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Bayley Currey – Victoria’s Voice 200 Race Recap

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Official Release
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Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway

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

Start: 17th | Finish: 28th | Driver Point Standings: 19th

Bayley Currey on Friday’s Race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: “I made too aggressive of a move too early,” said Currey. “I thought it would work. We were rolling forward from the jump and made that move and put myself in a bad spot. We lost the air on the right side, spun around, and hit the wall. From there, I had to maintain all night being three laps down. I’m really Proud of Niece for bringing me a great truck. I hate the fact I ruined the night, but I will learn from it, come back, and be stronger for Bristol.

Race Recap: Currey qualified the No. 41 Niece Chevrolet in 17th-place to start Friday night’s race. Even with a mid-pack starting spot, Currey felt confident about the speed in his truck. Unfortunately, an early accident caused severe damage to the back of the No. 41 truck, forcing Currey down pit road for repairs. Currey would finish the night in 28th-place.

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

Media Inquiries: media@niecemotorsports.com www.niecemotorsports.com

About AutoVentive:
AutoVentive is an industry-leading Software as a Service (SaaS) applications developer providing customized solutions to the automotive logistics industry. The company is part of Liberty Hill Equity Partners, LLC, a Cincinnati-based private equity firm.

About Precision Vehicle Logistics:
Precision Vehicle Logistics is a customer-focused group of professionals committed to service excellence in finished vehicle logistics. Precision offers a unique combination of talented experience, industry-leading software and systems, and a network of partners and resources to deliver customized solutions to the world’s leading automakers.

Toyota Racing – NCTS Las Vegas Post-Race Report – 03.01.24

By
Official Release
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THREE TUNDRAS IN THE TOP-FIVE AT VEGAS
Corey Heim, Taylor Gray continue strong start to the season

LAS VEGAS (March 1, 2024) – Corey Heim added to the stellar early part of the season with his third consecutive podium finish to begin the 2024 racing year at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday evening. Heim, who finished second in Daytona and third at Atlanta, brought home his Tundra in third position, once again, to lead three TRICON Garage Toyotas in the top-five. The Toyota Development Driver has now finished inside the top-five in eight of the last nine races, and in the top 10 in 24 of his last 27 Truck Series starts.

Taylor Gray had a strong run all night and delivered his second straight fourth-place finish. The 18-year-old has now earned consecutive top-five finishes for the second time in his career. Former Truck Series champion Christopher Bell made his first Truck Series start and battled back from an early pit road penalty to join Heim and Gray inside the top-five.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Race 3 of 23 – 134 Laps, 201 Miles

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Rajah Caruth*
2nd, Tyler Ankrum*
3rd, COREY HEIM
4th, TAYLOR GRAY
5th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
18th, STEWART FRIESEN
20th, TANNER GRAY
30th, DEAN THOMPSON
32nd, TIMMY HILL
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

COREY HEIM, No. 11 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 3rd

A strong night overall, what needed to change there at the end for you?

“Yeah, there was just a bunch we could’ve cleaned up overall, including myself. I was slow coming out (of the pits) on the green flag cycle, and when I came out, I was racing the 18 (Tyler Ankrum) for three or four laps, and he slowed us down a bunch. But, huge congratulations to Rajah (Caruth). He earned every bit of that tonight. He drove his butt off and was really clean all night, put himself in position and won the race. So, big congrats to Rajah. With our TRICON Garage camp, I think we just got to clean it up a bit overall, including myself. I made some mistakes tonight. But, we put ourselves in a good position. Another top three for us, just got to close it out. Huge thanks to Toyota Racing and Safelite.”

What was the deciding factor in tonight’s race?

“I think there were a lot of variables. I made some mistakes on the cycle there. I could have executed a lot better there on pit road, and when I got back out there, I was messing with the 18 (Tyler Ankrum) too much. Just want to say a huge congratulations to Rajah (Caruth). He’s the first guy to come and congratulate you when you win, and he’s such a humble dude. Congrats to Rajah, and a huge thank you to TRICON Garage and Toyota Racing for everything they do. We had a rocketship tonight, and I feel like if we executed as a whole team, including me, I feel like we would have been in victory lane tonight. It happens, and we will use it as motivation for the team. Huge thank you to them, Toyota and Safelite.”

TAYLOR GRAY, No. 17 Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 4th

What are the emotions that you are feeling?

“It just sucks. We came out two seconds, or I don’t know what the exact number is, in the lead and it just sucks. I can’t thank everyone at TRICON Garage for bringing me a really good Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. I can’t hang my head too bad. We ran in the top-five and had a pretty good points day. Gotta keep working hard, and we will go get them in Bristol.”

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 1 Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 5th

What were your biggest takeaways from the race?

“Just that this Mobil 1 Tundra was super, super fast. The guys did a really good job making me comfortable in it. At the beginning of practice, I was extremely uncomfortable, but by the end of the race, and really all race long, I felt really good. It felt like I had what I needed to win, and we didn’t win.”

How badly did you want a caution there at the end?

“I mean, I did want a yellow as I knew that’d be my only shot at winning. But at the same time, whenever the yellow comes out at these Truck races, you know how that goes. It was nice getting a green flag run in, and it was cool to see the cream rise to the top. Awesome for Rajah (Caruth) to get his first Truck win. Happy and proud to drive for TRICON Garage. The Mobil 1 Tundra was everything I needed from it. We didn’t win today, but we’ll try again some other time.”

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.

Rajah Caruth earns first Truck Series career victory from pole position at Las Vegas

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Ron Olds for SpeedwayMedia.com.

In a race weekend that commenced on a high note by achieving his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career pole position, Rajah Caruth concluded the weekend by achieving another first: his first Truck Series career victory as he raced his way to victory in the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday, March 1. 

The 21-year-old Caruth from Washington D.C. led twice for 38 of 134 scheduled laps in an event where he commenced on a high note by achieving his first career pole position and leading the field to the green flag. Despite losing the lead early, Caruth, who led for the first time on Lap 34 after exiting pit road with the lead, kept in touch with the front-runners throughout the entire event as he achieved top-three results during both stage periods. Then amid a cycle of green flag pit stops with 34 laps remaining, Caruth, who outlasted a late battle against Taylor Gray, cycled into the lead with 21 laps remaining and managed to withstand lapped traffic and a late charge from points leader Tyler Ankrum to claim his first career victory in his 30th series’ start.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, Rajah Caruth notched his first Truck Series career pole position after posting a pole-winning lap at 177.043 mph in 30.501 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Christian Eckes, who clocked in the second-fast qualifying lap at 177.038 mph in 30.502 seconds. 

Prior to the event, rookie Layne Riggs dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments made to his Front Row Motorsports entry. 

When the green flag waved and the race started, Caruth and Eckes dueled for the lead entering the first two turns and through the backstretch in front of two stacked lanes until Eckes muscled ahead on the inside lane and led the first lap ahead of Caruth. As the field fanned out to three lanes, Eckes maintained the lead over Kyle Busch, who overtook teammate Caruth for the runner-up spot as Ty Majeski and Tyler Ankrum followed suit in the top five.

On the third lap, the event’s first caution flew when Bayley Currey slipped underneath Chase Purdy while battling for a top-12 spot amid a three-wide battle that also involved Matt Crafton as Currey backed his No. 41 Niece Motorsports entry into the backstretch’s outside wall before he slid back down across the track and towards the inside wall with significant rear end damage. 

When the race restarted under green on the seventh lap, Eckes briefly fended off Busch for the lead entering the first turn until Busch used the outside lane along with a push from teammate Caruth to assume the lead through the backstretch, with Eckes slipping back to second as he was being challenged by Majeski. Amid the early battles ensuing behind, Busch maintained the lead ahead of Majeski, Eckes and Caruth while Stewart Friesen and Tyler Ankrum battled for fifth in front of Grant Enfinger.

Through the Lap 10 mark, Busch was leading by more than two-tenths of a second over Majeski followed by Caruth, Friesen and Eckes while Ankrum, Enfinger, Zane Smith, Nick Sanchez and Christopher Bell were running in the top 10. Behind, Corey Heim was in 11th ahead of Matt Crafton, Chase Purdy, Ben Rhodes and Dean Thompson while Taylor Gray, Jake Garcia, Daniel Dye, Ty Dillon and Bret Holmes occupied the top 20 on the track. 

Four laps later, Majeski engaged in a side-by-side battle with Busch for the lead through the frontstretch as Caruth joined the battle. After dueling against Busch through the backstretch, Majeski muscled ahead through Turns 3 and 4 as he was out in front through the frontstretch before Busch reassumed the top spot through the first two turns just past the Lap 15.  Amid another side-by-side battle with Majeski, Busch muscled back ahead just past the Lap 16 mark as teammate Caruth started to battle Majeski for the runner-up spot. Majeski, however, would reassume the lead on Lap 19. He would be followed by Caruth while Busch, who started to battle tight conditions, was battling Friesen for third place. 

At the Lap 25 mark, Majeski was leading by eight-tenths of a second over Caruth while Friesen, Ankrum and Bell were in the top five. Meanwhile, Busch had fallen to seventh behind Heim while Taylor Gray, Enfinger and Zane Smith were running in the top 10. In addition, Eckes, who led early, was mired back in 13th behind Crafton and Sanchez while Rhodes was mired 15th in between Dean Thompson and Tanner Gray. 

When the first stage period concluded on Lap 30, Majeski captured his first Truck stage victory of the 2024 season. Caruth settled in second followed by Friesen, Ankrum and Heim while Bell, Taylor Gray, Busch, Enfinger and Crafton were scored in the top 10. 

Under the stage break, the lead lap field led by Majeski steered to pit road for service. Following the pit stops, Caruth emerged with the lead after exiting pit road first followed by teammate Busch, Heim, Majeski, Enfinger and Crafton. Amid the pit stops, Bell was penalized for equipment interference while rookie Thad Moffitt was also penalized for his pit crew being over the wall too soon. 

The second stage period started on Lap 36 as teammates Caruth and Busch occupied the front row. At the start, Caruth received a push from Majeski to retain the lead from the inside lane while Busch battled and prevailed over a brief battle with Majeski for the runner-up spot through the backstretch. During the following lap, however, Busch drew himself into a side-by-side battle with Caruth for the lead. With Heim and Majeski following suit in close-quarters racing, Caruth would muscle back ahead of Busch by Lap 40. He would retain the lead by a narrow margin during the proceeding laps while Busch, Heim and Majeski ran second through fourth, respectively, as they were separated within half a second.

By Lap 45, Caruth was leading by a tenth of a second over a hard-charging Majeski while teammate Busch trailed in third place by eight-tenths of a second. Behind, Heim and Taylor Gray were in the top five while Sanchez, Crafton, Enfinger, Ankrum and Zane Smith occupied the top 10 in front of Friesen, Eckes, Thompson, Tanner Gray and Dye. 

Five laps later, Caruth continued to lead by less than two-tenths of a second over Majeski. Majeski, however, would navigate his way back into the lead over Caruth entering the frontstretch during the following lap. Heim would then battle Caruth for the runner-up spot while Busch, Taylor Gray and Sanchez trailed in the top six. Meanwhile, Bell was up in 16th place following his early pit road penalty. 

When the second stage period concluded on Lap 60, Majeski captured his second consecutive Truck stage victory of the 2024 season. Heim prevailed in a late battle against Caruth for the runner-up spot followed by Taylor Gray and Busch while Sanchez, Enfinger, Zane Smith, Friesen and Crafton were scored in the top 10. 

During the stage break, the lead lap field led by Majeski returned to pit road for service. Following the pit stops, Busch emerged with the lead after exiting pit road first followed by Taylor Gray, Majeski, Heim, Sanchez, Enfinger, Crafton and Caruth followed suit. 

With 68 laps remaining, the final stage commenced as Taylor Gray and Busch occupied the front row. At the start, Busch fended off Gray to emerge with the lead as the field fanned out through the first two turns. Busch would lead ahead of Gray and Majeski for nearly a lap just before the caution returned after Thompson, who was running 11th, smacked the outside wall entering the frontstretch.  

When the race restarted with 62 laps remaining, Busch maintained a narrow advantage over both Majeski and Taylor Gray through the first two turns before he was overtaken by Majeski, who was being drafted by Sanchez as Enfinger fanned out and made a three-wide move in an attempt to gain ground on Busch towards the front, though Busch maintained third place in front of Enfinger, Heim and Caruth. With the field still fanning out and jostling for late spots, Majeski retained the lead by a tenth of a second over Sanchez followed by Heim while Caruth, Taylor Gray and Busch followed closely in the top six with 60 to go. 

A few laps later, Sanchez battled and overtook Majeski for the lead through the frontstretch. With Sanchez out in front, Caruth would challenge Majeski for the runner-up spot followed by Heim and Taylor Gray while Busch and Ankrum battled for sixth place. Heim would then take the lead from Sanchez with 53 laps remaining while Majeski, Caruth and Taylor Gray fiercely battled for third place. As Ankrum and Busch joined the tight battle towards the front, Heim would retain the lead by two-tenths of a second over Majeski with 50 laps remaining before the latter assumed the top spot a lap later. 

With 40 laps remaining, Heim, who reassumed the lead five laps earlier, was leading by two-tenths of a second over teammate Taylor Gray while Majeski, Caruth and Ankrum trailed in the top five ahead of Sanchez, Busch, Bell, Rhodes and Eckes. Meanwhile, Friesen, who hit the backstretch wall and pitted under green with a flat right-front tire, was mired back in 27th and two laps down, while Crafton, Enfinger, Tanner Gray, Riggs and Zane Smith were running in the top 15. 

Six laps later, green flag pit stops commenced as Daniel Dye pitted followed by Eckes, Enfinger, Caruth, Busch and Majeski before the leader Heim pitted with 30 laps remaining. Ankrum would also pit while Taylor Gray would pit during the proceeding lap. As the green flag pit stops continued, Majeski and Sanchez were assessed a drive-through penalty for speeding on pit road while Busch would be penalized for a safety violation. With more names that included Tanner Gray, Jake Garcia, Bret Holmes, Bell and Purdy also pitting under green, Gray would be penalized for a commitment line violation. By then, Mason Massey, who has yet to pit, was leading while Taylor Gray and Caruth battled for the runner-up spot. 

Then with 21 laps remaining, Massey, who led the previous six laps, pitted under green. This moved Caruth into the lead as he was ahead by nearly a second over Taylor Gray while Heim, Ankrum and Bell were scored in the top five ahead of Eckes, Crafton, Dye, Enfinger and Rhodes. 

Down to the final 15 laps of the event, Caruth extended his advantage to more than a second over Taylor Gray while third-place Ankrum trailed in third place by two seconds ahead of Heim and Bell. A lap later, however, Ankrum would overtake Taylor Gray for the runner-up spot and set his sights on Caruth while Gray proceeded to fend off Heim for third place. 

Five laps later and with the leader navigating through lapped traffic, Caruth continued to lead by more than a second over a hard-charging Ankrum while Heim, Taylor Gray and Bell were running in the top five ahead of Eckes, Crafton, Enfinger, Zane Smith and Rhodes were in the top 10. Meanwhile, Majeski was back in 11th ahead of Garcia, Holmes, Connor Jones and Busch while Sanchez was back in 17th ahead of Purdy. 

With five laps remaining, Caruth stabilized his advantage to more than a second over Ankrum and by more than two seconds over third-place Heim while Taylor Gray and Heim remained in the top five. 

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Caruth remained as the leader by more than a second over Ankrum. With Ankrum trying to mount a final lap charge, Caruth was able to stabilize his steady advantage and navigate his No. 71 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Silverado RST around the Vegas circuit smoothly for a final time as he returned to the frontstretch and claimed his first checkered flag in the series by eight-tenths of a second over Ankrum. 

With the victory, Caruth, whose first career victory came in his 30th series start, became the 124th competitor to achieve a victory in the Truck Series and the second first-time winner of the season after Nick Sanchez achieved his first career victory at Daytona International Speedway two weeks earlier. He also became the third African-American competitor to win across NASCAR’s top three national touring series and the second to do so in the Truck Series since Bubba Wallace made the first accomplishment in October 2013 while also delivering the fourth career victory for Spire Motorsports. Caruth also delivered the first victory for crew chief Chad Walter.

“It’s surreal,” Caruth said on FS1. “Thank you so much to HendrickCars.com, Mr. [Hendrick] for putting me in this [Spire Motorsports truck] all year along with the men and women at Spire. They’ve had a lot of work this winter and the decal shop’s been working very hard too. Glad to get the win for Team Chevy. Can’t thank my family enough. So many people have helped me get to this point. I can’t believe it. I just stayed cool. We lost track position a little portion of the race. We just stayed in the game and it was just one step. One punch, one round at a time. My [pit] guys had me a great stop and we just executed. There’s more [wins] to come, for sure.”

Tyler Ankrum, the series’ points leader, settled in the runner-up spot while Corey Heim, Taylor Gray and Christopher Bell finished in the top five. Christian Eckes rallied to finish sixth while Matt Crafton, Zane Smith, Grant Enfinger and Ty Majeski ended up in the top 10.

Notably, Kyle Busch ended up in 15th place ahead of Chase Purdy while Nick Sanchez finished 17th.

There were 19 lead changes for 10 different leaders. The race featured four cautions for 19 laps. In total, all but one of 32 starters finished the event while 13 finished on the lead lap.

Following the third event of the 2024 Craftsman Truck Series season, Tyler Ankrum continues to lead the regular-season standings by five points over Ty Majeski, seven over Corey Heim and 10 over Rajah Caruth.

Results. 

1. Rajah Caruth, 38 laps led

2. Tyler Ankrum 

3. Corey Heim, 18 laps led

4. Taylor Gray, four laps led

5. Christopher Bell, two laps led

6. Christian Eckes, seven laps led

7. Matt Crafton 

8. Zane Smith 

9. Grant Enfinger 

10. Ty Majeski, 40 laps led, Stage 1 & 2 winner 

11. Jake Garcia 

12. Bret Holmes 

13. Ben Rhodes 

14. Connor Jones, one lap down

15. Kyle Busch, one lap down, 13 laps led

16. Chase Purdy, one lap down, one lap led

17. Nick Sanchez, one lap down, five laps led 

18. Stewart Friesen, one lap down 

19. Connor Mosack, one lap down 

20. Tanner Gray, one lap down 

21. Mason Massey, one lap down, six laps led

22. Layne Riggs, one lap down 

23. Lawless Alan, one lap down 

24. Daniel Dye, two laps down 

25. Thad Moffitt, two laps down 

26. Ty Dillon, two laps down 

27. Keith McGee, three laps down 

28. Bayley Currey, five laps down 

29. Spencer Boyd, six laps down 

30. Dean Thompson, nine laps down 

31. Matt Mills, nine laps down 

32. Timmy Hill – OUT, Electrical

Next on the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule is the Weather Guard Truck Race at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. The event is scheduled to occur on March 16 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1. 

Honda Presents World Premiere of Production Model of “CR-V e:FCEV” at H2 & FC EXPO Tokyo

By
Official Release
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All new fuel cell SUV features plug-in charging function

TOKYO, Mar 1, 2024 – (JCN Newswire) – Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today held the world premiere of the production model of the CR-V e:FCEV, an all-new hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) which is scheduled to go on sale in Japan this summer.

The CR-V e:FCEV will be exhibited at H2 & FC EXPO – The 21st Int’l Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Expo – which will be held from Wednesday, February 28, through Friday, March 1, 2024 at Tokyo Big Sight, Japan.

CR-V e:FCEV Special Website：https://automobiles.honda.com/future-cars/cr-v-fcev

With the introduction of the CR-V e:FCEV, Honda will be the first Japanese automaker＊ to launch an FCEV model featuring a plug-in charging function that enables charging of an onboard battery from an external power source. Without compromising the advantages of an FCEV, such as a long driving range and short hydrogen refueling time, the addition of a plug-in feature to charge the battery at home and/or on the go further enhances the convenience of FCEVs.

*Honda internal research as of February 2024.

The CR-V e:FCEV is expected to offer range of more than 600km (372 miles) on a full tank of hydrogen and additional battery-powered EV range of more than 60km (37 miles) measured by the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). Moreover, based on the 6th generation CR-V, which is already sold in key markets such as North America and China, the CR-V e:FCEV will accommodate the diverse needs of individual customers with excellent utility and packaging unique only to an SUV.

The CR-V e:FCEV will be equipped with the fuel cell system co-developed by Honda and General Motors (GM) and produced by their joint venture company, Fuel Cell System Manufacturing, LLC (in Michigan, U.S.A.). The vehicle will be produced at Honda’s Performance Manufacturing Center (in Ohio, U.S.A.) and exported to Japan. Following the introduction in Japan, sales in North America is scheduled to begin before the end of 2024.

Honda has set a goal to realize carbon neutrality for all of the products and corporate activities Honda is involved in by 2050 and “zero environmental impact” throughout the entire product lifecycle including the product and all corporate activities. Toward this end, Honda is focusing on the following “three-pillars”: “carbon neutrality,” “clean energy” and “resource circulation.” Within these initiatives, Honda positions hydrogen as one of the high-potential energy carriers, along with electricity, and has been continuing research and development of hydrogen technologies including FCEVs for more than 30 years.

In 2002, the Honda FCX became the first FCEV in the world to receive certification from both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and went on lease sales in Japan and the U.S. Since then, Honda has continued the development of FCEVs and began lease sales of the FCX Clarity in 2008 and the Clarity Fuel Cell in 2016.

CR-V e:FCEV Special Website:
www.honda.co.jp/CR-V-efcev/new/ (Japanese)　　
https://automobiles.honda.com/future-cars/cr-v-fcev (English)

Key features of the CR-V e:FCEV

Grand concept: “E-Life Generator”

The CR-V e:FCEV was developed as a practical FCEV for more customers, combining the rugged driving performance and functionality of an SUV with a short hydrogen refueling time of approximately 3 minutes for stress-free long-distance driving and the plug-in charging feature for the convenience of an EV for everyday driving.

Moreover, in addition to high-output power supply through an external power output device, the user can also use electricity from the CR-V e:FCEV more easily through a dedicated power output connector that plugs into the vehicle’s normal charging port. Such external power output features will offer customers convenience and peace of mind in a wide range of situations where electricity supply is needed for everyday and recreational activities as well as during power outages.

Packaging

The CR-V e:FCEV features a cabin as spacious as the CR-V base model. As for the cargo space, the packaging team adopted an idea to take advantage of the protruding shape of the hydrogen tank to realize a two-level cargo space using a flexible board, featuring a flat and large luggage space and an upper storage level for easy organization of smaller items.

Design

While inheriting the sporty and highly functional styling of successive generations of CR-V models, the CR-V e:FCEV features exterior design that expresses an intelligent and dynamic appearance unique only to FCEVs, based on the key words of “clean,” “tough” and “iconic.” As for interior design, without compromising the high quality and toughness of the CR-V interior, the CR-V e:FCEV offers a style unique to a user-friendly and environmentally-responsible FCEV, including the use of an environmentally-responsible bio-based synthetic leather for the seats.

Fuel cell system

The CR-V e:FCEV is equipped with a fuel cell system co-developed with GM. Compared to the fuel cell system in the 2019 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell, the overall cost of the new system was reduced to one-third through a reduction in the amount of platinum used and the number of cells, as well as the positive effects of scaling up production. Moreover, durability of the system was doubled, and low temperature resistance was increased significantly compared to the previous system. In addition, power unit components, centering on the fuel cell system, were integrated to realize a compact and lightweight power unit, which also contributed to a cost reduction and enhancement of passive safety performance by enabling use of the original engine mount of the base CR-V model. Furthermore, compared to the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell, vibration and noise were significantly reduced, greatly improving the quality of the driving experience.

Charging and output functions

For the alternating current (AC) charging/output connector for the CR-V e: FCEV, the SAE J1772, the Level 2 charging standard in Japan and the U.S. is adopted, which enables the users to plug in the CR-V e: FCEV to a household AC electrical outlet for convenient charging of the onboard battery. Moreover, the CR-V e:FCEV features a function for external output of AC electricity to a maximum of 1500W by plugging in the Honda Power Supply Connector, an AC external charging connector, to a normal charging port of the vehicle. This enables the CR-V e:FCEV to serve as a power source during power outages as well as for outdoor recreational activities.

Furthermore, the Japanese version of the CR-V e:FCEV is equipped with a direct current (DC) output connector based on the CHAdeMO standard. By connecting the output connector located in the cargo space to a portable external power output device, such as the Power Exporter e:6000 or Power Exporter 9000, the CR-V e:FCEV can realize high-output external power and serve as a power source in case of an emergency and/or for an outdoor event.

About the H2 & FC EXPO – The 21st Int’l Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Expo

Organizer: RX Japan Ltd.
Dates: Wednesday, February 28, through Friday, March 1, 2024
Venue: Tokyo Big Sight

Official website URL:
www.wsew.jp/hub/ja-jp/about/fc.html (Japanese)
www.wsew.jp/hub/en-gb/about/fc.html (English)

Toyota Racing – NXS Las Vegas Quotes – Aric Almirola – 03.01.24

By
Official Release
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Toyota Racing – Aric Almirola
NASCAR Xfinity Series Quotes

LAS VEGAS (March 1, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Aric Almirola was made available to the media prior to practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday.

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 19 He Gets Us Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

What’s it been like being a mentor for some of the younger drivers at Joe Gibbs Racing?

“It’s been rewarding, honestly. I’ve talked a lot about this in the offseason, in interviews and things that I’ve done, but I haven’t really had an opportunity to practice what I was preaching, and now that I have, it has been really rewarding to take that transition from the last several years of serving myself as a professional athlete and a competitor in NASCAR and trying to get to the top, and once I got to the top, trying to stay there and establish myself. It was very self-serving, everything about what I did was about how do I make myself better, how do I advance my career, everything revolved around me. To come to this next chapter, this next season of life where I have the opportunity to invest in others and serve others and try and help them achieve their goals and dreams, while helping Coach (Joe Gibbs) and the entire race team has been very rewarding.”

Can you talk about how things have changed since Milwaukee 2007 with Joe Gibbs Racing?

“I was hurt. I was deeply hurt at Milwaukee when I had to get out of the race car. Looking back on it, I understand. I still don’t like it, but I understand. It was in Milwaukee. The CEO of Rockwell Automation was there. He didn’t really understand racing, and all he knew that Denny Hamlin was their driver, and he was sitting on the pit box and wanted him in the car. I think for me I was pretty hurt by that, and that I didn’t really see a real opportunity for me to grow my career at Joe Gibbs Racing. They had just signed Kyle Busch to come over to replace J.J Yeley, so I didn’t see where there was a path for me to go Cup racing at Joe Gibbs Racing. At the same time, Mark Martin called me and said, I want you to share this car with me, which was very appealing to a 22, 23-year-old kid to go share a car with Mark Martin and learn from him, so I went and talked to J.D. (Gibbs) and Coach (Joe Gibbs) at the time was going back and forth with the Redskins. He had just gone back to coach the Redskins, but would still come back after the football season, so that was kind of the summertime, and I remember meeting with Coach and J.D. – I still had a contract to be at Joe Gibbs Racing, and so I asked them to let me out of my contract with Joe Gibbs Racing to go do that opportunity with Mark Martin, and I remember plain as day, J.D. said, absolutely, I want what is best for you. When I hired you here, I wanted what was best for you and I hoped it would be at Joe Gibbs Racing for your entire career, but I’m not going to hold you back from an opportunity like this, the only thing I will tell you, is that I hope you come back, and here I am 16 years from that time, back. I think that is just a testament to the Gibbs family. I have pictures, I was going through them the other day, I put one out on social media of J.D. coming to Richmond to watch me in my first race, which met the world to me, but I have other pictures of when I left and when I was driving the Army car with Mark Martin, when I was driving for Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. in the Xfinity Series, I have pictures of me and J.D. on pit road, laughing together and sharing a moment together, him coming to give me a hug. He came to my wedding. I wasn’t driving for Joe Gibbs Racing anymore. I got married in 2010, and J.D. was at my wedding. I just always had a great relationship with the Gibbs family, and on a professional side, Milwaukee hurt, but from a personal side, they have met a lot to me. When Coach called me and asked me to come back home to Joe Gibbs Racing, and that is exactly how he phrased it, it was kind of a no brainer for me that this felt right. I’m excited about that and being able to finish out my chapter at where it started. Not a lot of people get that opportunity, so I think that is really special to have that opportunity to do that.”

What are your expectations on getting in-and-out on a part-time basis?

“I would expect to be very competitive. They are competitive race cars. Their race cars are some of the best in the Xfinity Series garage, but I think too, you have to be realistic and I’m doing this on a part-time basis and I’m going against all of these drivers and teams that do it each and every week – it’s going to be really hard. You take Cup guys. You take William Bryon, and all of these guys – they go run super late model races, and they run a handful of them a year, they don’t go and win and dominate, because they are going against the best super late model racers and those guys do it, week-in and week-out. It’s really challenging to go and compete against anybody when they are at the top of their game and they are doing it every week, so I realize that is going to be a challenge. It is not a shoo-in that I’m going to win every time that I climb in a Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity car, there is a lot of good teams, there is a lot of good young drivers and talented guys that are coming up through that series and they do it every week. Every week when they get in the car and fire off for practice, they know exactly what to expect out of the race car, where I’m going to kind of be feeling it out. I haven’t drove a Xfinity car on an oval in a long, long time. I think for me, it will come, but I might be a little slower to get up to speed in practice. I probably won’t qualify as good, and halfway through the race, it will probably all start to click.”

Can you talk about the wind and how it will affect the racing this weekend?

“I don’t recall a time when I’ve been at a track when it’s been this windy. I believe I was here years ago and it was 20 plus mph. Jimmie Johnson and I thought it would be a great idea to go for a bike ride between practice and qualifying and we rode our bikes out of the tunnel and went north on that rode out behind the race track, and I remember we were going like 30 mph that way, and when we turned around to come back, we were like pedaling for all we were worth and going like six mph, and it was an absolute grind, and we finally ended up having to call his bus driver to come pick us up, because we weren’t going to make it back in time to make it for qualifying. That was a pretty windy day, but I don’t think the race that weekend was very windy. I don’t recall a time where we’ve been at a race track, and it’s been this windy. It will be a challenge just because you will have these random gusts of wind that will challenge the balance of your car and then you won’t know if you have a flat tire or if your handling is going away or if it was just the wind, so it will just cost more unknowns and question marks and it will be harder for you to hit your marks as a driver to be precise and consistent because the wind is not going to be consistent. It is not going to be a steady 30 mph, constantly, it is going to swirl, it is going to gust, so yeah, it is going to present some challenges.”

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.

CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR LEGENDARY TEAM OWNER AND DRIVER DON SCHUMACHER TO TAKE PLACE AT NHRA NATIONAL EVENT IN CHICAGO

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Official Release
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INDIANAPOLIS (March 1, 2024) – NHRA officials announced today that a special celebration of life for motorsports icon Don Schumacher will take place at his home track, Route 66 Raceway in Chicago, on Friday, May 17 during the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance.

The longtime NHRA team owner and Funny Car pioneer passed away on Dec. 20 after a lengthy battle with cancer, but not before leaving an incredible legacy in NHRA drag racing. Those numerous honors and achievements will be recognized during the celebration of life, which will take place at a display tent at the track before the first round of qualifying in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Fans are welcome to attend the proceedings, which will include remarks from NHRA on FOX announcer Brian Lohnes and Racers for Christ (RFC).

An autograph session with drivers that were a part of Don Schumacher Racing over the years will also take place at the display tent on Friday and will include a special Don Schumacher hero card. Schumacher, who was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2013 and was a recipient of the NHRA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022, built a multi-car powerhouse over the years, winning 367 NHRA events (including the five he won as a Funny Car driver) and 19 world championships. In all, more than 25 standout competitors raced for the legendary team owner.

“We couldn’t think of a better way or a better location to celebrate Don than to recognize him at our family’s home track surrounded by racers and fans,” said Megan Schumacher, President of Don Schumacher Racing. “The outpouring of support we received when he passed in December was absolutely incredible. Celebrating Don’s contributions to our beloved sport with a hometown crowd will be the perfect way to commemorate his tremendous racing career.”

Fans can also make a donation to be entered to win tribute items, such as artwork that showcases all of the cars DSR campaigned over Schumacher’s lifetime and a framed race shirt once worn by Schumacher himself. All proceeds will benefit the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

The display tent will also feature special DSR memorabilia throughout the race weekend, showcasing Schumacher’s remarkable success as a driver and team owner.

For more info on NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com.

About Mission Foods

MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

About NHRA

Headquartered in San Dimas, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 21 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 110 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Wright® Brand Named Entitlement Sponsor of NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series’ Wright Brand 250 At North Wilkesboro Speedway

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Official Release
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  • Wright Brand, the #1 thick-cut bacon brand and part of the Tyson Foods portfolio, will serve as the entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Wright Brand 250 on Saturday, May 18 at North Wilkesboro Speedway during NASCAR All-Star Race weekend
  • The Tyson Foods history with North Wilkesboro Speedway began when the company sponsored a NASCAR Cup Series race, the Tyson® Holly Farms 400, from 1990-96, and continued with sponsorship of the 2023 Tyson 250 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race; North Wilkesboro’s Tyson Brand manual leaderboard will also return this year
  • Tyson Foods remains actively involved in the Wilkes County community, employing approximately 2,200 team members in the area with nearby operations in Monroe, North Carolina and Danville, Virginia

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. (March 1, 2024) – Race fans visiting North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 18 will be in for a day of sizzling excitement, with Wright Brand serving as the official sponsor of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Wright Brand 250 on NASCAR All-Star Race weekend.

Wright Brand, known for its renowned thick-cut bacon, is part of the Tyson Foods portfolio. The Tyson Brand sponsored the 2023 Tyson 250 at North Wilkesboro, won by Kyle Larson, who led 138 of 252 laps on his way to a weekend sweep of the first NASCAR races in nearly 27 years at North Wilkesboro.

The Wright Brand 250 sponsorship builds on a decades-old relationship between Tyson Foods and the historic five-eighths-mile oval. The track’s fall NASCAR Cup Series race was known as the Tyson Holly Farms 400 from 1990-96 and the Holly Farms 400 from 1979-89 before Tyson Foods acquired Holly Farms.

Today, Tyson Foods remains vested in the Wilkes County community. It employs nearly 2,200 team members in Wilkes County, with nearby operations in Monroe, North Carolina, employing more than 1,400 team members. Last year, Tyson Foods invested $300 million in an innovative, fully-cooked food production facility in Danville, Virginia, which created nearly 400 jobs in the area.

“We’re thrilled for Wright Brand to serve as this year’s entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at North Wilkesboro Speedway, paying homage to Tyson Foods’ storied history with the beloved track,” said Brock White, vice president, Tyson Foods. “As the #1 thick-cut bacon brand, we take pride in helping to energize and bring families together across America. We look forward to lending a hand in powering some of the best racing talent as they compete on this iconic track.”

The return of the timeless Tyson Brand red-and-yellow manual leaderboard was met with rave reviews last year. The leaderboard will return this May again outside Turn 3.

Race fans seeking to witness motorsports history can buy three-day ticket packages to the May 17-19 NASCAR All-Star Race weekend. Weekend packages include access to all Friday/Saturday NASCAR practice and qualifying sessions; the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge presented by Mechanix Wear on Friday, May 17; the Wright Brand 250 and All-Star Heat Races on Saturday, May 18; the NASCAR All-Star Open and NASCAR All-Star Race on Sunday, May 19; and two concerts with artists to be announced at a later date.

Tickets and Additional Information

Fans can purchase weekend packages by visiting www.NorthWilkesboroSpeedway.com and obtain the latest news and information surrounding NASCAR All-Star Race week by following along on X, Instagram and Facebook.

About Wright® Brand

Rich in tradition and flavor, the bold taste of Wright Brand bacon has been enjoyed for more than 100 years, since Roy Wright and Fay Eggleston handcrafted their first batch in 1922. It’s a history of doing things a certain way and one we don’t plan on changing. Wright Brand bacon, including Hickory, Applewood, Double Smoked and Maple offerings, are all real wood smoked, thick cut, hand-trimmed and 100% wood smoked to impart deliciously and uncompromising rich flavors. Bacon the Wright Way® For more information on Wright Brand, including product offerings and delicious bacon recipe ideas, visit WrightBrand.com

INDYCAR Prepares for Another Record-Making Season

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Official Release
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NTT INDYCAR SERIES, INDY NXT by Firestone Set To Shine on Streets of St. Petersburg

INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, March 1, 2024) – It is that time of year when the winter freeze quickly turns into the heat of thrilling wheel-to-wheel action as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone launch their 2024 seasons on the palm tree-lined streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding.

NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule highlights include traditional favorites and, new to 2024, a made-for-TV $1 Million Challenge at The Thermal Club – a spectacular racing event set among extraordinary scenery just a short drive from world’s premier entertainment market, a return to historic Milwaukee Mile for a thrilling doubleheader, evening racing at Iowa Speedway and World Wide Technology Raceway and a supercharged season finale at the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway.

Once again in 2024, St. Petersburg begins a season of double-digit telecasts on NBC. It is the first time in 20 years the INDYCAR SERIES schedule has featured three consecutive years of double-digit events on network television. Peacock will feature all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions, qualifying and events after a 2023 season that featured the highest viewership in more than a decade.

The bright lights from TV cameras also will accompany production of season two of the docuseries “100 Days To Indy,” focusing on the dramatic countdown to the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Episode 1 will debut on The CW Network Friday, April 26.

“This is an era of tangible growth and tremendous opportunity for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “Rising attendance, combined with incredible fan engagement across our digital channels, increased merchandise sales and rising viewership and visibility are all signs of significant momentum. We look forward to continuing this rising tide, on and off the track, as the curtain rises on another intensely fought and captivating season.”

Personalities aside, all focus will be on another record-making season with numerous storylines:

INDYCAR’s Most Unique Season

While the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season awaits the arrival of the 2.2-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 engine with hybrid technology after the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, teams will push the limit until then with enhanced possibilities of track records with lighter chassis components prepared for the hybrid addition. They include a lighter, 3D-printed titanium aeroscreen top frame. Without compromising overall strength and durability, the new INDYCAR top frame saves seven pounds from the previous model.

Additionally, a switch to a magnesium gearbox casing and bellhousing – located between the INDYCAR SERIES combustion engine and the gearbox and will house the hybrid assist unit – will provide additional weight savings.

2024_COMP_CHANGES_HYBRID.pngThe hybrid system is made up of the Motor Generator Unit (MGU) and Energy Storage System (ESS). Teams will be free to use multiple strategies for regeneration and deployment as the power unit builds and transmits energy through the MGU before and after being saved in the ultracapacitor ESS. The additional horsepower is deployed through the same motor generator. The new powerplant unit will be used in addition to the traditional overtake (“push-to-pass”) option on road and street circuits. The combination of the traditional push-to-pass with the hybrid unit will provide over 100 additional horsepower.

Use of the new power unit will be available on ovals with manual and automatic regeneration options but only with manual deploy.

Since the start of on-track testing, 21,108 miles have been completed with the INDYCAR-specific hybrid unit.

To ensure a smooth and comfortable transition to the hybrid unit addition this summer, teams will not be assessed any grid penalties for unexpected hybrid unit changeouts.

Evolving Safety and On-Track Performance

An annual INDYCAR review has led to adjustments for the upcoming NTT INDYCAR SERIES season with an eye on safety, technical performance and rules.

From a safety perspective, 2024 will feature:

  • The addition of LEDs on rear wing end plates for better visibility for trailing drivers during rainy conditions
  • Redesigned brake rotors for improved cooling

Specific to racing on ovals, 2024 will feature:

  • The addition of a stronger front wheel bearing retaining nut to match the implementation of the updated rear wheel bearing retaining nut in 2023. The update followed a meticulous review of the incident at the 2023 Indy 500 involving the No. 27 car of Andretti Global and the No. 6 car of Arrow McLaren, which resulted in the loss of the left rear wheel assembly on the No. 27.
  • Stronger rear retaining ring
  • New and stronger rear uprights with wheel tethers mounted to the upright rather than caliper studs
  • Updates to the rear wing front clevis to better distribute impact loads into the attenuator.

Beginning with the Sonsio Grand Prix in May on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, an updated, lightweight PPG ballistic screen (aeroscreen), will be introduced featuring vents for increased overall driver cooling and a top front duct directing air to the drivers’ chest. The ducting is 3D printed in rubber to prevent hand injuries in an accident. The updated aeroscreen will only be used on the remaining road courses and street circuits in 2024.

From an officiating standpoint, updates for 2024 include:

Restart line

  • On restarts, drivers must remain in single file and are prohibited from passing until reaching a line designated in the last corner. Additionally, the EM Motorsports light panels positioned around the track will be illuminated green to supplement the traditional cloth flag waved at the start-finish line for both starts and restarts.

A split group practice on the Streets of St. Petersburg

  • Deployed on a trial basis in St. Petersburg, the field will be split into two groups following a 20-minute “All Cars” session to begin Practice 1. Following the 20-minute “All Cars” session, each group – split by odd and even numbered pit boxes – will receive two 10-minute segments on an alternating basis. As in qualifying, the clock in Segments One and Two will stop for the first red flag condition of each practice segment.

Updates for the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge will be announced at a later date.

A 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season that featured 7,753 passes, including on-track passing records set at six racetracks, and the most laps and miles completed in a season in over a decade is expected to continue to its record-making trajectory in 2024.

“The last few seasons have been unprecedented in terms of records and milestones,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “Between the massive effort by Chevrolet and Honda with the hybrid unit and the perpetual partnership and input from our owners, teams and drivers, 2024 is expected to be even more competitive and one of the most unique seasons and championships we’ve ever had. We cannot wait to get started in St. Petersburg.”

A Sustainable Return for 2024

The most sustainable era in INDYCAR SERIES history will continue as the series, its teams and events continue to work to develop green technologies. Highlights from 2023 included the first use of Shell’s 100% Renewable Race Fuel, continued use of renewable diesel for all INDYCAR team transporters supporting the series and use of Firestone Firehawk alternate race tires – on street circuits – made from guayule rubber.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the first sport facility to achieve organizational certification through the Council for Responsible Sport while the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear and the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend achieved gold-level event certification.

Other announcements are expected throughout the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.

NXT Up: INDY NXT by Firestone

After last year’s successful launch of a reimagined look for INDYCAR’s developmental series with continued integration with INDYCAR as a sanctioning body, INDY NXT by Firestone enters 2024 with even more energy and momentum. The pathway to North America’s premier open-wheel racing series is expected to feature over 20 drivers from seven countries in pursuit of a $1.4 million purse. It is set to have the most entries across the entire season for the developmental series in 16 years (2008).

Once again, the series champion will receive $850,000 to be applied to an oval test at Texas Motor Speedway, the Indy 500 Open Test and Rookie Orientation Program, an entry for the 2025 Indianapolis 500 and an entry for an additional 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES event. The 2024 championship team, again, will receive a prize of $35,000.

This season’s INDY NXT champion will have to earn it. The 2023 season featured 1,226 on-track passes for position, up 113% from the previous year. Lead changes were up 25% from 2022.

New for 2024, group qualifying will decide the starting grid on road and street circuits. Based on the best lap times from the practice session immediately preceding qualifying, the fastest driver in that session will choose which group will compete in the first of the two qualifying sessions.

With 12 minutes allotted for each group (with a guarantee of one timed lap), the fastest driver between the two sessions will be awarded pole position with the drivers who finished behind that driver, in order and in that group, occupying the odd-numbered starting positions (3, 5, 7, etc.) for the race and the drivers who finished in order from the other group occupying the even-numbered starting positions (2, 4, 6, etc.). One driver and entrant championship point will be awarded to the fastest car in each qualifying group.

Lineups for race weekend doubleheaders will be set by the entrant’s best lap determining their starting position for Race 1 and their second-best lap determining their starting position for Race 2. The procedure for qualifying on ovals (aggregate time of two consecutively timed laps) remains unchanged for 2024.

Also noteworthy, INDY NXT will celebrate its 500th race as INDYCAR’s top developmental series when the series competes on the streets of Detroit this summer.

“It is clear that incorporating this series with the rest of the INDYCAR paddock has paid dividends,” INDY NXT by Firestone Director Levi Jones said. “The rise in team participation and car count is proof of concept. It’s even more gratifying to see former champions Linus Lundqvist and Christian Rasmussen advance to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

“As the series grows and the competition becomes more fierce, we look forward to elevating the next generation of top INDYCAR SERIES racers.”

All 14 INDY NXT races will be available in the United States via Peacock with coverage on INDYCAR Live, INDYCAR’s direct-to-consumer streaming service, in those countries not covered by international agreements.

INDYCAR’s season begins March 8-10 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. Coverage of the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season debut, Sunday, March 10 will be available at noon ET on NBC and Peacock. A Spanish language version will be available on Universo.

INDY NXT by Firestone’s season opener begins earlier in the day at 10 a.m. ET.

The award-winning INDYCAR Radio Network will provide coverage of both races, with audio available on SiriusXM channel 218 and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.

Cadillac to start seventh in 19-car field

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Official Release
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No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R shows speed, consistency in prep for Qatar 1812 Km

LUSAIL, Qatar (March 1, 2024) – The No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R will start its second FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season Saturday from the inside of the fourth row in the Qatar Airways Qatar 1812 Km.

Alex Lynn recorded a lap of 1 minute, 40.103 seconds – the fastest for the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R through five on-track sessions — in the 10-minute Hyperpole qualifying on the 5.148-kilometer (3.37-mile), 16-turn Lusail International Circuit.

Lynn transferred to Hyperpole in the new-for-2024, full-season, two-stage qualifying format with a time of 1:40.446 on the last of his seven laps in the initial 12-minute session.

Lynn, Earl Bamber and Sebastien Bourdais will share the driving duties as Cadillac Racing squares off against 18 Hypercar competitors amongst the 37-car field. In Cadillac Racing’s 2023 WEC debut race, the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R qualified fifth of 11 Hypercars. The season best was third at Bahrain.

Lynn was at the wheel in setting the pace in the morning free practice three (1:40.667; second quick of the combined sessions) — the second time the Cadillac hybrid racecar topped a pre-qualifying practice in its eight-race WEC history (free practice three at Bahrain the other).

The No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R was the lone Hypercar entry in the top four in each session based on lap time.

The No. 5 Porsche claimed the pole with a lap of 1:39.347 in the Hyperpole session.

Live from Qatar with Cadillac

Watch the race from inside the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R’s in-car camera. Green flag is at 3 a.m. ET Saturday.

Alex Lynn: “It is going to be a long race and the positives are we have a good long-run pace. The field is extremely twice and I think it is going to be a battle. I’m excited to get into it. A big thanks to Cadillac Racing for all the efforts so far and tomorrow we go race for the points. Porsche is very strong, Ferrari is very strong. I think there are a couple there that don’t have the race pace we do but can light up their tires for one lap. I think we have a good combination (day and night running).”

CORVETTE RACING AT QATAR: First Pole for Corvette Z06 GT3.R

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Official Release
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  • First pole for new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R in initial race with TF Sport
  • Tom Van Rompuy fastest LMGT3 qualifier in first FIA WEC start
  • Fourth pole position for Corvette brand in FIA WEC competition
  • No. 81 TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R to start first, No. 82 TF Sport Corvette to start 11th

LUSAIL, Qatar (March 1, 2024) – Chevrolet’s new Corvette Z06 GT3.R secured its first pole position Friday as Tom Van Rompuy set the fastest time in the LMGT3 Hyperpole session for TF Sport ahead of the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Qatar Airways Qatar 1812 Km.

Van Rompuy, driving the No. 81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R, set a time of 1:54.372 (105.944 mph) around Lusail International Circuit to take the pole in his first career FIA WEC event. His time in the Corvette, which he will share with Charlie Eastwood and Rui Andrade, was 0.807 seconds clear of the second-fastest time in class.

In addition to the first pole for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R, Friday’s achievement also marked the Corvette brand’s fifth pole position in WEC competition. It also is the first manufacturer to qualify on pole position in the series’ three GT classes.

The result also gave TF Sport its 10th pole in WEC competition and first since the Six Hours of Spa in May of 2023.

The Qatar 1812 Km is the first race for the TF Sport/Corvette two-car alliance. The No. 82 Corvette of Hiroshi Koizumi, Sébastien Baud and Daniel Juncadella just missed the GT3 Hyperpole field and will start Saturday’s race 11th in class.

Friday’s session marked the first time – outside of the 24 Hours of Le Mans – that WEC used a Hyperpole session to set the grid for both the Hypercar and LMGT3 classes. The top-10 cars from the first round of qualifying advanced to the 10-minute Hyperpole.

The Qatar Airways Qatar 1812 Km is scheduled for 11 a.m. Arabian Standard Time / 3 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, March 2. MotorTrend will provide both live television coverage in the U.S., as will MAX, MotorTrend Plus and the FIA WEC TV app on streaming devices.

TOM VAN ROMPUY, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s a good thing this is on the screens because I otherwise I wouldn’t believe it! It’s my first qualifying session in WEC. We’ve worked really hard this week to improve the car and improve ourselves. The team did a mega job, as did the guys at Corvette and Pratt Miller. In the end, we made it all work so this is a team effort. I could put a really good lap together, and I’m really amazed with this result.”

More on key to taking pole position: “It was (important) really looking after the warmup of the tires. The first lap was really slow and then I was building up. I got another GT car ahead of me on the third lap so I had to back off again to go again. So I had two laps to do it and made it work to put it all together. So I’m very happy.”

Where is the team in managing what will be a long race: “The team has done a really great job. We have a strong package to compete. Obviously it’s a different thing than qualifying – race pace, managing the double-stinting and the other things. But I think we’re quite up to that. It’s exciting to see how it will work out tomorrow in the race.”

CHRISTIE BAGNE, CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R PROGRAM MANAGER: “We couldn’t be happier for Tom, the No. 81 Corvette team and all of TF Sport. Taking pole position in the first WEC race for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R is a great accomplishment for the team, Chevrolet, Pratt Miller and everyone at Corvette Customer Support with a tremendous collaborative effort making this possible. We look forward to an exciting race tomorrow for both TF Sport Corvettes.”

CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “The collaboration that we have within the team during the first race is something I’ve never experienced. The mix between GM and Pratt Miller integrating into TF Sport, and also all of the drivers never meeting each other before last week and how we’ve all merged together, the pace of it is just incredible. In terms of helping my teammates, I’m trying to give them as much past experience as possible, even little things like full-course yellows, safety car procedures and things that are second-nature for myself now are very different from other championships in which they may have driven. My goal is always with the Silver and Bronze drivers is to reduce the capacity of thinking so they can focus more on driving. If I can give them any information so they don’t have to come on the radio and ask questions, that just gives them more of their capacity to focus on driving fast.

“I’m very hopeful for the race. With so many pit stops in a 10-hour event and with the pace that we’ve shown throughout all of the lineup, I don’t think there are many in a much better spot. It’s a big points event, and I’m for sure sitting here going for the win. To be honest, I don’t think it’s being unrealistic. If the team does what they do every year and all the drivers nail their stints – no track limit warnings, no drive-throughs and no mistakes – I feel like we can make a real difference in the race. We’ve been here a long time, and we don’t have long to wait to see where we finally are.”

DANI JUNCADELLA, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I feel like everything has been smooth so far. We’ve done a lot of miles with zero issues, zero setbacks, no reliability issues and that’s really encouraging for a brand new car and a team that is still learning the car. It’s all been really cool so far. My teammates have been great. Seb, I know, is a very fast kid. With Hiroshi, I had low expectations to be fair and he has been way, way above where I expected. So that gives me a lot of encouragement for the race. He came here, didn’t know the track or the car and was immediately on pace.”

RUI ANDRADE, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “We’ve tried a lot of things, which is important considering this is the team’s first race with the Corvette. I think we are definitely in a strong window, and I’m really happy. We did take some steps that didn’t work out so well in practice, but now we are back in a quite comfortable spot. The biggest steps have been learning what we can get from the setup and what we can’t. There’s no point in chasing something that you aren’t going to get. We’ve found a good compromise and the car is strong. This is normal as you test and you do laps with a new car, so I’m pretty happy with what we have going into the race.”

SÉBASTIEN BAUD, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’m very happy going into the race. This is a very nice car and a very nice team. Everything is enjoyable. This week gave me a chance to learn the Corvette, learn the team and work with Dani and Hiro, who are both very fast. There is a good feeling now for the first race, which is very long. The car in practice has been good, we have no issues and the drivers have not made mistakes. We will look at the results from qualifying and then tomorrow stay focused in the race. It is very important to be careful around the Hypercars; it is my first race for me, for Hiro and for Dani with those cars in this championship. But we should stay focused on our own race. It’s important to stay calm, make no mistakes, no track limits… if we can finish in the top-five, this will be a good result for our first race together in this championship.”

TOM FERRIER, TF SPORT TEAM OWNER: “This an absolute dream start with Corvette. I’m not sure going into Hyperpole that we might be on pole. We weren’t thinking that far ahead! All credit to Tom, and the guys on the team did a great job. The race will be very long tomorrow, and that’s been our focus all week. It’s been a really busy winter trying to get everything ready. We had some testing at Dubai that wasn’t so successful with some weather; believe it or not we got rained off for two days so that cramped our preparation a little bit. It’s been a lot of hard work in a very short amount of time. We’ll see where we are, and hopefully we’ve got the ingredients to have a strong result.”

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

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