RSS Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International | Shriners Children’s 200
Fast Facts
No. 38 RSS Racing Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr.
Primary Partner(s): No. 38 G-Coin® Ford Mustang
Manufacturer: Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Steve Addington
Spotter: Joe Campbell
Engine: Roush-Yates Engines
Driver Championship Point Standings: 23rd
Team Championship Point Standings: 25th
Notes of Interest:
Settling In: After spending the last three seasons with SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt (2020 – 2022), Joe Graf Jr. moved to RSS Racing during the offseason, where he’ll spend the majority of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season competing for the Sugar Hill, Ga.-based team.
In addition to RSS Racing, Graf will also compete in a limited NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule driving the No. 19 Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Welcome Aboard: Joe Graf Jr. and RSS Racing welcome G-Coin® as the primary partner of the team’s No. 38 Ford Mustang for Saturday afternoon’s Shriners Children’s 200.
Watkins Glen marks the 23rd race of the 2023 Xfinity Series season and the 18th race overall from 2021 to 2023, where G-Coin®, a product that brings gold into the digital age, making it accessible and giving it true utility, will be the primary partner.
G-Coin serves as a primary partner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Joe Graf Jr. at RSS Racing for the fourth time this season.
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Thanks For Your Support: With a little more than 66 percent of the 2023 Xfinity Series season complete, Joe Graf Jr. and RSS Racing would like to thank their associate marketing partners: ArmsList.com, AVOID, Bass Reaper Bait Company, Bucked Up Energy Drink, CoverSeal, EAT SLEEP RACE Apparel, fgrACCEL, G-Coin®, GTECHNIQ, JACOB Companies, Lefcourt Brothers Racing, Love Motorsports, Model Electronics and ShopRite for their continued support.
Catch Him On The Dial: Before Joe Graf Jr. straps into his No. 38 G-Coin® Ford Mustang on Saturday, the RSS Racing driver will be featured on “The Frontstretch” on SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel 90 with host Pat Patterson on Saturday morning, August 19, 2023, at approximately 10:00 a.m. ET.
Graf will also spotlight a commercial featuring G-Coin® in several spots throughout the weekend, including the complete four-hour program on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Shriners Children’s 200 will mark Graf’s second Xfinity start at the eight-turn, 2.45-mile road course.
In his previous effort, Graf delivered a track-best of 30th after starting 25th for SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt during the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Road Course Stats: At NASCAR Xfinity Series tracks classified as a road course, Graf has competed in 18 NASCAR Xfinity Series races with an average starting position of 31.2 and an average result of 27.4.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course | Pennzoil 150 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Graf hunted his second top-10 finish of the season.
After starting his No. 38 G-Coin® Ford Mustang from the 37th position, Graf made solid progress throughout the race, climbing solidly inside the top-25 and was inching towards a top-20 finish when he experienced an axle failure on his No. 38 RSS Racing Ford, which sent the team to the garage and out of the race, 16 laps shy of the finish.
Sneaker Mania: Along with the adrenaline of the Motorsports competition, Joe Graf Jr. also has a vogue for hype sneakers. In his current collection, he owns and wears at least 90 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow monthly.
The current estimated value of his collection tops $100,000.
From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Steve Addington is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief.
He will be crew chief for his 286th NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday and his sixth at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.
In his previous 285 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected 11 wins, 10 poles, 68 top-five and 118 top-10 finishes.
Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has two teammates at RSS Racing.
Veteran Ryan Sieg will drive the No. 39 RSS Racing Ford Mustang, while younger brother Kyle Sieg will drive the No. 28 RSS Racing Ford Mustang.
Ryan Sieg is set to make his 324th career Xfinity Series start overall and ninth at Watkins Glen International.
Kyle Sieg is poised to make his 40th career Xfinity Series start and first at WGI.
Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafRacing.com, like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on TikTok (@JoeGrafJr), Twitter (@JoeGrafJr) and Instagram (@joegrafjr).
For more on RSS Racing, please like them on Facebook (RSS283839) and follow them on Instagram (@rss283839) and Twitter (@RSS283839).
Joe Graf Jr. Quoteboard:
On Watkins Glen International: “Watkins Glen is an important race for my RSS Racing team. With it being close to my hometown, we will have a lot of support throughout the weekend, so it’s essential to continue to showcase how I am working hard to improve my road racing craft.
“Last weekend was a total disappointment at Indianapolis. We had an extremely good pace in practice and never got ourselves dialed back in during qualifying and the race. Steve and the entire No. 38 G-Coin® Ford Mustang team worked their tails off to give me a better car for the race.
“We made steady gains but had a mechanical failure and did not get to finish the race. That’s put a fire underneath us to go to Watkins Glen for the penultimate road course of the season and have a good showing.
“Watkins Glen is a high-speed road course with many technical elements and some blinding corners. I plan to race the track and hopefully play our strategy game right and give us a positive finish that we can carry to Daytona next weekend.”
On The 2023 Season: “As we press on during the second half of the NASCAR Xfinity Series, it is essential for me to utilize what I have learned with the RSS Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing teams and apply that behind the wheel.
“August hasn’t necessarily been a good month for me in terms of results, but it has not come from the lack of effort from myself or my team. We will continue to fight hard and inch our way forward over the final 11 races.
“We started the year off strong but then fell a little bit. We’re slowly but steadily trying to put ourselves in a good position for the end of the summer and into the fall.
“I just need to stay focused, communicate with my team, and utilize the knowledge I’ve gained over the past three years to recover and have my best Xfinity Series season yet.”
Race Information:
The Shriners Children’s 200 (82 laps | 200.9 miles) is the 23rd of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Saturday, August 19, 2023, from 10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Qualifying is set to immediately follow practice beginning at 11:00 a.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag later that afternoon, shortly after 3:30 p.m. with live coverage on the USA Network, the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (Eastern).
About RSS Racing:
RSS Racing fields multiple entries in the NASCAR Xfinity Series led by mainstay driver Ryan Sieg.
RSS Racing has competed in NASCAR events since 2009 from its headquarters in Sugar Hill, Ga.
AM Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International | Shriners Children’s 200
Fast Facts
No. 25 AM Racing Team:
Driver: Brett Moffitt
Primary Partner(s): AM Technical Solutions (AMTS)
Manufacturer: Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Joe Williams Jr.
Spotter: Tony Raines
Chassis Intel: AMR Chassis No. 929
Engine: Roush-Yates Engines
Driver Championship Point Standings: 15th
Team Championship Point Standings: 17th
Notes of Interest:
Fitting In: After spending the past several seasons as a full-time team in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series, AM Racing will embark on its inaugural journey in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season with driver Brett Moffitt for the entire 33-race tour continuing with Saturday afternoon’s Pennzoil 150 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.
The race signifies the fifth race of the second half of the 2023 Xfinity Series season for the Statesville, N.C.-based organization.
Future Focused: With AM’s inaugural Xfinity journey set to continue in the Finger Lakes region of New York, the team has chosen veteran driver Brett Moffitt to lead the team’s campaign from the driver’s seat aboard the No. 25 Ford Mustang.
Moffitt, a native of Grimes, Iowa, hails numerous starts across all three of NASCAR’s National Series, including the 2018 Truck Series championship with Hattori Racing Enterprises.
Moffitt, 30, arrives on the scene at AM Racing after a stint at Our Motorsports.
Partner Intel: The Statesville, N.C.-based team will sport the signage of AM Technical Solutions on the No. 25 Ford Mustang for the 23rd of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races this season.
Headquartered in Austin, TX, AM Technical Solutions (AMTS) was founded in 1994.
AM Technical Solutions is a Global Architecture, Engineering & Construction firm specializing in the high-tech markets. AMTS has managed over $20B of global capital projects for over 170 different customers in 24 countries and across five continents.
AM Minute: Last weekend was another busy summer weekend for AM Racing.
In addition to the NASCAR Xfinity Series team being in action at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, the team’s ARCA program was a few miles down the road at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
ARCA Menards Series rookie Christian Rose qualified his No. 32 West Virginia Tourism | Secure Testing Services Ford Mustang eighth and worked throughout the race to improve the handling of his race car, plus rebound from a late race spin to finish 10th at the checkered flag.
In AM Racing’s Dirt Division, Austin Wayne Self was back in action at Fairgrounds Raceway in Boone, N.C.
Thanks For Your Support: With more than 66 percent of the 2023 season complete, AM Racing and Brett Moffitt would like to thank their associate marketing partners for their support: AIRBOX Air Purifier, CForce Bottling Company, Flying Circle, Kreuz Market, Lane Frost Brand, Mechanix Wear and Mobil 1.
AMerican Heroes: NASCAR and its fans have always put Patriotism and American Pride at the forefront of every race weekend. That same passion runs just as deep at AM Racing, a team whose family lineage is deeply rooted in the Armed Forces and First Responders workforce.
We’re a team whose blood bleeds Red, White and Blue every day, which is why we are proud to launch, AMerican Heroes.
At AM Racing, it is our mission to recognize and highlight the men and women who continue to put their lives on the line every day, as well as honoring and paying respect to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.
We are a nation that is united by one flag, which represents all the liberties and freedoms that we would not be able to enjoy without the sacrifices of those willing to answer the call.
Continuing with Watkin Glen this weekend, AM Racing will carry the AMerican Heroes livery, which will continue for the remainder of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series seasons.
The team will work to salute all the men and women, past and present, who truly deserve the title of Hero, every weekend.
Brett Moffitt Xfinity Series Watkins Glen International Road Course Speedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Shriners Children’s 200 will mark Moffitt’s second start at the eight-turn, 2.45-mile road course.
In his previous effort, Moffitt delivered a track-best of 26th after starting ninth for Our Motorsports during the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
In addition to his lone Xfinity Series start at WGI, Moffitt also has one NASCAR Cup Series start during the 2017 season, driving for BK Racing.
Brett Moffitt Xfinity Series Road Course Stats: At NASCAR Xfinity Series tracks classified as a road course, Moffitt has made 19 starts throughout his career earning one pole, one top-five and three top-10 finishes. He also holds an average finishing position of 23.1.
Brett Moffitt NASCAR Xfinity Series Career Stats: In 106 career Xfinity Series starts, Moffitt has earned three top-five and 30 top-10 finishes, including a second-place outing at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February 2021. During that tenure, he also holds an average finishing position of 17.4.
He earned a career-best Xfinity Series qualifying effort of fourth earlier this year at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway with AM Racing.
In addition to 103 Xfinity Series starts, he has achieved 45 NASCAR Cup Series and 92 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series starts to his credit.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course | Pennzoil 150 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Brett Moffitt and the AM Racing team chased their seventh top-10 finish of the season.
With decent speed in practice, the team qualified 23rd but utilized the race and strategy to propel them forward to capture a 10th-place finish at the checkered flag for their seventh top-10 finish of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
In 22 races this season, Moffit has delivered one top-five, seven top-10s, 14 top-15s, 16 top-20s and an average finish of 16.0.
From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Joe Williams is Brett Moffit’s crew chief.
He will be crew chief for his 121st NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday and his third at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.
In his previous 120 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected one win (Auto Club Speedway | February 2022), eight top-five and 28 top-10 finishes.
Follow on Social Media: For more on AM Racing, please visit AMRacingteam.com, like their Facebook page (AM Racing), or follow them on Instagram and Twitter @AMRacingNASCAR.
For more on Brett Moffitt, please visit BrettMoffitt.com, like his Facebook page (Brett Moffitt Racing), or follow him on Instagram (@brett_moffitt_racing) and Twitter (@brett_moffitt).
Brett Moffitt Quoteboard:
On Watkins Glen: “It has been a while since I’ve raced at Watkins Glen, but I always enjoy running there. It is a fast road course with unique elevation changes and a bus stop. I feel really good about heading back to another road course with our AM Racing team, especially after a top-10 finish last weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.
“I feel like we learned a lot as a group that can only continue to enhance our performance on the track this weekend and perhaps with a strategy, we can inch forward towards a top-five or maybe even a win on Saturday afternoon.”
On 2023 Season Outlook: “We have just passed the halfway point of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and I feel we have much to be proud of. Our team has strengthened as the season has marched on, and I believe the results have showcased that.
“We have rebounded from the hiccups that we had from the two prior races and bounced back with a top-10 finish last weekend. We are reenergized and ready to head to Watkins Glen and fight for more than a top-10 finish.
“With the Playoffs on the horizon, we are doing everything in our power to either point our way in or fight our way into Victory Lane so we can take up one of the coveted 12 spots and really bring some attention to our AM Racing team.”
Race Information:
The Shriners Children’s 200 (82 laps | 200.9 miles) is the 23rd of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Saturday, August 19, 2023, from 10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Qualifying is set to immediately follow practice beginning at 11:00 a.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag later that afternoon, shortly after 3:30 p.m. with live coverage on the USA Network, the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (Eastern).
About AM Racing:
AM Racing is a multi-tiered, multi-faceted Motorsports program headquartered in Statesville, N.C.
Established in December 2015, AM Racing is prided on faith, honesty and intelligent performance.
The family-owned team will compete in the ARCA Menards Series, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series and various Dirt Modified events in its seventh year of competition.
The team has named Brett Moffitt, Christian Rose and Austin Wayne Self as their primary drivers for the 2023 Xfinity, ARCA Menards Series and Dirt Modified seasons respectively.
STATESVILLE, NC (August 17th, 2023): GMS Racing is proud to announce that the No. 43 Chevrolet driven by Daniel Dye will feature a new partner in Hamlin & Associates at the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at the Milwaukee Mile on Sunday, August 27.
Hamlin & Associates, celebrating 35 years of industry leadership, is recognized for providing dealers with premier automotive marketing solutions. Since 1988, Hamlin & Associates has been the top-tier choice for Automotive Direct Marketing. The partnership with the No. 43 Chevrolet team reflects a progressive, forward-thinking strategy.
“It’s really cool to be able to represent a company in Hamlin & Associates that is just down the road from where I grew up, on our No. 43 Truck in Milwaukee,” stated driver Daniel Dye. “Hopefully, we can put their black and orange Silverado up at the front of the field and give them a good run.”
The Clean Harbors 175 at the Milwaukee Mile marks the 18th race of 23 scheduled in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Season. Daniel previously competed at Milwaukee twice in the ARCA Menards Series in 2021 and 2022, securing a commendable third-place finish in both races.
“We’re thrilled to back Daniel and the No. 43 team in Milwaukee,” said John Hamlin, Founder and CEO of Hamlin & Associates. “Being on the truck is an honor for us, but our support for the Race to Stop Suicide is what truly resonates. The sight of the black and orange Hamlin & Associates Silverado at the historic Milwaukee Mile is something we eagerly anticipate, and we can’t wait to cheer Daniel on.”
Fans are invited to watch the Hamlin & Associates No. 43 Chevrolet Silverado RST at the Milwaukee Mile on Sunday, August 27. The coverage will be broadcast live on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM, beginning at 4:00 PM ET. For the latest behind-the-scenes news and updates, followers can also follow Daniel’s various social media platforms.
ABOUT RACE TO STOP SUICIDE:
Race to Stop Suicide was co-founded by Daniel and Randy Dye. The nationally trademarked 501(c)3 non-profit works to create awareness, normalize the conversation, and remove the stigma surrounding suicide. Additionally, provide an entry-level amount of education, what to look for, symptoms, and a plan to check in and check up on family and friends. Race to Stop Suicide prioritizes ensuring folks have easy access to helpful resources, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and 988. For more information, please visit www.racetostopsuicide.com
ABOUT GMS RACING:
GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Truck Series operating the No. 23, No. 24, and No. 43 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs for drivers Grant Enfinger, Rajah Caruth, and Daniel Dye. Since the team was formed in 2012, GMS Racing has won five titles across multiple series, including the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championship, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championships. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. including operations for GMS Fabrication. The GMS Racing campus also houses operations for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, a team that competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow GMS Racing on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will make his first start at Bristol Motor Speedway since he retired from full-time driving in 2017 on Friday night, Sept. 15, during the Food City 300. He will drive the No. 88 Hellmann's Mayonnaise Chevy for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race.
NASCAR Hall of Famer will race in Friday’s Food City 300 and then call the action as a USA race analyst in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race
BRISTOL, Tenn. (Aug. 17, 2023) –Dale Earnhardt Jr. will face the challenging .533-mile all-concrete high banks that lurks inside The Last Great Colosseum for the first time since the 2017 season on Friday night, Sept. 15, when he competes in the Food City 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m., USA Network, PRN Radio).
Then, on Saturday, Sept. 16, after he’s finished racing, he will head to the TV booth high above BMS to call the action as part of the USA/NBC Sports team in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, a Round of 16 Playoff race for the Cup Series.
The two-time Xfinity Series champ, who famously coined the phrase “It’s Bristol, Baby!” after winning the 2004 Night Race in the Cup Series at BMS, is scheduled to drive his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevy in the Friday night race under the lights on the famed Northeast Tennessee short track.
“I love the high banks of Bristol,” said Earnhardt Jr., who won his only Xfinity Series race at Bristol in 2004, the Food City 250. “When I was a little boy and watched dad race, out of all the races when I was a kid, the Bristol Night Race was the one I didn’t want to miss. It’s just electric there and I would always beg dad to go to that race.”
Earnhardt Jr. has run at least one Xfinity Series race each year since his retirement to get his racing fix and this year the NASCAR Hall of Famer will elevate his game by running in two Xfinity Series events. In addition to the Food City 300, he recently announced he will also compete in another Xfinity Series race at Homestead Miami on Oct 21.
At Bristol, Earnhardt will drive a blue and yellow Hellmann’s Mayonnaise No. 88 Chevy prepared by crew chief Jason Stockert.
Earnhardt Jr. has a solid Xfinity Series record at Bristol. In 12 career starts he has posted 10 top-10 finishes and 7 top-fives, which includes the memorable ’04 sweep. In his last Xfinity start at Bristol in 2017 he finished 13th after starting 17th. His worst Xfinity finish at BMS was a 22nd place finish in his first attempt in 1997 where he started the race on the outside pole for local team owner Ed Whitaker.
“We are thrilled to have Dale Jr. back in action on the famed high banks in the Food City 300,” said Jerry Caldwell, president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway. “He is such a legend in the sport and has meant so much to fans in our region. We can’t wait to see him in action on the track in his No. 88 Chevy.”
In addition to Earnhardt’s return, the Food City 300 is also the Playoff opener for the NASCAR Xfinity Series, so the stakes will be high for his four full-time team cars as they chase championship glory. On Saturday, the Bass Pro Shops Night Race will showcase the Cup Series Round of 16 Playoff elimination race, the Bass Pro Shops Night Race (7 p.m., USA Network, PRN Radio). The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will get the fun started on Thursday night, Sept. 14, with the running of the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics (8 p.m., FS1 and MRN Radio). The ARCA Menards Series will open Thursday’s racing to make it a doubleheader night with the Bush’s Beans 200 (6 p.m., FS1 and MRN Radio).
Off the track there’s tons to do during your Bristol visit with lots of activities available in the BMS Fan Zone and BMS Fan Midway. Kenny Wallace and John Roberts will host Trackside Live at the Food City Fan Zone Stage on Saturday at 4 p.m. where drivers and other newsmakers will be interviewed. Country music band Midland will perform the pre-race concert Saturday at 5:30 p.m. to get the fans revved up for the traditional driver introductions, where each driver enters the stadium to a favorite song or music. There will be post-race entertainment on Thursday and Friday, as DJ Sterl the Pearl will host the world-famous Foam Party after the Thursday night double-header, and country music singer Tim Dugger will perform after Friday night’s Food City 300.
For tickets, please visit the BMS website or call the BMS Ticket Sales Center at (866) 415-4158.
About Bristol Motor Speedway Forged amid the scenic mountains of Northeast Tennessee near the Virginia state line, Bristol Motor Speedway is The Last Great Colosseum, a versatile multi-use venue that hosts major auto races, football games, concerts and many other captivating events. The facility features a 0.533-mile concrete oval race track with 28-degree corner banking and 650-feet straightaways that offers racing in several NASCAR touring series, highlighted by two major Cup Series weekends each year. In 2020, the track also served as host of the prestigious NASCAR All-Star Race, and in 2021 began converting to a temporary dirt track each spring to take the Cup Series back to its racing roots. While at the track, fans are offered a unique viewing experience courtesy of Colossus TV, the world’s largest outdoor center-hung four-sided video screen with a 540,000-watt audio system. The adjacent quarter-mile dragstrip, Bristol Dragway, offers more than 50 events annually, including the marquee NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. The Thunder Valley Amphitheatre presented by Ballad Health transforms Bristol Dragway into a premier outdoor concert venue for the world’s greatest music performers. Three football games have kicked-off inside the oval, most notably the 2016 Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol, where border rivals the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech met before an NCAA-record crowd of 156,990. In existence since 1961, Bristol Motor Speedway was purchased in 1996 by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., a publicly traded company that is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. For more information, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com.
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media at the Watkins Glen International media center on Saturday, Aug. 19, at 11:30 a.m. local time.
INDY IN THE REARVIEW: At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Kyle Larson’s day began from the sixth spot. In stage one, the 31-year-old driver came home with a fifth-place finish. While entering turn 12 during the second stage, Larson locked up his tires and was forced to stop in the runoff area before continuing. The loss of track position moved the No. 5 entry back to the 10th spot at the close of stage two. In the final stage, crew chief Cliff Daniels brought his driver into the pits on lap 48 for four tires and fuel. With 18 laps remaining in the race and the full field cycled through green flag pit stops, Larson had moved up to the eighth position on track, which is where he finished. The result served as his 12th top-10 finish of the year and he is now fifth in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season driver points standings.
WINS AT WATKINS GLEN: Larson has won the last two Cup Series races at Watkins Glen International (2021 and 2022). The two races prior to that were won by teammate Chase Elliott (2018 and 2019). Larson, as well as Elliott, are the only two Cup Series drivers who currently hold a top-10 streak at Watkins Glen (four). If Larson wins this weekend, he will join NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (1997-1999) and Mark Martin (1993-1995) with three consecutive wins at the track located in the Finger Lakes region of New York.
SUCCESS IN NEW YORK: The 2021 Cup Series champion has a history of proven success at Watkins Glen. In eight starts, Larson has two wins, three top-five finishes and five top-10s. He has started inside the top six in seven of his eight races there and has completed 719 of his 720 laps attempted (99.9%). Among active Cup Series drivers, Larson ranks sixth for the best average finish at this track (10.50).
ON THE ROAD: Larson has four road course wins in the Cup Series: Sonoma Raceway (2021), the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL (2021) and Watkins Glen (2021 and 2022). These victories place him in a tie for the third-most road course wins among active drivers. With triumphs on three different road courses, Larson is tied for second for the most different road courses with a win. He is also the third-highest contributing driver to road course victories at Hendrick Motorsports (26 wins), behind Gordon (nine) and Elliott (seven). On tracks of this style this season, the Elk Grove, California, native has earned the second-most points of all drivers (138). Larson also is in a three-way tie for the most consecutive top-10 finishes on road courses (three).
TEAM EFFORT: Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, has guided Larson to four wins on road courses. Daniels trails only fellow Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Alan Gustafson (seven wins) of the No. 9 team for victories on serpentine layouts among active team pit bosses. In addition, this weekend’s race at Watkins Glen is special to the No. 5 team’s race mechanic Thomas Heslink. This is the home track for the Clymer, New York, native, which is located approximately 185 miles away from Watkins Glen.
TWO LEFT: With two races remaining in the regular season, Larson has earned the No. 5 team a spot in the Cup Series playoffs for the third straight year. He has won two points-paying races (Richmond Raceway and Martinsville Speedway) and the non-points-paying All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. He has claimed a series-leading 10 top-five finishes as well as capturing 12 top-10s and three stage wins. Larson has led the third-most laps (624), run the fourth-most laps in the top five (2,133) and top 10 (3,428), holds the fourth-best average running position (12.25) and has the best average starting position (9.92) on the season.
FOUR TIRES FAST: The No. 5 HendrickCars.com pit crew ranks fifth on pit road for the best average four-tire pit stop time (11.228 seconds). The team’s four-tire stop of 9.281 seconds on lap 93 in June’s race at Nashville Superspeedway stands as the fourth-fastest four-tire stop of the season. The five-man pit crew consists of Blaine Anderson (front-tire changer), R.J. Barnette (tire carrier), Brandon Harder (fueler), Brandon Johnson (jackman) and Calvin Teague (rear-tire changer). Rod Cox is currently filling in for Teague, who is week-to-week as he rehabs a knee injury.
EXTRACURRICULAR: In addition to his full-time Cup Series schedule, Larson often races on dirt during the week. On Tuesday, Larson competed in the High Limit Sprint Car Series’ event at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, South Dakota, and finished sixth. The High Limit Series was co-founded by Larson and his brother-in-law Brad Sweet and the 2023 campaign marks its inaugural season. Check out the full schedule here.
SHOP NOW: This weekend, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team races “away” in Watkins Glen. However, you can pick up a new set of keys from any one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 95 dealerships nationwide. Customers can also shop from the convenience of their home selecting the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HendrickCars.com.
9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 27 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 19th
No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
INDY REWIND: Chase Elliott nearly captured his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of 2023 last weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. The 27-year-old driver rolled off the grid from the third position and steadily ran inside the top five throughout the first stage, ending it in third. Elliott followed that up with a fifth-place finish in the second stage. Late in the race, the 2020 Cup Series champion was in the second position, closing in on the leader but ultimately ran out of time. Elliott’s runner-up finish marked his second top-five finish in just three starts on the 2.439-mile road course.
BACK WHERE IT STARTED: Watkins Glen International was the site of Elliott’s first premier series win. He led 52 of 90 laps en route to victory in 2018. In just six starts on the 2.45-mile road course, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native has three top-two finishes, including two wins. Elliott’s most recent trip to victory lane at Watkins Glen came in 2019 after he swept the stages and led all but 10 laps of the race. His average finish of 5.67 is not only the best among active Cup drivers but also the best all-time among drivers with more than two starts. Among his other track-leading marks are stage wins (three) and points earned (220) in the stage racing era. Elliott is tied with teammate Kyle Larson for the longest active streak of top-10 finishes at the track (four).
KEEP THE TOP FIVES ALIVE: This season, Elliott has three road course starts in the Cup Series and has finished inside the top five in each of them. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet earned a fifth-place result at Sonoma Raceway, a third-place effort in the inaugural Chicago Street Course event and most recently finished as the runner-up at Indianapolis – making him the only driver to finish inside the top five in the three most recent events on road courses. Elliott holds a series-leading average finish (3.33) across those three races. He also has the second-most points earned in that span (115).
ROAD RACING RUNDOWN: Since the start of 2022, Elliott’s best finish on a road course is second (twice) – Road America in 2022 and last weekend at Indianapolis. In that span, he leads the series in top-five finishes (six) and is tied for the second-most top-10s (seven) across nine starts on serpentine tracks. Since the start of last season, the Hendrick Motorsports driver has paced the field for a series-high 129 laps on road courses. He has also earned two pole awards (Road America and Watkins Glen in 2022) and has a series-leading average finish of 7.11. Despite missing the race at Circuit of The Americas in March 2023 due to his leg injury, Elliott has the third-most points earned (311) in that time frame.
LEGEND IN THE MAKING: In 28 Cup Series starts on road courses, Elliott has an average finish of 7.64, with seven wins, 17 top-five finishes and 20 top-10s. His average finish is the best among active drivers and ranks second all-time among drivers with five or more starts, behind NASCAR legend Fireball Roberts.
WINNING WAYS: Elliott has proven his road-racing prowess, leading all active drivers with seven wins on road courses – most recently at Road America in 2021. He is also third on the overall list of drivers with road course victories, trailing only NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (nine) and Tony Stewart (eight). Elliott has victories across five different road courses, which is the most in series history.
VIEW FROM THE TOP: Veteran crew chief Alan Gustafson has plenty of experience on tracks where left and right turns are made. Across 49 Cup Series races on road courses, the Ormond Beach, Florida, native has led his team to seven wins (all with Elliott) – a series-high among active crew chiefs – 20 top-five finishes and 27 top-10s.
WIN AND IN: Elliott sits 19th in the driver points standings, 80 markers below the provisional playoff cutline with just two races remaining in the regular season. A victory would lock Elliott into the postseason. Between the two remaining tracks, Elliott and the No. 9 crew have two wins at Watkins Glen and a best effort of second (twice) at Daytona International Speedway. Currently, the No. 9 squad is the final team in the provisional playoff field for the owner’s title, 51 points above the cutline.
GET UP AND GO: NAPA Auto Parts is back on board the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Watkins Glen. The Atlanta-based company was the primary partner for Elliott’s 2019 victory at the track. Get a look at all the angles of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet here.
24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 25 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 3rd
No. 24 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
TWO TO GO: With two races left in the regular season, William Byron is third in the NASCAR Cup Series driver points standings, 104 markers behind the leader. While the Charlotte, North Carolina, native is hoping to secure his first Cup Series regular-season championship, he’s still having a career-best season. Byron leads the series in wins (four), stage wins (seven) and laps run in the top five (2,688). He also has led a single-season career-best 810 laps (second-most in the series). The 25-year-old driver’s eight top-five finishes are tied for the third-most in the sport’s top division. In addition, Byron ranks third in average running position (10.37) and laps run in the top 10 (3,617).
WATKINS GLEN WIZ: Sunday’s race will mark Byron’s fifth Cup Series start at Watkins Glen International and his seventh NASCAR national series start overall at the road course. In the Cup Series, Byron has a track-best qualifying effort of second (2019) and a best finish of sixth (2021). Prior to his four Cup Series starts, he made his debut at Watkins Glen in the 2015 ARCA Menards Series East race, starting second and finishing seventh. He returned to the venue in 2017 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, finishing 10th. Byron has made one additional start at the upstate New York facility in the Xfinity Series in 2022 with Hendrick Motorsports. In that race, he earned the pole and led 35 laps before being caught up in a late-race, on-track incident while battling for the lead.
HOMEWARD BOUND: While Rudy Fugle may have limited experience at Watkins Glen, the Livonia, New York, native is excited to be heading to his hometown track for Sunday’s race. This weekend will mark Fugle’s third Cup Series start as a crew chief at the 2.45-mile road course. In his three Cup Series starts in front of his hometown crowd, his best showing came in 2021, leading Byron and the No. 24 team to a sixth-place finish. In total, Fugle has 26 national series starts on road courses (16 in the Cup Series, three in the Xfinity Series and seven in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series). He earned a road course win in the truck ranks in 2015. One of those seven truck starts was also with Byron where the duo raced to a 10th-place finish at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2016.
ROAD POTPOURRI: Earlier this season, Byron earned his best-ever road course result in the Cup Series, securing a fifth-place finish at Circuit of The Americas. In 2023, he is tied for sixth in points scored on road courses (119) and he has run the eighth-most laps (78) in the top five on this track type. In addition, four of Byron’s 11 career poles in the sport’s top series have come at road courses.
PIT ROAD PROWESS: After 24 races in the 2023 season, the No. 24 pit crew remains in the top spot with the fastest average four-tire pit stop time of 11.040 seconds. The No. 24 pit crew consists of Spencer Bishop (jackman), Jeff Cordero (front-tire changer), Orane Ossowski (rear-tire changer), Ryan Patton (tire carrier) and Landon Walker (fueler).
VALVOLINE RETURNS: Valvoline will make its third appearance of 2023 as the primary sponsor of Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for this Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen. Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV) is a leading worldwide marketer and supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services, with sales in more than 140 countries. Established in 1866, the company’s heritage spans more than 150 years, during which time it has developed powerful brand recognition across multiple product and service channels. Valvoline ranks as the No. 3 passenger car motor oil brand in the DIY market by volume. To see Byron’s No. 24 Valvoline Chevy, click here.
48 Alex Bowman
Age: 30 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 20th
No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
INDY RC REBOUND: Last Sunday, Alex Bowman showed off his road racing skills as he nabbed a top-five finish at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. His strong weekend started when he qualified ninth on Saturday. Bowman finished the opening two stages in eighth, before maneuvering to fifth by the end of the 200-mile NASCAR Cup Series event. His top-five result at Indianapolis now gives him five career top-fives on road courses.
PUSH TO THE PLAYOFFS: Heading to Watkins Glen International this weekend, Bowman currently ranks 20th in the driver points standings. He is 80 markers behind the provisional playoff cutoff line. Despite a 60-point penalty in April and missing three points-paying races in the spring with an injury, Bowman still can make the top 16 for the playoffs. In 21 starts this season, the 30-year-old driver has four top-five finishes, seven top-10s and the DAYTONA 500 pole award.
ROAD TESTED: Bowman has two runner-up finishes on road courses in his time at Hendrick Motorsports – at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in 2019 and Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in 2022. The Tucson, Arizona, native is one of two drivers with multiple second-place showings without a win on this track type. Earlier this year, he finished third at COTA and with his top-five result at Indianapolis, he joins teammate Chase Elliott as one of four drivers with multiple top-fives on road courses in 2023.
HARRIS ON THE ROAD: Crew chief Blake Harris has two top-five finishes and four top-10s in eight road course starts atop the pit box. His teams on courses that turn left and right have an average start of 11.4 and an average finish of 14.5.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE: In addition to the Cup Series race this weekend, Bowman will also get behind the wheel of the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Hendrick Motorsports. He will take on the New York-based serpentine track with the aim of notching the first win in the No. 17 Chevy since its return in 2022. Last year, Bowman made one start in the team’s Xfinity car and finished second at Indianapolis. In his career, he has one win in the series, which came in 2017 at Charlotte Motor Speedway with HendrickCars.com as a sponsor.
RESTART ME UP: Bowman ranks as the sixth-best driver on restarts in 2023, according to data from Racing Insights. That mark is second-best among the Hendrick Motorsports quartet as teammate Kyle Larson is tied for third in this statistical category.
SAVE THEM ALL: Bowman and primary partner Ally are teaming up this year to bring back the Best Friends Animal Society donation effort. This week, the duo will make charitable contributions to Pawz and Purrz Animal Rescue, Inc., which serves the Southern Tier region of New York. Bowman and Ally will donate $4,800 to Best Friends and Pawz and Purrz Animal Rescue, Inc. Ally will increase its donation to $10,000 if the No. 48 team wins on Sunday.
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS /
2023
All-Time
Watkins Glen
Races
24
1,333
36
Wins
6**
297*
10*
Poles
6**
245*
8*
Top 5
29*
1,219*
24
Top 10
42
2,087*
43
Laps Led
1,561*
78,878*
693*
Stage Wins
11
90
3**
*Most **Most (tie)
CLOSING IN ON 300: Hendrick Motorsports is just three points-paying victories away from its milestone 300th win in the NASCAR Cup Series. Twenty drivers have combined to reach the organization’s current total of 297, which is the most Cup Series wins by any team. With six points-paying victories in 2023, the team has posted its 36th multi-win season in the Cup Series while maintaining a streak of at least two per season for the past 30 years. The organization has gone to victory lane at more racetracks (31) than any other active team.
MILESTONE MOMENTS: In addition to 300 Cup Series wins, Hendrick Motorsports is approaching several other major milestones. With 245 pole awards, the team is just five away from 250 at the Cup level. In addition, Hendrick Motorsports engines have recorded 496 NASCAR national series victories and need just four more to reach 500.
XFINITY RIDES AGAIN: Hendrick Motorsports will make the fourth of its five starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season at Watkins Glen International with Alex Bowman at the wheel. The final start will come next month at Darlington Raceway with Kyle Larson. Greg Ives will serve as the team’s crew chief, which marks a reunion with Bowman as the two won seven Cup Series races together from 2018-2022. The team’s previous three Xfinity starts this season have resulted in finishes of second (William Byron at Circuit of The Americas) and third (Larson at Sonoma Raceway and Chase Elliott at Pocono Raceway). The organization has one championship and 26 wins in the series, with Tony Stewart recording the last victory to date at Daytona International Speedway in 2009.
EDGE OF SEVENTEEN: For the Xfinity races, the Chevrolet Camaro will sport the No. 17 with sponsorship from HENDRICKCARS.COM. The No. 17 carries special significance to the Hendrick Motorsports family as it is the same number Ricky Hendrick drove and won with in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. That number has won 39 times in Xfinity Series history, and two of the four drivers to win in it – Darrell Waltrip and Terry Labonte – would go on to win in the Cup Series with Hendrick Motorsports.
RULERS OF THE ROAD: With 26 wins, Hendrick Motorsports has the most all-time triumphs on road courses in Cup Series history. The two closest teams in this statistic have combined for only 23 wins. Since its inaugural season in 1984, the organization has won 27.37% of road course events (26 wins in 95 races). The team also tops the board among Cup Series squads on road courses in poles (25), top-five finishes (87), top-10s (147), laps led (2,208) and stage wins (14).
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND: Among those 26 serpentine layout wins, 10 have come at Watkins Glen – most among all Cup Series teams. Jeff Gordon’s four wins lead the squad followed by two each for Elliott and Larson. Tim Richmond and Ricky Rudd notched one victory at the track near New York’s Finger Lakes region.
STREAKING AT THE GLEN: The Rick Hendrick-owned team has been victorious in four straight races at Watkins Glen, which is the longest win streak by one team at this facility. Elliott won back-to-back races in 2018 and 2019 and Larson followed that up with triumphs in 2021 and 2022. The track did not host a race in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last time an organization won five races in a row at a track was when Hendrick Motorsports earned five consecutive victories at Pocono (from 2012-2014). The longest streak by any team at any track is eight by Junior Johnson and Associates (from 1980-1984) at Bristol Motor Speedway.
POLE POWER: In the last nine road course races, Hendrick Motorsports has won four poles. Larson earned the top starting spot at Sonoma in 2022, Elliott got the pole at Road America and Watkins Glen in 2022 and Byron was the top qualifier at COTA in 2023.
TOP OF THE BOARD: In the Next Gen car era (2022-present), Hendrick Motorsports has won 17 races, which is five more than any other team. During that span, all four drivers in its lineup – Byron (six), Larson (five), Elliott (five) and Bowman (one) – have notched victories.
QUOTABLE /
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his history at Watkins Glen International: “From 2019 to 2021 with the old car (Gen 6), they had a great road course package. We (the No. 5 team) were really fast there at Watkins Glen (International). Chase (Elliott) and I have had really good cars the past few years. With the Next Gen, the car drove great from what I remember last year. I felt like Chase and I were fast in the field for sure. I hope it’s the same when we get back because it’s always fun when you’re fast.”
Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the ins and outs of Watkins Glen: “We (the No. 5 team and Kyle Larson) certainly enjoy Watkins Glen (International) a lot. It’s been a good track to us. I think it’s one of those places that is really fast and flowy and Kyle is good at both. Kyle is really good at going fast and carrying a lot of speed. It’s definitely a rhythmic track. You can carry a lot of rhythm with the layout of the track and all the corners. So, I think Kyle has a good knack for it and fortunately we have a solid notebook at this place here at Hendrick Motorsports. It’s taken years to build that notebook and we’ve been able to continue to build on the good runs that we’ve had. We just kind of keep chipping away and get better every time. We’ll certainly have to level up ourselves to stay up with the competition this time and that’s where our focus is. We hope to call and execute a good race, give Kyle a good car and hopefully we will be in good shape.”
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how meaningful Watkins Glen is to him: “Watkins Glen (International) always stands out to me because of the first win. That one will always be special because of that. Will it always be good to us? Probably not, but I do enjoy going up there. It is a very nice part of the country – a very underrated part of the country. Just the memories I have from that first win weekend are super special and something that I will hold onto forever.”
Elliott on his outlook with two opportunities left to lock himself into the playoffs: “Certainly, don’t want to have yourself in a position to have to win at Daytona (International Speedway), but that’s a possibility at this point. I feel way better about going to Watkins Glen (International) than I do Daytona because there is more in my control going there verses a plate race.”
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on building momentum with the playoffs approaching: “I don’t think we change our processes the next couple weeks. We want to go into these last races of the regular season and execute to the best we can and keep building the momentum. While winning the regular-season championship would be great, we’re focused on making the final four and that starts now with maximizing the playoff points we can earn for each round. We don’t need to change anything we do now because that’s when mistakes happen.”
Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how to be successful at Watkins Glen: “Watkins Glen (International) is pretty big for me. It’s my home track and I grew up not far away from there. So it’s important to go out there and run well for me. It’s a super fast and historic racetrack. There are big braking zones and the bus stop puts on it’s own event basically. It’s just amazing to watch them go through the bus stop, but you have to be good everywhere at this track. It’s very technical. This car will want to swing the back through the carousel, and you need to be able to get the rear tires underneath you before you get into turn six and seven because they make a lot of speed. You have a lot of speed then down the frontstretch and into turn one, which makes that a big passing zone. That place always packs out, so you know there will be a ton of fans. I’m excited to get there.”
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his mindset heading to Watkins Glen: “Watkins Glen (International) is a place I have struggled at historically, so being able to get some laps in the Xfinity (Series) car always helps. It doesn’t translate directly to our Cup car, but it’s time on track. We are coming off of a top-five finish, so I don’t see why we can’t go run well again this Sunday.”
Blake Harris, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the momentum the No. 48 team has heading to Watkins Glen: “We had a great weekend in Indy – getting stage points and a top-five finish always bodes well for our confidence. The fact that we had speed at a road course and are heading to another definitely puts some wind in our sails. Alex (Bowman) is also running the Xfinity (Series) car and will be able to make laps ahead of the Cup race on Sunday, so there is a lot of momentum in our corner at the moment. We are just looking to capitalize on it and try to make our way into the playoffs.”
Will form full-season GTD PRO crew along with IMSA program veterans Garcia, Milner
DETROIT (Aug. 17, 2023) – Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports confirmed today its full-season lineup for the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, which will see a pair of Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs compete in the GTD PRO class.
Alexander Sims returns as a Chevrolet Corvette factory driver, this time for a full season, along with returning veterans Antonio Garcia, Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg. The quartet of drivers will contest the 10-round GTD PRO championship for Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports in the debut year of the Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
Driver pairings will be confirmed at a later date, but the four drivers are well-known in the world of GT racing and specifically with Corvette. They have a combined 34 years of service with Corvette Racing and Chevrolet, and their records in IMSA competition are among the strongest of any lineup in the championship:
Nicky Catsburg: Two wins – the 2021 Rolex 24 and 2022 Sebring 12 Hours – plus three wins and the GTE Am Drivers Championship in this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship
Antonio Garcia: 27 wins – two in the Rolex 24 and four in the Sebring 12 Hours – with five championships in 15 years with Corvette Racing
Tommy Milner: 20 wins – the 2016 Rolex 24 and Sebring 12 Hours in 2013 and 2016 – and two championships in 13 years with Corvette Racing
Alexander Sims: Six wins – including at Sebring this year plus 2017 Six Hours of the Glen and Petit Le Mans – and is second in the GTP Drivers Championship for Cadillac Racing
Sims replaces Jordan Taylor, who is electing to return to prototype racing after this season.
In more than 10 years as a factory driver for Corvette Racing and General Motors, Taylor compiled an outstanding record of 33 victories and four Drivers championships in both prototype and GT competition – including in 2020 and 2021 with Corvette Racing. He also was part of the team’s winning lineup for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015 and is a three-time Rolex 24 winner in GM-powered entries. The vast majority of his sports car career has come in GM racecars.
“We’re very pleased with the full-season IMSA lineup in the Corvette Z06 GT3.R for 2024,” said Mark Stielow, Director, Chevrolet Motorsports Competition Engineering. “The four drivers have exceptional records and history with Corvette.
“At the same time, we thank Jordan Taylor for his years of service and success with General Motors,” Stielow added. He has been an important part of Corvette Racing and a great ambassador for Chevrolet. We wish him well.”
The 2024 Corvette Z06 GT3.R race car, constructed by Pratt Miller Motorsports in New Hudson, Michigan, is based on the production Corvette Z06 with the two sharing common elements. The Z06 GT3.R’s aluminum chassis frame and the 5.5-liter, flat-plane crankshaft V8 engine both come from Chevrolet’s Bowling Green Assembly factory in Kentucky.
The current Corvette Racing program is in the midst of its 25th season with 126 race victories to date – 114 in IMSA with the most recent coming at the Chevrolet Grand Prix in July at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Also for the second year in a row, Corvette Racing has programs in both IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship with the Corvette C8.R, now in its final season of competition.
The 2024 IMSA season begins with the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 27-28.
NICKY CATSBURG: “This will be my first full season in America, and it’s something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. Some of the most notorious tracks like VIR, Road America, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park… I’ve never been to these. I’ve always wanted to do this because those are the events I enjoy watching always, and now I get to race there. When I joined Corvette Racing, the goal was to become a full-time driver. To have a chance to do full-season WEC this year and a full IMSA season next year is something I’m really looking forward to. This is something new and something that is a challenge. This will not be easy because some of these tracks are ones I don’t know. But I am ready for that challenge.”
ANTONIO GARCIA: “It’s hard to believe this will be my 16th year racing with Corvette Racing and Pratt Miller. We have grown a lot in our time together with many different versions of the Corvette. I think this Z06 GT3.R is a very good car. You can see that from the months of testing and development we’ve done on this car for 2024. I think it will be a very good racecar for us in what is going to be a tough GTD PRO category with some new teams and maybe some new manufacturers. More importantly it will be a very good car for the new customer Corvette race teams. I’m very happy to be part of the first group to race this car in this new era for Corvette Racing.”
TOMMY MILNER: “I’m very excited about being back full-time again, especially in this new era of Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports, with the new Corvette Z06 GT3.R and all that it brings – customer race cars and more Corvettes racing on the track. It’s an exciting time for us as drivers and an exciting time for Corvette fans. As this team has shown for 25 years, the Corvette Racing name means a lot to sports car racing. So to see more examples of Corvettes racing around the world is really exciting and something we are looking forward to.”
ALEXANDER SIMS: “It’s been fantastic to drive the Cadillac GTP car, but It’s great to be able to work with all the team at Pratt Miller again after two years as third driver. I know not only a lot of the engineers and team personnel but also the other full-time drivers and people I’ve worked with before within Corvette Racing. I’ve shared a Corvette with Tommy and shared a garage with Antonio and Nicky. It’s great to be going into a driver group where I know everyone and know that we get on well together. We will push each other hard, so from a performance point of view, it’s really good to know that we will all be on a similar level and eeking more performance out of one another all the time.”
About Chevrolet
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Endurance driver to join Derani in No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Aug. 17, 2023) – Jack Aitken, co-driver of the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R for this year’s four IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races, will join Pipo Derani as a full-season driver for the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Aitken will take over the seat of the hybrid Cadillac racecar from Alexander Sims, who will remain in the GM Motorsports family to drive the new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R for Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports in IMSA’s GTD PRO class.
“Jack came to the top of all the categories late last year when we were researching the various drivers who would be available for our endurance role,” team manager Gary Nelson said of the former Williams F1 reserve driver.
“He has proven to be fast on the track, a fast learner of the GTP car and an asset to the team. We see Jack being a great pairing with Pipo in his expanded role next season.”
Aitken, teaming with Derani and Sims, brought the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R to Victory Circle following a pressure-packed final stint in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in March. The trio finished second at Watkins Glen International in June and fifth in the debut of the Grand Touring Prototype class in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Aitken recorded the fastest lap among GTP entries in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen.
The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R leads the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Team and Driver standings through three of the four races. Derani and Sims are a close second in the IMSA GTP Team and Driver Championship standings with two races remaining. Cadillac Racing paces the GTP Manufacturer standings for both the full-season and endurance championships.
“Alex came in with Formula E experience and that was huge for us,” Nelson said. “He is a tremendous asset for the whole team understanding the hybrid unit. For us to learn those things early on was very beneficial. Alex and Pipo make a great pair, and Alex is a big part of our championship run.”
Aitken, who turns 28 on Sept. 23, also teamed with Derani and Sims in the No. 311 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R for the centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.
Recently competing in the DTM doubleheader at Nürburgring, Aitken drove in the European Le Mans Series in 2022 for TF Sport in LMP2 plus the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup and ADAC GT Masters. He was the 2015 Formula Renault Eurocup champion.
A driver for the 2024 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, which grows to five races, will be announced at a later date.
Action Express Racing has earned the IMSA Team and Driver Championships in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2021 as well as securing the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 North American Endurance Championships titles.
Whelen Engineering has been the primary sponsor of the No. 31 Cadillac prototype since 2016.
JACK AITKEN: “Ever since I started this program with Cadillac Racing and Whelen Engineering, everybody has been incredibly kind and passionate in helping push me and the team forward. This is one of the reasons I’m incredibly excited to become a full-time member of the team next year. The competitiveness of IMSA and the quality of the calendar are another couple of reasons, and I thoroughly enjoy the style of racing I’ve experienced already this year in my endurance outings. I have to say a big thank you to Cadillac and Whelen Engineering for their continued faith in me as well as both of my teammates, Pipo and Alex.”
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.: It will be a busy weekend for ARCA Menards Series rookie Frankie Muniz and his Rette Jones Racing team.
First, the Mooresville, N.C.-based team treks to the Finger Lakes region of New York, set to do battle in the final road course race of the season in Friday afternoon’s General Tire 100 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.
Two days later, Muniz will embrace his first ARCA race on dirt at the Illinois State Fairgrounds for the Dutch Boy 100.
Both races present an opportunity for the popular freshman driver and, more importantly, a chance to rebound from last Friday night’s performance at the Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, where the former Malcom in the Middle television actor struggled to find the perfect balance on the tight-quartered short track, leaving the No. 30 Rette Jones Racing team with an 11th place finish at the checkered flag.
Despite the disappointment of their Indianapolis showing, Muniz is recharged, returning to a road course and ready to tackle Watkins Glen for the first time in an ARCA car and improve on his sixth-place road course showing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course last month.
“I have been ready to get back in the car since a few hours after we took the checkered flag at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park,” said Muniz. “Yes, the race didn’t go right, but I still learned a lot, and that performance will make me a better driver for the long haul.
“I am excited to return to a road course this weekend and the opportunity to turn lefts and rights as such an iconic track in New York. I expect the race to be extremely competitive, but I think we will make strong gains from the practice to qualifying and then the race that will allow us to contend for our second top-five finish of the season.”
Watkins Glen does open the door for Muniz and his Mark Rette-led team to pull off an upset and score their first ARCA Menards Series win together. Still, the Scottsdale, Ariz. native also knows everything will have to line up perfectly to pave that way to Victory Lane.
“The road courses have been races that I have circled as opportunities for our No. 30 Rette Jones Racing team to go out and not only challenge for a top-five but contend for the win,” added Muniz. “We had a lot of good speed at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course but didn’t have the track position we needed to capitalize.
“There’s so much race experience you inhale – what works and does not work with these ARCA cars. I feel a bit more confident heading to Watkins Glen.”
Muniz plans to go with the flow as far as his inaugural debut on dirt.
“The dirt races will probably be my biggest learning curve of the 2023 season,” he admitted. “I’m not sure what to expect. We don’t have much practice time either for me to get comfortable, so I need to stay positive and let the race come to us.
“We just need to improve from the moment we unload to the checkered flag and then apply what I learned to DuQuoin in a few weeks. We’re at that busy stretch of the ARCA season, but I’m happy to embrace all these different types of tracks and improve my craft.”
For the first time this season, Muniz and Rette Jones Racing will display the AvAir colors for the 13th ARCA Menards Series race of the season at Watkins Glen.
AvAir is a global leader in aviation inventory solutions. We develop and implement expert strategies for recapturing capital and ensuring operators have the components they need for their individual aircraft or fleets.
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“I’m very excited and honored to bring a new marketing partner to the ARCA Menards Series in AvAir,” added Muniz. “AvAir is a global leader, and we are putting them on a national stage on Friday night to bring attentiveness to a great company whose strategies and reputation speak for themselves.
“The car looks great and I’m ready to wheel our No. 30 AvAir Ford Mustang.”
Former ARCA championship-winning crew chief and co-owner Mark Rette has been highly impressed with Muniz’s performances in the first 12 races of the year. He looks forward to seeing him strengthen his craft in his Watkins Glen debut on Friday afternoon.
“We all feel good about heading to a track where we know Frankie will feel comfortable,” offered Rette. “I think the track layout will fit into Frankie’s wheelhouse and he will have the opportunity to showcase his road racing skills and put our No. 30 AvAir Ford Mustang at the front of the field.
“Sunday’s race on the dirt will be a tough learning curve for Frankie, but I think he will be fine. We don’t expect him to set the world on fire. We want him to be smooth and consistent. If we can do that, we should come out with a strong finish and a good outlook to DuQuoin on Labor Day weekend.”
Entering Watkins Glen, Muniz sits second in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, 98 markers behind championship leader Jesse Love with eight races remaining.
Rette Jones Racing stands a respectable fifth in the ARCA Menards Series championship owner standings.
Since 2023, Muniz has 12 ARCA Menards Series starts to his credit, with a career-best finish of fifth at Michigan International Speedway in August 2023. In all, Muniz has delivered one top-five and eight top-10 finishes overall. He also maintains an average finishing position of 9.5 in his inaugural year of stock car competition.
For more on AvAir, please visit AvAir.aero and our Instagram (@AvAir.aero).
For more on Frankie Muniz, please visit munizracing.com, like him on Facebook (FrankieMuniz4) and follow him on Instagram (@frankiemuniz4) and Twitter (@frankiemuniz).
For more on Rette Jones Racing, please visit RetteJonesRacing.com, like them on Facebook (Rette Jones Racing), or follow them on Instagram (@RetteJones30) and Twitter (@RetteJones30).
The General Tire 100 (41 laps | 100.45 miles) is the 13th of 20 races on the 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule in the 71st consecutive ARCA season. Practice begins Friday, August 18 from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying in a timed session will begin a short time later at 4:15 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag later in the day shortly after 6:00 p.m. ET. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), while also streaming on FloRacing. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (XM channel 391 | online channel 981) will handle the radio waves. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities.
The Dutch Boy 100 (100 laps | 100 miles) is the 14th of 20 races on the 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule in the 71st consecutive ARCA season. Practice begins Sunday, August 20 from 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. General Tire pole qualifying will begin a short time later at 11:15 a.m. The race is set to take the green flag later in the day shortly after 1:00 p.m. (2:00 p.m. ET). The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), while also streaming on FloRacing. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities.
About Rette Jones Racing:
Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, Rette Jones Racing (RJR) was founded in 2015 with the intent of building a successful racing operation built around the fundamentals of hard work and a never-give-up attitude.
Owned by racers Terry Jones and Mark Rette, RJR plans to field a full-time entry in 2023 in the ARCA Menards Series, while also planning to field vehicles in the ARCA Menards Series East respectively.
The winning ARCA team also offers technical and setup intel as part of its technical alliance partnership program.
Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging team are off to Watkins Glen for Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen, a 221-mile race over the 2.454-mile, 11-turn race at the historic track in New York’s Finger Lakes region.
Burton, speaking this week on a teleconference hosted by Ford, said he’s encouraged by the results of the past three Cup races, which were won by Mustang drivers Chris Buescher, at Richmond and Michigan, and Michael McDowell on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“The Fords are capable,” Burton said. “Now it’s up to our own group to go figure out and try to figure out how to do it and what direction we need to go in to be able to do that. I already feel like we’ve made steps on our oval program.”
A big part of Burton’s pre-race preparation each week is spending time in the simulator provided by Ford Performance.
“I get four hours a week in the Ford simulator, and I’m always in there kind of doing last week’s race track,” he said, adding that he usually divides his time between laps on the most recent track and on the upcoming venue. “I was in there 7-11 a.m. [Tuesday], and I was able to kind of work on last week and kind of ran Indy some to make that more accurate.
“[I] also worked a lot on Watkins Glen trying to get the setup accurate and all that. That process gets kind of ‘rinse-and-repeated’ for me throughout the whole year.”
Time in the simulator is especially important for a younger driver like Burton.
“The better your simulation program is, the more accurate you can touch things up at the race track, fire off the truck and be fast,” he said. “With 20 minutes of practice and right into qualifying… the changes you can make are very limited….
“It’s really, really important to show up with your stuff sorted out the way it needs to be. For us, the only way we can do that is with the simulator, in our eyes, so we try to really focus on that every weekend.”
Burton said one area of focus for Watkins Glen is maximizing his performance in the bus stop, the chicane at the end of the backstretch.
“I think the bus stop is probably the most important lap-time corner at Watkins Glen,” he said. “It’s where you’re going to kind of make your most or lose your most laptime, well at least for me in the past.”
Crew chief Brian Wilson said he’s tuning the DEX Mustang to give Burton what he needs at the bus stop and other similar spots on the track at Watkins Glen.
“Last week was a step forward in our road-course program in terms of the braking zones,” Wilson said. “We look to continue that at Watkins Glen and give Harrison a little more turn mid corner.”
Burton said that overall, he, Wilson and the entire DEX Imaging team have high hopes for this weekend’s road-course run.
“I think we made some gains,” he said. “We didn’t put the whole picture together last weekend, but with the knowledge we gained from last weekend, I think we have a good chance to have a good set-up and run really well.”
Practice for the Go Bowling at the Glen is set for Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time and will be immediately followed by qualifying.
Sunday’s 90-lap race is scheduled to start just after 3 p.m.
Stage breaks are planned for Laps 20 and 40. USA Network will carry the live TV coverage all weekend.
About DEX Imaging DEX Imaging is the digital document imaging division of Staples, the world’s largest business solutions provider. DEX sells and services the broadest selection of copiers, printers and data management solutions, such as HP, Konica Minolta, Canon, Kyocera and numerous others.
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DEX Imaging has been the recipient of virtually every industry award since the company’s inception, including the JD Power & Associates Award for Best Customer Experience, the prestigious ProTech Service award by Konica Minolta, the Diamond Premier Dealer Award by Kyocera, and the Elite DEALER Award by ‘ENX’ magazine. Other accolades include being named ‘Best Place to Work’ by numerous business journals in the markets DEX serves.
Wood Brothers Racing Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glenn’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Harrison Burton in the famous No. 21 racer.
COLE CUSTER | RILEY HERBST Watkins Glen NASCAR Xfinity Series Advance NASCAR Xfinity Series Overview
Event: Shriners Children’s 200 (Round 23 of 33)
Date: Saturday, Aug. 19
Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International
Layout: 2.45-mile, seven-turn road course
Time/TV/Radio: 3:30 p.m. EDT on USA/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Cole Custer Notes of Interest
Cole Custer and his No. 00 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) will be sporting the colors of HighPoint.com as he looks for another strong road-course finish during Saturday’s Shriners Children’s 200. Custer and his team have scored two road-course victories in the first six races this year where competitors turned both left and right. The first came when Custer parked his Ford Mustang in victory lane June 3 at Portland (Ore.) International Raceway in his first start at the track. He followed that up July 1 in the Inaugural Chicago Street Race, where he led all 25 laps of the rain-shortened NASCAR Xfinity Series race. He finished sixth June 10 on the road course at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, and sixth again after rebounding from a spin in last Saturday’s Indianapolis 150 on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In the season’s first road-course outing March 25 at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, Custer looked to be on his way to compete for the win before contact with another car took him out of contention late in the race, leaving him to settle for a 32nd-place finish. He was running in the top-three for most of the July 29 race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, before an accident ended his day eight laps from the finish.
Saturday’s Shriners Children’s 200 will mark Custer’s fifth Xfinity Series start at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. His four prior starts feature back-to-back top-10 finishes in 2018 (sixth) and 2019 (seventh), and he’s never finished outside the top-12. Custer also has five starts outside of the Xfinity Series at Watkins Glen – two in the NASCAR Cup Series and three in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. He earned a best K&N Pro Series East finish of third in August 2016, and a best Cup Series finish of 11th a year ago.
The countdown is on. Only four races remain before the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs begin Sept. 15 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Custer has already locked in his spot in the 12-driver playoff field by virtue of his two wins, but he’s still on the hunt for more playoff points to help him advance through the postseason – all the way to the Championship 4 finale Nov. 4 at Phoenix Raceway. He and the team plan to use the final races before the regular season finale Sept. 9 at Kansas Speedway to perfect their performance. Prior to this season, Custer was the Xfinity Series championship runner-up in both 2018 and 2019.
Custer will be pulling double duty once again this weekend as he’ll also be back behind the wheel of the No. 51 Ford Mustang for Rick Ware Racing (RWR) in Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen NASCAR Cup Series race. It will be his fifth Cup Series start of the season with RWR, the previous four coming July 9 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, July 17 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, July 23 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, and Aug. 7 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
Riley Herbst Notes of Interest
After a strong rebound in last Saturday’s race on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Riley Herbst and the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang team for SHR are ready to keep up the momentum in Saturday’s Shriners Children’s 200 at Watkins Glen. Last Saturday, Herbst started 10th and ran in the top-10 for a majority of the race, including a fifth-place finish in the second stage to earn six bonus points. He continued to run in the top-five until a speeding penalty on a lap-42 green-flag pit stop sent him back in the pack, from there the Las Vegas native rallied for a 12th-place finish, his 13th top-15 in 22 races this season.
Saturday’s race at Watkins Glen will mark Herbst’s third Xfinity Series start at the track. Best among his two prior starts was a seventh-place finish last August. He finished 13th in his first start at the track in 2021 with the No. 98 Monster Energy team. He also has two starts at The Glen outside of the Xfinity Series – one in the ARCA Menards Series in August 2021, which resulted in a sixth-place finish, and one in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, which resulted in a 12th-place finish.
Herbst has proven his resilience on the road courses this year, bouncing back from several tough runs on the ovals at the start of the year to nab top-15 finishes in four of the six road-course races so far. He earned a 10th-place finish in the first road-course race of the year March 25 at COTA. He then finished 15th when the series visited Sonoma for the first time on June 10. In the most recent two road-course races, Herbst rebounded from incidents during the race to work his way from the back of the pack, including his fifth-place finish July 29 at Road America.
With only four races remaining before the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs begin Sept. 15 at Bristol, Herbst is in the process of defending his spot in the 12-driver playoff field as he works his way up the standings. Heading into the weekend at Michigan two weeks ago, he sat 10th in the regular-season standings but 11th in the playoff standings. Herbst’s fourth-place result on July 22 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, his fifth-place finish July 29 at Road America, and his sixth-place finish at Michigan helped him extend his buffer over 13th-place Parker Kligerman from 18 to 34 points. He also jumped to ninth in the points standings, putting Sheldon Creed on the bubble between Herbst and Kligerman. While the Monster Energy driver is in position to secure his top-12 position on points, a win during the final four regular-season races would guarantee Herbst a spot in the playoffs.
Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 00 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang
You’re welcoming HighPoint.com to your car this weekend at Watkins Glen, which has been an SHR partner for several years and now has made the move to sponsor you in the Xfinity Series. What does it mean to have the company’s support?
“HighPoint.com’s support means a lot to me and SHR. The whole family and all the people over there are extremely caring and really on the ground floor with things. It’s really cool to see just how much effort they put into their business and seeing how invested they are in NASCAR. I think you’ve seen it with their investment in the team all these years. I’m excited to add them as a primary partner at Watkins Glen. Overall, just seeing how invested they are in the sport and how much they love racing is pretty awesome. Hopefully, we can give them a good run and get to victory lane.”
You’re heading to the second consecutive road-course race and third in the last four weekends. How would you describe the difference between an infield road-course circuit like Indianapolis compared to a traditional road course like Watkins Glen?
“Watkins Glen is just so much different because it’s so high-speed. You can do so much there, but there are also different things you have to fight at Watkins Glen versus other tracks. You’re going so fast. In essence, you have to have the car set up to handle more aerodynamically well for everything that’s going to be thrown at you. Watkins Glen just throws that element of high speed into it so it’s a lot different than any other road course on the schedule. The No. 00 team and I are excited for the challenge, though, and hopefully we can show the same speed that we’ve had for the past few road-course races.”
Riley Herbst, Driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang
The No. 98 Monster Energy team has shown so much speed at road courses this year, but bad luck has taken you out of contention for some potentially great finishes. What do you need this weekend to get the job done and park your Ford Mustang in victory lane?
“Our Monster Energy Ford Mustang was fast at Indianapolis last weekend, and that’s just a testament to the hard work that this team is putting in each and every week. It was a shame that we got that speeding penalty late in the race. We had our work cut out for us, but we never gave up. A 12th-place finish isn’t what we wanted, but it could’ve been a lot worse with the cards we were dealt. I’m thankful for these guys for sticking by me and giving me fast cars each week. We thought we were strong enough to win at Indy, or at least run in the top-five, but that confidence should carry over to Watkins Glen, too. They are very different tracks, but we’ve been strong on road courses all season. The plan is to continue to show that this weekend.”
Watkins Glen seems to be a favorite road course among the drivers. Describe what goes through your mind as you’re making your way around it.
“Watkins Glen is a fun track for me as a driver. It’s such a fast road course, and you really have to think about each turn so you’re not getting yourself into trouble. Each of the seven turns is unique, so you just have to be on top of your game every time you go there. I’m excited to head back there after a strong run last year, and given the speed we’ve had on road courses this season. We’ve had top-three speed every week, it seems, so now it’s just about avoiding mistakes and having a perfect race. Hoping the No. 98 Monster Energy team can do just that this weekend.”
