The Marshalltown, IA driver earned his first victory at the iconic Ohio trackRINGGOLD, GA – September 14, 2022– Ryan Gustin’s 2022 season has been a sequence of ups and downs. The ups: a win at DIRTcar Nationals and his first career World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Series triumph. The downs: numerous heartbreaks while in contention for several high-profile wins. However, the Marshalltown, IA driver boosted his confidence during the DIRTcar Late Model World 100 weekend at Eldora Speedway, reaching the track’s iconic Victory Lane for the first time. It’s a win that gives “The “Reaper” momentum entering the next World of Outlaws CASE Late Models event—the Stateline Showdown at Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, GA, Sept. 23-24. “It was pretty cool,” Gustin said. “Anytime that you can stand up on that stage where all of the greats have, it’s definitely a satisfying feeling for sure.” Gustin’s win was part of a program called “Chasing the Dream,” a chance for drivers who’ve never won a race at the Ohio venue to battle for $5,000. Despite his triumph not being a crown jewel victory, it adds another notch to his budding dirt Late Model resume.  “Our team is not nearly as experienced as what most of them are out here,” Gustin said. “But we have a lot of good people behind us, good sponsors, a lot of good people helping with the race car, and we’ve been fortunate. “Hopefully, we can just keep the ball rolling on that.” His win wasn’t the only accomplishment Gustin achieved last week at Eldora. He also qualified for the 52nd World 100—a feat only 28 of the country’s best dirt Late Model drivers earned. He attributed that to what he’s learned visiting tracks a second and third time.  “I feel like anywhere that we go that we get to race at multiple times, we get better,” Gustin said. “Especially [Eldora], where I feel like I’ve gotten better anytime I’m on the racetrack. In some of the Heat Races, we weren’t where we needed to be, but I feel like we were pretty decent. We kind of found some things, and maybe with more of that, we’ll be pretty decent.” With 10 races left on the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models schedule, he’ll be able to apply that knowledge to places he’s been before, like Cherokee Speedway, Senoia Raceway, and The Dirt Track at Charlotte for the World of Outlaws World Finals Nov. 2-5.  TICKETS: https://bit.ly/3U3CNNH If Gustin can mix what he’s learned with the Series and the confidence from one of the sport’s most significant tracks, it might lead to more “ups” and another trip to World of Outlaws Victory Lane.  “The Reaper” and the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models head to Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, GA, Sept. 23-24 for the Stateline Showdown—the Series’ first trip to the Peach State facility. For Tickets: CLICK HERE. If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models live on DIRTVision – either online or with the DIRTVision App.

The World of Outlaws Case Construction Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: Case Construction Equipment (Official Construction Equipment), DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); contingency sponsors include Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, Fox Factory (Hard Charger Award), MSD, My Place Hotels, Penske Racing Shocks, Quarter Master, Swift Springs, and Wrisco–Wieland Metal Services (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including Dirt Car Lift, Capital Race Cars, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, FIREBULL, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics, Reliable Painting, Rocket Chassis, and Sea Foam.Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, NC, is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws NOS® Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws.

Elite Motorsports Pre-Race Preview

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series READING, Pa. (September 14, 2022) – As the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series enters the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s version of the playoffs, the Elite Motorsports Pro Stock team is ready to get down to business at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals this weekend at Maple Grove Raceway.  In drag racing, milestones are important, and drivers measure success in different ways. For Pro Stock powerhouse Erica Enders, one of her career goals is to score wins at each track on the current NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule. This season, among her six regular season wins, she earned victories at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona and Sonoma Raceway, both tracks that had previously eluded her. This weekend, she will look to add Maple Grove Raceway to the list in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro. Going into the Countdown to the Championship as the No. 1 seed, Enders knows that now is the time to focus. She had a large lead – more than 200 points ahead of her Elite Motorsports teammate, Aaron Stanfield, the No.2 competitor and she had a 300+ points lead on all other Pro Stock drivers. Because points reset for the Countdown, now there are only 10 points between each of the Countdown contenders. Being in the top spot does come with the advantage of a 20 point lead over the second-place competitor, so Enders is in the best position possible as she enters the Countdown. “We had a tremendous regular season,” said Enders, a four-time Pro Stock world champion. “I’m so grateful for the six wins and eight final round appearances. It stinks to have to give up such a substantial lead, but we are ready to battle it out. These six final races are what it’s all about. I have the greatest team in motorsports and I wouldn’t want to go into battle with anyone else. We are going to do our best, to show these guys what we can bring.” Stanfield is ready to battle it out among his fellow Pro Stock competitors. He’s no stranger to the winners circle as he’s raced to two national event wins in his Janac Brothers/JC3 Energy Camaro this season. The talented driver has amassed several sportsman world championships in his career as well. Stanfield plans to attack the Countdown with the same unshakable focus and determination he brings to all competition.  Troy Coughlin Jr. will enter the Countdown from the No. 6 position and is poised for a powerful performance. He’s won at Maple Grove twice before, in Top Alcohol Dragster. That familiarity with the track will certainly be an advantage for him this weekend. He’s looking for his third Pro Stock win of the season in his JEGS.com/Elite Motorsports Camaro. Wrapping up the Top Ten in the Countdown to the Championship, Fernando Cuadra Jr.expects to make some waves in Maple Grove this weekend. On the verge of a win all season, his Corral Boots Mustang gave a wonderful performance last week at the prestigious U.S. Nationals. Bo Butner will compete from the No. 11 spot in the Countdown in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Camaro. A previous Pro Stock world champion, Butner knows this terrain well and understands the strategic efforts needed to work his way to the top of the pack over the final six events of the season. The last time he won this event in Pro Stock, he went on to win the world championship. Cristian Cuadra and his father, Fernando Cuadra Sr., are coming to the Countdown from the No. 13 and No. 15 spots, respectively. The Cuadra Boys have been getting better and better all season long. As much as they are competing against all of their fellow Pro Stock drivers, they are perhaps more focused on competing against one another as they each have their eye on being the first in the Cuadra family to bring a national event Wally to their home in Leon, Mexico. Pro Stock racing action for the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals kicks off this Friday afternoon at Maple Grove Raceway. ***

Photos

TErica Enders in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro. Photo credit: Auto ImageryErica Enders waves to fans on her way back to the pits. Photo credit: Auto Imagery

Aaron Stanfield in his Janac Brothers/JC3 Energy Camaro. Photo credit: Auto ImageryAaron Stanfield is feeling good about the pass he made. Photo credit: Auto Imagery

Troy Coughlin Jr. in his JEGS.com/EliteMotorsports Camaro. Photo credit: Auto ImageryTroy Coughlin Jr. and his father, Troy Sr., can often be found watching sportsman racing between rounds. Photo credit: Auto Imagery

Fernando Cuadra Jr. in his Corral Boots Mustang. Photo credit: Auto ImageryFernando Cuadra Jr. debuted a new look at the U.S. Nationals. Photo credit: Auto Imagery

Bo Butner in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Camaro. Photo credit: Auto ImageryBo Butner waves to fans at the U.S. Nationals. Photo credit: Auto Imagery

Cristian Cuadra in his Corral Boots Mustang. Photo credit: Auto ImageryCristian Cuadra drives past fans on his way to the pits after a run. Photo credit: Auto Imagery

Fernando Cuadra Sr. in his Corral Boots Mustang. Photo credit: Auto ImageryFernando Cuadra Sr. stays cool and collected in the staging lanes. Photo credit: Auto Imagery

LINCOLN, IL – Sept. 13, 2022 – Six divisions. Five champions. Three nights. One exciting event returning to a Central Illinois track for a third year in a row.

Lincoln Speedway in Lincoln, IL, is set to crown five DIRTcar National points champions as host of the 2022 DIRTcar Fall Nationals, September 29-October 1. The DIRTcar Late Models, UMP Modifieds, Pro Late Models, Pro Modifieds, Stock Cars and Sport Compacts are all scheduled to compete.

The DIRTcar Fall Nationals were first held at Lincoln Speedway in October of 2020 where a great field of cars put on an outstanding show. Last year’s event was plagued by a terrible weather forecast but officials were able to complete the show, somehow avoiding rain that covered much of Central Illinois.

A favorite of many Midwest racers and fans, the event will again combine the great signature racing DIRTcar competitors are known to provide with the camping and all-ages entertainment synonymous with the Fall Nationals name.

Three practice sessions for all divisions will hit the track first on Thursday night, September 29. Friday night, September 30, features a full racing program for the DIRTcar Pro Late Models, Stock Cars, UMP Modifieds and Pro Modifieds.

The DIRTcar Late Models and Sport Compacts will join the Pro Late Models, UMP Modifieds and Pro Modifieds on the docket for Saturday night, October 1, in the second full night of racing, highlighted by the determination of all five division champions.

Drivers and fans can find more event-specific and competitor-related information in the all-new event guide.

Late Model, Pro Late Model, UMP Modified and Pro Modified teams who pre-enter by Sept. 28 will receive a discount on their entry fee. Application form is attached to the event guide but online registration is available at https://www.myracepass.com/series/2056/registrations/6462.

Tickets and pit passes will be available at the track upon arrival on race day. Pit pass, general admission and camping pricing can be found below.

Pits             Pits                        Pits (11 & under)        Grandstand     Kids (11 & under)

Thursday         $20                  $10*                            FREE                FREE**

Friday              $35                  $20*                            $20                  FREE**

Saturday          $35                  $20*                            $25                  FREE**

• 3-Day Pit Combo: $75

• 2-Day Pit Combo: $65

• 2-Day Grandstand Combo: $40

3-Day Camping with electricity – $75 (includes 30 amp electric)

3-Day Camping, no hookup – $50

For more camping info and to reserve a spot, contact: 217-764-3200

Hampton by Hilton and Comfort Inn & Suites of Lincoln, IL are the official host hotels of Lincoln Speedway. Call the Hampton by Hilton at (217) 732-6729 or Comfort Inn & Suites at (217) 735-5800. Mention Lincoln Speedway to receive the discounted rate.

Updates throughout the weekend can be found on the DIRTcar Racing social media channels; Facebook @DIRTcar, Twitter @DIRTcarRacing and Instagram @dirtcar.official.

NHRA^® Team Report

Pep Boys NHRA Nationals – Maple Grove

Pre-Race Report

After an invitation by the Las Vegas Raiders to spend time on the sideline of the team’s game against the Chargers this past weekend, Cruz Pedregon returned home from the West Coast for some test runs in the Snap-on^® Dodge^® SRT^® Hellcat^® at Indianapolis Raceway Park before heading to Reading.

“Nothing like getting back to my roots in California and taking time after the football game to visit Irwindale Speedway to watch some truck drag racing and see some of my old trucking friends to really get me mentally ready for the race weekend ahead at Maple Grove,” Cruz says. “We’re excited to see all the updates the Koretsky family made to the facility, and it should be a great weekend all ‘round for racing. We felt good about the testing we did Tuesday and have a good handle on how the adjustments we’ve made on the car will pay off this weekend and in the Countdown.” After the race, Cruz and team will head to Arlington, Virginia to celebrate his birthday Monday in a special way with a scheduled tour of the Pentagon.

On the side of Cruz’s car this week is the name of Snap-on Nitro Franchisee Nick Webb, who is a huge fan of NHRA racing. Nick’s first NHRA race was when he was 6 years old, and when the NHRA comes to town, he says it’s his “big game” of the year. He enjoys Funny Car, but says he really likes the diversity of power plants among the Pro Mods. Before racing started this weekend, Nick invited his customers to meet Cruz at a local event that was also a fund-raiser he organized for Toys for Tots. 

If you’re one of Nick’s customers from the area or one of the hard-working men and women in the pits or on the road who keep cars moving Cruz’s primary sponsor, Snap-on, wants you to share your story at makersandfixers.com.

OCALA, FL (September 13, 2022) — For the first time Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster team will be in contention for the Camping World Top Fuel championship when the Countdown starts this weekend at Maple Grove Raceway. Entering the six-race playoff sitting in fifth place the second-year driver and team owner is only 50 points away from the top spot thanks to the revised playoff point structure. Hart has three semifinals and a runner-up at the Norwalk National event to his credit this season and the 2021 breakout Top Fuel star is ready to take on a tough Top Fuel field for his first Top Fuel championship.

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

“We have been building momentum all season for this moment,” said Hart, who had a very successful Top Alcohol Dragster career before making the jump to Top Fuel. “Last year we surprised some people but now we are right in the thick of this championship race. We have held our position in fifth place most of the season but now is our chance to make a move with this R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster.”

In his rookie season Hart won two national events including the historic Gatornationals in his debut race. In the Countdown he won the Carolina Nationals and was a tough competitor. Racing on a part-time schedule Hart narrowly missed the top ten cutoff to qualify for the playoffs and his performance in 2021 should bode well for a strong run in the 2022 Countdown.

“We raced the end of the season last year as if we were in playoff contention,” said Hart. “We want to prove we belong this year and race with the best of the best. My crew chief Ron Douglas has a lot of experience and the whole team has been working well together. This will be my 31st career Top Fuel race and every race I am getting more experience and more comfortable.”

Josh Hart, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

Over the off-season Hart invested in additional parts and a brand-new Top Fuel dragster. The sixteen-race regular season has seen the team work out several kinks to be prepared for a six-race dash to the championship. Top qualifying efforts have Hart and the R+L Carriers team ready for a quick and fast Maple Grove Raceway track surface. The last four national events Hart has started in the top half of the field including No. 2 and No. 3 starting spots in Topeka and Brainerd.

“This year has been our first full season on tour and every race we are getting better,” said Hart. “The investment we made over the off-season is starting to pay off and these next six races will be a lot of fun but also a great opportunity for R+L Carriers and all our marketing partners.”

At every national event Hart hosts R+L Carriers employees and guests in his pit area to talk about career opportunities and the family-owned company. Additionally, fans at the event can engage with Hart and R+L Carriers representatives about careers across the country.

“Our relationship with R+L Carriers has been a blessing for this team and also our fans across the country,” said Hart. “The career opportunities can change peoples lives and there are jobs across the country in every area of the company. R+L Carriers is a family owned and operated company that for over five decades has supported the R+L family and companies across the country.”

Friday night qualifying will begin with Top Fuel and Funny Car and Hart along with the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster will get their first opportunity to make qualifying runs on the quick and fast Maple Grove Raceway track. Saturday will feature two more qualifying runs with the 16 quickest Top Fuel dragsters racing for glory starting on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ET. FOX will broadcast the race nationally on Sunday afternoon.

PLAINVIEW, NY (September 13, 2022) —- Last year Top Fuel driver Justin Ashley started his first Countdown with a runner-up finish at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. This weekend the Top Fuel championship contender will be looking for a repeat performance with one additional win light from the first of six NHRA national events that comprise the NHRA’s Countdown playoff. Ashley, who will be driving the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Energy, sits third in the point standings and thanks to the playoff point structure the 27-year-old driver and team owner is just 30 points behind points leader Brittany Force.

Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Energy, photo by Ron Lewis

“When they reset the points for the Countdown it signals the start of a new season,” said Ashley, the 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year. “Every round of racing is important throughout qualifying and race day. The bonus points we earn in qualifying this weekend at Maple Grove could be the difference when it comes to winning the championship in Pomona in November. I love this time of the season.” 

This year Ashley has been at the top of the Top Fuel leaderboard, shuffling positions with Force, four-time champion Steve Torrence and veteran Mike Salinas. There is a strong group of Top Fuel competitors right behind Ashley as well with only 10 points separating each driver in the standings. The Phillips Connect Vita C Energy Top Fuel dragster has raced to two wins already this season and Ashley is entering the six-race playoff stretch with confidence and experience on his side.

“Last year was my first time racing in the Countdown and that experience was invaluable,” said Ashley. “The approach should be the same during the Countdown as it is during the regular season, but you can tell the atmosphere at the events is different with every race being that much more significant. We raced very well in Maple Grove last year and this year the conditions will be vastly similar. It’s very important for us to have a successful weekend, which includes going after the $30,000 bounty kindly put into place through the Phillips Connect 300 to the 1/8-mile program.”

The four final rounds Ashley has reached this season is a career high for the young driver and his Davis Motorsports team is getting more experience every race under the leadership of crew chiefs Mike Green and Tommy DeLago. Over the last five races Ashley has raced to four semifinals and the team is looking to break through during the Countdown starting with the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals this weekend.

“We have been to numerous semi-finals and have a car that is more than capable of qualifying at the top of the field and winning races. We are focused on being the best version of ourselves that we can be in an effort to go more rounds on Sunday and give ourselves a chance to win this Camping World Top Fuel championship,” said Ashley. “It’s about taking one race and one run at a time. At this time of the year adding round wins and qualifying bonus points to your ledger adds up quickly.”

Throughout the season Ashley has been active with sponsor Phillips Connect and a host of additional companies including Bendix, Velociti, Sensata Insights, Lucas Oil, and KATO Fastening Systems. The driver who grew up in the sport as the son of Funny Car national event winner Mike Ashley knows that off track experiences and relationships can mean as much as on track win lights. Two weeks ago, the team announced a multi-year extension with primary sponsor Phillips Connect and the marketing strength of the team is only growing.

“We have been fortunate to have great marketing relationships throughout my career but the Phillips Connect relationship has truly been a tremendous blessing. I can’t thank Rob Phillips, Jim Epler, Amber White and the whole Phillips Connect team enough for the opportunity to work together,” said Ashley. “We won our first race of the season at the Winternationals with Phillips Connect on the race car and now we are looking for that same success throughout the Countdown. It will be a fun ride and I can’t wait to get to Maple Grove Raceway.

The Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Energy will be on track to race for their first championship starting with qualifying on Friday night at 5:45 p.m. followed by two more qualifying sessions on Saturday. Final eliminations for the 16 top qualifiers will begin at 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday. The race will be broadcast on FOX nationally Sunda

Watkins Glen, NEW YORK – September 13, 2022 – The Franklin Road Apparel Showtime Motorsports team celebrated their second win of the season at Watkins Glen International on Sunday, September 11. Driver Justin Marks led from the drop of the green flag to the checkers with an impressive display of foot perfect driving in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli SpeedTour event.  Conditions at the legendary circuit for the TA Class Franklin Road Apparel Classic could not have been more different than Saturday’s practice and qualification sessions. With constant rain from start-to-finish making the track hazardous for all classes of cars. It was a survival job for many of the racers, but Justin reigned supreme and in spite of the numerous restarts. Teammate and team principal Ken Thwaits had less luck – contact with a GT car on Lap 6 resulted in a broken front suspension and early retirement. The Franklin Road Apparel cars were fast all weekend, with Justin grabbing pole position with a fastest lap of 1:43:892 – over a full second quicker than Dyson in P2. Teammate and principal Ken Thwaits wasn’t far behind, the popular Tennessean pilot claiming a terrific third spot on the grid in a time of 1:45:234. Justin explained his explosive start to the weekend and complimented the team when he said after qualifying, “This is my first time driving for this team, [owner] Ken [Thwaits] and Showtime Motorsports, and this is awesome,” said Marks. “I was really excited to come to Watkins Glen, it’s one of my favorite race tracks. The car was really, really, really good right off the truck in the very first test session, so immediately we were just fine tuning the thing. It’s a testament to how important preparation is. It means you’re not just chasing big problems at the race track. We just made a couple tweaks. It’s my first time ever on the Pirelli tire in this class, so I was just learning the tendencies of the tire and how to get around this place. I took all the pieces from two days of practice and testing and put it all together in one lap and got the pole.” The speed shown by the Franklin Road Apparel cars was the decisive factor for success as Ken himself opined after the race, “It was a great weekend overall. In the dry we [my car] were really quick all weekend and Justin was too. We revealed that during qualifying. Of course, the heavens opened up today and it just changed everything. Unfortunately, I got together with another class car, and it took us out of the race. It was my mistake and apologies to the Porsche.” “Justin was super good. He’s a super good driver as he brought it home for the TA1 overall win. It was awesome.”  In victory lane Justin echoed Ken’s sentiments when we spoke to him after the race and the popular driver gave a hint about next year too, “You work for three straight days to try and get the thing working perfectly in the dry and then the racing gods decided to throw a twist in and make it rain on race day!” Complimenting Ken’s highly professional team he added, “They [Showtime Motorsports] made really great changes. They brought a great car to the race track. This is a testament to the whole level of preparation and how great this car is. All I had to do is just clear Chris on those restarts into Turn 1 then just maintain. It was a relatively straightforward race which is easy to do when you’ve got a car like that.” “My NASCAR team is competing for a Championship so I’m focused on that for the next eight weeks. I will go testing with these guys in the winter and I’m planning on doing some more [racing] next year.” The first ever Franklin Road Apparel Classic at Watkins Glen was a triumph for Ken and his team who are now very much in the front rank of TA teams in both senior classes. TV Broadcast details for the Franklin Road Classic are as follows: TA/XGT/SGT/GT – Sep 18, 5:30p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network TA/XGT/SGT/GT (Encore Presentation) – Sep 18, 11:30p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network TA2 – Sep 14, 7:00p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network TA2 (Encore Presentation) – Sep 15, 12:30 a.m. ET on CBS Sports Network The Trans Am roadshow reconvenes in Virginia October 6 to 9 for the Mission Foods VIR SpeedTour at Virginia International Raceway. About Showtime Motorsports: The Showtime Motorsports team is based in Franklin, Tennessee and is the power behind the Franklin Road Apparel brand. Showtime is responsible for preparing the cars for the track and keeping Ken Thwaits’ outstanding classic Camaro collection in prime condition. Showtime Motorsports competes in both the TA and TA2 classes in the legendary Trans Am muscle car series with growing success. The race team consists of a dynamic, passionate and talented staff of professionals dedicated to excellence both on and off the track.

One of the NASCAR Industry’s Most Storied Teams Joins Forces with One of the Sport’s Most Successful Drivers WELCOME, NC (September 13, 2022) – Richard Childress Racing announced today that Kyle Busch will join the organization’s NASCAR Cup Series stable in 2023, merging one of the NASCAR industry’s most storied teams with one of the sports’ most successful modern era drivers.  Since making his NASCAR debut 18 years ago, Busch has grown into a successful driver, team owner and businessman, easily becoming one of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR’s modern history. He owns 60 wins in the elite NASCAR Cup Series and is the only active multi-time champion. He is currently competing for his third Cup Series championship in the NASCAR Playoffs. In addition to his two Cup Series championships, the Las Vegas native won the 2009 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and is the all-time wins leader in that series (102) as well as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (62). As an owner, he has led Kyle Busch Motorsports to 98 career victories and seven owner’s championships, both are Truck Series records. “RCR has an impressive history in NASCAR and I’m honored that Richard is putting his trust in me to come in and continue to build on that legacy,” said Busch. “Growing up in a family of passionate racers myself, I feel like the culture that the Childress family has built within their organization will be an ideal fit for me. As I begin the next chapter of my career, I’m looking forward to driving for RCR and working with everyone there to add more wins and championships to both of our resumes.” From a one-man team in 1969, Childress has grown RCR into one of the most storied organizations in NASCAR, with more than 200 victories and 16 championships, including six in the NASCAR Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series, and is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 (1998, 2007, 2018). “The addition of Kyle Busch to the Richard Childress Racing lineup is significant, not only for our organization, but for the sport as a whole,” said Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “Kyle is a proven contender at the highest levels of the sport, and I believe that his experience and dedication to motorsports will elevate our race program across the board. I’ve always admired Kyle’s driving style and his ability to win and race for championships ever since he entered the sport. Who wouldn’t want a proven NASCAR Cup Series Champion driving their car?”  Busch, who has more than 220 career wins spread out among NASCAR’s top-three national series, will drive the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 under the Richard Childress Racing banner, adding a multi-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion to the Chevrolet Racing camp. Randall Burnett will serve as crew chief. “We’d like to welcome Kyle back to Team Chevy, where he started his NASCAR career,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance and Motorsports. “As a 60 Cup race winner and two-time champion, he will be a valuable addition to Richard Childress Racing and the Chevrolet line-up. We look forward to working with Kyle starting in 2023.” Tyler Reddick, who is currently competing for a championship in the No. 8 Chevrolet, remains under contract at RCR and will drive for RCR in 2023. Additional details on the program, including sponsor lineup, will be announced at a later date.

Elite Motorsports Stats And Facts For Countdown Contention

As the Elite Motorsports Pro Stock team enters the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship, here’s a look at the team’s performance overall. The Elite Motorsports team will field seven Pro Stock entries during the Countdown, which kicks off at this week’s Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa. The Elite team is the largest in professional drag racing and features Erica Enders, Aaron Stanfield, Troy Coughlin Jr., Bo Butner, Fernando Cuadra and his two sons, Fernando Jr. and Cristian. This week’s event in Reading marks the opening of the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six-race playoff to determine season champions. All seven Elite cars are in contention for the championship. Four-time world champion Enders is the leader followed by Stanfield (No. 2), Coughlin (No. 6), Cuadra Jr. (No. 10), Butner (No. 11), C. Cuadra (No. 13), Cuadra Sr. (No. 15). There have been 13 Pro Stock events so far this season and Team Elite has won 10 of them. Enders has six victories while Stanfield and Coughlin each have two. Elite cars have also appeared in final rounds 18 times, as more than once, the final round has come down to two Elite-powered machines.

Erica EndersFour-time world champion Enders is off to the best start of her career with six victories in eight final rounds during the regular season in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro. With a record of 34-7 during eliminations, Enders has the highest winning percentage (.829) of any NHRA pro this season. The Reading event is one of the few that Enders has yet to win although she was a runner-up at last year’s race. Maple Grove Raceway is one of only five tracks currently on the pro circuit where Enders has yet to claim an event victory. During her professional career, Enders has competed in 328 races and has 39 victories in 69 final rounds. Her overall win-loss record is 418-238. Enders currently holds both the elapsed time and speed record for the NHRA Pro Stock class with career bests of 6.450-seconds and 215.55 mph.

Aaron StanfieldStanfield, the driver of the Janac Bros/J3 Energy Camaro, finished the regular season as the No. 2 seed behind Enders thanks largely to victories in Phoenix and Bristol and four runner-up finishes in Pomona, Epping, Norwalk, and Denver. Stanfield has a record of 27-11 this season and six of those losses have come against teammate Enders. Stanfield has won six Pro Stock events in 12 career final rounds. He is also a two-time world champion in the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown. All told, Stanfield has 19 career wins in Pro Stock, Factory Stock, Super Stock, and Top Dragster. Stanfield’s career bests in Pro Stock are 6.457-seconds and 213.47 mph, both set this year in Gainesville.

Troy Coughlin Jr.Troy Coughlin Jr., the driver of the JEGS.com/Elite Motorsports Camaro, finished the regular season as the No. 6 ranked Pro Stock driver. Coughlin recently scored his first professional wins with back-to-back victories in Seattle and Topeka. In addition to his two Pro Stock victories this year, the multi-faceted Coughlin has additional wins in Top Alcohol Dragster, Super Comp, and Super Gas. He won back-to-back titles at Maple Grove in the Top Alcohol Dragster category – once in 2018 and again in 2019. Coughlin’s father, Troy Sr., is a 15-time national event winner in Pro Stock, Pro Mod, and Super Gas. Including his uncles, John, Mike, and Jeg Jr., the Coughlin family has combined to win 130 national event titles. Coughlin’s career bests in Pro Stock are 6.521-seconds and 211.93 mph, set this year in Sonoma and Gainesville, respectively.

Bo ButnerBo Butner is a two-time NHRA world champion in Pro Stock (2017) and Comp Eliminator (2006). He joined the Elite team this season driving the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Camaro. So far in 2022, Butner has a 7-13 round win record in Pro Stock competition. He finished the regular season as the No. 11 ranked driver in the class. Butner has 28 career national event victories including 11 in Pro Stock. He also has multiple wins in Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Gas, and Super Street to his name. Recently, Butner won the 2022 U.S. Nationals title in Super Gas. Butner’s career bests in Pro Stock are 6.475-seconds and 214.28 mph, set in Dallas (2015) and Gainesville (2017), respectively.

The Cuadra BoysThe Cuadra family including Fernando Sr., and his sons Fernando Jr. and Cristian, joined Elite Motorsports this season with their three-car Corral Boots team. Fernando Sr. is a two-time national event runner-up with final round appearances at 2019 races in Reading and Pomona. Cristian Cuadra was the runner-up to Enders at the 2022 Four-Wide event in Las Vegas. All three Cuadra entries will contend for the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Pro Stock title during the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. The Cuadra family has career-best elapsed times of 6.515(Fernando Jr.), 6.524 (Fernando Sr.), and 6.528 (Cristian) – all of them recorded at the 2022 Gainesville event. Their career-best speeds are 212.13 (Fernando Sr.), 211.43 (Cristian), and 210.73 (Fernando Jr.).

Collectively, the seven Team Elite drivers have combined to win 97 NHRA national event titles across all classes including 58 in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock category.

BATAVIA, Ohio (September 12, 2022)  – The 18th Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals will run Thursday thru Saturday, September 15th-17th at Knoxville Raceway. It is the only annual late model event at the “Sprint Car Capital of the World,” bringing the nation’s elite dirt late model teams together on one of motorsports’ biggest stages. Over $290,000 in purse money will be paid out during three nights of racing on the historic black-dirt, half-mile oval at the Marion County Fairgrounds. Twelve different drivers have won the prestigious event with Mike Marlar making history a year ago, becoming the only three-time winner (2021, 2017, 2016) of the Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals. Other drivers to stand on the illustrious Knoxville Raceway victory stage are Jimmy Owens (2019, 2018), Jared Landers (2015), Brian Birkhofer (2014, 2004), Darrell Lanigan (2013), Steve Francis (2012), Don O’Neal (2011), Billy Moyer (2010), Scott Bloomquist (2009, 2005), Tim McCreadie (2008), Brady Smith (2007), and Brian Shirley (2006). This year’s festivities on Thursday and Friday, September 15th-16th will feature a complete program of: Dirt Draft Hot Laps, Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and a 25-lap, $7,000-to-win main event. Drivers will earn points in each of the two preliminary nights that will determine the line-ups for Saturday night’s Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals finale. Saturday night’s program will include Dirt Draft Hot Laps, B-Mains, and the 75-lap, $50,000-to-win main event for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. The Malvern Bank Super Late Models will serve as a support division on Saturday, September 17th. Numerous off-track activities will take place surrounding the three-day event. The Hall of Fame Auction will take place at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum, behind turn two, on Saturday at 11:30 AM. There will be a Dirt Racing Outreach service in the Main Show Barn outside turn four at 1:45 PM, with an autograph session to follow at 3:00 PM, on Saturday. Finally, a Q&A with Jack Hewitt and Wade Aunger will round out the pre-race festivities at 4:00 PM in the Dyer Hudson Hall. This half-mile speed-plant is located within the Marion County Fairgrounds, in the heart of Knoxville, Iowa, just a short drive from Des Moines. Three-day ticket packages and single-night tickets are available at www.knoxvilleraceway.com or by calling the ticket office at 641-842-5431. Track Information:Knoxville RacewayPhone Number: 641-842-5431Location: 1000 N. Lincoln St., Knoxville, IA 50138GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 41.32671 – Longitude: -93.10954Directions: At the north edge of Knoxville on SR 14 (fairgrounds)Website: www.knoxvilleraceway.com Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals Tire Rules:Thursday-Friday, September 15th-16th:Left Front – Hoosier (90) LM20 or harderRight Front/Left Rear – Hoosier (90) LM30sRight Rear – Hoosier (92) LM30s*Must use the same set of 4 tires for Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains and A-Main*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position. Saturday, September 17th:Left Front – Hoosier (90) LM20 or harderRight Front/Left Rear – Hoosier (90) LM30sRight Rear – Hoosier (92) LM30s, (92) LM40, (92) NLMT4*For the B-Mains, competitors may use 4 new tires.*For the A-Main, competitors may use 4 new tires.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position. Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals Purses:Thursday-Friday Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals B-Mains: 1. Transfer + $100, 2. Transfer + $100, 3. Transfer + $100, 4. $200, 5. $200, 6. $200, 7. $200, 8. $200, 9. $200, 10. $200, 11. $200, 12. $200, 13. $200, 14. $200, 15. $200, 16. $200, 17. $200, 18. $200, 19. $200, 20. $200, 21. $200, 22. $200, 23. $200, 24. $200 = $4,500 Thursday-Friday Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals A-Main: 1. $7,000, 2. $4,000, 3. $3,000, 4. $2,000, 5. $1,500, 6. $1,000, 7. $900, 8. $800, 9. $700, 10. $600, 11. $580, 12. $560, 13. $540, 14. $520, 15. $500, 16. $490, 17. $480, 18. $470, 19. $460, 20. $450, 21. $440, 22. $430, 23. $410, 24. $400 = $28,230 Saturday Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals B-Mains: 1. Transfer + $200, 2. Transfer + $200, 3. Transfer + $200, 4. $500, 5. $500, 6. $500, 7. $500, 8. $500, 9. $500, 10. $500, 11. $500, 12. $400, 13. $400, 14. $400, 15. $400, 16. $400, 17. $400, 18. $400, 19. $400, 20. $400, 21. $400, 22. $400, 23. $400, 24. $400 = $9,800 Saturday Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals A-Main: 1. $50,000, 2. $25,000, 3. $10,000, 4. $8,750, 5. $7,500, 6. $7,000, 7. $6,500, 8. $6,000, 9. $5,500, 10. $5,000, 11. $4,500, 12. $4,000, 13. $3,500, 14. $3,400, 15. $3,300, 16. $3,200, 17. $3,100, 18. $3,000, 19. $3,000, 20. $3,000, 21. $3,000, 22. $3,000, 23. $2,700, 24. $2,700, 25. $2,500, 26. $2,500, 27. $2,500, 28. $2,500, 29. $2,500, 30. $2,500, 31. $2,500, 32. $2,500 = $196,650

About Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt SeriesFounded in 2005, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series showcases the talents of the top dirt late model drivers from across the country. In 2022, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will sanction 65 events across 18 states, including some of the biggest marquee events in the industry, providing dirt slinging, sideways, door-to-door racing action lap after lap.

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (Sept 12, 2022) – On a circuit awash with heavy rain and marginal visibility, a runner-up finish in his #20 GYM WEED/ALTWELL Ford Mustang at Watkins Glen International yesterday gave Chris Dyson, the winner of five races earlier in the season, an insurmountable point margin over his closest rivals and clinched his second consecutive Trans Am by Pirelli championship. “I love this track and I wanted to win here, but I also wanted to be sure I at least had a podium,” Dyson said after the race. Dyson came to the Glen with a 65-point lead over Ken Thwaits and a 66-point margin over Tomy Drissi. “Tomy and Ken are both strong drivers with excellent equipment. A win or a podium would likely clinch the championship. But a bad finish for me would potentially open the door to one or both of them. So, a fine balance between aggression and discretion was the order of the day.” Dyson had calculated the multiple race-finish point permutations for himself and his rivals. “I knew I had to be prepared to adjust my race strategy depending on how the race unfolded,” Dyson explained. “And with the rain it just all got more complicated.” Dyson started the race on the outside of the front row, next to Thwaits’ teammate, pole-winner Justin Marks. Thwaits qualified third, while Drissi was eighth. “Justin is an excellent driver, and even though this was his first TA-class start this year, I knew he would be really fast in the race. Points-wise, I had to be less concerned about him than Ken. And I knew Tomy would be charging all the way. He always does.” As it turned out, in the slippery conditions Thwaits was collected in an incident with a backmarker early as Marks and Dyson contested the race lead. “Justin had strong pace and nothing to lose,” Dyson said. “Meanwhile Tomy was coming up through the field – I had to stay ahead of him.” Dyson set the race’s fastest lap on Lap 8, just before the race’s 2nd full-course yellow flag. Adding to Dyson’s on-track challenges, during a late-race caution, with Drissi closing in, the inside of the #20 Mustang’s windshield completely misted over. On the final restart Dyson was essentially flying blind. “For the most of the last few laps, it was wild. I was looking out the side window and using lateral references to judge braking and turn-in points,” Dyson recalled. His hundreds of laps at The Glen over more than two decades gave Dyson an almost instinctual sense of his precise location on the wet pavement. “I was completely driving on instinct going through the (notoriously high-speed) Esses. Somehow, I just knew where to turn. The car stepped out there and I caught it twice in the closing stages and just kept my foot in it.  Eventually a little hole cleared on the inside of the windshield, just barely enough that I could see where I was going. But it was gnarly. My adrenaline was off the charts afterwards!” At the checker Dyson was second, behind Marks, while Drissi (who also had visibility issues) was third. “Tomy drove a terrific race, but we pulled it off and clinched today,” Dyson said.  “I am so honored to add another title in Trans Am – it is hard to put into words, to be honest. And my Dad being here today was wonderful. We have had a lot of special days together here and with the team over the years. This weekend was one I will never forget. And now, with the championship decided we can maybe try some new things in the final two races that will put the team in a good place for the start of next season. It is all very exciting.” Paul Fix, substituting for Humaid Masaood in Chris Dyson Racing’s #21 allgram / StopFlex Ford Mustang, finished a strong fifth after qualifying seventh. “Watkins Glen is my home track and I’ve raced a lot here,” said Fix, who is a Western New York native and past series multiple race winner. “You always have to be ready for rain here. The car and team were terrific all weekend.” Video Coverage of Watkins Glen The broadcast of today’s race, presented by Franklin Road Apparel, will air on CBS Sports Network on Sunday, September 18 at 5:30 p.m. ET, with an encore presentation later that evening at 11:30 p.m. ET. VIR is Next on Trans Am Schedule The penultimate round of the 2022 Trans Am by Pirelli Series is scheduled for October 6-9 at Virginia International Raceway. Modern Wellness with ALTWELL ALTWELL provides purposefully curated and flavored products to help improve your overall wellness, sleep, relaxation and balance. We know that can be a different experience for everyone, so we prioritize being able to serve the unique needs of our customers. We’re committed to helping you live each day with comfort and calm. That’s why all ALTWELL products are crafted with product quality and consumer satisfaction in mind. GYM WEED FEEL GOOD.  WORK OUT. GYM WEED by ALTWELL. The hemp infused sports nutrition products to help take your workouts to a higher level.  Gym Weed is paired with the power of Hemp Extract and additional functional ingredients to enhance performance and support recovery.  GYM WEED products are third party lab tested and THC FREE to ensure safe, high-quality ingredients at the right dose. allgram Your Data is Yours! allgram is the next generation decentralized Peer to Peer secure communication platform hosted on the blockchain and developed with cyber and information security as the core elements of the solution. Leveraging Digital IDs you can communicate securely via chat, voice, video, & social media knowing that nobody is accessing your data. DIGITAL ID – Digital IDs are authenticated through the blockchain for true identity verification. CHAT – Peer to Peer communication via text, voice and video with no central servers. SCHEDULE CALLS – Send meeting invites using allgram calendar for business or personal use. SOCIAL MEDIA – Create private or public clubs and share posts securely with no targeted advertisements. Winners Circle Project The Winners Circe Project is a non-profit organization which has been meticulously designed to inspire fresh, young, innovative minds through STEAM programs embedded in the exciting world of car racing. Through our work, the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts and math come alive for our students through, on, and beyond the racetrack! Throughout the course of one academic year, high-school students build a Factory Five vehicle from the ground up. Using a project-based curriculum created by WCP, a teacher guides the students on their journey of learning through every aspect of the process. The program is focused on more than simply the mechanics of the build, but what it takes to develop an entire racing team—a business. WCP students will participate in activities and classes designed to introduce them to an array of fields including marketing, journalism, video production and public relations—allowing the exploration of previously undiscovered areas of strength and opportunities for growth. The program also provides internship opportunities through Alfred State College’s Motorsports Program are available. https://www.winners-circle.org/ # # #

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY WEATERTECH RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA IN SALINAS, CALIFORNIA POST-RACE REPORT AND QUOTES SEPT. 11, 2022 Power earns second INDYCAR driver championshipThree Team Chevy drivers finish in top four of standings; Team Penske claims 17th title

MONTEREY, Calif. (Sept. 11, 2022) – Will Power entered the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season with a mindset of “playing the long game.” “Not necessarily going for the big wins and all that,” said Power, who rang up one win, 12 top-five and 13 top-10 finishes to complement five pole starts in the 17 races.

The solid results ultimately rewarded the veteran driver of the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet with his second NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship after he finished third in the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. He also won the driver title in 2014 with Chevrolet power. “You’ve accumulated so much experience, you understand how races go and you understand that you can never give up no matter what it seems like, so you just keep digging and it just kept unfolding,” said Power, 41, who a day earlier broke a tie with Mario Andretti with his 68th career pole to set the all-time INDYCAR record. Team Penske teammate Josef Newgarden, who won a field-high five races, finished 16 points off the pace in second. Second-year Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin placed fourth in the championship. Team Penske extended its INDYCAR record with its 17th team championship. Other Chevrolet-powered driver champions since the Bowtie brand returned to INDYCAR manufacturer competition in 2012 include Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012), Scott Dixon (2015), Simon Pagenaud (2016) and Newgarden (2017, 2019).

Said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet vice president of Performance and Motorsports: “It’s always exciting to watch Will Power behind the wheel of an INDYCAR. Will started on the pole, led the first lap and managed this race with the No. 12 team to clinch the 2022 championship. It’s been so special to work with Will, Ron Ruzewski, David Faustino and the No.12 Verizon 5G Chevrolet team all season long. We’re proud that both of Will’s championships have been powered by Chevrolet’s 2.2-liter V6.” In the 11 seasons of the Chevrolet 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged, direct-injected V6 I INDYCAR engine, Team Chevy drivers have amassed 106 wins of the 182 races. This season, Chevrolet drivers claimed 13 NTT P1 Award honors and 11 wins in the 17 races, leading to Chevrolet earning its seventh Manufacturer Championship since 2012. “This has been an incredible INDYCAR season for our Chevrolet teams” said Mark Stielow, Director Motorsports Competition and Engineering. “To get 11 wins, claim the seventh Manufacturer Championship for Chevrolet and Will Power capturing his second INDYCAR Driver Championship, are milestones for this program, and set a mark we will enjoy for a short time and then go back to work to improve next season. “I am very proud of the strong effort by our Chevrolet engineers, the Propulsion group, Ilmor Engineering, our engine partners and especially our teams. Congratulations to Will on his title. It was hard fought and exciting to watch.” Power entered the 95-lap race on the 2.238-mile, 11-turn natural-terrain road course with a 21-point lead over Newgarden and Scott Dixon. He led twice for 17 laps and knew his position in the championship standings as the race unfolded.

“I just knew I had to get the most out of those stints and not lose any more positions,” said Power, who was overtaken by Newgarden on fresher tires on Lap 46. “I had to drive the thing today. It was on the edge, very loose. What a relief to get that done.” Newgarden, driving the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, finished second to Alex Palou after starting 25th in the 26-car field. Felix Rosenqvist finished fourth in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet. “I’m proud of the team. This is a big day for everybody,” Newgarden said. “Huge congrats to Will and the entire team. This is an effort by everybody, whether it’s the 2 car or the 12 or the 3. The ultimate goal is to win a championship for Team Penske. We did that, so there’s a ton to be proud of. From a personal side of the 2 car, I’m really thankful to my team.” Previously, Chevrolet competed in Indy-style racing as a manufacturer of V8 engines from 1986-93 and 2002-05, powering 111 wins, one manufacturer championship in 2002, seven Indianapolis 500 wins and six driver championships. TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES:JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINISHED 2ND:HOW DO YOU PROCESS THIS ON A DAY WHERE YOU FOUGHT SO HARD AND DID EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER ALMOST TO GET IT DONE AND STILL FALL SHORT IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP?“You know, I hate to say it but in a lot of ways this has been a really tough year. So its going to be a welcome offseason. It has been a taxing, taxing season. We have had a lot of highs, but a lot of lows. And just riding the roller coaster this year has brought me to a breaking point a couple of points in the year. But I am ultimately just proud in the team because this is a big day for everybody to win the championship. Huge congrats to Will (Power) and the entire team because this is an effort by everybody. Whether it was the two car, or the 12 or the three, we all take a lot of pride in it. All these crew members, they work on every single car. The ultimate goal is to win a championship for Team Penske. We did that, so there is a ton to be proud of and for a personal stand point I am really proud of the two car team because they stuck with it day after day. Even yesterday, with the heartache there, we fought back and we nearly got there. So I am just proud of the effort and proud to be supported by Hitachi and Team Chevy. We are going to come back stronger next year and we have to be in a better position and I know we can do better than we did this year.” HOW OPTOMISTIC ARE YOU TO BEING OVER THERE NEXT YEAR INSTEAD OF YOUR TEAMMATE?“I am very optimistic. I am going to go back and recharge and come back and hit all these people harder. Believe me, I will be ready to go by the time we get to St. Pete, and I will look forward to it.”  WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON 5G TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINSHED 3RD AND CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER: COULD YOU HAVE PLANNED A MORE PERFECT WEEKEND?“No. It’s so surreal. In the offseason my wife said to me I believe you’re going to beat Mario’s record and you’re going to win the championship. It actually gave me confidence that I could do it. That’s how much confidence I have in her gut feel. I just couldn’t believe that they came true.” YOU PLAYED THE LONG GAME BY STAYING CALM. WHAT WERE YOU THIKING WHEN YOU SAW JOSEF NEWGARDEN GO PAST YOU?“I just knew I had to get the most out of those stints and not lose any more positions. I had to drive the thing today. It was on the edge, very loose. What a relief to get that done. I can’t thank Verizon enough. They’ve been with me for close to 12 years now and without them I would never have had this career and obviously Roger Penske and the whole team and Chevrolet.” HOW MUCH OF YOUR OFFSEASON MENTAL ADJUSTMENT HAS LED TO THIS MOMENT?“From the beginning it was just playing the long game, not necessarily going for the big wins and all that. As I’ve gotten older, I have a lot more gratitude for my life and what I get to do. Not everyone gets to do this and I’m lucky and I appreciate it a lot.” HOW MUCH DID YOU RELY ON EXPERIENCE THIS WEEKEND?“That’s exactly it; you’ve accumulated so much experience, you understand how races go and you understand that you can never give up no matter what it seems like, so you just keep digging and it just kept unfolding. A solid day.” FELIX ROSENQIST, NO. 7 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET, FINISHED 4TH:We raced it today. We started on the black Firestones. It was a bit hard to fend off the guys on the reds at the beginning. After that long first stint, we kind of got back in the game, and it was really strong on that stint. A really good job by the team to have the guts to stick it out that late, longer than anyone else, and I think from there on we were really good in the race. We were good on fuel; we were good on tires. After that yellow flag, we should have been more aggressive. It maybe lost us the podium, but it was a strong car. A few cars were a bit stronger, like Josef (Newgarden) was phenomenal. A big congrats to Will (Power). Hopefully next year we can give him a run for his money SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 XPEL TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINISHED 6TH:“We were doing our best for the team there and just covering Dixon. Covering our bases just so we wouldn’t get jumped by Ganssi and stuff. Once we got clear of him for the last stop it was just all about passing cars and using our speed. The XPEL car was so good, and the Chevy power was awesome. Great car — fantastic and we just picked them up one at a time and got to fourth in the points on the last lap. Really awesome! PATO O’WARD, MO.5 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET, FINISHED 8TH:I thought we had a great start. It was a great first stint. For some reason, everything went south from there. We have to look into it and really see why. I don’t have the answer for it right now. It was just extremely hard out there. We’ll look toward 2023.” RINIS VEEKAY, NO, 21 BITCOIN RACING TEAM WITH BITNILE ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET, FINISH 14TH:“I am sad the season is over! We had a pretty good last race of the year. We were really fast, but the tire deg was just a bit too much in the last few laps of a stint. I am proud of the BitNile team! We made the right calls, had good pit stops and fought hard. 14th was the best we could do today. I am 12th in the championship, just like last year, but I am proud. We had many ups and many downs, but we learned a lot. For next year, we can definitely get higher in the championship and filter out those little mistakes and have more ups! I am also proud of Chevy for winning the manufacturer championship this year and finishing 1-2 in the driver championship!” KYLE KIRKWOOD, NO.14 SEXTON PROPERTIES AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 21ST: “So last race done here in Laguna Seca, not the race that we that we really wanted. We were actually on for a pretty decent finish — it seemed like probably I think p 14 or p 15. And then I drove off going down the pit lane exit and then ultimately, we got a drive through [penalty] so that’s super unfortunate, but we didn’t have the pace to do what Alex Palou and Power did on a similar strategy to me, so that wasn’t absolutely perfect. But overall, it’s been a huge learning curve for me throughout the season. We’ve had a ton of fun. The team’s learned a lot. I’ve learned a lot. So hopefully we can just take everything that we’ve done this season and even this race weekend and transfer it into something for next year even though I won’t be part of the team. The team will be able to do it and I’ll be able to do it as well.” CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET,FINISHED 24TH: “We had a really great start and a great first stint. I really enjoyed battling with Marcus Ericsson, Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist. I am not entirely sure what happened after that, we have some research to do because it felt like there was something that was affecting the way the car drove the rest of the race. I just kind of had to hold on to get to the finish. It’s a real shame, these last three races were really tough and it’s hard to end the year this way. There are a lot of great things to look back on though, we had some great moments. Just not the way we wanted to finish it! Super clean year, didn’t hit anything, ever. The BitNile guys did a great job. We’ll be back and be better next year.” SIMONA DE SILVESTRO, NO. 16 TURNONGREEN PARETTA AUTOSPORT CHEVROLET, FINISHED 22ND: “The race was not too bad. We did three stops, which I think four might have been a bit better in the long run. I felt we had really good pace and were able to pass people, which was positive. For the whole weekend, we had good pace. For today’s race we had a few things happen in the pits, so if we cleaned a couple little things, and even myself with the few mistakes here and there, we can be really competitive.We had a new sponsor with TurnOnGreen, and it was cool to have all the sponsors and guests of Paretta Autosport here this weekend. I feel like our team is growing from that point of view so that’s really positive and hope to do more of it.” DALTON KELLETT, NO. 4 K-LINE AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 25TH:“Not exactly how we wanted to wrap up the 2022 IndyCar season, a tough day out there for the No. 4 crew. I got spun early after a good start where we made some good positions. But I don’t feel like we really had the pace to hang on to those gains on the reds, we just seemed to really struggle there. So I was driving pretty defensively. And Jimmie got into the back of me, and when I looped around and just lit the tires up trying to get it turned back the right way and just roasted the rear tire. That was like lap three or four. So for the remainder of that red stint, the rears were just gone. And that pretty much put us a lap down right away. And then there was kind of no recovering from that. We were okay on blacks. I thought our pace was acceptable. But just on reds we really were lacking. And yeah, I think a big factor was just cooking the rears on that spin. In just lost track position which took us out of contention for any possible gain. So not how we wanted it to end but just I can thank AJ Foyt crew enough for this year. You know, it was up and down. We definitely had some great highlights and lots of stuff that we would have liked to have gone better and done better. Like from my side and the team side, just a little bit of a lack of consistency. I think overall we’re probably not satisfied with how things ended up this year. But definitely lots to learn and lots of information for everyone to digest and use to improve going forward.”  CALLUM ILOTT, NO. 77 JUNCOS HOLLINGER RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 26TH:  TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:Will PowerTHE MODERATOR: Obviously joined by the 2022 NTT INDYCAR Series champion in Will Power, now a two-time champion in INDYCAR with the win. Nine podiums here in 2022, and of course five NTT P1 awards, snapping Mario Andretti’s all-time pole record yesterday.That seemed like a long time ago compared to what you just did today. Congratulations. Third-place finish.It’s Will’s ninth podium of the season, 94th of your career. I know it’s been a long day for you. How satisfying, where do you start when you try to describe something like this, what happened today?WILL POWER: Yeah, what a great weekend all around. I couldn’t really enjoy the pole yesterday because I was so focused on the race.A lot of stress. A lot of stress this weekend. Not really any other — I was pretty calm all year. Once I got in the car and we started rolling, it was fine. A bit sketchy in the middle of the race. I was digging –THE MODERATOR: How nerve-racking?WILL POWER: Deep, just I’ve got to give everything I can. I can’t lose any position here, and the car was — the tires, yeah, it was interesting. Some sets of tires were really good, and some were not quite so good. A bit of a difference there.But yep, mentally drained. Couldn’t show the sort of emotion that I showed when I won the 500.But it’s been like a long journey over the year. I think it’s pretty fitting that we just did another solid day, just a sort of long-game day like today. That’s just been the story of our year.Q. Coming in, you knew if I finish on the podium, we’ve got the championship. Palou goes by you, Josef goes by you, you’re sitting on the bubble right there. Is that where the nerves started to kick in?WILL POWER: That was the nerves coming in because Josef and I were on the same tires and he pulled a 12-second gap which just blew my mind. Then the next set of tires, suddenly I was actually quicker than him. It was a bit confusing to me because I just figured he was on reds but he wasn’t.Yeah, car came alive in the last stint and no problem.Q. I saw a banner afterwards, 42nd championship for Team Penske. You’re a part of that, obviously. You join a list of multiple championship winners from the team, guys like Rick Mears, who won three INDYCAR Series championships, Tom Sneva won a couple, Al Unser won a couple, Gil de Ferran, your teammate Josef Newgarden. That’s an elite racing team.WILL POWER: It is, yeah, all very elite, and just so fortunate to drive for such a team, being given the chance to do this. A lot of gratitude. A lot of gratitude to the team and the sponsors, Verizon. Very lucky.Q. We saw you making quite a few changes to your car in warmup. Did they make the car better, or did they make it worse, and that’s why the car’s handling was so tricky?WILL POWER: The car was actually really good in the last stint. Just went back to last year’s setup with a little bit of a change. Yeah, a bit of — we just went from what we ran in qualifying to what we ran in the race last year, which seemed pretty strong. Yeah, it was tough, man. Those two black stints, I just touched the throttle and the thing was sliding. It was really on top of the road. I took some front wing out, and that second stint, then you just didn’t have front and you didn’t have rear, but as the stint went on, it got a bit better.But then the last stint, the car came on. We put the front wing back in.Yeah, it was interesting. I was surprised how much better the tire was in the last stint for me.Q. Were the team constantly warning you what the gap was back to Grosjean or back to Rosenqvist?WILL POWER: I was watching on my dash. I got it on my dash so I could tell how fast someone is, and once that sort of stabilized with Grosjean, I thought, okay, I’m looking not bad here.And the fact that they said that Palou is 20 seconds up the road, I was like, well, if something doesn’t happen to him, you still have to try and maintain our position if it goes yellow or there’s a restart or any of that because it just can mix it all up.Yeah, it’s just — I have to say, I dug deep all year, fought hard all year, and that was the case today again.Q. Where is it that you pinpoint during the season that you thought this was going to happen, or was it just today’s race? Was it just a consistency between Team Penske and Team Chevy, as well, throughout the year?WILL POWER: Yeah, we definitely took a big jump on drivability with the engine. That really, really helped this year, put our cars in a different window.As far as knowing when I had the championship? About two to go, one to go. That’s about how it felt. I’ve been in positions where I’ve had races won and then something has happened.Yeah, never — started to look good with 10 to go, but yeah, we turned up the last three races on our game in every respect. Getting the pole at Gateway, leading the most laps, but then obviously a wrong strategy call there, otherwise I feel like we would have won that race.Then Portland on the front row, and then on the podium and then here again. Definitely turned up in the last three ready to go, not leaving anything on the table, not having to claw from the back or anything. Yeah, that was my mindset going into it.Q. Will, this championship you didn’t put the top of the trophy on your head like you did in 2014. Are you learning how to celebrate championships a little differently now than that first one?WILL POWER: I’m much older. I’m much older. That was Cindric’s fault. He told me to do that.Q. But I know that that championship was the release of a lot of torment that you felt inside because you’d never won a championship before. You’d come close. We never really know who would have won the 2011 championship because of the way the season ended. 2012 you weren’t — you lost it, 2013 you were out of it, and then 2014 you were able to seal it. Were there any moments today where there was any reflections of, I can’t let one wheel get turned the wrong way today?WILL POWER: Hmm, that’s kind of been all year. You’ve done it for long enough, you just iron out all those little stupid mistakes that potentially — that you have made over your career. Everyone does.That’s what I did, I have done all year. It’s been a really focused, solid year all around. Great crew, finished every lap of every race.We look back at a couple of these years and some of the mechanical failures, some of the things that have gone wrong, it just shows when you’ve got the whole combination together, we’re going to be there fighting for the championship.Q. When Newgarden came all the way from the back to the front and then got ahead of you, was there any moment where you wondered, like, how did he do that?WILL POWER: No, I knew he was going to be there. I knew it. It’s pretty crazy, though, I actually put him a lap down, right? Was that right? He had pit — no, that’s wrong. I pitted and came out in front of him, so I actually got a whole pit stop on him but then that yellow would have closed him up significantly and would have helped him. But after that, I was like, ooh, we’ve got to dig deep here, just keep digging, and that’s what I did.Q. You didn’t have Beau when you won in ’14 and he got to celebrate with you today. How special was that?WILL POWER: It’s special every time I see the little guy. Doesn’t matter if it’s a championship or just getting up in the morning. Just, yeah, God, it’s the best.Q. How do you and Faustino keep things as fresh as you have for all these years? That’s not a common thing.WILL POWER: Yeah, no, I want to say that we just know each other well. We actually worked better this year together than ever, really. We really did.I think he’s seen me mature. Think about it, he’s been with me since ’07, so I think he’s probably seen a slow progression of maturity, and this year he’s seen absolutely top level of that because he’s obviously heard me on the radio for years, he’s heard me — he’s been in that engineering office for years.Yeah, and I think we both have together — we’ve got a lot of respect for each other. It’s just, you cannot beat experience. You cannot beat experience. That’s all I’ll say. Every scenario that can happen to you to make a race go wrong has happened to me and him, and it happens to everyone, and just at this stage of your career, you just know the game so well.Yeah, and you just play on that experience.Q. Can you also share some thoughts about your crew chief Trevor, just a big bear of a guy, smile from ear to ear. Today was a big achievement for him in his career, as well.WILL POWER: Yeah, I’ve had a few different crew chiefs, but I would say that he is the most positive, lighthearted guy I’ve had and very nurturing just with the guys. I think everyone is happy on the crew.I’ve had crew chiefs that were really tough on the guys. They demand everyone to really do their job properly. But Trev is just — he’s a great guy, a great human, and very good at his job, and he keeps everyone calm, including me. He just says, just do what you do, man; nothing special. I’ve been saying that, too, on the radio. We come in for a stop, nothing special, boys, just do what you know.My outside rear guy it was his first year and they were the quickest on pit lane, I believe. I think they won the pit stop competition. That’s a first-year guy. He’s a good friend of mine, Adam Jarrett. They’re all good friends of mine, but that’s impressive.Q. I know Team Penske obviously doesn’t play favorites. That’s been evident in all the discussions that have been had over the last week, especially since Portland. But when you have one win and Newgarden has got five and McLaughlin has got three, does it make you anxious at all? Does it feel awkward that you’re leading the points and you’re the guy who’s going to win the championship, but would you like to have more wins to kind of show — I know there’s no No. 1 driver, but how does that feel?WILL POWER: Nine podiums, that’s pretty strong. Definitely gave up some wins just for consistency. Definitely could have attacked harder when I was on really good tires.I know the races — St. Pete was won on the restart. I actually just underdrove like you wouldn’t believe to make sure that I finished that stint in a good position instead of — I could have easily attacked and passed McLaughlin. Instead I actually lost a position on reds.The other one was Mid-Ohio, restart on reds and just attack here or I can end up — I think I’ll take third. Same with the second race at Iowa. I’ll take second. Make sure the tires last, make sure I finish second. There’s definitely some wins left on the table if you were going for that.But I’ve said it from the beginning of the year, I said, I’m playing the long game all year. I’ve never done that, and I’m doing it this year. I don’t really care about the wins; I just want to win another championship, and I played that game. Maybe I go out next year and try to win races.You know, yeah. If you want to win a championship, you’ve got to play a long game.Q. You said on the NBC interview with Marty that Liz had told you you were going to break Mario’s record and you were going to win the championship.WILL POWER: She said that. She said, I believe — because there’s probably a time where I was disappointed in something or just saying like — talking about my career or something. She goes, I believe you’re going to beat Mario’s record this year and win another championship. That’s what she said. Legit, she said that. She said that a couple times in the year, and it actually gave me confidence. It actually like — that’s how much faith I have in her gut feel. It kind of made me feel, okay, yeah, she’s said things like this before. Like the 500, she said, I believe you’re going to win one. I think you’re going to win one.Q. You don’t remember where you were?WILL POWER: Yeah, I do. We were standing in the kitchen. I remember it exactly.Q. Just some point during the off-season? Was it in December or January –WILL POWER: Yeah, it was — she had said it a couple times, but I know it was before the season, and she said it again during the season. Even before this weekend, she said, I know you’re going to do it. She said that. I know you’re going to do it. Man, it’s so much pressure — not pressure, but everything has got to go right. But deep down, I was like, I know how life flows at times, and I kind of thought that this could happen.But yeah, she said that. Yeah, she has a good gut feel, a good gut feel for things.Q. You’ve said a couple of times here, you said yesterday, you haven’t really been able to fully show your emotions because you’ve been in locked-in serious mode all week. When do you get to let loose?WILL POWER: Yeah, I don’t know. Just a great feeling of satisfaction. Yeah, I don’t really drink or anything. I’ll have some green teas tonight and enjoy it. I got in the ocean for 30 minutes. That was cold. I think it’s 50 degrees. I stayed in for 30. My dad is like, don’t get in for more than 15.Q. Earlier in the race, I believe you exited one of your pit stops behind Kellett and then you had Daly a couple seconds in front of you; you were worried about getting help, getting by them. How worried were you something was going to happen at that point that maybe things were going to go haywire completely?WILL POWER: My worry was I had a two-second gap on Grosjean and I wanted to make sure I jumped him in the stop. That was my worry. I was like, this second-second gap, I don’t want to get held up. That was really my only worry.Q. Looking at the whole season, what was the thing that surprised you the most about everything? Was it Scott and what he did or was there something else that happened that surprised you most of all?WILL POWER: I think based — I actually felt like we didn’t have a bad car last year, it just seemed like bad luck as a team. This year everything just seemed to click. I don’t know whether that surprises me or not.I would say the most — not even surprising this year. The competition is just insane.But what’s maybe surprising is the gap we had to the field as a team. We just seemed to execute in every way. Not necessarily faster — well, we were faster in some respects, some races, but just getting it right, pit lane and on track.Q. Will, I know they showed some clips on the pre-race show on the grid, and at least to us it looked like you were very nervous, very focused. Can you kind of describe what the emotions were like leading up to the start of today’s race?WILL POWER: Yeah, it was waking up at 3:00 a.m. a couple times over the weekend, and you can always relax yourself back to sleep, but it’s obviously a big day. Everyone has put a ton of effort in, and you don’t want to let it go. Those nerves make you perform at a high level.I had those nerves going into qualifying. It just pumps you up to another level. That’s what it does for me.A couple of times in my career I’ve actually gotten in the car too relaxed, and it just doesn’t work. I’ve been around long enough to understand the perfect amount of sort of nervousness you’ve got to have. You’ve got to have it. You’ve got to have it. Your subconscious won’t perform to what you want it to if you don’t. Your subconscious needs to understand the importance of what you’re doing and then you can put yourself at another level.Q. Talk about the faith that you put in Liz and her gut feelings; they talked in the pre race today about very early in your career, Liz talked you out of taking other jobs and to stick around and wait for an opportunity in INDYCAR.WILL POWER: Yeah, that was true, too.Q. So you believed her long before she was your wife or even your girlfriend. What is it that has made you believe in her gut feelings?WILL POWER: Well, things like that. I mean, legitimately told me to sign the contract for A1 GP, didn’t have anything else, and she told me to get out of that contract because Penske or Ganassi might call you. I was just like, there’s no way, but I did it anyway. I don’t know, I just did it. Then sure enough, she goes, yeah, Helio just got arrested. I’m like, what? What? Derek is down there, he’s talking to Roger — no, it was uncanny. Unbelievable. She actually talked me out of that contract. Yeah, I did end up with Penske. It just blew my mind. How could she know that? She didn’t know, she just felt that.Q. What else has she felt? What else has she predicted?WILL POWER: She has good intuition.Q. You being you and you allowed yourself to get nervous this weekend; was there any point knowing you just needed to finish a certain place? Did you relax at any point during the race?WILL POWER: I did not relax at any point. I knew I had to keep digging, and yeah, I went hard the whole race.In that restart, Josef is P5 already, I’m like, ooh. Then he had to go another stop, but yeah, it was high stress the whole race, but remained extremely focused on it. Yeah, extracted the most out of it, and yep, it was very like our whole season. It was a very solid, consistent, no-mistake day.Q. Do you think you’ve done enough to earn another contract?WILL POWER: You would hope so. If not, there’s plenty of teams to –Q. Yeah? Tell us about it.WILL POWER: McLaren, I signed with them, so…Q. But then you’ll have to deny it on Twitter like 10 minutes later.WILL POWER: Yeah, we’ll see. We’ll see what happens. Yeah, you would hope so.Q. It’s been in the media here a lot recently about Formula 1 things, but INDYCAR can hold its head high when it has a champion like you and you’re consistent across all the disciplines of circuits that you go to. You have to be consistent across the lot, don’t you.WILL POWER: Yeah, you do. You can’t leave anything on the table. That’s what makes this series so tough and unique is that you’ve got all these disciplines. Even the difference between a road course and a street course is quite significant in our series because the street course is extremely rough and bumpy and tight. There’s not a series like it.I’m going to say it’s the toughest series in the world because of what you’ve got to master to win it and the competition level. You don’t even have to take my word for it; just do the math on lap times, and you’ll see that we’re the toughest, the most competitive series in the world.Q. When you look at it today and just using Dixon as the example as someone who qualifies midfield and you’re just further up the road, again, it’s that same thing, the series is so equal, people look at it and go, he’s midfield but it’s thousands of seconds separating you guys in qualifying.WILL POWER: It is. When we were at Portland, I was like seven tenths covered 20 cars. Seven tenths covering 20 cars. You’re never going to see that in something like Formula 1. Never. It’s the ultimate driver’s series. It’s the ultimate driver’s series.Q. Will, you mentioned a couple of times through the year the mental approach changing, something that you learnt in the off-season or figured out in the off-season. You said that you might tell us at the end of the season if you won the series. Are you able to share that with us now, what the secret was?WILL POWER: No, I will only say it when I retire. But yeah, definitely — I’m older, more experienced, just know the game so well, know the correct mental approach to get the most out of myself and know when to go, when not to go, and just all those little details that you can only get by experience.Yeah, it’s a solid year all around as a group, not just me. I mean, the team have done a great job, the group that I’ve had on my car, the pit stops, the strategies, everything. Total team effort.Yeah, that’s the only way you’ll win in this series is absolutely a group effort.Q. How excited do you feel having in mind the strength you showed us on the last round, knowing that you have a lot of pace in qually and race for the next season?WILL POWER: Yeah, I mean, very encouraging for next year. I’ve learnt a lot this year, as well. You never stop learning. Having two really good teammates helps.Yeah, look forward to some time off, to be honest. I haven’t seen my parents in three years. I want to get back over to Australia and relax and then I’ll start thinking about what happens next year.Q. What do you think was the most satisfying moment of the whole season, not including this one?WILL POWER: Yeah, the most satisfying race was definitely Detroit. I wanted to win that one. And winning the championship, extremely satisfying. You think about it this weekend, winning the championship and surpassing Mario Andretti in poles, very satisfying. Very satisfying.Q. Going along that satisfying thing, we spoke at Nashville after the race, and you said, I can’t wait to fight Scott Dixon for a championship. How much more satisfying is this championship knowing that you fought Scott through the rest of the way he was tied for second in points and now the title is yours?WILL POWER: Yeah, it was a hard fight to the end. You’re fighting Dixon and Newgarden, like two of the best guys in the series. It’s very satisfying. Very satisfying.That matters. It’s not fun — it’s fun at the time when you win with ease, but it’s way better when it was a difficult fight to the end, which it was. It adds to the satisfaction.Q. Did you ever think it was you against everyone else at Penske this year?WILL POWER: Me against everyone else? Well, the two boys — well, I guess they’re younger and similar in age and enjoying having fun. But no. Look, I find Scott, I find McLaughlin a great guy, easy to get along with, and Josef is, as well. They’re good guys. Fiercely competitive, and I expect Scott to be a legit championship contender next year.Yeah, I said it a couple weeks ago; I’m going to say this is the strongest combination that Penske has ever had as far as driver, speed, ability. A tough group. Tough, tough trio.Q. What about winning it with Ron Ruzewski. How big of a combination is that because for the longest time you were paired with Tim Cindric, but to be able to get Ron as the guy that works with you, and how special is it to give him this championship?WILL POWER: It’s great. It’s great. Ron has been fantastic, very calm on the radio, never, ever loses his cool, puts things in perspective. Him and Dave, they’re just a great group. The whole group, and Dave in particular, man. I just feel — I really wanted to win it for him and Robby Atkinson, two guys that have been with me — Dave has been with me the whole time but Robby since 2010. They deserved another championship. They did. These guys are extremely good at their jobs, and I didn’t want to ruin it for them.Q. I wanted to ask when you decided to go to this playing the long game thing, were they fully behind you doing that, or were there days when Dave or Robby or Ron were like, s— we could have won that race?WILL POWER: Look, you’re never disappointed. Looking from a championship perspective, every time you get a podium, that’s not the day you’re looking back on it. You’re looking back on the day you finished 19th like at Road America. They’re the days that lose championships. Top threes don’t. We got a lot of them this year. Anytime I got a top four, I was pretty happy.But in the past I would have been really pissed off. When your teammates are winning, that was a big change. It’s like, I don’t care. I’m going to weather their storm while they’re having a good run, and just — that in itself was a mental change. It’s like, I’m not getting pissed off with a top four, where before I would have been, just after the race, just seething. JOSEF NEWGARDENTHE MODERATOR: We continue to wrap up the 2022 Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey, Josef Newgarden, from 25th to second on a four-stop strategy today. It was an incredible show, first runner-up finish of the season, sixth podium of the season, 47th of Josef’s career. Also joined by today’s winner, Alex Palou in the NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, 32nd advantage when it was all said and done at the end of the race, picking up his first win and only win of the season, fourth of his career, sixth podium of the season and 15th of his career. Q. Josef, you’ve talked about what a struggle this year has been for you personally, and also one of the first things you said on the broadcast. How are you feeling right now? JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Ooh. You know, in a lot of ways, proud. I think I’m overwhelmingly proud of our team. We came up short in the 2 car, but at the end of the day, the team excelled tremendously this year. Outside of Indianapolis, I don’t think there’s a team that was in touching distance to Team Penske. I’m filled with a lot of pride because I think the world of everybody on this team, not just the 2 car, but everyone on the 12, everyone on the 3. We’re all very close. I’m sad for the 2 car crew, but I’m also elated for the 12 car crew because there’s a lot of really good people there, and really a win for one car is a win for all of us. Obviously we’re all competitive, and we want to personally be the winners, but when we win as a team, it is big for everybody. I’m filled with a lot of pride. But I’m also filled with a little bit of a relief. I’m kind of happy to come into this off-season reset, recharge, and then figure out a way to just hit everybody harder next year, and I know we can do that. The other overwhelming positive in my mind is I know we can do better than this year. I just know we can. When we put it together, I’m just telling you, just watch out, because when we put it together, it’s going to be big. Q. You sound a lot like “Perfectionist Josef” which you seem to think is a little bit of a problem. How do you balance it? JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, I can be, but I’ve been that way my whole life and I’ve figured out how to manage it up to this point. I think it probably needs a little bit of tuning this off-season, but we know how to do that. Q. For Josef, looking back at the spin in qualifying, you have this great comeback, but Will finishes 3rd and Palou seemed like he was kind of untouchable. Did that ultimately not matter as much as it might have? You guys did everything you possibly could to maximize what you had and it still might not have been enough? JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I think it’s a different day if you start on pole for sure. That gives us a very different picture. We’re going to run a different race and we’re going to run it from no deficit. We started this race last, so we started at a big deficit. You know, it’s hard to predict. If we didn’t have the deficit, I don’t know if we would have had enough to beat this guy today. I mean, he was stellar, and there’s no doubt about it, so I don’t want to marginalize what he did. But it’s a different day when you start first. We wouldn’t have had that deficit to make up. I don’t know how that would have turned out. I don’t know if it would have kind of changed the 12 car’s program. Really we win the pole, we win the day, all I need is for Power to finish fourth, and that seems pretty doable, right. Ultimately the spin was almost the nail in the coffin this weekend. It just was — we didn’t need that to happen. It was such a silly thing to happen, too. It wasn’t some grandiose problem. There’s one curb you don’t want to touch and I accidentally touched it, and it created a big issue. Yeah, hard to say how it would have come out if we had put the thing on pole yesterday, but I would have rather have done that and seen what happened than have to come from the back today. Q. Josef, did you have anything left? You looked like you gave everything you had just to get back up to the front. JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, that was everything I had today. I think we were going to be — we were short ultimately to Alex, no doubt. We’re going to have to reassess and figure out how we make ourselves a little bit better to the deficit that we had to Alex in those last couple stints. I’ve got some ideas already, and I think if we were going to run this race again, I already know what we’d try, and if we start up further then that changes the game, too. I’m hopeful for another shot. As far as what we put together today, that was everything we had, no doubt. Q. At the start of the race when you were back there, you were passing guys like it was a video game. Did it feel that way, as fast as you were picking them off? JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I was just old-school driving. I was going back to junior days. What happens happens. I’m just going as hard as I can. Q. Josef, what made the corkscrew your preferred place to pass today, and did the team remind you at all that hey, teammate passing here when you’re going after Will in the corkscrew, as well? JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I was just so good off 6. I think this whole weekend, just been able to get big runs on people. So it made it kind of an opportune spot to pass. I think that’s why it was one of the best places to get a pass done was just the strength of our car in that particular corner. I think it swings around this track. Some people are really good on the mid speeds, some people are extremely good off low speeds. I think you’ve got to play to your strengths, and our car in the mid speed was really phenomenal all weekend, so I think that’s why we were able to capitalize on that area. Q. Any extra care going after Will in that area, or was it just like anybody else? JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, just normal racing like anybody else. Q. Josef, I wanted to ask, you said it’s been a very taxing year. I wonder if you could be a bit more specific. Is it because when you got what seemed to be knocked back, and where do you feel you could possibly improve? You said you would come back even harder in 2023. I just wondered if you saw anything within yourself that you needed to get better at. JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Look, if I can figure out how to predict yellows, that would be a magical find in the off-season. That’s the number one thing I want to figure out is how do you predict these things. If we had that figured out, this year would be very different. A lot of times that’s how it goes. It’s INDYCAR racing. They’re hard to predict. Things go your way one moment and they go against you the next, and you just kind of ride the waves. But some years in particular just seem to be bad stretches, and this year was most taxing because of the roller coaster. It was one weekend we’d be winning the race, next weekend it was going sideways for one reason or another. I wouldn’t put any negative or problem on anyone within the team. I don’t think we’re going to go into the off-season and say, hey, we’ve got to change a bunch of stuff. Timing-wise it was just a really tough year timing-wise, so mentally it was a little bit of a drain because the more success you find, the more you demand perfection from each race, so the more taxing it is when it’s not going correct. But I don’t think it’s anything that we could predict or really alter. I think we just need a little better timing here. But everyone did their job this season. I’m really proud of everybody. It’s not like we need a lot of changes. I think we called good races. We pitted the car well. It’s reliable, as reliable as you can expect. There’s always one or two things that are going to happen, but I think we have really reliable cars, so I’m not going to be demanding a lot of changes. It’s just need a little bit of momentum to roll our way consistently next year. Q. Josef, sort of big picture as the veteran, this season had the fifth tightest — five of you made it the tightest championship race since 2003, this crazy silly season going on. All these things have happened, and the product is so good and the competition is so good and Bus Bros is good. JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I thought you didn’t like Bus Bros? In the early days you weren’t a fan. Q. Listen, I’m a creative contributor, Brian will tell you, to Bus Bros for an upcoming idea. Anyway, just what kind of season do you think this was? Penske dominated but yet it was all over the place. JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I mean, look, it’s an exciting product. It really is. Of course I want to sit here and sell the sport and say how great it is. It’s the most competitive, compelling product you’re going to find in motorsports, but I think that’s all true. When you tune in and you really watch and you get engaged, it’s extra exciting. I mean, it’s hella exciting for a motorsports fan. I just don’t know that you can match it. I really don’t. That’s not to discredit other forms. I’m a racer. I love watching Formula 1, I love watching NASCAR, sports cars. It’s not to try and reduce others to try and build ourselves up, but when I just speak about our product, I really think it’s the most compelling product out there. If anything we’ve just got to keep continuing to amplify the product because the more people that really get engaged and understand the personalities and understand how INDYCAR racing works and what makes it interesting and fun, the more we educate people and show them, I think the bigger it’s going to get. I truly believe that. We don’t have to have a better product, we just have to keep selling it, figure out ways to do that better and better. So I think we’re learning. This year has been a big learning year for Penske Entertainment and I think they’re on it and I think they’re committed, and there’s no one better to be backing you than Roger Penske, and I think he’s absolutely committed to the sport. We just need to make sure we don’t flatten out here. Whatever we learned this year, whatever was positive, we just need to double down and keep growing it, because it is the best damned product on the planet. There’s no doubt. I have no doubt about it. Q. You had an interesting start to your year with a brand new race engineer. You guys won a whole bunch of races together, which isn’t the norm for a brand new driver and engineer combo, especially Eric first time as a race engineer in INDYCAR. Can you talk about the season with him because this doesn’t happen very often. JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, it’s been a tremendous year for our group. I think Eric did a really stellar job. I think the strength of our team was that we had no egos. Everybody contributed, and we were all team players. Especially Eric. Eric leaned on everybody as much as he needed to and we leaned on him. I think that’s what made us strong this year. We didn’t have any aggressive personalities where one person was trying to lead over the other. We were just trying to maximize each other and support each other, and so whether that’s Eric Leichtle or it was Luke Mason or James Schnabel, a lot of people, the core people on the 2 car, or you look at Chad or Travis, everybody was working together as a unit. I think that makes a big difference when you have as many new people as we had, because the pitfalls when you have as many new people as we did on our team, when you have someone that’s just trying to overly aggressively trying to take the charge, sometimes it can go sideways with inexperience. Because we had so much inexperience on the car, the way we leaned on each other and utilized each other is what made us strong. I’m very proud of the effort. I think we maximized the performance side of what we were doing. I don’t think there was any deficiencies there whatsoever. Obviously timing wasn’t kind to us for the most part this year, but when it came to excelling within the performance and what we could control, I think we nailed it, so I’m very proud of Eric and the entire team. I think they did a tremendous job. But yeah, we didn’t change much. We tried a couple of stuff that worked at Portland. We struggled in practice 1, like couldn’t make the reds work. Then practice 2 was fine. Qualifying we had some up and downs all the time, like I think we went through 5, nothing, and always P6, P6. I don’t know, something clicked this morning. We made some changes, so the car was not as the test. Obviously the test helped a ton. We were able to try some stuff, some ideas that we had that we learned from other part of the teams during the season, and some worked, some didn’t. Yeah, I was super happy when we tested here. But these guys still made it work without testing here, which is something we need to get there. Like we showed up in Portland and they were super strong and we said, maybe it’s because they tested here, let’s go to Laguna and show them how to go fast here, but they got the pole, they were super fast. Yeah, I think we just need to work a bit more and make sure we can close the car. Q. Josef, do you have something in your head like keeping the rounds to talk about what you have to change this year in order to become champion? JOSEF NEWGARDEN: You know, for sure we just needed to have a more consistent season. There’s no doubt. I think that the peak performance was there all year. We just didn’t have the consistency. That ultimately is what put us in an unfavorable position when we came here. If we can clean that up, I have no doubt we can challenge for the championship again next year. Q. Josef, did the race in terms of you guys’ strategy moving up the field, that first chunk of the race when you were able to jump from 25th to fifth and eventually second, did that go about you were hoping it would or how do you feel like this race could have played out differently for you? JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Like we were talking earlier, the best scenario would have been to qualify on pole yesterday. If I didn’t have the error, I think it’s a different conversation when you start from the front. It’s hard to predict. I think Alex had a superior day today. He really did. Even starting on pole, it would have been questionable could we have toppled him today. But it’s an unknown. You’ve got to start up front to see. But from where we started, I think it’s about as good as you can expect. I felt like we had one of the best cars in the field all weekend, and when we had the opportunity to race people, we were better than them and we were able to pass them. So it went about as I expected, but probably a little bit better early on. I felt like we were able to make more progress than I predicted we could in the first stint, so that was probably the most surprising bit of the race. Q. Ultimately was it just how you had to push and charge to get up through the field, is that why ultimately you ended up having to make that extra stop? JOSEF NEWGARDEN: You know, I think we were kind of committed to that strategy. We had a tire difference and we wanted to play to it. So I think that’s why we made the attempt that we did to still run a four-stop. Still wasn’t enough, and we were better earlier in the race. We were really good for the first half, and then the second half I think we got smoked a bit more by Alex, and we just could not maximize those final two stints. We really need to look at that because I think the strength in the beginning of the race was so good and we lost a bit of it towards the end, and if we didn’t lose as much of it, I think we might have been able to make more use of that fourth stop, but ultimately we were still just shy on pace to Alex, and I think that was the story at the end. We were just shy on pace.

Alex Palou dominates the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey to win for Honda and Chip Ganassi Racing
NTT INDYCAR SERIES completed its 2022 season today at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
Christian Lundgaard finishes fifth to claim series Rookie of the Year honors

MONTEREY, Calif. (Sept. 11, 2022) – Alex Palou closed off the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES in dominating style Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, with the Honda driver leading 67 laps to win the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey. The outgoing series champion started 11th, but used a strong second stint work his way into the lead, then built that advantage throughout the second half of 95-lap contest, holding an impressive 30-second margin of victory at the finish.

Seeking his seventh INDYCAR drivers’ title, Scott Dixon was unable to make the progress he needed in heavy traffic to finish 12th in today’s race, and third in the championship points standings.

In the tight battle for series Rookie of the Year honors between two Honda drivers, Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s Christian Lundgaard recovered from a disappointing qualifying effort yesterday to finish fifth today to claim the title. Rival David Malukas finished 13th in his Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Honda to complete an otherwise excellent debut season, highlighted by a second-place finish at World Wide Technology Raceway in August.

Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Honda Race Results
1st Alex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
5th Christian Lundgaard-R Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
7th Romain Grosjean Andretti Autosport Honda
9th Marcus Ericsson Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
10th Alexander Rossi Andretti Autosport Honda
11th Colton Herta Andretti Autosport Honda
12th Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
13th David Malukas-R Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Honda
15th Devlin DeFrancesco-R Andretti Autosport Honda
16th Jimmie Johnson Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
17th Simon Pagenaud Meyer Shank Racing Honda
18th Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
19th Helio Castroneves Meyer Shank Racing Honda
20th Jack Harvey Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
23rd Takuma Sato Dale Coyne Racing with RWR Honda

R – Rookie

Quotes
Alex Palou (#10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) race winner, outgoing series champion finished fifth in the final points standings: “It was an amazing day! Conditions were extremely tough, we knew they would be going into it, but we felt really good in warm up and were looking forward to the race. Everything went super smooth during the race, pit stops, strategy, tire, engine. We got some really good fuel milage out of our Honda engine that allowed us to do the race in three stops. That made our day a bit easier! I can’t wait to get the off-season ended and start again and hopefully start it like we finished this year.”

Christian Lundgaard (#30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda) finished fifth, won series Rookie of the Year honors: “The Rookie of the Year title is just a big reward for all the hard work we’ve done this year as a team. At this point, I’m just so happy we’ve managed to move up through the field. For much of this season, we’ve executed in qualifying, but then either stayed there or gone backwards during the race. This weekend, we really didn’t have a decent car, and qualified near the back. But this time we were able to gain positions in the race. It’s just rewarding to move forward – and to get the rookie championship done. And now there’s another championship to go win next year!”

Scott Dixon (#9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) finished 12th, six-time series champion finished the season third in the points standings: “We tried a bit of everything today. We ultimately just didn’t have the pace, to be honest. The tire deg [falloff in grip] was really high, especially in traffic. And we just kept coming out of the pits in a train of cars, and used the tires too much trying to move forward. After the last stop, we finally had a clear track and then our pace was good. Like a lot of us here, I’m looking forward to the track being repaved this winter. Currently, it doesn’t really suit my style very well. Everyone on the team did a hell of a job all season long. We made the most of what we had at every race, and finished every race lap this year, which is definitely a huge milestone in itself. With our partners Honda and HPD, the effort they make every race weekend is a feat in itself. We’ll keep after it, we know exactly what we need to do in the off-season, so hopefully we can make some gains in those areas. We’ll be fighting for [championship] number seven next year.”

David Salters (President and Technical Director, Honda Performance Development) on today’s race and the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season: “I’d just like to thank and congratulate all the hard working, smart men and women of Honda Performance Development. It was nice to finish off the season with a victory today, especially such a dominant one from Alex Palou. That was a champion’s drive. I also would like to thank our great teams, but particularly Chip Ganassi Racing, who just consistently deliver race-in and race-out. So well done Alex, well done Chip Ganassi Racing, well done HPD. In some ways, this was another good year for us. We won the Indianapolis 500 for the third consecutive year, and set a new pole qualifying record. That does not suck. However, compared to the last couple of years, this season wasn’t quite up to our usual standards. We’ve got work to do during the off-season, so we’ll go away and do some work. That’s how racing operates. Racing also helps us develop our people and entertain our fans. Honda enables us to do this. So, finally, thank you to Honda for allowing us to participate in this great sport.”

Fast Fact
Today’s dominant win by Alex Palou is the third consecutive INDYCAR SERIES victory for a Honda driver at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Andrettti Autosport’s Colton Herta won in both 2019 and 2021. No race was held here in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Next
Today’s race concludes the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The 2023 season gets underway March 5, with a return to the Florida Gulf Coast for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

September 11, 2022

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Menards/Masterforce team had a short day on Sunday in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Burton was collected in a multi-car crash at Lap 115, and his Ford Mustang was too damaged to continue. He was credited with a 32^nd-place finish.

Burton started Sunday’s race from 18^th place and finished the first 80-lap Stage in 26^th place but on the lead lap.

In the early laps of the second Stage he moved back into 18^th place just before the restart that went awry and took him out of the race.

Burton and the No. 21 team now head to Bristol Motor Speedway for Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race.  
 

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY WEATHERTECH RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA TEAM CHEVY POST RACE QUOTES SEPTEMBER 11, 2022 JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINISHED 2ND:HOW DO YOU PROCESS THIS ON A DAY WHERE YOU FOUGHT SO HARD AND DID EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER ALMOST TO GET IT DONE AND STILL FALL SHORT IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP?“You know, I hate to say it but in a lot of ways this has been a really tough year. So its going to be a welcome offseason. It has been a taxing, taxing season. We have had a lot of highs, but a lot of lows. And just riding the roller coaster this year has brought me to a breaking point a couple of points in the year. But I am ultimately just proud in the team because this is a big day for everybody to win the championship. Huge congrats to Will (Power) and the entire team because this is an effort by everybody. Whether it was the two car, or the 12 or the three, we all take a lot of pride in it. All these crew members, they work on every single car. The ultimate goal is to win a championship for Team Penske. We did that, so there is a ton to be proud of and for a personal stand point I am really proud of the two car team because they stuck with it day after day. Even yesterday, with the heartache there, we fought back and we nearly got there. So I am just proud of the effort and proud to be supported by Hitachi and Team Chevy. We are going to come back stronger next year and we have to be in a better position and I know we can do better than we did this year.” HOW OPTOMISTIC ARE YOU TO BEING OVER THERE NEXT YEAR INSTEAD OF YOUR TEAMMATE?“I am very optimistic. I am going to go back and recharge and come back and hit all these people harder. Believe me, I will be ready to go by the time we get to St. Pete, and I will look forward to it.”  WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON 5G TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINSHED 3RD AND CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER: COULD YOU HAVE PLANNED A MORE PERFECT WEEKEND?“No. It’s so surreal. In the offseason my wife said to me I believe you’re going to beat Mario’s record and you’re going to win the championship. It actually gave me confidence that I could do it. That’s how much confidence I have in her gut feel. I just couldn’t believe that they came true.” YOU PLAYED THE LONG GAME BY STAYING CALM. WHAT WERE YOU THIKING WHEN YOU SAW JOSEF NEWGARDEN GO PAST YOU?“I just knew I had to get the most out of those stints and not lose any more positions. I had to drive the thing today. It was on the edge, very loose. What a relief to get that done. I can’t thank Verizon enough. They’ve been with me for close to 12 years now and without them I would never have had this career and obviously Roger Penske and the whole team and Chevrolet.” HOW MUCH OF YOUR OFFSEASON MENTAL ADJUSTMENT HAS LED TO THIS MOMENT?“From the beginning it was just playing the long game, not necessarily going for the big wins and all that. As I’ve gotten older, I have a lot more gratitude for my life and what I get to do. Not everyone gets to do this and I’m lucky and I appreciate it a lot.” HOW MUCH DID YOU RELY ON EXPERIENCE THIS WEEKEND?“That’s exactly it; you’ve accumulated so much experience, you understand how races go and you understand that you can never give up no matter what it seems like, so you just keep digging and it just kept unfolding. A solid day.” FELIX ROSENQIST, NO. 7 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET, FINISHED 4TH:We raced it today. We started on the black Firestones. It was a bit hard to fend off the guys on the reds at the beginning. After that long first stint, we kind of got back in the game, and it was really strong on that stint. A really good job by the team to have the guts to stick it out that late, longer than anyone else, and I think from there on we were really good in the race. We were good on fuel; we were good on tires. After that yellow flag, we should have been more aggressive. It maybe lost us the podium, but it was a strong car. A few cars were a bit stronger, like Josef (Newgarden) was phenomenal. A big congrats to Will (Power). Hopefully next year we can give him a run for his money SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 XPEL TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINISHED 6TH:“We were doing our best for the team there and just covering Dixon. Covering our bases just so we wouldn’t get jumped by Ganssi and stuff. Once we got clear of him for the last stop it was just all about passing cars and using our speed. The XPEL car was so good, and the Chevy power was awesome. Great car — fantastic and we just picked them up one at a time and got to fourth in the points on the last lap. Really awesome! PATO O’WARD, MO.5 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET, FINISHED 8TH:I thought we had a great start. It was a great first stint. For some reason, everything went south from there. We have to look into it and really see why. I don’t have the answer for it right now. It was just extremely hard out there. We’ll look toward 2023.” RINIS VEEKAY, NO, 21 BITCOIN RACING TEAM WITH BITNILE ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET, FINISH 14TH:“I am sad the season is over! We had a pretty good last race of the year. We were really fast, but the tire deg was just a bit too much in the last few laps of a stint. I am proud of the BitNile team! We made the right calls, had good pit stops and fought hard. 14th was the best we could do today. I am 12th in the championship, just like last year, but I am proud. We had many ups and many downs, but we learned a lot. For next year, we can definitely get higher in the championship and filter out those little mistakes and have more ups! I am also proud of Chevy for winning the manufacturer championship this year and finishing 1-2 in the driver championship!” KYLE KIRKWOOD, NO.14 SEXTON PROPERTIES AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 21ST: “So last race done here in Laguna Seca, not the race that we that we really wanted. We were actually on for a pretty decent finish — it seemed like probably I think p 14 or p 15. And then I drove off going down the pit lane exit and then ultimately, we got a drive through [penalty] so that’s super unfortunate, but we didn’t have the pace to do what Alex Palou and Power did on a similar strategy to me, so that wasn’t absolutely perfect. But overall, it’s been a huge learning curve for me throughout the season. We’ve had a ton of fun. The team’s learned a lot. I’ve learned a lot. So hopefully we can just take everything that we’ve done this season and even this race weekend and transfer it into something for next year even though I won’t be part of the team. The team will be able to do it and I’ll be able to do it as well.” CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET,FINISHED 24TH: “We had a really great start and a great first stint. I really enjoyed battling with Marcus Ericsson, Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist. I am not entirely sure what happened after that, we have some research to do because it felt like there was something that was affecting the way the car drove the rest of the race. I just kind of had to hold on to get to the finish. It’s a real shame, these last three races were really tough and it’s hard to end the year this way. There are a lot of great things to look back on though, we had some great moments. Just not the way we wanted to finish it! Super clean year, didn’t hit anything, ever. The BitNile guys did a great job. We’ll be back and be better next year.” SIMONA DE SILVESTRO, NO. 16 TURNONGREEN PARETTA AUTOSPORT CHEVROLET, FINISHED 22ND: “The race was not too bad. We did three stops, which I think four might have been a bit better in the long run. I felt we had really good pace and were able to pass people, which was positive. For the whole weekend, we had good pace. For today’s race we had a few things happen in the pits, so if we cleaned a couple little things, and even myself with the few mistakes here and there, we can be really competitive.We had a new sponsor with TurnOnGreen, and it was cool to have all the sponsors and guests of Paretta Autosport here this weekend. I feel like our team is growing from that point of view so that’s really positive and hope to do more of it.” DALTON KELLETT, NO. 4 K-LINE AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 25TH:“Not exactly how we wanted to wrap up the 2022 IndyCar season, a tough day out there for the No. 4 crew. I got spun early after a good start where we made some good positions. But I don’t feel like we really had the pace to hang on to those gains on the reds, we just seemed to really struggle there. So I was driving pretty defensively. And Jimmie got into the back of me, and when I looped around and just lit the tires up trying to get it turned back the right way and just roasted the rear tire. That was like lap three or four. So for the remainder of that red stint, the rears were just gone. And that pretty much put us a lap down right away. And then there was kind of no recovering from that. We were okay on blacks. I thought our pace was acceptable. But just on reds we really were lacking. And yeah, I think a big factor was just cooking the rears on that spin. In just lost track position which took us out of contention for any possible gain. So not how we wanted it to end but just I can thank AJ Foyt crew enough for this year. You know, it was up and down. We definitely had some great highlights and lots of stuff that we would have liked to have gone better and done better. Like from my side and the team side, just a little bit of a lack of consistency. I think overall we’re probably not satisfied with how things ended up this year. But definitely lots to learn and lots of information for everyone to digest and use to improve going forward.” CALLUM ILOTT, NO. 77 JUNCOS HOLLINGER RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 26TH:

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Get Bioethanol Chevrolet Team Rally to Top-15 Finish at Kansas Speedway

14th

11th

14th

“We fought with the balance on our No. 3 Get Bioethanol Camaro ZL1 all day. It’s the same thing we’ve fought all year, really. We had high hopes because we qualified pretty decent. I’m proud of our guys. We fought hard. We kept ourselves in it and we have a shot at Bristol Motor Speedway. Bristol is going to be wild and anything can happen. We’ve given ourselves a good shot at advancing into the next round of the NASCAR Playoffs. Nobody knows what to expect when we get there, but it’s a long race. If you’re there at the end of the day, you’ve got a good shot to make it.” -Austin Dillon

Cut Tire Sidelines Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Guaranteed Rate Chevrolet Team Early at Kansas Speedway

35th

1st

11th

“The Guaranteed Rate Chevrolet was really strong today and everyone did a great job all weekend. Unfortunately, we didn’t get any warning with the tire. That’s tough. We haven’t had a tire problem in a while. We ran 30-plus laps in practice and everything looked fine. We had an odd vibration in our tire that first run but everything checked out okay. We didn’t have a vibration with that set of tires. It kind of started to get free off of Turn 4, but not anything that would indicate to me that we were going to have an issue. At Auto Club Speedway, I was able to save it, but here, it snapped at the worst possible point and we just killed the wall. It broke the control arm on the right-front and so our day was over. We didn’t get a lot of points today so we’ll have to fight hard at Bristol.”  -Tyler Reddick

NASCAR CUP SERIES KANSAS SPEEDWAY HOLLYWOOD CASINO 400 TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES & QUOTES SEPTEMBER 11, 2022 TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER4th      ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL16th      WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL17th      ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 ADVENTHEALTH CAMARO ZL18th      KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL110th    DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 COMMSCOPE CAMARO ZL1 TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS: POS.  DRIVER1st      Bubba Wallace (Toyota)2nd      Denny Hamlin (Toyota)3rd      Christopher Bell (Toyota)4th      Alex Bowman (Chevrolet)5th      Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota) The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 16 elimination race will get underway next Saturday, September 17, at Bristol Motor Speedway with the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at 7:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on the USA Network, the NBCSports Gold App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.                                                                                                               TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES:ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 ADVENTHEALTH CAMARO ZL1Finished: 7th “Our No. 1 AdventHealth Chevy was on either side of tight or loose all day. It was just really a fine line. We just never really settled into a nice run. Our best run was the second-to-last, with our second-to-best run being our last run. We put the chips where they needed to go at the very end, but all day it was just a handful.” YOU ENTERED THIS RACE WITH SEVEN FINISHES OUTSIDE OF THE TOP-10. HOW BIG IS IT TO GET A TOP-1O FOR YOU GUYS IN THE PLAYOFFS?“We all just high-fived. It feels good. It’s been a rough couple of months here. There were times today where I thought we were going to run 14th and I thought we were just going to keep this going. We had a really good day on pit road. Our No. 1 pit crew is just incredible. We cycled ourselves back up there and we were able to stay plugged in between the No. 48 (Alex Bowman) and the No. 5 (Kyle Larson). We were running with the guys we are supposed to be running with; and we finished around the guys we are supposed to finish by. It was a great day for our No. 1 AdventHealth Chevy team.” AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 GET BIOETHANOL CAMARO ZL1Finished: 14th “We just fought balance on our No. 3 Get Bioethanol Camaro ZL1 all day. The same thing we’ve fought all year, really. We had high hopes because we qualified pretty decent. I’m proud of our guys, we fought hard. We kept ourselves in it and we have a shot at Bristol (Motor Speedway). YOU’RE BELOW THE CUTLINE, BUT WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN BATTLE YOUR WAY INTO THE NEXT ROUND?“Yeah, for sure. Bristol is going to be wild and anything can happen. We’ve given ourselves a good shot. Nobody knows what to expect when we get there, but it’s a long race. If you’re there at the end of the day, you’ve got a good shot to make it.” KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1Finished: 8th IT LOOKED LIKE ONE OF THOSE DAYS WHERE YOU GUYS JUST COULDN’T GET THE HANDLE OF THE CAR. “It was a little bit of that. For the restarts, I just didn’t have a good balance; but I also didn’t do a good job on the restarts. I think I only had two good ones. Gave up a lot of stage points early on because of that. Even when I thought I was in the right line, I was tight. There at the end, I finally got a good restart and was able to get to third. It was really loose; I tried to go for second and I got really sideways. After the green flag stop, I felt good but I was just a little bit on the tight side and couldn’t make enough ground in traffic to make a move and had to settle for eighth. Disappointed with that. I thought we had an opportunity to finish a lot better, but we’ll move onto Bristol.” TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 GUARANTEED RATE CAMARO ZL1, sidelined by damage sustained after losing a right-rear tire on lap 67. Finished: 35th “The right-rear tire just blew like we’ve had a few times. At Fontana (Auto Club Speedway), I was able to save it. But here, it snapped at the worst possible point and we just killed the wall. It broke the control arm on the right-front, so our day was over. We leave here with not a lot of points, so we’ll have to fight hard at Bristol (Motor Speedway).” CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1Finished: 11th “Probably just bad lane choice. I don’t think we were good enough to go win. Bubba (Wallace) was really good, congrats to him and his team. That’s a big win for him and a deserving one, too.  We just had a bad restart there and fell back a lot of spots. Our car wasn’t really driving any differently than it was earlier in the race when we were up front. You just kind of loose momentum, start going the other direction and it’s difficult to rebound from that sometimes” WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1Finished: 6th “For as far off as we started, we definitely made a really good rally. I just appreciate the adjustments and pit stops by everybody on the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet team. At the beginning, I thought if it was a long run, we would have gotten lapped. But we just got our car so much better through the middle part of the race. Towards the end, it was just really hard to know what we needed to be better.I’m happy with the finish and thankful for the effort. It looks like we’re plus 48-points going into Bristol, which is a tough track. It’s been a good two weeks in a row. We just need to put three weeks together and we’ll advance.” ERIK JONES, NO. 43 FOCUSFACTOR CAMARO ZL1Finished: 29th “Definitely not the day we were looking for at Kansas Speedway with our FOCUSfactor Chevy. We were off in practice yesterday and made some adjustments to help today, but just never had a good handle on our Chevy. We started the day too tight, adjusted to then be too free. Had contact with a couple of other cars racing three-wide in stage two, and then the handling was just never where it needed to be. Not sure if we broke something when we made contact, but struggled the rest of the race. We’ll go back to the shop, look over everything and refocus on Bristol next week.” ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 Finished: 4th“We had a good day for our No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1. Proud of all of my guys. We had a good weekend – Obviously, we didn’t want to throw those stage points away in stage one like we did, but we overcame that in a hurry. I’m just proud of Greg (Ives) and the guys. We had a great racecar. The last 15-laps of a run is where we would fall off and get beat, but I’m still proud of all of the guys. We ended up with a solid points day.” DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 COMMSCOPE CAMARO ZL1Finished: 10th “Today was very inconsistent. It was a long day. At times, we were OK and then some other times, we weren’t good. We had a couple of situations there on pit road and then we had a tire going down. We had an eventful day. But for a day like that and to finish in the top-10, I’m quite happy. We have some work to do. We are not where we need to be. At times, I felt like we were a top-five car; and at times, we were a 20th-place car. We have to be a little bit more consistent. We don’t really understand why it was so inconsistent, but we’re going to find some answers and move onto Bristol.” TEAM CHEVY RACE QUICK NOTESStage One:·       For the second time this season, Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Guaranteed Rate Camaro ZL1 led the field to the green from the pole position in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. Reddick led Team Chevy to five top-10 starting spots in race two of the NCS Playoffs Round of 16. ·       From the third starting spot, Alex Bowman powered his No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 to the lead on lap three, continuing to pace the field until the competition caution at lap 25. Bowman gave up the lead to come down pit road for a four tire and fuel pit stop. ·       Running in the second position at the competition caution, Reddick came off pit road out front, with the No. 8 Guaranteed Rate Camaro ZL1 taking the lead on the restart. ·       While at the top of the leaderboard, Reddick blew a right-rear tire, forcing the No. 8 Camaro ZL1 into the wall to bring out the caution on lap 67. Sustaining too much damage to continue, Reddick brought his car to the garage to end his day. ·       Under caution, crew chief Justin Alexander brought Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Get Bioethanol Camaro ZL1 to pit road for a two-tire stop, with Dillon gaining 17 spots on pit road to come out first off pit road. ·       The conclusion of Stage One saw four Camaro ZL1’s in the top-10, led by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the fourth position after starting the race at the rear of the field due to repairs made following wall contact during yesterday’s practice session. ·       Stage One Team Chevy Top-10: 4th      Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 SunnyD Camaro ZL16th      Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL18th      Ross Chastain, No. 1 AdventHealth Camaro ZL110th     Austin Dillon, No. 3 Get Bioethanol Camaro Zl1 Stage Two: ·       Running in the second position, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. blew a right-rear tire, making contact with the wall to bring out the caution on lap 109. The No. 47 SunnyD Camaro ZL1 team was able to make repairs to replace the toe link and put Stenhouse Jr. back into competition. ·       Following a caution on lap 137, the leaders brought their cars down pit road for a round of pit stops. First in on pit road; the No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 Crew Chief Greg Ives called for a four-tire stop for Bowman, with the team also winning the race off pit road for a front row restart position. ·       Bowman went on to take the Stage Two win, marking the No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 team’s second stage win of 2022. ·       Stage Two Team Chevy Top-10:1st      Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL13rd      William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL15th      Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL17th      Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL110th     Ross Chastain, No. 1 AdventHealth Camaro ZL1 Final Stage / Post-Race Notes: ·       Chevrolet drivers took five of the top-10 finishing positions at Kansas, led by Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 team in fourth. ·       In 28 NASCAR Cup Series points-paying racing, Chevrolet continue to lead all manufacturers in NCS race wins (16), top-fives (66), top-10s (122), and stage wins (23).

Watkins Glen, NEW YORK – September 11, 2022 – The Franklin Road Classic at Watkins Glen served up an exciting race and contrasting fortunes for the Franklin Road Apparel Showtime Motorsports team on Saturday, September 10. Team debutant Austin Green scored a top ten finish in his first outing in the No. 4 Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro while regular team pilot Cameron Lawrence had an early finish to his race due to mechanical failure on Lap 8. The sun was out Saturday morning at the legendary former home of the Formula One United States Grand Prix which made for very warm cabins for the drivers. Austin’s problems were further compounded by the loss of his power steering and the Concord, North Carolina youngster did exceptionally well in the circumstances to guide the muscle car home into P8 having begun the race in P13. As title partner for Round 10 of the 2022 Trans Am presented by Pirelli TA2  Championship season, Franklin Road Apparel supremo Ken Thwaits had plenty invested in the weekend’s events so it was great to see the popular Tennessee stalwart satisfied with how the race unfolded.  “Overall the race weekend went fantastic for us in TA2,” he said in the paddock post race. “Derek Jennings has turned a corner for our team and these cars are fast! We had a part failure on Cameron’s car which unfortunately ended his race early. Austin Green qualified 13th and lost his power steering early in the race and we were wondering if we should bring him in or not but decided not to give up track position. We made him drive that thing without power steering the whole distance and he delivered!” Green proved himself up to the physical challenge as Ken confirmed, “I told him that’s why we lift those weights. On top of that he had contact with another car and that messed things up a bit but we finished P8 and we’ll take it. Great job!” Austin himself clearly enjoyed the experience as he confirmed to our reporter on climbing out of the hot seat, “It was an interesting race. I qualified 13th which was a little further back than we wanted. It’s a long race so there are going to be lots of cautions and a lot of wrecks. We were running pretty good and then on Lap 10 the power steering went out. That was a first for me!”  Austin carried on battling and fortunately contact later in the race didn’t spoil his day though he needed all his strength after the power steering went, “We had a little contact later on. I need to start working out. This is my first time racing with Franklin Road. They work day and night, so huge thanks to Ken, Franklin Road Apparel and everybody on the team.” Former Champion Cameron Lawrence had started on the grid in P4 after an impressive qualifying session saw him post a time of 1:50:580 in the No. 6 Franklin Road Apparel Showtime Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro while Austin’s time in the No. 4 car was 1:51:695. TV Broadcast: TA/XGT/SGT/GT – Sep 18, 5:30p.m. ET on CBS Sports NetworkTA/XGT/SGT/GT (Encore Presentation) – Sep 18, 11:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports NetworkTA2 – Sep 14, 7:00p.m. ET on CBS Sports NetworkTA2 (Encore Presentation) – Sep 15, 12:30 a.m. ET on CBS Sports Network Next up for the Showtime Motorsports team is a trip to Virginia International Raceway for the Mission Foods VIR Speed Tour October 6 to 9.

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIESF IRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREYWEATERTECH RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA IN SALINAS, CALIFORNIA CHAMPION QUOTES – WILL POWERSEPT. 11, 2022 Power earns second INDYCAR driver championshipDriver of No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet finishes third in final race of season

Pole-sitter Will Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet, finished third in the season-ending Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey and earned his second NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver championship. It is the seventh driver championship since 2012 for Chevrolet, which also wrapped up its seventh Manufacturer Championship.  Champion quick quotes:

COULD YOU HAVE PLANNED A MORE PERFECT WEEKEND?“No. It’s so surreal. In the offseason my wife said to me I believe you’re going to beat Mario’s record and you’re going to win the championship. It actually gave me confidence that I could do it. That’s how much confidence I have in her gut feel. I just couldn’t believe that they came true.” YOU PLAYED THE LONG GAME BY STAYING CALM. WHAT WERE YOU THIKING WHEN YOU SAW JOSEF NEWGARDEN GO PAST YOU?“I just knew I had to get the most out of those stints and not lose any more positions. I had to drive the thing today. It was on the edge, very loose. What a relief to get that done. I can’t thank Verizon enough. They’ve been with me for close to 12 years now and without them I would never have had this career and obviously Roger Penske and the whole team and Chevrolet.” HOW MUCH OF YOUR OFFSEASON MENTAL ADJUSTMENT HAS LED TO THIS MOMENT?“From the beginning it was just playing the long game, not necessarily going for the big wins and all that. As I’ve gotten older, I have a lot more gratitude for my life and what I get to do. Not everyone gets to do this and I’m lucky and I appreciate it a lot.” HOW MUCH DID YOU RELY ON EXPERIENCE THIS WEEKEND?“That’s exactly it; you’ve accumulated so much experience, you understand how races go and you understand that you can never give up no matter what it seems like, so you just keep digging and it just kept unfolding. A solid day.”

Jim Campbell, Chevrolet vice president of Performance and Motorsports:“It’s always exciting to watch Will Power behind the wheel of an INDYCAR. Will started on the pole, led the first lap and managed this race with the No. 12 team to clinch the 2022 championship. It’s been so special to work with Will, Ron Ruzewski, David Faustino and the No.12 Verizon 5G Chevrolet team all season long. We’re proud that both of Will’s championships have been powered by Chevrolet’s 2.2-liter V6.”

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY

WEATHERTECH RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA

MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA

TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING RECAP

SEPTEMBER 10, 2022

WILL POWER CAPTURES HISTORIC 68^TH POLE AT WEATHERTECH LAGUNA SECA RACEWAY TO OVERTAKE MARIO ANDRETTI IN ALL-TIME SERIES’ POLES

TAKES ONE MORE STEP TOWARD CAPTURING HIS SECOND NTT INDYCAR SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP ON SUNDAY

• Three Chevrolet powered drivers in contention for the Driver Championship
• Will Power, Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin
• Scott Dixon and Marcus Ericsson (both Honda) are remaining top-two drivers in the championship fight
• Only one Championship eligible driver advanced to the Firestone Fast Six

 MONTEREY, Cali (Sept. 10, 2022 – The battle for the NTT INDYCAR Series Championship took an interesting turn leaving only point leader Will Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet as the last one standing heading to the Firestone Fast Six. 

Power went on to score his historic 68^th NTT P1 Award, topping the great Mario Andretti as the all-time Series’ pole winner – a record Power has been focused on for several seasons.

Qualifying didn’t go so smoothly for Josef Newgarden, No, 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet. The two-time Champion was involved in a single-car incident in Round , One/Group One that, per the rulebook, prevented him from continuing. Scott Dixon did not transfer to the Round of 12 either.

Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet, and Ericsson were eliminated in the Round of 12. McLaughlin will start eighth, and Newgarden will roll off 25^th. Ericsson will start 10^th, and Dixon 13^th setting up a great battle for the title at the end of the 95-lap race.

Making his first Firestone Fast Six was Callum Ilott, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet. The rookie will start next to Power on the front row. 

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, the third Team Chevy in the Firestone Fast Six. He will start sixth in the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey.

 The Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey is scheduled to take the green flag at 12:30 PM Local (3:30 PM ET). NBC and INDYCAR Radio will broadcast the action live as well as Sirius XM Channel 106 and racecontrolindycar.com.

POST QUALIFYING PRESS CONFERENCE

THE MODERATOR: Joined by the front row for tomorrow’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey, Callum Ilott. Giving Juncos Hollinger Racing their best starting position, certainly Callum’s best starting position in his rookie season. Congratulations to Will Power and the Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, career pole No. 68, moving past the great Mario Andretti for first place on the all-time INDYCAR Series list. Will, congratulations. Couldn’t be more crucial picking up a championship point at a point like this.

WILL POWER: Yeah, that was the focus. That’s all that was on my mind. It had nothing to do with the number of poles. I need to get poles to give myself the best chance here.

So we ticked that box and also another box with the 68. Very good start to the weekend. Super focused on tomorrow.

Q. How crucial is starting up front going to be tomorrow do you think?

WILL POWER: Well, it’s one point. I plan on leading the first lap, which is another point, and if you get a real run you can lead the most laps, it’s another. Just keep going like that.

Yep, super focused, man. I want to give all the boys my best, give my team the best because that’s what they’ve done for me this year.

THE MODERATOR: Callum, congratulations. Up front for the first time in your 

very young NTT INDYCAR Series career. Your thoughts on a huge day for you and the team, as well.

CALLUM ILOTT: Yeah, what a run, what a day so far. Yeah, super happy with that, honestly. If I didn’t have lunch maybe I would have taken it away. I think he needs it a bit more than I do, but I would love a pole. I’ll have to wait a bit. I mean, you waited enough for 68, so I can maybe get there in 25 years. I’m joking, mate. You’re all good.

Q. What did you have for lunch?

CALLUM ILOTT: Pasta. Pasta and chicken.

Honestly, these guys working so hard throughout the year, we knew sometimes got the pace, but there’s so much more to this series than just having a good car. You’ve got to put it all together, and to do a day like this where you almost get it, almost get it, I think it’s great to finish off the season like this and take a front row.

Q. Will, to be greeted on pit lane by two Mount-Rushmore-of-motorsports figures like Mario Andretti and Roger Penske, you see Roger all the time, you said it’s like when you please him it’s like pleasing your father. You really don’t have that much interaction with Mario. What’s it like to get congratulated by a living legend like that?

WILL POWER: I was actually standing there, I saw Roger there, I saw Mario there and all the cameras, I thought, This is really surreal. It just blows my mind that I can be — I surpassed Mario and obviously I drive for Roger, but just to have those two legends there congratulating me, it’s real, and a lot of gratitude for the chances and the opportunities I’ve been given over the last decade and a half.

Very fortunate. Very fortunate, and I want to repay them back with a championship tomorrow.

Q. Just following up on that, what was it like to be congratulated by that huge receiving line that you had of other people? Seemed like there were other people, team members, Chevy execs —

WILL POWER: Yeah, just looking around, it was surreal. It really was. At such a crucial point, it’s kind of — I couldn’t celebrate it very much because I’m so focused on tomorrow and I don’t want to give out too much energy because I’m going to need it tomorrow, but yeah, a day you’ll remember for sure. Something I’ll remember the rest of my life.

Q. I know you probably can’t reflect on it too much now, but did you realize there was that much respect for you and what you’ve done?

WILL POWER: No. I’m not sure respect. You have those sort of figures there congratulating you, you kind of pinch yourself. Yeah, I wasn’t even thinking about that today. My goal was to get to the Fast Six, and it was to get pole. I didn’t even think about the number of poles it was.

Q. For Callum, I think you were telling us yesterday in the bullpen that you feel like you’ve been talking to team management and you guys have just enough to do things as necessary but not quite to take that next step. To qualify second and do all this planning for next year and the second car, is this a big boost for your team?

CALLUM ILOTT: Yeah, it shows what we can do with what we have in a certain way. I mean, we started the season with two and a half sets of dampers and one of them is for ovals. We finished with, I think, three and a half, and they’re not much different to the first one. We just bought another version of the first set and adapted them a little bit.

That’s what happens when you work with what you’ve got and you optimize it.

Yeah, we’re not — our terms of development this year have been what we had to start with, and again, just fine-tuning it. Whether it’s me and the driving and the experience, we’ve just been chipping away and trying to do a good job with that, and yeah, it’s been tough, especially with no teammate to kind of have anything to use very well, learn from. To get to this stage and have a result like this, I think they’re all super chuffed, and yeah, amazing job.

At the end of the day even if it’s just one lap at the end, it’s great to do it, finish it like this, and I think gives us so much more motivation in the off-season when they get some time to really digest everything and work on it.

Q. Callum, you start second tomorrow next to the points leader. What’s your plan of attack there to win that race?

CALLUM ILOTT: I mean, if they’re very nice to me, I might hold up the others.

Q. But you’re not going to screw with them?

WILL POWER: It’s a Chevy so I’m lucky in that respect. I’m going to tell him where I’m going to go so he can slip in behind me.

CALLUM ILOTT: I like steak. (Laughter.)

No, unfortunately, I can’t have the alcohol tonight, but we’ll talk about it.

No, honestly, it’s the fourth time starting in the top 10 — third, whatever it is —

Q. It’s your first Fast Six, right?

CALLUM ILOTT: Yeah, first Fast Six, so we’ll take that. It’s one step at a time. I’d love to win races if we have the pace to do it. I’m not going to ruin anyone’s race to do it. But it’s more about working away. I’d love to just finish the season with a top 5, top 3, take it as it comes.

Hopefully I have a long career, and like this man, can have many podiums and wins, so there’s no point messing people around to try and save something with the last one. The team will be happy with that. If we’ve got the pace, I’m all for it, but it’s a long, long race.

These races aren’t won in the first corner. They’re won with good strategy, good pit stops and a fast car. We’ll see. I’ll be calm and all of this, but if someone pushes me off I’ll get them soon.

Q. Your season has taken a real turn since you’ve started coming to the bullpen, so thank you.

CALLUM ILOTT: Yeah, for reference, I was told it was invitation only, so I took that and I never turned up, and I do apologize. Not that anyone wants to hear what I have to say anyway, but I will turn up now. So I do apologize.

Q. I don’t know who told you the invitation only.

CALLUM ILOTT: Well, we’re a new team. If you don’t make it clear, you get what you get, and that was not me.

Q. Will, there were a few people that were running off during qualifying and you obviously can see that because you see the dust that you drive through and everything. Was there any concern that maybe you needed to back off just so you didn’t run off the course yourself? Did you need to take it easy at all?

WILL POWER: Actually it was definitely a thought in my head when I was doing the black runs because if it goes red at any time you need to keep updating in the top six, so I was very conscious because you get to the very edge of the track, you even stick some of your tire over the edge a bit. But yeah, it’s easy to get sucked out into the dirt.

Q. For tomorrow, are you going to be thinking championship all day, or are you going to try and go out in style and stay out front for the entire day?

WILL POWER: Just thinking start, now that, and then just get into that rhythm and then it will sort of play out as we go based on what the other competitors do. Yeah, just need a good solid day.

Q. Callum, a lot of people were I think slightly surprised when you re-signed with Juncos so early because at that point we didn’t know they were definitely going to go up to a two-car team and also because it was such a fluid silly season. They thought you might be in with a shot at one of the bigger teams. Does this help vindicate your decision to stay?

CALLUM ILOTT: I mean, that decision was made independently of the results now or at the time. It was made with the work ethic behind. Yes, the world is moving very quickly in motorsports, and this year has been a shock for quite a few in this silly season. I had some discussions, but that was quite late on really.

Yeah, it just shows that we can do it in the right places. I’ve always said at the beginning, I think when the car is in a good window we can compete, and this is one of those weekends where we got it in a good window and it was there. But it’s a tough championship, and the experience is what counts.

Like I said, I want a long career in this. I don’t want to burn any bridges by being a dick.

You know, money is one thing. It comes when you’re in this sport a long time. You’re comfortable anyway. I’m not trying to get too much from any situation in that sense.

I’m taking my time. Yes, you could argue that some situations maybe would have boosted me a bit quicker if it was to appeal to F1 teams. Again, that kind of thing, maybe jumping to another team for probably an easier start to 2023 may have been better for that. But like I said, I want a long career, and I think doing it this way, whether it’s for ’24, ’25, ’26, getting recognized by other teams, I’m sure if they’re looking now, they’ll definitely look in later years.

Q. Will, I wanted to ask about your tire tactics in the Fast Six. Like we saw you do one lap on primaries and then on TV they were speculating that that was to warm up the brakes and that kind of thing but then you just sat on pit lane and gave yourself one shot. What was the idea behind it?

WILL POWER: Yeah, it was. Wanted to save a set of used reds and then obviously warm the brakes up on those blacks and then just go out and just do one. I had a second one going just in case, so we were going to see what happened.

Q. Once Palou didn’t improve on —

WILL POWER: They called it, yeah.

Q. Will, early in the session when you saw that everything was kind of falling into place for you, the Newgarden incident which also badly affected Scott Dixon being able to get out and trying to advance, were you beginning to think that, hey, man, this is my day?

WILL POWER: It made things easier, yeah, less pressure for sure because we didn’t have to shadow exactly what those guys did. Yeah, definitely took some pressure off, I’ll tell you. Yes.

Q. I know that you’ve said in the past you never really wished for your closest competitors in a championship to have problems, but certainly helps —

WILL POWER: Yeah, in this series, a problem like that can win you the race tomorrow because you have more tires. But you cannot — it kind of sucks because Firestone or the series doesn’t give us enough tires. But yeah, that can totally be the winning strategy. What happened? Yeah, I screwed up in qualifying. That’s how you won the race? Yeah, that’s how this thing rolls sometimes.

Q. Do you think 13th where Dixon is would be the first place a team or driver would flip the strategy?

WILL POWER: Yeah, it’s a great spot because he didn’t use his tires up, and he’s not that far back. So yeah. Tough. Tough, man. Tough race. It’s far, far, far from won, and I’m really aware of that.

Q. Will, you talked about the achievement that you had today and not focusing too much on it because of having to focus on the championship tomorrow. How difficult is that to not celebrate the success and get excited about it?

WILL POWER: I’ve only got one day, so not long. Maybe I’m celebrating, maybe I’m not. We’ll see.

Q. Callum, obviously you’ve come a long way since you last came to Laguna Seca. Where do you think the biggest gains have come from from what you remember from last year and how the car is now?

CALLUM ILOTT: Yeah, our car was not very good last year. I felt like I did a good job, but yeah, it was T25 I think in qualifying, which was horrendous, considering I kind of knew the track a bit, as well. It wasn’t very good. But that was last year. We changed a lot, improved, turned things around, and personnel change, as well. Yeah, massively different and massively positive. To be on the front row, I think, yeah, I’ll take it.

Q. Will, prior to today, the time you were one away from Mario, then equaling him, at any of those points did Mario ever come up and chat with you about the record at all, and if so, can you recall what he said?

WILL POWER: No, we never spoke about the record. But I was informed by Marco every time I got a pole, Mario was in a bad mood. (Laughter.) Marco told me that about 10 poles ago. Yeah, I was told Mario was watching, but rightly so because it is a longtime standing record that he had. I’d be feeling the same.

Q. Callum, we’ve obviously talked about how small the team is, but at the beginning of the season did you ever think that you’d have a chance at possibly grabbing a pole position? You were just like, what, two hundredths off of grabbing it?

CALLUM ILOTT: No, not really. I learned very quickly on that it was going to be a hard year and a long year. Putting it all together like this, yeah, we had some weekends, I think bar we are was the first one where we kind of clicked and got it right and that was P11 in qually, and then from there it was getting closer and closer. But it’s so tight, and just having that edge when you put everything together, getting the tires in, not having yellows or even here like guys just chucking dust up out of Turn 3 and then ruining your lap, yeah, it’s not easy, and it has to all come together.

So yes and no. I would have loved to. I didn’t think after the first couple races we’d get there, probably towards the end of the season.

But yeah, we got there, and I think everyone is super pleased with that.

Q. I know you’re just getting out of the car, but do you know where you lost that tiny bit of time or where you might have been able to gain it?

CALLUM ILOTT: Yeah, the corkscrew. It was the second apex. I kind of bounced and didn’t get the throttle. It was a close one. I think I was up on the first two-thirds and I threw it away. I guess experience, you know.

Q. I really would like to know a little more about these tires and how they survive. It sounds like being a low-grip track that drivers have said the reds might only last a lap or two so maybe people will start on reds hoping there’s a caution and get off of them. How far do you think the reds will last, and what about the black tires? Will they last 20, 25 laps, or do you think it’s like Dixon said, might be five pit stops or more?

WILL POWER: Yeah, it’s going to be interesting. Yeah, I have to say, though, the second run, reds were pretty good.

CALLUM ILOTT: One of them was. The other one wasn’t for me.

WILL POWER: You did two runs?

CALLUM ILOTT: Yeah.

WILL POWER: Okay, two singles. Like I said — was your hottest set the worst?

CALLUM ILOTT: Yeah.

WILL POWER: I wondered if they cooled if they got better.

CALLUM ILOTT: No, it was the other way around.

WILL POWER: But yeah, it could be just like Detroit where the things just die. It could just be like that because it’s going to be very interesting.

I think they’re going to drop two seconds like they have done in the past. I think they’ll be similar.

CALLUM ILOTT: When we were testing here, it wasn’t much. So yeah, it will be an interesting race.

THE MODERATOR: Guys, thanks for coming up. Appreciate it.

THE MODERATOR: Wrapping up qualifying for tomorrow’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterrey. Again, Will Power will start from pole. He’ll be in here momentarily.

Josef Newgarden, driving the Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, second in points, will start 25th tomorrow; Scott Dixon, just 20 points back, will start 13th in the PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda; Marcus Ericsson, fourth in points, will start 10th in the Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda; and Scott McLaughlin, fifth in points, will start eighth tomorrow in the XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet.

Josef, we all saw what happened there in the corkscrew. How devastating starting back, or do you start already thinking about going off strategy and maybe the opportunities that might present themselves tomorrow?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, obviously it’s not over yet, but it was an unfortunate session for us. Tough to make a mistake like that. I don’t know that we’ve — it’s been a long time since we’ve had one of those in qualifying, but it’s happened now, and obviously didn’t put us in a good position for tomorrow, but we’re going to make the most of it, like we always do, on the No. 2 car.

THE MODERATOR: Scott, third in a row, tied with Newgarden in points, 13th place starting position. Unfortunately you started back a little bit this year, but you’ve also made up a lot of positions à la what happened at Portland. What do you guys have in store tomorrow do you think?

THE MODERATOR: Scott, your thoughts on starting eighth?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I think from where I was, especially this morning, my car just really wasn’t that good, and we made some big changes before qualifying, and it was really good. A similar story to Marcus. I feel like maybe if I had just done the lap, I could have been in the Fast Six. I feel like I was definitely fast enough.

But yeah, I feel like we’ve done the right thing with certain tires and strategy-wise for that sort of stuff. Hopefully puts us in good stead for tomorrow. Eighth is not all too bad. I’m excited to start from there and see what we’ve got.

Q. Watching Will on screen there with Mario, was that frustrating knowing y’all are in the title hunt, or was it okay?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: We all want pole, but I think at the same time it’s an incredible milestone. The guy has wanted it probably almost more than a championship, so yeah, just happy for him to get it.

Q. Josef, can you take me through — I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to diagnose it yet or watch the video, what happened as you were going down through the corkscrew there on that spin?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: It’s just a mistake. I turned in too early and I hit the curb. As soon as I hit the curb, I was all out of sorts. You can hit that second one in the bottom, but if you touch the first one it’s going to send the car in a mess.

Kind of a simple error and a very sad error, so you know, we were done pretty early today.

Q. Josef, you were talking about maybe this gives you a chance to flip the strategy. I would presume it’s the same for you. Do you approach it like we can just stop more often, especially with the tire deg, like this could be an opportunity in a way?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I mean, I’ve had it happen more times than not this year where starting up front didn’t work out, at least not perfectly as you’d plan it. I would welcome it working from the back, for whatever reason. If something mysteriously happens and it’s like, wow, you actually wanted to start in the back? I would be very appreciative to have the other end of this 

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Sounds great. I’d love it.

I mean, look, I’ve seen it — there’s so many races I’ve been in this year where I was like, should we have just started in the back? We’ll see if that’s the right thing for tomorrow.

Q. I’m going to take you slightly off topic here. Final Supercar meeting at Pukekohe this weekend. I just wanted to know one thought from you each an what Pukekohe means to you in your career, do you have another memory other than those ones?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: For me, it’s probably my first ever win in Supercars. That was my — awesome place to win your first race. At home, as well. But yeah, it sucks that it’s going because it’s a great track.