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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes – NCTS LOIRP Qualifying Quotes (8.11.23)

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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
TSport 200 Qualifying | Friday, August 11, 2023

Ford Qualifying Results:

2nd – Ty Majeski
8th – Zane Smith
13th – Matt Crafton
18th – Conner Jones
21st – Ben Rhodes
25th – Hailie Deegan
26th – Logan Bearden

TY MAJESKI, No. 98 Road Ranger Ford F-150 – “I think we’re okay. The track is going to change a lot tonight. It’s a lot slower than last year. So, we had to make a lot of changes in about 15 minutes, trying to get the balance where we wanted it. Overall, we should have a good Road Ranger Ford F-150 for tonight.”

ZANE SMITH, No. 38 Boot Barn Ford F-150 – “It was definitely an improvement from where we were last year. I feel like we chased it a little bit in practice and then in qualifying, we were really bad. Plus, it’s tough at short tracks in general… I feel like anywhere we go, but especially worn-out short tracks like this where you have one racetrack in the daytime and then when we race at nine o’clock tonight, it’s something way different. It’s really hard finding a balance with that, but Chris Lawson does a great job with knowing where too much is too much and when we should probably leave it alone. I feel like we’re in that area where we’ll be alright for tonight. Like I said, it’s definitely an improvement from where we qualified last year. My night is already easier.”

WHAT KIND OF RACING DO YOU EXPECT WITH COOLER TRACK TEMPERATURES? “I think there will be more grip overall – or at least I hope. I think that’s what we’re sort of struggling with right now. Last year, we had that. We were really loose – ten times as loose as we are now – but then in the race we were all good. Excited to see what we have tonight in our Boot Barn Ford F-150.”

MATT CRAFTON, No. 88 Generac/Menards Ford F-150 – “It wasn’t really what we wanted. I tried something on the first lap – didn’t work. Not many people were picking up on the second lap, and we picked up a tenth and a half on the second. So, I screwed up on the first one, just trying something different. But, we have a very good race truck. We buried ourselves a little deeper than we should have, but all-in-all, we’ll be alright.”

Chevrolet IndyCar at Indianapolis Road Course: Team Chevy Firestone Fast Six Report

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CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
GALLAGHER GRAND PRIX
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROAD COURSE
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE

AUGUST 11, 2023

CHEVROLET QUALIFIES TWO IN THE TOP-SIX FOR SATURDAY’S GALLAGHER GRAND PRIX AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROAD COURSE

  • Alexander Rossi and Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren INDYCAR will represent Chevrolet in the second row of the starting grid for Saturday’s Gallagher Grand Prix, qualifying third and fourth respectively in Firestone Fast Six qualifying.
  • Arrow McLaren teammate Felix Rosenqvist will round out the top-10 in starting positions for the Bowtie brand, starting 10th.
  • Rosenqvist led Team Chevy by finishing second in the first Gallagher Grand Prix practice with his fastest lap of 1:09.9267. Rossi followed in fourth with his lap of 1:10.1333.
  • Scott McLaughlin (Team Penske, third), Callum Ilott (Juncos Hollinger Racing, fourth), Rinus VeeKay (Ed Carpenter Racing, sixth), and Agustin Canapino (Juncos Hollinger Racing, ninth) finished in the top-10 of final practice that wrapped Friday track action at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 QUALIFYING RESULT:
Pos. Driver
3rd Alexander Rossi
4th Pato O’Ward
10th Felix Rosenqvist

TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 FIRST PRACTICE RESULT:
Pos. Driver
2nd Felix Rosenqvist
4th Alexander Rossi
6th Scott McLaughlin
8th Pato O’Ward

TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 FINAL PRACTICE RESULT:
Pos. Driver
3rd Scott McLaughlin
4th Callum Ilott
6th Rinus VeeKay
9th Agustin Canapino

Green flag for the 85-lap, 207.32-mile 2023 Gallagher Grand Prix waves the green flag live from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course Saturday, Aug. 12 at 2 p.m. ET on USA Network. Additional coverage of the race can be found on Peacock, INDYCAR Radio, and SiriusXM Channel 160.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES)

Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Chevrolet at Team Penske:

“Frustrating day for all of Team Penske, not just the Hitachi Chevrolet. It has been a strange year for us when it comes to qualifying. I’m sure we will have good pace tomorrow and hopefully we can catch a break with a caution or two to get some track position. We just need to be a better hold on qualifying moving forward, particularly over the off-season. It’s something we’ve been working on but we still need to keep improving.”

Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Chevrolet at Team Penske:

“Not too bad today for the Gallagher Chevy. We will roll off P10 after the penalties tomorrow. The car isn’t the fastest but I think we’ve made some sort of inroads, but we’re still trying to look for a little balance here on the Indy road course, compared to all the other road courses. I think we got a really good race car, just a matter of qualifying at outright pace. So keep working, keep trying to find things. I think there is still a lot more work to be done but still start at the top 10.”

Will Power, No. 12 Chevrolet at Team Penske:

“Definitely a little disappointed in our qualifying results. It was just quite difficult for us to put a good lap together. I think we do have good Verizon Chevrolet here – we did when we raced here in May – and there are a lot of good cars and drivers starting back where we are so it will be a very interesting race. It’s a tough track and it should be tough. This is INDYCAR and you just can’t leave anything on the table.”

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

“In Practice, we made a few changes to go in the right direction. We’re still not where we have to be and we’d still like to make it better. From when we raced here back in May to now in August this place has completely changed. Some of the drivers who are usually near the front aren’t today. I feel like we have had some very good Qualifying sessions here in the past but we have sometimes struggled to capitalize. It was a different story earlier this year in May when we did well. I hope we can get ourselves starting from there and hopefully make it go a little bit better.

Firestone have brought a different red tire and it hasn’t been the same, so it’s been tough to judge where that line is. Historically, this has been a red race – in May, it was a coin toss whether it was used blacks or used reds. Now, the tire is behaving really differently and I’m trying to cater to that, but it’s not quite in the window yet.

Tomorrow, we have to make things a little easier on ourselves by making the car better.”

Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

“Qualifying today was good for us. It’s our best Qualifying of the year, the team did a really good job. This is the first track that we’re seeing twice in the season, so starting from where we do on a familiar track; I’m happy with that. We will see what we can do tomorrow, we know we have a great car. It is of course disappointing to feel like we’re missing out a little bit, being close to the Front Row, but with a great car for tomorrow we can get a great result.”

Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 20 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:

“Qualifying is always super close here. Unfortunately, we just got a little loose on our run and had a little bit of rear instability. A few tenths of a second would make all the difference in the world. We’ll keep searching for some grip in warm up and hopefully move forward in the race tomorrow.”

Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:

“I was pushing so hard, it’s so hard to get it right! My lap time was way down, but it looked like we were going to get through on that last lap. The entry of Turn 10, previous lap it was fine. Last lap, it was too loose and I lost three-tenths or something. It’s a bummer. At this point in the season, advancing for us would mean a lot. It would have been very nice, but unfortunately, there was that one moment.”

Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 Chevrolet at AJ Foyt Racing:

“Obviously just with the qualifying, you’re two-and-a-half tenths off of advancing and you’re P11, so it’s tight here at Indy. We’re just two-tenths off in practice from being in the top five, so yeah, that’s all we need.”

Benjamin Pedersen, No. 55 Chevrolet at AJ Foyt Racing:

“Unfortunately not the result we were hoping for as a team for both cars. We were trying a lot of different things in practice one to get the car ready and unfortunately with both cars we couldn’t quite get it right for qualifying but we have one more practice today to try and figure out what will be a good package for the race and see what we can come up with to finish the day as strong as possible.”

Agustin Canapino, No. 78 Chevrolet at Juncos Hollinger Racing:

“We finished P24 and will start there for tomorrow. Of course, it’s not the position we wanted but on the personal side, I’m happy because I qualified with the best car of the team. Tomorrow we will have the chance to finish in the top-20, perhaps top-15, and we will try to do it.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. 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.

WWE Superstar Ricochet To Ride in Fastest Seat in Sports at IMS

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INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Aug. 11, 2023) – WWE Superstar Ricochet will ride in the Fastest Seat in Sports at the Gallagher Grand Prix on Saturday, Aug. 12 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, leading the full field of drivers to the green flag of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES road course race.

Ricochet will star in the WWE Fastlane on Saturday, Oct. 7 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, which will be streamed live exclusively on Peacock in the United States.

One of the world’s most innovative high-flyers, Ricochet uses his whiplash-inducing speed and unfathomable aerial mastery to take on opponents of any size.

After dazzling the international scene for more than a decade, Ricochet emerged in NXT in 2018, capturing the NXT North American Championship, and later won the 2019 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic alongside Aleister Black. He landed on Monday Night Raw the following year, dazzling the WWE Universe in sensational clashes against the likes of AJ Styles. In early 2022, Ricochet added to his trophy cabinet by winning the Intercontinental Championship.

During the 2023 WWE Draft, Ricochet was drafted to Monday Night Raw and appears on USA Network every Monday at 8 p.m. ET.

INDYCAR’s Fastest Seat in Sports is a high-speed, high-octane, super-charged thrill ride in a custom INDYCAR SERIES car with a special back passenger seat. At almost every race on the schedule, the car advances the field of drivers to the start/finish line to signify the beginning of the race, with a special passenger in the guest seat. Previous participants in the Fastest Seat in Sports include Lady Gaga, NBA champions Steph Curry and Kawhi Leonard, Olympic gold medalists Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Lilly King, actors Simu Liu and Channing Tatum, and many others.

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES represents the ultimate challenge in racing, with drivers competing at speeds of 200+ mph across a demanding set of ovals and road and street courses. The full schedule can be viewed here.

Rahal Earns First Pole Since 2017 To Lead RLL 1-2 at Indy

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INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Aug. 11, 2023) – Graham Rahal earned his first NTT P1 Award in six years, powering to the pole Friday for the Gallagher Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in a 1-2 tour de force for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

Rahal turned the top lap of 1 minute, 10.1132 seconds in the No. 15 Code 3 Associates Honda during the Firestone Fast Six. It was his fourth career INDYCAR SERIES pole and first since June 2017 at Belle Isle in Detroit.

The site of Rahal’s long-awaited pole also was significant due to the contrast of emotions from when he last competed at the Racing Capital of the World, in May. Rahal celebrated with his wife, Courtney, and their two young daughters on pit lane today, a welcome change from their heartbreaking despair when Rahal was bumped from the 107th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge during qualifying.

“It means a lot,” Rahal said. “Everybody has seen it: We’ve had to work ridiculously hard to get back. This isn’t a win, but it feels like it for us. It’s just nice to feel competitive; it’s nice to be able to push and get something out of the car. You ask for it, you demand it, and it’s there. It feels really sweet.”

Rahal’s teammate Christian Lundgaard qualified second at 1:10.2286 in the No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda as the team owned by 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, late night TV icon David Letterman and business magnate Mike Lanigan took the top two spots in qualifying for an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race for the first time since April 2019 at Barber Motorsports Park, when Takuma Sato won the pole and Rahal started second.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do tomorrow,” Toronto race winner Lundgaard said. “The team is strong. I certainly think we can do something great tomorrow. We’ve got two opportunities on splitting strategy and seeing what works best. I’m definitely hungry for another win, but at this point, I’m really happy for Graham to get his pole.”

Live coverage of the 85-lap race on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile starts at 2 p.m. ET Saturday on USA Network, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Three teams – RLL, Arrow McLaren and Andretti Autosport – comprised the competitors in an ultra-competitive Firestone Fast Six session. Just .2889 of a second separated the six drivers, the third-tightest margin in the format’s history.

2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi qualified third in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet at 1:10.2932, tying his season best set on the oval at Texas. Teammate Pato O’Ward was fourth at 1:10.3453 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.

Devlin DeFrancesco was another one of the stars of the three rounds of qualifying. He earned a career-best starting spot of fifth at 1:10.3938 in the No. 29 TRUBAR/Jones Soda Honda fielded by Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport after driving into the Firestone Fast Six for the first time in his two-year NTT INDYCAR SERIES career.

Romain Grosjean rounded out the Firestone Fast Six at 1:10.4021 in the No. 28 DHL Honda fielded by Andretti Autosport.

Narrow time margins were a theme of the three-round session, as rookie Marcus Armstrong qualified seventh at 1:10.2106 in the No. 11 IU Simon Cancer Center Honda fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing. He missed a spot in the Firestone Fast Six by .0008 of a second, the second-closest miss in this qualifying format’s history.

Jack Harvey completed a magical day for RLL, qualifying eighth at 1:10.2228 in the team’s No. 30 Kustom Entertainment Honda.

Championship leader Alex Palou qualified ninth at 1:10.2974 in the No. 10 The American Legion Honda fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing. It’s his second-lowest qualifying performance on a road or street course this season, with only 15th at Toronto lower. But any sting for Palou may be eased because his closest rival in the title hunt, Josef Newgarden, qualified a season-low 19th at 1:10.6150 in the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet.

Palou leads Newgarden by 84 points – a gap of 1.5 races – with four races remaining.

“Confident for tomorrow, but obviously a bit bummed not being in the Fast Six,” Palou said. “We’re starting P9 tomorrow, right? So, it’s not a bad starting position. We can do a lot from there, especially being such a long race with the strategy.”

Newgarden, who has won four races this season – all on ovals, wasn’t the only star to be eliminated in a wildly unpredictable first round of qualifying. He was joined by Long Beach and Nashville race winner Kyle Kirkwood (starting 15th), six-time series champion Scott Dixon (16th), reigning series champion Will Power (17th) and St. Petersburg winner Marcus Ericsson (18th).

Gallagher Grand Prix Qualifying Results

INDIANAPOLIS – Qualifying Friday for the Gallagher Grand Prix NTT INDYCAR SERIES event on the 2.439-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, with qualifying position, car number in parentheses, driver, engine, time and speed in parentheses:

  1. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 01:10.1132 (125.232 mph)
  2. (45) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 01:10.2286 (125.026)
  3. (7) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 01:10.2932 (124.911)
  4. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 01:10.3453 (124.819)
  5. (29) Devlin DeFrancesco, Honda, 01:10.3938 (124.733)
  6. (28) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 01:10.4021 (124.718)
  7. (11) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 01:10.2106 (125.058)
  8. (30) Jack Harvey, Honda, 01:10.2228 (125.036)
  9. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 01:10.2974 (124.904)
  10. (6) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 01:10.4389 (124.653)
  11. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 01:10.4782 (124.583)
  12. (06) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 01:10.5207 (124.508)
  13. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 01:10.4398 (124.651)
  14. (60) Linus Lundqvist, Honda, 01:10.4570 (124.621)
  15. (27) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 01:10.4869 (124.568)
  16. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 01:10.5006 (124.544)
  17. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 01:10.5237 (124.503)
  18. (8) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 01:10.6348 (124.307)
  19. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 01:10.6150 (124.342)
  20. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 01:10.7249 (124.149)
  21. (14) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 01:10.6461 (124.287)
  22. (20) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Chevrolet, 01:11.0083 (123.653)
  23. (18) David Malukas, Honda, 01:10.8687 (123.897)
  24. (78) Agustin Canapino, Chevrolet, 01:11.0611 (123.561)
  25. (51) Sting Ray Robb, Honda, 01:11.5658 (122.690)
  26. (77) Callum Ilott, Chevrolet, 01:11.1027 (123.489)
  27. (55) Benjamin Pedersen, Chevrolet, 01:11.2971 (123.152)

Meyer Shank Racing Posts Top Road Course Qualifying Run of 2023 at Indianapolis

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#06: Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing Honda

Indianapolis, Ind. (11 August 2023) – Making a second trip back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course this season, Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) continued it’s strong run at the 2.439-mile road course during qualifying on Friday.

Friday’s qualifying session for the Gallagher Grand Prix saw Helio Castroneves (No. 06 AutoNation / Cleveland-Cliffs Honda) and Linus Lundqvist (No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda) combine to post MSR’s best two-car road course qualifying of the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES campaign.

Just a few hours after MSR announced Castroneves joining the team’s ownership group as a minority partner and continue his Drive for 5 with an Indianapolis 500 only entry in 2024 with MSR, Castroneves went out and led his squad, transferring to the Fast 12.

The four-time Indianapolis 500 champion posted a best time of 1:10.3196-seconds in first round of qualifying to finish fourth in the session and punch his ticket for the 12-car second outing. The Brazilian was in the top four in the 10-minute Fast 12 at the halfway point before settling for a season-best 12th with a time of 1:10.5027-seconds.

Competing in his second weekend as a stand-in for the injured Simon Pagenaud, Lundqvist narrowly missed advancing into the Fast 12 and will start on the inside of the seventh row for Sunday’s race. Lundqvist started an impressive 11th in the previous INDYCAR round in Nashville for MSR and will look to continue that pace on Saturday.

Although showing pace in qualifying, the No. 06 Honda of Castroneves will receive a six-spot grid penalty for tomorrow’s race for a fifth unapproved engine change following the Nashville weekend.

The Gallagher Grand Prix gets underway at 2:00pm ET on Saturday August 12th with live broadcast coverage on USA Network and Peacock. SiriusXM will also host live IndyCar Radio coverage on XM Ch. 160.

Meyer Shank Racing Driver Quotes:

Helio Castroneves:

“I think I overcooked the tires on my first flying lap and then when I went out on the second lap, the rears weren’t as planted as I needed them to be. I don’t know that we had enough for pole, but we may have been able to get into the Fast Six with the car we had today. Overall I feel like we have a very strong chance in the race tomorrow. Unfortunately we have the six place grid penalty for the engine change, but we will work our way back up in the race tomorrow.”

Linus Lundqvist:

“Very close qualifying session here at Indy. First of all, I am very happy to be back for my second-ever INDYCAR weekend. There are still plenty of new things for me to learn. The package that we had roll off the trucks was competitive and I think we had it in ourselves to move on to the Fast 12 and maybe even the Fast Six. Unfortunately, we couldn’t put it all together and that’s a little on me, but we’ll tune that for tomorrow. We’ll see what the weather does, but I think we’ll have a fast race car tomorrow.”

Joe Graf Jr. | RSS Racing Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Preview

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RSS Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course | Pennzoil 150

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: 22nd

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 Pennzoil 150.

Indianapolis marks the 22nd race of the 2023 Xfinity Series season and 17th 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 is serving as a primary partner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Joe Graf Jr. at RSS Racing for the third time this season.

Sponsor Intel: G-Coin® (gcoin.com) is a digital title to real physical gold, where 1 G-Coin® equals 1 gram of a 99.99% pure, ethically sourced Responsible Gold™ kilobar.

G-Coin® allows for easy savings and sending of real gold with zero transaction fees and near instantaneous settlement times.

With G-Coin®, users can now effortlessly buy, sell, and monitor the value of their gold from the convenience of their smartphone.

Download the app from Google Play or the Apple App Store and Go for Gold!

Thanks For Your Support: With a little more than 63 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 12, 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 full four-hour program on Sunday, August 13, 2023.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Speedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Pennzoil 150 will mark Graf’s second Xfinity start at the 2.439-road course.

In his previous effort, Graf delivered a track-best of 26th after starting 29th for SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt during the 2020 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 17 NASCAR Xfinity Series races with an average starting position of 30.8 and an average result of 26.9.

Michigan International Speedway | Cabo Wabo 250 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Michigan International Speedway, Graf hunted his second top-10 finish of the season.

After qualifying his No. 38 Gtechniq Marine Ford Mustang 28th, a strong start to the race for Graf and the RSS Racing team was thwarted when he was hit by another competitor which caused extensive damage to the front-end of his Ford Mustang.

Graf was able to salvage the remainder of the race with a 27th-place result at the checkered flag.

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 285th NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday and his second at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix.

In his previous 284 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 CMRroofing.com Ford Mustang, while younger brother Kyle Sieg will drive the No. 28 US RSS Racing Ford Mustang.

Ryan Sieg is set to make his 323rd career Xfinity Series start overall and fourth at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

Kyle Sieg is poised to make his 39th career Xfinity Series start and first at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

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 The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course: “I have been working really hard to improve my road racing craft and I hope I’m able to showcase that with a solid result in Saturday afternoon’s race.

“I haven’t raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course since 2020, but I remember the race being a lot about track position and car control. My goal during practice is to rekindle myself with the layout and get a good zone and then try to leave nothing on the table for qualifying.

“From there, it’s about bringing home a top-20 finish or better for our No. 38 G-Coin® team. I was a bit disappointed about Michigan last week considering how fast our car was, so a top-20 finish would be a great rebound for our RSS Racing team and definitely give us some much-welcome momentum for Watkins Glen next weekend.”

On The 2023 Season: “As we press on during the second half of the NASCAR Xfinity Series, it is important for me to utilize what I have learned with the RSS Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing teams and apply that behind the wheel.

“We started the year off really 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 continue to stay focused, communicate with my team and utilize the knowledge that I’ve gained over the past three years to recover and have my best Xfinity Series season yet.”

Race Information:

The Pennzoil 150 (62 laps | 151.22 miles) is the 22nd of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Saturday, August 12, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Qualifying is set to immediately follow practice beginning at 10:00 a.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag later that afternoon, shortly after 5:30 p.m. with live coverage on the USA Network, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio 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.

Meyer Shank Racing Expands INDYCAR Program, Signs Tom Blomqvist

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Castroneves joins MSR ownership group as a minority partner, will focus on fifth Indianapolis 500 victory in 2024 with MSR

Indianapolis, Ind. (11 August 2024) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) will expand its NTT INDYCAR SERIES program starting with the 2024 season, signing a promising young talent and making a new addition to the ownership group.

The team has signed Tom Blomqvist, who won the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship as well as the 2022 and 2023 Rolex 24 At Daytona with MSR, to a multi-year agreement to pilot the team’s first of two full-season entries starting in 2024.

Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves will remain with the team for the 2024 season and beyond as the affable fan favorite takes on a new role with MSR.

Castroneves will join the Meyer Shank Racing ownership group as a minority partner. After winning a record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500 victory with MSR in 2021, Castroneves will continue his ‘Drive for 5’ with the Ohio-based team in 2024 and will enter the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 as the third entry for MSR.

“We are thrilled to bring Tom (Blomqvist) over to our INDYCAR program full-time starting next year, and to be able to keep Helio as a key part of our program moving forward and go for a fifth Indianapolis 500 victory next year,” said Mike Shank. “I feel like all the planets aligned for us to be able to do this, so I’m really grateful for us to be making this next step as a team. Helio brings so much to what we do overall as a team, both in terms of our competition package and all of his experience, as well as how he’s able to engage with our partners. So having him transition to this role is really exciting for everyone involved.”

The move from IMSA to INDYCAR marks a return to open-wheel competition for Blomqvist, who first forged his name in European competition with outstanding campaigns in Formula Renault and the highly competitive Formula 3 championships. His career then saw him move to DTM ahead of making his Formula E debut in 2017. Most recently, Blomqvist’s accolades include an LMP2 second place finish in the 2021 24 Hours of Le Mans on his way to taking a runner-up result in the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship.

In addition to Blomqvist’s role with MSR in major wins at IMSA’s 24 Hours At Daytona and Motul Petit Le Mans, he has also been an integral part in the team’s development of the all-new Acura LMDh Prototype hybrid in 2023. The British racer ran an astounding single-lap effort to deliver Acura the first-ever IMSA GTP class pole at Daytona, and added to the tally of success with a victory alongside Colin Braun last month at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Blomqvist made his INDYCAR debut filling in for the recovering Simon Pagenaud in Toronto, but his race unfortunately came to an early end after he was taken out in a first turn, first lap accident that put him out of the race.

“Firstly I would like to say a huge thank you to Mike and Jim and all the partners – AutoNation, SiriusXM, Arctic Wolf, Clopay and Cleveland-Cliffs – for believing in me and giving me this opportunity,” said Blomqvist. “It’s been a good ride the last two years in IMSA, but I’ve been itching to make the step up to INDYCAR and this is an opportunity I’m eager and motivated to make the most of. INDYCAR is an incredibly competitive series and I’m under no illusions in how difficult this championship can be, but I am extremely motivated to make the most of this exciting new challenge.”

Meyer Shank Racing has placed great value in Castroneves’ abilities on and off the track. The four-time Indianapolis 500 winner will stay onboard with Meyer Shank Racing full-time, serving as driver mentor, team ambassador and partner of MSR’s growing list of sponsors which include AutoNation, SiriusXM, Arctic Wolf, Clopay and Cleveland-Cliffs. The Meyer Shank Racing ownership group now includes Mike Shank, Jim Meyer, Liberty Media, and now Castroneves.

“First I want to thank Mike, Jim and Liberty for accepting me as part of the ownership group,” said Castroneves. “Throughout my career I’ve been very fortunate to surround myself with an amazing group of people and this journey will be my next chapter and I can’t wait for that. Don’t get me wrong, I still have a lot of fuel to burn inside in terms of driving and I will do that at the Indy 500 as I continue my pursuit of the Drive for Five.”

Meyer Shank Racing is still finalizing plans for it’s second full-season entry in 2024 and will announce soon.

Tiger Tari’s Positive Lessons Continue With Star Spangled Racing’s Lamborghini Super Trofeo Effort at Road America

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ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin (August 11, 2023) – Tiger Tari’s Road America rounds of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo season mirrored his season to date, with incredible highs and steady improvement ripped away through bad luck and misfortune.

Tari and his Star Spangled Racing/NTE Sport team left the doubleheader weekend on August 4-6 with a sixth and a 10th place finish, but led a lap in the LB Cup class under the pit cycle and drove as high as third place on the track before his weekend ended early thanks to unfortunate contact.

The highlight of the weekend was when he found his No. 17 Star Spangled Racing with NTE Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2 at the top of the LB Cup class in the midst of the mandatory pit stops. Though the top spot was short lived, Tari had driven to third and held the position after everyone’s stops had been completed.

Even that came with some drama, as Tari’s radio communication with the team was compromised in the race. Tari made the call to pit on his own after noticing the pit window open, and then left alone again after the stop. Light contact to the rear of his car in the middle of a corner caused a spin and the podium finish evaporated.

“Road America is such a fun track, but there is more elevation change than there looks on tv,” Tari said. “Not having a radio is a real disadvantage, especially on the starts and restarts. You can’t see the starter’s stand and the flag until you crest the hill, so I had to wait and judge it by the other cars around me. It probably cost me at least one position on every start or restart, and I had to push to get that back.”

Tari had again driven to fifth during Sunday’s race after starting eighth, avoiding other people’s incidents and marching up the sheets. That evaporated with 13 minutes remaining in the 50 minute race. Locked in a battle with a fellow LB Cup competitor heading into Canada Corner, Tari was hit hard in the rear by a Pro class contender.

The contact resulted in a drive through penalty for the Pro driver, but both cars were undrivable after the incident. Tari’s No. 17 suffered significant damage to the rear, and will need to be repaired to make the next round at Virginia International Raceway.

“The end of that race was terribly unfortunate,” Tari said. “I’ve been snake bit this year trying to finish races, but I’m really happy with my driving. I continue to get faster, and even though I expect more from myself I have to remember that I haven’t even been doing this for a full season.”

Indeed, Tari’s debut came one year ago at Road America after participating in SCCA and World Endurance League racing. He had never so much as sat in the car prior to his debut, and even then – because he shared the car with a co-driver, and also experienced some mechanical issues – had only about four full laps at Road America.

Because of that, each of the first half of the 2023 season saw Tari visiting new-to-him race tracks. At the tricky WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Tari opened with a fourth-place finish and went even quicker in race two before a spin on old tires ended his race one lap down. Watkins Glen was very similar, getting quicker in race two before a flat tire ended his day early.

Beginning at the next race at VIR, Tari gets an opportunity to repeat a track – one that he earned a podium on a season ago.

“I’m looking forward to being able to settle in at VIR,” Tari said. “It’s been a very up and down year, but I finally get to eliminate the variables. I know the car pretty well by now, and I know the track. I can take what I learned last year and focus forward this week. It will be really fun.”

Tari exits Road America eighth in the LB Cup seaon-long championship, and part of the Lamborghini Palm Beach’s dominating effort in the dealership standings.

Tari’s Star Spangled Racing Lamborghini is carrying Lamborghini Palm Beach, PSA Systems, Clean Claims, Home Repair Network Limited and Terra Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse on the car during the 2023 season.

The Lamborghini Super Trofeo season, including Tari’s No. 17 Star Spangled Racing Lamborghini Huracan, returns to action at VIR for a doubleheader August 25-27.

About Star Spangled Racing:

Based in Jacksonville, Florida, Star Spangled Racing was established in 2020 by first-generation American Tiger Tari. Star Spangled Racing accelerated quickly, moving from club and endurance events into professional racing just two years later with a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo in the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech Championship GT Daytona (GTD) class in a partnership with NTE Sport. Tari extended his driving career by finishing the season in the LB Cup class of Lamborghini Super Trofeo during the 2022 season. More information can be found at www.starspangledracing.com.

Movie Cars Display will Produce “Triple Takes” at Charlotte AutoFair

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The Silver Cloud III, one of only 50 built in 1964 with a huge, canvas-covered moonroof, joins the Charlotte Fall AutoFair on Sept. 7-9. (Photo: Aaron Farrier)

CONCORD, N.C. (Aug. 11, 2023) – Forget the classic double take — it is a trio of high-profile vehicles from the silver screen that will turn spectators’ heads faster than you can say “Movie Cars” at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Sept. 7–9 Charlotte AutoFair.

Responsible for the triple takes are a 1964 Rolls-Royce seen in the original Cannonball Run movie, a 1969 Ford Mustang from John Wick, and a Wagon Queen Family Truckster made famous in the first Vacation film.

Where else have I seen this Rolls-Royce? The Silver Cloud III, one of only 50 built-in 1964 with a huge, canvas-covered moonroof, enjoyed screen time in the 1981 Burt Reynolds’ action-comedy Cannonball Run. The beautiful burgundy-and-silver saloon also made cameos in 1985’s Sylvester and 1989’s Bluegrass, among other films. Owned by the Schworer Beverly Hills Limousine company, the Silver Cloud has ferried an astonishing roster of Hollywood stars (Dean Martin, Bob Hope, Yul Brynner, Mickey Rooney), musicians (KISS, REO Speedwagon, The Moody Blues, and Alabama), and some other folks you might know (Muhammad Ali, Justin Timberlake, and Ozzy Osbourne).

Has that Mustang been wrecked? Keanu Reeves’ title character in the John Wick movie series does not have good luck when it comes to keeping a classic car show-ready. The 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 coming to the Charlotte AutoFair is one of the “surviving” stunt cars from 2017’s John Wick: Chapter 2, in which Wick uses the once-pristine pony car like a weapon of mass destruction against a gang of Russian mobsters.

Is that Metallic Pea Green? “You think you hate it now, but wait ’til you drive it” is how the salesman at Lou Glutz Motors convinced Clark Griswold to buy a Wagon Queen Family Truckster in the 1983 comedy classic National Lampoon’s Vacation. Based (in real life) on a heavily modified 1979 Ford LTD Country Squire station wagon, the original Truckster and four duplicates were reportedly destroyed during filming. The Pea Green wagon, liberally covered with 1970s-chic fake wood paneling, was vandalized, crashed in the desert, and further butchered by unscrupulous mechanics before delivering the Griswold family to the Walley World theme park. The Truckster coming to AutoFair is a 1984 Country Squire replica that was faithfully transformed by—no joke—Steve and Lisa Griswold’s family and has been autographed by Vacation star Chevy Chase.
The Movie Cars will be displayed in the Showcase Pavilion during the Sept. 7–9 Charlotte AutoFair at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Other show highlights include the Best of the Best custom show vehicles, a Corvette 70th Anniversary exhibit, and a Sept. 11 Tribute Car.

MORE INFO:

AutoFair will transform the famed 1.5-mile speedway throughout the weekend. The latest technology, trends, parts and products will fill the manufacturer’s midway. Guests can test drive the current line of Chevrolet vehicles and ride shotgun with professional Ford Performance Racing School drivers latest from the worlds of electric and off-road vehicles. Additionally, the reconfigured swap meet, hosted by the Hornet’s Nest Region AACA, will provide a wide array of hard-to-find parts and memorabilia.

TICKETS: Adult single-day tickets are $10 on Thursday and $15 on Friday and Saturday. Three-day passes are just $30 for adults. Children 12 and under get in FREE with an adult. Tickets are available online at CharlotteMotorSpeedway.com or at the gate.

FOLLOW US: Keep track of AutoFair attractions and events by following us on Twitter and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

TPC Racing Makes a Quick Return to Road America for This Weekend’s USAC Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama Porsche 992 and Cayman Races

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  • David Williams Battling for Sprint Challenge Porsche 992 Am-Division Championship in the TPC Racing No. 237 Mission BBQ Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
  • Chloe Chambers Steps Into the TPC Racing No. 77 Monoflo International Porsche Cayman GT4 Looking for More Race Wins and to Build TPC Racing’s Team Championship Lead

ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin (August 11, 2023) – Fresh off of a podium performance just last weekend at Road America, TPC Racing makes a quick return to the 4.048-mile Wisconsin road course to continue a pair of Porsche Sprint Challenge North America presented by Yokohama championship battles in this weekend’s “all-Porsche” 992 and Cayman races at “America’s National Park of Speed.”

Last Sunday at Road America, TPC Racing capped a competitive return to the IMSA Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with a third-place class finish with co-drivers Shehan Chandrasoma and Bryson Lew in the No. 20 TPC Racing/Lamborghini Austin Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2.

The TPC Racing team and its drivers look for more success this weekend in Porsche Sprint Challenge 992 GT3 Cup and Cayman GT4 Clubsport competition.

Leading the way is two-time 2023 race winner David Williams who competes in the Am class in the top-tier Porsche Sprint Challenge 992 division in his TPC Racing No. 237 Mission BBQ Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

With victories at Sebring International Raceway and Barber Motorsports Park and seven-straight podium appearances to start the season, Williams is just three points out of the 992 Am championship lead with Road America kicking off the year’s final three doubleheader weekends of competition.

In the Cayman division, three-time 2023 race winner Chloe Chambers looks for another victory in this weekend’s triple header schedule of races for the Cayman GT4 Clubsport series. After teammate Evan Hinkle was sidelined this week due to unexpected personal commitments, Chambers steps into sponsor Monoflo International’s primary No. 77 Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport.

Chambers swept both races in her series debut in April at Barber Motorsports Park and also picked up a win in the second race one event ago at VIRginia International Raceway. Her immediate success in the series has played a major role in TPC Racing leading the Cayman Team Championship standings by three points coming into the Road America weekend.

Noteworthy

  • A season-high five-car entry was planned for TPC Racing this weekend, but Hinkle is joined by fellow TPC Racing Cayman GT4 competitor Tom Kerr as a late scratch. “We are looking forward to his return at Indianapolis, but Tom is sitting the Road America weekend out due to a family emergency,” Levitas said. “We wish Tom, Evan and their families all the best and we will see them back at the track very soon.”
  • Chambers was scheduled to make her 992 Pro-Am debut this weekend but didn’t hesitate to answer the call from sponsor Monoflo International to drive the team’s No. 77 Cayman GT4 Clubsport when teammate Hinkle was sidelined. Chambers, however, did test the No. 270 Monoflo International Porsche 911 GT3 Cup mid-week at Road America and is expected to still make her race debut before the end of the Sprint Challenge season.
  • Chambers and her Cayman-class competitors have a couple of twists this weekend. For the first time this season, the Caymans will run three points-paying races rather than the standard doubleheader schedule of two sprints. Another change is that the Caymans share the track in the weekend’s first two races with the 991 Porsche GT3 Cup class, which normally competes at the same time as the 992 division. The third Cayman race, scheduled to wrap up the weekend’s racing Sunday afternoon, features only GT4 Clubsport competitors and is the first of two replacement races for a doubleheader originally scheduled for Mid-Ohio. The second replacement round will be a third Cayman race on the schedule at the Circuit of The Americas race weekend later this month.
  • Shaun McKaigue was set for his first race at Road America since 2019 in the No. 134 TPC Racing Porsche 991 GT3 Cup but was unfortunately sidelined for the weekend following a contact incident in Thursday’s test session. McKaigue was uninjured in the incident but his Porsche can’t be repaired trackside for the weekend’s racing schedule. Harris Levitas, TPC Racing Director of Race Operations: “The TPC Racing team has been here at the track for more than a week now getting dialed in to the new surface. David Williams is just a couple of points out of the championship lead in the 992 Am class so we are really looking forward to getting out there with some top performances. Chloe Chambers was set to join David in the GT3 Cup category this weekend in her 992 debut but instead drives the Monoflo International No. 77 Cayman after Evan was forced to skip this weekend. Chloe is looking for her fourth Cayman win of the season and is one of the main reasons TPC Racing leads the Cayman Pro-Am team championship by three points heading into this weekend.”

Chloe Chambers, Driver – No. 77 Monoflo International Cayman GT4 Clubsport: “I’ll miss racing alongside one of our usual teammates Evan Hinkle this weekend but I will do everything I can working with the team to make sure Monoflo International makes it to victory lane. I’ve raced at Road America in 2021 in F4 and I showed really good speed. Unfortunately, prolonged safety cars during the three races made racing more difficult, but I’m ready for this new challenge in a different car and of course, the newly repaved surface! Thanks to Monoflo International and TPC Racing for the support and I am looking forward to three competitive races this weekend.”

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

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