Marstons Mills, MA -July 3, 2014-Jay Blake’s Permatex/Follow A Dream Top Alcohol Funny Car team got knocked out in the first round at both the Jegs Allstars race and the Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Ill., just south of Chicago.
In the prestigious Jegs Allstars race, open to the top two drivers from each of the nation’s four regions, driver Todd Veney, representing the East Region, qualified No. 6 with a 5.70. In a rematch of the first round of last year’s Allstars race, Veney red-lighted against Iowa’s Chris Foster. In Route 66 Nationals competition, he lost to California’s Doug Gordon despite making a quicker run, 5.70 to 5.65.
“The other two times we made it on the Allstars team, we got all the way to the final and barely lost, but this was a weekend to forget,” Veney said. “We just started having me stage the car differently, and I obviously didn’t adapt very well. I’m just glad there’s another race this weekend.”
“Things didn’t go the way we wanted, but weekends like that are going to happen sometimes,” Blake said. “It’s truly an honor any time you make it on an Allstar team, and we’ll be back at it this weekend at Norwalk, where we got to the final a couple years ago.”
Chevy Racing–Chevrolet IndyCar V6 Teams Ready for Challenging Triangle-Shaped Pocono Raceway
Chevrolet IndyCar V6 Teams Ready for Challenging Triangle-Shaped Pocono Raceway
· Chevrolet Leads Series Manufacturer Standings with 10 of 18 races in the books
· Chevrolet IndyCar V6 has won 5 of 10 races held to-date in 2014
· Will Power Continues to Lead Driver Point Standings 39 Points Over Team Penske Teammate Helio Castroneves
DETROIT (July 3, 2014) – The unique triangle-shaped Pocono Raceway is next on the schedule for the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 teams and drivers. On the strength of five victories, Chevrolet heads to the 200-lap/500-mile Pocono 500 on the 2.5-mile tri-oval leading the Verizon IndyCar Series Manufacturer standings.
“We are eager to get back to Pocono,” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager Verizon IndyCar Series. “We feel Team Chevy can really get it done there this year. Our speedway performance is solid and with double points and 500 miles to race, there is a lot on the line. Our Chevrolet IndyCar V6 engines will be in the sweet spot as most have mileaged out recently which has bolstered our lead in the manufacturer championship.”
Team Chevy driver Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, brings a 39 point lead over his teammate Helio Castroneves, No. 3 Hitachi Chevrolet, in the 2014 IndyCar driver standings. Power scored the first victory in 2014, bringing the Chevrolet 2.2 liter direct injected twin turbocharged powered race car to Victory Lane at the Streets of St. Petersburg. His second victory of the year that propelled him to the lead in the point standings was race one of the Chevrolet Dual at Detroit. A total of six top-five finishes and eight top-10 runs thus far this season has kept him on top of the standings.
The first oval was the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Three time Indy 500 winner, Castroneves, came within just six one-hundredths of a second from claiming his fourth victory in the iconic track. Castroneves took the momentum to Detroit and scored a top-five finish in race one in the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit, and a dominating victory in Sunday’s race two of Chevrolet sponsored weekend.
Team Penske’s third driver, Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 2 PPG Chevrolet, sits fifth in the driver standings in his first season returning to IndyCar competition.
Scott Dixon, No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Chevrolet, is the defending race champion at Pocono. The 2013 Verizon IndyCar Series champion sits ninth in the standings, and is looking to repeat at Pocono, and score his first win of the 2014 season.
Sebastien Bourdais, No. 11Hydroxycut KVSH Racing Chevrolet, heads to Pocono eighth in the standings, and fueled by the momentum of two top-five finishes in the doubleheader Grand Prix of Houston.
Dyson Racing–Team Bentley–Moving On Up
Moving On Up
ELKHART LAKE, WI — Dyson Racing Team Bentley improved on yesterday’s sixth place finish with a fourth place today in the second race of the Pirelli World Challenge doubleheader at Road America. As he did yesterday, Butch Leitzinger in the Bentley Continental GT3 set the second fastest lap of the race underlining a strong debut weekend for the team.
The first day of summer dawned misty and damp with heavy fog lingering at the 9:10 am race start on the four mile, 14-turn natural road course. Forty-three cars took the green flag with Leitzinger starting from the outside of the front row. He lost three positions at the start and was making up ground when the yellow came out on the fifth lap. The race resumed twenty minutes later on lap 12 for twelve minutes of green running to the checkered flag.
“We lost some positions on the first lap, but once the car came in after a couple laps and all the temperatures were good on the tires, the car was just fantastic,” said Leitzinger. “I was trying so hard to get a podium for Bentley today but just could not do it. It was a shame it was not a longer race or we had more green laps, because the car was getting better with every lap. But that is part of sprint racing.
“It was a very good weekend. The car ran every session with no problems and we kept on making it better and more competitive every time we went out. I was very impressed with the car and with the team effort between us and Bentley. I had a blast and cannot wait for the next race and further develop the potential of this Bentley.”
Team principal Rob Dyson shared the same positive view of the weekend’s effort. “It was a good start. I would give it a solid grade. Sprint racing is a new discipline for us and we are coming into a new ‘neighborhood.’ The series and competitors are friendly, giving and helpful. They have terrific and fast cars here in Pirelli World Challenge. Bentley has done an excellent job in the engineering and development of the Continental GT3, and as it continues to be raced on both sides of the Atlantic, it will continue to get better. I am very pleased with the result and how the team has made our new partnership with Bentley work seamlessly from the start.”
Dyson Racing–Team Bentley–Successful Inauguration Day
Successful Inauguration Day
ELKHART LAKE, WI – It was a successful debut for Dyson Racing Team Bentley and the new Bentley Continental GT3 in today’s Pirelli World Challenge race here at iconic Road America. Butch Leitzinger finished sixth in the twin-turbo V-8 powered entry, fourteen seconds off of first place. He set the second fastest race lap which means he will start on the outside of the front row for tomorrow’s second race of the weekend.
The race was a march forward for Leitzinger. He made up 13 positions in the 50 minute race. While the race was run under dry conditions, this morning’s wet qualifying session was cancelled and the grid was based on points. With this being the first race for the team in PWC, no prior championship points put Leitzinger in the 19th starting position.
Leitzinger summed up his race: “It was great. The car performed well and I had fun racing with people. It is great to be able to dice with people and go wheel to wheel and everyone was very fair. No one was giving anything and that is how you want to race people. The track changed quite a bit between the rain and the NASCAR rubber that was put down, and it looked like everyone was struggling for grip. We learned a lot and Bentley has produced a great race car and Dyson has done a great job of bringing it to the race track. We are going to have fun with this car the rest of the year.”
Chris Dyson, Vice President and Sporting Director of Dyson Racing, commented that “It was a good inaugural race for our Anglo-American partnership. The car has run trouble- free this weekend and Butch, as usual, worked the traffic well in the race. We have been made to feel very welcome by everyone in Pirelli World Challenge, and it is great to have the team back at a race track, doing what they do best.”
“It is probably the most sorted new car that I have driven,” added Leitzinger talking about the Continental GT3. “The Bentley people and the M-Sport people had done a great job of putting together a good package. Plus we had Guy Smith who helped with the development on the car, so everyone deserves a lot of credit for producing a good baseline car. We have not had to chase the usual new car teething problems and from the very beginning the Bentley has felt solid.
“I am very impressed with the feel and capabilities of the car. Normally a GT car is all mechanical with very little aero, but this car has good aerodynamics. Their wind tunnel work shows as you can feel the downforce on the car.”
Peter Weston, the race engineer for Dyson Racing, also found a lot to like about the new car. “The chassis is stiff and racy which opens up a lot of doors to the engineer as far as how he can set the car up. Butch found the same thing from the drivers’ seat that he can bring a lot to the table as a driver and use his full repertoire of race craft. Normally with GT cars, there is only one way to drive them, but with the new Bentley, the driver can drive it how he wants to go quickly. The car is actually quite nimble and is a flexible platform from both engineering and driver’s viewpoint.”
Ross Hoek Motorsports–Hoek Gets First PRO-4×4 Podium: Third Place – Round 8
Hoek Gets First PRO-4×4 Podium: Third Place – Round 8
Holland, MI (July 3, 2014) – The effort that Ross Hoek Motorsports has put forward competing in the premier division of short-course off-road racing is nothing short of herculean. The privateer PRO-4×4 racer entered his sophomore season with one goal in mind, finish on the podium. Last weekend at the most storied short-course venue in North America, Ross Hoek stood on the final step of the podium after finishing Round Eight in third place.
The race festivities didn’t begin until early Saturday morning as Friday morning rain cancelled all scheduled practice on the 1.7 mile long track known as “The Big House.” This left Hoek and his team guessing at the chassis set-up on the #10 Nitto Tire/TR Bead Locks/Shop-Vac PRO-4×4. Fortunately the land rush start can minimize the importance of qualifying as long as your truck leaves strong off the line.
Nitto Tire Toyota floundered on the Land Rush start and Ross struggled to get comfortable in the truck. Regardless the Lower Michigan native pressed on to complete all nine laps taking the checkered flag in fifth place.
Overnight the team, now with some good track feedback from the afternoon race, made several adjustments to the PRO-4×4. The next morning Hoek and his crew were confident that the race truck would be much more competitive.
Sunday, Round Eight
The changes with the truck did work as #10 PRO-4×4 was visibly running quicker. Ross Hoek was much more aggressive with his approach to the race. By the third lap Hoek was running fourth, keeping ahead of Mike Jenkins and within striking distance of the Round 7 winner Mark Jenkins. The great race pace continued after the mandatory caution as Ross Hoek moved up to third place on lap seven. The closing laps saw a great finish as Hoek took the checkered flag in third place just one second behind second place.
“Finally this day has come,” note Ross Hoek. “I have said many times that the driver has to catch up to the potential of this Greaves built race truck. Today I think I closed the gap. I have to thank Johnny Greaves for not only making me a great deal on this truck, but for all the help since we entered PRO-4. I also have to thank Ricky Johnson for all his coaching and advice on how drive a PRO-4, as well as how to race a PRO-4. Thanks goes out to my crew, as this is a continual learning experience and they have always stayed positive and have kept me on the track race after race. Of course I have to thank my wife Cathy for all her support through all of this as well.”
There was one more race on schedule, the $30,000 Forest County Potawatomi Community Cup. The event combines the PRO-4×4 and PRO-2WD race trucks for an all-out ten lap sprint. Ross Hoek entered the event for the first time in the PRO-4×4 Division and if nothing else, the time on the track would allow the STACK data logger to gather useful information that will keep the race truck competitive when the TORC series returns for the Labor Day Weekend World Championships.
The Cup is very exciting to watch and somewhat stressful for the driver. With that being said, Ross Hoek completed all ten laps to finish ninth overall.
World of Outlaws–Mark Dobmeier Battles Schatz and Swindell to Win at Husets Speedway
Mark Dobmeier Battles Schatz and Swindell to Win at Husets Speedway
This is Dobmeiers third ever World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series win and his second Outlaws win at Husets
BRANDON, S.D. July 2, 2014 Mark Dobmeier battled from a 10th place starting position Wednesday night, passing 293-time winner Sammy Swindell for the lead and holding off a late challenge from five-time champion Donny Schatz to claim the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series win at Husets Speedway.
Dobmeier, a five-time Husets champion, crossed the finish line in his Senske and Son car to loud cheers from fans at the 3/8 mile track.
That cheer right there says it all! Dobmeier said. I cant thank my team enough. They always stick behind us. They always work harder and harder. Ill tell you what, I gave 110 percent in that race.
Weve been very strong at this track. Id say weve been the fastest car out there for the last two weeks. We had a blown motor and I was going for it for the lead last week, just the other night, pulled a wheelie and got in a tangle up. But thats the fine line of pushing the edge all the time. That could have been the same thing right there but we were able to tame her down and keep her to the win.
Dobmeier, who is a native of Grand Forks, N.D., said he considers the track his second home track.
Anytime you bring it home for the home crowd, this is what its all about here, Dobmeier said. I appreciate every one of you guys out there.
With his win, Dobmeier became the 17th different winner so far this season. This was his third Outlaws win and second at Husets. He notched his first win with the series at Wilmot Raceway in 2006. His previous Husets win with the Outlaws came in 2012.
Swindell started on the front row with Kraig Kinser. Paul McMahan and Joey Saldana started in row two.
As the green flag flew, Swindell jumped out to a strong lead while the shuffle began behind him. A caution on lap nine gave a charging Dobmeier the momentum he needed as he powered past McMahan and Schatz to move into the third position. He soon began to reel in Kraig Kinser for second. By lap 14 he had caught Kinser to take over the second spot.
Shortly after that, Swindell, still with a firm grip on the lead, caught lapped traffic. As Swindell was slowed, Dobmeier gave chase, catching the three-time champion in traffic on the backstretch and making a bold, three-wide pass for the lead. As Dobmeier took over the lead on lap 19, Kerry Madsen, who started in the 19th position, had worked his way all the way up to eighth.
On a restart following a caution just after Dobmeier took the lead, Swindell gave him one more fight, battling Dobmeier for three laps. Meanwhile, Schatz and Madsen looked to advance. Schatz took over the second position on lap 28 and Madsen took over the third spot shortly after.
Dobmeier faced one more challenge in the closing laps from Schatz.
We got to him there, said Schatz, driver of the STP/Armor All car. I knew it was going to be a tire management game but I guess I waited a little bit too long. Mark got himself up there and got in a good spot. He kept slipping off the bottom of one and two and I got underneath him and got even with him. I kind of told myself going into three, Ive got everything to lose and he doesnt. We got side-by-side and he beat us to the corner. Second is where were at.
Dobmeier crossed the finish line in first with Schatz in second and Madsen in third.
Schatz credited his team for putting him in a good position to compete Wednesday night.
Its a tribute to this STP team, Schatz said. These guys have done a phenomenal job all night. Typically I dont qualify all that well here and theyve been working hard on that. Got us a great race car and it was there at the end, just a little bit short.
Madsen, who received the ASE Hard Charger award after picking up 16 spots in his American Racing Custom Wheels car over the course of the race, congratulated Dobmeier and said he wasnt expecting to have the night he had.
I started 19th and I thought if I can crack a top ten, thatll be insane, said Madsen, a native of St. Marys, New South Wales, Australia. I was in the unique position when you start back that far that you just go everywhere the other guys not. I was running the bottom of one and two for a while earlier and then Im like, I think I can go to the top. And ironically it was really good up there. But you have to hit it pretty nice and you can make a pass and put you into good position down here, so I really enjoyed myself.
Its always awesome to come up and race in front of the Husets South Dakota fans – so just a fun night overall.
None of the podium finishers started better than fifth at Husets Dobmeier started 10th, Schatz started fifth and Madsen started 19th.
Schatz again extended his champion points lead to 108 over second place Daryn Pittman. Paul McMahan remained in third, 113 points out of the lead.
The World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series travels next to Dodge City Raceway Park for the Boothill Showdown presented by Roto-Mix on July 4 and 5. Limaland Motorsports Park welcomes the Outlaws on July 9 for the Brad Doty Classic.
Kasey Kahne Racing – Results Recap June 18 through July 2
Kasey Kahne Racing – Results Recap
June 18 through July 2
Sweet backs up horrific crash with win the next night
It’s been a busy couple of weeks for the KKR teams (sorry we missed last weeks newsletter, we were in Washington for The Drive event with Kasey and Russell Wilson) and this past week there were three races in as many nights.
Cody Darrah has been on a hot streak the last five races, with finishes of 8th or better in every event. DP9 continues his championship point battle with Donnie Schatz but the big story of the week was Brad Sweet.
At 34 Raceway, Sweet made contact with another car while battling for position in the top five. The No. 49 car struck a blunt area of the wall where cars enter the pit area outside of the track and tumbled down the back stretch. When the dust settled, Sweet’s car had broken in half.
In an amazing show of sportsmanship, teammate Cody Darrah and competitors Jason Sides and David Gravel jumped out of their cars and tended to Brad before emergency workers were even on the scene.
Sweet escaped with only a banged-up ankle, but the entire 49 car was a loss. The SureTest Supplies team worked through the night to get ready for the race the following evening at Beaver Dam Raceway and the KKR teams responded to the previous night’s adversity like only the KKR teams can: by taking three of the top four finishes in the feature, with Brad Sweet winning the race.
Wood Brothers Racing–Woods Recall Summertime Success At Daytona
When most NASCAR fans think of the Wood Brothers and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team and racing at Daytona International Speedway, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the team’s five victories in the Daytona 500.
But the Woods actually have had more success in the summertime, winning 10 races on the July 4th weekend, making team founder Glen Wood the all-time leader in car owner victories in points-paying Cup races at Daytona, with a total of 15.
Many times, the Woods rolled their Fords into Daytona’s Victory Lane on the strength of dominating performances while other times luck played a hand. Sometimes a July win made up for the disappointment of a lost opportunity to win the Great American Race in February. The 1983 Firecracker 400 was one of those races. Buddy Baker, a current nominee for the NASCAR Hall of Fame, was driving the No. 21 Ford, which was the team’s first of the then-new aerodynamically sleek Thunderbirds that came to rule the superspeedways for most of the 1980’s.
Baker had driven that same car in the ’83 Daytona 500. He led 35 laps and was poised to win, only to lose the lead to eventual winner Cale Yarborough on the last lap of the race and eventually finishing third behind Bill Elliott.
Then in July, it was Terry Labonte that dominated the race only to run out of gas coming to the white flag. Baker assumed the lead, and his No. 21 Ford also ran dry but not before he crossed the finish line to claim his 19th career Cup victory, which wound up being the final triumph of his career.
For team co-owner Eddie Wood, that ’83 win was special for several reasons.
“For one, it was the first race we won for Ford in the new model Thunderbird,” Wood said.
And it seemed overdue to the Woods, who built the car on a new Banjo Matthews chassis and unloaded it with lots of speed when they first arrived at Daytona that February.
“That car led the 125 miler, and we lost it to Dale Earnhardt, who at that time was driving a Thunderbird.” Wood said. “And in the Busch Clash it was fast but got wrecked on the last lap. To finally win one here in Daytona with it was really special.”
The Motorcraft/Quick Lane team returns to Daytona this week to try for its 16th win, and it’ll be the team’s most recent Daytona winner, 2011 Daytona 500 champion Trevor Bayne, at the wheel of the No. 21 Ford Fusion.
Qualifying for the 56th annual Coke Zero 400 is set for Friday at 5:10 p.m, and the race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 7:30 p.m. on Saturday with TV coverage on TNT.
Summit Racing–Line focused on performing at max potential at Summit Racing’s title event
Line focused on performing at max potential at Summit Racing’s title event
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 1, 2014) – The annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk is an event that the Summit Racing Pro Stock team eagerly anticipates each season. This year, Jason Line is particularly eager to arrive at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park as the KB Racing team has been showing continuous improvement. Now No. 4 in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock standings, Line would love nothing better than to wheel his way up in the standings with a powerful performance in his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro.
As the season has progressed, expectations for the team have grown. Line kicked off the season with a win at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, and a final round appearance in Las Vegas at the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals added fuel to the team’s fire. Just last week in Chicago, Line was fired up again as he reached his third final of the season. Now a 32-time NHRA Pro Stock winner, Line is in hot pursuit of win No. 33.
“This weekend, we’ll be planning to follow through and get it done,” said Line. “It was pretty disappointing to walk away without the trophy for Summit Racing last weekend, but to get it in Norwalk would be very special for this whole team. It always means a lot to us to have success there at our sponsor’s title event, and the KB Racing team has quite often been able to do well there. It’s a favorite race for us, for sure.”
Line and his Summit Racing teammate Greg Anderson won the event in three consecutive seasons; Anderson won in 2008 and 2010, while Line was the winner in 2009. A Summit Racing Pro Stocker has also sat atop the field in qualifying three times: 2007, 2008 and 2009.
With just six races remaining before NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship begins, there are only 16 points separate positions two through four in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series standings.
“At this point in the season, everything is so close,” said Line. “It makes it exciting, but it also means that there is a lot of work going on to try to break away from everyone else. Sometimes it’s difficult to focus as a driver in times like this, but you really have no excuses. We had a good showing for Team Summit last week and are very focused as a team on putting a Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro in the winner’s circle this week in Norwalk.”
Summit Racing–Anderson sees race at Summit Motorsports Park as ideal setting to move up
Anderson sees race at Summit Motorsports Park as ideal setting to move up
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 1, 2014) – Greg Anderson is a fighter. The Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro driver has been a powerful force behind the wheel of his steed this season as he has reliably left competitors on the starting line in his quest to garner victory. Though he has yet to celebrate in the winner’s circle this year, the Mooresville, N.C.-based driver is prepared to peak at what he feels would be the perfect time, the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park. After all, this weekend is his sponsor’s title event at a facility that proudly bears the name of the high performance mail-order parts leader.
Anderson and the KB Racing team have frequently hit pay dirt at Summit Motorsports Park; Anderson has won there twice (2008 and 2010) and his Summit Racing teammate Jason Line was the winner in 2009. Last week in Chicago Anderson surged with one of his best qualifying performances of the year while Line powered his way to the final round.
“We had a great race last week in Chicago, and we left there feeling positive about our performance and that we can find success,” said Anderson, who is No. 11 and a mere 25 points outside of the top 10 in NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series standings despite missing the first five races of the year as he recovered from heart surgery.
“That extra pressure of racing at our sponsor’s title event seems to sit well with us. In the past, even when we haven’t been doing well, we are somehow able to turn it on when we come to the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. Last week was certainly a good stepping stone for us heading into this event, and I feel like we should be good when we get there. I’m excited, and this whole team is excited, to tell you the truth.”
Anderson has 74 national event wins in the books, a large number that places him as No. 8 on the list of all-time winningest drivers in the history of NHRA. Number 75 is just around the corner, and Anderson hopes that this weekend he is able to finally reach the goal. So far this year, he has been remarkably – and frustratingly – close with final round finishes in Atlanta and Englishtown.
“It will come,” said Anderson. “But right now we know we need more than luck to get us to that final round and finally close the deal. Everything has to be perfect. If you look back at history, this weekend would be the right place and the right time for it to happen, for us and for our good friends at Summit Racing Equipment.”
Chevy Racing–SECOND CONSECUTIVE DAYTONA SWEEP THE GOAL FOR THE CHEVROLET SS
SECOND CONSECUTIVE DAYTONA SWEEP THE GOAL FOR THE CHEVROLET SS
Chevy’s Dale Earnhardt, Jr. looks to be second Chevy driver to sweep Daytona
DETROIT – (July 1, 2014) – In 2013 Jimmie Johnson debuted the new Chevy SS at Daytona International Speedway in spectacular fashion winning the prestigious Daytona 500 in the SS’ first points paying race. Johnson followed up that success by completing the ‘Daytona Sweep’ winning the Coke Zero 400 in July at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. This season Chevrolet has the opportunity to do it again. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. piloting the No. 88 National Guard Chevy SS won the season opening Daytona 500 and is poised to complete the sweep by pulling into Victory Lane this weekend at Daytona. Earnhardt, Jr. a three-time Daytona winner is no stranger to success at restrictor-plate racing. Of his 21 career victories eight (8) (38.1%) of those have come at Daytona and Talladega Superspeedway the two tracks on the circuit that feature large pack racing and depend on aerodynamic superiority as well as a set-up for handling conditions have been one of Earnhardt, Jr.’s career strong suits.
Over the years Chevrolet has been the most successful manufacturer at Daytona winning 18 races in July and 44 total at the birthplace of NASCAR, Daytona Beach, Florida. Chevrolet has won the last four races at Daytona. Since the beginning of racing at the superspeedway the Bowtie brand has swept Daytona 11 times beginning with the first sweep in 1986 when Geoff Bodine won the Daytona 500 and his teammate Tim Richmond followed up with a victory in the Firecracker 400. This weekend Chevrolet teams and drivers will once again compete under the lights over July 4th weekend celebrating the independence of the United States America and the freedom to compete in a sport built on heritage and history.
Not only will the drivers and teams be busy so will the staff at the Team Chevy display. Fans visiting Daytona International Speedway for the July 4th holiday weekend will have the opportunity to stop by the Team Chevy display located in the midway area. The display will feature a number of Chevrolet production cars including: Malibu, Impala, Traverse, Silverado Double Cab, Silverado HC, Camaro, Cruze, Silverado HD, Suburban and Equinox.
Several Team Chevy drivers will also make appearances at the Chevy display including: Reed Sorenson, Michael Annett, Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne. As a special treat this weekend the Chevrolet Florida Fishing Report team of Captain Rick Murphy and crew will be on site doing demonstrations and signing autographs at the Chevy display.
In support of NASCAR’s American Salute initiative Chevrolet has partnered with Tommy Baldwin racing writing letters to soldiers. Chevrolet has donated phone cars to mail with those letters so soldiers fighting overseas can call their families back home. This weekend is the last weekend fans can write letters to soldiers. There are letter bins located in the Team Chevy display where fans can drop of their letters this Fourth of July weekend.
A fun filled holiday weekend is in store for fans, drivers and teams alike. Chevrolet looks to sweep the races at Daytona for the 12th time in the manufacturers’ history. On both Friday and Saturday night the fields for both the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be led down to the green flag by Chevrolet productions vehicles. The Chevrolet Camaro will lead the Nationwide field to the green flag and on Sunday the all-new Chevrolet SS will set the pace as the 18th race of the 2014 season gets underway. All of the Bowite branded drivers and teams will hope to beat the heat, miss the ‘big one’ and make their way to Victory Lane to celebrate under the lights at the historic Daytona International Speedway.
Honda Racing–Honda Associates Make Successful Runs At Sunday’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
Honda’s racing lineup for the 2014 Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb had a little something for everyone with a 24 Hours of LeMans winner racing right alongside Honda associates in vehicles ranging from an Acura NSX to a Honda Fit. At the end of the day, four Honda drivers and riders earned top-five class finishes in Sunday’s 12.42-mile sprint to the top of Pikes Peak, while Honda’s world-renowned race engines did the job, powering Romain Dumas to his first overall Pikes Peak title.
Associates from American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Honda Performance Development (HPD), Honda North America and Honda R&D combined to field six vehicles for Honda associates in this year’s race. With five of the six Honda drivers having previously competed at Pikes Peak,each of the six vehicles made successful runs to the 14,115-foot Pikes Peak summit, including the Honda Fit EV of Roy Richards, which won the Electric Production class in a race-record time.
In addition to the efforts of its associates in Sunday’s race, Honda provided power for Dumas in his own Norma RD Limited prototype chassis entry in the Unlimited class. Starting first, Dumas pushed his Honda power plant to a race-winning time of 9:05.801 to claim his first race win and the first overall Pikes Peak victory for a Honda-powered car.
Richards’ run of 12:55.591 gave his blue-hued Honda FitEV the class win, marking the 13th consecutive year that a Honda-powered vehicle has won at least one class in the famed event.
James Robinson posted the fastest time of the six Honda associate-driven vehicles in his Acura Pikes Peak NSX, finishing sixth in the Open Class with a time of 11:09.134. Zach Jacobs rode his Honda CBR600RR throughout the course’s 156 turns in 11:11.885 to place fifth in the Middleweight motorcycle class, while Sage Marie’s effort of 11:59.095 in his Honda S2000 was good for fourth in the Time Attack 2 class.
Keith Steidl placed sixth in the quad class with a time of 12:31.245, while the only rookie in the 2014 class, Corey Taguchi, placed fourth in the Exhibition standings after posting a time of 14:26.438 in his Honda Fit.Romain Dumas (Norma RD Honda) overall race winner: “After [finishing 2nd in
Chevy Racing–Tuesday Teleconference–Kyle Larson
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS, WAS THE GUEST ON THIS WEEK’S NASCAR WEEKLY TELECONFERENCE.
BELOW IS THE TRANSCRIPT:
JENNIE LONG: Good afternoon, everyone. Today we’re joined by Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Kyle, you’re halfway through a strong rookie season and you’re on pace to become the first rookie to make the Chase since 2006. To solidify that goal you need a first win. What do you think your chances are this weekend at Daytona and in the remaining nine races before the Chase?
KYLE LARSON: Yes, well, I think going into Daytona everybody has a good chance of winning. We’re really confident, but at the same time it’s a track where things can go really badly. Just kind of setting goals as every other week, try to finish the race and get a top 10 and see if we can put ourselves in position to get a win at the end, that would be great.
The biggest goal is to try and stay out of the big one because it’s going to happen. I’m sure there will be one or two of them throughout the race. Try to stay out of trouble. But yeah, it’s been nice being ‑‑ running as well as we have, and if we could get a win sometime before the Chase, that would be great.
Q. Kind of a two‑part question. First of all, what does it mean or how does it feel to be part of such a big rookie class with so much talent, and then to follow up on that, how does it feel to actually be leading that class at least based on the first half of the season?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I’m really happy and stuff that there is such a great rookie class. In past years maybe there’s been one or two rookies, and the award doesn’t really mean a whole lot, and I think this year with having a bunch of kids having great résumés, to win that would be awesome. Austin Dillon has won a championship and Rookie of the Year in the trucks and the Nationwide Series, so if I could beat him to win the Rookie of the Year award at the end of the year, that would be great, just because I’ve only got a couple years of stock car experience right now.
It’s definitely one of our main goals, and so far we’ve been doing well, staying ahead of him. Had a couple bad races the last couple weekends, but we’ll rebound from that and hopefully get back going.
Q. To win Rookie of the Year and join the list of guys who have won that award, what would that mean just to have your name on that list?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, it would mean a lot. Like I said, I think this year is really special just because there’s so many rookies and really good rookies. And to win Rookie of the Year in the Sprint Cup Series is every rookie’s goal. To keep some other good guys from winning, it would be great. That’s why we’re trying to stay consistent and be ahead of those guys each week.
Q. I have two questions, as well. The first one is you really haven’t had too many times this year where you had back‑to‑back not as great as you’d like to finish, and just kind of talk about getting through that. And then secondly, what do you like coming up where you think you might get that win prior to the Chase? You’ve got kind of a mixture of races, and the summer is a little bit less predictable, a little more varied in the tracks.
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, you know, we’ve had two bad races here the last couple weeks. I think my crew chief said it best. He’d be worried in the last couple years, but now our car has been fast, so he’s not worried at all. That’s good, and gave me some more confidence because I think any other two weekends or having two bad races would be less nerve‑racking, but then you go to Daytona where the chances of another bad weekend are high, so it’s easy to get nervous about that.
Yeah, you know, we haven’t had many struggles all year, and now we’ve had a couple bad ones. Just got to get back on track.
What was the other question?
Q. The other question was simply where do you like your chances best here if you want to try and get a win before the Chase, which of these upcoming tracks?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I mean, I don’t know. Eldora in the truck. I thought we were good at Pocono. I think we were really good at Michigan even with the rear bumper off, or with it being on I think we would have been good. Maybe Michigan, I think, because our engines are really strong there and the cars are good. It would be a really nice win at the Brickyard. Any of those three races.
Q. You kind of jokingly said Eldora in the truck. Are you going to run the truck at Eldora coming up?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I believe that’s the plan. I don’t know if I was supposed to say anything or not about the truck race. But yeah, we’re running that race. I’m really excited about that. We’re going to go test here pretty soon and get ready for that one because that’s definitely a race I want to win. We were close last year, so it’s nice to get to go back and give it another shot.
Q. I just want to ask you about Daytona and plate racing. You’ve run the Nationwide and the Cup. Is there much difference in just what it’s like in those two different races? Is there a different feeling in the Nationwide race and how people race from the Cup? Are there many differences or is it pretty much the same thing?
KYLE LARSON: No, I think they’re way different. The Cup car there is the aerodynamics and stuff make them hard to handle in the pack, and seems like you can change lanes a lot more and actually move forward, wherein the Nationwide race is super frustrating and not very hard at all to hold your car in a straight line. But more than anything, it’s just really frustrating because the bottom lane is so much faster, and when you’re in the lead ‑‑ you can work the top and middle lanes and kind of move forward but you can’t get to the lead, where in the Cup Series I feel like you can work any lane and get to the lead, where the Nationwide Series, if you don’t start up there you’re not going to finish up there unless you really luck out to get up there.
Q. Who are you running the truck for, and was it much of a challenge just to allow Chip to allow you to run that race?
KYLE LARSON: I’ll be running for Turner Scott Motorsports again, and no, no, it wasn’t a struggle at all, I think just because it’s in a stock car.
Q. I’ve got a couple quick ones here for you. I ran into you back in 2011 when you ran here at Lucas Oil Raceway in the USAC midget in 2012 and 2013 where you had some success. Just quickly here, just talk about you mentioned the Brickyard and what it would be like a little bit, would be nice to win here. You kind of know the history at IMS as well as Lucas Oil Raceway. Does this place hold any special spot for you as far as racing?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I think especially just because I spent a couple ‑‑ well, a year there in Indiana and have a lot of friends there, and sprint car racing is huge in Indiana. That to me is like the most special. And then if you were to win a race at the speedway, that would be a dream come true, it doesn’t really matter what type of car it’s in.
And I think it would mean a ton to Chip Ganassi just to see the Target stock car in victory lane there, too. Yeah, I’m definitely looking forward to that one.
Q. David Ragan has already committed to run the ARCA that weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway. Have you given any thought to jumping in a midget car like some of the other guys do there that weekend?
KYLE LARSON: I gave a lot of thought into it, and I’ll probably just be there to watch.
Q. How are you dealing with all this attention? Is it something that you thought was going to be like this, or is the attention that you’re receiving from the media and from all the fans a little bit more than what you figured, and you look for some solace by jumping in the race car?
KYLE LARSON: I mean, I don’t know. I think it’s really cool. I don’t pay a whole lot of attention to it. I mean, I guess if you have a lot of attention on you, that means you’re doing something good. I guess even more attention would be even better.
Q. So you don’t mind all the press inquiries and people asking you all kinds of questions and all the attention? That’s okay?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I don’t see why it wouldn’t be.
Q. What have you learned from Chip Ganassi or what do you take from him or why do you like running for him? What is it about Chip Ganassi that you’ve learned?
KYLE LARSON: I guess one thing, everybody that drives for him has learned is that to do the obvious things right. That’s his quote before every race. It’s probably true, makes us think about that when we’re in the car. But yeah, racing for Chip is awesome just because he’s a racer himself. He loves it, and he does a lot for auto racing in general with all the different series that he’s a part of. He’s a character for sure, and that makes it fun for all of us drivers to drive for Chip. You never know what you’re going to get from him. I get to see him almost every weekend at the racetrack and sit down and talk to him. I’m getting more and more comfortable around him to where I can crack jokes at him and stuff and not be worried about what his reaction is going to be. I’ve definitely enjoyed racing for Chip.
Q. He was struggling so hard like say a year ago where he would not give up on it, but the performance, now he’s seeing some success, and you probably see that in his eyes, and he’s given so much to the sport that you look at what you’re able to contribute and he’s so focused on that program having turned around and being a winner. Is it good to deliver that to him?
KYLE LARSON: Oh, yeah, yeah. I mean, the whole team, from Chip to everybody in the shop and just everybody in the whole organization has done a great job to get into both mine and Jamie’s teams, being able to compete for wins every week, which is awesome. It’s definitely lit a fire in Chip and everybody at the shop again. We’re all super pumped up to get to the track.
It would be nice to start delivering him some wins frequently, but we’re close. We’ll get there. I know Chip is always excited and looking forward to the races.
Q. I know last year as we headed into this season, a lot of the talk from your team was that you had to cut back quite a bit on running hundreds of sprint car races throughout the course of the year, but now as we head into the heat of the summertime, is there anything that just feels weird to you about not spending so many days in sprint cars and such? How is that going for you so far?
KYLE LARSON: It’s not been bad at all, really. I was surprised, being such a die‑hard sprint car racer and fan and everything. I thought not racing a lot of dirt track stuff this year would be bad, that I’d be bored. But I’m not. I’m so busy with everything that I’ve got going on in the NASCAR stuff that even if I was to go race sprint cars, I really wouldn’t have time to do it. And I really enjoy racing in the cup series and doing double duty with the Nationwide Series, too.
I’ve been to a handful of sprint car races and maybe only one of the times or two of the times I’ve been, I actually was like, oh, I wish I was out there. I enjoy watching and cheering for my friends and offering advice and watching the racetrack to let them know how it’s changing and stuff. Yeah, like I said, I enjoy doing the out‑of‑the‑car stuff there.
Q. With nine races to go, just want to ask you how confident are you that you and your team will qualify for the post‑season in September?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, we’re pretty confident. We’ve just got to stay consistent and put ourselves in position like we have all year if we don’t win a race to get into the Chase. If we do win a race, that would be awesome. Just got to make sure we finish every race and can’t have weekends like we’ve had the last couple races. I think if we do get in the Chase, too, we’re well capable enough to make it on each round to the final round at Homestead. If we do get there, I’d be super confident that we’d pull it off, so I am hoping we can get into the Chase for sure. I think we have got a good shot.
Q. If you can pull it off this weekend, what would winning your first Cup race at Daytona International Speedway mean to you?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, it would mean a lot. I could win anywhere in the Cup Series and it would mean a lot. I think I have a good chance of winning as well as everybody else because the field seems to be really close when we go to superspeedways. Everybody’s confidence will be up, the racing will be intense, and just got to stay out of trouble.
Q. Could you talk a little bit about how much fun you had last year at Eldora and why it’s important for you to do that? Is that just kind of like a relief and a fun situation for you to be up against these guys on dirt? Just talk about that.
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, it was a blast last year at Eldora. You know, a race that I looked forward to when it was announced last year, and then to get to race it and see how well the show was run and how great the racing was made me even more excited for this year. Getting beat last year made me really pumped up for this year’s race. Anyway, I don’t get to do a whole lot of dirt racing anymore, so to get back to kind of my roots makes it fun, too.
I’m really looking forward to when we go test here. I think it’s next week. So it would be nice to get back in the dirt and get dirty and sweat a little bit and get mud all over my face and stuff.
Q. Kyle, as a rookie moving up into Cup, usually the expectations aren’t too high and the learning curves are way high, and you seem to have hurdled a lot of learning curves. Do you feel like you’ve hurdled a lot of learning curves in the Cup Series?
KYLE LARSON: Well, I think growing up racing like a lot of different types of cars and being young at that helped me learn things quick. You know, when I was 15, 16 years old, I would be racing winged sprint cars one night, non‑winged the next, a pavement track the next night. I got good at adapting to things and learning really fast. I think that helped train me a lot for now being young and in the Cup Series with still not a lot of stock car experience. I think that all my dirt track and World Outlaw, USAC, all that kind of background of racing helped me learn fast and helped me for each weekend learn the tracks, learn the cars, learn the style of racing and all that. Definitely happy with where I came from in racing.
Q. Your team members, do you think that they feel like you’ve grasped things real quickly and you’ve been able to conquer these learning curves?
KYLE LARSON: I don’t know, I guess that would be a question for the team guys, I guess. I don’t know, I feel like I’ve done a good job at it so far.
Q. I know obviously the last couple of weeks have not been what you guys have wanted, and I’m wondering how concerned you are about the small drop in points and how critical it is the next month, especially with tracks like Daytona where it’s going to be a crap shoot, New Hampshire where you’ve never raced before?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, you know, really I don’t worry about New Hampshire at all because I’ve raced there in a K & N car or ‑‑ I don’t know if we ran two Nationwide races there last year or one. But I’ve got two Nationwide races there. I think the one you worry about is Daytona. It would have been nice to have a solid weekend last week at Kentucky and kind of go to Daytona and be like, oh, we could have a good race here or a bad race and it wouldn’t affect us a whole lot. But now that we’ve had two bad races in a row where I’m close to being back to the 16th spot in points, it definitely makes you think about it and approach the race weekend a little bit differently. Just got to stay out of trouble and gain as many points as we can.
Q. Do you think you’ll be more conservative this weekend or just go out and just do what you need to do and just try to put points out of your mind?
KYLE LARSON: I feel like I’m pretty conservative most weekends and just try to be up front but not get into trouble. I’m sure I’ll do the same thing this weekend.
JENNIE LONG: Kyle, thank you so much for joining us today, and good luck this weekend at Daytona.
Valerie Thompson Racing–World’s Biggest BMW Motorrad Festival Takes Place July 4-6
World’s Biggest BMW Motorrad Festival Takes Place July 4-6
Woodcliff Lake, NJ – June 30, 2014…Six-time motorcycle land speed record holder and one of the world’s fastest BMW racers, Valerie Thompson, will make a guest appearance at the 14th BMW Motorrad Days celebration July 4-6 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. The biggest BMW party of the year is expected to draw over 40,000 motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world.
Thompson will join fellow BMW racing legends in the Classic Tent, which will highlight “90 Years of Championships and Titles,” beginning with the BMW R 37 at the first German Championship in 1924 through the first AMA Superbike victory on the BMW R 90 to the recent successes achieved on the BMW S 1000 RR. In June, Thompson set her 6th land speed racing record at the Ohio Mile with a blistering speed of more than 208 mph on her BMW S 1000 RR, shattering the previous record and becoming the newest female member of the prestigious ECTA 200 MPH Club.
“I’m thrilled to be invited back to BMW Motorrad Days,” says Thompson, who is making her second guest appearance as a visiting American VIP racer. “It is an honor to be included among such accomplished riders. Last year, I had a fantastic time meeting terrific people, riding a GS up and down some steep terrain, eating lots of great food and joining the festivities at night.”
When Thompson returns to the U.S., her sights will be set on shattering a new record at the prestigious Bonneville Speed Trials in August and joining the Southern California Timing Association’s (SCTA’s) “Bonneville 200 MPH Club.” After that, she’ll attempt additional land speed records at El Mirage and the Texas Mile.
“My goal is to get into every single one of the 200 MPH Clubs with my BMW S 1000 RR,” remarks Thompson. “Since purchasing the bike in January 2012, it has taken my career to a new level. I feel one with this bike, like I’m practically the paint. We are definitely a match made in high-performance heaven!”
When asked whether she considers hanging up her leathers anytime soon, the American Queen of Speed replies, “I’ve never given much thought to hanging up my helmet. With a little help from BMW, I plan to keep going faster as long as I can. There are always new records to break, even if they are mine.”
BMW Motorrad Days is open to all motorcycle enthusiasts free of charge. The three-day extravaganza features more than 80 exhibitors, test rides on all the latest BMW Motorrad models, guided enduro tours, Irish stunt rider and all-round entertainer Mattie Griffin, world-record precision rider Russ Swift, presentations by Michael Martin and other GS world travelers, the world’s oldest traveling wooden Motodrom show, live music and more.
Honda Racing–Sahlen’s Six Hours of the GlenRace
HPD Racing ReportSunday, June 29, 2014
ReportCircuit:Watkins Glen International Raceway (3.77-mile road course), Watkins Glen, NY
2013 winners:Joao Barbosa / Christian Fittipaldi (Action Express Corvette DP)
Weather:Mostly sunny, mild, 75 degrees
Mechanical Issues Hamper HPD Efforts at Watkins Glen
• Extreme Speed Motorsports HPD ARX-03b’s persevere to finish 10th and 11th
• Team led Friday practice, Sunday warm-up times
Although Extreme Speed Motorsports paced a large prototype field in both Friday practice and the race morning warm-up sessions for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen, a variety of issues combined to hamper the efforts of the team’s HPD ARX-03b Hondas in the six-hour endurance contest Sunday at Watkins Glen International Raceway in upstate New York.
Contact with a slower GTD entry at the end of the first hour forced an unscheduled pit stop for the #1 HPD ARX-03b Honda, where the Extreme Speed team found damage to the car’s downforce-generating underbody and left rear brake duct.
Although the team was able to repair some of the damage, starting driver Scott Sharp returned to the race a lap down to the leaders, with the damage continuing to affect both handling and tire wear. Although the #1 car recovered to run as high as fifth in class with co-driver Ryan Dalziel, additional penalties for pit lane speeding and a late-race gear selection problem – which also may have resulted from the early-race contact – dropped the #1 car to a 10th place finish in the prototype category.
The #2 HPD ran 10th in the opening stint with Ed Brown driving, but was also penalized for speeding in the pit lane when Brown prepared to turn the car over to co-driver Johannes van Overbeek. Later, the car lost additional time for repairs after halting on track with an electrical failure. After returning to the race, third driver Anthony Lazzaro, van Overbeek and Brown combined to bring the #2 car home 11th in the prototype class.
The HPD-developed Honda engines used in the TUDOR championship are derived from the Honda “J35” series of production V6 engines and include relevant twin-turbocharger technology, along with the efficiency provided by direct fuel injection. Key production-based components that are utilized include block and heads, crankshaft, direct injection fuel system, valve train components, drive-by-wire throttle, alternator, sensors, fasteners, etc. The engine even utilizes a stock Honda oil filter.
Allen Miller (Project Leader, Sports Cars, Honda Performance Development) on today’s race:”It was a difficult day. While our practice and qualifying lap times are quite good, keeping pace with the Daytona Prototype-spec cars in race conditions is difficult, at best. The LMP2-spec cars need to have a perfect day to have a chance at a good finish, and unfortunately, both of the Extreme Speed Motorsports HPD ARX-03b’s encountered issues today. The #2 Brown/Lazzaro/van Overbeek HPD suffered from an electrical problem and stopped on track early in the race. After diagnosing the problem and affecting repairs, the team returned the car to the track and it finished the race. The #1 Dalziel/Sharp HPD started well, but contact with a GTD car damaged the left side floor, and both lap times and the team’s pit strategy suffered as a result. Late in the race, the car also needed transmission repairs, but again the ESM crew did an excellent job of making repairs and returning the car to the race. We’ll examine the issues that occurred today, take steps to prevent them happening again in the future, and be ready to race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in two weeks.”
Scott Sharp (#1 Extreme Speed Motorsports HPD ARX-03b Honda): “This was definitely not the race we wanted at Watkins Glen. There was a little bit of shuffling around at the beginning, but that’s to be expected. We were running well and improving lap times until the GTD car hit me. The team did a great job fixing what we were able to fix, but unfortunately,it hurt us for the rest of the race. As a result of the contact, we lost the left rear brake duct. The left rear brake was getting hot, heating up the tire, heating up the rim and we were really hard on the left rear tire. That meant we had to change tires at each stop, when the tires should have been good for at least two or three stints on our car. A lot of our pit strategy went out the window at that point. We lost a lot of performance on the back left side of the car and we really struggled in the fast corners. It was one of those things that lead to another and it all just snowballs. It is a shame that both cars had issues today, because this was a race where we thought we could challenge for the win. It was a great effort by the entire ESM/Tequila Patrón team. We did everything we could to compete here, but it just wasn’t our day.
Honda Racing–Rookie Huertas Wins for Honda in Houston
• Fuel strategy pays off for Dale Coyne Racing driver
• Honda drivers claim seven of top 10 positions
• Pagenaud qualifies on pole for Honda
Honda-powered rookie Carlos Huertas won Saturday’s opening race of the Grand Prix of Houston Presented by the Greater Houston Honda Dealers, “double header” Verizon IndyCar Series race weekend, taking his Dale Coyne Racing machine to victory in an 80-lap event that featured constantly changing weather conditions.
Today’s race was marked by a brief, heavy rain shower less than half an hour before the scheduled start, leading officials to declare the event a “wet race”, requiring teams to start on rain tires and for the race to become a one hour, 50-minute timed event. The wet/dry conditions also contributed to a total of six caution flags and multiple pit stop strategies through the field.
The early laps were dominated by Detroit pole qualifier Takuma Sato, driving for hometown legend A.J. Foyt Racing. But Sato’s run ended after 32 laps when he tangled with the lapped car of Mikhail Aleshin. James Hinchcliffe then took over at the front, as Honda-powered drivers led all 80 laps of today’s race. Pole qualifier Simon Pagenaud also led the first four laps of today’s race, until brake problems and a long pit stop to repair suspension damage from contact dropped him to a 16th-place result.
A decision by Huertas’ Dale Coyne Racing team to make an early final pit stop proved decisive, as Huertas first followed teammate Justin Wilson for 15 laps, then assumed a lead he would not relinquish when Wilson made his final stop on Lap 73. The victory is the fourth of the season for Honda, and the first for Huertas in his rookie season of IndyCar competition.
Following Huertas to the checkers were fellow Columbians Juan Pablo Montoya and Carlos Munoz as Honda-powered drivers – four of them rookies – claimed seven of the top-10 finishing positions.
In addition to Huertas and Munoz, James Hinchcliffe led 32 laps en route to a fifth-place finish in his Andretti Autosport Honda, with Honda drivers Jack Hawksworth, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Marco Andretti finishing sixth through eighth, respectively. Wilson’s late-race pit stop ended his chances of victory today, but the veteran still rounded out the top 10 finishers.
Janice Charlene Vaughn, from Reelsville, Indiana, led the field prior to today’s race start in the two-seat Honda Indy car driven by two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Arie Luyendyk.
Carlos Huertas(#18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda) Houston Race 1 winner:“For sure, it is always possible to win, but today was really tough. I had no pace at all during the first half of the race, but our car became much better as the race continued. The team did a great job, and these races are so long that you always have a chance to win if you do the right thing at the right time. We made all the right calls today, and this is a great victory both for my team and myself.”
Tom Reichenbach (Senior Manager, Chief Engineer, Technical Division) on today’s race win: “Whenever you have a rain race, it’s crazy. And today the conditions were tough for everyone. You just have to be on top of it, and be prepared to take advantage of the opportunities whenever they come. Dale Coyne Racing made the right calls, had their drivers in the right place at the right time and it worked out in a victory. Congratulations to Carlos [Huertas] and the team, and to everyone at HPD. Now let’s go out and get another win tomorrow.”
Honda Racing–Pagenaud, Honda Lead Houston Practice
• Rookies Luca Filippi and Mikhail Aleshin post top-five times
• Honda drivers claim five of top eight positions in practice
As in Detroit earlier this month, Honda-powered Simon Pagenaud led the field in Verizon IndyCar Series practice Friday for the Shell & Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston, Presented by the Greater Houston Honda Dealers. Pagenaud paced the second, and quicker, of the day’s two practice sessions after posting the second-fastest time in the morning.
Honda drivers claimed five of the top eight positions, with series returnee Luca Filippi fourth on the day for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Pagenaud’s Schmidt Peterson Motorsports teammate, Mikhail Aleshin, sixth overall. James Hinchcliffe placed seventh for Andretti Autosport with Takuma Sato eighth fastest for A.J. Foyt Racing.
Activities continue Saturday in Houston with qualifying and the first of this weekend’s two 90-lap races. The ninth and tenth rounds of the 18-race 2014 season start at 3 p.m. EDT Saturday and Sunday, respectively, with live television coverage of both races on the NBC Sports Network.
Simon Pagenaud(#77 Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports Honda) quickest in Friday practice: “The Oculus car was really orange, and really fast today. I’m feeling very confident because we unloaded fast and we’ve made minimal changes through the day. It’s fun to drive a fast car, and the Honda power is strong here. The track is very improved this year. We just need to keep up with the track as it changes, since the car was pretty much perfect today. If we’re good tomorrow on the Firestone Red tires, we should be in good shape.”
Honda Racing–Honda Combines Company Resources For AssaultOn 2014 Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
• Honda continues race sponsorship and participation
• Working with AMA to introduce new safety technologies
• Honda to field six vehicles, 10 motorcycles in multiple classes
The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb takes place on one of the harrowing race circuits in the world, as automobiles, motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles from around the globe race to the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak.
And while Honda has always focused its efforts on getting to the top of the mountain before everyone else, this year the company has taken a groundbreaking step toward making the 92nd running of the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb as safe as possible.
Honda has worked with the American Motorcyclist Association to introduce the use of Air Fence Provided by Road Racing World Action Fund technology at several key corners of the race course. The use of the innovative safety fencing marks the first time that a Pikes Peak competitor has worked with a sanctioning body to improve overall safety at the event.“Honda is proud to have worked with the AMA and event organizers to increase safety for the competitors of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb,” said Senior Vice President and General Manager of Honda Division, Jeff Conrad. “Honda has a long and successful history at Pikes Peak, and helping to increase the safety on the race course allows our drivers and riders to focus on getting to the top of the mountain as quickly as possible.
AirFence consists of a system of connected air-filled bladders, serving as a soft wall safety barrier to protect motorcycle racers from direct contact with solid objects. The Road Racing World Action Fund, an organization dedicated to improving the safety for motorcycle racing, has provided this technology to circuits across North America through an on-going research and fund raising program.
Making the course safer will, of course, allow competitors to run faster, which is something Honda is more than accustomed to at Pikes Peak. Honda-powered vehicles have taken at least one class victory at the legendary event in each of the last 12 years, and have captured 44 wins overall.
Looking to extend that streak, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Honda Performance Development (HPD) and Honda R&D have joined forces to field six vehicles for Honda associates in this year’s race. In addition, Honda is providing power for 2013 overall runner-up Romain Dumas’ Norma M20 ‘RD Limited’ in his chase for the overall title.
The cooperative effort between Honda companies will see Honda associates racing a diverse lineup of vehicles in the event, ranging from the Fit EV to a first-generation NSX, along with a Honda CBR600RR motorcycle and a Honda TRX450 All-Terrain Vehicle.
Ten other competitors will compete on Honda motorcycles in the event’s various classes, riding Honda 250, 450, 600 and 1000cc machines.
Extending its event support beyond the race track, Honda returns as the Partnering Sponsor for the 2014 event, Honda Power Sports will be the official ATV/UTV of the event and Honda Power Equipment will provide electricity and light to the pits and staging areas, through the use of Honda generators.
Fensport Performance Update
Toyota Sprint Series, Round 2, Woodbridge
The 2nd round of this year’s championship was held a RAF Woodbridge in Suffolk. The airfield track is a favourite amongst the drivers as it is a technical yet high speed 2.2 mile circuit with plenty of fast sections.After our previous win at round 1 we were upbeat about overall success on the longer Woodbridge track.
The GT86R only had engine mapping and software changes, made using the Ecutek software, we have developed 3 different engine maps with low, medium and high boost levels. The car on low boost is running around 420bhp so medium and high were to be only used if needed!
The day was perfect for the rear wheel drive GT86R, 20 degrees, bright and dry and the 2 practise runs went very well. On to the 1st timed run and Adrian was only 4 corners from the end when disaster struck! The GT86R broke a rear driveshaft! It wasn’t worth continuing the run so it was straight back to the pits.
With no spare driveshaft on site, it was Jay Smith, a very very good friend, who came to the rescue loaning us his shaft from his road car!
We missed run 2 whilst the driveshaft was changed in readiness for run 3.
Adrian said
A huge thank you to Jay for lending the shaft, we couldn’t of continued without it and I was scared to break it as well. So I took it easy on run 3 just to make sure we got a time on the board! I was lifting off over any bumpy sections and was very careful on the corner where it previously broke, despite this I was so pleased to record a 2.10s run which shot us from completely last to 1st place 🙂
I’m loving driving the new version GT86R, the car is beautifully balanced and has the perfect power to grip ratio.”
With more confidence in the driveshaft Adrian continued to increase his speed and run 7 was a full 100% attack to record 2:07.28 and take the overall win 🙂
Summary:
With 2 rounds down and 2 wins under our belt, we are really looking forward to round 3 which is held at Blyton Park on the 20th July.
We have a few changes to make prior to the next round, new stronger driveshafts, a baffled sump and some improvements to the cooling system are the next modifications. If this all goes well, we may get to use one of those higher power maps!
NRHA– Route 66 Nationals
Top Fuel — Antron Brown, 3.814 seconds, 317.34 mph def. Brittany Force, 3.850 seconds, 320.89 mph. Both ARP Cars
Funny Car — Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 4.098, 310.48 def. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 4.147, 308.50. Both ARP Cars
Pro Stock — Vincent Nobile, Chevy Camaro, 6.655, 208.01 def. Jason Line, Camaro, 6.637, 209.26. Both ARP Cars
Pro Stock Motorcycle — Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.925, 193.93 def. Hector Arana, Buell, 6.946, 192.82. Both ARP Bikes
Top Alcohol Dragster — Chris Demke, 5.313, 270.59 def. Michael Manners, 5.305, 267.48.
Top Alcohol Funny Car — John Lombardo Jr., Ford Mustang, 5.590, 260.16 ARP Car def. Kris Hool, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.642, 256.80.
Competition Eliminator — Troy Galbraith, Dragster, 7.602, 129.70 def. Brian Browell, Dragster, foul.
Super Stock — Larry Hodge, Chevy Monte Carlo, 10.518, 125.71 def. Mike Crutchfield, Pontiac G5, foul.
Stock Eliminator — Justin Lamb, Chevy Camaro, 10.936, 119.22 def. Austin Williams, Plymouth Duster, 11.280, 114.49.
Super Comp — Trevor Larson, Dragster, 8.907, 168.30 def. Britt Cummings, Dragster, 8.853, 163.87.
Super Gas — Luke Bogacki, Chevy Corvette, 9.924, 146.21 def. Ray Miller, Corvette, 9.902, 155.47.
Super Street — Nick Folk, Chevy Cobalt, 10.960, 128.09 def. Andrew Field, Chevy Corvette, 10.961, 134.08.