Line to Start from Top Half in Houston Title Defense
HOUSTON, Texas, April 26, 2014 – Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line launched into qualifying for the 27th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals with hearty intentions, and although he was initially slowed, Line proved resilient and bounced right back to make a raceday start at Royal Purple Raceway and earn the opportunity to defend the title he scored there one year ago.
In the first session of qualifying in the hot and humid Houston weather, Line faced an immediate challenge. Unexpected mechanical issues slowed his progress, and he clocked a disheartening 7.305 at 142.16 mph that placed him dead last in the lineup.
“Yeah, that issue put us behind right away,” said Line. “Whenever that happens, you have to start up front the next run and that means you have to be very conservative. We really struggled getting hold of the racetrack, but we certainly got better.”
The second session, however, showed marked results. Line raced his blue Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro down the track and clocked an improved 6.605 at 210.70 mph. In the first round on Saturday, Line improved to a 6.594 at 210.80 and moved into the top half of the field.
A 6.636, 210.93 to round out qualifying didn’t boost his position in the standings, but Line ultimately finished in the No. 7 position and will race Chris McGaha in the first round of eliminations on Sunday. It will be the first time that the two have met on raceday.
“We’ve got our work cut out for us, but fortunately we qualified in the top and will have lane choice,” said Line, who has been a top-half qualifier at each race so far this season. “This is the first time we’ve faced this kind of weather and these conditions all year, but our Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro is a car that we believe we can make better for tomorrow. It’s going to require a different setup than we had today, and that isn’t anything that the KB Racing team can’t handle.”
Mopar Racing–Mopar Celebrates HEMI Day with a No.1 Qualifier Position at NHRA SpringNationals
Mopar Celebrates HEMI Day with a No.1 Qualifier Position at NHRA SpringNationals
· Johnson earns Pro Stock No.1 qualifier position at the 27th annual NHRA SpringNationals near Baytown, Texas
· Johnson scores his first pole position of the season and 32nd of his career and gathers nine bonus points
· Beckman paces DSR Funny Car Mopar contingent with second place seeding for eliminations and earns five qualifying bonus points for his efforts
· In tribute to the Gen II 426 Race HEMI aficionados of the iconic engine have designated April 26 (4/26) as ‘HEMI Day’
Baytown, Texas (Saturday, April 26) – It was a happy “HEMI Day” for Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson who kept his “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Dodge Dart atop the leaderboard at Royal Purple Raceway to secure the No.1 qualifier position for Sunday’s elimination rounds at 27th annual NHRA SpringNationals near Baytown, Texas. In tribute to the Gen II 426 Race HEMI, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this season, Mopar and aficionados of the iconic engine have designated April 26 (4-26) as “HEMI Day”.
Johnson secured his first pole position of the 2014 season, the 32nd of his career, with his second qualifying pass in the cool Friday evening air by posting a 6.555-second elapsed time run at 211.63 mph. The Mopar driver also earned a total of nine qualifying bonus point by posting the second quickest passes in three other sessions. His closest qualifying rival in the hotly contested Pro Stock category was second seeded Erica Enders Stevens.
“Our Magneti Marelli Dodge Dart and Erica’s car, we both made good runs today, and we’re pretty nip and tuck,” said Johnson who is chasing his first win at the Houston track and a third this season. “We’re No. 1 and 2, and hopefully we can make it to the final. Right now, we both separated ourselves a little bit from the field, which is pretty uncommon. The top ten cars that last few races have been just tied together.”
Johnson will see Greg Stanfield as his first round opponent.
With more humid conditions for the final two qualifying laps on Saturday, it was difficult to improve on times posted the previous evening. As a result, Mopar teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr. will start from the sixth position on the eliminations ladder based on the 6.592 e.t. (210.47 mph) he posted on his second pass. Coughlin will line up against Greg Anderson in the opening round of the SpringNationals.
V. Gaines premiered his new Dodge Dart with four good qualifying runs, improving steadily to put it ninth on the score sheets with a 6.597 sec / 210.31 mph effort for a first round match-up against Jonathan Gray.
Leading the charge for the Don Schumacher Racing Mopars in Funny Car competition was Jack Beckman, earning the No. 2 seed for eliminations behind polesitter Del Worsham, based on his Friday night elapsed time effort of 4.063-seconds. Beckman also earned five qualifying bonus point behind the wheel of his Dodge Charger R/T and will face off against Terry Haddock in the opening round of eliminations.
“We got points both of the first two sessions and more important we got good data and it gives you the luxury to try some things,” said Beckman who is chasing his first win at the Houston track and hoping to end a victory drought that goes back to St. Louis in 2012. “We got to put a different clutch disc in for Saturday which will eventually become part of our tune-up and we need to find out what it wants for tune-up, so I’m very happy. I’m real confident right now.”
Tommy Johnson Jr. had another strong qualifying performance in his Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T, earning the No.3 spot for a third consecutive national event with an elapsed time run of 4.068 seconds (312.21 mph), to set up a battle against Jeff Arend.
It will be a tough first round match-up for HEMI-powered teammates Ron Capps (4.079 / 310.34) and Matt Hagan (4.190 / 288.64) who qualified in sixth and 11th place respectively.
“We definitely never want to race our teammate in the first round on Sunday but it happens,” said Hagan who would like to return to the winner’s circle after posting his first career win here in 2010. “There’s no doubt that it’s going to be a good race. It’s been a packed house here and hopefully everybody comes back out tomorrow for a great show and we’re racing late into the day.”
Summit Racing–Anderson Making First Raceday Start of the Year in Houston
Anderson Making First Raceday Start of the Year in Houston
HOUSTON, Tex., April 26, 2014 – After four solid qualifying passes in his red Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro, Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson has completely regained confidence and is ready to make his first raceday start of the year at the 27th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals at Houston’s Royal Purple Raceway. Anderson qualified in the No. 11 position and will race Jeg Coughlin in the first round of eliminations.
The four-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion was stunningly absent from the first five events of the 2014 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series as he recovered from heart surgery to repair a bicuspid aortic valve. Anderson, medically cleared to return Monday of the event week, had no trouble getting right back into form.
In his first run down the quarter-mile racetrack at Royal Purple Raceway, Anderson clocked a 6.636-second pass at 209.92 mph, and in the second qualifying session he was 6.607, 210.54 at the top end.
In a show of consistency, the four-time NHRA world champion and 74-time national event winner produced a 6.601, 210.34 in Saturday afternoon’s first qualifying round, and for the closing session he made a 6.628, 210.21 journey down the track to finalize a start from the No. 11 position and a first-round meeting with Coughlin – a driver he last raced in St. Louis in 2013 – where he disposed of his opponent by recording a significantly superior reaction time at the starting line.
“I’m having fun being back behind the wheel and driving,” said Anderson. “The truth is, I have to come back and win races if I want to make the Countdown to the Championship. I wanted to just come back and have fun this weekend and prove that I can do it again, that I was physically okay, and I definitely proved that. Now it’s time to get more serious. I certainly like having a smile on my face all day long, so I’m going to continue that. We’ll try to get our car faster, and we really should have no excuses, but I’m not going to stress over it either way.
“I’m just happy to be back this weekend and that everything has gone smoothly. There have been zero hiccups as far as my health and ability to drive the racecar. I really couldn’t be happier about all of that. I get to race on Sunday, and that’s exciting. I don’t see any reason why I can’t go and compete at a high level tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it – and no matter what happens, I’m going to have fun.”
John Force Racing–HIGHT CONSISTENT IN HEAT ON SATURDAY
HIGHT CONSISTENT IN HEAT ON SATURDAY;
ALL JFR ENTRIES READY FOR RACE DAY
BAYTOWN, TX – Mello Yello Funny Car points leader Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang team did not let two sub-par runs on Friday distract them on Saturday at the 27th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals. All three John Force Racing Funny Cars qualified for the race and Hight was the highest positioned driver in the No. 4 spot with a solid 4.073 second pass at 312.42 mph. Brittany Force and the Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster will go into race day as the No. 8 qualified Top Fuel dragster.
Hight made the quickest runs of both sessions today grabbing six qualifying bonus points and serving notice that his Auto Club Ford Mustang will be one of the cars to beat during eliminations on Sunday at Royal Purple Raceway.
“Today was a really good day for this Auto Club Ford Mustang. We didn’t make good runs yesterday but today’s conditions are race day conditions and we were quickest of both sessions. I have a lot of confidence in Mike Neff and this team,” said Hight. “There was no panic over here last night. We are just focused on the task at hand. Right now that is getting a first round win tomorrow morning. You don’t know what the weather will do but I am excited to be No. 4 and have lane choice.”
After the first session Hight and crew chief Mike Neff looked at the data and made another strong run of 4.085 seconds at 313.22 mph. Two strong runs in both lanes gives the Auto Club team a lot of confidence going into race day. Hight has advanced ot the last four finals in a row with two wins so far in 2014.
Sixteen time Funny Car champion John Force had his legions of loyal fans on the edge of their seats today going into the fourth and final qualifying session. His Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang was not in the field and had not shown its usual level of dominance. The reigning Funny Car champ had been struggling all weekend to make a good run, and the finicky track surface at Royal Purple Raceway kept throwing him curve balls.
“There is always, pressure but when you get in the car you turn it off. Sure you sweat it, but if you go up there not ready Jimmy can give you a good car, and then you are the only one that can screw it up. I wasn’t planning on doing that, so I turned on the switch,” said Force.
In true Force fashion, his 8000 horsepower Mustang blazed the strip with a 4.112 second run at over 297 mph, catapulting him from the No. 17 spot to the No. 7 spot on the final qualifying run. This keeps Force’s qualifying streak alive with 127 events in a row.
“I went up there and had fun and I got to hear the cheer of the crowd. I would be giving the same interview if I hadn’t qualified. It makes things more exciting when you don’t have a lot of success. This makes you get your ducks in a row,” said John Force.
On today’s first qualifying session, Force’s Castrol-backed Funny Car smoked the tires around the 300-foot mark.
“We got bit the first run, and the second run the timers didn’t work on the clutch, so that took a run away from us. This morning we smoked the tires, but Jimmy fixed it and we went down there,” said Force.
John Force will face rival Cruz Pedregon in round one tomorrow. With lane choice and the fact they made a good clean run today, the Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang team can tune up their Mustang for race day.
“Anything can happen when you come down to the last run. That run will help us for tomorrow. We are definitely glad to get that run behind us,” said Jimmy Prock, crew chief on the Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang.
The last time John Force visited the winner’s circle at the NHRA Spring Nationals was 2002 when he won his 100th Funny Car title. For someone who’s focused on winning, that plays on his mind and makes him more determined.
“We have been in the last twelve finals, including last year and this year. We don’t get cocky, it is just that these cars are good and they make a lot of horsepower. Last week I was runner-up and Robert won. We got here and we got into the heat,” said Force, a 139-time winner.
Courtney Force will race from the No. 16 spot on Sunday at the O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals. She will be matched up with No. 1 qualifier Del Worsham in the opening round.
“Our Traxxas team has made the show even though we’re in the No. 16 spot. I’m proud of my guys for working so hard. We’re just trying to work out the kinks in this race car. It’s been a challenging track for us, but I have a lot of confidence in Rob Douglas and Dan Hood that we’ll get this car turned around for eliminations tomorrow,” said Force.
Force posted a 4.413 second run early on Friday at only 213.50 mph and that held through the next three qualifying sessions to put the Traxxas Ford Mustang Funny Car No. 16. This is the first time ever that Force has qualified in the No. 16 spot. In fact, in her three-year professional Funny Car career, the 25-year-old driver has never qualified worse than the No. 14 spot.
“We’ve got Del Worsham in the first round. It’s going to be tough for us; going up against the No. 1 qualifier, but we’re going to give it all we got. We have nothing to lose from the No. 16 spot. If I have to pedal my heart out, that’s what I have to do,” said Force.
In three years, this is the ninth time Force and Worsham have met on race day and the fourth time they have met in the first round. The 2012 rookie of the year is 1-7 to the DHL-sponsored driver in previous events.
“I know we have a good car over here. We just need to work out the kinks and get back to where we’re comfortable. Hopefully we’ll have a good day tomorrow. I’m happy to be out here. The fans here in Houston have been amazing and I just hope we can go some rounds tomorrow,” said Force.
Once again, Brittany Force has shown the racing community, her fans and fellow competitors that the Castrol EDGE team will be a formidable opponent this season. She qualified nine places better than last year and her Castrol EDGE Dragster is fastest in the pits at Houston Raceway Park. With strong, consistent qualifying runs at this weekend’s O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals, she is ready for tomorrow’s eliminations and is looking to go to her second final round appearance this season.
During the third qualifying session today, Brittany’s 10,000 horsepower Castrol EDGE dragster scorched the pavement at Royal Purple Raceway Park with a 3.801 second run that moved her to the No. 8 spot and back in the top half of the field. What was just as impressive was the speed of her Castrol EDGE Dragster, as it stopped the clocks at over 325 mph, making it the fastest run for any competitor during the past two days.
“On the third qualifying pass the Castrol EDGE team made a good run. You know, we keep improving on each pass and that’s exactly what we want to do. I ended up running a 3.80 and had the top speed with 325 miles per hour and I was really excited about that,” said Force.
On the fourth and final run today, Force was on a great pass when an unforeseen mechanical failure before the finish line caused her dragster to shut off early. Despite running 3.985 seconds, Brittany did not get bumped from her No.8 spot and stays in the top half of the field with lane choice going into round one tomorrow.
“Going into our fourth qualifying pass we wanted to improve. Unfortunately I lifted at 800 feet, due to an engine and clutch problem and we didn’t get the car down the track like we hoped. It didn’t go as planned but we ended up in the number eight spot and I’m looking forward to racing tomorrow,” said Force, the 2013 Auto Club Rookie of the Year.
Force will have lane choice when she lines up next to rookie Richie Crampton in the opening round on Sunday. She doesn’t take any racer lightly and remembers it was Cr
ampton that put her on the trailer in round one at the season opener NHRA Winternationals. Crew chief Todd Smith will make sure her Castrol EDGE Dragster is tuned up before she pulls up to the line on race day.
“I’m excited to be racing Richie Crampton, he’s a rookie, as it’s his first year out here. I remember how I felt during my rookie season, so I know what’s he’s going though. Sometimes I feel like I’m still a rookie,” said Brittany Force.
Chevy Racing–Indy Grand Prix Pole
Chevrolet IndyCar V6
Verizon IndyCar Series
Qualifying
Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
Barber Motorsports Park
Will Power Puts Chevrolet on the Pole at Barber Motorsports Park
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (April 26, 2014) – Will Power, behind the wheel of his Chevrolet V6 powered No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car, won the pole for Sunday’s Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. It is the third consecutive year that a Chevrolet IndyCar V6 2.2 liter twin turbo powered driver will lead the Verizon IndyCar Series field at Barber Motorsports Park.
It is also the third Verizon P1 Award for Power at Barber Motorsports Park, and he has notched two victories on the Alabama track.
“Congratulations to Will Power for a great drive in qualifying,” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, Verizon IndyCar Series. “Will and Team Penske have been solid all weekend and they demonstrated it by going out first and setting a pole time in the Firestone Fast Six that no other car could beat for the balance of the session. The track’s grip was falling through the afternoon as track temps exceeded 125F with air temperature in the low 80’s; both of these conditions were impacting lap times for everyone. The fast and flowing nature of Barber Motorsports Park should provide a great race tomorrow for the fans, and hopefully a third consecutive win for Chevrolet.”
Other Chevrolet IndyCar V6 drivers in the Firestone Fast Six were Scott Dixon, No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Chevrolet who qualified fifth, and Helio Castroneves, No. 3 AAA Team Penske Chevrolet who qualified sixth.
Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet, qualified eighth for his first race at Barber Motorsports Park.
The remaining drivers in the Firestone Fast Six were: James Hinchcliffe – second; Ryan Hunter-Reay – third, and Josef Newgarden – fourth – all Honda powered.
Summit Racing–Anderson Feeling at Home in Summit Racing Camaro in Houston
Anderson Feeling at Home in Summit Racing Camaro in Houston
Mooresville, N.C., April 25, 2014 – Greg Anderson has been anxiously awaiting this moment – the moment when he could return to the driver’s seat of his Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro – and today in Houston at the 27th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals, the 74-time national event winner and four-time Pro Stock world champ finally was able to seize the opportunity.
Anderson missed the first five events of the 2014 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series as he recovered from heart surgery to repair a bicuspid aortic valve and put forth extensive effort towards recovery to make his return one race earlier than anticipated. Cleared by his doctor earlier in the week, Anderson was suited up and ready for the first round of qualifying with the attention of nearly everyone on the grounds at Royal Purple Raceway focused on his first run.
“It felt perfect. I felt at home,” said Anderson, who had an excellent .025-second reaction time at the tree and was a cool 6.636, 209.92 mph in his first full quarter-mile pass. “There was not one inkling of pain, and I didn’t even have to think about it going down the racetrack. It was just like it’s always been. From the minute I started that car to the turn off at the finish line I never once thought, ‘does my heart hurt, is my heart racing, is there any pain, is there any issue?’ Not one time. Quite honestly, I didn’t even know I had heart surgery today. It was very smooth and way ahead of what I expected. The chest protector I built certainly helped, but there is no question that the surgeons did a good job.”
Anderson wore a unique chest protector that he requested to be built by Simpson. The concept of the piece is based on the smaller-sized, Top Dog chest protectors made by Simpson and worn by children who race go-karts. A mold was taken of Anderson’s chest and the carbon fiber protector was crafted.
“It’s bullet proof. It protects my chest, and I don’t feel a thing,” said Anderson, who is the only driver in any category to have the protective device at this time. “I can yank down on the seatbelts as hard as I want, and I don’t feel any pulling on my chest. It’s definitely a great product that Simpson now has, and I’m telling you, everybody who drives a car should have something like this.”
Anderson improved to a 6.607 at 210.54 mph in his second pass and finished the day in the No. 11 position. Although he didn’t jump right up to the top of the pack in his first day back in the seat of his red Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro, Anderson was exceptionally pleased with the ultimate outcome of the day.
“I’m very happy,” said Anderson. “I’ve been wearing a big smile all day long. The good news about that is I know better than anybody that the mind is more important than anything in this game. I think my mind is stronger now, I think I’m in a better place and a happier person than I’ve been at a racetrack in a long time. I hope that carries me a long way. I’ve said it before; the mind has to be 3/4 of what we do out here. Hopefully, that helps me win races and get in that Countdown to the Championship.
“Just to be back at the racetrack and back in that racecar, it felt great. I guarantee there were a whole lot of people outside of my car a whole lot more nervous than I was today. I was at ease 100%. There were no issues, no problems. I’m ready to get back to racing as hard as I can and winning races with a smile. I’m a pretty happy camper.”
Mopar Racing–Provisional No.1 Qualifier by Johnson Bolsters Mopar at NHRA SpringNationals in Houston
Provisional No.1 Qualifier by Johnson Bolsters Mopar at NHRA SpringNationals in Houston
· Mopar drivers working to get back to winning form at the 27th annual NHRA SpringNationals near Baytown, Texas
· Johnson takes the provisional No.1 Pro Stock qualifying position
· Gaines debuts new Dodge DART at Royal Purple Raceway
· Coughlin won his very first Pro Stock title in his debut at Houston, has a total of four wins, and qualified No.1 for last year’s event at Royal Purple Raceway
· Hagan earned his first career NHRA Funny Car victory in 2010 at Houston
· Mopar celebrates HEMI Day on April 26 with a video for fans: youtu.be/NcSanOT5OHI and on www.facebook.com/Mopar on Saturday.
Meanwhile, HEMI-powered Johnson & Johnson teammate, Jeg Coughlin Jr. (6.592 / 210.47) drove his JEGS.com Dodge Dart to a fourth place spot after Friday’s qualifying sessions.
Coughlin and Mopar Funny Car driver Matt Hagan both had their first career wins at this event. For Coughlin, not only was it his first professional win, but it came in his Pro Stock debut in 1997 and has a total of four trips (1998, 200, 2010) to the winner’s circle at the sea-level track. Coughlin earned the No.1 qualifier position at this event last season on his way to earn the 2013 NHRA Pro Stock Championship and his fifth career world title. For Hagan, his first career win, earned at the Houston track, set him on track to a runner-up finish in the 2010 Funny Car Championship.
Also looking to earn a Wally trophy this weekend is V. Gaines, who after a strong start to the season with back-to back final round appearances, is hoping to repeat what Johnson did at the Gatornationals; debut a new car by taking it to a national title win. Gaines’ premiered his new Dodge Dart on Friday with a 6.605 sec / 210.21 mph effort to put him in 10th place going into the final two qualifying sessions.
In Funny Car competition, the Don Schumacher Racing Mopars have been noticeably missing from both semifinal and final rounds at the past two events, but with hopes of rectifying that this weekend, Jack Beckman (4.063 / 314.09), Tommy Johnson Jr. (4.068 / 312.21) and Ron Capps (4.079 / 310.34) drove their Dodge Charger R/T machines to the second, third and fourth place spots, respectively, with their preliminary qualifying runs, while the provisional pole went to competitor, Del Worsham. Capps has two wins (2006, 2007) and a runner-up finish (2012) at the SpringNationals, while teammates Johnson (2002) and Beckman (2009) have each have had a final round appearance at the raceway.
While Hagan didn’t quite have the runs he was hoping for when the Mopar Express Lane/ Rocky Boots machine shook the tires upon launch to put him in the No.10 spot heading into Saturday’s qualifying rounds, he’ll have the support of some new fans regardless of that this weekend.
Hagan and Allen Johnson both have a number of new supporters after taking part in an autograph session at Helfman Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep & Ram dealership near downtown Houston on Thursday evening. The Helfman group held a successful pre-race open house party for a second year, where attendees were invited to get their photos taken with the Mopar drivers, as well as the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, and door prizes included tickets to the NHRA SpringNationals.
Richard Childress Racing–Richmond 250
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Richmond 250
Richmond International Raceway
Friday, April 25, 2014
Race Highlights:
Brian Scott won the Richmond 250 pole position at Richmond International Raceway, his second- career pole at the 0.75-mile track. His teammates, Ty Dillon, Cale Conley and Brendan Gaughan started 11th, 17th and 22nd, respectively.
Scott recorded his 150th NASCAR Nationwide Series start and Richard Childress Racing recorded its 1000th Series start.
Brian Scott earned a fifth-place finish, Ty Dillon a 13th-place finish, Cale Conley a 15th-place finish and Brendan Gaughan a 20th-place finish.
Ty Dillon currently leads the Richard Childress Racing drivers in the Nationwide Series driver point standings in fourth, Brian Scott is sixth and Brendan Gaughan seventh.
Next up for the Nationwide Series is Talladega Superspeedway. Catch all the action live on Saturday, May 3 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN.
Brian Scott Earns First Top-Five Finish of Season at Richmond International Raceway
In his 150th NASCAR Nationwide Series start, Brian Scott and his No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet Camaro started from the first position at Richmond International Raceway, his second-career pole at the 0.75-mile short track. Scott led the opening 43 laps of competition, after nearly a three-hour rain delay, in the 250-lap race. Initial reports were the Camaro was a little free, but more importantly the team needed to make adjustments to conserve the right-front tire. Scott settled inside the top-five for the majority of the race taking home a fifth-place finish. This is Scott’s highest finish and first top-five earned of the season. Scott remains sixth in the driver championship point standings heading into Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday.
Start – 1st Finish – 5th Laps Led – 45 Pts – 6th
BRIAN SCOTT QUOTE:
“I think we had a third-place car tonight. I’m really proud of our effort on the No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet Camaro team. This isn’t the finish we wanted. We have to clean up our errors and be on the money when it counts.”
Ty Dillon Finishes 13th in Rain-Delayed Richmond 250
Ty Dillon drove the No. 3 WESCO Chevrolet Camaro to a 13th-place finish at Richmond International Raceway pn Friday night, after a three and a half hour rain delay. After qualifying 11th , Dillon and the No. 3 team were forced to wait out heavy thunderstorms that rolled through the area. When the green flag finally dropped at 10:26 p.m. ET, Dillon quickly raced his No. 3 Camaro inside the top-10 before the competition caution on lap 40. During the race’s longest green-flag run (laps 47-149), Dillon made five-quality passes cracking into the top-five on lap 99. The 22-year-old driver, making his third-career NASCAR Nationwide Series start at the 0.75-mile track, battled around the top-10 until the race’s final restart on lap 204. Dillon fought with the car’s rear handling, ultimately forcing him to finish 13th overall.
Start – 11th Finish – 13th Laps Led – 0 Points – 4th
TY DILLON QUOTE:
“I don’t think our finish indicated how good our car was throughout the race. We had one of the fastest cars on the track for a good part of the race, but struggled to finish. It’s frustrating because I know Danny (Stockman, crew chief) and the guys worked hard to adjust to the changing track conditions. I’m thankful for all the fans that stuck around to watch the race after the long delay.”
Cale Conley Earns a 15th-Place Finish at Richmond International Raceway
Cale Conley brought the No. 33 OKUMA America Chevrolet home to a 15th-place finish at Richmond International Raceway in the Richmond 250. The 21-year-old Richard Childress Racing driver took the green flag from the 17th spot, but fought a tight handling condition in the early stages of the 250-lap affair. The field slowed when NASCAR displayed a competition caution at lap 40, allowing Conley to bring his car to the attention of the crew for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. Green-flag racing resumed on lap 47 with Conley in the 27th position. The race set in for a lengthy green-flag run which played into the No. 33 driver’s hands as he picked off the competition climbing as high as seventh. Conley continued to battle hard for position and ultimately took the checkered-flag in the 15th position.
Start – 17th Finish – 15th Laps Led – 0 Points – N/A
CALE CONLEY QUOTE:
“It seemed like a long race. At one point, we were really stout and able to climb inside the top-10. We were really tight through the center of the corner and were never able to overcome that condition and somehow gained a loose condition as the run wore on. It took long runs to recover on the restarts and we never got them at the end of the race. We’ll go back to the shop and learn from this. I can’t thank OKUMA America enough for being on board, and I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel at Iowa Speedway.”
Brendan Gaughan Finishes 20th at Richmond International Raceway
Brendan Gaughan and the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Camaro qualified 22nd for Friday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway. After patiently waiting out the more than three hour rain delay, Gaughan took the green flag and battled through the field and advanced his position to 13th by lap 58. The Richard Childress Racing team was forced to make a premature stop on lap 101 when Gaughan reported the right-front tire was starting to go down. The No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro fought all night to improve the handling of the race car. The Las Vegas native was nursing a right-front tire near the closing laps and was able bring home a 20th-place finish for the No. 62 team. Brendan Gaughan remains seventh in driver championship point standings heading in to next week’s race at Talladega Superspeedway.
Start – 22nd Finish – 20th Laps Led – 0 Points – 7th
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTE:
“Definitely not the finish we were hoping to go home with tonight. The No. 62 team and I were looking to rebound back after our Darlington finish, but instead we will keep pushing forward and improve at Talladega.”
Honda Racing–Hunter-Reay Heads Field in Practice at Honda Grand Prix of Alabama
Honda drivers claim three of top five positions in practice•
Defending race winner Hunter-Reay quickest in both sessions•
23 cars separated by just 1.1 seconds
Defending race winner Ryan Hunter-Reay led the way in Verizon IndyCar Series practice Friday for Sunday’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, as Honda-powered drivers posted three of the top five times in a pair of practice sessions around the scenic 2.3-mile Barber Motorsports Park road course in Birmingham, Ala.
Hunter-Reay led both the morning and afternoon practice sessions, in a tightly-packed field that saw just 1.1 seconds separating all 23 drivers. Josef Newgarden recorded the third-quickest time of the day for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, with Hunter-Reay’s Andretti Autosport teammate, James Hinchcliffe, rounding out the top five in his Honda Dallara.
Activities continue Saturday at the Honda Grand Prix of Alabama, with a final practice session, followed by Firestone Fast Six qualifying that will set the 23-car field for Sunday’s 90-lap race. The third round of the 18-race 2014 season starts at 2:30 p.m. EDT Sunday, with live television coverage on the NBC Sports Network.
Ryan Hunter-Reay(#28 DHL Andretti Autosport Honda) quickest in Friday practice: “The track was good today, although it’s quite a bit hotter [temperatures] than we’re used to seeing here, so we had to constantly adapt to the changing conditions. The forecast is for it to continue warming up as the weekend continues, so finding the right setup for qualifying will be a moving target, but I expect all four Andretti Autosport Hondas to be at the front tomorrow.”
Honda To Be Partnering Sponsor in 2014Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
Honda to participate as sponsor and race participant, and support the introduction of new safety improvements to the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
TORRANCE, Calif., April 24, 2014–
As a further extension of its growing commitment to grassroots racing in North America, Honda announced today that it is making a major commitment to the 2014 running of the legendary Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, as both a sponsor and race participant, with plans to field products in sevendistinct race classes. In addition, Honda will be working with the AMA and the Pikes Peak sanctioning body on improvements which will provide new levels of safety to theMotorcycle / ATV / UTV / Sidecar competitors.
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. will return as the Partnering Sponsor for the 2014Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the second time the company has participated as a corporate sponsor of the legendary race event.The 92nd running of the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will take place on Sunday, June 29.
In addition, Honda Power Sports will be the official ATV / UTV of the event, showcasing its latest products to support the sanctioning body.
“Pikes Peak presents us with a unique opportunity to showcase Honda’s diverse product lineup and to energize Honda fans around the world, as we work to further strengthen Honda’s presence in racing at all levels,” said Art St. Cyr, president of Honda Performance Development, the racing arm of American Honda.“Our associates will be working hard between now and Race Day to prepare this diverse field of race vehicles and showcase the Honda Racing Spirit.”
This year also represents the first time a competitor at Pikes Peak has worked with the sanctioning body to improve overall safety at the historic event. Showcasing its global commitment to safety, Honda has worked with the AMA and the Pikes Peak sanctioning
body to implement the race-proven technology of AirFence Provided by RoadRacing World Action Fund on key corners of the course. The AirFence has been successfully used in professional motorcycle racing worldwide and promises to enhance the 92ndrunning of the Pikes Peak hill climb.
With support from Honda’s North American R&D and motorsports companies – Honda R&D Americas, Inc. and Honda Performance Development, Inc. – the company will campaigna broad range of Honda and Acura vehicles, as well as Honda motorcycles and ATVs.Honda will showcase its diverse range of fun-to-drive/ride products and will field products in seven race classes, building upon the unprecedented level of involvement in 2013.
Along with vehicles developed and piloted by Honda’s North American associates under the banners of Honda Performance Development (HPD) and Team-Honda Research (THR), Honda is also supporting 2011 Pikes Peak Rookie of the Year and second-placeoverall finisher Romain Dumas in his own entry of a Honda-powered Norma RD Limited prototype chassis in the Unlimited class.
As a further extension of Honda’s sponsorship effort, Honda Power Equipment will be supporting race operations, with Honda generators providing electricity and light to the pits and staging area. Honda Power Sports will also be providing Honda ATV / UTV products to support the sanctioning body during race week.
Honda has competed in the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on a less ambitious scale in the recent past. In 2011, Honda campaigned a Fit hatchback that was built and piloted by Honda engineers from North America.In 2012, the company fielded an Acura NSX powered by an ALMS P2 twin-turbo V-6 engine supplied by Honda Performance Development (HPD), and outfitted with an ex-Le Mans body and wide-body kit, with support from members of the Ohio-based Honda of America Race Team (HART).Prior to that, Honda set records in EV class in 1994 and 1999 with the Honda EV Plus. In 2013, Honda competed in 10 distinct racing classes with 11 vehicles – the most of any single O.E.M.in the history of Pikes Peak. At this event, Honda is continuing its efforts to showcase its racing spirit and its commitment to safety. This year also marks the first time Hondawill be supporting Romain Dumas with Honda power to challenge the Unlimited class.
Dyson Racing– European Seasoning
European Seasoning POUGHKEEPSIE, NY April 22, 2014 –
In a strong run, the #41 Greaves Motorsport Caterham-liveried LMP2 entry, driven by Chris Dyson, Tom Kimber-Smith and Matt McMurry, barely missed a podium finish at Silverstone in this past weekend’s opening race of the European Le Mans Series. Kimber-Smith set the race’s second-fastest lap, with Dyson and 16-year-old McMurry, the inaugural Dyson Junior Development driver who was competing for the first time in Europe, also turning green-flag laps fractionally off the times set by the race winner. “I am very happy with the team’s performance overall and Matt’s in particular,” Dyson said. “Matt’s effort this weekend validates our Junior Development Program, the purpose of which is to introduce promising young drivers to top-tier competition. The talent runs deep in the ELMS and Matt acquitted himself very well against some really experienced and accomplished drivers. He drove like a veteran, showing great judgment in traffic. And this is only the beginning.”
Based on the promising performance of the Greaves team in the season’s opening round, Dyson predicted greater success in subsequent ELMS races. “Tom is a three-time Le Mans LMP2-class winner, Matt is only going to get stronger with a little more experience, and I‘ll do my part. All of us are confident that we’re going to be spending a lot of time this season on the podium.”
If McMurry was at all wide-eyed after his first ELMS race – he drove more than half of the four-hour race – it didn’t show. “I knew what I had to do and I knew I had the full support of Chris, Tom and the Greaves team. I just had to get comfortable in the car, run fast laps, stay out of trouble and focus on learning.”
Team principal Tim Greaves noted that McMurry did all of that: “Matt ran a brilliant race – two hours twenty minutes on your first event at this level is a big task, but he responded with good pace and great maturity.”
McMurry drove the first two stints of the race and kept the fourth-place qualified car in the top six before handing over to Dyson (who arrived at Silverstone straight from the New York International Auto Show, where Bentley announced that Dyson Racing will run a pair of Continental GT3’s in the second half of the 2014 Pirelli World Challenge season.) “I had a good run,” Dyson said. “There was a lot of traffic, but it was competitive and enjoyable. Then we were able to take advantage of a yellow to put Matt back in the car for his last turn.”
Finally, Tom Kimber-Smith took over from McMurry for the run to the finish. An extended safety-car period reduced Kimber-Smith’s green-flag time and there was not enough laps left to overtake the third-place finisher. “Tom drove the wheels off the car and we were very close to making the podium,”
“Tom drove the wheels off the car and we were very close to making the podium,” Dyson said. “We have made a good step with the car since last season and I am looking forward to the next race at Imola, where Matt will be joining us again, and putting together a good championship effort this year.”
John Force Racing–BRITTANY FORCE BOUNCES BACK IN HOUSTON ON FRIDAY
BRITTANY FORCE BOUNCES BACK IN HOUSTON ON FRIDAY
BAYTOWN, TX – What a difference a year makes. After failing to make the Top Fuel field at this event in 2013, Brittany Force’s Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster rocketed straight down Houston Raceway Park’s drag strip with a 3.85 second pass at over 317 mph in the first qualifying session. Force ended up in the No. 3 spot after the opening round of qualifying at the NHRA Spring Nationals. She also picked up a NHRA Mello Yello Performance Bonus Point for being the third quickest during the first session.
“It feels good to come out to Houston Raceway Park, and on the first pass end up running a 3.85. We ended number three and got a bonus point for that which is pretty exciting,” said Brittany Force.
On the second qualifying run, Brittany’s performance slightly improved; as she ran 3.846 seconds at 321.27 mph. Even with the performance improvement her Castrol EDGE Dragster slipped out of the top half of the field and into the provisional No. 9 spot. However, the ever positive Brittany Force was still happy with the performance of her dragster and the team’s efforts.
“Our second run out, it cooled down quite a bit later in the evening, as there was 40 minute oil down ahead of us. We ran a 3.84 so we improved and I couldn’t be happier for the Castrol EDGE team,” said Brittany Force.
With two solid and consistent runs under their belts, crew chief Todd Smith and Dean “Guido” Antonelli have the necessary and valuable data needed to tune the 10,000 horsepower BOSS 500 engine for Saturday’s two qualifying sessions. The team will also dial-in the clutch so the Castrol EDGE Dragster will not overpower the tricky track surface.
“To have an awesome first run out the door, which was a great pass and then improve from there, says a lot about where we’re heading. Especially from last year as we didn’t even qualify and it was such a bummer. I feel we’re in a much better place than last year, and can’t wait for tomorrow,” said Brittany Force.
The Traxxas Ford Mustang piloted by Courtney Force will be the only JFR Funny Car carrying a qualifying time over to Saturday. The third year driver and three-time tour winner posted a 4.413 second pass at 213.50 mph and it was quick enough to secure Force the provisional No. 11 spot. With conditions looking to be equally hot tomorrow times could improve and the Funny Car class could see some movement.
Robert Hight and the AAA Texas Ford Mustang smoked the tires on both runs today but it did not discourage the Mello Yello points leader.
“It puts you behind the eight ball a little bit for tomorrow. I think we just had some clutch things bite us a little bit today,” said Hight, who has four final round appearances in a row so far this season. “Mike Neff and this whole AAA Texas team will get it and we’ll be fine. Tomorrow is what the conditions will be like for Sunday. Tomorrow is the day we really need to do well.”
Hight’s best time of the day 5.403 seconds at 135.08 mph was only the 15th quickest Funny Car run of the day. Hight along with teammate John Force and Alexis DeJoria, the top three drivers in the points, will have to establish times quick enough to race on Sunday.
The 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force also struggled to get his Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang down the track today at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals. The delicate racing surface at Houston Raceway Park had crew chief Jimmy Prock struggling to get Force’s Funny Car set up just right. Unfortunately, after two sessions, the results were identical, as the massive Goodyear slicks lost traction at approximately 600 feet, and the winningest driver in NHRA history had to abort each run.
“It was tough out there today. This track is tricky for all the teams and we had to go up early in the second session. Come tomorrow, Jimmy Prock, Danny DeGennaro and the rest of the team will get this hot rod running,” said John Force.
Force will not carry a qualifying time into Saturday, but the seasoned veteran has been here many times before and has come back to claim a berth in the top-half of the field. Force is also looking to break his drought, as he hasn’t won the NHRA Spring Nationals since 2002.
For now, John is very pleased with his daughter Brittany’s performance in today’s qualifying and the reaction of the nitro enthusiasts in the stands as she blasted down the track with 3.85 and 3.84 second runs.
“I am proud of that Castrol EDGE dragster. I am glad to be here in Texas with these great fans. We’ll be ready to get after it tomorrow I promise you that,” said John Force.
Chevy Racing–Richmond–Kyle Larson Gets Pole Due to Rain
Qualifying Cancelled At Richmond Due to Rain
Chevrolet Rookie of the Year Contender Kyle Larson will lead the Field to Green at Richmond
RICHMOND, Va. – April 25, 2014 – Qualifying for Saturday night’s Toyota Owners 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway (RIR) has been cancelled due to inclement weather.
The starting grid has been set per the provisions in the NASCAR rulebook. Starting positions are based on the times from the first practice session held on Friday.
There will be 21 Chevrolet SS drivers in Saturday night’s race. For the first time in his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career 21-year-old Kyle Larson will lead the field down to the green flag. Larson was quickest in the first practice session at RIR in his No. 42 AXE Peace Chevrolet SS as he paced the field with a lap of 21.280 (126.880 mph).
Other Team Chevy drivers starting in the top-10 will be Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS – 4th; Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Outback Steakhouse Chevrolet SS – 5th; Jamie McMurray, No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet SS – 7th; Paul Menard, No. 27 Certainteed/Menards Chevrolet SS – 9th and Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 KOBALT Tools Chevrolet SS – 10th.
A total of 44 cars were entered for Sunday’s race, and the qualifying rainout determined that Michael McDowell (Ford) and Dave Blaney (Ford) will miss the race.
Brad Keselowski (Ford) will start second, Clint Bowyer (Toyota) will roll off third, Brian Vickers (Toyota) will start sixth and Ryan Truex will start eighth, rounding out the top-10
The 400-lap, 300 mile event at Richmond International Raceway is scheduled to start on Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m., ET and will be aired live on FOX, MRN Radio and Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 AXE PEACE CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Richmond International Raceway following the cancelation of qualifying. Based on the rules set forth by the NASCAR Rule book the starting grid has been set based of first practice times. Larson was the quickest in the first session and will lead the field to the green flag for the first time in his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career.
TALK A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE RUN AND STARTING FIRST TOMORROW NIGHT:
“We were debating before practice started to start in qualifying trim or go to race trim and do that. I wanted to start out in qualifying trim and was able to kind of talk Shine (crew chief Chris Heroy) into doing it. I wasn’t sure what to expect on my lap, but we came here and tested last year for Goodyear and had a good baseline. I was pretty confident with going out in qualifying trim without getting used to the car yet. Was able to lay down a fast lap and then we switched over to race trim and we were good in that too. Excited about the AXE Peace Chevy, I think it should be a good race tomorrow. It’s nice starting off from the pole. I don’t know if I will count it as my first career pole, but it’s still pretty cool to start on the front row.”
YOU ARE SO USED TO SPRINT CAR SHOWS WHERE YOU GO OUT AND YOU DON’T HAVE HARDLY ANY PRACTICE TIME YOU JUST HAVE TO GO FAST RIGHT AWAY. DO YOU THINK THAT HAS HELPED YOU THIS YEAR AND DID THAT HELP IN A SITUATION LIKE TODAY?
“I don’t know. It’s tough to answer. I think it helps a little bit, but as far as being fast right off your first couple of laps, no. I think since I haven’t been to a lot of these tracks in the Cup car it takes me a few laps to get to where I am comfortable and can run into the corner hard and get back to the gas hard and stuff like that. You see the fast guys that seem to go out right from practice they lay down some quick laps. We are usually 12th or so after the first couple of laps. But I think the sprint car stuff helps from being able to learn new race tracks quicker than others just because in sprint cars you go to 80 different race tracks a year or something like that. You have to figure it out quick in five laps; I think that part of it helps when you go to a new track. I have been to all but two tracks, so I guess it might help at Pocono and Sonoma hopefully.”
WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE WON THIS ON YOUR OWN MERITS INSTEAD OF JUST BY BEING FAST IN PRACTICE?
“Yeah, but I’m still happy with being on the pole. But yeah it would be nice to get a legit pole. I don’t know if we would have gotten it had it not rained. We worked all second practice on qualifying runs. We were seven tenths slower than our lap that we laid down in first practice and almost two and a half tenths slower than the fastest guy in second practice. I doubt we would have been on the pole, but I will take it how we get it.”
HOW INDICATIVE IS THIS IN TERMS OF HOW YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR CHANCES ARE GOING TO BE COME RACE DAY?
“I definitely think starting out front helps a lot. Before I came here last year because I did well in the K&N car and I thought this track suited my style quite a bit. Then I came here in the Nationwide car and struggled. I know I got average finishes, but I felt like we were really bad. I wasn’t too excited coming here this weekend, but started off Nationwide practice we were really good. I think we have a winning car over there. I thought in Cup practice we were a top five car. I’m definitely excited and I think getting the pole, even though it’s in practice helps the confidence more. I’m looking forward to it tomorrow.”
DO YOU THINK THERE WILL BE AN AFFECT ON THE TIRES IN THE NATIONWIDE SERIES RACE WITH THE RAIN WASHING AWAY ALL THE RUBBER? THERE WERE CONCERNS ABOUT RIGHT-FRONT TIRES YESTERDAY.
“It should make the tires wear a little bit quicker. I had heard if we got rain that they were going to throw a competition caution. I haven’t heard if that was going to happen or not. Hopefully they do because the right-front’s (tires) were wearing pretty quickly. I don’t know. I think teams will figure it out. As the rubber gets laid down the tire wear should be better throughout the race. I think at some point after the first caution it should be back to normal.”
SAW YOU TALKING TO CLINT BOWYER AS HE LEFT. WERE YOU TRYING TO PICK HIS BRAIN ABOUT THE TRACK OR WHAT WERE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
“He was more trying to pick my brain. (Laughs) I mean, not really trying to pick my brain but in that second practice we both started off in qualifying trim and I think we were one of only a handful to start off in qualifying trim in second practice. We pitted next to each other so he came over to ask if I was really tight, because he was really tight and pretty much had the same feedback. And then he just gave me a little advice. Something I kind of already knew which was be careful getting loose into both turns in this track. Because into one you are on the brakes so it’s easy to get loose and he kept warning me about that. I hadn’t been loose in practice yet so that made me feel good about my car. It’s nice to be reminded of those little things that you might not think about so I thank anybody that can give me some tips.”
YOU ARE USED TO RUNNING SO MANY NIGHTS IN THE SPRINT CARS. AFTER THIS BREAK, ARE YOU GLAD THAT IT CAME SO YOU COULD HIT THE RESET BUTTON AS A ROOKIE OR DID YOU WANT TO KEEP RACING?
“I hated the break. But man I am so used to flying out on Thursdays to go to the racetrack it felt like forever to get to Thursday of last week. Then I had to wait another week to get to this one. So I was going to go to Devil’s Bowl to watch the Outlaws race if our team was going to go there and run. But they didn’t have the tool cart ready so we didn’t go there. Their first night is tonight in Pennsylvani
a at Williams Grove if it doesn’t rain so I will keep up to date with that. But yeah, that break was really long and I wish we didn’t have any breaks. Wish there was no offseason either.”
Chevy Racing–IndyCar–Barber Motorsports Park
Chevrolet IndyCar V6
Verizon IndyCar Series
Friday Practice Recap
Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
Barber Motorsports Park
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (April 25, 2014) Sebastien Bourdais carried the banner for the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 during the first two rounds of practice for the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. Behind the wheel of the No. 11 Team Hydroxycut KV SH Racing Chevrolet , Bourdais turned the second quickest time of the combined session with a lap time of 01:08.9311 at a speed of 120.120 m.p.h.
Also posting top-10 practice times were Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet – fourth, Helio Castroneves, No. 3 AAA Team Penske Chevrolet – sixth, Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 2 PPG Team Pernske Chevrolet – eighth and Scott Dixon, No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet – ninth.
Firestone Fast Six qualifying is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. CT to set the field for Sundays race.
The Indy Grand Prix of Alabama is scheduled to start Sunday, April 27, 2014 at 2:30 p.m. ET with live television coverage on NBC Sports Network. Live radio broadcast will be provided by the IMS Radio Network, including on Sirius and XM Channels 209 and www.indycar.com. Race timing and scoring can also be found on
Chevy Racing–Richmond–Jimmie Johnson
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
TOYOTA OWNERS 400
RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 25, 2014
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Richmond International Raceway and discussed his lack of a win thus far in 2014, his thoughts on the potential reduction of horsepower in 2015 and many other topics. Full Transcript:
IT’S BEEN A GOOD TRACK FOR YOU HERE AT RICHMOND, TALK ABOUT COMING HERE AND YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE RACE TOMORROW NIGHT:
“We suck here. We’re terrible and hopefully we are a lot better this weekend. The last couple trips especially – we have been junk. So the results don’t reflect the effort, so that is the disappointing part. And I know that Chad has worked very hard once again to get us a good car and hopefully it will be on the track and we will have good speed right off the truck. I believe a couple of those wins that I had came on a Sunday rain out. I would love to be home Sunday, but if it did rain out and we did race on Sunday, I have a pretty good average on the day.”
WHAT IS THE LIKELY REASON FOR THE TEAM’S STRUGGLES HERE?
“I don’t have a good answer. We always evaluate our performance here and say, ‘maybe it was this’, and we pursue what was down that road and come back with new hope and then unload and have a frustrating practice. We manage okay finishes for the most part but we know we should be better than that. Just getting beat by a track really gets under our skin as well. We can usually accomplish what we need to and eventually figure out a race track. So the piece that I am not 100% sure as you started your question, but they used to put a sealer down here and I think a lot of our success came when they put the sealer down. You could move around the race track to find some grip and really get your right sides (tires) on the edge to get some grip and speed out of the race car. It might be something in that but they don’t have sealer down so I can’t count on that this weekend. But I love watching races here, and for the races that I have been competitive in and had a chance to race in the top-five – I love it. I think it’s a fantastic race track, it puts on a great show, it’s great for the fans, and in my heart I think we need more short tracks on the schedule. I just need to get this one figured out.”
HAVE YOU SEEN ANY CHANGE IN CHAD’S PASSION OR DEVOTION TO YOUR TEAM IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS?
“Yes and no. I encourage him to take time to balance his life better. I am surprised he has made it as long as he has working the hours and for the years that he has been in this sport. But unfortunately and usually when he does take time off and he returns, and if we don’t have the performance that we should – then he thinks the two are related. Just because he took two or three days off for himself, and we have two or three bad races, there is no correlation there. But in his mind and the way he operates, he thinks ‘well I shouldn’t vacation, I am not supposed to vacation, I am supposed to work around the clock’. So continue to push him, and I have done this since we started. In our rookie season together I think we were racing on the West coast and I said, ‘hey man, I am shooting down to Mexico, come on down for a few days and hang out’. He did, came down, and we came back and ran at the race track and performance didn’t work and he said, ‘I am never going with you and Chani anywhere’.
“So like four or five years later, our ladies decided that we are all going on vacation. When you are married you just go where your wife tells you. So I am going where my wife is telling me, and Chad is coming with his girl and we come back and run terrible. He tells me that he is never going to vacation with me again. So you see how that goes. I hope he does find better balance because the guy deserves it and he is not going to last 10 more years in this sport if he works around the clock like he has.”
HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO ADAPT TO THIS YEAR’S CAR WITH THE NEW RULES AND REGULATIONS?
“It’s been a challenge for sure. The team has a lot more to play with in this car. And we know the balance that I like and it’s usually a car that turns stronger than what my teammates want or what Stewart-Haas cars want when we look at set up sheets. But right now we are still trying to find exactly what gives us the best vehicle dynamics and what gives me the best feel. A lot of times when you create the perfect car on the race track when you look at video and photos, it’s not turning as strong as I want it to. So that is kind of the rule because without any telemetry here, there are only so many tools the crew chiefs have. So usual tools of watching videos and looking at photos is what the team has. And trying to marry those two worlds is tough. We’ll get there and I think we have been there at a handful of races this year. So we are just going down the road and trying to figure out where speed is and balancing those two worlds.”
IS IT TIGHTER THAN YOU LIKE TO DRIVE?
“I would say at the start of the season we were a bit edgy and we got that part under control. We got the edginess out of the cars that had a tight balance, especially at Darlington. How we finished third is beyond me because that car was so tight.”
STEVE O’DONNELL SAID YESTERDAY THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE SOME KIND OF HORSEPOWER REDUCTION NEXT YEAR. HOW DOES THAT CHANGE THINGS FOR YOU AND HOW DOES THAT CHANGE THINGS FOR THE TEAMS AND CHALLENGES LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT YEAR?
“Every driver and team that I have spoken to isn’t up for a horsepower reduction. We all feel that having power creates better racing. Especially on the driver’s standpoint where you go down to the Nationwide Series and run flat out at a lot of the tracks. So we are all trying as drivers and members of this sport to say what is best for the racing. If its reduction in power that makes competitive racing, I think we are all more than willing to get on board and to go down that road. But it’s not a guarantee in my opinion and an example is at Michigan last week, or actually it was a couple weeks ago. There was a tire test and they took the power out of the 21 car and his center of the corner speed almost went up 10 miles an hour than what an unrestricted engine was running at.
“I am not sure those eight miles an hour through the center of the corner is going to allow us to run comfortably through the corner side-by-side. Now we have picked up a lot of speed through the corners and are the tires going to hold up? Is the suspension going to hold up? It costs a lot of money to even put a tapered spacer on the car. We are going to go and work to change all the internals to maximize the role that the engine performs. So I sympathize with NASCAR because there isn’t an easy way to go about things. No rule change is cheap anymore. Because it’s not just a single piece or component to change, there is a domino effect that changes a lot of things. I don’t know what to think to be honest with you. I like the power, power has been good for me. If you look at my Nationwide stats versus my Cup stats, I need power. I wish they would add more horsepower to the cars.”
IF YOU ARE SAYING A MAJORITY OF THE DRIVERS THEN ARE NOT FOR A POWER REDUCTION THEN WHY IS THIS BEING PUSHED THROUGH? IS IT BECAUSE THERE ARE GREATER LONG TERM BENEFITS AND YOU GUYS ARE MORE LOOKING A SHORT TERM THE NOW? WHY IS THERE THIS PUSH OR ARE YOU GUYS NOT BEING LISTENED TO IN THAT ASPECT?
“We are listened to, but again the goal that NASCAR has is to do what is best for the sport and not necessarily what is best for the individual group. The drivers wanting to keep the powe
r or add more power we are one small group, one small piece of the puzzle. Owners have a say on extending engine life and trying to go to multiple races on an engine. I think the end result is sponsorship dollars, viewership, the inbound cash flow for our sport and our industry is the ultimate concern for NASCAR and for our sport to be healthy. The better the competition is on the track the better chance we have that. I think that is really the root cause. They do listen, but somebody has to make decisions and I think at the end of the day it’s really based on keeping the sport healthy. Competitive races keep the sport healthy, but how you get there is to be discussed, argued and debated.”
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT BEING AFTER YOUR FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON AND HOW GOOD IT WOULD BE TO GET IT HERE AT RICHMOND?
“It would be great to get it here especially at a track we have struggled at the last few times here. Yes, there seems to be at least a conscious effort to win races more and this big discussion about winning races, but you need to win races to win championship period. That is really been the mindset of the No. 48 has always had. We have knocked on the door a few times and I think a win is out there for us very soon, hopefully this weekend.”
EIGHT RACES IN IT’S UNUSUAL FOR YOU TO HAVE GONE THIS LONG AND I FEEL LIKE WE ASK YOU THIS EVERY WEEK, BUT IS THERE A POINT WHERE YOU ARE JUST LIKE ‘DAMN WHEN AM I GOING TO WIN A RACE’?
“Honestly, I get asked about it and that is the only time it comes through my mind. I don’t know how long we went in the past before we won a race at the start of the season. We still have 28, 30 races left whatever it is. I don’t have this big fear that I’m not going to make the Chase and I’m not going to win a race. If we were running 15th and 20th every week I would be up here nervous and honestly I would tell you about it. But the fact we have been knocking on the door gives me great hope and optimism and doesn’t change anything from this year versus any other year mentally.”
Chevy Racing–Richmond–Kevin Harvick
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
TOYOTA OWNERS 400
RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 25, 2014
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 OUTBACK CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Richmond International Raceway and discussed the momentum he brings into Richmond following his win at Darlington, his thoughts on the possible reduction of horsepower next season and many other topics. Full Transcript:
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE WEEKEND:
“This has been a great race track for us in the past. As we have come through the years I have been fortunate to have a lot of success. I always look forward to coming to this race weekend just knowing that and hoping that you can contend for a win. Hopefully, we can put ourselves in a good spot throughout the weekend and be around somewhere at the end of both races.”
HAS THE NEW CHASE FORMAT CHANGED THE DYNAMIC OF RACES?
“I think last week was a prime example of what the new format has brought forth. Just for the fact that we had run pretty much a whole fuel run at Darlington and we had eight of the first nine cars, I think, I don’t know that number for sure, but there were a tremendous amount of the first 10 cars that put two tires on knowing good and well that wasn’t the right thing to do as far as making your car run as fast as it could. People are just trying to take chances to get that win and I think for us we have been I guess like a Ricky Bobby scene, we have been first or last. There has really been no in between. The performance of the cars has been really good and obviously we have had some problems, but it’s just one of those deals where being the point’s leader and having points is really irrelevant at this point. You just go out and try to put your best foot forward every week to get a win and protect yourself as much as you can with as many wins as possible is our goal at this point to get into the first rounds because the bonus points matter at this point.”
DO YOU GET TO THE POINT WHERE RACING IS JUST FUN AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE SUCCESS COMES? ARE YOU FEELING THAT NOW MORE?
“I have been having fun the whole off-season and year. We have had some weeks that things didn’t exactly go our way, but there are a lot bigger challenges than a broken part on a race car. We put it all back together and we come back the next week and we know our cars have been running well. That is really what keeps you going is when you are really capable and in our opinion winning every race that we’ve been in so far. Obviously, those wouldn’t have worked out and didn’t work out, but the performance of the car has been there. That keeps you going and that makes enthused and everybody is getting along and having fun and to me it’s like I said at Darlington I think the character of the team has really been tested as we went through the first eight weeks. I think everybody did a good job of not points fingers and not getting overly mad at anybody it was just things were happening and we had to continue to do our jobs and that to me is one of the best things that came out of the first week was just seeing what the character was of our race team when the chips were down.”
WHAT IF QUALIFYING GETS RAINED OUT TODAY? WHAT IS YOUR STRATEGY?
“Rain, I mean we are going to practice so qualifying is going to happen right off the bat here in practice. Turn your TV one because the qualifying session – to me the rain didn’t look that bad on the radar, but if it rains, it rains, and practice will be over.”
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE CHEMISTRY WITH YOUR TEAM IN YOUR FIRST YEAR WITH STEWART-HAAS AND HOW YOU HAVE GELLED TOGETHER SO QUICKLY?
“Well I knew a lot of the people I was going to be working with on the driver side before I got there. That part was really done before we even started. Rodney (Childers, crew chief) and I we spent a lot of time together just trying to figure out if this is what he wanted to do. I had committed a long time before that so we felt that myself and Zippy (Greg Zipadelli) and Tony (Stewart) and Brett (Frood) and everybody felt that Rodney was the guy. It was just convincing him to make it happen. It’s hard, I lived it. I lived the same things he was going through when I had to make the decision as to what my future was going to hold. It all worked out and in the process we got to know each other really well. Still as we go through the weeks you still learn stuff about each other, but we learned the foundation about each other pretty early on as we went through that process. I feel like the relationship between all the guys is really good and strong.
“We have been on both sides of it like I said a minute ago we have been on both sides of having success and we have been on the sides of seeing that success fail. Whether it’s your own doing or a part failure it doesn’t matter when you are in position to win races and something on your car breaks or something happens everybody feels like crap regardless. It’s a huge test for everybody as you go through those moments, but the character of the team is there. Everybody gets along well and nobody really gets wound up. I think a lot of that starts by Rodney. Just because his demeanor he is so low emotion as you go through any situation. Whether you are winning or losing he doesn’t get wound up.”
DO YOU AGREE WITH THE CHATTER THIS WEEK THAT STEWART-HAAS RACING HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BEST ORGANIZATIONS OF 2014 DESPITE THE BUMPS IN THE ROAD?
“I think as you look at the organization I think we have a lot of room for improvement still a lot of new things that are happening. Obviously, we have been through eight weeks and we know that there are a lot of things to work on and improve on that is exciting just for the fact that we have been able to run well with our car. Kurt (Busch) has won a race and Tony (Stewart) has been knocking off some top-five’s so I think as you look at everything from the outside looking in I’m sure it appears that everything is going well and everything is going well, but from the inside I just feel very strongly that there is a ton of room for improvement with a lot of things so we just have to keep working and not sit on our hands. Whether you win or lose on Sunday or Saturday night in this case you go back to the shop and you analyze your race just as if you had run 20th. Because that is what you have to do in order to come back because everybody in this garage is going to do the same thing. We have to keep building and I think (Greg) Zipadelli and everybody at SHR has done a great job with everything that they have taken on over the past few years. Gene (Haas) has given the resources from a financial stand point to do the things that we have done in a short amount of time. Just a lot of things that need to get a little bit better, but they have done a great job of building a great foundation.”
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON YOUR NATIONWIDE CAR FOR THIS WEEKEND?
“It’s hard to tell. There is not a car here that is going to drive good all weekend. They are all going to feel like crap. Just for the fact that the tires wear out. It’s a tough place to get your car to feel really good. We will just have to make our car drive better than everybody else’s. Yesterday we had two good practices so hopefully that translates to tonight.”
IS THERE MOMENTUM TO APPLY HERE TO THIS RACE TOMORROW NIGHT? WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS TRACK THAT YOU LIKE?
“Well this has just been a great race track for me just for the fact that for whatever reason it has fit my driving style through the years. I grew up on a lot of flat, worn out race tracks and my days at RCR we spent a lot of time on our flat track program an
d short-track program. My driving has become accustom to these types of tracks. As far as the momentum we won Phoenix early in the year and we had six very bad weeks finish wise after that. You just ride the wave as long as far as it will take you and the last wave was really short. So you don’t want to get your hopes up you just want to do your job and hope that things keep going well.”
YOU TALK ABOUT HOW YOU HAVE ALWAYS LIKED THIS RACE TRACK. HOW DOES THAT PROCESS WORK AS A DRIVER TO WALK INTO A NEW TEAM WITH THEIR NOTES, YOUR NOTES, HOW DOES THAT GO IN THE MEETINGS?
“Well I told them in the first meeting that we should never lose a short track race. They all kind of looked at me like I was crazy. For me it was exciting just for the fact that I have seen the success that Rodney (Childers) had on the short track stuff in the past with his previous organization. I know that Kurt (Busch) runs well and Tony (Stewart) runs well so you put all that stuff together and see the success that we have had here in the past from my stand point with winning races and running good you are just excited about the short track races. Really excited about every race, but the short tracks in general because just because I know and I’ve seen the effort that they put into the cars and every part and piece from a weight stand point. It’s fun and everybody expects to run well.”
COMING BACK HERE BRINGS UP MEMORIES OF WHAT HAPPENED HERE LAST SEPTEMBER. DO YOU THINK THE GARAGE HAS MOVED ON FROM THAT OR THAT IT LINGERS AND IS STILL TALKED ABOUT OR THOUGHT ABOUT WHEN WE COME BACK?
“I think everybody has moved on. The repercussions I feel like MWR is probably still feeling those just for the fact that it was a bigger hit to their organization than anybody else. I think you would be silly to not pay attention to what had happened and understand the reality of situations of what could be lost by handling something wrong. I’ve handled a lot of situations wrong maybe not something to that magnitude, but it’s still kind of a wake-up call to everybody to understand that there is a lot of money and a lot of people watching. The perception of your actions sometimes can be taken to the extreme and the repercussions of that can be very extreme as well. I think everybody has to keep that in mind. I think everybody has pretty much moved on and understands that the lesson was learned.”
DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HOW GROUP QUALIFYING WILL TAKE PLACE AT TALLADEGA? DO YOU GUYS DREAD IT AT ALL?
“I thought about just going home and starting in the back (laughs). It’s going to be exciting to say the least. There is only one way to get a good lap and that is to catch the pack and have four or five cars lined up behind you. We have already kind of experienced this once and that is when we went to Talladega last year. I believe it was the first race when everybody knew it was going to rain on qualifying day. It’s just going to be getting that spot where you get the best pull up to the pack for one lap to where you can time it right and not have to let off for a pack of cars or something like that. It will be interesting and it’s just kind of a crap shoot just like the race, but it will be exciting for sure. It will definitely be better than watching three and a half hours of one car going around the race track, I promise you that.”
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE POTENTIAL REDUCTION OF HORSEPOWER NEXT SEASON?
“I saw some of the – I didn’t see it I heard about some of the Michigan stuff from when I believe they put a plate on Trevor Bayne’s car at the tire test in Michigan. The part that everybody is forgetting here, there are two parts to this problem. There are two parts that the less horsepower problem will create. One is the engines are the most expensive things that we do. There are very few engine manufacturers as we sit in the garage right now. When you start messing with the engines the costs go up really fast. I believe that our garage is very vulnerable at this particular point from a cost stand point. I believe that NASCAR in general has to keep the cost involved from where we are and the timing of engines, whether you put a plate on it, whether you put a throttle body on it, whether you change the cubic inch, no matter what you do the cost of those engines is going to go up if you change the rules. I understand there is a safety concern, but when you slow the cars down the center of the corner speed is going to go up.
“Because you are going to be able to carry more speed through the center of the corner because you have a slower car, so when you start messing with the engines the costs are going to go up because everybody is going to do more R&D. And you slow the cars down the center of the corners are going to go faster so you create that problem then you are going to create another problem for Goodyear because the cars are already really fast so you are going to have a cost problem and you are going to have a tire problem. Good luck with that from a changing the rules stand point. Obviously I’m a big fan of it (laughs).”
Kasey Kahne Racing – Results Recap April 16 through April 23
Kasey Kahne Racing – Results Recap
April 16 through April 23
Pittman collects $20,000 win in front of huge crowd at Devil’s Bowl
Daryn Pittman and the No. 9 Great Clips/Sage Fruit/ASE team won their third race of the young 2014 season Saturday night at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas. Pittman battled Joey Saldana for the win in another back-and-forth contest before pulling away late. He maintains his points lead by eight over Paul McMahan.
Cody Darrah and the No. 4 Ollie’s team continues to climb in the standings with back-to-back top-10 finishes over the weekend, while Brad Sweet and the No. 49 bunch sit only 71 points behind Pittman in the standings in 5th place.
41% = KKR’s winning percentage to date so far this season in the World of Outlaws series. In 17 starts, KKR has found victory lane 7 times in 2014.
Summit Racing–Anderson Back in the Seat of Summit Racing Hot Rod in Houston
Anderson Back in the Seat of Summit Racing Hot Rod in Houston
Mooresville, N.C., April 22, 2014 – NHRA Pro Stock world champion Greg Anderson has been as patient as possible, and this weekend he will finally be back where he belongs: behind the wheel of the Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro for the 27th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals at Houston’s Royal Purple Raceway.
For Anderson, missing the first five events of the 2014 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series was a necessary evil as he recovered from heart surgery to repair a bicuspid aortic valve. A man whose belly burns with such a fierce competitive fire could not easily swallow the bitter pill of watching from the sidelines, and although the original prescribed time off was to be six races, Anderson worked hard to return to form and will return one race earlier than expected.
A panel of doctors officially cleared his safe return to driving the 200-plus mph, 1,500 horsepower Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro the Monday before the coming weekend’s event.
“It was very difficult to sit out those first five races,” admitted Anderson. “We racers tend to think that everything in life is all about drag racing. Nothing is more important. We live it, breath it, eat it, sleep it. And sometimes we think we’re invincible – but I found out firsthand that we’re not.
“In the beginning, I thought the surgery and recovery would be a simple deal, a piece of cake, that I would bounce right back. Turns out it was a huge deal and a new chapter for me. They fixed me up, but there was still a challenge ahead and a lot of pain to go through. You realize you aren’t invincible when you go through something like that. You have to learn to be patient, take your time, go slow and follow the doctor’s orders, and that’s a whole new game for a guy like me. Somehow, I learned how to be patient, healed up in the proper amount of time, and now it’s time to go racing again. I couldn’t be more excited to get back behind the wheel of my Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro.”
Returning in Houston is favorable for Anderson in more ways than one. The four-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion earned two of his 74 national event wins at Royal Purple Raceway, and his teammate, KB Racing driver Jason Line, piloted his blue Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro to victory at the SpringNationals last year. To sweeten the package, Anderson will be driving the very same car that European Pro Stock champion Jimmy Alund, who kept the seat warm while he was away, wheeled to the winner’s circle just a week and a half ago at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte.
“I’m excited to get back in the same car that Jimmy won with in Charlotte,” said Anderson. “The guys have done such a fantastic job with this car, and I don’t just mean Jason Line, Rob Downing and the entire crew that works on it; Jimmy has done a fantastic job of driving the car and also of helping the guys find a happy spot for that racecar to run in,” said Anderson. “My hat’s off to the entire team and Jimmy Alund. That car is working very, very nicely, and I found that out firsthand yesterday when we made a few test runs. It’s like it’s on autopilot. It’s smooth as glass.
“To be honest with you, I can’t remember ever going to a race this happy, this positive and feeling this good. I guess it’s kind of a new lease on life for me; I rolled back my odometer so to speak. Now it’s time to get back to racing. That’s what we love, that’s where we feel at home.”
Illini 100 Awaits World of Outlaws Late Model Series This Weekend at Farmer City Raceway
High-banked quarter-mile oval set for prestigious $20,000-to-win event April 25-26
By Chris Tilley
FARMER CITY, Ill. – April 22, 2014 – The Sixth Annual Illini 100 this Friday and Saturday, April 25-26, features the World of Outlaws Late Model Series invading Farmer City Raceway for a $20,000-to-win payday.
Darrell Lanigan, of Union, Ky., leads the Outlaws into familiar territory with a 36-point margin over Brandon Sheppard, of New Berlin, Ill. Rick Eckert of York, Pa, who recently took over the Rocket Chassis house car ride for Sheppard, is third in the championship with 2009 Illini 100 winner Shane Clanton, of Zebulon, Ga., sitting in fourth. The 2006 champion, Tim McCreadie, of Watertown, N.Y., is fifth in points and aiming to break into the win column this weekend.
Other series regulars who will be looking to tame the high banks Farmer City include Morgan Bagley of Tyler, Tex., Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky., Frank Heckenast Jr. of Orland Park, Ill., Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., Chase Junghans of Manhattan, Ks., Jack Sullivan of Greenbriar, Ark., and Rick ‘Boom” Briggs of Bear Lake, Pa. Regional standout and teenage sensation Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill, is off to a hot start to the season, picking up wins recently at Eldora Speedway and 34 Raceway.
Through seven events on the tour this season, there have been seven different winners. Among those drivers have been three new series winners including Casey Roberts and Kyle Bronson, who both claimed victories at Volusia Speedway Park, and Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., who claimed his first World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory April 12 at Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway.
Other regional stars expected to be in attendance for the Illini 100 will Kevin Weaver of Gibson City, Ill., Daren Friedman of Forrest, Ill., Bob Gardner of Germantown, Ill., Joe Harlan of El Paso, Ill., Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa., Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., Ryan Unzicker of El Paso, Ill, Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis.
Former Illini winners at Farmer City include three-time winner Billy Moyer (2008, 2010 and 2013); Clanton (2009) and Mars (2012).
On Friday, April 25, the WoO LMS gang will open the weekend with practice, Ohlins Shocks Time Trials and Heat Races. On Saturday night, April 26, the event concludes with the Last Chance Showdowns and the 100-lap $20,000-to-win event. An open practice session will be held on Thursday night, April 24.
The weekend’s tire rule will feature the DIRTcar UMP Hoosier compounds of LM20, LM30 & LM40. Friday’s program will also feature UMP Modifieds, Street Stocks, Pro Late Models and Hornets. Saturday’s classes include $1,000-to-win for the UMP Modifieds, $1,000-to-win for the Pro Late Models and the Street Stocks will pay $400-to-win.
Summit Racing–Line Returns to Defend Houston Title with Strengthened Forces
Line Returns to Defend Houston Title with Strengthened Forces
Mooresville, N.C., April 22, 2014 – Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line already has his bags packed for the 27th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals, and it is no wonder that the 32-time national event winner is eager. He returns to Royal Purple Raceway this weekend as the defending event champ, and he will have his Summit Racing teammate Greg Anderson once again by his side.
Anderson missed the first five races of the 2014 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series as he recovered from heart surgery to repair a bicuspid aortic valve, and although slated to return at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta in mid-May, he worked hard and will return to the series one race earlier than anticipated. European Pro Stock champion driver Jimmy Alund did a fine job filling the seat while he was away and won the most recent race on the tour, the Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, but the win for Summit Racing only served to ignite a bigger fire under the already motivated team. They want more.
“I’m glad to have Greg back this weekend, and I think it’s great that he’s making his return in the car that won last week,” said Line, who scored the victory at the 2014 season opener in Pomona and finished in the final round in Las Vegas last month, narrowly missing a SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals win. “I really believe that both of the Summit Racing Camaros are going to be good enough to win this race in Houston. That’s a good feeling going there, and it will just be up to my teammate and me to follow through.”
Line’s win last season in Houston was particularly memorable as it occurred in front of a live television audience, a rarity due to the unpredictable timeframe for championship eliminations at a drag race. This year, ESPN2 will offer live coverage at three national events (Epping, Chicago and Denver). Although Houston will not be televised live, Line is certainly looking forward to a return and what he hopes will be a repeat performance.
“That track has been good to me, so I’m really looking forward to racing my Summit Racing Camaro there again,” said Line, who has two wins in four final rounds and has twice been the low qualifier at Royal Purple Raceway. “Last year’s win there really stood out for me because it was on live TV, and I don’t think I’ve ever gotten so many phone calls or text messages in my life. Even though it won’t be live this time around, I’m looking forward to the live shows that ESPN and NHRA are planning. We’ve got some great memories going back there, and we plan on making a few more this weekend, I can promise you that.”
Line went to the first final round of his Pro Stock career at the Houston racetrack, where he ultimately fell in the final round to Anderson. It was the first of five final-round meetings for the Summit Racing duo that season, including the event in Chicago two races later where Line would beat Anderson to earn the first Pro Stock victory of his career. Over the course of their time together as the 1-2 punch of KB Racing, Line and Anderson have raced one another in 21 all-Summit Racing final rounds and accumulated six combined world championships (two for Line, four for Anderson).
“The most exciting thing for the KB Racing team this weekend is that Greg will be back,” said Line. “He’s obviously amped to say the least. I’ve never met anyone who has a stronger desire to win, and I can assure you that after missing five races it’ll be stronger than ever. His enthusiasm is something that we’re all feeling right now.”