Race Winners

Race Results Week Ending 8/5/12

NASCAR
Camping World Truck Series- Pocono Mountains 125- Joey Coulter
Nationwide Series- US Cellular 250- Elliott Sadler
Sprint Cup- Pennsylvania 400- Jeff Gordon

ALMS- Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge- Muscle Milk;  Klaus Gar?lucas Luhr

KN- Pork Be Inspired 150 (really) Corey LaJoie

Whelan- Strutmasters.com199- George Brunnhoelzl III
ARCA- Chad Hoeckenbracht

NHRA
Top Fuel — Steve Torrence
Funny Car — Courtney Force
Pro Stock — Erica Enders
Top Alcohol Dragster — Chris Demke
Top Alcohol Funny Car — John Evanchuk
Competition Eliminator — Mike DePalma
Super Stock — Joe Sorensen
Stock Eliminator — Brad Plourd
Super Comp — Brad Plourd
Super Gas — Ken Mostowich
Super Street — Megan Ellingson

Honda Racing

Honda Racing– Mid-Ohio

Dixon Continues Mid-Ohio Mastery

Scott Dixon capped a great weekend of racing for Honda at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, scoring his
second IZOD IndyCar Series win of the season in Sunday’s Honda Indy 200. Dixon’s win completed a
near-perfect weekend for the manufacturer with race victories in all five categories featuring Honda
entries.

In addition to Dixon’s victory on Sunday, Muscle Milk Pickett Racing and drivers Lucas Luhr and Klaus
Graf won Saturday’s American Le Mans Series race at Mid-Ohio, with Scott Tucker and Christophe
Bouchut from Level 5 Motorsports winning the LMP2 class in the same race. Both teams use the Honda
Performance Development ARX-03 chassis. In Saturday’s SCCA Pirelli World Challenge race, RealTime
Racing’s Peter Cunningham won the GTS class in an Acura TSX, with Todd Lamb and Compass360
winning Sunday’s Touring Class category in a Honda Civic Si.

Starting fourth, Dixon moved to second behind early leader Will Power after the first round of pit stops.
Dixon then took command of the race after his second and final stop of the day, when his Target Chip
Ganassi Racing team beat Power’s Team Penske out of the pits. Once in front, Dixon was able to build a
comfortable three-second lead over Power to score his fourth Mid-Ohio race win in the last four years.
This weekend’s Honda Indy 200 featured several trackside programs, rewarding fan loyalty and
enthusiasm for the brand. The Honda Fan Section created a trackside community of fans wearing red
and cheering on Honda-powered teams and drivers. The winners of the Honda Backstage Pass were
treated to an exclusive “behind-the-scenes” tour of the IndyCar paddock and garage areas; and winners
of the Honda On-Track Ticket received a VIP opportunity to experience the hills and turns of the
challenging Mid-Ohio circuit as passengers in a hot lap aboard a Honda Pace Car piloted by a
professional racing driver.

Honda’s popular Fastest Seat in Sports sweepstakes returned at Mid-Ohio, with racing legend Mario
Andretti at the wheel of the two-seat IndyCar. He gave Michael Girard of Campo, California the ride of a
lifetime around Mid-Ohio at the head of the 25-car starting field just prior to the start of today’s race.
Behind Dixon and Power, Schmidt Hamilton Racing’s Simon Pagenaud produced another strong run at
Mid-Ohio, finishing third after a long battle with Sebastien Bourdais, Dario Franchitti and James
Hinchcliffe. Pagenauds’ third-place finish is his third podium result of 2012 and gives him a nearly
insurmountable lead in the chase for series Rookie of the Year honors.

Summit Racing

Lane Choice Costs Anderson in Seattle

Lane Choice Costs Anderson in Seattle  

Event:  25th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals

Location: Pacific Raceways, Kent, Washington

Day/Date: Sunday, August 5, 2012

Entering Sunday’s final eliminations of the NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle, Wash. Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team knew they had their work cut out for them.  Despite being able to put together four solid passes and claim the fifth starting position, they had yet to reach a suitable comfort level with their race car’s tune-up, a crucial element when dealing with the hot and greasy Pacific Raceways surface.

Fortunately, things went according to plan in the opening stanza, as Anderson used a quick 6.607-second, 210.05 mph pass to easily defeat veteran Kurt Johnson.  However, his time fell eight thousandths of a second shy of maintaining lane choice for his quarterfinal encounter against Erica Enders, a distinct disadvantage as only two wins out of the total of 15 contested came from the right side.

Although Anderson was able to muster a competitive 6.646-second, 209.62 mph run, it was not enough to overcome his opponent’s 6.638-second pass, putting an early end to his day.  Afterwards, the three-time Seattle winner admitted he was looking forward to today’s end of the three-race Western Swing, as it would allow the team to spend valuable testing time familiarizing themselves with their race cars.

“Getting a handle on our Summit Racing Camaro is a work in progress, and as a result we just didn’t do as good a job as we should have today keeping up with the racetrack,” said Anderson. “It bit a lot of people, but the bottom line is that you have to be aggressive when the track was like it was today and we were just a bit off.

“Once we lost lane choice for the second round, we were really fighting an uphill battle, because the right lane was nowhere near as good as the left.  Unfortunately, we ended up smoking the tires, putting an early end to our day.

“This was absolutely the toughest track we’ve raced on this year, and we just didn’t catch up with it, which shows we still have a lot to learn about these race cars.  That’s why we’re going to go home and spend some on track time with them, seeing if we can make them better, because they are not where we need them to be.  Today was just not a great day, so we’re going to regroup and try to get it done in Brainerd.”

Summit Racing

Line Battles to a Runner-Up Finish in Seattle

Line Battles to a Runner-Up Finish in Seattle

Event:  25th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals

Location: Pacific Raceways, Kent, Washington

Day/Date: Sunday, August 5, 2012

Summit Racing Pro Stock Camaro racer Jason Line made the most of what he and his team had at their disposal on Sunday, scoring a runner-up finish at the NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle, Wash.  Starting from the sixth position, Line defeated Jeg Coughlin, Mike Edwards and Vincent Nobile in the early rounds before squaring off against Erica Enders in the final.

Running without lane choice on what proved to be a one-lane racetrack (of the 15 rounds contested on Sunday, only two winners came out of the less-preferred right hand side), Line knew he would need to gain every advantage in order to score his second win of the season.  Although he was able to gain a slight edge at the start and make the third-quickest run of the day in that lane at 6.631 seconds with a top speed of 209.72 mph, it was not enough to hold off his opponent’s charge, as she used a 6.614-second, 209.65 mph pass to record the win.

“I didn’t want to go up there and give it away, so I did the same thing I had done all day, and we just came up a bit shy,” said Line.  “Lane choice was certainly a major factor, not only in the final, but all day, and I also felt like we left a little bit out there on that last run, with the end result being game over.

“Still, considering we are working to dial in our Summit Racing Camaro, it says a lot about this race team that we were able to make it to the final.  Although we naturally would have preferred to leave here with the trophy, all in all, it was still a pretty good day.”

After missing his first qualifying attempt due to a transmission problem, Line and his KB Racing crew found themselves scrambling to catch up.  Although they were able to come back on Saturday in the heat and record some of the quickest times among the “factory hot rods”, they remained in the sixth position, lining up some very tough opponents for race day.

Undaunted, Line opened the first round with the third-quickest time at 6.601-seconds to eliminate rival Jeg Coughlin, Jr.  It was a similar situation in the second round, as the reigning Pro Stock champion was second-quickest, covering the quarter-mile in 6.620-seconds with a top speed of 209.43 mph to defeat 2009 Pro Stock champion Mike Edwards.

The final obstacle between Line and his fifth final round of the season was young Vincent Nobile.  Once again, the KB Racing driver emerged victorious, but the somewhat circuitous route he took in reaching the finish line slowed him to an elapsed time of 6.657-seconds, costing him lane choice for his encounter against Enders.

“At this point, we just don’t have a handle on the tune-up for these race cars, but we’re still leaving with a runner-up finish, so our day could have been a lot worse,” said Line.  “I know we’ve said this before, but these cars are still very new, and we’ve been away from the shop for a few weeks, so any development work we could do to make them better has been limited.

“We know have a lot of work to do, so we’re going to pack up and head home tonight so we can get started.  It’s all we can do, and with Brainerd in a couple weeks, we are more than ready to get back to the winner’s circle.”

Chevrolet Racing

Will Power Claims Second Place Finish at Mid-Ohio and Takes Driver Points Standings Lead

Will Power Claims Second Place Finish at Mid-Ohio and Takes Driver Points Standings Lead
Team Chevy Drivers Score Seven of Top-10 Finishing Positions in Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series Race
 
LEXINGTON, Ohio – August 5, 2012 – Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, reclaimed the lead in the IZOD IndyCar Series driver point standings with a second place finish in today’s Indy 200 at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course.  Power, who started on the pole, led the first 57 circuits around the 2.25-mile, 13-turn permanent road course on the way to his fifth podium finish of the season.
 
“It was another caution-free battle today in the IZOD IndyCar Series race at Mid-Ohio,” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, IZOD IndyCar Series. “Kudos to the entire field for demonstrating a high level of skill and professionalism throughout a race that started on a drying track surface. Without cautions, our Chevrolet drivers had to adapt to changing track conditions, and maintain a strong pace with focus for 85 laps around the very technical Mid-Ohio circuit.  Congratulations to Will Power and Team Penske on earning the pole position, second place finish and most laps led.  With three races remaining in the season, we are battling hard for the driver’s championship.”
 
Sebastien Bourdais brought the No. 7 TrueCar/McAfee Dragon Racing Chevrolet to the checkered flag in fourth position, and earned his best finish of the season. He was followed by fellow Team Chevy driver James Hinchcliffe, No. 27 Team GoDaddy.com Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, in fifth place which gave Team Chevy three of the top-finishers in today’s 85-lap race.
 
In total, seven Chevrolet IndyCar V6 drivers scored top-10 finishes today.  Tony Kanaan. No. 11 GEICO/MOUSER Electronics KV Racing Technology Chevrolet finished sixth.  Ryan Briscoe, No. 2 PPG Automotive Refinishes Team Penske Chevrolet, was seventh at the line. Marco Andretti, No. 26 Team RC Cola Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, crossed the line in eighth place followed by JR Hildebrand, No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing Chevrolet in ninth position.
 
Two additional Team Chevy drivers in the thick of the driver’s championship battle faced challenges today that resulted in significantly tightening the point standings. Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda/Pelotonia Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, came to Mid-Ohio as the points leader, but suffered a mechanical issue that relegated him to the 24th finishing position. He is now second in the standings, five points behind Power.
 
Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves, No. 3 Penske Truck Rental Chevrolet, was assessed a 10 grid position penalty prior to the start of the race for an unapproved engine change that put him in the 23rd starting position.  Castroneves battled to finish 16th on the difficult circuit, and now sits third in points, 21 points behind Hunter-Reay.
 
Chevrolet continues to lead the Series’ manufacturers’ standings with three races remaining in the season.

RCR

RCR Post Race Report- Nationwide Series- Iowa Speedway

NASCAR Nationwide Series
U.S. Cellular 250 presented by Enlist Weed Control System
Iowa Speedway
August 4, 2012
 
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished first (Elliott Sadler), 14th (Brendan Gaughan) and 15th (Austin Dillon).
Sadler leads the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver championship point standings over Dillon by 18 points. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. ranks third, followed by Sam Hornish Jr. and Justin Allgaier.
The No. 2 Chevrolet team is second in the Nationwide Series owner championship point standings, 19 points shy of the No. 18 car’s lead, with the No. 3 team third in the standings and the No. 33 team seventh.
Dillon leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings over Cole Whitt.
According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, the RCR entries posted the Fastest Lap of the Race for 73 circuits with Dillon (55 fastest laps), Sadler (16) and Gaughan (1).
Sadler had the fastest Speed in Traffic and ranked second in Loop Data Categories for Average Running Position (2.024), Driver Rating (131.1) Fastest Drivers Early in a Run, Fastest on Restarts and Green Flag Speed.
Sadler and Gaughan were among the seven drivers who spent 100 percent of the race running in the top 15.
Gaughan ranked fifth in Quality Passes with 26.
Dillon was the Fastest Driver Late in a Run and had the fastest Green Flag Speed.
Dillon had the third-best Driver Rating (118.1).
Sadler earned his fourth Nationwide Series win of the season and was followed to the finish line by Allgaier, Hornish, Michael Annett and Stenhouse Jr.
The next scheduled Nationwide Series race is the Zippo 200 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International on Saturday, August 11. The 21st race of the 2012 season is scheduled to be televised live on ABC beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Honda Racing

HPD Continues Winning Ways at Mid-Ohio

HPD Continues Winning Ways at Mid-Ohio

The HPD sports prototype teams of Muscle Milk Pickett Racing and Level 5 Motorsports continue to be
the teams to beat in American Le Mans Series competition, once again claiming the LMP1 and LMP2
class wins Saturday at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course; with the Muscle Milk driving team of Klaus Graf
and Lucas Luhr posting its fifth consecutive overall victory of 2012.

Starting from the pole after heading the field in both practice and qualifying, Luhr claimed the lead at the
green flag in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd that included thousands of associates from three
nearby Honda of America Manufacturing facilities, and the Ohio-based Honda R&D Americas. Luhr
extended his advantage throughout his stint, handing over the HPD ARX-03a to co-driver Graf with a little
over 90 minutes remaining in the two hour, 45-minute contest.

The Dyson Racing Lola Mazda of Chris Dyson and Guy Smith took over the lead when the team elected
to do a “fuel only” first pit stop, but Graf reclaimed an advantage he would not relinquish when the Dyson
team made its second scheduled stop and mandatory driver change.

Just prior to his final stop, Graf had built a one-lap lead over his rivals, and even after his final fuel-only pit
stop maintained his position at the front of the field to take the checkers and continue an unbeaten streak
that started at the Grand Prix of Long Beach in April.

In LMP2, Level 5 Motorsports returned to Victory Lane after a one-race absence, with Scott Tucker and
Christophe Bouchut taking their HPD ARX-03b to a seven-second class win over the Conquest
Endurance Racing Morgan Nissan of Martin Plowman and David Heinemeier Hansson.

Making his debut with the team, Ricardo Gonzalez was impressive in an opening double stint in the #95
Level 5 HPD, taking the class lead near the one-hour mark when Heinemeier Hansson received a stopand-
go penalty for blocking.

The final round of pit stops again shuffled the LMP2 running order, as Plowman reclaimed the lead with
less than an hour remaining. But Bouchut, driving the #055 HPD started by team owner/driver Tucker,
soon chased down Plowman and passed for a lead he would not relinquish, the fourth LMP2 win of the
season for Bouchut and Tucker.

With four races remaining in the 10-race 2012 season, HPD and its partner teams and drivers continue to
lead their respective championships. In LMP1, Graf and Luhr hold a 16-point lead over the Dyson Racing
duo of Chris Dyson and Guy Smith; while in LMP2, Bouchut and Tucker own a 12-point lead over
Hansson and Plowman.

Dyson Racing

Dyson Racing- 200 and 201

200 and 201

LEXINGTON, OH August 4, 2012 – Dyson Racing pushed their podium total above 200 today at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge. The team added numbers 200 and 201 to their tally as Chris Dyson and Guy Smith came in second overall in the #16 Modspace Mazda entry and Michael Marsal and Eric Lux brought home the #20 Dyson Racing car third in the P1 class. The team started the year with 190 podiums to their credit.

The Midwest summer’s heat and humidity continued unabated at one of the most physical tracks the American Le Mans Series runs at. “This is probably one of the toughest conditions I have ever faced in a racing car,’ commented Smith. “I did as much time in the car as I could and the team got me out at the right time. You can feel your performance peeking and your concentration leveling off.” Smith started the Dyson entry second and spent almost two hours in the car. He kept the gap to the leader under 12 seconds before the first pit stop rotations, set the second fastest race lap and led laps 71- 84, before handing the car over to Dyson with fifty minutes remaining in the race.

The #20 car was third overall ten minutes from the end when shifting problems kept if from finishing the last seven laps. Marsal started the car and was running fourth when he pitted for fuel, tires and driver change at the hour and a half mark. “The Dysons prep a great car and this is one of those electrical gremlins that happen in racing,” Marsal said. “We had a strong car for the race. We chased set up through the beginning of the weekend but when we took the green today, we had a good car to race.” Lux explained that “we were running third overall and came in for a splash-and-go to make sure that we were going to secure our position at the end. We were down 45 seconds at one point to third and we made that up, did the splash and made up another 28 seconds. We got back to third and then I had an issue with fourth gear and then the only gear that was left was neutral. But we had a good balance in the car in qualifying and we were able to keep 90% of that today during the race.”

“Michael and Eric drove great races today under trying conditions,” commented Dyson. “They were quick and fought hard to put themselves in position to finish third overall. Our hats off to them and to the Muscle Milk car for their victory. The 16 car wasn’t quick enough in the race, and we need to keep pushing technically on development. We are working our rear ends off at the moment. We made a step forward this weekend, but we are still struggling to get consistent balance on the car and tires. The car was quite different in the race to what we had in qualifying and we are looking into why this was the case. It has been frustrating, but I am hopeful for a better weekend at Road America.”

RCR

RCR Post Race Report — Pocono Raceway–Camping World Truck Series

RCR Post Race Report — Pocono Raceway  
 
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series   
RACE: Pocono Mountains 125  
TRACK: Pocono Raceway    
DATE: August 4, 2012  
 
Race Highlights:       
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished first (Joey Coulter), sixth (Ty Dillon) and 15th (Tim George Jr.).
Dillon ranks second in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings, trailing leader Timothy Peters by eight points, while Coulter ranks seventh in the standings.
The No. 3 Chevrolet team is second in the Camping World Truck Series owner championship point standings, eight points shy of the No. 17 truck’s lead, with the No. 22 team seventh in the standings and the No. 2 team eighth.
Dillon leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings ahead of Cale Gale.
Coulter earned his first Camping World Truck Series victory in the Pocono Mountains 125.
According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Coulter earned the third-highest Driver Rating (119.8), and Dillon earned a rating of 91.0 ranking him eighth amongst the competitors.
Coulter was the series’ Fastest Driver Late in the Run.
Coulter earned the series’ fourth-best Average Running Position (6.440).
George completed 25 Quality Passes en route to a top-15 finish.
George made 33 Green Flag Passes during the 50-lap event ranking him third, while Dillon made 31 passes ranking him seventh.
Coulter won the Pocono Mountains 125 and was followed to the finish line by James Buescher, Nelson Piquet Jr., Matt Crafton and Denny Hamlin.
The next scheduled Camping World Truck Series race is VFW 200 at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 18. The 12th race of the 2012 season is scheduled to be televised live on SPEED beginning at 12 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on Motor Racing Network beginning at 12:15 p.m.

World of Outlaws

Severe Weather Dampens Federated Auto Parts Ironman 55

Severe Weather Dampens Federated Auto Parts Ironman 55
A violent storm hit Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 as feature cars were staging
 
PEVELY, Mo. – Aug. 4, 2012 – A severe storm slammed the Federated Auto Parts Ironman 55 presented by Summit Distributing/Coors Light on Saturday night.
The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event was completed under a shortened program at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55. All races were finished except the final event, which was staged on the track when a downpour and lightning closed in on the area. Local authority warned of the severity of the storm and measures were immediately taken for the safety of the spectators and teams.

The Federated Auto Parts Ironman 55 main event will be contested as part of the program during the World of Outlaws appearance at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Saturday, Oct. 13. Ticket holders for the October show will get to watch two feature programs for their admission.

Kerry Madsen won his fourth dash of the season to earn the pole for the famed event with fellow Australian James McFadden on the outside of the front row.

Kraig Kinser established quick time in qualifying to open the night, and Craig Dollansky, Dale Blaney and Donny Schatz each claimed a heat race.

Next up, the World of Outlaws venture to Knoxville, Iowa, for the $150,000-to-win, 52nd annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals next Wednesday through Saturday.

Summit Racing

Anderson’s Positive Day Nets the Fifth Starting Position in Seattle

Anderson’s Positive Day Nets the Fifth Starting Position in Seattle  

Event:  25th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals

Location: Pacific Raceways, Kent,

Day/Date: Saturday, August 4, 2012

Summit Racing driver Greg Anderson had two positive experiences on Saturday during the final day of qualifying for the NHRA Northwest Nationals.  The first occurred before the four-time champion even took to the track, as William Whiteside, a soldier he had met in Germany during the Team Summit troop visit last November, came out to his first drag race in order to reconnect with Anderson and teammate Jason Line.

Anderson and his KB Racing crew also had a good day on the racetrack, overcoming the dramatic twenty-degree rise in temperature from the day before to make two passes among the best in the Pro Stock field, including the third-quickest pass of the day at 6.586 seconds.  Even though there were no changes among the top qualifiers, starting from the fifth position, he was cautiously optimistic about his chances for Sunday, admitting further improvement would probably be necessary to log his fifth win of the 2012 season.

“Our day got off to a great start, as we were able to reunite with somebody we met in Germany,” said Anderson. “It was a great feeling to see him back here in the States, in his hometown and able to come out and enjoy an NHRA drag race.  He was very excited to be here, and extremely appreciative of getting to see us overseas, which is a complete reversal for us, because we were overwhelmed at just being able to see him back here.

“After everything he has done for our country, we’re glad to see him back home, and able to come out and have a little fun.  He had originally planned to just be here today, but we set him up with some tickets for tomorrow, so he can experience the thrill of final eliminations. Any way you look at it, it’s just a cool, cool deal.

“On the track, we started off the day with a decent run this morning, which gave us three in a row that weren’t perfect, but near the top of the pack.  We then did a little experimenting on our last run, and even though it looks like we went the wrong way, we learned what we can and can’t be doing, and what direction we need to head with this Summit Racing Camaro for tomorrow.  So it was a good day and a learning day, and we’ll see if we can put them to good use tomorrow.

“That Mopar (driven by No. 1 qualifier Allen Johnson) is still as fast as the dickens, so we have our work cut out for us tomorrow to try and beat him, but we can’t worry about that until the later rounds, and there are a lot of good cars we’ll have to get around to get there.  We’ll just take them one at a time, racing hard and scratching and clawing our way, trying to get as much out of these Summit Racing Camaros as we can.  It’s a big day tomorrow and we’re looking to put this Western Swing in the books so we can go home and get back to the grindstone trying to find some extra performance.”

Summit Racing

Starting Sixth, Line Has Work to Do in Seattle

Starting Sixth, Line Has Work to Do in Seattle

Event:  25th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals

Location: Pacific Raceways, Kent,

Day/Date: Saturday, August 4, 2012

Mother Nature threw the racers at the NHRA Northwest Nationals a curve on Saturday, with the mercury topping ninety degrees for the first time in the Kent, Wash. area this year, completely changing the tuning requirements, especially in the normally-aspirated Pro Stock category.  Although this prevented any changes among the top qualifiers, it gave competitors a chance to prepare their cars for race day when conditions are expected to be the same.

After posting the sixth-quickest time on Friday, Jason Line and the Summit Racing team took the atmospheric changes in stride, recording the second- and third-quickest times in the final two sessions at 6.587 and 6.603 seconds.  Although this did not change their starting position for Sunday, it did improve upon their best time from Friday, allowing them to garner three bonus points, and seemingly put the team in a good position to defend their victory at this event from a year ago.  However, the highly competitive Minnesotan was not totally pleased, feeling there was even more room for improvement.

“Today’s performance was really not what I was looking for,” said Line.  “Although we ran closer to the top of the pack today, we really didn’t make what I would consider a great run.  Having said that, it’s nothing that can’t be undone, although at this stage we really need to keep moving forward.

“The bottom line is that the performance is in there somewhere, and it’s up to us to find it. We’ll go over our notes from the last two days and come up with a game plan for tomorrow. I know there is a lot left in this Summit Racing Camaro, and if we’re going to repeat as winners here in Seattle, we’ll need every aspect of this program to perform at its very best, and that’s what we plan to do.”

Chevrolet Racing

Will Power Puts Chevrolet on the Pole at Mid-Ohio with New Track Record


Will Power Puts Chevrolet on the Pole at Mid-Ohio with New Track Record
 
LEXINGTON, Ohio – August 4, 2012 – Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, set a new track record of 1:05:6474/123.825 mph (time/speed) on the way to his third pole of 2012. Power will lead the 25-car field to the green flag for tomorrow’s Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio for the IZOD IndyCar Series.
 
It is Power’s second pole at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and the 27th of his career. His other 2012 poles came at St. Petersburg and Sao Paulo, Brazil. The difference in the times from fastest to sixth in the Firestone Fast Six was just over five-tenths of a second.
 
“Congratulations to Will Power and Team Penske on their pole winning effort today at Mid-Ohio,” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, IZOD IndyCar Series. “With the competition in the IZOD IndyCar Series being so close, track position on a technical road course like Mid-Ohio is an advantage. In the end, it is going to take great execution on Sunday to get the win.”
 
Power’s pole is the seventh time this season that a driver with the Chevrolet 2.2 liter V6 direct injected twin turbo charged engine has held the coveted spot on the starting grid.
 
Ryan Briscoe qualified sixth behind the wheel of the No. 2 PPG Automotive Refinishes Chevrolet. Sebastien Bourdais, No. 7 TrueCar/McAfee Chevrolet, turned in the seventh fastest time of the day.
 
Two additional Team Chevy drivers had fast laps that landed them in the top-10 in the final qualifying results.  Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda/Pelotonia Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, was eighth quickest, and Marco Andretti turned in the ninth quickest time behind the wheel of the No. 26 Team RC Cola Andretti Autosport Chevrolet.
 
The 85-lap Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio is scheduled to start on Sunday, August 5, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. ET with live television coverage on the ABC TV.

Honda Racing

Franchitti Runs Second in Mid-Ohio Qualifying”

Franchitti Runs Second in Mid-Ohio Qualifying

Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti extended his streak of front-row qualifying runs to five consecutive races Saturday at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Franchitti was one of four Honda- powered drivers to make the final “Fast Six” qualifying round, and will start second in Sunday’s Honda Indy 200.  Simon Pagenaud produced his best qualifying effort of 2012, and will start third on Sunday, behind Franchitti and pole qualifier Will Power. Alex Tagliani continues to impress since his Bryan Herta Autosport team switched to Honda power before the Indianapolis 500, and turned the fourth-fastest qualifying time in the “Fast Six” shootout.

Scott Dixon, a three-time winner at Mid-Ohio in the last five years, rounded out the top five in qualifying today. Sunday’s 75-lap Honda Indy 200 starts at 12:30 p.m. EDT, with live television coverage on ABC.  Dario Franchitti (#10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) second quickest in qualifying, his fifth consecutive front-row start in 2012: “Qualifying was a lot of fun. I got everything out of the car and thought it was a pretty good lap, but then I saw [pole qualifier Will] Power’s time and knew it hadn’t been quite enough. If it stays dry for tomorrow, we’re in a great position to challenge for the win. But if it rains, then it’s anyone’s race.

World of Outlaws

Wolfe’s Wait is Over after World of Outlaws Win in Bloomington

Wolfe’s Wait is Over after World of Outlaws Win in Bloomington
He leads the final 22 laps and survives a green-white-checkered finish
 
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Aug. 3, 2012 – It’s finally over.
There were hugs and high fives, smiles and tears, greeting a subdued Lucas Wolfe in Victory Lane on a muggy Friday evening at Bloomington Speedway. Wolfe led the final 22 laps to claim his first career World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series feature victory.

“I’m not very loud of any kind; I stay pretty even,” he said. “Obviously I’m usually this way on a terrible night and on the best of nights I stay pretty calm, but I’ll be pretty happy. I might do a bit of screaming in the helmet, but I’ll try to keep it pretty cool for right now.”

After many near wins during the last five seasons as an Outlaws driver and overcoming a gamut of mechanical woes this year, Wolfe had arguably the best car in Friday’s main event. He charged from his seventh starting position to the top three within the first 10 laps and took the lead before the midpoint. However, it wasn’t without drama.

Wolfe was leading by a straightaway with less than two laps remaining when the event’s second caution was waved for a spin by Kody Kinser in turn two. That erased Wolfe’s commanding advantage and he chose the inside lane on the double-file restart.

Wolfe powered into the lead, but the final caution came on the restart as Sammy Swindell and Kerry Madsen tangled in turn four. However, once again, Wolfe mastered the restart and drove away to the sizeable victory.

“I was a little bit worried about the double-file restarts from where the track might have got a little bit of rubber laid down, about how it was going to be to get going,” he said. “I felt the bottom was my best bet and obviously that was the wrong decision. I was able to get a good enough start there and obviously it didn’t count anyway because we had an accident.

“(I) certainly was happy to see it go back single file. That was a relief that we didn’t have to do anymore double-file restarts and were able to just finish it right there. I’d had enough; my nerves were about shot. (I was) certainly happy to finally finish a deal off.”

Joey Saldana, who led the first 18 laps after starting on the pole, lost the lead in traffic as Wolfe split him and a car about to be lapped while the trio raced down the backstretch. Saldana then held off Donny Schatz for the runner-up position.

“It’s well deserved,” Saldana said. “The guy’s been knocking on the door and having bad luck.

“He could maneuver through traffic really well. I could get through traffic as long as it went my way, but I couldn’t force the issue. I had to settle for second and I really had nothing for him.”

Both drivers shared a special moment with Wolfe in Victory Lane.

“I can still remember that feeling,” said Schatz as he reminisced about his first Outlaws win. “I’m happy for him. It’s been a long time coming. He should have won one long ago, but I’m sure tonight’s very special for him having to wait that long.”

Jason Sides passed Cody Darrah for fourth place on the final restart. Greg Wilson finished sixth, Kraig Kinser was seventh, Logan Schuchart ended eighth, Craig Dollansky placed ninth and Steve Kinser, who was involved in a flip on the opening lap and had to restart 21st, rounded out the top 10.

Summit Racing

Line Rebounds to Place Sixth on Friday in Seattle

Line Rebounds to Place Sixth on Friday in Seattle

Event:  25th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals

Location: Pacific Raceways, Kent,

Day/Date: Friday, August 3, 2012

With only four attempts in which to not only secure as high a spot as possible in Sunday’s final eliminations field, but also learn as much as possible about the racing surface, every qualifying session at an NHRA event is an important step towards ensuring success on race day.  Therefore, when defending event and series champion Jason Line suffered a malfunction in his transmission on his opening run, his Summit Racing team found themselves scrambling to recover in time for the evening session.

Despite running in the very first pair, Line recorded a respectable 6.597-second elapsed time with a top speed of 210.54 mph to slot sixth with two attempts remaining on Saturday.

“You never want to be the first one out in the session, but we had not choice after breaking a piece in the transmission on our first attempt,” said Line. “It wasn’t a terribly good run, and we gave up a couple hundredths in the first sixty feet, which prevented us from being with the cars higher in the order.

“We just got behind, which happens. Things break, which is a part of racing, and we now have to figure out how to bounce back.  We have two more attempts tomorrow to move this Summit Racing Camaro up the ladder and in a better position for race day, and that is what we’ll be focusing on.”

Summit Racing

Anderson Opens Seattle Qualifying in Fifth

Anderson Opens Seattle Qualifying in Fifth  

Event:  25th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals

Location: Pacific Raceways, Kent,

Day/Date: Friday, August 3, 2012

The final race of the NHRA’s Western Swing got underway on Friday with the start of qualifying for the NHRA Northwest Nationals in Kent, Wash.  With a repaved racing surface and temperatures in the mid- to upper seventies, Summit Racing Pro Stock Camaro racer Greg Anderson and the remainder of the Pro Stock contingent looked to take advantage of the favorable conditions and record some quick elapsed times.   

After opening with a solid 6.585-second, 210.83 mph pass in the afternoon session, Anderson picked up the pace in the evening session, improving to a 6.577-second time with a top speed of 210.97 mph to place fifth midway through the qualifying procedure.   

“The best way to describe our day is that it was uneventful,” remarked Anderson. “We made it through the goal posts twice, and even though we missed the mark on both runs, we were only off by half as much on the second one.   All in all, it wasn’t a bad day.

“We’re still looking to find a happy home with these Summit Racing Camaros as far as the set-up is concerned, but we did make a better run on our second attempt, so maybe we are getting closer.  We’ll try to do even better tomorrow, although it’s supposed to be a lot hotter, which could be a new challenge, forcing everyone to regroup.  In any case, we’ll take what we learned from today’s runs and apply to tomorrow’s tune-up, seeing if we can continue our forward progress.”

Dyson Racing

Dyson Racing- Rising to the Challenge

Rising to the Challenge
LEXINGTON, OH August 3, 2012 – Dyson Racing qualified second and third for the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge, the sixth round of the ten-race American Le Mans Series. Chris Dyson turned a time seven tenths off pole on his second to last lap of qualifying in the #16 ModSpace Mazda entry. Eric Lux qualified third in the #20 Dyson Racing entry that he co-drives with Michael Marsal with a time a second and a half quicker than the car’s fastest lap in practice prior to qualifying.
Lux, who won here in GT in 2008, said that “last weekend we were saying how quickly the car came off the trailer and this weekend is more how racing usually goes: finding speed. The whole team worked hard yesterday and last night to find time in the car and today we made a number of changes in practice to find mechanical grip and it paid off for us just in time for qualifying. It is good to see the car at its potential.”
Click for Hi Res
“The car is greatly improved from Mosport two weeks ago,” noted Dyson. “Dunlop has worked hard to come up with a new rear tire construction for this race and it has been a large step forward. It is a credit to Peter Weston and our technical team and their hard work with a limited amount of track time. We have identified some issues and Guy Smith, myself and the team are feeling much better about the rest of the season.”
As the series enters the second half of the season, Rob Dyson commented on the season to date. “In true Dyson Racing fashion, we gathered up rapidly from day one as we faced the challenges of a new car and the ripple effects that we have been dealing with since. Our guys never cease to amaze me in how imaginative and how disciplined and how competent they are in problem solving and getting things done quickly in challenging circumstances. We still have a ways to go but everyone who works with the team, Dunlop, AER, Penske Shocks and Mazda, have been pulling together. We have given a good account of ourselves in the past couple races and with the car constantly improving, I think we have a good shot at it for the season.”
The team has historically done well at Mid-Ohio. They have three one-two finishes at Mid-Ohio: 2005, 1999, and 1998. They have won a total of four times and in the past fourteen Mid-Ohio races, Dyson Racing has three poles, three fastest laps and has finished on the class or overall podium eight times. Last year, Guy Smith won pole and led fifty-eight of ninety-six laps. In 2010, the #16 car of Dyson and Smith won the race, giving Mazda, Dunlop, and the biofuel isobutanol their first overall American Le Mans Series win.

Chevrolet Racing

Team Chevy IndyCar 200 at MidOhio

IZOD INDYCAR SERIES
INDY 200 AT MID-OHIO
MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER POST PRACTICE QUOTES
AUGUST 3, 2012
 
LEXINGTON, Ohio – August 3, 2012 – Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, led the way in Friday’s only practice at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for Sunday’s Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. Today’s practice on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn permanent road course consisted of back-to-back 45-minute sessions.  The first session was just for rookies and cars outside the top-10 in the championship standings, followed by a second session featuring all 25 cars entered for Round 12 of the 15 race IZOD IndyCar season.
 
Marco Andretti, No. 26 Team RC Cola Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, posted the third quickest lap of the day, setting the stage for tomorrow’s qualifying sessions that lead to the Firestone Fast Six and a run for the pole. There will be a one-hour practice session from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. ET leading up to the 11:00 a.m. start time for qualifying.
 
The 85-lap Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio is scheduled to start on Sunday, August 5, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. ET with live television coverage on the ABC TV.
 
The live radio coverage will air on the IMS Radio Network on SiriusXM (XM 94 and Sirius 212). In addition, IndyCar live timing and scoring with the radio broadcast can be found at

Honda Racing

Dixon Runs Second in Opening Mid-Ohio Practice

Dixon Runs Second in Opening Mid-Ohio Practice
Scott Dixon, winner of three of the past five IndyCar races at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, paced the
Honda-powered entries Friday in preparation for Sunday’s Honda Indy 200, posting the second-fastest
time in a tight field during IZOD IndyCar Series practice on the challenging, 2.258-mile road course.
Dixon ended the day’s single practice session less than two-tenths of a second off the quick time set by
Will Power.
Honda-powered drivers dominated the top 10 in practice, with Simon Pagenaud fourth quickest on the
day, followed by Graham Rahal, James Jakes, Josef Newgarden, Alex Tagliani, Dario Franchitti and Mike
Conway, rounding out the top 10.
Giorgio Pantano made his 2012 IndyCar debut, substituting for the injured Charlie Kimball in the #83
Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing Honda Dallara. Kimball suffered a broken bone in his right hand in a
testing crash at Mid-Ohio last week, and was not cleared to drive this weekend by INDYCAR medical
officials.
IZOD IndyCar Series activities at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course continue Saturday, with final practice
and “Fast Six” knockout qualifying. Sunday’s 75-lap race starts at 12:30 p.m. EDT, with live television
coverage on ABC.
Simon Pagenaud (#77 Schmidt Hamilton Racing Honda) fourth quickest in Friday practice: “It was a
very good day for us. We improved the car tremendously on our last run, and I think we are very close
now, so I am happy with the car. I love this race track, it is challenging and fun for the driver and the
entire team. It’s an important race for Honda, too, so we really want to run well for them this weekend.”

Racer News and Results