Second GT3 Academy session focused on set-up and electronics
Mixed track conditions provided experience with Acura NSX GT3 Evo vehicle systems, including traction control
NSX GT3 Champions Mario Farnbacher and Kyle Marcelli served as coaches
Lexington, OH (July 29, 2020) – The second of four planned 2020 HPD GT3 Driver Academy events took place last week at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, with drivers Taylor Hagler, Jacob Abel, Dakota Dickerson and Karl Wittmer taking part in the two-day training session, utilizing the Acura NSX GT3 Evo. This second Academy event focused on understanding vehicle electronics, and interaction with team engineering personnel.
The Mid-Ohio location, near the Acura Performance Manufacturing Center that produces the NSX production car along with the frame and engine for the NSX GT3 Evo race car, offered a unique opportunity for the drivers to visit the PMC factory prior to commencing events on track. The NSX, designed with competition in mind, has proven to be a capable foundation for the championship winning NSX GT3 Evo, and its Ohio-built space frame chassis is nearly unmodified for the racing. Academy drivers could view the chassis being built and met the Acura associates that build (and repair) the racing cars.
“This past week was filled with activities and experiences that you rarely get as a race car driver,” noted JAbel. “Wednesday evening, we had the chance to pick the brains of some very experienced engineers in Ryan McCarthy and Jim Pattin. This was a very informative meeting as drivers typically do not have the opportunity to do this during the hustle and bustle of a race weekend or test.”
Once at the race track, the Academy drivers set sights on gaining knowledge and track time. The mixed wet and dry conditions over the two days offered ample opportunity to experience the NSX GT3 Evo’s traction control systems and wet weather handling. The four drivers all improved their times throughout the event.
Hagler noted that “the weather conditions at Mid-Ohio were fairly rainy, and it allowed me to see how well the Acura NSX GT3 Evo performed in those conditions. I also learned a lot about the relationship between engineer and driver; and the best way to effectively communicate about the car. Mario [Farnbacher] and Kyle [Marcelli] were very helpful and gave us great guidance throughout the two days.”
The Academy instructors for this event included two current NSX GT3 Evo drivers and series’ champions: Farnbacher, winner of the IMSA GTD title in 2019; and reigning SRO GT champion Marcelli. As with the first event at Road Atlanta, one instructor set baseline laps in the race car and assisted with video reviews, while the other provided insight into data analysis and the information it reveals.
In addition, Meyer Shank Racing Team Engineer Ryan McCarthy was on-hand to explain how proper communication and feedback assist the team in vehicle set up and race strategy.
“It felt great to get back into the Acura NSX GT3 Evo for the second event of the HPD Academy. We got a mix of wet, damp, and dry conditions around a challenging circuit; which was great to experience in such a short time frame, said Dickerson. “The off-track side of the program has also been invaluable. Working with the Racers Edge Motorsports and Acura Motorsports engineers has certainly added to my knowledge of the technical side of racing. I’m really excited to get to the next event to continue our progress!”
The two days went by quickly, focusing on a series of vehicle setup adjustments that allowed the drivers to feel what these changes do with the car, and understand how it can benefit in various track conditions and driving styles.
“Mid-Ohio was interesting in terms of the weather, and positive in terms of the progression made as both a team, and a driver. Rain was present throughout most of the testing, which forced us to react quickly while driving, and to really utilize the technology the Acura NSX GT3 EVO has to offer,” said Wittmer. “It’s incredible how advanced this car is at providing direct feedback to the driver, allowing us to adapt fast to the changing conditions. I learned a lot about the car, on and off track, especially in the Engineering and Communications Departments. It was a very positive test week, and I’m definitely looking forward to our next event!”
The successful GT3 Academy on-track sessions were conducted by the Racers Edge Motorsports team, who, with drivers Martin Barkey and Marcelli, captured the 2019 SRO World Challenge GT Pro/Am Drivers’ Championship in the Acura NSX GT3 Evo.
For more on the HPD GT3 Academy, go to: https://hpd.honda.com/Articles/Acura-Motorsports/HPD-Racing-Academy
About Acura Motorsports
Acura Motorsports programs have been integral to the Acura brand since its launch in 1986. The rich legacy of Acura sports car racing includes the 1991, 1992, and 1993 IMSA Camel Lights manufacturer/driver championships, and the 2009 American LeMans manufacturer, driver, and team championships in both the LMP1 and LMP2 classes. Acura currently campaigns the ARX-05 DPi with Team Penske in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and won the team, manufacturer, and driver championships in 2019. The NSX GT3 Evo, available through HPD for North American customers, won multiple championships in 2019 in both the IMSA and SRO World Challenge series.
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team Looking For Better Luck At Loudon
July 30, 2020
Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are headed to New Hampshire Motor Speedway hoping to put some recent bad luck behind them in Sunday’s Foxwoods Resort Casino 301.
DiBenedetto and the No. 21 team ran in the top 10 – and often in the top five – throughout the month of July but the overall results of those four races don’t reflect that.
They did get a third-place finish at Kentucky Speedway but a wreck on the last lap at Indianapolis, contact with a driver trying to make a sudden move to pit road at Texas and being swept up in a multi-car crash at Kansas left DiBenedetto and the team thinking about what might have been had their luck been better.
DiBenedetto remains in contention to be one of the 16 drivers who start the Playoffs, which begin after seven more regular season races. That quest begins anew on Sunday at New Hampshire, where DiBenedetto finished fifth last year driving for his previous team.
Eddie Wood said he’s optimistic about the prospects for his family’s race team.
“We’ve had some unfortunate things happen the last couple of weeks,” he said. “We hope to turn that around beginning this weekend at Loudon.”
Wood said DiBenedetto and the team are in a good place when it comes to performance.
“They have speed, which is the most important thing,” he said. “Matt’s been doing a great job behind the wheel, especially on restarts where he really stands out.
“Greg [Erwin] has been making good calls from the pit box, and the crew has been solid on pit road.
“We just need to get to the end of these races, and we’ll wind up where we need to be in points.”
DiBenedetto is 13th in the points standings and 15th in the Playoff standings heading into Sunday’s Foxwoods Resort Casino 301, which is set to get the green flag just after 3 p.m. Eastern Time with TV coverage on NBCSN.
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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, visitwww.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 vehicle maintenance including tire repair and replacement with a Low Tire Price Guarantee and a full menu of automotive services including oil and filter, brakes, alignments, batteries, and shocks and struts on all vehicle makes and models. Service is performed by certified technicians at more than 1,000 locations worldwide while you wait, and no appointment is necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 200,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.
Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formedin 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Matt DiBenedetto in the famous No. 21 racer.
Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Officially Kicks Off 2020 Season with Action Packed Weekend from Glen Helen
| Reigning Pro 2 Champion Jerett Brooks Begins Title Defense with Weekend Sweep |
| SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (July 29, 2020) – It was long overdue, but the 2020 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Presented by GEICO is officially underway, and it was worth the wait. The opening weekend of the season kicked things off in the off road hotbed of Southern California, with a doubleheader from Glen Helen Raceway. The OPTIMA Batteries SoCal Shootout Presented by K&N Filters was limited to participants only, and while the presence of fans was certainly missed, the action on the track was as competitive as ever. As an added challenge for the weekend, the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series made slight changes to the course layout from Saturday to Sunday, which made the racing even more exciting. All eight classes, from the Pro divisions to the UTVs and Juniors, saw exceptional battles all weekend long. After the dust settled on Sunday afternoon it was reigning Pro 2 Champion Jerett Brooks who left the opening weekend brimming with confidence on the heels of the best outing he could ask for to begin his title defense. |
 The premier Pro 2 class highlighted the opening round of the 2020Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series from Glen Helen Raceway. Photo: Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series |
| Pro 2Saturday All eyes were on the Pro 2 field when the trucks rolled onto the track for the first time in 2020, where reigning champion Jerett Brooks would begin his title defense. Brooks rolled off the line in fourth and would need to do some work to get around polesitter Ricky Gutierrez, former champion Brian Deegan, and perennial contender RJ Anderson. When the field roared to life at the drop of the green Gutierrez was able to maintain his position at the front of the field, leaving his rivals to duke it out for track position. Gutierrez had a comfortable gap in the early laps but a slight bobble allowed Deegan and Brooks to close in, from which Brooks snuck under Deegan to take over second. The champ’s persistence carried him to the rear fender of Gutierrez, where he fought his way into the lead a few laps before the halfway point. When they returned to action for the second half of the race, Brooks put the hammer down and quickly established a cushion over the field. He never looked back and carried on to take an emphatic opening round victory by nearly six seconds over Gutierrez, who captured his first podium result. Deegan completed the podium in third. Results 1. #77 Jerett Brooks 2. #78 Ricky Gutierrez 3. #38 Brian Deegan 4. #51 Ryan Beat 5. #81 Doug Mittag |
 Reigning Pro 2 champion Jerett Brooks (front) opened the season with an impressive win on Saturday.Photo: Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series |
| Sunday After a thrilling race on Saturday, the final race of the weekend on Sunday afternoon was destined to carry the same level of excitement as Brooks chased the weekend sweep. The champ’s ability to do so would be somewhat influenced by his starting spot, where he lined up alongside polesitter Ryan Beat on the front row. When the field charged down the front stretch at the wave of the green it was Beat who emerged with the lead, with Brooks in second. Beat, a Pro 2 rookie and two-time Pro Lite Champion, looked like the veteran that he is leading his first laps in the premier class, where he paced the field through to the halfway point. When racing resumed for the second half Beat came under fire from his fellow Pro Lite titleholder immediately. Brooks attempted to slide under Beat for the lead, but the rookie didn’t flinch. On the following lap Beat pushed wide in the final corner and dug into the cushion, which pushed his right rear tire off the rim. That gave Brooks the opening he needed to seize control of the lead, while Doug Mittag moved up to second. For the second straight day Brooks nailed the setup on his truck and ran away from the field in the closing laps to solidify the weekend sweep by more than four seconds over Mittag, while Beat managed to recover with his first podium result. The near perfect weekend for Brooks allowed him to already establish a double-digit lead in the Pro 2 standings, where he holds a 13-point lead over Beat after two rounds. Results 1. #77 Jerett Brooks 2. #81 Doug Mittag 3. #51 Ryan Beat 4. #38 Brian Deegan 5. #67 Erik Jacobus Points (Round 2 of 10) 1. #77 Jerett Brooks – 110 2. #51 Ryan Beat – 97 3. #38 Brian Deegan – 95 4. #81 Doug Mittag – 93 5. #78 Ricky Gutierrez – 88 |
 Brooks capped off a dominant start to his title defense bysweeping the weekend doubleheader on Sunday. Photo: Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series |
| Pro Lite Saturday With a vacant title up for grabs, the Pro Lite class is expected to be one of the most competitive divisions in Lucas Oil Off Road, and it lived up to that billing in Glen Helen. On Saturday, a fierce battle at the front of the field saw rookie Mason Prater go door to door with title hopefuls Christopher Polvoorde and Ronnie Anderson. Prater started from the pole and controlled the early laps, but soon both Polvoorde and Anderson applied heavy pressure for the top spot, with Polvoorde pushing his way to the front of the field just before the halfway point. When the second half of the race got underway, Polvoorde was able to put a firm grasp on his hold of the lead, while Prater suffered his first miscue while running second, causing both he and Brock Heger to drop to the tail end of the field. With the field slowed up, Polvoorde proceeded to check out behind the wheel of his new Ford backed truck, cruising to an easy opening round victory more than two seconds ahead of Anderson, while Madix Bailey rounded out the podium in his first start driving a Lucas Oil backed Pro Lite. Results 1. #94 Christopher Polvoorde 2. #52 Ronnie Anderson 3. #29 Madix Bailey 4. #59 Jimmy Weitzel 5. #35 Cole Mamer |
 Christopher Polvoorde (front) made the first statement of the Pro Lite season with a victory on Saturday.Photo: Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series |
| Sunday With the Saturday victory under his belt, Christopher Polvoorde found himself in a position to sweep the weekend by starting from pole position on Sunday. However, as he attempted to assert himself as the leader on the opening lap Polvoorde over rotated in the second turn and lost valuable track position, which handed the lead over to Cole Mamer. Polvoorde would drop out of the race soon after. With a clear track Mamer was able to build a comfortable lead over the field, which he carried through to the halfway point. When racing resumed, Mamer looked to reestablish his advantage but a hard-charging Brock Heger applied pressure on the top spot. The lead duo stepped up the pace to pull away from the field and as the laps wore down Mamer gradually distanced himself further and further from Heger, eventually taking his first win of the season by three seconds. Madix Bailey capped off a stellar debut weekend in Pro Lite with back-to-back podium results. The win puts Mamer atop the championship standings after two rounds, where he holds an eight-point lead over Bailey. Results 1. #35 Cole Mamer 2. #12 Brock Heger 3. #29 Madix Bailey 4. #59 Jimmy Weitzel 5. #65 Dave Mason Jr. Points (Round 2 of 10) 1. #35 Cole Mamer – 103 2. #29 Madix Bailey – 95 3. #12 Brock Heger – 93 4. #94 Christopher Polvoorde – 89 5. #59 Jimmy Weitzel – 88 |
 Cole Mamer (35) held off all challengers to take his first win of the season on Sunday.Photo: Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series |
| Pro Buggy Saturday After a wild end to the 2019 season, reigning Pro Buggy champion Eliott Watson came into Glen Helen with a target on his back as a lot of challengers were prepared to make a statement during the opening weekend. The first race of the year saw Matthew Brister start on pole alongside Darren Hardesty Jr., with Watson lining up fourth. When the race got underway, Brister was able to take advantage of his track position to grab hold of the early lead. As the field jockeyed for position behind him, Watson was forced to take evasive action and went off course, leaving the No. 1 to fight his way from the back. Out front, Brister continued to build on his lead through the halfway point of the race. When the second half of the race got underway, Brister continued to control the pace out front and went unchallenged through to the checkered flag. He took his first career Pro Buggy win just under a second ahead of Hardesty, who prevailed in an intense battle for the runner-up spot. Watson recovered well from his early excursion to follow in third. Results 1. #5 Matthew Brister 2. #99 Darren Hardesty Jr. 3. #1 Eliott Watson 4. #15 Trey D. Gibbs 5. #7 Dale Ebberts |
 Matthew Brister (front) broke through for his first career Pro Buggy win on Saturday.Photo: Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series |
| Sunday Matthew Brister’s hope for a weekend sweep faced a stiff challenge from the get go on Sunday, when he lined up third on the grid behind polesitter Trey D. Gibbs and Darren Hardesty Jr. When the green flag waved, Gibbs quickly jumped out to a multi car length lead over Hardesty while Brister slotted into fourth. After making the pass on the No. 1 of Eliott Watson for third, Brister lost traction in the final corner and spun. Out front, Gibbs built a huge lead over the field, while Watson settled into a firm hold of second. Brister, meanwhile, was on a mission back to the front and worked his way up to fourth at the halfway point. When the field roared back to life for the second half of the race, Gibbs was forced to fend off pressure from Watson, while Brister faced even more adversity battling for third as contact with Dale Ebberts sent him off track. The battle for the lead in the closing laps was exceptional, as Gibbs and Watson were never separated by more than a car length. Despite the constant pressure, Gibbs never wavered and held on for his first career win. Brister’s strong start to the season has him atop the Pro Buggy standings over Watson after two rounds. Results 1. #15 Trey D. Gibbs 2. #1 Eliott Watson 3. #7 Dale Ebberts 4. #5 Matthew Brister 5. #74 Brady Whitlock |
 Trey D. Gibbs (front) made it back-to-back first-time winners in Pro Buggy with his win on Sunday.Photo: Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series |
| Turbo UTV & Production 1000 UTV Saturday With back-to-back Turbo UTV titles under her belt, Corry Weller has been the standard bearer for the division and she found herself in a familiar spot to start the opening race of the season from pole position. As the green flagged dropped she put the pedal to the floor and opened up a comfortable lead over Ronnie Anderson in second, which Weller easily maintained through the halfway point. When the racing resumed, Anderson did well to keep his Polaris RZR on the rear fender of Weller’s Can-Am, which allowed the lead duo to pull away. While Anderson kept Weller honest, the champ was dialed in and she stormed to a Round 1 victory over 10 seconds ahead of Anderson. Chance Haugen finished in third. In Production 1000 UTV, defending champion Robert Stout was unable to compete in Glen Helen, which meant one of his many challengers would have the chance to make the first statement of the 2020 season. In Stout’s absence, Robby Hornsby put himself on pole alongside Myles Cheek. When racing got underway, Cheek jumped into the top spot to open a gap on the field in the early laps. He continued to build on that lead as the battle for second ensued behind him, and was in firm control as the race reached the halfway point. A series of cautions slowed the pace of the race over its second half, but Cheek successfully withstood heavy pressure from former champion Brock Heger on each restart, eventually holding on for a wire-to-wire victory over Heger in second and Hornsby in third. Turbo UTV Results 1. #1 Corry Weller 2. #752 Ronnie Anderson 3. #718 Chance Haugen 4. #703 Trevor Leighton 5. #742 Keith Brooks Production 1000 UTV Results 1. #957 Myles Cheek 2. #912 Brock Heger 3. #916 Robby Hornsby 4. #927 Cody Hodgson 5. #923 James Price |
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| (Left to right) Corry Weller opened up her Turbo UTV title defense with a Saturday win, while Myles Cheek earned his first career Production 1000 UTV victory. Photo: Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series |
| Sunday The key to Corry Weller’s success in Turbo UTV has been her ability to start the season off strong. With a dominant win on Saturday she was once again in a position to capture a wave of momentum that she could carry throughout the season. After starting from pole position for Sunday’s race, Weller assumed her familiar spot out front with Ronnie Anderson in tow and cruised through the first half of the race. When they got back racing Anderson made sure to take advantage of the opportunity and made an impressive pass to take the lead. The Polaris RZR driver was able to pace the field for a couple laps, but Weller responded with a savvy pass of her own and checked out to secure a clean sweep of the weekend. She holds a six-point lead over Anderson in the Turbo UTV standings after two rounds. In Production 1000 UTV, Myles Cheek was going to have his work cut out for him in his attempt to take the win on both Saturday and Sunday. Cheek started Sunday’s race in sixth, behind a slew of tough challengers, led by Robby Hornsby on pole. From the moment the green flag waved the jockeying for track position ensued, with both Brock Heger and Cheek making moves forward to join the lead pack. Out front, Hornsby paced the field for a few laps before Heger powered his Yamaha into the front and led the field to the halfway point. When the racing resumed, Heger maintained his strong performance and brought home his first win of 2020 over Cheek. With his consistent weekend Cheek sits as the early Production 1000 UTV point leader, where he holds a slim three-point margin over Heger. Turbo UTV Results 1. #1 Corry Weller 2. #752 Ronnie Anderson 3. #764 Robert VanBeekum 4. #703 Trevor Leighton 5. #715 Jessica Gibbs Turbo UTV Points (Round 2 of 10) 1. #1 Corry Weller – 111 2. #752 Ronnie Anderson – 105 3. #718 Chance Haugen – 89 4. #764 Robert VanBeekum – 89 5. #703 Trevor Leighton – 88 Production 1000 UTV Results 1. #957 Myles Cheek 2. #912 Brock Heger 3. #916 Robby Hornsby 4. #974 Dallas Nord 5. #923 James Price Production 1000 UTV Points (Round 2 of 10) 1. #957 Myles Cheek – 104 2. #912 Brock Heger – 101 3. #916 Robby Hornsby – 96 4. #923 James Price – 84 5. #974 Bronsen Chiaramonte – 80 |
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| (Left to right) Corry Weller earned the weekend sweep in Turbo UTV while Brock Heger captured the Sunday win in Production 1000 UTV. Photo: Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series |
| Mod Kart, JR2 Kart & RZR 170 Saturday As the stepping stone into full size vehicles, all eyes are usually on Mod Kart to find the sport’s future stars. Based on the performance put forth by Connor Barry at the opening round, there could be another bright career in the making. Barry had the perfect setup on his kart for the first race of the season and simply dominated Saturday’s race, leading every lap en route to his first win. JR2 Kart has also emerged as a proving ground for up-and-coming young drivers, and that was on full display during Saturday’s race. After starting from the pole, Dane Culver looked to be the driver to beat as he successfully maintained a hold on the top spot despite constant pressure from both Brodie Martin and Rhyan Denney. However, on the final lap Culver pushed wide in a corner and it gave his rivals the opening to pounce. Martin moved into the front late and led the only lap that matters to take the first checkered flag of the season. After an exciting debut season one year ago, the RZR 170 class is already known for its incredibly tight and intense competition. Reigning champion George Llamosas came into Glen Helen in search of more success, but he got a stiff challenge from TJ Siewers in the opening round, where these two budding rivals duked it out over the entirety of the race. Llamosas found a way to rebound from some adversity in the closing laps to make a late pass on Siewers and capture the win. Mod Kart Results 1. #528 Connor Barry 2. #590 Trey Eggleston 3. #573 Braden Chiaramonte 4. #514 Brody Eggleston 5. #577 Ethan Ebert JR2 Kart Results 1. #413 Brodie Martin 2. #460 Rhyan Denney 3. #401 Dane Culver 4. #411 Talan Martin 5. #415 Chaden Zane Minder RZR 170 Results 1. #188 George Llamosas 2. #101 TJ Siewers 3. #102 Ian Torfi 4. #164 Ryder VanBeekum 5. #161 Daxton Ruane |
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| (Clockwise from left) Mod Kart’s Connor Barry, JR2 Kart’s Brodie Martin, and RZR 170’s George Llamosas emerged victorious after a highly competitive Saturday in the junior divisions. Photo: Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series |
| Sunday Following his impressive drive on Saturday, Connor Barry had everyone’s attention going into Sunday’s Mod Kart action. Barry started on the front row, but found himself in a heated battle for position as Braden Chiaramonte stormed to the early lead. Barry looked to mount a charge to the front until a flip took him out of contention. That allowed Chiaramonte to continue his dominance out front, where he raced to victory over the Eggleston brothers. The win put Chiaramonte atop the Mod Kart standings, where he holds a seven point lead over Trey Eggleston. With an opening round win under his belt from Saturday, Brodie Martin entered Sunday’s JR2 Kart action with an eye on the sweep. He started the race in third and was able to jump into the lead early, but his time out front was short lived as Logan Leggitt moved out front and controlled the middle of the race. As the laps wound down, Rhyan Denney successfully battled her way into the lead, where she held on to take a big win. The victory moved Denney to the top of the JR2 Kart standings, where she sits 13 points ahead of Dane Culver. After letting a win slip away on Saturday, TJ Siewers entered Sunday’s RZR 170 race looking to rebound, and he did just that. After starting up front, Siewers had a perfect set up for Round 2, which allowed him to dominate the entirety of the race. The youngster led every lap and even held off some late pressure from Ian Torfi and Ryder VanBeekum to take his first win of the season, while George Llamosas quietly finished just off the podium in fourth. Siewers sits atop the RZR 170 point standings after two rounds, where he holds a nine point lead over Torfi. Mod Kart Results 1. #573 Braden Chiaramonte 2. #514 Brody Eggleston 3. #590 Trey Eggleston 4. #577 Ethan Ebert 5. #554 Luke Knupp Mod Kart Points (Round 2 of 10) 1. #573 Braden Chiaramonte – 106 2. #590 Trey Eggleston – 99 3. #528 Connor Barry – 98 4. #514 Brody Eggleston – 93 5. #577 Ethan Ebert – 91 JR2 Kart Results 1. #460 Rhyan Denney 2. #481 Logan Leggitt 3. #415 Chaden Zane Minder 4. #497 Jessie Owens 5. #411 Talan Martin JR2 Kart Points (Round 2 of 10) 1. #460 Rhyan Denney – 108 2. #401 Dane Culver – 95 3. #415 Chaden Zane Minder – 90 4. #481 Logan Leggitt – 89 5. #411 Talan Martin – 86 RZR 170 Results 1. #101 TJ Siewers 2. #102 Ian Torfi 3. #164 Ryder VanBeekum 4. #188 George Llamosas 5. #124 Zoe Easton RZR 170 Points (Round 2 of 10) 1. #101 TJ Siewers – 110 2. #102 Ian Torfi – 101 3. #188 George Llamosas – 98 4. #164 Ryder VanBeekum – 94 5. #161 Daxton Ruane – 87 |
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| (Clockwise from left) Mod Kart’s Braden Chiaramonte, JR2 Kart’s Rhyan Denney, and RZR 170’s TJ Siewers brought home the junior class victories on Sunday. Photo: Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series |
| The 2020 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series will return to action in late August with a historic weekend from Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri. The anticipated return to the track for the first time since 2018 will feature the series’ first ever tripleheader with three afternoon showcases in the heart of the midwest. The first race of the weekend will take place on Friday, August 21, followed by back-to-back races over the weekend on Saturday, August 22, and Sunday, August 23. Tickets for Rounds 3, 4, & 5 are now available, while live streaming coverage of the weekend can be seen on Lucas Oil Racing TV. |
Upcoming LIVE Events only on SpeedVideo: NMRA/NMCA SUPER BOWL
| Get ready for one of the biggest drag races of the year on SpeedVideo, the NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing! This event combines both the NMRA and NMCA into one event PLUS these sanctioning bodies square off at the end of the event to see which can win the Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing. SpeedVideo will bring all of the action to you LIVE from World Wide Technology Raceway this weekend. Existing SpeedVideo subscribers can watch by logging in on SpeedVideo.com. Your account will soon transition to FLORacing. Click here for more info. If you’re not a subscriber, you can subscribe at FLORacing and watch the entire event LIVE this weekend! See below for more details. |
| The NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl is the biggest race of the season with the best from both organizations ready to square off. Combining the best of both series, NMCA and NMRA will compete head to head. This live stream is brought to you by ARP. |
| EVENT INFO: NMRA/NMCA SUPER BOWL |
Starting on July 23, SpeedVideo and FloRacing will join forces. That’s right! All the best in drag racing you’ve come to know from SpeedVideo combined with incredible dirt track and grassroots motorsports from FloRacing — LIVE & ON DEMAND. Current SpeedVideo subscribers will soon have complete access to thrilling motorsports action including programming from Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway and Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car tour as well as a full schedule of United States Auto Club (USAC), Interstate Racing Association (IRA) events and more! Over 800 racing events every year! If you are a current subscriber, you will continue to login and watch all SpeedVideo races for now. More information about your access to FloRacing is coming soon. If you are new to SpeedVideo and are considering a subscription, you can sign up at FloRacing for an annual membership starting today! |
| SUBSCRIBE TO FLORACING / SPEEDVIDEO |
CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: Riding a Hot Streak
• Team arrives with back-to-back victories at Daytona, Sebring• Chevrolet, Garcia, Taylor enter as GT Le Mans Championship leaders• Sebring winners Gavin, Milner team’s most recent Road America victors• Mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette Stingray to serve as Official Pace Car for first time• IMSA Road America round to air live on NBC network |
Dominic Scelzi Posts Podium at Knoxville Raceway as Big All Star Weekend Looms
Inside Line Promotions – KNOXVILLE, Iowa (July 27, 2020) – Dominic Scelzi scored a podium finish at Knoxville Raceway last Saturday night.
Scelzi tackled the 360ci winged sprint car division and made progress throughout the night in preparation for the upcoming 360 Knoxville Nationals.
“We worked out some bugs throughout the night and figured out where we need to be better,” he said. “We qualified strong. In the heat race we had a little stumble on the start. It cost us a spot, but we were able to make it back to fourth.”
Scelzi timed in fifth quickest in his group. A fourth-place run in the heat race lined Scelzi up on the inside of the sixth row for the main event.
“We fixed the stumble for the main event and were able to go from 11 th to third,” he said. “The car felt really good. We had good speed. There’s some small things we have to work on to dial in for the 360 Nationals, but I was really pleased with last Saturday.”
The third-place effort marked Scelzi’s 11th top five of the season.
His focus now shifts to four straight Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 races this weekend. It begins on Thursday at Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, Wis., for the Rayce Rudeen Foundation Race. Next up is a race on Friday at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa, before Knoxville Raceway hosts an event on Saturday. Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D., re-opens on Sunday.
This weekend will be Scelzi’s debut at Plymouth Dirt Track and at Huset’s Speedway. Both events pay at least $20,000 to win.
“I’m super excited,” he said. “The last time we ran with the All Stars we had some good runs. Any time you can run four nights in a row it seems you can get some momentum going. I feel like I can get around Knoxville well and I feel comfortable at 34 Raceway. Hopefully we can make all four nights really successful.”
QUICK RESULTS –
July 25 – Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa – Qualifying: 5; Heat race: 4 (4); Feature: 3 (11).
SEASON STATS –
33 races, 2 wins, 11 top fives, 16 top 10s, 23 top 15s, 27 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Thursday at Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, Wis., for the Rayce Rudeen Foundation Race; Friday at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa; Saturday at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa; and Sunday at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D., with the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1
Giovanni Scelzi Garners Second-Place Showing During Second Start With KCP Racing
Inside Line Promotions – KNOXVILLE, Iowa (July 27, 2020) – Giovanni Scelzi produced a runner-up result during only his second start behind the wheel of the KCP Racing No. 18.
A partnership between the 18-year-old and the top-notch sprint car organization was created early last week, giving Scelzi an opportunity to race in marquee events throughout the Midwest and East Coast while still prioritizing his prospects on pavement.
“It’s an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” he said. “They know how to win races. You have all of the tools and everything possible to win. It’s up to me to make it happen. Me and Tyler (Swank) worked well together the first two races last week. It’s about talking to each other. Communication is the biggest thing in racing. I think we’re going in the right direction.”
Scelzi made his debut with the team last Tuesday during the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series’ Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup hosted by Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa. He qualified seventh quickest in his group, placed fourth in a heat race and ended the night 20 th in the feature after pulling off early.
“I didn’t know what to think going into the night,” he said. “It’s a first night with a new team, new guys, new everything. It was also my first time at that track. We came in in one piece so that’s positive.”
The team headed to Knoxville Raceway on Saturday and speed was evident from hot laps. Scelzi qualified second quickest and he gained two positions in a heat race to finish fourth.
“Knoxville is a place I’m really comfortable at,” he said. “I felt like I had a car that could win the race. We were the high-point driver going into the main and the inversion was six so we started sixth. In hindsight I needed to run the bottom a little better. Toward the end of the race I started figuring it out. I drove by Ian (Madsen) and passed Austin (McCarl) with two laps to go for second.
“It’s huge. I feel comfortable. I really like Tyler and Adam, who work on the car. We have the tools a driver could want so I’m looking forward to the future.”
Scelzi plans on racing this Thursday at Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, Wis., during the Rayce Rudeen Foundation Race; Friday at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa; Saturday at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa; and Sunday at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D., with the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1.
Chevy racing–imsa–road america advance
| IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP ROAD AMERICA IMSA SPORTSCAR WEEKEND PRE-RACE MEDIA AVAILABILITY TRANSCRIPT JULY 27, 2020 |
| Corvette Racing drivers Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor (No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R) met with members of the media during a Zoom conference call Monday to discuss their GT Le Mans championship lead, progress of the mid-engine Corvette C8.R and the outlook for the IMSA SportsCar Weekend event at Road America, among other topics. FULL TRANSCRIPT: ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.RROAD AMERICA WAS THE FIRST TRACK WHERE YOU TESTED THE CORVETTE C8.R. CAN YOU CONTRAST WHAT THE CAR FELT LIKE BACK IN 2018 AND HOW IT IS NOW?“I hope it’s very different, although back then it was already very good. I saw this morning an in-car video of the C8.R around Road America, and that makes you think about how much the car has developed in almost two years. It already was really good back then so obviously now it should be even better. So I’m really looking forward to Friday and the first practice to see what it feels like. I was at the Chevy simulator late last week, and it felt really good. We need to doublecheck and see how it feels come Friday on the racetrack.” WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED SINCE THE BREAK, AND WHY HAS THE TEAM BEEN ON SUCH A HOT STREAK?“At the Rolex 24, we were good but that was hidden by little mistakes and issues we had toward the finish. We had been competitive for the first 20 hours but had a few little things going on with the car because it was very new. The pace was there but we weren’t able to fight for the win at the end. Each month, there is a ton of development and we continue to show that. Even when we weren’t on the track, we continued to develop the C8.R.” DOES RUNNING THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE WITH NASCAR INTEREST YOU?“Definitely it does. I love racing and I love racing in different series, so I’d like to have a go in this one. With no practice or anything until the race, maybe it would be a little bit of risk for the driver or the team. But I think we should open up our minds a little bit to see if it leads to more IMSA guys going to NASCAR. It would be very good for both series.” IN THE U.S., WE KIND OF GO BIG FOR A 40TH BIRTHDAY. WERE YOU ABLE TO DO ANYTHING BIG WHEN YOU WERE IN SPAIN OR IS IT NOT AS BIG A DEAL?“It is for sure. I had a little party because back then in June we were open a little bit in Spain. The amount of people you could gather was very small. We had a little dinner and little party with not even 20 people. It was good fun but as you said, this is a new chapter. I didn’t really have time to really enjoy what happens when you turn 40 but so far, I’m just living my new life here in America over the last five weeks! But I’m looking forward to getting back to Spain next week and seeing my family.” WAS IT FIVE WEEKS SINCE THE LAST TIME YOU WERE ABLE TO BE HOME?“Yes. We flew here on June 18 so it’s already five-and-a-half weeks… if not more. I’ve lost track of that! For sure it’s the longest amount of time I’ve been away from my family and kids. Luckily, we’ve had good results to go with that and show the kids some trophies! But yeah, it’s been tough. My kids are six and four… at least I didn’t miss their birthdays! Luckily my oldest had a birthday right before I left Spain, so at least I managed to be there for that. I’m looking forward to getting back.” TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE IN DYNAMIC WHEN YOU’RE RACING YOUR TEAMMATE FOR A WIN COMPARED TO A BMW OR PORSCHE. HOW MUCH RISK DO YOU TAKE?“For sure you need to be more careful than when you fight another manufacturer. The car was feeling really good and I just kept doing my job. I knew I was closing up to Tommy (Milner) and I’d get to him with almost no laps left in the race. Fighting your own car is probably the worst because your weakness is their weakness, and you don’t have anything on top of the other car, whereas you might when you fight another manufacturer. We might find ourselves in that situation again later on the year, but this is what Corvette Racing wants. I hope we can fight more in those positions and I hope for it to be the other way around and defending from the 4 Corvette. It felt nice to be chasing the leader and it being a teammate.” AT ROAD AMERICA, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR FROM THE SETUP AND IT IS IT IN THE CAR’S WHEELHOUSE FROM WHAT YOU’VE SEEN?“As Jordan said earlier, tire degradation is always a key thing at Road America. This new Corvette should be a little bit better on that compared to the C7.R. Porsche was strong last year and they obviously are going to be strong again. At Sebring, they showed really good pace behind us. With BMW getting a break, it will be difficult to fight them. That will create different speeds at different parts of the track where each car will be strong. We will see where everything lines up, but for sure that should be interesting.” JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.RTALK ABOUT THE MOMENTUM YOU AND ANTONIO HAVE GOING INTO ROAD AMERICA AND LEADING THE GTLM CHAMPIONSHIP.“It’s amazing that we’ve come out so strong after the quarantine period. No one really knew what to expect after being off months; it was longer than a normal offseason without any real testing or racing. Everyone went in with that unexpected feel. It shows a lot for what Corvette Racing is about and the preparation it does behind the scenes. Even though no one could go to the race shop, the engineers were working from home and made huge strides on the C8.R… and doing development on it from home. We went back to Daytona and obviously had a good race there with the win and then went back to Sebring where we were able to do a two-day test there before the quarantine and one simulator test when that period opened back up. For us it was an unknown for us because it was the first non-Daytona track where we were competing against all the other teams. Daytona is so unique in that you can stack up well at that track and have that not be relevant anywhere else. So it was promising that we were able to get the pole. The car was amazing all race weekend, and I think we’ve shown we can be competitive on all different kinds of tracks. I’m really looking for this one at Road America.” ANY UPDATES ON YOUR EFFORTS TO RUN NASCAR ON THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE?“Nope, I’m still in the same spot. I’ve tried for the past six or seven years. I had a close relationship with Childress for six years in running their engines in prototypes and having a lot of success with them. Unfortunately nothing worked out in any of these years but I’m still trying. It would be nice. Like Antonio said, it would be risky now with no practice but anytime an opportunity comes up to do one of the road courses then it would be a lot of fun.” WE’VE SEEN THE BOP COME OUT FOR ROAD AMERICA. ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE BMWs IN PARTICULAR? THEY SEEM TO HAVE GOTTEN QUITE A BREAK IN BOTH POWER AND WEIGHT.“Road America is definitely a power track, so I think that will be pretty major when we go there. We saw at the Rolex that they had a pretty big power advantage where they were able to drive around most competitors. I’m not sure where their loss of performance was at the Daytona and Sebring sprint races compared to the Rolex but going to Road America that change should benefit them. I feel like we had a good car over the long run as well at Sebring. Road America often has a big tire degradation part to it, so for us that could be a big part of the race strategy-wise. I have a lot of faith regardless in everyone at Corvette Racing.” DO YOU THINK PORSCHE WOULD BE YOUR STRONGEST COMPETITOR OR THE BMW? OR IS IT TOO EARLY TO SAY?“It’s too early to say. For us in the Corvette, as Antonio said we tested a couple of years ago at Road America with this car. At Sebring we were able to test, and obviously we had a lot of laps at Daytona. Road America is a new one for us and we are going in open-minded with a bit of an unknown. Friday will be a big test for us.” AFTER THE POLE RUN AT SEBRING, THERE WAS SOME CROSSOVER BETWEEN THE GTLM CARS AND THE TAIL-END OF THE P2 FIELD WITH SOME LESS-EXPERIENCED DRIVERS STARTING THAT RACE. HOW FRUSTRATING WAS THAT, AND HOW CAN YOU MANAGE THAT ANY DIFFERENTLY IF YOU’RE ON POLE AGAIN?“It’s definitely frustrating. We qualified within a second of the back two guys in P2. As soon as I saw that result, I talked to Beaux (Barfield, IMSA Race Director) to see what we could do or even separate the field a little bit… not even have separate starts but get a gap, but he said we couldn’t do that. I knew someone was going to take a risk to try and pass one of those P2s at the start. I was hoping to get one going into Turn One but he was able to carry a bit more speed into the corner but braked very early for Turn Three, which bottled me up and allowed two guys to get by me. It’s definitely frustrating but at the same time they’re out there having fun and supporting the sport and helping it grow. But it would be nice if there was some separation or a way to get around that issue.” WHEN YOU WERE RUNNING WITH YOUR BROTHER FOR YOUR DAD’S TEAM, YOU ALWAYS RAN WELL AT ROAD AMERICA BUT SOMETHING ALWAYS HAPPENED TO KEEP YOU FROM VICTORY. WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU TO GET THAT WIN AT ROAD AMERICA WITH CORVETTE?“I’d definitely like it. The sad part with Wayne Taylor Racing is that one of our mechanics who had worked with my dad since the early 1990s and still does the driver changes had never won at Road America, either. That was always a big one on our list every year – the Rolex 24, Sebring, Petit Le Mans with Road America up there to get him that win. We finished on the podium a few times, and a lot of those were fuel mileage races that never worked out. Looking at the last two races for Corvette, we’ve had pace and strategy on our side. I have a lot of confidence going in there. The BoP will be interesting to see how it plays out, but also having Antonio in the car is something I couldn’t ask much more going into it.” TRADITIONALLY THIS RACE FALLS IN THE STRETCH RUN OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP. IT’S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS TIME AROUND. DOES THAT CHANGE THE DYNAMIC AND APPROACH?“For me, it’s been a bit different for me in GTLM already. With how close the points are, you can’t afford to take a big risk. There are few cars so if there is a big points swing, it’s hard to gather that back. Maybe running these consistent finishes and going for podiums is a smart way to go. If you take a risk and end up sixth, the points swing to the guys you’re racing for the championship with is pretty big and hard to claw back. For us, we have to race smart and take the wins if they are falling their way but not fight for a victory if it’s not in the cards and is too risky.” DO YOU TYPICALLY ALWAYS FIND YOURSELF IN A SITUATION WHERE ONE DRIVER IS SAVING FUEL SO THE OTHER CAN GO, OR ARE YOU BOTH SAVING FUEL SO AT THE RIGHT TIME EITHER ONE CAN GO?“At Daytona we saved a lot of fuel on the 3 car side and the 4 went on a different strategy and obviously it fell our way. If there had been a yellow late in the race, it would have gone the 4 team’s way. That’s kind of how we play it inside the team, where the engineers are communicating during the race what we want to do. At Sebring in that first stint when I was running third, I wasn’t going to be able to pass anyone so I did my own fuel savings. When I was out front, I did a little bit less to maintain the lead. Depending on where you are on track position, you run it a bit different. We’ve seen already this year how important fuel saving can be; we’ve seen that here and the last couple of years in IndyCar how powerful a fuel-saving stint can be.“Thankfully we have a lot of smart guys in the pitlane who can do a lot of that for us. As a driver, you can do it as well when you’re in traffic. The drivability from the engine and the other work from the engineers during the quarantine period showed big results of performance gains not just in speed but also in efficiency.” |
Sheppard Collects First Silver Dollar Nationals Win at I-80 Speedway
GREENWOOD, NE (July 25, 2020) – Brandon Sheppard led the final 14 laps to win Saturday Night’s 10th Annual Imperial Tile Silver Dollar Nationals at I-80 Speedway. Sheppard passed race leader Chad Simpson on the 88th lap and pulled away to take his first career win in the crown event. He pocketed $53,000 for the Rocket House Car Team in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series sanctioned race. Ricky Thornton Jr. got by Simpson in the closing laps to take the $20,000 second place prize. Simpson finished third, earning $10,000. Tim McCreadie was fourth with Ricky Weiss in fifth. Sheppard dedicated his win to the family of Tim Hitt, who passed away on Friday. Hitt was the original house car driver for Rocket Chassis in the early 1990’s. Sheppard’s fourth visit to Lucas Oil Victory Lane in 2020 made him the eighth different winner in ten Silver Dollar Nationals. “I had it in the back of my mind that I was going to wait as long as I could to get to the top of the track. I knew I was abusing my equipment up there. I hit the wall a few times off of two. It was a crazy race,” said the 27-year-old Illinois native. Current LOLMDS point leader Jimmy Owens led the first 43 laps of the race until he began having problems under the hood of his car and Tyler Erb took over the top spot. Erb started to pull away from the field as the caution for Owens came out with 64 laps scored. Owens entered the hot pit area and retired from the event. He was credited with a 23rd place finish. Simpson grabbed the point from Erb on the restart and then held off Sheppard until the reigning Dirt Track World Championship winner became the fourth different leader of the race. Sheppard took the lead on lap 88 and held it to the finish. Thornton, Jr. grabbed the runner-up finish in his debut weekend at the Nebraska track. “Congrats to Brandon on the win. Thanks to Todd and Vickie Burns for giving me a chance to drive their car.” Simpson came home third. “The car was really, really good mid-race. I could roll through the middle good with my momentum. The guys told me under caution to keep rolling the middle, my laps times were really good. My crew guys were telling me to use top when I was coming down the frontstretch once. As soon as I came off of turn two Brandon went by me on the topside and I knew it was over.” The winner’s Mark Richards Racing Rocket Chassis is powered by a Durham Racing Engine and sponsored by Valvoline, Seubert Calf Ranches, Gunters Honey, Ace Metal Works, Integra Racing Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Keyser Manufacturing, and Rocket Pre-Owned Motors. Completing the top ten were Josh Richards, Tyler Erb, Jonathan Davenport, Chris Ferguson, and Tanner English.
RCR Post Race Report – Kansas Lottery 250
| Kaz Grala and the Ruedebusch.com Team Recover from Pit Road Penalty to Score 13th-Place Finish in 2020 Season Debut |
  13th  3rd  10th |
| “We earned a hard-fought 13th-place finish today in our No. 21 Ruedebusch Development and Construction Chevrolet. We had great track position and speed early in the race. Unfortunately, we got a bit behind and lost track position. Once we were in dirty air we could never quite make it back up to the front. My crew chief, Andy Street, made some really great adjustments to our Chevy and the RCR team never gave up all day. Our Chevrolet definitely handled the best it had all day at the very end of the race, but we ran out of time to get the track position that we needed. Overall, it was a great day. It was good to be back in a racecar today. I’m really looking forward to strapping back in a few more times, starting at Road America in a few weeks.” -Kaz Grala |
Thornton Jr. and Owens on the Front Row for Saturday Night’s Silver Dollar Nationals
GREENWOOD, NE (July 24, 2020) – A pair of car number 20’s will make up the front row for the 10th Annual Silver Dollar Nationals on Saturday Night at I-80 Speedway as Ricky Thornton Jr. and Jimmy Owens will lead the field to green in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned $53,000 to win event.
Thornton Jr. and Owens earned top spots in passing points from Friday Night’s 10 heat races that were contested. Devin Moran and Brandon Sheppard will make-up row number two for the richest winner’s purse offered so far in 2020. The first heat of round one saw Scott Bloomquist, the all-time winningest driver in series history, bolt to the lead at the start and lead the entire distance to take the win. Billy Moyer, Jr. finished a close second to Bloomquist with Jonathan Davenport and Jimmy Owens trailing. The second heat featured a solid performance by Kansan Chase Junghans who earned the heat race victory. Jake Neal finished in second followed by Brandon Sheppard and Tad Pospisil. The third heat race saw a terrific between Mason Zeigler and Shanon Buckingham. Zeigler caught and passed Buckingham on the final lap of the race to take the win. Buckingham finished in second followed by 17-year-old Colton Horner and Tim McCreadie. Chad Simpson got by Justin Zeitner in the closing laps of heat number four to take the victory for the two-time Lucas Oil MLRA champion. Zeitner came across the line in second. Tyler Erb came from the tail to finish in third followed by Nick Deal. The fifth and final heat of round one went to Ricky Thornton Jr. who charged from the fourth starting position to take the lead as he pulled away to take the checkers. Devin Moran ran second the entire distance with Stormy Scott and Kyle Bronson rounding out the top four. The second round started off with Ricky Weiss taking the victory in heat number one. Shane Clanton gave Weiss a good run early on, but Weiss pulled away for the win. Clanton took second followed by Ricky Thornton Jr. and Bobby Pierce, the defending Silver Dollar Nationals winner. The second heat of round two saw current LOLMDS point leader Jimmy Owens roar from the eighth starting spot to get the win. Earl Pearson, Jr. came from the fifth starting position to grab second with Tyler Erb placing third as Chris Ferguson rounded out the top four. Josh Richards took command of the race lead from Cory Dumpert in heat three as he ran away for the win. Tanner English finished second to Richards with Kyle Strickler and Chad Simpson claiming third and fourth at the finish. The fourth heat of round two went to Kyle Bronson, who came from the fourth starting spot for the win. Johnny Scott, driving his brothers second entry, came home in second with Devin Moran charging from the tail to pick up third place at the checkers. Jonathan Davenport was fourth. In the fifth and final heat of round two Tim McCreadie, who started on the inside of row number two bolted to the lead around Chris Simpson to take a lead he never relinquished. Brandon Sheppard made a late-race charge from seventh to nab the second spot over Simpson and Ben Schaller.
DiBenedetto Collected In Crash At Kansas
July 24, 2020
Matt DiBenedetto has become a master at gaining positions on restarts of Cup Series races, and he was able to do that numerous times on Thursday night at Kansas Speedway.
But a Lap 176 restart ended badly for DiBenedetto and the Menards/Dutch Boy team.
When a flat tire caused Joey Logano to abruptly slow down ahead of a pack of oncoming cars, DiBenedetto was swept up in the melee, slammed into the wall, bounced back across the track and was hit again before finally coming to rest.
He was uninjured, but the Menards/Dutch Boy Mustang was too damaged to continue, and he was left with a 36th-place finish.
“I couldn’t tell what was going on,” DiBenedetto told a TV audience. “I just tried to go low.
“I saw guys checked up off of [Turn] Two… I just got clipped in the right side. Nothing I could do different.”
Compounding his frustration was the fact that it was the second straight race, the first coming at Texas Motor Speedway, in which DiBenedetto and his Menards team have been collected in a late wreck while in position to score a strong finish.
“We have had garbage luck the last couple of weeks,” he said. “The Menards/Dutch Boy Ford Mustang was fast, and we deserve better.
“We are racing for the playoffs, and this is just annoying.”
The finish dropped DiBenedetto one spot in the points standings to 13th, which means he won’t be among the drivers who draw for the top 12 starting positions next week at New Hampshire.
And it leaves him 15th in the Playoff standings. Only 16 drivers will begin the Playoffs, which start after seven more regular season races.
Even amid his disappointment, DiBenedetto cited reasons to be optimistic going forward. At Kansas, he and the Menards/Dutch Boy team were able to improve on a car that lost ground on green-flag runs despite DiBenedetto’s ability to drive it into the top 10 on early race restarts.
“We made 700 adjustments there and put about 40 rounds of wedge in it I think,” he said in an obvious exaggeration. “Got the balance about right and then we crashed.
“I need an off weekend [then] go to one of my favorite tracks, New Hampshire, and rebound and get a dang finish that we deserve.”
RCR Post Race Report – Super Start Batteries 400
| ustin Dillon and the No. 3 American Ethanol Chevrolet Team Battle Hard at Kansas Speedway |
 27th 16th 17th |
| “We headed into Kansas Speedway with goals of backing up RCR’s 1-2 finish from Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway, and I really think we could have done it if it weren’t for the wreck we were involved in. Our handling was off to begin with, but we stayed in it and kept making the American Ethanol Chevrolet better and better. We finally got it dialed in and were battling for 12th on a restart in Stage 3 when chaos broke out in front of us. We had nowhere to go and ended up with a lot of damage. We were missing a lot of parts, but we did the best we could to nurse our Chevy to the finish. It’s just a shame because we were just as good, if not better, than the cars who finished up front. We could have had a top 10, easily, if it weren’t for that wreck. That’s how it goes sometimes. I am proud of everyone on this team for making the right adjustments all night and going back out there to get a few more points.” -Austin Dillon |
| Tyler Reddick and the I Am Second Team Earn Stage Points En Route to Top-15 Finish at Kansas |
 13th 23rd 15th |
| “We had a fast No. 8 I Am Second Chevrolet on the long runs tonight at Kansas Speedway. We just needed a little more on the short runs. It was a tale of two extremes almost, where we fired off extremely loose but about halfway through the race built way too tight. I was able to run the top during Stage 1 before anyone else really could, and that allowed us to climb well up into the top 10 to get some valuable stage points. As the night went on and our car got tighter, I wasn’t able to run up there as well and had to search around for speed to try to keep up with the changing track conditions. Luckily, we were able to avoid a handful of wrecks during Stage 3 and started to climb back up through the field once we were able to loosen our Chevrolet back up a little bit. In the end, we just needed a couple more longer runs to really be able to get back into the top 10 tonight. We’ll circle back at the shop on how to get better short run speed out of our cars over the course of the next few races and be ready to get back after it at New Hampshire next Sunday.” -Tyler Reddick |
Owens Holds off Thornton and Sheppard for I-80 Win
GREENWOOD, NE (July 23, 2020) – Jimmy Owens got back on track on Thursday Night as he captured the caution-free Optima Batteries Dirt Track Bank Go 50 – Presented by K&N Filters at I-80 Speedway. Owens had to fend off late challenges from both Ricky Thornton, Jr. and Brandon Sheppard for his series-leading seventh win of the season. Ricky Weiss came home in fourth followed by Josh Richards in fifth. Richards took the lead at the start of the race and held the point for the first four laps of the race. Owens started fifth on the grid and charged to the lead on lap five surpassing Richards for the top spot, but the 2017 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Champion [Richards] roared back to the lead around Owens on lap 11. Richards led until lap 27 when Owens caught back up to him to regain the lead for good. Owens then saw Thornton Jr. and Sheppard close the gap on him in the last five laps. Owens, the 3-time series champion held off the challengers for his 71st career LOLMDS victory. “I could hear him [Thornton], he got a run off of four and left me plenty room on the high side, and I appreciated that. It’s good to race with guys like that, but man thanks to Leon Ramirez, he’s here and it’s great to get a win in front of him. Thanks to my crew for busting their rear ends in this heat. This car is rolling pretty good; we are looking forward to tomorrow and Saturday. I was concerned a little bit when Josh got around me. He has been really good the last few weeks. I know there was a lot more talent behind us as well. I was able to move around the racetrack and I was hardly losing any time. Then finally he [Richards] started moving back towards me and we were able to capitalize,” said the 48-year-old Tennessee native. Thornton was in the hunt for his first career LOLMDS victory but came home in second. “He [Owens] started to get into one and cut across. I was just a little too tight when I got to him. I probably could have done a slide job in turn three, but I didn’t want to wreck us both. Jimmy’s been my hero growing up and to win this race would have been awesome. We had a really good car. I don’t know how much of a cushion we left; we were scrapping the wall there. About halfway through the race we got going good.” Sheppard entered the race with three LOLMDS wins in 2020 and made it close in the final stages. “In the heat race everybody was hurting tires, especially the left rear. I was trying to save as much as I could in the feature. Towards the end, we really got it going. We felt really comfortable at the end, we passed some cars so hopefully I will give us some momentum for Friday and Saturday.” The winner’s Ramirez Motorsports Rocket Chassis is powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine and sponsored by Reece Monument Company, Tommy Pope Construction, Boomtest Well Service, General Tire, Red Line Oil, Ohlins Shocks, Champion Spark Plugs, and Midwest Sheet Metal. Completing the top ten were Jonathan Davenport, Kyle Strickler, Chad Simpson, Chris Ferguson, and Earl Pearson Jr.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Optima Batteries Dirt Track Bank Go-50 – Presented by K&N
Thursday, July 23rd, 2020
I-80 Speedway – Greenwood, NE
Lucas Oil Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Stormy Scott / 16.836 seconds (overall)
Fast Time Group B: Josh Richards / 17.070 seconds
Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 2S-Stormy Scott[1]; 2. 20-Jimmy Owens[2]; 3. 8-Kyle Strickler[6]; 4. 1T-Tyler Erb[7]; 5. 75-Terry Phillips[5]; 6. 57-Mike Marlar[3]; 7. 50-Shanon Buckingham[4]; 8. 32B-Cody Laney[8]; 9. 6D-Cory Dumpert[10]; 10. 49T-Jake Timm[9]; 11. 1D-Dylan Schmer[11]; 12. 112-Tyler Smith[12]
FK Rod Ends Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 2. 22F-Chris Ferguson[2]; 3. 16-Tyler Bruening[4]; 4. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[3]; 5. 32-Bobby Pierce[7]; 6. 18-Shannon Babb[6]; 7. 04-Tad Pospisil[5]; 8. 39-Tim McCreadie[8]; 9. 53-Andrew Kosiski[11]; 10. F15-Jeremy Conaway[10]; 11. 52-Brian Kosiski[9]
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 14-Josh Richards[1]; 2. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 3. 1C-Chad Simpson[3]; 4. 62-Justin Zeitner[7]; 5. 1ST-Johnny Scott[4]; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson[11]; 7. 56C-Colton Horner[10]; 8. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[8]; 9. 40-Joel Callahan[9]; 10. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[5]; 11. 0-Scott Bloomquist[6]; 12. (DNS) 10C-Junior Coover
Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[2]; 2. 7W-Ricky Weiss[3]; 3. 9-Devin Moran[1]; 4. 98-Ben Schaller[11]; 5. 18J-Chase Junghans[7]; 6. 14J-Jake Neal[5]; 7. 32S-Chris Simpson[6]; 8. 24X-Bill Leighton[9]; 9. 80-Allan Hopp[10]; 10. 81E-Tanner English[8]; 11. 25-Shane Clanton[4]
Tiger Rear Ends B-Main #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 50-Shanon Buckingham[5]; 2. 75-Terry Phillips[1]; 3. 18-Shannon Babb[4]; 4. 32-Bobby Pierce[2]; 5. 57-Mike Marlar[3]; 6. 04-Tad Pospisil[6]; 7. 6D-Cory Dumpert[9]; 8. 39-Tim McCreadie[8]; 9. F15-Jeremy Conaway[12]; 10. 53-Andrew Kosiski[10]; 11. 32B-Cody Laney[7]; 12. 49T-Jake Timm[11]; 13. 112-Tyler Smith[15]; 14. 52-Brian Kosiski[14]; 15. (DNS) 1D-Dylan Schmer
FAST Shafts B-Main #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 18J-Chase Junghans[2]; 2. 40B-Kyle Bronson[3]; 3. 1ST-Johnny Scott[1]; 4. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[7]; 5. 14J-Jake Neal[4]; 6. 25-Shane Clanton[14]; 7. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[11]; 8. 32S-Chris Simpson[6]; 9. 24X-Bill Leighton[8]; 10. 56C-Colton Horner[5]; 11. 80-Allan Hopp[10]; 12. 40-Joel Callahan[9]; 13. 81E-Tanner English[12]; 14. 0-Scott Bloomquist[13]; 15. (DNS) 10C-Junior Coover
chevy racing–nascar–kansas–post race
NASCAR CUP SERIES SUPER START BATTERIES 400 KANSAS SPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES JULY 23, 2020
TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:POS. DRIVER8th ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 CHEVYGOODS.COM / NOCO CAMARO ZL1 1LE9th KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE10th WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE12th CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE13th TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 I AM SECOND CAMARO ZL1 1LE
TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS: POS. DRIVER1st Denny Hamlin (Toyota) 2nd Brad Keselowski (Ford)3rd Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota)4th Kevin Harvick (Ford)5th Erik Jones (Toyota) The NASCAR Cup Series season continues at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 on Sunday, August 2nd, at 3:00 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on NBCSN, NBC Sports Gold app, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
TEAM CHEVY NOTES AND QUOTES:ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 CHEVYGOODS.COM / NOCO CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 8th“Rough night. We threw about every adjustment at our Camaro that we possibly could. Thankfully, we were able to finally get it a little better there towards the end and go back towards the front a little bit. Hate that we lost a bunch of spots on that last restart – just wide open and some people drove around us. We’ve got some work to do, for sure, we know that. But getting a good, solid finish this week was good and a good momentum-builder back in the right direction. It’s been pretty painful here lately. We’re working hard to get our Chevrolet’s back up front.” KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 9th“The car was a little tough at times throughout the race. We struggled on some of the restarts with tires on heat cycles, but thanks to my guys on this Monster Energy Chevy. We battled hard together and never gave up on working to make it better and try to find the sweetest spot to run. We just need to keep after it and turn these top-10’s into better results”.
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 10th“It was a solid finish for us – we needed that for sure for the playoffs. We started the race way off. We were really loose – just really struggling. The guys, Keith (Rodden, filling in as Crew Chief) and everybody made a lot of great adjustments throughout the race. It really got us in a position where we could attack. As soon as we got probably 10 laps on our tires, the car felt pretty good. We just stayed out there on no tires, really ran there with the 2 (Brad Keselowski) and was able to pass him back for the lead. I thought we were looking really good. Unfortunately, the two tires didn’t really work out for us there at the end. I think we just had too many laps on the left side and struggled there. But overall, was really happy with probably 40 to go in the race. I thought we were in a really good position leading the race. We’ll take a top-10 with what we had there at the end and move forward to the next race. Looking forward to it.” CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 12th“Man, that was a long night. I appreciate the effort of my NAPA team. We just need to clean it up and are going to move on to New Hampshire.” TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 I AM SECOND CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 13th“We had a fast No. 8 I Am Second Chevrolet on the long runs tonight at Kansas Speedway. We just needed a little more on the short runs tonight. It was a tale of two extremes almost, where we fired off extremely loose but about halfway through the race built way too tight. I was able to run the top during Stage 1 before anyone else really could, and that allowed us to climb well up into the top 10 to get some valuable stage points. As the night went on and our car got tighter, I wasn’t able to run up there as well and had to search around for speed to try to keep up with the changing track conditions. Luckily, we were able to avoid a handful of wrecks during Stage 3 and start to climb back up through the field once we were able to loosen our Chevrolet back up a little bit. In the end, we just needed a couple more longer runs to really be able to get back into the top 10 tonight. We’ll circle back at the shop on how to get better short run speed out of our cars over the course of the next few races and be ready to get back after it at New Hampshire next Sunday.”
TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 15th“My GEICO guys fought for it tonight. We had a rough start to the race, but we never stopped chipping away at it. Everyone on this Germain Racing team kept digging, Matt (Borland) made our Camaro ZL1 1LE better with adjustments and we brought home another top-15 finish. This is our third top-16 finish in four races and I’m proud of our team for working hard. We will look to keep this momentum rolling in Loudon.” RYAN PREECE, NO. 37 BUSH’S BEANS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sideline due to accident on lap 181; Finished 34th WHAT A GREAT SIGHT TO SEE RYAN PREECE OUT OF THE CAR. RYAN, HOW ARE YOU FEELING FIRST OF ALL? AND WHAT DID YOU SEE DURING THAT WRECK THERE?“To be honest with you, we had a fast race car right there at the end. It’s frustrating for all of us at JTG Daugherty because we’ve been working really hard and probably had a top-10 car there at the end. I’m alright, just ready for this year to turn around. Thanks to Bush’s Beans, the No. 37 and JTG Daugherty – we’ll be back next week.
BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 VICTORY JUNCTION CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 170; Finished 37th “It was a frustrating ending. I thought our Richard Petty Motorsports team could overcome our obstacles today at the Kansas Speedway. We were really free – I think we had a tire going down right before we spun. And then got it too tight, so we kind of went through the full end of the spectrum. Started to get our way back right and just got caught up in someone else’s mess with nowhere to go. Unfortunate day for our Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Victory Junction Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE team, but we’ll go onto the New Hampshire Motor Speedway after this awesome off weekend.” RICKY STENHOUSE, JR., NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sidelined by mechanical failure on Lap 59; Finished 40thWHAT DID YOU SEE AND WHAT DID YOU SMELL IN THE CAR?“Man, at the start of the race our Kroger Camaro was really good. We’ve had some really bad weeks as far as results go and drove up into 14th there on the first start. We lost the balance there a little bit, but it felt like we were still pretty close and then I don’t know. A fire started in the cockpit. Something electrical under the dash. So, it’s a bummer to end the day like that for our Kroger team. I felt like we had a really good shot at a top 10 if we kept dialing our car in. I really like Kansas. I’m glad we’ve got kind of an off-week now before New Hampshire so we can regroup.” HOW UN-NERVING IT MUST BE TO BE IN THE COCKPIT WHEN YOU SMELL FIRE“Yeah, I could see the fire. It was right beside me and then all up under the dash and by my left foot. The fuel pressure quit at first and then the whole screen went black after that. I don’t know exactly what caused that or what can cause it, but a bummer of a day for sure.”
Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series to Live Stream Opening Rounds From Glen Helen Raceway
| Fans Can Watch the Action Unfold on Facebook and on Lucas Oil Racing TV |
| CORONA, Calif. (July 23, 2020) – As the days turn to hours before the anticipated start of the 2020 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Presented by GEICO, series organizers have announced that coverage of this weekend’s doubleheader from Glen Helen Raceway will be streamed live online. In the absence of spectators at the opening two rounds of the championship, fans across the country will be given the opportunity to watch the action unfold, as it happens for FREE via Facebook, as well as the Lucas Oil Racing TVsubscription service. “From the moment we knew our fans would have to miss out on the action at Glen Helen Raceway due to COVID-19, we began looking for a way in which we could still give our passionate audience the racing they deserve,” said Dave Wonser, Vice President of Brand Development. “These have been challenging times for everyone, but we’re doing all we can to get back on track and provide a sense of normalcy. In doing so we needed to make some sacrifices. Fortunately, that also meant there was an opportunity to facilitate some unique opportunities that serve the interest of the very people who support the sport of short course off road.” |
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| Racing from Glen Helen will kick off at 1:30 p.m. PT / 4:30 p.m. ET on both Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26. Fans can simply log onto the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series’ official Facebook page and follow the link to watch the FREE live stream. For subscribers of Lucas Oil Racing TV, simply sign in with the proper account login information, go to “Live Events” and click on the Glen Helen events to view the live stream. No matter which options fans tune in from, they’ll receive commentary from the talented Lucas Oil Racing TV broadcast team, which consists of host Brent Smith, analyst Jack Korpela, and pit reporter Derek Pernesiglio. This trio will guide fans through all the unpredictable action on the track from all eight classes of competition. The exciting junior divisions of RZR 170, JR 2 Kart, and Mod Kart will take to the track first before giving way to the highly competitive pro classes, beginning with the high intensity of Pro Lite and followed by Turbo UTV, Pro Buggy, and Production 1000 UTV. Each afternoon will come to a dramatic conclusion with a showcase of the power, speed, and precision of Pro 2. |
 Fans can watch the action of Pro 2 and all eight classes of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series from Glen Helen live, either FREE on Facebook or via Lucas Oil Racing TV.Photo: Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series |
| While viewers will be given the chance to watch all the action for FREE this weekend on Facebook, live coverage of the remaining rounds of the 2020 season will be exclusive to Lucas Oil Racing TV. For just $6.99 per month, or $99 for the entire year subscribers receive exclusive access to a wide array of live racing events, including the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, the annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, the Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series, the Lucas Oil WAR Sprint Car Series, and more. Additionally, subscribers have access to watch hundreds of motorsports focused programming of all kinds, fulfilling the needs of any gearhead. |
East Coast Diesel/Truck Nationals Review! DIESEL Motorsports 2020
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
East Coast Diesel/Truck Nationals Review! DIESEL Motorsports 2020
What a great show during these turbulent times with a great turnout by young truck enthusiasts from many states on the East Coast. It was a hot day but many enjoyed watching some fantastic trucks racing, pulling, dyno and show-n-shine. People came out to enjoy the show but brought their popups, lawn chairs and coolers to honor social distancing. Both sides of the track over a 1/4 mile long were lined with fans and families watching the trucks race and pull.
The fans looked at over 40 plus trucks in the show-n-shine with SEMA quality vehicles for them to inspect and talk to the owners. The truck owners are putting a lot of pride into these trucks. I couldn’t believe the quality of fabrication and building of these trucks, it made it very hard to judge and properly picking the winners. Appreciate Greg Alberalla of WrenchWorkz for helping with the judging of the trucks, took us well over an hour to look at them all.
The dyno run by Ken’s Auto had trucks lined up all day long to test their performance additions to their trucks, they want to know how much horsepower and torque was added by their builds. They had over 45 trucks and worked well past the show ending
in order to get everyone in for the day. It was over 95 degrees so the 5 guys they had crawling under those trucks that day well earned their money for running the trucks.
Racing was exciting all day long with some great trucks running in four classes: ET Bracket, 12.0 Index, Heads-up and DIESEL Truck War class. ET Bracket always has a large number of vehicles because everyone wants to test their trucks to see how fast they can go but this class you really don’t have to go fast but estimate how consistent your truck can go down the 1/4 mile. 12.0 Index was very popular this year with everyone trying to get as close to 12.0 time in the 1/4 mile on every run down the track. DIESEL Motorsports added a new class that will run at most event this year, DIESEL Truck Wars! It will be 1/8th mile racing running two trucks against each other 2 out of 3 runs, then the same in the final, best 2 out of 3 runs. It makes for a fun test on can the driver consistently win at the lights and can their truck hold together for numbered runs down the track.
Pulling had some high quality trucks run the 300 feet in front of a big crowd. With extreme heat 90 degrees plus wind the track dried out quickly even though we had packed soaked it with 8,000 gallons of water. It had not rained on the mountain for a number of days and the ground soaked up the water quickly so the trucks had a hard surface to pull on for most of the day. Track improvements are already in the mix for next year along with possibly running in the evening in order to avoid the day’s heat. The trucks that came are favorites every year and it’s not about just the pulling but the entire event with so much to do for the fans and families. Some great distances were recorded on the pulls and the HOT Work Stock top 4 prequalified for the Keystone Nationals in early Spring 2021!
I want to thank the vendors and sponsors who came for the event along with Numidia track personnel and our great DM crew for working through such a hot day. We can not pay them enough and it has to be the love of the sport. Everyone was so thankful for us putting on the event, even though yes people get paid to come in it feels good as two owners to have people thank us for the hard work that goes in to these shows. It has been many years since people have thank Gene and I for putting on the show, we appreciate praises. Yes it took more than just us to make the show happen, insurance company, track owner, local people who help us setup the day before and many more in the community.
Appreciate the vendors who braved the heat all day in order to give the crowds things to look at and buy during down times.
Vendors
Street Diesel Performance
Reiff Diesel
Justgetdirty.com
Garofalo Enterprises
South Jersey Custom Metal Designs
WrenchWorkz
chevy racing–nascar–kansas advance
TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE SUPER START BATTERIES 400 KANSAS SPEEDWAY KANSAS CITY, KANSASJULY 23, 2020
RACE #19: KANSASThe annual spring NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) race at Kansas Speedway was re-scheduled due to the ongoing COVID-10 pandemic, and now gets underway on Thursday, July 23rd at 7:30 p.m. with the Super Start Batteries 400 presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts. The 400-mile race on the Kansas 1.5-mile tri-oval now marks the 19th race on the 2020 tour.
Over the course of three days, Kansas Speedway will host five NASCAR races across four different series. While the NCS race kicks-off the summer event, the schedule includes a NASCAR Xfinity Series race (July 25), a pair of NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series races (July 24 & 25), and an ARCA Menards Series race on July 24. Currently, all five races plan to run without fans in attendance.
PLAYOFF PICTURE:With Austin Dillon’s recent victory at Texas Motor Speedway on July 19th, along with Chase Elliott’s win at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 28th, and Alex Bowman’s victory at Auto Club Speedway on March 1st, three Team Chevy Camaro ZL1 1LE drivers have now secured spots in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs that will determine the 2020 champion.
With the start of the NCS Playoffs just eight races away, Hendrick Motorsports teammates Elliott and Bowman are currently ranked fifth and 11th, respectively; and Richard Childress driver, Dillon, is 14th in the point standings.
BOWTIE BULLETS:Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 12 wins and 11 pole awards in 28 races.
Victories by current Team Chevy drivers: Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE has three wins (2008, ’11, ’15), Matt Kenseth, No. 42 McDonald’s Camaro ZL1 1LE has two wins (2012, ’13), and Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE has one win (2018).
Chase Elliott is the most recent winner at Kansas Speedway in 2018.
Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports sits atop the leaderboard in NCS wins by teams with seven victories at Kansas Speedway: Jeff Gordon (3), Jimmie Johnson (3), and Chase Elliott (1).
FLASHBACK:The groundbreaking for Kansas Speedway was held 21 years ago on May 25, 1999 and the first NASCAR Cup Series race made its Kansas City debut on September 30, 2001. Team Chevy driver Jeff Gordon was the inaugural winner and followed that with a second victory in 2002 and a third in 2014, all in Chevrolet race cars.
WINNING WEEKEND:The 1-2 finish by Richard Childress Racing drivers Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick at the NCS race at Texas Motor Speedway on July 19th capped a weekend of multiple wins for Chevy Racing in America’s premier racing series. In the Iowa INDYCAR 250S Doubleheader, Team Penske Chevrolet drivers Simon Pagenaud and Josef Newgarden swept the weekend with wins in Race 1 and Race 2, respectively. In both races two of the three podium positions were Chevy INDYCAR drivers. Rookie Oliver Askew finished third behind Pagenaud and Will Power finished behind Newgarden. In the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Sebring, Corvette Racing captured a 1-2 GT Le Mans (GTLM) finish with Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner scoring the win in the No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, and Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia finishing second in the pole-winning No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R. Additionally, the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPI.R team with drivers Felipe Nasr and Pepo Derani, won the July 18th running of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Cadillac Grand Prix of Sebring DPI class and overall with the Konica Minolta Cadillac finishing second and the Mustang Sampling Cadillac coming in third to complete the podium sweep.
KANSAS STARTING LINEUPThe format for Thursday’s NCS event continues on as a one-day show with no practice and no qualifying. Owner points and a random draw have again set the starting lineup. Here are Team Chevy’s top-20 starters: 6th Alex Bowman, No. 88 ChevyGoods.com/Adam’s Polishes Camaro ZL1 1LE 9th Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE11th Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE14th Matt Kenseth, No. 42 McDelivery Camaro ZL1 1LE15th William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 1LE16th Austin Dillon, No. 3 American Ethanol Camaro ZL1 1LE17th Bubba Wallace, No. 43 Victory Junction Camaro ZL1 1LE20th Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE
TUNE-INNBCSN will telecast the 267-lap race live at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 23rd. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. QUOTABLE QUOTES:
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 5th IN STANDINGS“To me, Kansas feels like such a small mile and half compared to some of the other ones we go to. I just feel like the corners are sharper than some other places and with it being progressively banked, the top side is going to continue to become dominant. I think in a way, it’s going to turn into Homestead in some situations and as time goes on. The way the corners are shaped, it’s kind of small and that top groove having more banking than the other ones as you move down the track is going to make it a top-dominant racetrack. Typically, those tracks put on good shows, so I expect it to age really well. I look forward to racing there this weekend. It is a fun track.” ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 CHEVYGOODS.COM/ADAM’S POLISHES CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 11th IN STANDINGS“I am definitely excited to get back to Kansas this week. That track was pretty good to us last year and I still think we should have gotten the win there in the spring. Kansas is pretty similar to Chicago, so I think it sort of fits my driving style. We have had some bad luck here lately and things just haven’t fallen into our hands. Hopefully we can turn that around on Thursday when we get to a track that I feel really does fit my driving style.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 AMERICAN ETHANOL CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 14th IN STANDINGSTALK ABOUT THE MOMENTUM YOU HAVE HEADING INTO KANSAS SPEEDWAY FOLLOWING A BIG WIN AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY.“Texas Motor Speedway is another mile‑and‑a‑half. Our cars have competed well on mile‑and‑a‑half’s. My teammate, Tyler Reddick, had a pretty good run at Kansas Speedway last year when he made his first NASCAR Cup Series start at the track. My current crew chief, Justin Alexander, was Tyler’s crew chief for that race so we have some good data from that run that we can utilize on Thursday night. I definitely feel like we have momentum, and we can take some chances and try some things now that maybe we wouldn’t have tried if we weren’t locked into the Playoffs.” WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO WIN IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES?“You have to execute. We’re doing that much better this year than last year. I’ve studied other drivers, such as Brad Keselowski, who don’t always have the best car but make it happen when it counts. They are constantly battling for track position even if they don’t have the best car. We’re trying to do more of that and put ourselves in more situations to run up front so that we’re comfortable running up there and can make your own race at the end. You have to be aggressive in this sport to win races. I’ve noticed that a lot of the great guys are doing it. We were aggressive with our call at Texas Motor Speedway, maintained our position and won the race.”
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 16th IN STANDINGSBYRON ON KANSAS SPEEDWAY.“I think Kansas is closer in relation to Charlotte with the amount of grooves it has and the ability you have to make the outside lane work. I think that outside lane is the preferred groove as the race goes along there. In terms of the track surface though, it’s similar to Texas with how smooth it is. It’s starting to get some grain to it and some character though the more we race there. It’s a great track though honestly. I think it’s one of the best mile-and-a-half tracks we have on the schedule to race at.” BYRON ON MID-WEEK RACES. “I’m definitely getting used to us having races coming rapidly around the corner and I really like it. It keeps my brain active and really myself in general. It doesn’t leave me too many days to sit and harp on the previous race or get lax waiting for the next one. I think it’s great to always have another race right around the corner so quickly like we’ve had.” BYRON ON THE PLAYOFF BUBBLE:“Right now, it’s all about points for us. We have to have a good week every week in terms of stage points and finishes. We need to work on getting back on the other side of the bubble and building back a buffer now. In my mind you want at least 50 points sitting between you and the cutoff to feel more secure and be able to be more aggressive. We were close to that point a couple weeks ago but the tire issue at Indianapolis and the wreck in Texas really hurt.” CHAD KNAUS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LEKNAUS ON KEITH RODDEN FILLING IN.“The No. 24 car has been strong even when the results haven’t shown it. Every week we lay out a pretty in-depth plan of what we’re going to do before we even get to the racetrack, so Thursday will be no different. We have a lot of depth to pull from in this situation at Hendrick Motorsports and I know Keith (Rodden) is more than capable of getting the job done. Keith’s been working with the team the last few races in preparation of this situation and I have all the faith that it will be a solid race for him and the No. 24 team.” KEITH RODDEN, FILLING IN AS CREW CHIEF FOR THE NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LERODDEN ON SUBBING FOR CHAD KNAUS AT KANSAS:“I’m super pumped to get to the track again and help out Chad, William, and the No. 24 team. Being present for the birth of your child is important, especially in the world we are in now, that’s a moment you don’t want to take for granted. Myself – and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports – support Chad and his family 100% in whatever they need. I’ve known Chad for years and our communication with each other is great. I’ve also been working with William and the No. 24 team the last couple weeks in anticipation of this moment. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to step in and represent Axalta and Hendrick Motorsports. I want to get the best possible result, but the ultimate goal is to show up to win and bring a trophy back for Chad and his family.” TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 I AM SECOND CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 17th IN STANDINGS“I think you can take a little bit from Texas Motor Speedway to Kansas this weekend. Honestly, I haven’t thought much about Kansas Speedway yet, but I’m really excited for the race. We have a lot to be excited about at RCR heading into this weekend following that 1-2 finish. All the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LEs are running really well this year, and we have a lot more speed on the intermediate tracks, so I have a lot of hope heading into this race. Kansas Speedway is a place that has been good for both myself and my crew chief, Randall Burnett. I got my first NASCAR Cup Series top-10 finish there last year during my second Cup Series start, and then we finished second in the Xfinity race there later that year. I’m really looking forward to how the race shakes out and how much the lanes will move around. I think a lot of drivers will try to figure out how to run up high on Thursday night, but I’ll be curious how that affects the tire fall-off and maintaining your speed during a run.”
RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 23rd IN STANDINGS“We’re ready to head to Kansas Speedway this Thursday night. With the way the starting draw has gone, while 25th may not seem like a great starting spot, it’s the best we could have drawn for our bracket so I’m thankful for that. I feel like our cars this year are better than I’ve had on intermediate tracks in the past, and last year at the Kansas night race we were able to lead laps and almost get a top-10 finish. I think a track like Kansas is one of those tracks where we run all over the track and feel comfortable moving around early when we had practice, so being the first cars on track for the weekend doesn’t overly worry me. It’ll be one of those races where your car is going to change throughout the run while the track is changing, and then going from day to night. We just need to keep up with the changes and Brian (Pattie) is great at that, so I’m confident in having a good run tomorrow night in our Kroger Chevrolet.”
RYAN PREECE, NO. 37 BUSH’S BEANS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 30th IN STANDINGS“Kansas Speedway Thursday night is a new racetrack on our schedule, and a new way for us to turn our 2020 season around. We’re in a hole, but a few solid races can change that and with Kansas this week, New Hampshire Motor Speedway (one of my favorite tracks) next weekend, I think we have some good tracks ahead of us to put together some strong runs. After the race at Texas Motor Speedway, we’ve been looking at our notes and talking to Ricky (Stenhouse Jr.) and Brian (Pattie) to get a good setup in place to gain as many spots as we can before the competition caution at Kansas and then continue adjusting and moving forward. Our BUSH’S Beans copper Chevrolet looks awesome under the lights and I’m looking forward to having a good race Thursday night.
Dominic Scelzi Scores Podium in Illinois and Top 10 in Iowa
Inside Line Promotions – KNOXVILLE, Iowa (July 22, 2020) – Dominic Scelzi captured a podium finish during an efficient weekend in the Midwest.
The action started last Friday when he made his debut at Lincoln Speedway in Lincoln, Ill., where Scelzi opened the Midwest Open Wheel Association event by maneuvering from sixth to second place in a heat race. That earned a spot into the feature redraw. Unfortunately, Scelzi pulled the biggest number – eight – to line up on the outside of the fourth row in the A Main.
“It was the first night out in our brand new car,” he said. “I felt great from the get-go. We moved up through the heat race and made the feature redraw. I wish we would have drawn better than eighth, but that was the card we were dealt.
“We got to the top four fairly fast in the feature. Then we got by Shane (Stewart) and then by Paul (Nienhiser). I felt like we were every bit as good as Rico (Abreu). He made a good move in traffic when I got close to him and that was the end of the race.”
Scelzi’s second-place showing was his 10th top five of the season.
He then headed to Knoxville Raceway for a race on Saturday, qualifying 12 th quickest and gaining a spot in a heat race to place second. That ranked him 10th in overall points to give Scelzi the 10 th starting spot for the feature.
“We unloaded and I felt pretty good, but we had the wrong gear in for qualifying,” he said. “We didn’t turn the RPMs we needed to and that hurt our lap time. I felt really good in the heat race and in the main event we tried some stuff that didn’t work. We were really tight. The last few laps our engine overheated and we lost some speed as well.”
Scelzi salvaged a ninth-place finish, which was his 15th top 10 of the season and his best outing at Knoxville Raceway this season.
He plans to return to the half-mile oval this Saturday to compete in the 360ci sprint car division.
chevy racing–nascar–kansas–ricky stenhouse jr
NASCAR CUP SERIES SUPER START BATTERIES 400 KANSAS SPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT JULY 22, 2020
RICKY STENHOUSE, JR., NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media via teleconference and discussed the challenges of the year thus far, the strengths of the team, having to distance from his teammates during the pandemic, his expectations going forward, and more. Full Transcript: TALK ABOUT YOUR EXCITEMENT HEADING INTO KANSAS THIS WEEKEND“Obviously starting 25th, and losing a spot there, in points, was obviously the best we could start, so I’m thankful for that draw. We’ve got a lot of work to do as far as points go. Luckily, there are a lot that are close to us. And, Kansas can be one of those race tracks where I feel like we can get some Stage points and get a good finish. I was actually a couple of minutes jumping on here (the call) because I was watching the Kansas race from earlier last year when we ran that night race. And, we were really good. We took the lead and I feel like our cars this year are probably better on the 1.5-miles than what I’ve had in the past, and so I feel like we can have good strong run at Kansas. We learned some things at Kentucky that I felt like translated over to Texas and we were much better at Texas than we were at Kentucky. I got caught in that wreck on the front straightaway, but I felt like our speed in our Kroger Camaro was really good. So, I’m looking forward to getting to Kansas and trying to crawl our way back up in the points.”
HOW IS THE MOOD AT JTG DAUGHERTY RACING SINCE OBVIOUSLY IT’S BEEN A PRETTY FRUSTRATING MONTH OR TWO?“Yeah, for sure. I was thinking back earlier today, Pocono was kind of uneventful for us and we were average. I felt like we learned things for Indy and then we never really got a shot to try that and see how our car was going to be at Indy with the pit road accident. Going to Kentucky, we were really loose and had our issues. And then at Texas I felt like we had a car capable of running around 10th to 12th. I think we were up to 14th and slowing getting our track position and then got caught in that wreck on the front straightaway; not to mention, both of us got caught in that wreck. At the Bristol All-Star race, we definitely weren’t as good as what we wanted to be, but looking back at the Bristol race earlier this year we were really good around the top of the race track, and that never really came in until very late into that All-Star race. I wasn’t there for the Open, but yeah, it’s been a little bit frustrating, but everybody is still working hard. I feel like we know what we’re capable of. We’ve just got to have things work out just a little bit better for us. I feel bad for Ryan (Preece) because this has kind of been his whole season of having good runs going and things happen. For us, we were both in that same wreck on pit road at Indy and then we were both in the wreck on the front straightaway at Texas. So, it’s pretty frustrating, but our speed is where we want it to be, and I’m looking forward to building on that speed at Kansas.”
THIS WEEKEND, CUP WILL BE THE FIRST CARS ON THE TRACK, SO YOU WON’T HAVE OTHER SERIES ON THERE TO CLEAN IT OFF. WHAT’S THE CHALLENGE IN THAT TYPE OF SITUATION AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT THINGS EARLY IN A RACE?“I think in places like Kansas that we run all over the race track and feel pretty comfortable moving around early-on like if I think back to practices and things like that. We all move around and are capable of getting the track kind of cleaned off. I think a lot of the drivers, we were watching the Kentucky race and a lot of the drivers voiced their opinions to everyone at NASCAR to make sure that they got the track cleaner because we all felt it was pretty dirty for the Xfinity guys, especially out of the groove on the bottom of the race track for whatever reason. So, I know NASCAR is probably going to be working hard to make sure that the track is clean and good to go. But, Kansas is one of those race tracks where I don’t feel like you’re worried about being the first cars on the race track, but that being said, I feel like your car will change from the very first run of the race to the end of the race.”
WITH YOUR DIRT BACKGROUND, CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE OF PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT WE’VE SEEN KYLE LARSON DOING? IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY NIGHT HE’S RACING, HE’S WINNING A RACE, WHETHER IT’S OUTLAWS OR MIDGETS OR WHAT HAVE YOU. WHAT HE HAS DONE THIS SUMMER IN VARIOUS CARS AND LEVELS OF COMPETITION?‘I think a lot of people look at it as oh, he’s going to a lower series and running and dominating. That’s not the case at all. These people, the teams and competitors that he’s racing against are the best of the best in those divisions. In the Midgets and USAC we battled hard and he came out on top. I look at watching him, he’s raced throughout Pennsylvania and raced against our Outlaw teams and what he’s doing is tough to do. It’s not only when you look at the feature wins. I’ve been racing Sprint Cars over the last few weeks and just thinking back to winning heat races, qualifying first, winning features, battling for wins; he ran second last night and had a really good shot to win. It’s impressive. And, I don’t think you’ll see many people be able to go do that in a USAC Midget, in Pennsylvania, with the Outlaws; there’s just so much that goes into Sprint Car racing and what him and Paul Silva have built together and the speed that they have is pretty fascinating to watch and kind of unreal.”
ARE THERE SURPRISES IN THIS SEASON? YOU HAD SUCH HIGH ASPIRATIONS BUT IT’S DEFINITELY BEEN A CHALLENGE FOR EVERYBODY. ALL THE DRIVERS ARE TALKING ABOUT IT. WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND?“I think for us, going to a new team and just getting that chemistry down; I still haven’t seen all my guys on my team on a consistent basis because we don’t send everybody to the race track. A lot of our guys are staying back at the shop. I’ll go to the shop and sit in my car, but only when the road crew guys are there that I see on the weekends. And so, that’s been kind of a struggle. At the beginning of the year, I was at the shop a lot and able to kind of be around everybody, but when you’re doing things with limited people, I think we saw some struggles at the beginning of getting back racing that cost us some points and some good finishes. But I felt like we’ve rebounded well and had some strong runs. There’s times that you struggle when you get to a race track like Kentucky, I felt like we struggled a little bit. We were a little too loose and never could really get a handle on the race car in the race. That’s something that like during practice, we could have gotten a hold of and made our cars better. But everybody else has that opportunity that if you practice, to do that same thing. So, I don’t really know if your position really changes a lot but everybody gets that opportunity. So, it’s been interesting to just show up to the race track and go racing, but it’s also been kind of enjoyable because I’ve been able to run some Sprint Car races with my dad and our friends back home that help us on our cars and that’s been fun, too. I haven’t gotten to race with my dad in a long time with him being the crew chief and me racing. So I’ve had a lot of fun doing that and it looks like I’ll be able to do that a little bit more throughout the season.”
ARE THERE DAYS WHEN YOU FEEL VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE YOUR CREW CHIEF, BRIAN PATTIE WITH YOU? I CAN’T EVEN IMAGINE GOING TO A NEW TEAM WITH ALL OF THIS IF YOU DIDN’T HAVE THE CONSISTENCY OF A CREW CHIEF THAT YOU KNOW.“Yeah, it’s been great having Brian. Obviously, he’s learning a new team and new cars as well. This time period that we’re in right now obviously would probably be a lot easier if we were still together at our former team just knowing the car over the last few years and kind of knowing all the ins and outs of it. Those are things that Brian, as a crew chief, had to learn kind of the hard way with a few things, and then myself also, having to learn some of those things. We know what balance trim that we like at these race tracks, but that was based off of our old race car. Now you’ve got a different one. Sometimes things don’t correlate and transition over as smoothly. But, I’m definitely glad to have him over in my corner. I think he’s one of the best out there and I know that the more time he has on the race cars, the better we’re going to be.”
YOU AND CHRIS BUESCHER HAVE HAD VERY SIMILAR SEASONS THUS FAR AT THE HALFWAY POINT REGARDING THE SEAT SWAP. WHAT ARE SOME NOTABLE DIFFERENCES YOU’VE SEEN DURING YOUR STAY AT JTG DAUGHERTY, AND WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR?“For me, I see a lot of opportunity to get more top 5’s and top 10’s, especially on these 1.5-mile race tracks. I feel like our cars are really good there. Looking back at getting back to Bristol, I feel like we still have a shot to win at Bristol, a better shot that probably I would have had before. I feel like that car that I had there, earlier in the year was one of my best. We still have room for improvement on landing the balance that we want at some of these race tracks, but I definitely see a lot of opportunity to run more consistent and further to the front than what we have so far this year. And, I’m excited for it. I believe in everybody at JTG Daugherty Racing. They’re working hard and they’re pumped-up and excited for the speed that we’ve had so far. People probably thought we’d kind of struggle for speed given all the circumstances and switching seats and teams and all that, but I feel like we probably on one hand, a few times this year have probably exceeded expectations and kind of surprised people. And then on the other hand, we’ve got to get more consistent with that. So, I’m looking forward to the second half of the year, for sure.”
IN THE OLD DAYS, NASCAR HELD TWO RACES A WEEK. DO DRIVERS LIKE TO SEE THAT?“I liked the doubleheader that we ran a Pocono. I’m looking forward to doing that at Michigan and Dover as well. I like racing as much as I can. And, any time you give an athlete, a team, an opportunity to go back to the race track the next day and do things different, that’s what we all wish we could do. And now you kind of get that opportunity to turn around. At Pocono, we weren’t great. We were average at both races. And we did things totally different at both races just trying to learn. I felt like we did learn. And we tried to take that to Indy because Indy was somewhat similar as far as long straightaways and the flat corners. So, we were able to learn those two races. And then you have two people battling it out both days. One came out on top one day and the other did the next day and that was pretty cool to see. I hope we keep that when we look forward on to different schedules and things of that nature.”
IT SOUNDS LIKE NASCAR IS EXPERIMENTING TO TAKE SOMETHING GOOD OUT OF THIS COVID-19 PANDEMIC“Yeah, I think NASCAR has done a great job with trying different things. No practice. Showing up and racing. It shows that we don’t need all the practice and the full three days that we used to always get. And NASCAR has been kind of shrinking that anyway. But now, I think it shows that we’re capable of doing it without it. I think some of us would still like a little bit of practice and qualifying, but nothing that you couldn’t do in the same day. And then also the back-to-back races, the Wednesday race, as long as the fans keep tuning in, obviously they can’t show up like we would want them to or be able to, but if they keep tuning in, who knows what it will hold for our schedules in years to come.”
YOU REALLY HAVEN’T GOTTEN TO SEE MOST OF THE TEAM WITH THE PANDEMIC, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THIS TEAM IS CAPABLE OF, SO ITS KIND OF LIKE THE ODDS ARE STACKED AGAINST YOU GUYS WHEN YOU GO TO A NEW TEAM WITH EVERYTHING THAT’S HAPPENED THIS YEAR. DO YOU CHALK THIS UP AS JUST A BUILDING YEAR TO TRY TO GET TO WHERE YOU KNOW YOU CAN BE? OR, IS THERE STILL A PRIORITY IN FOCUS ON TRYING TO WIN RACES AND BE IN THE PLAYOFFS?“Yeah, we’re definitely building toward next year. When the news came out that we would still be running these cars, you’re still learning a lot and trying to make sure that going into next year you have your best foot forward since we’re not switching cars. So that, for one, we’re still learning and trying to get everything aligned for next year, but there’s still opportunities. When you look back at this weekend in Texas, I felt like we were a 10th or 12th place car. When my teammate and I got in that wreck, we landed; we flew back early, obviously, both out of the race; and we landed, and I heard the No. 3 team (Austin Dillon) won. And, I’m like dang. We out ran them all race. So, there’s opportunities. You’ve just got to keep fighting. You never know how these races are going to play out. You’ve just got to keep putting yourself in position. I feel like we have speed that we can run inside the top 10 at these 1.5-mile tracks. And if you’re inside the top 10, you never know what will happen (with) race strategies and different pit calls. We’ve still got Daytona there, looming in the future that it would be cool to win, and you’d put yourself in the Playoff there. So, we’re still working hard and looking for wins as well.”