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Palou Launches May Mission with Sonsio Grand Prix Victory

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Official Release
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Indianapolis, IN - during the INDYCAR Sonsio Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Photo by Joe Skibinski | IMS Photo)

INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, May 11, 2024) – Alex Palou capped a perfect start to the Month of May by winning the Sonsio Grand Prix on Saturday from the pole on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

Two-time and reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Palou drove his No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to a 6.6106-second victory over the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet of fellow two-time series champion Will Power. It was his second consecutive win in this event on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course at IMS, which leads into the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on the 2.5-mile oval.

“It was an amazing win,” Palou said. “It’s great to be back-to-back from last year, and we’re going to continue this May. A win helps a lot, especially if it’s a pole and a win and the way we won it. We’re going to celebrate, for sure, but we’re going to switch this afternoon our focus to the big one.”

Practice for the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge starts Tuesday, with PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying next Saturday and Sunday. Race Day is Sunday, May 26.

Spaniard Palou earned his 10th career victory and first points-paying victory of the season, as he also won the non-points The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge in March. He also took the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship lead by 12 points over Power, who finished second for the third time in four races this season.

“It’s what was available to us,” Power said of the runner-up finish. “Yeah, you do get sick of finishing second. Oh, my God. You’re just racing very tough people, and if you’re not exactly perfect, you won’t win. I wasn’t exactly perfect in qualifying, and I didn’t win.”

Christian Lundgaard took the lead from Palou on Lap 1 of the 85-lap race but ended up third in the No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda fielded by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for his best finish this season.

“We needed a little luck today,” Lundgaard said. “I think we did everything we could in the first two stints to make sure the No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda had a shot. Palou really deserved it today.”

Chip Ganassi Racing took three of the top five spots, as six-time series champion Scott Dixon finished fourth in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda and Marcus Armstrong was fifth in the No. 11 IU Simon Cancer Center Honda. The Ganassi team has won the last three road races at IMS, as Palou repeated as winner of this event and Dixon won the Gallagher Grand Prix last August.

Colton Herta, who entered this event with the points lead, rallied from the 24th starting spot to finish seventh in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda fielded by Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian despite being hip-checked off track by his teammate Marcus Ericsson early in the race. Herta fell to fourth in the standings, 25 points behind Palou.

Lundgaard took the lead in Turn 2 of the opening lap – one of a record 13 lead changes for this event – and stayed out front until making his first pit stop on Lap 19 along with Palou, who was running second after Power made his first stop on Lap 18.

That set the stage for a three-way tactical fight that was as much about strategists and pit crews as drivers for the rest of the race.

The decisive stops took place at the end of the second stint. Power dove into the pits late on Lap 39, attempting to undercut leader Lundgaard, who pitted on the next lap in reaction to Power’s surprise early stop.

It appeared Power, charging down the front straightaway on hot Firestone Firehawk tires, might jump Lundgaard when Lundgaard exited the pits on Lap 40. But the No. 28 Delaware Life Honda of Ericsson was between Lundgaard and Power, letting Lundgaard keep the advantage.

Meanwhile, Palou stopped on Lap 41 on an overcut strategy and left the pits ahead of Lundgaard. When the rest of the field cycled through its stops, Palou found himself out front on Lap 45 and steadily increased his gap over Lundgaard.

“I did a mistake on that start, lost our first position that we fought so hard for in qualifying,” Palou said. “But everybody on the crew, engineers and the mechanics did an amazing job in the pits, and we just had to try to get the performance we had all weekend in the No. 10 DHL Honda car.”

Most of the 27-car field made its final stops between Laps 62-65. Palou cycled into the lead for good on Lap 65, but his rivals got one more chance to pass him when the only caution period of the race was triggered on Lap 66 by rookie Luca Ghiotto’s spin in Turn 10 in the No. 51 Dale Coyne Racing Honda.

But Palou pulled away on the restart on Lap 68 and put the pedal to the metal to secure the victory. He turned the quickest lap of the race while leading on Lap 72 and never was challenged to the checkered flag.

Sonsio Grand Prix Race Results

INDIANAPOLIS – Results Saturday of the Sonsio Grand Prix NTT INDYCAR SERIES event on the 2.439-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):

  1. (1) Alex Palou, Honda, 85, Running
  2. (3) Will Power, Chevrolet, 85, Running
  3. (2) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 85, Running
  4. (6) Scott Dixon, Honda, 85, Running
  5. (8) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 85, Running
  6. (13) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 85, Running
  7. (24) Colton Herta, Honda, 85, Running
  8. (7) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 85, Running
  9. (9) Graham Rahal, Honda, 85, Running
  10. (10) Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, 85, Running
  11. (14) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 85, Running
  12. (23) Romain Grosjean, Chevrolet, 85, Running
  13. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 85, Running
  14. (11) Pietro Fittipaldi, Honda, 85, Running
  15. (25) Kyffin Simpson, Honda, 85, Running
  16. (21) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 85, Running
  17. (4) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 85, Running
  18. (17) Jack Harvey, Honda, 85, Running
  19. (18) Theo Pourchaire, Chevrolet, 85, Running
  20. (20) Christian Rasmussen, Chevrolet, 85, Running
  21. (15) Agustin Canapino, Chevrolet, 84, Running
  22. (27) Sting Ray Robb, Chevrolet, 84, Running
  23. (26) Tom Blomqvist, Honda, 84, Running
  24. (19) Linus Lundqvist, Honda, 84, Running
  25. (22) Luca Ghiotto, Honda, 84, Running
  26. (12) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 84, Running
  27. (16) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 54, Mechanical

Race Statistics
Winner’s average speed: 117.956 mph
Time of race: 1:45:27.2320
Margin of victory: 6.6106 seconds
Cautions: 1 for 2 laps
Lead changes: 13 among 8 drivers

Lap Leaders:
Lundgaard, Christian 1 – 18
Armstrong, Marcus 19
Rahal, Graham 20 – 21
Fittipaldi, Pietro 22
Lundgaard, Christian 23 – 39
Palou, Alex 40
Dixon, Scott 41
Rossi, Alexander 42
Fittipaldi, Pietro 43
McLaughlin, Scott 44
Palou, Alex 45 – 61
Armstrong, Marcus 62 – 63
McLaughlin, Scott 64
Palou, Alex 65 – 85

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Point Standings: Palou 152, Power 140, Dixon 127, Herta 127, Rosenqvist 107, McLaughlin 88, O’Ward 88, Kirkwood 86, Lundgaard 84, Rossi 78, Armstrong 76, Rahal 71, Lundqvist 68, Grosjean 68, Ericsson 63, Ferrucci 63, Newgarden 61, Simpson 60, VeeKay 58, Canapino 48, Harvey 47, Fittipaldi 45, Blomqvist 41, Pourchaire 38, Rasmussen 32, Robb 31, Ilott 19, Ghiotto 14, Braun 10, Siegel 10

CHEVROLET INDYCAR AT INDIANAPOLIS ROAD COURSE: Team Chevy Race Report

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Official Release
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CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
SONSIO GRAND PRIX
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROAD COURSE
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
TEAM CHEVY RACE REPORT
MAY 11, 2024

WILL POWER PUTS CHEVROLET ON THE PODIUM FOR THE SONSIO GRAND PRIX ON INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY’S ROAD COURSE

  • Will Power, driver of the No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, raced to a second-place finish in Saturday’s Sonsio Grand Prix.
  • Power powered to Chevrolet’s 313th podium finish in the 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected V6 era since 2012, and Team Chevy’s 20th on the 2.439-mile road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
  • With Power’s podium finish in the Sonsio Grand Prix, he now has five podium finishes in the spring event since 2014, and seven total on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn course.
  • Power’s second-place Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course is his 104th-career NTT INDYCAR SERIES podium finish, and 31st career runner-up finish, tying him sixth on the all-time list with Al Unser.
  • Power remains second in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship standings, 12 points back from leader Alex Palou.
  • In addition to Power, his Team Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin, driving the No. 3 Sonsio Chevrolet, as well as Alexander Rossi, driver of the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, represented Team Chevy in the top-10 with sixth- and eighth-place finishes, respectively.
  • Saturday morning’s warm-up saw Rinus VeeKay, driver of the No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, lead the Bowtie brigade in third with his fastest lap of 1:10.3889 seconds.
  • Team Chevy shifts their sights next to practice and preparation for qualifying and then racing the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500, with oval practice starting Tuesday, May 14 at 9 a.m. ET. The prestigious Indianapolis 500 takes the green flag on Sunday, May 26 at 11 a.m. ET on NBC.

TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 RACE RESULTS:
2nd Will Power
6th Scott McLaughlin
8th Alexander Rossi

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (Quotes);

Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:

“Obviously right from the start we had a brake bias failure. So, we started already rearwards, and we ended up being about 70% or more rearwards by the time we got here so it kind of killed our braking. We started to develop a mechanical issue throughout the run that they saw on the data. We thought it was best to retire the car. We didn’t want to hurt anything, obviously, going into the Speedway so it’s just unfortunate. We could be in pretty good shape today but it is what it is.”

Sting Ray Robb, No. 41 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:

“Today was a bit of a long day. The race went green for most event which was good and bad. We had a really good race start but lost it all pretty early in the race just being on the black tires, we fell back a lot but still net gain which was good. Pit stops were really good. I don’t know if we had a fuel issue, but we had to do a massive fuel save which was a bit frustrating but Chevy did a good job. You know, I think that we held on there at the end for position that was hard to fight for, but it was very rewarding. So, happy with the team, happy with the strategy, and we made some good improvements throughout the weekend. So heads up and on to the Indy 500.”

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

“We didn’t have it today. We’ve got work to do the next two weeks before we’re ready to race again. Luckily we have a lot of time on track to be able to work to where we need to be come race day for the Indy 500.”

Théo Pourchaire, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

“That was a tough race. I got caught up in the mess at Turn 1 on Lap 1, went through the grass and found myself in last by the start of Lap 2. However, I came back to finish 19th, which was good. It’s a shame to have lost two positions at the end, but I’ll own it and learn from that penalty. I think we were strong everywhere – the car, strategy, pit stops. I think if we clean a few things up, we can fight for the top 10 and even top five. Thanks again to the team. It’s been great to work with Arrow McLaren, and I can’t wait until I can get back in the car again in Detroit.”

Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

“I’m a little disappointed because I think we could have pushed to fifth or sixth. It ended up being more of a track position race than usual around here. We got hit at the start and honestly, I don’t know if there was anything that we could have done differently. It was just one of those days where you kind of end where you started. The team did a great job in pit lane, the strategy was good and overall the balance and the pace was good. It was just harder to go through the field than what I thought, but that is the way it goes.”

Romain Grosjean, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:

“I think it was quite eventful. We started fast. Had a bit of a mess in Turn 1. I went to the grass to avoid that. Made it back, then was actually making good progress until I met another driver that forced me off the track. Lost quite a bit there. From that point, it was a bit difficult to recover. I feel like if we had a very strong pace. We just didn’t have a strong pace when catching people. We left a bit of time, but all-in-all I think the pit stops were really good. The strategy, we probably were a little bit on the conservative side. Saw people got lucky with the late yellow. We didn’t play our luck. I think P12 on an afternoon where we started P23, and we didn’t really get a good weekend to that point, is a good race for us.”

Agustin Canapino, No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:

“Unfortunately, I broke the front wing on the first lap. I could not do anything, honestly. The car was, of course, with this problem. I started to lose a lot of positions. We had to change during the green flag, so I lost a lap because of that. It is what it is. It’s part of the racing. We started really well in the weekend. We did P2 in practice, P8 in the second practice, but unfortunately, we were losing time during the sessions. The good thing is we’re showing some good pace at the beginning of the season. We’ll see what happened, and we’ll focus on the next.”

Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet:

“Tough day for the Snap-on Chevy team. We just didn’t have the pace today and we were particularly off on the primary tires. Definitely need to do a deep dive and see where we missed it, but I’m excited to get onto the oval next week. The confidence is high with this team and with Chevy power we know we’ll be in the game for the (Indianapolis) 500.”

Will Power, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet:

“It was a good run. Alex (Palou) was super quick at the end. We had a shot at him. I just pushed that much on the restart there. Man, he was fast at the end, but we’re just sort of knocking on the door each week. It’d be nice to get a win. You never know how these things play out. All you can do is keep pushing and do your best.”

“This is what was available today. Yes, you do get sick of finishing second. You’re just racing very tough people. If you’re not exactly perfect, you won’t win. I wasn’t exactly perfect in qualifying, and I didn’t win. I think if we had gone longer on that second stint, it would’ve kept (Alex) Palou behind us. He wouldn’t have been able to use his speed. Then, maybe we jump (Christian) Lundgaard on the pit stop. I mean, I don’t know. We thought that was the best option at the time. I thought that too. I thought the undercut would be good. It was slightly cold today, so the overcut wasn’t bad. All you can do is your best. I’m driving really well, and my crew is the best on pit lane. We’re the quickest guys on pit lane, so every time the Verizon Chevy stopped, we had a good shot at jumping someone. That’s actually what happened to get second. I’m looking forward to the (Indianapolis) 500. Chevy has done a very job, and the whole team has done a really good job on everything. We have a good shot at fighting for a pole, and it’s been a long time since we’ve fought for pole, and fight for a win.”

WILL POWER, DRIVER OF THE NO. 2 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – Sonsio Grand Prix Podium Press Conference Transcript:

THE MODERATOR: Joined now by the driver of the No. 12 Verizon business Team Penske Chevrolet in Will Power with his third runner-up finish of 2024. His 101st career podium, which is fourth all time, breaking the tie that he had set at Barber Motorsports Park a couple weeks ago with Michael Andretti, 31st career runner-up finish, which ties him for sixth all time with Al Unser.

I know you’re already thinking back to the race a little bit. Just your thoughts on a podium finish to begin your month of May here.

WILL POWER: Yeah, I don’t know what else we could have done there. I think that was a very solid day from us. We tried the undercut. It was just a little cooler today where the undercut wasn’t quite as strong. But yeah, we gave it all we got.

Once again, my boys on pit lane were gaining me positions. Actually at Barber, two races in a row, we jumped Lundgaard in a pit stop. But I’m lucky to have them. They’re solid.

It was just a solid day. Just didn’t quite have enough on that restart. I had to lift coming into the last corner, just had too much push. Had to lift, otherwise would have been an interesting battle into Turn 1. I didn’t know whether to go for the inside or the outside but he made it very clear he was going to blow up the inside, so I kind of went the outside. Just wasn’t far enough along to make it work.

Q. All told, you head into the 500 now, and I know it’s difficult to talk about points. Here we are in May. Now 12 points out of the championship. You’re very much in the hunt with a bunch of second-place finishes. This is a decent start for you here this season.

WILL POWER: Not a bad start. Yeah, good start. Only thing we’re lacking is a win. That would have made it a better start to the season.

But we’re there every week. We’re there every week. It’s there to be taken if we do everything perfectly.

I just wish I was a bit more like Dixon where some of them just fall into place for you. Yeah, yellow drops here and you start on blacks. You qualified so you got your reds and da-da-da.

Doesn’t seem to flow like that for me. I don’t know why. Every win I get it’s just the hardest fought win. I’ll take an easy one at some point. I’ll take that, the next one. The next race. If it was an easy, give me — and I got absolutely lucky I would be very proud of that. If I got just a total luck — like the dude should not have won, he wasn’t the quickest, but he did. I’d be like, yes, I’m taking that. I’m taking it.

Q. In lieu of everything that’s happened the past couple of weeks, have you become the steady hand at Team Penske because you’ve been on the podium the last two races, the only driver of the three that’s done that?

WILL POWER: No, I mean, honestly, it has run very well this weekend, even with everything that’s happened. Everyone has got their head down. They’re working hard. Yep, disappointed all that sort of played out. But focusing forward, not even thinking about sort of the penalties.

It is just one of those things. It was a mistake, and it happened. When you’re a top team like Penske, people certainly like to really blow everything up and make a big deal of it, although it was just a mistake. It was actually a mistake. I know, I was testing when the software was put in. It was just one of those things.

Man, I’ve just kept my head down, tried to block out all the noise. Looking forward. That’s my job. My job is to turn up every week and give my absolute best and be professional and race to the best of my ability, and that’s what I’m doing. I’m working hard and trying to get a win but just being smart.

Q. Will, your engineer obviously handled double duty with the strategy. Faustino obviously did really well with that. Do you anticipate it will stay that way the next two weeks? Will he remain in that dual role?

WILL POWER: Yeah, I anticipate he will be at the 500. I expect that to be the case, I think. I can’t see why not. He did a very good job. Didn’t really have any issues. He’s done it for so long — ultimately he has a lot to do with the strategy anyway. He just doesn’t call it.

Yeah, I would expect him to be in that same position.

Q. There was a moment during the race, I can’t remember which pit stop it was, but I think you were behind Marcus Ericsson and it was either Christian or Palou was coming up. Did Ericsson hold you up a little bit there?

WILL POWER: Yes, he definitely — I mean, he’s on the lead lap, right, I’m guessing. So there’s nothing that he did wrong. It just happened to be in that spot. Would be nice if he had let me go. It’s just not — he’s racing, too. If he’s a lap down, yes, that sort of thing is very frustrating, but if you’re pitting into where he is on track, well, that’s on us. We took the risk maybe hoping we would jump ahead of that car. Yeah, that certainly stopped my chance of getting Christian. If he’s on the lead lap, yeah, it’s not on him to let me go.

Q. You said again after this race, Indy 500, Chevy is good, you’re looking forward to it. What gives you all this confidence? I know you did the test, but you’ve been saying that I feel like since the start of the season.

WILL POWER: Yeah, I just know the work that we’ve done. I know that we’ve improved from last year. Put it that way. Just cracked in the top 12 last year, and we’ve definitely improved on that quite a bit I feel. I kind of think that we should — and everyone else had something taken away with those push rods.

I feel like we should be right there. You don’t know. Everyone is working hard, as well. Other teams can improve. I just know that we’ve improved.

Q. Obviously not having two people on your team this weekend but still coming away with the same result that you got at Barber with a second, what kind of statement does this say about your team?

WILL POWER: Yeah, I mean, the team just has good people. You can lose a couple and then the slack is taken up pretty easily. I think every stand ran pretty flawlessly even though we’re lacking people.

That’s just the way that that team is. It’s got a lot of depth, a lot of good people. It’s easy to move people around and put them in different positions, and they perform at a really high standard. Not surprising.

Q. Will, at Barber and also yesterday you had mentioned that you’ve been knocking on the proverbial door. At what point does frustration take over, or is it just hey, good points day, we’re only 12 back heading to the 500?

WILL POWER: Yeah, anytime you’re finishing on the podium, it’s a good day. It really is. It’s a tough series. But yes, it is frustrating seeing that it’s right there for you even on a restart. We’re pretty determined. You can only do what you can do. It’s just only so much risk you can take without having a bad day if it doesn’t come off.

Yep, definitely on my mind often to try and win a race, but also fighting for a championship is nice. We’ll see. If you keep knocking on the door like that, I just know eventually you’re going to get a win.

Q. Will, obviously you’ve won a 500 before. You kind of were talking about how you keep getting second, keep getting these podium finishes. What does it take to win a 500 or any race? What does it take?

WILL POWER: It’s got to be a perfect day, man. I remember the day I won the 500 was a perfect day on strategy, pit stops, everything, no mistakes. There weren’t really any mistakes today. It was just circumstance. Qualifying, little mistake puts you on the back foot.

Yeah, just some days if you keep working hard, it just falls together for you at some point.

Q. Will, in football they have a term “next man up.” Do you feel at Team Penske your bench is so deep that your second- and third-string crew members are probably better than a lot of teams’ first teamers?

WILL POWER: Yeah, a lot of depth there. A lot of depth and guys that have been there a long time. It’s a well-oiled machine. You can miss a couple of cogs and it still works.

Q. Is that why this latest bump in the road has been nothing more than a bump in the road?

WILL POWER: Yeah, it’s not a big deal. Not a big deal. It’s disappointing, but just one of those things.

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.

Thomas Wins Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Race in Monterey After One Lap Dash to Finish

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Official Release
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MONTEREY, Calif. (May 11, 2024) – Round Five of the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin featured a spectacular one-lap dash to the finish line at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday. Reigning series champion Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) held off two of his teammates to take his first victory of the year by 0.079-second.

The top three spots on the Round Five grid were locked out by JTR Motorsports Engineering cars, with Aaron Jeansonne (No. 24 JTR Motorsports Engineering) starting from pole. Jeansonne, Thomas and Nathan Nicholson (No. 56 JTR Motorsports Engineering) worked together for the first 30 minutes of the 45-minute race, but for the final 15 minutes, it was every man for himself.

Just as Thomas began to take looks at Jeansonne, a full-course yellow was issued to remove Alex Bachoura (No. 33 Spark Performance) from the Turn Three gravel. The safety crew’s response was quick enough that the race was able to resume and the white flag was displayed along with the green.

“My spotter said they were dragging the car out pretty quick,” Thomas said. “I’m like, ‘this could be a green white checkered,’ which is always super exciting. I wish we would have more of it because it’s a great show. I thought ‘just give me one more shot at it.’ Sure enough, Aaron [Jeansonne] made a bobble in five, I got a run up the inside in six and cleared him.”

Jeansonne, who scored his first-ever Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup win at Laguna Seca last year, wasn’t about to give up the spot that easy, especially at his home track. He tried to out-brake Thomas going into the final turn, but overshot it, and ran wide into the gravel. This enabled Nicholson to sneak by into second and nearly challenge Thomas for the win.

“I didn’t know how big of a run he [Nicholson] was going to get there,” Thomas said. “Thankfully, it wasn’t enough, but he was close. He got to my bumper. So, it was a wild, wild MX-5 Cup race. That’s exactly how everybody likes to see it. I’m excited to go out there for tomorrow’s race.”

The win is a big boost for Thomas’ 2024 season as he tries to become a three-time MX-5 Cup Champion and collect another $250,000 champion’s check from Mazda.

Nicholson couldn’t be too upset about finishing second as it marked his debut appearance on the Mazda MX-5 Cup podium.

“This is awesome,” Nicholson said. “The team could not have put us in better cars. We [JTR Motorsports Engineering team] were the ones to beat out there. The situation was a little tough with the green, white, checkered and a one lap shootout. Aaron [Jeansonne] went for the win and made a mistake.”

Nicholson was the runner-up in last year’s Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout and is eyeing the 2024 Rookie of the Year title and the $80,000 that comes with it.

“The big thing was the points for me, so I was actually content with third,” Nicholson said. “If something happened, I was going to capitalize on it, and I did. I wasn’t going to try to force anything. I’m here for the long ride and that’s what I’m really focusing on.”

A driver who was thrilled to see the late yellow come out, and even more thrilled to see a one-lap dash to the finish was Tyler Gonzalez (No. 57 Saito Motorsports Group). The Sebring race winner had overheated his engine in practice and was concerned about any lingering damage it might have. The late yellow helped him catch the leaders and the single race lap to the finish helped him take the final step on the podium.

“I mean it was definitely not the result we wanted, but I think that yellow at the end really saved us there,” Gonzalez said. “We didn’t have the pace today. But overall, I think it was a pretty good result considering the circumstances. We almost blew our motor up in practice. It’s definitely down, but we’re doing everything we can to save the motor and you know, we’re still up here. That’s all that matters. At the end of the day, we’re happy and we’ll just try and work on it tomorrow.”

Nate Cicero (No. 83 McCumbee McAleer Racing), the other MX-5 Cup race winner at Sebring, finished fourth.

After a year away from the series, Bryce Cornet (No. 99 Spark Performance) made a triumphant return to the series, finishing fifth.

Jeansonne was able to recover from his Turn 11 mistake to finish sixth.

The second Mazda MX-5 Cup race of the weekend at Laguna Seca takes place Sunday, May 12 at 11:35am ET. The race will be livestreamed on RACER.com and IMSA.tv.

About: The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin is the signature spec series for Mazda Motorsports. The series has been operated by Andersen Promotions since 2017 and is currently sanctioned by IMSA. Mazda-powered grassroots champions can earn Mazda scholarships for this pro-level series. The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup awards more than $1 million in prizes and scholarships.

Find out more at http://www.mx-5cup.com.

Top Ten Finish for Meyer Shank Racing After Big Comeback in the Sonsio Grand Prix

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Official Release
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Indianapolis, Ind. (11 May 2024) – A nearly flat out 85-lap race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course saw Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) face adversity in the initial laps. Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda) fell to last after contact in Turn 1 sent him to the rear of the field, but the Swedish racer went to work and raced his way back to 10th place at the checkers. Teammate Tom Blomqvist had one of his best showings in the early stages of the race before troubles sent him back for a 23rd place finish.

Rosenqvist set a new Meyer Shank Racing team record by finishing in the top 10 for the fourth consecutive race.The Swedish veteran started 10th but got caught in a maelstrom of race cars in the first turn, resulting in Rosenqvist getting pushed off course and dropping 17 spots. Undaunted, he went to work, steadily climbing up the scoring pylon.

Recovering quickly from the first-turn contact, both MSR cars were the first ones to pit on the day, each of them taking on red-walled alternate Firestone tires on Lap 10. Rosenqvist and Blomqvist made good use of the new shoes, using their push-to-pass capabilities to gain positions. Blomqvist climbed all the way to 12th in just 14 laps while Rosenqvist was up to 16th by the time the rest of the field made their first stops.

Blomqvist saw things go awry soon after however, as he incurred a drive-through penalty for a pit-lane violation which ended up costing him a lap to the field. A nearly all-green race unfortunately did not allow Blomqvist to regain his lap which saw him cross the finish line 23rd in the order.

Rosenqvist would keep plugging however, moving up to 14th prior to his final stop with 24 trips left to go around the 2.439-mile road course when the day’s only caution flag changed the tune. Restarting 11th with 16 laps to go, and as the only driver in the top 15 without any push-to-pass remaining, the veteran driver moved up to 10th where he would finish the day.

The finish not only set a new MSR team record, but allowed Rosenqvist to remain fifth in the provisional series point standings after four races.

The race officially opens preparation for the May 26 Indianapolis 500, which will see the team expanded to three cars as MSR minority owner Helio Castroneves attempts to win his record fifth Memorial Day Classic. Practice will start this Tuesday with qualifying taking place Saturday and Sunday.

Meyer Shank Racing Driver Quotes:

Felix Rosenqvist: “Unfortunately we got completely done at the start after that, we were last, P27. So we came in early, got off the blacks and then did the rest of the race on reds. We had really good pace, I think this is the best car I’ve had in this race even though we ended up doing a good bit of fuel saving. I’m excited to be top ten after being last, but at the same time I’m bummed about the start. I’m definitely curious where we might have finished had we been able to hold our spot at the start. But still super pleased to get our fourth top ten to start the season and be fifth in the points, thats a good start and we will keep building on that.”

Tom Blomqvist: “Obviously we rolled the dice and stopped early to try and undercut guys, which really worked. We made up some good spots and the car was working really well when I was pushing. And then I had to go into a fuel save and then it just kind of spiraled from there. You start to lose brake temperature, you start to lose tire temperature and I just started to make mistakes. And then I broke too late and ran over the line on pit exit and I had to do a drive through, then that kind of ruined our day. I think in the race we could have had a decent result today.”

Justin Allgaier prevails to win Xfinity Series race at Darlington

By
Angie Campbell
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Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Justin Allgaier dominated the Xfinity Series field to claim a decisive win at Darlington Raceway. He won the first two stages in his No. 5 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, led 119 of 147 laps and captured the checkered flag for his 24th victory in the series.

It was his third win at Darlington and his 24th Xfinity Series win, tying him with team owner, Dale Earnhardt Jr. He also leads the series with 267 top-10 finishes, breaking a tie with Kyle Busch.

“I didn’t know if the day would come when I’d be able to match Dale Jr.,” Allgaier said after the race. “Not only is he a great boss but a really good mentor and an unbelievable race car driver.

“To be able to come here, to be able to tie him, to be able to take over the all-time top 10s, man, there’s nothing better than that.”

Austin Hill led six laps, finished second and leads the series by 3 points. Cole Custer was third as Sam Mayer and Aric Almirola rounded out the top five finishers at Darlington.

Parker Kligerman, Riley Herbst, rookie Jesse Love, Sheldon Creed and Brandon Jones rounded out the top 10.

The post-race inspection was completed with no issues.

The Xfinity Series is off next week and returns to completion on May 25 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Xfinity-at-Darlington-results-May-202422411_STATPACK

ABEL Motorsports scores INDY NXT podium at Indy to increase points lead

By
Official Release
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  • Jacob Abel becomes the only driver to score podiums in all four races to start the 2024 season
  • Missig powers to a 13th place finish as Sundaramoorthy gets caught up in lap one incidents

SPEEDWAY, Ind. (11 May 2024) – Jacob Abel and ABEL Motorsports captured their fourth INDY NXT by Firestone podium of the season Saturday, increasing their series points lead to 25 after the doubleheader at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Jordan Missig scored a solid finish, showing good pace in only his second series race. Yuven Sundaramoorthy found himself caught up in two lap one incidents, neither of his own making, to put him 21st at the checkered flag.

After taking his second victory of the season in race one, Abel was ready for a repeat in the 35-lap event on Indy’s tricky 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course – while both Sundaramoorthy and Missig were looking for more following rough rides on Friday. After a morning of junior formula races and NTT INDYCAR SERIES warm up, the INDY NXT field took the green just ahead of the Sonsio Grand Prix Abel again started on pole, with Missig 16th and Sundaramoorthy 17th.

Abel also looked for a repeat of Saturday’s start, when a solid jump at the green kept him out ahead of the front straight draft. But Caio Collet, starting alongside, had been a student of that start and stayed close, sliding past on the inside through Turn 1.

Unfortunately, Sundaramoorthy’s weekend woes continued, as he was clipped in Turn 5 and sent spinning. He kept the car running and rejoined, albeit at the back of the field. Missig was able to take advantage of the first turn chaos and moved up the P12.

As the race settled in, Abel focused not only on Collet ahead, but also Louis Foster, third in points, just behind. Foster was able to make the move in Turn 7, putting Abel back to third. Missig continued to run strong in P13 while Sundaramoorthy laid down consistent lap times as he looked to move up.

On lap 15, team engineers advised Abel to play the waiting game, as Foster and Collet battled hard ahead, burning up tires and push-to-passes uses. With 11 to go, Foster passed Collet for the lead and in Turn 1, Abel made the move around to take second, just 1.5 seconds back.

At the checkered flag, Abel had scored his fourth podium in four races, coming home second behind Foster. Missig earned a 13th place finish, with Sundaramoorthy 21st.

Abel believes the team’s performance to start the season only validates the talent behind him – including his two teammates.

“We have some really smart and talented people on this team and I’m so proud to show the paddock what we can do,” said Abel. “It’s also great to have two teammates, who are getting better and better, that I can work with. These doubleheader weekends are really important so to come away with two strong results is huge for the championship. Louis was able to get by today, but I don’t want that to overshadow the job the team did this weekend. We knew Louis and Caio would battle and use up their tires, while we kept the gap close and managed tires and push-to-pass. The plan worked out exactly the way we wanted it to, though Louis just had a bit more. So now, we’ll take some time to enjoy the Indy 500 and be back at it at Detroit.”

“We had a good start and a hole opened up, and I had the ability to choose my own destiny from there,” said Missig. “Through the entire race, I just focused on getting a gap and putting the car where someone wasn’t in the corners. Solid day, and a great way to finish my first weekend in the series – I can’t thank the ABEL crew enough for putting together such a great car. I learned a great deal this weekend and have plenty I can work on going forward, whether it be Detroit or Road America.”

“That was a tough day,” said Sundaramoorthy. “It was a really fast start, which wasn’t the way anyone thought it would go, so everyone ahead just checked up, damaging my front wing. And then I got hit in Turn 5, which put me even further back. From there, just struggling with pace. I know there’s much more in there, in me and in the car, so we’ll work on it and come out fighting at Detroit.”

Team owner Bill Abel echoed his son’s words about the caliber of the team, and the level of performance at Indy.

“The team did an outstanding job turning this car around,” said Abel. “What a weekend. This has not been our best track historically so to go out and do what we did was outstanding – it feels like a double win to us. Super proud of Jacob and the entire team.”

ABEL Motorsports thanks partners ABEL Construction Company, Advance Ready Mix, Boyd Cat®, S Team Motorsports and OMP for their continued support.

Next up for ABEL Motorsports and the INDY NXT by Firestone series will be the Detroit Grand Prix, May 31 – June 2. The race will be streamed live in the U.S. on Peacock, while international viewers can watch via INDYCARLIVE, with INDYCAR Radio available at indycar.com and on Sirius XM.

About ABEL Motorsports: Team principal Bill Abel began racing motocross in 1972, earning numerous championship titles as he continued the family racing tradition. In 2015, ABEL Motorsports was launched, starting in the USF2000 series and building up the junior open wheel ladder. The team captured the inaugural Formula Regional Americas Championship with driver Kyle Kirkwood in 2018.

ABEL Motorsports currently competes in the INDY NXT by Firestone series, the official development series for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, led by third-generation driver Jacob Abel. The team made its INDYCAR debut in 2023 with driver RC Enerson in the Indianapolis 500. For more information visit the official team website at abelmotorsports.com.

About Abel Construction Company: ABEL Construction is one of the largest general contractors in Kentucky, holding licenses in thirteen states. The company has offices in Lexington, Kentucky and Indianapolis, Indiana, with the corporate office in Louisville. Their expertise spans many areas, including general contracting, construction management, design-build, Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), and facilities maintenance.

Abel Construction has helped build some of the region’s most recognizable landmarks. Their projects cover diverse sectors, including automotive, healthcare, post-secondary education, commercial, food/beverage, tech, and industrial/manufacturing. They prioritize client satisfaction, focusing on efficient project delivery regardless of size or cost. The company’s skilled professionals utilize cutting-edge technology and software to ensure successful outcomes. abelconstruct.com/.

ABEL Motorsports social media
Facebook: ABEL Motorsports
Twitter/X: ABEL Motorsports
Instagram: ABEL Motorsports

Kaulig Racing Race Recap | Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200

By
Official Release
-

SHANE van GISBERGEN
No. 97 Quad Lock Chevrolet Camaro

  • Shane van Gisbergen started 17th, as per the rule book, after qualifying for the Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 was canceled due to weather.
  • Sporting a Quad Lock throwback scheme honoring Marcos Ambrose, Van Gisbergen slipped to 22nd by the competition caution on lap 20. Battling a loose car during the remaining portion of the run, Van Gisbergen ended stage one in 22nd on lap 45.
  • Following a pit stop for four tires, fuel and adjustments during the stage break, Van Gisbergen started stage two in 18th on lap 53. After a completely-green second stage, Van Gisbergen finished in 19th on lap 90. The Quad Lock team hit pit road for four tires, fuel and another round of adjustments under the stage yellow. Following the stop, Van Gisbergen began the final stage in 15th.
  • Van Gisbergen slipped to 21st on lap 100, where he’d run when the caution flag waved once again on lap 103. After staying out under the caution, the Quad Lock team restarted 22nd on lap 109. Van Gisbergen finished in 15th following a day of learning at the “Lady in Black.”

“Overall I had a really good time. I wasn’t as good on the restarts, but once we got going, the car was really fast. I enjoyed my first race here at Darlington and came home with a pretty straight car, just a little stripe on this Quad Lock throwback.” – Shane van Gisbergen  

JOSH WILLIAMS
No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet Camaro

  • Josh Williams started 25th, as per the rule book, after qualifying for the Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 was canceled due to weather.
  • Williams gained one spot before the lap-20 competition caution came out. He came down pit road during the yellow for tires, fuel, and air pressure and wedge adjustments, restarting in 21st on lap 26. Williams, battling a tight-handling race car, dropped positions to finish stage one in 25th.
  • The No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevy was brought down pit road for tires, fuel and a set of adjustments intended to free the car up. Williams started stage two in 29th on lap 53 and passed three cars to finish it on lap 90 in 26th.
  • Williams pitted for tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment during the stage caution. He started the final stage in 23rd with 49 laps to go, and four laps later, the race’s first natural caution occurred with Williams running in 26th. Williams drove the No. 11 Chevy Camaro down pit road for tires and fuel under yellow and restarted in 28th with 39 to go. He climbed to 24th before a wreck brought out the yellow flag on lap 124. Williams pitted for tires and fuel and restarted with 16 laps remaining in 21st, where he’d take the checkered flag.

“We started off super tight and were never really able to get it freed up. Without any practice, and with it being such a short race, it was hard to make adjustments and gain the positions we needed.” – Josh Williams  

AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet Camaro

  • AJ Allmendinger started fourth, as per the rule book, after qualifying for the Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 was canceled due to weather.
  • On the first lap, Allmendinger took over second place. On lap seven, still maintaining second place, Allmendinger reported he was building free. The competition caution came out on lap 20, and Allmendinger told the team he was most free in the center and laterally through the corner. The team came to pit road for adjustments and restarted in fifth place on lap 26. By lap 27, Allmendinger was running fourth and reported he was more free this run. The No. 16 finished the first stage in fourth place.
  • Allmendinger came to pit road during the stage break for four tires, fuel and adjustments to tighten up the No. 16. Allmendinger restarted in fourth place on lap 80 and remained quiet on the radio for the majority of the stage. He finished the second stage in sixth place and reported he had no lateral grip. The team came to pit road to make adjustments for the final stage. Under the caution laps, the car shut off before coming to the choose. Allmendinger fell back and restarted in 28th.
  • With 45 laps to go, the caution came out, and the No. 16 team planned to come down pit road for tires and fuel. When Allmendinger attempted to refire the car under caution, the key switch broke. During the pit stop, the No. 16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevy shut off again. The team restarted the car, but following the green flag, the car once again turned off. Crew chief, Alex Yontz, called Allmendinger behind the wall to repair the issue. Allmendinger rejoined the field on lap 128, 20 laps down. Allmendinger went on to finish 35th.

“Really disappointing end to the day. I thought the race was going fairly well; I felt like we had a top-five car there, just fighting being too loose as the run went on. Definitely didn’t have the speed to go win the race but felt like we could run third-to-fifth depending on where we restarted and the pace of the race. Some positives to take is what we’re learning, definitely need to clean up a lot to get where we need to be. At the end of the day, it’s frustrating to finish where we did, but at least we had speed most of the day to run up front.” – AJ Allmendinger  

 
About Kaulig Racing

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 23 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries, with a part-time fourth entry at select events. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

Stewart-Haas Racing: Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 from Darlington

By
Official Release
-

STEWART-HAAS RACING
Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200

Date: May 11, 2024
Event: Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 (Round 11 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.366-mile oval)
Format: 147 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/57 laps)
Race Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)

SHR Race Finish:

● Cole Custer (Started 1st / Finished 3rd, Running, completed 147 of 147 laps)
● Riley Herbst (Started 9th / Finished 7th, Running, completed 147 of 147 laps)

SHR Points:

● Cole Custer (2nd with 427 points, three out of first)
● Riley Herbst (6th with 337 points, 93 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● Custer earned his sixth top-five of the season and his fifth top-five in six career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Darlington.
● Custer has never finished outside the top-10 at Darlington in his Xfinity Series career.
● This was Custer’s fifth straight top-five at Darlington. He finished third and fourth, respectively in 2023.
● This was Custer’s ninth straight top-10. He finished second March 2 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, fifth March 9 at Phoenix Raceway, fourth March 23 at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin Texas, 10th March 30 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, eighth April 6 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, fifth April 13 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, 10th April 20 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, and fifth April 27 at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway.
● Custer led once for 21 laps – his first laps led at Darlington.
● Herbst earned his fourth top-10 of the season and his fourth top-10 in nine career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Darlington.
● This was Herbst’s second straight top-10 at Darlington. He finished sixth last September.
● Herbst finished ninth in Stage 1 to earn two bonus points and ninth in Stage 2 to earn two more bonus points.

Race Notes:

● Justin Allgaier won the Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 to score his 24th career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his first of the season, and his third at Darlington. His margin over second-place Austin Hill was 3.407 seconds.

● There were five caution periods for a total of 31 laps.

● Twenty-eight of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Austin Hill leaves Darlington as the championship leader with a three-point advantage over second-place Cole Custer.

Sound Bites:

“It was really tough to keep the tires under our car today. You had to really be patient the first few laps, but I’m just frustrated. We had such a fast car with a three-second lead before that competition yellow and just lost our track position on that pit stop. That happens on pit road. That’s part of it, but it’s frustrating. We’ve been so fast and just haven’t had everything go right. Our guys are doing such a great job bringing fast cars to the racetrack. Our pit stops are awesome, but we just need everything to go right because once we got back in traffic, we just didn’t adjust on it probably how we needed to. It took us until the end of the race to get it back to where we needed it to be, but I can’t thank Haas Automation and Gene Haas and everybody at SHR for bringing such fast cars. I’m just so frustrated we’re not in victory lane yet, but we’ll keep fighting.” –Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Throwback Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“At the end of the day, I just don’t think our car was the best it could have been. We were probably about a seventh-place race car and ended up seventh. It’s just frustrating when you can’t get your car to drive how you want it to. It just felt flat, tight, bound up, but we’ll move to one of my favorite tracks at Charlotte.” –Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Terrible Herbst Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the BetMGM 300 on Saturday, May 25 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. The race begins at 1 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

RCR NXS Race Recap: Darlington Raceway

By
Official Release
-

Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Team Earn Top-10 Finish at Darlington Raceway

Finish: 8th
Start: 12th
Points: 4th

“The Richard Childress Racing team gave me a fast Whelen Chevrolet today at Darlington Raceway. By the time we reached the competition caution on lap 20, I felt like I had a good grasp of the track. With this being my first time racing here, today was a learning experience for all 200 miles. Every time we came to pit road, crew chief Danny Stockman made great adjustments and the pit crew gained positions. We ran inside the top-10 all day and I felt like we had a top-five Camaro when it was all said and done. We picked up stage points in both stages and finished in eighth-place. I’m very proud of everyone on this No. 2 team. I know when we come back in the fall, we can have a shot at winning. I need to work on a few things with my driving style, but it is a lot of fun driving at this track. I look forward to coming back here later this season.” -Jesse Love

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet Team Take Points Lead with Runner-Up Finish at Darlington Raceway

Finish: 2nd
Start: 5th
Points: 1st

“We had a fast Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet all day. I could get through the gears really well with the No. 7 on restarts, but once we got to Turn 1, I would get on the splitter and shoot up the track. There are things I can do inside the race car to be better and do a better job. We were close enough on speed with the No. 7, that whoever got the lead between us was going to keep the lead. The clean air was important and you could keep the dirty air on the guy behind you. I have to go back to the drawing board to see what I can do differently on entry into Turn 1 to try and get into the lead. If we could have gotten the lead, even on that last restart, there was a chance that we could have kept enough dirty air on him to where he couldn’t get back by us. Overall it was a solid day for our No. 21 team. Everyone at RCR and ECR has been working hard and we are showing speed everywhere we go. We will keep chipping away at it and be back in Victory Lane soon enough.” -Austin Hill

Toyota Racing – NXS Darlington Post-Race Report – 05.11.24

By
Official Release
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ALMIROLA TOP TOYOTA IN DARLINGTON
Creed places his Ivan Stewart tribute Supra inside the top-10 finishers

DARLINGTON, S.C. (May 11, 2024) – Aric Almirola led Toyota with a fifth-place finish in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway on Saturday afternoon.

Sheldon Creed scored his third straight top-10 with a ninth-place run. It is his seventh top-10 finish in the first 11 races of the season.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Darlington Raceway
Race 11 of 33 – 200.802 miles, 147 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Justin Allgaier*
2nd, Austin Hill*
3rd, Cole Custer*
4th, Sam Mayer*
5th, ARIC ALMIROLA
9th, SHELDON CREED
12th, CHANDLER SMITH
18th, TAYLOR GRAY
23rd, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 20 He Gets Us Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

Can you tell me about that run?

“It was a great run. Track position was tough today. The cars are so evenly matched. The 7 (Justin Allgaier) was certainly the class of the field, but I felt like – at given times – I could match his pace, and then when I finally got to second there – it was what I needed to figure out where we stacked up against them. Just didn’t execute perfectly on pit road – some of mine doing as well – but still a good run. Every time I get in this car, I plan to win and expect to win. Fifth is great, but I want to win – but Justin was so fast. Proud of everyone on this He Gets Us Toyota GR Supra. They’ve been working hard. They’ve been bringing great race cars to the race track. We will go to Charlotte.”

SHELDON CREED, No. 18 Ivan Stewart Tribute Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 9th

Solid top-10, and a great livery that I know means a lot to you. Can you talk about your race?

“Overall, I love throwback weekend at Darlington. To be able to throwback to an off-road legend like Ivan Stewart was really cool for us. A great looking Supra today. Certainly, wish it would have gone a little better and we could have been faster to start – just was really, really tight at the beginning of the race, and pretty much the start of every run. I would just build slowly freer, so that I could drive against the fence and move around a little more, but ultimately, just battled too tight all day – it was a little frustrating, but good to get another top-10. Just want to run better at this place.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 49,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 34 million cars and trucks at our nine manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 10th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 28 electrified options.

Through its Driving Possibilities initiative, the Toyota USA Foundation has committed to creating innovative educational programs within, and in partnership with, historically underserved and diverse communities near the company’s U.S. operating sites.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

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