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Bayley Currey – Long John Silver’s 200 Race Advance

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Official Release
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Team: No. 41 Sparco Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Bayley Currey (Driftwood, Texas) | Crew Chief: Mike Hillman Jr.
Follow the Team: Twitter: @NieceMotorsport | Instagram: @NieceMotorsports | Facebook: /NieceMotorsports | Web: www.niecemotorsports.com
Follow Bayley Currey: Twitter: @BayleyCurrey | Instagram: @bayleycurrey05 | Facebook: /bayleycurrey05 | Web: www.bcurrey.com/

Bayley Currey on Friday’s Race at Martinsville Speedway: “Our Sparco Chevrolet Silverado looks great, and I’m excited to get it on track this week at Martinsville,” said Currey. “We’ve brought fast trucks to the track every weekend, we’re just looking to close the deal. Martinsville is a different animal, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

By The Numbers: Friday’s race marks Currey’s 50th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start.

Currey has one NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start at Martinsville Speedway, coming in 2017.

Currey also has five NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the Virginia short track, with his most recent coming in 2022.

On the Truck: Currey’s No. 41 Chevrolet Silverado will race with support from Sparco.

Recapping the Last Race: Bayley Currey and the No. 41 team diagnosed a brake issue after Friday’s practice and qualifying session. The repairs forced Currey to start Saturday’s race at the tail-end of the field. Currey quickly began working his way through the pack when he lost power steering early in the race. Currey and the No. 41 team worked hard to maintain position in the top-20, battling a fuel pressure issue as well. Through all the adversity, Currey and team were able to bring home a 16th-place finish.

Currey on Last Race at Circuit of the Americas: “It was a disappointing day,” said Currey. “We had a brake issue yesterday and got that fixed, and then about lap five today we lost power steering. It was just a rough day afterwards. The truck had speed and I hate coming to my home track and to not have a good day. Everyone on my No. 41 team worked so hard all day to keep me in the fight and to finish in 16th after all that. We’ll take it and move along to Martinsville.”

About Niece Motorsports:
Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2024, Niece Motorsports enters its ninth season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as X @NieceMotorsport.

About Sparco:
Since 1977 Sparco S.p.A. has developed and produced equipment for the racing environment. Sparco has more than 300 partner teams throughout the world in various motorsport competitions including, F1, Indy, WRC, NASCAR, Dakar and many others.

Since 2000, The Sparco Group has diversified its activities, entering the carbon fiber automotive components’ industry for super sports car and luxury car manufacturers. In addition, Sparco has expanded its business to the gaming-simulation racing industry as well as the safety clothing industry (safety footwear and workwear).

Sparco is headquartered in Volpiano, Italy, and has more than 1,000 employees that operate in eight production plants (four in Italy, three in Tunisia and one in the USA).

Kaden Honeycutt – Long John Silver’s 200 Race Advance

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Official Release
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Team: No. 45 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Kaden Honeycutt (Aledo, Texas) | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
Follow the Team: Twitter: @NieceMotorsport | Instagram: @NieceMotorsports | Facebook: /NieceMotorsports | Web: www.niecemotorsports.com
Follow Kaden: Twitter: @KadenWHoneycutt | Instagram: @kadenhoneycutt10 | Facebook: /KadenHoneycuttRacing | Web: kadenhoneycuttracing.com

Kaden Honeycutt on Friday’s Race at Martinsville Speedway: “I enjoy short track racing, so I’m looking forward to getting to Martinsville with this Niece Motorsports group in our Chevy Accessories Silverado,” said Honeycutt. “Hoping I can carry some momentum from the Orange Krush 200 win at Orange County Speedway last week, over to this weekend. I know Phil [Gould] and the team are working hard to bring us a fast truck. We’ll do our best to run a clean race and be up front at the end when it counts.”

By The Numbers: Friday’s race marks Honeycutt’s 23rd NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start, and his third at Martinsville Speedway.

Honeycutt also has one NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Martinsville Speedway, coming in 2023.

On the Truck: Honeycutt’s No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado will race with support from Chevy Accessories. Visit chevy.com/accessories to browse the latest accessories to personalize and enhance your vehicle.

Recapping the Last Race: Ross Chastain and the No. 45 team showed speed in Friday’s practice and qualifying session, earning a fifth-place starting spot for Saturday afternoon’s XPEL 225. Chastain battled a loose-handling race truck for the majority the race. A speeding penalty during green flag pit stops and a spin after contact to the bumper of the No. 45 made it tough for Chastain to work his way back through the field. Phil Gould and team made adjustments throughout the race, with Chastain battling in the top-five during the closing laps, ultimately crossing the line in fifth.

Ross Chastain on Last Race at Circuit of the Americas: “It’s bucket-list stuff to come back and race with Al Niece and the whole Niece team here at Circuit of the Americas,” said Chastain. “Another fifth-place finish, but not the speed we wanted for sure. We struggled with rear grip the whole weekend and Phil Gould and the guys took some big swings at the truck and got it dialed in by the end. I couldn’t be prouder to work with the entire Niece organization and help wherever I can. This weekend was good to get back in the truck and there are some things we can look at to get better. Thank you to TXAPA and MG Machinery for joining us again this weekend and everyone that makes these Chevrolets fast.”

About Niece Motorsports:
Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2024, Niece Motorsports enters its ninth season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as X @NieceMotorsport.

Mahindra Tractors Racing: Chase Briscoe Martinsville Advance

By
Official Release
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CHASE BRISCOE
Martinsville Advance
No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

● Event: Cook Out 400 (Round 8 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 7
● Location: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
● Layout: .526-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 400 laps/210.4 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 100 laps / Final Stage: 220 laps
● TV/Radio: FS1 / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● The NASCAR Cup Series’ short-track attack resumes with a second straight race in Virginia, and Chase Briscoe is eyeing improvement after finishing 18th last Sunday at the .75-mile Richmond Raceway. Martinsville Speedway is next up for the driver of the No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing, and the .526-mile oval has been the site of a streak of front-running consistency for Briscoe that has improved each time he has turned a wheel on the paperclip-shaped bullring.

● Sunday’s Cook Out 400 at Martinsville will mark Briscoe’s seventh career NASCAR Cup Series start at the venerable track. Since his Cup Series debut at Martinsville in April 2021, when he finished 27th, Briscoe had made steady and significant improvement. He finished 22nd in his return to Martinsville in October 2021 and has not finished outside of the top-10 in his last four Martinsville starts, finishing ninth (April 2022), ninth (October 2022), fifth (April 2023) and fourth (October 2023).

● Briscoe’s best Martinsville race as a NASCAR Cup Series driver came last April when he finished fifth. He started fourth and took the lead on lap 186 and paced the field for the next 71 laps. A series of green-flag pit stops jumbled the running order, but Briscoe came back to take the lead on lap 307 and he stayed out front for another 38 laps to bring his laps-led total for the race to 109, second only to his Stewart-Haas teammate Ryan Preece, who led 135 laps.

● Briscoe has three other Martinsville starts outside of the NASCAR Cup Series – one in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and two in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Briscoe finished seventh in his lone Xfinity Series start at Martinsville in October 2020, and in his two Truck Series starts at the track, both taking place in 2017, Briscoe finished 11th (April) and 19th (October).

● Briscoe won the pole for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville in October 2017. He promptly led the first 39 laps and was a front-running fixture until he was collected in an accident on lap 138 of the 200-lap race. The winner that day was Noah Gragson, Briscoe’s current teammate at Stewart-Haas.

● Mahindra Ag North America is in its third year as the anchor sponsor for Briscoe and the No. 14 team after extending its partnership with Stewart-Haas during the offseason. The multiyear agreement with the NASCAR team co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart and industrialist Gene Haas continues to feature Mahindra Tractors, a brand of Mahindra Ag North America, on Briscoe’s No. 14 Ford Mustang for the majority of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Houston-based Mahindra Ag North America is part of Mahindra Group’s Automotive and Farm Sector, the No. 1 selling farm tractor company in the world, based on volumes across all company brands. Mahindra offers a range of tractor models from 20-75 horsepower, implements, and the ROXOR heavy-duty UTV. Mahindra farm equipment is engineered to be easy to operate by first-time tractor or side-by-side owners and heavy duty to tackle the tough jobs of rural living, farming and ranching. Steel-framed Mahindra Tractors and side-by-sides are ideal for customers who demand performance, reliability and comfort. Mahindra dealers are independent, family-owned businesses located throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang Dark Horse

You come into Martinsville with four straight top-10 finishes at the track. In fact, in each of your last four races there, you’ve gotten better – ninth, ninth, fifth and fourth – and you led 109 laps in last year’s spring race. Talk about your progression at Martinsville and how you’ve gotten better there with each race.

“I feel like Martinsville is one of those places where the more you run there, the better you’re going to get. It’s such a unique racetrack. It seems like guys, once they figure it out, they’re always good there. You look at Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon and people like that, it’s one of those place where once you figure it out, it seems like your technique always works there. We’ve been really good at Martinsville every time we’ve gone there over the last two years, and have probably done everything but win the race, it seems like. We’ve led a ton of laps and things like that, so hopefully this will be the time we can improve on our recent finishes – ninth, ninth, fifth, fourth – hopefully we can finish better, but would love to obviously bring home a grandfather clock. It’s one of the more iconic trophies and we’ve been really close and almost close enough to where we could see it – see where we want to put it, we just haven’t been able to put it there, yet.”

How physical is a race at Martinsville? You’re on the brakes hard at least 800 times, so your lower body gets a workout as much as your upper body.

“It’s really hard. I probably didn’t realize how hard it was until the last time we were there in the fall. For whatever reason after the race, I couldn’t even bend over to take my shoes off. I had to have my wife help me because my back was in so much pain from all the braking we were doing. It’s a really hard place to run, and even mentally it’s a place where you’ve got to be on your game. So Martinsville is probably overlooked a lot of the time, the physicality of it, just because the speeds and the G-forces are what we would have at other places. There’s a lot that goes on with your body at those races so you definitely feel it the next day. Martinsville’s definitely gotten a little more challenging with the NextGen car because, before, you would leave it in fourth gear and just run the whole time in fourth. Now, we’re downshifting every single corner, and then upshifting down the straightaway, so you’re just busier inside the racecar. It definitely has made Martinsville more physical overall. Your arms are getting more of a workout, your feet are doing a lot more with the pedals and things like that, so there’s just a lot going on at Martinsville in a very short lap.”

When you have a race that’s as physical as Martinsville, how does the simulator help prepare you?

“The sim’s really hard at Martinsville. It seems like the shorter the racetrack is, the harder it is sometimes to manage the simulator. Really flat tracks and really, really high-banked tracks sometimes throw it for a little bit of a loop. But I will say I feel like we’ve done a really good job over the last year trying to make our Martinsville simulator better, in general. I think that is some of the reason why we’ve seen us have success on the real racetrack, as well. Martinsville’s a hard one just because there are so many variables that go into it. The weather is always really important there with how the rubber gets laid down. At that racetrack, just where the rubber is laid down and things like that really change the grip level. That’s what makes the simulator so challenging there.”

When it comes to on-track contact at Martinsville, what’s OK and what isn’t?

“It’s hard to say until you’re in it. It’s hard for me to say this would be OK, or this wouldn’t be OK. Once you’re in the moment, you kind of make up your mind as soon as it happens what you’re going to do to somebody else. It’s one of those deals where if you’re getting held up by a guy time and time and time again, you finally just kind of get fed up with it and you go and move him and go on. I feel like early in the race you try to give him at least a little bit of the benefit of the doubt, but anymore, it’s so hard to pass that as soon as you get to him, you try to move him and go on. It’s definitely evolved a lot over the last couple of years with the NextGen car.”

When do you need to just let something go and when do you need to stand up for yourself and give a shot back?

“I think it’s different for everybody. I don’t ever really get worked up, but I think there are some drivers who get worked up and just go ballistic, and that’s when it’s better if you just let it go and forget about it. You see some guys where somebody does them wrong early in the race, it just derails their whole race because they’re more worried about getting that guy back than just trying to run their race. I think it’s different for everybody. Everybody’s personalities and attitudes are so different that it’s a different answer for all. For me, it’s hard to say what you’ve got to do. If somebody does you wrong, you definitely have to get them back at some point just to stand up for yourself because, if you don’t do it and you let somebody walk all over you on the racetrack, they’re just going to do it time and time again because they know you’re not going to do anything about, so you have to stand your ground.”

How challenging is pit road at Martinsville, from navigating the curves, the tight boxes and all the traffic?

“Martinsville’s hard. It’s just so narrow on pit road and there’s not a whole lot of room. It’s always hard when you’re leaving your pit box there just because there are normally cars coming around on the outside line. It’s only two lanes wide, in general, so then you’re in the inside lane while those other pit crews are trying to change the right-side tires and it’s really, really tight. And just with how slow the speed is, the RPM change is very, very tight, and that’s why you see so many speeding penalties at a place like Martinsville.”

No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Chase Briscoe

Hometown: Mitchell, Indiana

Crew Chief: Richard Boswell

Hometown: Friendship, Maryland

Car Chief: J.D. Frey

Hometown: Ferndale, California

Engineer: Mike Cook

Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland

Spotter: Joey Campbell

Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Shayne Pipala

Hometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Dakota Ratcliff

Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee

Tire Carrier: Jon Bernal

Hometown: Holland, Michigan

Jack Man: Dylan Moser

Hometown: Monroe, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Corey Coppola

Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Road Crew Members

Underneath Mechanic: Stephen Gonzalez

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Interior Mechanic: Trevor Adams

Hometown: Plymouth, Wisconsin

Tire Specialist: Keith Eads

Hometown: Arlington, Virginia

Shock Specialist: Brian Holshouser

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Engine Tuner: Jon Phillips

Hometown: Jefferson City, Missouri

Transporter Co-Driver: Todd Cable

Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Dale Lackey

Hometown: Taylorsville, North Carolina

HaasTooling.com Racing: Ryan Preece Martinsville Advance

By
Official Release
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RYAN PREECE
Martinsville Advance
No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

● Event: Cook Out 400 (Round 8 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 7
● Location: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
● Layout: .526-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 400 laps/210.4 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 100 laps / Final Stage: 220 laps
● TV/Radio: FS1 / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Ticking like a grandfather clock, Ryan Preece, driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart-Haas Racing, sets his sights on the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, where he won his first-career NASCAR Cup Series pole in 2023 and led a career-best 135 laps. Preece has nine Cup Series starts at Martinsville and has completed an average of 92.1 percent of the laps at the historic .526-mile paperclip-shaped oval.

● Preece sits 30th in the Cup Series driver standings entering Martinsville, a track where he’s been to victory lane twice in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, including last fall, when he dominated the feature and finished nearly a full second ahead of the night’s second-place finisher in October 2023. Preece’s other Modified Tour win at Martinsville came in 2008.

● Known for his skills on short tracks, Preece is gearing up for a second consecutive weekend in Virginia. Last weekend, he and his fellow Cup Series competitors were up the road at Richmond Raceway, where Preece made a strong move into the top-10 during damp conditions at the outset of the Richmond 400, advancing from his 16th starting position. Preece went on to skillfully navigate around a spinning Daniel Suarez with just five laps left in Stage 1, ultimately securing a 10th-place finish in the stage. Preece had to settle for a 28th-place finish, however, after he was hit with a speeding penalty and an untimely caution in Stage 2, which dropped him to the tail of the 36-car field.

● Back with Preece and the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse at Martinsville is HaasTooling.com, the cutting tool division of Haas Automation. HaasTooling.com allows CNC machinists to purchase high-quality cutting tools at great prices. Haas cutting tools are sold exclusively online at HaasTooling.com and shipped directly to end users. Haas Automation, founded in 1983, is America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. The company manufactures a complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers, rotaries and indexers, and automation solutions.

Ryan Preece, Driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

You qualified within the top-10 for both Cup Series races at Martinsville last season, one of which was a pole position. Do you expect the momentum and speed to carry over from last year?

“We had a really fast car at Martinsville last season, but we had a speeding penalty that cost us quite a bit of track position. We were able to get stage points and some of those things. We really found ourselves a direction to head in for this year. Going into Martinsville, a lot of things have changed. With some of the changes that we’ve seen, it should be an interesting race, but we’re looking at carrying as much of that momentum and speed over as possible.”

What’s the key to having speed and racing competitively at Martinsville?

“When we have the right setup, the speed is there. We showed that at this event last year. Unfortunately, it also comes down to not speeding on pit road and losing track position. We are on a different tire and have a different aero package this year. There are a lot of things that are different, but it’s still the same track, so we just need to make sure that our group is continuing to make adjustments to be that much better. Looking back over the past couple of years, Stewart-Haas as a whole has definitely had speed at Martinsville, so we’re looking forward to it.”

What has the experience been like having Josh Berry as a teammate this year, given the similarity in both of your racing backgrounds. Both of you are short-track racers.

“Josh and I share a lot of common interests in terms of how we want to drive a racecar. We can have conversations about what the cars are doing and be speaking the same language, so to speak, when it comes to some of those things. He’s just easy to get along with.”

What do you think the racing will look like at Martinsville this weekend?

“It’s been really nice to see some of the capabilities that we have had at the short tracks this year. I don’t think we will have much rubber build-up at Martinsville. It’s also going to be cooler temperatures this weekend, and based on past experience racing in those conditions, there typically isn’t a whole lot of build-up. However, we also had cooler temperatures at Bristol and had a lot of tire wear there. It will probably be tough to pass at Martinsville this weekend, but the biggest thing to emphasize is the field is closer than it’s ever been, so it’s not easy to pass in general. If you have a car that is maneuverable and can go where other drivers aren’t, you can find a way to pass. Outside of that, it’s going to be about strategy and track position.”

No. 41 HaasTooling.com Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Ryan Preece

Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut

Crew Chief: Chad Johnston

Hometown: Cayuga, Indiana

Car Chief: Jeremy West

Hometown: Gardena, California

Engineer: Marc Hendricksen

Hometown: Clinton, New Jersey

Spotter: Tony Raines

Hometown: LaPorte, Indiana

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Devin Lester

Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Rear Tire Changer: Kevin Teaf

Hometown: Tallahassee, Florida

Tire Carrier: Chad Emmons

Hometown: Tyler, Texas

Jack Man: Kapil Fletcher

Hometown: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Fuel Man: Dwayne Moore

Hometown: Griffin, Georgia

Road Crew Members

Front End Mechanic: Joe Zanolini

Hometown: Sybertsville, Pennsylvania

Interior Mechanic: Robert Dalby

Hometown: Anaheim, California

Tire Specialist: Matt Ridgeway

Hometown: Carrollton, Georgia

Engine Tuner: Jimmy Fife

Hometown: Orange County, California

Transporter Co-Driver: David Rodrigues

Hometown: Santa Clarita, California

Transporter Co-Driver: Charlie Schleyer

Hometown: Youngsville, Pennsylvania

When Window Tints is About More Than Looks

By
SM
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Photo by Andras Vas on Unsplash

Window Tints are a modification to vehicles that have long been associated with sleek aesthetics, and a luxury presidential appeal. However, the benefits of window tinting go beyond just a cosmetic upgrade. Window tints also serve practical purposes such as security and privacy concerns, protection from harmful sun rays, reduced temperature, and glare reduction.

Window tints for your car can be found in a variety of places such as websites like “https://www.evercleartinting.com.au” or your nearest auto-store. Continue reading to learn the additional benefits of window tints, and the reasons why it’s beneficial.

Security & Privacy

One of the primary reasons, if not the primary reason for window tinting your vehicle is privacy. Fortunately, with privacy also comes a level of additional security. Reducing the visibility to the interior of your car can potentially ward off would-be thieves as it will be much more difficult to assess the contents of your car. While tinted windows won’t outright stop a thief, they will keep an honest man honest.

Privacy is also important to yourself and your car’s passengers. Whether you’re traveling in an urban area or on a long trip, tinted windows can create a strong sense of comfort and seclusion. Not having to focus on what prying eyes could see, you and your passengers can focus on driving or other forms of entertainment while on the go.

UV Protection

Much like sunglasses or sunscreen, window tinting offers protection from the harmful effects of the sun. Firstly, having tinted windows with ultraviolet (UV) ray protection will shield the occupants of your car, preventing damage from the harmful sun’s rays and skin damage and sunburns.

Secondly, window tints will also shield your car’s interior, offering the same protection mentioned previously. This will prevent upholstery from fading or becoming damaged and your dashboard and other similar surfaces from cracking.

Glare Reduction & Temperature Control

In addition to enhancing security and providing UV protection, window tinting offers practical benefits such as glare reduction and temperature cooling. Glare from sunlight and oncoming headlights can be a significant distraction for drivers, compromising visibility and safety on the road. Tinted windows help mitigate glare, creating a more comfortable driving environment and reducing eye strain for occupants.

Additionally, tinted windows can contribute to temperature cooling by blocking a portion of solar heat gain. During hot summer months, this can lead to a more comfortable interior temperature, reducing the need for excessive air conditioning use, improving fuel efficiency, and preventing accidental burns when skin touches hot leather.

Conclusion

While window tinting undoubtedly enhances a vehicle’s visual appeal, its benefits extend far beyond aesthetics. From improving security and privacy to providing UV protection and mitigating glare, window tinting offers a range of practical advantages that can enhance vehicle owners’ driving experiences.

When considering your next vehicle upgrade, remember that window tinting is about more than just looks—it’s a wise investment in safety, comfort, and protection.

Do Weather Conditions Affect the Rate of Car Accidents?

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SM
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Photo by Val Vesa on Unsplash

Weather conditions play a significant role in shaping driving conditions, impacting visibility, road surface conditions, and driver behavior. From rain and snow to fog and extreme temperatures, various weather phenomena can increase the risk of car accidents. In this article, we’ll explore the relationship between weather conditions and the rate of car accidents, examining how different weather factors influence driving safety and offering tips for navigating challenging conditions.

Understanding the Impact of Weather on Driving Conditions

Weather conditions can have a direct impact on driving conditions, affecting road surfaces, visibility, and vehicle performance. Here are some common weather factors that can contribute to car accidents:

Rain and Wet Roads

Rainfall can create slick road surfaces, reducing traction and increasing the risk of hydroplaning. Wet roads also require longer stopping distances, making it more challenging for drivers to brake safely. As a result, rainy conditions are associated with an increased risk of car accidents, particularly during heavy rainfall or immediately after a dry spell when oils on the road surface can mix with water, creating hazardous driving conditions.

Snow and Ice

Snow and ice can create treacherous driving conditions, causing vehicles to skid or lose control. Ice accumulation on roads, bridges, and overpasses can make them especially slippery and prone to accidents. Snowfall can also reduce visibility and obscure road markings, making it difficult for drivers to navigate safely. As a result, winter weather conditions are associated with an increased risk of car accidents, particularly in regions with cold climates and frequent snowfall.

Fog and Reduced Visibility

Fog can significantly reduce visibility, making it challenging for drivers to see other vehicles, pedestrians, or obstacles on the road. Reduced visibility increases the risk of rear-end collisions and multi-vehicle accidents, as drivers may not have enough time to react to hazards ahead. Foggy conditions often occur in the early morning or evening hours and are more common in coastal areas and regions prone to temperature inversions.

Extreme Temperatures

Extreme temperatures, whether hot or cold, can impact vehicle performance and driver behavior. High temperatures can cause tires to overheat and road surfaces to become soft or sticky, increasing the risk of tire blowouts or accidents. Cold temperatures can lead to icy road conditions and reduced battery performance, increasing the likelihood of breakdowns or accidents. Extreme weather conditions, such as heat waves or cold snaps, can also contribute to driver fatigue and discomfort, affecting concentration and reaction times.

Research on the Relationship Between Weather and Car Accidents

Numerous studies have investigated the relationship between weather conditions and the rate of car accidents, with mixed findings. While some studies have found a clear association between adverse weather conditions and an increased risk of accidents, others have found more nuanced results. Factors such as driver behavior, road infrastructure, and vehicle characteristics can influence the impact of weather on accident rates.

Rainfall and Wet Roads

Research has consistently shown that rainfall and wet road conditions are associated with an increased risk of car accidents. A study published in the journal Accident Analysis & Prevention found that wet road conditions were associated with a higher likelihood of fatal crashes, particularly on rural roads and during heavy rainfall. Another study published in the journal Environmental Health Insights found that rainy weather was associated with an increased risk of single-vehicle accidents and collisions with pedestrians.

Snow and Ice

Similarly, studies have found that snow and ice are associated with an increased risk of car accidents, especially in regions with colder climates. A study published in the journal Injury Prevention found that snowy and icy road conditions were associated with a higher risk of fatal crashes, particularly on highways and during snowstorms. Another study published in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention found that winter weather conditions were associated with an increased risk of multi-vehicle accidents and accidents involving trucks.

Fog and Reduced Visibility

Research on the relationship between fog and car accidents has yielded mixed results. While foggy conditions are known to reduce visibility and increase the risk of accidents, studies have found that the impact of fog on accident rates can vary depending on factors such as road type, traffic volume, and driver behavior. A study published in the journal Accident Analysis & Prevention found that foggy weather was associated with an increased risk of rear-end collisions, particularly on highways and during peak travel times.

Extreme Temperatures

Studies on the relationship between extreme temperatures and car accidents have produced mixed findings. While extreme temperatures can impact vehicle performance and driver behavior, the extent to which they contribute to accident rates may vary depending on factors such as geographic location and seasonal patterns. Some studies have found that extreme heat is associated with an increased risk of tire blowouts and engine overheating, while others have found that extreme cold is associated with an increased risk of icy road conditions and mechanical failures.

Tips for Driving Safely in Adverse Weather Conditions

While adverse weather conditions can increase the risk of car accidents, there are steps that drivers can take to mitigate the risk and stay safe on the road:

  • Slow down and maintain a safe following distance.
  • Use headlights and turn signals to improve visibility.
  • Avoid sudden movements or sharp turns.
  • Brake gently and avoid slamming on the brakes.
  • Stay alert and focused on the road ahead.
  • Be aware of changing road conditions and adjust your driving accordingly.
  • If conditions are hazardous, consider delaying your trip or finding an alternate route.
  • Ensure that your vehicle is properly maintained and equipped for driving in adverse weather conditions.

By taking these precautions and exercising caution when driving in adverse weather conditions, you can reduce the risk of accidents and arrive safely at your destination. If a negligent driver has not taken the necessary precautions to stay safe in dangerous weather conditions, you need to call a White Plains lawyer who practices personal injury now. 

Weather Conditions Can Leave A Significant Impact On Driving Conditions

Weather conditions can have a significant impact on driving conditions, increasing the risk of car accidents. Rainfall, snow, ice, fog, and extreme temperatures can all create hazardous driving conditions, affecting road surfaces, visibility, and driver behavior. While adverse weather conditions can pose challenges for drivers, there are steps that can be taken to mitigate the risk and ensure safe travel. By staying informed, practicing defensive driving techniques, and exercising caution, drivers can reduce the risk of accidents and stay safe on the road, regardless of the weather conditions.

Toyota Racing – Weekly Preview – 04.03.24

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Official Release
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This Week in Motorsports: April 1 – 7, 2024

  • NCS/NXS/NCTS: Martinsville Speedway – April 5-7
  • NHRA: Firebird Motorsports Park – April 5-7

PLANO, Texas (April 3, 2024) – NASCAR heads to Martinsville Speedway this weekend for the first of its two visits this season as all three national series are in action. NHRA goes to Firebird Motorsports Park near Phoenix for the Arizona Nationals, while also completing the Winternationals from Pomona two weeks ago.

NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS | NCTS

Truex leads strong Camry stable … Martin Truex Jr. comes to Martinsville Speedway still atop the NASCAR Cup Series points standings after a strong run at Richmond last weekend. The Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) driver finished fourth Sunday night and extended his points lead to 14 over Kyle Larson. Truex’s Toyota teammates Denny Hamlin (third), Ty Gibbs (fourth), Christopher Bell (sixth), Tyler Reddick (10th) and Bubba Wallace (14th) join him inside the top 16 in the standings.

Toyota aims to continue short track prowess … With Hamlin’s victory Sunday night at Richmond, Toyota Camry XSEs have won, and dominated, all three short track races so far in 2024. Hamlin captured victory at Bristol two weeks ago, along with his Richmond triumph, and his Toyota and JGR teammate, Bell, took the checkered flag at Phoenix in early March. This weekend offers another opportunity for Camry XSE drivers to showcase their short track performance at the half-mile Martinsville Speedway.

Hamlin seeking another strong Martinsville performance … Coming into this weekend fresh off his second win of the season, Hamlin is also going for another solid performance at Martinsville Speedway. The Virginia-native has three consecutive top-five finishes at Martinsville, in which another would bolster his rise up the Cup Series points standings. Hamlin will also go for his sixth career victory at the famed short track.

Smith reclaims Xfinity points lead … After his second win of 2024, and repeat win at Richmond Raceway, Chandler Smith is back atop the Xfinity Series points standings six races into the season. The Georgia native has finished inside the top-10 each race so far this season, with top-five finishes in all but one race. He makes his third start at Martinsville this weekend, where he claimed a top-10 finish in the first of two races last year.

Toyota seeks four wins in five races at Martinsville … A victory by a Toyota GR Supra this weekend would be the fourth in five Xfinity Series races at Martinsville Speedway. John Hunter Nemechek is the most recent winner for Toyota at the Virginia track, capturing victory in the spring race last season. A triumph for Team Toyota would also be the fourth in five races in 2024 following Smith’s two victories in three races and Nemechek’s win at Las Vegas in March.

Heim, Gray lead Toyotas in the Truck Series … Back in action this weekend, Corey Heim and Taylor Gray are the lead Toyota Tundra TRD Pros in the NASCAR CRAFSTMAN Truck Series points standings. Heim comes into Martinsville fresh off his dominant victory at COTA two weeks ago, the sixth of his career, and now leads the Truck Series standings by 10 points. Gray has had a stellar start to his 2024 season with four consecutive top-10s, including tying his career-best finish of second at COTA. Both drivers will also run the Xfinity Series race, with Heim again piloting the No. 26 GR Supra for Sam Hunt Racing and Gray making his second career Xfinity Series start with JGR in the No. 19 GR Supra. Both are coming off top-five finishes last weekend at Richmond.

Heim seeks Martinsville repeat … Not only would a win this weekend be Heim’s second in a row so far in 2024, it would also mark his second straight at Martinsville Speedway as the Georgia native captured victory last April. This was the first of Heim’s three wins in 2023 that propelled him to the regular season championship.

NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car

Ashley goes for Winternationals three-peat … After a rainout of the Winternationals final round at Pomona two weekends ago, Justin Ashley takes on Tony Schumacher this weekend for the event victory – which would be his third in a row at the Winternationals. The Winternationals finals take place during the final qualifying session Saturday afternoon at Firebird Motorsports Park. Ashley’s final round appearance is also the 25th consecutive final round for Toyota in either Top Fuel or Funny Car.

Ashley also seeks Arizona repeat … This weekend could be a monumental one for Ashley as he will also race for a repeat win in the Arizona Nationals. The New York native captured victory in the desert last March, which was his seventh career Top Fuel win. He enters this weekend seeking his 12th, and possibly 13th, career wins with two event victories on the table.

Langdon, Todd continue atop points … Heading into the Arizona Nationals, Toyota and Kalitta Motorsports’ Shawn Langdon and J.R. Todd hold their leads atop the Top Fuel and Funny Car points standings. Langdon leads a Toyota-dominated Top Fuel category, where Toyota dragsters make up six of the top eight in the points standings. Todd leads a competitive Funny Car field where Toyota teammate, Ron Capps, sits third and only 47 points back.

About Toyota

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

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

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

NHRA AT PHOENIX: Team Chevy Race Advance | Notes & Quotes

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Official Release
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CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2024 NHRA ARIZONA NATIONALS
FIREBIRD MOTORSPORTS PARK
CHANDLER, ARIZONA
TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE | NOTES & QUOTES
APRIL 5-7, 2024

THE 39TH ANNUAL NHRA ARIZONA NATIONALS COULD PROVE LUCRATIVE FOR JOHN FORCE RACING AND CHEVROLET

Arizona Nationals Will See Three Races in Play, Including the Weather Delayed Pomona Winternationals Finals, the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, and the Arizona Nationals

Notes:

  • Team Chevy next heads to Firebird Motorsports Park for the 39th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals, as well as the conclusion of the 2024 Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals Finals that were postponed due to weather from In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, April 5-7, 2024.
  • John Force, the 16-time NHRA World Champion, John Force Racing team owner, and driver of the PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, will face off against reigning champion Matt Hagan after the Winternationals Finals from Pomona were postponed due to weather. They will face off during the third round of qualifying on Saturday at Firebird Motorsports Park.
  • J. Force’s final round record of 155-111 shows favor to the veteran, and Pomona’s rain-delayed final will be the 267th final-round appearance of his career.
  • J. Force also rolls into Firebird Motorsports Park seeking his ninth event victory, the most in the Funny Car category as well as NHRA (Tony Schumacher, Top Fuel – five, and Bob Glidden, Pro Stock – five).
  • Additionally, J. Force also looks to Phoenix to capture his 156th career victory, as well as Chevrolet’s 160th win in the category since 1967 and 80th for the Camaro body. If John does race to victory, it will be his 25th win by him in a Chevrolet-bodied car.
  • Chevrolet claimed victory in two categories at the NHRA Arizona Nationals in 2023, with Camrie Caruso capturing the Wally trophy in Pro Stock and Robert Hight in Funny Car.
  • In addition to both completing the Winternationals Finals as well as the Arizona Nationals, Firebird Motorsports Park will also see the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, with Brittany Force facing off against Justin Ashley, and John Force paired up with JR Todd. The #2Fast2Tasty Challenge pits semifinalists from the previous race week in hopes of claiming both a bonus purse and bonus points on Saturday of race weekends.
  • Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, enters Phoenix as Top Fuel track record holder of both elapsed time (E.T.) and speed, with her run of 3.643 seconds E.T. at 337.92 mph in February 2020. Force’s sister Courtney still holds the speed record in Funny Car from February 2018, coming from behind the wheel of a Chevrolet-bodied car at 337.16 mph.
  • After capturing his first victory in his first Funny Car race at the PRO Superstar Shootout, and then racing to the final round in Gainesville in the first race of the 2024 season, Austin Prock, driver of the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car looks to Phoenix with momentum to notch his fifth career victory (four in Top Fuel) with already having a strong start to his season.
  • In Pro Stock, Dallas Glenn and No. 1 Qualifier Erica Enders will face off against each other at the Arizona Nationals for completion of the weather-delayed Winternationals Finals.
  • Enders, driver of the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling/SCAG Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock, still holds the national record for both E.T. and speed, with her 6.450 seconds E.T. run in March 2022 at Gainesville and 215.55 mph run at Englishtown in May 2014.

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

“After an improved race weekend in Pomona, this team is anxious to see what we can accomplish in Phoenix. Coming into this season we have taken everything we learned in the last few years and are using that for our new setup. I feel after a tough season last year, we are finally in that upward climb. We need to qualify in the top-five and focus on clean, consistent runs every time we go down the track. I’ve been to a couple of finals in the past at Firebird but have never landed in the winner’s circle. The goal is to get this Monster Energy team our first win of the season three races in.”

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

“Personally, I’ve never had much luck (at Firebird Motorsports Park), but the car that I’m driving this year has had a lot of success there, and last year was my brother Thomas’s first win as an assistant crew chief. I think we’ll pick up right where we left off in Gainesville. I’m convinced the consistency we had in Gainesville and Bradenton is going to show in Phoenix.”

“Our team is definitely going to be strong this year. Last year, I don’t think anybody in the building was satisfied with the whole team’s performance overall. So we’re off to a good start in 2024 with one win, at least two runners-up and one of our cars has been low qualifier at all three events this year. So yeah, things are off to a good start. We definitely want to keep that train going.”

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

“Like anybody, I want to win it all, we want to make the money, and we want to earn the points. So, I’m going after it with everything I’ve got. We’re excited to race Hagan. He’s a great champion and he wants to win, just like I do. There are basically three races to be won and you only get three qualifying attempts. But (Hagan’s) got the same problems I’ve got, so there’s no excuses, we just do it. That’s the rules that we play by … but I’m ready for it. We’re just going to do the best we can. I’m fired up.”

How to Watch:

The 2024 NHRA Arizona Nationals kick off Friday at Firebird Motorsports Park with qualifying, airing at 9:30 p.m. ET. Saturday’s qualifying session airs on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ET, with Finals airing at 6:30 p.m. ET. All sessions from near Phoenix air with NHRA on FOX on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Coverage streams live throughout the weekend on NHRA.tv, and is available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.

TEAM CHEVY BY THE NUMBERS:

1,446: Round wins for John Force (1st all-time).

626: Round wins for Robert Hight; 13th all-time. Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), sits 12th, with 628.

166: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for John Force (1st all-time).

159: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins since 1967.

84: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Robert Hight (6th all-time). Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) is fifth with 88.

79: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins with the Camaro SS body.

47: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Brittany Force.

28: Number of NHRA championships Chevrolet holds as a manufacturer since entering the first in 1966. This is the seventh-consecutive award and ninth in 11 seasons. No other manufacturer has won it more than Chevrolet.

24: Wins by John Force in a Chevrolet-bodied Funny Car.

20: Chevrolet career Top Fuel wins in NHRA.

16: Number of Chevrolet career wins by Brittany Force.

7: Number of Funny Car driver championships.

2: Number of Top Fuel driver championships.

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.

GMG Racing Secures a P2 Overall, Two Podium Finishes and a Series-Debut Top-Five in Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West Season-Opener at Spring Mountain

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Official Release
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  • Kyle Washington P2 Overall in Race 1 and Secures a Pair of Porsche Sprint Challenge 992 Masters-Class Podium Results in the No. 232 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
  • Debuting Porsche Sprint Challenge Driver Patrick Mulcahy Top-Five Overall and Fourth in Pro-Am in Race 2 in Professional Competition Debut in the No. 254 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
  • Jay Barron in the Pro-Am No. 223 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and Masters Class Competitor Glenn Kirkpatrick in the No. 252 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Improve Throughout Season-Opening Weekend at Spring Mountain

PAHRUMP, Nevada (April 3, 2024) – GMG Racing moved its 2024 Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West presented by Yokohama campaign off to a strong start this past weekend at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch where full-season team drivers Kyle Washington and Patrick Mulcahy combined for a top-two overall race result, a pair of podium finishes and a series-debut overall top-five showing in the weekend’s twin 35-minute races.

Longtime GMG Racing driver Washington drove his No. 232 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup to a second-place overall and runner-up Masters class finish in the first of Sunday’s doubleheader sprints. Washington later closed out the weekend with a third-place Masters Class finish in Sunday’s final race early that afternoon to leave Spring Mountain with a good haul of points to start his full-season Masters championship bid.

While Washington was GMG Racing’s top performer in Sunday’s opener, debuting driver Mulcahy was the highest finisher in Sunday’s finale. Shaking off a challenging first race, Mulcahy improved three class positions to finish fourth in the Pro-Am class and in the top-five overall in his No. 254 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in the weekend’s closing race.

Washington and Mulcahy were joined at Spring Mountain by Jay Barron in the No. 223 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in Pro-Am and Masters Class competitor Glenn Kirkpatrick in the No. 252 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Both Barron and Kirkpatrick were running in their first event of a select schedule of races this year and each improved throughout the weekend while gaining a solid amount of racing knowledge and understanding of the Type 992 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup platform.

“It was a challenging but ultimately productive weekend for GMG Racing and our four car and driver entry for the Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West season opener,” said GMG Racing President and Founder James Sofronas. “Kyle made his intentions clear that he will be fighting for the Masters Class title all season with a pair of podiums, a second overall and an insane qualifying run to third place overall in a rain-drenched session Saturday morning. Patrick proved he has what it takes to compete in the Sprint Challenge Pro-Am championship with a fourth-place run Sunday afternoon in his first major race in a 992-spec Porsche. Jay and Glenn also learned a ton about their 992 cars in a variety of conditions and improved steadily throughout the weekend. It was a big jump for Glenn for sure who had never raced anywhere but at The Thermal Club until this weekend. All in all, some positives across the board and something to build on in the remainder of the season.”

All-day rain Saturday forced race officials to move that afternoon’s scheduled opening sprint race to early Sunday morning, creating an unplanned same-day doubleheader with only a few hours between races. While the Saturday race was scrubbed, that morning’s qualifying session ran as scheduled in the rain, and Washington shined. Calling on his off-road racing experience competing in mixed conditions, Washington qualified an impressive third overall in the Porsche Sprint Challenge field.

Even better, Washington was moved up to the outside front row starting position when the competitor that had posted the provisional pole winning time was sent to the rear of the field due to a penalty. That put Washington in the rare territory of starting on row one in what proved to be an important learning experience.

“It’s great to get off to a good start,” Washington said. “I wish we could have put it in P1, but with two races in one day like this with no real break in between, it was good to get some points on the board out of the box. I’m looking forward to watching a replay of the first race to see where I could have improved a little. We just got such a poor start and that’s just my lack of knowledge and experience being up there. I have rarely started up front, and I was looking at the acceleration cones and the polesitter next to me. I think I lost three or four spots right there, and I will never make that acceleration zone mistake again. There’s no question that cost us the race.”

Despite the early setback, Washington regrouped and worked his way back to the front to challenge eventual race winner and former Sprint West 991 Champion Laura Ely to the finish.

“I was looking for anything to get by Laura,” Washington said. “The most interesting part was the last lap coming out of Turn 5, which is a real heavy brake zone and a 90-degree right turn. We were in traffic, she didn’t get a good exit, but I got a pretty good exit. So, I got up alongside her left side and we raced up the hill, but she was far enough in front of me that she closed the door at Turn 6. It was the right thing to do for her and give her credit. She made no errors, and I followed her for a long time. That’s hard to do. I have had some amazing battles with Laura in the past.”

Mulcahy in turn rebounded from an early spin in unfamiliar conditions in Sunday’s first race to charge to the top five overall and fourth in Pro-Am in that afternoon’s final round.

“The race one start went well but then we had a full course yellow that stacked the field back up,” Mulcahy said. “After the restart, my game was off a little bit, maybe something to do with my first official race weekend, and I had some difficulty getting back in the groove. I wasn’t really familiar with the damp track conditions either because of my lack of experience driving in the wet. That was in my head a little bit too.”

Not happy with the eighth-place Pro-Am result in the opener, Mulcahy went into the second race determined to improve.

“Race two was definitely a time for redemption,” Mulcahy said. “I was very upset knowing I should have done better in race one, and I went into the final with as stronger game plan. I knew I had to do a lot of work to close the deal, but I went out there and executed a clean race.”

Barron and Kirkpatrick each honed their racecraft all weekend, ripping off laps despite the rain and some eye-opening encounters in both races. Barron finished sixth in Pro-Am in both rounds while Kirkpatrick hit the board eighth in Masters in the weekend’s doubleheader.

Next up for GMG Racing in Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West is Rounds 3 and 4 of the series at the Utah Motorsports Campus, May 10 – 12.

The more immediate on-track business for GMG Racing, however, is this weekend’s season-opening SRO Motorsports America where GMG Racing fields entries in Fanatec GT World Challenge powered by AWS and GT America powered by AWS series races at Sonoma Raceway, April 5 – 7.

About GMG Racing: Founded in 2001, GMG Racing quickly established itself as North America’s premier performance tuning facility. What began as a small 1,200 sq. ft. shop, maintaining two race cars, has grown into a 30,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art performance tuning, racing and service facility located in Santa Ana, California in Orange County and with a trackside motorsports facility at 28,000 sq. ft. currently being built at The Thermal Club. The staff, attention to detail, and passion are what make GMG the choice of professionals and enthusiasts worldwide. GMG, in its early years, was located directly across the street from Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA). This close proximity allowed GMG to build a strong relationship with the legendary racing brand which has helped us support our customers to the highest level possible. From club racing to Sebring, Daytona and Spa, GMG can take you as far as you want to go. More information can be found at www.gmgracing.com.

Mobil 1 Racing: Josh Berry Martinsville Advance

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Official Release
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JOSH BERRY
Martinsville Advance
No. 4 Mobil 1 50th Anniversary Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Event Overview

● Event: Cook Out 400 (Round 8 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 7
● Location: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
● Layout: .526-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 400 laps/210.4 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 100 laps / Final Stage: 220 laps
● TV/Radio: FS1 / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Josh Berry heads to Sunday’s Cook Out 400 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway coming off his best points day of the season at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. He started last Sunday’s 400-lap event from the 30th position, just like he did in the 2023 spring Richmond race while subbing for the fourth of five races in a row for an injured Chase Elliott, in which he charged to a runner-up finish. Last weekend, Berry once again made a hard charge through the field, finishing ninth in the first stage and second in the second stage before taking the checkered flag 11th – his best finish of 2024. His determined run moved him to 23rd in the Cup Series standings and to the top spot in the rookie standings. He leads Carson Hocevar, the next-best rookie, by nine markers.

● Berry returns to Martinsville this Sunday poised to contend for a win. While it is his first race in the Cup Series at the .526-mile paperclip-shaped oval, the 33-year-old Cup Series rookie has one NASCAR Xfinity Series win there, which came in his first Xfinity Series start at the Virginia short track in the spring 2021 race. He’s totaled six Xfinity Series starts there, which have netted three top-fives and an average finish of 12.8.

● Berry first made a name for himself on short tracks, climbing the ranks to earn his seat in the Cup Series by dominating at the grassroots level. During his days driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr., as part of the JR Motorsports Late Model program, Berry amassed an impressive 95 victories in his 262 starts with the team, with 189 top-fives and 219 top-10s. He was also the NASCAR Weekly Series champion in 2020, finishing every race but one inside the top-10 that season.

● Crew chief Rodney Childers has a deep history at Martinsville in the Cup Series. In his previous 33 starts calling the shots, Childers’ drivers have notched two top-five finishes, 12 top-10s, an average starting position of 13.9 and an average finish of 15.6.

● The Mobil 1 branding on Berry’s No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse this weekend goes more than skin deep as the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand gives Berry an added advantage. This weekend however, the No. 4 Ford Mustang Dark Horse will don the 50th anniversary gold and black colors. Mobil 1 products are used throughout his racecar, and they extend beyond just engine oil. Power steering fluid, transmission fluid, gear oil and driveline lubricants from Mobil 1 give Berry a technical advantage over his counterparts by reducing friction, heat and rolling resistance. Mobil 1 is a sponsor whose technology makes Berry’s No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang Dark Horse faster.

Josh Berry, Driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 50th Anniversary Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Coming off of your best Cup Series finish of the season at Richmond Raceway, what are your expectations this weekend at Martinsville – another short track?

“I think it should be another good opportunity for us to build on the success we’ve have had at the short tracks this year. Martinsville has been a good place for me in the past. I feel like if we can continue to carry the momentum we have had at some of the other short tracks this year, there’s no reason we can’t go contend for a win.”

Looking back at all of your racing across all series you’ve run with there, what were some of the biggest lessons you learned that led to your success at Martinsville?

“One of the things I learned really early on was just having patience. There are so many situations where you can get into trouble early in the race and just having the patience to keep the car clean and be smart because those races are just so long. This weekend will be the longest race I have run there by far, so having the patience and discipline to be smart early will help me and the No. 4 team work our way through the race and hopefully be there at the end.”

The race at Martinsville race is extremely taxing with how much you will shift, brake, and drive one-handed at some points – explain how psychical the race is.

“The short tracks are a touch harder with just how active we are behind the wheel – you honestly don’t get much time where you aren’t doing anything behind the wheel because the straightaways aren’t very long. There’s just a lot happening there over 400 laps and, add shifting a lot in the mix, the drivers stay busy. But I am prepared for it, and having a short-track background helps and I feel as prepared for this race as I can be.”

How challenging are the restarts at Martinsville, and how will your experience with the restarts at Richmond prepare you for this weekend?

“The restarts are really important there. A lot can happen and it’s easy to get in trouble there quickly and there might be varying strategies at play, so it makes it that much more chaotic at times. But I think the more races I get under my belt in the Cup Series, the better I feel about how I manage those restarts this season.”

Do you left-foot brake?

“Yeah, I have done that since the start of my racing career. It is just what feels natural. I think most guys, if not all, do it that way.”

No. 4 Mobil 1 50th Anniversary Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Josh Berry

Hometown: Hendersonville, Tennessee

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith

Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engineer: Dax Gerringer

Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina

Engineer: Billy Kuebler

Hometown: Saline, Michigan

Spotter: Eddie D’Hondt

Hometown: Levittown, New York

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Daniel Coffey

Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith

Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Mason Flynt

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Jack Man: Brandon Banks

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Evan Marchal

Hometown: Westfield, Indiana

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Tyler Trosper

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Mechanic: Chris Capaldi

Hometown: Armada, Michigan

Tire Specialist: Zac Lupien

Hometown: Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Engine Tuner: Robert Brandt

Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Transporter Co-Driver: Jake Zierhoffer

Hometown: Billerica, Massachusetts

Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen Mitchell

Hometown: Woodville, Ohio

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