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CHEVROLET INDYCAR AT INDIANAPOLIS: Team Chevy Sunday Qualifying Report

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Official Release
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CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDIANAPOLIS 500
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING DAY 2 REPORT
MAY 19, 2024

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN PUTS CHEVROLET ON THE POLE FOR THE 108TH RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500
Team Chevy Dominates Pole Day in Qualifying with an All-Team Penske Front Row and First Two Row Lockout

  • Scott McLaughlin, driver of the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet, set the fastest pole-winning four-lap average in track history, and claimed the NTT P1 Pole Award for the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
  • Additionally, Team Penske swept the front row, with Will Power, driver of the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, and Josef Newgarden, driver of the No. 2 Shell Team Penske Chevrolet, qualifying second and third, respectively.
  • With McLaughlin’s pole at Indianapolis, Chevrolet now holds 13 earned pole awards historically, and seven in the 2.2-liter twin turbo V6 era since 2012.
  • Team Chevy strongly solidified their speed and strength at Indianapolis, with all Firestone Fast Six shooting out for the NTT P1 Pole Award representing the Bowtie brand.
  • In the V6 era since 2012, Chevrolet has locked out the first two rows now three times, including 2012, 2013, and 2024.
  • Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, dethroned Benjamin Pedersen as the fastest one-lap rookie with his four-lap average in the top-12 of 232.071 mph.
  • Alexander Rossi, driver of the No. 7 Chevrolet represented Arrow McLaren in the Firestone Fast Six and qualified fourth for the Indianapolis 500 with his four-lap average of 233.090 mph.
  • Santino Ferrucci, driver of the No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet, took the legendary AJ Foyt Racing to the Firestone Fast Six and qualified sixth with his four-lap average of 232.692 mph.
  • In the 2.2-liter twin turbo V6 era since 2012, Chevrolet has 65 appearances in either the Fast Nine or top-12.
  • Monday sees a two-hour practice post-qualifying, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and broadcasted with Peacock.

INDIANAPOLIS (May 19, 2024) – Scott McLaughlin, driver of the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet, stunned the crowd at Indianapolis Motor Speedway setting the fastest pole-winning four-lap average in the track’s history on his way to claiming the prestigious pole position for the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500.

With today’s strong effort by McLaughlin, Team Penske, and Chevrolet, Will Power, driver of the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, and Josef Newgarden, driver of the No. 2 Shell Team Penske Chevrolet, qualified second and third respectively to sweep the row for the second time in team history. The first came in 1988, with Rick Mears on pole in the Pennzoil “Yellow Submarine,” along with Al Unser, Sr., and Danny Sullivan.

With hard work and collaboration by everyone at Chevrolet, as well as the strong performance by drivers and teams in the top-12 as well as the Firestone Fast Six, the Bowtie brand locked out the first two rows of the Indianapolis 500 for the second time in the V6 era since 2012, including 2012, 2013, and now 2024.

“What an incredible day here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President of Performance and Motorsports. “Congratulations to Scott McLaughlin and the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet team on achieving the fastest four-lap average to clinch the pole for the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Together, everyone did a great job delivering when it mattered most. It was exciting to see six Chevrolet drivers representing three different teams in the Firestone Fast Six. Chevrolet engineering, in partnership with Ilmor and our teams, worked hard in the offseason to find incremental power and performance that made a difference this weekend. I’m really proud of how our teams worked through challenges from Saturday to deliver the performance we needed today. Now, the focus turns to final preparations for the race.”

Campbell added, “Kyle Larson has shown what a talent he is behind the wheel of an Indy car, taking on the four toughest qualifying laps in motorsports with skill. Congratulations to Kyle and the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet crew on making the Fast Six and qualifying fifth for the Indianapolis 500.”

Putting on a show and showcasing his talent behind the wheel of a race car, Larson laid down a four-lap average in the fast-12 at 232.788 mph to become the fastest rookie with one-lap speed. Additionally, with his run in the Firestone Fast Six at 232.846 mph, Larson became the second-fastest rookie on a four-lap average behind Tony Stewart’s 233.100 mph in 1996.

Shifting to preparing for the prestigious Indianapolis 500, Chevrolet drivers and teams will practice Monday, May 20 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Coverage will broadcast live on Peacock.

TEAM CHEVY FIRESTONE FAST SIX QUALIFYING RESULT:

Pos. Driver

1st Scott McLaughlin (234.220 mph)

2nd Will Power (233.917 mph)

3rd Josef Newgarden (233.808 mph)

4th Alexander Rossi (233.090 mph)

5th Kyle Larson (232.846 mph)

6th Santino Ferrucci (232.692 mph)

TEAM CHEVY TOP-12 QUALIFYING RESULT:

Pos. Driver

7th Rinus VeeKay (232.610 mph)

8th Pato O’Ward (232.584 mph)

12th Ryan Hunter-Reay (230.567 mph)

Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:

“Man, you know, we were kind of missing that little half mile an hour and it’s tough, it’s a tough field, a tough grid. We’re just happy all six Chevy’s are in the front. The Homes For Our Troops car was really fast. I came our of (turn) one on lap three, I got into the apex and it moved and I was like ‘I don’t know’ and and then it moved again on the exit and I waxs scrambling to hit my tools before (turn) two. I was still trying to gather the car, but when I turned in I was able to adjust it going down the backstretch and I was just hoping that my following lap into one and it was just go to stick. It was one of the moments where you don’t lift, and hope and pray.”

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

“We’re starting eighth for the big show, so we got what we wanted – a good starting position. We were a bit disappointed that we didn’t find the speed that the other cars have had all month, but it is what it is. We’re going to make sure the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet is the best as it possibly can be and race our way to the front.”

Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

“Arrow McLaren and Team Chevy have done an amazing job this month. Team Chevy locking up the Firestone Fast Six is incredible, so hats off to them. It’s a little disappointing to accept the inevitable here, but the car’s been good all month. The No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet’s race trim is just as good, if not better, than our qualifying trim. We’ll get back to work tomorrow.”

Kyle Larson, No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

“This is just a great team, really. They prepared an awesome race car that’s stuck to the racetrack, and also has speed. Qualifying went a lot better than I ever could have hoped or anticipated. I’m just proud of everybody at Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports that’s been involved in this. Now, it’s time to switch the mindset over to the heavy stock car and try and go figure out North Wilkesboro.”

Gavin Ward, Team Principal at Arrow McLaren:

“On one hand, I feel like we put our cars all in a position to fight for the win for next weekend. That’s the most important thing. On the other hand, this isn’t where we want to be as a team. We want to be the team walking out on the front row, but it’s not an overnight process. Frankly, that’s not realistic. We’re up against some incredibly established teams with tons of resources and a huge amount of experience. We’ve got a laundry list that’s a mile long of things to improve to become even more competitive. When we get that sorted out, we’ll be right there. It was kind of a bittersweet day, but we can focus on the race from here because the big prize is still to come.”

Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 23 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet:

“All things considered, the worst we can do is 12th. Obviously, we had big ambitions coming out today. Punching well above our weight yesterday, making it into the Fast 12. Unfortunate. Really proud of this team. This VensureHR Chevy has been awesome. We’re the only one-off team that made it into the Fast 12 so very proud of this group.”

Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:

“Seventh for the Indianapolis 500 after yesterday’s morning… sick! We were so close and were able to beat some fast cars today. It would have been amazing to make it into the Fast Six, but this was way more than I was expecting. It was a really good team effort to get here. I have won a race here at IMS from seventh before – I don’t want to be superstitious, but it is a statistic.”

Tim Broyles, President, Ed Carpenter Racing:

“I am really proud of the effort of the whole ECR group and the work that went into putting together solid race cars. A testament to that is to have a car in the Top 12 and two others that were capable of doing that as well. Proud of the effort that Chevy has put in and to be a part of the top eight lockout they have here. Looking forward to getting our race cars back in race trim and continuing preparations for what really matters on Sunday.”

Ed Carpenter, Team Owner, Ed Carpenter Racing:

“It is always a privilege to be a part of these shootouts. The entire team did a great job making improvements. Rinus (VeeKay) and the No. 21 team were able to pass some cars from where they were yesterday which is a positive. The focus now is to put the focus back into the plan for tomorrow and towards the ultimate goal of what it takes to win this race.”

Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet:

“This is sweet. This is an amazing job by Team Penske to have all three cars on the front row. It is a testament to the team. That is what Indianapolis rewards is the effort by every individual in this group. I’ve said this all month, it takes an entire month to get to this point. We didn’t find this over a week or two. I’m thrilled for the team. I wish the No. 2 car could be up there, but it’s great for the team. The Shell Chevy is fast. The Verizon Chevy is fast, and I’m sure the boss is happy. Us as a group we are happy we are ab le to work together and try to win this race. This is a great day.”

Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet:

“The car has been good. I thought the potential was there, even yesterday. It was just about getting the right balance. I knew my engineer would nail it, and they did, and when first number came up, I just had to hold on. Got a little bit loose at the end but the Pennzoil Chevy held on. Super proud to put the Yellow Submarine back on the pole and sweep for Team Penske. What a great spot for the 108th Running (of the Indianapolis 500). I’m really proud. I think it’s the first Team Penske clean sweep of the front row since ’88. In this day and age, that’s a proud moment.”

Will Power, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet:

“That was a very strong run by Scott (McLaughlin). But I knew a Penske car was going to get the pole. I said so at Long Beach, a Penske car was going to be on pole because of the amount of work we have done. Just happy for all of the engineers. They are the ones that have put the effort in. This is through extreme hard work the last four or five years and tough qualifying sessions. Pretty cool that we have three cars on the front row. But this year man, once again I am second (laughs) in so many qualifying sessions. This one here seems to allude me. We’ve had the quickest car with the quickest team all year, and we are on the front row, and will have a good chance to win the race. The race will be better from where we are all starting. Big congrats to Scott. That was a great run. Very happy with where I am starting with the Verizon Chevy.”

Today’s end-of-day transcript to follow shortly featuring Scott McLaughlin, Will Power, and Josef Newgarden of Team Penske.

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.

Titus Sherlock Wins as Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Sweeps the Podium at Road America

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Official Release
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#31 Titus Sherlock, Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport, , winner, Victory Lane

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (May 19, 2024) – Titus Sherlock (No. 31 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) won his second race of the weekend in Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) on Sunday afternoon.

Notes of Interest:

  • Titus Sherlock earned his second-career win—and second win of the weekend—in Race 3 at Road America.
  • Shehan entered the Road America SpeedTour third in the point standings. With his second-place finish, he recorded his second podium of the weekend and third of the season.
  • Nicole Havrda earned her second-career podium after being promoted to third in yesterday’s Race 2 following a stewards’ decision. Havrda is just the second female to finish on the podium in FR Americas history.
  • Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport swept the podium with Sherlock, Shehan and Havrda finishing in that order.
  • With three podiums this weekend—including two wins and one runner-up finish—Titus Sherlock was awarded the Omologato Perfectly-Timed Move of the Race and recognized by the stewards for an outstanding performance this weekend. The award includes a bespoke Omologato timepiece.
  • Recording the fast lap in yesterday’s Race 2, Sherlock led the field down the starting grid. With Ryan Shehan (No. 66 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) to his outside, Sherlock drove wide into Turn 1 to take a commanding lead of the race. Shehan faced immediately competition from Patrick Woods-Toth (No. 27 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3), but within a lap, they sorted the running order into a nice straight line, with less than two seconds separating the top-three teammates. An early safety period gave Shehan a second shot at Sherlock, but Sherlock was able to protect his line and maintain the race lead. With the frontrunners once again fanned out, Woods-Toth was running third when he went through the grass in Turn 11 and spun across the track before coming to a rest in Turn 12. Another full-course caution ensued as the Canadian’s car required a tow, and the clock ran out before the race was able to resume.

As they crossed the finish line, Sherlock led the field, with Shehan in his mirrors in second. Nicole Havrda (No. 6 Valley Kitchens Ltd / Colonial Countertops Ltd Ligier JS F3) snuck into third to claim the final podium position.

“It was a tough race,” said Sherlock atop the podium. “I was under a lot of pressure from Ryan [Shehan] the whole time. I was trying to hit my marks the best I could, and luckily, I came away with a win. I’d like to thank my entire Crosslink Kiwi crew—Oscar, Damian, Garry, Gill, Teena—my uncle and all my family at home watching. Thank you.”

FR Americas takes on Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for its next round, June 20-23. A live stream of the Mid-Ohio SpeedTour will be available on YouTube.com/SpeedTourTV. Live timing and scoring can be accessed on the Race Monitor app, and additional news and updates about FR Americas will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Ty Gibbs, Bubba Wallace and Noah Gragson transfer to 2024 All-Star Race from All-Star Open

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Mike Biskupski for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Ty Gibbs, Bubba Wallace and Noah Gragson completed the starting grid for the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race after all three transferred from the NASCAR All-Star Open at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday, May 19. 

Gibbs and Wallace, both of whom started towards the front with the former starting on pole position, raced their way into the main event after finishing first and second, respectively, during the Open while Gragson was revealed as the Fan Vote winner for a second consecutive season, thus claiming the final spot of the 20-car grid for the All-Star event that will follow suit at the North Wilkesboro circuit. 

The starting lineup for the event was based on the current 2024 Cup Series owner’s standings after the event’s on-track qualifying that was scheduled to occur on Friday, May 17, was canceled due to on-track precipitation. As a result, Ty Gibbs was awarded the pole position and he shared the front row with Alex Bowman. 

When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Ty Gibbs rocketed his No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE ahead with the lead from the outside lane through the first two turns and through the backstretch. As the field fanned out and jostled for early spots, Gibbs proceeded to lead the first lap as he was being pursued by Bubba Wallace, Alex Bowman, Austin Cindric, Chase Briscoe, Noah Gragson and a bevy of competitors. Wallace, who also gained a strong launch at the start behind Gibbs from the outside lane, would trail Gibbs for the lead by nearly a second by the fifth lap mark. 

Through the first 10 scheduled laps, Gibbs was leading by more than a second over Wallace followed by Cindric, Bowman and Briscoe while Gragson, rookie Carson Hocevar, Todd Gilliland, John Hunter Nemechek and rookie Josh Berry were racing in the top 10 ahead of Ryan Preece, Corey LaJoie, Erik Jones, Austin Dillon, Justin Haley, Kaz Grala, rookie Zane Smith, Harrison Burton, Daniel Hemric and Timmy Hill, respectively. 

Ten laps later, Gibbs stabilized his advantage to more than a second over Wallace while Cindric, Bowman and Briscoe continued to trail in the top five and by within four seconds. Behind, Hocevar overtook Gragson for sixth place while Nemechek and Berry were running in eighth and ninth, respectively, ahead of Gilliland. 

Another 10 laps later, Gibbs extended his advantage to nearly two seconds over Wallace while third-place Cindric trailed by more than three seconds as Bowman and Briscoe continued to run in the top five. Behind, Hocevar retained sixth ahead of Gragson, Berry, Nemechek and Gilliland while Austin Dillon, Preece, LaJoie, Justin Haley and Erik Jones trailed in the top 15. 

By Lap 40, Gibbs continued to lead by nearly two seconds over Wallace while Cindric, Bowman and Briscoe trailed by within four seconds in the top five on the track. Meanwhile, Hocevar trailed by seven seconds in sixth place followed by Gragson, Berry and Nemechek while Austin Dillon cracked the top 10 as he occupied 10th place over Gilliland. 

A designated caution period was generated when the All-Star Open reached its halfway mark on Lap 50. By then, Gibbs was leading ahead of Wallace, Cindric, Bowman and Briscoe while Hocevar, Gragson, Berry, Nemechek and Dillon were scored in the top 10. 

During the caution period, all the competitors led by Gibbs pitted for a mandatory four-tire service. Following the pit stops, Gibbs retained the lead after exiting first as he was followed by Bowman, Wallace, Briscoe, Berry, Cindric, Gragson, Nemechek, Hocevar and Dillon. Amid the pit stops, both LaJoie and Nemechek were penalized for speeding on pit road.  

When the race restarted with 43 laps remaining, Gibbs and Bowman battled dead even for the lead as the field behind fanned out to multiple lanes through the first two turns and the backstretch. During the following lap, however, the caution returned after Cindric, who was trying to race his way back into the top five, got squeezed into Gragson by Hocevar amid a tight three-wide battle through the frontstretch as he then slid his No. 2 Keystone Light Ford Mustang Dark Horse against the wall with right-front damage before proceeding. 

During the following restart with 36 laps remaining, Gibbs fended off a challenge from Bowman for nearly a lap to retain the lead as Wallace overtook Bowman for the runner-up spot. Wallace, Bowman, Briscoe and Berry would all battle for the runner-up spot during the ensuing laps while Gibbs drove away with the lead as he led by half a second with 33 laps remaining.  

Wallace and Bowman would then engage in another side-by-side battle for the runner-up/transfer spot during the next three laps, with both neither stepping off the throttle as Berry and Briscoe tried to close in. Other competitors mixed towards the battle included Hocevar, Gragson, Haley and Preece while Gibbs was leading by more than a second with less than 30 laps remaining.  

With 27 laps remaining, Berry made a bold move beneath Bowman’s No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entering Turn 3 to move his No. 4 Harrison’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse into third place as he tried to close in on Wallace for the runner-up spot. Soon after, Haley moved his No. 51 Pinnacle Home Improvement Ford Mustang Dark Horse into the top five while Briscoe, Hocevar and Gragson tried to close in from sixth through eighth. Amid the battles for the runner-up spot, currently occupied by Wallace, Gibbs was gone with the lead as he was on top by two seconds with 20 laps remaining. By then, Haley was trying to overtake Berry for third place in his bid to catch Wallace’s No. 23 Alltroo Toyota Camry XSE for second place. 

Down to the final 15 laps of the event, Gibbs was leading by more than two seconds over Wallace, who had Berry, Haley and Bowman all close in on him for the runner-up/transfer spot. Gibbs would retain the lead by a comfortable advantage of more than two seconds while Wallace would retain the runner-up spot by within two- and three-tenths of a second over Berry as Haley and Bowman tried to close in with 10 laps remaining.  

With five laps remaining, Gibbs continued to lead by more than two seconds as Wallace retained the runner-up spot by nearly a second over Berry while Haley and Bowman continued to trail in the top five followed by Gragson, Briscoe, Preece, Hocevar and Austin Dillon. 

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Gibbs remained as the leader by more than two seconds over Wallace while third-place Berry trailed by three seconds. Having a comfortable lead to his advantage, Gibbs was able to cruise around the North Wilkesboro circuit smoothly for a final time as he then cycled back to the frontstretch to claim the checkered flag and race his way into the 2024 All-Star Race for a second consecutive season.  

With the victory, Gibbs, who is coming off a career-best runner-up result at Darlington Raceway, will campaign for his first All-Star Race victory after transferring from the Open for a second consecutive season. Gibbs’ transfer enables all four Joe Gibbs Racing entries to earn starting spots for the 2024 All-Star Race. 

“Yeah, we were pretty good,” Gibbs said on FS1. “I feel like we were pretty solid, so it’s good to make [the All-Star Race]. Hopefully, we can go ahead and win it. I think we’re solid enough and good enough to [win]. I feel like we learned a lot with what we’re gonna do. I got some good friends here. Let’s go win this thing.” 

Like Gibbs, Bubba Wallace was also left smiling on pit road after settling in the runner-up spot and transferring into the All-Star Race for the fourth time in his career and his third in a row in recent seasons. As a result, Wallace, who finished second to Kyle Larson during the 2023 All-Star Race, enabled both 23XI Racing entries to make the main event as he will also campaign for his first All-Star victory.  

“[This event] just made us work extra hard,” Wallace said. “You have to earn every right of this, so I can’t say we deserved, well I guess we deserve to be in the All-Star [Race], but we got to go fight for it every once in awhile. We’re just lacking a little bit. Definitely, a different feel than what we had in practice, so got a little bit of time to make minimal changes to make [the car] better, but all in all, we’re in the show. Appreciate [Bowman] and [Berry] running clean there. That was fun, that was short-track stuff right there. We were able to squeeze away there and hang on to second, but that’s the most stressful spot to be in.”  

Amid the battles for the top-two finishing spots during the Open, Noah Gragson, who finished fifth in the Open, claimed the final starting spot for the 2024 All-Star Race after being named the 2024 All-Star Fan Vote winner for a second consecutive season. As a result, Gragson joined Chase Elliott and Danica Patrick as the only competitors to be named the Fan Vote winner during the All-Star weekend for multiple seasons, with Gragson becoming the first back-to-back Fan Vote winner since Elliott achieved the honors for three consecutive seasons (2016-18). Gragson’s transfer has also allowed at least one Stewart-Haas Racing entry to make the 2024 All-Star Race as he will attempt to replicate Kasey Kahne’s run by winning the All-Star Race after being voted into the main event by the fans in 2008. 

“I appreciate all the fans,” Gragson said on the radio following the All-Star Open. “You guys are badass. We didn’t quite have what it took there in that race, but you fans pulled through. Your support means everything. We’re gonna go have some fun.” 

Rookie Josh Berry and Justin Haley recorded strong finishes of third and fourth place, respectively, but were among the 17 remaining competitors who did not qualify for the 2024 All-Star Race. Among those who also did not make the main event included Alex Bowman, Chase Briscoe, Ryan Preece, Austin Dillon, rookie Carson Hocevar, Kaz Grala, Corey LaJoie, Harrison Burton, John Hunter Nemechek, Todd Gilliland, Daniel Hemric, rookie Zane Smith, Erik Jones, Timmy Hill and Austin Cindric. 

There were no lead changes and the race featured two cautions for 11 laps. In addition, 18 of 20 starters finished on the lead lap. 

Results. 

1. Ty Gibbs, 100 laps led 

2. Bubba Wallace 

3. Josh Berry 

4. Justin Haley 

5. Noah Gragson 

6. Alex Bowman 

7. Chase Briscoe 

8. Ryan Preece 

9. Austin Dillon  

10. Carson Hocevar 

11. Kaz Grala 

12. Corey LaJoie 

13. Harrison Burton 

14. John Hunter Nemechek 

15. Todd Gilliland 

16. Daniel Hemric 

17. Zane Smith 

18. Erik Jones 

19. Timmy Hill, seven laps down 

20. Austin Cindric, 18 laps down 

The 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway will follow suit on Sunday, May 19, at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, with the green flag scheduled to wave around 8:30 p.m. ET. 

Gibbs Claims All-Star Open Victory; Wallace and Gragson Also Advance

By
Official Release
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Ty Gibbs won Sunday's NASCAR All-Star Open at North Wilkesboro Speedway, punching his ticket into the NASCAR All-Star Race. (CMS/Liam Gormley photo)

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. (May 19, 2024) — Ty Gibbs left no doubt as to who was winning Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Open at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Gibbs started on the pole and led all 100 laps of the Open to punch his ticket to the NASCAR All-Star Race for the second consecutive year.

Gibbs’ No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota led Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota to the finish line and into Sunday night’s 200-lap showcase event.

“I think what we saw in the Open was that we have enough to get to the front,” Gibbs said. “We’ve got some good friends here, too. Let’s go win this thing.”

Wallace, who finished second in last year’s All-Star Race, was relieved to have earned another berth. Josh Berry, last year’s Open winner, just missed out on advancing by finishing third. Justin Haley was fourth with Noah Gragson — the Fan Vote winner for the second straight time — fifth, and Alex Bowman sixth.

Wallace, Berry and Bowman fought hard for second place after the scheduled caution period, but once Wallace passed Bowman, he wasn’t challenged for the runner-up spot. Bowman and Berry engaged in a door-to-door duel that saw Berry win out, but come up short in chasing down Wallace.

“We have to earn every right to be in this and we had to go fight for it,” Wallace said. “All in all, we’re in the show. I appreciated (Bowman) and (Berry) pushing hard but being clean. It was a good show. I know how good Josh is on short tracks, but I feel like I’m pretty good at them, too. It’s a good night so far.”

Gragson won last year’s Fan Vote with a partially damaged car. This year, he’ll start the feature race with fewer battle scars.

“The fans are so badass,” Gragson said. “It’s a privilege to be voted in and to race the All-Star Race again. We’re going to continue to work on our car and try to get it dialed in. (We just had) a little 100-lap test and tune, now we’ll see if we can go back and make it better. I can’t say enough about the fans. They pump us up. We’ve got 200 laps to go race for a million bucks.”

CHEVROLET NCS AT NORTH WILKESBORO: All-Star Open Post-Race Quotes

By
Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
NORTH WILKESBORO SPEEDWAY
NASCAR ALL-STAR OPEN RACE
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
MAY 19, 2024

 Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1

NASCAR All-Star Open Race

Finished: 6th

How disappointing is to not advance into the NASCAR All-Star Race?

“Yeah, for sure. It’s not what we wanted for Hendrick Motorsports, Ally and everyone on this No. 48 Chevy team. Honestly, we just kind of missed it a little bit. We were really tight on Friday and just jumped the fence a little bit today where we were too free. I felt like if I could clear the No. 23 (Bubba Wallace), get up and take care of my stuff, I’d be OK. I just heated up my right rear tire trying to get clear of him. When I finally couldn’t clear him, I was in a lot of trouble there for a little bit until I got pulled back down.

Bummer, for sure, but it’s a great event and a great racetrack. We were running the fence in (turns) one and two. You could run all the way across the racetrack. It was super fun. Wish we could have made it, but we’ll learn from it. I think we were all really tight in practice and we jumped the fence a little bit there and got too free. So hopefully we’ll have really good notes for our teammates for the All-Star Race, and we’ll be cheering them on.”

Austin Dillon, No. 3 SENIX Camaro ZL1

NASCAR All-Star Open Race

Finished: 9th

“We gave it all we had. Our No. 3 SENIX Chevy was really fast. We had the fastest lap in qualifying. Unfortunately, we had to start back in 15th. We made our way forward into the top-10 with 50 laps to go. We decided to put yellow’s (tires) on, and everyone in front of us took red’s. We were hoping that because of that, they would fade, but it just didn’t happen fast enough. We were making a pretty good charge there at the end, but there just wasn’t enough time and lost too much ground on the hard tires on the takeoff. Would have liked to have seen what happened with red’s because they got to beating and banging up front, but unfortunately we don’t get another shot at it.

We’ll take this to the short tracks coming up. I think this is a big win for RCR and our short track program, so hopefully we can take what we learned; apply it and have some better runs moving forward.”

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.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes – NCS All-Star Open Post-Race Quotes

By
Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
All-Star Open | Sunday, May 19, 2024

Ford Finishing Results:
3rd – Josh Berry
4th – Justin Haley
5th – Noah Gragson
7th – Chase Briscoe
8th – Ryan Preece
11th – Kaz Grala
13th – Harrison Burton
15th – Todd Gilliland
19th – Timmy Hill
20th – Austin Cindric

NOAH GRAGSON, No. 10 Overstock Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We’re gonna continue to work on our Overstock Mustang and try to get it dialed in. I’m not too comfortable in it right now. I’m kind of chattering the right-rear and super loose, but a little 100 test and tune. Hopefully, we’ll go back to the trailer and make some good adjustments before the main event, but I can’t say enough about the fans. They’re bad ass. They keep us motivated each and every weekend to come out and do our jobs. When times aren’t great, the fans always pump us up and we feed off their energy. I appreciate everybody’s support and we’ve got 200 laps to go chase a million bucks.”

A LOT OF ELBOWS UP IN THAT FIRST RACE. DO YOU EXPECT THE SAME IN THE ALL-STAR RACE? “Yeah, definitely. I think you’ll see guys kind of conservative on the hard tire. They should just give us all the soft tire because guys are moving around. They’re fading. You have comers or goers. You can move around the racetrack. It was a lot of fun when we put those soft tires on. It was a great job by everybody with NASCAR and Goodyear. Everybody is willing to stick their neck out here and try this. I think it was a success. It’s definitely a lot more fun tire, that red tire. We’re ready to go tonight. We’re gonna have some fun and just enjoy it.”

JOSH BERRY, No. 4 Harrison’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse – YOU CAME UP ONE SPOT SHORT THIS YEAR. WHAT MORE DID YOU NEED? “I don’t know. We had a really good practice. We were loose in qualifying and that kind of translated to the first run. The boys on pit road had a great pit stop and got us some track position. I think the tire compound tightened us up a little bit and we were better. We still needed to be a little bit tighter. I was doing everything I could without a doubt. I really found a lot in one and two. I was fast in one and two, but just couldn’t quite put together three and four to make a charge at them. From where we started we knew it would be tough, but all in all it was just a great effort. Everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing, Rodney, this whole 4 team, Harrison’s for all they do. I hate to not be in it, but we were probably the whole show right there for how it looked. I was doing everything I could, I just couldn’t quite get to the 23. The last couple of laps I got a little bit better, but it would have been hard to pass him without really roughing him up.”

JUSTIN HALEY, No. 51 Pinnacle Home Improvement Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We had a good car. I wish we could have started a little further up, but all around it was a good day for us. We’ll keep riding this momentum. We’ve brought fast race cars every week, so we’ll just keep going with it.”

WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THE TIRE OPTIONS? “It was fun. The reds definitely had a little bit more grip, but you could wear them out a little bit more. Overall, it was fun.”

YOU GOT TO FOURTH AND THEN KIND OF STALLED. “Yeah, it was just hard to pass.”

Toyota Racing – NCS All-Star Open Post-Race Report – 05.19.24

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GIBBS, WALLACE ADVANCE TO ALL-STAR RACE
Gibbs leads every lap in All-Star Open

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. (May 19, 2024) – Toyota’s Ty Gibbs and Bubba Wallace advanced to the All-Star Race by finishing 1-2 in the 100-lap All-Star Open at North Wilkesboro on Sunday evening.

Gibbs, who led every lap, will advance to his second All-Star Race, while last season’s All-Star Race runner-up Wallace looks to be one spot better. Gibbs and Wallace join four other Toyota drivers in the All-Star Race – Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick and Martin Truex Jr.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
North Wilkesboro Speedway
All-Star Open – 62.5 miles, 100 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, TY GIBBS
2nd, BUBBA WALLACE
3rd, Josh Berry*
4th, Justin Haley*
5th, Noah Gragson*
14th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
18th, ERIK JONES
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

TY GIBBS, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

You won in dominate fashion. How good was it?

“Yeah, we were pretty good. I feel like it is pretty solid. It’s good to make it – and good to see Bubba (Wallace) make it too. Hopefully, we can go and win it. I think (Michael) Waltrip did it once. Let’s go win a million bucks – maybe we can go buy some sprint cars or something.”

Did you learn what you needed to learn?

“I think we are solid enough, and good enough to go do it. I feel like we learned a lot about what we are going to do. Thank you to Monster Energy, Mitch Covington – everybody at Interstate Batteries, Norm Miller. I’ve got some good friends here. Let’s go win this thing.”

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

Finishing Position: 2nd

What was it like knowing you had to race hard there to get in?
“When we saw the rules change, Jamie (Little), it was like what do I have to do to make it? So, it just made us work extra hard. I appreciate everyone on this Alltroo Toyota Camry, everyone at Airspeed. You have to earn everything, so I can’t say we deserved to be in the All-Star. You have to go fight for it every once in a while. We are just lacking a little bit. It is definitely different – a different feel than what we had in practice. We have a little bit of time to make minimal changes and make it better. All-in-all, we are in the show. I appreciate the 48 (Alex Bowman) and the 4 (Josh Berry) for running clean there. That was fun – that was short track stuff, right there. We were able to sneak away there and hang on to second. That is the most stressful spot to be in. You never want to look in the mirror – and we know how good Josh (Berry) is on short tracks, so it was like hey, I kind of did some short track stuff too, so I think I have a little bit of it figured out, but we were able to hang on and have a good day so far.”

What did you learn and what did you tell your teammate Tyler Reddick?

“The balance migration was different. It caught me and him, when I told him, by surprise. We need to have a quick debrief with the team and see if we can get the right rear under us a little bit more, but none-the-less, I thought the tires – I don’t know how the back of the pack looked – but I know I was fighting it. Hopefully there was passing, and hopefully it will be a good show for tonight, but we have to go make some changes if we want to win a million dollars.”

Can you be one spot better tonight?

“We came from the back last year, so let’s do it again.”

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.

CORVETTE RACING AT COTA: DXDT Doubles Up with 63 Corvette

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Milner, Udell take second straight win to cap Pro-class debut with Corvette Z06 GT3.R

AUSTIN, Texas (May 19, 2024) – DXDT Racing went two-for-two on the weekend with the No. 63 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R as Tommy Milner and Alec Udell won their second race in as many days in GT World Challenge America on Sunday at Circuit of The Americas.

Corvette factory driver Milner drove the opening half of the race, and Udell marched through the field of Pro and Pro Am entries to win by 4.633 seconds. It went along with a Pro-class debut victory Saturday – the first for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R.

In addition to the first two victories for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R, it’s the first double-win weekend for DXDT in GT World Challenge competition.

Milner began the race sixth following Saturday’s all-Pro driver qualifying session. The goal was to keep pace with the Pro Am cars ahead that eventually switched to their Bronze-rated driver for the second half of the 90-minute sprint.

Rather than lose time riding behind two Porsches in front of him, DXDT Racing elected to call in Milner for the No. 63’s required pit stop. The switch-over to Udell was perfect, and he emerged less than three seconds behind the Pro-class leader with 40 minutes to go.

Less than 15 minutes later, Udell made the move to first in Pro, and two laps later he took the overall lead of the race and cruised the rest of the way.

The No. 08 DXDT Racing Corvette of Bryan Sellers and Scott Smithson finished 11th in the Pro Am class after Sellers suffered a flat tire on the race’s opening lap. Once back on track, Sellers matched the lap times of the leaders and handed over to Smithson with 40 minutes left but the Corvette still one lap down.

DXDT Racing’s next event with the Corvette Z06 GT3.R in GT World Challenge America is July 19-21 at Virginia International Raceway.

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “The biggest thing about being part of this program is helping this team with these new Corvettes for a little bit. They’ve done a great job so far with it and helping put the final touch on things just a little bit. Championships are one thing, but for me and Alec it’s just about helping this team to continue to grow, learn these cars and hopefully win some more races along the way.”

ALEC UDELL, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “This weekend was a statement to the platform and all the engineers who have put in a lot of hard work getting this car to where it’s at. From the team side and the joint venture between Corvette Racing, Pratt Miller and DXDT Racing, it’s been awesome. For me to be able to jump in as well, plug myself in and be a seamless part of the program, it’s great for the customer racing teams that are looking at the Corvette as an option. It’s a very proven platform at this point, so to be a part of that process is really cool. To have the people to learn from like Bryan and Tommy with DXDT and all our people, it’s been more than I could ask for. I’m looking forward to where we can go from here.”

CHRISTIE BAGNE, CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R PROGRAM MANAGER: “Congratulations to David Askew, Erin Gahagan and everyone at DXDT Racing on a fantastic debut weekend with two victories in the Pro class with the No. 63 Corvette Z06 GT3.R. We are very proud of DXDT Racing’s achievements during its first weekend with two Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs. Saturday’s race victory – the first for our new Corvette – was special, but the team’s approach and performance throughout the weekend is what stands out most. It is a pleasure for us to support and watch the team’s successes.”

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.

NASCAR Hall of Famers Childress, Knaus Meet With Media Prior To Pre-Race Dignitary Roles

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NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Childress, left, and Chad Knaus will serve as the Honorary Pace Car Driver and Grand Marshal, respectively, in Sunday's NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

A pair of NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees met with media on Sunday, prior to their pre-race dignitary roles as part of the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Six-time NASCAR Cup Series champion team owner Richard Childress will serve as Honorary Pace Car Driver on Sunday, while seven-time Cup Series title-winning crew chief Chad Knaus, will handle Grand Marshal duties.

Childress has two cars from his Richard Childress Racing team competing on Sunday at North Wilkesboro, with Kyle Busch locked into the All-Star Race and Austin Dillon kicking off race day in the All-Star Open. As an owner, Childress has five Cup Series victories at North Wilkesboro (in 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991 and 1995) with Dale Earnhardt. Childress’ driving career featured a sixth-place finish in North Wilkesboro’s fall points-paying race in 1977.

“North Wilkesboro was one of my favorite tracks as a driver, and it’s one of my favorites as an owner,” the 2017 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee said on Sunday. “I just love it. I think my first race here was 1971. I remember coming up here, this was a place where everybody brought their families and you’d have lunch in the infield. I’ll never forget I spun out in qualifying in Turn 2, it was wet, I hit the wall and (then-Track President) Enoch Staley ran up to me and said, ‘Boy, you tore my fence down!’

“Those were some fun days. Back then, I enjoyed having fun more than I enjoyed racing, but I raced to have fun. So, it worked out really good.”

Knaus, a 2024 inductee into the NASCAR Hall of Fame and the vice president of competition for Hendrick Motorsports, won seven championships and a record four All-Star Races with fellow Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson. Knaus will give the command to start engines prior to Sunday night’s event.

“It’s an honor to be here as the grand marshal,” Knaus said. “One interesting note: When we last raced (a points-paying Cup Series race) here in 1996, Jeff Gordon won and I was a right-rear tire changer on the pit crew, so I made the elevator ride up to Victory Lane.”

Knaus touched on the different Goodyear tire options afforded to drivers in teams in Sunday’s All-Star Race: a softer, Option tire — with red writing — and the standard, “Prime” tire with yellow lettering.

“Managing the differential between the (prime, normal tire) and the (softer, option) is going to be important. It’s a coarse track, which is going to be good. The heat’s going to open it up and I think it’s going to provide some good racing.”

Felix Rosenqvist Qualifies Ninth for Indianapolis 500

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#60: Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing Honda

Rosenqvist top qualifying Honda

Indianapolis, Ind. (19 May 2024) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) will start in the top 10 for the Indianapolis 500 for the first time since 2021, as Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda) used a four-lap average speed of 232.305 mph Sunday to claim the ninth position on the 33-car grid for next Sunday’s Indy 500 (11:00am ET, NBC, SiriusXM Ch. 218)

Rosenqvist earned his fifth top-10 qualifying result in as many races this year, and his effort today puts the Swedish driver in the top 10 at Indy for the third consecutive season. The result is the first time that an MSR car has started in the top 10 in five consecutive NTT INDYCAR SERIES races since 2020.

Sunday’s result set the grid for MSR’s three-car entry as Rosenqvist joined teammates Helio Castroneves (No. 06 Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian Cleveland-Cliffs Honda) and Tom Blomqvist (No. 66 AutoNation / Arctic Wolf Honda) who took the 20th and 25th positions respectively, marking the first time MSR has ever started three cars in an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race.

Rosenqvist had another consistent run on his midday qualifying run, starting with a lap of the 2.5-mile oval at 232.571mph, and kept the MSR machine above 232mph on three of the four laps.

The MSR drivers will have two final practice sessions available next week to prepare for the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Teams will have two hours of practice Monday from 1 – 3 p.m. ET, followed by the final Carb Day practice which takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday afternoon. Fans can follow both practices live on Peacock. NBC and Peacock will air the Indianapolis 500 live Sunday with pre-race coverage beginning at 11 a.m. SiriusXM will also host live INDYCAR Radio coverage on XM Ch. 218.

Meyer Shank Racing Driver Quotes:

Felix Rosenqvist – Starting 9th, Four-Lap Avg. Speed 232.305mph: “”P9, so we did not make the Fast Six, but I don’t think we would have made it, even with how good that run was. We definitely think we had more, that the track came back to us a bit, so we could have trimmed a bit more. But we’re super stoked to start in the top 10, hopefully we can get a top 10 finish. We’re in the game, the car has been good in race trim in practice. The AutoNation / SiriusXM team is ready and we are looking forward to race day.”

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