NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
BOJANGLES SOUTHERN 500
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
SEPTEMBER 4, 2015
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 3M CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Darlington Raceway to discuss his last Southern 500 as a full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, making the Chase, the low downforce package and many other topics. Full Transcript: Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Darlington–Jeff Gordon
Mopar Racers in the Staging Lanes at the ‘Big Go’ and Driving for Coveted NHRA U.S. Nationals Title
· Mopar racers revved up for this weekend’s 61st annual National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway near Indianapolis
· Mopar HEMI® Challenge marks its 15th anniversary at the NHRA U.S. Nationals with qualifying and eliminations on September 3-4
· Mopar to host Sportsman Racers Appreciation event with special guests and giveaways on Sept. 3 from 7- 9 p.m. at Lucas Oil Raceway
· Mopar “Top Eliminator” to be selected among the top Mopar performance rides racing down the quarter-mile track in the Sportsman category
· Don Schumacher Racing quartet of 2015 Dodge Charger R/T Funny Cars will try to break into the winner’s circle at U.S. Nationals for the first time since 2001
· Top-three spots in standings held by DSR 2015 Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Cars with one regular season event left before the NHRA ‘Countdown to the Championship’ begins
· 20-year Pro Stock veteran Allen Johnson chasing a coveted first national title at the “Big Go” aboard the Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar Dodge Dart
· Johnson will have a teammate this weekend with addition of young talent and last year’s U.S. National’s Pro Stock stand-out Aaron Stanfield in a Dodge Dart Continue reading Mopar Racers in the Staging Lanes at the ‘Big Go’ and Driving for Coveted NHRA U.S. Nationals Title
Six-Time U.S. Nationals Winner Anderson Wants Another
Mooresville, N.C., September 1, 2015 – Last year at this time, Summit Racing NHRA Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson was in a whole different position. He entered the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals fighting for the No. 10 spot in the points and hanging on by a thread. Ultimately, he lost in the first round and forfeited the chance to race for the championship for the first time in his career. This season marks a drastic departure from that bleak scene, and Anderson is preparing for the best at the 61st annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis. Continue reading Summit Racing–Six-Time U.S. Nationals Winner Anderson Wants Another
Line Seeking First Indy Win and Big Points Payoff at U.S. Nationals
Mooresville, N.C., September 1, 2015 – There are very few racetracks where Summit Racing NHRA Pro Stock racer Jason Line has not seen the inside of the winner’s circle. It may be difficult to believe, but Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis is one of the facilities where Line, a 12-year veteran of the category, has yet to score a Wally trophy. This weekend at the 61st annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, Line hopes to right that wrong and come out on top. It would mean a whole lot more this season as he is No. 4 in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series standings, and points are valued at one and a half times their normal worth at this year’s rendition of the esteemed event before the field is set for the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Continue reading Summit Racing–Line Seeking First Indy Win and Big Points Payoff at U.S. Nationals
Team Chevy Drivers Seek to Make Their Marks at Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals
DETROIT (Sept. 2, 2015) – It’s the oldest and most prestigious event in the National Hot Rod Association. It’s also the most important one for the Mello Yellow Drag Racing Series. The Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals is the 18th event on this year’s NHRA schedule and the final race before the Countdown to the Championship begins. Continue reading Chevy Racing–Team Chevy Drivers Seek to Make Their Marks at Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals
Wood Brothers And Snap-on Return To Darlington For Retro Southern 500 Weekend
September 2, 2015
To long-time motorsports fans; and lots of others too, things will be back like they should be as NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series runs the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on its traditional Labor Day weekend date. Continue reading Wood Brothers And Snap-on Return To Darlington For Retro Southern 500 Weekend
Kasey Kahne Racing – Results Recap
Great Clips Team Grabs Fourth Win of Season While in Canada
Daryn Pittman and the Great Clips team won their fourth race of the season last Saturday night at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Brad Sweet and the Ollie’s team were looking to make it a KKR 1-2 sweep when he was involved in a crash after contact from another car while racing for second with only a few laps to go.
This week the teams work their way back to the Kasey Kahne Racing motherland – the Pacific Northwest – with races at Skagit Speedway and Grays Harbor Raceway this weekend and early next week.
JOHN FORCE LOOKING FOR MORE RECORDS AT CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE U.S. NATIONALS
INDIANAPOLIS (September 1, 2015) — With four wins at the biggest race on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series John Force has his eyes set on getting that fifth win and tying legendary Funny Car driver Ed “Ace” McCulloch with the most all-time Funny Car wins at the storied Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals. The winningest driver in NHRA history last won the U.S. Nationals in 2002 but last year he came up a few thousandths of a second short against Alexis DeJoria in the final round. Continue reading JOHN FORCE LOOKING FOR MORE RECORDS AT CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE U.S. NATIONALS
Acura Motorsports Race Report
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Grand Prix of Sonoma
Circuit: Sonoma Raceway (2.385-mile road course) Sonoma, California
Weather: Sunny, warm, 82 degrees F
Late Pass Earns Saturday Top-10 For Acura’s Ryan Eversley in Sonoma
• Eversley moves to seventh in series points with one race remaining
• RealTime Racing Acura TLX GT has scored top-10 results in 15 of 19 races.
• Eversley wins Saturday’s “Pass of the Race” Award on Saturday Continue reading Honda Racing–Grand Prix of Sonoma
Giovanni Scelzi Builds Momentum with Runner-Up Result at Plaza Park
Inside Line Promotions – VISALIA, Calif. (Aug. 31, 2015) – Giovanni Scelzi continued his recent string of success last Friday at Plaza Park Raceway where he registered a runner-up result.
The second-place finish marked his fourth podium in the last five micro sprint races and gives his team a boost of momentum entering the Summer Clash this Friday and Saturday at Plaza Park Raceway. Continue reading Gary Scelzi Motorsports–Giovanni Scelzi Builds Momentum with Runner-Up Result at Plaza Park
RY45 Series Wins Again: Durham Racing Engines Powers Scott Bloomquist Two Wins in Two Weeks
Mooresville, NC. August 31, 2015 – Durham Racing Engines powered Scott Bloomquist to his third and fourth Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) victories of 2015 at Lawrenceburg Speedway and Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. Bloomquist has finished in the top 2 in six of the last 7 LOLMDS races and earned $72,000 in four wins. Continue reading RY45 Series Wins Again: Durham Racing Engines Powers Scott Bloomquist Two Wins in Two Weeks
Honda Racing Report
Sunday, August 30, 2015
GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma
Circuit: Sonoma Raceway (2.385-mile road course) Sonoma, CA
2014 Winner: Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing) 94.026 mph average
Weather: Sunny, warm, 82 degrees F
Top 10 Race Results:
Fn. St. Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Average Speed/Notes
1. 9. Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 85 xx.xx mph average speed
2. 3. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda 85 +6.1115 seconds
3. 7. Charlie Kimball Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 85
4. 11. Tony Kanaan Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 85
5. 17. Ryan Briscoe Schmidt Peterson Motorsport Honda 85
6. 5. Juan Pablo Montoya Team Penske Chevrolet 85
7. 1. Will Power Team Penske Chevrolet 85
8. 18. Takuma Sato A.J. Foyt Racing Honda 85
9. 24. Rodolfo Gonzalez-R Dale Coyne Racing Honda 85
10. 14. Mikhail Aleshin Schmidt Peterson Motorsport Honda 85
Other Honda-powered Results
11. 8. Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport Honda 85 Running
12. 19. Oriol Servia Andretti Autosport Honda 85 Running
14. 21. Gabby Chaves-R Bryan Herta Autosport Honda 85 Running
18. 6. Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda 85 Running
19. 25. Jack Hawksworth A.J. Foyt Racing Honda 85 Running
22. 12. Carlos Munoz Andretti Autosport Honda 84 Running
23. 23. Tristan Vautier Dale Coyne Racing Honda 82 Running
25. 22. James Jakes Schmidt Peterson Motorsport Honda 63 Did not finish – crash
Hunter-Reay, Honda Run Third at Sonoma Season Finale
• Tire wear, contact end Rahal’s championship hopes
• Late-season surge sees Hunter-Reay finish sixth in the championship
• Chaves claims series rookie honors
Graham Rahal took the battle for the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series championship down to the final race of the season, Sunday at Sonoma Raceway, but high tire wear in the race and contact from Sebastien Bourdais ended the Honda driver’s championship hopes.
The contact, on Lap 76 of the 85-lap contest, spun Rahal’s Honda, dropping him from sixth to an eventual 18th-place finish, and from second to fourth in the final championship standings. Prior to that incident, Rahal ran consistently near the front of the field, but relatively high tire wear on a warm day would see him struggle with handling aboard his Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda during the second half of each run between pit stops.
Ryan Hunter-Reay ended his 2015 season by finishing second in the race to new series champion Scott Dixon. Today’s result, combined with victories at Iowa Speedway and Pocono Raceway in recent weeks, vaulted the 2012 series champion from 11th to sixth in the final championship standings.
Substituting for the recovering James Hinchcliffe, Ryan Briscoe also finished his season on a high note, taking the checkers in fifth for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports; while Gabby Chaves claimed series Rookie of the Year honors with a 14th-place finish today.
Prior to the start of today’s race, Honda driver Justin Wilson was remembered with a moving tribute, including a video presentation and the singing of “God Save the Queen” in honor of the British driver, who died on Monday as a result of injuries sustained last weekend in a racing accident at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania.
Earlier, American Honda and HPD announced plans to contribute $50 per lap completed at Sonoma by each of the 13 Honda entries at this weekend’s race to the Wilson Childrens’ Fund, established to benefit the surviving family of the 37-year-old racer. Honda drivers completed a total of 1,079 laps today, which will result in a donation of $53,950 to the fund. Fans may add their own donations, or purchase Justin Wilson memorabilia with proceeds going to the fund, by logging on to www.wilsonchildrensfund.com.
Ryan Hunter-Reay (#28 Andretti Autosport Honda) started 3rd, finished 2nd, his third podium finish in the last four races: “It was a good finish to the season, that’s for sure. We won two of the last four races – we finished second today, so it’s been a really good streak. Today we jumped a few spots in the championship. We finished sixth, which is crazy coming from 11th in the championship this morning. It’s been a great run and it’s great that it ended on a high note like this headed into a busy off-season. But we’re also missing Justin Wilson. He’s here with us in spirit. He’s a part of what we’re doing, and he’ll always be moving forward with us at Andretti Autosport.”
Graham Rahal (#15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda) started 6th, finished 18th, finished a career-high fourth in the drivers’ championship: “Unfortunately our car was pretty terrible today from the start. The guys did a great job in the pits to kind of keep us in it, frankly, because we didn’t really deserve to be in that position. The car has been like this all weekend, it’s been an animal. I wasn’t worried so much about the championship from the start. I knew it looked like [Scott] Dixon would pretty much dominate. I can’t thank this team enough, Honda has done a great job and I’m proud to lead the charge for them. Obviously, the [Sebastien] Bourdais thing [contact and resulting spin for Rahal] hurt us and went from third to fourth in the championship. What can you say? It’s been a great year, we have nothing to be ashamed of and have a lot to be proud of. Finishing fourth in the championship is not the worst, but obviously we hoped for better. This team did a tremendous job all season and they deserved better than fourth. I feel like I drove pretty well this year. I feel like I improved a lot in areas that I needed to improve. I’m proud of the effort the team put in and I’m proud of the effort I put in and we have a lot to improve on yet.”
Art St. Cyr (President, Honda Performance Development) on today’s race and the 2015 season: “Considering the struggle we had at the beginning of the season, the way our associates responded and fought back the entire way is inspiring. Winning three of the final four races gives us good momentum moving towards 2016. In a lot of ways, this has been one of most challenging years, not just in terms of performance, but with the serious injuries to James Hinchcliffe at Indianapolis and, of course, the tragic loss of Justin Wilson just last week. Our thoughts remain with the Wilson family in this difficult time. All of us in the Honda family are going to honor his memory in the best way we know: by continuing to fight hard for race wins and championships.”
Chevrolet Wins 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series Manufacturer Championship
Title is Fourth Consecutive for the Chevrolet IndyCar Program
DETROIT (August 30, 2015) – For the fourth consecutive season, Chevrolet is the Verizon IndyCar Series Manufacturer Champion. The Chevrolet 2.2 liter turbocharged V6 IndyCar engine program combined with the new-for-2015 Chevrolet Aero Kit to produce16 poles and nine wins – including the Indianapolis 500 by Juan Pablo Montoya. Continue reading Chevy Racing–Chevrolet Wins 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series Manufacturer Championship
CHEVROLET IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
GO PRO GRAND PRIX OF SONOMA
SONOMA RACEWAY
SONOMA, CALIFORNIA
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER POST RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
AUGUST 30, 2015
Scott Dixon Shines at Sonoma – Wins Race to Claim Fourth Verizon IndyCar Series Championship
Chevrolet Captures Fourth Straight Manufacturer Championship
SONOMA, Calif. (August 30, 2015) – Scott Dixon and the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet team executed a perfect race strategy in winning the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma at Sonoma Raceway and capturing the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series championship in come-from-behind style. The win was Dixon’s third of the season and his fourth IndyCar driver title. It was also the 100th Indy car victory for Chip Ganassi Racing Teams. Continue reading Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Sonoma Post Race
Pittman Holds off Schatz to Take Oil City Cup Finale at Castrol Raceway
Donny Schatz wins the Oil City Cup championship for the third year in a row
EDMONTON, Alb. – Aug. 29, 2015 – Daryn Pittman got a nice birthday surprise Saturday night at Castrol Raceway as he drove his No. 9 Great Clips car to victory lane in the finale of the Oil City Cup. Continue reading World of Outlaws–Pittman Holds off Schatz to Take Oil City Cup Finale at Castrol Raceway
NASCAR XFINITY Series
Road America 180 Fired Up by Johnsonville
Road America
Saturday, August 28, 2015
Race Highlights:
Paul Menard won the Road America 180 Fired Up by Johnsonville, recording the No. 33 team’s fourth victory of the 2015 NASCAR XFINITY Series season. Brian Scott finished third, Ty Dillon 10th and Brendan Gaughan was 16th.
Richard Childress Racing drivers Brian Scott started fifth, Paul Menard eighth, Ty Dillon 13th and Brendan Gaughan in 16th.
Next up for the XFINITY Series is the VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway. Catch all the action live on Saturday, September 5th at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time on NBC Sports Network, broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio channel 90. Continue reading Richard Childress Racing–Road America 180
CHEVROLET IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
GOPRO GRAND PRIX OF SONOMA
SONOMA RACEWAY
SONOMA, CALIFORNIA
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER POST QUALIFYING
AUGUST 29, 2015
Will Power Puts Chevrolet on Pole at Sonoma; Wins Sixth Pole and Sets Fourth Track Record of Season
SONOMA, Calif. (August 29, 2015) – Will Power put the No. 1 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet on the pole at Sonoma Raceway with a track record-setting effort of one minute 16:2597-seconds/112.589 mph. It is the sixth Verizon P1 Award and fourth track record of the season for the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series champion. Power, who is fourth in points, added the valuable one point for the pole heading into the season finale. Continue reading Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Sonoma–Post Qualifying
CHEVROLET IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
GOPRO GRAND PRIX OF SONOMA
SONOMA RACEWAY
SONOMA, CALIFORNIA
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER POST QUALIFYING QUOTES
AUGUST 29, 2015
WILL POWER, NO. 1 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, POLE WINNER: WHAT IS IT ABOUT SONOMA THAT YOU LIKE SO WELL? “Well, I believe it’s a team thing but obviously I love the area and love the track. It’s a very technical track and you have to be very committed when it comes to qualifying. My favorite session of the whole weekend is the qualifying. You get to get the absolute maximum out of the car and ring its neck. I enjoyed it a whole lot. Obviously the race will be a fairly different story as there are a lot of points on the table tomorrow. We really need to be careful on how we execute this because we need to win.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–SONOMA–Post Qualifying
CHEVROLET IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
GOPRO GRAND PRIX OF SONOMA
SONOMA RACEWAY
SONOMA, CALIFORNIA
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 28, 2015
SAGE KARAM, CHIP GANASSI RACING VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES DRIVER met with members of the media at Sonoma Raceway. Transcript:
THOUGHTS ON THE LOSS OF VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES DRIVER JUSTIN WILSON LAST WEEK AT POCONO NOTE: KARAM WAS INVOLVED IN A SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT AHEAD OF WILSON ON-TRACK AND SUSTAINED AN INJURY TO HIS FOOT: “It’s been a tough week. This isn’t a good week for racing losing such a great guy. I’ve been working with a psychologist this week. I’ve worked with him in the past and he’s really been there for me this week. It’s been tough on me, but the main thing is Justin’s family. I can’t imagine what they’re going through.”
HAVE DETAILS OF THE INCIDENT BEEN DISCERNED: “We looked into the data and did nothing different from the laps before. I was actually in the lead for a few laps so the clean air didn’t catch me by surprise or anything. I made a few adjustments two laps before to give the car a little bit more understeer. Nothing popped out. Nothing on the car broke. I didn’t hit the apron. It was a late corner spin, and when it went it went fast.”
WHAT WAS ADVICE OF PSYCHOLOGIST: “For me, the night time is the worst for me just when you’re sitting there thinking of things. Just getting out of the house and keeping busy is the main thing. I’ve been trying not to spend a lot of alone time, because that’s when I start thinking of things and asking ‘What if?’ ’’
DOES YOU AGE – 20 YEARS OLD – MAKE A DIFFERENCE: “I think this would be difficult for anyone. It’s just an unfortunate thing.”
HOW THERAPEUTIC IS IT TO BE AT THE RACETRACK: “I had questions about coming to this race whether I needed to or not. But it’s always good to be around the racing family because these are the people who are closest to me and will be able to pick me up when I need to be picked up. Being around my teammates and the crew and all the fans out here has bene good so far.”
WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO COMPETE THIS WEEK: “If I were in a car I would do what Justin would want me to do, which is go out there and be a badass and do what I always do.”
HOW IS YOUR FOOT, WHICH WAS INJURED IN THE CRASH: “It’s just bruised. No broken bones or anything. It’s getting better.”
IS THERE COMFORT IN THE FACT THAT IT WAS SUCH A FLUKE INCIDENT: “I don’t think there’s any comfort in this but it was such a freak accident. It is a tough time, and I’m just hoping his family is able to get through this with me. At night, you’re (in bed) looking at the ceiling and saying, ‘What if I didn’t spin?’ And that’s the toughest thing.”
UNTIL THAT POINT, HOW CONFIDENT WERE YOU ABOUT WINNING: “I was super confident. I was such a zone. The car wasn’t loose the whole race, and that’s why I don’t understand what happened and I’ve looked at the video 100 times. The car was really fast and the crew did a great job. I was bummed that I couldn’t finish the job for them.”
HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO WILSON’S WIDOW, JULIA: “I want to talk with here when the time is right. I have talked with (Wilson’s brother) Stefan at the hospital. He’s been there for me and I’ve been there for him.”
CHEVROLET IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
GOPRO GRAND PRIX OF SONOMA
SONOMA RACEWAY
SONOMA, CALIFORNIA
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 28, 2015
An interview with Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Dixon, Will Power, Helio Castroneves and Josef Newgarden
THE MODERATOR: We’ll go ahead and get started with today’s Verizon IndyCar Series media availability. We are pleased to be joined by our six (five of six are Team Chevy drivers) championship contenders for the Verizon IndyCar Series title which will be decided on Sunday. Continue reading Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Sonoma