NASCAR CUP SERIES PHOENIX RACEWAY UNITED RENTALS WORK UNITED 500 TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES & QUOTES MARCH 12, 2023

BYRON DRIVES CHEVROLET TO FOURTH CONSECUTIVE WIN OF 2023 AT PHOENIXTeam Chevy Drivers Take Five Positions of Top-10

William Byron became the first repeat winner of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, powering his No. 24 Valvoline Camaro ZL1 to the win at Phoenix Raceway. ·       The win is Byron’s sixth victory in 184 career starts in NASCAR’S premier series.  ·       The win marked Byron’s first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Phoenix Raceway.  ·       Chevrolet has now won the first four NASCAR Cup Series points-paying races in 2023 with Byron becoming the series’ first repeat winner of the season.  ·       This marks the first time since 2001 that a single manufacturer has won the first four NASCAR Cup Series races in a season, which was last accomplished by Chevrolet.·       Byron’s victory marked Chevrolet’s 26th NASCAR Cup Series win at Phoenix Raceway, extending its series-leading record at the track.  ·       The winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history, Chevrolet now has 837 all-time NASCAR Cup Series victories.  WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1 – Race Winner QuotesOn the two-tire call from crew chief Rudy Fugle: “I owe the last couple of weeks to him. He’s done a really good job strategy-wise, and execution-wise we’ve done a good job to put ourselves in those positions on the front row with a shot at the end. Thanks to everybody back at Hendrick Motorsports putting together great cars and just doing a great job. It’s a big credit to them, the engine shop, Mr. (Rick) Hendrick and everybody. It’s cool to have Valvoline back on the car with a really historic-looking paint scheme, so it’s nice to get into Victory Lane.” More on the win: “Thanks to Valvoline and all the sponsors we have. It’s a great day for us. We weren’t the best car at times. We were really good at the beginning, and it was nice to see it come back our way. It definitely was a top-four car. Rudy made a great decision there and a great pit stop. Execution… that’s what we’ve been good at.” Importance of late pit stops the last two weeks and get on the front row for restarts: “It’s big. You’ve got to have a chance there on the front row to really have clean air on your nose and make the right moves. We were able to get on the front row there and stay on the outside of Kyle the second time and have a good enough restart. Those green-white-checkers, you can either wreck or win. We’ve been on the good side of them for a couple of weeks.” Momentum of two wins in a row: “It’s great. This team has been working really hard. We didn’t want to stop last week, and we just wanted to keep it going. We have more work to do but hopefully this week is a little bit calmer and we can relax a little bit.”

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER1st      WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL14th      KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL18th      KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 CHEDDAR’S SCRATCH KITCHEN CAMARO ZL19th      ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY BEST FRIENDS CAMARO ZL110th    JOSH BERRY, NO. 9 KELLEY BLUE BOOK CAMARO ZL1   TOP-FIVE UNOFFICIAL RESULTS: POS.  DRIVER1st      William Byron (Chevrolet)2nd      Ryan Blaney (Ford)3rd      Tyler Reddick (Toyota)4th      Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)5th      Kevin Harvick (Ford) The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Atlanta Motor Speedway with the Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday, March 19, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1Finished: 4th“We got lucky with the one caution, and the team made a great call to take two tires and get us out in the lead. Restarts are just tough. I felt like I ran William up pretty high and expected him to lose some grip, but he did a really good job of holding it to my outside and clearing me down the back. Yeah I’m pissed off but a great fight by the team, a great car and way better than we were here last year. It’s a long season, but hopefully we’re in the final four when we come back here in November and can have a run similar to that with speed and try to execute a little bit better in the end.” More on the late restart: “I thought I drove in far enough to at least that if he chased me in I thought he would get too high and into the marbles. I think that top lane just got a little bit better the last 50 laps or so. I didn’t run in far enough and ended up getting beat. It’s a bummer, but William again executed the last two races a little bit better than I did. Congrats to him and their team. We’ll try to keep these good runs up.” Josh Berry, No. 9 Kelley Blue Book Camaro ZL1 Finished: 10thHow are you feeling after today? “It was a really solid day for the No. 9 Kelley Blue Book Chevy team. We were able to improve a lot from what we had last week. We were able to stay on the lead lap basically the whole race. We had a couple of runs in there that were really good. A couple runs where we fell back a little bit, but it’s just all part of a learning experience for me. These races are so long and I need to be able to learn this car a little bit better where I can give Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) a little bit better direction on how to help me. Towards the end, we found that we were a little bit on the free side of our better runs. At the end there, we were probably going to finish 15th or 16th, which I was still pretty happy with. Obviously had the cautions there and we executed a couple of really good restarts there and was able to get a top-10.” Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Best Friends Camaro ZL1Finished: 9th “It’s been since 2016 I think since we’ve finished in the top-10 here, so happy for that. I have to figure out how to get better here. Obviously I think our car is stronger than that when you look at our teammates. Fundamentally, I have something messed up. Just have to keep working on it, but proud of my No. 48 Ally Best Friends Chevy team. Good points day.”

TEAM CHEVY RACE HIGHLIGHTS:  Stage One·       Kyle Larson (No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1) topped the charts in both the NASCAR Cup Series’ practice and qualifying sessions, leading the field to the green from the pole position for the first time this season. ·       The 60-lap Stage One went caution-free with William Byron (No. 24 Valvoline Camaro ZL1) leading the field to the checkered flag to take his third stage win of the season. ·       Hendrick Motorsports teammates Byron and Larson led every lap of Stage One (Byron – 59 laps; Larson – one lap). ·       Four Chevrolet drivers scored stage points with top-10 finishes in Stage One: 1st     William Byron, No. 24 Valvoline Camaro ZL12nd    Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL17th     Ross Chastain, No. 1 Kubota Camaro ZL110th   Kyle Busch, No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Camaro ZL1 Stage Two·       Stage Two only saw one caution with green-flag pit stops playing a crucial role in track position during the duration of the stage. ·       After leading 120 of the 125 laps in the stage, Larson powered his No. 5 HendrickCars.comCamaro ZL1 to the Stage Two win, marking his first stage win of the season. ·       Chevrolet drivers have now taken seven of the eight stage wins thus far this season: (Chastain – three; Byron – three; Larson – one). ·       At the conclusion of the stage, Chevrolet drivers had led 184 of the 185 laps, recorded by three different drivers (Larson – 121 laps; Byron – 62 laps; Chastain – one lap). ·       With a round of pit stops taking place at the conclusion of Stage Two, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 pit crew got Larson off pit road first to give the team a front-row starting spot for the start of the final stage. ·       Team Chevy Stage Two: Top-101st      Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL12nd     William Byron, No. 24 Valvoline Camaro ZL19th      Ross Chastain, No. 1 Kubota Camaro ZL1

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 12, 2023) – Starting Sunday in the quarterfinals, Joe Welch and his Joe Welch Racing Dodge Drag Pak picked up the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown victory at the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway taking down Chevrolet COPO Camaros and Ford Mustang Cobra Jets along the way. 

Welch would take the final round win from No. 1 qualifier Aaron Stanfield and his Janac Brothers Chevrolet COPO Camaro. Welch ran a 7.638-second pass at a Factory Stock Showdown speed record of 185.18 mph to defeat Stanfield’s 8.308 at 134.70 after he shut off early.  

Joe Welch, Gatornationals winner, photo credit Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“I get to the finals so few times, you have to give it all you got. I am usually a little nervous, but not really too bad. I couldn’t explain why my car started darting around today but the guys figured it out. That last run it was straight as an arrow,” said Welch who has been to the finals three times in his career and picked up victories each time. “Aaron’s a good friend of mine and a great competitor. I knew that he’s good. I just knew I had to give him my best. The chips were going to fall where they may and this time the win light came on for me.”

In an exciting side-by-side drag race to start the day, Welch would drive around Jesse Alexandra for his bid into the semifinals. Alexandra would leave the starting line first but end up crossing the finish line at 7.769 seconds at 177.44 mph falling short to Welch’s 7.623 at 184.35. Welch would go on to face David H. Davies in the semifinals. Welch would have a squirrelly ride but be able to hold on for a 7.708-second run at 170.62 mph to beat Davies’ 7.760 second pass at 178.59. 

Joe Welch, Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Gatornationals winner, photo credit Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

Stanfield made his way to the finals by first picking up his third elimination victory of the weekend when he defeated AJ Berge in the quarterfinals. Stanfield would lay down a 7.736-second pass at 177.42 mph to defeat Berge’s 7.847 at 177.49. The victory gave Stanfield a bye into the final round, he’d take the Janac Brothers COPO to a 7.755 at 177.32 before coming up short in the finals. 

In addition to picking up the win and setting the speed record, Welch also won $1,000 for beating Stanfield thanks to the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Bounty Program. Welch now has the $1,000 bounty on his back heading into the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway, April 28-30. 

“I am going to pay for my fuel which will be great. Golf great Greg Norman has a quote that I have always kept in the back of my head. ‘I would rather be the hunted than the hunter.’ I agree with that,” Welch said. “You know you are going to be at your best when your competitors give it their best. If you’re a real competitor, you want to win when they give it their best, and I agree with that.” 

Flexjet Bounty Program

Gatornationals (Gainesville, FL)

A $1,000 bounty collected by Joe Welch, defeated Aaron Stanfield (Dallas winner)

2023 Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Results

Gainesville – Joe Welch, winner; Aaron Stanfield, runner-up

Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Top Ten Points Standings:

1.       Joseph Welch         134

2.       Aaron Stanfield       128

3.       David Davies III      92

4.       AJ Berge                73

5.       Jesse Alexandra      72

5.       Doug Hamp            72

7.       David Barton           56

8.       Anthony Troyer       55

9.       Ricky Hord              51

10.     David Janac            50

10.     Del Holbrook           50

10.     Scott Libersher        50

GAINESVILLE, FL (March 12, 2023) —- The start of her sophomore season on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series tour was a mix of emotions for Camrie Caruso, the 2022 NHRA Rookie of the Year. Driving the Right Trailers Chevrolet Camaro in her second NHRA Gatornationals, the young driver from Mooresville, North Carolina, was looking to get her season off to a strong start with her new KB Titan Racing team and teammates. Right off the trailer on Friday Caruso rocketed to the provisional No. 1 spot after the first qualifying session earning three valuable qualifying bonus points and putting her Chevrolet Camaro at the back of the pack for the second session. Caruso made another solid run and ended Friday as the No. 2 provisional qualifier.

Camrie Caruso and Right Trailers Chevrolet Camaro, photo credit SR Driven Media

On Saturday two more passes were added to the run sheet and Caruso made her quickest run of the weekend in the final session, a 6.547 second pass at 211.33 mph to head into race day against teammate Dallas Glenn. In the opening round on Sunday, it was a battle between the two most recent Rookies of the Year and Caruso knew she needed to make a strong move off the starting line. When the Christmas Tree flashed Caruso hammered the gas cutting a nearly perfect .005 to get the jump on Glenn. Unfortunately, her Right Trailers Chevrolet Camaro was not able to keep up with Glenn’s RAD Torque Systems Camaro as she was forced to push in her clutch midway down the track.

“The car set up is great and I’m more comfortable than I was last year,” said Caruso. “The experience I got last year also really helps. We came off the trailer with a really good run. In the first round I knew I had to get off the line first. That .005 gives me a lot of confidence and I can’t wait to get to the Arizona Nationals. We have a good race car and I’m just thankful and excited for the season. There are still a few things we are still working on. I can’t thank this KB Titan Racing team enough.”

The Gatornationals week was more than the race as Caruso joined the NHRA Fanfest on Wednesday night signing autographs for an estimated crowd of 5,000 race fans followed by a tequila tasting event at Hotel ELEO  with sponsor Tequila Comisario on Thursday night. 

“We packed a lot into our time in Florida,” said Caruso. “I raced the Baby Gators last weekend in Top Dragster and then we tested. I loved the FanFest on Wednesday and the Tequila Comisario tasting event at Hotel ELEO was amazing. Hotel ELEO is beautiful and I can’t wait to come back. I met so many fans throughout the week and this weekend it was great. I can’t wait to get to Arizona and turn on some win lights.”

Caruso will be back on track at the NHRA Arizona Nationals, the site of her first ever round win. The event will kick-off on Friday, March 24 and will be broadcast on FS1 throughout the weekend.

Qualifying Results

Q1: 6.551 sec, 209.48 mph; Qual. 1

Q2: 6.560 sec, 210.14 mph; Qual. 2

Q3: 7.013 sec, 150.21 mph; Qual 10

Q4: 6.547 sec, 211.33 mph; Qual 12

Bonus Points:  +3 (Quickest of Q1)

Race Results

First Round

Dallas Glenn, Mooresville, NC, RAD Torque Converters Chevrolet Camaro, (.027) 6.529, 210.47 mph def.  Camrie Caruso, Mooresville, NC, Right Trailers Chevrolet Camaro, (.005) 8.169, 119.79 mph 

Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Ten – Pro Stock

1.         Troy Coughlin Jr          121

2.         Mason McGaha          97

2.         Dallas Glenn               77

4.         Greg Anderson           76

5.         Kyle Koretsky              54

6.         Deric Kramer               53

7.         Matt Hartford             51

7.         Jerry Tucker                51

9.         Erica Enders                42

10.       Bo Butner                   36

10.       Aaron Stanfield          36

12.       Camrie Caruso           35

Starting Line Advantages Were Key To Early Success For Elite Motorsports Team

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 12, 2023) – Troy Coughlin Jr. raced his Elite Motorsports JEGS.com Camaro to the first Pro Stock win of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series today at the 54th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. This is the third Pro Stock win of the talented driver’s career and the first time he’s won an event with his grandfather, Jeg Coughlin Sr., and his father, Troy Coughlin Sr., in attendance. Coughlin kicked off race day from the pole position with the fastest and quickest pass of his career when he laid down a stunning run of 6.515-seconds at 212.29 mph. Matching his elapsed time was his teammate and five-time world champion Erica Enders who landed in the No. 2 spot based on mph. Cristian Cuadra achieved a new personal best elapsed time during qualifying with his pass of 6.527 at 211.06. “To win with my grandfather here today is pretty surreal,” said Coughlin. “He’s the man who pretty much started it all for us as far as drag racing goes. And he’s built an iconic brand. It’s just fun. This morning I was thinking, ‘The chief’s coming today.’ And it fired me up. It’s an honor to have him here.” A malfunction with Enders’ car gave her rookie teammate Jerry Tucker the first-round win of his Pro Stock career and Coughlin outpaced Pro Stock legend, Larry Morgan. Tucker and Coughlin were the only two Elite Motorsports drivers to advance past the first round.  In the quarterfinals, Tucker left a tick too early against veteran Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson. Coughlin got the starting line advantage over Deric Kramer and held on to that lead for the round win. In the semifinals, Coughlin defeated Dallas Glenn on a holeshot thanks to another great light. In the final heat of the day, Coughlin powered his Elite Motorsports machine into the winners circle against Pro Stock up-and-comer Mason McGaha. In the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports, Mason Wright qualified No. 10 in a stacked category with a fantastic run of 5.828 at 245.49. He cut a solid light in the first round of eliminations against Doug Winters but it did not prove to be enough to turn on the win light. The Elite Motorsports team will head to Phoenix in two weeks for the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Motorsports Park, March 24-26.  ***

Photos

Troy Coughlin Jr. powered his way to a No. 1 qualifier and event win at the 2023 Gatornationals in his JEGS.com Camaro. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)

Rookie driver Jerry Tucker made a standout performance at the first event of his Pro Stock career. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)

Erica Enders qualified No. 2 in a stacked Pro Stock category at the NHRA Gatornationals. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)

Bo Butner lays down a smokey burnout in his JHG Camaro in Gainesville. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)

Cristian Cuadra achieved a new personal best elapsed time at the NHRA Gatornationals in his Corral Boots Mustang. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)

Fernando Cuadra Sr. debuted a new look for his Corral Boots Mustang this season. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)

Aaron Stanfield launches his Janac Brothers / JC3 Energy Camaro at Gainesville Raceway. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)

Fernando Cuadra Jr. has a new look for his Corral Boots Mustang this season. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)

GAINESVILLE, FL (March 12, 2023) — The 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series started today in earnest at the 54th NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. For championship contending team Justin Ashley and the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by National Debt Relief the take-aways from the first weekend might not be reflected on the points sheet. The 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year made three qualifying runs with two passes on Saturday moving Ashley up in the 16-car field. Ashley rolled into race day as the No. 9 qualifier and a match-up with Mike Salinas.

Justin Ashley in Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by National Debt Relief, photo credit Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

In the opening round Ashley got the jump off the starting line with a .038 to .087 reaction time advantage and his Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by National Debt Relief was side-by-side with Salinas as they raced towards the finish line. As the 12,000-horsepower Top Fuelers charged towards the finish line Salinas was able to pull away and get out in front of Ashley’s 3.754 second, 330.88 mph run. Ashley’s day was over, but the event was not a total loss for the team that finished No. 4 in the world last season.

“We have a championship team”, said Ashley. “We expect to win. But this is racing. Although we didn’t accomplish our goal this weekend, we have a lot of data and information that we can take and apply moving forward. It’s a long season with plenty of opportunities. I have the utmost confidence in our team and look forward to getting back behind the wheel in Phoenix.” 

This was the first race with National Debt Relief on Ashley’s Top Fuel dragster and the new addition has Ashley excited for the future both on and off the track. Adding another major corporation to the team’s marketing arsenal along with Phillips Connect, Toyota, Lucas Oil, Mac Tools and KATO Fastening Systems gives the fourth-year team owner and driver confidence and a level of stability.

Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by National Debt Relief, photo credit Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“Phillips Connect is the reason we are in the position we are today,” said Ashley. “I have so much gratitude for their dedication, support and commitment to the success of this program both on and off the racetrack. Now, to have the honor of representing National Debt Relief, one of the largest debt relief companies in the country, is truly humbling. I love working with those who are in the business of helping others and that is exactly what they do. I am grateful for the opportunity to represent National Debt Relief and so many of our great partners.” 

To be able to bring in National Debt Relief and start working with one of the largest debt relief companies in the country, who’s helped hundreds of thousands of people is really something that I’m privileged to be a part of. I’m just happy that I can be a resource to people out there who need help.”

The next event on the schedule will be the NHRA Arizona Nationals, which is slated to host its final NHRA national event the weekend of March 24-26. 

Qualifying Results

Q1: 6.166 sec, 100.15 mph; Qual. 14

Q2: 3.870 sec; 299.06 mph; Qual. 13

Q3: 3.768 sec; 328.94 mph; Qual. 9

Bonus Points: 0

Race Results

First Round

Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Scrappers Racing dragster, (.087) 3.669, 334.82 mph def.  Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by National Debt Relief, (.038) 3.754, 300.88 mph

Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Ten – Top Fuel

1.         Mike Salinas               115

2.         Steve Torrence           99

3.         Doug Kalitta                79

4.         Leah Pruett                 77

5.         Brittany Force             67

6.         Antron Brown             54

7.         Austin Prock                52

7.         Tony Schumacher       52

9.         Clay Millican               34

10.       Josh Hart                     33

11.       Justin Ashley              32

GAINESVILLE, FL (March 12, 2023) — Yesterday Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster took home the $80,000 top prize as the Pep Boys Top Fuel Allstar Callout specialty race winner. During his post-event press conference, the 2021 Gatornationals winner talked about how humbling the sport of drag racing can be. Through two days of qualifying Hart steadily improved entering race day as the No. 7 qualifier on the strength of his Allstar Callout winning pass which was also his final qualifying run of 3.748 seconds at 331.53 mph. In the first round Hart drew five-time Gatornationals winner Tony Schumacher.

R+L Carriers Top Fuel Dragster, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

The R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster team and Hart were looking for their fourth consecutive winlight of the weekend in the first round of race day. Crew chief Ron Douglas continued his tradition of starting the race as the first pair of Top Fuel dragsters and on a track with the best conditions of the weekend the team was ready to keep their winning streak alive at Gainesville Raceway. 

Hart’s team made their quickest run of the weekend flying down the right lane in 3.693 seconds at 335.40 mph, both career best marks. Unfortunately, Schumacher was off the starting line first getting his 12,000-horsepower dragster out in front and holding off a charging Hart at the finish line. For Hart, the two-time national event winner, and Pep Boys Allstar Callout champion the Arizona Nationals in two weeks will be his next chance to pick up his first win of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.

Josh Hart Pep Boys All Star Callout winner, photo credit Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“I said it yesterday about how humbling this sport can be. I was at the top of the mountain yesterday and today I didn’t do my job,” said Hart. “Ron and the guys gave me an amazing race car and I didn’t take advantage of the opportunity. This will only motivate me and I wish the Arizona Nationals started tomorrow. We won the Pep Boys Callout and now we will start focusing on the Camping World Top Fuel world championship. There are a lot of races left in the season.”

After the first race of the season Hart will head to the second race in tenth place in the Top Fuel Camping World points. The NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wildhorse Park Motorsports Park will begin on March 24 affording Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster their next chance to hit the track. 

Qualifying Results

Q1: 3.783 sec, 310.84 mph; Qual. 8

Q2: 3.765 sec, 331.77 mph; Qual. 8

Q3: 3.748 sec, 331.53 mph; Qual. 7

Bonus Points: 

Race Results

First Round

Tony Schumacher, Austin Tex., SCAG dragster, (.048) 3.722, 322.02 mph def. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers dragster, (.105) 3.693, 335.40 mph

Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Ten – Top Fuel

1.         Mike Salinas               115

2.         Steve Torrence           99

3.         Doug Kalitta                79

4.         Leah Pruett                 77

5.         Brittany Force             67

6.         Antron Brown             54

7.         Austin Prock                52

7.         Tony Schumacher       52

9.         Clay Millican               34

10.       Josh Hart                    33

CHEVROLET IN NHRA AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA TEAM CHEVY RACE REPORT March 12, 2023 TEAM CHEVY CAPTURES PRO STOCK WALLY AT TRICKY GATORNATIONALS GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA (March 12, 2023) – The season-opening AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at the legendary Gainesville Raceway proved tricky for many Team Chevy drivers. However, Elite Motorsports’ Troy Coughlin, Jr., driving his JEGS.com/ElitePerformance Chevrolet Camaro SS, came through the day with clean runs and raced to his third Pro Stock victory in his eighth final round. “We’re feeling great,” said Coughlin, Jr. “The whole team and everybody at Elite is working so hard. You can tell the guys in the engine shop and dyno room worked really hard over winter. Everybody at Elite has worked extremely hard between grooming the cars and having everything ready to go. We have eight cars fielded. It’s a lot of work, and there’s a lot of new faces on our team, and everybody’s tremendously got everything running extremely well. We’re lucky to have wonderful partners and wonderful people here, and we’re excited to start our 2023 season.” For the John Force Racing foursome, Round 2 proved tough. Both Austin Prock (Top Fuel) and Robert Hight (Funny Car) faced mechanical issues, leading to being shut off on the starting line. Brittany Force (Top Fuel) fell to competitor Mike Salinas in a tight race to the finish, while John Force (Funny Car) lost to Chad Green. “Coming into the first race of the season this Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team struggled a little bit,” noted Brittany Force. “We got a chance to play in the All-Star Callout and made it to the semis where we were taken out. We qualified well. We ran a .69 which is really awesome for us. We made a handful of good runs. On race day we got beat in the second round. We just didn’t push the car enough. We ran a 3.75, and Salinas had a 3.69. This weekend wasn’t for us. That round wasn’t for us. We pack up and we move straight to Phoenix, and we’ll try it again there.” The FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown saw Aaron Stanfield racing in to the finals, but falling to Joseph Welch. Factory Stock is back in action next April 28-30, at the 13th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at ZMax Dragway in Charlotte. Up next for the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series is the NHRA Arizona Nationals Friday, March 24-26, 2023, at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. Broadcast of Sunday’s eliminations will air live at 7 p.m. ET on FS1. ROUND 1 RECAPTop Fuel:No. 12 Austin Prock defeated No. 5 Clay Millican with a run of 3.706 ET at 331.53 MPH.No. 1 Brittany Force defeated No. 16 Keith Murt with a run of 3.692 ET at 333.99 MPH.Funny Car:No. 2 John Force defeated No. 15 Dave Richards on a solo run after Richards faced a mechanical issue on the line.No. 3 Robert Hight defeated No. 14 John Smith with a run of 3.843 ET 334.98 MPH, at the time setting a new low ET of the event.Pro Stock:No. 8 Bo Butner III defeated No. 9 Deric Kramer with a run of 6.577 ET at 210.44 MPH.No. 10 Greg Anderson defeated No. 7 Christian Cuadra with a run of 6.575 ET at 209.10 MPH.No. 6 Kyle Koretsky defeated No. 11 Chris McGaha with a run of 6.533 ET at 209.82 MPH.No. 3 Mason McGaha defeated No. 14 Fernando Cuadra with a run of 6.654 ET at 210.21 MPH.No. 12 Camrie Caruso defeated KB Titan Racing teammate No. 5 Dallas Glennwith a run of 6.529 ET at 210.47 MPH.No. 15 Jerry Tucker defeated No. 2 Erica Enders on a solo run after Enders’ Elite Motorsports car failed to start on the starting line.No. 1 Troy Coughlin Jr. defeated No. 16 Larry Morgan with a run of 6.560 ET at 211.26 MPH. ROUND 2 RECAPTop Fuel:Prock was defeated by Leah Pruett after facing a throttle stop issue on the starting line.B. Force was defeated by Mike Salinas in a close race at the finish line.Funny Car:Hight faced a mechanical issue on the start, losing to J.R. Todd in Round 2.J. Force defeated by Chad Green at the finish line in a close race. Pro Stock:Anderson defeated Tucker with a win of 6.625 ET at 208.65 MPH.Coughlin, Jr. defeated Kramer with a pass of 6.564 ET at 210.41 MPH in a close race to the finish line.Koretsky red lit vs. M. McGaha, with McGaha getting the win.Glenn defeated Matt Hartford with a lap of 6.547 ET at 209.92 MPH. SEMIFINALSPro Stock:M. McGaha defeats Anderson with an .019 reaction time in a close race, going 6.607 ET at 209.72 MPH.Coughlin Jr. defeated Glenn on a holeshot with a run of 6.586 ET at 209.43 MPH. FINALSPro Stock:Coughlin, Jr. defeated M. McGaha with a 6.637 ET at 208.71 MPH for the NHRA Gatornationals Wally.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 12, 2023) – The four John Force Racing hot rods ended race day at the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals with quarterfinal finishes at Gainesville Raceway. Brittany Force and Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster and John Force and the BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SS leave the weekend fifth in the points standings in their respective categories. Austin Prock has the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster in seventh while Robert Hight and the Flav-R-Pac / Cornwell Tools / AAA Chevy are in eighth. John Force, who was consistently quick through qualifying, got lucky in the first round of eliminations when Dave Richards had to shut off before taking the tree. The BlueDEF Camaro would smoke the tires mid-track for only a 6.527-second pass at 99.27 mph. The BlueDEF Camaro Chevy would run out of luck in the second round. Force would make a full pass at 3.942 seconds and 329.91 mph but it wouldn’t be enough for Chad Green’s 3.934 at 321.10. “Long week here in Florida. Great crowd to start the season. Not the way we’d want to end the day but it’s the first race and we showed some good strides,” Force said. “Danny Hood and Tim Fabrisi, they took advantage of testing and we figured some things out and really came out here looking good. Time to head to the next one.” Just moments after receiving her 2022 NHRA world championship ring, Brittany Force handled the Monster Energy dragster to a 3.692-second run at 333.99 mph to win her first-round matchup against Keith Murt who ran 4.100 at 227.46 after running into trouble mid-track. The Monster Energy dragster would be down on power in the second round. Force would handle her hot rod to a 3.758 at 332.75 but come up short to Mike Salinas’ 3.699 at 334.32 who would go on to win the race. “Coming into the first race of the season this Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team struggled a little bit. We got a chance to play in the All-Star Callout and made it to the semis where we were taken out. We qualified well. We ran a .69 which is really awesome for us. We made a handful of good runs,” Force said. “On race day we got beat in the second round. We just didn’t push the car enough. We ran a 3.75, and Salinas had a 3.69. This weekend wasn’t for us. That round wasn’t for us. We pack up and we move straight to Phoenix, and we’ll try it again there.” Robert Hight and the Flav-R-Pac Chevy secured the No.3 qualifying spot in their final run of qualifying and picked up where they left off going into race day. Hight would have the quickest run of the event at 3.843 seconds and 334.98 mph defeating John Smith who shut off early for a 4.477 at 102.07. An issue with the throttle would plague the Flav-R-Pac Camaro in the second round. Hight would pull up to the starting line without doing a burnout hoping for the best. When it was time to hit the throttle, there was no connection, and the Funny Car wouldn’t make it off the line giving eventual race winner J.R. Todd the victory. “Not the way you want to end a weekend. Mechanical problem right at the starting line. But we’ll get it figured out,” Hight said. “I’m not worried, that first round run, that’s where we’re at. We’ve got some new guys on the team and everyone is working really hard. We’re finding our groove but we’re right there. We’ll be ready for Phoenix.” After a less-than-ideal qualifying effort putting the Montana Brand / RMT dragster in the No. 12 spot, Austin Prock opened race day with a 3.706-second pass at 331.53 mph that, combined with his .040-second reaction time on the starting line, gave him the holeshot victory over Millican’s 3.705 at 325.85 with a .113 reaction time. Prock wouldn’t have the chance to run Leah Pruett in the second round. The Montana Brand / RMT dragster would have a mechanical issue after the burnout that would force the team to shut off before taking the tree. “We came out good in the first round which I was very proud of, but we stumbled in the second round with mechanical issues,” Prock said. “It was still a great outing for this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team being a new team. We will come back stronger in Phoenix.” The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series next heads to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park near Phoenix for the NHRA Arizona Nationals March 24-26. -30-

AUSTIN PROCK, 27, Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist DragsterQualifying:12th; 3.779-seconds; 324.44 mphBonus Qualifying Points:0Race Results:Beat Clay Millican; Lost to Leah PruettBRITTANY FORCE, 36, Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac DragsterQualifying:1st; 3.699-seconds; 336.99 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+9 (quickest Q1, Q3 & Q4) Race Results:Beat Keith Murt; Lost to Mike SalinasJOHN FORCE, 73, BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SSQualifying:2nd; 3.898-seconds; 335.07 mphBonus Qualifying Points: +7 (2nd quickest Q1&Q4, quickest Q3)Race Results:Beat Dave Richards; Lost to Chad GreenROBERT HIGHT, 53, Auto Club Chevy Camaro SSQualifying:5th; 3.911-seconds; 331.28 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+1 (3rd quickest Q4)Race Results: Beat Blake Alexander; Lost to J.R. Todd

Todd, Torrence Kick Off NHRA Season with Final Round Runs

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 12, 2023) – Two Toyota drivers made final round appearances in the season kickoff race for the NHRA at Gainesville Raceway. J.R. Todd drove his GR Supra Funny Car through three rounds against Blake Alexander, Robert Hight and Chad Green to make a final round appearance against race-winner Matt Hagan.

Toyota Top Fuel dragster driver Steve Torrence worked his way past Scott Palmer, Tony Schumacher and Doug Kalitta to make it into the final round against race-winner Mike Salinas.

Toyota Post-Race Recap

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series

Gainesville Raceway

Race 1 of 21

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS 

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Steve Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Final Round	W. 3.689 vs. 3.871 (Palmer)W. 3.741 vs. 4.348 (Schumacher)W. 3.779 vs. 5.773 (Kalitta)
Doug Kalitta	Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Semi-Finals	W. 3.646 vs. 3.804 (Massey)W. 3.716 vs. 7.799 (Brown)L. 5.773 vs. 3.779 (Torrence)
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Round 2	W. 3.706 vs. 3.704 (Langdon)L. 7.799 vs. 3.716 (Kalitta)
Justin Ashley	Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Round 1	L. 3.754 vs. 3.669 (Salinas)
Shawn Langdon	CMR Construction and Roofing Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Round 1	L. 3.704 vs. 3.706 (Brown)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS 

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Final Round	W. 3.893 vs. 3.953 (Alexander)W. 3.913 vs. 23.626 (Hight)W. 3.903 vs. 3.967 (Green)
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Semi-Finals	W. 3.900 vs. 8.424 (Pedregon)W. 3.931 vs. 9.617 (Capps)L. 3.912 vs. 3.896 (Hagan)
Ron Capps	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Round 2	W. 3.855 vs. 6.478 (Haddock)L. 9.617 vs. 3.931 (DeJoria)

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Final Result: Final Round

How do you feel about your performance on this opening race weekend?

“Great weekend overall. Really a good way to start the season. Don’t know what it did, but we’ll keep working at it. This is a huge step in the right direction for the Capco Toyota dragster. I’m really excited and really optimistic about what’s in store because this thing just keeps getting better with every lap. We just need to figure out the game plan on it and our tune-up then I think we’re going to be a contender for certain.”

What did you feel on the last run?

“Just a good lap, but it was probably a little soft in the middle. Cloud cover coming and going, you don’t know what to do. Those guys (Scrappers Racing) have been pretty stout all day, but we just went up there and ran our own race and maybe it wasn’t enough.”

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

Final Result: Final Round

What happened on the final run?

“Running really well all day and then in the final round, it’s running really well again and didn’t see him (Matt Hagan) and spun the tires and stayed with it and it blew up.”

How do you feel about starting off the season with a final round appearance?

“Really good. We tested really well. The car is definitely more consistent than what we’ve had in years past. I feel like it responds to what the crew chiefs are telling it to. Definitely shows that it has a lot of potential so it definitely has me excited for the rest of the season. Starting out in the final round, it’s always nice to finish off a final round, but can’t really complain starting off the season like this compared to last year.”

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

Final Result: Semi-Finals

How was your race today overall and how do you feel about the start to your season?

“I was hoping to make it to the final for sure. The car was running strong all day and just super excited about the way things are going so far. Everyone is working together really well and the crew chiefs are really happy with what they’re seeing. Kind of the way it was in testing as well so I’m glad we were able to roll it into the first race. I don’t know what happened on that last run, but it was unfortunate to just smoke the tires. You know drag racing, it happens. Looking forward to getting to Phoenix.”

Your first round win was a career-best pass. Tell me about that run.

“That was a cool run. For whatever reason, I was trying to steer it to the middle and it was drifting to the center towards the end. I could tell I wasn’t going to go over or anything, but it was just one of those things where I knew this thing was really running. We really appreciate everything Toyota does for us and look forward to having a good season.”

Meseraull P16 following contact with Avedisian, McDermand runner-up from 12th

DU QUOIN, IL (March 11, 2023) – The winningest driver in Series history is back in Victory Lane. Jade Avedisian captured her third career Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota Feature win Saturday night in only her second career start in the Southern Illinois Center.

It didn’t take long for the young Californian to find success with her new team at Keith Kunz Motorsports, scoring the $5,000 check in her second race piloting KKM’s signature Mobil 1, Spike/Toyota #71. But en route to finding that near-instant success, Avedisian was tasked with going head-to-head with one of the most accomplished indoor racers – Thomas Meseraull.

Meseraull, the 42-year-old open wheel veteran and two-time winner in the Center, was the first to challenge 16-year-old Avedisian after she got out to the early lead from the pole. Meseraull gradually ascended from his fifth-place starting spot into third by Lap 10 and was immediately met with a chance to overtake both cars in front of him.

With a head full of steam as he crossed the stripe on Lap 11, Meseraull swept by Kyle Jones through Turns 1-2 on the top side and made a bee-line for Avedisian in 3-4. Using the same maneuver – right-rear tire against the cushion and throttle to the floor – Meseraull powered around Avedisian for the lead and began to set his own pace.

“Early on, I could see that the track was going to start moving up,” Meseraull said. “It was time to go. I was faster than the guys in front of me.”

“The first 10 laps, I was around the bottom, and I kinda felt like it was gonna go away; just wasn’t sure when,” Avedisian said about leading the opening laps. “I felt it [go away], and then [Meseraull] got by me. It was good to run his pace for a few laps.”

Though the opening laps were hectic, the race’s torrid pace was soon cooled by the first caution flag on Lap 14; Friday night winner Cannon McIntosh had rolled it over in Turn 3, retiring him to the pits with external damage from the wreck.

Meseraull handled his first two restarts well, keeping Avedisian at bay behind him. He soon opened up a large gap to the rest of the field, stretching the lead out to over a second-and-a-half at one point before the yellow was displayed again with 11-to-go. It was then that Avedisian executed her plan to retake the lead.

Avedisian got a great restart and stayed right with Meseraull as the laps dipped under 10-to-go. With six laps left, Meseraull bounced hard off the cushion in Turn 4, upsetting the car enough for Avedisian to close-in on his rear bumper.

“Once we got out there, me and T-Mez, I feel like we were about the same speed,” Avedisian said. “I had a really good restart, I think it was the third restart, I was able to chase him down a little bit and decided when to slide him.”

With a lapped car in the bottom lane directly in front of him, Meseraull swung it to the top side into Turn 1 and got over the lip of the cushion, sending him into the marbles and leaving the track beneath him open to Avedisian. She took full advantage of the room, bounced off the lip at the apex of the turn and got a great run out of Turn 2.

In an effort to power out of the cushion and get back in the groove, Meseraull stayed in the throttle, picking-up the front-end of the car into a wheelie out of Turn 2. When he came back down, Avedisian’s nose was there and the two made contact, sending Meseraull around on the backstretch.

“He got over the curb and I was already half-sliding him, trying to get by,” Avedisian said. “He came down, obviously to get out of the curb, and we just hit. It was just a racing deal on that one.”

“That was unfortunate,” Meseraull said. “Lapped traffic is tough here, and I was struggling to get by [Avedisian]. I picked up a little bit of a miss in the 7x, and so my entry speed was a little bit on-and-off, and I kinda got it in above the curb.

“The thing flew the nose [up] and Jade just shoved it in there, because that’s what you do in Midgets, apparently, and it damn near got me upside down. But hey, that’s part of racing.”

Meseraull was sent to the tail of the field under caution while Avedisian assumed the lead with three laps remaining. One solid restart and 12 corners later, Avedisian drove under the checkered flags to seal the victory.

“Just be patient, you only have three laps, and try to hit your marks,” Avedisian said of her mentality coming back to the green. “I definitely didn’t have the best restart. We think the tire got cold or something, and it didn’t fire-off as well. But it was good enough to keep us out front.”

Chase McDermand crossed the stripe in second, coming from 12th in the Mounce/Stout Motorsports #40 – a remarkable turnaround for the team that failed to qualify for the Feature Friday night. Kyle Jones came home third, staying in the top-five the entire distance and matched his best career finish with the Series.

UP NEXT

The Midgets now take three weeks off from Series competition before returning to action at Farmer City Raceway as part of the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models’ annual Illini 100 event, March 30-April 1.

Tickets are on sale now at XtremeOutlawSeries.com. If you can’t be there in person, stream all the action live on DIRTVision.

ABBREVIATED RESULTS

Feature (40 Laps): 1. 71-Jade Avedisian[1]; 2. 40-Chase McDermand[12]; 3. 7U-Kyle Jones[3]; 4. 2X-Landon Brooks[8]; 5. 26-Chance Crum[4]; 6. 68-Mitchel Moles[18]; 7. 19M-Ethan Mitchell[7]; 8. 97-Gavin Miller[6]; 9. 25K-Taylor Reimer[11]; 10. 26R-Corbin Rueschenberg[9]; 11. 21K-Karter Sarff[15]; 12. 86-Shane Cottle[10]; 13. 41M-Howard Moore[16]; 14. 19AZ-Hayden Reinbold[19]; 15. 71E-Mariah Ede[20]; 16. 7X-Thomas Meseraull[5]; 17. 57A-Ronnie Gardner[13]; 18. 08-Cannon McIntosh[14]; 19. 5D-Zach Daum[17]; 20. 55-Nick Drake[2]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 11, 2023) – Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) kicked off his 2023 Progressive American Flat Track championship campaign in near-perfect fashion, completing the second half of the season-opening double win with another sensational ride in Saturday night’s DAYTONA Short Track II presented by Daytona Dodge at the Flat Track at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Daniels was already a legitimate title contender as a rookie a year ago. Early indications suggest he’s that much stronger now with a year’s Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycleexperience under his belt. The Estenson Racing Yamaha ace got away off the line in third, running in close quarters behind early leader Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750) and Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750), with Thursday runner-up Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) right in his tracks. Robinson made an early exit from the fight for the win, getting into the airfence and losing several positions in the process. Daniels slipped up the inside of Mees a little less than three minutes into the ten-minute-plus-two-lap Main to take over second, just as Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) closed in to make it four-rider fight at the front again. Daniels then spent the next four minutes stalking Vanderkooi, looking up the inside and around outside, while generally applying the sort of pressure that might just open a door straight through. He finally found the gap he was looking for with 3:30 minutes remaining on the clock, striking up the inside as the leaders encountered a wave of lapped riders. Daniels met little resistance once into the lead, stretching out an advantage that finalized as a 2.069-second margin of victory in the end. “It was tough – Jarod was running a really good race,” Daniels said. “He was being patient – he was really easy on the throttle and wasn’t making any mistakes. I had to search. I wanted to sit there for a little bit. After I got off the line, I was all right with where I was, and I was paying attention to everything. I wanted to stalk him for a while, but then it was time to go. “A double at Daytona is crazy. It’s unbelievable. A big thanks to the whole Estenson Monster Energy Yamaha team. We had a great year last year, and to start off the year with two wins in Daytona is insane.” Shortly after Daniels took over the lead, Fisher slashed his way past Mees to complete the “new guard” podium line-up in third, joining winner Daniels and second-placed Vanderkooi. Reigning champ Mees came away with his second fourth of the double-opener – a marked upgrade over how his prospects may have looked earlier in the week. Meanwhile, Daniels’ teammate, JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), logged a second fifth. Robinson recovered well enough from his early drama to finish in sixth, one spot ahead of Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 890 Duke), who was forced to claw his way up to seventh from outside the top ten. Four-time DAYTONA ST winner Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Martin Trucking/Castrol Yamaha MT-07), privateer Kayl Kolkman (No 98 B&L Plumbing/Rod Lake Yamaha MT-07), and Royal Enfield factory man Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) completed the top ten. Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Defending Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) doubled up in Daytona, delivering a second dose of domination on Saturday night. Clearly in a class of his own at the venue, Kopp pulled off another sweep, repeating his Thursday trick of topping practice, qualifying, his Heat, the Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Challenge, and most importantly, the Main Event. Kopp successfully weaved his way through the opening lap chaos to secure the lead three turns into the race. And while Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) did everything in his power to cling onto Kopp’s rear wheel, a little more than a minute in, the race for victory was effectively over. Kopp ultimately worked his advantage up to over five seconds before taking a drama-free checkered flag. “It’s just two for 18,” Kopp said. “We’ve got 16 more rounds, so there’s a lot more work to do. You can’t judge a season off two races at a track that really suits my style. I grew up riding a lot of indoors in the Pacific Northwest, and this was kinda like that. Thanks to my whole Red Bull KTM crew – this is a dream way to start the season for sure.” After losing touch with the leader, Saathoff was gradually reeled in by ‘22 championship runner-up Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F), who first had to fight his way past Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) and Justin Jones (No. 91 NRC Racing/Elder Trucking KTM 450 SX-F) to slide into third. Gauthier and Saathoff then swapped the second spot back and forth, squaring one another up in quick succession before the charging Gauthier finally stole the position away for good. Saathoff held on for the final spot on the box by a scant 0.084 seconds despite having to fend off a late challenge from new Turner Honda teammate Lowe. Kopp’s teammate, Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F), battled past the impressive Jones to complete the top five. Next Up: The world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series makes its first-ever trip to Senoia Raceway in Senoia, Georgia, for the inaugural Yamaha Senoia Short Track on Saturday, March 25. Visit https://www.tixr.com/promoters/americanflattrack to secure your tickets today. For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, 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 the 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 10:30 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).

GAINESVILLE, FL (March 11, 2023) — For the seventh time in his career Aaron Stanfield and the Janac Brothers Chevrolet COPO Camaro earned the No.1 qualifying spot. The two-time Factory Stock Showdown world champ captured the top spot Saturday at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in front of a sellout crowd. He would run a 7.655-second pass at 179.49 mph before picking up two round wins in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown, a class that pits Chevrolet COPO Camaros, Ford Cobra Jets and Dodge Challenger Drag Paksagainst each other in heated competition.

Aaron Stanfield with Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown No. 1 qualifier hat, photo credit Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“We only tested for a couple days so getting off to a good start was important for us,” said Stanfield, who still has the $1,000 Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Bounty program target on his back as the winner of the season-ending Texas NHRA FallNationals. “Friday we learned a few things on our runs and today it came together. This whole group is working really hard. We won the last race last year but that didn’t really give us momentum coming into this race. We just really put a lot of work in over the off-season and it looks like it has started to pay off this weekend, we’ll see how tomorrow goes.

Aaron Stanfield, Gatornationals No. 1 qualifier, photo credit Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

In the first round, Stanfield would go 8.659-seconds at 175.73 mph to send Ingram home for the weekend. Stanfield followed up the victory with a 7.738 pass at 178.54 driving around Ricky Hord’s 8.016 at 167.24. Stanfield will have AJ Berge waiting for him on Sunday. 

Veteran tuner but first-time Flexjet Factory Stock competitor AJ Berge took two round wins today and will go into Sunday of the Gatornationals with growing confidence. Racing the iconic look RAMCHARGER Dodge Drag Pak Berge will be looking for three more win lights tomorrow.

“We’ve been struggling since we started testing here on Tuesday. Getting a hold of this tune-up has been a challenge but we’re starting to see the fruits of our labor and starting to get the bugs worked out. We had good power, and we have a good team. Winning any race for me is just such a huge accomplishment. It’s a very humbling experience for me to be out here.”

Another driver who is excited to be advancing to Sunday is David H. Davies, driver of the Save Our Allies Dodge Drag Pak. Davies started his own team this season after a season under the Don Schumacher Racing banner and the Kirtland, Ohio, resident is eager to try and earn his first Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series national event.

“We came in here with a new team,” said Davies. “We’re going through the normal new team stuff, but everybody’s doing a great job we wrenched on the car before round two and it got where it needed to go. It’s the Gators so we’re happy to be running on Sunday.

“We have a little bit more work to do on the car. It’s been behaving great for two weeks. We’ve pretty much got this thing figured out, the ‘Gator air’ is causing us a little bit of grief along with everybody else in the class,” Davies continued. “If we figure out the ‘Gator air’ we will be in good shape.”

Sunday will feature the third round of the Gatornationals Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series with drivers hitting the track at 11:50 a.m. the final round should commence at 2:20 p.m. The Gatornationals will be broadcast live on FOX from noon – 3 p.m. ET.

Sunday Match-ups

Aaron Stanfield vs. AJ Berge

Jesse Alexandra vs. Joe Welch

Doug Hamp vs. David H. Davies

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 11, 2023) – In front of a sold-out crowd, Brittany Force and the Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster earned the No. 1 qualifying position at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway on Saturday evening. John Force and the BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SS will start from No. 2 with Robert Hight and the Flav-R-Pac / Cornwell Tools / AAA Camaro in No. 3. Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster will start their day from No. 12. For the 43rd time in her career, the second time at Gainesville Raceway, Force will start race day from No. 1 after her 3.699-second pass at 336.99 mph from a weather-ridden Friday held through Saturday’s two sessions. Force and her David Grubnic tuned hot rod would stay consistent in the final two qualifying runs with a 3.744 at 335.48 that also won her the first round of the Pep Boys All-Star NHRA Callout and earned the team three bonus points. In the Pep Boys Callout semifinals, after selecting to race against Josh Hart, the Monster Energy dragster would smoke the tires almost immediately. Force would watch Hart, the eventual Callout winner, drive around her as she coasted to an 8.884. Force would have redemption in the final qualifying session going 3.718 seconds at 336.15 mph, again the quickest of the session earning the Monster Energy team another three bonus points. “Overall, this Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team got the No. 1. It was a bummer to lose out on the All-Star Callout. We felt good going strong going into it, we made it to the semis, but we got beat. Now the bigger focus is race day tomorrow. We put today behind us, and we start all over again going into race day and we’re at the top spot,” said Force who will race against Keith Murt in the first round of eliminations. “We were low of that last session and that’s outstanding, running in different conditions, and still being able to run low. Those runs are awesome, and we benefitted from getting that extra run for being in the Callout so it helps us out on race day.” John Force and the BlueDEF Camaro were consistent through qualifying. Already with a 3.898-second pass from Friday, crew chiefs Danny Hood and Tim Fabrisi would string together a 3.936 run at 329.91 mph and a 3.878 run at 329.91 mph. Both would earn the legendary driver bonus points for a total of seven through the weekend. Force’s efforts would land him the No. 2 qualifying position. “I was riding on a high coming in here after the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame. Then you get out here and you realize what your job really is and that was to get into the show,” said Force who matches up with Dave Richards first round. “Good two days of qualifying for this BlueDEF Chevy. We got in the show, did our job, we aren’t low but we got No. 2 so overall it’s good and we’ll see what happened tomorrow.” Coming into the day in No. 5, Robert Hight and the Flav-R-Pac Camaro shook things up on Saturday. They’d shake the tires in the first session for only a 5.564-second pass at 126.65 mph but it would be their final run that put them in the No. 3 spot. Hight would handle the Flav-R-Pac Chevy to an impressive 3.879 run at 333.99, the third-quickest pass of the session earning them a bonus point. “We were down on power that first run of qualifying then we had a little too much on it earlier today. That second run was good for this Flav-R-Pac team. We’re back. There’s still more out there, too,” said Hight who races against John Smith first round. “I’m not worried, feeling good about race day. If we had had one more run in those similar conditions today, we probably would have gone low. That’s good for tomorrow.” After a 3.779-second pass at 324.44 mph on Friday afternoon, Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / RMT dragster would run into some trouble during Saturday qualifying. Prock would lose traction and have to shut it off to go only 4.564 at 164.89 which would also lose him the first round of the Pep Boys Callout to Hart. The final session would be more of the same for the Montana Brand team, smoking the tires early to go 7.915 at 112.36. “A little bit of a rough start on the weekend for this Montana Brand / RMT team. Missed on the power level on Friday but made a nice clean pass and luckily it got us in the show,” said Prock who will take on Clay Millican first round. “Going into the Callout we were pushing in the first run today. It did smoke the tires, but it was really close to going and if it would have went it would have ripped off low E.T. We looked a little more mixed up than we actually are. I’m not really worried about tomorrow. I know we have the best people upstairs in the lounge and one of the best crews out here. I’ll be on my game and I know they will and we’ll see how our cards fall.” The Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway will continue with two eliminations on Sunday slated for a 10 a.m. start. Television coverage of the event continues with a dedicated Pep Boys All-Start Callout show at 10:30 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Sunday race day action will be at noon ET on FOX Broadcasting Network. -30-

AUSTIN PROCK, 27, Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist DragsterQualifying:12th; 3.779-seconds; 324.44 mphBonus Qualifying Points:0BRITTANY FORCE, 36, Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac DragsterQualifying:1st; 3.699-seconds; 336.99 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+9 (quickest Q1, Q3 & Q4) JOHN FORCE, 73, BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SSQualifying:2nd; 3.898-seconds; 335.07 mphBonus Qualifying Points: +7 (second quickest Q1 & Q4, quickest Q3)ROBERT HIGHT, 53, Auto Club Chevy Camaro SSQualifying:5th; 3.911-seconds; 331.28 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+1 (3rd quickest Q4)

Gainesville, FL (March 11, 2023) — Ocala, Florida resident and Top Fuel standout driver Josh Hart drove his R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster to Pep Boys Top Fuel Allstar Callout victory and an $80,000 payday on Saturday at Gainesville Raceway. It was Hart’s first appearance in a big money specialty race and the 2021 Gatornationals winner took out Austin Prock, Brittany Force and Mike Salinas enroute to the win to start the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

“It’s a huge, huge accomplishment for our team, we have prepared like no other through December, January and February,” said Hart, in the Norm Froscher media center. “To go right out and win a specialty race right off the trailer is awesome. This R+L Carriers crew are the ones that should be sitting in the seat talking about this win. I’m just the jockey that gets to hit the gas. All the credit goes to the team. This is obviously off the charts awesome. But you have to not take anything like this for granted because it can go away just like that. Savor the moment.”

Pep Boys Top Fuel Allstar Callout winner Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team, photo credit Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

 “I’ll just say that nice guys don’t finish last,” said Hart, a two-time Top Fuel national event winner. “When you go up against Prock, you gotta be deadly on the tree and I was off my game a little bit in that first round. It was my first competitive pass with this R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster. I was kind of nervous about staging. (Crew chief) Ron Douglas and the team saved me on that one.”

“In round two against Force when she called me out, I think everybody was expecting that. That becomes a kill them with kindness type of situation. I left on her with a 40 light. With Salinas you know, he’s run some crazy numbers in testing and you always have that in the back of your mind, but I’m just glad that left on him. Ron and team again get the credit.”

With the Gatornationals looming tomorrow, Hart, the No. 7 qualifier, will face eight-time Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher in the first round. The third-year professional has a 1-1 record against the five-time Gatornationals Top Fuel winner. Last year during the NHRA Countdown Hart outran Schumacher at the betway Nationals in Charlotte in the first round. Heading into race day Hart does not feel additional pressure to win his second Gatornationals.

“No pressure, but I am 100% more relaxed because again, once you have the confidence and you’ve taken your sled down the track a couple of times you’re like, ‘I got this,’” said Hart. “It’s when things are going sideways and crazy and you’re pedaling and then you start psyching yourself out. So those guys on my team, they’re awesome. Like I said, they were the ones that should be sitting right here, not me.”

Race week started on Wednesday night for Hart and his R+L Carriers and Burnyzz Speed Shop team as he hosted the first Gatornationals FanFest at his shop in Ocala, Florida, sixty minutes from Gainesville Raceway. Nearly two dozen NHRA competitors joined Hart and NHRA legend ‘Big Daddy’ Don Garlits for a free autograph session along with a huge car show and live music. An estimated 5,000-7,000 fans attended the first time event. The support Hart has received from his local community has not been lost on the Huntington, Indiana, transplant.

“Ocala has been amazing to me not just from the business support, but with the racing community,” said Hart, who started his first business with $300 and a dream. “We planned on having 75 people in our hospitality and this is our first time doing hospitality and I counted 200 plus. The local support is off the charts. I’ve never seen anything like not only here at the racetrack but people that are now stopping into the shop just for merchandise or just to you know, meet me and I’m like, man, I’m a janitor if you want me to clean up the messes around here. Just awesome support locally.”

The first round of eliminations will begin tomorrow at 10 a.m. ET and Hart will have his R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster ready to take on one of the toughest fields in Gatornationals history. The sixteen qualified drivers are members of multi-car, multi-million dollar operations. Hart has fastidiously built his racing operation on his own until last year when he brought on partner fellow Floridian Chris Armstrong. The influx of financial support and business acumen has helped Hart take his program to the next level.

“We partnered with Chris Armstrong of Armstrong Homes and this car does not want for anything. We will do whatever it takes to make sure this thing is equivalent to all the multi-million dollar teams. The confidence comes from what happened to me last year. I took it for granted and I was like ‘Hey, I’m gonna come out and have some fun,’ but it’s not fun. It’s a business, so this year, when I show up, I want to start trying to enjoy every single moment.”

Pep Boys Top Fuel Allstar Callout Results

First Round

Josh Hart (.084) 3.765, 331.77 mph def. Austin Prock (.063) 4.564, 164.89 mph

Brittany Force (.049) 3.744, 335.48 mph def. Clay Millican (.067) 5.247, 128.69 mph

Mike Salinas (.074) 3.751, 333.41 mph def. Justin Ashley (.033) 3.870, 299.06 mph

Doug Kalitta (.073) 3.753, 330.88 mph def. Steve Torrence (.099) 3.774, 331.28 mph

Semifinals

Mike Salinas (.068) 3.763, 330.63 mph def. Doug Kalitta (.072) 7.924, 101.35 mph

Josh Hart (.041) 3.757, 330.88 mph def. Brittany Force (.075) 8.884, 74.07 mph

Final 

Josh Hart (.052) 3.748, 33`1.53 mph def. Mike Salinas (.077) 10.235, 74.57 mph

CHEVROLET IN NHRA AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA TEAM CHEVY SATURDAY QUALIFYING REPORT March 11, 2023 CHEVROLET SHOWS STRENGTH IN SEASON-OPENING NHRA GATORNATIONALS QUALIFYING AT GAINESVILLE GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA (March 11, 2023) – Qualifying for the 2023 season-opening AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals has been completed, setting the ladders for Sunday’s eliminations at Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Florida. Team Chevy led the way in Top Fuel, with Brittany Force setting the stage as the No. 1 qualifier, her 43rd in NHRA, and facing Keith Murt No. 16 in Round 1. Qualifying No. 12, Austin Prock will take on No. 5 Clay Millican in the first round on race day. In Funny Car, 16-time champion John Force qualified No. 2 with his pass of 3.878 ET at 332.59 MPH. Teammate Robert Hight was right behind Force in the No. 3 spot, going 3.879 ET at 333.99 MPH. Pro Stock saw Troy Coughlin, Jr. besting Elite Motorsports teammate Erica Enders with his Q3 run, taking the top spot in qualifying with his pass of 6.515 ET at 212.29 MPH. He will face No. 16 qualifier Larry Morgan in Round 1 tomorrow morning, while last year’s champion Enders will take on No. 15’s Jerry Tucker. In FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown, Aaron Stanfield led the way in his COPO Camaro after qualifying No. 1 with a run at 7.655 ET at 179.49 MPH. Pairing down the field from 24 cars qualified to 12 in Round 1, then to six in Round 2 Saturday afternoon, the remaining challengers will compete for the Gatornationals Wally in eliminations Sunday. “It’s pretty cool to be able to accomplish that with your team,” notes Force on her 43rd No. 1 qualifier in 213 races. “No. 1 qualifiers are always great as long as we deliver on Sunday. That’s the main thing. We struggled with that in the past; we’d have all these No. 1 qualifier hats. We’d grab points, but then we would struggle so bad on race day. The game plan coming into the last few seasons is we wanted to do both, and we definitely turned things around last season where we ended up with the championship. So same game plan coming into this season, and we’ll have to deliver tomorrow.” “We’re just getting started,” stated Coughlin Jr. “We hope we can build off of it. It’s a testament to the boys in the engine shop. They’ve worked hard on the dyno. It’s a long, seven days a week job for those guys. They work hard, a lot of research and development, a lot of hours that go into that. My family had a similar deal with that with Coughlin Brothers Racing. So we have an idea of the time that it takes and the effort that it takes. Big kudos to them. To have a pole right off the bat, that’s a huge honor.” Today’s Gatornationals qualifying from Gainesville will be broadcast Sunday morning on FS1 at 9 a.m. ET, leading into race day eliminations starting at noon ET on FOX.

Toyota Dragsters Qualify Second and Third in Gainesville

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 12, 2023) – Ron Capps picked up where he left off last season by claiming the number one qualifier spot for Sunday’s NHRA season kickoff race at Gainesville Raceway. The reigning 2022 Funny Car Champion ran his quick lap of qualifying in the final round on Saturday with a pass at 3.874 seconds. Toyota teammates J.R. Todd (sixth) and Alexis DeJoria (ninth) will also start amongst the top-10 qualifiers.

In Top Fuel, Steve Torrence (second) and Doug Kalitta (third) both posted times of 3.723 in their Toyota dragsters. Antron Brown (sixth), Justin Ashley (ninth) and Shawn Langdon (11th) will line-up to start the 2023 season Sunday morning.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series

Gainesville Raceway

Race 1 of 21

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
Brittany Force*	Monster Energy Top Fuel Dragster	1st (3.699)	Massey
Steve Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	2nd (3.723)	Palmer
Doug Kalitta	Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	3rd (3.723)	Massey
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	6th (3.734)	Langdon
Justin Ashley	Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	9th (3.768)	Salinas
Shawn Langdon	CMR Construction and Roofing Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	11th (3.776)	Brown

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
Ron Capps	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	1st (3.874)	Haddock
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	6th (3.900)	Alexander
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	9th (3.954)	Pedregon

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA QUOTES

RON CAPPS, NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports

FC Qualifying Result: 1st

What does it mean to start the season off with the P1 qualifying spot?

“Obviously after last year to get the pole in Pomona and to win the championship was great, but to start the season off, we had a plan in testing and Guido and the guys on this 2023 GR Supra body, you just want to come out and do okay. To come out here and make a statement. It’s very tight in qualifying. The speed was up. I can’t say enough about our Toyota people and all the help we get with our NAPA folks – just a team effort.”

How do you feel going into tomorrow’s race?

“You never want to be cocky about tomorrow. It’s nice to have the number one spot and have the choice. The yellow hats are great for number one qualifier, but those trophies at the end of Sunday are more important. You sleep better on Saturday night for sure.”

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

TF Qualifying Result: 2nd

How do you feel about your car’s performance in qualifying and chances for tomorrow’s race?

“Great day for the Capco Toyota dragster. We went out and we were a little too conservative in the Callout first round. Went up there this round and really made some improvements. I still think there’s a lot of room to improve, just looking at the time slip, but we’ll go from there. I’m excited going into race day – I feel like we have a really good car. Better than I’ve had in a year. Confident and moral and everything is really high over hee on the team and we’re ready to go.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES PHOENIX RACEWAY UNITED RENTALS WORK UNITED 500 TEAM CHEVY POLE WIN PRESS CONF. MARCH 11, 2023

KYLE LARSON TAKES POLE POSITION AT PHOENIX RACEWAYFive drivers from four Chevrolet teams qualify in top-10

·       After topping the speed chart in yesterday’s practice session, Kyle Larson (No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1) posted a lap of 27.642 seconds, at 130.237 mph, to take the pole position for tomorrow’s NASCAR Cup Series United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway.  ·       The pole win marks his first NASCAR Cup Series pole of 2023; his second NCS pole at Phoenix Raceway; and his 15th career pole in 299 NCS starts.  ·       Larson delivered Chevrolet its second NASCAR Cup Series pole of 2023; its manufacturer-leading 20th NCS pole at Phoenix Raceway; and its manufacturer-leading 736th all-time in NCS competition.  ·       Five drivers from four different Chevrolet teams qualified in the top-10 including: Larson (pole winner – Hendrick Motorsports), William Byron (third – Hendrick Motorsports), Ross Chastain (sixth – Trackhouse Racing), Kyle Busch (ninth – Richard Childress Racing) and Erik Jones (10th – LEGACY MOTOR CLUB). ·       FOX will broadcast the NASCAR Cup Series United Rentals Work United 500 on Sunday, March 11, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can also be found on the MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 STARTING LINEUP:  POS.   DRIVER1st      Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL13rd      William Byron, No. 24 Valvoline Camaro ZL16th      Ross Chastain, No. 1 Kubota Camaro ZL19th      Kyle Busch, No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Camaro ZL110th    Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Camaro ZL1 TOP-FIVE UNOFFICIAL STARTING LINEUP:  POS.  DRIVER1st      Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)2nd     Denny Hamlin (Toyota)3rd     William Byron (Chevrolet)4th      Brad Keselowski (Ford)5th      Christopher Bell (Toyota)KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 – Pole Win Press Conference Transcript Larson on the importance of qualifying well at Phoenix Raceway: “It means a lot. Qualifying is really important here. We got the pole in 2021 and that really helped us win the championship race. Joey (Logano) had an extremely fast car in the fall last year, but he got the pole as well and won. So I think that number one pit stall means a lot.  Happy to be quick this weekend; quick in practice and have it translate to qualifying.” Talking to Brad Keselowski, he said it’s not a surprise that you’re on the pole position and you’ve been fast this weekend. Cars are really slipping and sliding in the corners. Does that play into your dirt background, or is it just that you have a fast race car this weekend? “Honestly, I think we’re all so good at this level that once you get to this level, I don’t think it really matters what your background is. And two, I think our team brought a really good car because I can’t honestly tell the difference in aero packages. I think that just shows how they did their homework and brought a great car here. I felt like William (Byron) was really good yesterday in practice, as well, and he qualified third. I look at him as being one of the guys to beat, along with (Kevin) Harvick. I would say maybe with him (Kevin Harvick); he was always good here with the lower downforce stuff, and the last few years, he hasn’t been as dominant. He showed in practice yesterday that he was really good.  Maybe there’s something to it, but I don’t really feel any different, so I think it’s more just that my car is good.” Just as you were progressing through qualifying there, how confident were you that you were going to be on the pole? “Well, I didn’t expect to lay down the lap that I did on the first round. I felt like we were going to have a good shot for the top-five in Group B. All those guys ran 60’s, and I was like ‘Man, it’s tight. I’ve got to put a good lap down here’. We were able to go like three-tenths quicker or something. So then I was really confident going into the next round. But then you get talking to yourself and you’re like ‘Man, did I overuse the tires there in the first round? Am I going to have enough for the next round? I’m in Group B versus Group A and their tires are cooler’. So you’re trying to talk yourself out of it. It was obviously much closer of a gap. I lost those three-tenths that I had in the first round. You can feel that time. I got a little bit loose going into (turn) one and had to wait a little bit longer than I wanted to on the throttle. I didn’t hit the chip long down the backstretch like I did the first time. I over-slowed into (turn) three. I got a good exit, and then you’re just staring at your lap time on the dash waiting for it to pop up a good lap. I saw the 60 and I knew that we got the pole. But yeah, you’re trying to talk yourself out of it a little bit while you’re sitting pit road.” Where do you think your advantage is? You led practice and you led both rounds in qualifying. Where do you think you’re beating everybody else? “Looking at SMT, I felt like my ability to roll some center-corner speed in (turns) one and two kind of gave me a little bit of an advantage. There’s definitely some cars that are better than me in (turns) three and four, but we’re all so competitive over there too. I feel like there’s a lot of room behind the wheel to get a lot better in (turns) three and four. I think my car is fine.. I think I just need to do some things different and get even better in (turns) three and four and then we should be really good.” You said you expected no difference from yesterday, so I assume it felt just like it did yesterday for the most part? “Qualifying trim, I feel like you always have more grip. My first round especially felt very, very good. The next round, I lost grip and was kind of slipping and sliding a little bit more, but I also did in the fall. First round to second round, I slipped more.” Your organization wasn’t part of the test here in January. Denny (Hamlin) didn’t test, but his organization did and most of the teams in the top-10, except for maybe one, had somebody here at the test. Were you concerned at all coming in that you guys not being part of the test would put you behind by a tick? “I can’t speak for Cliff (Daniels, crew chief) and everybody, but me personally, yes. I was concerned because I had heard that the lower downforce hurt the Chevy’s more aero-dynamically than the other manufacturers. Ross (Chastain), from what everybody told me, was terrible once they went to this low downforce stuff – or something similar to this – at the test. Ross was really good here in the fall. Honestly, Ross was great everywhere last year and great here both races.  So yes, I was concerned. I didn’t expect to be top of the charts both days. But after the long run that we made in the first run of practice, I was like – OK our times look really good all throughout the 30 laps that I ran. So yeah, I think that kind of changes your opinion pretty quickly after you look at the lap-tracker. Obviously, I knew I was quickest, but one lap doesn’t really matter in practice. I’m just happy that our team obviously did some good homework and prepared a great setup car.” With your dirt track background and how many fans came over with you, talk about the F1 drivers coming over and racing at COTA. Is that exciting for you to see them come over and does that light your fuse for your future? “I wouldn’t say it lights my fuse for my future, but it’s really exciting to have guys of that caliber resume come and compete in the NASCAR Cup Series. It’s great for our sport.  And two, I think it’s going to showcase our tough our sport is. I don’t know who Jenson (Button) is running for, but Kimi (Räikkönen) in a Trackhouse car. They won two road course races last year, so there’s no arguing that he’s not in great equipment. So if he does good, average or whatever, I think it shows the competition level of our sport, which I believe is the toughest in the world.  Yeah, it’s exciting to have them. Having guys like Conor Daly, Travis Pastrana, Jonathan Davenport – it’s more than just the Formula 1 drivers. I think it just showcases how diverse our sport is and how diverse this car has allowed our sport to be. It’s neat.  And yes, it’s not what they grew up doing; racing a heavy stock car. But for us, you can kind of measure yourself a little bit and you can learn a lot. We have a lot of data to look at that we can study a guy who strictly grew up open-wheel road course racing and see kind of how their driving style is different and how we can apply some of what they do to our style.” Kyle, now that you live out here part of the time, does it give you any more connection to the track? “I mean, maybe. Yeah, I guess.. I got to sleep in my own bed last night and tonight.  I’ve always liked coming here, even before I owned a house here. I don’t feel more connected I guess, but it’s just nice having somewhere to go. But we would typically always rent a house. Denny (Hamlin) usually rents a house and we would split the costs and stay with him. I always look forward to this race because of that. It’s kind of a vacation, in a way, and now it’s like we’re snowbirds I guess (laughs).  It’s been good. Enjoy it and the kids love it. I’ve got my family here, so it’s great.”

March 11, 2023

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging Mustang are set to start Sunday’s United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway from 27th place.

The Phoenix weekend is the first using NASCAR’s new lower-downforce aero package for oval tracks one mile or shorter and for road courses.

Burton and the team adapted quickly to the new package, posting the eighth-fastest time in Friday’s practice session on their third lap on the track. Burton’s best lap was at 130.147 mph. He was 15^th fastest among drivers who ran 10 consecutive laps in practice. He averaged 128.160 mph over the first 10 laps he ran out of a total of 57 in the 50-minute session.

Sunday’s 312-lap, 500-kilometer race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 12:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. Eastern Time) with TV coverage on FOX.

Stage breaks are planned for Laps 60 and 185.

NASCAR CUP SERIES PHOENIX RACEWAY UNITED RENTALS WORK UNITED 500 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT MARCH 11, 2023

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 FREEWAY INSURANCE CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Phoenix Raceway. Press Conference Transcript:

We interviewed you last week in Las Vegas and you told us there were some details that your car needed, although your car was pretty fast. “I feel like the car yesterday was good; not great and not bad. Just good. Probably the best we’ve had a car in a while. We’re one more step in the right direction. I think the positive is that we know what we need and I feel like we’re in the ballpark. Right now, yesterday, we didn’t have a winning car but we had a car that in my opinion can have the potential for it.  We’ll see. We made some adjustments for today and hopefully we get it.” You are established in NASCAR now. Have you planned a long term future to help young talents in Mexico to come over and do the same like you did?“Well, maybe one day. I try to help as much as I can every day. But I’m not looking for the talent, right. I’m just helping whoever comes and asks me for help. I wish I had somebody like that when I was coming here. I didn’t have anyone that I was able to ask for advice or help in my early days in the United States.  I’m always very, very open to help. We’ll see what happens in the future, but for now, my main focus is my career. Win more races and championships and continue to grow.  But yeah, I enjoy seeing more diversity in the sport. I’m a big part of that and I’ve been able to help a handful of drivers – at least 10 drivers – come in from different countries. So that’s great and I’ll continue to do that.” Going to COTA in a couple of weeks; the site of Trackhouse Racing’s first win. What has allowed Trackhouse to stay near the front over the last year since that last win? “That’s a very good question. I think it’s a combination of many things, starting with our people. We have great people; great engineers, good pit crews. I think that if we look back to one year ago.. one year ago we were a team that was very promising. I feel like right now, Trackhouse is a reality. I think we have shown that we’re here to stay and to be competitive. Last year was a very good year and this year, so far, has gone in a very good way.  We have to continue to work; not feel comfortable and not stay still because everyone is working very hard. I feel like that has been one of the keys of Trackhouse to continue to evolve and continue to move forward.” You’re driving with the new package yesterday. What differences did you notice and how did you personally have to adjust in the car? “The car has way less grip. It’s almost like when you have new tires, it’s almost like you have 10-lap tires with the previous package. So the car is quite different. The main goal of this package was to make the racing better and make the car drive better in traffic. I don’t really know where we’re at when it comes to that because we haven’t raced with it yet. I guess we’re going to find that out tomorrow. For sure, the car is more difficult to drive and for sure we’re going to have to move around more. But to what extent, I don’t really know yet. We’re going to find out tomorrow.” You had a really strong start to the regular-season with top-10s in every single race. Phoenix (Raceway) obviously hasn’t been your best track overall. What are you going to need to do this weekend to continue that top-10 streak? “I think that my car has another top-10 in it. We have worked really hard in Phoenix just because, like you mentioned, it’s been a tough place to us in the last two years. Before that actually, I was pretty good here. We have worked very hard. We have put a lot of effort and time into this place, and I think that’s showing a little bit. We’re not quite there yet, but I think we’re moving in the right direction.” In just the growth of Trackhouse Racing – as you have the growth of your team, you have more success. Obviously there are different people that are leaders, but certainly the drivers are looked at as a leadership position. How have you evolved or how are you trying to evolve your role as a leader in the organization or with your No. 99 team? “That’s another very good question. I feel like I’ve learned a lot in how to be a better leader. I’m very tough to myself when it comes to my performance; the way I work, my discipline and stuff like that. Sometimes that was making me also be tough with other people. Maybe sometimes knowing the smart way. Sometimes being ambitious and really wanting something bad is a good thing, but if you’re not smart about it, it can be a bad thing. So I feel like I’ve grown a lot in the last 12 months about how to be better; how to be a better leader for my group. If we want to achieve this goal to get here, how we’re going to get here in a smart way and everyone pushing the train forward. So I have learned a lot to that. I give a lot of credit to Josh Wise and a lot of people that have helped me in our group to be better. And I feel like it’s a continuous process. I don’t feel like I’m perfect right now, but I can guarantee you that I’m better than I was a year ago, and I hope that I’m going to be better in a few months than I am right now.  But yeah, I think myself, Travis Mack (crew chief), Tony Lunders (competition director) and many leaders at Trackhouse – I feel like we are continuing to get better and continuing to move forward. Like I said, we have great people. My pit crew – last year in the first half of the season, we struggled a lot. And then in the second half, we had a lot of speed, but we were super inconsistent. Really my pit crew for this year is exactly the same group of guys and I feel like right now, I probably have one of the fastest pit crews out there. It’s everything about training, working together and making sure that everyone knows that we have each other’s backs.  I’m very happy where we’re at right now and I think we’re moving in the right direction.” As you alluded to, it takes many, many people to have success with an organization. But one person you mentioned was Josh Wise. From your perspective, how has he been able to unlock certain things out of you or open certain elements of you to help you grow in ways that you hadn’t before? What kind of difference would it have made had you run into him five years earlier? “Josh (Wise) is a race car driver. He’s a very smart guy, to start with. And also, he has a degree in psychology, so he understands how the mind works better than the average person. I have known him for a long time, but when I started working with him a little bit closer, I feel like I was able to understand it a little bit better. How to approach things as one of the leaders of my team. He has helped me a lot and like I said, it’s a continuous process. I don’t think I am where I want to be. It’s always a ‘going up the mountain’ kind of battle. But I feel like I’m definitely in a way better position than what I was 12 months ago and for that, I’m very, very thankful. I think that because of him, I’ve been able to also help a lot of individuals in my team to continue to move forward.”

PLANO, Texas (March 8, 2023) – Toyota continues to make its mark on the NHRA after more than 20 years competing professionally in the series with the collaboration effort to unveil the new Jr. Roadster. In support of NHRA, Half Scale and Antron Brown to establish this new class, Toyota and TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development) engineers developed the GR Supra Jr. Roadster as the first of its kind. The addition to the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League hopes to encourage families interested in getting their kids involved in drag racing at a young age to look at this as an additional option to the popular Jr. Dragster class.

“The motivation behind developing the GR Supra Jr. Roadster nearly two years ago was primarily around the concept of giving families an alternative to the already-popular Jr. Dragster class within NHRA,” said Paul Doleshal, group manager, Toyota Racing. “With the Jr. Roadster, it has a shorter wheelbase compared to the dragster and therefore can ideally fit in the bed of a Tundra and taken to the racetrack. Our TRD engineers have worked closely with Antron Brown, who fields Jr. Dragsters, to ensure that the new Jr. Roadster is ready for a class of its own and we hope that our other OEM partners in NHRA will design their own bodies for the cars and we can see them all competing very soon.”

The GR Supra body was unveiled in November 2021 for the Funny Cars of J.R. Todd and Alexis DeJoria. Both competed with the new body for the 2022 season and were joined by Ron Capps who went on to win the championship. Using the GR Supra as the look for the new Jr. Roadster was only logical based on the excitement and fan reaction that’s been seen since the GR Supra Funny Car took to the track. The GR Supra Jr. Roadster body was built by Riggeal Fiberglass in Pennsylvania.

“It’s truly thrilling to see a new vision like the GR Supra Jr. Roadster from Toyota and have that be a future option for young racers,” NHRA President Glen Cromwell said. “The GR Supra delivered an impressively innovative body style into the Funny Car ranks last year, and for our young competitors in the Jr. Dragster ranks to have the chance to match their favorite racers is a great opportunity. Toyota continues to show its strong commitment to drag racing and the importance of providing exciting options to our young racers and the future of NHRA drag racing.”

NHRA’s Jr. Dragster class started in 1992 and has proven a popular launching point for young racers looking to start their careers in drag racing. The class currently competes at over 130 NHRA member tracks across the country on any given week. Some current Toyota Top Fuel and Funny Car drivers got their start behind the wheel of a Jr. Dragster including J.R. Todd, Shawn Langdon and Justin Ashley. With the new Jr. Roadster class, the hope will be that future generations can have yet another option to compete on the drag strip.

“The Jr. Dragster class has really been a pivotal piece of NHRA since its inception,” said Antron Brown, Toyota Top Fuel driver. “My kids have raced them and several of my competitors got their start racing them or have kids or family members of their own competing. The addition of the Jr. Roadster class is important for so many reasons, but the primary objective for all of us that have been involved in its development was to give families an option that doesn’t require a trailer or additional costs to bring the car to the track and these will give them that opportunity.”

There is currently no designated time frame from NHRA as to when the Jr. Roadster class will begin competing, but GR Supra Jr. Roadsters will be available for purchase through Half Scale (HalfScale.com).