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Wallace’s strong start foiled by Stage 2 incident at Kansas

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Ron Olds for SpeedwayMedia.com.

The conclusion of the NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, September 10, generated mixed feelings for 23XI Racing. While Tyler Reddick celebrated an automatic transfer to the Playoff’s Round of 12 by notching his second NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season in overtime, teammate Bubba Wallace was left disappointed. but remained optimistic, on pit road after having a strong start and potential bid for the victory evaporate from a flat right-rear tire that sent Wallace into the outside wall during the second stage and out of contention despite nursing his wounded car to the finish multiple laps down.

At the drop of the green flag, the 29-year-old Wallace from Mobile, Alabama, quickly worked his way to the front from starting 10th. Amid an early caution period on the third lap that knocked Playoff contender Martin Truex Jr. out of contention to the ensuing restart on the ninth lap, Wallace was up to sixth by the Lap 10 mark. Two laps later, Wallace navigated his No. 23 Columbia Sportswear Toyota TRD Camry up to fourth place before moving up to third by Lap 20. Another five laps later, Wallace overtook Bell for the runner-up spot as he tried to gain ground on Playoff contender Kyle Larson for the lead.

Keeping pace behind Larson through the first wave of green flag pit stops that commenced on Lap 36, Wallace capitalized on a caution period on Lap 62 for an incident involving Playoff contender William Byron and the ensuing pit stop to beat Larson off of pit road and assume the lead. Despite leading the field to the ensuing restart on Lap 69, where he led three laps in total, Wallace was quickly overtaken by Larson as he ended up fending off Bell to finish in the runner-up spot and collect nine stage points at the conclusion of the first stage period.

Restarting alongside Larson to start the second stage on Lap 87, Wallace again retained the runner-up spot as he tried to keep Larson within his sights. Then on Lap 107, Wallace’s strong run diminished after he blew a right-rear tire entering Turn 1 and scrubbed the outside wall through the following two turns. The right-side damage was also enough to damage the right-rear toe link from Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota as Wallace dropped out of the lead lap category. Wallace’s pit crew, though, were able to repair and keep the car up to minimum speed despite the damage as he returned to the track while mired three laps down. Despite gaining one of his three lost laps back during another caution period on Lap 114 for an incident involving Austin Cindric, Wallace would lose more laps to the leaders after making additional pit stops to have his car repaired.

For the remainder of the event, Wallace would manage to overtake Harrison Burton, JJ Yeley and Austin Dillon before finishing 32nd when the checkered flag flew as he was scored four laps behind the leaders. As a result, Wallace, who came into the event a single point below the top-12 cutline to transfer to the Round of 12, is now 19 points below the cutline entering next weekend’s Round of 16 finale at Bristol Motor Speedway.

“I got loose like five laps before, but I realize that was kind of like my line and my approach next to Turn 4,” Wallace said on USA Network. “Three or four laps later, [the right-rear tire] blew out. No indication going into [Turn] 1. I’m pissed at myself [that] I wasn’t closer to the fence and maybe, we would’ve gotten by with less damage, but you’re never gonna get a flat tire or blow a tire when you’re running 20th. You’re gonna get away really fast and lights out versus the competition.”

This season marks Wallace’s first appearance in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs as a title contender, where he made the top-16 cutline on the strength of four top-five finishes, seven top-10 results and 15 top-15 results throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch. Prior to Kansas, he finished seventh during last weekend’s Playoff opener at Darlington Raceway after rallying from a spin at the conclusion of the first stage period.

Wallace’s next NASCAR Cup Series event on the schedule is Bristol Motor Speedway for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, which will serve as the Round of 16 finale as he aims to leap back above the cutline and keep his title hopes for this season alive. The event is scheduled to occur next Saturday, September 16, and air at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network.

Dixon Overcomes Chaos To Win Wild Laguna Seca Finale

By
Official Release
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MONTEREY, Calif. (Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023) – When the going gets most chaotic, nobody in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES finds a smooth path to Victory Lane better than Scott Dixon.

Dixon did it again Sunday, overcoming a starting grid penalty and an early on-track penalty and adapting strategy to multiple caution periods to win the season-ending Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. It was the third win of the season and 56th career INDYCAR SERIES victory for six-time series champion Dixon, who won on this 11-turn, 2.238-mile circuit for the first time.

“A credit to this team,” Dixon said. “They’ve been executing like that all year. We got caught up in some mayhem at the start. I definitely didn’t agree with the (penalty) call, but I haven’t seen all of it yet. But I had nowhere to go. But we won; that’s all that matters. We won.”

Dixon’s No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda crossed the finish line 7.3180 seconds ahead of the No. 3 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet of runner-up Scott McLaughlin for his third victory in the last four races of the season. Alex Palou finished third in the No. 10 The American Legion Honda to close out his championship season with Chip Ganassi Racing.

Two-time series champion Will Power finished fourth in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, with Callum Ilott rounding out the top five in the No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet.

Marcus Armstrong was the top rookie finisher, eighth in the No. 11 Ridgeline Lubricants of Chip Ganassi Racing. That was enough to clinch Rookie of the Year honors for New Zealand native Armstrong and helped CGR achieve the unprecedented feat of taking the top two spots in the standings, with Palou and Dixon, and winning the Rookie of the Year title.

Chevrolet edged Honda by just 12 points to win the Manufacturers Championship for the second consecutive season.

The first hurdle for Dixon to scale came before the green flag flew to start the race. His CGR team was penalized six spots on the starting grid for an unapproved engine change after the morning warmup, so Dixon dropped from his qualifying spot of fifth to 11th at the start.

That lower starting spot put Dixon in the middle of mayhem that erupted near the front and throughout the midfield on Lap 1. Five cars were officially counted as part of the multiple collisions and jostling in Turn 2.

Dixon’s car veered hard right in traffic exiting the calamity corner better known as the Andretti Hairpin on Lap 1 and tapped the No. 21 Bitnile.com Chevrolet of Ed Carpenter Racing driver Rinus VeeKay into the gravel just past Turn 2. After extensive review of the entire maelstrom, INDYCAR officials assessed Dixon with a drive-through penalty for avoidable contact, along with a drive-through penalty for the No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s Christian Lundgaard.

That penalty infuriated Dixon, known as “The Iceman” for his cool under pressure. But he chilled quickly in the cockpit, and Dixon and veteran CGR strategist Mike Hull started to devise alternate tactics to quicken a long climb from the rear of the cars still running on the lead lap.

Hull and Dixon decided to save fuel and try to finish the 95-lap race on one stop fewer than most of the rest of the field. They employed a similar strategy to win after being spun into the grass on Lap 1 of the Gallagher Grand Prix on Aug. 12 on the IMS road course and sipped fuel to win the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline on Aug. 27 at World Wide Technology Raceway.

When it was drawn up, the fuel-saving strategy was risky because it probably required some slower running under yellow to make it to the finish on one less stop. Dixon also couldn’t let teammate Palou, who was cruising out front while leading 51 of the first 58 laps, build a big enough lead to stay out front after the final pit cycles ended.

The yellows came that Dixon needed – and then some. And one of the caution flags flew with terrible timing for Palou.

On Lap 58, the No. 18 HMD Trucking Honda of David Malukas and the No. 29 Sapphire Gas Solutions Honda of Devlin DeFrancesco made side-by-side contact, with Malukas spinning into the gravel adjacent to Turn 3 to trigger the fifth of a race record-tying eight caution periods.

Palou was nearing the end of one of his fuel stints when the incident unfolded, but he couldn’t dive into the pits before the caution lights illuminated. He made his second and final stop on the next lap, Lap 59, and re-entered the race in 15th place with 37 laps to go.

Meanwhile, Dixon made his third and final stop on Lap 65. That ended up being one stop fewer than McLaughlin. Meanwhile, Palou couldn’t make up enough ground in the closing stages of the race to convert his two-stop strategy into catching Dixon or McLaughlin, as the last 17 laps of the race ran green despite the last four caution periods coming between Laps 58 and 75.

Dixon took the lead for good on Lap 76 when leader Romain Grosjean pitted for the last time in the No. 28 DHL Honda of Andretti Autosport. It was one of six lead changes among six drivers in a wild race that featured 432 on-track passes, an INDYCAR SERIES record for this picturesque track that features the famous “Corkscrew” turn complex.

From there, Dixon managed the gap after the final restart on Lap 78 and pulled away down the stretch of the 95-lap race with no need to save fuel.

Dixon will split $10,000 with Chip Ganassi Racing and his chosen charity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, for his win as part of the PeopleReady Force For Good Challenge.

Kaulig Racing Post-Race Report | Kansas Speedway

By
Official Release
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Hollywood Casino 400

Justin Haley, No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1

  • Justin Haley qualified 30th for the Hollywood Casino 400.
  • Although Haley’s No. 31 Celsius Camaro ZL1 fired off on the edgy side, he was able to quickly gain 10 spots from his starting position and into the top 20. Haley made it as high as 19th before making his first, scheduled green-flag pit stop on lap 39 for tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. As the green-flag stops cycled through, Haley made it back to 21st before the caution came out on lap 63. As he pitted to put qualifying tires on the No. 31 car to finish the stage, Haley acquired a speeding penalty on pit road, forcing him to start at the rear for the final 11 laps of the opening stage. He gained 10 spots in those 11 laps, finishing the first stage in 22nd.
  • Haley radioed that the No. 31 Chevy was still slightly edgy, but that he felt he was beating everyone on front turn and did not want to risk freeing the car up too much. He pitted for sticker tires and fuel during the stage break, before starting the second stage from 24th. The next caution came out on lap 108 as Haley sat 22nd. He radioed he was happy with the No. 31 Celsius Chevy before pitting for four tires and fuel. Restarting 23rd, another caution came out just after the restart. After restarting 21st on lap 120, the field went green for just seven more laps before the next caution came out. Haley pitted for four tires and fuel and restarted 21st on lap 133. The remainder of stage two stayed green, as Haley worked his way up to finish 16th.
  • Haley pitted once again during the stage break for tires and fuel, before starting the final stage in 18th. The caution came back out quickly on lap 173 for debris. Haley stayed out and restarted 17th with 88 laps remaining. With 70 to go, Haley sat 20th as he radioed the No. 31 Celsius was still trending tight but made it as high as seventh, as the green-flag pit stops began to cycle. Haley made his final green-flag stop on lap 216 for tires and fuel, falling down a lap to the leaders. The final caution came out with seven laps to go, and Haley took the wave around to put himself back on the lead lap. The race went on to finish in an overtime, two-lap shootout, and Haley finished 21st.

“We fired off so strong and gained 10 spots within the first 15 laps. Our No. 31 Celsius Camaro ZL1 was a little edgy, but I just felt like I could beat everyone on front turn, so I knew I would have to deal with it being a little tight, rather than being too loose and losing that momentum. The biggest difference was the draft, and I think that helped us on speed compared to yesterday during practice and qualifying. Overall, it was a solid day for our No. 31 team.” – Justin Haley

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Dyna Gro Seed Camaro ZL1

  • AJ Allmendinger qualified 22nd for the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.
  • Allmendinger was happy with the No. 16 Dyna-Gro Seed Chevy early in the race. Under the first caution on lap four, he reported his car was tight in traffic, but the rear was stable, and his car turned well in clean air. The team opted to stay out under caution and restart in 22nd on lap nine. Allmendinger quickly made multiple passes, making it up to 15th by lap 24. The No. 16 came down pit road for a scheduled green-flag pit stop on lap 36. When the caution came back out on lap 63, Allmendinger was running 13th. He came down pit road under caution and put on qualifying tires for the short run to end the stage and save a set for the next stage. The team restarted 14th on lap 69 and went on to finish 18th in the opening stage.
  • Under the stage break, Allmendinger came down pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment to help with rear grip. The No. 16 restarted in 15th place on lap 87 and drove up for 12th by lap 91. Running 11th when the caution came out on lap 108, Allmendinger told the team the balance in his No. 16 Chevy was really good. The team came down pit road under caution for four tires and fuel and restarted 12th on lap 113. The caution came back out on lap 115 and Allmendinger had driven up to 10th place, where he would restart on lap 119. Allmendinger maintained position until the caution came out on lap 128 and reported he was tighter that run. The No. 16 restarted 14th on lap 132 and fell back to 22nd after getting caught in the middle running four wide. Allmendinger made up positions quickly, taking over 15th by lap 145. The No. 16 came down pit road on lap 151 for an unscheduled pit stop to check the right front, after making contact with the wall. Allmendinger returned to the track and received a pass-thru penalty for too many team members over the wall during the pit stop. He finished the stage 33rd, three laps down.
  • Under the stage break, Allmendinger took the wave around and restarted the third stage in 33rd place and went on to finish in 30th place.

“I’m really happy with the speed we had in our No. 16 Dyna-Gro Seed Chevy. I’m disappointed with the small mistake there hitting the wall, but I’m really proud of my guys for bringing a competitive car. The speed we’ve had the last couple weeks is definitely encouraging, and we’ll keep gaining on that. ” – AJ Allmendinger  

Kansas Lottery 300

Derek Kraus, No. 10 Hardscape Construction/Crav’n Chevrolet Camaro

  • Derek Kraus qualified 18th for the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway.
  • Kraus quickly gained multiple spots and avoided three early cautions in the first 20 laps of stage one. He radioed that he was happy with his No. 11 Hardscape Construction Chevy, making his way into the 10th position, where he finished the opening stage.
  • Kraus pitted for tires, fuel, and minor adjustments during the first stage break. Dropping back to 12th before the first caution of the second stage on lap 60, Kraus bounced back, moving up to seventh before the next caution came out on lap 76. Relaying that he was still happy with the handling of the car, Kraus went on to finish the second stage in eighth.
  • Before pitting during the second stage break, Kraus relayed that he needed to be slightly tighter on entry and to fire off for the final stage. The No. 11 pit crew gained Kraus two spots on pit road to start the final stage. Sitting sixth with 90 laps remaining, Kraus radioed he was a tick loose in his No. 11 Chevrolet. As another caution came out with 63 laps remaining, Kraus radioed that he fired off much better, but gets too free when running up top. He pitted under caution for tires and fuel before restarting sixth with 57 laps to go. The 10th and final caution came out on lap 145 before going green with 50 laps remaining. The race stayed green for the final 50 laps, and Kraus finish eighth, his third top-10 finish with Kaulig Racing this season.

“Today was a good day; we just kind of survived all day. In the first stage, I got into top 10 and got some stage points and then did the same in the second stage. In the third stage, fired off decent but just built too tight in the center and that carried all the way to the edge of the corner. Overall, it was a good day, and I’m looking forward to the next one.” -Derek Kraus

Chandler Smith, No. 16 Quick Tie Products Chevrolet Camaro

  • Chandler Smith qualified 12th for the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway.
  • Moments after the initial start of the race, the yellow flag waved, and Smith restarted 11th on lap six. On lap 12, Smith reported that the No. 16 Quick Tie Products Chevrolet was low on power, and he started losing positions quickly. Once the race’s second caution came one lap later, the team told Smith to bring the car into the garage to work on the engine. The crew replaced the spark plugs, and Smith rejoined the race 13 laps down in 37th. He made up one spot by the time the first stage ended, finishing 36th.
  • The No. 16 team began making adjustments on the car during routine visits down pit road as stage two began. The crew utilized the early engine issues to learn as much as it could for future races. During the short, second stage, Smith continued making up ground, finishing stage two in 34th, 13 laps down.
  • Smith passed two more cars to move into 32nd by lap 156. He stayed there for the remainder of the race, finishing 14 laps down.

“That was a rough one. We were fast once we got back out on the track, but we obviously couldn’t do much because of the time spent fixing our engine issues. We could only pick up spots if others had problems, but points are points, so we used the rest of the 170 or so laps to try out some things and experiment before the playoffs start at Bristol next week.” – Chandler Smith

Daniel Hemric, No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro

  • Daniel Hemric qualified fifth for the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway.
  • By starting the race, Hemric clinched his spot in the NXS Playoffs. After the caution came out on lap one, Hemric restarted fifth on lap six. After a few laps, he reported that the No. 10 Cirkul was loose-handling in turns three and four just after firing back off. On lap 10, Hemric dropped back two spots, sitting in seventh as the next caution came out on lap 14. Restarting seventh on lap 18 and maintaining position before the caution came out again on lap 20, Hemric made his way back up to fifth by lap 29. On lap 32, Hemric fell off the pace, reporting a possible voltage issue before pitting under green to diagnose the issue. The team discovered the power issue and pushed Hemric back to the garage to change the battery in the No. 10 Cirkul Chevy. The team spent the remainder of stage one and the entirety of stage two changing the battery and addressing the issue.
  • The No. 10 team sent Hemric back on track under green with 88 laps remaining in the race. Hemric returned to the garage once again on lap 139, as the team addressed another minor issue, before sending Hemric back on track 75 laps down, with 57 laps remaining. Caution came out with 52 laps to go, and Hemric pitted for a splash of fuel before the restart on lap 150 where he restarted 35th. Hemric reported that his car was getting progressively looser as the run went on, and pitted under green with 23 laps remaining for tires and fuel. Hemric went on to finish the race 34th.

“We beat ourselves today. It’s unfortunate, because I feel like we had a lot of speed in our Cirkul Chevrolet. We did what we had to do for the regular season, but there is still work to be done. As a group, we have shown we can build great race cars at Kaulig Racing; we just have to clean up all the little stuff.” – Daniel Hemric  

 
About Kaulig Racing™

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and has won back-to-back regular-season championships. Before becoming a full-time NCS team, Kaulig Racing made multiple starts in the 2021 NCS season and won in its seventh-ever start with AJ Allmendinger’s victory at “The Brickyard” for the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The team expanded to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 with Justin Haley piloting the No. 31 Camaro ZL1, and an all-star lineup featured in the No. 16 Camaro ZL1. Haley will continue to drive the No. 31 full-time in 2023, alongside AJ Allmendinger, who will drive the No. 16 Camaro ZL1. The team will continue to field three, full-time NXS entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by an all-star lineup, the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Daniel Hemric, and the No. 16 Chevrolet driven by Chandler Smith. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

Toyota Racing – NCS Kansas Post-Race Report – 09.10.23

By
Official Release
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REDDICK DELIVERS IN KANSAS
Reddick gives 23XI Racing its third win in last four Kansas events

KANSAS CITY (September 10, 2023) – Tyler Reddick clinched his spot in the Round of 12 with a stellar final restart to win his second race of the season. It is the third victory for 23XI – with three different drivers – in the last four Kansas Speedway events. Toyota drivers have won the last four Kansas events and seven of the last nine.

In points, Reddick is locked into the next round, and Denny Hamlin is all but advanced as he holds a 49-point advantage over the cutoff. With his top-10 run, Christopher Bell moved back up to the top-10 in points and holds a 13-point advantage. Martin Truex Jr. and Bubba Wallace both suffered tire failures during the race and fell below the cutline. Truex is 13th, seven points off the cutoff, while Wallace is 14th, 19 points out going into Bristol.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Kansas Speedway
Race 28 of 36 – 400 miles, 267 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, TYLER REDDICK

2nd, DENNY HAMLIN

3rd, Erik Jones*

4th, Kyle Larson*

5th, Joey Logano*

8th, CHRISTOPHER BELL

14th, TY GIBBS

32nd, BUBBA WALLACE

36th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 MoneyLion Toyota Camry TRD, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

Can you talk about the last few laps of that race today?

“Chaos. It was perfect honestly. We had a really, really good MoneyLion Toyota Camry TRD all day long. Everyone at 23XI – when we come here, we mean business. We didn’t have the outright pace that I think Bubba (Wallace) and Denny (Hamlin) had. At times, we were pretty solid, but we were just caught behind them. The caution came, it gave us another opportunity, especially with those cars that stayed out or took two tires.”

When did you feel like you had the race won?

“I got lucky, and I was able to get to the top of (turn) three to get to the inside of Kyle Busch. I was just able to find clean air and was able to carry the momentum onward. It just seemed all day long, when you got beside someone down the frontstretch, this TRD engine would just pull down the straightaways and we would go right by them.”

Second last week, and first today. How good is this race team right now?

“We’ve been great all year long. It just has been a process getting here right. We’ve struggled at times to execute, but we are doing it at the right time.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Yahoo Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

Can you walk us through that last restart?

“Well, the 5 was just laying back so much. I was trying to back up to him. Should have just kind of focused forward probably. It gave the 45 an opportunity to get up there in front of us. Just kind of sleeping on the restart, looking in the rear view instead of looking in the front. Hats off to the Yahoo Camry TRD team, just another really, really fast car, just didn’t need that caution at the end.”

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DEWALT Perform & Protect Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 8th

Can you talk about your finish?

“We were going to be about eighth or ninth in the end, and we ended up eighth in our DEWALT Camry, so I’ll take it and move on to Bristol.”

Are you frustrated or good with a top-10 in today’s race?

“Ultimately, I expected to be a little more competitive today, so that is a little disappointing, but overall – we scored points in stage one, and to get a top-10, that’s what we needed to do. I wish I had Darlington back, but we will move on to Bristol.”

How do you feel about needing to perform at Bristol?

“We should perform well. Bristol is a place that anything can happen, so it’s going to be dramatic.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 36th

Can you tell us what happened?

“Just unfortunate and very unlucky. I took off really tight and I knew something was up, and then cut a right rear. Not really sure what happened, obviously, but it blew in the worst place possible. I hate it for my guys. We had an awesome Bass Pro Toyota Camry. We were going to have a great day, just not sure what we need to do to get some luck here.”

Was there any warning?

“I knew something was up for sure, just didn’t realize it was going to blow the tire out. I felt like the right rear was soft. I was hoping it was going to go down on the straightaway, not going into turn three. Really unfortunate. In hindsight, I guess I should have just pitted, but at that point in time, you just don’t know if the car is just really tight or what’s going on. It’s a real shame. I hate for my team. We had a really, really fast Bass Pro Toyota. I can’t imagine about being this unlucky.”

What do you think this does to your points situation?

“We will find out when today’s over. There is not a thing we can do about it right now.”

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.

CHEVROLET NCS AT KANSAS 2: Post-Race Report

By
Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
KANSAS SPEEDWAY
HOLLYWOOD CASINO 400
POST-RACE REPORT
SEPTEMBER 10, 2023

Jones, Larson Lead Team Chevy with Top-Five Finishes at Kansas

  • Utilizing a two-tire pit strategy ahead of the overtime restart, Erik Jones drove his No. 43 Allegiant Camaro to the battle for the lead – ultimately taking the third position to lead Team Chevy to the checkered flag in today’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.
  • Three Chevrolet teams collectively claimed top-10 finishes in race two of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 16 – led by LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s Erik Jones in third; Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson in fourth, Chase Elliott in sixth and Alex Bowman in 10th; and Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch in seventh.
  • Heading into the final race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 16 at Bristol Motor Speedway, Kyle Larson maintains the top position of the points standings with a six-point lead over second-place Tyler Reddick.

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS
3rd Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Camaro ZL1
4th Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1
6th Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1
7th Kyle Busch, No. 8 Casey’s General Stores Camaro ZL1
10th Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1

TOP-FIVE UNOFFICIAL RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER

  1. Tyler Reddick (Toyota)
  2. Denny Hamlin (Toyota)
  3. Erik Jones (Chevrolet)
  4. Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)
  5. Joey Logano (Ford)

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 16 concludes at Bristol Motor Speedway with the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Sunday, September 16, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on the USA Network, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

 
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Kubota Camaro ZL1

Finished: 13th

“It was hard to recover after we got shuffled back in traffic on that one restart. We were just a few spots short of getting a top-10 for Kubota’s Geared to Give program but we’ll take a 13th-place finish and look forward to Bristol.”

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Camaro ZL1

Finished: 33rd

“We had a really fast Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet this weekend at Kansas Speedway, so I hate that the results do not show what this team is capable of. We had a solid qualifying effort on Saturday, and the beginning of our race was really strong. I just pushed it a little too hard and ended up making contact with the wall in Stage 1. It knocked the toe out and ruined our race. No matter what we did after that, we couldn’t get our Chevy tight enough. We’ll keep working on it and head to Bristol Motor Speedway next week.”

Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1

Finished: 4th

Larson on the strategy to rally back to a top-five finish at Kansas Speedway:

“Just picking and choosing your lanes the right way. We had a great No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy. It was good on the short runs and really good on the long runs compared to everybody else. I was struggling, as well, but I felt really good about my car.

It’s a bummer, but sometimes it goes that way. All-in-all, we were able to recover. I only got into the wall once today. We had two great cars to start the playoffs. You have to look at the positives. We got stage points, so that’s good, as well.”

The call for four tires there at the end, what were you trying to do over those last two laps?

“Obviously with the No. 99 (Daniel Suarez) staying out, you just don’t know what his grip level is going to be, so I choose the top. I just didn’t want to be in the same lane as him. Obviously with the pack, if I would have chosen the bottom, that’s where the No. 45 (Tyler Reddick) ended up and he came out the winner. I need to see how the replay looks, but I thought I could get to Denny’s (Hamlin) outside, he blocked me. I went to the middle, got clear of him and then he just had a good run off of (turn) two and was able to get to the bottom and get in front of me. Maybe if I would have went to the bottom and protect it a little bit, I could have been leading that. I still don’t think I would have gotten to the lead, but maybe I could have finished second like he did.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Casey’s General Stores Camaro ZL1

Finished: 7th

“It wasn’t going to be a play to win the race, but it was going to be a play for our best finish. We just got a couple bad aero spots there with the last restart and probably lost one more spot than I should have, but all-in-all, that was better than we should have performed anyways. We fought hard with our No. 8 Casey’s Camaro and that’s all we had.”

For Bristol, do you feel pretty confident about going there next week?

“With the way everything is going right now, no.. but we’ll work as hard as we can and get what we can get.”

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Nutrien Ag Solutions Camaro ZL1

Finished: 30th

“I’m really happy with the speed we had in our No. 16 Dyna-Gro Seed Chevy. Disappointed with the small mistake there hitting the wall but really proud of my guys for bringing a competitive car. The speed we’ve had the last couple weeks is definitely encouraging and we’ll keep gaining on that. ”

William Byron, No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL1

Finished: 15th

You got all the way back to 15th, talk me through this run.

“Our No. 24 RaptorTouch.com Chevy was loose. Once the track took a set in Stage One and kind of got all the rubber from yesterday’s race off, it seemed like we were just free from that point on. I didn’t know how free in that first stage – I just let the No. 45 (Tyler Reddick) go and it just came around on me. We tried a lot of things to tighten it up after that point, but our Raptor Chevy just kept building to the same spot on the long runs. We were just starting tighter and it would build to a similar spot in 15 laps or so, I would say. We’ve got a lot of work to do to try and figure out what that was.

It’s just tough. We had to kind of maintain on the long runs and just finish a solid race. We really needed to finish there, so happy with that. Happy with our team’s effort. We worked really hard on it. We’ll go to work at Bristol (Motor Speedway). It looks like we’re plus-41 points, so we just have to have a good, solid couple of stages there.”

Carson Hocevar, No. 42 Sunseeker Resorts Camaro ZL1

Finished: 20th

“To come from one lap down, really struggling myself to get a grip on the racetrack to finish in the top-20 is super big for me. We finished 15th in one of the stages, and were one or two restarts away from having a great finish. I plugged the fence once or twice and got myself a little bit behind, and by that point I was kind of deep. It was a lot of fun trying to get the balance right and learn this stuff. For it to be my first true mile-and-a-half and finish top-20, I can’t hang my head too bad on that. I’m thankful to Maury (Gallagher), Jimmie (Johnson), and Richard (Petty) for the opportunity to drive their Sunseeker Resorts Chevy and can’t wait for Bristol!”

Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Camaro ZL1

Finished: 3rd

Those last laps, what could have done differently?

“I just needed to clear the No. 22 (Joey Logano) in (turns) three and four. I tried to do all I could, it’s just when a guy gets loose under you and kind of runs you up – I had to lift and the No. 45 (Tyler Reddick) obviously had a big run there. You want to be frustrated, but you have to be happy with the run. All day, the No. 43 Allegiant Chevy was fast and we were up in contention. We were able to drive through the field a handful of times, so it was a good day. That was probably the fastest car we’ve had all year. We would have loved to get one there, but our year has been up-and-down and having a good run like that is just a good day for the team.”

TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES:

STAGE ONE

· Coming off a crown-jewel win in last weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series playoff opener at Darlington Raceway, Kyle Larson took his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 to a second-place qualifying effort to lead the field to the green in today’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

· The first caution of the day came early on lap four, involving playoff driver Martin Truex Jr. With pit road open, the majority of the field opted to stay out. Running in the second position, Larson took the outside lane of the front-row for the restart with 71 laps to go in Stage One and quickly gained the lead for the first time on lap 10.

· Pulling out to nearly a 2.5-second lead at the 25-lap marker, Larson reported that he was starting to fight free conditions on his Chevrolet as the field closed in on the first round of scheduled pit stops. Crew Chief Cliff Daniels called then-race leader Larson to pit road for four tires and fuel – returning to the field in the sixth position and quickly cycling back to the lead with 36 laps to go in the stage.

· After tagging the wall in practice and forcing the team to start at the rear of the field following repairs, Team Chevy playoff contender Kyle Busch quickly became the race’s biggest mover of the race – gaining 18 positions by lap 35 in his No. 8 Casey’s General Stores Camaro ZL1.

· Lap 63 saw the second caution of the day for two separate incidents, with one including Team Chevy playoff contender William Byron who spun on the backstretch. Still scored in the ninth position, the No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL1 team reported that there was no damage on his Chevrolet. Byron pitted under the caution with Crew Chief Rudy Fugle calling for four scuff tires and fuel – returning to the lineup in the seventh position with 11 laps to go in the stage.

· Opting for the inside lane of the front-row for the restart, Larson took his Chevrolet back to the lead and continued to pace the field to the green-white checkered flag to claim his fourth stage win of the season.

· Larson led Chevrolet to three top-10 finishes in Stage One:

1st Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1

4th Ross Chastain, No. 1 Kubota Camaro ZL1

9th Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1

STAGE TWO:

· Under the stage break caution, Larson reported to the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1 team that he would like to be a little tighter on throttle. Leading the field to pit road, Daniels called for four tires, fuel and an adjustment – going on to win the race off pit road to regain a position on the front-row for the start of Stage Two.

· With a push from his Hendrick Motorsports’ teammate Chase Elliott, Larson jumped his Chevrolet to the early lead with 78 laps to go in Stage Two. The Team Chevy driver continued to build the gap back to second to over a three-second lead at the 105-lap marker.

· Running in the second position when the caution flew on lap 107, Elliott reported to the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 team that his car fired off better for that run. Crew Chief Alan Gustafson called Elliott to pit road for four tires and fuel – rejoining the field in the second position. In a three-way battle for the lead at the drop of the green, Elliott powered his Chevrolet to the lead when another caution flew at lap 114. Scored as the race leader for the restart, Elliott again took the lead – going on to pace the field until yet another caution flag just eight laps later.

· The pair of Hendrick Motorsports teammates chose pit strategy under the caution, giving Elliott and Larson front-row starting spots for the restart. Track position paid dividends for Elliott on the restart with the Team Chevy driver able to regain and maintain his position at the top of the leaderboard. Working with older tires, Elliott was still able to build nearly a one-second cushion ahead of the second position in the closing laps of the stage.

· Remaining under green-flag conditions to the end of the stage, Elliott tallied 47 laps led before losing the lead to a car on fresher tires with two laps remaining in the stage – ultimately taking the green-white checkered flag in the third position to end Stage Two.

· Team Chevy Stage Two: Top-10

3rd Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1

6th Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Camaro ZL1

FINAL STAGE / POST-RACE NOTES:

· Erik Jones demonstrated the speed in his No. 43 Allegiant Camaro ZL1 in the closing laps of Stage Two – working his Chevrolet up to a top-10 finish in Stage Two. Under the direction of Crew Chief Dave Elenz, Jones brought his Chevrolet to pit road under the stage break caution for four tires and fuel – gaining two positions on pit road to claim a top-five position for the start of the final stage.

· With a strong restart, Jones challenged for the lead in the opening lap of the stage – going on to settle and maintain the fourth position during the first run of the stage. With green-flag pit stops underway at the midway point of the stage, Jones brought his Chevrolet to pit road for a scheduled four-tire and fuel stop – working his way back up into the top-five after the leaderboard cycled through.

· Also re-entering the top-10 at the conclusion of the green-flag pit cycle, Elliott progressively picked up positions under the long green-flag run – entering the top-five at lap 233. The Team Chevy driver moved up into the third position when a caution flag flew for another playoff contender (Chris Buescher) with seven laps to go.

· Looking at an overtime finish, pit strategy shuffled the leaderboard putting Team Chevy drivers in the top-three positions for the restart including Daniel Suarez, who opted to stay out for track position and a front-row starting position for the restart. Joining Suarez was Jones, who elected for a two-tire stop before the final restart of the race.

· On what ended up being the final restart of the race, two fresh tires provided Jones an opportunity to contend for the lead in the final two laps of the race – ultimately claiming the third position to lead the manufacturer to the finish.

About Chevrolet

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

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes – NCS Kansas 2 Post-Race Quotes (9.10.23)

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Hollywood Casino 400 | Sunday, September 10, 2023

Ford Finishing Results:

5th – Joey Logano
9th – Brad Keselowski
11th – Kevin Harvick
12th – Ryan Blaney
17th – Aric Almirola
18th – Ryan Preece
19th – Chase Briscoe
24th – Cole Custer
25th – Todd Gilliland
26th – Michael McDowell
27th – Chris Buescher
31st – Austin Cindric
34th – JJ Yeley
35th – Harrison Burton

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang – DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE TWO-TIRE PIT STRATEGY WAS ENOUGH? “It was enough in the sense that we were running 15th when the caution came out. Paul [Wolfe] did a good job at making a good call there, and putting us in position. I could see the lead. We were right there. If I was able to just clear the No. 43, it might have looked a little different. But, I couldn’t quite clear him. It just allowed [Tyler] Reddick to get a big run once we started getting swallowed up by the four-tire cars. You’re just on defense after that. So, we had our chance into three there, and just wasn’t quite good enough to finish it off there. Overall, I’m glad we had a decent points day. We needed it. We were on the cut-line, or close to it coming in. I don’t know where we are now. Didn’t have the best of stages. So, we’ll fight again at Bristol.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Wabash Ford Mustang – “Overall, not a bad day for our Wabash Ford Mustang. Pretty decent on the short runs and long runs we’d just kind of fall off a little bit too hard, just felt super loose and lose a little speed. The last restart didn’t really work out for us. We took four and we started way in the back, and could only get to 12th. But, proud of the stage points we made, proud of the short run speed. Hopefully we can continue to learn. But, I feel decent about the cut-line. Just have to go to Bristol and have another good night.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang – “For us, this place has been a huge struggle. So, I felt like we made a lot of gains from that standpoint. We got our car at least to where it could run at least 15th, instead of struggling to run 25th. I thought we passed a lot of cars, and we finally got up to 13th or so, and then our engine shut off – went a lap down, and then just kept fighting all day long after that. I thought we made our car way better, which is encouraging. We still have a long way to go when it comes to Kansas, but I felt we made our car better which is encouraging. So hopefully, we can just continue to build on that.”

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Race Recap: Kansas Speedway II

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Carson Hocevar, No. 42 Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

QUALIFYING: 21ST
RACE FINISH: 20TH
UNOFFICIAL OWNERS POINTS: 32ND

Carson Hocevar’s Post-Race Thoughts: “To come from one lap down, really struggling myself to get a grip on the racetrack to finish in the top-20 is super big for me. We finished 15th in one of the stages, and were one or two restarts away from having a great finish. I plugged the fence once or twice and got myself a little bit behind, and by that point I was kind of deep. It was a lot of fun trying to get the balance right and learn this stuff. For it to be my first true mile-and-a-half and finish top-20, I can’t hang my head too bad on that. I’m thankful to Maury (Gallagher), Jimmie (Johnson), and Richard (Petty) for the opportunity to drive their Sunseeker Resorts Chevy and can’t wait for Bristol!”

Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

QUALIFYING: 19TH
RACE FINISH: 3RD
UNOFFICIAL POINTS: 25TH

Erik Jones Post-Race Thoughts: Those last laps, what could have done differently?

“I just needed to clear the No. 22 (Joey Logano) in (turns) three and four. I tried to do all I could, it’s just when a guy gets loose under you and kind of runs you up – I had to lift and the No. 45 (Tyler Reddick) obviously had a big run there. You want to be frustrated, but you have to be happy with the run. All day, the No. 43 Allegiant Chevy was fast and we were up in contention. We were able to drive through the field a handful of times, so it was a good day. That was probably the fastest car we’ve had all year. We would have loved to get one there, but our year has been up-and-down and having a good run like that is just a good day for the team.”

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:

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

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

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

SOCIAL MEDIA:

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

Another Victory for Silver Hare at Watkins Glen

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Connor Zilisch Dominates from the Pole To Win for the Fourth Time This Season;
Cut Tire, Then Late Incident Mar Watkins Glen Debut for Rookie Ben Maier

Overview:

Date: Sept. 10, 2023

Event: Watkins Glen SpeedTour (Round 10 of 13)

Series: Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli

Division: Big Machine Vodka Spiked CoolersTA2 Series

Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International

Layout: 3.4-mile, 11-turn road course

Format: 30 laps or 75 minutes

Weather: Cloudy, mid-60s

Winner: Connor Zilisch of Silver Hare Racing

Silver Hare Racing:

● Connor Zilisch – Started 1st, Finished 1st (Running, completed 28/28 laps)

● Ben Maier – Started 14th, Finished 21st (Accident, completed 25/28 laps)

Noteworthy:

● Today’s victory was Connor Zilisch’s second in a row, his fourth of the season and the fourth of his career. He started from the pole on a grid that was set by Saturday’s practice times after weather forced officials to abort that afternoon’s qualifying session. Zilisch won the previous round on the streets of downtown Nashville on Aug. 5, and also scored the victory June 4 on the downtown Detroit circuit and March 26 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

● Zilisch’s lap of 1 minute, 52.082 seconds earned the 17-year-old the Omalagato Fastest Lap of the Race Award for the second race in a row.

Connor Zilisch, Driver, No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro:

“I had a really good car. Silver Hare Racing has worked really hard the last several months to put us in this position to give me this car to go out here and win races. Today’s was a tougher one, for sure. As easy as it might have looked, the first 20 minutes of the race were really, really tough as a driver, just understanding the limit when you’re on slick tires in the rain, driving 20 seconds off the pace. Thank you to Silver Hare Racing for giving me an awesome car. Maurice and Laura Hull, they’ve taken a chance on me and have given me this opportunity to come out here and drive these cars. Thank you to them, and thank you to the entire team, they’ve worked so hard for me. I had a bad-fast Chevy that made my job easy. I’m so thankful to drive these racecars and just hope to finish out the year strong and, hopefully, make a run for the championship.”​

Ben Maier, Driver, No. 75 Silver Hare Racing/Gel Blaster Chevrolet Camaro:

“It was pretty slick in the beginning and I just found that dry line, eventually, as the race went on. I got a flat tire about halfway through the race that really set us back. Then I got dumped by another driver on the white-flag lap, just chopped. That really hurt our racecar and that is just unfortunate. I like the track here. It wasn’t the best first experience, but it’s pretty fun, and I really liked it in the rain, as well. It’s on to the last three races of the season. Hopefully we can have strong finishes and build up some momentum for next season.”

Maurice Hull, Co-Owner, Silver Hare Racing:

“That’s as it should be, from the pole to first place. It’s always great to win, but it’s much less stressful from the team owner’s standpoint to do it that way as opposed to starting from the back. It was an awesome job. The crew worked their tails off to get Connor’s car ready because it was in pieces before the race. Gil (Martin, competition director), Jeff (Holley, No. 7 crew chief) and Jeff (Cessna, No. 75 crew chief) made great calls to put slicks on the car at the start because that way we didn’t have to pit. It was doubly unfortunate for Ben. One, he had a cut tire that put him a lap down. He came in and the crew did a super job changing tires quickly and almost kept him on the lead lap. And then he got hit at the end and wrecked in the last corner. But he drove a great race. I’m very proud of both drivers. I’m very proud of our crew.”

Next Up:

The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli returns to the outskirts of St. Louis for the first time since 1985 for the SpeedTour Grand Prix Festival Sept. 22-24 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois. For the competitors of the Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series, the weekend marks the 11th round on the 2023 calendar, beginning Friday, Sept. 22, with a pair of early morning test sessions, followed by official practice that afternoon. TA2 qualifying on the 2-mile, 12-turn road course takes place Saturday morning, Sept. 23, followed by the 63-lap, 75-minute TA2 race at 1 p.m. CDT/2 p.m. EDT. Live television coverage will be provided by MAVTV, augmented by live-streaming video coverage by the Trans Am Series and SpeedTourTV channels on YouTube.

About Silver Hare Racing:

Silver Hare Racing is a fulltime competitor in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s newly renamed Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series. The multicar team has won the TA2 Masters class championship three times (2018, 2019 and 2020) with driver and team co-owner Maurice Hull. Under the leadership of Hull’s wife, co-owner and team manager Laura Hull, Silver Hare Racing provides a variety of services that includes private testing and arrive-and-drive programs. The team offers six professionally built and maintained TA2 chassis from Howe Racing and operates from a state-of-the-art facility in High Point, North Carolina. For more information, visit SilverHareRacing.com.

Rasmussen Clinches Title in Style with Dominant Laguna Seca Win

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Official Release
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MONTEREY, Calif. (Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023) – Christian Rasmussen only needed to leave pit lane to clinch the INDY NXT by Firestone championship Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, but he decided to add an exclamation point to his magical 2023 season.

Rasmussen led all 35 laps from pole to earn his series-leading fifth victory of the season and win Race 2 of the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey doubleheader in the No. 6 HMD Motorsports with DCR car. He beat Race 1 winner Hunter McElrea’s No. 27 Smart Motors car to the finish by 17.8813 seconds – the largest margin of victory in the series this season by more than 10 seconds.

The win also easily sealed the season title and a prize package toward advancement to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for Rasmussen, 23, from Denmark. He beat Andretti Autosport’s McElrea to the title, 539-474, after the 14-race season. Rasmussen became only the second driver to win championships in INDY NXT by Firestone, USF Pro 2000 and USF2000, joining current NTT INDYCAR SERIES star Kyle Kirkwood in that exclusive club.

“As soon as I rolled over the start line and got the green flag, I knew I was champion,” Rasmussen said. “From there on out, it was just pure enjoyment. My last INDY NXT race; I just wanted to enjoy it, and I think I checked all the boxes. Fastest lap, quite a margin at the end, good management of the race.

“I’m just so happy. We’re champions.”

Rookie Louis Foster rounded out the podium finishers in the No. 26 Copart/USF 2000 Championship car of Andretti Autosport in the final race of the season for the INDYCAR development series. Matthew Brabham finished fourth in the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing machine, with Jacob Abel placing fifth in the No. 51 Abel Motorsports car.

Nolan Siegel’s seventh-place finish in the No. 39 HMD Motorsports with DCR car sealed third in the overall standings and ensured he ended the season as the top rookie driver, just five points ahead of fellow rookie Foster.

A caution period on Lap 6 was the only foe that slowed Rasmussen on the 11-turn, 2.238-mile circuit. But he rocketed from the field on the restart on Lap 7 and gradually expanded his lead, lap by lap.

Rasmussen led by 5.2 seconds on Lap 22. But he found even more speed over the last 13 laps, when he started to cruise at least one second per lap quicker than the rest of the 17-car field.

From there, it was a drive on easy street into Victory Lane for Rasmussen at the picturesque circuit, where NTT INDYCAR SERIES race winner and fellow Dane Christian Lundgaard awaited to greet his friend with a hearty embrace.

CORVETTE RACING AT FUJI: Runner-Up Run for No. 33 C8.R

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Engineering strategy, quick pit work help return Corvette to GTE Am podium; post-race penalty elevates team from third to second

OYAMA, Japan (Sept. 10, 2023) – Corvette Racing returned to the GTE Am podium on Sunday with a second-place finish for the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R.in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Six Hours of Fuji.

Drivers Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nico Varrone continued their historic run in this year’s championship with their fourth podium finish in six races. It adds to a phenomenal year in which they locked up the class Drivers and Teams titles in the previous round at Monza and took key victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 1,000 Miles of Sebring.

In its second appearance at Fuji – last year’s debut ended with a fifth-place finish in the GTE Pro category – the Corvette Racing team elected for an aggressive strategy of completing the race with only four pit stops compared to five for most of its competitors. That line of thinking appeared to be the winning call… were it not for two questionable in-race penalties that cost the Corvette team two minutes in the pitlane.

Keating began on pole in class following a stunning lap in Saturday’s qualifying session. He drove a pair of 70-minute stints while a majority of other GTE Am cars stopped 10-15 minutes earlier. His fuel economy with the Corvette’s flat-plane crank V8 engine put the team in prime position for a fourth victory of the season.

Unfortunately toward the end of his stint, Keating was involved in side-to-side contact with the eventual race-winning Ferrari that resulted in a damaged right-hand door. The crew quickly repaired the hinge system and swapped out the door on the C8.R’s second pit stop as Keating handed over to Varrone.

Adding insult to injury, though, Keating was judged by the race stewards to be responsible for the contact. The Corvette received a 30-second stop-and-go penalty, which Varrone served shortly after he got in the car at the two-and-a-half-hour mark.

The never-give-up spirit of Corvette Racing was evident once again as Varrone’s pace and fuel savings meant he was able to cycle back to the lead inside the final 90 minutes. However, the Corvette was assessed a 10-second pitlane penalty for contact with another GTE car toward the end of his stint.

That left Catsburg to drive the final 65 minutes with aims of moving from third to second, but a late-race full-course yellow period hurt his chances and slowed his progress. He crossed the line third in class, but a 10-second, post-race time penalty to the No. 57 Ferrari elevated the Corvette to second.

Corvette Racing closes its season in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the Eight Hours of Bahrain on Saturday, November 4.

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – SECOND IN GTE AM: “It’s nice to come out of here with a podium. But it was clear that we should have won the race. Without the penalties, we by far had the best strategy. Ben and Nico did an amazing job fuel-saving. We had, I would say, two questionable penalties and without those we would have won by a country mile. It’s a shame but those are part of it. At least we have won the championship already, so we can’t complain too much. Those races are part of it as well. And it’s nice for the Ferrari boys to win as well. It was a good weekend in terms of execution but a bit of bad luck. But it doesn’t matter. It was a really nice time that we had here at Fuji, and I’m looking forward to coming back.”

BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – SECOND IN GTE AM: “I think everything went according to plan. We came into the race hoping to do only four stops but it was five because of the penalty. But I still think we did our job the way we exactly planned to do it. I did 2.5 hours in the car; us and the 86 were the only two cars to go on that strategy, and I think it was the right strategy.

“The contact with the 54… I can understand why they (the race stewards) viewed it the way they did. To me, we came together. I was right up next to him (Thomas Flohr) and it was my intention to make his braking line tighter. As I went to get close to him, he came over to get into the braking line and the fact is that we came together. But because the normal line is to go out wide for the brake zone, they deemed I went into him more than he went into me. I felt like it was a racing incident.

“All I care about is our race and how we finished. I was not happy with the retaliation, either. They turned him up and gave him some extra speed. Then he caught up to me and ran me off the track at the last turn. I don’t feel like that was the right way to go about a solution. I’m sure he’s mad at me, and I’m mad at him. It’s not the first time we’ve had this conversation. But I feel really good about the car and about our strategy.”

NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – SECOND IN GTE AM: “It was a good stint and we managed to recover some time. Both stints were about saving fuel. I think we were doing good because as we saved fuel, we could start pushing and going for our target. We did a great job, and the car was very good. There were some penalties for Ben and me that we don’t agree with and I don’t think were fair. So that made us fall back. But I was really happy with the pace. The team was really, really good.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

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