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

By
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
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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.

FOLLOW US:

Keep track of all of Charlotte Motor Speedway’s events by following on Twitter and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

Ron Atapattu and Kevin Madsen Climb Through Field in Lamborghini Super Trofeo NA Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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Indianapolis, Ind., September 18 – International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) returned to Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) for the first time in nine years for Round Five of the IMSA Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series Sept. 15-17 in Indianapolis, Ind.

Wild Elephant Racing team owner/driver Ron Atapattu and co-driver Kevin Madsen were due to compete in both Lamborghini NA rounds in the No. 24 Lamborghini Broward Super Trofeo EVO2 at the historic 2.439-mile, 14-turn IMS road course. Unfortunately, during Saturday morning qualifying the engine failed and a lengthy new engine installation halted their ability to compete in Race #1.

The engine change forced the No. 24 Lamborghini Broward entry to start from the back of the field for Race #2. The team elected to have Atapattu, who was driving for the first time at IMS, be the starting driver from tenth position in the Am class and 36th overall. He quickly rose through the field with a yet untested new engine and by the caution flag displayed on Lap 7, Atapattu was P8 in class.

Pit stops were allowed once the race went green again and Atapattu brought the No. 24 Lamborghini Super Trofeo EVO2 into the pits on Lap 12 for the mandatory driver change pit stop. Madsen went to work quickly, continuing to climb through the large Lamborghini field at the historic Indianapolis circuit, where he had previously raced in 2021 during the 8 Hour race for the Intercontinental GT race in a McLaren GT3 race car.

His drive was impressive as he got as high as fifth position by race end on Lap 29. Unfortunately, while Madsen was alongside another car on Lap 24 contact occurred and he was deemed the primary cause of the incident since he was doing the passing, thus received a penalty.

In the end the No. 24 was scored as seventh in class and 23rd overall in the 50-minute race. The team left happy with the event and performance because the goal was a directive to go for a podium finish if possible. This was especially important after missing Race 1 this weekend and the previous two races at VIRginia International Raceway last month, which left the team unable to have a high season championship result.

Fans were treated to an up-close look at the No. 24 Lamborghini Broward-sponsored red, white, and blue, stars and stripes liveried Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2 at Thursday evening’s IMSA Tirerack.com Battle On The Bricks Street Festival in downtown Indianapolis.

Atapattu and Madsen previously won the inaugural race of the season at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif. in their debut 2023 race.

Quotes:

Ron Atapattu, Team Owner/Driver, No. 24 Lamborghini Broward Elephantea Super Trofeo EVO2:

“We had quite an eventful weekend at Indianapolis. This was a track I was glad to see on the calendar this year because I have never raced here and it’s such an iconic track. Everyone wants to ‘kiss the bricks’, which you get to do when you win here.

No one would have thought we would have an engine failure because these Lamborghinis, although powerful and complex, rarely have issues like that. The Ansa Motorsports team did a terrific job working until midnight to change the engine after we couldn’t compete in the first race.

Starting the No. 24 Lamborghini Broward car from the back of the field gave me free range to put the power down to move up. I was making good progress and then the yellow flag came out. After it went green it was time for pit stops so I turned the car over to Kevin. He did an impressive job moving the car up so fast as he didn’t have a very long drive time. It was too bad for the penalty because we were so close to being back on the podium again. In the end though we were happy with our performance in Race 2.”

Kevin Madsen, Driver, No. 24 Lamborghini Broward Elephantea Super Trofeo EVO2:

“What a weekend here at IMS. It was Ron’s first time and the goal the entire time for me was to get him to ‘kiss the bricks’ and get him on that podium. Unfortunately I thought that was out the window once we had the engine failure during that red flag lap during my qualifying session. Ron drove great the entire weekend, especially for his inaugural race here, where he continually improved, knocking off big chunks of time. But with the engine going and us missing Race 1, we knew it was going to take everything by the Ansa Motorsport team to get this new engine in and get us on track. And they delivered. They did an absolute great job to put the car together. Whatever needed to be done, they did it and got us back out for Race 2.

Ron went out and started from the very last position, 36th place overall, for Race 2 and charged up the field, making a number of passes before I got in. Unfortunately a yellow came out and was just a little too long. I was charging through the field hot and the team had me giving it my all as they knew I could catch the podium cars. I had hoped the LB Cup car ahead saw me outside of him at Turn 1 but unforunately he didn’t and we made contact in Turn 2 when he came back to the left. When I talked to him after the race he said he thought I would drop back and just go by on the straight. Unfortunately we didn’t have that sort of time but we both left on good terms knowing we could have both given a bit more space to avoid one another. That’s how it goes in racing sometimes.

I have to thank the team because we couldn’t have done it without the Ansa Motorsports team supported by Lamborghini Broward. Next we’re going to Vallelunga and let’s see what we can do.”

The next race for the series will be held in Vallelunga, Italy on November 16-17 when all three Lamborghini Super Trofeo series, North America, Europe and Asia, come together for the tenth edition of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Grand Finals.

Warren Henry Auto Group’s Lamborghini Broward, located in Davie, Florida, serves as a sponsor and partner for the No. 24 Wild Elephant Racing team.

Supporting partners for the Wild Elephant Racing team include Lamborghini Broward, elephantea, ShipOCI, Star Warehouse, Hippogriff Racing Co., Racers Safety Source, and CXC Simulations.

About Warren Henry Auto Group

Established in 1976, Warren Henry Auto Group is one of the longest-standing, private, family-owned dealership groups in Florida. The company comprises of nearly 500 employees, 6 different retail locations, and 17 luxury and premium brands including Jaguar, Land Rover, INFINITI, Audi, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Hennessey, Koenigsegg, Toyota, Ford, Lincoln, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM, Icon, and Vespa.

Grounded in its original core values and vision, the company prides itself on providing exceptional customer service, creating a superior work environment for its employees, and supporting local causes in the communities it serves. Warren Henry Auto Group has received numerous awards and accolades including being named Best Dealership to Work for by Automotive News, honored by J.D. Power for Dealer of Excellence, and recognized by the South Florida Business Journal Philanthropy List. The company’s headquarters is located at 2300 NE 151st Street in North Miami. For more information, call (305) 690-6006 or visit www.warrenhenryauto.com.

For more information, please go to: www.wildelephantracing.com.

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America NHRA Maple Grove Post-Race Report 09.18.23

By
Official Release
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KALITTA EARNS 50th CAREER WIN AT MAPLE GROVE
Toyota continues Top Fuel dominance with sixth consecutive category victory

MOHNTON, Pa. (September 18, 2023) – Doug Kalitta earned his long-awaited 50th career win in an extended Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway by taking home the Wally Trophy in Top Fuel. The milestone victory also came in Kalitta’s 110th career final round appearance.

Now third in the Top Fuel points standings, Kalitta defeated fellow Toyota competitor Steve Torrence in a hotly contested final Monday afternoon after final runs of the event were postponed due to inclement weather. Kalitta‘s Top Fuel victory earns Toyota its sixth consecutive win in the category, which began at Pacific Raceways in Seattle earlier this season. Toyota drivers have now won 15 Wally Trophies across Top Fuel and Funny Car in 2023.

In Funny Car, Ron Capps advanced to the weekend’s semifinals where he came up short against eventual event winner, Robert Hight. Capps heads to zMAX Dragway in Charlotte this week second in the Funny Car points standings, looking for a repeat victory in the Carolina Nationals as his push continues for a second consecutive Funny Car title.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
Maple Grove Raceway
Race 16 of 21

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS 

NameCarFinal ResultRound-by-Round
Doug KalittaMac Tools Toyota Top Fuel DragsterWinnerW 3.658 v. 3.783 (J. Hart) W 3.692 v. 3.733 (S. Langdon) Holeshot Win 3.684 v. 3.677 (L. Pruett) W 3.662 v. 3.695(S. Torrence)
Steve TorrenceCapco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel DragsterFinalistW 3.701 v. 3.789 (M. Salinas) W 3.690 v. 3.728 (A. Brown) W 3.685 v. 4.420 (T. Schumacher) L 3.695 v. 3.662(D. Kalitta)
Justin AshleyPhillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSecond RoundW 6.496 v. No Run (S. Farley) L 3.707 v. 3.716 (Holeshot Win – T. Schumacher)
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSecond RoundW 3.758 v. 3.771 (D. Foley) L 3.728 v. 3.690(S. Torrence)
Shawn LangdonKalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSecond RoundW 3.723 v. 6.159 (D. Mercier) L 3.733 v. 3.692 (D. Kalitta)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS 

NameCarFinal ResultRound-by-Round
Ron CappsNAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny CarSemi-FinalsW 3.903 v. 6.589 (D. Richards) W 3.899 v. 3.953 (J. Force) L 11.331 v. 3.861 (R. Hight)
Alexis DeJoriaBandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny CarSecond RoundW 3.879 v. 4.864 (B. Alexander) L 3.904 v. 3.867 (B. Tasca III)
J.R. ToddDHL Toyota GR Supra Funny CarFirst RoundL 3.930 v. 3.871 (M. Hagan)

TOYOTA QUOTES

DOUG KALITTA, Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports

TF Final Result: Winner

It’s been 1,079 days since your last win. How much did you miss the elation of winning?

“Yeah, this is huge. Connie (Kalitta, team owner) has always had my back. I love and appreciate that guy and how much he does for the three cars we have out here. Getting a win with Alan Johnson (crew chief) has been huge on my list. Can’t thank Brian Husen (co-crew chief), Mac Tools, Toyota and all of the distributors with Mac Tools enough for continuing to support this effort. It’s a great way to start the Countdown to the Championship. Apparently, this car wanted to get off the trailer and prove what it could do. I’m really fortunate to have the guys build a car like this.”

RON CAPPS, NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports

FC Final Result: Semi-finals

How would you describe the day and weekend overall?

“Well, if the event in Maple Grove Raceway is any indication on how the Countdown to the Championship is, it’s going to be one heck of a ride. Obviously, we had a great weekend qualifying second. Guido (Dean Antonelli, crew chief) and our NAPA Auto Parts team did a great job going down the track all four runs. We put great times on the board and great speeds. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to the final round, and we had to wait until Monday, which is tough on teams, especially on back-to-back weekends like we have here and then in Charlotte. But, that’s why I brag about the get-up-and-go of our team. We never quit. We got through some tough rounds to get to the semifinals, and it’s a great start to the Countdown. If we can’t win, we can get solid points from a weekend like this. I’m looking forward to getting back on track here in a few days back at the zMAX Carolina Nationals. It’s going to be a busy weekend for us, obviously with a lot of our Toyota folks being there, so I’m looking forward to showing off for them. Being the returning champion of the race, it’s nice to roll back into the event with that and the staff over there know how to treat the racers, so looking forward to that.”

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.

EVENT RECAP: Wright Motorsports Charges to Finish as Top GT Porsche at Indianapolis

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Official Release
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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., (September 18, 2023) – Sunday afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Wright Motorsports celebrated an impressive performance at the Battle on the Bricks to finish as the top Porsche in both the GTD Pro and GTD classes. The team’s continued testing and development paid off at the iconic circuit when drivers Alan Brynjolfsson and Trent Hindman, combined with the fast work of their crew, produced a drive from 12th to sixth place in the two-hour, 40-minute sprint race.

“Today felt like a win,” said Team Owner John Wright. “Not only did our Porsche 911 GT3 R have a strong performance all weekend, but to close out the week as the top Porsche in a challenging race for many is an impressive feat we can be proud of.”

The No. 77 Volt Lighting Porsche 911 GT3 R rolled off the truck at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and immediately showed an improved performance as a result of continued testing and development throughout the season. After a competitive qualifying session, Bynjolfsson started the Battle on the Bricks from 12th place, avoiding an opening-lap incident that brought out the first full-course caution. He restarted from 13th position, navigating the course as the GT competitors began to get lapped by the faster prototype classes. At the 43-minute mark, a spun prototype brought out another full course caution, bunching up the field as the GTD Am drivers neared completion of their required minimum drive time. Brynjolfsson completed his drive time under caution and pitted from ninth place, setting his crew and co-driver to take advantage of his position. He concluded his clean stint and Hindman joined the race in the No. 77 Porsche from third place, slowly making gains on track, as the crew also used the team’s two pit stops to leapfrog competitors in pit lane.

Attrition from and aggression of other competitors allowed the VOLT Porsche to continue it’s climb, and with 33 minutes left on the race clock, Hindman made the move on the No. 32 Mercedes to take sixth place, where the Wright Motorsports Porsche successfully finished. The result marked the team’s fourth sixth-place result of the season, only bested by Brynjolfsson and Hindman’s third-place finish at Lime Rock Park.

The six-position gain during the short sprint race shows the team’s continued progress made throughout a challenging season and gives the team a strong momentum headed into the final race of the season. The 26th Annual Motul Petit Le Mans will take place October 11-14 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, where the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will conclude. The 10-hour race will also be the fourth and final endurance race of the 2023 season, drawing the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup to a close. For tickets and schedule information, visit imsa.com.

Porsche Carrera Cup North America

The pair of Wright Motorsports entries in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America also showed the strength of the drivers and crew. Young Varun Choksey earned back-to-back top-ten finishes, bringing his season tally up to eight. In race two, his several-lap battle for sixth place with veteran Thomas Merrill demonstrated the young racer’s continued progression throughout the 2023 season. John Goetz swept the third-place spot on the podium in both races, continuing his season of consistent execution. Last weekend’s results bring his podium-finish tally up to seven for the 2023 season. The Carrera Cup championship leaves Indianapolis Motor Speedway to journey across the country for this weekend’s Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7, which will host the next two rounds of the single-make championship. Both races will be held on Sunday, October 1 at 9:05 AM PT and 3:35 PM PT. Fans can watch live on imsa.com/tvlive.

Alan Brynjolfsson

The best finishing Porsche shows how well the team executed and how well Trent drove. I’m really proud of everybody.

Trent Hindman

It’s nice to have a bit of luck on our side. It was a really good job, well done by everyone on the team, and really good preparation by the Wright Motorsports guys. They did a lot of work to the car over the last few weeks since VIR and found a few areas that we could gain performance. The car was driving better than it had at any other point this year. We made some good strides with that, and I’m grateful for not only their effort there, but over the wall. Thanks to their work in pit lane, we were able to jump a few cars though the pit cycles, and that was huge. Alan did an awesome job out there, staying in clean air and keeping the car clean in what was a chaotic race. Overall, it was great execution and great momentum for everyone. I’m looking forward to Petit Le Mans.

Wright Motorsports

Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series and international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy, and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013, and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team, and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. In 2020, the team captured the GT World Challenge America Am championship. In 2021, Wright Motorsports had a wildly successful season, capturing nine championships across their five racing efforts.

About VOLT® Lighting

Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, VOLT® Lighting manufactures and distributes quality indoor and outdoor lighting products and systems. VOLT® is the largest manufacturer of professional landscape lighting in the world. For more information, visit www.voltlighting.com or contact the company at customersupport@voltlighting.com or 813-978-3700.

About Adelie Technik

Founded in 2011 Adelie Technik, a Service Disabled Veteran Small Owned Business (SDVOB) deploys the highest caliber engineers and consultants for our customers needs. Adelie is focused on delivery of your solution to your customer on your schedule. Adelie can deliver solutions ranging from PC deployment up to full DataCentre builds and beyond. Our engineers can also migrate your environment to the cloud. For more information on Adelie Technik, see adelietechnik.com.

We represent the highest quality in racing safety with the intention of maintain our position at the top. With 50 years in the industry, Sabelt is the world’s premier safety equipment

Kyffin Simpson promoted to full-time IndyCar ride with Chip Ganassi Racing for 2024 season

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Travis Hinkle (Penske Entertainment).

Chip Ganassi Racing will be expanding as a five-car operation for the 2024 NTT IndyCar Series season by adding Kyffin Simpson to its driver lineup from the Indy NXT.

The announcement comes as the 18-year-old Simpson from the Cayman Islands, is coming off his second season in the Firestone Indy NXT Series, where he recorded a pole position, two podiums, six top-10 results in 13 starts and a 10th-place result in the final standings. It also comes amid a eventful season for Simpson, who won the 4 Hours of Dubai at Dubai Autodrome in the Asian Le Mans Series, the 4 Hours of Le Castellet at Circuit Paul Ricard in the European Le Mans Series and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Florida’s Sebring International Raceway in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, all under the Le Mans Prototype 2 category.

“It’s been incredible working with Chip Ganassi Racing as their development driver over the last couple years and I’ve been able to learn so much,” Simpson said. “I am very excited to be making the next step to INDYCAR with this team. I had a great time at the test and I can’t wait to get back in the car. It’s been my dream to race in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and it’s an honor to make it happen now with one of the best teams in the series. I’m really looking forward to working more closely with the entire team and the drivers. I want to give all the glory to God, and I also want to thank Chip and Mike [Hull] for giving me this opportunity, Ridgeline Lubricants and The American Legion for their support, and of course my family.”

Simpson, who became a development competitor for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2022, commenced his professional racing career by competing for Velocity Racing Development in the Formula 4 United States Championship region in 2020 after spending the previous nine season racing go-karts. Competing for HMD Motorsports in the Formula Reginal Americas Championship during the 2020 season, he then joined TJ Speed Motorsports during the following season and captured the championship in a season where he won seven races and notched 13 podiums in 18 races.

During the 2021 campaign, he made 16 starts in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship for Juncos Hollinger Racing before moving up to Indy Lights in 2022, where he commenced the season with TJ Speed Motorsports before concluding it with HMD Motorsport and settled in ninth place in the final standings.

The addition of Simpson, who tested an IndyCar car for Chip Ganassi Racing in January 2023 at Sebring International Raceway, completes CGR’s driver lineup for the 2024 season that will include reigning two-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou, six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, the 2023 IndyCar Rookie of the Year Marcus Armstrong and the 2022 Indy NXT champion Linus Lundqvist. The 2024 season is set to mark Chip Ganassi Racing’s first time fielding five entries on a full-time basis.

“We welcome Kyffin as a teammate to our INDYCAR program,” Mike Hull, Chip Ganassi Racing Manager Director, added. “He has been integrated into a Chip Ganassi Racing multi-year defined development program which now provides the opportunity at open-wheel’s highest level. He has already tested an INDYCAR with more to follow as an INDY NXT graduate. In addition, he is already a proven winner in IMSA at the 12 Hours of Sebring in LMP2 and on an LMP2 global stage in the ASLM and ELMS series.”

The NTT INDYCAR Series’ drivers and teams are currently in an off-season period while the 2024 racing schedule remains to be determined.

TPC Racing Scores Pair of Indianapolis Motor Speedway Podiums in Lamborghini Super Trofeo Doubleheader

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Official Release
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Shehan Chandrasoma and Nikko Reger Take Hardware Home From Both Races on the Road Course at the “Racing Capital of the World”

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (September 18, 2023) – TPC Racing made a pair of visits to the podium on the hallowed ground of Indianapolis Motor Speedway during IMSA’s Lamborghini Super Trofeo doubleheader this weekend, taking home a pair of trophies in the Pro-Am class with drivers Shehan Chandrasoma and Nikko Reger.

Chandrasoma and Reger drove the No. 20 Lamborghini Austin Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2 to a third-place finish in Saturday’s 50-minute race and had an opportunity to compete for the win. Despite qualifying in eighth place and deeper in the field, Reger weaved his way forward before passing the car to Chandrasoma early in the mandatory pit stop window. Behind the wheel, Chandrasoma completed the run to second place with 11 minutes remaining and was aimed for the class lead.

Thoughts of the win ended when Chandrasoma was hit and spun by an out of class car. Though the offending car was forced to serve a drive through penalty for the incident, Chandrasoma had fallen one position while recovering. Fortunately he was able to resume quickly enough to hold onto the podium showing.

Chandrasoma started Saturday’s race eighth overall and second in class, but by lap two had driven to the class lead and fourth overall. A long caution erased any deficit he had built, but the No. 20 remained in the class lead and third overall at the time of the mandatory pit stop. As Reger left the box, he was held up by an LB Cup car driving slower than the pit lane speed limit. That lost time relegated him to third at the completion of the pit cycle, a position Reger held until the checkered flag.

The Indianapolis weekend was the first of 2023 that featured a trio of cars in the TPC Racing paddock, joining the No. 20 Huracan. But strong runs by Sebastian Carazo and Marco Cirone in the Am class and Alan Grossberg in LB Cup were unfortunately thwarted by incidents in their respective debuts with the team.

Though Cirone qualified third in class for Saturday’s race and Carazo nearly matched him with a fourth-place start in race two, the No. 82 Lamborghini Austin/TPC Racing Lamborghini Huracan met bad luck in each race despite the strong pace. Cirone, who was making his Lamborghini Super Trofeo debut, spun while racing hard in his stint during the opening race and the duo fought for a seventh place finish.

Carazo drove Sunday’s race solo, but was hit on the pace lap which knocked the left front fender lining loose on the Huracan. The team tried to pull it away from the Hankook tire during the pit stop, but it eventually punctured and forced Carazo to pit lane for a second time and an eighth place finish.

Grossberg stepped back into Lamborghini Super Trofeo after nearly a year away from the championship in a partnership with TPC Racing and Dream Racing. Grossberg’s best finish was ninth in No. 2 TPC Racing/Dream Racing Lamborghini Huracan with focus now on the upcoming Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America finale and World Finals during the same outing at Vallelunga near Rome, Italy in November.

The pair of podium finishes moves Chandrasoma to third in the Pro-Am point standings with just two races in Italy remaining.

Before the World Finals, however, TPC Racing is back in action again at Indianapolis for the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America presented by Yokohama, October 6 – 8.

Harris Levitas, Director of Race Operations: “Racing is a sport of ups and downs, but we had some really great highlights from this weekend. Shehan and Nikko drove their butts off this weekend, and I’m so proud of those two drivers. They did such a fantastic job. The TPC Racing team worked so hard every day to give them the cars they could compete with. In race two, Shehan took the lead early. Unfortunately we got a little screwed coming out of pit lane and we weren’t able to maintain that lead, but Nikko did a great job in his stint, made a pass, and kept it on the podium. Shehan is third in the driver’s standings, and now that’s a big thing as the team begins to prep for Vallelunga. In the No. 82 car, Marco Cirone and Sebastian Carazo did a great job all weekend. With Marco jumping between another single make series and this car all weekend, he did an amazing job. Unfortunately, he was involved in an incident in another series and wasn’t able to participate in race two with us, but Sebastian did a heck of a job doing the race as a single driver. He got hit on the pace lap, and when the tire blew shortly after the pit stop it ended any hope of finishing on the podium. Alan Grossberg was progressing all weekend, and unfortunately he had an incident in race two that took him out. But he’s feeling good, he’s ready to go, and all three cars will be prepped back at the TPC facility and ready for Italy.”

Shehan Chandrasoma, Driver, No. 20 Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2: “Overall it was a great weekend. We got back to back podiums, which is always a plus. On Saturday, we finished P3 on the podium and I think we had a shot at first or second but I got punted off by an LB Cup driver. That put us back significantly, but we had such a big gap on the rest of the field and stayed on the podium. In today’s race I put the car in the lead and did a really good job up with the pro cars and holding the car in first place up until the pit stop. Nikko got caught behind a slow LB Cup guy on pit lane and that cost us a few seconds.”

Nikko Reger, Driver, No. 20 Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2: “It was great. We’re racing Lamborghinis at Indianapolis, and there’s nothing to complain about. We come out here and raced to win and ended up with a pair of podiums, so it wasn’t too bad. We rolled the dice on an overcut there at the end, and ended up coming right out into traffic. It’s a little frustrating, but we take our blessings when we can and we brought the car back on four wheels. It’s a great day at Indianapolis, and I think we’re ready for the World Finals.”

About TPC Racing: TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sportscars. TPC Racing specializes in R&D and sales of high-performance modifications for Porsche sports cars and race cars, offering a wide range of vehicle upgrades. Best known for a line of forced induction solutions for the Porsche 911, Cayman and Boxster, a long-time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled TPC Racing to become experts in Porsche service, tuning, and racing. In 2000, TPC Racing began entering races under its own banner, scoring an SGS-class Championship in 2004 in the Grand-American Rolex Series and was a class winner in the 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona, and captured the 2013 and 2016 IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA Gold Cup Championships. More information can be found at www.TPCRacing.com.

Can’t-Miss Attractions at This Weekend’s ​​​​​​​Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals

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Official Release
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Friday’s “Night of Fire” kicks off three days of action-packed fun on and off the track at zMAX Dragway, where the NHRA’s best will battle for supremacy at the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals. (CMS photo)

CONCORD, NC (Sept. 18, 2023) – The Bellagio of drag strips is revving up to deliver a weekend of excitement that extends far beyond the thunderous roar of on-track action. From fiery Friday nights to jaw-dropping motocross stunts, this nitro-fueled thrill of NHRA drag racing promises fun for fans of all ages.

As the Countdown to the Championship continues, the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals will see the top competitors in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock side-by-side at over 330 mph in a nitro-fueled push to a championship. But the on-track fun is only part of what’s in store for fans this Friday through Sunday.

As a lead-up to the excitement surrounding the event, here are five can’t-miss attractions that set this race weekend apart from all others at America’s Home for Racing:

  • FRIDAY NIGHT OF FIRE: The weekend kicks off with a blaze of glory as zMAX Dragway will host a Friday Night of Fire where fans will see 10-foot header flames lighting up the night sky and these 11,000-horsepower dragster power down the strip in less than four seconds. Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock racers will make their first qualifying passes under the lights on opening night. Night of fire will feature a huge pyrotechnics display, music and more.
  • MOTOCROSS ON THE MIDWAY: Heart-pounding excitement will ride right in the middle of the pit area as the KSFMX freestyle motocross team brings their high-flying stunt show to an all-new 300×40-foot footprint right in the middle of the redesigned midway. In addition to seeing their favorite NHRA drivers up close in the pits or watching the teams rebuild their monster machines between each run, fans will have a front-row seat to the most eye-popping motocross stunts imaginable.
  • TURN UP THE HEAT: The action on the track isn’t the only thing heating up at zMAX Dragway this weekend. America’s Home for Racing, in conjunction with its food service partner Levy Restaurants, is turning up the heat with a sizzling culinary creation, the “Night of Fire” Sauce. This fiery concoction blends Habanero, Ghost Pepper, Scorpion and Reaper peppers to deliver an unforgettable kick. Perfect for chicken fingers, wings, fries and more, the “Night of Fire” sauce is so hot, fans will have to sign a waiver before indulging.
  • PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE: Past and future stars of NHRA drag racing will be on full display at zMAX Dragway this weekend. Displays of Nostalgia Pro Stock cars that helped build to class, as well as future racing stars that currently compete in the Junior Drag Racing League (JDRL), will be set up in the midway for the young and young-at-heart to enjoy. Fans can meet past and current drivers, get an up-close look at their racing machines, and maybe even catch them making an exhibition run at the Bellagio of drag strips.
  • SUNDAY FUN DAY: All fans with a Sunday ticket will have a chance to join drivers and drag racing personalities for the SealMaster Track Walk on Sunday at 10 a.m. Just minutes before the dragsters take to the lanes for the opening round of eliminations, fans can walk the Bellagio of drag strip where history will be made in this weekend’s pivotal Countdown to the Championship event. Fans will then be front and center for opening ceremonies on the start line just before the first pair fire their engines to see who claims the coveted Wally.

TICKETS:
To purchase Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals tickets, fans can call 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or shop online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com. Three-day ticket packages are available starting at $99 for adults and FREE for children 12 and under. Single-day tickets are $20 for adults on Friday; and $40 for adults on Saturday and Sunday.

MORE INFO:

Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway and get the latest news by following on Twitter and Instagram, becoming a Facebook fan or downloading the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

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