NASCAR CUP SERIES LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM BUSCH LIGHT CLASH AT THE COLISEUM TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT FEBRUARY 2, 2022 WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1, Press Conference Transcript:  THE DRIVERS HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE COLISEUM, BUT FROM WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS IS A HEAVIER CAR AND WITH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT FEELS YOU HAVE WITH THIS CAR, WHAT IS THE CLEAREST THING THAT YOU CAN EXPLAIN TO US FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT THE DIFFERENCE IN THE FEEL? “I think just the steering. It is a rack and pinion so kind of like a super late model. The steering box that we used to run is definitely a lot slower, so I feel like going down the straightaway is slower and you have more time to move your hands. Honestly the steering rack I think is an improvement and I really like it so far. It takes a little bit getting used to for the first couple laps on the track every time we go to a new track but overall I think it is definitely an improvement. Something that will kind of make moves a little bit easier, especially on the speedway races to kind of make moves around people. Honestly the brakes are a little bit different. They stop a little bit better than the previous car, but not a whole lot different. Honestly the cars from Phoenix is not that different feeling wise of how it drives versus the old car. I am pretty optimistic for how it drives already” OBVIOUSLY, THIS WEEKEND’S EVENT IS A NEW EVENT. WE ARE SEEING THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS A LOT MORE SHORT TRACKS OR CLOSE COMPETITION TYPE OF SITUATIONS. THE CAR IS SUPPOSED TO BRING YOU GUYS CLOSER TOGETHER, OBVIOUSLY THAT CAN LEAD TO MORE CONTACT, CONFLICT AND DRAMA. HOW DO YOU AS A DRIVER, CERTAINLY YOU HAVE YOUR PERSONAL CODE AND HOW YOU DO THINGS, BUT HOW HAS THAT FORCED YOU TO REACT IN DIFFERENT WAYS OR HOW HAVE YOU HAD TO REASSES THAT IF AT ALL IN THESE TYPES OF SITUATIONS THAT YOU GUYS ARE BEING PUT MORE AND MORE INTO AND LIKELY BE PUT MORE AND MORE INTO IN THE FUTURE AND HAVE TO FACE THESE SITUATIONS? “I think it is great for the sport to have more of these tracks. I mean it is definitely, I think you leave these tracks feeling rewarded as a team and as a driver to do well at a place like Martinsville, which feel I like this place is going to be similar to. There is definitely a lot more conflict I’d say, you kind of pick and choose your battles. This race isn’t that long, so you are not going to have a lot of chances to kind of give and take. I think it is going to be a lot more take for most of these guys, but I mean overall I think it is good to pick and choose your battles and what you think it important. If you have the pace in the car and the speed to pass guys, then it is going to be a lot easier than trying to defend. I mean if you are defending you are kind of at the mercy of the guy behind you, but hopefully we are fast enough we can be the one making the moves and be the one making the passes.” It hasn’t been that long since you were doing bullring style racing in your short track days and we have dirt race now. How important is it do you feel, if at all, to have that kind of racing be represented in the Cup Series again? It has been since 1971 that the Cup Series has raced at Bowman Gray. “I think it’s important, I don’t know, you know there are a lot of awesome tracks around the country like the fairgrounds people have talked about and places like Hickory. There are a lot of cool tracks that have a lot of character that I think would be cool to see some of the series go to. But yeah, I think that background for me definitely helps. Kind of gets you back to that mindset you’re not air blocking as much you are doing more so just racing your car against the other guys and you aren’t worried about aero and what that implication is for the guy behind you. I think anytime that is less of a story and we are talking about pure driving and how to use the brakes and the throttle around the track is good. I think it is going to be great. I don’t know how this track is going to race, but I certainly think there are a lot of good tracks out there we could be going to.” ONE TECHNICAL QUESTION. YOU MENTIONED THE BRAKES AND THE TIRES, HOW IS THIS BIG BRAKE PACKAGE AND THE GRIPPIER TIRE GOING TO CHANGE THE DYNAMIC OF REAL SHORT TRACK RACING AT LIKE THE LA COLISEUM AND MARTINSVILLE? IS IT GOING TO BE THE SAME SHORT TRACK RACING THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN? “I think so. From what I saw at Phoenix the car wasn’t that different than the previous car. I think the tire is a little bit gummier than what we had in the past, so I think that is a good thing. It seems to really be receptive to the track and the brakes honestly, I thought were going to be a lot more powerful than they are, but they are just a little bit different. Maybe instead of braking at the three mark at Phoenix, you brake at the two, so it is maybe 50 feet different. It is not massive, so I think you are going to see similar racing to what we have had in the past everything is just going to be a little bit quicker.” GOING TO THIS RACE AT THE COLESIUM SO MUCH IS PUT INTO THIS IS GOING TO BE ENTERTAINING, IT’S DIFFERENT, IT’S GOING TO BE FUN. THERE IS HYPE IN PACKAGES AND DON’T BE THE LEADER GOING INTO TURN 3 ON THE LAST LAP, ARE YOU OK WITH THAT? ARE YOU OK WITH THE FACT THAT WE ARE GOING HERE AND EVERYONE IS EXPECTING IT TO BE WILD AND DIFFERENT AND BASICALLY IF CARNAGE HAPPENS CARNAGE HAPPENS? ARE YOU OK WITH THAT? “Yeah definitely. The fact that it’s an exhibition race opens up a lot of things to try. I definitely commend NASCAR for doing some of the things with the platform and the format and all of that stuff. So, I think it’s great and yeah I would feel a little different about it if it was a points race, but I think it’s great to have events like this when it is really about the fans and trying to put on a good race and hopefully pride for the teams to try to win. We want to put our best foot forward and try to win on Sunday because that sets the tone for the rest of the year so that is important to us, but it is a little different event because it is a non-points race. I’m looking forward to it and kind of don’t know what I have to I get there.” What is it about what you are seeing, and I know you have been on IRACING RUNNING THE COLESIUM WHAT IS IT THAT IS REMINDING YOU OF MARTINSVILLE? “Yeah, I think just the shape of the track. I mean Bowman Gray when I raced there is a little bit rounder and the corners are a little bit maybe bigger than these corners, so I think the corners are tighter here which kind of makes it like Martinsville because Martinsville has pretty long straightaways and tight corners, so I think you are going to see a lot of the same things. That is kind of my idea, but we will have to see when we get there of what it really races like.” I AM DOING A STORY ON JEFF GORDON AND HIS NEW ROLE. HE HAS BEEN THERE QUITE A LOT EVEN WHEN HE WAS WORKING FOR FOX, AS HE HAS BEEN MORE INVOLVED WITH THE TEAM OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS HOW HAS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM CHANGED PERSONALLY? “Yeah, I think Jeff (Gordon) and I, I’m the closest with him out of all the drivers that used to race. So, I think he has been a big asset for me and all the guys and I feel like he has been close to the team but over the last like year and a half he has gotten really close with all of us and I probably talk to him once a week or once every couple weeks about things. His advice is definitely valuable, so big fan of him being on board with us fulltime and I see him around the shop more than I did probably when he was working for FOX so that’s cool. Yeah, I think it is going to be a good thing.” OBVIOUSLY, I KNOW THAT YOU GREW UP AS AN AVID RACING AND NASCAR FAN, BUT FOR US ON THE WEST COAST THAT NORMALLY ISN’T THE STORY. WHAT WOULD HAVE TO SAY TO PROSPECTIVE FANS ON THIS SIDE OF THE COUNTRY AND WHY SHOULD THEY BUY INTO OR FOLLOW NASCAR? “I think it’s just an ultra-competitive sport. You only have 36 to 40 guys out there and you only have one guy that wins, so I think it is very competitive. Your probability of winning is kind of low, but I think it really kind of something that people can cling to. The fact that it’s somewhat relatable and I don’t know it’s just exciting. When you go to a race for the first time and you hear the cars and understand what it is about, it’s a lot different than TV. I think having a chance to get people out to the track and kind of understand what it is like really shows the sense of speed and danger maybe that we are all doing.” AND TO THAT WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT NASCAR’S MOVE TO DO THE CLASH THIS YEAR AT THE COLESIUM IN ORDER TO DRAW UP SOME MORE FANS ON THE WEST COAST? ‘I think it’s great. It seems to be hard to kind of get people out to Auto Club Speedway sometimes, so I think it’s great to kind of have it closer to the cities. I am all for doing more races around the cities. I think that’s a pretty cool idea. I think we see it with F1 a little bit and some of the different series, so excited for that and I think it is going to put on a great show.” JUST SIMPLE, WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MOST THIS WEEKEND? “Looking forward to just being out in a different environment. Looking forward to how cool it is going to look at that place, you know fill it up with fans. I have never raced in an atmosphere like that. I think the closest thing is Bristol and that’s an awesome environment when you pull off pit road for the race, so I think it’s going to be a really cool adrenaline rush kind of seeing how that plays out and seeing how it is before the race.” GOING BACK TO THE SIM AND IRACING SIDE OF THINGS, YOU’RE E-NASCAR COKE DRIVER NICK OTTINGER FINISHED FIFTH LAST NIGHT AND HAD A COUPLE OF RACE SESSIONS. HAS HE TOLD YOU ANYTHING ABOUT THE TRACK AND HAVE YOU HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH HIM ON THAT? “Yeah we text quite a bit, so yeah I kind of pick his brain a little bit from what I can learn from him and the iRacing side. I get a chance to go to the Chevrolet SIM after this and run the Coliseum for the first time, so you know excited for that. Hopefully I can learn some things that I can apply when we get there.” I KNOW THE HAULERS ALREADY LEFT FOR LA, SO I KNOW YOU HAVENT LEFT YET SINCE YOU ARE IN YOUR APARTMENT. DOES THE TEAM PLAN TO DO ANYTHING FOR FUN WHILE THEY ARE IN LA BEFORE PRACTICE? “I don’t know about fun. I think they’ve got their hands full, but yeah maybe I will go have some fun before the weekend. I get out there Friday, so I think there will be plenty of fun at the racetrack.”   WITH THE IRACING EVENTS THAT THEY HAD IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LA COLISEUM AND BEFORE IT WAS ANNOUNCED, DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN ANY OF THOSE AND DID YOU GIVE ANY FEEDBACK TO NASCAR ABOUT THE TRACK DEVELOPMENT? “Yeah definitely. They came to me back in I think August/September to ask me about the track and what I thought so I got a chance to run a few laps on it and kind of get a feel for it. Definitely a cool track and feel like it’s got a lot of potential. Pretty cool to see it all come together through iRacing, so that’s pretty neat. Hopefully it turns out good for the fans.”

Sheppard, Schatz Form Late Model Bond; Speak on FriendshipThe World of Outlaws Champions Teamed Up to Run the Gateway Dirt Nationals in DecemberBARBERVILLE, FL – February 2, 2022 – Legendary car builder Henry Ford once said,”If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”Donny Schatz and Brandon Sheppard are no strangers to success—reaching the World of Outlaws’ pinnacle multiple times. While the two champions have built success on their own, they’re also making it together… And it all started with a beer. The “Rocket Shepp” teamed up with the 10-time World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars champion in December, finishing fourth in Schatz’s Late Model at the Gateway Dirt Nationals. It was the second time the two joined forces for the event – the first coming in 2019. Their dynamic partnership formed over drinks at DIRTcar Nationals earlier that season after they both wrapped up a day of Late Model racing. “We were at the races at Volusia (Speedway Park) one night where afterward we were discussing the evening and having a beer, and we got talking about races here and there,” Schatz said. “We got talking about the [Gateway Dirt Nationals], which had happened a couple of months prior.” That conversation led to an idea, and soon after a deal was made for St. Louis. “He was [at Volusia] racing his Late Model, and we were just all hanging out one night, and the next thing you know, we had a deal put together for the dome,” Sheppard said. The Fargo, ND driver stated it was an opportunity he had to take, knowing the chance of having a Late Model champion drive his car wouldn’t come often.   “If Brandon Sheppard says he’ll drive your car, I better jump,” Schatz said. “Obviously, Brandon’s a world class driver, and anytime you can go to a one-off event like that, and you can have the results you have, and the enjoyment and fun in it, that definitely makes it worthwhile.” The tandem had immediate results that December as Sheppard finished second to Tyler Carpenter. That conversation at “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile” continued the bond they share on and off the track. It’s allowed Sheppard to keep tabs on Schatz’s Sprint Car program.  “We’ve become pretty good friends over the past five or six years, me racing for Mark [Richards] and just hanging out with him and working on stuff,” Sheppard said. “I’ve really kept up with his Sprint Car deal a lot more since I got to know him.  He’s just a great guy and for him to let me drive his car is cool, and we all have a lot of fun going and doing that.” The friendship between the two drivers also extends to the Rocket1 Racing team, allowing Schatz to get a better feel for his car when he races with the World of Outlaws Late Models.  “The guys at Rocket, Mark [Richards], Brandon, Danny [White], all of them guys, it’s just who they are to help anytime I come and race,” Schatz said. “They seem to enjoy anytime we come around and race with them, and they make sure I get my car as close as I can, and if we need assistance with something, or telling us something we don’t know how to do, they always do that. “They don’t owe me anything; they just do it because it’s who they are. It’s neat to have that relationship with them, and it makes me feel confident that I know I’m going to be halfway close because me going into a Late Model is like a duck being out of the water.” Sheppard was quick to praise the World of Outlaws Sprint Car star and stated Schatz brings a different approach to driving a car with fenders.  “[Schatz] and Mark [Richards] talk more than anything,” Sheppard said. “We try to point him in the right direction to be able to get the job done, and he does a really good job for racing the Late Model as little as he does, so it’s fun to work with him and hang out with him. He brings a different mindset and a different aspect to it, so we probably learn some stuff from him too.” While Sheppard only drives Schatz’s car once a year, Schatz still gets behind the wheel himself from time to time —most recently at the NGK NTK World Finals and the Wild West Shootout. The Fargo, ND driver wouldn’t rule out a full-time run once he’s done with Sprint Cars. “I’ve raced the [World of Outlaws] Sprint Car Series for a lot of years, but it’d be cool to do the [World of Outlaws Late Models] Series one time,” Schatz said. “If not, maybe I’d want to do it all the time. I don’t know, but that’s somewhere down the road. “I still enjoy it; I still have a lot of fun, but I also have the next generation in our family who’s dabbling into bigger cars now, and they might have that opportunity before I do.” Schatz’s nieces are making their way up the racing ladder, trying to follow in Donny’s footsteps. He says there’s a possibility of seeing them behind the wheel of a family-owned car in the future.  “I think in today’s age, just like when I started racing, it’s hard to go drive for someone else because you can’t progress and learn unless you have someone that makes a huge commitment,” Schatz said. “I think obviously those kids are going to have to drive cars that are owned by the family for some time until they progress, and hopefully they progress quicker than I did. But yeah, there’s some opportunity there, and I think it’s the only way you can control what it is they do all the time and control the way they race. That’s probably in line with having some sort of ownership role.” When you hear Schatz and Sheppard’s names, success immediately comes to mind. The two drivers keep moving forward both on their own and together, allowing the sensation of victory to take care of itself. The two drivers hope to continue that success with a push toward another Series championship when the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars and World of Outlaws Late Models return to Volusia Speedway Park for DIRTcar Nationals Feb. 7-19. For Tickets: CLICK HERE.   If you can’t make it to the track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision – either online on with the DIRTVision App.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink® Sprint Car Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: NOS Energy Drink (Official Energy Product), DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); contingency sponsors include ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, KSE Racing Products (Hard Charger Award), Micro-Lite LLC, MSD and Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award); manufacturer sponsors include FIREBULL, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, and Racing Electronics.

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: 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, Penske Racing Shocks, Quarter Master, Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award), and Wrisco–Wieland Metal Services (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Capital Race Cars, FIREBULL, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics, Reliable Painting, and Rocket Chassis.

February 2, 2022

NASCAR’s decision to move the car numbers on the Next Gen car from the traditional center of the door to the front of the car has created an opportunity for co-primary sponsors on the No. 21 Ford Mustang that Harrison Burton will drive in the Daytona 500.

The Wood Brothers’ long-time backer, Motorcraft/Quick Lane, will have its logos on the hood and quarter panels of the No. 21 Mustang. DEX Imaging, the nation’s largest independent office equipment dealer and long-time supporter of Burton throughout his climb up the racing ladder, will be represented on the new door space.

Burton, making his official full-time Cup debut at Daytona, said having those two sponsors sharing top billing on his Mustang is “an unbelievably cool experience.”
 
“DEX has been with me since I was 13 and has helped me along the way,” Burton said. “And Motorcraft is one of the most historic and storied sponsors ever.”
 
“I’m excited to represent them both. Motorcraft has a long, successful history at Daytona and has won the 500. And I’m happy to be a part of adding DEX to the fold.”
 
The two sponsors seem to be as enthusiastic as Burton about their racing programs.

“Everyone at Motorcraft/Quick Lane is thrilled to begin our 22nd season as the primary sponsor of Wood Brothers Racing,” said Jon Orth, Marketing Manager for Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD). “We’re looking forward to an exciting 2022 campaign with rookie driver Harrison taking the wheel of the new Next Gen Ford Mustang. We’re also pleased to welcome DEX Imaging as a co-sponsor of the No. 21 car at the Daytona 500 and throughout this year.”

Nancy Lycan, Chief Marketing Officer of DEX Imaging, expressed similar sentiments.

“DEX Imaging is proud and excited to be kicking off the 2022 season at Daytona with Harrison,” Lycan said. “We’ve come a long way together and anticipate more great performances from Harrison as he debuts in the Cup Series.”
  
Burton said that joining the elite Cup Series is a major challenge for a young driver, but he’s up to the task even though he has just one prior Cup start, last year at Talladega. 
  
This year is different, as the entire Cup field will be adjusting to an all-new Next Gen race car. Burton said that offers some advantage for him, but not as much as one might think. 
  
“Being a rookie in Cup is always hard, and no car is going to change that,” he said. “The drivers in the Cup Series are the best in the business. It’s going to be a transition period for them too, so this is the best time for me to make the transition to Cup.”
 
Qualifying for the 64^th running of the Daytona 500 is set for Feb.16 at 8:05 p.m. The Duel qualifying races are scheduled to start at 7 p.m. on Feb. 17, and the Daytona 500 rolls off on Sunday, Feb. 20, at 2:30 p.m., with TV coverage on FOX.

Ocala, FL (February 1, 2022) – One night after finishing second to Tim McCreadie, Devin Moran came back with vengeance on Tuesday Night. Leading wire-to-wire with a convincing victory over a stout field of competitors, Moran picked up the win on night two in the K&N Filters Winter Nationals Presented by Optima Batteries at Bubba Raceway Park. Just 24 hours earlier Moran took the lead from McCreadie on the white flag lap but slid up high in turn four, losing to the defending series champion by one car length at the stripe. Tyler Erb tried in vain to catch the 27-year-old Ohio racer but came up nearly 3 seconds behind him at the finish line. Ricky Thornton Jr, a winner last year at Bubba’s earned the Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race by taking third after starting 16th. Brandon Sheppard crossed the line in fourth with pole sitter Shane Clanton rounding out the top five drivers. Moran was in control for the entire race, taking the lead at the start of the race with last year’s finale winner at Bubba’s last February, Clanton running in second. Clanton ran in second until lap 15 when eighth place starter, Erb made his entrance into second getting by Clanton. As Moran entered traffic with nine laps to go, it appeared that Erb would have a shot at him. A caution flag would clear out lapped traffic for Moran to become the second repeat winner of the season. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the second time in 2022 and for the fourth time in his career Moran will maintain the series point lead heading to All-Tech on Thursday. “The biggest thing tonight was that we didn’t make any mistakes. I talked to my dad today, I was pretty down after last night. He said, ‘we are all human and we make mistakes, just don’t make any big enough to cost you the race or affect the outcome.’ It’s so fun to run this good. They did a good job on the track. It was a little narrow, but if he works on it a little more, he is going to have an awesome track here.” It was Erb’s best series finish of the year, coming home in second. “I needed another lane and a horseshoe because he has been really good. We are just happy to run second, we had a rough heat race. We ran fourth the first race at Golden Isles and we have only run five races, so I am not sweating bullets yet. We’re knocking down finishes that’s all you can ask for.” Thornton, the reigning series rookie-of-the-year rounded out the podium in third. “I was really good around the bottom early. Some of the other guys were tight and they would slide up the track. We got up to fifth and I was kind of content with that. I got a couple of lucky restarts there and we were able to get a couple more spots. This is a confidence booster after Golden Isles.” The winner’s Tye Twarog-owned Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by C&W Trucking, CarSourceAuto.com, Bilstein Shocks, Eibach Springs, Tri-Valley Equipment Sales, Accuforce Dynos and Testers, McHugh Chrysler, Doge, Jeep, Ram and Fiat, Igimage.com, J.R. Hall Properties, LLC, Red Oak Rub, Haskell’s Haulin’, and Tommy Pope Construction. Completing the top ten were Earl Pearson Jr., Hudson O’Neal, Chase Junghans, Garrett Alberson, and Daulton Wilson. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary K&N Filters Winter Nationals Presented by eBay MotorsTuesday, February 1st, 2022Bubba Raceway Park – Ocala, FL Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Shane Clanton / 14.211 seconds Fast Time Group B: Devin Moran / 13.907 seconds (overall) Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 25-Shane Clanton[1]; 2. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[3]; 3. 2D-Dan Stone[2]; 4. 99B-Boom Briggs[5]; 5. 76B-Blair Nothdurft[4]; 6. C02-Ryan Markham[6]; 7. (DNS) 7T-Drake Troutman Summit Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 18J-Chase Junghans[2]; 2. 1R-Josh Richards[3]; 3. 20-Jimmy Owens[4]; 4. 7-Ross Robinson[1]; 5. 97-Cody Overton[5]; 6. 10J-Joseph Joiner[6] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson[1]; 2. 71-Hudson O’Neal[4]; 3. 28E-Dennis Erb Jr[3]; 4. 6S-Blake Spencer[5]; 5. 11-Spencer Hughes[2]; 6. 503-Jason Miles[6] Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 9-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 58W-Mark Whitener[8]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[5]; 4. 10-Garrett Smith[4]; 5. 18D-Daulton Wilson[7]; 6. 11K-Austin Kirkpatrick[6]; 7. 16-Tyler Bruening[3]; 8. 2S-Stormy Scott[2] eBay Motors Heat Race #5 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 2. 89-Ashton Winger[1]; 3. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[3]; 4. 81E-Tanner English[4]; 5. 1ST-Johnny Scott[5]; 6. 30-Todd Cooney[6]; 7. 1A-Tyler Clem[7] Super Clean Heat Race #6 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 39-Tim McCreadie[1]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[2]; 3. 3S-Brian Shirley[4]; 4. 157-Mike Marlar[5]; 5. 33-Jeff Mathews[6]; 6. 19R-Ryan Gustin[3]; 7. 17SS-Brenden Smith[7] Fast Shafts B-Main #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 99B-Boom Briggs[1]; 2. 7-Ross Robinson[2]; 3. 11-Spencer Hughes[6]; 4. 6S-Blake Spencer[3]; 5. 97-Cody Overton[5]; 6. 76B-Blair Nothdurft[4]; 7. C02-Ryan Markham[7]; 8. 503-Jason Miles[9]; 9. (DNS) 10J-Joseph Joiner; 10. (DNS) 7T-Drake Troutman UNOH B-Main #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 18D-Daulton Wilson[1]; 2. 157-Mike Marlar[3]; 3. 81E-Tanner English[2]; 4. 1ST-Johnny Scott[5]; 5. 33-Jeff Mathews[6]; 6. 30-Todd Cooney[8]; 7. 1A-Tyler Clem[11]; 8. 17SS-Brenden Smith[12]; 9. (DNF) 11K-Austin Kirkpatrick[4]; 10. (DNS) 16-Tyler Bruening; 11. (DNS) 19R-Ryan Gustin; 12. (DNS) 2S-Stormy Scott; 13. (DNS) 58W-Mark Whitener Lucas Oil Feature Finish (40 Laps):

Race StatisticsEntrants: 46Lap Leaders: Devin Moran (Laps 1 – 40)Wrisco Feature Winner: Devin MoranArizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: n/aBrandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: n/aMargin of Victory: 2.955 secondsStop-Tech Cautions: Ashton Winger (Lap 6); Kyle Bronson (Lap 23); Josh Richards (Lap 30); Garrett Smith (Lap 31); Tim McCreadie (Lap 31)Series Provisionals: Stormy Scott, Spencer HughesFast Time Provisional: n/aSeries Emergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisionals: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Devin Moran, Tyler Erb, Ricky Thornton JrPenske Shocks Top 5: Devin Moran, Tyler Erb, Ricky Thornton Jr, Brandon SheppardOptima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Ricky Thornton Jr (Advanced 13 Positions)Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Devin MoranHot Rod Processing Most Laps Led: Devin Moran (40 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Tyler ErbO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aDirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Devin Moran (Lap 31 –14.489 seconds)DirtonDirt.com Tough Break of the Race: Kyle BronsonOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Wylie Moran (Devin Moran)ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Stormy Scott (14.317 seconds)Time of Race: 22 minutes 28 seconds Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings:

*Results are unofficial until Close of Business on the Tuesday following Race Day*

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 1, 2022) – Following the announcement of an all-new television broadcast agreement with FOX Sports, Progressive American Flat Track is excited to announce that fans will be able to watch all 18 rounds of action live on Facebookduring the 2022 season.

Livestreaming coverage on Progressive American Flat Track’s Facebook page will be free of charge up until Opening Ceremonies, allowing fans around the world to watch the drama unfold during Practice and Qualifying at no cost. Fans can then purchase access to watch Opening Ceremonies, Semis, Main Events and podium celebrations via Facebook Paid Online Events for $3.99 if purchased 24 hours or more in advance, or $4.99 if purchased on the day of the event.

Viewers can watch livestream coverage in the Facebook mobile app, Facebook desktop site or on the Facebook Watch mobile app. To watch the livestream on TV, fans can download the Facebook Watch TV app, or cast to a TV from the Facebook mobile app. Facebook Watch is available through Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and Xbox One.

Additional information on how to watch Progressive AFT on Facebook will be posted to https://www.americanflattrack.com prior to the start of the season.

February 1, 2022

Back in the day, NASCAR promoters could pack the grandstands for stock car races inside football stadiums.

Races on the quarter-mile oval inside Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., were popular in days gone by and still wildly successful today.

NASCAR officials are hoping to capture some of that bullring magic with this weekend’s Busch Light Clash at the L.A. Coliseum.

Harrison Burton will make his debut in the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang on the quarter-mile asphalt oval track that has been constructed inside the historic Coliseum.

Although he raced often on short tracks as he worked his way up racing’s ladder Burton has little experience on a track as tight as the one inside the Coliseum.

“I ran some three-eights and some quarter miles in Legends cars, but none in a stock car,” he said. “It’s going to be an adjustment period for sure. There’s not much of a notebook for that.

“Preparing for the race and understanding the track will be a challenge.”

Burton said he’s relying on iRacing and on the simulation tools provided by Ford Performance to learn all he can prior to the opening practice session on Saturday morning.

“There are ways to get it done,” he said. “I’ve used iRacing and simulation in the past to prepare for road courses and new tracks, and this one is definitely a new one.”

Historically speaking, he has big shoes to fill at his Wood Brothers team when it comes to Cup-level success on stadium tracks. Team founder Glenn Wood won four Cup races at Bowman Gray Stadium, and Marvin Panch added a fifth. Wood led every lap in three of his Stadium wins as did Panch in his.

Saturday’s practice session will be shown on FOX Sports 2 at 12:30 PM ET. Qualifying will be at 8:30 PM ET on Fox Sports 1. The 25-lap Heat races and 50-lap Last Chance Qualifying races will be televised on FOX beginning at 3:00 PM ET on Sunday. Coverage of the 150-lap, non-points Clash follows at 6:00 PM ET on FOX.
 

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About Motorcraft
Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln Dealers, independent distributors and automotive-parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty* of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Omnicraft
Omnicraft is part of the Ford lineup of parts brands: Ford Parts, Motorcraft and Omnicraft. Omnicraft is the exclusive non-Ford/Lincoln parts brand of premium aftermarket parts. With over a century of parts heritage to build upon, Omnicraft provides excellent quality and fit and is a preferred choice of professional automotive technicians. To find out more about Omnicraft, visit www.omnicraftautoparts.com or contact your local Ford or Lincoln Dealership.
 
About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center
Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine maintenance, serving all vehicle makes and models. Quick Lane provides a full menu of automotive services, including tires, oil change & maintenance, brakes, batteries, alternator & electrical system, air conditioning system, cooling system, transmission service, suspension & steering, wheel alignment, belts & hoses, lamps & bulbs, wiper blades plus a thorough vehicle checkup report. Service is performed by expert technicians while you wait at any of nearly 800 locations in the U.S., with evening and weekend hours available and no appointment necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.

Ocala, FL (January 31, 2022) – In a wild finish on Monday Night at Bubba Raceway Park Tim McCreadie and Devin Moran brought the crowd to its feet as the two drivers got together heading to the checkered flag. McCreadie took the win by one car length despite a wounded right side of his #39 car. It was the reigning Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion’s first win of the season and first career win at the Ocala, Florida facility in the opening night of racing at Bubba’s in the K&N Filters Winter Nationals Presented by Optima Batteries. The fans were set up for a thrilling finish as Moran dove down low in turn one and passed McCreadie for the lead after they took the white flag. Moran held the lead into turn three around the D-shaped oval, but his car slid up the track in turn four and McCreadie came through the middle groove with a head of steam as the two made contact off turn four. McCreadie crossed the line just 2 tenths of a second in front of the current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series points leader. Brandon Sheppard, who started from the pole finished in third with Mark Whitener, and Ricky Thornton Jr. completing the top five drivers. The race for the lead was mostly uneventful for McCreadie as the 47-year-old New York native pounded on the lead at the start of the race from his outside front row starting spot. Sheppard trailed McCreadie for the first six laps of the race as Moran moved from fourth to second around Sheppard on the seventh circuit. McCreadie held a healthy lead over Moran through a stretch of three cautions in five laps just past the midway part of the 40-lapper. There was a terrific battle for third on back between several drivers who were hungry for a good finish. Sheppard had dropped back a few spots but picked up the pace in the closing laps to get by both Whitener and Thornton Jr to round out the podium. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 29th time in his career McCreadie wasn’t exactly sure what happened to Moran as they raced to the finish. “Coming out of four I didn’t know he stopped by the wall I was trying not to clip the infield there. When I looked up and he was there I lifted but I couldn’t slow down. It was just hard racing, that’s what they always tell me when it happens to me, but I don’t like racing like that. At the end of the race I was searching, I probably should have moved around (on the track), he (Moran) did a heck of a job moving around. Like I said I don’t know what happened in four, I thought he broke or something.” Moran continued his solid start to the 2022 season with his third runner-up finish of the year. “I just gave away another race I feel like. I did what I could to get by Timmy. I knew they were telling him to move to the top, so I took advantage of it. He did what he had to do to win. We’ll just fix everything up; we have a really good Tye Twarog racing Longhorn. We will get the body straightened out and make sure nothing’s bent and hopefully Bubba can provide us a track like this again tomorrow night.” “We took off pretty good there,” said Sheppard afterwards. “We were back to seventh or eighth there at one point, luckily we were able to get back up through there a little bit. Bubba had the track really good tonight. My team gave me a good car all night long. I just made one bad decision in picking my line on the restart and it put me out of contention at the end of the race.” The winner’s Donald and Gena Bradsher – Paylor Motorsports owned Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas, Mega Plumbing HVAC, Armslist.com, New Point Lighting and Design, Bilstein Shocks, Racing for Heroes, Walker Performance Filtration, Baker-Mitchell Company, and The Aesthetic Haus. Completing the top ten were Kyle Bronson, Ashton Winger, Tyler Erb, Ross Robinson, and Jimmy Owens. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary K&N Filters Winter Nationals Presented by Optima BatteriesMonday, January 31st, 2022Bubba Raceway Park – Ocala, FL Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Brandon Sheppard / 13.763 seconds Fast Time Group B: Tim McCreadie / 13.727 seconds (overall) Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 58W-Mark Whitener[3]; 3. 1ST-Johnny Scott[5]; 4. 18J-Chase Junghans[4]; 5. C02-Ryan Markham[6]; 6. 18D-Daulton Wilson[2]; 7. 30-Todd Cooney[7]; 8. 17SS-Brenden Smith[8] Summit Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal[2]; 2. 89-Ashton Winger[3]; 3. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[1]; 4. 16-Tyler Bruening[6]; 5. 10-Garrett Smith[5]; 6. 76B-Blair Nothdurft[4]; 7. 45-Kyle Hammer[7]; 8. 0G-Deshawn Gingerich[8] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson[2]; 2. 111V-Max Blair[1]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[3]; 4. 10J-Joseph Joiner[4]; 5. 48-Colton Flinner[5]; 6. 81E-Tanner English[6]; 7. 33-Jeff Mathews[7] Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 39-Tim McCreadie[1]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[2]; 3. 58-Garrett Alberson[5]; 4. 20-Jimmy Owens[6]; 5. 1R-Josh Richards[4]; 6. 157-Mike Marlar[7]; 7. 11K-Austin Kirkpatrick[3]; 8. 503-Jason Miles[8] K&N Filters Heat Race #5 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 9-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley[3]; 3. 66C-Matt Cosner[4]; 4. 7-Ross Robinson[2]; 5. 11-Spencer Hughes[5]; 6. 19R-Ryan Gustin[7]; 7. 1A-Tyler Clem[8]; 8. 6S-Blake Spencer[6] Optima Batteries Heat Race #6 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 25-Shane Clanton[1]; 2. 28E-Dennis Erb Jr[3]; 3. 2D-Dan Stone[2]; 4. 2S-Stormy Scott[5]; 5. 99B-Boom Briggs[6]; 6. 7T-Drake Troutman[4]; 7. 97-Cody Overton[7] Fast Shafts B-Main #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 18J-Chase Junghans[1]; 2. 10-Garrett Smith[5]; 3. 10J-Joseph Joiner[3]; 4. 18D-Daulton Wilson[7]; 5. 48-Colton Flinner[6]; 6. 76B-Blair Nothdurft[8]; 7. 45-Kyle Hammer[11]; 8. 17SS-Brenden Smith[13]; 9. 30-Todd Cooney[10]; 10. 0G-Deshawn Gingerich[14]; 11. 16-Tyler Bruening[2]; 12. C02-Ryan Markham[4]; 13. 81E-Tanner English[9]; 14. 33-Jeff Mathews[12] UNOH B-Main #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 1R-Josh Richards[4]; 2. 7-Ross Robinson[2]; 3. 20-Jimmy Owens[1]; 4. 2S-Stormy Scott[3]; 5. 11-Spencer Hughes[5]; 6. 99B-Boom Briggs[6]; 7. 157-Mike Marlar[7]; 8. 19R-Ryan Gustin[8]; 9. 1A-Tyler Clem[11]; 10. 503-Jason Miles[13]; 11. 97-Cody Overton[12]; 12. 6S-Blake Spencer[14]; 13. 7T-Drake Troutman[9]; 14. (DNS) 11K-Austin Kirkpatrick Lucas Oil Feature Finish (40 Laps):

Race StatisticsEntrants: 46Lap Leaders: Tim McCreadie (Laps 1 – 40)Wrisco Feature Winner: Tim McCreadieArizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: n/aBrandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: n/aMargin of Victory: 0.207 secondsStop-Tech Cautions: Hudson O’Neal (Lap 6); Dan Stone (Lap 15); Brian Shirley (Lap 22); Josh Richards (Lap 24); Max Blair (Lap 25); Daulton Wilson (Lap 30)Series Provisionals: Jimmy Owens, Mike MarlarFast Time Provisional: n/aSeries Emergency Provisionals: Stormy Scott, Daulton WilsonTrack Provisionals: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Tim McCreadie, Devin Moran, Brandon SheppardPenske Shocks Top 5: Tim McCreadie, Devin Moran, Brandon Sheppard, Mark Whitener, Ricky Thornton JrOptima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Ross Robinson (Advanced 13 Positions)Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Devin MoranHot Rod Processing Most Laps Led: Tim McCreadie (40 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon SheppardO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aDirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Devin Moran (Lap 20 – 14.559 seconds)DirtonDirt.com Tough Break of the Race: Hudson O’NealOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Philip Snellen (Tim McCreadie)ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Tim McCreadie (13.761 seconds)Time of Race: 26 minutes 31 seconds Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings:

*Results are unofficial until Close of Business on the Tuesday following Race Day*

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.  The series receives national exposure through a television package filmed, produced and edited by Lucas Oil Production Studios. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events will be streamed live on MAVTV Plus, with broadcasts on MAVTV Motorsports Network.   The in your face excitement of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is second to none in motorsports. For more information, including the latest news, tour schedule, driver information, and more, visit the official website at: www.LucasDirt.com.

31 January 2021 – DragonSpeed claimed their third Rolex 24 at Daytona LMP2 class victory in four years yesterday, finishing fifth overall and coming out on top of a fraught battle for LMP2 honors which raged throughout the 60th running of the Florida endurance classic. The Spanish-based, US-flagged team’s pro/am squad of Bronze driver Eric Lux and IndyCar stars Devlin DeFrancesco, Colton Herta, and Pato O’Ward took the lead in dramatic fashion with just minutes remaining to overcome a ten-strong LMP2 field featuring the category’s top American and European teams.
After starting fifth with Lux at the wheel, the brightly colored Oreca O7-Gibson had a troubled early race with several drive-through penalties caused by a pit lane speed limiter issue, putting DragonSpeed three laps down on the class leaders. The team then set its sights on a long game, taking splashes of fuel whenever possible in order to exploit every opportunity to claw back those laps under the race’s frequent full-course yellows.
The overnight rotation of Lux, O’Ward, Herta, and DeFrancesco gradually revived the team’s fortunes, with Devlin setting the team’s fastest race lap along the way. They first led at the half way point and by sunrise the DragonSpeed machine was firmly established in the lead pack. The number 81 car topped the lap charts from the 20-hour mark until its painstakingly built and carefully managed advantage was erased by the race’s penultimate full-course yellow with two hours remaining, bringing the top four LMP2 runners into contention for the win.

Herta was soaking up the pressure from Louis Deletraz in the Tower Motorsport entry when the race came under yellow for the final time with 52 minutes to go. Colton pitted twice – first for a full fuel load and new tires and then for another splash of fuel – with Deletraz taking the lead amid the stops before racing resumed with 36 minutes left. Colton relentlessly harried the Swiss driver before attacking up the inside at the newly renamed Le Mans chicane, Deletraz taking to the grass and nearly collecting Herta as he rejoined the track. Herta maintained a seven-second lead over the final nine laps to the checkered flag, to a hail of cheers in the DragonSpeed pit.
Eric Lux: “What an incredible feeling. I started here when I was sixteen and must have come close to winning about six times, sometimes with it slipping away in the last hour, so the last two hours today were nerve-racking. My teammates were spectacular – I’m not actually old enough to be their dad, but I feel like it right now! I can’t thank DragonSpeed, Elton Julian, and everyone in the team, the mechanics, the engineers enough; they did a flawless job.”
Devlin DeFrancesco:  “It was a pretty stressful 24 hours – I think I aged about ten years in the last hour of the race! Huge thanks to Elton and all the DragonSpeed crew. We’re weren’t the fastest at the Roar, but as I said last week, we were right at the front when it counted. I’m thrilled for Eric, and to do this with my old karting buddies and now Indycar rivals Colton and Pato is amazing. It’s a great start to the year, and today I jump on a flight to Indy for the next stage of my Indycar preparations.”
Colton Herta:  “We’re all pretty tired now but really happy. The physical part of the driving was fine, but mentally it’s such a long race, and you don’t sleep with all the adrenaline. It was so much fun to do this with this group of people, and I want to thank DragonSpeed and all my teammates for keeping it clean and pushing for the win. I didn’t think I would get my second Rolex so soon! I hope I can keep doing this race and winning more of them, but I’ll definitely remember this one.”
Pato O’Ward:  “It’s so cool to do this with these guys. As soon as the lineup came together, I told everybody: you know, we really have a shot at winning this. We had a few pitlane mishaps early on with the penalties, but then we really laid the groundwork for the win between 11.00 pm and 8.00 am. We made up so much time overnight to get back on the lead lap, kept fighting, and I can’t imagine a better ending.”
DragonSpeed Team Principal Elton Julian: “I’m happy, tired, and hugely satisfied the crew have been justly rewarded with this dream result.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 31, 2022) – Tickets for Progressive American Flat Track’s Memorial Day Weekend doubleheader at the Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky, on May 28-29 are now available for purchase.

The Mission Foods® Red Mile I & II presented by Indian Motorcycle of Lexington marks Progressive AFT’s first stop at the historic venue since 2019. Primarily known as a horse racing facility since it opened in 1875, the beautiful Red Mile has shown itself to be equally suited to races featuring a hundred times the horsepower ever since Progressive AFT made its first visit in 2017.

Widely praised for lush accommodations, incredible views from the grandstands, and availability of its track-side food and entertainment, the Red Mile stands out even among a schedule loaded with destination events.

A range of ticket options are available for purchase. General Admission – Standing Room Only, which provides ticket holders an excellent view of the track right along the front stretch, are available for just $25, with kids 12 and under free when accompanied by an adult. Other options include Reserved Grandstand tickets that provide outstanding views of the entire racetrack, a limited number of Mid-Level Box Seats, and the exclusive Turn 1 Hospitality Suite – VIP Experience.

Paddock Access Upgrades are available for purchase, which provide all-day access to the paddock where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport.

Reserve your seats for the Mission Foods Red Mile I & II presented by Indian Motorcycle of Lexington today by visiting Progressive American Flat Track’s website at https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3722/.

For more information, please visit http://www.americanflattrack.com. To score the latest gear for the Progressive American Flat Track fan, visit our official merchandise store at https://store.americanflattrack.com.

Jan 31, 2022 | Featured, Special Announcements

Second-generation racer Julie Nataas will continue her pursuit of an NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Dragster world championship with Randy Meyer Racing this season, the team announced today. It will be Nataas’ fourth full-time season in Randy Meyer Racing’s Oslo Tapet & Gulvbelegg (OTG) A/Fuel dragster.

“I’m so glad I get to continue this journey with Randy,” said Nataas, who finished fourth in national points. “I started racing in this class with RMR. I have learned, failed and succeeded with this team so there’s no one else I’d rather win a TAD world championship with than the Randy Meyer Racing Team.”

In 2021, Randy Meyer Racing scored its third consecutive world championship when Rachel Meyer drove the NTK Sensors A/Fuel dragster to her first world championship. The team won the 2019 and 2020 titles with Rachel’s older sister, Megan, driving the NGK Spark Plugs dragster.

This season, Nataas is determined to help RMR win its fourth consecutive title. She will be Randy Meyer Racing’s primary driver for the season, as Rachel is stepping aside to focus on her family’s bracket racing program. The team also plans to bring in a couple new drivers to license and run a race or two to help bring new blood into the sport, though the primary focus is chasing another championship.

“I don’t think I’m more or less motivated than last year, but last year I got really confident as a driver and that changed the game for me,” Nataas said. “Going in to 2022, there’s only one thing on my mind: ‘world champion.’ I have no doubt we can get it. We just gotta keep doing what we’re doing.”

Nataas kicked off her 2021 season with a win at the Gainesville regional race. She added regional wins at Norwalk, Indy, and Bowling Green before finishing the year with a runner-up finish at the NHRA Auto Club Finals in Pomona. The regional wins helped her secure her second NHRA North Central Region championship.

“We had a great 2021 season with a lot of regional event wins,” Nataas said. “The one I remember the most is probably when Randy had me and Rachel race at two different race tracks the same weekend and we both won. Randy was at the track in Kansas with Rachel and I was in Indy with Randy tuning over the phone.”

Nataas will race with continued support from Oslo Tapet & Gulvbelegg, a Norwegian manufacturer of floor coverings, carpet, linoleum and wallpaper. Lucas Oil and Right Trailers have stepped up as associate sponsors on the nitro-injected dragster.

“It means a lot that big companies like Right Trailers, Lucas Oil and OTG want to continue to chase this dream of mine with me,” Nataas added. “I’m nothing but proud to represent such great companies.”

Nataas and the OTG/Lucas Oil/Right Trailers team will kick off their 2022 season at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com, Feb. 17-20 at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif. Click here to view the team’s 2022 National event schedule.

Meyer Shank Racing leads 1-2 finish for Acura teams, drivers in the Rolex 24 at Daytona
Wayne Taylor Racing completes sweep for Acura in 24-hour endurance classic, opening round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Acura’s second consecutive Rolex 24 win, first 1-2 result

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 30, 2022) – Acura, its teams and drivers dominated the final hours of this weekend’s 60th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, with Meyer Shank Racing and defending race winner Wayne Taylor Racing battling to the checkers in a 1-2 finish in their Acura ARX-05 prototypes in the opening event of the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

At the end of the twice-around-the-clock competition, it was the MSR lineup of Tom Blomqvist, Helio Castroneves, Oliver Jarvis and Simon Pagenaud taking the victory three seconds ahead of WTR and drivers Filipe Albuquerque, Alexander Rossi, Will Stevens and Ricky Taylor.

The win is the second consecutive Rolex 24 victory for Acura and the ARX-05 prototype, and the first 1-2 finish at Daytona for the manufacturer. For the Meyer Shank team, the win is their second Rolex 24 triumph, and 10 years to the weekend after their first win here in the 2012 50th running of the event.

Second-place for Wayne Taylor Racing places the teams at the top of the championship table after the first of 10 races this season, and solidifies Acura’s early-season Manufacturers’ Championship advantage.

Acura NSX GT3 Evo22
In the production-based GTD category, the Gradient Racing NSX GT3 Evo22 started 16th in the deep, 22-car GTD field following a fraught qualifying race last weekend. But the driver lineup of Till Bechtolsheimer, Mario Farnbacher, Marc Miller and HPD Academy graduate Kyffen Simpson brought the #66 through the field to the lead pack of six contenders by mid-race.

Despite delays in the early morning hours to repair a broken line in the air-jack system, Gradient continued to contest for the class victory until a wiring problem just after 9 a.m. resulted in a long stop for repairs just after sunrise. Once repairs were complete, the Gradient Acura returned to the circuit to finish 13th in GTD.

Rolex 24 Race Results
1st overall – #60 Tom Blomqvist, Helio Castroneves, Oliver Jarvis and Simon Pagenaud, Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-05 DPi
2nd overall – #10 Filipe Albuquerque, Alexander Rossi, Will Stevens and Ricky Taylor, Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-05 DPi
13th GTD – #44 Till Bechtolsheimer, Mario Farnbacher, Marc Miller and Kyffin Simpson, Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo22

DPi Manufacturers’ Championship Teams’ Championship (after 1 of 10 rounds)

1. Acura 385 1. Meyer Shank Racing 378
2. Cadillac 352 2. Wayne Taylor Racing 355
   3. JDC Miller Motorsports 332

Michelin Endurance Cup Teams (after 1 of 4 endurance races)

1. Meyer Shank Racing 15
2. Wayne Taylor Raing 13
3. JDC Miller Motorsports 13

Fast Facts
In taking the checkers today at Daytona International Speedway, Helio Castroneves completed an incredible year that saw the veteran champion win the Rolex 24 twice, sandwiching his record-tying fourth victory at the Indianapolis 500 last May.

Castroneves also becomes the first driver to score IMSA wins for all teams to have campaigned the Acura ARX-05: Meyer Shank Racing, Wayne Taylor Racing (2021) and Acura Team Penske (2018-20).

This is Acura’s second consecutive overall victory at Daytona, the first 1-2 finish for the manufacturer. It is the third Rolex 24 win for Honda Performance Development which won Daytona overall under the HPD/Honda banner. Acura won the Camel Lights class [the equivalent to today’s LMP2] at Daytona in 1991 and again in ‘92.

Acura first took part in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 1991, winning Camel Lights with Comptech Racing and drivers Parker Johnstone, Steve Cameron and Bob Lesnett driving a Spice Acura SE90P. Acura repeated as Camel Lights winner in 1992, with Comptech drivers Johnstone, Cameron and Jimmy Vasser [who also won Honda’s first Indy car championship in 1996].

Running an Honda Performance Development prepared, production-based Honda V6 engine, Tequila Patrón ESM won the Rolex 24 overall in 2016 with Pipo Derani, Scott Sharp, Johannes van Overbeek and Ed Brown driving a Ligier JSP2-Honda.

Quotes
Helio Castroneves (#60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-05) Winner of the Rolex 24 at Daytona with co-drivers Tom Blomqvist, Oliver Jarvis and Simon Pagenaud: “This is incredible! We made history in Daytona! Let’s go climb a fence! The team gave me an amazing car, and I had amazing teammates: Tom, Olly, Simon, everyone on our team, our sponsors, Acura and HPD. What a great race. It was very tough. My friend Ricky [Taylor] was right behind and I know his strengths, and I said to myself ‘I never showed him all I know’. I had some things under my sleeve [to use in the final laps]. I never thought I’d be climbing the fence in Daytona, but today I realized that dream.”

Ricky Taylor (#10 Wayne Taylor Racing ARX-05) Finished second: “”First of all, what a great day for Acura! HPD does so much work for us and I think it shows in the reliability of these DPi cars. We were up against five Cadillacs with just two Acuras, and managed a 1-2 finish. The reliability was amazing and the performance of the engine and the car was flawless. The team executed beautifully, I just didn’t have enough at the end to go and get Helio [Castroneves]. It’s a little disappointing, but we’ll start working towards Sebring and it’s a really good way to start the year. I’m really proud to have my teammates next to me, they all did an amazing job. And thanks to Konica Minolta, Harrison Contracting and everyone that gives us the opportunity to be here and race these cars.”

Marc Miller (#66 Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo22) Finished 13th in GTD: “We definitely had a solid car. The new Evo22 package made the car more raceable. The new boost helped the car on the bottom end, which is where we really suffered the most in the past.
But I mean, how about our little team, For most of this race, we were sitting there in the top five the entire time. As the lone Acura in the GTD field, it was a proud moment to see that close-knit group that has worked so hard to build something to be able to run the race. It was an honor for me to be able to race with Gradient Racing at the Rolex 24. At the end, it was truly an honor to finish the race. Thanks Acura.”

David Salters (President and Technical Director, Honda Performance Development) on this weekend’s second consecutive victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona: “The men and women of HPD, Acura, MSR and WTR work hard all winter: long hours, trying to be smart, just doing the best they can. Then they come to one of the most iconic races in the world, a real test of performance and endurance; a real marquee event. Through their hard work and teamwork, the world gets to witness that we’re pretty good at this stuff and see their challenging spirit. Through their endeavors, for our amazing company – Acura and Honda – we write new lines in the history books. Well done, and congratulations to all those women and men.”

Next
The 2022 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship now moves to central Florida for the 70th annual Mobil-1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Saturday, March 19 in Sebring, Fla.

No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac races to third place in twice-around-the-clock event

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 30, 2022) – Taped front and center in the JDC-Miller MotorSports hauler is a big, bold and inspirational message for the four drivers of the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R and crew. Believe.

It is a reflection of the passion of the entire organization, which in the 60th Rolex 24 At Daytona – and every IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race – lives by the credo of when you all pull together, you move as one. With Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook, Luic Duval and Ben Keating sharing the seat of the powerful and nimble Cadillac DPi-V.R, the little team that could placed third by a mere 4.420 seconds in the twice-around-the-clock race to lead the five-car Cadillac contingent.

The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R, with reigning IMSA DPi driver champion Pipo Derani, Tristan Nunez and Mike Conway behind the wheel, finished fourth for defending IMSA DPi team champion Action Express Racing. “It makes it bittersweet, but what a great job by the team overall,” said Vautier, who earned his first Rolex 24 podium finish in the DPi class. “We were in contention the whole way and probably the fastest car all the way to the end, so that’s what makes it feel bittersweet because we thought we could have gotten it.“But, overall, my first podium in the Rolex 24. Big thanks to the team for the hard work over the winter to make us so competitive. We didn’t get a Rolex but we can still celebrate.”

The Rolex 24 At Daytona race lap record changed hands five times among four Cadillac DPi-V.R entries. Alex Palou, driving the No. 1 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R, etched his name in the IMSA record book with a lap of 1 minute, 33.724 seconds on the 3.56-mile, 12-turn Daytona International Speedway road course with just under two hours left in the race. At dawn, Earl Bamber returned to the track following time in the garage to replace a fuel pump in the No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R to reset the record with a lap of 1:33.811. Bamber bested the lap of Loic Duval (1:33.834) in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R. Earlier in the race, Kevin Magnussen (1:34.000) in the No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R and Renger van der Zande (1:34.02) in the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R broke the record set in 2019. The No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R returned to the garage in the 13th hour after being bumped off course. Minutes later, the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R – the overall leader at the time – pitted for fuel and tires with Sebastien Bourdais behind the wheel. The call was made to head to the garage to address an electrical issue. Both cars returned to the race to collect season championship points.Cadillac DPi-V.R entries return to action March 17-19 for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway in Florida.

Cadillac Racing results:No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R (JDC-Miller MotorSports)Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook, Loic Duval, Ben KeatingFinish: Third overallLoic Duval: “Happy about our race in general, but we had it. I think we were the only Cadillac able to win the race. I was able to catch up (after being pushed off course on late restart) but I was way too far away. Frustration because I think we had something. The whole team tried everything we could.”Richard Westbrook: “We had a 20-second lead and it was all comfortable. We know with IMSA racing that you can never sit on your laurels. There’s always going to be a yellow. It was just bad luck. They (IMSA) didn’t give us the opportunity to pit and the two Accuras did (just before a yellow flag) and it changed the nature of the race. Up to that point, it looked like we had it covered. I’m just proud of this team getting a podium. It’s a great start to my DPi journey.”Tristan Vautier: “It makes it bittersweet, but what a great job by the team overall. We were in contention the whole way and probably the fastest car all the way to the end, so that’s what makes it feel bittersweet because we thought we could have gotten it. But, overall, my first podium in the Rolex 24. Big thanks to the team for the hard work over the winter to make us so competitive. We didn’t get a Rolex but we can still celebrate.”Ben Keating: “What an incredible race that was run by the team. We were there at the end because of how consistent we were. If we wouldn’t have had any of those yellow flags at the end, we would have won it. We had a 20-second lead because we were consistent without any mistakes. The No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac was incredible to drive and I’m excited to be on the podium in the Rolex 24. My time behind the wheel was the most fun I’ve ever had in a race car.” No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R (Action Express Racing)Pipo Derani, Tristan Nunez, Mike ConwayFinish: Fourth overallPipo Derani: “We tried and unfortunately it didn’t happen this time. At least we were there to put up a good fight at the end. We had no pace after that last restart. We have to analyze why. A big thank you to Whelen Engineering, Cadillac and the Action Express Racing team. It is good points for the championship. We finished the race flawlessly without any problems. Just a shame we wanted a little bit more. We will focus on Sebring and the Championship. Tristan did a great job in his first race with us and I am looking forward to working with him leading up to Sebring.”Tristan Nunez: “For my first race with the team in the Whelen Cadillac and it is hard to ask for more with a fourth-place finish. Obviously, we want to win, but the car is in one-piece and we have a long season ahead. Last year they didn’t have that great of a 24 and won the championship. We have a long season ahead of us and lots of races to look forward to.”Mike Conway: “Like Pipo said we were struggling there at the end with grip. We were hoping to duke it out upfront and at least have a go. After a few laps we couldn’t quite stay there. It was a great effort by the Action Express team. We had really good pace all race. Then we kind of fell a bit short. Credit to everyone on Whelen Cadillac for the work over the last two weeks. We were hoping for at least a podium, but it wasn’t to be.” No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R (Action Express Racing)Jimmie Johnson, Mike Rockenfeller, Kamui Kobayashi, Jose Maria LopezFinish: Fifth in class; 11th overall (-22 laps)Jimmie Johnson: “All in all, we had a reasonable Ally Cadillac and a reasonable opportunity to win. I was overtaking a P2 car into the night. My right rear tapped his front going into the Esses in Turn 2, and with that touch it broke the rear suspension and sent me off spinning into the grass. That is where we lost all of our laps. I went through there 50 or 60 times through the course of the weekend and that one time I tapped another car and broke the Ally Cadillac. Every lap matters for us. We are not regulars. For Action Express and Hendrick Motorsports the more reps we get behind the wheel the better we will be.”Kamui Kobayashi: “Obviously, it was a shame not to be fighting with the leader. I think we had a good pace. I think we had the potential to fight, but maybe not to win. I think for the 24 we had a good run with Jimmie, Jose Maria and Mike. The team did a great job. We did our best. Ally and Action Express gave us a good car. This has been my first race of the season for the last couple of years and puts me into a good mood for the season. Thanks to the team and IMSA for a great couple of weeks.”Mike Rockenfeller: “Like I said before the race, you can win or you can be last. I mean you have to stay so clean here you have to make it through the night. We got caught up in traffic and had an incident there. It is part of the game. You overtake so many cars so many times in your stint, sometimes you get squeezed and there is a little touch. It took a while to repair and you cannot recover. We had a good Ally Cadillac and everyone worked hard and drove good. We will come back and try again at Sebring.”Jose Maria Lopez: “The Action Express boys did a great job with the car and on pit lane today. The Ally Cadillac had good speed throughout the race. We had some bad luck with contact with Jimmie, but the team was able to make the repair and get us back in the fight. This is such a great race, I had a great time running my first race at Daytona. It was an honor to race with Jimmie and my friends Rocky and Kamui.” No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R (Chip Ganassi Racing)Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Marcus Ericsson, Kevin MagnussenFinish: Sixth in class; 12th overall (-27 laps)Alex Lynn: “I guess heartbroken doesn’t sum it up enough.  Mostly I believe our Cadillac was the car to win, but that is endurance racing. So many times, 24-hour races can break your heart, but it’s that one time when it goes seamlessly that makes it worth it. We will be back to try again. A big thank you to everyone because the car was faultless and yeah, we won’t give up.” No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R (Chip Ganassi Racing)Renger van der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais, Scott Dixon, Alex PalouFinish: Seventh in class; 14th overall (-39 laps)Renger van der Zande: “We were ready to go at the end, get me in to fight for the win. But when I came out of bed, basically what happened is we had an issue and I found out we were many laps down. Managed to help a little on the Cadillac side. Disappointed, but I think we had the fastest car.”

IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY JAN. 30, 2022

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 30, 2022) – Cadillac Racing DPi-V-R entries were running in the top four 18 hours into the 60th Rolex 24 At Daytona. The No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R, with Richard Westbrook at the wheel, was running smoothly in third place. Close behind in fourth was Mike Conway in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R. The Rolex 24 At Daytona race lap record has changed hands four times among three Cadillac DPi-V.R entries.  Earl Bamber returned to the track following time in the garage in the 16th hour to replace a fuel pump in the No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R to set reset the record with a lap of 1 minute, 33.811 seconds on the 3.56-mile, 12-turn Daytona International Speedway road course. Bamber took the line in the record book from Loic Duval (1:33.834) in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R. Earlier, Kevin Magnussen (1:34.000) in the No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R and Renger van der Zande (1:34.02) in the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R broke the record. In the 13th hour, the No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R returned to the garage to replace a the rear suspension after being bumped into the grass by an LMP3 car. Minutes later, the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R – the overall leader – pitted for fuel and tires with Sebastien Bourdais behind the wheel. The call was made to head to the garage to replace the alternator belt. Gary Nelson, Action Express Racing team manager (Nos. 31 and 48 Cadillac DPi-V.Rs)“It is nice to be this close to the lead of the race after going all night. It was really a dogfight all night and now we are just a few seconds from the lead. So, we’re pretty happy. (What have you been telling your drivers?) The same thing we have told them all along. Stay on the lead lap, and we pretty much have had to run flat out to do that. I think we are going to have a good finish.” Tristan Nunez, No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R“Six hours is still a long way to go. This is when every second counts. The race is going to be fierce all the way to the end. I think we have a good car to challenge for the win. I have another double stint and get ready for the end. It’s challenging out there with how cold it is. It can get away from you quickly.”  Richard Westbrook, No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R“We’ve been running consistently well. It’s been a really good performance but still a long way to go – a Watkins Glen six hours to go. We’re taking nothing for granted but we’re doing everything right so far and just have to hang in there to take the fight in the last couple of hours.” Earl Bamber, No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R“I got the car from Alex (Lynn) in fifth and made our way up to second. Everything was going well and just cruising around. I think we had a car to vie for the win and are really happy with what the (Chip Ganassi Racing) guys have done in the short preparation time they had with the second car. We’re gutted, obviously. We’ll repair, get back out there and finish the race.” Cadillac running order in the DPi class (overall in parentheses) at 18 hours:3. (3) No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R, Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook, Loic Duval, Ben Keating4. (4) No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R, Pipo Derani, Tristan Nunez, Mike Conway5. (13) No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R, Jimmie Johnson, Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Rockenfeller, Jose Maria Lopez6. (19) No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R, Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Kevin Magnussen, Marcus Ericsson7. (33) No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R, Renger Van Der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais, Scott Dixon, Alex Palou The race is being telecast on NBC and its associated channels USA and Peacock, and available on XM 202, SiriusXM Online 972, and IMSA.com.

Kentuckian scores second victory in three days, Adams runner-up for fifth time TAMPA, FL – Jan. 29, 2022 – Before this week, Victor Lee had never won a DIRTcar UMP Modified race at East Bay Raceway Park. When his hauler backs out of the pits on Sunday, he’ll leave with two, and the biggest check of the week as a first-time Winternationals champion. The Kentucky Modified veteran hadn’t been to East Bay to drive a Modified since 2001 and chose 2022 to make his return. But you wouldn’t know it had been 21 years with the way he dominated the final 59 laps of the 75-lap Feature Saturday night, driving away from the field in traffic to bag a $5,000 payday. “We came down here with high expectations,” Lee said. “Our goal was to win a race, but to win two is even better.” Coming into Saturday, Lee sat second in event points after a win Thursday night and a third-place Friday, which locked him into the top-six redraw. He pulled the “4” pill and got a good jump when the green flag dropped to settle into second. Lee, of Danville, KY, stayed patient in the first 15 laps, then cracked the whip to maneuver into the lead on the bottom on Lap 17, getting around both Lucas Lee and Buzzy Adams. That’s where he stayed for the entire race – just as he and the crew drew it up before they went green. “This thing liked the bottom,” Lee said of his car. “I knew that, so that was my game plan – to go way out and consistently run the bottom, try to hit fast laps, and that’s what we went out for.” From there on out, it was all The Lincoln Leadfoot. Even with the fuel stop breaking up the action just before halfway, the field behind him was unable to get any sort of bead on him. On two separate occasions, Lee held a 6-plus second lead over the field, consistently hugging the bottom every lap. Lee ran the bottom almost every lap throughout all four nights of action and produced quality, consistent results – something he said he owes to the crew and their forward thinking. “We got here early every day to work on our racecar and prepare,” Lee said. “We came prepared, and we tried to stay on top of it. “All of our guys worked hard. We tried to rest up when we needed to and worked long hours when we needed to do that, so hats off to all my guys. Preparation is what helped us.” Several caution flags peppered the final 20 laps of the race, making Lee work a bit harder each time. Especially when he came across the stripe to get the two-to-go signal and saw the yellow flag instead, making for an intense green-white-checkered ending. But even that wasn’t enough to break his concentration. “The last two laps, I knew I had two more laps to hit my marks,” Lee said. “That’s what I set up to do there, so I felt comfortable with it.” One driver right on his tail for the final restart was the defending Winternationals champion, Buzzy Adams. The Cameron, WI-driver had driven nearly the entire race inside the top-three and prepared to rev it up on the top side once more and steal the win on the final lap, as he did in 2021, but was unable to get the jump he needed with his choice of tire. “I knew Victor, [Seth] Geary, and the 70 [Shane] Burrows all had a hard right-rear on,” Adams said. “We’ve never been able to get a hard to fire here, so I always run on a medium. Which is good for 10 laps, and then it just gets slimy. It’s a gamble. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn’t.” For the fifth time since 2012, Adams had to settle for second. However, with the week he had – struggles in his Heat Races, a Last Chance Showdown transfer-in, getting caught-up in wrecks – he’ll take a runner-up. “I was beating myself up all week mentally because I kept screwing up, so this helps,” Adams said. “It’s second, but against 60 other Modifieds, I’ll take it.” Crossing the line third was local racer Seth Geary. The Bradenton, FL-driver was coming off a win in the final prelim show Friday night and was able to push that momentum on even further for a podium in the biggest race of the week. After missing the transfer by two in his Heat, Geary was forced to get in via Last Chance Showdown #2. He won it, and was placed 20th on the Feature starting grid. It took him 74 of the 75 laps to reach the podium, but he showed it can pay to play the waiting game. “I was just biding my time, being patient,” Geary said. “Avoided a couple spins in front of me – one right across my nose.” After his Victory Lane celebration, Lee returned to the pits and reflected on some news made public by the Summit Racing Equipment American Modified Series Friday night, regarding the recent passing of series owner Dewayne Ragland. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Dewayne Ragland and his family,” Lee said. “I’ve been thinking about him and his family all day, and I want to let his family know they’re in our thoughts and prayers.” UP NEXT The chase for the DIRTcar UMP Modified Speedweeks championship continues next Friday-Sunday, Feb. 4-6, with three more rounds of racing at North Florida Speedway in Lake City, FL. Keep an eye on all DIRTcar racing social media channels for all the latest content and updates. Modifieds A-Feature     ———————————— 1.  Victor Lee                             4             Danville, Ky. 2.  Kevin Adams                        40           Cameron, Wi. 3.  Seth Geary                           7G           Bradenton, Fl. 4.  Travis Varnadore                 205         Plant City, Fl. 5.  Alan Weisser                        1             Peoria, Il. 6.  Devin Dixon                          33D         Ruskin, Fl. 7.  Bryan Bernhardt                  69B         Clearwater, Fl. 8.  Bradley Jameson                757         Royal Center, In. 9.  Dale Kelley                           22K         Plant City, Fl. 10. Shane Burrows                  70B         Valrico, Fl. 11. Aaron Branham                   38B         Clay City, Ky. 12. Chase Holland                     45           Success, Ms. 13. Tyler Nicely                         25           Owensboro, Ky. 14. David Pollen                        88           Lakeland, Fl. 15. Brandon Hutchinson                      85A         Hi Hat, Ky. 16. Chris Wilson                        17           Louisa, Ky. 17. Dawson Cook                      242x       Morton, Il. 18. Lucas Lee                             12L         Paris, Tn. 19. Brian Skaggs                        20           Pedro, Oh. 20. Brian Shaw                          1s           Robinson, Il. 21. Tyler Clem                           14           Tampa, Fl. 22. Corey Bevard                      8c           Litchfield, Mi. 23. Drake Troutman                 7             Hyndman, Pa. 24. Seth Daniels                        21s         Jackson, Oh. 25. Patrick Passanise                333         Tampa, Fl.

DIRTcar Racing is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel), Chevy Performance Parts, iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, and NAPA Auto Parts (SDS). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), ASI Race Wear (SDS), Bassett Racing Wheel, Bell Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, Bicknell Racing Products (SDS), Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux (SDS), Cometic Gasket (SDS), COMP Cams, Drydene, Fast Shafts, Fox Factory, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, K1 Race Gear, KSE Racing Products, MSD, Mulit FireX, Quarter Master, Schoenfeld Headers, Summit Racing Equipment, Velocita USA, Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum), and Xceldyne. Along with manufacturer sponsors, including: FireAde, Intercomp, and Racing Electronics.

Corvette C8.Rs, team soldier through to complete full 24 hours

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 30, 2022) – Corvette Racing made it through a tumultuous Rolex 24 At Daytona on Sunday and gained valuable information on its Chevrolet Corvette C8.Rs in their new GT Daytona (GTD) PRO configuration. The No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette of Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg – 2021 winners in the GT Le Mans class – led Corvette Racing’s charge with a sixth-place finish. It was a solid drive back from ninth place in the middle of the night when an electrical issue cost the team 13 laps in the garage. The No. 3 C8.R is the team’s full-season entry in the new-for-2022 GTD PRO class. Other than the visit in the garage late Saturday night, things ran almost like clockwork for the Garcia/Taylor/Catsburg trio. The same couldn’t be said of the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette of Tommy Milner, Nick Tandy and Marco Sorensen. Their C8.R appeared to be the strongest of the Corvette Racing entries in the opening hours until rear contact after a restart with Sorensen at the wheel caused significant damage near the 8.5-hour mark. Sorensen had to brake hard to keep from hitting the wayward LMP3 car, which also just missed collecting Catsburg in the No. 3 Corvette. The No. 4 team lost nearly 2.5 hours replacing the diffuser, exhaust pipes and starter, among other components. It eventually salvaged a top-10 class finish. Daytona marked the only scheduled IMSA appearance for the No. 4 Corvette, which moves to the FIA World Endurance Championship’s GTE Pro class starting with the 1,000 Miles of Sebring (Fla.) on March 18. It is part of a combined weekend with IMSA, which will see Garcia, Taylor and Catsburg race in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 19.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – SIXTH IN GTD PRO: “This was one of those races where you wanted it to be shorter. We learned a lot and there is still more for us to learn. We had 25 or 26 stints to learn this tire. So it was a proper first real test in race conditions. We were lacking pace both days. There still was a lot to be gained. If you add some extra testing and something else, then maybe we can be in the hunt. In the last stint, I could tell we were missing a tiny bit. If we were on the lead lap, it would have taken a tiny bit for us to be competitive. We’ll carry on to Sebring.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – SIXTH IN GTD PRO: “Other than the alternator issues, we’ve had a faultless and flawless race. The strategy and pit stops have been great. It’s good to see the team executing so well. It’s unfortunate we had that issue otherwise we’d be fighting in the top-five somewhere. It’s good to get the extra miles and it’s good the guys got us back out there because we have a championship to fight for at the end of the day. We’ve made up some points by attrition.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – SIXTH IN GTD PRO: “This was nice to continue and get more experience on this tire. I think it was the right decision to keep on going and never giving up. It was a learning experience. I enjoyed it. Hopefully we will get more pace at Sebring and we can be competitive.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – 10TH IN GTD PRO: “It’s obviously frustrating to have the problems we did. Even so and looking at the ultimate pace, I don’t think we had the car today to race for the win potentially. You never know in these kind of races. If you’re there at the end and you’re close, anything can happen. That was kind of our goal today and obviously we didn’t achieve that. It’s frustrating from that point of view. Even though we (the No. 4 Corvette) won’t be racing in IMSA for the full season, it’s exciting for the 3 car guys and the fans to see the racing we should have this year in GTD PRO. We haven’t really had that kind of door-to-door racing in some time.”

NICK TANDY, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – 10TH IN GTD PRO: “This sort of thing does happen in motor racing. We spent way too much time in the garage today than we expected. We bring two cars to this race for a reason, and that’s to have two shots. To have the luck that strikes both in the middle of the night is tough to take, to be sure. It’s so surprising because it doesn’t often happen with this team. This is motorsport and there are a lot of things that go into putting a car out on track, especially in going around for 24 hours. Sometimes we have good days like last year and sometimes it’s not so great like today.”

MARCO SORENSEN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – 10TH IN GTD PRO: “It’s been a great few weeks with Corvette Racing. Of course you come to these races wanting to compete and win. So it hurts a little bit that we didn’t get that. But in the end, it has bene a fantastic experience with this team. It’s a great bunch of guys and I like their way of going racing and how they do it. I’m just really happy to have had this chanc

Batavia, OH (January 30, 2022) – The second stop during the 2022 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series speedweeks is at Bubba Raceway Park for the K&N Filters Winter Nationals – Presented by OPTIMA Batteries on January 31st – February 1st. Teams will make the trip south to Bubba Raceway Park, a 3/8 mile, semi-banked, D-shape clay oval on Monday, January 31st and Tuesday, February 1st. The pit gate is set to close at 1:30PM ET and re-open at 2:00PM ET with the grandstand gates opening at 5:00PM ET. The Drivers Meeting will be at 5:00PM ET, Hot Laps set for 5:30PM ET. Two days of complete shows with hot laps, Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heats, B-Main(s), and 50-lap, $10,000-to-win K&N Filters Winter Nationals – Presented by OPTIMA Batteries A-Main event. Bubba Raceway Park began operations in 1952. 2022 marks the 69th year of operation, making it the oldest continuously operating racetrack in the state of Florida. The track operated as clay for 45 years, asphalt for 10 years, and in 2008 converted back to its roots as a clay track again. MAVTV Plus will have live streaming of every Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series race night, all year long. MAVTV Plus is the home of the greatest LIVE and On-Demand programming available today. Join today and gain access to over 175+ Live Races, thousands of On-Demand television programs, and exclusive behind-the-scenes coverage from your favorite events. Sign up or find more information at: mavtvplus.com.  The Ag Protect 1 Speedweeks Bonuses of $100,000 and $20,000 are still in play as the series heads to Ocala. To be eligible, drivers must have perfect attendance at all 14 speedweeks events. Track Information:Bubba Raceway Park – Ocala, FLPhone Number: (352) 622-9400Location: 9050 N.W. Gainesville Road, Ocala, FL 34482Website: www.bubbaracewaypark.comDirections: Directions to Track: I-75 to exit 358, (From south, turn right; from north, turn left) travel east on FL-326 for 0.7 miles, turn left on CR-25A (NW Gainesville Rd), track is 0.9 miles on left. Directions to Track: I-75 to exit 358, (From south, turn right; from north, turn left) travel east on FL-326 for 0.7 miles, turn left on CR-25A (NW Gainesville Rd), track is 0.9 miles on left. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Tire Rule:Left Rear/Fronts – Hoosier Rib (28.5) 1300Right Rear – Hoosier (29.0) 1300 NRM, (29.0) 1300 NRMW, (92) LM40*Must use the same set of 4 tires for Time Trials, Heat Races, and B-Mains (and Strawberry Dash at East Bay).*For the A-Main, competitors may use 2 new rear tires.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position. K&N Filters Winter Nationals – Presented by OPTIMA Batteries Purses:Monday 1/31 & Tuesday 2/1 – 1. $10,000, 2. $5,500, 3. $3,500, 4. $2,700, 5. $2,500, 6. $2,300, 7. $2,200, 8. $2,100, 9. $2,050, 10. $2,000, 11. $1,600, 12. $1,400, 13. $1,200, 14. $1,000, 15. $950, 16. $925, 17. $900, 18. $875, 19. $850, 20. $825, 21. $800, 22. $800, 23. $800, 24. $800 = $48,575

CADILLAC RACING 12-HOUR RACE REPORT IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA JAN. 30, 2022

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 30, 2022) – Kevin Magnussen set the Rolex 24 At Daytona race lap record of 1 minute, 34.000 seconds in the No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R and Cadillac Racing entries were running 1-2 at the halfway point of the 60th anniversary event at Daytona International Speedway. Magnussen reset the lap record of Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Renger van der Zande, who recorded a lap of 1:34.042 about 90 minutes earlier in the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R. Magnussen and van der Zande were co-drivers of the No. 1 Cadillac Racing entry in the 2021 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. The No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R led the field in the race under unseasonably cold track and ambient temperatures in the3 early morning hours. The No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R ran second, while the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R was fourth. Kevin Magnussen, No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R“Good start. I think it sounds pretty cool to have the track record here at Daytona. Let’s see if it’s going to stay for the rest of the race. Good to get some laps and get into a rhythm. The car was great and I felt we were in a good spot and the car was consistent. We got the fuel saving done that we needed. It’s busy, especially at the restarts. You really need to be careful. Just try to stay out of trouble.”Scott Dixon, No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R“It’s been an interesting race, quite few cautions already, which we kind of expected. Car has been good, balance has been good. Hopefully, we can keep it clean and stay up front. Our pace is good; I think the field is fairly close. We’ll have to see how it plays out. I know we’re running at hard as we can. It’s always a competitive class. The depth of the field, even though there are only seven cars, it kind of reminds me of the Ford GT program. There weren’t a whole lot of us, but it seems we were always on the lead lap at the end. The cautions are definitely helping keeping the pack up.” Alex Palou, No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R(3 hours, 57 minutes in car) “I think we were a bit unfortunate with some of the yellows. We have a good car, my teammates are fast so it’s going to be a great day. I was struggling with the tires (double stint), but we made it so it was good. It worked out. It’s amazing to be here. I’m loving it, learning a lot and having a lot of fun.” Tristan Vautier, No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R“The trick is to stay in the fight and stay in one piece. There is a lot going on with all this traffic and you cannot be asleep. We can’t afford to have any damage on the car, so we we have to find the right balance between pushing and remembering it’s still early in the race. So far it’s OK.” Pipo Derani, No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R“(Quadruple stint) It’s very, very cold so difficult to get out of the pit on new tires. But it’s very cool to be driving at night and the lap times have been quite fast so fantastic job by the team so far and I think we have just been hitting our marks so that we can get to the end of a very long race. (About a brake change) “Well, we wanted to make a change closer to the middle of the race, so we saw an opportunity and I am glad that we got it. It was a long yellow and we wanted to make sure that our car was sharp toward the end of the race. I am pretty sure the others are going to do the same at some point, but we got ours done and we are in the mix. So, so far so good.” Tristan Nunez, No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R“I was a little nervous, at first, when they were talking about doing quadruple stints because it’s so hard on the body in other cars I’ve driven. I’ll tell you the Whelen Cadillac is a joy to drive. It’s really comfortable in the cockpit. It’s very cold out right now so driver cooling is not an issue. It felt really good, really strong and really consistent throughout the whole run. I think we’ve got a good race car. The other cars are quick. The competition is tough right now. But, we’ve got to keep our nose clean and be there at the end.” Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R“Whether it’s mechanical issues, speed or whatever it might be, there are so many variables that are thrown at each team. The nine times that I’ve been here, it’s been different each one. I’m thankful that it’s not raining. That would be tough on me. I haven’t been on the wets since the last time I raced here on the wets in the 2007-2008 timeframe. The ups and downs of the race, you never know what’s going to happen. It’s just a wild race. I remember being a young kid in San Diego and the IMSA series would come to Del Mar racetrack. I remember watching Bobby Rahall win that race. That was my first time to see a Prototype car up close. That was the moment that was ‘I’m going to drive these cars someday.’ That got me interested in it. I just think endurance racing fits my natural style.” Jose Maria Lopez, No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R“I’m happy with my (triple) stint. In my first, second stint this afternoon, we suffered a lot of damage, so we had to make some changes. Luckily, the car recovered and that’s good news. I feel comfortable (in the car). In terms of my pace, I was always in touch (with the leaders). I’m happy with my run. I cleaned up mistakes. I’m getting better here at Daytona, which is good. We had a contact this afternoon, so that took us a few stints to get it back. Finally, we managed to change the front end and the back end and the car is good. There’s still a long way to go. This feels like a flat-out race all the time, fighting with other cars.”  Mike Rockenfeller, No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R“When I got in the car, I was P7 and we made up some ground. It’s a long race. We are struggling with the car a little bit. We’re not sure yet, after the Ganassi car drove into José in Turn One, but we might have some damage in the rear. But, we don’t know. The car is not handling the best. We tried to hang on. We tried to look at it. It’s a long race. I think tomorrow is the time to push.” Cadillac running order at 12 hours:1. No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R, Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook, Loic Duval, Ben Keating2. No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R, Jimmie Johnson, Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Rockenfeller, Jose Maria Lopez4. No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R, Renger Van Der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais, Scott Dixon, Alex Palou6. No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R, Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Kevin Magnussen, Marcus Ericsson7. No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R, Pipo Derani, Tristan Nunez, Mike Conway The race is being telecast on NBC and its associated channels USA and Peacock, and available on XM 202, SiriusXM Online 972, and IMSA.com.

Cadillac Racing high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA CORVETTE RACING HALFWAY REPORT DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 30, 2022) – Disaster struck Corvette Racing in the seventh and eighth hours of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Saturday. Despite lengthy visits to the garage, both Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.Rs were still circulating around Daytona International Speedway at the halfway point of the opening round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. The No. 3 Corvette ran ninth in the GT Daytona (GTD) PRO class in the program’s debut in the category. Jordan Taylor was at the wheel but 13 laps down to the class leader after the car lost time with an electrical issue that required a change of the alternator near eight-and-a-half-hour mark. Antonio Garcia was in the Corvette when the team noticed a voltage issue on the No. 3 C8.R. Things weren’t any better for the12th-place No. 4 Corvette, which lost nearly 2.5 hours replacing the diffuser, exhaust pipes and starter. Marco Sorensen was hit from behind while trying to avoid a spinning prototype following the race’s fifth full-course caution. Sorensen had followed double-stints by Nick Tandy and Tommy Milner. He had to brake hard to keep from hitting the wayward LMP3 car, which also just missed collecting Nicky Catsburg in the No. 3 Corvette. Sorensen was nailed from behind, which resulted in the damaged components and sent the No. 4 C8.R back to the garage.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It was unfortunate. We were up there, probably not in the best place overall but we were staying out of trouble. That wasn’t the easiest thing to do with the conditions and all the mixing of the categories. We were P4 when the team realized we had an alternator issue. Everything was going smooth and all we needed to do was make it through the night. We’re back out there but down some number of laps. We’ll carry on and be as close to the lead lap if the yellows permit that. We knew it would be a crazy race.”

MARCO SORENSEN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “We got hit from behind and that caused some big damage. There wasn’t really anywhere for me to go. There was a spinning LMP3 car ahead of us and I had to brake hard because there wasn’t anywhere I could go. Then I got the contact from behind. I don’t know who it was. The car was fine after that. I could still keep doing good laps and we were still in the game. Everything was good. Then just before I came into the pits, the car fully shut off on me. When Nick jumped in, we couldn’t start it and that started a big snowball that kept on rolling with issues. It’s tough. It was a long fix.”

Waynesville, GA (January 29, 2022) – Brandon Overton picked up his second straight Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event on Saturday Night at Golden Isles Speedway as the Georgia-native closed out the 2022 Super Clean Super Bowl of Racing presented by eBay Motors. Overton took the lead on lap 28 from defending NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kyle Larson to record his 13th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory. Tim McCreadie, reigning Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Champion, came home in fourth with Tyler Bruening recording his second top-five finish in a row. Overall fast qualifier, Kyle Larson, took the lead at the start of the 50-lap main event with Moran and Overton behind him. Moran yielded the second spot to Overton on lap 19. At the halfway mark it was still Larson showing the way with Overton hot on his heels and Moran close behind. Overton moved by Larson for the lead on the 28th lap. Moran moved past Larson on lap 33 to retake the second slot that he held earlier in the race. Moran picked up the pace even more as Overton was having to deal with heavy traffic in front of him. McCreadie made his presence known in the battle for the lead as he also got by Larson for third.  Moran quickly gained ground on Overton using the top line of the track. Moran had a run on Overton on lap 43. Just as the opening night winner pulled alongside Overton the caution came out. The caution cleared lapped traffic for Overton, but it hurt Moran and McCreadie’s chances for victory. As the final five laps of the race were winding down Overton pulled away from everybody to pick up the victory over Moran by over 3 seconds. Moran held off Larson, who charged back to third at the finish. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane Overton talked about his pass on Larson that eventually lead to his win. “I caught him (Larson) there and was just being patient. It’s been a fun weekend. I just hated that I didn’t get to run the first night we were here; it is what it is. When you are in lapped traffic, and you do the wrong move they will get you. The caution came out at the right time. I saw him (Moran) up top. I blasted through the middle on the restart, and it didn’t feel good. So, I got right back down on the bottom. I don’t know how much I beat them by, there were two good race car drivers behind me, just proud to be standing up here with them.” Moran, who had a win and two-second place finishes during the Super Bowl of Racing thought he had a shot before the last caution of the race came out. “I didn’t need that caution, but that is just how it rolls. He ultimately had the better race car and could maneuver way better than we could. To get two seconds and a win we will take it. The adjustments we made tonight just weren’t quite the right way so we will go back and think about it and do something different next time.”  Leading two of the three races this weekend at Golden Isles, Larson completed the podium with a third-place run. “I don’t think I had enough to hold him (Overton) off, he was really fast. I got into the lead, and I knew my pace was way slow. I felt like if I moved up in traffic, he was going to go right by me so I tried to hold him off the longest I could. They went by me, but after that caution I felt a lot better and to get another spot and get on the podium we will take it.” The winner’s Wells Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Allstar Concrete, Crossfit Overton, Penske Racing Shocks, R.W. Powell Construction, Convenient Lube, EZ-GO, Big Dog Stump and Tree, Clean Way Clearing, and Grading and VP Fuels. Completing the top ten were Tyler Erb, Earl Pearson Jr., Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Sheppard, and Dennis Erb Jr. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Super Clean Super Bowl of Racing Presented by eBay MotorsSaturday, January 29th, 2022Golden Isles Speedway – Waynesville, GA Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Kyle Larson / 14.856 seconds (overall)Fast Time Group B: Devin Moran / 15.090 seconds Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 6-Kyle Larson[1]; 2. 19R-Ryan Gustin[2]; 3. 40B-Kyle Bronson[3]; 4. 58-Garrett Alberson[5]; 5. 1R-Josh Richards[7]; 6. 79-Ross Bailes[4]; 7. 97-Cody Overton[6]; 8. (DNS) 33-Jeff Mathews Summit Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 39-Tim McCreadie[1]; 2. 10-Garrett Smith[4]; 3. 16-Tyler Bruening[5]; 4. 11-Spencer Hughes[3]; 5. 4A-Michael Arnold[6]; 6. 14JR-Trey Mills[7]; 7. 2D-Dan Stone[2]; 8. (DNS) 26JR-Jimmy Sharpe Jr Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[2]; 2. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 3. 58W-Mark Whitener[3]; 4. 66C-Matt Cosner[4]; 5. 111-Steven Roberts[5]; 6. 2S-Stormy Scott[6]; 7. 2X-John Henderson[7] Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 9-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 25-Shane Clanton[2]; 3. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[3]; 4. 7-Ross Robinson[5]; 5. 8-Kyle Strickler[4]; 6. 48-Colton Flinner[7]; 7. 99B-Boom Briggs[6]; 8. (DNS) 6S-Blake Spencer eBay Motors Heat Race #5 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 89-Ashton Winger[2]; 2. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 3. 3S-Brian Shirley[4]; 4. 44M-Chris Madden[3]; 5. 28E-Dennis Erb Jr[6]; 6. 19M-Jason Hiett[5]; 7. 1ST-Johnny Scott[7]; 8. 76B-Blair Nothdurft[8] Super Clean Heat Race #6 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[2]; 2. 1T-Tyler Erb[4]; 3. 20-Jimmy Owens[6]; 4. 157-Mike Marlar[3]; 5. 18J-Chase Junghans[7]; 6. 18D-Daulton Wilson[5]; 7. 503-Jason Miles[8]; 8. 71-Hudson O’Neal[1] Fast Shafts B-Main #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 11-Spencer Hughes[2]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 3. 1R-Josh Richards[4]; 4. 66C-Matt Cosner[3]; 5. 2S-Stormy Scott[9]; 6. 4A-Michael Arnold[5]; 7. 111-Steven Roberts[6]; 8. 2X-John Henderson[12]; 9. 14JR-Trey Mills[8]; 10. 26JR-Jimmy Sharpe Jr[14]; 11. (DNS) 79-Ross Bailes; 12. (DNS) 97-Cody Overton; 13. (DNS) 2D-Dan Stone; 14. (DNS) 33-Jeff Mathews UNOH B-Main #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 44M-Chris Madden[2]; 2. 28E-Dennis Erb Jr[5]; 3. 7-Ross Robinson[1]; 4. 18J-Chase Junghans[6]; 5. 8-Kyle Strickler[4]; 6. 1ST-Johnny Scott[11]; 7. 18D-Daulton Wilson[9]; 8. 48-Colton Flinner[7]; 9. 6S-Blake Spencer[13]; 10. 19M-Jason Hiett[8]; 11. 76B-Blair Nothdurft[14]; 12. 157-Mike Marlar[3]; 13. 99B-Boom Briggs[10]; 14. 503-Jason Miles[12]; 15. (DNS) 71-Hudson O’Neal Lucas Oil Feature Finish (50 Laps):

Race StatisticsEntrants: 47Lap Leaders: Kyle Larson (Laps 1 – 27); Brandon Overton (Laps 28 – 50)Wrisco Feature Winner: Brandon OvertonArizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: n/aBrandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: n/aMargin of Victory: 3.081 secondsStop-Tech Cautions: Shane Clanton (Lap 43); (Lap ); (Lap )Series Provisionals: Hudson O’Neal, Josh RichardsFast Time Provisional: n/aSeries Emergency Provisionals: Mike Marlar, Stormy Scott, Daulton Wilson, Ross RobinsonTrack Provisionals: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Brandon Overton, Devin Moran, Kyle LarsonPenske Shocks Top 5: Brandon Overton, Devin Moran, Kyle Larson, Tim McCreadie, Tyler BrueningOptima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Ross Robinson (Advanced 14 Positions)Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Devin MoranHot Rod Processing Most Laps Led: Kyle Larson (27 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Tyler ErbO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aDirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Kyle Larson (Lap 3 – 15.659 seconds)DirtonDirt.com Tough Break of the Race: Garrett AlbersonOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Kent Fegter (Brandon Overton)ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Kyle Strickler (15.112 seconds)Time of Race: 17 minutes 02 seconds Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings:

*Results are unofficial until Close of Business on the Tuesday following Race Day*

IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA JAN. 29, 2022

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 29, 2022) – Renger van der Zande set a race lap record of 1 minute, 34.042 seconds in the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R and Cadillac Racing entries were running 1-4 after six hours of the 60th Rolex 24 At Daytona. The No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R paced the 61-car starting field, with the No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac Dpi-V.R running second and No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R in third. The No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R was in fourth. The previous race lap record was 1:34.504, set by Felipe Nasr in a Cadillac DPi-V.R in 2019. Renger van der Zande, No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R“It’s nice to have the fastest lap ever on this track with the Rolex. That makes me smile. The car is really smooth. I’m comfortable with the car on the track. I drove from the daylight into the dark; you really have to adapt your braking marks. I’ve been doing this since 2014 and it’s one of the best events for me to go to. I love the track, I love the atmosphere. It’s very good racing out there, but it’s tricky. Try to minimize the risk and it’s still a long way to go.”  Sebastien Bourdais, No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R“Long way to go. Exciting first sequence in the car – three and a half stints. The car is looking good balance-wise. It’s pretty fast. You can put it where you want, and in traffic it’s just a big compromise. Racing with all those packs of GTs and LMP3s, it’s making life difficult and the race management is pretty difficult to assess. It’s always hard to put things in perspective; there’s a long way to go. You don’t want to relinquish too many positions, and the aggression level is difficult to gauge. You’re never really in a rhythm, but overall quite satisfied. The team is doing a good job and our car is solid. We have a great lineup and just hoping to keep the car that fast the whole time and be there at money time at the end.”  Earl Bamber, No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R“The race started off a bit more tame than we had in the (100-minute qualifying) sprint race. Everyone was finding their feet, finding their way with the traffic and seeing how long each person can go on fuel. It’s just a big train at the moment and who gets a bit of luck with traffic. A few dicey moments already, and I think it’s going to get more difficult through the night. It’s going to be a tough, long night and who’s there in the morning with a clean car still will be OK. You have to be so alert with 60 cars. I think we all know the race is not won today, so it’s just a matter of cruising around and staying out of trouble. Chip (Ganassi) gave us instructions not to damage anything and be nice and clean for tomorrow. The category is awesome and you don’t want to get out of the car, you want to do stint after stint.” Alex Lynn, No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R“I think we have a really good car, so from our side it’s just about keeping it clean and in one piece for tomorrow morning. I think we have a lot of speed in both the 02 and 01. (About first stint in a Cadillac DPi) It’s not too bad to be honest. I think at this period of the race isn’t the time to be pushing the limit on the out lap. That will come later when you try to extract everything. The back end generates a lot of tire warmth and tire energy, so once you hit Turn 6 and go onto the banking the tires are pretty much there. (About first stint with Chip Ganassi Racing) I enjoyed it immensely. It’s nice when you feel like you’re driving a fast car. That makes everything a lot calmer and you just focus on doing your job. We’re just cycling through the drivers now so everyone gets a bit of time in the daylight. We’ll crack on this evening and see in the morning where we are. (About hoping to meet Dale Earnhardt Jr.) He’s a legend so I’m a fan. I grew a racing fan. I haven’t experienced much American racing as a whole, so I’m just soaking it all in this year and enjoying it immensely.”  Marcus Ericsson, No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R“I thought the first stint was pretty good; the Cadillac is fast. I think we had good balance. It did get a bit tricky when the sun set and the temperature went down and you lose some tire. For me, it was a lot of fun. I’ve never done any endurance racing. I definitely had some fun moments out there, some close moments as well. It felt like I got more and more into it the more I was in the car. Looking forward to the next time I’m in the car.” Pipo Derani, No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R“We started (seventh) because of a strategy call in the qualifying race at the Roar, so we were trying cautiously to move our way up. We were able to do that. The car wasn’t ready the first stint due to tire temperature, but we were able to fix that for second, third and fourth stint that I was in the car and the car just came alive. I was able to put in some good laps and move some spots and give the car up to Tristan (Nunez) in third position. At the same time that we’re being cautious, we also don’t want to lose the position because that messes up the strategy. It’s so hard to gain positions, but sometimes so easy to lose them if you get the traffic on the wrong place. We always have the mentality that there’s still a lot of race to go and we want to get to the end (without incident) and be in position to win.” Ben Keating, No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R“That might be the most fun I’ve ever had in a race car. It just did two hours behind the wheel. I didn’t want to take any risks, so my first four or five laps I was off the pace a bit just getting used to everything. I double stinted the tires the second stint, but then after the yellow flag I got a brand new set of tires and being up there with all the Cadillac DPis, with all that Cadillac power behind me, that was a complete clast. I was able to keep up with all of those guys. I’m proud of my lap times. I did a 1-minute, 35-second lap at the end, which is by far and away the fastest lap I’ve ever done here at Daytona. It was just a ton of fun and I can’t wait to get back in the Cadillac.” Kamui Kobayashi, No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R“It’s pretty difficult (with traffic) than the last two or three years. We just have to survive at this stage and I think tomorrow will be a little less trouble for everyone. We’ll try to survive overnight and see how it goes.” Cadillac running order at 6 hours:1. No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R, Renger van der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais, Scott Dixon, Alex Palou2. No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R, Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Kevin Magnussen, Marcus Ericsson3. No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R, Pipo Derani, Tristan Nunez, Mike Conway4. No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R, Jimmie Johnson, Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Rockenfeller, Jose Maria Lopez6. No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R, Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook, Loic Duval, Ben Keating The race is being telecast on NBC and its associated channels and available on XM 202, SiriusXM Online 972, and IMSA.com.