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CHEVROLET NCS AT TALLADEGA 1: Chase Elliott Media Availability Quotes

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Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
GEICO 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 20, 2024

 CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Talladega Superspeedway.

Media Availability Quotes:

THERE’S ALWAYS THE EXPECTATION FOR THIS NO. 9 TEAM TO BE COMPETITVE AND BE WHERE YOU GUYS WERE LAST WEEK, BUT WHAT HAS THIS WEEK BEEN LIKE? HAS IT BEEN ANY DIFFERENT FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, JUST GETTING THE WIN AND BEING ABLE TO CELEBRATE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE WHEN YOU HAVEN’T HAD THAT MOMENT IN OVER A YEAR?

“Yeah, I mean I can’t say that our prep towards the next week was really any different at all. I certainly think it’s important to take a little time to enjoy those moments just because they’re hard to achieve, as I’ve said a lot. It’s just hard to win these races; put yourself in that position and be competitive the way that we expect ourselves to be. It just takes a lot of work; takes a lot of effort. So, whenever you are able to accomplish that as a group, I think it’s worth celebrating. It’s worth enjoying because we all work really hard at it.. not just me, but our whole team. We spend a lot of time traveling and on the road and whatnot, so yeah – I think you have to enjoy those moments. But certainly, when Monday or Tuesday rolls around, whether you like it or not, the next weekend is coming in a hurry and you have to make sure you’re ready to go the next weekend like you were last weekend when it went well.”

ON THE LAST LAP, IF YOU’RE NEAR THE FRONT, DO YOU ASSUME THAT IT’S GOING TO GO TO THE FINISH AND THAT’S THE WAY YOU PLAN YOUR STRATEGY, OR DO YOU HAVE TO PLAN THAT THERE’S GOING TO BE, MORE THAN LIKELY, A WRECK ON THE BACKSTRETCH?

“Yeah, that’s a $64 question.. I don’t know. I think for me personally, I look at it like it’s going to go to the finish and try to position yourself where you want to be when you get back to the start-finish line. I mean that’s a really hard thing to guess, like when a wreck is going to happen, if it’s going to happen.

So, I don’t know about someone else.. ask (Ryan) Blaney because I feel like he’s won about the last 15 races here and should have won about 14 Daytona 500’s, so whatever he does I feel like is the right thing. But for me personally, I look at it like we’re coming back to the checkered flag, if I’m up in the mix. If I’m leading, I’m obviously OK with it going either way, and I think if you’re anything past that, you certainly want it to go back to the line.”

THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF THE NEXT GEN CAR IN 2022 AND 2023, ONE OF THE THINGS WE SAW WAS WE HAD A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT RACE TEAMS, A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, WINNING RACES. NINE RACES INTO THIS YEAR, HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS HAS WON FIVE RACES, Joe Gibbs Racing HAS WON THREE RACES, AND THAT’S ONLY LEFT ROOM FOR ONE OTHER TEAM TO WIN A RACE. HOW EXACTLY DID HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS GET SO FAR AHEAD OF EVERYONE, AND THEN DO YOU FEEL LIKE WE’RE GOING TO SEE MORE OF THIS AND A LITTLE LESS OF THE PARITY THAT WE SAW THE FIRST TWO YEARS?

“Yeah, they’re all the same, right? Yeah, I just think it’s silly that we think that we’re going to keep the big teams and that type of power away from winning in the long haul. I think that’s just motorsports. The big teams and the resources behind them are always going to find the advantage, and whatever it is, no matter how small the advantage is or isn’t, I think that it’s always going to be extracted and extracted first by those groups. I think that’s just racing and I don’t think it matters how hard we try to make everything the same.. it’s never going to be the same exactly. I think we are certainly fighting for smaller increments now than we ever have before, but there are still details that you have to push for, search for and everything else to be better than the next guy, and those big teams are always, in my view, going to nine times out of 10 find that first.

I think the first year, nobody knew what was right and what was wrong, so there were a lot of different paths, and I think you could find success in different ways. You might back into a little bit of success not knowing what you didn’t know at that point in time, but everybody has been learning this car for a couple of years now. Everybody is learning what makes it goes fast, and from there, I think you’ll see more of what you’ve seen for the last however many years.”

WHEN YOU HAVE THOSE ADVANTAGES AS A RACE TEAM, HOW DO YOU KEEP THAT ADVANTAGE? WHEN YOU’RE IN THE GARAGE AREA, HOW DO YOU START TO GET AN INKLING THAT – OH, THE REST OF THE COMPETITION MIGHT BE CATCHING UP TO US.. WE’VE GOT TO DO ‘XYZ’ IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN WHAT WE’VE GOT?

“Yeah, I don’t think you do. I don’t think you ever can. I think that this sport goes in cycles, and it goes in ups-and-downs. I’ve been around it long enough to see that. Certain manufacturers will have advantages for a certain period of time, and then it will swing a different direction and vice versa. I think that’s just the way it works, and I’m not sure that you can do anything to combat that. I just think that you look at the timeline of when bodies are submitted and not submitted by other manufacturers. Some people, when you get behind, you probably work a little harder in certain areas to make it better, and I think it just creates this natural flow of manufacturers being good and struggling and you just have to ride that wave. I don’t think you can ever stop that.”

ALAN (GUSTAFSON) TALKED A LOT THIS WEEK ABOUT THE POSITIVITY, THE TEAM HAD BEEN POSITIVE. HE HAD CONTINUED TO FEEL THE POSITIVITY IN YOU AND KNEW YOU WERE CLOSE TO THAT BREAKTHROUGH WIN. DID YOU FEEL THE SAME WAY THROUGHOUT THE LAST YEAR OR SO WITH THE WINLESS STREAK AS ALAN, EVEN LEADING INTO TEXAS LAST WEEKEND?

“Yeah, I think he’s probably referencing more this year and just the work that we’ve done this season; the gains that we’ve made towards the end of last year and certainly the first part of this year. I’ve been fortunate to experience it a couple of times throughout my career – where you just have a really good group of people that are working really well together, and I feel like we have that right now. We’ve had it at other times, too. It just becomes really important to try and take advantage of that because people are going to move on; have other opportunities, take new jobs, get promotions at other teams.. who knows, right? Those things just don’t last forever, so yeah I certainly feel that way about our group. I think we work really well together. Everybody is driven to work for and with each other and push one another to be better. That’s a special thing and it’s really fun to be a part of. I hope that we can all stay together for a long time, but unfortunately that’s just not how it works. But what’s cool about it is that we do have a really good group right now and I think we’re all really driven to make the very most of that while things are clicking.”

ALAN (GUSTAFSON) WAS KIND OF EMPATHETIC, SAYING THAT YOU GUYS MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN WINNING, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATS, YOU GUYS WERE RIGHT THERE WITH THE BEST. FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, DID YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GUYS WERE IN THAT BALLPARK, AND THEN AFTER THIS WIN, HOW DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GUYS STACK UP AGAINST THE LARSON’S, THE BYRON’S, THE HAMLIN’S, THE GUYS WE KIND OF TALK ABOUT AS THE ‘CHAMPIONSHIP FAVORITES’?

“Yeah, I definitely think there’s still room for improvement, for sure. I’m not naïve to the end of the race and the improvements that I feel like we needed to have, or I needed to do a little better to make our car last on those long runs. I mean Denny (Hamlin) passed me under that green-flag run, and in a lot of scenarios, the race would have likely been over unless we would have had those late-race cautions. So, like I know these things.. I’ve been doing it for a while. But I also felt like we were right there in the mix though, too.. much closer than we had been, and we were just like a tiny little fraction of an adjustment, if any, away from being able to get the lead in that scenario and control the race to the finish under a green-flag circumstance. I feel like we’re as close as we’ve been, probably since this car kind of took a different direction in the later part of 2022. I think our balance and how we come to the racetrack and the things that we’re talking about is exactly right. And then I think a lot of it from there is just how I manage a run and making sure I can make it last. It’s really hard to explain some of these things, but I think a lot of it kind of falls in my hands. I think the balance of our car last week was in a really, really good position. I have absolutely nothing to complain about, and I told them the same thing in our meetings post-race.”

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST REGRET FROM THIS PAST SEASON GOING INTO THIS SEASON?

“My greatest regret.. I really don’t know. I can’t change any of it, so what’s it matter?”

WAS THERE ANY SORT OF RELIEF OR DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE PRESSURE IS OFF OF YOU NOW THAT YOU HAVE A WIN, OR ARE YOU JUST FOCUSED ON STATUS QUO?

“I feel like – I mean like I’ve referenced at the beginning of being in here, I think it’s nice to win, for sure. It’s nice to get a victory, and I think those things you have to celebrate because they’re really hard to achieve, for sure. But for me, it’s always just about being competitive and just being in the mix. I said it after Martinsville (Speedway), like yeah – it sucked to lose the race on a late-race restart. Not that we lost, but we didn’t win. I mean William (Byron) was controlling the race right and we ran second. But also at the same time, were competitive and on the front-row for the last restart. Like that stuff is fun for me.. a lot more fun than getting to the last restart and trying to figure out whether or not you’re going to run 15th or 18th, you know? At that point, it’s like we’re back here just fighting like crazy for what, you know? I think it’s really always been about that for me; just being competitive and being in the mix. Some days are going to go your way and some days aren’t, if you’re around and if you’re upfront. That part has been fun and that’s always been the goal I think – just getting back to that type of position and feeling like we’re among the ones that have a shot each week.”

LAST WEEKEND, TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY TOOK DOWN THE SCORING PYLON AND EVERYONE WAS SURPRISED THAT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY TOOK THEIRS DOWN TOO. ARE YOU A FAN OF THAT? DO YOU USE THE SCORING PYLON WHEN YOU’RE RACING? DO YOU THINK THAT HAS AS MUCH OF AN EFFECT THAT IT’S BEEN MADE OUT TO BE ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

“I honestly didn’t notice that it was gone at Texas (Motor Speedway). Is it gone here, too? That’s interesting.. why?”

NO MIC.

“Was it not functioning? It worked, right?”

NO MIC.

“They were old? Yeah, I don’t know on that one. That one’s above me, I’m afraid. But I don’t see where it was hurting anything. I mean surely it wouldn’t make the power bill that much higher, right?”

WE SAW IN DAYTONA THAT FUEL SAVING WAS PRETTY AGGRESSIVE AND IT SLOWED THE PACE OF THE RACE DOWN. SHOULD WE EXPECT MORE OF THAT TOMORROW, ALONG THOSE SAME LINES OF HOW AGGRESSIVE IT WAS IN FEBRUARY?

“I would say so. You know, you’re just trying to limit your time on pit road for the last stop to a stage or the last stop to the race. Two things have happened – one, the pit stops have gotten really fast because we have one lug nut, so you’re talking sub-10 second stops, and more people are getting in the sub-10 second stop range. So even on a racetrack that we change tires, the amount of fuel you have to take for four, you’re still waiting on gas if you’re all the way out. So you see that at stage ends at race tracks that we would take four tires and then certainly at speedways where we don’t take tires on those green-flag cycles that get you to the stage. It’s all about time on pit road, so how are you going to limit your time on pit road? You’re going to figure out how to save gas. And that’s why you see like – say at Texas or something last weekend, Richmond or wherever.. somewhere that we would take tires, right? A guy comes in, gets off cycle during a run.. maybe has a problem or something and they end up pitting earlier, so they have more fuel at the stage and they can take advantage of their fast pit stop. That’s why you see some people jump like eight spots at a stage or something.. likely because A) they had a good pit stop and B) they didn’t have to fill all the way up from being out.”

WINNING TAKES CARE OF A LOT OF THINGS WHEN IT COMES TO THE POINTS AND ALL OF THAT. BUT HOW CLOSELY DO YOU PAY ATTENTION TO STAGE POINTS OR PLAYOFF POINTS THAT THE NO. 9 TEAM IS CHASING?

“I think it’s a really big deal. To me, the best example that I can give myself is our year in 2022, I think it was. We had a really good summer stretch; won a few races and won some stages. When the playoffs started, we had like.. I can’t remember, it was somewhere in the high 30s, maybe close to 40 points. Someone could maybe tell me or not, but it was a bunch. We ran horrendously through the last 10 races and made the final four and that was why. So, I think that in itself tells you everything that you need to know about how important those playoff points are because it can take a really average final 10 and give you a shot in those last three or four weeks. That’s worth its weight in gold, so I think it’s important to rack up as many as you can while the regular season is going on.”

 

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.

Cadillac at Imola: Starting on the sixth row

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Official Release
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No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R making progress on technical circuit in heart of Italy

IMOLA, Italy (April 20, 2024) – The No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R will start on the sixth row Sunday for the 6 Hours of Imola.

Alex Lynn, who will co-drive the Cadillac Racing Hypercar, in the second race of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season, recorded a best lap of 1 minute, 31.397 seconds in the 12-minute qualifying session on the 3-mile (4.9 km), 21-turn (12 left) Autodromo Internazionale Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit.

The facility, which hosted its first race in 1953 and last Intercontinental Le Mans Cup — precursor of the WEC — race in 2011, replaced Monza on the WEC calendar this year as the latter is undergoing scheduled work.

Lynn, who qualified seventh in the season-opening race last month at Qatar, improved by 1.5 seconds upon the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R’s best lap time in the three free practice sessions.

Antonio Fuoco, driving the No. 50 Ferrari AF Corse in its home race, earned the pole with a lap of 1:29.456 in the 10-minuite Hyperpole session reserved for the top 10 cars from the first session.

The field will take the green flag at 1 p.m. Central European Time / 7 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Sunday, April 21. MotorTrend, Max, discorvery+ and the FIA WEC app will provide coverage of the race in the U.S. Radio Le Mans will broadcast the race.

Alex Lynn: “Twelfth in qualifying is about right. Obviously, a long race tomorrow with a lot to play for. We’ll regroup and see what we can do. We improved our lap time in qualifying from free practice three by more than a second, so we’re going in the right direction.”

Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Overview- Talladega Superspeedway

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Official Release
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Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport
NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Overview-
Talladega Superspeedway; April 20, 2024

Track; Talladega Superspeedway– Oval (2.66-Miles)
Race: Ag-Pro 300; 113 Laps –25/25/63; 300.58 Miles
Date/Broadcast: Saturday; April 13, 2024 12:30 PM/CT (1:30 PM/ET)
TV: FOX and the Fox Sports App
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) – Check Local Listings for affiliate, and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90
Social Media: Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito AutoSport; Facebook, Instagram, and X

Jeb Burton – No. 27 Puryear Tank Lines
Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview- Talladega Superspeedway

News and Notes:

  • Practice; Similar to 2023 the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) will receive no practice time for Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300.

– Starting Position; With no practice scheduled teams would move directly into qualifying Friday afternoon after technical inspection to determine the starting order for Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300. In 2024, Superspeedway qualifying for the NXS would consist of a two rounds of single car single lap qualifying with the 10 fastest cars in Round 1 moving on to Round 2 to determine the starting order of the Top-10. Rolling onto the racetrack 10th in Round 1, Burton would record a lap of 53.970 at 177.432 mph ranking 37th overall in Round 1 failing to qualify for Round 2. Taking a Owner’s Professional Burton will start the Puryear Tank Lines No. 27 35th inside Row 18 for Saturday afternoon’s Ag-Pro 300.

– Talladega Superspeedway Stats; Burton is defending champion of the Ag-Pro 300, visiting victory lane the last time NXS visit Talladega in April of 2023. Saturday afternoons NXS Ag-Pro 300 will mark Burton’s eighth NXS start at Talladega Superspeedway. In seven previous races, Burton holds an average finish of 8.7 with a 100% lap completion rate with 784 laps completed of the possible 784. Burton has found a true liking to the 2.5-mile Alabama Superspeedway in his NXS career capturing two wins, three Top-Fives, and four Top-10.

Featured Partner

  • Puryear Tank Lines; Puryear Tank Lines is a family-owned and operated business that dates back 3 generations. Specializing in bulk tank delivery of LPG, butane, liquid asphalt and bulk cement. At Puryear they make it their mission to treat both our clients and employees with respect and provide customers with the service they deserve. Puryear Tank Lines promises to provide high-quality transportation services in a safe and efficient way. Visit Puyear Tank Lines online at PuryearTankLines.com

Parker Retzlaff – No. 31 FUNKAWAY
Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview- Talladega Superspeedway

  • Practice; Similar to 2023 the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) will receive no practice time for Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300.

– Starting Position; With no practice scheduled teams would move directly into qualifying Friday afternoon after technical inspection to determine the starting order for Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300. In 2024, Superspeedway qualifying for the NXS would consist of a two rounds of single car single lap qualifying with the 10 fastest cars in Round 1 moving on to Round 2 to determine the starting order of the Top-10. Taking his qualification run 19th in Round 1, Retzlaff would record a lap of 53.450 at 179.158 mph ranking 21st overall in Round 1 failing to qualify the EasyCare Chevrolet into the Fast 10 of Round 2. Retzlaff will start the EasyCare No. 31 from the 21st position inside of Row 11 for Saturday afternoon’s Ag-Pro 300.

  • Talladega Superspeedway Stats; Saturday afternoons NXS Ag-Pro 300 will mark Retzlaff’s second NXS start at Talladega Superspeedway. Last April in his lone start, Retzlaff would have an adventure of a day starting in the fourth position would be involved in an early accident where he would spin backwards down the back straight almost flipping over. From there he would lead two laps and be involved in three more accidents before crossing the finish line in the seventh position after the completion of 121 laps.

Featured Partner

  • EasyCare; Since 1984, EasyCare has been helping some of the most successful dealerships in the nation drive results in their stores with a full suite of F&I products, forward-thinking training, dealership development, dealer wealth building, and a best-in-class claims experience. EasyCare has the only F&I products named a “MotorTrend Recommended Best Buy” for franchised dealers and has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. EasyCare is part of the APCO Holdings family of brands, which has protected over 23 million customers, paid over $3.7 billion in claims, supports over 8,000 dealers, and has over $1B in dealer wealth under management. For more information about EasyCare, please visit Easycare.com.

Jordan Anderson – No. 32 Bommarito.com
Chevrolet Camaro SS Preview- Talladega Superspeedway

News and Notes:

  • Practice; Similar to 2023 the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) will receive no practice time for Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300.

– Starting Position; With no practice scheduled teams would move directly into qualifying Friday afternoon after technical inspection to determine the starting order for Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300. In 2024, Superspeedway qualifying for the NXS would consist of a two rounds of single car single lap qualifying with the 10 fastest cars in Round 1 moving on to Round 2 to determine the starting order of the Top-10. Qualifying 3rd on track in Round 1, Anderson in his return to Talladega would record a lap of 53.771 at 178.089 mph ranking 32nd overall in Round 1 failing to qualify the Bommarito.com Chevrolet into the Fast 10 of Round 2. Anderson will start the Bommarito.com No. 32 from the 32nd position outside of Row 16 for Saturday afternoon’s Ag-Pro 300.

– Talladega Superspeedway Stats; Saturday afternoons NXS Ag-Pro 300 will mark Anderson’s second NXS start at Talladega Superspeedway. In his lone start in October of 2021, Anderson would start in the 29th position and stay out of trouble the entire day on his way to 5th place finish.

Featured Partner

  • Bommarito Automotive Group; A primary supporter of Jordan Anderson Racing, Bommarito Automotive Group is celebrating over 50 years in the St. Louis marketplace, the Bommarito Automotive Group currently operates 20 automotive franchises throughout every St. Louis neighborhood led by president John Bommarito and the over 900 dedicated team members. Bommarito is recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal as Missouri’s No. 1 selling automotive group and is currently ranked 52nd in the nation. What once started as a vision to have one Bommarito vehicle in every driveway, is today a reality thanks to the ‘Where Price Sells Cars” mission.

For more information on the Bommarito Automotive Group, visit them online at Bommarito.com, and follow their social channels on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

About Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport

Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito AutoSport is a NASCAR team, owned by owner/driver Jordan Anderson and Bommarito Automotive Group President, John Bommarito. Established in 2017 the organization is fueled by an incredible, close-knit team of employees, fans, and sponsors with a focus on integrity in the pursuit of excellence. Our goal is to embrace the journey we’re on and to never give up – whether on the track, in the pits, or in life. Every single team partner, and fan of ours, is what keeps our race cars running strong and our team performing at the highest level.

No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 Team Achieves Top Five Starting Position for Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

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Official Release
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(LONG BEACH, California) April 19, 2024 —The Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 delivered a strong qualifying performance on Friday, finding themselves starting fifth in GTD for Saturday’s sprint race. After showing promising pace in the first two practice sessions, Daniel Formal was able to set an impressive lap time of 01:17.814, placing the black and red team firmly towards the front of the grid.

The stage is set for the No. 45 DEX Imaging WTRAndretti Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team’s first race at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. The green flag will fly at 4:35 p.m. ET (1:35 p.m. PT) for 100 minutes of racing with broadcast on USA Network and Peacock for the entirety of the race.

TOP FIVE GTD STARTING GRID

  1. No. 89 Vasser Sullivan (Lexus RC F GT3) B. Barnicoat, P. Thompson (91.585 mph)
  2. No. 12 Vasser Sullivan (Lexus RC F GT3) F. Montecalvo, J. Hawksworth (91.276)
  3. No. 34 Conquest Racing (Ferarri 296 GT3) M. Franco, A. Costa Balboa (91.206 mph)
  4. No. 27 Heart of Racing Team (Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO) R. De Angelis, S. Pumpelly (91.152 mph)
  5. No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 (Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2) K. Marcelli, D. Formal (91.047 mph)

Danny Formal, No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2: “My first ever qualifying in IMSA WeatherTech Championship. The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini has been in a great window all weekend. We definitely improved it from last practice, even though we went P2 in last practice, we found a big chunk of time. We did our fastest time. P5, to be honest, it felt like a very good lap. We’re the quickest Lamborghini by a good margin, so that’s a benefit. The race could play out. It’s a sprint race and normally has a lot of yellow flags and sometimes even reds. We’ll have to have a good start tomorrow, and give the car to Kyle. Our guys are super good at pitstops, so maybe we can jump a guy in pitstop. But super happy, obviously wanted more, but I’m so grateful for the team. They’ve been working so hard, everyone at WTRAndretti, DEX Imaging and Lamborghini. Seriously everyone on that car has been working overtime to make this happen. A top five in qualifying, and we’ve nearly matched our best qualifying of the season from Daytona, so I think we’re in a good window.”

ABOUT WTRANDRETTI
Andretti Global and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership in 2023 that combines the resources of the two championship-caliber teams to compete in IMSA’s top classes. In 2024, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) has expanded to a two-car GTP program as well as competes in the GTD class. Coming off its 2023 championship winning effort, WTRAndretti continues its Driver Development Program competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with a full stable.

WTRAndretti’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac. In its brief 17-year history, WTRAndretti has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen. With its back-to-back PRO Class Championship wins (2022, 2023), WTR also has ten North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title.

Andretti Global, a Championship-winning motorsports organization, competes in additional racing categories worldwide, including the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Extreme E, Australian Supercars and the Mexico SuperCopa Championship. Additionally, the racing enterprise commits to driver development through competition in INDY NXT by Firestone and through support of Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon’s racing careers.

WTRAndretti’s long term partnerships include Lamborghini Squadra Corse, DEX Imaging, Harrison Contracting Company and Gainbridge.

Cadillac earns third consecutive pole award

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Official Release
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Derani drives No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R to top at Long Beach

LONG BEACH, Calif. (April 19, 2024) – The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R earned its third consecutive pole position to start the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) season.

Reigning GTP champion Pipo Derani guided the hybrid Cadillac racecar to a best lap of 1 minute, 11.388 seconds on the tight 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary downtown street circuit to top the 10-car field for the 100-minute race Saturday.

Cadillac has earned four poles and an additional five front row starts at Long Beach since joining the IMSA prototype class in 2017. Cadillac Racing will seek its sixth victory in seven races at Long Beach.

“I put in the lap in early and it was enough, apparently,” said Derani, who has driven to the pole in each race and upped his career IMSA record to 12. “Today the car was on rails. The Whelen Engineering Cadillac was fantastic. We took it off rails a little bit on the last flying lap but came back to it. It’s great to be on pole.”

Sebastien Bourdais qualified third in the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R with a best lap of 1:11.411. Bourdais, a four-time winner at Long Beach, was limited to five laps because of a hybrid system issue at the start of the 15-minute session. Bourdais and van der Zande started on the front row at Daytona and Sebring.

Both Cadillac Racing entries topped the time chart in the two pre-qualifying practice sessions.

“Congratulations to the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R team for their efforts in winning the important pole position for the sprint race,” said Mark Stielow, GM director of motorsports competition. “Pipo Derani drove another great qualifying session on an exceptionally technical street course. We’re looking forward to Cadillac Racing teams being in contention for the victory tomorrow.”

Both the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R (Rolex 24 At Daytona) and No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R (Mobil1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Present3ed by Cadillac) have recorded runner-up finishes this season.

A Cadillac DPi won five consecutive races at Long Beach through 2022 (no event in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic), including podium sweeps in ‘22 and ’21, to extend GM’s victory streak to seven in the event. A Chevrolet Corvette DP won the 2015 and ’16 races.

Bourdais and Renger van der Zande, who will co-drive Saturday, won in 2022. Derani will share the seat with Jack Aitken.

USA and Peacock will have flag-to-flag action starting at 4:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, April 20. Peacock and IMSA.TV will stream qualifications at 8 p.m. ET, Saturday, April 19. All sessions will be broadcast on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com. SiriusXM will also broadcast the race (Sirius 211, XM 206, Web/App 996).

No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R

Sebastien Bourdais: “It’s a testament to the car. I think we were on the money. Just obviously had a hybrid fault and couldn’t start the car. The guys managed to find a default position that disabled something and managed to get us going. I got impeded on two of those three laps that we had, and particularly the quick lap. It’s a shame but at the same time it’s mixed feelings. For most of the time I was in the car, I thought that we weren’t going to get going. Starting P3 is a lot better than not putting a lap in and starting P10. We still have a chance to do something tomorrow. We have a quick car, so hopefully we can put one in the bank for Cadillac.”

No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R

Pipo Derani: “I put in the lap in early and it was enough, apparently. On that last flying lap, I didn’t have any information from the team; I actually requested them not to talk too much over the radio. I was going a little bit quicker, so I said I was going to try it to make sure I have an extra gap in case it’s necessary. We always know that at the end of qualifying, things start to get a little bit quicker. Then I just locked up and went straight into the barriers. I knew I needed to come off the barriers quite quickly because of a red flag. I quickly reminded myself how to get it done. Nevertheless, we knew how important it was to be on pole here for this race. We can swap the nose but in a race here it is important to start on pole, so I’m happy with that.”

Being on pole for a 100-minute race: “This race can have it turn upside-down quite quickly with a yellow. But if it’s a clean race, if you start from the front, it can win you the race. We knew coming here that it would be important to start up front. We saw last year what happened into Turn One. It’s always complicated here to pass. We don’t have as many cars as the first two races, so it makes it even harder for you to try and find your way by somebody with less traffic. Today the car was on rails. The Whelen Engineering Cadillac was fantastic. We took it off rails a little bit on the last flying lap but came back to it. It’s great to be on pole.”

WTRAndretti Acura ARX-06 GTP Teams’ Starting Positions Set for Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

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Official Release
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(LONG BEACH, California) April 19, 2024 —The duo of Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) Acura ARX-06 GTPs took on the 11-turn street circuit to set the grid for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. In a competitive 10-car GTP field, Jordan Taylor completed his first IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship qualifying session behind the wheel of the No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06. Taylor navigated the 1.968-mile for a lap time of 01:11.745 landing sixth on the grid. Filipe Albuquerque took control of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 for the 15-minute qualifying session. For Albuquerque, his best lap time of 01:11.940 placed the blue and black machine to start eighth for tomorrow’s sprint race.

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is set for 4:35 p.m. ET (1:35 p.m. PT) tomorrow with a 100-minute showdown on Shoreline Drive. Broadcast coverage from the streets of Long Beach will be hosted on USA Network and Peacock from green to checkered flag.

TOP FIVE GTP STARTING GRID

  1. No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac Racing (Cadillac V-Series.R) P. Derani, J.Aitken (99.243 mph)
  2. No. 25 BMW M Team RLL (BMW M Hybrid V8) C. De Phillippi, N. Yelloly (99.231 mph)
  3. No. 01 Cadillac Racing (Cadillac V-Series.R) R. van der Zande, S. Bourdais (99.211 mph)
  4. No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsports (Porsche 963) N. Tandy, M. Jaminet (98.909 mph)
  5. No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsports (Porsche 963) D. Cameron, F. Nasr (99.755 mph)
  6. No. 40 WTRAndretti Acura ARX-06 (Acura ARX-06) J. Taylor, L. Delétraz, C. Herta (98.749 mph)
  7. No. 10 WTRAndretti Acura ARX-06 (Acura ARX-06) R. Taylor, F. Albuquerque, B. Hartley (98.482 mph)

Filipe Albuquerque, No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06: “Qualifying we went for a different strategy than the 40 car, we used two sets of tires. We need to investigate as it maybe was not ideal, the front tires were still coming in, but always learning. I don’t think we had the pace to challenge the pole position, unfortunately. So tomorrow it’s race time. It’s not always been the fastest one, last year was a good example of that. So, let’s stay clean and do a good race. Even if it’s a short race, many things can happen. And the walls still are not going to move.”

Jordan Taylor, No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06: “So, it was limited running in practice with the tire allotment that we had, so most of our running leading up was for race prep than I would say for qualifying prep. We saw some guys take an extra set of tires in practice and maybe that was a benefit for qualifying, but our goal was to play the long run and go for a good race package. I think we have a very good race car, so hopefully this pays off for us in the long run in tomorrow’s race.”

ABOUT WTRANDRETTI
Andretti Global and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership in 2023 that combines the resources of the two championship-caliber teams to compete in IMSA’s top classes. In 2024, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) has expanded to a two-car GTP program as well as competes in the GTD class. Coming off its 2023 championship winning effort, WTRAndretti continues its Driver Development Program competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with a full stable.

WTRAndretti’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac. In its brief 17-year history, WTRAndretti has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen. With its back-to-back PRO Class Championship wins (2022, 2023), WTR also has ten North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title.

Andretti Global, a Championship-winning motorsports organization, competes in additional racing categories worldwide, including the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Extreme E, Australian Supercars and the Mexico SuperCopa Championship. Additionally, the racing enterprise commits to driver development through competition in INDY NXT by Firestone and through support of Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon’s racing careers.

WTRAndretti’s long term partnerships include Acura, Honda Racing Corporation US (HRC), Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA, DEX Imaging, Harrison Contracting Company and Gainbridge.

CHEVROLET INDYCAR AT LONG BEACH: Team Chevy Practice Report

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Official Release
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CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
ACURA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH
STREETS OF LONG BEACH
LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA
TEAM CHEVY PRACTICE REPORT
APRIL 19, 2024

CHEVROLET STARTS OUT STRONG ON THE STREETS OF LONG BEACH WITH SIX FINISHING IN THE TOP-10 AFTER FIRST PRACTICE

  • Continuing the trend established in St. Petersburg, Chevrolet occupied the first three positions on the leaderboard after first NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice, with six of the top-10 representing Team Chevy.
  • Pato O’Ward, driver of the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, led first practice with his fastest lap of 1:06.6875 seconds.
  • All three Team Penske Chevrolets finished in the top-five, with Will Power, driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet, finishing second, Scott McLaughlin, driver of the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet, finishing third, and Josef Newgarden, driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet, finishing fifth.
  • Christian Rasmussen, driver of the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Chevrolet, finishing his first practice session on the Streets of Long Beach 10th, with his fastest lap of 1:07.2773 seconds.
  • Saturday sees Team Chevy take to the track for second practice at 11:25 a.m. ET, as well as qualifying and the Firestone Fast Six at 2:25 p.m. ET for Sunday’s race on the Streets of Long Beach.

TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 FIRST PRACTICE RESULTS:

1st Pato O’Ward

2nd Will Power

3rd Scott McLaughlin

5th Josef Newgarden

8th Alexander Rossi

10th Christian Rasmussen

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (Quotes):

Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet:

“It was a good first session. I felt like we had good speed right away, which is positive for a Friday. But the track is going to change a lot tomorrow. It’s going to build a lot of grip, but feeling in the mix in qualifying, which is going to be critical for the race. Qualifying up front here is always critical. I got a lot of confidence in the Hitachi crew, and Team Chevy has really brought us something good to work with. All around, I think we’re really encouraged for the weekend.”

Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet:

“Pretty good day for the No. 3 Odyssey Battery Chevy team. We rolled out of the truck really strong and that makes the whole day heaps easier. We are in a really good spot for the weekend. Obviously, we showed a lot of pace at St. Pete to start the year. Street circuits were a big focus of ours in the off season so it’s nice to see that work paying off. The goal is to continue building on that, qualify well tomorrow and be up front on Sunday when it matters.”

Will Power, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet:

“It was a good Friday at Long Beach. Very happy with the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet. We certainly can improve in some areas, driving-wise. I think we are right in the window. Now we have to take that base that we had in practice and apply it in qualifying because that has been an issue. We are really focused on that.”

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

“I think there’s been some track progression. I think it’s a solid half-second at least. The car is in the window, and we’ve been making small tweaks here and there. Some things worked; some things didn’t work. (We’ll) debrief and see where we want to be for P2 tomorrow.”

Théo Pourchaire, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

“It felt incredible. I’m super happy to be back driving. The car felt great. Pato (O’Ward) did the fastest lap. I was pretty good on the alternative tires. Unfortunately, I didn’t complete any laps due to traffic, so it’s alright. I’m learning. I think it could have been a good position at the end. It’s good, track is great. The track is really bumpy. It’s really hard physically as well, so I’m really happy.”

You mentioned on the radio you felt your driving getting better, grip improving. Is that a big deal for you?

“Yes, sure. It’s super important for me lap after lap to understand everything. I also pushed the limits a bit, I did one small mistake in Turn 8. It’s good to be able to feel the limits. I love the street course. I enjoy it so much, and I feel like tomorrow is going to be a better day, again as I’m learning quick. I’m happy. The team is helping me a lot. Without the traffic, I think it could have been a great position the end. It doesn’t really matter at the moment, I’m just trying to learn, but I’m super happy. You can tell on my face, I’m smiling all the time.”

Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

“It’s good to be back in Long Beach. The car is in the window; I just think we need to fine-tune a couple things to find a little bit of speed. But overall, that was a really good start, and I’m just happy to be back here. I can’t wait to get back out tomorrow and see what we can do in qualifying.”

Gavin Ward, Team Principal at Arrow McLaren:

“That was a good and very productive session. It’s great to see Pato put up a good time on the Firestone Alternate tires, but you have to take that with a grain of salt in a busy, crowded session like that. It’s still a good reference point for the other guys to learn off of, which is always nice. We have a couple things to figure out to unlock a touch more speed out of Alexander, but I think he’s in the mix. I’m really impressed with Théo’s approach through the session. He just kept building up to it. There are a couple corners where I think he’s going to improve on as we keep going, but I’m very encouraged with his approach. There’s a lot for him to learn today, and I told him to just enjoy it, find a rhythm and just keep building. I think he did that.”

Christian Rasmussen, No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:

“I feel great about it. First top-10 is very nice, especially on a track I haven’t been to before. I think we rolled out strong. I feel like I got up to speed quick. I got comfortable quick. Thanks to all the time we’ve spend in the Chevy sim. The prep has been good for this weekend, and I think it pays off. I think just having one weekend under my belt, a lot of the firsts are out of the way. My first practice session on an official weekend, my first race, all of that stuff, that kind of takes some of the nerves away. Love being here, love the track, and obviously we were decently quick.”

Romain Grosjean, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:

“The car felt okay (in Long Beach practice one) in the beginning. We had a mechanical issue towards the end so we didn’t get to run the green tires at the end, but I think we have a decent balance to start the weekend, and I’m excited for tomorrow.”

Agustin Canapino, No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:

“Much better, much better. This track honestly is really, really tricky. I remember last year the session on Friday, it was complicated, honestly. I’ve been enjoying it a lot. This tricky track because the braking zones are very demanding and you have the wall in front of you, waiting for you. It’s a good track, and we were really good. We were P12 with the blacks. My lap wasn’t good, honestly, with the greens. I can get two or three-tenths more. I’m really happy with the start of the weekend. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN CHEVROLET – First Practice Press Conference Transcript:

THE MODERATOR: Wrapping up day one, practice today. Joined by Pato O’Ward, P1 at practice session.

Pato, your thoughts on day one today.

PATO O’WARD: Really solid start for us in the 5 car. I wouldn’t say it’s quite different to last year. We were really, really strong. Just every other INDYCAR weekend, you have to execute every single session. Every opportunity you have, you have to really see what way you want to go. There’s quite a bit of track evolution, I’d say. Although the times were quicker than I thought.

Q. Pato has said he’s very happy to see the start of the season that you’ve gotten off to, Felix. Now you’re competing against each other, but you always had that bond. How important is that, to be able to share that relationship?

FELIX ROSENQVIST: I think it’s pretty simple. We’re always competing against each other. I think still, like if he does a good lap, I can kind of read into it. Like, I know his strengths and weaknesses in a way.

Yeah, like he did his lap today. It’s kind of a good benchmark, when I’m in another team, how you want to set the car up, those kind of things.

Yeah, it’s pretty straightforward: you go out there, you try to beat them.

PATO O’WARD: No, I mean, what he said. I think it’s important to have competitors that have mutual respect for each other. I wish I could say the same for everybody, but it’s clearly not (smiling).

Yeah, he’s one of the good ones.

Q. Pato, you were quickest first session last year, this year as well. Is there any particular style of track where you have found you can make time over your teammates? Is there a spot to attack?

PATO O’WARD: Honestly…

FELIX ROSENQVIST: Turn eight. That’s the corner.

PATO O’WARD: Did you like turn eight? You’ve been watching telemetry.

There used to be a bump there last year. You have to wait after the hump, then come into power. Now that the hump is gone, it’s a lot quicker. That is definitely somewhere where I found quite a bit of lap time compared to last year.

I don’t know, man. I feel like I approach every corner the same. I’m always just kind of flirting with the limit of the car. I mean, I went over it significant amount of times in practice. You have to explore. If you never get there, you leave it to qualifying, there’s more chances for you to screw your lap. You don’t want to be doing that in qualifying.

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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.

CORVETTE RACING AT LONG BEACH: Ready to Roll

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Official Release
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Bell, Fidani showing pace, potential of No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R

LONG BEACH, Calif. (April 19, 2024) – AWA’s No. 13 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R is set to make its debut at the famed Long Beach Street Circuit after Friday’s qualifying session for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Orey Fidani piloted the Corvette that he will share with Matt Bell to the eighth row of the GT Daytona (GTD) grid for Saturday’s 100-minute race.

This is the first race on a street circuit for AWA and the Corvette Z06 GT3.R, and the first time at Long Beach for Bell and Fidani, whose best lap in qualifying was a 1:20.072 (88.480 mph).

Friday began well for AWA as Bell set the fastest GTD lap in the opening practice – a 1:18.911 (89.782 mph) lap, good enough to put AWA on the top of the time sheets for the first time with Corvette. Bell backed that up with the fourth-fastest time in the afternoon’s final practice.

The AWA duo is coming off ninth-place class finish in last month’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Cadillac. This time around it’s an all-out sprint race for the No. 13 Corvette with close-quarters racing the norm between the concrete barriers along the 1.968-mile, 11-turn Long Beach street circuit.

Chevrolet and the Corvette brand have been a fixture at Long Beach since the Corvette Racing program first visited Long Beach in 2007. In 15 visits, Corvette GT cars have captured eight victories with two others in the Corvette DP era.

Combined with results from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Chevrolet boasts a total of 22 victories in the Grand Prix’s two premier events.

The Grand Prix of Long Beach for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is scheduled for 4:35 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 20. The race will air live on USA Network starting at 4:30 p.m. ET with full streaming coverage also on Peacock. IMSA Radio will have coverage of the race at IMSA.com with Sirius 211, XM 206, SiriusXM Online 996 also providing radio coverage of the race.

OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – QUALIFIED 15TH IN GTD: “It was a challenging but overall positive day on the demanding streets of Long Beach. I feel like every corner tests the limits of our car. Qualifying was tough but it sets us up for a day of fighting hard, learning and pushing forward. We’re ready to take on the challenges of this iconic urban track. From here, the only way is upwards, and we’re excited to show what we can do in the race tomorrow.”

MATT BELL, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R (after Practice 1): “The team’s first P1 in the Corvette era, so I’m really happy with that. It’s nice to roll out very competitive. The Corvette Racing guys have given us a lot of help coming into here. They’ve passed on a little bit of their knowledge of this place onto us. They’ve been very successful here in the past, and we’ve rolled out pretty good. I wasn’t expecting that in my first time here. I have heard a lot of stories about how daunting this place is, and on my first couple of laps I was in 100 percent in agreement! But I got a clear lap later on and the car was hooked up and I could put something together. Hopefully we can continue in the vein and find another couple of tenths yet.”

2024 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Points

GTD Drivers Standings

  1. Indy Dontje/Philip Ellis/Russell Ward – 725
  2. Antonio Fuoco/Giorgio Sernagiotto/Roberto Lacorte – 589
  3. Adam Adelson/Elliott Skeer/Jan Heylen – 570
  4. Albert Costa Balboa/Cedric Sbirrazzuoli/Manny Franco – 545
  5. Francois Heriau/Miguel Molina/Simon Mann – 485
  6. Lars Kern/Matthew Bell/Orey Fidani – 347

GTD Teams Standings

  1. No. 57 Windward Racing – 725
  2. No. 47 Cetilar Racing – 589
  3. No. 120 Wright Motorsports – 570
  4. No. 34 Conquest Racing – 545
  5. No. 21 AF Corse – 485
  6. No. 13 AWA – 347

GTD Manufacturers Standings

  1. Mercedes-AMG – 751
  2. Porsche – 634
  3. Lamborghini – 616
  4. McLaren – 550
  5. Lexus – 527
  6. Chevrolet – 505

CORVETTE RACING BY THE NUMBERS: Long Beach

  • 3: Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs in competition this weekend – No. 13 of AWA at Long Beach, No. 81 and No. 82 of TF Sport at Imola
  • 4: Generations of Corvette ZR1 (C3, C4, C6 and C7). The eighth-generation Corvette ZR1 will be revealed this summer
  • 6: Iterations of Corvette GT entries at Long Beach since 2007 – Corvette C6.R GT1 (2007-09, Corvette C6.R GT2/GT (2010-13), Corvette C7.R (2014-2019), Corvette C8.R GTE (2021), Corvette C8.R GTD (2022-2023) and now the Corvette Z06 GT3.R
  • 8: Number of drivers who have competed at Long Beach for Corvette Racing – Olivier Beretta, Antonio Garcia, Oliver Gavin, Jan Magnussen, Tommy Milner, Johnny O’Connell, Nick Tandy and Jordan Taylor. That list grows this year with addition of Orey Fidani and Matt Bell in the No. 13 AWA Corvette Z06 GT3.R
  • 8: Number of Long Beach victories in 15 appearances for the Corvette Racing program
  • 10: Number of Long Beach sports car victories for Chevrolet. Throw in 12 INDYCAR wins, and Chevrolet has claimed 22 victories in the event’s two premier races.
  • 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001
  • 19: Number of street circuit victories for Corvette Racing – more than any other IMSA entrant at the circuit.
  • 27: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
  • 45: Number of drivers in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. Rui Andrade, Sebastien Baud, Hiroshi Koizumi and Tom Van Rompuy joined the list at Qatar to open the WEC season
  • 71: Years since Corvette was introduced to the world on Jan. 17, 1953 in New York City. A total of 300 cars were produced that year
  • 127: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 115 in North America, nine at Le Mans and three in the FIA WEC
  • 287: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999
  • 4,225.27: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 15 previous trips to Long Beach. That represents 2,147 laps around the 1.968-mile street circuit.
  • 371,612.71: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing entries since 1999. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles

Corvette Racing at Long Beach (wins in bold)

2007

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT1 (Magnussen fastest race lap)

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1 (Gavin pole)

2008

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Johnny O’Connell/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1 (Magnussen pole)

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1 (Gavin fastest race lap)

2009

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT1

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1 (Beretta pole, fastest race lap)

2010

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT2

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 9th in GT2 (Gavin fastest race lap)

2011

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Tommy Milner – 5th in GT

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GT (Magnussen fastest race lap)

2012

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GT

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 1st in GT (Gavin fastest race lap)

2013

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 5th in GT

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GT (Gavin fastest race lap)

2014

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GTLM (Magnussen pole)

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 3rd in GTLM (Milner fastest race lap)

2015

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 7th in GTLM

2016

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 9th in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 2nd in GTLM

2017

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 5th in GTLM (Magnussen pole)

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 1st in GTLM

2018

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 1st in GTLM

2019

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 2nd in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 3rd in GTLM

2021

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 1st in GTLM

2022

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 3rd in GTD PRO (Taylor pole)

2023

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTD PRO

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.

O’Ward Takes Top Spot in Tight Opening Long Beach Practice

By
Official Release
-

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Friday, April 19, 2024) – Pato O’Ward once again showed why he’s overdue for an NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory, leading practice Friday for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

O’Ward turned a top lap of 1 minute, 6.6874 seconds in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street circuit. O’Ward finished second in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding, as he seeks to earn his first series victory since July 2022 at Iowa Speedway, a dry spell of 24 races.

“The car is in the window, and we’ve been making small tweaks here and there,” O’Ward said. “Some things worked, some things didn’t work.”

Less than a second separated the top 15 drivers in the session Friday, setting up an exciting Saturday of practice and NTT P1 Award qualifying. Practice starts at 11:25 a.m. ET, followed by three rounds of qualifying starting at 2:25 p.m. Both sessions will be broadcast on Peacock, INDYCAR LIVE and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Two-time series champion Will Power was the quickest of three Team Penske drivers in the top five Friday, ending up second at 1:06.7811 in the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet. Power won this prestigious event in 2008 and 2012.

Scott McLaughlin helped Chevrolet-powered teams sweep the first three spots on the time sheet, as he was third at 1:06.8258 in the No. 3 Odyssey Batteries Team Penske Chevrolet.

McLaughlin and Power finished in the top three despite both brushing the concrete barriers lining the tricky street circuit in separate incidents during the 75-minute session, which was divided into an all-car session to start and finished with two separate groups.

Felix Rosenqvist continued his early-season strong form by ending up fourth at 1:06.8600 in the No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda fielded by Meyer Shank Racing. Rosenqvist moved to MSR this season after three years at Arrow McLaren, and he has responded by finishing seventh at St. Petersburg and third at the non-points The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge last month.

Series points leader Josef Newgarden rounded out the top five at 1:06.8976 in the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet. Newgarden earned a dominant victory in the season opener at St. Petersburg.

Two rookies also captured headlines Friday under sunny skies in Southern California.

2023 INDY NXT by Firestone champion Christian Rasmussen was ninth overall at 1:07.2773 in the No. 20 Guy Care Chevrolet fielded by Ed Carpenter Racing, the quickest of the six rookies in the field by more than a second.

Reigning FIA Formula 2 champion Théo Pourchaire was the second-quickest rookie in his first-ever laps in an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car, ending up 21st at 1:08.2857 in the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Frenchman Pourchaire was summoned this week to drive for Arrow McLaren full-time driver David Malukas, who continues to recover from surgery to repair a wrist injury suffered in a preseason mountain biking accident.

Sunday’s 85-lap race will be at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Rick Ware Racing: Justin Haley/Cody Ware Talladega Race Advance

By
Official Release
-

JUSTIN HALEY | CODY WARE
Talladega Advance

Event Overview

● Event: GEICO 500 (Round 10 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 21
● Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
● Layout: 2.66-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 188 laps/500 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 60 laps / Stage 2: 60 laps / Final Stage: 68 laps
● TV/Radio: FOX / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Justin Haley, Driver of the No. 51 Parts Plus/Grady Health Ford Mustang Dark Horse

● Justin Haley makes his ninth NASCAR Cup Series start at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway Sunday in the No. 51 Parts Plus/Grady Health Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Rick Ware Racing (RWR). The 2.66-mile oval was the site of Haley’s first Cup Series start in April 2019. He was running inside the top-20 when, with 10 laps to go, the racing at the front of the field started to get dicey. Haley dropped to the back of the lead pack but was unable to avoid trouble when a multicar accident involving competitors in the top-10 with just eight laps remaining.

● Haley’s best Cup Series finish at Talladega was his last, a sixth-place effort in Ocotber 2023. He’s finished inside the top-20 in all but two of his eight previous starts there.

● Two of Haley’s four superspeedway wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series came at Talladega, when he swept the June and October 2020 races. In five Xfinity Series starts at Talladega, he finished no worse than eighth and completed all 536 laps available. In two starts in the Craftsman Truck Series at Talladega, the 24-year-old has one top-five – a fourth-place finish earned in October 2018.

● Haley’s prowess on racing’s largest ovals started when, at 18 years of age, he drove to the win in the first superspeedway start of his career in the May 2017 ARCA Menards Series race at Talladega. He started 23rd and led just six laps in the rain-delayed race en route to victory.

● Haley began the season with a 26th-place effort in the Daytona 500 after starting 22nd. He ran well within the top-five before a mistake on pit road during the second stage set him back. A lack of cautions in the final stage prevented Haley from returning to the lead lap. He heads to Talladega with a 98.4-percent lap completion rate (2,848 of 2,893 laps available) on superspeedways.

● The Parts Plus brand, part of the The Pronto Network, the largest and most diverse automotive program distribution group in North America, will make its debut on the No. 51 Ford Mustang Dark Horse this weekend as co-primary partner. Parts Plus began 2024 with an expansion of its partnership with RWR and its Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series Top Fuel driver Clay Millican.

● Grady Health makes its second appearance of the season on Haley’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse. It first rode along with Haley during his top-20 finish in February at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Grady Health will kick off its annual Move For Grady event next Saturday, April 27, in downtown Atlanta. Register to ride, run or walk at your pace, with three different distances to choose from and help raise money for Grady Health along the way.

Cody Ware, Driver of the No. 15 Jacob Construction Ford Mustang Dark Horse

● Cody Ware, driver of the No. 15 Jacob Construction Ford Mustang Dark Horse for RWR, will make his eighth Cup Series start at Talladega this Sunday. His best finish at the 2.66-mile superspeedway was a 19th-place result earned in October 2020.

● Ware also made one Xfinity Series start at Talladega in 2019, finishing 21st for car owner B.J. McLeod, and one Truck Series start in 2015.

● In 13 Cup Series starts on superspeedways to date, Ware has completed 2,251 of 2,410 laps available – a completion rate of 93.4 percent. His career-best sixth-place superspeedway finish was secured Aug. 28, 2022 in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

● Earlier this year, Ware finished third in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Jan. 20 on the Daytona road course. The following weekend, Ware and teammate Preston Pardus participated in the twin Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup races at Daytona.

● Jacob Construction returns to the No. 15 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for the first time in 2024. Jacob is a nationally certified, WBENC, woman-owned, multifaceted construction firm with a focus on construction, design-build services, structural concrete and technology.

Rick Ware Racing Notes

● RWR driver Millican and the Parts Plus team competed in the Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend. He qualified fourth, then scored the victory in the first round of eliminations to advance to the semifinals.

● Rick Ware has been a motorsports mainstay for more than 40 years. It began at age six when the third-generation racer began his driving career and has since spanned four wheels and two wheels on both asphalt and dirt. Competing in the SCCA Trans Am Series and other road-racing divisions led Ware to NASCAR in the early 1980s, where he finished third in his NASCAR debut – the 1983 Warner W. Hodgdon 300 NASCAR Grand American race at Riverside (Calif.) International Raceway. More than a decade later, injuries would force Ware out of the driver seat and into fulltime team ownership. In 1995, Rick Ware Racing was formed, and with wife Lisa by his side, Ware has since built his eponymous organization into an entity that fields two fulltime entries in the NASCAR Cup Series while simultaneously campaigning successful teams in the Top Fuel class of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, Progressive American Flat Track and FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX), where RWR won the 2022 SX2 championship with rider Shane McElrath.

Justin Haley, Driver Q&A

You’ve been strong on superspeedways, and February’s Daytona 500 was a good event for the No. 51 team in terms of getting on track and starting to build a notebook. Has that helped with preparation and confidence heading into Talladega?

“Yeah, I think Talladega is where I’ve probably done the best, if I had to compare. I really enjoy superspeedway racing and I’ve been lucky to have a lot of success on these bigger tracks. It takes a lot of patience and understanding of what is going on ahead of you or even behind you. I think we learned a lot in Daytona and we have a really good shot at getting a great finish if we can clean up the little things.”

You made your first Cup Series start at Talladega. Do you remember what it felt like to complete that first race?

“I believe it was on my 19th birthday. I had my whole family there and ran in the top-10 for the majority of the day. We had my longtime sponsor Fraternal Order of Eagles on the car and it was just an awesome day. The feeling of finally achieving the dream of making it to the Cup Series. I had dreamed of it my whole life and put in so much work to get there.”

Grady Health will be back on the car this weekend. What has that partnership meant to you?

“I’m excited to continue the relationship with Grady and have them back on the car at Talladega. They’ve been a great partner and supporter of everything we’ve been doing, and I’m happy to have the opportunity to give them the same support for their Move for Grady event. The work they do as a level one trauma center, combined with all they do to give back to the Atlanta community, is amazing, and I’m proud to represent them both on the track and off.”

Cody Ware, Driver Q&A

What is the best strategy for superspeedway racing?

“I think the uncertainty of it all definitely makes for a more interesting race from start to finish, especially for the smaller teams. There’s a lot more strategy that goes into how you attack the race. For me personally, I think that I’ve had success on plate tracks because I do a good job of keeping out of trouble and I’m there the last five or 10 laps where it matters the most. So, I think my strategy for this race is the same as it always is at Daytona or Talladega, which is survive stage one and stage two, and just make sure we have a good race piece for the last couple laps of the race.”

What makes the racing at Daytona and Talladega so different?

“I think wreck avoidance is the biggest thing. It’s a lot easier at Talladega. You have a lot more room, especially on the backstretch with everything being concrete and paved. So to go from a place like Daytona with a lot of sharp changes in the banking to a place like Talladega, where you can easily race four- and five-wide, I think that you can be a little more aggressive at Talladega without taking as many risks. That just translates to a slightly safer plate-racing experience. But then, at the same time, not really because there’s a lot four-wide racing instead of three-wide racing. So I think that you know, again, it all goes out the window once the last couple of laps of the race come into play.”

You started the season with some IMSA racing. Is there anything at all that you can bring from that experience over to NASCAR?

“I’d say with what I was doing in the prototypes, when it comes to the stock car, it’s night and day. There’s not really anything to compare as far as horsepower, the braking, acceleration, downforce. To compare them is almost impossible. But just having any kind of seat time before Talladega is better than nothing. The prototype racing got my feet wet and got me ready to get back in the Cup car for the 2024 season.”

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