Home Blog Page 1100

Stewart-Haas Racing: Focused Health 250 from COTA

By
Official Release
-

STEWART-HAAS RACING
Focused Health 250

Date: March 23, 2024
Event: Focused Health 250 (Round 5 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, TX (3.426-mile, 20-turn road course)
Format: 46 laps, broken into three stages (14 laps/16 laps/16 laps)
Note: Race extended four laps past its scheduled 46-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Race Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Parker Kligerman of Big Machine Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Riley Herbst of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

SHR Race Finish:

● Cole Custer (Started 8th / Finished 4th, Running, completed 50 of 50 laps)
● Riley Herbst (Started 19th / Finished 34th, Accident, completed 45 of 50 laps)

SHR Points:

● Cole Custer (3rd with 192 points, 30 out of first)
● Riley Herbst (5th with 165 points, 57 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● Custer earned his third top-five of the season and his second top-five in four career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at COTA.
● This was Custer’s third straight top-five. He finished second on March 2 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and fifth on March 9 at Phoenix Raceway.
● Custer has only finished outside of the top-10 at COTA once in his Xfinity Series career.
● Custer finished second in Stage 2 to earn nine bonus points.
● Herbst finished fifth in Stage 1 to earn six bonus points and won Stage 2 to earn 10 more bonus points and one playoff point.
● Herbst led one time for two laps – his first laps led at COTA.

Race Notes:

● Kyle Larson won the Focused Health 250 to score his 15th career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his first of the season and his first at COTA. His margin over second-place Austin Hill was 1.354 seconds.
● There were four caution periods for a total of nine laps.
● Twenty-nine of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Hill leaves COTA as the championship leader with a nine-point advantage over second-place Chandler Smith.

Sound Bites:

“It was a trying day, for sure. Overall, we just struggled. We were probably a fifth to 10th-place car. Then we got spun. I don’t know what happened there. Our guys did a great job, our pit crew was killing it on pit road. We got some stage points and battled our way through. We tried to race smart. Everyone was beating and banging so much, it was a mess out there. We held our own though. I can’t thank Haas Automation and Gene Haas enough. We wanted the trophy today, but we are going to have to work on it a little bit more to try to get our stuff better. Just got to keep working at it. This weekend wasn’t what we expected but we will move on to the next one and get it better.” –Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang

“I mean it just wasn’t our day at the end. We struggled on the long run speed and handling of our No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse, but we used pit strategy to get the most points out of our day though. We looked to be heading to a decent finish after some handling issues in the final stage, but just got spun. Obviously not what we wanted, but we’ll learn from it and head to one of my favorite racetracks next weekend.” –Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Richmond 250 on Saturday, March 30 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. The race begins at 1:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Cooper Webb Wins Seattle Supercross in Closest Finish of the Year

By
Official Release
-
First place 450SX Class - Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

Levi Kitchen Tops Field in 250SX Class

Seattle, Wash., (March 23, 2024) Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb took a thrilling win at Lumen Field in Seattle to nab his third win of the season at Round 11 of the 2024 Monster Energy Supercross season. The win marked the slimmest margin of victory so far this season as 58,342 fans cheered Webb and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton to the finish line.

The track at Lumen Field formed deep, peg-dragging ruts after rains earlier in the week saturated the dirt. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

Chase Sexton led much of the race and put on an incredible final surge; he missed the win by less than one second to earn the runner-up spot. Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence pushed a strong pace early but a crash with Webb put him back; he finished in third place. In the Western Regional 250SX Class’ return to racing, Washington-native Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen ran away with a huge win in what is his hometown Supercross.

“This is probably – we keep saying it every weekend – but by far the gnarliest track I’ve ridden. And it was really tough; we were all trying to push the pace, but you had to watch out for all the changing lines, the ruts, the lappers… I got arm pump pretty bad there at the end and it was just [a matter of] surviving, but I was able to hold on. Chase rode great, obviously made a few mistakes, then I’d make mistakes, and we’d go back and forth so, man, I’m stoked. I just want to give it up to the good Lord, want to give it up to the team; man, we’ve been dealt some adversity and we’re fighting through it, and it just feels amazing to win. It’s crazy, you know, you see Jett do it over and over and you just, you want to get that feeling again… I’m pumped.” – Cooper Webb.

“To be honest I didn’t even look at the pit board, so I had no idea [Webb was jumping the wall after the sand section]. I had [a] line late in the race where I was doubling into the pocket, but I never even thought of going outside [in the sand], so that’s on me not looking at the pit board. But overall, minus a few mistakes, I rode a really good race, even through[out] the whole race. I came back towards the end. I felt like I had really good speed. We made a change going into the heat race with my bike and it showed. I was really comfortable the whole night on such a gnarly track. And I gotta give it up to the team; they put a lot of work in to get me happy and we’re climbing that ladder… [when asked about stalling the engine during the night’s racing] …I got actually clipped that hay bail on this rhythm over here and bent my rear brake out, and I think that’s what happened when I stalled it over there. I caught my rear brake. So, just a few small hiccups, but overall it was a lot better race from me. This is the most I’ve fought all year, as far as [battling] close to the front, so we’re getting better.” – Chase Sexton, when asked if he saw that his mechanic was signaling him to double out of the sand and over the wall.

“I had a good charge at the start [of the race], had a really good flow, and I think I just came in the sand here and was a little bit committed. I knew I was going to hit Cooper, I could have been mean and hit him harder and just committed to it, but I didn’t want to hit him, and then in that sand you don’t want to – it’s very hard to pull up. So yeah, I ended up kind of being nice and checking up, but I [ended up] clipping the back [of Cooper’s bike], got off balance [and crashed]. And then I stalled it here once, and also had a lapper stop on the wall jump in front of me [and hold me up]. So, I’m like, ‘You know, that’s enough signs that tonight’s not the night, so we’ll just try and bring it home in third.’”– Jett Lawrence

The Western Regional 250SX Class passed its season midpoint with Seattle marking Round 6 of 10 rounds. Levi Kitchen made the technical track look almost easy with a win margin of over twenty seconds. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire fought back from a mediocre start to claim second place. Team Honda HRC’s Jo Shimoda was blazing fast, recovering from a crash to lock down the third-place spot.

“I’ve been waiting for a night like this for a long time… I just finally rode like myself and, you know, to do that in front of the hometown is awesome. Man, I just felt good on my dirt bike, like finally completely myself… it wasn’t a pretty race, actually, if you were me; I got really frustrated a few times and just tried to stay with it and I just kept telling myself, ‘stay with it,’ and I find myself again. It was crazy, but yeah I can’t give it up [enough] to all my friends and family for coming out, and shout out to my sister and my newborn nephew and niece, and just everybody, man, I’m going to really enjoy this one. Yeah, I’m stoked, extending the points a little bit.” – Levi Kitchen

“I said in the beginning of the day [to] just kind of take what the night gives me. I had nothing for Levi all day, I mean, you’ve seen in the heat race – like, that was embarrassing… I didn’t have the speed, that’s just what it was. I had to settle down and then, I don’t know what happened off the start there; I felt like I had a really good jump, and [then] I must have spun or something. And those first couple laps are hectic. I made some good passes but, man, the track is brutal. I rode Indy a few times [but] I don’t think I rode a track like this. So coming from the East Coast, it’s definitely technical tonight… We said we want to be solid tonight, and that’s all we had, so we’ll take a second on the night and look forward to St. Louis.” – RJ Hampshire

“Oh my God, it was the gnarliest track I ever rode. Honestly, like, from the heat race, I just kept dragging my foot pegs, and that threw me off. I actually crashed on the rhythm [section in the Main Event] – same thing, just [coming] out of the rut [it] caught my peg and it threw me off to the side…. I just needed to really, really focus, I guess. But I’m stoked to be on the podium, and I just want to shout out my mechanic [and team]. Thank you so much, and it was tough one.” – Jo Shimoda

The series moves east for Round 12, which kicks off next Saturday inside The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The round also pays points toward the SuperMotocross World Championship, seeding top racers from both Supercross and Pro Motocross into two Playoff races and a World Championship Final. zMAX Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, and The Strip at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway will host the 2024 post-season rounds.

Every Monster Energy AMA Supercross and SuperMotocross League event is available live and on-demand at PeacockTV. Select rounds can also be found on NBC, USA Network, CNBC, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app. CNBC airs next-day encore presentations of all 31 rounds of 2024 racing. For international coverage the SuperMotocross Video Pass (supermotocross.tv) provides live and on-demand coverage, in both English and Spanish.

The Seattle round continued to celebrate Supercross’ long-standing partnership with St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Fans are encouraged to support this great cause and wear their Love Moto Stop Cancer t-shirt, which is available with a donation. For more information go to stjude.org/supercross to text “SUPER” to 785-833.

Tickets are available for the remaining Monster Energy Supercross events. For tickets, video highlights, points standings, feature stories, and more information on streaming and broadcast airtimes please go to SupercrossLIVE.com.

Facebook: facebook.com/supercrosslive
X: twitter.com/supercrosslive
Instagram: instagram.com/supercrosslive
YouTube: youtube.com/supercrosslive
TikTok: tiktok.com/supercrossliveofficial
Official Merch: SupercrossSuperstore.com

About Feld Motor Sports:

Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting specialized arena and stadium-based motorsports entertainment. Properties include Monster Jam®, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and the SuperMotocross World Championship. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a subsidiary of Feld Entertainment, Inc. Visit monsterjam.com, SupercrossLIVE.com, and feldentertainment.com for more information.

About Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship:

Monster Energy AMA Supercross is the most competitive and highest-profile off-road motorcycle racing championship on the planet. Founded in America and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) since 1974. Over 17 weeks, Supercross attracts some of the largest and most impressive crowds inside the most recognizable and prestigious stadiums in North America to race in front of nearly one million live fans and broadcast to millions more worldwide. For more information, visit SupercrossLIVE.com.

About the SuperMotocross World Championship:

The SuperMotocross World Championship™ is the premier off-road motorcycle racing series that combines the technical precision of stadium racing with the all-out speed and endurance of outdoor racing. Created in 2022, the SuperMotocross World Championship combines the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship into a 31-event series that culminates in a season-ending two round playoff and SuperMotocross World Championship Final. Visit SuperMotocross.com for more information.

About the American Motorcyclist Association:

Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit americanmotorcyclist.com.

B. FORCE, HAGAN AND GLENN TAKE TOP SPOTS AT LUCAS OIL NHRA WINTERNATIONALS

By
Official Release
-

POMONA, Calif. (March 22, 2024) – Brittany Force powered to the top spot to close out qualifying on Saturday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, earning her first No. 1 qualifier of the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season at the 64th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals.

Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) also qualified No. 1 at the second of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

After a lengthy rain delay, Force put together a run of 3.711-seconds at 335.73 mph in her 11,000-horsepower Mark Christopher Auto Center Chevrolet/Monster Energy dragster. It was the lone qualifying session due to weather and Force claimed her 47th career No. 1 qualifier with the standout run. She’ll open eliminations looking for her first victory since 2022 when she finished the year as world champion.

“That was a good, consistent run and that’s what we’re focused on,” Force said. “We’re in a good place and it’s pretty awesome to have 47 No. 1 qualifiers. That’s (crew chief) David Grubnic and this entire team. But our focus is on raceday and trying to get a win. We’re ready for tomorrow.”

Eight-time Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher took second with a 3.735 at 331.85, while Billy Torrence took third with a 3.745 at 330.47. Tony Stewart’s run of 3.737 at 328.30 during the second session was ruled invalid due to a timing system malfunction.

Reigning Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan, who won the Winternationals a year ago, made the most of his run on Saturday, going to No. 1 with a run of 3.893 at 330.15 in his 11,000-horsepower Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat for Tony Stewart Racing. It gives the four-time world champion 51 career No. 1 qualifiers and plenty of momentum going into raceday, where Hagan looks to pick up his milestone 50th career victory. He’ll open eliminations against Buddy Hull trying to pick up his first win of the season.

“To do a burnout and still have that many fans in the stands after the weather was pretty cool,” Hagan said. “The track was tricky, so we’ll take that run. All in all, I’m pretty happy with that. We’ve had a lot of success here and to make that run makes me feel confident going into tomorrow. We’ve won a lot of races because Dickie (Venables, crew chief) has been good on Sunday. It would be great to get that 50th (win) in Pomona. It’s such a special place and it’s really magical here. There’s so much history and when you show up here, you get chill bumps. It’s just a cool feeling.”

Ron Capps took the second spot with a 3.893 at 326.71 and Bobby Bode took third after going 3.972 at 292.96.

In Pro Stock, defending event winner Dallas Glenn racked up his fifth career No. 1 qualifier, closing out qualifying with a run of 6.536 at 209.75 in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro. Glenn made a big move to close out the day after the team made wholesale changes leading into the day. They struggled on Friday, but the changes paid off heading into raceday, putting the young standout in a good spot to try and earn his first win of the season. He’ll open eliminations against KB Titan Racing teammate and rookie Sienna Wildgust.

“That was really satisfying,” Glenn said. “We basically rewired my entire car this morning. We changed so much stuff on it. We were not happy with it and it had been doing some crazy stuff. It at least worked for one run and we were pretty happy with it. The run felt amazing and we made a really killer run. Pomona has always been up there as one of my favorite tracks. I’ve always loved coming here and hopefully we have it turned around.”

Defending world champion Erica Enders qualified second with a 6.547 at 210.73 and Camrie Caruso jumped to third thanks with a 6.557 at 208.88.

Only one round of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge was completed on Saturday due to weather as well. Shawn Langdon and Steve Torrence both won the opening round in Top Fuel, while J.R. Todd and Austin Prock picked up the Funny Car victories. In Pro Stock, Glenn and Enders raced to Challenge wins.

Eliminations for the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals begin at 10 a.m. PT on Sunday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

POMONA, Calif. — Sunday’s first-round pairings for eliminations for the 64th annual NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip, the second 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. Brittany Force, 3.711 seconds, 335.73 mph vs. Bye; 2. Tony Schumacher, 3.735, 331.85 vs. 15. Terry Totten, 6.636, 91.56; 3. Billy Torrence, 3.745, 330.47 vs. 14. Josh Hart, 6.118, 107.81; 4. Steve Torrence, 3.750, 328.30 vs. 13. Tony Stewart, 4.839, 148.95; 5. Justin Ashley, 3.753, 329.18 vs. 12. Shawn Reed, 4.755, 169.40; 6. Doug Kalitta, 3.785, 303.30 vs. 11. Jasmine Salinas, 4.033, 287.78; 7. Shawn Langdon, 3.788, 318.24 vs. 10. Krista Baldwin, 3.964, 243.94; 8. Antron Brown, 3.807, 322.11 vs. 9. Clay Millican, 3.902, 296.05.

Funny Car — 1. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.893, 330.15 vs. 16. Buddy Hull, Charger, 4.823, 173.38; 2. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.893, 326.71 vs. 15. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 4.758, 229.31; 3. Bobby Bode, Ford Mustang, 3.972, 292.96 vs. 14. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.502, 205.44; 4. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.982, 309.27 vs. 13. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 4.207, 223.80; 5. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.992, 321.42 vs. 12. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.201, 247.93; 6. John Force, Camaro, 3.996, 318.99 vs. 11. Jim Campbell, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.162, 275.45; 7. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 3.999, 308.50 vs. 10. Chad Green, Mustang, 4.110, 302.96; 8. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.014, 314.31 vs. 9. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Camry, 4.050, 306.81.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Alexis DeJoria, 5.477, 185.77; 18. Jason Rupert, 6.283, 106.46; 19. Chris Morel, 6.717, 98.65; 20. Steven Densham, 7.130, 93.50.

Pro Stock — 1. Dallas Glenn, Chevy Camaro, 6.536, 209.75 vs. 16. Sienna Wildgust, Camaro, 6.625, 201.91; 2. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.547, 210.73 vs. 15. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.620, 206.54; 3. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.557, 208.88 vs. 14. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.613, 209.56; 4. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.565, 210.14 vs. 13. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.607, 209.20; 5. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.568, 210.31 vs. 12. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.603, 208.68; 6. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.570, 209.26 vs. 11. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.595, 210.87; 7. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.575, 209.95 vs. 10. Brandon Foster, Camaro, 6.583, 208.81; 8. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.581, 209.33 vs. 9. David Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.583, 209.59.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Joey Grose, 6.648, 208.39; 18. Jerry Tucker, 6.670, 209.01; 19. Cristian Cuadra, 9.401, 99.27; 20. Deric Kramer, 18.780, 79.62.

POMONA, Calif. — Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge round-by-round results from the 64th annual NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip, the second of 21 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

MISSION #2FAST2TASTY NHRA TOP FUEL CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Shawn Langdon, 4.038, 226.85 def. Antron Brown, 5.508, 128.05; Steve Torrence, 4.098, 207.02 def. Billy Torrence, 4.245, 195.42;

MISSION #2FAST2TASTY NHRA FUNNY CAR CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 4.207, 223.80 def. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 6.366, 104.40; Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 5.466, 182.97 def. Chad Green, Mustang, 6.565, 97.79;

MISSION #2FAST2TASTY NHRA PRO STOCK CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Dallas Glenn, Chevy Camaro, 6.536, 209.75 def. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, Broke; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.547, 210.73 def. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.570, 209.26;

Kaulig Racing Race Recap | COTA – Focused Health 250

By
Official Release
-

JOSH WILLIAMS

No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet Camaro

  • With Josh Williams on baby watch, teammate Daniel Hemric jumped in the No. 11 Chevy Camaro and qualified ninth for the Focused Health 250.
  • Williams dropped to the rear of the field for the start of the race due to the driver swap. He quickly moved into 29th before pitting three laps prior to the end of stage one for tires and fuel, taking the green-white-checkered while running 36th.
  • Williams restarted in 15th on lap 18. After falling to 21st on the restart, he received a pass-through penalty for cutting the course midway through the second stage. He received another pass through for speeding while serving the initial penalty, but before Williams could serve it, the No. 11 Alloy Employer Services machine started overheating. He came into the box to cool down the car, but the engine eventually expired, forcing Williams to retire. He finished the race in 38th.

“I’m not even sure what to say anymore. I’m not sure what we need to do for our luck to turn around, but I’m glad we’ve got a couple short tracks coming up next.” – Josh Williams  

AJ ALLMENDINGER

No. 16 Celsius Chevrolet Camaro

  • AJ Allmendinger qualified fifth for the Focused Health 250 at COTA.
  • After two cars were sent to the rear, Allmendinger started on the front row along side his teammate, Shane van Gisbergen. The No. 16 fell back on the initial start but quickly regained second position. Allmendinger ran in second to his teammate until lap 10 when the No. 16 took the lead. The team pit on lap 12 for four tires and fuel. Allmendinger came off pit road in eighth, where he finished the opening stage.
  • Allmendinger restarted the second stage in first place and maintained the lead, battling with the No. 17 and No. 97, until lap 28 when he came to pit road. The No. 16 came off pit road in fourth place where he finished the second stage.
  • Allmendinger restarted in first place with 13 laps remaining. He battled with his teammate in the No. 97 before falling to second on lap 38. The caution came out with four laps to go, Allmendinger was running second, reporting he was lacking grip. On the first NASCAR overtime attempt, Allmendinger restarted in second on the inside line behind the No. 97. In turn one, the No. 16 was shuffled back to sixth but made it back up to third before the caution came out again. Allmendinger received a course penalty and would start at the tail end of the longest line for the second overtime attempt. The team came down pit road for four tires and fuel before restarting in 26th. Allmendinger drove back through the field to finish 10th in the Focus Health 250 at COTA.

“Not the ending we wanted. We had a really solid day, I’m proud of everyone on the 16 car for digging and trying to make it better after practice and qualifying yesterday. I was really happy with the speed we had, we missed the last run there by a little bit which was going to cost us winning the race, but we were going to finish second and it was going to be a Kaulig one-two. With these late race restarts, you have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. We came out on the wrong end, but we fought hard and happy to restart at the back on the last restart and come back to a 10th place finish.” – AJ Allmendinger  

SHANE van GISBERGEN

No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet Camaro

  • Shane van Gisbergen qualified second for the Focused Health 250 at COTA.
  • Van Gisbergen grabbed the lead on lap one and maintained his position until lap 10, where he slipped to second. Van Gisbergen hit pit road on lap 13 from second for four tires, fuel and adjustments. Following the stop, Van Gisbergen rejoined the field in 10th and maintained his position, ending stage one in 10th on lap 15.
  • The WeatherTech team started stage two from the second position on lap 18. Struggling with grip in traffic, Van Gisbergen was scored in third on lap 21. Continuing to battle, Van Gisbergen worked his way back to second on lap 26 and hit pit road on lap 28 for a scheduled green-flag pit stop. Following a four tire stop, Van Gisbergen rejoined the field in seventh and ended the stage in sixth on lap 30.
  • Van Gisbergen started the final stage in second with 12 laps remaining in the race. Van Gisbergen took over the race lead on lap 38 and was scored as the race leader when the final caution flag came out in NASCAR overtime. Following the final restart, Van Gisbergen slipped to third and crossed the finished line in second. However, Van Gisbergen was assessed a 30-second penalty, which relegated him to a 27th-place finish.


 
About Kaulig Racing

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and has won back-to-back regular-season championships. Before becoming a full-time NCS team, Kaulig Racing made multiple starts in the 2021 NCS season and won in its seventh-ever start with AJ Allmendinger’s victory at “The Brickyard” for the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The team expanded to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and added a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. In 2024, the team will once again field two, full-time entries in the NCS and continue to field three, full-time NXS entries. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America NHRA Pomona Post-Race Report – 03.23.24

By
Official Release
-

CAPPS AND TORRENCE LEAD TOYOTA AFTER SHORTENED POMONA QUALIFYING
Toyota seeking Top Fuel three-peat on Sunday

POMONA, Calif. (March 23, 2024) – After a rain-shortened qualifying at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, Ron Capps was the highest-qualifying Toyota driver by claiming the second qualifying spot in Funny Car for the NHRA Winternationals. Capps and Matt Hagan had identical 3.893 elapsed times during Saturday evening’s session, but Hagan’s 330 mph speed resulted in him capturing the top position. With his strong run, Capps is in an ideal position to claim his fifth career Winternationals victory tomorrow, his first at the annual event since 2021. 

In Top Fuel, Billy Torrence led the Toyota contingent with the third position heading into Sunday’s elimination rounds. The Texan was atop the Top Fuel leaderboard after the lone Friday session, but his 3.745 elapsed time was eclipsed by Brittany Force thanks to improved track conditions Saturday evening. Torrence’s son, Steve, was the next highest Top Fuel racer with the fourth position.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals
In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip
Race 2 of 20

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS 

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponent
B. ForceMonster Energy Top Fuel Dragster1st*Bye
Billy TorrenceCAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster3rdJ. Hart
Steve TorrenceCAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster4thT. Stewart
Justin AshleySCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster5thS. Reed
Doug KalittaMac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster6thJ. Salinas
Shawn LangdonKalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster7thK. Baldwin
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster8thC. Millican

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS 

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponent
M. HaganJHG Dodge Funny Car1st*B. Hull
Ron CappsNAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car2ndA. Prock
J.R. ToddDHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car13thC. Pedregon
Alexis DeJoriaBandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny CarDNQN/A

*= Non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

RON CAPPS, NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car

FC Qualifying Result: 2nd

Can you take us through qualifying and what you’re looking forward to tomorrow?

“Boy, another crazy, crazy day! I mean anytime we have weather, there’s a lot of standing around, a lot of anticipation. We have the most loyal fans. I’m sure any driver tells you that in any series, but it’s unbelievable how long our fans stayed around to see what we got at Pomona dragstrip – a historic dragstrip, an epic 64th annual race. To get one more shot at qualifying like we did, when the sun was going down, there’s nothing like driving this GR Supra down Pomona dragway on a Saturday night like that and running a 3.893 to the number one spot. We did get bumped on speed, that was probably me shutting the car off a little early down there. But we know we have a great race car and I’m excited about tomorrow. This is obviously a home track for me. A lot of friends and family are here. But we sure want to see if we can double up with my Toyota teammates there in COTA (Circuit of the Americas) and celebrate with Toyota Sunday night.”

BILLY TORRENCE, CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Torrence Racing

TF Qualifying Result: 3rd

How would you describe your qualifying effort over the two rounds?

“Yeah, we made a good pass there yesterday, trying a new setup in the car. Then, we tried something else today, and it just didn’t hang on. It was running well, but we just overpowered the track a little bit. I think we’ll have a good race car for tomorrow, though.”

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).

Larson-y: Hendrick Motorsports Star Steals Show, Wins Double-Overtime NXS Thriller in Focused Health 250

By
Official Release
-
Kyle Larson celebrates in Victory Lane after a wild, double-overtime finish in Saturday's NASCAR Xfinity Series Focused Health 250 race at Circuit of The Americas outside of Austin, Texas. Photo Credit: NASCAR at COTA/Harold Hinson Photography
  • Kyle Larson rallies late, benefits from Shane van Gisbergen and Austin Hill contact in closing lap to take home the NASCAR Xfinity Series Focused Health 250 trophy.
  • Tickets to Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix are available at NASCARatCOTA.com.

AUSTIN, Texas (March 23, 2024) – Calamity at COTA! What looked, for most of the race, like a battle between road course aces Shane van Gisbergen and AJ Allmendinger, turned into a hard-fought NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) victory for Kyle Larson in a thrilling double-overtime finish at the Focused Health 250 at Circuit of The Americas (COTA).

Kaulig Racing teammates van Gisbergen and Allmendinger battled at the front for most of the race, leading a combined 40 of the race’s 50 laps, before Allmendinger – the two-time, defending winner – got shuffled back in the pack on a late restart.

On the final restart, Austin Hill of Richard Childress Racing made contact with van Gisbergen heading into Turn One and took the lead. The three-time Supercars champion from New Zealand returned the favor in the closing corners. That contact opened the door for Larson, on fresher tires, to sneak past for his 15th career NXS win by a margin of 1.354 seconds over Hill. Van Gisbergen was assessed a 30-second penalty for cutting the course short on the final lap and was scored in 27th position when the checkered flag fell.

After the race, Larson had high praise for the talented Kiwi.

“He’s just better than us,” Larson said. “AJ’s a level up from me and he’s a level up from AJ. He kind of surprised me when he got to my right side; he kind of surprised me because I didn’t know he was there. Then when he got to my left side, he surprised me again because I thought he was still on my right. It was fun racing. He’s just way better. It’s a lot of fun when you can race around a guy who’s that good because you can learn a lot of things.”

Van Gisbergen, making just his fifth NXS start as a full-time driver, said he learned a lot throughout the race.

“We got better and better,” said van Gisbergen, who was in line to top his season-best finish of third at Atlanta. “That last restart, he (Hill) just drove through me. I guess that’s how it is here. I just stood up for myself.”

While frustrated by the finish, Hill said his team has plenty to hang their hats on.

“Obviously, I’m frustrated,” said Hill, who posted his fifth consecutive top-five finish on the season. “We’re firing on all cylinders right now. It doesn’t matter where we go. We’ve got to hold our heads up for that, but it’s really frustrating. I wanted to get my first road course win.”

Parker Kligerman of Big Machine Racing led the way at the end of Stage One, while JR Motorsports driver Brandon Jones took the green-and-white checkers to win the second stage.

Larson will look to double down Sunday with a win in the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix NASCAR Cup Series showdown, where his teammate, William Byron, will start on the pole. Green flag waves at 2:49 p.m. CT (TV: FOX, Radio: PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90).

Tickets:

Fans can purchase tickets for Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix online at NASCARatCOTA.com.

Follow Us:

Keep track of all things NASCAR at COTA by following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@NASCARatCOTA). Keep up with all the latest information on the NASCAR at COTA website and mobile app.

Rosenqvist, Palou Capture Poles for Thermal Heat Races

By
Official Release
-

THERMAL, Calif. (Saturday, March 23, 2024) – Felix Rosenqvist and Alex Palou each battled gusty winds and changing track conditions Saturday to claim poles for the two heat races Sunday setting the field for The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge.

Rosenqvist and reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Palou will be at the head of the field for their respective 10-lap heat races Sunday on the 17-turn, 3.067-mile desert circuit near Palm Springs, California. The top six finishers in each of those heats will compete in the Sprint for the Purse, a two-segment, 20-lap feature race that awards $500,000 to the winner.

SEE: Heat 1 Qualifying Results | Heat 2 Qualifying Results

Live coverage of the two heat races and non-points Sprint for the Purse starts at 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday on NBC, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

“It’s an angry pack behind in the mirror,” Rosenqvist of starting from the front in the heat. “I think it’s about the start and getting away, but, man, everyone’s going to go for it. That’s the beauty and the curse of this format. Everyone is just going to give it all, and that’s what we did now and ended up first.”

Rosenqvist continued his strong performance from the season opener earlier this month in St. Petersburg by taking the top spot for the first 10-lap heat with a best lap of 1 minute, 38.5831 seconds in the No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda despite problems with his push-to-pass mechanism during testing earlier today. The Swede qualified second and finished seventh in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding in the first points-paying event of the season and his first with Meyer Shank Racing.

“We tried to stay calm after the morning; we had kind of a messy session,” Rosenqvist said. “I just tried to forget that session, take a deep breath and do it all again.

“It’s so tricky out there, man. The wind is changing every lap. There’s dust on the track. I was first out (in qualifying), so I was worried there was going to be poor grip. But I could focus on my tire warmup like we did yesterday, and I felt a bit more confident when I went for the lap. I guess all we had to do is put it together, and the speed is there. Awesome.”

Scott McLaughlin will join Rosenqvist on the front row for the first heat race after his best lap of 1:38.6068 in the No. 3 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet. Rinus VeeKay will be on the inside of Row 2 in the first heat after his qualifying lap of 1:38.6283 in the No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet.

Christian Lundgaard, quickest overall in two days of testing here Friday and today, qualified fourth for the first heat at 1:38.6394 in the No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda fielded by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

Each qualifying group – determined by a blind draw Thursday night at this private automotive club – had just eight minutes on track. The first group was clean other than a few drivers putting a Firestone Firehawk tire wide and kicking sand and dirt on the track. The second group faced more pressure when Marcus Ericsson spun off track and backed into the tire barrier in Turn 9 in the No. 28 Delaware Life Honda fielded by Andretti Global, spawning a red flag and freezing the clock with just one minute, 19 seconds left.

That forced the other 12 drivers in Group Two to decide whether they wanted to stand pat on their existing times or go for broke on one final trip around the circuit when the session resumed.

Two-time series champion Palou decided to take a chance in his No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda as the wind picked up and swirled sand and dust around the circuit. Palou, who led both test sessions Friday, produced the top lap of qualifying with his Group 2-topping run of 1:38.5675 despite having only 14 seconds of push-to-pass left for that lap.

“Looking forward to tomorrow,” Palou said. “After all that confusion with the red flag and everything, we didn’t know if we were going to be able to put a lap together. But happy with that.

“We were using everything (push-to-pass) on that lap before it went red, so happy with that pace. The car is good.”

Palou will start on the pole for the 20-lap Sprint for the Purse – divided into two-lap segments – if he wins his heat race because he produced the quickest lap of the two qualifying segments.

It will be an all-Chip Ganassi Racing front row for the second heat race as Marcus Armstrong qualified second at 1:38.7575 in the No. 11 Ridgeline Lubricants Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Graham Rahal, who struggled for pace here Friday and today in testing, found grip at just the right time to qualify third at 1:38.9723 in the No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Honda fielded by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Rookie Linus Lundqvist completed a strong second qualifying group for CGR and will start fourth after his best lap of 1:39.0685 in the No. 8 American Legion Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

CHEVROLET INDYCAR AT THE THERMAL CLUB: Team Chevy Qualifying Report

By
Official Release
-

CHEVROLET QUALIFIES FOUR IN THE TOP-FIVE FOR NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ $1 MILLION CHALLENGE HEAT 1

  • Chevrolet saw four drivers finish in the top-five of qualifying’s Group 1, with Scott McLaughlin, driver of the XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet, leading the Bowtie brigade in second with his fastest lap of 01:38.6068 seconds.
  • Alexander Rossi, driver of the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, led Team Chevy in Group 2 in seventh with his fastest lap of 01:39.1140 seconds after a mid-session caution shook up strategy.
  • Ahead of Sunday’s heat races and main event, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES completed four test sessions with Callum Ilott, driver of the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, topping the charts with his fastest lap of 01:38.7784 seconds in Test Session 3.
  • In the fourth open test Saturday afternoon, Chevrolet occupied the first two or three positions for most of the session, finishing with four teams in the top-five, and seven in the top-10.
  • Sunday’s $1 Million Challenge from The Thermal Club airs live at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC, with additional broadcast coverage on Peacock, INDYCAR Radio, and SiriusXM Channel 160.

TEAM CHEVY GROUP 1 QUALIFYING RESULTS, HEAT RACE 1 LINEUP:
2nd Scott McLaughlin
3rd Rinus VeeKay
5th Josef Newgarden
6th Will Power
7th Romain Grosjean
8th Agustin Canapino
10th Santino Ferrucci
14th Sting Ray Robb

TEAM CHEVY GROUP 2 QUALIFYING RESULTS, HEAT RACE 2 LINEUP:
7th Alexander Rossi
8th Callum Ilott
9th Pato O’Ward
11th Christian Rasmussen

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (Quotes):

Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Chevrolet at Team Penske:

“I feel solid in race running. It’s a tricky surface. There’s definitely going to be drop off and tire wear, but I think we’re looking after the tires super well so I’m excited for race running. Got to stay out of trouble to start, and then I think our longevity should prove to be pretty competitive. Proud of the Hitachi Chevrolet crew. It’s been fun testing here and getting through a list of items and seeing if we can win some money tomorrow.”

A pretty strong start to the season with Chevrolet, a pretty strong package…

“Chevy’s done a great job. They continue to bring us great performance on the weekend. Excited to get through tomorrow, but also really excited to get back to Long Beach as well and keep proving our worth.”

Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Chevrolet at Team Penske:

“I’m hell bent. To have a qualifying session which was just bang, bang, bang in a shootout lap, one lap, is pretty awesome and that’s effectively what that was. To do a good job there was good. Congrats to Felix (Rosenqvist). I feel like I could have had him. I just marked up that last corner, but that’s… You’ve got to do the lap, it’s pressure, and that’s cool.”

You’ve got to get it right on the push-to-pass lap…

“Exactly. I think that’d be really cool, but I think our XPEL Chevy was great. Obviously, Chevy has been giving us great power this year and fuel mileage so really stoked for everyone there, and hopefully we can keep this XPEL Chevy up front.”

So what do you expect for the heat race tomorrow? How do you approach that?

“We’ll do what we can. Every race, we go out and try to win it. It’s a learning process too. We’ll figure out what the car does even more so over ten laps, but yeah, I’ll be doing my best to at least get ahead of Felix (Rosenqvist). It’s going to be interesting where we’ll shake up at the end of ten laps.”

Will Power, No. 12 Chevrolet at Team Penske:

“Because you have push-to-pass, it’s just one lap and big (degradation). It’s very difficult to wait two hours, then have a different condition and just go. It’s tough.”

Did you know what the track was going to be like?

“I did. I tried a couple of different things and made mistakes. I mean, honestly, the quickest time was a quick time. It was hard to put all of that together. For (Felix) Rosenqvist to be P1 is solid.”

How do you think the heat races will play out?

“It just depends on what you want to do. I don’t feel like doing much damage for P6 or something. It’s such a short race, anything can happen.”

With all of the test sessions, do you feel as a group it was worth it? You were able to try a bunch of different stuff.

“I think the whole qualifying and racing made you not try stuff. You were doing these qualifying sims because you knew the only way you’ll do well in these things is qualifying up front.”

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

“This track is very sensitive to heat, wind. It was getting really gusty, especially there in the back over by the esses. There was a lot of sand on track. You could see it from the rooster tails coming out of the cars. As it was for us, it wasn’t the most perfect lap for me, but I just could never get the car to set. It was always wanting to go the opposite direction of where I wanted it to go. It was a bit of a fight out there, but it seems like we’re not the only ones. A lot of guys are struggling with it, and it’s just really, really gusty and feels icy out there.”

Do you remember a weekend like this where it’s different to run all the time?

“Not in INDYCAR, but in a Formula 1 test, yes. Those cars are really, really wind sensitive and I feel like we’re getting a taste of that here. Maybe in Indy, where you’re going so fast and the wind is a bit more of a factor. It’s definitely shifted a lot. You think you have a good car, and then you’re going into it and what happened to the balance? Not that if felt horrible, but it just never actually got into, I feel like, an operating window. I feel the tires never got to their sweet spot, and this qualifying session that we’ve with overtake, you’ve got one lap to do it. Once you choose your lap, you’ve got to stick with it. I’m glad that we tried in Lap 2, I think Callum (Ilott) did as well. But it seems that we’re not the only ones that are struggling.”

Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:

“It’s interesting. Just like this whole weekend, right? It’s different. You’ve got the push-to-pass too, which usually you can focus on one thing, but now we’re pressing a button on the top of the steering wheel. It felt really good. One thing about this track, with the wind and basically a sandstorm that came through, every session, maybe every outing, the car felt different. We just kind of nailed it for the conditions the way they were. A little bit surprised. Didn’t feel as good as in practice, but very, very happy and great job by the guys.”

What will be the biggest key tomorrow? Will it be aggressiveness? Conservative?

“Staying on track. I think that’s my thing. You only have to lead one lap and that’s the last one. First got to make it through to the all-star race and then to the $1 Million Challenge, and then we look forward there. This starting position definitely makes tomorrow a little bit easier.

If you’re second with $500,000 on the line, are you willing to move someone to win?

“If I’m close enough and I see a gap, I’ll definitely go for it.”

Romain Grosjean, No. 77 Chevrolet at Juncos Hollinger Racing:

“We knew qualifying was going to be a challenge. Very tricky conditions out there. I made a small mistake in our lap that cost us, but we are up there in the mix, so a lot of potential in the car.”

Agustin Canapino, No. 78 Chevrolet at Juncos Hollinger Racing:

“We are in a good position. Honestly, the lap wasn’t good. We didn’t find the speed in the fastest corner, and we need to check what happened. But the good thing is we are in a good position for tomorrow to try and make it to the main race.”

From that kind of position, you know you need to pick up a couple of spots. What is the approach in this short heat race tomorrow?

“I think the target is try to end better. Of course, we are starting P8 alongside my teammate Romain (Grosjean). We need to only need to advance two positions. It will be difficult of course. Many good drivers and top teams, but we had a good car, especially in practice. We were much better. For some reason, my car wasn’t good in qualifying again on the faster corners, but I think we can find some speed for tomorrow.”

What have you learned this weekend that will help you moving forward this season?

“Oh, a lot. I remember this same moment, same place, last year, and I was completely lost. Completely, completely lost. I made a big improvement during my first year. I need more practice, more experience, especially with the new tires, but we are in a good situation. The team has improved a lot, especially with Romain (Grosjean). We are in a good situation. You can see that with the guys we have now behind us.”

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.

Meyer Shank Racing Scores First INDYCAR Pole at The Thermal Club

By
Official Release
-

Rosenqvist scores pole position while Blomqvist’s strong qualifying run places him fifth on the grid for heat race 2

Thermal, Calif. (23 March 2024) – The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge may be a new event on the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar, but Felix Rosenqvist and Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) found nothing new about their qualifying results as the Swede scored the pole for Sunday’s heat race 1 in today’s qualifying at the 17-turn, 3.067-mile circuit near Palm Springs.

As he did two weeks ago in the season opener in St. Petersburg, Rosenqvist took his No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda to the front row in qualifying, leading the session that set the starting grid for Sunday’s first heat race. The results of the heats will determine which 12 drivers qualify for the feature race, with the top six from each heat advancing to the 20-lap main event.

Rosenqvist and MSR bounced back from an issue in Saturday’s final test session as the Bon Jovi Radio (SiriusXM Ch. 312) themed car was unable to use its push-to-pass feature. The team worked through the session and during the hours leading to qualifying to diagnose the problem, giving Rosenqvist the opportunity to have all his Honda power at his disposal in the 12-minute session.

The short session meant that teams realistically had two flying laps to settle the score, but Rosenqvist worked quickly to put up a time of 1:38.5831 (111.999mph) to lead his session.

Tom Blomqvist (No. 66 AutoNation / Arctic Wolf Honda) ran in the second qualifying session and finished a strong fifth in a truncated outing that was reduced to a one-lap shootout due to a mid-session crash. The British-born driver will start on the inside of the third row in tomorrow’s second heat after carding a time of 1:39.0920 (111.435mph).

Sunday’s two heat races will be contested over 10 laps, or 20 minutes, with the first six finishers from each heat moving on to the feature race. Sunday’s finale will consist of two 10-lap segments, with teams allowed to refuel and make any changes during the break.

The winner of the second segment will take home $500,000 with $350,000 going to the runner-up and $250,000 to the third-place driver.

The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge will air on NBC on Sunday starting at 12:30 p.m. ET. SiriusXM will also host live INDYCAR Radio coverage of both sessions on XM Ch. 218.

Meyer Shank Racing Driver Quotes:

Felix Rosenqvist: “We tried to stay cool after a tough morning session, we took a deep breath and worked on the problem. But the team did a great job getting ready and we ended up with another great car. The test sessions have been great for us as a team this weekend. We’re jelling, we are figuring out what we need to do to be fast and I feel good. It’s an angry pack to be ahead of (for tomorrow’s heat race), but if we can get away clean at the start, we should be OK because the (tire) degradation isn’t too bad. But the guys are going to be coming at us hard.

Tom Blomqvist: “I’m really happy. I am slowly, but surely going in the right direction. Yesterday was really difficult for me, but we made really good steps overnight with the car. I’m just focusing on getting more comfortable every lap and learning what I need from the car to go fast.”

Buying a Used Car: How to Avoid Common Pitfalls

By
SM
-
Photo by Obi - @pixel8propix on Unsplash

Getting a new vehicle is a great feeling for any driver. However, the process of buying a used car can become quite challenging. The reason is that the news users are likely to get a nice car at one-third the price of the new one. However, previously used vehicles do not have the “standard new car guarantees.” But the pitfalls are possible to avoid by taking well-considered precautions and being aware of important details.

Finding Reputable Sellers

You’ve chosen to buy a used car. Then you need to find reputable sellers. While private sales through online marketplaces might seem cheaper overall, many used cars are not well-maintained, or worse, have hidden faults. Reputable dealers will check all their cars for sale thoroughly and offer some form of warranty, and thanks to various consumer protection laws will provide accurate information regarding the state of the vehicle. 

When searching for a dealership, be sure to review the reviews. Like all businesses, a dealership with a strong track record of customer satisfaction is always a plus.

However, even the best of these sellers are still in the business to sell, and you don’t want to make such a large purchase with only a naive understanding of what you want and what you should expect. Be sure to conduct thorough research before making a purchase.

Cars for Sale Searching

Securing the best deal is a priority. But, securing the best car for you is even more important. Make sure to do plenty of research before starting your search. Understand what type or brand of car suits your lifestyle and budget best.

A small city hatchback may be excellent for zip-lining through city roads, while an SUV would fit better a family regularly taking road trips. Consider other factors like fuel consumption, the cost of spare parts, and insurance cover.

Online research will be a huge help in your quest. Use trustworthy websites that have multiple listed cars for sale. They often give detailed specifications including mileage, model year, pricing, and more.

Negotiating the Price

Negotiating is half the fun when buying a used car. Yet negotiations can be stressful. With the right strategies and knowledge you’ll be able to buy that dream car without breaking your bank account.

Get familiar with the average price for the make and model you’re interested in. Online resources can provide ballpark estimates of what people are typically paying. Be sure to compare similar models, considering the age, mileage, condition, and optional extras.

If you have a car to trade in, know its value before you ever step foot at the dealership. Typically, dealerships try to get as much as they can for trade-ins—so invest time doing accurate market research so you know exactly what it’s worth.

VIN Number Importance

The Vehicle Identification Number is what serves as the fingerprint of your car. It is different for different vehicles and contains vital information of its past, including the data about the manufacturer, vehicle features, specifications, and even a history of all accidents and repairs that needed to be done.

To make decoding that fingerprint quick and easy, use a reliable vin decoder. Simply enter the 17-digit VIN, and you’ll instantly get a breakdown of production details, engine type, trim level, and more, helping you verify that all received info matches the seller’s claims.

It is a detail people usually overlook about during purchasing; however, it is the most important aspect of your buying choices. The best time to check the VIN is when you arrive at a dealership or the house of a private seller. It should correspond with registration documents and not show any signs of being erased or altered.

Other than that, it is a reliable proof of ownership of your vehicle; however, if there are irregularities and different numbers around the parts, it might mean that there is trouble. It can be either stolen, or there are bigger concerns, such as the returning of a mileage indicator.

Inspection Before Purchase

It’s not a secret that inspection before buying a used car is an absolute necessity. Plus, it’s more than just kicking the tires. I mean, everything should be in order, starting from the engine, electrical systems and brakes, to lights.

To start with, you can do the first level of inspection yourself. Check exterior parts, such as tires and wheels for damages, also, look for rust or body damage on the car and leaks under it. As well, turn the engine on and listen to it making sure that there is nothing wrong with it. Shift gears if it’s a manual and drive it a bit. Finally, check if there are any strange smells coming from the car.

For the next level, you already need the help of a professional. Here is where you need to find a trusted independent mechanic. Yes, it will cost you some money, but it’s better to spend a couple of hundred than end up buying junk.

Spotting Hidden Damages

Overall, when you are buying a car you should know how to spot hidden damages because some people can draw a beautiful picture to persuade you into buying a piece of junk. Noticing some types of stuff may require some professionalism, but many of them can be seen on the visual examination.

You may want to inspect the engine compartment, trunk, undercarriage, dashboard, and upholstery. Here is a short checklist for hidden car damages: a different shade of paint indicates an accident, rust or paint drips suggest that the repair was done in a hurry and sloppily, and traces of strong detergents or perfumes indicate that something has been concealed from smell.

Check for Odors

Smell the car: the presence of a very intense scent means excessive use of a cleaner or perfume to mask the dirty and mold smell. Call it off if there is any gasoline smell; fresh, unthinned gasoline-specific color and smell on the hands mean a leak in the fuel system. Smoke emission during the ignition attracts maligning applications.

Other hidden damages include a non-working electrical system, and many drivers are not lucky to detect it.

It is good to test the operability of every electronic stuff, like power windows or locks, sound systems or navigators, and safety features such as traction control or anti-lock brakes. Also, try to test the air conditioning and heating.

Assessing Car Paperwork

One vital part of buying a used car is assessing the vehicle’s paperwork. Incomplete or inconsistent paperwork is one of the surefire signs that something isn’t right about a vehicle.

The vehicle’s title document reveals its ownership history while any maintenance receipts show the car’s repair history. Should the odometer reading not appear consistent with documented mileage, this discrepancy could imply tampering.

A missing title or inaccurate VIN number entries on documents are major red flags; both might signify theft or other illegal activities. Ask for service records—consistent maintenance work tends to suggest that the car was well kept.

Paperwork for any modifications done on the vehicle must also be available. This will help you understand the impact the changes might have on the car’s performance or lifespan.

In a Nutshell

It takes some effort to buy a used car. But the effort is worthwhile if it leads to a quality vehicle within your budget.

From finding reputable sellers to negotiating prices, checking VIN numbers, assessing paperwork and warranties and understanding your rights—you’re well prepared to avoid common pitfalls. Maintain your used car well post-purchase for continued drives free from worries!

1...1,0991,1001,101...6,679Page 1,100 of 6,679