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Shielding Your Investment: Why Windshield Repair is Crucial for Vehicle Care

Your automobile isn’t just a way to tour among locations; it embodies an investment demanding steady interest and renovation to uphold its sturdiness and safeguarding. One regularly ignored aspect of car renovation is windshield restoration. While reputedly insignificant, even the smallest crack or chip to your windshield will have properly-sized consequences if left unattended. This piece explores the motives why repairing your windshield is important for protecting your car funding.

Unveiling the Significance of Your Windshield

The windshield is an essential element of your automobile, ensuring protection and structural integrity by shielding you from wind, rain, and particles whilst riding. Additionally, it provides vital resources to the roof in the course of a rollover twist of fate and is critical for the deployment of the passenger-side airbag.

Common causes of windshield harm include rocks kicked up by way of different automobiles, debris falling from motors, and temperature adjustments causing the glass to make bigger and settle. Although minor harm may additionally seem insignificant, it may quickly fortify if unnoticed, jeopardizing your safety and your automobile’s structural integrity.

The Hazards of Neglecting Windshield Damage

Ignoring windshield harm could have serious consequences. A cracked or chipped windshield can impair your visibility whilst the use of it, increasing the danger of accidents. Additionally, minor cracks can quickly unfold, leading to extra harm that can require pricey alternatives.

Operating a vehicle with a broken windshield can deliver prison ramifications. In numerous regions, the usage of a cracked windshield is taken into consideration as a safety threat, doubtlessly resulting in fines or even the revocation of your purpose pressure license.

The Financial Ramifications of Postponing Repairs

Putting off a windshield repair can also cause economic repercussions. While repairing a small chip or crack within reason less expensive, allowing the harm to get worse can cause the want for a whole windshield alternative, that may cost hundreds of greenbacks.

Furthermore, insurance groups can also additionally boost your charges if they agree that you have unnoticed to maintain your car well. By addressing windshield damage properly, you could keep away from these extra expenses and preserve the fee of your automobile. 

The Repair Process Demystified

Windshield restoration is an extraordinarily trustworthy device that can frequently be finished in under an hour. Upon evaluating the damage, a professional technician will determine if restoration is possible or if an alternative is needed. If recuperation is possible, the technician will cautiously ease the damaged location and inject a specialized resin into the crack or chip. The resin is then cured with the use of ultraviolet moderate, bonding the glass together and restoring its electricity.

Key Considerations When Selecting a Repair Service

When deciding on a windshield restoration provider, it’s important to undergo in thoughts several factors. Reputation and experience are vital, so make certain to research the enterprise’s popularity and study opinions from distinctive customers. Additionally, inquire about the first-rate substances and strategies used in the restore method, in addition to any guarantee or guarantee guidelines provided through the enterprise. With this, when it involves service repair for your car check windshield repair in Winnipeg, which allows you to save time, cash, and capability headaches down the road.

Proactive Measures for Windshield Protection

While a few windshield damage is unavoidable, there are steps you could take to decrease the danger. Safe driving practices, along with retaining a steady following distance and fending off using in the back of vans carrying free debris, can assist reduce the chance of harm. Additionally, parking in a garage or shaded area can assist shield your windshield from temperature-associated harm.

Regular automobile inspections are also critical for identifying potential issues early. By catching and repairing minor harm properly, you can save it from worsening and keep away from pricey protection or replacements.

Conclusion

In the end, windshield restoration is an important trouble of automobile protection that should not be stated. By addressing minor damage properly away and proactively shielding your windshield, you could maintain the liberty and safety of your automobile for future years.

Become a Pro at Choosing the Perfect Vehicle Wrap for Your Needs with Wrap It Right

Photo by Dillon Kydd on Unsplash

In the modern, unexpectedly converting, and fiercely aggressive business landscape, corporations are constantly in search of imaginative methods to distinguish themselves and grasp the eye of capacity clients. One rather powerful technique that has gained good-sized traction in recent times is the adoption of vehicle wraps. These eye-catching advertisements transform ordinary vehicles into mobile billboards, turning your message to a huge target audience wherever the car is going. However, no longer all automobile wraps are created identically. To ensure the most effect and return on investment, it’s important to select the right vinyl wrap for your unique wishes.

Understanding Your Goals

Before delving into the area of car wraps, it’s vital to carve out a clear roadmap for your marketing and marketing targets. Are you trying to grow emblem recognition, promote specific products or services, or sincerely make a declaration? Understanding your particular goals will enable you to customize your vehicle wrap layout and message to efficaciously attain and resonate with your target audience.

Varieties of Vehicle Wraps

A type of car wrap alternatives are available, consisting of full wraps, partial wraps, and photograph spot placements. Full wraps cover the entire floor of the car, presenting maximum exposure to your message. Partial wraps cover best a portion of the car, at the same time as spot photos are smaller decals positioned strategically on the vehicle. Consider your finances and the size of your automobile while determining which sort of wrap is nice for you.

Material Matters

When thinking about car wraps, vinyl emerges as the pinnacle choice for its sturdiness and adaptableness. Vinyl wraps are climate-resistant and may resist the factors, making them best for outdoor advertising and marketing. Other materials, which include magnets or decals, can be lots less long-lasting and prone to damage. While vinyl covers may also have a higher prematurely price, they provide lengthy-time period value and a higher go-back on investment.

Design and Creativity

The design of your automobile wrap performs an important role in its effectiveness. A fascinating design will take hold of the eye of passersby and leave an enduring effect. Work with a skilled dressmaker or design agency to create a custom wrap that displays your logo identification and communicates your message. Consider factors consisting of color, imagery, and typography to make certain your wrap sticks out from the gang.

Color and Finish Options

Vinyl covers come in quite a few hues and finishes, which include matte, gloss, and satin. The choice of color and finish may have a considerable effect on the visibility and logo image of your wrap. Bright, formidable hues are more likely to draw interest, whilst matte finishes can provide your wrap a sleek, expert appearance. Consider your brand’s aesthetic and audience whilst selecting the proper shade and end for your wrap.

Quality Installation

Even the maximum nicely-designed car wrap will fail to make an effect if it isn’t established successfully. Professional setup is critical to make certain that your wrap is applied easily and securely, without any bubbles or wrinkles. Attempting to install a vinyl wrap yourself or hiring an inexperienced installer can bring about highly-priced errors and a subpar result. Invest in a good setup provider to ensure your wrap seems its great and lasts as long as possible.

Budget Considerations

When budgeting for a car wrap, don’t forget the lengthy-term fee it’ll offer for your business. While vinyl covers may additionally have a better advance cost than different advertising strategies, they offer a better go-back on funding in phrases of visibility and sturdiness. Compare charges from multiple companies and recollect factors consisting of design first-class, cloth durability, and installation understanding whilst making your decision.

Maintenance and Longevity

Proper upkeep is fundamental to extending the life of your vinyl wrap and retaining its look. Regular cleaning with mild soap and water will assist put off dirt and dirt and keep your wrap searching clean. Avoid the usage of harsh chemical compounds or abrasive substances, as these can harm the vinyl and reason untimely put on and tear. Inspect your wrap often for any symptoms of harm or lifting, and cope with any issues right away to prevent similar damage.

Conclusion

In the end, choosing the excellent vinyl wrap you desire requires cautious attention to your advertising dreams, price range, and layout alternatives. By knowing the distinct kinds of wraps available, deciding on exquisite materials, and making an investment in expert setup, you may create an automobile wrap that effectively promotes your enterprise and leaves a lasting impression on ability clients. With proper maintenance and care, your vinyl wrap will hold to power results for future years.

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

Tyler Reddick, driver of the #45 Jordan Brand Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

William Byron: Byron finished seventh in the Geico 500, making up several places during a chaotic finish that saw Tyler Reddick snatch the win from Michael McDowell and Brad Keselowski.

“I guess you could say Reddick crashed the Ford party,” Byron said. “Or, better yet, you could say Ford crashed the Ford party.”

2. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished 15th at Talladega.

“My car featured the familiar NAPA paint scheme,” Elliott said. “But there was still a small Hooter’s decal on the car. You had to look closely to see, which seems awfully ironic for Hooter’s.”

3. Tyler Reddick: Reddick stole the win coming to the line at Talladega as leader Michael McDowell’s attempt to block Brad Keselowski erupted into a multi-car pileup. Reddick squeezed through for the win.

“And co-car owner Michael Jordan was there to see it,” Reddick said. “Things looked pretty bleak when the Toyotas had their incident on Lap 156. At that point, I said, ‘What are the odds?’ Luckily, MJ knew the odds, because he keeps up with that stuff, and he decided it was a good time to lay a bet that I would win. I have to thank MJ for putting his faith in me and his money on me.”

4. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex led 16 laps and finished 11th in the Geico 500.

“I think everyone knew the ‘Big One’ was coming,” Truex said. “There’s a lot of NASCAR fans that also thought the ‘Big One’ was coming, only in the form of ‘The Rapture’ brought on by the total solar eclipse on April 8th. Only one of the ‘Big Ones’ actually happened.”

5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski and fellow Ford driver Michael McDowell made contact while battling for the win heading to the checkered flag at Talladega. McDowell, the leader, spun and finished 31st, while Keselowski, running second, managed to keep control and maintain his position as Tyler Reddick swooped by for the win.

“What I wouldn’t give to be in Tyler Reddick’s shoes,” Keselowski said. “And I’m guessing it’s a pair of Air Jordans.”

6. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin was knocked out of the race in a Lap 156 incident when Bubba Wallace and Erik Jones made contact and collected Hamlin and John Hunter Nemechek. Hamlin finished 37th.

“We had a pretty nice Toyota train going up until that point,” Hamlin said. “And the sad thing is, we were all ‘on track’ for nice finishes.”

7. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished fifth at Talladega, posting his fourth top-5 finish of the season.

“Officials at Talladega decided to remove the long-standing scoring pylon,” Bowman said. “Who knows why they did it? I would guess because doing so offers some kind of financial benefit for those greedy sons of guns. I guess they’re going to look out for No. 1 even if the fans can’t.”

8. Kyle Larson: Larson had to start from pit road and serve a drive-through penalty but bounced back to finish 21st in the Geico 500.

“I’ve come back from worse,” Larson said. “Much worse, actually.”

9. Ryan Blaney: Blaney’s fortunes at Talladega took a hit when he was penalized for speeding in pit lane on Lap 112. He eventually got the lap back but saw a good finish disappear when he was one of several cars stricken in the final lap chaos. He finished 20th.

“New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara was at Talladega at the NASCAR Classics hauler,” Blaney said. “Kamara likes to see cars go fast. While you might say ‘Give it some gas,’ Kamara, given his history in the city of Las Vegas, would likely say ‘Punch it.'”

10. Ross Chastain: Chastain finished 13th at Talladega.

“I actually led six laps on Sunday,” Chastain said. “And Shane van Gisbergen led three. I know it was him because his car had a picture of Wendy’s french fries on it. When he wasn’t leading the race, he was playing ‘ketchup.'”

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

Reddick dodges final lap carnage for wild Cup victory at Talladega

TALLADEGA, ALABAMA - APRIL 21: Tyler Reddick, driver of the #45 Jordan Brand Toyota, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 21, 2024 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images).

With drafting help from two Toyota teammates as team owner Michael Jordan watched atop the pit box, Tyler Reddick rose to the occasion and raced his way to a wild overwhelming NASCAR Cup Series victory in the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, April 21, amid a final lap accident that knocked pole-sitter Michael McDowell out of race-winning contention.

The two-time Xfinity Series champion from Corning, California, led five times for 13 of 188 scheduled laps. Reddick started 18th and kept his No. 45 Jordan Brand Toyota Camry XSE intact while working closely with his Toyota teammates amid the draft and the three-wide packed action towards the front.

Despite losing four of his Toyota teammates, including team owner Denny Hamlin and 23XI Racing teammate Bubba Wallace, to a multi-car wreck with 33 laps remaining amid a late cycle of green flag pit stops Reddick cycled into the lead during the caution period. Drafting support from Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs kept him in contention for a 27-lap dash to the finish as he squared off against Ford competitors Michael McDowell and Brad Keselowski.

Then, on the final lap, Reddick, who led the penultimate lap by a hair over McDowell initially lost ground to McDowell and Keselowski amid the draft. But with two corners remaining, he capitalized on a swerved move by McDowell entering the frontstretch resulting in McDowell spinning in the middle of the track and igniting a multi-car wreck. Reddick was able to zip by both Keselowski and Noah Gragson to cross the finish line by two-tenths of a second ahead of Keselowski and capture his first Cup Series victory of the 2024 season along with his first at Talladega and of the season for 23XI Racing.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup on Saturday, April 20, Michael McDowell captured his second Cup Series pole position of the season and his career after posting a pole-winning lap at 182.022 mph in 52.609 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Austin Cindric, who clocked in the second-fastest qualifying lap at 181.739 mph in 52.691 seconds. 

When the green flag waved and the event commenced, Michael McDowell and Austin Cindric battled for the lead in front of two packed lanes through the first two turns before they navigated through the backstretch. With the field behind still running in two tight-packed lanes through the final two turns and back to the tri-oval, McDowell managed to lead the first lap by a hair over Cindric.  

During the next four laps, the field fanned out to three tight-packed lanes as McDowell and Cindric battled and swapped the lead. Amid the battles, Martin Truex Jr. mounted a charge from the outside lane with drafting help from Bubba Wallace and Daniel Hemric while McDowell started to muscle ahead on the inside lane.

Meanwhile, Kyle Larson, who was not allowed to post a qualifying lap on Saturday due to unapproved adjustments involving his roof rails to his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and was assessed a drive-through penalty on pit road during the opening lap, was mired at the rear of the field and trailing by a distance with no drafting help. 

Over the next five laps, Truex, Hemric and BJ McLeod each led at least a lap while the pack of 37 competitors fanned out to three lanes as they navigated around the superspeedway venue to take advantage of the draft.

Through the first 15 scheduled laps, Chase Briscoe assumed the lead from Hemric on the outside lane amid the tight-packed racing before Justin Haley carved his No. 51 Parts Plus Ford Mustang Dark Horse to the front as he challenged Briscoe for the top spot during the proceeding laps. Despite Briscoe blocking Haley and briefly stalling his momentum through the backstretch by Lap 16, Haley switched to the inside lane and continued to battle Briscoe before he assumed the top spot by Lap 18. Truex, however, would join the battle and lead by the Lap 20 mark. By then, Larson was lapped by the field. 

By Lap 25 and with the field still fanned out to three tight-packed lanes, Truex was ahead with the lead by a hair on the outside lane as Haley was leading the draft on the inside lane and Briscoe was mired as the lead competitor in the middle lane. As Haley, Truex and Briscoe battled against one another for the lead within the draft, Truex continued to muscle ahead and lead the proceeding laps by the Lap 30 mark. 

At the Lap 35 mark, Truex, who led eight of the previous 10 laps, was ahead by a hair over McLeod and Briscoe while he had teammates Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin drafting him through the middle lane. McLeod, however, would have Daniel Suarez pushing him on the outside lane as he remained in contention for the lead before Suarez bailed on him by Lap 37, allowing Truex to muscle ahead while Briscoe tried to mount another challenge on the inside lane. McLeod would then receive drafting help from Chase Elliott by Lap 40 to muscle back ahead on the outside lane, with Truex and Briscoe remaining in the middle and inside lanes, respectively.

Then on Lap 40, McLeod went up against the outside wall entering Turn 3, and fell off the pace as the entire field zipped by him. McLeod then pitted as the race remained under green flag conditions. By then, Briscoe had muscled his way back to the lead on the inside lane while Truex fought back on the middle lane. Meanwhile, Elliott was trying to mount a charge from the outside lane and received a push from Ryan Preece through the backstretch to challenge the front-runners for the lead.  

Not long after on Lap 41, Indiana natives Briscoe and Haley peeled off the track to pit under green. Another wave of competitors, mainly Chevrolet competitors led by Suarez and rookie Zane Smith, pitted by Lap 42 before another led by Alfredo and Gragson pitted. During the latest wave, Hamlin, who was trying to slam on the brakes to enter pit road under pit road pace, got loose and ran into the side of John Hunter Nemechek before he spun his No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry XSE on pit road. The race, however, remained under green as Hamlin proceeded to his pit stall while another wave of competitors led by Elliott and Larson, who was a lap down, pitted. By then, Zane Smith and Suarez were penalized for speeding on pit road.  

On Lap 45, the final wave of competitors led by Shane van Gisbergen pitted under green. Once the pit stops cycled through, Elliott emerged as the new leader ahead of teammate William Byron, Kyle Busch, Cindric and Harrison Burton. During the pit stops, Joey Logano was penalized for speeding on pit road as Briscoe would have to pit for a second time to address a flat tire on his entry. 

By Lap 50, Cindric, who assumed the lead from Elliott two laps earlier, was still leading ahead of Elliott, Burton, Byron and Ryan Blaney as the top 30 competitors were separated by a second. As Cindric and Elliott battled for the lead in front of two packed lanes during the proceeding laps, Larson was running in front of teammate Elliott as he was trying to remain on the lead lap following his opening lap penalty. 

Just past the Lap 55 mark, Cindric and Elliott battled for the lead in front of two packed lanes, with Cindric having Harrison Burton drafting him on the outside lane. Elliott was still running behind teammate, Larson, and had teammate Byron drafting him on the inside lane. 

When the first stage period concluded on Lap 60, Cindric edged Elliott by a hair to claim his second Cup stage victory of the 2024 season. Elliott ended up second followed by teammate Byron, Blaney and Kyle Busch while Burton, Christopher Bell, Brad Keselowski, Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman were scored in the top 10. Meanwhile, Larson, who was lapped by Cindric at the start/finish line, was the recipient of the free pass as he returned to the lead lap category.  

Under the stage break, nearly the entire field led by Cindric pitted while Brad Keselowski and Anthony Alfredo remained on the track. Not long after, the following names that included Hamlin, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chris Buescher, Keselowski, John Hunter Nemechek, Logano, Corey LaJoie, Truex and Larson would pit again for extra fuel to their respective entries. 

The second stage period started on Lap 66 as Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney occupied the front row. At the start, Busch briefly muscled ahead exiting the frontstretch until Blaney fought back on the inside lane through the first two turns. As the field started to fan out to three lanes, Blaney received a draft from teammate Cindric and Burton to clear Busch and muscle ahead of the pack through the tri-oval and back to the start/finish line for the following lap.  

Then on Lap 68 and as the field continued to battle through three packed lanes, Shane van Gisbergen mounted a drafting charge to the front followed by Austin Dillon from the outside lane. After clearing both Busch and Blaney, Dillon then bailed on van Gisbergen as he moved his No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in front of teammate Busch’s No. 8 Cheddar’s Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. But van Gisbergen fought back on the outside lane as he picked up Alfredo as his new drafting partner. Alfredo then bailed on van Gisbergen on Lap 70 as he led while van Gisbergen was shoved out of the draft as he and his No. 16 Wendy’s Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 slowly drifted to the rear of the field. Meanwhile, Noah Gragson carved his way into the lead during the following lap as he was pursued by John Hunter Nemechek and while Larson was battling Alfredo for third place.  

Just past the Lap 75 mark, Nemechek assumed the lead in his No. 42 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE on Lap 72, was leading ahead of Alfredo and a bevy of competitors charging strong amid a scattered, three-wide pack. Despite being pressured by Gragson, Alfredo and Corey LaJoie during the proceeding laps, Nemechek would retain the top spot by Lap 80 as 36 of 38 starters were running within two seconds of one another amid the draft. 

Through Lap 85, Nemechek continued to lead ahead of Gragson and LaJoie while Chris Buescher was trying to mount a charge on the outside lane with drafting help from Gilliland. As Alfredo occupied the inside lane amid a three-wide battle within the pack, the top-36 competitors were separated within three seconds while Nemechek remained in front of Gragson with the top spot. 

At the halfway mark on Lap 94 and with the field running tight in three packed lanes, Hamlin overtook Nemechek for the lead while Cody Ware, Buescher, Gragson, Gilliland, Truex, LaJoie, Preece and Larson were scored in the top 10 ahead of Busch, Austin Dillon, van Gisbergen, Wallace, Cindric, Ty Gibbs, Alfredo, Logano, Byron, Bell, Elliott and Hemric. Meanwhile, Briscoe, who pitted by himself under green earlier, trailed the lead pack by 41 seconds. 

Six laps later, Buescher drafted his No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang Dark Horse into the lead followed by Ford teammates Gilliland, Preece, Logano and Gragson while van Gisbergen, who led on Lap 98 and battled Buescher during the following lap, was shuffled out of the draft for a second time. Meanwhile, Larson occupied sixth place ahead of LaJoie, Wallace, Austin Dillon and Busch as Briscoe was lapped by the field during the following lap. 

Then on Lap 102, another cycle of green flag pit stops commenced as the first wave, mainly Ford competitors led by Buescher, pitted primarily for fuel. Another wave, mainly Chevrolet competitors led by Austin Dillon and Busch, pitted during the following lap. During the second pit sequence, trouble struck for LaJoie, who spun his No. 7 Gainbridge Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 after running into standing water on the asphalt while exiting pit road. Despite LaJoie’s spin, the race remained under green flag conditions as Logano led a wave of 12 competitors who had yet to pit. Logano and Hamlin would then battle for the top spot by Lap 106. 

On Lap 110, Hamlin was leading ahead of teammate Bell, Logano, Cindric and teammate Truex as the top-12 competitors, all of whom had not yet pitted, continued to run on the track while the next wave of competitors comprising those who pitted led by Byron trailed by 33 seconds. Another lap later, Hamlin led a wave of Toyota competitors to pit road under green while the rest, including, Logano, Cindric, Blaney and Josh Berry remained on the track. During the pit stops, Bell was penalized for speeding on pit road as Logano, Berry, Blaney and Cindric pitted by Lap 112. Upon the completion of the pit stops, Blaney was penalized for speeding on pit road as Logano and Cindric managed to blend back onto the track and regain the pace with the field that enabled them to contend towards the front.  

When the second stage concluded on Lap 120, Logano fended off a late challenge from Larson to capture his first Cup stage victory of the 2024 season. Teammate Cindric edged Larson at the start/finish line to claim second followed by Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain while Reddick, Buescher, Elliott, Ryan Preece and Ty Gibbs were scored in the top 10.  

During the stage break, nearly the entire field led by Logano returned to pit road for service while the rest including Keselowski, LaJoie, Briscoe, van Gisbergen, Truex, Gibbs and Alfredo pitted. Following the pit stops, Logano exited pit road first ahead of Larson, Cindric, Chastain, Dillon, Elliott, Reddick, Busch, Buescher and Bowman. Shortly after, Keselowski would lead the rest of the competitors who pitted during the caution period as Logano cycled back into the lead.

With 62 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as Logano and Chastain occupied the front row. At the start, Logano and Chastain battled dead even for the lead as Logano had Team Penske teammate Cindric drafting him while Chastain had Chevrolet teammate Kyle Busch drafting him. Chastain then muscled away from Busch before moving in front of Logano and Cindric in the draft by the following lap just before the rest of the field caught back up to the top-four leaders. Shortly after, Chastain and Logano returned to battling dead even for the lead in front of two packed lanes with 60 laps remaining. 

With 56 laps remaining, the caution returned after Elliott ran into the rear of Haley that sent Haley into Bell’s No. 20 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry XSE as Bell went back up the track and hit the outside wall head-on in Turn 3 while barely dodging Elliott as Briscoe, Blaney and Zane Smith were also involved. During the caution period, a majority of the field led by Logano pitted while the rest led by Alfredo remained on the track. Once Alfredo and others pitted with 50 laps remaining, Berry cycled into the lead.

During the following restart with 49 laps remaining, where teammates Berry and Gragson occupied the front row, Berry and Gragson battled dead even against their Overstock.com-sponsored Ford Mustang Dark Horses for a full lap. The following lap, Hemric ignited a charge from the outside lane as he assumed the lead in his No. 31 Cirkul Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with drafting help from Chastain before McDowell received a push from Austin Dillon to muscle ahead, clear Hemric and return to the lead.  

With 40 laps remaining and with a majority of the field migrating to the outside lane, McDowell was leading ahead of teammate Gilliland, Keselowski, Busch and Cody Ware while Gragson, Chastain, van Gisbergen, Suarez and Larson were running in the top 10 ahead of Bowman, Elliott, Stenhouse, Buescher, Berry, Alfredo, Logano, Hemric, Burton and LaJoie. 

Three laps later, a bevy of Toyota competitors pitted under green, mainly for fuel. As the Toyota competitors managed to blend back onto the track and remain on the lead lap, McDowell retained the lead over Gilliland, Keselowski, Berry, Hemric, Gragson and a bevy of competitors running two by two in a tight pack with 35 laps remaining. 

Then with 33 laps remaining, the caution flew after Bubba Wallace, who was running in a seven-car Toyota line towards the rear of the field upon pitting under green and trying to regain ground of the lead pack, got Erik Jones’ No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE loose in Turn 3 that resulted with Jones getting turned and sent head-on into the outside wall as Wallace and John Hunter Nemechek also piled into him before Nemechek came back the track and clipped Hamlin as Hamlin also wrecked against the wall while Reddick, Truex and Gibbs escaped the carnage. 

During the caution period, nearly the entire field led by McDowell returned to pit road for fuel while the rest including Carson Hocevar, Reddick, Truex and Gibbs remained on the track as McDowell exited off of pit road first from the first pit stall. Hocevar would then pit not long after as Reddick cycled into the lead. 

As the event restarted under green with 27 laps remaining, Reddick received a push from Toyota teammate Truex to rocket ahead of McDowell with the lead through the first two turns until McDowell came charging back from the inside lane with drafting help from Keselowski’s No. 6 Castrol Edge Ford Mustang Dark Horse. Reddick and McDowell battled side by side for the lead during the following lap until McDowell muscled ahead and was placed on defense as he fended off both Keselowski and Reddick for the lead in his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang Dark Horse with 25 laps remaining. 

Down to the final 20 laps of the event, McDowell retained the lead ahead of Keselowski, Reddick, Gragson and Berry while Truex, Gibbs, Chastain, Busch, Suarez and 20 additional competitors running within two seconds of one another trailed in a tight two by two pack. 

During the proceeding laps, the battle for the lead was drawn to a side-by-side battle between McDowell and Reddick as Reddick had Toyota teammates Truex and Gibbs drafting him on the outside lane while McDowell had Ford teammates Keselowski, Gragson and Berry drafting him on the inside lane while also trying to gain control of both lanes with 15 laps remaining. 

With 10 laps remaining, Reddick and McDowell continued to swap against one another for the lead and in front of two stacked lanes, with neither stepping out of the throttle nor giving an inch as they kept their respective manufacturer drafting partners lined up behind them. 

During the proceeding laps and with a majority of the field continuing to run in two tight-packed lanes, McDowell started to muscle ahead from the inside lane as he was placed on defense to keep Keselowski drafting him and to stall Reddick’s momentum from the outside lane. Amid his strong defensive drive, Reddick fought back on the outside lane as he continued to challenge McDowell for the lead while a third drafting line led by van Gisbergen, who was running within the top 15, was trying to mount a charge toward the front. Gibbs and Busch would also move up to the third outside lane as McDowell held a narrow lead over both Keselowski and Reddick with two laps remaining. 

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Reddick was leading by a hair over McDowell amid the tight two-pack formation. As the field navigated past the lapped competitor of John Hunter Nemechek through the first two turns, McDowell and Reddick continued to battle dead even through the backstretch until Keselowski drafted McDowell clear ahead of Reddick and the field with Noah Gragson trying to follow suit through Turns 3 and 4.  

Then entering the frontstretch, Keselowski made a move to the outside of McDowell, but McDowell blocked Keselowski. As Keselowski crossed over back to the inside lane, McDowell did the same to make a second blocking attempt, but he got sideways after barely driving off the front nose of Keselowski. This resulted in McDowell spinning back across the middle of the track and igniting a vicious multi-car wreck that nearly collected the entire field and resulted in Corey LaJoie sliding across the outside wall on his side while also nearly turning over Josh Berry in the process and just past the finish line before his car tumbled once and came to a rest right-side up. 

Amid the carnage, Reddick, who dropped to fourth entering the frontstretch, surged his No. 45 Jordan Brand Toyota Camry XSE past both Gragson and Keselowski while barely avoiding McDowell’s spinning car through the frontstretch to claim the lead and cross the finish line in first place to score the victory just before the caution flew. 

With the victory, Reddick racked up his sixth career win in the NASCAR Cup Series division, his first at Talladega and his first since winning at Kansas Speedway last September. In addition, Reddick became the sixth winner through the first 10 events on the 2024 Cup Series schedule as he also recorded the fourth victory of the season for the Toyota nameplate and the first of the season for 23XI Racing.

“Man, it’s incredible!” Reddick said on FOX. “Everyone on this No. 45 Jordan Brand Toyota Camry worked really hard today. [Things] Didn‘t really work out in that third stage for us, but we were able to fight and defend our track position. Was [that finish] crazy [fans]?! That was chaos! That’s Talladega for you. I got to give a lot of credit to Ty Gibbs and Martin Truex [Jr.]. It was just us Toyotas left and they pushed me with everything they had. Huge credit to Martin and Ty. Without those pushes, we don‘t win this race.” 

The victory celebration for 23XI Racing, which marks the sixth Cup career win for the organization, was also big as team owner and NBA legend Michael Jordan was also present to celebrate in Victory Lane with Reddick, co-owner Denny Hamlin, former 23XI Racing competitor Kurt Busch and the 23XI team. 

“Denny [Hamlin] keeps saying I was bad luck when I come to the track,” Michael Jordan said in Victory Lane. “Today, we proved him wrong. I think Tyler did a good job. The whole team did a good job. I’m very happy to be here to see it. Everybody tells me when we win, we can have a good celebration, but this is the first time I’ve been here. We’ve been working hard, trying to get ourselves up to where we can compete against the top guys in this sport. We’ve done a heck of a job just to be where we are and for us to win a big race like this, it means so much to me and for the effort the team has done. I’m all in. I love it. It replaces a lot of the competitiveness that I had in basketball.”

With Reddick winning the race, Keselowski ended up in second place for a second consecutive week while Noah Gragson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Alex Bowman avoided the final lap carnage to finish in the top five. 

“I was getting some great pushes from Noah Gragson,” Keselowski said. “I thought the Fords were really working well together. We cleared the Toyotas there on the bottom lane and it was pretty clear that it was gonna come down to the three of us [me, McDowell and Gragson]. I backed up, Noah gave me a great push and I went to make a move on Michael [McDowell]. He covered it, went back the other way. I got another push from Noah and just nowhere to go when Michael came back down. I hate that for [McDowell]. He’s a good guy, hope he’s alright. Just kind of the way this stuff goes, right? All in all, really solid day for us, for Ford, for Castrol. Another second. It’s a solid day, but not the win we wanted. Good finishes are important, but we want wins. I could really taste it today, but it just didn’t happen.”

Anthony Alfredo piloted the No. 62 Beard Motorsports entry to a sixth-place result while William Byron, Todd Gilliland, Daniel Hemric and Harrison Burton ended up in the top 10. 

Notably, Truex ended up 11th ahead of Briscoe, Chastain, Preece and Elliott. In addition, LaJoie slid across the finish line on his side in 18th place, Larson ended up 21st in between Blaney and Ty Gibbs and Kyle Busch ended up 27th in between Suarez and Shane van Gisbergen.  

Meanwhile, McDowell, who led a race-high 36 laps from pole position, ended up in 31st place as he was unable to limp his wrecked race car across the finish line to complete the final lap. 

“Yeah, it’s just super unfortunate,” McDowell said in the infield care center. “I just hate it for everybody on this Love’s Travel Stop Ford Mustang and I hate it for Brad [Keselowski] too because we did a good job of keeping those Mustang Dark Horses upfront. He did everything right. He pushed me out, I drugged back to him and I was able to get in front of him that very first time, but when I came back down, [I] just barely, barely wasn’t clear. I hate it that we didn’t make it to the finish line. We had such a fast Mustang today. It’s unfortunate. It’s been a rough few weeks, but it’s last-lap Talladega. Going for it, trying to get a win and just came up short. [I] Hate that I took a lot of guys with me, so [I] apologize to Brad and everybody that got collected in that. [I’ll] Go back and watch [the replay] and see what we could’ve done better.” 

There were 73 lead changes for 23 different leaders. The race featured four cautions for 21 laps. In addition, 30 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap. 

Following the 10th event of the 2024 Cup Series season, Kyle Larson leads the regular-season standings by 15 points over Martin Truex Jr., 22 over Chase Elliott, 24 over William Byron and 43 over Tyler Reddick. 

Results. 

1. Tyler Reddick, 13 laps led 

2. Brad Keselowski, two laps led 

3. Noah Gragson, five laps led 

4. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 

5. Alex Bowman 

6. Anthony Alfredo, four laps led 

7. William Byron 

8. Todd Gilliland 

9. Daniel Hemric, eight laps led 

10. Harrison Burton 

11. Martin Truex Jr., 16 laps led 

12. Chase Briscoe, three laps led 

13. Ross Chastain, six laps led 

14. Ryan Preece 

15. Chase Elliott, five laps led 

16. Josh Berry, three laps led 

17. Carson Hocevar, one lap led 

18. Corey LaJoie 

19. Joey Logano, 22 laps led, Stage 2 winner 

20. Ryan Blaney, one lap led 

21. Kyle Larson 

22. Ty Gibbs, one lap led 

23. Austin Cindric, 16 laps led, Stage 1 winner 

24. Cody Ware 

25. Chris Buescher, six laps led 

26. Daniel Suarez

27. Kyle Busch, five laps lef

28. Shane van Gisbergen, three laps led 

29. Zane Smith 

30. Austin Dillon 

31. Michael McDowell – OUT, Accident, 36 laps led 

32. BJ McLeod, one lap down, five laps led 

33. John Hunter Nemechek, four laps down, 20 laps led 

34. Justin Haley, four laps down, four laps led 

35. Erik Jones – OUT, Accident 

36. Bubba Wallace – OUT, Accident 

37. Denny Hamlin – OUT, Accident, four laps led 

38. Christopher Bell – OUT, Accident 

Next on the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Würth 400 at Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Delaware. The event is scheduled to occur next Sunday, April 28, and air at 2 p.m. ET on FS1. 

Scott Dixon: The Drive for 67 Race Victories

Photo by James Black (Penske Entertainment).

With his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory of the 2024 season in the 49th running of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach in Long Beach, California, on Sunday, April 21, Scott Dixon is within reasonable distance of achieving another major accomplishment to his racing resume.

Currently sitting at 57 career victories in IndyCar competition, Dixon, who is in second place in the all-time IndyCar wins list, is 10 victories away from tying AJ Foyt for the most series wins at 67.

The six-time champion from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, left little to doubt with his impeccable run during Sunday’s Grand Prix at Long Beach, where he rallied from starting in eighth place by leading twice for a race-high 42 of 85 laps and executing his pit strategies to perfection by having enough fuel to lead the final 34 laps and fend off late challenges from Josef Newgarden and Colton Herta to win the Grand Prix at Long Beach for the second time in his career.

Dixon’s victory also extended the current streak of most consecutive IndyCar seasons with a victory at 20, with the champion left relieved in Victory Lane as he celebrated his first IndyCar victory of the 2024 season and his first since winning the 2023 season-finale event at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca last September.

“That was tough, that was real tough,” Dixon, who was the championship runner-up in 2023, said on USA Network. “Honestly, I didn’t think we were gonna make it. [The team] kept giving me a number and it just wasn’t…I was close, but not enough. Luckily, we were on the safe side there. Huge credit to everybody on the PNC Bank No. 9 [Honda]. Today was really fun driving my Honda. Hopefully, we can keep doing this this year, but it was huge.”

Even as Dixon managed to steer his No. 9 PNC Bank Dallara-Honda smoothly around the 11-turn circuit around the Streets of Long Beach through the final 34 laps on a low tank of fuel with the lead, he was intimated by the reigning Indianapolis 500 Josef Newgarden during the stretch, who went from a three-second deficit with 20 laps remaining to narrow it down by getting as close to Dixon’s rear wing during the proceeding laps.

Dixon then caught a break with nine laps remaining after Newgarden, who nearly got to Dixon’s rear bumper in Turn 11, was hit from behind by a hard-charging Colton Herta. The contact stalled Newgarden’s momentum and allowed both Herta and the reigning IndyCar champion/Dixon’s teammate Alex Palou to overtake Newgarden for second and third, respectively. With his advantage back up to a second, Dixon then had to fend off Herta for the final nine laps through his low tank of fuel, which he was able to as he beat Herta’s Honda entry by nine-tenths of a second across the finish line to claim the checkered flag first.

“Josef [Newgarden] was coming strong and I was kind of unsure how he was gonna be once he got behind us,” Dixon added. “I also knew that he’d be burning the tires off, too. [Team owner] Chip [Ganassi] came on [the radio]. He’s like, ‘Just go for it, man.’ And I was like, ‘I’m gonna try.'”

Dixon’s victory was one that received high praise from team owner Chip Ganassi, whose team Chip Ganassi Racing and Honda notched their first IndyCar points-paying victory of the 2024 season. They previously won the non-points $1 Million Challenge at California’s The Thermal Club in late March with Alex Palou.

“I don’t know if it was the most improbable [win for Dixon], but [it was] certainly a hard-fought win,” Ganassi added. “We were managing [the fuel] to the finish. We kept telling [Dixon] the fuel number he had to get, but to stay in front of those guys. He was not getting the fuel number we had to get, so we had to keep making that up. That’s tough to do. It was relief at the end. It was relief more than anything. It was relief more than joy.”

During his victory celebrations, Dixon dedicated the victory to Sir Colin Giltrap, a New Zealand philanthropist and businessman who was involved in the motor vehicle industry and served as a big influence on Dixon.

Herta and Palou made it a Honda podium sweep by finishing second and third behind Dixon while Newgarden, who led 19 laps in his Penske Chevrolet and is coming off a season-opening victory at the Streets of St. Petersburg, ended up in fourth place in his 200th IndyCar career start. Marcus Ericsson, the 2022 Indianapolis 500 champion, came home in fifth place in an event where 18 of 27 starters finished on the lead lap.

With the victory, Dixon trails Newgarden in the current driver’s standings by 12 points with 15 points-paying events remaining on the schedule.

In addition to trailing AJ Foyt for the most IndyCar victories at 67, Dixon also strives to tie Foyt for the most INDYCAR championships at seven in 2024, with Dixon’s sixth and latest title occurring in 2020. He also strives to win his second Indianapolis 500 event since winning his first in 2008, though he has also tallied a total of five Indy 500 poles.

Dixon’s continued quest for 67 victories continues next Sunday, April 28, at Barber Motorsports Park for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix in Birmingham, Alabama. The event’s broadcast time is set to air at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.

Toyota Racing – NCS Talladega Post-Race Report – 04.21.24

REDDICK DELIVERS FIRST SUPERSPEEDWAY WIN FOR TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
Scores Cup Series Victory at Talladega

TALLADEGA, Ala. (April 21, 2024) – Tyler Reddick won the first superspeedway race for the Toyota Camry XSE race car in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. Reddick led 13 laps, including the final six laps, in the 23XI No. 45 Jordan Brand Toyota Camry en route to his first Cup Series victory at the 2.66-mile Alabama superspeedway.

Martin Truex Jr. (11th) and Ty Gibbs (22nd) worked together with Reddick down the stretch after an incident earlier in the final stage collected the majority of the Camry competitors.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Talladega Superspeedway
Race 9 of 36 – 500.8 miles, 188 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, TYLER REDDICK
2nd, Brad Keselowski*
3rd, Noah Gragson*
4th, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.*
5th, Alex Bowman*
11th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
22nd, TY GIBBS
33rd, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
35th, ERIK JONES
36th, BUBBA WALLACE
37th, DENNY HAMLIN
38th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Finishing Position: 1st

What does it mean to get the first superspeedway win for Toyota with this new Camry XSE?

“Man, it’s incredible. Everyone on this 45 Jordan Brand Toyota Camry worked really hard today. Didn’t really work out in that third stage for us, but we were able to fight and defend our track position. Was that crazy, fans? Chaos. That’s Talladega for you.”

Can you take us through the final lap?

“Yeah, just got to give a lot of credit to Ty Gibbs and Martin Truex Jr. It was just us Toyota’s left and they pushed me with everything they had so a huge credit to Martin and Ty. Without those pushes we don’t win this race.”

What were those final laps like out there?

“It was chaos. When you come to Talladega that’s what you expect. That’s for sure. So cool to get my second win here. First in the Cup car. Man, what a day.”

What were you thinking as you had to go to battle by yourself?

“I wasn’t alone. I had Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs. Man, the Toyota guys – this is what we do. We’re a family. We work together. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t unfortunately like we saw earlier. Man, just appreciate all of the help there at the end.”

MICHAEL JORDAN, 23XI Racing

What does it mean to be here at Talladega for Ty Reddick’s win today?

“Denny (Hamlin) keeps saying I was bad luck when I come to the track and today, we proved him wrong. I mean, look, actually he did a good job of wrecking so we could get upfront. That was actually pretty good. I think Tyler (Reddick) did a good job, unfortunately Bubba (Wallace) couldn’t finish but the whole team did a good job. Look, I’m very happy to be here to see it. Everybody tells me when we win, we have a big celebration, but this is the first time I’ve been here. To my wife and kids and everybody, ‘Yeah, we did it. Sorry I left you home.’”

What does this say about the 23XI team?

“Well, as you know, this is NBA Playoffs right now so this to me is like an NBA Playoff game. I am so ecstatic obviously for the fans who support the sport itself. We’ve been working hard trying to get ourselves to compete with the top guys in the sport. We’ve done a heck of a job just to be where we are. For us to win and to win a big race like this, it means so much to me and for the effort the team has done. Look, I’m all in. I’m all in. I love it. It replaces a lot of the competitiveness that I had in basketball. This is even worse because I have no control. If I was playing basketball, I have total control, but I have no control, so I live vicariously through these guys and all of the team and everybody. I’m very happy for everybody at 23XI.”

ERIK JONES, No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

Finishing Position: 35th

Are you physically okay and what happened on the track?

“Yeah, I’m a little sore but I’ll be alright. I don’t know – the 23 (Bubba Wallace) was pushing us there. Obviously, we were pushing and shoving and trying to make time with our strategy and I got pretty sideways getting into (turn) 3 and tried to gather it up and then ended up really hard into the wall. It’s unfortunate. I hate it for my team and my guys. Obviously, we wanted to have a good run but I’m alright. It’s a good thing. It was a hard hit and at the end of the day I guess if you’re going to be dumb you’ve got to be tough, so we’ll keep rolling.”

BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 Leidos Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 36th

What took place in the incident from your perspective?

“Just we were all pushing really hard to keep our line going. We had a plan and just didn’t execute it as well as we should. I hate it for our Leidos team. I look forward to running these places and then you just get trapped in somebody else’s mess. I hate it. It doesn’t make us look good at all. But all in all, we’ll just reset and go to Dover. We’ve got a long way to go.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Ultimate Fan Contes Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 37th

Could you have done something different to avoid that wreck?

“I’m not sure. I was in the back of it, so I didn’t see what got the 43 (Erik Jones) turned. Obviously, we were trying to run a good lap time there and I thought we were really good on pace and then we just crashed. I’m really not sure honestly. I didn’t see it.”

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 38th

What happened that took you out of the race early?

“I’ve got no idea. It just saw a replay and it just looked like a stack up in the middle lane and unfortunately, I was in the wrong spot. I was in ride it out mode and got hit.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th 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 26 electrified options.

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

Kaulig Racing Race Recap | GEICO 500

DANIEL HEMRIC
No. 31 Cirkul Camaro ZL1

  • Daniel Hemric qualified 19th for the Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
  • By lap seven, Hemric had made his way to the front of the pack, leading a total of six laps, before being told to conserve fuel. He stayed in the top 10 for a majority of the stage, before pitting on lap 41 for fuel only. He went on to finish 19th in a caution-free opening stage.
  • Hemric radioed that the No. 31 Cirkul Camaro ZL1 was a little tight throughout the bottom and middle on exit the last 15 laps of the opening stage. He pitted during the first stage break for four tires and fuel and started the second stage from 18th. Hemric stayed just outside the top 10 before dropping back to play it safe. The race remained caution-free, and Hemric pitted on lap 104 with teammate, van Gisbergen, for two seconds of fuel. He went on to finish stage two in 20th.
  • Hemric started the final stage in 20th and made it to 11th, before the first caution of the day came out on lap 134. The No. 31 Cirkul Chevy pitted to top off with fuel and restarted third on lap 139. Hemric led another lap before being told to save fuel. As some cars pitted, Hemric was running fifth when a caution came out on lap 156. Hemric pitted under caution for fuel only before restating 12th with 28 laps to go. As cars in front of him wrecked at the checkered, Hemric made it through unscathed and finished the race in ninth, earning his first top-10 finish of the season.

“I’m really proud of how far we’ve come with this No. 31 Cirkul Chevrolet from Daytona, as far as speed goes. It’s hard to make gains there with everyone being so close. We qualified right at about 30th in Daytona, and then we came here and qualified inside the top 20, which is a big deal as we saw today with fuel saving. You have to have a faster racecar that lets you save more fuel. I’m proud of this team and to have had a clean race. ” – Daniel Hemric  

SHANE van GISBERGEN
No. 16 Wendy’s Camaro ZL1

Shane van Gisbergen qualified 17th the for Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

  • Van Gisbergen and his Wendy’s Ride or Fry team started the 188-lap event from 17th. Content to learn his way around the 2.66-mile Superspeedway, Van Gisbergen sat 33rd on lap 10. Getting more comfortable as the laps clicked away, SVG worked his way to 20th by lap 35 and was scored in first when the Wendy’s team made its first green flag pit stop on lap 44. Following the stop, Van Gisbergen cycled to 27th on lap 46 and ended the stage in 23rd on lap 60.
  • Following a pit stop for four tires and fuel under the stage one break, SVG restarted stage two in 17th on lap 67 and was scored as the leader of the field on lap 69. He dropped to ninth on lap 70, continuing to battle two-by-two in the draft. Van Gisbergen was a mainstay inside the top-10 from laps 90-100, working his way to fifth by lap 97 and advancing to leading lap 98. The Wendy’s team made a green flag pit stop for fuel only on lap 103 from eighth. Following the stop, SVG rejoined the field in 28th on lap 105. Content on riding out the rest of the stage, Van Gisbergen took the green/white/checkered flag in 25th on lap 120.
  • Van Gisbergen and his Wendy’s team started the final stage 29th. The first caution flag of stage three waved on lap 134 with SVG scored in 14th. The Wendy’s team hit pit road under the caution for fuel only and restarted in fourth on lap 140. Another caution flag waved on lap 157, with SVG scored in 15th. Following varying strategies on pit road, the Wendy’s team restarted in 29th with 28 laps remaining. Van Gisbergen and the Wendy’s team finished 28th following a wild, last-lap caution at the finish.

“It was an interesting day for this No. 16 Wendy’s team. Very different from the Xfinity race, as far as the way the car drives. We got to run up front for a couple of laps, so that was fun. All-in-all a good day for this Wendy’s group. I had a lot fun.” – Shane van Gisbergen

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.

Dixon Makes Magic To Pull Off Improbable Long Beach Win

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sunday, April 21, 2024) – Scott Dixon proved yet again Sunday that almost nothing is impossible for him behind the wheel of a race car, winning the Acura Long Beach Grand Prix with a dramatic blend of patience and aggression over the closing laps.

Nobody in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES saves fuel better than Dixon, and he drove the last 34 laps of the 85-lap street race on one tank of Shell 100% Renewable Race Fuel in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to hold off a hard-charging Colton Herta – who was on a more conventional, less risky fuel strategy – by .9798 of a second.

“That was tough; that was really tough,” Dixon said. “Honestly, I didn’t think we were going to make it, and they kept giving me a (fuel) number, and it just wasn’t getting … I was close but not enough. Luckily, we were on the safe side there.”

Dixon, who started eighth, even had enough fuel left in his Honda engine to perform a celebratory burnout after claiming his first victory of the season and the 57th win of his legendary career. It was his second victory on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile Long Beach temporary street circuit, joining his triumph in 2015.

Reigning series champion Alex Palou finished third in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Series points leader Josef Newgarden placed a disappointing fourth in the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet after looking to be Dixon’s biggest threat until Herta’s No. 26 Gainbridge Honda fielded by Andretti Global made contact with him late in the race.

Marcus Ericsson rounded out the top five in the No. 28 Delaware Life Honda fielded by Andretti Global, as that team and Chip Ganassi Racing each claimed two of the top five finishing positions.

The 27-car field splintered into two groups of differing strategies on Lap 15 when the only caution period of the race was triggered by Christian Rasmussen’s spin and wall contact in Turn 4 in the No. 20 GuyCare Chevrolet fielded by Ed Carpenter Racing.

Then race leader Will Power and Dixon led a group of drivers that dove into the pits during that caution, with Kyle Kirkwood, Marcus Armstrong, Graham Rahal and Linus Lundqvist among the other leading lights adopting that tactic.

That strategy play handed the lead to Newgarden on Lap 17, and he kept the top spot when green-flag racing resumed on Lap 19.

For the next 45 laps, the early-stopping drivers used every tactic in their bag of skills to save fuel, lifting the throttle early in corners and babying it on acceleration. Every engineer’s calculation on the pit wall showed the margin to make it to the finish on just one more stop would be razor-thin without another caution period.

Meanwhile, the rest of the contenders entered the pits between Laps 30 and 33 for their first stops, with Herta going the longest to Lap 33. The fuel-sipping group then pitted for the final time on Laps 52-53.

The differing strategies then exploded into a crescendo of drama after the second group pitted for the final time between Laps 58-62.

Newgarden emerged in second, about three seconds behind Dixon, after every contender finished their final stops. Newgarden’s tires were seven laps fresher than Dixon’s, and he didn’t have to worry about saving fuel.

Nearly everyone in the sold-out reserved seat grandstands figured it would only be a matter of time before Newgarden passed Dixon for the lead and perhaps an unbeaten start to the season, as he won the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding on March 10.

Everyone but Dixon, that is.

Dixon masterfully balanced saving fuel with short bursts of push-to-pass to parry Newgarden over the closing laps. Still, Newgarden drove to within a half-second of Dixon on Lap 71 and appeared to be biding his time.

Newgarden then pulled close to Dixon’s gearbox entering the hairpin leading to the long front straightaway on Shoreline Drive on Lap 77 and appeared to be setting him up for a passing attempt on the straight. But that never happened, as Herta nudged Newgarden from behind entering the hairpin. The impact lifted Newgarden’s rear wheels off the ground and engaged his anti-stall function, letting Herta and Palou pass him and dropping him to fourth.

“It seemed pretty obvious,” Newgarden said. “He just misjudged it and ran into me.

“I’m not saying we were going to get Dixon. It was very, very difficult for me to get the run I needed to. I think traffic was going to provide me an opportunity, so that run right there, I was really excited about it. I think that was going to be my last chance. Never know if I would have pulled it off or not.”

Said Herta: “I think he (Newgarden) set up pretty wide and was cutting back in and was a little slower at apex, but ultimately it’s up to me to carry the right speed into the corner and not run into the back of people, and I just misjudged it.”

That incident gave Dixon breathing room from behind as he navigated lapped traffic ahead. Herta pulled to within .328 of a second with three laps remaining, but Dixon was given clearance on the last lap to use all the fuel-gulping push-to-pass he had left and pulled away for the win.

It was yet another chapter in Dixon’s saga of pulling victory from nowhere with fuel saving and pit wall strategy. Just last season, he earned unlikely wins on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and World Wide Technology Raceway in August with similar tactics.

“It was way up there,” Dixon said when asked where this win ranked among his strategic victories. “The stress level was high. Those guys were coming fast and strong. I think we were off by a lap or two of making it easy. Other fuel races I’ve done I’ve had it under control for the full stint.”

Reigning FIA Formula 2 champion Theo Pourchaire finished 11th in his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut in the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, the top rookie in the race. Frenchman Pourchaire is substituting for David Malukas, continuing to recover from surgery to repair left wrist injuries suffered in a preseason mountain biking accident.

There’s just one week until the next race, the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst on Sunday, April 28 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. Live coverage starts at 1 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, INDYCAR LIVE and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Results

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Results Sunday of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach NTT INDYCAR SERIES event on the 1.968 mile Streets of Long Beach, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):

  1. (8) Scott Dixon, Honda, 85, Running
  2. (4) Colton Herta, Honda, 85, Running
  3. (6) Alex Palou, Honda, 85, Running
  4. (3) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 85, Running
  5. (5) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 85, Running
  6. (2) Will Power, Chevrolet, 85, Running
  7. (10) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 85, Running
  8. (16) Romain Grosjean, Chevrolet, 85, Running
  9. (1) Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, 85, Running
  10. (13) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 85, Running
  11. (22) Theo Pourchaire, Chevrolet, 85, Running
  12. (9) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 85, Running
  13. (17) Linus Lundqvist, Honda, 85, Running
  14. (18) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 85, Running
  15. (20) Agustin Canapino, Chevrolet, 85, Running
  16. (14) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 85, Running
  17. (12) Graham Rahal, Honda, 85, Running
  18. (25) Sting Ray Robb, Chevrolet, 85, Running
  19. (26) Kyffin Simpson, Honda, 84, Running
  20. (27) Nolan Siegel, Honda, 84, Running
  21. (24) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 84, Running
  22. (15) Tom Blomqvist, Honda, 84, Running
  23. (7) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 84, Running
  24. (19) Pietro Fittipaldi, Honda, 84, Running
  25. (23) Jack Harvey, Honda, 83, Running
  26. (11) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 71, Running
  27. (21) Christian Rasmussen, Chevrolet, 14, Contact

Race Statistics
Winner’s average speed: 98.350 mph
Time of Race: 01:42:03.1416
Margin of victory: 0.9798 of a second
Cautions: 1 for 4 laps
Lead changes: 8 among 6 drivers

Lap Leaders:
Rosenqvist, Felix 1
Power, Will 2-16
Newgarden, Josef 17-29
Herta, Colton 30-32
Dixon, Scott 33-50
Kirkwood, Kyle 51
Newgarden, Josef 52-57
Herta, Colton 58-61
Dixon, Scott 62-85

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Point Standings: Newgarden 87, Dixon 75, Herta 72, Palou 63, Power 61, O’Ward 54, Rosenqvist 50, Kirkwood 45, Rossi 44, McLaughlin 40, VeeKay 36, Ericsson 35, Grosjean 30, Ferrucci 28, Canapino 27, Rahal 27, Simpson 27, Lundqvist 24, Armstrong 23, Blomqvist 21, Fittipaldi 21, Pourchaire 19, Lundgaard 18, Robb 17, Callum Ilott 17, Harvey 16, Rasmussen 14, Siegel 10, Colin Braun 8.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes – Geico 500 Post-Race Quotes

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway
Geico 500 | Sunday, April 21, 2024

FORD PERFORMANCE UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
2nd – Brad Keselowski
3rd – Noah Gragson
8th – Todd Gilliland
10th – Harrison Burton
12th – Chase Briscoe
14th – Ryan Preece
16th – Josh Berry
19th – Joey Logano
20th – Ryan Blaney
23rd – Austin Cindric
24th – Cody Ware
25th – Chris Buescher
31st – Michael McDowell
34th – Justin Haley

MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang Dark Horse – DESCRIBE THE LAST LAP. WHAT HAPPENED AT THE FRONT? “It’s hard. I need to see a replay to tell you everything perfectly, but we did a good job getting out front and controlling the race and putting ourselves in position. Brad is so good at this place and he drug back and I drug back as quick as I could and was able to block that first run that he made, but then when I came down for the second one he was just to my bumper. I mean barely, barely got me so it’s unfortunate. I hate it for him and I hate it for everybody that was behind that. It’s the last lap at Talladega. We’re all going for it, but we really needed to get a Ford Mustang Dark Horse in Victory Lane and we had a shot at doing it there. Unfortunately, I just made a bad move there to put us in that spot.”

DO YOU WALK AWAY MOTIVATED OR FRUSTRATED? “I’m frustrated right now. I’m motivated by our ability to run up there and manage the lanes and do all the things that we did. Our car drove really well and took a push well and had a lot of speed, so those are good things, but it’s wadded up in a pile of rubble right now. It’s just unfortunate. It’s been a tough stretch here, but we’ve had speed and we’ve run up front and if we keep doing that, we’ll win a race.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Catrol Edge Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “The Fords were really working well together. We cleared the Toyotas on the bottom lane and it was pretty clear it was gonna come down to the three of us. I backed up. Noah gave me a great push and I went to make a move on Michael and he covered it, and I went back the other way and got another push from Noah and there was nowhere to go when Michael came back down. I hate that for him. He’s a good guy. I hope he’s alright. That’s just kind of the way this stuff goes, but, all in all it was a really solid day for us, for Ford and Castrol. It’s another second. It’s a solid day, but not the win we wanted.”

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO BE RUNNING WELL AND GET FINISHES LIKE THIS? “Good finishes are important, but we want wins. I could really taste it today, but it just didn’t happen.”

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR DAY? “We just ran a really solid race, really good execution, strategy, put ourselves in position and ran up front at the end when it mattered. I just wish we could have got the win. It was kind of a wild finish there. I got a great push from Noah Gragson and had a chance to make a move on Michael and in all the swerves back and forth all three of us ran into each other and Michael got the worst end of it. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get the win, but still a really solid day and something to be proud of.”

NOAH GRAGSON, No. 10 Overstock Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We were definitely working together as Fords on the bottom. McDowell, Brad Keselowski and myself. All the Fords worked great all race. It’s coming to the end and the 6 and the 34 were blocking coming to the checkers and unfortunately the 45 squeaked by. I really wanted to see a Ford in Victory Lane, but the Overstock team at Stewart-Haas did a great job all day. We had clean pit stops, fast pit stops, a lot of horsepower under the hood. The Mustang Dark Horses and racing with these other Ford guys has been a lot of fun. I haven’t been up here very much in the Cup Series on these superspeedways, but I’m extremely grateful. It’s a privilege to race with guys like Keselowski and McDowell. I mean, they’ve won really big races on speedways, so, overall, I’m really thankful for everyone at Stewart-Haas and this Overstock team and we’ll keep the momentum going.”

HARRISON BURTON, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It was kind of an up and down day. We did a really good job on the first pit cycle to get us out front and we did a great job of managing the track position versus saving. The second stage didn’t quite go our way and the caution fell at a weird time for us. We came down and topped off and just didn’t end up getting track position until the last lap when everyone wrecked. It’s good to be up front, good to help the 2 get a stage win there. Obviously, I’d like to win one of these, but 10th is good, especially for how our year has been so far.”

JOSH BERRY, No. 4 Overstock Ford Mustang Dark Horse – IT LOOKED LIKE YOU HIT PRETTY HARD. “So far, so good. Thankfully, everybody knocked me across the finish line so I was able to finish the race because that’s what’s most important in these deals. We just ride around and save gas and then wreck at the end and thankfully we finished. That’s a positive.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I’m definitely not surprised. The whole last lap you just know it’s coming if we got that far, so, overall, it just was not a very good day for us. We went a lap down early because of flat spotting the tires. It seemed like we honestly just rode around 30th all day. I don’t know where we ended up. Someone said 12th somehow, so I guess that’s better than where we should have finished with how the day went, so we’ll just go on to Dover next week and try to just continue running good.”

CODY WARE, No. 15 Jacob Construction Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I think our 15 Jacob Companies Ford Mustang was a super fast car. I think we showed our speed multiple times throughout the race. I just wanted to play it smart and be there at the end, which is what we did. Unfortunately, the last 20-25 laps we didn’t have a whole lot of help behind us to get a pack going towards the front, but I’ll take the wins with the losses. I’m still happy for our first race back. I’ll take the positives from it and know that we’ve got good, fast cars here at the superspeedways and looking forward to Daytona, Atlanta and the second Talladega later on in the year.”

TODD GILLILAND, No. 38 gener8tor Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I think we had a really fast Generator Skills Ford Mustang. It’s just part of the racing. I didn’t do a great job on the last pit stop. It’s always really hectic and the 17 was kind of coming around me and I waited just a split second and we lost a bunch of spots there, but that’s part of it. We got in that big wreck and were able to stay straight and keep going. Hat’s off to Ford, to Front Row Motorsports for bringing us two cars that were really capable of winning today.”

RYAN PREECE, No. 41 United Rentals Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “Ultimately, we put ourselves in that position. I was trying to help Ryan and work with my other Ford teammates, but it’s tough when everybody isn’t on the same page. When you lose track position like that it is what it is, but moving forward I’d like to talk to Blaney and figure ou

CHEVROLET NCS AT TALLADEGA 1: Post-Race Report

NASCAR CUP SERIES
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
GEICO 500
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT
APRIL 21, 2024

Stenhouse Jr. Leads Chevrolet to Five Top-10 Finishes at Talladega Superspeedway

  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and the No. 47 Boost/Thomas’/Philadelphia Camaro ZL1 team collected their first top-five finish of the 2024 season at Talladega Superspeedway– leading Chevrolet to the finish with a fourth-place result in the NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500.
  • For the second consecutive race, Chevrolet earned five top-10 finishes in the final running order – recorded by drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations including JTG Daugherty Racing’s Stenhouse Jr. in fourth; Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman in fifth and William Byron in seventh; Beard Motorsports’ Anthony Alfredo in sixth; and Kaulig Racing’s Daniel Hemric in ninth.
  • Kyle Larson and the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1 team continues to lead the NASCAR Cup Series’ driver points standings – leaving Talladega Superspeedway with a 15-point lead over second-place Martin Truex Jr.
  • The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Dover Motor Speedway with the Würth 400 on Sunday, April 28, at 2 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

 TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10:
POS. DRIVER
4th Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Boost/Thomas’/Philadelphia Camaro ZL1
5th Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1
6th Anthony Alfredo, No. 62 Dude Wipes Camaro ZL1
7th William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1
9th Daniel Hemric, No. 31 Cirkul Camaro ZL1

 TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Boost/Thomas’/Philadelphia Camaro ZL1

Finished: 4th

“Not a bad day, but it was somewhat frustrating every now and then just kind of being gridlocked there but you know our team we came in with a plan. We stuck to our plan and glad that it all worked out. I feel like we’ve been close all year with different things and you know just nothing seems to work out so for it all to come together for the Thomas Bagels and Philadelphia Cream Cheese Camaro feels really good and we’ve got a really good month of racing coming up for us at really good racetracks that we enjoy and run well at so hopefully this will be a boost to our season and and kind of a Kickstart to get us going and just see what happens.”

Stenhouse Jr. on his first top-five finish of the season:

“It feels really good. I feel like we’ve been better as of lately than where we’ve finished. A lot of things have contributed to some bad finishes, so it feels really good to come out of here with a top-five finish. We did a lot of preparation this week of strategy, and I felt like we played everything perfectly. We saved the most fuel just about all day long. Our No. 47 Boost/Thomas’/Philadelphia Camaro was really good. I wanted to be up there battling for the win, but at this point, a top-five finish is nice.”

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1

Finished: 5th

How did your day go here at Talladega Superspeedway?

“Not amazing, honestly. Not that we didn’t have a good No. 48 Ally Camaro or good strategy, just kind of didn’t have the openings I needed at times. There was so much riding around saving fuel. And then when we finally all would go run around wide-open, there weren’t really many moves to make, and we were buried and stuck on the bottom. We just never had a hole to get up or do anything.

We ended up with a top-five finish. That’s great – obviously that’s great for the team. It wasn’t our best speedway race, but still a solid top-five.”

Anthony Alfredo, No. 62 Dude Wipes Camaro ZL1

Finished: 6th

“We had an awesome No. 62 Dude Wipes Chevrolet Camaro today. I’m really proud of Beard Motorsports and everyone on this team. They work really hard to come to a couple races a year, and when they do it, they do it right and they know they have a shot to win. So I take a lot of pride in being the one behind the wheel. I hope I can do a lot more with them.

We had an awesome Chevy today. We drove to the front and led some laps. At the end there, we were just kind of boxed-in. I couldn’t really do a whole lot, especially when that third lane formed. I wanted to join that party earlier, but I was just trapped on the bottom. I pushed as hard as I could. In typical Talladega superspeedway racing fashion, it got a little crazy coming to the line. I just yanked it hard left, flew through the grass and somehow opened my eyes and I crossed the line in sixth.”

William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1

Finished: 7th

“Today was just a lot of strategy, so I felt like we were just constantly trying to play the fuel-savings. My No. 24 Liberty University Chevy team did a really good job getting us out front for the stage finishes to give us a shot at the stage wins. In Stage Two, we just botched that a little bit, and in the final stage, we just got caught up by the caution and we didn’t have the track position at the end.

Still happy to come home with a seventh-place finish. We’ll go to Dover (Motor Speedway) and have a really good Chevy there.”

Daniel Hemric, No. 31 Cirkul Camaro ZL1

Finished: 9th

“I’m really proud of how far we’ve come with this No. 31 Cirkul Chevrolet from Daytona, as far as speed goes. It’s hard to make gains there with everyone being so close. We qualified right at about 30th in Daytona, and then we came here and qualified inside the top 20, which is a big deal as we saw today with fuel saving. You have to have a faster racecar that lets you save more fuel. I’m proud of this team and to have had a clean race.”

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Jockey Outdoors by Luke Byran Camaro ZL1

Finished: 13th

“Everything lined up OK there at the end. I wanted to be one more spot further forward – obviously one of those front couple of lanes on the bottom. We all just checked-up there. For me, I only know what happened from my seat, and I over-corrected big in the tri-oval. Hate that – we could have gotten across the line there in the top-five, but we had a shot. We’ll move onto Dover (Motor Speedway).”

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Tootsies Orchid Lounge Camaro ZL1

Finished: 27th

“Just disappointing. I thought we were in a good position in the end pushing Ross there at the end but I’m not sure what happened and we were spun. We battled through some issues today and we were pretty good in the end. I can’t wait to get to Dover.”




About Chevrolet

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