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

AUSTIN PROCK, 27, Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragsterQualifying:8th; 3.787-seconds; 326.08 mphBonus Qualifying Points:0 BRITTANY FORCE, 36, Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac dragsterQualifying:2nd; 3.747-seconds; 334.48 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+2 (2nd quickest Q2) JOHN FORCE, 74, BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SSQualifying:10th; 4.063-seconds; 324.36 mphBonus Qualifying Points: 0ROBERT HIGHT, 53, Cornwell Tools / AAAChevy Camaro SSQualifying:1st; 3.938-seconds; 321.35 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+5 (2nd quickest Q1, quickest Q2)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LE MANS, France (June 8, 2023) – Cadillac Racing, which has returned to the 24 Hours of Le Mans after a 21-year absence, qualified two Cadillac V-Series.R hybrid racecars on the front four rows and all three among the top 12 for the centenary endurance classic.Earl Bamber recorded a best lap of 3 minutes, 25.170 seconds in the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R on the 8.47-mile (13.629 kilometers) Circuit de la Sarthe course during the scheduled 30-minute Hyperpole session to qualify sixth. Bamber will share the seat with Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook in the grueling race June 10-11. Sebastien Bourdais had laid down a scintillating 3:24.674 lap with just over 6 minutes remaining to take the provisional P3 spot. However, on the next lap, the No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.R encountered a burst high pressure fuel hose that started a brief fire. Bourdais guided the Hypercar to a safe area of the racetrack and he exited the car without assistance, but the incident caused a red flag. His fastest lap was deleted by race stewards. The No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.R was credited with the lap of 3:25.521 set in the 18th minute and he qualified eighth.  Cadillac Racing and Dallara engineers and the Chip Ganassi Racing crew are working to prepare the car for the race.The lap times in the eight-car Hyperpole session were the fastest posted by the Cadillac Racing contingent through a test day and free practice sessions. Bourdais, who will be joined by co-drivers Renger van der Zande and Scott Dixon in the race, qualified eighth. The No. 311 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R, co- driven by Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims and Jack Aitken, qualified 12th in the June 7 session. The No. 50 Ferrari 499P earned the pole with a lap of 3:22.982.The race will be televised in its entirety on MotorTrend TV and MotorTrend+ in the U.S., on Velocity in Canada, plus Eurosport and discovery+ across Europe. Radio Le Mans will broadcast the race.No. 2 Cadillac Racing V-Series.REarl Bamber: “I think we had a good car. We didn’t really show where we could be. I think we could have been in the top three or four and were on a good lap when the red flag came out and lost it. We have a car with good race pace, and with everything we’ve talked about all week — quick, consistent pit stops and the reliability that this car has shown throughout this season — we’ll be in contention for the victory.” No. 3 Cadillac Racing V-Series.RSebastien Bourdais: “It was a solid effort (on the fastest lap). The car was really good. The first attempt the car really got hampered by traffic. The second one was just the perfect storm. I got out, not a bit of traffic, good prep lap, perfectly hot tires. Managed to do Lap 1 on the pique of the tire and I got an amazing first sector and it was a really solid lap. Then I started losing some time and it went away.”Cadillac au Mans: Les trois V-Series.Rs se qualifient dans le top 12 LE MANS, France (le 8 juin 2023) – Le Cadillac Racing, qui revient aux 24 Heures du Mans après 21 ans d’absence, a qualifié deux de ses Cadillac V-Series.R dans les huit premiers et les trois dans le top 12 pour la classique d’endurance. E Au volant de la Cadillac V-Series.R n°2, Earl Bamber a réalisé son meilleur tour en 3 minutes et 25,170 secondes lors de la séance Hyperpole de 30 minutes, se qualifiant ainsi pour la sixième place. Bamber partagera le volant avec Alex Lynn et Richard Westbrook. A un peu plus de six minutes de la fin de la séance, Sébastien Bourdais avait réalisé un tour en 3m24s674 pour prendre la troisième place provisoire. Cependant, la Cadillac V-Series.R n°3 a connu un problème au tour suivant qui a provoqué un drapeau rouge, et son tour le plus rapide a été supprimé par les commissaires de course. La Cadillac V-Series.R n°3 a alors été créditée d’un tour en 3m25s521. Les ingénieurs du Cadillac Racing et de Dallara travaillent à trouver la cause du problème et à préparer l’Hypercar pour la course. Les temps réalisés lors de la séance Hyperpole ont été le plus rapides réalisés par les trois Cadillac V-Series.R pendant la journée test et les séances d’essais libres. Bourdais, qui sera rejoint par les copilotes Renger van der Zande et Scott Dixon dans la course, s’est qualifié en huitième position. La Cadillac V-Series.R n° 311 du Whelen Engineering, copilotée par Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims et Jack Aitken, s’est qualifiée en 12e position lors de la séance du 8 juin.La Ferrari 499P n°50 a décroché la pole avec un tour de 3m22s982. Earl Bamber, Cadillac V-Series.R n°2: « Je pense que nous avions une bonne voiture. Nous n’avons pas vraiment montré où nous pouvions être. Je pense que nous aurions pu être dans les trois ou quatre premiers et que nous étions dans un bon tour quand le drapeau rouge est sorti et que nous l’avons perdu. Nous avons une voiture avec un bon rythme de course, et avec tout ce dont nous avons parlé toute la semaine – des arrêts aux stands rapides et cohérents et la fiabilité dont cette voiture a fait preuve tout au long de la saison – nous serons en lice pour la victoire. » Sebastien Bourdais, Cadillac V-Series.R n°3: « C’était un effort considérable (pour le tour le plus rapide). La voiture était vraiment bonne. Lors de la première tentative, la voiture a vraiment été gênée par le trafic. La deuxième tentative a été la tempête parfaite. Je suis sorti, il n’y avait pas de trafic, j’ai fait un bon tour de préparation, les pneus étaient parfaitement chauds. J’ai réussi à faire le premier tour avec les pneus à leur meilleur niveau et j’ai obtenu un premier secteur incroyable et c’était un tour vraiment solide. Puis j’ai commencé à perdre du temps et ça a disparu. »

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

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

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

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

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

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

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE

Sonoma RacewaySonoma, CaliforniaJune 10-11, 2023

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

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

A native of Elk Grove, California, Larson’s victory in the 2021 event at his home track marked his first-ever road course victory in NASCAR’s premier series. What turned into a career season for the 30-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver, he went on to add two more road course victories later that season (Watkins Glen International and Charlotte ROVAL) en route to his first career championship title.

Most recently, Suarez made history after driving his No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 to the win at Sonoma Raceway last season – his first career NCS victory. A monumental victory for Suarez, the win was also one for the history books for NASCAR with Suarez becoming the first Mexico-born driver to win in the series. The 31-year-old Monterrey, Mexico, driver also became just the fifth foreign-born driver to win in NASCAR’s premier series – joining the elite company of Marcos Ambrose (Australia), Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) Earl Ross (Canada) and Mario Andretti (Italy).

ELLIOTT EYES NEXT ROAD COURSE RECORDHendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott found victory lane in the NASCAR Cup Series for the first time on a road course – taking the win in the series’ visit to Watkins Glen International in 2018. The former champion has gone on to collect seven career NCS road course wins – the most among active drivers. Taking the impressive feat one step further, Elliott’s seven NCS road course wins have been recorded at five different road course circuits – also a series’ record.   Looking for his first win of the 2023 season, a victory by Elliott in Sunday’s event would tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart on the NCS’ all-time road course wins list with eight. Topping the list is career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon – who amassed nine NCS road course victories in his lustrous career.

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletWatkins Glen International – Aug. 5, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

Austin Dillon, No. 33 Chevrolet SilveradoGMS Racing’s First NCTS WinNew Hampshire Motor Speedway – Sept. 26, 2015Grant Enfinger, No. 23 Chevrolet Silverado RSTGMS Racing’s 44th All-Time NCTS WinWorld Wide Technology Raceway – June 3, 2023

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

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

QUOTABLE QUOTES:ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 KUBOTA CAMARO ZL1You still seem to run in more than one series on weekends, why is that?“I think it’s important to get as many reps as possible. It’s something I’ve always done no matter what the equipment is like. You look back several years ago and I was running in as many series as I could each weekend just to get that seat time because I feel it’s really important for me. I even went out to Sonoma a few weeks ago to drive a Skip Barber school car just to get more laps at Sonoma. I wanted to start getting my mind trained to turning left and right again so that it comes more natural this weekend. I’ve done a ton of left turns in my life. Even on the farm, we always turn the tractor left with the way we work the fields. No idea why that really is, it’s just the way we’ve always done it. I would hate to add up all of the left turns I’ve made in my life, versus right.” AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BREZTRI CAMARO ZL1 How do you prepare for Sonoma Raceway?“I prepare for Sonoma Raceway by spending a lot of hours on the Chevrolet simulator, and I’ve been at the go-kart track quite a bit this year, which in the past I haven’t done. I could probably run Sonoma in my sleep. I’ve put a lot of effort into this race. I can’t wait to get there in my No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE™ (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet Camaro. I really like the track; it’s a fun, slick road course. We have a lot of high hopes for this race to break through and have our best finish on a road course. We’ve been getting better at road racing the last couple of years. We have a shot to qualify well, lead laps, and come out with a good run.” Does Sonoma Raceway lend itself to the same kind of aggression as Watkins Glen or Circuit of the Americas?“Yes, it does. Sonoma Raceway has some aggression, but it’s more controlled because of the tire wear. It’s easy to overdrive the car; you have to take care of the rear tires and try not to slide the front tires. The aggression is always there on road courses, and especially in turn 11, the final turn. You know what you are getting when you go into turn 11 and where you can attack and make passes.” You were strong at COTA earlier this season. Are you excited to get to Sonoma?“Circuit Of the Americas didn’t go well for us. We didn’t get the finish we deserved after getting spun at the top of the hill. I’m excited about Sonoma Raceway. Ever since the race was over at COTA, we’ve been working on our road course program to come out strong this weekend. I feel like my RCR team is prepared as much as we can.” KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1Larson on racing at Sonoma Raceway: “I always love going back home and racing at Sonoma (Raceway). I always get to see a lot of friends, family and race fans that grew up watching me race sprint cars and stuff around Northern California. I think all of us drivers look forward to going to Sonoma a lot, but with me being from only an hour and half away, it’s a special place. I’ve always qualified really well there. Since I’ve raced with Hendrick (Motorsports), we got a win there in 2021, led some laps in 2022 and had a fast car. We just missed the strategy some and then had a wheel fall off as we were starting to get back into contention. It’s kind of a flowy track. The tires wear out, so you kind of manage your runs quite a good bit. There’s a lot of elevation change too. I enjoy all that.” CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1Daniels on what Sonoma means to the team: “With Sonoma (Raceway) being Kyle (Larson)’s home track, it means a lot to him and it means a lot to the team. We love the track layout itself, just the configuration of the track. It’s got ups and downs and sorts of different shapes and sizes of corners that make it really challenging to set up a car to go fast. It certainly makes it challenging for the drivers, but Kyle does a great job there and we just need to do our part to give him a great car. With the way our team has been executing races, hopefully we can have a good car and have ourselves in the game to execute and have a great day.” KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 MCLAREN CUSTOM GRILLS CAMARO ZL1You scored an impressive victory at Sonoma in 2008, after starting deep in the field and leading the most laps. Is that one of your most satisfying road course victories?“Sonoma Raceway in 2008 was a really good time. We didn’t qualify very well and didn’t feel like we had very good speed overall, but the cautions fell perfectly for us that day where we were on pit road and then the cautions fell. We were able to leapfrog the competition and get track position. That happened both times we pitted so that was super-good and made our race super-easy by just being able to run hard up front. We made the most of that day. It was definitely a satisfying victory. That one was really cool. It was my first road course victory so that meant a lot.” You have raced on a couple of different course designs at Sonoma Raceway. What are the challenges of the current layout?“I’ve raced a few different designs at Sonoma Raceway. I enjoy all of them. The carousel is cool, it’s fun. There’s a lot of transition there and there’s a lot of technicality that you’ve got to figure out to be good on that course as well as the chute course. I don’t prefer one over the other. I think the rest of the course is so challenging in itself. What makes Sonoma special is Turn 11, up the hill in Turn 1, the esses and down the back straightway. It’s just a fun course, very technical.” Do you think the racing at Sonoma Raceway is more physical on the driver than the other road courses?“Sonoma Raceway is one of the more physical road courses on the circuit, for sure. You’re always fighting grip. Even when you’re on the front side of a run, you’re trying to hustle the car. you’re slipping and sliding everywhere trying to make the most of the time while not running off course and keeping the tires somewhat underneath you. You try to minimize the tire degradation as it happens as much as you can, yet you know you’ve got to be fast and try to catch the guys in front of you. And with this new Next Gen race car, that has become even more important and more challenging to get right because everybody seems to be running much closer speeds. A lot of setups are very similar, a lot of brake packages are very similar. It’s hard to find any sort of advantage in that.” CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1Elliott on what it takes to run well at Sonoma: “It’s one of those places that you really do need to attack a little bit. Road course racing in general is pretty aggressive, I think that’s fair to say. Last year, it was very track position oriented, and making sure you executed a good race – from having good restarts to being good on pit road to calling the right strategy. Having pace, too, and then that comes back to your qualifying effort. So really, a full weekend of being pretty aggressive, I feel like is probably the best approach to give you a good shot at it.” ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1Gustafson the team’s outlook for the rest of the regular season:“We’re going to keep working hard to get to where we want to be and improve to win some races. We’ve certainly had some pace in our cars. It hasn’t been the most straightforward season for us, but I think everyone’s handled it really well. We just need to get back into a rhythm, put together some good runs and work together to be the best that we can be. If we do those things and work super hard, then we’re going to be in good shape.” AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 GABRIEL GLAS CAMARO ZL1“Sonoma is always a special, important weekend for me. It’s near where I grew up and I still get to see a lot of friends and family there. Quite honestly, it’s a racetrack that I don’t have a very good average finish. I’ve felt like I’ve always been fast there, but it hasn’t worked out. Being able to run both races [NXS and NCS] I’m really looking forward to it. Sonoma is a racetrack I’ve always wanted to win at knowing it’s my home racetrack and I would be able to do that in front of a lot of friends and family. Hopefully, we can go back there and have some success to keep building on our program.” WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1Byron on gains needed after the first road course race of the season and how the Next Gen car compares to the previous generation of car: “We’re hoping to make some gains since COTA (Circuit of The Americas). We were sliding around a little too much with the rear tires there. This car seemed like it had a little bit more grip at Sonoma (Raceway) compared to previous years. However, there were some aspects that were very similar like the shifting.” RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1Fugle on the strategy of calling races without stage break cautions: “When you have a known caution like we did in the past with the stage breaks, you had to short the stages and then you would cycle forward and have track position. If you raced for stage points, generally you would never make it back up there – specifically after stage two. Now, there is no known caution, so you don’t have short anything. You’re going to split the race up into what you believe is the least amount of elapsed time for the shortest race, whether that’s a two-stop, three-stop or four-stop race. Chances are you will be able to collect stage points and have a chance at the race win.” GRANT ENFINGER, NO. 42 SUNSEEKER RESORTS CAMARO ZL1“My thoughts are with Noah, I know how much he loves this team and the guys on it. I’m happy to help out LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and the No. 42 team.” ERIK JONES, NO. 43 ALLEGIANT CAMARO ZL1“Going out to Sonoma will be a good time, it’s our first time at a road course this year since COTA. We learned a lot. I think we have seen growth as a team since COTA, this track should show the steps we have taken and put them to the test. We have what it takes to get out front and compete this weekend; the whole No. 43 team has made steady progress as a group. Hate the circumstances to not have Dave come to Sonoma, but confident Joey will do a great job filling in for us. Looking to have a good run still.” RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER / COTTONELLE CAMARO ZL1“I feel good going into Sonoma with our No. 47 Kroger / Cottonelle Camaro especially after our last road course race at COTA (Circuit of the Americas). We had a good race car there, and it has us optimistic about Sonoma. Our goal this weekend is to stay out of trouble and make it through some crazy late restarts. If we can do that, we will be just fine. It will be a fun weekend. We’ll spend Friday evening with our partners, and then I’m going to race a sprint car Saturday night in Petaluma.” ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY PRIDE CAMARO ZL1Bowman on returning to Sonoma: “I think Sonoma (Raceway) is a place that we can be successful at this year. Last year, we had a really fast No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro and had a shot at a top-five finish but just got caught up in someone else’s mess. Our team back at the shop has built really fast cars all year and even though I was out for a little bit, I think our team is as good as we were before I missed those couple of races. There is no reason we can’t go compete for a win on any given weekend.” BLAKE HARRIS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY PRIDE CAMARO ZL1Harris on the team’s outlook for Sonoma: “I am feeling good heading into this weekend. Hendrick Motorsports had really strong cars there last year. Alex (Bowman) was en route to a top-10 run and got caught up in an on-track incident. I think it is a good opportunity after the end of our race last week to turn things around, go perform and push our team into a good spot heading into an off weekend. Sonoma (Raceway) is probably my favorite road course. I just like the atmosphere and I think it is going to be a good one for the No. 48 team.” DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 FREEWAY INSURANCE CAMARO ZL1Does arriving in Sonoma after a good run at St. Louis give you even more confidence?“Definitely, man. Every time we head to a road course, whether it’s Sonoma (Raceway), or somewhere else, I am excited. I feel at home and I am excited to go back to a place where we had great memories last time and hopefully we can repeat it. Sunday’s race at St. Louis was great for us. It was a good solid run from start to finish. We just need to build on it.” Can you win again on Sunday?“Of course we can. We have a very good road course program. You saw how fast we were at COTA. We are going out to Sonoma with plans to sit on the pole, lead every lap and win the race.” What do you remember about Sonoma last year?“It was such a crazy day and I had so many thoughts in my head. I mean, it was a rough road getting to victory lane but that moment was so worth it. Not just for me but for my family, Julia, these guys believe in me – Trackhouse Racing, Justin Marks, Ty Norris. Everyone that helped me to get to this point. A lot of people in Mexico – Jay Morales and Carlos Slim. My family, they never give up on me. A lot of people did, but they didn’t. I was just very happy we were able to make it work.” What were the final laps like last year?“I was just trying to stay calm. I knew that it was a big stake on the line, but I was trying to stay calm. I was silent. I wanted to do my thing. I didn’t want too much noise on the radio. I knew what I had to do. I would say after the white flag is when I got out of control. I just start crying inside the helmet, just thinking about it. Especially because I had a big gap. If it wasn’t a big gap, I would be focused. Since I had a big gap, I was just thinking about every single moment that has cost me to be here.  It’s been a different journey. Every NASCAR driver has had a tough journey. Everyone has a different journey. But my journey is definitely the most different of everyone else, leaving my family, my country, and just coming to a different culture, different language. Thinking of all those things, it makes it very, very, very special.”

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

 
BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 08, 2023) – Defending Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown world champion David Barton and his Retail Fixture – Sawmill Auto Chevrolet COPO Camaro hope that the NRHA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway can be the positive turn it was for him last year. Barton picked up the victory at Bristol Dragway in 2022, a win that gave him the points lead and ultimately the championship.
 
“Last year we won the race and moved into the points lead which we held on to throughout the rest of the season for the championship. Everything fell our way that day. We had a lot of momentum coming into Bristol last year and I am looking to get some momentum started this weekend,” Barton said. “We will get back-to-back races with Bristol and Norwalk so we would like to get off on the right foot.”
 
Sitting second in the point standings, Lenny Lottig hopes to make that turnaround for Barton just a little bit harder. Lottig has three career victories including two back-to-back wins at the most recent event, the Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals and Chicago Route 66 Nationals, that has the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Bounty up to $2,000.

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

 
“I wanted to hang onto that Flexjet bounty when we went to Chicago, and we were able to win again. Now that bounty is $2,000 and I would like to hold onto it so it keeps getting bigger,” said Lottig, driver of the ITI Trailers & Truck Bodies Chevrolet. “I am having a great time driving this Camaro. The competition is so tough you have to be nearly perfect on race day. We have had some luck, but I have a great team and crew.”
 
Hoping to bring Lottig’s win streak to an end is David Davies in his Save Our Allies/DH Davies Racing Dodge Drag Pak. Davies is sitting third in the Flexjet points just 72 points back from Lottig.
 
“We’re going rounds which is good, but have certainly been fighting through our share of issues. This new team has rallied though and has shown a lot of hustle. We have the car but we’re going to need to dial in some consistency as we head into an aggressive few weeks for the mid-season dash starting at Bristol,” Davies said. “It’s ‘Bristol Baby’ and it’s an awesome place to run, the fans are some of the best. We’ll put on the best show we can and try to improve on our semifinal finish from last year. It’s a historic track and a win at the Thunder Valley Nationals would be incredible.”

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

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

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

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

June 8, 2023

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

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

Upcoming road-course races include the inaugural street race in Chicago on July 2, the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Aug. 13 and the Go Bowling at the Glen on Aug. 20 at Watkins Glen. 
 
Wilson said he believes Burton and the DEX Imaging team can replicate some of its earlier success on road courses. It was on the road course at Indianapolis last year that Burton scored his career-best Cup finish of third.
 
“Looking back to our one previous race this season at this style track, we qualified a respectable 16th at Circuit of the Americas,” he said. “Through the early portions of that race we also showed top-15 speed until we had a mechanical issue.”
 
Wilson said the No. 21 team is working hard this week to prepare for the challenges presented by Sunday’s race at Sonoma.
 
“All Ford teams are utilizing the simulator this week to warm up for the lefts and rights,” he said. “This race has a new, softer tire from Goodyear as well as a slight change to gear ratios. 
 
“Using the simulator to predict new shift points will be a point of emphasis. This could possibly change which gears you run in each corner.”
 
The team will get 55 minutes of track time during practice on Saturday afternoon. The session begins at 2:05 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (5:05 p.m. Eastern Time), then qualifying will follow at 3 p.m. Pacific Time (6 p.m. Eastern). FOX Sports 2 will carry the TV coverage.
 
Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350, a 110-lap, 219-mile affair, is set to get the green flag just after 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time (3:30 Eastern) with TV coverage on FOX.
 
Stage breaks are planned for Laps 25 and 55.
 

June 8, 2023

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

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

Upcoming road-course races include the inaugural street race in Chicago on July 2, the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Aug. 13 and the Go Bowling at the Glen on Aug. 20 at Watkins Glen. 
 
Wilson said he believes Burton and the DEX Imaging team can replicate some of its earlier success on road courses. It was on the road course at Indianapolis last year that Burton scored his career-best Cup finish of third.
 
“Looking back to our one previous race this season at this style track, we qualified a respectable 16th at Circuit of the Americas,” he said. “Through the early portions of that race we also showed top-15 speed until we had a mechanical issue.”
 
Wilson said the No. 21 team is working hard this week to prepare for the challenges presented by Sunday’s race at Sonoma.
 
“All Ford teams are utilizing the simulator this week to warm up for the lefts and rights,” he said. “This race has a new, softer tire from Goodyear as well as a slight change to gear ratios. 
 
“Using the simulator to predict new shift points will be a point of emphasis. This could possibly change which gears you run in each corner.”
 
The team will get 55 minutes of track time during practice on Saturday afternoon. The session begins at 2:05 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (5:05 p.m. Eastern Time), then qualifying will follow at 3 p.m. Pacific Time (6 p.m. Eastern). FOX Sports 2 will carry the TV coverage.
 
Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350, a 110-lap, 219-mile affair, is set to get the green flag just after 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time (3:30 Eastern) with TV coverage on FOX.
 
Stage breaks are planned for Laps 25 and 55.
 

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

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

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

BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 07, 2023) – Brittany Force and the Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster team head to Bristol Dragway sitting second in points. The two-time and reigning world championship team have a prime chance to take over the Top Fuel championship battle as they compete for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals as well as the postponed New England Nationals victory. A semifinal appearance in 2021 and a No. 1 start in 2014 highlight Force’s previous competition at Bristol Dragway. Bristol is one of only a handful of tracks on which she doesn’t hold the record for either time or speed in her David Grubnic-tuned Monster Energy dragster. In 2022, Force qualified fifth and had a quarterfinal exit. Last weekend in Epping, N.H., Force and the Monster Energy team qualified 11th, her lowest race day start since the Chicago event in June 2019 to put them against Josh Hart in their first round of eliminations of the NHRA New England Nationals. “Arrived in Bristol, Tennessee for the Thunder Valley Nationals and it’s going to be a busy weekend. Going to be two events in one with the carryover from Epping, N.H.,” Force said. “We get one qualifying shot to figure out the track before going into the first round of the New England Nationals. It’s added pressure and going to be a lot of work for the team but nothing this Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team can’t handle. It also opened the doors for a double-up race weekend.” After rain postponed eliminations for the New England Nationals in Epping, N.H., Bristol Dragway will now play host to a doubleheader. Beginning with the second round of qualifying, teams will be competing not only to start race day from further up the ladder but for the New England Nationals Wally. Second session of qualifying will serve as round one, third session as round two, an additional run not counting towards qualifying will be the semifinals and the final qualifying session will also host the New England Nationals finals. The NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway starts with qualifying Friday at 5:00 p.m. followed by the second session and first round of New England Nationals eliminations at 8:00 p.m. Saturday will include the quarterfinals of the New England Nationals during the second qualifying session at 2:00 p.m. and then the New England Nationals semifinals for Epping at 4:15 p.m. The final qualifying session as well as the New England Nationals final round will be at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Eliminations for the Thunder Valley Nationals are set to begin at noon on Sunday. Television coverage this weekend will be aired on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and include a Friday 7 p.m. ET Thunder Valley Nationals qualifying show and New England Nationals first round show at 8:00 p.m. ET. Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET will be the remaining New England Nationals coverage. Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET will be a second Thunder Valley Nationals qualifying show and at 7:00 p.m. ET will air the Thunder Valley Nationals eliminations.

EPPING, N.H. (June 05, 2023) – Due to inclement weather, the balance of the 2023 NHRA New England Nationals will now be run as part of this weekend’s NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. The first round of eliminations from Epping in Top Fuel and Funny Car will now take place during the second qualifying round in Bristol at 8 p.m. ET on Friday. The second round of eliminations will run during the third qualifying session at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The semifinals will run between qualifying sessions on Saturday, with the finals of the NHRA New England Nationals in Top Fuel and Funny Car slated to run during the final qualifying session at 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. In both nitro categories, the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge will run concurrent with the semifinals and finals on Saturday in Bristol, as a driver in each class will win twice on Saturday.

AUSTIN PROCK, 27, Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragsterQualifying:7th; 4.075-seconds; 239.27 mphBonus Qualifying Points:0 BRITTANY FORCE, 36, Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac dragsterQualifying:11th; 4.907-seconds; 149.88 mphBonus Qualifying Points:0 JOHN FORCE, 74, BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SSQualifying:9th; 6.623-seconds; 96.42 mphBonus Qualifying Points: 0ROBERT HIGHT, 53, AAA / Cornwell Tools Chevy Camaro SSQualifying:5th; 4.624-seconds; 186.74 mphBonus Qualifying Points:0

CHEVROLET IN NHRA 2023 NHRA NEW ENGLAND NATIONALS NEW ENGLAND DRAGWAY EPPING, NEW HAMPSHIRE TEAM CHEVY RACE UPDATE JUNE 5, 2023 WEATHER WINS IN EPPING FOR CHEVROLET NHRA TEAMS WITH NEW ENGLAND NATIONALS TO BE COMPLETED AT BRISTOL  EPPING, N.H. (June 5, 2023) – Facing adverse weather conditions and battling a tough track, the Chevrolet nitro teams of John Force Racing, with the Top Fuel drivers of Brittany Force and Austin Prock, along with Funny Car drivers John Force and Robert Hight battling out the now postponed NHRA New England Nationals in Thunder Valley at Bristol Dragway this coming weekend. With only two attempts at qualifying for New England Nationals due to weather, Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, qualified No. 7, and will face Steve Torrence. Qualifying No. 11, Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, will face Josh Hart. In Funny Car, John Force, driver of the BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car and 16-time NHRA Champion, qualified No. 9 in Epping and will race against Tim Wilkerson at Bristol. Robert Hight, driver of the AAA Northern New England / Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car and two-time winner this season, qualified No. 5 in the tricky conditions and will face Alexis DeJoria in Round 1. Running the New England Nationals during qualifying for this weekend’s NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Round 1 will take place during Q2 on Friday, with Round 2 running during Q3. Semifinals will run between Q3 and Q4 on Saturday, with Q4 then doubling as the Final round of the New England Nationals. “Really tough conditions, weather was not on our side, or anyone’s really,” Hight said while reflecting on the shortened qualifying sessions and event weekend. “Another set of tricky conditions, but this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team managed to stay in the top half of the field,” noted Prock. “If all goes as planned, we have the potential to have a great points day. I’m excited to get the first round started.” Reflecting on his qualifying runs, J. Force said “On that last run, it rattled on me, so I pedaled it. It got back to the middle and I thought I was okay. Then it took a left on me. I should have caught it, that’s my job. Hopefully we can get it together and be ready to take this BlueDEF Chevy some rounds.” Discussing the difficult race weekend, B. Force said “Epping has been a bit of struggle this weekend. We lost a qualifying run to rain and the two session we did get, our car struggled David Grubnic and this entire Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team are incredible and know I we can turn things around.” The NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals qualifying and the postponed NHRA New England Nationals finals from Bristol Dragway will air Friday, June 9 at 7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Saturday qualifying, along with Rounds 3 and 4 air on FS1 Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET. The Thunder Valley Nationals eliminations then air Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on FS1.

June 5, 2023 — ENSENADA, Baja, Mexico

• Honda Ridgeline again captures Class 7 honors in Baja
• Second Ridgeline off-road racing victory of 2023, and sixth Baja 500 win

The Honda Off-Road Racing Team returned to Baja California this weekend, and added another Class 7 victory in the 55th running of the Baja 500 off-road race.

The impressive result was the second consecutive class win for the Ridgeline Off-Road Race Truck this season, following a Class 7 victory, for V6-powered unlimited race trucks, at the Mint 400 in March, and the sixth victory for the Ridgeline in the Baja 500.

Starting and finishing driver Ethan Ebert – along with Richard Glasczak who piloted the middle stint —  took an early Class 7 lead and remained in command throughout the 470-mile loop contest that started and ended in Ensenada, Mexico, on the Baja peninsula.

Quotes
Jeff Proctor (team owner Honda Off-Road Racing Team) won Class 7 for unlimited V6 Trucks: “The race went really, really, well. This Honda Ridgeline is so tough, we had no issues out there all day.  It was just a flawless race.  Baja is always a test of man and machine, but [starting and finishing driver] Ethan [Ebert] managed the race so well; as did Richard [Glasczak, middle stint driver]. I’m just really happy for this whole Honda Off-Road Racing Team.”

Ethan Ebert (driver Honda Baja Ridgeline Race Truck) Starting and finishing driver: 
“We tagged a few bushes on our way [to the win], but it overall it was really good. We got over all the rocks we needed to get over and everything held up, so that was good. Our Baja Ridgeline brought us all the way here with no issues.” [Ebert started and drove to Mile 210, then from Mile 440 to the finish. Richard Glasczak drove from Mile 210-440).

Fast Facts

• This is the sixth Baja 500 class victory for the Honda Baja Ridgeline in eight races.  Honda has also recorded three class wins in the Baja 1000.
• The Honda Off-Road Racing program began in 2015 with a class win in the Baja 1000.  The Honda Baja Ridgeline has gone on to record 16 class victories in 36 races.

Next
The next race for the Honda Off-Road Racing Team will be the Best in the Desert’s August 16-20 Casey Folks Vegas to Reno point-to-point race in Nevada, the longest off-road race held in the USA.  The race is expected to see the debut of the new, third-generation Honda Baja Ridgeline Race Truck.

NASCAR CUP SERIES WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY RACE WAY ENJOY ILLINOIS 300 PRESENTED BY TICKETSMARTERTEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT Chevrolet’s Series-Leading Ninth NCS Win of the 2023 Season

·       The win is Busch’s third NASCAR Cup Series win of 2023 – tying fellow Team Chevy driver William Byron’s series-leading win record for the season.  ·       Busch now sits at 63 victories in 657 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series.·       The victory is Chevrolet’s first NASCAR Cup Series win at World Wide Technology Raceway – coming in just the series’ second appearance at the 1.25-mile oval.  ·       The winningest manufacturer in NASCAR Cup Series history, Chevrolet now sits at 842 all-time wins in NASCAR’s premier series. ·       Chevrolet swept the NASCAR doubleheader race weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway with Grant Enfinger and the No. 23 GMS Racing Silverado RST team taking the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win.

MADISON, IL (June 4, 2023) –  Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch drove Chevrolet to it’s series-leading ninth NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) win of the 2023 season at World Wide Technology Raceway. The victory came after Busch powered his No. 8 3CHI Camaro ZL1 through a series of five late-race restarts and an overtime finish to collect his third win of the season in NASCAR’s premier series.  The Team Chevy driver proved to be a contender for the triumph throughout the race weekend – also checking off his first pole win of the season. Leading the field to the green flag, the 38-year-old Las Vegas native went on to finish in the top-two in both stages – including a win in the opening stage. Busch took the lead from Team Chevy driver Kyle Larson on lap 184 and went on to lead the last 60 circuits en route to the victory. Busch is now the second driver in NASCAR’s premier series to notch three victories this season – joining fellow Team Chevy driver William Byron on that elite list.  Busch’s victory capped off a winning weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway for Chevrolet. Part one of the NASCAR doubleheader race weekend at the 1.25-mile oval saw Grant Enfinger and the No. 23 GMS Racing Silverado RST team drive the manufacturer to the victory in Saturday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event. The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Sonoma Raceway with the Toyota / Save Mart 350 on Sunday, June 11, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1 – Race Winner QuoteKyle Busch starts from the pole. Had a lot of work in the middle to get there, Kyle, but you complete the perfect weekend.“Yeah, absolutely. That was pretty awesome. Man, to sit on the pole, lead a lot of laps and have my guys do such a great job today was pretty phenomenal for us. Great for RCR. Just win, baby!  Thanks to Team Chevy, appreciate 3Chi. Don’t forget, guess what, the No. 8 special – free chicken tenders at Cheddar’s on Monday! All the fans go out and celebrate with us. We’re going to have a great time with this one. This one is pretty cool.” TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER1st      Kyle Busch, No. 8 3CHI Camaro ZL14th      Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL17th      Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Freeway Insurance Camaro ZL18th      William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1  TOP-FIVE UNOFFICIAL RESULTS: POS.  DRIVER1st      Kyle Busch (Chevrolet)2nd     Denny Hamlin (Toyota)3rd      Joey Logano (Ford)4th      Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)5th      Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota)

TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 GET BIOETHANOL CAMARO ZL1Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in the final stage. Finished: 31st “It’s just an unfortunate continuation to our season. It was the closing laps of the race and we were well on our way to a top-10 finish. The No. 2 car just flat out took me out. He right reared us and it ended our race. It’s unfortunate. We’ll regroup and give it all we have for Sonoma Raceway next weekend. I want to congratulate my teammate and the entire No. 8 team on the win. The No. 3 team will get over this hump.” KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 Finished 4thYOU GUYS WORKED ON THIS ALL DAY LONG. I KNOW FOURTH ISN’T EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT ANY WEEK, BUT THIS HAS TO FEEL PRETTY GOOD. “It does, it does. I want to be upset with fourth after running second there the last little bit of the race and having a shot to lineup on the front row for a green-white-checkered. For a lot of the day, I thought I was going to run 20th on back. Huge thank you to Cliff Daniels (crew chief) and everybody on the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy team for making the right adjustments. I don’t know if we were still amazing, but the strategy calls were perfect and at the right time and the late cautions fell at the right time. I think the car would have been fine had we just ran those last 50 laps under green.  Proud of the effort today. It’s been a couple tough races. We’ve been so good all year long and the last few have been pretty bad and we’ve had to work on it quite a bit. The team got us in a place where we could contend for the win, so you can’t ask for much more than that. Thank you to HendrickCars.com, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet, Valvoline – everybody that helps on this car. It’s a whole team effort. And congrats to Kyle (Busch). It was fun chasing him down. I wish I would have done a better job. When I was the leader, I hadn’t been at the front all day, so I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know where people were running on restarts and I didn’t know how hard they could go. I just got kind of caught off guard and lost the control.” CARSON HOCEVAR, NO. 7 SCHLUTER SYSTEMS CAMARO ZL1 Broken brake rotor during Stage Two forced the No. 7 Camaro ZL1 team to retire early from the race. Finished: 36th What a day you had going. How would you assess your first time in a Cup car today up to that point? “I thought it was great. I had a blast. Just so thankful for the opportunity. I don’t have a job for next year. I know Al Niece and Cody Efaw wants me to run for them and I will forever run a race or however many. But man, I’m just so thankful that they gave me the opportunity – the opportunity to drive a Xfinity car and now driving a Cup car. I was running 16th.. just so surreal for the first time ever. I thought we were going to have a good day and be in a good spot for Schluter Systems, Celsius, Spire Motorsports, Ryan Sparks and the No. 7 Chevy team. Hopefully that call for a Cup ride isn’t the only one I get in my life.”  JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1 Finished: 16th“It was an up-and-down day for this No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection team. We fired off tight in traffic, and it was just hard to pass. My crew chief, Trent Owens made some really good strategy calls and we had positive adjustments all day, despite a couple pit-road mishaps. We had another good Chevrolet hot rod, and we will take a 16th-place finish after a hard fought day.”  RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 NOS ENERGY DRINK CAMARO ZL1Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in the final stage. Finished: 32nd“Our No. 47 NOS Energy Drink Chevy was really good all day. We kept our track position just like we wanted to. We got stage points and I felt like we had a top-eight or so car, which was a big difference from last year. Obviously we’re striving to be better everywhere. We had a really good streak going of really good runs. It looked like the No. 2 (Austin Cindric) just, for some reason, right-reared the No. 3 (Austin Dillon) and took both of us Chevy guys out, so that’s a bummer. We definitely had a top-10 car today.” DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 FREEWAY INSURANCE CAMARO ZL1 Finished: 7thYOU HAD A STRONG RUN AND RAN AROUND THE TOP-TEN ALL DAY LONG.“Yeah, the entire weekend was very solid for us. We barely missed the second run in qualifying and really, we missed it because of me and not because of the car. The car was capable of advancing. In the race, the car was strong right away. I can’t thank enough everyone at Trackhouse Racing, the No. 99 team, everyone at Freeway Insurance, and all the people that help us have a strong performance on the track.It was fun today and we really needed this as a team. We needed a result that we deserved, and I felt like lately it’s been a little difficult on us when it comes to that. Today, I felt like we deserved a top-10 or top-five and we came home seventh, so we will take it.” YOU GUYS HAVE MOMENTUM GOING INTO SONOMA WHERE YOU WON LAST YEAR.. THAT HAS TO MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD“Definitely, man. Every time we head to a road course, whether it’s Sonoma (Raceway), or somewhere else, I am excited. I feel at home and I am excited to go back to a place where we had great memories last time and hopefully we can repeat it.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1 – Race Win Press Conference Transcript THE MODERATOR: We are now joined by the winner of tonight’s NASCAR Cup Series race, Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.We’ll go right to questions. Q. Out-dueling Larson on several late race restarts, where does this win do you feel like ranks among maybe some of your best driving performances?KYLE BUSCH: Yeah, no, I mean, I guess I had a lot of experience of doing the same stuff last year, and unfortunately didn’t make the most of it there at the end and get the win last year. Was able to do it this year just racing against a few of those guys. Larson was up there, Denny was up there, Blaney, all the guys that were fast all day. So I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.Just the restarts kind of went our way. We were able to get through on the outside on that one and push Larson out, then he took bottom of three and four, I was able to carry the momentum around the high side to take the lead. That was really important. I think that was kind of the key moment of us being able to win today. Being able to control the rest of the restarts for the rest of the race. Kyle is one of the best. It’s good to be able to sit up here and race hard with him, being a Team Chevy partner. He gave me great respect, I appreciate that. That will be given back down the road. Q. Did you anticipate this level of success so early when you made the move to RCR?KYLE BUSCH: I’m sorry, one more time. Q. Did you anticipate this level of success so early?KYLE BUSCH: Yeah, no, we’ve had some really good runs. We’ve had three wins obviously, which is great. But we’ve also had some of the dismal days as well. We’ve had peaks and valleys so far this year. We just got to find the greater planes, if you will, and level this thing out a little bit. It’s great to be able to score a win here in St. Louis for Randall’s hometown, that’s really good. So the team is really on a high. The whole organization has been really fighting hard, doing a great job.Everybody back at RCR, at the shop, ECR, the engine shop, has been doing great. Just been so welcoming and really cool to be able to go out there and succeed for them and to give them back what all the hard work they’re putting in is doing. Q. Do you kind of feed off of that? It’s like after what you went through last year with Gibbs, to go someplace that just so thoroughly wanted you there, and they’re feeding off of your talent and your success, it just has to pull an organization in the right direction.KYLE BUSCH: Yeah, I mean, it all kind of stems, too, on the horse you’re riding, right? We were horrible at the All-Star Race. That was probably our worst roll. Being able to come out here and have a good run at a short track, although it was still the normal aero package, if you will. But just goes to show that we’re really putting our head down and digging in and trying to figure out what it’s going to be able to take to get me comfortable to make me fast, right? You got to have a good horse to ride. So far this year we’ve had a few. Guys have been doing a great job. Last week at Coke 600, we were fast as well. I think I kind of hurt the car a little bit when I spun out. We still drove back to second. Didn’t have anything for the 12. Was a great night for us. Just continuing to show good speed each week. Q. Now you’ve won in the Cup, Xfinity Series here at Gateway. Is it now a goal to win in the Truck Series?KYLE BUSCH: Depends on the rules and regulations and stipulations of locking me out. This was a triple truck challenge race. I can’t run in those. It’s a matter of being able to open up the playbook to have more races to choose from. It’s limited on which ones I’m allowed to go do.Years ago I was slated to run a late model race or something, I think it got canceled or something. I don’t know what it was. Didn’t get a chance to do that one either, but that would have been fun. Q. You led the most laps in both races here, two different teams, two different makes. Is there anything in particular at this track that you feel you’ve figured out or…KYLE BUSCH: Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t know what that really is. I’ve been fast here back in the Xfinity days when I raced with JGR, and the Hendrick days I think we had top five runs here, something like that. This has always been a good place for me. Always fun to come out to Gateway and the St. Louis area and have a good race. Not sure exactly what it is or what makes me run well here. It’s a fun place to race, so you just go out there and attack it and enjoy it. Q. On this day 12 years ago, you and Richard had your physical altercation. Richard said he’s put it behind him, you guys have moved on, he’s been proud to have you as part of his team. Wanted your thoughts of how you’ve grown and learned from that, now being a part of this team, to not only be the leader of this team but the face of the biggest threat for the championship?KYLE BUSCH: Yeah, I mean, people change. People grow up. Whatever happens. The relationship that I have now, and the effort that’s gone into securing me, to get me to go to RCR, the discussions and talks that happened there. Obviously being able to get there and have some really strong runs, winning right out of the gate at Fontana was big for us, a good morale booster. Just proves them right, right? Gives them greater satisfaction in me being part of the team.It’s been fun to have that group around. They know when we go to places, we struggle at places, that we all want to get better, right? I could do a better job most of the time. Randall and the guys can do a better job as well. We just all continue to strive and work hard and bounce off of each other in order to make sure we can come out and have the best possible stuff every time we hit the racetrack. Q. Tell us about your thoughts of having Braxton in the car going around. A big smile on his face.KYLE BUSCH: It was. Thank you. Braxton is a huge fan of mine, a great supporter obviously. It’s really fun when your son is there to kind of celebrate and have a great time, being able to jump the wall and come out. I was shocked when he got there. Asked the NASCAR guys if he could go for a ride. We did that in 2009 when I won the championship. That’s a moment we will never forget. We will cherish that one forever. It was really fun, really cool. Did it again today. Tried to accelerate down the backstretch to give him a little bit of pull on the race car. The rear tires were smoked, so all it wanted to do was spin out. Thankfully I kept it straight. We had fun. He likes that. So one of these days I’m sure he’ll be reaching for the pedals himself. Q. This is looking ahead. You led 54 laps last year at Nashville, couldn’t close the deal. Hendrick’s won the last two races. Being part of the key Chevrolet groups, does that give you additional data that might help you win when you go back there in two or three weeks?KYLE BUSCH: Certainly I would like to think so. I think the 8 car there last year was decent. Not as good as the Hendrick 9 or the 18 where I was. Like you said, we weren’t quite able to close out the deal. It would be nice to go back there and lean on some of those notes. That’s been a key thing for us to be able to do. It didn’t necessarily bode well at the All-Star Race. Maybe we showed them what not to do. Here this weekend, we were able to excel and we had the good stuff this weekend, if you will. Look forward to all the weeks ahead, kind of this final stretch before the Playoffs. Q. (No microphone.)KYLE BUSCH: It is, but it’s nowhere near the same. Entirely different racetrack. Concrete surface, banking in the corners. Corners more similar, one, two, three, four. So yeah. Fun track, though. Q. I’m not sure if this is a buzz kill or not. Did you have any concerns about brakes? Was there a big concern or you have a bunch of red flags at a track you don’t have a lot of data on, guys are pushing it, we should have expected some of that today?KYLE BUSCH: Yeah, I obviously don’t know what package they ran. I’m sure they would run the short track package here for brakes. I never felt any vibration, never had any issue, never had any long pedal or nothing with mine. I was confident in our stuff and what we had going. I felt like that was actually a really strong suit for me today, was on the brakes, get in the corner, get whoa’d up in time for the rest of the corner. RICHARD CHILDRESS, OWNER, RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING; and RANDALL BURNETT, CREW CHIEF, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1 – Race Win Press Conference Transcript THE MODERATOR: We are now joined by our race-winning team owner, Richard Childress, team owner of Richard Childress Racing. RICHARD CHILDRESS: It’s great to be back in the winner’s circle and come here and see all the great media folks that come here and help our sport be what it is today. Q. You said over the radio after Kyle took the checkered flag, there’s no one I’d rather have in that position than you. What has he meant to the organization?RICHARD CHILDRESS: Well, he’s helped us all around. Number one, he’s winning races, showing we can win races. He’s helped Austin a whole lot. Austin has had some really good runs. He had drove up to about 10th until the 2 car wrecked him in there on purpose, sort of a payback.But you know, Kyle has been really — he’s such a pleasure to work with. Everybody says, man, how y’all going to get along. Same question they asked me about you and Dale won’t last six months. We lasted 20 years. I want to keep Kyle there, and hopefully we can end his career when he gets ready to. Q. Was there any concern with your organization with brake rotors when it started to creep in there with a few of the cars? I think we had four broken rotors today?RICHARD CHILDRESS: You’re talking about breaking rotors? Q. Yeah, the brake rotors were breaking and there were four broken rotors today. Was there any concern among the RCR cars?RICHARD CHILDRESS: Yeah, I was really concerned on the 3 because he’s really hard on the brakes. Kyle didn’t seem to use it that much, and Austin quit using his a whole lot there at the end. These long straightaways, they have so much time to cool off, and then you get them so hot in the corner — here comes Randall Burnett, the winning crew chief, from local boy from right here in Missouri, St. Louis. I hope that answered your question. Q. Mr. Childress, three wins in the first 15 races of the season. From your perspective when was the last time it felt like RCR was this dangerous, to be a winner on such a regular basis?RICHARD CHILDRESS: You know, we won a lot with Harvick, won a lot with Earnhardt. Our plans is to win a lot with Kyle, and not only be a contender for that championship. If we make the Final Four, we’ll have a shot at winning it for sure. Q. Richard, I know it’s been a short time, but was that the best race you’ve seen Kyle drive for you?RICHARD CHILDRESS: You know, anytime he gets in the car, I think he drives a really great race. Anytime we can give him a car capable of winning, he’s going to win with it. I think he just did a great job today. Those last three or four or however many it was restarts, I felt they were pretty tough, but I knew he would be able to do his job. Q. For Randall, following up on the brake rotors, did you have any concerns, and is it just something that — red flags and not a lot of data on this track, makes that more challenging?RANDALL BURNETT: I think people probably came back — I think teams last year came here a little more conservative last year not knowing, and I think we all took data from that and went home and looked. We get options on heavy-duty rotors or light-duty rotors, so we can choose that, and we can obviously choose how much cooling we run to them.Like Richard said, it’s kind of a tough place because the straightaways are so long and you’re off the brakes for such a long time, and then you apply them really hard at the end of the straightaway, so the cycles of getting really cool down the straightaways and then really spiking up the heat, it takes a toll on the rotors. We were fortunate enough with the 8 car, we were kind of in the top 5 most all day long, and when you get back further a little bit in the pack, too, and have to work your rotors harder, using brakes, racing people a lot harder, those things happen. I’m sure everybody will take a look at that and try to understand what happened with those cars. Q. Richard, 12 years ago this was the day when you and Kyle got into the physical altercation. Talk about how you’ve seen him grow and mature, kind of evolve in the sport, and now racing for you and putting you as probably one of the top teams to be the threat for the championship this year.RICHARD CHILDRESS: Yeah, we put that totally behind us. We talked about it. That was one of the first things we talked about. That’s history. We’ve both grown a lot. I know I’ve grown up. I’ve grown older, but I’ve grown up, too. There’s an old song out there, I’m still growing up but I’m getting older. Q. Randall, winning in your home track here in St. Louis, you being a St. Louisan, do you have any initial memories of being here at Gateway and all the tremendous improvements Gateway has made?RANDALL BURNETT: Yeah, I was here, I was still in St. Louis, living here when this place — it used to be a road course here and part of the dragstrip was a road course, and I actually raced karts on that track a handful of times, and then they built this place, and I’d come watch INDYCARs when they would come, any events they would come here. So we always came over for that when I was a kid. I was fortunate enough to run some shifter karts here on this track through the road course on the infield and then part of the big track. It means a lot to me to come home. I moved away from here when I was about 20 years old and moved to Charlotte to do what I’m doing, to go race, and I did some driving down there and grew up racing go-karts here with my mom and my dad, off Telegraph Road at Woodman Raceway Park, the St. Louis Karting Association my father and some of them built down there for us to have a place to even go race. To come home and win here, it means a lot. It’s a pretty big deal for me. Q. Randall, can you look at just the first 14, 15 races and have an idea or a sense what the potential is for that team?RANDALL BURNETT: I think we’ve got a lot of potential. I think we’ve got a lot to clean up, too, and we talk about it repeatedly. We’ve had some really fast cars and taken ourselves out of races with some mistakes and things like that, me and Kyle, and our whole group have talked about it, and we know we’ve all got to clean it up on our end, especially if we’re going to compete for the championship. We are fast with this intermediate package. We’ve struggled really bad on the short tracks, haven’t got the feel for him of what he needs in a car on a short track yet, so that’s one of our biggest hindrances right now I would say as a team to be where we really want to be. But really proud of this 8 bunch. They dig in hard. Great group of guys, great group of racers, and Kyle has fit right in with them. He’s done a great job of adapting over here and lent plenty of insight on his side to how to make things better, as well, so we’re all working together towards that. RICHARD CHILDRESS: I want to say one other thing. Chevy has really supported us a lot, and I don’t think we could do what we do today without all the support — all the manufacturers support the teams, but I feel like Chevrolet gets behind us stronger than anybody else, all the three key partners. Thank you all.

TEAM CHEVY RACE HIGHLIGHTS: Stage One·       Kyle Busch and the No. 8 3CHI Camaro ZL1 team led the field to the green in today’s Enjoy Illinois 300 Presented by TicketSmarter at World Wide Technology Raceway – Busch’s first NASCAR Cup Series pole win of the 2023 season.  ·       With just three laps in the books, the race was brought under red flag conditions for a lightning hold – lasting 1:45:10.  ·       Once the race resumed, Stage One continued caution-free with polesitter Busch taking the green-white checkered flag at the stage end – his first stage win of the season.  ·       Team Chevy Stage One: Top-10 1st      Kyle Busch, No. 8 3CHI Camaro ZL17th      William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL18th     Ross Chastain, No. 1 Moose Fraternity Camaro ZL110th    Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Freeway Insurance Camaro ZL1 Stage Two·       The first round of pit stops took place during the stage break with crew chief Randall Burnett calling Kyle Busch to pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. Winning the race off pit road, Busch elected the outside lane of the front-row to take the green for Stage Two.  ·       In his first career NASCAR Cup Series start, Team Chevy’s Carson Hocevar was running in the 16th position when a broken brake rotor brought the No. 7 Schulter Systems Camaro ZL1 team’s day to an early end.  ·       Busch and the No. 8 3CHI Camaro ZL1 team led Bowtie brand to the end of Stage Two in the second position. Six Team Chevy drivers collected stage points in the stage: 2nd     Kyle Busch, No. 8 3CHI Camaro ZL14th      William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL15th      Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Freeway Insurance Camaro ZL16th      Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 NOS Energy Drink Camaro ZL19th      Ross Chastain, No. 1 Moose Fraternity Camaro ZL110th    Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 Final Stage ·       During the stage break, the lead pack hit pit road for the next round of scheduled pit stops. William Byron pit from the fourth position for four tires and fuel with the No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 team picking up two spots on pit road for a front-row restart position.  ·       Byron quickly powered his No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 to the lead on lap 149. Holding onto a strong gap in front of second-place, a timely caution fell allowing the No. 24 team to address a concern of a possible right-front tire going down.  ·       Crew chief Cliff Daniels opted a pit strategy for track position, calling Kyle Larson down pit road for a two-tire only stop. The No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 team picked up seven spots on pit road to lead the field back to the green with 58 laps to go. ·       With four fresh tires, fellow Team Chevy driver Busch quickly contended Larson for the lead, ultimately taking the top position with 55 laps to go.

June 4, 2023

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick came away from Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway with a 23rd-place finish.

Burton started Sunday’s race from 14^th place and moved up one spot in the early going before the race was stopped after just six laps due to lightning in the St. Louis area where the track is located. 

After a delay of nearly two hours, the green flag was displayed again, and Burton remained in the top 15 for the remainder of the first 45-lap Stage, ending that segment in 15^th place.

Returning to the track after a stop for two fresh tires and fuel, the No. 21 Mustang was posted in 12^th place for the restart. 

A long green flag run worked against the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team and Burton finished the second Stage in 24^th place.
 
In the third and final segment of the race, he worked his way back into the top 20, then stayed out when the caution flag – and the red flag – flew for a wreck by Noah Gragson.
 
That moved him up to 15^th place with just under 40 laps left to run. Burton stayed among the top 20 but was shuffled back after a restart with 15 of the scheduled 240 laps left to run.
  
When a late wreck set up an overtime finish, Burton pitted from 27^thplace for fresh rubber and gained four spots over the final two laps to finish 23rd for his eighth top-25 finish in 15 races this season.
 
Next up for Burton and the Wood Brothers team is a trip to the road course at Sonoma Raceway for next Sunday’s 110-lap race on the 1.99-mile track.