If you have just bought a new sports car, congratulations!
Now all you have to do is purchase the necessary accessories and style your car – we all know that the second part is as much fun.
Seat covers are indispensable for a sports car because they offer three things – protection, comfort, and aesthetics.
It is extremely important to do thorough research before you go seat cover shopping because there are several things to consider.
Let us take a look at how you can choose the right seat cover for your sports car.
Material
The material or fabric you choose for your seat covers plays a big role in how long they withstand wear and tear.
You need to choose a material that is not only durable but comfortable and matches your sports car’s aesthetic.
Leather is a standard option that many car enthusiasts love because of its timeless elegant look and durability.
If you want to go a different route, you can go for fancier materials like velour and vinyl, which are affordable and waterproof.
Another material that is slowly catching the attention of car enthusiasts is sheepskin. Sheepskin seat covers have a luxurious look and their cushioning is perfect for people who prioritize comfort.
Aesthetics
While qualities like durability and comfort are definitely important – aesthetics should not be compromised especially when it comes to sports cars!
Your seat cover must go with the color and mood of your car’s interior and exterior.
If you want subtle options – neutrals are the way to go.
Black and beige seat covers go with almost all interior and exterior looks.
But many people are often conflicted between dark and light-colored interiors. It is useful to compare the pros and cons of the two while making such decisions.
For example, dark-colored interiors are easier to maintain while light-colored ones give a more airy appearance.
If you want the plush aesthetic – lambswool, fur, and sheepskin seat covers are excellent options.
On the other hand, Nappa leather can give you the elegant, minimalistic, and luxury look which many sports car enthusiasts prefer.
It does require an initial investment, but it’s worth it in the long run!
Durability
There is no use in having the most luxurious or good-looking seat covers if they wear out after a few months.
Standard seat covers last from 3-5 years without showing visible signs of wear and tear.
Canvas, leather, vinyl, and PVC are some of the most durable materials that boast resistant properties.
Nylon has stain resistance and canvas can withstand a lot of rough use without breaking!
Maintenance
Maintaining car seat covers is not challenging if you choose the right one.
If you want the maintenance to be easy, pick seat covers that are stain-resistant and easy to clean.
There are always chances for small spills and dirt will inevitably latch onto the seats over time.
If your seat covers are not easy to clean, you will have to replace them more often, and this will get expensive.
So don’t forget to consider maintenance when you choose your seat covers!
Use cleaning materials that are not harsh on your covers.
Use bleach-free laundry detergent for some of the larger stains and vinegar for the smaller ones. Wipe with a microfibre cloth.
When your covers start getting dusty, just vacuum them.
Resale Value
Good quality car seat covers can help raise the value of your car.
If you plan to sell your car in the near future don’t hesitate to invest in good seat covers.
Conclusion
Go through reference pictures and sports car interiors to find inspiration for your seat covers.
Always clarify any doubts with the seller or manufacturer – don’t hesitate to get details about the seat cover’s life expectancy, maintenance requirements, and installment procedure.
The Premier League brings together the best football players from all over the globe. That’s why the competition for individual awards is so intense. At 1xBet first deposit bonus rules are simple, and this reward can be immediately invested in new bets.
In the 2022/2023 season, Manchester City won the English Championship title not least due to the phenomenal play of the team’s leading player, Norwegian Erling Holland. It was he who was recognized as the best football player in the Premier League at the end of that season. Please note that knowing the first deposit bonus rules on the 1xBet platform, you can bet on any match from the world of this championship and receive increased winnings. This was Holland’s first season in England, and the forward immediately demonstrated that he was well-prepared for this championship. From the first rounds, he started scoring nice goals and did it very often. As a result, Erling scored 36 goals in the Premier League, which became an absolute record for the tournament.
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According to fans, Holland had a smooth and eventful season. He regularly scored goals against strong opponents and weaker clubs. He became the central figure in Manchester City’s attacks. With him, the team reached a qualitatively new level, so it is quite natural that it was Erling who received the individual award.
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Why did the legendary Norwegian win his prize?
Holland had a lot of great individual performances that season. He scored several hat-tricks, something that even more senior footballers had never achieved before. The platform 1xBet-mn.com is a betting site in Mongolia where you can follow his past successes and future victories that are likely to await the promising football player.
Returning to Holland’s achievement, the reasons why it became real are worth mentioning. These are:
An impressive game, the power of his pitches and strikes;
Motivation to win the FA Cup and prove to his fans that he is the best;
The support of his teammates, who often created favorable chances for Holland, and he took advantage of many of them and scored brilliant goals.
Thus, Erling had a really great season and immediately made a loud statement about himself in England. Most likely, we will hear about this player many more times. To make more use of the 1xBet service, which is a betting site in Mongolia, you should download the mobile application to your smartphone. This will make your betting easier and more convenient, no matter where you are.
In a world where safety takes precedence, the year 2023 has brought out a fleet of vehicles that stand out as beacons of security on our roads. With the hustle and bustle of daily life, the importance of a safe and reliable vehicle cannot be overstated. From small cars to spacious SUVs, automakers are taking significant strides to ensure that your journeys are not just convenient but also secure.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) plays a vital role in assessing and recognizing vehicles that excel in safety standards. The prestigious Top Safety Pick+ award is a hallmark of excellence, symbolizing a commitment to protecting both drivers and passengers. Let’s dive into the safest cars of 2023, backed by data that underscores their outstanding safety features and performance.
Small Car: Acura Integra
Starting with the small car category, the new Acura Integra emerges as a standout performer. It’s not just about size; it’s about the integrity of safety measures that matter.
The Acura Integra has earned the Top Safety Pick+ award, boasting Good ratings in the driver’s and passenger-side small-overlap front crash test, original moderate-overlap front crash test, and the updated side crash test.
Additionally, it showcases advanced front crash prevention capabilities that ensure your safety in various scenarios.
Mid-sized Cars: Honda Accord, Subaru Outback, Toyota Camry
Moving up the spectrum, the mid-sized cars category is graced by the presence of some familiar names known for reliability and now, safety excellence.
The Honda Accord, Subaru Outback, and Toyota Camry (built after January 2023) are among the select few that have achieved the Top Safety Pick+ award.
With a focus on both driver and passenger safety, these vehicles aced the stringent crash tests and prevention protocols.
Mid-sized Luxury Cars: Mercedes-Benz C-Class
In the realm of luxury, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class stands tall as a testament to the combination of elegance and safety.
This mid-sized luxury car, equipped with optional front crash prevention, earns its Top Safety Pick+ award by meeting the rigorous standards set by the IIHS.
Large Luxury Car: Genesis G90
When it comes to large luxury cars, the Genesis G90 takes center stage as a paragon of safety.
Earning the coveted Top Safety Pick+ award, the G90 boasts an array of safety features that ensure a secure and comfortable driving experience.
Small SUVs: Honda CR-V, Honda HR-V, Subaru Solterra
The small SUV segment welcomes the Honda CR-V, Honda HR-V, and Subaru Solterra (built after October 2022) as shining examples of safety-conscious design.
Achieving the Top Safety Pick+ award, these vehicles prioritize not only the driver and passengers but also pedestrians, showcasing advanced pedestrian front crash prevention capabilities.
According to the injury attorneys at TPMB, pedestrian crashes have been dangerously increasing for many years. These new technologies will help reduce the number of accidents with pedestrians happening on our roads.
Small Luxury SUVs: Acura RDX, BMW X1, Genesis GV60, Genesis GV70, Lexus NX and NX Plug-in Hybrid, Lexus UX
In the realm of luxury small SUVs, a constellation of vehicles has earned the Top Safety Pick+ award, demonstrating that opulence and safety can indeed coexist.
The Acura RDX, BMW X1, Genesis GV60, Genesis GV70, Lexus NX and NX Plug-in Hybrid, and Lexus UX are beacons of safety, integrating cutting-edge technology to protect all those on the road.
Mid-sized SUVs: Genesis GV80, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride, Nissan Pathfinder, Subaru Ascent, Toyota Highlander, Volkswagen ID.4
The mid-sized SUV category showcases a lineup that takes safety seriously.
The Genesis GV80, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride, Nissan Pathfinder, Subaru Ascent, Toyota Highlander, and Volkswagen ID.4—all recipients of the Top Safety Pick+ award—underscore the industry’s commitment to making roads safer for everyone.
Mid-sized Luxury SUVs: Acura MDX, Audi Q4 E-Tron and Q4 Sportback, Infiniti QX60, Lexus RX, Tesla Model Y, Volvo XC90 and XC90 Recharge
As luxury and safety intertwine, mid-sized luxury SUVs like the Acura MDX, Audi Q4 E-Tron and Q4 Sportback, Infiniti QX60, Lexus RX, Tesla Model Y, and Volvo XC90 and XC90 Recharge have proven themselves as leaders in safeguarding drivers and passengers. Earning the Top Safety Pick+ award, these vehicles redefine what it means to blend luxury and security.
Large SUVs: Audi Q8, Q8 E-Tron, Q8 Sportback, Rivian R1S
When size meets safety, the results are impressive. The Audi Q8, Q8 E-Tron, Q8 Sportback, and Rivian R1S in the large SUV category have earned the Top Safety Pick+ award, emphasizing that larger vehicles can also excel in safety measures.
Minivans: Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna
Minivans continue to be family favorites, and the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna lead the pack in safety as well.
These vehicles, bearing the Top Safety Pick+ award, provide families with the assurance that their loved ones are protected on every journey.
Large Pickups: Rivian R1T, Toyota Tundra
Even in the realm of large pickups, safety is a priority. The Rivian R1T and Toyota Tundra crew cab and extended cab models have met the rigorous criteria set by the IIHS, earning the Top Safety Pick+ award.
As you consider your next vehicle, the list of Top Safety Pick+ award winners provides a comprehensive guide to the safest options on the market. With a focus on crash tests, prevention technology, and protection for pedestrians, these vehicles redefine the concept of safety on the road.
So, whether you’re commuting, adventuring, or simply navigating the city, rest assured that the safest cars of 2023 have your well-being at heart. Remember, while accidents may be unpredictable, your choice of vehicle doesn’t have to be when it comes to safety.
Mexico City. October 29, 2023 – Max Verstappen kept his record-breaking season going with a stunning win for Oracle Red Bull Racing at the 2023 FORMULA 1 MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX presented by Heineken at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on Sunday. This is Verstappen’s fifth victory in Mexico, stretching the gap over the all-time record of three wins previously held by Jim Clark. The Dutchman achieved this feat in front of a crowd of 152,668 ticket-paying fans. Today’s attendance is a new milestone for the Mexico City Grand Prix, which drew a total of 400,639 spectators over the course of the weekend.
The 26-year-old Dutchman claimed his fifth win in Mexico, the 51st of his career and his 16th of the season, eclipsing the 15 he claimed in 2022. On a circuit with a corner named after 1992 World Champion Nigel Mansell, Verstappen’s last two seasons have now seen him score 31 victories – the same number as the Englishman claimed in his entire 187-race F1 career.
Verstappen got the job done within seconds of the lights going out: with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc starting from his second Mexico pole position and teammate Carlos Sainz alongside him, the World Champion aimed his Red Bull between the two scarlet cars and passed both on the 811-metre run to the first corner – the longest of the F1 season.
The race could not have started worse for Mexican favourite Sergio Pérez; as Verstappen dived down the inside at Turn 1, Checo tried to go past Leclerc round the outside resulting in contact, sending the Red Bull off and out with damage to its right side while the Ferrari suffered front wing damage of its own.
‘I had a tremendous start,’ said the 33-year-old Mexican, ‘the gap was there, I was fully on it – I just went for it. I wasn’t expecting Charles to brake as late as Max and I did. There was no room for three cars, it was a total racing accident. I gave it my all, after probably the best start of the year.’ Looking further ahead, Checo added: ‘The pace is good, I’m not concerned about that – the results will come.’
Consolation for the huge crowd – a weekend attendance of 400,639 – came with the chance to see a second standing start once the trackside barriers were repaired after the race’s other major incident – a red flag after 33 laps when Kevin Magnussen’s Haas had an accident at Turn 9. The right rear suspension failed and catapulted the #20 car left into the barriers, with the 31-year-old emerging unscathed.
Verstappen then had to get the job done for a second time, rocketing off the line and defending superbly into Turn 1 to protect the lead and streaking away from the field. ‘I think we did the right thing,’ Verstappen said with typical understatement. ‘We got lucky with the red flag but even after that we were flying.’ So much so that the Red Bull came home with a winning margin of 13.875 seconds over former Mexico winner Lewis Hamilton.
The 38-year-old Briton forced his Mercedes past Leclerc’s Ferrari for second place with a brave dive down the inside at the first corner, held on through a long second stint and the extra point for the fastest lap of 1:21.334 moved Hamilton to within 20 points of Pérez in the chase for second place overall.
The second phase of the race was lit up by a brilliant Lando Norris. The 23-year-old Briton, hampered by a disastrous qualifying, rediscovered the pace in his McLaren to storm through the field, overtaking Daniel Ricciardo’s AlphaTauri and George Russell’s Mercedes to grab fifth place behind Sainz after starting 18th.
Oscar Piastri (McLaren) was eighth, but he had to fight off a determined Yuki Tsunoda in the other AlphaTauri. The Japanese driver misjudged a move on Piastri at Turn 1 and dropped down the field, but Ricciardo’s seventh place lifted the team off the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship table. Alex Albon was ninth after another excellent weekend for Williams.
Regarding the support events, the other race of the weekend for the Súper Copa Gran Turismo Mexico (GTM) championship was also held on Sunday. After completing 12 laps of the circuit, Jorge Garciarce was the winner ahead of Emiliano Richards in second place and Axel Matus in third.
In the 14-lap Formula 4 NACAM Sunday race, the winner was Cristian Cantú, who finished 10.1 seconds ahead of Marco Alquicira. Arturo Flores secured the third position at the end of 30 minutes of intense racing.
About the FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO 2022 Presented by Heineken
Historically awarded “Best Event of the Year” for five races (2015 to 2019), FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MEXICO Presented by Heineken has proven to be much more than a sporting event, it is an unparalleled promotional platform that shares with the world the cultural and touristic riches of Mexico City.
For more information about FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO Presented by Heineken visit: http://www.mexicogp.mx
About Formula 1®
The history of Formula 1® began in 1950 and is the world’s most prestigious motorsport competition and the world’s most popular annual sporting series. Formula One World Championship Limited is part of Formula 1 and holds the exclusive commercial rights to the FIA Formula One World Championship™.
Formula 1 is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NASDAQ: LSXMA, LSXMB, LSXMK, BATRA, BATRK, FWONA, FWONK) attributed to the Formula One Group shares.
The F1 FORMULA 1 logo, FORMULA 1, F1, FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, GRAND PRIX, PADDOCK CLUB and related marks are trademarks of Formula One Licensing BV, a Formula One company. All rights reserved.
With its origins in 1990, Corporación Interamericana de Entretenimiento (“CIE”) (BMV: CIE) is a leading player in the Latin American out-of-home entertainment industry and has contributed in making Mexico a world-class destination in the field.
The company promotes and markets the FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MEXICO, produces events for the public sector, and operates the El Salitre Mágico amusement park in Colombia.
Through its strategic partnership with Live Nation at OCESA, it produces and promotes concerts, music festivals, Broadway-type theatrical and urban content productions, sporting, family and corporate events. It represents artistic talent, markets advertising rights and sponsorships, operates entertainment properties, the Citibanamex exhibition, congress and convention center, sells tickets through its Ticketmaster and Eticket platforms, and offers digital marketing and advertising services.
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Action Industries Camaro ZL1
AJ Allmendinger qualified 25th for the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
Allmendinger battled the handling of his racecar from the drop of the green flag. By lap 12, the No. 16 Action Industries Chevy had dropped to 30th place and Allmendinger reported he lacked grip. Shortly after, Allmendinger reported he was super tight and had no drive off. When the caution came out on lap 104, Allmendinger was scored in 28th place. The team took the wave around to restart on the lead lap in 27th on lap 112. Allmendinger went on to finish the stage in 29th place.
During the stage break, Allmendinger came to pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. The team restarted in 28th on lap 141. Allmendinger continued to battle the handling of his race car throughout the stage. When the caution came out on lap 216, Allmendinger was running 28th and the team elected to come to pit road to get the car full of fuel, four tires and a wedge adjustment.
Allmendinger went on to finish stage two in 20th place reporting the last adjustment helped the front end of the car. Allmendinger told the team his biggest issue was the car was too free when he was on the throttle, and it caused him to bounce through the corner. The team made an air pressure adjustment during the stage break to continue improving the car.
Allmendinger restarted from 28th place on lap 271. The caution came out quickly on lap 273, Allmendinger avoided the wreck infront of him and was scored in 27th place. In the early laps, Allmendinger reported the changes from the last stop were helping so far. The team stayed out under caution and restarted in 27th on lap 285. Under caution again on lap 305, the No. 16 came to pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. Allmendinger restarted 28th on lap 310 and drove up to 26th by lap 313. The caution came out on lap 323 and Allmendinger came back to pit road for four tires and restarted in 27th on lap 332. The race remained green and Allmendinger went on to finish 28th in the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
“We struggled all weekend with our No. 16 Action Industries Chevy. We lacked speed and battled handling all day. Today was disappointing for our team, but we’ll go to Phoenix looking to end the season on a high note.” – AJ Allmendinger
Justin Haley qualified 24th for the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
Although Haley was happy with the handling of the No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1 in practice and qualifying, the car fired off extremely free at the start of the Xfinity 500. Haley dropped back to 32nd, falling one lap down, where he remained until the first caution came out on lap 104. He took the wave around to get put back on the lead lap, restarting 28th with 19 to go in the first stage. Haley maintained position and went on to finish the opening stage in 28th.
Haley pitted during the stage break for tires, fuel and a major adjustment to help the handling of the No. 31 Chevy. He started the second stage in 30th. Haley worked his way to 29th before the caution came out on lap 217. He took the wave around once again and restarted 28th on lap 226. He went on to finish the second stage in 29th.
Haley pitted under the stage break for tires and fuel before starting the final stage in 32nd. The first caution of the stage came quickly on lap 273. Haley slid his tires avoiding a wreck and elected to pit for fresh tires under caution. He restarted 31st on lap 285. The next caution came out on lap 305. Haley stayed out and the field went back to green on lap 311. The next caution came out on lap 325. Haley radioed he had no right front grip before pitting for four tires under yellow. He restarted 29th on lap 332 and went on to finish the race in 30th.
“We started the weekend super optimistic. I was happy with how our No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1 felt in practice in qualifying. Unfortunately we fired off really free in the race and just quite figure out what we needed throughout the race. Hopefully we can finish out strong as a team in Phoenix” – Justin Haley
Dead On Tools 250
Daniel Hemric, No. 10 Campers Inn RV Chevrolet Camaro
Daniel Hemric qualified 14th for the Dead On Tools 250 at Martinsville Speedway.
Hemric had gained one spot on the initial start, before the caution came out on lap six. After restarting 13th, Hemric made it into the top 10 and reported that he was laterally loose this run before the caution came out again on lap 42. The team decided to pit under caution for four tires and fuel. After restarting 10th with 11 to go in the stage, Hemric went on to finish the opening stage 12th.
After staying out at the stage break, Hemric restarted sixth on the inside lane before the next caution came out on lap 74. He restarted in seventh with 41 to go in stage two. Hemric was running seventh when the caution came out again lap 89. The restart came with 26 to go in stage two where Hemric restarted in seventh on the outside lane. He was unable to keep his momentum going and went on to finish the second stage in 13th.
During the stage break, Hemric pitted for a wedge and air pressure adjustment. He restarted 19th with 121 laps to go in the final stage. Hemric was running 17th when the caution came out with 97 to go. The team elected to stay on track under the caution laps. The restart came with 90 to go in the final stage where Hemric restarted 14th on the outside. When the caution came out on lap 163, Hemric came down pit road for his final set of stickers, fuel and a big swing on an air pressure adjustment. Hemric restarted in 30th after pitting under caution. Hemric had gained nine positions before the caution flag flew again on lap 177. After other cars elected to pit under that caution, Hemric was able to restart in 10th with 68 to go before chaos struck again on lap 187. The team elected to stay out before the restart with 54 to go. Hemric was running between 10th-14th when the caution came out with just 14 to go. He restarted 14th on the outside lane with eight laps to go before chaos happened on lap 245, bringing out the red flag. When the red flag was lifted and the yellow flag was displayed, Hemric elected to stay out and was able to restart 12th in the overtime attempt at a GWC. The last lap crash claimed numerous cars but Hemric made it through and prevailed with a sixth-place finish.
“What a finish in our Campers Inn RV Chevrolet! I felt like we stayed between ninth and 14th all day. This place is not a lot of fun when you can’t move forward; you’re always playing defense. It was a battle all day, but once the laps winded down, the race craft just went out the window. I figured it would be chaos there at the end, and it was. Somehow we got a sixth place finish out of it.” – Daniel Hemric
Layne Riggs, No. 11 Infinity Communications Group Chevrolet Camaro
Layne Riggs qualified 19th for the Dead On Tools 250 at Martinsville Speedway.
Out of the gate, Riggs was reminded by his spotter, Frank Deiny, to not overdrive the corners. Doing so, he gained two positions while battling in the outside lane. An early caution fell on lap five, and Riggs radioed to his crew chief, Jason Trinchere, that the No. 11 was snug in the center and stressed that it was very challenging to pass. Moving up a row after the choose cone, Riggs restarted 15th. As tire pressures continued to build on the Infinity Communications Chevrolet, Riggs reported that the car was snappy loose. As the caution fell on lap 41, Riggs was called to pit road from the 17th position. Amid pit road confusion, Riggs pitted for tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. Upon returning to the track, he was notified that he drove through too many pit boxes on his initial approach and had to restart from the tail end of the longest line. Shortly after the restart on lap 49 the green and white checkered flag waved, concluding stage one. Riggs was scored 29th.
While the No. 11 was experiencing tight handling conditions, Riggs and his team opted to stay out during the stage caution to regain track position. Starting stage two from the 17th position, Riggs was heavily reminded to protect the bottom line. As he continued to fight in the bottom lane, Riggs was spun out by the No. 00 on lap 73, which brought out the caution. Pitting for tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment, Riggs restarted 32nd. The field fell under another caution nine laps into the run, and the No. 11 team decided to stay out. Restarting 24th on lap 94, Riggs was able to make gains to finish out stage two in the 18th position.
Electing not to pit during the stage caution, Riggs restarted the final stage in the first position. As Riggs set the pace, he was reminded to be smart and to drive straight into the corners. After leading nine laps, the no. 11 succumbed to other cars with fresher tires and fell back to fourth. Maintaining in the top five, Riggs was spun again, this time be the no. 1 car on lap 153. Expressing that his Chevrolet had good drive off but was free on entry, he came to pit road for tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. As he was returning to the track, Riggs was plagued with another pit road penalty, this time he was too fast exiting in zone seven. Serving the penalty of restarting at the tail end of the longest line, Riggs fired off from 32nd on lap 160. Out of tires and bewitched by a slew of cautions, Riggs started to inch his way towards the front of the field. Back in the top five by lap 200, Riggs states that the consistent cautions were helping his advancement because the no. 11 machine was great for two to three laps and then fell off. With six laps to go Riggs was involved in a multi-car incident halting the field under a red flag. Riggs brought the Infinity Communications chevy to pit road for right side tires and fuel. Being penalized for pitting too early, Riggs restarted at the tail end of the longest line in 20th. With three laps to go the drama heated up and the field saw chaos in the final turn on the last lap. Becoming collected but still capable of driving, Riggs floored his chevy across the finish line to close out lap 250 in the 11th position.
“After surviving all of the adversity thrown at me and the 11 team and going from the back to the front multiple times, I am thrilled that we were able to limp across the finish line in 11th. I had a long of fun, learned a ton and even got to lead some laps. I am really thankful to my Kaulig Racing team and Infinity Communications for giving me the chance to live out my dreams by racing at such a high level. I hope we can work together again in the future.” – Layne Riggs
Chandler Smith, No. 16 Quick Tie Products Chevrolet Camaro
Chandler Smith qualified seventh for the Dead On Tools 250 at Martinsville Speedway.
Smith took advantage of starting on the inside line to pick up a spot and move into 6th before the caution came out on lap six. He shuffled back to ninth on the lap-11 restart, where he ran until another caution came out on lap 42. Smith, in a must-win situation, brought the No. 16 Quick Tie Products Chevy down pit road for tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment, restarting in 16th on lap 50. He picked up seven positions to finish stage one in ninth.
The race restarted on lap 69 with Smith running in fourth on pit strategy. He moved into third before the yellow flew on lap 74. After picking the outside for the restart on lap 80, Smith couldn’t move back down initially and fell to fourth. The race’s fifth caution came out on lap 89, and Smith chose the outside of row two for the green on lap 95. On older tires, he began falling down the top 10 but fought off a charge by the No. 00 to finish the second stage in seventh.
Crew chief Bruce Schlicker called for a right-front packer adjustment to help the No. 16’s turnability during the full-service pit stop under caution. Smith restarted 15th on lap 130 and grabbed 13th before the yellow flew again on lap 154. After firing off on lap 161 one position higher in 12th, a check-up in front caused Smith to plow into traffic, giving the No. 16 engine damage. He pitted multiple times so the pit crew could attempt to fix the engine’s multitude of issues, but the Chevy’s water pressure rapidly dropped, and smoke began bellowing. Smith retired after 187 laps and finished 36th.
“The engine was about to blow up, and I was trying to manage temperatures. On the next restart, everyone stacked up again, and I got more damage. I’ve had a great year with these guys on the No. 16 team, and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished as we close the year out next week at Phoenix.” – Chandler Smith
About Kaulig Racing™
Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and has won back-to-back regular-season championships. Before becoming a full-time NCS team, Kaulig Racing made multiple starts in the 2021 NCS season and won in its seventh-ever start with AJ Allmendinger’s victory at “The Brickyard” for the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The team expanded to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 with Justin Haley piloting the No. 31 Camaro ZL1, and an all-star lineup featured in the No. 16 Camaro ZL1. Haley will continue to drive the No. 31 full-time in 2023, alongside AJ Allmendinger, who will drive the No. 16 Camaro ZL1. The team will continue to field three, full-time NXS entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Daniel Hemric, the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by an all-star lineup, and the No. 16 Chevrolet driven by Chandler Smith. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.
For the first time in his career, Ryan Blaney earned a spot into the Championship 4 round after capping off a dominant performance by winning the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, October 29.
The third-generation racer from High Point, North Carolina, led four times for 145 of 500 scheduled laps in an event where he started 11th and methodically worked his way to the front in the early stages. After finishing in the runner-up spot behind Playoff rival Denny Hamlin during the first stage’s conclusion, Blaney made his presence at the front known as he led for the first time on Lap 194. After swapping and bumping with Hamlin for the lead on several occasions, Blaney took care of business by winning the second stage period and claiming more valuable stage points.
Then after pitting during a late caution period with less than 178 laps remaining, Blaney, who restarted outside the top 10 with 168 laps remaining, spent the remainder of the event carving his way back to the front. After reassuming the lead from Aric Almirola with 22 laps remaining, Blaney was able to navigate his way through lapped traffic and beat Almirola by nearly nine-tenths of a second to grab his third checkered flag of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season and clinch a Championship 4 berth, where he will be one of four competitors who will contend for this year’s championship in next weekend’s season-finale event at Phoenix Raceway.
With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Saturday, October 28, Playoff contender Martin Truex Jr. notched his third Cup pole position of the 2023 season and the 23rd of his career after posting a pole-winning lap at 94.153 mph in 20.112 seconds. Joining him on the front row was teammate and rookie Ty Gibbs, who posted the second-best qualifying lap at 94.115 mph in 20.120 seconds.
When the green flag waved and the race started, Truex launched his No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota TRD Camry ahead from the outside lane as he jumped to an early lead through Turns 1 and 2 while teammate and Playoff rival Denny Hamlin battled Ty Gibbs for the runner-up spot. Amid the early battles ensuing behind, Truex proceeded to lead the first lap as Hamlin and Gibbs continued to battle for the runner-up spot in front of Chase Briscoe and Bubba Wallace.
By the third lap, Hamlin managed to move his No. 11 FedEx Toyota TRD Camry in front of Ty Gibbs’ No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota TRD Camry and assume the runner-up spot to his sole possession. Behind, Playoff contender Kyle Larson cracked the top five as he moved into fifth place followed by Kevin Harvick while Truex stretched his advantage to more than a second by the fifth lap mark.
Through the first 10 scheduled laps, Truex was leading by a second over teammate Hamlin followed by teammate Ty Gibbs, Briscoe and Larson while Harvick, Christopher Bell, Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney and Ryan Preece were running in the top 10. Behind, Playoff contender William Byron was in 13th while Playoff contenders Tyler Reddick and Chris Buescher were mired in 18th and 19th, respectively.
Fifteen laps later, Truex stabilized his advantage to nearly a second over teammate Hamlin while teammate Ty Gibbs retained third in front of Briscoe and Harvick. Behind, Playoff contenders Bell, Larson and Blaney trailed in sixth through eighth while Preece and Wallace occupied the remaining top-10 spots. Behind, Chase Elliott was in 11th ahead of Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Byron and Aric Almirola while Ross Chastain, Todd Gilliland, Reddick, Buescher and Austin Cindric were scored in the top 20 in front of Michael McDowell, Harrison Burton, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Alex Bowman and Austin Dillon.
Another 15 laps later, Truex, mired within lapped traffic, was leading by half a second over teammate Hamlin while third-place and teammate Ty Gibbs trailed by more than a second. With Briscoe and Harvick continuing to run in the top five, Playoff contenders Bell, Larson and Blaney remained in sixth through eighth while Byron was mired back in 14th. In addition, Reddick and Buescher continued to run 18th and 19th, respectively.
At the Lap 50 mark, Hamlin, who overtook Truex for the race lead two laps earlier, was leading by two-tenths of a second over teammate Truex. Behind, Ty Gibbs retained third place ahead of Briscoe and Harvick while Bell, Blaney, Larson, Preece and Wallace continued to run in the top 10. By then, Byron, Reddick and Buescher retained 14th, 18th and 19th, respectively, while Elliott, Keselowski and Logano were running 11th through 13th. In addition, the following names that included Almirola, Chastain, Gilliland and Cindric continued to run within the top 20.
Twenty-five laps later, Hamlin continued to lead by half a second over teammate Truex and by eight-tenths of a second over teammate Ty Gibbs while Briscoe and Harvick remained in the top five. With Playoff contenders Bell, Blaney and Larson continued to run sixth through eighth, Playoff contenders Byron, Reddick and Buescher retained 14th, 18th and 19th, respectively while Preece and Wallace continued to run in the top 10 on the track.
At the Lap 100 mark, Hamlin extended his advantage to more than a second over teammate Truex as teammate Ty Gibbs, Briscoe and Harvick remained in the top five. Behind, Playoff contenders Blaney, Bell and Larson along with Preece and Wallace continued to run in the top 10 as Byron was in 15th behind Elliott, Keselowski, Logano and Almirola. In addition, Reddick was in 17th and Buescher was in 19th in front of Cindric.
Three laps later, the first caution of the event flew when Harrison Burton, who was bumped and overtaken by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for 22nd place in Turn 3, was getting bumped by Alex Bowman in Turn 1, which ignited a brief stack-up as Burton then turned back into Bowman and got Bowman loose before he got bumped by Austin Dillon as Dillon turned Burton into Bowman’s No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, with the latter two spinning and Bowman getting hit by Corey LaJoie as the field scattered to avoid the carnage in the backstretch. The incident occurred just in front of Hamlin, who was in the process of lapping the competitors.
During the caution period, the lead lap field led by Hamlin peeled off the track and onto pit road for service for the first time. Following the pit stops, Hamlin retained the lead after exiting pit road first ahead of teammate, Truex, Briscoe, Blaney, Bell, Keselowski and Harvick.
When the race restarted on Lap 111, Hamlin retained the lead following a strong start on the outside lane while Blaney challenged and overtook Truex for the runner-up spot. As the field jostled for spots amid two stacked lanes, Hamlin continued to lead over Blaney and Truex while Briscoe, Keselowski, Bell and Ty Gibbs battled for fourth place in front of Preece, Logano, Larson, Harvick, Elliott and Byron, with the event surpassing the Lap 115 mark.
By the Lap 120 mark, the battle for the lead slowly brewed between Hamlin and Blaney, with the latter keeping the former close within his front windshield and by nearly half a second as third-place Truex trailed by more than a second. Behind, Briscoe and Keselowski continued to run in the top five in front of Bell, Ty Gibbs, Preece, Logano and Harvick.
When the first stage period concluded on Lap 130, Hamlin, who came into the event 17 points below the top-four cutline to make this year’s Championship 4 field, captured his eighth Cup stage victory of the 2023 season. Blaney settled in second followed by Truex, Briscoe and Keselowski while Bell, Ty Gibbs, Preece, Logano and Harvick were scored in the top 10. By then, Playoff contenders Larson, Byron, Buescher and Reddick were mired in 11th, 12th, 17th and 19th, respectively, and without the first wave of stage points.
Under the stage break, some led by Keselowski and including Playoff contenders Larson, Byron, Buescher and Reddick pitted while the rest led by Hamlin remained on the track.
The second stage period started on Lap 140 as Hamlin and Blaney occupied the front row. At the start, Hamlin gained another strong start, this time on the inside lane, as he retained the lead while Blaney fended off Truex to retain the runner-up spot. Behind, Briscoe and Ty Gibbs battled for fourth place in front of Bell, Logano and Preece while Elliott and Harvick trailed in the top 10. Further back in the pack, Larson was in 15th, Byron was mired in 18th behind Buescher and Reddick was down in 21st.
Just past the Lap 150 mark, Hamlin was leading by eight-tenths of a second over Blaney while third-place Truex trailed by nearly two seconds. Behind, Bell was in sixth while Buescher, Larson and Reddick were mired within the top 20. Meanwhile, Byron had dropped to 21st. Byron would remain in 21st place behind McDowell and Reddick, who nearly spun a few laps earlier while dealing with water pressure issues to his No. 45 The Beast Unleashed Toyota TRD Camry, would drop to 24th place by the Lap 160 mark as Hamlin retained the lead by eight-tenths of a second over Blaney and nearly two seconds over Truex. By then, Bell retained sixth place, Buescher was in 15th place amid a battle with Wallace and Larson was down in 18th place behind Daniel Suarez.
By Lap 175, Hamlin retained the lead by two-tenths of a second over Blaney while Truex was trailing by more than a second in third place. Behind, Ty Gibbs and Briscoe were in the top five ahead of Bell, Preece, Logano, Harvick and Keselowski while Buescher and Larson were scored in 15th and 18th, respectively. Meanwhile, Byron remained in 21st place while Reddick, who was rubbing fenders and bumpers with Erik Jones earlier, was down in 25th place.
At the Lap 200 mark, Blaney, who overtook Hamlin for the lead six laps earlier, was leading in his No. 12 Discount Tire Ford Mustang by a second over Hamlin followed by Truex, Ty Gibbs and Briscoe while Bell, Preece, Logano, Harvick and Keselowski were scored in the top 10. Behind, Elliott, Almirola, Gilliand, Cindric and Buescher were running in the top 15 while Suarez, Wallace, Larson, Chastain and McDowell were running in the top 20 ahead of Austin Dillon, Byron, Erik Jones, LaJoie and Reddick.
Fourteen laps later, the caution flew after Ryan Newman spun after he was hit by Playoff contender Bell in Turn 4. The caution flew moments after Blaney rubbed and lapped Playoff contender Reddick, with Reddick receiving the free pass to cycle back on the lead lap. During the caution period, the lead lap field led by Blaney pitted for service. Following the pit stops, Hamlin cycled back into the lead after exiting pit road first ahead of teammate Truex, Blaney, Briscoe, Todd Gilliland, Logano, Ty Gibbs and Harvick. Amid the pit stops, however, Truex was sent to the rear of the field for speeding on pit road. Austin Dillon was also sent to the rear of the field for speeding on pit road.
When the race restarted under green on Lap 225, Hamlin fended off Blaney to retain the lead by a narrow margin and both would make slight contact during the following lap as Blaney tried to take the lead from the inside lane. Blaney would lead the Lap 227 mark before Hamlin pulled a crossover move and fought back on the inside lane, with both refusing to give an inch. As Hamlin and Blaney continued to rub fenders and fight for the lead, Briscoe trailed in third while Logano and Keselowski were mired in the top five ahead of Gilliland, Ty Gibbs, Preece, Harvick and Bell. Then just past the Lap 230 mark, Blaney would muscle ahead of Hamlin to regain the lead and have both lanes to his control.
Just past the Lap 240 mark, Blaney was leading by eight-tenths of a second over Hamlin while Briscoe, Logano and Keselowski remained in the top five. Behind, Bell was in 10th, Buescher was in 14th and Larson was scored in 17th. Meanwhile, Truex was mired in 22nd behind Playoff rivals Byron and Reddick as Blaney retained the lead by six-tenths of a second over Hamlin at the halfway mark on Lap 250.
When the second stage period concluded on Lap 260, Blaney, who came into the event 10 points above the top-four cutline, captured his sixth Cup stage victory of the 2023 season. Hamlin settled in second followed by Briscoe, Logano and Keselowski while Ty Gibbs, Preece, Gilliland, Harvick and Bell were scored in the top 10. Meanwhile, Playoff contenders Buescher, Larson, Byron, Reddick and Truex were mired in 14th, 17th, 20th, 21st and 22nd, respectively.
During the stage break, some led by Briscoe and including Playoff contenders Truex, Byron, Bell, Buescher and Reddick pitted while the rest led by Blaney and Hamlin remained on the track. Amid the pit stops, Truex’s car fell off the jack, which cost him time.
With 230 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as Blaney and Hamlin occupied the front row. At the start, Blaney retained the lead over Hamlin through the first two turns and the backstretch before he almost got turned by Hamlin exiting the backstretch. Amid the contact, Blaney and Hamlin continued to bump and jostle for the lead in front of Logano and Ty Gibbs, with Blaney managing to retain the lead. Then two laps later, the caution returned after Logano bumped and sent third-place Gibbs spinning in Turn 3 before Gibbs was hit hard by Suarez and Keselowski, with a stack-up that collected McDowell, Gilliland, Chastain, Cindric, LaJoie, Truex and Erik Jones.
As the race restarted under green with 216 laps remaining, Blaney and Hamlin dueled for the lead for a full lap and they continued to battle dead even for another lap until Blaney cleared Hamlin for the lead with 214 laps remaining. As Blaney retained the lead over Hamlin, Wallace moved into third place followed by Logano and Cindric while Reddick was in sixth ahead of Larson, Preece, Almirola and Bell as Harvick tried to overtake Bell for 10th place. By then, Buescher was in 12th while Byron and Truex battled for 16th.
With 200 laps remaining, Playoff contender Blaney was leading by more than a second over Hamlin while Wallace, Logano and Cindric were running in the top five. Behind, Playoff contender Reddick was in sixth ahead of Playoff rivals Bell and Larson along with non-Playoff contenders Almirola and Preece while the remaining Playoff contenders that included Buescher, Byron and Truex were mired in 12th, 16th and 17th.
Two laps later, the caution flew after Ty Gibbs spun for a second time, this time in Turn 2 after getting hit by Carson Hocevar. During the caution period, some led by Larson pitted while the rest led by Blaney and Hamlin remained on the track.
With the race restarting with 190 laps remaining, Blaney fended off Hamlin and Wallace to retain the lead. Wallace and Hamlin would battle for the runner-up spot as Blaney retained the lead ahead of the field. The caution, however, returned with 178 laps remaining after McDowell spun amid contact with Erik Jones in Turn 2. During the caution period, a majority of the field led by Blaney and Hamlin pitted amid mixed strategies while the rest led by Chase Elliott remained on the track. Amid the pit stops, the Dillon brothers along with Bowman and Newman were penalized for speeding on pit road.
During the proceeding restart with 168 laps remaining and following a brief delay due to the primary pace car being towed due to a mechanical issue, the race restarted under green. At the start, Elliott and Corey LaJoie dueled for the lead for a full lap and they continued to battle dead even for the lead while Erik Jones and Almirola made contact while battling for third place in front of Larson and Buescher. As the field slowly fanned out and bumped while jostling for late spots, Hamlin was trying to carve his way back into the top 10 along with Blaney and Bell while Elliott was leading by half a second over LaJoie.
With 150 laps remaining, Elliott was leading by two seconds over LaJoie as Almirola, Erik Jones, Larson and Buescher were running in the top six in front of Briscoe, Hamlin, Blaney and Gilliland. Behind, Bell was in 11th while Playoff rivals Byron, Reddick and Truex were running 20th through 22nd, respectively.
Twenty-five laps later, Elliott continued to lead by more than a second over LaJoie while Almirola, Erik Jones and Larson continued to run in the top five. With Larson currently being scored as the highest-running Playoff contender, Playoff rivals Buescher, Hamlin, Blaney and Bell followed suit in sixth, seventh, eighth and 10th while Byron, Reddick and Truex were back in 19th, 21st and 22nd, respectively.
Down to the final 100 laps of the event, Elliott retained the lead by more than a second over Almirola while third-place LaJoie trailed by more than three seconds. Behind, Erik Jones and Larson were in the top five followed by Buescher, Hamlin, Blaney, Briscoe and Bell while Gilliland, Logano, Stenhouse, Cindric, Preece, Chastain, McDowell, Wallace, Byron, Harrison Burton, Reddick and Truex trailed in the top 22.
Ten laps later, the battle for the lead ignited between Elliott and Almirola as the latter challenged the former for the top spot. Another lap later, Almirola, who pitted during the previous caution period and announced his departure from Stewart-Haas Racing at this season’s conclusion a day ago, moved his No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang into the lead after clearing Elliott’s No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 through the frontstretch. With LaJoie retaining third in front of Erik Jones, Larson and Buescher, Blaney battled Hamlin for seventh place while Bell trailed in 10th. In addition, Byron was still mired back in 18th in front of Truex while Reddick was down in 22nd.
With less than 70 laps remaining, Almirola retained the lead by more than a second over Elliott followed by LaJoie and Erik Jones while Blaney moved up to fifth place in front of Larson, Hamlin, Buescher, Briscoe and Bell. Behind, Byron and Truex were mired in 18th and 19th while Reddick was in 22nd as Almirola proceeded to extend his advantage by more than three seconds over Elliott with 60 laps remaining. By then, Blaney moved up to third place while Hamlin was mired in seventh behind Larson.
With 50 laps remaining, Almirola continued to extend his advantage as he was leading by more than four seconds over Elliott while third-place Blaney trailed by more than six seconds. Behind, LaJoie and Hamlin were in the top five while Briscoe, Logano, Erik Jones, Larson and Bell trailed in the top 10 followed by Buescher. Behind, Truex and Byron swapped spots in 18th and 19th while Reddick was still mired in 22nd.
Fifteen laps later, Almirola stabilized his advantage to two-and-a-half seconds over Blaney while third-place Elliott trailed by more than five seconds. Another 10 laps later, however, Blaney, who was carving his way back to the front, was only trailing the leader Almirola by three-tenths of a second. Blaney would proceed to reassume the lead from Almirola another three laps later as Hamlin was up to third place and trailing the lead by more than five seconds.
Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Blaney was leading by more than a second over Almirola while Hamlin, Logano and Briscoe were scored in the top five as Elliott pitted under green. By then, 13th-place Byron was lapped by Blaney while Truex was scored the final competitor a lap down in 12th place.
With five laps remaining, Blaney stabilized his advantage by nearly a second over Almirola while third-place Hamlin trailed by more than four seconds followed by Logano and Briscoe. By then, Byron, who was still back in 13th in his No. 24 PODS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, still occupied the fourth and final vacant spot over Hamlin while Truex was still mired in 12th as Larson, Bell and Buescher were running sixth through eighth. Meanwhile, Reddick, who pitted under green, was down in 26th as his Playoff hopes were slowly coming to an end.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Blaney remained as the leader by a second over Almirola and more than four seconds over Hamlin. Despite being mired within lapped traffic and amid late concerns of not having enough fuel to finish, Blaney was able to coast his No. 12 Ford around the Martinsville circuit smoothly for a final time and cycle back to the frontstretch victorious as he claimed the checkered flag and punched his ticket into the Championship 4 round.
With the victory, Blaney scored his 10th career victory in the NASCAR Cup Series, his third of the season, his first since winning at Talladega Superspeedway in early October and his first at Martinsville. Above all, Blaney, who raced his way into the Championship 4 round for the first time in his career and will represent Team Penske in this year’s title fight, will officially race for his first Cup Series championship next weekend at Phoenix Raceway.
Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“It’s awesome,” Blaney said on NBC. “I grew up in High Point [North Carolina], so not too far from here. [It is] Closer to High Point, honestly, to Martinsville than Charlotte. It’s really cool. I’ve been wanting to win here for a long time. [I have] Just been super close for many years and awesome to close one out. We probably put together a really solid, strong Playoffs, especially in the Round of 8. We had a good run the whole Round of 8. Just overall, really proud of the whole effort. This is awesome. Can’t wait to get to Phoenix next week.”
Amid Blaney’s celebration and automatic transfer into the Championship 4 round, William Byron, who came home in 13th place, was left relieved on pit road as he claimed the fourth and final transfer spot into the Championship 4 by eight points over Hamlin, who ended up in third place and led a race-high 156 laps but missed the Championship 4 cutline for a second consecutive season. As a result, Byron and Blaney will both be newcomers in the Championship 4 as they will square off against one another along with Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson for the 2023 Cup Series championship.
Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“Obviously, we were not very good,” Byron said. “It’s our worst race of the year, but these guys deserve it so much. They worked so hard. With 50 [laps] to go, I felt really, really bad and I just had to drive the hell out of it. The guys stuck with me. They just kept motivating me through little bits and pieces and just kind of keeping my mind straight. I’m just really thankful for them. It was a slugfest. Just appreciate everyone racing me good there at the end. Man, we just had to hang on. I just had to dig a little bit deeper. The result just means more than anything. These guys work so hard and we’ve worked so hard all season. I’m just really proud of them.”
“Ultimately, the mechanical failure last week, with the power steering, that’s our fate,” Hamlin said. “Really proud of this whole FedEx Toyota team for showing up today when we really needed to and having probably a mid-50-point day. [The team] did great. They did absolutely great. [Blaney] was the best car today, so congrats to them and all the final four [competitors] that made it. They’re all deserving. It’s gonna be a great show next week, but hate we’re not in [the Championship 4], for sure, with our FedEx Camry, but I was happy with the performance we had today and really, all around. Just in the Round of 8, you just can’t have one bad week and unfortunately, mechanical failure takes us from running really well to in the 30s and that’s it.”
In addition to Hamlin, teammate Martin Truex Jr., Tyler Reddick and Chris Buescher were eliminated from the Playoffs as their hopes of advancing into the Championship 4 for this season evaporated.
“If we couldn’t find a way to flip track position pit stop-wise, we were never gonna get there,” Truex said. “Our car was good, but the field’s so tight and so close. Your car just drives so much worse in traffic. I felt like we did really good to get back where we did. You just burn the tires off so much worse back there, that hot dirty track and dirty air. You’re in more rubber. It’s just a dogfight, so we gave it a hell of an effort. I feel like we had a really strong car. I don’t think we could’ve beat [Blaney]. He was really, really strong, but we were definitely close. Something to work on for next time, but just really disappointed. I thought I was well under speed leaving that box. Clearly, we were speeding. Obviously, we got something to look at there and it’s devastating, but that’s racing.”
“I’m really proud of everybody at [Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing],” Buescher said. “It’s been a heck of a season. We knew what we had to do today and we knew it was gonna be hard. We moved up, we got close there. Had some good strategy calls, some good stops from pit road. Had some good fire-off speed and really put ourselves in position where we were close. Just couldn’t quite pass like we needed to. Regardless, that was a good fight from everybody. Proud of that effort. Proud of everybody for the entire season we’ve had.”
“We just didn’t have the handling we were expecting to have today,” Reddick said. “The car was really solid in practice, so we thought some of that would translate into the race. Obviously, our qualifying effort wasn’t ideal, but all day long, the Beast Unleashed Toyota Camry TRD, just really struggled with a number of things. We tried a number of different things to try and help one of the issues and go to the other. I felt like the more we tried, the worse it kind of got, which was really frustrating. It’s a tough day for us, but as a whole, everyone at 23XI’s [Racing] really come to the table. I love this team and what it’s about. It’s been a good first year. To be here a year early and just missing the Championship 4, I think that’s a really, really good start to my tenure at 23XI.”
On the track, Almirola notched a strong runner-up result in his penultimate event as a Cup Series competitor for Stewart-Haas Racing while Briscoe and Logano finished fourth and fifth behind Hamlin.
“I just needed my rear tires to hang on a little bit longer,” Almirola, who led 66 laps, said. “So frustrated. I had my family here, the people that helped me get my start in racing. I wanted so bad to celebrate with them in Victory Lane. Just proud of my race team. I wanted to celebrate with them too. They deserve it. I wanted to go out with a bang and just came up one spot short. Sad and frustrated, but still proud of the effort. This has been quite the journey and I’m just very thankful.”
Larson, Bell, Buescher, Cindric and Todd Gilliland finished in the top 10 ahead of Wallace, Truex and Byron while Reddick ended up 26th, two laps down.
*Notably, Chevrolet secured its third consecutive Cup Series’ manufacturers title and the 42nd overall, which completed a clean sweep for the manufacturer after previously securing its 11th Craftsman Truck Series manufacturers title and its 25th Bill France Performance Cup in the Xfinity Series.
There were 12 lead changes for six different leaders. The race featured seven cautions for 61 laps. In addition, 12 of 36 starters were scored on the lead lap.
Results.
1. Ryan Blaney, 145 laps led, Stage 2 winner
2. Aric Almirola, 66 laps led
3. Denny Hamlin, 156 laps led, Stage 1 winner
4. Chase Briscoe
5. Joey Logano
6. Kyle Larson
7. Christopher Bell
8. Chris Buescher
9. Austin Cindric
10. Todd Gilliland
11. Bubba Wallace
12. Martin Truex Jr., 47 laps led
13. William Byron, one lap down
14. Ross Chastain, one lap down
15. Harrison Burton, one lap down
16. Kevin Harvick, one lap down
17. Chase Elliott, one lap down, 83 laps led
18. Ty Gibbs, one lap down
19. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., one lap down
20. Ryan Preece, one lap down
21. Erik Jones, one lap down
22. Corey LaJoie, one lap down, three laps down
23. Austin Dillon, one lap down
24. Ty Dillon, one lap down
25. Michael McDowell, one lap down
26. Tyler Reddick, two laps down
27. Kyle Busch, two laps down
28. AJ Allmendinger, two laps down
29. Ryan Newman, three laps down
30. Justin Haley, three laps down
31. Carson Hocevar, four laps down
32. Alex Bowman, four laps down
33. Brad Keselowski, 194 laps down
34. Daniel Suarez – OUT, Dvp
35. JJ Yeley – OUT, Accident
36. BJ McLeod – OUT, Overheating
*Bold indicates Playoff contenders
Playoff standings
1. Ryan Blaney – Advanced
2. Christopher Bell – Advanced
3. Kyle Larson – Advanced
4. William Byron – Advanced
5. Denny Hamlin – Eliminated
6. Martin Truex Jr. – Eliminated
7. Tyler Reddick – Eliminated
8. Chris Buescher – Eliminated
The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season is set to conclude next Sunday, November 5, at Phoenix Raceway, where a champion will be crowned. The event’s broadcast is slated to occur at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.
Date: Oct. 29, 2023 Event: Xfinity 500 (Round 35 of 36) Series: NASCAR Cup Series Location: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (.526-mile oval) Format: 500 laps, broken into three stages (130 laps/130 laps/240 laps) Race Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford) Stage 1 Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) Stage 2 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)
SHR Race Finish:
● Aric Almirola (Started 12th, Finished 2nd / Running, completed 500 of 500 laps) ● Chase Briscoe (Started 3rd, Finished 4th / Running, completed 500 of 500 laps) ● Kevin Harvick (Started 8th, Finished 16th / Running, completed 499 of 500 laps) ● Ryan Preece (Started 9th, Finished 20th / Running, completed 499 of 500 laps)
SHR Points:
● Kevin Harvick (14th with 2,194 points) ● Aric Almirola (22nd with 651 points) ● Ryan Preece (24th with 614 points) ● Chase Briscoe (29th with 521 points)
Almirola Notes:
● This was Almirola’s best finish so far this year. His previous best was third, earned Aug. 26 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. ● Almirola’s second-place result bettered his previous best finish at Martinsville – fourth, earned in October 2012. ● Almirola earned his second top-five and his fifth top-10 of the season. This was his second top-five and ninth top-10 in 30 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Martinsville. ● Almirola led once for 66 laps to increase his laps-led total at Martinsville to 141. ● This was Almirola’s third straight top-15. He finished 14th Oct. 15 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and ninth last Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. ● This was Almirola’s fifth straight top-15 at Martinsville. He finished sixth in October 2021, eighth in April 2022, 15th last October and sixth in March.
Briscoe Notes:
● Briscoe earned his fourth top-five and his eighth top-10 of the season. It was his second top-five and fourth top-10 in six career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Martinsville. ● Briscoe equaled his best result of the year. He also finished fourth April 23 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. ● Briscoe’s fourth-place result bettered his previous best finish at Martinsville – fifth, earned in March. ● This was Briscoe’s fourth straight top-10 at Martinsville. He finished ninth in each of his visits to the .526-mile oval last year and fifth in March. ● This was Briscoe’s second straight result of 17th or better. He finished 17th last Sunday at Homestead. ● Briscoe finished fourth in Stage 1 to earn seven bonus points and third in Stage 2 to earn eight additional bonus points.
Harvick Notes:
● This was Harvick’s third straight result of 16th or better. He finished 16th Oct. 15 at Las Vegas and 11th last Sunday at Homestead. ● Since joining SHR in 2014, Harvick has only one finish outside the top-20 at Martinsville, a span of 20 races. ● Harvick finished 10th in Stage 1 to earn a bonus point and ninth in Stage 2 to earn two more bonus points.
Preece Notes:
● This was Preece’s second straight top-20. He finished 13th last Sunday at Homestead. ● Preece finished eighth in Stage 1 to earn three bonus points and seventh in Stage 2 to earn another four bonus points. ● Even with his 20th-place finish in the Xfinity 500, Preece is a winner at Martinsville. Preece won Thursday night’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at the track, leading three times for a race-high 134 laps to take his 26th career Modified Tour victory and his second at Martinsville.
Race Notes:
● Ryan Blaney won the Xfinity 500 to score his 10th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his third of the season and his first at Martinsville. His margin over second-place Almirola was .899 of a second. ● This was Ford’s 728th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory and its seventh of the season. ● This was Ford’s 31st all-time series win at Martinsville. It won its first race at the .526-mile oval on April 9, 1961 with NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen. ● There were seven caution periods for a total of 61 laps. ● Only 12 of the 36 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap. ● This was the last race in the penultimate Round of 8 of the NASCAR Playoffs. Blaney, Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell secured their spots in the Championship 4 via their respective wins while William Byron earned his place on points. Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Tyler Reddick and Chris Buescher did not advance to the final, winner-take-all Championship 4 next Sunday at Phoenix Raceway.
Sound Bites:
“We had a good car. We just fought track position. Qualifying kind of set us behind and then when we finally cycled to the front and got track position, we had a great racecar. Man, I was being so patient and taking care of my tires. I wasn’t slipping a tire. I wasn’t doing anything to hurt my tires and they just started to give up on me there toward the end, and the 12 (Blaney), his car would hold on a little longer. I’m not sure if he was on four tires or two tires. We were on two tires with some pretty old lefts, so I don’t know if that was the difference or not. I’m just really proud, and really proud of this team. I wanted that one so bad. I got my family here. My grandparents here that helped me get my start in racing. I wanted so bad to celebrate with my family in victory lane.” – Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang
“Overall, it was a good day. We were right inside the top-five for a large majority of the day and that’s what we need to do. We need to consistently be running up front. We definitely have a good package every time we come here and we just need to get it a little better. I feel if we do that, we’ll be right there with a chance for the win. This was a definite step forward.” – Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang
“We had a really strong day for our 41 team. We qualified in the top-10, which was great because track position just means everything here. When the race started, it felt like all the drive we had in practice yesterday was gone. Our car was free, but still really good so I only wanted minor adjustments and we were able to finish eighth in Stage 1. We got more dialed in during Stage 2 and before the conclusion of the stage, we were the best we had been and finished seventh there. Everyone had a different strategy there in the final stage. We took four tires on pit road and had to restart deeper than we would’ve liked. Just couldn’t rally back to the top-10 after that, and the traffic made it even worse. We had a good car capable of being in the top-10. Wish it shook out that way at the end, but we’ll head to Phoenix looking to end the season on a high note.” – Ryan Preece, driver of the No. 41 United Rentals Ford Mustang
Next Up:
The NASCAR Cup Series season finale is Sunday, Nov. 5 at Phoenix Raceway. The championship race starts at 3 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
NASCAR CUP SERIES MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY XFINITY 500 TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT OCTOBER 29, 2023
Larson, Byron Set to Represent Chevrolet in NASCAR Cup Series Championship Four
· After a hard-fought race, William Byron and the No. 24 PODS Camaro ZL1 team took the checkered flag in the NASCAR Cup Series Round of Eight elimination race at Martinsville Speedway in the 13th position – clinching the team’s spot in the series’ Championship Four.
· In his fifth consecutive appearance in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, this season will mark William Byron’s first career berth into the series’ Championship Four.
· Already clinching a spot into the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Four with his win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kyle Larson will join his Hendrick Motorsports’ teammate William Byron in the championship-deciding race at Phoenix Raceway.
· Chevrolet is the only manufacturer to have two drivers represented in the Championship Four across all three NASCAR national series:
o NASCAR Cup Series: Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson and William Byron
o NASCAR Xfinity Series: JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer and Justin Allgaier
o NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Niece Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar and GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger
· Chevrolet clinched three manufacturer championship titles before entering the season finale race weekend at Phoenix Raceway – claiming its 42nd NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championship; its 25th Bill France Performance Cup in the NASCAR Xfinity Series; and its 11th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Manufacturer Championship.
· This marks Chevrolet’s fifth time sweeping the manufacturer championship titles across all three NASCAR national series – also accomplishing the feat in 2012, 2005, 1998 and 1996.
TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-20 RESULTS: POS. DRIVER
The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season will conclude at Phoenix Raceway with the series’ Championship Race on Sunday, November 5, at 3 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on the NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Moose Fraternity Camaro ZL1
Finished: 14th
“Well, it was a lot less exciting finish for me than it was a year ago in the Moose Fraternity Chevrolet, that’s for sure. We fought the handling a little bit today but ended up with a 14th-place finish which wasn’t bad considering we had something mechanical going wrong there towards the end of the race. Good news is we still have one more next weekend at Phoenix.”
Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1
Finished: 6th
Take us through your day. You already had advanced on, but was there a part of you that thought – what a dog fight, I’m glad I’m not fighting for the position today?
“I was glad we weren’t fighting for points, just because our car wasn’t that good so that would have been difficult to advance. But our No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy team did the best we could out of the day. My team made some good strategy calls there in the final stage to get some track position and come away with the best finish possible.”
How were you on fuel? A lot of the drivers were worried about that.
“We were on the same plan as the guys in front of us. I had a gap early on in that run, so I tried to save as much as I could. It sounded like we were going to make it, so from then on, I pushed and we made it. Just tried to do what I could early on while the grip was in the tires and I had a gap behind me.
But all-in-all, it was a great day for our No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy team, as a whole, with the strategy, pit stops and all that. Excited to get to Phoenix (Raceway).”
Are you looking forward to getting to Phoenix Raceway?
“Yeah, I’m excited to get there. I know it’s going to be a tough battle. Ryan (Blaney), whatever their team has found over the last two-and-a-half months, they’ve done a really good job and they’ve been probably the best team here lately. They will be really tough to beat, as well as Christopher (Bell) and William (Byron). So yeah, it’s going to be fun.”
William Byron, No. 24 PODS Camaro ZL1
Finished: 13th; Advanced to Championship Four
First of all, how are you feeling? That was a drive to put yourself into the Championship Four, and I know it took every ounce of energy behind the wheel.
“Yeah man, I feel terrible, but it doesn’t really matter. All that matters is the result. My crew chief (Rudy Fugle) knew what buttons to push. Our car was so hot from, honestly, around lap 30. I’ve never been that hot. The helmet fan – it really wasn’t pushing enough clean air to me. I would have to shut it off, turn it back on and it would recycle. But overall, our No. 24 PODS Chevy was not great honestly, but we dug deep. I’m just proud of my whole team. They stuck behind me and they gave me adjustments that I needed, and I’m just really proud of them. I wanted to make the Championship Four for them. Just drove the hell out of it for the last 30 laps. We were sliding all around, but that’s what it took.”
How aware were you of the points battle, especially inside 150 laps to go?
“My team was keeping me pretty aware. I wish I had information every lap because I needed some kind of carrot to keep me motivated. I should have learned from the first race here; I was the same way. Just need to get better at that and make improvements. But overall, really proud of this No. 24 PODS Chevy team. We work really hard and they deserve this.”
“Just a tough day. We were about one adjustment or two behind all day and couldn’t really catch up. Once we got trapped a couple of laps down it’s nearly impossible to regroup and get a reset, and we just never got that today. So it was a tough one, every now and again you’ll just miss it and today it felt like we missed it. Thanks to Sunseeker Resort, Maury (Gallagher) and Jimmie (Johnson) for allowing me to drive their car. We’ll move onto Phoenix!”
Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Always Rewards Camaro ZL1
Finished: 21st
“It was an up-and-down day for the No. 43 Allegiant Always Rewards Chevy team. It was probably going to turn out a little bit better than we deserved, but strategy just didn’t quite play out. Martinsville (Speedway) has been tough for us. Hopefully we learned a little bit for next year – come back, take something we learned and just make it that much better.”
TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES:
STAGE ONE:
· At the green flag in the Round of Eight elimination race at Martinsville Speedway, Chevrolet clinched the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championship. This marks the third consecutive year, and 42nd time overall, that Chevrolet has won the prestigious title in NASCAR’s premier series.
· Already clinching this season’s manufacturer championship titles in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, this marks Chevrolet’s fifth time sweeping the manufacturer championship titles across all three NASCAR national series – also accomplishing the feat in 2012, 2005, 1998 and 1996.
· Martinsville Speedway’s most recent NASCAR Cup Series winner, Kyle Larson, led Chevrolet to the green flag in the 500-lap event from the fifth position. Larson settled his No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1 into the fifth position during the race’s opening laps but fell to the eighth position by the 50-lap maker as the driver progressively found a rhythm around the .526-mile South Virginia short-track.
· Rolling off in the 16th position, Team Chevy playoff driver William Byron gained a couple of positions at the start – going on to settle into the 14th position as the field clicked-off laps in the long green flag opening run. At the midway point of Stage One, Byron reported that the handling conditions of his No. 24 PODS Camaro ZL1 was a “little tight” and he was struggling to roll the center.
· Still sitting in the eighth position 100-laps into the race, Larson was progressively closing the gap to the frontrunners when the first caution flew. On horizon of the first round of pit stops, crew chief Cliff Daniels went to work on adjustments to help the center-turn and rear-air for the drive of Larson’s Camaro ZL1. Hitting pit road for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment, Larson lined up in the ninth position for the restart with 19 laps to go in the stage.
· On the restart, the lead pack quickly fell into single-file conditions with the Hendrick Motorsports’ trio of Larson, Byron and Chase Elliott leading the Bowtie brand to the end of Stage One in the 11th through 13th positions, respectively.
STAGE TWO:
· Among the varying pit strategies under the stage break, crew chief Fugle called Byron down pit road for a pair of right-side tires and a chassis adjustment on the No. 24 PODS Camaro ZL1. Opting for the low lane at the choose cone, Byron took the 18th position for the start of Stage Two.
· At the green flag for the start of the stage, a mid-pack stack up forced Byron to lift after being put in a three-wide situation – ultimately losing a handful of positions. The Team Chevy driver hovered between the 21st – 22nd positions as the race neared the halfway point of the stage.
· Sitting in the 22nd position when the second caution flag flew, Fugle called Byron down pit road for four tires, fuel and a major chassis and air pressure adjustment. Despite the longer stop for adjustments, Byron maintained his track position and lined up in the 22nd position for the restart with 35 laps to go in the stage.
· Picking up a couple more positions, Byron reported that the changes made in the last pit stop gave him “a little more security”, but he was still struggling with rear-tire chatter as he settled with a 20th-place finish in Stage Two.
FINAL STAGE:
· Following a 17th-place finish in Stage Two, crew chief Daniels opted with a pit strategy for track position – calling for Larson to stay out during the stage break to take the sixth position for the start of the final stage.
· Aggressive racing quickly ensued at the drop of the green flag for the final stage, leading to the third caution of the race at lap 272. Still sitting in the sixth position, Larson reported that his biggest struggle was being too tight in the center. Not pitting under caution, Larson remained in the sixth position for the restart.
· Under caution with just under 200 circuits remaining, the leaders opted to forgo pit road while ninth place running Larson was the first car to hit pit road for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. Meanwhile, teammate Byron reported that the last stop resulted in a “really powerful adjustment” – giving the Team Chevy playoff contender the ability to progressively work his way up the field to the 16th position leading up to the caution. Indicating the importance of track position, Fugle called for the No. 24 Chevrolet team to not pit under the caution – taking the 15th position for the restart.
· Running in the 19th position at the time of the race’s seventh caution period, the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 team led by crew chief Alan Gustafson decided to stay out in favor of track position to take over the race lead under caution. Elliott quickly opened his lead up to nearly a one-second margin as the Team Chevy driver approached lap traffic with 100 laps to go.
· Reporting that he was battling wear on his right-rear tire, Elliott fell to the third position before coming to pit road for a necessary fuel stop – ultimately taking the checkered-flag in the 17th position.
· Running in the 16th position in the closing laps, Byron picked up three positions before crossing the start-finish line in the 13th position to solidify his spot in the Championship Four.
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.
Ford Performance Notes and Quotes NASCAR Cup Series | Post Race Quotes Xfinity 500 | Sunday, October 29, 2023
RYAN BLANEY WINS MARTINSVIILLE AND ADVANCES TO CHAMPIONSHIP 4
Ryan Blaney won his third race of the season and 10th of his career today.
As a result, Blaney advances to the Championship 4 for the first time in his career.
Blaney’s three wins this season matches a career-best, equaling the three he won in 2018.
Today’s win is Ford’s 728th all-time in NASCAR Cup Series competition.
Of Team Penske’s 93 NCS wins with Ford, 66 have come since 2013.
UNOFFICIAL FORD FINISHING RESULTS
1st – Ryan Blaney
2nd – Aric Almirola
4th – Chase Briscoe
5th – Joey Logano
8th – Chris Buescher
9th – Austin Cindric
10th – Todd Gilliland
15th – Harrison Burton
16th – Kevin Harvick
20th – Ryan Preece
25th – Michael McDowell
29th – Ryan Newman
33rd – Brad Keselowski
35th – JJ Yeley
RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Discount Tire Ford Mustang – VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW – WELCOME TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4. WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DOING IT AT YOUR HOME TRACK? “It’s awesome. I grew up in High Point, not too far from here. High Point is closer to Martinsville than it is to Charlotte, so it’s really cool. I’ve been wanting to win here for a long time. We’ve been super close for many years and awesome to close it out.”
HOW DID TEAM PENSKE COME TO LIFE IN THE PLAYOFFS? “I thought we put together a really strong playoffs, especially the Round of 8. We had a good Round of 8, so just really proud of the whole effort. Proud to have Discount Tire on the car, Menards, Ford, Advance Auto Parts, Body Armor. RP couldn’t be here unfortunately, but I know he’s watching and this is awesome stuff. I can’t wait to get to Phoenix next week.”
CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Nexletol Ford Mustang – “It was a fantastic job all around. We needed a little bit more obviously to win this thing and move on. We knew that was gonna be the case, but I’m extremely proud of our year all things considered. We knew coming into this that as long as I felt like I got out of the car and couldn’t walk anymore and nobody felt like we left anything on the table, then it’s all something to be proud of and I certainly am. It’s a bummer we don’t get to go to the next round, but we’ll take what we’ve done from this year, stack it up and hit the ground running for next season.”
THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT IN YOU WAS THERE? “That was it. I was trying. We took two and got a lot of track position and we stayed with it so good for so long and just kind of got right down there to the end and we lost some left-rear grip and some drive in it. That made it tough to battle back, but I’m proud of the call and proud of everything we did. I’m proud of this pit crew. I’m proud of this team. I’m proud of getting this Nexletol Ford Mustang a top 10. Statistically, we get to change our numbers here at Martinsville at least and say we’re capable of doing this. Now we just have to prove it next time.”
YOU TALKED ABOUT NOT GOING DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT. YOU FEEL YOU ACCOMPLISHED THAT? “Yeah, certainly. We made a lot of progress today and moved forward a long ways from where we started, so I’m very proud of it. I just wanted more, but I don’t think any of us will stand here right now and say we didn’t give it our all. I’m pretty satisfied with that part, but we wanted to go onto that next round. This round just didn’t do it for us. We didn’t quite hit everything on the head.”
ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang – WHAT ARE THE EMOTIONS? “Sad. Honestly, I’m just sad. We had a good car. We just fought track position. Qualifying kind of set us behind and then when we finally cycled to the front and got track position we had a great race car. Man, I was being so patient and taking care of my tires. I wasn’t slipping a tire. I wasn’t doing anything to hurt my tires and they just started to give up on me there towards the end, and the 12, his car would hold on a little longer. I’m not sure if he was on four tires or two tires. We were on two tires with some pretty old lefts, so I don’t know if that was the difference or not. I’m just really proud and really proud of this team. I wanted that one so bad. I got my family here. My grandparents here that helped me get my start in racing. I wanted so bad to celebrate with my family in victory lane.”
YOU LAP TRAFFIC IS GOING TO BE AN ISSUE HERE. HOW WAS IT TRYING TO HOLD OFF BLANEY? “Yeah, it’s an issue. It’s so hard to pass. I was trying to be patient with it. I was trying to be patient with Reddick and those guys because I didn’t want to burn my stuff up and, I don’t know. I honestly don’t think there’s anything I could do different. His car was just better than mine there at the end on the long run. His rear tires just kind of stayed with him better than mine.”
JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang – “It was absolutely a long day, but I’m proud of the team with a top five and Blaney getting into the Championship 4. You’ve got to be proud of that as well. He had a great car and a great weekend, so good for him and we’ll go to Phoenix for one more race.”
HOW CAN YOU HELP RYAN GOING INTO THIS NEXT WEEK? YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE BEEN THERE BEFORE? “I’ll just be a sounding board for him. That’s really all you can do. I’ve gone through it five or six times and there’s nothing like championship weekend. The pressure is on. It’s definitely different and feels different. It affects people in different ways, but he showed today that he lived up to the pressure and I wouldn’t expect anything less next week.”
RYAN PREECE, No. 41 United Rentals Ford Mustang – “We had a really strong day for our 41 team. We qualified in the top 10 which was great because track position just means everything here. When the race started, it felt like all the drive we had in practice yesterday was gone. Our car was free but still really good so I only wanted minor adjustments and we were able to finish eighth in Stage 1. We got more dialed in during Stage 2 and before the conclusion of the stage, we were the best we had been and finished seventh there. Everyone had a different strategy there in the final stage. We took four tires on pit road and had to restart deeper than we would have liked. Just couldn’t rally back to the top 10 after that and the traffic made it even worse. We had a good car capable of being in the top 10. Wish it shook out that way at the end but we’ll head to Phoenix looking to end the season on a high note.”
CHASE BRISCOE, No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang – “Overall, it was a good day. We were right inside the top five for a large majority of the day and that’s what we need to do. We need to consistently be running up front. We definitely have a good package every time we come here and we just need to get it a little better. I feel if we do that, we’ll be right there with a chance for the win. This was a definite step forward.”
HAMLIN’S TOP-FIVE FINISH NOT ENOUGH TO ADVANCE TO CHAMPIONSHIP 4 Reddick and Truex join Hamlin on wrong side of playoff cutline
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 29, 2023) – Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Tyler Reddick’s Playoff runs ended in the Round of 8 as the trio of Toyota drivers just missed advancing to the Championship 4 on Sunday evening at Martinsville Speedway.
Hamlin led a race-best 156 laps and won the first stage before finishing third overall to leave the 51-time race winning driver eight points short of running for a title.
Truex qualified on the pole and led 47 laps early before suffering a speeding penalty on pit road in the early parts of the race, while Reddick battled handling and voltage issues throughout the event.
Toyota will continue its run as the only manufacturer to have at least one driver in each Cup Series Championship 4 with Christopher Bell. Bell, who finished seventh today, will compete against Ryan Blaney, William Bryon and Kyle Larson for the title.
Toyota Post-Race Recap NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Martinsville Speedway Race 35 of 36 – 263 miles, 500 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Ryan Blaney*
2nd, Aric Almirola*
3rd, DENNY HAMLIN
4th, Chase Briscoe*
5th, Joey Logano*
7th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
11th, BUBBA WALLACE
12th, MARTIN TRUEX, JR.
18th, TY GIBBS
26th, TYLER REDDICK
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 3rd
Where did it go wrong for you guys today?
“The mechanical failure last week with the power steering, that sealed our fate. I’m really proud of this whole FedEx Toyota team for showing up today when we really needed to, having probably a mid 50-point day. They did great. They did absolutely great. The 12 (Ryan Blaney) car was the best car today, so congrats to them. Hate we’re not in it with our FedEx Camry. Definitely I was happy with the performance we had today. Really all around. Just in the Round of 8 you can’t have one bad week. Unfortunately, mechanical failure takes us from running really well to in the 30s. That’s it.”
What’s the emotion like, not getting that opportunity?
“I just want to get ready and go try to win next week. I still love it so much because every week I feel like I got a shot to win. That’s what fuels my passion, even at my age, to keep doing this, is I’m with the team that I got that gives me such fast cars every week and gives me a chance to continue to pile on those stats before the end of my career. It’s not over by any means. We got a long way to go. Really happy about the year in general. I thought substantially faster this year at all racetracks than what we were last year. It’s racing, right? This is the Playoffs. You got a three-race season. The 12 (Ryan Blaney) car showed up this round, right? He deserves to be in that Final 4. The performance they had today was phenomenal. I’m just happy for those guys. One more week.”
CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 7th
Can you explain how this day unfolded? “I don’t know – it was disappointing from my standpoint because I felt like I was going to be really good after yesterday’s practice, and it didn’t turn out, but seventh is a good finish and I’m excited about carrying the momentum into Phoenix.”
Can you give us a little preview of what you have going on for Phoenix?
“We are going to have a rocket ship. I can’t wait to get out there.”
MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 12th
How much different was the game once the speeding penalty happened?
“It’s completely different. If we couldn’t find a way to flip track position pit stop-wise, we were never going to get there. Our car was good. The field is so tight, so close. Your car drives so much worse in traffic. I felt like we did really good to get back to where we did. You just burn the tires off so much worse back there in the hot, dirty track, dirty air. You’re in more rubber. It’s just a dogfight. I don’t know. We gave it a hell of an effort. I felt like we had a really strong car. I don’t think we could have beat the 12 (Ryan Blaney). He was really, really strong. We were definitely close. Something to work on for next time. Really disappointed. I mean, I thought I was well under speed leaving that box. Clearly we were speeding, so we have something to look at there. It’s devastating. That’s racing.”
How do you start to put your arms around what happened to you guys after winning the regular-season title?
“Man, I think it just shows how tough this sport is. Anybody that races here and guys that have raced here that do the broadcasts, they’ll tell you. It’s this close, man. You find this little bit, and suddenly you look like a hero. Some other guys find some stuff, suddenly you’re not. We’ve been fast at times, but execution hasn’t been solid, hasn’t been consistent. We’ve had some bad luck. We’ve had a little bit of everything. Like I said, some years it feels like it’s your year, some years it feels like it’s not. I just feel we couldn’t do anything right. If it was ever a 50/50 call, it always went against us. A blown engine, a flat tire, you name it. Problem after problem. Just kept setting us back, and we couldn’t get no momentum. I think we did a great job today. It was a tiny little error, .2 miles an hour can ruin your whole year unfortunately.”
TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 The Beast Unleashed Toyota Camry TRD, 23XI Racing
Finishing Position: 26th
Can you talk us through your day?
“It was a tough day. We were having issues with voltage, and some of the cooling systems were cutting in and out. It got really, really hot – that is for sure, but it wasn’t going to waver my willingness to drive really, really hard there. I was really hoping to get something more out of our day and get The Beast Unleashed Toyota Camry TRD into the Championship 4, but handling wasn’t our friend today. We really, really struggled with multiple issues in the corners – just made for a long day. Qualifying better was really important for us, but still – we took a few stabs at it to get some track position and our car just wasn’t doing the things we needed it to today.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands, and directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America (more than 49,000 in the U.S.).
Over the past 65 years, Toyota has assembled nearly 45 million cars and trucks in North America at the company’s 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, the company’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.
Through our more than 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.), Toyota sold more than 2.4 million cars and trucks (more than 2.1 million in the U.S.) in 2022, of which, nearly one quarter were electrified vehicles (full battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell).
