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ABEL Motorsports holds points lead on a rough and tumble day in Detroit

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Official Release
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  • Jacob Abel brings the No. 51 home in fifth position to retain the points lead
  • Yuven Sundaramoorthy holds the quickest race lap time for much of the race before a late incident puts him back in the field

DETROIT (2 June 2024) – At the end of a chaotic 500th INDY NXT by Firestone series race, ABEL Motorsports had retained the points lead and posted solid runs with both team entries in Sunday’s 45-lap Grand Prix of Detroit.

Jacob Abel (Louisville, Ky.) and Yuven Sundaramoorthy (Oconomowoc, Wis.) both endured incidents on track that left their respective Dallaras with damage, but each driver fought hard to the end, with Sundaramoorthy coming home in 14th and Abel in fifth – retaining the championship lead by 25 points over race winner Louis Foster.

Abel started on the front row for the fifth straight race, while Sundaramoorthy took the green in a season-high fourth. Abel held off the cars behind who tried to go three-wide through the turn 1 hairpin but on lap two, Caio Collett was able to make the inside pass stick, with Abel slotting right behind in third.

Sundaramoorthy jumped on the throttle through the first three corners, taking seventh by laps end. But on lap three, a car hard into the Turn 7 wall brought out the race’s first yellow.

Going green once again on lap nine, another three-wide group of cars through Turn 1 saw Sundaramoorthy stuck on the inside of Callum Hedge and slide back to eighth – but only momentarily, as a car ahead went into the turn 1 runoff. Meanwhile, Abel held his position and managed his push-to-pass ahead of Michael d’Orlando behind.

On lap 20, d’Orlando moved alongside, and as the pair went down the back straight side-by-side, d’Orlando spun, catching Abel’s left rear wheel and sending the No. 51 sideways. Abel kept his composure as the ABEL team confirmed to him that the tire was fine, though Abel was left with a resulting shift in balance that caused an increase in rear tire wear. He held onto third while Sundaramoorthy took advantage of the slowdown behind them to take sixth as the yellow came out.

On the restart, Abel continued to fight the balance issue, finding himself pinwheeled through the hairpin back into fourth. Sundaramoorthy tried to follow his teammate through turn 4 but tagged the car ahead and damaged his front wing, sending him back to ninth.

Nursing his damaged car, Abel couldn’t hold off Myles Rowe and fell to fifth, while Sundaramoorthy, with the damaged front wing affecting aero, went into the turn 1 runoff, coming back on track a lap down. A late incident ended the race under caution, with Abel fifth and Sundaramoorthy in 14th.

For ABEL Motorsports team manager John Brunner, the hectic race was as expected, given Detroit’s tight corners – but he takes away many more positives than negatives at the end of the race weekend.

“There aren’t many places to pass here so drivers have to be aggressive,” said Brunner. “Yes, we’re disappointed, but that’s what happens when you finish on the podium in every race up to this point – so if this turns out to be our worst race, we’re in for a pretty good year. Yuven drove an outstanding race, just one mistake that ruined his day, but other than that, the run he had throughout the day was outstanding. He did a really, really good job out there. Yes, Jacob had a tough run, but a lot of teams had a worse day than that.
And we’re still leading the championship.”

While both drivers were disappointed, both were also happy to leave the streets of Detroit with cars
engendering limited damage.

“We lacked a bit of pace, but I was also driving too conservatively,” said Abel. “The other drivers were more aggressive and took advantage of the situations better than I did, so there’s no reason we shouldn’t have been on the podium. But we finished in the top five and still have the points lead with a bit of damage, but we still brought it home. I was lucky in the incident with Michael to come away with minimal damage, but I did really have to hang onto it there through the end.”

“We were fast, the team gave me a great car,” said Sundaramoorthy. “Hopefully this speed translates going forward. But I feel bad that I gave it up there. I should have defended better but when I lost the position to Hedge, I got really mad at myself and made a move that probably wasn’t there, so I feel bad for Jamie. I’m going to have to just put that behind me as I head to my home race (at Road America).”

Abel’s No. 51 Dallara sported a new color scheme this weekend that represents the new BlueOval SK pair of facilities: a six square mile auto production complex in Tennessee and a pair of plants in Kentucky that will manufacture the next generation of electric vehicle batteries. The BlueOval SK Battery Park in Glendale, Ky. is ABEL Construction Company’s largest project to date.

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 will be the Grand Prix at Road America, June 9 at 1:05 p.m. ET. 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 BlueOval SK
BlueOval SK is the joint venture between Ford Motor Company and SK On to produce batteries for future Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles. SK On is a subsidiary of SK Innovation and has deep expertise in battery production. BlueOval SK will operate twin battery manufacturing facilities in Glendale, Kentucky and one battery plant in Stanton, Tennessee starting in 2025. BlueOval SK will electrify the future of mobility with innovative technology.

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/.

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.

ABEL Motorsports social media

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IN FRONT OF SELLOUT CROWD, J. FORCE, KALITTA AND T. COUGHLIN JR. WIN NHRA NEW ENGLAND NATIONALS

By
Official Release
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EPPING, N.H. (June 2, 2024) – John Force finished off an impressive double-up weekend in front of another sellout crowd on Sunday at New England Dragway, as the 16-time Funny Car world champion outran teammate Austin Prock in the final round of the 11th annual NHRA New England Nationals.

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) also won the seventh of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. It was the second straight sellout for the NHRA this weekend.

In an all-John Force Racing Funny Car final round, Force went 4.081-seconds at 319.29 mph in his 11,000-horsepower PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS in the finals to slip past Prock’s 4.096 at 316.38. It gave the legendary driver his second victory of the season, third at New England Dragway and 157th in his career.

He reached the finals by defeating Buddy Hull, Blake Alexander and J.R. Todd, holding off Prock in a thrilling side-by-side duel. Force also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, with Sunday’s double-up victory pushing him to second in points in what has truly been a remarkable season for the longtime star.

“I love the crowds. For three days they packed them in. I came here 40-something years ago and this place is special,” Force said. “We had a good race car and what keeps me alive is driving this hotrod and all these fans.

“I’m down right now because don’t like beating my teammate in the final. He is the future. I love that kid. He’s going to be here for a long time and Robert [Hight] will be coming back. I’m not being dramatic, but my time is up. It was up when I was 65. Hell, it was up when I turned 50. The world is changing for me and I’ve got to do some real thinking. I’m not quitting today. I’m going to Bristol, but I just know I’m not what I used to be.”

Prock, who jumped back into the points lead in the category and was also the No. 1 qualifier, went to the championship round for the fourth time in 2024 and 12th time overall with wins over Mike Smith, Chad Green and Daniel Wilkerson.

In Top Fuel, Doug Kalitta enjoyed his own special moment on Sunday at New England Dragway, defeating Tony Schumacher in the final round with a pass of 3.802 at 332.92 in his 11,000-horsepower Mac Tools/Toyota dragster. The victory clinched an impressive mark for the reigning world champ, as Kalitta now has a win at every track on the NHRA circuit. It’s another remarkable achievement for the veteran, who has been riding high since clinching his first world title last year.

On Sunday, Kalitta, who also qualified No. 1 and ran well all weekend, defeated Scott Farley, Tony Stewart and Kalitta Motorsports teammate Shawn Langdon to reach the finals. He powered past Schumacher in the championship round, earning his second win of the season – and vaulting to second in points – and the 54th in his career.

“Coming in here, my goal was to try and get the win. This is the last place haven’t won. I didn’t want to put a lot of attention on it, but it’s hard not to,” Kalitta said. “This was incredible. We’ve been digging hard and I was just trying not to screw it up.”

“Then on Saturday, we got set up for our tribute to Scott [Kalitta]. It’s great to have an opportunity to have a good meal with a lot of the teams and I know it means a lot to Connie. He loves this sport. It was a good time to be able to pull off this win. It was super special.”

Schumacher advanced to his second final round of the season and the 159th of his career after defeating Brittany Force, Josh Hart and Clay Millican. Justin Ashley stayed in the points lead, though Kalitta closed the gap to just 26 points on Sunday.

Troy Coughlin Jr. turned in a stellar day on Sunday in Pro Stock, capping things off with a holeshot victory over reigning world champion and Elite Motorsports teammate Erica Enders in the final round. Coughlin went 6.584 at 210.05 in his JEGS.com/White Castle Pro Stock car, holding off Enders’ hard-charging 6.563 at 210.54 on the strength of an impressive .013 reaction time. It is Coughlin’s first win of the 2024 season – and first at New England Dragway – and also the fifth Pro Stock victory in his career.

After qualifying second, Coughlin reached the final round for the first time this season by defeating Brandon Miller, Aaron Stanfield and points leader Dallas Glenn. That set up a marquee final round, but Coughlin’s strong reaction time was just enough to ward off the six-time champion.

“It was definitely a wonderful day,” Coughlin said. “Erica is fast. She hits the tree well and it’s an honor just to race her. When I practice every week on a simulator, you’re asking nothing more of yourself than you do each week on the track. You’re just racing yourself and you need to be that way when you’re running a champ like Erica.

“In the final I just tried to crush it and make my best lap. I got there by four thousandths of a second and here we are.”

Enders, who was the No. 1 qualifier, reached her 81st career final round thanks to wins against Fernando Cuadra Jr., Deric Kramer and Jerry Tucker, coming up just short in the bid for her 50th career national event win.

The 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action June 7-9 with the 23rd annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn.

NHRA Agate from Epping, N.H.

EPPING, N.H. — Sunday’s final results from the 11th annual NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway. The race is the seventh of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel — Doug Kalitta, 3.802 seconds, 332.92 mph def. Tony Schumacher, 4.307, 201.43.

Funny Car — John Force, Chevy Camaro, 4.081, 319.29 def. Austin Prock, Camaro, 4.096, 316.38.

Pro Stock — Troy Coughlin Jr., 6.584, 210.05 def. Erica Enders, 6.563, 210.54.

EPPING, N.H. — Final round-by-round results from the 11th annual NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway. The race is the seventh of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel

ROUND ONE — Doug Kalitta, 4.254, 198.85 def. Scott Farley, NT; Tony Stewart, 3.973, 286.25 def. Antron Brown, 4.436, 200.38; Shawn Langdon, 3.780, 332.02 def. Shawn Reed, 4.605, 170.99; Billy Torrence, 3.793, 331.04 def. Jasmine Salinas, 3.790, 330.47; Steve Torrence, 3.882, 325.30 def. Smax Smith, 3.796, 169.74; Clay Millican, 3.848, 326.79 def. Dan Mercier, 4.027, 266.48; Tony Schumacher, 4.170, 254.95 def. Brittany Force, 4.314, 242.10; Josh Hart, 3.848, 325.53 def. Justin Ashley, 5.202, 139.90.

QUARTERFINALS — Kalitta, 3.841, 329.67 def. Stewart, 3.848, 323.58; Langdon, 3.953, 289.45 def. B. Torrence, 3.942, 285.29; Millican, 3.841, 328.94 def. S. Torrence, 3.835, 329.18; Schumacher, 3.880, 323.19 def. Hart, 8.623, 65.65

SEMIFINALS — Schumacher, 3.869, 324.12 def. Millican, 5.664, 119.38; Kalitta, 3.848, 330.72 def. Langdon, 3.884, 318.32.

FINAL — Kalitta, 3.802, 332.92 def. Schumacher, 4.307, 201.43.

Funny Car

ROUND ONE — Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.970, 326.16 def. Mike Smith, Ford Mustang, 10.870, 82.17; Chad Green, Mustang, 3.976, 327.03 def. Alexis DeJoria, Toyota GR Supra, 4.060, 319.14; Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.089, 313.80 def. Cory Lee, Mustang, 5.481, 141.25; Ron Capps, Supra, 4.045, 323.89 def. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 4.185, 248.07; John Force, Camaro, def. Buddy Hull, Charger, 4.495, 210.11; Blake Alexander, Mustang, 4.002, 318.54 def. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 4.916, 169.36; J.R. Todd, Supra, 4.224, 238.43 def. Dave Richards, Toyota Camry, 9.933, 83.33; Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 4.005, 327.43 def. Cruz Pedregon, 5.947, 117.00

QUARTERFINALS — Prock, 3.983, 325.15 def. Green, 4.020, 321.27; Wilkerson, 4.022, 320.28 def. Capps, 7.690, 99.06; Force, 4.059, 322.65 def. Alexander, 4.231, 258.67; Todd, 4.079, 317.57 def. Tasca, 4.325, 237.55.

SEMIFINALS — Force, 3.994, 321.88 def. Todd, 4.050, 319.45; Prock, 3.993, 317.12 def. Wilkerson, 4.013, 322.27.

FINAL — Force, 4.081, 319.29 def. Prock, 4.096, 316.38.

Pro Stock

ROUND ONE — Deric Kramer, Chevy Camaro, 6.593, 209.75 def. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.615, 209.20; Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.563, 209.98 def. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.594, 210.2; Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.558, 210.50 def. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 7.625, 133.84; Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.604, 210.34 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 21.383, 35.62; Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.600, 209.23 def. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 7.155, 192.60; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.569, 209.92 def. Brandon Foster, Camaro, 6.603, 209.10; Troy Coughlin, Camaro, 6.555, 210.90 def. Brandon Miller, Camaro, 6.628, 208.01; Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.554, 210.73 def. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.697, 209.69.

QUARTERFINALS – Tucker, 6.611, 210. 01 def. C. McGaha 8.148, 163.45; Glenn, 6.628, 208.78 def. J. Coughlin, 6.604, 210.80; T. Coughlin, 6.590, 210.24 def. Stanfield 6.584, 209.52; Enders, 6.578, 210.77 def. Kramer, 6.593, 210.11.

SEMIFINALS – Enders, 6.574, 209.79 def. Tucker, 6.624, 2097.79; T. Coughlin 6.610, 209.49 def. Glenn 6.633, 208.04

FINALS – T. Coughlin 6.584, 210.05 def. Enders 6.563, 210.54

EPPING, N.H. – Points standings (top 10) following the 11th annual NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway. The race is the seventh of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel

  1. Justin Ashley 566; 2. Doug Kalitta 540; 3. Shawn Langdon 534; 4. Steve Torrence 467; 5. Antron Brown 428; 6. Clay Millican 391; 7. Billy Torrence 390; 8. Tony Schumacher 359; 9. Tony Stewart 345; 10. Brittany Force 302

Funny Car

  1. Austin Prock 580; 2. John Force 558; 3. Matt Hagan 512; 4. J.R. Todd 502; 5. Bob Tasca III 455 6. Dan Wilkerson 389; 7. Ron Capps 360; 8. Alexis DeJoria 339; 9. Chad Green 317; 10. Blake Alexander 295

Pro Stock

  1. Dallas Glenn 619; 2. Erica Enders 575; 3. Greg Anderson 569; 4. Jeg Coughlin Jr. 449; 5. Aaron Stanfield 430; 6. Jerry Tucker 401; 7. Troy Coughlin Jr. 387; 8. Cristian Cuadra 334; 9. Brandon Foster 265; 10. David Cuadra 254

CHEVROLET NCS AT WWTR: Post-Race Report

By
Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY RACEWAY
ENJOY ILLINOIS 300
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT
JUNE 2, 2024

 Dillon, Hocevar, Larson Lead Chevrolet to the Finish at World Wide Technology Raceway

  • Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon led Chevrolet to the checkered-flag in the NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway – driving his No. 3 DOW / Rivers for Life Camaro ZL1 to a sixth-place result.
  • The finish marks Dillon’s first top-10 result in three career NASCAR Cup Series starts at World Wide Technology Raceway.
  • Returning to the site of his first career NASCAR Cup Series start, Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar piloted his No. 77 Zeigler Auto Group Camaro ZL1 to a season-best eighth-place finish.
  • The result marked Hocevar’s second top-10 finish this season as the 21-year-old Michigan native competes in his rookie campaign in NASCAR’s top division.
  • Despite a spin in the closing laps of Stage Two, Kyle Larson and the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1 team rallied back to a 10th-place finish – giving the Bowtie brand three different Chevrolet organizations represented in the top-10.
  • Among the six drivers to collect points in both stages of the race included Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 team.
  • The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Sonoma Raceway with the Toyota / Save Mart 350 on Sunday, June 9, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

 TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10:
POS. DRIVER
6th Austin Dillon, No. 3 DOW / Rivers for Life Camaro ZL1
8th Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Zeigler Auto Group Camaro ZL1
10th Kyle Larson, No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1

 TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:

Austin Dillon, No. 3 DOW / Rivers are Life Camaro ZL1

Finished: 6th

“Man, just thank you to the good lord above. That was a huge run for this team. I didn’t expect it after practice, but the guys made some great adjustments and our No. 3 DOW / Rivers are Life Chevy, with Ducks Unlimited on the side of the car, was really solid all day long, even in traffic. It was just a solid day for the No. 3 Chevy team that we really needed.”

Kyle Larson, No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1

Finished: 10th

“I’m super proud of this top-10 finish. After the spin, I wasn’t expecting that. The car kind of came to life. The No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevy team did a good job on our strategy. We were on offense there the last 25 laps or so.

It went as well as it could, given the circumstances. I’ll take it.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Rebel Bourbon Camaro ZL1

Sideline by damage sustained in an accident in the closing laps of Stage Two.

Talk about the contact with Kyle Larson.

Finished: 35th

“It looked like he (Kyle Larson) got loose down the front straightaway into turn one. He was on older tires and trying to get us for a spot. I’m not sure what that single point would mean for him, but it certainly hurt us a lot. It took that point away, as well as the others that we would get for the stage and then also the rest of the day. It’s very frustrating. We can’t afford days like that. The No. 8 Rebel Bourbon Camaro wasn’t what it was last year, but it was a top-10 car and we were going to finish there. Now we’re not going to finish at all.”

Busch on all the different pit strategies:

“We were kind of holding our own. I know (Kyle) Larson was on older tires and caught me from a couple car links back after I got by him. So I would say once we could equal back out on tires, I would say we would probably be top-10.”

Daniel Hemric, No. 31 Poppy Bank Camaro ZL1

Finished: 18th

“I think we learned a lot collectively as a team today. Our Poppy Bank Chevy struggled early on, but Trent [Owens] kept plugging away and made great changes. We caught a lucky break during stage two, which gave us great track position to start the final stage. I’m proud of how much we improved throughout the day.”

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Zeigler Auto Group Camaro ZL1

Finished: 8th

“This No. 77 Zeigler Auto Group Chevy team did a really good job with everything all race long. We had a really slow stop at the beginning of the race with a lug nut coming off. That really put us behind. We knew we had a great Chevy, so we just did everything we could. We played strategy a little bit to make sure we were on the right end of it. We caught the caution right, but then after that, our car was really good. We ran as high of fourth and we were catching third. Our lights were off, so we were a little slow down pit road. That was probably the difference of getting a top-five finish or not. All-in-all, it was just a really good job by this No. 77 team.”

 

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.

Stewart-Haas Racing: Enjoy Illinois 300 from St. Louis

By
Official Release
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STEWART-HAAS RACING
Enjoy Illinois 300
Date: June 2, 2024
Event: Enjoy Illinois 300 (Round 15 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Illinois (near St. Louis)
Layout: 1.25-mile oval
Format: 240 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/95 laps/100 laps)

Race Winner: Austin Cindric of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

SHR Finish:

● Chase Briscoe (Started 23rd, Finished 17th / Running, completed 240 of 240 laps)
● Noah Gragson (Started 27th, Finished 22nd / Running, completed 240 of 240 laps)
● Ryan Preece (Started 32nd, Finished 29th / Running, completed 239 of 240 laps)
● Josh Berry (Started 29th, Finished 36th / Accident, completed 109 of 240 laps)

SHR Points:

● Chase Briscoe (15th with 358 points, 176 out of first)
● Josh Berry (20th with 264 points, 270 out of first)
● Noah Gragson (23rd with 255 points, 279 out of first)
● Ryan Preece (29th with 211 points, 323 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● Briscoe’s 17th-place result bettered his previous best finish at Gateway – 24th, earned in the inaugural race at the 1.25-mile oval in 2022.
● Briscoe finished seventh in Stage 2 to earn four bonus points.
● Gragson’s 22nd-place result bettered his previous best finish at Gateway – 33rd, earned last year.

Race Notes:

● Austin Cindric won the Enjoy Illinois 300 to score his second career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Gateway. His margin of victory over second-place Denny Hamlin was 3.844 seconds.

● This was Ford’s 730th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory and its second of the season.

● This was Ford’s second NASCAR Cup Series win at Gateway. Joey Logano won the track’s inaugural race for the Blue Oval in 2022.

● There were five caution periods for a total of 32 laps.

● Twenty-four of the 36 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Hamlin remains the championship leader after Gateway with a 21-point advantage over second-place Kyle Larson.

Sound Bites:

“I’m not really sure what all happened. I know there were a lot of different strategies there and I don’t know what played out and how it played out. Our car was OK. It definitely seemed like we struggled a little more on the long run than some of the other people, and we were lacking overall grip. Kind of a worst-case scenario for us, how it all played out. But I thought we definitely made our car way better from yesterday. We’ll learn from that and go to Sonoma.” – Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“We just struggled all weekend with the balance, and struggled with speed, struggled with take-off pace, struggled with long-run speed. Everything was just stuck in dirty air and couldn’t go on new tires, just struggled. Appreciate all these SERVPRO guys. Our 10 team, we’re frustrated, it’s not to our standard today. We’re going to go back to work and figure it out for Sonoma.” – Noah Gragson, driver of the No. 10 SERVPRO Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“I really don’t know what happened. Obviously, with what our past has been with the rotors here, it kind of makes you think that. I went over and looked at the rotors and it looked like they were still on it, so it’s either that or a tire. For where we started, we moved up into the top-15 pretty quickly. The car was pretty good and I was learning a lot. We pushed the exit on the last section a little too hard and got the penalty there. We were still passing cars, though, and it would’ve been another good day.” – Josh Berry, driver of the No. 4 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Save Mart 350k on Sunday, June 9 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. The race begins at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Kaulig Racing Race Recap | Enjoy Illinois 300

By
Official Release
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DANIEL HEMRIC
No. 31 Poppy Bank Camaro ZL1

  • Daniel Hemric and the No. 31 Poppy Bank Camaro ZL1 qualified 28th for the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway.
  • The first caution of the day came early on lap four, and Hemric pitted for a left-rear adjustment. Falling to 36th when the next caution came out on lap 18, Hemric radioed that he needed rear lateral in his No. 31 Poppy Bank Chevy. Crew Chief Trent Owens made the call for a major adjustment under caution, before Hemric went on to finish 35th in the opening stage.
  • Continuing to make more adjustments to the No. 31 Poppy Bank Chevy, Owens made the call for ride-height adjustments for the start of the second stage. By lap 89, Hemric radioed that he lacked grip in his No. 31 Poppy Bank Chevy. As green-flag pit stops began, he made it as high as 10th place. A caution on lap 113 gave Hemric a lucky break, as he had not made his green-flag stop. During the caution, Hemric pitted for four tires and fuel, with the intention of staying out during the second stage break. He restarted 14th on lap 118. Just before the stage end, a caution came out, ending the second stage under caution. Hemric was scored 12th.
  • Continuing with Owens’ plan, Hemric elected to stay out during the stage break and started the final stage from ninth place. He made it up to the eighth place, before cars with fresher tires put him back to 14th. As the final green-flag stops began, Hemric made it as high as seventh, before pitting on lap 184 for tires and fuel. The final stage stayed caution-free until the end, and Hemric finished 18th.

“I think we learned a lot collectively as a team today. Our Poppy Bank Chevy struggled early on, but Trent [Owens] kept plugging away and made great changes. We caught a lucky break during stage two, which gave us great track position to start the final stage. I’m proud of how much we improved throughout the day.” – Daniel Hemric  

DEREK KRAUS
No. 16 Kafka Conveyors Camaro ZL1

  • Derek Kraus and the No. 16 Kafka Conveyors Camaro ZL1 qualified 25th for the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway.
  • Kraus and his No. 16 Kafka Camaro saw the first early caution of the day on lap four where he reported his car was handling well in turns three and four. Electing to stay out and restarting from the top row in 26th, Kraus would lose seven positions within a few short laps before bringing out the caution as the 15 car spun Kraus on lap 18 in the corner of turn three and four. Kraus reported his Chevrolet could not run the top line, as he was free and lacked grip. Kraus came down pit road for four tires, fuel, and damage assessment. Finding no significant damage, the No. 16 came down pit road a second time for a final check before restarting 35th. Kraus closed out the stage in 34th.
  • During the stage break, Kraus reported his car was still free and lacked the grip to run the top line. Crew Chief Travis Mack elected to keep the No. 16 out to gain track position that saw Kraus restart sixth. On older tires than the majority of the field, the No. 16 lost 24 spots, as Kraus managed the car the best he could. Kraus pitted on lap 93 for fresh tires and fuel, putting the No. 16 one lap down in 35th. The third caution fell on lap 113, as Kraus reported his car was firing off better but loose on entry. He brought the Kafka Camaro down pit road for four tires and fuel, restarting 34th and one lap down. Kraus finished stage two under caution in 34th, earning the free pass to put him back on the lead lap.
  • Settling into the final stage, the 16 would take 4 tires and fuel during the break, restarting 31st and on the lead lap. Running the final stage long, Kraus climbed as high as 10th while the field cycled under green flag stops. The No. 16 pitted with 18 laps to go for four tires and much needed fuel, falling to 32nd and one lap down. As the field took the checkard flag, Kraus finished 30th.

“It was a long day here at Gateway. I felt we had a better car than our results, however, I was never able to get the track position we needed or keep it when we did have it. I’m thankful for Kafka Conveyors and Kaulig Racing for the opportunity, and I look forward to having another shot towards the end of the year.” – Derek Kraus  
 
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.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes – Austin Cindric Wins at Gateway (Post Race Quotes)

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Enjoy Illinois 300 Post Race | Sunday, June 2, 2024

Unofficial Ford Performance Results:
1st – Austin Cindric
3rd – Brad Keselowski
5th – Joey Logano
9th – Justin Haley
14th – Chris Buescher
16th – Todd Gilliland
17th – Chase Briscoe
22nd – Noah Gragson
24th – Ryan Blaney
25th – Michael McDowell
29th – Ryan Preece
31st – Harrison Burton
33rd – Cody Ware
36th – Josh Berry

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Freightliner Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 1st)

VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW – WHAT IS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND? “Honestly, I’m heartbroken for the 12 team. I don’t know what happened to them at the end of the race, but they deserved to win this race. Ryan has been a hell of a leader on this team. This weekend was a great weekend for everybody involved. To have two cars in the fight and an eventual one-two there, like I said, I’m heartbroken for those guys, but this is huge for me. This is huge for this team. I’m so glad I was able to get a win with Brian as my crew chief in the Cup Series. You never know when it’s gonna happen again. I just drove my butt off and hoped for the best.”

THIS IS ALL YOU DO. YOU WORK SO HARD, BUT IT’S BEEN A STRUGGLE. WHAT DOES A WIN LIKE THIS DO FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM? “It’s everything. It’s absolutely everything and the funny thing about it is this Freightliner Ford Mustang is probably one of the best-looking cars at the racetrack and I’ve had terrible races every single time with this car and it’s great to win with a great paint scheme. It’s great to win in front of an amazing crowd. This racetrack does an amazing job putting on events and I’m just proud to be able to do it and proud to be able to bring it home for these guys. They deserve it.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 24th)

WAS THERE ANY THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO GET LOW ON FUEL? “No, I didn’t think so. I never thought in my mind we were short. It’s one of those things. I’m proud of the 12 boys. The Menards/Richmond Ford was fast. I had my work cut out for me holding off Christopher. That was fun. I don’t know what happened to him, but just one lap short. That stinks, but congrats to the 2 team. They did a good job all day. Props to them, Austin. I’m proud for Team Penske and Ford. I’m really happy with our showing today. I don’t know what I’ve got to do to get some luck on our side. I’ve wrecked the last two points races and thought we had a great shot to win today and I ended up bad, so I just appreciate the effort. We just have to keep sticking with it.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 5th) – “We weren’t too far off. We were just a few adjustments away of getting our Shell/Pennzoil Mustang as good as our teammates were, but not too bad. We were able to grab some points, which we need to do, and a Penske car got in Victory Lane, so you’ve got to be happy about that. Obviously, we’d rather it be us, but that momentum goes through the whole shop. It’s still a good day. We still scored a bunch of points today with stage points in both stages. A poor qualifying effort, which probably hurt us a little bit on tuning the car and just a little too loose off.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 3rd)

“That was strategy. We got behind early for sure but we kept putting ourselves in position to keep moving forward and I wish I could have gotten second but it was a really hard-fought day for everyone on the Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang. We will take a lot of good momentum from this one for sure.”

WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT THAT RUN? “It was hot in the there, but it was good for our whole effort. We were in position early and we had the issue there on pit road. The guys kept their heads down and recovered. We had some good strategy and made some good passes on that last restart to start stage three and on the long run we were really strong, so just making it all count where we can.”

YOU STAYED OUT AT ONE POINT. BEING A TEAM OWNER, WHAT KIND OF CONFIDENCE DOES THAT GIVE YOU TO MAKE THOSE CALLS? “Ultimately, I have the steering wheel, so I can always make the call (laughing), but I just felt confident. Our car wasn’t falling off and I just wanted to keep going and see it out and see if maybe we could catch a yellow. If not, I felt more good things would happen for us.”

JOSH BERRY, No. 4 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Retired Early – Single Car Incident on Lap 109)

WHAT HAPPENED? “I really don’t know what happened. Obviously with what our past has been with the rotors here it kind of makes you think that. I went over and looked at the rotors and it looked like they were still on it so it is either that or a tire.”

YOU WERE HAVING A GREAT DAY UNTIL THE SPEEDING PENALTY, CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH THAT? “Yeah, for where we started we moved up into the top 15 pretty quick. The car was pretty good and I was learning a lot. We pushed the exit on the last section a little too hard and got the penalty there. We were still passing cars though and it would have been another good day.”

DID YOU HAVE ANY WARNING BEFORE YOU HIT THE WALL? “Not really. That is what I mean. I don’t know. I looked at it and the rotors look like they are pretty intact. So I don’t know. When we get it back to the garage we will look. I am sure it is either that or just the tire went flat.”

Toyota Racing – NCS Gateway Post-Race Report – 06.02.24

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Official Release
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HAMLIN, REDDICK SCORE TOP-FIVES AT GATEWAY
Bell’s dominate Camry suffers issues late, survives for a top-10 finish

MADISON, Ill. (June 2, 2024) – Denny Hamlin (second) and Tyler Reddick (fourth) earned top-five finishes to lead Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway on Sunday evening.

Hamlin earned his fifth straight top-five finish and retained the points lead, while Reddick scored his sixth top-five finish of the season.

For the second straight race, Christopher Bell led the most laps and was battling for the win late before encountering mechanical issues. He was able to take a conservative approach to the final few laps to salvage a top-10 finish.

With Hamlin’s runner-up finish, Toyota has taken over the lead in the manufacturer’s championship for the first time this season.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway
Race 15 of 36 – 300 miles, 240 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Austin Cindric*
2nd, DENNY HAMLIN
3rd, Brad Keselowski*
4th, TYLER REDDICK
5th, Joey Logano*
7th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
11th, TY GIBBS
21st, BUBBA WALLACE
26th, ERIK JONES
27th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
34th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Yahoo Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

Seemed like a decent day for you Denny. Did you just not have the raw speed to compete for the lead?

“No, definitely not. We had a top-five car – we didn’t have the best today, but the Yahoo Camry was in the mix, and was able to capitalize on some others misfortune there. We were going to have a top-five day regardless, but proud of the team. They did a great job on pit road – Chris (Gabehart, crew chief) and the team brought a great car, just wasn’t quite enough.”

TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 SiriusXM Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 4th

Can you talk about your finish?

“Yeah, we a rough first stop there. I slid a little long, and just slowed everyone down on the 45 pit crew. We came in eighth and came out in 28th. It took the entire race to claw back from that – just a great effort by the guys. I feel like we were right there with the 2 (Austin Cindric) to start the race, so obviously, it is a little bit of a bummer that we had that issue, but that is kind of the name of the game when you come to World Wide Technology Raceway – you have to have a clean race, and unfortunately, we didn’t. I’m really glad we were able to get a fourth place finish out of our SiriusXM Camry.”

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DEWALT Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 7th

What exactly happened and what did you feel?

“I have no idea what happened with our DEWALT Camry – some sort of motor issue, and I’m surprised that it made it to the end. Glad we were able to salvage something out of it – but you don’t get race cars like that very often – whenever you do, you need to take advantage of them, so that is disappointing.”

Can you talk about Martin Truex Jr. pushing you trying to help you finish this race?

“Yeah, that was awesome. He probably saved us a top-10 today – Martin (Truex) is a stand-up guy.”

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.

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America NHRA Epping Post-Race Report – 06.02.24

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Official Release
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KALITTA CLAIMS LONG-AWAITED EPPING VICTORY; SECOND TRIUMPH IN 2024
Toyota extends Top Fuel win streak to eight

EPPING, N.H. (June 2, 2024) – Following his No. 1 qualifier run earlier in the weekend, Doug Kalitta captured his second Wally Trophy of 2024 by defeating Tony Schumacher in Sunday afternoon’s New England Nationals finals. Kalitta’s triumph is the 54th of his legendary career, his first at New England Dragway, and extends Toyota’s Top Fuel win streak to eight. The reigning champion has now won on every track currently on the NHRA tour. With Kalitta making the Top Fuel finals, Toyota has also reached the final round in 30 consecutive NHRA events in either Top Fuel or Funny Car.

Shawn Langdon, one of those defeated by Kalitta on the way to victory, made the semifinals for the fourth time this season. Billy Torrence, along with his son, Steve, both reached the second round. 

In Funny Car, J.R. Todd was the lead GR Supra, making his fourth semifinals of the 2024 season, ultimately defeated by event winner, John Force. His Toyota teammates, Ron Capps and Alexis DeJoria, bowed out in the early rounds on Sunday.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is right back in action next weekend at Bristol Dragway for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
NHRA New England Nationals
New England Dragway
Race 7 of 20

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS 

NameCarFinal ResultRound-by-Round
Doug KalittaMac Tools Toyota Top Fuel DragsterWinnerW (4.254) v. S. Farley (No Time) W (3.841) v. T. Stewart (3.848) W (3.848) v. S. Langdon (3.884) W (3.802) v. T. Schumacher (4.307)
Shawn LangdonKalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSemi-finalsW (3.780) v. S. Reed (4.605) W (3.953 – holeshot) v. B. Torrence (3.942) L (3.884) v. D. Kalitta (3.848)
Billy TorrenceCAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSecond RoundW (3.793 – holeshot) v. J. Salinas (3.790) L (3.942) v. S. Langdon (3.953 – holeshot)
Steve TorrenceCAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSecond RoundW (3.882) v. S. Smith (4.796) L (3.835) v. C. Millican (3.841 – holeshot)
Justin AshleySCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel DragsterFirst RoundL (5.202) v. J. Hart (3.848)
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel DragsterFirst RoundL (4.436) v. T. Stewart (3.973)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS 

NameCarFinal ResultRound-by-Round
J.R. ToddDHL Toyota GR Supra Funny CarSemi-finalsW (4.224) v. D. Richards (9.933) W (4.079) v. B. Tasca III (4.325) L (3.994) v. J. Force (4.050)
Ron CappsNAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny CarSecond RoundW (4.045) v. M. Hagan (4.185) L (7.690) v. D. Wilkerson (4.022)
Alexis DeJoriaBandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny CarFirst RoundL (4.060) v. C. Green (3.976)

*= Non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

DOUG KALITTA, Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports

TF Final Result: Winner

How does it feel to sweep the weekend and get this victory at Epping?

“Yeah, no, it’s incredible. We had a tribute to my cousin, Scott, yesterday and this was definitely true to him. Connie (Kalitta, team owner), Alan (Johnson, crew chief), Mac (Savage, assistant crew chief), the whole Mac Tools, Toyota, Revchem team. We’ve been digging hard. I’m just making sure I don’t screw up, up there. They give me such a good car. Awesome weekend and super excited!”  

J.R. TODD, DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Kalitta Motorsports

FC Final Result: Semi-finals

Can you describe your day and weekend?

“It was a good weekend for the DHL GR Supra team. We qualified well and made it to the semis which means we get to race in the 2Fast2Tasty deal (Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge) at Bristol which is always the goal. We’re still behind those Force (John Force Racing) cars quite a bit so we have some work to do going into Bristol, but at the end of the day, it’s nice to be going rounds and earning points for DHL, Revchem and SealMaster.”

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.

Dixon Emerges from Chaos To Win on Streets of Detroit

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Official Release
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Detroit, MI - during the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on the streets of Detroit. (Photo by Joe Skibinski | IMS Photo)

DETROIT (Sunday, June 2, 2024) – Yet again, Scott Dixon created clarity from chaos to win an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race.

Dixon provided another master class in devising tactics on the fly with strategist Mike Hull and saving fuel in his No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, prevailing in a caution-strewn Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on Sunday on the streets of Detroit.

Six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Dixon beat fellow Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Marcus Ericsson by .8567 of a second in Ericsson’s best result of the season in the No. 28 Delaware Life Honda fielded by Andretti Global. Marcus Armstrong finished third in the No. 11 Root Insurance Chip Ganassi Racing Honda for his first career podium finish.

“The team called it perfectly,” Dixon said. “We were on the right strategy. We won, man. How cool is that?

“It’s just always the variables. Trying to stay out of trouble, trying to keep your car on track. We had rain. It was all over the shop out there. You had no idea how the transitions were going to fall or even the strategy. So stoked for everyone on the team. That was cool.”

Dixon took the championship lead by 18 points from teammate Alex Palou with his second victory of the season, joining his win in April at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Dixon earned his 58th career victory, pulling him within nine wins of tying A.J. Foyt’s record of 67 career wins.

“For sure; I think it always is,” Dixon said when asked if he’s focusing on tying Foyt’s record of seven series championships. “Until you’re out of it, you’re going to keep chasing it. It’s a team effort.”

Kyle Kirkwood finished a season-best fourth in the No. 28 AutoNation Honda fielded by Andretti Global, while Alexander Rossi continued his strong recent form by rounding out the top five in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Rossi has finished eighth or better in his last three starts.

Dixon and Hull once again made magic, electing to make their final pit stop under caution at the end of Lap 56 and hope enough yellow flags continued to fly to stretch fuel until the finish at Lap 100. The strategy worked to perfection, as there were two more caution periods after Dixon’s last stop to let him save just enough Shell 100% Renewable Race Fuel to reach the finish while parrying the charging Ericsson.

We’ve seen this movie before in Dixon’s legendary career – many times and recently.

Dixon pulled off an improbable fuel save to win in April at Long Beach and did the same last August at World Wide Technology Raceway, making one fewer stop than any other driver to win. That oval victory came one race after Dixon won on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course despite being punted into the grass and falling to the back of the field in Turn 1, using Hull’s strategy to get to the front and his trained right foot to stay there despite dwindling fuel.

Today in downtown Detroit, it appeared Dixon might cruise to Victory Lane until the last 13 laps of the race on the nine-turn, 1.645-mile temporary street circuit. Then Ericsson passed Kirkwood for third place and then set his sights on Armstrong while lapping nearly a second quicker per circuit than the fuel-sipping Dixon.

Meanwhile, Dixon was dealing with the turbulence and slower pace of the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of NTT P1 Award winner Colton Herta, directly ahead of him on the tail end of the lead lap. Just 1.6 seconds separated the top three on Lap 94.

Dixon finally got under Herta on Lap 95 for clean track and air. Ericsson had taken a look under Armstrong a few times but couldn’t complete that pass for second until Lap 99, falling 2.1 seconds behind Dixon at the white flag.

Still, Ericsson made the most of his final lap, cutting Dixon’s margin more than in half. Still, it wasn’t enough to catch “The Iceman” although Ericsson was thrilled to rebound from the Indianapolis 500, in which he was eliminated on Lap 1 after being caught in Tom Blomqvist’s spin.

“After the Month of May we had, it was really, really tough mentally,” Ericsson said. “I’m new in this team. I want to show myself as a top driver, as they hired me as. It was really important.

“We had so much pace. One more lap, and we might have been able to get that win. But great day.”

The first three-quarters of the race were pure chaos, with all eight caution periods and 47 caution laps in the first 73 laps. The longest stretch of green-flag racing during that span was 13 laps, making strategists’ heads spin on the pit wall as they mulled options on the fly while on the radio with drivers.

Add in a rapid change in tire strategy in the first 15 laps when the prevailing wisdom of the Firestone Firehawk alternate tire being the quicker rubber was proven wrong when Palou, who started on used alternates, lost grip far earlier than expected and to pit at the end of Lap 11.

Then toss the arrival of a passing rain shower on Lap 34, which caused strategists and pit crews to scramble up and down pit road as drivers and teams decided whether to pit for rain tires or stay out and gamble that the rain – which didn’t even appear on team radar screens – would leave the area quickly.

Dixon, Ericsson and Kirkwood were among the eight drivers in the 27-car field who never stopped for rain tires. That helped move them higher in the running order and get into position to earn top-five finishes, as their dice roll worked when the light shower left the area in a hurry.

That trio only made two stops the entire race. Dixon took the lead for the first time and for good on Lap 66 when 2023 Detroit winner Palou made the last of his five stops in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Two-time and reigning series champion Palou finished 16th, snapping his streak of 23 consecutive finishes in the top eight in points-paying events.

The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES event is next Sunday, June 9, with the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Live coverage starts at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Race Results

DETROIT – Results Sunday of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear NTT INDYCAR SERIES event on the 1.645-mile streets of Detroit circuit, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):

  1. (5) Scott Dixon, Honda, 100, Running
  2. (9) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 100, Running
  3. (19) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 100, Running
  4. (6) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 100, Running
  5. (16) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 100, Running
  6. (8) Will Power, Chevrolet, 100, Running
  7. (12) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 100, Running
  8. (22) Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, 100, Running
  9. (10) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 100, Running
  10. (7) Theo Pourchaire, Chevrolet, 100, Running
  11. (11) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 100, Running
  12. (17) Agustin Canapino, Chevrolet, 100, Running
  13. (15) Pietro Fittipaldi, Honda, 100, Running
  14. (18) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 100, Running
  15. (20) Graham Rahal, Honda, 100, Running
  16. (2) Alex Palou, Honda, 100, Running
  17. (26) Jack Harvey, Honda, 100, Running
  18. (24) Tristan Vautier, Honda, 99, Running
  19. (1) Colton Herta, Honda, 99, Running
  20. (4) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 99, Running
  21. (23) Sting Ray Robb, Chevrolet, 99, Running
  22. (21) Linus Lundqvist, Honda, 99, Running
  23. (14) Romain Grosjean, Chevrolet, 97, Running
  24. (27) Kyffin Simpson, Honda, 96, Running
  25. (25) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 95, Running
  26. (3) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 94, Running
  27. (13) Christian Rasmussen, Chevrolet, 23, Mechanical

Race Statistics
Winner’s average speed: 78.251 mph
Time of Race: 02:06:07.9684
Margin of victory: 0.8567 of a second
Cautions: 8 for 47 laps
Lead changes: 5 among 6 drivers

Lap Leaders:
Herta, Colton 1 – 33
Newgarden, Josef 34
Lundgaard, Christian 35 – 40
Kirkwood, Kyle 41 – 64
Palou, Alex 65
Dixon, Scott 66 – 100

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Point Standings:
Dixon 216, Palou 198, Power 185, O’Ward 160, Rossi 150, Kirkwood 148, Herta 147, McLaughlin 141, Rosenqvist 140, Newgarden 128, Lundgaard 122, Ferrucci 117, Armstrong 116, Ericsson 108, VeeKay 103, Rahal 101, Grosjean 86, Lundqvist 81, Simpson 76, Canapino 74, Fittipaldi 67, Harvey 60, Pourchaire 58, Rasmussen 55, Robb 46, Tom Blomqvist 46, Callum Ilott 39, Conor Daly 21, Kyle Larson 21, Takuma Sato 19, Castroneves 15, Ed Carpenter 14, Luca Ghiotto 14, Vautier 12, Nolan Siegel 10, Colin Braun 10, Ryan Hunter-Reay 6, Marco Andretti 5, Katherine Legge 5

CHEVROLET INDYCAR AT DETROIT: Team Chevy Race Report

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Official Release
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CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX
DETROIT, MICHIGAN
TEAM CHEVY RACE REPORT
JUNE 2, 2024

ALEXANDER ROSSI LEADS TEAM CHEVY WITH A FIFTH-PLACE FINISH AT THE CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX

  • Alexander Rossi, driver of the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, finished fifth in Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, the highest Team Chevy finisher after a chaotic 100-lap event.
  • Five drivers representing the Bowtie brand finished in the top-10 at Sunday’s checkered flag on the streets of downtown Detroit, Michigan, including Rossi, Will Power of Team Penske (sixth), Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren (seventh), Santino Ferrucci of AJ Foyt Racing (ninth), and Théo Pourchaire of Arrow McLaren (10th).
  • All three Arrow McLaren Chevrolets finished in the top-10.
  • Power, driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet, leaves Detroit 31 points behind the leader in third of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship points standings.
  • Race day started with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES warming up on the streets of Detroit, with Josef Newgarden and the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet topping the leaderboard with his fastest lap of 1:02.0463.
  • The NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Team Chevy next head north to Road America in the heart of Wisconsin for the seventh round of the season. The XPEL Grand Prix at Road America takes the green flag live Sunday on NBC at 3:30 p.m. Additional coverage is available through Peacock, INDYCAR Radio, and SiriusXM Channel 218 all weekend long.

TEAM CHEVY RACE RESULT:
Pos. Driver
5th Alexander Rossi
6th Will Power
7th Pato O’Ward
9th Santino Ferrucci
10th Théo Pourchaire

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES):

Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing:

“First off, really want to apologize to Helio (Castroneves). That’s one of my closest friends in racing and we blatantly got into the back of him and ruined his day for all of those guys, so I’m sorry for that. For us, hell of a rebound getting wrecked at the start, to a stop and go penalty, back to last twice, the rain. I mean, helluva strategy on the stand from the boys to put us back into ninth. I’m just really proud of this Sexton Properties Chevrolet team. It was a solid race day considering all of the emotions of this weekend, and can’t wait to get on to Road America.”

Sting Ray Robb, No. 41 AJ Foyt Racing:

“Wow! That was a crazy race! I don’t know if you could ask for more craziness in one event. We went to the front, to the back, to the front, to the back. Unfortunately, our race was hampered by not necessarily a miss-call, but a hindsight call. We should have stayed out when it rained. Then we had contact with the wall with a little help from another car didn’t help us. I couldn’t get it restarted fast enough to get back on the lead lap. So, if we had done that, we would have finished top-12/top-10. Look where our teammate was, we weren’t far behind. So, it’s really unfortunate about what could have been, but I’m really proud of the pace we had, and we had really good pit stops. I’m really looking forward to Road America in the Goodheart.vet Chevrolet.”

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

“Survival was the name of the game today. We had to nurse the car home ever since Lap 1 where we had a lot of damage. Considering the fact that we were a bit handcuffed in terms of performance, I think it was a really strong day for us and the Arrow McLaren Chevrolet team. I have to say I’m pretty happy with seventh place.”

Théo Pourchaire, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

“Today was the first top-10 finish in my NTT INDYCAR SERIES career. It’s not a bad result, but I am frustrated because I think I could have competed for a win or a podium. I was right there on pace, or even quicker, than the No. 9 through the first part of the race. Then, we were not lucky with the strategy and I made a mistake on a restart. I am sure that we will bounce back in Road America. The first podium and the first win is close to me and the No. 6 onsemi Arrow McLaren Chevrolet crew. We will do an even better job next week.”

Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

“It’s been a really hard weekend, so there’s a lot of relief from that one because it’s been really hard so far. The team did an amazing job with the strategy. We made some strong changes overnight and were able to weather everything. I think we had good pace as well as good strategy. I’m just thankful for being able to bounce back and everyone sticking with it this weekend.”

Christian Rasmussen, No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:

“We were caught out by an unforeseen engine issue. It is unfortunate because we were sitting pretty good, and I felt like I had a good racecar. We were in a good spot, so it’s hard when these things happen. It’s part of racing, but it’s extra frustrating when it hits on a good day.”

Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:

“Long race, tough race. We made the right decision on tires when it started kind of raining, so that was a good call. We stayed out of all of the drama until someone inserted us into the drama. That was disappointing because it put us to the back in all of the chaos. We stayed out of it the best we could, but I couldn’t really move forward because of the damage to the car. I had to just hold on to it and that was all I could do. Great work by the team to give me a good car, wish we could have had more than P14 to show for it and have a higher result for Team Chevy.”

Romain Grosjean, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:

“We had a fast car, second fastest lap of the race and got wrecked. Not much we can do.”

Agustin Canapino, No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:

“We finished P12 after a very, very tricky race, honestly. We did a really good job. I was P10 since the beginning of the race. We were P3 before the rain, but after that, everything happened. Unfortunately, I received a pretty big hit from (Théo) Pourchaire and my car was destroyed. The good thing was is we finished the race in a good situation despite the problem with the hit. We are happy. We had a strong weekend in practice. The qualifying not bad. We had a good race. P12 is a good result for us. Now, we are looking forward to Road America.”

Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet:

“It is crazy how races in this series can turn on a dime. We were in a great position to capitalize on some of the drama going on around us to possibly win today. Unfortunately, Scott (McLaughlin) had his incident just before halfway and that helped us into second before we hit pit road. That’s kind of where our day went south when the fuel probe valve wouldn’t open initially, costing us a ton of track position. After restarting 19th, it just seemed our day went downhill. Definitely a wild afternoon for not just the Astemo Chevrolet team but for most of the field.”

Will Power, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet:

“That’s a good day. It was very tough, really. All sorts of stuff going on. Felt like Nashville. That’s, I mean, you’ve got everything in there. Rain, everything. Happy to get back to sixth, and go from there, and see what we could do. That is a good points day, man. I knew when it was that sort of race, (Scott) Dixon was going to win it somehow. We just wanted to salvage something.”

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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.

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