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CrowdStrike/AWS Driver Kevin Boehm Returns to Random Vandals Racing for 2024 Season

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Official Release
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Boehm, Koch, and RVR Unite in Pursuit of GT4 Glory with CrowdStrike

CONCORD, NC (March 5, 2024) – Building on a successful 2023 campaign, Random Vandals Racing (RVR) is thrilled to welcome back CrowdStrike/AWS driver and engineer Kevin Boehm for the 2024 season. Partnering again with co-driver Kenton Koch, the duo will aim to climb even higher after concluding their first year together with a solid 3rd place finish in SRO’s Pirelli GT4 America Championship.

“We are thrilled to welcome Kevin back to the team. Combining Kevin’s talents with Kenton’s skilled experience will strengthen the competitiveness of Random Vandals Racing as we aim for the championship,” said Paul Sparta, Team Principal for Random Vandals. “Moving to a two-car program provides us with a much stronger structure to make additional gains as the season progresses. It’s a real privilege to have CrowdStrike and AWS with us as partners along with Vbrick. It’s our job to deliver now.” 

A two-time touring car champion and accomplished engineer Boehm, known for his dual expertise behind the wheel and under the hood, is hungry for a championship in 2024.

“Building on the momentum of last year’s hard-earned third place finish, I’m excited to reunite with the incredible team at Random Vandals Racing with the support from my long term partners CrowdStrike and AWS for the 2024 season,” said Boehm. “With a year of GT4 experience under my belt, I feel more confident than ever in our team’s ability to contend for the championship. This year, we’re coming back laser-focused and determined to push even further.”

“Looking forward to driving with Kevin and having CrowdStrike as a partner,” said Koch. “The Random Vandals team is well-prepared and we’re all aiming for a championship!”

Boehm’s racing career highlights the amateur-to-pro race car driver ladder system supported by SRO, which offers talented drivers the opportunity to move from amateur racing to pro racing, and up the series ladder from the TC America series to the GT series. 

Beyond the racetrack, Boehm will continue to serve as an ambassador for CrowdStrike/AWS, offering their guests and VIPs exclusive access to the thrilling world of sports car racing.

The Pirelli GT4 America opener is set for April 2 – 4 at Sonoma Raceway. In addition to Boehm and Koch’s car, Kris Wilson will join Paul Sparta in the Pirelli GT4 America Am class for the season.

About Random Vandals Racing 

Random Vandals Racing is a BMW customer racing team based in Concord, NC. RVR competes professionally in both IMSA and SRO in multiple categories along with World Racing League and other Am/Pro series. For more information about Random Vandals Racing, visit: https://randomvandals.racing.

About Kevin Boehm

Driven by speed and fueled by innovation, Kevin Boehm is a force to be reckoned with whether he’s behind the wheel or fine-tuning a machine. As a championship-winning professional racer and an accomplished OEM principal engineer with over 15 years of experience, Boehm embodies the perfect blend of talent and technical prowess. His ability to uncover automotive potential and translate it into on-track victories makes him a true standout. Discover more at https://kevinboehm.com. 

About CrowdStrike 

ABOUT CROWDSTRIKE / NASDAQ: CRWD

CrowdStrike has redefined modern cybersecurity with the world’s most advanced cloud-native platform that secures the most critical areas of enterprise risk – endpoints and cloud workloads, identity, and data. CrowdStrike keeps you one step ahead of cyber threats and stops breaches. That’s protection at every turn.

Take us for a test drive at crowdstrike.com/testdrive

For more information about CrowdStrike Racing, visit https://www.crowdstrikeracing.com  
For more information about AWS, visit https://aws.amazon.com/ 
For more information about Vbrick Systems, visit https://vbrick.com 
For more information about BMW Motorsport, visit https://www.bmw-motorsport.com/  
For more information about Pirelli GT4 America, visit https://www.gt4-america.com/  

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes – NCS Las Vegas 1 Post-Race Quotes

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Pennzoil 400 | Sunday, March 3, 2024

Ford Performance Finishing Results:
3rd – Ryan Blaney
6th – Noah Gragson
9th – Joey Logano
13th – Brad Keselowski
20th – Josh Berry
21st – Chase Briscoe
23rd – Ryan Preece
24th – Todd Gilliland
25th – Michael McDowell
27th – Justin Haley
29th – Austin Cindric
30th – Harrison Burton
31st – Kaz Grala
37th – Chris Buescher

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It was a long day. We started 15th and just kind of slowly worked our way up. The top two guys were pretty quick. It was hard to catch them. We never really had the speed of those guys, but I’m proud of the effort. We got better all day, which was good. I didn’t think we were great early and we continued to get better, so that’s all you can ask for. It was a good day for the Menards/Pennzoil Ford Mustang. We definitely have a decent idea of where to go from here going forward.”

DID YOU OPTIMIZE YOUR DAY TODAY? “Yeah, we worked really hard all day and got better through the race I thought. That was positive and we probably ended the best we were, so that’s always good. It’s something good to look forward to and hopefully just continue to work on. I’m proud of the Menards/Pennzoil Ford Mustang team. The 12 guys did a good job all weekend.”

HOW WAS YOUR CAR? “I thought we got better all day, which is good. Obviously, I wish we had more, but we got better all day from where we started and where we qualified. I thought we ended kind of our best probably. We were able to get in front of the 19 and the 11, who was pretty good, the 54. We didn’t have anything for the 5 or 45 all day, but I’m proud of the effort. Hopefully, this is a good learning experience. Going forward, hopefully we’re in a good spot.”

LARSON BEING FAST ISN’T A SURPRISE. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WE CAN TAKE FROM TODAY? “I don’t know. The Chevys are still fast. The Toyotas are still fast. The Fords, we had a good showing today too but we just have a little bit of work to do.

NOAH GRAGSON, No. 10 Fanttik Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “These guys are good. It feels good to do it in front of the hometown crowd. I was battling Ty and Ross there at the end for a top five. I really wanted a top five, but coming from 30th to sixth I’m just really proud of everyone’s effort.”

WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT YOUR 1.5-MILE PROGRAM? “This is the first true testament. I don’t know. Blaney was up there and maybe a couple other guys in the Ford camp, but this Mustang Dark Horse is bitchin’. It’s fast and it’s been really good. You can see the speed that it’s had in qualifying, not for me because I drove like a sissy out there, but with the other guys they have three poles so far this year, so we’re going good.”

HOW DOES THIS COMPARE TO OTHER CUP CARS YOU’VE DRIVEN HERE? “This compared to last year just has a lot more speed. You can go where you want. We’ve got a good pit crew and just a good team.”

HOW MUCH CAN YOU TAKE FROM SOMETHING LIKE TODAY? DO YOU HAVE SPEED TO WORK WITH? “Yeah, we definitely need to be better and I need to clean some stuff up. Really, other than that last restart, I don’t think I had any net gains on restarts, so I need to keep working on that. I’m still trying to figure it all out, but overall it’s a good stepping stone to where we’re at right now. We’re gonna take this and get back into the positives in points and just keep on working, keep on learning and becoming better than we were yesterday and just keep that attitude. I think we’ve got the tightest group in the garage. They’re awesome to work with and I love every one of them.”

JOSH BERRY, No. 4 Mobil 1 Take 5 Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I think we saw a lot of potential. Each run as a company it seemed like one of our cars was stronger than the other, but we learned a lot. Our car definitely seemed like it had speed. We just have to keep working on fine-tuning it and I need to work on starting a little bit closer to the front. All of those things start to compound and we can have a little better day, but, overall, I thought we were solid.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang Dark Horse – HOW WAS THE CAR RUNNING BEFORE CONTACT WITH THE 12 AND HOW WAS IT AFTER? “Before I thought our car was pretty good. We weren’t good enough to win, but we were definitely a fifth to 10th place car fairly easily. We were able to pass a lot of cars. That second run of the race we went backwards, but after that I was able to just continue to go forward. I was really happy with how my car was driving and just after the contact as soon as it happened I went into the next corner and we were a half-second slower that lap and just continued to stay a half-second slower the rest of the race. I’m not really sure what happened as far as why we all of a sudden lost a half-second, but it’s a tough one to swallow when you have that good of a car. We definitely had a top 10 car and finished 21st or whatever, so that part is kind of frustrating, but we’ll go to Phoenix, where we’ve had speed in the past and just hope to get a better run.”

JUSTIN HALEY, No. 51 Ohanafy Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We were pretty good, but we just lacked execution again. I felt like our car was a little on the tight side, but when we were in clean air it was fine. It’s just new team blues. We’re just trying to get everyone to work together on the same page. I’m proud of the speed we had. I felt like we ran with some competitive cars, so we’ll keep working at it.”

KAZ GRALA, No. 15 N29 Capital Partners Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We weren’t too bad today. We just couldn’t quite get a handle on the car. Balance-wise we were tight for the first half of the race and then somehow we got it free and couldn’t get back, so I was just kind of hanging on there at the end. We had decent track position and then a car came up in front of me and took the air away and we just bobbled and smacked the wall out of four. I don’t know if that hurt something or we really just fell off at the end tire-wise. I don’t really know. We just didn’t have anything to fight with at the end.”

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT HAPPENED? “We lost the nut and lost half the wheel. I think the tire stayed up under the fender. I’m not exactly sure just yet, but it looks like the nut came off and something in the suspension actually cut the wheel in half. It’s definitely not what we wanted with our Fastenal Ford Mustang out here today. We had a strong day yesterday. I was really proud of that effort. We got a good bunch here and we’re gonna be contenders. We’re gonna win some races, but it’s not gonna happen today.”

IT WAS A HARD HIT. YOU OK? “Yeah. All good.”

DID YOU HAVE ANY WARNING? “No. Nothing that says that was coming. That’s kind of been the case with this car. I’ve probably had three of these now through the last couple of years and haven’t had a warning on any of them. It’s nothing like the old five lug stuff where you’d get a vibration or a shimmy or have some kind of clue. It just happens all of a sudden. It’s very unfortunate there, very tough. We have a great group of people on our team right now and we’re gonna bounce back from this and get going in the right direction. That hurts just so early. We were able to move forward out of there. We took two tires and was doing OK and holding our own against four tires around us and just ended up out way earlier than we wanted. I guess we talked a little bit yesterday and probably truthfully for the first time in my career I’m excited about Phoenix after what we had last time there. I won’t have to lie about that, but certainly a bad day today. It’s very disappointing. That sucks.”

CHEVROLET NCS AT LAS VEGAS 1: Kyle Larson Drives Chevrolet to Third Consecutive NASCAR Cup Series Win of 2024 Season

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Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
PENNZOIL 400 PRESENTED BY JIFFY LUBE
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT
MARCH 3, 2024

 Kyle Larson Drives Chevrolet to Third Consecutive NASCAR Cup Series Victory of the 2024 Season

 · In dominating fashion, Kyle Larson and the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1 team earned their first victory of the season in the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – extending Chevrolet’s streak as the only manufacturer to win a points-paying race in the NASCAR Cup Series this season.

· In the Next Gen car’s third season of competition in the NASCAR Cup Series, this marks the second time Chevrolet has swept the first three races of the season – also accomplishing the feat in 2023 when the Camaro ZL1 won four-straight races.

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10:
POS. DRIVER
1st – Kyle Larson, No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1
4th – Ross Chastain, No. 1 Kubota Camaro ZL1
10th – William Byron, No. 24 Z HP Camaro ZL1

· Larson swept the stage wins and led a race-high 181 laps en route to his third career NASCAR Cup Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – his 24th victory in 334 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

· The victory is Hendrick Motorsports’ series-leading 10th NASCAR Cup Series triumph at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – with five of those victories coming in the series’ past seven races at the track.

· Larson drove Chevrolet to its 13th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – four of which have come in the five races that the Next Gen car has competed at the 1.5-mile Nevada oval.

· Larson delivered Chevrolet its 854th all-time victory in NASCAR Cup Series competition, extending the manufacturer’s record as the winningest manufacturer in series’ history.

· With Larson’s NASCAR Cup Series win and Rajah Caruth’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend, Chevrolet continues the streak of earning at least one win in the NASCAR national ranks each weekend since the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course events in October 2023.

· The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Phoenix Raceway with the Shriners Children’s 500 on Sunday, March 10, at 3:30 P.M. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

 
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:

Kyle Larson, No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1

Finished: 1st

“I knew Tyler (Reddick) was going to be the guy to beat. From the first stage, he was really fast there. I was hoping those guys were going to get racing a little bit longer behind me because I felt it was going to time out to where he was running really hard and getting the tow to catch me at the end. Thankfully, I was able to air lock him a couple of laps and get him tight. I thought (Reddick) and Bubba (Wallace) were going to get working together again to build a run, so I was happy that didn’t happen.

All in all, such a great, great job by this No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevy team. Just their execution, restarts, pit road.. all of that was great. Cool to get a win here in Las Vegas again, back-to-back, and swept all the stages. Can’t ask for much more than that.”

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Kubota Camaro ZL1

Finished: 4th

What can you take from this mile-and-a-half and apply to others?

“This speed. I mean the handling of the car is incredible for our Kubota Chevy. It’s everything that I wanted, dream about, and wake up and train for is to drive cars like this. That’s what makes it hurt so much worse. When we finish fourth and we were legitimately an eighth-place car, it’s something we’re high-fiving. You all have seen me in my career, I’d jump up and down for a fourth place finish. If someone is just glancing at my interviews, they’re going to say, “Well, Ross is changing,” but I’m not. When I have a car capable of fighting for the win, and I take ourselves out, that’s what I can get down about right now, but excited about because I know how good the car was and how much speed it has.”

From the start of the race, speeds dropped five miles per hour in Turn 1. What was it like and how hard was it to hold on?

“Yeah, there were times where if I wasn’t tucked up within five car lengths of somebody, I’d have significantly less RPM and speed down the front. I couldn’t catch them because I was inhibited by the wind, and they had the draft. Think of the DRS trains in Formula 1. Once those DRS trains get going, the guys that are out of it, they lose so much of it. We’re not losing as much. But there were times where I was 16th place, but I’m three seconds behind 15th and there are no cars, and they get bottled up, and I get with them, and I’m picking up 200 RPMs on the front stretch just being in their draft. So, it was pretty wild because as much as I loved that draft on the straightaway, you’d get into the corner and I didn’t want to be behind them. It’s a lot of fun racing. I passed a lot of cars today. That part I was smiling, but knowing I had a car enough to compete today, it just hurts.”

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Freeway Insurance Camaro ZL1

Finished: 11th

“It wasn’t easy. I wasn’t really happy with the balance of the No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevy. The front of the car never turned the entire race. The back of the car was going away on the long run. Sometimes we were making the car a little bit better in the long run, but the front just never turned all race long. Just have to see everything to figure out how we can be a little better next time.”

Austin Dillon, No. 3 BetMGM Camaro ZL1

Finished: 16th

“P-16 finish for the No. 3 BetMGM Chevy. We got stage points in Stage 2. The BetMGM Chevy was pretty good in the middle of the race. Didn’t make a big enough adjustment there at the end and got really tight.

Unfortunate. We had a pretty solid day around the top-10 all day. We weren’t able to come home with one, but it was a big improvement from where we’ve been. We were one adjustment away from being in the top-10, for sure.”

Daniel Hemric, No. 31 South Point Hotel and Casino Camaro ZL1

Finished: 19th

“We fired off decent in the race, but within a few laps, the No. 31 South Point Chevy just started getting tight. A speeding penalty set us back a bit, but fortunately we were able to get the lap back. We ran the best we had all day during those last couple of runs, and we were able to grab another top-20 finish.”

 

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.

Rick Ware Racing: Pennzoil 400 from Las Vegas

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Official Release
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RICK WARE RACING
Pennzoil 400

Date: March 3, 2024
Event: Pennzoil 400 (Round 3 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 267 laps, broken into three stages (80 laps/85 laps/102 laps)
Race Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

RWR Finish:

● Justin Haley (Started 35th, Finished 27th/ Running, completed 267 of 267 laps)
● Kaz Grala (Started 32nd, Finished 31st/ Running, completed 267 of 267 laps)

RWR Points:

● Justin Haley (29th with 39 points)
● Kaz Grala (33rd with 30 points)

Race Notes:

● Kyle Larson won the Pennzoil 400 to score his 24th career NASCAR Cup Series victory and his third at Las Vegas. His margin of victory over second-place Tyler Reddick was .441 of a second.
● There were six caution periods for a total of 35 laps.
● Thirty-one of the 37 drivers in the Pennzoil 400 finished on the lead lap.
● Kyle Larson leaves Atlanta as the championship leader with a eight-point advantage over second-place Ryan Blaney.

Sound Bites:

“We were pretty good. I felt like our Ohanafy Ford Mustang Dark Horse was a little bit on the tight side, but when we were in clean air it was good. This is still a work in progress. We’re trying to things organized so we’re all working together and getting the best out of each race. I’m proud of the speed we had. We ran with some good cars, so we’ll keep working at it and see what we’ve got when we get to Phoenix.” – Justin Haley, driver of the No. 51 Ohanafy Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“We weren’t too bad today. We just couldn’t quite get a handle on the balance of our N29 Capital Parners Ford Mustang Dark Horse. We were tight for the first half of the race, and then we somehow got it free and couldn’t really get back to somewhere in the middle. We had decent track position until someone came up in front of me and took the airway, then we just bobbled and smacked the wall out of turn four. I don’t know if that hurt something or if we just fell off at the end with older tires. I was just kind of hanging on there at the end. We’ll see what we can do to get better. The field so tight and I feel like we’re just a little bit away from being really good. Easier said than done, but I think if we can find a little something then we’ll be in good shape.” – Kaz Grala, driver of the No. 15 N29 Capital Partners Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Shriners Children’s 500k on Sunday, March 10 at Phoenix Raceway. The race begins at 3:30 p.m. ET with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Toyota Racing – NCS Las Vegas Post-Race Report – 03.03.24

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Official Release
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REDDICK RUNNER-UP LEADS TOYOTA IN VEGAS
Ty Gibbs with a strong top-five finish

LAS VEGAS (March 3, 2024) – Tyler Reddick led Toyota with a runner-up finish in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon. Reddick finished second in both of the first two stages and closed late on race winner Kyle Larson, before coming up just short of the victory.

Ty Gibbs added his first top-five and second top-10 in first three races this season as the reigning Rookie of the Year battled through transmission issues throughout the second half of the race to earn a Vegas-best fifth-place finish. Gibbs’ teammates Martin Truex Jr. (seventh) and Denny Hamlin (eighth) joined him inside the top-10, while Erik Jones earned points in the second stage and delivered a solid top-15 finish in LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s first mile-in-a-half start in Toyota Camry XSEs.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Race 3 of 36 – 400.5 miles, 267 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Kyle Larson*
2nd, TYLER REDDICK
3rd, Ryan Blaney*
4th, Ross Chastain*
5th, TY GIBBS
7th, MARTIN TRUEX, JR.
8th, DENNY HAMLIN
14th, ERIK JONES
22nd, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
33rd, CHRISTOPHER BELL
35th, BUBBA WALLACE
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 Nasty Beast Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

How frustrating is it to come so close to a win today?

“Yeah, it’s just the Next Gen racing game, right? Get the lead and got to hold onto it. Yeah, Kyle (Larson) did a really good job there taking away pretty much every option I had there to close the gap. He seemed pretty good in the middle and I was obviously really good on the bottom, and he just never let me have it, right? I kept trying to run higher and higher and you know, he’s kind of running in the middle of the race track, which is pretty efficient to block both lanes. Every time I sort of got close, I mean, we’re running just wide open enough in turn one and two, you can kind of defend pretty well. It’s frustrating. I feel like we were never up front really all day long, until it got to the stage ends. We had a really good Nasty Beast Toyota Camry. Just stupid mistakes on pit road. Same shit, different year, right? Kind of frustrating. We’ll continue to work on it, but a good rebound for our team today.”

Sometimes second can be good, and sometimes it’s a bad day. On the radio, it sounds like it was the latter. Is that correct?

“Second sucks that is for sure, but we had a really fast Nasty Beast Toyota Camry. I mean, we should have been battling up there in the front more than we were today. Just put us behind, unfortunately, and had to battle through that all day. As the field got better, it got harder to get back to the front as quick. You have to run up front all day long, and when asked about what we need to do to get better, that’s the very thing, and we didn’t do it today.”

What did you need to get Kyle Larson there in the end?

“We were pretty evenly matched, so I don’t know if there was anything that I really could’ve done to get around him. He would have had to make a big mistake or had some traffic kind of knock his wind around. It’s a solid effort for our team, that’s how we need to run, but I don’t like running second.”

TY GIBBS, No. 54 He Gets Us Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

What was your race like today, overcoming early adversity with a strong race car?

“Yeah, I kind of stuck us in a hole there and we broke the transmission, which is kind of unfortunate that has to happen, that’s just part of it and we fought back. I put my team in a hole there. No excuses. And we just kind of fought back and my team gave me a really great He Gets Us Camry XSE this weekend and we drove back to the front. So, just need a little bit more to get to the lead so we can go get a win, but really happy with my team.”

There was lot of unknowns coming into this race with a new car, are you happy with the speed?

“Yeah, really happy. Really excited about what our car is capable of. I feel really happy about what we have.”

ERIK JONES, No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

Finishing Position: 14th

How was your race?

“Pretty up-and-down day. Up-and-down weekend really, fired off the race not where we needed to be, and had to make some really big changes the first three, four stops of the day to get the Dollar Tree Camry better. To salvage a top-15 is good, but we want more, so we will keep working on it.”

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.

Ray Evernham Pulls No Punches in New Book, Trophies and Scars

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Official Release
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Austin, Texas — New from award-winning book publisher Octane Press, Trophies and Scars is the profoundly personal and remarkably revealing story of the life and times of NASCAR Hall of Famer Ray Evernham, as told to New York Times bestselling author Joe Garner. With forewords by motorsport legends Jeff Gordon, Rick Hendrick, and Roger Penske, the book will officially launch in March at one of the automotive world’s most celebrated events, The Amelia, with author signings and appearances scheduled across the weekend at the Golf Club of Amelia Island and Ritz Carlton hotel.

Trophies and Scars traces all the twists and turns of Ray Evernham’s fascinating life. A son of the Jersey Shore, he was dedicated to fulfilling his boyhood dream of becoming a professional race car driver, and by age eighteen, he was banging fenders with good success on the Northeast short track circuit. When his dreams of becoming an Indy car sensation literally crashed and burned, he turned to Roger Penske’s International Race of Champions (IROC), before another brutal crash forced him to give up his Indy dream for good.

It was time to change careers.

As a technical crew leader rather than driver, he developed new skills and strategies critical to building successful racing organizations. A brief, ill-fated, and downright volatile stint on Alan Kulwicki’s crew, turned into a “right place at the right time” scenario, sparking a seminal partnership with racing phenomenon Jeff Gordon. They would prove to be one of the most potent racing duos in history. Evernham shares previously untold tales of how the pair led the No. 24 team to three championships in four seasons (1995, 1997, 1998) and an astounding forty-seven wins in just 216 starts, revealing in candid detail how and why their storied relationship came to an end.

The book also details his time spearheading the return of Dodge to NASCAR, building Evernham Motorsports into one of the most successful NASCAR teams, as well as his transformation into a TV personality with roles as a NASCAR analyst for SPEED, ESPN, ABC, FOX, and NBC and as host to his own TV series, AmeriCarna, on the Velocity channel.

Throughout all these stories he reveals how he buried himself in work to cope with the struggles he was facing in his personal life: his son Ray J.’s battle with leukemia and later autism diagnosis, and many other painful challenges that ultimately brought rich rewards, such as the formation of the Evernham Family Racing for a Reason Foundation which funds the IGNITE education and training programs for young adults with high-functioning autism or Asperger’s syndrome, his loving marriage to Erin, and the birth of their daughter Cate.

You needn’t be a racing fan to appreciate Evernham’s inspiring journey of tireless persistence, radical determination, steadfast leadership, and fearless reinvention. For as he believes, a life lived to the fullest is inevitably packed with trophies—and scars.

With an official launch date of March 5, 2024, Trophies and Scars is available for order from Octane Press, or wherever books are sold. Book signings with the author are scheduled at The Amelia for Friday March 1 through Sunday March 3.

A Note from The Author

This book provides a unique journey into the intricacies of my life. Offering a firsthand account in my own words. It offers a candid exploration of the highs and lows, providing a true understanding of the motivations and decisions that have defined me.

RCR NXS Race Recap: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

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Official Release
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Jesse Love and The No. 2 Whelen Team Bring Fast Chevrolet to Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Finish: 17th
Start: 15th
Points: 7th

“The Richard Childress Racing team brought another fast No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. We knew the wind was going to be a factor today but my crew chief, Danny Stockman, and the No. 2 team had our Chevrolet’s balance good to start the race. For the first half, we ran in the top 12. The longer the race went green, the faster we were and I could pass cars on the bottom and the high line. I messed up on a couple of pit stops and had to restart in traffic. My car didn’t like that. I feel like we were in contention to win and small mistakes had really big consequences. I will go to work this week and get better on pit road. My team did a great job today and I feel like I let them down when it counted. Thanks to Whelen Engineering and everybody at RCR and ECR for giving me fast race cars to drive.” -Jesse Love

Austin Hill and The No. 21 Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet Team Maintain Points Lead With Top-Five Finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Finish: 4th
Start: 5th
Points: 1st

“It was a bit of an up and down day for our Bennett Transportation and Logistics team. We were able to run inside the top-five for most of the race. My pit crew gained spots all race and were excellent with getting me on and off pit road quickly. On the last green flag stop, the guys did a heck of a job again and I was able to get off pit road cleanly. We got up to second-place and just focused on clicking off laps to match what the No. 20 was doing. All of a sudden during that run, it was like a light switch flipped and I didn’t have a right rear to lean on. I was sliding the rear tires bad all the way through the corner, which forced me to slow down and lose a couple positions at the end. All in all, it was a solid day for our No. 21 team. To come home with a top-five finish and keep the points lead while not having a great car is big for our group. We are just going to keep building this momentum going forward.” -Austin Hill

Stewart-Haas Racing: The LiUNA! from Las Vegas

By
Official Release
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STEWART-HAAS RACING
The LiUNA!

Date: March 2, 2024
Event: The LiUNA! (Round 3 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/110 laps)
Race Winner: John Hunter Nemechek of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Chandler Smith of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Chandler Smith of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

SHR Race Finish:

● Cole Custer (Started 1st / Finished 2nd, Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
● Riley Herbst (Started 11th / Finished 5th, Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)

SHR Points:

● Riley Herbst (3rd with 121 points, 27 out of first)
● Cole Custer (5th with 99 points, 49 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● Custer earned his first top-five of the season and his fourth top-five in eight career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Las Vegas.
● Custer has never finished outside of the top-12 at Las Vegas in his NASCAR Xfinity Series career.
● This was Custer’s second straight top-three at Las Vegas. He finished third in October.
● Custer’s second-place finish bettered his previous best finish at Las Vegas – third, earned in September 2018 and October 2023.
● Custer finished fifth in Stage 1 to earn six bonus points and ninth in Stage 2 to earn two more bonus points.
● Herbst earned his first top-five of the season and his second top-five in 10 career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Las Vegas.
● This was Herbst’s third straight top-10 at Las Vegas. He finished eighth last March and won in October.
● Herbst finished fourth in Stage 1 to earn seven bonus points and third in Stage 2 to earn eight more bonus points.

Race Notes:

● John Hunter Nemechek won The LiUNA! to score his 10th career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Las Vegas. His margin over second-place Custer was 4.360 seconds.

● There were four caution periods for a total of 22 laps.
● Only 13 of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Austin Hill remains the championship leader after Las Vegas with a 22-point advantage over second-place Chandler Smith.

Sound Bites:

“Hats off to my team. There was a point in the race where I didn’t know what to do. It was loose. It was tight. It was just kind of a handful, and we had to manage it. They kept working on it all day, and I think the track came to us a little bit and they just did a great job. I can’t thank everybody enough on our team for fighting so hard. Everybody at Production Alliance Group, I wish we could have gotten a Ford Mustang Dark Horse in Victory Lane, but hopefully we can get them next week in Phoenix.” –Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Production Alliance Group Ford Mustang

“I feel like we probably should have finished second or third. We were definitely a third-place car all day and then we got better than the 81, but then I probably struggled a little bit coming to my green flag stop, and then the lapped traffic was just absolutely out of control. Everybody had to deal with it, but I felt like I was always stuck behind a slow car and fought our way back to fifth and I just kind of buried myself.” –Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Call 811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 200 on Saturday, March 9 at Phoenix Raceway. The race begins at 4:30 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Jett Lawrence Wins Daytona Supercross and Extends Points Lead

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

Tom Vialle Earns Career-First Supercross Victory on Challenging Track

Daytona Beach, Fla., (March 3, 2024) Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence took an impressive win, his third of the season, at Round 8 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship inside the Daytona International Speedway. Daytime rain and the soft soil of the track built into the speedway Trioval made for one of the most challenging Daytona Supercross tracks ever.

In perfect celebration of the 50th anniversary season of AMA Supercross racing, the Daytona International Speedway is the only venue to host a Supercross race every season, uninterrupted, since the start of the series. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac scored a strong second place finish, ending his streak of five straight wins at the venue. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton led the pack at the start and finished up with a third-place finish in front of record-high attendance for Daytona Supercross. This marks four races in a row this season where record highs for attendance were set. In the Eastern Regional 250SX Class, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle earned his first Supercross victory in the United States.

“It felt great. I felt good all day, but like I said, we came here for business… I’m just happy to come out of here with a win. Now I only hope we can keep clicking them off. I improved on my mistakes from last weekend, so I’m pumped about that and I’m ready to go on to the next few… [This win] means the world. The first time coming here and already winning a Daytona, it’s awesome. It’s like a home race for me. I gotta thank the crowd, they’re wild.” – Jett Lawrence

“No, to be totally honest I didn’t look over at my pit board so I didn’t see anything, I didn’t feel anything, the motorcycle’s fine. There are treacherous conditions out there. For me, I’m on the clutch a lot and with the ruts that deep, obviously [those conditions] make the bike hot. But I powered through there. Thinking back to the race, [I’m] frustrated I didn’t do the quad; [that] cost me. So gotta take more risks next time. That’s that. So, yeah, second place.” [When asked more about not jumping the quad jump] “Yeah, that’s all what it came down to. And then I moved over to the right side and… the depth of the rut was a lot smaller, and [I’m] just bummed that I didn’t take that [line] earlier. But, ah, try to live and learn and go to the next one.” – Eli Tomac, when asked if he was aware of the smoke coming from his motorcycle during the second half of the race.

“It’s definitely a step in right direction. I’ve had a rough couple weeks with my hand being hurt… It was a good first couple laps. I was doing this section next to the tunnel jump pretty good. Then I started getting a little sketchy and stopped doing it, and I paid the price for it [with slower lap times]. So overall this is a building block, and we’ll go back to work this week. I finally got to ride this week with my [injured but healing] hand, and yeah, we’re not done yet. Just gotta keep building and keep moving forward.” – Chase Sexton

The Eastern Regional 250SX Class held its third round and Tom Vialle fought forward to earn his career-first Monster Energy AMA Supercross win. Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo led early but a mistake sent him off track and into second place. Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker rode strong on the challenging track to nab a third-place finish.

“It’s nice to grab that win. I had my first podium last weekend and first win today in Daytona. Track was tough. I actually feel good, I could have [ridden] like 30 minutes, I think. So, it’s pretty nice, bike was nice. I didn’t have a great start, but I passed a lot of guys and just feel so good. It’s amazing to win and I want to thank everyone – my team, everyone who works with me during the week, my trainer – really everyone who supports me; and all those fans, it’s amazing to ride here in Daytona, so thank you everyone.” – Tom Vialle

“Yeah, it was really about patience, and I think I did run out of a little bit of patience a couple times, and maybe [that] cost me that lead; but gosh, this was awesome. I love coming to Daytona… And just for the opportunity to be here and do what I love to do is awesome. I had a great time out there and we’re just going to keep plugging away…. This is a dream life that I get and I’m just so grateful for it. If you would’ve told Cameron McAdoo, even five years ago, that this would be his life, he would’ve laughed. So this is my dream, it’s coming true. I love what I get to do, and yeah, shout out to everyone, my family back home, my mom and dad, they didn’t get to make it out. Without them none of this is possible… I’m just grateful for the position I’m in and I’m excited to keep working at this.” – Cameron McAdoo, when asked if the Daytona race strategy was about patience.

“[I’m] stoked on that ride. Like you said, I got off to a pretty good start and me and Haiden were going at it for the first couple laps. He bobbled in the sand, got around him, and I was actually able to pull a gap on them, so that felt nice. I just kind of failed to hit my lines consistently, but yeah, [overall I’m] stoked on that ride here at Daytona.” – Seth Hammaker

The second Supercross Futures race of 2024 lined up the future stars of the sport. Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Drew Adams fought hard for the win. Troy Lee Designs GASGAS’s Cole Davies challenged for the top spot and crossed the line in a very close second place. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Casey Cochran fought forward from a poor start to grab the final spot on the SX Futures podium at Daytona.

“My arms got pumped up, [and then] it’s hard to pull the clutch in. Yeah, I had a few mishaps, and I was worried for the last two laps there. But I just rode solid the whole time, got a good start this time and had a great race. You know, it’s awesome to get [a win] here at Daytona. A little bit of wet dirt, something different this year, and it was a great time. And thank you to all the fans, I love you guys!” – Drew Adams when asked if he was having clutch issues after stalling his bike a couple times.

During the Daytona race, the dates and venues for the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship Playoffs and Final were announced. After 28 rounds of Monster Energy AMA Supercross and AMA Pro Motocross conclude, the top 20 riders in combined points for both series will be seeded into the post-season racing. Riders who finish in positions 21-30 will compete in an LCQ at each event to round out the 22-rider field. Before post-season racing begins the points will be reset, with each rider retaining points for one round of racing based on their seeded position. Two Playoff races and one Final, each with increasing points payouts, will determine a SuperMotocross World Champion in both the 450cc and 250cc classes. The dates and venues are:

Next Saturday the series takes the Supercross racing to a new venue, Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama. The event will pay points as Round 9 of both the 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the 31-round SuperMotocross World Championship.

Every race is available live through the PeacockTV app, with several races also broadcast or streamed via NBC, USA Network, CNBC, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app. For fans watching from outside the US, live and on-demand coverage with both English and Spanish commentary can be had through the SuperMotocross Video Pass (supermotocross.tv).

Tickets are available now for each remaining Monster Energy AMA Supercross event. For points standings, highlight videos, rider power rankings, broadcast-team insights, and to purchase tickets for an upcoming round, please go to SupercrossLIVE.com.

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

About Feld Motor Sports:

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

About Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship:

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

About the SuperMotocross World Championship:

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

About the American Motorcyclist Association:

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

Top 5 BMW Maintenance Pitfalls Houston Drivers Need to Dodge

By
SM
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Photo by Artiom Vallat on Unsplash

Driving a high-end car known for its performance and style is a source of pride for Houston residents who drive BMWs. But, regular maintenance is necessary to keep your BMW in top shape and prevent frequent problems that can result in expensive repairs and a less enjoyable driving experience. 

With an intentional effort to prevent these common errors and a preventive strategy, Houston BMW owners looking to keep their vehicles in good condition, visit an European Auto Repair Houston.

In this guide, we will uncover the 5 common pitfalls of BMW maintenance that Houston drivers must avoid in order to keep their vehicles in tip-top condition.

Pitfall 1: Missing Regular Oil Changes

Oil change is a must in order to maintain the good health and long life of BMW’s engine. Oil in an engine provides lubrication to moving parts, reduces friction, and helps in heat dissipation thereby, ensuring smooth operation and preventing premature wear and tear. Failure to replace oil may cause more engine wear, lower fuel economy, and even engine failure.

Solution

To avoid this trap, Houston BMW drivers ought to maintain the oil change intervals as recommended by the manufacturer. Usually, BMWs need an oil change after 7,500 to 10,000 miles, but this may change depending on driving patterns and the conditions of the environment. Going to a renowned BMW service center in Houston gives you the guarantee that your vehicle gets quality oil and expert service to keep your engine running smoothly.

Pitfall 2: Not Paying Attention To Tire Maintenance

Good tire maintenance is a key to both safety and performance. Ignoring tire care may result in uneven wear, decreased traction, and increased risk of accidents or blowouts. The wide range of road conditions in Houston, from highways to urban streets, makes tire maintenance even more urgent for BMW drivers.

Solution:

To avoid this danger Houston BMW owners should regularly inspect tire pressure, tread depth, and overall condition. Tire rotations and alignments must be done as per the manufacturer’s guidelines to ensure uniform wear and maximum handling. Investing in quality tires that are appropriate for the climate and road conditions in Houston provides an additional safety layer and improves performance.

Pitfall 3: Overlooking Fluid Checks and Replacements

Fluids are extremely important in maintaining various systems of your BMW, including the engine, transmission, brakes, and power steering. Not implementing fluid inspections and replacements can lead to component damage, reduced performance, and expensive repairs.

Solution:

Houston BMW owners are advised to heed the service intervals as recommended by the manufacturer for fluid check and replacement. This includes engine oil, coolant, transmission fluid, brake fluid and power steering fluid. The Houston technician who is qualified to inspect the BMW can spot any leaks or signs of fluid degradation in time to apply preventive maintenance measures and avert possible problems.

Pitfall 4: Bypassing the Routine Inspection and Maintenance Services

Regular inspections and servicing are necessary for early detection of problems which can lead to expensive repairs if left unattended. These services, when skipped, may lead to overlooked problems, low reliability and lack of driving pleasure.

Solution:

To prevent this problem, BMW owners in Houston should make regular maintenance appointments at an authorized BMW service center. These appointments would mostly involve detailed checks on important components, such as brakes, suspension, electrical items, and engine performance. Tackling any concerns early on will allow you to enjoy your BMW’s performance and resale value, as well as avoid unexpected breakdowns.

Pitfall 5: Postponing Maintenance and Ignoring Warnings Signs

Ignoring warning signs or delaying essential repairs can make situations worse which can result in more severe damage and higher repair costs. These indicators include strange sounds, dashboard warning lights, and variations in the vehicle’s performance.

Solution:

Houston BMW drivers should never overlook warning signs and should never postpone repairs while problems are occurring. This should be dealt with immediately by seeing a qualified BMW technician so as to prevent further damage and ensure continuous reliability. Whether it is a strange noise, warning light, or performance problem, the best way to troubleshoot them is to contact a professional who can diagnose and fix the problem quickly.

In Summary

To avoid common maintenance problems that can lead to poor performance, safety, and reliability, Houston drivers should take precautions and be proactive on their BMWs maintenance. Houston drivers can get their BMWs to their fullest potential while reducing the risk of an untimely breakdown by scheduling regular oil changes, tire checks, fluid checks, routine inspections, and timely repairs. A car repair Houston is the perfect partner for you because you can drive with confidence and peace of mind knowing that your car is getting the attention it deserves.

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