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Zane Smith and the No. 38 Ambetter Health Ford Mustang Team Texas Motor Speedway Competition Notes

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Official Release
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TEAM AND RACE NOTES:

Zane Smith returns to the Texas Motor Speedway this weekend, this time, in the No. 38 Ford Mustang for Front Row Motorsports (FRM). Smith will be making his eighth NASCAR Cup Series start.

Ambetter Health will make their primary NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend as they ride with Smith and the No. 38 Ford Mustang team for the 267-lap event.

Ambetter Health is a health insurance offering that is available on the Health Insurance Marketplace, or exchange, established by the Affordable Care Act.

It is one of the healthcare programs provided by Centene Corporation, a leading healthcare enterprise. Ambetter Health is made available through local health plans and covers a wide variety of healthcare services, including preventive and wellness services, maternity and newborn care, pediatric services, mental health and substance misuse services, prescription drug coverage, and more.

Track activity will begin with practice and qualifying on Saturday at 12:35 p.m. ET. Sunday’s 400-mile race is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on the USA Network.

COMPETITION NOTES:

Smith heads to the Texas Motor Speedway looking to best his 10th-place finish at the grueling Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. The finish was Smith’s first top-10 in NASCAR Cup Series in only seven starts in one of NASCAR’s crown jewels.

The Huntington Beach, California native finished 17th in his Cup Series debut in 2022 and qualified into his first Daytona 500 this season by racing into the prestigious event through his 150-mile qualifier. Smith ended his first Daytona 500 in 13th.

This past weekend, Smith announced that he’ll race in full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2024.

Smith last competed at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway oval in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in April. He finished fifth in the first two stages but was involved in a late race incident while leading at the white flag. He finished 14th in the event.

CREW CHIEF RYAN BERGENTY:

“I am excited to be working with Zane again. He has proven himself again and again in the truck series and his 10th-place finish in the Coke 600 further proved that he is a contender on Sunday’s.

“This will be another learning experience for Zane, but I know that we’ll have a car that he can go and prove himself again.”

DRIVER ZANE SMITH:

“I’m really excited for the opportunity to get back into the seat of a Cup car this weekend thanks to Ambetter Health and Front Row Motorsports. We had a really great run at Charlotte the last time I ran Cup and Ryan (Bergenty) and the entire team have been helpful in getting me prepared for this race. Texas is a tough track, but I feel good about the preparation for this weekend.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Double podium weekend at Indy for Racing to End Alzheimer’s

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Official Release
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Kvamme maintains point advantage for Am championship with two weekends remaining

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (19 Sept. 2023) – The Racing to End Alzheimer’s team continued its podium streak with a pair of second place finishes at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Mark Kvamme in the No. 43 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, who continues to lead the Am class of the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America with two weekends remaining.

Kvamme has placed on the podium in all 12 races this season, extending an 18-race streak that began with the final six races of his 2022 championship campaign.

“Racing at Indianapolis is amazing,” Kvamme said. “It’s such an historic place, and it’s a lot of fun to drive here. Now, I’m looking forward to watching the IMSA WeatherTech Championship race. I’m a race junkie, and I get to do it all here. I get to play in it, and I get to see it. Today I had 184 names along for the race with me on the front of the car, and that’s absolutely 100-percent of why I’m doing this.”

The team carries 184 names on the No. 43 Porsche 992 Cup Car, and each of the names reflects the efforts of the R2EndAlz team to increase awareness of Alzheimer’s Disease, while giving families a way to honor their loved ones in a very tangible way – and raising funds for research and treatment (more information at (https://www.r2endalz.org).

For Racing to End Alzheimer’s founder Phil Frengs, the chance to bring the team’s message of hope to the legendary Brickyard – and to bring home a double podium – was a season highlight. Kvamme’s teammate Scott Noble, who won both races, has joined the team as well, carrying a R2EndAlz decal to aid the cause – which hit a milestone this weekend.

“For a racing nerd like me, being here is special in itself,” said Frengs. “And for us to have a double podium, in both races. Congratulations to Scott, he’s been terrific lately and Mark was just hanging in there trying to catch him. But we are very pleased.

“We’ve met last year’s total for names on the car, and funds raised, and we still have two races to go,” continued Frengs. “So we really feel like we are on our road to 200 or more, which was our goal at the beginning of the season. We are happy to see it being reached.”

Kvamme unofficially maintains a 17-point advantage in the Am standings with a pair of two-race weekends remaining over MDK Racing teammate Scott Noble, who won both weekend races. Kvamme was able to cut the gap on Noble in the closing minutes of the Sunday event, ending up 2.148 seconds behind at the checkered flag.

“Scott is the new sheriff in town,” Kvamme said of his teammate following Sunday’s race. “I’m having a hard time trying to catch him.”

Throughout the weekend, the Racing to End Alzheimer’s team was chasing better grip on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile circuit that uses a portion of the 2.5-mile oval that hosts the Indy 500.

“Traction here has been really tough,” Kvamme said after qualifying second for Saturday’s opening round. “We were trying to figure out the right setup, and I ended up going very soft in the front to get more turn-in, because the understeer was amazing. But as you get softer, you get oversteer, so it’s an interesting balance between the two. The setup for my car was a lot softer than my teammates.”

Race 1 saw Kvamme gain four positions on the overall field but found himself two positions behind Noble. Over the closing laps, Kvamme raced hard to maintain second, and was able to hold that position by one second. He placed 23rd overall, one place behind his teammate.

The Sunday morning finale quickly went under yellow for a multicar incident in Turn 1. After a slowdown of nearly 18 minutes, Kvamme was 17th overall, two seconds behind Noble. He closed the gap to under two seconds in the final minutes – while also defending his second-place position in the class – but could get no closer.

“I drove much better today,” Kvamme said. “I’m much happier with my drive today. Yesterday, I couldn’t really figure it out. I was a couple of seconds behind him. On the end part of the course, I was actually faster than him on each lap, but overall, he had me. Today we were 17th overall – that’s pretty good. It was crazy out there!”

Next up for the Racing to End Alzheimer’s team and the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America will be the doubleheader in support of the Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca September 29 – October 1. Race one takes the green flag Sunday at 9:50 a.m., with race two later in the day at 4:20 p.m. The race will be broadcast live in the U.S., on IMSA.TV, the NBC Peacock streaming app and PorscheCarreraCup.us.

About Racing to End Alzheimer’s

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

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

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

Hunt Brothers Pizza Racing: Kevin Harvick Texas Advance

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Official Release
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KEVIN HARVICK
Texas Advance
No. 4 Hunt Brothers® Pizza Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (Round 30 of 36)

● Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 24

● Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth

● Layout: 1.5-mile oval

● Laps/Miles: 267 laps / 400.5 miles

● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 80 laps / Final Stage: 107 laps

● TV/Radio: USA / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Kevin Harvick has a stout track record at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, especially in his time since joining Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) in 2014. In his last 15 NASCAR Cup Series races at the 1.5-mile oval – all of which have come with SHR – Harvick has only two finishes outside the top-10. That first result came in the 2020 AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500, when Harvick finished 16th after his No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang slipped off turn two while leading and brushed the outside wall as a heavy mist made the track slick. Harvick rebounded in his next points-paying start at Texas, finishing fifth in the 2021 AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500. His other result outside the top-10 came last September when he finished 19th. In the 12 races prior to that 2020 race where Harvick finished 16th, he scored nine top-fives, three of which were wins, while three others were second-place results.

● In those three wins at Texas – November 2017, 2018 and 2019 – Harvick led a total of 334 laps, which is the exact same lap total for a 500-mile race at Texas. This weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas is 400 miles, which translates to 67 fewer laps.

● Prior to joining SHR, Harvick’s laps-led total at Texas was five, earned over the course of 22 races. In his 16 Texas starts since being a part of SHR, Harvick has led 686 laps. His total of 691 laps led at Texas is the second-most among all NASCAR Cup Series drivers. Only Kyle Busch has led more laps at the track (1,069).

● Before joining SHR, Harvick’s best finish at Texas was third (November 2016). It was one of just three top-fives and 11 top-10s he had at the track.

● Sunday’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 will mark Harvick’s 39th NASCAR Cup Series start at Texas, the most among all Cup Series drivers, past and present. It will be Harvick’s 820th career Cup Series start, which puts him eighth all-time behind only Richard Petty (1,185 starts), Ricky Rudd (906), Terry Labonte (890), Dave Marcis (883), Mark Martin (882), Kyle Petty (829) and Bill Elliott (828).

● Harvick also leads all NASCAR Cup Series drivers – past and present – in top-10s at Texas with 24. Next best on this list is Kurt Busch with 23 top-10s, followed by Jimmie Johnson with 22.

● Harvick is good at Texas even outside of the NASCAR Cup Series. He has five wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and has led a total of 779 laps, the second-most among all drivers despite not competing in an Xfinity Series race at Texas since 2018. Only Kyle Busch has led more laps in Xfinity Series competition at Texas (1,795). Busch led those laps across 23 starts while Harvick earned his tally in 21 starts. In four NASCAR Truck Series starts at Texas, Harvick owns a win (November 2011) and one other top-five – a fourth place drive in his first Truck Series start at the track in June 1998 when he was just 22 years old and still three years away from his Cup Series debut.

● The 2023 season marks the 14th year of partnership between Harvick and Hunt Brothers Pizza. The nation’s largest brand of made-to-order pizza in the convenience store industry has sponsored Harvick for years in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series. Hunt Brothers Pizza joined Harvick fulltime in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2019 and has been a mainstay in NASCAR’s premier division ever since. With more than 9,000 locations across the country, Hunt Brothers Pizza offers original and thin crust pizzas available as a grab-and-go Hunk A Pizza®, perfect for today’s on-the-go lifestyle, or as a customizable whole pizza that is an exceptional value with All Toppings No Extra Charge®. Hunt Brothers Pizza is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, and is family owned and operated. For additional information, visit www.HuntBrothersPizza.com or download the app.

● Said Harvick about his more than decade-long partnership with Hunt Brothers Pizza: “Our fans are pretty loyal to the brands that are on our cars. Many of my pictures come from the standees in the store. People take selfies next to them. There are a number of reasons you have sponsorships – you want that brand recognition, the brand integration. Hunt Brothers Pizza is a very family-oriented company and we’re a very family-oriented group. Those relationships you build through the years with brands that recognize and reflect what you believe in are few and far between. We’ve grown with the Hunt Brothers Pizza brand. They’ve grown with us and have been very loyal to us, and I think our fans are very loyal to Hunt Brothers Pizza. It’s fun to see that brand recognition and that understanding of loyalty and partnership. You realize how many Hunt Brothers Pizza stores there are as you drive to racetracks.”

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang

You’re out of the playoffs, but racing continues. Without a championship to strive for, how do you stay motivated through these final seven races?

“That’s just something from when I wrestled in high school and raced our Late Models, it was always pounded into my head that it’s OK to not be good, but it’s not OK to quit. It’s never OK to not give it 100 percent. It’s never OK to quit grinding away for every single second of whatever it is you’re doing because you’re letting yourself down. And in this deal, you’re not only letting yourself down, you’re letting your whole team down, and I think that’s contagious because nobody ever lets down. We can be off and struggling in a race, but we can keep ourselves on the lead lap and have a good pit stop and all of a sudden show up and finish fourth or fifth at the end of a race just because five or six of them have crashed and we’ve ground away all day at the little things and made our car a little bit better and hung in there and all of a sudden here we are. Sometimes it’s just about grinding away and doing the little things right. You don’t have to be the fastest, but if you just do more right than everybody else, you’re probably going to be pretty successful. There are a lot of details that go into what we do to be good. Even with a slow car, you can still find 100 details to make a slow car faster, and sometimes making a slow car faster is OK on certain days. Every day is different. Every day you have to find something to improve on and it’s a constant improvement.”

Back in 2017, Texas was repaved and turns one and two were reconfigured. How has the track aged since then, and has it changed how you drive the track?

“It changed where you drive on the racetrack. You move up the racetrack, so you don’t have to be as technical through (turns) one and two as you used to. Just put it on the grip strip and hope for the best. It’s still a good racetrack for us, still a lot of good things that have happened for us, and hopefully we can continue that.”

Explain a lap around Texas – specifically, how you approach turns one and two and how you approach turns three and four?

“Texas is unique in the fact the two ends are so different. When they changed the racetrack, they made the width of the racetrack a lot wider through (turns) one and two than what it used to be. It’s a lot flatter, as well. It’s a very technical corner both in order to get your car positioned correctly and in order to make your car turn and stay in the throttle. You have to have your car handling on one end, and on the other end you just have to be pretty brave and hold the throttle down.”

Your track record at Texas is impressive. What makes you so good there?

“Texas has been a good racetrack for us – old configuration, new configuration – and it’s one of those places that has just fit what we do. Hopefully, it’s the same way this year, but Texas has been a lot of fun to race at for us.”

No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Kevin Harvick

Hometown: Bakersfield, California

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith

Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engineer: Stephen Doran

Hometown: Butler, Pennsylvania

Engineer: Dax Gerringer

Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina

Spotter: Tim Fedewa

Hometown: Holt, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Daniel Coffey

Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith

Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Jeremy Howard

Hometown: Delhart, Texas

Jack Man: Brandon Banks

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Fuel Man: Evan Marchal

Hometown: Westfield, Indiana

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Tyler Trosper

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Mechanic: Nick DeFazio

Hometown: Orange, California

Tire Specialist: Jamie Turski

Hometown: Trumbull, Connecticut

Engine Tuner: Robert Brandt

Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Transporter Co-Driver: Rick Hodges

Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen Mitchell

Hometown: Woodville, Ohio

JACKSON REVS UP FOR SEASON FINALE IN O’NEIL ELECTRIC DODGE

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Official Release
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Larry Jackson’s #84 in the O’Neil Electric Dodge at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Photo Credit: Matthew Manor

(September 19, 2023) Get ready for an adrenaline-packed showdown as Larry Jackson prepares to take on the season finale of the 2023 NASCAR Pinty’s Series at Delaware Speedway, located just outside London, Ontario, on Sunday, September 24th in his #84 O’Neil Electric Dodge.

Currently sitting an impressive 9th place in the overall standings, Larry Jackson has demonstrated remarkable skill and determination throughout the season with four top-ten finishes under his belt. Jackson has also recorded three top-ten results in seven previous races at Delaware Speedway.

The season finale at Delaware Speedway promises to be a nail-biting spectacle, as Jackson and his #84 O’Neil Electric Dodge team leave no stone unturned in their quest for glory. Race enthusiasts can’t afford to miss this thrilling event, which will be a fitting conclusion to an unforgettable season.

Race Event Preview
Sunday September 24th. Green Flag approximately 4:30PM ET
Pinty’s Fall Brawl
Race 14 of 14 in 2023
This is the 11th NASCAR Pinty’s Series race at Delaware Speedway

The Track: ½ mile paved oval (250 laps)

Best finish: seventh in 2013

Quote:
“Our whole team has worked really hard to prepare for this last race of the season. Having a couple weeks off allowed us to make sure we’re prepared for anything. The last race of the year can get a little crazy and 250 laps is a long race, so we’ve got to stay patient and stick to our game plan for the O’Neil Electric Dodge and we should be in good position for the end of the race.”
-Larry Jackson, Driver #84 O’Neil Electric Dodge

TV & Live Streaming
All races are streamed live on TSN+ in Canada and through FloRacing in the United States. The Pinty’s Fall Brawl will air on TSN Saturday, September 30th at 2:30PM and on RDS2, date and time TBD.

The 2023 NASCAR Pinty’s Series will consist of 14 total races in five provinces on a mixture of oval tracks along with road and street courses.

Race fans can get the latest information about Larry Jackson and the #84 O’Neil Electric team on these social channels.

Twitter: @larryjacksonvrm
Instagram: @larryjackson84

About O’Neil Electric Supply
Serving the electrical and construction industry since 1965, O’Neil Electric Supply is a proud Canadian owned, independent wholesale supplier of premium electrical products in the GTA and across Ontario. O’Neil Electric is also open to the public and supplies all premium brands from major manufacturers, in a complete range of electrical products in lighting, controls, power distribution equipment, conduit, wire, boxes, devices, heating & ventilation, tools and safety equipment and is well known as one of the largest stocking distributors in the GTA.
Learn more about O’Neil Electric Supply http://www.oneilelectric.com/about-us-2-about-us

GMG Racing Scores Two Carrera Cup Podiums, Strong IMSA Pilot Challenge Run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

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Official Release
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Kyle Washington Earned a Pair of Third-Place Showings on the Indianapolis Road Course While Washington and Jeroen Bleekemolen Battled Four Hours for a Lead Lap Finish on Saturday Night

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (September 18, 2023) – GMG Racing’s drivers and Porsche machinery completed all 193 laps possible in five hours and 20 minutes of racing over two days at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with Kyle Washington taking home a pair of class podiums in Porsche Carrera Cup North America and teaming with Jeroen Bleekemolen for a lead lap finish in the dark in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.

Washington opened the weekend by qualifying the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fifth in the Pro-Am class of Porsche Carrera Cup. In Saturday’s first race, he kept his cool during the opening lap to move to third place. Washington spent the caution-free sprint matching the lap times of his class competition, pulling to the finish line third.

His Sunday run nearly mirrored Saturday’s, with Washington avoiding a chaotic opening lap that ended the day for some. He settled into a rhythm after a long caution period and once again Washington held strong in third place to the checkered flag.

“What I’m most pleased about is Kyle’s race pace,” James Sofronas, GMG Racing Founder and Principal, said. “He’s been able to put in consistent, fast laps to stay up front and contend for podiums. In that regard, he’s making great progress and I take a lot of pride in seeing him evolve over the years and develop as a great driver. It’s fun to see his progress in the Cup car, which he really loves racing. It’s a pure race car that really commands driver skill and focus, and he’s stepped up to the task.”

From Saturday’s Carrera Cup podium celebration, Washington jumped almost immediately into the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport for the four-hour Pilot Challenge race. Despite a light rain varying the grip level throughout his stint on slick tires, Washington held onto the lead lap throughout the run and passed the car to Bleekemolen for the final two hours, 20 minutes.

With various fuel strategies in play up and down the field, GMG Racing made the right call to put Bleekemolen into the top 10 and with an opportunity to contend in the final stint. Bleekemolen, however, was battling a braking issue in the Cayman and was unable to push the car to the limit. Instead, the team brought home a 14th place, lead lap finish.

“It was a good race,” Bleekemolen said. “We learned a lot, and there was a lot more in it without the issue at the end with over an hour to go. We couldn’t be competitive any more, but it was a good, fun weekend and hopefully we can build on this and get better.”

The pair of podiums for Washington in Carrera Cup were his second and third of the year, and the first time that he’s earned back-to-back trophies.

“The weekend has been super fun,” Washington said. “It’s been a ton of driving, and I’m ready for a beer and some football.”

With bookend trophies in hand on Sunday morning, Washington earned some rest before his return to the track at Porsche Rennsport Reunion VII, September 28 to October 1 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The GMG Racing team will be racing a variety of cars at Porsche Rennsport Reunion, the weekend-long celebration of the racing heritage of Porsche. More details on the GMG Racing entries will be announced in the near future.

About GMG Racing: Founded in 2001, GMG Racing quickly established itself as North America’s premier performance tuning facility. What began as a small 1,200 sq. ft. shop, maintaining two race cars, has grown into a 30,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art performance tuning, racing and service facility located in Santa Ana, California in Orange County and with a trackside motorsports facility at 28,000 sq. ft. currently being built at The Thermal Club. The staff, attention to detail, and passion are what make GMG the choice of professionals and enthusiasts worldwide. GMG, in its early years, was located directly across the street from Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA). This close proximity allowed GMG to build a strong relationship with the legendary racing brand which has helped us support our customers to the highest level possible. From club racing to Sebring, Daytona and Spa, GMG can take you as far as you want to go. More information can be found at www.gmgracing.com.

The amazing world of F1 betting: how can you bet on the world’s most famous car racing competition?

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SM
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Photo by Kévin et Laurianne Langlais

F1 is the biggest international motor racing competition and the most prestigious event in the world of car racing. Everybody who loves action and speed and who wants their adrenaline to hit peak levels, can get a unique experience by attending and watching live F1 races. 

But even for those who can’t really be there as spectators, they can obtain a maximum experience of F1 races through betting in bookmakers and betting sites in Switzerland or in any other part of the world. In fact F1 betting has lately gained much attention from punters, something which verifies the increased interest of fans and the widespread popularity that this competition is generating. 

Betting on Formula 1 can be challenging and exciting all together. That’s because on the one hand it is really intriguing to try to make predictions on F1 races and have realistic chances of being accurate and on the other hand there are many different options amongst which bettors can choose, making it an admittedly interesting market. 

If you are new to F1 betting, then the following will give you a brief, yet insightful intro as to how you can wager on the competition. Let’s see the main options you’ve got: 

Race winner/Outright winner: you can bet on which driver will win a race or which driver will win the entire competition in the end. Your bet can be a long-term prediction of the end winner of the whole event or even a short-term prediction of a winner of a single race. Every sportsbook around the world, including those that are listed at https://bettingmalaysia.online/, offers this basic market in F1 betting and if you are a relatively inexperienced bettor, then this one is what you should opt for, at least in the beginning. 

Matchups: one very interesting thing about F1 betting is that you are able to find head-to-head markets, where you can wager on which driver will beat the other in a race or who will finish at a higher position. The pairing here is what makes such kinds of bets really attractive to bettors. Sometimes you can find incredibly interesting matchups given by betting sites in Switzerland, which tend to pit drivers with diverse skills against each other and this makes it very exciting. 

Podium finish bets: in Formula 1 races you can also bet on the drivers that will make it on the podium, whether in the first, second or third place. This is a fun type of bet which is also kind of safe as well, given that you have more chances of getting it right. 

Proposition bets or prop bets: There is a wealth of bets that do not involve predicting some kind of an outcome of the race, but do involve wagering on propositions made by the bookies. Such prop bets can range from betting on which is going to be the fastest pit stop to which driver is going to make the last pit stop and from the total number of laps led by a driver to whether a driver will lead the most laps. 

Prop bets can be literally about everything and so punters can find, for example, markets on which driver will retire first or on the number of cautions or even on the driver who will make the fastest lap. Prop bets can be as creative as the bookmakers are and at the same time as interested as punters are on fun and entertainment in F1 betting. 

So, there you have it. These are the basic options that you have when you decide to bet on a Grand Prix and gain the unique experience of wagering at the world’s most iconic motor racing competition, the F1. Go check the schedule and get ready to embark on a very exciting journey!

‘FAST FIVE’ STORYLINES TO WATCH DURING AUTOTRADER ECHOPARK AUTOMOTIVE 400 NASCAR PLAYOFFS WEEKEND

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Official Release
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  • Three-time TMS winner Denny Hamlin looking to continue strong playoff start in Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400, the Cup Series Round of 12 opener.
  • JR Motorsports teammates Sam Mayer and Josh Berry looking to rebound Saturday in the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 Xfinity Series first-round playoff race.
  • Big Hoss TV gets a major makeover, including the world-record screen getting even larger.

FORT WORTH, Texas (September 18, 2023) – Texas Motor Speedway will set the stage for the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 serving as the opening race of the Round of 12.

The Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (2:30 p.m. CT, TV: USA Network, Radio: SiriusXM Ch. 90, PRN, 95.9 The Ranch locally) is the Round of 12 opener for the second consecutive year and will be among three races that will determine which Playoff drivers will advance to the Round of 8. This round consists of Texas, Talladega Superspeedway (Oct. 1) and the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL (Oct. 8).

Four drivers – Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Michael McDowell – were eliminated after the Round of 16 concluded with Saturday night’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway. A dozen playoff drivers remain in contention for the series title heading into the second of four rounds in the elimination-style playoff format. A victory in Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 by a playoff driver automatically secures them a berth in the Round of 8.

The 12 playoff contenders are William Byron, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Prosper’s Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Ross Chastain, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney and Bubba Wallace.

Texas Motor Speedway also will play host to the first round of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. Saturday’s Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 (TV: USA, Radio: PRN, SiriusXM) will be the second event in the three-race opening round. The playoffs opened this past Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway, where championship contender Justin Allgaier earned the win.

The 12 playoff qualifiers among the Xfinity Series field are Allgaier, John Hunter Nemechek, Cole Custer, Austin Hill, Chandler Smith, Daniel Hemric, Sammy Smith, Sheldon Creed, Jeb Burton, Sam Mayer, Parker Kligerman and Josh Berry.

Here’s the “Fast Five” storylines to watch during the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 race weekend:

  1. Is this shaping up to finally be the year for DENNY HAMLIN of Joe Gibbs Racing? Hamlin is coming off a victory in Saturday night’s Round of 16 finale at Bristol Motor Speedway. He collected his 51st career win, which moved him past NASCAR Hall of Famers Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson and into 13th place on the all-time list. The victory also came with the dubious distinction of being the driver with the most career wins and no Cup Series championships, which also was the case with Johnson.

“Keep knocking on the door, keep showing up, keep making the Final 4, eventually your number will be called,” said Hamlin, who has advanced to the Final 4 four times (2014, ’19, ’20 and ’21). “Hopefully this is the year for it to be called.”

In addition to the win at Bristol, Hamlin looked particularly strong in the opening round. At Darlington, he led a race-high 177 laps but a loose wheel cost him a win and relegated him to a 25th-place finish. He followed with a runner-up finish at Kansas where he led 63 laps, but that also could have been a win had it not been for a late caution with six laps remaining and the ensuing jumbled restart.

Does Hamlin think this could be the year?

“There’s been many years that that’s just not been the case,” Hamlin said. “But there’s just something special about this year and really the last four, five that’s just been a lot of fun from my standpoint.

“I don’t think I’ve been any better. I don’t think our team has been any better. At our best, I know that we’re good enough.”

Hamlin will look to continue the momentum into the Round of 12 at Texas Motor Speedway, where he is a three-time winner and has 15 top-10 finishes in 32 career starts.

  1. Playoff drivers swept the opening round, but KEVIN HARVICK and JOEY LOGANO, ousted in the Round of 16, will now look to play the spoilers at a track where they are perennial contenders. Harvick is a three-time winner of this annual fall race and ranks second at TMS among active drivers for top-five finishes (13). He also has finished among the top five in seven of his last 10 visits, including all three of his victories (2017, ’18, ’19). Logano owns just one win at Texas Motor Speedway (2014), but he has finished among the top five in nearly half of his 27 career starts. He ranks third behind Harvick in career top-five finishes with 12, including seven of those coming in his last 12 visits. That stretch included a runner-up finish to last year’s race winner, Tyler Reddick.
  2. KYLE BUSCH is hopeful of continuing his success at Texas Motor Speedway after moving from Joe Gibbs Racing to Richard Childress Racing this season. Busch, with 32 career starts, ranks first among active drivers for career wins (4), top-five finishes (14) and laps led (1,069). He also ranks second among that group in top-10 finishes (18). Busch needs to lead 84 laps to surpass Jimmie Johnson on the all-time list in that category. He had a run of five consecutive top-10 finishes – including a win in 2020 – halted last season when he finished 36th due to a crash. It marked just the fifth time in his last 18 appearances at TMS that he did not record a top-10 finish.
  3. JR Motorsports opened the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs with a series-high three qualifiers, but find themselves at both ends of the spectrum following last week’s opening playoff round at Bristol. JUSTIN ALLGAIER was the big winner, earning his third victory of the season and gaining an automatic berth into the Round of 8. On the flip side, teammates SAM MAYER and JOSH BERRY collected each other in an accident just past the midway point of the race that resulted in finishes of 35th and 36th, respectively. Both have their work cut out for them as they are below the current eight-driver cutline to advance. Mayer is 10th and 14 points behind the eighth position held by Sheldon Creed while Berry is 12th and 24 back. Texas Motor Speedway should be a welcome sight as Mayer and Berry posted top-10 finishes in their two starts there last season. Mayer finished third in the May event and followed with an eighth in the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300. Berry was seventh in the first race and sixth in the fall playoff race.
  4. BIG HOSS TV just got bigger. … and better. In the latest project of Texas Motor Speedway’s No Limits Next facility enhancement program, Big Hoss will be 10 percent larger with 22 percent more pixels, 20 percent higher resolution and 16 percent brighter than the original version that debuted in 2014. The enhanced Big Hoss TV, a DigiLED Vision Ultra screen provided by Argyle, Texas-based GoVision, will now give fans a whopping 22,692 square feet of viewing pleasure beginning with this weekend’s NASCAR playoff doubleheader.

“The original Big Hoss TV screen was groundbreaking and world-record-achieving when it was installed in 2014,” TMS Executive Vice President and General Manager Mark Faber said. “However, with the amazing advances in technology that have taken place over the past nine years, it was time to figuratively take the old TV out to the curb and install a state-of-the-art screen for our fans.”

The NASCAR Playoffs weekend will be highlighted by the NASCAR Xfinity Series Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 on Saturday (2:30 p.m. CT on USA Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90, and PRN), and the NASCAR Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 on Sunday (2:30 p.m. CT on USA Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90, PRN, and 95.9 The Ranch-local).

Texas Motor Speedway’s always-busy events schedule is well under way. Upcoming events in 2023 include: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 NASCAR Playoffs weekend (Sept. 23-24), Goodguys’ Summit Racing Lone Start Nationals (Sept. 29-Oct. 1), Speedway Children’s Charities Smoke Show (Oct. 11) and Gordy’s Hwy 30 Music Fest (Oct. 19-22). The year wraps up with the family-favorite and speedway tradition Gift of Lights holiday light show.

ABOUT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Texas Motor Speedway is among the largest sports stadiums in the United States and features an array of amenities such as one of the world’s largest TV’s that make it one of the premier venues in the world of sports. The 1.5-mile superspeedway located in Fort Worth hosts all three NASCAR national series as well as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES among its various races and specialty events throughout the year. Texas Motor Speedway is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, LLC, a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. For more information, please visit texasmotorspeedway.com.

TICKETS:

For ticket information for the September 23-24 NASCAR Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 weekend, please visit www.texasmotorspeedway.com.

MORE INFO:

Keep track of all of Texas Motor Speedway’s busy schedule by following on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Keep up with all the latest news and information on the speedway website and TMS mobile app.

NHRA AT READING: Team Chevy Race Recap

By
Official Release
-

CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2023 PEP BOYS NHRA NATIONALS
MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY
MOHNTON, PENNSYLVANIA
TEAM CHEVY RACE REPORT
SEPTEMBER 18, 2023

CHEVROLET CAPTURES THREE WINS WITH ROBERT HIGHT, MATT HARTFORD, AND AARON STANFIELD IN THE RAIN-DELAYED 2023 PEP BOYS NHRA NATIONALS AT MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY

  • Robert Hight, in his 100th final round, captured his 64th NHRA win over Chad Green on Monday in the delayed Pep Boys NHRA Nationals finals.
  • Matt Hartford raced to a back-to-back Pro Stock victory over Chevrolet and KB Titan Racing teammate Kyle Koretsky, earning his third NHRA win of the season and eighth of his Pro Stock career.
  • Hartford captured Chevrolet’s 377th Pro Stock victory and 258th in the Camaro body.
  • Aaron Stanfield raced his way to FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown victory Sunday, earning his second win in the category this year and leaves Maple Grove Raceway with the points lead.
  • Rain Sunday forced the semifinals and finals in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock to be completed Monday at Maple Grove Raceway.
  • Representing Chevrolet at the top of the leaderboard Saturday evening after qualifying, Erica Enders (Pro Stock) qualified No.1 with her Friday night top lap of 6.494 ET at 211.13 MPH.
  • Brittany Force (Top Fuel) led the way for the nitro cars after qualifying completed Saturday, with her fastest lap of 3.689 ET at 336.57 MPH, also the top speed of qualifications.
  • Robert Hight (Funny Car) qualified No. 3 with his Friday night Q2 run of 3.879 ET at 329.32 MPH.

MOHNTON, Pennsylvania (September 18, 2023) – On a rain-delayed Monday finish to the 2023 Pep Boys NHRA Nationals, Chevrolet, along with Robert Hight in Funny Car and Matt Hartford in Pro Stock, celebrated capturing two Wally trophies on the march towards a 28th Manufacturers Cup at Maple Grove Raceway.

Hight, driver of the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, raced to his 64th career victory in his 100th final round, after defeating Jim Campbell (Round 1), Matt Hagan (Round 2), Ron Capps (semifinal), and Chad Green (final) on his way to the winner’s circle. With Green making a strong effort on his run of 3.928 ET at 327.27 MPH, Hight’s winning pass of 3.854 ET at 330.39 MPH captured the win light.

“You can look back to last year when we were leading the points coming into the Countdown,” said Hight. “We won this race, but we didn’t get (the championship) done in the end. We’re going to celebrate today. We’re going to have a blast, but we’ve got a lot of work to do. We’re focused. This team’s coming into their own right at the right time. I need to thank (Cornwell Tools), AAA, Chevrolet, and Flav-R-Pac. That’s how we got here. We’re going to have some fun tonight, but we’re going to get our act together and we’re going to win Charlotte and celebrate the points lead.”

In Pro Stock, Matt Hartford, driver of the Total Seal Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock, and KB Titan Racing teammate Kyle Koretsky, driver of the Michael Waltrip Brewing/Lucas Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock, went head-to-head in the finals in only the second time they’ve faced each other on race day. Hartford, who just got his appendix removed unexpectedly this week, raced to the win light and Wally trophy at Maple Grove Raceway after Koretsky faced issues on the start to Hartford’s 6.054 ET run at 208.26 MPH.

Capturing his third victory this season, and his eight Pro Stock win, Hartford said of the win, “You get your appendix out and seven days later, you’re in a race car. The car wouldn’t run, and we had all kinds of electrical issues,” reflected Hartford on the wild event weekend. “Ron Blessler, thank you for letting us use your shop and work on our car. We really appreciate it. You know, Rob was making sure we had that ability. Man, it’s been a great car and my crew is awesome. Eddie Guarnaccia is a genius. Thank you to everybody.”

With a Pro Stock field separated and set by just 0.082 as qualifying concluded Saturday night, Erica Enders, driver of the Johnson’s Horsepower Garage Melling Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock, captured her third No. 1 Qualifier of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Series Season and 32nd of her career, Enders was on the hunt for her 47th NHRA victory, 46th in Pro Stock, to become the winningest woman in series history.

Aaron Stanfield pulled double-duty once again this weekend in both Pro Stock and FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown, racing his way to the Factory Stock final and facing event No. 1 Qualifier Del Holbrook. With his pass of 7.671 ET at 165.46 MPH to Holbrook’s 9.845 ET at 128.11 MPH, Stanfield hoisted his second Wally trophy of the Factory Stock Showdown season, and his 23rd national event victory. Stanfield additionally leaves Reading with 610 points and a 152-point lead over Stephen Bell in second.

“I’ve got to thank my guys,” said Stanfield. “We work really hard at the shop, and we’ve been down and out a little bit, but we’ve been working hard and keeping our head down and it paid off this weekend.”

Defending event winner in Top Fuel, Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, qualified No. 8 with a solid effort of 3.728 ET at 329.83 MPH in qualifying. Despite making a strong effort in Round 1, Prock fell to veteran Tony Schumacher and had to settle for an early end at Maple Grove Raceway.

Still seeking that elusive first win this year in Top Fuel and to add to her 16 career Top Fuel victories, Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, defeated Jacob Opatrny before being forced to an early end to her race day by falling to Leah Pruett in a close race of B. Force’s 3.768 ET to Pruett’s 3.744.

“Leaving Maple Grove Raceway in the sixth position after a second-round exit,” reflected B. Force. “We qualified No. 2, picked up eight bonus points and are still well within the championship fight. Looking at our season as a whole to now coming into the Countdown, we made some good progress this weekend. It’s still anybody’s game this early on and this team will fight it out until the end. We are ready to get to Charlotte and see what this team can do.”

In Funny Car, it was also an early exit for the 16-time champion, legend, and John Force Racing team owner John Force, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, facing a Round 2 elimination by Ron Capps in a tight race separated by 0.054 seconds or 2.22 MPH.

With five races remaining in the 2023 season, NHRA next heads to zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, N.C. for the betway NHRA Carolina Nationals, Sept. 22-24, 2023. Broadcast of Sunday’s eliminations air at 2 p.m. ET on FS1. Coverage streams live throughout the weekend on NHRA.tv, and is available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices. FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown returns to competition at the NHRA Midwest Nationals in late September at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill.

Today’s broadcast of the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals will air Monday evening, Sept. 18 at 9 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1).

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

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

“Not the day we expected for this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team. Dropped a couple cylinders down track and just didn’t have enough for the first-round win. We’re keeping our heads up. We know that with just one good weekend we can be right back in it. Luckily we get to turn around in just a couple days and go at it again in Charlotte.”

John Force, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing:

“Shorter weekend than we wanted for this PEAK Chevy. Have to thank the fans for packing it in here and the owners the Koretsky Family, great event, sold out days. We dodged some of the rain, NHRA worked hard to try to get it all done,” Force said. “We’ll be ready for next weekend, heading to Charlotte. Still have a shot, just need a couple good days.”

Aaron Stanfield, driver of the Janac Brothers Chevrolet COPO Camaro FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown car:

“It’s right up our alley. It’s factory cars, heads up racing. I got to give a ‘hats off’ to Reading. I haven’t always done very well here, but man, it’s a heck of a facility. The Koretsky family, we’re lucky to have a family like that to give us a place to race at. I’ve got to thank my guys. We work really hard at the shop, and we’ve been down and out a little bit, but we’ve been working hard and keeping our head down and it paid off this weekend.”

Camrie Caruso, driver of the Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock for KB Titan Racing:

“Getting that first Countdown round win definitely helps. I didn’t like seeing my teammate Dallas Glenn go out so early, but the points are going to tighten up now. We are looking forward to getting to Charlotte and qualifying better and going rounds on Sunday. There are five races left and we want to do everything we can to try and win this championship. We had him on the tree and at the 1,000 but unfortunately when these cars get out of shape you have to get off the gas. If you don’t you going to end up over the wall or on your roof. We got our race car back after Q4 and I didn’t want to do anything to mess that up. We were obviously struggling but now I feel like we have our race car back and we’re ready to go to Charlotte.”

ROBERT HIGHT, DRIVER OF THE CORNWELL TOOLS/AAA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR for John Force Racing – Maple Grove Raceway Winner’s Press Conference:

YOUR THIRD WIN OF THE SEASON, 64TH CAREER WIN AND IN YOUR 100TH FINAL ROUND AND SECOND STRAIGHT WIN AT MAPLE GROVE. A WILD WEEKEND THIS WEEKEND WITH SO MANY VARIABLES, TALK ABOUT YOUR WEEKEND…

“It was (pretty special). Leaving Brainerd, I felt we kind of got this car back in order and where it needed to be. You’ve got to give credit to NHRA. Those guys work so hard this weekend to give us a race track, and you’re fighting Mother Nature. That’s pretty tough to do, but they did a great job. This track was throw down. It was as good as you could get. It’s tricky when it gets like that. It wants to shake. If you don’t after it, it’s going to shake and come loose. In the final, it rattled. It got my attention. I thought ‘Oh, no.” It went through it and made a great run. But NHRA deserves, and the Safety Safari deserves, a big pat on the back for this weekend. Now they’ve got to truck on down the road to Charlotte and get ready to do it again. Our car is running good right at the right time. It’s hard to get too excited about this. We did exactly what we needed to do this weekend, but it’s hard to get too excited because we came in here last year and won here and didn’t get it done in the end. We’ve got to stay focused and move on to Charlotte. We’ll put this one behind us; hopefully, we learned some things that’ll help us in Charlotte. I haven’t even looked at the weather or what that’s going to be. We’ll keep our heads down because it’s not getting any easier. This win, I knocked off from the second round to the final three Countdown contenders. You go up there against Chad Green, you don’t lay-up. That car has ran a lot of 80’s this weekend. To knock off (Matt) Hagan and (Ron) Capps, it can go the other way. The Hagan race, that was one of the closest races in history, maybe, in Funny Car. That’s insane. We can’t get too carried away yet. We’ve got to go win some more races. My opinion is, you’re going to have to win at least three in the Countdown, maybe four, if you want to be the champ in the end.”

YOU SAID YOU FELT THE CAR RATTLE. WAS THAT EARLY IN THE RUN, OR AT THE END?

“Probably at 100 feet it had a little right, right in ‘the nervous area,’ the ‘shake zone.’ It was a little nervous, but it went through it. Jimmy (Prock) was really trying to pick it up from the previous run. It ran an 86 and we ran 85 in the final. I probably rolled it in a hundredth. So, maybe, it ran 84 in the final. Job well done. I’m kind of bummed Cornwell had to leave. This is their first win with us in Funny Car, and we’ve been so close this year and didn’t get it done for them. Wish they could’ve been here to celebrate. Those guys work really hard to behind the scenes to build great tools. They deserve trophies and an ‘atta boy’ for standing behind us.”

WHEN YOU HAVE A WIN LIKE THAT, YOU GET THE WALLY TODAY. HOW DO YOU KEEP THE TEAM FOCUSED AND LEARNING MORE TO THE NEXT TRACK?

“You have to stay humble and you have to remind them it could’ve went either. A race that close could go either direction. If just anything was off, the driver or the car, anything, it goes the other way and he gets the win, and he may be sitting here with the points lead. You can use that as a little confidence, but you have to put it behind you and keep (at it). We have to work hard. This is the toughest Funny Car has ever been and, like I said, it’s going to take some major, major work to win this championship. One down, five to go. I’d give us an A+ for the weekend, but we’ve got to put it behind us.”

THIS IS TWO IN A ROW FOR YOU AT MAPLE GROVE. WHAT’S BEEN THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS AT THIS TRACK SPECIFICALLY?

“The conditions are always good. Great racing surface, great racetrack. Love seeing the fans here and the stands full. This place is amazing, and there is a lot of history here. Love coming back here to the East Coast and race. One of the things I regret in my career is I never go to win Englishtown, another great track with a lot of history. Luckily now, I’ve got to win this quite a few times. The fans are great. We’ve tested here before and it got us out of a funk when we were fighting for a championship, so I love this place. Everything about it.”

WHAT’S THE MINDSET ON A MONDAY, STOPPING AND STARTING YESTERDAY. HOW DO YOU GET READY ON A MONDAY SITUATION LIKE THIS?

“It’s hard to do. Yesterday, we were in and out of the car three or four times with the rain. You don’t just get in one of these cars and get suited up, belted in, and go up there and make a run. You’ve got to get mentally prepared. You can’t overdo it and get too ramped up, but you have to be on the ragged edge to cut a light and get this thing down a racetrack. So, this rollercoaster of ups and downs all day long, you know, I was exhausted last night. You’ve got to stick with it. You have to do the same things you did today, tomorrow. It worked out. It’s like starting first round again. You have to think overnight about your opponent, and my opponent was Ron Capps. That’s a lot to think about. His car is running well, he’s a good driver. He’s the defending champ. I think I’ve won Maple Grove one other time on a Monday. It’s not the same when you win and there’s not a huge crowd and a bunch of fans here. Usually, you look at the winners circle and there’s thousands of people, but a win is a win.”

MATT HARTFORD, DRIVER OF THE TOTAL SEAL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS PRO STOCK CAR for KB Titan Racing – Maple Grove Raceway Winner’s Press Conference:

TAKING THE POINTS LEAD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS CAREER, YOU PICKED UP THE SECOND STRAIGHT VICTORY, THIRD WIN THIS SEASON AND EIGHT CAREER WINS. COMING OFF INDY, YOU WENT THROUGH A LOT TO GET HERE. HOW REWARDING IS THIS WIN?

“The last week and a half has not been fun until today. It’s not every day you come off of a win, and the next thing you know a couple of days later, you’re getting put out and they’re gutting you in three places taking your appendix out. Not that it’s a huge surgery, but still you’re going under the knife. Trying to explain to the doctor that I’m getting into a racecar, and they’re discussing that I’m not, I’m saying I am, it’s just up to you to decide how comfortable I am going to be getting into the race car. So, we got through all of that and I got my wife convinced I was still going to Reading, and that I wasn’t going to work on the car, well, our car didn’t run after Q1. So, all I did was work on the car all weekend. Our team worked harder this weekend than we have in years. It was a grueling weekend for everyone. Emotions were high. The FOX video of my wife is awesome. We’re going to have to figure out what that tantrum was called. Our team pulled together. Eddie Guarnaccia, Chris Ingleson, Adam Basham, Amber, my wife, we all pulled together. Jerry Haas, our engine builder and truck driver, they all never gave up faith. He said we were the car to beat. Luckily, things went our way. We had a good, nice, break in Round 2. Got through that to get to the semifinals, and we had a really good car today.”

NOW YOU’RE ON A STREAK. HOW DOES THIS FEEL KNOWING WITH FIVE RACES LEFT IN THE SEASON?

“I said last week at Indy there were 24 more win lights we need this year, and now there are 20. We’re not giving up. We’ve got a great car. I don’t think we have the quickest car in this type of air and these types of conditions. It’s obvious other cars were definitely correcting better than in the past in these conditions. We’re going into Charlotte which is going to be a lot different of conditions, track conditions for sure. I think we have a car that’s good in all conditions. If I keep doing my job and keep my head on straight, I think we walk out of here with a white hat after five more races.”

WAS IT EVER A QUESTION THAT YOU COULDN’T RACE THIS WEEK BECAUSE OF YOUR APPENDIX, AND HOW WERE YOU FEELING ROLLING INTO THIS WEEKEND?

“It was never, in my mind a question. Now, the doctors and my wife have differences of opinions with me, but at that point in time, I did look in the rule book to see what the protocol was on a driver change if possible, but unless it was COVID-related, you couldn’t do it. At that point in time, after the surgery, I told them you’re not even keeping me – I’m going home and starting my recovery. I’m such an idiot three days later, I started going back to work just to keep myself acclimated of what we were going to need to do. But no, there was never a question I was missing Reading.”

DID YOU HAVE TO DO ANYTHING PHYSICALLY DIFFERENT THIS WEEKEND?

“My answer to everybody was ‘I feel great.’ Got out of the car, my crew chief gave me a hug and said ‘I’ll be gentle,’ and I told him ‘I’m freaking sore.’”

WHAT CAN YOU SHARE ABOUT THE CAR ISSUES? ARE YOU ABLE TO SHARE WHAT HAPPENED SATURDAY GOING INTO SUNDAY?

“It started in Q1, the car was misfiring during Q1. We were slow for the session. I mean, we went a 54 but that was slow compared to what we thought. In Q2, it shut off when I put it in second gear and lost fuel pressure. Q3 and Q4, I couldn’t even do a burnout because fuel pressure would go to zero as soon as I put load on the engine. We swapped everything in the car every run thinking we had it fixed, proving that we didn’t. I did go to NHRA and ask if we could go offsite to a gentleman to work on the wiring in our car because he had much better lighting than us, and we did. We started to do some test burnouts and were still having the same problem. We continued to work on the car, and we thought we found something that gave us a good indication of what was wrong, and we definitely had an electrical wiring issue in the car. How that came about from Indy to here, we’re still undetermined but we switched everything in the car – fuel pumps, water pumps, starters, wiring, ignition boxes, cutoffs, batteries – all the way back through on Sunday morning when we got here. We were the first team in the pits, and we were here when it was still dark. Swapped everything in the car and went up for Round 1 and said there’s nothing left to switch but the driver.”

HOW DOES THIS POINTS LEAD GIVE YOU THE CONFIDENCE HEADING INTO THE FINAL FIVE IN THE COUNTDOWN?

“One round at time. We just need to turn on win light after win light. The points will figure out themselves. If we turn on 20 win lights, the points don’t matter.”

YOU’VE HAD SUCCESS ON MONDAYS BEFORE. WHAT’S THE MINDSET WHEN YOU GO THROUGH A DAY LIKE YESTERDAY, HAVE TO COME BACK, AND BE ON IT RIGHT AWAY?

“That’s a great question. I said this morning when I was pulling in, this is no different than we pull in on a Sunday. I hate first round, because that’s what it was today was first round.”

Round 1 Recap:

Top Fuel:

No. 2 Brittany Force defeated No. 15 Jacob Opatrny with her run of 3.714 ET at 333.25 MPH to Opatrny’s 4.328 ET at 203.92 MPH.
No. 8 Austin Prock fell to No. 9 Tony Schumacher with his pass of 3.716 ET at 329.91 MPH to Schumacher’s 3.701 ET at 330.88 MPH.

Funny Car:

No. 7 John Force defeated No. 10 Cruz Pedregon with a chase to the win light after both cars smoked the tires mid-track, with Force running 4.657 ET at 277.37 MPH to Pedregon’s 5.432 ET at 131.19 MPH.
No. 3 Robert Hight defeated No. 14 Jim Campbell with his run of 3.875 ET at 331.20 MPH to Campbell’s 6.603 ET at 98.93 MPH.

Pro Stock:

No. 1 Erica Enders defeated No. 16 Val Smeland with her 6.497 ET pass at 210.83 MPH to Smeland’s 6.604 ET at 209.10 MPH.
No. 8 Dallas Glenn fell to No. 9 Christian Cuadra with identical ET’s of 6.539 seconds at Glenn’s 208.81 MPH to Cuadra’s 210.31 MPH.
No. 4 Greg Anderson fell to No. 13 Matt Hartford with his run of 6.555 ET at 209.46 MPH to Hartford’s 6.535 ET at 209.49 MPH.
No. 5 Deric Kramer fell to No. 12 Camrie Caruso with his pass of 10.932 ET at 82.16 MPH to Caruso’s 6.537 ET at 209.36 MPH.
No. 2 Troy Coughlin, Jr. defeated No. 15 Eric Latino with his run of 6.512 ET at 210.08 MPH to Latino’s 17.594 ET at 76.83 MPH facing issues on his run.
No. 7 Bo Butner, III defeated No. 10 Fernando Cuadra, Jr. with his run of 6.556 ET at 210.64 MPH to Cuadra, Jr.’s 6.547 ET at 210.08 MPH.
No. 3 Aaron Stanfield defeated No. 14 Chris McGaha with his pass of 6.524 ET at 210.90 MPH to McGaha’s 6.583 ET at 209.79 MPH.
No. 6 Kyle Koretsky defeated No. 11 Jerry Tucker with a pass of 6.531 ET at 209.07 MPH to Tucker’s 6.557 ET at 209.04 MPH.

Round 2:

Top Fuel:

B. Force fell to Pruett with her pass of 3.678 ET at 317.05 MPH to Pruett’s 3.744 ET at 324.20 MPH.

Funny Car:

J. Force fell to Capps on his run of 3.953 ET at 328.62 MPH to Capps’ 3.899 ET at 326.40 MPH.
Hight defeated Hagan with his pass of 3.852 ET at 327.66 MPH to Hagan’s 3.859 ET at 335.48 MPH.

Pro Stock:

Enders defeated Cuadra with her run of 6.503 ET at 210.24 MPH to Cuadra’s 6.555 ET at 209.95 MPH.
Hartford defeated Caruso with his pass of 6.542 ET at 209.30 MPH to Caruso’s 6.624 ET at 186.77 MPH.
Coughlin, Jr. defeated Butner, III on a run of 6.510 ET at 209.62 MPH to Butner’s 6.545 ET at 208.75 MPH.
Stanfield fell to Koretsky on his pass of 6.525 ET at 209.36 MPH to Koretsky’s 6.537 ET at 208.65 MPH.

Semifinals:

Funny Car:

Hight defeated Capps after Capps smoked the tires to Hight’s strong 3.861 ET run at 330.31 MPH.

Pro Stock:

Koretsky defeated Coughlin, Jr. 6.557 ET at 207.27 MPH to Coughlin, Jr.’s 6.547 ET at 209.04 MPH.
Hartford defeated Enders after Enders faced issues on the start to Hartford’s 6.541 ET at 208.97 MPH.

Finals:

Funny Car:

Hight defeated Green with his run of 3.854 ET at 330.39 MPH to Green’s 3.928 ET at 327.27 MPH.

Pro Stock:

Hartford defeated Koretsky with his pass of 6.532 ET at 208.91 MPH to Koretsky’s 7.133 ET at 208.26 MPH.

About Chevrolet

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

Interstate Batteries Goes Big at Texas with Three Primary Schemes

By
Official Release
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It’s a “Triple-Play” Weekend in Texas
Interstate Batteries Goes Big at Texas Motor Speedway;
To Appear as Primary Sponsor for Three Joe Gibbs Racing Entries at Fort Worth Track

DALLAS (Sept. 18, 2023) – Everything is bigger in Texas. Dallas-based Interstate Batteries knows the expression well and will live up to the moniker this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth by taking over the primary sponsor role for a pair of Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) Toyota Camry TRDs in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 – the No. 20 for driver Christopher Bell and the No. 54 for driver Ty Gibbs.

Interstate Batteries is the founding partner for Joe Gibbs Racing and has been a part of the NASCAR Cup Series since 1992. This is the first time in the 32-year partnership that Interstate Batteries will serve as the primary sponsor on more than one car in the same race.

“Texas Motor Speedway is our home track, so this is an important race to everyone at Interstate Batteries,” said Norm Miller, Chairman Emeritas of the board of Interstate Batteries. “As the founding partner for Joe Gibbs Racing, it’s always been a dream of mine to have multiple cars featuring the Interstate Batteries brand on the track at one time. To be able to do this, and at Texas, is very exciting for the entire company.”

Rounding out the trifecta weekend for Interstate Batteries is the addition of 2011 Daytona 500 champion Trevor Bayne to the green brigade. Bayne is the latest driver to join the Team Interstate Batteries family of drivers by racing the iconic green-and-white scheme during the Saturday’s Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race on the 1.5-mile Texas oval.

“We are excited for the expanded presence in the NASCAR Cup Series race and to be back in the Xfinity Series with a driver like Trevor Bayne,” Miller added. “He’s a Daytona 500 champion and, more than that, he is an admirable person and really aligns well with the Interstate Batteries brand, as well as our purpose and values.”

Bayne has a total of 162 starts in Xfinity Series competition to his credit. He has raced in select events for JGR in Xfinity Series competition during the last two seasons. This weekend, he joins the Team Interstate brotherhood, which includes Hall of Fame drivers Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth.

“It’s always exciting to race a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in their Xfinity program,” Bayne said. “I’ve won a couple of poles and led laps in those cars, so I’m going into the weekend knowing that we will have what we need to be successful. The Interstate Batteries car is legendary in our sport and it’s kind of surreal for me to say I’m getting to drive that car. It’s certainly an honor, and to be able to run that scheme at Texas – their home track – is even more special.”

Following this weekend’s Cup Series race at Texas, Interstate Batteries will next appear as the primary sponsor on the No. 54 entry with Gibbs at the Bank of America ROVAL 400 on the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval on Oct. 8 before wrapping up its 2023 campaign with Bell and the No. 20 Toyota in the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on Oct. 29.

About Interstate Batteries:

For more than 70 years, Interstate Batteries® has powered people down roads, trails and waterways and businesses to succeed. Best known for its starting, lighting and ignition (SLI) batteries, this product has been under car hoods since 1952, each one backed by the company’s service, quality and value. Interstate All Battery Center® provides portable power in both retail and commercial markets. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Interstate Batteries is an industry leader in recycling efforts, as well as a global leader in safe lead handling practices. Guided by a set of common values, the company’s purpose is to glorify God and enrich lives while delivering the most trustworthy source of power to the world. For more information, visit www.InterstateBatteries.com.

McDowell Helps Elementary Students Paint “Turtles” Ahead of Bank of America ROVAL ™ 400McDowell Helps Elementary Students Paint “Turtles”

By
Official Release
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NASCAR Cup Series driver Michael McDowell joined fourth graders from five Charlotte-area elementary schools as they painted “turtles” that will be used during the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Oct. 6-8. (CMS photo)
  • Five Charlotte-area elementary schools participated in a STEAM event to decorate rumble strips known as “turtles” ahead of the Oct. 8 running of the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
  • Fans can vote on their favorite “turtle” design at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/paint-the-roval-turtles/; the winning school will be recognized at the speedway’s STEAM Expo on Oct. 6
  • Tickets for the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 weekend are still available at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com; Kids 12 and under get in all weekend for just $10

CONCORD, NC (Sept. 18, 2023) – NASCAR Cup Series driver Michael McDowell, alongside 30 local elementary students from five area schools, helped Charlotte Motor Speedway staff prepare for the upcoming Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 weekend by painting “turtles” at America’s Home for Racing on Monday. As part of the speedway’s year-round STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) program, students designed and painted six-inch-high steel rumble strips that will be installed around the road course ahead of next month’s pivotal NASCAR Cup Series race. The 100-pound kerbs will be bolted to the track surface to help keep drivers on the 17-turn, 2.28-mile course during the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 on Sunday, Oct. 8.

“Throughout the year, our STEAM program brings more than 10 thousand students to the speedway to learn about how the principles of STEAM overlap with motorsports,” said Greg Walter, executive vice president and general manager at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “This event is a fun way to put some of those principles into action, but also to make these students part of race day, where their artwork will be on full display.”

Students from R. Brown McAllister STEM Elementary, Rea Farms STEAM Academy, Victory Christian Center School, Online Catawba and Our Lady of the Assumption each decorated their “turtle” based on the theme “NASCAR at its finest.” Designs included tributes to NASCAR’s 75th anniversary, race scenes, and, of course, turtles. Paint for the event was provided by Sherwin-Williams.

McDowell had the chance to interact with the children and see their creativity when painting the five turtles.

“Every group had a blank slate, and every single turtle’s design came out so different,” he said. “It’s great to see how creative children are.

“It is important to excite these children about NASCAR and introduce them to the different possibilities of working in motorsports, whether it is engineering, aerodynamics, graphic design, or one of the many different other possibilities.”

Through Sept. 28, fans can vote on their favorite ‘turtle’ design online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/paint-the-roval-turtles/. The winner will be announced at the speedway’s STEAM Expo on Oct. 6. The Expo brings together more than 3,000 students to explore more than 75 STEAM-related vendor displays to kick of Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 weekend.

TICKETS:

Adult tickets for Saturday’s Drive for the Cure 250 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina start at just $25. Kids 12 and under get in free with an adult. Tickets to the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 start at just $49 for adults. Kids 12 and under get in for just $10 with an adult. For tickets, visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/tickets.

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