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Racing to End Alzheimer’s raising funds and awareness at COTA

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Joining Formula 1 in Texas, the team looks forward to adding to the season tally for its Houston-based beneficiary

LOS ANGELES (16 October 2023) – The Racing to End Alzheimer’s team heads to Circuit of the Americas this weekend for the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America season finale doubleheader with the goal of putting on a show for the Texas fans – and to help a nationally recognized, Texas-based Alzheimer’s research center make a difference in the fight to eradicate the disease.

One of the longtime beneficiaries of the Racing to End Alzheimer’s program is the Nantz National Alzheimer Center (NNAC), based in Houston. The NNAC was established by legendary sportscaster Jim Nantz in 2011, to honor his father, who passed away from the disease in 2008.

Racing to End Alzheimer’s mission is to increase awareness of this terrible disease while giving families a way to honor their loved ones in a very tangible way – and raising funds for research and treatment.

The team carries 186 names on the No. 43 Porsche 992 Cup Car driven by Mark Kvamme. For a $250 donation, a loved one’s name is placed on the car as it races across the United States (https://www.r2endalz.org), with 100% of the donations matched, and shared between the team’s two beneficiaries.

Since 2017, Racing to End Alzheimer’s has donated over $425,000 to the NNAC to assist vital research.

The NNAC has become a world-renowned research and referral center, dedicated to improving the quality of life for every patient by slowing memory-loss progression, and, one day, preventing the disease. The center is vigorously pursuing research and has made significant contributions toward identifying new medications aimed at delaying or stopping the progression of Alzheimer’s disease – which is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. The center’s work has contributed to the development of a new treatment regimen recently approved by the FDA.

“We need more and better cures for Alzheimer’s disease” says Dr. Joseph Masdeu, director of the Nantz National Alzheimer Center. “Even the one that was recently approved by the FDA only slows down the progressive worsening people with Alzheimer’s experience. We are looking at other approaches, such as building up a brain antioxidant and modifying brain inflammation. For people who are completely normal but at risk of getting Alzheimer because they have a family history of the disease, we are finding out whether they have a buildup of the beta amyloid protein and if so, giving them a medication already shown to reduce amyloid plaque.

“We could not do the groundbreaking research we do without the support of initiatives like Racing to End Alzheimer’s.”

With six Am class wins from 14 races so far this season – and podiums in all 14 – Kvamme heads to the season finale with a great deal of momentum. Kvamme is second in the points, and is determined to capture his second consecutive series championship title – and Frengs intends to spend every moment of this final race weekend of the year doing what he does best, with over 100,000 fans on hand.

“Being able to interact with Formula One fans is a very cool aspect of these race weekends,” said Racing to End Alzheimer’s founder Phil Frengs. “We’re thrilled to join the Carrera Cup series and to make this a record-breaking season in terms of donations to the Nantz Center and to UCLA.

“It’s going to add up over time and it’s going to make a difference in each of these organizations,” continued Frengs. “As a businessman and entrepreneur, I’m part of the group of people who thinks that we can always fix something. The truth of the matter is, when it comes to Alzheimer’s, there isn’t much you can do. For me, this foundation—this effort to raise awareness around Alzheimer’s and dementia—is something I can do.”

The Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America series will contest two races at the F1 Lenovo Grand Prix October 21 and 22. Race one takes the green flag Saturday at 3:10 p.m. EDT, with race two Sunday at 11:50 a.m. EDT. The race will be broadcast live in the U.S., on IMSA.tv, the NBC Peacock streaming app and PorscheCarreraCup.us.

About Racing to End Alzheimer’s

In 2013, Phil Frengs’ wife Mimi was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Their experience with the disease led Frengs to a seminal moment: his company, Legistics, had long sponsored a team in IMSA sports car racing and he realized an opportunity to raise money and awareness for the fight against the disease. In 2017, he formed Racing to End Alzheimer’s, giving fans the opportunity to honor loved ones by putting their names on the race car via donation – with Legistics matching each donation. 100% of those donations go to the two organizations the team supports:

The Nantz National Alzheimer’s Center at Houston Methodist Hospital is exploring cutting edge strategies in therapy, care and research to find a cure for these dementias. NNAC was founded by longtime CBS Sports broadcaster Jim Nantz III and his family in honor of his father, Jim, Jr., who passed away after a 13-year battle with Alzheimer’s. It is a world-class research, referral and care center that combines comprehensive patient services with the resolute pursuit of scientific breakthroughs in the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s.

The UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program is a nationally-recognized grant-funded program designed to help patients and their families with the complex medical, behavioral and social needs associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. UCLA is renowned for its compassionate, personalized Alzheimer’s care; innovative social and psychological programs; and robust support services for patients, caregivers and families. Via webinars and on-site education, UCLA works with Alzheimer’s and dementia programs across the country to improve care for patients and families alike.

NHRA AT DALLAS: Team Chevy Race Recap

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Official Release
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CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2023 TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS STAMPEDE OF SPEED
TEXAS MOTORPLEX
ENNIS, TEXAS
TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE
OCTOBER 15, 2023

ERICA ENDERS RACES TO THE DALLAS WIN AND BECOMES THE WINNINGEST FEMALE IN NHRA HISTORY WHILE EARNING CHEVROLET THEIR 380TH VICTORY IN PRO STOCK

  • In her 350th NHRA start, Erica Enders captured her 47th drag racing victory to further solidify herself in the history books and become the winningest female in NHRA history.
  • Enders’ 47 NHRA wins came from behind the wheel of a Chevrolet, with 46 in Pro Stock and one in Super Gas.
  • Enders’ Dallas win Sunday captured Chevrolet their 380th Pro Stock win and 261st in the Camaro for the Bowtie brand.
  • Enders leaves the Texas NHRA FallNationals event the Pro Stock points leaders with two races, Las Vegas and Pomona, left in the Countdown to the Championship.
  • 16-time champion and veteran driver John Force raced to the final round to finish runner-up after defeating Jeff Diehl in Round 1, Cruz Pedregon in Round 2, and JR Todd in the semifinals.
  • Veteran driver Lottig, driver of the ITI Trailers and Truck Bodies Chevrolet COPO Camaro, captured his second career FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown No. 1 Qualifier Friday after three rounds of qualifying.
  • Chevrolet also captured victories in both Stock Eliminator and Super Stock, with Jerry Emmons and Tyler Wudarczyk racing to their respective national event win for the Bowtie brand.
  • Greg Anderson, driver of the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock, captured his second No. 1 Qualifier of the season and five bonus points toward the Countdown to the Championship with his run of 6.480 ET at 211.76 MPH.
  • Deric Kramer raced his way to a $7,500 payday bonus after his career-best Friday night pass of 6.486 ET as part of Texas Motorplex’s Friday Night Live program. The driver with the fastest ET of the evening in each category wins prize money as well as a pair of custom Corral Boots.

ENNIS, Texas (October 15, 2023) – Capturing her 47th NHRA victory, her 46th in Pro Stock and one in Super Gas, Erica Enders, driver of the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock further solidified herself in the drag racing history books to become the winningest female in NHRA history.

Defeating KB Titan Racing’s Dallas Glenn in her 79th career final round with her pass of 6.469 ET at 211.55 MPH to Glenn’s 6.493 ET at 210.40 MPH, the native Texan leveraged her 350th race to capture her third win of the season and continue her strong march to a potential sixth championship.

With her 47 NHRA victories coming from behind the wheel of a Chevrolet, Enders said of her Wally trophies and wins, “We have a lot that mean an awful lot to us, but this one does a lot for self-confidence and for my team. As a little girl that eight years old with big dreams to be a professional driver one day in a junior dragster and working my way through the Lucas Oil Series, and now being here for 20 years, this one will sit proudly alongside some other ones. This has been quite the journey for us; it has not been easy. Way more valleys than peaks, but my team, man. Richard Freeman gave the opportunity ten years ago, and we’ve never looked back. This is quite the exciting weekend for us.”

“Congratulations to Erica Enders on becoming the winningest woman in NHRA history, said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President for Performance and Motorsports. “Erica’s preparation, hard work, determination and focus on teamwork has been instrumental to her success. We are proud that Erica’s 47 wins and five championships have been in a Chevrolet.”

John Force, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, carried the Chevrolet nitro teams to the final round, defeating Jeff Diehl in Round 1, Cruz Pedregon in Round 2, and JR Todd in explosive fashion in semifinals, with the car facing a “blow up” towards the finish line and splitting the body. While Force walked away and readied for the final round, his John Force Racing team readied his Chevrolet to face Matt Hagan. While Force smoked the tires early in the run, and Hagan was able to capture the victory, it was still a strong day for the 16-time champion and drag racing legend.

“I had a race car this weekend that was back in the hunt,” said Force. “(Crew chiefs) Daniel Hood and Tim Fabrisi and Mac Savage and the whole team ran this hot rod into 3.80s every run. Then it got in trouble in the semifinals when we had that explosion after it spun the tires. We got it back together thanks to all the teams joining in to help. I was in my moment because that’s how I lived and grew up in racing and I love being a part of it. It gets my energy up! I just couldn’t get the job done with Hagan. We wanted to help Robert (Hight) and cut a few points but he’s still only three rounds behind with two to go.”

Facing a tough day at a critical time, the Top Fuel pairing of Brittany Force, driver of the Flav-R-Pac/Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster, and Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster, along with teammate Robert Hight, driver of the AAA/Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, saw their race days end prematurely in Round 1 after being defeated by their competitors.

After securing his second career FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown No.1. Qualifier, Lenny Lottig faced off in his ITI Trailers and Truck Bodies Chevrolet COPO Camaro against Doug Hamp in the finals, with Hamp getting lane choice in the finals. Seeing an all-Chevrolet semifinal and final round, Lottig nabbed the win for the Bowtie brand in the category at the FallNationals after Hamp lost traction at the start and Lottig running of 7.628 ET at 172.42 MPH. With Aaron Stanfield leaving Dallas still leading the points and also representing Chevrolet, the Bowtie brand occupies the top two spots in the Championship with Stanfield leading and Stephen Bell in second.

In Stock Eliminator, Jerry Emmons raced to the FallNationals win in his Chevrolet SS 396, defeating Jimmy Hildago with his run of 10.514 ET at 113.36 MPH to Hildago’s 10.892 ET at 107.05 MPH. Additionally, in Super Stock, Tyler Wudarczyk picked up his sixth national event win in his Camaro, defeating Victor Penrod for the Wally trophy.

With two races to go in the 2023 NHRA Countdown to the Championship, the penultimate event sees Team Chevy drivers and teams heading to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the NHRA Nevada Nationals October 26-29, 2023. In competition and representing the Bowtie brand, Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown take to the track that weekend to battle it out. Broadcast of Sunday’s eliminations air at 5 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Coverage streams live throughout the weekend on NHRA.tv, and is available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing:

“It was a tough Sunday for this Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team. We qualified well. We had three killer runs and went into the show from the number four position and got beat first round. It’s hard to pack up and leave on that note (but) we head to Vegas next and we are looking to surprise everyone and come out and win it. This team can win! We’ve done it before, and we have two more races to get it accomplished this year.”

Austin Prock, driver of the Rocky Mountain Twist/Montana Brand Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing:

“Not the way we wanted to end our weekend. We had a strong race car all weekend and just missed the set-up first round. The track was technical and got the best of us, but we will come out swinging again in Las Vegas, a win there would be a dream come true.”

Robert Hight, driver of the AAA/Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing:

“Not the weekend that we hoped for. “This would have been a great opportunity to gain some points (but) this championship is far from over and the AAA/Cornwell team will bounce back in Vegas!”

Greg Anderson, driver of the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock for KB Titan Racing:

“Every matchup is tough out here. These guys are bad to the bone, and I said that before. Anybody can beat anybody right now. Obviously, (Aaron Stanfield) did a better job. So, my hat is off to him. It’s an absolute dog fight out here. There are so many cars that can win, so many drivers that can go low or double-o lights on you. The price of poker right now is so high. Just disappointed I didn’t get it done. It’s been a good run lately, but I didn’t get it done there and that’s going to cost. Now, I need a miracle.”

Troy Coughlin, Jr., driver of the JEGS.com Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock for Elite Motorsports:

“It’s racing. You sign the waiver at the gate, and it’s a danger. That’s just part of the game. It’s definitely unfortunate for everybody at Elite Motorsports, for all of our sponsors – JEGS.com, White Castle, really everybody on the car. I can tell you that everybody at Elite Motorsports is going to work extremely hard. We’re going to get it together for Vegas. The effort that goes into getting these things ready is second to none – the best. Everybody bands together and works so hard, so it’s really exciting. It’s definitely my driving force to becoming a better driver. Really, I could’ve done a better job keeping it off the wall. I knew (Erica Enders) was probably around me where the motor started to expire. I probably should’ve steered a little bit more to the inside. Things happen so fast and in the moment. The cockpit was full of smoke, my helmet full of smoke. You’re struggling to breathe, you’re not breathing your normal air. A lot of things aren’t like they are. You get into a routine. A lot of things are so different, but we’ll be back in Vegas.

Have you had a chance to assess (the car)? Obviously, the motor expired and there’s some body damage, but do you have a lot of work to do?

“I would say there’s going to be some hours involved. I would say I’ll be getting a couple of pizzas and a few things for the fellas.”

ERICA ENDERS, driver of the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock for Elite Motorsports – Texas NHRA FallNationals Winner’s Press Conference:

YOUR FIRST RACE AT TEXAS MOTORPLEX WAS IN A JUNIOR DRAGSTER, AND NOW YOU’RE LEAVING BOTH A PRO STOCK WINNER AND THE WINNINGEST FEMALE IN NHRA HISTORY. YOU ALSO HAVE THE POINT LEAD. THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT YOU BEING IN TEXAS…

“We definitely came in here on a mission. Greg (Anderson) was just a little bit over around behind me, Matt (Hartford) was on his heels. It’s just such a tight field, and then you see everybody qualify on Friday and Saturday, and the top half is separated by just a few thousandths of a second. It’s absolutely crazy, cutthroat competition. I love racing at the Motorplex. Great day. I’m super stoked. My guys are amazing. We didn’t feel like we performed super well in qualifying. Yes, we ran in the top of the pack and qualified No. 3, but we were just missing it. I’m really grateful.”

DID YOU EVER IN YOUR WILDEST DREAMS IMAGINE DOING WHAT YOU JUST DID TODAY (RACING FROM JUNIOR DRAGSTERS TO BECOMING THE WINNINGEST FEMALE IN NHRA HISTORY)?

“I don’t think so, but I say this a lot – ‘The magic of being a kid is actually believing what you think to happen will happen,’ and it did just that. As little kids, my sister and I grew up watching our dad race in the Sportsman series, and we just wanted to follow in his footsteps. NHRA came out with the Junior Drag Racing League when I was eight years old, and I drove those cars for nine years. I raced in the Lucas Oil Series for five, and now I’ve been racing Pro Stock for 20. I kind of have to pinch myself, and check myself when I get mad about things that happen when they do because I’m so blessed to do what I get to do for a living with the people that matter the most to me.”

YOU BROKE A TIE TODAY WITH ANGELLE (SAMPEY). YOU ARE THE WINNINGEST FEMALE IN NHRA HISTORY WITH 47 NATIONAL EVENT TROPHIES. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?

“That’s pretty cool, and in all of motorsports. I’m pretty stoked for that. When I first started racing Pro Stock, Shirley Muldowney had 18 wins, and Angelle (Sampey) had so many. It just seemed so far away and I felt I’m never going to race that long to be able to accomplish that many wins. To have Angelle (Sampey) here this weekend while we do it is pretty awesome. She had a great showing in her first outing in Top Alcohol Dragster, so I’m really proud of her.”

WHAT A RACE DAY YOU HAD. IT’S TREMENDOUS. WALK US THROUGH YOUR RACE DAY…

“It was an awesome day. Epic, really. In qualifying, we felt like we missed it a little bit. Even though we were running at the top of the field, we just weren’t hitting on what we wanted to and felt like there was so much more out of that car. Going up for first round, of course there’s those Sunday nerves, but it’s also the Countdown. Greg (Anderson) and Matt (Hartford) were right behind me. There’s just so much on the line, it’s hard to control your emotions up there. We went out there and went a 46 first round. The guys were excited that everything looked great on the graph when we got back, and we knew that we had a racecar. Then it was my turn to dig myself out of a ditch and get my reaction times back to normal. Progressively all day long, I got better. We had a tremendous racecar. My guys worked really hard.

“Again, when our backs are against a wall, we perform. When Aaron (Stanfield) beat Greg (Anderson), and (Troy Coughlin, Jr.) beat Matt (Hartford), I was the third pair behind them, and I was just so excited in the car just because of how everything was going. To have three Elite (Motorsports) cars in the final four is pretty substantial. Just thrilled for our entire performance today, and we parked it in the winner’s circle.”

YOU STARTED A LONG WAY BEHIND ANGELLE (SAMPEY), AND TO BECOME THE WINNINGEST FEMALE IN NHRA, YOU HAD A BIT OF CATCH UP THERE. TELL US ABOUT THAT JOURNEY…

“I guess I didn’t really realize how close we were until (NHRA) called me in the middle of the summer and said this is approaching, and these are the things we want to do when it happens. Jokingly, I was like ‘Man, I don’t want to talk about it because when we started talking about Greg’s (Anderson) 100th win, it took him a while to get there. Don’t talk about it. I don’t want jinx it. I just want it to come naturally.’

“As a little kid growing up, Angelle (Sampey) was one of my idols, one of my heroes. We had her t-shirts and her autographs and whatnot. For it to come full circle, and when we turned pro in 2004, making our pro debut in ’05, I only had one national event Wally, which was Super Gas. The first seven seasons of my pro career went winless. So, it took us a long time. I remember like it was yesterday tying Shirley Muldowney with 18 (wins), when we won the U.S. Nationals in 2015. Here we are at 47. It’s pretty crazy. To not have it for just drag racing, but for motorsports worldwide is, it’s pretty substantial. While, yes, I just want to be viewed as a driver, it is totally badass and I’m super thankful for the opportunity.

“I always thought, ‘I’m not going to race that long, to get that many wins.’ Here we are, and we’re not done yet. It’s been a long journey but it’s been really fun. It goes to show you, if you don’t ever give up, great things can happen.”

DALLAS IS A PLACE WHERE YOU COULD LOSE A CHAMPIONSHIP, NOT WIN IT, BUT LOSE IT. HEADING TO VEGAS NEXT WHERE YOU ARE KNOWN TO DO WELL, HOW IMPORTANT WAS THIS?

“To have things go right well here for us is huge. To spread the lead just a little (in the Countdown to the Championship), and as you mentioned going to Vegas, we’ve won nine or 10 nationals there. It’s no secret it’s my favorite place to race because it’s just so good to us. Coming off of a win here, and obviously we hope to carry the momentum through to Las Vegas, but then you have Pomona that’s points and a half, and it can throw a wrench in your spoke. You just have to put your head down and go to work. Again, I love racing here (in Dallas). They closed Houston, which was my home track, so this is my new home. I’ve raced here since the early ‘90’s with my family, so another huge thank you to the Meyer family for what they do for our sport, for loving it as much as we do, and making this so fun to win here.”

LAST YEAR WAS A BIT OF A DIFFERENT STORY THIS TIME THEN, AND YOU HAVE QUITE HAD THE SEASON LIKE THAT THIS YEAR…

“Lots of valleys and the start of the season was really not great at all. I don’t think we won a round for six races, which was just terrible and really painful, but it also makes me value my team that much more. We don’t get mad, we don’t have any less fun. Losing sucks, but winning is great. They put their heads down, and they went to work, and we figured out our problem even though week after week after week we were having the same issues. Being in June we were 15th in points, and we’re sitting here in the lead in points is absolutely unbelievable to me. Thankful for that, and yes, three semifinals in our first three Countdown races, and while we were slightly discouraged, my team owner was just like ‘We’ve got to semi out.’ Don’t lose before the (semifinals) and we’ll count it as a good day. So we keep our heads up and we keep going, and then we finally parked it in the winner’s circle here. But, it’s not over. It’s going to be a dog fight. I know that. These guys are really tough. We’re just going to do our best.”

Round 1 Recap:

Top Fuel:

No. 8 Austin Prock fell to No. 9 Antron Brown after losing traction on the start to Brown’s 3.682 ET at 329.0 MPH.
No. 4 Brittany Force fell to No. 13 Spencer Massey after she lost traction mid-track to Massey’s run of 3.719 ET at 327.58 MPH.

Funny Car:

No. 2 John Force defeated No. 15 Jeff Diehl on a blistering run of 3.839 ET at 331.74 MPH to Diehl losing traction mid-track.
No. 3 Robert Hight fell to No. 14 Terry Haddock after losing traction mid-track to Haddock’s 4.266 ET at 298.73 MPH.

Pro Stock:

No. 1 Greg Anderson defeated No. 16 Chris McGaha with Anderson running 6.481 ET at 211.83 MPH to McGaha’s 6.533 ET at 211.53 MPH.
No. 8 Kyle Koretsky falls to No. 9 Aaron Stanfield after smoking the tires mid-track as Stanfield ran 6.503 ET at 210.72 MPH.
No. 4 Jerry Tucker fell to No. 13 Camrie Caruso after Caruso ran 6.526 ET at 210.65 MPH to Tucker red-lighting on the start.
No. 5 Dallas Glenn defeated No. 12 Bo Butner, III after Butner took off to the left at the start of his run to Glenn getting a solid, straight run at 6.492 ET at 210.84 MPH.
No. 2 Troy Coughlin, Jr. defeated No. 15 Mason McGaha with his run of 6.476 ET at 212.56 MPH to McGaha’s 6.530 ET at 210.85 MPH.
No. 7 Matt Hartford defeated No. 10 Fernando Cuadra, Jr. with his 6.509 ET pass at 212.11 MPH to Cuadra, Jr.’s 6.518 ET at 211.56 MPH.
No. 3 Erica Enders defeated No. 14 Eric Latino in a close race with Enders running 6.467 ET at 212.23 MPH to Latino’s 6.530 ET at 210.95 MPH.
No. 6 Deric Kramer fell to No. 11 Christian Cuadra after Cuadra ran 6.508 ET at 211.34 MPH to Kramer smoking the tires and facing issues on the run.

Round 2:

Funny Car:

Force defeated Pedregon with a 3.845 ET at 327.68 MPH to Pedregon’s 3.889 ET at 328.59 MPH.

Pro Stock:

Anderson fell to Stanfield with his run of 6.488 ET at 210.69 MPH to Stanfield’s 6.498 ET at 210.50 MPH.
Caruso fell to Glenn with her run of 6.536 ET at 211.03 MPH to Glenn’s 6.515 ET at 209.29 MPH.
Coughlin, Jr. defeated Hartford with his run of 6.501 ET at 211.84 MPH to Hartford’s 6.509 ET at 210.74 MPH.
Enders defeated Cuadra with her run of 6.473 ET at 211.74 MPH to Cuadra’s 6.511 ET at 211.33 MPH.

Semifinals:

Funny Car:

Force defeated JR Todd, with Todd smoking the tires mid-track and Force facing an explosion and body split towards the end of the run. With Force okay and getting to the finish line first, he moves on the final round. Force took the winlight with a run of

Pro Stock:

Stanfield fell to Glenn after facing issues on the starting line, with Glenn running 6.500 ET at 210.40 MPH.
Enders defeated Coughlin, Jr. with her run of 6.476 ET at 211.88 MPH to Coughlin, Jr.’s 6.843 ET at 164.08 MPH.

Finals:

Pro Stock:

Enders defeated Glenn with her pass of 6.469 ET at 211.55 MPH to Glenn’s 6.493 ET at 210.40 MPH.

About Chevrolet

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

Cadillac celebrates GTP championship sweep

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Official Release
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Manufacturer, drivers and team recognized at IMSA event for season achievements

DETROIT (Oct. 15, 2023) – Cadillac swept top honors for the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, earning its fourth Manufacturer Championship and fifth IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup title in the prototype classification since 2017.

Participants were recognized and trophies presented Sunday during the IMSA WeatherTech Night of Champions at the Chateau Elan Winery & Resort in Braselton, Georgia.

Competing in the first-year Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) classification, Cadillac Racing registered two victories, six podiums overall and two pole starts in the nine-race season to clinch the GTP Manufacturer Championship. Cadillac also won Manufacturer Championships in 2017, 2018 and 2021 in the IMSA DPi era.

Cadillac added to its IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Manufacturer Championship total as the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R topped the standings in the four-race series that was capped Saturday in the 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Cadillac previously won in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

“It’s been an incredible season,” said John Roth, vice president, Global Cadillac. “On behalf of everyone at Cadillac, I’d like to thank IMSA for the incredible work they’ve done to usher in the first year of hybrid sports car racing. It’s a great honor to win the inaugural IMSA GTP Manufacturer and IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup.”

Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims, drivers of the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R fielded by Action Express Racing, earned the GTP Driver and Team Championship. Derani received his second Bishop-France Trophy in the past three years with Cadillac Racing.

Derani, Sims and Jack Aitken also secured the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Driver and Team Championship. They won at Sebring International Raceway and were runner-up at Watkins Glen International.

Cadillac has used two decades of racing to develop the foundations of performance driving, most notably under its V-Series portfolio that is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The track-capable CT5-V Blackwing and CT4-V Blackwing, CT5-V, CT4-V and Escalade-V seamlessly incorporate learnings from the track to the road.

The 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season kicks off with the traditional Roar Before the 24 on Jan. 19-21 at Daytona International Speedway, followed Jan. 27-28 by the 62nd Rolex 24 At Daytona. A fifth IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup event – in September at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – and a June date on the streets of Detroit also highlight the season.

Cadillac Racing by the numbers

Cadillac Manufacturer Championships in all series: 9

IMSA GTP (2023)

IMSA DPi (2021, 2018, 2017)

Pirelli World Challenge GT (2014, 2013, 2012)

SPEED World Challenge GT (2007, 2005)

IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Manufacturer Championships: 2023, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017

IMSA GTP/DPi Driver Championships: 2023, 2021, 2018, 2017

IMSA GTP/DPi Team Championships: 2023, 2021, 2018, 2017

IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Driver Championships: 2023, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017

IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Team Championships: 2023, 2018, 2017

Kaulig Racing Post-Race Report | Las Vegas Motor Speedway

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South Point 400

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Nutrien Ag Solutions Camaro ZL1

  • AJ Allmendinger qualified 22nd for the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
  • Allmendinger battled a loose handling No. 16 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevy from the start of the South Point 400. He reported early he was lacking rear grip. The team came to pit road for a scheduled green flag stop on lap 33 for four tires, fuel, an air pressure and wedge adjustment to help tighten up the car. When the first caution came out on lap 66, Allmendinger was running in 20th place. The No. 16 came back to pit road under caution for fuel, an air pressure adjustment and to put on qualifying tires. Allmendinger restarted in 19th and went on to finish the opening stage in 18th place.
  • Under the stage break, the team came back to pit road for four fresh tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. On the restart on lap 87, Allmendinger received a penalty for an improper restart. He served a pass-thru penalty and came off pit road in 35th place, one lap down. When the caution came out on lap 112, the No. 16 was in the lucky dog position. The team came down pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment and Allmendinger restarted in 32nd on lap 118. Throughout the stage, Allmendinger continued to battle the handling of his Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevy and he went on to finish stage two in 24th.
  • Under the stage caution, Allmendinger reported he was better on entry that run. The team made another air pressure adjustment in the same direction and Allmendinger restarted in 24th on lap 172. Spotter, Frank Deiny, continued feeding Allmendinger information on where to run to make passes and the team made adjustments throughout the stage to help with the handling of the No. 16 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevy. Allmendinger finished 21st in the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“We struggled this weekend with our No. 16 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevy. We battled the handling of our car all day and just lacked speed. We’ll regroup and move on to Homestead.” – AJ Allmendinger

Justin Haley, No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1

  • Justin Haley qualified 20th for the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
  • Haley’s No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1 fired off tight, forcing him to fall back to 25th. Haley worked his way back up to 21st as the No. 31 Chevy began freeing up and made his first green-flag pit stop on lap 32 for four tires and fuel. Haley made it up to 19th before the first caution of the day came out on lap 66. He pitted to put on his qualifying tires to finish out the stage. The green flag came out on lap 72, and Haley went on to finish the stage in 19th.
  • Haley pitted during the stage break to put on sticker tires. He told the team he felt his No. 31 Chevy was definitely a better long-run car. After starting the second stage in eighth place on lap 87, Haley fell as far as 27th and radioing he felt an issue with his right-rear tire. Fortunately, a caution fell on lap 112, and Haley pitted under yellow for four fresh tires and fuel. He restarted 25th with 48 laps remaining in stage two. The next caution came out on 146, and Haley pitted for four tires and fuel before restarting 23rd with 16 to go in the second stage. Haley reported another issue with his left-rear tire and was forced to nurse his No. 31 Chevy to the stage end, finishing 34th.
  • Haley took tires and fuel during the second stage break and started the final stage in 31st. The first caution of the stage came out on lap 210, and Haley radioed that his No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevy needed to be tightened up. He pitted under caution from 25th for tires and fuel and restarted 27th with 52 laps remaining. The caution flag came out right after the restart, and Haley stayed out. The green flag waved again with 45 laps to go, as Haley sat 26th. The race stayed green for the remainder of the race, and Haley went on to finish 22nd.

“We didn’t get the finish I feel like we could have had. We fired off way too tight today, but the car freed up as we ran. We definitely had a great, long-run car today. Unfortunately, a couple tire issues set us back, and we had to play catch-up and gain back some track position in the final stage. It’s disappointing, but we had good speed in our No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet, so we will take everything we learned today and move on.” – Justin Haley  

Alsco Uniforms 302

Chandler Smith, No. 16 Quick Tie Products Chevrolet Camaro

  • Chandler Smith qualified fourth for the Alsco Uniforms 302.
  • Smith moved up two positions on the opening lap and ran in second before a caution came out for fluids on track on lap five. He restarted on lap 11 from second but moved into the lead thanks to a strong shove from teammate, Daniel Hemric, coming to the green. Another yellow flew on lap 14, and Smith restarted from first place on the outside row on lap 19. With 11 laps remaining, the No. 00 passed Smith for the lead, dropping him to second, where he’d finish stage one.
  • Smith came into the pits during the stage caution for tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment and restarted on lap 53 in fourth. After jumping into third on the restart, another caution came out, which led to a red flag that stopped the race momentarily on lap 55. The race restarted on lap 59 with Smith choosing the outside line in the second row to take the green. He fell back to sixth after getting pushed high on the restart lap, and he stayed there until the green-white-checkered flew at the end of the second stage.
  • Smith came down during the second stage caution for tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. He restarted in sixth on lap 97 but quickly passed two cars to move into fourth on lap 102. He pitted for the final time on lap 142 for tires, fuel and a front packer adjustment and cycled into third after a quick stop by the No. 16 Quick Tie Products pit crew. With 34 laps to go, Smith passed the No. 00 for second but lost the spot three laps later to the No. 20 car after being held up by lapped traffic. With eight laps remaining, the No. 00 re-passed Smith, pushing him back into fourth place, where he finished the race.

“At the very end of the race, we got the car to be pretty solid. We’re going to have to go back to the shop to get a bit more speed out of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevy for Homestead-Miami next weekend, but it was overall a decent day even if we dropped some points to the cutline.” Chandler Smith

Daniel Hemric, No. 10 Cirkul Chevrolet Camaro

  • Daniel Hemric qualified sixth for the Alsco Uniforms 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
  • Hemric was up to fourth before the caution came out on lap five. He reported under the caution laps that his car had good stability. The team stayed out under caution and restarted as the second car on the inside on lap 10. Hemric was running fourth when the caution came out again on lap 14. He restarted from fourth on lap 18 and maintained his track position to finish the opening stage in fourth position.
  • Hemric came down pit road at the stage break for four tires and fuel. After gaining one position off pit road, he restarted as the first car on the inside on lap 52. Hemric had nearly been pushed to the lead by teammate Chandler Smith when the caution came out on lap 55, which then turned into a red flag. He restarted as the first car on the inside on lap 59 but slipped back to fifth on the restart. Hemric went on to finish the second stage in fifth position.
  • The team came down pit road under the stage break for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment. After gaining two positions off pit road, Hemric restarted in third on lap 97. After Hemric had fallen back to eighth by lap 122, the No.10 Chevy was the first car to start the green flag pit cycles, as the team gave him four tires and fuel with 61 laps to go. While running 10th, Hemric reported that he was struggling with rear grip. He went on to finish the race in ninth place.

“We had a promising weekend going with the No. 10 Cirkul Chevrolet. We thought we had the ability to run solid inside the top five the first two stages of the race, but we just lost the balance there the last 100 laps of the race. I’m glad we were able to salvage a top 10 out of it. We look forward to trying to be better next week in Homestead.” – Daniel Hemric

Layne Riggs, No. 11 Infinity Communications Group Chevrolet Camaro

  • Layne Riggs qualified ninth for the Alsco Uniforms 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
  • Under caution on lap five, Riggs reported he needed to be freed up on the first pit stop. The team stayed out under caution and restarted in 10th on lap 10. The caution came out on lap 14 while Riggs was running 11th. He told his team he learned something on that run of where he needed to make moves and block on the track. Riggs restarted from 11th on lap 18 and continued to fall back as the stage went on while battling a tight-handling race car. Riggs finished the opening stage in 16th place and reported his race car felt unstable. The team came to pit road under the stage break for four tires, fuel, an air pressure and chassis adjustment to help with the stability of the car.
  • Riggs restarted in 13th on lap 52. When the caution came out on lap 55, the No. 11 Infinity Communications Chevy had taken over 12th place and Riggs reported he was happy with how the car fired off following the previous adjustments made. The field took the green on lap 59 and by lap 67, Riggs had fallen to 14th reporting he was too free and was lacking security. Riggs went on to finish the second stage in 15th place.
  • The team came down pit road under the stage break for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment. Riggs exited pit road in 12th place where he restarted on lap 97. On lap 128, Riggs took over 10th place telling his team he was too free, especially in turns three and four. The No. 11 Chevy came to pit road on lap 141 for a scheduled green-flag pit stop, and Riggs cycled back to 11th place, just behind teammate, Daniel Hemric. on lap 156, Riggs took over 10th place where he went on to finish in the Alsco Uniforms 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, earning a career-best NXS finish.

“We finished the race, we had no damage, and we stayed on the lead lap. All of our goals were accomplished today and a little bit more. I couldn’t be more thankful to Infinity Communications, Kaulig Racing, Chris Rice and Matt Kaulig for giving me this opportunity. I had so much fun out there being able to not only race, but race hard and really get comfortable with the car while racing around a lot of competitive guys. I couldn’t be more happy with our weekend with the No. 11 Infinity Communications team, and I’m excited to be back with the team for Martinsville.” – Layne Riggs  

 
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.

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Race Recap: Las Vegas Motor Speedway II

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Official Release
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Carson Hocevar, No. 42 Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 25TH
FINISH: 35TH
OWNERS POINTS: 32ND

Another tire goes down… was it a hard hit?

“It really wasn’t that hard, at least from the inside, but maybe it looked hard. Honestly, I thought I could have kept going, if anything, but it was a little more killed than I thought. It was a tough day. For as fast as we were, we got up to 14th at the end of the stage. I probably should have known something was going on. It was vibrating a little bit, but just thought I picked up some rubber. It’s part of it. Both of our cars were fast, it’s just unfortunate.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 23RD
FINISH: 27TH
DRIVER POINTS: 27TH

Erik Jones’ Post-Race Thoughts: “We just blew a tire early and didn’t really have much after that for the No. 43 Allegiant Chevy. Not really sure what we had, but we just did some damage there with the blown tire and we were just off the pace after that. We tried to get it better, but just never really found anything. We’ll go to Homestead-Miami Speedway and hopefully put it together.”

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (NCS) Jimmie Johnson. The club competes full-time in the NCS fielding the Nos. 42 and 43 Chevrolet Camaro entries, respectively, along with the No. 84 part-time entry for Johnson in 2023. Richard Petty “The King” serves as team ambassador.

In 2021, Gallagher acquired Richard Petty Motorsports and renamed the team to Petty GMS. With the addition of Johnson to the ownership structure in 2023, the organization rebranded to LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (LEGACY M.C.). With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level.

Based in Statesville, N.C., LEGACY M.C. operates alongside GMS Racing (GMS), which currently fields three full-time entries in the NASCAR Truck Series. Since the formation of GMS in 2012, Gallagher and Mike Beam, team president, have shared incredible success. GMS Racing captured the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championships and the 2019 and 2020 ARCA East championships, accumulating over 65 wins across six national racing circuits.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Burton Finishes 20th at Las Vegas

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After struggling through practice, qualifying and the first two thirds of Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging team found some speed in the closing stages of the race and came away with a 20th-place finish.

It was the team’s 11th top 20 of the season and the second in the past four races.

Burton started Sunday’s 400-miler on the 1.5-mile track from 33rd place. He ran outside the top 25 in the early going and fell a lap down by the 47th of 267 circuits.

The DEX Imaging team elected to take the wave-around during the next caution flag, at Lap 67, and held on to the lead lap through the end of the first Stage. Burton was scored in 25th place at the end of that 80-lap segment.

The DEX Imaging team ended the second Stage in 27th place, on the lead lap.

In the third and final segment of the race, Burton and the team found some of the speed they’d been lacking and were running 24th when they made their final pit stop of the race during a caution period at Lap 211.

Restarting 24th, Burton started working his way forward and moved into the top 20 at Lap 234. He moved into 18th place on Lap 242 and held that spot for 12 laps before losing two spots with 12 laps to go. He remained in the top 20 for the remainder of the race.

Burton and the No. 21 team now turn their focus to another intermediate-length track, Homestead-Miami Speedway, which hosts the Dixie Vodka 400 next Sunday.

About DEX Imaging
DEX Imaging is the digital document imaging division of Staples, the world’s largest business solutions provider. DEX sells and services the broadest selection of copiers, printers and data management solutions, such as HP, Konica Minolta, Canon, Kyocera and numerous others.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES:
Reducing Operating Costs
Reducing Paper Consumption
Increasing Productivity

DEX Imaging has been the recipient of virtually every industry award since the company’s inception, including the JD Power & Associates Award for Best Customer Experience, the prestigious ProTech Service award by Konica Minolta, the Diamond Premier Dealer Award by Kyocera, and the Elite DEALER Award by ‘ENX’ magazine. Other accolades include being named ‘Best Place to Work’ by numerous business journals in the markets DEX serves.

Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glenn’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Harrison Burton in the famous No. 21 racer.

Buescher Finishes 11th in Vegas

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No. 17 Improves in Closing Laps to Cap Opening Race in Round of 8

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 15, 2023) – Chris Buescher finished 11th Sunday afternoon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Round of 8 of the NASCAR Playoffs.

“We got shuffled back a little bit in some dirty air and it was a struggle back there for a little bit,” Buescher said after the race. “We got back going and needed some longer runs and green flag cycles to sort it out and we didn’t get it that way. We were able to make some decent work out of it and get a pretty decent finish out of the day.”

Buescher earned a solid starting position, qualifying fourth in the TravelCenters of America Ford on Saturday. He finished 17th in the opening stage, and lined back up fifth to start stage two.

Varying strategies were implemented throughout the afternoon, as team’s elected to put scuff tires on midway through the race, with Buescher’s set of four scuff tires going on at lap 144. He restarted 10th from there for a shootout that would span 16 laps to the end of the stage, where he finished 15th.

From there, track position never worked in his favor as two yellows were displayed in the final 60 laps. Despite restarting 14th for the final restart with 51 to go, Buescher went on to pick off multiple spots in the closing laps to finish 11th.

Up Next

Homestead-Miami Speedway hosts race two in the Round of 8 next weekend, with race coverage Sunday set for 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Keselowski Caps Solid Day with Fourth in Vegas

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Official Release
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No. 6 Earns Solid Stage Points, Leads 38 Laps En Route to Top Five

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 15, 2023) – Brad Keselowski led five times for 38 laps, finished top-10 in each of the stages, and went on to finish fourth in the BuildSubmaries.com Ford Mustang at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sunday afternoon.

“We just executed really well on pit road, with strategy and on restarts,” Keselowski said after the race. “We executed really well, but I feel like we needed a touch more speed and a few breaks to go our way to be able to win. Kyle (Larson) was just a little faster. If we were in front of him, I think we might have been able to hold him off, but he was just really fast.”

In total, the three-time Vegas winner led the third-most laps of any driver in the field, finishing just behind the playoff cars of the No. 5 and No. 20 in the first stage, and fifth in the second stage. It marked Keselowski’s seventh top five of the season.

He quickly improved from his starting position of 21st, advancing up to 14th by the race’s first yellow at lap 65. He took right-side tires only under the caution, flipping the track position to fourth for the ensuing restart, before finishing the 10-lap shootout to the stage in third.

From there, he never left the top five, taking over the lead on a restart at lap 117, before more strategy – a call for scuff tires – came under yellow at lap 144. He restarted in the lead again, and went on to finish fifth in the second stage.

A pair of yellows were displayed within seven laps of each other with just under 60 laps to go, as Keselowski ran second at the time of both of them. The final restart came with 45 to go, when Keselowski again restarted second, before going on to finish fourth.

Up Next

Homestead-Miami Speedway hosts race two in the Round of 8 next weekend, with race coverage Sunday set for 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

PRUETT, HAGAN COMBINE FOR TSR SWEEP, ENDERS SETS ALL-TIME MARK AND HERRERA ROLLS TO WIN AT TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS

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ENNIS, Texas (Oct. 15, 2023) – Leah Pruett and Matt Hagan gave Tony Stewart Racing its first-ever nitro sweep in Top Fuel and Funny Car on Sunday at the Texas Motorplex, while Pro Stock’s Erica Enders became the winningest female in NHRA history with her 47th career national event victory to close out a historic and record-breaking 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera also won at the 19th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the fourth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Enders, the reigning and five-time world champion, won in her home state for the second straight year to set the new all-time mark for NHRA national event wins by a female, going 6.469-seconds at 211.15 mph in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro to get past Dallas Glenn’s 6.493 at 210.40. Enders’ third victory this year also helped extend her lead to an impressive 85 points over Greg Anderson with two races remaining, also picking up her first playoff win of 2023.

After qualifying third as part of the quickest field in Pro Stock history, Enders delivered four straight runs in the 6.40s, knocking off Eric Latino, Cristian Cuadra and Troy Coughlin Jr. to reach the finals. Enders led wire-to-wire against Glenn, surpassing Angelle Sampey for most wins by a female and adding another legacy-defining victory to remarkable career.

“We have a lot of wins that mean an awful lot to us, but as a little girl with big dreams to be a professional driver one day, this one will sit proudly alongside some other ones,” Enders said. “This has been quite the journey and it hasn’t been easy. (Team owner) Richard Freeman gave me this opportunity 10 years ago and I’ll always be grateful. My team has been awesome and we’ve never looked back. This was quite the weekend.

“We came in here on a mission. It’s such a tight field and you see how everyone qualified, and it’s absolutely crazy. It’s cutthroat competition, but I love racing at the (Texas) Motorplex. I’m so thankful for the Meyer family and we’re so blessed to race in Texas. It was a great day and my guys are amazing. I’m really grateful for this group. I’m so thrilled to be here and we’ve got the points lead going to Vegas.”

Glenn took down Bo Butner, Camrie Caruso and Aaron Stanfield to reach the finals for the ninth time in 2023.

In Top Fuel, Pruett finished off the sweep for Tony Stewart Racing, closing out the weekend in style with a holeshot victory, going 3.684 at 330.47 in her 11,000-horsepower Mobil 1 dragster to defeat Steve Torrence in the championship round. It gave Pruett the points lead in the Countdown to the Championship for the first time in her career as she rolled to her second victory this season and 12th in her career.

She defeated Shawn Langdon, Doug Kalitta, who entered the weekend with the points lead, and Clay Millican to reach the finals, making a trio of runs in the 3.60s. In the final, Pruett posted a .055 reaction time, which proved to be the difference in holding off Torrence’s run of 3.662 at 333.05. It led to a memorable celebration for the entire Tony Stewart Racing team, which enjoyed its first nitro sweep as Pruett now leads Kalitta by just four points with two races left in the season.

“We’re going to take this momentum on and keep trying to do the best we can,” Pruett said. “Beating Doug was huge. You can’t win a championship here, but you can lose one and we made sure we are deep in the hunt, and I couldn’t be prouder. I think we showed (today) what we can do in the Countdown.

“Matt and I had some time in the staging lanes (before the final round) and we just talked about what it takes to be there. He said the key is just focus. I just made sure I was focused on what I could do to get the best performance out of my car. (Now) we’re going to try to do what Tony Stewart Racing does best and that’s to keep winning.”

Torrence took down Buddy Hull, Antron Brown and his father, Billy, to pick up his sixth finals appearance this year and 87th in his career. He also remains in the thick of the championship hunt, trailing Pruett by only 13 points.

Hagan took command of the Funny Car class in impressive fashion over the past two races, winning his second straight event, this time defeating John Force in the final round on Sunday in Dallas with a run of 3.883 at 332.25 in his 11,000-horsepower American Rebel Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. It’s the sixth win this season and the 49th career victory for Hagan, who jumped from third to first in the points standings this weekend. He leads Bob Tasca III by 36 points and Robert Hight by 69 points after putting together a spectacular string of runs on Sunday at the Texas Motorplex.

While Ron Capps and Hight both lost in the first round, and Tasca fell a round later, Hagan knocked off Paul Lee, Terry Haddock and Tim Wilkerson to reach the finals, staying in the 3.80s throughout the day. Force smoked the tires early in the run as Hagan made another clean pass, sending him into the points lead and setting the stage for Pruett to deliver the nitro sweep for Tony Stewart Racing just a few minutes later.

“It’s a dogfight in Funny Car,” said Hagan, who is seeking his fourth career world championship. “It’s just that tough out there. My team put a great car under me and I’m just super proud of them. It takes tons of support to do what we’re doing and to win six races in a year, it’s incredible. It’s just so hard to do and it says a lot about what our team is doing and how great Tony Stewart is as a team owner.

“This was our opportunity to rise to the occasion and our team did that. The chances for Robert, Ron and Tasca going out early is pretty rare, so it was an unreal day for us. We did what we needed to do to turn on win lights. To double-up with this team at TSR, it’s just incredible. I’m really proud of the organization I drive for and there’s only more great things to come, I’m sure.”

Force advanced to the championship round for the second time this season and the 266th time overall thanks to victories against Jeff Diehl, Cruz Pedregon and J.R. Todd.

After a record-breaking weekend, it was only fitting that Gaige Herrera capped off his special weekend in Pro Stock Motorcycle with a victory, knocking off teammate Eddie Krawiec in the final round with a run of 6.644 at 203.30 on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. It was Herrera’s seventh straight run in the 6.60s this weekend at the Texas Motorplex, a streak that included Saturday’s record-breaking blast of 6.627 at 204.16. He followed with his ninth win of his magnificent 2023 season on Sunday, strengthening his points lead in the process.

He knocked off Blaine Hale, Chris Bostick and Hector Arana Jr. to reach the final round and then put together his quickest run of the day in the final round to beat Krawiec for a second straight race, again denying the multi-time world champ his 50th career win. Herrera now holds a 156-point lead over Krawiec and will have a chance to clinch his first career world championship in Las Vegas.

“A year can make a world of difference. I’m just here living the dream,” Herrera said. “This bike has been flying all weekend and this whole weekend has been cool. This is a special one right here and one I’ll never forget. It’s been this incredible what this Vance & Hines team has given me. My bike has been flying and it’s crazy how fast it is and how easy it has been to ride. It’s on a string right now.

“It’s been an incredible experience this weekend in Dallas. Getting the national record (on Saturday) and then the win, and doing it in front of all these great fans all weekend, it’s been amazing.”

Krawiec advanced to his third final round this year and 84th in his career by getting past Cory Reed, Matt Smith and Joey Gladstone.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action Oct. 26-29 with the NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

ENNIS, Texas — Final finish order (1-16) at the 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex. The race is the 19th of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL:

  1. Leah Pruett; 2. Steve Torrence; 3. Billy Torrence; 4. Clay Millican; 5. Mike Salinas; 6.

Antron Brown; 7. Spencer Massey; 8. Doug Kalitta; 9. Buddy Hull; 10. Doug Foley; 11. Justin Ashley; 12. Brittany Force; 13. Tony Schumacher; 14. Austin Prock; 15. Shawn Langdon; 16. Josh Hart.

FUNNY CAR:

  1. Matt Hagan; 2. John Force; 3. Tim Wilkerson; 4. J.R. Todd; 5. Cruz Pedregon; 6. Bob Tasca III; 7. Alex Laughlin; 8. Terry Haddock; 9. Chad Green; 10. Blake Alexander; 11. Robert Hight; 12. Jack Wyatt; 13. Paul Lee; 14. Alexis DeJoria; 15. Ron Capps; 16. Jeff Diehl.

PRO STOCK:

  1. Erica Enders; 2. Dallas Glenn; 3. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 4. Aaron Stanfield; 5. Greg Anderson; 6. Matt Hartford; 7. Cristian Cuadra; 8. Camrie Caruso; 9. Fernando Cuadra Jr.; 10. Chris McGaha; 11. Eric Latino; 12. Mason McGaha; 13. Kyle Koretsky; 14. Bo Butner; 15. Jerry Tucker; 16. Deric Kramer.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

  1. Gaige Herrera; 2. Eddie Krawiec; 3. Hector Arana Jr; 4. Joey Gladstone; 5. John Hall; 6.

Matt Smith; 7. Marc Ingwersen; 8. Chris Bostick; 9. Kelly Clontz; 10. Ryan Oehler; 11. Jianna Evaristo; 12. Malcolm Phillips Jr.; 13. Steve Johnson; 14. Cory Reed; 15. Blaine Hale; 16. Chase Van Sant.

ENNIS, Texas — Sunday’s final results from the 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex. The race is the 19th of 21 in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel — Leah Pruett, 3.684 seconds, 330.47 mph def. Steve Torrence, 3.662 seconds, 333.09 mph.

Funny Car — Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.883, 332.25 def. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 6.818, 94.02.

Pro Stock — Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.469, 211.55 def. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.493, 210.40.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.644, 203.30 def. Eddie Krawiec, Suzuki, 6.706, 202.56.

Top Alcohol Dragster — Julie Nataas, 5.129, 279.76 def. Kirk Wolf, 9.048, 88.36.

Top Alcohol Funny Car — Doug Gordon, Chevy Camaro, 5.414, 271.12 def. Jim Whiteley, Camaro, 6.226, 163.75.

Competition Eliminator — Jim Greenheck, Chevy Camaro, 7.163, 188.39 def. Shaun Vincent, Chevy S-10, 8.748, 118.66.

Super Stock — Tyler Wudarczyk, Chevy Camaro, 10.367, 126.89 def. Victor Penrod, Chevy Camaro, Foul – Red Light.

Stock Eliminator — Jerry Emmons, Chevy Camaro, 10.514, 113.36 def. Jimmy Hidalgo Jr., Pontiac GTO, 10.892, 107.05.

Super Comp — Michael Holcombe, Dragster, 8.915, 173.22 def. Dave Long, Dragster, 8.924, 167.62.

Super Gas — Trevor Larson, Chevy Corvette, 9.928, 161.38 def. Steve Collier, Chevy Vega, 9.941, 160.59.

Super Street — Donnie Durenberger, Chevy Nova, 10.920, 146.44 def. Mark McCall, Pontiac Trans Am, 10.903, 144.76.

Top Sportsman — Curt Fredrich, Chevy Camaro, 6.523, 211.08 def. David Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.113, 232.20.

Top Dragster — Holden Laris, Dragster, 6.103, 205.62 def. Dane Ward, Dragster, Foul – Red Light.

Factory Stock Showdown — Lenny Lottig, Chevy Camaro, 7.628, 172.42 def. Doug Hamp, Camaro, 13.736, 77.99.

ENNIS, Texas — Final round-by-round results from the 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, the 19th of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE — Antron Brown, 3.682, 329.00 def. Austin Prock, 5.861, 132.99; Leah Pruett, 3.678, 333.90 def. Shawn Langdon, 9.241, 94.23; Billy Torrence, 3.664, 335.42 def. Tony Schumacher, 5.326, 133.84; Spencer Massey, 3.719, 327.58 def. Brittany Force, 4.676, 156.30; Doug Kalitta, 3.689, 329.74 def. Josh Hart, 9.918, 58.18; Steve Torrence, 3.664, 333.21 def. Buddy Hull, 3.739, 324.42; Mike Salinas, 3.689, 335.77 def. Doug Foley, 3.773, 293.16; Clay Millican, 3.789, 269.53 def. Justin Ashley, 4.356, 197.29; QUARTERFINALS — Millican, 3.709, 333.43 def. Salinas, 3.669, 331.30; Pruett, 3.697, 331.52 def. Kalitta, 4.319, 174.45; B. Torrence, 3.713, 332.94 def. Massey, 3.752, 327.44; S. Torrence, 3.684, 333.19 def. Brown, 3.736, 311.76;

SEMIFINALS — Pruett, 3.681, 329.82 def. Millican, 5.325, 122.55; S. Torrence, 3.697, 333.88 def. B. Torrence, 3.715, 332.77;

FINAL — Pruett, 3.684, 330.47 def. S. Torrence, 3.662, 333.09.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE — Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 4.248, 239.34 def. Jack Wyatt, Dodge Charger, 4.840, 167.70; Terry Haddock, Mustang, 4.266, 298.73 def. Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 4.273, 288.68; John Force, Camaro, 3.839, 331.74 def. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Camry, 10.318, 89.19; Alex Laughlin, Charger, 4.237, 275.21 def. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 8.428, 85.81; Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.895, 318.88 def. Paul Lee, Charger, 5.014, 148.91; J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.882, 327.11 def. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 4.164, 237.60; Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.935, 332.10 def. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.939, 326.87; Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.416, 202.42 def. Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, 5.238, 209.17; QUARTERFINALS — Wilkerson, 3.866, 327.58 def. Tasca III, 3.921, 328.25; Force, 3.845, 327.68 def. Pedregon, 3.889, 328.59; Todd, 3.928, 327.03 def. Haddock, 5.920, 112.88; Hagan, 3.868, 331.30 def. Laughlin, 4.344, 255.77;

SEMIFINALS — Hagan, 3.875, 328.85 def. Wilkerson, 3.897, 328.95; Force, 4.711, 288.31 def. Todd, 6.830, 106.21;

FINAL — Hagan, 3.883, 332.25 def. Force, 6.818, 94.02.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE — Aaron Stanfield, Chevy Camaro, 6.503, 210.72 def. Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 7.191, 209.24; Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.509, 212.11 def. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Ford Mustang, 6.518, 211.56; Cristian Cuadra, Mustang, 6.508, 211.34 def. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 16.153, 51.88; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.492, 210.84 def. Bo Butner, Camaro, 8.331, 111.99; Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.526, 210.65 def. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, Foul – Red Light; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.467, 212.23 def. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.530, 210.95; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.481, 211.83 def. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.522, 211.53; Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.476, 212.56 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.530, 210.85; QUARTERFINALS — Glenn, 6.515, 209.29 def. Caruso, 6.536, 211.03; Stanfield, 6.498, 210.50 def. Anderson, 6.488, 210.69; Coughlin Jr., 6.501, 211.84 def. Hartford, 6.509, 210.74; Enders, 6.473, 211.74 def. C. Cuadra, 6.511, 211.33;

SEMIFINALS — Glenn, 6.500, 210.40 def. Stanfield, Broke; Enders, 6.476, 211.88 def. Coughlin Jr., 6.843, 164.08;

FINAL — Enders, 6.469, 211.55 def. Glenn, 6.493, 210.40.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

ROUND ONE — Chris Bostick, 6.851, 194.95 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.051, 166.45; Marc Ingwersen, 6.800, 197.74 def. Jianna Evaristo, Suzuki, 6.972, 163.86; Matt Smith, Suzuki, 6.845, 198.55 def. Ryan Oehler, 6.868, 187.60; Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.725, 203.48 def. Malcolm Phillips Jr., Suzuki, 7.008, 186.76; John Hall, 6.804, 199.06 def. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, Broke – No Show; Joey Gladstone, Buell, 6.738, 197.50 def. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.763, 199.12; Eddie Krawiec, Suzuki, 6.853, 201.67 def. Cory Reed, Suzuki, 7.138, 167.81; Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.657, 202.65 def. Blaine Hale, Suzuki,

7.262, 186.57;

QUARTERFINALS — Gladstone, 6.766, 200.30 def. Ingwersen, Foul – Red Light; Krawiec,

6.731, 201.05 def. Smith, 6.857, 197.75; Arana Jr, 6.779, 199.99 def. Hall, Foul – Red Light; Herrera, 6.656, 204.01 def. Bostick, Foul – Red Light;

SEMIFINALS — Krawiec, 6.692, 203.88 def. Gladstone, 6.814, 195.10; Herrera, 6.661, 203.49 def. Arana Jr, 6.734, 199.40;

FINAL — Herrera, 6.644, 203.30 def. Krawiec, 6.706, 202.56.

ENNIS, Texas — Point standings (top 10) following the 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, the 19th of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series –

Top Fuel

  1. Leah Pruett, 2,414; 2. Doug Kalitta, 2,410; 3. Steve Torrence, 2,401; 4. Justin Ashley, 2,306; 5. Antron Brown, 2,304; 6. Mike Salinas, 2,283; 7. Clay Millican, 2,270; 8. Brittany Force, 2,249; 9. (tie) Austin Prock, 2,195; Tony Schumacher, 2,195.

Funny Car

  1. Matt Hagan, 2,461; 2. Bob Tasca III, 2,425; 3. Robert Hight, 2,392; 4. Ron Capps, 2,362; 5. John Force, 2,263; 6. J.R. Todd, 2,249; 7. Chad Green, 2,240; 8. Tim Wilkerson, 2,236; 9. Alexis DeJoria, 2,196; 10. Alex Laughlin, 2,194.

Pro Stock

  1. Erica Enders, 2,454; 2. Greg Anderson, 2,369; 3. Dallas Glenn, 2,361; 4. Matt Hartford, 2,346; 5. Aaron Stanfield, 2,331; 6. Troy Coughlin Jr., 2,309; 7. Deric Kramer, 2,252; 8. Kyle Koretsky, 2,219; 9. Camrie Caruso, 2,205; 10. Cristian Cuadra, 2,188.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

  1. Gaige Herrera, 2,560; 2. Eddie Krawiec, 2,404; 3. Matt Smith, 2,386; 4. Hector Arana Jr,

2,381; 5. Chase Van Sant, 2,254; 6. Angie Smith, 2,203; 7. Jianna Evaristo, 2,202; 8. Marc

Ingwersen, 2,190; 9. Steve Johnson, 2,171; 10. Kelly Clontz, 2,156.

A 1935 SS One Airline Saloon Is Concours d’Elegance Best in Show at 2023 Chattanooga Motorcar Festival Sponsored by Millennium Bank

By
Official Release
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Best in Show went to the 1935 SS One Airline Saloon, owned by Lisa and Jim Hendrix, of Chesterfield, Missouri. (Chattanooga Motorcar Festival image)

Fourth annual Festival draws fans, celebrities, significant cars and Targa Sixty Six Track Action at Pace Grand Prix at the Bend

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (October 16, 2023) – The 1935 SS One Airline Saloon, owned by Lisa and Jim Hendrix, of Chesterfield, Missouri, took Best in Show honors in the Concours d’Elegance Sunday at the 2023 Chattanooga Motorcar Festival Sponsored by Millennium Bank.

This fourth annual event in the Scenic City also featured Brian Redman’s Targa Sixty Six high-speed track action at the Pace Grand Prix at The Bend (named for the late Jim Pace, one of the event’s original organizers), plus panel discussions on subjects ranging from barn finds to the voices of Pixar’s ‘CARS’ movies to Porsche’s 75th anniversary.

A concert by The B-52s, a Gathering of the Greats – Porsche Edition, along with Luftgekühlt’s collection of Air-Cooled Porsches, a tribute to race-car driver Brian Redman, and a display of rare Ferraris at the Westin Chattanooga in West Village overloaded the senses at the Festival, benefitting Neuroscience Center at CHI Memorial and the Neuroscience Innovation Foundation of Chattanooga.

Sixty race cars in four classes took to the under-two-mile race course in the area known as The Bend. The groups included modern race cars, historic race cars and the Ragtime Racers – automobiles from the 1920s and earlier, led by local car collector and businessman Corky Coker.

Famed car drifter Adam LZ performed tire-smoking drifting demonstrations on the circuit in a 2023 RTR Spec 5 Ford Mustang, while competition on a SimCraft Pro Racing Simulator took place, pitting media and fans against time set by Adam LZ, which helped raise funds for the event’s beneficiaries.

The J Willard Marriott Jr. Ferrari Club was unveiled, providing an area in West Village to showcase collector Ferraris at future events.

Celebrities who took part in appearances, panel discussion and interviews included Grand Marshal Luigi Chinetti Jr., Grand Ambassador Brian Redman, Grand Marshal Emeriti Corky Coker and Lyn St. James, Justin Bell, Tommy Kendall, Chip Foose, Linda Vaughn, Wayne Carini, Patrick Long, David Hobbs, Donald Osborne, and even NASCAR racer Kyle Petty was sighted.

Kevin Cogan was recognized as the Honored Collector, and musician John Oates received the Chairman’s Award from event founder Byron DeFoor.

“Everyone connected to the Festival did an outstanding job,” continued DeFoor, “and I thank everyone who brought their valuable cars, both for the Pace Grand Prix at The Bend and for the Concours d’Elegance. We are proud to share the proceeds of this event with Neuroscience Center at CHI Memorial and the Neuroscience Innovation Foundation of Chattanooga.”

We interviewed some of the key participants in this year’s event:

Musician John Oates, Nashville, Tenn.: “I was here two years ago and it was much smaller. It’s considerably bigger this year, but still with a kind of small town feel, which I really like. It feels very comfortable to walk around. Everyone is very friendly and chill, which is really nice too. And I love the way the cars and the various car classes are laid out around the town [during the Concours]. It gives you a chance to walk by restaurants and have everything happening at the same time, which I think is really cool. The new stage layout is great. As a performer, I focused on that immediately. Byron DeFoor, Ember Souchet and the team have gone out of their way to make it very easy. All in all, it’s a great event and I’m happy to be here.”

ON RECEIVING THE CHAIRMAN’S AWARD: “I’m deeply honored to have received this award. I’m happy and proud to be part of the current and future Chattanooga Motorcar Festival – wonderful people, a friendly and high-level automotive experience for everyone.”

James Redman, Director, Brian Redman’s Targa Sixty Six, Vero Beach, Fla.: “We were honored to be a part of this amazing event. With a race track just a mile away from downtown Chattanooga and the West Village, Targa drivers took to the track to get folks excited about the cars. Targa gave the huge crowd a chance to see cool cars being driven at speed. Lots of noise, wheel-to-wheel action and the opportunity to get up close to the cars and drivers. Adam LZ and the Ragtime Racers were great additions to action on the track, bringing together opposite sides of the motorsports world.”

Jeffrey Goldstein, owner of a 1932 Ford Roadster Hot Rod, Warwick, R.I.: “I feel that it’s very organized, very well run, and very well marketed. There’s nothing about this visit that hasn’t been good. The drive down from Rhode Island was 16 hours. That was a little challenging, because we trailered our car, but other than that, this is great. What is really exceptional are the people around here. Everybody’s been so friendly and that’s the definition of Southern hospitality. I can see it in all the people that we’ve met, from the bartenders to the people at the hotel. It’s really, really been lovely.”

Corky Coker, car collector, local businessman, Chattanooga, Tenn.: “The Pace Grand Prix at The Bend is an amazing track. It’s a little less than two miles, with lots of curves. It’s a smoother track this year, and we can keep the track hot all day long instead of having to interrupt action in order to get people across the track. Lots of people out there. The cars are amazing and, besides, I beat Byron DeFoor in his ’31 Chrysler with my blower Bentley. Good.”

Luigi Chinetti Jr., Grand Marshal, Florida/Canada: “The Chattanooga Motorcar Festival is really pretty nice because you don’t have to walk far to see great stuff. There are nice restaurants and the people are spectacular. Everybody from the hotel to the restaurants, everybody’s outgoing. Having everything close by is just wonderful. The organizers did a great job. Everybody on the street, and the vendors are all so friendly. I am honored to have been this year’s Grand Marshal.”

Cannon Bailey, son of Porsche racer Bob Bailey, driver of a 1971 Porsche 914-6 GT, Lake George, N.Y.: “It’s a replica of the car my father drove at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1971. It was really fun to drive it on the Pace Grand Prix at The Bend and under the old steel structure of the factory (Alley of the Greats). It’s a fun track. It was nice and flowy and fun to drive. There were a lot of great cars out there.”

Chip Foose, founder of Foose Design, automobile designer/artist, Huntington Beach, Calif.: “First of all, the people are fantastic. We’ve had a wonderful time. This is our second year and it’s amazing how much the show has grown this year. I can’t wait to see what the future for this show is, but there’s something for everybody here and it’s a family event, which is fantastic. It’s wonderful to see the kids at the race track because if we don’t teach children about the history of automobiles, we won’t have a future for it. This show is doing that for us, which is fantastic, and I have to applaud Byron [DeFoor] and his team for everything that they’re doing and it’s a pleasure and an honor to be here.”

Patrick Long, race-car driver and creator of Luftgekühlt, Manhattan Beach, Calif.: “I love it. I love the central location of the Westin and the camaraderie amongst the legends and the enthusiasts. It feels sort of like a Tennessee Amelia Island. Byron’s energy and passion is infectious, and I think that that really guides the light of this event and I can’t wait to be back. Luftgekühlt was amazing. The people who came out with their Porsches have been waiting for a lift in this part of the neighborhood. We call it a gathering. It’s sort of a pop-up, an appetizer plate of what we do on a grander scale, and it’s been great to sort of shine some light for the Porsche enthusiasts on what Chattanooga and the Festival is all about.”

Jay Ward, Creative Director for Franchise at Pixar Animation Studio, Emeryville, Calif.: “Fantastic event. I’ve had a blast. What I really love is that it’s all in one place. You can kind of see everything, except for going to the track in a golf cart. All the cars are right here [in West Village]. They’re all within walking distance, and it has a great vibe that this is happening right downtown, not at some resort or golf course, but literally downtown Chattanooga. It’s been a blast.”

Adam LZ, drift racer, 2023 RTR Spec 5 D Ford Mustang, Orlando, Fla., after his drifting demo: “That was super cool. The track was definitely a little more narrow than I thought. I usually don’t have fun solo driving, but I had a blast.”

About Chattanooga Motorcar Festival, Sponsored by Millennium Bank:
Proceeds from the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival Sponsored by Millennium Bank, support neuroscience research through Fifty Plus Foundation, Inc. Approaching 13 years of supporting Alzheimer’s and neuroscience research, Fifty Plus Foundation created the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival to bring both local and global support to back research that is already making a difference in saving lives. Learn more at chattanoogamotorcar.com.

About Millennium Bank:
Millennium Bank was founded on June 21, 1999 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Millennium Bank is dedicated to providing a personalized, community-oriented approach to personal and business banking in Chattanooga, as well as Lake City, Gainesville and Ocala, Fla. Millennium is locally owned and operates nine branches in Tennessee and Florida. For more information, visit https://www.millenniumbank.com/.

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