Le Mans is something really special. We’re looking to put on a great performance and hopefully achieve all our dreams and be the first American manufacturer to win the overall in many years. The car has been great. It’s been a long journey, which started for me in mid-2021 with simulator work, and now to see it on track with two cars in the Hyperpole for the 100th running of the 24 hours is something fantastic for the whole team at Cadillac Racing.”
Richard Westbrook: “The car is really comfortable to drive, not too edgy, which is important when you have to drive it for 24 hours. That’s what you want and what we have. It’s quick as well. It’s so nice to drive this car finally at Le Mans. It’s been too long since we’ve had so many cars evenly matched in the top class. It’s what every fan wants and what everyone was crying out for — more cars and more manufacturers in the top class. And now we’ve got it. Each car is quick in different places, bi the overall pace is very tight. I’ll tell the fans and those watching on TV to savor it, enjoy it. It’s going to be a classic. I feel proud to be here with Cadillac Racing, bringing back Cadillac to Le Mans after such a long period out. There is so much that has gone into this project, and to come away with a win or even a podium would be absolutely fantastic.”
Alex Lynn: “The driver crew that we have is extremely motivated to succeed and we’re pushing each other. I think that’s shown in our results, in that sometimes we might have a bad moment or we’re not right on the pace as we are still developing, but every single time the checkered flag falls we’ve bagged a result and we’ve been there. That’s important. We’re fourth in the Drivers’ Championship, right there close to third. I think that’s because we dig in and we fight for a performance every single time the race is on. Winning Le Mans takes perfection. From our side, it’s a difficult race to win but the most rewarding.”
No. 3 Cadillac Racing V-Series.R (qualified eighth)Sebastien Bourdais: “Since the car hit the track for the first time last July, it’s been a lot of work but a lot of fun developing this new car. We have all the tools we need to fight for the victory, which as a driver is all you can ask for. It’s a huge effort. We’re not here for show; we’re here for the real deal. It’s still an endurance race, of course it’s a 24-hour sprint first and foremost, but you can’t make any mistakes. Having an opportunity like this with Cadillac, being a factory driver and coming back to Le Mans as a contender for victory is an honor. (About being the local hero in race) “There have been a lot of requests of me being the local guy, but you always have to think back. It’s the biggest endurance race in the world, a huge crowd and if they were not there we wouldn’t be either.”
Renger van der Zande: “It’s the most famous classic race in the world and that’s what we’re aiming to win. I think Cadillac is a super American brand. I’ve been racing in America for 10 years and most of my time with Cadillac, so going with my American racing family as I call them to go for the Le Mans overall victory is something special. A lot of people from Holland will be watching us fight for the overall win, and that would be special.”
Scott Dixon: “Coming here with Cadillac, with all the centenary celebrations and in the premier category of endurance , is very special. The formula has also changed, with the organizers grouping all the LMDhs and LMHs together, which is pretty cool. This is a great moment for motorsport. I think we have a good shot at doing well. We have all the tools to fight for a podium.” No. 311 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R (qualified 12th)Pipo Derani: “To race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with this group of guys that we’ve achieved so much with is incredible. It’ll be a dream come true for the 100th anniversary. We are here as one Cadillac team in a way, so we are definitely trying to do the best we can for the brand with one objective, which is to try and give Cadillac a strong result here at Le Mans.”
Alexander Sims: “We’ve had good sessions and have shown race pace. Now we need to execute in all phases during the race. The team has been preparing for this race for a long time already, so they’ll do a good job. We’ll give it our best shot.”
Jack Aitken: “I’m excited. There is still a bit of a question mark on how the race is going to play out both with the weather with some thunderstorms hanging around and the race pace of all the cars. We’ve got a good spread of manufacturers across the field and I think that’s going to make for a good race. We’re just focusing on executing the best race we can and we’ll see where that puts us.”

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Cadillac at Le Mans: Solid qualifying efforts

June 8, 2023 ARP Trish

Three Cadillac V-Series.Rs qualify in top 12 of 16-car Hypercar field for endurance race

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CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Keating, No. 33 C8.R Take Hyperpole!

June 8, 2023 ARP Trish

Perfect storm of tow, tires and team talent earn GTE Am pole LE MANS, France (June 8, 2023) – A tow, tires and talent. Those all came together Corvette Racing as Ben Keating put the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R on the GTE Am pole position during Thursday’s Hyperpole session ahead of this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Keating – teaming in the Corvette with Nicky Catsburg and Nico Varrone – posted a best lap of 3:52.376 (131.171 mph) to take Corvette Racing’s second straight pole position at Le Mans. The GTE Am championship-leading trio increased their points advantage by one with the P1 finish.
The stellar work by the Corvette Racing team continued after Wednesday’s heroics that saw Catsburg get the C8.R into Hyperpole following a fast repair job by the crew after a crash at the end of the first practice. The storybook result kept going even on Keating’s first lap Thursday when he picked up a tow from another GTE car all the way down the Mulsanne Straight. He cleared his competitor going into Mulsanne Corner to take provisional pole after the opening flyer.
Keating improved his time slightly before a red flag halted the session with five minutes to go. As the session went green again, Corvette Racing engineers decided to fit the C8.R with fresh, soft compound Michelin tires – the only team to do so during the stoppage.
Keating made the decision pay off with his best lap of the weekend and put Corvette Racing out front to start its biggest race of the season.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled for 4 p.m. CET / 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 10. MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both live television and streaming coverage. Radio Le Mans also will stream audio coverage of the race.

BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTE AM POLE-WINNER: “I wanted to find a gap on my out-lap. I thought the GT cars were driving really slow for having hot tires. I was thinking that we have hot tires, it’s time to push. They were all going slow and I was push, push, push. So I had a big gap and I didn’t think I would ever catch the Ferrari ahead of me because he was so far up there. But the LMP2 cars, when they got to the chicane, just stopped to get a window. So I was right on the Ferrari and he gave me a perfect tow down every straight away. I passed him into Mulsanne, and he didn’t slow me down any. It was incredible and I thought that was as good as it gets, almost to the point that I was wondering why we were out there! “I did a cool-down lap and the team told me that the 25 was 0.3 seconds behind. I thought then that I’d better get it in gear! I pushed really hard for another lap and had one in the bank because of no track limits. So I could push a little more, and the Corvette was set up so well that I didn’t have to worry about track limits. The car went exactly where I wanted it to go. I could push the car harder in every corner. I got better in Porsche Curves and came over the line at 3:53.0. I didn’t think there was any way anyone was going to touch me. But we came in for the red flag, and I didn’t understand the point of putting new tires on it because I didn’t think I could improve. But it makes sense now. “The sun had gone down and the tires really came into the window. The air was a little cooler, and we were at bare minimum of fuel. So I got one out-lap and then one flyer. I got the peak of the tire, the peak of low fuel, the peak of the temperature, and I put a lap together. It was pretty magical, especially considering how close we were to not even making qualifying yesterday. The team did an amazing job to get the car out where Nicky could do what we needed to get us into Hyperpole. So I’m incredibly excited and happy for the entire team. This is the best way I can think of to go into the race!”

CORVETTE RACING MEDIA INFORMATION
Corvette Racing media information in both English and French is updated and available ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Materials include, Le Mans race advance and quotes, Corvette Racing stats and figures, Corvette Racing racecar comparisons, Corvette Racing Fast Facts and driver biographies

LE CORVETTE RACING AU MANS: Pole pour Keating et la Corvette C8.R!Une parfaite combinaison d’aspiration, de pneus et du talent de l’équipe a permis à la GTE Am de décrocher la pole position. LE MANS, France (le 8 juin 2023) – L’aspiration, les pneus et le talent. Ben Keating a signé la pole position de la Chevrolet Corvette C8.R Mobil 1/SiriusXM n°33 en GTE Am lors de la séance Hyperpole de jeudi, en vue des 24 Heures du Mans de ce week-end.. Keating – qui fait équipe avec Nicky Catsburg et Nico Varrone au volant de la Corvette – a réalisé un meilleur tour en 3m52s376 pour décrocher la deuxième pole position consécutive de Corvette Racing au Mans. Le trio de tête du championnat GTE Am a augmenté son avance d’un point grâce à cette pole position. Le travail remarquable de l’équipe Corvette Racing s’est poursuivi après les exploits de mercredi qui ont vu Catsburg placer la C8.R en Hyperpole après une réparation rapide par l’équipe suite à un accident à la fin de la première séance d’essais. L’histoire s’est poursuivie dès le premier tour de Keating, jeudi, lorsqu’il s’est fait ‘remorquer’ par une autre voiture GTE tout au long de la ligne droite de Mulsanne. Il a dépassé son concurrent dans le virage de Mulsanne pour prendre la pole position provisoire à l’issue du premier tour. Keating a légèrement amélioré son temps avant qu’un drapeau rouge n’interrompe la séance à cinq minutes de la fin. Alors que la séance repasse au vert, les ingénieurs du Corvette Racing décident d’équiper la C8.R de pneus Michelin soft et neufs – la seule équipe à le faire pendant l’arrêt de la séance. Keating a fait en sorte que cette décision soit payante en réalisant son meilleur tour du week-end, ce qui a permis à Corvette Racing de prendre le départ de sa plus importante course de la saison depuis la pole position.

BEN KEATING, MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R n°33 – GTE AM POLE : « Je voulais trouver une ouverture lors de mon tour de piste. Je pensais que les voitures GT roulaient vraiment lentement pour avoir des pneus chauds. Je me disais que si nous avions des pneus chauds, il était temps de pousser. Ils roulaient tous lentement et j’ai poussé, poussé, poussé. J’avais donc un grand écart et je ne pensais pas pouvoir rattraper la Ferrari qui me précédait car elle était tellement loin devant. Mais les voitures LMP2, lorsqu’elles sont arrivées à la chicane, se sont arrêtées afin de trouver une ouverture. J’étais donc juste sur la Ferrari et elle m’a parfaitement ‘remorqué’ dans toutes les lignes droites. Je l’ai dépassé à Mulsanne et il ne m’a pas ralenti. C’était incroyable et je me suis dit qu’on ne pouvait pas faire mieux, à tel point que je me demandais pourquoi nous étions là ! » « J’ai fait un tour de récupération et l’équipe m’a dit que la 25 était à 0,3 seconde. J’ai alors pensé que je ferais mieux de passer à la vitesse supérieure ! J’ai poussé très fort pendant encore un tour. Je pouvais donc pousser un peu plus, et la Corvette était si bien réglée que je n’avais pas à me soucier des limites de piste. La voiture allait exactement là où je voulais qu’elle aille. Je pouvais pousser la voiture plus fort dans chaque virage. Je me suis amélioré dans les virages Porsche et j’ai franchi la ligne d’arrivée en 3:53.0. Je ne pensais pas que quelqu’un allait me toucher. Mais quand nous sommes rentrés pour le drapeau rouge, je n’ai pas compris l’intérêt de mettre des pneus neufs parce que je ne pensais pas pouvoir m’améliorer. Mais maintenant, c’est plus logique. » « Le soleil s’est couché et les pneus sont réellement devenus plus performants. L’air était un peu plus frais et nous étions au minimum de carburant. J’ai donc fait un tour de piste, puis un tour de piste. J’ai eu le pic du pneu, le pic de la baisse de carburant, le pic de la température, et j’ai fait un tour. C’était assez magique, surtout si l’on considère que nous étions à deux doigts de ne pas nous qualifier hier. L’équipe a fait un travail extraordinaire pour que Nicky puisse faire ce qu’il fallait pour nous permettre d’entrer dans l’Hyperpole. Je suis donc incroyablement excité et heureux pour toute l’équipe. C’est la meilleure façon pour moi d’aborder la course ! »

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chevy racing–nascar–sonoma Advance

June 8, 2023 ARP Trish

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE

Sonoma RacewaySonoma, CaliforniaJune 10-11, 2023

WEEKEND OUT WESTThe NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) will join the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) out west as two of NASCAR’s top series will take on the 1.99-mile, 12-turn Sonoma Raceway. Situated within the southern Sonoma Mountains, the challenging road course has been a staple stop on the schedule for NASCAR’s premier series since 1989. Chevrolet has notched a manufacturer-leading 13 NCS wins at Sonoma – including back-to-back wins in the series’ past two appearances at the Northern California circuit. The NXS will look to start a new chapter in Sonoma Raceway’s history book as the series will make its first-ever appearance at the circuit this weekend. The series is in the midst of back-to-back road course events on the west coast. Despite coming just one spot short of the triumph at Portland International Raceway last weekend, the Bowtie brand is carrying the momentum of four top-five finishes out west as the manufacturer looks to become Sonoma’s first NXS winner.

BACK-TO-BACK MONUMENTAL WINSTeam Chevy’s Kyle Larson and Daniel Suarez have found recent success at Sonoma Raceway – delivering the manufacturer wins in the past two NASCAR Cup Series events at the 1.99-mile Northern California road course. While extending Chevrolet’s record as the winningest manufacturer in NASCAR’s premier series at the circuit, each triumph holds a special place in Larson and Suarez’s young careers.

TEAM CHEVY’S ROAD COURSE WARRIORSA road course favorite in recent years, Chevrolet has made its way to victory lane in 15 of the past 18 NASCAR Cup Series races – dating back to Chase Elliott’s victory at Watkins Glen International in August 2019. Within that time span, the manufacturer notched a streak of 11 consecutive road course wins in the series – a run that started with Elliott’s victory in NASCAR’s debut at Circuit of The Americas in May 2021.
The Bowtie brigade features a powerhouse lineup of drivers that have found success making left- and right-hand turns. Six active drivers from four different Chevrolet teams have at least one career NCS road course win on their resume:

Hendrick Motorsports: Chase Elliott – seven (Watkins Glen – 2018 & 2019; Charlotte ROVAL – 2019 & 2020; Daytona R.C. – 2020; COTA – 2021; Road America – 2021) Kyle Larson – four (Sonoma – 2021; Watkins Glen – 2021 & 2022; Charlotte ROVAL – 2021)
Richard Childress Racing: Kyle Busch – four (Sonoma – 2008 & 2015; Watkins Glen – 2008 & 2013)
Kaulig Racing: AJ Allmendinger – two (Watkins Glen – 2014; Indianapolis R.C. – 2021)
Trackhouse Racing: Daniel Suarez – one (Sonoma – 2022)Ross Chastain – one (Circuit of The Americas – 2022)

HOME STATE HERO Career Chevrolet driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer, Jeff Gordon, has a storied history of success at his home track of Sonoma Raceway. The Vallejo, California, native retired from full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition in 2015, but still holds on to the title as the winningest road course driver in series’ history with nine career triumphs. Gordon recorded five of those road course triumphs at Sonoma Raceway – also a series-leading feat at the circuit. In his 23 career starts at Sonoma Raceway, Gordon’s legacy at the Northern California circuit continues to live on – maintaining a series-best record in average finishing position (8.3), runner-up finishes (five), top-fives (14), top-10s (18), laps led (457) and pole wins (five).

SONOMA WELCOMES NXS DEBUTPart two of the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ west coast adventure will deliver a whole new set of unknowns with Saturday’s DoorDash 250 marking the series’ debut at Sonoma Raceway. Chevrolet has already notched one NXS road course win this season (AJ Allmendinger – COTA), and the manufacturer is coming off another stout road course performance at Portland International Raceway last weekend. Team Chevy drivers took six of the top-nine positions in the final running order – with JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier leading the Bowtie brigade with a runner-up finish. Allgaier and fellow Team Chevy driver Sheldon Creed led a combined 70 of the race’s 77 laps. Among the seven NASCAR Cup Series regulars slated for double-duty at Sonoma Raceway this weekend, five come from the Chevrolet camp. Of those entries includes Team Chevy’s two most recent NCS winners at the circuit – with Kyle Larson behind the wheel of the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro SS and Daniel Suarez taking over the driving duties for the No. 07 SS Green Light Camaro SS. Road course favorite AJ Allmendinger will make his second NXS start of the season in the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS. The last time Allmendinger got in the seat of the entry was at Circuit of The Americas in March – where he added yet another road course victory to his name. Ross Chastain – who also got his first career NCS win on a road course – will be piloting the No. 91 Camaro SS for DGM Racing.

GMS RACING HITS MILESTONE VICTORYGMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger became the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ (NCTS) third repeat winner of the season – taking his No. 23 Silverado RST to victory lane at World Wide Technology Raceway last weekend.
The victory – Chevrolet’s seventh in 12 NCTS races – also marked a milestone victory for GMS Racing. With now 44 all-time NCTS wins, GMS Racing surpassed Kevin Harvick Incorporated’s win record – giving GMS Racing the title of the winningest Chevrolet team in NCTS’ history. A partner with Chevrolet since the team’s inception in 2012, GMS Racing has also accounted for two of Chevrolet’s 14 NCTS Driver Championship titles (2016 and 2020). “Maury Gallagher, Mike Beam and everyone at GMS Racing have been great partners to Chevrolet since the organization entered the Truck Series a decade ago,” said Dayne Pierantoni, GM Racing Program Manager for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. “We’ve had an incredible history together both on and off the track, and their partnership has been a key component to Chevrolet’s success in the series.”

BOWTIE BULLETS:·       Of the five active NASCAR Cup Series drivers that have previously won at Sonoma Raceway, three come from Team Chevy: Kyle Busch – two wins (2015, 2008)Daniel Suarez – one win (2022)Kyle Larson – one win (2021)
·       Chevrolet has recorded wins in 15 of the past 18 NASCAR Cup Series road course races. Within that timespan includes a streak of 11 consecutive wins – from Chase Elliott’s win at Circuit of The Americas (May 2021) to Kyle Larson’s win at Watkins Glen International (August 2022).
·       Chase Elliott leads all active drivers with seven career NASCAR Cup Series road course wins. Those victories have been recorded at five different road course circuits – a record in series’ history.
·       Chase Elliott ranks third on the NASCAR Cup Series’ all-time road course wins list – behind NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (nine wins) and Tony Stewart (eight wins).
·       Only three drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series are repeat winners this season, all coming from Team Chevy (William Byron – Las Vegas, Phoenix & Darlington; Kyle Larson – Richmond & Martinsville; Kyle Busch – Auto Club and Talladega). Byron and Busch are tied atop the leaderboard with three wins each.
·       In 15 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race this season, Chevrolet continues to lead the series in wins (nine), top-fives (33), top-10s (63), stage wins (16) and laps led (2,007).
·       Chevrolet leads the series in wins across all three NASCAR national series this season with nine victories in 15 NASCAR Cup Series races, eight victories in 13 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and seven wins in 12 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races – all with a win percentage of more than 50%.
·       With Grant Enfinger’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win at World Wide Technology Raceway, GMS Racing is now the winningest Chevrolet organization in NCTS’ history with 44 all-time wins in the series.
·       With William Byron’s win at Darlington Raceway, Hendrick Motorsports now sits at 296 all-time NASCAR Cup Series victories – all recorded with Chevrolet.
·       Chevrolet’s series-leading nine NASCAR Cup Series wins this season have been recorded by drivers from three different Chevrolet teams: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (JTG Daugherty Racing), Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing), William Byron and Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports).
·       Chevrolet drivers have recorded 16 of the 30 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins this season: William Byron (seven; series-leading), Ross Chastain (five), Kyle Larson (two), Chase Elliott (one) and Kyle Busch (one).
·       Chevrolet continues to sit atop the manufacturer points standings in all three NASCAR national series, leading by 44 points in the NASCAR Cup Series, 45 points in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and 33 points in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
·       With its 41 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Championships, and 842 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

TUNE IN: · NASCAR Cup Series: Toyota / Save Mart 350 Sunday, June 11, at 3:30 p.m. ET(FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
· NASCAR Xfinity Series: DoorDash 250 Saturday, June 10, at 8 p.m. ET(FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

QUOTABLE QUOTES:ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 KUBOTA CAMARO ZL1You still seem to run in more than one series on weekends, why is that?“I think it’s important to get as many reps as possible. It’s something I’ve always done no matter what the equipment is like. You look back several years ago and I was running in as many series as I could each weekend just to get that seat time because I feel it’s really important for me. I even went out to Sonoma a few weeks ago to drive a Skip Barber school car just to get more laps at Sonoma. I wanted to start getting my mind trained to turning left and right again so that it comes more natural this weekend. I’ve done a ton of left turns in my life. Even on the farm, we always turn the tractor left with the way we work the fields. No idea why that really is, it’s just the way we’ve always done it. I would hate to add up all of the left turns I’ve made in my life, versus right.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BREZTRI CAMARO ZL1 How do you prepare for Sonoma Raceway?“I prepare for Sonoma Raceway by spending a lot of hours on the Chevrolet simulator, and I’ve been at the go-kart track quite a bit this year, which in the past I haven’t done. I could probably run Sonoma in my sleep. I’ve put a lot of effort into this race. I can’t wait to get there in my No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE™ (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet Camaro. I really like the track; it’s a fun, slick road course. We have a lot of high hopes for this race to break through and have our best finish on a road course. We’ve been getting better at road racing the last couple of years. We have a shot to qualify well, lead laps, and come out with a good run.”
Does Sonoma Raceway lend itself to the same kind of aggression as Watkins Glen or Circuit of the Americas?“Yes, it does. Sonoma Raceway has some aggression, but it’s more controlled because of the tire wear. It’s easy to overdrive the car; you have to take care of the rear tires and try not to slide the front tires. The aggression is always there on road courses, and especially in turn 11, the final turn. You know what you are getting when you go into turn 11 and where you can attack and make passes.”
You were strong at COTA earlier this season. Are you excited to get to Sonoma?“Circuit Of the Americas didn’t go well for us. We didn’t get the finish we deserved after getting spun at the top of the hill. I’m excited about Sonoma Raceway. Ever since the race was over at COTA, we’ve been working on our road course program to come out strong this weekend. I feel like my RCR team is prepared as much as we can.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1Larson on racing at Sonoma Raceway: “I always love going back home and racing at Sonoma (Raceway). I always get to see a lot of friends, family and race fans that grew up watching me race sprint cars and stuff around Northern California. I think all of us drivers look forward to going to Sonoma a lot, but with me being from only an hour and half away, it’s a special place. I’ve always qualified really well there. Since I’ve raced with Hendrick (Motorsports), we got a win there in 2021, led some laps in 2022 and had a fast car. We just missed the strategy some and then had a wheel fall off as we were starting to get back into contention. It’s kind of a flowy track. The tires wear out, so you kind of manage your runs quite a good bit. There’s a lot of elevation change too. I enjoy all that.”

CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1Daniels on what Sonoma means to the team: “With Sonoma (Raceway) being Kyle (Larson)’s home track, it means a lot to him and it means a lot to the team. We love the track layout itself, just the configuration of the track. It’s got ups and downs and sorts of different shapes and sizes of corners that make it really challenging to set up a car to go fast. It certainly makes it challenging for the drivers, but Kyle does a great job there and we just need to do our part to give him a great car. With the way our team has been executing races, hopefully we can have a good car and have ourselves in the game to execute and have a great day.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 MCLAREN CUSTOM GRILLS CAMARO ZL1You scored an impressive victory at Sonoma in 2008, after starting deep in the field and leading the most laps. Is that one of your most satisfying road course victories?“Sonoma Raceway in 2008 was a really good time. We didn’t qualify very well and didn’t feel like we had very good speed overall, but the cautions fell perfectly for us that day where we were on pit road and then the cautions fell. We were able to leapfrog the competition and get track position. That happened both times we pitted so that was super-good and made our race super-easy by just being able to run hard up front. We made the most of that day. It was definitely a satisfying victory. That one was really cool. It was my first road course victory so that meant a lot.”
You have raced on a couple of different course designs at Sonoma Raceway. What are the challenges of the current layout?“I’ve raced a few different designs at Sonoma Raceway. I enjoy all of them. The carousel is cool, it’s fun. There’s a lot of transition there and there’s a lot of technicality that you’ve got to figure out to be good on that course as well as the chute course. I don’t prefer one over the other. I think the rest of the course is so challenging in itself. What makes Sonoma special is Turn 11, up the hill in Turn 1, the esses and down the back straightway. It’s just a fun course, very technical.”
Do you think the racing at Sonoma Raceway is more physical on the driver than the other road courses?“Sonoma Raceway is one of the more physical road courses on the circuit, for sure. You’re always fighting grip. Even when you’re on the front side of a run, you’re trying to hustle the car. you’re slipping and sliding everywhere trying to make the most of the time while not running off course and keeping the tires somewhat underneath you. You try to minimize the tire degradation as it happens as much as you can, yet you know you’ve got to be fast and try to catch the guys in front of you. And with this new Next Gen race car, that has become even more important and more challenging to get right because everybody seems to be running much closer speeds. A lot of setups are very similar, a lot of brake packages are very similar. It’s hard to find any sort of advantage in that.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1Elliott on what it takes to run well at Sonoma: “It’s one of those places that you really do need to attack a little bit. Road course racing in general is pretty aggressive, I think that’s fair to say. Last year, it was very track position oriented, and making sure you executed a good race – from having good restarts to being good on pit road to calling the right strategy. Having pace, too, and then that comes back to your qualifying effort. So really, a full weekend of being pretty aggressive, I feel like is probably the best approach to give you a good shot at it.”

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1Gustafson the team’s outlook for the rest of the regular season:“We’re going to keep working hard to get to where we want to be and improve to win some races. We’ve certainly had some pace in our cars. It hasn’t been the most straightforward season for us, but I think everyone’s handled it really well. We just need to get back into a rhythm, put together some good runs and work together to be the best that we can be. If we do those things and work super hard, then we’re going to be in good shape.”

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 GABRIEL GLAS CAMARO ZL1“Sonoma is always a special, important weekend for me. It’s near where I grew up and I still get to see a lot of friends and family there. Quite honestly, it’s a racetrack that I don’t have a very good average finish. I’ve felt like I’ve always been fast there, but it hasn’t worked out. Being able to run both races [NXS and NCS] I’m really looking forward to it. Sonoma is a racetrack I’ve always wanted to win at knowing it’s my home racetrack and I would be able to do that in front of a lot of friends and family. Hopefully, we can go back there and have some success to keep building on our program.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1Byron on gains needed after the first road course race of the season and how the Next Gen car compares to the previous generation of car: “We’re hoping to make some gains since COTA (Circuit of The Americas). We were sliding around a little too much with the rear tires there. This car seemed like it had a little bit more grip at Sonoma (Raceway) compared to previous years. However, there were some aspects that were very similar like the shifting.”

RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1Fugle on the strategy of calling races without stage break cautions: “When you have a known caution like we did in the past with the stage breaks, you had to short the stages and then you would cycle forward and have track position. If you raced for stage points, generally you would never make it back up there – specifically after stage two. Now, there is no known caution, so you don’t have short anything. You’re going to split the race up into what you believe is the least amount of elapsed time for the shortest race, whether that’s a two-stop, three-stop or four-stop race. Chances are you will be able to collect stage points and have a chance at the race win.”

GRANT ENFINGER, NO. 42 SUNSEEKER RESORTS CAMARO ZL1“My thoughts are with Noah, I know how much he loves this team and the guys on it. I’m happy to help out LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and the No. 42 team.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 ALLEGIANT CAMARO ZL1“Going out to Sonoma will be a good time, it’s our first time at a road course this year since COTA. We learned a lot. I think we have seen growth as a team since COTA, this track should show the steps we have taken and put them to the test. We have what it takes to get out front and compete this weekend; the whole No. 43 team has made steady progress as a group. Hate the circumstances to not have Dave come to Sonoma, but confident Joey will do a great job filling in for us. Looking to have a good run still.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER / COTTONELLE CAMARO ZL1“I feel good going into Sonoma with our No. 47 Kroger / Cottonelle Camaro especially after our last road course race at COTA (Circuit of the Americas). We had a good race car there, and it has us optimistic about Sonoma. Our goal this weekend is to stay out of trouble and make it through some crazy late restarts. If we can do that, we will be just fine. It will be a fun weekend. We’ll spend Friday evening with our partners, and then I’m going to race a sprint car Saturday night in Petaluma.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY PRIDE CAMARO ZL1Bowman on returning to Sonoma: “I think Sonoma (Raceway) is a place that we can be successful at this year. Last year, we had a really fast No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro and had a shot at a top-five finish but just got caught up in someone else’s mess. Our team back at the shop has built really fast cars all year and even though I was out for a little bit, I think our team is as good as we were before I missed those couple of races. There is no reason we can’t go compete for a win on any given weekend.”

BLAKE HARRIS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY PRIDE CAMARO ZL1Harris on the team’s outlook for Sonoma: “I am feeling good heading into this weekend. Hendrick Motorsports had really strong cars there last year. Alex (Bowman) was en route to a top-10 run and got caught up in an on-track incident. I think it is a good opportunity after the end of our race last week to turn things around, go perform and push our team into a good spot heading into an off weekend. Sonoma (Raceway) is probably my favorite road course. I just like the atmosphere and I think it is going to be a good one for the No. 48 team.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 FREEWAY INSURANCE CAMARO ZL1Does arriving in Sonoma after a good run at St. Louis give you even more confidence?“Definitely, man. Every time we head to a road course, whether it’s Sonoma (Raceway), or somewhere else, I am excited. I feel at home and I am excited to go back to a place where we had great memories last time and hopefully we can repeat it. Sunday’s race at St. Louis was great for us. It was a good solid run from start to finish. We just need to build on it.”
Can you win again on Sunday?“Of course we can. We have a very good road course program. You saw how fast we were at COTA. We are going out to Sonoma with plans to sit on the pole, lead every lap and win the race.”
What do you remember about Sonoma last year?“It was such a crazy day and I had so many thoughts in my head. I mean, it was a rough road getting to victory lane but that moment was so worth it. Not just for me but for my family, Julia, these guys believe in me – Trackhouse Racing, Justin Marks, Ty Norris. Everyone that helped me to get to this point. A lot of people in Mexico – Jay Morales and Carlos Slim. My family, they never give up on me. A lot of people did, but they didn’t. I was just very happy we were able to make it work.”
What were the final laps like last year?“I was just trying to stay calm. I knew that it was a big stake on the line, but I was trying to stay calm. I was silent. I wanted to do my thing. I didn’t want too much noise on the radio. I knew what I had to do. I would say after the white flag is when I got out of control. I just start crying inside the helmet, just thinking about it. Especially because I had a big gap. If it wasn’t a big gap, I would be focused. Since I had a big gap, I was just thinking about every single moment that has cost me to be here.
It’s been a different journey. Every NASCAR driver has had a tough journey. Everyone has a different journey. But my journey is definitely the most different of everyone else, leaving my family, my country, and just coming to a different culture, different language.
Thinking of all those things, it makes it very, very, very special.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturers Championships:Total (1949-2022): 41First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15) Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022 Drivers Championships:Total (1949-2021): 33First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021) Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007) 2023 STATISTICS: Wins: 9Poles: 5Laps Led: 2,007Top-five finishes: 33Top-10 finishes: 63Stage wins: 16· Ross Chastain – 5 (Daytona), (Auto Club x2), (Dover), (Darlington)· William Byron – 7 (Las Vegas x2), (Phoenix), (COTA), (Richmond), (Dover), (Charlotte)· Kyle Larson – 2 (Phoenix), (Bristol Dirt)· Chase Elliott – 1 (Talladega)· Kyle Busch – 1 (WWTR) CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 842 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 739Laps led to date: 247,551Top-five finishes to date: 4,254Top-10 finishes to date: 8,775 Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date: General Motors: 1,176 Chevrolet: 842 Pontiac: 154 Oldsmobile: 115 Buick: 65 Ford: 822 Ford: 722 Mercury: 96 Lincoln: 4 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467 Dodge: 217 Plymouth: 191 Chrysler: 59 Toyota: 174

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Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Takes on Bristol Dragway for NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals

June 8, 2023 ARP Trish

BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 08, 2023) – Defending Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown world champion David Barton and his Retail Fixture – Sawmill Auto Chevrolet COPO Camaro hope that the NRHA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway can be the positive turn it was for him last year. Barton picked up the victory at Bristol Dragway in 2022, a win that gave him the points lead and ultimately the championship.

“Last year we won the race and moved into the points lead which we held on to throughout the rest of the season for the championship. Everything fell our way that day. We had a lot of momentum coming into Bristol last year and I am looking to get some momentum started this weekend,” Barton said. “We will get back-to-back races with Bristol and Norwalk so we would like to get off on the right foot.”

Sitting second in the point standings, Lenny Lottig hopes to make that turnaround for Barton just a little bit harder. Lottig has three career victories including two back-to-back wins at the most recent event, the Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals and Chicago Route 66 Nationals, that has the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Bounty up to $2,000.

Lenny Lottig, Charlotte and Chicago winner, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“I wanted to hang onto that Flexjet bounty when we went to Chicago, and we were able to win again. Now that bounty is $2,000 and I would like to hold onto it so it keeps getting bigger,” said Lottig, driver of the ITI Trailers & Truck Bodies Chevrolet. “I am having a great time driving this Camaro. The competition is so tough you have to be nearly perfect on race day. We have had some luck, but I have a great team and crew.”

Hoping to bring Lottig’s win streak to an end is David Davies in his Save Our Allies/DH Davies Racing Dodge Drag Pak. Davies is sitting third in the Flexjet points just 72 points back from Lottig.

“We’re going rounds which is good, but have certainly been fighting through our share of issues. This new team has rallied though and has shown a lot of hustle. We have the car but we’re going to need to dial in some consistency as we head into an aggressive few weeks for the mid-season dash starting at Bristol,” Davies said. “It’s ‘Bristol Baby’ and it’s an awesome place to run, the fans are some of the best. We’ll put on the best show we can and try to improve on our semifinal finish from last year. It’s a historic track and a win at the Thunder Valley Nationals would be incredible.”

David Davies, Save Our Allies Dodge Drag Pak, photo by Innovative Creation Experts

Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown competition at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway begins with qualifying Friday at 3 p.m. and 6:10 p.m. and Saturday at noon and 3:25 p.m. Eliminations begin Saturday with round one at 6:45 p.m. and continues Sunday with round two at 2 p.m., semifinals at 3:20 p.m. and finals at 4:20 p.m.

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GARAGE 56 AT LE MANS: In Their Own Words

June 8, 2023 ARP Trish

Chevrolet a key player in effort to bring NASCAR Camaro ZL1 to Le Mans
LE MANS, France (June 8, 2023) – Chevrolet is adding to its rich history at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a prominent role in the Garage 56 program that has brought a Camaro ZL1 NASCAR Cup Series stock car to the French endurance classic.

The American manufacturer is partnering with NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, IMSA and Goodyear in an effort that will see the modified Camaro ZL1 race as a Garage 56 entry – granted by Le Mans sanctioning body Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) for innovative and unique entries into one of the world’s great motor races.
Chevrolet’s contributions to the Garage 56 Camaro are far-reaching. At the heart of the ZL1 is Chevy’s NASCAR R07 cast-iron V8 engine with the same block, castings and pistons used in NASCAR Cup Series events. Le Mans support comes from GM’s Performance and Racing Center in Pontiac, Michigan, leveraging Chevrolet’s experience and eight Le Mans class wins with the Corvette Racing program.
Engineers and designers from Chevrolet also worked with the Garage 56 partners to integrate working headlights, taillights, aerodynamic devices, cooling ducts for the brake system and other accessories.
MARK REUSS, GENERAL MOTORS PRESIDENT: “A NASCAR stock car running at Le Mans is something fans doubted they would see again. It is an honor to have Chevrolet and General Motors as key partners in this effort with NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports and Goodyear. We bring more than 20 years of experience and success with our Corvette Racing program. That and the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 powered by our Chevrolet R07 NASCAR Cup Series engine will thrill fans at the track and around the world with its unique look and the familiar sound of our Chevrolet V8.”
MARK STIELOW, DIRECTOR, CHEVROLET MOTORSPORTS COMPETITION ENGINEERING: “A year ago at the Sebring 12 Hours, we had a meeting with all the key partners – Jim France, Rick Hendrick, Mark Reuss – and were offered the opportunity to be a part of this program. Chevrolet was extremely honored and proud to be invited in this effort to take a NASCAR stock car to Le Mans. Our part of the program obviously is helping on the car side of it but also bringing the engine and powertrain component through our partnership with Hendrick Childress Development and getting the engine put together. The goal was to take the proven R07 driveline and harden it to run in in a 24-hour race.“The other part is that we were taking a NASCAR Camaro ZL1 stock car and run it in a 24-hour endurance race. So we needed headlights, taillights and some of those other styling cues. We engaged GM Design, which helped us design the current Camaro ZL1 that we race in the Cup Series and integrate all those components to make it look proper.“The R07 is a fully proven and very durable engine for 500 and 600 miles in NASCAR races. It’s a little bit different in a 24-hour race. The fuel requirements in France are different also, so that’s another challenge. With the learnings we’ve done in the past and the learnings we are continuing to do, Chevrolet is a perfect partner to help pull all this together.” RUSS O’BLENES, DIRECTOR, GM PERFORMANCE AND RACING CENTER: “One of the great things about the Performance and Racing Center is our testing capabilities. We have a full driveline cell, which allows us to run the entire propulsion system as it sits in the car up to the wheels and tires. Where those would bolt on, we have dynamometers bolted there. We are able to replicate what the powertrain will see in 30 hours at Le Mans. We took data out that came out of the car, and we made a playback that will replicate that so the engine actually runs through its entire system. The transmission is there, so you get the shifting and the closest representation of what the powertrain will have to do at Le Mans.“If you look at our history in endurance racing, GM and Chevrolet have a long and successful track record. We’ve taken that great core of the NASCAR engine and took the learnings that we’ve gained through our Corvette and Cadillac programs in road-racing durability and combined that into the core R07 engine with a few tweaks to help it go that full 24 hours.” TODD CHRISTENSEN, DIRECTOR, CHEVROLET MOTORSPORTS MARKETING AND ACTIVATION: “I’d like to think we are the perfect engine partner based on our track record in the NASCAR Cup Series. We won our 41st Manufacturer Championship in 2022, we have more than 800 wins – more than any other manufacturer – and we’ve won eight races this season with the Camaro ZL1. We’re proud to partner with NASCAR and the Hendrick, IMSA and Goodyear organizations, we’re proud to be the body and the engine that makes the car go. Anytime we position the Chevy brand in a positive way in front of a new audience, it’s great and this is a very cool way to do it. To put the Camaro – an iconic muscle car and our Cup Series entry – in front of an international collection of fans that hasn’t seen it before is going to change some minds and thrill a lot of people, for sure.”
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled for 4 p.m. CET / 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 10. MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both live television and streaming coverage. Radio Le Mans will stream audio coverage of the race and all on-track sessions.

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Burton, DEX Imaging Team Ready for Some Road Racing

June 8, 2023 ARP Trish

June 8, 2023

After running 14 of the 15 Cup Series races to date on oval tracks, Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging team, along with their peers on NASCAR’s elite series, are setting off on a summer stretch of races that will see them competing at a variety of venues beginning this weekend in northern California.

“Our trip out to Sonoma is the start of a road-course-heavy portion of the schedule,” said Brian Wilson, crew chief of the DEX Imaging Mustang. “Over the next two months we have four races within this discipline.”

Upcoming road-course races include the inaugural street race in Chicago on July 2, the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Aug. 13 and the Go Bowling at the Glen on Aug. 20 at Watkins Glen.

Wilson said he believes Burton and the DEX Imaging team can replicate some of its earlier success on road courses. It was on the road course at Indianapolis last year that Burton scored his career-best Cup finish of third.

“Looking back to our one previous race this season at this style track, we qualified a respectable 16th at Circuit of the Americas,” he said. “Through the early portions of that race we also showed top-15 speed until we had a mechanical issue.”

Wilson said the No. 21 team is working hard this week to prepare for the challenges presented by Sunday’s race at Sonoma.

“All Ford teams are utilizing the simulator this week to warm up for the lefts and rights,” he said. “This race has a new, softer tire from Goodyear as well as a slight change to gear ratios.

“Using the simulator to predict new shift points will be a point of emphasis. This could possibly change which gears you run in each corner.”

The team will get 55 minutes of track time during practice on Saturday afternoon. The session begins at 2:05 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (5:05 p.m. Eastern Time), then qualifying will follow at 3 p.m. Pacific Time (6 p.m. Eastern). FOX Sports 2 will carry the TV coverage.

Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350, a 110-lap, 219-mile affair, is set to get the green flag just after 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time (3:30 Eastern) with TV coverage on FOX.

Stage breaks are planned for Laps 25 and 55.

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Burton, DEX Imaging Team Ready for Some Road Racing

June 8, 2023 ARP Trish

June 8, 2023

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chevy racing–nhra–thunder valley nationals advance

June 8, 2023 ARP Trish

CHEVROLET IN NHRA NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS BRISTOL DRAGWAY BRISTOL, TENNESSEE JUNE 9-11, 2023 STACKED WEEKEND OF COMPETITION ON HAND FOR CHEVROLET NHRA TEAMS AT THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS DETROIT (JUNE 8, 2023) – With less than favorable weather conditions postponing the 2023 NHRA New England Nationals, Bristol Dragway and Thunder Valley will boom with the sound of both NHRA New England Nationals and NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals action this weekend. With the Top Fuel and Funny Car teams of John Force Racing competing concurrently during qualifying this weekend, Round 1, running during Q2, will see No. 11 Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, face off against No. 4 Josh Hart. Her teammate, Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brands/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, qualified No. 7 and will face No. 8 Steve Torrence. Qualified No. 9, John Force, driver of the BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car and 16-time NHRA champion, will face No. 6 Tim Wilkerson in Round 1 of the postponed Epping battle, with Robert Hight, driver of the AAA/Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS and qualified No. 5, will face Alexis DeJoria. “It’s disappointing weather stopped us from getting things done in Epping, NHRA, they tried, too wet and too cold,” noted J. Force. “It does add some extra excitement for this weekend though. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens. Could be an important weekend.” Adding to the already-packed action, the #2Fast2Tasty Mission NHRA Challenge will be featured on Saturday as well, offering bonus money, bragging rights, and points in the professional classes competing in Thunder Valley. Back in action after Chicago, Dallas Glenn, of KB Titan Racing and driver of the RAD Torque Chevrolet Camaro Pro Stock machine, looks to Bristol Dragway to keep his strong 2023 season momentum rolling, along with adding to his latest win at Route 66 Dragway, his third of the season and seventh of his NHRA Pro Stock career. On the contrary, four-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders, of Elite Motorsports, looks to Thunder Valley to turn her season into a winning one. Rounding out the stacked show at Bristol this weekend, the Factory Stock Showdown Chevrolet competitors are back in action in their COPO Camaros. With Len Lottig capturing the win in Charlotte at the Four Wide Nationals as well as Chicago most recently, David Barton also enters Bristol this weekend as defending race winner from 2022. Both look to return to the Winner’s Circle in Thunder Valley. Coverage of the postponed 2023 NHRA New England Nationals eliminations and 2023 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals from Bristol Dragway kicks off Friday, June 9 on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with Bristol qualifying coverage at 7 p.m. ET. New England Nationals Round 1 will then follow, airing at 8 p.m. ET, also on FS1. Round 2, Semifinals, and Finals of the New England Nationals makeup event will air Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET on FS1. A recap of Saturday’s Thunder Valley Nationals qualifying airs Sunday, June 11 at 12:30 p.m. ET. The Thunder Valley Nationals Finals will wrap up the stacked weekend, airing on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on FS1. Coverage streaming live throughout the weekend can be found through NHRA.tv, available via AppleTV, Android TV and Roku devices. WHAT THEY’RE SAYINGBrittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Top Fuel Dragster:“Arrived in Bristol, Tennessee for the Thunder Valley Nationals and it’s going to be a busy weekend. Going to be two events in one with the carryover from Epping, N.H. We get one qualifying shot to figure out the track before going into the first round of the New England Nationals. It’s added pressure and going to be a lot of work for the team but nothing this Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team can’t handle. It also opened the doors for a double-up race weekend.” Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing:“I’m excited for a big weekend in Bristol. Every round has a possibility of high excitement. This Montana Brand/Rocky Mount Twist team is hoping to get off on the right foot in the first qualifying session and carry that through the weekend. There is potential to make a big points gain this weekend and I believe we have all the tools on this team to do just that.” John Force, driver of the BlueDEF Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing:“I love racing in Bristol, I’ve raced here a lot. I remember standing with Bruton (Smith) breaking ground. It’s a special place. Would be the perfect spot to really turn the corner on this season. Especially with two race to win. It’s disappointing weather stopped us from getting things done in Epping, NHRA, they tried, too wet and too cold. It does add some extra excitement for this weekend though. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens. Could be an important weekend.” Robert Hight, driver of the AAA/Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing:“It’s going to be an interesting weekend, busy, hopefully. A lot going on with running Epping eliminations during qualifying. Definitely disappointed we couldn’t get the race done last weekend, but it was a difficult weekend. The two runs we did get didn’t go as planned with the weather. We’ll get that first qualifying round in this weekend and then we’ll see what happens. I think this Cornwell Tools team will perform well under the added pressure.” TEAM CHEVY BY THE NUMBERS1,428: Round wins for John Force (1st all-time)600: Round wins for Robert Hight; 13th all-time. Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), sits 12th, with 619.372: Number of wins in Pro Stock since 1970; 253 won in the Chevrolet Camaro body165: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for John Force (1st all-time)157: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins since 196778: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Robert Hight (6th all-time)77: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins with the Camaro body45: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Brittany Force27: Number of NHRA championships Chevrolet holds as a manufacturer since entering the first in 1966. No other manufacturer has won it more than Chevrolet.24: Wins by John Force in a Chevrolet-bodied Funny Car18: Number of Pro Stock championships20: Chevrolet career Top Fuel wins in NHRA16: Number of Chevrolet career wins by Brittany Force7: Number of Funny Car driver championships2: Number of Top Fuel driver championships MOST RECENT WIN IN NHRA BY CHEVROLETChicago – Route 66 RacewayDallas Glenn (Pro Stock)Len Lottig (Factory Stock Showdown) MOST RECENT DRIVER CHAMPIONSHIPS IN NHRA BY CHEVROLET2022: Brittany Force, Top Fuel2022: Erica Enders, Pro Stock2022: David Barton, Factory Stock Showdown2019: Robert Hight, Funny Car UPCOMING NHRA MILESTONES950: Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) is second all-time with 917 elimination round wins. He could reach 950 round wins with a decent run in the 18-race schedule. 600: Robert Hight achieved 600 Funny Car elimination wins in Chicago to rank 13th on the all-time NHRA list; Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car) sits 12th with 615. 441: By qualifying for his next race, Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) will extend his NHRA record to 441 consecutive race day appearances. His first appearance came in 2002 at Pomona 2, and he holds the longest career qualifying streak in NHRA. 138: Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) ranks third on the NHRA all-time list with 121 No. 1 qualifiers. He will tie Warren Johnson (Pro Stock, 138) for second to John Force (165) on the list. 266: By qualifying for his next race, Robert Hight will extend his NHRA record to 265 consecutive race day appearances. His first appearance came in 2010 at Pomona 2, and he currently sits seventh in career qualifying streaks in NHRA (Doug Kalitta is sixth at 274). 65: Robert Hight moved into the top 10 on the all-time NHRA victory list with his win in Pomona 1 with 63. Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock, retired) is next ninth on list with 65. 46: Erica Enders has 43 career Pro Stock victories (all with Chevrolet, first win coming at Chicago, 2012 and last win at Las Vegas 2, 2022). Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) is the all-time NHRA female leader with 46. 18: Brittany Force (16 Top Fuel career wins) will move past Shirley Muldowney (18 wins) into third on the NHRA all-time victory list for females. Erica Enders (Pro Stock, 43) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle, 46) are ahead. 6: Erica Enders (Pro Stock) could tie Warren Johnson (6 Pro Stock championships) for second on the class list. The same holds for Greg Anderson. Bob Glidden is the leader with 10. 3: Brittany Force (Top Fuel, 2 championships) would tie Shirley Muldowney (Top Fuel) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) for second on the NHRA all-time championship list by females with another title in 2023. Erica Enders (Pro Stock, 5) is the leader.

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Camaro Motorsports Heritage Grows with ZL1 Garage 56 Edition

June 8, 2023 ARP Trish

DETROIT – While three of the world’s most accomplished drivers are set to pilot the Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend, 56 enthusiasts will get to own a car inspired by this incredibly special race car. The production 2024 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Garage 56 Edition, which will be available later this year, celebrates the legendary effort to run a NASCAR Cup Camaro ZL1 at Le Mans.
The Garage 56 project is a collaboration between NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet, Goodyear and IMSA — bringing together the winningest team, manufacturer and tire in NASCAR’s 75-year history.
“Even though Chevrolet has been racing since its inception in 1911, we’ve never done anything quite like Garage 56,” said General Motors President Mark Reuss.
Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1The race car vision began when NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France recognized an opportunity to showcase the capability of the NASCAR Next Gen car before a global audience. Garage 56, introduced at Le Mans in 2012 as a single-entry class reserved for innovative and extraordinary vehicles, provided the right venue for a NASCAR Cup Series car built to withstand 24 hours of maximum-effort driving to compete.
Longtime Chevrolet partner Hendrick Motorsports, all-time leader in NASCAR Cup Series championships and race wins, was selected to field the team and construct the Garage 56 Camaro ZL1 race car. Renowned drivers Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion; Jenson Button, 2009 Formula One World Champion; and multi-time Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller will drive the Garage 56 Camaro ZL1 at Le Mans.
Goodyear, both the official tire of NASCAR and the tire manufacturer for all sixth generation Camaro variants, provides Goodyear Eagle tires for the Garage 56 race car.
Chevrolet’s Motorsports Competition Engineering team brought more than two decades of Le Mans knowledge, experience and success with Corvette Racing to help optimize the Garage 56 race car.
Chevrolet engineers are also heavily involved in what may be the most memorable aspect of the Garage 56 Camaro: the throaty, all-American roar produced by the R07 Small Block V-8. The R07 serves Chevrolet teams in the NASCAR Cup Series, and the variant used in Le Mans was developed and tested to maximize performance and durability for the 24-hour race.
Converting the Cup Camaro ZL1 to the Garage 56 race car required specific functional lighting, new aero treatments and a standout livery. The GM Motorsport Design Studio executed this vision with help from Hendrick Motorsports to bring Camaro’s signature proportions to the racetrack.

2024 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Garage 56 EditionRenderings of the 2024 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Garage 56 Edition were shown publicly for the first time today in France during a “Meet the Team” event at Le Mans highlighting the race program and the race car.
During talks between leadership from Chevrolet and collaborators at NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, Goodyear and IMSA, it quickly became clear that such a special race car needed to be accompanied by a production car representing yet another significant accomplishment in Camaro’s storied motorsports heritage. Chevrolet’s Performance Design Studio was again tapped to distill the essence of the race car into a limited-edition road car.
“When adapting a race car appearance into a production car, you want to showcase themes, proportions and colors without making the car look out of place on the street,” said Marc Mainville, senior manager, GM Motorsport Design Studio. “The Garage 56 Edition captures the feeling of the race car while allowing the car’s athletic lines to be in the forefront.”
The design starts with the new-for-2024 Riptide Blue exterior color and adds a graphics package that pulls in colors and themes from the race car, including thin gold stripes that accent a larger white stripe running from hood to rear decklid. On the hood, just beyond the nose of the Camaro, is the NASCAR 75^th Anniversary logo — matching the logo’s prominent placement on the race car. The gold and white stripes become an accent to the monochromatic stars and stripes visuals that start on the engine cowl on the hood and extend to the roof.
A special Garage 56 badge is located on the front fenders, replacing the Camaro badging, and a Hendrick Motorsports logo is added to the sail panels in a similar position to the ones on the race car. Satin mirrors and a black fuel door with carbon fiber inserts are additional exterior highlights, while the interior receives Garage 56 emblems on the floormats and a Garage 56 steering wheel badge.
Each car will come with three additional graphics that buyers can choose to equip their Garage 56 Editions with that represent the collaborators and are drawn from their decal positions on the race car: a NASCAR windshield header decal, white Goodyear front wheel arch decals and door decals displaying 24, the number run on the race car.
The Garage 56 Edition also features unique aero, with the front fascia of the Camaro ZL1 1LE featuring dive-planes like the race car, and a NASCAR Cup car-style wicker bill spoiler on the decklid.
Like the race car, the production car’s power comes from the Small Block engine family. The Camaro ZL1’s 650hp LT4 V-8 is under the hood, and the Camaro rides on Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperCar rubber.
In the spirit of Garage 56, the Camaro ZL1 Garage 56 Edition will be in a class of its own with only 56 cars to be produced for the U.S. market.
Hitting the track and the showroomAfter months of testing, the Garage 56 Camaro ZL1 will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, beginning at 10 a.m. ET, Saturday, June 10.
The Camaro ZL1 Garage 56 Edition will enter production later this year at GM’s Lansing Grand River Assembly facility in Michigan¹.

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