MOORESVILLE, NC (March 8, 2023) — After a busy off-season that saw the 2022 NHRA Rookie of the Year join a new team and renew multiple sponsors Camrie Caruso is ready to get back behind the wheel of her Right Trailers Chevrolet Camaro race car at the NHRA Gatornationals this weekend. The rising star in the NHRA will roll into Gainesville Raceway as part of the newly established KB Titan Racing team with teammates Greg Anderson, Dallas Glenn and Kyle Koretsky and a new crew chief in veteran tuner Dave Connolly. Caruso is eager to continue her improvement behind the wheel and pursue her first Pro Stock world championship.

“My goals haven’t really changed for this year,” said Caruso. “I want to win races, get No. 1 qualifiers and contend for the championship. I achieved a lot of my goals last year and I am very excited to be the Rookie of the Year but now we have to continue to keep improving. I think the move to KB Titan Racing will be huge for that and I have already learned so much this off season from Greg and Dallas just being around them in the shop.”

Last year in her first experience at one of the most historic races on the NHRA tour Caruso qualified No. 7 and raced to the quarterfinals. The experience was a positive step for the young driver and one that she will be looking to improve on this weekend.

“Last year we qualified in the top half and got a first round win,” said Caruso. “The was a lot of rain and it was crazy cold on race day so I think the weather is going to cooperate better this year so I am excited to get the full Gatornationals experience. The fans here are amazing and I think we will have a great weekend.”   

The Right Trailers Chevrolet Camaro Caruso will roll into the Gatornationals with a race car that has been completely reconfigured for driver comfort and performance. Caruso also spent time testing leading up to the Gatornationals in Bradenton, Florida, with a host of other Pro Stock teams in advance of the first race of the season.

“Testing was so critical this season, almost more so than last year,” said Caruso. “I knew a lot more coming into this season, but I also had to make some adjustments. The focus you need to drive this Right Trailers Camaro is intense. Our races are won or lost on the starting line a lot of the time, so you want to do everything right from the burnout to staging. The test session really helped.”

Prior to testing Caruso raced in the NHRA divisional race known as the Baby Gators last weekend driving a Top Dragster owned by Right Trailers sponsor Mike Smith. The seat time in the dragster was a great experience for Caruso to knock some of the off-season rust off.

“I loved racing in the Baby Gators and I have to thank Mike from Right Trailers for giving me the opportunity,” said Caruso. “Just getting back into a race car and going through my routine was huge. Also you just start reacclimating yourself to hitting the tree and that amazing launch sensation. It helped me get prepared for testing and I am ready to start racing.”

A busy off-season of sponsor renewals also kept Caruso active after the final race of the season in 2022. Right Trailers has returned joined by Powerbuilt Tools and VP Racing Lubricants. This week Caruso will be hosting a tequila tasting at Hotel ELEO on Thursday night from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. with returning sponsor Tequila Comisario. The rising star will also be participating in the NHRA Gatornationals Fanfest that is being hosted at Top Fuel driver Josh Hart’s Burnyzz Speed Shop in Ocala, on Wednesday from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

“This is a busy week of sponsor and fan activities and I love it,” said Caruso. “I am looking forward to the FanFest at Burnyzz Speed Shop on Wednesday and the tequila tasting with Tequila Comisario will be a great event at the Hotel ELEO. I also have media day which is always a good time. The season is starting a little later than usual but I needed all that time to work with renewing sponsors and some new marketing partners we will be announcing soon.”

The NHRA Gatornationals will feature two rounds of Pro Stock qualifying on Friday and two sessions on Saturday. Final eliminations will begin on Sunday March 12 at 10 a.m. ET with FOX broadcasting the race nationally from noon-3:00 p.m. ET.

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (March 7, 2023) – This weekend at NOLA Motorsports Park Chris Dyson will be looking to bounce back from mechanical problems that knocked him out of last month’s series opener at Sebring and prevented the two-time defending Trans Am champion from joining his CD Racing teammates – eventual race-winner Matthew Brabham and runner-up Adam Andretti — in an unprecedented Trans Am podium sweep. “How could my emotions after Sebring be anything but mixed?” Dyson said. “Great for the team; disappointing for me personally. Still, in racing everyone has good luck and bad. I think it’s better to get misfortune out of the way early.” Dyson said he was pleased to have Brabham back for NOLA. At New Orleans Dyson will be behind the wheel of the #16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang while Brabham will be driving the team’s #20 GYM WEED Ford Mustang. “Matty has done such a great job for us when we’ve needed him,” Dyson said. “Beginning at the 2021 season final, he’s raced with us six times. Sebring last month was his fourth win and in his other two races he finished second. We are still developing our new Riley-chassis car and comparing it with our double-championship Meissen. I’ll be driving the Riley car this weekend while Matty will be using the Meissen. Clearly they both are fast enough to win, but I think it’s important that both Matty and I be making input on the development of the Riley.” Dyson has not previously driven at NOLA but Brabham has, and his previous experience and input will no doubt be helpful for the New York-based organization. Dyson says he’s looking forward to racing there. “It looks to me like it’s got good flow,” Dyson said. “I expect it will be a bit like VIR and Mid-Ohio. We don’t have a book on the circuit, so we’re going to have to make the most of the test and practice sessions so we’ll be ready for qualifying on Saturday.” Dyson said he expected stiff competition for the pole and for the race. “Tomy Drissi overcame some challenges at Sebring and scored a solid finish in the end,” Dyson said. “He’s going to be tough this weekend and so will Justin Marks, who’s going to be racing with us all year.” Dyson noted that Marks had taken pole at Sebring and was battling Dyson for the race lead before they both had mechanical problems. NOLA Schedule Qualifying takes place Saturday, March 11, 3:35 – 3:50 p.m. CT (4:35 – 4:50 ET) The 100-mile race takes the green flag Sunday, 12 at 12:30 p.m. CT (1:30 ET) Broadcast Schedule The race will be livestreamed on both the Trans Am and SpeedTour’s YouTube channels.  Additional Broadcast Coverage On MAVTV In addition to the livestream, 60-minute feature produced by Greenlight TV will be broadcast the following Thursday at 9:00 p.m. ET to MAVTV’s 22 million North American linear households and 175 million connected devices.

Media Q&A ahead of Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring for defending GTD PRO co-winner Corvette Racing’s Antonio Garcia was part of a media Zoom today to talk about next week’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and the second round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. He will team with Jordan Taylor and Tommy Milner in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R. The trio finished second in the GTD PRO class to open the season at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.RYOU’VE HAD A LOT OF GREAT HISTORY AT SEBRING. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT NEXT WEEK?“Coming from a good race at Daytona, we should be up there. Corvette Racing always has had quite a bit of success in this race. We weren’t there (at Sebring) for the last (IMSA) test but we were there in December. Although it was with the new GT3 car, we still got some good information. It’s a new year and we had a lot of data to analyze from last year’s race. It was kind of a surprise for us to be that good, especially in the day. So I’m looking forward to getting back there. I’ve always loved this race. The Corvette fans will be out there, too. It’s always a great event for us as Corvette drivers and another one for me.” BEFORE THE FIRST TIME YOU RACED AT SEBRING, WHAT DID A FELLOW DRIVER OR TEAM OWNER TELL YOU ABOUT THE TRACK? WAS IT THE BUMPS OR SOMETHING ELSE?“It was 2006 or 2007… I definitely was younger! I think it was the bumps, mainly the trickier parts of the racetracks. Everyone tries to explain to you where to go and what to hit or not to hit, but it’s almost impossible to figure out what to expect until you do a few laps. It’s a tricky track to learn. After a few laps, it doesn’t feel like you can go around fast but then you get in a groove and everything comes easier. Now that I’ve done it for so many years, it feels like I know every single bump around the track. It’s much easier now.”

DO YOU APPRECIATE THAT THE TRACK HAS THIS KIND OF CHARACTER TO IT?“I think you do. It’s the whole environment there. You start early in the morning almost with the sunrise for warmup. Most of the race is super-hot in the middle of the day and then you go straight into the night with a classic March sunset where you don’t see a thing going into Turn 17 and Turn Seven. Every single aspect of that race is unique. Even if at times it feels like it is undriveable, it’s one of my favorites if not my favorite race of the year.” WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE TRACK AND YOUR LEAST FAVORITE PART OF THE TRACK?“At sunset and going into Turn 17 and Turn Seven, you’re hoping (the sun) gets in the clouds. With a full bright sky, you know it’s going to be really, really tough. At times, I got into the car with three hours to go so that means you get the sunset and then you go full into the dark. You need to pick the right visor and everything needs to be perfect. I’ve been in every single condition around there but for sure in the sunset – if it’s full bright – it’s tricky. That’s a time where you don’t want to be fighting too much with somebody or if traffic gets very, very tricky in those conditions because someone may not see you. It’s only 20-25 minutes, but it’s very, very tricky.”“But I love the whole racetrack at night. When it’s full dark and you know it’s coming to the end of the race, the grip is usually back in the car. That’s the most joyful time of the race. No matter how tired you are, if you are in contention for the win then that’s when the whole magic of Sebring comes. That’s what we all remember… those last stints at Sebring and when you are in contention or winning the race.” WHICH RACE IS TOUGHER TO GET ON THE PODIUM: DAYTONA 24 HOURS OR SEBRING 12 HOURS?“I think probably Sebring is a bit tougher to get everything in the right spot. Everything is different. You finish in the dark, which is tough for everybody. Traffic is really bad at that point. For me, it seems like I’ve had more success at Sebring, but I think I would consider Sebring a little bit tougher than Daytona. If you have the pace at Daytona, it’s easier to pace yourself to be in contention at the end of the race. At Sebring, it’s not only pace. The weather changes more. You’re finishing in the dark, and you only run that for two hours. It’s a bit trickier, I think.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 7, 2023) – The world’s greatest motorcycle dirt trackers are now just days away from kicking their 2023 Progressive American Flat Track campaigns off in supreme style, as the series revives a hallowed Daytona Bike Week tradition. The chase for the Championship is set to begin in electric fashion as the sport takes center stage under the lights of the Flat Track at Daytona International Speedway not once, but twice, with the DAYTONA Short Track I & II presented by Daytona Dodge on Thursday, March 9, and Friday, March 10, in Daytona Beach, Florida. The return of the DAYTONA Short Track season launch reconnects the series with a previous era. Progressive AFT made 0.25-mile circuits in Daytona Beach the annual home for its opener from 1989 through 2016, first at Municipal Stadium, before moving to the DIS Flat Track – located just outside NASCAR Turn 2 at the World Center of Racing – in 2010. The event’s return is an apt way to open what promises to be a special season, featuring jammed packed entry lists loaded up with an incredible array of talent and equipment. Over the decades, the DAYTONA Short Track opener shined a spotlight on flat track’s most legendary riders, with Hall of Famers Scott Parker, Chris Carr, Will Davis, and Kenny Coolbeth all standing atop the podium. One of the sport’s all-time greats who has yet to triumph at the venue, however, is reigning Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750). As a result, Mees will be properly motivated to add the DAYTONA Short Track to his extensive list of career victories while simultaneously kickstarting his title defense. He’ll need to conquer a 25-rider deep pool of challengers that’s absolutely brimming with talent. Headlining that list is two-time series champion and ‘22 runner-up Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing KTM 890 Duke). Bauman comes in just days removed from the major announcement that he’ll be competing aboard KTM equipment, backed by the powerhouse Rick Ware Racing operation that enters the sport after previously making its mark in NASCAR, IndyCar, IMSA, NHRA, and AMA and FIM Supercross, among others. Other expected frontrunners include Estenson Racing teammates Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) and JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), who come into the season looking to take yet another step forward following a breakthrough ‘22 campaign, and Brandon Robinson(No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), who has taken multiple wins in each of the past four seasons. Another rider to keep tabs on this week is Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Martin Trucking/Castrol Yamaha MT-07). While no longer a full-time series contender, Halbert owns a sparkling history at the venue, boasting four prior DAYTONA ST wins. While no one will be shocked if any of the aforementioned six stand atop the podium this week, the DAYTONA Short Track is also famous for delivering massive upsets to start the year. In fact, before they were established title fighters, Bauman and Robinson each earned their first career premier-class wins at the event. There’s a long list of dark horse picks to back, even if it’s not exactly accurate to cast the likes of Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750), Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing KTM 890 Duke), Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), Mikey Rush (No. 15 Maxwell Industries/Triumph Bob Harley-Davidson XG750R), Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), and Kolby Carlile (No. 36 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) as underdogs. Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER 2022 Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) will brandish the #1 plate for the first time at the DAYTONA Short Track where the prodigy’s prospects for successfully defending his crown will immediately be put to the test.The class field is 44 riders deep and stocked up with the best 450cc dirt trackers the world has to offer, representing six different nations with a bevy of titles to their names. Kopp’s biggest rival might just be his teammate, Australian Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE), a two-time championship runner-up. Meanwhile, Whale’s compatriot, Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), is widely expected to be an instant contender as flashing incredible speed in limited appearances last season, as he joins multi-race winner Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) at Estenson Racing. That international flair is further enhanced this week by the entrances of the reigning FIM Flat Track World Champion, Spaniard Gerard Bailo (No. 317 Asap Risk Brokers/Noyes Camp Honda CRF450R) and the world’s third-ranked rider, Ervín Krajčovič (No. 341 Moto Racing Group Honda CRF450R) from the Czech Republic, along with Briton Gary Birtwistle (No. 111 Happy Trails Racing/Jeffrey Carver Husqvarna FC450), the defending UK DTRA Pro Singles and Twins champion, and Canadian Hunter Bauer (No. 24 KTM 450 SX-F), who scored his maiden Progressive AFT podium last season. The most imposing threat of all may hail from closer to home, however, as the American Honda-backed Turner Racing squad goes from strength to strength. It will once again field a talented trio, adding Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) to holdovers Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) and Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R). 2019 Parts Unlimited AFT Singles champion and ‘22 runner-up Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F) will be a championship favorite again in 2023, while 2018 class king Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Corbin/Vinson Construction Yamaha YZ450F) is doing double duty in DAYTONA, competing in both classes. Of course, fans will be thrilled to witness the return of the class’ all-time winningest rider, Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Rick Ware Racing KTM 450 SX-F), who will look to add to her historic Parts Unlimited AFT wins tally immediately. Meanwhile, Texter-Bauman’s brother Cory Texter has graduated to management duties this season as he oversees a revamped 1st Impressions Race Team that will field Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450) and James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450). Considering the full list of realistic podium hopefuls – many of whom have gone unmentioned – just making the Main Event will be an accomplishment of its own this week. No matter how it all shakes down, the season is guaranteed to open on a high note as ‘22 champions Mees and Kopp will be awarded their handcrafted championship rings custom designed by Thom Duma Fine Jewelers (TDFJ) during Thursday’s Opening Ceremonies. The action will be further enhanced by the inclusion of the Grand National Hooligan Championship on Thursday with the Astros Invitational adding to the show on Friday. There will be plenty to keep fans entertained off the track as well, including numerous vendors, plenty of food and beverage options, live music, and extensive motorcycle parking. Upper Rim Road – Standing Room Only tickets are just $25 (kids 12 and under just $5), while Reserved Grandstand tickets start at $40. Purchasing tickets for both days in advance provides a Multi-Day Discount that takes $10 off the final ticket price. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/daytona-short-track-i-59082 to purchase tickets for the DAYTONA Short Track I presented by Daytona Dodge. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/daytona-short-track-ii-59083 to purchase tickets for the DAYTONA Short Track II presented by Daytona Dodge. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/daytona-short-track-i-and-ii-59081 to purchase tickets for both rounds in order to take advantage of the Multi-Day Discount. Additionally, Progressive AFT has teamed up with MotoAmerica to offer the America Super Ticket, which provides race fans admission to the DAYTONA Short Track I & II and the DAYTONA 200 for $100. You can purchase the America Super Ticket at https://bit.ly/3XSrSaj. Paddock Access Upgrades are also available for purchase, which provide all-day access to the pits where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport. Gates will open for fans at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT on both days. You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities on FansChoice.tv. FansChoice.tv provides free-to-view livestreaming of Practice and Qualifying. FansChoice.tvsubscribers will then be able to watch the drama unfold from Opening Ceremonies through the Heats, LCQs, Main Events, and podium celebrations. FansChoice.tv offers two subscription options, granting unlimited access to premium AFT content. Monthly subscriptions start at just $7.99, while a six-month subscription is available for $44.99. FOX Sports coverage, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 from the Daytona Short Track I on March 18 at 10:30 a.m. ET (7:30 a.m. PT) and Daytona Short Track II on March 19 at 12:30 p.m. ET (9:30 a.m. PT).

tMedia Q&A with Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating, Nico Varrone Corvette Racing FIA World Endurance Championship drivers Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nico Varrone answered questions today from media members ahead of this weekend’s WEC Prologue at Sebring International Raceway. They will open the season in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring on Friday, March 17 in the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R as part of the GTE Am field. Full transcript:

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.RAFTER WINNING LAST YEAR IN THE SEBRING 12 HOURS, HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO REPEAT THAT IN THE WEC ROUND?“Last year was super nice, winning the race. I also remember the year before, we were incredibly close in winning it that year as well but a late-race crash with another competitor took us out of the lead. I cannot wait to drive the GTE-spec car again. I personally like it a little bit better than the GT3-spec. I cannot wait to try and win it without ABS; in general I just enjoy driving the GTE car a lot, so hopefully we can repeat that win from last year.”

CORVETTE RACING WEC ZOOM FILES Video and audio replays of today’s Corvette Racing WEC Zoom are available for download: · Corvette Racing Zoom video file (.mp4)· Corvette Racing Zoom audio file (.mp3)

THERE’S ONLY AN HOUR OR SO OF DARKNESS IN THE SEBRING RACING, BUT CAN YOU GO THROUGH THE CHALLENGES OF RACING IN THE DARK AT SEBRING AND OTHER PLACES?“Some places are more difficult than others, and I would say Sebring is one of the more difficult ones. Specifically, kind of Turn 10 through Turn 14 gets really, really dark and there’s one part where you really struggle to see how close to the outside of the track you are. Navigating there with traffic makes it very, very difficult because you just don’t see so much. We have great lights on the car but it’s not nearly enough to really see what’s going on. Then you have a lot of bright headlights in your rearview mirrors constantly flashing, which makes it very, very hard to see where you’re going. I must say that doing it more often does help you get better at it and to remain more calm. “For example in the Sebring 12 Hours, you would kind of keep one driver for the end of the race and that driver would then also do more in the night practice so he is more prepared for finishing the race in the dark. I would say it’s the most difficult part of the race to do. If I had to compare it, the (Nürburgring) Nordschleife is very dark but somehow not as dark as Sebring, which is hard to imagine! The same goes for Le Mans. I always find that relatively easy in the dark. Spa-Francorchamps is more difficult again. I don’t know really why this is, but some tracks are just more difficult in the dark than others. Sebring has a lot of bumps everywhere. Already in the daylight it is difficult to see sometimes where you are, let alone in the dark. So Sebring is definitely difficult.” ON BEING THE TEAM LEADER AS THE MOST EXPERIENCED DRIVER IN THE CORVETTE.“It’s definitely going to be different. I was always the third driver at Corvette so I was filling in for the few endurance races – Daytona, Sebring, Petit Le Mans and Le Mans. So this is the first time I’m doing a full season with Corvette Racing with two new teammates. I feel like I’m the one with the most experience in the car, which is a first for me. It’s definitely going to be a change. But I feel with this team and the support I have from my teammates in the past years, I hope I can do the same job now for Ben and Nico. Ben is incredibly experienced in these races and Nico – I don’t want to raise the expectations too much! – but he was nothing but amazing in the tests that we did. I don’t feel like they will need too much help from me. It is a bit of a change for me, but we will be fine.” BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.RHAS YOUR ANTICIPATION LEVEL FOR THIS RACE CONTINUED TO BUILD OVER THE MONTHS AND WEEKS?“No, not at all. I would even say it’s greater than it’s ever been for several reasons. One is that it’s obviously my first race with Corvette Racing, and that’s enough anticipation on its own. Then in addition to that, it’s the only WEC race that is on home soil in the US, which puts a little more importance up there for me. Lastly, I would say that last year doing the double between the Aston Martin and the LMP2 in the 12-hour race, it was one of the most difficult and physical endeavors I’ve ever done. I’m hoping I prepare a little bit better for it this year. But I still have a little bit of that anticipation for how I will feel in the 12-hour. I’m not worried that much for the WEC race. So there are a lot of different reasons for all the anticipation building up.” WHAT HAVE YOU DONE IN TESTING PREPARATIONS WITH THIS CAR AND ADAPTING TO THE C8.R?“I got to do a few laps on the Rookie Test Day after Bahrain. I got to do 10 laps exactly; we were more focused on testing Silvers and watching Nico go fast around Bahrain. When I first got in the car at Bahrain, I know looking at it that it’s a mid-engine car, so I kept trying (think about) how I’m supposed to drive this car. Am I supposed to drive it like a Ford or like the Porsche or like the Ferrari, those being other mid-engine cars. I will say that I was quite disappointed with my performance in Bahrain. I came back and looked at the data and realized that you drive this car completely differently than any of those. So while I was leaning on my experience of how to go fast in all those other cars, I wasn’t able to find it. Then fast-forward another couple of months and we went testing at Sebring. It was incredible. The speed came pretty quick for me, I would say. I felt very comfortable in the car, and I feel like I made some huge steps in learning how this car likes to be driven. It’s significantly different than all the others. For me personally, it’s taken a little bit to get used to. I’ve been in a turbo car for the last couple of years, and the big V8 has a lot more torque instantly at low RPMs than having to wait for that big turbo to wind up, so you don’t have that lag which takes a little while to get used to. The year before, I was in the Porsche RSR and again it doesn’t have the same level of torque that a big V8 has. They all have slightly different handling characteristics. “After Bahrain I was worried, but after Sebring I’m excited! I made the transition and was really happy with my performance after the test. After that, I’ve been testing in the LMP2 there as well, and I feel there is a decent crossover between the two cars at this particular track. I’m ready.” AT THE SEBRING TEST, HOW MUCH TIME DID YOU GET IN THE CAR?“I don’t remember a specific lap count. The three of us were all there, and we all got quite a few laps.” TALKING ABOUT THE PROGRESSION OF THE GTE FORMULA SINCE YOU STARTED RACING IN GTE AND HOW THE CARS HAVE MOVED ON.“I’ll say this specifically for GTE Am, because that’s what is important to me and that’s what makes this class special. As all of you are aware, in every GTE Am car it requires one Bronze, one Silver and one either Gold or Platinum (driver). What I love about the GTE Am class and racing the GTE car is that it doesn’t have ABS, as Nicky started talking about. It really separates the Bronze drivers between those who can drive well without ABS and those who can’t or struggle with it. The difference in laptime gets to be larger based on the skill that you acquire over time. That’s one big piece of it for me, specifically in GTE Am. I don’t think you saw that big of a difference in GTE Pro. The thing I’ve loved about it for years… what really got to me about racing in GT3 is that there were all these BoP changes all the time. You never knew if you were going to have a chance or not to do well in the race. I didn’t like spending dollars, and blood, sweat and tears at a track not knowing if we weren’t going to have a chance.“What I really love about the GTE Am setup has been that all of the BoP is set off the Pro class from the previous year. We’re racing a previous year’s car so we rarely get BoP changes in GTE Am, and they allow the rewards weight or success ballast to level the playing field. Clearly if you get 40 kilos in the car, it’s going to cost you a half-second a lap at most of the tracks we go to, but you can still have a chance and you can have a competitive car. Lastly, I love racing with a confidential tire. The Michelin confidentials are just that good. It’s so nice to race with a tire that has been built and designed around your car and different circumstances. I’m going to be sad to see it go, is my answer. I’m sad to see GTE go. For me personally, it doesn’t have anything to do with the GT3 cars. It just has to do with the class. I think you’re taking something away when you add ABS and every driver out there can be a hero in every brake zone.” YOUR TIME WITH TF SPORT THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WHILE MOVING ON TO CORVETTE RACING.“That team is special. They are great people. That’s hard to walk away from. It’s hard to walk away from that much success… second place at Le Mans and second place in the championship (in 2021) and then a win at Le Mans and winning the championship in the second year. Clearly we were on a roll. But I pay for all this by selling cars, and I don’t sell Aston Martins. I’ve got nothing bad to say about TF Sport other than they are not racing a Corvette!” IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN RACING A GT CAR AND AN LMP2 CAR IN THE DARK?“There are three major things that make Sebring difficult at night. One is it is so flat that it’s hard to get a reference of what you’re looking at it. Yes it’s dark, but it’s no more dark than any of the other tracks that Nicky mentioned. It’s just really flat, which makes it hard to get a reference of knowing exactly where to turn in, exactly where the brake point is, exactly where the exit of the corner is and those kinds of things. The other two things that come to mind is that we are going to have the largest Hypercar field that we have ever seen in the World Endurance Championship. My only protest in the Hypercar class is that the LED lights that they have when they flash are unbelievably bright; they’re ridiculously bright and they will blind you. It’s not as bad when you had three or four cars there to contend with. Knowing that we are going to have eight or 10 of those going around the track, it’s going to mean that you’re going to have one of those behind you more often. That is going to make it quite a challenge.“The other thing that isn’t thought of very often is that there are quite a few pavement changes at Sebring. It goes from concrete to asphalt to sealed concrete. It’s one thing when the bright Florida sun is shining down on all the track, it can get really hot. But when the sun goes down, each one of those pavement surfaces changes quite a bit. I think it changes the handling of the car quite a bit. The only thing that matters obviously is the end of the race. This is more of an issue on the IMSA side of things because of the safety cars and more time in darkness. But I think it’s wise to do a lot of setup work and a lot of running night practice specifically because you have to make sure you have a car that is set up to do well when the sun goes down because the track changes a lot more than you might think.” ON WEC BANNING TIRE WARMERS FOR THIS YEAR WITH YOUR EXPERIENCE OF NOT HAVING THEM IN IMSA. DOES THAT GIVE YOU AN EDGE OVER THE OTHER BRONZE DRIVERS?“I hope so but we will see. I think everybody is going to be learning a lot, and it’s a great question. It’s going to be one of the major challenges for all teams in WEC. I feel like the confidential tire we are running is designed to be heated, and it’s designed to be warm when you take off. I think about at Le Mans in the night when it’s cool outside and you have a safety car period or a long full-course yellow, it’s really, really difficult to get those tires back up to temperature and back up to where they’re hot enough that they are in the right operating window. Sometimes I wasn’t able to get them there, especially at Le Mans where you have the long straightaways. It can be a big challenge to get the heat back in the tires. So when you’re starting off from ground zero of having an absolutely cold tire, it will be a big challenge for all the teams to get those tires up to temperature. Yes, I think it’s an advantage for me. I enjoy watching all the European teams, especially in LMP2, come in for the 24 Hours of Daytona. They’re all used to having tire warmers and they go out and spin in Turn Three very often because they’re not used to what it takes to deal with cold tires. I think it’s easier on the GT cars than the prototypes, but I think we’re going to see quite a few more issues and incidents with all the classes as everyone gets used to what it’s like to go out and deal with cold tires. It’s a significant change. It’s interesting to me that we’re getting this significant change in the last year of the class; maybe they’re saying it’s the first year of Hypercar. It’s interesting. I think it’s less of an issue, in my opinion, with the customer tire that a lot of the teams are running. It might be less of an issue with the Goodyears on the LMP2. I don’t know. I just know that my experience in the night at Le Mans would suggest that it’s pretty difficult to go out on a confidential tire that’s cold. I think we’ll see more teams running a softer compound, seeing if they can get away with doing a double-stint on a softer compound just because that may be the only tire they can figure out how to get heat in over a stint. It’s going to be an interesting change for this season.” NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.REXPECTATIONS FOR SEBRING IN YOUR FIRST RACE IN THE CORVETTE C8.R.“First of all, this will be one of my best experiences ever. To be joining Corvette Racing is a dream for me to be part of a factory team with Ben and Nicky. It will be amazing. I’m really excited about it. I did some laps in Bahrain and Sebring, and I was really comfortable with the car. I personally enjoyed driving the Ferrari GTE, but with the Corvette I feel there is something special in the first moments. It suits really well my driving style. We have a really good lineup and a really good car. I hope we can have a clean race, a clean weekend and take the most out of it.” YOU COME OFF WINNING LMP3 AT DAYTONA, SO HOW DIFFICULT WILL IT BE LEARNING ALL THE PROCEDURAL CHANGES LIKE FULL-COURSE YELLOWS AND CAUTIONS WITH THE WEC VERSUS IMSA?“That’s a good question. Last year, I raced in the ELMS and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, so I have experience. I didn’t do a full season in WEC but doing races in both championships helped me quite a lot. I don’t think it will be a big change for me. I feel ready for the challenge. I think I will have to learn a bit more on my side to know more about the car and to know what the car likes, setup changes and other stuff that will be new for me. We have a long season ahead and the Prologue this weekend, so that will help me a lot to get up to speed and try to be the best version of myself.” COMPARING AND CONTRASTING THE CORVETTE AND FERRARI GTE CAR THAT YOU’VE DRIVEN BEFORE.“I was really impressed at the Bahrain test. As Ben said, I was trying to use all my experience with the Ferrari and put it in the Corvette, and it wasn’t working on the first outing I did. I was really struggling with low-speed corners with some oversteer. I worked with the engineers on the data, and they told me it was a completely different way of driving. Once I started working on it through the laps and over the runs, I really improved on it. I have to say it’s a different concept to drive it and you have to get used to it. And when I got to Sebring, I already had this experience from Bahrain and I got used to it. It wasn’t a big challenge for me because I got used to it really quickly. Because of my driving style, I liked the way of driving it. But it’s really different to other cars I’ve driven in the past.”

DU QUOIN, IL – March 7, 2023 – The wait is over. The Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota is back for its sophomore season Friday-Saturday, March 10-11, beginning with its indoor debut at the Southern Illinois Center.

Five months after a successful inaugural season, the Series embarks on its first full-length national schedule, featuring 35 races at 25 different tracks across the nation. It all begins with the two-day Xtreme Outlaw Midget Showdown inside the Southern Illinois Center – a temporary, indoor, 1/6-mile oval dirt track located on the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds.

Both Friday and Saturday programs will be conducted nearly identically, with Group Qualifying and Heat Races (both with passing points), Last Chance Showdowns and a Feature. Friday’s 30-lap Feature is $4,000-to-win, while Saturday’s 40-lap Feature will pay $5,000 to the winner.

Eight drivers have already announced their commitments to the full schedule. Zach Daum, Chase McDermand, Kyle Jones, Jade Avedisian, Gavin Miller, Ethan Mitchell, Cannon McIntosh and Hayden Reinbold make up the early full-time driver roster, each chasing a share of the all-new $80,000 points fund. A $25,000 check is set to be awarded to the Series champion at season’s end, while the rest of the top-10 in points will collect a check for their season-long efforts as well.

Tickets for this weekend’s events in Du Quoin will be available at the door on race day – $25 for General Admission; kids 12-and-under are free. Friday Hot Laps set for 5:30pm; Saturday Hot Laps at 5pm. If you can’t be there in person, DIRTVision has live coverage throughout the weekend and at all 35 Series events in 2023.

Here are the drivers to watch and storylines to follow this weekend:

THE KING AND HIS CAR – Inaugural Series champion Zach Daum begins his title defense this weekend, five months after clinching his fourth national Midget points championship.

Daum, the 31-year-old open-wheel veteran, will represent his home state of Illinois and begin his new journey with his self-owned team and self-built race car. He’s partnered with New Zealand fabricator Justin Insley to bring the Chili Bowl Nationals-winning brand King Chassis to the States, building them in his Greenville, IL-based 5d Speed Shop.

After going winless through the first seven Xtreme Outlaw races last year, Daum broke through to Victory Lane at Port City Raceway in October, taking the lead just past the halfway point to bag his first Series victory. He comes into Du Quoin among the most experienced drivers at the track in the projected field, with several Feature starts in the building, multiple top 10s and a best finish of fourth in the 2019 Shamrock Classic.

WHAT A DAY FOR A DEBUT – Keith Kunz Motorsports’ newest racing sensation is here, and she’s ready to chase a championship.

Sixteen-year-old Jade Avedisian, of Clovis, CA, makes her KKM debut this weekend behind the wheel of the Mobil-1, Spike/Toyota #71. She made Midget history driving for Chad Boat Industries last year, becoming the first female to take the checkered flag in a national Midget Feature and then the Series’ winningest driver. Along with her first Series win at Jacksonville Speedway, she also won the season finale at I-44 Riverside Speedway.

She’s since partnered with KKM to take on the entire Xtreme Outlaw schedule in pursuit of her first national championship, which begins with her first-ever appearance at Southern Illinois Center. Though largely unfamiliar with the venue, her indoor racing resume is already star-studded, having captured a Restricted A-Class trophy at the 2020 Tulsa Shootout and a spot in the A-Main as a rookie at the Chili Bowl Nationals in January.

MAC ON THE ATTACK – When it comes to indoor Midget races, Cannon McIntosh is always one driver to keep an eye on.

McIntosh, 20, of Bixby, OK, is one of the more accomplished drivers in the Center with three podium finishes since 2019, including a Feature win in the 2019 Shamrock Classic, a runner-up at the 2020 Jason Leffler Memorial, and a third-place finish in last year’s Shamrock Classic Prelim Feature.

He’s also coming off his third career Chili Bowl Nationals prelim night victory and an A-Main podium in January, making him one of the winningest and highest-finishing indoor Midget racers over the last five seasons.

He’ll also be chasing the 2023 Xtreme Outlaw title with Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports.

CENTER OF ATTENTION – No other driver in the last three years has won more Features at the Center than local standout Daniel Robinson.

Robinson, of Benton, IL, has amassed 14 Feature wins in the building since the 2021 season began, driving a variety of different car types to Victory Lane. He cleaned house last year, winning seven times in six different classes, and topped it all off with a Midget victory in the Junior Knepper 55 in December.

Last weekend, he picked up Feature wins in both the Winged and Non-Wing divisions of A-Class Micro Sprints as part of the Midwest Winter Nationals. He’ll pilot a Bill Ecker-owned #57 to race with the Xtreme Outlaws Friday and Saturday – the same car he drove to victory in December.

T-MEZ IN THE BUILDING – A winner with the Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car Series last year, Thomas Meseraull makes his Xtreme Midget debut with RMS Racing this weekend.

Meseraull, the 42-year-old open-wheel veteran from San Jose, CA, has won twice at the Center in his career – first breaking through to Victory Lane in the 2018 Junior Knepper 55, and again one year ago in the Shamrock Classic Prelim Feature.

Recently, Meseraull’s been keeping his Midget skills sharp while racing in Sydney, NSW, in the Australian Speedcar Championship at Eastern Creek Speedway. He bagged two podium finishes in the two-day event last weekend and is headed back States-side for Xtreme Outlaw competition Friday and Saturday.

AMA Pro Racing Names Bryan Smith as the Series Director of Progressive American Flat Track

AMA Pro Racing Names Bryan Smith as the Series Director of Progressive American Flat Track

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 7, 2023) – AMA Pro Racing is pleased to announce the appointment of Bryan Smith as the Series Director of Progressive American Flat Track. Smith will transition immediately from his current role as the Director of Industry Relations to the expanded role of AFT Series Director.

“Over the last year, Bryan has consistently demonstrated the leadership capabilities that are necessary to take on even greater responsibilities with the series,” said Gene Crouch, CEO of AMA Pro Racing. “Bryan’s ability to leverage the knowledge he’s gained over the course of his motorcycle racing career as both a factory rider and championship-winning privateer will also be critically important as we form future strategies for the sport.”

Smith first joined AMA Pro Racing in 2022 following a decades-long career as one of the sport’s leading competitors. His accolades include winning the Grand National Championship as a Kawasaki-mounted privateer in 2016 before becoming a Factory rider, racing on the Indian Motorcycle and Harley-Davidson squads in subsequent seasons. His understanding of the sport as a competitor, tactician, historian, mechanically minded rider, and now series’ staffer make him uniquely well suited to tackle his new role as Series Director.

“When I joined the Progressive AFT management team a year ago, I said my goals were to give back to the sport and see it grow,” said Smith. “That’s even more true today. I’m encouraged by what we’ve accomplished already, and I’m excited to embrace this new opportunity to create an even greater impact. I feel certain we’re on the right path to take the sport to the next level.”

In his new role, Smith will be responsible for managing all competition aspects of Progressive AFT, including season calendar and event planning, event operations, safety and track prep and series rules development. Smith will also continue to manage rider & team relationships and new rider evaluation.

“We are very excited to move Bryan into this new role,” said Kevin Crowther, Chief Competition Officer of AMA Pro Racing. “Bryan has a wealth of knowledge from all levels of competition, and the experience he gained last year working with the paddock and the Progressive AFT staff has given him the tools that he needs to make a positive impact on the sport.”

The 2023 Progressive American Flat Track season will launch with the hugely anticipated return of the DAYTONA Short Track I & II at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, March 9 and Friday, March 10. Get your tickets now at https://www.tixr.com/promoters/americanflattrack.

For those that can’t catch the live action from Daytona International Speedway, FansChoice.tv is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT, sign up now and catch every second of on-track action starting with Practice & Qualifying and ending with Victory Podium at the end of the night at https://www.fanschoice.tv.

FOX Sports coverage, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 from the Daytona Short Track I on March 18 at 10:30am ET (7:30am PT) and Daytona Short Track II on March 19 at 12:30pm ET (9:30am PT).

For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.

Sent on behalf of HappyTrails Racing DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 6, 2023) – Jeffrey Carver’s Happy Trails Racingis thrilled to announce it will field reigning British National Champion Gary Birtwistle at the DAYTONA Short Track doubleheader, which kicks off the 2023 Progressive American Flat Track season this Thursday, March 9, and Friday, March 10.  Birtwistle with compete in the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER class aboard the #111 Happy Trails Racing/Jeffrey Carver Husqvarna FC450.  Birtwistle is one of the most accomplished flat track riders currently racing outside of the United States. He’s set to make his Progressive AFT debut fresh off claiming both the Singles and Twins DTRA national championships in 2022. Previously, he earned multiple Hooligan titles, including the UK and European championships.  Carver elected to support Birtwistle after first being impressed by the British rider’s skill and later suffering an injury that derailed “the Wizard’s” own plans to return to the Progressive AFT scene full-time in 2023.  “Going into 2023, my goal was to race the full Progressive AFT circuit again,” Carver said. “Unfortunately, events happen, and I suffered a severe injury in December. Acknowledging my position in life, I have decided to step back from racing Progressive AFT for 2023 to heal my body properly. In the process of this new shift, Gary reached out looking for support to come race the first two rounds. For me, it has been a dream to support riders from other countries to come race in America after my flat track school “Happy Trails Racing” has taken me around the world sharing my gifts. I won’t be on the bike this time, but I will be casting my spells to give Gary the best opportunity to live out his dreams.”  “When Jeffrey came over to ride the last round of our championship, I had no idea how fast I was going to be compared with a top U.S. pro – I was pretty scared to be honest,” Birtwistle admitted. “But we ran pretty similar lap times and went back and forth a bunch of times in our semi. That ride gave me the confidence to want to enter a Progressive AFT round. I’m super excited to be taking on this challenge with the help of Jeffrey – it’s a huge bucket list tick for me. I don’t expect to set the world alight, I just want to take in the experience and enjoy myself.”  Carver will serve as Crew Chief with Jason Watkins onboard as Mechanic.  Carver and Happy Trails Racing would also like to thank their sponsors REZRO, Bell Helmets, Carvers BBQ, Dirt Craft, Pro Plates, Kullyco, Oakley, MyPITBOARD, and Woody Kyle Racing.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 6, 2023) – Progressive American Flat Track is excited to announce it has partnered with All Kids Bike to support its national movement to place Kindergarten PE Learn-To-Ride Programs into public schools.

Launched in 2018, All Kids Bike has already supported more than 800 schools across all 50 states, providing thousands of children the opportunity to experience the joy of two wheels via an inclusive, proven Learn-To-Ride curriculum.

Stars of Progressive American Flat Track will help spread the excitement just prior to this season’s highly anticipated opener, as a number of the world’s elite motorcycle dirt trackers will be in attendance when Daytona Beach, Florida’s Palm Terrace Elementary takes shipment of its own All Kids Bike Kindergarten Learn-to-Ride Program – which includes a 24-fleet of bikes, pedal conversion kits, helmets, and curriculum training – on Tuesday, March 7.

The series’ fans will also be given the opportunity to donate to the cause, both online when buying tickets for any 2023 round, and in person while attending a race this season.

“Fans of the sport are obviously very familiar with the sense of freedom, excitement, and confidence that comes with learning to ride,” said Gene Crouch, CEO of AMA Pro Racing. “It’s deeply gratifying to be able to help introduce the younger generation to those same experiences.”

“From the beginning of our existence, we felt learning to ride a bike should be an instrumental foundation that all kids deserve,” said Lisa Weyer, Executive Director of All Kids Bike. “It is our hope that by teaching kids how to ride a bike in Kindergarten PE class, we are leaving a legacy for the next generation of riders on two wheels. We’re excited to partner with Progressive American Flat Track and make an impact far beyond race weekend.”

The 2023 Progressive American Flat Track season will launch with the hugely anticipated return of the DAYTONA Short Track I & II at Daytona International Speedway on March 9 and 10.

For more information on All Kids Bike visit https://allkidsbike.org/.

For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.

YORBA LINDA, Calif. (March 06, 2023) — Marwin Sports has signed a two-year extension with John Force Racing as the official work apparel partner of the 22-time championship team. Marwin, which produces clothing that is of the highest in quality and durability, will not only outfit the crews of 16-time Funny Car world champion John Force, reigning 2022 and 2017 Top Fuel champion Brittany Force, three-time Funny Car champion Robert Hight and 2019 Road to the Future Award winner Austin Prock, but the administrative and logistical staff in both Indiana and California as well as Force American Made employees in Indiana. “All of us at Marwin Sports are proud to extend our partnership with John Force Racing. Our 5th year together will bring our latest technical performance work apparel to all team members. From the office staff to the Force American Made team at their shop and to the crew out on the starting line, our gear is put to the test by John Force Racing and other champions in motorsports in NASCAR, Indycar, IMSA, and Formula Drift,” said Marwin Sports President and Co-Founder Theresa Hwang. “With a well-rounded catalog producing team-wear, corporate-wear, fan-wear, and lifestyle, Marwin Sports has you covered.” “It’s exciting for us to continue our partnership with Marwin Sports. Their apparel has stood up to the demand of the crew members and the Force American Made machine shop employees as well as created a cohesive and professional look for our administrative staff,” said CEO of John Force Racing and driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SS John Force. “We look forward to growing our relationship with Marwin. Their high-performance apparel is the perfect match for the type of high-performance sport that we are. They help us look the part of a championship team.”John Force Racing employees will continue to be outfitted in Marwin Sports USA technical performance work apparel beginning at the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals March 10-12 in Gainesville, FL.

Macedo claimed his first World of Outlaws victory of 2023 and his second World of Outlaws win at Volusia during Bike Week

BARBERVILLE, FL (March 5, 2023) – Carson Macedo has made March his favorite time to visit Volusia Speedway Park with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series – specifically March 5.

In the Series’ second March visit to the World’s Fastest Half-Mile Sunday evening, Macedo won the first round of the Low-E Insulation Spring Showdown and his second World of Outlaws victory at the track – the first came on March 5, 2021 (his first World of Outlaws win with Jason Johnson Racing) and the second on March 5, 2023.

“Hats off to my guys… They made that thing unbelievable to drive,” Macedo said. “It was incredible in traffic, and I think that’s what it was going to take to win tonight. I felt good enough to rotate and turn in traffic. It didn’t matter what was in front of you.”

The victory was the California driver’s 29th of his World of Outlaws career and fourth overall at Volusia.

When the 30-lap Feature commenced, Rookie of the Year contender Giovanni Scelzi positioned himself as the early favorite. After dominating the Toyota Dash, Scelzi kept that momentum going in the Feature, gapping the field by a second in the first lap.

He found the back of the field by Lap 5, forcing him to navigate an obstacle course of slower cars.

While he fought through the traffic, Macedo was on a mission behind. Cruising around the bottom, the Jason Johnson Racing driver passed Michael Kofoid for second on Lap 8 and then found Scelzi in front of him a lap later.

Diving under the KCP Racing #18 into Turn 1, Macedo perfected his line and powered ahead of Scelzi down the backstretch.

From there, Macedo went uncontested, holding a half of a track lead over Scelzi for a majority of the race. However, with three laps to go, nerves set in for the first time. Bill Rose slowed to a stop in Turn 4 bringing out the first caution of the night and bringing Scelzi to Macedo’s rear bumper.

When the green flag flew again, Scelzi’s good night turned into a nightmare. Due to an issue with his car on the restart, Scelzi and Kofoid collided, and Kasey Kahne nearly flipped after running over the right rear of Scelzi’s car.

Kofoid and Kahne continued – Kahne moving into third – but Kofoid went to the back after going to the Federated Car Care Work Zone and Scelzi was unable to finish.

The incident also moved David Gravel – who won the two season-opening events at Volusia in February – into second, giving Macedo another nervous moment before the restart.

And while Gravel kept Macedo within reach with two laps to go, Macedo found his rhythm on the final lap and gapped the Big Game Motorsports #2 car by half a straightaway before seeing the checkered flag.

“I knew [Gravel] was behind me,” Macedo said. “When you’ve been doing this long enough, you’re always looking up at the scoreboard. I was nervous on the first restart with Gio behind me because I knew he had a fast race car. I was nervous the top might get going. We hadn’t been out of traffic for a while… Then, with David behind me, David is such a good race car driver.”

Gravel extended his points lead and brought his results to first, first and second for the first three Feature events of 2023.

“I thought the stars were going to align there,” Gravel said. “We actually had a really good car. I got a good start and had a half a car length there on Buddy (Kofoid). Then, he crowded me, which he didn’t do anything wrong, but that let Carson get by me and that changed our race. I got a lot of good runs on Buddy and just couldn’t pass him. Luckily, I didn’t get involved in that crash.”

Kahne, even after nearly flipping when Scelzi had his issue on the restart, managed to bring his Fuel Me #9 car home in third – his best World of Outlaws finish since June of last year.

After having a mechanical issue in his Heat Race, 10-time Series champion Donny Schatz earned the KSE Hard Charger by going from 21st to seventh in the 30-lap Feature.

Macedo takes the early lead of the Low-E Insulation Spring Showdown six-race points battle – paying $10,000 to the driver with the most points at the end of the six-race series battle at Lincoln Speedway, March 18. The second highest earner will get $6,000 and third will get $4,000.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will conclude the Florida portion of the Low-E Insulation Spring Showdown at Volusia Speedway Park, Monday, March 6. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every lap of World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series action live on DIRTVision.

NASCAR CUP SERIES LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY PENNZOIL 400 TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE RECAP & TRANSCRIPT MARCH 5, 2023

BYRON DELIVERS CHEVROLET’S THIRD CONSECUTIVE NASCAR CUP SERIES WINOF 2023 AT LAS VEGASTeam Chevy Drivers Sweep Top-Three

The win is Byron’s fifth victory in 183 career starts in NASCAR’S premier series. The win marked Byron’s first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Hendrick Motorsports recorded a one-two-three finish with Byron leading teammates Kyle Larson (second) and Alex Bowman (third). Chevrolet is now three-for-three in NASCAR Cup Series points-paying races in 2023, with Byron becoming the third driver from the third different Chevrolet team to claim a win and a playoff berth. Byron’s victory marked Chevrolet’s 11th NASCAR Cup Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; and the manufacturer’s fourth win in the series’ past six races at the 1.5-mile Nevada oval.For the second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series race, Chevrolet drivers swept the top-three finishing positions. The winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history, Chevrolet now has 836 all-time NASCAR Cup Series victories.Chevrolet swept the victories in all three NASCAR national series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend: William Byron (NASCAR Cup Series), Austin Hill (NASCAR Xfinity Series) and Kyle Busch (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series).  LAS VEGAS, Nevada (March 5, 2023) – Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron and the No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL1 team notched their first victory of the 2023 season with a dominating performance in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 25-year-old North Carolina native took the green flag from a front-row starting position, drove his Chevrolet-powered machine to a sweep of the stage wins and led a race-high 176 laps en route to victory lane at the 1.5-mile Nevada oval.  “I’ve been really confident about this group of guys on the 24 team,” said Byron. “They work extremely hard. We spent a lot of time in the offseason just going through and running at the sim with Chevy, running on iRacing and just trying to get better as a racecar driver and as a team. It’s all about the team.” A late-race caution forced the race into an overtime finish, giving Byron another shot at regaining the lead from then-race leader and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson. A handful of teams came down pit road during the yellow with the No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL1 pit crew getting Byron off pit road first to set up the race’s green-white-checkered finish. Byron took the green flag from the outside front-row position alongside Martin Truex Jr. The Chevrolet driver made the pass on Truex Jr. on the first overtime lap and never looked back, taking the win with a 0.622-second margin over runner-up finisher Larson. Teammate Alex Bowman crossed the finish line in the third position, giving Hendrick Motorsports a one-two-three finish. The feat marks the second consecutive race this season that Chevrolet drivers have swept the top-three, following on the manufacturer’s top-four sweep at Auto Club Speedway last weekend.  With the victory at Las Vegas, Chevrolet has now won the first three points-paying races of the NCS season. Byron is the third driver from the third different Chevrolet team to claim a win and a playoff berth, joining fellow Chevrolet drivers Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Camaro ZL1) and Kyle Busch (No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1) on that elite list.  Byron’s victory topped off another monumental feat for the Bowtie brand this weekend with a Chevrolet-powered machine making the trip to victory lane in all three of the NASCAR national series races at Las Vegas. Joining Byron on the weekend’s win list includes Austin Hill (No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Camaro SS), who took his second NASCAR Xfinity Series win of 2022; and Kyle Busch (No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Silverado RST), who captured the win in his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start of the season.  NASCAR’s premier series heads to Phoenix Raceway next weekend with the United Rentals Work United 500 on Sunday, March 12, marking the final stop on the series’ western swing. Live coverage of the 312-mile race can be found on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.             WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1; RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1; AND JEFF ANDREWS, PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER, HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS – Press Conference Transcript  THE MODERATOR: We are joined by our race-winning crew chief, Rudy Fugle. Rudy, looked like a pretty dominant race by your team this weekend. Tell us from your vantage point what you thought.RUDY FUGLE: Yeah, no, it was just a really good weekend. Started yesterday with practice, and pleasantly surprised how much pace we had, long-run pace, short-run pace; qualified well; car was handling well.Made yesterday making decisions for how we were going to race the car today pretty easy, and then just super-fast car all day long.We had one sequence where William went out the box a little hot, and we hung a left front coming off a little bit and got to fourth, and if it goes green, we finish second to the 5 because of that, but we got a chance here. It always seems like it always happens in Las Vegas, you get one last shootout at the end. Pit crew did an awesome job getting us off pit road second, and we were able to pass the 19 and hold everybody else off. Q. Yesterday your competitors were saying you guys had the fastest car. Did you go into this race just thinking if we don’t screw it up, we’re going to have a hell of a day?RUDY FUGLE: Yeah, we knew we had a good car, but I think we see — I don’t know that we’ve seen a dominant race car at a mile-and-a-half track since we’ve come out with this Gen-7 car. From green to checker, I don’t know if we’ve had somebody lead tons and tons of laps like we had with the old car yet.You never know what you’re going to go through. You think you’re going to have ebbs and flows and how the track changes and whatnot. If you lose track position for any reason, it seems really hard to get it all the way back.Happy to go through what we did and have a good car from start to finish. Q. What did you tell him before that last restart?RUDY FUGLE: Yeah, just told him what he had there, and he needed to get connected to the 11 behind us to get a good push. We got a decent push from him, and the 19 he almost got too good of a push, they got disconnected, and then the two right side tires paid off through the center of the corner by the time we got back to getting the white, so it was great. Q. Were you shocked that more people didn’t try to stay out there at the end, and if you guys didn’t have such a fast race car and you were like 15th or something, would you have tried to stay out and go for it?RUDY FUGLE: Yeah, most of us had 40 green laps on our tires. I thought there would be some more, yes. I thought we would be restarting row 3 if we pitted with rights. I expected three or four. I don’t know if they just weren’t good enough or whatever.Thankfully it worked out that way, but yeah, it’s a super hard decision with only two laps to go, how hard it is to break that first row up. I think somebody potentially could have won if there would have been enough people staying out, but there wasn’t. Q. You mentioned and it’s a great point that we haven’t really seen domination on an intermediate from one car. What’s changing? Why are we seeing stuff like we saw today?RUDY FUGLE: Yeah, I think we’re all getting better, period. We’re finally figuring out more and more what this car needs to make it race.You saw some cars run really good the entire race. Ross was pretty dominant last week, period. I think he almost led half the laps.You see that happening more. You hit on it; it’s just going to keep evolving. You’re going to see some top cars hit on it and be able to do some things. The lack of cautions also helps you to be able to dominate, as well, so you don’t have multiple pit stops to have mistakes or somebody try something different. THE MODERATOR: We’re now joined by president and general manager of Hendrick Motorsports, Jeff Andrews. Jeff, it’s been a pretty action-packed weekend for you guys. How did today go for you?JEFF ANDREWS: Today went a lot better than the last time I was sitting in this seat talking to this group.Yeah, fantastic day for Hendrick Motorsports and the one, two, three finish. I should say first and foremost obviously our thoughts are with Chase and everything he’s going through right now, and we sure missed him being here at the track with us today. Can only imagine being a young guy like that and what that must have felt like to have to watch that at home.Certainly thinking about him and missing him here today, but really proud of all of our cars and the effort that’s gone into our cars and race teams in the off-season. Certainly felt like last week we had good cars and capable of something similar, but various issues and things kind of took us out last week, so very gratifying to come back this week and be able to execute like we did today, and obviously very proud of Rudy and William, the job they did today. Dominated that race for the most part, and glad to see them get the win at the end. Q. Rudy, did you expect that long green flag run there?RUDY FUGLE: After we got through the first stage and we got that long run, then Stage 2 looked that way, sometimes you get that feel. Here the cautions usually happen after three or four laps on a restart, and if they don’t happen then, then you’ll get that, a long green flag run.Once that set up, we were expecting the run to the end. We were going to run out of time to catch Kyle, but we got lucky and got the caution and had a chance to perform and execute to get us a win. THE MODERATOR: We’re now joined by our race winner, William Byron. Looked like you had a great day today. Tell us what it was like from your vantage point.WILLIAM BYRON: It was a great day, obviously. I felt like in practice we had a good car. I was a little bit nervous about the wind today and how that would change what we had going on and whether or not we’d be as strong, but just kind of the consensus, I guess, in the garage and then talking to some of the drivers, they were pretty confident about what we had going on. I was happy about that.Yeah, started the race good. I thought Kyle was really strong. He could stay close to me for a lot of the runs in the first and second stage, and I felt like I was a little bit tight, but just trying to navigate lap traffic and navigate the wind and how that would change the handling.Yeah, just happy with getting the first win of the year. It’s been a while since we’ve won. It’s been almost a year, and it’s nice to kind of just get back to what I feel like we’re capable of. Yeah, it’s been up and down, but I feel like this is what we’re capable of every week. Q. How would you evaluate Josh’s performance in the 9? I know it was very last minute for him, first time in the Next-Gen car. Seemed like his lap times were respectable for his first time in the Next-Gen car.JEFF ANDREWS: Yeah, Josh did an amazing job for us given the circumstances, and given the fact he’s not ever been in one of these Next-Gen cars before, really happy with what he did for us today.We’ve got some things to work on. We think we had a little bit of an issue there that was causing him a little bit of — some issues with his throttle there during the race that we’ve got to get fixed and remedied, but really, really pleased with the job he did for us today. Q. Rudy, the late run that we had without a yellow, how were you prepping for any eventualities that might have gone on at that point, and when that first yellow came out and you lost the lead, how are you fixing everything and tweaking to try and get yourself back to the front?RUDY FUGLE: Yeah, no, it’s hard. You’re making a pit stop assuming that you’re going to come back out with a lead. These cars have a huge difference between leading and into traffic. As soon as you lose the lead and then you’re going to be more aero tight, so you’re like, oh, shoot, what are you doing there.Then you do a green flag run, so you’re trying to adjust for that green flag run, but you’re not going to be in as heavy traffic, so you don’t want to be too free on that green flag run.I thought we did a good job there our second half after the green flag stop. As we were catching the 5, our car was stuck pretty well, was catching him. If we could have got around the 11 a little bit quicker, if I would have pitted us one lap earlier, maybe we would have been able to catch the 5 under green.But anyway, then you’re preparing, and as you get to 15 to go, you’re talking to your engineers about, okay, caution comes out, what are we doing? Are we staying out? Are we taking rights? Are we taking four? If we’re taking rights, what are our air pressures? So on, so forth.Nonstop always just trying to communicate inside the box; if this happens, what do you do, so you’re not surprised. Q. William, how important do you feel it was for Hendrick Motorsports to win today, considering everything that happened this weekend?WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, I mean, that’s a good question. I think just shows the strength that our teams have and the ability to come together in tough situations.I think I speak for everyone in the fact that we miss Chase out here. He’s a big contributor to feedback and our debriefs and he’s a great race car driver. Has a lot to offer there.I think there was a void there, but I think we were able to fill it with just kind of coming together as a team, and having Josh come on board, he’s obviously a great race car driver, too, and I know him from the past.Yeah, it was an important day. I felt that for sure. I texted Mr. H. after practice and felt really good about the car and just wanted to reassure that we’re going to go out there and try to win for him because it was a tough week.Yeah, just shows the strength of our team to be able to come together. Q. Do you normally text Mr. H. after practice?WILLIAM BYRON: No, I don’t. I don’t normally text him unless he texts me or unless we’re talking about other things outside of racing. I just felt confident and just felt like we had a shot to win. Q. For Jeff, any decision on the 9 car driver yet for next week?JEFF ANDREWS: No, not yet. Obviously we’ve got to get together tomorrow morning and make some decisions pretty quick. We’ve obviously got to get a seat in the car, and then our haulers are planning on leaving late Tuesday afternoon, first part of the evening. We’ll be making that I would say early part of the day tomorrow. Q. William, you were dominating the race and then you lose some spots and then just dirty air. It looked frustrating for you. At that point how do you stay mentally checked in and not let that frustration, that situation and possibly losing the race at that point take over?WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, I think that’s kind of what I’ve been working on. I think I’ve — I feel like I’ve got less experience than some of these guys in terms of my overall racing career, and I feel like for me that evolution has come in the mental side of just kind of understanding how to approach an entire race.In that instance I was just kind of leaning on the stuff that I’ve worked on in trying to just make sure that I stay focused on the task at hand, just making good corners, making good laps, and try to be as efficient as I can to get back towards the front.At that point I was just focused on okay, how can I make this long run as good as I can, and then what do I need to tell Rudy feedback-wise to get a car a little bit better because there was such a discrepancy between clean air and dirty air. So trying to get the balance back to where we needed it. I felt like Kyle had a balance that was perfect for dirty air probably, and he got out front and he was a little bit too loose.I think we had tuned our car all day for clean air and then we had to kind of adjust there, but I was just happy with how we showed resilience through that whole process. Q. Rudy, you said there about everybody is getting better as we saw the dominance today. It seems like the early trend is that Chevrolet is above everybody looking at high speed today, high speed at Fontana. Is there something that sticks out as to why that is? I don’t expect you to give secrets away, but is there anything common in the Chevy camp that you guys have hit on?RUDY FUGLE: I think since the beginning of last year, Chevrolet has had a really good product, a really good car. That group just did a really good job of giving us a good body. We have great engines. Either camp you get engines, they work together.Then we’ve got good teams, and the teams are working together better now than we ever have. I think there’s something to be said for that. Eric Warren is pushing all of that, and just really proud of the Chevrolet bunch and how they’re pushing us to work together to get better as a group. Q. For you as well as William, William, you had said on TV that you guys had spent a lot of time in the off-season on the simulator and going through things. What were the things this team was trying to hone in on?RUDY FUGLE: Yeah, we’re just trying to get our setups tuned in better, and then try to get our knowledge for changes to what William feels and how that responds.Really just working together to solve problems. You get in the season and it’s super hard to get in there to the simulator and put the time in that we want to. In the off-season we put a lot of work in. Through these first few races, it showed off last week having speed right away and then showed off this week.Hopefully it’ll keep paying off and we’ll keep working on it.WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, honestly just it was nice to have his voice on the radio at the sim. Just kind of work through that feedback.It’s really similar to any other sport, just going out and practicing, so just kind of getting that feedback correct.We felt like last year was really topsy-turvy for us. We had obviously a couple wins, but then we were really up and down, and just didn’t really understand this car quite as good as we needed to. We needed to change some of our vocabulary when we talked about this race car versus he and I have worked together in the past and we’ve worked on cars that have a different tire and different grip levels, so we just had to change some of the words that we used and kind of talk about the car. Q. William and then Rudy, what does this mean for you to win a race early, and what do you feel like this means for your season going forward?WILLIAM BYRON: Well, first thing I thought about was back in the All-Star Race, so that was good. I don’t think I was locked in because I won before the race last year. That’s a good kind of self-check, that I got that done.Yeah, it’s just good for our team because we can keep building in the future. I think it shows that it’s kind of a measuring stick of where we are. Felt like going into this weekend that we were there, but we haven’t shown that result-wise.Needed to show that with a result to kind of get that satisfaction as a team.I think it’s just hopefully more of the same. We don’t want to have any slumps this year. We want to just dig all the way to the end of the year. It’s a grind, but we’re going to fight hard all year and try to keep this performance up.RUDY FUGLE: Yeah, it’s huge for a couple reasons. But he said it. You just want to find that success again. We had success in the playoffs last year, but we had so much struggle during the summer that you kind of reassure yourself that you can do it.Then two, the start of the year is really, really tough on our crew guys, on the road and the shop guys. They are working their tails off. These West Coast races and all the stuff that we’re doing, we got cars late again this year, and they’re tired. They need a morale boost, and one, two, three will boost the morale in the shop, so that’s going to be huge. We’re happy that we can provide all of them with that boost and keep us going and keep building us good cars.That’s huge to be able to do that this early and going through this tough part. Q. Just to follow up off the previous question, you guys had won obviously races early in the season in recent years, but do you think the difference between reaching your full potential as like a team and a driver is to be able to do that throughout the course of the season? As Rudy pointed out, you ran well in the playoffs, but still without the win, it was much more difficult to advance.WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, for sure. I mean, that’s what we’re focused on is just trying to perform throughout the entire year. We know we have the stamina as a team. We know that we communicate well, but I think in the past you get that sigh of relief from a win that you’re doing what you need to do, and I think this assures us that we can just keep doing the processes. Did a lot of prep work going into this week and woke up on Saturday feeling like we were prepared. That’s a nice feeling.We’re going to try to do that 36 weeks and see where that puts us. Q. Rudy and William, I know clean air and dirty air are always a thing, even last year, but I feel like we didn’t hear about it quite as much last year on the intermediates? Why now? Is the field just closer again? Why is it making a difference again in such a big play?WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, I personally think just from being out there, everyone gets more dialed in to what the track and the car needs. I think there was so much unknowns last year that it created guys bottoming out, wrecking, guys making big mistakes that you don’t normally see at this level with how good everyone is.Now the drivers are back to understanding what they have, and these are the best guys out there. You don’t make mistakes. To race against Kyle Larson, he doesn’t make any mistakes that really cost him time.It’s just kind of the excellence on display of the teams and drivers.RUDY FUGLE: Yeah, I think the cars are a little bit closer together. When the track is gripped up like this, too, it’s cool out there, so track temp was down. Track temp was under 70 today. Beginning part of the year you’ll have some of this that I think will fix itself as we start to warm up. Q. Jeff, not to put these two on the spot, but how have you seen William grow under Rudy’s tutelage?JEFF ANDREWS: Well, I think over the last two years and these guys working together, both of them just have this rapport with each other and a trust in each other that you need in this business. Their margins are so small, and the human capital is one that Mr. Hendrick will talk to us about. It’s all about the people and it’s all about relationships and communication.That level of communication between Rudy and William has never been higher, and we commend them because they continue to work on it. They’re never satisfied with it. They worked real hard on it in the off-season. You heard William talking about how they worked in the simulator together, and having Rudy’s voice in his ear during that.We commend them, and really all our race teams, couldn’t be more proud of the way our group, our company is working together as a whole across four race teams. We’ve never had that. It’s never been as good as it is right now with that communication level with all four of our teams. Q. William, this is the first time in your career that not only have you won the race, but you also won Stage 1 and Stage 2. What does it mean to accomplish something like that?WILLIAM BYRON: No, it’s cool. I think I haven’t really dominated — I’ve led a lot of laps in a couple races, but to be this good in a race with our team is definitely a good sign.I think it’s just a different feeling, I think, for me, just having a team around me that can execute that well on pit road that well, strategy that good on adjustments. That’s just a team effort.I think that’s a different — something different than I’ve had in the past in terms of wins, so that’s nice. THE MODERATOR: Guys, thanks for coming in. Congratulations, and good luck next week.

March 5, 2023

A hard crash in practice on Saturday, likely caused by running over a lug nut that punctured the radiator in his No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang, led to a long Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Harrison Burton and his Wood Brothers team.

Burton, sliding in the fluid being released from his own car, slammed head on into the outside wall. That forced the team to go to a back-up Mustang and to miss qualifying. 

He lined up on the back row for the start of Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 and moved up a few spots in the early going.

A lack of caution periods in the first Stage limited the opportunities to use pit strategy to move forward in the field and he ended the 80-lap Stage in 28^th place, one lap behind the leaders.

The second Stage also ran under the green flag, and Burton finished that segment in 30^th place, two laps down.

A yellow flag nine laps into the third segment of the race allowed the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team to take the wave-around, and Burton restarted in 29^th place, one lap down.

He was gaining spots, but eventually had to make a green-flag stop for fuel, and that dropped him to 29^th place, two laps down.

A caution flag with four of the scheduled 267 laps left to run set up an Overtime finish.

Burton pitted for fresh tires, and when the green flag was displayed for a two-lap dash to the finish he steered his way past spinning cars to pick up the only two positions available to him. He came home 26^th, tops among drivers two laps down. 

Burton and the No. 21 team now turn their attention to next Sunday’s Ruoff Mortgage 500 at Phoenix Raceway.
 

NASCAR CUP SERIES LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY PENNZOIL 400 TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES & QUOTES MARCH 5, 2023

BYRON DELIVERS CHEVROLET’S THIRD CONSECUTIVE NASCAR CUP SERIES WINOF 2023 AT LAS VEGASTeam Chevy Drivers Sweep Top-Three

After sweeping the stage wins and leading a race-high 176 laps, William Byron and the No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL1 team captured their first win of 2023 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  ·       The win is Byron’s fifth victory in 183 career starts in NASCAR’S premier series.  ·       The win marked Byron’s first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  ·       Hendrick Motorsports recorded a one-two-three finish with Byron leading teammates Kyle Larson (second) and Alex Bowman (third).  ·       Chevrolet is now three-for-three in NASCAR Cup Series points-paying races in 2023, with Byron becoming the third driver from the third different Chevrolet team to claim a victory and a playoff berth.  ·       Byron’s victory marked Chevrolet’s 11th NASCAR Cup Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the manufacturer’s fourth win in the series’ past six races at the 1.5-mile Nevada oval.  ·       For the second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series race, Chevrolet drivers have swept the top-three finishing positions.  ·       The winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history, Chevrolet now has 836 all-time NASCAR Cup Series victories.·       Chevrolet earned victories in all three NASCAR national series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend: William Byron (NASCAR Cup Series), Austin Hill (NASCAR Xfinity Series) and Kyle Busch (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series).  WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1 – RACE WINNER“I’ve been really confident about this group of guys on the 24 team. They work extremely hard. We spent a lot of time int he offseason just going through and running at the sim with Chevy and running on iRacing and just trying to get better as a racecar driver and as a team. It’s all about the team. It’s a great pit crew. We’re also thinking of Chase (Elliott) back home. We wish he was out here. He’s a great racecar driver and great teammate. I wish he was out there. Thanks to Mr. H (Rick Hendrick) and Jeff Gordon. I know he’s watching. This RaptorTough.com Chevy was awesome. When we got back in traffic, it was a little tight but we knew we had speed so just had to have the right things play out. Rudy (Fugle, crew chief) made a good call, so it was good.”ON THE FINAL PIT STOP: “The one pit stop they had where we lost the lead, I slid through the box or slid long so that delayed the stop. That was on me and I knew they could get it done in the end. Rudy has been under the weather all day so he’s been really quiet on the radio. Luckily, it worked out there. Just thanks to all the fans for coming out. I always love racing at Vegas and how you move around. I’m excited for the year.”MORE ON THE WIN AND PIT CREW: “It was awesome. They did a great job all day. The one pit stop that I messed up, I slid long and we lost the lead. So they just did an amazing job all day. We wanted to bring this thing out (oversized victory hat), too. It was something I saw in the NFL and wanted to do it. It’s pretty cool. It’s got all our sponsors nice and big.”HOW BADLY DID YOU NEED THIS RACE? “It’s been tough. Honestly, we started out and speed in the first two races but we just didn’t put it all together. We had speed at the (Daytona) 500 and had speed at California and had some issues. So it just worked out. It’s awesome.”THOUGHTS ON THE FINAL RESTART: “I was focused on getting a good launch and launch with the 19 and see what happened from there. I’m fortunate that it worked out the way it did. Rudy made a great call, and we were able to put a little bit of a block on the 11 to keep him behind us. It worked out.”

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER1st      William Byron, No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL12nd     Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL13rd      Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL18th      Justin Haley, No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL110th    Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Tootsies Orchid Lounge Camaro ZL1  TOP-FIVE UNOFFICIAL RESULTS: POS.  DRIVER1st      William Byron (Chevrolet)2nd     Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)3rd      Alex Bowman (Chevrolet)4th      Bubba Wallace (Toyota)5th      Christopher Bell (Toyota) The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Phoenix Raceway with the United Rentals Work United 500 on Sunday, March 12, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1Finished: 2ndIT LOOKED LIKE YOU HAD IT IN HAND. WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS WHEN THE CAUTION CAME OUT? “Damn. It’s just part of Cup racing. It seems like you count the laps down lap by lap, and then sure enough the yellow lights come on. You just have to get over that and try to execute a good pit stop. I thought I did a really good job getting to my sign and getting to the commitment line. I had a gap to William behind me, so their pit crew must have done a really good job and got him out in front of us. So that gave up the front row to us. I knew I was in trouble with the 19 staying out. I felt like William was going to get by him. It’s a bummer that we didn’t end up the winner, but all in all William probably had a little better car than I had today and their pit crew executed when they needed to at the end.” MORE ON LATE CAUTION: “You can’t fuss about it too much. You just try to get focused on the pit stop and try to execute and do a good job. I felt like I did everything on my end good. I had a gap to the 24 behind me when we got the commitment line. I got to my sign good and got to pit-road speed good and all that. Their pit crew must have done a really good job. He edged us out there on pit road, and that was the race. It’s part of Cup racing. These are really, really tough to win and you have to execute from top to bottom. We did a good job today but their pit crew was a little faster on the last stop. A bummer but all in all I’m happy and proud of the effort from our Hendrick team. I’m looking forward to getting to Phoenix next week.” JOSH BERRY, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1       Finished: 29th “It was a lot of fun. Really I thought the first half of the race went pretty well. We were really close, right on the edge of staying on the lead lap or not. We just needed a couple more cautions to just give ourselves a better chance.  The second half of the race, we had an issue going on with the throttle or something because every time I was letting off, it was hanging wide-open. I was just trying to nurse it home and keep it out of trouble.” They told you to have, so did you have fun?“Yeah, it was a lot of fun. I learned a lot, especially in the first two stages. I think we definitely saw at times we were running some pretty good lap times. Just struggled with dirty air; knowing where to put the car and how to do that. There’s a lot of learning to be done, but all-in-all, it was still a pretty good time.” JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1Finished: 8th “We had a really good long run car today and this is our Fontana car. We’re one of like three teams, three individual cars that repaired our stuff and brought it this week. I’m proud of the effort and the grind. They hung a body in this thing in the snow in Fontana a few days ago. That’s pretty awesome for our little team. I appreciate Matt, Chris, and everyone at Leaf Filter. This was a good run for us, especially with the start of season we’ve had.” ERIK JONES, NO. 43 ALLEGIANT CAMARO ZL1Finished: 19th “Not the finish we deserved today. The guys gave me a fast Allegiant Chevy and we were running really well, even made our way to the top 10. Unfortunately, we got behind and made some adjustments to free up our car in traffic, but ended up making ourselves too loose for when we were on clean air. We had some tire issues late and that put us in the back and wrecked on the last lap. We just need to clean things up and come back stronger next week at Phoenix.” ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1Finished: 3rdYOU HAD A GOOD DAY AND DROVE YOUR WAY FORWARD. WHAT MORE DID YOU NEED TO DRIVE TO VICTORY LANE AGAIN? “We were really fast in Stage Two. I was a little indecisive with what I wanted in the racecar. There were times I was a little free and times where I was a little snug. I hedged us to securing the back of the racecar a little bit and got us too tight for Stage Three, so that’s on me. Every change I wanted, I got. I just got us a little bit too tight. I’m really proud of the 48 team. I’m really pumped for HMS to be 1-2-3. I’ve been on the good side of those consecutive finishes so now I’m on the other side. But it was a fun race with our teammates. I’m glad we were able to get a 1-2-3 on the last restart. Rudy is a little under the weather so hopefully that gets him feeling a little better than he was this morning.” YOU MAY HAVE HAD A CHANCE: “I just got us too tight in Stage Three and tried to be really aggressive to make up for it on that last restart. I had a shot at it but was a couple of rows too far back to start. I’m really proud of Hendrick Motorsports. To be 1-2-3 is really awesome. Our Ally Camaro was really good, especially in Stage Two. I just asked for the wrong adjustments probably. I’m excited with the way the year has started and hopefully we keep the momentum rolling next week at Phoenix.” DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 TOOTSIES ORCHID LOUNGE CAMARO ZL1 Finished: 10th “It was a roller coaster. We had a fast car all day. Some runs were better than others. I felt like at times that we had a car capable of fighting for the win. For some reason, I felt like we had a set of tires that was a little weird there and we lost some track position. Then we had a bad stop on the last one and lost another few seconds. It was a little difficult because we had to overcome a lot. But overall the car had speed and the car was capable of running in the top-five. That is very promising.” THREE TOP-10s IN THREE RACES. IS THAT THE EXPECTATION NOW? “No. It’s to win.” NOAH GRAGSON, NO. 42 SUNSEEKER RESORT CAMARO ZL1Finished: 30th“An up-and-down day. I felt like we had good speed, just lost a couple of laps on the first pit stop speeding on pit road, making mistakes and speeding again on my pass-through penalty during the first green-flag pit stop, and that put us behind all day. Proud of this Sunseeker Resorts LEGACY Motor Club team for not quitting all race. I felt like we had good speed, just a couple of laps down at the end. We’ll keep working on it.”

TEAM CHEVY RACE HIGHLIGHTS:  Stage One·       William Byron (No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL1) led the field to the green from a front-row starting spot, marking the third consecutive week that a Chevrolet driver posted a top-two qualifying effort. ·       When green-flag pitstops got under way, race leader Byron brought his No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL1 down pit road on lap 37 for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. Byron re-took the lead on lap 41 after green-flag pit stops cycled through. ·       Byron went on to lead 67 of 80 laps in Stage One, taking the checkered flag for his first stage win of 2023. ·       Five Chevrolet drivers scored stage points with top-10 finishes in Stage One: 1st      William Byron, No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL12nd     Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL13rd      Ross Chastain, No. 1 GlobalTranz Camaro ZL17th      Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL19th      Kyle Busch, No. 8 Alsco Uniforms Camaro ZL1 Stage Two·       The second round of pit stops took place during the stage break, with the No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL1 pit crew getting Byron off pit road first to give the Chevrolet driver a front-row starting spot for the beginning of Stage Two. ·       The race continued at a caution-free pace, forcing the field to make another round of green-flag pit stops at the stage’s halfway point. ·       Byron led the field to the end of Stage Two, giving the Chevrolet driver a sweep of the race’s stage wins. This marks the first time in Byron’s NCS career that he swept stage wins in a single race. ·       Byron’s stage win sweep brings Chevrolet to a total of five stage wins in 2023. ·       Byron continued setting a dominating pace, leading 152 of 165 laps recorded at the end of Stage Two. ·       Hendrick Motorsports teammates went one-two-three at the conclusion of Stage Two with Byron leading Kyle Larson (2nd) and Alex Bowman (3rd). ·       Team Chevy Stage Two: Top-101st      William Byron, No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL12nd     Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL13rd      Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL17th      Ross Chastain, No. 1 GlobalTranz Camaro ZL1

NASCAR CUP SERIES LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY PENNZOIL 400 TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES & QUOTES MARCH 5, 2023

BYRON DELIVERS CHEVROLET’S THIRD CONSECUTIVE NASCAR CUP SERIES WINOF 2023 AT LAS VEGASTeam Chevy Drivers Sweep Top-Three

After sweeping the stage wins and leading a race-high 176 laps, William Byron and the No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL1 team captured their first win of 2023 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  ·       The win is Byron’s fifth victory in 183 career starts in NASCAR’S premier series.  ·       The win marked Byron’s first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  ·       Hendrick Motorsports recorded a one-two-three finish with Byron leading teammates Kyle Larson (second) and Alex Bowman (third).  ·       Chevrolet is now three-for-three in NASCAR Cup Series points-paying races in 2023, with Byron becoming the third driver from the third different Chevrolet team to claim a victory and a playoff berth.  ·       Byron’s victory marked Chevrolet’s 11th NASCAR Cup Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the manufacturer’s fourth win in the series’ past six races at the 1.5-mile Nevada oval.  ·       For the second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series race, Chevrolet drivers have swept the top-three finishing positions.  ·       The winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history, Chevrolet now has 836 all-time NASCAR Cup Series victories.·       Chevrolet earned victories in all three NASCAR national series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend: William Byron (NASCAR Cup Series), Austin Hill (NASCAR Xfinity Series) and Kyle Busch (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series).  WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1 – RACE WINNER“I’ve been really confident about this group of guys on the 24 team. They work extremely hard. We spent a lot of time int he offseason just going through and running at the sim with Chevy and running on iRacing and just trying to get better as a racecar driver and as a team. It’s all about the team. It’s a great pit crew. We’re also thinking of Chase (Elliott) back home. We wish he was out here. He’s a great racecar driver and great teammate. I wish he was out there. Thanks to Mr. H (Rick Hendrick) and Jeff Gordon. I know he’s watching. This RaptorTough.com Chevy was awesome. When we got back in traffic, it was a little tight but we knew we had speed so just had to have the right things play out. Rudy (Fugle, crew chief) made a good call, so it was good.”ON THE FINAL PIT STOP: “The one pit stop they had where we lost the lead, I slid through the box or slid long so that delayed the stop. That was on me and I knew they could get it done in the end. Rudy has been under the weather all day so he’s been really quiet on the radio. Luckily, it worked out there. Just thanks to all the fans for coming out. I always love racing at Vegas and how you move around. I’m excited for the year.”MORE ON THE WIN AND PIT CREW: “It was awesome. They did a great job all day. The one pit stop that I messed up, I slid long and we lost the lead. So they just did an amazing job all day. We wanted to bring this thing out (oversized victory hat), too. It was something I saw in the NFL and wanted to do it. It’s pretty cool. It’s got all our sponsors nice and big.”HOW BADLY DID YOU NEED THIS RACE? “It’s been tough. Honestly, we started out and speed in the first two races but we just didn’t put it all together. We had speed at the (Daytona) 500 and had speed at California and had some issues. So it just worked out. It’s awesome.”THOUGHTS ON THE FINAL RESTART: “I was focused on getting a good launch and launch with the 19 and see what happened from there. I’m fortunate that it worked out the way it did. Rudy made a great call, and we were able to put a little bit of a block on the 11 to keep him behind us. It worked out.”

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER1st      William Byron, No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL12nd     Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL13rd      Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL18th      Justin Haley, No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL110th    Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Tootsies Orchid Lounge Camaro ZL1  TOP-FIVE UNOFFICIAL RESULTS: POS.  DRIVER1st      William Byron (Chevrolet)2nd     Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)3rd      Alex Bowman (Chevrolet)4th      Bubba Wallace (Toyota)5th      Christopher Bell (Toyota) The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Phoenix Raceway with the United Rentals Work United 500 on Sunday, March 12, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1Finished: 2ndIT LOOKED LIKE YOU HAD IT IN HAND. WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS WHEN THE CAUTION CAME OUT? “Damn. It’s just part of Cup racing. It seems like you count the laps down lap by lap, and then sure enough the yellow lights come on. You just have to get over that and try to execute a good pit stop. I thought I did a really good job getting to my sign and getting to the commitment line. I had a gap to William behind me, so their pit crew must have done a really good job and got him out in front of us. So that gave up the front row to us. I knew I was in trouble with the 19 staying out. I felt like William was going to get by him. It’s a bummer that we didn’t end up the winner, but all in all William probably had a little better car than I had today and their pit crew executed when they needed to at the end.” MORE ON LATE CAUTION: “You can’t fuss about it too much. You just try to get focused on the pit stop and try to execute and do a good job. I felt like I did everything on my end good. I had a gap to the 24 behind me when we got the commitment line. I got to my sign good and got to pit-road speed good and all that. Their pit crew must have done a really good job. He edged us out there on pit road, and that was the race. It’s part of Cup racing. These are really, really tough to win and you have to execute from top to bottom. We did a good job today but their pit crew was a little faster on the last stop. A bummer but all in all I’m happy and proud of the effort from our Hendrick team. I’m looking forward to getting to Phoenix next week.” JOSH BERRY, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1       Finished: 29th “It was a lot of fun. Really I thought the first half of the race went pretty well. We were really close, right on the edge of staying on the lead lap or not. We just needed a couple more cautions to just give ourselves a better chance.  The second half of the race, we had an issue going on with the throttle or something because every time I was letting off, it was hanging wide-open. I was just trying to nurse it home and keep it out of trouble.” They told you to have, so did you have fun?“Yeah, it was a lot of fun. I learned a lot, especially in the first two stages. I think we definitely saw at times we were running some pretty good lap times. Just struggled with dirty air; knowing where to put the car and how to do that. There’s a lot of learning to be done, but all-in-all, it was still a pretty good time.” JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1Finished: 8th “We had a really good long run car today and this is our Fontana car. We’re one of like three teams, three individual cars that repaired our stuff and brought it this week. I’m proud of the effort and the grind. They hung a body in this thing in the snow in Fontana a few days ago. That’s pretty awesome for our little team. I appreciate Matt, Chris, and everyone at Leaf Filter. This was a good run for us, especially with the start of season we’ve had.” ERIK JONES, NO. 43 ALLEGIANT CAMARO ZL1Finished: 19th “Not the finish we deserved today. The guys gave me a fast Allegiant Chevy and we were running really well, even made our way to the top 10. Unfortunately, we got behind and made some adjustments to free up our car in traffic, but ended up making ourselves too loose for when we were on clean air. We had some tire issues late and that put us in the back and wrecked on the last lap. We just need to clean things up and come back stronger next week at Phoenix.” ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1Finished: 3rdYOU HAD A GOOD DAY AND DROVE YOUR WAY FORWARD. WHAT MORE DID YOU NEED TO DRIVE TO VICTORY LANE AGAIN? “We were really fast in Stage Two. I was a little indecisive with what I wanted in the racecar. There were times I was a little free and times where I was a little snug. I hedged us to securing the back of the racecar a little bit and got us too tight for Stage Three, so that’s on me. Every change I wanted, I got. I just got us a little bit too tight. I’m really proud of the 48 team. I’m really pumped for HMS to be 1-2-3. I’ve been on the good side of those consecutive finishes so now I’m on the other side. But it was a fun race with our teammates. I’m glad we were able to get a 1-2-3 on the last restart. Rudy is a little under the weather so hopefully that gets him feeling a little better than he was this morning.” YOU MAY HAVE HAD A CHANCE: “I just got us too tight in Stage Three and tried to be really aggressive to make up for it on that last restart. I had a shot at it but was a couple of rows too far back to start. I’m really proud of Hendrick Motorsports. To be 1-2-3 is really awesome. Our Ally Camaro was really good, especially in Stage Two. I just asked for the wrong adjustments probably. I’m excited with the way the year has started and hopefully we keep the momentum rolling next week at Phoenix.” DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 TOOTSIES ORCHID LOUNGE CAMARO ZL1 Finished: 10th “It was a roller coaster. We had a fast car all day. Some runs were better than others. I felt like at times that we had a car capable of fighting for the win. For some reason, I felt like we had a set of tires that was a little weird there and we lost some track position. Then we had a bad stop on the last one and lost another few seconds. It was a little difficult because we had to overcome a lot. But overall the car had speed and the car was capable of running in the top-five. That is very promising.” THREE TOP-10s IN THREE RACES. IS THAT THE EXPECTATION NOW? “No. It’s to win.” NOAH GRAGSON, NO. 42 SUNSEEKER RESORT CAMARO ZL1Finished: 30th“An up-and-down day. I felt like we had good speed, just lost a couple of laps on the first pit stop speeding on pit road, making mistakes and speeding again on my pass-through penalty during the first green-flag pit stop, and that put us behind all day. Proud of this Sunseeker Resorts LEGACY Motor Club team for not quitting all race. I felt like we had good speed, just a couple of laps down at the end. We’ll keep working on it.”

TEAM CHEVY RACE HIGHLIGHTS:  Stage One·       William Byron (No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL1) led the field to the green from a front-row starting spot, marking the third consecutive week that a Chevrolet driver posted a top-two qualifying effort. ·       When green-flag pitstops got under way, race leader Byron brought his No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL1 down pit road on lap 37 for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. Byron re-took the lead on lap 41 after green-flag pit stops cycled through. ·       Byron went on to lead 67 of 80 laps in Stage One, taking the checkered flag for his first stage win of 2023. ·       Five Chevrolet drivers scored stage points with top-10 finishes in Stage One: 1st      William Byron, No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL12nd     Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL13rd      Ross Chastain, No. 1 GlobalTranz Camaro ZL17th      Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL19th      Kyle Busch, No. 8 Alsco Uniforms Camaro ZL1 Stage Two·       The second round of pit stops took place during the stage break, with the No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL1 pit crew getting Byron off pit road first to give the Chevrolet driver a front-row starting spot for the beginning of Stage Two. ·       The race continued at a caution-free pace, forcing the field to make another round of green-flag pit stops at the stage’s halfway point. ·       Byron led the field to the end of Stage Two, giving the Chevrolet driver a sweep of the race’s stage wins. This marks the first time in Byron’s NCS career that he swept stage wins in a single race. ·       Byron’s stage win sweep brings Chevrolet to a total of five stage wins in 2023. ·       Byron continued setting a dominating pace, leading 152 of 165 laps recorded at the end of Stage Two. ·       Hendrick Motorsports teammates went one-two-three at the conclusion of Stage Two with Byron leading Kyle Larson (2nd) and Alex Bowman (3rd). ·       Team Chevy Stage Two: Top-101st      William Byron, No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL12nd     Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL13rd      Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL17th      Ross Chastain, No. 1 GlobalTranz Camaro ZL1

Related: famous football players born in oklahoma, which nrl player has played for the most clubs, california consumer legal remedies act demand letter, louise fletcher the notebook, how old was capucine in north to alaska, eva bourne teeth, loyola blakefield baseball, university of arkansas club soccer, how to make your own dfs projections, susan blommaert virgin river, fred quotes a christmas carol, one police plaza appointment, leaving louisiana in the broad daylight original, gerber jukebox custom scales, wotlk holy paladin pre raid bis,

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA

TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT

March 5, 2023

PATO O’WARD SCORES SOLID PODIUM FINISH FOR CHEVROLET ON STREETS OF ST. PETERSBURG

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA (MARCH 5, 2023) – Pato O’Ward led Team Chevy in qualifying with the third place starting position, and led the Bowtie Brigade to the second step on the podium at the end of the 100-lap Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. But, it was eventful day for Chevrolet-powered drivers.

O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, took the lead lap 74 after battling the entire race in the top-five. Sitting third on lap 72, O’Ward missed a two-car incident between then race leader and defending race winner Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Dex Imagine Team Penske Chevrolet, and Romain Grosjean (Honda). Grosjean retired from competition while McLaughlin was able to continue and finish in the 13th position.

O’Ward took command of the race, and appeared to be in position to score his first victory on the Streets of St. Petersburg, and start the season with a win. But, with four laps remaining, his engine suffered a plenum event that causes a momentary loss of engine power and temporarily slowed O’Ward enough that eventual winner Marcus Ericsson was able to take the lead and drop O’Ward to second. It was a race that saw five cautions for 26 laps including an almost 20 minute red flag.

On lap one, there was a six-car pile-up in turn three that resulted in the retirement of Benjamin Pedersen, No, 55 Sexton Properties  AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet, Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 Sexton Properties AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet and damaged the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet of Felix Rosenqvist that required repairs putting him 49 laps down. On lap 42, four more cars made contact in turn four that took out the No. 21 BITNILE.COM Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet driven by Rinus VeeKay. 

Scott Dixon (Honda) completed the podium in third.

Next up for Team Chevy in the NTT INDYCAR Series is the PPG 375 on April 2, 2023 at Texas Motor Speedway.

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS:

POS.   DRIVER

2nd    Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet

4th     Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet

5th     Callum Ilott, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet

7th     Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet

TOP-FIVE UNOFFICIAL RESULTS:

POS.  DRIVER

1st      Marcus Ericsson (Honda)

2nd    Pato O’Ward (Chevrolet)

3rd     Scott Dixon (Honda)

4th     Alexander Rossi (Chevrolet)

5th     Callum Ilott (Chevrolet)   

Team Chevy Notes from the Streets of St. Petersburg

• Scott McLaughlin led the most laps of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg with 37.
• Pato O’Ward was the next highest Chevrolet driver to lead laps with 23.
• O’Ward earned Chevrolet’s 285th podium in INDYCAR competition, his first of the 2023 season, and 15th in his career.
• Callum Ilott worked his way through the field from the start in 22nd to finish fifth
• Conor Daly recovered from a Lap 37 brush with the wall in Turn 9 to finish the race 14th
• After qualifying 21st for his first career INDYCAR event, the Rookie of the Year candidate drove a solid race to finish in the 12th position.

PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN CHEVROLET

Finished: 2nd

“It’s always something. All the boys deserve better than that. Compared to where we were at this point last year here, it’s a massive step. We just gave that one away. We can have that happen anymore. There was a flaming fire in the engine plenum. And that was just random. Yeah. That’s the way it goes sometimes in racing.”

ALEXANDER ROSSI, NO. 7 ARROW MCLAREN CHEVROLET

Finished: 4th

“I think we knew it was going to be pretty crazy based on practice and qualifying. The teams did a good job. It was a mistake-free race on everyone’s behalf. I think we obviously had three really strong cars. It was a shame what happened to Felix (Rosenqvist) at the start. I think the three of us had the potential to all be in the top-10. Today was just keeping your nose clean and staying out of trouble. It was a really good start for the (Arrow McLaren) organization. We struggled a little bit on Friday. All of the Arrow McLaren Chevy guys were able to put their heads together and we were able to come back.

I think we will only get stronger from here. This is a really good opportunity for us going into a pretty long break ahead of Texas, a place where this team has been pretty strong in the past. To just really understand where we’re weak and work on improving those areas, but yes, it is a fantastic way to start the season.”

CALLUM ILOTT, NO. 77 JUNCOS HOLLINGER RACING CHEVROLET

Finished: 5th

“Just time, right strategy, keeping it cool. It was not easy on those restarts. Really slow on the safety car, especially on the greens (alternates). We were picking up a lot of the rubber and that made it super slippery on those restarts. So I don’t blame anyone for making mistakes, overdoing it. I took it easy. Obviously, that cost me a couple of positions at a time. People were trying to gamble it, but when it goes wrong, it goes wrong. I was glad I kept it a little bit on the backend, and it mattered when it counted. Great race, great confidence boost for the Juncos Hollinger guys, girls back at the factory. Big thanks to them, and it’s gone really well this weekend.”

WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET

Finished: 7th

“We (Colton Herta) banged all the way in, and I went up the inside, and I had as much luck as I could. I feel bad that it ruined his day, but I thought he was for sure he knew I was there. I was up his inside, and I just understeered. It wasn’t like just a big divebomb. I was here, and he kind of hung on the outside. I hate to ruin anyone’s day, I do. I hate that. I like to race these guys clean, and he races me clean, so I feel really bad. He ended up out, and I was able to keep going. Still a very good day for us. I’m really happy to get the Verizon car in the top-10. A very hectic day.”

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 DEX IMAGING TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET

Finished: 13th

“Very sorry to Romain (Grosjean). He’s a friend of mine. I know we were both going for the win there. I just made a big mistake. I tried to push on cold tires. I just didn’t have the grip on the inside (on the primary) like I did on the greens (alternate). Locked the rears. Unfortunately, we made wheel contact that time and it took us both out. Look, I don’t race like that. I apologize. I feel I had plenty of good battles with many good drivers. I just got to thank my DEX Imaging Chevy crew. The DEX Imaging car was great. My fuel mileage was great. You have your good days, you have your bad days. I do apologize to Romain and I’ll go see him soon.”

CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET

Finished: 14th

“The race was playing out how we wanted. We got really lucky to avoid that first crash, which was one of the craziest things I have ever seen in my life. I felt strong, running with Rinus (VeeKay) and Josef (Newgarden). Then we just got taken out by Kyle Kirkwood. It was such a shame to get spun like that, but we hung on and kept fighting. The BITNILE.COM Chevrolet had good pace all day. On to the next one!”

JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET

Finished: 17th

“Pretty tough day. Just terrible ending. We had something mechanically break unfortunately on the engine side. Had a small fire. Tried to come to pit lane and shut it off, get it back to pit lane and get the fire out. It’s unfortunate because I think we were on for a top-five. I made a mistake on the last restart unfortunately with about 25 to go. We were restarting fifth and I went back to either eighth or ninth. I just got wide. I think for sure a top-10. We were capable of producing a good day which would have been a good start. Unfortunately, we just had to stop early. A real good job to the team. We had a really solid race. Everything was executed just beautifully as always. The Hitachi car felt racy. We made some moves there in the middle. I was proud of everybody. It was a good first race to work together; a lot of new people on the crew. Everyone performed incredibly; really good stops. So I feel really encouraged for the next round. We’ll just get back on it and get this thing tuned up and keep going.”

FELIX ROSENQVIST, NO. 6 ARROW MCLAREN CHEVROLET

Finished: 19th

”It was a tough day. We had such a good weekend, then that second corner I’m side by side with (Scott) Dixon and he didn’t see me in the mirror. The wall just appeared in front of me and I had nowhere to go, and that was it. It’s unfortunate. But we actually got back out there. The team did a hell of a job to put the car back together. I think we did 30 to 40 laps and got us up in P19. It’s not much, but it’s actually a lot considering we were back in the garage for half an hour. We’ll take it, put the rest in the trash, and move on.”

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 BITNILE ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET

Finished: 21st

“It’s so tricky out there. I am okay and I just hope that Jack Harvey will be okay, too. Josef (Newgarden) was a little on the inside and I was an inch into the marbles and you just run out of grip. We want to finish the first race of the year to be able to carry the momentum. I am really bummed for the guys and for BITNILE.COM. We had the pace and were doing very well. Time to focus on Texas next.”

SANTINO FERRUCCI, No. 14 SEXTON PROPERTIES AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET

Finished: 24th

“It’s one of those things where you have an accordion effect like that, there’s nothing you can really do unless you’re on a speedway where you have spotters where when everyone’s checking up, you’re relying on what you see in front of you. Everybody checked up, and I’m on the primary tire compared to everybody in front of me on the alternate. I just smoked brakes straight into the back of Helio (Castroneves). Funny enough, we were actually going to be okay coming to, because it was just a front wing, but when we came out of the corner, the way he spun or something happened, it hit my right rear and that’s kind of what killed our race. Just really upset for the boys. We’ve been working really hard and had a fantastic qualifying. Would love to log some laps, get some time on our dampers and our program, and see where we can improve from there.”

BENJAMIN PEDERSON, NO. 55 SEXTON PROPERTIES AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET

Finished: 27th

“Unfortunately, not the start for to my first INDYCAR race I was hoping for. Coming through Turn 1, everything was very textbook. We were looking pretty decent, to be honest, to make progress. Coming through Turn 3, I noticed some there was a little bit of your typical race flow traffic. As soon as I came through Turn 3, which is a blind corner, there was just a pile of cars. Cars were horizontal. Slammed on the brakes to do my best possible job to not be involved. Looked for a gap, but there were no gaps or holes to squeeze my car into. Unfortunately, I hit Devlin (DeFrancesco) straight on at a pretty high speed. It was definitely a big hit. I’m totally fine; got my hands off the wheel. Devasted for the team. I feel like we really didn’t get a chance today. We caught out, and honestly, the car felt really good in warm up. We were doing really well on fuel mileage. We definitely had a very good potential for the race. Can’t wait to get back to work with the whole team and go testing at Barber soon for another Rookie test. Honestly, I wish we could go tonight or tomorrow, and go testing already. We will have to wait a little bit, but very enthusiastic to get back to work and go racing again.”

3/5/23 – Alex Nieten) Sacramento, CA… Less than two weeks remain before the NARC 410 Sprint Cars commence their 2023 campaign, and the 63rd season for the historic series promises to be another full of memorable moments.

The 2022 season brought us stories such as a back-to-back champion in the form of Dominic Scelzi, the prodigy that is Corey Day continuing to forge his path, the richest payday in NARC history claimed by Tyler Courtney, and many more. And the stars are aligning for 2023 to deliver even more important pages of the west coast racing history books.

The schedule will take the tour to 24 races at 15 tracks in three states beginning with Silver Dollar Speedway’s Mini Gold Cup on March 18th and concluding with Stockton Dirt Track’s Tribute to GP on November 5th.

Highlights of the calendar include the $10,000 to win Anthony Simone Classic (April 8th), the $8,300 to win Dennis Roth Classic (April 14-15th), the first trip to Antioch Speedway (April 29th) since 2017, $11,000 to win Peter Murphy Classic (May 12th-13th), Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial (June 3rd) another Pacific Northwest trip culminating in the $62,000 to win Dirt Cup (June 22nd-24th), $6,900 to win Howard Kaeding Classic (July 15th), and more.

As the schedule unfolds so will a variety of storylines to watch throughout 2023.

Can Scelzi Three-Peat?

A three-peat has been accomplished by only two drivers in NARC’s more than six decades of competition, and Dominic Scelzi will have the opportunity to become just the third as 2023 gets underway.

Bill Sullivan was the first to claim three consecutive championships when he did so from 1964 to 1966. Unsurprisingly, the lone other occupant of this exclusive list is the series’ winningest all-time driver, Brent Kaeding. BK strung together a whopping nine straight titles beginning in 1993 and concluding in 2001.

Scelzi has been astonishingly consistent during his two championship campaigns. In his 42 series starts over the past two seasons, the Fresno native has posted 10 wins, bagged 26 podiums, and logged a 5.2 average finish. The 25-year-old is the only driver since the turn of the century to earn at least 13 podiums in two straight NARC seasons.

One roster adjustment to the Scelzi Motorsports crew that aligns with “The Dominator’s” elevated performance is the addition of Jimmy Carr. The legendary crew chief came aboard in 2020, and he’s helped make the No. 41 one of the fastest machines on the west coast. Carr will be back in 2023 as he looks to help Scelzi make history.

Bud’s Back for More

Last year Bud Kaeding finished on the NARC points podium for the seventh time in the last eight seasons, and he’s planning to return with hopes of another consistent season.

The pilot of the iconic BK Racing No. 69 is pursuing his second championship after claiming the 2017 title driving for Morrie Williams.

The 2022 campaign proved to be a solid one for the Campbell native as he collected 14 top-10s on his way to a third-place effort in the standings. However, Kaeding will look to finish a little closer to the front in 2023 as his top-five tally was a little less than normal with three.

Cox Returns

For the first time since his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2016, Justyn Cox will be chasing a NARC title.

During that season seven years ago, Cox collected 13 top-10s in 19 races on his way to a third-place effort in the points. That year he was driving for his family team, and in 2023 he’ll be behind the wheel of the Bates-Hamilton Racing No. 42X.

Cox is familiar with the BHR crew. The Clarksburg native filled in for an injured Tim Kaeding back in 2018 to help them secure the Sprint Car Challenge Tour owner’s title, and the pairing nearly won Trophy Cup that year.

They reunited in the second half of 2022 following the team parting ways with Kaeding. After some impressive results including Cox’s personal best finish with NARC of second at Keller Auto Speedway, they decided to team up for this year with their sights on a NARC championship.

Sophomore Year Ahead for Mittry

After a successful debut season with NARC that resulted in claiming the 2022 Rookie of the Year honors, Max Mittry is returning for his sophomore campaign.

Last year Mittry planned to run only select NARC events, but some early impressive results motivated him to take on the full campaign. The Redding native ended up earning a solid seven top-10s with a best effort of sixth in May at the Peter Murphy Classic finale. He also claimed quick time honors in just his second series appearance in April at Silver Dollar Speedway.

The 17-year-old will be back aboard the Mittry Racing No. 2XM owned by his father, Demo Mittry.

Bloomfield’s Big Year

At just 16 years of age, Dylan Bloomfield is planning on running a hefty slate of more than 70 races this year, and the centerpiece will be his first full NARC campaign.

The teenager will be aboard the familiar Dave and Debbie Vertullo-owned No. 83V. Bloomfield took over driving duties of the Vertullo Motorsports machine late last year, and after some encouraging results Bloomfield was tabbed the team’s full-time driver for 2023.

The young talent out of Discovery Bay made nine NARC feature appearances last year with the final six of those being aboard the Vertullo car. Bloomfield picked up a pair of top-10s in 2022 including a ninth-place effort in just his third career series start at Stockton in August. His best series finish is currently an eighth at Keller Auto Speedway, which he earned last October.

The Vertullo ride is known for helping cultivate some of sprint car racing’s best talent, and Bloomfield hopes to be the next on the list of drivers who’ve made a mark behind the wheel.

Third Time’s a Charm for Aton?

After his strong 2021 Rookie of the Year campaign, Billy Aton went into 2022 with high hopes, but he unfortunately ran into somewhat of a sophomore slump.

Wild Bill’s numbers dipped a little last season, but 2023 signals a fresh start and a chance to return to 2021 form when he impressed at a variety of tracks during his first full NARC campaign.

The Benicia native will return to the seat of his family-owned No. 26 for his junior year on the tour.

Plenty More

On top of the drivers who’ve already committed, there are plenty of other talented California gassers who may partake in the entire 24-race campaign or a majority of it.

Justin Sanders has won seven NARC features in the last two years, and he plans to tackle as many races as he can in 2023. The Aromas racer will again be teammates with Max Mittry as he pilots a Mittry Racing 2X machine.

Perhaps the nation’s most promising young talent, Corey Day, intends to compete in a majority of the NARC schedule aboard the Jason Meyers Racing No. 14. In just 27 career series starts, the Clovis phenom has already visited victory lane on six occasions.  The team is geared up to run the duration of the schedule.

One of the most consistent NARC forces throughout the years, Shane Golobic, promises to be a contender at every race he signs in for. The Fremont native owns podiums in roughly one-third of his career NARC feature starts and also boasts 14 victories.

A car to watch will be the famed Tarlton Motorsports No. 21. They plan to run as much of the NARC campaign as possible with a variety of drivers. The only person currently confirmed for some seat-time in the all-black machine is Cole Macedo as he’ll make a return to his roots with plenty of starts with Tarlton on his 2023 calendar.

Following his personal-best second-place effort in the 2022 NARC standings, Willie Croft is scaling back slightly in 2023, but he still has plenty of NARC action on his schedule. The Colfax driver is currently sitting one win away from double-digit series victories.

Three-time series champion, Jonathan Allard, intends to run a handful of NARC shows in 2023. Last year he reunited with the Williams Motorsports crew, and they combination plan to attend select events again this year.

Many more regular faces in the NARC pit area over the years are sure to make many appearances including D.J. Netto, Colby Copeland, Joel Myers Jr., Chase Johnson, Mitchell Faccinto, Andy Forsberg, Tanner and Blake Carrick, and more. Expect to see Pacific Northwest locals take on California’s best when the series heads north like Trey Starks, Tanner Holmes, Tyler Thompson, Logan Forler and others.

Let’s Go Racing

The schedule is set. The drivers are ready after the off-season. The only thing left to do is throw the green flag on the 2023 NARC 410 Sprint Car campaign and see what happens as the pursuit for the next NARC champion unfolds.

Check out the full NARC schedule at https://narc410.com/schedule/.

If you can’t make it to the track, tune into FloRacing to watch the west coast’s best drivers in 2023.

Sent on behalf of Royal Enfield Milwaukee, WI (Tuesday, February 21, 2023) – Johnny Lewis and the MotoAnatomy Powered by Royal Enfield team are prepared to take on the 2023 Progressive American Flat Track championship. For Lewis, this marks his fourth year of competition with Royal Enfield, and the 2023 season marks another step forward as the MotoAnatomy team will now field a full-time two-man team in the premiere class, adding Ryan Wells to the roster. Johnny Lewis and the MotoAnatomy team have made great strides in Progressive American Flat Track, introducing the Royal Enfield INT650 motorcycle into the world of competition. After spending several seasons in the Mission Production Twins class developing the Royal Enfield Twins FT motorcycle, Lewis carded multiple podium finishes in the last two seasons, including a historic win at the Lima Half-Mile in 2021—a first-ever feat for Royal Enfield. Lewis is now confident that the Twins FT has the potential to be a serious contender in all formats of Progressive AFT racing: Short Track, Half-Mile, TT, and even the formidable Mile. Lewis and crew are ready to jump into the busy 18-round Progressive AFT Championship. “This is going to be another historic season for Royal Enfield in American Flat Track,” said Johnny Lewis. “The Twins FT motorcycle is something we’ve spent a long time developing, and we’re now at a point where we have the confidence to go all in. We’re thrilled to bring on a second rider, as well. Ryan Wells is already a great addition to the MotoAnatomy team. We’re looking forward to kicking off the season at the Daytona Short Track.” Ryan Wells is a force in Progressive AFT competition, and the 2016 Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champion ranks among the Singles’ class all-time winningest riders. The 2007 AMA Youth Dirt Tracker of the Year has been winning pro-level races for over a decade, and now brings his flat track expertise to Royal Enfield. “Words can’t express my excitement to join the MotoAnatomy Powered by Royal Enfield team for 2023,” said Ryan Wells. “Finally rejoining the Mission SuperTwins class full time is long overdue for my personal goals and I’m glad it’s finally coming to fruition. Being able to work alongside Johnny Lewis, someone I’ve looked up to for so long, is really the icing on the cake. I thrive off of positivity and people chasing the same goals and Johnny and I really click in those ways. I’m very excited to get the ball rolling.” The expanded Royal Enfield racing team will make its 2023 racing debut at the Progressive AFT season opener at Daytona Bike Week in Florida. Look for Johnny Lewis (#10) and Ryan Wells (#94) at the Daytona Short Track Doubleheader on Thursday, March 9, and Friday, March 10. Lewis, Wells and the MotoAnatomy Powered by Royal Enfield team will be joined at select rounds by the Royal Enfield BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. (BTR) program. The women of BTR will be contesting a schedule of four rounds within the Progressive American Flat Track schedule, starting with the Mission Dallas Half-Mile on April 22. For more info visit BuildTrainRace.com. 2023 Progressive American Flat Track Racing Schedule March 9 (Rnd 1) Daytona Short Track I – Daytona Beach, FLMarch 10 (Rnd 2) Daytona Short Track II – Daytona Beach, FLMarch 25 (Rnd 3) Yamaha Senoia Short Track – Senoia, GAApril 1 (Rnd 4) Arizona Super TT – Chandler, AZApril 22 (Rnd 5/ BTR Rnd 1) Mission Dallas Half-Mile – Mesquite, TXMay 6 (Rnd 6/ BTR Rnd 2) Ventura Short Track – Ventura, CAMay 13 (Rnd 7) Mission Sacramento Mile – Sacramento, CAMay 27 (Rnd 8) Red Mile – Lexington, KYJun 17 (Rnd 9) DuQuoin Mile – Du Quoin, ILJun 24 (Rnd 10) Mission Lima Half-Mile – Lima, OHJuly 1 (Rnd 11/ BTR Rnd 3) West Virginia Half Mile – Mineral Wells, WVJuly 8 (Rnd 12) Orange County Half-Mile – Middletown, NYJuly 22 (Rnd 13/ BTR Rnd 4) Bridgeport Half Mile, Swedesboro, NJJuly 30 (Rnd 14) SC2 Peoria TT – Peoria, ILAugust 6 (Rnd 15) Buffalo Chip TT – Sturgis, SDAugust 12 (Rnd 16) CertainTeed Castle Rock TT – Castle Rock, WASeptember 2 (Rnd 17) Mission Springfield Mile I – Springfield, ILSeptember 3 (Rnd 18) Mission Springfield Mile II – Springfield, IL For more on the 2023 Progressive American Flat Track Championship, visit AmericanFlatTrack.com.

Related: gordon tootoosis family, can a peregrine falcon kill a dog, geometry dash font texture pack, sharks in kanawha river, best places to live near the pentagon, nba players who became doctors, geraldine doogue grandchildren, kate kendrick pitbulls and parolees, mike barnicle nantucket house, busco trabajo turno noche de lunes a viernes, microsoft teams rooms solution sales professional certification, kittansett golf club initiation fee, bulkhead premium economy, aics thumbhole upgrade, david braley health sciences centre dermatology,Related: froedtert specialty clinics, boudoir photography virginia beach, swedish therapy services, oceanside ca obituaries 2021, mike heron accident, cassio college watford, american restaurants in wooster, ohio, who is the girl in the new alexa commercial, michael farmer, baron farmer wife, john najarian obituary, martina navratilova eye injury, lisa salters sorority, arcadia pa program hybrid, paid relocation jobs in texas, tommy brown mma oklahoma,Related: st lucie county setback requirements, david steiner obituary, tallapoosa county tax assessor, adirondack waterfront property for sale by owner, worst hawaiian island, who was robert crown illinois, saddlebrooke ranch bistro menu, commonwealth games tickets resale, burning sage bacteria duphaston, glock pin sizes, country gold saturday night playlist, funeral procession on 95 today 2022, maximum storage fees per day california, llantwit fardre church, patio homes for sale in baldwinsville, ny,Related: jerry kramer obituary, wp sitemap posts page 1.xml, washington funeral home hampton, south carolina obituaries, celebrities with klinefelter syndrome, claudia de colombia hijos, michelin star restaurants in quito, ecuador, joshua elliott obituary, what year was mia mastroianni born, matthew collins obituary, edinburgh evening news school photos, redmond real salt heavy metals, operazione ares rosarno, avondale chicago shooting, does medicaid pay for sylvan learning center, who can administer botox in illinois,Related: west virginia grouse hunting guides, fred astaire grandchildren, append changes to existing text sharepoint list view entries, holy spirit guides us verse, cyoptics high cpu usage, bc fishing regulations region 8, importance of theory of relativity in our daily life, cabinet ministers caste wise, priory group: benefits wage slips, stanton isd superintendent, auspicious days in august 2022, auditor po box 637 peoria, il 61652, nazi germany anthem, telecom engineer jobs remote, jessica walters brentwood tn obituary,Related: leslie hamilton freas covid, yorkshire grace before meals, what happened to savannah in secrets of sulphur springs, holland america zuiderdam balcony rooms, 1973 duke basketball roster, oklahoma city police scanner frequencies, 5 pillars of leadership army, whose child is nell on taskmaster, phantom forces unlock all guns script pastebin, ryan moreno charlotte, cz vz 58 sporter for sale, how to uninstall messenger on android, seveneves cleft, sba 1502 reporting error codes, javelin training camps,

Wilmington, Ohio (February 21, 2023) — Following a highly successful 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series campaign that saw second-year Top Fuel driver Josh Hart finish seventh in the world, R+L Carriers has extended their sponsorship of the Ocala, Florida-based driver and team for the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. The partnership will focus on the dynamic business-to-business relationships and marketing opportunities for R+L Carriers, one of the nation’s leaders in the freight-shipping industry. This marketing relationship will showcase the wide variety of business opportunities R+L Carriers provides their customers.

“We had an amazing season in 2022, racing across the country and speaking with thousands of fans about what a great company R+L Carriers is and the shipping opportunities available in a variety of areas,” said Hart. “The company’s family roots and customer service are excellent; they truly deliver. I trust R+L Carriers to transport my team and 11,000-horsepower race car to every race. I’ve met several hardworking drivers, dedicated support staff and everyone in between. Now’s the time to start shipping with one of the best freight transportation companies in America.”

Josh Hart and R+L Carriers Top Fuel

Last season, racing the full 22-race schedule for the first time, Hart raced to two final rounds, qualified for the NHRA Countdown playoffs and finished in the Top Ten, well ahead of other established teams. During his rookie campaign in 2021, Hart won the first event of his career, the historic NHRA Gatornationals, as well as a playoff race during the Carolina Nationals in September. Hart has established himself as a rising star in the NHRA and a championship contender for the 2023 Top Fuel world title.

To view Hart’s upcoming Top Fuel schedule, visit nhra.com/schedule/2023.

Kyle Busch to Drive the No. 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet at Auto Club Speedway  WELCOME, N.C. (February 20, 2023) – Lucas Oil, a long-time partner of both Richard Childress Racing and ECR Engines, will enhance their partnership with Richard Childress Racing in 2023, the three companies announced today. In addition to continued technical and development support, the official motor oil of ECR Engines will sponsor the No. 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet driven by Kyle Busch at Auto Club Speedway on Sunday, February 26, 2023. The race airs live at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.  “RCR and ECR share our passion for motorsports, from the grassroots to the highest levels of the sport,” said Brandon Bernstein, director of partnership marketing for Lucas Oil. “We’ve seen first-hand the benefits of our partnership, especially as it relates to technology transfer over to short track racers and everyday consumers. We’re proud to continue to commit our resources in R&D and production, and to highlight our premier oil performance with sponsorship of the No. 8 Chevrolet.”   Lucas Oil has served as the official lubricant of RCR and ECR Engines since 2014, and is the official motor oil of ECR Engines. RCR, ECR and Lucas Oil have gone to NASCAR Victory Lane together more than 20 times since the partnership began. “Lucas Oil’s market-leading products have long contributed to the incredible durability and on-track success of ECR’s engines in many forms of motorsports,” said Bob Fisher, senior vice president of ECR Engines. “We’re proud to be able to use our high-powered competition platform to showcase Lucas Oil’s key technologies and continue to win races and championships with their R&D support.” Through innovative product research and development, along with aggressive marketing programs, Lucas Oil has established itself as an industry leader, producing only the best line of lubricants and additives available anywhere.  “RCR and ECR have benefited from having a lubricants partner with strong roots in racing,” said Torrey Galida, president of RCR. “We’re incredibly thankful to Lucas for all of the resources and expertise they provide to give us a competitive on-track advantage.” For more information and all that is going on at RCR, visit rcrracing.com. About Lucas Oil:Founded in 1989 by Forrest and Charlotte Lucas, Lucas Oil Products was created with the simple philosophy of producing the best lubricants and additives available anywhere. Lucas Oil offers the most diversified range of innovative engine oil, gear oil and additive products refined by years of specialized research, development and testing. The company’s high performance engine oils and gear oils are widely recognized as best-in-class in the automotive, powersports, marine, industrial, outdoor, and motorsports marketplaces. In total, Lucas Oil boasts more than 300 premium products, representing the largest variety of shelf products of any oil company in the United States with a distribution network across 48 different countries.  Lucas Oil’s commitment to motorsports includes long standing support for high profile regional and national racing series, and the distribution of exclusive motorsports content from across the globe via MAVTV, a Lucas Oil owned and operated television network. The company also serves as the exclusive oil and lubricant partner of Monster Jam®, the Dallas Cowboys, the Indianapolis Colts and Lucas Oil Stadium. For more information please visit www.LucasOil.com. About Richard Childress Racing:Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) is a renowned, performance-driven racing, marketing and manufacturing organization. Incorporated in 1969, RCR has celebrated over 50 years of racing and earned more than 200 victories and 16 championships, including six in the NASCAR Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series and is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 (1998, 2007, 2018). Its 2023 NASCAR Cup Series lineup includes two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch (No. 8 Chevrolet) and 2017 Coca-Cola 600 winner and 2018 Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon (No. 3 Chevrolet). RCR fields a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series program with Sheldon Creed (No. 2 Chevrolet) and Austin Hill (No. 21 Chevrolet).