Carson Hocevar, No. 42 Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
START: 38TH FINISH: 36TH OWNERS POINTS: 32ND
Post-Race Thoughts: Hocevar on the accident that ended his day early during the final stage at Talladega Superspeedway:
“I don’t fault Brad (Keselowski) at all. When you’re in the top lane, you have to push. You have to start building momentum. You have to start creating forward energy. It’s just a tough spot. I wasn’t that good of a leader, so I was just trying to learn. I talked to Brad after the wreck – I was just in a tough spot.”
“I had a lot of fun. Thank you to LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, Sunseeker Resorts, everybody who allows me to drive this car. It’s just good to get experience. Rather it’s 20 laps short or not, I still had lot of fun. I felt like I was a lot better pusher. When I was leading, I need to do my homework a little bit for the next time I get to drive this car at superspeedway. It’s nice to have some laps and a little bit of confidence. I started 38th and I got to see a lot. I felt like we were moving forward there a little bit and just inching to get ourselves in a good spot there at the end. It just didn’t work out this time.”
Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
START: 26TH FINISH: 27TH DRIVER POINTS: 27TH
Erik Jones’ Post-Race Thoughts: “Just not a good day for the No. 43 Allegiant Chevy team. We weren’t up front and where we needed to be, and it just didn’t work out there at the end. We’ll regroup and get ready for the Charlotte ROVAL.”
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.
Date: Oct. 1, 2023 Event: YellaWood 500 (Round 31 of 36) Series: NASCAR Cup Series Location: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway Format: 188 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/68 laps) Race Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford) Stage 1 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford) Stage 2 Winner: Brad Keselowski of RFK Racing (Ford)
SHR Race Finish:
● Kevin Harvick (Started 11th, Finished 2nd / Running, completed 188 of 188 laps)
● Ryan Preece (Started 19th, Finished 9th / Running, completed 188 of 188 laps)
● Harvick’s runner-up result equaled his best finish so far this season. His also finished second May 14 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
● Harvick earned his seventh top-five and 14th top-10 of the season. It was his ninth top-five and 20th top-10 in 46 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega.
● This was Harvick’s second straight top-10. He finished sixth last Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.
● Harvick’s 20 top-10s at Talladega are the most among active NASCAR Cup Series drivers. Next best on this list is Denny Hamlin with 16 top-10s.
● Harvick finished eighth in Stage 1 to earn three bonus points.
● Harvick led four times for 11 laps to increase his laps-led total at Talladega to 314.
● Harvick has now led 11,620 laps since joining SHR in 2014. He has led 16,035 laps in his entire NASCAR Cup Series career and is one of just 11 drivers who have surpassed 16,000 laps led.
Preece Notes:
● Preece earned his second top-10 of the season and his third top-10 in eight career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega.
● Preece finished 10th in Stage 1 to earn one bonus point.
● Preece led once for eight laps to increase his laps-led total at Talladega to 22.
Briscoe Notes:
● Briscoe earned his ninth top-15 of the season and his fifth top-15 in six career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega.
● This was Briscoe’s third consecutive top-15 at Talladega. He finished 10th last October and fourth in the series’ prior visit to the track in April.
● Briscoe finished eighth in Stage 2 to earn three bonus points.
Almirola Notes:
● Almirola won the pole for the YellaWood 500 with a lap of 52.715 seconds at 181.656 mph around the 2.66-mile oval. It was his sixth career pole, his first at Talladega and his second of the season.
● This was Almirola’s sixth straight result of 18th or better. He finished third Aug. 26 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, 14th Sept. 3 at Darlington, 17th Sept. 10 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, 18th Sept. 16 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and 18th last Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.
● Almirola led five times for seven laps to increase his laps-led total at Talladega to 125.
Race Notes:
● Ryan Blaney won the YellaWood 500 to score his ninth career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his third at Talladega. His margin over second-place Harvick was just .012 of a second.
● This was Ford’s 727th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory and its sixth of the season.
● This was Ford’s 32nd NASCAR Cup Series victory at Talladega. Ford got its first win at Talladega on May 4, 1975 with NASCAR Hall of Famer Buddy Baker.
● There were four caution periods for a total of 19 laps.
● Twenty-nine of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● This was the second race in the Round of 12 of the NASCAR Playoffs. Blaney secured his spot in the Round of 8 via his win while Tyler Reddick, Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace and Kyle Busch are currently below the top-12 cutline with one race remaining before the Round of 8 begins Oct. 15 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Sound Bites:
“I knew we were in a great spot there with Riley (Herbst) behind us and I don’t know where he spun out, but he got spun out and I knew that if he was still there by the time we got to the end of the tri-oval, we were going to be in really good shape and then, at that particular point, it was just kind of where we were. I tried to put a donut on his (Blaney’s) door and slow him down just a little bit, but just a great effort and we came up a little short. I just tried to block the lanes, and then I was kind of late blocking the 12 (Blaney) there and he got to the outside of us, but it actually worked out OK because the 24 (William Byron) was a great pusher, and then it got shuffled again and I had Riley behind me. I thought I was in a really good spot headed down the back straightaway with everything that was happening. I’ve just got to thank everybody on our Busch Light Ford. They did a great job. Right about there I said, ‘Man, we’re sailing. The spotter is yelling at me to side draft.’ I’m like, ‘We aren’t going to need to sidedraft,’ and then Riley got loose and spun out and I’m like, ‘We’re all alone here with two of them below me.’ But it was a great day, a great way to end at Talladega. I always want to win, but it is what it is.” (On the possibility of a walk-off win in his last career race at Talladega:) “Yeah, they might have torn it down (laughing). That would’ve been great. Talladega has been so up-and-down through the years. We’ve had some great moments and some bad moments. The last superspeedway race and we went out with everything rolling, so that’s a good thing.” – Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Busch Light Camo Ford Mustang
“Ninth-place at Talladega, I’ll take it. We even led a few laps in the Wonder Bread car and got some stage points. These superspeedways are all about track position and that was the name of the game all day long. We really tried to execute with tire strategy and fuel throughout the day. My Ford Mustang was fast all day and I knew if we could make that high line work with the other Fords, we could take off. This was a really fun weekend with Wonder Bread onboard the No. 41 and Old Spice on the No. 14. Looking forward to getting to the Roval and keeping the momentum going.” – Ryan Preece, driver of the No. 41 Wonder Bread Ford Mustang
“It was a long race for the No. 14 team, but we found a strategy that worked for us and were able to stick with the Fords up front for a bit. But that also meant that we had to start from the back a few times, and we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. We had damage that really got in the way of getting a better finish, but I was hoping we could avoid whatever was coming at the end. I hate it for the team and Old Spice. I loved having them on the car and I think the fans really enjoyed it too.” – Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Old Spice Ford Mustang
“We just didn’t have the help we needed on the outside lane there. I was the only car able to push and we didn’t get enough momentum from behind. Our No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang did not handle well as the leader, but our car was great as a pusher. That’s why we lined up the way we did on the last restart. I could push the 48 (Alex Bowman) hard on the straightaway, but no one else could keep up with us to get us back to the front. Happy we came here and got our second pole of the year. Just needed more luck on our side at the end to get back up there.” – Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Bank of America Roval 400 on Sunday, Oct. 8 on the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval. The sixth race in the 10-race NASCAR Playoffs starts at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
In career start No. 301 in NASCAR’s premier series, Ryan Blaney punched his ticket into the Playoff’s Round of 8 after edging Kevin Harvick in a photo finish to win the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, October 1.
The 29-year-old Blaney from High Point, North Carolina, led four times for eight of 188-scheduled laps in an event where he started 10th and competed towards the front amidst the draft, aggressive shuffling and tight-packed competition while needing to rebound after retiring late during last weekend’s Round of 12 opener at Texas Motor Speedway. After winning the first stage, Blaney, who restarted on the front row during the final restart with 13 laps remaining, seized an opportunity for the win as he was drafted by Riley Herbst to duel against Kevin Harvick with two laps remaining.
Then after emerging out in front at the start of the final lap, Blaney, who lost the lead to Harvick, made a crossover move from Harvick’s blocking attempt to draw even with him through the backstretch and approaching the tri-oval. With nearly the entire field wrecking through the tri-oval, Blaney then received a push from William Byron to edge Harvick at the finish line by 0.012 seconds to notch his second NASCAR Cup Series victory of the 2023 season, his third at Talladega and race his way into the Round of 8.
With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Saturday, September 30, Aric Almirola notched his second Cup pole position of the season and the sixth of his career after posting a pole-winning lap at 181.656 mph in 52.715 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Joey Logano, who posted the second-best qualifying lap at 181.642 mph in 52.719 seconds.
Prior to the event, Carson Hocevar dropped to the rear of the field due to an unapproved adjustment made to his No. 42 Legacy Motor Club entry.
When the green flag waved and the race started, Almirola gained a slight advantage on the inside lane through the first two turns until the outside lane led by Logano caught back up through the backstretch. With the field stacked up amid two tight-packed lanes, Almirola and Logano continued to duel dead even for the lead through Turns 3 and 4 and the tri-oval until Logano managed to lead the first lap in his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang by a hair.
Through the second to fifth lap, the field continued to run stacked amid two tight-packed lanes as Logano and Almirola continued to battle dead even for the lead, with Almirola having teammate Chase Briscoe draft him on the inside lane while Logano, who remained on the outside lane and continued to lead the proceeding laps, had drafting help from Playoff contender Kyle Larson. By then, Riley Herbst, who was competing in the No. 36 Beast Unleashed White Haze Ford Mustang for Front Row Motorsports, was battling within the top five while Playoff contenders William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney along with Alex Bowman were in the top 10.
By the sixth lap, the field fanned out to three packed lanes as Herbst jumped to the outside lane and formed a third drafting lane as he had drafting help from Hamlin, with Logano leading the middle lane and Almirola still leading the inside lane. The expansion of the lanes allowed Almirola to lead the sixth lap before Logano reassumed the top spot by the seventh lap.
Through the first 10 scheduled laps and amid the three-wide racing, Logano was leading ahead of Byron, Blaney, Larson and Austin Dillon while Almirola, Martin Truex Jr., Briscoe, Todd Gilliland and Brad Keselowski were in the top 10. By then, Herbst, Austin Cindric, Michael McDowell, Hamlin and Kevin Harvick were in the top 15 while Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace, Alex Bowman, Christopher Bell and Chris Buescher occupied the top 20. Meanwhile, Ross Chastain was back in 25th and Kyle Busch was mired in 32nd while all 38 starters were separated by more than a second.
Five laps later, Logano and Byron dueled for the lead as the field continued to fan out to three lanes, with Blaney, Austin Dillon, Truex and Larson jostling in the top six. A few laps later, Truex drafted his way to the front and led Lap 17 as he, Logano and Byron were the front-runners of the three-wide drafting competition.
As the field surpassed the Lap 20 mark, the front-runners continued to run three wide amid a stacked field with Logano, Byron and Truex leading the three lanes. By then, Playoff contenders Blaney, Reddick, Larson, Wallace, Hamlin and Keselowski were running within the top 20 along with Truex and Byron while Bell, Kyle Busch, Buescher and Chastain were running towards the rear of the field. In addition, all 38 starters were separated by less than two seconds.
Three laps later, Ryan Preece, who was sporting the Wonder Bread Ricky Bobby scheme on his No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang, muscled his way into the lead after receiving a draft from Logano to move ahead of Truex followed by Austin Dillon, Byron and Blaney. By then, Truex slipped out of the top 10 while Hamlin, who lost the draft and dropped towards the rear of the field earlier, was trying to muscle his way back to the top 10 as he was working with his 23XI Racing drivers, Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace, within the draft on the outside lane. Truex would then blend in within the draft and work with his Toyota teammates.
A lap after the Lap 30 mark, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who started 35th, used the outside lane amid the draft to move his No. 47 Sara Lee Artesano Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 into the lead ahead of Preece. By then, the field settled back to competing amongst two tight-packed lanes as Erik Jones and Cindric moved up towards the front in front of Logano while the Dillon brothers joined the battle. By then, Byron was the highest-running Playoff contender in eighth place while his remaining 11 title rivals were mired within the top 26.
Then on Lap 39 and as Ty Dillon assumed the lead, the first cycle of green flag pit stops commenced as a bevy of Ford competitors, including Blaney, Cindric, Logano, Harvick, Almirola, Keselowski, Briscoe, Harrison Burton and Buescher pitted. The following lap, another wave of competitors, mainly Chevrolet competitors led by Justin Haley and Byron, peeled off the track to pit. During the following lap, select names led by Ty Dillon pitted while Bell assumed the lead. By Lap 42, the final group of competitors, mainly Toyota competitors led by Bell, pitted under green. Once the first cycle of green flag pit stops concluded, Stenhouse reassumed the lead before Austin Cindric assumed the top spot by Lap 43. By then, the final wave of competitors who pitted drifted back towards the rear of the field. Amid the pit stops, Erik Jones was penalized for having men over his pit box too soon.
At the Lap 50 mark, Stenhouse was still leading by a hair over Cindric as he had Kyle Busch drafting him while Cindric, Blaney and Byron were also battling towards the front and within the draft. By then, Playoff contender Larson was in seventh while Keselowski, Buescher and Chastain were in the top 15. Meanwhile, the remaining Playoff contenders included Wallace, Truex, Bell, Reddick and Hamlin were mired back within the top 31.
Then on the final lap of the first stage period, Lap 59, the event’s first caution flew when Stenhouse, who was trying to muscle his way to the front with drafting help from Kyle Busch, fell off the pace after running out of fuel through the backstretch. With Busch stuck behind Stenhouse, Ross Chastain then came surging towards them in his attempt to win the stage, but he ended up making contact with Busch as he veered sideways in Turn 3 before getting hit by Bell’s No. 20 DeWalt Toyota TRD Camry and shooting back across the outside wall. The incident was enough to conclude the first stage period under caution as Playoff contender Ryan Blaney, who came into Talladega 11 points below the top-eight cutline, notched his fourth Cup stage victory of the 2023 season. Byron followed suit in second while Larson, Elliott, Bowman, Cindric, Haley, Harvick, Logano and Preece were scored in the top 10. By then, Playoff contenders Kyle Busch, Bell, Wallace, Reddick, Keselowski, Buescher, Truex, Hamlin and Chastain did not score the first wave of stage points. Amidst the incident, the damage to the No. 1 Worldwide Express Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was enough to terminate Playoff contender Chastain’s event early in the garage while Bell, Allmendinger and Chandler Smith pitted for repairs.
Under the stage break, the entire lead lap field led by Blaney pitted for service. Following the pit stops, Harrison Burton exited pit road first followed by Blaney, Elliott, Larson, Byron, Bowman and Logano. Amid the pit stops, a bevy of names including AJ Allmendinger, Keselowski, Wallace, Buescher, Truex, Stenhouse, the Dillon brothers, Hamlin, Daniel Suarez and Chandler Smith pitted again to top off on fuel.
The second stage period started on Lap 65 as Blaney and Elliott occupied the front row. At the start, Blaney and Elliott dueled for the lead through the first two turns and the backstretch. With the field stacked up in two tight-packed lanes, Blaney and Elliott continued to duel for the lead as Elliott had teammate Larson drafting him on the outside lane while Blaney had Byron drafting him on the inside lane.
Ten laps later, Bowman, who led Lap 73 by a hair, was leading by a hair over Cindric followed by Elliott, Harvick and Almirola while Larson, Blaney, Preece, Corey LaJoie and Byron were battling within the top 10 and amid two tight-packed lanes. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch was in 11th, Reddick was in 18th and Truex was back in 21st while Bell and Keselowski were within the top 25 on the track. Meanwhile, Wallace was in 29th ahead of Buescher and Hamlin, both of whom were in 31st and 32nd.
Another 10 laps later and amid the jostling of positions within the field that fanned out to three stacked lanes, Erik Jones, who led for the first time two laps earlier, was leading ahead of McDowell, Stenhouse, Gilliland and Cindric while Bowman, Herbst, Harvick, Elliott and Reddick were in the top 10. Another lap later, McDowell received a draft from teammate Gilliland to move his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang into the lead. McDowell and Herbst, who navigated his way back to the front, would then swap the lead through Lap 90 as all three Front Row Motorsports competitors, including Gilliland, were running first through third. By then, 23XI Racing’s Reddick and Wallace were trying to navigate their way into the top five.
At the halfway mark on Lap 94, Herbst was scored the leader followed by Reddick, McDowell, Wallace and Gilliland while Cindric, Erik Jones, Harvick, Stenhouse and Almirola were battling in the top 10 amid two long stacked lanes. By then, Playoff contenders Larson, Hamlin, Bell, Blaney, Truex, Kyle Busch, Keselowski, Buescher and Byron were mired within the top 33 as 33 of 38 starters were scored on the lead lap and separated by two seconds.
Six laps later, Wallace drafted teammate Reddick into the lead as they made their way past Herbst and the Front Row Motorsports group while the field behind fanned out to three packed lanes. McDowell would fight back on the inside lane during the proceeding lap as Preece navigated his way back into the top five. Not long after, Hamlin assumed the lead on Lap 102 as Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski followed suit. By then, McDowell challenged Hamlin for the top spot on the inside lane while Wallace and Reddick fell back to sixth and seventh.
Then on Lap 105, the second wave of green flag pit stops commenced as a bevy of competitors led by Hamlin and Wallace, who locked up the front tires, pitted. Amid the pit stops, Hamlin was penalized for speeding on pit road. During the following lap, another wave of competitors, mainly Ford competitors, pitted before the final wave of competitors led by Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon pitted. Cindric would also be penalized for speeding on pit road while Keselowski cycled his way into the lead by Lap 108. With Keselowski leading through to the Lap 110 mark, Logano followed suit in second before he assumed the top spot during the following lap. Behind, Almirola made his way into second over Keselowski while Blaney, Austin Dillon, Harvick, Kyle Busch, Buescher, LaJoie and Preece were scored in the top 10.
When the second stage period concluded on Lap 120, Keselowski, who navigated his way into the lead over Byron during the previous lap and came into the event eight points above the top-eight cutline, fended off the field to claim his sixth Cup stage victory of 2023. Byron settled in second followed by Logano, Austin Dillon and Elliott while Suarez, Larson, Briscoe, Ty Dillon and Reddick were scored in the top 10. Amid the battles for stage points within the lead lap group, Carson Hocevar managed to claim the free pass spot after crossing the start/finish line ahead of Hamlin to be the first competitor that was scored a lap down.
During the stage break, the field led by Keselowski returned to pit road for service. Following the pit stops, Logano exited first while Keselowski, Larson, Suarez, Byron, Elliott, Austin Dillon and Blaney followed suit. Amid the pit stops, Ty Gibbs was penalized for removing his gas can out of his pit box, which then dropped in the middle of pit road, ignited and erupted into a huge fire. With Gibbs serving his penalty, a number of competitors that included Austin Dillon, Erik Jones, Harvick, Almirola, Briscoe, Buescher, Wallace, McDowell, Preece, Gilliland, Herbst, Allmendinger and LaJoie returned to pit road to top off on fuel.
With 63 laps remaining, the final stage started as Logano and Larson occupied the front row. At the start, Logano and Larson dueled for the lead through the first two turns and the backstretch. Amid two tight-packed lanes, Logano muscled ahead on the outside lane followed by Keselowski while Larson remained on the inside lane as he had Daniel Suarez and Byron drafting him. Logano would retain the lead with 60 laps remaining while Playoff contenders Larson, Keselowski, Byron, Kyle Busch, Reddick, Blaney and Truex were running in the top 10. Meanwhile, Buescher and Wallace were in 17th and 19th while Bell and Hamlin were mired back in 29th and 33rd.
With 50 laps remaining and as the field slowly fanning out to three packed lanes, Logano was leading ahead of Keselowski and Elliott while Kyle Busch and Larson were mired in the top five. By then, Reddick, Suarez, Truex, Byron and Blaney were in the top 10 while Wallace was in 11th. By then, Hamlin, who was still scored a lap down, was blending in within the lead lap pack and leading the outside lane with drafting help from Wallace while Logano continued to lead ahead of Keselowski, Elliott and Kyle Busch.
A few laps later, Buescher, who moved up to the outside lane, received a huge push from Hamlin amid a stacked three-wide battle to move toward the front while Logano retained the lead. With Hamlin moving down in front of Logano through the middle lane, Buescher would launch his bid for the lead against Logano while Keselowski, Almirola, Wallace and Larson moved up and battled toward the front. Amid the continuous shuffling and drafts within the three stacked lanes, Wallace would then make his way into the runner-up spot with 40 laps remaining behind the leader Logano before Byron assumed the lead during the proceeding lap followed by Blaney. This would drop Logano and Wallace to third and fifth while Bowman moved up to fourth as Keselowski occupied sixth.
Then with 34 laps remaining, Wallace made his way into the lead as he overtook Byron through the tri-oval before fending off Buescher. Wallace would spend the next two laps leading in his No. 23 Leidos Toyota TRD Camry until Byron reassumed the top spot in his No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with 31 laps remaining. Byron’s move occurred as the field fanned out to nearly four lanes as Almirola, Blaney and Bowman followed suit. Soon after, Wallace, who was being drafted by Hamlin, slipped out of the top 10 as Byron, Blaney, Bowman, Larson and Stenhouse occupied the top five amid three stacked lanes.
With 27 laps remaining, the caution flew for a multi-car wreck on the frontstretch after Hocevar, who was leading the outside lane amid a three-wide battle, got sideways off the front nose of Keselowski as Hocevar spun and clipped Ty Gibbs, who collected Austin Dillon in the process, as Dillon clipped Keselowski and sent the No. 6 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang for a spin, with Keselowski’s car briefly coming off the ground, towards the inside wall before Dillon made hard impact against the outside wall head-on along with Gibbs as Harrison Burton, Briscoe and Allmendinger also wrecked. At the moment of caution, Harvick had assumed the lead while Almirola, Herbst, Byron, Wallace, Blaney, Bowman, Larson, Suarez and Stenhouse were scored in the top 10. The incident would be enough to place the event in a red flag period for nearly 10 minutes as the on-track safety crew proceeded to repair the track’s damage across the walls and the carnage.
Once the red flag lifted and the field proceeded under a cautious pace, the lead lap field led by Harvick pitted for service. Following the pit stops and amid mixed strategies, but mainly for fuel, Logano exited first followed by LaJoie, Almirola, Harvick, Bowman, Blaney and Larson. Meanwhile, Hamlin received the free pass and cycled back on the lead lap.
Down to the final 20 laps of the event, where Almirola and Bowman occupied the front row, the race restarted under green. At the start, Almirola and Bowman dueled for the lead through the first two turns and the backstretch as the field stacked up within two tight-packed lanes. Both Almirola and Bowman continued to duel for the lead through the tri-oval as Almirola had teammate Harvick drafting him on the outside lane while Bowman had drafting help from Blaney.
Three laps later and as the field started to fan out to three lanes, the caution returned due to debris reported on the backstretch. By then, Bowman was the leader followed by Blaney, Almirola, Herbst and Harvick while Elliott, Larson, Logano, Byron and LaJoie were in the top 10.
During the following restart with 13 laps remaining, Bowman muscled ahead of Blaney to retain the lead as the inside lane gained the advantage through the first two turns and the backstretch. With the outside lane trying to regain the advantage through the tri-oval, Bowman retained the lead as Harvick ignited his charge to the lead. Harvick would then be drafted into the lead with 11 laps remaining followed by Blaney as Elliott, Herbst and Larson were battling within the top six. As the field fanned out to three lanes with the competitors jostling and shuffling within the pack and the draft, Harvick retained the lead with 10 laps remaining before the Hendrick Motorsports competitors led by Bowman and followed by Elliott assumed the top spot during the following lap.
Down to the final five laps of the event, Elliott was leading ahead of teammates Larson, Byron and Suarez while the outside lane led by Harvick tried to gain the run towards the front. In the midst of the battles towards the front, the field fanned out to three lanes as the competitors started to shuffle and draft their way to the front. Shortly after, Bowman was shuffled out of the lead draft as he started to lose ground of the front-runners while Harvick assumed the lead.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Blaney and Harvick, both of whom spent the previous three laps locked dead even for the lead amongst two packed lanes, were in front of the field as Blaney led the previous lap by a hair. Through the frontstretch, Harvick would receive a push from Byron to muscle ahead as he then moved his No. 4 Busch Light Camo Ford Mustang up the track to block Blaney. Blaney, however, made a crossover move to dive his No. 12 Menards/Pennzoil Ford Mustang beneath Harvick through the backstretch before he gained a slight advantage entering the tri-oval. Harvick then had Herbst drafting him as he started to gain ground on Blaney with the three-wide stacked field approaching the finish line. Then with nearly everyone behind the front-runners wrecking as Herbst got turned across Elliott and Larson, Blaney, who remained ahead of Byron, managed to edge Harvick, who had no drafting help, by 0.012 seconds to claim the victory.
Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.
With the victory, Blaney achieved his ninth NASCAR Cup Series career victory, his third at Talladega Superspeedway, his third in the Cup Series Playoffs, his second of the season and his first since winning the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. The third-generation racer also recorded the third victory of the season for Team Penske and the seventh for the Ford nameplate.
The victory automatically guarantees Blaney and the No. 12 Team Penske Ford Mustang team a spot into the Round of 8 along with William Byron as Blaney, who transferred into the Round of 8 for the fifth time in his career, continues his pursuit for his first Cup Series championship.
“Yeah, I don’t really know [how we won],” Blaney, who celebrated on the frontstretch with the fans, said on NBC. “Yeah, pretty wild [the] last restart, but let alone, last couple laps, kind of lose the momentum, getting it back. Just getting cleared to the bottom to get to the front row and drag-race it out with Kevin [Harvick]. Really proud of the whole No. 12 group. It’s so cool to win three times here at Talladega. That’s super cool. I have to give a big thanks to Riley Herbst. He did a really good job there the last couple restarts. He doesn’t have a lot of Cup starts, but he did a great job at pushing me, so thanks to him. This is so cool. I’ve won it by more than I have the last couple years, but that one might’ve been about four feet. The others [Talladega wins] were about two, but you just don’t know. You just got to drag-race to the line, hope you get help. William [Byron] gave me a pretty good shove on the bottom [lane]. He’s kind of forced to. I wasn’t sure [that I won] till [spotter] Josh [Williams] said something. Josh did a fantastic job on the roof like always. This is such a special place to win at, so I cannot wait to go to Victory Lane.”
While Blaney celebrated with his team in Victory Lane, Harvick was left disappointed, but still smiling, over his runner-up result in his 46th and final career start at Talladega and on a day where he led 11 laps and notched his seventh top-five result of the season. Despite having his Playoff hopes evaporated following the Round of 16, Harvick continues his pursuit for his first victory of the season as he is down to his final five Cup career starts before retiring from full-time competition.
“I just tried to block the lanes and then, I was kind of late blocking [Blaney] there,” Harvick said. “He got to the outside of us, but it actually worked out OK because [Byron] was a great pusher and then, it got shuffled again and I had Riley [Herbst] behind me. I thought I was in a really good spot headed down the back straightaway with everything that was happening because I knew if I could get off the tri-oval with Riley right on my bumper, I was still gonna be OK and then, he got spun in the middle of the tri-oval. Great day. Great way to end at Talladega. Always want to win. It is what it is. Last superspeedway race and went out with everything rolling, so that’s a good thing.”
Following the event, however, Harvick was disqualified from his runner-up result due to the windshield fasteners from his car not being properly secured. As a result, Byron, who led 12 laps and is already guaranteed a spot in the Playoff’s Round of 8 after winning last weekend’s event at Texas Motor Speedway, was promoted into the runner-up spot followed by Denny Hamlin, who rallied from being mired a lap down to finish third in his No. 11 Mavis Tires & Brakes Toyota TRD Camry. Corey LaJoie avoided the carnage to finish fourth in his No. 7 Gainbridge Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and notch his second top-five result of the season while Cindric ended up fifth.
Haley, Elliott, Ryan Preece, Riley Herbst and Daniel Suarez finished in the top 10 on the track. Notably, Playoff contenders Bell, Larson, Reddick, Truex, Buescher, Wallace and Kyle Busch ended up 14th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 19th, 23rd and 25th, respectively.
There were 70 lead changes for 24 different leaders. The race featured five cautions for 17 laps. In addition, 29 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.
Results.
1. Ryan Blaney, eight laps led, Stage 1 winner
2. William Byron, 12 laps led
3. Denny Hamlin, three laps led
4. Corey LaJoie
5. Austin Cindric, 15 laps led
6. Justin Haley, one lap led
7. Chase Elliott, eight laps led
8. Ryan Preece, eight laps led
9. Riley Herbst, 10 laps led
10. Daniel Suarez
11. Chandler Smith
12. Todd Gilliland
13. Chase Briscoe
14. Christopher Bell, two laps led
15. Kyle Larson, one lap led
16. Tyler Reddick, two laps led
17. Aric Almirola, seven laps led
18. Martin Truex Jr.
19. Chris Buescher, three laps led
20. AJ Allmendinger
21. Michael McDowell, five laps led
22. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 14 laps led
23. Bubba Wallace, three laps led
24. Joey Logano, 48 laps led
25. Kyle Busch, two laps led
26. Erik Jones, four laps led
27. Ty Dillon, two laps led
28. Alex Bowman, 13 laps led
29. BJ McLeod, one lap down
30. Brennan Poole, two laps down
31. Harrison Burton – OUT, Suspension
32. Brad Keselowski – OUT, Accident, five laps led, Stage 2 winner
33. Austin Dillon – OUT, Accident, one lap led
34. Ty Gibbs – OUT, Accident
35. Carson Hocevar – OUT, Accident
36. JJ Yeley – OUT, Fuel pump
37. Ross Chastain – OUT, Accident
38. Kevin Harvick – Disqualified, 11 laps led
*Bold indicates Playoff contenders
Playoff standings
1. William Byron – Advanced
2. Ryan Blaney – Advanced
3. Denny Hamlin +50
4. Christopher Bell +22
5. Chris Buescher +19
6. Martin Truex Jr. +17
7. Kyle Larson +15
8. Brad Keselowski +2
9. Tyler Reddick -2
10. Bubba Wallace -9
11. Ross Chastain -10
12. Kyle Busch -26
The Round of 12 in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is set to conclude next weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course in Concord, North Carolina, where the second of three eliminations will occur and the Round of 8 field will be determined. The event is scheduled to commence next Sunday, October 8, at 2 p.m. ET on NBC.
HAMLIN CLAIMS TOP-FIVE FINISH, EXTENDS POINTS ADVANTAGE Bell, Truex sit above the cutline heading into Charlotte
TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 1, 2023) – Denny Hamlin overcame a pit road penalty to drive through the field and finish fourth to lead Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. With the run, Hamlin holds a 50-point advantage over the Playoff cutline heading to the final race of the round of 12 – the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course.
Christopher Bell (15th) is fourth, 22 points to the good, while Martin Truex Jr. (19th) holds a 17-point advantage over ninth-place Tyler Reddick. Reddick, who finished 17th, is just two points back of advancing with Bubba Wallace just nine points out in 11th.
Toyota Post-Race Recap NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Talladega Superspeedway Race 31 of 36 – 500.08 miles, 188 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS 1st, Ryan Blaney* 2nd, Kevin Harvick* 3rd, William Bryon* 4th, DENNY HAMLIN 5th, Corey LaJoie* 15th, CHRISTOPHER BELL 17th, TYLER REDDICK 19th, MARTIN TRUEX JR. 24th, BUBBA WALLACE 33rd, TY GIBBS *non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Mavis Tires & Brakes Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 4th
You had a little bit of everything today and ended up with a good points day. Can you tell me about your race?
“Not how we drew it up, but a dub is a dub and that was a dub in our book – it’s as close as it gets to it. I’m proud of this whole Mavis Toyota team for bringing me a car fast enough to win. When I had to go there, I could and made the right moves at the right time and a top-five is a long way from where we were with about 15 laps to go.”
TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 McDonald’s Toyota Camry TRD, 23XI Racing
Finishing Position: 17th
What was missing from your car today?
“I don’t think we are really missing anything really. Our McDonald’s Toyota Camry TRD was pretty strong. I couldn’t push a couple of the Toyota’s very good, but I could get pushed good. I feel like we just had a solid car. The pit strategy under green flag conditions didn’t really work out for us too well. Me and Bubba (Wallace) kind of just took a chance hoping the bottom and the middle would choke themselves on the restart. The last four or five laps after the restart were the fastest laps were turned all day, so just made it really difficult for the top line to work – just kind of got a little bit fortunate. We fell to the back of the lead lap – 29th or 30th – and just got to the bottom and found a few holes and got something out of it. Outside by two is not really bad for us, I don’t think, as long as we left better than we came in, I felt good about our chances. It’s pretty straight forward right. I think we will have to go after stage points, but that is okay. If we can get 20 there, I’m sure we can salvage a good finish and make it to the round of 8.”
MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 19th
How do you look at the day?
“It was alright. I thought our Bass Pro Camry was pretty good, just could never get in the right lane at the right time. We were stuck on the bottom there in the end, I think with three to go we were up to 10th or 12th and three laps later we were 19th. Nowhere to make any moves, just everything was clogged and you just kind of rode there and got what you could. Tough day, but I think we are in good shape going to the ROVAL. We can take care of business there, just need a good day.”
TY GIBBS, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 35th
When you got involved, it looked like a huge hit for you. What was it like for you?
“Yeah, I just got hit out of nowhere in the right rear. It’s really unfortunate. We had a pretty good Monster Energy Toyota Camry. We were working our way back up and getting ready for the end – just really unfortunate.”
What did you see out there?
“I didn’t really see much. Just really unfortunate. A really big bummer – we had a really good Monster Energy Toyota Camry.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 24 electrified options.
NASCAR CUP SERIES TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY YELLAWOOD 500 TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT OCTOBER 1, 2023
Byron Leads Chevrolet to Four Top-10 Finishes at Talladega Superspeedway
Four drivers from three different Chevrolet teams took the manufacturer to top-10 finishes in the second race of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12 at Talladega Superspeedway with William Byron (third) leading Spire Motorsports’ Corey LaJoie in fifth; Kaulig Racing’s Justin Haley in seventh; and Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott in eighth.
Entering the Round of 12 elimination race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, the pair of Hendrick Motorsports playoff contenders sit in the top-eight in the playoff standings. With a third-place finish, William Byron maintained the top position in the standings. While getting caught-up in the last-lap incident, Kyle Larson still maintained a position above the playoff cutline – sitting in the sixth position with a 17-point cushion.
The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 12 elimination race will get underway at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course with the Bank of America ROVAL on Sunday, October 8, at 2 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on the NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Worldwide Express Camaro ZL1
Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on the final lap of Stage One.
Finished: 38th
What’s your level of frustration because you were making an outside move that was going to be a positive when all that happened?
“It’s just the way it goes. Nothing personal with it.. I don’t take any of this personally here (Talladega Superspeedway). I could have stayed on the bottom a few laps earlier probably and would have been safer. I just had a couple of cars land in my lap there and I went for the gap. Obviously I wish I would have lifted now, but I’ll study that and be better next time.”
You face the (Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course) ROVAL next week – how’s that going to go?
“Lefts and rights, and living my dreams. Whatever our team brings next week, we’ll put our best foot forward. As long as I’m getting to drive these rocketships that Trackhouse Racing brings me, I’m living my dream and we’ll keep fighting.”
What did you see?
“I just saw someone slow and tagging the fence, and obviously with them being that much slower, I should have just stayed in behind him. Four-wide wasn’t the right call. I saw a hole and just tried to slide through there. I wish I wouldn’t have.”
You were riding in the back most of the day. Was that the safest place to be?
“Yeah, when they were three-wide early, it just didn’t make sense to get up there and get in line. Eighth in line, three-wide, we would have been in the mid-20s. It felt comfortable – we saved some fuel and cycled ourselves up there to fight for some stage points.”
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Camaro ZL1
Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in the final stage.
Finished: 34th
“It was a hard hit, so I hate it for this entire Bass Pro Shops Club/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet team. We were running well today, biding our time and just getting ready to put ourselves in position to make a run for it at the end of the race. We were able to lead some laps and earn some stage points today. We had a fast Chevy. I didn’t see any of it. I guess I got caught in the right rear. When I was in the infield care center, Brad Keselowski told me that he pushed the No. 42 car too hard and wrecked him, but No. 42 car was squirrelly without anybody pushing him. His car didn’t seem set up very well and he was late moving around. I had noticed that and got out of the middle to get away from him, so I don’t really understand the No. 6 car pushing him. It was a hard hit and an unfortunate end to our day. We’ll head to the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL next week and see if we have some better luck there.”
Kyle Busch, No. 8 X World Wallet Camaro ZL1
Finished: 26th
Busch on the incident on the final lap of Stage One:
“I caught the No. 1 (Ross Chastain) and I hate it for them. It’s what happens every time at the end of a stage.
Your car had some damage. Were you just holding on the rest of the day? It looked like you were able to get up there at times.
“The car was fine. When I could make moves, get in good positions and put myself in good spots, I could get up towards the front. My chess match is apparently horrible or I get hung-out every time it comes down to the end and we just lose spots.
I don’t think the damage impacted us at all.. the car drove fine. I pulled out there to get in that high line and we all got kind of jumbled up there coming through the frontstretch. The No. 43 (Erik Jones) came with me and a couple others in front of me were up there, and we just didn’t go anywhere. The pace was too fast around the bottom and the middle that the outside lane couldn’t make any headway. I was waiting for the No. 11 (Denny Hamlin) to jump out there because he’s always the first to go and he never did. He actually tucked back in behind, so he must have thought a little more about what was going to happen.”
How do you feel about the ROVAL?
“That’s our last shot, so we’ll see what we get.”
Chase Elliott, No. 9 LLumar Camaro ZL1
Finished: 8th
You were up there coming to the final lap. What happened from your perspective?
“I have no idea what happened. Just got hit in the door; had four flat tires and I couldn’t drive back.”
Overall, you had an impressive day until that moment. Reflect on how it went before the crash.
“It was fine. We got some decent stage points. Finishing eighth, hopefully that’s good enough to help us in the owner’s championship points.”
William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1
Finished: 3rd
Take us through those last few laps.
“Yeah, it was really intense there at the end. I just couldn’t quite get pushes as square as those guys, and I felt like where they could get connected and just create runs, they just got us there. On the backstretch, the No. 4 (Kevin Harvick) actually got in front of me and that allowed I think the No. 12 (Ryan Blaney) to get in front of me and the No. 4 actually went back in the middle.
Our Axalta Chevrolet was really good all day. Just needed a little bit more to get those runs generated to keep the bottom going like it was. Good effort and proud of the team and we will go onto the Charlotte ROVAL.”
Hocevar on the accident that ended his day early during the final stage at Talladega Superspeedway:
“I don’t fault Brad (Keselowski) at all. I did it in the truck race even. When you’re in the top lane, you have to push. You have to start building momentum. You have to start creating forward energy. It’s just a tough spot. I wasn’t that good of a leader, so I was just trying to learn. I talked to Brad a little bit – I didn’t know if I was backing up too much trying to lock-on. It’s just a tough spot.
I had a lot of fun. Thank you to LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, Sunseeker Resorts, everybody that allows me to drive this car. It’s just good to get experience. Rather it’s 20 laps short or not, I still had a lot of fun. I felt like I was a lot better pusher. When I was leading, I need to do my homework a little bit for the next time I get to drive a Cup car at superspeedway. It’s nice to have some laps and a little bit of confidence. I started 38th and I got to see a lot. I felt like we were moving forward there a little bit and just inching to get ourselves in a good spot there at the end. It just didn’t work out this time.”
Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Camaro ZL1
Finished: 27th
“Just not a good day for the No. 43 Allegiant Chevy team. We just weren’t up front and where we needed to be, and it just didn’t work out there at the end. We’ll regroup and get ready for the Charlotte ROVAL.”
TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES:
STAGE ONE:
· Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson led Chevrolet to the green-flag from the fourth position in today’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. With help from teammate William Byron, Larson quickly moved into the runner-up position before the race hit a double-digit lap count.
· By the 20-lap marker, Team Chevy’s Austin Dillon, Erik Jones and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. joined the Hendrick Motorsports teammates in the top-10 – giving the manufacturer four different organizations in the front of the lead pack. With the discussion of pit strategy already coming into play, drivers are told to save fuel as the race reached the midway point of Stage One.
· Remaining under green-flag conditions with 25 laps to go in the stage, Stenhouse Jr. and Jones maneuvered to the top-two positions of the field while on the horizon of the first round of pit stops of the race. The lead group of Chevrolet’s came to pit road at the 40-lap marker with teams calling for a fuel-only stop.
· With eight laps remaining in the stage, the 2023 Daytona 500 Champion Stenhouse Jr. jumped into the top lane to take the lead with a push from fellow Team Chevy driver Kyle Busch.
· On the final lap of Stage One, Stenhouse Jr.’s No. 47 Camaro ZL1 ran out of fuel, causing a stack-up in the top lane. With nowhere to go in his No. 1 Worldwide Express Camaro ZL1, contact forced Chastain into the wall with damage sustained deemed too much to repair, forcing the Team Chevy playoff contender to retire early from the race.
· Stage One ultimately ended under caution with Byron leading Chevrolet to the green-white checkered flag in the second position. Byron led five Team Chevy drivers to top-10 stage points:
· During the stage break, crew chief Rudy Fugle called Byron to pit road for four tires and fuel – rejoining the field in the third position to start Stage Two.
· Lap 74 saw Hendrick Motorsports go 1-2-3 on the bottom line of the lead pack, led by Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 team. With a push from teammate Chase Elliott, Bowman took the top position on the leaderboard to lead his first laps of the race.
· At lap 106, Chevrolet drivers came to pit road for the next round of green-flag pit stops with teams calling for another fuel-only stop. Filing off pit road, the pair of Richard Childress Racing teammates led the manufacturer to the front of the pack to quickly rejoin the battle for the lead with 10 laps to go in the stage.
· Byron found himself out front with three laps remaining in the stage. The top-seven cars ran single-file with energy mid-pack saw the reformation of two lanes of racing in the battle for stage points. The race back to the finish line saw Byron ultimately scored in the second position at the green-white checkered flag.
· Six drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations collected top-10 finishes in Stage One:
2nd William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1
4th Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Camaro ZL1
5th Chase Elliott, No. 9 LLumar Camaro ZL1
6th Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Tootsies Orchid Lounge Camaro ZL1
8th Ty Dillon, No. 77 Ferris Commercial Mowers Camaro ZL1
· Following back-to-back top-10 stage results, crew chief Cliff Daniels called Kyle Larson to pit road for a four-tire and fuel stop. Gaining a handful of positions in the race off pit road, Larson was the first car at the choose cone – electing the inside lane of the front-row for the start of the final stage.
· Taking the green-flag with 62 laps remaining in the race, Larson held steady in a race for the top position alongside reigning NCS Champion Joey Logano. Larson had a contingency of Team Chevy drivers in his rear-view mirror with Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez and his Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron following close behind in the bottom lane.
· On lap 161, a push to the No. 42 Sunseeker Resorts Camaro ZL1 by Brad Keselowski got Hocevar loose, collecting a handful of drivers including Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon. Both Team Chevy drivers sustained damage that ended the day early in the closing laps of the race.
· With a caution for debris, the lineup for the restart saw Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman lead the field to the green-flag with 13 laps to go.
· A wreck coming across the start-finish line at the drop of the checkered flag, William Byron and the No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 team was ultimately scored in the third position to lead Chevrolet to the finish.
· Despite being involved in the final lap incident, Chase Elliott was able salvage and eighth-place finish in his No. 9 LLumar Camaro ZL1.
· Four drivers from three different Chevrolet teams took the manufacturer to top-10 finishes in the second race of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12 with Byron leading Spire Motorsports’ Corey LaJoie in fifth, Kaulig Racing’s Justin Haley in seventh and Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott in eighth.
· Entering the Round of 12 elimination race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, the pair of Hendrick Motorsports playoff contenders sit in the top-eight in the playoff standings.
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
Ford Performance Notes and Quotes NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 | Sunday, October 1, 2023
RYAN BLANEY PUNCHES TICKET TO THE ROUND OF 8 WITH TALLADEGA WIN
Ryan Blaney won his second race of the season and ninth of his career today.
The win is Blaney’s 3rd career triumph at Talladega and automatically puts him in the Round of 8.
Ford has now won 10 playoff races at Talladega, most at any track.
Team Penske has now won 10 of the last 18 Talladega races.
Today’s win is Ford’s 727th all-time in NASCAR Cup Series competition.
Of Team Penske’s 92 NCS wins with Ford, 65 have come since 2013.
RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Pennzoil Ford Ford Mustang — FINISH LINE INTERVIEW – HOW DID YOU DO THAT? “I don’t really know. It was a pretty wild restart, but let alone the last couple of laps losing momentum and getting it back, just getting clear to the bottom to get to the front row and drag race it out with Kevin. I’m just proud of the whole 12 group. Pennzoil, Menards, BodyArmor, Dex Imaging, Advance Auto Parts, Wurth, everybody who makes this possible. To win here three times at Talladega is super cool. I have to give a big thanks to Riley Herbst. He did a really good job there the last couple restarts. He doesn’t have a lot of Cup starts, but he did a great job and pushed me so thanks to him. This is so cool.”
WHAT DO YOU SEE WHEN THE FINISH IS THAT CLOSE? “I’ve won it by more than I have the last couple years. That one might have been by four feet, the others were by two but you just don’t know. You just kind of drag race a line and hope you get help. William gave me a pretty good shove on the bottom. He was kind of forced to, but I wasn’t sure until Josh said something. Josh did a fantastic job on the roof like always. This is always such a special place to win at so I can’t wait to drive to Victory Lane.”
KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 Busch Light Camo Ford Mustang — “I knew we were in a great spot there with Riley behind us and I don’t know where he spun out, but he got spun out and I knew that if he was still there by the time we got to the end of the tri-oval we were gonna be in really good shape and then at that particular point it was just kind of where we were. I tried to put a donut on his door and slow him down just a little bit, but just a great effort and we came up a little short.”
TAKE US THROUGH THOSE LATE MOVES. “I just tried to block the lanes and then I was kind of late blocking the 12 there and he got to the outside of us, but it actually worked out OK because the 24 was a great pusher, and then it got shuffled again and I had Riley behind me. I thought I was in a really good spot headed down the back straightaway with everything that was happening because I knew I could get off the tri-oval with Riley right on my bumper I was still gonna be OK and then he got spun in the middle of the tri-oval, so I’ve just got to thank everybody on our Busch Light Ford. They did a great job. Right about there I said, ‘Man, we’re sailing. The spotter is yelling at me to side draft. I’m like, ‘We aren’t gonna need to sidedraft, and then Riley got loose and spun out and I’m like, ‘We’re all alone here with two of them below me.’ But it was a great day, a great way to end at Talladega. I always want to win, but it is what it is.”
COULD YOU IMAGINE IF THIS WAS THE WALK OFF WIN FOR YOU? “Yeah, they might have torn it down (laughing). That would have been great. Talladega has been so up-and-down through the years. We’ve had some great moments and some bad moments. The last superspeedway race and we went out with everything rolling, so that’s a good thing.”
AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang – “It’s certainly good to get a top 10 with the Discount Tire Ford. Who’d have thought that Talladega would be the first place we would get a finish in a month without any damage or hitting anything. I put us behind with a speeding penalty and was still able to recover at the end. I’m super happy for Ryan and everybody on the 12 team to be able to come out and knock off a win into the next round. It’s very well deserved. We brought some really fast cars at Team Penske, Ford Performance, Roush Yates Engines, everybody did a great job this weekend and it paid off.”
BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang — “It was just one of those Talladega pushing and shoving deals. I just gave a really light push to the 42 car and it turned around on him, so unfortunate for us. We were able to win the second stage and were in a pretty good position there. It sucks. It sucks for everybody. I hate it for him. I hate it for us, but it is what it is.”
WHAT HAPPENED? “I just feel bad for Carson. I gave him a little push and it just took off on him. It wadded up a bunch of cars and it’s unfortunate, but we were having a good day with our Solomon Plumbing Ford. We were leading laps and won the second stage. I got shuffled there a few laps earlier and were trying to claw back and it all just gathered up.
WHAT DID YOU SEE? “It was one of those Talladega deals. We had a really really good Ford Mustang and we were up front for a while. We led the second stage and won the second stage, so that felt good. We got shuffled there a few laps before the incident and was trying to claw our way back in the third lane. The 42 pulled up in front of me and I just gave him a push and it kind of instantly spun out on him. It’s unfortunate, but part of the deal.”
DID YOU FEEL YOUR CAR LIFT FROM THE REAR? “I did, yes.”
DID YOU FEEL YOU PUSHED HIM TOO HARD? “I don’t know about that. I guess anytime you spin somebody out you pushed him too hard, but you just don’t know until you push somebody how good their car is gonna be, compared to everybody else I was pushing I would say no.”
WHO DID YOU WORK WELL WITH TODAY? “I thought I worked well with Logano and we were able to get to the front there, and Aric Almirola was really good and Blaney, all those guys. We were in a good spot I just hate that it unraveled for us.”
THOUGHTS GOING TO THE ROVAL. “I don’t know. We’ll see how this thing cycles out through the finish and what our situation is then, but it’s certainly not ideal. I’m glad we were able to win the stage. That certainly helps our points at least a little, but not as much as if we were able to finish the race out.”
DID YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES GETTING TO THE BUMPERS OF THE TOYOTAS? “Not that I can recall, no. It’s hard to say. I didn’t have a lot of time working with them to be honest.”
DO YOU THINK IT WAS GOING TO TAKE MORE AGGRESSIVE PUSHING TO GET WHERE YOU WANTED TO GO? “Not really, no. I felt like our pushes were pretty strong and the top lane just kept rolling back to the front and it’s just a matter of the cars you’re around and how well they handle.”
ARE YOU DEVASTATED? “It’s not ideal, but I’m not devastated. I’d be devastated if we ran terrible and wrecked, but we ran good and I’m proud of our team for putting the effort we need to run up front and lead laps and win the second stage. It just didn’t come together at the end.”
Matt Hirschman celebrates in the famed North Wilkesboro Speedway victory lane after winning the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour's Brushy Mountain Powersports 150. (NWS photo)
Josh Lowder rallies to take checkered flag in Central Logistics 75
NORTH WILKESBORO, NC (Sept. 30, 2023) — In a historic night of doubleheader modified racing, Matt Hirschman excelled en-route to victory in the Brushy Mountain Powersports 150, the first-ever NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Making his first NWMT start since suffering a broken arm at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on Aug. 16, Hirschman was as sharp as ever behind the wheel and survived a green-white-checkered finish to earn the elevator ride to victory lane Saturday night.
“(It’s) good to be back racing again after a month off with an injury,” Hirschman said. “This is going to be one of the biggest wins of the year, probably the biggest one to date so far.”
With an abrasive racing surface quickly wearing through competitors’ tires throughout the night, savvy pit strategy by Hirschman’s Pee Dee Motorsports team was key to victory. Hirschman was first among a large group that opted to pit for the first time under caution on lap 44. After restarting 13th, it took Hirschman just 15 laps to pilot his No. 60 to the race lead.
“I was thinking before this race this was going to be a really hard race to win just because of the amount of strategy, the amount of pit stops,” explained Hirschman. “Two stops, three stops, [we] didn’t really know.”
With 50 laps to go Hirschman surrendered the race lead to Ryan Newman, who took advantage of a caution on lap 67 to get fresher rubber on his No. 39. However, a yellow flag two laps later prompted almost the entire field to visit pit lane again. Hirschman trailed Newman after pit stops, but regained the lead on the restart with 38 laps to go.
Hirschman never looked back, repeatedly establishing a commanding lead on a series of restarts inside 25 laps to go, including on the green-white-checkered to end the race. He was followed across the stripe by NWMT title contenders Ron Silk and Justin Bonsignore, who remain in a tight championship race with just two races remaining.
“It’s really close. Every point matters. When you’re out there racing at the end you’re thinking about winning the race and not really about the points, but it’s close and probably going to be close right to the end,” said Silk, who trails Bonsignore by two points in the title fight.
“That green-white-checkered kind of saved us and gained us a couple spots there, got us back to the podium,” added Bonsignore. “We were struggling to hold onto 5th coming to the white right before the caution. The tires cooled off, and we just had a really good start, the outside line didn’t go and Ron and I were able to kind of sneak by them guys and stole a couple spots.
“This is going to be a championship for the ages.”
Eric Goodale and Patrick Emerling finished 4th and 5th, with Newman coming home 6th. Andrew Krause, Doug Coby, Kyle Ebersole, and Bobby Santos III unofficially rounding out the top-10. Former NASCAR Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte wrecked out of the race on lap 120, finishing 33rd.
The second leg of the night’s doubleheader, the Carolina Crate Modified Series Central Logistics 75, was a rough-and-tumble affair, with two red flags triggered before five laps were completed. With the pace repeatedly slowed for incidents, the race was paused for two hours with under 20 laps remaining to make way for the NWMT feature.
There was little patience on display when the race resumed, with the victory decided through a multitude of restarts and full-contact racing for the lead. After leading most of the event, Josh Lowder surrendered the top spot when Paul Hartwig III dove to the inside and ran Lowder’s car up the racetrack with five laps remaining.
A caution gave Lowder the opportunity to line up right behind Hartwig in the final laps, and Lowder didn’t hesitate to use his bumper to regain the lead coming to the white flag and ultimately the victory.
Jaxson Casper followed Lowder through to take 2nd while Hartwig settled for 3rd. Eric Goodale and Cody Norman rounded out the top-5.
With tonight’s modified action now in the books, race fans can look forward to 2024 and the NASCAR All-Star Race weekend May 17-19. Tickets will go on sale to at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 5.
ST. LOUIS (Sept. 30, 2023) – Looking to move into the points lead in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs for the first time in his career, Funny Car’s Bob Tasca III clinched the No. 1 qualifier in front of a sellout crowd on Saturday at World Wide Technology Raceway at the 12th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals.
Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all qualified No. 1 at the 18th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the third of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Saturday also marked the eighth sellout of the 2023 NHRA season.
Tasca picked up his sixth No. 1 spot this year as Friday’s run of 3.852-seconds at 324.90 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang held up during Saturday’s final two qualifying sessions. Currently second in points, Tasca trails Robert Hight by less than a round as he looks for his second straight victory in the postseason. He’ll open eliminations against Jack Wyatt and heads into Sunday with plenty of positives after a strong pass of 3.877 at 331.85 to close out the evening as well.
“Very exciting, but one round at a time, one run at a time,” Tasca said. “We really don’t pay as much attention to what the cars around us are running. We have enough data now with this car and enough track information to go up there and try to go as quick as we can for the conditions that are presented.
“You want to be in the (championship) conversation. No one can guarantee a championship. No one knows what’s going to happen over the next four races, but you want to be in the conversation. That’s why the sponsors invest in us, that’s what the fans cheer about. We’re going to do the best we can and if we come out victorious, it’s that much sweeter. But this is what it’s all about. I’ve been around a lot of successful teams. We’ve had some good runs, but this is clearly our best run at it.”
Chad Green moved all the way to second with a solid run of 3.886 at 330.47 and Blake Alexander took second with a 3.888 at 326.79.
Kalitta hung on to his second No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 53rd in his career thanks to Friday’s run of 3.709 at 331.85 in his 11,000-horsepower Mac Tools/Toyota dragster. The points leader will open eliminations against Lex Joon, looking to stay perfect in the Countdown to the Championship. The veteran, who is chasing his first world championship in Top Fuel, has won the first two playoff races, building a strong lead against the likes of Steve Torrence and Justin Ashley. He has marveled at the team’s consistency in the postseason and Kalitta hopes to continue their stellar run on Sunday in front of another huge crowd in St. Louis. Kalitta also went 3.72 to close out qualifying.
“I was really happy with that .72 in that last session,” Kalitta said. “My car has been really consistent. I just can’t say enough about how hard everybody is working on my car. Great crowd here today, a sellout. Connie Kalitta is our fearless leader out here and given me a great opportunity over the years.
“It’s just nice when it all can come together like it has the last couple of races for my car. We’re just going to hold on and do our best and keep going rounds, as many as we can get. We’re definitely looking forward to tomorrow, whatever it gives us, and hopefully we can have it dialed in real nice.”
Mike Salinas took the second spot with a run of 3.710 at 329.75 and Antron Brown was right behind in third with a 3.714 at 331.69.
After earning her third straight No. 1 qualifier to open the playoffs thanks to Friday’s run of 6.549 at 209.69 in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro, Pro Stock’s Erica Enders has a chance at history on Sunday. With her next win, the defending world champion will become the winningest female driver in NHRA history. She’ll open eliminations against Eric Latino, hoping to secure her 47th victory this season and first in the Countdown to the Championship. Enders has also dominated over the years in St. Louis, winning four straight seasons heading into the weekend. Her six overall wins are the most for any driver at the track.
“I’m definitely excited to head into raceday,” Enders said. “St. Louis has always been really good to us, and we hope that the trend will continue tomorrow – but there are a lot of really tough competitors out there. I’m hopeful to park that JHG/Melling Performance car in the winner’s circle. We’ve got our work cut out for us, but I’m looking forward to it.
“I haven’t thought about [the record] on raceday, but no matter when it comes it will be a huge honor. Angelle [Sampey] was one of my heroes growing up, and we’re great friends now. To be the all-time winner for females in any form of motorsports is pretty substantial and an honor I won’t take lightly.”
Points leader Matt Hartford moved up to second with a strong run of 6.549 at 207.75 and Troy Coughlin Jr. qualified third with a pass of 6.558 at 208.97.
Gaige Herrera tied Matt Hines for the most No. 1 qualifiers in a single season in Pro Stock Motorcycle history, securing his 11th top spot in 12 PSM races with Friday’s run of 6.716 at 201.79 on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. Hines set the mark in 1998 and Herrera matched the mark more than 25 years later as he continued his dominant season. The points leader made two more quality runs on Saturday, taking plenty of momentum into Sunday as he aims to pick up his first win in St. Louis and his eighth victory of the season.
“This is very cool. I just have to give it up to Andrew (Hines, crew chief) and all the guys at the shop and Matt, included,” Herrera said. “They’re the ones that make that possible. To be able to tie Matt and get that many No. 1 qualifiers in one season, it’s incredible. There have been a lot of remarkable, crazy, things I’ve accomplished so far this year but to add something like this to it is pretty cool.
“We tried to do different things on the bike today, the track is kind of a little tricky for us, so I feel like we made good passes considering. We’ll go back and go over all our data and be ready for tomorrow. All in all, I felt pretty good on the bike and it should be good tomorrow.”
Defending world champion and defending event winner Matt Smith took second with a 6.766 at 201.76 and Eddie Krawiec bumped to third thanks to his 6.773 at 201.25.
Eliminations for the NHRA Midwest Nationals begin at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis.
MADISON, Ill. — Sunday’s first-round pairings for eliminations for the 12th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway, the 18th of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.
Top Fuel — 1. Doug Kalitta, 3.709 seconds, 331.85 mph vs. 16. Lex Joon, 3.920, 314.09; 2. Mike Salinas, 3.710, 329.75 vs. 15. Cody Krohn, 3.819, 319.07; 3. Antron Brown, 3.714, 331.69 vs. 14. Kyle Wurtzel, 3.816, 314.46; 4. Justin Ashley, 3.730, 331.69 vs. 13. T.J. Zizzo, 3.814, 326.24; 5. Steve Torrence, 3.733, 330.72 vs. 12. Josh Hart, 3.793, 324.20; 6. Tony Schumacher, 3.734, 329.83 vs. 11. Brittany Force, 3.791, 330.72; 7. Clay Millican, 3.740, 334.07 vs. 10. Austin Prock, 3.770, 318.62; 8. Leah Pruett, 3.742, 331.04 vs. 9. Shawn Langdon, 3.748, 328.86.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Buddy Hull, 3.920, 312.06; 18. Terry Totten, 20.894, 158.39.
Funny Car — 1. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.852, 324.90 vs. 16. Jack Wyatt, Dodge Charger, 4.173, 264.49; 2. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.886, 330.47 vs. 15. Alex Laughlin, Charger, 4.140, 304.94; 3. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 3.888, 326.79 vs. 14. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.132, 292.90; 4. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 3.914, 325.06 vs. 13. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 4.079, 299.00; 5. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.927, 326.40 vs. 12. Alexis DeJoria, Toyota GR Supra, 4.008, 324.44; 6. Bobby Bode, Mustang, 3.937, 293.47 vs. 11. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 4.005, 321.04; 7. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 3.952, 324.90 vs. 10. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.982, 321.04; 8. Robert Hight, Camaro, 3.953, 323.89 vs. 9. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.981, 320.66.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Dale Creasy Jr., 4.179, 296.11; 18. Chris King, 4.771, 187.50.
Pro Stock — 1. Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.549, 209.69 vs. 16. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.609, 207.21; 2. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.549, 207.75 vs. 15. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.605, 208.62; 3. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.558, 208.97 vs. 14. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.602, 208.36; 4. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.560, 208.81 vs. 13. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.595, 208.81; 5. Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 6.569, 208.65 vs. 12. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.590, 208.91; 6. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.570, 209.07 vs. 11. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.583, 208.81; 7. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.570, 208.01 vs. 10. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.582, 208.39; 8. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Mustang, 6.575, 207.69 vs. 9. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.581, 207.62.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Fernando Cuadra, 6.627, 207.85; 18. Robert River, 7.050, 196.07.
Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.716, 201.79 vs. 14. Joey Gladstone, Buell, 7.061, 160.69; 2. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.766, 201.76 vs. 13. Chris Bostick, EBR, 7.026, 187.63; 3. Eddie Krawiec, Suzuki, 6.773, 201.25 vs. 12. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.953, 193.82; 4. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.774, 198.70 vs. 11. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.880, 198.93; 5. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.796, 199.14 vs. 10. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.879, 196.85; 6. Jianna Evaristo, Suzuki, 6.841, 197.31 vs. 9. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.874, 196.44; 7. Cory Reed, Suzuki, 6.870, 195.48 vs. 8. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.874, 197.88.
Recovering from an injury can be overwhelming and confusing, especially when it involves navigating the complex legal process. This guide aims to simplify that process, offering practical tips and strategies to effectively manage the legal aspects of your situation. Whether you’re dealing with insurance claims, interacting with lawyers, or considering litigation, understanding your rights and responsibilities will empower you to make informed decisions and alleviate some of the stress associated with the aftermath of an injury.
Understanding Your Legal Rights
One of the first steps in navigating the legal process after an injury is understanding your legal rights. Knowing what you’re entitled to and the laws that protect you is crucial in handling legal matters effectively. This includes understanding the concept of negligence, your right to compensation if someone else is at fault, and your obligations when it comes to reporting the injury. Educate yourself on these matters or seek legal advice from a personal injury attorney in Indianapolis (or elsewhere) to ensure that you don’t fall short in seeking justice and compensation for your injury. It’s also essential to understand any time limits that may apply, known as the statute of limitations. These vary depending on your location and type of injury, so be sure to do your research or consult with a legal professional.
Interacting with Lawyers
If you’re dealing with an injury-related case, chances are you’ll have to interact with lawyers at some point in the process. Whether it’s your own attorneys who fight for injury victims, the other party’s legal representative, or an insurance company lawyer, it can be intimidating and overwhelming. However, it’s essential to remember that lawyers are there to assist you and protect your rights. When looking for auto accident lawyers, personal injury attorneys, or any other type of lawyer, be sure to consider their experience and reputation. It’s also crucial to establish clear communication with your lawyer and keep them updated on any new developments in your case. When you explain your situation clearly and concisely, you can rely on their expertise to guide you through the legal process successfully.
Insurance Claims
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In most injury cases, insurance comes into play, whether it’s medical insurance or auto insurance. It’s essential to understand the coverage provided by your policy and any exclusion clauses that may limit your benefits. When filing an insurance claim, provide as much detail as possible, including medical records and evidence of the incident. Be aware that insurance companies may try to minimize your claim or deny it altogether, so don’t hesitate to seek legal advice if you feel like you’re being treated unfairly.
In some cases, the insurance company may offer a settlement, and it’s essential to carefully consider this before accepting. Make sure the amount offered is fair compensation for your injuries, both physical and emotional, and factor in any future expenses or losses you may incur as a result of the injury.
Considering Litigation
If an agreement can’t be reached through negotiations and settlement offers, litigation may become necessary. This involves filing a lawsuit and going to court, which can be a lengthy and costly process. Before making the decision to pursue litigation, weigh the pros and cons carefully, and consult with your lawyer on the chances of success. It’s also essential to consider alternative dispute resolution methods, such as mediation or arbitration, which may offer a quicker and less expensive resolution.
Over a period of time, the legal process can be mentally and emotionally draining, but by familiarizing yourself with your rights and responsibilities, seeking reputable legal representation, and carefully considering your options, you can navigate it effectively.
Seeking Support
Dealing with it’s essential to keep track of all developments in your case and be proactive in seeking support when needed. Whether it’s from family, friends, or a professional therapist, don’t hesitate to reach out for emotional support during this challenging time. Dealing with an injury can also impact your physical health, so it’s important to prioritize self-care and seek medical treatment if necessary.
Additionally, there are many resources available that offer support and guidance for individuals going through the legal process after an injury. These include support groups, online forums, and legal aid clinics. Don’t hesitate to utilize these resources to help you navigate the process more effectively and alleviate some of the stress and confusion. Perhaps most importantly, remember that you are not alone and there are people who can help. Don’t hesitate to reach out for support when needed.
In conclusion, navigating the legal process following an injury may seem daunting, but with understanding, support, and due diligence, it can be effectively managed. Understanding your rights, interacting professionally with lawyers, handling insurance claims strategically, considering litigation carefully, and seeking support are all integral parts of this journey. Remember to document every step, maintain clear communication with all involved parties, and seek expert legal advice when needed. Utilize the numerous resources at your disposal, from legal aid clinics to support groups. Above all, ensure that you prioritize your well-being, both physically and emotionally, as you traverse this challenging period. While the legal process may be intricate, armed with knowledge, support, and resilience, you can emerge triumphant.
Ford Performance Notes and Quotes NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 Qualifying | Saturday, September 30, 2023
Ford Qualifying Results:
1st – Aric Almirola
2nd – Joey Logano
3rd – Chase Briscoe
5th – Brad Keselowski
6th – Riley Herbst
7th – Austin Cindric
10th – Ryan Blaney
11th – Kevin Harvick
17th – Todd Gilliland
18th – Michael McDowell
19th – Ryan Preece
21st – Harrison Burton
24th – Chris Buescher
27th – JJ Yeley
29th – Brennan Poole
ARIC ALMIROLA POLE-WINNING PRESS CONFERENCE
ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang – “It feels good to show up to Talladega with speed in our cars. I knew coming here we were gonna have an opportunity to qualify well and this would be a great opportunity for us to win a race, so proud of everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing for continuing to fight and work their tails off to bring fast race cars to the racetrack. It would be so easy at this point in the season with where we’re at to just bring a car to the track and check the box, but that’s not who we are. The men and women at our organization continue to wake up every day, go into the shop figuring out how to make our race cars go fast and today is proof of that. I’m proud of the effort. We had a really good car at Daytona. We qualified well. I think we qualified second and just barely missed the pole and ran up front all night and finished third, so similar car, similar setup, all those things, so certainly expected to be fast when we got here.”
WHAT HAS BEEN THE KEY TO SHR’S IMPROVED PERFORMANCE THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS? “It’s good that everybody else notices it because internally I feel like we notice it and they’re continuing to be motivated by seeing things start to go in the right direction, so that’s nice. From my standpoint, to show up to the racetrack with a little bit more speed and be a little bit more competitive is encouraging, but it starts at the shop and it really has gotten to a point to where we were at a pretty low spot, and everybody was searching. Every team, every crew chief, every engineer is searching like, ‘Oh my God, we’re off. What can we do to find speed. Let’s try this setup. Let’s do this to the car. Let’s do that to the car.’ So you end up with everybody kind of going off on these islands trying to figure out what we need to do to put speed in our race cars and over the last couple of months I feel like we’ve come back together because that hasn’t worked and there’s been a lot more unity and collaboration internally inside of our organization, bringing all the smart people together talking about what we need to do and kind of going at it more collectively and that’s been a turning point. I feel like that’s been beneficial.”
THIS IS YOUR SIXTH CAREER POLE. HOW BIG OF A DEAL IS IT FOR A DRIVER TO SEE THAT KIND OF A STAT? “I think it’s something you care about probably when you get older, I guess – when you look back and tell your grandkids you were somebody. You’re like, ‘Look here. Here are my stats,’ I guess. But, for me in my spot with where I’m at in my life and my career I chalk it up as mission accomplished. We show up at the racetrack every week and your goal is to be fastest in practice and then after that it’s to be fastest in qualifying and then after that it’s to win the race and if you don’t achieve any of those things it’s mission not accomplished. I am of course appreciative and get excited, but I get more excited for the team than I do for my stat total. It’s rewarding for Drew and all the guys on my team. It’s rewarding for the men and women back at the shop. It is a morale boost when you show up and you have a fast race car and you qualify on the pole.”
WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT DREW AND HIS ABILITY TO BRING FAST CARS TO THE TRACK? “Drew has been around the sport for a long time and Drew is very savvy. He’s smart and he’s intelligent about a lot of things, but when it comes to prepping race cars and getting race cars ready to go to the racetrack Drew is extremely detail-oriented. I worked with Drew when I was at Petty’s and I was so excited when we had the opportunity to get him to come over to Stewart-Haas Racing because of that. I knew that Drew was a guy that would come in and take fast race cars and make them faster. Unfortunately, over the last couple of years that he’s been there as an organization we’ve been off so it’s been challenging for him to show how good he is and how capable he is as a crew chief, but I think extremely highly of Drew Blickensderfer. He’s very talented and this shows it because you come to a racetrack like this where it’s very paired up and all the little details matter. You look at qualifying and you look at how tight it is, it’s separated by thousandths of a second, which means that the details matter that much more and so that just points to Drew and his leadership and how good he is at getting the most out of our race cars.”
DOES THIS IMPROVEMENT IMPACT ANY DECISION YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR NEXT YEAR? “I don’t have a decision or at least not one that I can tell you. I think, for me, I’m just enjoying it. Claire asked me a minute ago if looking back on it now if I feel like I made the right decision when I came back for this year and I can easily answer that as yes. Performance-wise on the racetrack, no, it hasn’t been the year that I hoped for when I signed up to come back. That’s no secret, but I have met a handful of people that have really impacted my life this year that I would have never met had I not decided to come back. My family and I have gotten to experience some really, really amazing things this year and I think personally I feel like the Good Lord led me to have this opportunity and it was very apparent that the door was wide open and all I had to do was step through, and so as I sit here today I’m wrestling with that same thing. For me, I’ve kind of sort of put my career on the altar because for most of my career I held on so tightly I was like, ‘Man, I just need one more contract or next year’s contract,’ and this year I’ve just been so free with it and held it so loosely and it’s been mind blowing the conversations that I’ve had in the last three to four months and just all the things that are happening and going on around me, so it’s been humbling and I just continue to pray through it and talk with my wife, talk with my kids and we’ll see.”
BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang — WHAT SORT OF EXPERIENCE HAVE YOU HAD WITH THE NETFLIX CAMERA CREW? “I haven’t been involved at this time, but that’s always subject to change. None would be my answer right now. I’ve heard others that have been a part of it and I think it sounds like a good deal for the sport, but I haven’t personally been involved with it yet.”
HOW COULD THAT HELP NASCAR? “What does the portrayal of our sport need to be to attract the masses. I wish I would have known about that one before I came here, I would have written something down. I think for our sport I always go back to the Ken Squier days because I always loved the way that he talked about the sport, where we’d talk about common men doing uncommon things and living on the edge of safety and all these other things. I always thought it was so compelling and when I would go back as a kid and rewatch the old CBS races with him on I was just so thoroughly entertained by that mentality. One of the things I always find so interesting about our sport is that we work so hard for safety and that’s important. We should always work towards it, but we almost to some degree tell the story too much because it is still pretty dangerous and it’s like we’re trying to convince ourselves that it’s safe and when you come here, weekends like this and some other things, you see the big wrecks and it’s like we’re trying to make ourselves feel better about it by telling the safety story, but on some side of it it’s kind of like, ‘Well, maybe we shouldn’t talk so much about it.’ I think we almost water it down for our fans and they don’t understand just how dangerous it still really is to be a race car driver and to race cars or trucks or whatever it might be for a living. That’s a really long-winded way of saying I love the way this sport used to be covered back in the Ken Squier days and if we can tell that story, I think it would resonate. That would be my personal preference.”
ARE YOU STILL INVOLVED WITH ANY BIRMINGHAM OR ALABAMA CAUSES? “I’ve got to do some great things in this area, especially with servicemen and servicewomen and that’s always been very rewarding to me. I really love coming here. I feel, for whatever reason, just a really strong bond. I have a lot of fans in this area and I’m sure some of that is from winning races here, but I think I just enjoy being here and enjoy being around the people here and seeing them let loose and enjoy the race weekend. It’s always so interesting coming here because until this year I feel like every time you come here there’s no cell phone service or any of those creature comforts and it kind of feels like going back in time. I’m almost glad that my phone doesn’t work sometimes. It’s just a fun place for me to come here. We’ve got some great fans and we get to do some great things for charities throughout the years and meet some people and it’s fun for me because I’m 14 years now into the Cup Series and it in some ways has gone really slow and in some ways gone really fast, and one of the things that makes it still fun and still rewarding is coming and seeing people like, ‘Oh, I saw this person eight years ago and haven’t seen them since.’ I just went and did a thing in the campground and it was like, ‘Oh, I was here for your first win in ‘09’ and to hear them tell the stories that makes it really special to be a veteran in this sport, but it certainly doesn’t change the hunger that I have.”
WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT YOUR FIRST WIN HERE? “I guess now I look back and I couldn’t have pinpointed it then, but I can pinpoint it better now – I remember feeling like I had a big case of Imposter Syndrome – like I’m not supposed to be here. It felt very surreal and I imagine a lot of people the first time they win a Cup race probably feel that way to some degree, and then just kind of riding this high of maybe I will make it in this sport because you never know, especially early in your career, if you’re going to have any staying power. It especially hits home watching the truck races here. Somebody posted a stat online about how none of the last five winners from the truck race were even in the race today. That kind of personifies the fear that I think you have as a race car driver, especially in your early years. In the Cup Series when you haven’t won a race and you haven’t had any of that success and you’re stuck thinking to yourself something of the effect that this could all disappear tomorrow. When you win a Cup race that feeling doesn’t go away, but you just feel like a little more comfortable in your own skin and it’s a super unique feeling of confidence and staying power. I don’t really know how to explain it, but I’ll never forget that. That’s probably the strongest memory and thought that I have of it.”
YOU ARE THE ONLY DRIVER WITH TOP 10 FINISHES IN THE FOUR PLAYOFF RACES. HOW CAN THAT CONTINUE TO KEEP YOU GOING? “I guess it depends on if you have stage points or not. If you put up good stage points, I think that will take you all the way to Phoenix. I feel like it’s gonna take in this round 110 points and probably the next round it’s probably gonna take 125-130 points. Top 10s with stage points will get you there in the races, but you also know inevitably that you’re not gonna be able to continue to top 10 your way through it. You’re gonna have to actually put up wins and all those other things, top 5s, so I know that that’s coming to – that we need to execute those pieces, but when you’re not in a spot to win I think it’s important to get those points and then it’s important to have solid days, especially in these early rounds. I think that’s kind of a good ethos for our team to operate under.”
IS YOUR CONFIDENCE GROWING WITH EVERY RACE OF HOW FAR YOUR TEAM CAN GO VERSUS WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS WERE? “It’s funny because now that I’m wearing the team owner hat I sit in different meetings than I used to – some good ones to with competition, don’t get me wrong – but I was sitting in a financial meeting going over budgeting, which is everyone’s favorite topic, and we got to talking about how in the company budget we had 14th and 16th and now after making it through the Round of 12 and getting to the Round of 8 the budget projections change. Those are moments that I think hit home where you’re like, ‘Yeah, this is better than we thought. This is better than what we thought might happen.’ We’re on a good path, but you try not to take anything for granted. I think we could go out and put up goose eggs this weekend and if you take your eye off the ball in this sport for one second that’s exactly what’s gonna happen.”
HOW DIFFICULT IS IT AS A DRIVER IF YOU’RE SECOND ON THE LAST LAP WHEN TO MAKE YOUR MOVE? “To some degree I’ve let go thinking about that because I’ve had races here where I’ve won and lost where you’re in position to make the move and the yellow comes out and you’ve just literally passed the start-finish line and you didn’t even get an opportunity to make the move. You’re like, ‘I should have made the move,’ and then over time I’ve had races where I feel like we’ve gotten into a spot to where we’re the leader on the last lap and it falls apart, where you get your doors blown off and it’s like, ‘Oh, I was up front too early.’ I think Talladega and Daytona these tracks are really easy to overthink. It’s not that you don’t want to put the effort in or the workload and all that, but sometimes you have to just allow yourself to accept the fact that there are only certain pieces you can control that being one of them. What’s gonna happen on the last lap? Do you want to be leading? Do you want to be second? There are so many circumstances around that that you can’t control, whether it’s a yellow coming out as I was just saying or either the line line behind you formulating the right way or the wrong way. To some degree you just want to get in position to strike and just be thankful for that and hopeful that you don’t do anything to screw it up and let circumstances dictate from there. Ultimately, the goal for me is I don’t ever think about, ‘Hey, I want to be in the lead or I want to be second on the last lap.’ I don’t really think about it that way. I think about it more so of I just want to be fortunate enough to be in the top two or three so that if things go my way they’ll go my way.”
