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McLaughlin, Power Sweep Front Row in Penske Rebound at Barber

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Official Release
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Saturday, April 27, 2024) – Team Penske rallied from one of the most tumultuous weeks in its storied history by seizing both front-row starting spots for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst on Saturday afternoon at Barber Motorsports Park.

Scott McLaughlin earned his first NTT P1 Award of the season and his sixth career NTT INDYCAR SERIES pole with his final lap of 1 minute, 5.9490 seconds during the Firestone Fast Six session in the No. 3 Good Ranchers Team Penske Chevrolet. His teammate Will Power qualified second at 1:06.0460 in the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet.

The strong performance came at the end of a week in which Team Penske was penalized for illegal use of the Push to Pass system at the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. McLaughlin and teammate Josef Newgarden were disqualified from the race, while Power received a 10-point penalty.

“It’s been tough,” McLaughlin said. “The Good Ranchers Chevy was so good today, and I just wanted to give these guys and girls on the team an opportunity to be back on front row and back on pole. In the last couple of races, we just haven’t hit it in qualifying.

“This means a lot. We’ve just got to keep focusing like this for the rest of the season and keep working hard.”

Up next is the prerace warmup at 10:15 a.m. ET Sunday (Peacock, INDYCAR Radio Network). Live coverage of the 90-lap race starts at 1 p.m. ET Sunday on NBC, Peacock, INDYCAR LIVE and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Reigning Barber winner McLaughlin earned the 300th INDYCAR SERIES pole position for the fabled team owned by Roger Penske. Power fell just .0097 of a second short of earning his series record-extending 71st pole as Team Penske swept the front row at an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race for the first time since last August on the oval at World Wide Technology Raceway, where McLaughlin and Newgarden took the top two spots, respectively.

“I’ve said it all year: We’re going to be quick everywhere,” Power said. “I’m not surprised. It was obviously a pretty rough week for everyone on the team. Pretty disappointing, but we moved forward quickly.”

McLaughlin stole the top spot in dramatic fashion on his final lap around the 17-turn, 2.3-mile natural road course. He hovered within tens of thousands of a second of Power’s top time, keeping the advantage by ripping through the daunting Turns 12-13 complex.

“I sent it pretty hard through the last couple of corners,” McLaughlin said. “Any time you get a chance to get a Team Penske front row, that’s the main thing. I’m very proud of everyone.”

Christian Lundgaard qualified a season-best third at 1:06:0818 in the No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Pato O’Ward, who inherited the St. Petersburg victory after Newgarden was disqualified, also will start on the second row after qualifying fourth at 1:06.2940 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.

Felix Rosenqvist continued the strong start to his season in his new environs at Meyer Shank Racing, qualifying fifth at 1:06.4524 in the No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda. Rosenqvist has qualified in the top five for all three points-paying races in 2024.

Marcus Armstrong ended his first career appearance in the Firestone Fast Six by qualifying a career-best sixth at 1:06.9022 in the No. 11 Root Insurance Honda fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing.

Graham Rahal just missed joining RLL teammate Lundgaard in the Firestone Fast Six and will start seventh after a best lap of 1:06.0942 during the second qualifying round in the No. 15 Hendrickson Honda. Newgarden, who offered his reaction to the Push to Pass penalties in an emotional press conference Friday, qualified eighth at 1:06.2908 in the No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet.

Points leader and six-time series champion Scott Dixon qualified a season-low 13th in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. But Dixon is a master of strategy and reading a race from deep in the pack, as he won the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach last Sunday after starting eighth.

2022 Barber pole winner Rinus VeeKay, quickest in the morning practice, qualified last in the 27-car field after being saddled with an electrical problem in his No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet during the first round of qualifying.

Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix
Qualifying Results

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Qualifying Saturday for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst NTT INDYCAR SERIES event on the 2.3-mile Barber Motorsports Park, with qualifying position, car number in parentheses, driver, engine, time and speed in parentheses:

  1. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 1:05.9490 (125.552 mph)
  2. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 1:06.0460 (125.367)
  3. (45) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 1:06.0818 (125.299)
  4. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 1:06.2940 (124.898)
  5. (60) Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, 1:06.4524 (124.600)
  6. (11) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 1:06.9022 (123.763)
  7. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 1:06.0942 (125.276)
  8. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 1:06.2908 (124.904)
  9. (27) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 1:06.2959 (124.895)
  10. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 1:06.3013 (124.884)
  11. (77) Romain Grosjean, Chevrolet, 1:06.3526 (124.788)
  12. (66) Tom Blomqvist, Honda, 1:06.3871 (124.723)
  13. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 1:06.1425 (125.184)
  14. (20) Christian Rasmussen, Chevrolet, 1:06.4803 (124.548)
  15. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 1:06.1481 (125.174)
  16. (7) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 1:06.5054 (124.501)
  17. (14) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 1:06.2751 (124.934)
  18. (28) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 1:06.5846 (124.353)
  19. (8) Linus Lundqvist, Honda, 1:06.2825 (124.920)
  20. (78) Agustin Canapino, Chevrolet, 1:06.6706 (124.193)
  21. (51) Luca Ghiotto, Honda, 1:06.4788 (124.551)
  22. (18) Jack Harvey, Honda, 1:06.7969 (123.958)
  23. (4) Kyffin Simpson, Honda, 1:06.5267 (124.461)
  24. (6) Theo Pourchaire, Chevrolet, 1:06.9052 (123.757)
  25. (41) Sting Ray Robb, Chevrolet, 1:06.8404 (123.877)
  26. (30) Pietro Fittipaldi, Honda, 1:07.4920 (122.681)
  27. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 1:07.7392 (122.234)

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America NHRA Charlotte Post-Qualifying Report – 04.27.24

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Official Release
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KALITTA CLAIMS NO. 1 QUALIFIER IN CHARLOTTE; SECOND STRAIGHT OF THE SEASON
Justin Ashley Claims #2Fast2Tasty Win in Top Fuel

CONCORD, N.C. (April 27, 2024) – Doug Kalitta’s hot streak continues, as he claimed the Top Fuel No. 1 qualifying position for the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte. Kalitta’s 3.691 elapsed time during the Friday night session was fast enough to earn him his 55th career No. 1 qualifier. Toyota teammate, Antron Brown, got the second overall spot with a 3.698 elapsed time as he goes for his third win in the Charlotte spring event.

Justin Ashley made it a Toyota 1-2-3, claiming the No. 3 spot in Top Fuel through a 3.701 time in the final qualifying session on Saturday. This run also gave Ashley the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory as he defeated Brown, Steve Torrence and Josh Hart. This is the first Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win for Ashley this season and Toyota’s second consecutive after Brown was victorious in the challenge at Las Vegas two weeks ago.

In Funny Car, Alexis DeJoria earned the fourth overall position going into tomorrow’s eliminations after strong runs on Friday and Saturday. She aims to avenge her runner-up finish in the Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals a season ago. Ron Capps followed DeJoria in fifth and J.R Todd is the No. 12 spot going into tomorrow.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
NHRA Four-Wide Nationals
zMAX Dragway
Race 5 of 20

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS 

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponents
Doug KalittaMac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster1stS. ReedJ. SalinasC. Krohn
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster2ndS. LangdonS. TorrenceB. Force
Justin AshleySCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster3rdT. StewartD. FoleyD. Mercier
Billy TorrenceCAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster5thC. MillicanJ. HartT. Schumacher
Shawn LangdonAutodesk Toyota Top Fuel Dragster7thA. BrownS. TorrenceB. Force
Steve TorrenceCAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster10thA. BrownS. LangdonB. Force

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS 

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponents
John ForcePeak Chevrolet Camaro Funny Car1st*C. GreenC. PedregonJ. Smith
Alexis DeJoriaBandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car4thR. CappsJ. ToddB. Hull
Ron CappsNAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car5thA. DeJoriaJ. ToddB. Hull
J.R. ToddDHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car12thA. DeJoriaR. CappsB. Hull

*= Non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

TF Qualifying Result: 1st

Talk about how important it is to have consistency throughout the two days of qualifying.

“Yeah, it’s definitely important. We kind of struggled a little bit today. We put in this new blower, and it had just a little too much power in that first run, so we smoked them. In that last run, we got right to the finish line and kind of took care of that blower unfortunately. Will have to start from scratch tomorrow. We’ve got our setup we’ve been running, and we’ve just tried to get some spare blowers there. Hopefully we’ll be in good shape tomorrow. I got a lot of confidence in my guys. You know, they make things look easy. I think we’ll look good tomorrow.”

JUSTIN ASHLEY, SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, SCAG Racing

TF Qualifying Result: 3rd

Talk us through your day and what it means to win the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge.

“Yeah, I thought it was a great day today. Yesterday, we fell behind a little bit. We wanted to run a little bit better, a little bit quicker. It was important for us to come out here today and set a new tone for ourselves. Had a nice 3.739 time earlier in the day and running that 3.701 at the end was really important for our team. It gives us a lot of confidence going into tomorrow. Doesn’t matter if it’s qualifying or if it’s the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, we want to win each and every lap that we make down the race track. This is a testament to the team we have. They do a great job working hard, really since the offseason, putting us in a position to win. If it’s a race, event or challenge, it’s equally tough to win because the Top Fuel field is just that good. Just really proud of the guys and happy to be a part of it.”

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

FC Qualifying Result: 4th

Take us through your day and what you’re looking forward to tomorrow.

“So, we’re back here at zMAX Dragway! Last year, we were the runner up in the Four-Wide Nationals. My gosh, this is an elusive win. I’ve been wanting a Four-Wide win for so long. We qualified well, running a 3.859 last night. We’re in the No. 4 position going into tomorrow. I feel really confident as we’ve made some really good runs. This last one, we had a solid run inside the 3.900 range. Yeah, we’re ready for tomorrow and let’s see what happens!”

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).

KALITTA, J. FORCE, ANDERSON AND HERRERA PICK UP NO. 1 QUALIFIERS AT NHRA 4-WIDE NATIONALS IN CHARLOTTE

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Official Release
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CONCORD, N.C. (April 27, 2024) – Defending Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta enjoyed his second straight No. 1 qualifier, cementing the top spot on Saturday at zMAX Dragway at the 14th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte.

John Force (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the fifth of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Kalitta’s run of 3.691-seconds at 337.92 mph from Friday in his 11,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster held up through two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, handing the reigning world champion his second straight No. 1 spot and the 55th in his career. The result of taking the top position worked well in Las Vegas for Kalitta, as he claimed his first career four-wide win and he’ll look to replicate that on Sunday in Charlotte, also finishing qualifying with a strong 3.710 at 332.18.

“We kind of struggled a little bit today. We put this other blower on and just had a little bit too much power in that first run and smoked the tires, and then that last run, we got right to the finish line and kind of took care of that blower, unfortunately,” Kalitta said. “So we’re going to have to start from scratch again. But now that we’ve got our setup that we’ve been running, we’re going to be in good shape for tomorrow.”

Antron Brown clinched the second spot thanks to his 3.698 at 332.18, while points leader Justin Ashley’s 3.701 at 334.32, which happened during his winning run in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, sent him to the third spot.

In Funny Car, John Force stayed in the top spot thanks to Friday’s track E.T. record of 3.820 at 330.96 in his 11,000-horsepower PEAK Performance Chevrolet Camaro SS. It gives the legendary 16-time world champion his first No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 167th in his iconic career, putting him in a strong position for eliminations on Sunday. Force is aiming for his second win this season, closing out qualifying with a solid pass as well.

“I’ve got a real good Camaro and I’m learning how to drive it,” Force said. “It was a good day for my good chiefs. We tried to run it hard earlier [in the third qualifying session] and had a problem then came back and got cloud cover and ran [3.]85. Now we’ve got to race tomorrow, and that’s a whole new baby. So we’ll see what happens but I’m having fun with my teams and my sponsors.”

Bob Tasca, who won the 4-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas two weeks ago, took second with a 3.834 at 338.34, setting the track speed record and also claiming the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win. Points leader Austin Prock is third with a 3.852 at 333.58.

Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson finished as the No. 1 qualifier on the strength of Friday’s run of 6.500 at 210.90 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro, but Saturday certainly featured plenty of other headlines. His qualifying run in the third session – as part of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge – was disqualified due to a technical violation after bypassing a safety device. It eliminated that pass and took Anderson out of the specialty event, as his replacement, Erica Enders, went on to win the Challenge.

But Anderson still has momentum as the No. 1 qualifier at the home track for KB Titan Racing. He’s after his second victory this season after picking up his first top spot of 2024 and the remarkable 125th in his standout career.

“I’m not sure where to start but yesterday in Q2 we had an issue with our ECU [Electronic Control Unit] where the engine wasn’t getting a spark,” Anderson said. “We had a mad thrash in the pits and in the process, one of my guys disconnected a wire that goes to the system that deploys the parachutes in the event of low air pressure. In the process, he forgot to plug that wire back in so our win in the (Mission) #2Fast2Tasty Challenge was disallowed.

“I beat Jeg and Erica and David Cuadra, and then the bottom fell out. It was a simple mistake, but we lost the run and lost the win. Otherwise, the car ran great. It was just a crazy day but it’s over now and I’m ready for race day. Tomorrow, we’re going to make damn sure all the wires are where they should be. I’ve got a really good race car and we’re going to give it all we’ve got.”

Cristian Cuadra qualified second with a 6.507 at 210.18 and Aaron Stanfield took third thanks to a 6.508 at 209.92.

Gaige Herrera’s qualifying dominance in Pro Stock Motorcycle continued on Saturday in Charlotte, but it took until the final session when the defending world champ put together a track-record run of 6.671 at 202.70 on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. It’s the quickest run in zMAX Dragway history and also hands Herrera his 11th straight No. 1 qualifier dating back to last season. It’s already the 16th career top spot for the young phenom, who will look to stay perfect this season on Sunday.

“Yesterday, we had a malfunction on the first run that set us back, and then we ran 6.68 on the second and that was a good run,” Herrera said. “Today, I ran a 6.70 and then that 6.67 and that’s just our team learning how to fine-tune the new fuel. There was not much left on my bike. It went straight and required very little correction. Tomorrow will be a lot of fun.”

Matt Smith’s 6.685 at 201.61 from Friday qualified him in the second spot, while LE Tonglet is third after his 6.703 at 200.77 from Friday as well.

Eliminations for the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals begin at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.

CONCORD, N.C. — First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the 14th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway, the fifth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

Top Fuel — 1. Doug Kalitta, 3.691 seconds, 337.92 mph vs. 16. Cody Krohn, 3.832, 320.43 vs. 8. Shawn Reed, 3.732, 328.70 vs. 9. Jasmine Salinas, 3.738, 331.61; 2. Antron Brown, 3.698, 332.18 vs. 15. Brittany Force, 3.807, 314.02 vs. 7. Shawn Langdon, 3.719, 334.32 vs. 10. Steve Torrence, 3.740, 332.43; 3. Justin Ashley, 3.701, 334.32 vs. 14. Dan Mercier, 3.783, 324.67 vs. 6. Tony Stewart, 3.716, 324.90 vs. 11. Doug Foley, 3.755, 319.98; 4. Clay Millican, 3.715, 333.41 vs. 13.

Tony Schumacher, 3.766, 325.30 vs. 5. Billy Torrence, 3.716, 334.07 vs. 12. Josh Hart, 3.766, 327.82.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Mike Bucher, 4.554, 171.29.

Funny Car — 1. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 3.820, 334.07 vs. 16. John Smith, Dodge Charger, 5.425, 139.16 vs. 8. Chad Green, Ford Mustang, 3.891, 329.42 vs. 9. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.904, 324.05; 2. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.834, 338.34 vs. 15. Jim Campbell, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.238, 239.87 vs. 7. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.880, 330.80 vs. 10. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.910, 333.16; 3. Austin

Prock, Camaro, 3.852, 333.58 vs. 14. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.035, 305.63 vs. 6. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.880, 331.04 vs. 11. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 3.923, 323.74; 4. Alexis DeJoria, Toyota GR Supra, 3.859, 331.69 vs. 13. Buddy Hull, Charger, 4.010, 315.12 vs. 5. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 3.877,

335.40 vs. 12. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.932, 313.73.

Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.500, 210.90 vs. 16. Sienna Wildgust, Camaro, 6.542, 210.28 vs. 8. David Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.517, 210.80 vs. 9. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.518, 210.60; 2. Cristian Cuadra, Mustang, 6.507, 210.34 vs. 15. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.542, 210.21 vs. 7. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.516, 211.56 vs. 10. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.519, 210.64; 3. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.508, 210.05 vs. 14. Brandon Foster, Camaro, 6.540, 210.01 vs. 6. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.511, 210.87 vs. 11. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.525, 210.47; 4. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.509, 210.47 vs. 13. Dave Connolly, Camaro, 6.536, 210.47 vs. 5. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.510, 210.24 vs. 12. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.533, 210.93.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Larry Morgan, 6.544, 210.34; 18. Fernando Cuadra, 6.544, 211.39; 19. Chris McGaha, 6.546, 210.28; 20. Kenny Delco, 6.550, 210.57; 21. Matt Hartford, 6.552, 210.97; 22. Brandon Miller, 6.637, 206.89.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.671, 202.70 vs. 16. Hector Arana, EBR, 7.537, 193.85 vs. 8. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.780, 197.91 vs. 9. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.809, 199.46; 2. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.685, 202.12 vs. 15. Ron Tornow, Victory, 6.975, 196.93 vs. 7. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.742, 201.22 vs. 10. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.812, 199.05; 3. LE Tonglet, Suzuki, 6.703, 201.37 vs. 14. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.929, 195.76 vs. 6. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.729, 201.55 vs. 11. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.815, 199.88; 4. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.718, 202.82 vs. 13. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.909, 195.36 vs. 5. John Hall, Beull, 6.728, 202.36 vs. 12. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.863, 195.25.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Eiji Kawakami, 9.337, 148.64.

TASCA, ASHLEY, ENDERS AND HERRERA WIN MISSION #2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE IN CHARLOTTE

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Official Release
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CONCORD, N.C. (April 27, 2024) – Funny Car’s Bob Tasca III made the fastest run in zMAX Dragway history on Saturday, racing to the victory in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge specialty race as part of this weekend’s 14th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte.

Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the specialty race at the fifth of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

In the Challenge final, Tasca went 3.834-seconds at 338.34 mph – the 10th-fastest run in Funny Car history – in his 11,000-horsepower Ford Performance Mustang to hold off points leader Austin Prock, J.R. Todd and Paul Lee. Tasca’s qualifying run from Friday was disqualified after his car’s intake manifold was found to have been media blasted. The violation is considered a technical infraction, as the intake manifold is not allowed to be altered in any form from its original, accepted state.

Tasca’s team recovered from that and turned in two strong runs on Saturday, including the track-record pass in the final round of the Challenge. He’ll now have a chance for a double-up weekend and to sweep the pair of 4-Wide Nationals events.

“Hats off to (crew chiefs) Aaron Brooks and Todd Okuhara. It was an incredible, incredible call in that final,” Tasca said. “This thing was fast, baby. It was dancing around and I was driving my butt off. It hauled the mail and it was exactly what we were looking for. I’m so proud of my team and we’ve got a car that can win tomorrow.

“The 338 mph goes to show you that the hard work that (Brooks and Okuhara) put in and the attention to detail pays off. These guys were focused on getting this race car right for the final round and winning this race. It’s Saturday but I feel like I’m in the winner’s circle on Sunday. This is an awesome thing (Mission does). We take it very seriously. We want to win this thing.”

In Top Fuel, Justin Ashley continued to roll on Saturdays in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, going 3.701 at 334.32 in his 11,000-horsepower Scag Power Equipment/Toyota dragster to outlast Antron Brown, Josh Hart and Steve Torrence. It’s the first specialty event win this season for Ashley, but the seventh overall Challenge win dating back to last season. He posted another great reaction time in the final quad and pulled away at the finish line, giving the young standout and points leader another opportunity for a double-up weekend.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s qualifying whether it’s the Mission Challenge, or whether it’s race day, we want to win each and every lap that we make down the racetrack,” Ashley said. “That’s just a testament to the team that we have. They’ve been doing a great job, working hard really since the offseason to put us in position to win.

“Whether it’s a race, an event. or the Challenge, it’s all equally as tough to win because the Top Fuel field is just that. I definitely try to push the tree as hard as I can each and every time. I think for me, it’s muscle memory: practice like you play, so it’s important to do the same thing. each and every time.”

Points leader Erica Enders got a second chance to compete for the specialty event win in Pro Stock and the six-time world champ made the most of it, going 6.516 at 210.73 in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Scag Power Equipment car to win her second Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge of the year and third in her career.

Enders slipped past Dallas Glenn, Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Jerry Tucker to claim the victory, getting a new life in the specialty race after Greg Anderson was disqualified in the opening-round quad due to a technical violation after bypassing a safety device. Enders replaced him in the final quad and now has the chance to double-up in Charlotte.

“Never give us a second chance. We’ll figure it out, eventually. I think we proved that last year,” Enders said. “The four-wide can definitely be confusing, but thankfully we figured it out and parked it in the winner’s circle. I can’t thank Mission Foods enough for supporting our sport.

“We’ve been behind the eight-ball a bit this weekend. We shook the tires in the final in Las Vegas and we shook again last night but our crew chiefs did a good job of figuring it out. This is a nice way to go to sleep on a Saturday night.”

Gaige Herrera’s track-record run in Pro Stock Motorcycle on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki handed the defending world champ another Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge victory, going 6.671 at 202.70 to hold off teammate Richard Gadson, and Matt and Angie Smith. It’s Herrera’s fifth victory in the specialty race, which has only been held seven times in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Herrera made his best run of qualifying when it counted and picked up the victory in the process.

“When we came here, I didn’t even realize there was a Mission race on Saturday but I’m very happy with it,” Herrera said. “It was great to be in the final quad with two Matt Smith bikes and two Vance & Hines bikes. I feel like it’s going to be like that all year long.”

Eliminations for the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals begin at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.

ABEL Motorsports takes INDY NXT pole at Barber

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Official Release
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After setting the quickest time in both practice sessions, Jacob Abel earns the team’s second series pole position, while Yuven Sundaramoorthy and Josh Mason continue the roller coaster learning curve

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (27 April 2024) – Jacob Abel scored his second INDY NXT by Firestone pole position – and his first on a road course – with a dominant performance under pressure in Saturday’s qualifying session.

Abel, 23, continued the form that saw him set the quickest time in the series test at Barber late last year, posting the fast lap in both practice sessions. When the pressure was on in qualifying, the Louisville, Ky. native made it count, vaulting to the head of the grid for tomorrow’s INDY NXT Grand Prix of Alabama.

Teammates Yuven Sundaramoorthy (Oconomowoc, Wis.) and Josh Mason (Maresfield, UK) battled through both practice sessions to develop the Dallara IL-15 on the tricky 17-turn, 2.3-mile road course. For both drivers, the weekend was their first at Barber in the INDY NXT car, though Sundaramoorthy has raced – and won – at Barber in four USF Pro Championships races.

Given the team’s performance in pre-season testing, expectations were high coming into the weekend. Abel held the top spot through much of the two practice sessions, securing the top of the speed charts at the end of both. Sundaramoorthy, 21, and Mason, 22, focused on learning the track’s intricacies and finding the cars’ balance.

In qualifying Saturday afternoon, Abel again went to the top of the speed charts, with Mason fighting his way through traffic and Sundaramoorthy not quite able to find the pace he’d found in morning practice. With his fourth lap, Abel secured his second career INDY NXT pole position, with Mason starting 13th and Sundaramoorthy 16th.

“The ABEL Motorsports guys gave me a fantastic car all weekend,” said Abel. “Honestly, it was pretty easy out there. We worked hard at the test here and that gave me a great deal of confidence – and you need a lot of confidence here, given the high speed, especially as you get new tires quickly up to temperature. You also have to adapt quickly, and I think those are really my strong suits. This is definitely a small victory for sure, to get this pole, but we’ve been on pole before and we haven’t yet won a race. So that’s the job we need to do tomorrow.”

“The car got better through qualifying and my driving got a bit better, but from the get-go, it was a bit difficult,” said Mason. “Unfortunately, Louis Foster had an electrical issue in front of me on pit lane, so a few slower cars got past all of us and that stopped my momentum going forwards. I know that there’s still more time in there for sure, I’m just disappointed that the track positioning for me wasn’t there. But I’m happy with what we did in the end, and I’m looking forward to the race tomorrow.”

“After practice two this morning, I felt pretty confident that we knew exactly where the speed was,” said Sundaramoorthy. “I felt like we could get at least close to Jacob, and it just didn’t turn out that way, and I don’t know why. It felt like I was driving well and the time just wasn’t there, which is super frustrating. But it was a long race last year, with a good deal of attrition, so hopefully we can stay on the good side of that. The team’s been amazing – obviously, they put the best car on the grid. I’ve just got to do my part, and so far I haven’t done that quite, so hopefully I can figure it out tomorrow.”

Off-track notes

In addition to the on-track sessions, all three drivers added a few extracurricular activities to their schedules. Abel serves as driver coach for the VRD Racing team in the USF Juniors series, which ran on Thursday and Friday. With only one INDY NXT session on Friday afternoon, Abel maintained his coaching duties, helping the team’s quartet of drivers – including race winner Sebastian Wheldon, son of the late Dan Wheldon – through four test sessions Thursday and two races Friday.

“The INDY NXT car is my priority this weekend, but the schedule has worked out to enable me to still work with the team,” said Abel. “I really enjoy working with those guys. I’ve seen them grow and achieve success, and it’s been fun to be a part of it. It’s not interfering with what I’m doing here, and if anything, it’s helping because I am spending more time watching on boards and teaching them how to drive the track so it helps me really focus.”

Sundaramoorthy joined ABEL team engineer Kent Boyer at a STEM event coordinated by the track Friday morning, speaking with local area college engineering students. He also checked one more item off his bucket list on Thursday: touring the Barber Museum. “I’ve been here four times and have never gone. It was definitely a top moment for me, a full experience to see all the cars and motorcycles. I wouldn’t say that I’m a super big gearhead, but I think we spent like three or four hours – the steam powered motorcycles from the late 1800s were cool,” said Sundaramoorthy.

And Mason? He was introduced to that most American of institutions – Buc-ee’s gas station/country store, located near the track. “I thought it was a restaurant, but my mechanic and he said it was a gas station. Apparently they have 150 pumps – but then I went inside and it was like a mall! They have everything – I didn’t know where to start so I just made a left turn when I walked in and went straight to the hats. I had to buy one.”

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

The INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama takes the green flag Sunday at 11:05 a.m. Eastern. The race will be streamed live in the U.S. on Peacock, while international viewers can watch via INDYCARLIVE.com, with INDYCAR Radio available at indycar.com/radio and on Sirius XM.

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

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

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

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

ABEL Motorsports social media

Facebook: ABEL Motorsports
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Toyota Racing – NXS Dover Post-Race Report – 04.27.24

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Official Release
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RYAN TRUEX EARNS 200TH JOE GIBBS RACING AND TOYOTA XFINITY VICTORY
Truex goes back-to-back at Dover with a stellar double-overtime restart

DOVER, Del. (April 27, 2024) – Ryan Truex took the lead on the double-overtime restart and earned his second straight win at Dover Motor Speedway. With the win, Truex scored the 200th win for Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota together in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s two full-time drivers also had solid afternoons with Sheldon Creed finishing fourth and Chandler Smith scored in the seventh.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Dover Motor Speedway
Race 9 of 33 – 200 miles, 200 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, RYAN TRUEX
2nd, Carson Kvapil*
3rd, Sam Mayer*
4th, SHELDON CREED
5th, Cole Custer*
7th, CHANDLER SMITH
34th, TAYLOR GRAY
35th, COREY HEIM
38th, JJ YELEY
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

RYAN TRUEX, No. 20 The Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

How good does it feel to win here again at Dover?

“That was not as easy at last year. Halfway through the race, I felt like crap. I’m running 10th or whatever – after dominating last year – kind of felt embarrassed, like I wasn’t doing my job enough. The last pit stop, I totally butchered it, and slid through the box. We just had really good restarts there at the end. I picked the right lanes. Our GR Supra was as fast as Xfinity internet that last few runs. I felt like I could go like three laps, and that is where I started to get loose – so that was big for me. I just kept made spots up. I’ve never won a race like that where I wasn’t very good, and just stole one, so that feels really good.”

Did you see them behind you starting to wreck?

“No, I didn’t. I was just focused on not overdriving it, and not let the 88 (Carson Kvapil) get to me. I knew if he did – he would try to get to my left rear and get me loose, because he knew that I was loose. We were around each other a lot today – the big thing for me was just get away. He hung on my door in (turns) one and two. He did what he was supposed to do. He got me loose, I just drove it and was honestly, if I spin out, whatever. We made it this far – very proud of this. Thanks to the team for sticking with me after not making the best moves today.”

SHELDON CREED, No. 18 Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 4th

Wild finish there. Can you talk about your race?

“Yeah, chaotic there. We got a caution for rain with 30 or 40 left. We kind of split it – half of us pitted half of us didn’t. We decided to pit and then people were diving off because they were running out of fuel, and that just helped us. We got to restart on the front row with 10 to go and got the lead and the 21 (Austin Hill) and I were racing really hard there, and just couldn’t quite get rid of him. Every time, I would get clear, he would just pack air and get me loose. Just good racing for the lead honestly. I appreciate everyone at Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing.”

About Toyota

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

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 26 electrified options.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes – NXS Dover Post-Race Quotes

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
BetRivers 200 at Dover Motor Speedway
NASCAR XFINITY Series Post Race Quotes

Ford Performance Results:
5th – Cole Custer
16th – Riley Herbst
27th – Kyle Sieg
31st – Hailie Deegan
32nd – Matt DiBenedetto
36th – Blaine Perkins
37th – Ryan Sieg

COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse – TAKE ME THROUGH YOUR THOUGHTS AFTER HAVING TO PIT? “That was definitely frustrating. We really wanted that one. It’s been an up-and-down start to the year. We’ve executed really well, but that was the first car we’ve had this year that was really dominant. We really wanted that one, but it just shows what this team is capable of. I think when we hit it right, we’re pretty lights out. It’s definitely frustrating. We wanted to win today. We haven’t won yet and that would have been huge, and I think we had the dominant car for most of the day so it’s frustrating. I can’t thank Haas Automation, Gene Haas, Tony Stewart and Ford enough. It just sucks not to get that win today, but a lot of promise with the car.”

WHAT WAS IT LIKE COMING FROM THE REAR TO FINISH IN THE TOP FIVE? YOU MUST BE PROUD OF THE EFFORT. “For sure. We were able to go through traffic on equal tires pretty much, and it’s not easy to pass here, so it was definitely a really impressive car. It just sucks that we weren’t able to take advantage of it, but sometimes that’s just how it goes.”

HOW FRUSTRATING WERE THE LAST 50 LAPS? “Pretty frustrating with the rain and trying to make that call on pit road. In hindsight, we probably should have pitted and I think we probably would have won. The guys did such a great job with the car. It was definitely a dominant car and it just shows a lot of promise for our cars. I think when we hit it right and get everything clicking, I feel like we’re lights out and it’s gonna be hard to beat us. We just have to keep bringing cars like that to the track and we’ll win one.”

RILEY HERBST, No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “The speed is fine, for sure. I guess the 7 car got back at us from last week, so it is what it is and we’ll move on. Our Ford Mustang Dark Horse was fast. We should have finished third at worst and we finished 16th.”

RYAN SIEG, No. 39 Sci Aps Ford Mustang Dark Horse – ANY WARNING? “No, not at all. I saw a little bit of orange in the crush panel into one and then in the middle of one and two he’s like, ‘It’s on fire. Get out.’ But there was no indication. It sucks because we had a pretty good car. I was just riding right there and to come out of here on fire now it just kills all of the momentum we had going. We’ve just got to turn it around and move on to Darlington.”

YOU WON THE DASH FOR CASH LAST WEEK. IS THERE ANY SOLACE IN THAT? “It sucks because I love coming to Dover. I love racing here and I thought we had a fast car. It just sucks to come out of here on fire.”

RAFA Racing’s Ian “Crimsix” Porter Drives From Last to Second in Saturday’s Porsche Sprint Challenge North America Race at Barber Motorsports Park

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Official Release
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Porter Finished Second After Starting from the Rear of the Field, Joined on the Podium by Teammate Caroline Candas in Third

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (April 27, 2024) – The RAFA Racing by JDX family pulled together on Saturday to overcome adversity, and what could have been a race that was over before it began ended with a pair of drivers on the Porsche Sprint Challenge podium in the Cayman Pro-Am class.

Ian Porter qualified second for Saturday’s 35-minute plus one additional lap race, but it was discovered on the grid that his No. 86 Grid Finder Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport had a malfunctioning fire extinguisher switch. The RAFA Racing by JDX crew swapped the part, avoided the safety issue, and got Porter on track before the green flag – albeit at the rear of the 26-car field, rather than on the front row.

With the green flag in the air, Porter went to work. In just four laps he had made up 15 positions and was into the top 10 at the end of lap five. By lap 13, he was fourth, but almost 19 seconds behind the podium contenders including RAFA Racing teammate Caroline Candas in the No. 84 8Twelve Wheels Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.

That gap evaporated with a well-timed full course caution on lap 15 to bunch the field. Unfortunately, the incident ended the day for Paige Morales and the No. 87 RAFA Racing Club Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport when she was caught up in the action.

The race restarted with just over nine minutes to go, and both Candas and Porter moved up one position when the second-place car spun. Porter moved around Candas shortly after and aimed his target at the lead car.

Porter had one last shot at the lead with a lap to go, but despite just two previous races in his history made a veteran move by bailing out and avoiding any contact. Instead, he crossed the finish line just 0.411-second behind the leader for a second-place finish after making up 25 positions.

It was enough to hold the championship lead, as Porter won both races flag-to-flag in the opener at Sebring. Because of that, the 25 passes in Saturday’s race were the first passes of his young racing career.

“It felt good,” Porter said. “That was like my actual first race. To do 25 overtakes, it was probably a lot more fun than even winning at Sebring. I got very confident in the setup. We made a small tweak after qualifying going into this, and the car felt so much better. I felt like I was driving and touching the rear bumpers. It was really cool. I actually wonder what the fans were saying because I was doing overtakes where you don’t see overtakes done. It was a lot of fun, it was a great race.”

Porter is a three-time Call of Duty world champion under his gamer moniker of CrimSix and has countless sim racing laps in preparation for his new career of professional racing driver. Even on the sim, however, Porter had never started at the back of the field just to try and make passes.

“Not intentionally, at least,” Porter said. If I am ever in that situation, it is not intentional. The safety car definitely helped me. I don’t know if I would have caught them without it. I have to thank the crew guys at RAFA Racing by JDX for even giving me a chance to be out there and make that run. Their quick work on the grid really saved the day and even gave us a chance to race for the win, so I’m grateful for that.”

Candas joined Porter on the podium following her third-place finish, the third podium for the French driver in as many races. Teammate Rafael Martinez finished seventh in the Pro-Am class in the No. 85 RAFA Racing Club Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.

All four RAFA Racing by JDX drivers will get a second shot at victory on Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park. Porter will start that race on the outside of the front row, with Candas lined up just behind him in the double-file start. The green flag is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. on Sunday, just following the NTT IndyCar Series race at the same location. Sunday’s race, as well as a replay of Saturday’s race, can be seen on the Porsche Motorsports North America YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@porschemotorsportnorthamerica.

About RAFA Racing Club:

RAFA Racing, utilizing the motto “Race As Family Always,” is a motorsports club and race team founded by and made for high-performance auto drivers, supporters, and fans of all types. Started by Rafael Martinez, the Club aims to create a space for high-performance car enthusiasts to enjoy like-minded individuals, network and share ideas on and off the track, and bond as one team with a common interest. The RAFA Racing Team made its debut in 2023 with a runner-up finish in the McLaren Trophy Europe Series, and expands that footprint to include Porsche Sprint Challenge North America and SRO GT4 Europe in 2024. The Club’s off-track presence can be felt on social media and beyond, including YouTube, Instagram and Facebook and at RafaRacing.Club.

Abel Continues Dominance by Winning Barber Pole

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Official Release
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Saturday, April 27, 2024) – Jacob Abel’s magic carpet ride continued Saturday at Barber Motorsports Park, as he drove to the pole for the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama.

Abel, from Louisville, Kentucky, grabbed the top spot with a lap of 1 minute, 11.3507 seconds in the No. 51 Abel Construction car fielded by Abel Motorsports. It was the second career pole in the INDYCAR development series for Abel, whose first No. 1 qualifying position came in July 2023 at Iowa Speedway.

The pole continued a dominant weekend for Abel on the 17-turn, 2.3-mile natural road course. He has led every session, pacing practices Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.

“It was more of what’s been going on all weekend long,” Abel said. “The Abel Motorsports guys gave me a fantastic car today, so I just had to go and drive the thing. It felt pretty easy out there. It was awesome. I’ve just got to finish the job tomorrow now.”

The 35-lap race starts at 11:05 a.m. ET Sunday, with live coverage on Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Abel’s cruise on Easy Street continued in qualifying, as he ended up .2239 of a second ahead of No. 2 qualifier and championship leader Nolan Siegel, who turned a top lap of 1:11.5746 in the No. 39 HMD Motorsports car. Abel was .5158 of a second ahead of the field in practice Friday, and he led practice Saturday morning by .2995 of a second.

James Roe qualified third at 1:11.5971 in the No. 29 TopCon entry of Andretti Global, joined in Row 2 by rookie Caio Collet after the Brazilian’s best lap of 1:11.7074 in the No. 18 HMD Motorsports entry.

Jamie Chadwick qualified a career-best fifth at 1:11.7240 in the No. 28 VEXT car of Andretti Global. Her previous best start was ninth in June 2023 at Road America. Rookie Michael d’Orlando also will start from Row 3, qualifying sixth at 1:11.9051 in the No. 3 Priority RSR Andretti Cape entry.

CHEVROLET NCS AT DOVER: Busch Claims First Pole Win of the 2024 Season

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Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
DOVER MOTOR SPEEDWAY
WÜRTH 400
TEAM CHEVY POLE WIN NOTES & QUOTES
APRIL 27, 2024

 Busch Claims First Pole Win of the Season at Dover Motor Speedway

  • Kyle Busch became Team Chevy’s third NASCAR Cup Series pole winner of the 2024 season at Dover Motor Speedway – posting a best-lap of 22.196 seconds, at 162.191 mph, in his No. 8 FICO Camaro ZL1 qualifying to take the pole position.
  • The pole marks Busch’s second career, and second consecutive, NASCAR Cup Series pole at Dover Speedway – both recorded behind the wheel of a Chevrolet.
  • The feat is Busch’s 34th career pole in NASCAR’s premier series – a record that ties Fonty Flock for 22nd all-time on the series’ all-time pole win list.
  • Busch delivered Chevrolet its fifth pole of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season; the manufacturer’s 27th NASCAR Cup Series pole at Dover Motor Speedway; and its series-leading 748th all-time pole in NASCAR’s premier series.
  • Four drivers from three different Chevrolet organizations will lineup in the top-10 for tomorrow’s 400-mile race with Busch leading Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Alex Bowman in the third and ninth positions, respectively, and Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger rounding out the top-10.
  • FS1 will broadcast the NASCAR Cup Series WÜRTH 400 at Dover Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 27, at 2 p.m. ET. Live coverage can also be found on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

 
TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 STARTING LINEUP:
POS. DRIVER
1st Kyle Busch, No. 8 FICO Camaro ZL1
3rd William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1
9th Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1
10th AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Action Industries Camaro ZL1

 Kyle Busch, No. 8 FICO Camaro ZL1 – Pole Win Media Availability Quotes

How big of a momentum boost can this be?

“I mean I would certainly love for it to be a huge one; getting our season rolling and back in the right direction. I feel like the last couple of weeks, the discussions at RCR, me and Randall (Burnett), everybody, has just kind of been like – OK, let’s get some sort of a reset going here. We feel like Dover (Motor Speedway) and Kansas (Speedway) are certainly those weeks for us that we definitely want to work towards and put our focus on to get ourselves righted, and it seems to be going well, so far. Really excited about the car and the speed that it had. Coming off the truck and the way that it felt, there’s definitely some things that we can be better with or improve upon, but I feel like the changes that we made from practice into qualifying were good. Being able to go a tick faster in the second round over the first round was certainly huge for our qualifying effort and being able to sit on the pole today, so all of that worked out really well.”

Regarding Erik Jones’ injury, do you look at that and say ‘racing is dangerous’, or is there still angst about the safety of this car?

“Yeah, I mean to me, I would just definitely look at the impact rates. I mean man, I hit at 90 g’s in the Xfinity car and with all the things that happened in that one.. you know breaking my foot, breaking my leg, but like the rest of my extremities were fine. My core was fine. My neck was fine; my back, shoulders, everything was all good. So, it’s just the nature of that big of an impact and your body withstanding it. Everybody is built differently. I think everybody’s cockpits are built differently. It’s just the nature of racing and the danger that’s out there.

Our insurance is not cheap, in case you were wondering (laughs). So that doesn’t help our rates at all either.”

The last time you won a pole, you went on to win the race at Gateway. Does this just start the tone for the weekend right?

“It certainly can, you know. And like I said, I felt like our car was decent in practice. We had some good adjustments for qualifying. It’s not that we’re on the pole by a fluke.. like I do feel like we have some good speed. But there are others that are right around us that were really fast in practice, as well, too. I looked at the No. 12 (Ryan Blaney). I looked at the No. 45 (Tyler Reddick). I felt like they were really good. The No. 24 (William Byron) was pretty decent, as well, too. So, there are definitely some players that we’re around. It’s never easy but having track position to start here certainly helps. We started on the pole here last year. We led some laps right out of the gate, and unfortunately I sped on pit road on the first stop, so let’s not do that tomorrow.”

You had a victory earlier this week. Is any victory something that just kind of puts a spring in your step?

“Are you talking about the micro?”

Yes..

“(laughs) Yeah, I won beating up on all the kids. I felt really good and gave myself a huge pat on the back for that (laughs). Yeah, it’s a no-win situation. If I win, I beat up on all the kids. If I don’t win, I got beat by all the kids.

It’s fun – I love it, I enjoy it. It’s all for Brexton and what we’re doing with him and his development and how he’s coming along. I just enjoy getting out there, so it was fun to score the victory. I am the points leader, in case anyone was wondering (laughs), so excited about that, too. Bringing home some big trophies and big checks at the end of the year.. let’s go!”

This is only your second pole in the Next Gen car. Given the recent weeks you’ve had, how important is it to get a milestone like that? Also, with the colder temperatures today, how different will the racing be tomorrow compared to what we’ve seen today?

“Yeah, I mean qualifying has never really been my strong suit. I’m definitely one that gets into a rhythm and gets into a set with the racecar throughout the race and is able to make the most of the racecar with laps. So, I feel like I’ve won more than double the amount of races than I do have poles. You know, I wouldn’t say that’s a Next Gen factor, but definitely a little bit of Kyle Busch factor in that, as well.

Today is not at all indicative of what we’re going to see tomorrow. Just the weather being very cool today. The track temperature going up means it’s better for the tire wear for rubber to get down on the track to help the tire wear. We didn’t see any of that today. We actually picked up the Xfinity and ARCA rubber from yesterday. We need some heat in the track, so hopefully we get that hot day like it’s projective.”

Following up to last weekend, you had a frustrated tweet after Talladega Superspeedway. At this point, superspeedway-wise, with this car, is there anything that they could do, package-wise, to make things racier for you guys there, or is this car just what it is at those types of tracks?

“I mean it’s car at all the tracks, really. Where the fastest groove is, everybody migrates to the fastest groove. And how the cars are set up, you’re running in the same car, on the same tire, on the same track. The setups are going to start looking the same. The drivers are going to start driving them the same more and more. That just creates parity and the inability of passing. The biggest struggle with this car is that you can use it more as a defense tool of air blocking and everything else on the guys behind you than being able to go out in front of you and pass the guy in front of you. We’ve seen it at the 1.5-mile tracks even, which we would all probably agree are one of our best racetracks or best shows that we have. But you can literally be catching the guy in front of you, and him just start mirror-driving and putting his car where you are and not even worrying about where he needs to go to go forward and pass the guy in front of him. That’s just one topic. There’s probably a range of 1,000 that we could discuss, but we definitely don’t have enough time in the day.”

Obviously the start of the season isn’t exactly how you probably wanted it to go, but with you being arguably one of the most competitive guys in the garage, how much does this pole fuel to your fire?

“I mean it certainly helps, right? You know, it’s not a fix all. We know that we’ve had some shortcomings and things we’ve messed up on, whether it’s been on pit road, me sliding through the box or cars not being good on a weekend. Last weekend, our car was good and our pit stops were good. We were in position, but we had to literally stay in line. If I wouldn’t have stayed in line, I either would have been crashed on my side upside down across the line, or I might have finished third. So, it’s all dependent on the situation and that’s what’s a little frustrating. I think that’s always kind of been superspeedway racing anyways, but when you have these races that are more in your control like Dover, Kansas, Las Vegas or places like that, then you definitely want to excel at those racetracks.”

Back in 2020, you were very vocal about your win streak every year. If you win this year, this will be your 20th consecutive season with a win. Is that something that’s been weighing on your mind, as well?

“No question.. absolutely. We already passed the Daytona 500 and I didn’t check that box, so the next box to check highest on the list is to get a win this year to just continue that streak. From there, of course you’re never settled or never happy with just one.. you want to have more. You want to be able to get the playoff points that you need. You want to be able to peak at the right time and carry yourself into the postseason with good speed and good momentum; have a great finish to the season and be one of the Championship Four drivers at Phoenix.”

Looking at the lap tracker, it looked like where you beat everybody else was entry into turns one and two, and that allowed you to run a little twitch in turn three. Is that a pretty accurate description of your lap?

“I haven’t been able to see it compared to anyone, so thanks for that.. appreciate it (laughs). How did it feel driving it? I would say I was definitely charging the entries. I felt like there was room for me to do that from the first round. I felt like in the first round, I kind of maybe babied it into the corners a little bit, but it definitely gave me the speed out of the turns. I was like – OK, if I can maximize my entry and still keep the speed out of the turns, then I feel like I’ll net positive on the first round to the second round, which we did, right? I think I ran a 26 or something in the first round and a 19 in the second round. Literally when I came over the radio after our run, I told Randall (Burnett) – man, besides running a .200 of a lap time, like that’s as close as it is to perfect… like we don’t have to change a whole lot.”

The last driver to win from the pole at Dover Motor Speedway was Jimmie Johnson in 2010. Why do you think that is, and do you think you can be the person to beat that streak?

“Man, I wouldn’t have thought it was that long ago..

This place is really different from practice, qualifying and into the race. The race is certainly a whole different game, and like I said, track position plays a big role. Pit stops play a big role. Us having the number one pit selection will hopefully help on that, so we only have to go a little bit to jump across the line. You know, the strategy here is obviously to stay out front. You would think if you start on the pole, you lead every lap and win the race, but that’s not always the case. You just have to play it out. It’s a race.. that’s why we race.”

 

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

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