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TPC Racing Team With Dream Racing Sweeps Season-Opening GT America GT2 Race Weekend at Sonoma Raceway

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  • Aaron Farhadi Doubles Up on GT America GT2 Victories in His Sonoma Debut in the No. 127 TPC Racing Team With Dream Racing Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2
  • Alan Grossberg Sets Fastest GT2 Lap Sunday in the No. 102 TPC Racing Team With Dream Racing Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2 and Finishes Second for TPC Racing’s First Career Top-Two Sweep

SONOMA, California (April 8, 2024) – Building on Saturday’s season-opening SRO GT America powered by AWS GT2-class victory, the TPC Racing Team with Dream Racing turned up the performance even more for Sunday’s final race of the weekend at Sonoma Raceway. Debuting Sonoma Raceway driver Aaron Farhadi swept the weekend with his second victory in the No. 127 Dream Racing/TPC Racing Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo on Sunday and was joined on the podium by his resurgent teammate Alan Grossberg who set the fastest GT2 race lap.

The pair of victories extended to three races TPC Racing’s undefeated career win streak in the emerging GT2 category even though the three-peat of victories came a full three years apart. At Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in 2021, a TPC Racing Lamborghini Super Trofeo went into the record books as the first GT2-spec car to compete in GT America. Scott Schmidt drove the Lamborghini to an uncontested GT2 victory while finishing in the top-10 overall.

Starting second on the GT2 grid on Sunday, Farhadi stayed close to polesitter early race leader Brent Holden from the drop of the green flag. Farhadi poured on the heavy pressure as the race approached 10 minutes into the 40-minute sprint and made what turned out to be the winning pass for the lead with just under 27 minutes to go.

With Farhadi’s rapid run to the lead and eventual victory complete, Grossberg stepped up to stage a charge of his own in the second half of the race in the No. 102 Dream Racing/TPC Racing Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo. Shaking off a contact incident with Holden in Saturday’s first race, Grossberg gradually improved his pace throughout Sunday’s race and was even presented with the CrowdStrike Fastest Lap Award for setting the fastest GT2 lap time on his way to the second-place finish.

The one-two GT2 finish was the first top-two podium sweep in TPC Racing’s accomplished sports car racing history.

Grossberg and Farhadi are back with TPC Racing following successful late-season runs with the team a year ago in partnership with Dream Racing that brings both of the race-winning and high-end motorsports entities together on track. The weekend sweep marked the first victories for the TPC/Dream collaboration in just their third race weekend together.

Next up for the TPC Racing Team with Dream Racing and Farhadi and Grossberg is Round 3 and 4 of the 2024 GT America powered by AWS championship at the Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 19 – 21.

Harris Levitas, Director of Race Operations: “You couldn’t have asked for a better start to the 2024 SRO GT America season. Our TPC Racing Lamborghini Super Trofeo GT2 cars were just absolutely amazing and reliable all weekend long. Alan Grossberg and Aaron Farhadi did an absolutely amazing job. I can’t say enough about how great they did in their driving and improvement. Today, Aaron took a few laps to settle in and then stepped up to battle and passed for the lead. It was really nice, clean racing and he got up front and just took off from there to sweep the weekend’s race wins. Alan Grossberg then came alive in his car and then set the fastest lap in the race in the GT2 category. Huge congratulations for that achievement, and that’s really great progress for him. We’re looking forward to the remainder of the season and going in with a strong points advantage to Long Beach. Today was our first one-two finish and Long Beach will be our debut at that famous street race. It’s all really awesome. None of this would be possible without our partnership with Dream Racing. It’s a really great relationship. Ado De Micheli and Enrico Bertaggia from Dream Racing are really wonderful people. They have the same views and goals we have at TPC Racing, which is to prepare the best cars and win races. We proved this weekend we are off to a strong start with what we’ve put together for the SRO championship this year and we are definitely looking forward to more victories, podiums and strong finishes together.”

Ado De Micheli, President, Dream Racing: “Certainly, it’s a great accomplishment this weekend. I’m extremely proud of both Alan and Aaron who both did an amazing job. At Dream Racing, we love to develop drivers and help them accomplish what they want. They are different ages, have different experiences and different goals overall, but they both delivered great results. The main results are the first and second place finishes today, but they also had great lap times, no mistakes and managed the traffic. There’s lots of challenges when you look at GT2 at this level of motorsports without the proper experience. There are a lot of things you need to take into consideration, such as the extra effort sometimes needed to keep the cars competitive. TPC Racing did so much more work last night to make today happen. A shoutout to how they stood behind the issues they faced. They are an incredible organization and proved this weekend they want to do well.”

Aaron Farhadi, Driver, No. 127 Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo: “It’s been amazing this weekend. The guys are awesome. They gave me the equipment I needed to perform the best and the rest just came down to me. The equipment is there and that’s what I love about it. Harris Levitas is an amazing guy and my mechanic Trevor Griffin did a great job. Everybody just put in an incredible effort this weekend. I wasn’t mentally prepared for yesterday. Today, I was way better and I didn’t fall off nearly as much, or even at all, and just stayed consistent throughout the race. It’s just a mental effort. This whole sport is mental. Physically, I was able to keep myself intact and today my head was in the right space. I looked at this really as a learning weekend. With our competitor, Brent Holden, there’s an immense amount of respect. I really love to see it, be a part of it, it’s great for the sport. He is a fantastic driver. There was a lot of respect with that battle at the start and I enjoyed it quite a bit.”

Alan Grossberg, Driver, No. 102 Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo: “It’s good to have a nice finish. I learned a lot about the series, and certainly getting some track time yesterday helped me a lot. It’s also the coaching that makes you better. I go into this blind without that guidance. My team sits me down and says, ‘hey, you’ve got to work on this, you’ve got to work on that and these are the areas where you will pick up time.’ It makes a big difference. It was an easier drive today than it was Saturday, getting some coaching and debriefing after we had a chance to get some laps in yesterday. We had a strategy, some planned places to push, and on the third or fourth lap it suddenly all started to settle in. I found a good line and was able to put it together with the coaching and it was like ‘ah-ha! I was getting some confidence and focused on a faster laps after faster laps and then even better laps. I started settling down and driving my race. All credit to the team for having the car ready every minute we were here. When we got on track we had a contact issue in Saturday’s race, but what I love about these guys is that they know the car well and they ‘humpty dumptied’ it and put it back together to get me back on track with confidence. I knew I would have a good race car.”

About TPC Racing: TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sportscars. TPC Racing specializes in R&D and sales of high-performance modifications for Porsche sports cars and race cars, offering a wide range of vehicle upgrades. Best known for a line of forced induction solutions for the Porsche 911, Cayman and Boxster, a long-time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled TPC Racing to become experts in Porsche service, tuning, and racing. In 2000, TPC Racing began entering races under its own banner, scoring an SGS-class Championship in 2004 in the Grand-American Rolex Series and was a class winner in the 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona, and captured the 2013 and 2016 IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA Gold Cup Championships. More information can be found at www.TPCRacing.com.

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS, JOE GIBBS RACING DOMINATION LEADS ‘FAST FIVE’ STORYLINES FOR SUNDAY’S AUTOTRADER ECHOPARK AUTOMOTIVE 400

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Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron is the defending winner of the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. Photo credit: Getty Images for NASCAR.
  • Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing have combined to win seven of the first eight NASCAR Cup Series races of the season.
  • Prosper’s Chris Buescher looking for his first top-10 finish at his home track.
  • Penske duo of Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney hopeful recent successes at TMS will translate into victory.

FORT WORTH, Texas (April 8, 2024) – Texas Motor Speedway returns to its popular spring date with the NASCAR Cup Series arriving this weekend for the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400.

Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (2:30 p.m. CT, TV: FS1, Radio: PRN, SiriusXM, Lone Star 92.5 FM locally) will be Texas Motor Speedway’s first points race in the spring since 2019 when Denny Hamlin was victorious for Joe Gibbs Racing.

The Cup Series opens its on-track action Saturday with a pair of 20-minute, split-field practice sessions beginning at 9:35 a.m. The practice will be immediately followed by pole qualifying at 10:20 a.m. It will be a single-lap, two-round format to set the field.

The Cup Series has completed eight of its 36 championship points races and plenty of storylines have developed in the early portion of the season.

Here’s the “Fast Five” storylines to watch during the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400:

1) Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing have been dominant since the outset of the season as the two organizations have combined for seven wins in the first eight races.

Hendrick Motorsports owns four of those, with defending Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 winner William Byron powering the team with a series-leading three. Byron opened the season with a win in the Daytona 500, followed with another in late March at Circuit of The Americas and secured his third Sunday at Martinsville when he led Hendrick Motorsports to a 1-2-3 finish. The other victory for the organization came at Las Vegas in early March by Kyle Larson.

“I just feel like I trust myself a little bit more,” said Byron when asked after the Martinsville win about going on this recent tear. “I know during the week that the preparation and the things going on are going to equate to the results. When you’ve had those things happen in the past, you start getting into a rhythm of it, it just starts stacking.

“But the sport is really competitive. It’s not like football. You don’t win third quarters of the games. I watch a lot of hockey. They win a lot or tie or go to overtime. We don’t. We don’t win a lot in this sport. It’s very similar to golf. There’s a lot of elements that have to go right. I just feel like it’s trying to chip away and be mentally strong.”

Hendrick Motorsports also has all of its four drivers situated among the top 10, with Larson first in the points standings and followed by Byron (fourth), Chase Elliott (sixth) and Alex Bowman (10th).

Prior to Sunday’s win by Byron, Joe Gibbs Racing had won three of the last four races. Denny Hamlin has been the catalyst with wins at Bristol and Richmond, respectively, while Christopher Bell collected the other at Phoenix to start the run. Byron interrupted the JGR charge for a four-race sweep with his win at COTA.

Joe Gibbs Racing has its four drivers among the top 11 positions, giving the two organizations eight of those spots. Martin Truex Jr. paces JGR in second, Hamlin is third, Ty Gibbs seventh and Bell 11th.

The only team to break through the two-organization stranglehold on Victory Lane has been Trackhouse Racing, which won the second race of the season at Atlanta courtesy of Daniel Suarez.

2) RFK Racing driver Chris Buescher, who grew up in nearby Prosper, Texas, returns to his home track on a recent roll as he seeks his first top-10 finish at Texas Motor Speedway.

Buescher had his bid for a fifth consecutive top-10 finish end Sunday at Martinsville when he finished 15th. That recent tear, which includes a season-best second at Phoenix, gave him five top-10 efforts in the first eight races. That total is tied for the series lead with five other drivers.

Buescher is still seeking his first top 10 at TMS after 14 career starts, but he made progress in his last appearance. At September’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400, he earned his best starting position (2nd) and finish (14th) while also leading his first laps (2) at TMS.

3) Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano are winless at Texas Motor Speedway in their last 25 combined starts, but don’t sleep on the Team Penske duo.

Logano owns 15 of those starts and converted them into 11 top-10 finishes, including eight among the top five. During that stretch, he has a pair of runner-up finishes (2016, ’22) and has led laps in nine of those races.

Blaney has posted eight top-10 finishes in 10 starts for an 80 percent clip in that span. His best effort came in the 2018 fall race when he earned the pole and finished runner-up. While Blaney is still chasing his first win at Texas, Logano collected his first and only victory in the 2014 spring race.

4) It’s difficult to believe that 2020 Cup Series champion Chase Elliott is winless in his last 42 starts, dating to his victory at Talladega on Oct. 2, 2022.

He has been on a strong run of late, with consecutive top-five performances and finishing among the top eight in three of his last four. Elliott followed up a fifth at Richmond with a season-best third Sunday at Martinsville. He also has been qualifying well, starting among the top five in four of his last five races and among the top 11 in all but one on the season.

“Nice to have a couple solid weeks, to be in contention there for a win,” Elliott said post-race at Martinsville. “Haven’t been in contention to win one in a while. It was fun to kind of get to that last restart and it actually mattered. Enjoyed that aspect. Certainly hungry for more.”

5) This will be the 44th Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway, but first points-paying spring event since 2019 when Denny Hamlin won by 2.743 seconds over Clint Bowyer. It was the third career win at Texas for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver.

The following season was affected by the COVID pandemic that forced the spring race to move to July, which was won by Austin Dillon of Richard Childress Racing.

In 2021 and ’22, the spring event was replaced by the NASCAR All-Star Race that was held in June and May, respectively. Last season, the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 served as the Round of 12 opener for the NASCAR Playoffs in late September.

Tickets are on sale now for the 2024 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 NASCAR tripleheader weekend April 12-14. The race weekend begins April 12 with the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series SpeedyCash.com 250 (7:30 p.m. CT on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90), continues with the April 13 NASCAR Xfinity Series Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 (12:30 p.m. CT on FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90) and concludes with the April 14 NASCAR Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (2:30 p.m. CT on FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90 and Lone Star 92.5 – local).

Tickets are on sale now at www.texasmotorspeedway.com.

Texas Motor Speedway’s major event season also includes the High Limit Sprint Car Series (April 13), Fuel Fest (April 20), the Goodguys Rod & Custom/American Flat Track/Pate Swap Meet tripleheader weekend (April 25-28), C-10 Nationals (May 10-12), LS Fest (May 18), Bandas y Trocas (May 25), Solar Car Challenge (July 11-17), SuperMotocross World Championship Playoff 2 (Sept. 14), Goodguys Rod & Custom (Sept. 27-29), American Sprint Car Series (Oct. 4-5), the High Limit Sprint Car Series inaugural season finale (Oct. 11-12) and the Gordy’s Hwy 30 Fest Texas (Oct. 17-20).

ABOUT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Texas Motor Speedway is among the largest sports and entertainment venues in the United States and features an array of amenities such as the largest single LED screen of any sports facility in North America, making it one of the premier venues in the world of sports. The 1.5-mile superspeedway located in Fort Worth hosts all three NASCAR national series among its various races and specialty events throughout the year. Texas Motor Speedway is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, LLC, a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. For more information, please visit texasmotorspeedway.com.

TICKETS:

For ticket information about Texas Motor Speedway’s 2024 events schedule, please visit www.texasmotorspeedway.com.

MORE INFO:

Keep track of all of Texas Motor Speedway’s busy schedule by following on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Keep up with all the latest news and information on the speedway website and TMS mobile app.

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – Martinsville 1

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Cook Out 400 – Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville, Va. – April 7, 2024

NASCAR TRACKS – MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY – NASCAR 101

AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 MENARDS/LIBMAN FORD MUSTANG

START: 14TH STAGE ONE: 15TH STAGE TWO: 15TH FINISH: 23RD POINTS: 21ST

RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 2 Menards/Libman Ford Mustang, was in contention for a top-15 finish in the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway until an incident in the closing laps relegated the driver to a 23rd-place result. Cindric started the 400-lap race from the 14th position and reported early on that he was struggling with drive. The 25-year-old NASCAR Cup Series driver made his first trip to pit road at the conclusion of Stage 1 for fresh tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. After restarting 16th for the launch of the second segment, Cindric radioed in to his team on Lap 105 to communicate an improvement in the car on exit. When a caution slowed the field a handful of laps later on Lap 113 for debris, the No. 2 stayed out and restarted 15th, and remained there through the end of Stage 2. After paying a visit to the Menards/Libman pit crew for a four-tire service stop, Cindric lined up 15th for the restart, but dropped down the scoring pylon a few positions after the green flag waved. He made his final trek to pit road with just under 90 laps to go and was in contention for a top-15 result in overtime, but was involved in accident that dropped the Team Penske driver back to 23rd when the checkered flag flew.

CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “We had solid speed in the Menards/Libman Ford Mustang, but the strategy didn’t quite pan out and I lost us a couple spots with the choose. It’s just so hard to make up track position. We have some areas to improve on and we’ll regroup this week and get ready for Texas.”

RYAN BLANEY No. 12 ADVANCE AUTO PARTS FORD MUSTANG

START: 9TH STAGE ONE: 12TH STAGE TWO: 20TH FINISH: 5TH POINTS: 5TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Ryan Blaney and the No. 12 Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang team paired strategy and late-race speed to rally for a fifth-place finish Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, marking Blaney’s fourth top-five finish in his last five starts at the Virginia short track. Following a 12th-place finish in Stage 1, Blaney had to make an additional trip to pit road during the stage break to tighten a loose wheel, sending him back to 24th for the ensuing restart. The handling began to settle in for the Advance Auto Parts Ford over the course of the second stage, but passing was at a premium throughout the afternoon as Blaney settled for a 20th-place finish in Stage 2. Crew chief Jonathan Hassler made the call for right side tires only as the field hit pit road during the stage break, gaining the 12-team a dozen positions with the strategy play and allowing Blaney to restart from eighth for the final run of the day. Blaney settled into 10th in the running order over the course of the longest green flag run of afternoon before being called to pit road on lap 297 for four tires and a round of adjustments. He cycled to seventh in the running order after a majority of the field completed the green flag pit cycle when Blaney began to make his charge to the front, climbing to fifth on the leaderboard with 55 laps to go. The caution flag flew with three laps remaining to set up a green-white-checkered finish for the second-consecutive week and Blaney took the green flag from the outside of row two, but the top lane was unable to gain any momentum in the final two laps resulting in a fifth-place finish.

BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “We got good at the end. It was an uphill battle for sure. We had the issue on pit road and had to restart in the back and nobody could pass anybody. [Crew chief] Jonathan [Hassler] made a good call to put two on it at the start of the third stage and we kind of established ourselves a little bit back in the top-10. We were able to work on our car again once we got a little clean air and seeing what the car was doing and how to get it better. After the green flag stop I was really fast. I passed a handful of guys. I was kind of shocked. I held on pretty good but stalled out when I got to the 11. Overall, I am proud of the fight back from our group. Obviously not the first half of the race we wanted and we didn’t get any stage points, but I am proud of the fight and perseverance of the Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang 12-team. We will go on to Texas.”

JOEY LOGANO No. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD MUSTANG

START: 6TH STAGE ONE: 6TH STAGE TWO: 5TH FINISH: 6TH POINTS: 14TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Joey Logano wheeled the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang to a sixth-place finish Sunday afternoon at Martinsville Speedway, marking an even 10-straight races with a top-10 result at the Virginia short track. Logano started from sixth and maintained his track position throughout the 80-lap first stage before crew chief Paul Wolfe made the call for right side tires only during the stage break as the 22-team won the race off pit road to restart Stage 2 from the point. Logano was able to keep the field in his mirror for almost the entirety of the second stage before the left side tires began to wear out as he lost the battle for the lead with 11 laps left in the segment before ultimately coming away with a fifth-place finish in Stage 2. After restarting the final stage from seventh, Logano settled in on four fresh tires as a long, green flag run ensued before the pit cycle began with just over 100 laps to go. Wolfe called Logano to pit road on lap 299 for four tires and fuel and the No. 22 cycled to eighth in the running order as the laps began to wind down. With three laps to go, the caution flag flew for a single-car incident to set up a green-white-checkered finish for the second-consecutive week. Logano took the green flag from the inside of row four and carried the momentum from the low line to cross the line sixth. Logano led a season-high 84 laps on the afternoon while gaining five spots in the driver points standings with the result.

LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “It was a solid day. I think we got fifth or sixth place points in each stage, somewhere around there. We led a bunch of laps. We got out front, but the tire came apart at the end of that stage there, which cost us a stage win, unfortunately. We took that risk to do it and ended up in the same spot that we were going to be, so really no risk there. After that, we kind of lost control of the race, and once that happened, once you lost the lead, nobody was going to pass anybody. The only car I saw passing was the 12. That was pretty impressive. The rest of us just followed each other all day.”

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Texas Motor Speedway for Round 9 of the 2024 season on Sunday, April 14 for the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400. Coverage begins at 3:00 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Buescher Leads RFK with Top-15 at Martinsville

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No. 17 Charges Through Field for Solid P15; Keselowski 24th

RIDGEWAY, Va. (April 7, 2024) – Chris Buescher led the RFK contingent with a 15th-place finish in the BuildSubmarines.com Ford Sunday afternoon at Martinsville Speedway, in a 400-lap race that featured just three non-stage cautions.

Brad Keselowski finished 24th in the Body Guard Ford, and was caught up in an incident with two laps remaining in NASCAR Overtime.

6 Recap
Keselowski had the better of the two RFK qualifying efforts in Saturday’s single-car session, putting the No. 6 car 13th-quickest among the field. Track position reigned early on with no cautions in the opening stage, as the two-time Martinsville winner crossed the line 14th at lap 80.

The No. 6 crew gained two spots on pit road in the first stop of the day, putting Keselowski 12th on the restart for stage two. A debris caution was displayed 20 laps later with Keselowski in 16th, and he restarted there after staying out in that caution break. From there, he finished stage two 25th.

Just two cautions occurred over the final 200 laps, including one with three laps to go with Keselowski in 22nd. He would pit for right side tires in the last opportunity of the day, and apparently sustained left-front damage in the final two laps to finish 24th.

17 Recap
Buescher had ground to make up throughout the race after starting from 30th. He slowly worked his way forward, up to 26th to end the first stage, before firing off 23rd to begin stage two. He took right side tires at lap 115 and went on to end the stage in 22nd (lap 180).

After restarting the stage in 22nd, Buescher’s final pit stop of the day came at lap 299 from 20th, and from there he slowly picked off positions and into the top-15 with 50 laps remaining. Despite the late-race restart, he held on for the 15th-place result, his third-straight at ‘The Paperclip.’

Up Next
Texas Motor Speedway hosts race No. 9 on the season next weekend. Race coverage on Sunday is set for 3:30 p.m. on FS1, with radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

About RFK Racing
RFK Racing, in its 37th season in 2024, features an ownership lineup pairing one of the sport’s most iconic names, Jack Roush, along with NASCAR Champion, Brad Keselowski, and Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry. Roush initially founded the team in 1988 and it has since become one of the most successful racing operations in the world, propelling him to be the first NASCAR owner to amass three hundred wins and capturing eight championships, including back-to-back NASCAR Cup titles in 2003 and 2004. Keselowski, a former owner in the NASCAR Truck Series, is the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. In 2007, Roush partnered with Henry, who also owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C., and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, to form Roush Fenway Racing. Off the track, RFK is a leader and proven winner in NASCAR marketing solutions, having produced multiple award-winning social media, digital content and experiential marketing campaigns. Visit rfkracing.com, and follow the team on all social platforms @rfkracing.

KEVIN RIVENBARK WINS FIRST CONGRUITY NHRA PRO MOD RACE AT CATEGORY’S DEBUT IN PHOENIX

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PHOENIX (April 7, 2024) – In the first-ever appearance for the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+ at Firebird Motorsports Park in Phoenix, Kevin Rivenbark picked up his first career victory in front a sellout crowd as part of this weekend’s 39th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals.

It was the second of 10 races during the 2024 season and this weekend’s event was powered by LAT Racing Oils. Rivenbark knocked off Ken Quartuccio in a matchup of first-time finalists, going 5.746-seconds at 249.76 mph in his Culp Lumber Ford Mustang, grabbing a memorable first victory at NHRA Pro Mod’s debut in Phoenix.

“This is unreal,” Rivenbark said. “It hasn’t set in yet. We’ve run in this class off and on, and we’ve tried to be consistent the last few years, but this year we’re going to make a run for a championship. To get a win at the second race, it’s just remarkable.”

To reach the final round, Rivenbark defeated defending world champion Mike Castellana, Justin Bond and Mason Wright, going a weekend-best 5.738 at 251.02 to reach the finals.

Quartuccio, who qualified second with a 5.678 at 249.72, got to the final for the first time thanks to round wins against Chip King, Lyle Barnett and Billy Banaka.

The Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+ returns to action May 17-19 as part of the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway in Chicago.

CHANDLER, Ariz. — Final finish order (1-16) at the 39th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park. The second of 10 events in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+.

PRO MODIFIED:

  1. Kevin Rivenbark; 2. Ken Quartuccio; 3. Billy Banaka; 4. Mason Wright; 5. Lyle Barnett; 6. JR Gray; 7. Jose Gonzalez; 8. Justin Bond; 9. Khalid alBalooshi; 10. Mike Stavrinos; 11. Jason Lee; 12. Stan Shelton; 13. Mike Castellana; 14. Mike Thielen; 15. Dmitry Samorukov; 16. Chip King.

CHANDLER, Ariz. — Sunday’s final results from the 39th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park. The second of 10 events in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+.

Pro Modified — Kevin Rivenbark, Ford Mustang, 5.746, 249.76 def. Ken Quartuccio, Chevy Camaro, 5.828, 238.47.

CHANDLER, Ariz. — Final round-by-round results from the 39th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park, the second of 10 events in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+.

PRO MODIFIED:

ROUND ONE — Kevin Rivenbark, Ford Mustang, 5.776, 250.23 def. Mike Castellana, Chevy Camaro, 8.600, 105.46; Jose Gonzalez, Camaro, 6.676, 147.44 def. Mike Thielen, Camaro, 9.901, 81.52; Ken Quartuccio, Camaro, 5.731, 249.86 def. Chip King, Dodge Charger, Broke; Billy Banaka, Camaro, 5.738, 252.00 def. Mike Stavrinos, Camaro, 5.895, 242.50; Mason Wright, Camaro, 5.749, 248.84 def. Dmitry Samorukov, Camaro, 11.337, 77.00; JR Gray, Camaro, 6.167, 242.23 def. Stan Shelton, Mustang, 6.296, 234.33; Justin Bond, Camaro, 5.681, 251.11 def. Jason Lee, Camaro, 5.929, 235.06; Lyle Barnett, Camaro, 5.774, 248.66 def. Khalid alBalooshi, Camaro, 5.716, 252.85;

QUARTERFINALS — Wright, 5.766, 247.93 def. Gonzalez, 7.675, 123.71; Quartuccio, 5.756, 249.44 def. Barnett, 5.816, 248.57; Rivenbark, 10.048, 85.60 def. Bond, 31.055, 98.64; Banaka, 5.761, 251.53 def. Gray, 6.238, 219.97;

SEMIFINALS — Rivenbark, 5.738, 251.02 def. Wright, 6.235, 210.70; Quartuccio, 5.748, 248.98 def. Banaka, 5.998, 192.47;

FINAL — Rivenbark, 5.746, 249.76 def. Quartuccio, 5.828, 238.47.

CHANDLER, Ariz. — Point standings (top 10) following the 39th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park, the second of 10 events in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+.

Pro Modified

  1. Jose Gonzalez, 167; 2. Ken Quartuccio, 150; 3. Kevin Rivenbark, 138; 4. Mason Wright, 132; 5. Justin Bond, 117; 6. Mike Thielen, 111; 7. Billy Banaka, 106; 8. Kris Thorne, 94; 9. (tie) JR Gray, 87; Jason Scruggs, 87.

PROCK, LANGDON AND ANDERSON WIN NHRA ARIZONA NATIONALS IN FRONT OF SELLOUT CROWD

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Official Release
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PHOENIX (April 7, 2024) – Austin Prock powered to his first career Funny Car win on Sunday at Firebird Motorsports Park for John Force Racing, driving past Alexis DeJoria in the final round in front of a sellout crowd at the 39th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals.

Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) each won at the third of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Sunday also marked the second straight sellout crowd this weekend.

Prock, who was also the No. 1 qualifier, went 3.952-seconds at 320.74 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS to get past DeJoria in his second final round this season. After defeating Buddy Hull, Daniel Wilkerson and points leader J.R. Todd to reach the finals, Prock led wire-to-wire against DeJoria, becoming just the 19th driver in NHRA history to win in both Top Fuel and Funny Car.

It marked a memorable moment for Prock, especially winning with his father, Jimmy, as the crew chief, and his brother, Thomas, as the car chief.

“This is a huge win,” Prock said. “This car has been running great and we started the year out strong and struggled a little bit last week in Pomona. We had to get some revenge this weekend and we definitely did that. That was a great run in the final round there. That’s a run we were trying to do that all weekend long and just couldn’t piece it all together. For it all to finally come together to get my first Funny Car win means a lot.

“To enter that league (of winning in Top Fuel and Funny Car) with the Don Prudhommes, the Shawn Langdons, the J.R. Todds, the Kenny Bernsteins, who are legends and Hall of Famers, it’s pretty cool to be a part of that. To do it with my family makes it even more special. It was a beautiful day, a packed house and we’re rolling out of here with some gold. What more could you ask for?”

DeJoria reached the finals for the first time this season thanks to round wins against Bob Tasca III, Paul Lee and Blake Alexander.

Shawn Langdon picked up his second Top Fuel win in three races to open the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, this time knocking off Justin Ashley in the final round on Sunday with a run of 3.760 at 318.69 in his 11,000-horsepower Kalitta Air Careers/Toyota dragster. It’s the first career Top Fuel win at Firebird Motorsports Park for Langdon, who also denied Ashley a double-up victory this weekend in Phoenix. Langdon defeated Josh Hart, Antron Brown and No. 1 qualifier Steve Torrence to reach the final round and then posted a brilliant .050 reaction time against Ashley to pick up his 19th career victory.

It’s the first time Langdon has led the points three races in a row since the 2015 campaign as he continues to roll early in the year, again crediting the job first-year crew chief Brian Husen has done.

“When you run a Justin in the final, you know what he’s capable of. He’s the best leaver in the class bar none, so my only focus was just leave with him. and then leave it up to Brian because I have that much confidence in Brian and my guys,” Langdon said. “So when I hit the gas, we left with him, I said, ‘Well, we’ve got a shot,’ and so I just tried to hold it straight and saw the win light and the rest is history.

“It feels great, obviously. I’m just really proud of everybody and all the hard work that went into the offseason. It’s been hard for the last couple of years to struggle. but you just keep your head down, just keep working hard, and eventually, the tide’s going to roll the other way. At some point, you don’t know how long that will be but it’s paying dividends right now.”

Ashley reached his second straight final and 21st overall on the strength of round wins against Tony Schumacher, Doug Kalitta and Tony Stewart, who won his first rounds in Top Fuel on Sunday.

In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson grabbed his first victory of the season in impressive fashion, taking down teammate Dallas Glenn in the final round with a 6.582 at 208.97 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. It’s also the 104th career victory for Anderson and his third career win in Phoenix, winning at Firebird Motorsports Park for the first time since 2017. Anderson defeated Eric Latino, Troy Coughlin Jr. and then No. 1 qualifier and longtime rival Jeg Coughlin Jr. to reach the championship round, posting an impressive .022 reaction time to lead wire-to-wire against his KB Titan Racing teammate.

The early-season win is also a breath of fresh air for Anderson, who remains focused on winning a sixth career world championship. He didn’t pick up a victory last year until late in the season but made sure that didn’t happen again on Sunday in Phoenix.

“This feels great and, honestly, it feels as good as the first,” Anderson said. “It’s just so hard to win in this class anymore and to have the day I had, the weekend I had, I actually a good job behind the wheel. I’m really thrilled with that, but that’s what it takes to win in this class anymore. You have to have the whole total package, you have to have the best car, you have to have the best crew and you have to drive it well.

“We were able to put all three together today on a very, very tricky racetrack. It’s a tough one, but I love those challenges. My crew loves those challenges. You had to be on your toes, so now we’re going to Vegas with a little bit of momentum.”

Glenn, who won the postponed Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals on Saturday in Phoenix, reached the finals for the 19th time in his career and second time this season thanks to round wins against Mason McGaha, Cristian Cuadra and Aaron Stanfield.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action April 12-14 with the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

CHANDLER, Ariz. — Final finish order (1-16) at the 39th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park. The race is the third of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL:

  1. Shawn Langdon; 2. Justin Ashley; 3. Steve Torrence; 4. Tony Stewart; 5. Doug Kalitta; 6. Shawn Reed; 7. Billy Torrence; 8. Antron Brown; 9. Tony Schumacher; 10. Clay Millican; 11. Terry Totten; 12. Josh Hart; 13. Travis Shumake; 14. Brittany Force; 15. Jasmine Salinas; 16. Krista Baldwin.

FUNNY CAR:

  1. Austin Prock; 2. Alexis DeJoria; 3. J.R. Todd; 4. Blake Alexander; 5. John Force; 6. Daniel Wilkerson; 7. Bobby Bode; 8. Paul Lee; 9. Cruz Pedregon; 10. Matt Hagan; 11. Chad Green; 12. Buddy Hull; 13. Ron Capps; 14. Jim Campbell; 15. Bob Tasca III; 16. Jeff Diehl.

PRO STOCK:

  1. Greg Anderson; 2. Dallas Glenn; 3. Aaron Stanfield; 4. Jeg Coughlin; 5. Erica Enders; 6. Jerry Tucker; 7. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 8. Cristian Cuadra; 9. Deric Kramer; 10. Chris McGaha; 11. Eric Latino; 12. Brandon Foster; 13. Mason McGaha; 14. Matt Hartford; 15. Kenny Delco; 16. David Cuadra.

CHANDLER, Ariz. — Sunday’s final results from the 39th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park. The race is the third of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel — Shawn Langdon, 3.760 seconds, 318.69 mph def. Justin Ashley, 3.849 seconds, 324.98 mph.

Funny Car — Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.952, 320.74 def. Alexis DeJoria, Toyota GR Supra, 4.049, 316.90.

Pro Stock — Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.582, 208.97 def. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.618, 208.91.

Super Stock — Ryan McClanahan, Chevy Cobalt, 8.471, 154.86 def. Brad Burton, Pontiac Firebird, 9.340, 135.27.

Stock Eliminator — Tony Marconi, Plymouth Demon, 10.927, 116.44 def. Mike Cotten,Plymouth Duster, 11.042, 118.72.

Super Comp — Madison Payne, Dragster, 10.840, 88.24 def. Tim Parker, Dragster, Broke.

Super Gas — Evan Kowalski, Chevy Corvette, 9.926, 156.34 def. John Dexter, Corvette, 9.966, 144.97.

Super Street — Keith Manogue, ChevyNova, 10.892, 140.23 def. Matthew Bong, Ford ustang, 10.856, 134.28.

Top Sportsman — Allen Firestone, Chevy Camaro, 6.420, 207.98 def. Bryan Warr, Camaro, 6.755, 203.65.

Top Dragster — Thomas Bayer, Dragster, 6.151, 211.89 def. Dylon Hough, Dragster, 6.662, 199.17.

Pro Modified — Kevin Rivenbark, Ford Mustang, 5.746, 249.76 def. Ken Quartuccio, Chevy Camaro, 5.828, 238.47.

Legends Nostalgia Funny Car presented by Modern Warriors — Geoff Monise, Pontiac Firebird, 4.755, 238.68 def. Bobby Cottrell, Chevy Camaro, 4.810, 230.02.

CHANDLER, Ariz. — Final round-by-round results from the 39th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park, the third of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE — Billy Torrence, 4.733, 160.79 def. Krista Baldwin, 10.331, 75.81; Shawn Reed, 3.791, 324.36 def. Jasmine Salinas, 6.880, 83.16; Justin Ashley, 3.804, 328.22 def. Tony Schumacher, 3.791, 325.69; Tony Stewart, 4.163, 260.56 def. Brittany Force, 6.396, 94.92; Doug Kalitta, 3.993, 247.25 def. Terry Totten, 3.978, 285.53; Steve Torrence, 3.829, 327.90 def. Travis Shumake, 4.504, 191.73; Antron Brown, 3.804, 327.35 def. Clay Millican, 3.898, 271.35; Shawn Langdon, 18.546, 53.50 def. Josh Hart, Foul – Red Light;

QUARTERFINALS — Stewart, 3.978, 250.46 def. B. Torrence, 7.844, 67.89; S. Torrence, 3.835, 322.04 def. Reed, 4.867, 158.26; Langdon, 3.823, 322.88 def. Brown, 9.059, 85.10; Ashley, 3.825, 326.00 def. Kalitta, 3.866, 307.37;

SEMIFINALS — Ashley, 3.844, 323.74 def. Stewart, 3.885, 316.45; Langdon, 3.870, 316.52 def. S. Torrence, 3.851, 324.90;

FINAL — Langdon, 3.760, 318.69 def. Ashley, 3.849, 324.98.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE — Alexis DeJoria, Toyota GR Supra, 4.108, 286.44 def. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 8.310, 86.16; Paul Lee, Dodge Charger, 3.973, 320.97 def. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Camry, Foul – Red Light; Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 4.398, 277.83 def. Buddy Hull, Charger, 4.673, 184.80; John Force, Camaro, 3.991, 314.75 def. Jim Campbell, Chevy Monte Carlo, 6.551, 97.64; J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.936, 324.05 def. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 4.023, 314.83; Blake Alexander, Mustang, 4.525, 293.15 def. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 5.055, 182.33; Bobby Bode, Mustang, 4.027, 315.19 def. Chad Green, Mustang, 4.141, 276.01; Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.949, 324.28 def. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.043, 310.48;

QUARTERFINALS — DeJoria, 4.043, 309.20 def. Bode, 9.485, 81.25; Alexander, 7.874, 73.62 def. Lee, Broke; Prock, 4.053, 280.54 def. Wilkerson, 7.514, 98.44; Todd, 4.003, 319.90 def. Force, 4.036, 317.64;

SEMIFINALS — DeJoria, 4.060, 313.44 def. Alexander, 8.463, 85.30; Prock, 3.999, 315.34 def. Todd, 4.010, 320.97;

FINAL — Prock, 3.952, 320.74 def. DeJoria, 4.049, 316.90.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE — Jerry Tucker, Chevy Camaro, 6.652, 209.26 def. David Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 18.511, 43.37; Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.620, 209.52 def. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 14.598, 70.91; Cristian Cuadra, Mustang, 6.607, 208.62 def. Brandon Foster, Camaro, 6.626, 207.34; Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.587, 209.59 def. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.586, 208.81; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.569, 209.56 def. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.621, 209.14; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.572, 209.23 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 7.041, 157.71; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.558, 209.69 def. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.619, 208.71; Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.552, 210.11 def. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 7.538, 157.28;

QUARTERFINALS — Glenn, 9.668, 148.28 def. C. Cuadra, Foul – Red Light; Anderson, 6.586, 209.33 def. Coughlin Jr., 17.087, 48.43; Stanfield, 6.877, 197.94 def. Enders, 7.076, 207.05; Coughlin, 6.619, 209.20 def. Tucker, 9.417, 101.81;

SEMIFINALS — Glenn, 6.635, 208.42 def. Stanfield, 6.798, 208.39; Anderson, 6.612, 208.78 def. Coughlin, 10.928, 103.10;

FINAL — Anderson, 6.582, 208.97 def. Glenn, 6.618, 208.91.

CHANDLER, Ariz. — Point standings (top 10) following the 39th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park, the third of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series –

Top Fuel

  1. Shawn Langdon, 295; 2. Justin Ashley, 259; 3. Steve Torrence, 225; 4. Billy Torrence, 212; 5. Antron Brown, 167; 6. Doug Kalitta, 166; 7. Tony Schumacher, 165; 8. Brittany Force, 146; 9. Tony Stewart, 134; 10. (tie) Josh Hart, 116.

Shawn Reed, 116.

Funny Car

  1. J.R. Todd, 262; 2. Austin Prock, 260; 3. John Force, 211; 4. Matt Hagan, 189; 5. Ron Capps, 170; 6. Bob Tasca III, 155; 7. Paul Lee, 146; 8. Alexis DeJoria, 144; 9. Chad Green, 140; 10. Daniel Wilkerson, 120.

Pro Stock

  1. Dallas Glenn, 295; 2. Erica Enders, 291; 3. Greg Anderson, 267; 4. Jeg Coughlin, 175; 5. Cristian Cuadra, 168; 6. Aaron Stanfield, 159; 7. David Cuadra, 136; 8. Brandon Foster, 131; 9. Troy Coughlin Jr., 122; 10. Matt Hartford, 121.

Pro Modified

  1. Jose Gonzalez, 167; 2. Ken Quartuccio, 150; 3. Kevin Rivenbark, 138; 4. Mason Wright, 132; 5. Justin Bond, 117; 6. Mike Thielen, 111; 7. Billy Banaka, 106; 8. Kris Thorne, 94; 9. (tie) JR Gray, 87; Jason Scruggs, 87.

NHRA AT PHOENIX: Team Chevy Race Report

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Official Release
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CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2024 NHRA ARIZONA NATIONALS
FIREBIRD MOTORSPORTS PARK
CHANDLER, ARIZONA
TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE | NOTES & QUOTES
APRIL 7, 2024

CHEVROLET CAPTURES THREE NHRA WALLY TROPHIES IN PHOENIX, WITH AUSTIN PROCK AND JOHN FORCE IN FUNNY CAR, AND GREG ANDERSON IN PRO STOCK

Notes:

  • Austin Prock, driver of the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, raced to his first NHRA Funny Car victory, capturing the Arizona Nationals Wally trophy over Alexis DeJoria to give John Force Racing their second event win of the weekend after John Force, driver of the PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, won over Matt Hagan in the weather delayed NHRA Winternationals Finals from Pomona.
  • Prock’s win in Phoenix Sunday earned Chevrolet their 161st NHRA Funny Car victory since 1967, the 81st for Team Chevy in a Camaro-bodied Funny Car.
  • Prock kicked off the Arizona Nationals race day from the No. 1 position, qualifying at the top of the leaderboard, with his run of 3.840 seconds E.T. at 334.40 mph earning his second Funny Car No. 1 qualifier and of the 2024 season, and fifth career in NHRA (four in Top Fuel).
  • In Saturday’s Q3, the completion of Pomona’s final round resulted in J. Force, racing to victory over Matt Hagan to capture his 156th-career victory, as well as Chevrolet’s 160th Funny Car victory since 1967, Team Chevy’s 80th in a Camaro-bodied car, and Force’s 20th for Chevrolet.
  • Force Sunday later drove to a Round 2 appearance in the Arizona Nationals, defeated in a close race by J.R. Todd with Force’s run of 4.036 seconds E.T. at 317.64 mph not enough for Todd’s 4.003 seconds E.T. at 319.90 mph.
  • Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, led the John Force Racing team for Chevrolet in qualifying for Sunday’s Arizona Nationals with her pass of 3.689-seconds E.T. at 334.90 mph to put her on the race day ladders at No. 2. Despite strong qualifying, B. Force fell to Tony Stewart in Round 1.
  • Greg Anderson, capturing his 104th national event win in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock car, raced to the Arizona Nationals Wally trophy over Dallas Glenn with his run of 6.582 seconds E.T. at 208.97 mph to Glenn’s 6.618 seconds E.T. at 208.91 mph. Anderson’s win on Sunday gives Chevrolet their 385th Pro Stock victory since 1970 and the 266th in the Camaro.
  • Dallas Glenn, driver of the RAD Torque Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock, defeated Erica Enders in the Pomona finals conclusion during Arizona Nationals’ qualifying to earn his ninth career NHRA victory in Pro Stock, as well as Chevrolet’s 384th Pro Stock victory since 1970 and the 265th in the Camaro.

Quotes:

BRITTANY FORCE, DRIVER OF THE MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET TOP FUEL DRAGSTER:

“Starting off strong in Phoenix, we secured a second-place qualification and consistently made good runs. Unfortunately, our fortune shifted on race day when we were eliminated in the first round due to driving into smoke. However, we’re looking forward to testing tomorrow, planning to complete four laps in the heat, which should be beneficial before heading to Las Vegas. Speaking of Vegas, it’s a place we’ve had success in the past and we’re eager to return. The four-wide format there will definitely mix things up, but I believe the testing in Phoenix will have us well-prepared.”

AUSTIN PROCK, DRIVER OF THE CORNWELL TOOLS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR:

“This is huge. All you want to do is make your parents proud, and I sure hope they’re proud because I definitely am. My dad (crew chief Jimmy Prock) and Thomas (Prock) are doing a great along with Nate Hildahl, this whole Cornwell team, and a big win for Chevrolet. A double-up for John Force Racing this weekend, and man, the days don’t get much better than this. What more could you ask for? We’re rolling out of here with some gold, baby.”

THOMAS PROCK, CREW CHIEF AND BROTHER OF AUSTIN PROCK:

“This is amazing. This has been a tough day. Anybody who’s gone down this track with four runs in a row, they deserve an award. This is great for Cornwell Tools, for our company. We’ve had a great start to this year. I’m so proud of this team. My brother has just done a phenomenal job driving this thing. He deserves a lot of credit. He saved our butts first round, and I’m just excited to celebrate. We’re testing tomorrow, and we’re going to try and a little better.”

JIMMY PROCK, CREW CHIEF AND FATHER OF AUSTIN PROCK, on Prock’s driving so far in Funny Car: “He’s still learning, but he’s adapting and he’s changing. He’s doing a really good job.”

JOHN FORCE, DRIVER OF THE PEAK ANTIFREEZE & COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR:

“It was a fantastic weekend for Cornwell Tools and Chevrolet, clinching a victory like that, especially with Prock landing his first NHRA Funny Car win. It’s a big deal.We had to navigate through some changes, with Robert Hight, a three-time champion, stepping back for a bit. But everything’s aligning well for John Force Racing. Our top priority has always been looking after our sponsors, and this win certainly does that. Clinching the victory in Pomona yesterday was thrilling. It’s still early in the season, but this win sets a positive tone we’re all proud of. Yet, we’re mindful of the fierce competition out there; we’ve got our work cut out for us.Prock’s got a solid team behind him, with his dad and brother in the mix. Robert’s been sharing his wisdom about the car, much like he does with me, and it’s paying off. The kid’s got a background in dirt racing before moving to Top Fuel with us, and he’s had stints in our Funny Car too. Transitioning to a new team in Top Fuel was a challenge, but now he’s backed by a seasoned team, and they’re really complementing each other well. I’m incredibly proud of him for securing these victories for Chevrolet and all our sponsors. It’s all part of the job, but it sure was a great weekend for John Force Racing.”

GREG ANDERSON, DRIVER OF THE HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS PRO STOCK:

“It’s special. It’s been a while. It’s been a tough race track all weekend. My crew did a fantastic job. We managed the race track. We just flat out raced (Glenn). I just can’t thank them enough. I got a little extra pump today. I was watching the NASCAR race at Martinsville, and my teammates at Hendrick were 1-2-3. So, I felt like, you know what, if I don’t win, I’m the weak link in the chain. A lot of pressure there, but I love that. I love the extra pressure. Thank you, Mr. (Hendrick). A great day for you, and a great day for me too. Team Hendrick, baby. Thank you so much. Thank you, Hendrick Cars, Chevrolet, everybody that helps us. Thank you so much. Mac Tools. I love this stuff.”

AUSTIN PROCK, CORNWELL TOOLS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR – NHRA Arizona Nationals Funny Car Winner Press Conference:

“This is a huge win. This car has been running great, and we started the year out strong. We struggled a little bit last weekend and had to get some revenge this weekend. We definitely did that. That was a great run in the final round there. We were trying to do that all weekend long. Just couldn’t piece it together but it finally all came together. To get my first Funny Car win and enter a league of its own with the Don Prudhommes, the Shawn Langdons, the J.R. Todds, the Kenny Bernsteins, all these people that are legends and future hall of famers, it’s pretty cool to be a part of that small group. To do it with my family makes it even more special. There hadn’t been a bad day at the race track, even last weekend when we struggled. You never want to struggle, but when you get to race with your family, there’s never a bad day out here. Everyone’s just doing an outstanding job. We earned this one today. Had to pedal it first round, dropped holes, legged it as long as I could, almost took the fence out. Then we go up there and I was dead late against JR (Todd) and the Prock Rocket bailed me out. We put it all together there in the final. I chopped the tree down and the thing hauled the mail. We definitely earned it. These Funny Cars are no joke. I said at the top end this is by far the hardest car I’ve ever driven and most competitive class I’ve ever driven in. I’ve been racing since I was 10 years old. There’s nothing funny about a Funny Car.”

You say this is the most challenging car you’ve driven yet you win your first in just your third race. It took you 16 races to win in Top Fuel. What’s the difference?

“In my Top Fuel career, I worked with some wonderful people. Very brilliant, smart people, but we never really had a fair shot at running back-to-back seasons with the same group of people and that really crippled our performance, I feel. If you name any one of the crew chiefs I worked with, if we had back-to-back years, I think we could’ve really done some damage. When you fall into a golden pot like I did this year into a championship-contending car every year it goes out there, the thing is just bad fast and I’m hanging on and trying to learn as fast as I can. It’s definitely been a crash course, but I’m doing the best I can. That’s all you can ask.”

Did you have a mental idea of how long it would take for you to win?

“I knew the car was capable of it. I was sure I wasn’t going to be the weak link. I’m just hanging on for dear life, and like I said, do the best I can. Today was the W.”

With a tough class and tough field, did you think it would take this short to get your first Funny Car win?

“If you don’t believe in yourself, you shouldn’t be here. This is a very competitive class, and if you don’t believe in yourself, you’re not going to be competitive. You’ve got to walk around here believing you can do it, walk with your chin up, take your punches, and try and swing some back. That’s all I’ve been doing. I’ve just been trying to be a sponge. The tough thing about drag racing is you don’t get another lap to fix it. You go up there, and you’ve got to be perfect. If you make a mistake, you’ve got to sit around for three hours or more, and then go up there and make sure you don’t make it again. That’s what makes drag racing so tough. I’ve just been focused. I’ve got the best people in my corner. We’ve got the best sponsors, and the best parts and pieces. I’m just trying not to mess it up essentially. It’s working. I’ve been able to showcase my talent in a really tough field in a tough car.”

Talk about, while it being a short time from January to April, about your comfort level in the car…

“I’m getting more comfortable every lap, but the thing is every time you get comfortable, this thing tries to do something crazy on you. It’s like in first round, I pedaled the thing, it was beautiful. Couldn’t have done much better. Straight down there, had holes out, got the round win and then I’m like, ‘Man, I’ve got to hang on.’ Next round, it goes out there, drops holes and I about knocked the fence down. I get the finish line board. Almost crashed the car but got the win. Every time you think you’ve got a handle on it, but you don’t, and that’s what makes this category so tough.”

JOHN FORCE, PEAK CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR – NHRA Winternationals Funny Car Winner Press Conference:

Longtime coming to get back in the winner’s circle. You had to wait a couple of weeks from the weather delay, but how exciting is it to get the Winternationals win?

“The best was the sold-out crowd. I love that. Of course, who doesn’t love racing The Hulk (Matt Hagan)? He’s an animal out there. I’ve been struggling. I mean, (J.R.) Todd got me. I think my car ran quick as quick, probably ran quicker. But I got my mind right. I said, ‘how bad do you want to win?’ The only thing that was changing is you could make up a story in your head, but what was really happening was I was mad. I was mad at myself saying ‘you just need to get out of the seat, you’re too old for this stuff, or get out there and fight the fight.’ I did, and things went right, and I got the win. So I’m excited. It’s Pomona, that’s always… where my family and all of us grew up on that race track. It was really exciting, but I just… I’m excited.”

You’ve raced, obviously, at Pomona for a very long time, and you raced here at Phoenix (where the final was concluded) since the first race. Is there any level of extra comfort you have here?

“You know, it’s funny. Trying to keep my mind right, and I’m sick to my stomach every morning, and just ask ‘why am I stressed?’ Because I dream. Once you get to the race track, I’m well, but I still want that carrot. I still want to win. All of a sudden, something goes right and you don’t know why. Once I get in the race car, I’m home, it’s where I feel right. That’s when the stomach aches go away. Just getting in yesterday was a big deal knowing you could make the show and you could go race. You try to run three races in one and all of a sudden you don’t qualify because you smoked the tires. That’s painful. We got away with it. I’ve got a great team with Daniel Hood and Cunningham has joined us. We’ve got a bunch of young kids who really still believe in me, and do care about me. My wife Laurie and my grandsons, Jacob and Noah, are here. We go the win.”

How excited are you, today, versus the first time you’ve ran?

“The hard part is thinking I have to give it up. You have to sooner or later. You just can’t go until you fall in the dirt. To have a day like this… First of all, I can’t remember the first day I had my first win. I think it was in Montreal. But the point is, you get this, and all of a sudden, your life is back. I could see my wife (in the Top End) with the two boys after we won with a gleam in her eyes. She was happy for me, because she knows what I go through in the middle of the night sitting up in bed. It gets old. This, this fixes you.”

Your last win came just before your 73rd birthday. This one is shortly before your 75th. How do you feel?

“I better take it now (laughs). I just realized I’m going to be 75 in another month, and I’m doing some serious thinking where I’m going. But moods change you, and my mood has changed right now. It’s a win, and I’ve had lots of wins. But I’ve watched these young kids, and I’ve got some drivers I’m talking to. There’s something coming; I’ll let you all know.”

Up Next:

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series heads to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, April 12-14, 2024. Friday qualifying airs April 12 at 11 p.m. ET, with Saturday’s qualifying airing Sunday at 11 a.m. ET. Sunday’s eliminations wrap up the weekend, with finals broadcasting at 7 p.m. ET. All sessions from Firebird Motorsports Park air with NHRA on FOX on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Coverage streams live throughout the weekend on NHRA.tv, and is available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.

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.

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America NHRA Phoenix Post-Race Report – 04.07.24

By
Official Release
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LANGDON CAPTURES VICTORY AT ARIZONA NATIONALS
Toyota earns third straight Top Fuel victory to start 2024; fourth consecutive overall

CHANDLER, Ariz. (April 7, 2024) – Shawn Langdon took home the Wally Trophy at the NHRA Arizona Nationals by defeating Toyota teammate, Justin Ashley, in the finals Sunday afternoon at Firebird Motorsports Park. Today’s triumph is Langdon’s second win in three races to kick off 2024 and is the 19th victory of his career. Ashley’s final round appearance caps off a solid weekend for the New York native, in which he also won the postponed Winternationals final from two weeks ago.

In Funny Car, Alexis DeJoria led the Toyota GR Supra contingent by making the final round on Sunday – her first finals appearance since the Mile High Nationals last summer. The Texan was defeated by Austin Prock in a nail-biting final. J.R. Todd followed up his Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory yesterday by taking his DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car to the semifinals, falling to Prock by 0.011 of a second.

The final round appearances by Ashley, Langdon and DeJoria extended Toyota’s final round streak to 26 consecutive in the Top Fuel and Funny Car categories.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
NHRA Arizona Nationals
Firebird Motorsports Park
Race 3 of 20

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS 

NameCarFinal ResultRound-by-Round
Shawn LangdonKalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel DragsterWinnerW (18.456) v. J. Hart (4.182 – red light) W (3.823) v. A. Brown (9.059) W (3.870 – holeshot) v. S. Torrence (3.851) W (3.760) v. J. Ashley (3.849)
Justin AshleySCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel DragsterFinalistW (3.804 – holeshot) v. T. Schumacher (3.791) W (3.825) v. D. Kalitta (3.866) W (3.844) v. T. Stewart (3.885) L (3.849) v. S. Langdon (3.760)
Steve TorrenceCAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSemi-finalsW (3.829) v. T. Schumake (4.504) W (3.835) v. S. Reed (4.867) L (3.851) v. S. Langdon (3.870 – holeshot)
Doug KalittaSealmaster Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSecond RoundW (3.993 – holeshot) v. T. Totten (3.978) L (3.866) v. J. Ashley (3.825)
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSecond RoundW (3.804) v. C. Millican (3.898) L (9.059) v. S. Langdon (3.823)
Billy TorrenceCAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSecond RoundW (4.733) v. K. Baldwin (10.331) L (7.844) v. T. Stewart (3.978)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS 

NameCarFinal ResultRound-by-Round
Alexis DeJoriaBandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny CarFinalistW (4.108) v. B. Tasca III (8.310) W (4.043) v. B. Bode (9.485) W (4.060) v. B. Alexander (8.463) L (4.049) v. A. Prock (3.952)
J.R. ToddDHL Toyota GR Supra Funny CarSemi-finalsW (3.936) v. C. Pedregon (4.023) W (4.003) v. J. Force (4.036) L (4.010) v. A. Prock (3.999)
Ron CappsNAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny CarFirst RoundL (5.055) v. B. Alexander (4.525)

*= Non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

SHAWN LANGDON, Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports

TF Final Result: Winner

It seemed like a picture-perfect day for your team, would you say?

“You know, it really was. This whole Kalitta Air team, from Connie (Kalitta, team owner, Kalitta Motorsports), Chad Head (general manager, Kalitta Motorsports), to Brian Husen (crew-chief) coming over this year. Brian’s done such a fantastic job making some crew changes and the crew has been absolutely flawless. They’ve given me a picture-perfect car all year long. First round, we had a little bit of a weird hiccup and I had to do the idle of shame down the race track. The rest of the runs went a lot smoother. I know in the final, Justin (Ashley) and that whole SCAG group over there with Tommy (DeLago, crew chief) and Mike Green (co-crew chief), they’re a tough bunch. I was thinking in my head, ‘I just got to lead Justin and let Brian do his work.’ So when I hit the gas, I said, ‘Well, we got a shot.’ So, congrats to Brian, the whole Kalitta Air team, everyone at Toyota, DHL, Revchem. Two out of three is not bad, but we’re ready for more.”

ALEXIS DEJORIA, Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, DC Motorsports

FC Final Result: Finalist

Can you describe your day and weekend overall?

“What a way to turn it around. This is a complete ‘rags to riches’ event for us. We had a hard time qualifying, had a hard time getting it down the race track. We moved some things around, Del (Worsham, crew chief) went through the car because it was just being finnicky and it wasn’t listening to anything we were trying to do to it. But, he figured it out, the guys got it all together and we got qualified in the 15th spot. You’ve just got to qualify; you’ve got to get in it to have a shot to win it, and that’s exactly what we did. To tell you that I thought we were going to make it to the finals today, was not very likely but again, anything can happen if you just stay focused and have faith, and I have the utmost faith in my team. I know what we’re capable of, we’ve done it before. It was a great way to come back from not being able to get down the race track. Got to the finals, leaving here in the eighth position, heading to Las Vegas for the Four-Wide Nationals. That’s another great track where we’ve had success. I just have to say how proud I am of my team, my crew chief Del Worsham, and assistant crew chief Matt Bynum for keeping it together. It’s been really frustrating for all of us. We’re better than what we’ve shown the last few races and this is a testament to how good we really are. We’ve got our car back.”

About Toyota 

Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands, and directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America (more than 49,000 in the U.S.).

Over the past 65 years, Toyota has assembled nearly 45 million cars and trucks in North America at the company’s 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, the company’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

Through our more than 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.), Toyota sold more than 2.4 million cars and trucks (more than 2.1 million in the U.S.) in 2022, of which, nearly one quarter were electrified vehicles (full battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell).

CHEVROLET NCS: Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Claim Memorable Victory at Martinsville Speedway

By
Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
COOK OUT 400
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT
APRIL 7, 2024

Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Claim Memorable Victory at Martinsville Speedway

  • Enduring a green-white-checkered finish, it was William Byron and the No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 team that claimed the checkered-flag in the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway.
  • The victory marked Byron’s series-leading third win of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, and the Team Chevy driver’s 13th career victory in 224 starts in NASCAR’s premier series.
  • Already the winningest manufacturer and organization in NASCAR Cup Series’ history at Martinsville Speedway, Byron’s victory extended each series-leading win record at the track – recording Chevrolet’s 61st NCS victory and Hendrick Motorsports’ 29th NCS victory at the .526-mile Virginia short-track.
  • Byron delivered Chevrolet its fifth victory in eight points-paying NASCAR Cup Series races this season; and the manufacturer’s 856th all-time victory in NASCAR’s premier series.
  • All four Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1’s placed in the top-10 of the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway, with Byron leading the organization to a sweep of the top-three finishing positions. The feat marks the first time in series’ history that an organization has swept the podium at Martinsville Speedway.

 TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10:
POS. DRIVER
1st William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Ruby Camaro ZL1
2nd Kyle Larson, No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Ruby Camaro ZL1
3rd Chase Elliott, No. 9 UniFirst Ruby Camaro ZL1
8th Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Ruby Camaro ZL1

 RIDGEWAY, Va. (April 7, 2024) – William Byron and the No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 team delivered Hendrick Motorsports yet another monumental victory in the organization’s 40th anniversary season – enduring a green-white-checkered finish to claim the victory in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway.

Martinsville Speedway holds a special place in Hendrick Motorsports’ NASCAR history as the site of the organization’s first victory. Now, 40 years later, the winningest organization in NASCAR Cup Series’ history only solidified its lasting legacy with Byron taking Hendrick Motorsports back to victory lane at the .526-mile Virginia venue – delivering the organization its series-leading 29th NASCAR Cup Series victory at the track.

Byron’s monumental victory brought Hendrick Motorsports to its 305th all-time victory and Chevrolet’s 856th all-time victory in NASCAR’s premier series – extending their record as the winningest manufacturer and team partnership in series’ history.

“On behalf of everyone at Chevrolet, congratulations to Rick and the entire Hendrick Motorsports organization on such a special win at Martinsville Speedway,” said Jim Campbell, General Motors U.S. Vice President of Performance and Motorsports. “40 years ago, Geoff Bodine’s victory at Martinsville started a legacy that’s led Hendrick Motorsports to the title as the winningest organization in NASCAR Cup Series history with 305 victories and 14 championships – all in partnership with Chevrolet.”

Byron also led the organization to a series-first record at Martinsville Speedway, with a one-two-three finish by Bryon and his teammates Kyle Larson (second) and Chase Elliott (third) marking the first time that an organization swept the top-three finishing positions in a NASCAR Cup Series race at the .526-mile Virginia venue.

“Today’s win by William Byron and the No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 is extremely special for everyone at Chevrolet,” added Campbell. “We congratulate Rick and Hendrick Motorsports on 40 years of success.”

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season will continue at Texas Motor Speedway with the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 on Sunday, April 14, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage of the 267-lap event can be found on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

 
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:

William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Ruby Camaro ZL1

Finished: 1st

HOW SPECIAL IS THIS TO YOU TO DELIVER THIS WIN TO EVERYONE AT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS?

“Yeah, it’s awesome and it’s way bigger than me. There are so many men and women that this is a tribute to with all the hard work in the shop. It’s just a really good environment to work in. They have built something so special over the years, and I am thankful to be a part of it and drive the No. 24. It’s pretty special.”

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE PATIENCE YOU HAD TO COME FROM 18TH TO CONTEND FOR THE LEAD?

“It wasn’t pretty. The first stage, we were pretty good – coming from the back and getting up to eighth or ninth. And then we stalled out. We had a couple of pit stops not go our way and then we got too tight. We just had to keep working on that and we eventually got this No. 24 Axalta Chevy where it needed to be; get it turning and doing what it needed to do. Just really proud of the team.”

WHAT DID YOU TELL YOURSELF AND WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THAT GREEN – WHITE – CHECKERED?

“I knew the shot was going to come from behind and that is just the way it is here. I used a little bit more of the racetrack in (turns) one and two to make sure I could get clear off of two and he gave me a shot over there. We raced pretty clean. He gave me a chance to make the corner and that is all you can ask for.”

Kyle Larson, No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Ruby Camaro ZL1

Finished: 2nd

SUMMARIZE YOUR RACE DAY HERE THIS AFTERNOON.

“Yeah, it pretty alright I guess. We had great track position from qualifying, so I was able to maintain that all race and get that Stage One win, which was great. We kind of just lost a few spots there in Stage Two and was never really able to overcome that small track position loss.

But William (Byron), he did a really good job. He was able to pass cars and they pitted a lap before we did during the green-flag cycle. I really thought that helped him carve his way to the lead because his tires were just ready before ours were. He did a good job; kind of schooled us all and deserved to win. So that was really cool to see him win.

Really awesome to have an HMS top-three on a day like today, with what it means to the company and celebrating 40 years; having all the Hendrick Motorsports’ employees here with their families to celebrate with. It will be a long night of celebrating and taking pictures and all that, but we are excited for Hendrick Motorsports and I am happy to contribute to a good day.”

Chase Elliott, No. 9 UniFirst Ruby Camaro ZL1

Finished: 3rd

DESCRIBE THAT OVERTIME RESTART AND WHAT DID YOU NEEDED TO GET BY YOUR TEAMMATE?

“I just burnt the rear tires off of it a little bit too much. I had an opportunity. I kind of got William (Byron) up off the bottom and I had a shot at him off of (turn) four, but I just couldn’t get the power down to get underneath him. Really cool for HMS to get a win on the 40th (anniversary) weekend. Wish it could have been us, but I am proud of a couple top fives these last couple weeks. We’ll try to keep it rolling.”

IT LOOKED LIKE YOU GAVE IT EVERYTHING YOU HAD ON THAT LAST RESTART AND JUST COULDN’T QUITE GET THERE AND UNFORTUNATELY LOST A SPOT WHEN IT WAS ALL SAID AND DONE.

“Obviously number one, congrats to William (Byron) and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. Rick and Linda (Hendrick), Jeff (Gordon), Jeff (Andrews), Chad (Knaus) and all the people that put this together for us. They have an unbelievable program and I think we are all proud to call home. It was awesome hosting over 1,000 people from Hendrick today; employees and their families. Glad one of us could get it done. Obviously wish we could have got it done, selfishly, like anybody would.

But it is nice to have a good couple of solid weeks and being in contention for a win. We haven’t been in contention to win one for a while, so kind of nice to get to that last restart when it actually mattered. So, enjoyed that aspect and certainly hungry for more.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Lucas Oil Camaro ZL1

Finished: 16th

“We made an improvement this weekend from how we ran last year at Martinsville Speedway. The first run of the race the Lucas Oil Chevrolet got looser as went. We pitted for tires and adjustments and the next run we were a little free everywhere but tight at the three-quarter mark of Turns 3 and 4. At the end of Stage 2 we pitted again but the adjustments didn’t seem to work, and we lost track positions. Crew Chief Randall Burnett and the guys kept working and never gave up. We made the car better by the end of the race and we were able to get a decent finish, but we still have work to do to get to where we want to be.”

Daniel Hemric, No. 31 Cirkul Camaro ZL1

Finished: 28th

“Today was a hard-fought one. We started out super tight, and I felt like I just killed the right-side tires early on. Trent [Owens] made some great calls, and we continued to get the No. 31 Cirkul Chevy close to where it needed to be during the second stage. We tried gambling a little and running long during the final stage, but unfortunately, we never caught a caution. I’m definitely proud of the hard work this team put in this weekend that we can bring back here in the fall. We definitely made the car more competitive and are going in the right direction.”

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Camaro ZL1

Finished: 34th

“Long day for the Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off-Road Chevrolet team at Martinsville Speedway. We had a problem with a left front tire locking up and I think the power steering was going out pretty much the whole race. When it went out with about 200 laps to go, I had to fight hard to gain positions. I can at least say I finished the race with no power steering, I’m going to be a little sore tomorrow, but we’ll keep fighting. It’s not the finish we wanted today, but we will go to Texas Motor Speedway next week to try and regain some momentum.”

 
 
 

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.

What Does It Mean To Total Your Car?

By
SM
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Photo by Clark Van Der Beken on Unsplash

In the unfortunate event of a car accident, one of the terms you might encounter is “totaling” your car. It’s a concept that can be confusing and stressful for many car owners. However, understanding what it means to total your car and what steps to take can help someone navigate this challenging situation with clarity and confidence.

Definition of Totaling a Car

When a car is totaled, it essentially means that the cost of repairing the vehicle exceeds its value before the accident. This determination is usually made by insurance companies, who use specific criteria to assess the extent of damage and the feasibility of repairs. The car’s current value will factor in depreciation and will more than likely, not be the amount you bought it for. Cars can be categorized in one of two ways. They can either be a “total loss,” meaning they are beyond repair, or “repairable,” where repairs are feasible but costly.

Factors Contributing to a Car Being Totaled

Several factors come into play when determining whether a car is totaled. The primary consideration is the cost of repairs compared to the car’s pre-accident value. If the cost of repairs exceeds a certain percentage (often around 70% to 80%) of the car’s value, it is likely to be declared totaled. This percentage may vary from state to state. Additionally, insurance companies take into account salvage value—the amount they could recoup by selling the damaged vehicle for parts or scrap.

Understanding the Total Loss Formula

Insurance companies use a formula known as the total loss formula to calculate whether a car should be deemed totaled. This formula considers factors such as the cost of repairs, salvage value, and pre-accident value of the vehicle.

For example, we’ll say your vehicle’s fair market value is $20,000. The insurance company approaches a salvage yard to see what it would pay for your wrecked car. Let’s say the salvage value comes to $7,000. Subtracting $7,000 from $20,000, leaves $13,000. In this example, if the estimated repairs exceed $13,000, the insurance company would total your car. 

By plugging in these variables, insurers can assess whether it makes financial sense to repair the car or declare it a total loss.

What Happens When Your Car is Totaled

If your car is deemed totaled, there are several consequences to consider. Firstly, you’ll receive a payout from your insurance company based on the car’s pre-accident value minus any deductible you may have. However, it’s essential to understand that this payout might not cover the full cost of purchasing a replacement vehicle. Additionally, once your car is totaled, its resale value may decrease significantly, and you may face higher insurance premiums in the future.

Options for Car Owners of Totaled Vehicles

As a car owner, you have several options after your vehicle is declared totaled. One option is to accept the insurance payout and let the insurance company take possession of the vehicle. Alternatively, you may choose to retain the salvage and attempt to repair the car yourself or sell your totaled car. Finally, if you believe the insurance company’s assessment is incorrect, you have the right to dispute the total loss determination and negotiate for a higher payout. 

If you choose to work with a car accident attorney, let them handle the insurance companies. An Albuquerque car accident attorney from a law firm that specializes in motor vehicle accident-related injuries relayed that insurance adjusters often employ tactics to minimize payouts. Some attorneys are skilled at countering such tactics to get you a fair settlement. 

Steps to Take After Your Car is Totaled

If your car is totaled in an accident, there are several steps you should take to navigate the situation effectively. Firstly, ensure everyone involved in the accident is safe and seek medical attention if necessary. Next, contact your insurance company to report the accident and start the claims process. Be sure to document the damage to your vehicle thoroughly and gather any relevant paperwork, such as the police report and repair estimates.

Preventing Your Car From Being Totaled

While accidents are sometimes unavoidable, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of your car being totaled. Regular maintenance, including checking fluid levels, tire pressure, and brakes, can help ensure your vehicle is in optimal condition and that it doesn’t break down. Additionally, practicing safe driving habits such as obeying speed limits, avoiding distractions, and maintaining a safe following distance can help minimize the likelihood of accidents.

Moving Forward

Totaling your car can be a stressful and challenging experience, but understanding the process and your options can help alleviate some of the uncertainty. By familiarizing yourself with what it means to total your car, the factors involved, and the steps to take after an accident, you can navigate this situation with confidence. 

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