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TODD, ASHLEY AND HERRERA GET MISSION #2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE WINS IN CHICAGO

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Official Release
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CHICAGO (May 18, 2024) – For the second time this season, Funny Car’s J.R. Todd picked up a win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, defeating reigning world champion Matt Hagan in the final round on Saturday at Route 66 Raceway as part of this weekend’s 24th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance.

Justin Ashley (Top Fuel) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at the sixth of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Todd went 4.040-seconds at 316.52 mph in his 11,000-horsepower DHL Toyota GR Supra, holding off Hagan to get his third career victory in the specialty race. Warmer conditions posed a challenge on Saturday, but Todd performed well, knocking off John Force in the semifinals before getting past Hagan. The solid back-to-back runs also give Todd confidence heading into tomorrow, where he’ll have the chance to become the first two-time Funny Car winner in 2024.

“This is extremely rewarding and a lot of that is because these are race conditions,” Todd said. “Tomorrow, it might be even warmer. In Q3, a lot of cars weren’t getting down the track and we did against John [Force]. Tomorrow, I’m not sure how important lane choice will be, but I feel like no matter what, we’re good in the heat. The teams that put up numbers sometimes struggle in the heat when they have to pull back.

“I love days like this when conditions are tough. I’m not saying I’m the best at it, but I love the thought of trying to tame 11,000 horsepower.”

In Top Fuel, Justin Ashley put together his best run of the weekend, going 3.831 at 320.05 in his 11,000-horsepower Scag Power Equipment/Toyota dragster to knock off Clay Millican. It’s his second victory in the specialty race for the points leader and the eighth overall win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, as it’s become an area where Ashley has thrived. The run in the final was his best of the weekend as well, providing some solid momentum going into eliminations.

“This feels great but it’s tough to pinpoint one thing that we did to make this happen today,” Ashley said. “I just know it helps to get us in raceday mode. In these races, I’m not necessarily trying to race the other person, just trying to make the best run I can make. As a team, we keep chipping away at it. We struggled a bit at the start of the year but we’re better and this was a fun one today.

“When we ran that 3.83 in the final I felt better because that’s similar conditions than what we’re going to face tomorrow. I assume there will be a lot of shaking and spinning and we need to be ready for it.”

Defending Pro Stock Motorcycle Gaige Herrera stayed perfect in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge in 2024, winning for the third straight time with a run of 6.733 at 201.16 on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. The victory came against teammate Richard Gadson, making it a win-win for the team, but Herrera has been nearly impossible to beat since last year. He’ll look for yet another double-up weekend on Sunday, pleased with how the bike ran in the heat on Saturday at Route 66 Raceway.

“I knew that it was going to be a tough race with Richard because he’s my teammate. He’s new but he’s competitive and he’s learning quickly,” Herrera said. “He left on me, but we had enough to get around him. The good thing about these [Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge] races is that you get in a routine on Saturday and that helps make you a better racer on Sunday. Right now, the parity in this class is close, and that’s what this class needs.”

Eliminations for the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance begin at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday at Route 66 Raceway.

JOLIET, Ill. — Saturday’s final results from the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at the 24th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway.

Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Top Fuel Challenge — Justin Ashley, 3.831 seconds, 320.05 mph def. Clay Millican, 6.120 seconds, 102.22 mph.

Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Funny Car Challenge — J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 4.040, 316.52 def. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 4.104, 317.64.

Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Challenge — Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.733, 201.16 def. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.795, 200.00.

JOLIET, Ill. — Final round-by-round results from the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at 24th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway,.

MISSION #2FAST2TASTY NHRA TOP FUEL CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Justin Ashley, 3.942, 296.37 def. Antron Brown, 4.082, 258.42; Clay Millican, 3.951, 253.14 def. Doug Kalitta, 8.748, 81.78;

FINAL — J. Ashley, 3.831, 320.05 def. C. Millican, 6.120, 102.22.

MISSION #2FAST2TASTY NHRA FUNNY CAR CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 10.714, 78.83 def. Daniel Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, Foul – Red Light; J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 4.076, 306.74 def. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 4.678, 181.01;

FINAL — J. Todd, 4.040, 316.52 def. M. Hagan, 4.104, 317.64.

MISSION #2FAST2TASTY NHRA PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.829, 200.41 def. LE Tonglet, Suzuki, 6.819, 199.52; Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.744, 200.62 def. John Hall, 6.811, 198.50;

FINAL — G. Herrera, 6.733, 201.16 def. R. Gadson, 6.795, 200.00.

Felix Rosenqvist To Run For Indy 500 Pole, Meyer Shank Racing Qualifies Three

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Official Release
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Indianapolis, Ind. (18 May 2024) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) will start three cars in next Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 after a successful Saturday qualifying at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, but the team has more to do before the starting order is settled.

Drivers Helio Castroneves (No. 06 Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian Cleveland-Cliffs Honda), Tom Blomqvist (No. 66 AutoNation / Arctic Wolf Honda) and Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda) cemented their positions in the field for the Memorial Day classic through four-lap qualifying on the 2.5-mile oval, marking the first time MSR has ever started three cars in an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race.

But there is still work to do for the Ohio-based squad as Rosenqvist ran the seventh-best average speed on the day, earning a place in Sunday’s top-12 shootout as part of the pole qualifying format. The Swedish driver will make another qualifying attempt Sunday afternoon with the fastest half of the field advancing to the Firestone Fast Six session two hours later that will determine the Indy 500 polewinner.

Rosenqvist ran a consistent four laps to secure his Sunday ticket, dropping just .7mph through a four-lap stint that started with a best effort of 232.547mph average speed. The Long Beach polewinner will be looking to extend his streak of top-10 starting spots in Sunday’s qualifying and could become the first MSR pilot since 2020 to start in the top 10 in five consecutive races.

Castroneves competed in his first qualifying session of his 2024 INDYCAR campaign as the team’s minority owner looks to become the only driver in history to win five Indianapolis 500s. The Brazilian star also had a very consistent set of laps in earning his way into the field, using a four-lap average speed of 231.871mph to take the 20th position on the 33-car grid.

Blomqvist showed well in his first-ever Indianapolis 500 qualifying session, putting his MSR machine solidly in the field with the 25th spot. Blomqvist was the first MSR driver to run on the day and put up a quartet of laps at an average speed of 231.403mph in his first official Indy 500 qualifying outing. Looking at conditions after the full-field made their first runs, the Blomqvist camp decided to make another attempt, and the British sportscar star made it count, with a speed of 231.578mph that moved him up three spots on the grid.

Sunday will see Rosenqvist make an attempt for the Indianapolis 500 pole with top 12 qualifying beginning at 3:05pm ET with coverage on Peacock and SiriusXM Ch. 218.

Meyer Shank Racing Driver Quotes:

Felix Rosenqvist – In Top-12 Shootout Sunday, Four-Lap Avg. Speed 232.547mph: “Qualifying day one finished! We finished seventh, a really good day for MSR and Honda. A super solid run – we had a late draw so it definitely felt as though there might be a bit more in it. I definitely feels as though we’re in contention for the Fast Six tomorrow, we just have to get through Fast 12 first. It’s going to be hot, very similar to today, so it will be challenging – it always is at IMS.”

Helio Castroneves, Starting 19th, Four-Lap Avg. Speed 231.871mph “The Cliffs car was actually very, very good today. We were almost at the end of the field to qualify when we had our first run. We’re not where we want to be but the car is good – and we’re in the race. Let’s go get it.”

Tom Blomqvist – Starting 24th, Four-Lap Avg. Speed 231.578mph: “It’s been a fantastic day. We are in the race, which is great, but it feels weird to celebrate that. I’m a competitor and I want us to be up at the front, not just in the race. It’s been a fantastic experience and I’m grateful for it; I’m really enjoying it. Going around this place at 230 is just something else. I want to be faster and further up, for sure. The car has been working well. We are just missing a little bit of speed and this place is all about speed. The team has done an awesome job, they have worked so hard on everything.”

NASCAR postpones remainder of Truck event at North Wilkesboro to Sunday; All-Star Heats canceled due to precipitation

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Andrew Boyd for SpeedwayMedia.com.

The remainder of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ Wright Brand 250 event at North Wilkesboro Speedway has been postponed to Sunday, May 19, at 11:30 a.m. ET due to an ongoing increase of precipitation that has prevented the event from being completed on Saturday, May 18.

The event’s postponement is one of several on-track weekend sessions at North Wilkesboro that have been impacted due to the ongoing precipitation, which includes the NASCAR All-Star Open qualifying session being canceled due to rain and the lineup being set based on the owner’s standings while the NASCAR All-Star Race qualifying session was postponed to early Saturday afternoon due to rain canceling the scheduled session for Friday, May 17.

At the time of the Truck Series event’s delay and eventual postponement, 81 of 250 scheduled laps had been completed. Ty Majeski, who claimed the Stage 1 victory on Lap 70, was scored the leader ahead of Rajah Caruth, Corey Heim, Christian Eckes and Tanner Gray while Tyler Ankrum, Ross Chastain, Connor Jones, Nick Sanchez and Jake Garcia were scored in the top 10.

In addition to the Truck event, the NASCAR All-Star Race’s two scheduled Heat qualifying events, each spanning 60 laps, have been canceled from occurring on Saturday evening. As a result, the initial starting lineup for the event that was determined through a combined session between on-track qualifying and the Pit Crew Challenge will become the official starting lineup for the All-Star Race instead of the two heat events determining the majority of the lineup.

Joey Logano, a two-time Cup Series champion and the 2016 All-Star Race winner from Middletown, Connecticut, had already secured the pole position for Sunday’s All-Star event after posting the best three-lap qualifying time in one minute, 29.75 seconds. With the cancellation of the two All-Star Heat events, Brad Keselowski, the 2012 Cup champion from Rochester Hills, Michigan, who posted the second-fastest three-lap qualifying session in one minute, 30.14 seconds, will officially start on the front row alongside Logano.

Christopher Bell, whose pit crew won this year’s Pit Crew Challenge with a lightning-fast four-tire pit service in 13.223 seconds, will start in third place followed by Daniel Suarez and Chris Buescher while Tyler Reddick, Ross Chastain, Martin Truex Jr., Michael McDowell and AJ Allmendinger will start in the top 10.

With 17 of 20 starting spots already determined and occupied by competitors eligible for the event, the final three starting spots will be determined through the All-Star Open event that will occur at 5:30 p.m. on FS1. The top two finishers in the Open will automatically transfer into the All-Star Race while one extra competitor will claim the final starting spot for the main event after being named the Fan Vote winner.

The Craftsman Truck Series’ Wright Brand 250 will resume on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET on FS1. The All-Star Race is also scheduled to occur on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on FS1 following the All-Star Open.

Logano claims first All-Star Race pole; Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 team wins Pit Crew Challenge

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Chad Wells for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Joey Logano achieved a silver lining amid a difficult first-half span of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular-season stretch by claiming the pole position for the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Saturday, May 18. 

The starting lineup for this year’s All-Star Race was determined through a special qualifying format infused with the return of the Pit Crew Challenge that was postponed to early Saturday afternoon after the qualifying session’s initial occurrence on Friday night, May 17, was canceled due to ongoing precipitation. 

For the format, each competitor eligible for the All-Star Race exited pit road and commenced their qualifying session by taking the green flag and cycling once around the North Wilkesboro Speedway circuit for a full lap before making a mandatory four-tire pit stop with a mock fuel run in a designated pit stall during the second lap. At the conclusion of the pit stops the competitors would return to the track and race back to the checkered flag to conclude their qualifying session. 

With a fast three-lap qualifying session of one minute, 29.75 seconds, that included his four-tire pit stop, Logano, who was the sixth of 17 competitors to qualify through the event’s qualifying order, will start on pole position for the All-Star Race for the first time in his career as this season will mark his 14th career start in the All-Star event. In addition, Logano, who will contend for his second All-Star victory and first since 2016, will start on the pole for the first of two 60-lap All-Star Heat events that will occur on Saturday evening. 

“[I’m] Very proud of the whole team,” Logano said on FS1. “This qualifying session is the most fun session of the year. It really takes every crew member all the way through. Everybody’s got to do their part to make it happen and that’s why it means a lot to get an All-Star pole. Obviously, a great starting spot. Get a little momentum booster for our team.”

While Logano emerged as the fastest on the track amid his three-lap qualifying session, his No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang Dark Horse pit crew led by crew chief Paul Wolfe posted the fifth-fastest pit session at 13.592 seconds.  

The team that emerged as this year’s Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge winner was the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry XSE pit crew led by Adam Stevens and piloted by Christopher Bell, with the team generating the fastest four-tire pit service during Bell’s qualifying run at 13.223 seconds. Ironically, Bell’s pit crew features the same crew members that won the 2023 Pit Crew Challenge while servicing Ty Gibbs and the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team to pole position for the 2023 All-Star Open. Despite Bell posting the third-fastest qualifying run on the track in one minute, 30.17 seconds, his No. 20 team has the first choice of pit stall selection for the All-Star event as they also claim a $100,000 prize. In addition, Bell will start alongside Logano for the first 60-lap Heat event on Saturday evening.

NORTH WILKESBORO, NORTH CAROLINA – MAY 18: Christopher Bell, (L) and the pit crew celebrate in victory lane after winning the pit crew challenge for the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 18, 2024 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images).

“What can you say? This is two in a row for these guys and they’ve been awesome,” Bell said. “I’m incredibly happy for them and honored to be their driver. That was a lot of fun.”

“I wouldn’t want to battle with no other guys and I wouldn’t want to do it for no other driver than Christopher Bell,” Derrell Edwards. Bell’s jackman, added. “We knew it was gonna come down to a Joe Gibbs [Racing] crew, which was special to say. We’ve been good, man. Back to back, baby.”

“I’m blessed to be with a good group of guys,” Michael Hicks, Bell’s rear tire changer, added. “I couldn’t do this if I didn’t have a good supporting cast. [The No. 20 crew] are the best on pit road. We got a stud for a driver. It’s awesome to win with these guys.”

Brad Keselowski, winner of last weekend’s Cup event at Darlington Raceway, posted the second-fastest three-lap qualifying session in one minute, 30.14 seconds as he will start on the pole for the second Heat event that will occur on Saturday evening. His No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford Mustang Dark Horse pit crew led by crew chief Matt McCall posted the second-best four-tire pit service in 13.323 seconds. 

Daniel Suarez and Chris Buescher qualified in the top five while Tyler Reddick, Ross Chastain, Martin Truex Jr., Michael McDowell and AJ Allmendinger rounded out the top 10 in the qualifying session. 

Notably, Kevin Harvick qualified in the 12th position in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry while serving as a standby competitor for Kyle Larson, who is qualifying for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Arrow McLaren. 

Denny Hamlin posted the 11th-fastest qualifying run while William Byron, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Blaney rounded out the 17-car field of competitors currently guaranteed starting spots for this year’s All-Star Race. 

Qualifying Results/Time: 

1. Joey Logano, 1:29.75 

2. Brad Keselowski, 1:30.14 

3. Christopher Bell, 1:30.17 

4. Daniel Suarez, 1:30.20 

5. Chris Buescher, 1:30.29 

6. Tyler Reddick, 1:30.67 

7. Ross Chastain, 1:30.77 

8. Martin Truex Jr., 1:30.95 

9. Michael McDowell, 1:30.99 

10. AJ Allmendinger, 1:31.67 

11. Denny Hamlin, 1:31.85 

12. Kevin Harvick, 1:36.33 

13. William Byron, 1:39.54 

14. Kyle Busch, 1:39.79 

15. Chase Elliott, 1:42.52 

16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 1:43.31 

17. Ryan Blaney, 1:49.89 

Pit Crew Challenge Results/Time:

1. Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota, 13.223 seconds

2. Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing No. 6 Ford, 13.323 seconds

3. Team Penske No. 12 Ford, 13.514 seconds

4. Trackhouse Racing No. 1 Chevrolet, 13.523 seconds

5. Team Penske No. 22 Ford, 13.592 seconds.

6. Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet, 13.842 seconds

7. 23XI Racing No. 45 Toyota, 13.954 seconds

8. Richard Childress Racing No. 8 Chevrolet, 13.981 seconds

9. Trackhouse Racing No. 99 Chevrolet, 14.039 seconds

10. Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 Toyota, 14.072 seconds

11. Kaulig Racing No. 16 Chevrolet, 14.180 seconds

12. Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing No. 17 Ford, 14.185 seconds

13. Front Row Motorsports No. 34 Ford, 14.389 seconds

14. Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Toyota, 15.387 seconds

15. Hendrick Motorsports No. 9 Chevrolet, 16.939 seconds

16. Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet, 17.949 seconds

17. JTG-Daugherty Racing No. 47 Chevrolet, 25.741 seconds

The 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race festivities continue with a pair of All-Star Race Heat events that will commence on Saturday evening at 5:20 p.m. ET on FS2 and set the rest of the starting lineup for this year’s All-Star Race. The 2024 All-Star Race is scheduled to occur on Sunday, May 19, at 8 p.m. ET on FS1. 

CORVETTE RACING AT COTA: First Win for Corvette Z06 GT3.R

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Official Release
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Milner, Udell drive No. 63 DXDT Corvette to GT World Challenge America overall victory

AUSTIN, Texas (May 18, 2024) – DXDT Racing scored the first race victory for the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R as Corvette factory driver Tommy Milner and Alec Udell won the first 90-minute race of GT World Challenge America’s event at Circuit of The Americas on Saturday.

The No. 63 Pro-class Corvette won by 3.706 seconds in its World Challenge America debut race. DXDT Racing fielded its No. 08 Z06 GT3.R for Bryan Sellers and Scott Smithson for the first time in the Pro Am class two weeks ago at Sebring.

Udell qualified on the Pro pole position Saturday and had to avoid a spinning car ahead of him at the first corner of the race start and fell back to fifth overall. He steadily worked his way back through the field and made the Corvette’s mandatory pit stop just past the 40-minute mark. Milner re-emerged and set the Z06 GT3.R’s fastest race lap on his way to the finish.

Sellers and Smithson finished fifth in the Pro-Am class – their best result in three races so far with the No. 08 Corvette.

Sunday’s GT World Challenge finale is set for 2:15 p.m. CT with live coverage on the YouTube GT World channel.

DXDT RACING DRIVER RACE-WINNING QUOTES

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s big for Chevrolet, for Corvette Racing and for Pratt Miller to get this first win for the Z06 GT3.R. As a customer car, you have to show that the car is quick and it’s capable. We’ve been close and shown that we’re fast. But until you get that first win, it’s different. This is a big milestone for the program. That monkey is off our back and we don’t have to think about it any more! Now we can just continue ahead with this program.”

On winning with DXDT Racing: “I’m super happy for my sister (Erin Gahagan, team manager). For David Askew. It’s a big day for this team. They put a lot of time and effort in making the team better. They’ve had great races, and they’re doing all the right things. But it’s hard to enjoy that until you see the successes. So I’m really happy for them.”

ALEC UDELL, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I had hoped (success) would come this soon. Whenever you’re starting a new program, there are all kinds of unknowns. It’s the first time Tommy and I have driven together. It’s the first time I’ve raced with the team. Everything has gelled very nicely, which speaks to the caliber of the team, the caliber of the Corvette, and us being able to bring it all together is super satisfying. Especially for me at home. It’s a great feeling. It takes a little bit of pressure off. Now we can continue to focus forward and make improvements where we can.”

CHRISTIE BAGNE, CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R PROGRAM MANAGER: “Congratulations to Alec, Tommy, David Askew and everyone at DXDT Racing on securing the first race victory for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R. Today’s result in GT World Challenge America is the result of tremendous collaboration between DXDT, Corvette Racing support and our GM Powertrain team, even since before the team debuted with the Z06 GT3.R at Sebring.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Patrick Woods-Toth Holds Off Titus Sherlock to Win Race 1 at Road America

By
Official Release
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Photo by Gavin Baker Photography

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (May 18, 2024) – Patrick Woods-Toth (No. 27 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) emerged the winner in the opening race of the weekend for Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) at Road America. A hotly-contested race, wheel-to-wheel battles emerged throughout the entire field, with Woods-Toth having to hold off the advances of his teammate, Titus Sherlock (No. 31 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3), during a one-lap shootout to the checkered flag.

Notes of Interest:

  • Patrick Woods-Toth earned his second-career FR Americas victory at Road America on Saturday morning. Last season, he earned his first two victories in Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) competition at Road America.
  • Woods-Toth has finished on the podium in each of the four races so far this season.
  • Titus Sherlock earned the highest points finish of his FR Americas career. The driver of the No. 31 won the non-points paying FR Americas Invitational at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca earlier this month.
  • Nicolas Ambiado tied his career-best result while recording his second podium finish of 2024.
  • Nicole Havrda had the best qualifying effort of her career to line up fourth on the grid. Engaged in side-by-side racing throughout the entire event, she tied her career-best finish with a fifth-place result.

Woods-Toth led the field down the starting grid, but it was Sherlock who got the jump when the lights went out. With Sherlock completing the pass to overtake the lead by the time they reached Turn 1, Woods-Toth stayed tight on his gearbox as they worked through the opening turns. As they approached Turn 5—one of the best passing opportunities at the 4.048-mile circuit—Woods-Toth decided to brake late and drive to the inside of Sherlock. Racing side by side, the two engaged in a heated battle all the way through Turn 7, when Sherlock drove a bit too wide, giving up a couple positions and allowing Woods-Toth to drive away.

Opening up over a five-second lead as the race passed its halfway point, Woods-Toth appeared to have an easily-sailing path to victory. In the meantime, Jett Bowling (No. 02 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) was engaged in a tight battle with Nicole Havrda (No. 6 Valley Kitchens Ltd / Colonial Countertops Ltd Ligier JS F3), Ryan Shehan (No. 66 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) and Justin Garat (No. 17 Speed Factory Ligier JS F3) while competing for the fourth position. With just 12 minutes left on the clock, Bowling went wide on the exit of Turn 12, lost control of the rear of his car and spun around to make contact with the wall. An extensive cleanup ensued, which put Woods-Toth back on the defense for a one-lap shootout finish.

As the green flag waved, Sherlock pulled tight on Woods-Toth’s gearbox and raced side by side all the way through Turn 8. As they raced through the Carousel, Woods-Toth cleared Sherlock, holding the lead and taking the checkered flag with just a 0.215-second advantage.

“The yellow came out at about the worst time for us,” Woods-Toth said on the podium. “We were pushing pretty hard to get a good gap—we weren’t saving any tires there. When the yellow came out, I knew it was going to be a fight. I just had to stay out of trouble. It was a good race with Titus [Sherlock]; he did a good job.”

FR Americas is back on track this afternoon for Race 2 at 5:25 p.m. CT. A live feed from the Road America Jumbotron will continue to be available throughout the weekend at YouTube.com/SpeedTourTV. Live timing and scoring can be accessed on the Race Monitor app, and additional news and updates from the Road America SpeedTour will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Bell’s No. 20 Gibbs Crew Takes Pit Crew Challenge presented by Mechanix Wear, Logano Claims All-Star Pole

By
Official Release
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Members of Christopher Bell's No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing pit crew celebrate their victory in the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge presented by Mechanix Wear on Saturday at North Wilkesboro Speedway. (HHP/Harold Hinson Photo)

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. (May 18, 2024) – Fast speeds paid big dividends on Saturday at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Christopher Bell’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota pit crew posted a 13.223-second pit stop during NASCAR All-Star Race qualifying, which earned the crew a $100,000 prize and the trophy from the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge presented by Mechanix Wear.

Bell, however, won’t start Sunday’s All-Star Race from the pole. Joey Logano’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford posted the quickest overall time in Saturday’s All-Star Race qualifying, which included a four-tire pit stop and three laps around North Wilkesboro’s 0.625-mile oval.

Logano and his crew completed the job in 89.754 seconds, which eclipsed Brad Keselowski’s No. 6 RFK Racing Ford team by 0.386 seconds. Bell, Daniel Suarez and Chris Buescher completed the top five in overall time.

“This qualifying session is the most fun session of the year,” Logano said. “I think that’s why we didn’t cancel it for rain last night, we just postponed it. Everybody looks forward to this. It’s a very detail-oriented exchange, where you really need to put it all on the line to do the job.

“It’s a special pole – really, it’s the most special pole I’ve ever won.”

Bell was pleased with his third-fastest overall time, but thrilled for his crew taking the $100,000 prize.

“I’m incredibly happy for them and honored to be their driver,” Bell said. “I was happy to stop on my mark, which has been a huge topic of conversation in our meetings. These guys did amazing. That was a whole lot of fun.”

Tyler Reddick was sixth on the overall speed chart with Ross Chastain seventh and Martin Truex Jr. eighth. Michael McDowell and A.J. Allmendinger completed the top 10.

Two-time NASCAR All-Star Race winner and FOX: NASCAR analyst Kevin Harvick continued his substituting role for Kyle Larson, who won last year’s All-Star Race but spent Saturday attempting to qualify for his first Indianapolis 500. Harvick was 12th in qualifying, but Larson will re-take the seat of his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on Sunday for the All-Star Race.

TICKETS:

Tickets, camping and parking for 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race weekend events, as well as 2025 tickets, can be purchased online by visiting www.NorthWilkesboroSpeedway.com.

MORE INFO:

Fans can connect with North Wilkesboro Speedway and get the latest news regarding NASCAR All-Star week and North Wilkesboro Speedway by following on X and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan.

Joey Logano Puts Ford Mustang Dark Horse on the All-Star Race Pole

By
Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
All-Star Race Qualifying | Saturday, May 18, 2024

Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse won the pole for tomorrow night’s NASCAR All-Star Race. He stopped in the infield media center and talked about the session, which included a timed pit stop to help determine the winner.

POLE-WINNING PRESS CONFERENCE

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – TAKE US THROUGH THIS QUALIFYING PROCEDURE. “It’s probably the most fun qualifying session we have all year, and I think that’s why we didn’t cancel it last night. We just postponed it to today because everyone looks forward to this event, and it really does a great job at showcasing every team member on the team. From setting the dash to make sure all the lights are right and making sure you maximize your speed on pit road, to the car going fast obviously. Executing onto pit road, rolling time. The spotter helping me be able to make sure I hit all the right lights around the corners to maximize that. Obviously, the pit crew doing their part and then back onto the racetrack. It’s a very detail-oriented exchange all the way through that we typically see every weekend when we have green flag stops, but it’s really neat to put it all on the line and do that today. It’s a very special pole, maybe the most special pole I’ve ever had because it’s a great example of everybody and I’m proud of that. It’s a lot of work that goes into the minute-and-a-half out there.”

IT LOOKED LIKE FROM WATCHING THE GHOST CAR THAT YOU MADE UP MOST OF YOUR TIME GETTING ON PIT ROAD WITHOUT SPEEDING. WAS THAT A POINT OF EMPHASIS FOR YOU? “It’s hard to say where exactly it was. Our lap was really good. Our lap was maybe the second or third-best, so we were pretty good there. On the pit road, it seemed of the ones that did not speed we were ahead every time by the time we got to pit road speed. It looked like our corner speed was good. It looked like I was able to roll a little bit of distance just from watching the Fox broadcast probably like everybody else on the SMT data they put up there. You can’t tell the into stall part. They didn’t show that – how hard you get into the stall or how good you left to get back to your pit road lights, but I’d say overall we didn’t have the advantage pit stall. There was one that was better than the other, for sure, and we didn’t have that, so to overcome that makes it even more special.”

BEING OUT FRONT WILL THAT HELP WITH THE TIRE WEAR ON THIS SOFTER TIRE AND DO YOU THINK YOU CAN MAKE IT GO 100 LAPS IF YOU HAVE TO? “I don’t know. Yeah, being out front helps tire wear, no doubt, and you can run your pace and you’re not scrubbing your tires in dirty air and all that type of stuff. I don’t think the strategy is very clear yet. We got 50 minutes of practice I went through a set on and ran as long as they felt comfortable out there, or as much time as they had to run that many laps, and looking at the data afterwards it’s still not super clear what you would do. A lot of it depends on what place you’re running and all that, but it’s not as clear as you may think when it comes to when you’re gonna put the softs on, or the option tire. I don’t know. There’s a lot of question to it.”

HOW LONG DO YOU THINK THEY’LL LAST? “Hopefully, they last longer than the next guy. It’s like outrunning a bear. You’ve just got to go faster than the slowest guy (laughing).”

ZIZZO, PROCK, ENDERS AND M. SMITH GRAB PROVISIONAL NO. 1 SPOTS AT GERBER COLLISION & GLASS ROUTE 66 NHRA NATIONALS

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Official Release
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CHICAGO (May 17, 2024) – Chicago native T.J. Zizzo made the quickest Top Fuel run in each session on Friday at Route 66 Raceway, taking the provisional No. 1 qualifier at the 24th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance.

Austin Prock (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the sixth of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Zizzo powered to a run of 3.735-seconds at 331.77 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Rust-Oleum dragster, putting the part-time racer in line for his first career NHRA No. 1 qualifier. Clay Millican went 3.746 earlier in the session before Zizzo closed out the day with an impressive pass in front of a host of family and friends. Zizzo was a provisional No. 1 qualifier in 2019 in Gainesville, but it didn’t hold. This time, he’ll look to keep the No. 1 spot at his home track.

“Today has been a dream,” Zizzo said. “You have the opportunity to do all kinds of things in this world, but to do this with friends and family is really special. We have worked really hard to get this done and it means a lot.

“I have to say that Don Schumacher was riding along with me today. He was instrumental in the success of this team. We don’t race as much as I’d like but I have confidence that when the car runs, every nut and bolt is right. My crew is all volunteer, but they’ve all been with me for a long time and I have complete confidence in them.”

Millican’s 3.746 at 332.84 has him second, while defending world champion Doug Kalitta sits third after going 3.750 at 332.84.

Funny Car points leader Austin Prock is searching for his first career victory at Route 66 Raceway and that journey got off to a good start on Friday, going 3.907 at 332.43 in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS to take the No. 1 spot. Prock made the best run in each session, slipping past Bob Tasca to close out the evening in the Funny Car category. Should that hold, Prock would pick up his fourth No. 1 qualifier in six races this season, another impressive mark in Prock’s first Funny Car season.

“It definitely feels good, especially after Charlotte where we weren’t happy,” Prock said. “We didn’t race smart in Charlotte and it cost us. Here, we made two great runs. I’m getting more seat time and we changed a few components on the car as far as steering. This is just my sixth race, but I’d say I’m more comfortable in the Funny Car. From day one, I’ve been saying I’m oddly comfortable in there. Don’t get me wrong. This thing is a beast and anyone who tells you otherwise is crazy, but I feel really good right now.”

Tasca III is currently second thanks to a run of 3.913 at 329.91 and Paul Lee’s 3.922 at 323.13 has him third.

Looking for her 50th career national event victory this weekend, Pro Stock’s Erica Enders took back the provisional No. 1 spot to close out the day at Route 66 Raceway, going 6.548 at 209.69 in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Scag Power Equipment car. Should that hold, Enders would earn her second No. 1 this season and the 36th in her career. The defending and six-time world champ also made her selection for Saturday’s GETTRX Pro Stock All-Star Callout, selecting longtime rival and No. 2 seed Greg Anderson.

Dallas Glenn called out Troy Coughlin Jr., followed by Aaron Stanfield selecting Matt Hartford as his first-round opponent. The other matchup features Cristian Cuadra against Deric Kramer, and Enders is excited for Saturday’s bonus race.

“We went to Tulsa to test this week because it’s no secret that we’ve been struggling a bit and this race is very important to me for a number of reasons,” Enders said. “I have a lot of great memories here. Obviously, it’s where I got my first win and to think I could also get my 50th would be amazing. I know it’s a tall order but it’s what we’re shooting for.”

“Our team talked strategy (for the Callout). We eventually decided to take Greg, and our thinking was go big or go home. When you think about it, Greg and I have battled for the top spot for the last ten years or more and I expect we’ll go back and forth until the end of our careers.”

Coughlin is currently second in qualifying with a 6.554 at 209.75 and Anderson is right behind after his run of 6.554 at 208.78.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Matt Smith impressed during both sessions to kick off the weekend, making the quickest run each time, including a Friday-best 6.708 at 201.40 on his Denso Auto Parts/Matt Smith Racing Buell. It was a solid step forward for the six-time world champ, who is looking to snap Gaige Herrera’s class-record streak of 11 No. 1 qualifiers. Smith is off to a strong start with that, getting close to the 6.60s with his second run on Friday. It would also be Smith’s 53rd top qualifier if it holds up.

“I think we’re running well and we’ve made this bike very competitive,” Smith said. “Our goal is to just keep getting better and hats off to this whole team for the progress we’ve made. We’re learning and we’ll keep trying to improve.

“We’ve been working hard and testing to get out sixty-foot times better. I had a 1.05 in Charlotte and the bike wouldn’t shift and I had a 1.05 here on Q1. We put some power in it and it stuck. Really, our goal is just to make our program better.”

Herrera, who has won seven consecutive races, is current second with a run of 6.745 at 200.17, and LE Tonglet is third thanks to a run of 6.772 at 200.44.

Qualifying continues at 11:40 a.m. CT on Saturday at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway. The first round of the GETTRX Pro Stock All-Star Callout starts at 11:30 a.m. CT on Saturday, with the semifinals to follow at 1:45 p.m. and the finals at 2:55 p.m.

JOLIET, Ill. — Friday’s results after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 24th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway, sixth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday’s final eliminations.

Top Fuel — 1. T.J. Zizzo, 3.735 seconds, 331.77 mph; 2. Clay Millican, 3.746, 332.84; 3. Doug Kalitta, 3.750, 332.84; 4. Shawn Langdon, 3.771, 332.10; 5. Shawn Reed, 3.772, 324.51; 6. Antron Brown, 3.775, 331.36; 7. Steve Torrence, 3.776, 336.65; 8. Tony Schumacher, 3.779, 328.22; 9. Dan Mercier, 3.779, 325.14; 10. Billy Torrence, 3.780, 330.63; 11. Jasmine Salinas, 3.798, 320.28; 12. Josh Hart, 3.803, 319.98; 13. Cody Krohn, 3.824, 319.75; 14. Justin Ashley, 3.840, 318.77; 15. Kyle Wurtzel, 3.847, 320.20; 16. Tony Stewart, 3.877, 320.58.

Not Qualified: 17. Doug Foley, 3.889, 275.11; 18. Krista Baldwin, 4.001, 255.00; 19. Luigi Novelli, 4.139, 291.89; 20. Brittany Force, 4.296, 190.19; 21. Travis Shumake, 5.959, 109.54.

Funny Car — 1. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.907, 332.43; 2. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.913, 329.91; 3. Paul Lee, Dodge Charger, 3.922, 323.12; 4. John Force, Camaro, 3.930, 326.95; 5. Alexis DeJoria, Toyota GR Supra, 3.936, 330.55; 6. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 3.939, 327.90; 7. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 3.953, 314.75; 8. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.957, 319.90; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.962, 321.58; 10. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.963, 312.86; 11. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.012, 322.27; 12. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 4.062, 314.46; 13. Buddy Hull, Charger, 4.092, 315.49; 14. Bobby Bode, Mustang, 4.095, 311.63; 15. Dave Richards, Toyota Camry, 4.318, 222.91; 16. Jack Wyatt, Charger, 5.866, 123.62.

Not Qualified: 17. Justin Schriefer, 6.588, 102.59.

Pro Stock — 1. Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.548, 209.69; 2. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.554, 209.75; 3. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.554, 208.78; 4. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.559, 209.23; 5. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.563, 208.14; 6. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.572, 208.88; 7. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.583, 208.07; 8. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.584, 208.81; 9. David Cuadra, Mustang, 6.588, 208.97; 10. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.590, 208.55; 11. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.592, 208.65; 12. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.595, 208.17; 13. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.596, 209.69; 14. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.605, 208.59; 15. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.606, 856.05; 16. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.623, 208.39.

Not Qualified: 17. John DeFlorian Jr., 7.019, 206.83; 18. Sienna Wildgust, 10.962, 81.46.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.708, 201.40; 2. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.734, 23.45; 3. LE Tonglet, Suzuki, 6.772, 200.44; 4. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.778, 200.26; 5. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.782, 200.95; 6. John Hall, Beull, 6.823, 199.05; 7. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.827, 197.54; 8. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.838, 130.78; 9. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.862, 196.10; 10. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.875, 197.86; 11. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.890, 194.13; 12. Ron Tornow, Victory, 6.894, 196.96; 13. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.948, 193.32; 14. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 7.065, 195.90; 15. Wesley Wells, Suzuki,

7.237, 185.51; 16. Eiji Kawakami, EBR, 7.408, 184.60.

Not Qualified: 17. Lance Bonham, 7.409, 179.80.

Meyer Shank Racing Fast Friday Report

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Official Release
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#60: Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing Honda

Indianapolis, Ind. (17 May 2024) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) completed the final day of Indianapolis 500 practice before Saturday’s qualifying. Tom Blomqvist, Felix Rosenqvist and Helio Castroneves all ran several qualifying simulations on Friday and closed out the day feeling confident heading into Saturday (11:00am ET, Peacock TV, SiriusXM Ch. 218).

Felix Rosenqvist, No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda

Four-Lap Average Rank: P6

Four-Lap Average Speed: 232.906 mph

Qualifying Draw: 24

Felix Rosenqvist Quote: “Fast Friday done! We’re pretty happy. We’re the fifth fastest four-lap average with an hour to go – but we’ve decided to call it today. We’re happy with the car. We have a good window with the setup and we feel confident going into tomorrow. We might trim a little bit to get that extra ‘spiciness’ out of the car but it was a productive day. I think we’re the strongest Honda so far.”

Helio Castroneves, MSR w/ Curb-Agajanian No. 06 Cleveland-Cliffs Honda

Four-Lap Average Rank: P14

Four-Lap Average Speed: 232.200 mph

Qualifying Draw: 33

Helio Castroneves Quote: “Really promising day today, we really fine tuned the car. I think we can be in the Fast 12 tomorrow, that’s the goal. We’ll have to do a little more tuning to make it to the Fast Six but I think we’re in a good spot right now.”

Tom Blomqvist, No. 66 AutoNation / Arctic Wolf Honda:

Four-Lap Average Rank: P27

Four-Lap Average Speed: 230.945

Qualifying Draw: 22

Tom Blomqvist Quote: “Wow, my first ever Fast Friday done and dusted! It was an interesting day – and actually, I was pretty nervous going into today, it was the first time I’ve had 100 more horsepower behind my back. Honestly, though, it was easier than I expected. Once you get into the car, you work pretty well at those speeds. We just need to tune up the car a little bit, I’m missing a bit of speed compared to my teammates so we need to see what we can do. We have to keep chipping away, see if we can find more speed in the car, but my teammates look pretty good. I’m happy with the day, getting through it with no issues, and getting a few good runs in, though not all of them green ones. We’ll look at the data and see if we can find a few steps forward.”

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