Burton Finishes 20th at Las Vegas

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October 16, 2023

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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Official Release

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October 16, 2023

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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October 16, 2023

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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Official Release

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October 16, 2023

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:

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:

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:

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:

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

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

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

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

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

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Official Release

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October 16, 2023

A 1935 SS One Airline Saloon Is Concours d'Elegance Best in Show in Chattanooga — 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/.

How Digitalization Transforms The F1 World This 2023

By

SM

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October 16, 2023

Formula One (F1) is one of the most widely known technology-driven sports. Teams have been using digital solutions instead of mechanical technologies since the mid-1980s. In today’s digital age, they’re starting to get more data-directed.

Besides data analytics, recent cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and extended reality (XR), are continuously improving F1 car designs, race performances, and fan experiences these days.

To give you a glimpse, here’s how digitalization is transforming the F1 world in 2023.

Improved F1 Betting

Digitalization has had a significant impact on the betting experience for F1 enthusiasts. It primarily allows instantaneous data transmission, providing up-to-the-minute information on various aspects of the race, including lap times, driver positions, and weather conditions.

This real-time data is invaluable for bettors to make informed decisions. It helps provide advanced analytics and statistics related to F1. This includes historical performance data, driver and team statistics, and detailed track information. Analyzing this data can help bettors make more informed decisions when placing bets.

Better and Wider Betting Markets

Several digital platforms like FanDuel Sportsbook enable fans to engage in live betting. This means placing bets while the race is in progress. This dynamic betting option adds extra excitement and strategy for fans, as they can react to unfolding events in real-time.

They also often include interactive content like live streams, race commentaries, and graphics. This immersive experience engages bettors and provides additional context for betting decisions.

Many digital platforms offer more diverse betting markets than picking the race winner. Bettors can wager on various aspects of the race, such as fastest lap, podium finishes, head-to-head matchups, and more. This increased variety of options adds depth to the betting experience.

Computational Fluid Dynamics

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) plays a crucial role in F1. It’s a simulation technique used to analyze and predict the behavior of fluids interacting with solid surfaces, like the aerodynamic surfaces of an F1 car.

The following are some of the ways CFD is applied in F1:

Aerodynamic Design and Optimization – CFD is instrumental in designing and refining the aerodynamics of an F1 car. Engineers use CFD simulations to understand how air flows around the car’s body, wings, and other aerodynamic components. This allows them to optimize the car’s shape for maximum downforce and minimum drag, which are critical for performance.

Wind Tunnel Validation – CFD is often used with wind tunnel testing. CFD simulations provide a preliminary understanding of aerodynamic behavior, and wind tunnel testing is used to validate and fine-tune these results in a physical environment.

Dynamic Simulation – CFD isn’t limited to static conditions. It can simulate airflow over a moving car, considering factors like yaw, pitch, and roll. This is important because the dynamics of airflow change as the car moves and changes direction.

Tire Wake Analysis – Understanding the airflow patterns around the tires is crucial for optimizing the car’s aerodynamic performance. CFD helps analyze the complex flow interactions between the rotating tires and the surrounding air.

Virtual Testing and Iteration: CFD enables teams to perform many virtual tests and iterations before building physical prototypes. This significantly accelerates the development process and saves resources.

Digital Twin

In F1, a “digital twin” is a virtual, computer-generated representation of a physical F1 car or its components. This digital replica is created using advanced modeling and simulation techniques, and it is designed to mimic the behavior and characteristics of the actual vehicle in real-world conditions.

They’re mainly used for performance monitoring and analysis. Engineers and teams use digital twins to monitor the performance of the actual car during races or testing sessions. They can analyze data from the digital twin to gain insights into how the car behaves on the track.

By analyzing the data from the digital twin, teams can predict when specific components might need maintenance or replacement. This helps in proactive maintenance planning to ensure optimal performance.

They’re also used to create virtual training environments for drivers. This allows them to practice on virtual versions of actual tracks and get a feel for the handling and behavior of the car.

Advanced-Data Analytics and Telemetry

Telemetry allows teams to collect and analyze data from sensors on the car in real time. It provides teams with detailed insights into how different setups affect performance. This helps make precise adjustments to the car’s configuration, ensuring it is optimized for each race track and set of conditions.

It also monitors various physiological parameters of the driver, such as heart rate and body temperature. This information is vital for ensuring the well-being and performance of the driver during races.

Some teams and broadcasters also share telemetry data with fans, offering them a deeper insight into the intricacies of the race. This enhances the overall viewing experience and engagement with the sport.

Final Thoughts

Digitalization is integral to F1’s evolution. It allows teams to push the boundaries of performance, safety, and efficiency. It also enhances the experience for fans, making the sport more accessible and engaging.

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America NHRA Texas Post-Race Report – 10.15.23

By

Official Release

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October 15, 2023

STEVE TORRENCE FINISHES SECOND IN HOME RACE
Father Billy reaches semifinals in Top Fuel; J.R. Todd semifinalist in Funny Car

ENNIS, Texas (October 15, 2023) – Steve Torrence came up just short of a third Texas FallNationals victory this afternoon at Texas Motorplex, his home race. The Texas native lost on a holeshot run by Leah Pruett in the Top Fuel finals Sunday afternoon. Torrence’s run to the finals included defeating his father, Billy, in the semifinals by a mere 0.018 seconds. Antron Brown and Doug Kalitta were the other Toyota Top Fuel racers to advance past the first round.

In Funny Car, Kalitta Motorsport’s J.R. Todd led the charge for Toyota by taking his DHL GR Supra to the semifinals. This was Todd’s fifth semifinals appearance of the season and his first since Indianapolis last month where he reached the Funny Car finals. His Team Toyota teammates, Ron Capps and Alexis DeJoria, were eliminated in the first round.

With two races remaining in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship, Kalitta is now second in the Top Fuel standings, followed by Torrence (third), Justin Ashley (fourth) and Brown (fifth). In Funny Car, Capps sits in fourth, Todd is sixth and DeJoria is ninth as the series shifts to the Nevada Nationals at Las Vegas in two weeks.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
Texas NHRA Fall Nationals
Texas Motorplex
Race 19 of 21

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Steve Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Finalist	W 3.664 vs. B. Hull (3.739) W 3.684 vs. A. Brown (3.736) W 3.697 vs. B. Torrence (3.715) L 3.662 vs. L. Pruett (3.684- Holeshot win)
Billy Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Semi-finals	W 3.664 vs. T. Schumacher (5.326) W 3.713 vs. S. Massey (3.752) L 3.715 vs. S. Torrence (3.697)
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Second Round	W 3.682 vs. A. Prock (5.861) L 3.736 vs. S. Torrence (3.684)
Doug Kalitta	Mobil 1 Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Second Round	W 3.689 vs. J. Hart (9.918) L 4.319 vs. L Pruett (3.697)
Justin Ashley	Leatherwood Distillery Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	First Round	L 4.356 vs. C. Millican (3,789)
Shawn Langdon	Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	First Round	L No Run vs. L. Pruett (3.678)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Semi-finals	W 3.882 vs. B. Alexander (4.164) W 3.928v s. T. Haddock (5.920) L 6.830 vs. J. Force (4.711)
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	First Round	L 5.238 vs. T. Wilkerson (4.416)
Ron Capps	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	First Round	L 8.428 vs. A. Laughlin (4.237)

TOYOTA QUOTES

STEVE TORRENCE, Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Torrence Racing

TF Final Result: Finalist

How would you describe your day and weekend overall?

“Well, bottom line is we wound up on the wrong end of a really good drag race. That’s the bad news. The good news is, we’re taking a bad ass race car to Las Vegas and Pomona for these last two races of the Countdown. I think we’re peaking at the very best time to win a championship. We know the game, it’s all about the last six races. Now, it’s about the last two. So, we’ll polish everything up and head out west. One round separates the three of us – me, Leah (Pruett) and Doug (Kalitta), so it all comes down to a two-race shootout and I wouldn’t want to go into it with anybody but these bad-to-the-bone Capco Contractors boys.”

J.R. TODD, DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Kalitta Motorsports

FC Final Result: Semi-finals

Take us through your day and run there in the semi-finals.

“It was a good day overall going rounds and getting to the later rounds – that’s always the key. We were pretty tuned up there for the semifinals against (John) Force because that car’s been really good all weekend. We figured we had to make a really strong run against them, and we both went up there and threw up. I just hate it when I feel like I could have done a better job pedaling the car. I just hate to give those away. This is definitely the best race we’ve had in a long time. We qualified really well and made our best run there in the fourth qualifying session – it was the best run we’d made in a really long time. That definitely shows some promise going into the last two races of the year. The guys are working really hard for DHL, Revchem, SealMaster and Toyota and not giving up. We’re doing all we can to go out here, run hard and finish strong.”

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).

Larson clinches Championship 4 berth with dramatic Cup victory at Las Vegas

By

Andrew Kim

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October 15, 2023

5 David Myers — Photo by David Myers for SpeedwayMedia.com.

A year after having his championship hopes evaporated just past the midway section of the Playoffs, Kyle Larson stapled his name back into the Championship 4 round after capping off a dominant performance by fending off a late charge from Christopher Bell to win the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, October 15.

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion from Elk Grove, California, led seven times for a race-high 133 of 267 scheduled laps in an event where he started on the front row and quickly made his presence at the front known, beginning on the third lap. After sweeping both stage periods while dodging a near-catastrophic moment by getting loose and nearly hitting the outside wall just past the halfway mark, Larson withstood two late caution periods to muscle away from Brad Keselowski and the field during the final restart with 45 laps remaining.

Despite having Playoff rival and pole-sitter Christopher Bell gain ground on him in the closing laps, Larson managed to block and fend off Bell twice on the final lap entering the frontstretch to capture his fourth Cup Series victory of the 2023 season and punch his ticket to this year’s Championship 4 round at Phoenix Raceway as he will officially contend for the 2023 Cup championship.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Saturday, October 14, Playoff contender Christopher Bell notched his sixth Cup pole position of the 2023 season and the 10th of his career after posting a pole-winning lap at 186.335 mph in 28.980 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Playoff contender Kyle Larson, who posted the second-best qualifying lap at 186.271 mph in 28.990 seconds.

Prior to the event, Chase Elliott and Daniel Suarez dropped to the rear of the field in backup cars after both wrecked their primary cars separately during Saturday’s practice session.

When the green flag waved and the race started, Bell muscled ahead from the outside lane as he retained the lead through the first two turns ahead of Larson. With the field jostling for early spots amid two lanes through the backstretch, Bell proceeded to lead the first lap in his No. 20 Rheem Toyota TRD Camry while William Byron and Martin Truex Jr. challenged Larson for the runner-up spot.

Two laps later, Larson, who managed to fend off the early charges from teammate Byron and Truex, made his move beneath Bell in Turn 1 as he assumed the lead in his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, with Bell dropping to second place in front of Byron, Truex and Chris Buescher. Larson would proceed to lead by nearly four-tenths of a second over Bell through the first five laps while Truex and Byron continued to battle for third place in front of Buescher and Tyler Reddick.

Through the first 10 scheduled laps, Larson continued to lead by eight-tenths of a second over Bell followed by Truex, Buescher and Byron while Reddick, Kyle Busch, Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain and Ryan Blaney were in the top 10. Behind, Alex Bowman occupied 11th place in front of Aric Almirola, Denny Hamlin, rookie Ty Gibbs and Kevin Harvick while Joey Logano, Michael McDowell, Austin Dillon, Carson Hocevar and Erik Jones were running in the top 20.

Fifteen laps later, Larson retained the lead by three-tenths of a second over Bell while Truex, Buescher and Byron continued to run in the top five. With Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, Reddick, Bowman and Hamlin in the top 10, Ross Chastain was in 11th ahead of Almirola, Harvick, Wallace and Logano while Ty Gibbs, McDowell, Hocevar, Erik Jones and Brad Keselowski battled within the top 20. Meanwhile, AJ Allmendinger, winner of last weekend’s Cup event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, was in 21st ahead of Ty Dillon, Justin Haley, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Austin Cindric while Daniel Suarez was in 27th behind Austin Dillon. In addition, Chase Elliott was mired in 30th in between Harrison Burton and Ryan Preece while Chase Briscoe was in 32nd.

Within the Lap 30 mark, the first wave of green flag pit stops commenced as Austin Dillon pitted his No. 3 BetMGM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Shortly after, Kyle Larson surrendered the lead to pit along with Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs, McDowell, Erik Jones, Hocevar, Haley, Allmendinger, Suarez, Cindric, Harrison Burton, Buescher, Blaney, Byron, Hamlin, Chastain, Reddick, Almirola, Harvick, Logano and Wallace. Amid the pit stops, Chastain was penalized for speeding on pit road.

In the process of the green flag pit stops Bell reassumed the lead as he was leading by Lap 35 ahead of teammate Truex, Bowman, Stenhouse and Todd Gilliland while Elliott pitted. Third-place Bowman would pit on Lap 38 before Bell and Truex followed suit to pit their respective Joe Gibbs Racing entries. Once they pitted, Larson cycled back into the lead by Lap 40.

At the Lap 50 mark, Larson, who was navigating his way through lapped traffic, was leading by nearly two seconds over Bell followed by Truex, Blaney and Byron while Bowman, Kyle Busch, Hamlin, Buescher and Almirola were scored in the top 10. With seven of the remaining eight Playoff contenders running in the top 10 minus Bowman, Kyle Busch and Almirola, Reddick was the lone Playoff contender running outside of the top 10 as he was in 11th while Harvick, Logano, Keselowski and Ty Gibbs were running in the top 15.

Fourteen laps later, the event’s first caution flew when Erik Jones blew a right-rear tire in Turn 1 as he limped his No. 43 Allegiant Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 back to pit road with the tire carcass coming out just past the backstretch. By then, Larson was still leading by more than two seconds over Bell while Truex, Blaney and Byron were running in the top five. During the caution period, the lead lap field led by Larson returned to pit road for service. Following the pit stops and amid mixed strategies, Bell, who opted for two fresh tires, exited pit road first ahead of Larson, Reddick, Keselowski, Truex and Blaney.

With nine laps remaining in the first stage period, the race restarted under green. At the start, Bell and Larson dueled for the lead through the first two turns and they continued to duel dead even back through the frontstretch as the field behind fanned out while jostling for positions. During the following lap, Larson managed to rocket ahead of Bell to reassume the lead. Behind, Keselowski was in third ahead of Reddick while Kyle Busch, Truex and Blaney went three-wide while battling for fifth in front of Byron, Hamlin and Harvick. Amid the battles, Larson was leading by four-tenths of a second over Bell while third-place Keselowski trailed by nearly a second.

When the first stage period concluded on Lap 80, Larson notched his sixth Cup stage victory of the 2023 season. Bell settled in second followed by Keselowski, Reddick and Truex while Blaney, Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Harvick and Byron were scored in the top 10. By then, Playoff contender Buescher was mired in 16th while all but two of 36 starters were scored on the lead lap.

Under the stage break, nearly the entire lead lap field led by Larson returned to pit road for service while the rest led by Truex and including JJ Yeley and Brennan Poole remained on the track. Yeley and Poole would pit shortly after while Truex continued to remain on the track.

The second stage period started on Lap 86 as teammates Truex and Hamlin occupied the front row. At the start, Hamlin and Truex dueled for the lead as the field fanned out through the first two turns. Through the first two turns, Truex rocketed his No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota TRD Camry away from Hamlin, who was getting attacked by Keselowski as Bell and Ty Gibbs followed suit through the frontstretch. With Hamlin and Keselowski continuing to duel for the runner-up spot during the proceeding laps behind Truex, Bell retained fourth ahead of Ty Gibbs and Buescher while Larson made a three-wide move to overtake the latter two. By then, all eight Playoff contenders were running in the top 10 on the track while Keselowski and Ty Gibbs were the top two non-Playoff contenders racing in the top-10 mark. Amid the on-track battles towards the front, AJ Allmendinger was penalized for a restart violation.

Then on Lap 91, Hamlin made his move beneath teammate Truex through the frontstretch as he assumed the lead in his No. 11 Mavis Tries & Brakes Toyota TRD Camry. Another two laps later, Keselowski assumed the runner-up spot followed by a hard-charging Larson while Truex was locked in a heated battle with Buescher for fourth place. Buescher would prevail by Lap 94 as Truex was in the process of losing another spot to teammate Bell. By then, Hamlin was leading by half a second over Keselowski.

At the Lap 100 mark, Hamlin was leading by three-tenths of a second over Keselowski followed by a hard-charging Larson, who trailed by half a second, while Buescher, Bell, Blaney, Byron, Ty Gibbs, Kyle Busch and Reddick were running in the top 10. Meanwhile, Truex had dropped to 13th behind Logano and Bowman while Harvick and Chastain were in the top 15 followed by Wallace, Suarez, Almirola, Preece and Hocevar.

During the proceeding laps, a three-way battle for the lead ignited as Hamlin had both Keselowski and Larson closing in on him for the top spot through the turns and the straightaways. Despite being pressured by two former Cup Series champions, Hamlin maintained the top spot by and past the Lap 105 mark while Bell and Buescher were scored in the top five. Meanwhile, Truex was still mired in 13th ahead of Chastain and Harvick.

Then on Lap 111, the caution flew when Hocevar, coming off his announcement of graduating to the NASCAR Cup Series to drive for Spire Motorsports in 2024, blew a right-front tire and scraped the outside wall entering Turn 1 before he slid the No. 42 Sunseeker Resorts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 sideways and rammed into the wall again as Austin Cindric dodged him. During the caution period, the lead lap field led by Hamlin peeled off the track to pit road for service. Following the pit stops, Keselowski assumed the lead after exiting pit road first followed by Larson, Bell, Hamlin, Byron, Blaney and Buescher.

During the ensuing restart on Lap 117, Keselowski rocketed away from Larson from the inside lane through the frontstretch before Larson fought back and battled dead even against Keselowski from the outside lane through the first two turns and the backstretch. During the following lap, Keselowski managed to slide up and clear Larson as he retained the lead in his No. 6 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang while Bell trailed in third followed by Byron and Hamlin.

Just past the Lap 125 mark, Keselowski was leading by two-tenths of a second over Larson followed by Byron, Bell and Hamlin while Buescher, Blaney, Chastain, Kyle Busch and Bowman were racing in the top 10. By then, Truex was mired in 13th behind Reddick and Wallace as Harvick and Logano rounded out the top 15.

At the halfway mark between Laps 133 and 134, Keselowski retained the lead by six-tenths of a second over Larson while Byron, Bell, Hamlin, Buescher, Blaney, Chastain, Kyle Busch and Bowman were scored in the top 10. By then, Playoff contenders Truex and Reddick were back in 11th and 12th ahead of Wallace, Harvick and Logano while Almirola, Austin Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Austin Cindric and Ty Gibbs were in the top 20 followed by Suarez, McDowell, Haley, Corey LaJoie and Erik Jones. In addition, Elliott was mired in 29th place while racing a lap down.

Just past the Lap 140 mark, Larson, who was running in the runner-up spot, got loose entering the backstretch as he slid his car sideways and made light contact with the outside wall, but he managed to continue at full pace and remain on the track, though he lost spots from Bell, Byron and Hamlin. The caution, however, flew on Lap 145 when teammate Bowman got loose and wrecked his No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 off of Turn 4 before coming to a stop towards the low groove in Turn 1. During the caution period, the lead lap field led by Keselowski pitted for service. Following the pit stops and amid mixed strategies, Keselowski exited first amid a two-tire pit stop while Byron, Kyle Busch, Logano, Harvick, Larson, Bell and Hamlin followed suit.

With the race restarting under green on Lap 149, Keselowski and Byron dueled for the lead through the first two turns and the backstretch in front of Kyle Busch and Logano. With Larson making a three-wide move on both Kyle Busch and Logano while trying to make his way back to the front, Keselowski and Byron continued to duel dead even for the lead until Keselowski muscled ahead on the inside lane and through Turns 3 and 4, which occurred just prior to Lap 152.

A few laps later, Larson set his sights on Keselowski for the lead as Byron fell back to third while Chastain and Bell moved up into the top five. By Lap 155, Larson transitioned from the outside to the inside lane as he overtook Keselowski and reassumed the lead. Behind, Chastain overtook Byron for third while Hamlin occupied sixth in front of Logano, Harvick, Kyle Busch and Blaney. Chastain would proceed to overtake Keselowski for the runner-up spot another few laps later as he also started to gain ground on Larson for the lead.

When the second stage period concluded on Lap 165, Larson captured his seventh Cup stage victory of the 2023 season and second of the day after pulling away with an advantage of more than a second. Chastain settled in second in front of Bell, Hamlin and Keselowski while Byron, Kyle Busch, Blaney, Reddick and Wallace were scored in the top 10. By then, Playoff contenders Buescher and Truex were mired back in 15th and 20th, respectively, while 31 of 36 starters were scored on the lead lap.

During the stage break, the lead lap field led by Larson returned to pit road for service. Following the pit stops, Bell returned to the top of the leaderboard after barely exiting pit road first ahead of Chastain and Larson while Keselowski, Hamlin, McDowell and Byron followed suit.

With 96 laps remaining, the final stage period started as Bell and Chastain occupied the front row. At the start, Bell muscled ahead and retained the lead from the inside lane while Chastain and Keselowski battled for the runner-up spot in front of Larson, Keselowski and Byron. With Kyle Busch joining the battle, Bell maintained the lead ahead of a hard-charging Chastain while Keselowski maintained third in front of Larson and a side-by-side battle between Byron and Hamlin.

With 90 laps remaining, Bell retained the lead by half a second over Chastain as Keselowski and Larson gained ground on Chastain for the runner-up spot. Byron maintained fifth ahead of Hamlin while Kyle Busch, Blaney, Reddick and Logano were in the top 10. By then, Truex was down in 18th while Buescher was in 20th.

Fifteen laps later, Bell continued to lead by nearly half a second over Chastain followed by a side-by-side battle between Keselowski and Larson for third place while Hamlin occupied fifth ahead of Byron, Blaney, Kyle Busch, Reddick and Logano. By then, Truex and Buescher were still mired in 17th and 19th, respectively.

Another 15 laps later, Bell retained the lead by more than a second over Keselowski while Larson and Blaney were running third and fourth, respectively. Meanwhile, Chastain, who got loose and missed the racing groove entering the backstretch a few laps earlier, dropped to sixth as he was in between Hamlin and Byron while Kyle Busch, Logano and Ty Gibbs were in the top 10. By then, Reddick dropped to 11th, Truex was in 14th and Buescher was in 16th.

Another two laps later, the caution flew after Chase Briscoe ran up towards the outside wall in Turn 1 while battling AJ Allmendinger and barely clipped Stenhouse before he got sideways and spun his No. 14 Code 3 Associates Ford Mustang below the track in Turn 2. During the caution period, the lead lap field led by Bell pitted for service. Following the pit stops, Larson managed to edge both Keselowski and Bell off of pit road first as Chastain, Hamlin, Byron and Buescher followed suit.

With the race restarting with 52 laps remaining, Larson launched ahead of Keselowski from the inside lane as the field fanned out to three and four lanes through the backstretch. With the field stilling fanning out through the frontstretch, Larson retained the lead ahead of Keselowski and Bell while Chastain was in fourth ahead of Logano, Byron and Hamlin. The caution, however, quickly returned with 50 laps remaining after Ty Gibbs slid up and scraped the outside wall entering the backstretch, where he limped his No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota TRD Camry back to pit road, but lost his right front wheel in the process.

During the restart with 45 laps remaining, Keselowski and Larson briefly dueled for the lead before Larson rocketed ahead from the inside lane. As the field fanned out through the backstretch, Larson maintained the lead ahead of Keselowski and Bell while Byron charged in fourth ahead of Chastain and Reddick.

With 35 laps remaining, Larson extended his advantage to more than a second over Keselowski followed by Bell, Byron and Chastain while Kyle Busch, Reddick, Blaney, Logano and Hamlin were scored in the top 10. By then, Playoff contenders Buescher and Truex were scored in 12th and 14th, respectively.

Down to the final 20 laps of the event, Larson continued to lead by more than a second over Bell while Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Byron remained in the top five. By then, Truex and Buescher moved up to 11th and 12th while Chastain, Blaney, Reddick, Hamlin and Logano were scored in the top 10.

With 10 laps remaining, Larson, who navigated his way through lapped traffic, retained the lead by more than a second over Bell as Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Chastain were in the top five. Larson would maintain the lead by six-tenths of a second over a hard-charging Bell with five laps remaining while Keselowski trailed by nearly four seconds. As the laps dwindled, Larson’s advantage over Bell dwindled to four-tenths of a second as Bell used the outside lane to gain more ground on Larson for the lead.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Larson remained as the leader by four-tenths of a second over Bell. Through Turns 1 and 2, Bell used the outside lane to cut the deficit down to within two- and three-tenths of a second. After remaining behind Larson through the backstretch, Bell used the outside lane entering Turns 3 and 4 to get to Larson’s rear bumper as Larson went up the track to block him. Bell then tried to make a move to Larson’s outside through the frontstretch, but Larson again blocked Bell as he managed to keep Bell behind him and claim the checkered flag for the win by 0.082 seconds.

With the victory, Larson, who was eliminated from title contention following the Round of 12 one year ago, notched his fourth NASCAR Cup Series victory of the 2023 season, his 17th driving the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, his second at Las Vegas, his first since winning the Playoff opener at Darlington Raceway in September and the 23rd of his NASCAR premier series career. The victory was also the 10th of the season for Hendrick Motorsports and the 850th Cup Series career win for the Chevrolet nameplate.

Above all, Larson became the first Playoff contender to secure a spot for this year’s Championship 4 round at Phoenix Raceway which will occur three weeks time in early November as he will contend for his second Cup Series championship.

“I could see [Bell] coming in my mirror, for sure,” Larson said on NBC. “I was hoping those [lapped competitors] were gonna give me the bottom [lane]. [Todd Gilliland] peeled off to the bottom and I knew I couldn’t follow him. I just didn’t wanna go all the way to the top and leave the middle [lane] open, but thankfully, Christopher [Bell] has always raced us extremely clean. It could’ve got crazier than it did coming to the start/finish line. Thank you to him for racing with respect. What a job done by my team, too. Just a great race car. I almost gave it away there in [Turns] 1 and 2, getting sideways, getting in the wall. [I] Had to fight back from there with our balance. They got it much closer there with the lead. I was happy to pull away as much as we did, was hoping that was gonna be enough to maintain, which it was, but I thought they weren’t gonna be able to get as close as they did there at the end. Nerve-racking. This is really cool to get to go race for another championship here in a few weeks. Glad we don’t have to stress for these next two races.”

While Larson celebrated the victory and an early ticket to the championship finale with his family on the frontstretch, Bell was left disappointed on pit road after missing an early opportunity to secure a championship finale spot. With his runner-up result, Bell is currently ranked in fifth place in the Playoff standings and is two points below the top-four cutline approaching the upcoming two Round of 8 events.

“Man, I don’t know what else I could’ve done,” Bell said. “I don’t know. I feel like that was my moment, that was my moment to make the final four and didn’t quite capture it. Coming to the checkered there, I knew that he was gonna be blocking, so I’m like I’m gonna try and go high and he went high, but I don’t even know if I had a run to get by him there coming to the line. Just wasn’t enough, but a great day. A great day, for sure, to get those stage points and get a second-place finish out of it. I think I saw we’re minus two [from the cutline], so we’re not out of it by any means. It would’ve been nice to lock in.”

Amid the late battle for the victory, hometown hero Kyle Busch came home in third place followed by Keselowski and Chastain while Playoff contenders Blaney, Byron, Reddick, Truex and Hamlin finished in the top 10. Meanwhile, Buescher was the lone Playoff contender to finish outside the top 10 as he ended up in 11th place.

Following the post-race inspection process, however, Blaney was disqualified from his sixth-place finish due to the left-front shock from his No. 12 Team Penske Ford Mustang not meeting the overall specified length outlined in Section 14.11.3.5 from NASCAR’s Rule Book. As a result, he was relegated to last place in the 36-car field and stripped of his eight stage points he earned throughout the event, where he is now 56 points below the top-four cutline.

*On Monday, NASCAR rescinded the penalty and disqualification levied to Blaney and the No. 12 Team Penske Ford Mustang team due to an issue with the damper template used for inspection during the race weekend debrief and following a detailed investigation. As a result, Blaney was rewarded his sixth-place result and stage points accumulated during the event as he is now only 17 points below the cutline.

There were 20 lead changes for seven different leaders. The race featured seven cautions for 36 laps. In addition, 26 of 36 starters finished on the lead lap.

Results.

1. Kyle Larson, 133 laps led, Stage 1 & 2 winner

2. Christopher Bell, 61 laps led

3. Kyle Busch

4. Brad Keselowski, 38 laps led

5. Ross Chastain

6. Ryan Blaney

7. William Byron, one lap led

8. Tyler Reddick

9. Martin Truex Jr., nine laps led

10. Denny Hamlin, 23 laps led

11. Chris Buescher

12. Joey Logano

13. Bubba Wallace

14. Aric Almirola

15. Daniel Suarez

16. Kevin Harvick

17. Michael McDowell

18. Austin Dillon

19. Corey LaJoie

20. Harrison Burton

21. AJ Allmendinger

22. Justin Haley

23. Austin Cindric

24. Ty Dillon

25. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

26. Ryan Preece

27. Todd Gilliland, one lap down

28. Erik Jones, one lap down

29. JJ Yeley, one lap down, two laps led

30. Brennan Poole, one lap down

31. BJ McLeod, one lap down

32. Chase Elliott, one lap down

33. Chase Briscoe, four laps down

34. Ty Gibbs, eight laps down

35. Alex Bowman – OUT, Accident

36. Carson Hocevar – OUT, Accident

*Bold indicates Playoff contenders

Playoff standings

1. Kyle Larson – Advanced

2. William Byron +9

3. Martin Truex Jr. +2

4. Denny Hamlin +2

5. Christopher Bell -2

6. Tyler Reddick -16

7. Ryan Blaney -17

8. Chris Buescher -23

The second Round of 8 event in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is set to occur next Sunday, October 22, at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida. The event’s broadcast is slated to occur at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Stewart-Haas Racing: South Point 400 from Las Vegas

By

Official Release

-

October 15, 2023

STEWART-HAAS RACING
South Point 400

Date: Oct. 15, 2023
Event: South Point 400 (Round 33 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 267 laps, broken into three stages (80 laps/85 laps/102 laps)
Race Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

SHR Race Finish:

● Aric Almirola (Started 13th, Finished 14th / Running, completed 267 of 267 laps)
● Kevin Harvick (Started 24th, Finished 16th / Running, completed 267 of 267 laps)
● Ryan Preece (Started 32nd, Finished 26th / Running, completed 267 of 267 laps)
● Chase Briscoe (Started 17th, Finished 33rd / Running, completed 263 of 267 laps)

SHR Points:

● Kevin Harvick (14th with 2,144 points)
● Aric Almirola (22nd with 588 points)
● Ryan Preece (24th with 566 points)
● Chase Briscoe (30th with 453 points)

SHR Notes:

● Almirola earned his ninth top-15 of the season and his seventh top-15 in 21 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Las Vegas.
● The South Point 400 marked Harvick’s 28th career NASCAR Cup Series start at Las Vegas, the most all-time among NASCAR drivers.
● This was Harvick’s fifth straight finish of 16th or better at Las Vegas. He finished ninth in September 2021, 12th in the series’ two races at the track last year, and ninth in the series’ prior visit to the 1.5-mile oval in March.
● Harvick finished ninth in Stage 1 to earn two bonus points.

Race Notes:

● Kyle Larson won the South Point 400 to score his 23rd career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his fourth of the season and his second at Las Vegas. His margin over second-place Christopher Bell was .082 of a second.
● There were seven caution periods for a total of 36 laps.
● Twenty-six of the 36 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● This was the first race in the penultimate Round of 8 of the NASCAR Playoffs. Larson secured his spot in the Championship 4 via his win. William Byron, Martin Truex Jr., and Denny Hamlin are above the top-four cutline while Bell, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney and Chris Buescher are currently below the cutline with two races remaining before the final, winner-take-all Championship 4 Nov. 5 at Phoenix Raceway.

Sound Bites:

“It was a solid day for us. I’m happy with the effort. We ran top-15 all day. We honestly ran eighth to 15th all day. I know that’s not great, but, honestly, for where we’re at in our program, that’s a solid day for us. I’m proud of Drew (Blickensderfer, crew chief) and all the guys on the team. They’re working hard and keep on trying to find speed in our racecars. We’ll take that, learn from it and, hopefully, be better at Homestead.” – Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 IHOP Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the 4EVER 400 presented by Mobil 1 on Sunday, Oct. 22 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It is the eighth race of the 10-race NASCAR Playoffs and the second race in the Round of 8. The 4EVER 400 presented by Mobil 1 starts at 2:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

CHEVROLET NCS: Larson Takes the Win and Ticket to the Championship Four at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

By

Official Release

-

October 15, 2023

NASCAR CUP SERIES
LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
SOUTH POINT 400
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT
OCTOBER 15, 2023

Larson Takes the Win and Ticket to the Championship Four at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Team Chevy’s Kyle Larson claimed the first spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Four – driving his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 to a sweep of the stage wins and leading a race-high 133 laps en route to the victory in the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The win in the Round of Eight opening race marked Larson’s fourth NASCAR Cup Series win of the season, and his 23rd career win in 328 starts in NASCAR’s premier series.
Hendrick Motorsports swept the NASCAR Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this season, with Larson’s victory extending the Chevrolet organization’s win record to nine trips to victory lane at the track.
The victory marks Larson’s second time taking the win in the first race of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of Eight – last accomplished in his championship season (2021).
With 33 NASCAR Cup Series races complete, Chevrolet continues to led the series with 17 wins this season – more than its manufacturer competitors combined.
With his series-leading 19th top-10 finish this season, William Byron and the No. 24 Relay Payments Camaro ZL1 will enter the second race of the Round of Eight in the second position in the playoff standings.
With its 41 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Championships, and 850 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1
3rd Kyle Busch, No. 8 Morgan & Morgan Camaro ZL1
5th Ross Chastain, No. 1 Worldwide Express Camaro ZL1
7th William Byron, No. 24 Relay Payments Camaro ZL1

Race two of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of Eight will get underway at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the 4EVER 400 Presented by Mobil 1 on Sunday, October 22, at 2:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on the NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:

Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 – Race Winner

Kyle, it was a flawless, no-mistake day for the 5 team. A heck of a battle with Christopher Bell at the end of the race. Did the 20 surprise you there? Did you know he was coming that quickly?

“I could see him coming in my mirror, for sure. Was hoping those lappers were going to give me the bottom. The 38 peeled off to the bottom. I knew I couldn’t follow him. I just didn’t want to go all the way to the top, leave the middle open.

Thankfully, Christopher (Bell) always races extremely clean. Could have got crazier than it did coming to the start/finish line. Thank you to him for racing with respect there.

What a job done by my team, too. Just a great race car. I almost gave it away there in one and two, getting sideways, hitting into the wall. Had to fight back there with our balance. They got it much closer there in the lead.

I was happy to pull away as much as we did. Was hoping that was going to be enough to maintain, which it was. I thought they weren’t going to be able to get as close as they did there at the end. Nerve-wracking.

Thanks to Chevrolet, HendrickCars.com, Valvoline, everybody involved in this deal. This is really cool to get to race in the championship in a few weeks. Glad we don’t need to stress in the last two races.”

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Worldwide Express Camaro ZL1

Finished: 5th

“It feels good to be competitive – just be able to drive by cars. We were just a couple of adjustments away and we got it there late in Stage Two. We drove from 12th to second, and from there, just both sides of the balance – too loose for our No. 1 Worldwide Express Chevy, and then too tight there at the end. If we nailed it, balance-wise, I think we had a shot. We had a failure of some sort with something in the driveline or in the gear box. My restarts were definitely down on power in second and third gear, not sure. Once I would get to fourth and fifth (gear), I’d be OK, but you had to get there and I was getting swallowed up on some of those restarts.

It was a heck of a fight. We had speed early and come back to finish fifth.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Morgan & Morgan Camaro ZL1

Finished: 3rd

“It was a really good day, a solid day, for the No. 8 Morgan & Morgan Chevy team. Really appreciate Randall (Burnett, crew chief) and all the guys giving me a great piece when we unloaded here. We qualified up front and ran top-10 all day. Our weak spots are just restarts. I just get into bad spots and lose spots at times and can’t get my way forward, like a couple of other guys can do a better job at doing that. But overall, just really pleased with the day. We made adjustments all day long. We rallied forward all day and there at the end, we were really good.”

William Byron, No. 24 Relay Payments Camaro ZL1

Finished: 7th

“We definitely need to just work on our build and how we build loose, but our No. 24 Relay Payments Chevrolet was solid. The points are a lot tighter than we would want them to be, so we just have to have two good weeks, and hopefully go to Homestead (Miami Speedway) and have a little bit better long run speed. But overall, happy with our execution. We kind of made the most out of what we had. I think at the beginning of the race, we were hovering around sixth to eighth, and we were able to finish there. Wish we could have gotten a little more stage points, but we’ll take it.”

Carson Hocevar, No. 42 Sunseeker Resorts Camaro ZL1

Sidelined by damage sustained from contact with the wall following a tire failure.

Finished: 36th

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. I’m looking forward to Martinsville (Speedway) with this No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Chevy team. Hopefully we’ll have a good run there. Both of our cars were fast, it’s just unfortunate.”

With all the struggles yesterday with tires, was there any concern that this would be an issue today?

“I mean there was a little bit. Just tough to come down pit road when you’re not 100 percent sure. I wish I just did, but it’s part of it.”

Did you have any indication before it happened?

“I wasn’t going forward. I kind of had a small vibration, but it was just a tough spot to come down pit road there and lose a lap or two. Wish maybe I would have taken the risk a little bit more, but our car was really fast and that’s all we can say.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Camaro ZL1

Finished: 28th

“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.”

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1

Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage Two.

Finished: 35th

Was the car getting tight, or was it a tire going down?

“I don’t really know one way or another for sure. We were really tight before that, so I want to say it was a slow leak on the tire or something two laps prior to that. And then all of a sudden, it swung a little loose, and when I entered the corner, I didn’t even have a chance to save it. I hate that for everybody at Hendrick Motorsports and the whole No. 48 Ally team. We had a really fast Chevy Camaro and our teammates have been really fast, as well.

I don’t know.. I’m not really a guy that spins out by himself, but maybe it just got away from me. It’s hard to say without looking at the car yet. It’s a bummer. The steering was also broke, so I’m glad nobody hit me. I was trying to go straight down the front straightaway with a wrecked race car that didn’t want to go straight. I hate it for all the guys, but it’s the way it goes sometimes.”

TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES:

STAGE ONE:

· Team Chevy playoff driver Kyle Larson posted a top-two qualifying effort in his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – leading the NASCAR Cup Series to the green-flag from a front-row starting position to start the Round of Eight.

· Larson quickly made a pass for the lead on lap three, pulling away to a half-second lead over playoff contender Christopher Bell. Midway through the first run of Stage One, Larson reported to the No. 5 Chevrolet team that he was happy with the ride quality of his Camaro ZL1, but struggling with loose driving conditions. Continuing under green-flag conditions, Larson asked the team for a big adjustment as the field approached the race’s first round of pit stops.

· Losing the lead on lap 29, Larson made just a handful of laps before crew chief Cliff Daniels called Larson to pit road to open the green-flag pit cycle – taking four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. As the field cycled through the first round of pit stops, Larson reclaimed the top position on lap 42.

· Looking for feedback following the first round of adjustments, Larson reported that he was still on the loose side in clean air, but he was able to use his front tires more. Navigating his way through traffic, Larson built a 2.5-second lead over runner-up Bell when the caution came out on lap 65.

· Assuring Larson that more adjusts were on the way to help combat the loose handling of his Camaro ZL1, Daniels opted to pit under the caution – calling for four tires, fuel and another round of adjustments. With Bell utilizing a two-tire pit strategy, Larson was the second car off pit road to take a front-row position for the restart with nine laps to go in the stage.

· Taking the green-flag, it was a drag race with Bell for the lead, but Larson was able to capitalize on four fresh tires to reclaim the top position with eight laps to go in the stage. Larson drove away to a 0.525 second lead before taking the green-white checkered flag to end Stage One – recording his sixth stage win of the season.

· Team Chevy Stage One: Top-10

1st Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1
7th Kyle Busch, No. 8 Morgan & Morgan Camaro ZL1
9th William Byron, No. 24 Relay Payments Camaro ZL1

STAGE TWO:

· Under the stage break, Larson brought his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 to pit road. Utilizing the stop for another round of adjustments to help improve the handling of his car, Larson was the seventh car off pit road for the start of Stage Two.

· Less than 15 laps into the stage, Larson re-entered the top-five of the running order. As the leaders approached traffic, the Team Chevy driver had made his way into the third position – progressively closing the gap to the leaders when a caution came out on lap 111.

· The majority of the field came to pit road for another round of pit stops under the caution. Pitting from the third position, the No. 5 Chevrolet team pit crew powered off a quick four-tire and fuel stop – picking up one position in the race off pit road to take a front-row position for the restart.

· Choosing the top lane for the restart, Larson raced side-by-side with Brad Keselowski before settling into the second position nearing the halfway point of Stage Two. While closing in on the race leader, Larson made contact with the wall in turn two, but was reassured by Daniels that the car sustained minimal damage.

· Under caution on lap 146, the field hit pit road for another round of pit stops. While all competitors in front of Larson utilized a two-tire strategy, Daniels opted to make a four-tire stop on the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 – taking the sixth position for the restart with 16 laps to go in the stage.

· With a fresh set of tires, Larson was able to quickly maneuver to the front of the pack – ultimately taking the lead with 11 laps to go in the stage en route to a sweep of the stage wins by the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 team. Larson lead Chevrolet to four top-10 finishes in Stage Two:

1st Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1
2nd Ross Chastain, No. 1 Worldwide Express Camaro ZL1
6th William Byron, No. 24 Relay Payments Camaro ZL1
7th Kyle Busch, No. 8 Morgan & Morgan Camaro ZL1

FINAL STAGE / POST-RACE NOTES:

· Looking to tighten up Larson’s Camaro ZL1 following contact with the wall in Stage Two, Daniel’s called for four tires, fuel and a round of adjustments under the stage break. The No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 lined up in the third position as the green-flag waved for the final stage.

· Larson settled into the third position in the opening laps of the final stage when another caution flew on lap 210. Under the caution period, the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1 pit crew executed a strong four-tire and fuel stop – gaining Larson two positions on pit road to put the team back to the top position with 52 laps to go in the race.

· Larson continued to pace the field for the remainder of race – taking the checkered flag for the team’s fourth win of the season and a ticket into 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.

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